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THE  HISTORY 


RENVILLE  COUNTY 

MINNESOTA' 


COMPILED  BV 


FRANKLYN  (^URTISS-WEDGE 

Member  of  the  Minnesota  Historical  Society,  editor  of  the  Histories  of  Winr 
Wright,  Fillmore.  Freeborn,  Motver,  Dakota,  Rice.  Steele 


and  Goodhue  Coitnlie 


A  LARGE  CORPS  OF  LOCAL  CONTRIBUTORS 

UHDEK  THE   DIRECriON    AMD   SUPERVISION   OF 

HON.  DARWIN  S.  HALL, 
HON.  DAVID  BENSON  and 
COL  CHARLES  H.  HOPKINS, 
Renville  County  Pioneer  Association  Committee. 


ILLUSTRATED 


CHICAGO 

H.  C.  COOPER  JR.  &  CO. 

1916 


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TO  ilEW  YORK 

PHBLK  LIBRARY 


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TO  THE 

STURDY  PIONEERS  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

WHO,    AHID    INNUHEBASLE    HABDBHIPS,    BLAZED    THE    WAT 
*  '  FOB  THE  PRESENT  GENERATIONS ; 

AND   TO   THEIR 
DESCENDANTS    AND   SUCCESSORS 

THESE  VOLUMES    ARE   DEDICATED 
BT  AUj  who  hate  AB8KTED  IN   THEOR  CONSTRUCTION 


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FOREWORD 

It  is  with  a  feeling  of  considerable  satisfaction  and  pleasure 
that  the  publishers  present  this  history  for  the  approval  of  the 
people  of  Renville  county.  The  iindertakiug  has  not  been  an 
easy  one,  the  difficulties  have  )>Qen  many,  so  many  intleed  that 
this  publication  would  not  have  been  possible  without  the  liberal 
assistance  of  the  citizens  of  the  county.  The  chief  contributors 
and  editors  have  given  freely  of  their  time  and  tali^nt;  business 
men,  church  officers,  municipal,  township,  fraternity,  association 
and  corporation  officials,  manufacturers,  professional  men  and 
banliers,  often  at  a  great  personal  sacrifice,  have  laid  aside  tlieir 
regular  duties  to  tell  of  their  communities  and  special  interests; 
educators  have  wriiten  of  their  schools,  and  men  and  women  in 
all  walks  of  life  have  given  the  information  at  their  command 
regarding  themselves,  their  families,  their  activities  and  their 
localities.  To  all  of  these  the  readers  of  this  work  owe  a  lasting 
debt  of  gratitude,  and  to  each  one  the  publishers  extend  their 
heartfelt  thanks. 

In  handling  the  vast  amount  of  material  gathered  for  this 
work,  it  has  been  the  aim  of  the  entire  staff  to  select  such  matter 
as  is  authentic,  reliable  and  interesting.  Doubtless  facts  have 
been  included  that  many  will  deem  of  little  moment,  but  thesw 
same  facts  to  others  may  be  of  the  deepest  import.  It  may  b« 
also  that  some  facts  have  been  omitted  that  many  readers  would 
like  to  see  included.  To  such  reatlei-s  we  can  only  say  that  to 
publish  every  incident  in  the  life  of  the  county  would  be  to  issue 
a  work  of  many  volumes,  and  in  choosing  such  material  as  would 
come  within  the  limits  of  two  volumes  we  believe  that  the  matter 
selected  is  that  which  will  prove  of  greatest  interest  to  th" 
greatest  number  of  readers,  and  also  that  which  is  most  worthy 
of  being  handed  down  to  future  generations,  who  in  these  vol- 
umes, in  far  distant  years,  may  read  of  their  large-souled,  rugged- 
bodied  ancestors  and  predeeessoi-s,  who  gave  up  their  homes  in 
older  communities  to  brave  the  rigors  of  pioneer  endeavor. 

A  few  omissions  may  be  due  to  some  of  the  people  of  the 
county,  themselves,  as  in  many  instances  repeated  requests  for 
information  have  met  with  no  response.  In  such  cases  information 
gathered  from  other  sources,  while  authentic,  may  be  lacking  in 
copious  detail. 

Before  passing  hasty  judgment  on  apparent  errors,  one  sbouki 
consider  carefully,  not  relying  on  tradition  or  memory.  In  many 
cases  we  have  found  that  persons'  memories  are  faulty  and  tradi- 


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Ti  FOREWORD 

tioD  eiToneouH  when  measured  by  the  standard  of  official  records, 
even  in'  the  case  of  comparatively  recent  events,  while  in  many 
instances  families  are  under  the  impression  that  their  forebears 
arrived  in  the  county  long  before  it  was  possible  for  them  to  do 
so.  We  have  endeavored  to  follow  a  uniform  system  of  the 
spelling  of  proper  names,  although  various  spellings  of  even  the 
moat  familiar  names  appear  in  the  newspapers  antl  records. 

The  biographies  have  been  gathered  with  care  from  those  most 
interested,  and  with  a  few  exceptions  have  been  revised  and  cor- 
rected by  the  subject  of  the  biography  or  by  a  relative  or  friend. 
As  verification  of  all  the  details  is  impossible,  the  editors  disclaim 
responsibility  for  any  errors  therein,  the  opportunity  having  been 
given  the  variotis  families  for  making  any  corrections  desired. 
This,  however,  refers  to  the  dates,  incidents  and  sequence  of 
events;  all  personal  estimates  being  the  work  of  the  editors  and 
inserted  in  biographies  only  after  consultation  with  the  various 
members  of  the  staff. 

All  available  authorities  have  been  consulted.  Among  such 
authorities  whose  works  have  been  used  and  in  many  cases 
quoted  copiously  are :  The  History  of  the  Minnesota  Valley 
(1882);  Minnesota  in  Three  Centuries  (1908);  the  histories  of 
southern  and  central  Minnesota  counties,  by  the  editor  of  the 
present  work ;  the  various  publications  of  the  state  of  Minnesota 
and  the  United  States  government;  as  well  as  the  publications 
of  the  Iowa,  Wisconsin  and  Minnesota  historical  societies,  and 
many  other  biographical,  historical,  and  archieological  works  of 
reference.  The  files  of  the  newspapers  of  this  and  neighboring 
counties  have  been  carefully  perused,  as  have  the  county,  town- 
ship, village,  city  and  church  records.  Hundreds  of  minute-books 
have  been  scanned  and  thousands  of  letters  and  original  manu- 
scripts carefully  examined.  To  all  those  who  have  extended  us  . 
courtesies  during  our  search  of  these  records  we  extend  our 
thanks. 

In  gathering  material  from  so  many  sources,  a  paragraph  from 
a  newspaper  in  one  place,  a  few  lines  from  a  pamphlet  somewhere 
else,  a  half  a  chapter  from  some  other  work,  it  has  not  been 
possible  in  every  case  to  give  credit  for  authorship.  It  should 
be  stated,  however,  that  much  of  the  Indian  Massacre  material 
contained  in  this  work  is  from  the  pen  of  Major  Return  I. 
Holcombe,  in  Minnesota  in  Three  Centuries,  edited  somewhat, 
however,  to  suit  the  present  purpose. 

The  board  of  revision  for  the  present  history  has  consisted 
of  Darwin  S.  Hall,  Charles  H.  Hopkins.  David  Benson,  P.  L. 
Puffer,  M.  D.,  Judge  Richard  T.  Daly,  M.  J.  Dowling,  J.  R.  Landy, 
Judge  C.  N.  Mataon.  Henry  Dunsmore,  W.  E.  Morris,  H.  W. 
Leindeeker,  Edward  O'Connor,  Timothy  O'Connor,  J.  M.  George, 
0.  T.  Ramsland,  Prantz  G.  Nellermoe,  William  B.  Strom.  H.  W. 


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FOREWORD  Tu 

Shoemaker,  William  Wichman,  F.  A.  Schafer,  Amalia  M.  Bengtson, 
Ole  0.  Enestvedt,  A.  T.  Ellingboe,  John  G.  Wordea,  Nels  0.  Berge, 
John  Bakke,  Frank  H.  Hopkins,  Julius  L.  Jacobs,  Peter  P.  Dustrud, 
John  I.  Johnson  and  many  others. 

These  people,  and  those  whose  names  appear  at  the  head  of 
the  various  chapters,  are  but  few  of  those  who  have  assisted  in 
making  this  work  possible.  We  have  taken  advantage  of  every 
available  source  of  information  and  have  labored  earnestly  to 
secure  conciseness  and  accuracy. 

That  this  history  is  faultless  we  do  not  presume ;  it  is  probably 
not  within  the  power  of  man  to  arrange  a  work  of  this  kind 
without  minor  mistakes  of  one  sort  or  another;  that  it  will  meet 
with  the  imqualified  approval  of  all  we  dare  not  expect ;  but  we 
trust  that  the  great  merit  of  the  work  will  overbalance  any  short- 
comings that  may  be  discovered ;  and  our  forty  years  in  this 
line  of  endeavor  assures  us  that  the  history  will  increase  in  value 
year  after  year. 

Our  association  with  the  people  of  Renville  county  has  been 
a  pleasant  one.  We  have  conscientiously  performed  our  task, 
and  in  placing  the  history  in  the  hands  of  those  whom  it  most 
concerns  our  hope  is  that  we  have  done  our  work  well. 

H.  C.  COOPER  JR.  &  CO. 


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TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  1. 
NATUBAL  PHENOMENA. 

PACE 

Advantages  —  Hituation  and  Area  —  Natural  Draiuage  — 
Topography  —  Altitudes  —  Soil  and  Timber  —  Archean 
Bocks— Gneiss  and  Granite — Cretaceous  Beds — Glacial 
and  Modified  Drift  —  Underground  Waters  —  Natural 
Resources 1 

CHAPTER  H. 

PREHISTOKIC  INHABITANTS. 

Nature's  Paradise — The  Coming  of  Man — The  Eskimo — The 
Mound  Builders — Purpose  of  the  Mounds — Life  and 
Habits  of  the  Mound  Builders — Location  of  the  Mounds 
— Excavations  and  Discoveries 20 

CHAPTER  III. 

INDIAN  OCCUPANCY  AND  TREATIES. 

The  Dakotas — Life,  History  and  Habits— Wapetons — Sisse- 
tons — Treaties — Visit  to  Washington — Treaties  of  Prairie 
du  Chien  —  Doty  Treaty  —  Preliminaries  to  the  Final 
Session — Treaty  of  Traverse  Des  Sioux — Ramsey  Inves- 
tigation— Treaty  of  1S58 — Agencies  and  Forts 25 

CHAPTER  IV. 

CLAIM  OF  TITLE. 

Spain  —  France  —  England  —  United  States  —  Louisiana  Pur- 
chase— Louisiana  District  of  Indiana — Louisiana  Terri- 
tory — Missouri  Territory — Michigan  Territory — -Wiscon- 
sin Territory — Iowa  Territory — Minnesota  Territory — 
Minnesota  State 52 


CHAPTER  V. 

EXPLORATIONS  AND  SURVEYS. 

Grosseilliers  and  Radisson — Hennepin  and  Duluth — LeSueur 
— Carver — Long,  Keating  and  Beltrami — Pembina  Ref- 
ugees— Catlin — Nicollet  and  Fremont — Allen — The  Mis- 
sionaries— The  Pur  Traders — Chronology — Surveys....     64 


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CHAPTER  VI. 
JOSEPH  RENVILU:. 

PAGE 
Of  French  and  Indian  Blood — Educated  in  Canada — Starts 
Life  as  a  Courier — In  War  of  1812 — Serves  as  British 
Captain — In  the  Fur  Trade — Brings  First  Seed  Com  to 
Minnesota — Literary  Work — His  Triumphant  Death 82 


CHAPTER  VII. 

KtVEK  NAVjaATION. 

Indian  Days  on  the  Minnesota — Mackinaw  Boats — Early  Voy- 
agers— Period  of  Steam  Navigation — Names  of  Boats 
Which  Reached  the  Upper  Stretches  of  the  River — 
Gradual  Reduction  in  River  Traffic 88 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

LAin>  OFFICE  RECORDS. 

Original  Claimants  to  Renville  County  Land — Roll  of  Honor 
of  Those  Pioneers  Who  First  Cleared  the  Land  and 
Erected  Cabins — Old  Settlers  Who  Braved  the  Rigors 
of  Pioneer  Endeavor 98 

CHAPTER  IX. 

CAUSES  OF  THE  OUTBREAK. 

Early  Friendship  —  Dissatisfaction  with  Treaties  —  Unjust 
Treatment  —  Inkpadoota  Massacre  —  Officials  Demand 
that  Indians  Capture  Renegades — Little  Crow  to  the 
Rescue — Delayed  Payments  in  1862 — Indians  Starving — 
Stupidity  of  Agent  —  Indians  Turbulent  —  Marsh  and 
Sheehan  to  the  Rescue 114 

CHAPTER  X. 

THE  SIOUX  OITTBREAK. 

Day  Dawns  Calm  and  Beautiful — Church  Services — The  Rice 
Creek  Renegades  Rob  a  Hen's  Nest — Quarrel  Among 
Braves  as  to  Their  Courage — Killing  Starts — Miscreants 
Tell  Their  Story  to  the  Chiefs— Little  Crow  Bows  to  the 
Inevitable  and  Reluctantly  Consents  to  Lead  His  Men  to 
Battle — General  Massacre  Begins — Weeks  of  Horror — 
Battles  and  Murders  —  Indians  Subdued  —  Little  Crow 
Killed— Peace   139 


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CONTENTS  xi 

CHAPTER  XI. 
SEDWOOD  FERRY  AMBUSCADE. 

PAOB 
Captain  Marsh  and  His  Company  Start  on  Expedition — Fugi- 
tives Met — Ferry  Reached — Parley  with  Indian — Con- 
cealed Indians  Start  Firing — Attempt  to  Swim  River — 
Captain  Marsh  Drowned  —  Casualties  —  Disastrous  Re- 
sult       165 

CHAPTER  XII. 

BATTLE  OF  BIRCH  COOLEY. 

Second  Expedition  Sets  Out — Encampment  at  Bjreh  Cooley 
— Attacked  bv  the  Indians — Heroic  Defense — Inaction 
of  Rescue  Party— Relief  by  Sibley 162 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

CAPTURED  BY  THE  INDIANS. 

Reminiscence  of  Minnie  Buee  CarrJgan — Pioneers  Arrive — 
Dawn  of  Fatal  August  Morning — Parents  Killed — Sisters 
Murdered — In  the  Indian  Camp — Meeting  Playmates — 
Scenes  of  Cruelty — Arrival  of  Soldiers — Release — Con- 
clusion   169 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

CAPTIVE  AMONG  THE  SIOUX. 

Experiences  of  Mrs.  N.  D.  White,  of  Beaver  Falls — Unrest 
Among  the  Indians — News  of  the  Uprising — Desperate 
Flight — Capture— Wedge  Killed- — Hendprson  Injured — 
Mrs,  Henderson  and  Children  Burned — Scenes  of  Horror 
— Eugene  White  Killed- — Boy  of  Twelve  Escapes — Cap- 
tives Taken  to  Crow's  Village— Life  Among  the  Indians 
—  Removal  —  Incidents  of  the  March  —  Rescue  —  Camp 
Release — Scenes  of  Delight — Reunion — Retrospection. . .   195 

CHAPTER  XV. 

EABLE'S  BEMnnSOENOES. 

Thrilling  Experiences  of  a  Boy  During  the  Sioux  Massacre — 
Beaver  Creek  Settlement — Pioneer  Incidents — Trouble 
Brewing — Warned  by  Squaw — News  of  the  Massacre — 
Flight  for  Safety— Surrounded  by  Indians^ — Woman,  Chil- 
dren and  Friend  Killed — Women,  Children  and  Woimded 
Abandoned  by  Whites — Brave  Boy  Gives  Life  for  His 
Father  —  Party  Separates  —  Rescue  —  Defense  of  Fort 
Ridgely — Cowardice  of  Some  of  the  Citizens — Valor  of 
Others  —  Expedition  to  Bury  Bodies  —  Battle  of  Bireh 
Cooley — Discharged 219 


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CHAPTER  XVI. 
COUNTY  GOVERNMENT. 

PAQE' 

Ori^nal  Counties — Wabaslmw — Dakotah — Pierce  and  Nicol- 
let— Renville — Changes  in  Boundaries — Lincoln — Elec- 
tion Legalized — County  Commissioners — County  Officers.  246 

CHAPTER  XYII. 

COUNTY  REPRESENTATION. 

Territory  Organized — Council  Districts — Territorial  Legisla- 
ture— Renville  in  the  Sixth,  Seventh  and  Tenth  Council 
Districts — Constitutional  Convention — State  Legislature 
— Members  Who  Have  Represented  Renville  County — 
Congressional  Representation 262 

CHAPTER  XVin. 

CREATION  or  TOWNSHIPS. 

Various  Ants  of  the  County  Commissioners  by  Which  the 
Townships  of  Renville  County  Have  Assumed  Their 
Present  Boundaries — Dates  of  First  Elections 277 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

PIONEER  EXPERIENCES. 

Stories  of  the  Tribulations  and  Joys  of  Frontier  Life  Told  by 
Men  Who  Underwent  the  Rigors  of  Early  Settlement-- 
Blizzards  and  Disasters — Long  Trips  in  Wintry  Weather 
— Sod  Houses  and  Os  Teams— Grasshoppers  and  Indians  283 

CHAPTKR  XX. 

BIOQRAPHICAL  REVIEW. 

Pacts  in  the  Early  Career  and  Later  Success  of  People  Who 
Have  Helped  Make  Renville  County — Founders  and 
Patriots — Names  Which  Will  Live  Long  in  the  Memory 
of  Residents  of  This  A'icinity — Stories  of  Well-Known 
Families  Which  Have  Led  in  Public  Life 307 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

HORTICULTURE. 

Wild  Berries  and  BVuits — Early  Difficulty  with  Tree  Raising 
—  Fruits  Best  Grown  Here  —  Apples  for  Swiue  —  The 
Orchard  as  an  Asset — The  First  Nursery — Growth  of  the 
Industry  in  Renville  County  —  Present  Nurseries  —  The 
Old  Home  with  Fruits  and  Flowers — By  Henry  Duns- 


523 


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CHAPTER  XXU. 
PROGRESSIVE  ENTERPRISES. 

PAGE 

Urban  and  Rural  Telephone  Companies — Milling  Companies 
— Grain  Companies — Agricultural  Organizatious — Fair 
AssociatioDs 533 

CHAPTER  XSIII. 

EARLY  SETTLEMENT. 

Nearby  Stations — First  Settlers  in  Renville  County — La  Croix 
at  Birch  Cooley — Cairo — Beaver  Palls — Flora — Hawk 
Creek  —  Sacred  Heart  —  Flight  of  Settlers — Pioneers 
Return  and  Modem  Era  Begins — An  Ancient  Atlas. . . .   544 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

VILLAQES  PLATTED  AND  INCORFORATED. 

Thirteen  Plats  Recorded-^Snr^'eys,  Locations  and  Owners — 
Incorporated  Cities  and  Villages — Date  of  Incorporation 
— Village  Limits 561 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

POSTOFFICES. 

Beginning  of  System — Early  Offices  in  Renville  County — 
History  of  Present  Of6ces — Postmaster  and  Locations — 
Discontinued  Postoffices — Forgotten  Names 568 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

OFFICIAL  TRANSACTIONS. 

Story  of  the  Doings  of  the  County  Commissioners — The 
County  Seat  Fights  and  Successive  Courthouses — Names 
of  County  Officials  and  What  They  Did  While  in  Office- 
Estimate  of  Men  and  Motives  —  Compiled  from  the 
Auditor 's  Recoids 578 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 

FORT  RIDOELY. 

Establishment  —  Notable  Soldiers  Stationed  There  —  Volun- 
teer Troops  Arrive  —  Poorly  Located  —  Inadequate  for 
Defense — Left  Almost  Deserted — Indian  Massacre  Starts 
— Marsh  Starts  for  Redwoo<l  Ferry — Disaster — Refugees 
Swarm  to  the  Port — Sheehan  Returns — Renville  Rangers 
Return — Preparations  for  Defense— Attack  of  August  20 
—Attack  of  August  22— Thrilling  Tales  of  Danger  and 
Daring— Indians  Withdraw— Relief—The  Story  of  De- 
fender Adam  Rieke — Charles  H.  Hopkins  and  Ilia  Work 
Which  Haa  Resulted  in  the  Fort  Ridgely  State  Park 61C 


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xiv  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 
URBAN  SCHOOLS. 

PAOE 
Story  o£  the  Growth  of  the  Educational  Systems  in  Renville 
County's  City  and  Village  Schools — High  School  Courses 
— Associated  Schools — Domestic  Science — Manual  Train- 
ing— Agriculture    654 


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INDEX  TO  BIOGRAPHIES 


AbraJiameon,  Charles  0 409 

AhreDB,  Henry i98 

Amstbauer,  Frank  E 369 

Anderson,  Andrew  J 478 

Anderson,  August  B 415 

Anderson,  John 390 

Armstrong,  Jamea  E 441 

Armstrong,  Thomas  A 492 

Avery,  Delbert  G 385 

Barfkuecht,  August  F 325 

Barfknecht,  Albert  W 326 

Barnard,  John 504 

Baumaon,  Sr.,  Joseph 346 

Behrns,  Edmund 497 

BengtBOn,  Amalia  M 461 

Bengtson,  Bev.  Andrew 461 

Berg,    Edward 368 

Bergley,  Andrew  A 366 

Bertelsen.  Christ 347 

Bethke,  Eerman 368 

Biebl,  George  A 351 

Bird,  Charles 498 

Blad,  August 377 

Blad,   OuBtave 372 

Blad,  John  M 371 

Bogena,  Isaac 336 

Borden,  Elwin  Eoy 456 

Borden,  John 456 

Boyiim,  Ole  H 362 

Boyuoi,  Ole  J 508 

BrandjoTil,  Jouas 335 

Braun,  Senry  John 412 

Brecke,  Carl  0 488 

Bregel    Brothers 353 

Bregel,  Ednard 352 

Bregel,    Wjlliani 352 

Brevig,  O.  L 498 

Briggs,  Alonzo  P 324 

Brown,  Anton 308 

Brown,  Ednard  H 518 

Brown,  Jamea 473 

Brunner,  John 355 

BruBB,  Herman  F 398 

Burggren,  Perry  August 417 

Burgstahler,    August 396 

Bush,  John  Henry 414 

Butler,  Benjamin  Jason 484 

Butler,  Edward  J 440 

Byhoffer,    Theodore 323 

Csrrigan,  Edward  James 327 

Carrigan,   Harry 328 

Csrrigan,  Hugh 327 

Carrigan,  John  H 329 

Carrigan,   Michael 328 


Dahl,  Amund 448 

Daun,  August  T 504 

Day,  Bert  J 494 

Dodge,  Lorrin 442 

Duusmore,  Henry 459 

Drake,    James 4T6 

Eggert,  JohD 313 

Elstad,  JohD  H 369 

Enger,  Emil   A 353 

Ericson,  Elias  Martin 372 

EricBon,    Halvor 378 

Erickson,  Andrew  8 507 

Erickson.  John  W 410 

Farrar,   Albert  I- 591 

Farrell,  Jeremiah 498 

Farrenbaeh,  Leonard 507 

Feeter,  Joseph  H 469 

Fehr,    Henry 474 

Fenske,   August  E 350 

Finley,    William 399 

Firle,   Charles  H 348 

Fischer,   Fred   J 467 

Fischer,    John 410 

Follingstad,  Louis  U 403 

Forsvth,  George 510 

FosB,  John  E 513 

Foi,  Sr.,  Frederick  J 481 

Prickson,  Christian  H 341 

Frickson,  Henry 341 

Fritz,  Rev.  Emil  G 414 

Funk,  Robert  H 408 

Funk,  Samuel  H 407 

Garske,  Stephen 450 

Gerald,  Iver 429 

Oeray,  Anton 393 

Gleaener   Charles 381 

Grady,  L.  T 499 

GrasmoD,  Holm  E 347 

Hable,  Chester  Henry 465 

Hable,  Lewis 465 

Haedt,  William 400 

Hage,  Peter  M 338 

Hager,  Joseph 419 

Eager,  William  J 419 

Hagestad,  Mathias  0 365 

Hagevold,  Ole 365 

Hall,  Mary  Dunlop  McLaren 310 

Hall,  Darwin  Scott 307 

Ealverson,  Henry 510 

Hanschen,  Henry  W 475 

Harrier,  William  M 314 

Haubrich,  Anthony  V 387 

Heikka,  Michael 340 

Hertel,  Ernest 443 

Hinderman,  Jacob  M., 


Carrigan,  Owen 

Carrigan.  William  J 329      Hippie.  Henry 499 

Carson,  Hugh  J 348      Hodgdon,  Amos  E 322 


Carson,  Jonathan  I. 

Christianson,    Anton 501 

Clobes,  Henry 413 

CofSn.  Erwin  T 316 

Colby,  Edgar  L 417 


Hodgdon,  Elmer  Nathan.. 

Hodgdon,  Orrin 318 

Hogstad,  John  0 367 

Eoimyr,  Ole  P 337 

Hokanson,  George  E. 419 


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INDEX  TO  BIOGRAPHIES 


Holtn,  Herman 338 

Houek,  Theodore. 470 

Houck,  Ployd 435 

Hougl7,  Simon 4fl7 

Isaaeaon,  John  Oscar .1411 

Jacobus.  Hol)[er 49T 

Jensen,  Freileriek .'il2 

■Tensen,  Hans ni3 

Jewell,  Leonarcl  H :!S2 

Johnson,  Alexander  Mirhael....   a7G 

Johnson,  John  L 471 

Johnson,  Ju.itin 429 

Johnson,  Martin 430 

Johnson.  William  A 3fi3 

JunK,  August  E 447 

Kelly,  Matbias  E 3:i6 

Kelly,  Ole  E :....   3:i4 

Keltgen,   William SRH 

Kern.  John  M 387 

Kettiier.  Rev.  Ludwij;  Herinnn. .   377 

Kipfker,  Edmnnd 4S2 

Kieeker,  Otto  W 514 

Kieeker.  Reinhar.l  T 413 

Kirwin,  Luke  H .Wil 

Knott,  Ni.-holas  T 401 

Korsmo.  Ole  A , 339 

Kretseh.  Frank   A 514 

Kuester,  Henry 518 

Kurth,  William 330 

Lambert,  Leon  E 39! 

Lainiiiers,   ('harles 3fil 

Lammers,  William  F 47S 

Lanilateiner,  Henry  J -354 

Larson,   Arthur -WS 

Leasman.   George  W 420 

Lee,  Halvor  J 499 

Lenander,  Peter 468 

Lenaniler,  Nels 4fi3 

Lens!,  Ferdinand 517 

Logan,  Hugh  H :iR!i 

Lunil,  Auffust 459 

Lund,  ('hristian  V 511 

Lunder,  Oiiatav   0 421 

MKTall,  Neil  J 397 

McEwen,  Bowman  C 315 

Mi-Ewen,  Charles  Dwight 315 

MfGowaii,  James  H .3B:i 

M^nowan,  William  D 49S1 

McLaren.  Harley  E 430 

Mahike,  Gustav 4«2 

Manthei,  .Tulius 408 

Marlowe,  Charles  B 355 

Marquarclt.   Charles 441 

Mathison.  Martin 4:i9 

Mattson,  Peter  A 499 

Maiwell.  James  Henrv 444 

Megquier,  George  H 499 

Melwold,  Anton  E .3fi4 

Menz,  John  E 48S 

Mihm.  Henrv 4S:i 

Miller,   .Tohn 472 

Monson,  Nils  L 500 

Mosher,  Jacob 42.1 

Mundahl,  Hans  F 34" 

Murnan.  James  L 3.19 

Miisil,  Frank  J Sfl-I 

Xarvestad,  C.  0 499 

NVitKcl,  C.  V 4411 

Neitzel,  Oscar  A 447 

Xelson,  .Tohn  G 432 

Nelson,  Xels  0 363 


Nelson.  Olof 506 

Nelson,  Peter  G 431 

Xelson,  William  Adolph :13I 

Nenow,  Gust 406 

Nenow,  Herman  B 40fi 

N'esbarg,  Andrew  0 3fil 

Xeaburg,  Runder  0 3fifi 

Nesburg,  Ole  0 360 

Ness,  Jens  S 343 

NeBtande,  John  P 520 

Nestande,  Peter 333 

Neater,   John 491 

Newholm,  John  P 42T 

Newton.  Otis  W 390 

Nixon.  Charles  H 464 

Nordakop,  Ole  0 428 

Okina.  James  P 311 

Olson  Brothers 3H.^ 

Olson,  .lohn  M...... 490 

OiNon.  I-«rs 342 

Olson,   Nela  J 358 

Olson,  Peter  B 392 

Olson.  Peter  0 3S5 

Olson.  Peter  P 370 

Paar,  Martin  W .382 

Palmer,  Albert  J 517 

Palmer,  Jaeob  P 349 

Patton,  J.  P 499 

Paulson,  Ande  P 359 

Paulaon,   Nels 433 

Peterson,  Alfred  H 359 

Peterson.    Qiinerus 344 

Peterson,  0.  F 499 

Phillips.  Jr..   Xavier 383 

Pierce,  Sr.,  William  fi .US 

Poetschat,  George 475 

Powers,  William 493 

I'reiwitz,  August 449 

Prelwitz,  Sr..  August 449 

Quiglev,   Bartlet 493 

Raitii,  Levi  A 472 

Rehstock,   Ernest  W 422 

Reuber,  Christian  H 451 

Revier,  Sr.,  Paul 384 

Renville,  Mrs.  Marv  B 499 

Rice.  .Tohn  H ." 486 

Richards.  Gibson  A 312 

Rieke,  Angun  V .500 

Rieke,  Gustav  A 349 

Rieke.  Henrv  H 3.19 

Rieke.  Williim  F :   505 

Rockniann,  (.'hristian 374 

Rovainen.  Isaac  W 335 

Rnnke,  John  H 331 

Riiona.    H jalmer .142 

Ruona,   William   S 51fi 

Saflfert.  George  J 453 

Snusele,  Fred  W 402 

Savela,  Carl 343 

Savela.  Jr.,  John  J 453 

Savela.  Sr..  .Tohn  J 452 

Savela,  Henrv  J 452 

Savela.   Louis 343 

Sehaffler,   Oharlee SOO 

Schamndt,  Martin 333 

Schirnier,  Frnnz 357 

Sehmechel,  Herman 496 

Schniehela.  Mathias 446 

Seott,  Elias  Evans 467 

Nell,  Reinhard  E 407 

i^hepparil,  Ben.iamin  P 450 


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INDEX  TO  BIOGRAPHIES 


XVII 


Sb^ppard,  Ira  S 317 

Sl.o«maker.   Heory  W 404 

Simmona,  Robert  E 3!*,') 

Simmons,   Thomas 37!) 

SiiiK.  Henrv  B 41>H 

StasBon,  Prank 506 

Stewart,  Lewis  J 3r,;t 

Strom,  NelsH ri34 

Thompson,  ChriHtopher 521 

Thompson,   Engebret 50:f 

Thompson,   John 4,'i.") 

Tooie,   Patrick   E 462 

Tinnes,  Henrv  0 460 

Tisiiell,  Thomas  H .1S6 

ToUif son.  Brinnel 42(i 

Tompkins,  James  H 444 

Torbenson,  Thomas 424 

Torbert,  Charles  F 4.V) 

Torbert,  James  G 4:14 


ririck.  William 435 

Voeks,  Herman  J 515 

Voelz,  Emil  A 405 

Voltin,  Joseph 357 

Waftner,  Jacob  C 5IW 

Wallace,  Aaa  M 500 

Warner,  John 4r>4 

Wellner,  Charles 345 

Wenz,  Charles 43fl 

Wepplo,  Peter  .1 480 

White,  Nathan  U .500 

Wiehniann,  Diedrich .502 

Wiehr,  Auijust 4,'(8 

Wiehr,  Kobert 374 

Windhorst,  William 495 

Wisman,  Qeorpe  W 437 

Wolff,   Edwin   B 476 

Wolff,  Robert 477 

Wood,  James 4S7 


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ijGoogle 


INDEX  TO  PORTRAITS 


Anilerson,     Mr.    and    Mrs.    An- 

Avery,  Delbert  G.,  aiicl  family.  .  3 
Bethke,  Mr.  bikI  Mrs.  Herman.  .   S 

Bovum,  Die  J.,  anil  family S 

Bush,  Mr.  an<i  Mrs.  -John  Henrv  A 
Butler,  Mr.  am)  Mrs.  Edward  .1 .  .  J 
Butler,   Mr.and   Mrs.  Benjamin 

Jason    4 

Bvhoffer,  Mr.  ami  Mrs.  Theoilore  :< 
Christianson,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Anton  .1 
Coffin,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Erwin  T. . .  .'i 
Colby,  Mr.  and  Mri.  Kd)far  L.  . .   4 

County  Court  House .i 

Dahl,  Amund 4 

Drake,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  .lames 4 

Dunsmore,  Henrv  and  Familv..  4 
Elstad.  Str.  and  Mrs.  .lohn  H. .  .   :i 

Pehr,  Henry,  and  familv 4 

Field,   Hans '. 3 

Firlfl,  Charles  H 3 

Fischer,  John,  and  familv 4 

Fox.    Sr.,    Mr.    an<l    Mrs.    Fred- 
erick J 4 

Glesener,  Charles,  and  family. . .  3 

Hall,  Darwin  8 

Frontispiece  Steel  Engravii 

Hall,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Darwin  S.  . .  3 
Haubrifh,     Anthony     V,,     and 


Hindern 
M.   , 


nd  Mrs 


il,  John  O.,  stock  farm . . . 
Hoimvr,  Ole  P.,  and  (amilv.;.. 

Hourk,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Floyd 

Houck,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Theodore. . 

Tndisn    Chief 

.Fensen.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hans 

Johnson,  Justin,  and  family 

Johnson,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Martin.. 
Johnson,  William  A.,  and  familv 
Kennedy,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  William 

Kern,  John  M.,  and  family 

Kettner,   Hev.   Ludwi|[  Herman, 

and  family 

Leasman,  George  W 

Ijenander,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Peter.  . 

Little   Crow 

Logan.  Hugh  H 

Lund,  Mr.  an.l  Mrs.  Christian  P.  . 
Many   Years  Ago 


Mauthei,  Julius,  and  family....  4 

Menz,  John  E.,  and  family 4 

Mihm,  Henry,  and  family 4 

Musil,  Prank  J " 3 

Neitzel,  C.  F 4 

Nelson,  Veter  G.,  and  family...  4 

Nesburg,  Andrew  O.,  and  family  3 

XesburK,  Mr.  and  Mrg.  Ole  0. . .  3 

Ness,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jens  S 3 

Nestande,  John  P.,  and  family. .  o 

Xestande,   Peter 3 

Nixon,  Charles  H 4 

Okins,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  James  P.  . .  3 

Old  Log  Cabin 2 

Olson,  Nels  J.,  and  family 3 

Olson,  ,Tohn  M 4 

Olson,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Peter  B. . .  .  3 

Oison,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Peter  <)....  :! 

Ox   Team 1 

Peterson,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kuuerus.  3 

PrelwitK,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  August. .  4 

Raitz,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Levi  A 4 

Rebstock,  Mr.   and   Mrs.    trnest 


Koekm 
Rovi 


1  Mrs.  Chrii 


nd  Mrs.  Isa 


,,  William  S.,  and  familv..  i) 
Sausele,  Fred  W.,  and  family. . .  4 
Saveta,  Sr.,  John  .1.,  and  family  4 
Scott,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rlias  Evans  4 
Shoemaker,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Franeis  4 
Shoemaker,     Henry     W,,    and 

family   4 

Simmons,  Thomas  and  family. . .   3 

Stasson,  Frank fi 

The  Old   Way 2 

Thompson,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Christ.   S 
Thompson,  Mr.  and   Mrs  John..   4 

Tinnes,   Henry  0 4 

Tinnes,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lafe 4 

Timms,  Henry,  Cabin. .    

Tompkins,   Mr.  and  Mrs.  James 

H 4 

Toole,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Patrick  E..   4 
Torbenson,  Thomas,  and  family.   4 

Voelz,  Emil  A.,  and  family 4 

Wagner,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jacob  C.  .) 
Wiehr.   Mr.  and  Mrs.   Robert...   3 

Windhorst,    William 4 

Wichman,  William.  Birthplace. 


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i/Google 


CHAPTER  I. 

NATURAL  PHENOMENA. 

Advantages— Sitaation  and  Arefr— Natural  Drainage— Topog- 
raphy—Altitudes— Soil  and  Timber— Archean  BodiB— On^ss 
and  Granite— Cretaceoiu  Beds— Qlacial  and  Hodifled  Drift— 
Undergroond  Waters — Natural  Resources. 

On  its  splendid  coarse  through  the  mighty  state  to  which  it  has 
given  its  noble  name,  the  turgid  Minnesota  passes  no  fairer  land 
than  that  which  it  touches  from  Hawk  Creek  to  Camp,  where, 
well  tilled  and  populous,  Renville  county  stretches  away  in 
sightly  prospects. 

A  fertile  country  of  rich,  black  soil,  its  surface  divided  into 
rolling  land  and  prairie,  beautified  by  meandering  streams,  inter- 
spersed with  stately  groves,  the  county  has  advantages  of  loca- 
tion and  surface  which  have  made  it  one  of  the  best  agricultural 
and  stock  raising  counties  in  the  state. 

The  elevation  of  this  stretch  of  land  above  the  sea,  its  fine 
drainage  and  the  dryness  of  the  atmosphere  give  it  a  climate  of 
unusual  salubrity  and  pleasantness.  Its  latitude  gives  it  corre- 
spondingly longer  days  in  summer  and  during  the  growing  sea- 
sons about  one  and  a  half  hours  more  of  sunshine  than  in  the 
latitude  of  St.  Louis.  The  refreshing  breezes  and  cool  nights  in 
summer  prevent  the  debilitating  effect  of  the  heat  so  often  felt  in 
lower  latitudes.  The  winter  climate  is  also  one  of  the  attractive 
features.  Its  uniformity  and  its  dryness,  together  with  the  bright 
sunshine  and  the  electrical  condition  of  the  air,  all  tend  to 
enhance  the  personal  comfort  of  the  resident,  and  to  make  out- 
door life  and  labor  a  pleasure. 

Embracing,  as  the  county  does,  so  pleasing  a  prospect  to  the 
eye,  and  so  fruitful  a  field  for  successful  endeavor,  it  is  natural 
that  the  people  who  from  the  earliest  days  have  been  attracted 
here  should  be  the  possessors  of  steady  virtues,  ready  to  toil  and 
to  sacrifice,  that  their  labors  might  be  crowned  with  the  fruits  of 
prosperity  and  happiness. 

While  there  are  no  large  cities,  there  are  many  thriving  busi- 
ness centers  along  the  two  lines  of  railroad.  These  places  have 
had  their  share  in  the  general  commercial  upbuilding  of  the  com- 
munity, furnishing  excellent  trading  and  shipping  facilities  for 
the  rural  districts  as  well  as  for  their  own  people. 

The  agricultural  neighborhoods  are  the  scenes  of  peace,  pros- 
..  perity  and  contentment.  The  homes  are  substantially  built,  and 
1 


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■  2  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

furcislied  with  the  comfortB  and  conveniences  of  modem  life; 
stock  is  humanely  housed  and  well  pastured ;  the  farm  land  is 
extensively  tilled  and  productive ;  and  the  churches  and  schools 
which  are  seen  on  every  side  testify  to  an  interest  in  the  higher 
things  of  life  by  a  law-abiding,  progressive  and  prosperous  people. 

It  is  indeed  in  its  men  and  women,  rather  than  in  its  stores 
and  commerce,  its  grains  and  vegetables,  its  live  stock  and  fruits, 
that  Renville  county  takes  her  greatest  pride.  From  her  hamlets, 
from  her  business  centers  and  from  her  farms  have  gone  forth 
those  who  have  taken  an  important  part  in  the  activities  of  the 
world,  and  who,  whether  in  commerce  or  statesmanship,  in  the 
professions  or  in  the  trades,  have  maintained  that  steadfastness 
of  purpose,  and  staunchness  of  character,  that  mark  true  Renville 
county  men  and  women  wherever  they  may  be  found. 

Unusually  blessed  by  nature  with  deep  soil  and  abundant 
natural  resources,  and  endowed  with  a  wealth  of  historic  and 
prehistoric  lore,  the  county  is  indeed  a  fitting  home  for  the  sturdy 
people  who  have  here  made  their  dwelling  place.  Hard-working, 
progressive,  educated  and  prosperous  they  have  appreciated  the 
gifts  which  nature  has  spread  for  them  and  have  added  their  own 
toil,  and  the  fruit  of  their  intellect,  to  the  work  of  the  elements, 
making  the  county  one  of  the  beautiful  spots  of  the  earth.  On 
the  slopes  graze  well-kept  cattle,  on  the  prairie  droves  of  swine 
find  sustenance,  chickens  and  turkeys  wander  about  the  yards 
and  fields,  ducks  and  geese  find  food  to  their  liking  in  the  many 
shallow  pools,  horses  and  colts  canter  about  the  fields,  and  the 
tilled  lands  respond  to  the  efforts  of  the  spring  time  sower  and 
planter  with  a  wealth  of  harvest  in  the  summer  and  autumn.  On 
nearly  every  quarter  section  is  reared  a  comfortable  home  and 
commodious  barns,  while  from  the  crest  of  every  swell  of  land 
are  visible  the  churches  and  schools  wherein  the  people  worship 
the  Giver  of  all  Gifts  and  educate  their  children.  Thus  blessed 
by  God  and  beloved  by  man,  the  county  today  stands  for  all  that 
is  ideal  in  American  life,  and  is  forging  ahead  to  wider  infiuence 
and  more  extended  opportunity. 

Renville  county,  surpassed  by  few  lands  in  the  state  for  the 
fertility  of  its  soil ;  its  bountiful  supply  of  domestic  timber  and 
pure  water;  its  surface  of  swelling  lands  and  rolling  prairies; 
and  its  adaptation  to  every  variety  of  agricultural  product,  has 
furnished  to  the  citizens  material  wisely  improved  by  them  for 
substantial  wealth,  good  homes  and  sound  public  institutions, 
economically  and  prudently  administered ;  where  law  and  good 
order,  industry  and  sobriety  have  always  been  upheld  and 
observed;  where  the  comforts  and  provisions  for  the  enjoyment 
of  life  are  evenly  distributed,  and  where,  in  the  future,  as  in  the 
past,  "peace  and  happiness,  truth  and  justice,  religion  and  piety, 
will  be  established  throughout  all  generations," 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  8 

Situation  and  Area.  Renville  county  lies  in  the  central  part 
of  the  south  half  of  Minnesota.  Its  southern  boundary  is  the 
Minnesota  river,  this  county  being  midway  between  Big  Stone 
lake  and  Mankato,  the  limits  of  the  portion  of  this  river  in  which 
it  flows  southeast.  The  length  of  Renville  county  from  east  to 
west  Is  forty-eight  miles,  and  its  greatest  width  is  thirty  miles. 
Its  area  is  981.31  square  miles,  or  628,036.58  acres,  of  which 
6,385.69  acres  are  covered  by  water. 

The  full  Congressional  townships  are :  Wang,  Ericaon,  Crooks, 
Winfield,  Kingman,  Osceola,  Brookfield,  Boon  Lake,  Preston  Lake, 
Hector,  Melville,  Bird  Island,  Troy,  Emmet,  Henryville,  Norfolk, 
Palmyra,  Martinsburg,  Wellington,  Brandon  and  Cairo.  The 
townships  of  Hawk  Creek,  Sacred  Heart,  Flora,  Beaver  Falls, 
Birch  Cooley  and  Camp  are  made  irregular  by  the  course  of  the 
Minnesota  river. 

On  the  west  and  north  lies  Chippewa  county,  on  the  north 
lie  Kandiyohi  and  Meeker  counties,  on  the  east  is  McLeod  coiinty, 
on  the  east  and  south  is  Sibley  comity,  on  the  south  is  Nicollet 
county,  and  on  the  southeast  separated  from  this  county  by  the 
Minnesota  river  are  Yellow  Medicine,  Redwood  and  Brown 
counties. 

Nattml  Drainage.  About  three-fourths  of  this  county  are 
drained  to  the  Minnesota  river.  Beaver  creek,  some  twenty  miles 
long,  lying  wholly  within  this  county,  and  Hawk  creek,  about 
thirty  miles  long,  rising  in  Kandiyohi  and  Chippewa  counties, 
and  flowing  through  the  west  end  of  Renville  county,  are  its 
largest  streams  tributary  to  the  Minnesota  river.  Several  smaller 
creeks  also  join  the  Minnesota  river  in  this  county,  including 
Middle  creek  in  Flora,  about  three  miles  long ;  Birch  cooley  {the 
term  coulee,  aiao  spelled  coulie  and  anglicized  to  cooley,  meaning 
a  water-course,  especially  when  in  a  deep  ravine,  was  applied  by 
the  French  voyageurs  to  this  and  many  other  streams,  mostly  in 
the  country  farther  northwest),  in  the  township  to  which  it  gives 
its  name,  about  seven  miles  long,  and  Three  Mile  creek  in  Camp, 
about  three  miles  long.  From  Cairo,  the  most  southeastern  town- 
ship of  this  county.  Fort  creek  and  Mud  or  Little  Roek  creek 
flow  southward  into  Ridgely  in  Nicollet  county. 

Nearly  one-fourth  of  Renville  county  on  the  northeast  is 
drained  to  the  Mississippi  by  Buffalo  creek  and  the  South  branch 
of  the  Crow  river.  The  chief  sources  of  Buffalo  creek  are  in  the 
townships  of  Brookfield,  Boon  Lake  and  Preston  Lake. 

The  last  two  named  townships  contain  several  lakes,  the 
largest  of  which  are  Boon  lake,  three  miles  long  from  southwest 
to  northeast,  lying  in  the  northwest  quarter  of  the  township  to 
which  it  gives  its  name ;  Preston  lake,  one  and  a  half  miles  long 
from  north  to  sonth  and  nearly  a  mile  wide,  in  the  northeast 
quarter  of  Preston  Lake  township ;  and  Lake  Alice,  close  north> 


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4  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

west  of  the  laBt,  about  a  mile  long  from  north  to  south  and  three- 
fourths  of  a  mile  wide.  Fox  lake,  four  miles  long  from  east  to 
west,  lying  about  half  in  this  county  and  half  in  Kandiyohi 
county,  is  crossed  by  the  north  line  of  Kingman.  Long  or  Lizard 
lake,  extending  three  miles  from  east  to  west,  but  narrow,  is 
situated  about  five  miles  farther  southwest  in  Winfield.  Frequent 
sloughs,  from  a  few  hundred  feet  to  two  or  three  miles  long,  and 
occasional  small  lakes  were  found  originally  throughout  the  cen- 
tral and  western  parts  of  the  county,  mostly  trending  from  north- 
west to  southeast,  or  approximately  in  this  direction.  Some  have 
now  been  eliminated  by  ditching.  On  the  southeast,  a  lake  about 
a  mile  long  lies  at  the  center  of  Wellington,  and  Mud  or  Little 
Rock  creek  flows  through  another  lake  of  about  the  same  length 
in  the  southeast  quarter  of  Cairo.  Marshes  are  frequent  through- 
out the  county,  nearly  every  farm  having  small  "swales,"  which 
are  as  yet  untillable,  but  which  ditching  and  tiling  will  transform 
into  valuable  crop  land. 

Topography.  Renville  county  is  covered  by  the  glacial  drift 
so  deeply  that  it  has  no  outcrops  of  the  bed-rocks,  except  in  the 
Minnesota  valley,  and  in  the  valleys  of  Beaver  creek,  Birch  Cooley 
and  Fort  creek,  near  their  junction  with  the  Minnesota.  The 
minor  topographic  features  of  this  county,  excepting  within  the 
Minnesota  valley,  are  therefore  due  to  the  form  in  which  the 
surface  of  the  drift-sheet  was  moulded  at  the  time  of  its  deposi- 
tion, here  a  gently  undulating  broad  expanse  of  nearly  uniform 
average  height,  and  to  the  eroding  effects  of  rains,  rills  and 
streams  since  that  time,  principally  exhibited  in  the  excavation 
of  water-courses,  varying  in  size  from  tiny  channels  of  rivulets 
to  deeper  gullies,  ravines,  and  the  valleys  of  rivers.  The  undula- 
tions of  the  surface  rise  with  long  slopes  only  five  to  ten  or  twenty 
feet  above  the  depressions,  and  in  an  extended  view  these  irregu- 
larities are  merged  in  the  almost  level  and  apparently  limitless 
prairie.  The  contour  of  Hector,  Melville,  Osceola,  and  the  west 
part  of  Brookfield  is  more  undulating  or  rolling  than  most  other 
parts  of  this  county.  Kame-like  hillocks,  composed  of  sand  and 
gravel,  are  seen  near  the  north  line  of  section  5,  Hector,  forty 
feet  above  the  depression  on  their  north  side.  East  of  this  tract 
the  contour  as  usual  is  nearly  level,  and  Boon  lake.  Lake  Alice 
and  Preston  lake  lie  only  about  fifteen  feet  below  the  general 
surface. 

The  Minnesota  valley  cuts  this  monotonous  expanse  by  bluffs 
which  descend  175  or  200  feet.  This  valley  here  varies  ii)  width 
from  one  to  two  miles,  or  rarely  three  miles,  as  at  the  south  side 
of  Sacred  Heart  township.  Its  bottomland  contains  many  out- 
crops of  gneissic  rocks,  which  rise  fifty  to  one  hundred  feet  or 
occasionally  one  hundred  twenty-five  feet  above  the  river.  The 
tributaries  of  this  valley  also  fiow  in  channels  which  they  have 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  6 

eroded  to  a  alight  depth  along  their  upper  portions,  but  which 
increase  in  depth  to  their  junction  with  the  Minnesota  valley, 
being  in  the  lower  part  of  their  course  one  hundred  to  one  hun- 
dred fifty  or  one  hundred  seventy-five  feet  deep,  and  an  eighth 
to  a  quarter  of  a  mile  wide.  The  bluffs  of  the  Minnesota  valley 
are  also  indented  by  frequent  short  cooleys  or  ravines,  eroded 
by  the  rivulets  which  flow  in  them,  issuing  from  perennial  springs, 
or  in  many  instances  kept  running  only  through  the  more  wet 
portions  of  the  year.  Scarcely  a  half  mile  of  the  bluff  can  be 
found  without  such  indentations.  The  length  of  these  ravines  is 
usually  only  a  few  hundred  yards,  but  some  are  a  half  mile  or 
a  mile  long,  and  then  their  supply  of  water,  being  from  deep 
springs,  is  less  affected  by  droughts  than  the  larger  streams. 

Altitudes.  The  highest  land  of  Renville  county  is  in  its  north- 
ern part,  from  Hector  and  Brookfield  westward  to  Lizard  lake, 
the  swells  of  the  undulating  prairie  there  being  1,100  to  1,125 
feet  above  the  sea,  while  the  depressions  containing  sloughs  or 
lakes  are  mostly  below  1,100.  The  valley  of  the  Minnesota  river 
where  it  leaves  the  county  is  its  lowest  land,  being  796  feet  above 
the  sea ;  but  its  bluffs,  rising  200  feet,  have  their  tops  only  about 
a  hundred  feet  lower  than  the  highest  part  of  the  county  twenty- 
five  to  thirty  miles  farther  north. 

Estimates  of  the  average  height  of  the  townships  are  as  fol- 
lows :  Boon  Lake,  1,085  feet  above  the  sea ;  Preston  Lake,  1,075 ; 
Brookfield,  1,100;  Hector,  1,090;  Martinsburg,  1,065;  "Wellington, 
1,040;  Cairo,  1,015;  Osceola,  1.110;  Melville,  1,090;  Palmyra, 
1,160;  Bandon,  1,135;  Camp,  1.000;  Kingman,  1,110;  Bird  Island, 
1,080;  Norfolk,  1,145;  Birch  Cooley,  1,000;  Winfield,  1,090;  Troy, 
1,065;  Henryville,  1,030;  Beaver  Falls,  990;  Crooks,  1,075; 
Enunett,  1,060;  Flora,  1,000;  Erickaon,  1,060;  Sacred  Heart,  1,030; 
Wang,  1,040;  and  Hawk  Creek,  1,010.  The  mean  elevation  of 
Renville  county,  derived  from  these  figures  is  1,055  feet. 

Soil  and  Timber.  The  black  soil  is  from  one  to  one  and  a 
half  feet  deep,  and  gradually  changes  in  the  next  foot  to  the  yel- 
lowish color  which  characterizes  the  drift  near  the  surface.  In 
sloughs  and  on  the  bottomland  of  the  Minnesota  river,  however, 
the  thickness  of  the  fertile  black  soil  is  often  from  two  to  four 
feet. 

Nearly  all  of  Renville  county  is  prairie,  or  natural  mowing- 
land  and  pasture,  needing  only  plowing  and  seeding  to  prepare 
it  for  harvest.  Timber  occurs  along  the  bluff  of  the  Minnesota 
river,  and  in  a  narrow  belt  along  the  river's  course,  but  most  of 
the  bottomland  is  treeless.  The  valleys  of  Hawk  and  Beaver 
creeks.  Birch  cooley,  and  the  small  creeks  in  Camp  and  Cairo, 
are  also  wooded ;  and  groves  are  found  on  the  borders  of  Boon 
lake.  Lake  Alice,  and  Preston  lake. 

All  the  groves  now  seen  in  the  prairie  parts  of  the  county. 


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«  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

away  from  the  watercourses  and  lakes,  have  been  planted.  Every 
house  has  a  stately  grove  as  a  windshield,  aud  no  farm  ie  now 
without  a  plentiful  supply  of  timber. 

In  the  early  days  several  acres  in  what  is  now  Bird  Island 
township  was  heavily  wooded ;  sloughs  and  swales  forming  an 
island  which  was  thus  protected  from  the  ravages  of  prairie 
fires. 

Birch  cooley  takes  its  name  from  the  paper  or  casoe  birch 
(Betula  payrifera,  Marshall),  which  occurs  plentifully  on  this 
creek,  some  of  its  trees  attaining  a  diameter  of  one  foot,  in  sec- 
tions 28  and  33  of  Birch  Cooley  township.  It  is  also  found,  but 
only  sparingly,  on  Beaver  creek,  and  on  Wabashaw  creek  in  Red- 
wood county,  while  farther  southwestward  in  the  state  it  is 
absent-  Other  species  of  trees  in  this  county  include  basswood, 
sugar  maple  and  white  or  soft  maple,  box-elder,  wild  plum,  white 
and  green  ash,  white  and  red  or  slip-soft  maple,  box-elder,  wild 
plum,  white  and  green  ash,  white  and  red  or  slippery  elm,  hack- 
berry,  bur  oak,  ironwood,  poplar,  cottonwood  and  red  cedar. 

Artdtean  Bocfcs.  The  Minnesota  valley  on  the  boundary  of 
Renville  county,  excepting  south  of  Hawk  Creek  township,  con- 
tains frequent  or  in  most  portions  abundant  ledges  of  gneiss  and 
granite,  in  some  places  inclosing  masses  of  hornblende  sehiat. 
For  twelve  miles  above  Beaver  Falls,  to  the  west  line  of  Flora, 
these  roek-outerops  fill  the  whole  valley,  occurring  on  each  side 
of  the  river,  and  rising  fifty  to  one  hundred  twenty-five  feet 
above  it.  Between  Beaver  creek  and  Birch  eooley  the  outcrops 
are  mainly  on  the  north  side  of  the  Minnesota,  rising  in  their 
highest  portions  one  hundred  feet  above  the  river.  Below  the 
mouth  of  Birch  eooley  they  are  mostly  on  the  south  side,  occurring 
in  great  abundance  for  two  miles  above  and  three  miles  below 
the  mouth  of  Wabashaw  creek. 

Near  the  east  line  of  section  20,  Beaver  Falls,  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  north  from  the  ford  of  the  Minnesota  river,  the  rock  is  gray 
gneiss,  weathering  to  reddish  gray,  apparently  almost  vertical, 
with  its  strike  east  northeast.  At  the  east  side  of  the  road  this 
gneiss  is  crossed  by  a  nearly  vertical  vein,  one  to  three  feet  wide 
of  coarsely  crystalline  feldspar  and  quartz,  extending  within  sight 
fifty  feet.  These  strata  are  also  exposed  in  the  valley  of  Beaver 
creek  one  and  two  miles  above  its  junction  with  the  Minnesota 
valley.  The  mill-dam  at  the  village  of  Beaver  Falls  is  nearly 
within  the  line  of  strike  of  the  gneiss  described  north  of  the 
ford,  and  a  similar  gneiss,  with  nearly  the  same  strike,  is  found 
here.  Its  dip  is  fifteen  degrees  south  southeast.  At  the  dam,  one 
mile  northeast  from  the  last,  is  an  extensive  exposure  of  gray 
gneiss,  also  with  east  northeast  strike ;  it  is  nearly  vertical  or  has 
a  steep  dip  to  the  south  southeast,  and  in  some  portions  is  much 
contorted.    Veins,  six  to  eighteen  inches  wide,  of  coarsely  crystal- 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  7 

line  flesh-colored  feldspar,  comciding  with  the  strike,  are  common 
here. 

In  the  valley  of  Birch  Cooley,  about  one  mile  above  its  entrance 
into  that  of  the  Minnesota,  are  large  exposures  of  granite,  holding 
interesting  veins,  faulted  and  divided  portions  of  which  were 
figured  and  described  by  Prof.  Winehell  in  the  Second  Annual 
Report  of  the  State  Geological  Survey.  One  of  these  veins,  com- 
posed of  granite  and  four  inches  wide,  is  traceable  two  hundred 
and  fifty  feet,  running  southwest.  Other  extensive  outcrops  of 
granite  or  gneiss,  partly  decomposed,  apparently  dipping  south, 
southeast  and  southwest,  form  the  sides  of  this  valley  or  ravine 
below  the  mills. 

Two  miles  southeast  from  the  mouth  of  Birch  Cooley,  a  low 
outcrop  examined  on  the  north  side  of  the  river  is  granitoid 
gneiss,  containing  a  large  proportion  of  flesh-colored  feldspar. 
This  is  in  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  10,  Birch  Cooley.  At 
an  excavation  for  building  a  house  near  by,  in  the  southwest 
quarter  of  section  3,  a  bed  of  decomposed  gneiss  was  noted,  show- 
ing a  dip  of  twenty  degrees  to  the  west  northwest.  Ledges  were 
next  seen  on  the  north  side  of  the  river  three  miles  below  the  last, 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  line  between  Birch  Cooley  and  Camp, 
extending  a  half  mile  westward  and  rising  ten  to  twenty-five  feet 
above  the  bottomland.  Another  small  outcrop,  the  most  south- 
eastern observed  in  this  county,  occurs  about  five  miles  farther 
southeast,  being  on  the  north  side  of  a  small  round  lakelet  in  the 
bottondand,  probably  in  the  east  part  of  section  34,  Camp. 

The  most  northwestern  exposure  of  rock  noted  in  Renville 
county  is  in  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  16,  Sacred  Heart, 
where  a  ledge  of  gneiss  rises  about  fifty  feet  above  the  river.  One 
to  three  miles  farther  west,  but  on  the  south  side  of  the  river,  it 
has  more  prominent  and  extensive  outcrops.  In  the  next  six  or 
seven  miles  northwestward  to  the  west  line  of  this  county  no 
rock -exposures  were  found. 

Archean  gneiss  and  related  crystalline  rocks  doubtless  also 
underlie  the  drift  upon  this  entire  county,  being  continuous  from 
the  Minnesota  river  northeast  to  the  syenite,  granite  and  gneiss 
exposed  in  Stearns,  Benton  and  Morrison  counties  and  in  the 
north  part  of  the  state. 

Dftcomposed  Gneiu  and  Qranite.  In  the  portion  of  the  Minne- 
sota valley  adjoining  this  county,  the  outcrops  of  gneiss  and 
granite  are  frequently  found  to  be  more  or  less  decomposed, 
being  changed  in  their  upper  part  to  a  soft,  earthy  or  clayey 
mass,  resembling  kaolin.  This  condition  of  the  rock,  as  observed 
by  Prof.  Winehell  in  its  exposure  on  Birch  cooley,  has  been 
described  by  him  as  follows : 

"A  substance  was  met  with  here  for  the  first  time  which  was 
afterwards  seen  at  a  number  of  places.    Its  origin  seems  to  be 


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8  HISTOBT  OP  KENVILLE  COUNTY 

dependent  on  the  granite.  Its  aBsociation  with  the  granite  is  bo 
close  that  it  seems  to  be  a  result  of  a  change  in  the  granite  itself. 
It  lies  first  under  the  drift,  or  under  the  Cretaceous  rocks,  where 
they  overlie  the  granite,  and  passes  by  slow  changes  into  the 
granite.  It  has  some  of  the  characters  of  steatite,  and  some  of 
those  of  kaolin.  In  some  places  it  seems  to  be  a  true  kaolin.  It 
is  known  by  the  people  as  'Castile  soap.'  It  cuts  like  soap,  has  a 
blue  color  when  fresh,  or  kept  wet,  but  a  faded  and  yellowish 
ash  color  when  weathered,  and  when  long  and  perfectly  weath- 
ered is  white  and  glistening.  The  boys  cut  it  into  the  shapes  of 
pipes  and  various  toys.  It  appears  like  the  pipestone,  though 
less  heavy  and  less  hard,  and  has  a  very  different  color.  It  is 
said  to  harden  by  heating.  This  substance,  which  may,  at  least 
provisionally,  be  denominated  a  kaolin,  seems  to  be  the  result  of 
the  action  of  water  in  the  nnderlying  granite.  Since  it  prevails 
in  the  Cretaceous  areas,  and  is  always  present,  so  far  as  known, 
whenever  the  Cretaceous  deposits  have  preserved  it  from  disrup- 
tion by  the  glacier  period,  it  may  be  attributed  to  the  action  of 
the  Cretaceous  ocean.  In  some  places  it  is  gritty,  and  in  others 
it  may  be  completely  pulverized  in  the  fingers.  A  great  abund- 
ance of  this  material  exists  in  the  banks  of  the  Birch  Cooley 
within  a  short  distance  of  its  mouth." 

Samples  of  this  substance  were  analyzed  by  Prof.  S.  P.  Peck- 
ham,  who  reported  it  as  follows:  "A  dull-green,  amorphous  min- 
eral, unctuous  and  soapy  to  the  touch.  Fracture  uneven,  coarse- 
ly granular.  Hardness,  1.5.  Easily  cut  with  a  knife,  giving 
a  smooth  surface.  Specific  gravity,  2.562.  Lustre  dull,  waxy, 
with  very  minute  pearly  scales.  Color  mottled,  dull-green  to 
grayish-green,  apoque,  scales  translucent.  "When  wetted  it  ab- 
sorbs water  and  softens,  but  does  not  become  plastic.  In  closed 
tube  it  gives  water.  B.  B.  infusible.  Gives  the  color  with  co- 
balt, which  is  indistinct  from  excess  of  iron.  Is  decomposed 
by  hydrochloric  acid,  leaving  a  white  insoluble  residue  contain- 
ing only  a  trace  of  iron.  The  oxidation  of  the  iron  varies  ac- 
cording to  the  extent  of  the  exposure.  The  following  are  the 
mean  results  of  three  closely  concordant  analyses:  silica,  37.88 
per  cent;  ferric  oxide,  15.78;  alumina,  26.96;  magnesia,  1.74; 
potash  and  soda,  0.95 ;  water,  15.88.  A  trace  of  lime  was  not  de- 
termined. These  results  show  the  mineral  to  be  allied  to  Fah- 
lunite,  var.  Huronite  of  T.  S.  Hunt.  See  Dana's  Mineralogy,  ed. 
1870,  p.  485." 

Many  exposures  of  this  decayed  gneiss  and  granite  were  ob- 
served in  the  ravines  of  creeks  and  in  excavations  for  roads 
along  the  lower  portion  of  the  Minnesota  valley  bluffs  through 
Camp,  Birch  Cooley,  Beaver  Falls  and  Flora.  In  the  west  part 
of  section  21,  Beaver  Falls,  near  the  foot  of  the  descent  to  Red- 
wood Falls  ferry,  decomposed  gneiss  is   seen  in  the   gutter  at 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  9 

the  east  side  of  tbe  road  along  a  distance  of  about  thirty  rods, 
declining  in  height  from  sixty  to  thirty  feet  above  the  river. 
The  depth  to  which  the  decomposition  extends  in  this  locality  is 
at  least  ten  feet.  The  decayed  rock  here  is  cream-colored  or 
nearly  white.  It  is  generally  gritty  with  particles  of  quartz 
distributed  through  its  mass,  and  also  contains  veins  of  quartz  one 
to  two  locheB  thick,  and  of  feldspar  (Kaolinized)  one  foot  thick. 

OretaceoQS  Beds.  Cretaceous  beds  are  found  in  many  places 
along  the  Minnesota  valley,  lying  on  the  Archaean  rocks  and 
separating  them  from  the  glacial  drift.  Before  the  ice  age 
Cretaceous  deposits  probably  constituted  the  surface  generally 
throughout  western  Minnesota,  but  they  were  in  large  part 
eroded  by  the  ice,  supplying  much  of  its  drift,  beneath  which 
their  remnants  are  now  concealed,  excepting  where  they  have 
become  exposed  to  view  in  deeply  excavated  valleys. 

On  Port  creek  in  section  31,  Cairo,  and  in  the  adjoining  edge 
of  Nicollet  county,  beds  of  Cretaceous  clay  or  shale  occur,  con- 
taining in  one  place  a  thin  layer  of  limestone  and  at  another 
point  a  seam  of  clayey  lignite,  or  brown  coal,  about  one  and  a 
half  feet  thick.  Three  miles  west  from  Fort  creek,  a  bed  of 
grayish  white  Cretaceous  elay,  levelly  stratified,  was  seen  to  a 
thickness  of  seven  feet  in  an  excavation  on  the  upper  side  of  the 
river  road,  near  the  foot  of  the  blu£f,  in  the  north  edge  of  the 
northeast  quarter  of  section  34,  Camp,  at  a  height  of  about  forty 
feet  above  the  river.  Close  west  from  this  point,  another  exca- 
vation beside  the  road  was  in  decomposed  gneiss  or  granite. 
At  Redwood  Falls  and  within  a  few  miles  to  the  southeast,  near- 
ly opposite  Beaver  Palls,  layers  of  Cretaceous  lignite  have  been 
explored  in  the  bluffs  of  the  Redwood  and  Minnesota  rivers 
without  finding  any  deposit  of  lignite  sufficiently  thick  to  be 
profitably  worked,  and  it  seems  very  unlikely  that  such  will  be 
discovered  in  this  state. 

Most  of  the  observations  of  Cretaceous  strata  along  this 
portion  of  the  Minnesota  valley  have  been  in  its  southwestern 
bluffs  and  on  its  southern  tributaries.  Besides  the  localities  on 
Port  Creek  and  in  Camp  township,  the  only  further  notes  of 
Cretaceous  outcrops  in  Renville  county  are  the  following,  re- 
corded by  Prof,  Winehell  in  the  second  annual  report. 

"At  a  point  two  miles  below  the  Lower  Sioux  Agency,  sec- 
tion 10,  township  112,  range  34  (in  Birch  Cooley),  on  the  north 
side  of  the  Minnesota,  a  small  creek  joins  the  river.  Up  this 
creek,  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile  from  the  river  bluffs,  the 
Cretaceous  appears  in  its  banks.  A  concretionary  marl,  or 
apparently  limy  earth,  of  a  white  color,  crumbles  out  under  the 
projecting  turf.  It  appears  in  fragments  of  an  inch  or  two,  or 
sometimes  larger,  with  angular  outline.  The  surfaces  of  these 
pieces  show  a  great  nimiber  of  round  or  oval  spots,  or  rings, 


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10  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

which  seem  to  be  formed  by  the  sections  of  concretions  inclosed 
in  the  mass.  It  is  rather  hard  when  dry,  and  nearly  white.  It 
is  associated  with  a  blue  clay,  the  relations  of  which  cannot  here 
be  made  out. 

"At  a  point  a  little  further  up  this  creek  appears  a  heavy 
deposit  of  concretionary,  rusty  marl  ...  in  heavy  beds  that 
fall  off  in  large  fragments,  like  rock.  The  first  impression  is 
that  the  bluff  is  composed  of  ferruginous  conglomerate,  but 
there  is  not  a  foreign  pebble  in  it.  Every  little  round  mass  has 
a  thin  shell  which  is  easily  broken,  revealing  either  a  cavity 
or  a  loose,  dry  earth.  These  concretions  are  generally  not  more 
than  one-fourth  or  one-half  inch  in  diameter;  seen  eighteen  feet. 
Under  this  is  the  light,  concretionary  clay  or  marl  already  de- 
scribed." 

Qlaoial  and  Modified  Drift.  Glacial  striae  were  seen  in  sev- 
eral places  on  the  ledges  of  gneiss  at  the  dam  at  Beaver  Falls, 
bearing  S.  60°  E.,  referred  to  the  true  meridian;  and  again  in 
the  northwest  quarter  of  section  10,  Birch  Cooley,  having  the 
same  direction. 

The  unmodified  glacial  drift,  or  till,  with  comparatively  small 
associated  deposits  of  modified  drift,  covers  this  county  to  an 
average  depth  of  about  a  hundred  and  fifty  feet,  as  shown  in 
the  Minnesota  valley,  where  it  has  been  cut  through  by  fiuvial 
erosion.  The  till  here  has  the  yellowish  color  near  the  surface, 
due  to  weathering,  and  the  dark  and  bluish  color  below,  which 
it  possesses  generally  throughout  the  western  two-thirds  of  this 
state. 

Red  till,  having  the  same  color  with  that  which  is  spread  over 
northeastern  Minnesota,  was  observed  at  only  one  locality  in 
Renville  county.  This  was  at  the  northeast  comer  of  the  mill 
in  section  18,  Camp,  where  a  section,  exposed  three  rods  in 
length  and  twelve  feet  in  height,  consisted  wholly  of  this  red 
till,  excepting  two  or  three  feet  of  soil  and  gray  till  on  the  sur- 
face. It  is  in  the  lower  part  of  the  Minnesota  valley  bluff,  about 
fifty  feet  above  the  river.  Several  other  such  exceptional  de- 
posits of  red  till  in  the  great  area  of  blue  till  covering  western 
Minnesota  and  eastern  Dakota  are  noted  in  volume  1,  page  628, 
"The  Geology  of  Minnesota,"  where  their  origin  is  attributed  to 
an  iee-current  reaching  south  west  ward  from  Lake  Superior 
across  Minnesota  in  the  early  glacial  epoch  when  the  ice  at- 
tained its  maximum  extent  and  depth.  Another  explanation  of 
the  red  color  of  the  till  in  these  isolated  localities  is  suggested 
by  Prof.  Winehell,  who  thinks  that  it  may  have  been  caused  by 
the  glacial  erosion  of  red  shales  and  sandstones  lying  near  on 
the  north,  coloring  the  drift  locally  in  the  same  way  as  it  was 
colored  over  a  large  area  by  derivation  from  such  rocks  about 
Lake  SupCTior.    As  this  part  of  Minnesota  is  almost  universally 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  U 

drift-covered,  the  underlying  roek-formatioDs  are  only  partially 
known.  No  decisive  evidence  for  this  view  is  found,  but  much 
probahility  is  given  to  it  by  the  occurrence  of  red  shales  in  the 
deep  well  at  Mankato  and  of  red  quartzyte  in  Nicollet,  Cotton- 
wood, Pipestone  and  Rock  counties,  similar  to  the  Lake  Superior 
rocks  and  belongings  with  them  to  the  same  Potsdam  period. 

Boulders  are  only  sparingly  present  in  the  till  of  this  region, 
excepting  on  the  bluffs  of  the  Minnesota  valley  and  its  larger 
tributaries,  where  they  seem  to  have  been  left  in  the  process 
of  erosion,  and  also  at  a  few  localities  in  the  west  part  of  the 
eonnty,  where  they  occasionally  occur  in  remarkable  abundance 
along  the  course  of  slight  depressions  on  the  general  surface 
of  the  drift-sheet.  In  the  Minnesota  valley  "boulders  were  seen 
especially  plentiful  on  the  bluffs  through  Birch  Cooley  township; 
and  in  the  valley  of  Hawk  creek  they  abound  on  its  east  bluflE 
within  a  quarter  of  a  mile  south  from  the  bridge  in  the  north- 
east quarter  of  section  17,  Hawk  Creek.  Many  boulders  were 
noted  in  a  depression  extending  from  north  to  south,  about  thirty 
feet  deep  and  a  sixth  of  a  mile  wide,  crossed  by  the  highway 
and  railroad  near  the  middle  of  sections  1  and  12,  Sacred  Heart; 
also  in  similar  north-to-south  hollows,  about  ten  feet  below  the 
average  level,  a  third  of  a  mile  and  again  about  one  mile  west 
of  Olivia.  These  depressions  were  probably  water-courses  dur- 
ing the  departure  of  the  ice-sheet,  and  their  boulders  may  be- 
long to  the  stratum  of  rocky  drift  apparently  a  buried  moraine, 
which  is  observable  along  the  Minnesota  valley  and  within  a  few 
miles  north  from  it  through  Chippewa,  Swift  and  Big  Stone  coun- 
ties. The  size  of  these  rock-fragments  seldom  exceeds  five  feet. 
Most  of  them  are  granite,  syenite,  and  gneiss;  several  of  horn- 
blende schist  were  observed  in  sections  10  and  12,  Sacred  Heart, 
but  elsewhere  few  or  none  of  this  rock  are  found;  magnesias 
limestone,  which  is  everywhere  present,  making  about  half  of  the 
gravel  in  the  drift,  usually  supplies  a  small  proportion,  perhaps 
one  in  twenty,  of  the  large  boulders,  and  even  occurs  rarely  in 
blocks  or  slabs  ten  feet  or  more  in  extent. 

An  interglacial  forest-bed  is  inclosed  in  the  drift  upon  a 
considerable  area  near  the  centre  of  this  county.  At  Olivia  sta- 
tion, in  section  7,  Bird  Island,  a  well  was  yellow  till,  picked,  ten 
feet;  softer  but  more  rocky  blue  till,  nine  feet;  very  hard  blue 
till,  one  foot;  and  quicksand,  four  feet.  A  log,  apparently  tama- 
rack, eight  inches  in  diameter,  with  several  smaller  sticks  and 
twigs,  lay  across  this  well,  imbedded  in  the  top  of  the  quicksand. 
They  were  chopped  oflf  at  each  side.  G.  W.  Burch,  two  miles 
southwest  from  this,  in  section  24,  Troy,  found  yellow  till, 
eighteen  feet;  dry,  yellow  sand,  four  feet;  soft  blue  till,  fifteen 
feet;  black  loam,  perhaps  an  interglacial  soil,  two  feet;  and  gray 
quicksand,  four  feet,  its  upper  part  containing  a  log  and  smaller 


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12  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

sticks  like  the  foregoing.  Several  other  wells  within  one  or  two 
miles  about  Olivia  show  simitar  remains  of  a  deeply  buried  for- 
est-bed, overlain  by  till. 

Terraces  apparently  formed  in  the  till  of  the  general  drift- 
sheet  were  observed  at  two  places  on  the  Minnesota  valley  bluffs, 
one  being  in  section  21,  Hawk  Creek,  lying  about  forty  feet  be- 
low the  top  of  the  bluff  and  extending  nearly  a  mile  between  the 
creek  and  the  river,  and  the  other  in  Beaver  Falls ;  lying  twenty 
to  forty  feet  below  the  top  of  the  bluff,  from  an  eighth  to  a  quar- 
ter of  a  mile  wide  and  extending  two  miles,  with  a  slight  descent 
from  northwest  to  southeast.  These  terraces  are  quite  notice- 
able from  the  opposite  side  of  the  river.  Seen  from  that  dis- 
tance, they  show  flat  outlines,  contrasting  with  the  somewhat  un- 
dulating higher  land. 

Kame-like  mounds  and  small  short  ridges  of  gravel  and  sand, 
extending  ten  or  twenty  rods  and  rising  fifteen  to  twenty-five 
feet  above  the  general  level,  are  scattered  over  most  portions  of 
this  and  adjoining  counties.  These  small  deposits  of  modified 
drift  lie  on  a  surface  of  till,  and  are  attributable  to  the  action 
of  streams  produced  in  the  final  melting  of  the  ice-sheet.  Oc- 
casionally such  a  gravel  knoil  is  quite  isolated,  distant  a  half 
mile  or  more  from  any  other.  They  are  sometimes  coarse  gravel, 
vrith  pebbles  or  rounded  stones  up  to  a  foot  or  more  in  diameter ; 
again  they  are  fine  gravel  and  sand,  interstratified  and  obliquely 
bedded.  When  they  form  short  ridges,  their  trend  in  the  central 
and  west  parts  of  this  county  is  prevailingly  from  northwest  to 
southeast,  and  from  west  to  east  in  its  east  part,  but  they  are 
mostly  only  twice  or  three  times  as  long  as  they  are  wide,  and 
no  distinct  series  was  noticed.  In  Brookfield,  Osceola,  Hector, 
Melville,  Bird  Island,  and  Birch  Cooley,  numerous  mounds  of 
this  kind  were  observed.  An  excavation  to  the  depth  of  seven 
feet  in  one  which  is  nearly  round  and  twenty  feet  high,  situated  in 
or  near  the  southwestern  quarter  of  section  2,  Bird  Island,  shows 
it  to  consist  of  gravel  and  sand  irregularly  interbedded  in  layers 
three  to  eight  inches  thick.  Its  pebbles,  more  than  half  of  which 
are  limestone,  are  mostly  less  than  two  inches  in  diameter,  but 
rarely  as  large  as  six  inches. 

Modified  drift  occurs  also  within  the  sheet  of  glacial  drift 
forming  the  thin  layers  or  seams  of  water-bearing  gravel  and 
sand  so  often  struck  in  well-digging,  and  occasionally  beds  of 
considerable  thickness,  A  section  extending  vertically  forty  feet 
in  modified  drift  that  seems  to  be  a  part  of  the  drift-sheet,  being 
probably  overlain  by  till,  was  observed  in  section  27,  Camp,  at 
the  east  end  of  the  mill-dam  on  Three  Mile  creek  where  it  enters 
the  Minnesota  valley.  In  descending  order,  this  was  coarse 
gravel,  four  feet,  containing  pebbles  up  to  about  one  foot  in 
diameter;  gravelly  sand,  five  feet;  coarse  gravel,  cemented  by 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  IS 

iron-rust  (limonite),  three  feet;  and  obliquely  stratified  aand  and 
fine  gravel,  about  thirty  feet. 

No  terraces  of  modified  drift  were  found  in  the  part  of  the 
Minnesota  valley  bordering  this  county. 

A  fossiliferous  layer  of  postglacial  gravel  lies  in  the  east 
bank  of  Hawk  creek  in  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  8,  Hawk 
Creek  township,  three  to  fifteen  rods  north  from  the  highway 
bridge.  The  valley  of  the  creek  is  here  about  seventy-five 
feet,  deep,  inclosed  by  bluffs  of  till.  In  its  bottom  a  terrace 
of  gravel  and  sand,  about  twenty  rods  wide,  borders  the  stream, 
above  which  its  height  is  fifteen  feet.  On  the  slope  from  this 
terrace  to  the  creek  the  outcropping  edge  of  a  layer  of  fine  gravel 
about  two  feet  thick,  six  to  eight  feet  above  the  water,  differs 
from  the  bank  above  and  below  by  being  cemented  with  calcare- 
ous matter,  and  in  this  bed  many  shells  are  found.  These  have 
been  determined  by  R.  Ellsworth  Call,  as  follows:  Sphserium 
striatinum.  Lam.,  Valvata  tricarinata.  Say,  Amnicola  limosa.  Say, 
Gyraulus  parvus.  Say,  a  Goniobasis,  probably  G.  livescens,  Menke, 
and  representatives  of  the  genera  TJnio.  Anodonta  and  Gampel- 
oma.  Mr.  Call  states  that  all  these  species  are  found  living  in 
this  region,  and  that  the  four  named  with  certainty  are  also 
common  in  the  loess  of  Iowa. 

HineralB.  M.  Abbott,  of  Hector,  some  thirty-five  years  ago, 
came  into  possession  of  a  beautiful  mass  of  amethyst  crystals, 
found  about  a  foot  below  the  surface,  a  few  rods  south  of  the 
railroad  station  at  Hector.  The  entire  mass  was  about  twelve 
inches  long  and  four  inches  wide,  attached  to  a  layer  of  nearly 
black  rock,  about  a  quarter  of  an  inch  thick,  in  which  were  fre- 
quent minute  crystals  of  pyrite.  For  this  base  the  amethyst  crys- 
tals rose  three  and  a  half  inches,  the  largest  having  a  diameter 
of  two  inches.  Some  of  these  large  crystals  contained  in  the 
faces  of  their  terminal  pyramids,  particles  and  irregular  crys- 
tals of  pyrite,  up  to  an  eighth  of  an  inch  wide  and  a  third  of 
an  inch  long.  The  mass  showed  no  signs  of  glacial  wearing. 
It  was  possibly  brought  to  this  region  by  the  Indians  or  early 
French  explorers. 

A  deposit  of  travertine,  or  "petrified  moss"  was  found  by 
Ole  Iteason,  situated  on  the  south  side  of  the  wooded  ravine, 
sixty  feet  deep,  in  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  22,  Hawk 
Creek  township.  It  was  of  a  light  gray  color,  more  compact 
than  usual,  and  enclosing  impressions  and  casts  of  leaves  and 
twigs.  Two  exposures  of  it  were  seen  about  four  rods  apart 
each  showing  a  thickness  of  six  or  eight  feet. 

{Note.  The  above  r^sum^  of  the  Geology  of  Renville  county 
was  written  by  Warren  TJpham,  from  notes  gathered  by  him  in 
1879,  and  published  in  the  second  volume  of  Geological  and 
Natural  History  Survey  of  Minnesota,  1882-1885.) 


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14  HISTORY  OF  BENVILLE  COUNTY 

UNDERaBOUin)  WATERS. 

Surface  Features.  The  surface  of  Renville  county  consti- 
tutes for  the  most  part  a  very  gently  undulating  drift  plain  cov- 
ered with  a  plexus  of  lakes,  ponds,  and  swamps.  The  monotony 
of  this  plain  is  interrupted  only  along  the  southwestern  margin, 
where  Minnesota  river  flows  through  a  valley  one  to  three  miles 
wide  and  175  to  200  feet  deep,  and  where  many  short,  rugged 
tributary  gorges  dissect  the  level  uplands.  Much  the  greater  part 
of  the  county  still  retains  the  gentle  prairie  topography  inherited 
from  the  Pleistocene  epoch,  and  is  quite  unmodified  by  postglacial 


Surface  Deposits.  The  glacial  drift  is  found  everywhere  ex- 
cept in  parts  of  the  Minnesota  valley  and  its  tributaries,  where 
underlying  formations  are  exposed.  Owing  to  irregularities  in 
the  surface  on  which  it  rests  its  thickness  varies  somewhat,  but 
in  general  increases  from  the  Minnesota  valley  eastward  and 
northward,  attaining  a  maximum  of  more  than  400  feet,  and  hav- 
ing an  average  for  the  county  of  perhaps  250  feet.  The  follow- 
ing table  shows  the  thickness  of  the  drift  and  the  altitude  of  the 
surface  upon  which  it  rests  in  the  different  localities  of  the 
county:  Renville,  thickness  of  drift,  264  feet;  altitude  of  sur- 
face on  which  drift  rests,  790  feet.  Olivia,  thickness  of  drift, 
297  feet;  altitude  of  surface  on  which  drift  rests,  770  feet.  Bird 
Island,  thickness  of  drift,  280  feet ;  altitude  of  surface  on  which 
drift  rests,  800  feet.  Hector,  thickness  of  drift,  438;  altitude 
of  surface  on  which  drift  rests,  635  feet.  Buffalo  Lake,  thick- 
ness of  drift,  340  feet :  altitude  of  surface  on  which  drift  rests, 
725  feet.  Morton,  thickness  of  drift,  0;  altitude  of  surface 
on  which  drift  rests,  850  feet.  Franklin,  thickness  of  drift,  122 
feet;  altitude  of  surface  on  which  drift  rests,  900  feet.  Fairfax, 
thickness  of  drift,  202  feet ;  altitude  of  surface  on  which  drift 
rests,  840  feet. 

The  beds  of  sand  and  gravel,  which  occur  at  different  depths, 
constitute  the  water-bearing  members  of  the  drift.  The  supplies 
from  the  shallow  beds  are  generally  meager  and  are  readily 
affected  by  drought,  but  the  yield  of  the  deeper  zones  is  gener- 
ous and  permanent.  In  many  places  at  or  near  the  base  of  the 
drift  there  is  a  thick  stratum  of  sand  and  gravel  that  will  fur- 
nish large  quantities  of  water.  In  the  southern  part  of  the  county, 
where  the  drift  is  not  as  thick  as  elsewhere,  the  underlying  for- 
mations are  sometimes  penetrated  before  a  satisfactory  supply  is 
obtained. 

Throughout  most  of  the  county  the  water  rises  nearly  to  the 
surface,  but  no  flowing  wells  have  been  reported.  In  the  vicinity 
of  the  Minnesota  valley  the  head  is  lower  than  elsewhere,  be- 
cause of  the  water  lost  through  the  numerous  large  springs  in 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLB  COUNTY  15 

the  valley.  The  following  table  shows  the  height  to  which 
the  water  rises  in  the  various  village  wells :  Renville,  depth  to 
top  of  water,  50  feet;  head  above  sea  level,  1,005  feet.  Olivia, 
depth  to  top  of  water,  14  feet;  head  above  sea  level,  1,065  feet. 
Bird  Island,  depth  to  top  of  water,  30  feet ;  head  above  sea  level, 
1,050  feet.  Heetor,  depth  to  top  of  water,  12  feet ;  head  above  sea 
level,  1,060  feet.  Buffalo  Lake,  depth  to  top  of  water,  10  feet; 
head  above  sea  level,  1,055  feet.  Franklin,  depth  to  top  of  water, 
50  feet;  head  above  sea  level,  970  feet,  Fairfax,  depth  to  top  of 
water,  80  feet ;  head  above  sea  level,  960  feet. 

Throughout  the  northeastern  part  of  the  county  the  water 
from  the  deep  beds  of  the  drift  ia  lower  in  total  mineralization, 
total  hardness,  and  permanent  hardness  than  that  from  the  shal- 
low sources.  In  the  southern  and  western  parts  of  the  county, 
where  the  drift  has  only  a  moderate  thickness,  the  difference  be- 
tween the  shallow  and  deep  waters  is  less  marked. 

The  deep-drift  water  differs  both  from  the  shallow-drift  water 
and  from  the  Cretaceous  water  which  exists  west  of  this 
county.  In  its  content  of  calcium  and  magnesium  it  is  intermedi- 
ate between  the  two — the  shallow-drift  water  containing  large 
araouuts,  the  Cretaceous  water  small  amounts,  and  the  deep-drift 
water  moderate  amounts  of  these  elements.  In  its  content  of 
sodium  and  potassium  the  deep-drift  water  approximates  rather 
closely  to  the  shallow-drift  water,  both  containing  moderate 
quantities  of  these  elements,  whereas  the  Cretaceous  water  con- 
tains large  quantities.  In  its  content  of  sulphates  it  differs  sharp- 
ly from  the  other  two  in  that  it  is  low  in  this  constituent,  whereas 
they  are  very  high.  These  differences  seem  to  indicate  that  the 
deep  water  in  this  county  is  not  derived  entirely  from  the  over- 
lying drift  nor  from  the  Cretaceous  to  the  west,  nor  yet  from  a 
mingling  of  the  waters  from  these  two  sources. 

An  interesting  phenomenon  noticed  in  the  northern  part  of 
the  county  is  the  presence  of  inflammable  gas  which  is  brought  up 
in  small  quantities  with  the  water  from  a  number  of  the  deeper 
wells. 

OretaceooB  and  Ardiean  Rocks.  At  various  points  along  the 
valley  of  the  Minnesota  are  found  outcrops  of  stratified  rocks  con- 
sisting of  blue,  black,  green  and  white  shales,  and  of  marl,  lime- 
stone, coal,  sand,  sandstone,  etc.  The  section  exposed  is  every- 
where thin  and  changes  within  short  distances  from  one  kind 
of  material  to  another.  In  some  places  Cretaceous  fossils  have 
been  found  in  these  deposits  and  there  is  little  doubt  that  they 
are  all  Cretaceous  in  age.  The  outcrops  that  have  been  de- 
scribed in  this  county  can  be  summed  up  as  follows : 

1.  In  sec.  10,  T.  112  N.,  R.  34  W.,  on  the  north  side  of  Minne- 
sota River,  np  the  valley  of  a  small  creek,  are  outcrops,  described 
by  N.  H.  Winchell,  of  concretionary  marl  or  limy  earth  of  a 


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16  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

white  color,  which  he  refers  to  the  Cretaceous.  2.  Warren  Up- 
ham  described  exposures  of  Cretaceous  clay  or  shale  along  Fort 
Creek,  in  sec.  31,  T.  112  N;,  B.  32  W.  At  one  place  these  contain 
a  thin  layer  of  limestone  and  at  another  a  seam  of  clayey  lignite. 
He  also  described  an  exposure  near  the  foot  of  the  bluff  of  the 
Minnesota  Valley,  in  the  NE.  Vt  sec.  34,  T.  112  N.,  R.  33  W.,  which 
consists  of  gray  Cretaceous  shale  visible  to  a  thickness  of  7  feet. 
3.  C.  W,  Hall  described  an  exposure  of  white  sandstone  along 
the  wagon  road  in  the  same  section,  and  also  in  the  gorge  of 
Birch  Coulee  at  the  border  of  sees.  32  and  33,  T.  113  N.,  R.  34  W., 
and  in  see.  28,  T.  113  N.,  E.  34  W.  This  sandstone  is  exposed 
for  12  or  15  feet. 

Beneath  the  Cretaceous  rocks  is  a  white  or  nearly  white  non- 
calcareous  clay  which  consists  largely  of  kaolin.  In  some  places 
it  is  entirely  free  from  grit,  in  others  it  contains  embedded  grains 
of  quartz,  and  in  still  others  it  is  free  from  grit  at  the  top  bat 
contains  embedded  qiiartz  grains  at  the  bottom.  This  clay  was 
described  by  N,  H.  Winchell.  It  has  been  encountered  in  many 
wells  in  Renville  county  and  in  other  parts  of  southwestern  Min- 
nesota where  granite  is  reached  in  drilling,  and  without  doubt 
owes  its  origin  to  the  decomposition  of  the  granitic  rocks  on 
which  it  rests.  Where  it  is  thin  and  contains  embedded  grains 
of  quartz  it  is  probably  the  undisturbed  granitic  residuum,  but 
where  it  has  a  considerable  thickness,  is  free  from  quartz  grains, 
and  contains  interbedded  layers  of  grit  it  has  evidently  been 
handled  by  water  and  is  a  sedimentary  rather  than  a  residual 
deposit.  If  this  sedimentation  took  place  at  the  time  when  the 
Cretaceous  seas  invaded  the  region,  as  would  seem  probable, 
it  is  a  sort  of  basal  formation  belonging  to  the  Cretaceous.  Evi-' 
dently  it  is  not  always  possible,  especially  in  well  sections,  to 
locate  the  precise  boundary  between  the  granitic  residuum  and 
the  Cretaceous.  In  the  maps  and  sections  the  white  clay  is  in- 
cluded with  the  granitic  residuum  except  where  it  is  evidently 
Cretaceous.  Though  this  method  is  somewhat  arbitrary  it  rep- 
resents the  facts  as  accurately  as  is  feasible. 

Beneath  the  white  clay  there  is  generally  decomposed  granite, 
which  plainly  shows  its  origin  and  which  gradually  gives  place 
downward  to  the  firm,  unaltered  rock. 

The  Cretaceous  rocks  are  nowhere  thick  and  are  absent  in 
some  parts  of  the  county ;  the  white  clay  is  found  chiefly  in  the 
southern  part.  In  some  places  the  Cretaceous  rocks,  the  white 
clay,  and  the  decomposed  granite  have  all  been  swept  away  by 
the  invading  ice  sheets,  and  the  glacial  drift  rests  immediately 
upon  hard  granitic  rock. 

Along  the  line  of  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  and  St.  Paul  Rail- 
way, in  the  east  (Hector  and  Buffalo  Lake)  the  glacial  drift 
seems  to  rest  directly  upon  the  granite,  but  in  the  west  (Renville, 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  17 

Olivia,  and  Bird  Island)  a  certain  amount  of  shale  and  decom- 
posed granite  forms  the  transition  between  the  drift  and  the  un- 
altered granite.  It  is  not  everywhere  certain  at  what  point  the 
boundary  should  be  drawn  between  the  Cretaceous  and  the  gran- 
itic residuum. 

The  following  sections  of  wells  are  given  to  illustrate  the 
character  of  the  formations  in  the  southern  part  of  the  county : 

Section  at  Fairfax  (mill  well). — Yellow  boulder  clay,  thick- 
ness, 20  feet ;  blue  boulder  clay,  thickness,  165  feet ;  sand,  thick- 
ness, 1  foot;  blue  boulder  clay,  thickness,  16  feet;  white,  putty- 
like material  containing  grit  (water),  decomposed  granite  (wa- 
ter,) thickness,  36  feet. 

Well  section  at  Franklin. — Yellow  boulder  clay,  and  blue 
boulder  clay,  thickness,  110  feet ;  sand  and  gravel,  thickness,  12 
feet. 

Well  section  at  Morton  (Catholic  church). — Coarse  gravel, 
thickness,  40  feet;  white  clay,  thickness,  75  feet;  sand  (water), 
thickness,  3  feet;  white  clay  and  sandstone,  thickness,  27  feet. 

Section  of  well  one  mile  north  of  Morton,  on  the  farm  of 
John  Eder.  Yellow  boulder  clay  and  blue  boulder  clay,  thick- 
ness, 120  feet;  white  clay,  thickness,  17  feet;  sand  and  gravel 
(hard  water),  thickness,  3  feet. 

Section  of  well  two  and  a  half  miles  north  of  Morton,  on  the 
farm  of  Peter  Kavney.  Boulder  clay  and  "Hardpan,"  thick- 
ness, 120  feet;  soft,  sticky,  blue-clay  without  grit,  thickness,  2 
feet;  sand   (water),  thickness,  3  feet. 

Section  of  well  four  miles  north  of  Morton,  on  the  farm  of 
John  Jones.  Yellow  boulder  clay  and  blue  boulder  clay,  thick- 
ness, 124  feet;  white  clay,  thickness,  6  feet. 

Section  of  well  four  miles  north  of  Franklin,  on  the  farm  of 
John  Drury.  Boulder  clay,  etc.,  thickness,  130  feet ;  white  clay, 
thickness,  168  feet. 

The  following  table  shows  the  approximate  depth  to  the 
granitic  surface  and  its  altitude  above  sea  level  in  the  various 
localities  of  the  county:  Granite  Falls  (Yellow  Medicine  Coun- 
ty), depth  to  granitic  rock,  at  surface;  altitude  of  granitic  sur- 
face, 900  feet.  Renville,  depth  to  granitic  rock,  325  feet;  alti- 
tude of  granitic  surface,  730  feet.  Olivia,  depth  to  granitic  rock, 
345  feet ;  altitude  of  granitic  surface,  730  feet.  Bird  Island,  depth 
to  granitic  rock,  345  feet;  altitude  of  granitic  surface,  730  feet. 
Hector,  depth  to  granitic  rock,  438  feet;  altitude  of  granitic 
surface,  635  feet.  Buffalo  Lake,  depth  to  granitic  rock,  340  feet ; 
altitude  of  granitic  surface,  725  feet.  Morton,  depth  to  granitic 
rock,  at  surface;  altitude  of  granitic  surface,  850  feet.  Frank- 
lin, (bottom  of  white  clay),  depth  to  granitic  rock,  150  feet; 
altitude  of  granitic  surface,  860  feet.    Fairfax  (bottom  of  white 


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18  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

clay),  depth  to  granitic  rock,  230  feet;  altitude  of  graDitic  sur- 
face, 810  feet. 

In  the  northern  part  of  the  county  attempts  to  obtain  water 
in  the  formations  beneath  the  drift  have  generally  failed,  but  in 
the  southern  part  a  number  of  wells  have  been  reported  which 
derive  their  supplies  from  layers  of  sand  or  sandstone  encoun- 
tered after  the  Cretaceous  deposits  or  the  white  clay  have  been 
entered.  This  is  true  of  nearly  all  the  wells  whose  sections  are 
given  above.  The  mill  well  at  Fairfax,  which  derives  its  water 
from  grit  and  decomposed  granite  below  a  layer  of  the  white  ma- 
terial, received  a  rather  severe  test.  The  following  statement 
was  made  by  one  of  the  drillers  in  this  county : 

"Beneath  the  clay  (glacial  drift)  there  is  a  white  formation, 
in  general  from  30  to  50  feet  thick,  beneath  which  there  is  rotten 
granite  and  then  hard  red  granite.  The  white  material  is  at 
first  soft  and  putty-like  but  changes  into  a  harder  formation 
containing  grit.  This  gritty  white  material  and  the  decomposed 
granite  usually  contain  a  good  supply  of  water." 

The  water  from  beneath  the  white  clay  is  of  various  mineral 
character,  much  of  it  being  very  bard  but  some  being  similar  to 
the  deeper  drift  water. 

City  and  Villagv  Water  Supplies.  The  larger  centers  in  Ren- 
ville county  are  all  excellently  supplied  with  water,  adequate  for 
household  use,  and  fire  protection.  The  water-towers  which  crown 
every  municipality  are  a  characteristic  feature  of  the  landscape. 
Private  wells  are  still  in  extensive  use  in  the  city  and  the  villages 
because  for  coffee  making  and  a  few  other  purposes  the  supply 
from  private  wells  is  much  superior  to  the  supply  from  the 
artesian  wells. 

Fann  Water  Supplies.  In  the  northern  part  of  the  county 
most  of  the  farms  are  supplied  from  shallow  bored  wells  which 
end  in  the  upper  portion  of  the  drift  and  yield  meager  and  un- 
certain quantities  of  hard  water,  but  there  are  a  few  deeper 
drilled  wells  similar  to  the  village  and  railway  wells  along  the 
Chicago,  Milwaukee  and  St.  Paul  Railway.  The  deep  wells  are 
superior  to  the  shallow  ones  in  the  following  respects-.  (1)  The 
water  is  softer,  (2)  the  yield  is  larger  and  inore  permanent,  and 
(3)  there  is  less  danger  of  pollution.  In  the  southern  part  of 
the  county  there  are  more  drilled  wells.  These  range  from  2  to 
6  inches  in  diameter,  and  from  less  than  100  to  more  than  300 
feet  in  depth,  but  are  generally  between  100  and  150  feet.  They 
generally  end  in  the  glacial  drift,  but  a  few  penetrate  the  under- 
lying formations,  as  has  already  been  explained.  The  shallow 
wells  have  hard  water  but  some  of  the  deeper  ones  yield  water 
which  is  softer. '  Six-inch  drilled  wells  are  recommended  for 
farm  purposes  in  all  parts  of  the  county. 


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HISTORY  OF  KENVILLE  COUNTY  Ifl 

r  and  Analysis.'  The  principal  sources  of  water  are 
the  deposits  of  saud  and  gravel  which  occur  at  various  depths 
interbedded  with  the  boulder  clay  or  lying  immediately  below 
it.  The  shallow  deposits  furnish  only  small  supplies  but  the 
deeper  ones  generally  yield  abundantly.  Moreover,  the  shallow 
water  is  hard  and  the  deeper  water  is  commonly  much  softer, 
especially  in  the  northeastern  part  of  the  county.  Below  the 
glacial  drift  the  drill  generally  penetrates  thin  layers  of  blue 
or  green  shale  "soapstone,"  a  white  clay,  or  ordinary  decom- 
posed granite.  In  the  southern  part  of  the  county  water  is  ob- 
tained in  some  places  from  sandy  layers  in  these  beds,  but  at 
best  they  constitute  only  an  uncertain  source.  Granite  has  fre- 
quently been  encountered  at  depths  ranging  up  to  450  feet. 
It  will  not  yield  water  and  no  water-bearing  formation  occurs 
beneath  it. 

(Note.  The  foregoing  article  regarding  the  Underground 
Waters  of  the  County  is  based  on  a  government  report  on  the 
"Underground  Waters  of  Southern  Minnesota,"  by  0.  E.  Mein- 
zer,  published  in  1907. 

Katnral  Resonrcas.  The  greatest  natural  resource  of  Ren- 
ville county  is  in  its  fertile  soil.  Waterpowers  have  been  devel- 
oped in  several  places.  The  natural  groves  in  the  ravines  and 
along  the  watercourses,  and  the  domestic  groves  on  the  prairies 
furnish  abundant  timber  supply.  Lime  has  been  burned  at 
various  times  from  lime-stone  boulders;  and  brick  has  been  at 
times  an  important  industry.  Some  quarrying  has  been  carried 
on,  and  especially  in  the  neighborhood  of  Morton  some  excellent 
granite  has  been  obtained.  Morton  is  the  only  place  in  the  state 
where  gneiss  is  quarried.  The  water-supply,  as  already  noted, 
is  abundant.  Traces  of  gas  have  been  found,  the  old  village 
well  at  Hector  being  especially  notable  in  this  regard.  However 
geologists  declare  that  such  gas  is  merely  the  result  of  vegetable 
decomposition,  and  that  there  is  no  gas  to  be  found  in  commer- 
cial quantities  in  this  region. 


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20  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

CHAPTER  II. 
PRE-HISTOBIC  INHABITANTS. 

Nature's  Paradise — The  Coming  of  Han — The  Eskimo— The 
Hound  Builders — Purpose  of  the  Uoimds — Life  and  Habits 
of  the  Honnd  Bnildoi — Location  of  the  Hounds — Excavations 
and  DiseoTeriM. 

ScientistB  declare  that  m  the  Glacial  period,  this  region  was 
several  times  covered  with  a  great  ice  sheet  at  recurrent  intervals. 
When  for  the  last  time  the  glacier  receded,  and  its  melting 
waters  subsided,  it  left  behind  an  area  that  in  a  few  years  be- 
came a  wonderfully  diversified  and  beautiful  region.  Verdure 
took  the  place  of  glaring  ice  and  swirling  waters.  The  smiling 
expanses  of  gently  rolling  prairie,  beautiful  and  virgin,  dipping 
here  and  there  into  swales  and  pools,  or  even  into  sparkling  lakes, 
covered  in  the  summer  with  luxuriant  grass  and  spangled  with 
flowers,  were  caressed  by  perfumed  breezes,  untrod  by  human 
foot,  and  uamarred  by  human  handiwork.  In  the  ravines  and 
along  the  watercourses  were  dense  forests  and  tangled  under- 
brush. And  this  varied  landscape  fairly  quivered  with  animal 
life.  The  American  bison,  eomraonly  called  the  buffalo,  ranged 
the  prairies,  countless  birds  of  all  kinds  flew  over  its  surface, 
great  flocks  of  waterfowl  lived  in  its  marshes  and  pools.  In  the 
edges  of  the  wooded  ravines,  antlered  animals  such  as  the  deer 
and  the  elk,  and  the  larger  fur-bearing  animals  such  as  the  bear, 
were  found  in  greatest  profusion.  All  the  smaller  animals  com- 
mon to  this  climate  found  a  home  here.  Prairie  and  woodland 
presented  a  scene  of  teeming  life  and  ceaseless  animal  activity. 

A  country  so  bountiful  and  inviting  to  man,  whether  primitive 
or  civilized,  would  remain  uninhabited  only  while  undiscovered. 
At  some  period  of  the  earth's  history,  mankind  in  some  form 
took  up  its  abode  in  what  is  now  Renville  county.  How  many 
ages  distant  that  period  was  no  one  can. tell.  It  is  evident  that 
man  followed  very  closely  the  receding  of  the  last  glacier,  if  in- 
deed he  had  not  existed  here  previous  to  that  time.  A  discussion 
of  the  possibilities  of  the  existence  of  man  in  Minnesota  during 
Glacial,  Inter-Glacial  and  Pre-Glaeial  ages  is  beyond  the  scope 
of  this  work.  It  has  been  made  a  special  subject  of  study  by 
several  Minnesota  savants,  and  many  notable  articles  have  been 
written  concerning  evidences  that  have  been  discovered. 

Many  scholars  are  of  the  opinion  that  in  all  probability  the 
first  inhabitants  of  the  northern  part  of  the  United  States  were, 
or  were  closely  related  to  the  Eskimo.  While  the  data  are  very 
meagre,  they  all  point  that  way.     The  Eskimos  seem  to  have 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  21 

remained  on  the  Atlantic  seaboard  as  late  as  the  arrival  of  the 
Scandinavian  discoverers  of  the  eleventh  century,  for  their  de- 
scription of  the  aborigines  whom  they  call  "skr^lingar"  (a 
term  of  contempt  about  equivalent  to  "runts")  is  much  more 
consonant  with  the  assumption  that  these  were  Eskimos  than 
Indians. 

So  possibly  it  is  permissible  to  picture  the  first  human  inhabi- 
tants of  Renville  county  as  a  small  yellowish-brown  skin-clad 
race,  identical  with  the  quartz  workers  of  Little  Falls,  slipping 
around  nimbly  and  quietly  in  the  woods  and  dells,  subsisting 
mainly  on  fish,  but  also  partly  on  the  chase.  Their  homes  were 
doubtless  of  the  simplest  descriptions,  and  their  culture  not 
above  absolute  savagery. 

The  Eskimos  seem  to  have  followed  more  or  less  closely  the 
edge  of  the  last  receding  glacier.  Whether  they  were  forced  out 
by  a  stronger  race  or  whether  they  found  the  bleak  shores  of 
the  Arctic  seas  more  suited  to  their  physical  make-up  than  the 
fertile  regions  further  south  is  only  a  matter  of  conjecture. 

Scholars  are  of  the  opinion  that  the  next  inhabitants  of 
Minnesota  were  tribes  of  the  Siouan  stock,  in  other  words  the 
ancestors  of  the  present  Sioux  (Dakota)  Indians.  These  peoples 
of  <he  Siouan  stock  appear  to  have  built  the  mounds  of  southern 
Minnesota.  Possibly  they  lived  in  Renville  county.  These  Siouan 
people  were  possibly  driven  out  by  the  peoples  of  the  Algonquin 
stock,  whereupon  they  eventually  took  up  their  homes  in  the 
neighborhood  of  the  upper  valley  of  the  Ohio  river  and  possibly 
elsewhere.  How  many  centuries  they  lived  there  it  is  impossible 
even  to  estimate.  In  the  meantime  the  Algonquin  peoples  prob- 
ably occupied  the  Minnesota  region,  and  possibly  Renville  coun- 
ty. They  did  not  make  mounds.  Some  five  hundred  years  ago 
the  Siouan  Mound  Builders  were  driven  out  from  their  homes  in 
the  upper  Ohio  region  where  they  had  erected  the  mounds  that 
are  now  the  wonder  of  the  world,  and  a  part  of  them  found  their 
way  to  the  homes  of  their  ancestors  in  the  upper  Mississippi 
and  the  Minnesota  river  region.  The  mounds  built  here  by  these 
peoples  were  inferior  to  the  ones  built  by  their  ancestors.  In 
coming  up  the  valley  it  is  possible  that  these  Mound  Builders 
drove  from  the  Minnesota  regions  the  intruding  Algonquins. 

The  Siouan  Mound  Builders,  returning  some  five  hundred 
years  ago  from  the  Ohio  region  were  doubtless  the  builders  of 
the  mounds  in  Renville  county,  though  there  are  possibly  some 
mounds  in  this  county  built  by  the  Siouan  people  during  their 
previous  occupancy  of  the  region. 

The  Monnd  Builders.  Not  so  many  years  ago,  there  was  a 
wide-spread  belief  that  the  Mound  Builders  were  a  mysterious 
people  of  high  culture  resembling  the  Aztecs,  and  differing  from 
the  Indian  in  race,  habits  and  customs.    Now  scholars  are  unani- 


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22  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

moua  in  their  belief  that  the  Mound  Builders  were  merely  the 
ancestors  of  the  Indians,  doubtless,  as  already  related,  of  the 
Sioux  Indians,  and  not  characteristically  differing  from  them. 
These  Mound  Builders  are  the  earliest  race  of  whose  actual  resi- 
dence in  Renville  county  we  have  absolute  evidence.  While 
Benville  cannot  boast  of  mounds  of  such  gigantic  proportions  as 
some  other  parts  of  the  United  States,  nor  of  such  grotesque 
formations  as  the  serpent  mound  of  Ohio,  yet  the  mounds  of 
the  county  are  sufficient  in  number,  kind  and  distribution,  to 
present  a  rich  field  for  archaeological  inquiry,  as  well  as  supply- 
ing evidence  that  Renville  county  was  well  populated  by  this 
ancient  people. 

The  larger  groups  are  invariably  situated  near  the  water- 
courses and  usually  on  the  lofty  terraces  that  give  a  command- 
ing view  of  magnificent  prospects.  Such  a  distribution  of  the 
mounds  finds  its  explanation  in  the  fact  that  the  river  banks 
afford  excellent  sites  for  habitations,  and  the  rivers  afford  routes 
of  travel  in  times  of  peace  and  war.  Above  all  the  streams 
furnish  two  substances  absolutely  necessary  for  the  maintenance 
of  life,  namely  water  and  food.  The  Mound  Builder  was  not  slow 
in  picking  out  picturesque  places  as  a  location  for  his  village 
sites.  The  distribution  of  the  mounds  bears  ample  proof  of 
this.  Anyone  who  visits  the  groups  cannot  fail  to  be  convinced 
that  the  Mound  Builders  were  certainly  guided  in  the  selection 
of  the  location  for  the  mounds  by  an  unerring  sense  of  beauti- 
ful scenery  and  a  high  appreciation  and  instinctive  love  of  nature 
as  well  as  by  other  factors. 

Pnrpow  of  the  Hoonds.  The  mounds  of  Renville  county  are 
both  oblong  and  round,  varying  from  a  swell  of  land  to  several 
feet  in  height.  Other  varieties  have  also  been  found.  The  ar- 
rangement of  mounds  in  the  various  groups  does  not  seem  to 
depend  on  any  definite  rule  of  order,  but  seems  to  result  from  a 
process  of  mound  building,  extending  over  a  considerable  period 
of  time,  each  site  for  a  mound  being  selected  by  the  builders 
according  to  the  space,  material,  or  topography  of  the  locality. 

Undoubtedly  each  mound  was  placed  -for  some  definite  pur- 
pose on  the  spot  where  it  is  found  today,  but  what  the  purpose 
of  any  particular  mound  was  may  be  difficult  to  say.  The  spade 
often  partially  tells  us  what  we  want  to  know,  but  sometiroeB  it 
leaves  us  as  much  as  ever  in  the  dark.  When  the  interior  of  a 
mound  reveals  human  bones,  then  the  inference  is  that  the  mound 
served  as  a  tomb,  but  intrusive  burials,  that  is  burials  made  long 
after  the  mounds  were  built,  complicate  the  problem.  But  when 
a  mound  can  be  opened  without  revealing  any  trace  of  human 
remains  or  of  artificial  articles,  it  seems  safe  to  conclude  that  not 
all  the  mounds  were  built  for  burial  purposes.  The  erection  of 
such  a  large  number  of  mounds  as  exist  along  the  Mississippi  and 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COTJNTY 

its  tributaries  in  MinoeBota  must  have  required  an  ( 
penditure  of  time  and  labor.  The  tools  with  which  all  the  work 
was  done  were  probably  wooden  spades  rudely  shaped,  stone 
hoes  and  similar  implements  which  indicate  a  low  degree  of  in- 
dustrial culture.  Where  the  whole  village  population  turned  out 
lor  a  holiday  or  funeral,  a  large  mound  could  be  built  in  a  much 
shorter  time  than  if  the  work  was  performed  by  only  a  few 
individuals.  The  surface  of  the  land  adjoining  the  mounds  in 
Renville  county,  and  in  fact  all  the  mounds  of  this  vicinity,  fre- 
quently shows  plain  evidences  of  where  the  material  was  ob- 
tained for  the  construction  of  the  mound.  All  in  all,  the  regu- 
larity, symmetry  and  even  mathematical  exaetuess  with  which 
the  mounds  are  built  show  considerable  skill  and  taste.  The 
reader  can  picture  to  himself  the  funeral  scenes,  the  wailings 
of  the  sorrowing  survivors,  and  the  flames  of  the  funeral  pyres 
which  were  sometimes  built.  Or  one  can  picture  the  mourning 
relatives  waiting  beneath  the  tree  in  which  the  body  has  been 
suspended  on  a  scaffold  while  the  elements  are  stripping  the 
bones  of  flesh  preparatory  to  their  interment. 

Life  and  Habits  of  the  Mound  Builders.  Modern  scientists 
unite  in  the  belief  that  the  Mound  Builders  were  Indians,  the 
ancestors  of  the  Indians  that  the  early  settlers  found  here.  The 
old  theory  of  a  race  of  Mound  Builders  superior  in  intellect  and  , 
intelligence  to  the  Indian  has  been  exploded  by  archaeological 
research,  though  a  few  of  the  older  text  books  advance  the  now 
obsolete  theory. 

The  evidences  that  the  race  of  Mound  Builders  was  a  race  of 
genuine  Indians  are  many.  Indians  are  known  to  have  built 
mounds.  The  articles  found  in  the  mounds  are  the  same  as  the 
articles  found  on  the  Indian  village  sites  nearby.  Invariably  a 
large  group  of  mounds  has  nearby  evidenees  of  such  a  village. 
The  articles  found  in  the  mounds  and  on  the  village  sites  are  such 
as  the  Indians  used. 

We  do  not  know  what  human  beings  first  beheld  the  beauti- 
ful lakes  and  prairies  of  Renville  county  and  claimed  them  as 
their  home.  We  may  never  be  able  to  look  beyond  the  veil  or 
penetrate  the  mists  that  enshroud  the  history  of  the  past,  yet 
we  are  not  left  in  utter  darkness.  The  relics  tell  us  many  in- 
teresting stories. 

Tomahawks,  battle  clubs,  spear  heads  and  arrows  signify  war 
and  the  chase.  The  entire  absence  of  great  architectural  remains 
show  that  the  Mound  Builders  lived  in  frail  homes.  The  dearth 
of  agricultural  implements  speaks  of  the  absence  of  any  but  the 
most  primitive  farming.  Ash-pits  and  fireplaces  mark  the  bare 
ground  as  the  aboriginal  stove.  Net-sinkers  imply  the  use  of 
nets ;  ice  axes  the  chopping  of  holes  in  the  ice  to  procure  water ; 
stone  axes,   a   clumsy  device   for  splitting  wood;   stone   knives 


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24  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

were  for  scalping,  cutting  meat  and  leather  and  twigs ;  eoantleas 
flakes  mark  the  ancient  arrow  maker's  workshop;  cracked  bones 
show  the  savages'  love  for  marrow;  shell  beads,  charms  and 
ornaments  in  the  shape  of  fish  and  other  designs  reveal  a  primi- 
tive desire  for  ornamentation ;  chisels  and  gouges  recall  the  mak- 
ing of  canoes ;  sun-dried  pottery  made  of  clay  mixed  with  coarse 
sand,  clam  shells  or  powdered  granite  and  marked  with  rows 
of  dots  made  with  a  stick,  thumbnail  or  other  objects,  or  else 
marked  with  lines,  Y-ahaped  figures  or  chevrons,  all  are  an 
index  of  rather  a  crude  state  of  pottery  making.  The  hand  sup- 
plied the  lathe  and  the  wheel. 

All  of  these  things  tell  us  something  of  the  habits  and  con- 
dition of  the  Mound  Builders  and  are  further  evidence  that  the 
Mound  Builders  differed  in  no  important  manner  from  the  In- 
dians found  here  by  the  early  explorers. 

The  people  were  rude,  semi-agricultural,  warlike,  ignorant  of 
all  metals  except  copper,  hunters  with  stone  arrow  and  spear, 
naked  in  warm  weather  and  clothed  with  the  skins  of  the  buffalo 
and  bear  in  winter.  Their  skill  in  art  was  confined  to  the  making 
of  such  domestic  utensils  and  such  weapons  of  war  and  of  the 
chase  as  were  demanded  for  the  personal  comforts  and  physical 
necessities.  They  have  left  no  literature,  and  these  heaps  of  earth 
and  a  few  rude  pictures  scraped  in  soft  stones,  together  with  a 
few  crude  relics,  are  our  only  source  of  information  regarding 
this  once  powerful  people. 

Irf>catioB  of  Hounds.  The  artificial  mounds  of  Renville  county 
have  never  been  adequately  surveyed  or  excavated,  though  many 
interesting  studies  have  been  made  of  them,  A  volume  entitled 
"The  Aborigines  of  Minnesota,"  published  by  the  Minnesota 
State  Historical  Society  in  1911,  contains  a  valuable  resume  of 
these  explorations  and  studies  as  follows: 

Mounds  near  Three-mile  creek,  southeast  quarter,  section  27, 
township  112,  range  33,  about  100  feet  above  the  bottomland  of 
the  Minnesota  river,  on  cultivated  land.  This  is  a  group  of  nine 
tumuli  loosely  distributed  along  the  bluff,  the  largest  being  fifty- 
four  feet  wide  and  three  feet  high,  there  being  two  of  this  size. 
Surveyed  November  7.  1887. 

Mounds  two  and  a  half  miles  above  Hawk  Creek,  northwest 
quarter,  northeast  quarter,  section  19,  township  115,  range  38, 
about  ninety  feet  above  the  river.  This  group  embraces  three 
mounds,  of  which  one  is  broad-elongated.  Surveyed  October  25, 
1887. 

Group  near  the  mouth  of  Beaver  creek,  (a)  west  side,  north- 
east quarter,  northeast  quarter,  section  28,  township  113,  range 
35,  on  cultivated  land,  about  100  feet  above  the  river.  The  group 
contains  three  small  mounds,  one  being  elongated,  (b)  South 
half,  northeast  quarter,  section  27,  east  side,  about  ninety  feet 


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INLIAN  CHIKF 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  25 

above  the  bottonilasd.  This  group  embraces  but  two  tumuli, 
one  of  which  has  a  short  extension  sixteen  feet  wide  and  one 
foot  high. 

In  Renville  eonnty  the  following  lone  mounds  have  been  noted 
and  measured,  viz.:  Six  miles  below  Bireh  Cooley,  southwest 
quarter,  section  17,  township  112,  range  33,  about  130  feet  above 
the  river;  forty-two  feet  by  four  and  a  half  feet. 

Two  and  a  half  miles  below  Birch  Cooley  creek,  northeast 
quarter,  section  10,  township  112-34,  about  125  feet  above  the 
bottomland;  twenty-five  feet  by  one  and  a  half  feet. 

Two  miles  below  Birch  Cooley  creek,  northeast  quarter,  north- 
west quarter,  section  10,  township  112,  range  34,  about  125  feet 
above  the  bottomland;  thirty  feet  by  two  feet. 

Three-quarters  of  a  mile  west  of  Birch  Cooley  creek,  south- 
east quarter,  northwest  quarter,  section  32,  township  113,  range 
34,  about  100  feet  above  the  bottomland;  thirty  feet  by  two  feet. 
Opposite  Yellow  Medicine,  west  half,  northwest  quarter,  sec- 
tion 19,  township  115,  range  38,  about  ninety  feet  above  the  rivei , 
forty-six  feet  by  two  and  a  half  feet. 

Opposite  Yellow  Medicine,  west  half,  northwest  quarter,  sci,- 
tion  20,  township  115,  range  38,  about  ninety  feet  above  the  hot 
torn;  fifty  feet  by  two  and  a  half  feet. 

Opposite  Yellow  Medicine,  southeast  quarter,  southwest  quar- 
ter, section  18,  township  115,  range  38,  about  seventy  feet  above 
the  bottomland;  a  lone,  broad-elongated  mound;  sixty-six  feet 
by  thirty -six  feet  by  two  and  a  half  feet. 


CHAPTER  III. 

INDIAN  OCCUPANCY  AND  TBEATIES. 

The  Dakotae — Life,  History  and  Habits — Wapetons — Sissetons— 
Treaties — ^Visit  to  Washington — Treaties  of  Prairie  du  Cbien 
— Dotjr  Trea^— Preliminaries  to  the  Final  Session — Treaty 
of  Traverse  Des  Sioux — RELmsfly  Investigation — Tre&ty  of  1868 
— Agencies,  and  Forts. 

The  archeology  and  anthropology  of  the  American  Indian  ia 
still  in  its  infancy.  But  a  few  fundamental  facts  stand  out  in 
bold  relief.  We  are  told  by  scientists  that  man  is  of  great 
antiquity  in  America;  and  that  though  the  aborigines'  blood  is 
doubtless  mixed  with  later  arrivals  in  many  localities  and  tribes, 
still,  barring  the  Eskimo,  the  fundamental  race  characteristics  are 
the  same  from  Hudson  Bay  to  Patagonia.  Hence  a  common 
American  ancestry  of  great  antiquity  must  be  predicated  of  the 
whole  Indian  race. 


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26  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

If  an  imaginary  line  is  drawn  east  and  west  through  the  soutii-' 
em  boundary  of  Virginia,  then  except  for  the  northwest  comer 
of  British  America,  the  Red'  Men  in  the  territory  north  of  this 
line  and  east  of  the  Rocky  mountains,  including  the  larger  part 
of  the  United  States  and  British  America,  are  and  have  been  for 
centuries  almost  exclusively  of  just  three  linguistic  stocks :  Iro- 
quioan,  Siouan  and  Algonquian.  The  one  reason  for  classing 
these  Indians  into  three  ethnic  stocks  is  that  the  vocabularies  of 
their  languages  do  not  seem  to  have  a  common  origin.  Otherwise 
these  Indians  are  so  familiar  physically  and  psychically  that  even 
an  expert  will  at  times  find  it  hard  to  tell  from  appearance  to 
which  stock  an  individual  belongs.  These  three  stocks  are  in 
mental,  moral  and  physical  endowment  the  peers  of  any  American 
aborigines,  though  in  culture  they  were  far  behind  the  Peruvians, 
Mexicans  and  the  nations  in  the  southwestern  United  States. 
But  their  native  culture  is  not  so  insignificant  as  is  the  popular 
impression.  Except  the  far  western  bauds  who  subsisted  on  the 
buffalo,  they  practiced  agriculture ;  and  in  many,  if  not  in  most 
tribes,  the  products  of  the  chase  and  fishing  supplied  leas  than 
half  their  sustenance ;  their  moccasins,  tanned  skin  clothing,  bows 
and  arrows,  canoes,  pottery  and  personal  ornaments  evinced  a 
great  amount  of  skill  and  not  a  little  artistic  taste.  Their  houses 
were  not  always  the  conical  tipi  of  bark  or  skins,  bat  Were  often 
very  durable  and  comparatively  comfortable  and  constructed  of 
timber  or  earth  or  even  stone. 

The  DalEOtas.  As  to  how  these  stocks  came  originally  into 
this  territory  there  is  no  certain  knowledge  but  much  uncertain 
speculation.  Here  we  shall  be  content  to  start  with  the  relatively 
late  and  tolerably  probable  event  of  their  living  together,  in  the 
eastern  part  of  the  United  States,  some  five  centuries  ago,  Algon- 
quians  lived  on  the  Atlantic  slope,  the  Iroquois  perhaps  south  of 
Lake  Erie  and  Ontario,  and  the  Siouans  in  the  upper  Ohio  valley. 
These  Siouan  peoples  bad  possibly  previously  occupied  the  upper 
Mississippi  region,  but  for  some  reason  had  left  there.  At  any 
rate,  a  century  or  so  before  the  arrival  of  Columbus,  found  them  . 
for  the  most  part  in  the  upper  Ohio  valley.  What  peoples,  if  any, 
were  in  the  meantime  living  on  the  plains  of  the  upper  Mississippi 
is  not  definitely  known.  Of  the  Siouan  peoples  we  are  interested 
in  the  main  division  of  the  Sioux,  more  properly  the  Dakotas. 
Probably  because  of  the  pressure  of  the  fierce  and  well  organized 
Iroquois,  the  Sioux,  perhaps  about  1400  A.  D.,  began  slowly  to 
descend  the  Ohio  valley.  Kentucky  and  the  adjacent  parts  of 
OUio,  Indiana  and  HIinois  were  certainly  at  that  time  a  primitive 
man's  paradise,  and  the  anabasis  begun  under  compulsion  was 
enthusiastically  continued  from  choice.  They  reached  the  con- 
fluence of  the  Ohio  and  the  Mississippi.  Probably  here  they  first 
encountered  the  buffalo,  or  bison,  in  large  numbers.    The  spirit 


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fflSTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  27 

of  adventure  and  the  pressure  of  an  iDcreasing  population  sent 
large  bands  up  the  Mississippi.  When  the  Missouri  was  reached 
no  doubt  some  followed  that  stream.  Those  who  kept  to  the 
Mississippi  were  rewarded  as  they  ascended  the  stream  by  coming 
into  what  was  from  the  viewpoint  of  primitive  man  a  richer  coun- 
try. Coming  up  into  Minnesota  a  forest  region  was  encountered 
soon  after  passing  through  beautiful  Lake  Pepin.  Soon  a  roar- 
ing cataract  blocked  the  way  of  the  Dakota  canoes.  St.  Anthony 
Falls,  of  which  now  scarce  a  remnant  is  left,  thundered  over  its 
ledge  among  the  leafy  boskage  of  banks  and  islands.  Slowly 
but  surely  up  the  stream  pushed  the  Dakotas.  Rum  river  was 
reached,  and  its  friendly  banks  were  doubtless  for  many  seasons 
dotted  with  the  Dakota's  tipia.  But  when  the  hunter-explorer's 
eyes  first  rested  on  the  wide  expanse  of  Mille  Lacs,  he  rightly 
felt  he  had  found  a  primitive  paradise.  M'dewakan,  the  Spirit 
lake,  the  lake  of  spiritual  spell,  soon  became  the  site  of  perhaps 
the  largest  permanent  encampment  or  headquarters  of  the  Sioux. 
From  there  they  scattered  wide.  Some  of  the  bands  discovered 
the  upper  Minnesota  river  region  and  here  settled.  These  return- 
ing Sioux,  it  is  believed,  were  the  builders  of  all  or  nearly  all  of 
the  Reaville  county  mounds,  though  some  may  have  been  built 
by  their  ancestors  before  they  were  expelled  many  centuries 
earlier.  The  Renville  county  mounds,  though  less  in  size  and 
smaller  in  number,  have  the  same  interest  as  those  found  in  Ohio, 
and  which  this  same  people  are  believed  to  have  constructed. 

The  name  "Dakota,"  which  these  Indians  applied  to  them- 
selves, means  "joined  together  in  friendly  compact."  "Sioux" 
is  a  contraction  of  the  word  Nadowessioux  (variously  spelled), 
the  French  version  of  the  Chippewa  word  meaning  "Little 
Adders,"  or  figuratively,  "enemies." 

The  Sioux  were  in  many  ways  the  highest  type  of  the  North 
American  Indian,  and  were  physically,  perhaps,  among  the  highest 
types  that  mankind  has  reached.  Living  free  lives  close  to  the 
democracy  of  nature,  they  saw  no  advantages  in  organized  govern- 
ment; living  on  the  boundless  sweeps  of  the  prairies  and  in  the 
limitless  forests,  they  saw  no  virtue  in  that  civilization  which 
shackles  mankind  to  a  daily  routine  of  petty  duties  and  circum- 
scribes life  to  the  confinement  of  crowded  cities  and  villages. 

There  was  no  written  code  of  law.  Tradition  and  custom 
alone  dictated  the  conduct  and  morals  of  the  Sioux.  The  spirit 
of  this  traditional  law  was  as  stern  as  the  Mosaic  law  of  the  Holy 
Scriptures,  "an  eye  for  an  eye  and  a  tooth  for  a  tooth."  A  favor 
was  never  forgotten,  neither  was  a  wrong.  Possibly  no  race  has 
ever  been  so  true  to  ita  standards  as  was  the  Sioux.  Punishment 
swift  and  sure  was  meted  out  to  those  who  departed  from  these 
precepts. 

Just  as  Jehovah  revealed  himself  to  the  Hebrews  as  a  spirit. 


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28  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

permeating  all  space  and  all  matter,  the  great  Creator  who 
breathed  in  and  through  all  things,  so  had  the  Qreat  Spirit 
revealed  himself  to  the  Sioux.  The  Sioux  found  God  everywhere. 
The  waterfalls,  the  winds,  the  heat,  the  cold,  the  rains  and  the 
snows,  the  trees  and  the  birds,  the  animals  and  the  reptiles,  all 
were  "wakon,"  spiritual  mysteries  in  which  God  spoke  to  them. 

In  an  age  when  civilized  Europeans  were  having  their  blood 
drawn  from  their  veins  by  a  barber  as  a  panacea  for  all  diseases, 
and  believing  implicitly  in  the  curing  powers  of  witches'  brews 
made  of  such  ingredients  as  snake's  eyes  and  rabbit's  claws,  the 
Sioux  was  bringing  the  ailing  back  to  health  by  the  use  of  sweat 
baths  and  simple  herbs. 

But  with  the  coming  of  the  white  man  a  great  change  took 
place.  Outspoken,  absolutely  truthful,  the  Sioux  was  no  match 
for  the  lying  tongue  of  the  white,  by  which  he  was  robbed  of 
much  more  than  by  the  white  man's  gun  and  powder.  He  was 
no  match  against  the  insidious  vices  of  alcohol  and  lust  which  the 
white  man  introduced. 

The  life  of  the  red  man  before  he  came  in  contact  with  our 
so-called  civilization,  and  even  later  when  he  had  secured  nothing 
more  than  his  gun,  knife  and  kettle,  was,  though  primitive  and 
coarse,  not  mean  nor  base.  The  Indian  was  healthy  and  sound 
in  mind  and  body,  wholesome  as  the  woods  through  which  he 
hunted. 

He  was  poor  and  improvident,  it  is  true,  living  from  hand  to 
mouth,  and  taking  little  thought  of  the  morrow.  But  this  was 
not  moral  nor  physical  shiftlessness,  it  was  a  part  of  his  religion. 
His  creed  pledged  him  to  poverty;  with  God's  boundless  riches 
spread  around  about  him,  his  faith  forbade  his  taking  more  than 
was  necessary  for  his  immediate  needs.  No  one  was  richer  than 
another.  All  food  was  shared.  A  friend  was  always  welcome 
to  help  himself  at  any  time. 

The  chief  was  usually  the  man  who  by  force  of  personality 
could  command  sufficient  respect  to  hold  the  position.  While 
there  is  no  evidence  that  the  office  of  chief  was  hereditary,  never- 
theless from  the  coming  of  the  white  man  each  tribe  seems  to 
have  had  its  royal  dynasty,  handing  the  ruling  power  of  chief 
from  father  to  son  through  several  generations.  War  and  bunting 
parties,  however,  were  led  by  any  brave  who  could  gather  a 
sufficient  number  of  friends  about  him.  One  brave  might  be 
chief  of  one  expedition  and  another  brave  of  a  succeeding  expe- 
dition, while  the  permanent  chief  of  the  band  seems  to  have 
occupied  more  of  a  civil  position,  deciding  disputes  and  giving 
counsel. 

Wabasha,  living  at  Ke-ox-ah  (Winona),  seems  to  have  been 
the  great  overlord  of  the  Medawakanton  Sioux,  and  he  likewise 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  29 

seems  to  have  been  recognized  as  ruler  by  many  of  the  other 
branches  of  the  Sioux.  Each  band  likewise  had  a  permanent 
chief,  and  as  noted  each  expedition  that  was  made  had  a  tem- 
porary chief. 

All  in  all,  the  Indian  as  he  was  before  the  coming  of  the  white 
man,  is  deserving  ot  all  honor  and  respect.  And  horrible  though 
the  warfare  was  that  he  later  waged  on  the  whites  who  had 
secured  his  lands,  terrible  and  wanton  as  was  the  revenge  he 
took  on  defenseless  men,  women  and  children  occupying  his 
ancient  domains,  bitter  though  the  feeling  against  him  must  of 
necessity  be  by  those  whose  loved  ones  were  ravished,  multilated 
and  murdered,  nevertheless  the  methods  of  the  most  civilized  and 
modem  warfare  have  taught  the  world  that  between  the  motives 
of  the  wildest  savage  and  the  most  cultured  soldier  there  is  little 
difference  when  a  man  finds  himself  fighting  for  existence  against 
those  whom  he  believes  to  have  wronged  him.  The  Indian's 
method  was  to  torture  and  mutilate,  to  strike  such  terror  that 
the  enemy  would  forever  after  fear  him.  The  civilized  method 
likewise  mutilates,  terrorizes  and  strikes  sudden  death  against 
those  equally  defenseless  and  inoffensive  as  were  those  the  Indian 
massacred.  The  Indian,  regarded  and  treated  by  the  whites  as  a 
little  lower  than  an  animal,  with  even  his  treaty  rights  disre- 
garded, struck,  in  the  only  way  he  knew,  in  behalf  of  the  con- 
tinued existence  of  himself  and  of  his  wife  and  babes,  against  a 
race  whose  desire  for  broad  acres  was  ever  driving  the  Red  Man 
and  his  family  further  and  further  from  the  sweeps  over  which 
his  forefathers  had  ranged. 

Evil  days  indeed  came  for  the  simple  child  of  the  forest,  when 
as  scum  on  the  advancing  frontier  wave  of  civilization  came  the 
firewater,  the  vices  and  the  diseases  of  civilized  man.  Neither  his 
physical  nor  his  spiritual  organization  is  prepared  to  withstand 
these  powerful  evils  of  a  stronger  race,  and  the  primitive  red  man 
has  often,  perhaps  generally,  been  reduced  to  a  pitiful  parasite 
on  the  civilized  community,  infested  with  the  diseases,  the  vermin 
and  the  vices  of  the  white  man  and  living  in  a  degradation  and 
squalor  that  only  civilization  can  furnish. 

The  white  man  took  from  the  Indian  all  his  primitive  virtues, 
and  gave  him  none  of  the  virtues  of  the  white  man  in  return. 
He  taught  the  red  man  all  of  the  evils  of  civilization  before  he 
was  advanced  enough  to  accept  its  advantages,  and  tried  to  make 
him  conform  suddenly  with  those  habits  of  life  which  with  the 
white  race  has  been  the  development  of  ages.  Thus  burdened 
with  the  white  man's  vices,  his  own  natural  mode  of  living  sud- 
denly made  impossible,  driven  here  and  there  by  the  onrush  of 
civilization,  cheated  and  defrauded  by  traders  and  government 
officials  alike,  the  Indian  has  degenerated  until  he  is  only  a 
travesty  on  the  noble  kings  of  the  forest  who  once  held  sway 


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80  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

in  the  upper  Mississippi  and  the  Minnesota  valleys.  But  a  change 
is  now  coming  with  an  awakened  public  conscience.  And  the 
results  are  encouraging.  The  census  seems  to  indicate  that  th« 
Indian  is  no  longer  a  vanishing  race.  Steady  and  considerable 
progress  is  made  in  his  civilization,  and  his  physical  condition  is 
improving. 

Wapeton  Dakotas.  Information  as  to  the  occupancy  of  the 
Minnesota  valley  during  the  era  of  the  early  explorers  is  some- 
what vague.  After  the  Dakotas  in  prehistoric  times  came  up  the 
Mississippi  river,  and  in  the  upper  reaches  of  that  river  estab- 
lished their  homes,  the  Medewakanton  and  several  subsidiary  of 
the  Sioux  made  their  headquarters  about  Mille  Lacs,  ranging 
the  rivers  and  forests  and  prairies  from  that  point  to  unknown 
distances.  Probably  some  bands  became  permanently  separated 
from  the  main  band.  In  the  days  of  the  early  French  explorers, 
the  Medewakantons  were  still  living  at  Mille  Lacs.  The  Warpeton- 
wans,  apparently  closely  allied  to  the  Medewakantons,  were  rang- 
ing the  territory  west  of  the  upper  Mississippi  river,  between  the 
Crow  and  the  Crow  Wing  rivers. 

The  Chippewas  drove  the  Sioux  from  the  Mille  Lacs  region, 
and  the  deposed  tribes  established  themselves  at  various  points. 

The  location  of  the  several  bands  inhabiting  Southern  Minne- 
sota in  1834  has  been  told  by  the  missionary,  S.  W.  Pond,  who 
came  to  Minnesota  that  year.    He  has  written : 

"The  villages  of  the  Medewakantonwan  were  on  the  Minne- 
sota and  Mississippi  rivers,  extending  from  Winona  to  Shakopee. 
Most  of  the  Indians  living  on  the  Minnesota  river  above  Shakopee 
were  Warpetonwan.  At  Big  Stone  lake  there  were  both  Warpe- 
tonwan  and  Sissetonwan,  and  at  Lake  Traverse,  Ihanktonwan 
(Yankton),  Sissetonwan  and  Warpetonwan.  Part  of  the  Warpe- 
kute  lived  on  Cannon  river  and  part  at  Traverse  des  Sioux. 
There  were  frequent  intermarriages  between  these  divisons  of  the 
Dakotas,  and  they  were  more  or  less  intermingled  at  all  their 
villages.  Though  the  manners,  language  and  dress  of  the  different 
divisons  were  not  all  precisely  alike,  they  were  essentially  one 
people. ' ' 

Thus,  at  that  time,  Renville  county  was  Wapeton  (spelled 
Warpetonwan,  Wahpeton  and  Warpeton)  country,  through  the 
Sissetons,  the  Yanktons  and  the  Medawakantons  were  not  far 
away. 

Nicollet  in  his  map  of  the  state  placed  the  Wapetons  along 
the  Minnesota  river  in  this  part  of  the  state,  and  the  Sissetons  in 
the  southwestern  part  of  the  state. 

However,  Sleepy  Eye's  village  of  Sissetons  appears  to  have 
been  located  for  a  time  at  least  in  the  vicinity  of  the  mouth  of 
the  Little  Rock,  not  far  from  the  present  area  of  Renville  county. 


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HISTORY  OP  BENVILLE  COUNTY  81 

ZNDIAK  TAEATIE8. 

From  prehistoric  days  up  to  the  time  of  the  treaties  signed  at 
Traverse  des  Sioux,  July  23,  1851,  and  at  Mendota,  August  5, 

1851,  ratified  and  amended  by  the  United  States  Senate,  June  23, 

1852,  and  proclaimed  by  President  Millard  Fillmore  February  24, 

1853,  the  land  now  embraced  in  Renville  county  remained  in  the 
nominal  possession  of  the  Indians.  Before  this  treaty,  however, 
severai  agreements  were  made  between  the  Indians  of  this  vicinity 
and  the.  United  States  government,  regarding  mutual  relations 
and  the  ceding  of  lands.  The  first  of  these  was  the  treaty  with 
Pike  in  1805,  by  which  land  at  the  mouths  of  the  Minnesota  and 
St.  Croix  rivers  was  ceded  to  the  government  for  military  pur- 
poses. 

Visit  to  Woshin^n.  In  1816,  the  War  of  1812  having  been 
brought  to  a  close,  the  Indians  of  this  vicinity  made  peace  with 
the  United  States  and  signed  treaties  placing  the  Sioux  of  this 
neighborhood  "in  all  things  and  in  every  respect  on  the  same  foot- 
ing upon  which  they  stood  before  the  late  war,"  Perpetual  peace 
was  promised,  and  it  was  agreed  that  "every  injury  or  act  of 
hostility  committed  by  one  or  the  other  of  the  contracting  par- 
ties against  the  other  shall  be  mutually  forgiven  and  forgotten." 
The  tribes  recognized  the  absolute  authority  of  the  United  States. 
After  Ft.  Snelling  was  established,  the  officers  at  various  times 
engineered  peace  pacts  between  various  tribes,  but  these  were 
usually  quickly  broken. 

In  the  spring  of  1824  the  first  delegation  of  Sioux  Indians 
went  to  Washington  to  see  their  "Great  Father,"  the  president. 
A  delegation  of  Chippewas  accompanied,  and  both  were  in  charge 
of  Major  Lawrence  Taliaferro.  Wabasha,  then  properly  called 
Wa-pa-ha-sha  or  Wah-pah-hah-sha,  the  head  chief  of  the  band  at 
Winona ;  and  Little  Crow,  head  of  the  Kaposia  band ;  and  Wah- 
natah,  were  the  principal  members  of  the  Sioux  delegation.  When 
the  delegation  had  gone  as  far  as  Prairie  du  Chien,  Wabasha  and 
Wahnatah,  who  had  been  influenced  by  traders,  desired  to  turn 
back,  bot  Little  Crow  persuaded  them  to  continue.  The  object  of 
the  visit  was  to  secure  a  convocation  of  all  of  the  upper  Missis- 
sippi Indians  at  Prairie  du  Chien,  to  define  the  boundary  line  of 
the  lands  claimed  by  the  separate  tribes  and  to  establish  general 
and  permanently  friendly  relations  among  them.  The  party  made 
the  trip  in  keel  boats  from  Fort  Snelling  to  Prairie  du  Chien,  and 
from  there  to  Pittsburgh  by  steamboat,  thence  to  Washington  and 
other  eastern  cities  by  land. 

Prairie  du  Ghira  Treaty  of  1826.  This  treaty,  signed  August 
19,  was  of  importance  to  the  Indians  who  ranged  Benville  county 
in  that  it  fixed  certain  general  boundaries,  and  confirmed  the  fact 
that  the  present  county  lay  entirely  in  Sioux  territory.     The 


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32  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

treaty  was  participated  in  by  the  Chippewa,  Sauk  (Sac)  and  Fox ; 
MeDominee,  Iowa,  Sioux,  Winnebago ;  and  a  portion  of  the  Ottawa, 
Chippewa  and  Potawatomi  tribes  living  on  the  Illinois. 

The  line  between  the  Sioux  and  the  confederated  Sauks  and 
Poxes  extended  across  a  part  of  northern  Iowa.  It  was  declared 
in  the  treaty  to  run  up  the  Upper  Iowa  (now  the  Oneota)  river 
to  its  left  fork,  and  up  that  fork  to  its  source ;  thence  crossing  the 
Cedar  river  to  the  second  or  upper  fork  of  the  Des  Moines,  and 
in  a  direct  line  to  the  lower  fork  of  the  Calumet  (Big  Sioux) 
river,  and  down  that  river  to  the  Missouri  river.  On  both  sides 
of  this  line  extended  a  tract  which  came  to  be  known  as  the 
"Neutral  Strip,"  into  which  the  Winnebagoes  were  later  moved 
as  a  buffer  between  the  Sioux  and  their  enemies  to  the  South. 

The  eastern  boundary  of  the  Sioux  territory  was  to  commence 
on  the  east  bank  of  the  Mississippi  river  opposite  the  mouth  of 
the  "loway"  river,  running  back  to  the  bluffs  and  along  the 
bluffs  to  the  Bad  Axe  river,  thence  to  the  mouth  of  the  Black 
river,  and  thence  to  half  a  day's  march,  below  the  falls  of  the 
Chippewa.  East  of  this  line,  generally  speaking,  was  the  Winne- 
bago country,  though  the  Menominee  country  lay  about  Qreen 
Bay,  Lake  Michigan  and  the  Milwaukee  river,  and  the  Menominees 
claimed  as  far  west  as  the  Black  river.  The  Chippewa  country 
was  to  be  to  the  north  of  the  Winnebagoes  and  Menominees,  and 
east  of  the  northern  line  of  the  Sioux  country,  the  line  between 
the  Chippewa  and  the  Sioux  beginning  at  a  point  a  half  a  day's 
march  below  the  falls  of  the  Chippewa,  thence  to  the  Red  Cedar 
river  immediately  below  the  falls,  thence  to  a  point  on  the  St. 
Croix  river,  a  day's  paddle  above  the  lake  at  the  mouth  of  that 
river,  and  thence  northwestward  across  the  present  state  of 
Minnesota.  The  line  crossed  the  Mississippi  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Watab  river  just  above  St.  Cloud.  Thus  both  sides  of  the  Missis- 
sippi during  its  course  along  Renville  coiinty  were  included  in 
Sioux  territory. 

The  boundary  lines  were  certainly,  in  many  respects,  quite 
indefinite,  and  whether  this  was  the  trouble  or  not,  in  any  event, 
it  was  but  a  few  months  after  the  treaty  when  it  was  evident  that 
none  of  the  signers  were  willing  to  be  governed  by  the  lines  estab- 
lished, and  hardly  by  any  others.  The  first  article  of  the  treaty 
provided  1  "There  shall  be  a  firm  and  perpetual  peace  between 
the  Sioux  and  the  Chippewas;  between  the  Sioux  and  the  con- 
federated tribes  of  Sacs  and  Foxes;  and  between  the  'loways' 
and  the  Sioux."  But  this  provision  was  more  honored  in  the 
breach  than  the  observance,  and  in  a  little  time  the  tribes  named 
were  filing  at  one  another's  throats  and  engaged  in  their  old- 
time  hostilities. 

Second  Treaty  of  Prairie  du  Ghien.  In  1830  a  second  treaty 
with  the  Northwest  Indian  tribes  was  held  at  Prairie  du  Chien, 


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HBNEY  TIMM  'S  CABIN 


WILLIAM   WICHMAN'8  BIRTHPLACE 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  33 

A  few  weeks  previous  to  the  convocation,  which  was  begun  July 
15,  a  party  of  Wabasha's  band  of  Sioux  and  some  Menominees 
ambushed  a  party  of  Fox  Indians  some  twelve  or  fifteen  miles 
below  Prairie  du  Chien  and  killed  eight  of  them,  including  a  snb- 
chief  called  the  Kettle. 

The  Foxes  had  their  village  near  Dubuque  and  were  on  their 
way  to  Prairie  du  Chien  to  visit  the  Indian  agent,  whom  they 
had  apprised  of  their  coming.  They  were  in  canoes  on  the  Mis- 
sissippi. As  they  reached  the  lower  end  of  Prairie  du  Pierreaux 
they  paddled  up  a  narrow  chahnel  which  ran  near  the  eastern 
shore,  where  their  concealed  enemies  opened  fire.  The  Foxes 
returned  to  their  village,  bearing  their  dead,  while  the  Sioux  and 
Menominees  went  home  and  danced  over  their  victory.  A  few 
weeks  previously  the  Foxes  had  killed  some  of  Wabasha's  band 
on  the  Red  Cedar  river,  in  Iowa,  and  the  Sioux  claimed  that  their 
part  in  the  Prairie  du  Pierreaux  affair  was  taken  in  retaliation  for 
the  Red  Cedar  affair.  In  June  of  the  following  year  a  large 
number  of  Menominees  were  camped  on  an  island  in  the  Missis- 
sippi, less  than  a  half  a  mile  from  Fort  Crawford  and  Prairie  du 
Chien.  One  night  they  were  all  drunk,  "men,  women  and  chil- 
dren." Two  hours  before  daylight  the  Dubuque  Foxes  took 
dreadful  reprisal  for  the  killing  of  their  brethren  at  Prairie  du 
Pierreaux.  Though  but  a  small  band,  they  crept  into  the  Menom- 
inee encampment,  fell  upon  inmates,  and  in  a  few  minutes  put 
a  number  of  them  to  the  gun,  the  tomahawk  and  the  scalping 
knife.  Thirty  Menominees  were  killed.  When  the  entire  Menom- 
inee band  had  been  aroused  the  Foxes,  without  having  lost  a  man, 
retired,  crying  out  in  great  exultation  that  the  cowardly  killing 
of  their  comrades  at  Prairie  du  Pierreaux  had  been  avenged. 

Because  of  the  Prairie  du  Pierreaux  affair  the  Foxes  at  first 
refused  to  be  present  at  the  treaty  of  Prairie  du  Chien,  but  finally 
came.  Delegates  were  present  from  four  bands  of  the  Sioux,  the 
Medawakautons,  the  Wapakootas,  the  Wahpatous  and  the  Sisse- 
tons,  and  also  from  the  Sacs,  Foxes  and  lowas,  and  even  from  the 
Omahas,  Otoes  and  Missouris,  the  homes  of  the  last  three  tribes 
being  on  the  Missouri  river. 

At  this  treaty  the  Indian  tribes  represented  ceded  all  of  their 
claims  to  the  land  in  Western  Iowa,  Northwestern  Missouri  and 
especially  the  country  of  the  Des  Moines  river  valley. 

The  Medawakanton  Sioujc,  Wabasha's  band,  had  a  special 
article  {numbered  9)  inserted  in  the  treaty  for  the  benefit  of  their 
half-breed  relatives. 

The  Sioux  also  ceded  a  tract  of  land  twenty  miles  wide  along 

the  northern  boundary  of  Iowa  from  the  Mississippi  to  the  Des 

Moines;  consideration  $2,000  in  cash  and  $1,200  in  merchandise. 

The  Do^  Trea'^.    The  Doty  Treaty,  made  at  Traverse  des 

Sioux  (St.  Peter),  in  July,  1841,  failed  to  be  ratified  by  the  United 


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34  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

States  Senate.  This  treaty  embodied  a  Utopian  dream  that  a 
territory  of  Indians  could  be  established,  in  which  the  redmen 
would  reside  on  farms  and  in  villages,  living  their  lives  after  the 
style  of  the  whites,  having  a  constitutional  form  of  government, 
with  a  legislature  of  their  own  people  elected  by  themselves,  the 
governor  to  be  appointed  by  the  president  of  the  United  States. 
They  were  to  be  taught  the  arts  of  peace,  to  be  paid  annuities, 
and  to  be  protected  by  the  armies  of  the  United  States  from  their 
Indian  enemies  on  the  west.  In  return  for  these  benefits  to  be 
conferred  upon  the  Indians,  the  XJnited  States  was  to  receive  all 
the  lands  in  what  is  now  Minnesota,  the  Dakotas  and  northwestern 
Iowa.  This  ceded  land  was  not  to  be  opened  to  the  settlement  of 
the  whites,  and  the  plan  was  to  have  soiue  of  it  reserved  for 
Indian  tribes  from  other  parts  of  the  country  who  should  sell  their 
lands  to  the  United  States,  and  who,  in  being  moved  here,  were  to 
enjoy  all  the  privileges  which  had  been  so  beautifully  planned 
for  the  native  Indians,  But  no  one  can  tell  what  would  have  been 
the  result  of  this  experiment,  for  the  Senate,  for  political  reasons, 
refused  to  ratify  the  treaty,  and  it  failed  of  going  into  eflfect. 
This  treaty  was  signed  by  the  Sisseton,  Wahpeton  and  Wahpa- 
koota  bands  at  Traverse  des  Sioux,  July  31,  1841,  and  by  the 
Medawakanton  bands  at  Mendota,  August  11  of  the  same  year. 

Prelimmaries  to  Final  Session.  No  other  events  or  incidents 
in  all  time  have  been  of  more  importance  in  their  influence  upon 
the  character  and  destiny  of  Minnesota  than  the  negotiations 
with  the  Sioux  Indians  in  the  summer  of  1851,  commonly  known 
as  the  Treaties  of  Traverse  des  Sioux  and  Mendota.  As  a  result 
flf  these  treaties  a  vast  region  of  country  large  enough  and  natu- 
rally rich  enough  for  a  kingdom  was  released  from  the  sway  of  its 
owners  and  opened  to  white  settlement. 

Prior  to  these  events  only  the  lands  in  Minnesota  east  of  the 
Mississippi  river  were  open  to  white  occupation.  The  fine,  fer- 
tile expanse  to  the  westward  was  forbidden  groimd.  The  waves 
of  immigration  were  steadily  rolling  in  and  beating  against  the 
legal  barrier  in  increasing  volume  and  growing  forces;  and  as 
opposed  to  the  demand  of  the  whites  for  land  and  power  the 
rights  and  necessities  of  the  Indians  were  of  little  weight.  A 
decent  regard  for  the  opinions  of  mankind  and  also  a  fear  of  the 
revenge  that  the  Indians  might  take,  demanded,  however,  that  the 
government  go  through  the  form  of  a  purchase,  and  that  some 
sort  of  price,  even  if  ridiculously  small,  be  paid  for  the  relin- 
quished land. 

In  his  message  to  the  first  Territorial  Legislature  Governor 
Ramsey  recommended  that  a  memorial  to  Congress  be  prepared 
and  adopted  praying  for  the  purchase  by  treaty  of  a  large  extent 
of  the  Sioux  country  west  of  the  Mississippi. '  Accordingly  a 
lengthy  petition,  very  earnest  and  eloquent  in  its  terms,  was,  after 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  35 

considerable  deliberation,  drawn  up,  finally  adopted  by  both 
houses  and  duly  presented  to  Congress.  This  was  in  October, 
but  already  the  national  authorities  had  taken  action. 

In  June,  1849,  Orlando  Brown,  Commissioner  of  Indian  affairs, 
addressed  an  official  letter  to  Thomas  Ewing,  then  Secretary  of 
the  Interior,  recommending  negotiations  with  the  Sioux,  "for  the 
purpose  of  purchasing  their  title  to  a  large  tract  of  country  west 
of  the  Mississippi  river."  The  commissioner  said  that  the  object 
of  the  purchase  was,  "in  order  to  make  room  for  the  immigrants 
now  going  in  large  numbers  to  the  new  territory  of  Minnesota, 
as  the  Indian  title  has  been  extinguished  to  but  a  comparatively 
small  extent  of  the  country  within  its  limits."  Secretary  Ewing 
approved  the  report  and  selected  Governor  Ramsey  and  John 
Chambers,  the  latter  a  former  territorial  governor  of  Iowa,  as 
commissioners  to  make  the  proposed  treaty. 

In  his  annual  report  for  1848  Commissioner  Brown  had  recom- 
mended an  appropriation  to  defray  the  expenses  of  a  Sioux  treaty, 
but  Congress  failed  to  make  it.  So  desirous  was  he  for  the  treaty 
in  1849  that  he  was  willing  to  pay  the  attendant  expense  out  of 
the  "small  current  appropriations"  for  his  ofBce,  and  so  he 
warned  Ramsey  and  Chambers  that  "the  strictest  economy  in 
all  your  expenditures  will  be  necessary."  He  said  if  they  waited 
for  a  special  appropriation  from  the  next  Congress  the  treaty  in 
its  complete  form  would  be  postponed  for  two  years,  and  in  the 
meanwhile  there  would  be  increasing  trouble  between  the  Indian 
owners  of  the  land  and  trespassing  settlers. 

In  August,  1849,  Commissioner  Brown  addressed  a  lengthy 
letter  to  Governors  Ramsey  and  Chambers  informing  them  of 
their  appointment  as  commissioners  to  make  the  treaty  and 
instructing  them  particularly  as  to  their  duties  in  the  premises. 
The  instructions  were  not  only  clear,  but  very  elaborate  and  com- 
prehensive, and  so  far  as  they  could  be  given  the  commissioners 
were  told  just  what  to  do  and  just  how  to  do  it.  The  fact  that  some 
of  the  directions  were  unwise  and  unwarranted  was  due  to  the 
misinformation  on  the  subject  which  the  commissioner  had 
received,  and  his  consequent  lack  of  knowledge  as  to  the  situation. 
For  example,  in  describing  the  territory  which  the  commissioners 
were  to  acquire,  Commissioner  Brown  expressed  the  opinion  that 
it  contained  "some  20,000,000  of  acres,"  and  that  "some  of  it," 
no  doubt,  contained  "lands  of  excellent  quality."  With  respect 
to  the  probable  worth  of  the  country  to  the  United  States  the 
commissioner  expressed  the  opinion  that,  "from  its  nature,  a 
great  part  of  it  can  never  be  more  than  very  trifling,  if  of  any, 
value  to  the  government."  The  country  was  more  valuable  for 
the  purpose  of  a  location  for  homeseekers  than  for  any  other  pur- 
pose, and  Commissioner  Brown  realized  that  "only  a  small  part 
of  it  is  now  actually  necessary  for  that  object." 


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86  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

The  contemplated  and  directed  treaty  with  the  Sioux  in  the 
fall  of  1849  was  not  held  as  contemplated.  On  repairing  to 
Traverse  des  Sioux  in  October,  Commissioners  Ramsey  and  Cham- 
bers found  that  a  large  majority  of  the  Upper  Indians  were 
absent  on  tfaeir  fall  hunts.  Coming  down  to  Mendota,  they  found 
the  greater  part  of  the  Lower  bands  were  absent  gathering  wild 
rice,  hunting  in  the  Big  Woods  and  elsewhere,  and  those  still  in 
the  villages  were,  under  the  circumstances,  unwilling  to  engage 
in  any  important  negotiations. 

At  Mendota,  however,  a  treaty  was  made  with  some  of  the 
chiefs  of  the  Medawakanton  and  Wapakooto  bands  providing  for 
the  purchase,  on  reasonable  terms,  of  what  was  known  as  the 
"Half-Breed  Tract,"  lying  west  of  Lake  Pepin,  and  which  had 
been  set  apart  for  the  Sioux  mixed  bloods  by  the  treaty  of  July 
15,  1830.  The  tract  comprised  about  384,000  acres  of  now  well 
known  and  valuable  country.  The  purchase  was  to  be  completed 
as  soon  as  possible,  and  the  money  given  to  the  mixed  blood  bene-  ~ 
ficiaries  in  lieu  of  the  lands.  The  treaty  was  duly  forwarded  to 
Washington,  but  never  ratified  by  the  Senate.  In  1850  the  agita- 
tion for  a  more  comprehensive  treaty  resulted  in  the  important 
negotiations  of  the  summer  of  1851,  and  the  subject  of  the  Lake 
Pepin  Half  Breed  Tract  was  put  aside  and  soon  forgotten. 

At  last,  in  the  spring  of  1851,  President  Fillmore  directed  that 
a  treaty  with  the  Sioux  be  made  and  appointed  commissioners  to 
that  end.  The  pressure  upon  him  could  no  longer  be  resisted. 
The  Territorial  Legislature  had  repeatedly  memorialized  Con- 
gress, Ramsey  had  written,  Sibley  and  Rice  had  reasoned  and 
pleaded,  and  Goodhue  and  the  other  Minnesota  editors  had  well 
nigh  heated  their  types  in  their  fervid  exhortations  to  the 
national  authorities  to  tear  down  the  barriers  and  allow  the 
eager  and  restless  whites  to  grasp  the  wealth  of  the  great  inland 
empire  now  furnishing  home  and  sustenance  to  its  rightful  owners. 
Already  many  settlers,  as  reckless  of  their  own  lives  as  they  were 
regardless  of  the  laws  of  their  country,  were  squatting  within  the 
forbidden  area. 

The  traders  were  especially  desirous  that  a  treaty  be  made. 
It  was  the  practice  in  such  negotiations  to  insert  a  provision  in 
the  treaty  that  the  "just  debts"  of  the  Indians  should  be  paid 
out  of  the  amounts  allowed  them.  The  American  Fur  Company — 
then  Pierre  Chouteau,  Jr.,  &  Company — represented  by  Sibley 
and  the  various  sub-traders  claimed  that  the  Sioux  of  Minnesota 
owed  them  in  the  aggregate  nearly  $500,000  for  goods  they  had 
received  in  past  times ;  the  accounts,  in  some  instances,  were  dated 
twenty  years  previously.  If  a  treaty  were  made,  all  of  the 
accounts,  both  real  and  fictitious,  and  augmented  to  suit  tha 
traders'  fancy,  would  probably  be  declared  as  "just  debts"  and 
paid  out  of  such  funds  as  might  be  allotted  the  Indians.    That  the 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  87 

traders,  including  the  firm  of  Choteau,  Jr.,  &  Company,  did  all 
they  could  to  have  a  treaty  made  may  readily  be  believed. 

Under  a  paragraph  in  the  Indian  appropriation  bill  of  1851, 
approved  February  27,  all  Indian  treaties  thereafter  were  to  be 
negotiated  by  "ofBcere  and  agents"  connected  with  the  Indian 
Department  and  selected  by  the  president.  The  appointees  were 
not  to  receive  for  their  service  in  such  cases  any  compensation 
in  addition  to  their  regular  salaries.  Previously  treaties  had  been 
negotiated  on  the  part  of  the  government  by  special  agents,  who 
were  generally  not  connected  with  the  public  service  and  who 
were  paid  particularly  and  liberally  for  these  services. 

In  consideration  of  the  great  extent  of  country  to  be  possibly 
acquired,  and  the  importance  of  the  treaty  generally,  President 
Fillmore  appointed  to  conduct  it,  on  the  part  of  the  government, 
two  prominent  officials  of  the  Indian  Department.  These  were 
Governor  Alexander  Ramsey,  ex-ofScio  Indian  Commissioner  for 
Minnesota,  and  Luke  Lea,  the  National  Commissioner  of  Indian 
affairs.  The  instructions  given  them  were  in  the  main  those  of 
Commissioner  Brown,  two  years  before,  to  Ramsey  and  Chambers 
when  it  was  designed  that  the  treaty  should  then  be  made. 

Treaty  of  Traverse  des  Sioux.  Commissioner  Lea  arrived  at 
St.  Paul,  on  the  steamboat  Excelsior,  June  27.  On  the  twenty- 
ninth  he  and  Governor  Ramsey  left  Fort  Snelling  on  the  boat  for 
Traverse  des  Sioux,  the  site  of  the  council  ground  selected  for  the 
treaty  with  the  two  upper  bands  of  Sioux,  the  Wahpatons  and 
Siasetons,  who  occupied  the  country  of  the  Upper  Minnesota 
valley.  On  board  of  the  Excelsior  were  some  beef  cattle  and  other 
supplies,  to  be  furnished  the  Indians  during  the  negotiations. 
There  were  also  on  board  about  twenty-five  white  persons  who 
went  up  as  excursionists  and  as  sightseers  and  witnesses  of  the 
proceedings. 

The  Excelsior  landed  at  Traverse  des  Sioux  early  on  the  morn- 
ing of  Monday,  June  30.  This  was  a  well  known  locality.  Here 
the  Sioux,  in  early  days,  were  wont  to  cross  the  Minnesota,  on 
their  way  between  the  Cannon  river  country  and  Swan  lake,  and 
the  ford  bore  the  French  equivalent  for  the  "crossing  of  the 
Sioux."  From  the  earliest  days  there  had  been  a  trading  post 
here  and  in  1843  Reverend  Riggs  and  his  associates  had  estab- 
lished a  mission  at  the  site.  In  the  summer  of  1849  this  station 
was  in  charge  of  Reverend  Messrs.  Robert  Hopkins  and  Alexander 
G.  Huggins.  The  missionaries  had  comfortable  residences,  and 
there  was  a  frame  mission  house  neatly  painted  and  well  fur- 
nished. 

There  was  also  at  "The  Traverse,"  as  it  was  often  called,  the 
trading  houses  of  Alexander  Graham  and  Oliver  Faribault,  with 
residence  cabins  and  other  log  outbuildings;  there  was  also  the 


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38  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

old  log  warehouse  in  which  the  Doty  treaty  of  1841  had  been 
made  and  signed,  while  scattered  along  the  ridge  to  the  rear  were 
thirty  or  more  buffalo  skin  tepees,  occupied  by  Indian  families 
belonging  to  Chief  Red  Iron's  band  of  Sissetone.  Ten  miles  to 
tiie  northwest  was  the  village  of  Chief  Sleepy  Eye's  Little  Rock 
band  of  Sissetons  numbering  two  hundred  and  fifty.  The  site  of 
the  Traverse,  where  the  town  was  afterwards  laid  out,  is  two 
miles  east  of  St.  Peter,  or  seventy  miles  southwest  of  St.  Paul. 

Word  had  been  sent  to  all  of  the  Sisseton  and  Wahpeton  bands 
— the  Upper  bauds,  as  they  were  often  called — that  a  treaty  was 
to  be  held  at  the  Traverse  early  in  July.  They  were  notified  to 
be  present ;  not  only  the  chiefs,  but  the  head  men — the  war  leaders 
and  principal  orators  of  the  band — were  to  participate  in  the 
deliberations.  A  large  brush  arbor  was  erected,  tinder  the  super- 
vision of  Alexis  Bailly,  and  beneath  this  comfortable  shade  the 
treaty  negotiations  were  to  be  held.  A  number  of  beeves  were 
slaughtered  and  boxes  of  hard-tack  opened  to  feed  the  expected 
visitors,  while  baskets  of  champagne  and  other  refreshments  were 
offered  for  the  entertainment  of  the  white  visitors.  But  the 
arrival  of  the  reluctant  Indians  was  long  delayed,  and  it  was  not 
until  July  18  that  the  representatives  of  the  last  bands  came  in, 
very  tired,  very  hungry  and  not  favorable  to  the  purpose  for 
which  the  council  was  called.  They  were  heartily  welcomed  by 
the  designing  whites  and  bountifully  fed  on  fresh  beef,  pork  and 
hard-tack,  but  were  refused  whisky  or  other  spirits,  the  whites 
desiring  all  that  for  themselves. 

There  were  present  on  the  part  of  the  Indians  the  two  head 
chiefs  and  the  principal  sub-chiefs  of  the  bands,  as  well  as  their 
head  soldiers,  chief  speakers  and  prominent  men  of  all  classes. 
On  the  part  of  the  whites  were  Commissioners  Lea  and  Ramsey ; 
Dr.  Thomas  Foster,  the  secretary ;  and  Alexander  Faribault  and 
Reverend  S.  R.  Riggs,  interpreters.  Other  prominent  white  spec- 
tators, some  of  whom  acted  as  witnesses  to  the  treaty  were: 
James  M.  Goodhue,  editor  of  the  Minnesota  Pioneer,  who  made 
and  published  a  daily  report  of  the  proceedings ;  Frank  B.  Mayer, 
a  noted  artist  from  Baltimore;  Major  Nathaniel  McLean,  Sioux 
Indian  agent  at  Fort  Snelling ;  Doctor  Thomas  S.  Williamson,  the 
missionary  at  Eaposia ;  Judge  James  H.  Lockwood,  of  Prairie  du 
Chien,  who  had  ascended  the  Minnesota  far  above  Patterson's 
Rapids  in  1816;  Richard  Chute  and  wife,  then  a  newly  married 
couple  from  Indiana ;  H.  H.  Sibley,  Colonel  C.  Henderson,  Joseph 
R.  Brown,  W.  H.  Forbes,  Hugh  Tyler,  Reverend  Alexander  G, 
Huggins,  Martin  McLeod,  Henry  Jackson,  A,  S.  H.  White,  Wal- 
lace B.  White,  Alexis  Bailly,  Kenneth  McKenzie,  Hercules  L. 
Dousman,  Franklin  Steele,  F.  Brown,  William  Hartshorn,  William 
G.  Le  Due,  Joseph  La  Prambois,  Sr.,  James  McC.  Boal,  and  sundry 
French  voyageurs,  traders'  employes  and  retainers,  all  of  whom 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  89 

were  entertained  sumptuously  with  delicious  viands,  and  many 
with  fiery  spirits  and  rare  wines  at  the  government's  expense. 

While  waiting  for  the  Indians  the  whites  diverted  themselves 
in  various  ways,  but  chiefly  in  observing  the  Indian  dances  and 
their  other  customs.  It  was  intended  to  formally  observe  the 
Fourth  of  July.  Reverend  Robert  Hopkins,  one  of  the  local  mis- 
sionaries, was  drowned  white  bathing  in  the  Minnesota,  and  the 
intention  was  abandoned. 

July  11  occurred  the  marriage  of  two  mixed  blood  people, 
David  Faribault  and  Nancy  Winona  McClure.  They  were  a  fine 
looking  couple,  attracted  general  admiration,  and  the  whites  gave 
them  a  pretentious  wedding  reception.  The  groom  was  a  son  of 
John  B.  Faribault,  the  pioneer  trader,  and  the  bride  was  the 
natural  daughter  of  Lieutenant  James  MeClure  of  the  regular 
army,  who  was  at  one  time  stationed  at  Fort  Snelling  and  died  in 
Florida  during  the  Seminole  War  of  1837 ;  she  had  been  reared  by 
her  Indian  grandmother  and  educated  and  Christianized  by  Rev- 
erend Messrs.  Riggs  and  Williamson. 

The  ceremony  was  performed  by  Alexis  Bailly,  the  trader, 
who  had  been  commissioned  a  justice  of  the  peace.  The  wedding 
reception  was  followed  by  an  elaborate  banquet  prepared  by  the 
whites,  and  at  which  there  were  a  number  of  toasts  presented  and 
responses  made.  Referring  to  her  marriage  reception  years  after- 
wards Mrs.  Faribault  wrote;  "I  have  often  wondered  how  so 
much  champagne  got  so  far  out  on  the  frontier."  After  the  wed- 
ding festivities  the  Sioux  girls,  to  the  number  of  twenty  or  more, 
had  a  "virgin  feast,"  in  which  none  but  vestals  of  undoubted 
parity  were  allowed  to  participate. 

The  Indians,  as  noted,  came  in  from  time  to  time  in  no  haste 
and  evidently  much  opposed  to  parting  with  their  lands.  Nearly 
all  of  the  women  and  children  were  brought  along.  Chief  Sha- 
kopee,  of  the  Lower  bands  of  the  Sioux,  was  in  attendance  a 
great  part  of  the  time.  On  the  tenth  a  band  of  twenty  Chippewaa 
attacked  a  party  of  six  Sisseton  Sioux  forty  miles  above  Lac  Qui 
Parle  and  killed  and  scalped  five  of  them ;  the  sixth,  a  boy,  escaped 
by  running.  The  Sioux  went  out  and  found  their  tribesmen 
blackening  in  the  sun ;  the  bodies  had  been  beheaded  and  loath- 
somely mangled.  The  father  of  two  of  the  murdered  children 
came  into  the  Traverse  July  15,  bringing  the  tragic  news.  He 
took  part  in  the  treaty,  but  sat  vrith  his  face  blackened  because 
of  his  bereavement. 

July  18  the  council  opened  under  the  brush  arbor.  Governor 
Ramsey  opened  the  proceedings  with  a  short  speech  and  was  fol- 
lowed by  Commissioner  Lea,  who  in  explanation  of  the  desires  of 
the  white  authorities  made  a  lengthy  address,  with  much  in  it 
about  the  ineffable  goodness  and  gigantic  greatness  of  the  "Great 
Father"  of  the  Indians  (the  President)  and  his  unselfish  desire 


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40'  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

that  they  sell  to  him  all  of  their  lands  as  far  west  at  least  as 
Lake  Traverse  and  the  Big  Sioux  river  down  to  the  western 
border  of  Iowa,  retaining  only  enough  land  for  their  actaal  resi- 
dence. The  Sissetons  and  Wahpatons  claimed  the  country  from 
Traverse  des  Sioux  westward  to  the  line  indicated  and  the  com- 
missioners wanted  all  of  it.  After  the  speeches  of  the  commis- 
sioners, in  order  that  their  words  might  "sink  deep  into  the 
hearts"  of  the  Indians,  the  council  adjourned. 

The  following  day,  Saturday,  the  nineteenth,  the  council  was 
opened  with  a  speech  from  Star  Pace  (or  "The  Orphan,"  as  the 
whites  called  him)  after  a  long  silence  and  apparently  much 
reluctance  to  speak,  and  when  he  spoke  he  said  simply  that  all 
his  young  men  had  not  arrived,  and  he  was  very  sorry  that  the 
council  had  opened  without  their  presence,  or  that,  as  he  expressed 
himself,  the  commissioners  were  "not  willing  to  shake  hands  with 
those  that  are  behind."  He  said  he  understood  that  some  one 
had  been  sent  to  meet  them  on  the  road  and  turn  them  back,  and 
this  made  him  feel  very  bad. 

Then  Sleepy  Eye,  the  old  Sisseton  chief,  who  had  been  one  of 
the  signers  of  the  Prairie  du  Chien  treaty  of  1825,  had  visited 
Washington,  and  had  his  portrait  painted,  iu  1824,  rose  and  said : 

' '  Fathers :  Your  coming  and  asking  me  for  my  country  makes 
me  sad ;  your  saying  that  I  am  not  able  to  do  anything  with  my 
country  makes  me  still  more  sad.  The  young  men  who  are  coming 
(of  whom  Star  Face  had  spoken)  are  my  near  relatives,  and  I 
expect  certainly  to  see  them  here.  That  is  all  I  have  to  say.  I  am 
going  to  leave  and  that  is  the  reason  I  spoke." 

Then,  turning  to  the  other  Sissetons  he  said:  "Come;  let  us 
go  away  from  here."  Instantly  there  was  great  confusion.  The 
Indians  left  the  arbor  and  were  greeted  with  shouts  by  their 
brethren.  There  were  indications  that  the  council  was  at  an  end, 
and  there  was  much  excitement. 

Governor  Ramsey,  however,  knew  the  circumstances  and  neces- 
sities of  the  Indians  who  had  assembled.  Calmly  he  said  to  the 
interpreter:  "Tell  them  that  as  our  stock  of  provisions  is  short, 
and  they  seem  indisposed  to  talk,  there  will  be  no  further  issue 
of  provisions  to  them."  Commissioner  Lea  added:  "Tell  them 
they  must  let  us  know  by  this  evening  if  they  really  wish  to  treat. 
If  we  do  not  hear  from  them  by  that  time  we  will  go  below  early 
tomorrow  morning."  The  council  then  adjourned  and  orders 
were  given  to  get  boats  ready  and  to  prepare  to  move  in  the 
morning. 

The  word  that  they  were  to  be  given  nothing  more  to  eat  pro- 
duced great  consternation  among  the  Indians.  Coming,  as  they 
had,  far  from  their  homes,  and  solely  for  the  benefit  of  the  whites, 
they  had  supposed  that  at  lenst  they  were  to  be  furnished  pro- 
visions while  attending  the  conference,  especially  in  view  of  the 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  «1 

riotous  good  times  that  the  whites  were  enjoying  out  of  the 
expense  fund.  Hunger  faced  the  Indians  and  their  families  on 
their  long  journey  back  to  their  TOlages.  The  white  men  were 
clearly  saying:  "Give  us  your  land  at  our  own  terms  or  we 
will  get  it  anyhow  without  a  pretense  of  terms.  We  are  in  a 
hurry,  do  not  delay  us,  do  not  wait  until  all  your  men  get  here ; 
enter  into  this  treaty  as  we  have  arranged  for  you  to  do,  or  take 
your  wives  and  children  and  go  hungry  until  you  can  get  back 
home  and  get  something  to  eat.  It  matters  not  to  us  that  at  our 
request  you  have  come  here  and  given  up  gathering  food  for 
weeks,  do  as  we  want  you  to  or  starve."  Foreseeing  the  inevitable 
the  Indians  agreed  to  again  go  into  council  on  the  following  Mon- 
day, and  the  officials  knowing  that  the  cause  of  the  white  man 
was  already  won  ordered  that  food  should  be  distributed. 

On  Monday,  the  twenty-first,  the  council  opened  at  noon.  The 
first  speaker  was  Sleepy  Eye,  who  sought  to  explain  his  viewpoint 
of  the  events  which  had  transpired.  He  said:  "On  the  day 
before  yesterday,  when  we  convened  together,  you  were  offended, 
I  hear,  at  what  was  said.  No  offense  or  disrespect  was  intended. 
"We  only  wanted  more  time  to  consider.  The  young  men  who 
made  a  noise  were  waiting  to  have  a  ball  play,  and  not  under- 
standing English  thought  the  council  was  over,  and  as  they  did 
80  made  the  disturbance,  for  which  we  are  very  sorry." 

Chief  Extends-His-Head-Dress — or  Big  Curly  Head,  as  the 
whites  called  him — a  Sisseton  sub-ehief,  said :  "I  am  not  speaking 
for  myself,  but  for  all  that  are  here.  We  wish  to  understand  what 
we  are  about  before  we  act — to  know  exactly  the  proposition 
made  to  us  by  the  commissioners.  The  other  chiefs  and  all  our 
people  desire  that  you  will  make  out  for  us  in  writing  the  par- 
ticulars of  your  offer  for  our  lands,  and  when  we  have  this  paper 
fully  made  out  we  will  sit  down  on  the  hill  back  there  (indicating) 
consult  among  ourselves,  come  to  a  conclusion,  and  let  you  know 
what  it  is." 

Commissioner  Lea  then  quickly  prepared  on  paper  the  terms 
desired  by  the  United  States,  which  had  been  declared  verbally 
at  a  previous  meeting,  and  which  were  as  follows : 

"The  Indians  will  cede  to  the  United  States  all  their  lands  in 
the  State  of  Iowa,  as  well  as  their  lands  east  of  a  line  from  the 
Red  river  to  Lake  Traverse,  and  thence  to  the  northwestern  cor- 
ner of  Iowa.  The  United  States  will  (1)  set  apart  a  suitable 
country  for  the  Indians  on  the  upper  waters  of  the  Minnesota  river 
for  their  future  support;  will  (2)  pay,  say,  $125,000  or  $130,000 
to  them  to  enable  them  to  arrange  their  affairs  preparatory  to 
removal,  to  pay  the  expense  of  removal,  and  to  subsist  themselves 
for  a  year  after  removal — part  of  the  above  sum  to  be  paid  in 
money  and  the  other  part  to  be  paid  in  goods  and  provisions; 
will  (3)   pay  the  Indians  an  annuity  of  $25,000  or  $30,000  for 


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42  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

many  years — say  thirty  or  forty  years — part  in  money,  part  in 
goods  and  provisions,  and  part  to  be  applied  to  such  other  bene- 
ficial objects  as  may  be  agreed  upon," 

The  Indians  deliberated  over  the  words  of  these  provisions 
and  let  them  "sink  into  their  hearts"  for  two  days  and  nights. 
There  was  great  divergence  of  opinion  among  them,  the  inter- 
preters said.  The  majority  seemed  to  realize  that  their  lands 
were  of  great  value  to  the  United  States.  But  they  had  no 
proper  conception  of  the  actual  value  in  dollars  and  cents  of  the 
great  domain  which  they  were  about  to  sell.  Their  idea  of  num- 
bers was  limited,  and  they  seemed  to  think  that  one  hundred  and 
forty-five  thousand  dollars  and  seventy-five  cents  was  far  more 
money  than  a  million  dollars,  because  the  latter  was  the  shorter 
phrase  and  did  not  sound  so  imposing  and  formidable.  When, 
therefore,  the  commissioners  made  an  offer,  the  poor  unlettered 
Indians  did  not  know  whether  it  was  a  fair  one  or  not.  Of  course 
they  appealed  to  their  traders  and  missionaries,  who  understood 
the  Dakota  language,  hut  the  explanations  offered  hardly 
explained.  Missionaries,  traders  and  officials  alike  were  deter- 
mined that  the  land  should  be  opened  to  white  settlement.  The 
work  of  these  traders  and  missionaries  in  finally  effecting  the 
treaty  was  constant  and  very  valuable  to  the  whites.  The  serv- 
ices rendered  by  Reverend  Riggs,  one  of  the  ofSeial  interpreters, 
were  most  important.  While  the  Indians  were  considering  the 
white  men's  proposition,  Riggs,  Sibley,  McLeod,  Brown  and  Fari- 
bault were  sent  for  at  all  hours  of  the  day  and  night  to  explain 
to  the  various  bands  the  provisions  of  the  treaty  and  their 
application.  The  Indians,  justly  suspicious,  would  not  be  satisfied 
with  the  meaoing  of  any  provision  until  at  least  three  white  men, 
acting  singly,  had  read  it  and  interpreted  it  fully. 

July  22,  the  Indians,  after  much  deliberation,  proposed  cer- 
tain amendments,  which  they  said  they  would  insist  upon  as  a 
part  of  their  treaty.  These  amendments  were  practically  unim- 
portant and  the  commissioners  readily  accepted.  The  treaty 
was  then  prepared  and  on  the  following  day  was  signed  by  the 
contracting  parties  by  Commissioners  Lea  and  Ramsey  and  the 
chiefs  and  the  head  men  of  the  Sissetou  and  Wahpeton  bands 
of  the  Sioux.  The  ceremony  of  signing  was  somewhat  impressive. 
After  the  white  commissioners  had  affixed  their  names  the 
Indians  selected  the  one  of  their  number  who  should  sign  first, 
This  was  Chief  Eeen-yang  Man-nie,  or  Running  Walker  (some- 
times called  "Big  Gun"),  chief  of  the  Lake  Traverse  band  of 
Sissetons.  Boldly  he  stepped  upon  the  platform  and  touched 
the  goose  quill  pen  in  the  hands  of  Dr.  Foster.  Next  came  Chief 
Star  Face,  or  "The  Orphan."  The  commissioners  tried  to  hasten 
matters  and  to  conclude  the  signing  as  eowi  as  possible,  but  at 
one  time  there  was  a  hitch  in  the  proceedings. 


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HISTORY  OF  iffiNVlLLE  COUNTY  43 

Old  Sleepy  Eye,  who  had  said  at  the  outset  that  he  was  sad 
at  heart  because  he  had  to  sell  his  country,  now  arose,  to  the 
great  apprehension  of  the  whites,  and  begged  to  say  a  few  words. 
He  said  that  many  of  the  Indians,  young  men  and  soldiers,  had 
without  consulting  their  chiefs,  concluded  that  tlie  country  which 
they  were  asked  to  sell  was  worth  $3,500,000,  but  that  the  eom- 
missioners  were  trying  to  get  it  for  a  less  sum.  The  young  men 
had  a  right  to  be  made  satisfied.  He  also  demanded  other  con- 
ditions : 

"Ton  will  take  this  treaty  paper  home  and  show  it  to  the 
Great  Father,"  said  Sleepy  Eye,  "but  we  want  to  keep  a  copy 
here  so  that  we  may  look  at  it  and  see  whether  you  tell  us  the 
truth  or  not — see  whether  you  have  changed  it.  As  to  paying 
our  debts  to  our  traders  I  want  to  pay  them  what  is  right,  but  I 
would  like  to  know  how  much  I  owe  them.  If  they  have  charged 
me  ten  dollars  for  a  gun  I  want  them  to  tell  me,  and  if  they  have 
charged  me  ten  dollars  for  a  shirt  I  want  them  to  tell  me  that. 
I  am  a  poor  man  and  have  difficulty  in  maintaining  myself,  but 
these  traders  have  good  coats  on.  The  prairie  country  in  which 
I  live  has  not  much  wood ;  I  live  along  with  the  traders,  and  they 
are  also  poor,  but  I  do  not  want  to  have  to  provide  for  them.  I 
think  it  will  be  very  hard  upon  us  when  the  year  becomes  white, 
and  I  would  like  to  have  some  provisions  given  me  for  the  winter. 
I  would  like  to  have  what  is  mine  laid  on  one  side ;  then  when 
we  have  finished  this  business  I  will  know  bow  many  of  ray  rela- 
tives I  can  have  mercy  upon." 

Colonel  Lea  assured  Sleepy  Eye  that  the  money  which  the 
United  States  would  pay  for  the  Indian  land  would  amount  to 
more  than  the  young  men  desired — to  more  than  $3,500,000.  He 
sharply  reproved  Sleepy  Eye  and  said:  "We  think  it  fortunate 
for  our  red  brothers  that  they  have  not  entrusted  the  entire 
treaty  to  Sleepy  Eye,  because  they  would  not  have  made  so 
good  a  bargain  for  themselves  as  they  have."  As  a  matter  of 
fact  the  amount  named  in  the  Treaty  of  Traverse  des  Sioux  was 
teas  than  half  of  the  amount  Sleepy  Eye  requested.  Out  of  the 
sum  named  in  the  treaty  the  traders  and  cost  of  removal  were 
to  be  paid.  Of  what  remained  the  Indians  were  not  to  receive  one 
cent — merely  the  interest  for  a  certain  number  of  years.  Even 
■oine  of  this  interest  was  to  be  used  to  pay  white  teachers  and 
white  farmers.  And  as  a  climax  the  payment  of  that  part  of 
the  interest  which  remained  was,  just  before  the  massacre,  with- 
held and  delayed  under  various  pretenses.  Even  were  the  amount 
named  in  the  Treaty  of  Mendota  added  to  the  amount  named 
in  the  Treaty  of  Traverse  des  Sioux  the  total  still  falls  far  short 
of  $3,500,000. 

Then  Thunder  Face,  or  "Limping  Devil,"  a  sub-chief  of  the 
Sissetons,  whose  village  was  ou  the  present  site  of  the  late  Gil- 


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4A  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

flUau  farm,  in  Redwood  county,  came  forward  and  signed.  He 
was  followed  by  Sleepy  Eye,  who  came  gjavely  forward  and 
touched  the  pen,  "Big  Curly"  was  next,  but  after  reaching  the 
platform  he  said:  "Before  I  sign  I  want  to  say  that  you  think 
the  sum  you  will  give  for  our  land  is  a  great  deal  of  money,  but 
you  must  well  understand  that  the  money  will  all  go  back  to  the 
whites  again,  and  the  country  will  remain  theirs."  The  Blunt- 
Headed- Arrow,  or  "The  "Walnut,"  the  Handsome  Man,  the 
Gray  Thunder,  the  Good  Boy  and  other  noted  warriors  and  head 
men  signed  in  order.  Face-in-the-Middle  was  introduced  by  his 
father,  "Big  Curly,"  who  said:  "This  is  ray  son;  I  would  like 
you  to  invest  him  with  the  medal  which  you  have  given  to  me 
by  my  right  as  chief.  He  is  to  succeed  me  and  will  keep  the 
medal  for  you."  Red  Day  next  signed  and  was  followed  by 
Young  Sleepy  Eye,  nephew  of  and  successor  to  the  old  chief  upon 
the  latter's  death  in  1859.  They  were  followed  by  old  Battling 
Moccasin,  chief  of  a  small  band  which  generally  lived  in  the 
neighborhood  of  the  great  bend  of  the  Minnesota.  Old  Red  Iron 
was  the  first  Wahpaton  chief  to  sign. 

The  treaty  was  signed  by  the  following  Sisseton  and  Wah- 
paton chiefs,  head  men  and  chief  soldiers : 

Chiefs — Running  Walker,  or  "The  Gun;"  Star  Face,  or  "The 
Orphan;"  Thunder  Face,  or  the  "Lame  Devil;"  Sleepy  Eye, 
Extends  the  Train  of  His  Head  Dress,  Walking  Spirit,  Red  Iron 
and  Rattling  (or  Sounding)  Moccasin. 

Head  Men — Blunt-Headed- Arrow,  or  "The  Walnut;"  Sound- 
ing Iron,  the  Piute,  Flies  Twice,  Mildly  Good,  Gray  Thunder", 
Iron  Frenchman,  Good  Boy,  Pace  in  the  Middle,  Iron  Horn,  Red 
Day,  Young  Sleepy  Eye,  Goes  Galloping  On,  Cloud  Man,  the 
Upper  End,  the  Standard  or  Plag,  Red  Face  (2)  (there  were  two 
Bed  Faces),  Makes  Elks,  Big  Fire,  Moving  Cloud,  the  Pursuer, 
the  Shaking  Walker,  Iron  Lightning,  Reappearing  Cloud,  the 
Walking  Harp  that  Sounds,  the  Iron  that  Shoots  Walking  and 
Standing  Soldier. 

Of  the  Indian  signers  Red  Iron  and  Sleepy  Eye  were  the  most 
prominent  of  the  chiefs.  The  head-man,  "Goes  Galloping  On" 
(or  Anah-wang  Manne  in  Sioux),  was  a  Christian  Indian  and  a 
member  of  Beverend  Biggs'  Hazelwood  Bepublic.  He  had  been 
baptized  under  the  name  of  Simon  Anahwangmanne,  and  was 
commonly  called  Simon  by  the  whites.  He  distinguished  himself 
by  his  fidelity  to  and  services  for  the  whites  during  the  outbreak 
in  1862.  The  Iron-That-Shoots-Walking  was  a  Christian  comrade 
of  Simon  and  called  by  his  white  brethren  Paul  Mazah-koo-te- 
manne,  but  commonly  Paul  or  Little  Paul,  He  well  nigh  immor- 
talized himself  during  the  outbreak  by  his  efforts  in  behalf  of 
the  white  prisoners. 

As  soon  as  the  signing  was  completed  a  considerable  quantity 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  45 

of  proTisions  and  other  presents,  including  silver  medals,  were 
presented  to  the  Indians.  These  presents,  which  had  been  fur> 
uifihed  by  the  government,  had  been  piled  up  and  displayed  some* 
what  ostentatiOQsly,  under  guard,  while  the  treaty  was  under 
diacussion.  The  commiBsionere  announced  that  the  presents  would 
be  distributed  "just  as  soon  as  the  treaty  is  signed,"  and  the 
announcement  was  sufficient  to  hasten  the  signing,  and  even  to 
remove  many  objections  to  the  terms  of  the  treaty.  The  members 
of  the  rank  and  file  of  the  great  Indian  host  present  kept  con- 
stantly calling  out:  "Sign!  sign!  and  let  the  presents  be  given 
out. ' ' 

July  23,  the  next  morning  after  the  treaty  had  been  signed. 
Chief  Star  Face,  or  "The  Orphan,"  and  his  band  in  their  fullest 
and  richest  dress  and  decoration,  with  all  the  animation  they 
could  create,  gave  the  buffalo  dance  and  other  dances  and  diver- 
sions for  the  entertainment  of  the  white  visitors.  A  delegation 
accompanied  the  commissioners  to  the  river  when  they  embarked 
for  Fort  Snelling  that  evening  and  gave  them  a  hearty  goodbye. 
A  similar  treaty  was  signed  at  Mendota,  August  5,  by  the 
lower  bands  of  the  Sioux,  the  Medawakantons  and  the  Wah- 
pakootas. 

■When  the  ceremony  of  signing  the  treaty  was  completed, 
both  at  Traverse  des  Sioux  and  Mendota,  each  Indian  signer 
stepped  to  another  table,  where  lay  another  paper,  which  he 
signed.  This  was  called  the  traders'  paper  and  was  an  agree- 
ment to  pay  the  "just  debts"  of  the  Indians,  including  those 
present  and  absent,  alive  and  dead,  owing  to  the  traders  and  the 
trading  company.  Some  of  the  accounts  were  nearly  thirty  years' 
standing  and  the  Indians  who  contracted  them  were  dead.  It 
w^as  afterward  claimed  that  the  Indians  in  signing  the  "traders' 
paper"  thought  they  were  merely  signing  a  third  duplicate  of 
the  treaty.  The  matter  of  payment  had  been  discussed,  but 
Sleepy  Eye  had  justly  demanded  an  itemized  account,  and  the 
Indians  had  siipposed  that  this  request  was  to  be  complied  with 
before  they  agreed  to  pay. 

The  entire  territory  ceded  by  the  Sioux  Indians  was  declared 
to  be:  "All  their  lands  in  the  State  of  Iowa  and  also  all  their 
lands  in  the  Territory  of  Minnesota  lying  east  of  the  following 
line  to-wit :  Beginning  at  the  junction  of  the  Buffalo  river  with 
the  Red  river  of  the  North  (about  twelve  miles  north  of  Moor- 
bead,  at  Georgetown  station,  in  Clay  county) ;  thence  along  the 
western  bank  of  said  Red  river  of  the'  North,  to  the  mouth  of 
the  Sioux  "Wood  river;  thence  along  the  western  bank  of  said 
Sioux  Wood  river  to  Lake  Traverse ;  thence  along  the  western 
shore  of  said  lake  to  the  southern  extremity  thereof;  thence,  in 
a  direct  line,  to  the  juncture  of  Kampeska  lake  with  the  Tehan- 
Ea-sna-duta,  or  Sioux  river;  thence  along  the  western  bank  of 


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46  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUiNTY 

said  river  to  its  point  of  intersection  with  the  northern  line  of 
the  State  of  Iowa,  including  all  islands  in  said  rivers  and  lakes." 
The  consideration  to  the  upper  bands  was  the  reservation 
twenty  miles  wide — ten  miles  on  each  side  of  the  Minnesota — 
and  extending  from  the  western  boundary  to  tlie  mouth  of  the 
Yellow  Medicine  and  Hawk  creek,  and  $1,665,000,  payable  as 
follows :  To  enable  them  to  settle  their  affairs  and  comply  with 
their  present  just  engagements,  and  to  enable  them  to  remove 
to  their  new  reservation  and  subsist  themselves  for  the  first  year, 
$275,000.  To  be  expended  under  the  direction  of  the  President, 
in  the  erection  and  establishment  of  manual  labor  schools,  mills 
and  blacksmith  shops,  opening  farms,  etc.,  $30,000.  The  balance 
($1,360,000)  to  remain  in  trust  with  the  United  States  and  five 
per  cent  interest  thereon,  or  $68,000  to  be  paid  annually  fov  fiftj- 
years  from  July  1,  1852,  This  annuity  was  to  be  paid  as  follows : 
In  cash,  $40,000 ;  for  general  agricultural  improvement  and  civili- 
zation fund,  $12,000;  for  goods  and  provisions,  $10,000,  and  for 
education,  $6,000. 

The  written  copies  of  the  Traverse  des  Sioux  and  the  Mendota 
treaties,  duly  signed  and  attested,  were  forwarded  to  Washing- 
ton to  be  acted  upon  by  the  Senate  at  the  ensuing  session  of  Con- 
gress. An  unreasonably  long  delay  resulted.  Final  action  was 
not  had  until  the  following  summer,  when,  on  June  23,  the  Senate 
ratified  both  treaties  with  important  amendments.  The  provi- 
sions for  reservations  for  both  the  upper  and  lower  bands  were 
stricken  out,  and  substitutes  adopted,  agreeing  to  pay  10  cents  an 
acre  for  both  reservations,  and  authorizing  the  President,  with 
the  assent  of  the  Indians,  to  cause  to  be  set  apart  other  reserva- 
tions, which  were  to  be  within  the  limits  of  the  original  great 
cession.  The  provision  to  pay  $150,000  to  the  half-bloods  of  the 
lower  bands  was  also  stricken  out.  The  treaties,  with  the  changes, 
came  back  to  the  Indians  for  final  ratification  and  agreement  to 
the  alterations.  The  chiefs  of  the  lower  bands  at  first  objected 
very  strenuously,  but  finally,  on  Saturday,  September  4,  1852,  at 
Governor  Ramsey 's  residence  in  St.  Paul,  they  signed  the  amended 
articles,  and  the  following  Monday  the  chiefs  and  head  men  of 
the  upper  bands  afSxed  their  marks.  As  amended,  the  treaties 
were  proclaimed  by  President  Fillmore,  February  24,  1853.  The 
Indians  were  allowed  to  remain  in  their  old  villages,  or,  if  they 
preferred,  to  occupy  their  reservations  as  originally  designated, 
until  the  President  selected  their  new  homes.  That  selection  was 
never  made,  and  the  original  reservations  were  finally  allowed 
them,  Congress  on  July  31,  1854,  having  passed  an  act  by  which 
the  original  provisions  remained  in  force. 

The  Ramsey  Investigation  of  1863.  During  the  greater  part 
of  the  year  1853  public  attention  in  Minnesota  and  elsewhere 
in  the  country  was  directed  to  an  official  investigation  of  the  eon- 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  47 

duct  of  ex-Governor  Ramsey  in  connection  with  the  payment  to 
the  representative  of  the  traders  of  money  to  which  the  Indiana 
supposed  themselves  entitled  under  the  treaties  of  1851.  The 
Indians  protested  against  paying  any  of  their  money  in  discharge 
of  their  debts  to  the  traders.  They  had  at  both  treaties  signed 
a  paper  providing  for  the  payment  of  these  debts,  but  subse- 
quently claimed  that  the  nature  of  the  "traders'  paper"  they 
had  signed  was  misrepresented  to  them  as  merely  another  copy 
of  the  treaty. 

At  Traverse  des  Sioux  the  Indians'  protest  against  paying 
the  traders  took  tlie  form  of  menace  and  violence  on  the  part  of 
Chief  Red  Iron  and  his  band,  and  quiet  was  secured  only  hy  the 
soldiers  present  through  the  seizing  and  imprisoning  of  Red  Iron. 
But  Governor  Ramsey  was  firm  in  his  purpose  that  the  traders 
should  be  paid.  At  Traverse  des  Sioux  he  paid  a  representative 
of  the  traders  $210,000  which,  he  said,  "paid  $431,735.78  of  Indian 
indehtedness;"  at  Mendota  he  paid  a  representative  of  the  traders 
$70,000,  which,  he  said,  "according  to  the  traders'  books  of  account 
paid  $129,885.10  of  indebtedness." 

In  December,  1852,  charges  of  conspiracy  with  H.  H.  Sibley, 
Franklin  Steele  and  others  to  defraud  the  Indians;  that  he  had 
made  unlawful  use  of  the  public  funds  by  depositing  them  in  a 
private  bank  and  exchanging  government  gold  for  the  bills  of 
that  bank;  that  he  had  been  guilty  of  tyrannical  conduct  toward 
the  Indians  in  connection  with  the  payment  of  the  sums  due  them, 
were  made  against  Governor  Ramsey.  The  authors  of  the 
charges  were  Madison  Sweetzer,  of  'Traverse  des  Sioux,  and 
Colonel  D.  A,  Robertson,  of  St.  Paul.  Sweetzer  was  a  trader,  who 
had  rather  recently  located  at  Traverse  des  Sioux  and  was  con- 
nected with  a  rival  company  to  that  of  pierre  Choteau,  Jr.,  & 
Company,  the  corporation  to  which  Sibley,  Steele  and  the  others 
charged  with  conspiracy  belonged.  Colonel  Robertson  was  the 
editor  of  the  Minnesota  Democrat,  which  was  the  organ  of  the 
faction  controlled  hy  H.  M.  Rice,  then  the  opponent  of  Sibley 
and  Ramsey. 

The  allegations  against  Governor  Ramsey  were,  that  he  had 
paid  the  traders  various  sums  of  money  without  the  right  to  do 
so,  and  that  for  so  doing  he  had  been  paid  by  the  beneficiaries, 
and  thus,  in  efl^ect,  had  been  bribed  to  violate  the  law  and  his 
duty. 

At  the  request  of  Mr.  Sibley,  then  the  delegate  in  Congress, 
Senator  Gwin  of  California  secured  the  passage  of  a  Senate  reso- 
lution (April  5,  1853,)  ordering  the  investigation  of  the  charges 
against  the  ex-governor.  At  the  same  time  the  governor's 
accounts  as  paymaster  under  the  treaties  were  held  up  until  the 
investigation  should  he  concluded.  President  Pierce  appointed 
Richard  M.  Young,  of  Ohio,  and  Governor  Willis  A.  Gorman,  of 


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48  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

Miimesota,  commissioners  to  investigate,  during  which  testimony 
■was  given  by  Madison  Sweetzer,  Dr.  Charles  Wolf  Bonip  and 
Joseph  A.  Sire. 

The  investigation  and  the  taking  of  testimony  began  at  St. 
Paul  July  6,  and  was  concluded  October  7, 1853,  A  large  number 
of  witnesses  were  examined — whites,  Indians  and  mixed  bloods. 
Some  of  the  most  prominent  citizens  of  the  Territory  testified — 
Sibley,  Brown,  McLeod,  Steele,  Forbes  and  Alexander  Faribault, 
the  traders;  Reverends  Riggs  and  Williamson,  of  the  mission- 
aries; Dr.  Thomas  Foster,  Captain  W.  B.  Dodd,  Henry  Jackson 
and  David  Olmsted,  of  the  citizens;  Wabasha,  Little  Crow, 
Waeouta,  Red  Iron,  Grey  Iron,  Shakopee,  the  Star  and  Cloud 
Man,  of  the  Indians ;  Captain  James  Monroe,  of  the  army ;  Indian 
Agent  Nathaniel  McLean,  and  many  others. 

Commissioner  Young  made  an  official  report  of  the  investiga- 
tion to  the  Commissioner  of  Indian  Affairs,  which  bears  date 
December  20,  1853.  This  report  criticised,  the  conduct  of  Gov- 
ernor Ramsey  in  depositing  the  government  funds  in  a  private 
bank  and  in  paying  out  large  amounts  in  bills  and  drafts  on  that 
bank  to  beneficiaries  under  the  treaty.  It  also  contained  some 
strictures  on  various  other  features  of  the  governor's  conduct. 
It  did  not,  however,  find  him  guilty  of  conspiring  with  the  traders, 
nor  of  being  paid  by  the  traders  for  the  part  he  took  in  bringing 
about  the  signing  of  the  treaties.  February  24,  1854,  Senator 
James  Cooper,  of  Pennsylvania,  a  member  of  the  Committee  on 
Indian  Affairs,  presented  a  report  to  the  effect  that  Governor 
Ramsey  had  been  acquitted  by  the  committee  of  all  impropriety 
of  conduct,  and  that  one  of  the  complainants,  Colonel  D.  A. 
Robertson,  had  retracted  his  charges.  The  resolution  was  con- 
sidered by  unanimous  consent  and  the  committee  discharged. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  guilt,  if  guilt  there  was,  was  shared 
by  all.  The  whites  desired  that  Minnesota  be  opened  to  settle- 
ment, the  traders  demanded  vast  sums  for  the  goods  which  they 
had  already  sold  to  the  Indians  on  credit,  the  only  way  the 
Indians  could  be  persuaded  to  sign  the  treaties  was  through  the 
iufiuence  of  the  traders,  and  the  traders  would  not  consent  to 
serve  unless  the  Indians  were  compelled  to  sign  the  "traders' 
paper."  Probably  the  Indians  had  no  idea  what  they  were  doing 
when  they  signed  the  paper,  and  even  of  the  treaty  which  they 
knowingly  signed  they  had  no  adequate  conception,  and  the 
white  men  who  negotiated  it  were  well  aware  that  if  the  Indians 
realized  the  truth  about  what  they  were  doing  they  would  never 
sign  even  the  treaty,  to  say  nothing  of  the  "traders'  paper."  It 
was  not  a  crime  of  individuals,  it  was  merely  one  of  the  steps  by 
which  one  race  through  guile,  trickery  and  force  of  numbers 
and  superiority  of  war  equipment  was  supplanting  another  and 
more  primitive  people. 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  49 

Treaty  of  1868.  June  19, 1858,  the  government  made  a  treaty 
with  certain  selected  chiefs  and  braves  of  the  Medawakanton, 
Wahpakoota,  Sisseton  and  Wahpaton  bands  of  Sioux  for  the 
cession  of  their  reservation,  ten  miles  in  width,  on  the  north 
side  of  the  Minnesota,  and  extending  from  the  west  line  of  the 
State  to  Little  Roek  creek,  four  miles  east  of  Port  Bidgely.  The 
area  purchased  amounted  to  about  8,000,000  acres,  and  the  price 
to  be  paid  was  subsequently  {but  not  until  June  27,  1860)  fixed 
by  the  Senate  at  thirty  cents  an  acre.  The  Indians  agreed  that, 
in  the  aggregate  for  the  four  bands,  the  sum  of  $140,000  might 
be  taken  from  the  purchase  price  to  pay  their  debts  owing  to 
the  traders,  or,  as  the  treaty  expressed  it,  "to  satisfy  their  just 
debts  and  obligations." 

The  influx  of  white  settlers  into  the  country  of  the  Minnesota 
valley,  where  were  some  of  the  finest  lands  in  the  State,  had  been 
very  large  after  the  Indian  title  to  the  greater  part  of  the 
country  had  been  extinguished.  The  magnificent  domain  com- 
prising a  great  part  of  what  are  now  the  southern  portions  of 
Beuville,  Chippewa,  Swift  and  Big  Stone  counties  was  looked 
upon  with  covetous  eyes  by  the  homeseekers.  The  waves  of 
immigration  beat  against  the  legal  barrier  which  surrounded  this 
fine  fertile  expanse,  and  there  was  a  great  clamor  that  the  bar- 
riers be  removed.  "The  country  is  too  good  for  the  Indian," 
said  the  whites.  The  Indians  themselves  had  not  to  any  con- 
siderable extent  occupied  the  north  half  of  their  reservation. 
Their  villages  and  nearly  all  of  their  tepees — except  about  Big 
Stone  lake — were  situated  in  the  south  half.  But  a  majority  of 
the  Indians,  owing  to  iheir  previous  experiences,  were  opposed 
to  selling  any  portion  of  tlieir  reserve.  Some  of  the  head  chiefs 
and  the  headmen,  however,  were  willing  to  sell  the  north  side 
strip  if  they  could  get  a  good  price  for  it.  Major  Joseph  R. 
Brown,  then  the  Sioux  agent,  consulted  with  them  and  at  last  a 
number  of  them  agreed  to  accompany  him  to  Washington  to 
make  a  treaty.  Not  all  of  the  sub-chiefs  nor  all  of  the  head-men 
could  be  induced  to  go ;  some  of  them  were  opposed  to  the  sale 
of  the  land,  and  others  were  afraid  of  the  results  of  a  hostile 
public  sentiment.  If  required  all  of  Major  Brown's  great 
influence  with  the  Sioux  to  effect  the  important  negotiations. 
The  Indians  went  to  Washington  in  something  like  imposing 
array.  Major  Brown  gave  high  silk  hats  and  other  articles  of 
the  white  man's  adornment  to  those  who  would  wear  them,  and 
there  accompanied  the  party  a  retinue  of  whites  and  mixed 
bloods  from  Minnesota.  A.  J.  Campbell  (commonly  called  "Joe" 
Campbell)  was  the  official  interpreter,  but  assisting  him  was  the 
shrewd  old  Scotchman,  Andrew  Robertson,  and  his  mixed  blood 
son,  Thomas  A.  Robertson.     Other  members  of  the  party  were : 


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50  fflSTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

Nathaniel  R.  Brown,  John  Dowling,  Charlie  Crawford  and  James 
B.  Roche. 

On  behalf  of  the  United  States  the  treaty  was  signed  by 
Charles  E,  Mix,  then  CommisBioner  of  Indian  Affairs.  Siaseton 
and  Wahpaton  Indians  who  signed  it  were  these: 

Siasetons  and  Wahpatons — Chiefs,  Red  Iron,  Scarlet  Plume, 
and  Extends  His  Train.  Headmen ;  Stumpy  Horn,  The  Planter, 
Walks  on  Iron,  Paul  Mah-zah-koo-te-Manne,  John  Other  Day,  and 
Strong  Voiced  Pipe. 

The  small  number  of  dignitaries  named  assumed  to  act  for  the 
entire  Sious  of  Minnesota.  It  is  not  a  matter  of  surprise  that 
there  was  dissatisfaction  among  the  bands  on  account  of  the 
limited  list  of  their  representatives  on  so  important  an  occasion. 

After  the  treaty  had  been  signed  the  Indians  were  sumptu- 
ously entertained,  given  broadcloth  suits,  high  hats,  and  patent 
leather  shoes  to  wear,  and  had  a  grand  good  time,  all  at  the  ex- 
pense of  the  Government.  They  were  photographed  and  taken 
to  the  theatres,  and  allowed  to  return  home  by  way  of  Balti- 
more, New  York,  Philadelphia  and  Chicago.  When  they  re- 
turned to  Minnesota  their  tales  of  the  magnificence  and  strength 
of  the  whites  were  listened  to  by  their  people  with  interest  and 
in  some  measure  reconciled  them  to  what  had  been  done. 

The  opening  of  the  "north  ten-mile  strip,"  as  the  land  was 
called,  was  of  great  benefit  to  the  development  of  Minnesota, 
at  least  for  a  time.  Settlers  came  in  considerable  numbers  and 
the  country  was  improving  rapidly  when  the  Civil  War  inter- 
rupted the  peaceful  course  of  events.  Then  in  1862  came  the 
Sioux  Outbreak  and  all  of  the  civilization  on  the  ten-mile  strip 
was  pushed  off  by  a  great  wave  of  blood  and  fire. 

Agvaeim  and  Forts.  The  reservations  as  outlined  in  the 
treaties,  embraced  a  tract  of  land  twenty  miles  wide,  ten  miles 
on  each  side  of  the  Minnesota,  extending  from  the  mouth  of  the 
Little  Rock  (Mud  creek)  westward  to  Lake  Traverse.  The  di- 
viding line  between  the  Upper  and  Lower  reservations  was  a 
line  drawn  north  and  south  through  the  mouth  of  Hawk  Creek. 
Thus  Renville  county  for  a  ten  mile  strip  along  the  Minnesota 
was  in  the  Lower  reservation,  except  for  a  strip  west  of  Hawk 
Creek, 

The  removal  of  the  Indians  to  their  reservations  was  inter- 
mittent, interrupted  and  extended  over  a  period  of  several  years. 

With  the  establishment  of  the  new  Indian  reserve  and  the 
removal  of  the  Indians  thereto,  came  the  necessity  of  a  new 
military  post  in  Minnesota.  The  concentration  of  so  many  In- 
dians upon  an  area  really  small  in  comparison  with  the  country 
a  part  of  which  they  had  occupied,  and  all  of  which  they  claimed 
to  own,  rendered  the  situation  important  and  worthy  of  atten- 
tion.    A  military  post  was  necessary  to  preserve  order  should 


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HISTORY  OF  EENVILLE  COUNTY  51 

the  Indians  become  dissatisfied.  There  were  to  be  two  Indian 
agencies  for  the  Indians  on  the  reservation.  The  Upper  agency, 
for  the  Sissetons  and  Wahpatons,  was  established  near  the  mouth 
of  the  Tellow  Medicine  and  the  Lower,  for  the  Medawanton  and 
Wahpakoota  bands,  was  placed  about  six  miles  east  of  the  month 
of  the  Redwood.  Both  agencies  were  on  the  south  bank  of  the 
Minnesota  river. 

The  matter  of  the  new  military  post  was  called  to  the  atten- 
tion of  C.  M.  Conrad,  then  Secretary  of  War,  and  General  Win- 
field  Scott,  then  commanding  the  regular  army,  by  Delegate 
Henry  H.  Sibley. 

General  Scott  concurred  in  Sibley's  recommendation,  and 
the  Secretary  of  War  approved  it,  and  issued  tlie  necessary  or- 
der. In  the  fall  of  1852  Captain  Napoleon  Jackson  Tecumseh 
Dana,  then  of  the  quartermaster's  department,  and  Colonel 
Francis  Lee,  then  in  command  at  Fort  Snelling,  were  ordered 
to  select  a  suitable  site  for  the  new  fort,  "on  the  St.  Peter's 
river,  above  the  mouth  of  the  Blue  Earth." 

In  the  latter  oart  of  November,  with  an  escort  of  dragoons 
from  Fort  Snelling  and  after  a  three  days'  march  in  the  snow, 
the  officers  reached  Laf ramboise 's*  trading  post,  at  the  Little 
Rock.  Five  miles  above  the  Bock,  on  the  crest  of  the  high  bluff 
on  the  north  side  of  the  Minnesota,  the  site  was  fixed. 

The  new  post  was  named  Fort  Bidgely,  in  honor  of  Major 
Randolph  Bidgely,  a  gallant  officer  of  the  regular  army  from 
Maryland,  who  died  of  injuries  received  at  the  battle  of 
Monterey. 

When  Fort  Bidgely  was  established  Fort  Riley,  Kansas,  was 
ordered  built.  At  the  same  time  Fort  Dodge,  Iowa,  and  Fort 
Scott,  Kansas,  were  ordered  diseontioued  and  broken  up. 

Fort  Bidgely  took  the  place  of  Fort  Dodge,  and  Fort  Biley 
was  substituted  for  Fort  Scott.  The  first  garrison  at  Bidgely 
was  composed  of  Companies  C  and  K  of  the  Sixth  Infantry,  and 
the  first  commander  was  Captain  James  Monroe,  of  Company-K. 
Companies  C  and  K  went  up  on  the  steamboat  West  Newton 
from  Fort  Snelling,  but  later  were  joined  by  Company  E,  which 
marched  across  the  country  from  Fort  Dodge,  and  arrived  in 
June,  1853,  when  work  on  the  buildings  was  begun.  When  Com- 
pany E  arrived  its  captain,  Brevet  Major  Samuel  Woods,  previ- 
onsly  well  identified  with  Minnesota  history  took  command  by 
virtue  of  his  rank.  The  work  of  constructing  the  fort  was  in 
charge  of  Captain  Dana,  The  further  history  of  Fort  Bidgely 
is  found  elsewhere  in  this  work. 


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S2  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

CHAPTER  IV. 

CLAIM  or  TITLE. 

Spain— France — Eng:land — United  States — Louisiana  PnrohaM— 
Louisiana  District  of  Indiana — LoiUsi&na  Territor7 — Mlsaonri 
Territory — Michigan  Twritory — ^WUconsin  Territory — Iowa 
Territory — Minnesota  Terrihny — Minnesota  State. 

The  history  of  the  early  governmental  jurisdiction  of  the 
valley  of  the  Minnesota  river  is  formulated  with  some  difficulty, 
as,  prior  to  the  nineteenth  century,  the  interior  of  the  country 
was  80  little  known  and  the  maps  upon  which  claimB  and  grants 
were  founded  were  so  meager,  as  well  as  incorrect  and  unre- 
liahle,  that  descriptions  of  boundaries  and  locations  as  given 
in  the  early  treaties  are  vague  in  the  extreme,  and  very  difficult 
of  identification  with  present-day  lines  and  locations. 

The  Hon.  J.  V.  Brower,  a  scholarly  authority  upon  this  sub- 
ject, says  ("The  Mississippi  River  and  Its  Sources"):  "Spain, 
by  virtue  of  the  discoveries  lof  Columbus  and  others,  confirmed 
to  her  by  papal  grant  (that  of  Alexander  VI,  May  4,  1493),  may 
be  said  to  have  been  the  first  European  owner  of  the  entire  valley 
of  the  Mississippi,  but  she  never  used  this  claim  as  a  ground 
for  taking  formal  possession  of  this  part  of  her  domains  other 
than  incidentally  involved  in  De  Soto's  doings.  The  feeble  ob- 
jections which  she  made  in  the  next  two  centuries  after  the 
discovery  to  other  nations  exploring  and  settling  North  America 
were  successfully  overcome  by  the  force  of  accomplished  facts. 
The  name  of  Florida,  now  so  limited  in  its  application,  was  first 
applied  by  the  Spaniards  to  the  greater  part  of  the  eastern  half 
of  North  America,  commencing  at  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  and  pro- 
ceeding northward  indefinitely.  This  expansiveness  of  geograph- 
ical view  was  paralleled  later  by  the  definition  of  a  New  France 
of  still  greater  extent,  which  practically  included  all  the  conti- 
nent. 

"L'Escarbot,  in  his  history  of  New  Prance,  written  in  1617, 
says,  in  reference  to  this :  '  Thus  our  Canada  has  for  its  limits  on 
the  west  side  all  the  lands  as  far  as  the  sea  called  the  Pacific, 
on  this  side  of  the  Tropic  of  Cancer ;  on  the  south  the  islands  of 
the  Atlantic  sea  in  the  direction  of  Cuba  and  the  Spanish  land ; 
on  the  east  and  the  northern  sea  which  bathes  New  France; 
and  on  the  north  the  land  said  to  be  unknown,  toward  the  iey 
sea  as  far  as  the  arctic  pole.' 

"Judging  also  by  the  various  grants  to  individuals,  noble  and 
otherwise,  and  'companies,'  which  gave  away  the  country  in 
latitudinal   strips   extending   from   the   Atlantic   westward,   the 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  53 

English  were  not  far  behind  the  Spaniards  and  French  in  this 
kind  of  effrontery.  As  English  colonists  never  settled  on  the 
Mississippi  in  pursuance  of  such  grants,  and  never  performed 
any  acta  of  authority  there,  such  shadowy  sovereignties  may  be 
disregarded  here,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  it  was  considered  neces- 
sary, many  years  later,  for  various  states  concerned  to  convey 
to  the  United  States  their  more  or  less  conflicting  claims  to  ter- 
ritory which  lay  far  to  the  westward  of  their  own  actual  borders, 

"Thus,  in  the  most  arbitrary  manner,  did  the  Mississippi 
river,  though  yet  unknown,  become  the  property,  successively, 
of  the  Iberian,  Qaulish  and  Anglo-Saxon  races — of  three  peo- 
ples who,  in  later  times,  by  diplomacy  and  force  of  arms,  strug- 
gled for  an  actual  occupancy.  Practically,  however,  the  upper 
Mississippi  valley  may  be  considered  as  having  been  in  the  first 
place  Canadian  soil,  for  it  was  Frenchmen  from  Canada  who 
first  visited  it  and  traded  with  its  various  native  inhabitants. 
The  further  prosecution  of  his  discoveries  by  La  Salle,  in  1682, 
extended  Canada  as  a  French  possession  to  the  Qulf  of  Mexico, 
though  he  did  not  use  the  name  of  Canada  nor  yet  that  of  New 
France.  He  preferred  to  call  the  entire  country  watered  by 
the  Mississippi  river  and  its  tributaries,  from  its  uttermost  source 
to  its  mouth,  by  the  new  name  he  had  already  invented  tor  the 
purpose— Louisiana.  The  names  of  Canada  and  New  France 
had  been  indifferently  used  to  express  about  the  same  extent  of 
territory,  but  the  name  of  Louisiana  now  came  to  supersede  them 
in  being  applied  to  the  eonjeotural  regions  of  the  West.  Al- 
though La  Salle  has  applied  the  latter  expression  to  the  entire 
valley  of  the  Mississippi,  it  was  not  generally  used  in  that  sense 
after  his  time ;  the  upper  part  of  the  region  was  called  Canada, 
and  the  lower  Louisiana;  but  the  actual  dividing  line  between 
the  two  provinces  was  not  absolutely  established,  and  their 
names  and  boundaries  were  variously  indicated  on  published 
maps.  Speaking  generally,  the  Canada  of  the  eighteenth  cen- 
tury included  the  Great  Lakes  and  the  country  drained  by  their 
tributaries;  the  northern  one-fourth  of  the  present  state  of 
Illinois — that  is,  as  much  as  lies  north  of  the  mouth  of  the  Bock 
river;  all  the  regions  lying  north  of  the  northern  watershed  of 
the  Missouri,  and  finally  the  valley  of  the  upper  Missouri  itself." 
This  would  include  Renville  county. 

But  it  is  now  necessary  to  go  back  two  centuries  previous 
and  consider  the  various  explorations  of  the  Mississippi  upon 
which  were  based  the  claims  of  the  European  monarchs.  Pos- 
sibly the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi  had  been  reached  by  Spaniards 
previous  to  1541,  possibly  Hibernian  missionaries  as  early  as 
the  middle  of  the  sixth  century,  or  Welsh  emigrants  (Madoe), 
about  1170,  discovered  North  America  by  way  of  the  Qulf  of 
Mexico,  but  historians  gave  to  Fernando  de  Soto  and  his  band  of 


Digili: 


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54  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

adventurers  the  credit  of  having  been  the  first  white  men  to 
actually  view  the  Mississippi  on  its  course  through  the  interior 
of  the  continent  and  of  being  the  first  ones  to  actually  traverse 
its  waters.  De  Soto  sighted  the  Mississippi  in  May,  1541,  at  the 
head  of  an  expedition  in  search  of  gold  and  precious  stones.  In 
the  following  spring,  weary,  with  hope  long  deferred,  and  worn 
out  with  his  adventures,  De  Soto  fell  a  victim  to  disease  and 
died  May  21,  1541.  His  followers,  greatly  reduced  in  number  by 
sickness,  after  wandering  about  in  a  vain  searching,  built  three 
small  vessels  and  descended  to  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi, 
being  the  first  white  men  to  reach  the  outlet  of  that  great  river 
from  the  interior.  However,  they  were  too  weary  and  discour- 
aged to  lay  claim  to  the  country,  and  took  no  notes  of  the  region 
through  which  they  passed. 

In  1554  James  Cartier,  a  Frenchman,  discovered  the  St.  Law- 
rence, and  explored  it  as  far  as  the  present  site  of  Quebec.  The 
next  year  he  ascended  the  river  to  Mont  Real,  the  lofty  hill  for 
which  Montreal  was  named.  Thereafter  all  the  country  drained 
by  the  St.  Lawrence  was  claimed  by  the  French.  Many  years 
later  the  King  of  France  granted  the  "basin  of  the  St,  Lawrence 
and  all  the  rivers  flowing  through  it  to  the  sea,"  to  a  company, 
whose  leader  was  Champlain,  the  founder  of  Quebec,  which  be- 
came the  capital  of  New  France,  whose  then  unexplored  territory 
stretched  westward  to  well  within  the  boundaries  of  what  is  now 
Minnesota.  In  1613-15  Champlain  explored  the  Ottawa  river, 
and  the  Georgian  bay  to  Lake  Huron,  and  missions  were  estab- 
lished in  the  Huron  country.  Missionaries  and  fur  traders  were 
the  most  active  explorers  of  the  new  possessions.  They  followed 
the  shores  of  the  Great  Lakes  and  then  penetrated  further  and 
further  into  the  wilderness.  As  they  went  they  tried  to  make 
friends  of  the  red  men,  established  trading  posts  and  raised  the 
Christian  cross.  In  1641  Jogues  and  Raymbault,  Jesuits,  after  a 
long  and  perilous  voyage  in  frail  canoes  and  bateaux,  reached 
the  Sault  Ste.  Marie,  where  they  heard  of  a  large  river,  the  Mish- 
ia-ip-e,  flowing  southward  to  the  sea,  and  of  a  powerful  Indian 
tribe  dwelling  near  its  headwaters.  Stories  of  vast  fertile  plains, 
of  numberless  streams,  of  herds  of  buffalo,  and  of  many  people, 
in  regions  far  to  the  west  and  south,  roused  missionaries  and 
traders  anew,  and  the  voyages  and  trips  of  the  explorers  became 
more  frequent. 

In  1659-60  Radisson  and  Grosseilliers,  proceeding  westward 
from  Lake  Superior,  possibly  entered  what  is  now  Minnesota. 
They  spent  some  time  in  the  "forty  villages  of  the  Dakotas," 
possibly  in  the  vicinity  of  Mille  Lacs,  and  were,  it  has  been  con- 
tended, the  first  white  men  to  set  foot  on  the  soil  of  this  state. 
The  contention  that  these  adventurers  spent  a  part  of  the  years 
1655-56  on  Prairie  Island,  in  the  Alississippi  just  above  Red  Wing, 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  55 

is  disputed  by  some  historians,  but  still  forms  an  interesting 
subject  for  study  and  conjecture. 

Some  writers  also  claim  that  the  Frenchman,  Sieur  Nicollet, 
who  should  not  be  confused  with  the  Nicollet  of  a  later  date, 
reached  the  Mississippi  in  1639. 

Rene  Menard,  a  Jesuit  missionary,  reached  the  Mississippi  in 
1661  by  way  of  Wisconsin.  This  was  twelve  years  prior  to  its 
discovery  by  Marquette  and  Joliet,  and  to  Menard  historians  in 
general  give  the  honor  of  the  discovery  of  the  upper  waters  of 
the  great  river.  Menard  ascended  the  Mississippi  to  the  mouth 
of  the  Black  river,  Wisconsin,  and  was  lost  in  a  forest  near  the 
source  of  that  stream  while  attempting  to  carry  the  gospel  to 
the  Hurons.  His  sole  companion  "called  him  and  sought  him, 
but  he  made  no  reply  and  could  not  be  found."  Some  years 
later  his  camp  kettle,  robe  and  prayer  book  were  seen  in  the 
possession  of  the  Indians. 

In  the  summer  of  1663  the  intelligence  of  the  fate  of  Menard 
reached  Quebec,  and  on  August  8,  1665,  Father  Claude  AUouez, 
who  had  anxiously  waited  two  years  for  the  means  of  convey- 
ance, embarked  for  Lake  Superior  with  a  party  of  French  trad- 
ers and  Indians.  He  visited  the  Minnesota  shores  of  Lake  Supe- 
rior in  the  fall  of  1665,  established  the  Mission  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
at  La  Pointe,  now  in  Wisconsin,  and  it  is  said  "was  the  first  to 
write  'Messipi,'  the  name  of  the  great  river  of  the  Sioux  coun- 
try," as  he  heard  it  pronounced  by  the  Chippewas,  or  rather  as  it 
sounded  to  his  ears. 

May  13,  1673,  Jaques  Marquette  and  Louis  Joliet,  the  former 
a  priest  and  the  latter  the  commander  of  the  expedition,  set  out 
with  five  assistants,  and  on  June  17  of  the  same  year  reached  the 
Mississippi  at  the  present  site  of  Prairie  du  Chien,  thence  con- 
tinuing down  the  river  as  far  as  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois,  which 
they  ascended,  subsequently  reaching  the  lakes. 

In  1678,  the  Sieur  De  Luth,  Daniel  Graysolon,  under  commis- 
sion from  the  governor  of  Canada,  set  out  from  Quebec,  to  ex- 
plore the  country  west  of  the  Lake  Superior  region.  He  was  to 
take  possession  of  it  in  the  name  of  the  king  of  France,  and 
seeure  the  trade  of  the  native  tribes.  He  Luth  entered  Minne- 
sota in  1679,  reaching  the  great  Sioux  village  of  Kathio  at  Mille 
Lacs,  on  July  2.  "On  that  day,"  he  says,  "I  had  the  honor  to 
plant  His  Majesty's  arras  where  a  Frenchman  never  before  had 
been. ' ' 

In  1680  Aecault  planted  the  French  royal  arms  near  the 
source  of  the  Mississippi. 

La  Salle,  however,  was  the  first  to  lay  claim  to  the  entire 
valley  in  the  name  of  his  sovereign.  After  achieving  perpetual 
fame  by  the  discovery  of  the  Ohio  river  (1670-71),  he  conceived 


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56  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

tile  plan  of  reaching  the  Pacific  by  way  of  the  Northern  MissiB- 
aippi,  at  that  time  unexplored  and  supposed  to  be  a  waterway 
connecting  the  two  oceans.  Frontenac,  then  governor-general 
of  Canada,  favored  the  plan,  as  did  the  king  of  France.  Accord- 
ingly, gathering  a  company  of  Frenchmen,  he  pursued  hie  way 
through  the  lakes,  made  a  portage  to  the  Illinois  river,  and,  Jan- 
uary 4,  1680,  reached  what  is  now  Lake  Peoria,  in  Illinois.  Prom 
there,  in  February,  he  sent  Hennepin  and  two  companions  to  ex- 
plore the  upper  Mississippi,  During  this  voyage  Hennepin  and 
the  men  accompanying  him  were  taken  by  the  Indians  as  far 
north  as  Mille  Lacs.  He  also  discovered  St.  Anthony  Falls. 
Needing  reinforcements,  La  Salle  again  returned  to  Canada.  In 
January,  1682,  with  a  hand  of  followers,  he  started  on  his  third 
and .  greatest  expedition.  February  6,  they  reached  the  Missis- 
sippi by  way  of  Lake  Michigan  and  the  Illinois  river,  and  March 
6,  discovered  the  three  great  passages  by  which  the  river  dis- 
charges its  waters  into  the  Gulf.  Two  days  later  they  re-as- 
cended the  river  a  short  distance,  to  find  a  high  spot  out  of  the 
reach  of  inundations,  and  there  erected  a  column  and  planted  a 
cross,  proclaiming  with  dae  ceremony  the  authority  of  the  king 
of  France,  Thus  did  the  whole  Mississippi  valley  pass  under  the 
nominal  sovereignty  of  the  French  monarchs. 

The  first  definite  claim  to  the  upper  Mississippi  is  embodied 
in  a  paper,  still  preserved,  in  the  colonial  archives  of  France, 
entitled  "The  record  of  the  taking  possession,  in  his  majesty's 
name,  of  the  Bay  des  Puants  (Green  bay),  of  the  lake  and  rivers 
of  the  Outagamis  and  Maskoutins  (Fox  river  and  Lake  Winne- 
bago), of  the  river  Ouiskonehe  (Wisconsin),  and  that  of  the 
Mississippi,  the  country  of  the  Nadouesioux  (the  Sioux  or  Da- 
kota Indians),  the  rivers  St.  Croix  and  St.  Pierre  (Minnesota), 
and  other  places  more  remote.  May  8,  1689."  (F.  B.  O'Calla- 
han's  translation  in  1855,  published  in  Vol.  9,  page  418,  "Docu- 
ments Relating  to  the  Colonial  History  of  the  State  of  New 
York.")  This  claim  was  made  by  Perrot,  and  the  proclamation 
is  supposed  to  have  been  issued  from  Fort  St,  Antonie  on  the 
northeastern  shore  of  Lake  Pepin,  about  six  miles  from  its  mouth. 

The  previous  proclamations  of  St.  Lusson  in  1671  at  the  out- 
let of  Lake  Superior,  of  De  Luth,  in  1679,  at  the  west  end  of  the 
same  lake  and  at  Milie  Lacs,  strengthened  the  French  claims  of 
sovereignty. 

For  over  eight  decades  thereafter,  the  claims  of  France  were, 
tacitly  at  least,  recognized  in  Europe.  In  1763  there  came  a 
change.  Of  this  change  A.  N,  Winchell  (in  Vol,  10,  "Minnesota 
Historical  Society  Collections")  writes  r  "The  present  eastern 
boundary  of  Minnesota,  in  part  (that  is  so  far  as  the  Mississippi 
now  forms  its  eastern  boundary),  has  a  history  beginning  at  a 
very  early  date.    In  1763,  at  the  end  of  that  long  struggle  during 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  57 

which  England  passed  many  a  mile  post  in  her  race  for  world 
empire,  while  France  lost  nearly  as  much  as  Britain  gained — 
that  struggle,  called  in  America,  the  French  and  Indian  "War — 
the  Mississippi  river  became  an  international  boundary.  The 
articles  of  the  definite  treaty  of  peace  were  signed  at  Paris,  on 
February  10,  1763.  The  seventh  article  made  the  Mississippi, 
from  its  source  to  about  the  31st  degree  of  north  latitude,  the 
boundary  between  the  English  colonies  on  this  continent  and  the 
French  Louisiana.  The  text  of  the  article  is  as  follows  (Pub- 
lished in  the  "Qentleman's  Magazine,"  Vol.  33,  pages  121-126, 
March,  1763)  i 

"VII.  In  order  to  re-establish  peace  on  solid  and  durable 
foundations,  and  to  remove  forever  all  subjects  of  dispute  to 
the  limits  of  the  British  and  French  Territories  on  the  continent 
of  America;  that  for  the  future  the  confines  between  the  do- 
mains of  his  Britannic  majesty  and  those  of  his  most  Christian 
majesty  (the  king  of  France)  in  that  part  of  the  world,  shall  be 
fixed  irrevocably  by  a  line  drawn  down  the  middle  of  the  river 
Mississippi,  from  its  source  to  the  river  Iberville,  and  from 
thence,  by  a  line  drawn  along  the  middle  of  this  river,  and  the 
Lake  Maurepas  and  Pontcbartrain,  to  the  sea."  The  boundary 
from  the  source  of  the  river  farther  north,  or  west,  or  in  any 
direction,  was  not  given ;  it  was  evidently  supposed  that  it 
would  be  of  no  importance  for  many  centuries  at  least. 

This  seventh  article  of  the  definite  treaty  was  identical  with 
the  sixth  article  in  the  preliminary  treaty  of  peace  signed  by 
England,  Spain  and  France,  at  Fontainbleau,  November  3,  1762. 
On  that  same  day,  November  3,  1762,  the  French  and  Spanish 
representatives  had  signed  another  act  by  which  the  French 
king  "ceded  to  his  cousin  of  Spain,  and  his  successors  forever 
•  •  "  all  the  country  known  by  the  name  of  Louisiana,  including 
New  Orleans  and  the  island  on  which  that  city  is  situated."  This 
agreement  was  kept  secret,  but  when  the  definite  treaty  was 
signed  at  Paris  the  following  year,'  this  secret  pact  went  into 
effect,  and  Spain  at  once  became  the  possessor  of  the  area 
described. 

At  the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  "War,  the  territory  east  of 
the  Mississippi  and  north  of  the  31st  parallel  passed  under  the 
jurisdiction  of  the  United  States.  By  the  definite  treaty  of 
peace  between  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain,  ratified  at 
Paris,  September  3,  1783,  a  part  of  the  northern  boundary  of 
the  United  States,  and  the  western  boundary  thereof  was  estab- 
lished as  follows:  Commencing  at  the  most  northwestern  point 
of  the  Lake  of  the  Woods,  and  from  thence  on  a  due  course  west 
to  the  Mississippi  river  (the  Mississippi  at  that  time  was  thought 
to  extend  into  what  is  now  Canada),  thence  by  a  line  to  be 
drawn  along  the  middle  of  said  Mississippi  river  until  it  shall 


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68  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

intersect  the  northernmost  part  of  the  Slat  degree  of  north  lati- 
tude.    (U.  S.  Statutes  at  Large,  Vol.  8,  page  82.) 

In  1800,  by  the  secret  treaty  of  San  (or  Saint)  Ildefonso 
(signed  October  1),  Spain  receded  the  indefinite  tract  west  of 
the  Mississippi  to  France,  which  nation  did  not,  however,  take 
formal  possession  until  three  years  later,  when  the  formality  was 
made  necessary  in  order  that  the  tract  might  be  ceded  to  the 
United  States.  Napoleon,  for  France,  sold  the  tract  to  the  United 
States,  April  30,  1803.  The  region  comprehended  in  the  "Loui- 
siana Purchase,"  as  this  area  was  called,  included  all  the  country 
west  of  the  Mississippi,  except  those  portions  west  of  the  Rocky 
mountains  actually  occupied  by  Spain,  and  extended  as  far  north 
as  the  British  territory. 

By  an  act  of  congress,  approved  October  31,  1803,  the  presi- 
dent of  the  United  States  was  authorized  to  take  possession  of 
this  territory,  the  act  providing  that  "all  the  military,  civil,  and 
judicial  powers  exercised  by  the  officers  of  the  existing  govern- 
ment, shall  be  vested  in  such  person  and  -persons,  and  shall  be 
exercised  in  such  manner  as  the  President  of  the  United  States 
shall  direct."  (United  States  Statutes  at  Large,  Vol.  2,  page 
245.) 

December  20,  1803,  Louisiana  was  formally  turned  over  to 
the  United  States  at  New  Orleans,  by  M.  Laussat,  the  civil  agent 
of  France,  who  a  few  days  previous  (November  30)  had  received 
a  formal  transfer  from  representatives  of  Spain.  Renville  coun- 
ty was  included  in  the  Louisiana  purchase. 

It  will  therefore  be  seen  that  the  territorial  claim  of  title 
to  Renville  county  was  first  embraced  in  the  paper  grant  to 
Spain,  May  4,  1493.  It  was  subsequently  included  in  the  indefi- 
nite claims  made  by  Spain  to  lands  north  and  northwest  of  her 
settlements  in  Mexico,  Florida  and  the  West  Indies;  by  the 
English  to  lands  west  of  their  Atlantic  coast  settlements,  and 
by  the  French  to  lands  south,  west  and  southwest  of  their  Cana- 
dian settlements.  The  first  definite  claim  to  territory  now  em- 
bracing Renville  county  was  made  by  La  Salle  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Mississippi,  March  8,  1682,  in  the  name  of  the  king  of 
France,  and  the  second  (still  more  definite)  by  Perrot,  nor  far 
from  the  present  site  of  Winona,  May  8,  1689.  This  was  also  a 
French  claim.  France  remained  in  tacit  authority  until  Febru- 
ary 10,  1763.  when,  upon  England's  acknowledging  the  French 
authority  to  lands  west  of  the  Mississippi,  France,  by  a  previous 
secret  agreement,  turned  her  authority  over  to  Spain.  Octo- 
ber 1,  1800,  Spain  ceded  the  tract  to  France,  but  France  did  not 
take  formal  possession  until  November  30,  1803,  and  almost  im- 
mediately, December  20,  1803,  turned  it  over  to  the  United  States, 
the  Americans  having  purchased  it  from  Napoleon  April  30  of 
that  year. 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  59 

March  26,  1804,  the  area  that  is  now  Renville  count;  was 
included  in  the  Louisiana  district  as  a  part  of  Indiana,  and  so 
remained  until  March  3,  1805.  Prom  March  3,  1805,  to  June  4, 
1812,  it  was  a  part  of  Louisiana  territory.  From  June  4,  1812, 
until  August  10,  1820,  it  was  a  part  of  Missouri  territory.  Prom 
August  10,  1821,  until  June  28,  1834,  it  was  outside  the  pale  of 
all  organized  government,  except  that  congress  had  general  juris- 
diction. From  June  28,  1834,  to  April  20,  1836,  it  was  a  part  of 
Michigan  territory.  From  April  20,  1836,  to  June  12,  1838,  it 
was  &  part  of  Wisconsin  territory.  Prom  June  12,  1838,  to  De- 
cember 28,  1846,  it  was  a  part  of  the  territory  of  Iowa.  The 
admission  of  Iowa  as  a  state  left  what  is  now  Renville  county 
without  territorial  afQIiation  until  March  3,  1849,  when  Minne- 
sota was  admitted  as  a  territory.  In  the  meantime,  however,  im- 
portant events  were  transpiring. 

December  18,  1846,  Morgan  L.  Martin,  delegate  for  Wiscon- 
sin territory  gave  notice  to  the  house  of  representatives  that  at 
an  early  day  he  would  ask  leave  to  introduce  a  bill  establishing  a 
territorial  government  of  Minnesota.  The  name  which  was  the 
Sioux  term  for  what  was  then  the  river  St,  Peter  (Pierre)  and 
has  now  become  the  ofBcial  designation  was,  it  is  believed,  ap- 
plied to  the  proposed  territory  at  the  suggestion  of  Joseph  R. 
Brown.  It  is  a  composite  word  and  while  there  is  some  differ- 
ence of  opinion  as  to  the  exact  meaning,  the  most  generally 
accepted  is  "sky  tinted  water,"  which  is  a  very  satisfactory  and 
poetical  even  if  not  accurate  interpretation.  The  real  meaning 
is  blear  water  or  cloudy  water  or  milky  water,  the  river  at  cer- 
tain stages  in  the  early  days  having  the  appearance  of  what 
we  now  call  a  "mackerel  sky,"  The  bill  was  introduced  in  the 
lower  house  on  December  23,  1846,  by  Mr.  Martin.  This  bill  was 
left  to  the  committee  on  territories  of  which  Stephen  A.  Doug- 
las of  Illinois  was  the  chairman.  During  its  consideration  by 
congress,  the  bill  underwent  various  changes.  After  reported 
back  to  the  house  the  name  Minnesota  had  been  changed  by 
Mr,  Douglas  to  Itasca:  a  word  formed  by  taking  syllables  from 
the  Latin  words  Veritas  caput,  meaning  the  true  head.  Mr. 
Martin  immediately  moved  that  the  name  Minnesota  be  placed  in 
the  bill  in  place  of  Itasca.  Congressman  Winthrop  proposed  the 
name  Chippewa,  another  from  the  word  Ojibway,  a  tribe  of 
Indians  then  inhabiting  the  northern  part  of  Wisconsin  and 
Minnesota.  -Congressman  Thompson  of  Mississippi,  was  opposed 
to  all  Indian  names  and  wished  the  new  territory  named  for 
Andrew  Jackson.  ._  Congressman  Houston  of  Delaware,  spoke 
strongly  in  favor  of  giving  to  the  new  territory  the  name  of 
Washington.  Of  these  proposed  names  only  one,  Washington, 
has  been  preserved  as  the  name  of  state  or  territory.  After 
many  months,  counter  motions  and  amendments,  Minnesota  was 


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60  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

retained  in  the  bill  which  with  a  minor  change  passed  the  house. 
In  the  senate  it  was  rejected. 

A  second  attempt  was  made  two  years  later.  January  10, 
1848,  Stephen  A,  Douglas,  who  having  in  the  meantime  been 
elected  to  the  United  States  Senate  from  Illinois,  became  chair- 
man of  the  committee  on  territories  in  that  body  as  he  had  previ- 
ously been  in  the  House,  gave  due  notice  to  the  senate  that  "at  a 
future  day"  he  would  introduce  a  hill  to  establish  the  territory 
of  Minnesota.  He  brought  in  the  bill  February  23.  It  was  sev- 
eral times  read,  was  amended,  referred  to  committee  and  dis- 
cussed, but  congress  adjourned  August  14  without  taking  ulti- 
mate action  on  the  proposition. 

In  the  meantime  Wisconsin  was  admitted  to  the  Union  May 
29,  1848,  and  the  western  half  of  what  was  then  St.  Croix  county 
was  left  outside  the  new  state.  The  settled  portions  of  the  area 
thus  cut  off  from  Wisconsin  by  its  admission  to  statehood  privi- 
leges were  in  the  southern  part  of  the  peninsula  of  land  lying 
between  the  Mississippi  and  the-  St.  Croix. 

The  people  of  this  area  were  now  confronted  with  a  serious 
problem.  As  residents  of  the  territory  of  Wisconsin  they  had 
enjoyed  the  privileges  of  citizenship  in  the  United  States.  By 
the  creation  of  the  state  of  Wisconsin  they  were  disfranchised 
and  left  without  the  benefitB  of  organized  government.  Thus, 
Stillwater,  which  had  been  the  governmental  seat  of  a  growing 
county  {St.  Croix),  was  left  outside  the  pale  of  organized  law. 
Legal  minds  disagreed  on  the  question  of  whether  the  minor 
eivil  officers,  such  as  justices  of  the  peace,  created  under  the 
territorial  organization,  were  still  qualified  to  exercise  the  au- 
thority of  their  positions.  At  a  meeting  held  at  St.  Paul,  in 
July,  1848,  the  citizens  of  that  (then)  village  considered  the 
question  of  the  formation  of  a  new  territory.  August  5  a  meet- 
ing of  citizens  of  the  area  west  of  the  St.  Croix:  was  held  at 
Stillwater,  and  it  was  decided  to  call  a  general  convention  at  that 
place,  August  26,  1848,  for  a  three-fold  purpose:  1 — To  elect 
a  territorial  delegate  to  congress.  2 — To  organize  a  territory 
with  a  name  other  than  Wisconsin.  3 — To  determine  whether 
the  laws  and  organization  of  the  old  territory  of  Wisconsin  were 
still  in  effect  now  that  a  part  of  that  territory  was  organized  as 
a  state.  In  the  call  for  this  meeting,  the  signers  called  them- 
selves, "We,  the  undersigned  citizens  of  Minnesota  territory." 
The  meeting  was  held  pursuant  to  the  call.  Action  was  taken  in 
regard  to  the  first  proposition  by  the  election  of  H.  H.  Sibley, 
who  was  authorized  to  proceed  to  Washington  and  use  such  ef- 
forts as  were  in  his  power  to  secure  the  organization  of  the  ter- 
ritory of  Minnesota.  In  regard  to  the  second  proposition,  a 
memorial  was  addressed  to  the  President  of  the  United  States, 
stating  the  reasons  why  the  organization  of  Minnesota  territory 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  61 

was  necessary.  The  third  proposition  presented  technical  points 
worthy  of  the  attention  of  the  wisest  legal  minds.  The  state  of 
Wisconsin  had  been  organized,  but  the  territory  of  Wisconsin 
had  not  been  abolished.  Was  not,  therefore,  the  territory  still 
in  existence,  and  did  not  its  organization  and  its  laws  still  prevail 
in  the  part  of  the  territory  that  had  not  been  included  in  the 
state  t  A  letter  from  James  Buchanan,  then  secretary  of  state 
■  of  the  United  States,  expressed  this  view  in  a  letter.  If  the  terri- 
torial government  was  in  existence  would  it  not  give  the  resi- 
dents thereof  a  better  standing  before  the  nation  in  their  de- 
sire to  become  Minnesota  territory!  Might  not  this  technicality 
give  the  delegate  a  seat  in  congress  when  otherwise  he  must, 
as  simply  the  representative  of  an  unorganized  area,  make  his 
requests  in  the  lobby  and  to  the  individual  members  f  John 
Catlin,  who  had  been  secretary  of  the  territory  of  Wisconsin 
before  the  organization  of  that  state,  declared  that  the  territory 
still  existed  in  the  area  not  included  in  the  organized  state  and 
that  he  was  the  acting  governor.  Territorial  Governor  Henry 
Dodge,  having  been  elected  United  States  Senator.  According- 
ly, the  people  of  the  cut-off  portion  organized  as  the  "Territory 
of  Wisconsin,"  and  named  a  day  for  the  election  of  a  delegate, 
John  H.  Tweedy,  the  territorial  delegate  from  Wisconsin,  having 
gone  through  the  form  of  resigning  in  order  to  make  the  new 
move  possible.  In  the  closely  contested  election  held  October 
30,  1848,  Sibley  won  out  against  Henry  M,  Rice  and  accordingly 
made  his  way  to  Washington,  technically  from  the  "Territory  of 
Wisconsin,"  actually  as  a  representative  of  the  proposed' terri- 
tory of  Minnesota.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  indeed,  Sibley,  living 
at  Mendota,  had  ceased  to  be  a  citizen  of  the  territory  of  Wis- 
consin in  1838,  when  Iowa  territory  was  created,  and  was  a 
resident  of  the  part  of  Iowa  territory  which  the  organization  of 
the  state  of  Iowa  had  left  without  a  government,  rather  than  of 
that  territory  in  question  (between  the  Mississippi  and  the  St. 
Croix)  which  the  admission  of  Wisconsin  as  a  state  had  left  with- 
out a  govemraent,  Sibley  was,  however,  after  much  opposition, 
admitted  to  congress  and  given  a  seat  January  15,  1849,  but  not 
without  much  discussion  as'  to  whether  excluded  territory  was 
entitled  to  continued  political  existence  and  representation,  after 
a  state  has  been  created  out  of  part  of  a  territory. 

Mr.  Sibley  devoted  himself  assiduously  to  securing  the  passage 
in  the  United  States  senate  of  the  bill  for  the  creation  of  the  ter- 
ritory of  Minnesota  which  had  been  introduced  at  the  previous 
session  and  met  with  gratifying  success.  His  efforts  in  the  house 
of  representatives  were  less  satisfactory,  political  questions  enter- 
ing largely  into  the  matter,  and  it  was  not  until  March  3,  1849, 
the  very  last  day  of  the  session — and  then  only  through  the 
strenuous  work  of  Senator  Stephen  A.   Douglas,  that  he  suc- 


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62  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

ceeded  in  securing  the  passage  of  the  bill.  This  was  finally  done 
under  suspension  of  the  rules,  the  previous  opposition  having 
been  unexpectedly  withdrawn. 

As  passed  the  act  read  as  follows:  "Be  it  enacted,  •  •  • 
That  from  and  after  the  passage  of  this  act,  all  that  part  of  the 
territory  of  the  United  States  which  lies  within  the  following 
limits,  to-wit:  Beginning  in  the  Mississippi  river  at  a  point 
where  the  line  of  43°  and  30'  of  north  latitude  crosses  the  same,' 
thence  running  due  west  on  said  line,  which  is  the  northern 
boundary  of  the  state  of  Iowa,  to  the  northwest  corner  of  the 
said  state  of  Iowa;  thence  southerly  along  the  western  boundary 
of  said  state  to  the  point  where  said  boundary  strikes  the  Mis- 
souri river;  thence  up  the  middle  of  the  main  channel  of  the 
Missouri  river  to  the  mouth  of  the  White  Earth  river;  thence 
up  the  middle  of  the  main  channel  of  the  White  Earth  river  to 
the  boundary  line  between  the  possessions  of  the  United  States 
and  Great  Britain ;  thence  east  and  south  of  east  along  the  bonn- 
dary  line  and  between  the  possessioa  of  the  United  States  and 
Great  Britain  to  Lake  Superior ;  thence  in  a  straight  line  to  the 
northernmost  point  of  the  state  of  Wisconsin,  in  Lake  Superior ; 
thence  along  the  western  boundary  of  the  state  of  Wisconsin  to 
the  Mississippi  river;  thence  down  the  main  channel  of  said 
river  to  the  place  of  beginning,  and  the  same  is  hereby  erected 
into  a  temporary  government  by  the  name  of  the  territory  of 
Minnesota. ' ' 

This  being  before  the  days  of  railroads  and  telegraphs  in  the 
West,  the  good  news  did  not  reach  St.  Paul  until  thirty-seven 
days  afterwards,  when  it  was  brought  by  the  first  steamer  com- 
ing from  the  lower  river. 

At  the  time  of  the  organii^ation  of  Minnesota  as  a  territory 
the  country  was  described  as  being  "little  more  than  a  wilder- 
ness." That  which  lay  west  of  the  Mississippi  river,  from  the 
Iowa  line  to  Lake  Itasca,  had  not  yet  been  ceded  by  the  Indians 
and  was  unoccupied  by  the  whites  save  in  a  very  few  instances. 
On  the  east  side,  in  this  more  immediate  vicinity,  were  trading 
posts  with  the  cabins  of  a  few  employes  at  Sauk  Rapids  and 
Crow  Wing.  Away  up  at  PembiSa  was  the  largest  town  or 
settlement  within  the  boundaries  of  the  new  territory,  where 
were  nearly  a  thousand  people,  a  large  majority  of  ■whom 
were  ' '  Metis ' '  or  mixed  bloods,  French  Crees  or  French 
Ghippewas. 

In  "Minnesota  in  Three  Centuries"  attention  is  called  to  the 
fact  that  at  this  time  the  east  side  of .  the  Mississippi,  as  far 
north  as  Crow  Wing,  was  being  settled  here  and  there  by  people 
who  had  come  to  the  country  when  it  had  been  announced  that 
the  territory  was  organized.  The  settlers  were  almost  entirely 
from  the  Northern  States,  many  being  from  New  England.     The 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  68 

fact  that  the  state  which  would  succeed  the  territory  would  be 
a  free  state,  without  slavery  iu  any  form,  made  it  certain  that 
the  first  settlers  would  be  non-slaveholders,  with  but  few  people 
from  the  Southern  States  interested  or  in  sympathy  with  South- 
ern ideas. 

The  people  of  the  territory  of  Minnesota  were  not  long  con- 
tent with  a  territorial  government.  In  the  words  of  A.  N. 
Winchell,  "December  24,  1856,  the  delegate  from  the  territory 
of  Minnesota  introduced  a  bill  to  authorize  the  people  of  that 
territory  to  form  a  constitution  and  state  government.  The 
bill  limited  the  proposed  state  on  the  west  by  the  Red  River  of 
the  North  and  the  Big  Sioux  river.  It  was  referred  to  the  com- 
mittee on  territories,  of  which  Mr.  Grow,  of  Pennsylvania,  was 
then  chairman.  January  31,  1857,  the  chairman  reported  a  sub- 
stitute, which  differed  from  the  original  bill  in  no  essential  re- 
spect except  in  regard  to  the  western  boundary.  The  change 
there  consisted  in  adopting  a  line  through  Traverse  and  Big 
Stone  lakes,  due  south  from  the  latter  to  the  Iowa  line.  The 
altered  boundary  cut  oflf  a  narrow  strip  of  territory,  estimated 
by  Mr.  Grow  to  contain  between  five  and  six  hundred  square 
miles.  Today  the  strip  contains  such  towns  as  Sioux  Falls, 
Watertown  and  Brookings.  The  substitute  had  a  stormy  voyage 
through  congress,  especially  in  the  senate,  but  finally  completed 
the  trip  on  February  25,  1857." 

The  enabling  act,  as  passed  and  approved  February  26,  1857, 
defined  the  boundaries  of  Minnesota  as  follows:  "Be  it  enacted 
•  •  "  That  the  inhabitants  of  that  portion  of  the  territory  of 
Minnesota  which  is  embraced  within  the  following  limits,  to-wit : 
Beginning  at  the  point  in  the  center  of  the  main  channel  of  the 
Red  River  of  the  North,  where  the  boundary  line  between  the 
United  States  and  the  British  possessions  crosses  the  same; 
thence  up  the  main  channel  of  said  river  to  that  of  Bois  des 
Sioux  river;  thence  (up)  the  main  channel  of  said  river  to  Lake 
Travera ;  then  up  the  center  of  said  lake  to  the  southern  extrem- 
ity thereof ;  thence  in  a  direct  line  to  the  head  of  Big  Stone  lake ; 
thence  through  its  center  to  its  outlet ;  thence  by  a  due  south  line 
em  boundary  of  said  state  to  the  main  channel  of  the  Mississippi 
to  the  north  line  of  the  state  of  Iowa ;  thence  east  along  the  north- 
river;  thence  up  the  main  channel  of  said  river  and  following 
the  boundary  line  of  the  state  of  Wisconsin,  until  the  same  inter- 
sects the  St.  Louis  river ;  thence  down  said  river  to  and  through 
Lake  Superior,  on  the  boundary  line  of  Wisconsin  and  Michi- 
gan, until  it  intersects  the  dividing  line  between  the  United 
States  and  the  British  possessions ;  thence  up  Pigeon  river  and 
following  said  dividing  line  to  the  place  of  beginning;  be  and 
the  same  are  thereby  authorized  to  form  for  themselves  a  consti- 
tution and  state  government,  by  the  name  of  the  state  of  Min- 


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64  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

Desota,  and  to  come  into  the  Union  on  an  equal  footing  with  the 
original  statea,  according  to  the  federal  constitution." 

These  boundaries  were  accepted  without  change  and  are  the 
boundaries  of  the  state  at  the  present  time.  The  state  was  ad- 
mitted May  11,  1858. 


CHAPTER  V. 

EXPLORATIONS  AND  SURVEYS. 

Grosaailliers  and  REUlisson — Hennepin  ajid  Dnlutb — Le  Sueur — 
Oarrer — Long,  Keating  and  Beltrami — Pembina  Refugees — 
Oatliu — Niodlet  and  Fremont — Allen— The  Hiasionaries — 
The  Fur  Traders — Chronology — Surveys. 

The  French  explorers  from  the  settlements  in  Canada  and 
about  the  Great  Lakes  gradually  began  to  penetrate  toward  Min- 
nesota. At  various  times  traders,  adventurers  and  priests  disap- 
peared from  these  settlements.  What  deaths  they  met  or  what 
experiences  they  underwent  will  never  be  known.  What  places 
they  visited  in  the  wilderness  of  the  upper  Mississippi  is  lost  to 
human  knowledge.  With  the  seventeenth  century,  however, 
the  area  that  is  now  Minnesota  began  to  be  known  to  the  civil- 
ized world.  But  it  was  not  until  the  closing  months  of  that 
century  that  any  recorded  exploration  was  made  of  the  Min- 
nesota river. 

To  understand  Pierre  Charles  Le  Sueur's  trip  up  a  portion  of 
that  river  in  the  fall  of  1700  it  is  necessary  that  a  few  of  the  earlier 
Mississippi  river  explorers  should  be  considered. 

OroBseilien  and  Radisstm.  The  meager  accounts  which  these 
two  explorers  have  left  of  their  two  expeditions  which  are 
supposed  to  have  penetrated  into  Minnesota,  are  capable  of  more 
than  one  interpretation.  Dr.  Warren  Upham  believes  that  Gros- 
aeilliers  and  Badisson,  the  first  known  white  explorers  of  Minne- 
sota, entered  it  near  the  southeast  comer,  and  proceeded  up  the 
Mississippi  through  Lake  Pepin  to  Prairie  Island,  just  above 
Red  Wing.  Here  the  French  explorers  and  the  Indians  that  ac- 
companied them,  together  with  other  Indians,  spent  the  year 
1655-1656.  Thus  when  Cromwell  ruled  Great  Britain  and  Ire- 
land, when  the  Puritan  theocracy  was  at  the  height  of  its  glory 
in  New  England,  and  when  the  great  emigration  of  Cavaliers 
was  still  going  on  to  Virginia,  Minnesota  saw  its  first  white  man 
— unless  indeed  the  Scandinavians  visited  this  region  centuries 
before,  as  the  Kensington  Stone  avers. 

About  New  Years,  1660,  if  we  may  trust  Badisson's  narra- 
tion and  its  interpretation,  our  "two  Frenchmen"  are  again  in 


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HISTOBT  OF  KENVILLE  COUNTY  65 

Minnesota.  Traveling  with  a  big  band  of  Indians,  they  passed 
a  severe  January  and  February,  with  attendant  famine,  prob- 
ably (according  to  Prof.  Winchell)  at  Ejiife  lake,  Kanabec  coun- 
ty. According  to  Hon.  J.  V.  Brower  (in  his  monograph 
"Kathio,"  1901)  the  lake  was  called  Knife  lake  and  the  Dakota 
tribe  of  this  regton  the  Knife  tribe  (Issanti)  because  early  that 
spring  deputations  of  Dakotas  came  to  the  encampment  and 
here  for  the  first  time  procured  steel  knives  from  the  white  men 
and  from  the  Indian  band  that  was  with  them.  Until  this  time 
the  Stone  Age  had  ruled  supreme  in  the  realm  of  Renville,  but 
now  we  may  well  suppose  that  within  a  short  time  many  an  enter- 
prising brave  cherished  as  his  most  precious  possession  one  of 
these  magic  knives  that  cut  like  a  stroke  of  lightning.  Very  soon 
after  meeting  these  Dakotas  at  Knife  lake,  Orosseilliers  and 
Radisson  went  to  the  great  Dakota  village  at  Mille  Lacs,  and 
were  there  received  with  every  mark  of  friendship  and  respect. 

Now  follows  the  story  of  a  seven  days'  trip  to  the  prairie 
home  of  the  "nation  of  the  Boefe"  (buffalo),  that  is  to  say,  the 
Dakotas  living  farther  west  and  south.  This  story  seems  likely 
to  be  fiction,  hut  if  it  is  true,  there  is  a  fair  chance  that  it  was 
to  the  region  between  the  Big  Bend  of  the  Mississippi  river  and 
the  prairie  region  of  the  Minnesota  valley.  This  was  possibly 
the  nearest  and  most  accessible  buffalo  country  from  Mille  Lacs. 
So  it  is  possible  that  these  two  Frenchmen  were  the  first  white 
men  to  approach  Renville  county.  But  the  supposition  favored 
by  Winchell  is  that  they  went  due  south.  However  that  may  be, 
it  is  certain  that  with  GrosseiUiers  and  Radisson  the  first  glim- 
mer of  European  civilization  reached  Renville  county. 

Hetmepin  and  Dn  Lnth.  Robert  Cavelier,  better  known  in 
history  as  the  Sieur  de  la  Salle,  who  had  built  a  fort  near  Lake 
Peoria,  Illinois,  decided  in  February,  1680,  to  send  from  there  an 
expedition  up  the  Mississippi.  For  this  task  he  selected  three  of 
liis  associates.  Accordingly,  on  February  29,  1680,  Father  Hen- 
nepin, with  two  companions,  Picard  du  Gay  (Anthony  Auguelle) 
and  Michael  Accault  (also  rendered  d'Aceault,  Ako,  d'Ako  and 
Dacan),  the  latter  of  whom  was  in  military  command  of  the 
party,  set  out  in  a  canoe.  They  paddled  down  the  Illinois  to 
ita  mouth,  where  they  were  detained  by  floating  ice  in  the  Mis- 
sissippi until  March  12.  On  the  afternoon  of  April  11,  while 
on  their  way  up  the  Mississippi,  they  were  met  by  a  band  of 
Sions  on  the  warpath  against  the  Illinois  and  Miami  nation. 
Being  informed,  however,  that  the  Miamis  had  crossed  the  river 
and  were  beyond  their  reach,  the  Indians  turned  northward, 
taking  the  Frenchmen  with  them  as  captives.  The  journey  up 
the  river  occupied  nineteen  days. 

At  the  end  of  the  nineteen  days,  the  party  landed  near  the 
present  site  of  St.  Paul,  and  then  continued  by  land  five  days 


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66  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

until  they  reached  the  Mille  Lacs  region.  There  Aquipaguetin, 
the  chief  who  had  previously  been  unfriendly  to  a  certain  extent, 
adopted  Hennepin  in  place  of  the  eon  he  had  lost.  The  other  two 
Prenehraen  were  adopted  by  other  families.  After  several  months 
in  the  Mille  Lacs  region,  Hennepin  and  Pickard  were  given  per- 
mission in  July,  1680,  to  go  down  the  Mississippi  to  the  mouth  of 
the  Wisconsin,  where  they  expected  that  La  Salle  would  send 
them  supplies. 

On  their  southward  journey,  accompanied  by  a  Sioux  chief, 
Ouasicoude  (Wacoota)  and  a  band  of  Indians,  the  Frenchmen 
descended  the  Rum  river,  and  camped  on  an  eminence  opposite 
what  is  now  the  city  of  Anoka.  Aecault  was  left  as  a  hostage. 
Continuing  down  the  river  with  the  Indians,  Hennepin  and 
Pickard  came  to  St.  Anthony  Palls,  which  Hennepin  named  in 
honor  of  his  patron  saint.  On  July  11,  1680,  while  hunting  for 
the  mouth  of  the  Wisconsin  river,  the  party  was  overtaken  by 
Hennepin's  savage  adopted  father,  Aquipaguetin,  with  ten  war- 
riors. The  two  Frenchmen  and  the  Indians  then  spent  some  time 
in  the  vicinity  of  Winona,  hiding  their  meat  near  the  mouth  of 
the  Chippewa,  and  then  hunting  on  the  prairies  further  down 
the  river,  the  old  men  of  the  tribe  watching  on  the  river  bluffs 
tor  enemies  while  the  warriors  killed  buffaloes. 

July  25,  1680,  the  party  encountered  Daniel  Graysolon,  Du 
Luth  and  five  French  soldiers.  There  is  some  doubt  about  the 
exact  spot  where  this  meeting  took  place,  but  it  was  probably 
near  the  southeast  corner  of  Minnesota,  or  possibly  a  little  further 
south.  After  the  meeting,  the  eight  white  men,  accompanied  by 
the  Indians,  went  up  the  river.  Du  Luth  had  been  exploring  the 
country  of  the  Sioux  and  the  Assiniboines,  west  of  Lake  Superior, 
for  two  years,  and  had  secured  the  friendship  of  these  very 
Indians  who  had  captured  Hennepin.  Consequently,  when  he 
learned  what  had  happened  since  he  last  saw  them,  he  rebuked 
them  for  their  treatment  of  the  priest,  saying  that  Hennepin  was 
his  brother.  The  party  reached  the  Issanti  villages  (the  Mille 
Lacs  region)  Angust  14,  1680.  No  mention  is  made  of  the  route 
which  they  took. 

Toward  the  end  of  September  the  Frenchmen  left  the  Indians 
to  return  to  the  French  settlements.  A  chart  of  the  route  was 
given  them  by  Ouasicoude,  the  great  chief.  The  eight  Frenchmen 
then  set  out.  Hennepin  gives  the  number  as  eight,  though  it 
would  seem  that  the  number  was  nine,  for  Hennepin  and  Pickard 
had  met  Du  Luth  with  five  soldiers,  and  when  reaching  the  Issanti 
villages  they  must  have  been  rejoined  by  Aecault,  though  pos- 
sibly the  last  named  stayed  with  the  Indians  and  pursued  his 
explorations.  The  party  passed  down  the  Rum  river  in  the  fall 
of  1680,  and  started  the  descent  of  the  Mississippi.  After  reach- 
ing the  Wisconsin  they  went  up  that  river  to  the  portage,  thenee 


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HISTOKY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  67 

up  the  Pox  river,  thence  to  Green  Bay,  and  thence  to  the  eettle- 
ments  in  Canada. 

Accault,  one  of  Hennepin's  companions,  had  been  left  with 
the  Indians  near  the  present  site  of  Anoka,  when  Hennepin  and 
Arguille  took  the  memorable  down-the-river  trip  on  which  they 
met  Du  Luth,  Accault  took  many  journeya  with  the  Indians, 
even  visiting  the  Itasca  re^on,  and  it  ia  not  improbable  that  he 
may  have  been  taken  to  the  region  which  lies  north  of  the  upper 
Minnesota  river  and  southwest  of  the  Big  Bend  of  the  Missis- 
sippi river, 

Le  Suenr.  Prom  1681  to  1699,  Nicholas  Perrot  made  numer- 
ous trips  to  the  country  of  the  upper  Mississippi  river.  Several 
of  his  posts  were  located  in  the  vicinity  of  the  lower  end  of  Lake 
Pepin,  which  is  an  enlargement  of  the  Mississippi  river  extending 
generally  speaking  from  a  short  distance  above  Winona  to  a 
short  distance  below  Bed  Wing.  One  of  these  expeditions  was 
probably  that  of  Charville  and  Pierre  Charles  Le  Sueur,  taken 
up  the  Mississippi  above  the  Falls  of  St,  Anthony,  about  1690. 
They  probably  went  as  far  as  the  outlet  of  Sandy  Lake, 

Le  Sueur  wrote  an  account  of  this  trip  to  refute  certain  ficti- 
tious narrations  by  Mathieu  Sagean.  Of  this,  in  his  excellent  and 
monumental  work,  "Minnesota  in  Three  Centuries,"  in  Vol.  I, 
pp.  253-4,  Dr.  Warren  Upham  says:  "Brower  and  Hill  come  to 
the  conclusion  that  on  the  Mississippi  at  the  outlet  of  sandy  lake, 
8  village  of  Sioux  doubtless  then  existed,  as  it  has  also  been  dur- 
ing the  last  century  or  longer  the  site  of  an  Ojibway  village.  The 
estimates  noted,  that  the  distance  traveled  above  the  Falls  of 
St.  Anthony  was  about  a  hundred  French  leagues,  and  that  an 
equal  distance  of  the  river's  course  still  separated  the  voyageura 
from  its  sources,  agree  very  closely  with  the  accurate  measure- 
ments now  made  by  exact  surveys,  if  Le  Sueur's  journey  ended 
at  Sandy  lake. 

"Very  probably  Charleville,  whose  narration  of  a  similar  early 
expedition  of  a  hundred  leagues  on  the  part  of  the  Mississippi 
above  these  falls  is  preserved  by  Du  Pratz  in  his  'History  of 
Louisiana,'  was  a  companion  of  Le  Sueur,  so  that  the  two  accounts 
relate  to  the  same  canoe  trip.  Charleville  said  that  he  was  accom- 
panied by  two  Canadian  Frenchmen  and  two  Indians ;  and  it  is 
remarkable  that  Charleville,  like  Le  Sueur,  was  a  relative  of  the 
brothers  Iberville  and  Bienville,  who  afterwards  were  governors 
of  Louisiana."  As  in  Le  Sueur's  description  of  the  sources  of 
the  great  river,  Charleville  also  states  that  the  Indians  spoke  of 
the  Mississippi  as  having  many  sources. 

In  the  spring  o£  1695  Le  Sueur  and  his  followers  erected  a 
trading  post  or  fort  on  Isle  Pelee,  now  Prairie  Island,  just  above 
Bed  Wing.    Early  in  the  summer  of  1695  he  returned  to  Mon- 


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6S  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

treal  with  some  iDdians,  among  whom  was  a  Sioux  chief  named 
TioBcate,  the  latter  being  the  first  Sioux  chief  to  visit  Canada. 
Tioseate  died  while  in  Montreal. 

In  his  journeys  to  the  Northwest,  Le  Sueur  received  reports 
from  the  Indians  which  led  him  to  believe  that  copper  was  to  be 
found  near  the  place  where  the  Minnesota  river  turns  from  its 
southwest  to  its  northeast  course.  Therefore  he  received  a  eom- 
mission  to  examine  this  mine  and  obtain  from  it  some  ores.  In 
April,  1700,  he  set  out  with  a  party  of  men  from  the  lower  Mis- 
sissippi settlements  in  a  sailing  and  rowing  vessel  and  two  canoes. 
September  19  he  reached  the  mouth  of  the  Minnesota,  and  on  the 
last  day  of  the  month,  having  reached  the  mouth  of  the  Blue 
Earth  river  near  the  present  site  of  the  city  of  Mankato,  he 
ascended  that  river  about  a  league,  and  erected  a  fort  which  he 
named  Port  L'Huillier,  named  for  a  prominent  officer  in  the 
service  of  the  King  of  Franco.  A  short  distance  from  the  fort 
they  located  their  "mine."  They  spent  the  ensuing  winter  at 
this  fort,  and  in  the  spring  of  1701  Le  Sueur  started  down  the 
river  with  a  part  of  his  followers  and  with  a  load  of  green  earth 
which  he  believed  to  be  copper.  In  due  time  he  reached  the 
Gulf  of  ilexico.  The  party  whom  he  had  left  at  the  garrison  on 
the  Blue  Earth  followed  him  down  the  river  at  a  later  date.  The 
fact  that  seven  French  traders  who  had  been  stripped  naked  by 
the  Sioux  took  refuge  in  Le  Sueur's  fort  on  the  Blue  Earth,  and 
the  further  fact  that  those  whom  he  left  at  the  fort,  encountered 
while  going  down  the  Mississippi  a  party  of  thirty-six  Frenchmen 
from  Canada  at  the  mouth  of  the  Wisconsin,  shows  that  aside 
from  the  explorers  recorded  in  history,  various  Frenchmen,  now 
unknown,  penetrated  the  upper  Mississippi  region  from  time  to 
time  even  at  that  early  day. 

The  data  secured  by  Lc  Sueur  were  used  in  the  preparation 
of  a  map  of  the  Northwest  country  by  William  De  L'isle,  royal 
geographer  of  France,  in  1703.  Several  of  the  larger  and  more 
important  physical  features  of  southwestern  Minnesota  were 
more  or  less  accurately  located.  The  Minnesota  river  appeared 
upon  this  map,  being  labeled  R,  St.  Pierre,  or  Mini-Sota.  Its 
course  is  somewhat  accurately  drawn.  The  Des  Moines  river 
also  has  a  place  on  the  map,  being  marked  Des  Moines,  or  le 
Moingona  R.,  and  its  source  was  definitely  located.  There  is  noth- 
ing in  the  writings  of  Le  Suenr,  however,  to  lead  to  the  belief 
that  he  extended  his  exploration  much  farther  up  the  Minnesota 
river  than  the  mouth  of  the  Blue  Earth. 

Lahontan.  Early  historians  have  endeavored  to  identify  the 
"Long  River"  of  Lahontan  with  the  Minnesota  river  of  the 
present  day.  In  case  this  identification  were  correct  then  a 
Frenchman  sighted  the  fair  area  of  Renville  county  only  three 
years  after  Hennepin  made  his  memorable  voyage  up  the  Missis- 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  69 

sippi.  Modern  historiane,  however,  entirely  discredit  the  writings 
of  this  adventurer. 

Baron  de  Lahontan  is  now  regarded  as  the  Baron  Munchausen 
of  America.  His  explorations  and  journeys  to  the  upper  Missis- 
sippi region  were  probably  entirely  fictitious  and  "Long  River" 
merely  a  creation  of  his  own  imagination. 

Lahontan  was  bom  in  France  in  1666,  and  as  a  soldier  of  the 
French  empire  came  to  America  in  1683  as  a  boy  of  seventeen 
years.  The  next  ten  years  he  spent  in  various  parts  of  Canada, 
and  there  doubtless  heard  tlie  stories  upon  which  he  based  his 
pretended  journeys.  In  1693  he  deserted  his  post  of  duty  in  New 
Foundland  and  thereafter  until  his  death,  probably  in  1715,  he 
spent  his  life  as  an  exile,  homeless  and  friendless,  in  Holland, 
Denmark,  Spain,  the  German  provides  and  England. 

In  1703  at  The  Hague  in  Netherlands,  Lahontan  had  narra- 
tives of  his  pretended  travels  published  in  three  volumes,  written 
in  his  native  French  language.  Later  in  the  same  year  a  revised 
edition  of  the  work,  entitled  "New  Voyages  to  North  America," 
was  issued  in  London.  At  present  there  are  several  other  English 
and  French  editions.  A  translation  was  made  into  German  in 
1711  and  into  the  language  of  Holland  in  1739.  In  tliis  publica- 
tion Lahontan  pretended  to  have  ascended  the  Mississippi  river 
and  to  have  discovered  a  tributary  called  "Long  River"  flowing 
into  this  river  from  the  west.  He  gives  in  detail  his  many  adven- 
tures on  this  "Long  River."  Before  he  was  discredited  historians 
had  many  arguments  as  to  whether  Lahontan  ascended  the  Root 
river  or  the  Minnesota  river,  but  we  now  know  that  lie  was  never 
within  many  hundred  miles  of  either. 

Carver  During  the  next  sixty-six  years  after  Le  Sueur  vis- 
ited the  Minnesota  river  country  no  white  man  was  in  South- 
western Minnesota,  so  far  as  we  know.  Then,  in  November,  1766, 
Jonathan  Carver  ascended  the  Minnesota.  Carver  was  a  Con- 
necticut Yankee  and  explored  the  upper  Mississippi  in  the  inter 
ests  of  the  British  government. 

Of  his  trip  to  this  point  Carver  wrote:  "On  the  twenty-fifth 
of  November,  1766,  I  returned  to  my  canoe,  which  I  had  left  at 
the  mouth  of  the  River  St.  Pierre  (Minnesota),  and  here  I  parted 
with  regret  from  my  young  friend,  the  prince  of  the  Winne- 
bagoes.  The  river  being  clear  of  ice  by  reason  of  its  southern 
situation,  I  found  nothing  to  obstruct  my  passage.  On  the  twenty- 
eighth,  being  advanced  about  forty  miles,  I  arrived  at  a  small 
branch  that  fell  into  it  from  the  north,  to  which,  as  it  had  no 
name  that  I  could  distinguish  it  by,  I  gave  my  own.  and  the 
reader  will  find  it  in  the  plan  of  my  travels  denominated  Carver's 
river.  About  forty  miles  higher  up  I  came  to  the  forks  of  the 
Verd  (Blue  Earth)  and  Red  Marble  (Watonwan)  rivers,  which 
join  at  some  little  distance  before  they  enter  the  St.  Pierre. 


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70  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

"The  River  St.  Pierre  at  its  junction  with  the  Mississippi  is 
about  a  hundred  yards  broad  and  continues  that  breadth  nearly 
all  the  way  I  sailed  upon  it.  It  has  a  great  depth  of  water  and 
in  some  places  runa  very  swiftly.  About  fifteen  miles  from  its 
mouth  are  some  rapids  and  much  higher  up  are  many  others. 

"I  proceeded  up  this  river  about  200  miles,  to  the  country  of 
the  Nadowessies  (Sioux)  of  the  plains,  which  lies  a  little  above 
the  fork  formed  by  the  Verd  and  R«d  Marble  rivers  just  men- 
tioned, where  a  branch  from  the  south  (the  Cottonwood)  nearly 
joins  the  Messorie  (Missouri)  river."  (The  sources  of  the  Cot- 
tonwood river  are  near  those  of  Rock  river,  the  latter  being  a 
tributary  of  the  Missouri.) 

On  the  seventh  of  December  he  arrived  at  the  most  westerly 
limit  of  his  travels,  and  as  he  could  proceed  no  further  that 
season,  spent  the  winter,  a  period  of  seven  months,  among  a  band 
of  Nadowessies  (Sioux),  encamped  near  what  is  now  New  TJIm. 
In  his  map  he  draws  three  tepees  opposite  the  present  city  of 
New  Ulm  on  the  north  side  of  the  Minnesota  river  and  makes 
the  statement,  "About  here  the  Author  winter'd  in  1766."  In 
his  hunting  and  exploration  he  ascended  the  Little  Bock  (now 
Mud  creek)  into  Cairo  and  Wellington  townships.  He  says  he 
learned  the  Sioux  language  so  as  to  converse  with  them  intelligi- 
bly, and  was  treated  by  them  with  great  hospitality.  In  the 
spring  be  returned  to  the  mouth  of  the  Minnesota. 

His  account  of  this  is  as  follows:  "I  left  the  habitations  of 
these  hospitable  Indians  the  latter  end  of  April,  1767,  but  did  not 
part  from  them  for  several  days,  as  I  was  accompanied  on  my 
journey  by  near  three  hundred  of  them,  among  whom  were  many 
chiefs,  to  the  mouth  of  the  River  St,  Pierre.  At  this  season  these 
bands  annually  go  to  the  great  cave  (now  called  Carver's  cave) 
before  mentioned,  to  hold  a  grand  council  with  all  the  other 
bands,  wherein  they  settle  their  operations  for  the  ensuing  year. 
At  the  same  time  they  carry  with  thera  their  dead  for  interment, 
bound  up  in  bulfalo  skins." 

As  already  stated.  Carver  himted  with  the  Indians  over  some 
of  the  great  plains  of  Southwestern  Minnesota  which,  "accord- 
ing to  their  (the  Indians')  account,  are  unbounded  and  probably 
terminate  on  the  coast  of  the  Pacific  ocean." 

From  information  received  from  the  Indians  Carver  made 
som.e  wonderful  deductions  as  to  the  physical  features  of  the 
country.  In  his  narrative  of  the  trip  he  wrote :  "By  the  accounts 
I  received  from  the  Indians  I  have  reason  to  believe  that  the 
River  St.  Pierre  (Minnesota)  and  the  Messorie  (Missouri),  though 
they  enter  the  Mississippi  twelve  hundred  miles  from  each  other, 
take  their  rise  in  the  same  neighborhood,  and  this  within  the 
space  of  a  mile.  The  River  St.  Pierre's  northern  branch  (that  is, 
the  main  river)  rises  from  a  number  of  lakes  (Big  Stone  lake) 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  71 

near  the  Shining  mountains  (the  Coteau  des  Prairies),  and  it  is 
from  some  of  these  also  that  a  capital  branch  (Red  River  of  the 
North)  of  the  River  Bourbon  (Nelson  river),  which  runs  into 
Hudson's  bay,  has  its  sources.  •  •  •  i  have  learned  that  the 
four  most  capital  rivers  of  North  America,  viz.,  the  St.  Lawrence, 
the  Mississippi,  the  River  Bourbon  (Nelson)  and  the  Oregon 
(Columbia),  or  River  of  the  West,  have  their  sources  in  the 
same  neighborhood.  The  waters  of  the  three  former  are  within 
thirty  miles  of  each  other ;  the  latter,  however,  is  rather  farther 
west. 

"This  shows  that  these  parts  are  the  highest  lands  of  North 
America ;  and  it  is  an  instance  not  to  be  paralleled  on  the  other 
three-quarters  of  the  globe,  that  four  rivers  of  such  magnitude 
should  take  their  rise  together  and  each,  after  running  separate 
courses,  discharge  their  waters  into  different  oceans  at  the  dis- 
tance of  2,000  miles  from  their  source." 

Of  the  country  through  which  he  traveled  Carver  wrote: 
"The  River  St.  Pierre,  which  runs  through  the  territory  of  the 
Nadowessics,  flows  through  a  most  delightful  country,  abound- 
ing with  all  the  necessaries  of  life  that  grow  spontaneously,  and 
with  a  little  cultivation  it  might  be  made  to  produce  even  the 
luxuries  of  life.  Wild  rice  grows  here  in  great  abundance ;  and 
every  part  is  filled  with  trees  bending  under  their  loads  of  fruit, 
such  as  plums,  grapes  and  apples ;  the  meadows  are  covered  with 
hops  and  many  sorts  of  vegetables;  whilst  the  ground  is  stored 
with  useful  roots,  with  angelica,  spikenard  and  ground  nuts  as 
large  as  hens'  eggs.  At  a  little  distance  from  the  sides  of  the 
river  are  eminences  from  which  you  have  views  that  cannot  be 
exceeded  by  even  the  most  beautiful  of  those  I  have  already 
described.  Amidst  these  are  delightful  groves  and  such  amazing 
quantities  of  maples  that  they  would  produce  sugar  sufficient  for 
any  number  of  inhabitants." 

Ft.  Snelling^  Established.  With  the  establishment  of  Ft.  Snell- 
ing,  the  area  of  Renville  county  became  more  widely  known,  as 
the  soldiers,  traders  and  visitors  there  made  many  trips  up  the 
river  past  the  county, 

February  10,  1819,  the  Fifth  Regiment  United  States  Infantry 
was  ordered  to  concentrate  at  Detroit  preparatory  to  a  trip  which 
was  to  result  in  the  maintaining  of  a  post  at  the  mouth  of  the 
St.  Peter's  (now  Minnesota)  river.  After  establishing  various 
garrisons  at  different  places,  the  troops  started  up  the  river 
from  Prairie  du  Chien,  Sunday,  August  8, 1819.  The  troops  num- 
bered ninety-eight,  rank  and  file.  They  were  accompanied  by 
twenty  hired  boatmen.  There  were  fourteen  keel  boats  for  the 
troops,  two  large  boats  for  stores,  and  a  barge  for  Lieut.-Col. 
Harry  Leavenworth,  the  commander,  and  Maj.  Thomas  Forsyth, 
the  Indian  agent.     This  expedition  established  at  Mendota  the 


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72  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

military  post  now  moved  across  the  river  and  now  known  as 
Ft.  Snelling. 

May  10,  1823,  the  "Virginia,"  the  first  steamboat  to  navigate 
the  upper  Mississippi,  arrived  at  Pt.  Snelling,  and  thus  what  is 
now  Renville  county  was  placed  in  still  closer  communication  with 
the  outside  world.  On  board,  among  others,  were  Maj.  Lawrence 
Taliaferro  and  James  Constance  Beltrami,  the  Italian  explorer. 

Long,  Keating,  Beltrami.  Undoubtedly  white  men,  engaged 
in  trade  with  the  natives  or  trapping  and  hunting  for  the  fur 
companies  or  for  themselves,  visited  that  part  of  south-central 
Minnesota  which  is  now  designated  Renville  county  in  the  early 
part  of  the  nineteenth  century.  But  such  men  left  few  records  of 
their  operations,  and  our  information  concerning  the  exploration 
of  the  country  is  obtained  almost  wholly  from  expeditions  sent 
out  by  the  government. 

An  early  visitor  to  south-central  Minnesota  was  Major  Stephen 
H.  Long.  Long  did  not  traverse  Renville  county,  for  near  the 
present  site  of  New  Ulm  the  party  crossed  the  Minnesota  river 
and  followed  its  southern  shore. 

la  accordance  with  orders  from  the  War  Department,  an  expe- 
dition under  the  command  of  Major  Long,  with  a  corps  of  scien- 
tists for  observations  of  the  geographic  features,  geology,  zoology 
and  botany  of  the  Northwest,  traversed  the  area  of  Minnesota  in 
1823,  passing  from  Ft.  Snelling  up  the  Minnesota  valley,  down 
the  valley  of  the  Red  river  to  Lake  Winnipeg,  thence  up  the 
Winnipeg  river  to  the  Lake  of  the  Woods,  and  thence  eastward 
along  the  international  boundary  and  partly  in  Canada  to  Lake 
Superior,  Prof.  William  H.  Keating,  of  the  University  of  Penn- 
sylvania, was  the  geologist  and  historian  of  this  expedition.  One 
of  its  members  or  its  guest  in  the  travel  from  the  fort  to  Pembina 
was  Costantino  Beltrami,  a  political  exile  from  Italy,  but,  becom- 
ing offended,  he  left  the  expedition  at  Pembina  and  returned  to 
the  fort  by  the  way  of  Red  lake  and  the  most  northern  sources 
of  the  Mississippi,  traveling  alone  or  with  Indian  companions. 

The  boat  party  entered  the  mouth  of  the  Minnesota  river,  then 
called  the  St.  Peter,  late  in  the  night  of  July  2,  and  a  stay  of  a 
week  was  made  there,  for  rest  and  to  visit  the  Falls  of  St, 
Anthony, 

Pro\ided  by  Colonel  Snelling  at  the  fort  with  a  new  and  more 
efficient  escort  of  twenty-one  soldiers,  with  Joseph  Renville  as 
their  Dakota  interpreter,  and  with  Joseph  Snelling,  a  son  of  the 
colonel,  as  assistant  guide  and  interpreter,  the  expedition  set 
forward  on  July  9  up  the  Minnesota  valley.  A  part  traveled  on 
horseback,  including  Say  and  Colhoun,  while  the  others,  includ- 
ing Long,  Keating,  Seymour  and  Renville  went  in  four  canoes, 
which  also  carried  the  bulk  of  their  stores  and  provisions.  It 
was  planned  that  the  land  and  river  parties  "should,  as  far  as 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  73 

practicable,  keep  company  together,  and  encamp  every  night,  if 
possible,  at  the  aame  place." 

Ob  July  13  they  reached  the  vicinity  of  Traverse  des  Sioux 
(St.  Peter),  and  encamped  at  a  beautiful  bend  of  the  river,  called 
the  Orescent.  Here  the  expedition  left  the  canoes,  reduced  the 
escort,  and  on  July  15  moved  westward  by  the  route  of  Swan 
lake.  They  now  numbered  in  total  twenty-four  men,  with  twenty- 
one  horses.  The  most  southern  part  of  the  course  of  the  Minne- 
sota having  been  cut  off  by  the  journey  past  Swan  lake,  this 
stream  was  again  reached  and  crossed  a  short  distance  below  the 
mouth  of  the  Cottonwood  river.  Thence  the  expedition  passed 
along  the  southwestern  side  of  the  valley,  and  across  the  con- 
tiguous upland  prairies,  to  Lac  qui  Parle  and  Big  Stone  lake.  The 
latter  lake  was  reached  on  July  22,  and  the  Columbia  Fur  Com- 
pany's trading  post,  at  the  southern  end  of  Lake  Traverse,  the 
next  day.  Joseph  Snelling  returned  to  Ft-  Snelling  from  Pem- 
bina by  way  of  the  Red  and  Minnesota  rivers,  thus  passing  Ren- 
ville county. 

Professor  Keating  mentions  the  Redwood  river  and  states  that 
the  red  pipestone  was  said  to  exist  on  its  banks  three  days' 
journey  from  its  mouth.  Menlioii  is  made  of  Patterson's  rapids, 
the  Grand  portage,  the  Pejeliata  Zeze  Watapan  (Yellow  Medi- 
cine) river,  Beaver  rivulet  (Lac  qui  Parle  river)  and  other 
physical  features.  Interesting  observations  were  recorded 
respecting  the  fauna  and  flora  of  the  prairies. 

The  Pembina  Reftlgees.  The  members  of  tlie  Pembina  colony 
in  the  Red  river  valley  were  among  the  people  who  passed  Ren- 
ville county  during  the  era  of  exploration.  In  the  early  winter 
of  1820  the  Pembina  colony  sent  a  delegation  to  Prairie  du  Chien 
for  seed  wheat,  which  could  not  be  found  nearer  home.  The  men 
set  out  on  snow  shoes  and  reached  their  destination  in  three 
months.  The  route  was  by  the  way  of  the  Red  river  to  Lake 
Traverse,  then  down  the  Minnesota,  past  Fort  Snelling,  and 
thence  down  the  Mississippi.  At  Prairie  du  Chien  2.^0  bushels  of 
wheat  was  purchased  at  ten  shillings  ($2.50)  per  bushel.  It  was 
loaded  into  flat  boats,  which  were,  with  much  hard  labor,  pro- 
pelled up  the  Mississippi  to  the  St.  Peter,  thence  up  that  river 
to  the  portage  near  Lake  Traverse,  The  boats  and  cargo  were 
then  transported  across  to  the  Red  river  and  floated  down  that 
stream  to  Pembina. 

In  1827  a  number  of  Swiss  families  left  the  Red  river  colony 
to  make  new  homes  for  themselves  within  the  United  States. 
They  were  accompanied  by  several  families  of  French  Cana- 
dians who  had  become  "Selkirkers,"  that  is,  members  of  the 
Selkirk  colony.  The  refugees  came  down  the  valley  on  the  Red 
river — or  up  that  stream — to  Lake  Traverse,  and  thence  down 
the  Minnesota  (or  St.  Peter's)  to  Fort  Snelling.     Alexis  Bailly 


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74  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

and  others  who  had  visited  the  colonists  in  their  Red  river  homes 
had  inf ormed  ■  them  of  the  superiority  of  the  Minnesota  country 
over  the  Assiniboine  region,  and  assured  them  that  they  would 
be  heartily  welcome  if  they  removed  to  the  big,  free,  hospitable 
and  favored  company  of  the  Stars  and  Stripes. 

Colonel  Snelling  gave  the  refugees  a  kindly  reception  and 
allowed  them  to  settle  on  the  military  reservation,  west  of  the 
Mississippi  and  north  of  the  fort.  The  colonists  at  once  set  to 
work  and  built  houses,  opened  farms,  engaged  in  work  at  the 
fort,  and  were  soon  comfortable,  contented  and  hopeful.  All  of 
the  refugees  spoke  French.  The  French  Swiss  and  the  French 
Canadians  seemed  like  kinsmen  and  dwelt  together  like  brethren 
in  unity.  It  is  of  record  that  among  these  people  were  Abraham 
Perry,  a  watchmaker,  and  Louis  Massie,  both  Switzers,  but  the 
names  of  the  other  heads  of  families  have  not  been  preserved. 

July  25,  1831,  twenty  more  Red  river  colonists  arrived  at 
Fort  Snelling.  Up  to  the  year  1836  nearly  500  more  had  come, 
and  by  the  year  1840  nearly  200  more,  while  from  time  to  time, 
for  many  years,  frost-bitten  and  famine-stricken  fugitives  from 
the  Red  river  country  found  rest  for  their  feet,  food  for  their 
bodies  and  comfort  generally  in  Minnesota.  But  only  about  one- 
half  of  these  people  remained  here  permanently.  The  others 
went  further  south — to  Prairie  du  Chien,  to  lltinoiB,  to  Missouri, 
and  some  families  journeyed  to  Yevay,  Indiana,  the  site  of  a  Swiss 
settlement. 

Nearly  all  of  the  early  residents  of  St.- Paul  were  Red  river 
refugees  and  their  children.  Many  of  the  descendants  of  good 
old  Abraham  Perry  were  bom  in  Minnesota  and  are  yet  citizens 
of  the  state. 

Feathn-stonhaogh  and  Hathsr.  Another  exploration  of 
southwestern  Minnesota  was  made  in  the  summer  of  1835  by 
G.  W.  Featherstonhaugh,  an  English  gentleman.  He  bore  the 
title  of  United  States  geologist  and  was  commissioned  by  Colonel 
J.  J.  Abert,  of  the  Bureau  of  Topographical  Engineers.  Feather- 
stonhaugh proceeded  up  the  Minnesota  river  to  lakes  Big  Stone 
and  Traverse,  and  to  the  high  sources  of  the  Minnesota  on  the 
Coteau  des  Prairies  west  of  these  lakes.  Featherstonhaugh  was 
accompanied  by  William  Williams  Mather. 

From  Featherstonhaugh 's  expedition  resulted  two  works,  one 
entitled  "Report  of  geological  reconnoisance  made  in  1835  from 
the  seat  of  government  by  the  way  of  Green  Bay  and  the  Wis- 
consin Territory  to  the  Coteau  des  Prairies,  an  elevated  ridge 
dividing  the  Missouri  from  the  St.  Peter's  (Minnesota)  river," 
printed  by  the  order  of  the  Senate  in  1836,  and  the  other  "A 
Canoe  Voyage  up  the  Minnay  Sotar, "  published  in  London  in 
1847. 


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HISTORY  OF  KENVILLE  COUNTY  76 

Catlin.  It  was  in  3837  that  George  Catlin,  the  famous  traveler 
and  Indian  delineator,  passed  near  this  county  on  hie  way  to  visit 
the  Pipestone  quarries. 

He  organized  the  expedition  at  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony  and 
was  accompanied  only  by  Robert  Serril  Wood,  "a  young  gentle- 
man from  England  of  fine  taste  and  education,"  and  an  Indian 
guide,  0-kup-kee  by  name. 

This  little  party  traveled  horseback  and  followed  the  usual 
route  up  the  Minnesota.  At  Traverse  des  Sioux,  near  the  present 
site  of  St.  Peter,  Mr.  Catlin  and  his  companion  halted  at  the 
cabin  of  a  trader,  where  they  were  threatened  by  a  band  of 
savages  and  warned  not  to  persist  in  their  determination  to  visit 
the  quarries.  They  continued  on  their  way,  however,  crossed  to 
the  north  aide  of  the  river  at  Traverse  des  Sioux,  proceeded  in  a 
westerly  direction,  and  crossed  the  Minnesota  to  the  south  bank 
near  the  mouth  of  the  Waraju  (Cottonwood),  close  to  the  present 
city  of  New  Ulm. 

There  Messrs.  Catlin  and  Wood  left  the  river  and  journeyed 
"a  little  north  of  west"  for  the  Coteau  des  Prairies.  They  trav- 
eled through  the  present  counties  of  Brown,  Redwood  and  Lyon 
and  passed  several  Indian  villages,  at  several  of  which  they  were 
notified  that  they  must  go  back ;  but,  undaunted,  they  continued 
their  journey.  Catlin  states  in  one  place  that  he  traveled  one 
hundred  miles  or  more  from  the  mouth  of  the  Cottonwood,  and 
in  another  place  "for  a  distance  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  or 
thirty  miles"  before  reaching  the  base  of  the  coteau,  when  he 
was  still  ' '  forty  or  fifty  miles  from  the  Pipestone  quarries. ' '  He 
declared  this  part  of  the  journey  was  over  one  of  the  most  beau- 
tiful prairie  countries  in  the  world. 

Most  of  Catlin 's  distances  were  overestimated.  The  distance 
from  the  mouth  of  the  Cottonwood  to  the  base  of  the  coteau 
where  he  came  upon  it  is  only  about  seventy-two  miles  in  a  direct 
line ;  then  he  was  about  thirty-six  miles  from  the  quarries. 

Nicollet  and  Fremont.  From  1836  to  1843,  most  of  the  time 
assisted  by  John  C.  Fremont,  afterward  candidate  for  the  presi- 
dency of  the  United  States  on  the  Republican  ticket,  Joseph 
Nicolas  Nicollet  prosecuted  a  geographical  survey  of  the  upper 
Mississippi  country.  He  explored  nearly  all  portions  of  Minne- 
sota and  many  other  parts  of  the  country  theretofore  unvisited. 
His  operations  in  south-central  Minnesota  were  quite  extensive. 
In  1838  Nicollet  and  Fremont  made  a  trip  to  the  vicinity  of  what 
is  now  Renville  county.  In  the  party  were  six  men,  the  others 
being  Charles  A.  Geyer,  the  botanist  of  the  expedition ;  J.  Eugene 
Flandin  and  James  Renville. 

Nicollet  and  Fremont  traveled  from  Washington  to  St.  Louia 
and  thence  up  the  Mississippi  river  to  H.  H,  Sibley's  trading  post, 
near  the  mouth  of  the  Minnesota  river.    Thence  they  journeyed 


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76  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

over  the  geiieral  route  of  travel  up  the  east  side  of  tho  Minne- 
sota river,  erosaing  at  Traverse  des  Sioux.  They  proceeded  west 
across  the  "os-bow,"  stopping  at  Big  Swan  lake  in  Nicollet 
county,  and  crossed  the  Minnesota  again  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Cottonwood.  They  proceeded  up  the  valley  of  the  Cottonwood, 
on  the  north  side  of  the  river,  to  a  point  near  the  present  site  of 
Lamberton,  and  then  crossed  to  the  south  side  of  the  river  and 
struck  across  pountry  to  the  Pipestone  quarries. 

On  Nicollet's  map,  issued  in  1843,  his  route  to  the  quarries 
is  indicated  by  a  fine  dotted  line.  This  map  at  the  time  it  vraa 
issued  was  the  most  complete  and  correct  one  of  the  \ipper  Mis- 
sissippi country.  It  covered  all  of  Minnesota  and  Iowa,  about 
one-half  of  Missouri,  and  much  of  the  Dakotas,  Wisconsin  and 
Illinois.  The  author  gave  names  to  many  streams  and  lakes 
and  gave  the  first  representation  of  the  striking  topographical 
features  of  the  western  and  northern  parts  of  Minnesota.  He 
located,  by  astronomical  observations,  the  numerous  streams  and 
lakes  and  the  main  geographical  features  of  the  state,  filling  in 
by  eye-sketching  and  by  pacing  the  intermediate  objects.  On  his 
map  the  country  along  the  Minnesota  river  is  labeled  Warpeton 
country  and  that  further  south  Sisseton  country. 

After  spending  three  days  at  the  Pipestone  quarries,  where 
is  now  situated  the  city  of  Pipestone,  the  Nicollet  party  visited 
and  named  Lake  Benton  (for  Mr.  Fremont's  father-in-law.  Sena- 
tor Benton)  and  then  proceeded  westward  into  Dakota,  visiting 
and  naming  Lakes  Preston  {for  Senator  Pre-ston),  Poinsett  (for 
J.  R.  Poinsett,  secretary  of  war),  Albert,  Thompson,  Tetonkoha, 
Kampeska  and  Hendricks.  Before  returning  to  civilization  Nicol- 
let visited  Big  Stone  lake  and  other  places  to  the  north.  He 
returned  to  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony  by  way  of  Joseph  Ren- 
ville's camp  on  the  Lac  qui  Parle. 

Allen.  The  next  recorded  visit  of  white  men  was  in  1844, 
when  an  expedition  in  charge  of  Captain  J.  Allen  came  up  the 
Des  Moines  river,  operating  chiefly  to  chart  that  and  other 
streams.  He  passed  through  Jackson,  Cottonwood  and  Murray 
counties  and  came  to  Lake  Shetek,  which  he  decided  was  the 
source  of  the  Des  Moines  river.  Ik-  gave  that  body  of  water  the 
name  Lake  of  the  Oaks  and  described  it  as  remarkable  for  a 
singular  arrangement  of  the  peninsulas  running  into  it  from  all 
sides  and  for  a  heavy  growth  of  timber  that  covered  the  penin- 
sulas and  the  borders  of  the  lake. 

With  Lake  Shetek  as  temporary  headquarters,  Captain  Allen 
extended  his  explorations  in  several  directions.  He  proceeded 
due  north  from  the  lake  and  crossed  the  Cottonwood  and  later 
the  Redwood  near  the  present  site  of  Marshall.  When  thirty- 
seven  miles  north  of  Lake  Shetek  he  turned  east  and  crossed  the 
Redwood  again  near  the  site  of  Redwood  Falls.    From  the  mouth 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  77 

of  the  Redwood  he  explored  the  south  shore  of  the  Minnesota 
riTer  several  miles  up  and  down  and  returned  to  Lake  Shetek. 
The  expedition  then  set  out  for  the  west  and  went  down  the  Big 
Sioux  river  to  its  mouth. 

"Prom  Lizard  creek  of  the  Des  Moines  to  the  source  of  the 
Dea  Moines,  and  thence  east  to  the  St.  Peter's  is  a  range  for  elk 
and  common  deer,  but  principally  elk,"  wrote  Captain  Allen. 
"We  saw  a  great  many  of  the  elk  on  our  route  and  killed  many 
of  them ;  they  were  sometimes  seen  in  droves  of  hundreds,  but 
were  always  difficult  to  approach  and  very  difficult  to  overtake 
in  chase,  except  with  a  fleet  horse  and  over  good  ground.  No 
dependence  could  he  placed  in  this  country  for  the  subsistence 
of  troops  marching  through  it." 

Fur  Traders. — These  explorers,  Le  Sueur,  Carver,  Long,  Keat- 
ing and  Beltrami,  Featherstouhaugh  and  Mather,  Catlin,  Nicollet 
and  Fremont  and  Allen  were  men  who  gave  their  knowledge  to 
the  world,  and  their  journeys  in  the  Minnesota  river  region 
marked  distinct  epochs  in  its  development.  It  should  be  under- 
stood, however,  that  even  before  1700  white  men  were  probably 
passing  Renville  county  with  more  or  leas  frequency.  The  fact 
that  several  Frenchmen  took  refuge  in  Le  Sueur's  fort  after  being 
stripped  naked  by  the  Indians  shows  that  white  men  visited  this 
region  even  at  that  early  date. 

Lac  qui  Parle,  Big  Stone  lake  and  Lake  Traverse  made  excel- 
lent fur  trading  points,  and  were  probably  locations  of  sueh  from 
early  iu  the  eighteenth  century.  The  furs  from  these  posts  were 
brought  down  the  Minnesota  and  past  Renville  county  in  canoes. 
Of  the  several  traders  in  the  Minnesota  valley  toward  the 
close  of  the  eighteenth  century  one  of  the  principal  ones  was 
Murdoch  Cameron,  a  Scotchman. 

As  early  as  1783,  Charles  Patterson  had  a  trading  post  in  Ren- 
ville county.  He  was  located  in  what  is  now  section  29,  township 
114,  range  36  (Flora  township),  at  the  place  long  known  as  Pat- 
terson s  rapids.  The  site  of  his  post  is  now  a  popular  picnic 
place. 

Charles  Le  Page,  a  Canadian,  made  a  trip  from  the  Yellowstone 
region  in  1803.  He  reached  the  headwaters  of  the  Minnesota, 
May  15,  and  with  a  hand  of  Yauktons  and  Sissetons  went  on  to 
Men  dot  a. 

James  H.  Lockwood,  the  first  white  native  of  the  United  States 
to  trade  with  the  Indians  of  this  locality,  came  up  the  Minnesota 
river  in  1816,  and  maintained  a  trading  post  at  Lac  qui  Parle 
for  a  little  over  two  years. 

After  Ft.  Snelling  was  established,  an  Indian  agency  opened 
where  the  traders  were  required  to  obtain  licenses  from  the  agent. 
In  1826  the  records  of  the  agent  show  that  Joseph  Renville  was 


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78  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

at  Lae  qui  Parle,  and  John  Campbell  at  the  mouth  of  the  Chip- 
pewa, both  of  which  locations  were  not  far  from  Renville  county. 
William  Dickson  and  Hazen  P.  Mooera  were  at  Lake  Traverse. 
Mooers  was  especially  successful.  It  is  recorded  that  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1829  "the  dry  year,"  he  made  a  trip  from  Lake  Traverse 
to  Ft.  Snelling  with  126  packs  of  furs,  valued  at  $12,000. 

In  1833-34  Mooera  and  Renville  were  at  the  same  stations  as 
in  1826.  Joseph  B.  Brown,  afterward  a  pioneer  of  Renville 
county,  was  on  the  Minnesota  at  the  month  of  the  Chippewa. 
Joseph  Renville,  Jr.,  was  at  the  Little  Bock  on  the  Minnesota,  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Little  Rock  (Mud)  creek,  which  flows  for  a 
part  of  its  course  in  what  is  now  Renville  county.  Joseph  La 
Framboise  established  himself  at  the  mouth  of  the  Little  Rock 
in  1834.  ■ 

The  MisgioaariCB.  In  1835  Thomaa  S.  Williamson  established 
a  mission  at  Lac  qui  Parle.  In  coming  up  the  river  as  a  mission- 
ary for  the  American  Board  of  Foreign  Missions,  Williamson  had 
met  Joseph  Renville.  After  surveying  the  situation  carefully,  the 
missionary  concluded  to  accompany  Mr.  Renville  to  the  latter's 
home  and  store  at  Lac  qui  Parle  and  establish  a  mission  station 
there.  On  June  23  bis  party  embarked  on  the  Fur  Company's 
Mackinaw  boat,  which  was  laden  with  traders'  goods  and  sup- 
plies, and  set  out  on  a  voyage  up  the  Minnesota,  then  at  a  good 
stage  of  water.  The  boat  was  propelled  by  poles,  oars,  a  sail,  and 
by  pulling  the  willows  along  the  abrupt  shores.  Progress  was 
very  slow  and  eight  days  were  required  to  reach  Traverse  des 
Sioux.  From  the  Traverse  the  remainder  of  the  journey  was 
made  in  wagons  and  Lac  qui  Parle  was  reached  July  9 — seven- 
teen days  out  from  Port  Snelling.  At  Lac  qui  Parle  Dr.  William- 
son and  his  companions  established  themselves  as  religious 
teachers  of  the  Wahpeton  and  Sisseton  Sioux, 

Dr.  Williamson  was  accompanied  by  his  wife  and  child,  Alex- 
ander G.  Huggins  and  family,  and  Sarah  Poage,  a  sister  of  Mrs. 
Williamson. 

In  1852  another  mission  was  established  a  few  miles  above  the 
mouth  of  the  Yellow  Medicine  river.  In  the  summer  of  1854,  a 
new  section.  New  Hope  (Hazelwood)  was  built  two  miles  from 
the  Yellow  Medicine  station. 

These  mission  stations  brought  to  the  region  of  Renville 
county  nearly  all  the  early  Protestant  missionaries  of  Minnesota, 
Some  came  up  the  Minnesota  river,  some  took  the  trail  on  the 
south  side  of  the  river,  and  some  took  the  trail  through  Renville 
county,  which  passed  from  the  mouth  of  the  Little  Rock  (Mud) 
creek  along  the  prairie  just  back  of  the  ravines. 

Chronology.  Following  is  a  summary  of  the  history  of  Minne- 
sota during  the  period  of  exploration : 

1635.     Jean  Nicollet,  an  explorer  from  France,  who  had  win- 


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HISTORY  OF  EENVILLE  COUNTY  79 

tered  in  the  neighborhood  of  Green  Bay,  brought  to  Montreal  the 
first  mention  of  the  aborigines  of  Minnesota. 

1659-60.  GrosseiUiers  and  Radisaon  wintered  among  the  Sioux 
of  the  Mille  Laes  region,  MinnoBota,  being  its  first  white  explorers- 
In  a  previous  expedition,  four  years  earlier,  they  are  thought  by 
some  to  have  come  to  Prairie  island,  west  of  the  main  channel  of 
the  Mississippi,  between  Red  Wing  and  Hastings. 

1661.  Father  Bene  Menard  Jeft  Kewennaw,  on  Lake  Superior, 
to  visit  the  Hurons,  then  in  northern  Wisconsin,  and  was  lost 
near  the  sources  of  the  Black  and  Chippewa  rivers.  His  breviary 
and  cassock  were  said  to  have  been  found  among  the  Sioux. 

1679.  Juiy  2,  Daniel  Greyselon  Du  Lhut  (Duluth)  held  a 
council  with  the  Sioux  at  their  principal  settlement  on  the  shore 
of  Mille  Lacs.  Du  Lhut,  in  June,  1680,  by  way  of  the  St.  Croix 
river,  reached  the  Mississippi  and  met  Hennepin. 

1680.  Louis  Hennepin,  after  captivity  in  the  village  of  the 
ilille  Laes  Sioux,  first  saw  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony. 

1689.  May  8,  Nicolas  Perrot,  at  his  Fort  St.  Antoine,  ou  the 
Wisconsin  shore  of  Lake  Pepin,  laid  formal  claim  to  the  sur- 
rounding country  for  France.  He  built  a  fort  also  on  the  Minne- 
sota shore  of  this  lake,  near  its  outlet,  as  well  as  other  posts. 

1690.  { T)  Le  Sueur  and  Charleville  ascended  the  Mississippi 
above  St.  Anthony  falls. 

1695.  Le  Sueur  built  a  fort  or  trading  post  on  Isle  Pelee,  now 
called  Prairie  island,  above  Lake  Pepin. 

1700.  Le  Sueur  established  Fort  L'Huillier,  on  the  Blue  Earth 
river  {near  the  mouth  of  the  Le  Sueur),  and  first  supplied  the 
Sioux  with  firearms. 

1727.  The  French  established  a  fort  on  the  present  site  of 
Frontenae  on  Lake  Pepin.  Forts  were  also  erected  on  nearly 
the  same  site  in  1727  and  1750. 

1728.  Great  flood  in  the  Mississippi. 

1763.  By  the  treaty  of  Versailles,  France  ceded  Minnesota, 
east  of  the  Mississippi,  to  England,  and  west  of  it  to  Spain. 

1766.  Captain  Jonathan  Carver  visited  St.  Anthony  falls  and 
Minnesota  river.  He  claimed  to  have  made  a  treaty  with  the 
Indians  the  following  spring,  in  a  cave,  afterward  called  "Carver's 
Cave,"  within  the  present  limits  of  St.  Paul,  at  which  he  said 
they  ceded  to  him  an  immense  tract  of  land,  long  known  as 
"Carver's  Claim,"  but  never  recognized  by  government. 

1796.  Laws  of  the  Ordinance  of  1787  extended  over  the 
Northwest  territory,  including  the  northeastern  third  of  Minne- 
sota, east  of  the  Mississippi  river. 

1798-99.  The  Northwestern  Far  Company  established  itself 
in  Minnesota. 

1800.  May  7,  that  part  of  Minnesota  east  of  the  Mississippi 
became  a  part  of  Indiana  by  the  division  of  Ohio. 


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80  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

1803.  April  30,  that  part  of  MinneBota  west  of  the  Mississippi, 
for  the  preceding  forty  years  in  possession  of  Spain  as  a  part  of 
Louisiana,  was  ceded  to  the  United  States  by  Napoleon  Bonaparte, 
who  had  just  obtained  it  from  Spain. 

1803-04.  William  Morrison,  the  first  known  white  man  to 
discover  the  source  of  the  Mississippi  river,  visited  Elk  lake  and 
explored  the  streams  entering  into  the  lake  forming  the  head  of 
the  river. 

1805.  Lieut.  Z.  M.  Pike  visited  Minnesota  to  establish  gov- 
ernment relations  there,  and  obtained  the  Port  Snelling  reserva- 
tion from  the  Dakotas. 

1812.  The  Dakotas,  Ojibways  and  Winnebagoes,  under  the 
lead  of  hostile  traders,  joined  the  British  during  the  war.  Red 
river  colony  established  by  Lord  Selkirk. 

1819.  Minnesota,  east  of  the  Mississippi  river,  became  a  part 
of  Crawford  county,  Michigan.  Port  Snelling  established  and  a 
post  at  Mendota  occupied  by  troops,  under  command  of  Colonel 
Leavenworth.  Maj.  L.  Taliaferro  appointed  Indian  agent,  arriv- 
ing April  19, 

1820.  Cornerstone  of  Fort  Snelling  laid  September  10.  Gov- 
ernor Cass  visited  Minnesota  and  made  a  treaty  of  peace  between 
the  Sioux  and  Ojibways  at  Fort  Snelling.  Col.  Josiah  Snelling 
appointed  to  the  command  of  the  latter  post. 

1823.  The  first  steamboat  arrived  at  Mendota,  May  10,  Major 
Taliaferro  and  Beltrami  being  passengers.  Maj.  Stephen  H.  Long 
explored  Minnesota  river,  the  Red  river  valley,  and  the  northern 
frontier.    Beltrami  explored  sources  of  the  Mississippi. 

1826.  Great  flood  on  the  Red  river;  a  part  of  the  colony 
driven  to  Minnesota,  settling  near  Fort  Snelling. 

1832.  Schoolcraft  explored  sources  of  Mississippi  river,  and 
named  Lake  Itasca  (formerly  called  Elk  lake). 

1833.  First  mission  established  at  Leech  lake  by  Rev.  W.  T. 
Boutwell. 

1834.  The  portion  of  Minnesota  west  of  the  Mississippi 
attached  to  Michigan.    Gen.  H.  H.  Sibley  settled  at  Mendota. 

1835.  Catlin  and  Featherstonhaiigh  visited  Minnesota. 

1836.  The  territory  of  Wisconsin  organized,  embracing  the 
part  of  Minnesota  east  of  the  Mississippi,  the  part  on  the  west 
being  attached  to  Iowa.    Nicollet  visited  Minnesota. 

1837.  Governor  Dodge,  of  Wisconsin,  made  a  treaty,  at  Fort 
Snelling,  with  the  Ojibways,  by  which  the  latter  ceded  all  their 
pine  lands  on  the  St.  Croix  and  its  tributaries ;  a  treaty  was  also 
effected  at  Washington  with  a  deputation  of  Dakotas  for  their 
lands  east  of  the  Mississippi.  These  treaties  led  the  way  to  the 
first  actual  settlements  ^vithin  the  area  of  Minnesota. 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  81 

SUBVETS. 

Two  of  the  townships  in  what  is  now  Renville  county  were 
surveyed  as  early  as  1855,  Some  were  not  surveyed  until  1866. 
These  surveys  were  made  as  follows : 

Preston  Lake,  township  115,  range  31,  was  surveyed  by  Thomas 
Simpson,  between  August  17,  1855,  and  August  24,  1855. 

Boone  Lake,  township  116,  range  31,  was  surveyed  by  Thomas 
Simpson,  between  September  3,  1855,  and  September  10,  1855. 

Kingman,  township  116,  range  34,  was  surveyed  by  T,  Barnes 
and  G.  E.  Brent,  between  July  20,  1858,  and  July  25,  1858. 

Camp,  township  112,  range  33,  was  sur\-eyed  by  William  Rock, 
between  September  22,  1858,  and  October  6,  1858. 

Cairo,  township  112,  range  32,  was  surveyed  by  William  Rock, 
between  October  3,  1858,  and  October  9,  1858. 

Wellington,  township  113,  range  32,  was  surveyed  by  T.  Barnes 
and  George  E.  Brent,  between  April  15,  1858,  and  April  20,  1858. 

Birch  Cooley,  township  113,  range  34,  was  surveyed  by  T. 
Barnes  and  G.  E.  Brent,  between  July  10, 1858,  and  July  14,  1858. 

Birch  Cooley,  township  112,  range  34,  was  surveyed  by  James 
L.  Mowlin,  between  August  9, 1858,  and  August  16, 1858. 

Bandon,  to^vnship  113,  range  33,  was  surveyed  by  T.  Barnes 
and  G.  E.  Brent,  between  April  1,  1858,  and  April  27,  1858. 

Beaver  Falls,  township  113,  range  35,  was  surveyed  by  N,  R. 
McMahan,  between  September  15,  1858,  and  September  23,  1858. 

Martinsburg,  township  114,  range  32,  was  surveyed  by  T. 
Barnes  and  G.  E.  Brent,  between  May  2, 1858,  and  May  5,  1858. 

Palmyra,  township  114,  range  33,  was  surveyed  by  T.  Barnes 
and  G.  E.  Brent,  between  April  28, 1858,  and  April  30, 1858. 

Norfolk,  township  114,  range  34,  was  surveyed  by  Q.  £.  Brent 
and  T.  Barnes,  between  July  15,  1858,  and  July  17,  1858. 

Henryviile,  township  114,  range  35,  was  surveyed  by  N.  R. 
McMahan,  between  September  24,  1858,  and  September  30,  1858. 

Flora,  township  114,  range  36,  was  surveyed  by  N,  R. 
McMahan,  between  October  20,  1858,  and  October  24,  1858. 

Hector,  township  115,  range  32,  was  surveyed  by  T.  Barnes  and 
G.  E.  Brent,  between  May  7,  1858,  and  May  10,  1858. 

Melville,  township  115,  range  33,  was  surveyed  by  T.  Barnes 
and  G.  E.  Brent,  between  May  22,  1858,  and  May  27,  1858. 

Bird  Island,  township  115,  range  34,  was  surveyed  by  6.  E. 
Brent  and  T.  Barnes,  between  July  18, 1858,  and  July  20, 1858. 

Troy,  township  115,  range  35,  was  surveyed  by  N.  R.  McMahan, 
between  October  12,  1858,  and  October  16,  1858. 

Winfield,  township  116,  range  35,  was  surveyed  by  N.  B. 
McMahan,  between  October  18,  1858,  and  October  20,  1858. 

Osceola,  township  116,  range  33,  was  surveyed  by  G.  E.  Brent 
and  T.  Barnes,  between  May  17, 1858,  and  May  21,  1858. 


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82  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

Brookfield,  township  116,  range  32,  was  surveyed  by  George 
E.  Brent  and  T.  Barnes,  between  May  11,  1858,  and  May  16,  1858. 

Flora,  township  113,  range  36,  was  surveyed  by  N.  R. 
MeMahan,  between  October  1,  1858,  and  October  10,  1858. 

Emmet,  township  115,  range  36,  was  surveyed  by  B.  H.  L. 
Jenett  and  G.  Q.  Howe,  between  June  16, 1866,  and  June  23, 1866. 

Sacred  Heart,  township  114,  range  37,  was  surveyed  by  R.  H. 
L.  Jenett  and  G.  G.  Howe,  between  July  9, 1866,  and  July  16, 1866. 

Sacred  Heart,  township  115,  range  37,  was  surveyed  by  B.  H. 
L.  Jenett  and  G.  G.  Howe,  between  July  2,  1866,  and  July  7,  1866. 

Hawk  Creek,  township  115,  range  38,  was  surveyed  by  Jenett 
and  Howe,  between  November  2,  1866,  and  November  9,  1866. 

Hawk  Creek,  township  114,  range  38,  was  surveyed  by  B.  H. 
L.  Jenett  and  G.  G.  Howe,  between  November  2, 1866,  and  Novem- 
ber 3,  1866. 

EangmaD,  township  116,  range  36,  was  surveyed  by  R.  H.  L. 
Jenett  and  G.  G.  Howe,  between  June  26,  1866,  and  June  30, 1866. 

Erickaon,  township  116,  range  37,  was  surveyed  by  R.  H.  L. 
Jenett  and  G.  G.  Howe,  between  July  19,  1866,  and  July  24, 1866. 

Wang,  township  116,  range  38,  was  surveyed  by  Jenett  and 
Howe,  between  July  24,  1866,  and  July  31,  1866. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

JOSEPH  RENVILLE. 

Of  French  and  Indian  Blood — Educated  in  Canada — Starts  Life  as 
a  Courier— In  War  of  1812— Serves  as  British  Captain— In  the 
Fur  Trade — Brings  First  Seed  Com  to  Minnesota — JAtenry 
Work— His  Triomphant  Death. 

Joseph  Renville,  for  whom  Renville  county  was  named,  was 
of  mixed  descent,  and  his  story  forms  a  link  between  the  past  and 
the  present  history  of  Minnesota.  His  father  was  a  French  trader. 
His  mother  was  a  Dakota  (Sioux)  of  Little  Crow's  Eaposia  band, 
which  was  at  various  periods  located  at  different  points  between 
the  mouth  of  the  Minnesota  and  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Croix,  much 
of  the  time  at  the  present  site  of  South  St.  Paul.  She  was  related 
to  some  of  the  principal  men  of  the  Kaposia  village. 

Thus  with  the  daring  blood  of  a  French  adventurer  in  one 
branch  of  his  lineage,  and  the  noble  strain  of  the  Sioux  in  the 
other,  Joseph  Renville  was  born  at  the  Eaposia  village  about  the 
year  1779,  while  the  Revolutionary  war  was  still  raging. 

Accustomed  to  see  no  European  countenance  but  that  of  his 
father,  in  sports,  habits  and  feelings,  he  was  a  full  Dakota  youth. 
But  his  father,  noting  the  activity  of  his  mind,  was  not  content 
that  he  should  be  entirely  an  Indian  boy,  and  therefore  before  he 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  83 

was  ten  years  old  took  him  to  Canada,  and  placed  him  in  the  care 
of  a  learned  and  saintly  Catholic  priest,  nnder  whose  fostering 
and  loving  tuition  he  obtained  a  slight  knowledge  of  the  French 
language  and  the  elements  of  the  Christian  religion.  But  the 
education  thus  started  was  broken  off,  for  upon  the  death  of  his 
father  the  boy  returned  to  Minnesota. 

Aa  the  youngster  attained  a  proper  age.  Col.  Robert  Dixon, 
an  Englishman  in  the  employ  of  a  British  fur  company,  who 
traded  with  the  Minnesota  Indians,  hired  him  as  a  coureur  de 
bois.  While  a  mere  stripling  he  had  guided  his  canoe  from  the 
Falls  of  Pokeguma  to  the  Palls  of  St,  Anthony,  and  followed  the 
trails  from  Mendota  to  the  Missouri.  He  knew  by  heart  the 
legends  of  his  tribe.  He  had  distinguished  himself  as  a  brave, 
and  as  he  grew  older  identified  himself  with  the  Dakotas  more 
fully  by  following  in  the  footsteps  of  his  father  and  marrying 
a  maiden  of  that  nation. 

In  1797  he  wintered  in  company  with  a  Mr.  Perlier  near  Sauk 
Rapids.  Zebulon  M.  Pike,  who  was  in  Minnesota  in  1805-06,  was 
introduced  to  him  at  Prairie  du  Chien,  and  was  conducted  by  him 
to  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony.  This  officer  was  pleased  with  him, 
and  recommended  him  for  the  post  of  United  States  interpreter. 
In  a  letter  to  General  Wilkinson,  written  at  Mendota,  September 
9,  1805,  he  says:  "I  beg  leftve  to  recommend  for  that  appoint- 
ment Joseph  Renville,  who  has  served  as  interpreter  for  the  Sioux 
last  spring  at  the  Illinois,  and  who  has  gratuitously  and  willingly 
served  as  my  interpreter  in  all  my  conferences  with  that  tribe. 
He  is  a  man  respected  by  the  Indians  and  I  believe  an  honest 

At  the  breaking  out  of  the  War  of  1812  Colonel  Dickson  was 
employed  by  the  British  to  secure  the  warlike  tribes  of  the  North- 
west as  allies.  Renville  received  from  him  the  appointment  and 
rank  of  captain  in  the  British  army,  and  with  warriors  from  the 
Ke-ox-ah  (Wabasha's  band  at  Winona),  Kaposia  and  other  bands 
of  Dakotas,  marched  to  the  American  frontier.  In  1813  he  was 
present  at  the  siege  of  Fort  Meigs.  One  afternoon,  while  he  was 
seated  with  Wabasha  and  the  renowned  Petit  Corbeau  (Little 
Crow),  the  grandfather  of  the  Little  Crow  of  the  Sioux  uprising, 
an  Indian  presented  himself  and  told  the  chiefs  that  they  were 
wanted  by  the  head  men  of  the  other  nations  that  were  there  con- 
gregated. When  they  arrived  at  the  rendezvous  they  were  sur- 
prised to  find  that  the  Winnebagoes  had  taken  an  American  cap- 
tive, and,  after  roasting  him,  had  apportioned  his  body  in  as  many 
dishes  as  there  were  nations,  and  had  invited  them  to  participate 
in  the  feast.  Both  the  chiefs  and  Renville  were  indignant  at  this 
inhumanity  and  Colonel  Dickson,  being  informed  of  the  fact; 
the  Winnebago  who  was  the  author  of  the  outrage  was  turned  out 
of  the  camp. 


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84  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

In  ISlo  Renville  accompaoied  the  Kaposia  chief  to  Dmni- 
mond's  Island,  who  had  been  invited  by  the  commandant  of  that 
poet  to  make  him  a  visit.  On  their  arrival  they  were  informed 
by  the  officer  that  he  had  sent  for  them  to  thank  them  in  the  name 
of  His  Slajesty  for  the  aid  they  had  rendered  during  the  war. 
He  concluded  by  pointing  to  a  large  pile  of  goods,  which,  he  said, 
were  presents  from  Great  Britain.  Petit  Corbeau  replied  that 
his  people  had  been  prevailed  upon  by  the  British  to  make  war 
upon  a  people  they  scarcely  knew  and  who  had  never  done  them 
any  harm.  "Now,"  continued  the  brave  Kaposia  chief,  "after 
we  have  fought  for  you,  under  many  hardships,  lost  some  of  our 
people  and  awakened  the  vengeance  of  our  neighbors,  you  make 
peace  for  yourselves,  and  leave  us  to  get  such  terms  as  we  can; 
but  no,  we  will  not  take  them.  We  hold  them  and  yourselves  in 
equal  contempt." 

For  a  short  period  after  the  war  Renville  remained  in  Canada 
and  received  the  half  pay  of  a  British  captain.  He  next  entered 
the  service  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  whose  posts  extended 
to  the  ^lississippi  and  Alinnesota  rivers.  In  winter  he  resided 
with  his  family  among  the  Dakofas ;  in  summer  he  visited  his 
trading  posts,  which  extended  as  far  as  the  sources  of  the  Red 
river. 

In  1819  Colonel  Snelling  eommehced  the  erection  of  the  mas- 
sive stone  fort  near  the  junction  of  the  Mississippi  and  Minnesota. 
From  this  time  Renville  became  more  acquainted  with  the  people 
of  the  United  States,  and  some  of  his  posts  being  within  the  limits 
of  the  Republic,  be  with  several  other  experienced  trappers,  estab- 
lished a  new  company  in  1822,  which  they  called  the  Columbia  Fur 
Company.  Of  this  new  organization  he  was  the  presiding  genius. 
When  Major  Stephen  H.  Long  arrived  at  Fort  St.  Anthony,  as 
Snelling  was  then  called,  in  the  year  1823,  he  became  acquainted 
with  Renville,  and  engaged  him  as  the  interpreter  of  the  expedi- 
tion to  explore  the  Minnesota  river  and  the  Red  River  of  the 
North.  The  historian  of  the  expedition.  Professor  William  H. 
Keating,  gave  to  the  world  one  of  the  most  interesting  accounts 
of  the  Dakota  nation  that  had  ever  been  published,  and  he  states 
that  for  most  of  the  information  he  is  indebted  to  Joseph  Ren- 
ville. 

Shortly  after  the  Columbia  Fur  Company  commenced  its  opera- 
tions the  American  Fur  Company  of  New  York,  of  which  John 
Jacob  Astor  was  one  of  the  directors,  not  wishing  any  rivals  in 
the  trade,  purchased  their  posts  and  good  will,  and  retained  the 
' '  coureurs  de  bois. ' '  Under  this  new  arrangement  Renville 
removed  to  Lac  qui  Parle  and  erected  a  trading  house,  and  here 
he  resided  until  the  end  of  his  days. 

Living  as  he  had  done  for  more  than  a  half  century  among 
the  Dakotas,  over  whom  he  exercised  the  most  unbonnded  con- 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  85 

trol,  it  is  not  surprising  that  in  bis  advanced  age  he  sometimes 
exhibited  a  domineering  disposition.  As  long  as  Minnesota  exists 
he  should  he  known  as  one  given  to  hospitality.  He  invariahly 
showed  himself  to  be  a  friend  to  the  Indian,  the  traveler  and  the 
missionary.  Aware  of  the  improvidence  of  his  mother's  race,  be 
used  his  influence  towards  the  raising  of  grain.  He  was  instru- 
mental in  having  the  first  seed  corn  planted  on  the  Upper  Minne- 
sota, An  Indian  never  left  his  house  hungry,  and  they  delighted 
to  do  him  honor.  He  was  a  frien'd  to  the  traveler.  His  conver- 
sation was  intelligent,  and  be  constantly  communicated  facts  that 
were  worthy  of  record.  His  post  obtained  a  reputation  among 
explorers,  and  their  last  day's  journey  to  it  was  generally  a  quick 
march,  for  they  felt  sure  of  a  warm  welcome.  His  son  was  the 
interpreter  of  Joseph  N.  Nicollet,  that  worthy  man  of  science  who 
explored  this  country  in  connection  with  John  C.  Fremont.  This 
gentleman  in  his  report  to  Congress  pays  the  following  tribute 
to  the  father  and  son : 

"I  may  stop  a  while  to  say  that  the  residence  of  the  Renville 
family,  for  a  number  of  years  back,  has  afforded  the  only  retreat 
to  travelers  to  be  found  between  St.  Peter's  and  the  British  posts, 
a  distance  of  700  miles.  The  liberal  and  untiring  hospitality  dis- 
pensed by  this  respectable  family,  the  great  influence  exercised 
by  it  over  the  Indians  of  this  country  in  the  maintenance  of  peace 
and  the  protection  of  travelers  would  demand,  besides  our  grati- 
tude, some  especial  acknowledgment  of  the  United  States,  and 
also  from  the  Hudson  Bay  Company." 

The  only  traveler  that  has  ever  given  any  testimony  opposed 
to  this  is  F^atherstonhaugb,  an  Englishman,  in  whose  book,  pub- 
lished in  London  in  1847,  and  styled  a  "Canoe  Voyage  up  the 
Vlinnay  Sotor,"  be  says:  "On  reaching  the  fort,  Renville 
advanced  and  saluted  me,  but  not  cordially.  He  was  a  dark, 
Indian-looking  person,  showing  no  white  blood,  short  in  his 
stature,  with  strong  features  and  coarse,  black  hair.  •  •  •  I 
learned  that  Renville  entertained  a  company  of  stout  Indians  to 
the  number  of  fifty,  in  a  skin  lodge  behind  his  house,  of  extraor- 
dinary dimensions,  whom  he  calls  his  braves,  or  soldiers.  To  these 
men  he  confided  various  trusts,  and  occasionally  sent  them  to 
distant  points  to  transact  his  business.  No  doubt  he  was  a  very 
intriguing  person  and  uncertain  in  his  attachments.  Those  who 
knew  him  intimately  supposed  him  inclined  to  the  British  alle- 
giance, although  he  professes  great  attachment  to  the  American 
government,  a  circumstance,  however,  which  did  not  prevent  him 
from  being  under  the  surveillance  of  the  garrison  at  Port  Snell- 
ing." 

The  Rev.  T.  S.  Williamson,  of  the  Presbytery  of  Chillicothe, 
arrived  at  Fort  Snelling  in  1834 ;  then  returned  to  the  East,  and 
in  1835  came  back  with  assistant  missionaries.     Renville  warmly 


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86  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY . 

welcomed  him  and  rendered  invaluable  assistance  in  the  establish- 
ment of  the  missions.  Upon  the  arrival  of  the  missionaries  at 
Lac  qui  Parle  he  provided  them  with  a  temporary  home.  He 
acted  as  interpreter,  he  assisted  in  translating  the  Scriptures,  and 
removed  many  of  the  prejudices  of  the  Indians  against  the 
teachers  of  the  white  man's  religion.  His  name  appears  in  con- 
nection with  several  Dakota  books.  Dr.  Watts'  second  catechism 
for  children,  published  in  Boston  in  1837,  by  Crocker  &  Brewster, 
was  partly  translated  by  him.  In  1839,  a  volume  of  extracts  from 
the  Old  Testament,  and  a  volume  containing  the  Gospel  of  Mark, 
was  published  by  Kendall  &  Henry,  Cincinnati,  the  translation 
of  which  was  given  orally  by  Mr.  Renville  and  penned  by  Dr. 
Williamson.  Crocker  &  Brewster  in  1842  published  Dakota 
Dowanpi  Kin,  or  Dakota  Hymns,  many  of  which  were  composed 
with  the  help  of  Renville.  The  following  tribute  to  his  ability  aa 
a  translator  appeared  in  the  Missionary  Herald  of  1846,  published 
at  Boston : 

"Mr.  Renville  was  a  remarkable  man,  and  he  was  remarkable 
for  the  energy  with  which  he  pursued  such  objects  as  he  deemed 
of  primary  importance.  His  power  of  observing  and  remembering 
facts,  and  also  words  expressive  of  simple  ideas,  was  extraor- 
dinary Though  in  his  latter  years  he  could  read  a  little,  yet  in 
translating  he  seldom  took  a  book  in  his  hand,  choosing  to  depend 
on  hearing  rather  than  sight,  and  I  have  often  had  occasion  to 
observe  that  after  hearing  a  long  and  unfamiliar  verse  read  from 
the  Scriptures,  he  would  immediately  render  it  from  the  French 
into  Dakota,  two  languages  extremely  unlike  in  their  idioms  and 
idea  of  the  words,  and  repeat  if  over  two  or  three  words  at  a  time, 
so  as  to  give  full  opportunity  to  write  it  down.  He  had  a  remark- 
able tact  in  discovering  the  aim  of  a  speaker,  and  conveying  the 
intended  impression,  when  many  of  the  ideas  and  words  were 
such  as  had  nothing  corresponding  to  them  in  the  minds  and 
language  of  the  addressed.  These  qualities  fitted  him  for  an  inter- 
preter, and  it  was  generally  admitted  he  had  no  equal." 

It  would  be  improper  to  conclude  this  article  without  some 
remarks  upon  the  religious  character  of  Renville.  Years  before 
there  was  a  clergyman  in  Minnesota  he  took  his  Indian  wife  to 
Prairie  du  Chien  and  was  married  in  accordance  with  Christian 
rites  by  a  minister  of  the  Catholic  church.  Before  he  became 
acquainted  with  missionaries  he  sent  to  New  York  for  a  large  folio 
Bible  in  the  French  language,  and  requested  those  with  him  in  the 
fur  trade  to  procure  for  him  a  elerk  who  could  read  it.  After 
the  commencement  of  the  Mission  at  Lac  qui  Parle,  his  wife  was 
the  first  full  Dakota  to  be  recorded  as  converted  to  Protestant 
Christianity.  Before  this,  through  the  instruction  of  her  husband, 
she  had  renounced  the  religion  of  her  fathers.  The  following 
is  an  extract  from  a  translation  of  Mr.  Renville's  account  of  his 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  87 

wife's  death :  "I  said  to  her:  'Now,  today,  you  seem  very  much 
exhausted,'  and  she  answered,  'Yes;  this  day,  now  God  invites 
me.  I  am  remembering  Jesus  Christ,  who  suffered  for  me,  and 
depending  on  him  alone.  Today  I  shall  stand  before  God,  and 
will  ask  him  for  mercy  for  you  and  all  my  children,  and  all  my 
kinsfolk.'  " 

Afterwards,  when  all  her  children  and  relatives  sat  around 
her  weeping,  she  said:  "It  ia  holy  day,  sing  and  pray."  From 
early  in  the  morning  she  was  speaking  of  God  and  telling  her  hus- 
band what  to  do.  Thus  she  died  in  the  faith  of  that  Christ  whose 
story  was  first  taught  her  by  Catholic  priests  and  later  by  Pres- 
byterian missionaries. 

In  1841  Renville  was  chosen  and  ordained  a  ruling  elder  in 
the  church  at  Lac  qui  Farle,  and  from  that  time  till  his  death  dis- 
charged the  duties  of  his  office  in  a  manner  acceptable  and  profit- 
able both  to  the  native  members  of  the  church  and  the  mission. 
After  a  sickness  of  some  days,  in  March,  1846,  his  strong  frame 
began  to  give  evidence  of  speedy  decay.  Dr.  Wiliiamson  thus 
narrates  the  death  scene:  "The 'evening  before  his  decease  he 
asked  me  what  became  of  the  soul  immediately  after  death.  I 
reminded  him  of  our  Saviour's  words  to  the  thief  on  the  cross, 
and  Panl's  desire  to  depart  and  be  with  Christ.  He  said,  'That  \s 
sufficient,'  and  presently  added,  'I  have  great  hope  I  shall  be 
~  saved  through  grace.'  Next  morning  (Sunday)  about  eight 
o'clock  I  was  called  to  see  him.  He  was  so  evidently  in  the  agonies 
of  death,  I  did  not  think  of  attempting  to  do  anything  for  him. 
After  some  time  his  breathing  becoming  easier,  he  was  asked  if 
he  wished  to  hear  a  hymn.  He  replied,  'Yes.'  After  it  was  sung 
he  said,  'It  is  very  good.'  As  he  reclined  on  the  bed,  I  saw  a 
sweet  serenity  settling  on  his  countenance,  and  I  thought  that 
his  severest  struggle  was  probably  passed,  and  so  it  proved.  The 
clock  striking  ten,  he  looked  at  it  and  intimated  that  it  was  time 
for  us  to  go  to  church.  As  we  were  about  to  leave  he  extended 
his  withered  hand.  After  we  left,  he  spoke  some  words  of  ex- 
hortation to  his  family,  then  prayed  and  before  noon  calmly  and 
quietly  yielded  up  his  spirit." 

Sixty-seven  years  passed  by,  before  he  closed  his  eyes  upon 
the  world.  The  citizens  of  Kentucky  delight  in  the  memory  of 
Daniel  Boone;  let  the  citizens  of  Minnesota  not  forget  Joseph 
Renville. 


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88  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

CHAPTER  VII. 

TLTVEB.  NAVIOATION. 

Indian  Da^s  on  the  Minnesottb— Mackin&w  Boats — Early  Voy- 
ages— Period  of  Steam  Navi^tion — Names  of  Boats  Which 
Beached  the  Upper  Stretches  of  the  Bi7er — Oradnal  Seduc- 
tion in  Birer  Traffic. 

Minnesota  received  its  name  from  the  longest  river  which  lies 
wholly  within  this  state,  excepting  only  its  sources  above  Big 
Stone  lake.  During  a  hundred  and  sixty  years,  up  to  the  time 
of  the  organization  of  Minnesota  Territory,  in  1849,  the  name  St, 
Pierre,  or  St,  Peter,  had  been  generally  applied  to  this  river 
by  French  and  English  explorers  and  writers,  probably  in  honor 
of  Pierre  Charles  Le  Sueur,  its  first  white  explorer.  The  ab- 
original Sious  name  Minnesota  means  clouded  water  (Minne, 
water  and  sota,  somewhat  clouded),  and  Neill,  on  the  authority 
of  Rev.  Gideon  H.  Pond,  poetically  translated  this  to  mean  sky- 
tinted.  The  river  at  its  stages  of  flood  becomes  whitishly  turbid. 
An  illustration  of  the  meaning  of  the  word  has  been  told  by 
Mrs.  Moses  N.  Adams,  the  widow  of  the  venerable  missionary 
of  the  Dakotas.  She  states  that  at  various  times  the  Dakota 
women  explained  it  to  her  by  dropping  a  little  milk  into  water 
and  calling  the  whitishly  clouded  water  "Minne  sota."  This 
name  was  proposed  by  General  H.  H.  Sibley  and  Hon.  I^Iorgan 
L.  Martin,  of  Wisconsin,  in  the  years  1846  to  1848,  as  the  name 
of  the  new  territory,  which  thus  followed  the  example  of  Wis- 
consin in  adopting  the  title  of  a  large  stream  within  its  borders. 

During  the  next  few  years  after  the  selection  of  the  terri- 
torial name  Minnesota,  it  displaced  the  name  St.  Peter  as  ap- 
plied in  common  usage  by  the  white  people  to  the  river,  whose 
euphonious  ancient  Dakota  title  will  continue  to  be  borne  by 
the  river  and  the  state  probably  long  after  the  Dakota  language 
shall  cease  to  be  spoken. 

The  Chippewa  name  for  the  stream,  Ash-kiibogi-sibi,  "The 
River  of  the  Green  Leaf"  is  now  nearly  forgotten,  and  the  French 
name  St.  Pierre  is  known  only  by  historians. 

The  picturesque  river  which  gave  our  commonwealth  its  name 
had  always  been  an  important  feature  in  the  geography  and  his- 
tory of  this  northwest  country. 

The  geologist  reads  in  the  deep  erosion  of  this  valley,  and  in 
its  continuance  to  Lake  Traverse,  which  outflows  to  Lake  Winni- 
peg and  Hudson  bay,  the  story  of  a  mighty  river,  the  outlet  of 
a  vast  ancient  lake  covering  the  Red  river  region  in  the  dosing 
part  of  the  Glacial  period.  Wliat  use,  if  any,  the  primitive  men 
of  that  time  made  Of  this  majestic  stream,  we  know  not. 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  89 

Many  and  varied  have  been  the  scenes  enacted  upon  its  banks, 
scenes  of  thrilling  adventure  and  glorious  valor,  as  well  as  of 
happy  merriment  and  tender  love.  It  was  for  centuries  the 
arena  of  many  a  sanguinary  conflict,  and  the  blood  of  the  lowas, 
Dakotas,  Ojibways,  and  white  men,  often  mingled  freely  with 
its  flood. 

For  generations  unknown  the  only  craft  its  bosom  bore  was 
the  eanoe  of  the  Indian,  Then  eame  the  French  traders,  with 
their  retinue  of  voyagers,  who  made  our  river  an  avenue  of  a 
great  commerce  in  Indian  goods  and  costly  furs.  For  over  a 
hundred  years  fleets  of  canoes  and  Mackinaw  boats,  laden  with 
Indian  merchandise,  plied  constantly  along  the  river's  sinuous 
length.  The  sturdy  voyagers,  however,  left  to  history  but  a  scant 
record  of  their  adventurous  life.  A  brave  and  hardy  race  were 
they,  inured  to  every  peril  and  hardship,  yet  ever  content  and 
happy;  and  long  did  the  wooded  bluffs  of  the  Minnesota  echo 
with  their  songs  of  old  France. 

The  first  white  men  known  to  have  navigated  the  Minnesota 
were  Le  Sueur  and  his  party  of  miners,  who  entered  its  mouth 
in  a  felucca  and  two  row  boats  on  September  20,  1700,  and 
reached  the  mouth  of  the  Blue  Earth  on  the  thirtieth  of  the  same 
month.  The  next  spring  he  carried  with  him  down  the  river  a 
boat-load  of  blue  or  green  shale  which  he  had  dug  from  the 
bluffs  of  the  Blue  Earth,  in  mistake  for  copper  ore.  Much  more 
profitable,  doubtless,  he  found  the  boat-load  of  beaver  and  other 
Indian  furs,  which  he  took  with  him  at  the  same  time.  This  is 
the  first  recorded  instance  of  freight  transportation  on  the  Min- 
nesota river. 

In  the  winter  of  1819-20,  a  deputation  of  Lord  Selkirk's  Scotch 
colony,  who  had  settled  near  the  site  of  Winnipeg,  traveled 
through  Minnesota  to  Prairie  du  Chien,  a  journey  of  about  a 
thousand  miles,  to  purchase  seed  wheat.  On  April  15,  1820,  they 
started  back  in  three  Mackinaw  boats  loaded  with  200  bushels 
of  wheat,  100  bushels  of  oats,  and  30  bushels  of  peas.  During 
the  month  of  May  they  ascended  the  Minnesota  from  its  mouth 
to  its  source,  and,  dragging  their  loaded  boats  over  the  portage 
on  rollers,  descended  the  Red  river  to  their  homes,  which  they 
reached  early  in  June. 

The  Mackinaw  or  keel  boats  used  on  the  river  in  those  days 
were  open  vessels  of  from  twenty  to  fifty  feet  in  length  by  four 
to  ten  feet  in  width,  and  capable  of  carrying  from  two  to  eight 
tons  burden. 

They  were  propelled  by  either  oars  or  poles  as  the  exigencies 
of  the  river  might  require.  The  crew  usually  comprised  from 
five  to  nine  men.  One  acted  as  steersman,  and,  in  poling,  the 
others,  ranging  themselves  in  order  upon  a  plank  laid  lengthwise 
of  the  boat  on  each  side,  would  push  the  boat  ahead;  and  as 


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90  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

each,  in  rotation,  reached  the  stero,  he  would  pick  up  hia  pole 
and  start  again  at  the  prow.  Their  progress  in  ascending  the 
river  would  be  from  five  to  fifteen  miles  per  day,  depending  upon 
the  stage  of  the  water  and  the  number  of  rapids  they  had  to 
climb. 

Dr.  Thomas  S.  Williamson,  the  noted  missionary  to  the  In- 
dians, in  describing  his  first  journey  up  the  valley  of  the  Min- 
nesota, in  June,  1835,  gives  an  interesting  account  of  how  he 
shipped  his  wife  and  children  and  his  fellow  helpers,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  A.  G.  Huggins,  with  their  goods,  on  one  of  these  boats,  which 
was  nine  days  in  making  the  trip  from  Port  Snelling  to  Traverse 
des  Sioux. 

In  the  correspondence  of  Mrs.  S.  R.  Riggs,  the  wife  of  an- 
other famous  missionary  to  the  Sioux,  is  found  a  vivid  picture 
of  a  Mackinaw  boat,  belonging  to  the  old  Indian  trader.  Phil- 
ander Prescott,  in  which  she  ascended  the  Minnesota  in  Septem- 
ber, 1837.  It  was  about  forty  feet  long  by  eight  feet  wide  and 
capable  of  carrying  about  five  tons.  It  was  manned  by  a  crew 
of  five  persons,  one  to  steer,  and  two  on  each  side  to  furnish 
the  motive  power.  Oars  were  used  as  far  as  to  the  Little  Rapids, 
about  three  miles  above  Carver,  and  thence  to  Traverse  des  Sioux 
poles  were  employed.     The  journey  consumed  five  days. 

Illustrative  of  the  size  and  capacity  of  some  of  the  canoes 
used  by  the  traders,  we  find  George  A.  McLeod  in  April,  1853, 
bringing  down  from  Lac  qui  Parle  to  Traverse  des  Sioux  forty 
bushels  of  potatoes,  besides  a  crew  of  five  men,  in  a  single  canoe 
twenty-five  feet  long  by  forty-four  inches  wide,  hollowed  out  of 
a  huge  Cottonwood  tree. 

The  first  steamboat  to  enter  the  Minnesota  river  was  the  Vir- 
ginia on  May  10,  1823.  She  was  not  a  large  vessel,  being  only 
118  feet  long  by  22  feet  wide,  and  she  only  ascended  as  far  as 
Mendota  and  Fort  Snelling,  which  during  the  period  between 
the  years  1820  and  1848  were  about  the  only  points  of  importance 
in  the  territory  now  embraced  within  our  state.  Hence  all  the 
boats  navigating  the  upper  Mississippi  in  those  days  had  to 
enter  the  Minnesota  to  reach  these  terminal  points. 

Except  for  these  landings  at  its  mouth,  and  save  that  in  1842 
a  small  steamer  with  a  party  of  excursionists  on  board  ascended 
it  as  far  as  the  old  Indian  village  near  Shakopee,  no  real  attempt 
was  made  to  navigate  the  Minnesota  with  steamboats  until  1850. 
Prior  to  this  time  it  was  not  seriously  thought  that  the  river  was 
navigable  to  any  great  distance  for  any  larger  craft  than  a  keel 
boat,  and  the  demonstration  to  the  contrary,  then  witnessed,  has 
made  that  year  notable  in  the  history  of  the  state. 

On  June  28,  1850,  the  Anthony  "Wayne,  which  had  just  ar- 
rived at  St.  Paul  with  a  pleasure  party  from  St.  Louis,  agreed 
to  take  all  passengers  for  $225  as  far  up  the  Minnesota  as  navi- 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  91 

gation  was  possible.  They  reached  the  foot  of  the  rapids  near 
Carver,  the  captain  decided  not  to  continue  the  passage,  turned 
the  steamboat  homeward.  Emulous  of  the  Wayne 's  achievement, 
the  Nominee,  a  rival  boat,  arranged  another  excursion  July  12, 
ascended  the  Minnesota,  passing  the  formidable  rapids,  placing 
her  shingle  three  miles  higher  up  the  river.  The  Wayne,  not  to 
be  outdone,  on  July  18  with  a  third  excursion  party,  ascended 
the  river  two  or  three  miles  below  the  present  city  of  Mankato. 
The  success  of  these  boats  incited  the  Harris'  line  to  advertise  a 
big  excursion  on  the  Yankee,  and  that  steamer  reached  a  point 
on  the  Minnesota  river,  a  little  above  the  present  village  of  Jud- 
SOQ,  in  Blue  Earth  county. 

The  steamer  Excelsior,  in  the  summer  of  1651,  conveyed  the 
treaty  commissioners,  their  attendants  and  supplies  to  Traverse 
des  Sioux,  and  later  the  Benjamin  Franklin,  No.  1,  ascended 
the  river  with  a  load  of  St,  Paul's  excursionists  to  witness  the 
progress  of  the  famous  treaty.  In  the  fall  the  Uncle  Toby  con- 
veyed to  Traverse  des  Sioux,  the  first  load  of  Indian  goods  under 
the  new  treaty. 

The  springing  up  of  embryo  towns  in  the  Minnesota  Valley 
stimulated  steamboat  transportation,  and  during  the  early  sea- 
son of  1852,  the  steamboat  Tiger  made  three  trips  to  Mankato. 
The  midsummer  rains  having  restored  the  navigable  condition 
of  the  river,  the  Black  Hawk  was  chartered  in  July  for  three 
trips  to  Mankato.  She  also  made  during  the  season  two  trips 
to  Babcock's  Landing,  opposite  the  present  site  of  St.  Peter,  and 
one  to  Traverse  des  Sioux.  The  Jenny  Lind  and  Enterprise  were 
also  engaged  in  the  traffic. 

Navigation  was  opened  on  the  Minnesota  in  1853  by  the  new 
boat,  the  Greek  Slave ;  the  Clarion,  also  new,  entered  the  trade 
this  year. 

Two  events  of  1853,  of  much  importance  in  the  development 
of  the  Minnesota  river  trade,  were  the  establishing  upon  its  head 
waters  of  the  Sioux  Agencies  and  the  erection  in  their  vicinity 
of  Fort  Ridgely.  The  necessity  thus  created,  of  transporting  to 
such  a  distance  up  the  river  the  large  quantity  of  supplies  re- 
paired annually  by  both  soldier  and  Indian,  gave  an  impetus 
for  years  to  the  steamboat  trafdc  of  the  Minnesota. 

The  West  Newton,  Captain  D.  S.  Harris,  secured  the  con- 
tract to  convey  the  troops  with  their  baggage  from  Fort  Snelling 
to  the  new  post.  She  was  a  small  packet,  150  feet  long  and  of 
300  tons  burden,  and  had  been  bought  the  summer  before  by  the 
Harris  brothers  to  compete  with  the  Nominee  in  the  Mississippi 
river  trade.  She  left  Port  Snelling  on  Wednesday,  the  twenty- 
seventh  of  April,  1853,  having  on  board  two  companies  of  the 
Sixth  U.  S.  Regiment,  in  command  of  Captains  Dana  and  Mon- 
roe.    To  help  carry  baggage,  she  had  two  barges  in  tow.     The 


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92  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

Tiger  had  also  departed  from  St.  Paul  on  the  tiventj-fifth,  and 
the  Clarion  on  the  twenty-sixth,  each  with  a  couple  of  barges  in 
tow,  heavily  loaded  with  supplies  for  the  new  fort  and  the  agen- 
cies. The  "West  Newton,  being  the  swiftest  boat,  passed  the 
Clarion  at  Henderson,  and  the  Tiger  near  the  Big  Cottonwood, 
and  thence  to  the  site  of  the  new  fort  (Fort  Ridgely)  at  the 
mouth  of  Little  Rock  creek,  was  the  first  steamer  to  disturb  the 
waters  of  our  sky-tinted  river. 

The  Minnesota  this  year  remained  navigable  all  summer,  and 
a  number  of  boats  ascended  it  to  Port  Ridgely  and  the  Lower 
Sioux  Agency,  while  others  went  to  Mankato  and  other  points. 
The  passenger  travel,  as  well  as  the  freight  trade,  was  excellent. 

The  winter  of  3853-1854  was  mild  and  open;  the  river  broke 
up  early  without  the  usual  freshet.  Owing  to  the  success  of  the 
prior  season,  the  boatmen  had  great  expectations.  They  were, 
however,  doomed  to  disappointment.  Captain  Samuel  Humbert- 
son,  who  owned  the  stern  wheel  steamboat  Clarion,  had  sold  it 
and  purchased  a  fine  new  boat,  170  feet  long  with  thirty-eight 
staterooms,  which  he  called  the  Minnesota  Belle.  May  3,  with 
a  large  load  of  immigrants  and  freight,  he  started  up  the  Minne- 
sota, His  new  boat  failed  to  climb  the  Little  Rapids,  near  Carver, 
and  he  had  to  abandon  the  trip.  A  rainfall  a  few  days  later 
swelled  the  river,  and  enabled  the  Black  Hawk  to  reach  Traverse 
des  Sioux.  The  lola  and  Montello,  during  the  summer,  ran 
fairly  regular  trips  between  Little  Rapids  and  Traverse  des  Sioux 
supplementing  the  Black  Hawk,  Humbolt  and  other  boats  plying 
below  the  rapids. 

Large  keel  boats,  denominated  barges,  propelled  after  the 
ancient  method  by  a  crew  of  men  with  poles,  became  common  on 
the  river  this  year.  Andrew  G.  Myrick  placed  two  of  these 
barges  on  the  river  in  charge  of  the  Russell  boys.  These  vessels 
were  from  50  to  60  feet  long,  10  to  12  feet  wide,  and  with  sides 
four  to  five  feet  high,  along  the  top  of  which  was  fastened  a 
plank  walk,  for  the  use  of  the  pole  men,  A  small  low  cabin  for 
the  cook  was  built  in  the  stern,  and  during  foul  weather  a  big 
tarpaulin  was  spread  over  the  goods.  A  full  crew  consisted  of 
a  captain,  who  also  acted  as  steersman,  ten  to  a  dozen  pole  men, 
and  a  cook.  "With  a  fair  stage  of  water  the  usual  speed  up 
stream  was  twelve  to  fourteen  miles  a  day,  but  if  sandbars  or 
rapids  interfered  a  mile  or  two  would  be  a  hard  day's  journey. 
Down  stream,  however,  they  would  travel  much  faster.  Most 
of  the  supplies  for  Fort  Bidgely  and  the  Sioux  Agencies,  as 
well  as  for  all  up  river  towns,  had  to  be  transported  this  year 
in  such  barges. 

The  snowfall  in  the  winter  of  1854-1855  was  again  light  conse- 
quently the  Minnesota  continued  low  during  the  following  spring. 
Louis  Robert,  having  the  contract  this  year  to  deliver  the  Sioux 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  93 

aunuitieH,  took  them  up  to  the  Agency  late  in  October  in  the 
Globe,  of  which  Edwin  Bell  was  then  captain.  Within  two  miles 
of  the  landing  the  boat  struck  on  a  rock,  and  the  goods  had  to  be 
unloaded  on  the  river  bank.  While  Captains  Roberts  and  Bell 
■were  gone  to  carry  the  Indian  money,  amounting  to  $90,000  in 
gold,  to  Fort  Ridgely,  the  Indians,  who  were  gathered  in  force 
to  divide  the  provisions,  carelessly  set  fire  to  the  dry  grass,  which 
wiis  quickly  Pommunicated  to  the  pile  of  goods,  and  most  of  them, 
including  fifty  kegs  of  powder,  were  destroyed. 

Of  his  experiences,  Captain  Edwin  Bell  had  said:  "In  1855 
I  had  coiiniiand  of  the  steamer  Globe,  making  trips  on  the  Minne- 
sota river,  and  in  the  early  fall  of  that  year  we  carried  supplies 
to  the  Sioux  at  Redwood  Agency.  The  Indians  would  come  down 
the  river  several  miles  to  meet  the  boat.  They  were  like  a  lot 
of  children,  and  when  the  steamboat  approached  they  would 
shout,  'Nitonka  Pata-wata  washta,'  meaning  'Your  big  fire-canoe 
is  good.'  They  would  then  cut  aerOss  the  bend,  yelling  until  we 
reached  the  landing. 

"In  the  fall  of  that  year,  1855,  their  suppbes  were  late, 
when  I  received  orders  from  Agent  Murphy  to  turn  over  to  the 
Lidians  twelve  barrels  of  pork,  and  twelve  barrels  of  flour.  As 
soon  as  we  landed,  we  rolled  the  supplies  on  shore.  I  was  in- 
formed that  the  Indians  were  in  a  starving  condition.  It  was 
amusing  to  see  five  or  six  of  them  rolling  a  barrel  of  pork  up 
the  bank,  when  two  of  our  deck  hands  would  do  the  work  in  half 
the  time. 

"A  young  Indian  girl  stood  at  the  end  of  the  gang  plank, 
wringing  her  hands  and  looking  toward  the  boat,  exclaiming 
'Sunka  sanicha,'  meaning  'They  have  my  dog.'  The  cabin  boy 
told  me  the  cook  had  coaxed  the  dog  on  board  and  hid  it.  I 
could  speak  the  language  so  as  to  be  understood,  and  I  mo- 
tioned to  the  girl  and  said,  'Niye  kuwa,'  meaning  'Come  here.' 
She  came  on  board,  and  I  told  the  cook  to  bring  the  dog  to  me. 
When  the  dog  came,  she  caught  it  in  her  anns,  exclaiming, 
'Sunka  washta,'  meaning  'Good  dog.'  She  then  ran  on  shore 
and  up  the  bill.  It  seemed  to  me  that  white  people  took  advan- 
tage of  the  Indian  when  they  could,  even  steamboat  cooks. 

"When  the  flour  and  pork  were  on  level  ground,  the  barrel 
heads  were  knocked  in,  and  the  pork  was  cut  in  small  strips  and 
thrown  in  a  pile.  Two  hundred  squaws  then  formed  a  circle, 
and  several  Indians  handed  the  pieces  of  pork  to  the  squaws  until 
the  pile  was  disposed  of.  The  flour  was  placed  in  tin  pans,  each 
squaw  receiving  a  panful. 

"Later,  in  the  same  season,  we  had  an  unfortunate  trip.  The 
boat  was  loaded  deep.  Luckily  Agent  Murphy  and  Capt.  Louis 
Robert  were  on  board.  We  had  in  the  cabin  of  the  boat  ninety 
thousand  dollars  in  gold.    About  three  miles  below  the  Agency, 


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H  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

we  ran  on  a  large  boulder.  After  much  effort,  we  got  the  boat 
afloat.  Major  Murphy  gave  orders  to  land  the  goods,  so  that 
they  might  be  hauled  to  the  Agency.  We  landed  and  unloaded, 
covering  the  goods  with  tarpaulins.  There  were  about  fifty  kegs 
of  powder  with  the  goods.  While  we  were  unloading,  the  agent 
sent  for  a  team  to. take  Captain  Robert  and  himself,  with  the 
gold,  to  the  Agency.  Then  we  started  down  the  river.  We  had 
gone  only  a  few  miles,  when  we  discovered  a  dense  smoke,  caused 
by  a  prairie  fire.  The  smoke  was  rolling  toward  the  pile  of 
goods,  which  we  had  left  in  charge  of  two  men.  When  we 
reached  the  ferry  at  Red  Bank,  a  man  on  horseback  motioned 
us  to  land,  and  told  us  that  the  goods  we  left  were  all  burned 
up  and  the  powder  exploded.    This  was  a  sad  blow  to  the  Indians. 

"The  following  is  a  list  of  the  steamboats  running  on  the 
Minnesota  river,  during  high  water,  in  the  year  1855  and  later : 
Clarion,  Captain  Humberson ;  Globe,  Captain  Edwin  Bell ;  Time 
and  Tide,  Captain  Nelson  Robert;  Jeannette  Roberts,  Captain 
Charles  Timmens;  Mollie  Moler,  Captain  Houghton;  Minnesota, 
Captain  Hays;  and  the  Frank  Steele  and  Favorite,  both  side- 
wheel  steamers.  These  boats  were  drawn  off  when  the  water  got 
low;  and  when  the  railroad  paralleled  the  river,  all  boats  quit 
running. 

"On  the  sixteenth  day  of  December,  1895,  I  called  on  Gov- 
ernor Ramsey  again,  to  talk  over  old  times,  forty-five  years  after 
my  first  call.  What  changes  have  taken  place  since  then  1  When 
I  started  to  leave,  I  thought  I  would  see  how  much  the  governor 
remembered  of  the  Sioux  language.  I  said,  'Governor,  nitonka 
tepee,  washta.'  'What  did  you  say,  captain!'  asked  the  gov- 
ernor. I  replied,  'Nitonka  tepee,  washta,'  'Why,  captain,'  said 
he,  'that  means,  my  house  is  large  and  good;'  and,  with  a  wink. 
'Captain,  let's  have  a  nip.'  Of  course  we  nipped,  and  said  'Hoi' 
All  old  settlers  will  know  the  meaning  of  the  Sioux  exclamation, 
'Hoi'" 

A  good  fall  of  snow  during  the  winter  of  1855-56  caused  an 
abundant  supply  of  water  in  the  river  next  spring.  The  navi- 
gation of  the  Minnesota  for  the  season  of  1856  was  opened  on 
April  10  by  the  Reveille,  a  stern-wheel  packet,  in  command  of 
Captain  R.  M,  Spencer,  Four  days  later,  the  Qlobe,  with  Nelson 
Robert  as  captain,  departed  from  St.  Paul  for  the  same  river, 
and  she  was  followed  the  next  day  by  the  H.  S.  Allen. 

The  Reveille  was  considered  a  fast  traveler,  and  as  an  in- 
stance of  her  speed  it  is  recorded  that  on  her  second  trip  of  this 
year  she  left  St.  Paul  at  2  p.  ra.  on  Thursday,  April  17,  with  132 
passengers  and  a  full  load  of  freight,  and  arrived  at  Mankato  by 
Saturday;  and  that  leaving  the  latter  place  at  5  a.  m.  the  next 
day,  she  reached  St.  Paul  by  8  p.  m.  that  evening,  after  having 
made  twenty-four  landings  on  the  way. 


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HISTOBT  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  95 

On  May  5,  the  Reveille  landed  at  Mankato  a  company  of  set- 
tlers numbering  two  or  three  hundred,  known  as  the  Mapleton 
Colony ;  and  the  following  Saturday  (May  10)  the  H.  T.  Teatman 
landed  at  South  Bend  a  company  of  Welsh  settlers  from  Ohio, 
numbering  121  souls.  The  Teatman  was  a  large  stem-wheel  boat, 
about  the  largest  that  ascended  the  Minnesota,  and  this  was  her 
first  trip.  She  continued  in  the  trade  only  a  few  weeks,  while  the 
water  was  high.  Her  captain  was  Samuel  G.  Cabbell.  Regular 
trips  were  made  this  year  by  several  boats  to  Fort  Ridgely  and 
the  Lower  Sioux  Agency,  and  some  ascended  to  the  Upper 
Agency,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Yellow  Medicine  river. 

The  time  table  of  Louis  Robert's  fine  packet,  the  Time  and 
Tide,  issued  for  this  season,  shows  the  distance  from  St.  Paul  to 
Yellow  Medicine  to  be  446  miles.  To  an  old  settler  who  actually 
traveled  on  a  Minnesota  river  steamboat  in  those  early  days,  the 
idea  of  a  time  table  may  seem  rather  amusing;  for  if  there  waa 
anything  more  uncertain  as  to  its  coming  and  going,  or  more  void 
of  any  idea  of  regularity,  than  a  steamboat  the  old  time  traveler 
never  heard  of  it.  Now  stopping  in  some  forest  glen  for  wood, 
now  tangled  in  the  overhanging  boughs  of  a  tree  with  one  or 
both  smoke-stacks  demolished,  now  fast  for  hours  on  some  sand- 
bar, and  now  tied  up  to  a  tree  to  repair  the  damage  done  by 
some  anag,  while  the  passengers  sat  on  the  bank  telling  stories, 
or  went  hunting,  or  feasted  on  the  luscious  wild  strawberries 
or  juicy  plums  which  grew  abundantly  in  the  valley,  were  com- 
mon oecnrrences  in  steamboat  travel.  Many  a  pioneer  remembers 
the  Time  and  Tide,  and  how  its  jolly  captain,  Louis  Robert, 
would  sing  out  with  sonorous  voice,  when  the  boat  was  about  to 
start,  "All  aboard!  Time  and  Tide  waits  for  no  man,"  and  then 
add,  with  a  sly  twinkle  in  his  eye,  "and  only  a  few  minutes  for 
a  woman."  Though  we  of  today  may  think  such  method  of 
travel  tedioiis,  yet  it  had  many  pleasant  features,  and  to  the 
people  of  that  time,  unaccustomed  to  the  "flyers"  and  "fast 
mails"  of  today,  it  seemed  quite  satisfactory. 

The  Minnesota  river  trade  was  unusually  brisk  in  1857  owing 
to  a  good  stage  of  water.  Two  new  boats  entered  this  year, 
the  Frank  Steele,  a  side  wheel  packet,  owned  by  Captain  W.  F. 
Davidson,  and  the  Jeannette  Robert,  a  large  stern  wheel  packet, 
owned  by  Captain  Louis  Robert.  The  total  trips  made  during 
the  season  was  292,  of  which  the  Antelope  made  105. 

The  winter  of  1857-1858  proved  very  mild,  and  the  Minnesota 
river  broke  up  tmusually  early  and  was  kept  in  good  navigable 
condition  during  the  season.  The  Freighter  was  the  only  new 
boat  to  engage  in  the  trade  this  year.  There  were  179  arrivals  at 
Mankato  from  points  above  as  well  as  below  the  former,  though 
did  not  exceed  twenty-five  or  thirty.    The  total  number  of  trips 


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96  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

Tras  394,  the  Antelope  again  heading  the  list  with  201  to  her 
credit. 

In  1859,  the  river  broke  up  early  after  a  mild  winter,  and 
the  Freighter  arrived  at  Mankato,  the  first  boat,  on  March  27, 
having  left  St.  Paul  two  days  before.  An  abundant  rainfall  kept 
the  river  in  good  navigable  condition  its  entire  length  through 
moat  of  the  season.  The  Favorite,  an  excellent  sidewheel  packet 
of  good  size,  built  expressly  for  the  Mionesota  trade  by  Commo- 
dore Davidson,  entered  as  a  new  boat  this  spring. 

As  the  water  was  quite  high  in  the  upper  Minnesota,  Captain 
John  B.  Davis  of  the  Freighter,  conceived  the  idea  of  crossing 
bis  boat  over  from  the  Minnesota  to  Big  Stone  lake  and  thence 
to  the  Red  river,  and  accordingly  about  the  last  of  June  he  at- 
tempted the  feat.  Whether  the  crew  found  too  much  whiskey  at 
New  Ulm  or  the  boat  found  too  little  water  on  the  divide,  authori- 
ties differ,  but  ail  agree  that  the  captain  and  his  crew  came  home 
in  a  canoe  about  the  last  of  July,  passing  Mankato  on  the  twenty- 
fifth  of  the  montli,  having  left  his  steamboat  in  dry  dock  near  the 
Dakota  line.  The  Freighter  was  a  small,  flat-bottomed,  square- 
bowed  boat.  The  Indians  pillaged  her  of  everything  but  the 
hull,  and  that,  half  buried  in  the  sand  about  ten  miles  below 
Big  Stone  lake,  remained  visible  for  twenty  or  thirty  years.  The 
captain  always  claimed  that  if  he  had  started  a  month  earlier 
his  attempt  would  have  been  successful. 

The  navigation  on  the  Minnesota  in  1860,  owing  to  the  low 
water,  was  mostly  confined  to  the  little  Antelope,  in  her  trips  to 
Shakopee  and  Chaska.  Of  250  arrivals  at  St.  Paul  she  had  to  her 
credit  198.  The  new  boat  Albany,  of  very  light  draught,  also  the 
Eolian,  which  had  been  raised  from  the  bottom  of  Lake  Pepin, 
■where  she  had  lain  since  the  spring  of  1858,  and  the  Little  Dorrit 
were  put  into  the  trade  instead  of  the  Frank  Steele,  the  Time 
and  Tide  and  the  Favorite,  which  came  up  as  far  as  St.  Peter 
for  a  trip  or  two.  The  Jeannette  Robert  managed  to  get  up  as 
far  as  Mankato  a  few  times,  and  during  a  small  freshet  in  July, 
made  one  trip  to  the  Sioux  Agency. 

The  spring  of  1861  opened  with  a  big  flood  in  the  Minnesota. 
The  first  boat,  the  Albany,  left  St.  Paul  on  March  30,  and  arrived 
at  Mankato  April  1.  She  was  offieered  by  J.  V.  Webber,  captain 
(who  was  now  the  owner,  having  purchased  her  from  the  David- 
son company  in  March),  Warren  Qoulden,  first  clerk,  and  Moses 
Gates,  engineer.  It  was  claimed  by  the  older  Indians  and  traders 
that  the  upper  Minnesota  was  higher  this  spring  than  it  had  been 
since  1821.  In  April  the  Jeannette  Robert  ascended  farther  up 
the  river  by  two  miles  than  any  steamboat  had  ever  done  before, 
and  might  easily  have  accomplished  what  the  Freighter  attempted 
and  failed  to  do  in  1859,  to  wit,  pass  over  into  the  Red  river,  if 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  97 

she  had  tried ;  for  the  two  rivers  were  united  by  their  high  flood 
between  lakes  Big  Stone  and  Traverse. 

This  season  the  Minnesota  Packet  Company,  of  which 
Captain  Orrin  Smith  was  preudent,  put  two  first  class  boats, 
the  City  Belle  and  Fanny  Harris,  into  the  river  to  compete  witfe 
the  Davidson  and  Robert  lines.  The  Fanny  Harris,  on  her  first 
trip,  which  occurred  during  the  second  week  of  April,  went  to 
Fort  Ridgely,  and  brought  down  Major  (afterwards  General) 
Thomas  W.  Sherman  and  his  battery  to  quell  the  southern  rebel- 
lion, which  had  just  started.  With  her  also  weut  the  Favorite, 
and  brought  down  Major  (afterward  General)  John  C.  Pember- 
ton,  with  his  command  of  eighty  soldiers,  the  most  of  whom 
being  southern  men,  were  much  in  sympathy  with  their  seceding 
brethren. 

The  barges  of  Captain  Cleveland  were  kept  busy  in  the  trafflc 
between  Mankato  and  points  below.  The  first  shipment  of  wheat 
in  bulk  from  the  Minnesota  was  made  in  June  of  this  year,  1861, 
on  one  of  these  barges.  It  comprised  4,000  bushels,  and  was 
taken  direct  to  La  Crosse.  Heretofore  it  had  been  shipped  in 
sacks.  Wheat  had  now  become  the  principal  export  of  the  val- 
ley. During  the  earlier  years  all  the  freight  traffic  on  the  river 
had  been  imported,  but  by  this  time  the  export  of  trains  had 
grown  to  be  an  important  item.  With  so  many  Indians  in  the 
valley  the  shipment  of  furs,  which  at  first  had  been  about  the 
only  export  of  the  country,  still  continued  valuable;  but  furs, 
because  of  their  small  bulk,  cut  but  little  figure  in  the  boating 
business.  This  year  the  value  of  the  furs  from  the  Sioux  Agen- 
cies was  $48,416;  and  from  the  Winnebago  country,  $11,600. 

From  this  time  there  was  a  gradual  reduction  in  river  traffic. 
In  1866  the  St.  Paul  and  Sioux  City  railroad  reached  Belle 
Plaine,  and  connections  were  there  made  with  boats  for  points 
higher  up  the  river.  In  October,  1868,  Mankato  was  reached, 
and  in  1871  the  Northwestern  railway  reached  New  Ulm,  which 
practically  ended  the  navigation  of  the  Minnesota  river. 

The  Osceola,  a  small  boat,  owned  by  Mark  D.  Flowers  and 
Captain  Hawkins,  ascended  the  Minnesota  as  far  as  Redwood 
once  in  1872,  twice  in  1873  and  once  in  1874,  the  water  having 
been  low  and  navigation  difficult.  In  1876,  owing  to  high  water 
in  the  spring,  the  Ida  Fulton,  and  Wyman  X  came  up  the  river; 
and  ten  years  later  one  trip  was  made  by  the  Alvira.  For  an- 
other ten  years  no  steamboat  was  seen  on  the  Minnesota  until, 
taking  advantage  of  a  freshet  in  April,  1897,  Captain  E,  W.  Durant 
of  Stillwater,  ran  his  boat,  the  Henrietta,  a  stem-wheel  vessel  170 
feet  long  with  forty  staterooms,  on  an  excursion  to  Henderson, 
St.  Peter  and  Mankato. 


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9S  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
LAND  OFFICE  SECOBDS. 

Original  Claimants  to  RanviUe  Cotinty  Land — Boll  of  Honor  of 
Those  Pioneers  Who  First  Cleared  the  Land  and  Erected 
Cabins — Old  Settlers  Who  Braved  the  Bigors  of  Pioneer  En- 
deavor. 

The  original  patents  to  land  in  Renville  county,  upon  which 
all  subsequent  deeds  and  transfers  are  based,  were  obtained 
chiefly  under  the  pre-emption  act,  under  the  homestead  law,  and 
from  the  railroads.  The  first  settlers  obtained  their  homes  under 
the  pre-emption  act,  by  the  provisions  of  which  they  were  re- 
quired to  make  certain  improvements,  to  live  upon  their  land  a 
certain  length  of  time,  and  to  pay  $1.25  an  acre.  There  were  cer- 
tain restrictions  as  to  the  size  of  the  claim  and  as  to  the  eligi- 
bility of  those  who  filed.  Instead  of  paying  money  the  settlers 
often  paid  soldiers'  script  which  they  had  purchased  at  a  dis- 
count. This  script  had  been  issued  to  soldiers,  entitling  each 
veteran  to  a  certain  number  of  acres  free.  Few  of  the  soldiers 
ever  used  this  script  to  obtain  land,  and  thousands  of  these 
papers  fell  into  the  hands  of  speculators,  by  whom  they  were 
sold  to  settlers.  Under  the  homestead  act,  which  replaced  the 
pre-emption  act,  the  government  issued  a  patent  after  a  person 
had  lived  on  an  eighth  or  quarter  section  (according  to  location) 
for  a  certain  period,  and  made  certain  improvements.  Many  of 
the  people  obtained  their  land  from  the  railroads;  many  different 
railroads  having  land  in  Renville  county. 

The  following  transcriptions  from  the  land  office  records  gives 
the  original  owners  of  all  the  land  pre-empted  and  homesteaded 
in  Renville  county.  This  is  the  roll  of  honor  of  those  who  dared 
the  rigors  of  a  pioneer  country  and  started  the  first  developments. 
The  list  is  in  the  main  accurate,  though,  through  carelessness  of 
the  land  office  registers  and  their  clerks,  the  original  entries  are 
often  misspelled,  and  transcriptions  of  more  or  less  illegible  hand- 
writing since  that  date  have  distorted  some  of  the  names  in  vari- 
ous ways.  But  especial  efforts  have  been  made  to  insure  accuracy 
in  this  printed  list,  and  the  names  of  thousands  of  old  pioneers 
will  be  recognized.  A  few  of  the  original  claimants  are  still 
living,  and  many  families  are  still  residing  on  the  original  claim 
of  their  father  or  grandfather. 

In  the  following  list,  where  a  person's  farm  lay  in  several  sec- 
tions, or  where  a  second  claim  was  later  taken  in  another  section, 
only  the  first  section  of  the  first  filing  is  given,  except  in  special 
cases,  for  a  constant  repetition  of  names  would  needlessly  cumber 
the  rolls. 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  99 

Township  113,  range  33  (BaiidoQ).  The  first  claim  in  this 
township  was  filed  by  John  Kagaiu  on  October  5, 1867,  section  20. 
1876 — Iver  Jeremiason,  22;  Iver  Iverson,  22;  ToUef  Pederson, 
22;  Mary  Hansen,  26;  Lars  Olson,  26;  Peter  Olson,  26;  John  P. 
Nestande,  26;  Iver  Brandjord,  32;  Gabriel  A.  Nelson  34.  1877— 
John  Kelly  12;  Heirs  of  Michael  Kelly,  12;  Anthony  KeUy,  12; 
Paul  H.  Knudson,  14;  Andrew  Dahlquist,  14.  1878— Gunenia 
Peterson,  2 ;  Peter  Pederson,  2 ;  Ole  Knudsen,  i ;  Patrick  Cronin, 
4;  Jeremiah  Desmond,  6;  John  Desmond,  6;  Hans  Carlson,  10; 
Karl  Oleson,  10;  Hans  Gumpolen,  34;  Ole  Eriekson,  34.  1879^ 
Thomas  Brick,  6;  John  Igo,  24.  1880— Daniel  Hanlon,  6;  Mar- 
garet Desmond,  6;  Jeremiah  O'Shea,  30;  Joseph  Thomas,  24. 
1881 — Thomas  Brick,  6 ;  James  Hurley,  18 ;  Marthinus  Johanson, 
28.  1882— Patrick  Cronin.  1883— Hans  Carlson,  10;  John  Mc- 
Cabe,  20.  1885— Peder  Nestande,  2;  Erick  EUeword,  10;  Arthur 
Gribben,  20. 

Township  113,  rangi  34  (Birch  Oool^) .  The  first  claims  were 
filed  in  1861.  Francis  LaBathe  filed  in  section  29  and  Louis  La- 
Croix,  Jr.,  in  section  32.  No  other  claim  was  filed  until  after 
the  Massacre.  The  first  claim  filed  afteV'the  "Massacre  was  in 
1864.  1864— Heirs  of  John  Zimmerman,  31,  32.  1865— Peter 
Weindger,  20;  Martha  Clausen,  28.  1866— Joseph  Reno,  29.  1867 
—Robert  W.  Davis,  15;  Darwin  S.  Hall,  27;  Philip  Vogtman, 
30 ;  Benjamin  R.  Damsen,  31 ;  Joseph  McConnell,  33 ;  William 
Tracy,  34.  1868— Frederick  Blume,  18 ;  John  Conlon,  20 ;  Henry 
J.  Whitcher,  22 ;  Samuel  J.  Bacon,  30.  1869— Dennis  Larry,  26 ; 
Thomas  0.  Connor,  26 ;  John  Delaney,  28 ;  Joseph  G.  Dean,  29 ; 
John  Kumro,  32.  1870— Perry  Burch.  6;  John  R.  Weimer,  15; 
George  Buery,  30,  31;  Fred  Blume,  30.  1871— William  Killmer, 
14;  Wolfgang  Weis,  19,  20;  Joseph  L.  Preston,  21;  Samuel  H. 
Sands,  22;  Patrick  Ryan,  28;  John  Tracy,  28;  Phineas  Reynolds, 
29;  Thomas  Miller,  32;  John  Edget,  32;  Randall  M.  Simmons,  32. 
1872— David  R.  Culver,  2 ;  Arnold  Jackson,  8 ;  Willard  Drury,  11 ; 
Michael  Kiefer,  18;  Adelmer  Price,  18;  Christi'an  Blume,  18; 
George  McCuUock,  20;  John  Vogtman,  30.  1873— Andrew  J. 
Sherwood,  2;  Thomas  Gilroy,  10;  Patrick  Quirk,  10;  Rufus  H. 
Baker,  14 ;  John  Foley,  14,  24 ;  Henry  Sheer,  18 ;  Terance  Brazil, 
Jr.,  21;  Alexander  McConnell,  33;  Christian  C.  Roe,  34.  1874— 
Marcus  Martin,-  4 ;  Heir  of  John  Mauley,  4 ;  Peter  Henry,  8 ;  Owen 
T.  Tnbbs,  11;  Michael  Brick,  22;  James  Leary,  24;  Jeremiah  0. 
Keefe,  24 ;  William  Fox,  26 ;  Daniel  Tracy,  34.  1875— James  M. 
Eaton,  4;  John  Strawsell,  18;  Rufus  F.  Richardson,  22;  Patrick 
Delaney,  22 ;  Michael  Brazil,  29 ;  Samuel  J.  Comstock,  30 ;  Wil- 
liam Tracy,  34.  1876— Robert  Jones,  20;  Michael  Ragen,  24; 
David  Shore,  24.  1877— Michael  Toole,  34.  1878— John  Carr,  8 ; 
James  Carr,  8 ;  John  Drury,  14 ;  Wesley  Drury,  14.  1879-T7ohn 
Landy,    24.      1880 — John    Jones,    8;    James    Head,    14;    John 


Digili: 


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100  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

Desmond,  24.  1882— "William  H.  Jewell,  22.  1883— Michael 
Ryan,  6. 

Towmbip  112,  rai^e  34  (Birch  Oooley).  The  first  claims  iu 
this  township  filed  before  the  Massacre  were  as  follows :  1860 — 
Joseph  Coursoll,  Jr.,  2,  11;  Louisa  Roi,  3,  10;  Lillia  La  Croix,  4; 
Frederick  La  Croix,  4;  Spencer  La  Croix,  4;  John  Magner,  11. 
1861 — Louis  La  Croix,  Jr.,  5;  Antoine  Young,  5.  1862— June  2, 
Lucy  Weeman  Kawertewin,  6.  The  first  claim  after  the  Massa- 
cre was  filed  on  November  10,  1862,  by  Mary  S.  Bobertaon,  in 
section  6.  1865— John  Anderson,  13.  1868— Nelson  C.  Frazier, 
3.  1869— John  Klensler,  12,  1.  1870— Truman  H.  Sherwin,  4, 
Edward  Kleinechmidt,  11,  12,  14;  Holder  Jacobus,  12.  1871— 
Maltris  Persen,  1;  David  D.  Prazier,  4;  Hobart  B.  Jackson,  10; 
Peter  Lahlte,  12;  Clemens  Tredbar,  12.  1873— Even  J.  Trana,  2; 
Ole  Johnson,  2;  Sevald  Iversen,  2;  Iver  Iverson,  2j  William  H, 
Post,  10.  1875:— Engebret  Olson,  10 ;  Hellick  Anderson,  12.  1876 
— Johan  Raisanan,  6.    1877 — Moses  J.  OrifBn,  5. 

Towtubip  116,  range  32  (Bnxdcfteld).  The  first  claims  in  this 
township  were  filed  by  Edward  K.  Hitchcock,  September  1,  1865, 
section  2;  E.  J,  Tremper,  August  7,  1865,  section  12;  David  Har- 
rington, August  7,  1865,  section  13;  Walter  Q.  Horton,  August 
7, 1865,  section  14;  James  Moore,  October  7, 1865,  section  15;  Ed- 
ward Hitchcock,  September  1,  1865,  section  22.  1866— Henry 
Jarret,  4 ;  James  A.  Beaver,  6 ;  C.  H.  Pettit,  8 ;  Ezra  Cornell,  10 ; 
Seth  0.  Adams,  10;  R.  J.  Mendenhall,  14;  Eben  S.  Fisher,  15; 
George  N.  Fisher,  15 ;  Adam  Schreiver,  21 ;  Henry  Ritz,  Jr.,  21 ; 
James  Edwards,  29;  James  A.  Beaver,  29.  1867— Chaa.  T.  Bar- 
kuloo,  6,  8.  1868— Jerome  G.  Todd,  2;  Daniel  G.  Martin,  12. 
1871— Joseph  Catterlin,  12 ;  Hattie  A.  Waldron,  18.  1872— Alex- 
ander Camp,  26;  Chas.  E.  Porter,  26;  John  Wilt,  26;  Margaret 
Baker,  28 ;  Edward  K.  Pellet,  34.  1873— John  Booth,  24 ;  Henry 
£!errand,  26 ;  Thomas  F.  Deming,  28 ;  Dighton  Grinde,  28 ;  William 
Fleet,  28 ;  George  D.  Stoddard,  28 ;  George  Taylor,  30 ;  Edgar  M. 
Ridout,  34.  1874— John  Gerrard,  22;  George  L.  Wilson,  34; 
Bartinus  Case.  34.  1875— Chas  E.  Porter,  22;  William  A.  Cald- 
well, 34.  1877— Aubrey  M.  Knight,  18;  Thomas  Simmons,  25; 
Benjamin  J.  Butler,  27 ;  Abraham  Slingerland,  27 ;  Dugal  N.  Mc- 
Call,  33;  Neil  J.  MeCall,  33;  Edwin  A.  Kuiskem,  33;  Preston 
Souther,  33;  Julia  D.  Graham,  35.  1878— William  A.  Butler,  27; 
Thomas  F.  Deming,  28;  John  Hendriclt,  31;  Southard  E.  Cool- 
idge,  31;  Joseph  Ashbaugh,  34.  1879— Nelson  N.  Shater,  24; 
Dugal  il.  McCall,  33;  Walter  B.  Graham,  34.  1880— Abner  Daily, 
18 ;  John  Doyle,  30.  1883— George  B.  Peaeoijk,  25 ;  Thomas  Sim- 
mons, 2o ;  William  B.  Chandler,  25 ;  Nath^i  C.  Potter,  27 ;  Hugh 
B.  Cannon,  31 ;  Arnold  Gates,  31 ;  Preston  Souther,  33 ;  Clark  Me- 
Bwen,  35;  Robert  T.  Whitnall,  35.  1884— John  L.  Farber,  8. 
188&— Thomas  M.  Paine,  15 ;  Charles  H.  Davis,  17. 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  101 

Township  116,  range  31  (Boon  Lako).  The  first  claim  was 
filed  in  1856  by  George  M.  Michael  in  section  34.  In  1861,  V.  P. 
Kennedy  and  M.  B.  Rudisill  took  claimB  in  sections  7  and  8,  and 
no  other  claim  was  filed  until  after  the  Massacre.  The  first  one 
after  the  Massacre  was  filed  in  1864  hy  William  Fremming  in  sec- 
tion 13.  1865 — Francis  R.  Maxwell,  4;  Augustus  T.  Perkins,  4; 
Wm.  E.  Merrill,  8,  9;  E.  U.  Russell,  29;  Ira  S.  Shephard,  28,  33. 
1866— B.  G.  BrowTi,  2;  Ezra  Cornell,  6;  James  C.  Hodgdon,  20; 
Joseph  B.  Drake,  27 ;  Hattie  L.  Baker,  28,  34.  1867— Avery  W. 
Chase,  2;  Charles  T.  Barkuloo,  6;  G.  K.  Gilbert,  10;  Albert  Mar- 
quardfi.  12;  Gottlieb  Kredritz,  14;  Carl  Bohn,  14.  1868— Martin 
Smandt,  4;  Henry  Albert  Schultz,  12.  1 869— Ithaitier  Hogue,  2; 
Charles  Eggart,  12;  Albert  W.  Potter,  18;  Ira  L.  Gleason,  18; 
James  C.  Hodgdon,  20;  Frederick  Wilbreight,  24;  George  R. 
Green,  32;  George  A.  GiflEord,  34.  1870— Ann  M.  Kinney,  10; 
Martin  Lohrens,  12;  Chrlstof  Girchow,  14;  August  Seitilt,  14; 
Martin  Mittwer,  22;  John  Rodman,  24.  1871— Hattie  A.  Wal- 
dron,  8 ;  Heury  C  Kuhlinann,  14 ;  Orrin  Hodgdon,  18 :  George  D. 
Potter,  18;  Ludwig  Rannow,  22;  William  McLaughlin,  22;  C.  F. 
Eggert,  24;  George  D.  Stoddard,  24;  John  Guthcridge,  26;  Henry 
T.  White,  26;  George  S.  Eduer.  26;  James  W.  Post,  30:  James 
Chapman,  30;  Walter  0.  Simmons,  30;  Mary  Mogarty.  34.  1872 
— Owen  Carrigan,  22;  James  Carrigan,  22;  George  L.  Wilson,  24; 
Alonzo  P.  Briggs,  26;  Warren  1).  Graham.  28;  William  Phare, 
28;  William  S.  Pierce,  30;  .Tames  McKeongh,  30;  Thomas  Den- 
ning, 30;  David  Graham.  30;  John  H.  Tyson,  30;  Timothy  Mc- 
Keongh. 30;  Moses  T.  Ridont,  32;  Lucy  H.  Case,  32;  Samuel  T. 
Green,  34.  1873— Ernest  D.  Kirst,  14;  August  Heinke,  14;  Elnora 
A.  Potter,  18;  John  G.  Bogar,  20.  1874— August  Kressin.  2;  A. 
Leopold  Pfeil,  10;  Fred  Strei.  10;  Mary  Kerrigan,  22.  1875— 
Frederick  Liuser,  24;  Soreu  Peterson,  24;  Heinrieh  Scliewe,  24; 
William  A.  Robbins,  28.  1876— Joseph  I.  Farrar,  26.  1S77— Lud- 
wig Lohrenz,  19;  Adolph  Lohrenz,  19;  Michael  Brazel,  25;  John 
Rice,  35.  1878— Thomas  E.  Richard,  19;  Daniel  Weinkanf.  25; 
John  MeLaughliu.  27.  1879— Henry  B.  Palms,  7;  Elisha  G.  Deni- 
8on,  19;  Nelson  H.  Shafer,  19;  Andrew  Jacobson,  25;  John  Good- 
man, 35;  Charles  H.  Sullivan,  35;  William  J.  Sullivan.  35.  1880 
—Charles  D.  McEwen,  31;  Charles  E.  Sheppard,  34.  1883— Gib- 
son Richards,  19;  Christian  J.  Skodt,  25;  Edgar  I).  Kinney,  27; 
Maggie  Hogarty,  27;  Michael  Carrigan.  27;  Maggie  Smart,  31; 
George  Maddock,  31 ;  George  W.  Hall,  35.  1882— Bowman  C.  Mc- 
Ewen, 31;  Howard  L.  McEwen,  31.  1884— George  Bradford,  19; 
William  J.  Newell,  27.     1885— Hugh  Carrigan,  27. 

TownBhip  113,  range  36  (Beaver  Falls).  The  first  claims  on 
this  township  were  filed  by  Mary  Renville,  April  23,  1861,  section 
12;  Mary  Martin,  October  28,  1861,  section  13;  Sophia  Renville, 
April  23,  1861,  section  22;  Mary  S.  Robertson,  April  23.  1861, 


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102  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

section  22;  Martha  C.  Robertson,  April  1,  1861,  section  27.  1862 
—Isaac  Renville,  20 ;  Mary  S.  Robertson,  26.  1863 — August  Lin- 
derinan,  7;  John  Meyer,  7;  Nathan  D.  White,  15;  H.  W.  Nelson, 
18;  Terrace  Eisenrich,  26.  1866— David  Carothers,  18;  Benedict 
June,  26 ;  James  Carothers,  28.  1869— John  H.  White,  11 ;  Walter 
Roe,  26.  1870— George  Bureh,  1;  Roswell  R.  Corey,  8;  Adelbert 
D.  Corey,  8;  Thomas  F.  Marsh,  10;  Henry  Ahrena,  11;  William 
Cowan,  12;  Piederich  Wichmann,  11;  Nathan  D.  White,  18;  John 
Dagen,  24;  Albert  Dagen,  24;  Fred  Blume,  25.  1871— Albert 
Schafer,  1;  Francis  B.  Hall,  4;  Jane  S.  Greely,  6;  Thomas  H. 
Risinger,  8 ;  Lycurgus  Hall,  9 ;  Marlow  S.  Spicer,  11 ;  Henry 
Blume,  13;  John  S.  0.  Honner,  19;  Homer  Smith,  21;  Henry 
Carstens,  24.  1872— William  Hall,  4;  Nora  Swift,  10;  Chris- 
topbur  Burch,  10;  Russel  Butler,  12;  John  A.  Bush,  13;  Andrew 
Hunter,  23;  John  Arnott,  25.  1873— Joseph  Rourke,  2;  David 
Ferguson,  2 ;  Joseph  Carruth,  2 ;  Darby  Rourke,  2 ;  William  Hall, 
4;  Frederick  Haviland,  4;  Gegrge  W.  Sargent,  4;  William  Beck- 
mann,  6;  Clark  W.  Corey,  6;  Walter  Clift,  7;  Jasper  Fischer,  7; 
Marlow  S.  Spicer,  10;  Joseph  Kartak,  10;  Mike  Scheffler,  12; 
Friederick  Starch,  12;  William  H,  Davis,  18;  Frederick  H.  Homei- 
er,  24;  Andreas  Pregler,  24.  1874 — Andrew  Sandborn,  4;  Andrew 
Johnson,  4;  John  Lappin,  24.  1875 — Joseph  Zeis,  6;  Myran  C. 
Brace,  18.  1877— Jonas  Salabury,  20.  1878— Jonathan  H.  Bux- 
ton, 10;  Albert  H.  Bishop,  10;  James  H.  Peters,  18.  1879— Na- 
thaniel Swift,  10.  1880— Bezalul  G.  McKay.  6.  1881— James  H. 
Peters,  18;  Clark  W.  Frink,  18.  1882— Nahum  Stone,  23;  Heirs 
of  Caleb  Rich,  8.'  1883— Lewis  E.  Morse,  2 ;  Luman  A.  Colson,  21. 
1884— James  Carruth,  2;  Robert  Arnolt,  25. 

Towmilip  115,  range  34  (Bird  Island).  The  first  claims  filed 
in  this  township  were  in  1874:  April  7,  1874,  Charles  Humboldt, 
6;  December  23,  1874,  Benjamin  Feeder,  14;  November  10,  1874, 
Marion  Boyer,  28;  October  6,  1874,  Thomas  W.  Gage,  30.  1875— 
Calvin  Boyer,  28.  1876— Jonas  E.  Barker,  8;  James  M.  Bowler, 
24;  Nicholas  O'Brien,  26;  John  Mcintosh,  8.  1878— Benjamin 
Feeder,  2 ;  Jonas  B.  Lambert,  10 ;  Joseph  Feeder,  14 ;  John  Nester, 
18;  George  H.  Miller,  18;  Nahum  Tainter,  24;  Joseph  S.  Bowler, 
26;  John  Johnson,  34.  1879 — Selma  Lawdon.  4;  Jerome  Balsley, 
30.  ^880— Heirs  of  Edward  Bowler,  2 ;  Harlow  D.  Jackson,  20 ; 
James  Curren,  30;  Charles  Humboldt,  6.  1881 — John  Engstrom, 
2 ;  Nettie  C.  Weems,  2 ;  Alice  L.  Hiekcox,  2 ;  John  J.  Stearns,  4 ; 
Patrick  Cully,  10.  1882— John  Neater,  18;  George  Nester,  30; 
Joseph  Sharbono,  32 ;  Anthony  Sanger,  34 ;  Jonas  E.  Barker,  8 ; 
Joseph  Hanns,  8;  Heirs  of  Edward  Bowler,  2.  1883 — Joseph 
Sharbono,  Jr.,  32;  William  Wolff,  20;  William  Morse,  18;  Dennis 
Deaay,  10;  Selma  Lawdon,  4.  1884 — Byron  H.  Gates,  6;  John 
Engstrom,  12.    1885— Arnold  Jaekson,  32. 

TowQship  116,  range  36  (Crooks).    The  first  claim  was  filed 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  103 

by  Eaten  Baeken,  section  8,  in  1872.  1873 — John  Johnson,  18; 
John  Gist,  30.  1876— Albert  E.  Kinne,  18.  1877— Aubrey  M. 
Knight,  2,  6,  10;  Job  J.  Pratt,  30.  1878— James  McLaren,  4,. 6, 
14 ;  Lewis  P.  Larson,  28 ;  Edward  C.  Bakan,  28 ;  ToUef  Olsen,  28 ; 
James  Mattson,  28 ;  Jacob  Olsen,  32 ;  John  Smith,  32.  1879— Sam- 
uel P.  Ralsen,  26.  1880— Peder  Eberhardtsen,  18;  Charles  B. 
Gordon,  20;  George  F.  Miksch,  26.  1881— Clans  A.  Baeken,  18; 
Franklin  A.  Gordon,  20;  Albert  Dagen,  24;  Martin  J.  Mattison, 
26 ;  Lars  L.  Otnes,  34 ;  Hans  S.  Andraa,  34.  1882— Mads  0.  Kul- 
tom,  20;  Halstein  F.  Otos,  34.  1883— Frederick  Shaller,  22;  Mar- 
greth  Sugmyi,  22;  Gulbrand  Chris  Jansen,  28;  John  McKinley, 
32.  1884— -TohannGrabow,  20;Nil8TenglesonGrenson,  26.  1885 
— Samming  Karlsen,  28;  Ingebor  J.  Heimdahl,  30;  Henry  S, 
Crooks,  32. 

Township  112,  range  33  (Damp).  The  first  claims  in  this 
township  were  filed  in  1861 :  William  R.  Laframboise,  22 ;  Thom- 
as A.  Robertson,  22,  23 ;  George  Guin,  34.  In  1862  Werner  Boesh 
filed  in  section  22.  No  other  claim  was  filed  until  after  the  Mas- 
sacre. The  first  claim  filed  after  the  Massacre  was  in  1864 — Hen- 
ry Graf,  19;  William  Smith,  21.  1866— Esek  J.  Lokken,  20;  Peter 
Hartman,  33.  1867— Peder  Isaksen,  20;  Ellen  Smith,  21;  Chris- 
tian Schlenysberger,  27.  1869 — Ole  Johnson,  6;  Comerick  Moon, 
12 ;  Thomas  Tweet,  17 ;  Helleck  Peterson,  20 ;  Andreas  Schott,  21. 
1870— John  Halvorson,  18;  Thor  L.  Rudy.  18.  1871— Mikkel 
Haka,  5;  Mathias  Johnson,  6;  Andrew  Johnson,  5;  Jorgen  Gu- 
branson,  6;  Henry  Knauf,  9;  Elizabeth  Graf,  18;  Martha  Ander- 
son, 18 ;  Robert  B.  Clark,  36 ;  Nels  Nelson,  36.  1872— Carl  Nelson, 
6;  Mathis  Mathison,  20;  John  Gleason,  36.  1873— James  Smith, 
2;  John  Martenson,  4;  Andrew  Louisson,  4;  John  Z»hn,  4;  Chris- 
topher Peterson,  6 ;  Torkel  Tweet,  8 ;  John  Tweet,  8 ;  Johan  Ped- 
erson,  10;  Hans  Peterson,  10;  John  Gallaher,  12;  Andrew  M. 
Nilsen,  22;  Sivert  Nilsen,  22;  John  A.  Mathiesen,  35;  Neils  01 
son,  26 ;  Mathies  0.  Lee,  26,  27 ;  John  0.  Lee,  26 ;  Andrew  Ladson, 
26 ;  Johan  Halin,  27 ;  Johanna  Gustav  Lottie,  34 ;  John  J.  Enger, 
34.  Ole  0.  Nesburg,  35 ;  Maria  Tesrow,  36.  1874— Antres  Anter- 
son,  4 ;  Christian  Christopherson,  10 ;  Torge  Torgeson,  10 ;  Thomas 
Devanah,  12;  Daniel  O'Neil,  12;  Albert  Wiehr,  13;  Amund  A. 
Berger,  13;  John  Gannon,  13;  Thomas  Koran,  14;  William  Foley, 
14;  Peder  Pederson,  20;  Andrew  0.  Hatlestad,  22;  Nelse  0.  Berge, 
23;  Mathies  0.  Hagestad,  23;  Charles  Skuttle,  23;  Laurits  H. 
Rund,  24;  Erik  G.  Melvold,  24;  Hans  0.  Gresmaen,  24;  John  Ol- 
son, 24;  Halvor  Hanson,  25;  Gilbert  Olson,  25;  Louis  Pederson, 
25.  1875— Patrick  Campbell,  2;  Patrick  Jordan,  2;  Jens  Olson, 
14.  1876— James  Maxwell,  2.  1877— Knud  Ellissen,  14.  1880— 
Louis  J.  Enger,  25.  1881— Margaret  Foley,  14;  Ole  J.  Dale,  23; 
Anders  H.  Bergley,  26 ;  Peder  Nelson,  27 ;  Ole  Jaeobsen  Stensven, 
35.,    1882— Pettcr  Gunderson,  13. 


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104  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COrNTY 

Township  112,  range  32  (Cairo).  The  first  clsims  in  this 
township  were  filed  by  Mary  Mumford,  section  31,  on  December 
17,  1861 ;  by  Adam  S.  Cristman  on  October  17,  1861,  section  32 ; 
and  Peter  Laball,  section  31,  on  April  30,  1861.  1863— Agatha 
Buehrer  (BuehoT  Buehrot),  22,  23.  1864^Bapti8te  Freynur,  31. 
1866— William  Mills,  34  and  35.  1869— Adam  Rieke,  35.  1870— 
Merritt  J.  Haines,  10;  Abram  Culver,  14;  Rensselaer  Barton,  20; 
George  Rieke,  26.  1871— Gardner  Tibbits,  10;  Chas.  A.  Grow, 
10;  Victor  Rieke,  26;  William  Rieke,  26;  Joseph  Lebarou,  28; 
Samuel  Marsh,  28;  Anos  G.  Root,  29,  32;  Wm.  0.  Root,  32;  Len- 
nigs  W.  Root,  32.  1872— William  Emerick,  10 ;  Mason  Philips, 
18;  Jay  H.  Philips,  18;  Squire  Lamphier,  18;  Urial  Tibbits,  28; 
August  Rieke,  34.  1873 — Amos  Rolfe,  4;  John  Carson,  4;  James 
O'Hara,  6;  Alonzo  R.  Gleason,  12;  Harrison  Hadley,  12:  Taliesin 
Williams,  14;  Torkel  Evensen,  18;  Hans  Evensen,  19;  Zuirglius 
B.  Pierce,  19;  Christian  Vogt,  20;  Miranda  Staats,  22;  Chas.  S. 
Ejiapp,  28 ;  Marshall  Vincent,  29 ;  Miles  P.  Clark,  31 ;  Daniel  M. 
Hall,  32;  Frederick  W.  Dieckmeier,  34.  1874— Justus  K.  Dem- 
ing,  2;  Thomas  Greer,  4;  Susan  J.  Dodge,  4;  Walter  Cavin,  6; 
Henry  W,  Dodge,  8;  James  Drake,  14;  Andrew  Thompson,  19; 
Casper  Hansen,  19;  Datis  Rector,  20;  Thomas  Olsen.  20;  Chas. 
H.  Nixon,  22;  George  R.  Orcult,  29;  Marcus  M.  Burk.  29:  Ole 
Olsen,  29;  Jakob  Pederson,  30;  Olai  Nilson,  30;  Nelson  S.  Read, 
30;  Martin  Jenson,  30.  1875— Hugh  Carson,  6;  Edmond  O'Hara, 
8;  Nils  Peterson,  8;  Sophia  Bengston,  12;  Herman  Reinke,  24; 
Hughgo  Worthington,  24;  Wilhelm  Sell,  24.  1876— Carl  Bleck, 
2;  Rudolph  Paschke,  2;  John  N.  Palmer,  2;  Chas.  Dieter,  12; 
Marguerite  Hopper,  22;  Otto  Kieeker,  24.  1877 — James  O'Hara, 
6.  1878— August  Bleck,  2 ;  John  Welch,  8 ;  George  F.  Thane,  14. 
1879— John  Hanson,  2.  1881— Adam  S.  Cristman,  32;  ilai-y  M. 
Hopkins,  34.  1883— Daniel  O'Neil,  6.  1884— Frederick  Stew- 
art,  31. 

Township  116,  range  36  (Emmet).  The  first  claim  was  filed 
1872  by  George  Ott  section  30.  1873— Loana  O'Brien,  8;  Francis 
M.  Crawford,  18 ;  Lunneaus  M.  Williams,  18 ;  NeUon  W.  Brooks, 
18;  George  D.  Wilcox,  20;  Griffith  S.  Williams,  22;  General  L. 
Dodge,  28,  30;  Samuel  Burnell,  28;  James  P.  Okins,  32;  Everett 
Wadsworth,  32;  Loren  A.  Brooks,  32.  1874^-Thomas  Foster,  8; 
Johnston  Lowrey,  24.  1875 — John  Dunican,  32 ;  Mary  Schultz, 
34.  1876 — Adolph  Bierman,  6 ;  Gunder  Johnson  Lee,  10 ;  Deidrick 
Brummer,  20;  Charles  Pickthorn,  20;  Carl  Eannenburg,  26. 
1877— Ole  Haason,  4 ;  John  W.  Wiley,  18 ;  Henrick  Frendenthal, 
20;  John  Garvay,  22;  Patrick  Coulahan,  28;  Catharine  Dunican, 
32.  1878 — Charles  Rathbone,  4;  Peder  Johnson,  4;  John  h. 
O'Brien,  6;  John  Cole,  6;  Ole  Siminson,  10;  Wilhelm  Zachou, 
12;  Dorotha  Nacke,  14;  Carl  Hannemann,  26;  Henrietta  Rob- 
child,  26;  Albert  Rosehild,  26.     1879— John  Gunderson  Lee,  10; 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  105 

Frederick  Standfurt,  14;  ■William  Yoek,  14;  Juliua  Denzin,  14; 
August  Kaatz,  14 ;  Sven  Samuelson  Oatgarden,  18 ;  Ellen  A.  Mul- 
downey,  20;  Peter  FoxKoven,  20;  Gottlieb  Schindel,  24.  1880— 
Michael  Schindel,  2;  Alfred  Symes,  6;  George  Benuison,  6; 
Carles  Zaehou,  12 ;  Hopley  R.  Tibbitte,  18 ;  Howard  JI.  Tibbitts, 
18;  John  Warner.  22;  Frederick  Kramin,  24;  James  Daly,  28; 
WiUiam  Powera,  32;  Johann  Schmidt,  34;  John  Jena,  34.  1881 
— David  Benson,  6;  Pctter  Pederson,  8;  Ferdinand  Droheiin,  12; 
Paul  Husaock,  22.  1882— Frederick  Wieland,  2 ;  Frederick  Lenz, 
10;  Carles  Hagedurn,  12;  Carl  Reetz,  22;  Timothy  Muldowney, 
28 ;  Gottfried  Grabou,  28 ;  Hans  Bottge,  30.  1883— Reiner  Mickel- 
sou,  4;  Wilhelinina  Zachou,  12;  Joseph  Branick,  34.  1884 — Hans 
Hogenson  Nes,  10 ;  James  Foster,  20 ;  Robert  McKinley.  22.  1885— 
Carl  Carlson,  4;  Frederick  W.  Kottke,  24;  Frederick  Buteiihoff, 
26 ;  Barthold  Bruramer,  30. 

Township  116,  nuig«  37  (Erickson).  The  first  claims  in  this 
township  were  filed  by  Paul  KilH  on  Hay  21,  1873,  section  20; 
by  Tolef  Torgerson,  July  12,  1873.  section  22;  by  Anton  0. 
Gerde,  June  7,  1873,  section  28;  by  Martea  P.  Diistrude.  June  10, 
1873,  section  28;  by  Hans  Larseii,  September  17,  1873,  section  30; 
by  Peter  Hanson,  May  24, 1873,  section  32.  1874— .Alagloire  Robi- 
douz,  24.  1875— Die  Hansen,  32.  1877— Aubrey  M.  Knight,  2; 
James  H.  Wilson,  8;  Ole  Frederickson.  34.  1878 — James 
McLaren,  2 ;  David  L.  Howe,  4 ;  Frans  Engbretson,  20 :  Peder  0. 
Gerde,  20;  Iver  Hanson,  28;  John  Severson,  28:  Petei'  Peterson, 
28 ;  Ole  Johansen,  30 ;  Hans  Larsen,  30 ;  Peder  O.  Dos- 
seth,  30;  Halvor  H,  Skonbeig.  32;  Henry  Paulson,  32; 
Ragnild  Wolstad,  32;  Peter  Gulbrandsen,  32;  Karen  O. 
Kolberg,  34.  1879— Ole  Helgeson  Fyre,  IS;  Hans  Han- 
son, 22 ;  Christian  Christofferson,  22 ;  Martin  Jaeobsen,  22 ; 
Lars  0-  Milsten,  22;  Iver  Thompson,  22:  Christian  Evenson,  26; 
Peder  Flanvien,  26;  Ole  G.  Knestang,  26;  Anders  Gulbrandsen, 
26 ;  Charles  0.  Gerde,  28 ;  Eli  Erieksen,  30 ;  Iver  Olsen,  30 ;  Eber- 
hart  Pederson,  34;  Ole  Olson,  34.  1880 — Georgia  L.  Volengen, 
18;  Severt  Oleson,  18;  Eriek  0.  Jerdee,  20;  Olef  Christianson,  34. 
1881 — Andrew  Erickson,  14;  Alphonse  Gaird,  24;  Gabriel 
Osniundson,  26.  1882 — .John  Hanson  Snelling,  14;  Tosteii  H. 
Wolstad,  14;  Erick  Hanson,  14;  Anders  A.  Skjefte.  18:  Anders 
Lerohl,  18 ;  Christian  Christofferson,  22 ;  John  Bredesou,  22 ; 
Louis  G.  Brisbois,  24;  Joban  S.  Oiesen,  26.  1884 — Peter  Sever- 
aen,  28;  Charles  Gerde  28.    1885— Finger  L.  Strand,  14. 

Township  114,  range  36  (Flora).  The  first  claim  in  this  town- 
ship was  filed  on  November  6,  1861,  by  Friedrich  Stolz  in  section 
35.  No  other  claim  was  filed  until  after  the  massacre.  The  first 
claims  after  the  massacre  were  filed  in  1864":  Conrad  Becker, 
18 ;  Michael  Gess,  18 ;  heirs  ot  Paul  Kitzman,  19 ;  Henry  Dryer, 
35.    1865— William  Ingalls,  22.     1866— Anna  Lassen,  33.    1867— 


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106  HISTORY  OF  BENVILLE  COUNTY 

James  W.  Graves,  7, 18.  1869— Edward  T.  Tillotson,  19,  20.  1872 
—Robert  W.  Davie,  30 ;  Henry  Engerman,  32 ;  Henry  Tinnis,  33, 
34;  Bert  Nichols,  34.  1873— L.  M.  Williams,  6;  George  D.  Wil- 
cox, 6;  Francis  Crawford,  6;  John  Miller,  8;  John  Larkin,  18; 
Hannah  Williams,  18;  Griffith  S.  Williams,  20;  William  Sperber, 

26,  36;  Christian  Sperber,  34.  1874— William  Jansen,  14;  Peter 
Benger,  20;  Carles  Beckendorf,  20;  John  Beekendorf,  20;  Emil 
Framm,  24;  Joaehira  Ahrendt,  24;  Joseph  Fisher,  28;  Christian 
Schaf er,  28.  1875— David  Brown,  8 ;  Oscar  J.  Shipley,  12 ;  Gub- 
tavus  Wanger,  14;  Philip  Williams,  18;  Margaret  Bean,  20;  Louis 
Sehafer,  28.  1876— John  O'Brien,  8;  James  O'Brien,  8;  Ferdi- 
nand Droheim,  8 ;  August  Uhlig,  22 ;  Fred  Stencamp,  22 ;  Herman 
H.  Hachman,  22;  John  Ahrendt,  24;  Friedrich  Schmidt,  24; 
Heinnich  Kuck,  34.  1877 — Matthias  Duniean,  4;  Fritz  Buck- 
boltz,  14;  Henry  Thompson,  18;  George  M.  Frey,  20;  John  Fos- 
ter, 22;  William  Prodohl,  22;  Charles  Strong,  27.  1878— Bridget 
Duniean,  4;  Elias  Scott,  7;  Ferdinand  Beltz,  8;  James  H.  Mur- 
phy, 10;  William  Pfaender,  19;  Theodore  Schoning,  24;  Fred- 
erick Fritz,  26;  Julius  Biielkrenz,  28.  1880— Thaddeus  S.  Hatth- 
away,  22 ;  Emil  Schoning,  24 ;  Henry  Sehafer,  24 ;  James  J.  Chris- 
tie, 26 ;  Leopold  Wohlraan,  28.  1882— August  Ranschke,  2 ;  Johan 
Grabow,  10.  1883— Thomas  Lowrey,  2;  Charles  Schaffer,  19. 
1884— Carl  Laske,  4 ;  John  Foster,  27. 

Township  113,  nm^  36  (Flwa).  The  first  claims  in  this  town- 
ship were  filed  by  Spencer  La  Croix  on  February  1,  1861,  sections 
2  and  3,  and  by  Lilia  La  Croix  on  February  1,  1861.  sections  2 
and  3-  The  first  claim  after  the  Massacre  was  filed  by  Adam 
PfeifFer  on  July  29,  1864,  sections  1  and  12".  1865— Heirs  of 
Wilhelm  Schmidt,  2;  Charles  Lauer,  Jr.,  12.  1866— John 
Schaef er,  1 ;  Catharine  Falkel,  2 ;  Anna  Lassan,  4 ;  Carl  Simondet, 
12 ;  John  A.  Hack,  13.  1868— Louis  Thiele,  1,  12.  1869— Hiram 
Rich,  12 ;  Caroline  Jefferson,  12.  1870— Caroline  Jefferson,  12. 
1872 — Francis  Shoemaker,  1,  2 ;  James  Gaffney,  3.  1873 — Andrew 
Brandon,  2.  1875— Joseph  Brown,  1.  1876— John  Mcintosh,  2. 
1879— John  Schaefer,  1.    1880— Celia  McCormick,  12. 

Township  116,  nuige  38  <Havi£  Creek).  The  first  claim  in 
this  township  was  filed  on  November  29,  1861,  by  Joseph  SehaPEer 
in  section  16.  He  came  back  and  secured  land  in  section  21  in 
1869.  No  other  claim  was  filed  until  after  the  Massacre.  The 
first  claims  after  the  Massacre  were  filed  in  1867 :  Antoine 
Young,  28.  1868— Louis  Kope,  21.  1869^oseph  Marsch,  21 
22,  27;  Maglidore  Robideans,  27.  1870— Christian  Oleson,  5; 
Olavies  Hanson,  19;  Peter  Castine,  35.  1871— Benjamin  F. 
Ingalls,  18 ;  Hans  Thorsen,  18,  19 ;  Ole  Olson,  26 ;  Holston  H.  Otos, 

27,  34,  35 ;  Louis  G.  Brisbois,  35.  1872— Isaac  S.  Earl,  20.  1873 — 
Fredrick  W.  Brash,  8;  Peder  Simonsen,  8;  John  Christofersen, 
14;  Mons  Anderson,  14;  Thorwald  Hansen,  18;  Knudt  T.  Rud,  20; 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  107 

Lewis  Kope,  20;  Halver  Halverson,  22;  Hans  Hansen,  22;  Die 
Evenson,  22;  Halsten  H.  Otis,  22;  Halver  Halgerson,  24;  Peter 
EricksoD,  24;  Andreas  Anderson,  26.  1874 — Lars  Hendrickson, 
2;  Hendrick  Anderson,  2;  John  Hendrickson,  2;  Olof  Erickson, 
2;  Hendrick  Erickson,  2;  Simon  Johnson,  4;  Paul  C,  Peterson, 
4;  Benjamin  N.  Bjoraa,  4;  heirs  of  Tollef  Johnson,  4;  Carl 
Jansson,  6;  Magnus  Anderson,  6;  Haagan  Olson  Agre,  10;  Peter 
C.  Peterson,  10;  Karenus  Olson  Agre,  10;  Nils  Johnson,  10;  Henry 
Henriekson,  12;  Adam  Jacobson,  14;  John  Lof,  14;  John  Ring- 
berg,  14;  Lars  Johnson,  14;  Elias  Erickson,  14;  Peter  Young,  18; 
Hans  Christian  Christianson,  22 ;  Nils  Olson,  24 ;  Ole  Hendrickson, 
24;  Bertha  Stener  Jensen,  26;  Anders  Berg,  26.  1875— Peter  C. 
Peterson,  4 ;  Hans  Berge,  4 ;  Erick  Pederson,  4 ;  Samuel  A.  Nord- 
strom, 6;  Elias  M.  Lindquist,  6;  Edward  Mattison,  6;  Ever  Matti- 
BOn,  6;  Phebe  A.  Stowe,  8;  Green  R.  Mulford,  8;  Ole  Mathiasson, 
10;  H.  Hendrick  Skoyberg,  10;  Paul  Gudbranson,  10;  George 
Bachman,  20;  Bernt  Hogensen,  24;  Helge  H.  Goodlie,  24;  Eettel 
0.  Bergan,  26.  1876— Harry  Oleson,  24 ;  Hendrick  Eliasson,  24. 
1877 — Andrew  Carlsson,  12;  Andrew  Hendrickson,  12;  Johana 
Hansen,  22.  1878— Engebret  Hansen,  8 ;  Nele  Elfaon,  8 ;  Ole  Garst- 
8on,  12 ;  Gutaf  Oleson,  12 ;  Melker  Egborn,  12 ;  Andrew  C.  Hansen, 
12;  Amt  Johan  Arntsen,  12;  Thomas  Sturm,  20.  1879— Nils 
Henriekson,  2;  Anders  G.  Rude,  2;  Henry  Wilson,  5;  Peder 
Simonsen,  8;  Christian  Predriekson,  18;  Johanna  Behnert,  20; 
Ole  P.  OlBon,  26.  1880— Nils  Anderson,  10;  Joseph  Meyer,  17; 
Hans  Hansen,  22.  1882— Christopher  Hanson,  18.  1884— Peter  J. 
Myre,  1 ;  Anders  G.  Rund,  1 ;  Halver  Gregerson,  15;  Ole  Aslaksen 
Idegarden,  25. 

Township  114,  range  38  (Hawk  Cre^).  The  first  claims  in 
this  township  were  filed  on  July  20,  1868,  by  Francis  Stay  in 
section  1  and  by  David  Carpenter  in  sections  1  and  2,  November 
9.  1868.  1870— Peter  Caatine,  2.  1871— Lewis  G.  Brisbois,  2. 
1879— Paul  Peterson,  1,  12. 

Township  116,  range  32  (Hectw).  The  first  claim  was  filed  in 
1873  by  Elijah  Houck  in  section  2.  1874— Charles  A.  Hamiseh, 
30.  1875— Morris  B.  Foster,  26.  1876— John  J.  CTarkby,  2;  Hen- 
drik  J.  Bloemendal,  34.  1877— Augustus  Brandt,  30;  Julian  S. 
Rowley,  32;  James  C.  Edson,  34.  1878— Allen  Parks,  2;  John 
Baker,  2;  Samuel  S.  Kline,  4;  Flauel  N.  Baker,  10;  Oscar  H. 
Baker,  14;  John  R.  Butler,  20.  1879— Thaddeus  S.  Benson,  10; 
Charles  H.  Laraphier,  28 ;  Cleveland  T.  Hall,  32.  1880— William 
H.  Graham,  2 ;  James  Cummings,  10 ;  Lawrence  Doyle,  18 ;  Wil- 
liams E.  Perkins,  30.  1881— Henry  W.  Hall,  8;  Kjel  Olson,  18; 
Franz  Adolph  Green,  20 ;  George  W.  Leasman,  22 ;  Peter  Prelvitz, 
26;  August  Prelvitz,  26.  1882— Chancy  Bobbins,  2;  Joseph 
Harris,  18 ;  Samuel  U.  Hatten,  18 ;  William  C.  White,  22 ;  Charles 
Leasman,   24.     1883— Gustav   Wolff,    18;   James   C.   Edson,   34. 


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108  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

1884— Samuel  Leighty,  6;  John  B.  Perkins,  30;  Gustavus  C. 
Sehmalz,  32. 

Town^p  114,  range  35  (Henryvills).  The  first  claims  in  this 
township  were  filed  by  James  S.  Chapman  on  August  18,  1869, 
section  34;  and  James  W.  Butler  on  November  5, 1869,  section  35- 
1870— Thomas  Barkey,  34;  Oscar  Hodgson,  34.  1871— George 
Nicholson,  23;  James  O'Neil,  26;  James  O'Neil,  Jr.,  27;  Robert 
Nicholson,  27;  Carl  Haltz,  33;  John  O'Neil,  26.  1872— David  E. 
Smith,  30;  Henry  J.  Seely,  32.  1873^John  J.  Schoregge,  2; 
Jacob  Krell,  18;  John  Swoboda,  18,  28;  John  Nicholson,  23; 
Patrick  Barkey,  27;  Friend  S.  Kinney,  30;  Wenzel  Swoboda, 
32;  Joseph  Kartak,  32.  1874— John  Morgan,  12;  Anthony  Par- 
rell,  24;  Joseph  C.  More,  32.  1875— Miles  Sheerin.  6;  Patrick 
O'Neil,  22;  Dennis  Morris,  22;  Anthony  Garrity,  22;  Michael 
Holden,  26 ;  James  Holden,  26 ;  Thomas  Nemitz,  28 ;  Joseph  Sharp, 
32;  Eliiah  E.  Comstock,  32;  William  O'Neil,  34;  heirs  o£  Charles 
O'Neil  (deceased),  34.  1876 — John  Morgan,  12;  George  J.  Nich- 
olson, 23 ;  George  Brown,  24 ;  Frank  M.  Carlson,  30.  1877— Gus- 
tavus  MeClure,  30;  John  Kelly,  22;  James  Barkey,  22;  Anna  W. 
Casey,  28.  1878— John  J.  Schoregge,  2;  Henry  Schoregge,  10; 
August  Zaske,  18;  Michael  Gobbish,  22.  1879— Heirs  of  Barney 
Cunningham,  24;  James  C.  Doyle,  30.  1880 — Owen  Heany,  14; 
Michael  Heany,  14.  1881 — Lawrence  Bouda,  21 ;  James  Barkey, 
22.  1883— Mary  Dworshak,  4;  Frank  Bouda,  4.  1884— John  T. 
Kelly,  24;  Michael  Garrity,  24;  Joseph  Zeta,  33.  1885— Wilhelm 
Kuglin,  20;  Jonas  J.  Bickel,  20;  Fred  Hopp,  20. 

Township  116,  range  34  (Kingman).  The  first  claim  in  this 
township  was  filed  by  C.  H.  Pettit  August  2,  1866,  section  25. 
1869— P.  D.  Hunt,  2;  George  B.  Wright,  6,  8,  14,  20;  Dudley  K. 
Johnson,  22.  1877— Aubrey  M.  Knight,  6,  10;  Jsaac  Mar.\,  24. 
1878— James  McLaren,  14.  22 ;  Henry  N.  Jones,  20 ;  Erastus  Pouch, 
26;  John  Pfeiffer,  30;  Sullivan  Adams  (guardian),  34.  1880— 
Wallace  M.  Holbrook,  24.  1881— Seth  T.  Salter,  20.  1882— Adel- 
bert  N.  Wilson,  20;  Isaac  B.  Porter,  24.  1883.— David  Coons,  20; 
David  Guptil,  30;  John  Brooten,  32.  1884— Samuel  Anderson,  4; 
John  Pfeiffer,  30 ;  Sullivan  Adams,  34. 

Township  116,  range  33  (Melville).  The  first  claim  was  filed 
in  this  township  on  December  22,  1876,  by  James  M.  Bowler,  in 
section  18.  1877— Ferdinand  Steffen,  18.  1878— Jessie  S.  Bean, 
4;  Charles  E.  Mattison,  18;  Newton  G.  Poor,  18;  Dora  J.  Califf, 
18;  Amon  McMullen,  32.  1879— George  H.  Megquier,  6.  1880— 
Lehn  Hinds,  4;  Norman  Hiekok,  8;  George  H.  Raitz,  24.  1881— 
Henry  Hippie,  6;  Matthew  S.  Rouse,  10;  Philip  Kirehner,  20; 
Ferdinand  Wolfl[.  20;  Hermund  Olson,  20;  Frank  Garske,  26; 
Peter  0.  Hoagsted,  28;  Ansmen  0.  Hoagsted,  34.  1882— Joseph 
Daily,  12 ;  Sweny  L.  Tinnes,  32.  1883— Edwin  W.  Wolff.  8 ;  Edwin 
B.  Wolff,  32;  Ole  0.  Evensen,  34.    1884— Harriet  G.  Megquier,  6; 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  109 

heirs  of  Sarah  L.  Tillotson,  6;  Henry  Hedtka,  14;  Jacob  Wiehl, 
14.    1885 — Andrew  Vikingson,  30;  Alexander  Anderson,  30. 

Towiuhip  114,  range  33  (Martintborg).  The  first  claims  in 
this  township  were  filed  July  2,  1873,  by  William  Chalk  in  sec- 
tion 20,  and  by  Thomas  Torbenson  in  section  18,  October  21, 
1873.  1874— Winfield  S.  Jones.  10.  1875— James  Smith,  28. 
1876— Friedrick  Schwarz,  24.  1877— Henry  Boland,  22.  1878— 
John  M.  Anderson,  18 ;  Oliver  L.  Fellows,  30 ;  James  Hanna,  32. 
1879— Johannes  Borieson,  30.  1880— William  Brown,  28.  1881 
— Samuel  Gilbertson,  6 ;  Eli  Stone,  8  j  Luna  W.  Benson,  14 ;  John 
W.  Bartel,  14 ;  William  Callahan,  14 ;  Martin  Mathison,  18 ;  Hal- 
fuerd  Olson,  20;  Johannes  Ameson,  20;  John  B.  Mabon,  22; 
Ferdinand  Marquardt,  26;  Fenner  Dodge,  26.  1882— Gilford  M. 
Nelson,  12;  George  Painter,  12;  James  Tompkins,  30.  1883 — 
Albert  Painter,  2;  Henry  Kohler,  4;  Sven  Pemson,  10;  Kasper 
Macbeldt,  24;  Eugene  L  Dodge,  26;  Owen  H.  Bodgers,  34. 
1884 — Joseph  Armstrong,  12 ;  Smith  Dewers,  14 ;  August 
Krieg^r,  26. 

Townaliip  114,  range  34  (N<»rfolk).  The  first  claim  in  this 
township  was  filed  on  October  7,  1870,  by  James  0.  Toole,  in  sec- 
tion 26.  1872— Peter  St.  Denis,  18.  1873— John  W.  Perry,  10; 
Darby  Hourk,  10;  John  H.  Brooks,  14;  Samuel  D.  Childs,  26,  34; 
Adelmer  Price,  28;  Michael  Gleason,  28;  Charles  H.  Sherwood, 
30,  34;  Silas  Brooks,  32.  1874— Jerome  P.  Patten,  4;  Edward  M. 
Jurin,  4 ;  Libbens  White,  6 ;  August  St.  Denis,  18 ;  Levi  E.  Sher- 
wood, 22;  Edward  Mahoney,  32.  187&— Calvin  G.  Hallock,  2; 
Aldin  Hassan,  8;  George  D.  Inghram,  20;  James  Murphy,  34. 
1876-^arae8  White,  6 ;  Reinbold  Hummel,  6 ;  Hiram  S.  Culver, 
6;  Michael  Maloney,  18;  Orange  F.  Warner,  20;  William  H. 
Anderson.  28.  1877 — Francis  Wadenspanner,  2;  Bose  Connelly, 
12;  Milton  Nelson,  14;  Peter  Henry  24;  John  Stone,  34;  Charles 
Bowler,  34.  1878— Paul  Revier,  26;  James  Powers,  26;  Dennis 
Murphy,  28;  Elbert  W.  VanOmam,  30;  William  F.  Bowler,  34. 
1879— William  Kennedy,  18 ;  John  Hogan,  28 ;  Philip  Ryan,  80. 
1880— Timothy  Kennedy,  28;  Ebenezer  CuS,  30.  1881— August 
Femkas,  12.  1882— Waldo  GoodeU,  14.  1883— Joseph  A.  May. 
8 ;  Martin  Stephens,  30 ;  Thomas  Butterly,  32.  1884— Peter  Hur- 
ley, 24.  1885— Christ  Boehme,  10;  John  Hurley,  24;  Thomas 
Brady,  32 ;  Alois  Keindl,  22. 

Township  116,  range  33  (Osceola).  The  first  claims  were 
filed  in  1865.  William  J.  Foster,  section  27,  28 ;  Thomas  Dryden, 
33  and  34.  1866— C.  H.  Pettit,  13,  15,  17,  19,  23;  William  Pettit, 
19,  21,  25 ;  James  A.  Beaver,  20 ;  James  A.  Beaver,  26,  27.  1867 
— Anrelius  Foss,  6 ;  Gertrude  Rank,  10.  1868— WUliam  Dawson, 
10;  Vincent  D.  Walsh,  14.  1871— Charles  0.  Peter,  8;  John  S. 
Jndd,  12.  1873— Ai  Laflin,  2;  Jeremiah  S.  Lillie,  4;  Franklin 
Beibe,  12.     1876— Charles  M.  Stevens,  2;  Henry  J.  Stevens,  4; 


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110  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

James  LueaB,Jr.,  22;  Michael  Parrell,  24;  James  T.  Lucaa,  Sr., 
32 ;  Albertine  Wolf,  34.  1877— Charles  P.  Barnard,  8 ;  Michaella 
de  Armes  Dueras,  8 ;  Lacretia  P.  Barrett,  8 ;  James  Rinehart,  22 ; 
Elam  L.  Ferry,  30 ;  Charles  H.  Ferry,  30.  1878-^ame8  McLaren, 
2,  4;  Luther  Daily,  22;  Benjamin  F.  Lindsley,  24;  William  Fulton, 
24;  Hamlin  V.  Poor,  30.  1879— Melville  A.  Slawson,  18.  1883— 
James  A.  Thom,  10 ;  William  T.  Bower,  32.  1883— Thomas  Mar- 
shall, 22.  1884— John  A.  Viek,  6 ;  James  M.  Hibbard,  28.  1885— 
Charles  Kenning,  18 ;  Francis  M.  Daily,  34. 

Township  116,  range  31  (Preston  Lake).  The  first  claims  in 
this  township  were  filed  in  the  years  1856  and  1857.  October  3, 
1856,  section  3,  S.  T.  Darby;  October  3,  1856,  section  11,  J.  A. 
Michael ;  October  3,  1856,  sections  14, 15,  H.  L.  Benson ;  November 
6,  1857,  sections  9,  10,  Solomon  Morrow.  1862 — Lavinia  Engle,  4. 
The  first  claims  taken  after  the  massacre  were  in  1864 :  Oliver 
S.  Munsell,  25,  26 ;  Simon  P.  Sowers,  26 ;  Benjamin  C.  Smith,  27 ; 
Aaron  R.  Sowers,  27 ;  Thomas  J.  Smith,  27,  28.  1865— J.  E.  and 
H.  Thompson,  1,  2;  Franklin  J.  Warren,  2;  David  Alway,  9; 
Helen  E.  Savage,  10,  15;  Philip  Shaw,  12;  William  A.  Herring, 
12;  Robert  Alway,  12;  William  Rosser,  21;  Miriam  C.  Simons, 
22 ;  Betsy  Miller,'  24 ;  Oliver  S.  Munsell,  25.  1866— John  B.  Down- 
erand,  1,  6;  William  S.  Jackson,  1,  6;  Albert  W.  Drake,  2;  Emma 
L.  Munsell,  5,  6,  19 ;  James  0.  Hatch,  5,  6,  8,  17 ;  Hiram  H.  Davis, 
7;  C.  W.  Munsell,  8,  17,  29;  Thomas  M.  Martin,  13;  Lorenzo  D. 
Gilbert,  15;  James  H.  Pennell,  18,  19,  31;  Levi  H.  Bartlett,  21, 
22,  28;  James  P.  Dimmet,  21;  Frank  C.  Griswold,  24;  John  L. 
Root,  30;  W.  H.  Richardson,  35.  1867— Amanda  Green,  2,  3; 
Thomas  E.  Chilaon,  4,  9 ;  David  Chilson,  9,  10.  1870— William  A. 
Herring,  11 ;  Minerva  Warren,  15;  Mary  Kearn,  9.  1871 — Robert 
Alway,  8;  William  Rosser,  14;  Ansel  A.  Lyman,  22.  1872— 
Ansel  A.  Lyman,  22.  1873— George  W.  Hall,  2 ;  George  Maddock, 
6;  William  W.  Padden,  12;  Elijah  Houck,  14;  George  Reeks,  15; 
Levi  H.  Bartlett,  28 ;  Michael  Engel,  30 ;  John  E.  Jones,  32.  1874 
— James  A.  Washburn,  4;  Lyman  Carr,  14;  Henry  P.  Bartlett, 
22.  1875— Allison  Houek,  14;  William  Briekey,  18;  Amos  B.  C. 
Douglass,  30.  1876— Francis  Maddock,  8 ;  Henry  L.  Hawes,  24 ; 
Gilbert  H.  Hawes,  24;  Curtis  Bowen,  30.  1877— George  W. 
Braley,  10 ;  John  Borden,  20 ;  Eldridge  E.  Champlin,  24 ;  Charles 
W.  Zarnkee,  30.  1878— James  McLaughlin,  34;  Sylvanus  H.  Kel- 
log,  14.  1879— Mons  Monson,  30;  Erastus  Jenkins,  13.  1880— 
William  Matzdorf,  20.  1883— John  L.  Kelderhouse,  32 ;  Sarah  E. 
Robinson,  32;  Frederick  Qerber,  18;  John  E.  Lewis,  18. 

Townsbip  114,  range  33  <FaImyra).  The  first  claims  in  this 
township  were  filed  in  1873  by  Thomas  Dougherty  in  section  18 ; 
Bringel  Tollifson  in  section  4,  and  John  King  in  section  32.  1874 
—David  L.  Green,  32.  1875— Aubin  Tollifson,  4;  Nels  Ericson, 
4;  Eric  Ericson,  8.    1876 — Aramon  Tollifson,  10;  Solomon  Berg- 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  111 

man,  22 ;  Qustaf  Anderson,  24 ;  Per  Anderson,  24 ;  Karl  Anderson, 
24;  George  Carney,  32;  John  B.  Anderson,  34;  Andrew  Jorgen^ 
son,  34.  1877— Lewis  J.  Tinnes,  6;  Sven  Iverson  Gjerald,  12 
Anton  Cbristianson,  14;  Alexander  Johansen,  14;  Ole  A.  Erick' 
son,  14 ;  Torkild  Qronnemd,  20 ;  Johanes  Erikson,  20 ;  Carl  Hokan' 
son,  22;  Swen  Ahl,  22;  Anton  F.  Jensen,  24;  Johan  B.  Johanson, 
26;  John  Anderson,  26;  Andrew  Larson,  26;  Denis  Lordan,  32. 
1878 — Lafe  Lavesson,  8;  Gilbert  Matheson,  12;  John  Pederson, 
20;  John  Magnus  Blad,  22;  Analina  Anderson,  34.  1879— Ole 
Knutson,  22 ;  Torris  Jacobson,  22 ;  Nelson  Reed,  28.  1880— Peter 
Eriekson,  18;  John  F.  Johnson,  24.  1881— Stork  Erickaon,  8; 
Carl  A.  Mork,  10 ;  Peter  Ericson,  18 ;  John  A.  Johnson,  26 ;  Ole 
Halverson,  30.  1882 — Elias  M.  Ericson,  14;  Lorens  Eriekson,  20; 
John  Oleson,  30 ;  Christopher  Danielson,  32.  1883-^ohn  Peder- 
son, 12;  Christian  Johnson,  30.  1884— Ole  Tinnes,  6.  1885— Ole 
C.  Nordskog,  18. 

Township  US,  ran^  37  (Saored  Heart).  The  first  claim  in 
this  towusliip  was  made  June  9,  1871,  by  Ole  B.  Dahl,  section  32. 
1873— Nicholas  M.  Nelson,  12;  William  TiUisch,  26;  John  Hang," 
28 ;  Peter  G.  Peterson,  30 ;  Carrie  Johanneson,  32 ;  Gilbert  Syver- 
aon,  32.  1874— Ole  P.  Rice,  20;  heirs  of  Sophia  Peterson,  26; 
Anders  Danelson,  34;  Peter  Sundquist,  34;  Lars  Johan  Berg,  34; 
Nils  Nilaon,  34;  Hendrick  Persson,  34;  Erick  Eriekson,  34.  1875 
— Hendrick  Hendrickson,  6;  John  Eriekson,  6;  Thomas  Olson, 
6;  Hendrick  Olson,  6;  Paul  Eriekson,  18;  Johan  W.  Rise,  22; 
Ole  S.  Maurud,  22;  August  W.  Rise,  22;  Ingeburd  Peterson,  22; 
Stephen  Olson,  26;  Johan  Olson,  26 ;  Auders  Jonasson,  26 ;  Marem 
Anders  Hognes,  26 ;  Ole  Johanesson,  28 ;  Embert  Einerson.  28 ; 
Jacob  GaudmuBOn,  30;  Eric  Gunderson,  30;  Ole  Olson,  30.  1876 
— Ole  Anderson,  12 ;  John  Oleson,  14 ;  Kari  Rise,  20 ;  Marn 
Weimer,  22;  Ole  Sorensen,  24;  Christina  Lundquiat,  34.  1877— 
Carl  Hansen,  2 ;  Halvor  Hanson,  4 ;  Ole  Christophson,  6 ;  Hendrick 
Hendrickson,  6;  James  Hanson,  8;  Johan  H.  Nordby,  14;  Simon 
Peterson,  14;  Brent  Christensen,  20;  Christian  Christcnsen,  20; 
Ole  Eriekson,  22;  John  Bergquist,  22;  John  M.  Holmberg,  24; 
Jones  Grand,  24;  Carl  0.  Holmberg,  24;  P.  J.  Petterson,  24; 
Ole  Nelson,  28;  Peter  Christenson,  30;  Christopher  Oleson,  30; 
Ole  Christopherson,  30;  John  Sundquist,  34.  1878— Haivtr  Chris- 
tensen, 8;  Hans  0.  Field,  8;  Hans  Halverson,  8;  Knud  Olsen  Boe, 
10;  Abraham  Larson,  10;  Tobias  Hanson,  10;  Lars  Frederickson, 
10;  Charles  C.  Johnson,  10;  Ole  S.  Ostagaard,  12;  Haagan  Haa- 
gansen,  14;  Ever  Gunderson,  18;  Paul  Eriekson,  18;  Anders 
Anderson,  18 ;  Erick  Johnson,  18 ;  John  Johnson,  18 ;  Andrew 
Halverson,  18;  Halver  Christensen,  18;  Brede  Christensen,  20; 
John  Peterson,  20 ;  Henry  Hendrickson,  20.  1879— Gulick  Nilson, 
2 ;  Enndt  Nilson,  2 ;  Knud  Asmundson,  4 ;  Ole  Syverson  Eng,  8 ; 
B.   Hoganson,    18;   Joseph    Anderson,    24;    Paul    Eriekson,    24; 


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U2  fflSTOBY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

Frederick  Schrader,  26;  Ole  Olsen,  31;  Maria  Johnson,  32;  Peter 
Osiie,  32;  Kittil  Qullitikson,  32.  1880— Aslack  Asmundson,  4; 
Gunnerius  Martinson,  8;  Bersvend  S.  Hagen,  8;  Ole  Amundsen, 
12 ;  Jolin  Johnson,  14 ;  John  Hang,  28 ;  Ole  Johaneson,  28 ;  Hendrik 
Berg,  28.  1881— Peter  B.  Olson,  12 ;  Ole  Anderson,  12 ;  Berger 
Skjonneson.  14.  1882— Ole  Olson,  4.  1883— Peter  Oleson,  2; 
Finger  C'hrietopherson,  4;  Ole  Syverson  Eng,  8.  1885 — Majeatina 
Swanson,  2. 

Township  114,  nng^  37  (SaOTed  Heart).  The  first  clfum  was 
filed  in  1868  by  Francis  Stay,  in  section  6.  1870— John  0.  Paine, 
12,  13.  1869— Thor  Helgeson,  5;  Dortus  L.  Green,  8;  Chris- 
tianson  Charleston,  8;  William  F.  Van  Deyer,  13;  Chriatiau  Gort- 
ter,  33;  Daniel  Ames,  24.  1871— Helick  Olson,  5;  Thomas  Olson, 
5 ;  Ole  B.  Dahl.  5 ;  Bartel  Larson,  6 ;  Ole  Heliekson,  6,  7 ;  Thomas 
Halvorson.  7.  8;  Ole  S.  Reishus,  6.  1872— Samuel  Burnell,  12. 
1873 — Herman  Halvorson,  4;  Christian  Christenson,  6;  Iver  Iver- 
son,  6;  German  P.  Green,  8;  Dortus  L.  Green,  8;  Nelson  W. 
Brooks,  12;  Loanua  O'Brien,  14;  William  Beekman,  14;  James 
P.  Okens,  14;  Charlotte  Okens,  14;  Alfred  P.  Hale,  14;  John  Nor- 
man, 14.  1874— Joune  Enestvedt,  10 ;  Nellie  Enestvedt,  10 ;  Wil- 
liam Jansen,  12;  Samnel  Daniell,  14;  Turae  Horganson,  22.  1875 
— Gunder  Sorenson,  2 ;  Thor  Sorenson,  2 ;  Christian  Olson,  2 ;  Ole 
Olson,  2 ;  John  Olson,  2 ;  John  Beekman,  2 ;  Peder  Olson,  10 ; 
Phehe  Brooks,  12.  1876— Emma  Wilson,  2;  Nils  Christian  Emil 
Lilleby,  12 ;  James  P.  Okens,  14 ;  Peter  Thommesson,  22.  1877— 
Hans  Peter  Olson  LiUejord,  4;  Andres  Samuelson,  4;  Mathiaa 
Samuelson,  4 ;  Peter  Peterson,  4 ;  Lars  Erickson,  4.  1878 — Eliza- 
beth Peterson,  2;  Annie  Lund,  10;  Charles  G.  Johnson,  12.  1879 
— Mikkal  Haagensen,  4;  Nels  Olsen,  4;  Peter  Martenson,  9;  Ole 
0.  Enstvedt,  10,  15;  Ole  Anderson,  22.  1880— Peder  Gunderson, 
4;  Lars  Pederson,  10;  Lars  Larson  Rude,  22;  Halver  Anderson, 
22;  Erick  Nielson,  24.  1884— Annie  Tostenson,  5.  1885— Maria 
Johnson,  5. 

Township  116,  range  36  (Troy).  The  first  claim  was  filed  in 
1873  by  David  R.  Culver  in  section  22.  1874— Jonathan  White, 
24.  1875— Henry  Luscher,  8;  James  L.  White,  22.  1877— Iva  J. 
Everson,  14;  Amos  Casey,  32.  1878 — Jotham  W.  Hodsdon,  14; 
Orrin  E.  Buxton,  14;  Thomas  H.  Risinger,  22;  Charles  Waldo, 
24;  Peter  Miller,  24;  Dennis  Haley,  26;  August  Sehendel,  30. 
1879— Paul  Seeger,  18;  James  Heaney,  34.  1880— Jotham  W. 
Hodsdon,  14;  Wilhelm  Reek,  20;  Ferdinand  Fritz,  32.  1881— 
John  E.  W.  Peterson,  2;  Gustav  Reick,  20;  Frank  Heaney,  26; 
Joseph  B.  Converse,  28.  1882 — Frank  McCormick,  6;  Andrew 
McCormiek,  6;  James  Flannegan,  26;  Herman  Fritz,  32;  Fred- 
erick Fritz,  32.  1883— Pear  Olson,  2;  R.  Peter  Peterson,  12; 
Michael  Glenn,  26 ;  Johnston  W.  Lowry,  30.  1884— Benjamin  F. 
Byers,  6 ;  Robert  Stelter,  18 ;  William  Sehoregge,  34. 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  113 

Township  113,  rmga  32  <W«lliiigtOQ).  The  first  claim  on  this 
township  was  filed  by  Willis  W.  CouDtryman  September  20, 1872, 
section  32.  1873— Denia  Cready,  30;  William  Chalk,  32.  1874^ 
William  Pahey,  18.  1875— Marshall  Blodget,  2;  John  Garihy,  32. 
1876— Ellen  Maione,  30;  John  Murphy,  34.  1878— Edward 
Hanna,  6;  Ferdinand  Hinzman,  14;  Au^st  Fritz,  14;  Patrick 
Fahey,  18;  James  Larkin,  28;  Patrick  Larkin,  28.  1881— Albert 
Kiecker,  22;  William  Caraon,  22;  Michael  Coleman,  28.  1882— 
Bernhard  Hehvig,  12 ;  Patrick  Larkin,  28 ;  Julius  Sell,  34 ;  Wil- 
helm  Maneke,  2;  Fritz  Maneke,  2;  Wilhelm  Freyholtz,  24.  1883 
—Karl  Hillmann,  10;  Julius  Kiecker,  10;  Peter  SchoflEka,  12;  Her- 
man Kiecker,  26.  1884^Edward  Rodgera,  6;  Prediiick  Kiecker, 
10 ;  James  Ruddy,  20 ;  Carl  Baldwan,  26 ;  William  Borth,  34. 

Township  116,  range  36  (Winfleld).  The  first  claim  was  filed 
in  this  township  on  April  17,  1869,  by  Christian  Michael  in  sec- 
tion 18.  1870— P.  A.  Atwater,  18.  1877— Priedrich  Zinne,  28; 
Carl  Henuing,  30.  1878— Eriek  Lindquist,  2;  Tidemand  Ulrick- 
son,  4 ;  Nils  A.  Nilson,  14 ;  Ulrick  Julson,  14.  1879 — John  Eriek- 
Bon,  2 ;  John  Snickare,  22.  1880— Jul  Ulriekson,  4 ;  D.  John  John- 
son, 22;  Palkert  Hendricks,  30.  1882— Hans  P.  OUon,  22;  Ole 
Julsen,  24.  1883— Gustav  Herrmann,  30;  George  P.  Wilson,  32. 
1884 — Kristina  Anderson,  22;  John  M.  Anderson,  26;  Emanuel 
Palmlund,  26;  Ferdinand  Zinne,  28.  1885— Fritz  Dietman,  20; 
John  Kether,  32. 

Township  116,  range  3S  (Winfleld).  The  first  claims  were 
filed  in  1869.  Christian  Michael,  section  18;  William  Buethe, 
section  32;  James  T.  Knauf,  section  34;  Peter  N.  Nyatrom,  sec- 
tion 34;  Ferdinand  Herrmann,  section  34.  1870 — F,  A.  Atwater, 
18.  1877— Friedrick  Zinne,  28;  Carl  Henning,  30.  1878— Eriek 
Lindquist,  2 ;  Erick  Enckson,  2 ;  Tidemand  Ulriekson,  4 ;  Nils  A. 
Nilson,  14;  Ulrick  Julson,  14.  1879 — John  Erickson,  2;  John 
Snickare,  22.  1880— Jul  Ulriekson,  4;  D.  John  Johnson,  22  j 
Palkert  Henricka,  30.  1882— Hans  P.  Olaon,  22;  Erik  Janson,  22; 
Andro  Erickkson,  22;  Ulrick  Julson,  24.  1883— Gustav  Herr- 
mann, 30;  George  P.  Wilson,  32.  1884— Kristina  Anderson,  22; 
John  M.  Anderson,  26;  Emanuel  Palmund,  26;  John  Miller,  26; 
Ole  Hedberg,  26;  Anders  Renatrom,  26.  1885— Fritz  Dietman, 
20;  Carl  Henning,  30;  John  Kether,  32. 

Townibip  11^  range  38  (Wang).  The  first  claims  on  this 
township  were  filed  by  Ingebraa  J.  Osnes  November  1,  1871,  sec- 
tion 30,  and  Christian  Engbertson,  July  10, 1871,  section  33.  1873 
— ^Andrew  Anderson,  32;  Hans  Olaen,  33;  Andrew  E.  Rogen,  34; 
Ole  Tbomaaon,  2;  John  Brown,  6.  1874 — Sever  Chriatopheraon, 
6.  1875— Edgar  Lampman,  4 ;  Gilbert  Johnaon,  34.  1876— Wil- 
liam J.  Smith,  6;  Ole  Ackerland,  18;  Ole  Oleson,  18;  Lars  Eng- 
bretson,  20;  Jens  Ghristopheraon,  20;  Isaac  Abrabamson,  20; 
Jacob  Hanson,  20;  Tver  Nystuen,  26;  P.  A.  Stenborg,  26.   1877— 


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114  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

Ole  H.  Hueebye,  4;  Ole  H.  Holin.  1878— Knbd  Anderson,  6;  Ole 
ChristophersoQ,  10 ;  Hans  Johnson,  12 ;  Syverth  Gattornusen,  14 
Christian  Jonsen,  20;  Lorutz  Peterson,  20;  Halvor  Sibilnid,  20 
Thomas  Henrekson,  26 ;  Mathias  Magnusen,  32 ;  Christian  Evan- 
son,  34.  1879— Anders  0.  Etton,  4;  Chriatopher  Hutchins,  6; 
Ingelbreckt  Thomson,  8;  Hans  Anderson,  10;  Ole  0.  Belaem,  10; 
John  Thor,  12;  Ole  K.  Williams,  12;  Fosten  Olson,  14;  Knud 
Ejiudson,  14;  Elling  Johnson,  14;  Christian  Arestad,  18;  Halvor 
A.  Skjoggerud,  20 ;  Christian  Olsen,  21 ;  Lars  Qunderson,  22, 
1879— Thomas  Christofferson,  22;  Christian  Toegersen,  28;  Ole 
Erickson,  28 ;  Charl  Pettersen,  28 ;  Ole  E.  Rogn,  28 ;  Ole  Elefson, 
32;  Peter  Johnson,  32;  Eudre  E.  Rogen,  34.  1880— Lars  J.  Fryk- 
lund,  12 ;  Eriek  Erickson,  12 ;  Ole  0.  Strand,  12 ;  Helge  Evanson, 
14;  Jens  Olson,  22;  Andrew  Helgeson,  24;  Anders  Thomason 
Kjersten,  26;  Gullick  Helgesen,  30;  Loruts  J.  Romoe,  30;  Ejiud 
Anderson,  34.  1881 — Thorn  Eingbrienson,  8;  Andrew  Anderson, 
10.  1882— Ole  0.  Groo,  4;  Ole  Nelson,  10;  John  Peterson,  10; 
Thrond  0.  Kattevold,  18;  Everet  M.  Strand,  22.  1883- Andrew 
T.  Ellingboe,  4;  Thrond  I.  EUingboe,  4;  George  C.  Heen,  8;  Chris- 
topher Gulbranson,  8. 

CHAPTER  IX. 

CAUSES  OF  THE  OUTBREAK. 

Early  Friendship — Dissatisfaction  with  Treaties — Unjust  Treat- 
ment— Inkpadoota  Massacre — Officials  Demand  that  Indians 
Capture   Benegwles — Uttle   Crow  to   the   Rescue — Delayed   ' 
Payments  in  1862 — Indians  Starving — Stupidity  of  AgtmA — 
Indians  Tnrlralent— March  and  Shedum  to  the  Resone. 

The  Sioux  outbreak  was  the  culmination  of  a  long  series  of 
injustices  toward  the  Indians  on  the  part  of  the  whites.  De- 
bauched, defrauded,  degraded ;  forced  by  fear  of  the  strength  of 
the  whites,  and  by  misrepresentations,  to  dispose  of  their  lands ; 
herded  together  on  reservations;  treated  by  the  whites  as  half- 
witted children,  cheated  by  the  traders  and  starved  by  the  stu- 
pidity of  high  officials  at  Washington,  who,  in  addition  to  the 
unfair  provisions  of  unjust  treaties,  imposed  additional  con- 
ditions ;  the  Indians,  knowing  the  revenge  that  the  whites  would 
take  for  a  murder  already  committed  by  some  renegade  braves, 
arose  in  their  might,  and  for  a  time  nearly  succeeded  in  regaining 
their  hereditary  holdings. 

The  relations  of  the  Sioux  Indians  to  the  white  trespassers 
on  their  lands  were  of  a  friendly  nature  from  the  time  of  the 
arrival  of  the  first  white  explorer.  Adventurers  and  traders 
came  and  went  at  will.    The  French,  true  to  their  policy,  made 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  115 

friends  with  the  Sioux,  and  the  English  followed  their  example. 
So  deep  was  the  friendBhip  existing  between  the  Sioux  and  the 
British  that  they  fought  aide  by  side  in  the  Revolutionary  War 
and  in  the  War  of  1812. 

With  the  people  of  the  United  States  the  Sioux  were  no  less 
tolerant,  and  until  the  great  outbreak  they  remained  faithful 
to  the  obligations  of  the  treaty  they  made  with  Zebulon  M.  Pike, 
in  1805,  with  the  exception  already  mentioned  of  a  short  period 
during  the  War  of  1812,  when  the  Sioux,  knowing  little  of  the 
Americans,  and  remembering  their  many  obligations  to  the 
English,  took  up  arras  in  behalf  of  the  British  king.  Even  dur- 
ing that  period  Red  Wing's  band  remained  loyal  to  the  Stars  and 
Stripes. 

There  were,  of  course,  isolated  cases  in  which  individual  Sioux 
warriors  wrought  revenge  for  injuries  received,  just  as  there 
are  illegal  acts  committed  in  civilized  white  communities.  The 
despoiling  of  the  French  adventurers  who,  naked  and  bruised, 
sought  shelter  in  LeSueur's  fort  near  Mankato  in  the  winter  of 
1700-01;  the  murder  of  Pagonta,  "the  Mallard  Duck,"  at  Men- 
dota  by  Ix-ka-tapay  in  1761 ;  the  murder  of  the  two  cattle  drovers 
by  a  few  wild  Sisseton  Sioux  near  Big  Stone  lake  in  1846;  the 
killing  of  Elijah  S,  Terry  by  men  of  the  same  tribe  near  Pem- 
bina in  1852;  the  shooting  in  October  of  the  latter  year  of  Mrs. 
Keener  by  Zv-yah-se  were  offenses  in  which  the  Sioux  as  a  nation 
had  no  part,  for  which  the  perpetrators  only  were  responsible. 
In  fact  the  Sioux  boasted  up  to  the  time  of  the  outbreak  thai 
never  in  all  history  had  a  white  man  been  injured  in  the  Sioux 
country  with  the  approval  of  the  Sioux  as  a  people. 

Gradually,  however,  discontent  grew  up  between  the  Indians 
and  the  whites,  though  an  outward  friendliness  was  maintained. 
The  real  causes  of  the  final  outbreak  were  the  Treaties  of  1851. 
The  Sioux  did  not  want  to  give  up  their  land.  They  desired  to 
live  as  they  had  lived  through  the  countless  centuries.  In  signing 
the  treaties  which  relinquished  their  lands  and  condemned  them- 
selves to  a  practical  imprisonment  on  a  reservation,  the  Sioux 
were  bowing  to  the  inevitable. 

Probably  if  the  treaties  had  merely  provided  for  the  transfer 
of  their  lands  to  the  whites  for  a  certain  amount  and  the  amount 
had  been  paid  the  Indians  would  have  made  the  best  of  a  bad 
bargain  and  on  their  reservations  they  might  as  time  progressed 
have  worked  out  their  own  problem.  But  there  were  many  other 
provisions  in  the  treaties. 

By  the  treaty  of  Traverse  des  Sioux,  dated  July  23,  1851, 
between  the  United  States  and  the  Sissetons  and  Wapatons, 
$275,000  were  to  be  paid  their  chiefs,  and  a  further  sum  of 
$30,000  was  to  be  expended  for  their  benefit  in  Indian  improve- 
ments.    By  the  treaty  of  Mendota,  dated  August  5,  1851,  the 


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116  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

McdawakautoDB  and  Wapakutas  were  to  receive  the  sum  of 
$200,000,  to  be  paid  to  their  chief,  and  for  an  improvement  fund 
the  further  sum  of  $30,000,  Annuities  were  also  to  be  paid  for  a 
certain  mimber  of  years.  The  several  sums,  which  were  to 
become  payable  when  the  Indians  reached  their  reservations, 
amounting  in  the  aggregate  to  $555,000.  These  Indians,  to  whom 
they  were  payable,  claimed  they  were  never  paid,  except,  per- 
haps, a  small  portion  expended  in  improvements  on  the  reserva- 
tions. They  became  dissatisfied,  and  expressed  their  views  in 
council  freely  with  the  agent  of  the  government, 

lu  1857,  the  Indian  department  at  Washington  sent  out  Major 
Kintzing  Prichette,  a  man  of  great  experience,  to  inquire  into  the 
cause  of  this  disaffection  towards  the  government.  In  his  report 
of  that  year,  made  to  the  Indian  department,  Major  Prichette 
says: 

"The  complaint  which  runs  through  all  their  councils  points 
to  the  imperfect  performance,  or  non-fulfillment  of  treaty  stipu- 
lations. Whether  these  were  well  or  ill  founded  it  is  not  my 
province  to  discuss.  That  such  a  belief  prevails  among  them, 
impairing  their  confidence  and  good  faith  in  the  government, 
cannot  be  questioned." 

In  one  of  these  councils  Jagmani  said :  "The  Indians  sold  their 
lands  at  Traverse  des  Sioux.  I  say  what  we  were  told.  For  fifty 
years  thoy  were  to  be  paid  $50,000  per  annum.  We  were  also 
promised  $305,000,  and  that  we  have  not  seen."  Mapipa  Wicasta 
(Cloud  Man),  second  chief  of  Jagmani's  band,  said:  "At  the 
treaty  of  Traverse  des  Sioux,  $275,000  were  to  be  paid  them  when 
they  came  upon  their  reservation ;  they  desired  to  know  what  had 
become  of  it.  Every  white  man  knows  that  they  have  been  five 
years  upon  their  reservation,  and  have  yet  heard  nothing  of  it." 
When  the  treatment  of  the  Indians  became  widely  known  the 
government  could  no  longer  cover  up  the  matter  and  decided  to 
appoint  Judge  Young  to  investigate  the  charges  made  against 
the  governor,  of  the  then  Minnesota  territory,  then  acting,  ex- 
ofScio,  as  superintendent  of  Indian  affairs  for  that  locality.  Some 
short  extracts  from  Judge  Young's  report  are  here  presented : 

"Tile  governor  is  nest  charged  with  having  paid  over  the 
greater  part  of  the  money,  appropriated  under  the  fourth  article 
of  the  treaty  of  July  23  and  August  5,  1851,  to  one  Hugh  Tyler, 
for  payment  or  distribution  to  the  'traders'  and  'half-breeds,' 
contrary  to  the  wishes  and  remonstrances  of  the  Indians,  and  in 
violation  of  law  and  the  stipulations  contained  in  said  treaties; 
and  also  in  violation  of  bis  own  solemn  pledges,  personally  made 
to  them,  in  regard  to  said  payments. 

"Of  $275,000  stipulated  to  be  paid  under  the  first  clause  ot 
the  fourth  article  of  the  treaty  of  Traverse  des  Sioux,  of  July 
24,  1851,  the  sum  of  $250,000  was  delivered  over  to  Hugh  Tyler, 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  ■  1X7 

by  the  governor,  for  distribution  among  the  'traders'  and  'half- 
breeds,'  according  to  the  arrangement  made  by  the  schedule  of 
the  Traders'  Paper,  dated  at  Traverse  des  Sioux,  July  23,  1851." 
(This  was  the  paper  which  the  Indians  declared  they  were  told 
was  merely  another  copy  of  the  treaty. — ^Ed.) 

"For  this  large  sum  of  money,  Hugh  Tyler  executed  two 
receipts  to  the  governor,  as  the  attorney  for  the  'traders'  and 
' half-breeds;'  the  one  for  $210,000  on  account  of  the  'traders,' 
and  the  other  for  $40,000  on  account  of  the  ' half-breeds;'  the 
first  dated  at  St.  Paul,  December  8,  1852,  and  the  second  at  Men- 
dota,  December  11, 1852." 

"And  of  the  sum  of  $110,000,  stipulated  to  be  paid  to  the 
Medawakantons,  under  the  fourth  article  of  the  treaty  of  August 
5,  1851,  the  sum  of  $70,000  was  in  like  manner  paid  over  to  the 
said  Tyler,  on  a  power  of  attorney  executed  to  him  by  the  traders 
and  claimants,  under  the  said  treaty,  on  December  11,  1852.  The 
receipts  of  the  said  Tyler  to  the  governor  for  this  money,  $70,000, 
is  dated  at  St.  Paul,  December  13, 1852,  making  together  the  sum 
of  $320,000.  This  has  been  shown  to  have  been  contrary  to  the 
wishes  and  remonstrances  of  a  large  majority  of  the  Indians." 
And  Judge  Young  adds:  "It  is  abo  believed  to  be  in  violation 
of  the  treaty  stipulations,  as  well  as  the  law  making  the  appro- 
priations under  them." 

These  several  sums  of  money  were  to  be  paid  to  these  Indians 
in  open  council,  and  soon  after  they  were  on  their  reservations 
provided  for  them  by  the  treaties.  In  these  matters  the  report 
shows  they  were  not  consulted  at  all,  in  open  council ;  but  on  the 
contrary,  that  arbitrary  divisions  and  distributions  were  made 
of  the  entire  fund,  and  their  right  denied  to  direct  the  manner  in 
which  they  should  be  appropriated.  (See  Acts  of  Congress, 
August  30,  1852.) 

The  Indians  claimed,  also,  that  the  third  section  of  the  act 
was  violated,  as  by  that  section  the  appropriations  therein  referred 
to,  should,  in  every  instance,  be  paid  directly  to  the  Indians  them- 
selves, to  whom  it  should  be  due,  or  to  the  tribe,  or  part  of  the 
tribe,  per  capita,  "unless  otherwise  the  imperious  interests  of 
the  Indians  or  some  treaty  stipulation  should  require  the  payment 
to  be  made  otherwise,  under  the  direction  of  the  president.'-' 
This  money  was  never  so  paid.  The  report  further  states  that  a 
large  sum,  "$55,000,  was  deducted  by  Hugh  Tyler  by  way  of 
diaconnt  and  percentage  on  gross  amount  of  payments,  and  that 
these  exactions  were  made  both  from  traders  and  half-breeds, 
without  any  previous  agreement,  in  many  instances,  and  in  such 
a  way,  in  some,  as  to  make  the  impression  that  unless  they  were 
submitted  to,  no  payments  would  be  made  to  such  claimants  at 
aU." 

And,  finally  the  report  says,  that  from  the  testimony  it  was 


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118  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

evident  that  the  money  was  not  paid  to  the  chiefs,  either  to  the 
SisBeton,  Wapaton  or  Medawakanton  bands,  as  they  in  open 
council  requested ;  but  that  they  were  compelled  to  submit  to  this 
mode  of  payment  to  the  traders,  otherwise  no  payment  would  be 
made,  and  the  money  would  be  returned  to  Washington ;  so  that 
in  violation  of  law  they  were  compelled  to  comply  with  the  gov- 
ernor's terms  of  payment,  according  to  Hugh  Tyler's  power  of 
attorney. 

The  examination  of  this  complaint,  on  the  part  of  the  Indians, 
by  the  Senate  of  the  United  States,  resulted  in  "whitewashing" 
the  governor  of  Minnesota  (Governor  Alexander  Ramsey),  yet 
the  Indians  were  not  satisfied  with  the  treatment  they  had 
received  in  this  matter  by  the  accredited  agents  of  the  govern- 
ment. 

Neither  were  the  Indians  satisfied  wtih  the  annual  payments. 
They  had  desired  that  they  receive  the  money  promptly  and  in 
cash.  Instead  they  received  part  of  it  in  provisions,  which  gave 
the  whites  many  opportunities  for  taking  advantage  of  them, 
the  market  value  of  the  provisions  never  being  equal  to  the 
amount  which  was  taken  out  of  the  Indian  fund  to  pay  for  them. 
The  Indians  rightfully  felt  that  they  should  be  given  the  money 
and  allowed  to  do  the  purchasing  themselves. 

Then,  too,  a  certain  amount  of  the  money  due  the  Indiana 
each  year  was  devoted  to  a  "civilization  fund,"  that  is,  for 
agency  expenses,  erecting  agency  buildings,  paying  agents,  teach- 
ers, farmers,  missionaries  and  the  like,  thus  making  another 
drain  on  an  already  small  sum.  The  Indian  could  not  view  with 
calmness  the  luxury  in  which  the  whites  were  living  on  money 
which  rightfully  belonged  to  the  Indian,  while  the  Indian  him- 
self was  living  in  utmost  poverty,  shut  off  from  the  rich  sweeps 
of  laud  where  he  had  formerly  received  his  sustenance. 

The  action  of  the  government  in  regard  to  the  Inkpadoota 
massacre,  so  called,  added  force  to  the  smouldering  dissatisfac- 
tion. The  Indians  guilty  of  this  tragedy  were  formerly  members 
of  Sioux  bands,  but  their  own  acts,  in  many  cases  murder  of  com- 
panions and  relatives,  had  shut  them  off  from  their  own  people, 
so  at  the  time  of  the  1857  outrage  they  were  renegades,  outlaws, 
whose  crimes  against  their  own  kinsmen  had  been  such  that  the 
Sioux  had  driven  them  forth  to  wander  the  prairies  like  savage 
wolves,  hated  alike  by  Indian  and  Caucasian. 

For  many  years  they  were  in  constant  trouble  with  the  whites, 
their  outlaw  acts  being  many  and  black,  though  the  authorities 
took  no  action  against  them.  Sometimes,  however,  an  outraged 
white  settler  visited  summary  punishment  on  his  own  account 
without  waiting  for  the  authorities. 

Early  in  March,  1857,  Inkpadoota's  band  of  outlaws  stole 
some  horses  and  sleds  from  some  settlers  on  the  Little  Sioux  river, 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  119 

and  on  March  8  commenced  their  awful  slaughter  on  Lake 
Okoboji,  in  Dickinson  county,  Iowa,  Spirit  lake  is  connected 
with  this  lake  by  open  straits,  and  though  only  one  man  was 
actually  murdered  on  the  banks  of  Spirit  lake  the  affair  is  usually 
called  the  Spirit  lake  massacre. 

March  26  came  the  massacre  at  Springfield,  in  what  is  now 
Brown  county,  this  state.  Inkpadoota,  whose  force  consisted  of 
hut  twelve  fighting  men,  in  addition  to  women  and  children,  was 
pursued  by  several  companies  of  soldiers.  Many  innocent  Indians 
were  fired  upon  and  maltreated,  but  Inkpadoota  was  not  cap- 
tured. 

In  June  came  the  time  for  the  annual  payments  to  the  Indians 
at  the  agency.  When  the  Indians  gathered  there  to  receive  their 
money  they  were  told  that  no  payments  would  be  made  unless 
they  (the  Indians)  should  go  out  and  capture  Inkpadoota.  This 
command  was  made  on  the  order  of  Indian  Commissioner  J.  W, 
Denver.  To  the  stupidity  and  stubbonmess  of  this  man  Denver, 
Minnesota  owes  its  Indian  massacre  of  1862.  "Wise  men  in  the 
territory  suggested  that  the  people  of  the  territory  be  allowed 
to  raise  a  troop  of  soldiers  and  go  after  Inkpadoota,  supported 
by  a  detachment  of  cavalry.  But  these  men  were  promptly  told 
by  Secretary  of  War  Floyd  and  Commissioner  Denver  that  no 
suggestions  were  desired  and  that  the  officials  at  Washington 
would  handle  the  affair  as  they  saw  fit. 

Thus  the  weeks  passed  while  the  Indians  endured  untold  suf- 
ferings of  illness  and  starvation.  They  saw  their  wives  and  chil- 
dren hunger  and  sicken  and  die.  The  grasshoppers  were  eating 
up  their  garden  produce  and  their  corn  fields  and  truck  fields 
were  spoiling  of  neglect  while  they  waited  at  the  agency  for  the 
money  that  a  great  government  owed  them.  And  this  great 
government,  whose  own  well-armed  and  well-equipped  troops 
had  failed  to  capture  a  small  band  of  twelve  men,  though  at  one 
time  only  a  few  miles  away  from  them,  demanded  that  the  starv- 
ing Sioux  awaiting  their  payments  arm  and  equip  themselves 
and  capture  these  outlaws,  in  whose  doings  they  had  no  part  and 
no  interest. 

"Give  us  our  annuities  first,  so  that  we  can  eat,  and  we  will 
go  after  Inkpadoota,"  said  many  of  the  Indians.  "The  treaty 
I  signed  at  Traverse  des  Sioux  said  our  money  would  be  paid  us 
regularly,  and  nothing  was  said  about  our  having  to  go  out  and 
bring  in  those  who  had  killed  white  people.  Ne-manka-Ha-jra- 
sha"  (skin  your  own  skunk).  Thus  spoke  Chief  Red  Iron.  Super- 
iotendent  Collen  and  Agent  Plandrau  could  only  reply  that  they 
were  acting  under  orders  from  Commissioner  Denver  and  must 
obey  him.  But  CuUen's  heart  was  not  in  the  work;  he  sent  an 
agent,  a  Mr.  Bowes,  down  to  Dunleith,  Illinois,  then  the  nearest 
telegraph  station  to  Minnesota,  so  that  speedy  communication 


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120  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

could  be  had  with  Washington,  and  he  telegraphed  Denver, 
repeatedly  urging  a  repeal,  or  at  least  a  modification  of  the 
obnoxious  order,  which  Cnllen  and  Flandrau  were  as  loth  to 
enforce  as  the  Indians  were  unwilling  to  execute.  But  Denver 
was  obdurate,  and  Secretary  Floyd  was  haughtily  indifferent.  At 
last  Cullen  and  Flandrau  appealed  to  Little  Crow  to  help  them. 
They  assured  him  that  their  superiors  were  determined  that 
before  the  annmties  were  paid  the  peaceable  Indians  must  pursue 
and  destroy,  or  capture,  Inkpadoota  and  all  his  band.  If  the 
Indians  persisted  in  their  refusal  to  do  what  was  required  there 
was  the  greatest  danger  of  a  bloody  war  between  them  and  the 
wbitea,  and  nobody  knew  that  better  than  Little  Crow.  He  was 
asked  to  set  an  example  by  furnishing  fifty  men  from  his  own 
bands  for  the  expedition  against  the  outlaws,  and  to  command 
the  expedition  himself.  "Your  band  shall  first  be  furnished  with 
abundant  supplies,"  said  Major  Cullen.  The  chief  at  once  con- 
sented, and  visited  the  other  chiefs  and  bands  to  induce  them  to 
join  him. 

On  the  eighteenth  another  council  was  held  relative  to  the 
expedition  against  Inkpadoota.  Cullen,  Flandrau,  Special  Agent 
Pritchette  and  Major  Sherman  represented  the  whites.  A  num- 
ber of  new  bright  colored  blankets  and  a  fat  beef  were  presented 
to  each  band  for  a  feast.  The  Indians  decided  to  undertake  the 
expedition,  with  Little  Crow  in  command,  and  no  white  troops 
to  go. 

The  next  day,  Sunday,  July  19,  the  Lower  Indians  set  out  to 
join  the  Upper  Indians  at  YeUow  Medicine,  and  from  that  agency 
on  the  Wednesday  following  the  entire  party  marched,  Little 
Crow  in  command.  Major  CuUen  sent  his  interpreter,  Antoine 
Joseph  Campbell,  and  three  other  half-breeds,  John  and  Baptiste 
Campbell  and  John  Mooers,  The  entire  party  numbered  over 
one  hundred  men — Major  Cullen  says  one  hundred  and  thirty- 
one;  Joe  Campbell  reported  one  hundred  and  six.  Major  Sher- 
man furnished  a  wagon  laden  with  provisions,  drawn  by  six 
mules. 

The  expedition  set  out  for  Skunk  lake — now  called  Madison 
lake — about  forty  miles  west  of  the  Red  Pipestone  Quarry,  in 
what  is  now  Lake  county.  South  Dakota.  Joe  Campbell  kept 
a  daily  journal  of  the  expedition,  and  from  his  itinerary,  pub- 
lished with  the  superintedent's  report,  it  is  learned  that  two  days 
after  leaving  Yellow  Medicine  the  party  reached  Joseph  Brown's 
trading  post  on  the  head  "of  the  Redwood;  here  Glittering  Cloud 
was  elected  conductor  or  guide  of  the  expedition.  The  next  day 
they  encamped  at  the  village  of  Lean  Bear,  head  soldier  of  the 
Sleepy  Eye  band.  Then  via  the  "Hole  in  the  Mountain,"  and 
Crooked  river,  the  expedition  reached  Skunk  lake  on  the  after- 
noon of  July  28  and  found  the  outlaws.    Meanwhile  the  outlawed 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTV  121 

band  had  quarreled  and  separated.  Inkpadoota  and  three  other 
warriors,  with  a  number  of  women  and  children,  had  gone  far 
to  the  westward.  The  other  eight  fighting  men,  with  nine  women 
and  thirteen  children,  had  come  eastward  and  encamped  at 
Skunk  lake,  where  there  were  ducks  and  fish  in  abundance.  They 
occupied  six  lodges,  which  were  distributed  along  the  lake  shore 
for  three  miles.  The  advance  of  Little  Crow  and  his  party  had 
been  discovered,  and  all  the  lodges  had  been  deserted,  and  their 
i|imates  had  fled  to  another  lake  twelve  or  fifteen  miles  to  the 
westward,  then  called  by  the  Indians  Big  Driftwood  lake,  and 
now  called  Lake  Herman.  Little  Crow  had  a  mounted  advance 
guard  of  seventeen  men  led  by  himself.  They  overtook  the  fugi- 
tives crossing  the  lake,  and  after  a  short  parley  commenced 
shooting,  firing  into  and  across  the  lake  until  the  fugitives  were 
far  out  of  range.  In  all  three  women,  three  men  and  three  chil- 
dren of  the  Inkpadootas  were  killed.  It  was  never  known  or 
cared  whether  or  not  the  women  and  children  were  killed  delib- 
erately. 

Upon  the  return  of  Little  Crow  and  his  force  with  the  two 
women  prisoners,  one  of  them  the  widow  of  Shifting  Wind,  who 
had  been  killed,  they  were  notified  that  perhaps  they  had  not 
done  enough  to  secure  the  payment  of  their  annuities ;  the  author- 
ities at  Washington  must  decide.  Commissioner  Denver  at  first 
ordered  that  the  payment  and  issue  of  supplies  should  be  with- 
held until  Little  Crow  should  again  go  out  and  scour  all  the 
western  country  until  he  had  destroyed  the  remainder  of  Inkpa- 
doota's  band.  -The  representations  and  protestations  of  Super- 
intendent Cullen  and  of  the  department's  special  agent,  Major 
Eintzing  Pritehette,  could  not  change  the  unreasonable  and  stub- 
bom  commissioner.  Little  Crow  and  party  returned  to  the 
agencies  August  3.  They  and  their  women  and  children  con- 
tinued to  go  liungry,  as  the  superintendent  said,  until  about 
September,  when,  during  Denver's  absence  from  Washington, 
Acting  Commissioner  Charles  T.  Mix  directed  Superintendent 
Cullen  to  make  the  payment  and  issue  the  supplies.  Denver's 
unwise  and  unjust  course  was  to  have  its  effect  five  years  later. 

The  treaty  of  1858  was  not  pleasing  to  the  majority  of  the 
Indians.  It  was  made  at  Washington  by  a  few  Indians  picked 
by  the  white  men  for  that  purpose,  and  the  braves  declared  that 
those  who  made  the  treaty  had  no  authority  to  give  away  the 
Indian  lands  without  the  consent  of  the  Indians  as  a  whole. 

By  this  treaty  the  Sioux  relinquished  their  lands  north  of 
the  Minnesota,  and  confined  their  reservation  to  a  strip  ten  miles 
wide  on  the  south  side  of  that  river. 

The  treaty  also  elaborated  a  scheme  for  forcing  the  Indian 
to  the  white  man's  way  of  living.  A  civilization  fund  was  pro- 
vided, to  be  taken  from  the  annuities,  and  expended  in  improve- 


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122  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

ments  on  the  lands  of  such  of  them  as  should  abandon  their 
tribal  relations,  and  adopt  the  habits  and  modes  of  life  of  the 
white  race.  To  all  such,  lands  were  to  be  assigned  in  severalty, 
eighty  acres  to  each  head  of  a  family.  On  these  farms  were  to 
be  erected  out  of  the  annuities  the  necessary  farm  buildings  and 
farming  implements,  and  cattle  were  to  be  furnished  them. 

In  addition  to  these  so-called  favors  the  government  offered 
them  pay  for  such  labors  of  value  as  were  performed,  in  addition 
to  the  crops  they  raised.  Indian  farmers  now  augmented  rapidly, 
until  the  outbreak  in  1862,  at  which  time  about  one  hundred  and 
sixty  had  taken  advantage  of  the  provisions  of  the  treaty.  A 
number  of  farms,  some  160,  had  good,  snug  brick  houses  erected 
upon  them.  Among  these  was  Little  Crow,  and  many  of  these 
farmer  Indians  belonged  to  his  own  band. 

The  Indians  disliked  the  idea  of  taking  any  portion  of  the 
general  fund  belonging  to  the  tribe  for  the  purpose  of  carrying 
out  the  civilization  scheme.  Those  Indians  who  retained  the 
"blanket,"  and  hence  called  "blanket  Indians,"  denounced  the 
measure  as  a  fraud  upon  their  rights.  The  chase  was  then  a 
God-given  right ;  this  scheme  forfeited  that  ancient  natural  right, 
as  it  pointed  unmistakably  to  the  destruction  of  the  chase. 

The  treaty  of  1858  bad  opened  for  settlement  a  vast  frontier 
country  of  the  most  attractive  character,  in  the  Valley  of  the 
Minnesota,  and  the  streams  putting  into  the  Minnesota,  on  either 
aide,  such  as  Beaver  creek,  Sacred  Heart,  Hawk  and  Chippewa 
rivers  and  some  other  small  streams,  were  flourishing  settlements 
of  white  families.  Within  this  ceded  tract,  ten  rtiiles  wide,  were 
the  scattered  settlements  of  Birch  Coolie,  Patterson  Rapids,  on 
the  Sacred  Heart,  and  others  as  far  up  as  the  Upper  Agency  at 
Yellow  Medicine,  in  Renville  county.  The  county  of  Brown 
adjoined  the  reservation,  and  was,  at  the  time,  settled  mostly  by 
Germans.  In  this  county  was  the  flourishing  town  of  New  Dim, 
and  a  thriving  settlement  on  the  Big  Cottonwood  and  Waton- 
wan, consisting  of  German  and  American  pioneers,  who  had 
selected  this  lovely  and  fertile  valley  for  their  future  homes. 

In  the  spring  and  summer  of  1862  the  several  Sioux  bands 
of  Minnesota  who  had  been  parties  to  the  Treaties  of  1851  and 
1858  had,  with  a  few  exceptions,  all  their  villages  within  the 
prescribed  limits  of  the  reservation.  The  Yanktons  were  on  the 
Missouri  river,  in  the  region  where  the  city  of  Yankton,  South 
Dakota,  is  now  located.  They  never  came  east  of  Lac  qui  Parle. 
The  Sissetona  were  for  the  most  part  on  the  banks  of  Lake 
Traverse  and  Big  Stone  lake,  though  some  were  to  the  west- 
ward. The  Wahpatons  were  near  the  Yellow  Medicine,  in  the 
region  known  as  the  Upper  Agency.  The  Medawakantons  and 
the  Wahpakootas,  the  "Lower  Agency  Indians,"  had  their  bands 
along  the  south  bank  of  the  Minnesota,  stretching  from  a  little 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  123 

east  of  Yellow  Medicine  eastward  to  some  four  miles  below  Ft. 
Ridgelj. 

The  sub-band  of  Shakopee  (Six,  commonly  called  Little  Six) 
was  a  mile  and  more  west  of  the  mouth  of  the  Redwood  river. 
All  about  the  Lower  or  Redwood  Agency  were  the  other  Medawa- 
kanton  sub-bands.  The  old  Kaposia  village  of  Little  Crow  was 
on  the  south  aide  of  the  Minnesota,  a  little  west  of  the  small 
stream  called  Crow's  creek,  nearly  opposite  the  present  village  of 
Morton.  Near  Crow's  village  was  the  band  of  the  Great  War 
Eagle,  commonly  called  Big  Eagle  (Wam-bde-Tonka),  and  this 
had  been  the  band  of  Gray  Iron,  of  Fort  Snelling.  Below  the 
agency  was  the  sub-band  of  Wah-pahah-sha  (meaning  literally 
Red  War  Banner),  who  was  commonly  called  Wabasha,  and  who 
was  the  head  chief  of  the  Medawakanton  band.  Near  him  was  the 
village  of  Wacouta  (pronounced  Wah-koota,  and  meaning  the 
Shooter),  who  was  now  chief  of  the  old  Red  Wing  band.  In  this 
vicinity  was  the  band  of  Traveling  Hail,  sometimes  called  Pass- 
ing Hail  (Wa-au-he-yi-ye-dan).  Old  Cloud  Man  was  alive,  but 
old  and  feeble,  and  had  turned  over  the  chieftanship  to  Traveling 
Hail,  formerly  of  Cloiid  Man's  band  of  Lake  Calhoun;  and 
farther  down  the  Minnesota,  but  along  the  crest  of  the  high  bluflE 
bank  was  the  band  of  Mankato,  who  had  succeeded  his  father, 
the  historic  old  Good  Road,  in  the  chieftainship  of  one  of  the 
prominent  old  Port  Snelling  bands.  The  Wahpakootas  were 
reduced  to  one  band,  whose  chief  was  Red  Legs  (Hu-sha-sha), 
although  Pa-Pay  was  recognized  as  one  in  authority.  The  Wah- 
pakoota  village  was  below  Mankato 's  on  the  same  side  of  the 
river. 

In  the  spring  of  1861  the  Republican  party  came  into  national 
power.  Major  William  J.  Cullen,  the  Democratic  Indian  super- 
intendent, was  removed,  and  Clark  W.  Thompson,  of  Fillmore 
county,  was  appointed  in  his  stead.  Joseph  R.  Brown,  agent  for 
the  Sioux,  was  removed,  and  his  place  taken  by  Thomas  J.  Gal- 
braith,  of  Shakopee. 

The  new  agent  endorsed  the  policy  and  adopted  the  methods 
of  his  predecessor  almost  entirely.  Especially  did  he  endeavor 
to  make  the  Indians  self-supporting.  Those  who  were  already 
"farmers"  or  "breeches  Indiana"  were  favored  and  encouraged 
in  many  ways,  and  those  who  were  atiil  barbaric  and  blanketed 
were  remonstrated  with,  and  entreated  to  enter  upon  the  new  life. 

The  autumn  of  1861  closed  upon  the  affairs  of  the  farmer 
Indians  quite  unsatisfactorily;  their  crops  were  light,  the  Upper 
Sioux  raising  little  or  nothing.  The  cut  worms  had  destroyed 
well  nigh  all  the  com  fields  of  the  Sisaetons,  and  the  same  pesta, 
together  with  the  blackbirds,  had  greatly  damaged  the. crops  of 
the  Wahpatona,  Medawakantons  and  Wahpakootaa.  Agent  Gal- 
braith  was  forced  to  buy  on  credit  large  quantities  of  pork  and 


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124  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

flour  for  the  destitute  Indians.  Under  the  direction  of  Mission- 
ary Riggs,  who  lived  among  them,  Agent  Qalbraith  fed  1,500 
Sissetons  and  Wahpatons  from  the  middle  of  December,  1861,  to 
April  1,  1862,  when  they  were  able  to  go  oflE  on  their  spring 
bunts.  He  also  fed  and  cared  for  a  number  of  the  old  and 
infirm  and  other  worthy  characters  among  the  Lower  Indians; 
but  for  the  assistance  of  the  government  numbers  of  these 
wretched  savages  would  have  starved  during  that  hard  winter 
of  1861-1862.  The  "farmer"  Indians  were  kept  at  work  during 
the  winter  making  fence  rails,  cutting  and  hauling  saw  logs  to 
the  saw  mills  at  the  Upper  and  Lower  Agency  and  other  work, 
and  in  payment  received  regular  issues  of  supplies  for  them- 
selves and  families. 

Prior  to  18S7  the  payment  to  the  Indians  under  the  treaties 
were  made  semi-annually.  In  that  year  Superintendent  CuUen 
changed  this  practice  to  one  payment  a  year,  which,  until  1862, 
had  commonly  been  made  about  the  tenth  of  June.  This  event 
was  a  great  red  letter  day  in  the  Indian  calendar.  It  engaged 
attention  for  months  before  it  came;  it  was  a  pleasant  memory 
for  months  afterwards.  Every  beneficiary  attended  the  payment, . 
and  many  of  the  Gut  Heads  and  Tanktonnais,  that  were  not 
entitled  to  receive  anything,  came  hundreds  of  miles  and  swarmed 
on  the  outskirts  of  the  camp,  hoping  to  get  something,  however 
little,  from  the  stock  to  be  distributed.  So  there  was  always  a 
big  crowd  present  at  the  payment  and  a  rare  good  time. 

The  traders  always  received  a  liberal  share  of  the  money.  For 
a  year  the  Indians  had  been  buying  goods  from  them  on  credit, 
promising  to  pay  in  furs  at  the  end  of  the  hunting  season.  When 
default  was  made  in  the  payment,  wliich  was  invariably  the  case, 
the  balance  was  promised  in  cash  "at  the  payment."  The  traders 
were  therefore  always  present  near  the  pay  tables,  with  their 
books  of  account,  and  when  the  Indian  had-  received  his  money 
from  the  government  paymaster  he  was  led  over  to  his  trader  and 
asked  to  pay  what  he  owed.  The  majority  of  the  Indians  were 
willing  to  pay  their  debts,  but  there  were  others  who  would  not 
pay  the  most  honorable  debt  if  they  could  avoid  it ;  usually  the 
latter  class  owed  their  traders  more  than  the  thirty  dollars  they 
had  received.  Sometimes  for  some  years  a  detachment  of  sol- 
diers had  been  sent  up  from  Fort  Ridgely  to  preserve  order. 

In  1861  the  Lower  Sioux  had  been  paid  June  27,  and  the 
Upper  Sioux  July  18.  On  the  seventeenth  of  June  the  "St.  Peter 
Guards,"  a  newly  recruited  company,  which  became  Company  E 
of  the  Second  Minnesota,  Captain  A.  K.  Skaro,  and  the  "Western 
Zouaves"  of  St.  Paul,  which  became  Company  D  of  the  Second 
Regiment,  Captain  Horace  H.  Western,  arrived  by  the  steamer 
City  Belle  at  Port  Ridgely  as  its  garrison,  taking  the  place  of 
Company  B,  Captain  Bromley,  and  Company  G,  Captain  McKune, 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  125 

of  the  First  Regiment,  which  compaoies  had  been  stationed  at  the 
post  since  May.  Captain  McKune  's  company,  however,  remained 
at  Ridgelj-  until  July  6. 

About  the  first  of  July  the  Indians  began  certain  demonstra- 
tions indicating  that  they  would  make  serious  trouble  if  troops 
were  stationed  at  the  agencies  and  near  the  pay  tables  during 
the  coming  payments.  They  seemed  to  believe  that  the  presence 
of  soldiers  on  these  occasions  was  to  coerce  them  into  paying 
debts  to  the  traders,  and  they  were  opposed  to  the  idea.  They 
soon  organized  a  "soldiers'  lodge"  (or  a-ke-che-ta  tepee)  to  con- 
sider the  matter.  A  soldier's  lodge  was  composed  of  warriors 
that  were  not  chiefs  or  head  soldiers,  and  who  met  by  themselves 
and  conducted  all  their  deliberations  and  proceedings  in  strictest 
secrecy.  Their  conclusions  had  to  be  carried  out  by  the  chiefs 
and  head  soldiers.  If  a  war  was  contemplated  the  soldiers'  lodge 
decided  the  matter,  and  from  its  decision  there  was  no  appeal. 
Many  otlier  matters  concerning  the  band  at  large  were  settled 
by  the  a-ke-che-ta  tepee. 

It  was  believed  by  the  whites  that  the  soldiers'  lodges  on  the 
Sioux  resen-ation  had  determined  on  armed  resistance  to  the 
presence  of  troops  at  the  pay  tables.  Agent  Galbraith  and  other 
white  people  about  the  agencies  became  greatly  alarmed,  and 
June  25  the  agent  called  on  Fort  Ridgely  for  troops  to  come  at 
once  to  Redwood.  The  St.  Peter  Guards  were  promptly  sent 
and  remained  at  the  Lower  Agency  until  after  the  payment, 
which  passed  off  quietly.  July  3  Major  Galbraith  again  became 
alarmed  at  the  Indian  signs  and  called  for  a  strong  force  to  come 
to  YetloH-  Medicine.  McKune 's  company  of  the  First  Regiment 
and  Skaro's  of  the  Second  Regiment  were  at  once  started  from 
Fort  Ridgely,  but  ten  miles  out  were  turned  back.  The  next 
day  Captain  Western's  company  started  for  the  Upper  Agency, 
and  on  the  sixth  was  overtaken  by  Captain  Skaro's  and  the  two 
companies  reached  the  Yellow  Medicine  on  the  seventh,  to  the 
great  relief  of  the  agent  and  the  other  government  employes  and 
traders  and  their  families,  who  were  in  great  fear  of  the  rebellious 
and  menacing  Indians,  chiefly  young  men  and  reckless  characters. 
The  payment  at  the  Upper  Agency  was  without  disorder;  the 
Indians  paid  their  debts,  but  some  of  them  were  reported  as  say- 
ing that  "this  is  the  last  time"  they  would  do  so. 

July  23  the  two  companies  of  the  Second  Regiment  marched 
back  to  Port  Ridgely.  August  13  detachments  of  both  companies, 
imder  Captain  Western  and  Lieutenant  Cox,  were  sent  by  Lieuten- 
ant Colonel  George,  commanding  the  post  at  Fort  Ridgely,  to  the 
Spirit  lake  district,  in  Iowa,  to  protect  the  settlers  in  that  region 
from  the  depredations  of  certain  Indians,  who,  it  was  feared, 
contemplated  another  raid  of  the  Inkpadoota  character.  The 
command  was  absent  for  two  weeks. 


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126  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

About  September  1  the  Indians  at  and  above  Yellow  Medi- 
cine became  turbiiient  and  frightened.  On  the  eighth  Company 
E,  Captain  Skaro,  was  dispatched  from  Fort  Ridgeiy  and  reached 
the  Yellow  Medicine  on  the  tenth.  On  the  fifteenth  Lieutenant 
J.  C.  Donahower,  with  twelve  men  of  Company  E,  was  sent  to 
Big  Stone  lake  as  an  escort  to  the  government  farmer,  who  was 
directed  to  secure  from  the  Sissetons  about  the  lake  some  horses 
which  had  been  stolen  by  thera  and  the  Yanktonnais  from  white 
settlers  on  the  Missouri  in  southeastern  Dakota.  The  Lieutenant 
returned  to  Yellow  Medicine  with  three  of  the  recovered  horses. 
The  Sissetons  and  Yanktons  stole  about  thirty  horses  that  sum- 
mer from  Minnesota  and  Iowa  settlers.  September  23  Captain 
Skaro  left  Yellow  Medicine  for  Fort  Snelling,  where  he  joined 
his  regiment,  which,  in  a  few  days,  was  sent  to  the  South. 

On  the  tenth  of  October,  1861,  Companies  A  and  B,  of  the 
Fourth  Regiment,  became  the  garrison  at  Fort  Ridgeiy.  Captain 
L.  L.  Baxter,  of  Company  A,  was  commander  of  the  post  until 
in  March,  1862,  when  the  companies  with  the  remainder  of  the 
regiment  were  sent  to  the  Union  army  in  front  of  Corinth,  Mis- 
sissippi. 

Upon  the  organization  of  the  Fifth  Minnesota  Infantry,  March 
29,  1862,  three  of  the  companies  of  that  regiment  were  assigned 
to  garrison  duty  at  the  Minnesota  forts.  To  Fort  Abercrombie 
was  sent  Company  D,  Captain  John  Vander  Horck;  to  Fort 
Ripley,  Company  C,  Captain  Hall ;  to  Fort  Ridgeiy,  Company  B, 
Captain  John  S.  Marsh.  As  Captain  Marsh  had  not  yet  joined 
the  company,  and  as  Lieutenant  Norman  K.  Culver  was  on  detail 
as  quartermaster,  Sergeant  Thomas  P.  Gere  led  the  company  on 
its  march,  in  zero  weather,  through  a  deep  snow,  from  Port  Snell- 
ing to  Fort  Ridgeiy,  arriving  at  the  latter  post  March  25.  April 
10  Gere  became  second  lieutenant,  and  on  the  sixteenth  Captain 
Marsh  arrived  and  assumed  command  of  the  post.  There  were 
then  at  the  fort,  in  addition  to  the  officers  and  men  of  Company 
B,  Post  Surgeon  Dr.  Alfred  Muller,  Sutler  Ben  H.  Randall,  Inter- 
preter Peter  Quinn  and  Ordnance  Sergeant  John  Jones,  and  a 
few  soldiers'  families  living  in  cabins  nearby.  Sergeant  Jones 
was  in  charge  of  the  government  stores  and  of  six  pieces  of 
artillery  of  different  calibers,  the  relics  of  the  old  artillery  school 
at  the  post,  which  had  been  left  by  Major  Pemberton  when  he 
departed  for  Washington  with  the  last  battery  organization,  in 
February,  1861. 

The  Minnesota  Indian  payments  for  1862  were  greatly  delayed. 
They  should  have  been  made  by  the  last  of  June,  but  the  govern- 
ment agents  were  not  prepared  to  make  tbem  until  the  middle  of 
August.  The  authorities  at  Washington  were  to  blame.  For 
some  weeks  they  dallied  with  the  question  whether  or  not  a  part 
at  least  of  the  payment  should  be  made  in  greenbacks.    Com- 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  127 

missioner  Dole,  Superintendent  Thompson  and  Agent  Qalbraith 
protested  that  the  payment  should  be  in  specie.  Not  until  August 
8  did  Secretary  Chase,  of  the  Treasury,  order  Assistant  Treasurer 
Cisco,  of  New  York,  to  send  the  Indians'  money  in  gold  coin  to 
Superintendent  Thompson  at  St.  Paul.  The  money — $71,000,  in 
kegs,  all  in  gold  coin — left  New  York  August  11  and  arrived  at 
St.  Paul  on  the  sixteenth.  Superintendent  Thompson  started  it 
the  next  day  for  the  Indian  country  in  charge  of  C.  W,  Wykoff, 
E.  C.  Hatch,  Justus  C.  Ramsey,  A.  J.  Van  Vorhees  and  C.  M. 
Daily,  and  they,  with  the  wagons  containing  the  precious  kegs, 
reached  Port  Ridgely,  August  18,  the  first  day  of  the  great  out- 
break. The  money  and  its  custodians  remained  within  the  fort 
until  Sibley's  army  came,  and  then  the  money,  in  the  original 
package  as  stated,  was  taken  back  to  St.  Paul  by  the  parties 
named  who  had  brought  it  up. 

Meanwhile  there  was  a  most  unhappy  condition  of  affairs 
on  the  reservation.  The  Indians  had  been  eagerly  awaiting  the 
payment  since  the  tenth  of  June.  On  the  twenty-fifth  a  large 
delegation  of  the  chiefs  and  head  men  of  the  Sissetons  and  Wah- 
petons  visited  Yellow  Medicine  and  demanded  of  Agent  Qalbraith 
to  be  informed  whether  they  and  their  people  were  to  get  any 
money  that  year;  they  alleged  they  had  been  told  by  certain 
-white  men  that  they  would  not  be  paid  because  of  the  great  war 
then  iu  progress  between  the  North  and  South.  The  agent  said 
the  payment  would  certainly  be  made  by  July  20.  He  then  gave 
them  some  provisions,  ammunition,  and  tobacco,  and  sent  them 
back  to  their  villages,  promising  to  notify  them  when  the  money 
came  of  the  exact  time  of  the  payment.  He  then  went  to  the 
Lower  Agency  and  counseled  the  people  there  as  he  had  the 
people  at  Yellow  Medicine,  adding  that  they  should  busy  them- 
selves in  cutting  hay  for  the  winter  and  in  keeping  the  birds 
from  the  com.  These  Lower  Indians  had  worked  hard  during 
the  summer  but  their  crops  had  not  turned  out  well,  owing  to 
the  numerous  bird  and  insect  pests,  and  their  stock  of  provisions 
was  nearly  exhausted.  Major  Oalbraith  therefore  issued  them  a 
supply  of  mess  pork,  flour,  salt,  tobacco  and  ammunition. 

Efforts  have  been  made  by  many  writers  to  show  that  the 
condition  of  the  Indians  was  no  worse  than  that  of  the  white  set- 
tler— that  the  Indian  had  a  better  chance  to  prosper  than  did 
the  white  pioneer. 

But  the  circumstances  were  much  di£Eerent.  The  pioneer  bad 
come  prepared  for  the  rigors  of  pioneer  life.  He  had  come  hop- 
ing to  better  himself.  It  is  true  that  in  coming  the  pioneer 
brought  civilization.  But  he  did  not  come  for  that  purpose. 
Much  as  we  admire  the  pioneer,  much  as  we  appreciate  the  great 
good  that  he  has  done,  deep  though  the  debt  we  owe  him  may 
be,  many  though  his  hardships  were,  nevertheless  there  can  be 


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128  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

DC  disguising  the  motive  that  brought  him.  He  came  because 
he  expected  to  be  more  prosperous  here  than  he  had  been  in  the 
place  from  whence  he  came. 

The  Indian  had  no  such  hope.  He  was  not  equipped  for  the 
mode  of  life  that  was  thrust  upon  him.  He  had  owned  these 
stretches  of  land.  He  had  lived  in  contentment.  Through  the 
chase  he  had  obtained  a  good  living.  When  he  gave  up  the  op- 
portunity of  securing  his  accustomed  daily  livelihood  he  was 
accepting  the  promise  of  a  great  nation  that  in  exchange  for 
his  land  he  would  be  paid  certain  sums  for  his  support.  He  had 
given  up  his  land,  he  had  given  up  his  mode  of  making  a  living, 
he  had  moved  to  the  reservation,  he  had  Itept  his  part  of  the 
bargain;  yet  the  great  government  was  breaking  its  part  of  the 
bargain  by  every  quibble  and  pretense  possible. 

The  siHlden  change  of  life  had  brought  ructions  among  the 
Indians  themselves.  Some  seeing  that  the  white  man  by  trick- 
ery and  superior  strength,  was  bound  to  rule,  urged  that  the 
Indians  make  the  best  of  a  bad  situation  and  take  up  the  white 
man's  ways.    These  Indians  were  called  the  farmer  Indians. 

There  were  others,  however,  who  saw  that  the  Indian  was  not 
adapted  to  the  ways  of  the  whites,  and  saw  only  slavery  and  deg- 
radation in  the  ways  of  the  farmer  Indians,  many  of  whom  were 
already  dying  of  tubercular  troubles  as  the  result  of  their  unac- 
customed mode  of  life.  These  blanket  Indians,  as  they  were 
called,  believed  in  the  old  ways.  They  wanted  the  government 
to  keep  its  promise  and  make  its  payments  according  to  agree- 
ment, after  wliich  they  wanted  the  government  to  leave  them  to 
lead  their  own  lives  in  their  own  way. 

So  these  were  arguments  among  the  Indians,  such  matters  as 
adopting  the  white  man's  habits,  clothing,  and  customs,  obeying 
instructions  about  not  fighting  the  Chippewas,  the  election  of 
chief  speaker  of  the  Medawakanton  band. 

In  the  spring  Little  Crow,  Big  Eagle,  and  Traveling  Hail 
were  candidates  for  speaker  of  the  band.  There  was  a  heated 
contest,  resulting  in  the  defeat  of  Little  Crow  to  his  great  morti- 
fication and  chagrin  and  that  of  his  followers,  who  constituted 
the  greater  part  of  the  blanket  Indian  party.  His  successful 
opponent.  Traveling  Hail,  was  a  civilization  Indian  and  a  firm 
friend  of  the  whites. 

In  June,  as  the  time  for  the  payment  approached,  a  number 
of  the  young  Medawakantons  and  Wahpakootas  formed  a  sol- 
diers' lodge,  to  consider  the  question  of  allowing  the  traders  to 
approach  the  pay  table.  The  chiefs  and  head  men,  according  to 
custom,  were  not  allowed  to  participate  in  the  deliberations  of 
this  peculiar  council,  although  they  were  expected  to  enforce 
its  decisions  and  decrees.  After  a  few  days  of  secret  consulta- 
tion the  council  sent  a  delegation  to  Port  Ridgely,  which,  through 


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mSTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  129 

Post  Interpreter  Quinn,  asked  Captain  Marsh,  the  commandant, 
not  to  send  any  soldiers  to  the  payment  to  help  the  traders  col- 
lect their  debts.  Captain  Marsh  replied  that  he  was  obliged  to 
have  some  of  his  aoldiers  present  at  the  payment,  but  they  would 
not  be  used  unless  there  was  a  serious  disturbance  of  the  peace, 
and  on  no  account  would  he  allow  them  to  be  employed  to  collect 
the  debts  owing  to  the  traders  by  the  Indians.  This  reply  greatly 
gratified  the  Indians  and  they  returned  to  their  villages  in  high 
glee  boasting  of  what  they  had  accomplished. 

The  traders  were  indignant  at  the  action  of  the  Indian  soldiers. 
They  vowed  not  to  sell  the  Indians  any  more  snpplies  on  credit. 
"You  will  be  sorry  for  what  you  have  done,"  said  Andrew  J. 
Myrick,  who  was  in  charge  of  his  brother's  trading  house  at 
Redwood,  "you  will  be  sorry.  After  a  while  you  will  eome  to  me 
and  beg  for  meat  and  flour  to  keep  you  and  your  wives  and  chil- 
dren from  starving  and  I  will  not  let  you  have  a  thing.  Yon 
and  your  wives  and  children  may  starve,  or  eat  grass,  or  your 
own  filth."  The  traders  tried  to  induce  Captain  Marsh  to  re- 
voke his  decision  in  their  favor,  but  he  would  make  them  no 
promises. 

In  July  the  Lower  warriors  convened  another  soldiers'  lodge. 
This  time  the  subject  of  discussion  was  whether  or  not  they 
shoold  go  on  the  war-path  against  the  Chippewas,  who  had  re- 
cently given  a  lot  of  trouble.  Incidentally  the  trouble  about 
their  debts  came  up,  and  it  was  finally  decided  that  if  the  sol- 
diers guarded  the  pay  tables,  and  their  bayonets  were  employed 
as  instruments  for  the  collection  of  debts,  the  Indians  would  be 
forced  to  submit.  This  was  the  soldiers'  lodge  about  whose  pur- 
pose and  plans  so  many  startling  and  alarming  statements  were 
afterwards  made  by  the  whites.  At  the  time  too,  the  whites  were 
afraid.  On  one  occasion  the  Indians  went  down  to  Fort  Ridgely 
and  asked  to  be  allowed  to  play  ball  (or  la  crosse)  on  the  parade 
grounds.  Captain  Marsh  refused  to  allow  this,  and  it  was  after- 
wards printed  that  on  the  occasion  mentioned  the  Indians  had 
planned  and  schemed  to  get  into  the  fort  by  strategem,  and  then 
massacre  the  garrison  and  every  white  person  in  the  neighbor- 
hood. There  was  not  the  least  ground  for  this  false  and  unjust 
suspicion. 

The  Upper  Indians  were  in  far  worse  moods  than  their  breth- 
ren at  Redwood.  In  addition  to  their  dissatisfaction  in  regard 
to  the  delay  in  the  payment, — for  they  needed  assistance  moat 
sorely — they  were  incensed  against  the  white  authorities  who  had 
forbidden  them  to  make  war  on  the  Chippewas.  The  latter  made 
frequent  forays  upon  the  Sioux  of  the  upper  country.  In  May 
a  hunting  party  of  Red  Iron's  band  was  attacked  on  the  Upper 
Pomme  de  Terre  by  a  band  of  Chippewas  and  chased  from  the 
country,  losing  two  men  killed.    About  the  twentieth  of  July 


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130  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

the  Chippewaa  slipped  down  and  killed  two  Sioui  within  pighteen 
miles  of  Yellow  Medicine. 

These  instances  stirred  the  blood  of  the  Upper  bands  and  four 
days  later  several  hundred  of  them  formed  a  war  party  and, 
stripped  and  painted,  and  yelling  and  shouting,  marched  by  the 
Agency  buildings  and  the  camp  of  the  soldiers  and  down  the 
Minnesota  in  the  direction  of  Major  Brown's  atone  mansion  and 
big  farm,  near  where  the  Chippewas  were  supposed  to  be.  The 
majority  of  the  Indians  were  mounted,  but  those  who  were  on 
foot  went  galloping  along  by  the  side  of  the  cantering  ponies  and 
kept  up  with  them  easily.  The  Chippewas  had  retreated  and 
could  not  be  overtaken. 

About  the  fifteenth  of  August,  only  a  few  days  before  the 
outbreak,  a  man  and  his  son  of  Red  Iron's  band  were  killed  by 
the  Chippewas,  while  hunting,  a  few  miles  north  of  the  river. 
Their  bodies  were  taken  back  to  their  village  and  exposed  in 
public  for  a  whole  day.  Hundreds  of  Sioux  came  to  see  them. 
A  war  party  of  a  dozen  or  more  set  out  after  the  murderers,  fol- 
lowed them  up  into  the  Otter  Tail  Lake  country  and  did  not  re- 
turn to  the  reservation  until  nearly  two  weeks  after  the  outbreak. 

Certain  writers  have  frequently  declared  that  the  outbreak 
was  a  long  meditated  and  carefully  planned  movement  of  the 
Sioux  and  Chippewas  in  combination ;  that  Little  Crow  and  Hole- 
in-the-Day  were  in  constant  communication  and  engaged  in  pre- 
paring for  the  uprising  for  weeks  before  it  occurred.  Tbe  inci- 
dents given  of  the  tragic  events,  the  homicides,  and  the  fights 
between  the  two  tribes  up  to  the  very  date  of  tbe  Sioux  outbreak 
prove  the  absurd  falsity  of  the  claim  that  they  were  engaged 
as  allies  in  plotting  against  the  whites. 

In  the  first  part  of  July  in  this  memorable  year  a  brief  period 
of  excitement  and  danger  began  at  the  Yellow  Medicine  Agency. 
The  Upper  Indians  became  turbulent  and  menacing,  and  serious 
results  were  avoided  only  by  the  greatest  care  and  the  intelli- 
gent exercise  of  sound  judgment. 

As  early  as  June  18,  Captain  Marsh,  in  command  at  Fort 
Ridgely,  deemed  it  best,  in  anticipation  of  trouble  among  the 
Indians  at  the  payment,  to  strengthen  his  forces.  On  the 
eighteenth  Captain  Hall  ordered  Lieutenant  T.  J.  Sheeban,  with 
fifty  men  of  Company  B  of  the  Fifth  Regiment,  from  Fort  Ripley 
to  reenforce  tbe  garrison  at  Port  Ridgely.  The  Lieutenant  and 
his  men  arrived  on  the  twenty-eighth,  and  the  next  day  Captain 
Marsh  started  them  and  fifty  men  of  Company  B,  under  Lieu- 
tenant T.  P.  Gere  for  the  Yellow  Medicine,  which  post  they 
reached  July  2.  They  carried  with  them  a  piece  of  artillery,  a 
twelve  pound  mountain  howitzer,  and  plenty  of  ammunition. 
Lieutenants  Sbeehan  and  Gere  were  directed  to  obey  the  orders 
of  Agent  Galbraith  and  to  preserve  peace  and  protect  United 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  131 

States  property,  "during  the  time  ol  the  annuity  payment  for  the 
present  year."  Sheehan  ranked  Gere,  and  was  given  command 
of  the  detachment. 

When  the  soldiers  reached  the  Yellow  Medicine,  they  found 
the  Upper  Indians  already  arriving  in  large  numbers  in  antici- 
pation of  the  annuity  payment,  which  was  the  prevailing  and 
absorbing  topic.  On  the  eighth  a  detachment  of  warriors, 
through  Interpreter  Quinn,  had  a  lengthy  interview  with  the 
young  officers.  The  Indians  said:  "We  are  the  braves  who  do 
the  fighting  for  our  people.  We  sold  our  land  to  the  Great 
Father,  but  we  don't  get  the  pay  for  it.  The  traders  are  allowed 
to  sit  at  the  pay  table,  and  they  take  all  our  money.  We  wish 
yon  to  keep  the  traders  away  from  the  pay  table,  and  as  we  are 
now  hungry  we  want  you  to  make  us  a  present  of  a  beef."  The 
lieutenant  answered  that  the  payment  regulations  were  in  charge 
of  Agent  Galhraith,  whose  orders  they  must  obey ;  that  they  had 
no  beeves  or  other  provisions,  save  their  own  army  rations,  which 
they  needed  for  themselves,  but  that  they  would  tell  the  agent 
what  the  warriors  had  said. 

Every  day  brought  accessions  to  the  number  of  Indians  about 
the  Agency.  On  July  14,  when  Agent  Galbraith  arrived,  he 
was  astonished  and  iklarmed  to  find  that  nearly  all  of  the  Upper 
Indians  had  arrived,  that  they  were  greatly  destitute,  and  that 
they  were  clamoring  for  "Wo-kay-zhu-zhu-!  Wo-kay-zhu-zhu-, " 
the  payment  I  the  payment!  The  agent  asked  them  reproach- 
fully: "Why  have  you  comet  I  sent  you  away  and  told  you  not 
to  come  back  until  I  sent  for  yon  again.  I  have  not  sent  for 
yon — why  have  you  comet"  The  Indians  replied:  "It  was  such 
a  long  time  that  we  did  not  hear  from  you,  that  we  feared  some- 
thing was  wrong.  Then,  because  of  the  war  in  the  south,  some 
white  men  say  that  we  will  not  get  our  money  at  all.  We  want  to 
find  out  about  all  this.  We  are  destitute  and  hungry.  You  may 
not  have  money,  but  you  have  provisions  in  that  big  house,  and 
this  is  the  time  of  the  year  that  we  should  receive  both  our  money 
and  supplies;  we  want  some  of  the  supplies  now.  We  will  not 
leave  our  camps  until  we  get  our  money  and  all." 

Major  Galbraith  sent  word  of  his  predicament  to  Superin- 
tendent Thompson  and  asked  for  instructions.  The  superintend- 
ent answered  that  the  agent  was  on  the  ground  and  must  do  as 
he  thought  best.  The  agent  then  issued,  in  scanty  quantities, 
some  rations  of  pork  and  fiour  and  some  cloth  and  other  sup- 
plies to  the  most  destitute  and  deserving.  The  Indians  were 
grateful,  and  gave  numerous  dances  and  other  entertainments 
as  returns  for  the  favors. 

To  add  to  Major  Oalbraith's  perplexities,  the  presence  of  a 
large  number  of  Yanktonnais  and  other  non-annuity  Indians  was 
reported.    On  the  day  after  his  arrival  he  inspected  the  various 


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132  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

eamps  and  found,  to  his  disgust  and  dismay,  that  there  were  659 
lodges  of  annuity  Indians,  78  lodges  of  Yanktonnais,  37  of  Cut 
Heads,  and  five  of  unindentified  people,  said  to  be  'Winnebagoes. 
Thert'  were  more  than  4,000  annuity  Sioux  and  about  1,000  Yank- 
tonians  and  Cut  Heads.  Even  a  portion  of  Inkpadoota's  band 
was  reported  to  be  out  on  the  prairies. 

By  July  18,  the  Indians  had  eaten  nearly  all  of  their  dogs 
and  everything  else  of  an  edible  character  in  their  camps,  and 
there  was  actual  starvation  among  them.  Still  there  was  no 
payment  and  no  issue  of  supplies.  Down  in  the  Minnesota  bot- 
toms, almost  hidden  in  the  high  and  succulent  grass,  were  hun- 
dreds of  fat  cattle  belonging  to  the  settlers  and  to  be  bad  for 
the  killing,  and  leas  than  a  day's  march  away  were  provisioiis  of 
other  kinds,  enough  to  feed  an  army,  and  to  be  had  for  the  tak- 
ing. Lieutenant  Sheehan  feared  that  the  strain  would  not  en- 
dure much  longer,  and  sent  down  to  Ridgely  and  brought  up 
another  howitzer.  Oalbraitb,  however,  did  not  believe  there 
was  any  danger,  as  the  Indians  were  apparently  quiet  and  peace- 
able. On  the  twenty-first  the  lieutenants  interviewed  Galbraith 
and  plainly  told  him  that  did  he  not  at  once  relieve  the  most 
pressing  necessities  of  the  Indians,  he  would  be  responsible  for 
any  casualty  that  might  ensue.  The  agent  agreed  that  he  would 
at  once  take  a  census  of  the  annuity  people,  issue  an  abundant 
supply  of  provisions,  and  then  send  them  back  to  their  villages 
to  await  the  arrival  of  their  money. 

On  the  twenty-sixth  the  counting  took  place.  The  enumera- 
tion was  confined  to  the  annuity  Indians;  the  Yanktonnais  and 
Gnt  Heads  were  ignored.  All  of  the  people  eligible  to  payment 
were  assembled  near  the  Qovemment  buildings,  and  a  cordon  of 
soldiers  thrown  about  the  entire  concourse.  Each  sub-chief  called 
upon  the  heads  of  families  in  his  band  to  give  the  number  of 
persons  in  their  respective  families  and  when  the  number  was 
announced  those  composing  it  were  sent  out  of  the  lines  to  their 
camps.    The  enumeration  occupied  twelve  and  a  half  hours. 

The  Indian  census  had  been  taken,  but  still  Agent  Qalbraith 
made  no  issue  of  provisions,  as  he  had  promised.  The  man  seemed 
beside  himself,  in  the  perplexities  of  his  situation.  He  was  a 
drinking  man,  and  it  is  said  that  he  was  intoxicated  a  great  por- 
tion of  the  time  in  an  effort  to  meet  the  dangers  which  confronted 
him  with  a  "Dutch  courage." 

The  next  day  after  the  census  was  taken,  or  July  27,  Major 
Galbraith  sent  Lieutenant  Sheehan,  with  fourteen  soldiers,  foor 
citizens  and  the  ever  faithful  Good  Voiced  Hail,  as  a  guide,  on  a 
futile  and  foolish  chase  after  the  half  dozen  of  Inkpadoota's  band 
reported  to  be  hovering  about  the  Dakota  boundary,  south  and 
west  of  Lake  Benton.  The  men  were  all  mounted  and  had  two 
baggage  wagons.    After  scouring  the  country  in  a  vain  search 


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HISTORY  OP  fiENVILLE  COUNTY  l;(;f 

for  trails  or  even  signs,  the  detachment  set  out  on  the  return 
trip  and  reached  Tellow  Medicine  August  3.  The  failure  to  over- 
take the  outlaws  had  a  bad  effect  upon  the  Agency  Indians,  who 
derided  the  work  of  the  soldiers  and  were  confirmed  in  their  be- 
lief that  in  matters  pertaining  to  warfare  of  any  sort.  Indians 
could  easily  outwit  white  men. 

The  fourth  of  August  came  but  no  paymaster  was  in  sight, 
and  there  had  been  no  issue  of  provisions,  save  a  few  pieces  of 
hard  tack,  for  two  weeks.  Early  in  the  morning  of  the  fourth  the 
Indians  sent  two  messengers  to  Lieutenant  Sheehan  and  informed 
him  that  later  in  the  day,  tbey  were  coming  to  the  Agency  to 
fire  a  salute  and  make  a  great  demonstration  for  the  entertain- 
ment of  the  white  people,  and  especially  the  soldiers.  "Don't  be 
afraid,"  they  said,  "for  although  we  will  do  a  lot  of  shooting 
we  won't  hurt  anybody." 

About  9  o'clock  the  soldiers  were  startled  to  see  that,  sud- 
denly and  without  having  previously  been  seen,  the  Indians  had 
surrounded  the  camp  and  were  pointing  guns  at  them.  The 
sentinels  or  camp  guards  were  pushed  from  their  beats  and  told 
to  go  to  their  tents  and  stay  there,  and  Private  James  Foster, 
of  Company  B,  had  his  gun  wrested  from  him.  At  the  same  time 
several  hundred  mounted  and  armed  warriors  gallop^-d  up,  yell- 
ing and  shooting,  and  began  riding  wildly  about.  The  real  ob- 
ject of  this  startling  and  thrilling  demonstration  was  not  appar- 
ent until  the  Indian  leader  dashed  up  to  the  west  end  of  the  Gov- 
ernment warehouse  and  struck  its  big  door  a  resounding  blow 
with  his  tomahawk.  Very  soon  the  door  was  broken  down  and 
the  Indians  rushed  in  and  began  carrying  away  the  big  fat  sacks 
of  flour  and  the  fatter  slices  of  pork. 

According  to  Lieutenant  Gere's  account,  the  situation  was 
now  perilous  in  the  extreme.  The  soldiers  were  outnumbered 
seven  to  one  by  the  excited  warriors,  who  were  priming,  cocking, 
and  aiming  their  guns  only  a  hundred  feet  away.  Private  Josiah 
Weakley,  of  Company  C,  precipitated  a  crisis.  An  Indian  had 
pointed  a  gun  at  him,  and  the  soldier  swore  a  big  mouth-filling 
oath  and  hastily  capped  and  aimed  his  gun  at  the  savage  to  re- 
sent the  insult.  He  was  about  to  pull  the  trigger,  when  Jim 
Ybright  struck  down  the  gun,  and  thus  prevented  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  entire  command  and  of  every  other  white  person  at 
or  about  the  Agency.  For  at  that  critical  moment  had  a  single 
hostile  shot  been  fired,  by  either  white  man  or  Indian,  the  great 
savage  outbreak  of  a  fortnight  later  would  have  begun  and  its 
first  victims  would  have  been  the  people  of  Yellow  Medicine. 

Lieutenant  Sheehan  ordered  his  little  command  to  "fall  in," 
and  promptly  every  man,  gun  in  hand,  sprang  into  line.  There 
was  no  shrinking  and  apparently  no  fear.  It  was  soon  realized 
that  the  object  of  the  Indian  attack  was  to  secure  the  provisions 


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134  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

in  the  warehouse  wherewith  to  feed  themseWes  and  their  famish- 
ing women  and  children.  Had  the  murder  of  the  whites  been  in- 
tended, the  bloody  work  wonld  have  been  be^n  at  once.  It 
seemed  certain  that  the  Indians  would  not  fire  the  first  shot. 

But  the  peace  must  be  preserved,  even  it  it  had  to  be  fought 
for,  and  the  Government  property  must  he  protected  at  all  haz- 
ards. Lieutenant  Gere  had  direct  charge  of  the  two  cannon,  and 
the  men  of  his  company  had  been  trained  by  old  Sergeant  Jones, 
at  Ridgley,  to  handle  them.  Taking  the  tarpauUn  cover  from  one  of 
the  guns,  which  was  loaded  with  canister,  Lieutenant  Gere  aimed 
it  at  the  warehouse  door,  through  which  the  Indians  were  crowd- 
ing, going  for  and  returning  with  sacks  of  flour.  Prom  the 
cannon  to  the  warehouse  the  distance  was  not  more  than  150 
yards ;  the  ground  was  level,  and  the  range  point  blank. 

Instantly  there  were  yells  of  surprise  and  shouts  of  warn- 
ing, and  the  Indians  fell  hack  on  either  side  of  the  line  of  fire 
and  the  range  of  the  gun,  leaving  a  wide  and  distinct  land  or 
avenue  between  the  cannon  and  the  warehouse  door.  Lieutenant 
Sheehan  now  appeared  with  a  detachment  of  sixteen  men,  and 
that  brave  soldier,  Sergeant  Solon  A.  Trescott,  of  Company  B, 
at  their  head.  Down  the  lane  with  its  living  walls  marched  Shee- 
han and  his  little  band  straight  to  the  warehouse.  Reaching  the 
,  building  the  lieutenant  went  at  once  to  the  office  of  Major  Gal- 
braith,  too  impotent  through  fear,  drink  and  excitement  for  any 
good.  Sergeant  Trescott  and  his  men  summarily  drove  every 
Indian  from  and  away  from  the  warehouse.  Only  about  thirty 
sacks  of  flour  had  been  taken. 

Lieutenant  Sheehan  stoutly  demanded  that  Galbraith  at  once 
give  to  the  Indians  the  provisions  which  really  belonged  to  them, 
and  thereby  avert  not  only  starvation  but  probably  war.  But 
the  agent,  now  that  the  soldiers  were  in  line  and  their  leader  in 
his  presence,  became,  through  his  "Dutch  courage,"  very  digni- 
fied and  brave.  He  said  that  if  he  made  any  concessions  to  the 
Indians  they  would  become  bolder  in  the  future,  that  the  savages 
must  be  made  to  respect  his  position  and  authority  as  their  agent, 
and  not  attempt  to  coerce  him  into  doing  his  duty.  He  then  de- 
manded that  Lieutenant  Sheehan  should  take  his  soldiers  and 
make  the  Indians  return  the  flour  they  had  seized  and  which  their 
women  were  already  making  into  bread. 

Sheehan  had  his  Irish  spirit  thoroughly  aroused,  and  at  last 
forced  the  agent  to  agree  to  issue  three  days'  rations  of  flour  and 
pork  to  the  Indians,  if  they  would  return  to  their  camps  and  send 
their  chiefs  for  a  council  the  next  day.  Meanwhile  the  Indians 
had  assembled  by  bands  about  the  warehouse  and  were  addressed 
by  their  chiefs  and  head  soldiers,  all  of  whom  said,  in  effect: 
"The  provisions  in  that  big  house  have  been  sent  to  us  by  our 
Great  Father  at  Washington,  but  our  agent  will  not  let  us  have 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  135 

them,  although  our  wives  and  children  are  starving;.  These  sup- 
plies are  ours  and  we  have  a  right  to  take  them.  The  soldiers 
STmpatbize  with  us  and  have  already  divided  their  rations  with 
us,  and  when  it  comes  to  the  point  they  will  not  shoot  at  us,  but 
if  they  do,  we  can  soon  wipe  them  oflf  the  earth," 

The  three  days'  rations  were  issued,  but  the  Indians  declinea 
to  return  to  their  camps,  unless  they  should  first  receive  all  that 
was  due  them.  Tliey  again  becatne  turbulent  and  threatened  to 
again  attack  and  loot  the  warebonse.  Lieutenant  Sheehan  moved 
up  his  entire  command  directly  in  front  of  the  warehouse  and 
went  into  fighting  line  with  his  two  cannons  "in  battery,"  Then 
the  Indians  concluded  to  forego  any  hostile  movement  and  re- 
turned to  their  camps.  Their  three  days'  rations  had  been  well 
nigh  all  devoured  before  midnight. 

Agent  Qalbraith  continued  in  his  excited  mood  and  eccentric 
conduet.  Months  afterward,  in  writing  his  official  report  and  de- 
scribing the  events  of  the  fourth  of  August,  he  declared  that  when 
the  Indians  assaulted  the  warehouse  they  "shot  down  the  Amer- 
ican flag"  waving  over  it.  His  statement  was  accepted  by 
Heard,  who,  in  his  history,  states  that  the  flag  was  "cut  down." 
Lieutenant  Sheehan  and  the  men  who  were  under  him  at  Yel- 
low Medicine  all  assert  that  the  flag  was  heither  shot  down  or 
cut  down  or  injured  in  any  way,  bnt  that  when  the  trouble  was 
over  for  the  day  the  banner  was  "still  there."  August  5  the 
agent  was  still  beside  himself.  He  declared  that  the  loyal  old 
Peter  Quinn — who  had  lived  in  Minnesota  among  his  white  breth- 
ren for  nearly  forty  years  and  was  always  faithful  to  his  trust, 
even  to  his  death  in  the  slaughter  at  Redwood  Ferry — was  not 
to  be  trusted  to  communicate  with  the  Indians.  He  ordered  Lieu- 
tenant Sheehan,  who  had  brought  Quinn  from  Ridgely,  to  send 
him  back  and  he  requested  that  the  loyal  old  man  be  "put  off 
the  reservation." 

Sheehan  could  bear  with  the  agent  no  longer.  He  accommo- 
dated him  by  sending  Quinn  away,  but  he  sent  the  old  interpreter 
with  Lieutenant  Gere,  whom  he  directed  to  hasten  to  Fort  Ridge- 
ly, describe  the  situation  to  Captain  Marsh,  and  urge  that  officer 
to  come  at  once  to  Yellow  Medicine  and  help  manage  Qalbraith. 
The  captain  reached  Yellow  Medicine  at  1 :30  p.  ra.  on  the  sixth, 
having  come  from  Port  Ridgely,  forty-five  miles  distant,  by 
buggy  in  seven  hours. 

August  7,  Qalbraith  having  been  forced  to  agree  to  a  sensi- 
ble course  of  action,  he,  Captain  Marsh  and  Missionary  Riggs  held 
a  council  with  the  Indians.  The  agent  had  sent  to  Hazelwood  for 
Mr.  Riggs  and  when  the  good  preacher  came,  said  to  him  appeal- 
ingly:  "If  there  is  anything  between  the  lids  of  the  Bible  that 
will  meet  this  case,  I  wish  you  would  use  it."  The  missionary 
assured  the  demoralized  agent  that  the  Bible  has  something  in 


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136  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

it  to  meet  every  case  and  any  emergency.  He  then  repaired  to 
Standing  Buffalo's  tepee  and  arranged  for  a  general  council  that 
afternoon.  The  mfasionary  gives  this  description  of  the  pro- 
ceedings : 

"The  chiefs  and  braves  gathered.  The  young  men  who  had 
broken  down  the  warehouse  door  were  there.  The  Indians  ar- 
gued that  they  were  starving  and  that  the  flour  and  pork  in  the 
warehouse  had  been  purchased  with  their  money.  It  was  wrong 
to  break  in  the  door,  but  now  they  would  authorize  the  agent 
to  take  of  their  money  and  repair  the  door.  The  agent  then 
agreed  to  give  them  some  provisions  and  insisted  on  their  going 
home  which  they  promised  to  do." 

Captain  Marah  demanded  that  all  of  the  annuity  goods,  which 
for  so  long  had  been  wrongfully  withheld,  should  be  issued  im- 
mediately, and  Reverend  Riggs  endorsed  the  demand.  Galbraith 
consented,  and  the  Indians  promised  that  if  the  issues  were  made 
they  would  return  to  their  homes  and  there  remain  until  the 
agent  advised  them  that  their  money  had  come.  The  agreement 
was  faithfully  carried  out  by  both  parties  to  it.  The  issue  of 
goods  began  immediately  and  was  continued  through  the  eighth 
and  ninth.  By  the  tenth  all  the  Indians  had  disappeared  and  on 
the  twelfth  word  waS  received  that  Standing  Buffalo's  and  the 
Charger's  band,  with  many  others,  had  gone  out  into  Dakota  on 
bufifalo  hunts.  On  the  eleventh  the  soldiers  left  Yellow  Medicine 
for  Fort  Ridgely,  arriving  at  that  post  in  the  evening  of  the 
following  day. 

All  prospects  of  future  trouble  with  the  Indians  seemed  now 
to  have  disappeared.  Only  the  Upper  Indians  had  made  mis- 
chief; the  Lower  Indians  had  taken  no  part  nor  manifested 
any  sympathy  with  what  their  brethren  had  done,  but  had  re- 
mained quietly  in  their  villages  engaged  in  their  ordinary  avo- 
cations. Many  had  been  at  work  in  the  hay  meadows  and  corn- 
fields. All  the  Indians  had  apparently  decided  to  wait  patiently 
for  the  annuity  money.  This  agreeable  condition  of  afiFairs  might 
have  been  established  six  weeks  earlier,  but  for  the  unwise,  yet 
well  meant  work  of  Agent  Galbraith,  who  should  have  done  at 
first  what  he  did  at  last. 

Believing  that  no  good  reason  any  longer  existed  for  the  pres- 
ence of  so  many  troops  at  Fort  Ridgely,  Captain  Marsh  ordered 
Lieutenant  Sheehan  to  lead  Company  C  of  the  Fifth  Minnesota 
back  to  Fort  Ripley,  on  the  Upper  Mississippi,  the  march  to  be 
made  on  foot,  across  the  country,  by  the  most  direct  route.  At 
7  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  August  17,  the  detachment  set  out, 
encamping  the  first  night  at  Gnmming's  Grove,  near  the  present 
site  of  Winthrop,  Sibley  county. 

After  the  troubles  at  Yellow  Medicine  were  over  a  number 
of    discharged    government    employes,    French -Canadians,    and 


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HISTOKY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  137 

mixed  blood  Sioux  expressed  a  desire  to  enlist  in  the  UQion  army, 
under  President  Lincoln's  eall  for  "300,000"  more. 

The  Government  was  advancing  forty  dollars  of  their  pros- 
pective bounty  and  pay  to  recruits,  and  as  quite  a  number  of  the 
would-be  volunteers  were  out  of  employment  and  money,  the 
cash  offer  was  perhaps  to  some  as  mneh  of  a  stimulus  to  enlist 
as  Wfks  their  patriotism.  A  very  gallant  frontiersman  named 
James  Qorman,  busied  himself  with  securing  -recruits  for  the 
pioneer  company,  which,  because  most  of  its  numbers  were  from 
Renville  county,  was  called  the  "Renville  Rangers,"  Captain 
Marsh  had  encouraged  the  organization,  and  Agent  Galbraith 
had  used  all  of  his  influence  in  its  behalf.  August  12  thirty  men 
enlisted  in  the  Rangers  at  Yellow  Medicine  and  on  the  fourteenth 
twenty  more  joined  the  company  at  Redwood,  Galbraith  and 
Gorman,  with  their  fifty  men,  left  Redwood  Agency  for  Port 
Snelling,  where  it  was  expected  the  company  would  join  one  of 
the  new  regiments  then  being  formed.  At  Fort  Ridgely  Captain 
Marsh  furnished  the  Rangers  quarters  and  rations  and  sent  Ser- 
geant James  G.  McGrew  and  four  other  soldiers  with  them  on 
their  way  to  the  fort.  At  New  Ulm  they  received  a  few  men, 
and  the  entire  company,  in  wagons,  reached  St.  Peter  in  the  after- 
noon of  the  eighteenth. 

Much  that  is  false  has  been  written  regarding  the  caiise  of 
the  Sioux  Outbreak,  many  idle  speculations  have  been  published 
as  absolute  fact. 

There  certainly  was  no  conspiracy  between  the  Chippewas  and 
the  Sioux ;  there  were  certainly  no  representatives  of  the  southern 
Confederacy  urging  the  Indians  to  revolt,  Little  CroM'  was  most 
assuredly  guiltless  of  having  long  planned  a  general  massacre. 
Possibly,  for  such  is  human  nature,  the  Indians,  smarting  under 
untold  wrongs,  may  have  considered  the  possibilities  of  driving 
out  the  whites  and  resuming  their  own  ancient  freedom.  But 
no  details  had  been  planned  upon.  The  otliciiils  at  Washington 
and  their  representatives  on  the  reservation  were  wholely  and 
solely  responsible  for  the  great  massacre.  The  spark  which 
lighted  the  conflagration  was  the  lawless  act  of  a  few  renegades, 
but  there  would  have  been  no  blaze  from  this  spark  had  not  the 
whites,  through  guile  and  dishonesty,  been  gradually  increasing 
the  disgust,  discontent  and  resentment  in  the  Red  Men 's  breast. 
The  editor  of  this  work  holds  no  brief  for  the  Indian.  No  one 
realizes  more  than  he  the  sufferings  of  those  innocent  settlers, 
those  martyrs  to  civilization,  who  underwent  untold  horrors  at 
the  hands  of  a  savage  and  infuriated  race.  In  savage  or  civil- 
ized warfare,  no  acts  of  heartless  cruelty  can  be  excused  or  con- 
doned. In  the  wrongs  to  which  the  Indian  had  been  subjected 
the  noble  settlers  of  Renville  county  were  guiltless. 

Civilization  can  never  repay  the  Renville  county  pioneers  for 


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138  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

the  part  they  had  in  extending  further  the  dominion  of  the  white 
man,  for  the  part  they  took  in  bringing  the  county  from  a  wild 
wilderness  to  a  place  of  peace,  prosperity  and  contentment. 

The  treatment  of  the  Indian  hy  the  settlers  of  this  connty  was 
ever  coiiBiderate  and  kind,  the  red  man  was  continually  fed  and 
warmed  at  Renville  county  cabins.  There  is  no  condoning  the 
terrible  slaughter  of  these  innocent,  kind  hearted,  hospitable 
whites  who  in  seeking  their  home  in  this  rich  valley  were  not 
unmindful  of  the  needs  of  their  untutored  predecessors. 

It  should,  however,  be  remembered  that  however  cruel,  lust- 
ful and  bloodthirsty  the  Indian  showed  himself  to  be,  base, 
treacherous,  barbarous  as  his  conduct  was,  cowardly  and  mur- 
derous though  his  uprising  against  the  innocent  pioneers;  never- 
theless not  his  alone  was  the  guilt.  The  officials  who  tricked 
and  robbed  him,  whose  stupidity  and  inefficiency  incensed  him, 
whose  lack  of  honor  embittered  him  against  all  whites,  they  too, 
must  bear  a  part  of  the  blame  for  that  horrible  uprising. 

It  should  be  remembered  too,  that  the  white  soldiers  battling 
for  a  great  nation  taught  the  Indian  no  better  method  than  the 
Indian  himself  practiced.  The  Indian  violated  the  flag  of  truce, 
and  likewise  the  white  soldiers  fired  on  Indians  who  came  to 
parley  under  the  white  flag.  The  Indians  killed  women  and  chil- 
dren, the  white  soldiers  likewise  turned  their  guns  against  the 
tepees  that  contained  the  Indian  squaws  and  papooses.  The  In- 
dian mutilated  the  bodies  of  those  who  fell  beneath  his  anger,  and 
there  were  likewise  whites  who  scalped  and  mutilated  the  bodies 
of  the  Indians  they  killed.  The  Indian  fired  on  unprotected 
white  men,  and  there  were  white  men  too,  who  fired  on  unpro- 
tected Indians  who  had  no  part  in  the  outbreak. 

Neither  side  was  guiltless.  And  the  innocent  settlers,  espe- 
cially those  heroic  families  living  along  the  streams  of  Renville 
county  paid  the  horrible  price  for  the  crimes  of  both  races. 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  139 

CHAPTER  X. 

TH£  SIOUX  OUTBREAK. 

Day  Dawns  Calm  and  Beantiful— Church  Services— The  Rice 
Creek  Reoegadea  Soh  a  Hen's  Nest — Quarrel  Amon^  Braves 
as  to  Their  Conrage— Ellling^  Starts— Miscreants  Tell  Their 
Story  to  the  Chiefs — Little  Crow  Bows  to  the  Inevitahle  and 
Belnctantly  Consents  to  Lead  His  Men  to  Battle — Qeneral 
Massacre  Begins — Weeks  of  Horror — Battles  and  Murders — 
Indians  Subdued — Little  Crow  Killed — Peace. 

Sunday,  August  17,  1862,  was  a  beautiful  day  in  western  Min- 
nesota. The  sun  shone  brightly,  the  weather  was  warm,  and  the 
skies  were  blue.  The  com  was  in  the  green  ear  stage ;  the  wild 
grass  was  ripe  for  the  hay  mowing;  the  wheat  and  oats  were 
ready  to  be  harvested, 

A  large  majority  of  the  settlers  and  pioneers  in  the  Upper 
Minnesota  valley,  on  the  north  or  east  aide  of  the  river,  were 
church  members.  The  large  German  Evangelical  settlement,  on 
Sacred  Heart  creek  held  religious  services  on  that  day  at  the 
bouse  of  one  of  the  members,  and  there  were  so  many  in  attend- 
ance that  the  congregation  occupied  the  door  yard.  A  great  flock 
of  children  had  attended  the  Sunday  school  and  received  the 
ninth  of  a  series  of  blue  cards,  as  evidence  of  their  regular  at- 
tendance for  the  nine  preceding  Sundays.  "When  you  come  next 
Sunday,"  said  the  superintendent  to  the  children,  "you  will  be 
given  another  blue  ticket,  making  ten  tickets,  and  you  can  ex- 
change them  for  a  red  ticket."  But  to  neither  children  or  super- 
intendent that  "next  Sunday"  never  came. 

At  Yellow  Medicine  and  Hazelwood  there  was  an  unusual 
attendance  at  the  meetings  conducted  by  Riggs  and  Williamson. 
At  the  Lower  Agency  Rev.  S.  U.  Hinman,  the  rector  of  the  sta- 
tion, held  services  in  Sioux  in  the  newly  erected  but  uncom- 
pleted Episcopal  church  and  among  his  most  attentive  auditors 
were  Little  Crow  and  Little  Priest,  the  latter  a  Winnebago  sub- 
chief,  who,  with  a  dozen  of  his  band,  had  been  hanging  about 
the  Agency,  awaiting  the  Sioux  paymeuts.  Little  Crow  was  a 
pagan,  believing  in  the  gods  of  his  ancestors,  but  he  always 
showed  great  tolerance  and  respect  for  the  religious  opinions 
of  others. 

Altogether  there  was  not  the  slightest  indication  or  the  faint- 
est suspicion  of  impending  trouble  before  it  came.  There  are 
printed  statements  to  the  effect  that  a  great  conspiracy  had 
been  set  on  foot,  or  at  least  planned;  but  careful  investigation 
proves  these  statements,  no  matter  by  whom  made,  to  be  base- 
less and  unwarranted.    Except  the  four  perpetrators  nobody  was 


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140  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

more  startled  or  surprised  upon  the  learning  of  the  murder  of 
the  first  whites,  than  the  Indians  themselves. 

The  Rice  Creek  Indians  were  deserters  from  the  bands  to  which 
they  rightfully  belonged,  because  they  wore  discontented  with 
conditions  and  had  grievances  against  their  chiefs  or  others  of 
their  fellow-elansraen.  They  were,  too,  malcontents  generally. 
They  did  not  like  their  own  people ;  they  did  not  like  the  whites. 
Not  one  of  them  was  a  Christian,  and  they  bad  nothing  but  con- 
tempt for  their  brethren  that  had  become  converts.  Many  of 
them,  however,  wore  white  men's  clothing,  and  a  few  were  good 
hunters  and  trappers,  although  none  were  farmers.  They  de- 
pended almost  altogether  for  provisions  upon  their  success  in 
hunting  and  fishing.  Detachments  from  the  band  were  constantly 
in  the  big  woods,  engaged  in  hunting,  although  in  warm  weather 
the  game  killed  became  tainted  and  nearly  putrid  before  it  could 
be  taken  home ;  and  from  daylight  until  dark  the  river  bank  in 
front  of  their  village  was  lined  with  women  and  children  busily 
fishing  for  bullheads. 

On  Sunday  afternoon,  August  17,  the  Rice  Creckers  held  an 
open  council,  which  was  attended  by  some  of  Shakopee's  band 
from  across  the  river.  It  was  agreed  to  make  a  demoustration  to 
hurry  up  the  payment,  and  that  the  next  day  every  able-bodied 
man  should  go  down  to  the  Lower  Agency,  from  thence  to  Fort 
Ridgely,  and  from  thence  to  St.  Paul,  if  necessary,  and  urge  the 
authorities  to  hasten  the  pay  day,  already  too  long  deferred.  But 
nothing  was  said  in  the  council  about  war.  An  hour  or  two  later 
nothing  was  talked  of  but  war. 

About  August  12  twenty  Lower  Indians  went  over  into  the 
big  woods  of  Meeker  and  McLeod  counties  to  hunt.  Half  a  dozen 
or  more  of  the  Rice  Creek  band  were  of  the  party.  One  of  Shako- 
pee 's  band,  named  Island  Cloud,  or  Makh-pea  We-tah,  had  busi- 
ness with  Captain  George  C.  Whitcomb,  of  Forest  City,  concern- 
ing a  wagon  which  the  Indian  had  left  with  the  captain.  Reach- 
ing the  hunting  grounds  in  the  sonthern  part  of  Meeker  county, 
the  party  divided.  Island  Cloud  and  four  others  proceeding  to 
Forest  City  and  the  remainder  continuing  in  the  to^vnship  of 
Acton. 

On  the  morning  of  August  17  four  Rice  Creek  Indians  -were 
passing  along  the  Henderson  and  Pembina  road,  in  the  central 
part  of  Acton  township.  Three  of  them  were  formerly  Upper 
Indians,  the  fourth  had  a  Medawakanton  father  and  n  Wahpaton 
mother.  Their  names,  in  English,  were  Brown  Wing.  Breaks  Up 
and  Scatters.  Ghost  That  Kills,  and  Crawls  Against;  the  last 
named  was  living  at  Manitoba  in  1891.  Two  of  the  four  were 
dressed  as  white  men ;  the  others  were  partly  in  Indian  costume. 
None  of  them  was  more  than  thirty  years  of  age,  but  each  seemed 
older. 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  141 

As  these  Indians  were  passing  the  bouse  and  premises  of 
Robinson  Jones,  four  miles  south  of  the  present  site  of  Grove 
CSty,  one  of  them  found  some  hen's  eggs  in  a  fence  comer  and 
proceeded  to  appropriate  them.  One  of  hia  comrades  remon- 
strated against  his  taking  the  eggs  because  they  belonged  to  a 
white  man  and  a  discussion  of  the  character  of  a  quarrel  resulted. 
To  Return  I.  Holcombe,  the  compiler  of  this  chapter,  in  June,  1894. 
Chief  Big  Eagle  related  the  particulars  of  this  incident,  as  follows : 

' '  I  will  tell  you  how  this  was  done,  as  it  was  told  to  me  by  all 
of  the  four  young  men  who  did  the  killing.  •  *  •  They  came 
to  a  settler's  fence  and  here  they  found  a  hen's  nest  with  some 
eggs  in  it.  One  of  them  took  the  eggs  when  another  said:  'Don't 
take  them,  for  they  belong  to  a  white  man  and  we  may  get  into 
trouble.'  The  other  was  angry,  for  he  was  very  hungry  and 
wanted  to  eat  the  eggs,  and  he  dashed  them  to  the  ground  and 
replied:  'You  are  a  coward.  You  are  afraid  of  the  white  man. 
You  are  afraid  to  take  even  an  egg  from  him,  though  you  are 
half  starved.  Yes,  you  are  a  coward  and  I  will  tell  everybody 
so.'  The  other  said,  'I  am  not  a  coward.  I  am  not  afraid  of  the 
white  man,  and  to  show  you  that  I  am  not,  I  will  go  to  the  house 
and  shoot  him.  Are  you  brave  enough  to  go  with  met'  The  one 
who  had  taken  the  eggs  replied:  'Yes,  I  will  go  with  you  and  we 
will  see  who  is  the  brave.'  Their  two  companions  then  said:  'We 
will  go  with  you  and  we  will  be  brave,  too.'  Then  they  all  went 
to  the  house  of  the  white  man."  {See  "Vol.  6,  Minn.  Hist,  Soey. 
Coll.,  p.  389;  also  St.  Paul  Pioneer  Press,  July  1, 1894.) 

Robinson  Jones  was  a  pioneer  settler  in  Acton  township.  He 
and  others  came  from  a  lumber  camp  in  northern  Minnesota,  in 
the  spring  of  1857,  and  made  claims  in  the  same  neighborhood. 
January  4,  1861,  Jones  married  a  widow  named  Ann  Baker,  with 
an  adult  son,  Howard  Baker,  who  had  a  wife  and  two  young  chil- 
dren and  lived  on  his  own  claim,  in  a  good  log  house,  half  a 
mile  north  of  his  step-father.  The  marriage  ceremony  uniting 
Jones  and  Mrs.  Baker  was  performed  by  James  C.  Bright,  a  jus- 
tice of  the  peace.  In  the  summer  of  1862  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jones 
adopted  into  their  family  a  deceased  relative's  two  children, 
Clara  D.  Wilson,  a  girl  of  fifteen,  and  her  half  brother,  an  infant 
of  eighteen  months.  No  children  were  bom  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Jones  after  their  marriage. 

Jones  was  a  typical  stalwart  frontiersman,  somewhat  rough 
and  unrefined,  but  well  liked  by  his  white  neighbors.  His  wife 
was  a  congenial  companion.  In  1861  a  postofBce  called  Acton 
wtts  established  at  Jones'  house;  it  was  called  for  the  township, 
which  had  been  named  by  some  settlers  from  Canada  for  their 
old  home  locality.  In  his  house  Jones  kept  a  small  stock  of  goods 
fairly  suited  to  the  wants  of  his  neighbors  and  to  the  Indian 
trade.    He  also  kept  constantly  on  hand  a  barrel  or  more  of  cheap 


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142  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

whiskey  which  he  sold  hy  the  glass  or  hottles,  an  array  of  which 
always  stood  on  his  shelves.  He  seldom  sold  whiskey  to  the 
Indians  except  when  he  had  traded  with  them  for  their  furs,  but 
Mrs.  Jones  would  let  them  have  it  whenever  they  could  pay  for  it. 

August  10,  a  young  married  couple,  Mr.  and  Mrs,  Viranus 
Webster,  from  Wisconsin,  in  search  of  a  Minnesota  homestead, 
came  to  Howard  Baker's  in  their  fine  two-horse  wagon  and  were 
given  a  welcome  and  a  temporary  home  until  they  could  select 
a  claim.  As  Baker's  rooms  were  small,  the  Websters  continued 
to  use  their  covered  wagon  as  a  sleeping  apartment.  Webster 
had  about  $160  in  gold  coin,  and  some  other  money,  and  good 
outfit,  including  a  fine  shotgun. 

The  Ghost  Killer  and  his  three  companions  went  to  Jones' 
house,  and  according  to  his  statement,  made  half  an  hour  later^ 
demanded  whisky,  which  he  declined  to  give  them.  He  knew 
personally  all  of  the  four,  and  was  astonished  at  their  conduct, 
which  was  so  unusual,  so  menacing  and  threatening,  that — al- 
though he  was  of  great  physical  strength  and  had  a  reputation 
as  a  fighter  and  for  personal  courage — he  became  alarmed  and 
fied  from  his  own  house  to  that  of  his  step-son,  Howard  Baker, 
whither  his  wife  had  preceded  him  on  a  Sunday  visit.  In  his 
flight  he  abandoned  his  foster  children,  Clara  Wilson  "and  her 
baby  brother.  Reaching  the  house  of  his  step-son,  Jones  said,  in 
apparent  alarm,  that  he  had  been  afraid  of  the  Indians  who  had 
plainly  tried  to  provoke  a  quarrel  with  him. 

Although  the  Jones  house,  with  its  stores  of  whisky,  mer- 
chandise, and  other  articles  had  been  abandoned  to  them,  the 
Indians  did  not  offer  to  take  a  thing  from  it,  or  to  molest  Miss 
Wilson.  Walking  leisurely,  they  followed  Jones  to  the  Baker 
house,  which  they  reached  abont  11  a.  m.  Two  of  them  could 
speak  a  little  English,  and  Jones  spoke  Sioux  fairly  well.  What 
occurred  is  thus  related  in  the  recorded  sworn  testimony  of  Mrs. 
Howard  Baker,  at  the  inquest  held  over  the  bodies  of  her  husband 
and  others  the  day  following  the  tragedy : 

"About  11  o'clock  a.  m.  four  Indians  came  into  our  house; 
stayed  about  fifteen  minutes;  got  up  and  looked  out;  had  the 
men  take  down  their  guns  and  shoot  them  off  at  a  mark;  then 
bantered  for  a  gun  trade  with  Jones.  About  12  o'clock  two 
more  Indians  came  and  got  some  water.  Our  guns  were  not 
reloaded;  but  the  Indians  reloaded  theirs  in  the  door.yard  after 
they  bad  fired  at  the  mark.  I  went  back  into  the  house,  for  at 
the  time  I  did  not  suspect  anything,  but  supposed  the  Indians 
were  going  away. 

"The  next  thing  I  knew  I  heard  the  report  of  a  gun  and  saw 
Mr.  Webster  fall ;  he  stood  and  fell  near  the  door  of  the  house. 
Another  Indian  came  to  the  door  and  aimed  his  gun  at  my  hus- 
band and  fired,  but  did  not  kill  him ;  then  he  shot  the  other  faar- 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  143 

rel  of  the  gun  at  him,  and  then  he  fell  dead.  My  mother-in-law, 
Mrs.  Jones,  came  to  the  door  and  another  Indian  shot  her;  she 
tamed  to  run  and  feU  into  the  buttery ;  they  shot  at  her  twice  as 
she  felL  I  tried  to  get  out  of  the  window  but  fell  down  cellar. 
I  saw  Mrs.  Webster  pulling  the  body  of  her  husband  into  the 
house ;  while  I  was  in  the  cellar  I  heard  firing  out  of  doors,  and 
the  Indians  immediately  left  the  house,  and  then  all  went  away. 

"Mr.  Jones  had  told  ils  that  they  were  Sioux  Indians,  and 
that  he  was  well  acquainted  with  them.  Two  of  the  Indians  had 
on  white  men's  coats;  one  was  quite  tall,  one  was  quite  small,  one 
was  thick  and  chubby,  and  all  were  middle-aged;  one  had  two 
feathers  in  his  cap,  and  another  had  three.  Jones  said  to  us: 
'They  asked  me  for  whisky,  but  I  could  not  give  them  any.'  " 
(See  History  of  Meeker  county,  1876,  by  A.  C.  Smith,  who  pre- 
sided at  the  inquest  and  recorded  the  testimony  of  Mrs.  Baker.) 

In  a  published  statement  made  a  few  days  later  {See  com- 
munication of  M.  S.  Croswell,  of  Montieello,  in  St.  Paul  Daily 
Press,  for  September  4,  1862)  Mrs.  Webster  fully  corroborates 
the  statements  of  Mrs.  Baker.  She  added,  however,  that  when 
the  Indians  came  to  the  Baker  house  they  acted  very  friendly, 
offering  to  shake  hands  with  everybody ;  that  Jonea  traded  Bak- 
er's gun  to  an  Indian  that  spoke  English  and  who  gave  the  white 
man  three  dollars  in  silver  "to  boot,"  seeming  to  have  more 
money ;  that  Webster  was  the  first  person  shot  and  then  Baker 
and  Mrs.  Jones;  that  an  Indian  chased  Jones  and  mortally 
wounded  him  so  that  he  fell  near  Webster's  wagon,  shot  through 
the  body,  and  died  after  suffering  terribly,  for  when  the  relief 
party  came  it  was  seen  that  in  his  death  agonies  he  had  torn  up 
handfuls  of  grass  and  turf  and  dug  cavities  in  the  ground,  while 
his  features  were  horribly  distorted. 

Mrs.  Webster  further  stated  that  she  witnessed  the  shooting 
from  her  covered  wagon ;  that  as  soon  as  it  was  over  the  Indians 
left,  without  offering  any  sort  of  indignities  to  the  bodies  of  their 
victims,  or  to  carry  away  any  plunder  or  even  to  take  away  Web- 
ster's and  Baker's  four  fine  horses,  a  good  mount  for  each  In- 
dian. Mrs.  Webster  then  hastened  to  her  dying  husband  and 
asked  him  why  the  Indians  had  shot  him.  He  replied :  "I  do  not 
know;  I  never  saw  a  Sioux  Indian  before,  and  never  had  any- 
thing to  do  with  one."  Mrs.  Baker  now  appeared  from  the 
cellar  and,  with  her  two  children  ran  into  a  thicket  of  hazel 
bushes  near  the  house  and  cowered  among  them.  As  soon  as 
Webster  was  dead  and  his  body  had  been  composed  by  his  wife, 
she,  too,  ran  to  the  bushes  and  joined  ,Mrs.  Baker. 

The  two  terror-stricken  women  were  considering,  as  best 
their  mental  condition  would  permit,  what  they  should  do,  when 
a  half-witted,  half-demented  fellow,  an  Irishman,  named  Cox, 
came  along  the  road.     At  once  the  women  entreated  him  for 


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144  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

assistance.  The  poor  imbecile  only  ginned,  shook  his  head  and 
said  to  them  that  they  were  liars  and  that  there  had  been  no 
Indians  here.  When  they  pointed  to  the  bloody  corpses  he 
laughed  and  said:  "Oh,  they  only  have  the  nose-bleed;  it  will  do 
them  good,"  and  then  passed  on,  crooning  a  weird  song  to  a 
weirder  time.  A  few  days  later,  the  report  was  that  Cox  was 
a  spy  for  the  Indians  and  he  was  arrested  at  Forest  City  and 
sent  under  guard,  via  Monticello,  to  St.  Paul,  where,  on  investi- 
gation, he  was  released  as  a  harmless  lunatic. 

Horrified  and  half  distracted,  Mrs.  Baker  and  Mrs.  Webster, 
with  the  former's  two  children,  made  their  way  for  some  miles 
to  the  house  of  Nels  Olson  (who  was  afterward  killed  by  the 
Indians),  where  they  passed  the  night.  The  next  morning  they 
were  taken  to  Forest  City  and  from  thence  to  Kingston  and  Mon- 
ticello.   Their  subsequent  history  cannot  Here  be  given. 

Soon  after  their  arrival  at  Nels  Olson's  cabin  Ole  Ligeman 
heard  the  alarming  story  of  Mrs.  Baker  and  Mrs.  Webster  and 
galloped  away  to  Forest  City  with  the  thrilling  news,  stirring 
up  the  settlers  on  the  way.  He  reached  Forest  City  at  six  o'clock 
in  the  evening,  crying,  "Indians  on  the  war  path!"  In  an  hour 
sixteen  of  the  villagers,  with  hunting  rides  and  shotguns,  were 
on  their  way  to  Acton.  It  soon  grew  dark  and  nine  of  the  party 
turned  back.  The  other  seven — John  Blackwell,  Berger  Ander- 
son, Amos  N.  Fosen,  Nels  Banielson,  Ole  Westman,  John  Nelson, 
and  Charles  Magnuson — pressed  bravely  on.  Soon  they  were 
joined  by  another  party  of  settlers  headed  by  Thomas  McGan- 
non.  Beaching  the  Bakei*  place,  the  settlers  approached  the  house 
warily,  lest  the  Indians  were  still  there.  In  the  darkness  they 
stumbled  over  the  bloody  bodies  of  Jones,  Webster  and  Baker, 
and  found  the  corpse  of  Mrs.  Jones  in  a  pantry. 

In  the  gloom  of  midnight  the  pioneers  passed  on  to  Acton 
postoffice,  Jones'  house.  Here  they  expected  to  find  the  Indians 
dead  drunk  in  Jones'  whisky,  but  not  an  Indian  was  there.  Pros- 
trate on  the  floor,  in  a  pool  of  her  virgin  blood,  and  just  as  she 
had  fallen  when  the  Indian's  bullet  split  her  young  heart  in  twain, 
lay  the  corpse  of  poor  Clara  Wilson.  No  disrespect  had  been 
shown  it  and  she  had  been  mercifully  killed  outright — that  was 
all.  On  a  low  bed  lay  her  little  baby  brother  of  two  years,  with 
not  a  scratch  upon  him.  He  had  cried  himself  to  sleep.  When 
awakened  he  smiled  into  the  faces  of  his  rescuers,  and  prattled 
that  Clara  was  "hurt"  and  that  ho  wanted  his  supper.  John 
Blackwell  carried  him  away  and  the  child  was  finally  adopted 
by  Charles  H.  Ellis,  of  Otsego,  Wright  county. 

In  a  comer  of  the  main  room  of  the  Jones  house  stood  a  half- 
filled  whisky  barrel,  and  on  a  long  shelf,  with  other  merchandise, 
was  an  array  of  pint  and  half-pint  bottles  filled  with  the  exhila- 
rating beverage.     The  Indians  had  not  touched  a  drop  of  the 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  145 

stuff — so  they  themselves  declared,  and  so  appearances  indi- 
cated. The  DumeTOUS  printed  statements  that  they  were  drunk 
when  they  perpetrated  the  murders  are  all  false.  Moreover, 
Jones'  statement  that  they  wanted  whisky  and"acted  ugly"  he- 
cause  he  would  not  let  them  have  it,  may  well  he  dishelieved. 
After  he  had  &ed  from  the  house,  disgracefully  abandoning  Clara 
Wilson  and  her  baby  brother,  who  were  all  that  could  say  them 
nay,  the  Indians  might  have  seized  enough  of  the  whisky  to 
make  the  entire  Bice  Creek  band  drunk ;  and  when  they  returned 
from  Baker's  and  killed  Miss  Wilson  they  could  easily  have 
plundered  Jones'  house,  not  only  of  its  whisky,  but  of  all  its 
other  contents,  but  this  they  did  not  do.  Of  all  Jones'  house- 
hold goods  and  his  tempting  stock  of  merchandise,  not  a  pin 
was  taken  and  not  a  drop  of  whisky  drank.  At  Baker's  they 
were  as  sober  as  judges  and  asked  for  water.  (See  Lawson  and 
Tew's  admirable  History  of  Kandiyohi  county,  pp.  18-19;  also 
Smith's  History  of  Meeker  county.) 

On  Monday,  August  18,  about  sixty  citizens  assembled  at 
Acton  and  an  inquest  was  held  on  the  bodies  of  Jones,  Webster, 
Baker,  Mrs.  Jones,  and  Clara  Wilson.  The  investigation  was 
presided  over  by  Judge  A.  C.  Smith,  of  Forest  City,  then  pro- 
bate judge  and  acting  county  attorney  of  Meeker  county.  The 
testimony  of  Mrs.  Baker  and  others  was  taken  and  recorded  and 
the  verdict  was  that  the  subjects  of  the  inquest  were,  ."murdered 
by  Indians  of  the  Sioux  tribe,  whose  names  are  unknown."  The 
bodies  had  changed  and  were  changing  fast  under  the  warm  Au- 
gust temperature,  and  were  rather  hastily  coffined  and  taken 
about  three  miles  eastward  to  the  cemetery  connected  with  the 
Norwegian  church,  commonly  called  the  Ness  church,  and  all 
five  of  them  were  buried  "in  one  broad  grave."  {See  Smith's 
History,  p.  17.)  Some  years  later  at  a  cost  of  $500,  the  State 
erected  a  granite  monument  over  the  grave  to  the  memory  of 
its  inmates. 

While  the  inquest  was  being  held  at  the  Baker  house,  eleven 
Indians,  all  mounted,  appeared  on  the  prairie  half  a  mile  to  the 
westward.  They  were  Island  Cloud  and  his  party.  The  two  In- 
dians that  had  come  to  Baker's  the  previous  day,  while  the 
Ghost  Killer  and  his  companions  were  there,  and  had  left,  after 
obtaining  a  drink  of  water,  and  before  the  murders,  reported 
to  the  main  party  that  they  had  heard  firing  in  the  direction  of 
the  Baker  house.  Ghost  Killer  and  the  three  others  had  not  since 
been  seen,  and  Island  Cloud  and  his  fellows  feared  that  the  whites 
had  killed  them  in  a  row,  while  drunk  on  Jones'  whisky.  (Island 
Cloud's  statement  to  W.  L.  Quinn  and  others.)  They  were  ap- 
proaching the  Baker  house  to  learn  what  had  become  of  their 
comrades  when  the  crowd  at  the  inquest  saw  them.  Instantly  a 
number  of  armed  and  mounted  settlers  started  for  them,  bent  on 


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146  .HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

vengeance.  The  Indians,  wholly  unaware  of  the  real  situation, 
and  believing  that  their  four  comrades  had  been  murdered  and 
that  they  themselves  were  in  deadly  peril,  turned  and  fled  in 
terror  and  were  chased  well  into  Kandiyohi  county.  Both  whites 
and  Indians  in  the  vicinity  of  Acton  were  at  this  time  wholly 
unaware  and  altogether  unsuspicious  of  what  a  great  conflagra- 
tion was  then  raging  the  Minnesota  valley  and  which  bad  been 
kindled  by  the  little  fire  at  Howard  Baker's  cabin. 

All  of  the  attendant  circumstances  prove  ^hat  the  murder  was 
solely  the  work  of  the  five  persons  that  did  the  deed,  and  that  they 
had  no  accessories  before  or  after  the  fact.  It  was  not  perpetrated 
because  of  dissatisfaction  at  the  delay  in  the  payment,  nor  because 
there  were  to  be  soldiers  at  the  pay  table ;  it  was  not  occasioned 
by  the  sale  of  the  north  ten-mile  strip  of  the  reservation,  nor  be- 
cause so  many  white  men  had  left  Minnesota  and  gone  into  the 
Union  array.  It  was  not  the  result  of  the  councils  of  the  sol- 
diers' lodge,  nor  of  any  other  Indian  plot.  The  twenty  or  more 
Indians  who  left  Riee  Creek  August  12  for  the  hunt  did  not  in- 
tend to  kill  white  petiple;  if  they  had  so  intended,  Island  Cloud 
and  all  the  rest  would  have  been  present  at  and  have  participated 
in  the  murders  at  Baker's  and  Jones'  and  carried  off  much  port- 
able property,  including  horses.  The  trouble  started  as  has  been 
stated — from  finding  a  few  eggs  in  a  white  man's  fence-comer. 

After  the  murder  of  Clara  Wilson — who,  the  Indians  said, 
was  shot  from  the  roadway  as  she  was  standing  in  the  doorway 
looking  at  them — the  four  murderers,  possibly  without  entering 
the  Jones  house,  went  directly  to  the  house  of  Peter  Wiektund, 
near  Lake  Elizabeth,  which  they  reached  about  one  o'clock,  when 
the  family  were  at  dinner.  Wicklund's  son-in-law,  A.  M.  Eckund, 
who  had  a  team  of  good  young  horses,  had  arrived  with  his  wife, 
a  short  time  before,  for  a  Sunday  visit  at  her  father's.  One  of 
the  Indians  came  to  the  door  of  the  house,  cocked  his  gun,  and 
pointed  it  at  the  people  seated  around  the  dinner  table.  Mrs. 
Wicklund  rose  and  motioned  to  the  savage  to  point  his  gun  in 
another  direction.  He  continued,  however,  to  menace  the  party 
and  thus  distract  their  attention  while  his  companions  secured 
and  slipped  away  with  Ecklund's  horses.  Then,  mounted,  two  on 
a  horse,  the  four  rode  rapidly  southward.  Some  distance  from 
Wicklund's  they  secured  two  other  horses,  and  then  they  pro- 
ceeded as  fast  as  possible  to  their  village  at  the  mouth  of  Rice 
Creek,  forty  miles  from  Acton. 

They  reached  their  village  in  the  twilight  after  a  swift,  hard 
ride,  which,  according  to  Jere  Campbell,  who  was  present,  had 
well  nigh  eshaustcd  the  horses.  Leaping  from  their  panting  and 
dripping  studs  they  called  out:  "Get  your  guns!  There  is  war 
with  the  whites  and  we  have  begun  it!"  Then  they  related  the 
events  of  the  morning.     They  spemed  like  criminals  that  had 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  147 

perpetrated  some  foul  deed  and  then,  afiFrighted,  apprehensive 
and  reraorseful,  had  fled  to  their  kinsmen  for  shelter  and  protec- 
tion. Their  story  at  once  created  great  excitement  and  at  the 
same  time  much  sympathy  for  them.  Some  of  their  fellow  vil- 
lagers began  at  once  to  get  ready  for  war,  by  putting  their  guns 
in  order  and  looking  after  their  ammunition  supplies.  Ho-choke- 
pe-doota,  the  chief  of  the  Rice  Creek  bank — if  he  really  held 
that  position — was  beside  himself  with  excitement.  At  last  he 
concluded  to  take  the  four  adventurers  and  go  and  see  Chief 
Shakopee  about  the  matter.  Repairing  as  speedily  as  possible 
to  the  chief's  village,  on  the  south  side  of  the  river,  near  the 
mouth  of  the  Redwood,  they  electrified  all  of  its  people  by  their 
startling  story,  which,  however,  many  of  them  had  already  heard. 
Shakopee  (or  Little  Six)  was  a  non-progressive  Indian,  who 
lived  in  a  tepee  and  generally  as  an  Indian — scorning  the  ad- 
juncts of  the  white  man.  The  story  of  the  killing  stirred  him, 
and  the  excitement  among  his  band,  some  members  of  which  were 
already  shouting  the  war-whoop  and  preparing  to  fight,  affected 
him  so  that,  white  he  declared  that  he  was  for  war,  he  did  not 
know  what  to  do.  "Let  us  go  down  and  see  Little  Crow  and  the 
others  at  the  Agency,"  he  said  at  last.  Accordingly  Shakopee, 
-  the  Bice  Creek  chief,  two  of  the  four  young  men  who  still  smelled 
of  the  white  people's  blood  they  had  spilled,  and  a  considerable 
number  of  other  Rice  Creekers,  and  members  of  Shakopee 's  band, 
although  it  was  midnight,  went  down  to  consult  with  the  greatest 
of  the  Sioux,  Tah  0  Yahte  Dootah,  or  Little  Crow.  Messengers 
were  also  sent  to  the  other  sub-chiefs  inviting  thein  to  a  war 
council  at  Little  Crow's  house.  The  chief  was  startled  by  the  ap- 
pearance of  Shakopee  and  the  others,  and  at  first  seemed  non- 
plussed and  at  a  loss  to  decide.  Finally  he  agreed  to  the  war, 
said  the  whites  of  the  Upper  Minnesota  must  all  be  killed,  and  he 
commended  the  young  murderers  for  shedding  the  first  blood, 
saying  they  had  "done  well."  Big  Eagle  thus  relates  the  incident: 
"Shakopee  took  the  young  men  to  Little  Crow's  frame  house, 
two  miles  above  the  Agency,  and  he  sat  up  in  bed  and  listened 
to  their  story.  He  said  war  was  now  declared.  Blood  had  been 
shed,  the  annuities  would  be  stopped,  and  the  whites  would  take 
a  dreadful  vengeance  because  women  had  been  killed.  Wabasha, 
Wacouta,  myself,  and  some  others  talked  for  peace,  but  nobody 
would  listen  to  us,  and  soon  the  general  cry  was:  'Kill  the 
whites,  and  kill  all  these  cut-hairs  (Indians  and  half-bloods  who 
had  cut  their  hair  and  put  on  white  men's  clothes)  that  will  not 
join  us.'  Then  a  council  was  held  and  war  was  declared.  The 
women  began  to  run  bullets  and  the  men  to  clean  their  guns. 
Parties  formed  and  dashed  away  in  the  darkness  to  kill  the  set- 
tlers. Little  Crow  gave  orders  to  attack  the  agency  early  next 
morning  and  to  kill  the  traders  and  other  whites  there. 


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148  III8T0KY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

"When  the  Indians  first  eame  to  Little  Crow  for  counsel  and 
advice  he  said  to  them,  tauntingly,  'Why  do  you  eome  to  me  for 
adviee?  Go  to  the  man  yon  elected  speaker  (Traveling  Hail) 
and  let  liiiu  tell  you  what  to  do.'  But  he  soon  eame  around  all 
right." 

Between  6  and  7  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  August  18,  the 
first  shot  was  fired  and  the  first  white  man  was  killed  at  the 
Lower  Agency  and  the  dreadfnl  massacre  began.  James  W. 
Lynd,  es-state  senator  from  Sibley  county,  was  a  clerk  in  My- 
rick's  trading  house  at  the  Agency.  He  was  standing  upon  a 
door  step  watching  the  movements  of  some  Indians  who  were 
coming  along  with  guns  in  their  hands  and  acting  strangely.  Sud- 
denly one  of  them  named  Much  Hail,  or  Plenty  of  Hail  (Tan- 
Wah-su  Ota),  (until  a  few  years  since  it  was  generally  understood 
from  the  best  authorities  that  the  fatal  shot  was  fired  by  Walks 
Like  a  Preacher,  who  died  in  prison  at  Davenport,  but  in  1901 
Much  Hail,  living  in  Canada,  confessed  that  he  was  the  one  that 
killed  Mr.  Lynd.)  drew  up  his  gun  and  pointing  it  at  Mr.  Lynd, 
said:  "Now,  I  will  kill  the  dog  that  would  not'give  me  credit." 
He  fired  and  Mr.  Lynd  fell  forward  and  died  instantly. 

The  massacre  then  became  general.  The  whites  were  taken 
quite  unawares  and  were  easy  victims.  No  women  were  killed, 
but  some  were  taken  prisoners;  others  were  allowed  to  escape. 
The  stores  presented  such  enticing  opportunities  for  securing 
plunder  of  a  greatly  coveted  sort  that  the  Indians  swarmed  into 
and  about  them,  pillaging  and  looting,  and  this  gave  many  whites 
opportunity  to  escape  and  make  their  way  to  Fort  Ridgely,  four- 
teen miles.  The  ferryman,  Hubert  Miller  (whose  name  was  com- 
monly pronounced  Mauley,  and  whose  name  was  printed  in  some 
histories  as  Jacob  Mayley)  stuck  to  his  post  and  ferried  people 
across  to  the  north  side  until  all  had  passed;  then  the  Indians 
killed  him. 

The  Indians  in  large  numbers  crossed  the  Minnesota  and  be- 
gan their  bloody  work  among  the  settlers  along  Beaver  and 
Sacred  Heart  creeks  and  in  the  Minnesota  bottoms.  A  few  set- 
tlers— and  only  a  few— were  warned  in  time  to  escape. 

Shakopee's  band  operated  chiefly  in  this  quarter  and  the 
chief  that  night  said  he  had  killed  so  many  white  people  during 
the  day  that  his  arm  was  quite  lame.  The  other  Lower  bands 
went  down  into  Brown  county  and  directly  across  the  river. 

The  dreadful  scenes  that  were  enacted  in  the  Upper  Minne- 
sota valley  on  that  dreadful  eighteenth  of  August  can  neither  be 
described  nor  imagined.  Hundreds  of  Indians  visited  the  white 
settlements  to  the  north  and  oast  and  perpetrated  innumerable 
murders  and  countless  other  outrages.  Scores  of  women  and 
children  were  brought  in  as  prisoners  and  many  wagon  loads  of 
plunder  were  driven  into  the  Indian  camps.    White  men,  women, 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  149 

and  children  of  all  ages  were  murdered  mdiscriminately,  and 
mider  the  most  terrible  eircumstances.  The  bodies  were 
commonly  mutilated — sometimes  shockingly — but  verj'  few  were 
scalped.  Only  one  mixed  blood  Indian,  Francois  La  Bathe  (pro- 
nounced La  Bat)  a  trader  at  the  Lower  Agency,  was  killed. 
About  twenty  mixed  bloods  joined  the  hostile  Indians;  the  others 
who  would  not  join  were  made  prisoners.  Many  mixed  blood 
women  were  violated  and  otherwise  misused.  That  night  a  large 
number  of  the  settlers'  houses  and  other  buildings  were  burned, 
but  many  houses  were  spared.  Some  of  the  Indians  declared  that 
they  needed  them  to  live  in,  the  coming  autumn  and  winter. 

There  was  no  resistance  worthy  of  the  name.  Very  few  set- 
tlers had  fire-arms  or  were  accustomed  to  them.  There  were 
many  Germans  that  had  never  fired  a  gun  in  hU  of  their 
lives.  Then,  too,  the  Indian  attacks  were  wholly  unexpected. 
The  savages  approached  their  victims  in  a  most  friendly  and 
pleasant  manner  and  slew  them  without  warning.  Very  often, 
however,  the  white  man  knew  that  he  was  to  be  murdered,  but 
he  made  no  attempt  to  defend  himself.  Some  who  were  being 
chased  by  the  Indians,  turned  and  fired  a  few  shots  at  their  pur- 
suers, but  without  effect.  Though  hundreds  of  white  people  were 
murdered  by  the  Indians  that  day,  not  a  single  Indian  was  killed 
or  severely  injured. 

Down  the  Minnesota  river  on  both  sides  below  Fort  Ridgley 
as  far  as  New  Ulm,  and  up  the  river  to  Yellow  Medicine,  the 
bloody  slaughter  extended  that  day.  The  fiendish  butcheries  and 
horrible  killings  beggar  description.  Here  is  one  of  many  like  in- 
stances :  Cut  Nose,  a  savage  of  savages,  with  half  a  dozen  other 
Sioux,  overtook  a  number  of  whites  in  wagons.  He  sprang  into 
one  of  the  vehicles  in  which  were  eleven  women  and  children  and 
tomahawked  every  one  of  them,  yelling  in  fiendish  delight  as  his 
weapons  went  crashing  through  the  skulls  of  the  helpless  victims. 
Twenty-five  whites  were  killed  at  this  point.  Settlers  were  slain 
from  near  the  Iowa  line  in  Jackson  county,  as  far  north  as  Breck- 
enridge,  including  Glencoe,  Hutchinson,  Forest  City,  Manannah 
and  other  places.  Fourteen  were  killed  at  White  Lake,  Kandi- 
yohi county.  The  much  greater  number  of  whites  were  slaugh- 
tered, however,  within  the  reservations,  and  in  Renville  and 
Brown  counties.  During  the  first  week,  it  is  estimated  that  over 
600  whites  were  kiUed  and  nearly  200  women  and  children  taken 
captive. 

The  Whites  at  the  Yellow  Medicine  Agency  above  the  Lower 
Agency,  to  the  number  of  sixty-two,  among  them  the  family  of 
Indian  Agent  Galbraith,  escaped  by  the  aid  of  John  Otherday,  a 
friendly  Indian. 

When  the  news  of  the  outbreak  reached  Fort  Ridgley,  Captain 
John  3.  Marsh,  with  forty-six  of  his  men  of  Company  B,  Fifth 


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150  HISTOHV  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

Minnesota,  started  for  the  Lower  Agency.  He  was  ambushed  at 
Redwood  Ferry,  twenty-fonr  of  his  men  were  killed  and  he  him- 
self was  drowned  in  attempting  to  cross  the  river.  The  survivors 
of  bis  command  hid  in  the  thickets  and  worked  their  way  back 
to  the  fort  at  night. 

The  Indians  attacked  Fort  Ridgley  on  the  twentieth  and  again 
on  the  twenty-second  of  August,  the  latter  day  with  800  warriors. 
The  force  in  the  fort  numbered  180  men,  commanded  by  Lieuten- 
ant T.  J.  Sheehan.  A  small  battery  under  Sergeant  John  Jones, 
of  the  regular  army,  did  efifective  service.  There  were  300  refu- 
gees ill  the  fort.  After  many  hours'  fighting,  the  Indians  retired. 
Had  they  charged  they  could  have  captured  the  fort,  but  Indians 
do  not  fight  in  that  manner.  The  saving  of  Ridgley  was  the  sal- 
vation of  the  country  below,  as  its  capture  would  have  enabled 
the  Indians  to  sweep  the  valley.  The  loss  of  the  garrison  was 
three  killed  and  twelve  wounded. 

The  most  momentous  engagements  of  the  Indian  war  were 
the  attacks  upon  New  Ulm,  as  the  fate  of  more  than  1,500  people 
was  at  stake.  The  Sioux  first  assaulted  it  on  the  day  following 
the  outbreak,  but  were  driven  off.  That  night  Judge  C.  E.  Flan- 
drau,  of  the  Supreme  Court,  arrived  with  125  men,  and  the  next 
day  50  arrived  from  Mankato.  Judge  Flandrau  was  chosen  to 
command.  On  August  23  the  Indians,  some  500  strong,  again 
attacked  the  little  city  and  surrounded  it,  apparently  determined 
to  capture  it.  The  battle  lasted  five  or  six  hours.  The  Indians 
set  fire  to  the  houses  to  the  windward,  and  the  flames  swept 
towards  the  center  of  the  city,  where  the  inhabitants  had  barri- 
caded themselves,  and  complete  destruction  seemed  inevitable. 
The  whites,  under  Flandrau,  charged  the  Indians  and  drove  them 
half  a  mile.  They  then  set  fire  to  and  burned  all  the  houses  on 
the  outskirts  in  which  the  Indians  were  taking  shelter.  In  all, 
190  structures  were  destroyed.  Towards  evening  the  Indians  re- 
tired. Thirty-six  whites  were  killed,  including  ten  slain  in  a 
reeonnoissance  on  the  nineteenth.  Seventy  to  eighty  were 
wounded. 

Owing  to  a  shortage  of  provisions  and  ammunition,  the  city 
was  evacuated  on  August  25.  The  sick  and  wounded  and  women 
and  children  were  loaded  into  15:!  wagons  and  started  for  Man- 
kato.  No  more  pathetic  sight  was  ever  witnessed  on  this  conti- 
nent than  this  long  procession  of  1,500  people  forced  to  leave 
their  homes  and  flee  from  a  relentless  foe,  unless  it  be  the  pathetic 
picture,  seen  so  many  times  on  this  continent  of  the  Indians  being 
driven  from  the  lands  of  their  ancestors  by  the  no  less  relentless 
whites. 

Heard's  history  thus  vividly  portrays  conditions  in  the  Minne- 
sota valley  at  this  period. 

"Shakopee,  Belle  Plaine  and  Henderson  were  filled  with  fugi- 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  151 

tives  ,  Guards  patrolled  the  outskil'ts,  and  attacks  were  con- 
stantly apprehended.  Oxen  were  killed  in  the  streets,  and  the 
meat,  hastily  prepared,  was  cooked  over  fires  on  the  ground.  The 
grist  mills  were  surrendered  by  their  owners  to  the  public  and 
kept  in  constant  motion  to  allay  the  demand  for  food.  All 
thought  of  property  was  abandoned.  Safety  of  life  prevailed 
over  every  other  consideration.  Poverty  stared  in  the  face  those 
who  had  been  affluent,  but  they  thought  little  of  that.  Women 
were  to  be  seen  in  the  street  hanging  on  each  other's  necks, 
telling  of  their  mutual  losses,  and  the  little  terror-stricken  chil- 
dren, surviving  remnants  of  once  happy  homes,  crying  piteously 
around  their  knees.  The  houses  and  stables  were  all  occupied  by 
people,  and  hundreds  of  fugitives  had  no  covering  or  shelter  but 
the  canopy  of  heaven." 

August  26,  Lieut. -Gov.  Ignatius  Donnelly,  writing  to  Gov. 
Alexander  Ramsey,  from  St.  Peter,  said : 

"You  can  hardly  conceive  the  panic  existing  along  the  valley. 
In  Belle  Plaine  I  found  sixty  people  crowded.  In  this  place  lead- 
ing citizens  assure  me  that  there  are  between  3,000  and  4,000 
refugees.  On  the  road  between  New  Ulm  and  Mankato  are  over 
2,000;  Mankato  is  also  crowded.  The  people  here  are  in  a  state 
of  panic.  They  fear  to  see  our  forces  leave.  Although  we  may 
agree  that  much  of  this  dread  is  without  foundation,  nevertheless 
it  is  producing  disastrous  consequences  to  the  state.  The  people 
will  continue  to  pour  down  the  valley,  carrying  consternation 
wherever  they  go,  their  property  in  the  meantime  abandoned  and 
going  to  ruin." 

When  William  J.  Sturgis,  bearer  of  dispatches  from  Port 
Ridgley  to  Governor  Ramsey,  reached  him  at  Fort  Snelling  on  the 
afternoon  of  August  19,  the  government  at  once  placed  ex-Gov- 
ernor Henry  H.  Sibley,  with  the  rank  of  colonel,  in  command  of 
the  forces  to  operate  against  the  Indians.  Just  at  this  time,  in 
response  to  President  Lincoln's  call  for  600,000  volunteers,  there 
was  a  great  rush  of  Minnesotans  to  Fort  Snelling,  so  that  there 
was  no  lack  of  men,  but  there  was  an  almost  entire  want  of  arms 
and  equipment.  This  caused  some  delay,  but  Colonel  Sibley 
reached  St.  Peter  on  the  twenty-second.  Here  he  was  delayed 
until  the  twenty-sixth  and  reached  Fort  Ridgley  August  28.  A 
company  of  his  cavalry  arrived  at  the  fort  the  day  previous,  to 
the  great  joy  of  garrison  and  refugee  settlers. 

August  31  General  Sibley,  then  encamped  at  Fort  Ridgley 
with  his  entire  command,  dispatched  a  force  of  some  150  men, 
under  the  command  of  Maj.  Joseph  R.  Brown,  to  the  Lower 
Agency,  with  instructions  to  bury  the  dead  of  Captain  Marsh's 
command  and  the  remains  of  all  settlers  found.  No  signs  of 
Indians  were  seen  at  the  agency,  which  they  visited  on  September 
1-    That  evening  they  encamped  near  Birch  Coulie,  about  200 


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152  HISTORV  OF-RENVILLB  COUNTY 

yards  from  the  timber.  This  was  a  fatal  mistake,  as  subsequent 
events  proved.  At  early  dawn  the  Sioux,  who  had  surrounded 
the  camp,  were  discovered  by  a  sentinel,  who  fired.  Instantly 
there  came  a  deadly  roar  from  hundreds  of  Indian  guns  all  around 
the  camp.  The  soldiers  sprang  to  their  feet,  and  in  a  few  minutes 
thirty  were  shot  down.  Thereafter  all  hugged  the  ground.  The 
horses  to  the  number  of  87  were  soon  killed,  and  fornished  a. 
slight  protection  to  the  men,  who  dug  pits  with  spades  and 
bayonets.  Gleneral  Sibley  sent  a  force  of  240  men  to  their  relief, 
and  on  the  same  day  followed  with  his  entire  command.  On  the 
forenoon  of  September  3  they  reached  the  Coulie  and  the  Indians 
retreated.  Twenty-eight  whites  were  killed  and  sixty  wounded. 
The  condition  of  the  wounded  and  indeed  the  entire  force  was 
terrible.  They  had  been  some  forty  hours  without  water,  under 
a  hot  sun,  surrounded  by  bloodthirsty,  howling  savages.  The 
dead  were  buried  and  the  wounded  taken  to  Fort  Bidgley. 

After  "the  battle  of  Birch  Coulie  many  small  war  parties  of 
Indians  started  for  the  settlements  to  the  Northwest,  burning 
houses,  killing  settlers  and  spreading  terror  throughout  that 
region.  There  were  minor  battles  at  Forest  City,  Acton,  Hatch- 
inson  and  other  places.  Stockades  were  built  at  various  points. 
The  wife  and  two  children  of  a  settler,  a  mile  from  Richmond, 
were  killed  on  September  22.  Paynesville  was  abandoned  and 
all  but  two  houses  burned.  The  most  severe  fighting  with  the 
Indians  in  the  northwestern  settlements  was  at  Forest  City, 
Acton  and  Hutchinson,  on  September  3  and  4.  Priol-  to  the  battle 
at  Birch  Coulie,  Little  Crow,  with  110  warriors,  started  on  a  raid 
to  the  Big  Woods  eoimtry.  They  encountered  a  company  of 
some  sixty  whites  under  Captain  Strout,  between  Glencoe  and 
Acton,  and  a  furious  fight  ensued,  Strout's  force  finally  reaching 
Hutchinson,  with  a  loss  of  five  killed  and  seventeen  wounded. 
Next  day  Hutchinson  and  Forest  City,  where  stockades  had  been 
erected,  were  attacked,  but  the  Indians  finally  retired  without 
much  loss  on  either  side,  the  Indians,  however,  burning  many 
houses,  driving  off  horses  and  cattle,  and  carrying  away  a  great 
deal  of  personal  property. 

Twenty-two  whites  were  killed  in  Kandiyohi  and  Swift  coun- 
ties by  war  parties  of  Sioux.  Unimportant  attacks  were  made 
upon  Fort  Abercrombie  on  September  3,  6,  26  and  29,  in  which  a 
few  whites  were  killed. 

There  was  great  anxiety  as  to  the  Chippewas.  Rumors  were 
rife  that  Hole-in-the-Day,  the  head  chief,  had  smoked  the  pipe 
of  peace  with  his  hereditary  enemies,  the  Sioux,  and  would  join 
them  in  a  war  against  the  whites.  There  was  good  ground  for 
these  apprehensions,  but  by  wise  counsel  and  advice.  Hole-in-the- 
Day  and  his  Chippewas  remained  passive. 

General  Sibley  was  greatly  delayed  in  his  movements  againsl 


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HISTOKT  OF  RENVJLLE  COUNTY  153 

the  Indians  by  insufficiency  of  supplies,  want  of  cavalry  and 
proper  supply  trains.  Early  in  September  he  moved  forward 
and  on  September  23,  at  Wood  Lake,  engaged  in  a  spirited  battle 
with  500  Indians,  defeating  them  with  considerable  loss.  On  the 
twenty-sixth,  General  Sibley  moved  forward  to  the  Indian  camps. 
Little  Crow  and  his  followers  had  hastily  retreated  after  the 
battle  at  Wood  Lake  and  left  the  state.  Several  bands  of  friendly 
Indians  remained,  and  through  their  action  in  guarding  the  cap- 
tives they  were  saved  and  released,  in  all  ninety-one  whites  and 
150  half-breeds.  The  women  of  the  latter  had  been  subjected 
to  the  same  indignities  as  the  white  women. 

General  Sibley  proceeded  to  arrest  all  Indians  suspected  of 
murder,  abuse  of  women  and  other  outrages.  Eventually  425 
were  tried  by  a  military  commission,  303  being  sentenced  to  death 
and  eighteen  to  imprisonment.  President  Lincoln  commuted  the 
sentence  of  all  but  forty.  He  was  greatly  censured  for  doing 
this,  and  much  resentment  was  felt  against  him  by  those  whose 
relatives  had  suffered.  Of  the  forty,  one  died  before  the  day 
fixed  for  execution,  and  one,  Henry  Milord,  a  half-breed,  had  his 
sentence  commuted  to  imprisonment  for  life  in  the  penitentiary; 
so  that  thirty-eight  only  were  hung.  The  execution  took  place  at 
Mankato,  December  26,  1862. 

The  Battle  of  Wood  Lake  ended  the  campaign  against  the 
Sioux  for  that  year.  Small  war  parties  occasionally  raided  the 
settlements,  creating  "scares"  and  excitement,  but  the  main  body 
of  Indians  left  the  state  for  Dakota.  Little  Crow  and  a  son 
returned  in  1863,  and  on  July  3  was  killed  near  Hutchinson  by 
a  farmer  named  Nathan  Lamson.  In  1863  and  1864  expeditions 
against  the  Indians  drove  them  across  the  Missouri  river,  defeat- 
ing them  in  several  battles.  Thus  Minnesota  was  forever  freed 
from  danger  from  the  Sioux. 

In  November,  1862,  three  months  after  the  outbreak,  Indian 
Agent  Thomas  J.  Galbraith  prepared  a  statement  giving  the  num- 
ber of  whites  killed  as  738.  Historians  Heard  and  Flandrau 
placed  the  killed  at  over  1,000. 

On  February  16,  1863,  the  treaties  before  that  time  existing 
between  the  United  States  and  the  Sioux  Indians  were  abrogated 
and  annulled,  and  all  lands  and  rights  of  occupancy  within  the 
State  of  Minnesota,  and  all  annuities  and  claims  then  existing 
in  favor  of  said  Indians  were  declared  forfeited  to  the  United 
States. 

These  Indians,  in  the  language  of  the  aet,  had,  in  the  year 
1862,  "made  unprovoked  aggression  and  most  savage  war  upon 
the  United  States,  and  massacred  a  large  number  of  men,  women 
and  children  within  the  State  of  Minnesota;"  and  as  in  this  war 
and  massacre  they  had  "destroyed  and  damaged  a  large  amount 
of  property,   and   thereby   forfeited   all   just   claims"   to   their 


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154  HISTOItV  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 


I  and  aiiDuitiea  to  the  United  States,"  the  act  provides 
that  "two-thirds  of  the  balance  remaining  unexpended"  of  their 
annuities  for  the  fiscal  year,  not  exceeding  one  hundred  tboDsand 
dollars,  and  the  further  sum  of  one  hundred  thousand  dollars, 
being  two-thirds  of  the  annuities  becoming  due,  and  payable  dur- 
ing the  next  fiscal  year,  should  be  appropriated  and  paid  over 
to  three  commisaiouera  appointed  by  the  President,  to  be  by  them 
apportioned  among  the  heads  of  families,  or  their  survivors,  who 
suffered  damage  by  the  depredations  of  said  Indians,  or  the  troops 
of  the  United  States  in  the'  war  against  them,  not  exceeding  the 
sum  of  two  hundred  dollars  to  any  one  family,  nor  more  than 
actual  damage  sustained.  All  claims  for  damages  were  required, 
by  the  act,  to  be  presented  at  certain  times,  and  according  to  the 
rules  prescribed  by  the  commissioners,  who  should  hold  their  first 
session  at  St.  Peter,  in  the  State  of  Minnesota,  on  or  before  the 
first  Monday  of  April,  and  make  and  return  their  finding,  and  all 
the  papers  relating  thereto,  on  or  before  the  first  Monday  in 
December,  1863. 

The  President  appointed  for  this  duty,  and  with  the  advice 
and  consent  of  the  Senate,  the  Hons.  Albert  S.  White,  of  the  State 
of  Indiana;  EH  R.  Chase,  of  Wisconsin,  and  Cyrus  Aldrieh,  of 
Minnesota. 

The  duties  of  this  board  were  so  vigorously  prosecuted,  that, 
by  November  1  following  their  appointment,  some  twenty  thou- 
sand sheets  of  legal  cap  paper  had  been  consumed  in  reducing  to 
writing  the  testimony  under  the  law  requiring  the  commissioners 
to  report  the  testimony  in  writing,  and  proper  decisions  made 
requisite  to  the  payment  of  the  two  hundred  dollars  to  that  clasfl 
of  sufferers  designated  by  the  act  of  Congress. 

On  February  21  following  the  annulling  of  the  treaty  with  the 
Sioux  above  named.  Congress  pas.sed  an  act  for  the  removal 
of  the  Winnebago  Indians,  and  the  sale  of  their  reservation  in 
Miiiui'sota  for  their  benefit.  "The  money  arising  from  the  sale 
of  their  lands,  after  paying  their  indebtedness,  is  to  be  paid  into 
the  treasury  of  the  United  States,  and  expended,  as  the  same  is 
received,  under  the  direction  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior,  in, 
necessary  improvements  upon  their  new  reservation.  The  lands 
in  the  new  reservation  are  to  be  allotted  in  severalty,  not  exceed- 
ing eighty  acres  to  each  head  of  a  family,  except  to  the  chiefs, 
to  whom  larger  allotments  may  be  made,  to  be  vested  by  patent 
in  the  Indian  and  his  heirs,  without  the  right  of  alienation." 

These  several  acts  of  the  general  government  moderated  to 
some  extent  the  demand  of  the  people  for  the  execution  of  the 
condemned  Sioux  yet  in  the  military  prison  at  Manttato  awaiting 
the  final  decision  of  the  President.  The  removal  of  the  Indians 
from  the  borders  of  Minnesota,  and  the  opening  up  for  settlement 
of-  over  a  million  of  acres  of  superior  land,  was  a  prospective 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  155 

benefit  to  the  State  o£  immense  value,  both  in  its  domestic  quiet 
and  its  rapid  advancement  in  material  wealth. 

In  pursuance  of  the  acts  of  Congress,  on  April  22,  and  for  the 
purpose  of  carrying  them  into  execution,  the  condemned  Indians 
were  first  taken  from  the  State,  on  board  the  steamboat  Favorite, 
carried  down  the  Mississippi,  and  confined  at  Davenport,  in  the 
State  of  Iowa,  where  they  remained,  with  only  such  privileges 
as  are  allowed  to  convicts  in  the  penitentiary.  Many  of  them 
died  as  the  result  of  the  confinement. 

On  May  4,  1863,  at  six  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  certain  others 
of  the  Sioux  Indians,  squaws  and  pappooses,  in  all  about  seven- 
teen hundred,  left  Fort  Snelling,  on  board  the  steamboat  Daven- 
port, for  their  new  reservation  on  the  Upper  Missouri,  above  Fort 
Randall,  accompanied  by  a  strong  guard  of  soldiers,  and  attended 
by  certain  of  the  missionaries  and  employes,  the  whole  being 
under  the  general  direction  of  Superintendent  Clark  W. 
Thompson. 

CHAPTER  XI. 

REDWOOD  FEBBT  AMBUSCADE. 

Captain  Marsh  and  His  Company  Start  on  Expedition — Fugitives 
Met — Ferry  Reached — Parley  with  Jndian — Concealed  Indians 
Start  Firing — Attempt  to  Swim  River — Captain  Marsh 
Drowned — Casualties — Disastrous  Result. 

The  startling  news  of  the  tragic  scenes  at  the  Lower  Agency 
reached  Fort  Ridgely  at  about  10  o'clock  on  that  day  (August  18, 
1862),  but  the  extent  and  formidable  character  of  the  great 
Indian  uprising  were  not  understood  until  several  hours  later. 
The  messenger  who  bore  the  shocking  tidings  was  J.  C.  Dickinson, 
the  proprietor  of  a  boarding  house  at  the  agency,  and  who 
brought  with  him  a  wagon  load  of  refugees,  nearly  all  women 
and  children.  Captain  Marsh  was  in  command  of  the  fort,  with 
his  company  (B,  Fifth  Minnesota),  as  a  garrison.  Lieutenant  T. 
J.  Sheehan,  with  Company  C  of  the  same  regiment,  had  been  dis- 
patched to  Fort  Ripley,  on  the  Upper  Mississippi,  near  St.  Cloud. 

Sending  a  messenger  with  orders  to  Lieutenant  Sheehan  recall- 
ing him  to  Fort  Ridgely  and  informing  him  that  the  Indiana  were 
"raising  Hell  at  the  Lower  Agency."  Captain  Marsh  at  once  pre- 
pared to  go  to  the  scene  of  what  seemed  to  be  the  sole  locality 
of  the  troubles.  He  was  not  informed  and  had  no  instinctive 
or  derived  idea  of  the  magnitude  of  the  outbreak.  Leaving  about 
twenty  men,  under  Lieutenant  T.  P.  Gere,  to  hold  the  fort  until 
Lieutenant  Sheehan'a  return.  Captain  Marsh,  with  about  fifty 
men  of  his  company  and  the  old  Indian  interpreter,  Peter  Quinn, 


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356  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

set  out  for  the  agency,  distant  about  twelve  or  fourteen  milea  to 
the  northwest.  On  leaving  Fort  Bidgely  the  captain  and  the 
interpreter  were  mounted  on  mules;  the  men  were  on  foot,  but 
the  captain  had  directed  that  teams,  with  extra  ammunition  and 
empty  wagons  for  their  transportation,  should  follow,  and  Gen- 
eral Hubbard's  account,  in  Volume  I  of  "Minnesota  in  the  Civil 
and  Indian  Wars,"  says  that  these  wagons  overtook  the  com- 
mand "aboat  three  miles  out." 

In  due  time  the  little  command  came  to  the  Redwood  Ferry, 
hut  there  is  confusion  in  the  printed  accounts  as  to  the  exact 
time.  Sergeant  Bishop  says  it  was  "about  12  o'clock  noon." 
Heard  says  it  was  "at  sundown,"  or  about  6  o'clock.  Some  o£ 
the  Indians  remember  the  time  as  in  the  evening,  while  others 
say  it  was  in  the  afternoon.  As  the  men  were  in  wagons  the 
greater  part  of  the  way,  the  distance,  allowing  for  sundry  halts, 
ought  to  have  been  compassed  in  four  hours  at  the  farthest.  Half 
way  across  the  bottom  the  captain  ordered  the  men  from  the 
wagons  and  marched  them  on  foot  perhaps  a  mile  to  the  ferry 
house  and  landing. 

Meantime  on  the  way,  the  soldiers  had  met  some  fifty  fugitives 
and  seen  the  bodies  of  many  victims  of  the  massacre. 

The  motives  of  the  heroic  and  martyred  Captain  Marsh  have 
often  been  discussed  by  historians  and  others.  He  was.  an  officer 
of  sound  sense  and  good  judgment,  and  had  already  come  in  inti- 
mate contact  with  Indian  life  and  action,  and  knew  of  their  dis- 
content and  their  desperate  mood. 

While  he  did  not  realize  the  general  character  of  the  massacre 
he  must  have  understood  that  a  considerable  number  of  Indians 
were  engaged  in  it.  The  language  of  his  dispatch  to  Lieutenant 
Sheehsn,  however,  would  indicate  that  he  at  that  time  believed 
the  trouble  to  be  strictly  local  and  confined  to  the  Redwood 
Agency. 

Some  historians  have  thought  that  he  had  confidence  that  his 
force  was  strong  enough  to  punish  the  guilty  Indians  and  to  bring 
the  others  to  a  sense  of  law  and  order.  Other  historians  believe 
that  he  realized  something  of  the  danger  before  he  left  the  tort, 
and  that  his  realization  of  his  danger  increased  as  he  continued 
on  the  journey,  but  that  as  a  soldier  and  an  officer  he  could  do 
nothing  else  than  to  keep  on  until  he  met  the  murderous  Indians 
and  the  God  of  Battles  had  determined  the  issue  between  them. 
Possibly  he  believed  that  the  Indians  upon  seeing  the  uniformed 
soldiers  would  realize  the  enormity  of  their  offense  and  the  swift 
punishment  which  they  were  likely  to  meet  at  the  hands  of  the 
organized  and  equipped  military  forces.  Possibly  he  believed 
that  the  powerful  chiefs  would  come  to  their  senses  at  the  ^ght 
of  the  soldiers  and  confer  with  him  with  a  view  to  co-operating 
with  the  government  in  punishing  the  guilty. 


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HISTORY  OF  EENVILLE  COUNTY  157 

Peter  Quinn,  the  old  interpreter  with  his  forty  years'  experi- 
ence among  the  Sioux  in  Minnesota,  knew  the  danger  to  be  serious. 
On  leaving  Ft.  Ridgely  with  Captain  Marsh  and  his  men  he  said 
to  Sutler  B.  H.  Randall;  "I  am  sure  we  are  going  into  great 
danger;  I  do  not  expect  to  return  alive."  Then  with  tears  in 
his  eyes  he  continued:    "Good-bye,  give  my  love  to  all." 

R.  A.  Randall,  a  son  of  B.  H.  Randall,  declares  that  his  father 
remonstrated  with  Captain  Marsh,  urging  upon  him  the  gravity 
of  the  situation  and  the  necessity  of  staying  at  the  fort  to  pro- 
tect the  refugees  who  might  seek  safety  there.  Captain  Marsh 
at  first  listened  to  the  remonstrance  and  determined  to  stay  at 
the  fort.  But  later  he  changed  his  mind.  lie  was  a  soldier,  his 
duty  was  to  pnnish  the  murderous  assassins,  and  he  could  not 
ait  idly  in  the  fort  while  the  guilty  were  allowed  to  go  on  their 
way  to  further  crimes.  "It  is  my  duty,"  he  said  to  Sutler  Randall 
as  he  started. 

There  is  some  evidence  that  as  the  ferry  was  reached  the  cap- 
tain realized  the  peril  of  the  situation  and  the  hopelessness  of  his 
task  with  so  inadequate  a  force,  and  had  given,  or  was  aboiit  to 
give,  his  men  order  to  retire  just  as  they  were  fired  upon. 

Return  I.  Holeomhe,  the  author  of  nearly  all  of  this  chapter, 
says :  ' '  The  weight  of  evidence  tends  to  prove  cither  that  Marsh 
did  not  realize  the  extent  of  the  outbreak  and  the  grave  peril  of 
his  position,  or  else  he  was  nobly  oblivious  to  his  own  welfare  and 
determined  to  do  his  duty  as  he  saw  it." 

When  Captain  Marsh  and  the  men  under,  him  reached  the  creat 
of  Faribault's  Hill  they  saw  to  the  southward,  over  two  miles 
away,  ou  the  prairie  about  the  agency,  a  number  of  mounted 
Indians ;  of  course  the  Indians  could  and  did  see  Marsh  and  his 
party.  Knowledge  of  the  coming  of  the  soldiers  had  already 
reached  the  Indians  from  marauders  who  had  been  down  the 
valley  engaged  in  their  dreadful  work,  and  preparations  were 
made  to  receive  them.  Scores  of  warriors,  with  bows  and  guns, 
repaired  to  the  ferry  landing,  where  it  was  known  the  party 
must  come.  Numbers  crossed  on  the  ferry  boat  to  the  north 
side  of  the  river  and  concealed  themselves  in  the  willow  thickets 
near  by.  The  boat  was  finally  moored  to  the  bank  on  the  east  or 
north  side,  "in  apparent  readiness  for  the  command  to  use  for 
its  crossing,  though  the  dead  body  of  the  ferryman  had  been 
found  on  the  road,"  says  General  Hubbard. 

Of  the  brave  and  faithful  ferryman.  Rev.  S.  D.  Hinman,  who 
made  his  escape  from  the  agency,  has  written: 

"The  ferryman,  Mayley,  who  resolutely  ferried  across  the 
river  at  the  agency  all  who  desired  to  cross,  waa  killed  on  the 
other  side,  just  as  be  had  passed  the  last  man  over.  He  was  dis- 
emboweled ;  his  head,  hands  and  feet  cut  off  and  thrust  into  the 


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158  HI.STdKV  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

cavity.  Obeeure  Frenchman  though  he  was,  the  blood  of  no 
nobler  hero  dyed  the  battlefields  of  Marathon  or  Thermopylae." 

When  the  command  reached  the  ferry  landing  only  one  Indian 
could  be  aeen.  This  was  Shonka-ska,  or  "White  Dog,  who  was 
standing  on  the  west  bank  of  the  river,  in  plain  view.  For  some 
time  he  had  been  "Indian  farmer"  at  the  Lower  Agency,  engaged 
in  teaching- his  red  brethren  how  to  plow  and  to  cultivate  the  soil 
generally,  receiviug  therefor  a  salary  from  the  government.  He 
had,  however,  been  removed  from  his  position,  which  had  been 
given  to  Ta-o-pi  (pronounced  Tah-o-pee,  and  meaning  wounded), 
another  Christian  Indian.  White  Dog  bore  a  general  good  repu- 
tation in  the  country  until  the  outbreak,  and  many  yet  assert 
that  he  has  been  misrepresented  and  unjustly  accused. 

A  conversation  in  the  Sioux  language  was  held  between  White 
Dog  and  Interpreter  Quinn,  Captain  Marsh  suggesting  most  of 
the  questions  put  to  the  Indian  through  the  interpreter.  There 
are  two  versions  of  this  conversation.  The  surviving  soldiers  say 
that,  as  they  understood  it,  and  as  it  was  interpreted  by  Mr. 
Quinn,  White  Dog  assured  Captain  Marsh  that  there  was  no 
serious  danger ;  that  the  Indians  were  willing,  and  were  waiting, 
to  hold  a  council  at  the  agency  to  settle  matters,  and  that  the 
men  could  cross  on  the  ferry  boat  in  safety,  etc.  On  the  other 
hand  certain  Indian  friends  of  White  Dog.  who  were  present, 
have  always  claimed  that  he  did  not  use  the  treacherous  language 
imputed  to  him,  but  plainly  told  the  interpreter  to  say  to  the 
captain  that  he  and  his  men  must  not  attempt  to  cross,  and  that 
they  should  "go  back  quick."  However,  White  Dog  was  sub- 
sequently tried  by  a  military  commission  on  a  charge  of  dis- 
loyalty and  treachery,  found  guilty,  and  hung  at  Mankato.  He 
insisted  on  his  innocence  to  the  last. 

While  the  conversation  between  White  Dog  and  Interpreter 
Quinn  was  yet  in  progress  the  latter  exclaimed,  "Look  out!" 
The  next  instant  came  a  volley  of  bullets  and  some  arrows  from 
the  concealed  foe  on  the  opposite  bank  of  the  river.  This  was 
accompanied  and  followed  by  yells  and  whoops  and  renewed 
firing,  this  time  from  the  Indians  on  both  sides  of  the  river.  They 
were  armed  chiefly  with  double-barreled  shotguns  loaded  with 
"traders'  balls,"  and  their  firing  at  the  short  distance  was  very 
destructive.  Pierced  with  a  dozen  bullets.  Interpreter  Quinn  was 
shot  dead  from  his  saddle  at  the  first  fire,  and  his  body  was  after- 
ward well  stuck  with  arrows.  A  dozen  or  more  soldiers  were 
killed  outright  and  many  wounded  by  the  first  volley. 

Although  the  sudden  and  fierce  attack  by  overwhelming  num- 
bers was  most  demoralizing,  Captain  Marsh  retained  his  presence 
of  mind  suflSeiently  to  steady  his  men,  to  form  them  in  line  for 
defense,  and  to  have  them  fire  at  least  one  volley.  But  now  the 
Indians  were  in  great  numbers  on  the  same  side  of  the  river,  only 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  159 

a  few  yardfl  away.  They  had  secured  possession  of  the  log  ferry 
house,  from  which  they  could  fire  as  from  a  block  house,  and 
they  were  in  the  thickets  all  about.  Many  of  them  were  naked 
except  as  to  breech  clouts.  AcroBS  the  river  near  the  bank  were 
numbers  behind  the  logs  belonging  to  the  agency  steam  saw  mill, 
and  a  circle  of  enemies  was  rapidly  being  completed  about  the 
little  band. 

Below  the  ferry  a  few  rods  was  a  dense  willow  thicket,  from 
two  to  ten  rods  in  width  and  running  down  the  north  or  east 
bank  of  the  river  for  a  mile  or  more.  Virtually  cutting  or  forc- 
ing their  way  through  the  Indians,  Captain  Marsh  and  fourteen 
of  hie  men  succeeded  in  reaching  this  thicket,  from  which  they 
kept  up  a  fight  for  about  two  hours.  The  Indians  poured  volleys 
at  random  from  all  sides  into  the  thick  covert,  but  the  soldiers 
lay  close  to  the  ground  and  but  few  of  them  were  struck.  Two 
men,  named  Sutherland  and  Blodgett,  were  shot  through  the 
body  and  remained  where  they  fell  until  after  dark,  when  they 
crawled  out,  and  finding  an  old  canoe  floated  down  the  river  and 
reached  Fort  Ridgely  the  next  day.  Of  a  party  of  five  that  had 
taken  refuge  in  another  thicket  three  were  killed  before  dark. 
One  of  the  survivors,  Thomas  Parsley,  remained  in  the  thicket 
with  his  dead  comrades  until  late  at  night,  when  he,  too,  escaped 
and  made  his  way  to  the  fort. 

Gradually  the  imperiled  soldiers  worked  their  way  through 
the  thick  grass  and  brush  of  the  jungle  in  which  they  were  con- 
cealed until  they  had  gone  some  distance  east  of  the  ferry.  Mean- 
time they  had  kept  up  a  fight,  using  their  ammunition  carefully, 
but  under  the  circumstances  almost  ineffectually.  The  Indians 
did  not  attempt  to  charge  them  or  "rush"  their  position,  for 
this  was  not  the  Indian  style  of  warfare.  Of  the  second  great 
casualty  of  the  day  Sergeant  John  F.  Bishop  says : 

"About  4  o'clock  p.  m.,  when  our  ammunition  was  reduced  to 
not  more  than  four  rounds  to  a  man.  Captain  Marsh  ordered  his 
men  to  swim  the  river  and  try  and  work  our  way  down  on  the 
west  side.  He  entered  the  river  first  and  swam  to  about  the 
center  and  there  went  down  with  a  cramp." 

Some  of  the  men  went  to  the  captain's  assistance,  but  were 
unable  to  save  him.  He  was  unwounded  and  died  from  the  effects 
of  the  paralyzing  cramps  which  seized  him.  Some  days  afterwards 
his  body  was  found  in  a  drift,  miles  below  where  it  sank. 

The  ground  where  Captain  Marsh  and  his  company  were 
ambuscaded  was,  as  has  been  stated,  at  and  about  the  ferry  land- 
ing on  the  north  side  of  the  Minnesota  river,  opposite  the  Lower 
agency.  From  the  landing  on  the  south  side  two  roads  had  been 
graded  up  the  steep  high  bluff  to  the  agency  buildings,  and  from 
the  north  landing  the  road  stretched  diagonally  across  the  wide 
river  bottom  to  the  huge  corrugated  bluffs,  two  miles  or  more 


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160  HISTOliV  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY. 

away,  at  Faribault's  HilL  The  hill  was  bo  named  for  David  Fari- 
bault, a  mized  blood  Sioux,  and  a  son  of  old  John  Baptiste  Fari- 
bault, and  'Who  lived  at  the  base  of  the  bill.  He  and  his  family 
were  made  prisoners  by  the  Indians  and  held  during  the  outbreak. 
At  Faribault's  Hill  the  road  divided,  one  fork  leading  up  the  hill 
and  ovL'r  the  prairie  to  the  eastward  and  northwest,  running  along 
the  crest  of  the  bluff  to  Fort  Eidgely.  The  other  followed  the 
base  of  the  bluff  down  the  river.  There  were  two  or  three  houses 
between  the  ferry  landing  and  the  bluff,  and  at  the  landing  itself 
was  a  house.  All  about  the  landing  on  the  north  side  the  ground 
of  the  main  ambush  was  open ;  it  is  now  covered  with  willows  and 
other  small  growths  of  the  nature  of  underbrush. 

After  the  drowning  of  Captain  Marsh,  the  command,  consist- 
ing of  fifteen  men,  devolved  upon  Sergeant  John  F.  Bishop.  The 
men  then  resumed  their  alow  and  toilsome  progress  toward  the 
fort.  Five  of  them,  including  the  sergeant,  were  wounded,  one 
of  them,  Private  Ole  Svendson,  so  badly  that  he  had  to  be  carried. 
The  Indians,  for  some  reason,  did  not  press  the  attack  further, 
after  the  drowning  of  Captain  Marsh,  and  all  of  them,  except 
Ezekiel  Rose,  who  was  wounded  and  lost  his  way,  reached  Fort 
Eidgely  (Bishop  says  at  10  o'clock)  that  night.  Rose  wandered 
off  into  the  country  and  was  finally  picked  up  near  Henderson. 
Five  miles  from  the  fort  Bishop  sent  forward  Privates  James 
Dunn  and  W.  B.  Hutchinson,  with  information  of  the  disaster,  to 
Lieutenant  Gere. 

The  loss  of  the  whites  was  one  officer  (Captain  Marsh) 
drowned ;  twenty-four  men,  including  twenty-three  soldiers,  and 
Interpreter  Quinn,  killed,  and  five  men  wounded.  The  Indians 
had  one  man  killed,  a  young  warrior  of  the  Wahpakoota  band, 
named  To-wa-to,  or  All  Blue.  When  the  band  lived  at  or  near 
Faribault  this  To-wa-to  was  known  for  bis  fondness  for  fine  dress 
and  for  his  gallantries.  He  was  a  dandy  and  a  Lothario,  but  he 
was  no  coward. 

The  affair  at  Redwood  Ferry  was  most  influential  upon  the 
character  of  the  Indian  outbreak.  It  was  a  complete  Indian  vic- 
tory. A  majority  of  the  soldiers  had  been  killed;  their  guns, 
ammunition  and  equipments  bad  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the 
victors;  the  first  attempt  to  interfere  with  the  savage  programme 
had  been  signally  repulsed,  all  with  the  loss  of  but  one  man. 
Those  of  the  savages  who  had  favored  the  war  from  the  first  were 
jubilant  over  what  had  been  accomplished  and  confident  of  the 
final  and  general  result.  There  had  been  but  the  feeblest  resist- 
ance on  the  part  of  the  settlers  who  had  been  murdered  that  day, 
and  the  defense  made  by  the  soldiers  had  amounted  to  nothing. 
There  was  the  general  remark  in  the  Indian  camps  that  the 
whites,  with  all  of  their  vaunted  bravery,  were  "as  easy  to  kill 
as  sheep. ' ' 


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fflSTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  161 

Before  the  successful  ambuscade  there  had  been  apprehension 
among  many  of  the  Indiana  that  the  outbreak  would  soon  be  sup- 
pressed, and  they  had  hesitated  about  engaging  in  it.  There  were 
also  those  who  at  least  were  loyal  and  faithful  to  the  whites  and 
would  take  no  part  in  the  uprising.  But  after  the  destruction  of 
CaptaiD  Marsh  and  his  command  all  outward  opposition  to  the 
war  was  swept  away  in  the  wild  torrent  of  exultation  and 
enthusiasm  created  by  the  victory.    Heard  says : 

"The  Indians  were  highly  jubilant  over  this  success.  What- 
ever of  doubt  there  was  before  among  some  of  the  propriety  of 
embarking  in  the  massacre  disappeared,  and  the  Lower  Indians 
became  a  unit  upon  the  question.  Their  dead  enemies  were  lying 
all  around  them,  and  their  camp  was  filled  with  captives.  They 
had  taken  plenty  of  arms,  powder,  lead,  provisions  and  clothing. 
The  'Farmer'  Indians  and  members  of  the  church,  fearing,  like 
all  other  renegades,  that  suspicion  of  want  of  zeal  in  the  cause 
would  rest  upon  them,  to  avoid  this  suspicion  became  more  bloody 
and  brutal  in  their  language  and  conduct  than  the  others." 

If  Captain  Marsh  had  succeeded  in  fighting  his  way  across  the 
river  and  into  the  agency,  thereby  dispersing  the  savages,  it  is 
probable  that  the  great  red  rebellion  would  have  been  suppressed 
in  less  than  half  the  time  which  was  actually  required.  The 
friendly  Indians  would  doubtless  have  been  encouraged  and 
stimulated  to  open  and  even  aggressive  manifestations  of  loyalty ; 
the  dubious  and  the  timid  would  have  been  awed  into  inactivity 
and  quiescence.  As  it  was,  the  disaster  to  the  little  band  of  sol- 
diers fanned  the  fires  of  the  rebellion  into  a  great  confiagratioa 
of  murder  and  rapine. 

Immediately  after  the  destruction  of  Captain  Marsh's  com- 
pany at  the  ferry  Little  Crow  dispatched  about  twenty-five  young 
mounted  warriors  to  watch  Fort  Eidgely  and  its  approaches. 
About  midnight  these  scouts  reported  that  a  company  of  some 
fifty  men  was  coming  toward  the  fort  on  the  road  from  Hutch- 
inson to  Eidgely.  Little  Crow  then  believed  that  the  garrison 
at  Ridgely  did  not  number  more  than  seventy-five  and  that  it 
would  be  a  comparatively  easy  matter  to  capture  the  fort  with 
its  stores,  its  cannon  and  its  inmates.  At  the  time  he  did  not 
know  that  the  Renville  Rangers  had  returned  from  St.  Peter  and 
reinforced  the  garrison. 

Tuesday  mortiing,  August  19,  Little  Crow  with  320  warriors 
from  all  of  the  Lower  bands  except  Shakopee's — only  the  best 
men  being  taken — set  out  from  the'  agency  village  to  capture 
Fort  Eidgely.  Half  way  down  dissensions  arose  among  the  rank 
and  file.  A  majority  wanted  to- abandon  the  attack  on  the  fort 
temporarily  and  to  first  ravage  the  country  south  of  the  Minne- 
sotia,  and  if  possible  seize  New  Ulm.-  Little  Crow  urged  that  the 
fort  be  taken  first,  before  it  could  be  reinforced,  but  this  prudent 


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162  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

counsel  did  not  avail  with  those  who  were  fairly  ravenons  for 
murder  and  plunder,  which  might  be  accomplished  without 
danger,  and  cared  less  about  the  risk  of  attacking  the  fort,  which 
would  be  defended  by  men  with  muskets,  even  though  ita  capture 
would  be  a  great  military  exploit.  About  200  of  this  faction  left 
and  repaired  to  the  settlements  in  Brown  county  about  New  Ulm 
and  on  the  Cottonwood,  Little  Crow,  with  about  120  men, 
remained  in  the  vicinity  of  the  fort  watching  and  waiting. 

The  attack  and  siege  of  Ft.  Ridgely,  which  took  place  after  the 
Redwood  disaster  and  before  the  Battle  of  Birch  Gooley,  is  de- 
scribed elsewhere. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

BATTLE  OF  BIRCH  G00L2T. 

Second  Zxpedition  Sets  Out — Encampmmt  at  Birch  Cooley— 
Attacked  by  the  Indians — Httvlc  Defense— Inaction  ai  B«cae 
Party— Relief  by  Sibley. 

The  incidents  preceding  the  battle  of  Birch  Cooley  are  briefly 
related.  General  H.  H.  Sibley  occupied  Fort  Ridgely  with  bis 
relief  force  on  the  twenty-seventh  of  August,  nine  days  after  the 
beginning  of  the  outbreak.  On  the  thirty-first  he  dispatched  a 
force  of  about  150  men  to  the  Lower  agency  with  instructions  to 
ascertain  if  possible  the  position  and  condition  of  the  Indians, 
and  to  bury  the  bodies  of  the  victims  of  the  massacre  which  might 
be  found  en  route.  This  force,  which  was  under  the  command  of 
Major  Joseph  R.  Brown,  the  well-known  prominent  character  in 
early  Minnesota  history,  and  then  acting  as  major  of  a  newly 
organized  militia  regiment,  was  composed  of  Company  A,  Sixth 
Minnesota  Infantry,  under  Captain  H.  P.  Grant ;  seventy  mounted 
men  of  the  CuUen  Guards  under  Captain  Joseph  Anderson;  a 
detail  of  other  soldiers  from  the  Sixth  Regiment  and  the  militia 
force,  seventeen  teamsters  with  teams,  and  some  unorganized 
volunteer  soldiers  and  citizens.  The  next  evening  several  of  the 
citizens  returned  to  the  fort. 

The  command  reached  the  agency  on  the  first  of  September. 
Captain  Grant,  with  bis  company  and  the  wagons,  proceeded  up 
the  valley,  on  the  north  side  of  the  Minnesota,  to  the  mouth  of 
the  Beaver  creek,  thence  uf}  the  creek  about  three  miles,  and  then 
marched  east  about  six  miles  to  near  the  head  of  Birch  Cooley. 
This  portion  of  the  command  buried  the  bodies  of  Captain  Marsh's 
men  killed  at  Redwood  Perry  and  those  of  perhaps  forty  citizens 
at  various  points  on  the  route.  On  Beaver  creek  "some  thirty 
bodies"  were  buried,  according  to  Captain  Grant.     On  the  way. 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  163 

too,  in  the  Mum«Bota  bottom,  a  German  woman,  named  Mrs, 
Jnstma  Krieger,  who  had  been  badly  wounded  by  the  Indians, 
and  was  hiding  in  a  marsh,  was  rescued  and  carried  along. 

Major  Brown  and  Captain  Anderson,  with  the  "Cidlen 
Guards,"  crossed  the  river  at  the  Redwood  Ferry,  went  to  the 
agency,  buried  the  bodies  of  the  slain  there  and  went  up  ttie 
river,  or  westward,  to  the  location  of  Little  Crow's  yillage,  which 
the  Indians  had  abandoned  a  few  days  previously.  Nothing  was 
seen  which  in  the  opinions  of  Major  Brown,  who  for  thirty  years 
had  been  mtimate  with  the  Indians  and  the  country ;  Major  T.  J. 
Oalbraith,  the  Indian  agent;  Alexander  Faribault,  for  whom  the 
city  of  that  name  was  called,  and  his  son,  George  Faribault,  both 
mixed  blood.  Sioux,  and  Jack  Frazier,  a  half-breed,  indicated 
that  a  hostile  Indian  had  been  in  that  vicinity  for  four  days, 
although  careful  examination  was  made.  RecroBSing  the  Minne- 
sota at  a  ford  opposite  Little  Crow's  village  the  party  ascended 
the  bluflF  on  the  north  side  and  reaching  the  prairie  rode  east- 
ward to  the  Birch  Cooley,  where  Captain  Grant's  company  had 
already  encamped. 

The  camp  selected  by  Captain  Grant  was  on  an  excellent  site. 
It  was  upon  level  ground,  convenient  to  wood  and  water,  and 
less  than  half  a  mile  from  a  road  running  between  Fort  Ridgely 
and  Fort  Abercrombie,  on  the  Red  River  of  the  North,  A  growth 
of  fairly  good  timber  fringed  the  Cooley  on  either  side,  and  in  the 
channel  was  plenty  of  good  running  water.  To  the  west,  north 
and  east  stretched  level  prairie  miles  in  extent.  In  his  report 
Major  Brown  says: 

"This  camp  was  made  in  the  usual  way,  on  the  smooth  prairie, 
some  200  yards  from  the  timber  of  Birch  Cooley,  with  the  wagons 
packed  around  the  camp  and  the  team  horses  fastened  to  the 
wagons.  The  horses  belonging  to  the  mounted  men  were  fastened 
to  a  stout  picket  rope,  between  the  tents  and  wagons,  around  the 
south  half  of  the  tent.  Captain  Anderson's  tents  were  behind 
these  horses,  and  Captain  Grant's  were  inside  the  wagons  which 
formed  the  north  half  of  the  camp." 

The  encampment  was  viriually,  therefore,  a  corral  in  its  form 
and  general  character.  Captain  Grant  detailed  thirty  men,  with 
a  lieutenant  and  two  non-commissioned  officers,  for  a  camp  guard, 
and  established  ten  picket  posts — or  really  ten  camp  posts — at 
equal  distances  around  the  camp.  The  guard  was  divided  as 
usual  into  three  "reliefs."  Although  in  what  might  properly  be 
termed  the  enemy's  country,  no  danger  of  an  attack  was  appre- 
hended, and  therefore  no  picket  posts  worth  the  name  were  estab- 
lished. The  camp  guard  posts  were  only  about  100  yards  from 
the  corral.  Major  Brown  assured  the  men  that  they  might  sleep 
as  soundly  "as  if  in  their  mothers'  feather  beds,"  and  the  weary 
soldiers  lay  down  to  rest  in  fancied  security. 


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164  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

At  the  time  of  the  battle  the  ground  was  virgin  prairie.  Half 
a  mile  down  the  Cooley  was  the  cabin  and  claim  of  Peter  Pereau, 
a  Frenchman,  who  had  been  killed  and  his  family  taken  prisoners. 
A  number  of  other  settlers  living  farther  down  the  stream  had 
been  killed  and  some  of  their  bousea  burned.  The  land  where 
the  battle  was  fought  belonged  to  the  government  and  was  sub- 
sequently entered  and  occupied  by  "William  Weiss,  from  whom 
it  was  purchased  by  the  State,  in  1896.  When  Mr.  Weiss  entered 
the  laud,  in  1865,  the  rifle  pits  dug  by  the  beleaguered  soldiers, 
the  bones  of  the  horses  killed  and  other  evidences  of  the  fight 
were  plainly  visible. 

Of  a  truth  the  Indians  had  fallen  back  from  the  Lower  Agency 
to  Yellow  Medicine  four  days  before  Major  Brown  reached  Little 
Crow's  village.  During  the  siege  of  Port  Ridgely  Major  Gal- 
braith,  the  Indian  agent,  had  sent  Antoine  Frenier,  a  gallant 
mixed-blood  Sioux  scout,  from  the  fort  up  the  valley,  and  Frenier 
had  gone  to  a  pomt  near  the  Yellow  Medicine  and  learned  that 
large  numbers  of  the  Indians  were  there.  But  on  his  return  the 
scout  was  cut  off  by  scattering  war  parties  and  prevented  from 
entering  the  fort,  and  was  forced  to  make  his  way  to  Henderson. 

When  General  Sibley  arrived  at  Port  Ridgely  he  sent  two 
good  and  wary  scouts,  George  McLeod  and  William  L.  Quinn, 
to  reeonnoiter  and  to  discover  the  Indians'  position.  They  made 
the  perilous  ride  to  near  the  Yellow  Medicine,  discovered  that 
the  Indians  were  there  in  strong  force  and  returned  in  safety. 
Quinn  had  been  in  charge  of  Forges'  trading  house  at  the  Yellow 
Medicine,  and  his  family  were  prisoners  among  the  Sioux.  Riding 
in  the  night  in  the  Minnesota  bottom,  his  horse  shied  at  a  dead 
body  which,  by  the  gleam  of  a  flash  of  lightning,  he  saw  was  that 
of  his  former  clerk,  a  Frenchman  named  Louis  Constans.  Every- 
thing indicated  that  there  were  no  hostilea  east  of  the  Yellow 
Medicine. 

The  Indians  had  left  their  villages  about  the  Lower  agency 
in  some  haste  and  alarm  after  their  repulse  and  defeat  at  Fort 
Ridgely.  With  the  exception  of  some  scouts  left  behind  to  watch 
the  whites,  they  retired  to  the  Yellow  Medicine  and  the  mouth 
of  the  Chippewa  river,  where  were  the  villages  of  the  Wahpeton 
band,  generally  composed  of  Sioux  not  openly  hostile  toward  the 
whites.  In  a  few  daya  the  scouts  reported  that  Sibley  and  his 
command  had  reached  Fort  Ridgely  and  that  New  Ulm  had  been 
evacuated.  Very  soon  the  Indiana  determined  to  move  down  on 
the  south  side  of  the  Minnesota  to  New  Ulm,  to  there  cross  the 
river  and  get  in  the  rear  of  Port  Ridgely,  and  then  their  future 
operationa  would  be  governed  by  circumstances.  At  the  same 
time  150  warriors  were  to  go  from  the  Yellow  Medicine  to  the 
"Big  Woods"  and  harass  the  country  about  Forest  City  and 
Hutchinson,  and  seize  a  large  quantity  of  flour,  said  to  be  at  the 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  165 

Cedar  mill,  iu  that  quarter.  Little  Crow  took  charge  of  the  "Big 
Woods"  expedition  in  person,  sending  the  rest  of  his  band  under 
Gray  Bird,  a  farmer  Indian,  but  now  Little  Crow's  "head  sol- 
dier," down  the  river  with  the  other  bands  of  Wabasha,  Wacoiita, 
Hnshasha,  Mankato,  Big  Eagle,  Shakopee  and  the  rest  of  the 
Medawakantons  and  Wahpakootas.  The  savage  forces  left  the 
Yellow  Medicine  on  the  tliirty -first  of  August. 

When,  on  the  evening  of  September  1,  the  advance  of  the 
Indians  reached  Little  Crow's  village,  on  the  high  bluff  on  the 
south  side  of  the  Minnesota,  they  saw  on  the  north  side,  out  on 
the  prairie,  some  miles  away.  Captain  Anderson's  company, 
marching  from  Beaver  creek  eastward  toward  the  Birch  Cooley. 
They  also  saw  in  the  former  village  signs  that  white  men  had 
been  there  only  a  few  hours  before,  and,  from  the  trail  made 
when  they  left,  concluded  that  these  were  the  men  they  could 
see  to  the  northward.  Some  of  the  best  scouts  were  soon  sent 
across  the  valley  to  follow  the  movements  of  the  mounted  men, 
"creeping  across  the  prairie  like  so  many  ants."  A  little  after 
sundown  the  scouts  returned  with  the  information  that  the 
mounted  men  had  gone  into  camp  near  the  head  of  Birch  Cooley, 
and  that  they  numbered  about  seventy-five  men.  At  this  time, 
and  until  they  attacked,  they  did  not  know  of  the  presence  of 
Captain  Grant's  company. 

Had  the  Indians  persisted  in  their  original  plan  to  jit-oceed 
quietly  on  their  way  down  the  south  side  of  the  river,  unobserved 
by  the  whites,  and  paid  no  attention  to  the  company  of  mounted 
men  they  had  discovered,  the  result  would  have  been  most  dis- 
astrous. But,  with  their  hundreds  of  warriors,  the  temptation 
to  fall  upon  the  small  and-  apparently  isolated  detachment  of 
seventy-five  men  was  too  great  to  the  Indian  nature  to  be  resisted. 
It  was  determined  to  surround  the  camp  that  night  and  attack 
it  at  daylight  the  next  morning.  About  200  warriors  were 
selected  for  the  undertaking.  These  were  mainly  from  the  bands 
of  Red  Legs,  Gray  Bird,  Big  Eagle  and  Mankato,  with  some  from 
Wabasha's  and  the  other  bands.  There  were  also  some  Sissetons 
and  Wahpetons  present.  Little  Crow  himself,  with  150  warriors, 
was  off  on  the  expedition  to  the  Big  Woods,  towards  Forest  City 
and  Hutchinson. 

When  darkness  had  come  good  and  black  and  sheltering,  the 
Indians  crossed  the  river  and  valley,  went  up  the  bluffs  and 
prairie,  and  soon  saw  the  camp  or  corral  of  the  whites.  Cau- 
tiously and  warily  they  approached  the  camp  and  had  no  diffi- 
cnlty  in  surrounding  it,  for  the  sentinels  were  at  such  short  dis- 
tance from  it — not  more  than  a  hundred  yards.  The  ground  was 
most  excellent  for  a  mere  camping  ground,  but  badly  chosen 
for  a  battlefield.  On  the  east  was  the  Birch  Cooley  ivith  a  high 
bluff  bank  and  fringed  with  timber;  on  the  north  was  a  smaller 


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166  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

cooley  or  ravine  running  into  the  main  cooley ;  on  the  south  was 
a  swale  mnch  lower  than  the  camp ;  on  the  west  was  a  consider- 
able mound,  and  all  these  positions  were  commanding  and  within 
gunshot  of  the  corral.  The  Indians  could  fire  from  concealed  and 
protected  situation,  and  nearly  all  of  them  had  double-barreled 
shotguns  loaded  with  buckshot  and  large  bullets  called  traders' 
balls. 

The  Indians  under  Bed  Legs  occupied  the  Birch  Cooley  east 
of  the  camp.  Some  of  Mankato's  warriors  were  in  the  cooley  and 
some  in  the  swale  to  the  south.  Big  Eagle's  band  was  chiefiy 
behind  and  about  the  knoll  to  the  west,  and  Gray  Bird's  was  in 
the  ravine  and  on  the  prairie  to  the  north.  Big  Eagle  says  that 
while  they  were  waiting  to  begin  the  attack  during  the  night 
some  of  the  warriors  crawled  through  the  prairie  grass  unob- 
served to  within  fifty  feet  of  the  sentinels,  and  it  was  seriously 
proposed  to  shoot  them  with  arrows — making  no  noise — and  to 
rush  the  camp  in  the  darkness. 

In  the  dark  hour  just  before  dawn  Captain  Anderson's  cook, 
who  was  early  astir,  had  his  suspicions  of  danger  aroused  by 
noting  that  some  of  the  horses  with  lifted  heads  were  staring 
intently  toward  the  west  and  manifesting  indications  of  uneasi- 
ness. Some  fugitive  cattle,  which  had  been  gathered  up  anB 
driven  along  with  the  command,  and  which  had  been  lying  down 
south  of  the  corral,  rose  up  one  after  another  and  began  to  move 
slowly  towards  the  corral,  as  if  retreating  from  danger.  The 
cook  had  quietly  awakened  his  captain  and  was  talking  to  him 
of  what  he  had  seen  when  the  alarm  was  given. 

Sentinel  William  L.  Hart,  of  Anderson's  company,  was  on 
duty  on  the  post  between  the,  eastern  bqrder  of  the  corral  and 
Birch  Cooley.  He  was  in  conversation  with  Richard  Gibbons,  a 
comrade  in  his  company.  The  dawn  was  coming  faintly  from  the 
east  when,  looking  in  that  direction,  across  the  Birch  Cooley, 
Hart  saw  what  he  at  first  thought  were  two  calves  galloping 
through  the  tall  grass  of  the  prairie  towards  the  cooley.  In 
another  moment  he  saw  that  the  objects  were  two  Indians  skulk- 
ing along  as  fast  as  they  could  run  and  trailing  their  guns  at 
their  sides.  "They  are  Indians!"  cried  Hart  to  his  companion 
and  fired.  As  if  he  had  given  the  signal  instantly  there  was  a 
deadly  roar  from  hundreds  of  Indians'  guns  all  about  the  camp, 
and  the  battle  had  begun.  In  the  rain  of  bullets.  Gibbons  was 
mortally  wounded,  but  Hart  ran  to  the  corral  unhurt,  and  fought 
through  the  battle,  living  to  become  an  officer  on  the  police  force 
of  St.  Paul,  where  he  died  in  1896. 

At  the  first  alarm  nearly  all  of  the  men  instinctively  sprang 
to  their  feet,  and,  in  obedience  to  orders.  Captain  Grant's  com- 
pany attempted  to  fall  into  line,  and  the  swift,  well  delivered  vol- 
leys of  the  Indians  struck  down  thirty  men  in  three  minutes.    The 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  167 

horses,  too,  tied  at  the  borders  of  the  corral,  fell  fast.  Big  Eagle 
8878:  "Owing  to  the  white's  men's  way  of  fighting  they  lost 
many  men;  owing  to  the  Indian's  way  of  fighting  they  lost  but 
few."  The  loss  of  the  whites  was  twenty  men  killed,  four  mor- 
tally wounded,  perhaps  sixty  wounded  more  or  less  severely,  and 
nearly  every  horse  killed.  Of  the  horses  of  Major  Brown's  report 
says;  "Every  horse  belonging  to  the  command  was  killed  except- 
ing six,  which  were  left  at  the  camp,  being  wounded  and  unable 
to  travel."  But  Heard  says  that  every  horse  was  killed  but  one. 
According  to  the  Indians  one  of  their  number,  named  Buffalo 
Qhost,  the  eldest  son  of  White  Lodge,  captured  a  stampeded  horse 
during  the  fight.  Among  the  wounded  were  Major  Brown,  Cap- 
tain Anderson,  Captain  Redfield  and  Indian  Agent  Qalbraith. 
The  Indian  loss  was  small.  According  to  Big  Eagle,  endorsed  by 
Heard  and  sworn  to  by  reliable  Indians,  it  was  two  killed  and 
"several  wounded." 

About  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  the  first  day's  attack  the 
pickets  at  Fort  Ridgely  sent  in  word  that  they  could  hear  firing 
in  the  distance  to  the  northwest.  Investigation  made  it  certain 
that  there  was  a  battle  in  progress  between  Major  Brown's  com- 
mand and  the  Indians.  Colonel  Sibley  at  once  sent  a  reinforce- 
ment. He  dispatched  Colonel  Samuel  McPhail,  of  the  newly 
organized  command  called  the  Mounted  Rangers,  with  fifty 
mounted  men  under  the  immediate  command  of  Captain  J.  R. 
Sterrett  and  Captain  C.  S.  Potter ;  three  companies  of  the  Sixth 
Regiment  of  Infantry  (B,  D  and  E)  under  Captains  0.  C.  Merri- 
man,  J.  C.  Whitney  and  Rudolph  Schoenemann,  and  two  small 
cannon,  mountain  howitzers,  under  Captain  Mark  Hendricks. 

The  infantry  and  artillery  were  under  the  direct  command 
of  Major  R.  N.  McLaren,  with  Colonel  McPhail,  an  old  regular 
army  man  and  an  experienced  Indian  fighter,  in  command  of 
the  whole.  In  his  report  Colonel  Sibley  says  that  the  whole  force 
numbered  240  men. 

The  expedition  made  a  forced  march  to  near  the  Birch  Cooley, 
over  the  Fort  Abererombie  road,  guided  by  the  sound  of  the  con- 
tinuous firing.  On  nearing  the  cooley  a  large  force  of  Indians 
appeared  to  the  left,  or  south,  of  the  advance.  A  demonstration 
was  made  against  them  by  Captain  Merriman's  company  and  they 
fell  back.  The  command  moved  forward  half  a  mile,  when  a  very 
strong  line  of  Indians,  under  Chief  Mankato  and  other  noted 
Indian  warriors,  appeared  in  front  and  on  the  left  flank.  Colonel 
McPhail  halted  and  prepared  to  fight.  Two  scouts  of  Captain 
Potter's  company  were  sent  forward,  but  soon  had  their  horses 
shot  imder  theni  and  were  chased  back  to  the  column. 

The  Indians  were  advancing,  and  had  well  nigh  surrounded 
the  command,  when  Captain  Hendricks  opened  on  them  with  his 
mountain  howitzers   and   drove   them  back.     Colonel   MePhail, 


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168  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

according  to  hia  own  report,  "did  not  deem  it  prudent  to  advance 
further,"  Sending  two  messengers,  Lieutenant  T,  J.  Sheehan 
and  William  L.  Quinn  to  Colonel  Sibley  with  a  report  of  the 
situation,  he  moved  his  force  to  a  commanding  position  about 
two  miles  east  of  the  cooley,  where  he  formed  a  strong  camp, 
throwing  up  some  rifle  pits  and  awaited  the  arrival  of  Bibley 
with  the  general  command  from  Fort  Ridgely. 

As  soon  as  McPhail's  messengers,  who  rode  swiftly,  reached 
him,  Colonel  Sibley  formed  his  men  under  arms  and  at  once 
marched  to  the  relief  of  the  now  two  imperiled  commands.  He 
marched  during  the  night,  joining  Colonel  McPhail  in  the  fore- 
noon of  September  3,  moved  against  the  Indians  and  by  noon, 
without  any  more  serious  fighting,  they  had  all  been  driven  away 
from  their  positions  about  the  cooley.  Recrossing  the  Alinaesota, 
they  speedily  fell  back  again  to  the  Yellow  Medicine.  Colonel 
Sibley  returned  to  Fort  Ridgely, 

During  the  fight  at  the  cooley  the  wounded  whites  were  given 
the  best  surgical  and  medical  aid  possible  by  Dr.  J.  W.  Daniels, 
assistant  surgeon  of  the  Sixth  Minnesota  and  special  surgeon  of 
the  expedition.  He  had  a  hard  and  trying  task,  for  he  was  under 
fire  all  the  time,  but  he  did  his  duty  so  faithfully  and  efficiently 
as  to  merit  and  receive  the  gratitude  of  the  recipients  for  hia 
faithful  care  and  the  praise  of  his  superiors  and  of  all  who  knew 
of  his  services. 

At  the  close  o£  the  contest  Colonel  Sibley  conveyed  the 
wounded  in  wagons  to  Port  Ridgely ;  the  dead  were  temporarily 
buried  on  the  battlefield.  Subsequently  all  the  bodies  were 
removed  by  friends,  with  the  exception  of  one,  believed  to  be 
that  of  Peter  Boyer  (or  Pierre  Bourrier),  a  mixed-blood  Sioux, 
serving  with  Anderson's  company,  but  belonging  to  the  Renville 
Rangers,  who  was  killed  at  the  first  fire  while  on  sentry  duty  a 
hundred  yards  west  of  the  camp,  A  report  that  Bdyer  was  killed 
while  attempting  to  escape  to  his  Indian  kinsmen  was  never 
proven  and  is  doubtless  untrue.  The  bodies  of  the  two  Indians 
killed  were  buried  during  the  fight  in  the  Bireh  Cooley.  They 
both  belonged  to  Husha-sha's  band  of  Wahpakootas ;  one  was 
named  Hotonna,  or  Animal's  Voice,  and  the  other  Wan-e-he-ya,  or 
Arrow  Shooter. 


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HI8T0RY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  169 

CHAPTER  XIIL 

CAPTTTBED  BY  THE  INDIANS. 

Eenuniscences  ot  Minnie  Buce  Carrigan — Pioneers  Arrive— 
Dawn  at  Fatal  An^rnst  Morning— Parents  Killed— Siaten 
Hordered — In  the  Indian  Camp — Heetin^r  Playmates — Scenes 
of  Cmelty— Arrival  of  Soldiers — Release — Concltision. 

In  1858  my  parents,  Gottfried  and  Willi  el  iiiiiia  Buce  with 
their  three  children,  August,  Wilheliiiiua  (myself)  and  Augusta, 
came  from  GerinaDj-  to  America  and  settled  at  Pos  Lake,  Wis- 
consin.    My  sister,  Amelia,  was  born  here. 

In  the  spring  of  1860,  in  company  with  five  other  families, 
two  of  whom  were  named  Lentz  and  Kitzman,  wo  eaine  to  Min- 
nesota. Though  only  five  years  old  at  that  time,  I  distinctly 
remember  many  incidents  of  this  journey.  We  all  had  ox  teams 
and  some  other  live  stock  with  us.  All  the  families  were  devout 
Christian  members  of  the  Evangelical  church  and.  I  remember 
we  never  traveled  on  the  Sabbath.  At  Cannon  Fails  my  mother 
fell  from  the  wagon  aud  a  wheel  passed  over  her  foot  injuring 
it  so  severely  that  we  were  compelled  to  stop.  The  other  fam- 
ilies remained  with  us.  The  men  rented  land  and.  possibly  with 
the  exception  of  Mr.  Lentz,  put  in  crops  of  corn  and  oats.  It  was 
too  late  for  wheat.  My  sister  Caroline  was  born  during  our 
stay  here.  Perhaps  it  was  the  intention  of  the  families,  at  first, 
to  remain  at  Cannon  Falls  at  least  a  year.  But  in  six  weeks  my 
mother  having  recovered  from  her  injuries,  they  decided  to  re- 
move farther  westward. 

The  previous  year  a  Mr.  Maiiiiweiler,  a  son-in-law  of  Mr. 
Lentz,  had  settled  at  Middle  Creek  in  Renville  county,  my  father 
and  Mr.  Lentz  concluded  to  settle  near  him.  Mr.  Kitznian  de- 
cided to  remain  at  Cannon  Palls.  I  do  not  know  how  long  we 
were  on  the  road  from  Cannon  Falls  to  Middle  Creek,  but  I  re- 
member the  evening  when  we  reached  Mr.  Manuweiler  where  we 
remained  two  days.  Then  my  father  took  his  family  to  a  Mr. 
Smith.  Soon  he  bought  the  right  to  a  claim  on  which  some  land 
had  been  broken  and  other  improvements  had  been  made.  Mr. 
Smith  and  my  father  put  up  some  hay  for  the  cattle  and  father 
went  to  Yellow  Medicine  to  work  for  a  month  and  put  up  hay 
for  the  government  cattle  at  the  Indian  agency.  Mother  staid 
with  Mrs.  Smith  during  this  time.  When  father  returned  he 
moved  his  family  into  an  old  house  on  his  claim.  All  the  neigh- 
boring settlers  turned  out  to  help  us  fix  up  our  house  so  that 
we  could  live  in  it  comfortably.  1  think  ours  was  one  of  nine 
families  that  lived  there  during  the  winter  of  1860  and  '61.  In 
the  spring  of  1861  twenty  families  came  in  one  part\-  and  joined 


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170  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

us.    Mr.  Kitzman  came  up  from  Cannon  Falls  and  was  the  first 
settler  at  Sacred  Heart  Creek. 

■  Our  life  on  the  frontier  was  peaceful  and  uneventful.  All, 
or  nearly  all,  of  the  families  of  our  settlement  were  Germans — 
honest,   indnetrious   and   Qod -fearing   people. 

Early  in  the  spring  of  1861  arrangements  were  made  to  have 
a  Oerman  minister  hold  monthly  religious  services  among  us, 
A  Rev.  Brill  was  our  first  minLster.  We  had  no  public  school, 
which  my  father  often  regretted.  On  winter  evenings  our  par- 
ents taught  us  to  read  German  and  we  younger  children  learned 
to  read  a  little  in  Sunday  school.  Religious  services  and  Sun- 
day school  were  held  at  the  houses  of  the  settlers.  The  Indiana 
from  across  the  Minnesota  river  to  the  south  of  us  visited  us 
nearly  every  day  and  were  always  very  friendly.  We  younger 
children  could  not  speak  a  word  of  English,  but  most  of  us 
learned  a  little  of  the  Sioux  language  and  our  parents  learned 
to  speak  it  quite  well.  All  the  settlers  were  in  moderate,  but 
fairly  comfortable  circumstances  and  though  they  had  to  under- 
go many  discomforts  and  some  privations,  all  seemed  happy  and 
contented. 

In  the  spring  of  1861  my  father  got  a  bad  scare,  but  it  turned 
out  all  right  for  us,  but  not  so  lucky  for  the  Chippewa  Indian 
that  came  near  the  Sioux  reservation.  My  father  wanted  to  buy 
a  gun  of  the  Indians,  and  every  old  gun  they  could  not  use  they 
brought  to  him  to  try.  They  all  had  guns  to  sell.  The  first  gun 
that  waa  brought  to  him  was  an  old  fiint  lock.  Father  went  to 
examine  it.  He  was  in  the  house.  The  gun  accidentally  dis- 
charged, and  shot  a  hole  through  the  roof  of  our  house.  Father 
was  so  frightened  he  could  not  speak.  I  can  see  his  white  face 
yet  as  the  smoke  cleared.  A  few  days  later  another  Indian 
came  along  with  a  gun.  Father  was  standing  under  a  tree  in 
front  of  our  house.  An  Indian  came  with  a  gun  and  wanted 
father  to  shoot  at  a  stick  that  he  stuck  in  the  ground.  Father 
picked  up  the  gun  and  blazed  away  at  it.  He  bit  the  mark  all 
right,  but  the  gun  kicked  him  so  hard  he  fell  flat  on  bis  back. 
Mother  and  the  Indian  both  laughed.  This  made  father  so 
angry  he  picked  up  the  gun  and  was  going  to  strike  the  Indian 
with  it.  Mother  grabbed  his  arm,  and  told  him  it  would  coat 
him  his  life  if  he  struck  that  Indian.  Father  seemed  to  under- 
stand her  meaning  and  stood  the  gun  up  against  the  tree  and 
walked  into  the  house.  The  Indian  grinned  and  took  bis  gun 
and  went  away,  and  mother  told  father  to  quit  his  trading  with 
the  Indians. 

After  that  if  an  Indian  came  with  a  gun  to  sell  father  would 
not  speak  to  him.  One  day  soon  after  father's  last  gun  trade 
a  strange  Indian  came  to  our  house  about  four  or  five  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon.     He  asked  my  mother  how  far  it  was  to  Sacred 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  171 

Heart  creek.  My  mother  held  up  three  fingers,  indicating  three 
miles.  He  started  on  his  journey.  About  half  an  hour  after 
he  had  gone  one  of  our  cows  that  had  a  young  ealf  four  weeks 
old  running  -with  her  came  running  ap  to  the  house  witJiout  her 
calf  and  she  acted  as  though  she  was  crazy.  My  father  was 
not  at  home  and  mother  told  my  brother  to  go  and  follow  the 
cow,  for  she  had  gone  back  again,  and  see  what  had  happened 
to  her  calf.  My  brother  followed  the  cow.  Soon  after  he  had 
gone  my  father  came  home  and  mother  told  him  about  it.  He, 
too,  went  to  look  for  the  calf.  Soon  they  both  returned  bear- 
ing the  dead  calf  home.  The  Indian  had  cut  its  throat  and  ent 
off  one  hind  quarter  and  left  the  rest  on  the  ground.  Father 
threw  the  dead  calf  on  the  ground  and  went  to  work  and  skinned 
it.  He  remarked  that  the  Indian  was  good  to  leave  us  some  of  it. 
The  next  morning  my  father  came  into  the  house  and  said  to 
mother,  "I  am  afraid  I  got  into  trouble  the  other  day  when  I 
tried  to  strike  that  Indian  with  the  gim.  There  are  fifty  Indiana 
in  our  dooryard  on  horseback,  all  in  war  paint."  Father  sat 
down  by  the  table.  He  seemed  to  be  unable  to  move.  Mother 
went  out  to  see  what  they  wanted.  She  soon  returned  laughing 
and  told  father  they  were  not  after  him  at  all,  but  they  were 
looking  for  the  Chippewa  that  had  killed  our  ealf,  and  they 
wanted  him  to  come  and  help  them  to  find  him.  They  had 
tracked  him  as  far  as  our  house.  Father  went  with  them  as 
far  as  to  where  the  calf  was  killed,  and  then  came  home.  He 
told  mother  that  he  would  sooner  lose  a  dozen  calves  than  to  see 
the  Sioux  kill  a  Chippewa,  In  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  they 
returned,  bringing  the  Chippewa  with  them.  They  had  over- 
taken him  and  got  him  alive.  That  suited  them  better,  for  they 
could  torture  him  to  death.  They  wanted  father  to  come  over 
to  the  killing  and  the  feast,  but  he  refused. 

In  the  spring  of  1862  so  many  people  came  into  the  country 
that  we  did  not  know  half  of  our  neighbors.  The  church  society 
was  divided  into  two  divisions,  called  the  Sacred  Heart  and  the 
Middle  Creek  divisions,  and  each  had  religious  services  twice  a 
month,  being  held  in  dwelling  houses  nearest  the  center  of  the 
district.  I  remember  the  spring  of  this  year  that  Mr.  Schwandt 
and  his  family  joined  our  colony.  I  saw  them  first  at  the  house 
of  Mr.  Lentz. 

It  was  about  this  time  that  the  conduct  of  our  Indian  neigh- 
bora  changed  toward  us.  They  became  disagreeable  and  ill- 
natured.  They  seldom  visited  us  and  when  they  met  us,  passed 
by  coldly  and  sullenly  and  often  without  speaking.  On  one  oc- 
casion some  of  them  camped  in  my  father's  woods  and  began 
catting  down  all  the  young  timber  and  leaving  it  on  the  groimd. 
My  father  remonstrated  with  them.  He  told  them  they  could 
have  all  the  timber  and  tepee  poles  they  wanted  for  actual  use, 


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172  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

but  to  let  the  rest  stand.  When  he  had  spokeu,  a  squaw  caught 
up  a  large  butcher  knife  aud  chased  him  away.  He  came  to  the 
house  and  told  my  mother  of  the  affair,  but  she  only  laughed 
at  him  for  allowing  an  old  squaw  to  drive  him  out  of  his  own 
woods.  At  another  time  about  a  week  before  the  dreadful  out- 
break, my  brother  August  came  home  from  Mr.  Lentz'  in  great 
fright.  He  said  that  Mr.  Lentz  had  caught  a  nice  string  of  fish 
in  the  Minnesota  river  and  brought  them  home.  An  Indian  came 
into  the  house  and  demanded  some  of  them.  "Go  and  catch 
your  own  fish,"  said  Mr.  Lentz.  The  Indian  flew  into  a  rage, 
and,  among  other  things,  said  angrily,  "You  talk  most  now  but 
wait  a  while  and  we  will  shoot  you  with  your  own  gun."  Mr. 
Lentz  was  the  only  man  who  owned  a  gun  in  the  neighborhood 
and  the  Indians  knew  how  defenseless  we  were.  When  my 
brother  had  related  this  incident,  father  seemed  strangely  af- 
fected. He  was  silent  for  a  while  and  then  remarked  to  August, 
"Well,  boy,  we  have  all  to  die  some  time,  and  there  is  but  one 
death,"  and  then  went  out. 

The  peaceful  Sunday  before  the  outbreak  of  the  following 
day,  services  were  held  at  Mr.  Lefton's  house,  a  mile  and  a  half 
from  our  place.  The  Sunday  school  was  held  before  the  preach- 
ing. Mr.  Mannweiler  was  the  superintendent.  As  was  his  cus- 
tom, he  gave  us  children  little  blue  cards  on  each  of  which  a 
verse  in  scripture  was  printed  and  then,  showing  us  some  nice 
red  cards,  told  us  that  if  we  could  repeat  from  memory  the 
verse  on  our  card  the  coming  Sunday,  he  would  give  us  each 
one  of  them.  We  were  all  greatly  pleased  at  this.  He  closed 
the  school  just  as  the  people  were  assembling  for  church  and 
directed  the  children  to  remain  out  of  doors  during  the  services, 
for  there  seemed  to  be  a  crowd  coming  and  the  house  was  not 
very  large.  I  remember  that  there  was  so  large  an  attendance 
that  most  of  the  boys  and  men  sat  outside  in  front  of  the  open 
door.  I  think  there  were  over  a  hundred  adults  and  about  thirty 
children  at  the  church  that  day.  Louis  Thiele  and  Mike  Zitzloff 
were  sitting  on  a  wagon  tongue,  while  Thiele 's  little  child  was 
playing  in  front  of  them.  Poor  Mike  little  thought  that  it  was 
his  last  day  on  earth.  He  was  married  to  Mary  Juni  less  than  a 
year  before.  They  were  both  murdered  the  next  day.  Mr.  Zitz- 
loff  was  a  brother  to  Mrs.  Inefeld,  who  was  taken  prisoner. 
Mr.  Thiele  saved  his  life  by  jumping  from  his  wagon  and  hiding 
in  the  woods.  Within  twenty-four  hours  after  that  meeting, 
Dot  more  than  thirty  of  those  present  remained  alive.  The  oth- 
ers, including  B«v.  Mr,  Seder,  had  been  murdered  by  the  Indians. 

That  dreadful  Monday — August  18,  1862 — my  father  was  put- 
ting up  hay  a  mile  east  of  our  house.  I  remember  that  dinner 
was  a  little  late  and  father  complained.  He  was  in  a  hurry  to 
finish  his  haying  that  he  might  go  to  work   again   at   Yellow 


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HISTORY  OP  BENVILLE  COUNTY  173 

Medicine  to  put  up  hay  for  the  government  cattle  where  he  could 
get  good  wages.  When  he  had  started  for  his  work,  my  brother 
climbed  on  the  roof  to  Bee  where  our  cattle  were.  We  had  to 
keep  watch  of  them  as  they  ran  at  large  on  the  prairie.  Some- 
times the  Indians  would  stampede  them  and  we  would  have  to 
hunt  for  days  to  find  them  again.  When  my  brother  came  do\vn, 
he  told  mother  that  he  heard  shooting  and  some  one  screamed 
at  Hosier's  and  that  father  was  looking  toward  Mr.  Rosier 's 
house  as  far  as  he  could  see  him.  Mother  thought  maybe  the 
Indians  were  shooting  at  a  mark  and  wanted  August  to  go  to 
Mr.  Rosier 's  and  borrow  some  sewing  needles.  We  did  all  our 
trading  at  New  Ulm  and  often  had  to  borrow  such"  articles. 
When  he  returned  he  said,  "0  mother,  they  are  all  asleep.  Mrs. 
and  the  little  boy  were  lying  on  the  floor  and  the  boy's  ear  was 
bleeding.  The  big  boy  was  lying  in  the  clay  pit  and  was  all 
covered  with  clay." 

My  mother  was  standing  by  the  table  cutting  a  dress  for  my 
little  sister  when  my  brother  returned,  "0,  my  God,"  she  ex- 
claimed, "the  Indians  have  killed  them.  We  must  fly  for  our 
lives.  You  children  stay  here  and  I  will  go  and  call  father." 
But  my  brother  and  I,  refusing  to  remain  in  the  house,  were 
then  told  to  hide  in  the  cornfield  on  the  south  side  where  she 
and  father  would  meet  us.  She  then  ran  to  tell  father.  My 
brother  took  the  baby  Bertha,  aged  three  months,  and  I  took 
little  Caroline  while  Augusta,  aged  five  years  and  three  months, 
and  Amelia,  aged  four,  walked  along  with  us.  We  had  hardly 
reached  the  cornfield  when  the  Indians  came  whooping  and 
yelling  around  the  west  side  of  the  field  from  Mr.  Boelter's.  We 
sat  down  and  they  passed  us  so  closely  that  it  was  strange  they 
did  not  see  us.  They  rushed  into  our  house  and  we  went  on. 
Looking  back  we  saw  them  throwing  out  the  feather  beds  and 
other  articles.  We  reached  the  south  side  of  the  field  safely  and 
father  and  mother  were  already  there.  I  think  we  would  have 
been  safe  there  at  least  for  a  time,  but  father,  taking  the  baby 
from  August  started  out  on  the  open  prairie.  Mother  took  Caro- 
line from  me  and  tried  to  stop  father,  but  it  was  useless.  The 
terriWe  oircumstances  must  have  unbalanced  his  mind,  naturally 
being  very  nervous. 

The  Indians  had  cleaned  out  our  house  and  were  returning  to 
Mr.  Boelter's.  As  they  were  passing  a  little  corner  of  the 
timber  one  of  them  saw  father  and  uttered  a  wicked,  piercing 
yell.  It  was  but  a  moment  when  the  whole  band,  about  twenty 
men  and  some  squaws,  were  upon  us.  My  father  began  talking 
to  the  foremost  Indian.  My  brother  has  told  me  that  father 
asked  them  to  take  all  his  property  but  to  let  him  and  his  family 
go.  But  the  Indian  replied  in  the  Sioux  language,  "Sioux 
eheche"  (the  Sious  are  bad.).    He  then  leveled  his  double  bar- 


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174  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

reled  ahot  gun  and  fired  both  barrels  at  him.  He  dropped  th« 
baby — she  was  killed — and  numing  a  few  yards  down  the  hUl, 
.  fell  on  his  face  dead.  The  same  Indian  then  went  to  where  my 
mother  had  sat  down  beside  a.  stone  with  little  Caroline  in  her 
lap,  reloaded  his  gun  and  deliberately  fired  upon  them  both.  She 
did  not  speak  or  otter  a  sound,  but  fell  over  dead.  Caroline 
gave  one  little  scream  and  a  gasp  or  two  and  all  was  over  with 
her.  The  ery  rang  in  my  ears  for  years  afterward.  My  father 
was  thirty-three  and  my  mother  thirty  years  of  age  when  they 
were  so  cruelly  murdered  by  the  Indians. 

How  painfully  distinct  are  all  the  memories  of  the  scenes 
of  this  dreadful  afternoon.  While  my  mother  was  being  mur- 
dered I  stood  about  ten  feet  away  from  her  paralyzed  with  fear 
and  horror,  unable  to  move.  The  Indian  began  loading  his  gun 
again  and  was  looking  significantly  at  me  and  my  sister  Amelia, 
who  sat  by  my  side.  Suddenly  I  regaihed  my  self-control  and, 
believing  that  I  would  be  the  next  victim,  I  started  up  and  ran 
wildly  in  an  indefinite  direction.  Accidentally  I  came  to  where 
my  father  lay.  He  had  on  a  checked  shirt,  the  back  of  which 
was  covered  with  blood,  the  shot  having  passed  clear  through 
his  body.  That  was  the  last  thing  I  knew.  The  nest  thing  I 
remember  was  an  Indian  holding  me  in  his  arms,  looking  into  my 
face.  I  screamed  and  he  put  mc  down.  My  brother  then  told 
me  not  to  be  afraid  as  they  would  not  kill  us,  but  were  going 
to  take  us  with  them.  Amelia  was  also  there,  but  being  unable 
to  see  Augusta,  I  asked  for  her.  "I  have  not  thought  of  her," 
replied  August  (or  Charley  as  we  called  him  afterwards).  "The 
last  I  know  of  her  is  when  she  told  me  to  wait  for  her,  but  I 
couldn't."  We  three  then  rose  and  looked  about  for  her,  but 
could  not  see  her.  My  brother  asked  an  Indian  about  her  but 
the  Indian  looked  at  him  coldly  and  replied,  "Nepo."  I  knew 
the  word  meant  "killed"  or  "dead,"  but  I  was  not- satisfied. 
I  wanted  to  see  her  and  told  the  Indian  so,  as  good  as  I  could. 
He  took  me  by  the  hand,  my  brother  and  sister  following,  to 
where  she  lay.  She  lay  on  her  face  and,  as  I  saw  no  blood  upon 
her,  I  thought  at  first  that  she  was  alive,  but  when  I  turned  over 
her  body,  and  looked  upon  her  little  face,  once  so  sweet  and 
rosy,  but  now  so  pallid  and  ghastly  in  the  blaze  of  the  hot  Au- 
gust sun,  I  knew  the  truth.  I  wanted  to  see  no  more,  but  was 
ready  to  go  with  the  Indians  as  they  were  already  waiting. 

We  must  now  go  back  a  little  to  where  my  father,  mother  and 
sisters  were  murdered  and  learn  how  my  brother  escaped  the 
fate  of  the  others.  The  second  Indian  fired  at  him,  but  as  he 
was  running,  he  missed  him,  the  ball  striking  the  ground  r^ht 
ahead  of  him.  He  fired  again  and  missed  him  the  second  time. 
Then  the  Indian  threw  away  his  gun  and  ran  after  my  brother. 
When  he  came  up  to  him  he  kicked  him  in  the  side  and  knocked 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  175 

him  down.  The  Indians  believe  that  the  Great  Spirit  projects 
those  at  whom  they  shoot  twice  and  miss.  They  do  not  shoot  at 
them  agaiQ,  but  give  them  a  chance  to  live. 

Some  time  after  our  capture  we  went  back  to  Mr,  Boelter's 
place.  As  we  turned  the  comer  of  the  woods  I  took  the  last  look 
at  our  home.  I  have  never  seen  it  since,  neither  do  I  care  to 
see  it  again,  although  it  is  not  many  miles  from  my  present 
home. 

When  we  came  to  the  Boelter  house  we  found  that  the 
Indians  had  already  murdered  the  most  of  the  family.  We  saw 
three  of  the  children  lying  among  some  logs  between  the  house 
and  the  well.  The  right  cheek  of  the  oldest  girl  was  shot 
away  clear  to  the  bone.  They  had  thrown  some  clothes  over 
the  body  of  the  second  girl.  My  brother  went  to  remove  them, 
but  the  Indians  called  him  back.  I  think  they  had  taken  the 
youngest  child  by  the  feet  and  beaten  her  over  a  log,  for  her 
dress  was  unfastened  and  her  back  was  bare  and  was  all  black 
and  blue.  The  birds  were  singing  in  the  trees  above  them  and 
the  sun  shone  just  as  bright  as  ever.  There  was  not  a  cloud  in 
the  sky.  I  have  wondered  how  there  could  be  so  much  suffer- 
ing on  earth  on  such  a  perfect  August  day.  After  we  saw  the 
children  the  Indians  took  us  to  the  house.  I  did  not  go  in  at 
first,  but  looked  at  Mrs.  Boelter's  little  flower  garden.  She  was 
the  only  woman  in  the  neighborhood  who  had  tame  flowers  and 
I  used  to  wish  that  I  could  have  some  of  them,  but  was  afraid 
to  ask  her.  Then  it  occurred  to  me  that  Mrs.  Boelter  was  dead 
now  and  I  could  pick  all  the  flowers  I  wanted.  I  gathered  a 
handful  and  the  next  moment  flung  them  back  into  the  little 
flower  bed.  I  did  not  want  them.  Mrs.  Boelter  was  dead;  if  I 
did  not  see  her  body  I  was  sure  of  it,  and  was  taking  advantage 
of  a  dead  person.  How  gladly  she  would  have  given  me  some 
had  she  known  that  I  wanted  some.  I  started  to  go  into  the 
house  but  my  brother,  who  was  standing  at  the  door,  stopped 
me.  I  waited  a  few  minutes  until  he  went  away  and  then  looked 
in.  There  lay  Grandma  Boelter  on  the  floor  with  every  joint 
in  her  body  chopped  to  pieces.  All  that  winter  after  the  out- 
break I  would  dream  about  her  and  cry  in  my  sleep  over  it. 
She  was  such  a  nice  old  lady  and  I  thought  so  much  of  her. 

Michael  Boelter  escaped  to  Fort  Ridgely,  taking  with  him  a 
baby  belonging  to  his  sister-in-law,  Justina  Boelter,  whose  hus- 
band was  killed.  He  was  at  his  brother's  place  when  the  In- 
dians killed  his  own  family.  Mrs.  Justina  Boelter  hid  in  the 
Minnesota  bottoms  with  her  two  little  children  for  nearly  nine 
weeks,  until  found  by  some  of  General  Sibley's  soldiers  from 
Camp  Release,  but  during  her  wanderings  one  of  her  children 
died  of  starvation.  When  found  she  and  her  other  child  were 
nearly  dead,  too. 


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176  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

After  visiting  the  Boelter  place  four  or  five  of  the  squaws 
started  with  ub  and  the  plunder  which  they  had  obtained,  for 
the  Indian  village  south  of  the  Minnesota  river  two  miles  from 
our  house.  We  crossed  over  in  a  canoe  and  reached  the  reser- 
vation about  four  o'clock.  The  rest  of  the  Indians  started  for 
Mr.  Lentz'  place. 

Mr.  Lentz  and  his  entire  family  were  saved  excepting  his 
son-in-law,  Mr.  Mannweiler.  Mrs,  Mannweiler  had  heard  in 
some  manner  that  the  Indians  were,  killing  everybody.  She  told 
them  they  must  leave  as  quickly  as  possible.  Her  husband  was 
already  loading  up  and  she  and  her  sister,  Augusta,  went  back 
to  Mannweiler 's  to  ride  with  them.  Just  as  they  were  coming 
out  of  the  woods  the  Indians  shot  Mr.  Mannweiler  at  the  wagon. 
Augusta  Lentz  was  a  little  ahead  of  Mra.  Mannweiler.  The  In- 
dians caught  her  and  took  her  prisoner.  Mrs.  Mannweiler  ran 
back  to  her  folks  and  got  away  with  them.  They  went  through 
the  open  prairie  and  reached  Port  Ridgely  safely.  I  learned  these 
particulars  from  a  friend  of  the  Lentz  family. 

The  Indians  lived  in  bark  tents  where  we  stayed  the  first 
night.  They  offered  us  something  to  eat,  but  I  had  no  appetite. 
My  sister  was  playing  about  the  tent  when  I  called  her  to  me 
and  asked  her  where  she  was  when  the  Indians  killed  our 
mother.  "'Why,"  she  answered,  "I  was  sitting  a  little  way  from 
her  playing  with  my  flowers.  They  shot  and  shot.  Back  of  me 
all  was  smoky,  but  no  ball  hit  me."  I  thought  at  the  time  that 
it  was  too  bad  that  she  did  not  realize  what  had  happened.  But 
since  I  have  often  been  glad  that  she  knew  so  little  of  the 
terrible  deed.  The  Indians  let  us  stay  together.  We  slept  on 
bunks  made  beside  the  wall  on  one  side  of  the  tent  with  buffalo 
robes  spread  over  us. 

The  next  morning  when  I  awoke  my  brother  was  already  up. 
We  were  sleeping  side  by  side  with  our  clothes  on.  The  Indians 
never  undress  when  they  go  to  bed.  He  was  crying  and  the  tears 
were  rolling  down  his  cheek.  I  could  not  think  where  we  were, 
but  all  at  once  the  horrible  scene  of  the  day  before  came  back 
to  me.  I  did  not  blame  him  for  crying.  I  cried,  too.  If  the 
earth  would  have  opened  then  and  swallowed  me  I  would  have 
been  thankful.  My  sister  awoke  with  a  scream  and  asked, 
"Where  are  we?  August,  take  me  back  home.  I  want  to  go  to 
mother."  This  woke  up  the  Indians  and  one  of  the  squaws  tried 
to  take  her  but  she  screamed  and  clung  to  me.  This  was  more 
than  we  could  stand  and  we  all  cried  out  load.  An  old  Indian 
then  went  out  and  brought  in  an  axe  and  told  us  that  he  would 
split  our  heads  open  if  we  did  not  stop  crying.  We  tried  to 
stop  but  the  tears  would  come  in  spite  of  the  axe.  Just  them 
an  old  Indian  widow  and  her  daughter  (a  girl  about  seventeen 
years  old)  came  in.    I  knew  them,  as  they  used  to  come  to  our 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  177 

hoase.  I  jumped  off  the  couch  and  ran  to  the  young  girl  and  put 
my  arms  around  her  arm  and  hugged  her  tightly.  She  put  her 
other  arm  around  my  shoulders  and  took  me  out  of  doors.  She 
seemed  to  know  that  I  wanted  protection.  She  did  not  kiss  me, 
for  Indians  never  kiss,  but  I  wanted  to  kiss  her  so  badly.  The 
old  lady  picked  up  my  sister  and  put  her  on  her  back  as  she 
would  her  own  child  and  brought  her  out.  She  seemed  to  like 
the  Indian  mamma  as  she  called  her.  My  brother  followed  us, 
too.  It  seems  wrong  to  me  to  call  these  two  Indian  women 
squaws,  for  they  were  as  lady-like  as  any  white  woman  and  I 
shall  never  forget  them. 

By  this  time  breakfast  was  announced,  which  consisted  of 
beef  without  salt,  pancakes,  made  of  flour  and  water  with  sale- 
ratus  stirred  in  them,  coffee  and  boiled  corn.  As  they  did  not 
use  salt  in  anything,  I  called  for  it,  minisku  yah,  in  their  lan- 
guage, but  they  shook  their  heads,  and  replied,  "waneeche"  (I 
could  not  have  it).  We  ate  but  little  breakfast,  for  their  way  of 
cooking  did  not  suit  us.  After  breakfast  an  Indian  girl  came 
in  with  Mrs.  Smith's  blue  silk  wedding  dress  on.  This  circum- 
stance made  me  so  angry  that  I  could  have  torn  it  off  from  her. 
Another  Indian  girl  came  in  with  Mrs.  Kochendurfer's  sunbon- 
net  on  and  gave  it  to  me,  but  I  did  not  want  it.  I  knew  that 
Mrs.  Kochendurfer  must  be  dead,  or  they  would  not  have  her 
clothes,  so  I  laid  the  bonnet  down.  The  next  girl  that  came 
along  picked  it  up  and  took  it  along  with  her.  All  at  once  we 
heard  a  commotion  outside  and  wc  all  rushed  to  the  door  to  see 
what  was  the  matter.  The  Indians  were  bringing  all  the  cattle 
of  the  neighborhood.  The  cows  had  not  been  milked  the  night 
before  nor  that  morning  and  were  nearly  crazy.  The  Indians 
were  riding  behind  them  on  their  ponies,  flourishing  their  whips 
and  yelling  like  so  many  demons.  The  very  earth  seemed  to 
tremble  as  they  passed.  Afterwards  the  oxen  hitched 
to  wagons  were  driven  up  and  stopped  before  the  tents. 
"These,"  said  my  brother,  "are  our  oxen  hitched  to  Mr.  Rosler's 
wagon."  They  were  too  lazy  to  unload  our  load  of  hay  and  put 
the  box  on.  One  black  ox,  "Billy,"  was  harnessed  to  a  buggy 
and  "Billy"  seemed  to  feel  proud  of  the  distinction  given  him. 
He  was  owned  by  the  widow  and  her  daughter,  who  adopted  my 
sister  while  she  was  a  prisoner.  The  Indians  then  went  to  pack- 
ing up  their  goods  and  loading  them  on  the  wagons. 

We  children  were  watching  them  when,  all  of  a  sudden, 
somebody  stepped  up  behind  me  and  threw  a  blanket  over  my 
head  and  picked  me  up  and  ran  with  me  to  a  wagon,  put  me 
onto  it  and  held  me  fast,  I  kicked  and  screamed  but  they  would 
not  let  me  go.  The  wagon  was  in  motion  for  about  an  hour  be- 
fore they  took  off  the  blanket  and  then  I  looked  in  all  directions 
hut  could  see  nothing  of  my  brother  or  sister  and  I  did  not  see 


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178  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

them  again  for  over  a  week.  My  brother  said  he  was  served  in 
the  same  way.  All  that  day  we  traveled.  The  prisoners  had  to 
go  bareheaded  in  the  hot  August  sun.  At  noon  we  stopped 
about  an  hour.  A  squaw  told  me  to  sit  under  the  wagon  and  she 
threw  a  blanket  over  my  head  and  made  me  sit  tiiere.  Just 
before  we  started  again  she  brought  me  some  meat  and  pota> 
toes  to  eat.  I  never  saw  any  bread  from  the  time  I  left  home 
until  I  got  among  the  white  people  again.  The  squaw  told  me 
(evidently  to  keep  me  from  running  away)  that  they  would  shoot 
me  if  I  took  the  blanket  oflf  my  head.  We  traveled  southwest  all 
the  rest  of  the  day.  I  do  not  know  how  far  we  went  nor  when 
we  stopped,  as  I  think  I  was  asleep,  for  I  remember  nothing 
about  it. 

The  party  of  Indians  that  I  was  with  left  the  main  force  sod 
about  ten  families.  We  stayed  at  this  place  just  a  week.  The 
family  I  lived  with  consisted  of  an  old  squaw  and  her  eighteen- 
year-old  son,  a  young  squaw  and  eight-year-old  son  and  an  old 
Indian.  I  think  they  were  both  his  wives.  He  was  the  very 
Indian  who  killed  both  my  parents.  My  brother  told  him  so 
and  he  did  not  deny  it.  They  had  most  of  our  clothing  in  their 
tent,  even  to  my  mother's  dress  and  father's  hymn  book.  One 
day  the  young  squaw  put  on  my  mother's  dress,  a  dark  green, 
woolen  one,  and  it  just  about  fitted  her.  I  looked  at  her  and 
then  laid  down  on  the  ground  and  burst  out  crying.  I  could  not 
bear  to  see  her.  She  seemed  to  know  what  I  was  crying  about 
and  took  it  off.  She  never  put  any  of  my  mother's  clothes  on 
again  while  I  was  with  her.  The  old  Indian,  his  young  wife, 
and  her  son,  treated  me  well,  but  the  old  squaw  and  her  son 
were  mean  to  me.  Wednesday  morning  the  old  squaw  woke  mo 
at  daybreak,  gave  me  a  tin  pail  and  pointed  to  a  mud  slough  not 
far  to  the  west  of  us.  She  wanted  me  to  get  some  water,  but  I 
felt  tired  and  sleepy  and  did  not  want  to  go.  Seeing  two  Indian 
girls  of  about  my  size  playing,  I  put  the  pail  down  beside  them 
and  pointed  to  the  slough,  but  they  shook  their  heads.  They  diet 
not  want  to  go  either.  The  old  squaw  saw  that  her  water  was 
not  coming,  picked  up  a  stick  and  came  after  me.  I  started 
to  run,  but  just  then  the  young  squaw  came  out  and  took  in  the 
situation  at  a  glance.  She  got  a  big  cornstalk  and  gave  the  old 
squaw  a  terrible  beating.  Another  young  squaw  came  up  and 
tried  to  take  the  cornstalk  away  from  her,  but  she,  too,  got  a 
whipping.  I  really  felt  sorry  for  the  old  squaw,  but  it  also  con- 
vinced me  that  the  young  squaw  was  my  friend.  She  made  the 
old  squaw  get  the  water  herself. 

Wednesday,  after  breakfast,  I  thought  I  would  investigate 
my  surroundings  and  find  out  where  I  was.  Close  to  our  tent 
was  a  large  house  with  a  porch  on  the  west  side.  A  little  ways 
east  of  that  building,  on  a  hill,  was  a  white  house.    In  this  house 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  179 

lived  an  Indian  family  with  ten  children.  It  was  the  largest 
Indian  family  I  ever  saw,  as  most  of  them  are  small.  The  oldest 
of  this  family  was  a  sixteen-year-old  girl.  Her  face,  hands  and 
feet  were  all  covered  with  sores.  I  was  afraid  of  her  and  when- 
ever I  saw  her  coming  I  would  run  away  and  hide.  The  yoxing- 
est  was  a  hoy  of  about  three  years.  He  was  a  nice  little  fellow. 
He  used  to  wear  a  calico  shirt  and  a  string  of  beads  around  his 
neck.  We  played  together  by  the  hour.  He  talked  Indian  and 
I  German,  but  we  got  along  nicely.  One  day  he  came  to  visit  me. 
He  had  forgotten  to  put  on  his  shirt  and  wore  only  his  string 
of  beads,  but  he  was  a  welcome  visitor  nevertheless. 

Not  far  south  of  this  building  on  the  hill  was  a  small  white 
house  surrounded  by  a  high  garden  fence.  At  this  place  was  a 
white  woman.  I  suppose  she  was  a  captive,  too.  Often  she 
would  look  over  the  fence  at  me,  but  she  never  came  outside  the 
gate.  At  the  other  house  were  five  or  six  little  white  children, 
ranging  from  two  to  ten  years  of  age.  They  were  English.  The 
oldest  boy  spoke  to  me'  and  said  the  Indians  would  kill  me. 
I  did  not  answer  as  I  did  not  understand  him.  Then  he  spoke 
in  Indian,  "Sioux  nepo  nea."  I  understood  and  shook  my  head 
as  much  as  to  say  that  they  had  not  killed  me  yet.  About  noon 
that  day  they  disappeared,  and  I  never  saw  them  again  while  I 
was  a  prisoner. 

The  houses  were  all  occupied  by  Indians  and  five  or  six  fam- 
ilies lived  in  tents.  On  a  small  hill  south  of  us  was  a  raised  plat- 
form five  or  six  feet  high,  on  which  were  two  coffins.  "While 
we  lived  there  they  dug  a  hole  and  buried  both  bodies  in  one 
grave. '  When  an  Indian  dies  his  body  is  placed  in  a  long  box  and 
a  shawl  is  tied  over  the  top  of  the  box.  Then  it  is  placed  on  a 
high  platform  until  the  body  is  completely  decomposed  or  for 
about  six  weeks,  when  it  is  finally  buried. 

Thursday  morning  a  little  white  girl  of  four  or  five  years 
was  brought  to  our  camp,  I  presume,  from  the  main  camp,  about 
three  miles  distant.  She  was  German  and  said  her  name  was 
Henrietta,  hut  could  tell  nothing  else  about  herself.  I  was  very 
glad  to  have  her  company.  She  lived  with  the  family  in  the 
next  tent  to  ours.  Friday  and  Saturday  we  played  together  all 
day  and  soon  were  fast  friends. 

The  first  Sunday  after  my  capture  was  the  loneliest  I  have 
ever  spent.  Henrietta  did  not  come  to  see  me,  and  I  sat  down 
thinking  of  the  previous  Sunday.  I  wondered  what  a  change 
the  week  had  brought.  Where  were  the  people  now,  who  had 
been  at  our  church  and  Sunday  school  last  Sunday?  Were  they 
all  in  heaven  with  the  wings  of  angels?  Would  Mr.  Mannweiler 
hold  Sunday  school  in  heaven  and  distribute -the  pretty  red 
cards?  Thus  my  childish  thoughts  ran.  Suddenly  I  thought  of 
my  father's  hymn  book.     I  found  it  and  in  turning  over  the 


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180  UrsTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

leaves  I  came  tipoo  tlie  old  familiar  hymn  beginning,  "How  tedi- 
ous and  gloomy  the  hours,"  I  knew  it  by  heart  and  sang: 

""Wie  lange  und  schwer  wird  die  zeit 

Weun  JesuB  90  lange  nicht  hier ; 
Die  blumen,  die  voegel,  die  freud, 

Verlieren  ihr  schoenheit  zu  mir." 

I  sang  the  hymn  about  half  through  and  then  my  feelings 
overcame  me  and  I  laid  dovm  the  book  and  had  the  longest  and 
bitterest  cry  since  my  parents  bad  been  murdered. 

Besides  the  incidents  already  related,  I  remember  nothing  - 
of  interest  until  the  moving  of  the  camp.  I  think  it  was  on 
Tuesday  that  the  Indians  woke  me  up  early.  They  had  break- 
fast in  a  hurry,  after  which  the  tents  were  taken  down  and 
everything  loaded  on  the  wagons.  Then  began  the  moving. 
Of  all  the  wild  racing  I  ever  saw  this  was  the  wildest.  The 
Indians  from  the  main  camp  caught  up  with  us  just  as  we  were 
crossing  the  Redwood  river.  The  stream  was  badly  swollen  on 
account  of  the  big  rains  the  week  before.  The  Indians  all  got 
off  the  wagons  and  waded  through.  I  screamed  when  the  young 
squaw  grabbed  me  by  the  arm  and  pulled  me  off  the  load  and 
made  me  wade.  She  held  me  by  the  arm  or  I  would  have  per- 
ished, as  the  water  was  nearly  up  to  my  Arms.  Just  after  we 
had  crossed  the  river  I  saw  one  of  our  former  neighbors,  Mrs. 
Inefeld,  with  her  baby.  She  was  the  first  white  prisoner  I 
recognized.  I  spoke  to  her  and  she  knew  me  at  once.  She 
smiled  and  asked  me  how  many  of  our  family  had  been  killed. 
I  answered  that  I  thought  all  were  dead  but  myself,  as  the  In- 
dians had  told  me  they  had  cut  the  throats  of  my  brother  and 
sister  because  they  cried.  The  next  day,  however,  to  my  de- 
light and  surprise,  I  saw  them  both.  That  day  I  also  saw  Mary 
Schwandt  and  Augusta  Lentz  standing  by  the  wagon,  and  met 
a  Mrs.  Urban  and  her  five  children. 

I  wish  I  could  describe  this  move  as  it  should  be  described 
and  do  justice  to  it.  Most  of  the  teams  were  oxen  hitched  to 
wagons,  a  few  horses  and  the  rest  Indian  ponies  with  poles  tied 
to  their  sides.  These  poles  were  tied  together  behind  and  then 
loaded  with  household  goods.  They  did  not  travel  on  roads  as 
we  do,  but  rushed  across  the  prairie  broadcast.  U.  S.  flags, 
striped  shawls  and  bed  sheets  were  floating  in  the  breeze  side 
by  side.  The  handsomest  shawls  made  the  best  saddle  blankets. 
Clock  and  watch  wheels  the  best  head-dresses,  the  most  expensive 
jewels  bedecked  the  Indiana'  breasts.  I  have  never  seen  a  Fourth 
of  July  parade  or  a  ragamuffin  outfit  equal  this  move.  All  day 
I  was  studying  the  new  styles  and  for  a  while  forgot  all  my 
troubles.  I  was  completely  carried  away  by  the  wild  scene.  Even 
the  Indians,  with  their  guns  pointing  at  me,  did  not  frighten 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  181 

me.  I  would  shut  my  eyes  and  think  it  would  not  take  long  to 
die  that  way,  but  0,  those  horrid  butcher  knives!  I  could  not 
bear  the  sight  of  them  and  they  were  always  sharpening  them. 

We  camped  in  one  large  camp  that  night  when  we  stopped. 
There  must  have  been  a  thousand  tents  and  it  looked  like  a  large 
eity  on  the  prairie.  Henrietta  and  I  were  again  companions  for 
her  tent  was  next  to  mine  as  before.  We  started  out  to  find  some 
playmates  and  found  those  already  mentioned.  I  also  saw  my 
sister  did  not  recognize  me,  which  made  me  feel  bad  to  think 
she  had  forgotten  me  in  one  short  week.  The  Indians  had  pat 
one  of  my  baby  sister's  dresses  on  her.  I  asked  her  whose  dress 
she  had  on  and  she  said  it  was  Bertha's.  My  brother  was  yok- 
ing a  pair  of  oxen  as  we  came  up  to  see  him.  He  was  delighted 
to  see  me,  as  the  Indians  had  told  him  they  had  killed  me  for 
trying  to  run  away.  He  told  me,  with  tears  in  his  eyes,  that  the 
Indians  had  killed  our  cow,  "Molly,"  and  could  not  bear  to  see 
our  cattle  killed,  as  it  was  all  there  was  left  of  our  home.  Jufit 
then  an  Indian  girl,  with  whom  Henrietta  lived,  came  and  took 
us  home. 

We  stayed  at  this  place  about  three  days.  In  the  evening  the 
young  braves  would  dress  in  their  gala  attire  with  their  clock- 
wheel  head-dresses  on  and  would  mount  their  ponies  and  practice 
riding  and  shooting  on  horseback.  Sometimes  they  would  hang 
on  the  side  of  the  ponies  and  ride  at  full  gallop,  yelling  as  only 
an  Indian  knows  how.  Henrietta  and  I  would  sit  and  watch 
them  and  wonder  how  many  Indians  there  were  in  this  world. 
I  told  her  it  was  full  of  them,  as  they  had  killed  all  the  white 
people,  and  so  it  did  seem  to  me  just  then. 

The  evening  before  we  moved  an  old  Indian  walked  around 
from  tent  to  tent,  calling  out  something  I  could  not  understand. 
I  went  to  one  of  the  white  women  to  find  out  what  he  said  and 
she  said  that  we  were  to  move  early  the  next  morning  and  those 
of  the  prisoners  that  were  not  able  to  travel  were  to  be  shot. 
I  was  badly  frightened,  bnt  I  was  saved  after  all. 

The  next  time  we  moved  little  Henrietta  and  I  rode  in  the 
same  wagon.  As  we  were  riding  along  a  voice  in  the  train  be- 
hind us  called  out  in  German,  "Say,  you  have  Letton'a  oxen 
hitched  to  Mannweiler's  wagon"  Looking  back  I  saw  a  boy 
whom  I  knew,  Ludwig  Kitzman.  Then  Henrietta  called  out, 
"Why,  there  is  Ludwig."  Now  I  had  a  clew  to  Henrietta's 
identity.  I  called  back  to  him,  "Here  is  a  little  girl  you  know. 
I  don't  know  who  she  is  and  wish  you  would  tell  me."  Ludwig 
then  ran  forward  to  oor  wagon,  and  when  he  came  np  to  us  he 
sud,  in  great  astonishment,  "Why,  it  is  Henrietta  Erieger,  my 
dear  little  cousin."  After  a  few  minutes*  conversation  he  went 
back  to  his  wagon,  promising  to  come  again  at  noon.  Every 
little  while  Henrietta  would  ask  me  if  it  was  noon  yet.    Her 


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182  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

father  and  some  of  her  brothers  and  sisters  had  been  killed  and 
her  mother  badly  wounded. 

Ludwig  came  at  noon  and  we  had  an  enjoyable  visit.  I  asked 
him  if  we  would  always  have  to  stay  with  the  Indians  and  he 
told  me  not  to  worry  about  that  as  there  were  enough  white  men 
left  to  shoot  off  every  Indian's  head.  I  told  him  I  wanted  to 
run  away,  but  did  not  know  which  way  to  go.  "Don't  try  that," 
he  said,  "or  you  will  be  killed.  You  are  too  little.  The  best 
thing  we  can  do  is  to  stay  with  them  until  the  whites  come  and 
take  ns, "  I  asked  him  where  they  would  take  us  and  he  replied 
that  he  was  going  to  his  aunt  in  Wisconsin.  When  I  told  him 
that  we  did  not  have  any  relatives  in  this  country  he  cheered  me 
up  the  best  he  could  and  assured  me  that  we  would  find  friends 
somewhere  who  would  care  for  us. 

Soon  after  this  I  was  taken  sick,  and  lost  all  account  of  the 
days.  It  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  at  this  time  I  was  only  seven 
years  old.  To  those  who  may  be  inclined  to  question  the  ac- 
curacy of  my  memory  of  the  incidents  that  I  have  related,  I  can 
only  say  that  many  of  my  old  fellow  prisoners  fully  corroborate 
my  statements.  The  nature  of  these  incidents  impressed  them 
on  my  youthful  mind  so  deeply  that  I  can  never  forget  them.  It 
is  very  common  that  incidents  occurring  in  our  childhood  are 
better  remembered  than  others  happening  in  our  maturity. 

While  I  was  sick  the  master  of  our  tent  was  absent  for  four 
or  five  days.  His  big  boy  took  particular  pains  to  torment  and 
abuse  me.  One  evening  he  was  sitting  in  the  tent  and  throwing 
com  cobs  at  me,  while  his  old  mother  was  keeping  up  the  fire 
and  laughing  at  me.  The  young  squaw  was  outside.  I  stood 
it  as  long  as  I  could  and  then  I  screamed  as  hard  as  I  could. 
All  at  once  the  young  squaw  stepped  in  and  caught  him  in  the 
act.  She  seized  a  large  ox  whip  and  gave  him  a  most  unmerci- 
ful thrashing  and  he  cried  like  a  baby.  Then  she  gathered  up 
all  the  com  cobs  and  brought  them  to  me.  She  put  one  in  my 
hand  and  then  motioned  for  me  to  throw  it  at  him.  I  did  so 
with  all  the  strength  I  had.  Every  time  I  threw  a  cob  the  young 
squaw  would  laugh  and  the  boy  cried.  That  was  the  time  I  got 
satisfaction,  even  if  I  was  in  an  Indian  camp. 

One  morning  the  big  boy  brought  my  breakfast,  but  as  I  was 
about  to  eat  it  he  jerked  it  away  and  said  I  needed  no  break- 
fast, for  in  a  little  while  a  man  was  coming  to  shoot  me.  The 
young  squaw  was  out  of  doors  and  the  rascal  could  act  as  meanly 
toward  me  as  he  pleased.  I  did  not  believe  a  word  he  said,  but 
after  breakfast  an  Indian  did  come  in  with  a  new  gun.  I  was 
so  frightened  that  I  did  not  recognize  him.  Shutting  my  eyes  I 
lay  down,  hardly  alive,  Secame  to  me  and  said,  "How  do  yon 
dot"  half  a  dozen  times  before  I  dared  open  my  eyes.  Then  I 
saw  it  was  the  man  of  the  tent,  and  I  presume  he  knew  nothing 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  183 

of  what  the  boy  had  told  me.    The  new  gun  probably  belonged 
to  some  dead  soldier. 

Another  time  when  the  young  squaw  went  visiting  I  got  lone- 
Mme  and  decided  to  find  brother  and  see  him  a  while.  I  found 
him,  together  with  August  Qluth  and  Ludwig  Kitzman,  in  a 
patch  of  hazel  brush  picking  nuts.  They  gave  me  some,  and 
whUe  we  were  talking  together  the  big  boy  approached  na. 
"There  comes  that  big  Indian  boy  after  you,"  said  ray  brother. 
"See,  he  ia  picking  up  a  stick  to  take  you  home.  Don't  you 
worry;  we  will  take  him  home."  Each  of  the  boya  picked  up 
a  stick  and  started  for  the  boy.  They  said  to  him,  "Pockajee" 
(leave).  He  scolded  a  while,  but  turned  abont  and  started  for 
his  tepee.  The  boys  took  me  home  and  when  we  got  there  the 
old  squaw  scolded  a  while  at  the  boys,  and  they  laughed  at  her 
and  called  her  "old  crooked  mouth"  in  German.  When  they 
left  they  told  me  if  she  or  the  boy  whipped  me  to  let  them  know 
and  they  would  whip  them  both.  After  the  boys  had  gone  the 
big  Indian  boy  kicked  me  in  the  face  and  made  my  nose  bleed. 
The  young  boy  was  at  home,  and  I  think  he  told  hia  mother,  for 
after  that  she  would  take  me  along  when  she  went  visiting. 

The  next  morning  after  this  incident  I  heard  a  great  com- 
motion again.  On  investigation  I  saw  a  most  disgusting  spec- 
tacle. Side  by  side,  with  their  throats  cut  and  their  feet  in  the 
air,  lay  a  number  of  dogs.  I  returned  to  the  tent  sickened  by 
the  sight,  but  in  a  little  while  my  curiosity  got  the  better  of 
my  sensations  and  I  went  out  again.  By  this  time  the  Indians 
were  singeing  the  hair  oflf  the  dogs  with  burning  hay.  I  recog- 
nized our  little  white  poodle  among  the  carcasses.  The  Indians 
had  eight  or  ten  kettles  on  the  fire,  and  as  soon  as  a  dog  was 
singed  it  was  thrown  into  the  boiling  water.  Perhaps  they  were 
only  scalding  them  preparatory  to  cooking.  I  concluded  they 
were  cooking  without  preparation  and  resolved  not  to  eat  any  of 
the  meat  if  I  had  to  starve.  The  men  were  about  the  kettle  for 
several  hours,  the  squaws  not  daring  to  come  near.  At  last  the 
women  and  children  were  driven  out  of  the  tent  and  only  the 
men  partook  of  the  dog  feast.  Even  the  boys,  to  their  great 
diasatisfaetion,  were  not  allowed  to  participate.  We  had  to  stay 
out  till  after  midnight.  For  three  nights  they  kept  up  their 
dog  feast  in  adjoining  tents.  I  have  heard  since  that  they  were 
religious  feasts  and  indulged  in  only  by  warriors,  who  on  this 
occasion  were  preparing  for  battle. 

After  the  feasts  were  over  all  the  warriors  left  camp  on 
another  murdering  expedition.  There  were  only  old  men,  women 
and  children  left  to  gnard  the  prisoners. 

One  morning  soon  after  the  Indians  had  gone  I  saw  a  man 
dressed  in  white  man's  clothes.  He  was  about  of  the  same  height 
of  my  father  and  walked  like  him.     For  a   moment  I  foi^ot 


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184  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

everything  and  ran  to  meet  him.  When  I  came  up  to  him  I  saw 
that  it  was  not  my  father  and  threw  myself  on  the  ground  and 
cried  as  if  my  heart  would  burst.  He  sat  down  beside  me  and 
tried  to  lift  me  up,  but  I  refused  to  be  comforted.  After  regain- 
ing my  speech  I  told  him,  "Indian  'nepo'  papa  and  mamma  and 
I  want  to  go  'tahah  mea  tepee'  (far  away  to  my  home)."  He 
sympathized  with  me,  for  there  were  tears  in  his  eyes  as  he  spoke 
to  me.  He  asked  me  where  my  tepee  was  and  I  pointed  it  out 
to  him.    He  took  me  by  the  hand  and  led  me  there. 

That  afternoon  two  young  girls  came  to  our  tent  and  took 
me  with  them..  They  must  have  been  half-breeds,  as  their  com- 
plexions were  much  lighter  than  the  other  Indians  and  they 
lived  much  better,  I  think  that  George  Spencer,  the  man  whom 
I  had  seen  that  morning,  sent  them  to  get  me.  This  family  eon- 
aisted  of  an  old  squaw,  a  young  man  and  two  young  girls.  They 
all  treated  me  very  kindly,  in  fact,  made  a  pet  of  me.  The 
young  man  would  paint  my  face  in  their  fashion  and  allow  me 
to  look  at  myself  in  his  hand  glass,  bnt  as  soon  as  I  could  get 
out  of  doors  I  would  rub  oflE  the  paint.  Their  conduct  toward 
me  was  so  considerate  that  I  really  liked  them. 

Once  while  with  them  there  was  a  dance  in  camp.  The  young 
man  painted  my  face  in  the  highest  style  of  Indian  art  and  took 
me  and  his  sisters  to  see  the  performance.  He  put  me  on  his 
shoulder  and  carried  me  the  greater  part  of  the  way.  At  the 
dance  ground  a  lot  of  poles  were  planted.  Some  with  red  shawls 
tied  to  them,  some  with  white  bed  sheets,  and  some  with  Amer- 
ican dags  attached  to  them.  There  were  no  scalps  in  sight.  The 
dancers  stood  in  groups  and  jumped  up  and  down  while  others 
galloped  wildly  about  on  horseback.  I  was  afraid  they  would 
run  over  one  another,  but  they  managed  their  horses  very  skill- 
fully. My  young  Indian  friend  held  me  up  on  his  shoulder  so 
that  I  conld  have  a  fair  view  of  the  whole  performance. 

After  a  week  spent  with  this  kind  family  I  went  to  live  with 
another,  consisting  of  an  old  squaw  (a  widow),  a  young  man  and 
a  little  girl  of  my  size.  The  young  man  was  a  half-breed  whom 
I  had  known  before  the  outbreak.  His  family  had  camped  in 
our  woods  in  the  spring  of  1862.  He  came  to  our  house  one 
evening  and  father  asked  him  in  for  supper.  While  they  were 
eating  he  asked  father  if  he  could  borrow  our  oxen.  After  con- 
sulting mother  about  it  father  decided  to  go  along  himself  with 
the  oxen  as  soon  as  traveling  would  be  possible.  The  Indian 
was  satisfied  and  they  stayed  in  our  wood^  for  two  weeks  more, 
when  father  moved  them  and  their  household  goods  about  twenty 
miles  east. 

The  boy  always  seemed  to  think  so  much  of  my  father,  and 
I  have  often  wondered  why  he  did  not  save  his  life,  bnt  per- 
haps he  could  not.    While  I  lived  with  them  I  was  half  starved 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  185 

all  the  time  and  was  always  sickly.  Once  when  I  was  very 
hungry  I  saw  an  Indian  girl  put  some  potatoes  in  hot  ashes  to 
roast  and  then  go  off  to  play.  I  could  not  resist  the  chance  of 
procuring  a  square  meal  even  if  by  questionable  means,  ao  I 
watched  and  waited  until  I  thought  the  potatoes  were  cooked 
and  saw  that  the  girl  was  at  play  od  the  other  side  o£  the  tepee, 
and  then  I  took  the  potatoes  back  of  another  tent  and  ate  them 
with  great  relish. 

After  I  bad  eaten  the  potatoes  the  Indian  girl  that  had  put 
the  potatoes  to  roast  went  to  look  for  them  and  found  them 
gone.  She  accused  another  Indian  girl  of  taking  them  and  gave 
her  a  good  whipping.  Here  is  a  case  where  the  innocent  suf- 
fered for  the  guilty. 

The  actions  of  the  Indians  were  quite  peculiar.  Often  on 
evenings  they  would  gather  in  groups  out  of  doors  and  relate 
tales  of  adventure  and  other  stories.  They  wonld  keep  this  up 
so  late  that  one  after  another  they  would  fall  asleep  and  lie  out 
of  doors  all  night  like  cattle. 

I  remember  well  the  day  of  the  battle  of  Wood  Lake.  It 
was  near  breakfast  time  when  we  heard  the  report  of  the  first 
cannon.  An  old  squaw,  who  was  making  a  fire,  jumped  into 
the  air  so  suddenly  and  violently  that  it  seemed  she  had  btimed 
her  foot  and  screamed  something  that  sounded  to  me  like  "Hi 
be-dish  kak,"  and  she  repeated  these  words  again  and  again. 
The  same  cry  was  heard  throughout  the  camp.  I  noticed  that 
there  were  no  warriors  in  camp,  but  did  not  realize  that  they 
had  gone  out  to  battle. 

We  got  little  to  eat  that  day  of  the  battle.  Everything  was 
in  the  greatest  confusion.  They  kept  up  bonfires  all  that  night 
and  an  incessant  howling  and  screaming.  The  next  morning  I 
changed  masters  again.  The  old  squaw  who  kept  my  sister 
after  we  left  the  first  camp  was  my  new  guardian.  There  were 
no  men  at  this  tent.  There  was  one  Indian  family  that  often 
camped  in  our  wood.  The  squaw  used  to  come  to  our  house  a 
great  deal,  and  mother  would  show  her  how  to  bake  bread  and 
do  a  good  many  other  things.  Father  used  to  call  her  mother's 
sister,  because  she  was  such  a  great  friend  of  ours.  While  a 
prisoner  I  met  her  quite  often  and  spoke  to  her,  but  she  never 
answered  me  and  acted  as  if  she  had  never  seen  me. 

Aboat  this  time  we  moved  quite  frequently,  but  I  cannot 
remember  the  particulars.  One  day  not  long  after  the  battle  a 
young  squaw  came  to  our  tent  in  a  great  hurry,  and  after  a  short 
consultation  they  began  to  pack  up  my  sister's  effects.  All  the 
clothes  I  had  were  on  my  person.  Soon  they  started  with  us  to 
a  hill  or  elevated  place,  where  we  saw  a  large  number  of  Indians 
standing  in  a  circle  in  the  center  of  which  a  white  flag  waved 
from  a  pole.     There  were  a  lot  of  prisoners  entering  the  circle 


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186  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

through  an  opening  in  the  line,  and  as  none  came  out  I  con- 
cluded that  they  were  going  to  kill  all  the  whites,  bo  I  did  not 
want  to  go.    Two  Indian  girls  took  me  and  carried  me  in. 

Here  I  met  my  brother,  August  Giuth  and  Ludwig  Kitzman. 
They  greeted  me  most  joyfully.  "We  are  going  to  be  free  now," 
said  my  brother.  "The  soldiers  have  licked  the  Indians  and  now 
they  have  to  give  us  up."  I  missed  little  Quatave  Kitzman 
among  the  prisoners  and  asked  for  him.  Mrs.  Inefeld  then  told 
the  story  of  his  death.  She  and  Gustave  were  staying  with  the 
same  family.  He  used  to  run  away  to  see  his  brother  Ludwig. 
The  Indians  did  not  like  tbia.  Besides  this  be  had  a  bad  habit  of 
pinching  Indian  children  and  pulling  their  hair.  The  day  they 
killed  him  he  was  crying  and  wanted  to  see  his  brother.  The 
Indians  would  not  let  him  go,  however.  They  then  began 
sharpening  their  butcher  knives  and  told  her  to  go  and  get  a  pail 
of  water.  She  took  her  baby  with  her.  The  baby  often  cried 
and  they  had  threatened  to  kill  it.  When  she  came  back  little 
Gustave  was  lying  on  the  ground  all  cut  to  pieces.  They  then 
picked  up  the  pieces  and  tied  them  up  in  a  tablecloth  while 
another  Indian  was  digging  the  bole  to  bury  him  in.  In  half 
an  hour  all  was  done  and  little  Gustave  was  no  more. 

Ludwig  Kitzman,  August  Qluth  and  my  brother  were  always 
together  when  it  was  possible.  They  had  to  catch  and  yoke  oxen 
for  hours  at  a  time.  Most  of  the  oxen  had  rope  tied  around  their 
horns  by  the  Indians  so  they  could  manage  them.  One  night  a 
big  rain  fell.  The  ropes  tightened  around  the  oxen's  horns  and 
they  were  nearly  crazy  with  pain.  Ludwig  told  the  Indiana  what 
ailed  them,  and  they  gave  the  boys  butcher  knives  and  they  cut 
all  the  ropes.  After  that  the  boys  were  always  kept  busy  driv- 
ing and  attending  the  oxen. 

The  boys  told  me  what  the  white  flag  meant,  and  I  was  over- 
joyed to  think  that  we  would  soon  be  free.  In  a  little  while  we 
were  marched  to  the  other  side  of  the  camp,  and  they  gave  us 
tents  which  we  were  told  to  occupy  until  General  Sibley  and  his 
soldiers  arrived.  Here  I  met  quite  a  number  of  German  prison- 
ers, among  whom  were  little  Minnie  Smith,  Mary  Schwant, 
Augusta  Lentz,  Mrs.  Inefeld  and  her  baby,  Mrs.  Lammers  and 
her  two  children,  Mrs.  Lang  and  two  children,  Mrs.  Frasa  and 
three  children,  Mrs.  Urban  and  five  children.  The  last  three 
ladies  that  I  have  mentioned  were  sisters.  Mrs.  Eisenreich  and 
her  five  children.  I  asked  Mrs.  Eisenreich  what  made  Peter  and 
Sophy's  heads  sore,  and  she  told  me  that  the  Indians  hit  them 
on  the  hack  of  their  heads  with  a  tomahawk  because  they  could 
not  walk  any  faster  when  they  came  into  camp.  The  back  of 
their  heads  was  one  big  scab.  It  made  me  sick  to  look  at  them. 
Mrs.  Krus  and  her  two  children,  Pauline  Krus  (Mr.  Krus'  sister), 
were  missing,  and  another  girl  by  the  name  of  Henrietta  Nichols 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  187 

(a  cousin  of  Augusta  Lentz)  could  not  be  found.  These  two 
girls  were  about  twelve  years  old.  Mrs.  Erus  said  that  they  were 
hid  among  the  Indians,  and  that  the  soldiers  should  find  them 
or  she  would  never  go  until  they  were  found.  When  the  soldiers 
came  she  told  them  about  it.  They  told  her  that  they  would  find 
them,  and  so  they  did,  two  weeks  later,  in  another  Indian  camp. 
I  remember  how  the  soldiers  cheered  them  when  they  came. 
When  we  reached  St.  Peter  Henrietta  Nichols  found  her  father. 
How  pleased  she  was  to  see  him.  Her  mother  and  brother  had 
been  killed.  Here  I  met  Minnie  Smith.  She  was  from  our  neigh- 
borhood and  it  was  with  them  we  stayed  the  first  month  we 
were  in  Minnesota.  Minnie  and  I  had  always  been  great 
friends. 

I  went  to  where  she  sat  and  asked  her  if  the  Indians  had 
killed  all  her  people.  She  nodded  her  head,  but  did  not  speak. 
Her  bright  blue  eyes  filled  with  tears  in  a  moment.  I  tried  to 
cheer  her  and  offered  her  one  of  my  sweet  crackers  that  Mrs. 
Urban  had  given  me,  for  I  thought  I  had  offended  her.  She 
shook  her  head  and  would  not  take  it.  The  tears  started  to  my 
eyes,  for  I  did  not  know  what  to  do  and  I  did  not  want  Minnie 
to  be  angry  with  me.  Then  Mrs.  Krus  came  and  told  me  that 
Minnie  could  not  speak,  as  there  was  something  wrong  with  her 
throat.  I  stayed  with  her  until  noon,  when  Mrs.  Krus  came  and 
told  me  to  go  and  play,  saying  as  I  went,  "Minnie  Smith  will 
soon  be  an  angel."  I  did  not  quite  understaod  her  statement 
and  said,  "Why  Minnie  is  so  good  that  she  is  an  angel  now." 
Mrs.  Krus  replied,  "Yes,  she  will  soon  die  and  go  to  heaven." 
Minnie  rallied  a  little  and  lived  three  weeks  longer  until  we 
reached  Fort  Ridgely,  where  she  was  turned  over  to  that  kind 
nurse,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Muller,  Dr.  Muller's  wife,  who  stayed  at 
the  fort.  She  took  care  of  the  sick  and  wounded  and  closed 
many  dying  eyes.  She  also  closed  Minnie  Smith 's,  for  two  days 
later  she  died. 

We  waited  three  days  for  the  arrival  of  the  soldiers.  In  the 
forenoon  of  the  third  day  Pauline  Urban,  my  little  sister  Amelia 
and  I  were  playing  in  a  wagon  when  Pauline  all  at  once  jumped 
on  to  the  wagon  seat,  clapped  her  hands  and  pointing  toward  the 
south  exclaimed,  "Look  at  the  stars!  Look  at  the  stars!"  We 
all  looked  in  that  direction  and  we  could  plainly  see  the  sun 
shining  on  the  soldiers'  bayonets  as  they  marched  along.  Stars 
of  Hope  they  seemed  for  all  of  us.  We  all  got  on  the  wagon 
seats  or  as  high  as  we  could  get  to  see  the  soldiers.  At  last  the 
officers  rode  into  camp  and  there  was  a  great  deal  of  hand  shak- 
ing between  them  and  the  chiefs.  I  thought  they  knew  but  little 
of  how  we  had  been  treated. 

The  prisoners  were  now  turned  over  to  the  soldiers  and  we 
were  marched  to  their  camp.    Just  as  we  reached  the  soldiers' 


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1S8  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

camp  the  sun  went  down.  The  soldiers  cheered  lis  when  we 
reached  camp,  but  it  frightened  me.  I  thought  the  Indians  were 
trying  to  drive  them  back. 

My  sister  and  I  were  sent  to  the  same  tents  with  several 
others.  We  were  nearly  starved,  as  we  had  eaten  almost  nothing 
all  that  day.  There  were  between  ninety  and  a  hundred  prisoners, 
and  it  was  no  easy  task  to  furnish  them  all  with  supper.  My 
sister  and  I  were  so  small  that  the  soldiers  overlooked  us,  but 
we  were  fortunate  enough,  however,  to  be  able  to  share  supper 
with  some  of  our  fellow  prisoners.  "We  stayed  with  the  soldiers 
three  weeks,  and  as  rations  were  getting  scarce  and  what  there 
was  was  almost  unfit  to  eat,  we  children  were  always  looking 
for  something  to  eat.  In  the  northern  part  of  the  soldiers'  eamp 
there  was  a  Qeriuan  baker  who  used  to  bake  very  nice  bread. 
One  day  we  found  the  place  and  made  him  a  visit.  He  treated 
us  to  a  dish  of  beef  soup  and  some  bread.  The  next  day  we 
repeated  our  visit  and  he  did  not  treat  us  again.  Shortly  after 
this  we  made  the  acquaintance  of  a  boy  named  Ben  Juni.  He 
was  more  of  a  ladies'  man,  and  whenever  Ben  got  anything  good 
to  eat  he  would  divide  with  us.  Pauline  always  said  he  was  the 
best  boy  in  the  lot.  But  I  could  not  go  back  on  my  brother  and 
Ludwig  Ejtzman.  I  have  never  seen  any  of  my  little  friends 
of  years  ago,  and  I  have  often  wished  that  time  could  turn  back 
in  its  flight  and  we  could  meet  again.  How  much  I  would  give 
to  see  the  bright  and  happy  face  of  Pauline  Urban.  Henrietta 
Krieger  was  entirely  forgotten  after  I  made  Pauline's  acquaint- 
ance. Her  mother  was  with  her.  She  had  four  sisters  and 
brothers.  She  told  me  she  was  going  to  meet  her  father  soon, 
for  he  was  away  some  place  where  he  was  safe.  She  was  about 
the  age  of  my  sister  whom  the  Indians  had  killed.  How  I  envied 
her.  Her  father,  mother,  sisters  and  brothers  were  alive  and 
well,  while  mine  were  dead.  She  could  always  cheer  me  no  mat- 
ter how  badly  I  felt.  Her  mother  treated  me  and  my  sister  as 
kindly  as  she  did  her  own  children. 

"While  we  stayed  at  Camp  Release  I  heard  some  of  the  saddest 
stories  I  ever  heard.  These  stories  were  told  in  English  and  were 
translated  to  me  by  Mary  Schwandt. 

Mrs.  Adams  told  the  following  story:  They  were  moving  to 
Hutchinson  when  the  Indians  overtook  them.  The  Indians  shot 
at  them  and  they  jumped  oflf  the  wagon.  Her  husband  was 
wounded  and  got  away,  but  she  supposed  he  was  killed.  Then 
they  took  her  baby  from  her  arms  and  dashed  its  brains  out  on 
the  wagon  wheel.  She  was  taken  prisoner.  She  laughed  while 
telling  her  story  and  said  she  could  not  cry  for  her  child. 

Mrs.  Minnie  Inefeld  told  how  she  went  to  her  brother's 
house  to  tell  them  that  the  Indians  were  killing  everj-body.  She 
left  her  husband  loading  up  their  household  goods.    When  she 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  Lsii 

returnt'd  she  found  her  husband  lying  on  the  floor  with  a  butcher 
knife  in  his  heart. 

One  day  while  we  were  staying  at  Camp  Release  Mr.  Thiele 
came  into  our  tent.  He  told  Mrs.  Krus  how  the  Indians  had 
killed  his  wife  and  child.  He  assured  her  that  her  husband  was 
alive  and  that  she  would  soon  see  him  again.  Then  he  went  on 
talking  about  how  be  and  half-breed  Moore  buried  the  dead. 
They  had  buried  quite  a  number  before  he  had  courage  enough 
to  go  and  bury  his  wife  and  child.  When  he  came  to  their  bodies 
the  hogs  had  eaten  most  of  them  and  there  was  nothing  left 
but  a  few  pieces  of  their  clothes.  He  said  he  knelt  down  beside 
them  and  cried,  prayed  and  cursed  the  Indiana  all  in  one  breath. 
He  swore  that  he  would  shoot  Indians  the  rest  of  his  life.  At 
last  the  half-breed  could  stand  it  no  longer  and  asked  Thiele 
if  he  was  going  to  kill  him,  too.  Mr.  Thiele  did  not  answer,  at 
which  Moore  threw  down  his  spade  and  went  away,  leaving  him 
to  bury  his  dead  alone. 

After  burying  what  dead  he  could  that  day  he  started  toward 
the  fort,  not  earing  where  he  went.  With  nothing  to  eat  but 
com  and  wild  plums  he  wandered  until  he  met  Sibley's  men. 
He  asked  the  general  to  let  him  have  some  soldiers  to  bury  the 
dead.  General  Sibley  could  not  send  a  force  until  two  weeks 
later,  and  then  there  was  nothing  left  of  the  bodies  but  the  bones 
and  their  clothing.  They  simply  dug  a  hole  beside  the  skeletons, 
rolled  the  bones  in  and  covered  them  up. 

I  stood  Mr.  Thiele 's  talk  as  long  as  I  could  and  then  asked 
him  if  he  had  buried  my  folks.  "Who  are  youT"  he  asked.  I 
told  him  I  was  Minnie  Buce,  Fred  Buce's  eldest  girl.  He  shook 
hands  with  me  and  I  sat  down  beside  him.  He  kept  repeating 
over  and  over  again,  "Poor  Fred,  poor  Fred,  How  hard  he 
worked  and  then  had  to  leave  it  all  behind."  Suddenly,  recol- 
lecting what  I  had  asked,  he  answered,  "Yes,  child,  I  think  I 
buried  them.  There  were  five  bodies  we  found  on  your  father's 
place  which  we  buried."  Mr.  Thiele 's  talk  made  me  sick.  All 
night  I  cried,  and  Mrs.  Erus  took  good  care  of  me.  She  told  me 
such  a  nice  story,  in  her  plain,  simple  way,  that  I  never  can 
forget  it.  She  told  me  that  after  people  were  dead  nothing 
could  hurt  them,  as  they  were  angels  then,  and  that  Mr.  Thiele 
had  picked  out  such  a  nice  place  to  bury  my  beloved  ones  in; 
in  a  pretty  meadow  where  the  grass  would  always  grow  so  green 
where  the  prairie  lilies  would  breathe  their  fragrance  over  the 
graves  of  the  departed,  and  where  winter  would  come  and 
cover  up  the  graves  with  its  beautiful  white  snow.  She  told 
me  not  to  cry  about  my  parents  any  more.  Every  time  I  felt 
like  crying  to  think  of  the  nice  things  she  had  told  me.  I  tried 
my  best  to  do  as  Mrs.  Krus  had  told  me  and  found  it  was  much 
better  not  to  cry. 


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190        ,         HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

Soon  after  this  we  broke  up  camp  and  moved.  My  sUter  and 
I  got  in  the  same  wagon  with  Hattie  Adams  and  Mary  Scbwandt. 
When  we  halted  in  the  evening  my  sister  and  I  were  both  asleep. 
Our  teamster  was  a  young  boy  about  eighteen  or  nineteen  years 
of  age.  He  picked  me  up  out  of  the  wagon  as  though  I  was  a 
baby.  I  screamed,  as  it  frightened  me  so.  He  said  he  did  not 
mean  to  frighten  me.  It  was  quite  cold  that  evening  and  our 
clothes  were  very  thin.  I  was  also  very  unhappy  when  I  found 
out  that  Mary  was  gone  and  that  I  would  see  her  no  more.  I 
tried  not  to  cry,  but  the  tears  would  come  anyway.  Our  young 
friend,  the  teamster,  was  a  German  and  he  felt  very  sorry  for  us. 
He  baked  us  some  pancakes  and  made  some  coffee.  After  sup- 
per he  built  a  fire,  got  the  blanket  from  the  wagoo  and  put  it 
around  us  both  and  told  us  to  sit  there  until  he  fed  his  oxen.  I 
sat  there  a  while  and  finally  getting  tired  of  waiting  I  started 
to  look  up  my  new  acquaintance  and  his  ox  team.  To  my  sur- 
prise I  found  one  of  the  oxen  was  our  black  ox  "Billy."  I  told 
the  teamster  of  it  and  put  my  arm  around  "Billy's"  neck.  My 
new  friend,  the  teamster,  laughed  and  told  me  that  "Billy"  was 
a  lazy  ox,  but  he  was  going  to  use  him  better  since  he  had 
learned  his  history.  When  his  work  was  done  we  came  back  to 
the  fire.  We  found  a  man  sitting  on  a  log  by  the  fire,  watching 
my  sleeping  sister.  My  young  friend  told  me  it  was  his  sister's 
husband.  They  talked  a  long  while  about  us.  The  new  arrival 
asked  me  a  great  many  questions  about  my  people  and  where 
we  lived.  Finally  he  said  he  thought  my  father  was  alive.  The 
soldiers  had  picked  up  a  man  near  New  Ulm  badly  wonnded, 
who  had  walked  many  miles  after  he  was  shot,  and  he  thought 
that  probably  it  was  my  father.  I  thought  of  what  Thiele  had 
said  about  burying  my  parents  and  told  him  of  it.  He  said  that 
Thiele  had  buried  so  many  dead  that  he  may  have  made  a  mis- 
take. I  wish  he  had  never  told  me  this,  as  it  only  gave  me  false 
hopes,  and  when  I  found  out  the  truth  it  made  me  feel  more 
disappointed. 

The  next  morning  we  started  for  the  fort.  After  an  early 
breakfast  a  teamster  took  and  put  me  in  his  wagon.  While 
we  were  waiting  for  some  more  women  and  children  to  come  to 
the  wagon  I  told  our  new  teamster  that  I  had  a  brother  among 
the  prisoners  and  wished  he  could  go  along,  too.  He  consented, 
and  as  my  brother  came  along  just  then  he  asked  him.  My 
brother  answered  that  he  was  in  no  great  hurry  to'get  to  St. 
Peter  and  would  rather  stay  with  the  ox  teams.  I  tried  my  best 
to  get  him  to  come,  but  he  would  not.  He  called  me  a  cry  baby 
and  said  I  always  wanted  something.  If  we  would  have  known 
then  that  we  were  not  to  meet  again  for  two  long  years  our  fare- 
well would  have  been  more  affectionate. 

Among  those  who  rode  on  our  wagon  were  Ludwig  Kitzman, 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  191 

Mrs.  Urban  and  Mrs.  Kma  with  their  children,  an  American  lady 
with  two  children  and  a  bo;  about  eight  or  nine  years  old.  It 
was  very  cold  that  morning,  the  wind  blowing  a  perfect  gale. 
Our  teamster  took  off  his  overcoat  and  gave  it  to  my  sister  and  " 
me  to  cover  ourselves  up  with.  The  little  American  boy  was 
shivering  from  the  cold  and  also  tried  to  get  under  the  coat. 
I  would  not  allow  that,  however,  and  slapped  him  in  the  face. 
That  was  too  much  for  Ludwig  Kitzman,  and  he  told  me  I  was 
the  meanest  girl  he  had  ever  seen.  I  did  feel  ashamed  of  myself 
and  offered  the  boy  the  coat,  but  the  teamster  settled  the  difB- 
culty  by  giving  him  a  horse  blanket. 

All  that  day  we  traveled  and  passed  many  deserted  houses 
with  nice  gardens,  but  no  living  thing  in  sight.  Even  the  few 
hardy  flowers  that  were  left  in  the  gardens  looked  sad  and 
forsaken  as  we  passed  by.  How  desolate  everything  seemed.  In 
the  evening  we  stopped  at  a  deserted  farm  house.  There  were  a 
lot  of  stables  around  it  and  the  log  house  looked  something  like 
ours  did.  My  sister  thought  we  were  home  when  she  saw  the 
honse. 

When  we  got  inside  she  looked  around  and  asked,  "Where 
is  father  and  motherf"  I  was  obliged  to  tell  her  the  whole  sad 
tmth,  that  we  would  never  see  our  parents  again.  She  cried  so 
hard  that  the  teamster  picked  her  up  and  carried  her  to  sleep. 

The  next  morning  we  started  out  early,  as  they  wanted  to 
reach  Port  Bidgely  that  day.  There  were  five  or  six  horse  teams 
which  took  the  women  and  children.  The  rest  of  the  teams 
stayed  behind  and  got  to  the  fort  later.  Everything  went  well 
until  about  noon,  when  all  at  once  we  heard  shooting  over  the 
hill  ahead  of  ns.  The  teams  all  stopped  and  everything  was  in 
the  greatest  confusion.  Some  of  the  women  and  children  wanted 
to  run  for  the  woods.  Everybody  was  crying,  some  were  praying 
and  others  were  cursing.  Just  then  we  saw  about  forty  Indians 
running  for  the  very  woods  the  women  had  been  wanting  to  run 
to.  One  of  the  teamsters  ventured  to  say  that  there  were  soldiers 
beyond  the  hill  or  the  Indians  would  not  be  running,  and  so  it 
proved,  for  just  then  a  lot  of  soldiers  appeared  over  the  bill  on 
horseback.  One  horse  was  carrying  two  soldiers.  The  oflicers 
said  that  they  had  met  the  Indians  and  had  exchanged  a  few 
shots  with  them,  resulting  in  the  killing  of  one  of  the  soldiers' 
horses.  While  the  officer  was  talking  one  of  the  women  cried 
out,  "0  look!  There  comes  a  whole  army  of  Indians."  We  all 
looked  in  the  direction  she  was  pointing,  and,  silre  enough,  there 
were  a  lot  of  men  on  horseback.  It  seemed  like  a  large  cloud  of 
dust  coming  in  our  direction  like  a  whirlwind.  We  could  not 
tell  whether  they  were  soldiers  or  Indians,  but  as  they  turned 
out  to  be  soldiers  we  were  all  happy  to  see  them.  They  had  been 
out  scouting  and,  hearing  the  shooting,  came  to  see  what  the 


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192  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

trouble  was.  After  the  excitement  had  died  down  no  one  seemed 
to  care  for  anything  to  eat  so  we  resumed  our  journey  to  the 
fort. 

About  an  hour  after  starting  we  saw  a  lone  man  coming 
across  the  praire  toward  us.  As  he  came  nearer  Ludwig  Eitz- 
man  exclaimed,  "It  is  Mr.  Gluth!"  and  jumped  off  the  wagon 
and  ran  towards  him.  He  spoke  with  the  man  about  something 
for  quite  a  while,  at  which  the  man  dropped  on  the  ground  and 
cried  like  a  baby.  Some  of  the  men  went  to  see  what  his  trouble 
was  and  found  out  that  he  was  the  father  of  August  Gluth,  a 
little  ten-year-old  boy  who  had  been  a  prisoner  with  the  Indians, 
and  that  this  was  the  first  news  he  had  received  that  his  son  was 
alive. 

Before  we  reached  Fort  Ridgely  a  man  driving  an  ox  team 
caught  up  with  us  and  took  Mrs.  Lammere  and  her  two  children 
with  him.  She  was  the  first  prisoner  we  parted  with  on  the 
road  and  many  of  the  women  cried  when  they  bade  her  good-bye. 
Afterwards  I  heard  that  the  man  was  Mr.  Rieke  and  that  he 
married  Mrs.  Lammers. 

At  last  we  reacbed  the  fort,  tired  and  hungry.  Tbe  soldiers 
marched  bs  into  the  dining  room,  where  supper  was  already 
wating  for  us.  Soldiers  were  standing  everywhere  behind  our 
chairs  to  see  that  every  little  child  had  enough  to  eat.  It  was 
the  first  time  in  ten  long  weeks  that  we  had  eaten  at  a  table  like 
civilized  people.  When  supper  was  over  they  took  us  to  another 
room,  where  they  made  up  some  beds  on  the  floor  for  us. 

The  next  morning  they  did  not  wake  us  as  early  as  usual. 
After  breakfast  some  of  us  children  begged  Mrs.  Krus  to  let  us 
see  little  Minnie  Smith.  She  had  been  turned  over  to  Mrs.  Muller 
for  treatment.  She  consented  to  take  ns,  and  when  we  arrived 
at  the  hospital  we  found  Minnie  lying  in  a  nice  clean  bed  with 
her  hair  curled  as  nice  as  her  mother  used  to  curl  it.  She  opened 
her  blue  eyes  one  moment  and  smiled.  Then  she  closed  them 
again,  as  if  too  tired  to  keep  them  open.  How  badly  we  felt  and 
all  commenced  to  cry.  The  lady  who  stood  at  the  head  of  the 
bed  motioned  for  us  to  go.  It  was  the  last  we  saw  of  Uttle 
Minnie^  for  two  days  later  she  died  and  her  troubles  were  ended. 
When  we  got  back  the  teams  were  already  waiting  for  us  and 
we  started  for  St.  Peter. 

On  our  way  to  St.  Peter  we  could  see  people  in  the  field  at 
work  here  and  there,  and  also  a  few  herds  of  cattle  grazing  in 
the  meadows.  One  place  we  passed  a  man  was  waving  bia  hat 
and  calling  to  us.  The  teams  stopped  to  see  what  be  wanted. 
Presently  two  men  with  milk  came  up,  while  the  teamsters 
cheered  the  men  as  they  came  and  thanked  them,  that  it  was 
the  greatest  treat  they  could  give  us,  for  so  many  of  the  children 
had  asked  for  milk.     How  greedily  we  drank  it,  and  the  men 


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HISTORY  OP  EENVILLE  COUNTY  193 

amiled  as  the;  watched  ofi  and  said  they  were  sorry  that  they 
had  no  more. 

That  evening  we  reached  St.  Peter,  where  we  were  turned 
loose  in  an  empty  store.  A  fire  was  burmng  here,  which  was  a 
most  welcome  sight,  as  we  were  cold.  Some  kind  person  had 
carried  in  a  few  arms  of  hay  for  us  to  sleep  on.  We  had  but 
little  for  supper.  The  town  was  full  of  people  who  had  fled  from 
tlieir  homes. 

The  next  morning  people  came  crowding  in,  bright  and  early, 
to  look  for  friends.  No  one  seemed  to  think  of  breakfast.  Mr. 
Lang  was  one  of  the  first  to  come  in.  His  wife  and  two  children 
stood  just  opposite  the  door.  I  never  saw  a  more  joyful  meeting 
in  ray  life.  Those  who  had  no  friends  were  all  crying.  There 
was  hardly  a  dry  eye  in  the  house.  Mary  Biefe  came  in  next, 
dressed  in  the  deepest  of  mourning.  She  looked  over  the  crowd 
and  never  spoke  a  word.  Sadly  she  turned  to  the  door  and 
walked  out,  having  found  none  of  her  people.  She  was  working 
away  from  home,  when  the  Indians  had  killed  nearly  all  her  family 
and  her  lover.  Afterwards  she  found  two  elder  brothers  who 
escaped.  I  held  my  sister  by  the  hand,  as  I  was  afraid  some  one 
in  the  crowd  might  take  her  away,  and  I  would  not  know  what 
had  become  of  her. 

People  were  still  coming  in  to  claim  friends  who  were  sup- 
posed to  be  dead.  I  could  not  help  watching  the  door  and 
thinking  of  the  story  the  teamster  had  told  me,  but  it  was  in 
vain — my  father  and  mother  never  came.  At  last  as  the  crowd 
was  beginning  to  thin  out  Rev.  Frederic  Emde,  of  the  Evan- 
gelical church,  touched  me  on  the  shoulder  and  said  he  would 
take  me.  I  told  him  that  I  had  a  little  sister  with  me  and  wanted 
him  to  take  her  also.  Mrs.  Emde  then  came  to  us  and  took  off 
her  veil  and  tied  it  around  my  sister's  head  and  a  little  shawl 
around  mine.  While  I  was  waiting  for  them  to  leave  with  us,  I 
looked  once  more  over  the  crowd.  In  one  corner  lay  Ludwig 
Kitzman  talking  to  a  man  and  boy,  and  in  another  comer  sat 
the  little  brown-faced  boy  of  whom  I  have  spoken  before.  He 
looked  so  sad  and  no  one  seemed  to  notice  him.  Often  have  I 
wondered  what  became  of  him.  Mrs.  Inefeld  was  looking  out  of 
the  window  with  tears  in  her  eyes,  holding  her  baby  so  close  to 
her.  Her  husband  and  all  her  folks  had  been  killed  and  there 
was  no  one  to  claim  her.  Henrietta  Krieger  found  her  mother 
afterwards.     How  pleased  she  was  to  see  her. 

At  last  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Emde  were  ready  to  go.  They  first  took 
ns  to  a  hoiise,  where  we  had  breakfast,  after  which  we  went  to 
a  store  to  get  us  some  shoes  and  stockings.  Mr.  Emde  told  him 
our  story,  at  which  he  said  he  would  make  us  a  present  of  whait 
we  wanted.  When  we  were  dressed  as  comfortable  as  they  could 
make  us  we  started  for  New  Ulm.    It  was  about  noon  when  we 


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194  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

left  and  did  not  stop  until  we  reached  a  farm  house  that  evemsg. 
The  next  da;  we  reached  John  Muhs,  a  brother  of  Mrs.  Emde, 
who  lived  six  miles  south  of  New  Xllm,  Mr.  and  Mrs,  Muhs  were 
my  parents  for  the  next  two  years  and  my  sister  stayed  with 
Mr.  Emde. 

I  told  Mr.  Emde  of  my  brother,  and  he  promised  that  he 
would  look  for  him  when  he  went  back  to  St.  Peter.  He  found 
out  that  my  brother  had  been  picked  up  in  St.  Paul  by  another 
minister  and  later  was  sent  to  a  family  near  Hutchinson.  The 
man  who  took  my  brother  was  appointed  our  guardian  and 
received  quite  a  sum  of  money,  about  $1,200,  for  my  father's 
personal  property.  This  was  too  much  for  him  to  let  go.  As 
soon  as  he  had  everything  settled  as  he  wanted  it  he  came  to 
Mr.  Muhs  and  Mr.  Emde  and  asked  him  to  give  me  and  my  sister 
up  to  him,  as  he  was  well  oflf  and  would  adopt  us.  Finally  Mr. 
Muhs  consented  and  turned  us  over  to  him. 

When  we  got  to  our  new  home  we  soon  found  out  that  our 
guardian  owned  nothing  but  a  farm  which  he  had  bought  with 
the  money  he  so  cunningly  appropriated.  As  for  schooling,  we 
saw  but  little  of  it.  I  do  not  wish  to  speak  unkindly  of  my 
guardian,  as  he  really  did  not  abu^e  me,  and  I  think  he  would 
have  done  what  was  right,  but  he  was  not  well  and  his  wife  was 
at  the  head  of  the  family.  They  have  both  passed  away  since 
and  I  will  not  judge  them  now.  Of  my  father's  property  we 
never  received  one  cent. 

When  I  was  fifteen  years  old  I  started  out  in  the  world  alone 
to  earn  my  own  living.  After  I  left  them  I  fell  into  better  hands. 
I  worked  out  summers  and  went  to  school  winters.  Being  already 
able  to  read  in  German,  in  time  I  received  a  fair  education.  In 
1879  I  married  Owen  Carrigan  and  am  the  mother  of  five  chil- 
dren. My  husband  died  in  1898.  As  to  my  sister  Amelia,  she 
left  our  guardian  at  the  age  of  fourteen  and  went  back  to  Rev. 
Emde.    She  later  became  Mrs.  Reynolds  of  Minneapolis. 

My  brother  left  for  Montana  at  the  age  of  nineteen.  When 
we  were  at  Camp  Release  he  came  one  day  and  told  me  that  he 
had  seen  all  the  Indians  that  were  to  be  hung,  but  the  one  who 
killed  our  parents  was  not  among  them.  He  cried  and  said, 
"Yes,  he  is  a  good  Indian  now.  Just  wait  until  I  get  big,  I  will 
hunt  Indians  the  rest  of  my  life  and  will  kill  them,  too,  if  I  can 
find  them."  For  two  years  after  we  parted  he  would  write  to  me 
regularly,  but  then  we  heard  no  more  of  him.  I  am  inclined 
to  think  that  he  was  killed  at  the  time  General  Custer  made  his 
last  stand,  for  that  spring  I  received  his  last  letter. 

There  are  only  three  places  that  I  would  like  to  see  again. 
One  is  the  large  flat  lime  rock  on  the  bank  of  the  Minnesota 
river  where  my  brother  and  I  used  to  go  fishing.  Years  have 
passed  and  many  a  person  has  claimed  my  white  rock  since.    The 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  19S 

Indians  that  used  to  pass  ns  in  their  canoes  80  silently  they 
seemed  like  ghosts,  you  could  hardly  hear  the  dip  of  their  oars, 
have  long  since  fled  from  the  banks  of  the  river  and  could  not 
frighten  now.  The  second  place  is  the  spring  near  my  father's 
place,  where  my  playmates  and  I  used  to  pick  the  yellow  lady- 
slippers.  The  third  is  the  creek  near  our  home  where  the  lovely 
white  cherry  blossoms  were  so  thick  that  they  looked  like  a  white 
sheet.  Little  Pauline  and  Minnie  Kitzman,  my  sister  Augusta 
and  I  brought  our  aprons  full  home  to  make  garlands  out  of  them. 
Years  after,  when  I  used  to  see  the  white  cherry  blossoms,  I 
used  to  wish  that  I  could  go  back  and  cover  the  graves  of  my 
little  friends  with  the  flowers  they  loved  so  well. 

"The  flowers  that  bloom  in  the  wildwood 
Have  since  dropped  their  beautiful  leaves. 

And  the  many  dear  friends  of  my  childhood 
Have  slumbered  for  years  in  their  graves."  i 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

CAPTIVE  AMONG  THE  SIOUX. 

Expoiences  of  Tltn.  N.  D.  White,  of  Beaver  Falls — Unrest  Among 
the  Indians — News  of  the  Upriaiiig' — Deaperate  Flight — Oq>- 
tnre — Wedge  Killed — Henderson  Injured^-Hrs.  Henderson 
and  Children  Burned — Scenes  of  Horror — Eugene  White 
Killed — B(^  of  Twelve  Escapes — Captives  Taken  to  Crow's 
Village— Life  Among  the  Indians — Removal — Incidents  of 
&e  March— Reecne — Camp  Release — Soenee  of  Delight — 
Bennion — Retroqtection. 

The  story  I  bring  to  you  includes  what  I  saw  and  what 
occurred  to  myself  and  family  during  the  most  terrible  Indian 
massacre  that  was  ever  known  in  our  fair  country.  Fifteen 
thousand  square  miles  of  territory  were  overrun  by  the  savages, 
and  their  trails  in  Minnesota  were  marked  by  blood  and  flre, 
while  men,  women  and  ionocent  children  were  indiscriminately 
bntchered  or  made  prisoners. 

I  was  bom  in  the  town  of  Alexander,  Genesee  county,  New 
York,  February  10,  1825,  my  maiden  name  being  Urania  S. 
Frazer,  and  I  was  married  to  Nathan  Dexter  White,  October  1, 
1845.  We  remained  in  New  York  state  about  two  years,  and 
then  emigrated  to  Columbia  county,  Wisconsin,  where  we  lived 
fifteen  years.  In  the  spring  of  1862  we  again  turned  our  faces 
westward,  and  June  28  found  us  in  Renville  county,  Minnesota. 

Little  did  we  think  how  soon  we  should  pass  through  the 
terrible  ordeal  that  awaited  us.    We  commenced  the  erection  of 


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196  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

our  log  cabin  at  the  base  of  the  bluff  in  the  valley  of  Beaver 
creek,  near  its  opening  into  the  wide  Minnesota  river  valley, 
with  stout  hands  and  willing  minds,  looking  hopefully  forward 
to  better  times,  for  we  thought  we  had  selected  the  very  heart 
of  this  western  paradise  for  our  home.  Truly  it  was  beautiful, 
even  in  its  wild,  uncultivated  condition,  with  its  gigantic  trees 
in  the  creek  valley,  its  towering  bluffs  and  the  sweet-scented  wild 
flowers.  A  babbling  brook  formed  a  part  of  the  eastern  boundary 
of  our  land,  and  its  broad  acres  of  prairie  made  it  desirable 
enough  to  have  satisfied  the  -wishes  of  the  most  fastidious  lover 
of  a  fine  farm.  We  had  just  got  settled  in  our  new  log  house 
when  the  Sioux  Indians  who  lived  near  us  began  to  be  uneasy. 

Little  Crow's  village  was  situated  about  six  miles  from  our 
house,  across  the  Minnesota  river.  His  warriors  numbered  about 
eight  hundred.  These  Indians,  with  their  families,  by  reason 
of  the  scarcity  of  buffaloes  and  other  wild  game,  were  largely 
dependent  upon  their  annuities.  They  were  supplied  with  pro- 
visioQS  from  the  commissary  stores  at  the  Lower  Sioux  Indian 
Agency,  near  Little  Crow's  village,  and  they  also  received  their 
annuities  from  the  agent  at  this  point.  The  summer  of  that 
eventful  year  was  to  all  appearances  very  favorable  to  them,  so 
far  as  crops  were  concerned.  Their  many  cornfields,  of  nearly 
a  thousand  acres,  bore  promise  of  rich  yield.  We  frequently  saw 
the  Indians  on  the  tops  of  the  bluffs  overlooking  our  dwelling. 
They  seemed  to  be  watching  for  something.  When  questioned 
they  said  they  were  looking  for  Ojibways.  I  think  they  must 
have  held  war  meetings  or  councils,  for  we  often  heard  drums 
in  the  evening  on  their  side  of  the  Minnesota  river  several  weeks 
before  the  outbreak. 

Reports  came  to  us  that  some  of  the  Indians  had  made  a  raid 
upon  the  commissary  stores  at  the  Upper  Agency,  but  we  paid 
little  attention  to  it,  thinking  it  only  a  rumor. 

The  annuity  was  to  have  been  paid  in  June,  but,  owing  to 
the  Civil  war  that  was  then  raging  between  the  United  and  Con- 
federate States,  the  money  was  delayed.  The  Indians  were  com- 
pelled to  ward  off  starvation  by  digging  roots  for  food.  Three 
or  four  weeks  previous  to  the  outbreak  we  could  see  squaws 
almost  every  day  wandering  over  the  prairie  in  search  of  the 
nutritious  roots  of  the  plant  known  to  the  French  voyageurs  as 
the  "pomme  de  terre."  With  a  small  pole  about  six  feet  long, 
having  one  end  sharpened,  they  dug  its  tap-root,  which  they 
called  tipainah,  somewhat  resembling  a  white  English  turnip 
in  color,  taste  and  shape. 

Many  of  the  Indians  had  pawned  their  guns  for  provisions. 
My  husband  had  taken  several  in  exchange  for  beef  cattle. 
Among  them  was  Little  Crow's  gun.  This  manner  of  dealing 
with  the  white  man  was  not  satisfactory  to  them,  and  especially 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  197 

to  be  compelled  thus  to  part  with  their  guns  was  very  hard. 
BLDOwing  the  treachery  of  the  Indians,  none  of  us  should  have 
been  surprised  when  this  desperate  outbreak  overwhelmed  us, 
and  yet  when  the  eighteenth  day  of  August,  1862,  came,  with  its 
cloudless  sky,  not  one  of  the  scattered  settlers  was  prepared  for 
protection  against  the  carnage  which  was  to  overwhelm  them. 

At  this  time  nearly  every  farmer  was-  busy  making  hay,  but 
my  husband  fortunately  was  on  a  trip  to  Blue  Earth  county, 
about  sixty  miles  southeast  of  us.  I  say  fortunately,  because 
every  man  stood  in  great  danger  of  being  killed,  and  in  all  prob- 
ability that  would  have  been  his  fate  if  he  had  been  with  us,  as 
no  men  among  the  settlers  were  taken  prisoners. 

The  first  outbreak,  the  attack  on  our  fleeing  partj'.  and  the 
beginning  of  my  captivity  were  on  Monday,  August  18,  and  I 
was  released  thirty-nine  days  afterward,  on  September  26. 

While  I  was  busily  engaged  gathering  up  the  clothing  for 
the  purpose  of  doing  my  washing  on  the  morning  of  the  out- 
break, my  daughter  Julia,  fourteen  years  old,  who  had  been 
assisting  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Henderson,  about  a  half  mile  from 
us,  whose  wife  was  very  sick,  came  running  in,  accompanied  by 
a  daughter  of  J,  W.  Earle,  and  breathlessly  told  me  that  the 
Indians  were  coming  to  kill  us,  and  that  I  must  go  back  with 
them  quick.  This  frightened  me,  in  fact,  it  seemed  to  strike 
me  dumb;  but,  suddenly  recovering  my  thoughts,  I  immediately 
began  planning  what  we  should  take  with  us.  Soon  1  came  to 
the  conclusion  that  it  would  be  folly  to  attempt  to  take  anything. 
But  on  moving  husband's  overcoat  I  caught  sight  of  a  large 
pocketbook  that  contained  valuable  papers  and  some  money. 
This  I  quickly  secured,  and  managed  to  keep  it  during  all  my 
captivity.  I  caught  up  my  baby,  five  months  old,  and  placed  him 
on  one  arm,  and  took  Little  Crow's  gun  in  the  other  hand.  My 
daughter  also  carried  a  gun.  We  hurriedly  wended  our  way  to 
the  house  of  the  sick  neighbor,  and  thence  went  to  the  house  of 
Mr.  Earle. 

There  I  found  my  twelve -year-old  son  Millard,  who  had  been 
herding  sheep.  Having  learned  of  the  trouble  with  the  Indians, 
he  had  driven  the  sheep  up  and  put  them  in  the  yard.  Eugene, 
my  oldest  son,  had  gone  out  on  the  prairie  to  bring  in  our  colts, 
to  keep  them  from  the  Indians,  because  they  were  collecting  all 
the  horses  in  the  neighborhood  to  ride,  as  they  said,  in  hunting 
Ojibways,  that  being  the  excuse  they  gave  for  this  bold  robbery. 
He  found  that  the  Indians  had  already  got  the  colts  and  were 
breaking  them  to  ride,  having  them  in  a  slough,  where  they  could 
easily  handle  them.  Consequently  he  came  back  to  the  house  of 
Mr.  Earle.  On  his  way  back  he  met  Mr.  Wichmann,  n  neighbor 
just  from  the  agency,  who  told  him  that  the  Indians  wore  killing 
all  the  white  people  there. 


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li>6  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

At  the  bouse  of  Mr.  Earle  twenty-seyen  ueighbora  were  aasem- 
bled,  men,  women  and  children.  Teams  o£  horses  were  soon 
hitched  to  wagons,  and  we  started  on  our  perilous  journey. 

The  Indians,  anticipating  our  flight  and  knowing  the  direction 
we  should  be  likely  to  take,  had  secreted  themselves  in  amhuBb 
on  either  side  of  the  road  in  the  tall  grass.  On  our  arrival  in  the 
ambush  twenty  or  thirty  Indians  in  their  war  paint  rose  to  their 
feet;  they  did  not  shoot,  hut  surrounded  us,  took  our  horses  by 
the  bits,  and  commanded  us  to  surrender  to  them  all  our  teams, 
wagons  and  everything  except  the  clothing  we  had  on,  A  parley 
with  them  in  behalf  of  the  sick  woman  was  had  by  one  of  our 
number  who  could  speak  the  Sioux  language.  The  Indiana 
finally  consented  that  we  might  go,  if  we  would  leave  all  the 
teams,  wagons,  etc.,  except  one  team  and  a  light  wagon  in  which 
Mrs.  Henderson  and  her  two  children  bad  been  placed  on  a 
feather  bed. 

We  felt  a  little  more  hopeful  at  getting  such  easy  terms  of 
escape,  but  our  hopes  were  of  short  duration,  for  they  soon 
became  dissatisfied  with  the  agreement  they  had  made  and  gave 
notice  that  they  must  have  our  last  team,  and  we  were  forced 
to  stop  and  comply  with  their  demand.  The  team  was  given  up 
and  the  Indians  said  we  might  go.  Several  men  took  hold  of 
the  wagon  and  we  again  started,  feeling  that  there  was  still  a 
little  chance  of  escape.  We  had  gone  only  a  short  distance  when 
we  were  made  fully  awftre  of  the  treachery  that  predominates 
in  the  Indian  character.  They  commenced  shooting  at  the  men 
drawing  the  wagon.  Mr.  Henderson  and  Jehiel  Wedge,  in  com- 
pliance with  Mrs.  Henderson's  wishes,  held  up  a  pillowslip  as  a 
flag  of  truce,  but  the  Indians  kept  on  firing.  The  pillowslip  was 
soon  riddled.  Mr.  Henderson's  fingers  on  one  hand  were  shot 
off  and  Mr.  Wedge  was  killed. 

Then  commenced  a  flight,  a  run  for  life,  on  the  open  prairie, 
by  men,  women  and  children,  unarmed  and  defenseless,  before 
the  cruel  savages  armed  with  guns,  tomahawks  and  scalping 
knives.  Imagine,  if  you  can,  the  awful  sight  here  presented  to 
my  view,  both  before  and  after  being  captured — strong  men  mak- 
ing desperate  efforts  to  save  themselves  and  their  little  ones  from 
the  scalping  knives  of  their  merciless  foes,  who  were  in  hot  pur- 
suit, shooting  at  them  rapidly  as  they  ran.  Before  the  Indians 
passed  me  the  bullets  were  continually  whizzing  by  my  head. 
Those  who  could  escape,  and  their  murderous  enemies,  were  soon 
out  of  my  sight.  In  one  instance  a  little  boy  was  shot  and  killed 
in  bis  father's  arms. 

Woe  and  despair  now  seized  all  of  us  who  were  made  cap- 
tives. The  bravest  among  us  lost  courage,  being  so  helpless, 
defenseless  and  unprepared  for  this  act  of  savage  warfare.  With 
blanched  faces  we  beheld  the  horrible  scene  and  clasped  our  help- 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  199 

less  little  children  closer  to  us.  Then  fearful  thoughts  of  torture 
crowded  into  onr  minds,  as  Mrs.  Henderson  and  her  two  children 
were  taken  rudely  from  the  bad  in  the  wagon,  thrown  violently 
on  the  gronnd,  and  covered  with  the  bed^  to  which  a  torch  was 
applied.  The  blaze  grew  larger  and  higher  and  I  could  see  no 
more !  Hy  courage  sank  as  I  wondered  in  a  dazed,  half -insane 
manner  what  would  be  our  fate  and  that  of  other  friends.  The 
two  little  children,  I  was  afterward  told,  had  their  heads  crushed 
by  blows  struck  with  violins  belonging  to  the  family  of  Mr. 
Earle.  The  burial  party  sent  out  by  General  Sibley  from  Port 
Ridgely  found  the  violins,  with  the  brains  and  hair  of  the  poor 
little  innocents  still  sticking  to  them,  two  weeks  later,  Mr.  Hen- 
derson was  afterward  killed  at  the  battle  of  Birch  Cooley,  Sep- 
tember 2. 

Nine  of  our  number  were  killed  here  in  this  flight,  among 
them  being  our  oldest  son,  Eugene,  then  about  sixteen  years  old. 
Eleven  were  taken  prisoners,  among  these  being  myself,  my  babe 
and  my  daughter,  fourteen  years  old. 

Seven  made  their  escape,  my  twelve-year-old  son  being  among 
them.  They  started  for  Fort  Ridgely,  a  distance  of  twenty  miles, 
thinking  that  there  they  would  be  safe,  but,  on  arriving  near 
the  fort,  they  could  see  so  many  Indiana  skulking  around  that 
they  thought  it  extremely  dangerous  to  make  any  further  effort 
to  reach  the  fort.  They  then  decided  to  go  to  Cedar  Lake,  a 
distance  of  thirty  miles  north.  Their  boots  and  shoes  were  filled 
with'  water  in  wading  through  sloughs  and  became  a  great 
burden  to  them,  so  that  they  were  compelled  to  take  them  off 
to  expedite  their  flight.  Consequently,  in  traveling  through 
coarse  wet  grass,  the  flesh  on  their  feet  and  ankles  was  worn  and 
lacerated  until  the  bones  were  bare  in  places.  They  could  get 
DO  food  and  starvation  stared  at  them  with  its  gnawing  pangs. 
They  were  hatless  in  the  scorching  sunshine,  and  were  com- 
pletely worn  out  by  wading  through  sloughs  and  hiding  in  the 
tall  grass;  in  fact,  doing  anything  to  make  their  escape  from 
the  Indians. 

When  within  ten  or  fifteen  miles  of  Cedar  Lake  the  strongest 
man  of  the  party  was  sent  ahead  for  help,  to  get  food  for  those 
who  were  unable  to  walk  much  farther.  On  reaching  a  rise  of 
ground  he  turned  quickly,  motioned  to  them  and  then  threw 
himself  in  the  tall  grass.  The  others  of  the  party  knew  that  this 
meant  danger  and  hid  themselves  as  quickly  as  possible.  Soon 
sharp  reports  of  guns  came  to  their  ears.  They  supposed,  of 
course,  that  the  young  man  was  killed,  but  it  was  not  so.  These 
Indiana,  five  in  nomber,  had  been  away  on  a  visit,  and  conse- 
quently they  had  not  heard  of  the  massacre.  They  were  return- 
ing to  Little  Crow's  village.  The  young  man  was  not  seen  by 
these  Indians,  but  the  others  had  been  seen  before  dropping  in 


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200  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

the  grass.  They  fired  their  guns  for  the  ptirpose  of  reloading, 
and  soon  tracked  the  party  with  whom  my  son  was  to  their  hid- 
ing places  by  their  trail  in  the  wet  grass.  My  son  noticed  one 
of  them  sknlking  along  on  his  trail  and  watching  him  very 
intently.  He  supposed  that  the  Indian  would  shoot  him,  so  he 
turned  his  face  away  and  waited  for  the  htillet  that  was  to  take 
his  life.  What  a  terrible  moment  it  was  to  a  lad  of  only  twelve 
years! 

But  as  no  shot  was  fired  he  turned  his  head  to  see  what  the 
Indian  was  doing.  The  Indian  then  asked  him  what  was  the 
matter.  Fearing  to  tell  the  truth  he  told  him  that  the  Ojibways 
were  killing  all  the  white  people  in  their  neighborhood  and  also 
told  how  hungry  they  were. 

The  Indians  gave  them  some  cold  boiled  potatoes,  turning 
them  on  the  ground,  and  asked  to  trade  for  Little  Crow's  gun, 
■which  one  of  the  party  had  received  from  me.  Not  daring  to 
refuse,  they  gave  them  the  gun,  which  was  a  very  handsome  one. 
The  Indians  now  left  them  and  they  managed  to  reach  Cedar 
Lake,  being  the  first  to  carry  the  news  of  the  outbreak  to  that 
place.  My  son  traveled  from  Cedar  Lake  to  St.  Peter  without 
further  hardship. 

The  day  when  the  outbreak  commenced  my  husband  was  on 
his  return  from  Blue  Earth  county  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jacobson, 
parents  of  the  sick  Mrs.  Henderson.  Late  in  the  afternoon,  when 
within  six  miles  of  New  Illra,  they  met  a  large  number  of  settlers, 
men,  women  and  children,  fleeing  for  tbeir  lives,  who  told  them 
that  the  Sioux  Indians  had  commenced  a  desperate  raid  upon 
the  settlers  in  the  vicinity  of  New  Ulm,  that  many  of  them  had 
been  killed,  and  that  the  Indians  were  then  besieging  the  village ; 
also  that  word  from  Renville  county  had  been  received,  that  all 
the  settlers  in  the  neighborhood  of  Beaver  Creek  and  Birch 
Cooley  were  murdered,  if  they  had  failed  to  make  their  escape. 
Having  remained  with  the  fleeing  party  until  morning,  my 
husband  started  on  his  return  to  the  home  of  Mr.  Jacobson,  a 
distance  of  thirty  miles.  On  his  way  back  he  saw  farms  deserted 
and  cattle  running  at  large  in  fields  of  shocked  grain.  At  Madelia 
he  found  an  assemblage  of  settlers  contemplating  the  idea  of 
making  a  stand  against  the  Indians.  They  resolved  not  to  he 
driven  from  their  homes  by  the  Sioux,  thinking  that  they  could 
defend  themselves  by  building  breastworks  of  logs  which  were 
at  hand.  Consequently  my  husband  remained  with  them  one 
day  and  assisted  in  the  building  of  the  fortification,  until  reliable 
information  came  to  them  that  there  were  so  many  Indians 
engaged  in  the  outbreak  that  it  would  be  impossible  for  them 
to  make  a  successful  stand.  Therefore,  after  taking  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Jacobson  to  their  home  he  started  for  St.  Peter,  where  he  arrived 
on  Saturday,  the  twenty-third  day  of  August. 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  201 

There  he  met  Millard,  our  twelve-year-old  hoy,  who  narrated 
to  him  the  dismal  tidings  of  the  ootbreak ;  that  his  mother,  sister 
and  little  baby  brother  were  taken  oft  by  the  Indians,  and  that 
Eugene  was  hit  by  a  bullet  in  the  leg  while  running  in  advance 
of  him.  He  told  how  Eugene  ran  about  a  fourth  of  a  mile  after 
being  wounded,  then  turned  a  little  to  one  side  of  the  course 
they  were  running  and  dropped  into  a  cluster  of  weeds.  The 
Indians  were  soon  upon  him  with  their  scalping  knives.  In  cast- 
ing a  look  back  he  saw  them  apparently  in  the  act  of  taking  his 
scalp. 

ily  husband's  team  of  horses  and  his  carriage  were  pressed 
into  military  service  at  St.  Peter.  He  went  with  General  Sibley's 
forces  from  St,  Peter  to  Fort  Ridgely,  intending  to  go  with  them 
on  their  expedition  against  the  Indians.  But  it  fell  to  his  lot 
to  remain  at  the  fort  until  after  our  release. 

When  I  was  captured  my  captor  seized  me  by  the  shoulders, 
turned  me  quickly  around  and  motioned  for  iiie  to  turn  back. 
At  this  I  screamed,  partly  for  the  purpose  of  calling  Mr,  Earle's 
attention  to  see  that  I  was  a  prisoner,  and  he  looked  around. 
This  I  did,  thinking  that  he  might  escape  and  give  the  tidings 
to  my  relatives  and  friends, 

.  Just  before  I  was  captured  my  son  Eugene,  who  was  after- 
ward killed,  passed  me  and  said,  "Ma,  run  faster,  or  they  will 
catch  you."  This  was  the  last  time  I  heard  him  speak  or  saw 
him,  and  he  must  have  been  killed  soon  afterward. 

It  was  now  near  the  middle  of  the  day;  the  heat  of  the  sun 
was  very  intense  and  we  (the  captives)  were  all  suffering  for 
drink.  I  sat  down  a  moment  to  rest,  and  then  thought  of  my 
drees,  which  had  become  very  wet  while  wading  through  a 
slough,  80  I  sucked  some  water  from  it,  which  relieved  ray  thirst 
a  little. 

We  captives  and  a  few  of  the  Indians  walked  back  to  the 
house  of  J.  W.  Earle.  The  Indians  entered  the  house  and 
delighted  themselves  by  breaking  stoves  and  furniture  of  various 
kinds  and  throwing  crockery  through  the  windows.  After  they 
had  completed  the  destruction  of  everything  in  the  house  which 
they  did  not  wish  to  appropriate  for  their  own  use  we  were  put 
into  wagons  and  ordered  to  be  taken  to  Little  Crow's  village. 
Members  of  families  were  separated  and  taken  to  different  places, 
seemingly  to  add  to  our  suffering  by  putting  upon  us  the  terrible 
agony  of  wondering  where  the  other  prisoners  were  and  what 
was  to  be  their  fate.  IVuring  this  ride  we  passed  several  houses 
belonging  to  settlers  who  had  been  killed  or  had  Bed  to  save 
their  lives.  The  Indians  entered  these  houses  and  plundered 
them  of  many  valuables,  such  as  bedding  and  clothing.  On  our 
way  to  the  Minnesota  bottomland  we  had  to  descend  a  very  steep 


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202  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

bluff,  where,  by  our  request,  the  Indians  ^ave  us  the  privilege 
of  walking  down. 

After  reaching  the  foot  of  the  bluff  our  course  was  through 
underbrush  of  all  kinds.  The  thought  of  torture  was  uppermost 
in  my  mind.  I  supposed  that  was  why  such  a  course  was  taken. 
There  was  no  road  at  all,  not  even  a  track.  We  were  compelled 
to  make  our  way  as  best  we  could  through  grape  vines,  prickly 
ash,  gooseberry  bushes  and  trees.  After  much  difficulty  in  bend- 
ing down  small  trees  iu  order  to  let  our  wagons  pass  over  them, 
we  finally  reached  the  Minnesota  river  with  many  rents  in  our 
clothing  and  numerous  scratches  on  our  arms. 

When  fording  the  river,  we  were  all  given  a  drink  of  river 
water,  some  sugar  and  a  piece  of  bread.  The  sugar  and  bread 
were  taken  from  the  house  of  one  of  my  neighbors.  Just  as  we 
were  driving  into  the  water  the  wagon  containing  my  daughter 
with  other  captives  was  disappearing  beyond  the  top  of  the  bluff 
on  the  other  side  of  the  river.  I  thought  again,  "What  will 
befall  hert" 

We  soon  reached  Little  Crow's  village,  where  we  were  kept 
about  a  week.  The  village  numbered  about  sixty  tepeea,  besides 
Little  Crow's  dwelling,  a  frame  building.  Mrs.  James  Car- 
rothers,  Mrs.  J.  W,  Earle  and  a  little  daughter,  myself  and  babe 
were  taken  to  Little  Crow's.  On  entering  the  house  the  object 
that  first  met  my  gaze  was  Little  Crow,  a  large,  tall  Indian,  walk- 
ing the  fioor  in  a  very  haughty,  dignified  manner,  as  much  as  to 
say,  "I  am  great!"  However,  his  majesty  condescended  to 
salute  us  with  "Ho,"  that  being  their  usual  word  of  greeting. 
The  room  was  very  large.  The  furniture  consisted  of  only  a  few 
chairs,  table  and  camp  kettles.  A  portion  of  the  floor  at  one  end 
of  the  room  was  raised  about  one  foot,  where  they  slept  on 
blankets.  His  four  wives,  all  sisters,  were  busily  engaged  pack- 
ing away  plunder  which  had  been  taken  from  stores  and  the 
houses  of  settlers.  They  gave  us  for  our  supper  bread  and  tea. 
Soon  after  tea  Mrs.  Carrothers  and  myself  were  escorted  to  a 
tepee,  where  we  remained  until  morning,  when  we  were  claimed 
by  different  Indians. 

It  happened  to  be  my  lot  in  the  distribution  of  the  prisoners 
to  be  owned  by  Too-kon-we-ehasta  (meaning  the  "Stone  Man") 
and  his  squaw.  They  called  me  their  child,  or  "big  papoose." 
Their  owning  me  in  this  manner  saved  me  probably  from  a  worse 
fate  than  death,  and  although  more  than  a  third  of  a  century 
has  elapsed  since  that  event,  strange  as  it  may  appear  to  some, 
I  cherish  with  kindest  feelings  the  friendship  of  my  Indian 
father  and  mother.  Too-kon-we-ehasta  was  employed  by  General 
Sibley  as  a  scout  on  his  expedition  against  the  Indians  in  the 
summer  of  1863.  He  now  lives  across  the  Minnesota  river  from 
Morton,  in  Redwood  county,  on  a  farm.    He  and  his  squaw  called 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  HOB 

on  me  several  times  when  we  were  living  near  Beaver  Falls. 
They  manifested  a  great  deal  of  friendship.  There  is  a  wide 
difference  in  the  moral  character  of  Indians. 

Before  retiring  for  the  night  we  were  commanded  to  make 
onrselves  squaw  suits.  The  sqnaws  told  ns  how  to  make  them, 
and  mine  was  made  according  to  their  directions.  Mrs.  Car- 
rothers  failed  to  make  hers  as  told,  and  consequently  was  ordered 
to  rip  apart  and  make  it  over.  I  put  mine  on  while  she  was  mak< 
ing  hers  aa  first  told.  When  finished  she  put  it  on.  We  thought 
our  looks  were  extremely  ludicrous.  She  cast  a  queer  gaze  at 
me  and  then  commenced  laughing.  I  said  to  her  that  under  the 
circTimstances  I  could  see  nothing  to  laugh  about.  She  replied 
that  we  might  hetter  laugh  than  cry,  for  we  had  been  told  that 
the  Indiana  would  have  no  tears,  and  that  those  who  cried  would 
be  first  to  die. 

I  also  had  to  lay  aside  my  shoes  and  wear  moccasins.  The 
last  I  saw  of  my  shoes  an  Indian  boy  about  a  dozen  years  old 
was  having  great  sport  with  them  by  tossing  them  with  his  feet 
to  ace  bow  high  he  could  send  them. 

On  the  third  day  of  my  captivity  I  was  taken  out  by  my 
squaw  mother  a  short  distance  from  oUr  tepee,  beside  a  cornfield 
fence,  and  was  given  to  understand  that  I  must  remain  there 
until  she  came  for  me.  After  being  there  a  short  time,  an  old 
squaw  came  to  me,  and,  leaning  against  the  fence,  gazed  at  me 
aome  time  before  speaking.  Finally  she  said  in  a  low  voice,  "Me 
Winnebago ;  Sioux  nepo  papoose, ' '  and  then  left.  I  never  learned 
why  I  was  taken  out  there,  but  have  thought  since  that  the 
Indians  had  decided  to  kill  my  child,  as  "nepo  papoose"  means 
"kill  a  baby;"  that  my  squaw  mother  took  me  there  for  the 
purpose  of  hiding  my  child  from  the  Indians,  and  that  being 
afraid  to  give  the  reason  herself  she  sent  this  old  squaw  from 
another  tribe  to  tell  me. 

During  this  week  of  tepee  life  the  ludicrous  alternated  with 
the  sublime,  the  laughable  with  the  heartThreakmg  and  pathetic. 
We  saw  papooses  of  all  sizes  robed  in  rich  laces  and  bedecked  in 
many  fantastic  styles  with  silk  fabrics,  until  one  must  laugh 
despite  all  their  fearful  surroundings.  When  the  laugh  died  on 
our  lips  the  terrible  thought  crowded  into  our  minds,  Where  did 
these  things  come  fromt  What  tales  could  they  tell  if  power 
were  given  them  to  speak  t  Where  are  the  butchered  and  muti- 
lated forms  that  once  wore  themT  My  heart  was  crushed,  my 
brain  reeled,  and  I  grew  faint  and  sick  wondering,  or  rather 
trying  not  to  wonder,  what  would  be  our  own  fate. 

The  Indians  through  plunder  had  on  hand  a  good  supply  of 
provisions,  consisting  of  flour,  dried  fruit,  groceries  of  various 
kinds  and  an  abundance  of  fresh  meat.  Their  manner  of  cook- 
ing was  not  very  elaborate;  an  epicure  would  not  have  relished 


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204  HI-STORY  OF  RENVILLE  COCNTY 

it  as  well  as  we  did,  until  after  being  forced  by  the  pain  or  weak- 
ness caused  by  the  want  of  food.  Hunger  will  make  food  cooked 
after  the  maimer  of  the  Indians  palatable. 

At  times  it  seemed  to  me  as  though  a  hand  had  grasped  my 
throat  and  was  choking  me  every  time  I  tried  to  swallow  food 
so  great  was  the  stricture  brought  about  by  the  fearful  tension 
on  the  nervous  system.  Truly  and  well  has  it  been  said  that  no 
bodily  suffering,  however  great,  is  so  keen  as  mental  torture. 

My  squaw  mother  was  our  cook.  She  mixed  bread  in  a  six- 
quart  pan  by  stirring  flour  into  about  two  quarters  of  warm 
water,  with  one  teaeupful  of  tallow  and  a  little  saleratus,  bring- 
ing it  to  the  eonsisteuey  of  biscuit  dough.  She  then  took  the 
dough  out  of  the  pan,  turned  it  bottom  side  up  on  the  ground, 
placed  the  dough  on  the  pan,  patted  it  flat  with  her  hands,  cut 
it  in  small  pieces,  and  fried  it  in  tatlow.  Potatoes  they  usually 
roasted  in  the  hot  embers  of  the  camp  fire.  Their  manner  of 
broiling  beefsteak  was  to  put  the  steak  across  two  sticks  over 
the  blaze,  without  salting,  and  in  a  few  minutes  it  was  done. 
Tripe  was  an  extremely  favorite  dish  among  them,  and  they 
were  quite  quick  in  its  preparation.  The  intestines  were  taken 
between  the  thumb  and  finger,  the  contents  were  squeezed  out, 
and  then  without  washing  the  tripe  was  broiled  and  prepared 
in  regular  Indian  epicurean  style. 

They  follow  their  white  brothers  in  their  love  for  tea  and 
coffee,  which  they  make  very  strong.  They  sometimes  flavored 
their  coffee  with  cinnamon.  My  share  of  coffee  was  always  given 
in  a  pint  bowl  with  three  tablespoonfuls  of  sugar  in  it.  I  ate 
some  bread,  which,  with  my  tea  and  coffee,  composed  my  bill 
of  fare  while  with  them.  In  fact,  I  think  I  could  not  have  eaten 
the  most  delicious  meal  ever  prepared  by  civilized  people  while 
a  prisoner  among  these  savages,  with  my  family  killed  or  scat- 
tered as  they  were  and  my  own  fate  still  preying  on  my  mind. 

The  Indians  were  all  great  lovers  of  jewelry,  as  every  school 
child  knows.  Every  captive  was  stripped  of  all  jewelry  and 
other  valuables  in  her  possession.  The  Sioux  did  not  wear  rings 
in  their  noses,  like  some  tribes;  but  every  other  available  place 
on  the  body  was  utilized  to  good  advantage  on  which  to  display 
jewelry.  The  clocks  that  had  been  plundered  from  many  a 
peaceful  home  were  taken  to  pieces  and  made  to  do  service  in 
this  line  of  decoration.  The  large  wheels  were  used  for  earrings, 
and  the  smaller  ones  as  bangles  on  bracelets  and  armlets. 

They  were  also  very  proud  of  being  able  to  carry  a  watch; 
but  their  clothing,  being  devoid  of  pockets,  lacked  the  most 
essential  convenience  for  this  purpose.  Consequently  some  of 
them  would,  in  derision,  fasten  the  chain  around  the  ankle  and 
let  the  watch  drag  on  the  ground. 

Ton  may  think  it  strange  that  I  took  any  notice  of  these 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  205 

little  incidents.  However  trifling  it  may  have  been  for  me  to 
obaerve  their  antics,  it  certainly  had  the  effect  partially  to  relieve 
me  of  the  great  weight  that  pressed  so  heavily  on  my  mind.  I 
looked  at  my  poor  little  starving  babe,  and  saw  that  he  was 
growing  thinner  every  day  from  pure  starvation.  I  thought  of 
my  husband  and  children,  whose  fate  I  might  never  know.  Had 
I  given  way  to  all  the  terrors  of  my  situation  I  should  not  have 
been  spared  to  meet  my  family  or  had  any  chance  of  escape,  but 
should  have  met  instant  death  at  the  hands  of  my  cruel  captors. 
My  will  sustained  me  and  forced  me  to  take  note  of  these  insig- 
nificant things,  80  that  I  might  not  sink  or  give  up  to  the  dread- 
ful reality  I  was  passing  through.  I  said  to  one  of  my  neighbor 
captives,  when  we  were  first  made  prisoners,  that  I  felt  just  like 
singing,  so  near  did  I  in  my  excitement  border  on  insanity,  I 
have  thought  since  many  times  that,  had  I  given  up  to  the 
impulse  and  sung,  it  would  have  been  a  wild  song  and  I  should 
have  certainly  crossed  the  border  of  insanity  and  entered  its 
confines.  Even  now,  after  thirty-six  years,  I  look  back  and 
shudder,  and  my  heart  nearly  stops  beating  when  these  awful 
things  present  themselves  fully  to  my  mind.  The  wonder  to 
me  is  how  I  ever  endured  it  all. 

The  warriors  were  away  all  the  time  we  were  in  Little  Crow's 
village.  They  came  back  in  time  to  escort  us  when  we  moved. 
They  told  us  they  had  burned  Fort  Ridgely  and  New  Ulm,  and 
would  soon  have  all  the  pale  faces  in  the  state  killed.  This  was 
said,  no  doubt,  to  make  our  trials  more  painful,  and  that  we 
might  realize  the  full  extent  of  their  power. 

All  the  time  I  remained  in  Little  Crow's  village  my  bed, 
shawl  and  sunbonnet,  covering  for  myself  and  babe,  both  night 
and  day,  consisted  of  only  one  poor  old  cotton  sheet,  and  on 
our  first  move  I  gave  it  to  an  Indian  to  carry  while  we  forded 
the  Redwood  river.  Indian-like,  he  kept  it.  So  my  squaw  mother 
gave  me  an  old,  dirty,  strong-scented  blanket,  which  I  was  com- 
pelled to  wear  around  me  in  squaw  fashion. 

On  the  fourth  day  of  my  captivity  the  squaws  went  out  on 
the  slough  and  came  back  with  their  arms  full  of  wet  grass, 
which  was  scattered  over  the  ground  inside  the  tepee  to  keep 
us  out  of  the  mud  caused  by  the  heavy  rains.  Every  night  when' 
I  lay  down  on  this  wet  grass  to  sleep  I  would  think  that  perhaps 
I  should  not  be  able  to  get  up  again,  and  sometimes  I  became 
almost  enough  discouraged  to  wish  that  I  would  never  be  able  to 
rise  again,  so  terrible  was  my  experience. 

I  was  frequently  sent  by  the  squaws  to  the  Minnesota  river, 
a  quarter  of  a  mile  distant,  to  bring  water  for  tepee  use.  At  one 
time  I  passed  several  tepees  where  Indians  and  half-breeds 
camped.  On  my  Jetum  they  set  up  a  frightful  whoop  and  yell, 
which  nearly  stunned  me  with  fear.    However,  I  kept  on  my  way, 


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206  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

drew  my  old  sheet  closer  around  me,  and  hurried  hack  as  fart 
as  possihle.  As  I  entered  our  tepee  I  drew  a  long  breath  of 
relief.    I  was  not  sent  there  for  water  again. 

My  sunbonnet  was  taken  from  me  when  I  was  first  captured. 
The  Indians  used  it  for  a  kinnikinick  bag.  Kinnikinick  is  a 
species  of  shrub  from  which  they  scrape  the  hark  to  smoke  with 
their  Indian  tobacco.  They  have  some  long  pipes.  While  smok- 
ing they  let  the  bowl  of  the  pipe  rest  on  the  ground.  When  this 
pipe  was  first  lighted  the  custom  among  them  was  to  pass  it 
around,  each  Indian  and  squaw  in  the  company  taking  two  or 
three  puffs.  I  never  saw  a  squaw  smoke  except  when  this  long 
pipe  was  passed  around.  The  pipe  was  not  presented  to  me  to 
take  a  puff.    I  believe  this  pipe  was  known  as  the  pipe  of  peace. 

A  week  having  elapsed  since  we  were  taken  to  Little  Crow's 
village,  and  the  warriors  having  all  returned,  an  aged  Indian 
marched  through  the  village  calling  out  "Puckachee!  Pucka- 
cbeel"  before  every  tepee;  then  the  squaws  immediately  com- 
menced taking  down  the  tejfees.  We  understood  that  the  crier 
had  given  command  for  a  move,  but  whither  we  did  not  know. 
Their  manner  of  moving  was  very  ingenious.  Every  tepee  has 
six  poles,  about  fifteen  feet  long,  which  were  fastened  by  strips 
or  rawhide  placed  around  the  pony's  neck  and  breast,  three  poles 
on  each  side  of  the  pony,  with  the  small  ends  on  the  ground.  A 
stick  was  tied  to  the  poles  behind  the  pony  to  keep  them  together 
and  spread  in  the  shape  of  a  V ;  and  on  the  stick  and  poles  bun- 
dles of  various  kinds,  kettles  and  even  papooses  were  fastened 
when  occasion  required.  It  is  astonishing  to  see  the  amount  of 
service  these  natives  will  get  out  of  one  tepee  and  an  Indian  pony. 

After  getting  the  wagons  and  the  pole  and  pony  conveyances 
loaded,  and  everything  else  in  readiness,  our  procession  was 
ordered  to  "puckachee,"  and  away  we  went,  one  hundred  and 
seven  white  prisoners  and  about  the  same  number  of  half-breeds 
who  called  themselves  prisoners  (they  may  have  been  prisoners 
in  one  sense  of  the  word),  eight  hundred  warriors,  their  fami- 
lies and  luggage  of  various  kinds.  We  had  a  train  three  miles 
long.  On  either  side  of  our  procession  were  mounted  warriors, 
bedecked  with  war  paint,  feathers  and  ribbons,  and  they  pre-  . 
sented  a  very  gay  appearance,  galloping  back  and  forth  on  each 
side  of  this  long  train.  Their  orders  were  to  shoot  any  white 
prisoner  that  ventured  to  pass  through  their  ranks.  This  was 
done,  of  course,  to  intimidate  the  prisoners.  I  shall  never  forget 
the  varied  sights  this  motley  procession  presented  to  my  view — 
the  warrior  in  his  glory,  feasting  over  the  fact  that  he  had  killed 
or  captured  so  many  of  his  white  enemies  and  thereby  gotten 
his  revenge  for  the  great  wrongs  he  had  suffered  from  them ;  and 
the  innocent  victims,  the  prisoners,  so  woe-begone,  so  heart- 
broken, 80  grotesque  and  awkward  in  their  Indian  dress,  pajring 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  207 

the  penalty  that  the  red  man  imagined  the  white  man  owed  him, 
for  an  Indian  cares  not  whether  it  is  the  perpetrator  o£  a  wrong 
or  not,  if  he  finds  some  white  victim  whereon  to  wreak  his 
revenge. 

Our  ears  were  almost  deafened  hj  the  barking  of  dogs,  the 
lowing  of  cattle,  the  "Puckaehee!  Whoal  Gee!"  of  the  Indians 
in  driving  their  teams  of  oxen,  the  neighing  of  horses,  the  bray- 
ing of  mules,  the  rattle  of  heavy  wagons.  In  fact,  to  me  if 
seemed  like  a  huge  chaotic  mass  of  living  beings  making  des- 
perate efforts  to  escape  some  great  calamity. 

On  we  went  with  the  utmost  speed,  the  Indians  seeming  to 
be  in  great  glee.  We  crossed  the  Redwood  river  about  one  mile 
from  its  entrance  into  the  Minnesota  river.  The  stream,  swollen 
by  recent  heavy  rains  and  having  a  strong  current,  was  difficult 
and  even  dangerous  to  ford.  Mrs.  Earle,  her  daughter  and 
myself  locked  arms  while  crossing.  Mrs.  Earle 's  feet  were  once 
taken  from  under  her,  and  she  would  have  gone  down  stream 
had  it  not  been  for  the  aid  received  from  us.  A  squaw  carried 
my  babe  across.  Every  Indian  and  squaw  seemed  to  be  in  a 
great  hurry  to  cross  first.  They  dashed  pell-mell  into  the  water, 
regardless  of  their  chances  to  land  their  teams. 

On  this  march  I  had  to  walk  and  carry  my  child.  I  carried 
him  on  my  arms,  which  was  very  disgusting  to  the  squaws.  They 
frequently  took  him  from  my  arms  and  placed  him  on  my  back, 
aquaw-fashion,  but  he  always  managed  somehow  to  slip  down 
and  I  had  him  in  my  arms  again.  Before  noon  I  became  so  tired 
that  I  sat  down  to  rest  beside  the  road.  The  sqaaws,  in  passing 
me,  would  say  "Puckaehee!"  But  I  remained  sitting  about  ten 
minutes,  I  should  think,  when  an  old  Indian  came  to  me  and  took 
hold  of  my  hand  to  help  me  up.  I  shook  my  head.  He  then  had 
the  train  halt,  or  a  part  of  it,  a  short  time.  I  afterward  learned 
that  a  council  was  held,  the  object  being  to  come  to  some  agree- 
ment as  to  how  they  would  deal  with  me.  Some  thought  beat 
to  kill  me  and  my  child;  others  thought  not.  The  final  conclu- 
sion was  to  take  my  child,  place  him  on  a  loaded  wagon,  and 
start  the  train.  Then,  if  I  did  not  "puckaehee,"  they  would 
kill  me  and  the  baby  also.  They  started,  after  putting  the  child 
on  a  wagon,  and  I  followed,  taking  hold  of  the  end-board  of  the 
wagon,  which  proved  to  be  a  great  help  to  me  to  the  end  of  our 
day's  march.  We  followed  up  the  Minnesota  river  valley  until 
we  came  to  Rice  creek,  reaching  that  point  about  sundown,  hav- 
ing traveled  nearly  eighteen  miles. 

Our  tepees  were  soon  pitched,  and  everything  quickly  settled 
into  the  usual  routine  of  tepee  life.  Then  I  wandered  and 
searched  around  among  the  tepees  to  see  if  I  could  find  my 
daughter  and  other  friends  who  helped  to  make  this  long  train. 

After  a  short  walk  among  the  Indiana  and  tepees,  I  was  eom- 


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ii08  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

pletely  overjoyed  at  meeting  my  daughter,  whom  I  had  not  seen 
since  we  forded  the  Minnesota  river  on  the  day  we  were  made 
captives.  It  was  like  seeing  one  risen  from  the  dead  to  meet 
her.  She  was  as  happy  as  myself.  And  oh !  how  pleased  we 
were  that  so  far  we  had  been  spared  not  only  from  death,  but, 
worse  than  that,  the  Indian's  lust.  Killing  beef  eattle,  cooking, 
and  eating,  seemed  to  be  done  in  great  glee  in  this  camp. 

The  fourth  day  of  our  stay  here  the  command  "Puckachee!" 
was  sent  along  as  before,  and  our  gigantic  motley  cavalcade,  with 
ita  strange  confusion,  was  soon  on  the  move  westward  again. 
We  passed  Yellow  Medicine  village,  near  which  the  Upper  Sioux 
Agency  was  located.  As  we  came  in  sight  of  it,  we  could  see 
the  barracks  burning,  also  the  mills  situated  at  this  point,  where 
we  crossed  the  Yellow  Medicine  river.  John  Other  Day,  who 
was  a  friend  to  the  whites,  and  was  the  means  of  saving  sixty- 
two  lives,  had  his  house  burned  to  the  ground. 

We  stopped' after  traveling  a  distance  of  ten  miles,  and  re- 
mained there  eight  or  ten  days.  That  part  of  the  train  where  I 
was,  pitched  their  tepees  beside  a  mossy  slough,  from  which  we 
obtained  water  for  tepee  use.  The  first  few  days  the  water  cov- 
ered the  moss  and  could  be  dipped  with  a  cup.  The  cattle  were 
allowed  to  stand  in  It,  and  dozens  of  little  Indians  were  playing 
in  it  every  day;  consequently  the  water  soon  became  somewhat 
unpalatable  to  the  fastidious.  However,  we  continued  to  use  it. 
After  remaining  there  three  or  four  days  the  water  sank  below 
the  moss.  To  get  it  then  we  had  to  go  out  on  the  moss  and  stand 
a  few  minutes,  when  the  water  would  collect  about  our  feet.  It 
is  astonishing  how  some  persons  will  become  reconciled  to  such 
things  when  forced  upon  them. 

A  papoose  was  very  sick,  bat  nothing  was  given  it  to  relieve 
the  little  sufferer.  It  died  about  sundown.  They  made  no  dem- 
onstration of  grief  when  it  died,  nor  mourned  in  the  least;  but 
after  an  hour  or  two  the  warriors  returned,  and  I  suppose  that 
when  notified  they  must  have  given  the  mourning  signal,  A 
dismal  wailing  was  then  begun  and  was  continued  about  a  half 
hour.  It  stopped  just  as  suddenly  as  it  began,  and  not  another 
sound  was  heard.  I  did  not  know  when  or  where  the  remains 
were  deposited,  so  stealthy  were  they  in  their  movements. 

The  death  of  this  baby  caused  me  to  think  of  the  probable 
death  of  my  own.  The  little  fellow  was  a  mere  skeleton,  I  was 
only  able  to  get  a  small  quantity  of  milk  for  him  once  in  two 
days.  This  was  all  that  kept  him  from  starving.  To  hold  him  and 
watch  him,  knowing  that  he  was  gradually  pining  away,  was 
what  I  hope  no  mother  will  ever  be  called  upon  to  witness. 

It  was  no  uncommon  occurrence  to  see  the  Indians,  just  be- 
fore going  out  on  a  raid  or  to  battle,  decorate  themselves  with 
feathers,  ribbons,  and  paint.    The  most  hideous  looking  object  I 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  209 

ever  beheld  was  a  large,  tall  Indian,  who  had  besmeared  hie  face 
all  over  with  vermillion  red,  and  then  had  painted  a  atripe  of 
green  around  each  eye  and  his  mouth,  thickly  dotting  these 
stripes  with  bright  yellow  paint.  Others  would  paint  their 
faces  red,  and  then  apply  a  bright  coat  of  yellow,  which  gave  it 
a  sunset  hue,  after  which  a  blue  flower  was  usually  painted  on 
each  cheek.  Some  of  them  would  daub  their  faces  with  some- 
thing that  looked  like  dark  blue  clay,  and  then  would  make  zig- 
zag streaks  down  their  faces  with  their  fingers,  leaving  a  stripe 
of  clay  and, — well,  a  streak  of  Indian. 

The  squaws  seemed  to  take  great  pride  in  ornamenting  their 
head  and  hair.  They  usually  parted  their  hair  in  the  middle  of 
the  forehead,  plaited  it  in  two  braids,  and  tied  the  enda  firmly 
with  buckskin  strings,  on  which  were  strung  three  large  glass 
beads  at  the  end  of  each  string.  Then  they  painted  a  bright  red 
streak  over  the  head  where  the  hair  was  parted.  I  saw  one  squaw 
with  five  holes  in  the  rim  of  each  ear,  from  which  hung  five 
brass  chains  dangling  on  her  shoulders,  with  a  dollar  gold  piece 
fastened  to  each  chain. 

After  the  warriors  had  completed  the  work  of  painting  to 
their  liking,  they  gathered  in  small  squads,  seemingly  for  consul- 
tation. They  presented  a  very  frightful  appearance.  Soon  they 
began  to  gather  in  larger  parties  and  start  off  in  different  direc- 
tions, for  the  purpose,  as  I  supposed,  of  victimizing  some  innocent 
settler.  Many  cattle  were  now  being  brought  into  camp,  but  no 
captives ;  which  led  me  to  believe  that  they  massacred  indiscrim- 
inately men,  women,  and  children,  and  that  proved  to  have  been 
the  case.  The  squaws  seemed  at  all  times  to  be  highly  elated  over 
the  good  success  the  Indians  had  in  bringing  into  camp  beef  cat- 
tle; "ta-ton-koes,"  they  called  them.  They  were  also  well  pleased 
with  tlie  false  reports  which  the  Indians  made  in  stating  that 
they  had  killed  or  driven  nearly  all  the  white  people  from  Min- 
nesota. 

To  save  labor  in  harvesting  and  hauling  corn  and  potatoes  into 
camp,  we  made  many  short  moves  from  one  enclosure  to  another. 
Cattle,  horses  and  ponies,  were  turned  loose  in  the  fields  of  grain. 
As  soon  as  the  supply  was  exhausted,  we  moved  on.  At  the  end 
of  one  remove,  I  saw  an  old  squaw  with  a  very  nice  black  silk 
shawl,  which  she  had  worn  over  her  head,  squaw-fashion,  while 
on  the  move  climb  over  a  rail  fence  and  throw  the  shawl  on  the 
groimd  in  the  potato  field.  Then  with  all  her  might  she  com- 
menced digging  or  scratching  out  potatoes  with  her  hands,  throw- 
ing them  on  the  shawl  until  she  had  gathered  nearly  a  half 
bushel,  after  which  she  gathered  up  the  corners  of  the  shawl, 
threw  them  over  her  shoulder,  and  hurried  away  to  the  campfire. 

For  one  reason  we  were  always  glad  to  move;  it  furnished 
us  a  clean  camp  ground  for  a  few  days.    But  oh !  the  thought  that 


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210  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

I  was  a  prisoner  in  the  hands  of  savage  Indians,  moving  on  farth- 
er and  farther  from  relatives,  friends  and  civilization,  into  the 
far  Northwestern  wilds,  inhabited  only  by  cmel  savages  who 
lived  in  tepees,  and  cold  weather  coming  on!  I  met  an  old 
Frenchman,  who  had  married  a  squaw  and  had  lived  with  the 
Indians  a  long  time.  He  could  speak  a  little  English.  Judge 
what  my  feelings  must  have  been  when  he  said  to  me,  "I  'spect 
you'll  all  die  when  cold  weather  comes,"  meaning  the  white 
captives. 

Many  times  have  I  reluctantly  retired  for  the  night  on  the 
cold,  damp  ground,  with  my  child  on  my  arm,  unable  to  sleep, 
thinking  of  friends  and  home.  If  by  chance  my  eyes  were  closed 
in  sleep,  I  would  sometimes  dream  of  seeing  Indians  perpetrating 
some  act  of  cruelty  on  innocent  white  captives.  Occasionally  I 
would  dream  of  having  made  my  escape  from  my  captors,  and 
was  safe  among  my  relatives  and  friends  in  a  civilized  country. 
But  on  awaking  from  my  slumbers,  oh !  the  anguish  of  mind^  the 
heart-emshing  pangs  of  grief,  to  again  fully  realize  that  I  was  a 
prisoner  still  among  the  Indians,  not  knowing  how  soon  I  would 
be  subjected  to  the  cruelties  of  these  revengeful  savages  1 

In  order  to  make  myself  as  agreeable  as  possible  to  them,  I 
feigned  cheerfulness,  and  took  particular  notice  of  their  papooses, 
hoping  that  by  so  doing  I  would  receive  better  treatment  from 
them,  which  I  think  had  the  desired  effect.  Once  I  was  unable 
to  suppress  my  feelings  while  in  the  presence  of  my  Indian 
father,  who  was  quick  to  observe  my  gushing  tears  and  heart 
throbs,  which  must  have  excited  his  sympathy  for  me.  He  said, 
through  an  interpreter,  that  he  would  give  me  bread  and  let  me 
go;  "but,"  said  he,  "the  warriors  will  find  you  and  kill  you," — 
as  much  as  to  say,  "You  had  better  remain  with  us."  This  was 
after  we  had  gone  so  far  from  white  settlements  that  it  would 
have  been  impossible  for  me  to  make  my  way  on  foot  and  alone 
through  the  Indian  country. 

While  in  the  camp  beside  the  mossy  slough,  Little  Crow  and 
twenty  or  thirty  of  his  chief  warriors  had  a  war  council  and  dog 
feast.  They  occupied  a  place  on  the  prairie  a  short  distance  out- 
side of  the  camp  ground,  where  they  seated  themselves  on  the 
ground  in  a  circle  around  a  large  kettle,  hung  over  a  fire,  in 
which  the  carcass  of  a  fat  dog  was  being  boiled.  The  United 
States  flag  was  gracefully  waving  over  their  detestable  heads. 
What  a  contrast  between  this  exhibition  of  hostile  Indians  and 
the  gathering  of  loyal  citizens  of  the  United  States  under  the 
stars  and  stripes,  celebrating  our  nation  'a  birthday ! 

These  dusky  savages  seemed  to  have  parliamentary  rules  of 
their  own.  One  would  rise,  with  solid  dignity,  and  deliver  his 
harangue,  after  which  they  one  by  one  would  dip  their  ladles 
into  the  kettle  of  dog  soup,  until  each  had  served  himself  to 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  211 

Boup.  Then  came  anotber  speech  and  another  dip  by  all.  Thus 
they  alternated  until  all  or  nearly  all  had  their  say  and  had  their 
appetite  satisfied  with  canine  soup.  Dog  soup  by  them  is  con- 
sidered to  be  a  superb  and  honored  dish.  None  but  Indians  of 
high  rank  were  allowed  to  partake. 

Dog  beef  was  sometimes  cooked  by  hanging  the  dog  in  a 
horizontal  position  by  both  fore  and  hind  le^  under  a  pole  over 
a  fire,  without  being  dressed,  except  that  the  entrails  were 
removed.  When  dogs  are  cooked  in  this  manner  all  are  allowed 
to  partake. 

These  natives  generally  used  their  fingers  in  conveying  food 
to  their  mouths.  If  their  meat  was  too  hard  to  crush  with  their 
teeth,  or  too  tough  to  tear  with  their  fingers  and  teeth,  they 
would  firmly  hold  the  meat  in  their  teeth  and  one  hand,  and, 
with  a  sharp  knife  in  the  other  hand,  cut  the  meat  between  the 
teeth  and  fingers. 

On  the  eighth  or  tenth  day  of  our  stay  here  the  word  "Pueka- 
cbee!"  greeted  our  ears,  and  everything  was  soon  in  readiness 
for  a  move,  but  it  was  a  very  short  one.  We  stopped  beside  a 
small  stream  called  Hazel  Run.  Beside  this  stream  had  been 
built  residences  for  missionaries,  which  were  burned  to  the 
ground  soon  after  our  tepees  were  pitched. 

After  remaining  here  two  or  three  days,  we  were  given  orders 
as  before  to  move  on,  and  went  only  three  or  four  miles.  On  the 
way  we  passed  several  small  lakes,  and  our  train  was  stopped 
long  enough  near  one  of  them  to  allow  the  squaws  to  do  some 
washing.  This  was  the  first  washing  that  had  been  done  since 
my  stay  with  them.  The  squaws'  mode  of  washing  their  wardrobe 
was  to  walk  into  water  two  or  three  feet  deep,  then  quickly 
lower  and  raise  themselves,  and  at  the  same  time  rub  with  their 
hands.  Their  wet  clothing  was  allowed  to  remain  on  them  to 
dry.  The  squaws,  in  washing  their  faces,  would  take  water  in 
their  mouths,  spurt  it  into  their  hands  and  rub  it  over  their 
faces,  but  used  no  towel. 

Here  the  squaws  began  to  pay  much  attention  to  my  poor 
starving  babe.  They  would  put  their  hands  on  his  head  and  say, 
over  and  over,  "Washta,  washta  do,"  meaning  "good,  very 
good."  When  we  stopped  to  pitch  the  tepees  again  the  Indians 
had  what  they  called  a  horse  dance.  I  did  not  learn  whether 
it  celebrated  a  particular  event,  or  was  merely  for  amusement. 
Before  they  commenced  it  they  decked  their  ponies  with  cedar 
boughs,  and  the  warriors  with  feathers  and  ribbons.  Then  each 
warrior  mounted  his  pony  and  paraded  around  in  a  meaningless 
manner,  as  it  seemed  to  rae. 

Soon  after  this  horse  dance  my  squaw  mother  came  to  me  in 
a  very  excited  manner,  took  hold  of  me  and  fairly  dragged  me 
into  the  tepee,  telling  me  that  the  Sissetons  were  coming  to 


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212  HI8T0RY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

take  me  off.  She  hastily  threw  an  old  blanket  over  me,  and 
there  I  remained  with  my  babe  in  my  arms  for  hours.  I  finally 
fell  asleep  and  must  have  slept  quite  a  while.  Soon  after  wak- 
ing I  was  given  to  imderstand  that  I  might  go  out.  I  learned 
that  there  were  about  a  hundred  and  twenty-five  of  the  Sisseton 
tribe  with  us.  They  remained  three  days  and  left  camp,  taking 
nothing  but  a  few  ponies  with  them. 

While  in  this  camp  my  daughter  came  to  me,  crying  as 
though  her  heart  would  break,  and  told  me  an  Indian  was  coming 
that  night  to  claim  her  for  his  wife.  I  did  not  know  what  would 
be  best  to  do.  After  thinking  the  matter  over  I  concluded  to 
consult  with  a  half-breed  we  called  "Black  Robinson"  in  regard 
to  the  trouble.  After  hearing  what  I  had  to  say  he  remarked, 
"An  Indian  is  nething  but  a  hog,  anyway.  I  will  see  what  can 
be  done  about  it."  I  returned  and  told  my  daughter  what  he 
said,  and  she  returned  to  her  tepee  home,  leaving  me  to  worry 
over  the  great  danger  that  threatened  her.  Time  and  time  again 
I  thought,  Will  this  terrible  calamity  that  has  come  to  us  ever 
endf    Fortunately  we  heard  no  more  of  this  trouble. 

While  walking  out  one  afternoon  my  attention  was  called  to 
the  way  in  which  the  squaws  sometimes  put  their  papooses  to 
sleep.  They  were  fastened  on  a  board  about  eight  inches  wide, 
with  a  foot  rest,  and  ornamented  with  net  work  at  the  head, 
made  of  willow-twigs.  They  were  wrapped  to  the  board,  with 
their  arms  straight  down  by  their  sides  and  their  feet  on  the 
foot  rest,  by  winding  strips  of  cloth  around  them.  They  cry  and 
shake  their  heads  a  few  minutes  before  going  to  sleep.  In  warm 
weather,  imless  it  was  storming,  they  were  placed  outside  to 
sleep,  in  nearly  an  erect  position. 

The  Indians  and  squaws  had  rules  of  etiquette  which  they 
strictly  observed,  and  would  frequently  admonish  me  concern- 
ing them.  They  would  tell  me  how  to  sit  on  the  groond,  how  to 
stand  and  bow  to  go  in  and  out  the  tepee  door,  which  was  very 
low.  I  think  they  must  have  considered  me  a  dull  scholar,  for 
I  could  not  conform,  or  would  not,  to  all  their  notions  of  gen- 
tility. The  Indians  would  frequently  have  a  hearty  laugh  to 
see  me  go  in  and  out  the  tepee  door.  They  said  I  went  in  just 
like  a  frog.  The  tepees  were  of  uniform  size,  about  twelve  feet 
in  diameter  on  the  ground,  with  a  door  about  three  feet  high, 
that  is,  merely  a  parting  of  the  tent  cloth  or  hides,  of  which 
latter  the  tepees  were  usually  made. 

One  dark  and  dreary  rainy  day  I  was  put  into  a  tepee  made 
of  buflFalo  hides.  The  perfume  of  the  hides  was  not  very  pleasant 
to  the  smell;  however,  it  accorded  well  with  my  other  surround- 
ings. Why  I  was  put  into  this  tepee  I  know  not,  unless  it  was 
to  be  entertained  by  a  Sioux  quartette.  I  had  only  been  in  there 
a  short  time  when  four  warriors  came  in,  dressed  in  blankets. 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  213 

with  their  faces  shockingly  painted  with  war  paint  and  their 
heads  decorated  with  long  feathers.  Surely  they  presented  a 
fearful  sight.  Each  had  a  stick  about  two  feet  long.  They  paid 
no  attention  to  me,  hut  seated  themselves,  Indian  style,  on  the 
ground  in  a  circle  in  front  of  me,  and  beat  time  by  striking  on 
the  ground  with  their  sticks,  at  the  same  time  singing,  or  saying, 
*'Ki-o-wah-nay,  ki-o-wah-nay,  ki-o-wah-nay,  yaw-ah — ah."  After 
repeating  this  three  times  they  would  give  a  loud  whoop  and  a 
sharp  yell.  This  performance  waa  continued  three  or  four  hours. 
There  was  no  variation  in  the  modulation  of  their  voices  during 
all  this  time.  The  horrors  of  this  experience  I  can  never  forget. 
It  seemed  as  though  my  reason  would  be  dethroned  under  this 
terrible,  monotonous  chant.  When  they  stopped  and  in  single 
file  walked  out  of  the  tepee  I  clasped  my  hand  to  my  whirling 
brain  and  wondered  if  a  more  dreary  or  greater  mental  suffering 
conld  or  would  ever  befall  me. 

A  few  short  removes  now  brought  us  to  what  proved  to  be 
the  end  of  our  journey,  Camp  Release.  As  soon  as  the  tepeea 
were  set  the  squaws  and  Indians  commenced  running  bullets. 
They  had  bar  lead,  bullet  moulds  and  a  ladle  to  melt  lead  in. 
They  also  had  a  large  amount  of  powder  which  they  had  plun- 
dered, so  they  were  well  prepared  to  make  some  defense.  They 
gave  us  to  understand  that  they  expected  to  have  a  battle  in  a 
short  time  with  the  white  soldiers.  Also  they  gave  us  the  cheer- 
ing information  that,  if  the  white  soldiers  made  an  attack  on 
them,  we,  the  prisoners,  would  be  placed  in  front  of  them,  so  that 
our  rescuers'  bullets  would  strike  us  and  thereby  give  them  a 
chance  to  escape  in  case  of  their  defeat.  We  were  now  allowed 
to  visit  our  friends  a  little  while  every  day,  and  it  was  imder- 
Btood  among  us  that  if  such  proved  to  be  the  case  we  would  lie 
flat  on  the  ground  and  take  our  chances. 

The  expected  battle  was  fought  on  the  twenty-third  day  of 
September  at  Wood  Lake,  eighteen  miles  distant  from  our  camp, 
the  Indians  making  the  attack  on  General  Sibley's  forces.  A 
day  or  two  before  the  battle  there  was  a  disagreement  among 
the  Indians.  Some  of  them,  I  think,  were  in  favor  of  surrender- 
ing to  Sibley.  But  a  large  majority  were  opposed  to  it,  conse- 
quently a  removal  of  the  hostile  Indians  farther  west  took  place ; 
how  far  I  did  not  know.  The  captives  they  had  were  nearly  all 
left  with  those  who  wished  to  surrender. 

We  could  distinctly  hear  the  report  of  muskets  during  this 
battle.  We  were  now  in  the  greatest  danger  of  all  our  captivity; 
for,  with  defeat  of  the  Indians,  they  were  likely  to  return  and 
slay  all  the  white  captives  and  perhaps  some  of  the  half-breeds. 
The  latter  appeared  to  be  somewhat  alarmed,  and  consequently 
we  were  all  put  to  work  by  "Black  Robinson,"  throwing  up 
breastworks.    I  was  not  a  soldier,  but  soldier  never  worked  with 


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214  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

belter  will  than  I  did  to  get  those  fortificatioDB  completed.  I 
used  a  shovel ;  my  squaw  mother  used  an  old  tin  pan.  The 
remains  of  those  breaatworka  are  still  visible,  I  am  told.  When  I 
worked  on  them  I  had  no  idea  that  I  should  ever  take  any  pride 
in  the  remembrance  of  ray  labor  on  them,  but  I  do,  although  at 
the  time  I  felt  as  though  it  would  be  as  well  were  I  digging  my 
own  "narrow  house."  We  cannot  afford  to  part  with  the  remem- 
brance of  any  incidents  of  our  lives,  even  though  they  wej-e 
heavily  burdened  with  suffering  and  sorrow. 

We  were  also  made  to  construct  breastworks  inside  the  tepee. 
We  sank  a  hole  in  the  ground  about  eight  feet  in  diameter  and 
two  feet  deep,  and  placed  the  earth  around  the  pit,  thereby 
increasing  the  depth  to  about  four  feet.  In  this  den  eleven  of 
us  spent  three  nights.  While  the  battle  was  raging  the  squaws 
went  out  with  one-horse  wagons  to  take  ammunition  to  the  war- 
riors and  to  bring  in  the  dead  and  wounded  Indians.  Once  when 
they  returned  one  squaw  was  giving  vent  to  her  feelings  by 
chanting,  or  singing,  "Yah!  ho  ho!"  On  making  inquiry  I  was 
told  that  her  husband  had  been  killed.  On  the  next  two  days 
after  the  battle  we  were  almost  constantly  looking  and  longing 
to  see  the  soldiers  make  their  appearance  on  the  distant  prairie. 
The  hostile  Indians  had  returned  to  their  camp  before  sunset 
on  the  day  of  the  battle,  and  it  was  evident.to  us  by  their  appear- 
ance that  they  had  met  with  defeat.  But  each  day  the  sun  went 
down,  night  came  on  and  our  expectation  and  ardent  desires  were 
not  realized.  Therefore  we  were  compelled  through  fear  once 
more  to  enter  our  own  tepee  and  the  dismal  hole  in  the  ground 
before  mentioned,  to  spend  the  night,  with  fearful  forebodings 
that  the  hostile  Sioux  might  return  and  kill  us  before  morning. 
Our  tepees  were  guarded  during  the  night  by  Indians  who  pre- 
tended to  be  friendly,  but  I  could  not  sleep. 

Morning  came  with  bright  sunshine  on  the  day  of  our  deliver- 
ance, the  twenty-sixth  of  September.  Being  so  anxious  to  be 
delivered  from  our  present  surroundings,  we  could  not  refrain 
from  gazing,  as  we  had  done  on  the  two  former  days,  nearly 
all  the  time  in  the  direction  of  the  battle  ground,  to  see  who 
should  get  the  first  view  of  our  expected  rescuers.  About  ten 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  to  our  great  joy  and  admiration,  the 
glimmer  of  the  soldiers'  bayonets  was  first  seen  and  pointed  out 
to  US  by  the  Indians,  before  we  could  see  the  men.  As  they  came 
nearer  and  nearer  our  hearts  beat  quicker  and  quicker  at  the 
increased  prospect  of  our  speedy  release. 

When  they  had  come  within  about  a  half  mile  of  our  camp 
the  Indians  sent  a  number  of  us  to  the  Minnesota  river  for  water, 
telling  us  the  palefaces  would  be  thirsty.  They  thought,  as  did 
the  captives,  that  the  soldiers  would  come  right  among  us  and 
camp  near  by,  but  they  marched  past  about  a  half  mile,  where 


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HISTORY  OP  REm'^ILLE  COUNTY  215 

they  pitched  their  tents.  A  flag  of  truce  waa  flying  over  every 
tepee.  After  the  soldiers  had  passed  by  some  of  the  Indians 
came  in  laughing,  saying  the  white  soldiers  were  such  old  men 
that  they  had  lost  all  their  teeth.  They  had  an  idea  that  all  of 
our  young  men  were  engaged  to  our  civil  war.  The  papooses 
were  skirling  aroond  with  a  flag  of  truce,  shouting  "Sibilee, 
Sibilee!"  as  though  they  thought  it  great  sport. 

While  the  soldiers  were  pitching  their  tents  the  general  sent 
orders  for  ub  to  remain  in  the  tepees  until  he  came  for  us.  This 
was  a  very  hard  command  for  us  to  obey,  now  that  an  oppor- 
tunity came  for  us  to  flee  from  our  captors. 

The  tepees  were  set  in  a  circle.  After  about  one  and  a  half 
hours  General  Sibley  marched  his  command  inside  of  this  circle. 
The  general  now  held  a  consultation  with  some  of  the  Indians, 
after  which  the  soldiers  were  formed  into  a  hollow  square.  The 
captives  were  then  taken  into  this  square  by  the  Indian  who 
claimed  to  have  protected  them  during  their  captivity,  including 
also  those  captives  who  had  been  left  with  them  by  the  hostile 
Indians.  Some  had  only  one  or  two  to  deliver  up;  others  had 
eight  or  ten.  Those  who  had  the  largest  number  to  deliver 
brought  them  forward  in  a  haughty  manner.  My  Indian  father 
bad  seven  captives  to  give  up. 

After  all  the  white  captives  were  delivered  to  the  general  in 
military  style,  the  order  was  given  to  move  to  the  soldiers'  tents. 
I  aim  sure  every  captive  there  offered  up  fervent  and  grateful 
thanksgiving  that  the  hour  of  release  had  come.  Right  well  did 
this  Camp  Release  come  by  its  title.  I  believe  every  adult  cap- 
tive has  a  warm  place  in  her  memory  for  this  spot  of  prairie  land, 
where  so  many  destinies  hung  by  a  thread,  with  the  balance 
ready  to  go  for  or  against  us.  Every  Indian,  after  having  deliv- 
ered his  last  captive,  walked  directly  out  of  this  hollow  square, 
and  was  conducted  by  a  soldier  to  where  he,  I  supposed,  was 
kept  under  guard. 

This  giving  up  or  release  of  the  captives  was  one  of  the  most 
impressive  scenes  that  it  has  ever  been  my  lot  to  witness.  Many 
of  my  fellow  captives  were  shedding  tears  of  joy  as  they  were 
being  delivered  up.  After  reaching  the  tents  prepared  for  us 
many  commenced  laughing ;  oh  such  joyful  peals  from  some,  and 
from  others  came  a  jerking,  hysterical  laugh.  Others  were 
rapidly  talking  and  gesticulating  with  friends  whom  they  had 
just  met,  as  if  fairly  insane  with  delight  in  meeting  relatives 
and  friends  and  to  be  freed  from  their  savage  captors.  And 
again  there  were  others  clappuig  their  hands  and  whirling  around 
in  wild  delight  over  the  happy  good  fortune  that  had  come 
to  us. 

As  for  myself,  I  could  only  remain  silent,  as  if  an  inspiration 
had  come  to  me  from  the  great  beyond.    I  gazed  at  this  assembly 


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216  HISTORY  OF  BENVILLE  COUNTY 

of  released  captives  while  in  their  manifestationa  of  joy  and 
happiness,  tinctured  with  grief  from  the  loss  of  dear  friends  and 
relatives,  and  in  quiet  satisfaction  drew  the  fresh  free  air  into 
my  lungs  and  thought  what  contentment  and  peace  freedom 
hrings  to  one  who  had  heen  a  captive  among  the  wild  savages  of 
the  Northwest.  None  hut  those  who  have  passed  through  the 
terrible  experience  can  ever  know  the  varied  feelings  and  emotion 
which  the  deliverance  produced. 

We  still  wore  our  eqnaw  suits.  Some  of  us  were  given  quar- 
ters in  what  were  called  or  known  as  Sibley  tents,  and  others  in 
smaller  tents.  It  was  now  about  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon, 
and  by  reason  of  our  not  having  had  dinner,  the  soldiers  treated 
us  to  a  lunch,  consisting  of  light  biscuit  and  apple  sauce.  It  was 
not  served  after  modem  style.  We  simply  gathered  around  two 
large  dishpans  containing  our  lunch,  and  each  helped  herself. 
When  supper  time  came  the  soldiers  brought  into  our  tent,  pre- 
pared to  be  served,  an  abundance  of  rice,  hardtack,  coffee  and 
meat.  My  lunch  was  the  most  delicious  repast  I  ever  enjoyed, 
it  being  the  first  white  cooking  I  had  tasted  since  I  ate  breakfast 
in  my  own  home  the  day  J  was  captured;  but  my  appetite  for 
supper  entirely  failed  me  in  consequence  of  having  had  the  late 
lunch,  and  because  of  the  excitement  produced  by  our  release. 
After  the  first  day  of  our  release  a  eampfire  was  provided  us  and 
we  had  the  privilege  of  doing  our  own  cooking.  A  guard  was 
placed  around  our  tents  and  eampfire,  the  object,  I  suppose, 
being  to  keep  away  all  would-be  intruders. 

My  mind  was  now  involuntarily  absorbed  in  the  strange 
sights  of  the  afternoon.  I  could  scarcely  think  a  moment  in 
regard  to  the  condition  or  whereabouts  of  my  family.  I  had 
not  learned  whether  they  all  succeeded  in  making  their  escape 
or  were  all  killed  and  scalped  by  the  Indians. 

We  remained  with  the  soldiers  ten  days  for  the  purpose  of 
giving  our  testimony  against  the  Indians.  The  soldiers  were 
very  kind  to  us,  being  always  careful  to  provide  campfires  for  us, 
and  seemed  at  all  times  to  take  delight  in  making  us  feel  at  home, 
or  at  least  among  civilized  people.  Three  different  times  dur- 
ing our  stay  with  them  they  serenaded  us  with  songs.  As  the 
sweet  sounds  of  civilization  greeted  my  ear  the  great  contrast 
between  freedom  and  captivity  among  savages  grew  more  promi- 
nent. I  shall  always  hold  these  brave  soldiers  in  most  grateful 
remembrance. 

In  the  forenoon  of  our  last  day  with  the  soldiers,  Mrs.  David 
Carrothers,  Mrs.  Earle  and  myself  were  out  consulting  with  a 
soldier  (Mrs.  Carrothers'  brother)  on  the  chances  or  prospect 
of  our  getting  to  St.  Peter.  After  having  talked  the  matter  over, 
and  when  we  were  returning  to  our  tent,  I  caught  sight  of  my 
husband,  of  whom  I  had  not  known  whether  he  was  dead  or  alive, 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  217 

accompanied  by  J.  W.  Earle.  I  leave  you  to  imagine  our  feel- 
ings at  this  meeting,  words  would  be  inadequate. 

Mr.  Earle  and  my  husband,  having  learned  of  the  release  of 
their  families,  had  engaged  William  Mills,  then  of  St.  Peter,  to 
go  with  a  four-horse  team  with  them  to  Camp  Release,  a  distance 
of  about  120  miles,  for  the  purpose  of  bringing  their  families  to 
St.  Peter.  They  arrived  at  Camp  Release  about  ten  o'clock  in 
the  forenoon  of  the  fifth  day  of  October.  Soon  after  dinner  we 
started  with  our  husbands,  children  and  Mr.  Mills  for  St.  Peter, 
without  an  escort. 

Whether  or  not  our  husbands  were  proud  of  us  in  our  squaw 
dress  we  did  not  stop  to  question,  for  we  were  so  glad  to  get 
started  for  civilization  that  we  did  not  take  a  second  thought  to 
oiu-  clothing,  but  rode  triumphantly  into  St,  Peter  in  squaw  cos- 
tume. Danger  was  thick  around  us  on  our  journey.  Conse- 
quently Mr.  Mills  hurried  his  team,  forded  the  Redwood  river 
soon  after  dark  in  the  same  place  where  we  crossed  when  going 
west  with  the  Indians,  and  stopped  for  the  night  in  a  small 
Indian  log  hut. 

The  three  men  stood  on  guard  until  two  o'clock,  when,  fear- 
ing the  presence  of  stray  Indians,  we  became  uneasy  and  con- 
cluded to  journey  on  in  the  night.  We  arrived  at  the  Lower 
Siouz  agency  about  sunrise,  or  where  the  village  and  the  agency 
buildings  had  been  located.  All  had  been  destroyed  by  fire.  Here 
we  visited  the  garden  that  had  belonged  to  Dr.  Humphrey,  who 
was  killed,  and  also  all  the  members  of  his  family,  while  trying 
to  make  their  escape,  excepting  one  son.  We  found  some  onions 
and  tomatoes  and  boiled  a  few ;  with  the  government  rations  they 
made  quite  a  good  breakfast. 

While  there  I  could  almost  see  where  our  house  was  located 
on  Beaver  creek,  and  had  a  pretty  fair  view  of  the  prairie  over 
which  we  were  so  frightfully  chased  by  hostile  Sioux  Indians. 
The  sight  brought  back  vivid  remembrance  in  my  mind  of  just 
what  transpired  there  on  the  eighteenth  day  of  August.  Before 
my  mental  eye  was  unrolled  a  panorama  of  fearful  deeds  per- 
petrated by  the  wild  men  of  the  Northwest,  shockingly  painted, 
and  having  their  beads  decorated  with  feathers  according  to  their 
rank ;  also  the  cruelties  committed  on  innocent  white  people  on 
that  memorable  day.  I  could  see  the  Indians  as  they  surrounded 
us  with  their  guns  presented  at  the  men,  demanding  of  them  a 
surrender  of  all  their  teams,  etc.,  to  them.  I  could  see  men, 
women,  boys  and  girls  in  almost  every  direction  in  alarmed 
haste,  closely  pursued  by  Indiana,  shooting  them.  I  could  see 
two  men  holding  up  a  flag  of  truce  over  a  wagon  in  which  a  sick 
woman  and  her  two  children  lay  on  a  bed.  I  saw  again  the  blaze 
and  smoke  arising  from  the  burning  bed,  where  Mrs.  Henderson 
and  her  two  children  were  put  to  death  in  a  shocking  manner. 


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218  HISTORY  OB'  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

I  saw  my  eon  as  he  paased  me  in  great  haste  when  be  said  to  me, 
"Ma,  run  faster,  or  they  will  catch  you."  Poor  boy;  bis  remains 
were  never  found.  Then,  after  the  first  fright  was  over,  and  the 
men  and  boys  and  their  pursuers  were  out  of  sight,  I  could  see 
myself  with  other  captives  walking  back  into  captivity  among 
a  barbarous  people,  escorted  by  our  cruel  captors. 

We  still  journeyed  on  the  south  side  of  the  Minnesota  river 
until  we  reached  the  ferry  near  Port  Ridgely,  where  we  crossed 
the  river,  arriving  at  the  fort  about  noon.  On  the  road  between 
the  agency  and  the  fort  we  saw  the  body  of  a  man  who  had 
recently  been  killed,  of  which  we  notified  the  military  officials, 
who  soon  sent  a  burial  party, 

"We  took  dinner  at  the  fort,  and  then  traveled  on  until  sunset, 
and  stopped  with  a  German  over  night.  I  think  this  was  the  first 
house  we  passed  where  people  lived.  During  the  night  rain  came 
down  in  torrents,  which  made  the  roads  very  bad.  StiU  we 
traveled  on  in  the  morning,  and  arrived  at  St.  Peter  just  in  the 
shade  of  evening.  In  the  outskirts  of  the  village  we  were  halted 
by  the  picket's  "Who  goes  theret"  Our  answer  was  satisfaC' 
tory,  and  we  were  then  allowed  to  go  on,  and  at  nine  o'clock 
were  being  hospitably  entertained  by  a  Mrs.  Fisher.  Here  we 
exchanged  our  squaw  outfit  for  new  calico  dresses,  and  really 
began  to  feel  as  though  we  were  white  folks  again. 

My  babe's  weight  was  now  just  eight  pounds,  and  he  was  a 
little  past  seven  months  old.  I  found  my  twelve-year-old  boy 
here  safe  and  well.  Our  family  was  now  all  together  excepting 
our  oldest  son,  whose  life  was  taken  to  satisfy  the  revenge  of  the 
Sioux  warrior.  My  mind  was  now  at  rest,  at  least  as  to  the 
whereabouts  of  my  family,  and  we  could  begin  to  plan  as  to  what 
we  should  do.  We  were  among  strangers  and  had  but  very  little 
money.  Our  horses,  cattle,  sheep,  farming  implements,  house- 
hold furniture,  etc.,  to  the  value  of  nearly  three  thousand  dollars, 
had  been  all  taken  or  destroyed  by  the  Indians. 

One  afternoon,  while  my  husband  and  I  were  conferring 
together  about  what  was  best  for  us  to  do,  we  were  agreeably 
surprised  by  meeting  an  old  neighbor  just  from  our  Wisconsin 
home,  who  had  volunteered  to  carry  financial  aid  to  us,  which 
had  been  donated  by  the  neighbors.  This  aid  was  gratefully 
received  and  was  a  surprise  to  us.  We  now  could  buy  some  neces- 
sary articles  of  clothing  and  pay  our  fare  back  to  Wisconsin. 

After  remaining  in  St.  Peter  about  two  weeks  we  took  a 
steamboat  for  St.  Paul.  While  there,  at  the  Merchants'  Hotel, 
a  gentleman  (a  stranger  to  us)  called  to  talk  with  Mrs.  Earle 
and  myself  about  our  captivity.  After  a  short  conversation  he 
excused  himself  for  a  few  minutes,  and  on  his  return  gave  each 
of  us  fifteen  dollars.  The  landlady  was  very  kind  to  us,  and  gave 
me  many  useful  articles  of  clothing,  which,  as  we  were   very 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  219 

destitute,  were  more  than  acceptable.  We  remained  in  St.  Paul 
three  or  four  days  waiting  for  a  boat  to  take  us  to  La  Crosse. 
There  were  no  eharges  made  against  us  for  the  hotel  bill. 

It  was  near  the  middle  of  November  when  we  took  the  boat 
for  La  Crosse,  where  we  arrived  at  noon.  Here  we  went  aboard 
the  ears  for  our  old  home  in  Columbia  county,  Wisconsin.  On 
our  arrival  at  the  depot  at  Pardeeville  the  platform  was  thronged 
with  relatives  and  friends  to  greet  us  as  restored  to  them  from 
a  worse  fate  than  death. 

We  remained  there  until  the  following  March,  when  we 
returned  to  Rochester,  Minnesota.  The  Indians  having  been  sub- 
dued and  peace  restored,  we  ventured  back  in  the  fall  of  1865  to 
our  Renville  county  home,  from  which  we  were  bo  suddenly 
driven  by  the  Indians,  and  we  have  ever  since  continued  to  live 
in  this  county. 


CHAPTER  XV. 
EASLE'S  REHINZ8CENCES. 

Thrilliiig  esperiences  of  a  Boy  During  the  Sioux  Massacre — 
Beaver  Creek  Settlement — Pioneer  Incidentfl — Trouble  Brew- 
ing— Warned  by  Squaw — News  of  the  KoMaen — Flight  tar 
Safety — Surrounded  by  Indians — Woman,  Children  and 
Friend  Killed — Women,  Children  and  Wounded  Ai^ndoned 
by  Whites—Brave  Boy  Gives  Life  for  His  Father— Party 
Separates — Rescue — Defense  of  Ft.  Ridgely — Cowardice  ot 
Some  of  the  Citizens— Valor  of  Others — ^E^qwdition  to  Bury 
Bodies — Battle  of  Birch  Cooley— Discharged. 

At  the  outbreak  of  the  Sioux  Indians  in  Minnesota  in  1862, 
the  settlement  on  the  Beaver  creek,  Renville  county,  besides  my 
father's,  Jonathan  W.  Earle's  family,  consisted,  so  far  as  I  know, 
of  Diedrieh  Wiehmann  and  family,  Frank  W.  Schmidt  and  familyi 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  N,  D.  White  and  family,  S.  R.  Henderson,  wife  and 
two  little  girls  about  one  and  three  years  old ;  David  Carrothers 
and  wife  and  two  children,  David  {Andrew  I)  Hunter,  and  a 
young  man  named  John  Doyle. 

The  Beaver  creek,  like  all  other  water  courses  in  Minnesota, 
runs  in  a  valley  much  lower  than  the  prairie  land,  the  bottoms 
and  sides  of  the  bluffs  being  quite  thickly  timbered.  The  course 
is  about  north  and  south  and  the  creek  empties  into  the  Minne-* 
sota  river  about  two  miles  from  our  location. 

About  three  miles  east  from  Beaver  creek  is  the  Birch  Cooley 
creek  and  still  farther  east,  about  eighteen  miles  distant,  was 
Fort  Ridgely.    West  of  Beaver  ereek,  about  two  and  one-half  or 


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220  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

three  miles,  is  another  creek,  emptying  into  the  Minnesota  river, 
on  which  was  a  settlement  of  Swedes  (Germans  t).  The  Bed- 
wood  Agency  was  distant  about  six  miles  and  was  in  plain  view 
from  our  house.  At  the  agency  were  stores,  blacksmith  shop, 
saw  mill  and  so  forth.  The  government  maintained  a  physician, 
who  treated  the  Indians  and  furnished  medicines  to  them  with- 
out cost,  a  head  farmer  to  teach  them  how  to  conduct  a  farm, 
a  sawyer,  school  teachers  and  so  forth,  with  whom  I  became 
acquainted  later.  The  missionary,  a  Mr.  Williamson,  whose 
father  had  also  spent  a  lifetime  as  missionary  among  the  Indians, 
was  bom  and  reared  there  and  lived  near  the  agency. 

Of  course  the  greatest  need  after  reaching  the  settlement  was 
a  bouse,  and  father  lost  no  time  in  procuring  lumber  at  the 
agency  in  exchange  for  a  cow.  The  lumber  was  cottonwood  and 
green,  but  it  answered  the  need  aa  frame  and  covering  boards. 
As  soon  as  it  was  enclosed,  even  before  it  was  shingled,  we  moved 
into  the  new  bouse,  which  consisted  of  two  rooms,  one  down- 
stairs and  one  upstairs. 

We  broke  several  acres  of  ground  and  planted  it  to  corn,  not 
expecting  any  crop  except  stalks  which  would  serve  as  fodder 
for  cattle  during  the  winter.  Father  also  went  to  St.  Peter,  sixty 
miles,  and  purchased  a  mowing  machine,  with  which  I  began  hay- 
ing. The  country  has  numerous  swales  or  low,  wet  places,  some 
of  them  having  water  three  or  four  feet  deep  in  the  center.  The 
ordinary  prairie  grass  was  not  tall  enough  for  hay,  but  around 
the  borders  of  the  swales  where  the  ground  was  damp  the  grass 
grew  to  a  good  height,  and  farther  in  the  swale  was  covered  with 
cat-tail  and  other  flag  higher  than  a  man's  head.  It  was  in  the 
grass  about  these  swales  that  I  began  the  work  of  making  hay  for 
winter,  and  must  have  secured  thirty  or  forty  tons  before  being 
obliged  to  abandon  it. 

The  cattle  and  sheep  ran  at  large  during  the  day,  but  were 
driven  home  and  kept  in  yards  enclosed  by  rail  fence  at  night. 
The  horses  were  always  turned  loose  when  not  at  work,  and 
they  with  others  belonging  to  the  other  settlers  formed  a  herd 
of  about  twenty,  which  always  ran  free  day  and  night,  unless 
at  work. 

On  Sundays  there  was  generally,  or,  at  least,  frequently, 
preaching  by  the  missionary,  Mr.  Williamson,  the  church  being 
Mr.  Henderson's  front  yard.  The  pulpitwas  wholly  imaginary, 
and  for  pews  we  used  chairs,  boxes,  blocks  of  wood,  or,  when 
all  else  failed,  the  ground.  The  music  was  congregational. 
.Father  was  a  powerful  bass  singer  and  played  the  soprano  on  the 
violin.  Mr.  Williamson  also  sang,  and  if  I  remember  rightly 
Mrs.  Henderson  had  a  sweet  soprano  voice.  While  the  singing 
was  not  the  best  it  certainly  was  not  the  worst  I  ever  heard. 

The  six  working  days  of  the  week  were  all  busy  ones  for  us 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  221 

and  evening  generally  found  U3  tired.  Still  we  three  older  boys 
with  our  violins  and  sometimes  Julia  to  play  an  accompaniment 
on  the  melodeon  would  furnish  what,  for  those  times,  was  pretty 
good  music.  Not  one  of  us  deserved  to  be  called  a  violinist,  but 
we  certainly  were  fiddlers,  and  in  this  capacity  we  spent  nearly 
every  evening  until  bedtime. 

The  sight  of  Indians  was  no  more  uncommon  than  that  of 
whites,  for  they  visited  us  every  day  in  pairs  and  groups,  and  the 
prairie  was  dotted  here  and  there  with  parties  hunting  a  bulbous 
root,  which  they  called  "teepson,"  and  used  for  food.  It  was 
called  wild  turnip  by  the  whites.  The  plant  was  but  a  few 
inches  high  and  had  but  one  slender,  straight  root,  which 
extended  into  the  ground  three  or  four  inches,  where  the  bulb 
was  formed,  and  below  this  was  the  tap  root  and  perhaps  other 
smaller  roots.  The  bulb  was  from  one  to  two  and  one-half  or 
three  inches  long  and  the  largest  were  perhaps  one  and  one- 
half  inches  in  diameter.  It  was  enclosed  in  a  rind  much  like 
that  of  the  turnip,  which,  when  peeled  off,  left  the  bulb  white 
and  firm,  with  no  particular  flavor,  if  I  remember  rightly.  If 
left  to  dry,  in  a  few  days  the  pulp  became  almost  as  hard  as  hone. 
I  have  dug  and  eaten  many  of  these  bulbs  fresh  and  raw,  and 
always  imagined  that  they  would  be  quite  agreeable  if  ground 
up  and  used  to  thicken  a  soup  or  stew. 

The  Indians  dug  them  by  means  of  sapling  two  and  one-half 
or  three  inches  in  diameter  and  four  or  five  feet  long.  This  was 
sharpened  at  one  end,  the  sharpening  being  all  done  on  one  side, 
giving  the  stick  a  sled-runner  shape.  To  use  it  the  Indian  would 
strike  the  sharpened  end  into  the  ground  two  or  three  inches 
from  the  plant,  withdrawing  and  striking  again  in  the  same 
place,  until  with  two  or  three  strokes  the  point  of  the  stick  was 
forced  under  the  bulb,  when,  by  pressing  the  top  end  of  the  stick 
down,  the  bulb  was  brought  to  the  surface. 

The  annual  annuities  were  due  in  June,  but  owing  to  the  diffi- 
culty in  procuring  gold  or  silver  they  had  not  yet  been  paid,  and 
the  Indians  were  all  collected  at  the  agency  awaiting  the  day  of 
payment.  They  were  not  well  supplied  with  provisions,  so  were 
obliged  to  hunt  sueh  small  game  and  birds  as  the  country 
afforded,  dig  teepson,  fish,  and  when  able  to  buy  beef  cattle  from 
the  settlers,  leaving  their  guns  in  pawn  as  security.  So  our 
visitors  were  numerous.  Aa  I  had  quite  a  fancy  to  be  able  to 
talk  their  language  I  improved  every  opportunity  for  learning 
it.  Many  of  them  seemed  to  understand  my  desire  and  were 
willing  to  help  me,  so  that  in  tjie  few  weeks  we  were  there  I 
acquired  the  language  sufficiently  well  to  be  able  to  comprehend 
them  when  they  talked  to  me  and  make  myself  understood,  but 
when  they  talked  to  each  other  it  was  almost  impossible  for  me 
to  understand. 


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222  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

Father  sold  two  head  of  cattle  to  them.  For  the  first  one  ho 
received  two  double-barreled  shotguns  as  security,  and  for  the 
second  the  gun  of  the  head  chief.  Little  Crow.  This  sale  was 
made  on  Friday,  August  15,  only  three  days  before  the  outbreak. 
Little  Crow,  with  quite  a  party  of  Indians  and  accompanied  by 
Mr.  Robertson,  a  one -eighth  breed,  as  interpreter,  came  and 
selected  the  steer,  agreed  to  the  price  asked,  and  offered  two 
guns  belonging  to  his  Indians  as  security.  But  father  demanded 
Little  Crow's  own  gun,  a  double-barreled  shotgun  with  a  yellow 
stock.  I  heard  afterwards  that  the  original  stock  had  been 
broken  and  this  one  was  the  work  of  an  Indian,  who  had  painted 
it  a  bright  yellow.  It  was  a  splendid  gun  and  was  reluctantly 
left  as  a  pawn,  and  not  until  after  father  had  written  out  and 
signed  an  agreement  for  its  return  on  receiving  the  stated  snm 
of  money.  (Mrs.  White  tells  a  different  story  of  the  gun.  It  will 
be  found  in  the  chapter  devoted  to  her  experiences. — Ed.) 

Little  Crow  was  the  leading  or  head  chief  of  the  Sioux.  He 
was  tall,  spare,  with  a  nose  like  a  hawk's  bill,  and  sharp,  piercing, 
black  eyes.  He  was  by  no  means  good  looking.  He  was  known 
as  the  orator  of  the  Sioux  and  had  unbounded  influence  over  the 
Indians,  who  always  appeared  very  deferential  to  him.  Little 
Crow's  wrists  were  both  very  much  deformed.  It  was  this  fact 
that  enabled  a  hunter  afterward  to  identify  this  body. 

There  was  an  old  Indian  who  seemed  particularly  good- 
natured,  who  visited  us  often,  and  with  less  than  the  usual  reserve 
in  his  manner.  Consequently  we  had  a  particular  liking  for  him. 
He  was  called  old  Beaver  Creek.  I  never  learned  what  his  real 
name  was. 

So  the  few  weeks  of  our  stay  passed  rapidly  and  pleasantly 
away.  No  disturbing  incident  occurred  except  the  severe  sick- 
ness of  Mrs.  Henderson,  which  must  have  begun  about  August  1. 
Father  had  quite  a  knowledge  of  medicines  and  had  taken  along 
a  good  supply  of  medicine  for  family  use,  not  expecting  to  be 
called  on  to  treat  any  others.  But  as  there  was  no  physician 
within  a  good  many  miles,  except  the  government  physician. 
Dr.  Humphrey,  at  the  agency,  Mr.  Henderson  asked  father  to 
treat  his  wife,  which  father  consented  to  do,  but  the  case  rapidly 
became  dangerous,  so  father  requested  that  Dr,  Humphrey  be 
called  in  consultation.  This  was  done  and  he  came.  By  appoint- 
ment he  was  to  visit  her  again  on  Monday,  August  18.  The  day 
came,  but  the  physician  did  not  see  his  patient.  It  was  the  last 
day  on  earth  for  them  both, 

Sunday  evening,  August  17,  we  boys  played  unusually  late 
in  the  evening  and  our  music  seemed  better  than  ever.  Juat 
before  retiring  Radnor  stepped  to  the  door  for  a  moment,  and, 
after  listening,  said,  "How  plainly  we  hear  the  Indian  drums." 
Chalon  and  I  went  to  the  door  and  distinctly  heard  them.    This 


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HISTORY  OF  BENVILLE  COUNTY  223 

was  Bomethiog  unusual,  yet  it  did  not  disturb  as.  And  so  we 
went  to  bed  and  to  sleep. 

The  next  morning,  Monday,  the  eighteenth,  father  rose  very 
early  and  went  on  the  roof  to  finish  shingling.  On  going  out  he 
noticed  three  Indians  in  a  fence  comer  of  the  cow  yard.  This 
was  very  strange,  yet  it  excited  no  fear.  When  called  to  break- 
fast father  came  down  &om  the  roof  and,  out  of  curiosity,  went 
to  the  Indians  and  asked  them  why  they  were  there.  They  told 
him  something  about  Chippewa  Indians,  but  he  learned  but  little 
from  them,  so  came  in  and  we  sat  down  to  breakfast.  While  we 
were  eating  one  of  the  Indians,  a  magnificent  specimen,  over  six 
feet  tall,  came  in  dressed  in  a  breech  cloth  and  covered  with  war 
paint.  He  asked  father  for  our  two  rifles,  which,  of  course,  were 
refused.  They  hung  by  straps  to  the  joists  over  head  and  a 
bed  stood  directly  below  them.  The  Indian  seemed  determined 
to  have  them  and  stepped  on  the  bed  as  though  he  were  going 
to  readh  the  rifles.  At  that  father  rose  and  said  "No"  with  a 
decided  shake  of  his  head  and  a  look  in  his  eyes  which  convinced 
the  Indian  that  father  meant  all  that  he  said.  The  Indian  turned 
about  and  left  the  house,  apparently  much  excited  and  angry. 

After  breakfast  we  noticed  several  Indians  trying  to  catch 
the  herd  of  horses,  but  they,  being  afraid  of  the  Indians,  wouldn't 
be  caught.  Father  went  to  the  three  Indians  and  asked  why  the 
other  Indians  were  trying  to  catch  our  horses.  Tbey  replied  that 
some  Chippewa  Indians  had  killed  some  Sioux  the  night  before 
and  they  wanted  the  horses  to  pursue  them.  Then  father  told  the 
boys  to  go  and  find  our  horses  and  bring  them  home.  Accord- 
ingly Chalon  and  Radnor  went  east,  thinking  to  find  them  on 
the  prairie,  where  they  usually  were,  while  I  went  down  the  creek. 

At  Hunter's  I  found  that  the  Indians  had  driven  the  horses 
into  a  corner  formed  by  a  yard  fence  and  a  field  fence.  The 
Indians  had  formed  a  line  across  the  opening  and  by  gradually 
closing  in  hoped  to  capture  the  horses.  I  saw  at  once  that  our 
horses  were  not  in  the  herd,  so  I  was  somewhat  disinterested,  but 
concluded  to  watch  the  proceedings.  As  the  Indians  closed  in 
the  horses  became  frightened,  and  finally  one  bolder  than  the 
rest  made  a  dash  and  went  through  the  line,  followed  by  all  the 
others.  The  Indians  immediately  went  after  them  and  soon  had 
them  back  in  the  same  corner,  using  the  same  tactics  with  the 
same  result.  Again  they  brought  them  in.  This  time  they  asked 
me  to  catch  the  horses  for  them.  I  said  they  were  not  mine  and 
I  couldn't  catch  them.  They  then  asked  me  to  get  in  the  line 
with  them  and  help  catch  them.  At  first  I  refused,  but  thinking 
that  if  I  were  in  the  line  the  horses  would  be  apt  to  break 
towards  me  I  changed  my  mind  and  took  my  place  about  the 
middle  of  the  line.  As  I  expected,  when  the  horses  turned  they 
made  directly  for  me,  while  I,  shouting  and  wildly  pawing  the 


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224  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

air,  pretended  to  do  all  I  coald  to  stop  them,  but  was  really  very 
careful  not  to  do  so.  I  had  done  this  twice,  and  while  watching 
the  Indians  out  on  the  prairie  after  the  herd,  congratulated 
myself  on  the  success  of  my  scheme,  believing  that  I  would  be 
able  to  continue  it  and  so  entirely  prevent  the  Indians  from  catch- 
ing the  horses. 

While  thus  watching  the  chase,  an  old  squaw  came  near  and 
passed  behind  me  but  did  not  appear  to  see  me,  but  she  said  in 
a  low  voice  "puekashee  tehan"  (go  away,  or  go  far  off).  I 
turned  to  look  at  her,  but  she  was  watching  the  Indians  so  I  said 
nothing,  thinking  she  had  discovered  my  trick  and  wished  to  get 
me  away  before  the  horses  could  be  brought  back.  However,  I 
resolved  to  stay  and  did,  with  the  same  result.  I  was  again 
watching  the  pursuit  when  the  same  big  Indian  who  had  entered 
our  house  and  asked  for  the  rifles  stepped  up  and  put  his  left 
arm  about  my  neck  and  hugged  me  hard,  saying  that  he  would 
like  to  scalp  me  and  gnessed  he  would  before  night.  At  the  same 
time  he  struck  me  over  the  head  with  his  lariat.  This  treatment 
was  entirely  unexpected  and  resented,  for  as  his  left  arm  was 
around  my  neck  his  ribs  on  that  side  were  fully  exposed,  and  I 
gave  him  so  strong  a  punch  with  my  right  fist  that  he  emitted  a 
very  loud  grunt  and  immediately  let  go  and  walked  off. 

I  had  caught  a  glimpse  of  old  Beaver  Creek,  who  was  the 
only  one  that  I  knew.  I  thought  that  surely  he  would  explain 
the  strange  doings,  but  he  refused  to  say  a  word  to  me.  When  I 
approached  him  he  hastily  turned  away  and  seemed  greatly 
excited.  Still  my  suspicions  were  not  aroused,  for  I  thought  all 
these  strange  acts  were  because  of  the  Chippewa  raid.  I  did  not 
dream  of  any  danger  to  the  whites. 

Believing  that  my  little  scheme  had  been  discovered,  and  that 
I  would  not  be  allowed  to  practice  it  any  further,  and  knowing 
that  our  horses  were  not  in  the  drove,  I  made  up  my  mind  to  go 
home.  So  I  started  on  a  lope,  which  was  my  usual  gait  when 
alone.  Instead  of  taking  the  road  which  was  on  the  prairie,  I 
went  a  little  farther  and  entered  the  bushes,  which  was  the 
beginning  of  the  timber  of  the  bluffs.  The  bushes  were  not 
thick  and  I  could  run  through  them  as  easily  as  in  the  road. 
Why  I  went  into  the  bushes  I  really  do  not  know,  for  I  was  not 
in  the  least  frightened  or  excited.  I  had  beard  nothing  alarm- 
ing and  the  little  episode  with  the  Indian  was  trivial.  I  simply 
obeyed  a  sudden  impulse.  Probably  it  was  very  fortunate  that 
I  did,  for  afterwards  I  remembered  hearing  several  times  the  hiss 
and  swish  that  would  be  caused  by  an  arrow  cutting  the  leaves. 

I  was  home  in  a  few  minutes.  Chalon  and  Radnor  had 
returned  with  our  horses,  which  were  then  secured  about  the 
house.  I  told  father  what  was  going  on  down  at  Hunter's,  and 
said  the  Indians  seemed  determined  to  have  the  horses.    He  said 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  225 

they  wouldn't  get  his  without  a  fight,  bo  I  proposed  that  we  take 
them  to  the  agency  and  put  them  in  charge  of  the  agent.  He 
considered  a  moment  and  then  said  that  we  might  take  them 
out  on  the  prairie,  where  we  could  keep  them  away  from  the 
Indiana.  We  had  seven  horses  and  colts,  and  if  one  or  two  were 
mounted  the  others  would  follow,  ao  Chalon  and  I  were  to  take 
them  out. 

Chalon  bad  Bomething  to  do  that  delayed  him  a  few  minutes, 
but  as  soon  as  I  had  mounted  I  started  eastward  on  the  open 
pl'airie.  Within  a  few  minutes  I  saw  a  man  in  his  shirt  sleeves 
running  towards  our  settlement  from  the  direction  of  the  agency. 
I  rode  up  and  found  him  greatly  excited,  saying  that  the  Indians 
were  killing  all  the  whites  at  the  agency  and  that  we  must  get 
away  right  off.  It  was  our  neighbor  Diedrich  Wichmann.  He 
continued  towards  his  house  while  I  turned  and,  putting  my 
horse  to  a  run,  started  for  home. 

In  a  few  moments  I  met  Chalon  mounted  on  a  fleet  little  mare. 
I  briefly  told  him  what  I  had  heard  as  he  rode  along  with  me. 
As  soon  as  he  comprehended  the  situation  he  gave  the  word  to 
his  little  mare,  who  seemed  fairly  to  fly  as  she  bore  him  home 
and  past  the  house  without  stopping.  On  down  to  the  creek  he 
went,  giving  the  alarm  to  Dave  Carrothcrs'  and  telling  them  to 
go  to  our  house,  then  to  James  Carrothers'  with  the  same  word. 
Hunter  was  not  at  home,  so  he  went  no  farther.  James  Car- 
rothers and  N.  D.  White  had  a  few  days  before  been  selected  as 
delegates  to  a  political  convention  which  met,  I  think,  at 
Owatonna.  Consequently  both  were  absent.  (Mrs.  White  gives 
another  reason  for  this  absence. — ^Ed.)  Some  one  carried  the 
word  to  Mr.  White's  people  and  father  went  to  Henderson's. 
Soon  all  were  collected  at  our  house.  The  seats  were  removed 
from  the  spring  wagon  and  two  feather  beds  placed  in  the  bot- 
tom, on  which  Mrs.  Henderson  was  laid  and  her  two  little  girls 
with  her.  The  horses  were  hitched  to  one  lumber  wagon  and 
two  yoke  of  oxen  attached  to  the  other.  Into  these  two  wagons 
the  women  and  children  climbed  and  made  themselves  as  com- 
fcuiable  as  possible. 

While  these  preparations  were  being  made  I  was  busy  load- 
ing the  guns.  The  whole  stock  of  arms  consisted  of  two  rifles 
and  three  double-barreled  shotguns,  which  father  held  in  pawn 
for  cattle  sold  to  the  Indians.  Of  course,  they  were  all  muzzle 
loaders.  I  have  often  wondered  what  would  have  been  the  out- 
come if  we  had  had  Winchesters,  One  rifle  carried  about  sixty 
to  the  pound,  but  the  other  was  a  very  small  bore,  carrying  120 
to  the  pound.  Both  of  these  I  loaded  carefully  and,  because  of 
the  small  bore  of  one,  I  put  in  two  bullets.  Next  I  loaded  Little 
Crow's  gun  and  one  of  the  others,  but  for  the  third  I  had  no  shot 
BO  put  in  a  few  small  stones.    Our  shot  and  bullets  were  all  gone. 


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226  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTT 

and  only  one  flask  of  powder,  partly  filled,  remained.  This  shows 
how  utterly  defenseless  we  were. 

All  being  ready  to  start  (we  intended  going  to  Fort  Bidgely, 
eighteen  miles  distant),  David  Carrothera  took  the  larger  rifle, 
father  took  the  small  bore  (loaded  with  two  bullets),  Chalon 
took  Little  Crow's  gun,  I  took  another,  and  Radnor  took  the  one 
loaded  with  small  stones.  We  started  due  east  in  the  direction 
of  Fort  Ridgely. 

At  the  time  of  starting  our  party  consisted  of  twenty-seven  per- 
sons, men,  women,  children  and  two  babes  in  arms,  as  follows: 
Father  and  mother  and  six  children,  S.  R.  Henderson  and  wife 
and  two  children,  Mrs.  N.  D.  White  and  four  children,  Dave 
Carrothers,  wife  and  three  children ;  Mrs.  James  Carrothers  and 
two  children,  Jehial  Wedge  and  John  Doyle. 

Within  five  minutes  after  starting  we  noticed  sixteen  Indians 
who  suddenly  rose  to  view  about  eighty  rods  southeast  from  us, 
and  coming  in  a  direction  to  cross  our  road  a  little  ahead  of  us. 
At  the  same  time  I  looked  back  and  saw  the  three  Indians  who 
had  been  about  our  house  fall  in  behind  us.  Very  quickly  the 
Indians  had  formed  a  line  across  our  road,  and  gradually  drawn 
in  until  we  were  entirely  surrounded.  When  the  leader  made 
a  sign  for  us  to  stop  we  did  so.  Mr.  Henderson,  who  under- 
stood their  language  better  than  the  rest  of  us,  went  forward  to 
talk  with  the  chief.  We  saw  by  signs  and  gestures  that  he  was 
holding  a  very  earnest  council  with  them,  which  occupied  about 
ten  minutes.  When  he  returned  to  us  the  Indians  maintained 
their  circle  around  us,  though  hardly  any  were  visible,  as  they 
had  concealed  themselves  in  various  ways.  On  his  return  Mr. 
Henderson  told  us  that  the  Indians  had  at  first  told  him  that  they 
intended  to  kill  all  of  us,  but  after  talking  they  oflEered  to  let 
us  pass  if  we  would  give  up  all  our  teams  and  guns.  Mr.  Hen- 
derson told  them  that  we  would  not  give  up  our  guns  under  any 
circumstances,  and  to  this  firm  decision  is  due  the  fact  that  any 
of  us  escaped,  for  with  us  totally  disarmed  they  would  have  slain 
all  without  any  danger  to  themselves.  Mr.  Henderson  also 
demanded  to  keep  the  colts  and  spring  wagon,  in  which  his  wife 
was  lying,  and  they  also  consented  to  this.  It  seemed  that  this 
was  the  best  we  could  do,  for  we  had  only  Ave  guns  against  their 
nineteen  guns,  and  three  of  ours  loaded  with  shot  and  stones, 
while  theirs  were  all  loaded  with  balls.  And  more  than  all,  we 
had  no  ammunition  to  reload  our  guns.  What  better  could  we 
dot  And  besides,  Mr.  Henderson  said  that  they  had  a^eed  to 
famish  us  an  escort  to  the  fort,  so  that  no  other  Indians  should 
molest  us.  So  the  terms  were  accepted  and  Mr,  Henderson  gave 
the  signal,  whereupon  the  Indians  came  to  claim  their  property. 
The  women  and  children  descended  from  the  wagons  which,  with 
the   teams,   we  turned  over   to   the  Indians,   who   immediately 


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HISTOBY  OF  BEtnaLLE  COUNTY  227 

detached  them  and  then  demanded  the  colts.  Mr.  Henderson 
protested  and  reminded  them  of  the  agreement.  But  they  only 
said  be  could  have  a  yoke  of  oxen.  He  tried  to  show  them  that 
he  could  not  use  the  oxen  because  the  iron  neck  yoke  was  bolted 
to  the  end  of  the  buggy  pole  so  that  the  pole  could  not  enter  the 
yoke  ring.  This  made  no  difference.  They  said  they  intended 
to  have  the  colts  anyway,  bo  we  proceeded  to  unhitch  the  colta 
and  give  them  up. 

In  the  meantime  the  women  and  children  had  started  on  and 
had  gained  quite  a  distance  on  the  way.  After  giving  up  the 
colts,  Dave  Carrothers  went  to  get  a  yoke  of  oxen  which  stood 
eight  or  ten  rods  away.  As  he  went  he  broke  down  a  weed  and 
on  reaching  them  he  swung  the  weed  over  their  heads  in  place 
of  a  whip  and  started  towards  us  with  the  oxen.  Just  then  an 
Indian  stepped  out,  placed  an  arrow  to  his  bow,  and  raised  it 
threateningly  at  Carrothers,  who  saw  the  threat,  left  the  oxen 
and  came  back  to  us.  The  Indians  were  standing  about  inter- 
mingled with  us,  their  guns  ready  and  both  barrels  at  full  cock. 
One  unfortunate  move  on  the  part  of  any  one  of  us  would  have 
resulted  in  the  instant  death  of  all.  Why  they  did  not  kill  us 
then  and  there  I  cannot  understand. 

A  hasty  consultation  and  we  decided  to  draw  the  buggy  by 
hand.  So  two  took  hold  of  the  ends  of  the  neck  yoke ;  Mr.  Hen- 
derson took  one  whtppletree;  I  took  the  opposite  one;  while 
father  and  David  Carrothers  pushed  behind. 

We  relied  on  the  promises  of  the  Indians,  so  traveled  rather 
leisurely.  But  I  could  not  keep  both  eyes  in  front.  To  tell  the 
truth  I  did  not  trust  them  as  Mr.  Henderson  did,  and  I  noticed 
soon  that  the  Indians  began  to  gather  in  our  rear.  One  after 
another  joined  until  they  were  all  together  and  following  us  at 
about  twenty  rods'  distance.  I  told  Mr,  Henderson  that  I  didn't 
like  the  looks  of  things,  but  he  said  it  was  all  right  and  accord- 
ing to  agreement.  My  reply  was  that  we  could  get  along  without 
a  guard  if  only  they  would  keep  away. 

We  had  just  reached  the  foot  of  a  little  descent,  and  the 
Indians  were  at  the  top  of  It,  when  they  £red  the  first  shot,  a 
single  one,  which  passed  over  our  heads  and  landed  a  short  dis- 
tance ahead.  Dave  Carrothers,  much  excited,  dodged  and 
shouted,  "Look  out."  No  one  else  uttered  a  sound,  but  hurried 
on.  Of  course,  we  soon  found  that  we  could  never  take  the 
buggy  out  of  reach  of  the  Indians,  and  that  to  attempt  to  do  it 
meant  death.  We  could  not  possibly  do  Mrs.  Henderson  any 
good  either  by  remaining,  for  we  could  not  defend  her,  nor  by 
trying  to  take  her  along,  which  was-  impossible.  And  hard  as 
it  was  we  were  obliged  to  abandon  her  and  her  two  little  girls, 
one  and  three  or  perhaps  two  and  four  3*ars  old.  Mr.  Hender- 
son said  that  he  could  not  leave  his  wife,  and  for  this  we  all 


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328  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

honored  him.  Jehial  Wedge  said  that  Mrs.  Henderson  bad 
nursed  him  in  bis  sickneBs  and  he  would  not  leave  her.  By  this 
time  tbe  Indians  were  firing  quite  rapidly  and  every  instant 
some  one  had  a  narrow  escape.  So  we  left  them,  uncertain  as  to 
tbeir  fate,  hoping  yet  fearful. 

It  seemed  that  as  soon  as  we  left  the  huggy  the  Indians  ceased 
firing  upon  it  and  one  after  another  all  but  two  or  three  passed 
it  and  came  on  after  ns.  We  began  to  hope  they  might  be  spared, 
but  directly  we  saw  firing  from  tbe  tear  of  the  buggy,  and  very 
shortly  I  saw  Mr.  Henderson  emerge  from  the  middle  of  the  line 
of  Indians  (for  they  had  formed  a  line  with  extremes  about  ten 
or  twelve  rods  apart)  and  run  rapidly  toward  us.  We  slackened 
our  pace  and  waited  for  him. 

Every  one  of  the  sixteen  Indians  discharged  both  barrels  of 
his  gun  at  Mr.  Henderson,  and  I  do  not  doubt  that  some  reloaded 
and  fired  again.  How  a  man  could  come  almost  unhurt  through 
such  a  storm  of  bullets  is  very  strange.  He  was  not  entirely 
unhurt.  They  had  shot  the  hat  off  his  head  and  his  shirt  was 
riddled  on  both  sides  of  his  body.  The  fore  finger  of  tbe  right 
hand  was  shot  off  at  the  first  joint  and  the  second  finger  had 
a  slit  from  the  middle  joint  to  the  end. 

He  said  that  Wedge  was  dead  and  that  he  thought  his  wife 
and  children  bad  also  been  killed,  but  he  was  not  certain.  He 
afterwards  told  me  his  story  in  detail.  It  seems  that  nearly  all 
of  the  Indians  passed  the  wagon  without  giving  them  any  atten- 
tion, but  the  last  two,  who  were  at  a  short  distance  behind,  fired 
upon  them.  He  shouted  at  them,  but  Mrs.  Henderson  told  him 
to  take  off  a  pillow  case  and  bold  it  up  as  a  flag  of  truce.  This 
he  did,  but  tbey  fired  again  and  shot  off  the  finger  that  held  it. 
Then  they  stopped  and  made  a  sign  wbicb  be  and  Wedge  under- 
stood to  take  hold  of  the  buggy  and  take  it  back.  So  each  one 
took  an  end  of  the  neck  yoke  and  started  to  turn  when  the 
Indians  fired  again  and  Wedge  fell.  He  then  ran  back  to  the 
wagon,  but  as  the  Indians  continued  to  fire  he  suddenly  resolved 
to  leave  his  wife  and  try  to  save  himself.  So  he  started  to  come 
to  us. 

We  were  fleeing  from  the  Indians  yet  we  were  not  going  as 
fast  as  we  might  and  we  maintained  a  show  of  defense,  although 
not  a  gun  had  been  discharged  on  our  side.  We  had  no  ammuni- 
tion to  spare  and  really  our  guns  were  only  useful  in  keepuig 
the  Indians  at  a  little  distance.  For  knowing  probably  that  at 
least  three  of  our  guns  only  carried  shot,  while  theirs  carried 
ounce  bullets,  they  kept  beyond  the  range  of  our  guns,  while 
keeping  us  still  vrithin  the  range  of  theirs. 

Of  course  the  pressure  from  the  Indians  compelled  us  to  catch 
up  with  the  women  and  children,  though  we  delayed  it  as  long 
as  posBible.    When  we  finally  overtook  them  I  found  Mrs.  Dave 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COrNTY  229 

Carrothers  nearly  giving  out,  as  she  had  to  carry  her  baby,  so  I 
took  the  baby,  which  greatly  relieved  her  and  she  was  able  to 
keep  up  with  the  rest.  I  think  we  must  have  continued  in  this 
way  for  about  a  mile  farther  when  Mrs.  White,  who  was  a  very 
fleshy  woman  and  was  carrying  a  baby,  stopped  and  said  that 
she  could  go  no  farther.  So  we  passed  on  and  left  her  standiog 
there.  We  watched  as  we  fled  to  see  what  her  treatment  would 
be,  and  were  much  surprised  to  see  an  Indian  go  up  to  her  and 
shake  hands  and  motion  to  her  to  go  back.  Seeing  that  she 
wasn't  hurt  she  called  out  to  the  rest  and  waved  a  white  hand- 
kerchief.    (See  Mrs.  White's  account  of  this  capture. — Ed.) 

It  then  seemed  that  it  was  the  intention  of  the  Indiana  to 
capture  the  women  and  children,  and  as  it  was  utterly  impossible 
for  them  to  escape  by  fleeing,  and  as  we  could  not  defend  them, 
they  deemed  it  best  to  stop,  which  they  did.  I  gave  the  baby 
to  its  mother  and  kept  on. 

Dave  Carrother's  oldest  child  was  a  boy  about  five  years  old. 
When  he  saw  his  father  running  on  ahead  he  ran  after  him  as  fast 
as  his  legs  could  carry  him,  calling  to  his  father  to  wait.  His  father 
did  not  wait  for  some  time,  hut  finally  stopped  and  turning  the 
little  fellow  around  told  him  to  go  back  to  his  mother,  while  he 
himself  resumed  his  flight.  The  boy  remained  where  he  was,  cry- 
ing until  the  Indians  came  up.    Finding  him  ftlone  they  killed  him. 

The  average  distance  which  the  Indians  kept  from  us  was 
about  fifteen  or,  possibly  twenty  rods,  and  as  they  were  expert 
marksmen  it  is  remarkable  that  any  escaped.  That  they  did  is 
due  to  two  reasons.  First,  their  guns  were  poorly  loaded,  as 
the  bullets  were  simply  dropped  in  without  any  patch.  Second, 
we  kept  our  eyes  to  the  rear  and  jumped  to  one  side  or  fell  as  we 
saw  a  gun  discharged  at  us.  This  may  seem  like  fiction  to  claim 
that  we  dodged  their  bullets,  but  it  is  nevertheless  true,  and  more 
than  one  owed  his  life  that  day  to  his  agility. 

We  were  stretched  out  in  a  sort  of  a  line  at  a  distance  of  sev- 
eral feet  apart,  and  being  separated  could  judge  quite  accurately 
whether  an  Indian  was  aiming  at  one's  self  or  not.  At  one  time 
Chalon  and  I  were  quite  close  to  each  other,  Eugene  White  was 
a  few  rods  ahead,  and  the  ground  was  rising.  As  we  were 
watching  we  saw  an  Indian  level  his  gun  at  one  of  us,  but  being 
so  close  together  we  could  not  tell  which  one,  so  at  the  flash  we 
both  fell.  It  proved  that  it  was  intended  for  Chalon,  and  if  he  had 
not  dodged  it  would  have  struck  him  between  the  shoulders. 
Missing,  it  went  on  and  struck  Eugene  White  on  the  inside  of  the 
right  knee.  He  fell  but  immediately  rose  to  a  sitting  position 
and  grasped  his  knee  with  his  hands.  I  ran  up  and  asked  him 
if  he  was  hit  and  he  replied  that  his  leg  was  broken,  but  he 
immediately  jumped  up  and  ran  on  with  a  bad  limp.  Soon  I 
noticed  that  he  turned  to  the  left  and  ran  a  little  to  one  side  and 


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230  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

lay  down  behiod  a  bunch  of  tall  grass  or  weeds,  perliaps  think* 
ing  that  it  concealed  him,  but  more  likely  he  realized  that  he 
could  go  no  farther.  By  this  time  the  firing  had  become  quitft 
rapid  and  there  was  little  chance  for  one  to  help  another,  and 
80  Eugene  was  left  behind.  Very  quickly  I  saw  an  Indian  run 
to  a  short  distance  from  where  he  lay  and  fire  both  barrels  of  his 
gun  at  him.    Of  course  I  knew  what  had  happened. 

The  Indians  were  now  crowding  us  hard,  and  we  were  some- 
what weary.  One  Indian  had  tried  two  or  three  times  to  get 
around  our  right  flank  so  as  to  get  an  enfilading  fire  on  our  line, 
but  each  time  we  had  spoiled  his  game  by  running  ahead.  At 
last  father  said  that  if  he  tried  it  again  he  would  shoot  him. 
Sure  enough  be  did  try  it  again  and  father  stepped  on  top  of  a 
little  mound,  took  deliberate  aim  and  fired.  The  Indian  dropped 
and  I  saw  no  more  of  him.  I  could  not  tell  whether  he  was 
killed  or  not,  but  certainly  I  do  know  that  from  that  time  two 
Indiana  gave  their  whole  attention  to  shooting  at  father.  Of 
course  father's  only  defense  was  gone,  for  he  had  no  ammunition 
to  reload  the  gun.  And  so  his  only  recourse  was  in  dodging  and 
they  kept  him  constantly  on  the  jump,  yet  he  was  not  hit.  But 
now  he  did  a  very  foolish  thing.  He  threw  away  his  gun! 
Before  this  they  did  not  know  that  he  could  not  reload  his  gun, 
so  out  of  respect  for  it  they  kept  at  a  gooil  distance.  But  now  that 
he  had  thrown  it  away  they  had  nothing  to  fear,  so  they  closed 
in  on  him.  Seeing  them  closing  in  on  him  he  called  to  the  boys 
to  atop  and  help  him.  But  we  had  become  a  good  deal  scattered 
and  Radnor  was  the  only  one  near  enough  to  help,  and  he,  brave 
boy,  stopped  to  face  two  of  them.  Father  aaid  that  as  he  ran 
up  to  Radnor  he  told  him  to  shoot  and  then  turn  and  run,  but 
for  some  reason  Radnor  threw  himself  on  the  ground  to  wait 
until  they  should  come  within  range  of  his  gun.  The  Indians, 
who  had  hitherto  come  along  together,  now  separated,  and,  mak- 
ing a  detour  to  the  right  and  left,  came  up  on  each  side,  and  yet 
Radnor  remained  until  thinking  them  near  enough  he  raised  and 
fired  at  one  of  them,  at  the  same  time  they  both  fired  at  him. 
There  could  be  but  one  result.  The  brave  boy  of  fifteen  had 
faced  two  warriors;  had  given  his  life  to  saVe  his  father's  and 
had  succeeded,  for  the  diversion  which  he  created  permitted 
father  to  get  away.  Here  was  an  example  of  heroism  and  devo- 
tion that  is  worthy  of  becoming  historical. 

Aa  I  have  already  said,  we  became  more  and  more  scattered 
after  the  capture  of  the  women,  and  I  had  begun  to  cogitate  as 
to  some  means  of  escape  besides  running,  for  I  felt  satisfied  that 
means  would  not  avail. 

The  country  there  is  what  is  called  rolling  prairie,  and 
between  the  ridges  of  swells  of  land  are  lower  places  or  swales 
containing  more  or  less  water  in  which  grass  and  flags  grow  to 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  231 

the  height  of  several  feet.  As  I  run  along  one  of  these  ridgea 
I  noticed  that  not  an  Indian's  eye  wag  upon  me.  They  were 
either  loading  their  guns  or  happened  to  he  looking  in  another 
direction.  Seizing  the  opportunity  of  the  moment,  I  threw  myself 
on  the  ground  and  rapidly  rolled  down  the  ridge  on  the  opposite 
Btde  from  the  Indians  until  I  had  descended  far  enough  bo  that 
I  could  be  out  of  sight  in  a  stooping  position.  Then  I  rose  and 
rapidly  ran  out  a  few  rods  into  the  swale  and  then  turned  and 
ran  back  near,  but  not  in.  my  first  trail,  till  near  the  shorter 
grass,  when  I  led  my  return  trail  into  my  first  trail.  I  then 
turned  and  ran  back  into  the  swale  following  exactly  in  my  first 
trail  till  I  reached  the  point  where  I  turned.  Prom  there  I  con- 
tinued into  the  swale,  but  carefully  separated  the  grass  and  flags 
and  raised  them  behind  me  so  as  to  make  as  little  trail  as  possi- 
ble- When  I  had  gone  six  or  eight  rods  in  this  way  I  lay  down 
and  waited  to  see  what  would  happen. 

I  heard  very  little  firing  after  I  went  into  the  swale,  yet  for 
safety  I  remained  th(fre  for  at  least  two  hours,  when  I  cautiously 
raised  up  and  becoming  satisfied  that  there  were  no  Indiana 
about  I  left  the  swale  and  considered  what  I  should  do. 

To  go  back  home  was  out  of  the  question,  and  to  try  to  find 
the  others  was  useless,  for  I  did  not  know  what  had  become  of 
them.  So  I  determined  to  try  to  reach  the  fort,  which  was  prob- 
ably fifteen  or  sixteen  miles  distant.  There  was  a  well  beaten 
road  which  led  directly  to  the  fort,  known  as  the  Abercrombie 
road,  but  I  thought  it  would  be  unsafe  to  follow  that  road,  as 
the  Indians  would  be  sure  to  follow  it  if  they  chanced  to  be  pass- 
ing through  the  country.  So  I  made  up  my  mind  to  keep  along 
parallel  to  it  and  perhaps  a  half  mile  away.  As  I  could  not  see 
the  road  I  was  obliged  to  travel  by  the  sun.  This  I  did  until 
sundown,  and  then  I  took  the  north  star  as  my  guide.  I  had 
resolved  to  keep  as  much  as  possible  in  the  lower  ground  and 
crossed  the  higher  ground  only  when  absolutely  necessary,  think- 
ing it  the  safer  course.  Just  about  sunset  I  looked  across  the 
prairie  from  behind  a  ridge  and  perhaps  a  mile  or  two  miles 
away  I  saw  a  person  who  appeared  to  be  a  white  man  in  his  shirt 
sleeves,  and  I  made  up  my  mind  to  try  to  overtake  him.  Still  I 
might  have  been  mistaken,  so  I  had  to  be  cautious.  So  it  grew 
dark  and  I  did  not  find  him.  I  afterwards  learned  that  it  must 
have  been  Mr.  Henderson,  and  when  I  asked  him  why  he  was  so 
careless  in  going  on  high  ground  he  said  that  he  kept  on  high 
ground  as  much  as  possible  so  as  to  see  if  any  Indians  came  near 
him,    I  have  always  thought  my  plan  the  safer  one. 

About  midnight  the  sky  became  cloudy  so  that  I  could  no 
longer  see  the  north  star,  and  realizing  how  easily  I  could  lose 
my  way  on  that  boundless  prairie  I  made  up  my  mind  to  stop 
until  morning.    After  considerable  search  I  found  a  swale  with 


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232  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COL'NTY 

tall  grass  and  weeda  and  without  water.  There  I  carefully  dou- 
bled and  covered  my  trail,  as  I  had  done  in  the  day,  and  after 
cutting  a  bundle  of  grass  I  lay  down  and  covered  myself  up  as 
well  as  I  could  with  the  grass.  I  was  tired  and  quickly  fell 
asleep.  But  I  suddenly  awoke  with  a  start.  I  did  not  know  what 
had  caused  it,  but  I  listened  and  soon  heard  the  note  of  a  night 
hawk.  It  seemed  only  a  short  distance  off,  and  quickly  I  heard 
another  night  hawk  in  the  opposite  direction.  In  two  or  three 
minutes  I  heard  a  noise  like  three  taps  on  a  powder  horn  with 
a  knife  and  quickly  it  was  answered  by  the  same  signal.  I 
instantly  recognized  the  state  of  affairs.  There  were  at  least  two 
Indians  who  had  discovered  my  trail  into  the  swale  and  had 
evidently  been  deceived  by  my  return  trail  and  were  circling 
about  trying  to  find  it  again.  They  used  several  different  sig- 
nals, such  as  the  bark  of  a  coyote  and  others,  and  appeared  to 
be  drawing  the  circle  smaller  until  they  came  so  close  that  I 
feared  that  the  next  time  around  they  would  discover  my  hiding 
place.  I  distinctly  heard  the  Indian  in  the  tall  grass  as  he  passed, 
and  waiting  until  I  thought  it  safe  I  carefully  made  my  way 
out  until  I  had  crossed  his  trail,  when  I  drew  my  knife  and  lay 
down  on  my  face  prepared  to  spring  if  discovered.  My  gun  was 
useless,  for  when  I  lay  down  in  the  daytime  I  was  in  water  at 
least  a  foot  deep  and  I  had  carelessly  allowed  my  gun  to  get  wet. 
My  thought  was  that  if  I  was  likely  to  be  discovered  I  might 
possibly  be  able  to  spring  on  the  Indian  and  knife  him  before  be 
could  defend  himself  and  thus  I  would  get  his  gun.  Fortunately 
they  did  not  discover  me  and  I  was  able  to  get  a  little  more  sleep. 

I  am  satisfied  that  my  changing  positions  was  very  indiscreet 
and  dangerous,  and  I  wonder  that  I  was  not  found,  for  in  crawl- 
ing as  I  did  I  must  have  made  a  very  broad  trail,  not  only  by 
crushing  the  grass  and  reeds  down,  but  also  by  shaking  off 
the  dew. 

I  supposed  at  the  time  that  these  Indians  had  followed  me 
from  the  start,  but  in  talking  with  father  afterwards,  I  learned 
that  be  tried  for  a  long  time  to  get  to  Fort  Ridgely  but  each  at- 
tempt was  frustrated  and  he  finally  turned  north.  It  may  be 
that  we  were  near  each  other  for  a  time  and  the  Indians  who 
discovered  my  trail  were  the  ones  who  were  pursuing  him. 

Early  in  the  morning  I  started  again,  keeping  due  eastward. 
I  had  had  nothing  to  eat  for  twenty-four  hours,  and  my  vigorous 
appetite  called  for  food.  Yet  no  feeling  of  weakness  or  famt- 
ness  bothered  me.  I  was  as  lithe  and  active  as  if  I  had  slept 
in  the  finest  bed  and  had  eaten  a  fine  breakfast.  The  only  trou- 
ble I  had  was  that  the  grass  had  cut  my  pants  till  my  knees  were 
naked  and  bleeding.  Sometimes  when  the  coarse  grass  would 
rake  across  my  sore  legs  I  would  have  to  wince,  but  there  was 
no  remedy  for  it. 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  233 

I  looked  for  teepson  but  did  not  find  any.  Perhaps  that  was 
because  it  grew  on  the  higher  and  drier  ground  whieh  I  avoided 
as  much  as  possible. 

I  had  not  seen  the  Abercromble  road  since  the  day  before  so 
I  determined  to  turn  south  in  order  to  discover  where  it  was  and 
to  learn  whether  I  had  wandered  out  of  my  way.  I  had  traveled 
perhaps  two  or  three  miles,  when  I  saw  at  a  distance,  a  man  on 
horseback,  going  west  at  a  lope.  At  that  distance  I  could  not 
make  out  whether  the  man  was  a  white  man  or  an  Indian.  So  I 
stopped  for  a  while  until  he  was  out  of  sight,  when  seeing  no 
other  I  made  up  my  mind  to  find  the  pony's  track,  which  might 
help  me  to  decide  whether  the  rider  was  white  or  red.  If  I 
found  that  the  pony  was  barefoot  I  would  know  it  to  be  Indian, 
but  if  shod  it  would  probably  be  white,  though  possibly  red. 

Carefully  I  made  my  way  until  I  came  to  the  Abercrombie 
road  and  saw  the  horse's  track  and  found  that  it  was  shod.  But 
where  could  the  rider  be  goingf  I  thought  he  must  be  running 
into  extreme  danger  and  that  probably  he  had  not  yet  heard 
of  the  outbreak.  At  any  rate  I  could  not  help  him,  so  I  turned 
cast  and  resolved  to  follow  the  road,  even  at  quite  a  risk,  for 
my  legs  were  very  sore. 

I  soon  came  to  quite  a  high  ridge  that  ran  squarely  across 
the  road.  What  was  my  astonishment  when  I  had  ascended  far 
enough  to  look  over  it  to  see  at  some  distance  three  covered 
wagons  like  emigrant  wagons.  I  had  been  rather  careless  on 
ascending  the  ridge,  but  instantly  on  discovering  the  wagons, 
threw  myself  down  behind  the  ridge  and  stopped  to  consider. 
What  were  these  wagonsi  I  concluded  that  they  were  emigrant 
wagons,  which  had  been  captured  by  the  Indians,  who  were  now 
taking  them  to  the  agency,  and  that  the  mounted  man  I  had 
seen,  was  an  Indian,  riding  a  captured  horse.  What  should  I  doT 
was  a  question  to  be  decided  at  once,  whether  to  run  for  it  or 
to  take  refuge  again  in  a  swale  which  lay  near  the  foot  of  the 
hill.  But  I  determined  to  take  another  took  before  deciding  on 
what  to  do.  So  I  carefully  raised  up  until  I  could  look  over  the 
ridge  when  I  saw  one  of  the  pleasantest  sights  of  my  life,  a  body 
of  troops.  I  could  see  their  uniforms  and  the  glistening  of  their 
guns  and  bayonets  in  the  sunshine. 

I  did  not  remain  behind  the  ridge  long.  I  forgot  all  about 
my  sore  legs,  stifiE  knees  and  all  that,  as  I  went  quickly  forward 
to  meet  them.  I  soon  found  it  was  about  fifty  soldiers  under  the 
command  of  Lieutenant  T.  J.  Sheehan,  who  were  on  their  way 
to  Fort  Ridgely,  which  was  then  about  ten  miles  to  the  west  of 
us.  So  I  had  wandered  so  far  to  the  north  that  I  had  passed  the 
fort  without  seeing  it  and  had  met  this  relief  ten  miles  east  of  it 
It  was  some  troops  who  had  been  for  some  time  at  Yellow  Medi- 
cine, but  had  been  ordered  back  to  Fort  Ripley.     They  had 


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234  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

stopped  at  Fort  Ridgely  on  Saturday  night  and  resumed  their 
march  on  Sunday  morning,  marched  all  day  Sunday,  and  camped 
and  again  resumed  the  march  Monday  morning,  the  day  of  the 
outbreak.  Just  as  they  were  preparing  to  go  into  camp  Monday 
night  they  were  overtaken  by  a  mounted  mesBenger  from  Port 
Ridgely  with  orders  to  return.  So  after  cooking  and  eating  their 
supper  they  started  on  the  return.  They  had  marched  all  night 
and  until  ten  o'clock  Wednesday,  when  I  met  them.  Lieutenant 
Sheehan  questioned  me  with  regard  to  the  trouble,  but  I  knew 
nothing  except  what  I  had  seen  myself,  so  he  soon  told  me  to 
stop  for  the  commissary  wagon  and  get  something  to  eat.  I  did 
not  wait  to  hear  this  order  repeated.  In  a  minute  I  was  in  the 
wagon  asking  for  food.  The  driver  told  me  there  was  nothing 
but  raw  pork.  I  thought  this  very  strange,  but  did  not  wait 
to  discuss  the  question.  I  found  the  pork  barrel  and  went  into 
the  brine  up  to  my  elbow  and  fished  out  a  chunk  of  pork  from 
which  I  cut  off  a  few  slices  with  my  knife.  I  think  I  never  ate 
a  more  delicious  morsel.  Hunger  was  an  ample  sauce.  I  also 
enjoyed  the  ride.  It  seemed  such  a  luxury  to  ride  instead  of 
drawing  my  sore  legs  through  coarse  grass  with  edges  like  saw 
teeth. 

Port  Ridgely  stands  upon  quite  a  prominent  bluff  or  promon- 
tory formed  by  the  Minnesota  river  on  the  south,  and  a  creek 
which  enters  it  at  an  acute  angle  on  the  north  and  east.  The 
bluffs  are  quite  high  and  they  and  the  bottom  lands  are  quite 
thickly  timbered. 

The  road  to  the  east  and  the  one  which  the  returning  troops 
would  follow,  went  through  this  creek,  and  the  Indians,  who 
knew  that  they  were  returning,  had  formed  an  ambuscade  in  the 
woods.  But  the  officer  at  the  fort  had  sent  a  messenger  by  a 
detour  to  notify  Lieutenant  Sheehan  of  the  ambuscade.  It  was 
this  messenger  that  I  had  seen  after  he  had  notified  the  lieutenant 
and  was  on  hia  way  back  to  the  fort. 

When  we  had  reached  within  a  mile  or  ao  of  the  creek,  Lien- 
tenant  Sheehan  came  back  to  the  wagon  in  which  I  was  riding 
and  asked  me  if  I  could  drive  a  four  mule  team.  I  told  him 
that  I  had  never  done  so,  but  that  I  believed  I  could.  So  he  took 
the  soldier  who  was  driving  the  rear  team  and  sent  him  into  the 
ranks  and  told  me  to  mount  the  mute.  There  were  three  teams 
and  wagons  and  I  thought  the  team  I  had  would  follow  the  one 
in  front  and  so  would  need  little  or  no  driving. 

Lieutenant  Sheehan  went  to  his  chest  and  took  out  a  broad 
red  scarf,  such  as  the  officer  of  the  day  wears,  and  put  it  on,  thus 
making  himself  very  conspicuous.  It  was  certainly  a  brave 
thing  to  do  under  the  circumstances,  but  very  indiscreet.  No 
experienced  Indian  fighter  of  today  would  think  of  doing  such  a 
thing. 


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fflSTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  235 

The  march  was  resumed,  hut  hefore  reaching  the  woods  Lieu- 
tenant Sheehan,  with  his  men,  made  a  wide  detour  to  the  right, 
where  the  bluffs  were  lower  and  the  woods  less  thick.  There  he 
crossed  the  creek,  but  left  the  wagons  with  the  three  teamsters 
to  go  through  the  ambuscade.  I  thought,  at  the  time,  that  this 
movement  smacked  of  cowardice  and  that  the  lieutenant  desired 
mostly  to  get  bis  own  skin  safely  into  the  fort.  But  the  lieu- 
tenant did  the  very  best  thing  that  he  could,  not  only  for  him- 
self and  the  soldiers,  but  for  us  as  well.  If  he  had  undertaken 
to  go  through  where  we  went  not  one  would  have  escaped.  What 
saved  usi  It  was  a  couple  of  howitzers,  which  had  been  run  out 
onto  the  bluff  and  loaded  with  shell  and  the  Indians  knew  that 
at  the  first  shot  the  shells  would  drop  among  them,  and  they 
were  mortally  afraid  of  them.  They  called  them  rotten  balls, 
because  they  flew  in  pieces. 

Aa  to  the  number  of  Indians  there,  I  rely  entirely  on  what 
was  told  me.  I  saw  only  a  few,  for  of  course,  they  were  as  well 
concealed  as  possible.  Why  did  they  not  shell  the  Indians  out 
of  there  before  Sheehan 's  troops  came!  That  would  seem  the 
proper  thing  to  do,  but  from  what  I  afterward  learned,  I  think 
the  officer  in  command  of  the  fort  hesitated  to  begin  hostilities, 
for  up  to  that  time  there  had  been  no  attack  on  the  fort,  which 
was  filled  with  refugees  and  contained'  only  fifty  soldiers.  This 
place  did  not  deserve  the  name  of  fort,  for  there  were  only  two 
bullet  proof  buildings  in  it,  and  consisted  simply  of  a  few  build- 
ings built  around  an  open  square  with  open  spaces  between  them. 
Not  one  of  the  buildings  was  loopholed.  In  short,  the  post  was 
only  intended  as  barracks.  It  was  never  intended  to  resist  an 
attack. 

We  had  reached  the  fort  safely,  but  what  was  the  condition 
of  the  things  inside  t 

Quite  early  on  Monday  Captain  John  S.  Marsh  in  command 
of  the  fort,  had  heard  of  the  outbreak  and  at  once  started  with 
about  fifty  men  for  the  lower  agency,  where  he  was  ambuscaded 
and  twenty-three  were  left  dead  for  us  to  bury  two  weeks  after- 
ward, while  he  was  drowned  in  trying  to  swim  the  river.  This 
left  the  fort  in  command  of  his  first  lieutenant,  with  only  fifty 
soldiers  to  defend  this  indefensible  place,  filled  as  it  was  with 
frightened  men,  women  and  children. 

Perhaps  it  was  best  that  he  did  not  commence  hostilities. 
Lieutenant  Sheehan  ranked  the  lieutenant  and  therefore  took 
command. 

As  soon  as  I  reached  the  fort,  I  applied  to  Lieutenant  Thomas 
P.  Gere  for  a  gun,  hut  he  said  that  the  extra  guns  were  all  dis- 
tributed among  the  citizens.  But  after  a  while  I  found  a  sergeant 
who  was  on  detail  and  had  no  use  for  his  gun,  so  loaned  it  to  me 
with  belt  and  cartridge  box  and  I  then  joined  a  company  of  citi- 


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236  HISTORY  OF  RENVII.LE  COUNTY 

zens  that  had  been  formed  for  the  defense  of  the  fort  and  had 
chosen  Mr.  DeCamp  as  captain.  I  was  assigned  to  duty  at  one 
of  the  windows  of  the  soldiers'  quarters,  a  stone  building,  which 
occupied  the  north  side  of  the  parade.  The  women  and  children 
were  in  the  second  storj-.  The  men  had  been  armed  as  well  as 
possible  with  guns,  but  when  these  were  all  distributed  they  were 
given  axes,  crowbars  and  the  like  and  statioiied  at  the  doors  and 
windows  of  the  stone  building  to  guard  them  in  case  of  assault. 
Outside  of  this  stone  building  was  a  row  of  small  log  houses  that 
had  been  built  for  the  families  of  the  non-commissioned  officers 
and  troops  were  placed  in  and  behind  them  for  their  defense. 
Other  buildings  were  defended  by  placing  men  in  them,  but  there 
was  no  sign  of  a  breastwork  about  the  fort,  while  on  the  north, 
east  and  south  sides,  it  was  within  easy  gun  shot  of  ravines  and 
bluffs,  where  Indians  could  lie  in  safety,  while  attacking  it. 

About  noon  of  August  20,  a  force  of  Indians  returning  from 
the  attack  on  New  Ulm,  were  going  towards  the  agency  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  river,  and  the  commander  dropped  a  few 
shells  among  them.  About  two  o'clock  the  music  began  and  it 
seemed  for  a  while  as  though  pandemonium  itself  had  broken 
loose,  for  the  Indians  numbered  400  or  500  and  they  fired  rapidly 
and  each  time  they  fired  they  uttered  the  war  whoop.  The  noise 
from  the  shooting  with  the  crashing  of  bullets  through  doors  and 
windows  was  bad  enough,  but  the  war  whoop  was  worse  yet,  for 
it  was  simply  blood  curdling  and  I  really  think  that  .1  dodged 
oftener  for  the  war  whoops  than  for  the  bullets.  For  a  moment 
it  seemed  that  my  hair  stood  on  end  and  I  was  a  bit  rattled,  but 
by  an  effort  I  regained  control  of  myself  and  afterwards  was  not 
badly  excited, 

I  could  not  do  much  in  the  way  of  shooting  for  the  soldiers  in 
the  log  huts  soon  had  quite  a  cloud  of  smoke  about  them  which 
obscured  my  sight  and  made  it  dangerous  to  them  for  me  to  shoot. 
So  I  simply  remained  on  guard  at  the  window.  The  fighting 
continued  till  long  after  dark,  when  the  Indians  withdrew.  No 
one  in  the  room  where  I  was  stationed,  was  wounded,  but  the 
surgeon  brought  in  others  who  had  been  wounded  outside,  and 
the  sight  of  these  poor  fellows  taxed  my  nerves  severely. 

After  the  fighting  ceased  everything  became  quiet  and  some 
of  us  slept  while  others  kept  watch.  The  next  morning  the  citi- 
zens company  was  ordered  to  assemble  and  we  were  arranged 
in  single  rank  across  the  parade,  I  happened  to  stand  fourth 
from  the  right  of  the  company.  As  soon  as  Captain  DeCamp  had 
the  company  in  line  he  reported  the  fact  to  Lieutenant  Sheehan, 
who  proceeded  to  make  us  a  speech  in  which  he  called  us  all  the 
mean  names,  such  as  cowards  and  sneaks,  etc.,  that  he  could 
think  of.  I  was  surprised,  for  I  was  not  aware  of  sneaking,  but 
I  afterward  leai'ned  that  many  of  them  had  deserted  their  posts 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  237 

and  gone  upstairs  with  the  women  and  children.  Lieutenant 
Sheehan  ended  his  harangue  by  telling  Captain  DeCamp  to  pick 
out  ten  of  his  men,  if  he  had  so  many  in  his  company  of  scrubs, 
and  detail  them  to  go  on  picket  duty  to  relieve  his  men. 

Captain  DeCamp  began  at  the  right  of  the  company  and  asked 
if  the  man  could  go  on  picket  duty  for  about  two  hours.  The 
man  gave  some  flimsy  excuse  and  said  no.  He  then  asked  the 
second  and  got  a  still  poorer  excuse.  I  think  his  excuse  was  that 
he  had  no  cartridge  box,  but  had  to  carry  his  cartridges  in  hia 
pocket.  He  asked  the  third  man  and  got  another  flimsy  excuse. 
I  confess  by  that  time  I  was  ashamed  of  the  company  I  was  in 
and  I  did  not  blame  Lieutenant  Sheehan  for  the  language  he  had 
used.  I  think  I  would  have  volunteered  to  go  if  I  had  known 
I  would  get  hurt.  So  when  Captain  DeCamp  asked  me  I  answered 
promptly  and  loudly,  "Yes,  air."  No  doubt  my  answer  came 
more  from  ahame  and  bravado  than  from  bravery,  but  it  seemed 
to  have  a  magical  effect  on  Lieutenant  Sheehan  and  he  said, 
"Thank  God  for  one  man.  Take  a  pace  to  the  front."  Soon  the 
other  nine  were  found  and  we  were  taken  out  and  stretched  in  a 
picket  line  about  the  fort.  My  post  was  on  a  knoll  about  eighty 
rods  from  the  fort  and  on  the  Abercrombie  road.  Other  pickets 
were  about  twenty  rods  distant  on  either  side. 

Nothing  of  interest  occurred  during  the  two  hours  I  was 
on  that  post,  except  that  one  of  the  soldiers,  who  had  been  with 
Captain  Marsh,  returned  and  was  received  at  my  post.  While 
detaining  him  until  the  corporal  of  the  guard  could  come  and  ad- 
mit him  he  told  me  of  the  fight  between  Captain  Marsh's  men 
and  the  Indians. 

Having  been  relieved  from  picket,  I  received  my  breakfast 
which  was  the  first  meal  I  had  eaten  since  that  meal  of  raw  pork, 
and  I  put  in  a  good  supply,  for  I  did  not  know  when  I  would  get 
any  more.  I  bad  made  up  my  mind  not  to  remain  in  that  citizens 
company  any  longer,  so  after  breakfast  I  went  to  a  sergeant  of 
Lieutenant  Sheehan 's  company  and  asked  him  to  take  me  into 
bis  squad,  but  he  said  he  could  not  do  it  without  orders  and 
could  not  draw  rations  for  me.  I  thought  I  had  failed,  but  one 
of  the  men  who  stood  near  said,  "Take  him  in  sergeant  if  you 

can,  for  he  is  the  only  citizen  I  have  seen  that  is  worth  a  d n," 

and  another  said,  "We'll  divide  rations  with  him,"  and  so  I  was 
sort  of  adopted  by  that  squad  of  seven  or  eight  men.  But  I  did 
not  remain  with  them  long. 

The  next  day  there  were  signs  of  trouble  and  Lieutenant  Shee- 
han perfected  his  scheme  of  defense,  one  item  of  which  was  to 
divide  the  line  of  defense  into  squad  limits  and  place  a  sergeant 
in  command  of  a  certain  limit.  Thus  he  could  call  for  a  report 
from  any  part  of  the  line  at  any  time.  On  this  day  (Friday)  the 
sqnad  I  belonged  to  was  placed  behind  the  log  huts,  and  Captain 


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238  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

DeCamp  had  command  of  that  line.    Pretty  soon  the  firing  began 
briskly.     The  Indians  could  come  up  the  ravine  through  which 
the  road  ran  and  in  this  way  come  within  eight  or  ten  rods  of  us 
still  protected  by  the  banks  of  the  ravine,  so  we  had  to  look 
sharp.      We  had  become   greatly  interested  when  Captain   De- 
Camp  marched  slowly  along  behind  the  line,  apparently  giving 
no  heed  to  the  bullets.    When  he  had  reached  about  the  middle 
of  the  line  he  stopped  and  said  in  a  voice  loud  enough  to  be 
heard  all  along  the  line,  "Boys,  I  am  ordered  to  shoot  the  firat 
man  who  leaves  his  post  without  orders,  and  I'll  do  it  by  G-d." 
He  carried  a  Sharps  rifle  and  I  think  every  one  believed  that  he 
meant  what  he  said.     There  were  a  few  citizens  in  the  squad 
and  he  probably  remembered  how  they  had  acted  before.    Sood 
Lieutenant  Sheehan  came  running  to  Capt.  DeCamp  and  said 
he  wanted  four  men  to  go  to  the  other  side  of  the  parade.    There 
were  four  of  us  near  together  and  DeCamp  designated  us  to  go 
with  Sheehan.     So  bringing  our  guns  to  "right  shoulder  shift" 
Sheehan  gave  the  order  to  double  quick  and  led  the  way  across 
the  parade,  which  was  being  raked  through  every  opening  be- 
tween the  buildings.    We  had  reached  the  middle  and  the  bullets 
were  coming  thick  enough  to  satisfy  even  Lieutenant  Sheehan. 
He  turned  around  and  said  to  ub,  "G-d  d-n  it,  can't  you  nm 
faster  than  that!"     Now,  as  a   sprinter,  I  was  not  ready  to 
acknowledge  any  superior,  so  I  let  out  and  before  he  knew  it  I 
was  way  ahead,  but  he  called,  "Hold  on,  hold  on,"  so  I  slacked 
np  and  let  him  catch  up  with  me.    At  the  south  aide  he  left  me 
in  the  opening  between  the  headquarters  and  the  comer  building 
without   even   a   spear   of   grass    for   shelter.     I   could   simply 
hug  the  ground  and  trust  to  luck.    But  they  did  not  leave  me 
there  long  before  Sergeant  Blackmer  called  to  me  to  come  into 
his  squad,  which  was  outside  of  all  the  bnildinp  on  the  east  side 
of  the  fort.    Here  I  found  myself  with  four  soldiers  and  though 
separated  from  my  friends  I  was  content.    Here  again  there  was 
nothing  to  shelter  the  men.    Our  only  protection  was  in  shooting 
BO  well  that  the  Indians  would  not  dare  expose  themselves  long 
enough  to  take  good  aim.    Our  greatest  danger  was  in  the  fact 
that  the  ground  in  our  front  was  quite  rolling,  with  numerous 
little  hillocks,  and  now  here,  now  there,  in  the  tall  grass  be- 
tween, an  Indian  would  suddenly  rise,  take  a  quick  aim  and  fire. 
One  was  particularly  persistent  and  seemed  to  have  a  particular 
desire  to  pick  me.    He  had  made  some  close  shots,  so  I  became 
rather  anxious  to  get  him.    In  my  eagerness  I  forgot  due  caution 
and  rose  on  my  knees  when  another  Indian  let  fly  at  me.    The 
bullet  hit  the  third  finger  of  my  right  hand  and  glanced  to  the 
stock  of  my  gun  which  it  damaged  considerably.    I  did  not  know 
that  I  had  been  hit,  but  found  myself  standing  upright  and  a 
soldier  tugging  at  my  clothes  to  pull  me  down.    I  lay  down  at 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  239 

once  and  reBumed  the  watch  for  my  Indian.  Pretty  aooo  the 
soldier  said  that  one  of  ub  must  be  hit,  for  there  Tras  blood  on 
the  ground.  I  told  him  that  it  was  he  and  showed  him  some 
holes  in  hie  coat  sleeve.  But  he  said  no,  that  it  was  I,  and  pointed 
to  a  little  hole  just  in  the  center  of  my  shirt  front,  but  then  I 
remembered  thst  that  hole  was  burned  one  evening  while  fishing 
with  a  jack  and  just  then  the  soldier  noticed  the  wound  on  my 
finger.  I  was  bleeding  considerably  and  the  bone  was  broken, 
yet  it  hadn't  begun  to  pain  me.  Sergeant  Blackmer  sent  me  to 
the  surgeon  to  have  it  dressed  and  I  returned  to  the  squad,  but 
soon  the  feeling  returned  and  the  pain  was  terrific.  My  hand 
jerked  so  that  I  could  not  hold  the  gun  still  long  enough  to 
shoot.  So  as  I  was  disabled.  Sergeant  Blackmer  told  me  to  go 
behind  a  door,  made  of  inch  pine  boards,  which  was  leaning 
against  the  side  of  the  building  and  keep  watch  in  a  certain  direc- 
tion, which  did  not  seem  to  be  under  observation,  and  the  In- 
dians might  charge  on  that  side.  I  got  up  and  ran  over  and  sat 
down  behind  the  door  and  at  once  I  was  taken  with  an  unbear- 
able pain  in  my  band  and  arm.  I  simply  conld  not  endure  it 
and  had  jnst  come  out  from  behind  the  door  when  the  Indians 
fired  a  volley  at  it.  The  door  looked  like  the  top  of  a  pepper 
box.  If  I  had  been  behind  it  I  would  have  been  hit  by  at  least  a 
dozen  balls.  I  returned  to  Sergeant  Blackmer,  who  ordered  me 
again  to  the  surgeon.  The  surgeon  dressed  it  again  and  put  on 
a  white  powder,  probably  morphine,  which,  for  a  time,  relieved 
the  pain,  but  I  was  entirely  unable  to  use  a  gun,  so  Sergeant 
Blackmer  told  me  to  keep  a  lookout  in  different  directions.  Soon 
afterwards  Sergeant  Blackmer  was  wounded  in  the  jaw,  the 
bullet  passing  through  from  side  to  side.  The  poor  fellow  mnat 
have  suffered  terribly. 

For  several  hours,  lasting  until  quite  late  in  the  night,  they 
kept  up  the  attack.  There  were  a  good  many  of  our  men  hurt 
and  I  think  we  must  have  done  them  some  injury  for  just  before 
their  attack  ceased  we  could  bear  an  Indian  down  in  the  timber 
calling  the  rest  away.  A  half-breed,  who  was  in  the  fort,  said 
that  the  Indian  said,  "Come  away  or  they'll  kill  us  all."  The 
firing  ceased  at  once  and  from  that  time  there  was  no  further 
attack  worthy  of  note.  They  kept  up  a  state  of  siege  so  that  it 
was  dangerous  for  one  to  expose  himself,  but  aside  from  occa- 
sional shots  there  was  no  firing.  This  state  of  siege  lasted  about 
ten  days  when,  to  our  delight,  one  day  a  company  of  mounted 
men  rode  into  the  fort.  The  Indians  made  but  slight  effort  to 
keep  them  out  and  immediately  departed,  well  knowing,  no  doubt, 
that  from  that  time  there  would  be  no  use  in  trying  to  capture  it. 
We  heard  no  more  of  them. 

As  soon  as  I  could  I  went  to  the  camp  of  the  cavalry  and 
found  it  composed  largely  of  refugees  under  the  command  of 


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240  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

Captain  Joseph  Anderson,  who  was  an  old  Mexican  War  soldier. 
It  had  been  organized  for  the  express  purpose  of  relieving  New 
Ulm  and  Fort  Bidgely.  Much  to  my  surprise  I  found  Ch&lon, 
who  brought  me  news  of  the  safety  of  father,  Herman  and  Mil- 
lard White.  It  seems  strange  to  me  now  that  I  never  asked  father 
for  a  detailed  statement  of  his  experiences  after  we  separated. 
Neither  did  he  ever  ask  me  any  questions  as  to  my  escape,  and 
when  mother  returned  I  never  sought  a  history  of  her  adven- 
tures. All  that  I  know  concerning  any  of  them  was  what  I  heard 
them  tell  to  others. 

It  seems  that  after  father's  rescue  by  Radnor,  for  it  was  no 
less,  he  ran  across  Herman,  and  then  Chalon  and  Millard  White. 
They  tried  until  late  in  the  night  to  make  their  way  to  Fort 
Ridgely,  but  they  seemed  to  be  prevented  by  some  Indians.  Fin- 
ally despairing  of  reaching  there,  they  struck  out  to  the  north 
and  at  last  reached  Glencoe,  after  a  couple  of  days.  Herman  be- 
came so  exhausted  that  father  had  to  carry  him  on  bis  back  many 
weary  hours  before  they  reached  the  settlement. 

On  the  way  they  fell  in  with  two  {Mrs.  White  says  five)  In- 
dians, who  evidently  had  been  hunting  and  had  not  heard  of  the 
outbreak.  They  offered  no  indignities  except  to  compel  Chalon 
to  trade  guns  with  one  of  them  and  so  Chalon  lost  Little  Crow's 
gun. 

Father's  legs  were  so  badly  torn  by  the  grass  that  gangrene 
at  one  time  threatened. 

After  the  mounted  men  reached  the  fort  there  was  a  reorgan- 
ization of  the  company  and,  as  they  expected  to  go  on  whenever 
there  should  be  a  move  to  rescue  the  women  and  children  who 
were  prisoners,  I  made  up  my  mind  to  enlist  in  the  company, 
which  I  did.  A  new  roll  was  made  and  I  think  Chalon 's  name 
appears  as  third  and  mine  as  fourth  on  it.  We  elected  officers, 
choosing  as  captain,  Joseph  Anderson ;  Brown,  first  lieutenant, 
and  Marshall,  second  lieutenant.  (I  am  not  positive  as  to  the 
name  of  the  second  lieutenant,  but  think  I  am  right.)  I  remem- 
ber two  other  aspirants  for  the  office  of  captain.  One  was  said 
to  be  an  old  hunter  and  Indian  fighter.  The  other  was  a  young 
Irishman,  whose  claim  to  the  office  was  based  on  the  alleged  fact 
that  he  was  in  the  battle  of  Pittsburgh  Landing  and  so  had 
had  experience.    However,  Anderson  was  elected  by  a  large  vote. 

The  next  few  daj-s  were  spent  in  scouting,  foraging  and  drill- 
ing. Nothing  exciting  occurred,  unless  it  be  a  little  incident  by 
which  I  gained  the  Indian  blanket,  which  has  now  been  nearly 
worn  out.  I  was  scouting  one  day,  when  I  saw  a  white  object 
lying  on  the  ground,  and  riding  toward  it  I  saw  that  it  was  a 
blanket,  bat  there  was  an  Indian  there  too.  An  argument  fol- 
lowed, which  resulted  in  my  taking  the  blanket,  which  I  needed 
and  which  the  Indian  did  not  need  any  longer. 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  241 

As  I  revert  to  those  times  it  stirs  my  pulses  a  little,  but  such 
things  as  this  just  related  were  then  considered  of  little  moment. 
I  have  wondered  a  thousand  times  that  I  did  not  get  ray  foolish 
head  knocked  off,  but  aside  from  the  wound  in  my  hand  I  never 
received  a  scratch. 

Chalon  was  worse  than  a  daredevil.  Wherever  was  the  trail 
of  an  Indian  there  would  he  go,  seemingly  without  thought  of 
the  possible  consequences.  Yet  he  was  never  hurt,  though  he 
was  many  times  in  tight  places.  It  may  have  been  our  good  luck 
that  got  us  out  of  bad  scrapes. 

Sunday  morning,  August  31,  we  were  ordered  to  mount,  and 
then  in  addition  to  our  heavy  muskets  and  bayonets  we  were 
given  heavy  cavalry  sabres,  the  most  useless  thing  to  us  that  we 
could  have.  But  we  had  to  take  them  anyway.  As  I  sat  there 
in  the  saddle,  weighted  down  with  musket,  bayonet,  saber,  cart- 
ridge and  cap  box,  besides  blanket  and  haversack,  I  felt  that  it 
would  be  impossible  to  get  out  of  the  saddle  without  first  un- 
loading. 

By  this  time  quite  a  large  force  of  infantry  had  reached 
the  fort  and  were  camped  on  the  prairie  west  of  it.  Colonel  Sib- 
ley was  in  command.  He  had  been  chosen  for  the  command  and 
given  the  rank  of  Brigadier  General,  because  of  his  previous  ex- 
perience with,  and  knowledge  of  the  Indians. 

We  learned  about  noon  of  August  31  that  an  expedition  made 
up  of  Anderson's  cavalry  and  Captain  Grant's  company  of  in- 
fantry, had  been  ordered  to  proceed  to  the  lower  agency  and  set- 
tlements near,  for  the  purpose  of  burying  the  dead  and  of  learn- 
ing something  about  the  prisoners.  The  command  of  the  expe- 
dition was  given  to  Major  Brown.  We  took  along  seven  or  eighl 
wagons  with  rations,  forage,  etc. 

Sunday  night  we  camped  in  the  river  bottom  not  far  from  the 
ferry.  It  was  my  luck  to  be  on  guard  that  night  and  though  we 
were  undisturbed,  there  were  plenty  of  signal  fires  indicating 
that  Indians  were  about.  The  next  morning  Major  Brown  or- 
dered Captain  Anderson  to  cross  the  river  to  the  agency  and 
learn  what  he  could  there,  if  anything,  then  to  proceed  up  the 
river  a  few  miles  and  cross  back  and  meet  the  infantry  in  camp 
on  the  Birch  Cooley.  Grant's  infantry,  after  burying  the  soldiers 
who  had  been  killed  at  the  ferry,  were  to  proceed  up  the  river  to 
the  mouth  of  Beaver  creek  to  ascend  that  to  our  home  and  then 
cross  over  to  Birch  Cooley  for  camp.  Birch  Cooley  is  the  name 
of  a  creek  about  three  miles  east  of  the  Beaver  creek,  Chalon 
and  I  were  detailed  as  guides  and  to  scout  for  the  infantry. 

For  some  reason  now  forgotten,  I  was  not  ready  to  start  with 
the  infantry  and  they  had  been  gone  quite  a  while  when  I  started 
after  them  and  met  a  squad  of  soldiers  under  a  half-breed  ser- 
geant, on  their  way  back  to  the  fort.    Why  they  had  been  sent 


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242  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

along  or  why  now  rettiming  I  do  not  know.  This  sergeant  had 
tried  to  get  me  to  enlist  in  his  company  and  I  think  I  had  nearly 
promised  to  do  so,  hut  when  Chalon  arrived  at  the  fort  I  changed 
my  mind  and  told  the  sergeant  so.  He  seemed  quite  disappointed 
and  inclined  to  be  angry.  When  I  met  the  sergeant  and  hie 
squad,  he  stopped  me  and  asked  me  again  to  enlist  in  his  com- 
pany, but  I  refused  and  started  on,  when  he  called  out,  "You'll 
never  see  the  fort  again."  Whether  he  thought  to  frighten  me, 
or  thought  I  would,  while  scouting,  run  into  a  bad  place,  or 
whether  he  knew  the  danger  the  expedition  would  be  in,  I  do  not 
know,  nor  did  I  then  stop  to  think. 

I  was  soon  in  advance  of  the  infantry,  looking  out  for  possi- 
ble amhush.  Before  noon  Chalon  and  I  found  a  half-crazed 
Swedish  woman,  who  tried  to  elude  us  and  we  had  to  run  her 
down.  When  we  had  captured  her,  we  learned  that  all  her  fam- 
ily had  been  killed,  she  herself  had  been  wounded  by  fourteen 
buckshot  in  her  back  and  in  this  condition  had  remained  so  near 
the  Indians,  supporting  herself  on  the  food  found  in  the  deserted 
houses.  We  halted  and  waited  until  the  infantry  came  up,  then  . 
we  turned  her  over  to  Captain  Grant  and  we  resumed  our 
scouting. 

We  reached  our  house  sometime  after  noon  and  it  was  a  sad 
looking  wreck.  We  did  not  care  to  remain  there  long  and  as 
our  camp  for  the  night  was  to  be  nearly  in  the  direction  of  our 
flight  just  two  weeks  before,  we  made  up  our  minds  to  follow 
that  course. 

We  soon  came  to  the  place  where  we  had  left  the  buggy  with 
Mrs.  Henderson  and  there  we  found  her  body  with  a  broken  jug 
at  her  head,  the  bodies  of  her  two  little  girls,  and  a  few  feet 
away  the  body  of  Mr,  Wedge. 

Mr,  Henderson  had  accompanied  the  expedition  and  was 
there  to  see  the  remains  of  his  wife  and  children.  He  was  nearly 
heart-broken,  but  I  think  he  did  not  utter  a  word. 

These  buried,  we  followed  on  and  found  the  body  of  Dave 
Carrothera'  little  boy,  but  did  not  succeed  in  finding  the  body 
of  Eugene  White.  Chalon,  soon  after,  called  and  said  that  he  had 
found  Eugene,  but  when  I  reached  him  I  at  once  recognized  the 
body  as  Radnor's  from  the  clothing..  The  body  was  so  decom- 
posed as  to  be  unrecognizable.  It  was  now  getting  late,  so  we 
buried  him  in  a  shallow  grave  and  turned  the  canjp,  feeling  that 
we  had  lost  the  best  boy  that  ever  lived. 

We  found  the  camp  formed  about  twenty  rods  from  the  tim- 
bered banks  of  the  Birch  Cooley  and  surrounded  by  knolls  and 
ravines.  In  fact,  as  I  remember  it  now,  it  could  not  have  been 
placed  better — for  the  Indians.  The  wagons  had  been  drawn  up 
in  a  circle  about  five  or  six  rods  in  diameter  and  the  horses 
were  tied  to  a  rope  stretched  across  the  circle  and  fastened  to 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  243 

the  wagons.  The  tents,  known  as  the  Sibley  tent,  were  pitched 
inside  the  circle  and  would  accommodate  about  twenty  men  each. 
The  tent  which  I  slept  in  that  night  faced  the  east  and  I  hap- 
pened to  lie  just  at  the  side  of  the  cDtranee.  Chalon  was  a  wagon 
guard  and  slept  under  the  wagon.  The  Swedish  woman  we  had 
captured,  bad  been  put  into  a  covered  wagon  and  a  buffalo  robe 
was  given  her  for  covering. 

About  four  o'clock  the  next  morning,  just  as  the  gray  of 
approaching  dawn  began  to  appear,  one  of  my  company  who 
had  been  one  of -Walker's  Filibusters,  saw  some  objects  running 
about  the  prairie  near  the  camp,  which  he  thought  must  be  hogs. 
Thinking  it  would  be  a  great  joke  on  the  inexperienced  men  to 
give  an  alarm  he  fired  on  one  of  the  supposed  hogs,  when  to  his 
surprise  his  shot  was  followed  immediately  by  a  terrific  war- 
whoop  and  volley. 

What  he  took  for  hogs  were  Indians  sneaking  up  with  bows 
and  arrows  in  order  to  kill  the  sentinels  without  giving  an  alarm, 
and  expecting  then  to  charge  a  sleeping  camp.  But  the  joke  was 
unfortunate  for  them,  for  the  camp  was  alarmed.  The  Indians 
immediately  directed  their  fire  at  about  breast  high  of  the  tents, 
calculating  that  the  soldiers  would  spring  up  at  the  first  alarm 
and  many  would  be  hit  before  getting  out  of  the  tents.  They 
were  right.  Very  few  of  the  men  of  either  company  bad  been 
under  fire  before  and  they  immediately  sprang  up.  Many  were 
killed  and  wounded  in  the  tents. 

With  the  first  war-wboop  I  was  wide  awake  and  at  once  rolled 
on  my  face  in  order  to  get  up.  Immediately  the  commotion  began. 
Sergeant  Baxter,  a  big,  noble  fellow,  sprang  up  and  said,  "Come 
on,  boys,  don't  be  afraid,"  and  started  for  the  tent  door.  Just 
then  he  clasped  his  hands  to  his  cheat  and  cried,  "My  God,  boys, 
I'm  shot  in  the  breast,"  and  he  fell  across  my  legs.  He  was  so 
heavy  that  it  took  quite  a  few  seconds  to  get  out  from  under  him, 
and  when  I  reached  the  line  firing  was  heavy.  Chalon  was  in 
his  element.  He  stood  at  the  end  of  a  wagon  and  fired  as  rapidly' 
as  possible.  His  conduct  pleased  Captain  Anderson,  and  every 
time  he  fired  the  captain  praised  him,  thinking  probably  that 
"the  boy's"  courage  would  soon  play  out.  But  when  he  saw  that 
he  held  his  position  he  finally  ordered  him  to  lie  down,  saying 
that  he  could  not  afford  to  lose  such  a  brave  fellow.  I  lay  along 
side  of  the  captain  and  I  soon  found  that  he  was  as  eool  and 
unconcerned  as  an  iceberg.  That  helped  rae  and  others  to  keep 
cool. 

Thinking  that  when  the  Indians  should  find  out  that  they 
could  not  take  the  camp  by  surprise  they  would  leave  we  gave 
our  sole  attention  to  the  fight.  But  as  it  continued  hour  after 
hour  without  any  let  up  and  our  losses  were  severe  we  began  to 
dig  each  for  himself.    My  utensils  for  digging  were  my  bayonet 


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244  HISTOHY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

and  my  hands,  till  I  soon  had  a  little  ditch  with  a  slight  bank 
in  front,  which  .afforded  a  good  protection.  The  others  of  our 
company  provided  for  themselves  in  the  same  way.  Captain 
Grant  had  a  few  shovels  in  his  wagons  and  with  these  the  men 
soon  dug  a  trench  deep  enough  and  long  enough  to  give  protec- 
tion to  the  whole  company.  Ah  the  Indians  persisted  in  the 
attack,  and  we  were  complrtely  surrounded,  no  one  could  get  out 
to  go  to  the  fort  for  help.  So  our  officers  began  to  caution  the 
men  uQt  to  waste  ammunition,  as  no  one  could  tell  bow  long  we 
might  have  to  stay  there,  and  judging  by  the  firing  it  would  be 
madness  to  attempt  to  cut  our  way  through  to  the  fort,  which 
was  sixteen  miles  away.  No  one  dared  to  hope  that  the  firing 
would  be  heard  so  far,  so  the  prospects  for  relief  were  very  poor. 

There  was  not  a  bucket  of  water  in  the  camp,  and  we  soon 
began  to  suffer  intensely  from  thirst,  especially  as  we  had  to  bite 
the  cartridges,  thus  getting  powder  in  our  mouths.  I  got  some 
relief  by  chewing  a  bullet,  which  started  the  saliva  and  moistened 
my  mouth. 

Food  was  as  scarce  nearly  as  water.  All  I  had  to  eat  during 
the  battle  was  a  small  piece  of  raw  cabbage  leaf,  but  that  was 
very  delicious. 

As  evening  came  the  Indians  left  a  part  of  their  number  to 
keep  up  the  fight,  but  the  larger  number  withdrew  into  the  woods 
of  the  bottom  lands,  where  they  were  perfectly  safe,  and  slaugh- 
tered and  roasted  beef  for  their  suppers,  which  they  evidently 
enjoyed  more  than  we  did. 

The  firing  continued  all  night,  which  was  as  light  almost  as 
day.  We  were  allowed  no  rest.  We  dared  not  sleep,  even  a  por- 
tion at  a  time,  for  it  had  been  noticed  that  when  we  slackened 
fire  too  much  they  became  much  bolder,  and  as  we  had  lost  a  good 
many  our  fire  was  necessarily  much  lighter  than  at  first.  At  one 
time  Captain  Grant's  men  slackened  their  fire  so  much  that  we 
on  the  other  side  of  the  circle  were  badly  exposed  to  the  Indian 
fire  and  most  of  our  casualties  were  from  that  side.  So  Captain 
Anderson  determined  to  send  word  to  Captain  Qrant  to  that  effect. 
He  asked  me  to  go.  As  I  was  simply  to  go  there  and  back  I  left 
my  gun  and  made  a  bold  dash  for  it,  thinking  I  would  get  across 
before  the  Indians  would  see  me.  But  they  were  alert  and 
instantly  the  bullets  came  thick.  There  had  been  a  scow  picked 
up  somewhere  and  brought  along  on  one  of  the  wagons  and  on 
camping  had  been  thrown  upon  the  ground.  This  lay  convenient 
for  me  and  I  threw  myself  behind  it.  The  firing  quickly  ceased, 
and  after  a  few  minutes  I  went  on  to  Captain  Grant  and  delivered 
my  message.  When  I  sprang  up  to  return  it  seemed  as  though 
they  were  all  watching  for  me,  for  I  never  heard  bullets  whistle 
so  thickly.  Again  I  dropped  behind  the  boat  and  from  there 
across  was  a  little  more  discreet. 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUXTY  245 

MorDiug  came.  Noon  came  and  went  with  no  promiae  of 
relief.  But  about  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  we  noticed  a  stir 
among  tbe  Indians,  a  slackening  of  their  fire,  and  we  soon  were 
aware  that  most  of  them  had  left  as  to  meet  a  force  coming  to 
our  relief.  A  regiment  under  General  Sibley  was  coming  and, 
scarcely  halting,  the;  formed  a  line  of  battle  and  scattered  the 
redskins  from  in  front  of  them.  The  Indians  didn't  make  much 
of  an  effort,  for  they  were  outnumbered  and  there  was  no  show 
for  them.  Of  our  force  of  140  men  more  than  half  were  killed  or 
wounded.  We  buried  thirteen  there.  Among  them  was  poor 
Henderson.  I  did  not  seem  him  after  the  fight  began.  We  found 
him  between  our  lines  and  the  Indians.  He  had  probably  started 
to  run  at  the  beginning  of  the  fight,  and  was  caught  between  the 
lines,  and  whether  killed  by  soldiers  or  Indians  no  one  knows. 

Our  relief  was  fortunate.  Soon  after  the  fight  began  a  picket 
at  the  fort  reported  firing  towards  the  west.  General  Sibley 
immediately  dispatched  an  officer  and  several  companies  of  troops 
to  onr  relief,  but  after  coming  about  three  miles  the  officer  went 
back  and  said  he  could  not  hear  any  firing.  Meantime  it  had 
been  plainly  heard  at  the  fort,  so  General  Sibley  peremptorily 
ordered  him  to  come  to  our  relief  and  to  continue  until  he  found 
us.  The  officer  then  started  ag&in  and  came  within  three  miles 
and  camped,  notwithstanding  that  the  fight  was  still  going  on. 
Neither  did  he  make  any  proper  effort  in  the  morning,  for  before 
he  got  started  General  Sibley  had  taken  another  force  and  came 
to  seek  us,  and  had  found  the  officer  just  ready  to  break  camp. 

A  good  hearty  meal  and  we  were  loaded  into  wagons  for  our 
return  to  the  fort.    Every  one  of  our  horses  had  been  kilted. 

Father  had  meantime  reached  the  fort  and  learned  where  the 
"Earle  boys"  were.  You  may  imagine  his  feelings  as  he  stood 
on  the  knoll  by  the  picket  post  and  heard  the  firing  hour  after 
hour,  knowing  that  his  two  boys  were  there.  We  were  in  a  wagon 
near  the  end  of  the  train  and  as  we  neared  the  fort  there  was 
father  asking  constantly,  "Do  you  know  anything  of  the  Earle 
boysT"  I  heard  him  white  he  was  still  quite  a  distance  off  and 
some  of  the  answers.  Some  said  both  were  killed,  some,  one  killed 
and  so  on.  As  the  last  wagon  drew  near  and  he  had  not  yet 
found  either  nor  got  a  satisfactory  answer  to  his  questions  he 
began  to  be  discouraged  and  his  voice  trembled.  By  the  time  our 
wagon  reached  him  he  had  ceased  to  ask  for  the  Earle  boys,  but 
asked  for  the  CuUen  Guard,  the  name  of  our  company.  I  rose  up 
and  said  yes,  there  were  two  he  would  be  glad  to  see. 

Birch  Cooley  is  reckoned  among  the  most  severe  battles  of  the 
frontier,  indeed  I  think  there  were  very  few  others  where  the 
percentage  of  loss  was  greater.  The  battle  lasted  without  a 
moment's  cessation  from  about  four  o'clock  on  Tuesday  morning 
until  two  o'clock  Wednesday  afternoon,  a  period  of  thirty-four 


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246  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

hours.  The  most  of  the  time  I  was  near  Captain  Anderson,  who 
waa  wounded  six  times,  but  fortunately  none  were  very  severe. 
Captain  DeCamp  was  killed  and  buried  there.  The  wounded  were 
loaded  as  best  they  could  be  into  the  wagons  which  the  relief 
party  brought,  but  the  jolting  was  severe  and  brought  maoy  a 
groan  from  the  poor  fellows.     Our  return  was  necessarily  slow. 

The  woman  who  had  lain  in  the  wagon  throughout  the  fight 
was  not  in  the  least  injured,  although  the  box  looked  like  a  sieve, 
and  I  was  told  that  the  buffalo  robe  which  covered  her  was  cut 
into  strings. 

The  next  morning  after  my  return  I  was  sick  and  very 
feverish.  My  hand,  which  was  far  from  being  healed,  was  enor- 
mously swollen  and  discolored.  I  reported  to  Lieutenant  Brown, 
as  Captain  Anderson  was  in  the  hospital,  and  he  took  me  to  the 
surgeon  who  had  first  dressed  it.  He  remembered  me  and  gave 
me  the  dickens  for  neglecting  it,  I  had  lost  the  dressing  at  Birch 
Cooley  and  he  said  I  had  taken  cold  in  it  and  talked  discourag- 
ingly  about  saving  it.  However,  he  dressed  it,  and  I  reported 
every  day  until  he  finally  said  that  I  must  lose  the  hand.  I  told 
father  what  he  said,  and  he  at  once  objected  and  said  that  he 
believed  that  the  hand  could  be  saved  if  I  was  where  I  could  have 
proper  treatment  and  diet.  So  the  surgeon  said  that  I  could 
have  ray  choice  between  an  operation  and  a  discharge,  I  chose 
the  latter.  When  the  discharge  came  it  was  in  the  form  of  a 
furlough  for  the  remainder  of  my  term  of  enlistment,  as  General 
Sibley  was  not  authorized  to  grant  a  discharge. 

Note, — These  reminiscences  by  Dr.  E.  W.  Earle,  of  Rochester, 
New  York,  were  published  in  pamphlet  form  some  years  ago 
through  the  efforts  of  William  Wickman,  by  Asa  M.  Wallace,  of 
Fairfax,  under  the  direction  of  the  "Renville  County  Pioneer's 
Society, ' ' 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

COUNTT  GOVERNMENT, 

Original  Oonntles — Wabashaw — Dakotah — Pierce  and  Nicollet — 
Renville — Ohanges  in  Boundaries — Lincoln — Election  Legal- 
ised— County  Oommiasioners — Oounty  Officers. 

Alexander  Ramsey,  the  first  territorial  governor  of  MinnesotH, 
arrived  at  St.  Paul  with  his  family  May  27,  1849.  June  1,  1849, 
be  issued  a  proclamation  declaring  the  territory  duly  organized. 
June  11  a  second  proelamation  was  issued,  dividing  the  territory 
into  three  temporary  judicial  districts.  The  first  comprised  the 
county  of  St.  Croix.  The  county  of  La  Pointe  and  the  region 
north  and  west  of  the  Mississippi  and  north  of  the  Minnesota 
and  of  a  line  running  due  west  from  the  headwaters  of  the  Minne- 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  247 

sota  to  the  Missouri  river,  constituted  the  Becond,  The  coun- 
try west  of  the  Mississippi  and  south  of  the  Minnesota  formed 
the  third  district.  Judge  Goodrich  was  assigned  to  the  first, 
Judge  Meeker  to  the  second,  and  Judge  Cooper  to  the  third. 
A  court  was  ordered  to  be  held  at  Stillwater  on  the  second  Mon- 
day, at  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony  on  the  third,  and  at  Mendota 
on  the  fourth  Monday  of  August.  Renville  county  was  included 
in  the  second  district,  with  Judge  Meeker  on  the  bench. 

Until  June  26  Governor  Ramsey  and  family  had  been  guests 
of  Hon,  H,  H.  Sibley,  at  Mendota.  On  the  afternoon  of  that  day 
they  arrived  at  St.  Paul  in  a  birch-bark  canoe  and  became  per- 
manent residents  at  the  capital.  On  July  1  a  land  office  was 
established  at  Stillwater,  and  A.  Van  Vorhees,  after  a  few  weeks, 
became  the  r^strar. 

On  July  7  a  proclamation  was  issued,  dividing  the  territory 
into  seven  council  districts,  and  ordering  an  election  to  be  held 
on  the  first  day  of  August,  for  one  delegate  to  represent  tlie  peo- 
ple in  the  House  of  Representatives  of  the  United  States,  for 
nine  councillors  and  eighteen  representatives,  to  constitute  the 
Legislative  Assembly  of  Minnesota.  Renville  county  was  included 
in  the  seventh  district. 

Orig'inal  Oounties.  The  first  territorial  legislature  assembled 
September  3,  1849,  and  adjourned  November  1.  By  an  act 
approved  October  27,  1849,  the  territory  was  divided  into  nine 
counties:  Washington,  Ramsey,  Benton,  Itasca,  Wabashaw, 
Dakotah,  Wahnahta,  Mahkahto  and  Pembina.  Only  the  counties 
of  Washington,  Ramsey  and  Benton  were  fully  organized  for  all 
county  purposes.  The  others  were  organized  only  for  the  pur- 
pose of  the  appointment  of  justices  of  the  peace,  constables  and 
such  other  judicial  and  ministerial  offices  as  might  be  specially 
provided  for.  They  were  entitled  to  any  number  of  justices  of 
the  peace  and  constables,  not  exceeding  six,  to  be  appointed  by 
the  governor,  their  term  of  office  was  to  be  two  years  unless 
sooner  removed  by  the  governor,  and  they  were  made  conserv- 
ators of  the  peace. 

Wabashaw.  Wabashaw  county,  as  "erected"  by  the  act  of 
October  27,  1849,  comprised  practically  all  of  the  southern  part 
of  the  present  state  of  Minnesota.  Its  northern  boundary  was  the 
parallel  running  through  a  point  on  the  Mississippi  opposite  the 
mouth  of  the  St.  Croix,  and  a  point  a  trifle  north  of  the  mouth  of 
the  Yellow  Medicine  river;  the  southern  boundary  was  the  Iowa 
line ;  its  eastern,  the  Mississippi ;  and  its  western  the  Missouri ; 
and  it  also  included  the  big  peninsula  between  the  Missouri  and 
the  Big  Sioux  rivers,  and  all  of  what  is  at  present  southeastern 
South  Dakota. 

The  southern  part  of  the  present  Renville  county  thus 
fell    in     what     was    then    Wabashaw     county,     the     northern 


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248  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

boundary  of  Wabashaw  county  crossing  the  present  Benville 
county  due  east  from  a  point  a  trifle  north  of  the  mouth  of  the 
Yellow  Medicine  river. 

Itasca  and  Wabashaw  were  attached  to  Washington  county, 
the  three  counties  being  constituted  the  Second  judicial  district, 
with  Hon.  David  Cooper  on  the  bench. 

DalEOtah.  Dakotah  county  was  also  "erected"  by  the  act  of 
October  27,  1849,  Its  eastern  boundary  was  the  Mississippi,  its 
northern  boundary  was  a  line  drawn  due  west  from  the  mouth 
of  the  Clearwater  river,  its  southern  boundary  was  a  line  drawn 
due  west  from  a  point  on  the  Mississippi  opposite  the  mouth  of 
the  St.  Croix,  while  the  western  boundary  was  the  Missouri  river. 

Dakota  county  thus  included  in  its  vast  area  the  northern 
part  of  what  is  now  Renville  county,  taking  in  the  present  town- 
ships of  Wang,  Erieson,  Crooks,  Winfield,  Eingman,  Osceola, 
Brookfield,  Boon  Lake,  and  all  except  a  strip  on  the  south  of 
Hawk  Creek,  Sacred  Heart,  Emmet,  Troy,  Bird  Island,  Melville, 
Hector  and  Preston  Lake. 

Dakota,  Wahnahta  and  Mahkahto  were  attached  to  Ramsey 
county  for  judicial  purposes.  They  were  with  Ramsey  consti- 
tuted the  first  judicial  district  and  Aaron  Goodrich  was  assigned 
as  judge  thereof.  St.  Paul  was  made  the  seat  of  justice  of  Ramsey 
county  and  the  terms  of  the  district  court  were  appointed  to  be 
held  there  every  year  on  the  second  Monday  of  April  and  the 
second  Monday  of  September. 

The  legislature  of  1851,  by  Chapter  I  of  the  Revised  Statutes, 
passed  January  1,  divided  the  territory  into  Benton,  Dakota, 
Itasca,  Cass,  Pembina,  Ramsey,  Washington,  Chisago  and  Waba- 
shaw counties  and  defines  their  borders. 

Dakota  (the  final  "h"  having  been  dropped)  county  was 
made  to  consist  of  all  that  part  of  the  territory  west  of  the 
Mississippi  river  and  lying  west  of  a  line  drawn  due  south  from 
Medicine  Bottle's  village  at  the  Pine  Bend  of  the  Mississippi  river 
(between  the  present  cities  of  South  St.  Paul  and  Hastings),  and 
south  of  a  line  beginning  at  the  mouth  of  the  Crow  river  (empty- 
ing into  the  Mississippi  between  Hennepin  and  Wright  counties), 
and  up  that  river  and  the  north  branch  thereof  to  its  source,  and 
thence  due  west  to  the  Missouri  river. 

Dakota  county  as  before  was  attached  to  Ramsey  county  for 
judicial  purposes.  Under  this  revision  Dakota  county  embraced 
all  of  what  is  now  Renville  county. 

Pierce  and  Nicollet.  By  an  act  passed  March  5,  1853  (Henne- 
pin county  having  been  established  March  6,  1852),  the  legisla- 
ture organized  the  counties  of  Dakota,  Goodhue,  Wabasha,  Fill- 
more, Scott,  Le  Sueur,  Rice,  Blue  Earth,  Sibley,  Nicollet  and 
Pierce.  The  present  Renville  county  fell  in  Nicollet  and  Pierce 
counties,  the  dividing  line  being  a  line  drawn  due  north  from 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  249 

the  mouth  of  the  Little  Rock  {now  called  Mud)  creek.  Thus  all 
of  the  present  Renville  county  was  in  Pierce  county  except  the 
townships  of  Boon  Lake  and  Preston  Lake,  which,  except  possibly 
a  strip  of  a  few  rods  on  the  west,  were  in  Nicollet  county.  Pierce 
county  was  attached  to  Nicollet  county  for  judicial  purposes. 
February  23,  1854,  Houston,  Fillmore,  Winona,  Wabasha  and 
Goodhue  were  established,  and  March  2,  1854,  Sibley  county  was 
organized. 

Kenville.  February  20,  1855,  the  legislature  passed  an  act 
defining  the  boundaries  of  the  following  counties:  Olmsted, 
Dodge,  Mower,  Freeborn,  Blue  Earth,  Farribault,  Steele,  Rice, 
Dakota,  Scott,  Le  Sueur,  Nicollet,  Sibley,  Carver,  Renville,  Davis, 
Wright,  Steams,  Brown,  Goodhue,  Newton,  Benton,  Wabasha, 
Fillmore,  Hennepin,  Pierce,  St.  Louis  and  Todd.  The  act  estab- 
lishing Renville  county  was  as  follows : 

"That  so  much  of  the  territory  as  is  embraced  in  the  follow- 
ing boundaries  be  and  is  hereby  established  as  the. county  of 
Renville:  Beginning  at  the  center  of  the  main  channel  of  the 
Minnesota  river,  where  the  line  between  townships  111  and  112 
crosses  said  river;  thence  east  along  said  township  line  to  the 
western  boundary  of  Sibley  county;  thence  along  the  boundary 
line  of  Sibley  and  Carver  counties,  to  the  line  between  townships 
117  and  118,  thence  west  along  said  line  to  the  middle  of  the 
main  channel  of  the  Minnesota  river;  and  thence  up  the  center  of 
the  channel  of  said  river  to  the  place  of  beginning. ' ' 

This  would  include  all  of  what  is  now  Renville  county.  It 
would  also  take  in  the  two  southern  townships  in  what  is  now 
Meeker  county,  the  four  southern  townships  in  what  is  now 
Kandiyohi  county,  and  several  townships  in  what  is  now  Chip- 
pewa county. 

By  an  act  approved  March  8,  1860,  an  entirely  new  Renville 
county  was  organized.    The  act  read  as  follows: 

"Section  1.  That  the  upper  and  lower  Sioux  reservations  as 
defined  by  the  government  survey  made  by  'Sevan  &  Hutton, ' 
except  so  much  thereof  as  lies  east  of  range  thirty-four  (34)  and 
south  of  the  Minnesota  river,  be  and  the  same  are  hereby  attached 
to  and  become  a  part  of  the  county  of  Renville. 

"Section  2.  At  the  general  election  it  shall  be  competent  for 
the  legal  voters  in  the  said  county  of  Renville  to  elect  all  the 
county  officers,  justices  of  the  peace  and  constables,  as  said  county 
may  be  entitled  to  by  law,  wliich  officers  shall  qualify  and  enter 
upon  the  duties  of  their  office  at  the  time,  and  in  the  manner 
prescribed  by  law. 

"Section  3.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  first  board  of  county 
commissioners  which  shall  be  elected  in  pursuance  of  this  act, 
as  soon  after  said  board  shall  have  been  elected  and  qualified 
according  to  law,  as  the  said  board  or  a  majority  thereof  shall 


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250  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

determine,  to  locate  the  county  seat  of  said  county  to  all  intents 
and  purposes  until  otherwise  provided  by  law. 

"Section  4.  The  county  of  Benville  is  hereby  attached  to 
the  county  of  Nicollet,  for  judicial  purposes,  until  the  county 
officers  of  said  county  shall  have  been  elected  and  qualified  aa 
contemplated  by  this  act. 

"Section  5.  That  from  and  after  the  election  and  qualiSca- 
tiou  of  the  county  officers  of  Renville  county  as  aforesaid  the 
said  county  shall  be  included  in  the  Sixth  judicial  district. 

"Section  6.  The  change  in  the  county  lines  of  Renville  county 
as  provided  for  in  section  one  of  this  act  shall  be  submitted  to 
the  electors  of  the  counties  affected  by  said  change  at  the  next 
general  election  for  their  approval  or  rejection. 

"Section  7.  This  Act  shall  take  effect  from  and  after  its 
adoption."    This  act  was  repealed  in  1866, 

The  upper  and  lower  reservations  consisted  of  a  strip  of  land 
twenty  miles  in  width,  ten  miles  on  each  side  of  the  Minnesota 
river  extending  from  the  mouth  of  the  Little  Rock  (Mud-)  creek 
in  the  western  part  of  Nicollet  county  to  the  south  end  of  Lake 
Traverse,  thus  taking  in  a  small  part  of  what  is  now  South  Da- 
kota. Renville  county  as  constituted  by  the  act  of  1860  took 
in  all  this  strip  except  that  part  of  it  which  is  now  included  in 
Brown  county. 

"Some  time  before  the  Indian  uprising  an  election  was  held. 
It  is  said  that  the  following  olRcers  were  elected :  Commissioners, 
Stephen  R.  Henderson,  John  Meyer  and  Clemens  Cardenell; 
register  of  deeds,  Stephen  B.  Henderson;  judge  of  probate, 
Andrew  Hunter ;  clerk  of  court,  John  Hose ;  auditor,  James  Car- 
rothers ;  sheriff,  David  Carrothers ;  county  attorney,  George 
Oleason.  It  appears  that  the  judge  of  probate  authorized  the 
sale  of  land  by  a  guardian  for  bis  ward."  So  declares  an  early 
history.  Considerable  doubt  has  been  cast  on  the  statement. 
Possibly,  however,  the  election  was  some  time  after  March  8, 
1860,  and  before  August  18,  1862.  At  that  time  Renville  county 
included  the  entire  Indian  reservation,  a  strip  twenty  miles  wide, 
extending  along  the  Minnesota  from  the  mouth  of  the  Little  Rock 
to  Big  Stone  lake,  ten  miles  on  each  side  of  the  Minnesota. 

March  5,  1862,  an  act  was  passed  by  the  legislature  detach- 
ing Renville  from  Nicollet  county  as  a  judicial  district,  and  trans- 
ferring all  Renville  county  cases  from  the  court  of  Nicollet  county 
to  the  court  of  Renville  county.  Court  was  to  be  held  the  first 
Monday  in  October.  Under  this  act  Renville  county  as  a  part  of 
the  Sixth  judicial  district. 

September  29,  1862,  after  the  massacre,  Renville  county  was 
again  attached  to  Nicollet  county  for  judicial  purposes,  and  all 
judicial  officers  of  Nicollet  county  were  given  full  power  in  Ren- 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  251 

ville  county.  March  5,  1863,  the  legislature  passed  an  act  abating 
the  tax  on  property  destroyed  during  the  massacre. 

Lincoln.  Lincoln  county  was  established  March  8,  1861,  as 
follows:  "Beginning  at  the  northeast  corner  of  town  one  hun- 
dred and  seventeen,  of  range  thirty-one;  thence  in  a  southerly 
direction,  along  the  range  line  between  ranges  thirty  and  thirty- 
one  to  the  southeast  corner  of  town  one  hundred  and  fifteen, 
of  range  thirty-one ;  thence  in  a  westerly  direction,  along  the 
town  line  between  towns  one  hundred  and  fourteen  and  one  hun- 
dred and  fifteen,  to  the  southwest  corner  of  town  one  hundred 
and  fifteen  of  range  thirty -five;  thenee  in  a  northerly  direction, 
along  the  range  line  between  ranges  thirty-five  and  thirty-six,  to 
the  northwest  comer  of  town  one  hundred  and  sixteen  of  range 
thirty-five;  thenee  in  an  easterly  direction,  along  the  town  line 
between  towns  one  hundred  and  sixteen  and  one  hundred  and 
seventeen,  to  the  southeast  comer  of  town  one  hundred  and 
seventeen  of  range  thirty-three ;  thence  in  a  northerly  direction, 
along  the  range  line  between  ranges  thirty-two  and  thirty-three, 
to  the  northwest  corner  of  town  one  hundred  and  seventeen, 
of  range  thirty -two;  thence  east  to  the  place  of  beginning." 

This  took  in  two  townships  in  the  present  county  of  Meeker 
and  the  following  townships  in  the  present  county  of  Renville: 
Winfield,  Troy,  Kingman,  Bird  Island,  Osceola,  Melville,  Brook- 
field,  Hector,  Boon  Lake  and  Preston  Lake.  Lowell  was  the 
county  seat. 

This  act  was  repealed  in  1866.  In  1870  another  attempt  wa.s 
made  to  establish  Lincoln  county.  An  act  approved  by  the  legis- 
lature, February  12,  1870,  was  as  follows: 

"Section  1.  The  boundary  line  of  Lincoln  county  is  hereby 
established,  and  hereafter  shall  be  as  follows,  viz.:  Beginning 
at  the  southeast  corner  of  township  number  one  hundred  and 
twelve  north,  of  range  number  thirty-two,  running  north  to  the 
southeast  corner  of  township  number  one  hundred  and  fifteen 
north,  of  range  number  thirty-two ;  thence  east  to  the  southeast 
comer  of  said  township  one  hundred  and  fifteen  north,  of  range 
number  thirty-one ;  thence  north  to  the  township  line  between 
townships  number  one  hundred  and  sixteen  and  one  hundred 
and  seventeen  north,  of  range  thirty -one;  thence  west  on  said 
line  to  the  southwest  corner  of  township  number  one  hundred 
and  seventeen  north,  of  range  number  thirty -three ;  thenee  south 
on  the  range  line  between  ranges  thirty-three  and  thirty-four, 
to  the  main  channel  of  the  Minesota  river;  thence  down  the  main 
channel  of  the  Minnesota  river  to  the  intersection  with  the  lin* 
between  townships  number  one  hundred  and  eleven  and  one  hun- 
dred and  twelve ;  thence  east  on  said  line  to  the  place  of  begin- 
ning. Provided,  that  if  the  territory  embraced  in  townships  one 
hundred  and  seventeen  north,  of  ranges  thirty-one  and  thirty 


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252  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

two  shall  not  be  attached  to  Meeker  county  by  a  vote  of  the 
electors  of  the  territory  to  be  affected  thereby,  then  and  in  that 
case  such  territory  shall  revert  to  and  form  a  part  of  Lincoln 
county. 

"Section  2.  At  the  time  of  giving  notice  of  the  nest  gen- 
eral election,  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  officers  of  the  county 
of  Renville,  required  by  law  to  give  notice  of  such  election,  to 
give  notice  in  like  manner,  that  at  said  election  a  vote  will  be 
taken  on  the  question  of  changing  the  boundary  lines  of  Renville 
county  in  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  this  act.  At  said 
election  the  voters  of  said  county  of  Renville  in  favor  of  the 
change  proposed  by  this  act,  shall  have  distinctly  written  or 
printed,  or  partly  written  or  printed  on  their  ballots,  'For  change 
of  boundary  line  of  Renville  county  in  favor  of  Lincoln  county,' 
and  those  opposed  to  said  change,  'Against  change  of  boundary 
line  of  Renville  county  in  favor  of  Lincoln  county,'  and  returns 
thereof  shall  be  made  to  the  same  ofEce  by  the  judges  of  elec- 
tion of  the  several  townships  and  by  the  auditor  of  said  Renville 
county  as  upon  votes  for  state  officers. 

"Section  3.  The  county  of  Lincoln  is  hereby  attached  for 
judicial  purposes  to  the  county  of  Renville. 

"Section  4.  The  foregoing  provisions  of  this  act  shall  take 
effect  and  be  in  force  from  and  after  the  ratification  and  adop- 
tion of  the  proposed  change  by  a  majority  of  the  voters  of  Ren- 
ville county," 

This  would  include  the  present  towns  of  Preston  Lake,  Boon 
Lake,  Brookfield,  Hector,  Martinsburg,  Wellington,  Cairo,  Osce- 
ola, Melville,  Palmyra,  Bandon  and  Camp. 

The  present  Lincoln  county  organized  in  1873  contains  no  part 
of  the  old  Lincoln  county. 

Renville.  On  March  1,  1866,  the  legislature  passed  the  fol- 
lowing act  relating  to  Renville  county  r 

"Section  1.  The  boundary  line  of  Renville  county  is  hereby 
established,  and  shall  hereafter  be  as  follows:  Beginning  at  the 
centre  of  the  main  channel  of  the  Minnesota  river,  on  the  line 
between  township  one  hundred  and  eleven  (111)  and  township 
one  hundred  and  twelve  (112)  north,  thence  east  to  the  south- 
west comer  of  township  one  hundred  and  twelve  (112)  north, 
of  range  thirty-two  west;  thence  north  to  the  northeast  comer 
of  township  one  hundred  and  fourteen  (114)  north;  thence  west 
to  the  northwest  corner  of  township  one  hundred  and  fourteen 
(114)  north,  of  range  thirty-two  (32)  west;  thence  north  to  the 
northeast  comer  of  township  one  hundred  and  sixteen  (116) 
north ;  thence  west  to  the  northwest  comer  of  township  one  hun- 
dred and  sixteen  (116)  north,  of  range  thirty-six  (36)  west; 
thence  south  to  the  centre  of  the  main  channel  of  the  Minnesota 
river;  thence  down  said  river  to  the  place  of  beginning. 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  25^ 

"Section  2.  The  county  of  Renville  is  hereby  declared  an 
organized  county,  and  the  county  seat  thereof  temporarily  lo- 
cated at  Beaver  Falls.  The  last  election  of  county  officers  for 
Renville  county  is  hereby  confirmed  and  ratified,  and  said  officers 
until  their  successors  are  elected  and  qualified,  shall  have  full 
power  and  authority  to  do  and  perform  all  acts  and  duties  of 
their  respective  offices  within  the  limits  of  Renville  county,  as 
defined  in  section  one  of  this  act,  which  the  officers  of  other  or- 
ganized counties  can  do  and  perform  within  their  respective 
counties. 

"Section  3.  At  the  time  of  giving  notice  of  the  next  general 
election,  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  officers  of  Renville  county, 
required  by  law  to  give  notice  of  such  election,  to  give  notice 
in  like  manner,  that  at  said  election  a  vote  will  be  taken  on  the 
question  of  changing  the  boundary  lines  of  Renville  county,  in 
accordance  with  the  provisions  of  this  act.  At  said  election  the 
voters  of  Renville  county,  in  favor  of  the  change  proposed  by 
this  act,  shall  have  distinctly  written  or  printed,  or  partly  writ- 
ten and  partly  printed  on  their  ballots:  For  change  of  boundary 
lines  of  Renville  county.  And  those  opposed  to  such  change : 
Against  change  of  boundary  lines  of  Renville  county;  and  re- 
turned to  the  same  officer  by  judges  of  election,  as  votes  for 
State  officers. 

"Section  4.  The  county  officers  to  whom  the  returns  are 
made  shall,  within  twenty  days  after  said  election,  canvass  the 
votes  returned  for  or  against  the  change  of  boundary  lines,  and 
shall  forthwith  certify  the  result  of  such  canvass  to  the  Gov- 
ernor, who,  if  it  appears  that  the  majority  of  votes  in  said  county 
on  the  question  of  changing  the  boundary  lines,  are  in  favor  of 
such  change,  shall  make  proclamation  thereof  by  causing  to  be 
published  in  a  newspaper  in  said  county,  or  in  Brown  county 
that  the  change  proposed  by  this  act  has  been  ratified  and  adopted 
by  the  majority  of  the  electors  of  said  county, 

"Section  5.  All  acts  and  parts  of  acts  inconsistent  with  this 
act  are  hereby  repealed. 

■  "Section  6.  This  act  shall  take  effect  and  be  in  force  from 
and  after  the  ratification  and  adoption  of  the  proposed  change 
as  aforesaid." 

The  boundaries  given  in  this  act  included  all  the  present 
county  of  Renville  except  the  present  towns  of  Brookfield,  Hec- 
tor, Boon  Lake,  Preston  Lake,  Ericson,  Sacred  Heart,  Wang  and 
Hawk  Creek. 

The  election  was  held  November  8,  1866.  What  action  was 
taken  in  the  matter  of  the  boundaries  is  not  known.  Beaver 
Falls  and  Birch  Cooley  were  rivals  for  the  county  seat,  and 
Beaver  Falls  won. 

By  an  act  approved  March  2,  1867,  the  boundaries,  of  the 


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254  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

county  were  established  as  follows r  "Beginning  in  the  middle  of 
the  main  channel  of  the  Minnesota  river  on  the  line  between 
townBhips  one  hundred  and  seventeen  and  one  hundred  and 
eighteen  north,  on  the  fifth  principal  meridian;  thence  east  on 
said  township  line  to  the  line  between  ranges  thirty-six  and 
thirty-seven ;  thence  south  on  said  range  line  to  the  line  between 
townships  one  hundred  and  sixteen  and  one  hundred  and  seven- 
teen ;  thence  east  on  said  township  line  to  the  northeast  corner 
of  town  one  hundred  and  sixteen,  of  range  thirty-six;  thence 
south  on  the  line  between  ranges  thirty-five  and  thirty-six,  to 
the  line  between  townships  one  hundred  and  fourteen  and  one 
hundred  and'  fifteen ;  thence  east  on  said  township  line  to  the 
line  between  ranges  thirty-one  and  thirty-two ;  thence  south  on 
said  range  line  to  the  line  between  townships  one  hundred  and 
eleven  and  one  hundred  and  twelve ;  thence  west  on  said  town- 
ship line  to  the  centre  of  the  main  channel  of  the  Minnesota  river ; 
thence  up  said  channel,  to  the  place  of  beginning," 

This  would  include  a  part  of  the  present  county  of  Chippewa 
and  the  following  townships  in  the  present  Renville  county  r 
Wang,  Erickson,  Crooks,  Hawk  Creek,  Sacred  Heart,  Emmet, 
Flora,  Henryville,  Norfolk,  Beaver  Falls,  Birch  Cooley,  Palmyra, 
Bandon,  Camp,  Martinsburg,  Wellington  and  Cairo. 

Other  sections  of  the  act  were:  "Section  1.  That  the  elec- 
tion held  in  Renville  county  on  the  eighth  day  of  November, 
1866,  for  the  election  of  county  officers  for  said  county  is  hereby 
confirmed  and  ratified,  and  said  officers,  until  their  successors  are 
elected  and  qualified  shall  have  full  power  and  authority  to  do 
and  perform  all  acts  and  duties  of  their  respective  offices  within 
the  limits  of  Renville  county  as  hereafter  defined. 

"Section  3.  The  following  named  persons  are  hereby  declared 
to  be  the  legally  constituted  officers  of  said  Renville  county,  until 
their  successors  are  elected,  and  qualified  according  to  law,  viz.; 
County  treasurer,  Henry  Ahrens;  county  commissioners,  George 
McCulloch,  N.  D.  White  and  Francis  Shoemaker;  judge  of  pro- 
bate, Nelson  Frazier;  sheriff,  James  Graves;  county  auditor, 
Charles  R.  Eldridge;  register  of  deeds,  R.  W.  Davies;  county 
surveyor,  M.  S.  Spicer;  clerk  of  district  court,  Edward  Trevett 
Tillotson;  coroner,  Jacob  Hawkins." 

The  first  board  of  county  commissioners,  consisting  of  N.  D. 
White,  George  McCulloch  and  Francis  Shoemaker,  met  April 
2,  1867.  On  motion  of  Francis  Shoemaker,  N.  D.  White  was  ap- 
pointed chairman.  On  motion  of  N.  D.  White  the  county  was  di- 
vided into  towns  as  follows: 

Mud  Lake,  including  what  is  now  Cairo  and  all  the  towns  in 
range  32  within  the  county ;  Camp,  including  all  the  towns  in 
range  33  within  the  county;  Birch  Cooley,  including  the  four 
towns  now  in  range  34;  Beaver,  including  what  is  now  Beaver 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  255 

Palls  and  all  other  towns  in  the  county,  now  in  range  35 ;  Flora, 
including  what  is  now  Flora  Brooks,  and  Emmet ;  Hawk  Creek, 
including  what  is  Sacred  Heart,  Erickson,  Hawk  Creek  and 
Wang.     Eight  school  districts  were  created. 

The  second  meeting  was  held  April  4.  On  motion  of  Francis 
Shoemaker,  James  Carrothers  of  Beaver,  was  appointed  sheriff, 
the  elected  sheriff  not  having  qualified.  On  motion  of  George 
McCulloeh,  Marlow  S.  Spicer  was  appointed  superintendent  of 
schools,  and  James  Butler,  coroner,  the  elected  coroner  not  hav- 
ing qualified.  Judges  of  election  and  places  of  election  were  as- 
signed for  the  various  townships.  It  was  voted  to  request  the 
register  of  deeds  of  Nicollet  county  to  surrender  the  early  county 
records  of  Renville  county,  which  were  lost  during  the  massacre, 
and  finally  found  to  be  in  the  possession  of  Nicollet  county. 
George  Bowers  was  appointed  judge  of  probate. 

Another  act  at  the  first  board  of  the  commissioners,  was  to 
provide  for  the  lack  of  necessities  among  the  settlers.  Want 
amounting  in  some  localities  to  destitution  prevailed  throughout 
the  belt  of  country  devastated  by  grasshoppers.  Redwood  and 
Renville  being  frontier  counties,  felt  the  scarcity  and  consequent 
high  prices  raore  than  the  older  counties.  Successive  failures 
had,  moreover,  nearly  discouraged  the  farmers.  In  the  emer- 
gency the  aid  of  the  state  was  offered  to  the  sufferers  through 
Governor  Wm.  R.  Marshall.  Redwood  and  Renville  counties 
took  advantage  of  the  proffered  aid  and  received  from  Fort 
Bidgely,  in  the  form  of  provisions,  hard  tack,  beans,  hominy 
and  pork,  besides  seed  grain  with  which  to  make  a  new  start. 
0«  the  motion  of  N.  D.  White  the  county  board,  May  16,  1867, 
passed  the  following  resolutioui  "Resolved,  that  the  destitution, 
among  our  settlers,  is  such  that  in  order  to  remain  upon  their 
homesteads  and  procure  seed  they  need  prompt  and  ofRcial  aid, 
and  it  is  hereby  ordered  that  the  county  accept  the  proffered  aid 
of  his  excellency,  Wra.  R.  Marshall,  governor  of  the  State  of 
Minnesota,  and  the  credit  and  good  faith  of  the  county  is  hereby 
pledged  for  the  payment  of  any  debt  that  shall  be  thereby  in- 
curred, and  the  authorities  of  the  several  towns  in  the  county 
are  hereby  directed  to  apply  to  Samuel  MePhaill,  the  agent  for 
the  district,  for  supplies  of  seed  and  rations,  and  to  make  return 
to  the  county  commissioners,  accounting  for  the  amounts  re- 
ceived, and  the  distribution  thereof  in  each  town,  and  it  is  further 
directed  that  each  town  shall  be  responsible  for  the  transporta- 
tion of  its  own  share  of  such  supplies  from  Fort  Ridgely  to  the 
place  of  distribution."  A  similar  resolution  was  adopted  by  the 
board  of  Redwood  county. 

The  board  of  county  commissioners  for  1868  consisted  of 
N.  D,  White  (chairman),  Francis  Shoemaker  and  Halleck 
Peterson. 


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256  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

In  1868  Renville  county  was  established  as  follows:  "Begin- 
ning in  the  middle  of  the  main  channel  of  the  Minnesota  river, 
on  the  line  between  townships  one  hundred  and  eleven  (111) 
and  one  hundred  and  twelve  (112)  north;  thence  east  to  the 
southeast  corner  of  township  one  hundred  and  twelve  (112)  north, 
of  range  thirty-two  (32)  west  of  the  fifth  meridian;  thence  north 
to  the  northeast  corner  of  township  one  hundred  and  fourteen 
(114)  north;  thence  west  to  the  northwest  corner  of  township 
one  hundred  and  fourteen  (114)  north,  of  range  thirty-two  west; 
thence  north  to  the  north-east  corner  of  township  one  hundred 
and  sixteen  (116)  north;  thence  west  to  the  northwest  corner 
of  township  one  hundred  and  sixteen  (116)  north,  of  range  thir- 
ty-eight west;  thence  south  to  the  centre  of  the  main  channel 
of  the  Minnesota  river;  theuee  down  the  main  channel  of  said 
river  to  the  place  of  beginning :  provided,  that  if,  after  the 
passage  of  this  act,  it  shall  be  judicially  determined  that  town- 
ships one  hundred  and  fifteen,  one  hundred  and  sixteen  and  one 
hundred  and  seventeen,  of  range  thirty-one,  and  townships  one 
hundred  and  fifteen,  one  hundred  and  sixteen  and  one  hundred 
and  seventeen,  of  range  thirty-two,  are  not  a  part  of  the  county 
of  McLeod,  then  and  in  that  case  the  said  townships  shall  con- 
stitute a  part  of  the  county  of  Renville  notwithstanding  the  pro- 
visions of  this  act," 

By  an  act  approved  February  28,  1866,  it  was  provided  that 
the  above  mentioned  towns  (Brookfield,  Boon  Lake,  Hector,  Pres- 
ton Lake,  and  two  now  in  Meeker  county — the  six  then  forming 
part  of  the  old  county  of  Lincoln)  should  be  transferred  to  Mc- 
Leod county,  the  act  to  take  effect  upon  its  ratification  by  Hie 
electors  of  McLeod  county.  Such  ratification  was  proclaimed 
by  the  governor  on  December  20,  1866.  The  effect  of  it,  however, 
was  to  reduce  the  area  of  Lincoln  county  to  six  townships  or  only 
216  square  miles,  in  violation  of  Constitution,  Article  11,  para- 
graph 1,  which  forbids  any  reduction  below  400  square  miles, 
and  therefore  these  townships  remained  in  Lincoln  county  until, 
by  the  above  section,  that  county  was  merged  in  Renville 
county. 

By  the  laws  of  1870,  chapter  97,  two  of  these  towns,  viz.,  117 
of  range  31,  and  117  of  range  32,  were  detached  from  Renville 
connty  and  added  to  Meeker  county.  Since  then  the  boundaries 
of  the  county  have  remained  unchanged. 

On  February  29,  1872,  the  following  law  was  approved  by 
the  legislature:  "Section  1.  That  townships  number  one  hun- 
dred and  fifteen  (115)  and  one  hundred  and  sixteen  (116)  north 
of  ranges  number  thirty-one  (31)  and  thirty-two  (32)  be  and  the 
same  are  hereby  detached  from  the  county  of  Renville  and  at- 
tached to  the  county  of  McLeod ;  and  said  townships  shall  here- 
after form  and  be  a  part  of  said  county  of  McLeod. 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  257 

"Section  2.  At  the  time  of  giving  notice  of  the  next  general 
election,  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  officers  in  said  Renville  and 
IvicLeod  counties  required  by  law  to  give  notice  of  such  general 
(lection,  to  give  notice  in  like  manner,  that  at  said  election  a 
\ote  will  be  taken  on  the  question  of  detaching  townships  num- 
ber one  hundred  and  fifteen  (115)  and  one  hundred  and  sixteen 
(116)  north,  of  ranges  number  thirty-one  (31)  and  thirty-two 
'82)  from  Renville  county  and  attaching  the  same  to  the  said 
county  of  HeLeod  in  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  this  act. 
At  said  election  the  voters  in  each  of  said  counties  in  favor 
of  detaching  said  townships  from  Renville  county  and  attaching 
the  same  to  McLeod  county  shall  have  distinctly  written  or 
printed  or  partly  written  or  partly  printed  on  their  ballots  the 
words,  'In  favor  of  detaching  said  townships  from  Renville 
county  and  attaching  the  same  to  McLeod  county;'  and  those  op- 
posed to  the  detaching  of  said  tovms  from  Renville  county  and  at- 
taching the  same  to  McLeod  county  shall  have  distinctly  written 
or  printed  or  partly  written  and  partly  printed  on  their  ballots 
the  words,  'Against  detaching  said  townships  from  Renville 
county  and  attaching  the  same  to  McLeod  county.'  The  votes 
upon  said  question  shall  be  canvassed  in  the  same  manner  and 
the  returns  thereof  made  to  the  same  office  by  the  judges  of  elec- 
tion of  the  several  townships  in  Renville  and  McLeod  counties 
as  votes  for  county  officers. 

"Section  3.  The  county  officers  to  whom  the  returns  are 
made,  in  each  of  said  counties,  shall,  within  ten  (10)  days  after 
said  election,  canvass  the  votes  returned  for  and  against  the 
detaching  said  townships  from  Renville  county,  and  attaching 
the  same  to  McLeod  county,  and  shall  forthwith  certify  the  re- 
sult of  such  canvass  to  the  governor,  who,  if  it  appears  that  a 
majority  of  all  the  voters  in  said  counties  shall  have  voted  in 
favor  thereof,  shall  make  proclamation  thereof  by  causing  to  be 
published  in  two  (2)  daily  newspapers  in  the  city  of  St.  Paul, 
that  the  detaching  of  said  townships  from  Renville  county  and 
attaching  the  same  to  McLeod  county  proposed  by  this  act 
haa  been  ratified  by  a  majority  of  the  voters  of  said 
counties." 

The  proposition  was  rejected  by  the  voters- 
Birch  Oooley.  For  some  years  after  Renville  county  assumed 
its  present  boundaries  there  was  talk  of  changes  being  made,  Oct, 
1,  1894,  Governor  Knute  Nelson  issued  a  proclamation  directing 
the  voters  to  cast  their  votes  on  the  question  of  creating  a  new 
county  to  he  named  Birch  Cooley,  and  to  consist  of  the  townships 
of  Birch  Cooley,  Norfolk,  Palmyra,  Bandon,  Camp,  Brookfield, 
Hector,  Martinsburg,  Wellington,  Cairo,  Boon  Lake  and  Preston 
in  Renville  county,  and  Severance,  Grafton  and  Moltke  in  Sibley 
county.    The  proposition,  however,  never  came  to  vote. 


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258  ■  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

00UHT7  OOMMISSIONZRS. 

The  county  commiesioiiers  since  1869  have  been  as  follows: 

1869 — Francis  Shoemaker,  Newell  Morse  and  William  Em- 
erick. 

1870— K.  G.  "Weed,  E.  O'Hara  and  Louis  Kope. 

1871 — R.  G.  Weed,  Louis  Kope  and  Bernhardt  Marschner. 

1872 — Louis  Kope,  B.  Marschner,  Peter  Henry. 

1873 — B.  Marschner,  Peter  Henry  and  Ole  Jacobsoa. 

1874— Peter  Henry,  Ole  Jacobson,  James  O'Brien,  M.  T.  Rid- 
out  and  T.  L.  Kudy. 

1875 — ^Fred  V.  Haas,  Wm.  F.  Grummons,  Peter  Henry,  Francis 
Shoemaker  and  Ole  Jacobson. 

1876— Fred  V.  Haas,  William  F.  Grummons,  T.  H.  Sherwin, 
Owen  Heaney  and  Ole  Jacobson. 

1877— William  F.  Grummons  (chairman),  Fred  V.  Haas,  T.  H. 
Sherwin,  Owen  Heaney  and  Henry  Paulson.  July  16,  Arnold 
Vincent  took  the  place  of  Fred  V.  Haas  on  the  board. 

1878— Henry  Paulson  (chairman),  T.  H.  Sherwin,  William  F. 
Grummons,  Owen  Heaney  and  Edmond  O'Hara.  On  July  16, 
1878,  J.  S.  Niles  took  the  place  of  Edmond  O'Hara.  On  Decem- 
ber 3,  1878,  an  imsuccessful  effort  was  made  to  unseat  William 
P.  Grummons,  on  the  grounds  that  he  had  removed  from  the 
district,  which  he  represented. 

1879 — Henry  Paulson  (chairman),  John  Thompson,  Thos. 
Leary,  Owen  Heaney  and  J.  S.  Niles. 

1880 — Henry  Paulson  (chairman),  John  Thompson,  Thos. 
Leary,  Owen  Heaney  and  J.  S.  Niles. 

1881 — John  Thompson  (chairman),  Henry  Paulson,  Owen 
Heaney,  Thomas  Leary  and  Owen  Carrigan. 

1882 — Thomas  Leary  (chairman),  Henry  Paulson,  Owen 
Heaney,  Owen  Carrigan  and  Louis  Tennis. 

1883 — Owen  Carrigan  (chairman),  Henry  Schafer,  Peter  P. 
Dustrud,  Thomas  Leary,  Lewis  L.  Tennis.  In  May,  1883,  Mr.  Dus- 
trud  resigned  and  Peter  G.  Peterson  was  appointed. 

1884 — Lewis  L.  Tennis  (chairman),  Owen  Carrigan,  Thomas 
Leary,  Henry  Schafer  and  John  Johnson. 

1885 — Henry  Schafer  (chairman),  Owen  Carrigan,  John 
Johnson,  Gunerus  Peterson  and  J.  H.  Reagan. 

1886— Owen  Carrigan  (chairman),  Henry  Schafer,  J.  H.  Rea- 
(jan,  Gunerus  Peterson  and  John  Johnson. 

1887 — Henry  Schafer  (chairman),  John  Hurst,  Julius  Thomp- 
son, Patrick  Williams  and  A.  H.  Anderson. 

1888 — John  Thompson  (chairman),  John  Hurst,  Patrick  Wil- 
liams, A.  H.  Anderson  and  Henry  Schafer. 

1889 — John  Thompson  (chairman),  John  Warner,  0.  P.  Peter- 
fw.n.  Patrick  Williams  and  A.  H.  Anderson. 


,v  Google 


HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  2S9 

1890 — A.  H.  Andersoa  (chairman),  John  Thompson,  0.  P. 
Peterson,  John  Warner  and  Patrick  Williams. 

1891—0.  F.  Peterson  (chairman),  Patrick  WilUams,  A.  H. 
Anderson,  Thyke  Ytterboe  and  John  Warner. 

1892— A.  H.  Anderson  (chairman),  0.  F.  Peterson,  Thyke 
titterhoe,  Patrick  Williams  and  John  Warner, 

1893—1,  E.  J.  Bntler;  2,  Thyke  E.  Ytterboe;  3,  A.  D.  Corey; 
4,  John  Warner;  5,  A.  H,  Anderson. 

1895—1,  E.  J.  Butler ;  2,  A.  J.  Anderson ;  3,  A.  D.  Corey ;  4, 
Ferdinand  Schroeder;  5,  A.  H.  Anderson. 

1897—1,  E.  J.  Butler;  2,  A.  J.  Anderson;  3,  C.  A.  Desmond; 
4,  F.  A.  Schroeder ;  5,  John  I.  Johnson. 

1899—1,  E.  J.  Butler ;  2,  Norman  Hickok ;  3,  C.  A.  Desmond ;  4, 
F.  A.  Schroeder ;  5,  John  I.  Johnson. 

1901—1,  W.  E.  Kemp ;  2,  Norman  Hickok ;  3,  W.  C.  Keefe ;  4, 
F.  A.  Schroeder ;  5,  Carl  Anderson. 

1903—1,  W.  E.'  Kemp;  2,  Ole  S.  Olson;  3,  W.  C.  Keefe;  4,  M. 
E.  Sherin ;  5,  Carl  Anderson. 

1905—1,  B.C.  McEwen;  2,  Ole  S.Olson;  3,  Julius  Patzewold; 
4,  M.  E,  Sherin;  5,  Carl  Anderson. 

1907—2^,  Chas.  Lammers;  1,  B.  C.  McEwen;  3,  Julius  Patze- 
wold ;  4,  M.  E.  Sherin ;  5,  Carl  Anderson. 

1909—1,  B.  C.  McEwen;  2,  Chaa.  Lammers;  3,  Julius  Patze- 
wold ;  4,  M.  E.  Sherin ;  5,  Carl  Anderson. 

1911—1,  B.  C.  McEwen;  2,  Chas.  Lammers;  3,  Julius  Patze- 
wold ;  4,  M.  E.  Sherin ;  5,  Carl  Anderson. 

1913 — 1,  J.  U.  Hougland;  2,  Chae.  Lammers;  3,  John  Ederer; 
4,  M.  E.  Sherin;  5,  R.  H.  Nelson. 

1915 — 1,  J.  U.  Hougland ;  2,  Chas.  Lammers ;  3,  John  Ederer ; 

4,  M.  E.  Sherin ;  5,  R.  H.  Nelson,  Edward  Paulson.  R.  H.  Nelson 
resigned  June  1,  1915,  and  died  July  21,  1915. 

OOUNTT  OrFIGESS. 

Auditor.  Charles  R.  Eldridge  was  elected  auditor  of  Ren- 
ville county  in  the  fall  of  1866.  January  15,  1868,  he  resigned, 
and  Carter  H.  Drew  was  appointed.    In  the  fall  of  1868,  Darwin 

5.  Hall  was  elected.  He  served  four  years.  Eric  Ericson  was 
elected  in  the  fall  of  1872.  He  was  suspended  by  the  Governor, 
August  20,  1878,  upon  complaint  of  H.  M.  Knox,  state  examiner. 
September  3,  1878,  Patrick  H.  Kerwan  was  appointed  by  the 
county  commissioners.  He  served  until  January  1,  1891.  Ed. 
De  Pue,  the  next  auditor,  served  from  January  1,  1891,  to  Janu- 
ary 1,  1895;  J,  T,  Brooks,  from  January  1,  1895,  to  January  1, 
1903 ;  H.  J.  Lee,  from  January  1,  1903,  to  January  1,  1909.  J.  L. 
Johnson  has  served  since  January  1,  1909. 

Heg^ter  of  Deeds.  Robert  W.  Davis  was  elected  register  of 
deeds  of  Renville  county  in  the  fall  of  1866.    William  F.  Van 


Digili: 


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260  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

Deyn  was  elected  in  the  fall  of  1870.  As  it  was  discovered  after 
s  while  that  he  was  not  a  citizen,  as  act  legalizing  his  act  was 
passed  by  the  legislature  February  26,  1872.  He  removed  from 
the  county  and  on  October  2,  1871,  James  S.  Chapman  was  ap- 
pointed. He  was  elected  in  the  fall  of  1872.  In  the  fall  of  1874, 
Wiiliam  "W.  McQowan  was  elected,  Carl  A.  Mork'waa  elected 
in  the  fall  of  1876.  In  the  fall  of  1882,  Bradner  A.  Knapp  was 
elected.  Gunerus  Peterson  was  elected  in  the  fall  of  1886.  He 
served  until  January  1,  1891.  P.  B.  Olson  served  from  January 
1,  1891,  to  January  1,  1895;  Peter  Erickson  from  January  1, 
1895,  to  January  1,  1901 ;  Theo.  A.  Nellermoe  from  January  1, 
1901,  to  January  1,  1905.  T.  H.  Collyer  has  served  since  January 
1,  1905. 

Treasurer.  Henry  Ahrens  was  elected  treasurer  of  Renville 
county  in  the  fall  of  1866.  Hans  Gronnemd  was  elected  in  the 
fall  of  1872.  Li  the  fall  of  1884,  WiUiam  D.  Griffith  was  elected. 
Hans  Listerud  was  elected  in  the  fall  of  1886,  and  served  until 
January  1,  1891.  Frank  Poseley  was  treasurer  from  January  1, 
1891,  to  January  1,  1893.  Then  Hans  Listerud  was  treasurer 
again  from  January  1,  1893,  to  January  1,  1901 ;  then  William  D. 
Griffith  was  again  treasurer  from  January  1,  1901,  to  January  1, 
1913.    Since  January  1,  1913,  Amund  Dahl  has  been  in  office. 

Sheriff.  James  W.  Graves  was  elected  sheriff  of  Renville 
county  in  the  fall  of  1866.  When  the  commissioners  met,  April 
4.  1867,  he  had  not  qualified,  so  James  Carrothers  was  appointed. 
However,  a  short  time  afterward,  Mr.  Graves  qualified,  and  served 
several  months.  He  resigned  and  on  November  30,  1867,  Henry 
J.  Witcher  was  appointed.  In  the  fall  of  1868,  W.  H.  Jewell  was 
elected.  James  Carrothers  was  elected  in  the  fall  of  1870.  He 
resigned,  but  his  resignation  was  not  accepted.  He  left  the 
county,  however,  and  on  February  21,  1872,  the  office  was  de- 
clared vacant.  The  nezt  day,  Jerome  P.  Patten  was  appointed. 
James  Arnold  was  elected  in  the  fall  of  1872.  In  the  summer  of 
1874  he  removed  to  New  Ulm,  and  July  29,  1874,  Martin  Jensen 
was  appointed.  He  served  for  many  years.  Hans  0.  Field  was 
elected  in  the  fall  of  1882  and  served  until  January  1,  1891. 
William  Wichman  served  from  January  1,  1891,  to  January  1, 
1901;  N.  L,  Headline  from  January  1,  1901,  to  January  1,  1907; 
John  A.  Vick  from  January  1,  1907,  to  January  1,  1913.  0.  T. 
Sunde  has  served  since  January  1,  1913. 

Judge  of  Probate.  Nelson  Prazier  was  elected  judge  of  pro- 
bate in  the  fall  of  1866.  George  Bowers  was  appointed  April 
4,  1867.  He  was  followed  by  N.  D.  White,  who  in  turn  was 
followed  by  Moses  Little.  George  H.  Megquier  was  elected  in 
the  fall  of  1873.  He  tendered  his  resignation  to  the  board  of 
county  commissioners,  April  7,  1874,  but  that  board  doubted 
whether  it  had  the  power  to  accept  or  the  power  to  appoint  a  suc- 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  261 

Gessor.  William  W.  McGowan  was  elected  in  the  fall  of  1875; 
Hans  Gronnerud  in  the  fall  of  1879 ;  John  Garrity  in  the  fall  of 
1886 ;  Francis  Shoemaker  in  the  fall  of  1888 ;  John  Garrity  in  the 
fall  of  1890  again ;  Perry  W.  Glenn  in  the  fall  of  1894 ;  and  George 
F.  Gage  in  the  fall  of  1902.  Charles  N.  Mattson  has  served  since 
January  1,  1911, 

Cpimty  Attorney.  The  records  are  somewhat  vague  regard- 
ing the  early  county  attorneys.  It  appears  that,  "a  vacancy  ex- 
isting," P.  H.  Swift  was  appointed  September  1,  1868.  Appar- 
ently John  M.  Dormon  was  cleetedin  the  fall  of  1870.  He  re- 
signed and  G.  H.  Jlcgquier  was  appointed.  S.  R.  Miller  was 
elected  in  the  fall  of  1880;  Gabriel  T.  Christiansen  in  the  fall  of 
1882 ;  S.  R.  Miller  again  in  the  fall  of  1884.  In  the  fall  of  1886, 
Gabriel  T.  Christiaiison  was  again  elected,  and  served  until 
January  1,  1891.  Since  then  the  attorneys  have  been:  R.  T, 
Daly,  January  1,  1891,  to  January  1,  1893;  S.  R.  Miller,  January 
1,  1893,  to  January  1,  1899;  A.  V.  Rieke,  January  1,  1899,  to  Jan- 
uary 1,  1903;  Frank  Murray,  January  1,  1903  to  January  1,  1911. 
L.  D.  Barnard  has  served  since  January  1, 1911. 

Clerk  of  the  District  Court.  Edward  Trevett  Tillotson  was 
elected  clerk  of  the  district  court  in  the  fall  of  1866.  Lane  K. 
Stone  was  elected  iu  the  fall  of  1869.  Darwin  S.  Hall  was  ap- 
pointed November  30,  1872,  by  Judge  M.  G.  Hanscom.  He  was 
elected  in  the  fall  of  1873  and  1877,  but  resigned  March  6,  1878, 
being  succeeded  by  William  W.  McGowan,  who  was  appointed 
by  E.  St.  Julien  Cox,  district  judge.  William  W.  McGowan  was 
elected  in  the  fall  of  1878,  and  served  a  long  term,  retiring  Jan- 
uary 1,  1895.  Following  him  came  E.  E.  Cook,  January  1,  1895, 
to  March  30,  1902;  Carl  0.  Brecke,  appointed  by  Judge  Gorhara 
Powers,  April  3,  1902;  elected  January  1,  1903,  to  January  1, 
1907 ;  and  A.  P.  Heaney,  January  1,  1907,  to  January  1.  1911.  C. 
O.  Brecke  took  office  January  1,  1911,  and  is  still  serving. 

Surreyor.  In  the  early  days  surveyors  and  viewers  were  ap- 
pointed for  each  road  ordered  laid  out.  Marlow  S.  Spicer  was 
elected  county  surveyor  in  the  fall  of  1866.  Possibly  Charles  G. 
Johnson  was  the  nest  county  surveyor.  At  least  he  was  serv- 
ing in  the  early  eighties.  J.  C.  Garland  served  in  1874;  Marlow 
S.  Spicer  from  January  1,  1885,  to  January  1,  1889,  and  E.  A. 
Dieter  from  January  1,  1899  to  January  1,  1901,  but  with  these 
exceptions  Mr.  Johnson  served  until  January  1,  1911.  John  A. 
Dahlgren  served  from  January  1,  1911,  to  January  1,  1915,  and 
T.  S.  Hewerdine  has  served  since  January  1,  1915. 

Coroner.  Jacob  Hawkins  was  elected  coroner  in  the  fall  of 
1866.  He  did  not  qualify,  and  James  Butler  was  appointed  April 
4,  1867.  Francis  Shoemaker  was  appointed  March  19,  1870.  In 
the  fall  of  that  year,  Dr.  T.  H.  Sherwin  was  elected.  Dr.  F,  L. 
Puffer  was  elected  in  the  fall  of  1878.     Since  then  the  coroners 


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262  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

have  been :  January  1,  1883,  to  January  1,  1887,  Dr.  A.  6.  Stod- 
dard ;  January  1,  1887,  to  January  1,  1889,  Dr.  Willis  Clay ;  Janu- 
ary 1,  1889,  to  January  1,  1891,  Dr.  W.  Smalley;  January  1, 
1891,  to  January  1,  1893,  Dr.  A.  G.  Stoddard;  January  1,  1893,  to 
January  1,  1895,  W.  H.  Jewell;  January  1,  1895,  to  January  1, 
1897,  Dr.  E.  M.  Clay ;  January  1,  1897,  to  January  1,  1903,  A.  Q, 
Stoddard,  M.  D.;  January  1,  1903,  to  January  1,  1911,.  E.  M. 
Clay,  M.  D.;  January  1, 1911,  to  January  1, 1913,  Harry  L.  D'Arms, 
M.  D.  i  January  1,  1913,  to  January  1,  1915,  F.  W.  Penhall,  M.  D. ; 
January  1, 1915,  to  January  1,  1919,  A.  A.  Passer,  M.  D. 

Sapenntendent  of  Sohoob.  Marlow  S.  Spicer  was  appointed 
superintendent  of  schools  April  4,  1867.  William  Emerick  took 
ofllce  January  6, 1870 ;  Carter  H.  Drew,  January  1, 1872.  He  was 
followed  by  G.  H.  Megquier.  In  1877,  J.  S.  Bowler  served.  Iver 
S.  Gerald  was  the  superintendent  in  the  years  1878,  1879,  1880, 
1881,  1882  and  1883.  Eric  Ericson  took  office  in  1884  and  served 
until  January  1,  1891.  Following  him  came  P.  C.  Greene  for  two 
years.  Then  Mr.  Ericson  served  for  four  years.  P.  A.  Schaffer 
served  from  January  1,  1907,  to  January  1,  1915.  Amalia  M. 
Bengtson  has  served  since  January  1,  1915. 

Oonrt  Commissioner.  John  M.  Dorman  filed  his  bond  as  court 
commissioner  January  6, 1871.  C.  H.  Drew  took  the  office  May  31, 
1877.  James  Greely  was  appointed  July  25,  1881.  Henry  Kelsey 
was  elected  in  the  fall  of  1881.  He  served  until  January  1,  1893. 
Then  came  J.  J.  Durrell  from  January  1, 1893,  to  January  1, 1895 ; 
followed  by  John  M.  Freeman,  January  1,  1895.  His  unexpired 
term  was  filled  by  Henry  Ahrens,  who  was  followed  by  John  Kelley. 
S.  R.  Miller  took  office  January  1,  1905,  and  has  held  the  office 
continuously  since  that  time. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

COUNTY  BEPRESENTATION. 

Territory  Organised — Council  Districts — ^Territorial  Legislature 
— Kenville  la  the  Sixth,  Seventh  and  Tenth  Council  Districta — 
Constitutional  Convention — State  Legislature — ^Hembers  Who 
Have  fteitreeented  Eenville  County — Congressional  Represen- 
tation. 

Alexander  Ramsey,  of  Pennsylvania,  then  only  thirty-four 
years  of  age,  was  appointed  by  President  Taylor  the  first  gov- 
ernor of  the  new  territory  of  Minnesota.  His  previous  public 
experience  had  been  as  a  member  of  the  Twenty-eighth  and  Twen- 
ty-ninth congresses,  in  which  he  had  displayed  the  sterling  qual- 
ities and  the  marked  ability  which  characterized  his  long  after- 
career.    From  the  time  of  his  coming  to  Minnesota  until  the  close 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  263 

of  his  life  he  remaineii  one  of  its  most  loyal  and  honored  citizens, 
filling  many  important  poaitions  both  in  the  state  and  the  nation. 
He  arriTed  in  St.  Paul,  May  27,  1849,  and  the  hotels  being  full 
to  overfowing  proceeded  with  his  family  to  Mendota,  a  fur  trad- 
ing station  at  the  junction  of  the  Mississippi  and  Minnesota  rivers, 
where  he  became  the  guest  of  Henry  H.  Sibley,  remaining  there 
until  Jone  26. 

On  the  first  of  June  he  issued  a  proclamation,  said  to  have 
been  prepared  in  a  small  room  in  Bass's  log  tavern  which  stood 
on  the  site  now  occupied  by  the  Merchant's  Hotel,  making  ofBcial 
announcement  of  the  organization  of  the  territory,  with  the  fol- 
lowing officers:  Governor,  Alexander  Ramsey,  of  Pennsylvania; 
secretary,  C.  K.  Smith,  of  Ohio;  chief  justice,  Aaron  Goodrich, 
of  Tennessee;  associate  justices,  David  Cooper,  of  Pennsylvania, 
and  Bradley  B,  Meeker,  of  Kentucky;  United  States  marshal, 
Joshua  L.  Taylor;  United  States  attorney,  H.  L.  Moss.  Mr.  Tay- 
lor, having  declined  to  accept  the  office  of  marshal,  A.  M.  Mitchell, 
of  Ohio,  a  graduate  of  West  Point,  and  colonel  of  an  Ohio  regi- 
ment in  the  Mexican  war,  was  appointed  to  the  position  and  ar- 
rived in  August. 

A  second  proclamation,  issued  by  Governor  Ramsey,  June  11, 
divided  the  territory  into  three  judicial  districts,  to  which  the 
three  judges,  who  had  been  appointed  by  the  president,  were  as- 
signed. The  present  Renville  county  was  included  in  the  Second 
district,  which  comprised  the  county  of  La  Pointe  (a  former 
Wisconsin  county)  and  the  region  north  and  west  of  the  Missis- 
sippi and  north  of  the  Minnesota  and  a  line  running  due  west 
from  the  headwaters  of  the  Minnesota  to  the  Missouri  river,  and 
over  this  district  Judge  Meeker  presided. 

The  census  of  the  territory  taken  in  1849  by  an  order  of 
Governor  Ramsey  issued  June  11,  although  including  the  soldiers 
at  the  fort  and  pretty  much  every  living  soul  in  the  territory 
except  Indians,  footed  up  the  disappointing  total  of  4,764 — of 
which  number  3,058  were  males  and  1,706  were  females.  Addi- 
tional and  revised  returns  made  the  population  exactly  5,000 — 
males,  3,253 ;  females,  1,747. 

Another  proclamation  issued  July  7,  1849,  divided  the  terri- 
tory into  seven  council  districts  and  ordered  an  election  to  be  held 
August  1  to  choose  one  delegate  to  the  house  of  representatives 
at  Washington,  and  nine  councillors  and  eighteen  representatives 
to  constitute  the  legislative  assembly  of  Minnesota.  The  election 
passed  off  very  quietly,  politics  entering  scarcely  at  all  into  the 
contests,  which  were  wholly  personal.  In  all  682  votes  were  cast 
for  the  delegate  to  congress,  Henry  H.  Sibley,  who  was  elected 
without  opposition. 

The  council  districts  were  described  in  Ramsey's  proclamation 
as  follows:    "No.  1.    The  St.  Crois  precinct  of  St,  Croix  county, 


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264  HISTORY  OF  EENVILLE  COUNTY 

and  the  settlements  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Mississippi  south  of 
Crow  village  to  the  Iowa  line.  2.  The  Stillwater  precinct  of  the 
county  of  St.  Croix,  3.  The  St.  Paul  precinct  (except  Little 
Canada  settlement).  4.  Marine  Mills,  Falls  of  St.  Croix,  Rush 
Lake,  Rice  River  and  Snake  River  precincts,  of  St.  Croix  comity 
and  La  Pointe  county.  5,  The  Palls  of  St,  Anthony  precinct  and 
the  Little  Canada  settlement.  6.  The  Sauk  Rapids  and  Crow 
Wing  precincts,  of  St.  Croix  county,  and  all  settlements  west  of 
the  Mississippi  and  north  of  the  Osakis  river,  and  a  line  thence 
west  to  the  British  line.  7.  The  country  and  settlements  west  of 
the  Mississippi,  not  included  in  districts  1  and  6,  The  territory 
now  embraced  in  Renville  county  was  included  in  the  Seventh 
district,  which  generally  speaking  included  all  the  territory  be- 
tween the  Sauk  and  the  Minnesota  rivers  and  westward,  but  none 
of  the  settlements  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Mississippi  except  such 
as  might  be  found  north  of  the  settlements  near  St.  Anthony 
Palls  and  south  of  the  mouth  of  Sauk  river, 

1849 — The  first  territorial  legislature — called  the  territorial 
assembly — met  Monday,  September  3,  in  the  Central  Houb«,  St, 
Paul,  a  large  log  building  weatherboarded,  which  served  both  as 
a  state  house  and  a  hotel.  It  stood  on  practically  the  present  site 
of  the  Mannheimer  block.  On  the  first  floor  of  the  main  building 
was  the  secretary's  office  and  the  dining  room  was  occupied  as 
the  Representatives'  chamber.  As  the  hour  for  dinner  or  supper 
approached  the  House  had  to  adjourn  to  give  the  servants  an  op- 
portunity to  make  the  necessary  preparations  for  serving  the 
meal.  In  the  ladies'  parlor  on  the  second  floor  the  Council  con- 
vened for  their  deliberations.  The  legislature  halls  were  not  to 
exceed  eighteen  feet  square.  Governor  Ramsey,  during  his  entire 
term  of  office,  had  his  executive  office  in  his  private  residence,  and 
the  supreme  court  shifted  from  place  to  place  as  rooms  could  be 
rented  for  its  use.  Although  congress  had  appropriated  $20,000 
for  the  erection  of  a  capitol,  the  money  could  not  be  used  as  "a 
permanent  seat  of  government"  for  the  territory  had  not  yet  been 
selected,  so  the  machinery  of  government  had  to  be  carted  around 
in  the  most  undignified  manner.  The  Seventh  district  was  repre- 
sented in  the  council  by  Martin  McLeod,  of  Lac  qui  Parle ;  and  in 
the  house  of  Alexis  Bailly,  of  Mendota,  and  Oideon  H.  Pond,  of 
Oak  Grove. 

1851 — The  second  territorial  legislature  met  January  1  and 
adjourned  March  31.  Martin  McLeod  again  represented  the 
Seventh  district  in  the  council;  while  in  the  house  were  Alex- 
ander Faribault,  of  Mendota,  and  B.  H.  Randall,  of  Fort  Snelling. 

The  territory,  having  been  divided  into  counties,  it  was  ap- 
portioned by  the  second  territorial  legislature  (1851)  into  seven 
districts.  Dakota  county,  which  included  the  present  Renville 
county,  was  the  sixth  district. 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  265 

1852 — The  third  territorial  legislature  assembled  January  7 
and  adjourned  March  6,  The  Sixth  district  was  represented 
in  the  council  by  Martin  McLeod,  of  Oak  Grove;  and  in  the  house 
by  James  MeBoal,  of  Mendota,  and  B,  H.  Randall,  of  Ft.  Snelling. 

1853 — The  fourth  territorial  legislature  assembled  January  5 
and  adjourned  March  5,  The  Sixth  district  was  again  represented 
in  the  council  by  Martin  McLeod,  B.  H.  Randall  was  again  in 
the  house  and  the  new  member  from  the  Sixth  district  was  A,  E. 
Ames.  This  legislature  changed  the  boundary  lines  of  certain 
counties  and  created  certain  new  counties.  The  present  Renville 
county  fell  in  Pierce  and  Nicollet  counties.  In  spite  of  these 
changes  in  county  lines,  the  boundaries  of  the  legislative  districts 
remained  the  same. 

Franklin  Pierce  having  been  elected  president  of  the  United 
States  in  the  previous  November,  promptly  proceeded  after  his 
inauguration,  in  accordance  with  the  good  old  Jacksonian  doc< 
trine,  to  remove  the  Whig  officeholders  and  distribute  the  spoils 
among  the  victors.  The  new  territorial  appointees  were :  Gov- 
ernor, Willis  A.  Gorman,  of  Indiana;  secretary,  J.  T.  Rosser,  of 
Virginia ;  chief  justice,  W.  H.  Welch,  of  Minnesota ;  associates, 
Moses  Sherburne,  of  Maine;  and  A.  G,  Chatfield,  of  Wisconsin. 
Soon  after  entering  on  the  duties  of  his  office.  Governor  Gorman 
concluded  a  treaty  at  Watab  with  the  Winnebago  Indians  for  an 
exchange  of  territory.  At  the  election  in  October  Henry  M. 
Rice  was  elected  delegate  to  Congress. 

1854 — In  1854  the  legislature  of  Minnesota  for  the  first  time 
assembled  in  a  regular  capitol  building,  its  previous  sessions 
having  been  held  haphazard  wherever  accommodations  could  be 
had.  This  building,  which  was  started  as  early  as  1851,  was  totally 
destroyed  by  fire  on  the  evening  of  March  1,  1881,  while  both 
branches  of  the  legislature  were  in  session.  Some  of  the  more 
valuable  papers  in  the  various  offices  were  saved,  but  the  law 
library  and  many  thousands  of  documents  and  reports  were 
burned.  The  total  loss  was  about  $200,000.  The  present  "Old 
Capitol"  was  erected  on  the  site  of  the  first  building.  The 
fifth  session  assembled  January  4  and  adjourned  March  4.  The 
Sixth  district  was  represented  in  the  council  by  Joseph  R. 
Brown ;  and  in  the  house  by  Hezekiah  Fletcher  and  William  H. 
Nobles. 

1855 — The  sixth  territorial  legislature  assembled  January  3 
and  adjourned  March  3.  Joseph  R.  Brown  again  represented  the 
Sixth  district  in  the  council,  and  Henry  H.  Sibley  and  D.  M, 
Hanson  represented  the  district  in  the  house.  It  was  this  legis- 
lature that  created  Renville  county. 

By  the  apportionment  of  1855  Renville  county  was  placed  in 
the  Tenth  district  with  Le  Sueur,  Steele,  Faribault,  Blue  Earth, 
Brown,  Nicollet,  Sibley  and  Pierce. 


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266  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

1856 — The  seventh  territorial  legislature  asBembled  January  2 
and  adjourned  March  1.  The  Tenth  district  was  represented  in 
the  council  by  C,  E,  Flandrau  and  in  the  house  by  Parsons  K. 
Johnson,  Aurelius  F.  de  La  Vergne  and  George  A',  McLeod, 

1857 — The  eighth  and  last  territorial  legislature  assembled 
January  7  and  adjourned  March  7.  The  extra  session  lasted 
from  April  27  to  May  20.  The  Tenth  district  was  represented 
in  the  council  by  P.  P.  Humphrey  and  in  the  house  by  Joseph  R. 
Brown,  Francis  Baasen  and  0.  A.  Thomas. 

CONSTITUTIONAL  CONVENTION. 

March  3,  1857,  congress  passed  an  act  authorizing  the  people 
of  Minnesota  to  form  a  state  constitution.  Each  council  district 
was  to  be  represented  in  this  convention  by  two  representatives 
for  each  councilman  and  representative  to  which  it  was  entitled. 
The  constitutional  convention,  consisting  of  108  members,  was 
authorized  to  meet  at  the  capital  on  the  second  Monday  in  July, 
to  frame  a  state  constitution  and  submit  it  to  the  people  of  the 
territory.  The  election  was  held  on  the  first  Monday  in  June, 
1857.  July  13  the' delegates  met  but,  a  disagreement  arising  in 
the  organization,  the  Republican  members  organized  one  body 
and  the  Democrats  another,  fifty-nine  delegates  being  given  seats 
in  the  former  and  fifty-three  in  the  latter,  making  112  in  all. 
Each  of  these  bodies,  claiming  to  be  the  legally  constituted  con- 
vention, proceeded  with  the  work  of  formulating  an  instrument 
to  be  submitted  to  the  people.  After  some  days  an  anderstand- 
ing  was  effected  between  them,  and  by  means  of  a  committee  of 
conference,  the  same  constitution  was  framed  and  adopted  by 
both  bodies.  On  being  submitted  to  the  people,  October  13,  1857, 
it  was  ratified. 

The  Tenth  district  was  represented  in  the  Republican  wing  by 
Amos  Cogswell,  Irtwis  McKune,  and  Edwin  Page  Davis.  On  the 
Democratic  side,  from  the  Tenth  district,  sat :  Joseph  R.  Brown, 
G.  E.  Flandrau,  Francis  Baasen,  William  B.  McMahon,  and  J.  B. 
Swan. 

The  history  of  this  convention  is  so  graphically  given  by 
W.  H.  C.  Folsom,  who  was  one  of  its  members,  in  his  interesting 
volume,  "Fifty  Years  in  the  Northwest,"  that  we  quote  it  almost 
entire : 

"The  state  was  nearly  equally  divided  between  the  Repub- 
licans and  Democrats,  still  the  question  of  politics  did  not  enter 
largely  into  the  contest  except  as  a  question  of  party  supremacy. 
The  people  were  a  unit  on  the  question  of  organizing  a  state 
government  under  the  enabling  act  and  in  many  cases  there  was 
but  a  single  ticket  in  the  field.  It  was  a  matter,  therefore,  of 
some  surprise  that  there  should  be  a  separation  among  the  dele- 
gates into  opposing  factions,  resulting  practically  in  the  forma- 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  267 

tion  of  two  conventions,  each  claiming  to  represent  the  people  and 
each  proposing  a  eonstitutioD.  The  delegates,  although  but  108 
were  called,  were  numbered  on  the  rolls  of  the  two  wings  as  59 
Republican  and  53  Democratic,  a  discrepancy  arising  from  some 
irregularity  of  enrollment,  by  which  certain  memberships  were 
counted  twice.  The  Republican  members,  claiming  a  bare  ma- 
jority, took  possession  of  the  hall  at  midnight,  twelve  hours  before 
the  legal  time  for  opening  the  convention,  the  object  being  to 
obtain  control  of  the  ofSces  and  committees  of  the  convention,  a 
manifest  advantage  in  the  matter  of  deciding  upon  contested 
seats. 

"In  obedience  to  the  call  of  the  leaders  of  the  party,  issued 
the  day  before,  the  writer,  with  other  Republican^  repaired  to 
the  bouse  at  the  appointed  hour,  produced  his  credentials  as  a 
delegate,  and  was  conducted  into  the  illuminated  hall  of  Hon. 
John  W.  North.  The  delegates  were  dispersed  variously  about 
the  hall,  some  chatting  together,  others  reading  newspapers, 
smoking  or  snoring,  and  here  and  there  one  had  fallen  asleep  in 
his  seat.  OecasionaUy  a  delegate  nervously  examined  his  revolver 
as  if  he  anticipated  some  necessity  for  its  use. 

"The  Democratic  delegates  were  elsewhere,  probably  plotting 
in  secret  conclave  to  capture  the  hall,  and  perhaps  it  might  be 
well  enough  to  be  prepared  for  the  worst.  Thus  the  remainder 
of  the  night  pEissed  and  the  forenoon  of  July  13.  As  soon  as  the 
clock  struck  twelve  the  Democratic  delegates  rushed  tumultu- 
ously  in,  as  if  with  the  purpose  of  capturing  the  speaker's  stand. 
That,  however,  was  already  occupied  by  the  Republican  dele- 
gates and  the  storming  party  was  obliged  to  content  itself  with 
the  lower  steps  of  the  stand.  Both  parties  at  the  moment  the 
clock  ceased  striking  were  yelling  "order"  vociferously,  and 
nominating  their  officers  pro  tem.  Both  parties  effected  a  tem- 
porary organization,  although  in  the  uproar  and  confusion  it  was 
difficult  to  know  what  was  done. 

"The  Democratic  wing  adjourned  at  once  to  the  senate  cham- 
ber and  there  effected  a  permanent  organization.  The  Repub- 
licans, being  left  in  undisturbed  possession  of  the  hall,  perfected 
their  organization,  and  the  two  factions  set  themselves  diligently 
to  work  to  frame  a  constitution,  each  claiming  to  be  the  legally 
constituted  convention,  and  expecting  recognition  as  such  by  the 
people  of  the  state  and  congress.  The  debates  in  each  were  acri- 
monious. A  few  of  the  more  moderate  delegates  in  each  recog- 
nized the  absurdity  and  illegality  of  their  position  and  questioned 
the  propriety  of  remaining  and  participating  in  proceedings 
which  they  could  not  sanction. 

"The  conventions  continued  their  sessions  inharmonJously 
enough.  Each  framed  a  constitution,  at  the  completion  of  which 
a  joint  committee  was  appointed  to  revise  and  harmonize  the  two 


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268  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

oonstitutioDs,  but  the  members  of  the  committees  were  as  bellig- 
erent as  the  conventions  they  represented.  Members  grew  angry, 
abusing  each  other  with  words  and  even  blows,  blood  being 
drawn  in  an  argument  with  bludgeons  between  two  of  the  dele- 
gates. An  agreement  seemed  impossible,  when  some  one  whose 
name  has  not  found  its  way  into  history,  made  the  happy  sugges- 
tion that  alternate  articles  of  each  constitution  be  adopted. 
"When  this  was  done,  and  the  joint  production  of  the  two  conven- 
tions was  in  presentable  shape,  another  and  almost  fatal  difficulty 
arose,  as  to  which  wing  should  be  accorded  the  honor  of  signing 
officially  this  remarkable  document.  One  body  or  the  other  must 
acknowledge  the  paternity  of  the  hybrid.  Ingenuity  amounting 
to  genius  (it  is  a  pity  that  the  possessor  should  be  unknown) 
found  a  new  expedient,  namely,  to  write  out  two  constitutions  in 
full,  exact  duplicates  except  as  to  signatures,  the  one  to  be 
signed  by  Democratic  officers  and  members  and  the  other  by  Re- 
publicans. These  two  constitutions  were  filed  in  the  archives 
of  the  state  and  one  of  them,  which  one  will  probably  never  be 
known,  was  adopted  by  the  people  October  13,  1857." 

Mr.  Folsom  is  slightly  in  error.  The  enabling  act  did  not 
specify  any  hour  for  the  meeting  of  the  convention,  nor  did  it 
designate  any  definite  place  in  the  capitol  where  the  sessions 
should  be  held,  both  of  which  omissions  contributed  to  the  con- 
fusion in  organization.  W.  W.  Folwell,  in  his  "History  of  Min- 
nesota," narrates  the  preliminaries  as  follows:  "To  make  sure 
of  being  on  hand,  the  Republican  delegates  repaired  to  the  capitol 
late  on  the  Sunday  night  preceding  the  first  Monday  in  June  and 
reiiiained  there,  as  one  of  them  phrased  it,  'to  watch  and  pray 
for  the  Democratic  brethren,'  These  did  not  appear  till  a  few 
moments  before  twelve  o'clock  of  the  appointed  day.  Imme- 
diately upon  their  entrance  in  a  body  into  the  representatives' 
hall  Charles  R.  Chase,  secretary  of  the  territory  and  a  delegate, 
proceeded  to  the  speaker's  desk  and  called  to  order.  A  motion 
to  adjourn  was  made  by  Colonel  Gorman,  and  the  question  was 
taken  by  Chase,  who  declared  it  carried.  The  Democrats  left 
the  hall  to  the  Republicans,  who  proceeded  to  organize  the  con- 
vention. Fifty-six  delegates  presented  credentials  in  proper  form 
and  topk  their  oaths  to  support  the  constitution  of  the  United 
States.  At  noon  of  Tuesday  the  Democratic  delegates  assembled 
about  the  doOr  of  the  hall,  and  finding  it  occupied  by  citizens 
who  refused  to  give  them  place,  met  in  the  adjacent  council  cham- 
ber and  proceeded  to  organize  the  convention.  Henry  H.  Sibley 
was  made  chairman,  on  motion  of  Joseph  R.  Brown,  and  later 
became  president  of  the  body." 

After  the  adjournment  of  the  constitutional  convention  the 
Republicans  and  Democrats  held  their  party  conventions,  each 
nominating  a  full  state  ticket  and  three  candidates  foi;  Congress. 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  269 

The  Republican  candidate  for  governor  was  Alexander  Ramsey 
and  the  Democratic  candidate  Henry  H,  Sibley.  The  election 
was  held  October  13,  1857,  the  constitution  being  adopted  by  an 
overwhelming  vote;  H.  H.  Sibley  was  elected  governor  by  a 
majority  of  only  240  in  a  total  of  35,240  votes,  and  the  Demo- 
crats had  a  small  majority  in  the  legislature. 

STATE  SEPBESENTATIOH. 

The  first  Minnesota  state  legislature  assembled  December  2, 
1857.  There  was  a  serious  question,  however,  as  to  whether  it 
was  really  a  state  legislature,  as  Minnesota  had  not  yet  been 
admitted  to  the  Union.  There  was  a  question  as  to  the  recog- 
nition of  Samuel  Medary,  the  territorial  governor,  as  governor 
of  the  state,  but  by  a  vote  of  59  to  49  he  was  so  recognized  by 
the  legislature,  and  he,  in  turn,  in  his  message  recognized  the 
law-making  body  as  a  state  legislature.  None  of  the  state  officers 
could  take  the  oath  of  ofBce,  and  the  Republican  members  of  the 
legislature  entered  a  formal  protest  against  any  business  what- 
ever being  done  until  after  the  admission  of  the  state  as  a  member 
of  the  Union.  But  the  Democrats  having  a  majority,  decided  to 
hold  a  joint  convention  December  19  for  the  election  of  two 
United  States  senators.  Henry  M.  Rice  was  elected  for  the  long 
term  on  the  first  ballot,  but  it  was  not  until  after  several  ballot- 
ings  that  General  James  Shields  won  the  short  term.  He  was  a 
new  comer  from  Illinois  and  his  election  was  a  bitter  pill  for 
many  of  the  old  Democratic  war-horses,  such  as  Sibley,  Steele, 
Brown  and  Gorman, 

As  a  means  of  relieving  the  state  from  the  awkward  predica- 
ment in  which  it  was  placed  the  legislature  adopted  March  1 
an  amendment  to  the  constitution  authorizing  the  newly-elected 
officers  to  qualify  May  1,  whether  the  state  was  admitted  by  that 
date  or  not,  this  amendment  to  be  submitted  to  the  voters  at  an 
election  called  for  April  15.  A  second  amendment,  submitted  at 
the  same  time,  provided  for  the  famous  $5,000,000  railroad  bond 
loan,  which  was  the  cause  of  great  loss  and  great  bitterness  to 
the  people.  Both  amendments  were  overwhelmingly  adopted, 
but  in  November,  1860,  the  bond  amendment  was  expunged  from 
the  constitution,  after  $2,275,000  bonds  had  been  issued.  The 
legislature,  March  25,  took  a  recess  until  June  2. 

In  the  meantime  the  steps  looking  toward  the  recognition  of 
Minnesota's  statehood  by  Congress  had  lagged  sadly.  For  some 
unknown  reason  President  Buchanan  had  delayed  until  the  mid- 
dle of  January,  1858,  transmitting  to  the  United  States  Senate  the 
constitution  adopted  by  the  people.  A  bill  for  the  admission  of 
Minnesota  as  a  state  was  introduced  by  Stephen  A.  Douglas, 
chairman  of  the  committee  on  territories.  When  this  bill  came  up 
February  1,  there  was  a  prolonged  discussion,  a  number  of  the 


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270  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

senators  being  in  opposition  because  it  would  add  another  to 
the  number  of  free  states,  thus  disturbing  the  "balance  of  pow- 
er" between  the  free  and  slave  states.  Among  those  participat- 
ing in  the  debate  were  Senators,  Douglas,  Wilson,  Gwin,  Hale, 
Mason,  Green,  Brown  and  Crittenden,  the  latter  being  much 
more  moderate  in  his  expressions  than  most  of  his  fellow  senators 
from  the  South.  The  debate  continued  until  April  8,  when  the 
English  bill,  which  provided  for  the  admission  of  Kansas  as  a 
supposed  slave  state  having  passed,  the  opposition  ceased,  and 
Minnesota's  bill  was  adopted  by  a  vote  of  49  to  3.  The  bill  then 
went  to  the  House,  where  it  met  the  same  kind  of  objections  as 
had  been  raised  in  the  Senate,  the  English  bill  standing  in  the 
way  until  May  4,  jvhen  it  was  passed.  One  week  later.  May  11, 
the  bill  admitting  Minnesota,  passed  the  House  by  a  vote  of  157 
to  38,  the  following  day  receiving  the  approval  of  the  President, 
and  May  12,  1858,  Minnesota  obtained  full  recognition  as  a  state 
in  the  Union.  Informal  news  of  the  action  of  Congress  reached 
St.  Paul,  by  telegraphic  information  brought  from  La  Crosse, 
Wisconsin,  May  13,  but  the  ofQcial  notice  was  not  received  until 
some  days  later,  and  May  24  the  state  officers  elected  in  October, 

1858,  took  their  oaths  of  office. 

1857-58 — The  first  state  legislature,  as  already  noted,  assem- 
bled December  2,  1857,  On  March  25,  1858,  it  took  a  recess  until 
June  28,  and  finally  adjourned  August  12.  The  state  was  ad- 
mitted May  11,  1858.  It  will,  therefore,  be  seen  that,  although 
this  legislature  is  called  the  first  state  legislature,  nevertheless 
it  assembled  in  territorial  times.  By  the  apportionment  of  1857 
set  forth  in  the  state  constitution  adopted 'October  13,  1857,  Sib- 
ley, Renville  and  McLeod  counties  constituted  the  Eighteenth 
district  with  one  senator  and  three  representatives.  The 
Eighteenth  district  was  represented  in  the  senate  by  Elijah  T. 
Mixer.  John  H.  Stevens,  Michael  Cummings  aud  Henry  Poehler 
sat  in  the  house. 

1858-59 — No  session  was  held  in  the  winter  of  1858-59,  mainly 
owing  to  the  protracted  session  of  1857-58,  which  was  believed 
to  render  unnecessary  another  one  following  so  soon,  the  legis- 
lature of  that  year  having  so  provided  by  enactment. 

1859-60 — The  second  state  legislature  assembled  December  7. 

1859,  and  adjourned  March  12,  1860.  The  Eighteenth  district 
was  represented  in  the  senate  by  John  H.  Stevens  and  in  the 
house  by  Peter  Wilkins,  Mathew  Donohue,  and  Hamilton  Beatty. 

By  the  apportionment  of  1860  Renville  county  was  placed 
in  the  Nineteenth  district,  which  was  to  have  one  senator  and  two 
representatives.  The  other  counties  in  the  district  were  Nicollet, 
Sibley,  Brown,  Pierce,  Davis  counties  west  of  range  33. 

1861 — The  third  state  legislature  assembled  January  8  and  ad- 
journed March  8.    The  Nineteenth  district  was  represented  in  the 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  271 

senate  by  James  W.  Linde  and  the  house  by  M.  0.  Hauseome  and 
E:  E.  Paulding. 

1862 — The  fourth  state  legislature  assembled  January  7  and 
adjourned  March  4.  The  Nineteenth  district  was  represented  in 
the  senate  by  Henry  A.  Swift  and  in  the  house  by  M.  J.  Severance 
and  Adam  Buck,  Jr. 

On  account  of  the  Indian  outbreak  in  1862,  an  .extra  session 
was  called  by  the  governor.  It  assembled  September  9  and  ad- 
journed September  29.  The  officers  and  members  were  the  same 
as  at  the  regular  session,  except  that  L.  K.  Asker,  from-the  Ninth 
district,  was  not  present  at  the  regular  session,  but  presented 
his  credentials  to  the  second  session. 

1863 — The  fifth  state  legislature  assembled  January  6  and  ad- 
journed March  6.  The  Nineteenth  district  was  represented  in 
the  senate  by  Henry  A.  Swift  and  in  the  house  by  William  Huey 
and  W.  Tennant. 

1864 — The  sixth  state  legislature  assembled  January  5,  and 
adjourned  March  5.  The  Nineteenth  district  was  represented  in 
the  senate  by  Henry  A.  Swift  and  in  the  house  by  Samuel  Coflfin 
and  William  Huey. 

1865 — The  seventh  state  legislature  assembled  January  3  and 
adjourned  March  3.  The  Nineteenth  district  was  represented  in 
the  senate  by  Henry  A.  Swift  and  in  the  house  by  Hamilton  Beatty 
and  Henry  Poehler. 

1866 — The  eighth  state  legislature  assembled  January  2  and 
adjourned  March  2.  The  Nineteenth  district  was  represented  in 
the  senate  by  Charles  T.  Brown  and  in  the  house  by  Thomas 
Rbsaell  and  J.  S.  G.  Honner. 

By  the  apportionment  of  1866  Redwood  county  was  added  to 
the  Nineteenth  district.  It  was  to  be  represented  by  one  senator 
and  two  representatives. 

1867 — The  ninth  state  legislature  assembled  January  8  and  ad- 
journed March  8.  The  Nineteenth  district  was  represented  in 
the  senate  by  Adam  Buck  and  in  the  house  by  Charles  T.  Brown 
and  r>.  G.  Shillock. 

1868 — The  tenth  state  legislature  assembled  January  7  and 
adjourned  March  6.  The  Nineteenth  district  was  represented  in 
the  senate  by  Charles  T.  Brown  and  in  the  house  by  John  C.  Ru- 
dolph and  Adam  Buck. 

1869 — The  eleventh  state  legislature  assembled  January  5  and 
adjourned  March  5.  The  Nineteenth  district  was  represented  in 
the  senate  by  Charles  T.  Brown  and  in  the  house  by  J.  C.  Rudolph 
and  J.  C.  Stoever. 

1870 — The  twelfth  state  legislature  assembled  January  4  and 
adjourned  March  3,  The  Nineteenth  district  was  represented  in 
the  senate  by  William  Pfaender  and  in  the  house  by  William  L. 
Couplin  and  P.  H.  Swift. 


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272  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

1871 — The  thirteenth  state  legislature  assembled  January  8 
and  adjourned  March  3.  The  Nineteenth  district  was  repre- 
sented in  the  senate  by  William  Pfaender  and  in  the  house  by 
W,  L,  Couplin  and  J.  S,  G.  Honner. 

By  the  apportionment  of  1871  Renville  and  Nicollet  counties 
were  placed  in  the  Thirty-fourth  district  and  were  to  have  one 
senator  and  three  representatives. 

1872 — -The  fourteenth  state  legislature  assembled  January  2 
and  adjourned  March  2.  The  Thirty-fourth  district  was  repre- 
sented in  the  senate  by  Marshall  B.  Stone  and  in  the  house  by 
H.  E.  Wadsworth,  Hans  C.  Hanson  and  J.  H.  Dunham. 

1873 — The  fifteenth  state  legislature  assembled  January  7  and 
adjourned  March  7,  The  Thirty-fourth  district  was  represented 
in  the  senate  by  Marshall  B.  Stone  and  in  the  house  by  Francis 
Baasen,  E.  St.  Julien  Cox,  and  David  Benson. 

1874 — The  sixteenth  state  legislature  assembled  January  6  and 
adjourned  March  6.  The  Thirty-fourth  district  was  represented 
in  the  senate  by  E.  St.  Julien  Cox  and  in  the  house  by  John  N. 
Tread  well,  Peter  H.  McDermid  and  David  Benson. 

1875 — The  seventeenth  state  legislature  assembled  January  5 
and  adjourned  March  5.  The  Thirty-fourth  district  was  repre- 
sented in  the  senate  by  E.  St.  Julien  Cox  and  in  the  house  by 
John  N.  Treadwell,  P.  H.  McDermid  and  David  Benson. 

1876 — The  eighteenth  state  legislature  assembled  January  4 
and  adjourned  March  3.  The  Thirty-fourth  district  was  repre- 
sented in  the  senate  by  J.  T.  Schoenbeck  and  in  the  house  by 
D.  S.  Hall,  Andrew  Nelson  and  Nicholas  Sons. 

1877 — The  nineteenth  state  legislature  assembled  January  2 
and  adjourned  March  2.  The  Thirty-fourth  district  was  repre- 
sented in  the  senate  by  J.  T.  Schoenbeck  and  in  the  house  by 
Isaac  Lundeen,  "W.  J.  Bean  and  David  Benson. 

1878 — The  twentieth  state  legislature  assembled  January  8 
and  adjourned  March  8.  The  Thirty-fourth  district  was  repre- 
sented in  the  senate  by  Henry  Ahreus  and  in  the  house  by 
Sumner  Ladd,  Jacob  Klossner,  Jr.,  and  J.  M,  Bowler, 

Henry  Ahrens  was  bom  in  Germany,  August  2,  1835;  landed 
in  New  Y'ork  in  November,  1853,  and  worked  at  his  trade,  lock- 
smith, there  one  year;  farmed  in  Illinois  until  1861,  then  sold  out 
and  settled  in  Renville  comity  in  the  spring  of  1862 ;  lost  most 
of  his  property  that  year  by  Indians,  and  barely  escaped  with 
his  life ;  returned  to  Illinois ;  in  186.7  came  back  to  this  county 
and  was  elected  its  first  treasurer,  and  held  the  office  six  jears, 
besides  farming  extensively.  In  1873  he  bought  an  interest  in  a 
saw  and  flouring  mill  at  Beaver  Palls.  He  was  a  state  senator, 
1878,     He  was  married  in  Illinois  in  1860. 

1879 — The  twenty-first  state  legislature  assembled  January  7 
and  adjourned  March  7,    The  Thirty-fourth  district  was  repre- 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  273 

sented  in  the  senate  by  H.  C.  Miller  and  in  the  house  by  Ed. 
O'Hara,  C.  Amundson  and  W.  J.  Bean. 

1881 — The  twenty-second  state  legislature  assembled  January 
4  and  adjourned  March  4.  The  Thirty-fourth  district  was  repre- 
sented in  the  senate  hy  H.  C.  Miller  and  in  the  house  by  T.  Jf. 
Cornish,  C.  Amundson  and  Jacob  Klossner,  Jr. 

An  extra  session  was  called  for  the  purpose  of  considering 
the  legislation  at  the  regular  session  relating  to  the  state  rail- 
road bonds,  which  were  declared  unconstitutional  by  the  supreme 
court.  The  session  commenced  October  11  and  closed  Novem- 
ber 13. 

By  the  apportionment  of  1881,  Renville  county  for  the  first 
time  constituted  a  separate  district.  It  was  designated  the  Forty- 
seventh  district  and  was  to  have  one  senator  and  one  representa- 
tive, 

1883 — The  twenty-third  state  legislature  assembled  January  2 
and  adjourned  March  2.  The  Forty-seventh  district  was  repre- 
sented in  the  senate  by  W.  P.  Christensen  and  in  the  house  by 
Henry  Paulson. 

1885 — The  twenty-fourth  state  legislature  assembled  January 
6  and  adjourned  March  6.  The  Forty-seventh  district  was  repre- 
sented in  the  senate  by  W.  P.  Christiensen  and  in  the  house  by 
Lewis  L.  Tinnes. 

1887 — The  twenty-fifth  state  legislature  assembled  January  4 
and  adjourned  March  4.  The  Forty-seventh  district  was  repre- 
sented in  the  senate  by  D.  S.  Hall  and  in  the  house  by  D.  F. 
Walstrom. 

1889 — The  twenty-sixth  state  legislature  assembled  January 
8  and  adjourned  April  23.  The  Forty-seventh  district  was  rep- 
resented in  the  senate  by  D.  S.  Hall  and  in  the  house  by  C.  H. 
Davis, 

By  the  apportionment  of  1889  Renville  county  was  placed  in 
the  Forty-second  district,  having  the  same  representation  as 
before. 

1891 — The  twenty-seventh  state  legislature  assembled  January 
6  and  adjourned  April  20.  The  Forty-second  district  was  repre- 
sented in  the  senate  by  Ferdinand  Borchert  and  in  the  house 
by  H,  A,  Peterson. 

1893 — The  twenty-eighth  state  legislature  assembled  January 
3  and  adjourned  April  18.  The  Forty-second  district  was  repre- 
sented in  the  senate  by  Ferdinand  Borchert  and  in  the  house  by 
C.  D.  McEwen. 

1895 — The  twenty-ninth  state  legislature  assembled  January  8 
and  adjourned  April  23.  The  Forty-second  district  was  repre- 
sented in  the  senate  by  James  Hanna  and  in  the  house  by  0.  L. 
Brevig. 

1897 — The  thirtieth  state  legislature  assembled  January  5  and 


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274  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

adjourned  April  21.  The  Porty-aecond  district  was  represented 
in  the  senate  by  James  Hanna  and  in  the  house  by  J.  A.  Bergley. 

By  the  apportioziment  of  1897  Renville  county  became  the 
Twenty-second  district,  to  be  represented  by  one  senator  and  two 
represent  atives. 

1899 — The  thirty-first  state  legislature  assembled  January  3 
and  adjourned  April  18.  The  Twenty-second  district  was  repre- 
sented in  the  senate  by  Charles  H.  Nixon  and  in  the  house  by 
Gunerus  Peterson  and  A.  Eugene  Einne. 

1901 — The  thirty-second  state  legislature  assembled  January 
8  and  adjourned  April  12.  The  Twenty-second  district  was  rep- 
sented  in  the  senate  by  Charles  H.  Nixon  and  in  the  house  by 
Qunerus  Peterson  and  M.  J,  Dowling. 

An  extra  session  was  called  for  the  purpose  of  considering  the 
report  of  the  tax  comnussion  created  by  the  act  of  1901.  The 
extra  session  convened  February  4,  1902,  and  adjourned  March 
11,  1902. 

1903 — The  thirty-third  state  legislature  assembled  January  6 
and  adjourned  April  12.  The  Twenty-second  district  was  repre- 
sented in  the  senate  by  A.  V.  Rieke  and  in  the  house  by  "William 
Wichman  and  A.  H.  Anderson. 

1905 — The  thirty-fourth  state  legislature  assembled  January 
7  and  adjourned  April  18.  The  Twenty-second  district  was  rep- 
resented in  the  senate  by  A.  V.  Rieke  and  in  the  house  by  William 
Wichman  and  0.  T.  Ramsland. 

1907 — The  thirty-fifth  state  legislature  assembled  January  5 
and  adjourned  April  22.  The  Twenty-second  district  was  repre- 
sented in  the  senate  by  D.  S.  Hall  and  in  the  house  by  John  A. 
Dalzell  and  N.  J.  Holmberg. 

1909 — The  thirty-sixth  state  legislature  assembled  January  5 
and  adjourned  April  22.  The  Twenty-second  district  was  repre- 
sented in  the  senate  by  D.  S.  Hall  and  in  the  house  by  John  A. 
Dalzell  and  N.  J.  Holmberg. 

igil^The  thirty-seventh  state  legislature  assembled  January 
6  and  adjourned  April  19.  The  Twenty-second  district  was  rep- 
resented in  the  senate  by  Frank  Murray  and  in  the  house  by  N.  J. 
Holmberg  and  Frank  Hopkins. 

An  extra  session  was  called  for  the  purpose  of  enacting  a  state- 
wide direct  primary  law  applicable  to  all  state  officers,  a  corrupt 
practices  act  and  a  reapportionment  law.  The  extra  session  con- 
vened June  4,  1912  and  adjourned  June  18, 1912. 

1913 — The  thirty-eighth  state  legislature  assembled  January  7 
and  adjourned  April  24.  The  Twenty-second  district  was  repre- 
sented in  the  senate  by  Frank  Murray  and  in  the  house  by  Frank 
Hopkins  and  N.  J.  Holmberg. 

At  several  successive  sessions  of  the  legislature  prior  to  that 
of  1913  attempts  had  been  made  to  secure  a  new  apportionment. 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  275 

The  last  had  been  in  1897  and  a  great  change  in  the  population 
had  taken  place  in  the  meantime — the  northern  part  of  the  state 
having  increased  while  in  the  southern  part  the  gain  had  been 
slight,  in  some  counties  an  actual  loss  having  taken  place.  At 
the  1913  session,  after  a  protracted  struggle,  a  compromise  bill 
was  agreed  upon,  by  which  the  number  of  senators  was  increased 
to  sixty-seven,  and  the  number  of  representatives  to  130,  although 
the  legislature  was  already  one  of  the  largest  in  the  United  States 
and  altogether  out  of  proportion  to  the  population.  By  this 
apportionment  Renville  county  was  designated  the  Twenty-third 
district,  with  one  senator  and  one  representative. 

1915 — The  thirty-ninth  legislature  assembled  January  4  and 
adjourned  April  22.  The  Twenty-third  district  was  represented 
in  the  senate  by  N.  J.  Holmberg  and  in  the  house  by  Carl  F. 
Neitzel. 

CONGRESSIONAL   REPRESENTATION. 

Renville  county  has  been  represented  in  congress  since  Minne- 
sota became  a  state,  as  follows :  W.  W.  Phelps,  Democrat  {Good- 
hue county).  May  12,  1858  to  March  4,  1859;  Cyrus  Aldrich, 
Republican  (Hennepin  county),  March  4,  1859  to  March  4,  1863; 
Ignatius  Donnelly,  Republican  (Dakota  county),  March  4,  1863 
to  March  4,  1869;  Eugene  M.  Wilson,  Democrat  (Hennepin 
county),  March  4,  1869  to  March  4,  1871 ;  John  T.  Averill,  Repub- 
lican (Ramsey  county),  March  4,  1871  to  March  4,  1875; 
H.  B.  Strait,  Republican,  March  4,  1873  to  March  4,  1879 ;  Henry 
Poehler,  Democrat,  March  4,  1879  to  March  4,  1881 ;  H.  B.  Strait, 
Republican,  March  4,  1881  to  March  4,  1887 ;  John  L.  McDonald, 
Democrat,  Mareh  4,  1887  to  March  4,  1889;  Darwin  S.  Hall, 
Republican,  Mareh  4,  1889  to  March  4,  1891 ;  0.  M.  Hall,  Demo- 
crat, March  4,  1891  to  March  4,  1895;  Joel  P.  Heatwole,  Repub- 
lican, March  4,  1895  to  March  4,  1903;  Andrew  J.  Volstead, 
Republican,  March  4,  1903  to  March  4,  1917. 

By  the  apportionment  of  1872  the  state  was  divided  into  three 
congressional  districts.  Renville  county  was  constituted  the 
Second  district,  with  "Wabasha,  Goodhue,  Rice,  Dakota,  Scott, 
Le  Sueur,  Nicollet,  Kandiyohi,  Brown,  Sibley,  Carver,  McLeod, 
Redwood,  Lyon,  Swift  and  Chippewa. 

The  apportionment  of  1881  divided  the  state  into  five  districts. 
Renville  county  was  in  the  Third  district,  with  Goodhue,  Rice, 
Dakota,  Scott,  Carver,  McLeod,  Meeker,  Kandiyohi,  Swift  and 
Chippewa. 

The  next  apportionment,  that  of  1891,  increased  the  number 
of  congressional  districts  to  seven.  Renville  county  was  still  in 
the  Third  district,  with  Carver,  Dakota,  Goodhue,  Le  Sueur, 
McLeod,  Meeker,  Rice,  Scott  and  Sibley. 

In  1901  the  state  was  divided  into  nine  congressional  districts. 


Digili: 


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276  HI8T0RY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

Renville  county  was  placed  in  the  Seventh  district,  with  Big 
Stone,  Chippewa,  Grant,  Kandiyohi,  Lac  qui  Parle,  Lincoln,  Lyon, 
Pope,  Redwood,  Stevens,  Swift,  Traverse  and  Yellow  Medicine. 

The  federal  census  of  1910  gave  Minnesota  an  additional  mem- 
ber of  Congress,  who  was  elected  at  large  at  the  election  held 
November  4,  1912. 

In  1913  the  state  was  divided  into  ten  districts.  Renville 
county  was  retained  in  the  Seventh  district,  with  Grant,  Douglas, 
Traverse,  Stevens,  Pope,  Big  Stone,  Swift,  Lac  qui  Parle,  Chip- 
pewa, Yellow  Medicine,  Kandiyohi,  Meeker  and  Lyon. 

Until  Minnesota  became  a  state  it  had  only  one  representative 
in  congress,  a  territorial  delegate,  who  was  not  allowed  to  vote. 
The  first  territorial  delegate  from  Minnesota  was  Henry  H.  Sib- 
lej',  who  was  first  sent  ostensibly  as  a  delegate  from  the  territory 
of  Wisconsin,  though  living  on  the  present  site  of  Mendota.  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Minnesota  river.  He  sat  as  a  territorial  delegate 
from  January  15,  1849,  to  March  4,  1853.  He  was  succeeded  by 
Henry  M.  Rice,  who  served  from  December  5,  1853,  to  March  4, 
1857.  W.  W.  Kingsbury  was  elected  to  succeed  him  and  served 
from  December  7,  1857,  to  March  3,  1859.  As  has  been  noted,  the 
United  States  senate,  February  23,  1857,  passed  an  act  authoriz- 
ing the  people  of  Minnesota  to  form  a  constitution  preparatory  to 
their  admission  to  the  Union.  In  accordance  with  the  provisions 
of  this  enabling  act,  a  constitutional  convention  was  held  July  13, 
1857,  at  the  territorial  capital.  October  13,  1857,  an  election  was 
held,  when  the  constitution  was  adopted  and  a  full  list  of  state 
■officers  elected.  Three  congressmen  were  also  elected  at  this  time, 
George  L.  Becker,  W.  W.  Phelps  and  J.  M.  Cavanaugh.  But  it 
was  afterwards  found  that  Minnesota  was  entitled  to  only  two 
congressmen  and  the  matter  was  amicably  adjusted  by  the  with- 
drawal of  Mr.  Becker.  By  this  election  the  Messrs.  Phelps  and 
Cavanaugh  became  the  first  members  of  congress  from  the  state 
of  Minnesota. 

For  a  time  the  two  congressmen  were  elected  "at  large," 
though  in  order  to  comply  with  constitutional  requirements  there 
was  a  nominal  division  of  the  state  into  two  districts,  one  being 
said  to  represent  the  northern  district  and  the  other  the  southern 
district. 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  277 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

CREATION  OF  TOWNSHIPS. 

Tarions  Acts  of  the  Ooniity  Commusionen  by  Which  the  Town- 
ships of  Renville  County  Have  Assumed  Their  Present  Boun- 
daries— DatOB  of  First  Elections. 

The  townships  in  Renville  county  have  undergone  many 
changes  in  names  and  the  boundaries  have  been  many  times  read- 
justed. These  changes  make  an  interesting  subject  of  study. 
Even  the  commissioners'  records  are  vague  as  to  some  of  the  early 
boundaries  and  the  following  information  has  been  gleaned  only 
after  long  research  and  consultation. 

Bandon.  January  4, 1871,  township  113,  range  33,  which  since 
April  2, 1867,  had  been  a  part  of  Camp,  was  set  off  with  its  present 
name  and  boundaries. 

Beaver  Falls.  As  organized  April  2,  1867,  Beaver  included 
all  of  113,  range  35,  north  of  the  Minnesota  river,  and  town- 
ships 114,  115,  116,  range  35.  This  embraced  the  present  town- 
ships of  Beaver  Falls,  Henryville,  Troy  and  Winfield.  Charles 
R.  Eldridge,  James  Butler  and  Henry  Ahrens  were  appointed 
judges  of  the  election  to  be  held  at  the  store  of  C.  Prignitz. 
March  16,  1871,  the  township  of  Henryville,  114,  35,  was  created. 
By  the  general  act  of  1875,  township  116,  range  35  (Winfield) 
and  township  115,  35  (Troy)  were  attached  to  Henryville,  leav- 
ing Beaver  Falls  with  its  present  boundaries.  There  is  no  record 
of  the  change  of  name  from  Beaver  to  Beaver  Falls  and  the  ofHcial 
title  is  still  Beaver  though  even  in  the  tax  lists  it  is  called  Beaver 
Falls. 

Birch  Cooley.  As  organized  April  2,  1867,  Birch  Cooley 
included  all  township  112,  34,  north  of  the  Minnesota  river  and 
townships  113,  114,  115  and  116,  range  34.  This  embraces  the 
present  townships  of  Birch  Cooley,  Norfolk,  Bird  Island  and 
Kingman.  George  Bowers,  H.  J.  Whichter  and  Lorenz  Brazil,  Sr., 
were  appointed  judges  of  the  election  to  he  held  at  the  home  of 
Joseph  Preston.  Township  114,  range  34,  now  Norfolk,  was  set 
off  as  Houlton,  July  26,  1869.  July  29,  1874,  townships  115  and 
116,  range  34,  were  attached  to  the  town  of  Marschner,  now 
Norfolk,  leaving  Birch  Cooley  with  its  present  boundaries. 

Bird  Island.  A  petition  signed  by  George  H.  Megquier  and 
others  was  presented  to  the  board  July  27, 1876,  asking  that  town- 
ship 115,  range  34,  be  organized  as  Melville.  The  petition  was 
granted  and  an  election  ordered  to  be  held  at  the  home  of  N.  G. 
Poor,  August  15,  1876.  A  petition  signed  by  J.  S.  Bowler  and 
others  was  presented  to  the  board  October  2,  1876,  asking  that 
townships  115  and  116,  range  34,  be  constituted  as  Bird  Island 


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278  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

township.  The  petition  was  granted  and  an  election  ordered  to 
be  held  at  the  home  of  Joseph  Feeter,  October  2i;  1876.  Septem- 
ber 3,  1878,  township  116,  range  34,  waa  organized  as  Kingman 
township,  leaving  Bird  Island  township  with  its  present  boun- 
daries. 

Boon  Lake.  Township  116,  31,  had  been  a  part  of  Cairo 
since  July  6,  1869.  It  had  been  a  part  of  Preston  Lake  since 
September  7,  1869.  September  6,  1870,  township  116,  ranges  31 
and  32,  now  Boon  Lake  and  Brookfield,  were  organized  as  Boon 
Lake.  In  1874,  township  116,  range  32,  was  organized  as  Brook- 
field,  leaving  Boon  Lake  with  its  present  boundaries. 

Brookfl«ld.  July  6,  1869,  township  116,  32,  was  included  in 
Cairo  township.  On  March  19,  1870,  township  116,  32,  was 
declared  to  be  a  part  of  Cosmos  (117,  32).    The  same  township, 

116,  32,  was  on  September  6,  1870,  organized  as  a  part  of  Boon 
Lake  and  four  years  later  a  petition  was  presented  asking  that 
township  116,  32,  be  created  as  Brookfield.  An  election  was 
ordered  at  the  home  of  Charles  Foster  April  7,  1874. 

Cairo.  July  8,  1869,  the  name  of  Mud  Lake,  created  April  2, 
1867,  and  consisting  of  townships,  112,  113,  114,  range  32,  was 
changed  to  Cairo.  To  it  was  added  townships  115,  116  and  117, 
range  31,  and  townships  115,  116  and  117,  32.  Thus  Cairo  then 
consisted  of  the  present  towns  of  Cairo,  Wellington,  Martinsburg, 
Hector,  Brookfield,  Boon  Lake,  Preston  and  two  not  now  in  the 
county.  Boon  Lake  and  Preston  Lake  were  cut  off  September  7, 
1869,  and  organized  as  Preston  Lake.    January  4,  1870,  townships 

117,  ranges  31  and  32,  not  now  in  the  county,  were  cut  off  from 
Cairo  and  organized  as  townships.  March  19,  1870,  town  116, 
range  32,  now  Brookfield,  was  declared  to  be  a  part  of  Cosmos 
(117,  32).  Township  115,  range  32,  now  Hector,  was  cut  off  as 
Milford,  April  7,  1874. 

Camp.  As  organized  April  2,  1867,  Camp  included  townships 
112,  33,  north  of  the  Minnesota  river,  and  townships  113,  114, 
115, 116,  range  33.  This  embraced  the  present  townships  of  Camp, 
Bandon,  Palmyra,  Melville  and  Osceola.  Henry  Graff,  Halleck 
Peterson  and  John  Anderson  were  appointed  judges  of  the  elec- 
tion to  be  held  at  the  home  of  Henry  Graff.  This  town  having 
failed  to  hold  an  election,  Halleck  Peterson  on  May  21,  1867,  was 
appointed  assessor.  He  also  seems  to  have  served  in  Mud  Lake 
township.  January  4,  1871,  Bandon  (113,  33)  was  set  off. 
January  2,  1872,  townships  114,  115,  116,  range  33,  was  set  off 
as  Palmyra,  thus  leaving  Camp  with  its  present  boundaries. 

Crooks.  A  petition  was  presented  to  the  board  in  November, 
1884,  praying  for  the  organization  of  township  116,  range  36,  as 
Aurora.  The  petition  was  granted  and  the  election  ordered  to 
be  held  at  the  school  house,  December  9,  1884,  In  March,  1885, 
the  board  was  notified  by  the  state  auditor  that  another  township 


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THt  HC'V  YOrK 
PUBLIC   LlBiiARV 


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HISTORY  OF  BENVaLE  COUNTY  279 

in  the  state  had  been  given  the  name  Aurora,  therefore  oamed 
it  Crooks.  Crooks  had  been  a  part  of  Flora  since  April  2,  1867, 
and  a  part  of  Emmet,  under  the  general  act,  since  1875. 

Emmet.  Emmet,  eonaisting  of  township  115,  36,  was  organ- 
ized September  7,  1870,  from  territory  which  had  previously  been 
a  part  of  Flora  since  April  2,  1867.  From  1875  to  November, 
1884,  Crooks  (116,  36)  was  attached  to  Emmet  under  the  general 
act  of  1875. 

Ericson.  Township  116,  range  37,  had  been  a  part  of  Hawk 
Creek  since  April  2,  1867  with  the  exception  of  a  short  period 
between  May  18,  1868,  and  July  7,  1868,  when  it  had  been  a  part 
of  Flora.  On  January  6,  1874,  a  petition,  presented  by  the  citi- 
zens of  the  township,  was  granted  and  January  27,  1874,  was 
appointed  as  election  day. 

Flora.  As  organized  April  2,  1867,  Flora  included  all  of  113, 
36,  and  114,  36,  north  of  the  Minnesota  river,  and  townships  115 
and  116,  range  36.  This  embraced  the  present  township  of  Flora, 
Emmet  and  Crooks.  H.  Ames,  James  Graves  and  J.  Gaffney  were 
appointed  judges  of  the  election  to  be  held  at  the  home  of 
J.  GaflFney.  May  18,  1868,  all  that  part  of  the  county  west  of 
range  36  was  attached  to  Flora,  but  this  action  was  rescinded 
July  17,  1868.  Emmet  (115,  36)  was  cut  off  with  its  present 
boundaries  September  7,  1870.  Crooks  (116,  36)  was  included  in 
Emmet  under  the  general  act  of  1875. 

Hawk  Croek.  Aa  organized  April  2,  1867,  Hawk  Creek 
included  all  of  114,  37;  114,  38,  and  115,  38,  north  of  the  Minne- 
sota river;  also  township  116,  range  38,  and  townships  115  and 
116,  range  37.  This  embraced  the  present  townships  of  Sacred 
Heart,  Ericson,  Hawk  Creek  and  Wang.  Isaac  Earl  and  Peder 
Pederson  were  appointed  judges  of  election  and  G.  P.  Greene's 
home  was  designated  as  the  place  of  meeting.  The  town  failed  to 
hold  a  meeting,  however,  and  May  21,  1867,  G.  P.  Greene  was 
appointed  assessor.  May  18,  1868,  all  that  portion  of  the  country 
west  of  range  36  was  attached  to  Flora  township.  July  17  this 
action  was  rescinded.  All  the  county  west  of  range  38  was 
attached  to  Hawk  Creek  and  the  following  officers  appointed: 
Supervisors,  C.  C.  O'Brien,  William  T.  Dugn,  Thomas  Olson; 
assessor,  Ole  Ennesvedt;  town  clerk,  G.  P.  Greene.  Sacred 
Heart  township,  114,  37,  was  created  early  in  1869 ;  Ericson  town- 
ship 116,  37,  January  6,  1874,  and  Wang  township,  116,  38, 
July  28, 1875.  Township  114, 38,  was  largely  outside  of  the  county, 
leaving  Hawk  Creek  115,  38,  with  its  present  boundaries. 

Hector.  April  7,  1874,  township  115,  range  32,  which  since 
July  6  had  been  a  part  of  Cairo,  was  created  as  Milford.  The 
first  town  meeting  was  ordered  to  be  held  at  the  home  of  James 
Cummings,  June  30,  1874,  July  29,  1874,  the  name  was  changed 
to  Hector. 


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280  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

HeniTville.  Township  114,  range  35,  had  been  a  part  of 
Beaver  Palls  since  April  2,  1867.  On  March  16,  1871,  a  petition 
presented  by  the  citizens  of  the  township  was  granted  and  March 
28,  1871,  waa  appointed  as  election  day.  Winfield  (115,  35)  and 
Troy  (116,  35)  were  made  a  part  of  Henryville  by  the  general 
aet  of  1875,  but  were  cut  off  again  by  the  organization  of  Troy, 
March  21,  1876. 

EingmaiL  A  petition,  signed  by  the  citizens,  was  presented  to 
the  board  September  3,  1878,  asking  that  township  116,  range  34, 
be  organized  as  Kingman  township.  The  petition  was  granted 
and  an  election  ordered  to  be  held  at  the  home  of  H,  W.  Jones, 
section  20,  on  September  20,  1878.  Kingman  had  been  a  part  of 
Birch  Cooley  since  April  2,  1867,  of  the  present  town  of  Norfolk 
since  July  29,  1874,  and  of  Bird  Island  township  since  July  27, 
1876. 

Hartiiuburg.  A  petition,  signed  by  the  residents  of  town- 
ship 114,  range  32,  was  presented  to  the  board  September  3,  1878, 
asking  that  township  114,  range  32,  be  organized  as  Martinsburg 
township.  The  petition  was  granted  and  an  election  ordered  to 
be  held  at  the  home  of  J.  B.  Mohan  on  September  24, 1878.  Before 
its  creation  Martinsburg  had  been  a  part  of  Mud  Lake,  which  was 
created  April  2,  1867,  and  the  name  of  which  was  changed  to 
Cairo,  July  8,  1869.  By  the  general  act  of  1875  it  had  been 
attached  to  Wellington. 

Melville.  January  1,  1878,  township  115,  range  33,  was 
created  as  Melville  and  an  election  called  for  January  21  at  the 
home  of  Albert  Brown.  This  township  had  been  included  in 
Palmyra,  January  2, 1872,  and  in  Camp,  April  2, 1867.  From  July 
27,  1876,  to  October  7,  1876,  township  115,  34,  now  Bird  Island, 
was  officially  known  as  Melville. 

Mud  Lake.  As  organized  April  2,  1867,  JIud  Lake  included 
townships  112,  113  and  114,  range  32,  This  embraced  the  present 
townships  of  Cairo,  Wellington  and  Martinsburg.  Gardner  Tib- 
bitts  and  Amos  G.  Bliss  were  appointed  judges  of  election.  May 
21,  1867,  this  township,  having  failed  to  hold  an  election,  K.  Bar- 
ton Lee  was  appointed  assessor.  Halleck  Peterson,  however, 
seems  to  have  served  in  Mud  Lake  and  Camp,  July  8,  1869,  the 
name  of  Mud  Lake  was  changed  to  Cairo,  On  June  4,  1873,  town- 
ship 113,  range  32,  was  organized  as  Wellington.  September  3, 
1878,  township  114,  range  32,  was  organized  as  Martinsburg. 

Norfolk.  July  26,  1869,  township  114,  range  34,  which  had 
been  a  part  of  Birch  Cooley  since  April  2,  1867,  was  organized  as 
Houlton.  The  judges  of  election  were  E.  E.  Comstock,  James 
O'Neil  and  Thomas  H.  Barkey.  September  6, 1870,  the  same  town- 
ship was  organized  as  Benton.  An  election  was  ordered  for  Sep- 
tember 22,  1870,  January  4,  1871,  the  name  was  changed  to 
Marsehner.     July  29,  1874,  townships  115  and  116  of  range  34 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  281 

were  attached  to  the  town,  Marschner.  Township  115,  34,  uow 
Bird  Island  township,  was  cut  off  as  Melville  July  27,  1876,  and 
township  116,  34,  now  Kingman,  was  cut  off  ae  a  part  of  Bird 
Island  October  2,  1876.  This  left  Marschner  with  the  present 
boundaries  of  Norfolk.  The  name  was  changed  by  the  legislature 
of  1874. 

Osceola.  A  petition  was  presented  to  the  board,  July  28, 1879, 
praying  for  the  organization  of  township  116,  range  33,  as  Canton, 
out  of  the  township  Palmyra,  of  Which  it  had  been  a  part  since 
January  2,  1872.  The  petition  was  granted  and  the  auditor 
requested  to  post  the  notifies  of  the  organization  within  the  time 
prescribed.  Owing  to  some  informality  of  this  act  another  peti- 
tion presented  to  the  board,  September  10,  1879,  praying  for  the 
organization  of  township  116,  range  33,  as  Osceola.  The  petition 
was  granted  and  the  first  meeting  ordered  to  be  held  at  the  resi- 
dence of  J.  P.  Lucas,  September  30,  1879.  Originally  April  2, 
1869,  the  present  town  of  Osceola  was  included  in  Camp  township. 

Palmyra.  As  organized  on  April  2,  1867,  the  township.  Camp, 
included  among  other  townships  the  present  township  of  Palmyra. 
On  January  2,  1872,  townships  114,  115  and  116,  range  33,  were 
organized  as  Palmyra  and  an  election  ordered  for  January  30, 
1872;  at  the  home  of  E.  H.  Olson.  January  1,  1878,  township  115, 
range  33,  was  created  as  Melville  and  an  election  called  for  Janu- 
ary 21  at  the  home  of  Albert  Brown.  July  28, 1879,  township  116, 
range  33,  was  created  as  Canton.  There  was  some  informality 
about  this  act  and  on  September  10,  1879,  township  116,  33,  was 
created  as  Osceola,  leaving  Palmyra  with  its  present  boundaries. 

Preston  Lake.  September  7,  1869,  Preston  Lake  was  organ- 
ized, embracing  townships  115,  116,  range  31,  territory  that  since 
July  8, 1869,  has  been  a  part  of  Cairo,  As  organized  Preston  Lake 
embraced  the  present  townships  of  Boon  Lake  and  Preston  Lake. 
Hiram  H.  Davis,  George  Reeks  and  M.  C.  Russell  were  appointed 
judges  of  election.  September  6,  1870,  township  116,  31,  was  cut 
off  and  with  township  116,  range  32,  organized  as  Boon  Lake, 
thus  leaving  Preston  Lake  with  its  present  name  and  boundary. 

Sacred  Heart.  No  record  appears  in  the  county  commis- 
sioners' reports  of  the  creation  of  Sacred  Heart.  It  was,  how- 
ever, created  early  in  1869,  and  an  election  ordered  for  April  6 
of  that  year.  Since  April  2,  1867,  it  had  been  a  part  of  Hawk 
Creek,  with  the  exception  of  the  period  between  May  18,  1868, 
and  July  17,  1868,  when  it  was  a  part  of  Flora. 

Troy.  Township  115,  range  35,  which  since  April  2,  1867,  had 
been  part  of  Beaver  Falls  and  which  under  the  general  act  of 
1875  had  been  made  a  part  of  Henryville,  was  organized  as  Troy, 
March  21,  1876.  Under  the  general  act  of  1875  Winfield  was 
attached  to  it  from  March  21,  1876,  to  April  17,  1878. 


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282  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

Wang,  Township  116,  range  38,  which  had  been  a  part  of 
Hawk  Creek  since  April  2,  1867  (with  the  exception  of  the  period 
between  May  18,  1868,  and  July  7,  1868.  when  it  was  attached 
to  Flora),  was  organized  and  known  as  Wang,  July  28, 1875.  The 
first  election  was  ordered  to  be  held  at  the  home  of  Elling  John- 
son, August  16,  1875. 

WeUin^^ton.  June  4,  1873,  township  113,  range  32,  which 
since  April  2, 1867,  had  been  a  part  of  Mud  Lake  (name  changed 
to  Cairo,  July  8,  1869),  was  organized  as  Wellington  and  an  elec- 
tion ordered  for  June  17,  1873,  at  the  home  of  William  Carson. 

Winfleld.  A  petition  was  presented  to  the  board  April  17, 
1878,  praying  for  the  organization  of  township  116,  range  35,  as 
Liberty.  The  petition  was  granted  and  the  first  meeting  ordered 
to  be  held  at  the  home  of  Ulrick  Julson  May  4,  1878.  There  was 
evidently  some  informality  about  this  organization,  as  on  Decem- 
ber 3,  1878,  another  petition  was  granted,  organizing  and  naming 
the  town.  Three  days  later  the  same  petition  was  again  granted 
and  an  election  to  be  ordered  to  be  held  at  the  home  of  D,  John 
Johnson.  The  board  was  notified  by  the  state  auditor  that  another 
township  in  the  state  had  been  given  the  name  Liberty,  therefore 
named  Winfield.  Under  the  general  act  of  1876  Winfield  was 
attached  to  Henryville  in  1875  and  to  Troy  March  21,  1876.- 

Ch^pewa  City.  September  2,  1868,  the  election  district  of 
Chippewa  City  was  established.  Its  eastern  boundary  was  the 
present  western  boundary  of  Renville  county,  extended  north  to 
the  northern  line  of  township  117.  Its  northern  boundary  was 
the  north  line  of  township  117.  Its  other  boundary  was  the 
Minnesota  river.  The  election  was  to  be  held  at  the  home  of 
Daniel  Q.  Wilkins.  The  counties  of  Chippewa,  Lac  qui  Parle  and 
Big  Stone  were  each  constituted  election  districts. 

Changes  in  Names.  Osceola  was  formerly  known  as  Canton ; 
Norfolk  as  Houlton,  Benton  and  Marschner;  Beaver  Falls  as 
Beaver ;  Winfield  as  Liberty  and  Crooks  as  Aurora. 

Oeneral  Act.  A  resolution  was  passed  by  the  board  July  28, 
1875,  attaching  all  unorganized  townships  and  territories  to 
organized  townships  lying  directly  south  of  such  unorganized 
territory.  Under  this  act  Martinsburg  was  attached  to  Welling- 
ton; Troy  and  Winfield  to  Henryville;  Winfield  to  Troy  (March 
21,  1876),  and  Crooks  to  Eramet. 


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TlfK  OLD  WAY 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  283 

CHAPTER  XLX. 
PIONEEB  EXPEEIENCES. 

Stories  of  the  Tribulations  and  Joys  of  Frontier  Life  Told  by 
Men  Who  Underwent  the  Bigors  of  Early  Settlement — Bliz- 
zards and  Disasters — Lon^  Trips  in  Wintry  Weather — Sod 
Houses  and  Ox  Teams — Qrasslu^pers  and  Indians. 

Gnnems  Peterson.  There  are  many  stories  of  the  early  days 
of  whieb  the  younger  people  know  nothing.  Sometimes  when  I 
look  over  the  landscape  and  see  the  cows  grazing  everywhere  I 
think  of  the  pioneer  times  when  the  settlers  were  fortunate  eyen 
if  they  had  one  cow  and  when  milk  and  cream  and  butter  were 
lozuries  highly  esteemed.  In  the  spring  of  1872  our  only  cow 
died,  leaving  us  with  a  young  calf.  We  were  used  to  getting 
along  without  much  food  ourselves,  but  how  to  keep  the  calf  alive 
was  a  great  problem.  Finally  my  wife  started  out,  and  at  a 
neighbor's  house  three  miles  to  the  southward  she  discovered  that 
she  could  get  skim  milk  for  ourselves  and  for  the  calf.  So  for  a 
month  she  made  the  six-mile  trip  every  day,  carrying  a  pail  in 
each  hand.  The  calf  was  kept  from  starving  and  we  were  kept 
alive  ourselves,  but  it  was  such  experiences  as  these  that 
implanted  the  rheumatism  into  the  muscles  and  bones  of  the 
pioneer  women  which  causes  them  suffering  even  today. 

In  winter  I  took  trips  to  the  Minnesota  river  to  get  some  green 
elm.  I  did  not  have  a  timepiece,  but  used  the  stars  to  tell  the 
time.  At  one  time  I  intended  to  start  about  four  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  but  I  made  a  mistake  and  started  so  early  that  I  got  to 
the  river  before  daylight.  It  is  a  good  thing  I  did,  for  I  did  not 
get  back  until  after  dark  that  night.  I  walked  all  the  way,  driv- 
ing the  oxen.  We  did  not  have  fur  overcoats  and  warm  over- 
shoes in  those  days.  The  warmest  thing  I  had  on  was  a  pair  of 
overalls.    On  my  feet  was  a  rough  pair  of  cowhide  boots. 

Just  after  New  Years,  1874,  my  neighbors  had  taken  a  con- 
tract to  haul  some  grain  to  New  Illm  for  a  farmer  living  on  the 
river  bluffs,  and  as  I  had  just  got  hold  of  a  pair  of  steers  they 
gave  me  a  chance  to  earn  a  little  money  by  going  with  them.  We 
started  early  in  the  morning.  The  roads  were  icy  and  as  my 
steers'had  not  been  broken  I  had  many  difficulties.  I  wanted  to 
keep  the  steers  in  the  road  and  they  wanted  to  make  for  a  bare 
spot.  Finally  the  sled  I  had  borrowed  was  smashed  and  I  had 
to  stop  for  repairs,  while  the  other  men  went  on.  When  I  got 
started  again  I  had  gone  but  a  short  distance  when  I  saw  a  bam 
by  the  side  of  the  road.  The  steers  also  saw  the  barn  and  made 
directly  for  it.  Nothing  I  could  do  could  get  them  away,  they 
preferred  the  shelter  of  the  bam  to  the  trip  to  New  Ulm.     But 


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284  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

6nally  a  man  came  along  with  a  good  black  snake  whip  and  he 
got  the  steers  back  into  the  road  for  me. 

I  reached  New  Ulm  about  dark  and  found  the  other  meu.  The 
question  was  where  we  would  stay  for  the  night.  We  had  no 
money  to  stop  at  the  hotel,  we  could  not  sleep  in  the  mill  base- 
ment with  the  oxen.  So  we  went  to  sleep  in  the  boiler  room. 
Finally  the  fireman  came  and  drove  us  away.  He  said,  however, 
that  we  eould  sleep  on  top  of  the  boiler.  While  one  side  of  ub 
kept  warm  in  that  way  the  other  side  was  cold,  for  while  there 
was  still  a  little  steam  in  the  boiler  there  was  scarcely  any  roof 
overhead. 

On  our  way  home  we  were  caught  in  a  storm  which  lasted 
three  days.  So  the  trip  at  five  cents  a  bushel  for  hauling  the  grain 
was  not  a  very  profitable  one.  During  my  absence  my  family  had 
been  having  a  hard  time.  Everything  was  covered  with  snow. 
The  door  was  snowed  up  solid  and  in  order  to  get  to  the  stable 
and  also  to  get  wood  my  family  had  to  cut  out  the  post  in  the 
window  and  get  out  that  way.  When  I  got  back  the  only  evidence 
of  human  habitation  in  all  that  vast  stretch  of  snow  was  some 
smoke  arising  apparently  from  the  snow.  It  was  smoke  coming 
from  the  stovepipe,  the  rest  of  the  dug-out  being  buried. 

At  another  time  I  had  an  interesting  experience  with  a  Minne- 
sota winter.  One  night  after  I  had  attended  to  my  stock  I  did 
not  close  up  all  the  openings  in  my  sod  stable,  for  the  weather 
was  so  warm  I  feared  that  my  stock  would  suffer.  In  the  night 
a  terrible  storm  broke.  I  went  out  scantily  clad  and  closed  up 
the  stable,  but  in  going  the  few  rods  to  my  dug-out  1  lost  my  way. 
Finally  I  took  a  big  fall.  As  I  righted  myself  I  called  out  with 
all  my  strength,  but  could  not  make  myself  heard  in  the  wind. 
I  took  a  few  steps,  got  the  snow  out  of  my  eyes  and  was  surprised 
to  see  a  light  shining.  It  was  the  light  in  the  only  window  in  my 
dug-out.  I  had  fallen  off  the  roof.  Had  it  not  been  that  I  landed 
so  near  the  window  I  would  probably  have  lost  ray  life. 

B.  J.  Butler.  A  dug-out  in  the  side  of  the  ravine  in  Erie  town- 
ship. Rice  county,  this  state,  was  the  scene  of  my  birth,  July  20, 
1861,  my  parents  having  come  from  Worcester,  Mass.,  the  pre- 
vious spring.  We  lived  there  until  the  summer  of  1869,  when  we 
moved  to  the  township  of  West  Newton,  Nicollet  county,  Minn., 
making  the  trip  with  a  team  of  oxen  and  a  covered  wagon.  The 
trip  took  two  weeks  and  I  walked  all  the  way,  driving  ten  or 
twelve  head  of  cattle  which  we  took  with  us.  After  arriving  at 
our  destination  we  lived  in  the  covered  wagon  until  we  could 
build  a  rude  shanty.  It  was  made  of  poles  and  banked  with  sod 
on  the  outside  and  covered  with  slough  grass. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  February  22,  1874,  when  a  terrible 
blizzard  was  raging,  our  shanty  caught  fire  and  we  were  driven 
out  into  the  storm  and  had  to  seek  refuge  in  the  straw  shed  where 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  285 

we  kept  our  stock.  The  younger  children  were  not  yet  up  wheu 
the  fire  broke  out  and  we  tried  to  keep  them  warm  with  blankets 
and  covered  them  with  hay.  The  older  ones  had  to  walk  up  and 
down  behind  the  stock  to  keep  warm.  We  lost  everything  we 
had.  About  five  in  the  afternoon  the  storm  had  abated  somewhat 
and  my  father  hitched  up  the  team  and  drove  over  to  our  nearest 
neighbor,  Patrick  Berry,  to  get  help.  He  hitched  up  his  team 
and,  armed  with  all  the  blankets  he  could  find,  came  to  bring  us 
to  his  home.  We  reached  the  Berry  place  at  about  eight  o'clock 
in  the  evening,  almost  famished  with  hunger  and  very  cold.  The 
neighbors  were  very  good  to  us  and  helped  ns  as  best  they  could, 
all  being  on  the  same  level. 

The  next  spring  we  built  up  another  shack  and  sowed  some 
crops,  but  in  July  of  that  year  the  grasshoppers  came  and 
destroyed  nearly  every  crop  that  we  had.  We  fought  the  grass- 
hoppers for  four  years  and  saw  some  very  hard  times  during  that 
time,  but  we  managed  to  pull  through,  having  quite  a  large  num- 
ber of  cattle,  which  was  a  great  help.  We  finally  built  a  better 
house  of  logs,  but  in  July,  1881,  the  cyclone  struck  us  and  took 
off  the  roof  and  four  heights  of  logs.  We  fixed  it  up  again  and 
in  the  fall  of  1882  sold  what  little  we  had  and  came  to  Renville 
county,  settling  on  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  34,  township 
113  (Wellington),  range  32.  I  stayed  with  my  parents  until  the 
summer  of  1886,  when  I  took  up  a  homestead,  on  which  I  have 
resided  ever  since. 

Clmrlee  H.  Hopkins.  My  parents  and  family  moved  from 
Wisconsin  to  Cairo  township,  Renville  county,  in  the  spring  of 
1869  and  settled  on  a  quarter  section  of  land  on  the  Fort  Ridgely 
Reserve.  They  selected  one  for  me  within  one  mile  of  their  own ; 
and  I  came  on  and  took  possession  of  it  in  the  latter  part  of  Decem- 
ber the  same  year.  When  I  arrived  at  my  parents'  home 
I  was  informed  on  the  first  evening  that  some  other  parties  were 
claiming  that  they  were  going  to  have  that  piece  of  land ;  so  before 
light  the  next  morning  I  was  on  my  way  with  a  yoke  of  cattle 
to  the  Fort  Ridgely  creek  ravine  to  get  material  to  build  a  house, 
and  in  order  that  I  might  get  it  built  that  day  I  took  poles  that 
one  man  could  handle  easily.  I  cut  the  poles,  hauled  them  and 
bnilt  the  house  the  same  day,  except  the  shingling,  and  slept  there 
that  night  with  witnesses.  The  next  morning  a  man  called  and 
asked  me  what  I  was  doing  on  his  land.  I  then  asked  him  how 
it  came  to  be  his  land,  and  he  said  that  every  one  knew  that  he 
was  going  to  take  that  piece.  I  told  him  that  he  could  now  tell 
every  one  that  I  had  taken  it,  built  a  house  on  it  and  was  living 
on  it.  He  accepted  the  inevitable  and  took  a  claim  for  himself 
some  three  miles  distant. 

My  father  built  his  house  out  of  green  water  elm  lumber,  and 
as  the  old  settlers  will  remember,  it  would  shrink  and  warp. 


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286  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

Money  was  scarce  and  hard  to  get  and  they  did  not  have  the 
wherewithal  to  buy  lime  and  lath.  The  only  protection  they  had 
in  the  cold  winter  of  1869  and  1870  was  old  newspapers  pasted 
between  the  stnddings  onto  the  inch  elm  boards,  which  had  shnmk 
and  cracked  up,  making  the  air  circulation  very  plentiful.  It 
made  a  very  healthy  aanitorium  and  when  we  had  those  old-time 
blizzards  it  was  dangerous  to  be  out  of  doors.  We  would  stand 
around  the  red  hot  stove,  and  while  one  side  would  be  burning 
the  opposite  side  would  be  freezing  and  part  of  thb  time  we  would 
be  jumping  around  the  room  exercising  to  help  keep  warm. 
Going  to  bed  early  and  getting  up  late  was  the  court  of  last 
resort,  and  we  were  all  obliged  to  take  advantage  of  it.  We  want 
everything  good  to  eat  these  days,  but  then  many  times  our 
appetites  were  a  long  way  ahead  of  our  eatables. 

Having  been  brought  up  in  a  part  of  New  York  state  where 
the  stones  were  so  thick  it  was  hard  work  sometimes  to  find  dirt 
to  cover  the  seed  when  planting,  and  where  my  father  had  paid 
$100  for  one-half  an  acre  to  build  him  a  home  on,  it  was  a  privi- 
lege to  come  to  the  town  of  Cairo  and  find  such  rich  and  fertile 
land  and  all  free.  I  was  very  much  enthused  with  the  future 
prospects  of  this  county.  I  kept  my  little  house,  which  was  9x11, 
one  story,  one  door  and  half  a  window,  supplied  with  furniture 
and  eatables.  When  I  was  at  home  I  tied  the  string  on  the  inside 
to  a  nail  and  when  I  was  away  it  was  tied  to  a  nail  on  the  outside, 
literally  carrying  out  the  saying  that  the  latch  string  was  always 
out.  I  also  posted  up  a  sign,  "Go  in  and  make  yourselves  at 
home,"  and  also  kept  a  little  dog,  leaving  a  hole  in  the  side  for 
him  to  go  in  and  out,  so  that  when  any  one  came  along  he  would 
go  out  and  bark,  which  made  a  good  appearance  showing  that 
some  one  was  "on  the  job."  As  my  folks  only  lived  a  mile  away 
one  of  the  children  would  go  over  two  or  three  times  a  week  and 
take  him  food,  which  made  it  possible  for  him  to  hold  down  the 
claim  for  me  for  two  years  until  I  prevailed  upon  Mrs.  Hopkins 
to  join  issues  with  me.  But  many  a  time  when  I  would  come 
home  after  being  away  some  time  I  would  find  a  note  reading 
something  like  this : 

"Friend  Charles — Did  not  find  you  at  home.  Accept  thanks 
for  your  kind  hospitality.  Helped  ourselves  to  supper  and  break- 
fast.   Call  and  get  even.    Yours  truly,  (Signed.) " 

I  will  give  my  first  experience  of  one  of  the  old  time  Minne- 
sota blizzards.  There  was  fine  timber  on  the  Minnesota  bottoms 
on  government  land  that  was  free  to  all  for  their  own  personal 
use,  but  they  could  not  sell  any  of  it.  I  was  very  ambitious  to 
get  my  share  of  it  while  it  was  going.  That  late  fall  and  Decem- 
ber had  been  quite  severe  and  about  two  feet  of  snow  had  fallen 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  287 

upoQ  the  level,  and  as  every  one  of  the  settlers  went  to  the  river 
for  their  wood  those  days  the  winter  road  had  raised  up  about 
three  feet. 

About  January  5,  1870,  it  commenced  to  thaw,  and  on  the 
morning  of  the  sixth  I  concluded  that  we  were  going  to  have  a 
breakup  and  went  to  the  woods  that  day  in  my  shirt  sleevea. 
As  I  bad  been  here  but  a  short  time  I  had  not  made  any  acquaint- 
ances. That  same  day  there  were  three  other  men  with  horse 
teams  who  came  into  the  woods  near  me  and  commenced  to  cut 
their  loads  also.  We  had  about  got  our  loads  cut,  they  not 
speaking  to  me  or  I  to  them,  when  I  noticed  that  they  had  thrown 
ofF  their  loads  as  fast  as  they  could,  hitched  up  their  teams  and 
hurried  out  of  the  woods.  I  could  not  understand  what 
it  meant  until  I  heard  a  roaring  sound  like  thunder  and  wind 
storm  in  summer.  I  commenced  to  look  around  and  was  looking 
ofiE  southwest  through  the  tops  of  the  trees  when  I  saw  what  would 
be  a  wind  and  rain  cloud  in  summer,  creamy  white  below  and 
dark  rolling  clouds  above.  By  the  time  I  had  gotten  ray  load  on 
and  ready  to  start  for  home  the  storm  was  there,  with  a  wind  and 
snow  blowing  sisty  miles  an  hour  and  getting  colder  and  colder. 
By  the  time  I  was  out  of  the  woods  I  could  not  see  a  foot  away 
from  my  face,  but  I  had  an  old  yoke  of  cattle  and  on  that  account 
I  reasoned  that  it  was  best  to  let  them  do  just  as  they  wanted 
to,  as  the  storm  was  so  severe  I  could  not  tell  where  we  were  at  any 
time.  We  used  to  lengthen  out  our  reaches  so  that  we  could  haul 
poles  fifty  or  sixty  feet  long  and  load  about  four  feet  high,  and 
when  I  came  to  the  Minnesota  bluff  I  did  as  I  had  always  done 
before,  carried  about  half  of  the  load  of  poles  up  the  hill  on  my 
back  and  then  drove  up  the  oxen  and  loaded  it  on  again  and 
started  for  home,  which  was  about  three  miles  away.  Now,  while 
selfishness  is  the  foundation  for  the  most  of  all  contentions  in 
this  world,  and  it  is  a  hard  matter  to  find  a  case  where  it  is  per- 
missible, it  did  serve  me  a  good  turn  at  this  time,  for  on  account 
of  my  selfishness  and  ambition  to  get  that  load  home  that  day, 
and  on  account  of  it  being  a  full  load  it  made  a  wind  break  that 
I  could  walk  back  and  forth  behind  and  keep  from  freezing,  and 
it  made  it  possible  for  me  to  breathe,  as  no  one  could  breathe  in 
those  blizzards  without  a  wind  break,  the  snow  being  so  fine  and 
the  wind  so  strong.  The  cattle  would  stop  sometimes  and  I  would 
crawl  up  to  find  out  the  trouble  and  find  their  eyes  crusted  over 
with  ice,  and  when  I  would  break  it  off  they  would  go  again. 
Those  times  there  were  no  groves  around  the  houses  and  the  snow 
had  formed  drifts  as  high  as  the  roofs,  but  had  left  a  clear  space 
about  eight  feet  close  around  the  house  and  clear  to  the  ground. 
As  long  as  the  oxen  kept  going  I  knew  they  would  bring  up  some- 
where. All  at  once  we  went  down  into  a  hole  of  some  kind,  and 
I  kuew  we  were  at  someone's  home,  though  I  could  not  see  the 


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288  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

house  two  feet  away.  To  my  surprise  I  found  that  it  was  our  own 
place. 

We  got  the  oxen  in  the  barn  and  fed  them  and  we  could  not 
get  to  the  bam  again  for  three  days.  That  night  I  tried  to  chop 
up  some  of  the  ash  poles  for  wood,  and  the  wind  whipped  around 
the  house  with  such  force  that  when  I  would  try  to  strike  down 
with  the  bit  of  the  ax  it  would  turn  in  my  hand.  It  was  the  best 
I  eould  do,  and  the  head  of  the  ax  would  strike  the  stick.  In 
order  to  cut  the  wood  we  had  to  take  poles  into  the  house  end 
ways,  leaving  one  end  out  with  the  door  partly  closed  and  saw 
it  up  that  way,  and  when  you  consider  that  it  was  thirty  degrees 
below  zero  and  blowing  sixty  miles  an  hour  it  was  a  very  interest- 
ing time  at  our  house,  and  it  also  convinced  us  that  if  we  got 
through  until  spring  we  would  do  our  part  to  give  back  the  laud 
to  the  Indians  by  moving  away.  Before  the  storm  my  folks  had 
gotten  nearly  out  of  flour  and  had  urged  me  not  to  wait  too  long 
before  I  should  go  to  the  "West  Newton  mill  for  flour,  but  those 
nice  ash  poles  on  the  government  land  were  going  very  fast  and 
I  was  anxious  to  get  my  share  of  them,  and  had  put  it  off  one  day 
more  until  the  storm  found  us  with  the  flour  barrel  about  empty, 
and  with  a  family  of  ten  and  all  good  feeders.  We  happened  to 
have  two  sacks  of  bran  in  the  house,  so  by  sieving  that  over. we 
had  some  rather  coarse  bread,  but  it  tasted  as  good  to  us  as 
though  it  had  been  made  of  the  best.  We  not  only  sieved  it  over 
once  but  three  times  before  we  got  through  the  storm,  and  it 
still  tasted  good.  The  fourth  morning  we  eould  get  out  on  foot, 
but  not  with  teams,  so  I  started  for  a  place  where  my  father  had 
built  a  house  for  a  settler  that  summer  and  we  had  something 
coming  for  our  work.  This  was  about  three  and  one-half  miles 
away,  and  I  started  back  with  sixty  pounds  of  flour  on  my  back. 
Now  the  crust  would  just  about  hold  me  up  without  any  load,  but 
with  the  load  on  my  back  I  would  slump  through.  Well  I  would 
carry  it  a  ways  slumping  through  the  snow  and  would  drag  it  a 
piece  and  repeat,  and  finally  got  home  about  sundown,  which 
made  it  about  the  hardest  stunt  that  I  ever  was  mixed  up  in,  but 
it  was  soon  forgotten  with  the  splendid  appetites  that  we  all  had, 
and  when  mother  had  a  big  batch  of  biscuits  that  she  excelled  in. 
So  we  all  went  to  bed  that  night  at  peace  with  all  the  world. 
Now  this  is  only  one  of  the  many  incidents  of  the  early  years  of 
our  settlement  of  this  comity.  There  is  not  an  old  settler  that 
eame  to  this  country  at  that  time  but  what  could  set  down  and 
after  he  had  written  up  the  history  of  his  own  experiences  it 
would  make  a  large  book  of  very  interesting  reading. 

0.  T.  Ranuland.  C.  Arestad  and  family  and  I  moved  from 
Eau  Claire,  Wisconsin,  to  the  town  of  Wang,  this  county,  in 
March,  1876,  where  we  bought  a  farm,  one  yoke  of  oxen  and 
farm  implements.     One  bright  morning  I  started  with  oxen  and 


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OLD  LOG  CABIN 


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,     IHl  »I.IV  VOnM"l 
JPUSUC  UBRARV 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  289 

wagon  to  WiUmar  (thirty-eight  miles)  after  our  household  goods, 
shipped  from  Eau  Claire.  The  weather  waa  fine,  the  snow  had 
melted  and  creeks  and  sloughs  were  filled  with  water.  The  first 
day  I  got  within  nine  miles  of  Willmar.  The  next  day  it  snowed 
all  day.  Arriving  at  Willmar  I  found  that  the  freight  charges 
on  our  goods  was  $31.  I  had  only  $15  and  could  not  get  any 
of  the  goods  without  paying  the  freight  on  the  whole.  I  was  a 
stranger  in  a  strange  land ;  not  a  soul  did  I  know.  I  went  into 
a  store  (Paulson  &  Sunde)  and  told  them  my  trouble.  Paulson 
said:  "I  feel  like  helping  this  hoy  out,  I  think  he  will  pay  us 
back. ' '  I  promised  to  do  so,  and  I  did.  I  do  not  know  that  I  ever 
met  Paulson  since,  but  his  kindness  to  me  I  never  forgot,  and 
have  in  a  small  way  tried  to  act  like  Paulson  and  help  some  who 
are  in  need.  "When  the  whole  freight  was  paid  I  concluded  to 
take  all  the  goods.  I  had  a  wagon  shipped  from  Eau  Claire. 
Tying  one  wagon  behind  the  other  I  loaded  all  the  goods  on  and 
started  for  home.  I  got  back  to  where  I  stopped  the  first  night. 
It  had  snowed  all  day  and  froze  hard  in  the  night.  I  was  about 
twenty -nine  miles  from  home  and  at  every  slough  and  creek  I  came 
to  and  had  to  cross  I  had  to  tramp  and  crush  the  ice  before  the 
oxen  could  cross.  When  I  got  to  Hawk  creek  the  water  went  up 
to  my  arms.  It  was  dark  and  I  lost  the  road.  Wet,  hungry  and 
lost  I  unhitched  the  oxen  and  started  for  the  nearest  house. 
Arriving  there  they  told  me  that  I  was  only  one  and  one-half 
miles  from  home,  and  directed  me  where  to  go.  I  said:  "No, 
you  must  go  with  me,  I  am  lost."  A  boy  went  with  me,  and  after 
the  change  of  clothes,  food  and  rest  I  was  all  right. 

We  bought  one  more  yoke  of  oxen  and  seeded  in  about  sixty 
acres  of  grain.  When  spring  work  was  finished  I  started  in 
breaking.  I  broke  part  of  the  farm  that  Ingvald  Platen  now 
owns,  and  ten  acres  for  Mr.  Glenore.  At  the  close  of  the  break- 
ing season  I  got  notice  from  the  parties  of  whom  we  bought  the  , 
farm  to  vacate,  as  they  again  had  homesteaded  the  same.  We  , 
had  bought  the  farm  from  John  and  Olof  Sundeen.  John  had 
homesteaded  but  not  proved  up.  We  paid  $500  for  improvements 
and  what  property  they  bad  and  John  relinquished  in  my  favor. 
When  the  papers  came  back  from  the  land  ofiice  I  paid  the  filing 
fee,  got  certificate  of  my  filing  and  felt  secure,  but  trouble  was 
brewing.  The  Sundeen  brothers,  of  whom  we  bought  the  farm, 
learned  that  I  had  not  my  citizens  papers  and  thereupon  Olof 
Sundeen  went  to  Litchfield  and  homesteaded  on  the  same  land. 
On  learning  this  1  started  on  foot  to  Willmar.  To  walk  across  the 
unsettled  prairie,  thirty-eight  miles,  in  those  days  was  nothing. 
I  went  to  see  John  W.  Arelander,  who  then  practiced  law  there. 
I  stated  my  case,  showed  him  my  filing  papers  and  John  said : 
"You  are  crazy  my  boy,  you  have  perjured  yourself."  I 
answered:    "I  have  sworn  to  nothing."    He  asked  how  I  got  the 


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290  HISTORY  OP  RBNVIIjLE  COUNTY 

paper  and  I  said  I  sent  $2  to  the  land  office,  told  them  what  I 
wanted  and  they  sent  them  to  me.  He  then  swore  at  the  land 
officers  and  said  they  ought  to  be  behind  the  bars  for  letting  a 
man  file  on  land  without  knowing  whether  or  not  he  was  a  citizen. 

He  then  asked  me  where  I  had  lived  since  coming  to  America. 
I  told  him  and  he  said:  "Have  you  ever  lived  in  Chicago t"  I 
told  him  I  had  not.  He  said:  "That  is  hell!  If  you  had  you 
could  swear  your  papers  were  burned  in  the  great  Chicago  fire." 
He  asked  if  I  was  afraid  of  the  Sundeens  and  I  said  "No!" 
"Then  you  must  bluff  them  out.  Get  your  citizen  papers  at  once. 
Qo  home  and  work  as  if  nothing  had  happened,  and  if  they  come 
to  drive  you  off  say  that  you  have  come  to  stay."  The  bluff 
worked;  after  one  or  two  attempts  to  get  us  off  they  left  the 
county. 

Ex-Qovernor  Austin  had  a  flour  mill  in  Minnesota  Falls  in 
those  days.  I  agreed  with  his  miller  to  take  twenty  barrels  of 
flour,  ten  barrels  in  each  load  to  Willmar. 

I  got  stuck  with  one  of  my  loads  in  a  slough  and  both  teams 
could  not  pull  it  out.  I  unloaded  one  load  on  dry  ground,  got 
the  empty  wagon  alongside  the  one  that  was  stuck  and  rolled 
seven  barrels  onto  it.  By  hitching  two  teams  to  each  wagon  I 
got  out.  But  the  work  of  getting  the  ten  barrels  into  the  wagon 
again  alone  was  a  job  I  never  will  try  to  do  again. 

The  fifth,  sixth  and  seventh  of  July  the  grasshoppers  came. 
We  smoked  and  burned,  and,  I  think,  drove  some  away,  but  what 
was  a  fine  sixty-acre  field,  gave  us  only  285  bushels  of  grain. 
When  fall  work  was  over  I  went  to  school  in  Granite  Falls  the 
following  winter.  Thus  ended  my  first  summer  in  Renville 
county. 

James  DraJce.  We  came  to  Renville  county  in  the  fall  of 
1867,  and  it  was  the  most  desolate  looking  country  we  ever  saw, 
not  a  tree  in  sight  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach  and  only  four 
houses  in  sight  of  our  claim.  The  first  two  winters  I  trapped 
muskrats,  as  the  skins  were  a  medium  of  barter  in  those  days, 
and  I  bought  my  first  seed  wheat  with  them,  besides  getting 
things  for  the  house.  Our  nearest  market  was  New  Ulm,  twenty 
miles  away,  and  it  took  two  days  to  go  there  and  back  with  an 
ox  team.  I  drove  oxen  for  seven  years  and  was  getting  along 
fairly  well  when  we  had  the  grasshopper  plague  for  four  years. 
Those  were  strenuous  times  and  we  had  hard  work  to  keep  the 
wolf  from  the  door,  but  we  managed  to  live  through  it  all.  There 
is  always  a  silver  lining  to  the  darkest  cloud.  I  would  not  like  to 
go  through  those  times  again. 

A.  D.  Corey.  R.  R.  Corey  and  family  landed  in  Renville 
county  August  5,  1865.  The  first  white  man  we  saw  that  after- 
noon was  Carl  Holtz,  who  had  been  in  the  timber  there  at  Meyer's 
old  shanty  for  wood.    A  little  while  after  w^  had  established  our 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  291 

camp  we  heard  some  one  pecking  away  with  an  ax.  Thinking 
it  might  be  Indians,  my  brother  George  and  I  each  took  a  gun 
and  crawled  through  the  brush  to  investigate.  We  found  the 
same  Carl  Holtz  and  he  had  caught  a  couple  of  little  young 
skunks  out  of  a  cellar.  We  went  up  to  him  and  he  said  that  he 
thought  they  were  kittens.  My  brother  said:  "If  you  didn't 
know  any  better  than  to  catch  a  skunk  you  ought  to  be  shot, 
whether  an  Indian  or  a  white  man."  It  amused  our  father  to 
think  a  man  was  foolish  enough  to  catch  a  skunk. 

We  found  that  evening  we  were  camped  on  a  patrol  line  and 
that  there  was  no  need  of  fearing  Indians,  so  we  three  older  boys 
went  away  to  work  after  cutting  hay  for  father  five  days. 

We  went  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  state  and  harvested, 
threshed  and  did  various  other  kinds  of  work.  My  brother  Clark 
went  with  me  across  the  country  to  Yankton,  and  brother  Qeorge 
went  out  to  the  Missouri  river  and  did  not  return  until  1884. 
Brother  Clark  and  I  worked  in  the  pineries  and  returned  to  our 
homesteads  in  July,  1866,  where  I  met  Martha  Barkey,  who 
became  ray  wife  in  1867. 

We  went  through  many  liardships,  flour  was  $9  a  hundred, 
sugar  $4  for  one  dollars'  worth,  tea  $7.80  per  pound.  There  was 
very  little  tea  used  in  the  house,  excepting  what  mother  had.  A 
hundredweight  of  flour  and  fourteen  in  the  family  only  lasted 
about  ten  days. 

Father  often  said  we  would  have  starved  to  death  had  it  not 
been  for  the  wild  game.  We  brought  a  number  of  cows  with  ns, 
so  had  our  own  milk  and  butter;  we,  no  doubt,  did  not  see  as 
hard  times  as  some  that  did  not  have  these  things.  After  two  or 
three  years  settlers  began  coming  and  settling  up  the  country. 
Some  brought  money  and  we  got  breaking  to  do,  and  got  a  little 
money  to  help  us  until  we  got  a  erop. 

We  were  getting  along  fairly  well  when  the  grasshoppers 
came,  and  for  four  years  we  saw  worse  times  than  ever.  It  looked 
so  discouraging  that  many  left  their  claims,  but  those  who 
remained  were  the  best  off  and  today  it  is  one  of  the  best  coun- 
ties in  the  state. 

Oharles  Eennillg.  In  the  spring  of  1877,  myself,  brother  Fred 
and  two  of  my  men  then  working  for  me  as  carpenters  concluded 
we  would  visit  some  of  our  Chaska  friends  who  had  settled  in 
Renville  county  several  years  before  and  had  given  up  city  life 
for  the  farm.  We  rigged  up  my  light  wagon  into  a  prairie 
"  schooner  and  with  two  good  horses  hitched  on  we  started  to  sail 
for  the  prairies  in  the  wild  west.  As  I  had  never  been  farther 
west  than  seven  miles  west  of  Glencoe  in  1862  at  the  time  of  the 
Indian  attack  at  Hutchinson  I  had  seen  very  little  of  prairie  life 
and  my  comrades  had  seen  none,  so  that  all  was  new  to  us.  All 
went  well  until  we  left  Glencoe.    Prom  there  on  the  road  was  but 


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292  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

a  track  around  sloughs  and  through  creeks,  as  this  was  in  April 
and  plenty  of  rain,  and  we  had  the  opportunity  more  than  once  to 
pult  our  outfit  out  of  the  mud,  but  as  we  all  were  young  and 
had  seen  considerable  hard  work  we  pulled  through  in  good 
spirits  and  landed  safely  at  the  home  of  Perd  Wolff,  two  miles 
east  of  Bird  Island,  and  found  them  struggling  along  as  best 
they  could  to  make  a  home  and  recover  from  the  grasshopper 
plague  of  the  last  two  years. 

After  a  good  night's  rest  we  started  out  nest  morning  in  com- 
pany with  Mr.  Wolff  to  locate  and  see  the  country,  as  we  really 
had  no  intention  of  ever  making  our  homes  here,  and  no  home- 
steads were  left  to  be  taken.  Railroad  and  state  lands  were 
selected  from.  I  located  the  southeast  of  section  6,  Melville  and 
my  comrades  selecting  from  other  sections  in  Melville,  making 
arrangements  with  Mr.  Wolff  to  do  a  little  breaking  on  each  tract. 
We  remained  about  a  week  and  returned  home,  with  more  experi- 
ence on  our  return  trip,  as  it  rained  all  day.  Although  we  tried 
hard  to  find  a  place  to  stop  over  night  we  could  not  and  tramped 
on  to  Glencoe,  landing  there  at  midnight.  As  it  was  very  dark 
one  of  us  had  to  eariry  a  lantern  ahead  of  the  horses  for  the  last 
ten  miles  to  enable  us  to  keep  the  trail.  When  we  arrived  at  the 
Eheim  hotel  we  were  all  wet  through  and  covered  with  mud.  But 
after  putting  in  some  good  spirits  and  a  cold  supper  we  were 
ready  for  bed,  waking  up  the  next  morning  with  a  smile  all 
around  and  by  the  time  we  had  breakfast  were  the  same  jolly 
boys  again,  ready  to  start  for  home  and  take  up  the  old  task 
again  of  earning  our  daily  bread  by  the  old  route,  and  evenings 
entertaining  our  friends  by  reciting  our  experiences  in  the  West. 

Although  I  said  little  about  going  west  I  was  thinking 
seriously  of  becoming  a  farmer  in  Renville  county  and  in  the 
fall  made  another  trip,  taking  along  enough  lumber  from  Glencoe, 
then  our  nearest  point,  to  build  me  a  smalt  shack,  40  by  12,  which 
I  erected  and  used  for  a  week.  That  decided  my  future.  In  the 
spring  I  picked  up  what  I  eould,  having  built  a  house  in  February, 
hauling  my  lumber  through  the  mud  in  that  soft  winter  of  1878, 
paying  freight  on  a  car  to  Glencoe  at  the  same  rate  we  do  to 
Bird  Island  today,  and  hiring  teams  at  $10  a  trip  to  haul  from 
Glencoe,  the  teams  loading  at  an  average  of  500  feet  to  a  load, 
making  an  addition  of  $20  per  thousand  extra  freight.  Those 
farmers  certainly  did  know  how  to  charge  for  transportation 
when  they  had  no  competition.  But  we  still  had  the  same  old 
smile  and  after  a  series  of  struggles  landed  with  our  family  on 
our  choice  of  location,  April  16,  1878.  Although  my  friends  in 
ray  former  home  had  given  me  but  six  months  to  stay  on  the  farm 
in  Renville  county  we  are  still  at  the  old  stand,  and  in  my  travels 
have  found  no  place  that  I  wish  to  exchange  for.  Those  pioneer 
days  were  truly  pioneer  days,  yet  to  me  happy  days,  having  good 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  293 

health  I  could  see  a  future  home  tor  myself  and  family  in  what 
I  believed  the  best  county,  not  only  in  the  state,  but  in  the  entire 
West.  We  speak  of  hardships  now;  then  we  never  thought  of 
them  but  went  on  in  our  ambition  to  make  Renville  county  all  it 
could  be  made  and  today  hear  with  pleasure  the  compliments 
given  this  comity  and  its  builders. 

The  writer,  during  the  winter  of  deep  snows,  when  the  rail- 
road was  blockaded  for  thirty  days  at  a  time,  hauled  passengers 
and  mail  between  Bird  Island  and  Olencoe,  being  on  the  road  in 
nearly  every  storm  that  winter,  but  a  good  team  and  a  clear  head 
pulled  me  through  without  a  scare.  I  was  hardened  and  accli- 
mated to  Minnesota,  having  settled  in  Minnesota  in  April,  lS6ti. 
I  am  twice  a  pioneer  and  look  back  to  those  days  with  joy,  wish- 
ing I  could  live  them  over  again.  Those  were  happy  days;  no 
political  tricksters  to  cause  neighborhood  troubles,  and  no  news- 
pajier  combines  or  lumber  trusts.  Peace  on  earth  and  good  will 
to  all  men  reigned  over  the  vast  prairies  of  Renville  county.  Our 
dreams  are  fulfilled ;  we  can  boast  of  beautiful  homes  and  plenty 
and  need  not  fear  contradiction.    Let  the  good  work  go  on. 

MiobMl  Holden.  The  following  is  a  graphic  account  of  the 
experiences  of  a  party  of  five  settlers,  four  of  wliom  perished  on 
the  prairie  near  Roseland,  near  Willmar,  Minnesota,  in  the  great 
snowstorm  of  1873.  At  that  time  we  hauled  wheat  from  our 
homes  near  Beaver  Falls,  Renville  county,  to  market  at  Willmar. 
Willmar  was  thirty-five  miles  north  of  where  we  lived.  As  that 
was  too  long  a  trip  to  make  in  two  days  at  the  end  of  the  first 
day  we  usually  stopped  with  a  farmer  named  John  Maher,  ten 
miles  south  of  Willmar.  On  the  second  day  we  would  go  to 
Willmar,  sell  our  loads  and  return  to  Maher 's  place,  returning 
on  the  third  day. 

On  Tuesday  morning,  January  7,  1873,  we  left  home  before 
daylight,  and  by  sunrise  were  five  miles  from  home.  My  com- 
panions were  John,  Charley  and  Stephen  0  'Neil,  and  my  brother, 
Thomas  Holden.  At  noon  we  arrived  at  a  place  called  Long 
Lake,  which  was  fifteen  miles  from  home.  Here  we  fed  our 
horses  and  ate  our  lunch.  As  we  arrived  there  a  train  of  eight 
ox  teams  started  off  ahead  of  us,  having  already  stopped  for 
feed.  Driving  these  eight  teams  were  Owen  Heaney  and  his 
son,  William,  and  six  other  men  from  Flora  township.  There 
still  remained  twenty-two  miles  of  wild  prairie  before  reaching 
Willmar,  with  only  one  settler,  a  Mr.  Erickson,  living  in  a  sod 
shanty  four  miles  north  of  Long  Lake,  between  us  and  Maher's 
place.  Having  proceeded  about  two  miles  north  of  the  lake,  we 
noticed  a  storm  coming  from  the  northwest.  It  appeared  like  a 
hailstorm,  so  dense  that  it  covered  everything  in  its  path.  As 
soon  as  it  struck  us  we  were  unable  to  see  anything.  Part 
of  the  time  we  could  not  see  the  teams  we  were  driving.     We 


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294  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

pushed  on,  however,  and  when  we  reached  Mr.  Erickson's  sod 
shanty  we  found  the  oz  teams  and  their  drivers  -ahead  of  lis. 
Mr.  Erickson  had  no  atahle  room  even  for  those  teams. 

We  stopped  at  Erickaon's  and  I  suggested  that  we  unhitch 
our  horses,  blanket  them,  turn  them  to  Mr.  Erickson 's  hay  stack, 
and  get  shelter  in  the  shanty  for  ourselves.  The  shanty  was  only 
about  16x16  feet  in  size.  There  were  sis  children  in  the  family 
and  eight  men  already  ahead  of  us,  John  O'Neil  settled  the 
matter  by  declaring  there  was  no  danger,  and  five  such  strong 
young  men  could  safely  reach  Maher's  place.  As  the  road  was 
high  on  top  of  a  deep  snow,  he  thought  we  would  have  no  trou- 
ble in  keeping  the  road.  John  Maher's  place  was  seven  miles 
away.  After  a  time  the  road  became  so  drifted  that  the  head 
team  could  not  keep  the  road,  so  we  changed  and  Charley  O'Neil 
drove  ahead.  He  had  an  old  team  which  we  thought  would  keep 
the  road.  John  followed,  my  brother  was  next,  I  was  fourth,  with 
Stephen  following  me.  We  had  proceeded  but  a  short  distance 
when  I  saw  the  storm  was  getting  worse  and  the  road  getting 
so  drifted  that  I  called  all  to  stop  and  suggested  that  we  unload, 
which  we  did.  The  bottom  tiers  of  sacks  were  well  filled  and  we 
could  not  get  them  out  with  our  mitts  on,  so  nine  sacks  were 
left  in  each  load,  and  we  pushed  on. 

We  had  succeeded  in  making  about  five  miles  when  John 
0 'Neil's  team  refused  to  go  further  against  the  storm.  We  then 
proceeded  by  having  Stephen  O'Neil  walk  ahead  of  John's  horses, 
leading  them.  John  went  back  to  drive  Stephen's  team.  I  kept 
looking  back  for  John,  but  soon  saw  that  he  was  not  following, 
so  I  ran  ahead  and  told  Stephen  to  stop.  We  returned  to  my 
sleigh  and  called  to  John  and  after  a  short  time  he  answered 
us  from  a  southwesterly  direction.  We  waited  a  few  minutes, 
but  he  did  not  come,  so  Stephen  went  in  search  of 
him,  being  guided  by  his  call.  He  had  lost  the  road  and 
in  turning,  when  he  heard  us  call,  one  of  his  horses  stumbled 
and  fell.  John  and  Stephen  had  a  hard  time  in  getting  the  team 
up,  and  half  an  hour  must  have  elapsed  before  they  came  back 
to  my  sleigh.  Stephen  was  leading  the  team  without  the  sleigh 
or  harness.  John,  in  the  meantime,  had  lost  his  cap.  He  had 
tied  a  long  necksearf  around  his  head  and  neck.  During  this 
time  Charley  was  not  with  us,  he  having  driven  on  ahead,  but 
when  he  found  that  we  were  not  coming  he  had  stopped  and 
called  and  received  no  answer,  so  he  turned  his  team  east  of  the 
road  to  eome  back  and  look  for  us.  He  did  not  find  the  road 
again  until  he  struck  against  my  sleigh.  Charley,  I  believe,  would 
have  reached  Maher's  place  if  he  had  continued  on  at  that  time. 
We  had  lost  a  great  deal  of  time  and  it  was  getting  dark.  We 
were  now  all  together,  hut  we  could  not  see  the  road  ahead,  nor 
did  we  believe  that  we  could  follow  it.     We  supposed  that  we 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  295 

were  within  two  miles  of  Maher's  place.  We  talked  the  situa- 
tion over  and  concluded  to  make  a  shelter  for  ourselves,  blanket 
the  horses  and  tie  them  to  a  sleigh,  thinking  that  the  storm  would 
be  over  in  a  short  time,  and  we  would  then  be  on  the  road  ready 
to  push  on  at  the  first  opportunity.  We  had  plenty  of  blankets, 
80  we  unhitched  and  put  the  blankets  under  the  harness  of  the 
horses.  We  put  about  two  and  a  half  bushels  of  oats  in  the 
box  of  the  sleigh  we  tied  the  horses  to.  About  sixteen  feet  west 
of  this  we  arranged  our  shelter. 

We  took  one  wagon  box  off  one  of  the  sleighs,  and,  turning 
it  over,  lay  it  on  top  of  the  box  on  my  sleigh,  the  front  end  to- 
wards the  north.  We  had  taken  otit  the  tail  boards  and  this  left 
an  entrance.  Over  this  we  hung  a  blanket  and  placed  sacks  of 
wheat  to  hold  it  down.  Then  we  crawled  into  our  cold  bed. 
John  O'Neil  and  my  brother  Tom  went  in  first,  Stephen,  Charley 
and  myself  lay  down  in  the  back  end  of  the  box  at  the  feet  of 
the  others.  Before  long  Stephen  and  Charley  said  their  feet  were 
freezing  and  they  left  the  box  and  stamped  around  on  the  lee- 
ward side  of  the  horses  to  get  their  feet  warm.  Charley  soon 
came  back  and  lay  down  beside  me  in  the  box.  Stephen  said  he 
would  have  to  keep  tramping  all  night  to  keep  his  feet  from 
freezing,  as  he  wore  boots.  He  came  to  the  sleigh  every  fifteen 
or  twenty  minutes  to  inquire  as  to  how  we  were  getting  along. 

About  10  o'clock  John  began  to  smother  in  the  box,  and  he 
thought  it  was  from  the  snow  that  was  filling  the  box.  We  then 
tried  to  get  out  of  the  box  so  as  to  permit  him  to  get  out  and 
get  more  air,  but  found  the  snow  so  packed  that  we  could  not. 
Neither  could  we  lift  the  box.  We  called  to  Stephen  but  we 
could  not  make  him  hear,  although  we  could  hear  his  tramp. 
We  waited  until  he  came  again  to  inquire  about  us.  Then  we 
asked  him  to  lift  the  box  from  the  east  which  he  did.  I  stepped 
out  and  assisted  John  to  get  out.  In  the  darkness  and  the  fury 
of  the  storm  we  were  unable  to  see  anything,  and  the  cold  was 
something  terrible.  It  seems  that  the  scarf  John  had  put  about 
his  head  and  neck  had  closed  down  over  his  mouth  and  had 
prevented  him  from  breathing,  as  we  had  no  difficulty  in  breath- 
ing in  the  snow,  so  we  got  back  into  the  box  again.  We  had  been 
saying  our  rosary  together  all  the  evening.  Before  long  John 
got  cramps  in  his  legs.  Again  we  called  upon  Stephen  to  assist 
us,  but  could  not  make  him  hear,  neither  could  we  lift  the  box. 
As  soon  as  John  got  on  his  feet  he  got  over  the  cramps  and  we 
put  him  back  in  the  box.  It  was  only  with  difficulty  that  we 
put  John  back  in  the  box  as  the  snow  had  drifted  in  and  packed 
hard.  I  did  not  get  back,  but  kicked  a  hole  in  the  snow  along 
the  east  side  of  the  sleigh  and  lay  down. 

In  this  manner  we  fought  the  cold.  The  chills  were  some- 
thing terrible.    I  was  afterwards  told  that  the  mercury  was  40 


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296  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

degrees  below  zero  and  the  wind  blew  75  miles  an  hour.  About 
midnight  the  horses  drifted  around  the  sleigh,  so  Stephen  and 
I  turned  all  except  one  that  we  could  not  untie  loose,  I  lay  down 
in  my  bed  beside  the  box,  and  soon  one  of  the  horses  began  to 
freeze  and  he  stepped  back  and  lay  down  on  my  legs.  I  then  be- 
lieved that  I  was  trapped,  but  after  a  few  minutes  the  horse 
moved  so  I  could  get  up.  I  took  him  by  the  halter  and  moved 
him  away.  He  was  afterwards  found  dead  about  twenty  feet 
away. 

The  morning  found  the  storm  still  unabated  and  the  cold 
more  intense.  Both  John  and  Tom  wanted  to  get  out  of  the 
box,  but  Stephen  and  I  advised  them  to  stay  where  they  were. 
They  insisted  that  they  must  come  out,  so  I  took  ray  brother 
Tom  and  Stephen  took  John,  and  we  tried  to  have  them  walk, 
but  they  could  not  stand  up  in  the  storm.  We  were  obliged 
to  place  them  down  beside  the  bos  where  I  had  lain  all  night. 
Charley  remained  in  the  box,  and  soon  he  did  not  talk  to  us  any 
more.  We  called  to  him,  but  got  no  answer.  We  thought  him 
■  dead. 

Soon  after  this  my  brother  Tom  died.  The  last  prayer  we 
said  together  was  the  rosary.  He  could  hardly  finish  before  he 
fell  asleep.  Then  we  tried  our  best  to  revive  John  O'Neil.  Wo 
took  him  to  the  side  of  the  horse  that  was  still  tied,  to  have  him 
stamp  his  feet.  He  fell  against  the  horse,  knocking  it  over  and 
taking  Stephen  and  I  with  it.  We  got  up  with  diflSeulty,  Then 
we  decided  to  cover  John  up.  We  got  the  blankets  from  the 
box  where  Charley  lay,  and  wrapped  John  up  in  them.  Then 
we  undertook  to  take  the  top  box  and  lay  it  over  John,  but  we 
could  not.  We  had  now  lost  the  use  of  our  hands,  as  they  were 
frozen.  We  gave  up  that  plan,  and  soon  John  was  covered  with 
snow.  He  did  not  answer  us  so  we  thought  him  dead.  Then 
Stephen  and  I  were  left.  In  a  short  time  he  gave  out  and  lay 
down  along  side  the  wagon  box.  Soon  he  did  not  speak.  I  was 
alone, 

I  was  terribly  lonely,  and  started  to  look  for  the  road.  It  was 
very  indistinct  and  I  was  uncertain  in  my  mind  whether  to  at- 
tempt to  follow  it  or  not.  Then  I  thought  of  the  long  night 
ahead.  We  had  supposed  we  were  within  two  miles  of  Maher'a 
place,  I  knew  the  wind  was  from  the  northwest,  and  I  also 
knew  that  Maher  had  a  forty  acre  field  fenced.  If  I  could  get  to 
that  I  might  follow  it  to  the  house.  I  followed  the  road  about  a 
mile.  At  times  I  could  see  the  road  and  then  again  I  could  not, 
I  walked  with  ray  head  down,  I  watched  the  angle  of  the  snow 
drifting  across  ray  path  and  in  that  way  kept  my  course  due 
north,  I  knew  that  Maher's  house  was  north  by  the  road.  Soon 
I  lost  the  road  entirely,  but  continued  in  the  same  way  watching 
the  direction  of  the  blowing  snow.    In  a  short  tirae  I  struck  the 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  297 

fence.  An  exclamation  of  "Thank  God"  escaped  my  lips.  I 
found  the  plowing  bare,  something  I  had  hardly  expected  after 
such  a  storm.  I  selected  a  sod  of  plowing  and  followed  it  north, 
and  soon  reached  a  small  grove  near  Maher's  bouse  and  found 
a  small  shanty.  After  a  few  minutes  I  could  see  the  house  like 
a  shadow.  I  went  to  the  door  and  rapped  and  fervently  thanked 
God  when  I  was  let  in.  The  Maher  family  were  frightened  when 
I  walked  in,  and  grieved  to  hear  of  the  fate  of  my  companions. 
I  was  nearly  exhausted,  having  been  out  in  the  storm  for  thirty 
hours  with  nothing  to  eat.  My  mittens  were  frozen  fast  to  my 
hands  like  lumps  of  ice,  and  had  to  be  thawed  off.  My  hands 
and  arms  were  badly  frozen  to  my  elbows.  It  was  night  when 
I  came  to  Maher's  place — "Wednesday evening.  Mrs.  Maher  was 
getting  supper.    Thursday  it  stormed  all  day  and  until  midnight. 

On  Friday  "morning  Mr.  Maher,  with  a  couple  of  men,  went  to 
where  we  had  camped.  They  met  Owen  Heaney  and  the  other 
teamsters  that  had  been  sheltered  at  Erlcbson's,  coming  with 
Charley  O'Neil,  still  alive.  It  had  been  imposaible  to  hear 
through  the  snow,  and  we  had  not  heard  him  apeak  for  that  rea- 
son. Mr.  Maher  took  Charley  to  Willmar  at  once  to  secure  med- 
ical aid.  In  taking  off  the  upper  wagon  box  to  cover  John  with 
we  had  bared  Charley's  legs  and  arms.  Thus  it  was  that  he  froze 
his  arm  to  the  elbow  and  both  his  legs.  Eight  days  after  the 
storm  the  railroad  was  opened  and  Charley  was  taken  from  Will- 
mar  to  St.  Paul.  He  died  there  three  days  afterwards  under 
the  operation  when  his  arm  and  limbs  were  amputated.  Two  of 
our  neighbors,  John  Morgan  and  George  Nicholson,  who  had  been 
at  Willmar  during  the  storm,  came  by  and  took  the  bodies  of 
my  dead  brother  and  his  companions  to  their  homes. 

On  Saturday  John  Morgan  came  to  me.  I  had  suffered  in- 
tense pain  in  drawing  out  the  frost  from  my  hands.  My  weight 
was  cut  down  fearfully  during  those  days  and  I  carry  a  crippled 
hand  to  remind  mfe  of  the  frightful  experience.  Five  of  the 
horses  perished  in  the  storm. 

The  remains  of  these  four  victims  of  the  storm  are  buried 
in  the  Birch  Cooley  cemetery  of  Renville  county. 

JoB^h  H.  FMter.  I  arrived  at  New  Ulm,  Minn.,  about  April 
8,  1872,  at  midnight  with  but  one  dollar  left,  paid  my  hotel  bill 
which  was  seventy-five  cents,  and  started  on  foot  for  West 
Newton,  which  was  nine  miles  distant,  and  paid  ten  cents  to  get 
over  the  Minnesota  river,  which  left  me  fifteen  cents,  when  I 
reached  my  destination.  I  secured  work  in  a  grist  mill  at  West 
Newton.  The  latter  part  of  May,  1872,  I  filed  on  a  homestead, 
the  northwest  quarter  of  section  14,  in  township  115,  range  .14, 
Renville  county.  I  broke  about  ten  acres  that  year.  The  fol- 
lowing spring  I  helped  a  neighbor  seed  and  thereby  obtained 
a  team  to  seed  my  land.    At  this  time  my  family  arrived  from 


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298  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

Michigao,  consisting  of  wife  and  two  children.  In  the  s 
of  1673  I  managed  to  get  a  few  more  acres  broken,  still  not 
being  able  to  own  a  team  myself  I  had  a  very  poor  crop  in 
1873,  which  I  managed  to  get  harvested  aad  stacked,  but  failed 
to  get  threshed.  I  had  one  small  stack  which  stood  over  till  the 
next  fall  of  1874.  In  the  year  of  1874  a  neighbor  seeded  my 
land.  I  had  another  poor  crop,  but  got  it  threshed.  1  was 
able  to  buy  a  yoke  of  oxen,  but  had  no  wagon  or  plow,  I  bor- 
rowed a  plow,  but  it  would  not  work.  Finally  a  merchant  took 
pity  on  me  and  trusted  me  for  a  new  plow.  I  then  did  my 
plowing  and  late  in  the  fall  I  moved  to  West  Newton  with  a 
borrowed  wagon  and  cut  cordwood  during  the  winter.  I  ali^o 
cut  eordwood  the  winter  before  at  West  Newton.  This  I  had 
to  do  in  order  to  support  myself  and  family.  1  moved  back 
to  my  homestead  the  following  spring  and  put  in  a  crop  and 
did  some  breaking.  I  had  another  poor  crop  and  ttayed  on  my 
homestead  the  following  winter  and  trapped  musk  rats,  mink, 
etc.,  for  a  living. 

Then  the  hoppers  came  and  we  had  them  two  years,  and 
harvested  two  very  poor  crops.  At  this  time  I  had  to  go  bare- 
foot for  want  of  something  to  wear  on  my  feet,  until  after  frost 
when  a  neighbor  fixed  up  an  old  pair  of  boots  for  me  to  wear. 
During  this  time  sugar,  coffee  and  tea  were  out  of  the  question. 
There  is  a  weed  that  grows  on  the  prairie  which  I  gathered  and 
made  tea  out  of.  About  this  time  I  procured  a  cow  and  a  few 
chickens  which  was  quite  a  treat  after  I  had  been  having  poor 
crops.  I  had  to  haul  my  wheat  thirty  miles  to  the  nearest  rail- 
road station  which  was  Atwater,  Minn.  It  took  four  days  to 
make  the  trip.  I  would  here  state  that  in  the  spring  of  1875 
I  could  not  see  where  I  was  to  get  flour  for  my  family  for  the 
following  year.  Providence  here  smiled  on  me  once  more.  A 
party  from  the  eastern  part  of  the  state  had  a  timber  claim 
near  by,  and  hired  me  to  plant  trees,  so  T  earned  enough  to 
buy  flour  for  the  season.  I  had  to  haul  wood  fifteen  miles  from 
the  Minnesota  river,  which  took  two  days  to  make  the  trip 
with  my  oxen.  Sometimes  I  had  a  little  money  to  buy  with, 
other  times  I  had  to  manage  another  way.  Our  nearest  neigh- 
bor, outside  of  our  small  settlement  was  eight  miles  south  and 
twelve  miles  north.  This  was  my  experience  in  starting  to  open 
up  a  farm  on  the  wild  prairie.  Out  of  our  early  settlement  I 
am  the  only  one  left.  Some  have  gone  to  their  long  home  and 
the  others  have  moved  away. 

Frank  WaUner.  In  the  fall  of  1891  on  my  way  back  from 
the  western  part  of  the  state,  I  stopped  oS  at  Buffalo  Lake. 
There  were  then  about  a  dozen  houses  and  the  town  had  no 
sidewalks.  I  went  to  the  only  boarding  house  and  took  lodging 
over  night.     The  next  morning  I  was  told  that  the  village  was 


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HISTOEY  OP  RENVUjLE  COUNTY  299 

in  Renville  county  and  located  on  the  east  end  of  the  county. 
At  that  time  this  part  of  the  county  was  very  thinly  settled, 
and  over  half  of  the  land  was  virgin  prairie.  I  made  inquiries 
as  to  the  productiveness  of  the  soil  and  the  price  of  prairie 
land.  After  staying  two  days  I  returned  home  firmly  convinced 
that  the  land  in  Renville  county  is  as  good  aa  can  be  found  any- 
where in  the  state,  and  then  and  there  made  up  my  mind  to  buy 
land  in  EenviUe  county,  if  I  could  arrange  matters  at  home. 

I  was  staying  at  home  with  my  parents  that  fall  and  winter, 
and  during  the  month  of  February,  1892,  I  induced  my  father 
to  make  a  trip  back  to  Renville  county  with  mej  my  oldest  sis- 
ter's husband  also  came  with  us.  We  stayed  two  weeks  and  all 
three  of  us  bought  land  before  we  went  home.  I  bought  the 
southwest  quarter  of  section  17,  in  Preston  Lake  township;  the 
price  paid  was  $17.25  per  acre;  it  was  all  raw  prairie.  On 
March  17,  1892,  1  reached  Renville  county  and  settled  on  my 
farm.  With  me  came  my  parents,  three  brothers,  three  sisters 
and  my  sister's  husband.  I  still  own  a  farm  in  the  same  town- 
ship where  I  live  and  have  prospered  farming,  and  I  have  never 
regretted  moving  to  Renville  county. 

Mr.  Wallner  was  bom  November  1,  1866,  in  the  township  of 
Minnesota  Lake,  Faribault  county,  Minnesota.  He  was  raised 
on  the  farm,  went  through  the  Common  and  graded  schools  and 
stayed  with  his  parents  until  twenty-two  years  old,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  time  that  he  taught  school  a  few  terms.  After  that 
time  he  turned  to  farming  and  took  possession  of  his  farm  in 
Renville  county  as  stated  above.  On  June  15,  1893,  he  was  mar- 
ried to  Mary  Matzdorf.  Their  children,  Lillian  and  Harry,  are 
home.  The  people  in  his  community  have  honored  him  with 
various  trusts  and  public  offices,  and  at  present  he  is  town  clerk. 

W.  C.  Keefe.  In  1866  my  parents,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jeremiah 
0.  Keefe,  with  their  five  children,  left  Columbus,  "Wis.,  and  came 
to  Owatonna,  Minn.,  where  they  remained  a  short  time.  Then 
they  moved  to  Mankato,  remaining  there  about  two  years,  my 
father  working  as  a  day  laborer.  In  the  spring  uf  1868  he 
obtained  160  acres  on  section  24,  Birch  Cooley  township,  Ren- 
ville county  and  moved  the  family  from  Mankato  in  the  fall. 
The  family  then  consisted  of  five  boys  and  two  girls,  the  oldest 
girl  being  fourteen  years  old  and  the  youngest  child,  a  baby 
boy.  They  came  by  horse  team  and  the  trip  was  a  hard  one. 
,  Father  brought  the  household  effects  with  an  ox  team,  which 
he  had  hired.  We  stopped  at  New  Illm  the  first  night  and 
traveled  all  the  next  day  before  reaching  Ft.  Ridgely,  staying 
over  night  there  with  Sergeant  Howard,  and  came  to  Birch 
Cooley  the  next  night.  It  was  about  the  middle  of  December 
when  we  settled  in  our  rude  shack  in  Birch  Cooley,  and  there 
was  a  great  deal  of  snow,  about  four  feet  on  the  level.    Our 


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800  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

atoek  in  trade  was  a  sack  of  flour,  a  jar  of  butter,  a  ham,  $7 
and  a  cow. 

The  pioneers  in  those  days  had  a  good  friend  and  adviser 
in  Hon.  D.  S.  Hall,  "Dar"  as  he  was  called  then,  and  now,  too, 
by  those  who  are  still  living  there.  He  lived  a  mile  from  us 
on  section  27,  with  his  brothers,  Charles  and  Ward. 

We  passed  through  the  hardships  of  the  grasshopper  times. 
My  father  would  go  out  and  get  work  wherever  he  could.  My 
oldest  brother,  Tim,  and  I  were  lost  in  the  storm  of  1873,  when 
80  many  people  perished,  but  our  ox  team  led  us  to  a  shack 
where  we  stayed  two  days  and  nights.  I  was  thirteen  years 
old  at  the  time  and  my  brother,  two  years  older.  Father  lived 
on  the  farm  thirty-three  years  and  died  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
five,  fifteen  years  ago.  Mother  still  lives  here  and  is  eighty- 
five  years  old.  Two  of  my  brothers,  Dennis  and  Joseph,  still 
own  the  old  plaee.  After  returning  from  the  West  I  took  some 
interest  in  public  affairs  and  held  local,  county,  and  state  offices 
and  was  postmaster  at  Morton  under  Cleveland's  administration. 

W.  H.  JewelL  In  1867,  accompanied  by  my  wife  and  four 
children,  I  came  to  Renville  county  from  Outgamie  county.  Wis., 
and  settled  in  Birch  Cooley  township.  I  built  my  house,  cut 
hay  and  plowed  all  around  my  home  as  the  grass  was  very 
heavy  and  I  feared  prairie  fires.  One  of  my  neighbors  acci- 
dentally set  fire  to  the  grass  and  I  had  to  work  all  night  to  save 
my  property.  The  fire  spread  as  far  as  Preston  Lake  and  ran 
into  sloughs  three  to  six  feet  deep. 

The  next  season  I  went  to  the  Republican  convention  in 
company  with  D.  S.  Hall.  I  nominated  him  for  county  auditor 
and  he  was  elected.  I  was  elected  sheriff.  We  held  to  the 
old  party  until  Bryan  became  prominent  in  politics  and  then 
left. 

In  1868  I  was  appointed  postmaster  at  Birch  Gooley,  keep- 
ing the  office  on  my  farm,  and  held  the  office  about  ten  years. 
In  1878  Eddsville  postoffice  was  created  and  a  branch  line 
opened  to  Preston  Lake.  Settlers  began  to  come  in  very  rap- 
idly at  this  time. 

A.  D.  Smith.  Before  Jefferson  Davis  began  to  make  history 
in  the  South  I  was  born  in  MeHenry  county  in  the  northern  part 
of  Illinois.  I  attended  the  public  schools  of  Woodstock  and  ob- 
tained an  education.  In  time  I  met  Margaret  McBroom  and 
in  due  time  we  were  married.  For  some  years  we  conducted 
a  small  farm  and  dairy  but  with  Horace  Greeley's  advice  ringing 
in  our  ears  "Go  west,  young  man,  go  west,"  I  decided  to  follow 
it,  just  as  soon  as  we  had  enough  money  to  make  the  venture. 
In  due  course  of  events,  namely  in  1886,  a  fluent  talker  and  an 
agent  of  the  Fredericson  Prins  and  Kuch  Land  Company,  with 


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HISTOKY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  301 

offices  in  Chicago,  III.,  came  to  our  neighborhood,  extolling  the 
virtues  of  the  soil  in  Renville,  Redwood,  Chippewa,  and  Kandi- 
yohi counties,  Minn.  I  obtained  a  half  rate  landseeker's  ticket 
to  Renville,  my  wife  remaining  at  home  to  take  care  of  the 
C0W8,  and  at  length  arrived  at  ray  destination.  A  good  break- 
fast was  served  early  in  the  morning  at  the  Land  Seekers'  Hotel 
and  three  platform  wagons  were  made  ready  and  the  teams 
hitched.  A  good  supply  of  lunch,  put  up  in  boxes,  was  put  on 
and  also  a  liberal  supply  of  "Land  Seekers'  Telescopes,"  which 
were  similar  to  beer  bottles  and  contained  a  liquid  which  made 
everything  look  good  and  a  great  many  of  the  landseekers  had 
no  trouble  in  buying  land.  But  several,  including  myself,  were 
a  little  cautious  in  using  the  telescope  too  often  and  did  not 
decide  upon  any- land  until  we  had  spent  five  days  looking  over 
the  land  lying  north  and  west  from  Renville  within  a  radius 
of  fifteen  to  twenty  miles.  There  was  only  one  settler  within 
three  miles  of  where  Clara  City  now  stands,  and  he  had  a  well 
of  water.  Finally  I  decided  that  everything  considered,  the 
southwest  quarter  of  section  12,  range  37,  township  116,  was 
about  the  best  piece  of  land  available,  and  on  returning  to  Ren- 
ville a  contract  was  drawn  and  "binding  money"  paid,  the  price 
to  be  $10.00  per  acre.  This  land  company  had  offered  this  piece 
of  land  at  a  public  land  sale  a  short  time  before  at  $4,50  per 
acre,  $1.00  per  acre  to  be  paid  down.  This  land  is  now  (1915) 
worth  $150  to  $175  per  acre.  In  early  March,  1888,  my  wife 
and  I  arrived  at  Renville  and  found  some  immense  snow  banks. 
We  finally  settled  on  our  land  and  built  a  barn,  14  by  24  and 
lived  in  one  end  of  it,  while  the  three  horses  and  one  cow  lived 
in  the  other  end.  We  dug  a  well,  striking  good  water  at  the 
depth  of  thirteen  feet.  We  never  suffered  much  from  the  prairie 
fires,  losing  at  the  most,  perhaps  a  hay  stack  or  two.  Grass- 
hoppers did  not  trouble  us  much,  but  we  had  badgers,  foxes  and 
skunks  as  close  neighbors.  After  twenty-seven  years  of  ups  and 
downs  incidental  to  pioneer,  or  nearly  pioneer  life,  we  are  satis- 
fied that  Minnesota  is  a  very  good  place  to  live  in. 

Oscar  ItOIler.  I  eame  to  Renville  county  with  my  parents 
in  the  spring  of  1865.  We  settled  one  mile  from  the  old  Birch 
Cooley  battlefield,  where  father  had  bought  a  man's  homestead 
right  for  $100.  There  were  eight  children  in  the  family,  seven 
boys  and  one  girl.  Father  built  a  log  house  in  which  we  lived 
for  many  years.  The  wind  and  snow  penetrated  through  the 
cracks,  and  often  in  the  morning  we  would  awake  to  find  six 
inches  of  snow  on  our  beds.  Though  we  had  some  hard  times 
not  one  of  us  became  sick.  It  was  a  very  usual  thing  to  have 
three  or  four  feet  of  snow  on  the  level  and  the  snowstorms 
usually  lasted  at  least  three  days.  We  had  to  melt  snow  for 
the  stock  to  drink,  as  we  could  not  let  them  outside  the  barn. 


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302  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

We  would  fasten  a  clothes-line  to  the  house  and  by  means  of  this 
find  our  way  to  the  bam  and  back  to  the  house,  aa  otherwise 
we  would  have  been  lost  in  the  storm. 

One  winter  the  snow  was  so  deep  that  we  had  to  go  to  town 
OQ  snow  shoes,  the  drifts  being  hundreds  of  feet  deep. 

In  the  spring  we  sowed  our  grain  by  hand  and  dragged  it 
with  oxen.  The  first  few  years  we  cut  our  grain  by  hand  with 
an  old  fashioned  grain  scythe,  and  bound  it  into  bundles.  We 
hauled  them  into  the  granary  and  threshed  the  grain  with  a 
flail.  For  three  years  we  were  troubled  by  the  grasshoppers. 
The  fields  were  red  with  them.  To  drive  thera  from  the  fields 
we  used  to  take  a  sort  of  a  atrawtiek  and  drag  it  through  the 
grain  field.  The  grasshoppers  even  affected  the  hen's  eggs,  the 
chickens  eating  so  many  of  the  insects  that  the  whole  egg  would 
be  red  and  therefore  worthless. 

In  1875,  I  went  to  California,  remaining  there  for  two  years, 
after  which  time  I  returned  to  Renville  county.  In  1879  I  mar- 
ried Lavina  Kumro.  Her  relatives  were  living  in  Birch  Cooley 
during  the  Indian  outbreak  and  had  a  terrible  time.  Twelve 
children  were  born  to  us,  six  boys  and  six  girls,  of  whom  one 
boy  and  one  girl  died.  For  many  years  my  brother  and  I 
threshed  and  I  fed  a  threshing  machine  for  sixteen  seasons. 
During  the  last  twenty-eight  years  I  have  been  in  business  in 
Renville  county  at  Franklin  village,  but  left  there  in  June,  1915, 
and  now  reside  in  Minneapolis. 

Hmnan  Stark.  As  a  young  man  I  reached  Transit  township, 
Sibley  county,  Minnesota,  March  20,  1872,  and  secured  work  at 
$130  a  year.  The  next  year  I  was  married  and  started  in  life 
as  so  many  others  have  done,  with  plenty  of  strength  and  cour- 
age and  with  high  hopes  for  the  future.  In  1874  we  had 
an  experience  with  the  grasshoppers,  but  they  came  late  and 
we  reaped  a  fair  harvest.  In  1875  the  crop  was  entirely  de- 
stroyed by  grasshoppers.  So  I  went  to  Biscay,  in  McLeod  coun- 
ty, and  obtained  work  to  support  my  family.  For  the  three 
months  of  July,  August  and  September,  I  earned  $60. 

In  1876  we  had  the  prospect  of  harvesting  a  good  crop.  The 
grasshoppers,  however,  came  again,  though  later  than  usual, 
and  seemed  to  take  to  the  oats,  so  most  of  the  farmers  cut  their 
oats  rather  early  to  save  it.  1877  would  have  been  a  good  year 
for  crops  had  all  the  farmers  sowed  their  grain,  but  having  had 
such  poor  luck  for  so  many  years,  many  people  were  too  poor 
to  risk  their  last  bit  of  seed  and  very  few  seeded  in  the  spring. 
Those  who  did  had  a  very  fair  crop.  In  the  fall  of  1877  I 
rented  a  farm.  We  now  had  three  children  in  our  family,  who 
helped  us  on  the  field  whenever  we  were  out  working.  In  1878 
the  crop  looked  very  prosperous  but  in  July  we  had  rain  and 
after  that  hot  sunshine  and  hot  winds  which  scorched  the  grain. 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  303 

The  wheat  yielded  only  twelve  bushels  to  the  acre  and  we  paid 
7  cents  per  bushel  for  threshing  it  and  received  twenty-five  cents 
per  bushel  when  we  sold  it.  Eggs  were  7  cents  per  dozen  and 
butter  5  cents  per  pound.  Stock  had  fair  price  at  that  time,  a 
good  cow  being  worth  $25.00,  dressed  hogs,  3  cents  per  pound, 
but  there  was  no  market  for  undressed  hogs. 

In  1679  we  had  a  good  crop  of  wheat,  the  grain  selling  from 
75  cents  to  80  cents  per  bushel.  That  fall  I  bought  80  acres 
of  state  agricultural  land  in  the  east  half  of  the  southeast  quar- 
ter of  section  8,  township  113  (Bismark),  range  30,  at  $5.00  per 
acre.  During  the  winter  of  1879-80,  I  hauled  logs  from  the 
woods,  hewed  and  planed  them,  and  built  a  so-called  "Qerman" 
frame  house.  We  moved  on  to  this  farm  May  10,  1880.  We 
also  built  a  straw  shed  which  was  to  serve  as  a  shelter  for  our 
stock.  June  10,  a  cyclone  passed  through  our  little  prairie 
country  and  blew  down  our  little  church,  also  doing  some  dam- 
age to  several  farm  houses  and  sheds.  The  fall  before  we  had 
broken  seventeen  acres  of  land,  which  we  had  put  into  wheat. 
We  also  rented  30  acres  which  we  put  into  oats,  wheat  and  corn. 
This  crop  was  a  good  one  and  we  felt  rich  to  be  able  to  furnish 
suSficient  food  for  the  family  for  the  coming  winter.  Fall  came 
early  that  year  and  on  October  15,  we  had  a  terrible  blizzard, 
and  awoke  in  the  morning  to  find  that  the  snow  had  blown 
through  our  temporary  roof  and  was  lying  thickly  on  our  beds. 
We  had  left  our  cattle  outside  during  the  night,  not  thinking 
that  such  a  snowstorm  would  come  up,  and  it  took  ua  till  2 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon  to  get  our  sheds  uncovered  to  get  our 
cows  into  shelter.  The  snow  melted  away  and  we  had  some  nice 
weather  again,  nntil  November  7,  when  winter  commenced  in 
good  earnest.  During  December  and  January  the  sleighing 
was  excellent,  but  the  weather  was  very  cold.  During  these  two 
months  I  would  go  to  the  woods,  some  twenty-five  miles  away, 
to  get  fire-wood,  the  trip  taking  two  days.  During  these  days 
my  wife  and  children  were  alone  a  great  part  of  the  time.  When 
the  calves  were  born  my  wife  had  to  take  them  into  the  house 
several  times  a  day  to  get  them  warm  and  then  take  them  back 
to  their  mother,  as  otherwise  the  little  animals  would  have  froz- 
en. The  last  day  of  January  I  wentto  Henderson,  a  distance 
of  forty  miles,  and  returned  on  February  1.  I'll  never  forget 
how  glad  I  was  to  be  back  home  again  with  my  family,  as  that 
very  night  it  started  to  snow  and  stormed  for  a  week.  Our 
'  stock  shed  was  a  mass  of  snow  which  looked  like  a  snow  bank 
and  the  snow  packed  down  so  hard  that  a  team  could  easily 
have  driven  over  that  shed  and  not  have  broken  through.  It 
took  us  an  hour's  shoveling  every  morning  to  get  at  our  hay 
and  corn  fodder  stocks  to  get  feed  for  the  cattle.  There  was  at 
least  four  feet  of  snow  on  the  level  that  winter.     During  Feb- 


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804  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

ruary  and  March  only  three  trips  were  made  to  Brownton,  our 
nearest  market,  fifteen  miles  away.  We  had  a  poor  crop  that 
year  on  account  of  the  late  spring  and  wet  summer,  having 
started  to  seed  ahout  April  15.  We  also  had  a  wet  fall.  In 
the  month  of  October  we  threshed  with  a  horsepower  machine. 
It  kept  one  man  busy  carrying  straw  for  the  horses  to  walk  on. 
At  this  time  we  also  experienced  a  hard  time  on  account  of  one 
of  our  children  being  sick  with  typhoid  fever.  1  left  the  thresh- 
ing machine  and  rode  on  horseback  to  Brownton  for  a  doctor, 
and  it  took  him  till  midnight  to  reach  us,  as  he  had  lost  his  way 
and  the  roads  were  very  bad. 

During  the  winter  of  1881-1882  the  weather  was  very  mild 
with  no  snow,  I  hauled  all  of  my  firewood  on  the  wagon.  The 
crop  was  good  that  year  and  in  the  fall  of  that  year  we  bought 
another  40  acres  of  state  land,  adjoining  our  80  acres,  at  $5.00 
per  acre.  During  the  winter  of  1882-1883  we  had  a  eold  spell 
with  much  snow  and  blizzards.  Oftentimes  I  would  go  down  to 
the  woods  for  firewood  and  return  without  any,  the  weather 
being  so  bad  that  I  was  unable  to  haul  it.  Sometimes  I  unloaded 
on  the  way  when  the  roads  were  so  bad,  and  oftentimes  barely 
came  through  with  an  empty  wagon.  That  year's  crop  was  good 
in  spite  of  the  late  spring.  The  fall  was  also  late  and  all  the 
work  was  done  up  nicely.  That  fall  we  bought  another  40  acres 
of  agricultural  land  adjoining  our  120  acres  and  at  the  same 
price  as  the  first  land. 

During  the  winter  of  1883-1884  I  went  to  the  woods  twenty- 
five  times.  I  hauled  logs  to  the  saw-mill  at  New  Auburn,  to 
be  sawed  into  lumber  for  a  granary.  "We  had  much  snow  that 
winter,  but  I  always  managed  to  get  through.  The  crops  were 
good  and  that  fall  I  purchased  80  acres  of  railroad  land  at 
$7.50  per  acre,  which  adjoined  our  160  acres.  During  the  winter 
of  1884-1885  I  hauled  lumber  from  Winthrop,  a  newly  built  up 
town  at  a  distance  of  nine  miles,  and  built  a  barn  28  by  36  by  14 
feet.  In  the  fall  of  1886  we  bought  another  80  acres  of  railroad 
land  adjoining  our  240  acres.  That  fall  I  circulated  a  petition 
for  a  new  school  house  district,  as  the  whole  township  belonged 
to  the  same  district,  and  in  the  spring  of  1887  we  built  the 
school  house,  20  by  30  feet,  on  our  first  80  acres,  about  80  rods 
northeast  of  the  house,  and  here  all  of  our  children  received 
their  education.  I  took  great  interest  in  school  matters  and  held 
the  position  of  treasurer  until  I  retired  from  active  farming. 

In  the  fall  of  1890  we  bought  160  acres  of  land  in  Transit 
township  for  $3,000,  which  we  sold  the  following  year  for  $4,000. 
February  17,  1891,  our  youngest  son  died  from  pneumonia.  That 
winter  was  a  severe  one  and  there  was  much  snow.  We  had  a 
hard  time  to  get  a  doctor  and  couldn't  get  a  minister.  We  had 
our  child  with  us  almost  a  week  after  he  died,  waiting  for  a 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  305 

change  of  weather,  but  with  our  neighbors'  assistance  we  buried 
him  in  a  Chrietian  way. 

Our  hardships  of  pioneer  life  ended  and  we  retired  from 
active  farming  January  10,  1905,  owning  800  acres  of  land  in 
Bismark  township.  June  16,  1905,  our  next  youngest  son  died  at 
the  age  of  seventeen  years,  five  months  and  twenty-eight  days. 
In  1905  we  bought  a  farm  in  Preston  Lake  township  at  $35.00 
per  acre,  which  was  very  cheap  at  that  time.  The  crop  was 
good  that  year,  but  in  1906  a  terrible  hailstorm  passed  through 
our  section  which  destroyed  nearly  everything.  What  had  not 
been  destroyed  by  the  hail  could  not  be  cut  on  account  of  its 
being  so  wet,  so  this  made  a  total  loss,  not  only  in  Preston  Lake 
township,  but  also  in  Bismark  township,  these  two  townships  be- 
ing seventeen  miles  apart. 

A  Blizzard  Experience.  The  "Minnesota  blizzards"  of  early 
days,  can  never  be  forgotten  by  the  early  settlers.  Pages  might 
be  written  of  the  privations,  losses  and  deaths  caused  by  these 
storms.  Many  persoTis  now  living,  can  remember  distinctly  see- 
ing crowds  of  men  walking  across  the  prairies,  and  shoveling 
mountain  snow  banks  in  search  of  the  body  of  some  missing 
neighbor  supposed  to  have  been  frozen. 

Below  is  an  account  of  one  of  the  many  incidents  of  the  kind 
that  occurred  in  those  days:  An  old  lady  named  Mrs.  Rogers, 
residing  in  Wellington  township,  went  to  a  neighbor's  house  two 
miles  distant  to  borrow  flour.  Her  aged  hnsband  was  unable 
to  go  at  the  time,  and  she  herself  was  partially  crippled  by  rea- 
son of  frozen  feet,  the  family  evidently  being  almost  destitute 
of  fuel  and  provisions.  Upon  returning  with  the  flour,  Mrs. 
Rogers  was  suddenly  overtaken  by  the  storm  of  that  Sunday 
afternoon,  and  turned  by  the  force  of  the  tempestuous  wind  she 
evidently  wandered  with  it  in  a  northwesterly  direction,  the 
body  being  found  on  Tuesday  afternoon  at  a  point  more  than 
three  miles  distant  from  her  home,  and  not  more  than  eighty 
rods  from  the  house  of  a  settler.  Two  doga  had  accompanied 
Mrs.  Rogers  and  one  of  them  was  the  means  by  which  the 
searching  party  found  her  frozen  remains,  completely  buried 
in  the  snow.  The  faithful  animal  had  stood  guard  over  his  dead  . 
mistress  where  she  had  fallen,  and  would  not  allow  the  dogs 
from  the  house  near  by  to  distract  him  from  his  vigils,  until 
his  peculiar  behavior  attracted  attention,  with  the  result  as  above 
stated.  The  other  dog  attempted  to  run  home,  and  was  frozen 
to  death. 

The  deceased  Mrs.  Rogers  was  sixty  years  old,  and  was  the 
mother  of  four  children.  The  two  sons  are  young  men,  and 
were  absent  at  this  time.  The  only  child  at  home  was  a  young 
girl.    The  funeral  took  place  on  Friday,  sympathizing  neighbors 


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806  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

drawing  the  body  to  its  last  resting  place  with  their  own  hands, 
the  roads  being  impassable  for  teams. 

B.  C.  McEwen.  Pew  living  in  Renville  county  today  realize 
the  abundance  of  wild  game  and  fur  animals  that  inhabited  this 
section  in  the  fifties  and  later.  On  the  prairies  (except  in  win- 
ter) there  were  ducks  and  geese,  sand  hill  cranes,  chickens  and 
wild  pigeons  by  the  millions  and  in  the  timber  there  were  deer, 
rabbits,  partridges  and  more  wild  pigeons. 

When  on  the  farm  in  McLeod  county  we  were  about  seven 
miles  from  what  was  known  as  the  "Great  Pigeon  Roost."  It 
was  the  big  woods  east  of  our  place  and  covered  hundreds  of 
acres,  and  there  the  pigeons  came  every  spring  from  1855  to 
1861  and  built  their  nests  and  raised  their  young  and  they  were 
there  in  such  countless  thousands  that  we  could  often  hear  the 
roar  of  their  wings  that  distance  when  they  would  rise  in  a 
body.  And  I  have  often  heard  people  say  that  lived  near,  that 
they  had  often  seen  the  air  so  full  of  birds  that  they  hid  the 
sun  like  a  cloud  and  I  have  seen  thousands  light  down  on  fields 
of  grain  in  shock  and  cover  the  shocks  so  thickly  that  each 
shock  would  look  like  a  pile  of  live  pigeons.  I  have  seen  them 
light  on  stubble  fields  and  those  that  came  behind  would  jump 
up  and  fly  just  ahead  and  light  and  the  great  floek  would  roll 
over  tlie  field  like  a  great  hoop,  and  all  that  was  necessary  was 
to  get  in  front  of  the  line  and  keep  out  of  sight.  I  once  killed 
23  with  one  shot.  "What  became  of  the  pigeons  is  a  question  that 
has  never  been  answered  although  several  different  themes  have 
been  advanced  by  sportsmen.  One  is  that  improved  firearms 
and  market  conditions  had  annihilated  them  with  the  American 
buffalo,  and  another  that  some  contagious  disease  killed  them 
all  off.  The  fur  animals  were-,  foxes  and  wolves,  otter,  fishers, 
minks,  coons  and  muskrat.  It  was  the  muskrat  we  depended  on 
to  pay  for  our  postage  stamps  and  to  pay  the  subscription  to 
Horace  Greeley's  New  York  Weekly  Tribune.  It  was  my  fath- 
er's Bible.  No  other  product  of  the  country  sold  for  cash,  every- 
thing else  was  barter  and  store  pay.  After  the  Indian  outbreak 
in  1862,  and  the  Indians  were  driven  away,  and  many  of  the  old 
settlers  were  killed  or  driven  out  of  the  country,  and  while  al- 
most every  ablebodied  man  was  in  the  Civil  War,  game  increased 
very  fast,  especially  deer,  until  a  large  number  of  emigrants 
from  the  South,  mostly  from  Kentucky  and  West  A'irginia,  came 
here.  They  brought  their  long  Kentucky  rifles  and  hounds  and 
very  little  else.  They,  with  the  long-to-be-remembered  winter 
of  1866-67  numbered  the  days  of  the  deer  in  the  vicinity  of 
Hutchinson.  My  father  and  my  oldest  brother  were  never  very 
good  at  hunting  and  I  was  never  very  good  for  much  else,  and 
I  suppose  for  that  reason  my  principal  business  for  a  number 
of  years  was  to  supply  the  family  and  hired  help  with  meat  and 


Digili: 


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•^iz^^^U^  S.  ^a^. 


Dis,iizBdbvGoo>^le 


ijGoogle 


MARY  DUNLOP  MeLABEN   HALL 


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THT.  "CW   ""■ 
PU8UC   LlBRARYl 


ijGoogle 


HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  307 

herd  the  cattle.  When  I  could  get  the  wherewithal  to  buy  a 
pound  of  shot  and  a  quarter  of  a  pound  of  powder  and  a  box 
of  G.  D.  caps  I  was  happy.  Perhaps  I  ought  to  explain  to  the 
young  people  about  those  6.  T>.  caps.  Percussion  caps  in  those 
days  came  in  little  round  boxes  like  a  pill  box,  and  held  one 
hundred  caps,  and  on  the  cover  in  large  letters  was  "G,  D. 
caps."  I  don't  know  to  this  day  what  the  G.  D,  stands  for,  but 
they  were  mighty  poor  caps.  If  they  got  the  least  particle  of 
dampness  on  them  the  priming  came  off.  Prices  of  fur  up  to 
about  the  close  of  the  war  were  as  low  as  I  remember  them. 


CHAPTER  XX 

BIOOBAPmCAL  REVIEW. 

Facts  in  the  Earl^  Career  and  Later  Success  of  People  Who  Have 
Helped  Make  RenviUe  County  —  Founders  and  Patriots  — 
Names  Which  Will  Live  Lon^r  in  the  Memory  ot  Residents  of 
This  Vicinity  —  Stories  of  Well  Known  Fandlies  Which  Have 
Led  in  Public  Life. 

Darwin  Soott  Hall  was  bom  January  23,  1S44,  on  Mound 
Prairie  in  Wheatland  township,  Kenosha  county,  Wisconsin,  near 
the  village  of  Richmond,  McHenry  county,  Illinois.  His  father 
was  Erasmus  Darwin  Hall.  His  father  had  two  brothers,  John 
McCarty  and  Solon  Willey,  and  a  sister,  Emily  {Mrs.  E.  K.  Whit- 
comb,  Elgin,  III.).  His  grandfather  was  Dr.  Ruben  Hall;  his 
great-grandfather  was  Amos  Hall,  who  had  eight  sons,  as  follows: 
Amos,  David,  Jared,  Ezra,  John,  Uriah,  EHsher  and  Ruben. 

Amos,  the  eldest  of  these  sons,  in  the  year  1805  moved  from 
Hopkinton,  N.  H.,  to  the  township  of  Ireland,  Magantic  county, 
in  the  Province  of  Quebec,  Canada.  The  "Annals  of  Magantic 
County, ' '  an  historical  publication  of  1902,  devotes  a  chapter  to  the 
Hall  families  settled  in  Ir<?land.  Of  Amos  it  says,  "He  was  born 
at  Salem,  Mass,,  in  1761 ;  his  grandfather  was  a  sea  captain,  and  the 
family  an  old  one,  in  which  for  six  generations  back  it  had  been 
made  a  rule  to  call  the  eldest  son  Amos.  Captain  Amos  Hall 
enlisted  in  the  army  when  18.  served  in  the  Revolutionary  War, 
was  paymaster-sergeant,  and  one  of  Washington's  bodyguard  for 
a  time.  He  traded  with  the  Indians  for  their  fur ;  he  was  a  man 
of  such  resolute  will  and  power  of  eye,  that  he  was  a  host  in 
himself,"  D,  S.  Hall's  grandmother,  on  his  father's  side,  was 
Balinda  Ruth  Willey  before  she  married  Doctor  Ruben.  His 
mother,  before  marriage,  was  Mary  Ann  Carson;  she  had  a  sister, 
Elizabeth,  and  a  brother,  Philander,  who  was  struck  by  lightning 
in  Nicollet  county  years  ago.    Her  father  was  William  Carson,  a 


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SOB  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

German,  who  served  his  adopted  eoimtry,  the  United  States,  as  a 
soldier  in  the  "War  of  1812,  and  married  Mercy  Dodge,  at  Geneseo, 
New  York,  moving  to  Wisconsin  about  1839. 

When  the  auhject  of  this  sketch  was  three  years  old,  his  parents 
moved  to  Waukaii,  Winnebago  county,  near  Oshkosh,  where  his 
father  was  among  the  first  settlers,  and  later  a  member  of  the 
Wisconsin  legislature. 

In  1856  the  family  moved  into  the  pine  forest  about  fifteen  miles 
north  of  Grand  Rapids,  Wisconsin;  his  father,  in  company  with 
Abija  Pierce,  built  a  saw-mill  and  began  lumbering.  There  were 
five  children  in  the  family  at  this  time:  Darwin  Scott,  the  eldest, 
Erasmus  Ward,  Solon  Willey,  Charles  Sumner,  and  Mary  Eliza- 
beth, a  babe  in  arms.  The  eldest  and  youngest  only  remain  in  1915. 
A  school  teacher  was  taken  into  the  woods  with  the  family.  Two 
years  later  the  family  moved  into  the  village  of  Grand  Rapids, 
where  school  facilities  were  better.  At  fifteen  years  of  age  Dar- 
win began  to  work  at  lath  making  and  such  work,  in  mills  making 
lumber;  later,  in  the  spring,  or  other  times  when  the  depth  of 
water  in  the  Wisconsin  river  warranted,  he  was  with  those  working 
rafts  of  lumber  down  the  Wisconsin  and  Mississippi  rivers,  some- 
times as  far  as  St.  Louis.  The  work  was  strenuous,  hardships  and 
dangers  plenty,  necessitating  "a  survival  of  the  fittest."  He  im- 
proved every  opportunity  possible  for  an  education;  the  winter 
he  was  17  he  taught  school  near  Grand  Rapids;  the  spring  follow- 
ing found  him  in  Elgin,  Illinois,  where  be  spent  two  years  at  the 
Elgin  Academy  through  the  generosity  of  his  aunt,  Mrs.  E.  K. 
Whitcomb,  then  of  that  city.  In  June,  1864,  he  returned  to  Grand 
Rapids,  enlisted  in  Company  K,  42d  Vol.  Infantry,  served,  and 
was  honorably  discharged  at  the  close  of  the  war  in  July,  1865. 
From  the  middle  of  July  until  late  in  October,  himself,  Frank 
Brown  and  Henry  Jessie  worked  on  the  Wisconsin  river.  They 
were  returned  soldiers  of  the  Civil  War,  all  from  Grand  Rapids, 
BVank  Brown  having  nearly  died  in  Andersonville  as  a  prisoner 
of  war.  But  it  did  not  take  them  long  to  become  civilians  again; 
they  stuck  together  that  summer,  made  two  trips  down  the  Wis- 
consin and  Mississippi  rivers,  built  rafts  on  the  Wisconsin  river, 
slept  and  lived  outdoors  all  the  time,  and  were  about  $300  each 
to  the  good  when  the  river  froze  up. 

That  fall  the  subject  of  this  sketch  went  to  Milwaukee,  Wis., 
and  attended  the  Markham  Academy. 

In  May,  1866,  he  came  to  Minnesota.  He  bought  at  Mankato, 
of  Liveryman  Day,  a  horse,  saddle  and  complete  equestrian  out- 
fit, and  mounted  on  his  modern  Bucephalus,  he  explored  the  upper 
reaches  of  the  Minnesota  river,  going  often  to  the  U.  S.  Land 
Office  at  St.  Peter  for  information  regarding  Government  land. 
That  summer  he  selected  land  in  the  to^vnship  of  Birch  Cooley, 
in  this  county.    That  winter  he  taught  school  in  the  Joel  Kennady 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  309 

district,  near  where  the  village  of  Nicollet  now  stands.  In  the 
spring  of  1867  he  rented  the  farm  of  Mrs.  Cordelia  Carson,  his 
aunt,  near  Hebron,  Nicollet  county.  After  putting  in  the  crops, 
himself  and  brother,  Ward,  with  two  yoke  of  oxen,  a  cow  and 
supplies,  went  to  his  prairie  claim,  in  Birch  Cooley,  and  began  to 
turn  over  the  sod,  and  prepared  quite  a  respectable  field  for  crop 
that  summer.  His  brother,  Ward,  in  the  meantime,  had  taken 
up  a  claim  in  the  woods  across  from  Fort  Ridgely,  near  Golden 
Gate,  Brown  county ;  to  this  point  they  repaired  in  the  winter, 
having  built  comfortable  cabins  for  themselves  and  stock  in  the 
woods.  In  the  winter  they  busied  themselves  cutting  butternut 
trees  into  shingle  length  blocks,  which  they  hauled  to  Busch's 
mill  at  New  Ulm,  thus  supplying  the  larder  and  good  spirits. 

In  1868  a  crop  of  wheat  was  sown  on  the  Birch  Cooley  field ; 
in  the  meantime  he  had  acquired  another  160  acres  of  land,  giving 
him  a  320  acre  farm.  In  the  fall  of  this  year  he  was  elected  county 
auditor  and  sold  his  farm  to  Stephen  A.  Greenslitt.  He  assumed 
the  duties  of  his  office  in  March,  1869.  In  July  he  was  married  to 
Mary  Dunlop  McLaren,  of  Portage-du-forte,  Province  of  Quebec, 
Canada.  He  was  county  auditor  four  years.  In  the  meantime 
he  established  the  "Renville  Times,"  now  the  "Olivia  Times."  He 
was  clerk  of  the  District  Court  from  1873  to  1878;  in  1876  he  was 
a  representative  in  the  legislature.  He  was  appointed  by  President 
Hays  to  be  Register  of  the  V.  S.  Land  Ofllce  at  Benson,  Minn.,  in 
1878,  and  held  the  office  eight  years.  In  1880  he  bought  a  large 
tract  of  land  in  Preston  Lake  township,  this  county,  and  stocked 
it  up  with  blooded  cattle,  horses  and  hogs,  which  he  sold  for 
breeding  purposes  for  many  years.  In  1886  he  was  elected  state 
senator  from  this  county.  In  1888  he  was  elected  a  member  of 
Congress  from  the  third  district  of  Minnesota.  In  1891  he  was 
appointed  chairman  of  the  Chippewa  Indian  Commission,  succeed- 
ing ex-U.  S.  Senator  Henry  M.  Rice.  President  Cleveland  let  him 
out;  President  McKinley  reinstated  him,  and  he  was  among  the 
Chippewas  about  five  years.  He  was  a  delegate  to  the  National 
Republican  Convention  in  1892.  In  1895  he  was  president  and 
general  manager  of  the  Keystone  mine  in  the  Black  Hills,  which 
had  stamp  mills  and  mined  extensively.  He  was  a  year  in  that 
position,  and  made  some  money  for  his  friends ;  no  one  lost  a  dol- 
lar by  him,  then,  or  at  any  time,  for  that  matter.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  board  of  managers  of  the  State  Agricultural  Society  for  a 
number  of  years,  resigning  in  1910.  In  1906,  just  twenty  years 
after  his  former  election  to  the  same  office,  he  was  elected  state 
senator  from  Renville  county,  showing  that  if  a  person  does  about 
the  right  thing,  coming  back  is  not  difficult. 

In  1911  Mr.  Hall  bought  himself  a  home  and  other  property 
in  Olivia,  the  county  seat  of  Renville  county.  The  people  of 
Olivia  are  glad  to  have  him  among  them,  and  show  him  and 


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810  HISTORY  OP  KENVILLE  COUNTY 

his  good  wife  much  consideration,  all  of  which  is  fully  appreciated 
by  them.  It  is  indeed  gratifyiog  that  after  more  than  forty-five 
years'  residence  in  Benville  county,  not  an  enemy  or  unfriendly 
person  is  to  be  found  within  its  borders.  He  has  modest  opinions 
on  most  subjects,  which  he  does  not  hesitate  to  state,  admitting 
that  another  has  as  much  right  to  an  opinion  as  he  has  to  his, 
claiming  nothing  approaching  infallibility,  and  always  open  to 
conviction.  He  has  no  fear  of  any  religiooa  denomination  or  secret 
society  destroying  the  coimtry  or  injuring  himself  or  neighbors. 
He  encourages  a  spirit  of  toleration,  and  more  friendly  considera- 
tion of  things  religious,  political  and  social,  trusting  that  the  time 
may  soon  come  when  the  "holier  than  thou"  individual  turns  his 
gaze  inwardly  upon  himself. 

While  Mr.  Hall  has  withdrawn  from  many  activities,  he  is 
still  interested  in  the  upbuilding  and  development  of  this  region, 
and  in  public  affairs.  His  health  is  good,  and  he  is  more  active 
and  supple  than  many  a  person  of  half  his  age.  He  believes  that 
there  are  a  good  many  more  days'  work  left  in  him  yet,  which  no 
one  questions,  and  it  is  hoped  there  may  be  any  number  of  them, 

Mr.  Hall  is  a  32d  degree  Scottish  Kite  Mason,  a  Shriner,  of 
Osman  Temple,  an  Elk,  of  Willmar  Lodge  No.  952 ;  a  life  member 
of  the  State  Historical,  Agricultural  and  Horticultural  societies, 
as  well  as  president  of  the  Port  Eidgely  State  Park  and  Historical 
Association,  and  this  year,  1915,  finds  him  mayor  of  Olivia  and 
president  of  the  Commercial  Club  in  that  place.  He  takes  much 
interest  in  all  of  these  associations,  saying  that  "it  prevents  being 
overtaken  by  dry  rot,  or  thoughts,  at  any  time,  of  being  a  dead 
one." 

Haiy  Dnnlop  McLaren  Hall  was  born  at  Portage-du-forte, 
Province  of  Quebec,  Canada.  She  married  Darwin  S.  Hall  at 
Beaver  Palls,  in  Renville  county,  Minn.,  July  10th,  1869.  Her 
father  was  Dougald  Perguson  McLaren;  he  was  born  in  Perth- 
shire, Scotland,  and  came  to  Canada  in  the  year  1831.  He  was 
employed,  as  a  young  man,  for  many  years  by  Atkinson,  Osbom 
&  Co.,  superintending  their  lumber  interests  on  the  upper  Ottawa 
river.  His  father  was  an  extensive  land  holder  and  stock  raiser 
in  the  Shire  of  Perth,  Scotland,  who  raised  a  large  family.  His 
name,  John  McLaren,  was  well  known  in  that  locality. 

The  mother  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  Lorena  McArthur 
before  she  married  Dougald  F.  McLaren,  and  she  was  born  at 
Beach  Ridge,  Province  of  Quebec,  Canada,  Her  sister,  Rebecca, 
was  the  mother  of  the  late  Senator  H.  Ward  Stone,  of  Benson, 
Minn.,  and  the  late  Mrs.  A.  N.  Johnson  of  the  same  place;  Lorena 
and  Charlotte  were  twins,  Erie  and  Alfred  were  twins,  with  Mary 
the  youngest  of  those  children.  "Uncle  Eric"  was  an  active  and 
extensive  lumberman  in  early  days,  well  known,  with  a  home  at 
Eureka,  Winnebago  county,  Wisconsin. 


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HISTORY  OP  KENVILLE  COUNTY  311 

The  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  for  many  years 
extensively  engaged  in  mercantile  and  lumber  businesses  on  the 
upper  Ottawa  river  and  at  Portage-du-forte,  while  the  country 
was  new.  He  was  devoted  to  hia  family  and  gave  them  many  . 
advantages  for  culture  and  education,  which  he  was  amply  able 
to  do.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  attended  school  at  Smith's  Falls 
and  other  institutions  of  learning,  coming  west  and  into  the 
states  in  the  spring  of  1868,  to  her  Aunt  Rebecca  (Mrs.  L.  K. 
Stone)  and  Uncle  Kric  at  Eureka,  Wisconsin,  where  she  made 
her  home  for  a  time,  and  where  she  met  her  future  husband. 

The  family  of  Dougald  and  Lorena,  father  and  mother  of 
Mary  Dunlop,  is  as  follows:  The  late  Dr.  William  R.  McLaren,  of 
Detroit,  Mich. ;  Mary  Dunlop ;  James  McLaren,  of  Alhambra,  Cal. ; 
Louisa,  deceased ;  Oeorge,  deceased ;  Charles,  of  Los  Angeles,  Gal. ; 
Lorena  (Mrs.  S.  H.  Hudson,  of  Benson,  Minn.) ;  Jessie,  deceased; 
Mrs.  Annie  Osbom,  Los  Angeles ;  Mrs.  Elizabeth  P.  Harter,  Alta- 
dena,  Cal. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  came  to  Minnesota  and  to  Renville 
county  in  July,  1869 ;  as  before  stated,  was  married  to  Darwin  S. 
Hall.  She  has  seen  this  locality  develop  as  few  women  remaining 
can  say.  Herself  and  husband  have  gone  through  life  hand  in 
hand,  as  it  were,  and  much  is  still  in  store  for  them. 

James  P.  Okins,  one  of  the  early  pioneers  of  Minnesota,  was 
bom  in  Bedford,  England,  April  20,  1846,  son  of  Eli  and  Char- 
lotte (Porter)  Okins.  Eli  was  the  son  of  William,  a  farmer,  who 
changed  the  name  from  Akens  to  Okins.  Three  children  were 
born  to  William :  Elizabeth,  who  died  at  the  age  of  sixteen 
years;  Eli  and  John.  John  became  a  soldier  and  took  part  in 
the  battle  of  Waterloo.  Eli  engaged  in  farming  in  England  and 
left  for  America  in  1850,  arriving  at  Albany,  New  York,  where 
he  was  later  joined  by  his  family,  consisting  of  his  wife  and 
seven  children :  John,  Josiah,  Mary  Ann,  Maria,  Sarah,  James, 
and  Lucy.  In  1856  the  family  started  for  Minnesota.  They 
came  by  train  as  far  as  La  Crosse,  taking  a  steamboat  from  there 
to  Reed's  Landing  and  going  by  foot  and  by  ox  team  the  rest 
of  the  way  to  Olmsted  county,  where  they  pre-empted  160  acres 
ten  miles  north  of  Rochester.  It  was  mostly  timber  land  and 
there  were  no  buildings  on  the  place.  A  small  frame  building 
was  erected,  12  hy  16  feet,  but  later  replaced  by  a  better  dwelling. 
He  began  with  an  ox  team  and  cleared  the  land,  improving  the 
farm.  In  1864  he  moved  to  Dakota  county,  locating  on  an  eighty- 
acre  tract  of  land  four  miles  north  of  Northfield,  In  the  spring 
of  1868  he  came  to  Renville  county  and  located  in  south  Sacred 
Heart  in  section  14,  where  he  homesteaded  eighty  acres.  He 
built  a  log  house  and  lived  there  till  his  death  in  1873.  His  wife 
died  many  years  later.  Mr.  Okins  held  the  ofiBce  of  supervisor 
when  the  township  was  organized.     He  was  a  member  of  the 


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312  HISTORY  OF  EENVILLE  COUNTY 

Episcopal  church.  James  Okins  received  his  early  education  in 
the  district  school  of  Olmsted  county.  In  the  spring  of  1864 
he  enlisted  at  Rochester  in  Company  K,  Third  Minnesota  Volun- 
teer Infantry,  serving  one  and  a  half  years.  He  was  mustered 
out  at  St.  Paul.  He  then  located  a  homestead  of  eighty  acres  in 
section  14,  south  Sacred  Heart  township,  which  he  still  owns. 
Here  he  built  a  log  house  12  by  16  feet  with  a  board  floor  and  a 
shingled  roof.  He  began  with  an  os  team  and  a  cow  and 
increased  his  farm  to  220  acres  and  improved  it  and  built 
modern  buildings.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Farmers'  Co-operative 
Elevator  at  Renville.  He  has  been  township  constable  and  was 
one  of  the  organizers  of  the  town  of  Sacred  Heart.  He  also 
served  on  the  school  board.  In  1911  he  retired  to  Renville  vil- 
lage. Mr.  Okins  was  married  September  10,  1870,  to-  Sophia 
Churchill,  born  at  Bockford,  Illinois,  December  14,  1852,  daugh- 
ter of  Joseph  and  Sophia  (Daniels)  Churchill.  Mr.  Churchill 
was  born  in  England  and  his  wife  was  bom  in  Maine.  He  came 
from  England  to  Maine,  where  he  married  and  from  there  they 
went  to  Illinois,  locating  in  Stebbens  county.  In  1855  the  family 
moved  to  Waseca,  Minnesota,  locating  on  a  farm  in  the  neigh- 
borhood, and  in  1859  they  came  to  Le  Sueur  county,  where  they 
bought  a  farm  and  lived  there  till  1866,  when  they  moved  to 
Renville  county.  They  settled  in  Beaver  Falls  township,  three 
miles  west  of  the  village  of  Beaver  Falls.  He  obtained  a  pre- 
emption right  to  eighty  acres  of  land  and  moved  into  the  log 
building  on  the  place.  Here  he  made  his  home  until  his  death  in 
1873  at  the  age  of  seventy-seven  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Okins 
have  had  thirteen  children,  eight  of  whom  are  living:  George, 
Edward,  Nellie  (deceased).  Prank,  Mary,  Oscar  (deceased), 
Lavina  (deceased),  Mina,  Clarence,  Charles  (deceased),  Harry 
(deceased),  Charles  and  Fred. 

Oibson  A.  Sichards  was  bom  in  Mackford  township.  Green 
Lake  county,  Wisconsin,  January  16,  1857,  son  of  Thomas  and 
Anna  (King)  Richards.  Thomas  Richards  was  a  native  of  Lin- 
colnshire, England,  and  was  the  only  one  of  the  family  to  come 
to  America.  Gibson  received  his  early  education  in  the  country 
school  and  became  a  farmer,  coming  to  his  present  place  in  Ren- 
ville county  in  1878,  where  he  secured  a  homestead  of  160  acres 
in  section  19,  Boon  Lake  township.  Here  he  erected  a  frame 
building  12  by  16  feet  and  7  feet  high  and  also  a  straw  barn. 
After  two  years  he  obtained  a  team  of  horses.  When  he  married 
his  wife  brought  him  three  cows.  The  first  market  was  at 
Hutchinson  and  later  at  Stewart.  He  prospered  aiid  had  good 
crops,  and  has  increased  bis  farm  to  320  acres  and  made  many 
improvements  on  the  house  and  bams.  He  keeps  a  good  grade 
of  stock.  Mr.  Richards  served  on  the  township  board  for  thir- 
teen years  and  has  been  chairman  of  the  board  for  the  past  two 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  313 

years.  He  also  held  office  on  the  school  board.  He  helped 
organize  the  Lake  Side  creamery  and  has  held  office  on  the  board 
as  one  of  the  directors.  He  is  also  a  stockholder  of  the  Buffalo 
Lake  Farmers'  Elevator.  He  is  a  steward  of  the  local  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  which  he  help  to  build.  Mr.  Itichards  was 
married  July  20,  1879,  to  Martha  J.  Potter.  In  1879  she  taught 
the  first  subscription  school  and  also  taught  three  other  terms  in 
the  district  schooL  For  teaching  her  first  school  she  received 
$18  a  month  and  she  had  to  pay  $2  a  week  for  board.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Richards  have  four  children ;  William,  who  is  at  home ; 
Linnie,  who  died  at  the  age  of  nine  years;  Roy,  who  is  a  farmer 
of  Boone  Lake  township,  and  Eugene  C,  a  farmer  in  Boone  Lake 
township. 

John  Egg^  was  born  in  New  York,  near  Troy,  January  21, 
1856,  son  of  Fred  and  Mary  (Samft)  Eggert,  both  natives  of 
Germany,  who  came  to  America  with  their  four  children: 
Charles,  Augusta,  Mary  and  Fred,  in  1853.  They  were  fourteen 
weeks  on  the  ocean  in  a  sailing  vessel,  which  they  had  boarded 
seven  weeks  prior  to  starting.  While  on  their  way  to  America 
a  daughter,  Anna,  was  born.  They  arrived  at  New  York  and 
here  Mr.  Eggert  began  working  for  the  farmers,  John  being 
born  while  the  family  lived  there.  Early  in  the  spring  of  1857 
they  set  out  across  the  lakes,  up  the  Mississippi,  while  the  ice 
was  breaking  up,  and  came  to  Minneapolis,  where  the  father 
farmed.  Next  he  obtained  a  team  and  worked  for  the  railroad, 
helping  fill  in  and  grade  the  swamp  where  the  Milwaukee  depot 
is  now  located.  Albert  was  bom  in  Minneapolis.  In  the  spring 
of  1868  the  family  drove  by  horse  team  from  Minneapolis  and 
came  in  a  covered  wagon  to  Renville  county,  coming  to  Boon 
Lake  township,  where  they  secured  a  homestead  of  160  acres 
ill  section  12.  The  homestead  right  included  a  little  log  cabin 
on  the  land,  into  which  the  family  moved.  There  was  also  a 
straw  barn.  Here  he  began  breaking  the  land  with  the  aid  of 
his  horses  and  made  his  home  here  the  rest  of  his  life.  He  pros- 
pered and  in  time  owned  200  acres  and  built  a  modern  house. 
Fred  Eggert  served  as  township  supervisor  and  school  treasurer 
and  built  the  first  schoolhouse  of  the  district.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  German  Lutheran  church,  and  services  were  often  held  in 
his  cabin  before  the  congregation  owned  any  church  building. 
He  was  married  to  Mary  Samft  January  10,  1837.  He  died  June 
8,  1902,  at  the  age  of  ninety  years,  and  his  wife  died  February  9, 
1899,  at  the  age  of  eighty-five  years,  John  Eggert  was  one  and 
a  half  years  of  age  when  he  came  to  Minnesota.  He  attended 
the  German  parochial  school  in  Minneapolis  and  spent  six  months 
at  the  public  school.  When  he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age  he 
attended  school  again,  this  time  at  Hutchinson.  He  has  con- 
tinued to  operate  the  home  farm,  improved  it,  erected  new  bams. 


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314  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

and  acquired  a  good  grade  o£  stock.  He  has  served  on  the  town- 
ship board  aa  assessor  for  nine  years  and  has  also  been  school 
clerk.  He  helped  incorporate  the  Lake  Side  Creamery,  but  is 
now  a  member  of  the  West  Lynn  Creamery,  and  has  served  as  its 
president.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church  at  Hutchinson. 
Mr.  Eggert  was  united  in  marriage  March  7,  1879,  to  Prederica 
Fredericks,  a  native  of  Germany,  daughter  of  Gotlieb  Fredericks, 
who  settled  in  Boon  Lake  in  1868.  She  died  December  4,  1879, 
leaving  one  son,  Henry.  Mr.  Eggert  married  again  September 
15,  1880,  to  Minnie  Barfknecht,  who  died  June  8,  1892,  leaving 
three  children :  Lydia,  Mata  and  Minnie.  Mr.  Eggert  married 
a  third  time,  Bertha  Pust,  May  19,  1893.  The  following  chil- 
dren were  bom:    Lillie,  John,  Alfred  and  Agnes  (deceased). 

Williuil  H.  Harrier  was  born  in  Lesueur  county,  Minne- 
sota, September  5,  1861,  son  of  Alexander  and  Elizabeth  (Tolan) 
Harrier,  Alexander  was  a  native  of  Ohio  and  of  English  and 
German  ancestry  and  his  wife  was  of  Irish  descent.  He  came 
to  Minnesota  before  the  Civil  war  and  located  in  Lesueur 
county,  where  he  made  his  home  until  his  death  in  1903  at  the 
age  of  sixty-two  years.  His  wife  died  seven  weeks  later  at  the 
age  of  flfty-eight  years.  There  were  seven  children :  William, 
Mary  (deceased),  Margaret,  Emma,  James,  Alexander  and  Eliza- 
beth. William  Harrier  was  the  oldest  of  the  children  and  received 
his  early  education  in  the  district  school.  At  the  age  of  nineteen 
years  he  began  working  for  himself  and  in  1889  moved  to  Ren- 
ville county  and  located  in  Preston  Lake  township  in  section  5, 
obtaining  a  tract  of  160  acres  of  wild  prairie  land.  Here  he  built 
a  frame  house  and  a  frame  bam  with  straw  roof.  He  had  two 
cows  and  $2.50  in  cash.  He  lived  on  this  place  for  eighteen 
years  and  built  good  buildings,  then  he  moved  to  his  present 
place,  where  he  secured  a  tract  of  240  acres.  He  keeps  a  good 
grade  of  stock.  Mr.  Harrier  was  married  November,  1887,  to 
Mamie  Bankson,  bora  in  Belleplaine,  Minnesota,  January  20, 
1860,  daughter  of  Andrew  and  Mary  Bankson,  both  natives  of 
Sweden,  who  came  to  the  United  States  in  1856  by  sailing  vessel, 
being  three  months  on  the  ocean,  bringing  with  them  their  three 
children :  Lewis,  Katie  and  August.  They  came  to  Carver  county 
and  located  on  a  farm,  where  they  lived  for  a  number  of  years, 
their  first  home  being  a  log  house  with  a  bark  roof.  The  follow- 
ing children  were  born  in  Minnesota:  Charlie,  Mamie,  Frank, 
Delpha,  Enoch,  Emil  and  Waltimer.  The  father  was  a  veteran 
of  the  Civil  war  and  took  part  in  the  Indian  campaign  and  was 
wounded  at  Gettysburg.  He  died  at  Gaylord,  Minnesota,  twenty 
years  ago,  at  the  age  of  seventy-five  years.  His  wife  died  thirty 
years  ago  at  the  age  of  fifty-three  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  William 
Harrier  have  had  seven  children,  six  of  whom  are  living: 
Edward,  at  Buffalo  Lake;  Ida,  now  living  in  Canada;  Nellie,  liv- 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  315 

ing  at  Buffalo  Lake ;  Cora,  living  at  Preston  Lake ;  Bert,  at 
Preeton  Lake ;  Walter,  at  home,  and  one  child  who  died  in 
inlaaey. 

Charles  Dwi^ht  HcEwen,  deceased,  known  over  the  county 
and  state  as  "Uncle  Charlie,"  remembered  for  his  humorous 
stories  and  witty  sayings,  was  born  at  Hinesburg,  Vermont, 
June  20,  1822,  and  died  July  26,  1901,  son  of  James  McEwen, 
a  native  of  Massachusetts  who  lived  in  the  colonial  days. 
When  he  was  nineteen  years  of  age  Charles  D.  moved  to 
St,  Lawrence  county.  New  York.  He  settled  on  a  farm  and 
married  Merva  Dwinnell,  born  in  Lynn,  Massachusetts,  January 
13,  1822,  who  was  of  English  ancestry.  In  1855  the  family  came 
to  Kock  county,  Wisconsin,  where  they  remained  for  two  years. 
They  brought  with  them  two  children :  Howard,  bom  September 
16,  1845,  and  Bowman  C,  born  Angust  8,  1848,  Another  child 
was  born  in  Wisconsin,  Charlana  Parcilla,  bom  October  5,  1855, 
and  died  August  23,  1862.  In  1857  he  set  out  from  Wisconsin 
with  ox  team  and  covered  wagon,  going  to  Hutchinson,,  Minne- 
sota, the  journey  taking  five  weeks  and  three  days.  He  secured 
a  homestead  three  miles  south  of  Hutchison,  proved  up  the  land 
and  built  a  log  cabin.  He  broke  up  the  land  with  his  ox  team 
and  lived  there  until  1876,  He  had  built  good  buildings  and 
erected  what  was  probably  the  first  cheese  factory  in  the  state 
and  milked  one  hundred  and  fifty  cowe.  It  was  located  on  his 
farm  and  was  known  as  the  McEwen  cheese  factory.  The  cheese 
was  distributed  and  sold  throughout  the  country  towns  by  team 
once  a  month.  Another  son,  Carlton  C,  was  born  in  Minnesota 
May  31,  1859.  At  the  time  of  the  Indian  outbreak  the  mother 
and  younger  children  went  to  Wisconsin  for  the  winter,  living 
in  the  stockade  and  here  Charlana  died  from  diphtheria,  the 
father  and  the  oldest  sons  remaining  at  home.  The  Indians 
burned  the  home  and  shot  some  of  the  hogs.  While  in  Wisconsin 
Clark  was  born,  October  15,  1862.  In  1876  Charles  D.  McEwen 
moved  to  Renville  county,  where  he  pre-empted  160  acres  of  land 
in  section  31.  Boon  Lake  township.  It  was  all  wild  prairie  land, 
and  here  he  built  a  frame  house  and  again  took  up  the  cheese 
industry,  locating  the  factory  on  his  farm.  This  was  the  first 
cheese  factory  in  Renville  county.  He  also  made  a  specialty  of 
stock  raising.  His  wife  died  April  12,  1887,  and  from  that  time 
he  lived  with  his  children.  He  had  increased  his  farm  to  800 
acres,  built  good  buildings  and  prospered.  Charles  D.  McEwen 
was  a  strong  abolitionist  and  was  a  member  of  the  Home  Guards. 
He  was  of  the  Republican  party  and  was  fleeted  a  representative 
to  the  legislature,  serving  during  the  term  of  1892-93, 

Bowman  C.  McEwen,  a  well  known  farmer  of  Boon  Lake  town- 
ship, received  his  early  education  in  the  district  schools  and 
attended  the  Union  school  in  Sheboygan,  Wisconsin.    He  enlisted. 


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816  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

1864,  in  Company  B,  First  Minnesota  Heavy  Artillery,  and  was 
sent  south  to  Chattanooga,  Tennessee,  being  discharged  at  the 
end  of  the  war.  He  returned  to  Hutchinson  and  remained  there 
until  his  father  moved  to  Renville  coiinty,  when  he  obtained  pre- 
emption claim  of  160  acres  in  section  31,  Boon  Lake  township. 
Here  he  built  a  claim  shanty  and  remained  for  the  next  eighteen 
years.  He  used  the  oxen  to  break  up  the  land  and  marketed  at 
Hutchinson  and  Glencoe.  His  first  barn  was  a  rude  straw  struc- 
ture, which  has  been  replaced  by  a  modem  basement  barn,  144 
by  52  feet.  When  they  began  farming  he  had  one  cow  and  a 
yoke  of  oxen.  He  has  now  large  herds  of  cattle,  spt^eializing  in 
the  Hereford  breed.  He  also  raises  Hamiltonian  horses  and 
Chester  White  hogs.  He  has  built  a  modern  steam  heated  house 
and  ma<}e  many  other  improvements.  Mr.  McEwen  has  been  a 
member  of  the  board  of  supervisors  of  the  township  for  several 
years  and  for  eleven  years  has  been  the  treasurer  of  school  dis- 
trict No.  57,  which  he  helped  organize,  hauling  the  first  lumber 
for  the  school  house.  From  1904  to  1912  he  served  on  the  county 
board  as  county  commissioner  and  was  a  great  advocate  of  drain- 
age and  good  roads.  He  was  a  candidate  for  representative  on 
the  county  option  platform  and  defeated.  He  is  of  the  Repub- 
lican party  and  has  served  on  the  councils  and  convention  boards 
of  that  party.  In  April,  1879,  Mr.  McEwen  was  married  to  Josie 
Byhofifer,  born  in  Carver  county,  daughter  of  Tlieodore  and 
Catherine  (Bowman)  Byhoffer,  early  pioneers  of  tfeat  county 
who  came  to  Minneapolis  in  1851.  Mr.  Byhoffer  was  a  carpenter 
and  was  offered  a  lot  in  what  is  now  the  heart  of  Minneapolis  in 
payment  for  work  but  refused  it.  He  located  as  a  farmer  in 
Carver  county  and  later  moved  to  Glencoe,  where  he  secured  a 
farm  three  miles  northwest  of  Glencoe.  Here  he  lived  until  his 
death  in  1896  at  the  age  of  seventy-six  years.  His  wife  died 
March,  1911,  at  the  age  of  ninety-one  years.  They  had  four 
boys  and  four  girls:  Helen,  John,  Kate,  Charles,  Theodore, 
Josie,  Francis  and  David.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McEwen  have  two  chil- 
dren :  Dwight  manages  the  home  place,  which  now  consists  of 
a  half  section  of  farming  land.  Sarah  is  now  Mrs.  M.  0.  Rams- 
land,  of  Saskatchewan,  Canada,  and  has  three  children:  Adella, 
Lenore  and  Maxwell. 

Erwin  T.  0(^n,  a  farmer  of  Boon  Lake  township,  was  born 
in  Ontario,  Canada,  August  31,  1860,  son  of  Jacob  and  Mary  E. 
(Terrell)  Coffin.  Jacob  Coffin  was  bom  in  Deerfield,  New  York, 
August  8,  1830,  and  his  wife  in  England,  June  13,  1833.  He 
became  a  farmer  and  moved  back  from  Canada  to  New  York 
state.  In  1869  he  removed  with  his  family  to  Clinton,  Iowa. 
After  five  years  he  came  to  McLeod  county,  where  he  engaged 
in  farming,  making  the  trip  with  his  family  in  a  covered  wagon 
drawn  by  a  team  of  horses.     After  twelve  years  he  moved  to 


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MS.  AND  MRS.  B.  T.  COFFIN 


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"-■rat  NEW   lO^.K 
PUiUC   LIBRARY 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  317 

Northfield,  where  he  remained  five  years  to  allow  the  children 
to  obtain  an  education,  next  coming  to  Eenville  county.  At  the 
time  of  his  death  he  was  living  with  his  daughter,  Mrs.  0.  E. 
Countryman,  at  Minneapolis.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Coffin  were  married 
December  24,  1854,  and  had  five  children:  Clinton  H.,  born 
November  19,  1855  (deceased);  Ida  A.,  born  May  16,  1858; 
Erwin,  bom  August  31,  1860;  Prank,  bom  Febmary  13,  1862, 
and  Willis  A.,  March  5,  1864.  Jacob  Coffin  died  November  19, 
1894,  and  his  wife  died  July,  1904.  They  were  both  members  of 
the  Congregational  ehurch.  Erwin  T,  Coffin  was  eleven  years 
of  age  when  the  family  came  to  Minnesota.  He  received  his 
education  in  the  district  log  school  house,  grew  to  manhood  and 
engaged  in  fanning.  He  now  owns  a  farm  of  160  acres  of  well 
improved  land,  is  one  of  the  township  supervisors  and  has  served 
on  the  school  board  for  fifteen  years.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Lake  Side  Equity  Association.  Erwin  T.  Coffin  was  united  in 
marriage  March  3,  1891,  to  Mattie'Couutryman,  born  in  Hast- 
ings, Minnesota,  January  6,  1870,  ^ughter  of  Henry  D.  and 
Sophronia  (Briggs)  Countryman.  Her  -parents  were  born  in 
St,  Lawrence  county.  New  York,  the  father  October  27,  1825,  and 
the  mother  December  1,  1831.  They  were  married  October  31, 
1849,  in  St.  Lawrence  county,  and  in  1857  they  set  out  for  Hast- 
ings, Dakota  county,  Minnesota,  thus  becoming  territorial 
pioneers.  In  the  seventies  they  located  in  Renville  county,  secur- 
ing 160  acres  in  section  25,  Boon  Lake  township,  where  they 
erected  a  frame  house  and  a  small  bam.  They  had  thirteen  chil- 
dren: Preston  K.,  born  November  24,  1850;  Mary  E.,  born  Sep- 
tember 22,  1852 ;  Orville  E.,  born  October  3,  1854 ;  Daniel,  born 
Pebmary  2,  1857,  and  died  Pebruary  8,  1858;  Alice  A.,  born 
November  10, 1858;  Alonzo  J.,  born  November  20,  1861;  Edith  C, 
born  September  25,  1863,  and  died  August  24, 1865 ;  Evelyn,  boi-u 
September  1,  1865;  Edith  0-  born  November  20,  1867;  Martha 
M.,  born  January  6,  1870;  Wilfred  E.  and  Winifred  E.,  twins, 
born  February  5,  1872.  A  twin  of  Mary  R.  died  in  infancy. 
Mr.  Countryman  died  April  19,  1908,  and  his  wife  died  October 
15,  1892.  They  were  members  of  the  Methodist  church.  Mr,  and 
Mrs.  Coffin  have  had  four  children:  Virgil,  Guy,  Ralph  and 
Preston  (deceased).  Virgil  was  born  December  31,  1891;  Guy, 
January  28,  1894;  Ralph,  November  3,  1896,  and  Preston  was 
born  June  27,  1900,  and  died  July,  1900. 

Ira  S.  Slieppard,  retired,  one  of  the  pioneer  farmers  of  Boon 
Lake  township,  was  bom  in  Cattaraugus  county.  New  York, 
October  8,  1826,  and  came  to  Minnesota  in  1858,  locating  in 
Dakota  county.  During  the  Civil  war  he  enlisted  in  Company  D, 
Brackett's  Battalion,  Independent  Cavalry,  and  was  mustered 
in  January  5,  1864,  and  discharged  with  the  company  in  1866. 
Upon  his  return  in  1866  he  came  to  Boon  Lake  township,  Ren- 


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818  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

ville  county,  and  took  up  a  homestead  of  160  acres  of  wild  prairie 
land  on  the  northern  shore  of  Lake  AUie,  and  was  one  of  the 
first  settlers  in  the  township.  He  broke  and  developed  the  land 
and  in  time  built  up  a  fine  farm,  bringing  it  to  a  high  state  of' 
cultivation.  In  1898  he  retired  from  farming  and  turned  the 
farm  over  to  his  son,  B.  F.  Sheppard,  who  now  operates  it.  Mr. 
Sheppard  waa  a  member  of  the  first  board  of  supervisors  of  the 
township.  Ira  S.  Sheppard  was  united  in  marriage  to  Marjorie 
J.  VanVlete,  who  died  October  23,  1904.  He  now  .makes  his  home 
with  his  son,  B.  F.  Sheppard. 

Orrin  Hodgdon,  a  prosperous  farmer  of  Boon  Lake  town- 
ship, was  born  in  New  Hampshire,  February  13,  1850,  son  of 
James  C.  and  Sarah  (Glidden)  Hodgdon.  James  C.  was  bom 
in  Berwick,  Maine,  of  English  parentage  December  6,  1819,  and 
died  January  26,  1904,  at  Maple  Grove,  Minnesota.  Sarah  Glid- 
den was  bom  July  7,  1826,  in  Carrol  county,  New  Hampshire, 
daughter  of  Charles  and  Mary  (Avery)  Glidden.  Charles'  ances- 
tors came  over  in  the  Mayflower  and  Amos  Hodgdon,  Orrin 's  son, 
has  in  his  possession  a  pewter  plate  that  was  brought  over  in  the 
Mayflower  from  England,  off  which  Orrin  ate  while  a  child. 
James  C.  and  Sarah  Glidden  were  married  December  14,  1842, 
at  Rozbury,  Massachusetts.  She  died  in  1906  near  Delano, 
Minnesota.  James  worked  in  the  mills  and  owned  a  mill  in 
New  Hampshire,  which  he  lost  by  the  bursting  of  a  dam.  The 
family  left  New  Hampshire  in  1850  with  four  children:  Laura, 
Oscar,  Charles  and  Orrin,  who  was  then  six  months  old,  and  went 
to  Wisconsin,  locating  on  the  Lemonware  river,  where  the  father 
worked  in  a  saw  mill  at  Mauston.  Next  he  operated  the  mill 
and  later  moved  to  Neeedah,  Juneau  county,  where  he  secured 
some  land.  Then  he  worked  in  a  saw  mill  for  T,  Western  & 
Company  for  two  years.  After  this  he  moved  on  to  his  land, 
which  he  had  pre-empted,  and  lived  there  until  1861,  when  he 
set  out  for  Minnesota  with  an  ox  team  and  covered  wagon.  He 
became  sick  on  the  way  and  had  to  stop  at  the  home  of  George 
Back  until  he  recovered.  He  rented  a  farm,  which  is  located 
between  Onalaska  and  North  La  Crosse,  until  the  fall  of  1862, 
when  he  arrived  in  Minnesota.  There  were  now  flve  children, 
a  girl,  Ida,  having  been  born  in  Wisconsin.  They  had  come  to 
Minnesota  by  means  of  ox  team  and  settled  at  Waterford  on  the 
Cannon  river,  five  or  six  miles  south  of  Northfield.  Here  he 
rented  a  farm  for  a  year  and  then  moved  to  Chub  creek,  seven 
miles  northwest  from  there,  where  he  rented  a  farm  for  two 
years.  In  1866  he  came  to  Renville  county,  driving  with  four 
horses,  and  acquired  a  homestead  in  section  20,  Boon  Lake  town- 
ship. Two  more  children,  Ernest  and  May,  had  been  bora.  Mr. 
Hodgdon  began  breaking  the  land  with  his  horses.  That  fall 
he  built  a  sod  hut,  16  by  18  feet,  papered  on  the  inside  and 


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HISTORY  OP  BENVnIjE  COUNTY  319 

boarded  on  the  outside,  and  ooTered  with  sod  and  dirt.  They 
had  two  cows,  a  yoke  of  cattle,  foiir  horses  and  a  colt.  This 
home  was  located  on  a  Lake  which  they  named  Lake  Hodgdon. 
The  son  Oacar  also  obtained  a  claim  on  this  lake.  The  nearest 
markets  were  Carver  and  Young  America,  to  which  places  grain 
was  hauled  to  be  ground  into  flour.  Orrin  and  his  eldest  brother 
started  to  work  out  among  the  farmers  in  Dakota  and  Bice  coun- 
ties, going  by  foot  all  the  way,  in  order  to  earn  some  money  to 
help  support  the  rest  of  the  family.  They  had  to  screen  the 
shorts,  a  feed  for  the  horses,  to  make  biscuits.  They  raised  a 
small  crop  the  first  year  and  threshed  the  wheat  by  flail.  One 
and  a  half  bushels  was  a  big  day's  work  to  flail  out.  This  wheat 
was  then  ground  in  a  coffee  mill,  mixed  with  water  and  baked  in 
a  dripping  pan,  a  piece  of  this  making  a  meal.  After  many  years 
of  hard  work  Mr.  Hodgdon  sold  this  farm  and  moved  to  Hutch- 
insoQ,  where  he  purchased  a  farm.  After  a  time  he  aold  this  and 
moved  to  Maple  Grove  to  live  with  his  daughter,  where  he 
remained  until  his  death,  in  1904.  James  C.  Hodgdon  assisted 
in  organizing  the  township  of  Boon  Lake,  the  meeting  for  this 
purpose  being  held  in  his  eabin.  He  was  a  member  of  the  school 
board  and  a  director  of  district  No.  25,  which  he  helped  organize. 
He  also  was  a  member  of  the  township  board.  While  in  the  east 
he  waa  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church,  but  after  coming  to 
Minnesota  attended  the  Methodist  church.  Orrin  Hodgdon 
received  but  a  meager  education,  going  to  school  a  little  in  Wis- 
consin and  one  year  at  Northfleld.  He  grew  to  manhood  in  Ren- 
ville county.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one  years  he  located  the  home- 
stead where  he  now  lives  in  section  18,  Boon  Lake  township,  and 
built  a  frame  house,  14  by  22,  hauling  the  lumber  from  Litchfield, 
a  distance  of  twenty-five  miles.  He  also  built  a  hay  roof  barn  and 
straw  shed.  He  began  with  a  yoke  of  cattle  and  one  cow.  Here 
he  brought  his  young  wife  and  here  they  have  lived  ever  since. 
He  has  been  an  energetic  worker  and  has  prospered,  increasing 
his  farm  to  320  acres  and  had  made  many  improvements  on  his 
farm  and  buildings.  He  raises  a  good  grade  of  stock.  They  have 
built  a  beautiful  home  on  the  southeast  shore  of  Boon  Lake. 
Mr.  Hodgdon  has  held  school  oESces  for  many  years.  He  was 
married  December  21,  1871,  at  Litchfield  to  Louisa  Potter,  born 
in  Jackson  county,  Iowa,  October  5,  1850,  daughter  of  Rev. 
George  D.  and  Matilda  Ann  (Fennel)  Potter,  Rev.  George  D, 
Potter  was  born  in  Licking  county,  Ohio,  December  28,  1825,  son 
of  Nathan  and  Fannie  (Deuel)  Potter.  Nathan  Potter  was  born 
in  Baltimore,  October  29,  1795,  and  died  August  4,  1879,  in  Jones 
county,  Iowa.  His  wife  Fannie  was  born  October  5,  1805,  in 
Saratoga  county.  New  York,  and  died  June  2,  1832,  in  Licking 
county,  Ohio.  She  can  trace  her  ancestors  back  to  those  who 
came  over  in  the  Mayflower.    William  Deuel  waa  bom  in  Eng- 


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320  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

land  and  brought  over  in  the  Mayflower  by  his  parents  in  1620. 
He  applied  for  land  in  Duxbury,  Massachueetts,  August  3,  1640, 
and  was  granted  a  house  lot  in  Reheboth,  Massachusetts,  Decem- 
ber 26,  1645.  May  17,  1653,  he  was  made  foreman  of  Newport, 
Rhode  Island.  Jonathan  Deuel,  son  of  William  and  Hannah 
(Adiey)  Deuel,  settled  in  Darthmouth,  Massachusetts.-  Joseph 
Deuel,  son  of  Jonathan  and  Mary  (Sowl)  Deuel,  settled  in  Darth- 
mouth, Massachusetts.  Mary  Sowl  was  a  granddaughter  of 
George  Sowl,  who  also  came  over  in  the  Mayflower.  Benjamin 
Deuel,  son  of  Joseph  Deuel,  was  born  January  26,  1703,  and  mar- 
ried Sarah  Mosher,  August  22,  1731.  He  moved  to  Dover, 
Dutchess  county,  in  1735,  and  died  there  January  19, 1790.  Joseph 
Deuel,  his  son,  was  born  January  9,  1735,  and  died  on  August  12, 
1818,  Joseph  Deuel,  son  of  Joseph  Deuel,  and  representing  the 
sixth  generation,  married  Freelove  Carpenter,  and  his  son, 
George  Deuel,  was  Rev.  George  D.  Potter's  grandfather.  Rev. 
George  D.  Potter  was  of  the  Methodist  faith  and  entered  the 
ministry  as  a  young  man.  In  May,  1855,  he  came  to  Minnesota 
from  Waterloo,  Iowa,  coming  by  ox  team  and  covered  wagon, 
spending  three  weeks  making  the  trip,  and  brought  with  him  a 
small  herd  of  cattle,  a  small  flock  of  sheep  and  about  a  dozen 
chickens.  He  settled  near  Faribault,  Rice  county,  Minnesota, 
and  in  1862-63  preached  on  a  circuit  at  Wilton  and  Otiseo, , 
Waseca  county.  In  1864  he  went  to  McLeod  county,  where  he 
took  a  homestead  and  lived  there  until  1871,  when  he  sold  it  and 
moved  to  Renville  county,  locating  in  section  18,  Boon  Lake 
township.  He  lived  there  for  thirty  years  and  during  that  time 
preached  in  the  various  school  houses  within  a  radius  of  ten 
miles,  going  there  on  horseback  or  on  foot,  as  oftentimes  the 
horses  could  not  be  spared  from  the  farm  work.  He  bought  out 
the  right  of  his  oldest  son  Albert  Potter  and  made  his  home  here 
and  preached  in  different  places  in  the  state.  For  a  time  he 
rented  his  farm  in  Boon  Lake  and  preached  on  a  circuit  at 
Villard  and  Glenwood  in  Pope  county,  Minnesota,  for  two  years, 
and  also  at  Wheaton,  Traverse  county,  one  year,  and  the  rest 
of  his  time  he  spent  on  his  farm.  His  wife  was  born  September 
27,  1826,  in  Ohio,  and  died  October  10,  1893,  at  Boon  Lake. 
There  were  twelve  children  in  the  family:  Albert,  Adeline, 
Louisa,  Alvina  (deceased),  Abigail,  Martha,  Nathan,  Charlotte 
(deceased),  Eliza  (deceased),  George,  William  and  Walter.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Hodgdon  have  the  following  children:  Amos,  a  farmer 
in  Boon  Lake  township;  Luella,  now  Mrs.  Ray  Noble,  of  Boon 
Lake  township ;  Fannie,  now  Mrs.  John  McCall,  of  Brookfield ; 
Daisy,  now  Mrs.  Fred  PuUen,  of  Hutchinson ;  Elmer,  of  Boon 
Lake  township,  and  Blanche,  who  is  at  home.  Amos,  Luella, 
Fannie  and  Daisy  have  all  been  school  teachers.  Warren  Hodg- 
don, a  nephew  of  Mr.  Hodgdon,  son  of  Ernest  Hodgdon,  Orrin 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVHiLE  COUNTY  321 

Hodgdon's  younger  brother,  waa  also  raised  by  Mr.  Hodgdon, 
his  mother  dying  on  the  day  of  his  birth.  Th«  whole  family  are 
members  of  the  Methodist  church. 

AmoB  E.  Hodgdon  was  married  to  Jessie  M.  Butler  August  4, 
1896,  and  they  have  seven  children:  Ruth  Lnella,  ^ed  15;  Harry 
Theodore,  aged  12 ;  Donald  Alonzo,  aged  10 ;  James  Clyde,  aged  7 ; 
Chester  Orrin,  aged  6 ;  Yii^l  Amos,  aged  3 ;  and  Helen  Lonisa, 
aged  1.  Luella  M,  Hot^don  was  married  Sept.  25,  1907,  to  Ray- 
mond Edgar  Noble,  and  they  have  three  children :  Floyd  Ray- 
mond, aged  five  years;  Dorothy  Blanche,  aged  4;  Marion  Viola, 
aged  1.  Fannie  May  Hodgdon  was  married  to  John  W.  McCall, 
Oct.  29,  1914.  Daisy  E.  Hodgdon  was  married  Sept.  28,  1909,  to 
Fred  Burbank  Pullen,  and  they  have  two  children :  Lloyd  Hodg- 
don, aged  5  years;  Leonard  Fred,  aged  2.  Elmer  Nathan  Hodgdon 
was  married  Nov.  2, 1904,  to  Claudia  Grace  Headley,  and  they  have 
two  children:  Maude,  aged  9  years,  and  Evelyn  May,  aged  3. 
Blanche  E.  Hodgdon  is  at  home.  The  nephew,  Warren  James 
Hodgdon,  was  bom  June  18,  1899. 

Elmer  Nathan  Hodgdon,  a  farmer  of  Boon  Lake  township, 
son  of  Orrin  Hodgdon,  was  born  in  Boon  Lake  township,  Novem- 
ber 2,  1878,  on  his  father's  homestead  on  the  shore  of  Boon  lake. 
He  received  his  early  education  in  the  district  school  of  his 
locality  and  then  engaged  in  farming  on  his  father's  homestead. 
At  the  age  of  twenty-one  years  he  had  charge  of  the  farm  and 
remained  manager  for  five  years.  After  his  marriage  he  rented 
a  farm  near  Lake  Allie  in  Preston  Lake  township  for  three  years. 
Then  he  came  to  his  present  place,  purchasing  120  acres  of 
improved  land.  He  raises  Holatein  cattle  and  keeps  a  good  grade 
of  other  stock.  He  is  a  raeraber  of  the  Farmers'  Co-operative 
Elevator  Company  at  Buffalo  Lake  and  a  member  of  the  Ship- 
ping Association  of  Buffalo  Lake.  He  is  a  clerk  of  the  school 
district  and  a  member  of  the  Methodist  church.  Elmer  Hodgdon 
was  united  in  marriage  November  2,  1904,  to  Claudia  Headley, 
bom  in  Brookfield  township,  daughter  of  Prank  and  Charlotte 
(Hilts)  Headley,  EVank  Headley  was  bom  at  Elora,  Canada, 
January  14,  1844,  son  of  Francis  Headley,  of  English  parentage, 
and  of  Ann  (Meredith)  Headley,  of  French  descent,  Frank 
Headley  was  married  at  Dryden,  Michigan,  December  10,  1863,  to 
Charlotte  Hilts,  bom  at  Cayuga,  Ontario,  February  16,  1846, 
daughter  of  Jeremiah  and  Sarah  (Dean)  Hilts.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Headley  then  moved  to  Canada  and  lived  there  until  the  fall  of 
1865.  In  that  year  they  left  Canada  with  their  daughter,  Anna, 
born  at  Bayheim,  April  24,  1865,  and  located  on  a  farm  near 
Augusta,  Wisconsin.  In  1878  they  moved  to  Brookfield  town- 
ship, Renville  county,  purchasing  one-half  section  school  land, 
which  was  all  wild  prairie.  Here  they  built  a  small  frame  house. 
They  next  settled   in  Preston  Lake   township  on  an  improved 


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822  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

farm.  While  in  Brookfield  township  Mr,  Headley  helped  organize 
the  Methodist  church.  He  held  xarious  church  and  school  offices 
and  died  in  Preston  Lake  township  in  April  22,  1891,  at  the 
age  of  forty-seven.  His  wife  died  December  31,  1912,  at  the  age 
of  sixty-six  at  Stewart,  Minnesota.  They  had  the  following  chil- 
dren: Anna,  born  in  Bayheim,  Canada;  Jeremiah,  born  in  Wis- 
consin; Frank  and  Claudia,  born  in  Minnesota.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Hodgdon  have-  two  children :  Maude,  bom  September  3,  1906, 
and  Evelyn,  bom  February  26,  1913. 

AmoB  E.  Hodgdon,  son  of  Orrin  Hodgdon,  was  born  March 
2,  1873,  on  his  father's  homestead  in  Boon  Lake  township,  Ren- 
ville county.  He  received  his  early  education  in  the  district 
school  of  Boon  Lake.  The  first  school  he  attended  was  a  sub- 
scription school  and  was  held  in  his  Qrandfather  Potter's 
granary.  Mrs.  Gibson  Richards,  then  Martha  Potter,  was  tht^ 
teacher.  He  also  attended  the  high  school  at  Hutchinson  for 
two  winters.  At  the  age  of  t^w^t^y-one  he  taught  school  in  Boon 
Lake  township,  boarding  at  his  home  five  miles  away,  receiving 
$27  a  month  for  his  services.  Next  he  bouglit  200  acres  in  sec- 
tion 13,  Brookfield  township,  where  he  farmed  for  five  years  and 
then  entered  into  partnership  with  J.  E.  Headley  at  Acoma, 
McLeod  county,  operating  a  general  store  and  postoffice,  Mr. 
Hodgdon  being  assistant  postmaster.  This  continued  for  a  year 
and  a  half,  when  Mr.  Hodgdon  sold  his  share  to  hia  partner  and 
homesteaded  in  Beltrami  county,  securing  160  acres  of  land  in 
Turtle  Lake  township,  where  he  built  a  small  frame  house.  For 
six  and  a  half  years  he  was  depot  agent  at  Puposky  on  the  Red 
Lake  railroad,  his  homestead  being  one-half  mile  from  there.  In 
August,  1913,  he  moved  to  Boon  Lake  township,  where  he  rented 
a  farm.  He  still  owns  the  farm  in  Beltrami  county.  Mr.  Hodg- 
don took  part  in  public  affairs  and  was  clerk  of  the  townshm 
He  helped  organize  school  district  No.  108  and  was  clerk  for  six 
years.  While  at  Puposky  he  organized  the  first  Sunday  school, 
the  meetings  being  held  in  the  depot,  and  for  four  years  served 
as  Sunday  school  superintendent.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  church,  whose  meetings  were  heid  in  the  school  house, 
and  helped  towards  securing  a  parsonage.  Mr.  Hodgdon  has 
always  been  a  prohibitionist  in  politics.  Mr.  Hodgdon  was  mar- 
ried in  1897  to  Jessie  Butler,  bom  October  30,  1876,  daughter  of 
William  Alonzo  and  Mary  (Coolidge)  Butler.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Hodgdon  have  seven  children :  Ruth,  Harry,  Donald,  Clyde, 
Chester,  Virgil  and  Helen.  William  Alonzo  Butler  was  born  in 
Vermont  and  was  married  in  New  York  to  Mary  Coolidge,  a 
native  of  that  state,  reared  in  St.  Lawrence  county.  He  enlisted 
in  Company  B,  Fourteenth  New  York  Heavy  Artillery,  and 
served  from  1861  to  the  close  of  the  war,  being  wounded  several 
times.    After  the  war  he  returned  to  New  York  and  then  located 


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ASTOR.  LBNOX  AH»    i 


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HISTOBY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  323 

in  Wisconsin,  coming  to  Minnesota  in  1878  and  securing  160 
acres  in  section  27,  Brookfield  tOTrnship.  He  died  in  1909  at  the 
age  of  seventy-one  years.  His  wife  is  still  living  in  Gleneoe  at 
the  age  of  seventy-three  years.  There  were  seven  children : 
Lizzie,  Nellie,  Sadie,  Jessie,  Lorin,  Chester  and  William,  who 
died  in  infancy.  Lizzie  married  Charles  H,  Coolidge,  of  Hector, 
and  they  have  had  four  children:  Mabel  (deceased),  Bumie  A., 
Leo  M.  and  Jessie  M.  Nellie  married  J.  P.  Nelson,  of  Regent, 
North  Dakota.  Their  children  are ;  Eva,  Mamie  and  Lila,  Sadie 
married  J.  E.  Headley,  of  Stewart,  Minnesota,  and  has  two  chil- 
dren :  Ray  and  Harold.  Jessie  married  A.  E.  Hodgdon,  of  Boon 
Lake,  this  county.  Their  children  are:  Ruth,  Harry,  Donald, 
Clyde,  Chester,  Virgil  and  Helen.  Lorin  married  Lena  Wadel 
and  they  have  two  children:  Myra  and  Lois.  Chester  married 
Beha  V.  Ackley. 

Theodore  Byhoffer  was  bom  in  Carver  county,  Minnesota, 
August  27,  1856,  son  of  Theodore,  Sr.,  and  Catherine  (Bowman) 
Byhoffer.  Both  of  his  parents  were  natives  of  the  grand  duchy 
of  Baden,  Germany.  They  came  to  America  in  the  year  of  1832 
and  for  ten  years  resided  at  Buffalo,  New  York.  Theodore 
Byhoffer,  Sr,,  spent  the  latter  years  of  his  life  on  the  home  farm 
near  Qleneoe,  Minnesota.  He  died  at  that  place  August  24,  1896. 
His  wife  survived  him  sixteen  years  and  died  at  the  home  place 
March  28,  1912,  at  the  age  of  ninety-one  years.  Theodore 
Byhoffer,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  lived  with  his  parents  on  a 
homestead  of  160  acres  in  Carver  county  until  seven  years  of 
age.  At  the  time  of  the  Indian  outbreak  the  family  moved  to 
McLeod  county  and  bought  an  eighty-acre  farm  four  and  a  half 
miles  west  of  Qleneoe,  Theodore  received  his  education  in  the 
rural  schools  of  this  county  and  then  assisted  his  father  on  the 
farm  until  twenty-six  years  of  age.  With  the  aid  of  his  sisters 
and  brothers  additions  were  made  to  the  farm  from  time  to  time 
until  they  owned  240  acres.  Hard  times  came  during  the  grass- 
hopper years  of  1875  and  1876,  when  their  crops  were  totally 
destroyed  for  two  successive  years.  But  prosperity  followed 
these  years  and  it  became  less  difficult  to  meet  the  demands  of 
their  family  of  eight.  Mr.  Byhoffer  well  remembers  the  winter 
of  1873,  in  which  occurred  the  famous  three-day  "blizzard"  of 
Minnesota.  The  massive  heaps  of  snow  afforded  ideal  building 
spots  for  snow  huts,  forts  and  so  forth.  It  was  a  duty  of  the 
boys  to  assist  in  making  paths  and  opening  roads  leading  to  their 
school  and  elsewhere.  In  addition  to  his  farm  work  Mr.  Byhoffer 
engaged  in  the  occupation  of  threshing  and  worked  for  several 
years  in  the  vicinities  of  Qleneoe  and  Biscay.  The  brothers  of 
this  family  relate  many  interesting  accounts  of  their  hear  hunts 
when  they  were  boys.  One  day  Mr.  Byhoffer  and  his  elder 
brother  were  left  in  charge  of  their  flock  of  sheep.    A  big  brown 


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324  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

bear  soon  made  his  appearance  from  the  woods.  The  boys  fol- 
lowed him  into  a  nearby  thicket  and  carefully  watched  him  until 
their  sister,  who  had  come  to  call  them  to  dinner,  went  for  help. 
After  much  difficulty  they  aucceeded  in  shooting  the  bear,  and 
they  were  indeed  the  proudest  boys  of  McLeod  county  as  they 
marched  home  with  their  booty.  From  1881  to  1887  he  was 
manager  of  the  home  farm.  At  the  end  of  that  time  he  sold  his 
ninety-five  acres  of  the  home  farm  to  his  brother  and  with  his 
family  came  to  Boon  Lake  township,  Renville  county,  where  they 
purchased  a  farm  of  320  acres  in  section  31,  five  miles  north  of 
Buffalo  Lake.  He  farmed  this  half  section  of  land  for  twenty 
years.  In  1908  he  deeded  160  acres  of  his  farm  to  his  sons, 
Henry  and  Harry.  The  improvements  made  by  Mr.  Byhoffer 
upon  his  farm  are  of  a  superior  character  and  reflect  much  credit 
upon  the  taste  and  pride  of  the  owner.  He  devotes  his  attention, 
to  some  extent,  to  the  raising  of  full-blooded  stock,  and  is  quite 
successful.  He  has  taken  active  interest  in  educational  and  pub- 
lic matters  and  has  held  various  local  offices,  including  those  of 
school  director  twelve  years  and  supervisor  thirteen  years.  Mr. 
Byhoffer  was  married  December  20,  1881,  to  Elsbeth  Hatz,  the 
daughter  of  Bartholome  and  Elizabeth  (Dascher)  Hatz,  of 
Glencoe,  Minnesota.  Her  parents  were  natives  of  Switzerland. 
They  both  died  at  their  Glencoe  home  in  the  years  of  1905  and 
1914  respectively.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Byhoffer  are  the  parents  of 
eight  children :  Henry  A.,  Emma  C,  Harry  W.,  Fanny  E.,  Inez  C, 
G.  Le  Roy,  Edna  M.  and  Leonard  C.  Their  daughter  Emma 
died  while  they  were  residing  near  Glencoe,  at  the  age  of  one 
year  and  nine  months.  The  children  received  their  early  educa- 
tion in  the  rural  school  near  their  home.  Henry  and  Harry 
attended  the  Hutchinson  High  School.  Fanny  and  Inez  are 
graduates  of  Hutchinson  High  School.  Roy  and  Edna  followed 
the  course  of  study  in  the  Buffalo  Lake  High  School  and  are 
graduates  of  that  school.  Leonard  attends  the  rural  school. 
Henry  A.  married  Gertrude  Allen  and  is  engaged  in  barbering 
at  Buchanan,  Saskatchewan,  Canada.  Harry  married  Marie 
Ewald  and  is  living  on  a  part  of  the  home  farm.  Inez  married 
Roy  Richards  and  they  reside  upon  a  farm  seven  miles  north  of 
Buffalo  Lake.  Fanny  has  a  position  as  teacher  in  a  school  at 
Tracy,  Minnesota.  Roy  is  manager  of  the  home  farm  and  with 
his  sister  Edna  and  his  brother  Leonard  makes  his  home  with 
their  parents. 

Alonzo  P.  Brings,  veteran,  pioneer  and  leading  citizen,  was 
born  in  St.  Lawrence  county.  New  York,  November  25,  1833, 
and  there  received  a  good  education  and  grew  to  manhood.  In 
1857  he  came  to  Minnesota,  settling  at  Hastings,  in  Dakota 
county.  The  year  1861  found  him  again  in  his  native  county 
and  from  there  he  enlisted.    But  sickness  overtook  him  and  he 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  325 

was  left  in  Cole  county,  Illinois.  Upon  his  recovery  he  returned 
home  and  married,  and  then  with  his  wife,  Phoebe  Thurston, 
again  came  to  Dakota  county.  It  was  in  1871  that  they  came  to 
Renville  county  and  secured  a  homestead  of  forty  acres  in  sec- 
tion 26,  Boon  Lake  township.  Starting  as  pioneers,  they  devel- 
oped a  good  place  and  became  leading  people  in  the  community. 
In  1876  the  wife  died,  and  in  June,  1881,  Mr.  Briggs  married 
Albertina  Butzer.  Later  he  purchased  forty  acres  of  railroad 
land  in  section  23,  across  the  road  from  his  homestead.  He  died 
February  25,  1915,  and  was  sincerely  mourned  throughout  the 
eommunity  in  which  for  so  long  he  has  been  an  influence  for 
goodness  and  uprightness.  Since  his  death  his  family  have  con- 
ducted the  home  place,  and  in  addition  to  their  eighty  acres  have 
rented  another  eighty,  so  that  they  now  have  a  good  farm  of  160 
acres.  Alonzo  'P.  and  Albertina  (Butzer)  Briggs  were  blessed 
with  five  children :  Edith,  William,  Herman  and  Gotlieb  and  Fred 
(twins).  Edith  married  Gustave  Krasean  and  they  have  three 
children :  Florence,  Walter  and  Myrtle.  William  is  with  his 
mother,  as  are  Herman  and  Fred,  and  the  three  operate  the  farm. 
Gotlieb  IS  dead.  Mrs.  Albertina  (Butzer)  Briggs  was  born  in 
Germany,  December  26,  1860,  and  came  with  her  parents  to 
America  in  1867.  They  located  on  a  farm  in  McLeod  county, 
jost  across  the  line  from  Renville  county,  took  a  homestead  of 
eighty  acres  of  wild  land,  toiled  early  and  late,  and  by  hard 
work  and  fidelity  to  duty  became  prominent  citizens.  They  fol- 
lowed general  farming  the  remainder  of  their  days,  the  father 
dying  in  October,  1892,  and  the  mother  May  5,  1896.  They  had 
eight  children:  Albertina,  Gust,  Emma  and  Charles  (twins), 
Ferdinand,  Bertha  and  Emalia.  Charles,  William,  Ferdinand 
and  Emalia  are  dead. 

August  P.  Barfknecht  was  bom  in  Pomerania,  Germany, 
February  1,  1852,  son  of  Christian  and  Carolina  (Modrow) 
Barfknecht.  He  received  his  early  education  in  Wisconsin  and 
grew  up  on  the  farm  in  Renville  county.  In  1883  he  bought  his 
present  place,  a  tract  of  eighty  acres,  in  section  16,  Boon  Lake 
township,  consisting  of  wild  prairie  land.  He  built  a  small  frame 
house  and  straw  shed  for  a  barn.  In  1886  he  bought  eighty  acres 
more,  set  out  groves  and  built  a  modern  house  and  barns.  All  of 
his  land  is  now  under  cultivation.  He  raises  a  good  grade  of 
stock.  Mr.  Barfknecht  is  a  director  of  the  Lake  Side  Creamery 
Company  and  has  been  its  president  for  three  or  four  years.  He 
held  olBce  as  township  supervisor  and  has  been  a  member  of  the 
school  board  for  three  years.  His  faith  is  that  of  the  German 
Lutheran  church.  December  23,  1882,  Mr.  Barfknecht  was  mar- 
ried to  Augusta  Lohrenz  and  they  have  had  four  children :  Henry, 
now  a  farmer  in  Boon  Lake  township ;  Albert,  William  and 
Adolph,  who  died  in  infancy. 


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326  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

AlbMt  W.  Baifknecht,  a  farmer  of  Booq  Lake  township,  was 
bom  March  12,  1854,  in  Pomerania,  Germany,  son  of  Christian 
and  Carolina  (Modrow)  Barfknecht,  both  natives  of  Germany, 
where  they  were  engaged  as  farmers.  They  set  out  for  the 
United  States  in  1863,  bringing  with  them  their  family  of  seven 
children:  August,  Albert,  Augusta,  Minnie,  Paulina  Barfknecht 
and  Ernest  Koeppe,  a  son  of  Mrs.  Barfknecht  by  a  former  mar- 
riage to  Ernest  Koeppe,  Sr.  They  came  by  steamer  to  New  York 
and  overland  to  Oshkosh,  Wisconsin,  where  they  began  farming 
on  a  place  which  they  rented.  There  they  remained  fifteen  years 
and  there  two  children,  Carolina  and  Bertha,  were  born.  In 
the  fall  of  1878  the  family  came  to  Renville  county,  the  father 
and  mother  coming  by  train,  while  Alfred  and  the  rest  of  the 
children,  with  the  exception  of  two  sisters,  who  remained  in 
Wisconsin,  drove  to  Renville  with  two  teams  and  a  covered 
wagon.  They  settled  in  the  east  part  of  Boon  Lake  township. 
Albert  selected  a  tract  of  ninety-six  acres,  which  his  father  ptir- 
chased.  The  land  was  all  wild  prairie,  and  as  there  were  no 
building  they  erected  a  log  house  Id  by  28  feet  and  a  straw 
bam.  The  nearest  market  was  at  Hutchinson,  The  father  died 
on  the  farm  August  22,  1900,  at  the  age  of  seventy-five  years, 
and  the  mother  died  May  15,  1903,  at  the  age  of  eighty-one  years. 
Albert  received  his  early  education  in  the  schools  of  Wisconsin, 
and  at  the  age  of  twenty-four  years  took  over  the  old  home  place, 
to  which  he  has  added  until  he  now  farms  255  acres.  He  has 
built  a  modem  house  and  barns,  set  out  groves  and  made  other 
improvements.  He  raises  Durham  cattle,  Percheron  horses  and 
Chester  White  hogs.  He  has  been  secretary  of  the  Lake  Side 
Creamery  Company  for  the  past  four  years,  and  is  a  stockholder 
in  the  Co-operative  Farmers'  Elevator  Company  of  Hutchinson, 
of  which  he  was  one  of  the  first  board  members.  He  has  been 
on  the  township  board  as  chairman  and  as  supervisor  and  has 
been  township  clerk  for  the  past  eleven  years.  In  May,  1885,  he 
was  married  to  Paulina  Lohrenz,  bom  in  West  Prussia,  Germany, 
February  10,  1855.  Her  parents,  Martin  and  Minnie  (Borken- 
hagen)  Lohrenz,  brought  the  family  of  six  children,  Lucy, 
Adolph,  Julia,  Henrietta,  Paulina  and  Augusta,  to  America  in 
1868,  coming  by  sailing  vessel  and  arriving  at  New  York  after 
seven  weeks  on  the  water.  They  then  came  to  Renville  county, 
where  they  homesteaded  in  Boon  Lake  township,  section  12, 
securing  eighty  acres  of  wild  prairie  land.  Here  they  built  a 
small  log  house  and  here  the  father  lived  until  his  death  at  the 
age  of  eighty  years,  about  eighteen  years  ago.  His  wife  pre- 
deceased him  by  four  years  at  the  age  of  seventy-three  years. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barfknecht  have  four  children:  Minnie,  now  Mrs. 
Bechtel,  of  McLeod  county;  Frederick,  who  is  at  home,  and 
Helena  and  Martha  (deceased). 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  327 

Ktigb.  Canrigan,  a  prominent  and  estimable  citizen  of  Boon 
Lake  towDship,  was  bom  in  Hoosic  Falls,  Bennington  county; 
Vermont,  March  6,  1850,  son  of  Michael  and  Mary  (Goodman) 
Carrigan.  At  the  age  of  four  years  be  was  brought  to  Walworth 
county,  Wisconsin,  and  there  attended  school  until  fourteen  years 
of  age.  Then  with  hia  mother  he  came  to  Houston  county,  this 
state,  and  worked  out  on  various  farms  until  1868.  Then  he 
rented  a  farm  for  two  years.  In  1870  he  came  to  Renvilie  county 
and  homesteaded  160  acres  in  sections  22  and  27.  With  him  came 
his  mother,  and  his  brothers,  Owen,  John  and  Michael.  The  land 
when  he  secured  it  was  all  wild.  He  broke  the  land,  erected  a 
slianty  and  endured  all  the  hardships  incident  to  pioneer  life. 
Twice  their  crops  were  destroyed  by  grasshoppers  and  twice  by 
hail.  From  time  to  time  he  added  to  his  farm,  until  he  had  320 
acres.  He  built  a  good  home  and  outbuildings,  and  became  one 
o£  the  leading  men  of  the  community.  There  he  continued  to 
work  and  prosper  until  1912,  when  he  sold  out  and  retired.  The 
place  is  now  owned  by  his  sons.  He  was  town  supervisor  and  road 
overseer  and  served  for  some  sixteen  years  on  the  school  board 
of  his  district.  For  many  years  he  served  as  director  of  the 
Boon  Lake  Creamery,  which  he  helped  to  organize. 

Mr.  Carrigan  was  married  May  5,  1872,  to  Mary  McLaughlin, 
of  Houston  county,  who  was  bom  February  22,  1851,  and  died 
July  5, .1910.  This  union  was  blessed  with  nine  children:  William 
J.,  Harry  H.,  Michael  A.,  and  Edward,  who  are  farmers  in  Boon 
Lake  township;  Charles,  who  is  principal  of  schools  at  Dinuba, 
California;  Mary,  who  is  twin  sister  to  Charles,  is  the  wife  of 
William  Fallon,  also  a  farmer  in  that  township :  John,  likewise  a 
farmer  nearby;  Ellen,  wife  of  A.  C.  Michaelson,  of  Mankato; 
Francis,  died  at  the  age  of  eighteen  months. 

Michael  Carrigan  and  his  wife,  Mary  Goodman,  were  born 
in  Ireland,  and  were  married  in  Vermont.  In  1854  they  located 
in  Walworth  county,  Wis.,  where  Michael  Carrigan  died  the  same 
year.  His  wife  came  to  Minnesota,  and  died  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
one  years.  In  the  family  there  were  eight  children :  James,  who 
was  killed  in  the  Union  army;  William,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
seventeen  years ;  Mary,  who  died  at  the  age  of  four  years ;  Ellen, 
who  died  in  1909 ;  Owen,  who  died  in  1897 ;  Hugh,  who  is  living  in 
Boon  Lake  township;  John,  who  lives  in  Oregon;  and  Michael, 
wlio  lives  in  Hutchinson. 

Edward  Jamee  CanigaiL  was  born  August  31,  1877,  on  the 
homestead  of  his  father,  Hugh  Carrigan.  He  attended  the  dis- 
trict school  of  his  locality  and  high  school  at  Hutchinson,  later 
engaging  in  farming  near  Brainerd.  Next  he  was  employed  for 
two  years  on  the  county  dredge  work  and  five  years  were  spent 
in  Hutchinson  on  the  police  force.  In  1914  he  rented  a  farm  in 
Boon  Lake  township,  where  he  is  still  living.    He  is  a  progressive 


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328  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

farmer  and  raises  good  stock.  Mr.  Carrigan  was  married  October 
6,  1903,  to  Mary  Fischer,  bom  December  20,  1887,  in  Janesville, 
Minnesota,  daughter  of  Max  and  Anna  (Stoiber)  Fischer,  natives 
of  Germany,  who  were  there  married,  came  to  the  United  States 
in  1885  with  one  child,  Bosa,  located  on  a  farm  in  Waseca  county, 
Minnesota,  and  in  1900  came  to  Renville  county  and  bought  a 
tract  of  160  acres  of  land,  where  the  father  died  in  1907  at  the 
age  of  forty-eight  years.  The  following  children  were  born  in 
Minnesota:  Katie  (deceased),  Hannah,  Anna,  Mary,  Josie,  Clara, 
Max,  John,  George,  Edward,  Walter  and  Kenneth,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Carrigan  have  had  six  children :  Irene,  Veronica,  George,  Eugene, 
Leonard' and  Lucille  (deceased).  The  family  faith  is  that  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  church. 

Owen  Oartigan,  deceased,  a  pioneer  of  Boon  Lake  township, 
was  born  in  Vermont  in  1848.  He  moved  with  parents  to  Wal- 
*  worth  county,  Wisconsin,  in  1855,  and  remained  there  until  1863, 
when  he  removed  to  Houston  county,  Minnesota.  He  was  engaged 
in  farming  and  railroading  until  1870,  when  he  came  to  Boon 
Lake.  He  served  as  assessor,  supervisor  and  county  commis- 
sioner. He  was  married  in  1879  to  Minnie  Buce,  who  was  cap- 
tured by  the  Indians  when  a  child.  Her  parents  and  four  chil- 
dren were  killed  by  the  Indians  in  1862,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Carrigan 
had  six  children :  Ellen,  James,  Owen,  Pauline,  Daisy  and  Ernest, 
■who  died  at  the  age  of  six  months.  Mrs.  Carrigan 's  own  story 
is  told  at  length  elsewhere  in  this  work.  Historians  are  indebted 
to  her  for  much  intimate  knowledge  regarding  the  events  of 
those  stirring  times. 

Michael  Oarrigan,  son  of  Hugh  Carrigan,  was  born  September 
9,  1875,  in  Boon  Lake  township.  He  attended  the  district  school 
and  spent  one  and  a  half  years  at  the  Hutchinson  High  school. 
Then  he  engaged  in  farming,  living  for  two  years  in  Osceola 
township,  Renville  county,  and  then  locating  on  his  present  place 
in  section  27,  Boon  Lake  township,  where  he  purchased  eighty 
acres  of  land.  The  farm  was  partly  improved  at  the  time  of 
the  purchase  and  he  has  since  erected  good  buildings  and  de- 
veloped the  farm.  Mr.  Carrigan  has  just  been  elected  township 
overseer  under  the  Dunn  law.  His  is  the  second  office  of  the 
kind,  his  brother  Henry  holding  the  first  office.  Mr.  Carrigan 
was  married  in  1897  to  Nettie  Brathwaite,  bom  in  Chatfield, 
Minn.  They  have  had  eight  children:  Dewey,  Hugh,  Mabel, 
Edna,  Ellen,  Elmer,  Leona,  Miland,  and  Edith  (deceased).  The 
family  faith  is  that  of  the  Roman  Catholic  church. 

Harry  Carrigan,  a  farmer  of  Boon  Lake  township,  was  born 
April  11,  1873,  on  section  22,  Boon  Lake  township,  and  with 
the  exception  of  five  years  has  spent  his  life  in  the  county.  He 
received  his  education  in  the  district  school  and  at  Hutchinson, 
later  engaging  in  farming.    At  first  he  rented  the  farm  of  Minnie 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  329 

(Bmce)  Carrigan,  aection  22,  where  be  farmed  for  one  year. 
Then  be  went  to  WisconsiD  and  lived  there  about  five  years, 
coming  back  to  Benville  eotinty  and  renting  a  farm  in  section  28 
for  about  eight  years.  In  1914  he  purchased  his  present  place 
of  140  acres,  Boon  Lake  township.  He  is  interested  in  the  prog- 
ress of  the  farmer  and  in  co-operative  movements.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Catholic  church.  Mr.  Carrigan  was  married 
in  1900  to  Gertrude  Spencer,  bom  in  Wright  county,  November 
31, 1881,  daughter  of  John  and  Margaret  (Dogget)  Spencer.  John 
Spencer  was  a  native  of  Maine  and  his  wife,  of  New  York.  He 
was  of  Irish  parentage  and  she  of  Irish  and  German  parentage, 
her  mother  of  German  ancestry.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Carrigan  have  six 
children:  Bemiee,  Georgiana,  Esther,  Clifton,  Vernon  and  Cor- 
rine, 

William  J.  Oanigan,  son  of  Hugh  Carrigan,  was  born  in  Boon 
Lake  township,  March  17,  1873.  He  attended  the  district  schools 
of  the  county  and  spent  three  years  at  the  Hutchinson  High 
school.  He  then  engaged  in  farming  with  his  father  until  1896, 
when  he  decided  to  work  for  himself  and  bought  eighty  acres 
in  section  27.  Here  he  erected  a  home  and  necessary  buildings 
and  made  many  improvements.  He  has  since  added  eighty  acres 
to  his  farm  and  carries  on  diversified  farming.  He  is  interested 
in  farmers'  associations  and  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Boon  Lake 
Co-operative  Creamery  and  shareholder  in  the  Farmers'  Elevator 
at  Buffalo  Lake.  Mr.  Carrigan  has  also  been  a  prominent  factor 
in  the  affairs  of  the  community  both  politically  and  education- 
ally, and  served  aa  assessor  for  eight  years  from  1906  to  1914, 
and  is  now  one  of  the  deputy  sheriffs,  serving  his  third  term.  He 
has  been  director  of  school  district  120  for  the  last  fifteen  years. 
His  faith  is  that  of  the  Roman  Catholic  church.  Mr.  Carrigan 
wfis  married  May  5,  1896,  to  Leah  Funk,  of  Boon  Lake,  born 
January  31,  1878,  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Jane  (Kniver)  Punk, 
early  settlers  of  Boon  Lake,  now  living  at  Weyerhauser,  Wis. 
The  children  born  to  these  parents  are:  Francis,  bom  May  15, 
1898;  Mildred,  born  June  2,  1901;  Charles,  born  June  2,  1903; 
Robert,  bom  January  19,  1905;  Douglas,  bom  April  21,  1908; 
Lenora,  bom  April  28,  1910,  and  Clarice,  bom  November  18, 
1911. 

Jolm  H.  Carrigan,  son  of  Hugh  Carrigan,  was  born  in  Boon 
Lake  township  on  the  farm  where  he  now  lives,  October  27,  1881. 
He  received  his  early  education  at  the  district  school  and  engaged 
in  farming  at  home  until  1907,  n'hen  he  became  manager  of  the 
home  farm.  After  two  years  he  rented  the  Potter  farm  and 
remained  there  four  years.  In  1912  he  bought  160  acres,  a  part 
of  the  home  farm,  and  has  lived  there  ever  since.  He  has  become 
a  successful  farmer,  carrying  on  diversified  farming,  and  has 
made  many  improvements  on  his  farm.    June  26,  1906,  he  was 


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330  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

married  to  Mabel  Braithwaite,  who  was  bom  Dec.  6,  1880,  They 
have  the  following  children  r  Mary  Ruth,  born  April  27,  1907 ; 
Clifford  John,  bom  December  23,  1909;  Sarah  Catherine,  bom 
September  12,  1911;  Agnes  Genevieve,  bom  May  11,  1913.  The 
family  are  all  members  of  the  Roman  Catholic  church, 

William  Knrth,  one  of  the  succeaaful  farmers  of  Boon  Lake 
township,  was  bom  in  Pomerania,  Germany,  January  22,  1852, 
son  of  Gotlieb  and  Caroline  (Raether)  Kurth,  farmers,  who  lived 
and  died  in  Germany,  the  father  dying  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
five  years  and  the  mother  at  the  age  of  seventy  years.  In  the 
family  there  were  ten  children,  four  of  whom  came  to  the  United 
States,  namely:  William,  Herman,  Caroline  and  Wilhelmina. 
William  and  Wilhelmina  left  Germany  in  1873  coming  by  steamer 
to  New  York,  from  which  city  they  set  out  for  BulTalo,  New 
York,  where  they  had  friends.  William  remained  at  Buffalo 
for  five  months,  where  he  worked  at  whatever  he  could  find, 
and  then  went  to  the  state  of  Illinois,  where  he  worked  on  the 
farms  for  two  and  a  half  years.  Then  he  came  to  Minnesota. 
He  secured  a  piece  of  land  of  160  acres  in  section  2,  Boon  Lake 
township,  on  which  a  small  shanty  had  been  erected,  and  with 
a  yoke  of  oxen,  a  new  wagon,  and  two  cows,  he  and  his  bride 
began  farming.  They  met  with  many  adversities  the  first  three 
years.  The  first  two  years  the  crops  were  destroyed  by  the 
grasshoppers  and  the  third  year  the  crop  raised  from  the  seeds 
given  by  the  county,  harvested  more  straw  than  grain,  and  had 
to  be  sold  at  35  cents  per  bushel.  After  selling  his  cow  Mr. 
Kurth  had  $100  for  three  years  of  hard  work.  Then  he  rented 
the  farm  where  he  is  now  living.  He  had  a  fair  crop  the  first 
year  and  was  offered  the  place  on  time,  a  young  steer  being 
taken  in  part  payment.  He  was  charged  $120  for  the  improve- 
ments already  made.  He  built  a  log  house,  16  by  24  feet,  and 
made  a  rude  barn  from  crotch  sticks  with  a  straw  roof.  The 
nearest  market  was  at  Hutchinson,  He  used  the  oxen  for  a  short 
time  and  then  bought  a  pair  of  colts.  In  time  he  added  546  acres 
more  to  his  farm  and  built  modem  buildings  on  the  place.  He 
now  carries  on  general  farming  and  raises  a  good  grade  of  stock. 
Mr.  Kurth  is  a  member  of  the  Farmers'  Co-operative  Elevator 
Company  of  Hutchinson.  He  is  the  treasurer  and  has  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  board  of  directors  of  the  Lake  Side  Creamery.  He  has 
held  township  offices  for  thirty  years  and  has  been  the  chairman  of 
the  board  of  supervisors,  and  a  member  of  the  school  board  for 
nineteen  years,  having  helped  organize  the  school  district.  He 
helped  organize  the  Lutheran  church  at  Cedar  Mills  and  has 
been  treasurer  for  twenty  years.  Mr.  Kurth  was  married  Feb- 
ruary 19,  1876,  to  Augusta  Knack,  bom  in  Pomerania,  Germany, 
August  10,  1853,  daughter  of  William  and  Caroline  Knack,  who 
came  to  America  with  their  family  in  1872.    Nine  children  were 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  331 

born  to  Mr.  and  Mra.  Kurth;     Matilda,  Amelia,  Henry,  Paul, 
William,  August,  Otto,  Helmuth  and  Rudolph. 

William  Adolph  Nelson,  a  farmer  of  Boon  Lake  township, 
was  bom  in  Sweden,  October  4,  1867,  son  of  Nels  Alfred  Carlson 
and  Clara  Louisa  Carlson,  deriving  his  surname  from  his  father's 
Christian  name,  Nels.  His  parents  were  farmers  in  Sweden; 
.  his  father  died  there  in  1882  at  the  age  of  forty  years  and  his 
mother  is  still  living  at  the  age  of  seventy-five  years.  There 
were  twelve  children,  six  boys  and  six  girls:  John,  Hilda, 
Charles,  Clans,  Emil,  William,  Algot,  Anna,  Louise,  Emily,  Alma 
and  Hiima.  With  the  exception  of  Hilda,  Emil  (deceased)  and 
Alma,  all  came  to  this  country.  William  was  the  first  of  the 
family  to  leave  Sweden.  He  had  received  his  education  at  the 
public  school  there  and  had  engaged  in  farming.  In  1885  he  and 
a  friend  came  to  Nicollet  eonnty,  Minnesota,  where  he  farmed 
about  two  years.  In  1887  he  came  to  Renville  county  and  worked 
for  Darwin  S.  Hall.  With  the  exception  of  three  years  spent  in 
Minneapolis  he  worked  for  Mr,  Hall  until  1897,  when  he  mar- 
ried and  went  to  Minneapolis.  After  a  year  and  a  half  he  re- 
turned to  Renville  county  and  worked  for  Mr.  Hall  again,  re- 
maining with  him  for  two  years.  Then  he  started  for  himself 
and  rented  a  farm  in  section  31,  Boon  Lake  township,  where 
he  lived  for  twelve  years,  next  moving  to  his  present  place,  the 
old  H.  D.  Boorman  farm,  in  section  34,  Boon  Lake  township. 
He  raises  a  good  grade  of  stock,  specializing  in  Holstein  cattle. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Buffalo  Farmers'  Co-operative  Elevator 
Company.  His  faith  is  that  of  the  Swedish  Lutheran  church  of 
Preston  Lake  township.  Mr.  Nelson  was  united  in  marriage 
January  30,  1897,  to  Hilma  Carlson,  bom  in  Sweden,  March  22, 
1875,  daughter  of  Andrew  and  Johanna  M.  (Abrahamson)  Carl- 
son. Andrew  Carlson  came  to  the  United  States  in  1880  and  lo- 
cated in  Carver  county,  now  living  in  the  village  of  Carver  at 
the  age  of  64.  His  wife  died  in  1884  at  the  age  of  forty-five  years. 
Four  children  were  born  to  this  marriage :  Hilma,  Gusta,  Hilda 
and  Esther.  Mr.  Carlson  married  again  to  Mary  Ost,  three  chil- 
dren being  born  to  this  marriage :  William,  Anna  and  Nellie. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nelson  have  eight  children,  all  living  at  home : 
Clara,  Edith,  Lloyd,  Emery,  Elliot,  Ruth,  Harvey  and  Glenn. 

John  H.  Runke,  a  successful  farmer  of  Boon  Lake  township, 
was  bom  September  5,  1856,  in  Pomerania,  Germany,  son  of  Fred 
and  Sophia  (Block)  Runke,  both  natives  of  Germany,  Fred 
Runke  was  the  son  of  Ferdinand  Runke,  who  had  the  following 
children :  Fred,  Ferdinand,  Sophia,  Wilhelmina  and  Gusta. 
Sophia  Block  was  one  of  five  children.  Fred  and  Sophia  Runke 
were  the  only  ones  of  their  parents'  families  who  came  to  the 
United  States.  Fred  Runke  and  his  wife  had  seven  children: 
William,  August,  Ferdinand,  John,  Emelia,  Alvira  and  Albert. 


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332  HISTOKY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

■WilUam  was  the  first  to  come  to  the  United  States,  coming  in 
1870,  by  sailing  vessel.  He  came  to  Dodge  county,  Wisconsin, 
August,  his  brother,  coming  the  next  year.  Then  the  father  and 
mother  came  with  the  rest  of  the  family  in  1873,  coming  to  Wis- 
consin. They,  too,  came  by  sailing  vessel,  being  five  weeks  on 
the  sea.  Here  the  family  engaged  in  farming.  The  father  died 
the  following  year,  in  1874,  at  the  age  of  fifty-six  years.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  German  Lutheran  church.  The  next  year  the 
widow  came  with  the  son,  William,  to  Meeker  county,  Minne- 
sota. She  died  at  the  home  of  her  son  John,  in  Renville  county, 
February  4,  1904,  at  the  age  of  seventy-two  years.  John  H, 
Runke  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  Germany  and  at  about 
the  age  of  fifteen  years  canve  to  Wisconsin.  He.  had  to  earn 
money  to  pay  his  passage  over  and  at  $5.00  a  month  thought  he 
could  not  afford  to  continue  his  school  work  in  America.  It 
was  three  years  before  he  could  have  a  store  suit.  He  came  to 
Renville  county  in  1881  and  located  on  112  acres  in  section  4, 
Boon  Lake  township.  It  was  partly  broken,  but  had  no  buildings. 
John  stayed  here  two  years  with  his  brother  August,  who  lived 
near,  while  he  improved  the  place,  built  a  small  frame  house, 
14  by  18  feet,  erected  a  straw  shed  and  bought  a  yoke  of  oxen. 
After  his  marriage  he  moved  into  the  14  by  18  building  and 
lived  there  about  ten  years.  He  built  an  addition  to  the  house 
and  built  a  log  barn  and  rude  shed  for  more  stock.  He  also 
built  a  good  granary  and  windmill.  During  the  next  few  years 
he  added  347  acres  of  land  to  his  farm  and  bought  a  house  and 
two  lots  in  Hutchinson  and  later  two  acres  more  of- lots  in  Hutch- 
inson. Then  he  moved  on  the  Mooney  farm,  renting  his  old 
place.  For  five  years  he  had  from  900  to  1,000  acres  under  cul- 
tivation. He  had  built  a  log  house  on  section  8,  also  a  granary 
and  horse  barn  and  is  living  there  now.  He  has  biiilt  a  modern 
house  of  eleven  rooms,  32  by  42,  and  also  a  new  horse  barn  and 
a  windmill.  He  raises  full  blooded  Holstein  cattle,  Percheron 
horses  and  fine  hogs.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Hutchinson  Farm- 
ers' Co-operative  Elevator  Company,  a  director  of  the  Lake 
Side  Creamery  Company,  which  he  helped  organize,  and  also  a  di- 
rector of  the  Coma  Creamery,  which  he  also  helped  organize.  Mr, 
Runke  has  held  various  township  offices,  having  been  a  super- 
visor and  road  overseer  from  the  very  first  years  and  township 
treasurer  for  about  eight  years.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the 
school'  board  and  is  at  present  the  clerk,  and  helped  organize 
the  district  No.  122.  He  is  a  member  of  the  German  Lutheran 
church  and  helped  organize  and  build  the  church  at  Cedar  Mills, 
Meeker  county,  of  which  he  was  a  trustee  for  sis  years.  Mr. 
Runke  was  married  September  15,  1884,  to  Matilda  Schamndt, 
born  in  Illinois,  March  14,  1867,  daughter  of  Martin  and  Louise 
(Ronke)  Schaipndt.    Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  H.  Runke  have  had  the 


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PETEB  NESTANDE 


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PUBLIC  tlBRARM 


wS-i^»»«H 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  333 

following  children:  Louisa  (deeeaaed),  Reinhold,  Leta,  Matilda, 
Linda,  Henry,  Arnold,  Ida  and  Elsie. 

Martin  Schajnndt,  a  pioneer,  was  bom  in  West  Prnssia,  Ger- 
many, and  there  married  Mrs.  Louise  (Ronke)  Litzeo,  also  a 
native  of  West  Prussia.  In  1864  they,  with  their  three  children, 
Alvina,  Hermina  and  Amelia,  started  for  the  United  States, 
reaching  New  York,  where  they  remained  about  one  year  and 
then  came  to  Illinois,  where  Mr.  Scharandt  worked  out  on  the 
farms  until  1868.  A  boy,  Henry,  was  born  in  Illinois.  Then  they 
came  to  McLeod  county,  Minnesota,  where  Mr.  Schamndt  worked 
by  the  day  for  a  year.  He  next  secured  a  homestead  on  section 
4,  in  Boon  Lake  township,  bought  a  yoke  of  oxen,  "Bright  and 
Brindle,"  and  began  farming.  A  rude  shelter  was  constructed 
of  crotch  sticks  and  covered  with  marsh  hay.  They  were  greatly 
troubled  by  the  mosquitoes  and  the  mother  often  sat  up  all  night 
keeping  the  mosquitoes  off  from  the  children.  The  first  wagon 
was  made  from  the  logs  with  wheels  cut  from  the  large  trees. 
The  nearest  market  was  at  Dassel,  the  trip  taking  three  days, 
and  Mr.  Schamndt  lost  his  w^y  in  the  snowstorms  several  times. 
His  wife  spun  yarn  from  the  wool  of  their  own  sheep  and  made 
clothing  for  the  family.  The  rude  summer  home  was  replaced 
by  a  dugout  for  the  winter,  with  long  grass  for  a  roof,  after- 
wards replaced  by  a  cambric  cloth  roof,  with  a  clay  chimney. 
The  barn  was  a  rude  straw  shed.  Here  they  lived  and  prospered, 
in  time  adding  60  acres  more  to  their  farm  and  setting  out  groves 
of  trees.  Two  more  children  were  bom  in  Boon  Lake  town- 
ship, Ida  and  Rudolph.  Mr.  Schamndt  deeded  100  acres  of  his 
land  to  Rudolph  and  erected  buildings  on  the  remaining  60 
acres,  later  adding  80  acres  more.  Mrs.  Schamndt  died  in  1881 
at  the  age  of  fifty-six  years  and  Mr.  Schamndt  married  Bertha 
Keafear,  a  widow  of  William  Schmachel,  by  whom  she  had  four 
children:  Henrietta,  Wilhelmina,  Emil  and  Walter.  By  her 
marriage  to  Mr.  Schamndt  there  were  born  two  children,  Fred 
and  Anna.  Fred  still  lives  on  the  home  place,  and  his  mother 
lives  with  him.  Martin  Schamndt  died  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
two  years  in  1908.  Henry  Schamndt  was  killed  in  an  accident 
in  1890  at  the  age  of  twenty-five  years,  leaving  a  wife  and  two 
children.  Ida  Schamndt  died  from  the  effects  of  bums  in  1882 
at  the  age  of  eleven  years.  Wilhelmina,  the  stepsister,  also  died 
in  1890,  leaving  a  husband  and  six  children. 

Petnr  Nestande  was  born  in  Norway,  February  17,  1850,  son 
of  Peter  Nestande,  a  farmer  in  Norway,  who  died  in  1857  at  the 
age  of  fifty  and  his  wife,  Mary  (Olson)  Nestande,  who  was  bom 
in  1812,  died  in  1896.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  came  to  Amer- 
ica in  1870  and  for  five  years  was  employed  as  farm  hand.  Then 
for  five  years  he  lived  on  school  land  in  section  16,  in  Bandon 
township,  this  county,  and  in  1880  homesteaded  in  section  2,  Ban- 


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334  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

don  township,  where  he  still  resides.  He  has  been  industrious 
and  has  increased  his  holdings  so  that  now  he  owns  240  acres 
of  land.  He  has  served  as  township  treasuser  for  three  years, 
school  treasurer  for  twenty  years  and  is  a  stockholder  in  the 
co-operative  elevator,  the  creamery,  the  co-operative  store  and 
the  First  National  Bank,  all  of  Fairfax.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Norwegian  Lutheran  church.  Mr.  Nestande  was  married  Janu- 
ary 8,  1876,  to  Inger  Karena  Hoimyr,  who  died  in  1896,  at  the 
age  of  thirty-six.  Ten  children  were  born :  Matilda,  wife  of 
John  Delin,  of  St.  Paul,  Minn. ;  Annie,  widow  of  Joseph  Mundahl, 
of  St.  Paul  i  Peter  P.,  a  miner  in  the  Black  Hills,  South  Dakota ; 
Elsie,  wife  of  Daniel  Matson,  of  St.  Paul ;  Marit  Josephine,  wife 
of  Edwin  Jacohsen,  of  Washington;  Inga,  wife  of  Andrew  Mun- 
dahl, of  St.  Paul;  Olga,  Palma,  Emma,  all  living  at  St.  Paul; 
and  Elmer,  at  home. 

Ole  E.  Kdljr,  a  well  4inown  farmer  of  Bandon  township,  was 
born  in  Norway,  Septeitabet  1,  1856,  son  of  Erland  and  Jorend 
(Nestegaard)  Kelly.  The  father  was  born  May  10,  1810,  and 
came  to  America  in  1868  with  his  son,  Matbias,  settling  on  sec- 
tion 30,  in  Bandon  township,  where  he  lived  until  his  death,  Jan- 
uary 15,  1900.  The  mother  was  boru.January  1,  1814,  and  died 
in  January,  1901.  Ole  Kelly  earae  to  America  with  his  parents 
and  worked  out  from  the  age  of  fourteen  until  he  was  twenty- 
seven  years  of  age.  Then  he  bought  80  acres  in  section  30, 
Bandon  township,  where  he  still  lives,  now  owning  440  acres. 
The  first  house  on  his  farm  was  built  of  hewn  logs,  16  by  24, 
and  his  farming  outfit  consisted  of  a  yoke  of  oxen.  Mr.  Kelly  has 
now  a  very  fine  improved  farm  and  has  built  a  large  barn,  32  by 
90,  and  tile  silo  with  a  capacity  of  180  tons.  He  makes  a  spe- 
cialty of  raising  Hereford  cattle  and  Duroc  swine.  He  has  been 
prominent  in  public  affairs  and  has  served  on  the  township  board 
for  four  years.  He  has  also  been  treasurer  of  the  school  district 
for  ten  years.  He  is  stockholder  in  the  mill  and  the  State  Bank 
at  Franklin  and  is  a  member  of  the  Hauge  's  Norwegian  Lutheran 
church.  Mr,  Kelly  was  married  March  9,  1883,  to  Annie  Gunder- 
son,  daughter  of  Gunder  and  Annie  Gunderson.  Mrs.  Annie 
{Gunderson)  Kelly  died  March  1,  1897,  at  the  age  of  thirty-two, 
leaving  three  children:  Edward,  bom  November  24,  1886,  now 
manager  of  the  home  farm ;  Gilbert,  bom  October  16,  1888 ;  and 
Olaf,  bora  December  21,  1893,  who  is  attending  the  Red  Wing 
Seminary,  at  Red  Wing,  Minn.  Mr.  Kelly  was  married  a  second 
time  on  October  28,  1900,  to  Ellen  Hanson,  widow  of  William 
Hanson,  a  farmer  of  Camp  township.  She  was  born  February  14, 
1861,  and  by  her  first  marriage  had  one  child,  Minnie,  bom  Sep- 
tember 28,  1894. 

Nels  H.  Strom,  a  prosperous  farmer  of  Bandon  township,  was 
bom  in  Norway,  July  2,  1832,  and  came  to  America  in  1863.    He 


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mSTOBY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  836 

lived  at  Mankato  one  year,  working  on  the  railroad,  and,  in 
1864  homesteaded  in  section  26,  Bandon  township,  where  he  still 
lives.  The  first  house  was  huilt  of  logs.  By  dint  of  hard  work 
and  industry  he  has  now  a  fine  and  well  improved  farm.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  Norwegian  Lutheran  church  and  is  a  stock- 
holder in  the  Farmers'  Co-operative  Elevator  Co.,  of  Fairfax.  In 
1864  he  WHS  united  in  marriage  to  Mary  Linrud,  bom  August, 
1840,  who  died  October  9,  1903.  The  following  children  were 
bom :  Hans,  bom  February  14,  1871 ;  Albert,  of  North  Dakota, 
bom  December  26,  1872;  Carl,  horn  December  17,  1874,  a  farmer 
in  Camp  township ;  Ole,  bom  January  11,  1877,  now  manager  of 
the  home  farm ;  Matilda,  born  November  4,  1880,  at  home ;  and 
Henry,  bom  May  4,  1882,  at  home. 

Jonu  BrandjtH^d  was  born  on  section  32,  Baudon  township, 
March  13,  1886,  son  of  Iver  and  Oleve  Schgei,  The  father  was 
bom  in  Norway,  in  1837,  and  came  to  America  in  1866,  living  in 
Fillmore  county  two  years  and  then  homeateading  -80  acres  in 
the  east  half  of  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  32,  Bandon  town- 
ship, where  he  remained  until  March  7,  1911,  when  he  removed 
to  Franklin,  and  died  there  July  24,  1911.  Jonas  remained  at 
home  until  he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age.  In  1908  he  took  a 
homestead  of  160  acres  in  Billings  county,  North  Dakota,  where 
he  remained  about  one  year,  and  then  sold  out.  Next  he  engaged 
in  a  wholesale  grocery  house  at  Duluth  for  about  one  year  and 
later  worked  for  the  Minneapolis  Milk  Co,  for  about  two  years. 
On  January  1,  1911,  he  rented  the  home  farm  and  is  still  living 
there.  He  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Franklin  Farmers'  Elevator 
Company,  at  Franklin.  Mr.  Brandjord  was  married  June  4,  1909, 
in  Minneapolis  to  Alma  Anderson,  bom  October  5,  1882,  daugh- 
ter of  Gustav  and  Helen  (Hoimyr)  Anderson.  Her  father  was 
bom  in  Sweden  and  became  a  farmer  in  Bandon  township.  Her 
mother  died  December  18,  1896,  at  the  age  of  thirty-nine  years. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brandjord  have  the  following  children:  Harriet 
Olivien,  bom  October  24,  1910;  Gloyd  Ilert,  bora  December  15, 
1911,  and  Evelyn  Ordis,  horn  April  21,  1914. 

Isaac  W.  Bovainen,  deceased,  was  horn  March  7,  1868,  in 
Sweden,  son  of  Carl  M.  Rovainen,  a  farmer  of  that  country. 
Isaac  W.  Rovainen  came  to  America  in  1886  and  worked  in  the 
copper  mines  at  Calumet,  Mich,,  for  two  years  and  for  five  years 
as  miner  in  the  Black  Hills  in  South  Dakota.  In  1892  he  bought 
160  acres  in  section  31,  Bandon  township,  .where  he  lived  untii 
his  death,  January  9,  1915.  From  1902  until  his  death  he  served 
as  elder  and  reader  of  the  Finnish  Apostolic  Lutheran  church, 
which  is  located  on  the  northwest  corner  of  section  5,  Camp 
township.  He  was  also  its  treasurer.  At  the  time  of  his  death 
Mr.  Rovainen  owned  one-half  section  of  land.  He  had  built  a 
nice  eight  room  house  and  was  stockholder  in  the  creamery  and 


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336  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  OOUNTY 

elevator  at  Franklin.  Mrs.  Bovainen,  with  the  help  of  her  chil- 
dren, DOW  conduct  the  farm.  In  1889  Mr,  Rovainen  married  Hil- 
da J.  Lahti,  daughter  of  Peter  and  Johanna  Rahti.  Her  father 
came  to  America  in  1864  and  located  in  Camp  township  in  1866, 
where  he  lived  until  his  death  in  1911,  at  the  age  of  seventy  years. 
His  wife  lives  in  section  19,  Camp  township.  Mrs.  Hilda  (Lahti) 
Rovainen  died  July,  1894,  leaving  one  son,  Alfred,  now  a  farmer 
in  Birch  Cooley  township.  Mr.  Rovainen  was  married  a  second 
time  on  February  2,  1895,  to  Emma  J,  Johnson,  bom  December 
3,  1870.  She  attended  the  State  Normal  school  at  Mankato  and 
was  a  teacher  for  four  years.  She  also  was  treasurer  of  school 
district  No.  69  for  ten  years.  By  this  second  marriage  there 
were  ten  children ;  Vema  A.,  born  November  15,  1895,  a  teacher 
in  New  York  Mills,  Minn. ;  Esther,  born  January  28,  1897 
Adolph,  bom  May  27,  1898;  Gladys  G.,  bom  March  24,  1900; 
Helen  A.,  born  March  11. 1902 ;  Maojie  B.,  born  January  15, 1904 
Carl  M.,  bom  May  2,  1905  5  Lila  A.,  bom  April  11,  1907;  Inez 
J.,  bora  December  18,  1909,  and  Mildred  E.  T.,  bom  June  28, 
1913. 

Isaac  BoffUna  was  born  on  section  18,  Camp  township,  Febru- 
ary 17,  1866,  son  of  Mathias  and  Eva  Bogema.  Mathias  Bogema 
came  to  America  in  1865,  living  at  St.  Peter,  Minn.,  for  six  months, 
then  going  to  Gamp  township,  where  he  spent  the  winter.  In  the 
summer  of  1866  he  homesteaded  160  acres  of  land  in  section  1, 
in  Birch  Cooley  township,  where  he  remained  for  six  years.  He 
disposed  of  this  land  and  bought  160  acres  in  section  35,  Camp 
township,  where  he  lived  until  his  death,  March  8,  1892.  His 
wife  died  in  1872,  at  the  age  of  fifty  years.  Isaac  Bogema  re- 
mained at  home  until  he  was  twenty-five  years  old  and  in  1892 
bought  160  acres  of  land  in  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  31, 
Bandon  township,  where  he  still  lives.  He  has  improved  and 
developed  the  farm,  owns  220  acres,  and  has  good  buddings.  Mr. 
Bogema  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Franklin  Elevator  and  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Finnish  Lutheran  church.  He  was  married  December 
8,  1891,  to  Maria  Lagari,  bom  August  25,  1862,  daughter  of 
Randall  Isaac  Lagari,  now  living  in  Camp  township,  and  his 
wife,  Louisa  Lagari.  They  are  both  natives  of  Finland  and  in 
1897  Mr.  Bogema  sent  them  money  to  pay  their  passage  over  to 
America.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bogema  have  seven  children:  Lydia, 
born  October  11,  1892,  married  to  Joseph  Sherman,  of  San 
Francisco;  Walter,  born  April  20,  1895;  Arthur,  born  July  9, 
1896;  Oscar,  born  September  21,  1897;  Hjalmar,  bom  November 
15,  1900 ;  John,  born  June  15, 1902 ;  Alma,  born  October  11,  1903 ; 
all  except  the  oldest  of  these  children  being  at  home, 

Mftthiflfl  E.  Kelly,  now  deceased,  was  born  in  Norway,  October 
1,  1853,  son  of  Erland  and  Jorend  (Nestegaard)  Kelly.  Erland 
Kelly  was  bom  May  10,  1810,  and  his  wife,  Jorend  (Nestegaard) 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  337 

Kelly,  was  born  January  1,  1814.  In  1868  they  came  with  their 
family  to  America  and  settled  on  a  farm  in  section  30,  Bandon 
township,  where  they  built  their  home  and  engaged  in  farming 
until  the  time  of  their  death.  Mr.  Kelly  died  January  15,  1900, 
and  Mrs.  Kelly  died  in  January,  1901.  Mathiae  E.  Kelly  came 
to  America  with  his  parents  in  1868,  and  located  with  them  in 
Bandon  township.  In  time  he  purchased,  together  with  his  broth- 
er Severt,  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  30,  Bandon  township. 
Thia  land  they  purchased  from  an  older  brother,  who  also  bore 
the  name  of  Severt,  who  had  taken  it  as  a  homestead.  In  time 
Mathias  Kelly  became  the  sole  owner  and  proprietor  of  this 
farm,  and  added  to  it  at  different  times,  until  it  now  contains 
440  acres  in  the  home  farm  and  268  acres  in  sections  5  and  6, 
Camp  township.  He  built  a  nice  home,  large  barns  and  a  com- 
plete set  of  outhuildings,  and  here  carried  on  general  farming, 
until  his  death,  February  26,  1915,  with  the  exception  of  four 
years,  from  1900  to  1904,  when  he  was  in  the  general  merchan- 
dise business  in  Franklin  in  partnership  with  his  brother  Ole 
E.  Kelly  and  E,  S.  Johnson.  Mr.  Kelly  was  a  member  of  the 
school  board  for  ten  years  and  was  a  stockholder  and  director 
in  the  Franklin  Creamery.  February,  1881,  he  married  Ragnild 
Jordet,  bom  April  25,  1854,  daughter  of  Severt  and  Marit 
(Brunsbagen)  Jordet.  She  now  resides  with  her  children  on 
the  home  farm.  The  following  children  were  bom  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Kelly:  Edward,  was  bom  April  20,  1882.  He  was  a  stu- 
dent of  the  Red  Wing  Seminary  at  Red  Wing,  Minn.,  and  is  now 
farming  in  Camp  township.  He  married  Clara  Gunderson,  of 
Mankato,  and  they  have  four  children:  Inez,  Marlow,  Kenneth 
and  Vincent.  The  farm  he  is  living  on  is  a  part  of  the  Mathias 
E.  Kelly  estate.  Jennie  was  born  October  22,  1884.  She  gradu- 
ated from  the  Domestic  Science  class  at  the  Ladies'  Lutheran 
Seminary,  at  Red  Wing,  in  1906,  and  resides  at  home.  Severt, 
born  October  22,  1867,  is  farming  with  his  brother  Edward,  on 
their  farm  in  Camp  township.  He  was  a  student  at  the  Agricul- 
tural College  at  Minneapolis.  Milton,  bom  March  16,  1891,  and 
Oscar,  horn  October  3,  1892,  conduct  the  home  farm.  Oscar  was 
a  student  of  the  Red  Wing  Seminary.  These  young  men  are 
breeders  of  thorough-bred  Aberdeen  Angus  Black  Poll  eattle  and 
Duroc  Jersey  swine,  and  each  year  ship  from  four  to  five  car- 
loads to  the  South  St.  Paul  yards  for  the  market.  They  also  are 
largely  patronized  by  individual  buyers  for  breeding  purposes. 
Thorvald,  now  a  student  of  the  Red  Wing  Seminary,  was  born 
December  4,  1894.  The  family  are  all  members  of  the  Hauge 
Norwegian  Lutheran  church. 

Ole  P.  Hoimyr  was  horn  in  Norway,  September  27,  1854,  son 
of  Peter  and  Anna  Olene  (Isaacson)  Hoimyr.  Peter  Hoimyr  came 
to  America  in  1867  and  located  first  at  Kilbourne,  Wis.,  and  later 


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338  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

at  St.  Peter,  Mion.  In  1869  he  homesteaded  160  acrea  in  section 
26,  BandoD  township  and  lived  there  until  his  death  in  1903,  at 
the  age  of  seventy-four.  His  wife  died  in  1911.  Ole  Hoimyr 
remained  at  home  until  1880,  when  he  engaged  in  farming  for 
himself.  He  purchased  160  acres  in  section  16,  Bandon  township, 
where  he  "still  lives,  having  built  up  a  good  farm.  Mr.  Hoimyr 
is  a  member  of  the  Norwegian  Synod  Lutheran  church  and  taught 
parochial  school  for  eight  years.  He  served  on  the  township 
board  for  five  years  and  also  was  township  treasurer  for  fifteen 
years.  He  was  postmaster  at  Bandon  postoffice  for  eleven  years, 
the  office  being  in  his  home.  May  13,  1880,  Mr.  Hoimyr  was  mar- 
ried to  Anna  Johanessen,  bom  October  14,  1850,  and  died  Decem- 
ber 22,  1913.  There  is  one  child,  Marith  Palma,  born  October  27, 
1884,  who  is  married  to  Jorgen  Olson,  manager  of  Mr.  Hoimyr's 
farm.  They  have  one  child,  Anna  Mildred,  born  January  8, 
1915. 

Hemmu  Holm  was  born  in  Hamraerfest,  Norway,  August  18, 
1866,  son  of  Benjamin  and  Margaret  (Ruona)  Holm.  The  father 
was  a  sailor  on  the  large  walrus  and  sealing  vessels  and  was  a 
native  of  Sweden,  where  he  was  married.  In  1872  he  came  to 
America  and  engaged  in  work  as  a  miner  in  the  copper  mines  at 
Hancock,  Mich.,  and  remained  there  for  seven  and  a  half  years. 
In  1880  he  came  to  Bandon  township,  where  he  settled  on  rail- 
way land  and  lived  there  for  two  years.  In  1882  he  bought  80 
acres  in  the  north  half  of  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  30. 
Here  he  remained  for  four  years  and  then  sold  and  bought  land 
in  the  northeast  quarter  in  section  31,  where  he  lived  until  his 
death,  June  18,  1903,  at  the  age  of  sixty-nine  year's.  Herman 
Holm  remained  at  home  until  he  was  twenty-seven  years  of  age. 
He  then  worked  in  the  Calumet,  Mich.,  copper  mines  for  a  time 
and  one  year  on  a  railroad  in  Ontario.  In  1896  he  bought  80 
acres  in  the  east  half  of  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  31,  Ban- 
don township,  which  was  the  home  farm  and  moved  onto  it  in 
1906.  In  1911  he  sold  and  bought  160  acres  in  the  southwest 
quarter  of  section  32,  Bandon  township,  where  he  still  lives,  Mr, 
Holm  is  a  stockholder  in  the  creamery  and  elevator  company, 
at  Franklin.  He  was  married  July  14,  1904,  to  Mary  Maki,  bom 
May  31,  1875,  daughter  of  Solomon  and  Hattie  (Komse)  Maki, 
farmers  of  Finland.  Two  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Holm,  Edward  and  Arthur,  The  family  attends  the  Luth- 
eran church. 

PetO*  M.  Ha^e  was  born  on  the  northeast  quarter  of  section 
28,  Bandon  township,  October  8,  1880,  son  of  Martin  Johnson 
Hage  and  Johanna  (Peterson)  Hage.  The  father  was  born  in 
Norway  and  came  to  America  in  1861,  going  to  St.  Peter,  where 
he  lived  for  three  years,  then  in  1864  homesteading  in  section 
28,  Bandon  township,  where  he  remained  until  his  death.     The 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  339 

mother  was  born  July  10,  1838,  and  died  May  25,  1915.  Peter 
M.  Hage  took  charge  of  the  home  farm,  consisting  of  200  acres, 
in  the  spring  of  1909  and  has  been  manager  ever  since.  He  is  a 
stockholder  in  the  Farmers'  Elevator  at  Fairfax.  October  14 
1910,  he  was  married  to  Emma  Possen,  bom  September  24,  1894, 
daughter  of  John  Possen,  now  living  in  Gibbon,  Minn.,  who  came 
from  Germany  to  America  in  1885,  and  of  his  wife,  Alvina  Possen. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hage  have  three  children,  Maurice  Marvin,  Harry 
Holly  and  Florence  Lenora.  The  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Martin  Johnson  are :  Julia,  now  Mrs.  Benjamin  Vigen,  of  Nel- 
son county,  North  Dakota;  Paulina,  now  Mrs.  Adolph  Qumpolen, 
t}{  Rolette  county,  North  Dakota ;  John,  of  Granville,  North  Da- 
kota; Julius;  Ole  and  Peter,  farmers  of  Bandon  township,  this 
county;  and  Maurice,  who  is  in  the  lumber  business  in  Winni- 
peg, Canada. 

Olfl  A.  Eorsmo  was  born  in  Norway,  October  14,  1862,  son  of 
Andrew  S.  and  Mary  0.  (Skamess)  Koramo.  Andrew  S.  Korsmo 
came  to  America  in  1869,  bought  130  acres  of  land  in  section 

21,  Camp  township  and  lived  there  until  his  death,  November 

22,  1874,  at  the  age  of  sixty-four.  His  wife  died  in  March,  1890, 
at  the  age  of  ninety-two.  Ole  Korsmo  remained  at  home  until 
twenty -three  years  of  age,  and  then  bought  80  acres  of  wild 
prairie  land  in  section  27,  Bandon  township,  on  to  which  he 
moved  in  1899.  He  has  developed  this  farm,  increased  it  to  120 
acres,  erected  a  good  dwelling  and  barns  and  made  many  im- 
provements. He  is  a  stockholder  in  the  creamery  and  co-opera- 
tive store  at  Fairfax,  has  served  as  school  director  for  eight  years 
and  is  a  member  of  the  Norwegian  Lutheran  church.  Mr.  Korsmo 
was  married  May  25,  1899,  to  Mrs.  Gurina  Peterson,  widow  of 
L.  Peterson,  son  of  Heliek  Peterson.  She  is  the  daughter  of  Hans 
Mangseth  and  was  born  April  21,  1875.  By  her  first  marriage 
she  had  three  children :  Hannah,  born  June  7,  1893 ;  Mable,  born 
September  21,  1894,  and  Leonard,  born  July  18,  1896.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Korsmo  also  have  three  children:  Anton,  born  February 
16,  1900;  Mathilda,  born  October  4,  1902,  and  Gladys,  born 
March  28,  1908. 

James  L.  Muman,  a  prominent  farmer  of  Bandon  township, 
was  bom  on  section  36,  Bandon  township,  August  7,  1881,  son 
of  John  and  Jane  (Blake)  Murnan.  The  father,  when  a  child, 
was  at  Ft.  Ridgely  during  the  Indian  outbreak.  He  homesteaded 
the  southeast  quarter  of  the  eastern  half  in  section  36,  Bandon 
township,  where  he  lived  until  his  death,  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
eight,  September  15,  1882,  being  killed  in  a  threshing  machine. 
The  mother  died  February  2,  1898,  at  the  age  of  forty-two.  Be- 
sides the  subject  of  this  sketch,  there  was  one  child,  Mary  Jane, 
born  August  21,  1879,  now  the  wife  of  Thomas  J.  Maxwell,  a 
farmer   in   Eugene,   Ore.     They   have   five   children  r     Leonard, 


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340  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

James,  Mary,  'William  and  an  infant.  After  his  mother's  death 
James  L,  Murnan  made  his  home  with  James  Maxwell,  in  Camp 
township,  and  attended  school  until  1900.  Then  he  worked  for 
his  uncle  Patrick  Murnan,  at  Kingston,  Meeker  county,  Minn., 
and  attended  school  there  for  two  years.  Next  he  homesteaded 
in  Roseau  county,  Minn.,  where  he  remained  for  six  years.  A 
year  was  then  spent  in  Memphis,  Tenn.,  and  five  years  as  a  car- 
penter at  Fairfax,  Minn.  He  is  now  farming  on  the  old  home 
place.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Catholic  church  and  of  the  K.  C. 
and  C.  0.  F. 

Hichad  Heikka,  deceased,  was  born  in  Finland  and  came  to 
America  in  1864.  For  a  number  of  years  he  worked  as  a  farm 
hand  in  the  summer  and  trapped  in  the  winter.  Once  he  suc- 
ceeded in  trapping  a  lynx  in  some  timber  near  Bird  Island.  This 
is  said  to  be  the  only  lynx  ever  seen  in  Renville  county.  In  1872 
he  homesteaded  137  acres  in  section  5,  Camp  township,  and  in 
1880  bought  160  acres  in  section  32,  Bandon  township,  where  he 
lived  until  his  death  in  1895,  at  the  age  of  sixty-three  years.  In 
1872  he  was  married  to  Mary  Johnson,  born  in  Norway,  in  1848, 
She  now  lives  with  her  two  sons,  Henry  and  Charles,  who  own 
and  manage  the  home  farm  of  220  acres.  Henry  has  been  a  suc- 
cessful thresher  for  twenty  years  and  Charles  raises  pure  blooded 
Poland  China  swine  and  has  a  large  number  of  them  registered, 
raising  about  120  per  year.  Once  a  year  he  has  a  public  sale. 
The  brothers  also  raise  Herford  cattle.  Henry  is  a  director  of 
the  Franklin  Creamery  and  Charles  is  a  stockholder  of  the  Farm- 
ers' Elevator,  at  Franklin.  Besides  these  liwo  sons  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Heikka  had  the  following  children :  Bertha,  married  to 
David  Holland,  who  lives  in  Montana ;  Annie,  living  in  Montana ; 
Ida,  married  to  Charles  Savage,  in  Montana,  and  Emma,  married 
to  Edward  Qlorvick,  of  Minneapolis ;  Rega,  a  trained  nurse  at  the 
Swedish  hospital  at  Minneapolis,  and  Crissia,  at  home. 

Hans  F.  Hundahl,  an  industrious  farmer  of  Bandon  township, 
was  born  in  Norway,  April  26,  1844,  son  of  Fred  Hanson,  a  farm- 
er, who  died  in  1850,  at  the  age  of  forty,  and  his  wife,  Gjetlug 
(Knudson),  who  died  in  1901,  at  the  age  of  seventy-five.  Hans 
F.  Mundahl  came  to  America  in  1870  and  worked  in  Fillmore 
county  four  years.  In  1874  he  bought  the  southwest  quarter  of 
section  36,  Bandon  township,  where  he  has  lived  ever  since.  His 
first  house  was  of  sod  with  a  sod  roof  and  had  no  floor.  He 
brought  an  ox  team  with  him  from  Fillmore  county  and  an  old 
wagon  and  plow.  The  first  three  years  were  very  discouraging, 
as  he  had  no  crops,  the  grasshoppers  destroying  all.  He  made  a 
little  butter,  which  he  sold  to  Ft,  Ridgfly  at  six  cents  per  pound. 
But  these  pioneer  times  passed  away,  and  Mr.  Mundahl  became 
a  prominent  and  prosperous  farmer.  In  July,  1869,  he  was  united 
in  marriage  in  Norway  to  Syneva  Mundahl,  born  October  31, 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  341 

1844,  daughter  of  Ole  Mundehl,  a  farmer  in  Norway,  and  his 
wife,  Anna  (Thomassen)  Mundahl.  Ten  children  were  bom: 
Frederick,  bom  on  the  ocean,  died  at  the  age  of  two  weeks ;  Fred- 
erick, bom  in  May,  1870 ;  Carrie,  bom  December  10,  1872,  mar- 
ried to  Martin  Nygaard,  a  farmer  of  Astoria,  South  Dakota,  by 
whom  she  has  nine  children ;  Ole,  born  March  12,  1874,  died  May 
19,  1912;  Anna  Juliana,  bora  December  15,  1876,  wife  of  Cart 
Hanson,  of  Minneapolis;  Henry,  bom  October  4,  1878;  Bertha, 
.  born  September  2,  1880,  died  February  23,  1910,  wife  of  Alfred 
Olson,  a  carpenter,  in  Minneapolis;  Frida,  born  May  31,  1882, 
now  living  in  Minneapolis;  Christian  H.,  born  September  27, 
1884,  living  in  Lake  Mills,  Iowa,  and  Henrietta,  born  March  12, 
1887,  living  in  Minneapolis.  All  of  the  children  have  adopted 
the  surname  of  Frickson. 

Hemy  Frickson,  a  successful  farmer  of  Bandon  township, 
was  horn  on  section  36,  in  the  township  where  he  still  lives,  Octo- 
ber 4,  1878,  son  of  Hans  F.  Mundahl  and  his  wife,  Syneva  Mun- 
dahl.  He  remained  at  home  until  1904,  when  he  went  to  Red 
Wing,  Minn.,  to  attend  the  Red  Wing  Seminary,  remaining  there 
until  1907.  During  the  summers  of  1905-1910  he  taught  parochial 
school.  From  1904  to  1909  he  rented  a  farm  from  his  uncle,  Hans 
I.  Mundahl,  which  he  worked  with  hired  help.  From  1911  to 
1914  he  rented  his  father's  farm  in  section  36,  Bandon  township, 
and  in  the  fall  of  1914  bought  80  acres  of  this  farm  on  which  he 
erected  a  fine  eight  room  house  and  substantial  barn,  28  by  40. 
He  has  served  as  township  clerk  for  five  years  and  has  been  treas- 
urer of  school  district  No.  66  for  three  years.  He  is  a  stockholder 
in  the  Farmers'  Elevator  at  Fairfax  and  director  of  the  new 
creamery  there.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Hauges  Norwegian  Luth- 
eran church  of  Camp  township,  is  president  of  the  Young  Peo- 
ple 's  Temperance  Society  of  that  church,  and  has  been  president 
and  is  now  treasure  of  the  Excelsior  Young  People's  Society  of 
the  same  church.  Henry  Friekson  was  married  June  26,  1912, 
to  Anna  Distad,  bom  in  Norway,  September  12,  1888,  daughter 
of  Kjel  Distad,  a  retired  farmer  of  Norway,  and  his  wife,  Ger- 
trude (Eithune)  Distad.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  H.  Frickson  have  one 
child,  Gladys  Constance. 

Christian  H.  Frickson,  son  of  Hans  F.  Mundahl,  was  born 
September  27,  1884,  in  section  36,  Bandon  township,  and  remained 
at  home  until  he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age.  He  then  became 
assistant  cashier  in  the  state  bank  at  Fairfax,  where  he  remained 
for  three  and  a  half  years.  From  1900  to  1904  he  attended 
the  Red  Wing  Seminary,  taking  a  course  in  the  academic  depart- 
ment. He  then  graduated  from  the  National  Business  College 
at  Minneapolis,  and  was  assistant  cashier  of  the  First  National 
Bank  at  Lake  Mills,  la.,  for  four  years.  In  August,  1914,  he 
bought  the  western  half  of  his  father's  farm  in  the  southwest 


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342  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

quarter  of  section  36,  Bandon  township.  He  has  served  as 
township  assessor  for  one  year.  He  resigned  and  moved  back 
to  Lake  Mills,  la.,  in  July,  1915,  where  he  engaged  in  the  restau- 
rant business.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Hauge's  Norwegian  Luth- 
eran church.  May  29,  1912,  Mr.  Frickson  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Mabel  Nystuen,  of  Lake  Mills,  la.,  bom  August  1,  1889, 
daughter  of  Gilbert  and  Anna  (Severson)  Nystuen.  Gilbert  Nys- 
tuen has  been  in  the  real  estate  business  at  Lake  Mills  for  twen- 
ty-five years. 

Lars  OUon  was  bom  in  Norway,  June  24,  1844,  son  of  Ole 
Hermansoin,  a  farmer  in  Norway,  and  Anna  (Olson)  Hermanson. 
Lars  Olson  came  to  America  in  1866,  coming  directly  to  Nicollet 
county,  Minn.,  where  he  remained  for  two  years.  For  four  years 
he  was  employed  as  a  farm  hand  and  in  1871  homesteaded 
in  section  26,  Bandon  township,  where  he  still  lives.  The  first 
house  was  a  rude  dugout.  He  has  since  improved  his  farm 
and  become  prosperous.  In  1915  he.eteeted  a  fine  modern  resi- 
dence. He  has  served  as'  township  assessor  for  four  years  and 
is  a  member  of  the  Norwegian  Lutheran  eliurch.  He  was  mar- 
ried March  16,  1888,  to  Christina  Olbjornson,  born  December 
30,  1858,  in  Norway,  daughter  of  Olbjorn  Asselson,  a  farmer  in 
Norway,  and  Arabjor  (Satte)  Asselson.  "Sis  children  have  been 
bom:  Anna  Marie,  born  December  10,  1888,  a  seamstress,  at 
home;  Amalia  Olive,  born  April  15,  1890,  at  home;  Amanda  Cor- 
nelia, bom  July  12,  1892,  who  attended  school  at  the  Fairfax 
High  school  and  Madison  (Minn.)  State  Normal  school,  and  has 
been  a  teacher  in  Renville  county  since  1912;  Oscar,  bom  Decem- 
ber 14,  1894,  a  student  from  St.  Olaf  College,  now  manager  of  the 
home  farm  and  a  stockholder  in  the  Farmers'  Co-operative  Ele- 
vator at  Fairfax;  Marie,  bom  August  12,  1897,  at  home,  and 
Louisa  Christine,  born  August  9,  1903,  at  home. 

HjaJmer  Bnona  was  born  July  16,  1880,  in  Camp  township, 
this  county,  son  of  Solomon  and  Anna  (Ostala)  Ruona.  In  1908 
he  bought  160  acres  in  section  16,  Bandon  township  and  moved 
there  March  22,  1910.  He  has  increased  and  developed  his  farm 
and  made  many  improvements.  He  now  owns  280  acres.  He  is 
a  stockholder  in  the  elevators  at  Franklin  and  Fairfax  and  also 
in  the  creamery  at  Franklin.  He  has  served  as  road  overseer  for 
one  year.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Finnish  Lutheran  church.  De- 
cember 17,  1910,  Mr.  Ruona  was  married  to  Minnie  Pajari,  bom 
September  9,  1887,  in  Norway,  fourth  of  the  twelve  children  of 
Peter  and  Elizabeth  (Tabia)  Pajari.  Her  father  came  to  Amer- 
ica in  1891  and  located  at  Ironwood,  Mich.,  where  he  remained 
for  one  year.  Then  he  moved  to  Douglas  county,  Minn.,  where 
he  lived  for  eleven  years,  next  going  to  Wadena  county,  Minn., 
where  he  is  still  engaged  in  farming.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ruona  have 
four  children:     George  Vincent,  born  September  6,  1911;  Har- 


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HISTORY. OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  843 

vey  Le  Roy,  born  August  5,  1912;  Virgil  Lincoln,  born  October 
2,  1913;  and  Wayne  Archibald,  born  November  7,  1914. 

Jens  S.  Ness,  a  prosperous  farmer  of  Bandon  township,  was 
born  in  Norway,  August  17,  1862,  son  of  Sylvester  Ness,  a  car- 
penter in  Norway,  who  died  in  1869,  at  the  age  of  fifty  years, 
aBd  Margaret  (Hilleren)  Ness,  who  died  February  5,  1914,  at  the 
age  of  ninety-two.  Jens  S.  Ness  came  to  America  in  1883  and 
went  directly  to  Bandon  township,  RcHville  county,  this  state, 
where  he  was  employed  as  a  farm  hand  for  six  years.  Then  he 
rented  a  farm  in  Camp  township  for  nine  years,  in  1901  buying 
80  acres  in  section  36,  Bandon  township,  where  he  still  lives.  He 
now  has  a  well  improved  farm.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Nor- 
wegian Lutheran  church  and  one  of  the  collectors  for  the  treas- 
urer for  the  Red  Wing  Seminary  of  Red  Wing,  Minn.,  and  also 
has  been  director  of  school  district  No.  66  for  nine  years.  June 
20,  1912,  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Severena  Anderson,  born. 
October  10,  1867,  daughter  of  Ole  and  Annie  (Kvam)  Anderson. 
Her  father  was  born  in  Norway  and  came  to  America  in  1865, 
locating  on  a  farm  in  Wisconsin,  where  he  died  March  1,  1909, 
at  the  age  of  seventy-four.  Her  mother  died  June  25,  1911,  Mr. 
and  Mrs,  Jens  S.  Ness  have  an  adopted  child,  Margaret  Lund, 
born  June  25,  1907. 

John  Oscar  IsaacBon,  pastor  of  the  Apostolic  Finnish  church, 
was  born  in  Sweden,  March  21,  1851,  His  father  was  Isaac  Wil- 
helm  Isaacson,  who  died  in  Sweden  in  1909,  at  the  age  of  sev- 
enty-nine and  his  mother  was  Maria  (Danielson)  Isaacson,  who 
died  June,  1914,  at  the  age  of  eighty-six.  J.  0.  Isaacson  came 
to  America  in  1873  and  settled  at  Cokato,  Minn.,  where  he  lived 
for  five  years.  For  five  years  lie  farmed  in  section  17,  Bandon 
township,  and  then  bought  40  acres  in  section  9,  Bandon  town- 
ship, where  he  still  lives.  He  has  served  on  the  township  board 
for  six  years.  Mr.  Isaacson  was  married  April  11,  1873,  to 
Margaret  Selvala,  born  July  9,  1846. 

ZiOnis  Savela,  son  of  Carl  Savela,  was  bom  in  Finland,  Janu- 
ary 21,  1872,  and  came  to  America  with  his  parents  in  1880.  He 
now  manages  the  home  farm  and  owns  80  acres  in  section  15.  He 
was  chairman  of  the  Finnish  Lutheran  church  for  six  years  and 
is  a  stockholder  in  the  Franklin  creamery,  also  in  two  elevators 
at  Fairfax.  Louis  Savela  was  married  May  26,  1906,  to  Emma 
Isaacson,  bom  March  27,  1884,  daughter  of  John  Oscar  Isaacson, 
and  they  have  five  children:  Mathias  Erhard,  born  June  23, 
1907;  Ernest  Howard,  born  February  21,  1909  died  April  25, 
1914;  Edna  Lillian  Margaret,  born  April  18,  1911;  Ida  Sylvia, 
born  October  26,  1912,  and  Violet  Evalina,  bom  June  11,  1914. 

Carl  Savela,  a  successful  farmer  of  Bandon  township,  was 
born  in  Finland,  October  26,  1836,  son  of  Henry  Oikarainen,  a 
farmer  of  Finland,  who  died  in  1876,  at  the  age  of  seventy  years, 


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344  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

and  Bertha  (Haikiaen)  Oikarainen,  who  died  in  1867,  at  the  age 
of  seventy-two.  Carl  Savela  came  to  America  in  1880  and  located 
at  Hancock,  Minn.,  where  he  remained  for  aix  months,  next  go- 
ing to  Camp  township,  this  county,  where  he  lived  for  one  year. 
In  1882,  he  bought  80  acres  in  section  16,  Bandon  township,  where 
he  became  a  successful  farmer  and  increased  his  farm  to  480 
acres,  of  which  he  gave  each  of  his  sons  80  acres.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Finnish  Lutheran  church.  Carl  Savela  was  married 
June  24,  1867,  to  Margaret  Koskela,  born  December  7,  1843, 
daughter  of  Peter  Koskela,  a  farmer  of  Finland,  who  died  in 
1849,  at  the  age  of  thirty-four.  By  a  former  marriage  Mr.  Savela 
has  one  child,  Henry,  a  farmer,  in  section  6,  Camp  township.  By 
his  present  marriage  there  are  ten  children:  Adam,  born  March 
4,  1868,  died  November  24,  1884;  Abel,  born  May  22,  1870,  a 
miner  at  Nashwauk,  Minn. ;  Louis,  born  January  21,  1872,  man- 
■  ager  of  the  home  farm ;  Mathias,  born  March  17,  1874,  a  farmer  in 
South  Dakota ;  Bertha  Walpuri,  born  May  23,  1876,  wife  of  Carl 
Carlson,  at  Hill  City,  Minn.;  Mary,  born  March  25,  1879,  married 
to  Walter  Williams,  clerk  at  Gilbert,  Minn. ;  Carl  Ludwig,  born 
July  25,  1884,  died  August  1,  1884 ;  Anna  Elsa  Wilhelmina,  born 
July  5, 1885,  wife  of  G.  K.  Maki,  a  meat  dealer  in  Hill  City,  Minn. ; 
Ida  Fanny,  born  June  10,  1891,  a  clerk  at  Hibbing,  Minn.;  and 
Annie  Bay,  adopted,  born  June  9,  1903.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Savela 
now  make  their  home  with  their  son,  Louis. 

Qanans  Peterson,  a  leading  citizen  of  Renville  county,  and 
the  foremost  farmer  of  Bandon  township,  was  born  in  Norway, 
September  29,  1840,  son  of  Peter  0.  and  Gertrude  Peterson,  both 
of  whom  died  in  the  old  country.  Gunerus  Peterson  was  reared 
in  his  native  country  and  in  1867  came  to  Rock  county,  Wis- 
consin, where  he  worked  for  three  years.  Then  for  a  year  he 
lived  in  Fillmore  county  in  this  state.  It  was  in  1871  that  he 
came  to  Renville  county,  and  preempted  a  claim  in  section  2, 
Bandon  township.  In  1878  he  homesteaded  eighty  acres  in  the 
same  section.  When  he  came  here  he  drove  an  ox  team  from 
Fillmore  county.  These  oxen  were  owned  jointly  with  Peter 
Hornseth.  For  a  while,  Mr.  Peterson  lived  in  a  dug  out.  The 
breaking  plow,  which  he  used,  was  bought  in  partnership  with 
three  others,  and  they  took  turns  in  using  it.  But  as  time 
passed  he  prospered.  At  a  very  early  day  he  bought  a  reaper 
for  $225.  Gradually  he  acquired  other  machinery.  A  sightly 
residence  and  commodious  barns  and  outbuildings  took  the  place 
of  the  dug  out,  and  the  land  which  he  had  broken  with  such 
care  became  a  rich,  fertile  farm.  A  man  of  pleasing  personality, 
a  generous  neighbor,  and  a  public  spirited  citizen,  it  was  natural 
that  Mr.  Peterson  should  be  called  upon  to  serve  in  many  offices. 
For  twenty  years  he  was  clerk  of  his  township.  For  ten  years 
he  was  clerk  of  school  district  No.  60.     He  was  county  register 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  345 

of  deeds  from  1887  to  1891,  and  from  1885  to  1887  he  was  a 
member  of  the  board  of  county  commissioners  from  the  Second 
district.  In  1901  and  1902  he  was  a  member  of  the  lower  house 
of  the  Minnesota  State  Legislature.  In  this  capacity  he  served 
on  the  reapportionment,  ways  and  means,  and  engrossing  com- 
mittees. Mr.  Peterson's  legislative  career  was  a  most  inter- 
esting one.  He  introduced  a  bill  to  repeal  the  special  salary  law 
for  county  officers.  He  was  backed  by  the  county  commissioners 
but  it  gave  the  opposition  ground  for  a  political  argument  which 
nearly  defeated  him.  He  also  introduced  a  drainage  bill,  but  it 
was  defeated  by  the  railroad  interests.  This  act  would  have 
required  the  railroads  to  construct  and  maintain  ditches  or  drains 
across  their  right  of  way  and  through  their  roadbed,  whenever 
the  county  commissioners  or  two  supervisors  had  constructed  a 
drain  or  ditch  within  ten  feet  of  their  right  of  way  or  railroad 
traeit.  In  1901,  Mr.  Peterson  introduced  the  bill  which  reduced 
the  interest  on  the  state  and  school  lands  from  5  per  cent  to  4 
per  cent.  He  also  introduced  the  anti-pass  bill.  Mr.  Peterson 
has  stock  in  various  co-operative  ventures  including  the  Hec- 
tor Telephone  Co.  He  has  many  interesting  stories  to  tell  of  the 
early  days.  When  he  first  settled  here  he  had  to  haul  wood  from 
the  Minnesota  river,  there  not  being  enough  in  this  prairie  coun- 
try to  supply  the  demand.  Ehiring  the  storm  of  1873  he  was  at 
West  Newton,  in  Nicollet  county.  When  he  returned  to  his 
home  he  found  the  house  entirely  covered  with  snow.  He  also 
tells  with  considerable  relish  of  the  time  when  the  state  in  1873 
to  relieve  the  settlers,  let  them  all  have  seed.  He  says  that  he 
received  $15  worth,  for  which  he  eventually  had  to  pay  the  state 
$75.  Mr.  Peterson  was  married  March  15,  1871,  to  Regina  Tollef- 
son,  bom  in  Norway,  November  9,  1846,  daughter  of  TolJef  and 
Randy  (Christian son)  Otnes,  natives  of  Norway,  both  now  de- 
ceased. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Peterson  have  six  children:  Gina,  mar- 
ried Edward  Loftman,  a  carpenter  of  Hector,  who  is  now  de- 
ceased; Thorwald  is  assistant  state  weighmaster,  and  lives  at 
Morristown;  Peter  is  postmaster  and  general  merchant  at  Wil- 
lard  in  this  state;  Rosina  is  the  wife  of  Iver  Iverson,  of  St. 
Paul ;  Regina  married  Oscar  Hanson,  who  operates  the  home 
farm.  Gilbert  is  the  assistant  cashier  of  the  Adams  (North  Da- 
kota) State  Bank. 

Charles  Wellner,  a  jirosperous  farmer  of  this  county,  was  born 
in  Nicollet  county,  December  23,  1866.  His  father,  Simon  Well- 
ner, a  farmiT,  came  from  Germany  in  1853  and  died  at  the  age 
of  eighty-three,  in  1910.  His  mother,  Wilhelmina  Beckman, 
was  bom  in  Geimany,  and  is  still  living  at  New  IJlm,  at  the  age 
of  seventy-seven.  When  he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age  Mr. 
Wellner  began  working  out  and  did  so  for  ten  years,  when  he 
bought  160  acres  in  section  8,  Cairo  township,  in  1897,  where  he 


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346  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

still  lives.  Here  he  erected  hia  present  house  in  1902;  it  is  a  large 
eight-room,  two-atory  building,  16  by  28,  with  a  story  and  a  half 
addition,  16  by  32,  a  full  basement  under  all,  hardwood  floors  and 
gasoline  lights.  In  1911  he  built  a  bam,  32  by  60,  with  16-foot 
posts,  with  a  capacity  of  60  tons  of  hay.  He  also  built  a  "Lean- 
to,"  16  by  48,  on  the  north  aide  of  the  barn.  He  has  eight  horses 
and  thirty  cattle,  raising  Percheron  horses,  and  has  a  large  flock 
of  three  hundred  Rhode  Island  Red  chickens  and  White  Holland 
turkeys.  Mr.  Wellner  has  held  several  positions,  having  been  a 
member  of  the  township  board  for  ten  years,  is  a  stockholder  in 
the  Fairfax  Co-operative  Creamery  and  also  secretary  of  the 
same.  He  is  also  a  stockholder  in  the  Farmers'  Co-operative  Ele- 
vator and  Farmers'  Co-operative  store.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
board  of  examiners  of  the  Citizens'  State  Bank.  On  June  14, 
1898,  Mr.  Wellner  was  married  to  Minnie  Bleick,  born  May  15, 
1878,  daughter  of  Carl  Bleick,  aged  70,  a  farmer  of  Nicollet 
county,  who  came  from  Germany  to  this  country  in  1864,  and 
Mary  (Dickmeyer),  aged  61  years,  Two  children  have  been 
born  to  this  marriage,  Roy,  born  July  11,  1899,  and  Raymond, 
bom  September  29,  1901. 

Joseph  Batunatm,  Sr.,  a  prosperous  farmer  of  Cairo  township, 
was  bom  in  Germany,  June  9,  1858.  His  parents  secured  a  home- 
stead in  Nicollet  county  in  1868.  His  father,  John  Baumann, 
died  in  1888,  at  the  age  of  aeventy-two,  and  his  mother,  Barbara 
Webber,  died  in  1890,  at  the  age  of  eighty-two  years.  Mr.  Bau- 
mann farmed  in  Nicollet  county  until  1898,  when  he  bought  320 
acres  of  land  in  section  17,  in  Cairo  township.  Upon  this  farm 
he  built  a  barn  in  1901,  30  by  64,  with  16-foot  posts,  holding  about 
fifty  tons  of  hay  and  accommodating  fifteen  horses  and  twenty- 
four  cattle.  He  raises  Red  Poll  cattle,  Duroc  Jersey  hogs, 
Percheron  horses  and  Toulonese  geese.  The  house  was  rebuilt  in 
1911,  a  story  and  a  half  frame  building,  16  by  28,  with  a  16  by  16 
addition  and  a  cellar.  Mr.  Baumann  is  a  stockholder  in  the 
Fairfax  Creamery  and  in  the  Farmers'  Grain  and  Stock  Com- 
pany. He  was  road  overseer  for  three  years.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  Mr,  Baumann  was  united 
in  marriage  June  20,  1882,  to  Margaret  Teynor,  bora  May  22, 
1860.  Her  father,  George  Teynor,  was  bom  in  Germany  and 
came  to  America  in  1865.  He  is  now  living  in  New  Ulm,  at  the 
age  of  eighty-one  years.  Her  mother,  Eva  (Wallander)  Teynor, 
died  in  1891  at  the  age  of  fittytwo  years.  Ten  children  have 
been  born  to  this  marriage,  all  of  whom  are  living.  John,  born 
March  28,  1884,  is  now  living  at  home;  Lena,  born  February 
22, 1885,  is  the  wife  of  William  Huhn,  a  farmer  in  Nicollet  county ; 
Joseph,  Jr.,  born  December  9,  1886,  is  at  home;  Rudolph,  born 
April  16,  1888,  is  a  soldier  in  the  United  States  army.  The  five 
youngest  children  are  at  home :  Edward,  born  J\ine  2,  1891 ;  An- 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  347 

ton,  bom  April  24, 1893 ;  Ella,  born  August  31,  1894 ;  Sophia,  born 
June  6,  1897;  Albert,  born  August  17,  1900,  and  Veronica,  born 
October  6,  1903.    The  family  faith  is  that  of  the  Catholic  church. 

Christ  Bertelsen,  a  progressive  business  man  of  Fairfax,  was 
born  in  Denmark,  October  2,  1864.  His  parents  were  farmers 
living  in  Denmark.  His  father,  Hans  Bertelaen,  died  in  1909,  at 
the  age  of  sixty-seven  and  his  mother,  Mary  (Christensen),  died 
at  the  age  of  sixty-eight  in  1908.  Mr.  Bertelsen  came  to  Amer- 
ica in  1882,  and  located  in  Sibley  county,  Minnesota,  where  he 
engaged  in  the  grain  business  in  Sibley  and  McLeod  counties 
until  1909,  During  this  time  he  spent  also  some  time  in  Minne- 
apolis in  this  same  business.  Then  he  became  the  manager  of  the 
elevator  for  the  Crescent  Milling  Company,  at  Fairfax,  which 
position  he  held  until  August  1,  1914,  when  he  assumed  his  pres- 
ent duties  as  manager  of  the  Farmers'  Co-operative  Elevator 
Company,  in  Fairfax.  This  elevator  is  a  solid  brick  building,  20 
by  50  feet,  with  a  capacity  of  30,000  bushels.  It  was  erected  at  a 
cost  of  $16,000  and  is  equipped  with  a  Richard's  Automatic 
Scale,  which  weighs  the  grain  into  the  car,  eight  bushels  at  a 
time,  without  any  attention.  It  also  has  a  passenger  elevator 
in  place  of  stairways  and  is  equipped  with  a  fifteen  horsepower 
gasoline  engine.  This  building  was  erected  during  1913  and 
was  ready  for  use  August  1,  1913.  This  elevator  has  been  estab- 
lished for  eight  years  and  does  an  average  annual  business  of 
about  300,000  bushels.  They  handle  grain,  coal,  fiour  and  live 
stock.  The  president  of  the  company  is  Wenzel  Frank,  and  the 
secretary  and  treasurer  is  Paul  Albrecht.  The  company  has  100 
farmers  as  stockholders, 

Mr.  Bertelsen  was  married  in  1884  to  Annie  Mikkelsen,  daugh- 
ter of  Andrew  and  Johanna  (Petersen)  Mikkelsen,  farmers  of 
Sibley  county.  There  are  four  children :  Christina,  born  June  5, 
1886,  who  is  married  to  Edward  Wagner,  at  Essig,  Minnesota; 
Matilda,  now  Mrs.  Emil  Theim,  of  Gibbon,  Minnesota;  and  Har- 
vey and  Arnold,  who  are  at  home. 

Holm  E.  OnwmoD,  an  enterpri.sing  young  man  of  Fairfax,  was 
born  February  2,  1881,  in  Cairo  township,  son  of  Even  H.  Gras- 
mon  and  Betsy  (Hanson)  Grasraon.  His  father  came  to  Minne- 
sota with  his  parents  in  1868,  Hans  and  Inger  Maria  (Mangen) 
Grasmon.  Hans  Grasmon  is  still  living  in  Fairfax  with  his  son. 
Even  H.,  at  the  old  age  of  eighty-five.  The  mother  died  in  1907, 
at  the  age  of  eighty-two.  They  bought  160  acres  of  land  in  sec- 
tion 24,  in  Camp  township,  in  1868,  and  lived  there  until  1906, 
when  they  moved  to  Fairfax.  Holm  Grasmon  attended  the  public 
school  in  Fairfax  and  later  in  1901  the  Minnesota  School  of  Busi- 
ness, in  Minneapolis.  On  February  1,  1902,  he  became  book- 
keeper for  the  Citizens'  State  Bank  of  Fairfax.  January  1,  1903, 
he  became  assistant  cashier,  which  position  he  still  holds.    He  is 


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848  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

a  stockholder  in  the  Mahaomen  Land  Company  at  Mahnomen, 
Minnesota.  He  has  been  the  secretary  of  the  Fairfax  Voluntary 
Fire  Department  for  ten  years  and  the  village  treasurer  since 
1907.  June  27,  1911,  Mr.  Grasmon  was  married  to  Lydia  Dick- 
meyer,  who  was  born  January  16,  1887,  daughter  of  Louis  Diek- 
meyer,  of  the  Diekmeyer  Implement  Company,  and  Lena  (Borth) 
Dickmeyer.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Grasmon  have  one  child,  Orda  Evelyn, 
bom  November  11,  1913. 

Hugh  J.  Corson,  inventor  and  manufacturer,  now  living  in 
Fairfax,  was  born  in  section  22,  Wellington  township,  October 
10,  1881,  son  of  William  and  Mary  (Reed)  Carson.  William  Car- 
son was  born  in  Canada,  came  to  this  county  in  1875,  secured  a 
tree  claim  in  section  22,  Wellington  township,  and  here  lived 
until  his  death,  in  1897,  at  the  age  of  fifty-six.  His  wife  now 
lives  in  Fairfax.  Hugh  J.  Carson  remained  at  home  until  1911, 
having  bought  the  home  place  in  1903.  In  1911  he  moved  to 
Fairfax,  where  he  has  since  lived.  He  manufactures  an  inven- 
tion of  his  own,  a  portable  elevator,  which  operates  by  centrif- 
ugal force  and  pneumatic  pressure.  This  elevator  has  had  a 
good  sale  and  its  popularity  is  increasing.  He  is  also  the  in- 
ventor of  an  automatic  alarm,  which  prevents  the  overheating 
of  incubators.  Mr.  Carson  was  married  June  15,  1904,  to  Rosa 
Young,  born  February  22,  1882,  in  Nicollet  county,  daughter  of 
Nick  Young,  a  farmer  of  Bandon  township,  who  died  in  1912, 
at  the  age  of  sixty-four,  and  of  Katherine  (Zimmerman)  Young, 
who  still  lives  in  Bandon  township,  where  the  family  located  in 
1891.    Mr.  and  Mrs.  Carson  have  two  children ;  Earl  and  Ralph. 

Charles  H.  Krle,  a  respected  farmer  of  this  county,  was  bom 
in  Dodge  county,  Wisconsin,  August  2,  1860.  His  father,  Fred- 
erick William  Firle,  was  born  in  Germany,  in  1819,  and  died  in 
1898.  at  the  home  of  his  son,  Charles  H.,  in  Cairo  township.  His 
mother,  whose  maiden  name  was  Katherine  Weseha,  was  born 
in  Germany  in  1820,  and  died  in  September  1902.  Charles  H. 
Firle  remained  at  home  on  his  father's  farm  in  Nicollet  county 
until  he  married  and  then  he  moved  with  his  father  to  his  present 
farm  in  section  20,  of  Cairo  township.  This  farm,  which  was 
bought  in  the  spring  of  1887,  was  owned  by  the  father  and  son 
in  partnership.  It  is  a  large  and  well  kept  farm  of  200  acres. 
Charles  Firle  is  still  there  and  has  developed  and  improved  the 
farm  in  many  ways.  He  is  well  known  for  his  Jersey  Red  hogs, 
of  which  he  has  about  100.  He  has  also  a  good  herd  of  cows.  The 
orchard  contains  100  apple  trees  and  twenty-five  plum  trees.  The 
house  is  a  story  and  a  half,  frame  building,  which  was  rebuilt  in 
1908.  It  is  20  by  28  with  a  20  by  26  addition,  and  has  a  cellar 
under  all.  The  barn  was  built  in  1902  and  is  34  by  60  feet.  It 
will  hold  seventy  tons  of  hay  and  has  room  for  eight  horses  and 
twenty-five    cattle.     Mr.   Firle    has   been   township   supervisor 


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CHARLES   H.   FIRLE 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  349 

five  years,  and  was  road  overseer  for  two  years.  He  is  a  stock- 
holder in  the  new  creamery  and  also  in  both  farmers'  elevators 
at  Fairfax.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church.  September  9,  1881,  Mr.  Firle  was  married  to  Mathilda 
Kuhlbaeh,  who  was  born  October  23,  1860,  in  Germany,  and  died 
September  27,  1914.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Charles  Kuhlbaeh, 
a  carpenter  of  New  Ulm,  and  Wilhelmina  Euhlbach,  coming  to 
this  country  with  her  parents  in  1881.  Nine  children  were  born 
to  these  parents,  all  of  whom  are  living.  William  F.  was  born 
December  4,  1882,  and  married  January  4,  1910,  to  Meta  Lieder. 
He  is  at  present  living  in  section  13,  Bandon  township.  He  has 
three  children,  one  boy  and  two  girls.  Minnie,  born  April  8, 
1884,  was  married  to  Christ  Drivdahl,  a  creamery  man  of  Nicollet 
county,  and  they  have  two  girls  and  one  hoy.  Gustav  was  born 
January  17,  1886,  and  on  November  16,  1914,  was  married  to 
Alice  Jensen,  and  they  have  one  girl.  He  works  for  his  father. 
Annie,  born  March  3, 1888,  was  married  to  Peter  Smith,  a  plumber 
of  Bird  Island,  and  they  have  one  child,  a  boy.  Ella  was 
born  May  12,  1890,  and  married  to  Albert  Schipplick,  a  farmer 
in  Cairo  township.  They  also  have  one  boy.  Paul  was  born  July 
29,  1892 ;  Alfred,  January  14,  1895 ;  Albert,  August  16,  1897,  and 
Harold,  September  12,  1904.  The  last  four  mentioned — Paul, 
Alfred,  Albert  and  Harold,  are  livit^  at  home. 

Onstav  A.  Rieke,  one  of  the  influential  citizens  of  Fairfax,  was 
born  in  Cairo  township,  May  24,  1868.  He  remained  at  home 
until  he  was  21  years  of  age,  when  he  was  employed  as  clerk  by 
Christiansen,  Miller  &  Hauser,  dealers  in  lumber  and  hardware. 
This  was  in  1889.  In  1893  he  bought  one-third  interest  in  the 
same  firm.  The  name  was  now  changed  to  Miller,  Hauser  &  Com- 
pany, and  Mr.  Rieke  was  given  the  position  of  manager  at  Fair- 
fax. In  1903  the  firm  was  incorporated  as  Hauser  Lumber  Com- 
pany, with  Mr.  Rieke  as  treasurer  and  manager  at  Fairfax,  which 
position  he  still  holds.  He  is  also  a  director  of  the  State  Bank 
at  Fairfax,  and  a  director  of  the  Fairfax  Telephone  Company. 
He  has  been  the  village  treasurer  for  five  years  and  president  of 
the  school  board  for  five  years.  Mr.  Rieke  was  married  June  1, 
1893,  to  Dora  Durbahn,  who  was  born  March  24,  1873.  Her 
father,  a  farmer  in  Nicollet  county,  died  in  1900  at  the  age  of 
seventy.  Her  mother,  Dora  Anthony,  died  about  1884,  at  the 
age  of  fifty-five  years.  Mrs.  Rieke  was  at  one  time  a  student  at 
the, St.  Paul's  College,  St.  Paul  Park,  Minnesota.  They  have 
two  daughters,  Beatrice,  born  August  20,  1896,  who  is  a  teacher, 
and  Medary,  bom  February  8,  1901,  who  is  at  home.  They  are 
all  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 

Jacob  P.  Palmer,  a  leading  hotel  proprietor  of  Fairfax,  was 
born  in  Switzerland,  June  10,  1857,  and  died  at  Fairfax,  April 
14,  1908.    His  father,  Jacob  Alois  Palmer,  was  born  in  Switzer- 


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350  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

land,  in  1820  and  came  with  his  wife,  Anna  Mary  (Lye)  Palmer, 
to  New  Ulm  in  1864,  and  to  Fairfax  in  1891.  Jacob  P.  was  the 
second  of  six  children.  His  mother  died  in  1902,  at  the  age  of 
eighty-two,  and  his  father  died  October  19,  1897.  Mr.  Palmer 
built  the  Hotel  Ryan  in  Fairfax,  a  very  fine  brick  building,  of 
twenty-two  rooms,  equipped  with  steam  heat  and  electric  tights, 
and  operated  this  hotel  until  his  death,  when  his  son,  Edward  J., 
undertook  the  management  of  the  place.  Mr.  Palmer  was  mar- 
-  ried  November  27,  1889,  to  Mary  Hopt,  of  Muscoda,  "Wisconsin.  , 
Her  father,  Andrew  Hopt,  a  railroad  man,  of  Rochester,  New 
York,  was  born  November  30,  1826,  and  died  June  29,  1884.  Her 
mother,  Annie  (Glattharr)  Hopt,  was  born  June  18,  1836,  and 
lives  with  her  daughter  at  Fairfax.  Mrs.  J.  P.  Palmer  is  the 
eldest  of  six  children.  Pour  children  have  blessed  this  couple : 
Edward  J.,  born  August  12,  1890,  who  is  now  the  manager  of 
the  Ryan  Hotel  at  Fairfax ;  Albert  J.,  born  November  22,  1891, 
who  died  March  4.  1892;  Clayton  W.,  born  September  23,  1892, 
who  died  January  2,  1894,  and  Myra  A.  L.,  born  October  30, 1899, 
who  is  at  home, 

Augnst  E.  Feiuke,  D.  D.  B.,  an  influential  business  man  of 
Fairfax,  was  born  in  Sibley  county,  Minnesota,  August  31,  1873, 
son  of  Adam  Fenske  and  Henrietta  (Haberman)  Penske,  pioneers 
of  Sibley  county,  where  they  still  live.  August  E,  Fenske  attended 
the  Gustavus  Adolphus  College  at  St.  Peter  for  three  years,  next 
attending  the  St.  Peter  State  Hospital,  graduating  in  the  spring 
of  1898.  In  1901  he  graduated  from  the  Indiana  Dental  Col- 
lege, Indianapolis.  October  9,  1901,  he  located  in  Fairfax.  While 
at  college  Mr.  Penske  was  a  member  of  the  Xi  Psi  Phi  fraternity 
and  is  now  a  member  of  the  Minnesota  State  Dental  Association 
and  Minneapolis  District  Dental  Society.  Mr.  Penske  is  a  stock- 
holder and  director  in  the  First  National  Bank  of  Fairfax,  also  a 
stockholder  and  director  in  the  Fairfax  Telephone  Company,  and 
a  stockholder  in  the  Renville  Rural  Telephone  Company.  He 
is  doing  good  work  as  the  president  of  the  Board  of  Education. 
June  28,  1905,  Mr.  Fenske  was  married  to  H.  Esther  Hocanzon, 
who  was  born  June  5,  1878.  She  is  a  graduate  of  the  St.  Paul 
high  school  and  also  of  the  Normal  Training  Department  of  the 
University  of  Minnesota.  Por  two  years  she  was  a  teacher  in 
Pairmount,  Minnesota,  and  two  years  in  the  Fairfax  public 
schools.  Her  father  is  the  Rev.  L.  A.  Hocanzon,  a  minister  of 
the  Swedish  Lutheran  Church,  and  now,  at  the  age  of  sevecty- 
seven,  a  missionary  for  that  church  and  located  in  St.  Paul.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Fenske  have  two  children,  Elbert,  born  May  17,  1908, 
and  Marlis,  born  April  2,  1913. 

Jonathan  I.  Carson,  a  substantial  citizen  of  this  county,  was 
born  in  Ontario,  January  14,  1863.  His  father,  William  Carson, 
came  to  Renville-  county  May  1,  1871,  and  took  up  a  homestead 


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MB.  AND  MES.  J.  U.  HINDERMAN 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  351 

in  section  22,  in  Wellin^on  township.  His  mother,  Mary  Jane 
Reed,  aged  74,  ia  still  living  in  Fairfax.  Mr.  Carson  worked 
on  biB  father's  farm  until  he  was  27  years  of  age,  then,  in  1889, 
he  bought  240  acres  in  section  19,  in  Wellington  township,  where 
he  remained  until  1908.  At  that  time  he  moved  to  town.  Mr, 
Carson  has  been  prominent  in  public  affairs.  He  served  as  town- 
ship clerk  for  three  years;  he  was  chairman  of  the  township 
board  for  six  years  and  held  the  position  of  assessor  for  one 
year.  He  was  also  a  member  of  the  school  board  for  twenty-five 
years  and  justice  of  peace  for  fourteen  years.  He  has  always 
been  greatly  interested  in  the  farmers'  associations.  He  is  the 
treasurer  of  the  Farmers'  Stock  &  Grain  Company  and  served 
as  secretary  of  the  Farmers'  Co-operative  Elevator  Company  and 
director  and  secretary  of  the  Fairfax  Creamery  Association.  He  is 
also  director  of  the  First  National  Bank.  December  25,  1889, 
Mr.  Carson  was  married  to  Emma  Sell,  who  was  bom  November 
5,  1862.  Her  father,  John  Sell,  aged  84,  is  a  retired  farmer  living 
in  Waseca,  Minnesota.  His  wife,  Amelia  Arndt,  is  73  yeara  of 
age.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Carson  have  three  children,  one  child  having 
died  in  infancy.  The  oldest,  Irwin  J.,  was  born  November  12, 
1890,  and  was  the  assistant  cashier  of  the  First  National  Bank 
at  Grooton,  South  Dakota.  He  died  April  25,  1915.  at  Fairfax. 
Ada  S.,  born  November  5,  1891,  is  a  graduate  of  Stout  Institute, 
at  Menominee,  Wisconsin,  and  is  at  present  a  teacher  of  Do- 
mestic Science  at  Wahkon,  in  Mille  Lacs  county.  Ethel  C,  born 
May  19,  1893,  is  at  the  Mankato  Normal  School. 

George  A.  Biebl,  a  well  known  citizen  of  Fairfax,  was  born 
in  Severance  township,  Sibley  county,  November  1,  1876.  His 
father,  Franz  Biebl,  is  a  retired  farmer  living  in  Fairfax,  and 
his  mother,  Eva  Petzenka,  died  September  16,  1911,  at  the  age 
of  65.  When  he  was  fifteen  years  of  age  he  left  home  and 
worked  in  the  Pioneer  Drug  Store  in  New  Ulm  for  eight  years. 
In  1899  he  bought  a  drug  store  of  J.  C.  Koelgen,  in  Fairfax,  where 
he  still  lives.  In  1910  he  remodeled  the  building,  spending  about 
$4,000.  The  building  is  now  25  by  80  with  a  full  basement  and 
fine  plate  glass  front.  It  has  a  modern  equipment,  a  nice  soda 
fountain,  a  full  line  of  drugs,  books  and  stationery,  cigars,  candy 
and  also  cut  glass  and  hand-painted  china.  Mr.  Biebl  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Minnesota  Pharmaceutical  Association  and  also  of  the 
American  Retail  Druggists'  Association.  He  is  the  recorder  for 
the  Knights  of  Columbus  and  is  a  member  of  the  Catholic  Church. 
July  30,  1912,  he  was  married  to  Anna  Altman,  born  June  26, 
1885,  her  father,  Anton  Altman,  being  a  retired  butcher  living 
in  Fairfax.  They  have  one  child,  Leo  Francis,  bom  April  28, 
1913. 

Jacob  M.  Hindermaii,  a  successful  contractor  and  builder  of 
Fairfax,  was  born  in  Hennepin  county,  Minnesota,  September  22, 


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352  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

1878.  His  father,  Andrew  Hinderman,  died  in  1906  at  the  age  of 
fifty-three  and  his  mother,  Barbara  (Maogen)  Hinderman,  died 
ia  1905  at  the  age  of  forty-seven.  Mr.  Hinderman  was  in  part- 
nership with  his  fatlier  in  the  general  contracting  busineas  until 
his  father's  death.  The  father  was  a  contractor  in  Fairfax  for 
twenty  years.  Jacob  M.  Hinderman  took  a  thorough  course  in 
architecture,  draws  plans  and  does  the  drafting  for  all  his  own 
work,  as  well  as  for  most  of  the  other  buildings  erected  in  the 
vicinity.  He  does  contracting,  building,  plumbing,  heating  and 
house  moving,  employing  about  fifteen  men.  Mr.  Hinderman  has 
erected  a  fine,  new,  modern  ten-room  home  in  the  north  part 
of  Fairfax.  It  is  32x32  with  19-foot  posts,  finished  in  pebble 
dash,  and  is  equipped  with  electric  lights  and  furnace  heat. 
The  first  floor  is  finished  in  the  early  English  style,  with  oak 
finish  and  oak  floors.  The  dining  room  is  16  feet  square,  the 
north  side  of  the  room  containing  the  sideboard.  There  is  a  large 
fireplace  in  the  living  room.  The  large  roomy  front  and  back 
porches  are  both  screened  and  there  is  also  a  sleeping  porch 
above  the  back  porch.  Mr.  Hinderman  is  a  member  of  the 
Modem  Brotherhood  of  America,  and  is  a  director  of  the  First 
National  Bank  of  Fairfax.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church.  Mr.  Hinderman  was  married  September  27, 
1911,  to  Julia  Marti,  who  was  bom  August  24,  1884,  daughter  of 
Benedict  and  Clara  (Mauderfeld)  Marti,  who  now  reside  in  Fair- 
fax. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hinderman  are  the  happy  parents  of  a 
daughter,  Leota,  who  was  born  November  2,  1914. 

William  Bregel,  a  successful  business  man,  was  bom  in  Sibley, 
county,  Minnesota,  June  15,  1884.  His  father,  John  Bregel,  was 
a  pioneer  farmer  of  Sibley  county  and  died  in  1909  at  the  age  of 
sixty-two.  His  mother,  Mary  Bregel,  died  in  1893.  Until  1911 
Mr.  Bregel  worked  on  the  home  farm,  when  he  began  work  in 
the  garage  of  Anton  Frank  in  Fairfax.  Here  he  remained  for 
two  years.  Then  he  opened  a  garage  in  Webster,  South  Dakota, 
in  company  with  his  brother  Edward,  operating  this  during  1913 
and  1914.  March  14,  1914,  they  bought  the  garage  business  of 
Anton  Frank  in  Fairfax.  Mr.  Bregel  is  the  fourth  child  in  a 
family  of  nine  children.  By  bis  father's  second  marriage  there 
were  eight  more  children  in  the  family.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Catholic  church  and  also  of  the  Knights  of  Columbus. 

Edward  Bregel,  son  of  John  and  Mary  (Frank)  Bregel,  was 
bom  in  Sibley  county,  Minnesota,  on  April  26,  1892.  At  the  age 
of  fourteen  he  began  working  on  the  neighboring  farms,  and 
continued  in  this  work  until  seventeen  years  of  age.  Then  he 
worked  in  a  garage  at  Webster,  South  Dakota,  from  1909  to  1913. 
At  this  time  he  and  his  brother  William  opened  a  garage  at 
Webster,  South  Dakota,  where  they  remained  until  March  1, 
1914,  when  they  bought  the  garage  of  Anton  Frank  at  Fairfax, 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  353 

Minnesota.    Mr.  Bregel  is  a  member  of  the  Catholic  church  and 
of  the  Catholic  Order  of  Foresters. 

Bree:el  Brothers.  The  garage  of  William  and  Edward  Bregel 
at  Fairfax,  Minnesota,  is  a  fireproof  brick  and  concrete  building, 
55  by  11714  feet.  It  has  a  full  basement,  is  equipped  with  steam 
heat,  electric  lights  and  a  Bowser  Long  Distance  Gasoline  (self- 
measuring)  outfit.  It  is  a  one-story  building,  with  plate  glass 
windows  on  the  west  and  north  sides,  and  has  room  for  forty 
cars.  They  do  all  kinds  of  repairing  and  overhauling.  They 
also  do  livery  work.  They  handle  all  kinds  of  oils,  greases,  gaso- 
line and  supplies  and  have  a  thoroughly  modem  and  up  to  date 
place. 

Emil  A.  EDg«r,  manager  of  the  Eagle  Roller  Mill  Company,  at 
Fairfax,  was  bom  at  Waseca,  Minnesota,  Augiist  25,  1877.  His 
father  came  to  America  in  1869  and  bought  160  acres  in  section 
25,  Camp  township,  where  he  lived  until  1907.  Then  he  secured 
a  homestead  in  Williams  county.  North  Dakota,  where  he  lived 
until  1909.  Next  he  moved  to  Minot,  North  Dakota,  where  he 
lived  until  his  death  in  1913  at  the  age  of  sixty-seven.  He  held 
the  position  of  township  supervisor  in  Renville  county  for  five 
years.  The  mother,  Johanna  (Lee)  Enger,  aged  sixty-five,  is 
living  with  her  daughter  in  Minneapolis.  At  the  age  of  twenty- 
one  Emil  A.  Enger  bought  a  dray  line  in  Fairfax,  which  he 
operated  for  five  years.  Then  he  became  the  local  manager  for 
the  Eagle  Roller  Mill  Company,  of  New  Ulm,  which  position  he 
held  till  August  1, 1910.  Then  he  moved  to  Minot,  North  Dakota, 
where  he  became  proprietor  of  a  restaurant  and  store.  He 
remained  in  this  business  until  April  15,  1913,  when  he  returned 
to  Fairfax  and  took  up  his  old  position  of  manager  for  the  Eagle 
Roller  Mill  Company,  which  position  he  still  holds.  The  Eagle 
Roller  Mill  Company 's  branch  at  Fairfax  does  very  good  business 
and  haa  an  elevator  32  by  34 — 60  feet  high,  also  a  fiour  shed  addi- 
tion 18  by  32—12  feet  high.  The  elevator  has  a  capacity  of  25,000 
bushels  and  is  equipped  with  gasoline  engine  power.  They  deal 
in  coal,  grain,  flour  and  in  1913  handled  135,000  bushels  of  grain, 
ten  cars  of  fiour  and  400  tons  of  coal.  Mr.  Enger  has  been  a 
member  of  the  village  council,  serving  from  1907  to  1910.  His 
faith  is  that  of  the  Norwegian  Lutheran  church.  May  3,  1905, 
he  was  married  to  Dina  Ruud,  who  was  bom  July  3,  1883.  Her 
father,  Lauritz  Ruud,  died  February  7,  1910,  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
seven.  Her  mother,  Marie  (Evenson),  aged  sixty,  is  still  liv- 
ing on  the  borne  farm  in  section  24,  in  Camp  township,  where 
they  settled  in  1870.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Enger  have  two  children: 
Lloyd  Vernon,  born  April  14,  1906,  and  Lucile  Mercedes,  bom 
January  7,  1911. 

Lewis  J.  Stewart,  one  of  the  eminently  prosperous  men  of 
Fairfax,    was   born   in   Pennsylvania   September   9,   1866.     His 


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S54  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

father,  George  Stewart,  aged  72,  is  a  retired  farmer  now  living 
at  Spring  Valley,  Minnesota.  His  mother,  Emily  {Tygon, 
Stewart,  is  sixty-nine  years  of  age.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one 
Lewis  J.  Stewart  began  learning  the  buttermaker's  trade  with 
Marvin  &  Cammack,  where  he  remained  the  greater  part  of  four 
years.  In  1888  he  attended  and  graduated  from  the  Darling's 
Business  College  at  Rochester,  Minnesota.  In  1891  he  bought  the 
creamery  at  Janesville,  Minnesota,  which  he  operated  for  twelve 
years,  also  living  on  a  farm  in  Janesville  for  six  years.  Three 
years  were  spent  on  the  road.  In  1895  he  attended  the  dairy 
school  at  the  University  of  Minnesota  and  graduated;  in  1914 
he  again  attended  this  school  and  graduated.  Mr.  Stewart  reor- 
ganized the  West  Concord  Butter  &  Cheese  Association,  West 
Concord,  Minnesota,  being  its  manager  for  two  years.  April  15, 
1914,  he  became  the  manager  for  C.  B.  Thomes  at  Fairfax.  On 
August  1,  1914,  he  became  manager  for  the  Fairfax  Co-operative 
Creamery  Company,  where  he  still  is.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
A.  F.  &  A.  M.  at  West  Concord.  His  faith  is  that  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  at  Fairfax.  Mr.  Stewart  was  married  December 
17,  1890,  to  Lillie  M.  Dodd,  who  was  born  January  20,  1871.  Her 
father,  Isaac  Dodd,  a  farmer  of  Olmsted  county,  died  in  1902  at 
the  age  of  seventy-five.  Her  mother,  Helen  Ranson,  died  in 
1902  at  the  age  of  69.  Miss  Dodd  graduated  from  the  Byron  High 
school  in  1888  and  is  also  a  graduate  of  the  Perkins  Hospital, 
being  a  member  of  the  graduating  class  of  nurses  of  1905.  To 
this  marriage  were  horn  three  children.  Winnifred  was  born 
June  21, 1893,  and  married  John  B.  Tuttle,  a  farmer  of  OWatonna, 
on  June  16,  1914,  Isaac  was  born  July  17,  1894,  and  died  March 
17,  1908.  Douglass  was  born  May  3,  1898.  Ralph,  born  October 
13,  1905,  was  adopted. 

Heniy  J.  Landsteiner,  a  progressive  citizen  of  Fairfax,  was 
born  in  Brown  county,  February  14,  1891.  His  father,  Franz 
Landsteiner,  a  retired  farmer  of  New  Ulm,  died  at  the  age  of 
sixty-one  July  20,  1908.  His  mother,  Teresia  (Ambrosh)  Land- 
steiner, is  still  living  at  New  Ulm.  Henry  Landsteiner  worked 
for  the  tinners,  Gag  &  Ranweiler,  at  New  Ulm  for  five  years 
from  1907  to  1912.  February  5,  1913,  he  started  a  tin  shop  at 
Fairfax.  He  is  still  there,  and  in  1914  erected  a  one-story  brick 
buUding,  26  by  60,  with  a  full  basement  under  all  and  with  hot 
air  heat  at  the  cost  of  $4,000.  Mr.  Landsteiner  attends  the 
Catholic  church.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Columbus 
and  also  of  the  St.  Joseph's  Society.  May  27,  1913,  Mr.  Land- 
steiner was  married  to  Annie  Buehl,  who  was  bom  May  1,  1890. 
Her  father,  Michael  Buehl,  was  a  retired  farmer  of  New  Ulm, 
who  died  May  19,  1914,  at  the  age  of  sixty-six.  Her  mother, 
Catherine  (Baumel)  Buehl,  is  still  living  at  New  Ulm.  One  child 
was  born  to  this  marriage,  Henriette,  born  October  13,  1914. 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  355 

John  Bmimer  was  bom  in  West  Newton,  Nicollet  county,  this 
state,  July  14,  1866,  son  of  Vincent  and  Clara  (Heck)  Bnmner. 
The  father  was  bom  in  Germany,  came  to  Nicollet  county  before 
the  Indian  outbreak,  went  to  St,  Peter  during  that  catastrophe, 
and  served  as  a  citizen  soldier.  He  now  lives  retired  in  St.  George, 
in  that  county,  as  does  also  his  good  wife.  John  Brunner 
remained  at  home  until  1890.  For  the  next  five  years  he  rented 
a  farm  in  Cairo  township.  In  1895  he  came  to  Fairfax  and  bought 
out  Frank  Bregel.  In  1907,  John  Sehweiss  became  his  partner. 
December  21,  1914,  they  moved  their  business  into  a  new  brick 
building,  24  by  60,  which  they  had  erected.  In  addition  to  this 
Mr.  Brunner  has  a  farm  in  Wellington  township.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  St.  Joseph  society.  Mr.  Brunner  was  married  June  24, 
1890,  to  Theresa  Hellmer,  bom  October  8,  1866,  in  Germany,  the 
daughter  of  Joseph  and  Annie  Hellmer,  Joseph  Hellmer  was 
born  in  Germany,  came  to  America  in  1883  and  farmed  in  Nicollet 
county  until  his  wife's  death  in  1900,  when  he  moved  to  Fairfax 
and  lived  with  his  daughter,  Mrs.  John  Brunner,  until  his  death 
in  1912,  at  the  age  of  eighty.  Mr.  and  Mrs,  Brunner  have  had  ten 
children:  Edward,  Mary,  Henry,  Josephine,  a  teacher;  Annie, 
a  graduate  of  the  Minneapolis  Business  College;  Fred,  Alvina, 
Theresa,  Clara  and  Agnes. 

Charles  B.  Marlowe,  a  leading  citizen  of  Renville  county,  was 
bom  at  Little  Bock,  Arkansas,  September  29,  1856,  son  of  William 
and  Jane  Ann  (Linthicum)  Marlowe.  As  a  boy  he  went  through 
the  stirring  scenes  of  the  Civil  war  which  were  enacted  abont 
the  city  of  his  birth,  and  there  he  received  impressions  of  that 
conflict  which  will  never  be  eradicated.  He  became  known  to 
thousands  of  the  soldiers  and  was  the  mascot  of  the  camp.  His 
pleading  with  General  Steele  for  the  life  of  David  Dodd,  another 
boy,  who  was  hanged  as  a  spy  on  the  old  college  grounds  at 
Little  Rock,  in  1864,  brought  tears  to  the  eyes  of  the  veterans 
assembled  to  witness  the  execution,  and  is  remembered  as  one 
of  the  dramatic  scenes  of  that  year,  though  it  failed  to  move  the  ■ 
general  himself  to  mercy  toward  the  clever  youngster  who  paid 
with  ignominious  death  the  price  for  his  bravery  and  devotion. 
While  Charles  B.  Marlowe  was  too  young  to  take  part  in  the 
war,  he  has  been  a  true  friend  of  the  old  soldier  always,  and  has 
assisted  dozens  in  getting  pensions  and  back  pay.  As  the  result 
of  his  early  experiences  he  has  also  given  valuable  information 
regarding  the  location  of  forts,  batteries,  pontoon  bridges  and 
the  like  to  Dr.  William  David  Foster,  now  of  Kansas  City,  Mis- 
souri, who  at  the  time  of  the  Civil  war  was  a  United  States 
surgeon,  and  who  has  written  a  notable  History  of  the  Civil 
War.  At  the  age  of  thirteen,  energetic  and  full  of  courage, 
■  Charles  B.  Marlowe  started  out  in  life  for  himself,  and  secured  a 
position   in  the   Shaw  Public   Gardens,   of   St.  Louis,  Missouri, 


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356  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

which  are  numbered  among  the  most  beautiful  gardens  in  the 
United  States.  Later  he  worked  for  William  H.  Benton,  a  man 
of  wealth  who  had  a  splendid  estate  just  out  of  the  city  limits 
of  St.  Louis.  From  there  he  came  north  and  located  near  Pt. 
Ridgely,  in  Nicollet  county,  this  state.  In  1880  he  came  to  Cairo 
township  in  this  county,  and  three  years  later  he  came  to  Fair- 
fax, where  he  has  since  resided.  After  having  seen  much  of  the 
world  Mr.  Marlowe  declares  that  he  has  never  found  a  climate  so 
congenial  as  that  of  Renville  county,  with  its  rich  soil  and  its 
good  people.  He  is  especially  interested  in  horticulture  and  flori- 
culture, and  has  given  to  the  world  several  new  plants  and  shrubs. 
His  present  hobby  is  a  peony,  which  after  many  years  of  hard 
work  he  has  enriched  with  many  new  and  rare  varieties  of  rich 
fragrance  and  dazzling  silken  color.  He  delights  in  having  people 
share  his  wonderful  flowers,  plants  and  shrubs  with  him,  for  as 
he  says  himself:  "My  flowers  bend  to  the  breeze  and  welcome 
the  stranger  who  may  come  my  way.  All  are  welcome.  My  dog 
does  not  bite,  my  gun  is  not  loaded,  and  the  latchstring  always 
hangs  on  my  door  on  the  outside."  Mr.  Marlowe  was  married 
July  21,  1878,  to  Emma  Sehirmer,  daughter  of  Franz  and  Fred- 
erica  (Libbert)  Sehirmer.  This  union  has  been  blessed  with 
seven  sons  and  one  daughter,  and  seven  granddaughters  and  one 
grandson.  The  children  are:  William  H,,  Mary  J.,  Louis  B., 
Charles  A.,  Thomas  B.,  Frank  B.,  Alonzo  R.  and  Albert  G. 
William  H.  is  a  farmer.  He  was  born  January  31,  1880,  and  is 
a  widower.  His  two  children,  Mary  and  Thomas,  live  with  their 
grandparents,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Charles  B.  Malone,  Mary  J.  was 
bom  March  3,  1883.  She  married  Caspar  Spiess,  lives  in  Inez, 
Texas,  and  has  five  daughters.  Louis  B.  is  an  engineer,  living  at 
Atwater,  Minnesota.  He  was  bom  June  3, 1885,  and  has  one  son. 
Charles  A.  was  born  December  2,  1887,  is  married  and  is  agent 
for  the  Minneapolis  &  St.  Louis  Railroad  at  Delhi,  Minnesota. 
Thomas  B.  was  born  March  25,  1890,  lives  at  home  and  is  man- 
ager of  the  Fairfax  Produce  Co.  Frank  B.  was  born  August  27, 
1897;  Alonzo  R.  was  born  May  25,  1899,  and  Albert  G.  was  bora 
October  14,  1903.  The  family  history  of  the  Marlowes  is  most 
interesting.  In '  1832  six  brothers,  Charles,  Joseph,  Thomas, 
Samuel,  Robert  and  William,  came  to  America.  Of  these  William, 
who  was  bom  near  Boston,  England,  in  1812,  was  an  architect 
by  profession-  He  settled  in  Philadelphia  and  there  remained 
until  after  his  marriage,  in  1839,  with  Jane  Ann  Linthicum.  In 
1840  he  went  to  Little  Rock,  Arkansas,  dealt  in  cotton,  acquired 
considerable  real  estate,  and  gathered  a  small  fortune.  Owing 
to  poor  health  he  removed  with  his  family  in  the  spring  of  1865 
aboard  the  steamer  "John  Harry  Johnson,"  and  located  in  St. 
Louis,  Missouri,  where  he  died  in  1867.  His  remains  are  laid 
to  rest  in  the  graveyard  of  Holy  Trinity  church,  in  that  city. 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  357 

Jane  Ann  (Linthieum)  Marlowe  was  of  early  colonial  stock,  a 
descendant  from  a  colonist,  whose  monument  inscribed,  "Died — 
Richard  Linthieum  (1617),"  still  stands  in  the  city  limits  of 
Baltimore.  The  date  is  evidently  that  of  his  birth  and  not  that 
of  his  death,  as  Maryland  was  not  settled  until  1631  and  Balti- 
more not  until  1634.  Jane  Ann  Linthieum  was  bom  in  Baltimore 
in  1817,  and  from  1836  until  her  marriage  in  1839  studied  medi- 
cine and  surgery  under  Dr.  Paten  in  Philadelphia.  She  did  con- 
siderable surgical  work  in  Little  Bock  during  the  war,  and  prac- 
ticed in  St.  Louis  and  Carondelet  up  to  the  time  of  her  death  in 
1869.  Her  remains  are  laid  at  rest  beside  those  of  her  hus- 
band. She  was  the  mother  of  five  children :  Emma,  Annie, 
Susie,  Alon20  and  Charles  B.,  of  whom  the  last  named  is  the  only 
one  living. 

Franz  Sohirmer,  a  pioneer,  was  bom  at  Litzen,  Germany, 
January  6,  1812,  and  in  1842  married  Frederica  Libbert.  They 
embarked  on  the  Victoria,  an  English  sailing  vessel,  and  after 
three  months  on  the  ocean  landed  at  Galveston,  Texas.  From 
there  they  went  to  New  Orleans.  They  next  found  their  way  to 
Alton,  Illinois,  where  they  remained  until  about  the  early  fifties, 
when  they  came  to  Minnesota,  and  located  at  Shakopee,  in  Scott 
county.  The  Indians  were  friendly  and  assisted  the  Sehirmer 
family  in  clearing  part  of  the  ground.  From  Shakopee  the  family 
moved  to  Jordan  in  the  same  county.  From  there  Franz  Sehirmer 
in  the  early  part  of  1863  enlisted  in  Company  I  of  the  Third 
Minnesota  Light  Artillery.  This  battery  did  not  participate  in 
the  Civil  war,  but  was  sent  on  several  expeditions  in  the  North- 
west. Mr,  Sehirmer  was  mentioned  in  the  reports  for  courage 
and  valor.  After  the  war  he  moved  to  Nicollet  county.  In  1891 
he  took  up  his  home  with  his  son-in-law,  Gust  Grams,  in  "Welling- 
ton township,  where  he  died  April  27,  1899.  His  good  wife  died 
December  15,  1901.  They  were  the  parents  of  eleven  children, 
of  whom  two  sons  and  three  daughters  are  living.  There  are 
thirty-seven  grandsons  and  thirty  granddaughters,  as  well  as 
eight  great-grandchildren. 

Joseph  Voltin,  a  representative  farmer  of  Camp  township,  was 
horn  in  Nicollet  county,  November  4,  1874,  son  of  Max  Voltin, 
who  was  bom  in  Germany,  became  a  farmer  in  Nicollet  county, 
this  state,  and  died  in  1896  at  the  age  of  fifty.  The  mother,  Eliza- 
beth Voltin,  now  lives  in  section  1,  Camp  township.  Joseph 
Voltin  remained  at  home  until  1898.  Then  he  secured  the  west 
half  of  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  12,  Camp  township,  where 
he  now  lives.  The  farm  is  well  improved  and  has  proven  profit- 
able. For  five  years  Mr.  Voltin  has  been  clerk  of  school  district 
30.  He  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Farmers'  Co-operative  Elevator 
Company  of  Fairfax.  Fraternally  his  affiliation  is  with  the 
M.  W.  A.  and  M.  B.  A.    Mr.  Voltin  was  married  March  22,  1898, 


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358  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

to  Ellen  Gallagher,  daughter  of  John  and  Jane  (Neely)  Voltin. 
The  father  was  bom  in  Ireland,  came  to  Renville  county  in  1875, 
homesteaded  the  property  where  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Joseph  Voltin  now 
live,  and  died  November  10,  1895.  The  mother  died  November  7, 
1880.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Voltin  are  giving  a  parents'  care  to  a  little 
girl,  Myrtle  Kosander,  whom  they  took  into  their  home  in  the  fall 
of  1908.    She  was  born  October  20,  1902. 

HeU  J.  OIbod,  a  well  to  do  farmer  of  Camp  township,  was  born 
in  Winona  county,  Minnesota,  November  25,  1862,  son  of  Jens 
and  Carrie  (Tigen)  Olson.  His  father  died  in  1895  at  the  age 
of  sixty-seven  years.  He  was  born  in  Norway  and  came  to 
America  in  1356,  engaging  in  farming  in  Winona  county  until 
1869,  when  he  homesteaded  the  southwest  quarter,  section  14,  of 
Camp  township,  Renville  county.  He  was  a  noted  grain  stacker 
and  wood  chopper.  He  served  one  year  in  Company  D,  First 
Minnesota  Volunteer  Infantry.  His  wife  died  February,  1899,  at 
the  age  of  sixty-four  years,  Nels  Olson  remained  at  home  until 
the  fall  of  1893  and  then  started  farming  for  himself  on  the  home 
farm,  which  he  purchased.  In  1910  he  bought  252  acres  in  sec- 
tions 27  and  34,  to  which  land  he  has  since  made  additions  so  that 
now  he  owns  431  acres.  Of  this  275  acres  are  under  the  plow.  He 
has  built  a  fine  nine-room  house  and  a  barn  36  by  66  by  16.  In 
1912  he  built  a  silo  with  a  capacity  of  eighty-five  tons.  Mr.  Olson 
raises  good  stock,  having  sixty  Shorthorn  cattle,  of  which  sixteen 
are  registered  and  eighteen  milch  cows.  He  makes  a  specialty  of 
feeding  cattle  for  the  market  and  ships  abo\it  one  carload  every 
year.  He  also  raises  full  blooded  Poland-China  hogs  and  Belgian 
and  graded  coach  horses.  His  fowl  are  all  good  breed,  full 
blooded  Plymouth  Rock  and  White  Leghorn  chickens,  Pekin 
ducks  and  Toulouse  geese.  Mr.  Olson  has  been  active  in  public 
affairs  and  has  served  as  township  clerk  for  the  past  twenty- 
four  years.  He  is  president  of  the  Farmers'  Elevator  Company 
at  Franklin,  the  Franklin  Co-operative  Shipping  Association  and 
the  Farmers'  Breeding  Association  at  Franklin,  and  stockholder 
in  the  New  Creamery  at  Fairfax,  the  Co-operative  Store  at  Fair- 
fax and  the  Co-operative  Grain  Company  at  Fairfax,  He  is  a 
member  and  trustee  of  the  Hauge's  Norwegian  Lutheran  church. 
Mr,  Olson  was  united  in  marriage  May  25,  1894,  to  Annie  Enger, 
born  July  26,  1871,  daughter  of  John  Enger,  a  pioneer  farmer 
who  lives  on  section  11,  Camp  township,  and  his  wife  Olena  (Lee), 
born  October  19,  1839,  and  died  September  15,  1914.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Olson  have  had  nine  children:  Gellert,  born  April  10,  1895; 
Josephine,  born  February  4,  1897,  married  to  L.  M.  FolHngstad 
in  the  spring  of  1915 ;  Henry,  bom  April  27.  1899 ;  Spencer,  Janu- 
ary 26, 1901 ;  Mable,  born  December  26, 1902 ;  Helen,  born  Decem- 
ber 15,  1904;  Verna,  born  January  23,  1907;  Florence,  born  July 
7,  1909,  and  Bernice,  August  8,  1911. 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  359 

Alfred  H.  Peterson,  one  of  the  successful  farmers  of  Gamp 
township,  was  bom  on  section  21,  Camp  township,  July  20,  1874, 
son  of  Halleck  and  Julia  (Jacobson)  Peterstm.  Halleck  Peterson 
waa  born  in  Norway  in  1835  and  came  to  this  country  in  1844, 
locating  in  Wiaeonem,  where  he  lived  eleven  years;  next  he 
removed  to  Iowa  in  1857,  where  he  married  and  in  1859  came 
to  Camp  township,  Renville  county,  where  he  continued  to  make 
his  home,  with  the  exception  of  about  three  years  passed  in  Qood- 
hue  county  and  Faribault.  In  1862  he  was  one  of  the  defenders 
of  Fort  Ridgely.  He  held  various  town  offices  and  at  one  time 
served  as  county  commissioner.  There  were  seven  children  in 
the  family:  Peter,  Isabella,  Jacob,  Edward,  Louis,  Henry  and 
Alfred.  Halleck  Peterson  died  in  1882.  His  widow  is  now  living 
at  Madison,  Minnesota.  Alfred  Peterson  remained  on  the  home 
farm  until  1907,  when  he  purchased  160  acres  in  section  21,  where 
he  now  lives-  He  raises  Shorthorn  cattle,  Poland-China^nd  Duroc 
swine.  He  has  served  as  township  constable  two  years  and  is  a 
stockholder  in  the  mill,  creamery  and  Farmers'  Elevator  Com- 
pany at  Franklin.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Hauge's  Norwegian 
Lutheran  church.  Mr,  Peterson  waa  married  June  2,  1903,  to 
Ourina  Borstad,  bom  October  5,  1877.  Her  father,  Gunder  Bor- 
stad,  came  to  America  in  1876  and  farmed  in  Camp  township, 
where  he  died  in  1894  at  the  age  of  fifty  years.  Her  mother, 
Annie  (Kvaal)  Borstad,  is  still  living  in  Camp  township  at  the 
age  of  seventy-three  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Peterson  have  three 
children :  Hazel,  born  November  29,  1904 ;  Grant,  bom  February 
3,  1907,  and  Lester,  bom  June  12,  1911. 

Ande  F.  Paulson,  an  industrious  farmer  of  Camp  township, 
was  bom  in  Norway,  February  16,  1871,  son  of  Paul  Paulson,  a 
forester  in  Norway,  who  died  in  1908  at  the  age  of  eighty-five, 
and  of  Gure  Paulson,  who  died  in  1908  at  the  age  of  eighty-aght. 
Ande  P.  Paulson  came  to  America  in  1888,  and  was  employed  for 
three  years  as  a  surveyor.  Then  he  was  in  the  state  of  Wash- 
ington for  a  while.  Next  he  came  to  Renville  county  and  rented 
a  place  in  Bandon  township.  In  1902  he  moved  to  the  George 
Forsyth  place  in  section  8,  Camp  township,  wher^  he  still  resides. 
He  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Farmers'  Co-operative  Elevator  at 
Franklin.  Mr.  Paulson  makes  a  specialty  of  Aberdeen-Angus 
cattle.  Mr.  Paulson  was  married  September  21,  1899,  to  Agde 
Wikle,  who  was  bom  December  7,  1877.  They  have  given 
parental  love  and  affection  to  three  bright  children :  Hannah, 
George  Gustafson  and  Bertha  Lund.  The  family  faith  is  that  of 
the  Norwegian  Lutheran  church. 

Hemy  H.  Bieke  was  born  in  section  26,  Cairo  township,  August 
23,  1872,  son  of  George  and  Sophia  Rieke.  His  father  was  born 
March  1,  1834,  in  Germany  and  now  lives  in  the  village  of  Fair- 
fax.   He  came  to  this  country  in  1855  and  worked  in  the  steel 


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360  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

mills  of  Ohio  until  1859,  when  he  came  to  Cairo  townahip.  There 
was  only  one  settler  there  at  the  time,  John  Buehro,  who  home- 
steaded  in  1859  on  the  eaat  aide  of  Mud  Lake  and  was  killed  by 
the  Indiana  in  1862.  Mr.  Bieke  was  elected  the  first  township 
treasurer  on  April  7,  1868.  He  took  part  in  the  defenae  against 
the  Indians  at  PH;.  Ridgely  in  1862  with  hia  brothers  Victor,  Adam, 
August,  Henry  and  Herman.  His  sisters  Mary,  now  Mrs.  Charles 
Penake,  of  Fairfax,  and  Lisetta,  now  Mrs.  Anthony,  were  also 
preaent.  Hia  brother  Henry  died  during  the  siege  of  Ft,  Ridgely. 
His  wife,  Mrs.  Sophia  Schweer-Lammera  Rieke,  born  April  4, 
1837,  and  died  July  8,  1906,  was  a  widow  of  William  Lammers, 
who  was  killed  during  the  outbreak  of  1862.  She  had  three  chil- 
dren by  the  first  marriage  and  seven  by  the  second.  She  and  her 
children  were  taken  prisoners  by  the  Indians  and  kept  for  six 
weeks.  Henry  Rieke  rented  the  home  farm  from  1901  until  1908, 
when  he  purchased  eighty  acres  in  section  15,  Hector  township. 
After  a  year  he  sold  this  land  and  bought  160  acres  in  section  11, 
Camp  township,  in  the  fall  of  1909.  He  is  a  stockholder  in  the 
Creamery  and  Elevator  Company  at  Fairfax,  has  been  on  the 
township  board  for  three  years  and  has  served  as  school  clerk. 
In  the  fraternal  societies  he  is  a  member  of  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  at 
Fairfax.  The  family  faith  is  that  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church.  Mr.  Rieke  was  married  June  11,  1902,  to  Anna  Maurer, 
born  June  18,  1873,  daughter  of  Christian  Maurer,  born  May  18, 
1832,  came  to  America  in  1850  and  lived  in  Ohio  until  April  1, 
1896,  when  he  died,  and  hia  wife,  Elizabeth  Zimmerman,  who  died 
July,  1874,  at  the  age  of  forty-two  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rieke 
have  one  child,  Mildred  Sophia,  bom  November  27,  1908. 

Ole  0.  Nesborg,  soldier,  sailor,  teacher  and  farmer,  was  bom 
in  Norway,  January  1,  1836,  and  was  there  reared  and  became  a 
sailor.  In  1855  he  came  to  America  and  settled  in  Columbia 
county,  Wisconsin,  locating  in  Olmsted  county,  thia  state,  in  1857, 
and  in  Fillmore  county,  this  state  in  1858.  On  November  21, 
1861,  he  enlisted  in  the  First  Minnesota  Light  Artillery,  and 
served  until  discharged  for  disability  November  17,  1862,  having 
in  the  meantime  served  in  the  Battle  of  Pittsburgh  Landing  and 
the  Battle  of  Shiloh.  For  seven  years  Mr.  Neahurg  waa  a  teacher 
in  a  Norwegian  Lutheran  parochial  school.  In  1868  he  came  to 
Camp  township  and  homesteaded  land  in  aection  35,  where  he 
lived  until  his  death,  June  20,  1904.  He  served  as  town  aaseasor 
for  twenty-seven  years.  Mr.  Neaburg  married  Julia  Maland,  who 
was  born  May  10, 1832,  and  died  May  8, 1903. 

Gtmder  0.  NesbnTg  was  born  on  a  farm  in  Fillmore  county, 
August  22,  1867,  and  has  owned  his  present  place  since  1888.  He 
has  made  many  improvements,  is  an  estimable  citizen,  and  holds 
stock  in  various  co-operative  enterprises.  He  was  married  May 
19,  1896,  to  Mary  Nesseth,  who  was  born  June  28,  1879,  and  they 


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THf  NEW  TORK 
PUBLIC   LIBRARY 


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TH>:  NEW  YORK 
PUBLIC    LIBRARY 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  361 

have  had  ten  children:  Oscar,  Ingram  Julian  (deceased),  Annie 
Caroline,  Mabel  Gladys,  Henry  Irvin,  Julian  Roy,  Arthur  Clar- 
ence, Inga  Alletta,  Aliea  Lillian  Irene,  and  Bemice  Alletta.  The 
family  faith  is  that  of  the  Norwegian  Lutheran  church. 

Andrew  0.  Nesbnrg,  a  progressiTc  farmer  of  Camp  township, 
was  born  in  Fillmore  county,  this  state,  August  31,  1865,  son  of 
Ole  0.  and  Julia  (Maland)  Nesburg,  who  brought  him  to  this 
township  in  1868.  After  passing  through  the  common  schools  he 
attended  the  Hauge  Seminary  at  Red  Wing  for  three  years,  and 
subsequently  taught  school  in  Renville  county.  In  1888  he  bought 
forty  acres  in  section  34,  Camp  township,  and  moved  into  same 
in  the  spring  of  1895.  He  now  owns  ninety-one  acres,  has  some 
good  buildings,  and  raises  blooded  stock.  He  has  been  a  member 
of  the  school  board  fifteen  years,  assessor  ten  years  and  town 
supervisor  nine  years.  He  is  a  director  in  the  Norwegian 
Lutheran  church.  Mr.  Nesburg  was  married  October  10,  1892,  to 
Christiana  A.  Nesseth,  bom  October  10, 1871,  daughter  of  Andrew 
L,  and  Ingeri  (Marcuadotter)  Nesseth.    The  father  was  born  June 

22,  1841,  came  to  America  in  1867,  homesteaded  160  acres  in  sec- 
tion 26,  Camp  township,  and  was  married  in  1868  to  Ingeri  Mar- 
cusdotter,  who  was  horn  April  13,  1844.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nesburg 
have  had  nine  children:  Isabel  Josephina,  born  April  19,  1894; 
Oliver  Arthur,  born  September  26,  1895 ;  Ruth  Cora,  born  August 
2,  1899,  and  died  June  27,  1913 ;  William  Theodore,  born  October 

23,  1901;  Harold  Olai,  born  May  29,  1903;  Albert  Clarence,  born 
September  5,  1905;  George  Olaf,  born  July  7,  1907;  Beatrice 
Aletta,  born  August  31,  1910,  and  Anna  Harrieth,  born  April  11, 
1912. 

Charles  LanunwB,  an  influential  citizen,  public  official  and  mer- 
chant, was  bom  in  Cincinnati,  April  8,  1861,  son  of  William  and 
Sophia  (Schweer)  Lammers.  He  was  brought  to  Renville  county 
in  1862,  was  present  when  his  father  was  killed  during  the  Indian 
massacre,  was  held  captive  with  his  mother  and  brother  Fred, 
and  remained  with  his  mother  and  step-father  in  Renville  county 
until  lie  was  twenty  years  of  age.  Then  he  worked  ont  as  a  farm 
hand.  May  11, 1884,  with  but  $500  capital,  he  opened  a  hardware 
store  in  Fairfax.  In  1886  he  sold  this  store  and  opened  a  general 
merchandise  establishment  at  Fairfax  with  Thomas  Greer  as  a 
partner,  under  the  firm  name  of  Lammers  &  Greer.  In  1894  Mr. 
'  Greer  retired,  then  A.  F.  Rieke  bought  in  and  the  firm  became 
Lammers  &  Rieke.  In  1896  Mr.  Lammers  sold  out  and  engaged 
in  the  grain  business  in  Fairfax  for  four  years.  During  this  time 
he  erected  and  operated  an  independent  elevator.  Then  in  1900, 
with  Henry  Hauser  and  G.  A.  Rieke,  of  the  firm  of  Hauser  & 
Rieke,  he  engaged  in  the  furniture,  lumber  and  hardware  busi- 
ness. The  company  is  now  known  as  the  Hauser  Lumber  Com- 
pany, of  Fairfax,  Gibbon  and  Franklin.    For  several  years  Mr. 


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a62  rilSTOBY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

Lammers  was  secretary  and  for  the  last  four  years  he  has  "been 
treasurer  of  the  concern.  He  is  also  vice-president  of  the  Pair- 
fax  State  Bank.  His  political  career  began  at  an  early  date. 
Por  eighteen  years  ending  in  1905  he  was  treasurer  of  the  town 
of  Cairo.  For  seven  years  he  was  a  member  of  the  Fairfax  village 
council.  Since  January,  1907,  he  has  been  a  county  coraraissioner 
from  the  Second  district.  Mr.  Lammers  was  married  May  11, 
1885,  to  Emma  Durbahn,  who  was  born  January  4,  1864,  daughter 
of  Jacob  and  Dora  (Anthony)  Durbahn.  The  father  and  mother 
were  born  in  Germany,  came  to  America,  farmed  in  Nicollet 
county,  retired  to  New  Ulm.  He  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-one. 
The  mother  died  in  1881  at  the  age  of  fifty.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lam- 
mers have  six  children :  Harry  C,  })pm  September  10,  1888 ; 
Millicent,  born  November  17,  1889;  Witbert,  born  March  1,  1892; 
Benjamin,  born  October  5,  1893;  Wesley,  born  April  24,  1896, 
and  Ada,  bora  December  10,  1900.  The  family  faith  is  that  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  of  which  Mr.  Lammers  is  a  trustee. 
The  part  taken  in  the  Indian  outbreak  of  1862  by  the  Lammers 
family  is  a  tragic  one.  William  Lammers,  a  substantial  German 
citizen,  eame  to  America  in  the  fifties,  seeking  the  advantages  of 
life  under  the  light  of  a  Republic.  In  1862  he  brought  his  family 
to  Renville  county  and  pre-empted  the  northwest  quarter  of  sec- 
tion 19,  Flora  township.  Happy  that  at  last  he  had  secured  land, 
and  a  farm  on  which  he  might  make  a  competence  and  rear  his 
children  to  strong  manhood  and  womanhood,  he  set  at  work  with 
a  will.  He  erected  a  log  cabin,  made  a  little  clearing,  got  in  some 
crops,  and  was  eagerly  looking  for  the  harvest  time  when  he 
might  store  up  provisions  for  the  coming  winter.  But  on  August 
18,  1862,  a  band  of  Indians  eame  down  on  the  littie  cabin,  butch- 
ered and  mutilated  William  Lammers  and  took  his  wife  and  their 
two  little  sons,  Frederick  and  Charles,  as  prisoners.  They  were 
held  in  captivity  for  six  weeks,  and  during  this  time  Charles  was 
very  much  disliked  by  the  Indians,  so  one  day  he  was  taken  and 
thrown  in  the  fire  while  his  mother  was  sent  after  water,  but  the 
quick  and  daring  moves  of  his  brother  Fred  saved  him  from  being 
roasted  to  death.  Prom  Camp  Release  they  went  to  Nicollet 
county.  There  the  following  spring  another  son,  William,  was 
bom.  September  26,  1864,  the  widow  and  mother  married  George 
Rieke,  now  a  resident  of  Fairfax.  William,  the  posthumus  child, 
lived  to  the  age  of  twenty-six.  He  farmed  in  Sibley  county  with 
his  brother,  Frederick  W.,  and  left  a  widow  and  one  child.  Fred- 
erick W.  is  married  and  has  two  sous,  Walter  and  Edwin  Lammers. 
Ole  H.  Boyum,  energetic  farmer,  was  born  August  16, 1872,  on 
the  place  where  he  now  resides,  in  the  north  half  of  the  southeast 
quarter  of  section  35,  Camp  township.  The  father,  Hans  0. 
Boyum,  was  born  in  Norway,  September  18, 1840,  and  was  married 
June  12,  1865,  to  Breita  0.  Husabe,  who  was  born  November  17, 


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HISTOKY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  363 

1840.  They  came  to  America  in  1867,  and  located  in  Fillmore 
county,  this  state,  where  they  had  relatives.  After  a  year  there 
they,  in  company  with  Ole  0.  Nesburg,  started  out  for  this  county 
with  an  ox  team.  They  settled  on  section  35,  Camp  township, 
and  there  Hans  0.  Boyura  died  December  22,  1914.  His  wife  still 
lives  on  the  place.  She  has  many  stories  to  tell  of  pioneer  days, 
when  they  lived  in  a  dug-out  and  endured  many  hardships  anrl 
privations.  Ole  H.  Boyum  has  always  been  at  home.  In  190.) 
he  and  his  brother  Christ  rented  the  home  place,  and  in  1906  he 
bought  the  100  acres  containing  the  buildings.'  He  has  made  a 
number  of  improvements  and  carries  on  general  farming  and 
stoekratsing,  Mr.  Boyum  was  married  June  25,  1903,  to  Tillie 
Evenson,  who  was  born  October  22,  1885,  daughter  ot  Ole  O. 
EvensoD,  a  pioneer  farmer  of  Renville  county  now  living  with  the 
Boyums,  and  of  Barbara  (Erickson)  Evenson,  who  died  February 
10,  1902,  at  the  age  of  fifty-five.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Boyum  have  five 
children :  Oscar,  born  February  18,  1905 ;  Bertha,  born  January 
17, 1907 ;  Harvey,  bom  December  9, 1908,  and  Leonard  and  Lloyd, 
born  January  13, 1911. 

N^  0.  Hdson,  an  active  farmer  of  Camp  township,  was  born 
in  section  23,  Camp  township,  June  21,  1884,  son  of  Sievert  N. 
Nelson,  born  in  Norway,  June  1,  1840,  and  came  to  America  in 
1865.  After  spending  three  years  in  Goodhue  county  he  came 
to  Renville  county  in  1868  and  homesteaded  160  acres  in  section 
22,  Camp  township,  where  he  remained  imtil  1874,  then  selling 
out  and  going  to  California.  In  1878  he  returned  and  bought  200 
acres  in  sections  22  and  23,  Camp  township,  where  he  remained 
until  his  death,  November  4, 1907.  He  was  married  June  10,  188u, 
to  Mary  Holten,  born  December  14,  1855.  Nels  0.  has  remained 
on  the  home  place,  eighty  acres  of  which  he  owns  and  120  acres  o£ 
which  he  rents.  He  started  for  himself  in  1908  by  renting  the 
place,  and  three  years  later  he  purchased  the  stock  and  equipment. 
He  carries  on  general  farming  and  makes  a  specialty  of  Red  Poll 
cattle,  Duroc  swine  and  Plymouth  Rock  chickens.  He  is  a  stock- 
holder in  the  Fairfax  Co-operative  store  and  in  Fairfax  Farmers 
Co-operative  Elevator  Company.  His  faith  is  that  of  the  Nor- 
wegian Lutheran  church,  in  which  he  is  a  trustee.  He  was  mar- 
ried June  7,  1911,  to  Minnie  Semenid,  bom  November  28,  1882, 
daughter  of  John  0.  Semerud,  a  farmer  of  Cairo  township,  a 
native  of  Norway,  and  his  wife  Emma  (Asak)  Semerud.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Nelson  have  two  children :  Joseph  Stanley,  born  March  22, 
1912;  and  Ethel  Myrtle,  born  October  31,  1913. 

WilUam  A.  Johnson,  an  enterprising  young  farmer  of  Camp 
township,  was  bom  in  that  township  October  7,  1884,  son  of 
Mathias  and  Albertina  (Frisca)  Johnson.  Mathias  Johnson,  a 
native  of  Norway,  was  born  in  1846,  and  upon  coming  to  America 
in  1865  settled  in  Nicollet  county,  which  was  his  home  for  two 


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864  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

years.  He  enlisted  in  Company  A,  First  Minnesota  Regiment,  and 
was  honorably  discharged  six  months  later.  In  1866  he  took  a 
homestead  on  section  20,  Camp  township.  His  marriage  to  Albei"- 
tina  Frisca  took  place  in  1870  and  the  following  children  were 
bom:  Emma,  Oscar,  Anna  M.,  Maria  A.,  William  A.,  Henry, 
Minnie  S.  and  Elizabeth.  Mathias  Johnson  has  retired  from  farm- 
ing and  lives  at  Franklin  with  his  wife,  who  is  now  sixty-six  years 
of  age.  William  Johnson  rented  the  home  farm  in  1905  and  lived 
there  three  years.  In  1908  he  engaged  in  the  meat  business  at 
Nashwauk,  Minnesota,  and  continued  this  line  of  work  for  three 
years,  after  which  he  engaged  in  the  livery  business  for  three 
months  in  the  same  town.  In  1911  he  bought  the  home  farm  of 
240  acres  and  has  followed  the  fortunes  of  a  farmer  ever  since. 
He  raises  Guernsey  cattle,  having  about  fifteen  raileh  cows,  and 
feeds  about  ten  for  the  market.  His  swine  are  of  the  Poland- 
China  breed,  of  which  he  has  about  ninety.  Mr.  Johnson  has  just 
completed  a  cement  silo  15  by  40,  with  a  capacity  of  about  200 
tons.  He  has  served  as  township  treasurer  for  two  years  and  as 
a  member  of  the  school  board  three  years.  He  is  the  president 
of  the  Franklin  creamery  and  a  stockholder  of  the  Farmers' 
elevator  at  Franklin.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Finnish  Lutheran 
church.  Mr.  Johnson  was  united  in  marriage  to  Ina  Lydia 
Baattama  June  5, 1910.  She  was  born  January  11, 1890,  daughter 
of  Peter  Baattama,  a  farmer  in  Ottertail  county,  bom  in  Sweden 
in  1848  and  earae  to  America  in  1862,  and  his  wife,  Catherine 
(Johnson)  Raattama.  Three  children  have  blessed  this  union: 
Clarence,  Evangeline,  and  Virginia. 

Anton  E.  Helwold,  efficient  proprietor  of  Hillcrest  Farm,  was* 
bom  on  the  place  where  he  still  resides,  in  the  northwest  quarter 
of  section  24,  Camp  township,  June  16,  1880,  son  of  Eriek  G.  and 
Enga  (Bergley)  Melwold.  The  father  was  born  February  19, 
1836,  carae  to  America  in  1866,  lived  at  Albert  Lea,  m  this  state, 
until  1869,  then  carae  to  Renville  county  and  secured  the  present 
homestead  in  Camp  township.  There  he  remained  until  his  death, 
January  14, 1913.  He  was  married  in  1876  to  Enga  Bergley,  who 
with  her  children,  EflSe,  Anton  E.,  Mathilda  and  Dina,  all  live  on 
the  home  place.  All  are  progressive  agriculturists,  and  Dina  has 
had  the  advantages  of  courses  in  the  agricultural  department  of 
the  University  of  Minnesota.  Anton  E.  Melwold  has  managed  the 
home  farm  since  1903.  The  home  and  other  buildings  are  excel- 
lent, the  land  in  a  splendid  condition  and  the  blooded  stock  is 
of  the  best.  Mr.  Melwold  is  president  of  the  Farmers'  Progressive 
Club  of  Cairo  township,  a  director  in  the  Renville  County  Swine 
Breeders'  Association,  vice-president  of  the  Fairfax  Co-operative 
Company,  director  in  the  Fairfax  creamery  and  stockholder  in 
the  State  Bank  of  Fairfax.  The  family  faith  is  that  of  the  Nor- 
wegian Lutheran  church. 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  365 

Ole  Hagevold,  farmer  and  stock-raiser  of  Camp  township, 
waa  bom  in  Dovre,  Norway,  March  9,  1860,  son  of  Hans  Hage- 
Told,  who  died  in  1875  at  the  age  of  forty-one,  and  of  Breta 
Berg  who  is  still  living  in  Norway.  Ole  Hagevold  came  to 
America  in  1892,  and  located  in  this  county.  For  a  year  he 
worked  as  a  farm  hand  in  Bandon  township,  and  then  rented 
a  farm  for  several  years  in  the  same  township.  Then  he  bought 
157  acres  in  section  8,  Camp  township,  where  he  now  lives.  He 
has  a  good  eight-room  house  and  a  32  by  40  bam  which  he  built 
in  1907.  One  hundred  acres  are  under  the  plow,  and  in  addition 
to  raising  the  usual  crops  he  breeds  Shorthorn  cattle  and  Duroc- 
Jersey  swine.  He  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Crescent  Milling 
Company,  the  Franklin  Creamery  and  the  Farmers  Co-operative 
Elevator  Company,  all  of  Franklin.  For  three  years  he  has  been 
a  director  of  the  school  board  of  his  district.  Mr.  Hagevold  waa 
married  May  11,  1892,  to  Marie  Engelien,  who  was  bom  April  5, 
1S67,  daughter  of  Hans  Engelien,  who  died  in  Norway  in  1908 
at  the  age  of  seventy-five,  and  of  Marit  Tamburbaugen,  who  died 
in  1910  at  the  age  of  eighty.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hagevold  have  two 
children:  Hans,  bom  May  10,  1893;  and  Melvin,  bom  March  8, 
1898. 

Mathiae  0.  Hagestad,  a  well-known  farmer  of  Camp  township, 
was  bom  in  Norway,  June  22,  1847,  son  of  Ole  and  Martina 
(Moss)  Hagestad.  The  father  was  bom  in  Norway,  came  to 
America  in  1867,  lived  in  Trempeaaleaa  county,  Wisconsin,  until  - 
1873,  then  came'  to  Renville  comity,  and  lived  in  Camp  township 
for  a  year,  subsequently  going  to  Grantsburg,  Wisconsin,  where 
he  farmed  until  his  death,  January  26,  1884.  The  mother  was 
bom  February  12,  1817,  and  died  in  March,  1887.  Mathias  0. 
Hagestad  remained  with  his  parents  until  1871,  when  he  bought 
eighty  acres  in  section  23,  Camp  township,  inside  of  the  Fort 
Ridgely  reservation.  Five  years  later  he  sold  and  went  to 
Grantsburg,  Wisconsin,  where  he  remained  two  years.  Next  he 
bought  120  acres  in  section  14,  Brandon  township.  In  1896  he 
sold  out  and  purchased  a  tract  of  160  acres  in  sections  22  and  27, 
Camp  township.  He  now  owns  240  acres,  has  a  good  house,  and 
a  sightly  bam  built  in  1914.  He  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Farmers 
Co-operative  Elevator  Company  of  Fairfax.  For  seven  years  he 
has  been  a  school  director  in  his  district.  Mr.  Hagestad  has 
taken  considerable  interest  in  the  affairs  of  the  early  days.  He 
lives  on  an  historic  spot,  the  farm  where  he  is  having  been 
owned  by  the  Baasch  family  at  the  time  of  the  Indian  uprising. 
Mathias  0.  Hagestad  was  married  October  3,  1871,  to  Martha  0. 
Berge,  bom  June  13, 1855,  daughter  of  Ole  E.  and  Celia  (Hanson) 
Berge.  Ole  E,  Berge  was  bom  February  9,  1826,  came  to  America 
in  1854,  lived  in  Dane  county,  Wisconsin,  two  years,  in  St.  Croix 
county,    Wisconsin,  two  years,  and  in  Trempeaaleau    county, 


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366  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

Wiscoiisiii,  for  eleven  years.  He  came  to  Renville  county  June  22, 
1869,  and  bought  160  acres  in  sections  22,  23  and  27,  Camp  town- 
ship, where  he  farmed  until  his  death  June  7,  1891.  His  wife 
now  lives  with  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Peter  Berg,  at  Madison, 
Minnesota.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hagestad  have  eight  children :  Louisa 
was  bom  Angust  26,  1872 ;  and  Nicolai,  November  7,  1874.  Otelia 
was  bom  April  10,  1878,  and  married  Alfred  Liinder,  of  the 
Hauser  Lumber  Company,  Fairfax.  Cornelia  was  bom  July  3, 
1881,  and  died  December  7,  1902.  Celia  was  born  Febmary  22, 
1883,  and  married  Carl  Peterson,  agent  for  the  Dan  Patch  line 
at  "Waterville,  Minnesota.  Louis  was  bom  January  17,  1889. 
Ella  was  bom  September  29,  1891,  and  married  Einar  Nelson, 
of  the  Nelson  Brothers  garage,  Fairfax.  Manford  was  bom 
January  17,  1895,  and  is  the  agent  for  the  Dan  Patch  line  at 
Madison  Lake,  Minn. 

Andrew  A.  Bergley,  a  prominent  farmer  of  Camp  township,  was 
born  in  Norway,  June  22,  1847,  son  of  Andrew,  and  Ellen  (John- 
son) Hanson.  The  father  came  to  America  in  1873,  and  lived 
in  Camp  township  imtil  his  death  in  1905  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
three.  The  mother  died  in  1908  at  the  age  of  eighty-five. 
Andrew  A.  Bergley  came  to  America  in  1872,  and  located  in 
St.  Peter,  in  this  state,  where  he  worked  three  years  on  the  rail- 
road and  in  a  brick  yard.  In  1875  he  came  to  this  county,  and 
purchased  the  north  half  of  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  23, 
Camp  township.  When  he  started  he  had  one  cow  and  two 
chickens.  During  the  first  two  years  his  crops  were  destroyed 
by  the  grasshoppers.  But  he  worked  hard,  and  with  undaunted 
courage,  and  his  faith  has  now  been  rewarded.  He  owns  a  well- 
improved  farm  of  160  acres,  has  a  ten-room  house  and  a  large 
bam.  and  other  good  buildings,  and  successfully  carries  on 
general  farming  and  atockraising.  For  six  years  he  has  been 
a  member  of  the  school  board.  Mr.  Bergley  was  married  June  3, 
1875,  to  Lena  Johnson,  who  was  bom  August  3,  1843,  daughter 
of  John  Qilbertson,  a  farmer  who  died  in  Norway,  in  1897,  at  the 
age  of  eighty-five,  and  of  Johanna  (Nelson)  Qilbertson,  who  died 
in  1859  at  the  age  of  forty-seven.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bergley  have 
four  children.  Emma  was  bom  August  15,  1876,  married  A.  0. 
Lund,  a  harness  dealer,  and  lives  in  Franklin.  Amelia  was  born 
January  31,  1879,  and  married  Nels  E.  Nelson,  a  farmer  of  Cairo 
township.  John  was  bom  May  12,  1883;  and  Gena  was  bom 
March  30,  1886 ;  both  are  at  home. 

Anton  Brown  was  bom  in  Cook  county,  Illinois,  May  21,  1868, 
son  of  William  Brown,  who  was  bom  in  Germany,  came  to  this 
country  in  1854,  and  now  a  retired  farmer  living  in  Chicago  at 
the  age  of  seventy-five  years,  and  of  his  wife,  Sophia  (Komann) 
Brown,  aged  sixty-six.  Anton  Brown  worked  out  from  seventeen 
until  twenty-four,  years  of  age.     From  1892  to  1908  he  farmed 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  367 

in  Illinois  and  then  sold  his  property  there  and  purchased  ninety 
acres  in  section  8,  Camp  township,  where  he  is  now.  He  raises 
Shorthorn  cattle  and  Poland  China  swine.  He  ie  a  stockholder 
in  the  Franklin  Farmers'  Elevator  Company  and  Creamery 
Company.  He  has  served  as  school  clerk  for  two  years  and 
justice  of  the  peace.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
church.  Mr.  Brown  was  married  May  10,  1892,  to  Lena  Welter, 
born  August  7,  1868.  Her  father,  Michael  Welter,  was  bom  in 
Germany  and  engaged  in  the  trade  of  a  carpenter  and  later 
in  farming,  coming  to  America  In  1855,  where  he  settled  in 
Buffalo  Orove,  Illinois,  and  died  September  2,  1898,  at  the  age 
of  seventy-seven  years.  Her  mother,  Susanna  DeVille  died 
February  2,  1908,  at  the  age  of  eighty-two  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Brown  have  had  nine  children:  William,  bom  February  17,  1893; 
Susan,  bom  May  29,  1894;  Lydia,  bom  May  2,  1896;  Anton, 
Jr.,  bora  May  23,  1898;  Albin,  born  June  9,  1901;  Paul,  bora 
April  19,  1906;  Gertrude,  bora  February  19,  1904,  and  died 
March  29,  1905;  Margaret,  bom  November  11,  1907;  Leo,  bora 
April  5,  1911. 

John  0.  Hogstad,  a  respected  farmer  of  Camp  township,  was 
born  in  Norway,  September  13,  1862,  son  of  Ole  and  Martha 
(Melhus)  Hogstad.  The  father  was  born  in  Norway,  June  26, 
1818,  came  to  America  in  1866,  located  in  Goodhue  county,  lived 
there  two  years,  came  to  Camp  township  in  1868,  and  bought 
the  northwest  quarter  of  section  16.  The  first  home  the  family 
occupied  here  was  a  dug-out  with  a  sod  roof;  there  was  no  plaster, 
the  walls  being  of  clay  to  hold  out  the  loose  earth.  They  started 
farming  with  a  pair  of  oxen  and  a  wagon.  For  some  years  they 
cut  wheat  with  a  cradle  and  hay  with  a  scythe.  Ole  Hogstad 
died  July  23,  1894.  His  wife,  who  was  bora  July  23,  1825,  died 
July  19,  1904.  John  O.  Hogstad  has  remained  on  the  home  farm 
which  he  purchased  in  1893.  He  owns  160  acres,  has  set  an  acre 
and  a  half  to  fruit  trees,  and  raises  Holstein  cattle  and  Duroc- 
Jersey  swine,  some  of  each  of  which  are  registered  full  bloods. 
The  modem  seven-room  house  was  built  in  1902  and  the  well- 
equipped  barn  and  silo  in  1908.  Mr.  Hogstad  is  a  stockholder 
in  the  Fairfax  Co-operative  Company,  the  Franklin  Creamery, 
and  the  Farmers  Co-operative  Elevator  Company  of  Franklin. 
He  has  been  town  treasurer  eight  years,  town  supervisor  one 
year  and  school  treasurer  five  years.  Mr.  Hogstad  was  married 
July  21,  1888,  to  Nellie  Jaeobson,  who  was  born  February  26, 
1864,  daughter  of  Ole  and  Olena  (Peterson)  Jaeobson.  The 
father  was  bora  April  1,  1829,  in  Norway,  came  to  America  in 
1872,  bought  160  acres  in  section  35,  Camp  township,  and  there 
lived  until  his  death  March  23,  1915,  His  widow  is  now  eighty- 
five  years  of  age  and  is  now  living  with  her  oldest  son,  John  J. 
Jaeobson,  in  Camp  township. 


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368  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

Edward  Barg,  an  active  farmer  of  Camp  township,  was  bom 
April  16,  1864,  in  Norway.  His  father,  Iver  Oien,  was  a  fanner 
in  Norway  and  died  in  1893  at  the  age  of  seventy  years.  His 
mother  is  still  living  in  Norway  at  the  age  of  seventy-two  years. 
Edward  Berg  left  Norway  May  18,  1889,  reached  Boston  June  10, 
and  Grantsburg,  Wisconsin,  June  13.  During  the  first  year  be 
worked  out  on  farms.  Then  he  rented  a  farm  in  Camp  township 
for  two  years  and  in  1901  purchased  160  acres  in  section  17,  in 
the  same  township.  He  has  now  a  well  improved  farm  of  200 
acres  of  which  two  acres  are  set  out  in  fruit,  and  has  erected 
a  nice  sis-room  boose,  large  bam  and  two  silos.  He  specializes 
in  Holstein  cattle.  Mr.  Berg  has  served  as  school  treasurer  for 
five  years  and  is  a  stockholder  in  the  creamery,  mill  and  elevator 
at  Franklin,  as  well  as  in  the  Farmers  Co-operative  Store  at  . 
Fairfax.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Modem  Woodmen  of  America. 
The  family  faith  is  that  of  the  Norwegian  Lutheran  church.  Mr. 
Berg  was  united  in  marriage  July  3,  1900,  to  Mrs.  Mary  Lund, 
bom  January  5,  1866,  widow  of  Peter  Lund,  a  farmer  of  Camp 
township,  and  daughter  of  Eric  Lokken.  Her  father  came  to 
America  in  1865  and  farmed  in  Camp  township  until  1905  when 
he  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-one  years.  Her  mother,  Carrie 
Lokken,  died  in  1908  at  the  age  of  eighty-five  years.  Eight 
children  have  been  bom  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Berg:  Spencer,  bom 
March  14,  1901;  Edmund,  bora  August  5,  1902;  Milo,  born 
September  11,  1903;  Gladys,  bom  November  6,  1904;  Beraiee, 
bora  February  13,  1906 ;  Lloyd,  born  July  22,  1907 ;  Clara,  bora 
March  18,  1910,  and  died  August  28,  1910;  and  Eraest,  bom 
April  13,  1914.  By  her  marriage  to  Peter  Lund,  Mrs.  Berg  had 
the  following  children:  Palmer,  a  farmer  in  Marshall  county, 
Minnesota;  Maurice,  who  lives  with  Edward  Berg;  Arnold,  a 
farmer  in  Marshall  county,  Minnesota;  Leonard,  of  Franklin, 
this  county;  Cora  (deceased) ;  and  Henry,  who  lives  with  Edward 
Berg. 

Herman  Bethko,  a  leading  farmer  of  Camp  township,  was  bom 
March  21,  1856,  in  Nemitz  province  of  Pommera,  Germany,  sou 
of  William  Bethke,  a  farmer  of  Germany,  who  died  in  1873  at 
the  age  of  sixty-six  years,  and  his  wife,  Wilhelmina  Retzlaff,  who 
died  in  1876  at  the  age  of  fifty-six  years,  Herman  Bethke  came 
to  America  in  1882  and  purchased  land  in  section  7,  northeast 
quarter  of  Camp  township,  in  the  fall  of  1883,  securing  160  acres. 
He  raises  Shorthorn  cattle,  Poland-China  hogs  and  W^hite  Leghorn 
chickens.  He  has  two  acres  of  fruit  land  and  120  acres  of  plow 
land.  His  first  house  was  of  logs,  16  by  28  feet.  In  1901  he  built 
a  fine  eight-room  house,  also  a  good  barn,  a  house  for  the  swine 
and  a  granary.  Mr.  Bethke  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Farmers' 
Elevator  Company  at  Franklin  and  has  served  as  treasurer  of 
the  school  board  three  years.    Mr.  Bethke  was  married  February 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  369 

17,  1884,  to  Louisa  Harder,  born  December  12,  1858,  in  Neraitz, 
province  of  Pommern,  Germany.  Her  father,  David  Harder,  was 
a  farmer  of  Germany,  who  died  in  1883  at  the  age  of  seventy 
years.  Her  mother,  Ernstina  (Bethke)  Harder,  died  in  1863  at 
the  age  of  thirty-nine  years.  Five  children  have  blessed  this 
union :  William,  born  January  24,  1885,  graduated  from  the 
Mankato  High  school  in  1906,  graduated  from  the  University  of 
Minnesota  in  1910  and  took  a  post-graduate  course,  receiving 
his  degree  of  M.A.  in  1911.  He  lectured  one  year  in  Minneapolis 
on  Business  Management  and  for  two  years  held  the  chair  of 
Economics  in  the  University  of  Colorado.  He  is  now  at  the  head 
of  the  Department  of  Business  Administration  in  the  La  Salle 
Extension  University  of  Chicago.  Carl  was  bom  July  17,  1886, 
and  is  at  home.  Katie  was  bom  March  14,  I8881  ^od  is  married 
to  Palmer  Lund,  a  farmer  in  Marshall  county,  Minnesota.  Emma 
was  born  January  22,  1890,  and  is  married  to  George  Erickson, 
a  farmer  in  Mashall  county,  Minnesota.  Tillie,  bom  April  18, 
1892,  is  at  home. 

Frank  H.  Amtsbauar,  son  of  William  and  Sophia  (Dahn) 
Amtsbauer,  was  born  in  Germany,  December  21, 1854.  His  father 
was  born  May  28,  1818,  came  to  America  in  1871,  engaged  in 
farming  at  Watertown,  Wisconsin,  and  died  August  7,  1888.  His 
mother,  Sophia  Dahn,  was  bom  May  25,  1818,  and  died  February 
14,  1896.  Frank  Amtsbauer  worked  out  till  1884,  when  he  pur- 
chased eighty  acres  in  section  7,  Camp  township.  He  made  this 
his  home  until  the  fall  of  1901,  when  he  moved  to  Franklin.  Here 
he  operated  a  garden  and  fruit  farm  until  the  fall  of  1912.  Then 
he  sold  and  bought  eighty  acres  in  section  17,  Camp  township, 
the  Oscar  Schott  farm,  where  he  is  still  living.  He  has  two  acres 
set  out  in  apple  trees  and  one  in  plum  trees.  Mr.  Amtsbauer  has 
served  as  township  clerk  one  year  and  has  been  chairman  of  the 
township  board  four  years.  He  has  also  been  a  member  of  the 
school  board  three  years  and  is  a  faithful  attendant  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church.  Mr.  Amtsbauer  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Katherine  Mengel,  August  7, 1884.  She  was  born  August 
23,  1857,  daughter  of  John  Mengel,  born  July  11.  1818,  in  Ger- 
many and  came  to  this  country,  engaging  in  farming  near  Water- 
town,  Wisconsin,  where  he  died  October  21,  1871.  His  wife, 
Margaret  (Schaller)  Mengel,  was  bom  May  27,  1820,  and  died 
November  27,  1881.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Amtsbauer  have  two  children: 
Myrtle  M.,  born  January  27,  1889,  a  graduate  of  the  Frankliu 
High  school  in  1907  and  of  the  Mankato  State  Normal  school  in 
1908,  now  a  teacher  at  Fairfax,  and  Rudolph  C,  born  December 
29,  1892,  at  home. 

John  H.  Elstad,  a  prosperous  farmer  of  Camp  township,  was 
born  in  Norway,  October  29,  1862,  son  of  Hogen  and  Martha 
(Hanson)  Elstad.    The  father  was  bom  in  Norway,  July  29,  1829, 


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870  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

came  to  America  in  1869,  bought  160  acres  in  eection  15,  Camp 
township,  and  there  lived  until  his  death,  January  17,  1902.  The 
mother  was  born'  in  Norway,  August  22,  1828,  and  now  lives  with 
her  daughter,  Mrs.  Mina  J.  Quickstad,  of  Toronto,  South  Dakota. 
John  H.  Elstad  earoe  to  America  with  his  parents,  and  since  then 
has  resided  on  the  home  place,  which  he  purchased  in  1886.  The 
first  house  in  which  the  family  lived  was  built  of  logs,  with  a  sod 
roof.  At  present  Mr.  Elstad  has  a  comfortable  eight-room  house, 
with  a  good  barn  and  silo  and  good  equipment.  He  does  general 
farming,  has  two  acres  set  out  in  fruit  and  makes  a  specialty  of 
Duroc  swine,  Shorthorn  cattle  and  Pereheron  horses.  Mr,  Elstad 
is  vice-president  of  the  Franklin  Milling  Company,  of  Franklin ; 
treasurer  of  the  Farmers'  Co-operative  Store  at  Fairfax,  and 
stockholder  in  the- Farmers'  Co-operative  Elevators  in  Fairfax  and 
Franklin.  He  has  been  clerk  of  his  school  district  thirty-two 
years,  and  a  member  of  the  school  board  eight  years.  The  family 
faith  is  that  of  the  Hauge  Norwegian  Lutheran  church.  Mr. 
Elstad  was  married  November  5,  1886,  to  Annie  Hogstad,  born 
in  Norway,  December  9,  1864,  daughter  of  Ole  and  Martha  (Mel- 
hose)  Hogstad.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Elstad  have  given  a  parents'  affec- 
tion and  care  to  four  children :  Henry  Ouren,  bom  January  26, 
1891,  now  employed  by  the  Daily  Free  Press,  of  Mankato ;  Signe 
Elstad,  born  January  5,  1893;  Clarence  Eoramo,  born  May  12, 
1901,  and  Esther  Elstad,  bom  September  2, 1904. 

Peler  P.  Olson,  a  successful  farmer  of  Renville  county,  was 
bom  in  Norway  August  5,  1860,  son  of  Peter  and  Christine 
(Augestian)  Olson,  who  left  Norway  in  1864  with  their  children: 
Ole,  Carrie,  Samuel,  Christian,  Andrew,  Peter  and  Henry.  Three 
children  had  died  in  Norway.  They  were  thirteen  weeks  on  the 
ocean,  landing  at  Quebec  and  going  from  there  by  way  of  the 
great  lakes  to  St.  Paul,  and  from  there  by  ox  team  to  St.  Peter. 
Here  they  remained  tor  some  time,  the  father  working  at  St,  Peter 
until  in  1869,  when  they  moved  to  Renville  county.  They  drove 
by  ox  team  and  brought  with  them  twenty  head  of  cattle.  On  the 
way  Henry  died  and  was  buried  in  the  woods.  They  located  on 
section  10,  south  Sacred  Heart  township,  securing  a  homestead 
of  eighty  acres.  There  were  no  buildings  on  it.  Mr.  Olson  had 
visited  and  located  this  homestead  the  summer  before  and  had 
made  a  rude  dug-out,  with  a  ground  flour  and  a  sod  roof,  about 
20  by  16  feet.  During  that  first  winter  three  families  lived 
together  in  this  dug-out.  The  nearest  markets  were  New  Ulm  and 
St.  Peter,  and  one  winter  they  had  to  grind  their  own  wheat. 
Their  tea  was  made  from  the  prairie  tea  plant.  Storms  were  very 
frequent  and  caused  much  damage.  Once  when  Mr,  Olson  was 
gone  to  the  mill  a  storm  came  up  and  he  lost  his  way  and  his 
family  were  without  any  food  until  he  found  his  way  back.  As 
time  passed  groves  were  set  out  and  the  dug-out  was  replaced  by 


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HISTOBT  OF  KENVILLE  COUNTY  371 

a  substantial  lo^;  bouse.  Meetings  were  often  held  in  this  house 
before  there  were  any  churches.  Mr-  Olson  was  a  member  of  the 
Norwegian  Lutheran  church.  He  died  in  1901  at  the  age  of 
seventy-eight  years  and  his  wife  died  in  1894  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
two  years.  Peter  Olson  grew  up  on  the  home  farm  and  helped  his 
father.  He  improved  the  old  homestead  and  increased  the  farm 
to  400  acres,  erecting  a  frame  house  and  good  barns.  Then  he 
sold  this  place  and  bought  140  acres  in  section  6,  Emmet  township. 
He  also  owns  a  tract  of  160  acres  in  Sacred  Heart  township  and 
carries  on  general  farming,  specializing  in  stock.  He  has  held 
several  township  offices,  having  been  justice  of  peace,  constable, 
assessor  and  a  member  of  the  school  board,  being  one  of  the 
organizers  of  district  No.  15.  Mr.  Olson  was  married  December 
19, 1881,  to  Laura  A.  Olson,  bom  April  13, 1861,  in  Norway,  being 
brought  to  America  when  she  was  one  year  old.  Her  father,  Lars 
Olson,  first  located  at  St.  Peter  and  later  moved  to  Kandiyohi 
county.  Mr,  and  Mrs.  Peter  Olson  have  had  nine  children :  Alice, 
now  Mrs.  A.  H.  Lind ;  Andrew,  of  Waseca,  county  agent,  teaching 
agriculture ;  Elwin  at  Jasper,  Minnesota,  a  dentist ;  Elizabeth,  a 
school  teacher;  Edgar  and  Edna,  twins;  Ester,  Hazel  and  one 
child  who  died  in  infancy, 

John  H.  Blad,  deceased,  was  born  in  Sweden  July  26,  1833, 
third  of  the  nine  children  of  Isaac  and  Gustava  Stark.  He  chose 
the  name  John  Magnus  Blad  when  he  became  a  soldier,  in  which 
service  he  remained  eighteen  years.  He  was  married  in  1857  to 
Lena  Peterson,  born  November  22,  1836.  In  1870  he  came  to 
America,  landing  at  New  York.  He  went  to  Michigan,  where  he 
worked  in  the  lumber  camps  and  the  following  spring  came  to 
Mankato,  Minnesota.  Then  he  came  to  Renville  county  and 
located  a  homestead  of  eighty  acres  in  section  22,  Palmyra  town- 
ship. He  dug  a  cellar  five  or  six  feet  deep  and  covered  the  top 
with  poles,  sod  and  bay.  As  he  had  no  money  and  tools  to  carry 
on  farming  he  went  to  Dakota  and  worked  on  the  railroad  until 
he  earned  enough  to  buy  a  pair  of  oxen  and  wagon  and  passage 
for  his  wife  and  children  to  come  to  America.  Just  before  Christ- 
mas 1871  the  family  joined  him  at  Mankato.  The  following  May 
they  moved  into  the  dug-out  on  the  homestead.  In  1873  he 
exchanged  one  of  the  oxen  for  a  cow  and  then  the  ox  team  was 
used  in  partnership  with  the  former  owner  of  the"  cow.  Wheat 
was  often  ground  in  the  coffee  mill  and  bread  was  baked  from 
the  "millijiga, "  or  it  was  mixed  with  wheat  for  coffee.  The  mill 
was  at  Peter  Latis  and  old  Mr.  Reky  was  the  miller.  Mr.  Blad's 
first  lamp  was  a  four  ounce  bottle  of  oil  with  a  hole  in  the  cork 
over  which  was  placed  a  round  piece  of  tin  through  which  a  piece 
of  grocery  thread  was  run  for  a  wick.  This  was  considered  a  very 
brilliant  light  in  those  days.  For  four  years  his  crops  were 
destroyed  by  the  grasshoppere  and  he  suffered  many  other  hard- 


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Z12  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

ships  of  the  early  Bettler.  Undauated,  however,  he  continued  to 
till  the  soil  and  improve  his  land  and  enlarged  his  farm  to  560 
acres,  on  which  he  conducted  general  farming  and  raised  fine 
horses  and  cattle.  In  the  early  days  he  built  a  log  house  in  section 
22  near  the  original  place  where  he  settled  and  later  built  a  frame 
building  across  the  road  in  section  23,  which  has  been  replaced  by 
a  modern  house.  The  barn  was  erected  by  his  son  Gustav,  Mr, 
Blad  held  the  office  of  township  supervisor  and  helped  organize 
the  school  district  of  his  neighborhood,  being  a  member  of  the 
school  board.  He  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Swedish  Mis- 
sion church  and  served  on  the  board  of  trustees.  Mr.  Blad  died 
December  21,  1914,  near  the  village  of  Hector,  where  he  had 
retired  to  spend  the  remainder  of  his  days.  His  wife  died 
February  6,  1897.  They  had  the  following  children :  Gustave, 
August,  Elma,  Charlotte  R.,  Emelia  and  two  who  died  in  infancy. 
Two  acres  of  the  farm  were  donated  to  the  Mission  church,  on 
which  the  present  church  was  built  and  a  cemetery  laid  out, 

Gnstave  Blad,  who  has  charge  of  160  acres  of  his  father's  farm 
in  Palmyra  township,  and  owns  200  acres,  was  born  in  Sweden, 
September  22,  1863,  son  of  John  Magnus  and  Lena  (Peterson) 
Blad.  He  came  to  America  in  1871,  was  reared  on  his  father's 
farm,  and  has  become  a  well-known  citizen.  He  is  a  director  of 
the  Farmer's  Elevator  Company  and  a  stockholder  in  the  Tele- 
phone Company  and  the  Farmers'  Insurance  Company,  of 
Palmyra.  Mr.  Blad  takes  great  pride  in  his  live  stock,  having 
Holstein  cattle  and  Buroc-Jersey  hogs,  and  is  a  member  of  the 
Swine  Breeders'  Association.  On  July  4,  1896,  Mr.  Blad  married 
Alma  Strom,  born  in  Cornish  township,  Sibley  county,  Minnesota, 
in  the  sod  house  of  her  pioneer  parents,  Bengt  and  luga  Strom, 
natives  of  Sweden,  where  they  were  married.  Bengt  Strom  came 
to  America  in  1869  and  was  joined  by  his  wife  and  three  children 
in  1870.  The  family  came  to  Cornish  township,  Sibley  county, 
where  they  located  a  homestead.  A  sod  house  was  built  and 
farming  begun  with  a  team  of  oxen.  After  some  years  on  this 
homestead  they  retired  from  farming  and  went  to  Lafayette 
village,  Nicollet  county.  Mr.  Strom  was  bom  August  31,  1839, 
and  his  wife  was  born  March  30,  1838.  There  were  eight  chil- 
dren in  the  family:  John,  Henry,  William,  Alma,  Carl,  Jennie,  and 
two  who  died  "in  infancy.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Blad  have  two  children : 
Bennett  and  Paul  M. 

Tiiaa  Martin  EriCBOn,  proprietor  of  the  "White  Star  Farm," 
was  born  in  Norway  January  28,  1854,  son  of  Ole  and  Olia 
Ericson.  Ole  Ericson  left  Norway  in  1867  by  sailing  vessel  and 
arrived  in  the  United  States  after  a  voyage  of  four  weeks.  He 
went  to  Iowa  and  there  the  rest  of  the  family,  the  mother  and 
two  children,  Elias  and  Oleana,  joined  him  the  next  year.  They 
also  came   by   sailing   vessel,   being  seven   weeks   on   the   trip. 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  878 

Mr,  Ericson  rented  a  farm  for  two  years  and  then  he  purchased 
some  land.  He  came  to  Minnesota  in  1872  with  a  team  of  oxen 
and  covered  wagon,  and  secured  a  pre-emption  claim  of  160 
acres  in  Palmyra  township,  where  he  built  a  slab  shanty  about 
twelve  feet  square.  In  the  fall  he  built  a  sod  shanty  having  two 
rooms.  He  dug  down  about  a  foot,  put  in  a  board  floor,  then 
built  up  the  shack  with  poles  and  sod,  whitewashed  it  with  ashes, 
put  on  a  hay  roof  and  lined  the  structure  with  newspapers,  thus 
making  it  warm  and  comfortable.  With  the  help  of  a  yoke  of 
oxen  he  broke  the  land  and  started  farming.'  He  underwent  all 
the  experiences  of  pioneer  life.  His  milling  places  were  at 
Beaver  Falls  and  Redwood  Falls.  After  a  while  he  rented  out 
and  later  sold  this  farm  and  decided  to  seek  another  locality. 
He  moved  to  Hector,  entered  the  hardware  business  in  1889  and 
continued  in  that  business  until  his  death  in  1892,  at  the  age  of 
sixty-two  years.  His.  wife  died  January,  1911,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-seven  years.  Die  Ericson  served  as  assessor  at  Palmyra 
for  a  number  of  years  and  was  postmaster,  the  postoffice  being 
at  his  farm.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Norwegian  Lutheran 
church.  Elias  Ericson  received  a  limited  education  and  grew 
to  manhood  in  Renville  county.  He  obtained  a  homestead  of 
eighty  acres  of  wild  land,  but  remained  at  home  one  year  more 
before  beginning  on  his  own  place.  On  his  homestead  he  built 
a  sod  house,  which  is  located  across  the  road  frnm  where  he 
now  lives,  and  began  farming  with  a  team  of  oxen.  Later  he 
bought  a  horse  and  fixed  up  a  cart  with  two  wheels  and  a  spring 
seat.  As  time  passed  he  built  a  frame  house  14  by  16  feet,  which 
is  part  of  the  present  house  erected  in  1882.  He  now  has  280 
acres  of  land  and  has  built  a  fine  barn  and  silo.  The  house,  barn 
and  silo  are  furnished  with  running  water.'  Mr.  Ericson  raises  ' 
Jersey  cows,  Duroc-Jersey  hogs  and  Belgian  horses.  He  is  presi- 
dent of  the  Farmers'  Elevator  Company  at  Hector.  He  has  held 
the  office  of  township  clerk  for  sixteen  years,  was  a  member  of 
the  school  board  and  helped  organize  district  86.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Norwegian  Lutheran  church  and  has  been  its  trustee 
and  treasurer.  October  29,  1876,  Mr.  Ericson  was  married  to  . 
Ella  Gerald,  born  in  Jefferson  county,  Wisconsin,  August  7,  1858, 
daughter  of  Svend  and  Brythea  Gerald,  bom  and  married  in 
Norway.  They  left  for  America  in  1857  with  the  following  chil- 
dren :  Christine,  Ragna,  Tver,  Lars.  Two  children  had  died  in 
Norway.  Julia  had  come  the  year  before,  coming  to  Wisconsin 
and  later,  in  1872,  to  Renville  county.  The  mother  died  in  Wis- 
consin at  the  age  of  forty  and  the  father  moved  to  Renville  county 
in  1872,  locating  in  Palmyra  township,  section  12,  where  he 
secured  a  pre-emption  claim.  He  made  his  home  there  until 
1876  and  then  he  lived  with  Elias  Ericson  until  his  death  at 
the  age  of  seventy-five  years  in  1894.    Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ericson  have 


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374  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

had  the  following  children:  Blanche  (deceased  at  the  age  of 
twenty-five),  a  teacher;  Agnes,  dairy  chemist;  Alfred,  manager 
of  the  telephone  exchange  of  Hector;  Elmer,  Laura  and  Edith. 
Alfred  married  Mabel  Qrover  and  they  have  two  children,  Harold 
L.  and  Ruth  Mildred. 

Robert  Wiehr,  a  leading  farmer  of  Camp  township,  was  bom 
in  Germany,  June  8,  1855,  son  of  Albert  and  Wilhelmina  (Gerts- 
mann)  Wiehr.  The  father  came  to  America  in  1869,  bought  the 
northwest  quarter  of  section  13,  Camp  township,  within  the  Ft. 
Ridgely  reservation.  He  erected  a  log  house,  14  by  18,  and  did 
bis  farming  with  the  assistance  of  a  yoke  of  oxen.  Being  a 
cooper  by  trade  he  made  barrels,  tubs  and  pails  for  his  neigh- 
bors, and  carried  on  quite  a  flourishing  trade  in  butter  firkins, 
which  he  sold  in  New  TJlm.  For  several  years  the  wheat  on  the 
farm  was  cut  with  a  cradle.  In  1890  Albert  Wiehr  took  up  his 
home  with  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Herman  Reetz,  of  Brown  county. 
Then  he  lived  with  his  son,  Robert,  until  his  death  in  1907,  at  the 
age  of  eighty-two.  His  wife  died  in  1888  at  the  age  of  sixty-five. 
Robert  Wiehr  remained  at  home  until  he  was  twenty-seven  years 
of  age.  Then  he  bought  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  13, 
Camp  township.  In  1892  he  moved  back  to  the  home  place.  He 
has  a .  well-improved  farm  of  320  acres  and  carries  on  general 
farming  and  stock  raising.  He  has  taken  bis  part  in  the  affairs 
of  the  community,  and  has  served  as  town  supervisor  eighteen 
years  and  as  school  clerk  thirty  years.  Mr.  Wiehr  was  married 
November  23,  1882,  to  Annie  Alke,  who  was  born  November  9, 
1859,  daughter  of  Anton  and  Dorothy  (Liskey)  Alke.  The  father 
came  to  America  in  1855,  lived  in  Cleveland,  Ohio,  a  few  years, 
then  took  up  his  residence  in  Carver  county,  this  state,  until 
1869,  and  thenee  Went  to  Yellow  Medicine  county,  this  state, 
where  he  lived  until  his  death  in  1897,  at  the  age  of  eighty -seven. 
The  mothed  died  in  1898  at  the  age  of  eighty-five.  Mr.  and  Mrs. ' 
Wiehr  have  eight  children:  Albert,  bom  October  8,  1883,  a 
farmer  in  Camp  township ;  Louis  H.,  born  November  5,  1885,  a 
farmer  in  Yellow  Medicine  county;  Robert  A.,  born  March  10, 
1887;  Julius  J.,  bora  March  15,  1889;  William,  born  October  15, 
1892;  Dorothy,  born  March  13,  1895;  Annie,  born  June  2,  1898, 
and  Richard,  bom  November  30,  1901. 

Obristian  Bockmann,  one  of  the  prosperous  farmers  of  Brook- 
field  township,  was  born  August  7,  1852,  in  Prussia,  Germany, 
son  of  Christian  and  Christina  (Wuhlbrand)  Rockmann,  who 
lived  and  died  as  farmers  in  that  country.  There  were  nine  chil- 
dren, of  whom  seven  grew  up  to  manhood  and  womanhood: 
Marie,  Henry,  Christine,  Christian,  August,  Caroline  and  Sophie. 
The  father  lived  to  the  age  of  sixty-two  years  and  the  mother 
lived  to  the  age  of  eighty-three  years.  Christian  was  the  first  of 
the  family  to  leave  for  the  United  States.    He  and  Caroline,  who 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  375 

came  with  her  husband,  William  Wehking,  were  the  only  ones  of 
the  children  to  come  to  this  country.  Christian  left  Germany  in 
the  fall  of  1872  and  located  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where  he  fol- 
lowed his  trade  as  a  carpenter  for  four  years.  During  this  period 
he  married  and  had  one  child.  Hard  times  came  on  and  finding 
himself  out  of  employment  he  left  his  wife  and  child  in  Cincin- 
nati and  started  for  Le  Sueur,  Minnesota,  where  he  arrived  in 
January  and  secured  employment  as  a  wood  chopper.  In  the 
spring  his  wife  was  sent  for  and  they  moved  into  a  wood 
chopper's  camp  in  the  woods.  The  first  summer  he  worked  at  his 
trade  or  at  anything  he  could  do  to  earn  some  money.  Then 
he  worked  for  a  farmer  for  two  years.  In  the  meantime  he 
bought  a  team,  plow  and  other  things  needed  and  rented  a  farm. 
In  the  winter  he  did  teaming,  and  in  the  summer  he  worked  on 
his  farm.  This  continued  for  three  years  and  in  this  way  he 
earned  enough  money  to  buy  more  machinery  and  "was  able  to 
rent  a  larger  farm.  He  farmed  in  this  .way  for  eight  years  and 
gathered  together  some  stock  and  machinery.  Then  he  came  to 
Renville  county,  locating  160  acres  in  Brookfield  township.  After 
he  had  paid  for  this  land  he  bought  eighty  acres  more  and  later 
purchased  some  for  his  sons.  He  has  now  retired  from  farming 
and  sold  some  of  the  land,  now  owning  the  home  place  of  160 
acres.  When  he  moved  on  to  this  place  there  was  a  straw  shanty 
and  a  few. trees  there.  He  has  since  erected  a  fine  house  and 
barns  and  keeps  a  good  grade  of  stock.  Mr.  Roekmann  has  held 
township  positions  for  many  years,  having  been  chairman  four 
years,  supervisor  another  six  years  and  treasurer  four  years. 
He  assisted  in  founding  the  German  Lutheran  church  of  Brook- 
field  township  and  is  now  a-  member  of  the  church  board.  Mr. 
Roekmann  was  married  in  the  spring  of  1874  at  Cincinnati  to 
Prederica  Qeseking,  who  was  bom  in  Germany,  March  25,  1853, 
and  came  alone  to  America  in  1872.  Mr,  and  Mrs.  Roekmann  had 
both  attended  the  same  school  and  church  in  Germany.  Frederica 
Geseking  was  the  daughter  of  Henry  and  Marie  Geseking,  whor 
lived  and  died  in  Germany.  They  had  six  children:  Henry, 
Christina,  Carolina,  Sophia,  Frederica  and  William.  All  came  to 
America  except  Christina.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Roekmann  had  the  fol- 
lowing children :  William  A.  was  born  March  10,  1875,  at  Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio,  is  a  representative  farmer  of  Brookfield  township, 
married  to  Augusta  Kiep  and  has  three  children ;  Marie,  Florence 
and  Clara.  Emma  C.  M.  was  bom  January  17,  1877,  at  Le  Sueur 
county,  Minnesota,  and  married  to  Carl  Schoen,  a  grain  buyer  in 
North  Dakota ;  Henry  C,  born  in  Le  Sueur  county,  May  28,  1878, 
is  living  at  home;  August  H.,  born  in  Le  Sueur, county,  Novem- 
ber 26,  1880,  is  a  prosperous  farmer  of  North  Dakota,  married  to 
Marie  Albert  and  has  one  chiid,  Myra.  Clara  C,  born  in  Le  Sueur 
county,  April  20,  1886,  married  R.  Newman,  a  farmer  of  Brook- 


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376  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

field  township  and  has  one  child,  Ralph.  Reka,  born  in  Le  Sueur 
county,  October  14,  1889,  is  the  wife  of  Ben  LoeCFers,  who  con- 
ducts the  Rockmann  home  farm.    They  have  one  child,  Ruth. 

Alexander  Mcbael  Jtrtutson,  deceased,  was  bom  in  Norway, 
September  2, 1833,  and  came  by  sailing  vessel  to  America  in  1866, 
the  voyage  taking  four  weeks.  He  purchased  40  acres  of  land  in 
Lansing,  Iowa,  and  in  1867  bis  wife  and  four  children  joined 
him.  In  1872  he  sold  his  land  and  set  out  for  Minnesota,  coming 
the  distance  by  ox  team  and  covered  wagon  in  three  weeks,  and 
located  a  homestead,  where  his  son  John  now  lives,  in  section  14, 
Palmyra  township,  obtaining  a  tract  of  160  acres  of  wild  land. 
For  a  time  the  family  lived  in  the  wagon  until  a  shanty  12  by  12 
feet  could  be  built.  The  lumber  for  this  shanty  was  hauled  from 
New  Ulm.  A  sod  barn  was  also  erected  and  that  fall  a  sod  shanty 
of  two  rooms  was  built,  They  had  a  few  head  of  cattle  and 
brought  from  Iowa  two  yoke  of  oxen  and  two  wagons.  They  lost 
their  crops  for  three  successive  seasons  on  account  of  the  grass- 
hoppers. As  time  passed  they  added  100  acres  more  to  their  land 
and  built  a  modern  house.  Alexander  M.  Johnson  was  a  member 
of  the  Palmyra  Norwegian  Lutheran  church  which  he  helped 
to  build.  He  died  in  February,  1913,  at  the  age  of  eighty  years 
and  his  wife,  Susanna  (Mathison)  died  in  1891.  They  had  the 
following  children:  Martin,  born  December  13,  1855;  Justin, 
bom  October  25, 1859;  Andrew  S.,  born  July  18,  1863;  Anna,  born 
April  29,  1865 ;  John  A.,  born  November  7,  1869,  and  Tilda  M., 
bom  May  20,  1873.  John  Adolph  Johnson  remained  on  the  home- 
stead and  in  time  assumed  charge  of  it.  Here  he  carries  on 
general  farming  and  raises  Shorthorn  cattle.  He  has  erected 
good  buildings,  including  a  fine  silo,  and  reclaimed  land  from 
the  sloughs.  By  attending  the  agricultural  college  in  1888  and 
graduating  in  1891  he  acquired  many  ideas  which  he  put  into 
operation  in  his  work.  Mr.  Johnson  has  held  the  oflBce  of  town- 
ship clerk  for  nine  or  ten  years  and  has  been  a  member  of  the 
school  board  for  the  past  twenty-one  years.  He  is  stockholder 
of  the  Farmers'  Elevator  at  Hector  in  which  he  has  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  board  of  directors,  and  is  vice-president  of  the  Hector 
Telephone  Exchange.  He  is  also  clerk  of  the  associated  board 
of  the  school  districts  of  his  neighborhood.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Norwegian  Lutheran  church  and  has  been  the  secretary  for 
twelve  years.  Mr.  Johnson  was  married  November  7,  1896,  to 
Ingeborg  Marie  Rossnm,  born  in  Fillmore  county,  daughter  of 
Bent  and  Marin  (Hole)  Rossum,  both  natives  of  Norway.  They 
both  came  to  Fillmore  county  where  they  were  married,  later 
going  to  Rock  county  where  they  purchased  land  and  began 
farming  with  an  ox  team  and  two  cows.  Four  children  have  been 
born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs,  Johnson :  Selraa,  Alexander,  who  died  in 
infancy,  Edward  L.,  and  Arthur  B. 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  377 

Angnst  Blad,  deceased,  was  bom  in  Sweden,  September  5, 
1860,  80D  of  John  Magnus  and  Lena  (Peterson)  Blad.  August 
received  but  a  meagre  education,  going  to  school  a  short  time 
in  Renville  county.  When  he  grew  to  manhood  he  engaged  in 
farming  and  secured  a  tree  claim  of  160  acres  in  section  34 
in  Martinsburg  township  and  bought  a  tract  of  160  acres  in 
section  28,  Martinsburg  township,  where  be  erected  a  house.  In 
1888  be  located  his  present  place,  in  section  22,  Palmyra  town- 
ship, where  he  secured  200  acres  of  farming  land.  He  built  a  fine 
modem  bouse  and  barn  and  raised  good  stock.  Mr.  Blad  was 
a  member  o£  the  township  board  and  has  served  as'  township' 
clerk.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Swedish  Mission  church  and  died 
December  30, 1893,  being  burled  in  the  Swedish  Mission  Cemetery, 
Mr.  Blad  was  married  June  26,  1885,  to  Christine  Nelson,  bom  in 
Sweden,  April  12,  1862,  daughter  of  Nels  P.  Danielson  and  Kisa 
Lisa  (Anders'  Datter)  Danielson.  The  parents  both  died. in 
Sweden  where  they  were  engaged  in  farming.  The  father  was 
bom  in  1822  and  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-four  years  and  the 
mother  was  bom  in  1815  and  died  in  1894  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
nine  years.  They  had  two  children,  Christine  and  Elling.  Christine 
was  the  only  one  to  come  to  the  United  States,  coming  with  an 
aunt,  Marie  C.  Anderson,  who  married  Chris.  Danielson,  of 
Palmyra  township.  They  came  in  1880,  coming  directly  to  Mr. 
Danielson.  Here  Christine  made  her  home  until  her  marriage 
with  Mr.  Blad.  Five  children  were  bom  to  Mr.  and  Mrs,  Blad, 
two  of  them  are  dead:  Henry  Leander,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
eight  months;  Earnest  M.,  born  in  Martinsburg  township  May  29, 
1887;  Esther  Amalia,  who  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-two  years 
in  1911 ;  David,  bora  January  26,  1891 ;  and  Enoch,  bom  May  11, 
1893,  Earnest  M.  now  operates  the  home  farm  for  his  mother, 
and  the  family  find  it  much  easier  and  more  pleasant  driving 
to  town  in  their  automobile  than  it  was  by  the  ox  or  horse  team 
of  years  gone  by. 

Rev.  Ludwig  Herman  Kettner,  pastor  of  the  German  Lutheran 
church  of  Brookfield  township,  Renville  county,  was  bom  in 
Pomerania,  Germany,  July  25,  1866,  son  of  Ludwig  and  Dorothea 
(Hasseleu)  Kettner.  Both  parents  were  natives  of  Pomerania, 
Germany,  where  the  mother  was  bom  August  8,  1836,  and  died 
at  the  age  of  forty-three  years.  In  the  family  there  were  eight 
children:  Augusta,  Wilhelm,  Ferdinand,  Ernestina,  Ludwig, 
Mario,  August,  and  Emma.  Ferdinand  was  the  first  to  reach 
America,  coming  in  1882  to  Nicollet  county,  Minnesota.  Then 
he  went  to  Redwood  county  where  he  located  a  farm  in  Sundown 
township  and  sent  for  the  rest  of  the  family,  Wilhelm  remained 
in  Germany  where  he  fills  a  government  position.  The  father 
died  in  Redwood  county  in  1891  at  the  age  of  seventy-three  years. 
He  was  a  member  of  the   German  Lutheran  church.     Ludwig 


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878  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

Herman  Kettser  received  hie  education  in  the  parochial  school 
of  his  native  land  until  the  age  of  seventeen  when  he  came  with 
bis  father  to  Redwood  county,  Minnesota,  in  1883,  and  worked 
on  the  farm  until  twenty-four  years  of  age.  At  this  time  he 
decided  to  take  up  the  mimstry  and  entered  the  Lutheran  Semi- 
nary at  Phalen  Park,  near  St.  Paul  in  1890,  remaining  six  years. 
His  first  call  was  to  his  present  charge.  He  organized  the  church 
and  established  the  German  school  of  which  he  is  still  the  teacher. 
At  the  time  of  his  coming  there  were  only  twelve  Lutherans  who 
were  church  members.  He  has  now  by  saeriiiGe  and  devotion  to 
-the  interests  of  his  calling  built  up  a  model  school  and  congrega- 
tion. At  spare  times  he  has  filled  the  pulpits  at  Bird  Island  and 
Cosmos.  He  has  also  organized  the  Osceola  township  church. 
Rev.  Kettner  was  married  October  28,  1896,  to  Emma  Bethke, 
bom  in  Germany  December  13,  1878,  daughter  of  Frederick  and 
Otielie  (Fenske),  natives  of  Germany  who  came  to  the  United 
States  in  1885,  locating  in  Minnesota.  The  father  was  bom 
November  2,  1828,  and  died  May  2,  1910,  and  the  mother,  bom 
June  25,  1837,  is  still  Hving.  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Eettner  have  had 
the  following  children :  Elsie,  bom  April  15,  1898 ;  Freda,  bom 
February  10,  1900;  Ehrhardt,  bora  February  1,  1902;  Arthur, 
bora  February  23,  1903;  Esther,  born  March  2, 1905;  Selma,  bom 
December  30,  1906 ;  Linda,  bom  March  28,  1908 ;  Gertrude,  bora 
January  29,  1910;  an  unnamed  infant,  born  January  15,  1913, 
who  died  in  infancy ;  and  Harold,  bom  April  2,  1914. 

Halvor  Ericson,  a  prominent  farmer  of  Palmyra  township,  was 
bom  in  Norway,  April  31,  1861,  son  of  Halvor  and  Anna  Johanna 
Halvorson.  His  father  died  in  Norway  at  the  age  of  eighty  years. 
The  widow  married  Lawrence  Ericson  and  Halvor  took  the  name 
of  the  family.  They  left  Norway  in  1866,  coming  by  sailing 
vessel,  being  fourteen  weeks  on  the  water.  In  1869  they  reached 
Renville  county  where  Mr.  Ericson  located  160  acres  of  land  in 
the  northwest  quarter  of  section  20.  They  made  a  dugout  and 
began  farming  with  a  yoke  of  cattle  and  wagon,  which  they  had 
obtained  in  Iowa,  and  with  which  they  had  driven  into  the  county. 
The  nearest  milling  place  was  at  Beaver  Falls.  Often  wheat 
was  ground  at  home  in  the  coffee  mill.  After  a  short  time  they 
built  a  sod  shanty  and  later  this  was  replaced  by  a  frame  building 
and  still  later  by  more  modem  buildings.  Lawrence  Ericson 
was  a  member  of  the  Norwegian  Lutheran  church.  The  district 
school  was  conducted  at  his  home  before  any  school  building 
was  erected.  He  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-two  and  his  wife  at 
the  age  of  seventy-six  years.  Halvor  Ericson  had  but  small 
chance  of  receiving  any  education  and  began  farming  in  section 
20,  Palmyra  township,  about  twenty-six  years  ago.  He  had  160 
acres  of  wild  land  and  broke  up  the  land  with  a  yoke  of  steers. 
He  bought  some  old  frame  buildings  which  he  moved  onto  the 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  379 

place.  As  time  passed  he  made  many  improvements  on  the  plaee 
and  now  owns  400  acres  o£  land  and  keeps  a  good  grade  of  stock. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Norwegian  Lutheran  church.  Mr.  Ericsou 
was  married  to  Mary  Johnson,  bom  in  Norway.  They  have  the 
following  children:  Agnes,  John,  Josie,  Laura  (deceased), 
Spencer,  Henry,  Laura,  Mabel,  Martin  and  Leonard.  Agnes 
married  Frank  Cordell,  who  was  killed  in  an  automobile  accident 
in  1915.    Josie  married  Bernhard  Eckard,  of  Minneapolis. 

Thomas  Simmons,  a  progressive  man  of  Brookfield  township, 
was  born  in  Cobourg,  Ontario,  Canada,  December  29,  1852,  son 
of  WiUiam  and  Mary  Ann  (Finnemore)  Simmons.  Mary  Finne- 
more  Simmons  died  in  1893  at  the  age  of  seventy-nine  years. 
"William  Simmons  was  a  native  of  Cornwall,  England,  bom 
August  19,  1811,  son  of  William  and  Anna  (Qale)  Simmons, 
who  both  lived  and  died  in  England.  There  were  five  children: 
Hannah,  William,  Mary,  James  and  John.  Hannah  died  in 
England,  but  the  rest  of  the  children  came  to  America.  Mary 
died  in  Cobourg,  Canada.  WiUiam  came  in  1848,  coming  to 
Quebec  by  sailing  vessel,  being  six  or  seven  weeks  on  the  trip. 
He  had  married  in  England  and  six  children  were  bom  there. 
He  wished  to  found  a  home  and  chose  Canada  aa  a  suitable  place. 
He  came  alone  and  his  wife  and  children  joined  him  the  following 
year  being  eight  weeks  on  the  water.  The  children  were 
James  K.,  William  H.,  Anna  Maria,  John,  Mary  Jane,  Walter  G., 
and  Eliza  who  died  just  before  the  family  left  Europe  and  was 
buried  the  day  before  they  sailed.  The  family  settled  at  Cobourg 
where  the  father  farmed.  The  country  back  from  the  farm 
abounded  in  many  kinds  of  wild  game.  Three  more  children 
were  born  here :  David,  Thomas  and  Richard.  James  K.  had 
located  a  farm  in  Iroquois  county,  Illinois,  and  here  in  1863  he 
was  joined  by  the  father,  William,  and  all  of  the  children,  with 
the  exception  of  William  H.  and  Mary  Jane,  who  remained  in 
Canada.  The  father,  William  Simmons,  lived  in  Illinois  fourteen 
years  imtil  1877  when  he  came  to  Hutchinson,  McLeod  county. 
In  1878  he  moved  to  Renville  county  and  made  his  home  with 
Thomas  where  he  died  September  5,  1897,  at  the  age  of  .eighty-six 
years  and  his  wife  died  March,  1893,  at  the  age  of  seventy-nine 
years.  They  were  Bible  Christians  in  Canada  and  later  became 
Methodists.  He  was  a  class  leader  and  local  preacher  from  1864 
up  to  the  time  of  his  death  in  1897.  In  Canada  he  was  an  enthu- 
siastic worker  in  reform  politics  and  pro^essive  in  all  things. 
Thomas  received  his  early  education  in  the  district  school  of  his 
locality  in  Canada  and  when  he  grew  up  to  manhood  engaged 
in  farming  in  Illinois.  Then  he  moved  to  Minnesota,  coming 
with  horse  team  and  covered  wagon.  He  started  from  Loda, 
Iroquois  county,  June  3,  1875,  and  after  six  weeks  arrived  in 
Boone  Lake  township  close  to  his  present  place.    The  next  year 


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380  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

he  obtained  a  homestead  in  section  25,  Brookfield  township,  a 
tract  of  80  acres  of  wild  land.  In  1876  he  built  a  small  shack  for 
a  home.  In  July,  1876,  the  graashopper  plague  prevented  any 
crops  from  being  harvested  and  it  was  not  until  1878  that  he 
began  to  live  permanently  on  the  place.  The  house  was  a  sod 
,  covered  building  with  a  ground  floor,  8  by  10  feet,  having  a 
bedroom  6  by  12  feet  and  4  feet  high,  with  a  lean-to  on  the  side 
for  the  children.  Besides  his  own  family  the  father,  mother 
and  grandmother  also  lived  with  the  family  in  this  house.  They 
began  farming  with  one  cow  and  later  bought  oxen  as  horses  were 
too  expensive.  They  worked  hard  and  after  a  number  of  years 
acquired  more  land,  the  farm  now  consisting  of  some  400  acres. 
Modern  buildings  have  been  built  and  Mr.  Simmons  raises  good 
horses  and  cattle  and  keeps  Duroc  Red  hogs,  Rhode  Island  Red 
chickens  and  Muscovy  ducks.  He  is  a  stockholder  of  the  Buffalo 
Lake  Elevator  Company,  lind  was  treasurer  at  the  time  the 
elevator  was  purehased.  H«  was  secretary  of  the  Churchill  , 
Creamery  and  assisted  in  its  organization.  He  is  also  a  share- 
holder and  president  of  the  Boon  Lake  Percheron  Horse  Com- 
pany as  well  as  a  member  of  the  Swine  Breeders'  Association. 
He  served  as  township  supervisor  for  a  number  of  years  and  was 
school  clerk  for  eleven  years.  He  also  was  justice  of  peace  and 
road  overseer  for  a  period.  He  was  the  Republican  delegate 
to  the  County  Convention  as  early  as  October,  1879,  and  is  now 
on  the  State  committee.  In  the  fraternal  societies  Mr.  Simmons 
is  the  president  of  the  Modern  Brotherhood  of  America  and  Past 
Grand  of  the  I.  0.  0.  F.  Gary  Lodge  No.  125.  He  joined  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  at  Buffalo  Lake;  Hutchinson  in 
1876,  has  been  on  the  official  board  of  his  present  church  for 
thirty  years,  has  been  superintendent  of  the  Sunday  school,  and 
ia  now  a  teacher  in  the  Bible  class,  Mr,  Simmons  is  a  fearless 
advocate  of  the  principles  of  temperance  and  is  a  broadminded 
and  progressive  man  who  has  established  an  ideal  home  and 
enjoys  life  in  the  midst  of  a  happy  family  circle.  He  was  married 
February  2,  1873,  to  Laura  Georgiana  Walker,  bom  April  13, 
1853,  in  Devonshire,  England,  daughter  of  George  and  Charlotte 
(Finnemore)  Walker,  who  lived  and  died  in  England.  George 
Walker  was  a  marine  for  twenty-two  years  and  then  joined  the 
navy,  receiving  a  medal  for  long  service.  He  died  October,  1896, 
at  the  age  of  seventy-four  years.  His  wife  died  March  30,  1895. 
at  the  age  of  seventy-one  yeara.  They  had  six  children:  Mary, 
Elizabeth,  Laura,  Rosena,  Adeline  and  Emily.  Bosena  and  Laura 
came  to  Loda,  Illinois,  in  1872.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Simmons  have  had 
the  following  children:  William  G.,  born  September  25,  1874,  is 
farming  in  Brookfield  township.  He  married  Zylphia  Porter,  and 
they  have  three  children,  Clarence  Thomas,  Loida  Grace  and  Ori- 
wyn  James.    Mary  Charlotte  married  Charles  Jacobus  and  lives 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  381 

at  Montevideo.  They  have  three  children:  Henry  L.,  Ethel 
F.,  and  Ina  May.  Sarah  E.,  born  October  28,  1878,  married 
Glenn  A.  Kimble,  and  lives  in  Dea  Moines,  Iowa.  They  have 
seven  children  r  Roy  T.,  George,  Hazel  D.,  Laura  L.,  Frank 
and  Charles  J.  and  Martha  G.  Walter  John,  bom  Febru- 
ary 28,  1880,  is  at  home.  James  Thomas,  bom  December  4,  1882, 
died  August  19,  1911.  Charles  Henry,  bom  April  27,  1885,  is  at 
home.  Nellie  Florence,  bom  March  25,  1887,  is  married  to 
Albert  E.  Peterson,  and  lives  at  Montevideo.  Ernest  Harrison, 
bom  October  27,  1888,  is  at  home.  Laura  Luella,  bom  August  24, 
1890,  married  Joseph  P.  Katzenmeyer,  who  is  farming  in  Hector 
township.  Edward  Robert,  bom  May  5,  1892,  is  at  home.  Etta 
May,  bom  October  21,  1894,  is  at  home.  Roy  Stanley,  bom 
November  22,  1896,  is  at  home. 

Charies  OlOMiwr,  an  influential  citizen  of  Norfolk  township, 
was  bom  in  Germany  July  11,  1857,  son  of  William  and  Katrina 
'(Willmes)  Gleseuer.  The  father  came  to  Atnerica  in  1867  and 
lived  in  Illinois  two  years.  Then  he  moved  to  Blue  Earth  county 
where  he  lived  three  years  and  next  moved  to  Nicollet  county 
where  he  farmed  until  his  death,  April,  1884,  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
three  years.  The  mother  died  in  1893  at  the  age  of  seventy-three 
years.  In  1877  Charles  bought  80  acres  in  section  24,  Norfolk 
township,  where  he  still  lives  and  now  has  increased  his  farm  to 
480  acres.  His  first  house  was  12  by  14,  made  of  boards  with  a 
shed  roof,  and  had  two  windows  of  a  half  sash  each.  When  he 
first  started  farming  he  had  one  team  of  horses  and  a  seeder. 
Now  he  has  a  full  equipment  of  machinery  and  tools,  carries  on 
general  farming,  does  considerable  dairying  and  has  forty  or 
fifty  hogs.  Three  hundred  of  his  acres  are  under  cultivation  and 
three  acres  are  set  out  in  fruit.  In  1903  he  built  a  barn,  32  by  76 
by  18  feet  and  in  1913  he  built  a  fine  twelve-room  house.  Mr. 
Qlesener  has  served  on  the  township  board  as  chairman  for 
twenty  years.  He  has  served  as  clerk  of  the  school  board  for 
twenty-four  years.  He  is  the  treasurer  of  the  Eddsville  Creamery 
and  director  and  treasurer  of  the  Farmers'  Elevator  Company 
at  Bird  Island.  He  is  also  director  of  the  State  Bank  of  Bird 
Island,  and  treasurer  of  the  Eddsville  Telephone  Company.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Catholic  church  and  of  the  St.  Joseph's  Society 
of  Bird  Island.  January  4,  1880,  Mr.  Gleseuer  was  married  to 
Mary  Wadenspanner,  bom  July  2,  1859.  Her  father,  John 
Wadenspanner,  was  bom  in  Germany,  June  22,  1822,  came  to 
America  in  1857  and  to  Minnesota  in  1862,  engaged  in  farming 
in  section  36,  Norfolk  township,  and  died  February  8,  1906.  His 
wife,  Magdelene  (Femkes)  Glesener,  was  bom  May  26,  1825,  and 
died  January  9,  1908.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Glesener  have  had  the 
following  children:  Margaret,  born  April  29,  1881,  married  to 
Bernhardt  Korkemeier,  a  farmer  of  Norfolk  township ;  Magdelene, 


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8S2  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

bom  Angost'  18,  1883,  married  to  Martin  Faar;  Katrina,  bom 
September  8,  1885,  married  J.  B.  Eeltgen  on  June  24,  1912,  a 
farmer  of  Judd,  North  Dakota;  'William  J.,  bom  February  18, 
1887,  who  rents  the  home  farm,  married  Theresa  Sehummer  and 
had  one  child,  Walter,  bora  Jane  29, 1914,  and  died  April  5, 1915. 
Leonard  E.  Jewell,  a  progressive  farmer  of  Norfolk  township, 
was  born  in  Saratoga  county,  New  York,  November  10,  1842,  son 
of  Joseph  H.  and  Hannah  (Greenfield)  Jewell.  His  father  was 
born  February  14,  1800,  in  Dutchesa  county,  New  York,  and 
became  a  carpenter,  going  to  Geneva,  Wisconsin,  in  1846.  He  was 
deputy  sheriff  for  six  years  at  that  place.  In  1856  he  went  to 
Outgaraie  county,  Wisconsin,  where  he  died  March  30,  1872,  The 
mother  was  bom  February  15,  1799,  and  died  February  17,  1890. 
Leonard  Jewell  enlisted  at  HortonvlUe,  Wisconsin,  in  1862,  in 
Company  I,  Third  Wisconsin  Cavalry,  and  was  discharged  In 
May,  1865.  He  took  part  in  the  defense  at  Baxter  Springs  at 
the  time  of  Quantrell's  raid  on  Lawrence,  Kansas,  and  assisted' 
in  repelling  his  forces.  He  returned  to  Ontgamie  after  the  war 
and  lived  there  from  1865  to  1888.  Then  he  moved  to  Renville 
county  and  lived  in  Birch  Cooley  township  one  and  a  half  years. 
Next  he  moved  to  sectiop  35  in  Norfolk  township,  where  he  now 
lives.  He  has  held  the  office  of  township  assessor  for  two  years. 
On  November  15,  1866,  Leonard  Jewell  was  married  to  Martha  J. 
Dey,  who  was  born  August  7,  1846.  Her  father,  John  Dey,  was 
born  May  17,  1825,  and  died  December  4,  1913.  He  was  a  farmer 
of  Outgamie  county.  He  served  nearly  four  years  in  Company  D, 
Twenty-first  Wisconsin  Infantry,  and  was  at  Gettysburg,  Lonk- 
out  Mountain  and  with  Sherman  on  his  March  to  the  Sea.  He 
was  wounded  in  the  hip  while  at  Gettysburg.  He  was  very 
prominent  as  a  horticulturist  and  was  the  president  of  the  Out- 
gamie Wisconsin  County  Fair  Association,  which  position  he  held 
for  many  years.  His  wife,  Evaline  (Kling),  was  bom  October 
18,  1826,  and  died  March  5,  1903.  Ten  children  have  been  bora 
to  Mr.  and  Mrs,  Jewell :  John  H.,  born  November  3,  1867,  a 
farmer  at  Spooner,  Wisconsin;  William  L.,  born  August  28,  1869, 
and  died  July  13,  1872;  George  W.,  bom  January  23,  1872,  a 
farmer  in  Pine  county,  Minnesota;  Esther  M.,  bom  April  30, 
1874,  married  to  W.  D.  Tracy,  a  farmer  of  Hazelton,  North 
Dakota;  Elsie  E.,  born  April  15,  1876,  and  died  in  infancy; 
Joseph  H.,  born  September  22,  1877,  and  died  April  15,  1878; 
Leon  E.,  bom  November  22,  1879,  and  died  May  30,  1882;  James 
G.,  born  January  12,  1882,  at  home ;  Jesse  M.,  born  September  25, 
1884,  a  farmer  in  Pine  county,  Minnesota,  and  Harvey  L,,  born 
March  18,  1887,  at  home.  The  family  are  all  members  of  the 
■   Methodist  Episcopal  church  at  Franklin. 

Martin  W.  Paar,  son  of  Martin  and  Adeline  (Statz)  Paar,  was 
born  in  Dane  county,  Wisconsin,  March  2,  1874.    His  father  was 


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HISTOBT  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  383 

a  farmer  in  Germany  and  died  in  1874  at  the  age  of  forty  years. 
His  mother  is  still  living  in  Dane  county  at  the  age  of  seventy 
years.  Martin  Paar  worked  out  from  1895  to  1904.  Then  he 
purchased  160  acres  of  land  in  section  14,  Norfolk  township.  He 
rebuilt  and  remodeled  the  residence  into  a  fine  seven-room  house 
and  in  1911  erected  a  barn  30  by  52  by  16  feet.  He  raises  Hol- 
stein  cattle  and  has  forty  Yorkshire  hogs,  all  registered.  He  also 
raises  Belgian  horses  and  has  White  Leghorn  Rosecomb  chickens. 
Two  acres  of  land  are  devoted  to  fruit  raising  and  all  his  farm  is 
fenced  with  woven  wire.  The  farm  is  modern  and  well  developed 
in  every  way  and  reflects  much  credit  on  its  energetic  owner. 
Mr.  Paar  has  been  the  chairman  of  the  school  board  for  four 
years  and  is  a  member  of  the  Catholic  church  and  the  St.  Joseph's 
Society  of  Bird  Island.  He  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Norfolk  & 
Palmyra  Creamery  at  Eddsville  and  also  of  the  Farmers'  Tele- 
phone Company  at  Bird  Island.  Mr,  Paar  was  married  April  26, 
1904,  to  Magdelena  Glesener,  bom  August  18,  1883,  daughter  of 
Charles  and  Mary  (Wadenspanner)  Glesener.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Paar 
have  one  child,  Marie  Magdelene,  bom  January  24,  1906. 

XaviBT  PhillipB,  Jr.,  a  well  to  do  farmer  of  Norfolk  township, 
was  born  in  Blue  Earth  county,  Minnesota,  October  9,  1867.  The 
father,  Xavier  Phillips,  was  born  at  Buffalo,  New  York,  in  1841, 
and  served  in  Company  D,  First  Minnesota  Heavy  Artillery,  He 
enlisted  October  18,  1864,  and  was  discharged  September  26, 
1865.  The  regiment  was  ordered  to  Chattanooga  to  take  charge 
of  the  heavy  guns  and  forts  of  that  place.  Men  were  recruited 
from  the  country  districts  and  it  was  expected  that  Hood  would 
attack  Chattanooga  with  his  reorganized  army.  The  men  served 
on  half  rations  and  displayed  great  vigilance  during  that  period 
of  anxiety.  The  mother,  Frances  (Kachelmeier)  Phillips,  died 
September  3,  1912,  at  the  age  of  seventy  years.  They  were  mar- 
ried at  Mankato  in  1863  and  had  five  boys  and  four  girls,  Xavier 
being  the  second  oldest  child.  Xavier  Phillips,  Jr.,  remained  at 
home  on  the  farm  until  his  marriage.  Then  he  bought  the  home 
farm  of  120  acres  in  section  1,  Norfolk  township,  at  which  time 
his  father  moved  to  Bird  Island,  where  he  lived  until  his  last 
illness,  when  he  was  taken  to  St.  Joseph  Hospital,  where  he  died 
March  10,  1903.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  at  once  started 
improving  the  home  place.  He  soon  erected  a  six-room  house 
and  in  1902  built  a  bam,  29  by  44  by  12,  with  a  full  basement. 
He  raises  Holstein  cattle  and  has  two  acres  set  out  in  fruit.  He 
is  a  stockholder  in  the  Farmers'  Elevator  Company  in  Bird 
Island  and  a  member  of  the  Catholic  church  and  of  St.  Joseph's 
Society  at  Bird  Island.  Mr.  Phillips  was  married  May  2,  1899, 
to  Mary  Beck,  bom  in  Austria,  February  15,  1880,  youngest 
of  the  seven  children  of  Joseph  and  Elizabeth  (Boehm) 
Beck.    Her  father  was  a  farmer  of  Austria  and  died  in  1887  at 


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884  HISTORY  OF  EENVH^LE  COUNTY 

the  age  of  forty.  Her  mother  died  December  8,  1907,  at  Bird 
Island.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Phillips  have  three  children  ;  Cecelia  Maria, 
born  September  2,  1902;  Roaa  Elizabeth,  born  August  30,  1910, 
and  Maria  Francesea,  born  November  T9,  1912, 

Paul  Bevier,  St.,  an  eminently  prosperous  farmer  of  Norfolk 
township,,  was  born  in  New  York,  March  29,  1842.  His  father, 
Gabriel  Revier,  was  born  in  Canada  and  farmed  in  New  York, 
dying  at  the  age  of  sixty-two  years  in  1860.  His  mother,  Mary 
(Derosia)  Revier,  died  May  23,  1893,  at  the  age  of  eighty-one 
years.  Paul  Revier,  Sr.,  remained  at  home  until  he  was  twenty- 
five  years  of  age,  when,  in  1867,  he  came  to  Renville  county, 
homesteaded  eighty  acres  and  bought  eighty  acres  in  section  26, 
Norfolk  township.  He  lived  there  thirteen  years,  then  sold  out 
and  purchased  160  acres  in  section  34,  Norfolk  township,  where 
he  now  owns  460  acres.  When  he  started  farming  all  he  possessed 
was  a  team  of  horses.  He  built  a  frame  house  14  by  20  and  cut 
hay  with  a  seythe.  The  county  seat  at  that  time  was  at  Beaver 
Falls,  where  there  was  a  small  courthouse  and  three  stores  and  a 
mill.  When  he  came  to  Norfolk  township  there  were  only  six 
other  families  there.  He  has  improved  hia  farm  and  prospered, 
and  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Citizens'  Milling  Company  at  Franklin 
and  in  the  Luce  Electric  Line.  Mr.  Revier  has  been  chairman  of 
the  township  board  for  ten  years  and  has  served  as  township 
treasurer  for  five  years,  constable  two  years  and  assessor  two 
years.  Mr.  Revier  was  married  July  6, 1868,  to  Ellen  McLaughlin, 
born  September  22,  1848,  daughter  of  John  and  Isabel  (Lynch) 
Revier.  Her  father  was  born  May  9,  1812,  and  came  to  Renville 
county  in  1868,  where  he  engaged  in  farming.  He  died  October 
22,  1899,  His  wife  was  born  April  4,  1816,  and  died  January  19, 
1891.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Revier  have  had  the  following  children: 
Herbert  V.,  born  October  26,  1869,  and  died  April  11,  1876; 
George,  born  November  29, 1871,  and  died  June  14,  1912;  Mary  I., 
bom  September  1,  1873,  died  April  8,  1876 ;  John  E.,  born  Novem- 
ber 4,  1875,  died  October  23,  1877;  William,  born  October  4,  1877, 
a  farmer  of  Redwood  county ;  James  J.,  born  August  1,  1879,  a 
fanner  of  Redwood  county ;  Frank  J.,  born  April  9,  1881,  a 
farmer  of  North  Dakota ;  John  P.,  born  December  25,  1882,  on  his 
father's  farm  in  Redwood  county;  Frederick,  born  August  6, 
1884,  at  Barrows,  Minnesota;  Robert,  born  October  23,  1885,  a 
farmer  of  Birch  Cooley  township;  Ralph,  born  October  23,  a 
farmer  of  Birch  Cooley  township;  Louis,  born  July  28,  1887,  at 
home;  Julius,  horn  August  22,  1888,  died  in  infancy;  Paul,  Jr., 
born  April  8,  1892,  and  Margaret  Gallagher  Revier,  bom  June  15, 
1899,  adopted.  The  family  are  all  members  of  the  St.  Patrick's 
church  at  Birch  Cooley  township,  June  2, 1915,  Mr.  Revier  rented 
his  farm  to  his  son  Paul,  Jr.,  purchased  a  one-half  block  and  resi- 
dence in  Franklin  village  and  retired. 


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mSTOBT  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  885 

Peter  0.  Olson,  a  successful  farmer  of  Norfolk  township,  waa 
bom  in  Sweden,  May  19,  1838,  son  o£  Ole  and  Bentta  (Pearson) 
Olson.  The  father  was  a  farmer  of  Sweden,  who  died  April  12, 
1852,  at  the  age  of  fifty-nine  years.  The  mother  waa  born  in 
1804  and  died  in  1894.  Peter  0.  Olson  came  to  America  in  1867 
and  worked  in  Paxton,  Illinois,  for  four  years.  He  worked  as  a 
tailor  in  San  Francisco  two  and  a  half  years  and  in  St.  Paul  for 
seven  years.  In  1891  he  purchased  167  acres  of  land  in  section 
19,  Norfolk  township,  where  he  still  Uvea.  He  began  with  one 
cow  and  twelve  chickens.  His  first  house  was  12  by  16  feet  and 
be  suffered  many  hardships  in  the  early  days  of  his  farming. 
In  1902  he  built  a  bam  36  by  48  by  14  with  a  seven-foot  base- 
ment. In  1906  he  built  a  seven-room  bouse  and  in  1914  a  silo  of  a 
capacity  of  125  tons.  Mr.  Olson  is  a  prominent  man  in  the  com- 
munity and  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Farmers'  elevator  and  cream- 
ery at  Olivia.  Peter  Olson  was  married  September  6,  1883,  to 
Paunilla  Olson,  who  was  bom  in  Sweden,  November  5,  1848,  and 
came  to  America  in  1880.  This  union  has  been  blessed  with  three 
children :  Oscar  Olaf,  who  died  at  the  age  of  fourteen  months, 
and  Alvin  and  Edward.  Alvin  and  Edward  have  operated  the 
home  farm  for  the  past  five  years  under  the  name  of  the  Olson 
Brothers. 

Olson  Brothws.  Alvin  and  Edward  Olson  carry  on  extensive 
farming  and  stockraising  operations  under  the  firm  of  Olson 
Brothers.  Their  specialty  is  feeding  cattle.  On  the  home  farm 
is  a  herd  of  about  sixty,  about  thirty  of  which  are  fed  on  ensilage. 
There  is  also  a  herd  of  about  sixty  Dnroc  Jersey  and  Poland  China 
hogs  and  about  thirty  are  fed  in  addition.  The  raising  of  Percb- 
eron  horses  is  another  specialty.  One  of  the  features  of  the  farm 
is  a  two-acre  orchard  set  in  apples  and  small  &uits.  In  addi- 
tion to  the  home  place  in  Norfolk  township,  which  is  under  the 
direct  supervision  of  Alvin  Olson,  the  brothers  own  a  fine  farm 
of  160  acres  in  Meeker  county,  which  is  under  the  direct  super- 
vision of  Edward  Olson.  Both  are  stockholders  in  the  Farmers' 
State  Bank,  at  Olivia.  Peter  Olson  is  a  stockholder  in  the  cream- 
ery and  Farmers'  Elevator  at  Olivia. 

Delbert  0.  Avery,  a  successful  farmer  of  Norfolk  township, 
was  bom  in  Ontario,  Canada,  May  12,  1861.  His  father,  Benja- 
min Avery,  was  a  blacksmith  in  Canada  and  died  in  1890,  at  the 
age  of  sixty-four  years.  His  mother,  Christina  (Cameron)  Avery, 
died  in  1891,  at  the  age  of  sixty-four  years.  Delbert  came  to 
the  United  States  in  1886  and  lived  in  Michigan  for  a  few  years. 
Then  he  came  to  Menominee,  Wis.,  where  he  lived  one  year. 
Later  he  lived  in  Minneapolis.  At  one  time  be  was  foreman 
in  a  lumber  camp.  In  1891  he  bought  160  acres  in  section  8, 
southwest  quarter  of  Norfolk  township,  where  he  still  lives.  He 
now  owns  240  acres  and  has  built  a  nice  six-room  house.    In  1913 


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886  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

he  built  a  very  fine  bam,  36  by  80  by  18,  with  a  cement  base- 
ment. There  are  stanchions  for  twenty  cows  and  room  for  sixteen 
horses,  the  hay  loft  having  a  capacity  of  100  tons.  A  silo  was 
built  in  1912  with  a  capacity  of  seventy-five  tons.  Mr.  Avery 
raises  Poland  China  hogs  and  Shorthorn  cattle  and  carries  on 
dairying.  He  has  five  acres  of  fruit  land.  Mr.  Avery  has  served 
as  township  constable  for  five  years  and  as  school  treasurer  for 
twenty-one  years.  He  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Farmers'  Ele- 
vator Company,  at  Olivia  and  at  Bird  Island,  and  in  the  Edds- 
ville  Creamery.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Catholic  church  at  Olivia 
.  and  the  C.  0.  P.,  at  Morton.  On  April  16,  1894,  Mr.  Avery  was 
married  to  Annie  Ederer  and  the  following  children  were  born. 
Florence  Christina,  bom  January  29,  1895,  and  died  September 
5,  1895;  Irene  Grace,  born  March  8,  1897,  and  died  October  2, 
1902;  Maurice  Raymond,  born  May  18,  1899;  Vincent  Felix,  born 
January  1,  1902;  Delbert  Irenaeus,  born  March  3,  1904,  and  Ger- 
ard Henry,  born  January  28,  1911. 

Thomas  H.  Tisdell,  one  of  the  successful  farmers  of  Norfolk 
township,  was  horn  in  Dakota  county,  Minnesota,  February  7, 
1865,  son  of  Henry  and  Elizabeth  (Connelly)  Tisdell.  Henry 
Tisdell  was  born  in  Ireland  in  1837  and  came  to  America  in  1852. 
In  1859  he  was  married  at  St,  Louis  to  Elizabeth  Connelly,  who 
was  born  in  London,  England,  in  1840,  came  to  America  as  a 
young  girl,  lived  in  Cohoes,  New  York,  for  a  while,  and  in  1854 
came  to  Minnesota  to  keep  house  for  her  brothers.  After  their 
marriage,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tisdell  lived  for  a  while  in  Savage,  Minne- 
sota. Later  they  came  to  Birch  Cooley  township,  where  they 
homesteaded  land  in  section  10  and  purchased  land  in  section  16. 
They  had  many  interesting  experiences.  Their  first  house,  built 
with  sloping  walls,  in  the  form  of  a  letter  A.  had  the  appearance 
of  a  roof  set  on  the  ground.  With  the  years  they  prospered  and 
became  leading  people  in  the  community.  In  1910  they  retired. 
Then  they  moved  to  Northfield,  Minn.,  residing  there  until  May, 
1913,  when  they  moved  to  Lakeville,  Minn.,  at  which  place  Mrs. 
Tisdell  died,  July  10,  1913,  at  the  age  of  seventy-three  years, 
after  an  illness  of  three  weeks  duration.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Henry 
Tisdell  had  ten  children,  six  boys  and  four  girls.  Thomas  Tisdell 
bought  80  acres  in  section  29,  Norfolk  township,  in  1886  and  has 
enlarged  and  improved  his  farm  until  he  now  owns  440  acres.  In 
1892  he  built  a  fine  seven-room  house  and  in  1913  a  barn,  36  by 
70  by  12  feet,  with  basement  and  hip  roof.  He  raises  Poland 
China  and  Chester  White  hogs  and  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Farm- 
ers' Elevator  Company  at  Morton  and  also  in  the  Morton  Rural 
Telephone  Company.  He  has  served  on  the  township  board  for 
nine  years  and  has  been  treasurer  of  the  school  board  for  nine 
years.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Catholic  church.  Mr.  Tisdell  was 
married  to  Ellen  Lorden,  January  28,  1896.    She  was  born  Sep- 


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HISTORY  .OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  387 

tember  20,  1873,  daughter  of  Deonis  and  Mary  (Coanelly)  Lor- 
den.  Dennis  Lorden  was  born  in  Ireland,  March,  1845,  and  re- 
mained there  until  he  was  twenty-three  years  of  age,  when  he 
immigrated  to  Rochester,  Minn.  He  was  one  of  the  first  settlers 
in  the  township  of  Palmyra,  Renville  county,  and  has  lived  on 
his  farm  in  Birch  Gooley  since  1878.  He  was  married  in  1872 
to  Mary  Connelly,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  five  children : 
Ellen,  Katie,  Mary  and  Sarah,  and  one  child  who  died.  Mrs. 
liorden  died  May  18,  1912.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tisdell  have  nine  chil- 
dren :  Mary,  born  February  2, 1897 ;  Helena,  born  June  12,  1899 ; 
Veronica,  born  January  27,  1901 ;  Clarence,  born  December  12, 
1902;  Francis,  born  March  28,  1903;  Alice,  born  July  12,  1904; 
Maude,  bom  March  30,  1906;  Thomas,  born  December  7,  1907; 
and  Elizabeth,  born  February  7,  1910. 

Anthony  V.  Haabrich,  a  well  known  farmer  of  Norfolk  town- 
ship, was  born  in  Flora  township,  Renville  county,  June  13,  1884. 
The  father,  Anton  Haubrieh,  was  born  in  Germany  and  came 
to  America  in  1862,  purchased  80  acres  in  section  12,  Mora  town- 
ship, and  now  owns  320  acres.  The  mother,  Mary  (Weiaenrather) 
Haubrieh,  died  in  1903,  at  the  age  of  forty-six  years.  Anthony 
V.  Haubrieh  has  rented  the  Kennedy  farm  since  1907.  In  1910 
he  rebuilt  the  house  and  in  1914  built  a  fine  barn,  40  by  64  by  14. 
He  raises  Durham  cattle  and  Poland  China  hogs.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Catholic  church  at  Olivia.  On  October  1,  1907,  Mr. 
Haubrieh  was  married  to  Eatherine  Anna  Kennedy,  bom  Novem- 
ber 16,  1884,  the  only  child  of  William  Kennedy,  who  died  May 
27,  1913,  at  the  age  of  sixty-two  years.  "William  Kennedy  was 
bom  in  Canada  and  in  1880  secured  a  homestead  of  160  acres 
in  section  18,  Norfolk  township,  where  he  lived  until  his  death. 
His  parents  were  Patrick  and  Anna  Kennedy.  He  was  married 
August  7,  1883,  to  Bridget  Dunnigan,  born  January  14,  1851. 
Her  father  and  mother  were  James  and  Bridget  (Gannon)  Dtin- 
nigan.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Haubrieh  have  two  children,  Mary  Mar- 
garet, bom  March  18, 1910,  and  Edmund  Vincent,  born  September 
2,  1912. 

John  H.  Eem,  a  prosperous  farmer  of  Norfolk  township,  was 
bom  in  Springfield,  Illinois,  January  19,  1858.  His  father,  John 
J.  Kern,  was  born  July  19,  1835,  in  Germany,  received  his  edu- 
cation at  Wurttemberg,  and  eame  to  America  in  1859.  From 
1861  to  1873  he  was  professor  of  mathematics  and  natural  history 
at  the  University  of  Illinois.  Then  he  located  at  Springfield, 
Illinois,  and  in  1873  moved  to  Hebron,  Nebraska,  and  farmed  in 
Thayer  county  until  1890.  Next  he  went  to  Portland,  Oregon, 
where  he  became  editor  of  a  German  newspaper,  and  lived  there 
until  his  death,  June  12,  1914.  His  wife,  Henriette  (Scharbaeh) 
Kern,  died  February  12,  1911.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one  John 
M.  Kem  homesteaded  land  in  Thomas  county,  Kansas,  where  he 


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388  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

lived  uDtil  July  1,  1894.  Then  he  went  to  Edmonton,  Canada, 
where  he  also  homesteaded  land.  After  a  year  and  a  half  he  came 
to  Minnesota  and  rented  a  farm  in  Norfolk  township,  paying 
$600  per  year  for  a  half  section,  and  raised  about  $4,000  worth  of 
grain  per  year.  In  1902  he  bought  the  northwest  quarter  of 
section  20,  Norfolk  township.  He  now  owns  540  acres  of  good 
land,  makes  a  specialty  of  feeding  cattle  on  ensilage  from  his 
two  large  eilos,  and  has  a  large  herd  of  cattle  and  swine.  He 
has  six  acres  of  land  devote^  to  the  raising  of  fruit.  Mr.  Eem 
has  been  township  clerk  for  eight  years  and  is  a  stockholder  in 
the  Farmers'  Elevators  at  Olivia  and  Bird  Island  and  also  in 
Eddsville  Creamery  and  in  the  Farmers'  Telephone  Company  of 
Bird  Island.  He  was  married  March  10, 1886,  to  Christina  Prehn, 
bom  January  13,  1867,  daughter  of  Earl  and  Elizabeth  (Bloom) 
Kern.  Her  father,  a  farmer  of  Hebron,  Nebraska,  died  in  March, 
1896,  at  the  age  of  seventy-six,  and  her  mother  is  still  living  in 
Hebron,  Nebraska,  at  the  age  of  eighty-one  years.  Mr.  and 
Mrs,  Kern-  have  had  the  following  children :  Amelia,  born  Sep- 
tember 7,  1886,  married  to  William  Burghart,  and  the  mother  of 
three  children ;  Mary,  bom  July  7,  1888 ;  Annie,  bom  March  20, 
1892;  Charles  M.,  born  May  11,  1894;  Homer,  bora  September 
21,  1896;  Isabel,  born  January  1,  1900;  and  Lawrence,  bom  Feb- 
ruary 19,  1904,  All  the  children  except  Mrs.  Burghart  live  with 
their  parents. 

William  Eeltj^en,  a  prominent  farmer  of  Norfolk  township, 
was  bom  in  Union  Grove,  "Wisconsin,  October  28,  1852,  son  of 
John  and  Margaret  (Terry)  Keltgen.  John  Keltgen  was  bora  in 
Germany  and  came  to  America  in  1848.  In  1856  he  located  in 
Nieollet  «ounty,  where  he  farmed  until  his  death  in  1881,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-two  years.  He  took  part  in  the  battle  against  the 
Indians  at  New  Ulm.  His  wife  died  in  1895,  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
six  years.  William  Keltgen  began  his  career  by  rafting  and  lum- 
bering in  the  pine  woods  of  Wisconsin  for  four  years,  working 
on  threshing  crews  in  the  fall.  Then  he  rented  a  farm  in  Nicollet 
county  for  two  years.  In  1879  he  bought  160  acres  in  section  12, 
Norfolk  township,  where  he  still  remains.  The  quarter  section 
with  which  he  started  has  been  increased  to  1,240  acres,  the  small 
frame  house,  16  by  18  feet,  has  been  replaced  with  a  sightly  nine- 
room  dwelling,  and  in  1897  the  place  was  improved  by  the  erec- 
tion of  a  modern  bara,  42  by  102  by  18  feet.  The  other  buildings 
are  also  ample  and  appropriate.  Mr.  Keltgen  has  been  the  chair- 
man of  the  township  board  for  six  years  and  treasurer  and  direc- 
tor of  the  school  board  for  thirty  years.  He  is  a  stockholder  and 
director  of  the  Farmers'  Elevator  Company  in  Bird  Island  and  a 
stockholder  in  Eddsville  Creamery  and  Renville  County  Fair 
Association.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Catholic  church  and  of  St, 
Joseph's  Society  of  Bird  Island.    Mr.  Keltgen  was  married  Feb- 


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H.  H.  LOGAN 


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TOT  MEW  lORK 
FUaiK  LIBRARY 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  389 

niary  3,  1880,  to  EUzabeth  Steinbach,  born  February  6,  1856. 
Her  father,  Francis  Steiubach,  was  a  pioneer  farmer  of  Wiscon- 
sin and  died  in  Nicollet  county,  Minnesota,  at  the  age  of  seventy 
years,  in  1878.  Her  mother,  Katherlne  (Poseley)  Steinbach,  died 
in  1861,  at  the  age  of  fifty  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Keltgen  have  had 
the  following  children :  Francis,  born  November  7,  1880,  cashier 
of  the  Pabst  Brewing  Company,  Minneapolis ;  Henry,  bom  May 
17,  1882,  a  farmer  of  Norfolk  township;  John  B.,  born  March  18, 
1884,  a  farmer  in  North  Dakota;  Marguerite,  bom  August  14, 
1886,  married  to  Henry  Rauenhorst,  a  farmer  at  Bird  Island; 
Julia,  bom  May  29,  1889,  married  to  William  Leach,  a  farmer 
of  Norfolk  township;  Mary,  bom  June  26,  1892,  and  William, 
bom  March  30,  1894. 

Hngb  H.  Logfaa,  a  well  known  resident  of  Morton,  was  born 
in  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania,  July  2,  1867,  son  of  John  and 
Catherine  (McCarthy)  Logan.  The  father  was  bom  in  Cork 
county,  Ireland,  and  came  to  America  in  1855,  working  in  the  oil 
mines  in  Pennsylvania,  until  1870,  when  he  came  to  Olmsted  coun- 
ty, Minnesota,  and  began  farming.  During  his  stay  in  Olmsted 
county  he  served  on  the  school  board  for  ten  years.  He  is  now 
a  retired  farmer,  living  at  Stewartville,  Minnesota,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-eight  years.  The  mother  died  in  1875,  at  the  age  of  thirty- 
eight  years.  Hugh  H,  Logan  left  his  home  in  Olmsted  county 
when  he  was  eleven  years  old  and  went  to  Fargo,  North  Dakota, 
where  he  arrived  with  only  twenty-five  cents  in  cash.  He  met  a 
man  on  the  street  who  gave  him  work  on  his  farm  near  that  city 
for  the  summer.  Then  he  secured  work  on  the  Dalrympic  wheat 
farm  near  Moorhead,  Minnesota,  where  he  remained  for  five 
years.  Next  he  worked  in  Tennessee  and  Missouri  for  a  few 
months.  Then  he  came  to  St.  Charles,  Minnesota,  where  he 
worked  on  the  farms  in  the  neighborhood  and  also  in  the  hotel 
in  the  village.  After  four  years  he  engaged  in  the  livery  and  ice 
business  for  about  three  years.  While  in  St.  Charles  he  served 
on  the  village  council  for  four  years.  In  1905  he  came  to  Morton 
and  is  now  engaged  in  the  drug  business,  being  proprietor  of  the 
Red  Cross  Pharmacy.  He  also  owns  120  acres  of  land  in  Birch 
Cooley  township,  three  and  a  half  miles  east  of  Morton.  In 
1913  Mr.  Logan  built  a  fine  modern  home  in  the  northwestern 
part  of  Morton,  It  is  a  semi-bungalow  style,  two  story,  28  by  38 
feet,  with  nine  rooms  and  a  full  basement.  The  lower  fioor  is 
finished  in  oak  with  maple  floors  and  the  upper  floor  in  birch.  It 
has  many  modern  conveniences  such  as  a  clothes  chute,  hot  water 
heat,  built-in  bookcases  and  buffet  and  electricity  for  lighting, 
pumping  water,  sweeping,  washing  and  ironing.  There  is  also  a 
sleeping  porch.  He  has  also  built  a  nice  barn  and  garage.  The 
total  cost  of  the  house  and  garage  is  $7,000.  Mr,  Logan  is  a 
member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  held  all  the 


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890  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

chairs  in  the  St.  Charles  Lodge  and  was  a  representative  to  the 
state  meetJDg  of  1900.    The  family  attend  the  Episcopal  church. 

The  Northwest  Druggist  says  of  Mr.  Logan's  estahlishment : 
*'Thia  store  is  one  of  the  most  attractive  and  best  arranged  phar- 
macies among  the  smaller  towns  of  the  state.  It  is  equipped  with 
high  grade  fixtures  throughout,  has  settee-booths  aud  a  new 
modern  soda  fountain.  The  owner  has  installed  an  electric  piano 
for  the  entertainment  of  customers  and  has  provided  a  rest-room 
for  the  ladies,  the  only  store  in  Morton  furnishing  such  accom- 
modations. Particular  attention  has  been  given  to  the  prescrip- 
tion department  which  is  equipped  with  every  modern  conve- 
nience. The  registered  pharmacist  in  charge  at  this  writing  is 
H.  E.  Brown."  Mr,  Logan  was  united  in  marriage  September  27, 
1905,  to  Mrs.  Florence  (Diedrieh)  Holdridge,  who  was  born  June 
10,  1880,  in  Quiney  township,  Olmsted  county,  Minnesota.  Her 
father,  John  Diedrieh,  was  born  in  Luxemburg,  and  came  tO" 
America  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years.  He  resided  in  St.  Louis 
for  two  years,  then  came  to  RoUingstone,  in  Winona  county, 
where  he  remained  until  1873,  going  from  there  to  Olmsted  coun- 
ty, where  he  took  a  homestead  in  Quiney  township,  breaking  and 
developing  a  fine  farm,  on  which  he  remained  until  his  death 
in  1900,  at 'the  age  of  sixtj'-four  years.  He  married  Jeannette 
Smith,  who  was  born  in  Wilna,  Jefferson  county.  New  York,  and 
died  in  Olmsted  county,  Minnesota,  in  1903,  at  the  age  of  fifty- 
three  years. 

John  Anderson,  a  successful  business  man  of  Morton,  was  horn 
in  Sweden,  December  9,  1856,  son  of  Andrew  and  Anna  (Olson) 
Henderson.  His  parents  remained  in  Sweden,  the  father  died 
in  1904,  and  the  mother  is  still  living  there  at  the  age  of  seven- 
tydght.  John  Anderson  came  to  America  April  28,  1881,  and 
worked  in  the  quarries  in  Pennsylvania  for  a  time.  August  12, 
1886,  he  came  to  Morton  and  became  the  foreman  for  T.  Saul- 
paugh  &  Company,  in  the  granite  quarries.  He  remained  there 
for  eight  years,  when  he  leased  the  quarries  and  in  1900  bought 
them.  He  employs  a  number  of  men  and  makes  momuuents  and 
dressed  building  stone.  November  1,  1880,  Mr.  Anderson  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Annie  L.  Johnson,  of  Sweden.  They  have 
four  children,  Bernard,  who  works  for  his  father,  was  born  Sep- 
tember 4,  1881,  was  married  May  12,  1905,  to  Christina  Mitchell. 
and  has  two  children,  Bernard  Evan  and  Ruby  Viola.  Fred  also 
works  with  his  father.  Annie  is  married  to  Eric  Mitchell,  of  St. 
Paul,  and  William  is  in  the  music  business  in  Morton. 

Otis  W.  Newton,  one  of  the  conspicuous  men  of  Morton,  was 
born  in  Erie  county.  New  York,  January  13,  1850.  The  father, 
Otis  W.  Newton,  was  a  cabinetmaker,  came  to  Redwood  county,  in 
1868,  and  died  in  1879,  at  the  age  of  seventy-three.  The  mother, 
Adeline  (Green)  died  in  1852.  at  the  age  of  forty-four.    June  8, 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  391 

1864,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  enlisted  at  Columbus,  Wisconsin, 
in  Company  P,  4l8t  Wis.  Vol.  Inf.,  becoming  dispatch  carrier  at 
Memphis,  Tennessee,  and  participating  in  Forrest's  raid.  He  was 
discharged  September  23,  1864,  and  is  now  chaplain  and  surgeon 
of  Benjamin  Franklin  Post,  No.  116,  G.  A.  R.,  at  Morton,  which 
he  has  served  as  commander  for  four  years.  After  his  discharge 
from  the  army  Mr.  Newton  attended  school  at  Columbus,  Wiscon- 
sin, until  April  15,  1865.  Then  he  and  his  father  moved  to  Minne- 
apolis, where  they  remained  until  1868,  when  his  father  bought  a 
farm  of  160  acres  in  section  9,  Sherman  township.  Redwood  coun- 
ty. He  was  one  of  the  early  pioneers  of  this  township  and  helped 
organize  it.  In  1872,  Mr.  Newton  returned  to  Minneapolis  and 
worked  there  as  a  carpenter  until  1892.  For  twelve  and  a  half 
years  of  this  time  he  was  manager  at  Itasca  for  0.  H.  Kelley, 
the  founder  and  secretary  of  the  National  Grange  of  the  Patrons 
of  Husbandry.  In  1893  Mr.  Newton  came  to  Morton  and  started 
a  wagon  shop,  which  he  operated  during  the  next  twenty-one 
years.  June  1,  1914,  he  became  postmaster  at  Morton,  which 
position  he  still  holds.  Mr,  Newton  was  married  May  21,  1885, 
to  Charity  Porter,  born  March  18, 1865.  Her  parents,  Seneca  and 
Mary  (Shelden)  Porter,  were  farmers  of  Wright  county,  this 
state.  Mr,  and  Mrs.  Newton  have  two  children,  Charlotte,  born 
December  26,  1896,  and  Carrie,  who  is  adopted,  born  October 
29,  1891,  both  at  home.  The  family  are  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church, 

Albert  L.  Fairar,  a  well  known  barber  of  Buffalo  Lake,  was 
born  in  Collins,  McLeod  county,  July  13,  1867,  son  of  Joseph  and 
Margaret  (Donovan)  Farrar.  Joseph  Farrar  was  bom  in  Oswego 
county.  New  York,  January  27,  1832.  When  a  young  man  he 
moved  to  Bureau  county,  Illinois,  where  he  married  Margaret 
Donovan.  On  October  27,  1862,  he  enlisted  in  Compnnj  I,  Twen- 
ty-seventh Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry  and  served  until  dis- 
charged at  the  close  of  the  war,  October  23,  1865.  In  August  he 
came  with  his  family  to  McLeod  county  and  settled  on  a  home- 
stead in  Collins  township,  near  the  Renville  county  line.  He  left 
there  in  1879  and  moved  to  Hutchinson.  It  was  there  that  he 
became  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R.  post.  Mrs.  Farrar  died  Febru- 
ary 28,  1886,  leaving  three  sons:  William  J.,  Albert  and  Frank 
L.    On  January  16,  1891,  Mr.  Farrar  married  Mrs.  E.  H.  Hoyt. 

Leon  E.  Lajnbert,  well  known  manager  of  a  lumber  and  coal 
yard,  at  Renville,  was  born  in  North  France,  December  5,  1856, 
son  of  Felicicn  and  Josephine  (Barthelemy)  Lambert,  and  of 
Huguenot  descent.  Felicien  Lambert,  son  of  Joseph  Lambert, 
a  school  teacher,  was  government  collector  of  customs  in  France 
and  died  by  accidental  drowning,  when  he  was  thirty-six  years 
old,  leaving  four  children:  Charles  E.,  Leon  E.,  Emma  J.  and 
Aurelie.     His  widow  married  Joseph  Morriau  and  in  1872  the 


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892  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

family  came  to  Waoaau,  Wisconsin.  Emma  J.  had  died  in 
France.  The  mother  died  in  Wausau,  Wis.,  in  1904,  at  the  age 
of  sixty-five  years.  Leon  E.  Lamhert  grew  to  manhood  amid 
the  lumber  regions  of  Wisconsin  and  had  meagre  opportunities 
for  obtaining  an  English  education,  but  is  versed  in  the  French 
language  and  speaks  it  fluently.  As  a  young  man  he  went  to 
Big  Stone  City,  Sontb  Dakota,  and  took  up  carpenter  and  gen- 
eral construction  work,  having  already  learned  carpenter  and 
mill  work  in  Wiseonsin.  In  1896  he  came  to  Renville  county 
and  established  his  present  business  at  Renville.  Mr.  Lambert 
was  clerk  of  the  city  of  Renville  for  four  years.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  several  fratemitiea :  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  I.  0.  0.  F.,  M.  B.  A., 
R.  N.  A.,  and  the  Rebekah  degree.  In  1913  Mr.  Lambert  visited 
France  and  took  great  pleasure  in  seeing  Paris  and. many  other 
places  of  interest.  He  has  relatives  taking  part  in  the  great 
European  war,  serving  in  the  Belgian,  English,  German  and 
French  armies.  In  1880  Mr.  Lambert  was  married  to  Anna 
Lenvendoske,  bom  in  Fond  du  Lac,  Wisconsin,  daughter  of  An- 
ton Lenvendoske,  who  came  from  East  Prussia  to  Wisconsin. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lambert  had  ten  children  r  Mamie  L.  (de- 
ceased) ;  Jennie  A.,  wife  of  S.  L,  Johnson,  of  Renville,  a  grain 
dealer,  now  living  in  Minneapolis ;  Lulu  B.,  wife  of  J.  B.  Stone> 
a  traveling  salesman,  living  at  Minneapolis ;  Prosper  H.,  assistant 
cashier,  in  Mohall  Security  Bank  at  Mohall,  North  Dakota; 
Percy  A.,  stenographer,  at  Fargo,  North  Dakota;  Aurelia  M.,  a 
student  at  Hamline  university;  John  R.,  manager  of  the  lumber 
yard  at  Dallas,  South  Dakota ;  Frank  W.  and  Luel  E.,  both  with 
their  father  in  the  lumber  yard  at  Renville;  and  Daisy  M.,  a 
student  at  Renville  high  school. 

Peter  B.  Olson,  deceased,  was  born  in  Christiania,  Norway, 
March  4, 1852,  son  of  Die  and  Bertha  Olson.  He  came  to  America 
at  the  age  of  seventeen  years  and  located  in  Fillmore  county, 
where  he  worked  on  the  farms  during  the  summer  and  went  to 
school  in  the  winter.  Then  he  went  to  St.  Paul  and  worked 
there  for  a  time  as  a  clerk  in  a  store.  He  finally  bought  a  stock 
of  goods  and  came  to  Sacred  Heart  township,  where  he  started 
a  general  merchandise  store,  it  being  the  first  one  of  its  kind 
in  the  vicinity.  This  was  before  the  village  of  Sacred  Heart  was 
organized.  Mr.  Olson  also  followed  farming  and  for  a  time 
he  taught  school.  He  always  took  an  active  part  in  politics, 
being  prominent  in  the  Republican  party.  He  first  held  office 
as  deputy  sheriff  under  his  father-in-law,  Hans  Field,  for  two 
or  three  terms.  Later  he  accepted  the  position  of  cashier  in  a 
bank  at  Beaver  Falls.  In  the  fall  of  1890  he  was  elected  regis- 
ter of  deeds  for  Renville  county,  and  was  in  office  from  January 
1,  1891,  to  January  1,  1895.  After  serving  in  this  capacity  he 
established  his  home  in  section  12,  Sacred  Heart  township,  pur- 


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HANS  FIELD  MB.  AND  MRS.  PETEB  B.  OLSON 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  393 

chasing  eighty  acres  which  was  gradually  increased  to  160  acres. 
He  became  one  of  the  representative  farmers  of  the  township 
and  made  a  specialty  of  breeding  good  stock,  having  Shorthorn 
and  Hoistetn  cattle  and  Poland  China  hogs.  He  was  also  inter- 
ested in  fruit  raising  and  set  out  a  fine  orchard  of  apple  trees. 
Mr.  Olson  held  several  township  offices,  serving  for  several 
years  as  justice  of  the  peace  and  as  township  clerk.  He  also 
held  the  position  of  postmaster  of  Emmet  postoffiee,  and  served 
on  the  school  board.  Fraternally  he  was  a  member  of  the  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  of  Beaver  Falls.  His  religion 
was  that  of  the  Lutheran  congregation,  of  Renville,  of  which  he 
was  a  trustee  and  both  of  whose  churches  he  helped  to  build. 
Mr.  Olson  was  married  in  1870  to  Olivia  Field,  born  April  6, 
1852.  The  town  of  Olivia,  in  Renville  county,  is  named  in  her 
honor.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Hans  and  Martha  (Bingham) 
Field.  Twelve  children  were  bom  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Olson :  Henrj', 
Oscar,  Martin,  Agnes,  Charlotte,  Emma,  Fred,  Alice,  WiUiard, 
Ethel  and  Edna  (twins)  and  Florence.  Edna  is  dead.  Mr.  Olson 
died  June  19,  1901,  He  was  a  successful  man,  a  good  neighbor 
and  a  loyal  friend.  The  farm  is  now  conducted  under  the  super- 
vision of  Mrs.  Olson. 

Anton  Oeray,  a  well  known  farmer  of  Wellington  township, 
was  bom  in  Germany  November  19,  1859,  son  of  Frank  J.  Geray, 
a  German  fanner,  who  died  in  1903  at  the  age  of  seventy-five, 
and  of  Sidonia  Schmidt,  who  died  in  1914  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
eight.  Anton  Geray  came  to  America  in  1883,  and  lived  five 
years  in  Nicollet  county,  this  state.  In  1887  he  bought  his  present 
farm,  which  consists  of  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  31,  on  to 
which  he  moved  in  the  spring  of  1887.  He  has  erected  a  good 
residence  and  suitable  outbuildings  and  has  brought  the  farm 
to  &  high  stage  of  cultivation.  Mr.  Geray  has  been  township 
treasurer  six  years.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Columbus 
and  of  the  Catholic  Order  of  Foresters,  Mr,  Geray  was  married 
June  28, 1887,  to  Rosa  Huelskamp,  who  was  bom  August  26, 1867, 
daughter  of  Frank  and  Theresa  (Eachelmeier)  Huelskamp,  The 
father,  who  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  in  Nicollet  county,  died 
in  1900  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight.  The  mother  now  lives  in  West 
Newton  in  that  county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Geray  have  ten  children: 
Theresa,  who  married  Louis  Stoll,  a  farmer  in  Wellington  town- 
ship; Mary,  who  married  Emil  Gumbold,  of  St.  Paul;  Zita, 
Alphonse,  Prank,  Alice,  Stephen,  Joseph  and  Henry  (twins), 
John  and  Cordelia. 

James  H.  BbiGowan,  horseman,  man-of-affairs  and  theatrical 
manager,  was  born  in  Canada,  March  1,  1854,  second  child  of 
Patrick  and  Cholice  (Hall)  McGowan.  The  father  was  bom  in 
Canada,  August  7,  1826,  and  died  May  18,  1901.  He  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1856  and  spent  the  first  winter  at  St.  Peter,  in 


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894  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

this  state.  Then  he  moved  to  Sibley  county,  where  he  farmed 
near  Green  Isle  until  the  spring  of  1868.  Next  he  went  to  Brown 
county  on  the  Ft.  Ridgely  Reserve,  where  he  remained  until  1877, 
then  going  to  Redwood  county,  near  Morgan.  In  1880  he  moved 
to  Renville  county  and  worked  on  the  railroad  with  his  teams. 
In  1882  he  erected  the  building  now  used  for  the  Morton  post- 
office.  It  was  then  used  by  R.  B.  llenton  and  J.  II.  McGowan 
as  a  store.  After  a  short  time  he  worked  on  the  railroad  again 
and  in  1884  moved  to  a  farm  in  Norfolk  township.  Subsequently 
he  built  a  residence  in  Morton  which  he  occupied  for  a  time, 
later  making  his  home  with  his  son-in-law,  John  Cutting,  and 
with  Matt.  Bertrang,  another  son-in-law,  near  Sleepy  Eye.  where 
he  died.  His  wife,  Cholice  Hall,  was  bom  in  1833  and  died 
March  8,  1885.  They  were  married  in  Canada  in  1851,  and  had 
fifteen  children.  James  remained  at  home  until  he  was  twenty- 
one  years  old.  Then  he  worked  in  the  woods  and  on  the  river 
for  four  yoflrs.  In  1880  he  worked  on  the  Dakota  Central  railroad 
as  rodman  with  the  division  engineer.  Then  he  worked  two  years 
on  the  Toledo  &  Northwestern  railroad  from  Eagle  Grove,  Iowa, 
as  contractor.  Next  he  started  a  store  with  R.  B.  Ilonton  at 
Morton  in  the  building  erected  by  his  father,  on  the  northwest 
comer  of  block  fifteen,  lots  26  and  27.  where  the  store  of  R.  B. 
Henton  Jr.  is  now  located.  In  1887  Mr.  McGowan  bought  R.  B. 
Henton  's  share  and  in  1891  sold  a  half  interest  to  R.  B.  Henton 
Jr.  The  firm  then  became  known  as  McGowan  &  Henton,  until 
December  12,  1903,  when  it  was  sold  to  D.  L.  Criramins.  Mr. 
McGowan  has  been  a  horseman  for  many  years.  In  1S90  he 
purchased  Pedro  L.,  2:18,  a  trotter.  In  1903  he  owned  and  raced 
Aleneer,  2:19^,  a  pacer;  in  1904  Tempest,  2;22i4,  pacer;  both 
sired  by  Tempter  and  both  dying  while  Mr.  MeGowan  still  owned 
them.  In  1905  he  raced  Marion  Lockhart,  2  tl9i/4-  pacer ;  Minnie 
Nutwood,  2:1314.  pacing  and  trotting,  2:27^4-  He  is  now  keep- 
ing Minnie  Nutwood  for  breeding  purposes,  she  being  the  mother 
of  Happy  Heart,  2:21i4,  pacer.  Happy  Heart  has  won  the  first 
place  three  times  and  was  a  close  contender  in  six  other  fast 
races  in  four  states,  having  brought  home  about  $1,400  in  prizes. 
At  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  September  2,  1914,  he  was  the  winner  of 
the  pacing  division  of  the  Western  Breeders'  Futurity  No.  1, 
getting  first,  third  and  fourth  money  and  a  very  handsome  silver 
cup.  Happy  Heart's  next  start  was  at  Huron,  South  Dakota, 
State  Fair,  September  15,  in  the  2:40  pace,  purse  $500.  Over  a 
bad,  muddy  track  with  a  strong  wind  blowing  he  won  in  three 
straight  heats,  each  in  2. -2114.  The  next  time  Happy  Heart  raced 
was  at  Redwood  Falls  on  October  1,  in  the  2:25  pace,  purse  $300, 
where  he  won  in  three  straight  heats,  best  time  being  2:22.  Mr. 
McGowan  now  looks  after  his  farms,  the  Morton  Opera  House 
and  his  horses.     He  resides  in  a  modem  house  of  ten  rooms  in 


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FRANK  J.  MU8IL 


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PUBLIC   Lli- 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  395 

Morton  erected  in  1894.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  villas 
council  for  seven  years.  November  13,  1880,  Mr.  McGowan  mar- 
ried. Emma  Henton,  bom  July  20,  1860.  They  have  had  seven 
children:  Margaret  OhoHce,  bom  August  22,  1881,  died  March  7, 
1902;  Mable  Josephine,  bom  March  4,  1883,  now  the  wife  of 
Ward  Miller,  wholesaler  and  manufacturer  of  ladies'  garments  at 
West  Adams  street,  Chicago,  by  whom  she  has  one  child,  McGowan 
Miller;  Myrtle  Agnes,  born  April  26,  1885,  married  to  Charles 
MeGuire,  a  conductor  on  the  M.  &  St.  L.  R.  R.,  and  lives  in 
Morton,  having  two  children,  Margaret  and  Katherine ;  Anna 
Belle,  bom  July  19, 1887,  died  July  13,  1912 ;  James  Bennett,  born 
March  31,  1889,  a  conductor  on  the  M.  &  St.  L,  R.  R.,  who  lives  in 
Minneapolis  and  is  married  to  Emma  Farisy ;  Ralph  Thomaa,  born 
January  1,  1893,  who  is  at  home;  and  Marion  Edgar,  bora 
August  25,  1895,  died  July  26,  1903. 

Frank  J,  MubU,  an  estimable  resident  of  Osceola  township, 
was  bom  in  Bohemia,  December  25,  1838,  and  came  to  America 
with  his  parents  at  the  age  of  sixteen.  For  a  few  years  he  lived 
with  them  in  Tama,  Iowa,  and  then  became  a  farm  hand.  In 
1859  he  went  west  with  an  ox  team,  and  from  then  until  1872, 
when  he  spent  a  short  time  as  a  sawmill  engineer  in  St.  Joseph, 
Missouri,  he  devoted  his  attention  to  mining  and  prospecting. 
In  1872  he  returned  to  Tama,  Iowa,  and  farmed  for  several  years. 
Later  he  sold  his  farm  and  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  in 
Iowa,     It  was  in  1888  that  he  came  to  Osceola  township   and 

.  bought  a  farm  located  in  sections  23  and  26.  At  one  time  he 
owned  1,300  acres  of  land,  all  of  which  was  in  Osceola  township 
except  a  half-section  in  Dakota,  His  present  house  and  barn 
were  erected  in  1890.    He  is  a  well  known  man  in  the  community, 

■  has  been  a  member  of  the  school  board  twenty  years,  of  the 
town  board  five  years,  and  road  overseer  for  ten  years.  Mr. 
Musil  was  married  in  Iowa  in  1873,  to  Stazy  Rugicka,  who  was 
bora  in  Bohemia,  and  died  in  1886  at  the  age  of  thirty-two.'  Her 
father,  John,  was  born  in  Bohemia  and  died  in  1896  at  the  age  of 
seventy.  By  this  union  Mr.  Musil  had  six  children :  Charles, 
bom  in  1874;  Michael,  bom  in  1876;  Dora,  bora  in  1878;  John, 
bora  in  1880;  Frank,  bora  in  1882;  and  Mary,  bora  in  1884  and 
died  in  infancy.  In  1886  Mr.  Musil  married  Kate  Novotny,  who 
was  bora  in  Bohemia  November  25,  1857.  To  this  union  there 
have  been  born  six  children :  Rudolph,  born  December  29,  1889 
Kate,  born  May  4,  1891;  Agnes,  a  teacher,  bora  July  11,  1893 
James,  born  January  22,  1896 ;  George,  bom  September  9,  1898 
Libby,  born  November  11, 1901.  Rudolph  now  operates  the  home 
farm. 

Robert  E.  Simmons,  a  well  known  farmer  of  Birch  Cooley 
township,  was  born  November  7,  1864,  in  AVatervjUe,  Le  Seuer 
county,  Minnesota,  son  of  Randall  M.  and  Mary  J.   (Kennedy) 


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396  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

Simmons.  The  fathtr  was  bom  in  March,  1818,  in  New  York, 
came  to  Renville  county  in  1867,  and  purchased  160  acres  of  land 
in  section  33,  where  he  remained  until  his  death,  June  29,  1901. 
The  mother  died  in  June,  1874,  at  the  age  of  fifty-two  years.  The 
lauding  of  old  ford  and  ferry  across  the  Mitmesota  river  to 
the  S«dwood  agency  are  on  the  Simmons  farm.  John  S.  Marsh 
was  drowned  and  many  of  his  men  killed  here  in  the  Indian  out- 
break in  1862,  and  a  monument  stands  on  the  bank  of  the  river 
to  mark  the  place.  The  road  and  tracks  where  the  teams  went 
down  the  banks  can  still  be  seen.  Robert  E.  Simmons  now  has 
one  of  the  well  improved  farms  of  Birch  Cooley  township,  con- 
sisting of  740  acres  of  good  land.  He  feeds  cattle  for  the  market 
and  ships  about  four  carloads  of  cattle  and  one  of  hogs  every 
year.  He  built  a  nice  nine-room,  one-and-a-half-story  bouse  in 
1913  at  an  expenditure  of  $3,000,  and  has  modernized  his  farm 
in  other  ways.  Believing  as  he  does  in  the  progress  of  the  com- 
munity, be  has  taken  stock  in  the  Farmers'  Co-operative  Grain 
Company  of  Morton.  On  October  26,  1893,  Mr.  Simmons  was 
married  to  Louise  M.  Sanders,  bom  August  9,  1873,  daughter  of 
Peter  Sanders,  bom  in  Holland  in  1831,  a  pioneer  farmer  of 
McLeod  county,  who  died  November  6,  1904,  and  Aima  K. 
(Collen),  aged  eighty-three  years,  who  lives  in  Minneapolis.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Simmons  have  the  following  children :  Maurice  R.,  bom 
May  28,  1902;  Arthur  E.,  bom  October  29,  1903;  Mary  L.,  bom 
May  4,  1905;  Joseph  R.,  bom  May  18,  1908 ;  and  Edward  J.,  bora 
January  23,  1911. 

August  Bnrgstahler,  pioneer  of  ^Tinnesota  and  the  oldest  resi- 
dent of  Buffalo  Lake,  was  bora  May  20,  1828,  in  Baden,  Germany, 
one  of  the  three  sons  of  Philip  and  Catherine  Burgstahler.  Fred 
was  the  first  of  the  family  to  come  to  the  United  States,  coming  ■ 
by  sailing  vessel  in  1846,  and  locating  in  Detroit,  Michigan. 
He  wrote  in  such  glowing  terms  of  the  new  country  that  in  1852 
August  came.  The  trip  by  sailing  vessel  took  thirty-nine  days. 
Gotfried  came  later  and  was  at  New  Orleans  in  the  troublesome 
days  of  the  Civil  "ft'ar.  He  had  been  in  this  country  only  two 
years  when,  refusing  to  fight  on  the  Confederate  side,  he  was 
taken  out  and  killed.  August  Burgstahler  was  a  tailor  by  trade, 
and  engaged  in  this  trade  in  Buffalo,  New  York.  After  a  time 
be  went  to  Chicago,  intending  to  follow  his  trade  there,  but  poor 
health  caused  him  to  turn  to  outdoor  work  and  he  engaged  in 
farming  eight  miles  from  Laporte,  Indiana.  July  4,  1862,  be 
enlisted  in  Company  B,  Seventy-third  Indiana  Volunteer  Infan- 
try, serving  seven  months  and  a  half.  After  being  honorably 
discharged  on  account  of  disability,  he  returned  to  his  farm  eight 
miles  from  Laporte  and  remained  there  until  1869,  when  he  came 
to  Carver  county,  Minnesota,  renting  a  farm  six  miles  from 
Carver.    Here  he  farmed  with  his  ox  team  for  three  years  and 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  397 

then  went  to  Grafton  township,  Sibley  county  and  located  a  home- 
stead and  a  tree  claim.  After  some  years  he  retired  from  farm 
life  and  moved  to  Renville  county,  making  his  home  at  Buffalo 
Lake.  Mr.  Burgstabler  is  a  member  of  the  Little  Poat,  No.  59,  Q. 
A.  R.,  of  Buffalo  Lake,  and  also  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
church  at  Buffalo  Lake,  which  he  helped  establish  and  of  which 
he  has  been  an  officer  for  many  years.  In  1854  Mr.  Burgstahler 
was  married  at  Chicago  to  Mary  Huser,  a  native  of  Alsace,  Ger- 
many. They  had  seven  children :  Mary,  John,  Philip,  Rosina, 
Catherine,  Augusta  and  EUen,  Mrs.  Mary  (Huser)  Burgstahler 
died  at  the  age  of  seventy-three  years.  Then  Mr.  Burgstahler 
In  1908  he  married  Loretta  Wyman,  bom  in  Athens  county,  Ohio, 
married  Mrs.  Bertha  Sulger,  of  Carver  comity,  now  deceased. 
May  2,  1836,  daughter  of  Arthur  and  Paulina  (Barnes)  Wyman, 
natives  of  Ohio.  Loretta  Wyman  lost  "her  mother  at  an  early 
age  and  was  reared  by  Mrs.  Hannah  Colvin.  As  a  young  woman 
she  married  Theodore  Dusenbery,  a  cabinet  maker,  who  died  at 
the  age  of  sixty  years,  leaving  four  children:  Frank,  Nettie, 
Hannah  and  Loretta.  The  son  Frank  was  killed  from  ambush 
by  the  Ute  Indians  in  Arizoria  when  he  was  nineteen  years  of 
age.  After  the  death  of  Theodore  Dusenbery  his  widow  married 
Frank  Martin,  of  Colorado,  who  died  at  the  age  of  forty-five 
years.  She  was  married  to  August  Burgstahler  at  Floyd, 
Iowa. 

Neil  J.  KcOall,  a  prosperous  farmer  of  this  county,  was  bom 
in  Cornwall,  Canada,  June  6,  1841,  son  of  John  and  Catherine 
(Campbell)  McCall,  and  grandson  of  Neil  McCall.  Neil  McCall 
brought  his  family  from  the  Isle  of  Man  to  Canada,  where  he 
died  of  old  age,  leaving  four  sons:  Donald,  Dougal,  Neil  and 
John.  John  married  Catherine  Campbell,  who  was  bom  in  Mont- 
real, daughter  of  Malcolm  and  Anna  (Anderson)  Campbell. 
John  MeCall  and  his  wife  came  to  St,  Paul  from  Cornwall,  Canada, 
in  1855.  He  located  100  acres  in  section  36,  Eagle  Creek,  Scott 
county,  where  he  built  a  log  house  16  by  24  feet  and  a  hay  roof 
ham.  He  had  brought  horses  with  him  from  Canada.  As  time 
passed  he  improved  his  farm,  adding  to  it  until  he  had  280  acres 
and  built  a  fine  home.  He  did  a  great  deal  of  freighting  in  the 
early  days,  as  he  had  for  a  long  time  the  only  team  in  this  section. 
He  died  in  June,  1891,  at  the  age  of  seventy-five  years  and  his 
wife  died  February  7, 1910,  at  the  age  of  eighty-nine  years.  John 
McCall  helped  establish  Glendale  and  Prior  Lake  churches.  He 
was  a  Presbyterian  and  was  an  elder  of  the  church.  He  also 
assisted  in  the  organization  of  his  school  district.  Neil  McCall 
went  to  school  in  Montreal  and  later  to  the  log  school  of  his 
home  township.  He,  with  four  other  boys  btiilt  this  log  school 
house  and  chinked  up  the  cracks.  These  boys  were:  Neil  and 
Malcolm  McCall;  Jeremiah,  Patrick  and  John  Lawler.    After  a 


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398  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

while  Neil  engaged  in  farming.  Then  he  and  his  two  brothers, 
John  and  Malcolm,  started  a  store  known  as  the  McCall  Brothers, 
this  being  the  first  store  of  the  place.  In  1878  Neil  moved  to 
Renville  county  and  located  a  homestead  of  80  acres  in  section  33, 
Brookfield  township.  He  drove  in  by  horse  team.  He  first  built 
a  house  12  by  16  and  the  next  year  he  erected  a  frame  home  16 
by  24  feet  in  which  he  lived  for  six  years.  He  broke  up  the  land 
from  a  wild  prairie,  put  it  under  cultivation  and  remodeled  the 
buildings.  Then  he  moved  to  Spokane,  but  returned  to  Renville 
county  after  a  short  time  and  rented  a  place.  Soon  he  moved 
back  to  the  old  homestead  and  lived  there  until  1900,  when  he 
moved  to  section  25  in  Brookfield  township,  where  he  obtained 
a  tract  of  160  acres  of  improved  land.  Here  he'  remained  about 
eleven  years,  when  he  moved  to  Aitkin  county,  where  he  bought 
40  acres  of  land  and  lived  there  until  1914,  when  he  moved  to  his 
present  place  in  section  34,  Brookfield  township,  securing  160 
acres.  Mr.  McCall  held  the  office  of  township  clerk  the  first  year 
he  was  in  the  county  of  Renville.  At  Red  Top,  Aitkin  county,  he 
was  a  member  of  the  American  Society  of  Equity.  He  helped 
build  the  creamery  at  Churchill  and  hauled  the  first  can  of  milk. 
He  was  also  a  member  of  the  board  of  directors  of  this  creamery. 
He  assisted  in  the  organization  of  the  Methodist  church  at 
Churchill.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order  of  Hector,  Min- 
nesota. February  8,  1876,  Mr,  McCall  was  married  to  Margaret 
Flavel,  bom  at  Wheatland,  Rice  county,  May  22,  1858,  daughter 
of  J.  "W.  and  Agnes  (Wilson)  Flavel.  Mr.  Flavel  was  a  native  of 
England  and  Mrs.  Flavel  of  Scotland.  They  were  married  in 
Rice  county,  where  he  had  settled  in  1855.  He  had  come  alone 
from  England  to  Indiana  when  he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age. 
She  had  come  with  her  mother  and  two  brothers  to  Canada  when 
she  was  twenty-six  years  old.  Her  family  had  located  in  Riee 
county,  where  they  had  secured  some  land.  Mr.  Flavel  sold  out 
his  property  in  1865  and  moved  to  Spring  Lake,  Scott  county, 
where  he  lived  for  some  time,  then  moving  to  Shakopee  in  1890. 
Here  he  lived  until  his  death  in  1894  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight 
years.  His  wife  is  still  living  at  the  age  of  eighty-seven  years. 
Mr.  Flavel  was  a  veteran  of  the  war,  having  been  a  member  of 
Company  H.,  Fourteenth  Minnesota  Volunteer  Infantry.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  McCall  have  the  following  children:  Agnes,  wife  of  Carl 
Swisher,  of  Hoyt,  Colorado:  John,  married  to  Fannie  Hodgson, 
and  conducts  the  home  farm;  Robert;  Sadie,  married  to  William 
Young,  of  Springfield,  Illinois;  Maggie  (deceased);  Ruth,  wife 
of  Arnt  Kolberg,  of  Red  Top,  Aitkin  county;  Roy,  Ritchie  and 
Max.    The  boys  are  all  at  home  on  the  farm. 

Herman  F,  Bmss,  hardware  dealer  and  a  leading  business  man 
of  Danube,  was  bom  December  10,  1868,  in  Manitowoc  county, 
Wisconsin,  son  of  John  and  Rosa  BrusB,  natives  of  Germany,  who 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  399 

came  to  America  in  their  earlier  years  and  were  married  in 
Wisconsin.  The  father,  a  substantial  citizen,  was  a  farmer  and 
storekeeper,  and  was  engaged  in  many  ventures  which  brought 
him  a  comfortable  income.  He  died  in  1872  and  the  mother  is 
now  bving  at  Good  Thunder,  Minnesota.  In  the  family  there 
were  eight  children:  Bertha,  now  Mrs.  John  Engelbreeht,  of 
Manitowoc  county,  Wisconsin;  Minnie,  now  Mrs.  Fred  Bruss,  of 
Mankato,  Minnesota;  Theresa,  now  Mrs.  Abe  Siervogel,  of  Ari- 
zona; John  and  "William,  living  at  Good  Thunder,  Minnesota; 
Herman,  of  Danube;  Henry,  of  Superior,  Wisconsin;  and  Mary, 
now  Mrs.  Prank  Zettler,  of  Mankato,  Minnesota.  Herman  F. 
Bruss  at  the  age  of  seven  went  to  live  with  his  sister  and  her 
husband,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  F,  W.  Bruss,  in  Milwaukee,  Wisconsin, 
where  most  of  his  education  was  received.  At  the  age  of  sixteen 
he  went  with  them  to  South  Dakota,  where  he  bought  160  acres 
of  land,  and  remained  several  years.  After  his  return  he  was 
married  and  bought  160  acres  near  Raymond,  in  this  state.  Later 
he  sold  this  farm  and  rented  a  place  in  Kandiyohi  county,  nine 
miles  north  of  Danube.  Id  1909  be  moved  to  Olivia.  In  1910  he 
came  to  Danube  and  bought  the  hardware  business  of  Schmidt  & 
Weiking,  of  which  he  was  sole  owner  for  two  years,  after  which 
he  took  Elmer  Fisher  and  Otto  Schroeder  as  partners,  and  added 
to  his  former  business  the  hardware  and  implement  trade  of 
P.  J.  Fitchen,  The  firm  is  still  in  operation,  has  made  good  prog- 
ress, has  won  commendation  by  its  business  methods,  and  well 
deserved  the  success  that  it  has  received.  In  addition  to  his 
holdings  in  this  concern,  Mr.  Bruss  owns  an  interest  in  the  H.  IT. 
Neuenberg  Lumber  Company,  of  Danube,  and  with  Nicholas  T. 
Knott  owns  a  half  section  of  land  in  Kandiyohi  county,  Minnesota. 
In  politics  Mr.  Bruss  is  a  Republican.  While  in  "Kandiyohi  county 
he  was  school  director  five  years  and  school  clerk  seven  years. 
Mr.  Bruss  was  married  March  16,  1894,  to  Bertha  Knott,  bom  in 
Holland  August  1, 1867,  daughter  of  George  and  Emma  (Posman) 
Knott,  and  died  in  Danube  May  24,  1914.  Mr,  and  Mrs.  Bruss 
have  had  four  children:  George  was  born  March  8,  1895,  and 
died  in  November,  1895.  Erwin  was  born  September  6, 1896,  grad- 
uated from  the  Mankato  Business  College  at  Mankato,  Minnesota, 
and  is  now  in  the  store  with  his  father.  Elmer  was  born  August 
6,  1898,  and  .was  a  student  at  the  National  Business  College 
at  Minneapolis.  The  family  faith  is  that  of  the  Reformed 
church. 

William  Finley,  capable  manager  of  the  Danube  Farmers' 
Elevator,  was  born  November  18,  1867,  in  Johnson  county,  Indi- 
ana, son  of  Morris  and  Bridget  (McVey)  Finiey,  natives  of  Ire- 
land, bom  in  1832  and  1833  respectively.  They  came  to  America 
at  an  early  age,  met  and  were  wed  in  Indianapolis,  Indiana,  and 
died  in  1896  and  1909  respectively,  in  Shelby  county,  Indiana. 


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400  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

In  the  family  there  were  six  children:  Thomas  (deecaaed); 
Ellen,  the  widow  of  Peter  Donley,  and  now  living  in  Chicago, 
Illinois;  Beatrice,  now  Mrs.  Edward  Fulford,  of  Chicago,  Illinois; 
William,  the  subject  of  this  sketch ;  Margaret,  teacher  and  writer, 
living  in  Shelby  county,  Indiana;  and  Nora,  now  Mrs.  Peter  Ear- 
ley,  also  of  that  county.  William  Finley  was  reared  in  Indiana, 
attended  the  public  schools,  and  took  courses  for  two  terms  in 
the  Northern  Indiana  Normal  School  at  Valparaiso,  Indiana.  At 
the  age  of  twenty-two,  in  1889,  he  came  to  St.  Paul,  where  he  spent 
some  two  years,  part  of  the  time  in  the  grain  and  elevator  busi- 
ness. In  the  fall  of  1891  he  went  to  Nobles  county,  this  state, 
where  he  spent  several  years  in  Ellsworth,  Lismore  and  Wilmont, 
engaged  for  the  most  part  in  the  elevator  business.  He  was  an 
active  and  aggreasive  worker  in  politics,  especially  in  Ellsworth, 
where  he  served  as  village  trustee  and  recorder.  At  Lismore  he 
was  likewise  village  recorder.  He  is  a  stockholder  in  the  State 
Bank  of  Lismore.  In  the  meantime  he  spent  the  years  1892-93 
at  Brookinga,  South  Dakota,  attending  a  summer  term  at  the 
agricultural  school  there,  and  also  teaching.  In  1894  be  attended 
the  teachers'  school  at  Willmar,  in  this  state.  In  1904  be  came  to 
Renville  county  in  his  present  capacity.  He  has  taken  an  active 
part  in  the  affairs  of  the  community,  and  has  been  justice  of  the 
peace  since  1911.  In  1912  he  was  a  candidate  for  the  position  of 
village  recorder.  He  is  a  popular  member  of  the  Catholic  Order 
of  Foresters.  Mr.  Pinley  was  married  November  26,  1895,  to 
Anna  Fiscbnick,  who  was  bom  in  Wisconsin  in  August,  1873, 
daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bernard  Fischnick,  natives  of  Germany. 
The  father  was  married  in  the  old  country  and  had  three  children. 
After  the  death  of  his  first  wife  he  came  to  Wisconsin,  and  was 
again  married.  By  this  union  there  are  nine  children :  Gertrude, 
now  Mrs.  Edward  Fogerty,  of  Ellsworth,  Minnesota;  Henry,  living 
in  Adrian,  Minnesota ;  Dena,  who  is  a  sister  at  Benedict  College, 
Chicago;  Bernard,  living  at  Ellsworth,  Minnesota;  Anna,  wife  of 
Willianj  Finley ;  Wamerdy,  living  at  Ellsworth,  Minnesota ; 
Louisa,  widow  of  L,  Esson  Lawrence,  and  living  in  Ellsworth; 
Dena,  now  Mrs.  Michael  Pall,  living  at  Sioux  Falls,  South  Dakota; 
Elizabeth,  now  Mrs.  Joseph  Witt,  living  in  New  Ulm,  Minnesota. 
The  mother  is  now  living  in  Ellsworth,  The  father  is  dead.  Mr. 
and  Mrs,  Finley  have  five  children:  Zenobia,  born-September  19, 
1896;  Lucille,  bom  April  11,  1898;  tSertrude  and  Leo,  twins,  bom 
November  22,  1900 ;  and  Eaymond,  bom  February  26,  1904.  The 
family  faith  is  that  of  the  Catholic  church. 

William  Haedt,  a  successful  farmer  of  this  county,  was  bom 
in  Prussia,  Germany,  February  8,  1872,  son  of  Andrew  and  Wil- 
helmina  (Dusterhoeft)  Haedt.  The  parents  were  farmers  in  Ger- 
many and  the  father  died  there  at  the  age  of  seventy-five,  and 
the  mother  died  at  the  age  of  fifty.    They  had  seven  children : 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  401 

Amelia,  Angusta,  Bertha,  William,  Robert,  Julius  and  Otto. 
William,  Robert,  who  is  now  in  Blue  Earth  eount;,  and  Augusta, 
now  Mrs:  Adolph  Pommirke,  of  Big  Stone  cotisty,  were  the  only 
ones  of  the  family  to  come  to  the  United  States.  William  came 
to  the  United  States  in  1886  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years,  coming 
alone  to  Mankato,  in  Blue  Earth  county,  whitre  he  stayed  with  his 
maternal  grandparents  for  four  years.  They  had  come  over  to 
America  in  1873  shortly  after  the  French  war,  and  had  engaged 
in  farming.  William  had  received  a  common  school  education  in 
Germany.  For  a  while  he  worked  for  his  grandfather,  then  he 
worked  out  on  various  farms,  saving  his  money  and  intending  to 
start  for  himself.  In  1898  he  came  to  Renville  county  and  located 
on  section  35  in  Troy  township  on  a  tract  of  120  acres.  He  put 
up  80me  buildings  and  began  to  improve  the  land.  He  now  has 
400  acres  and  has  erected  good  substantial  bui'dings.  He  has  a 
good  equipment  of  machinery  and  tools,  has  made  many  improve- 
ments on  the  place,  and  carries  on  successful  general  farming, 
making  a  specialty  of  stock  raising.  Mr.  Haedt  is  a  stockholder 
in  the  Farmers'  Elevator  at  Olivia,  and  a  member  of  the  Swine 
Breeders'  Association.  He  has  served  on  the  school  board  of 
District  No  137  and  helped  to  establish  the  handsome  brick  school 
bouse  of  that  district.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Evangelical  ehnreh 
of  Olivia.  Mr,  Haedt  was  married  November  4,  1891,  at  Le  Seuer, 
Minnesota,  to  Margaret  Melhausen.  They  have  six  children: 
Esther,  Sarah,  Erwin,  William,  John  and  Lawrence.  Mrs.  Mar- 
garet (Melhausen)  Haedt  was  bom  in  Sibley  county,  this  state, 
November  12,  1874,  daughter  of  August  and  Augusta  (Kuska) 
Melhausen,  who  now  reside  at  Olivia. 

Nicholas  T.  Knott,  a  well  known  business  man  of  Danube, 
manager  and  part  owner  in  the  H.  H.  Heuemburg  &  Co.  Lumber 
yard,  and  extensive  landholder,  was  bom  in  Holland,  April  1, 
1869,  son  of  George  and  Emma  (Posman)  Knott.  The  father 
was  bom  in  Holland,  married  there,  brought  his  family  to  Amer- 
ica in  1873,  rented  a  small  farm  in  Cook  county,  Illinois,  lived 
there  about  seven  years,  came  to  Kandiyohi  county,  in  this  state, 
bought  100  acres  of  land,  improved  and  developed  this  place, 
in  partnership  with  the  son,  Nicholas  T.,  increased  this  farm  to 
280  acres,  which  the  son  still  owns,  and  died  in  1897.  The  mother 
lives  in  Danube.  The  farm  is  so  beautiful  to  the  eye  and  rest- 
ful to  the  spirit  that  people  who  visit  it  have  christened  it  "Par- 
adise." In  the  Knott  family  there  were  nine  children:  Henry 
(deceased) ;  Grace,  now  Mrs.  Herman  Kortling,  living  in  Chi- 
cago ;  Jennie,  now  Mrs.  Albert  Huisinga,  living  in  Danube ;  Wil- 
liam, of  Raymond,  Minnesota;  Amy  (deceased) ;  Bertha,  wife  of 
Herman  Bruss;  Nicholas  T.,  of  Danube;  Johannah  (deceased); 
John  (deceased).  Nicholas  T.  Knott  passed  through  the  public 
schools  and  remained  with  his  mother  on  the  farm  until  1907, 


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402  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

when  he  went  to  RoaelaDd,  Minn.,  and  engaged  in  the  real  es- 
tate buaineBs  for  a  year.  In  1908  he  came  to  Danube,  and  be- 
came interested  in  his  present  business.  He  has  been  very 
successful  and  has  built  up  a  large  trade,  winning  the  confi- 
dence and  esteem  of  all  those  with  whom  he  has  business  deal- 
ings. Aside  from  his  interest  in  the  home  place  of  280  acres  in 
Kandiyohi  county,  he  owns  640  acres  in  the  same  county.  He 
also  owns  a  section  of  land  in  Alberta,  Canada ;  and  with  Edward 
Heins  he  o-n-ns  a  cattle  ranch  in  Alberta,  Canada.  He  is  a  Demo- 
crat in  politics  and  has  served  as  a  member  of  the  village  coun- 
cil of  Danube  since  1909, 

Fred  W.  Satisde,  one  of  the  successful  fanners  of  Troy  town- 
ship, was  born  in  Maple  Grove,  Hennepin  connty,  April  9,  1860, 
son  of  Carl  and  Elizabeth  (Schmidt)  Sausele,  both  from  Wurt- 
temberg,  Germany.  They  came  to  New  York  where  they  were 
married  and  then  came  to  Hennepin  county,  Minnesota,  in  1855. 
The  family  remained  in  Minneapolis  for  a  short  time  while  the 
father  and  one  boy,  Carl,  settled  on  a  farm  in  Maple  Grove. 
This  was  a  tract  of  160  acres  of  timber  land,  which  he  and  his 
son  cleared  and  improved,  building  a  log  house  and  making 
other  needed  improvements,  St.  Paul  was  the  nearest  market 
and  the  trip  was  made  by  ox  team  or  often  by  foot.  Oftentimea 
the  Indians  stopped  at  the  farm  to  have  a  friendly  chat  and  to 
get  their  knives  sharpened,  as  Mr.  Sausele  was  very  skillful 
in  this,  having  been  in  the  meat  business  for  many  years.  Dur- 
ing the  Civil  War  he  served  ninety  days  in  Company  E,  Eleventh 
Minnesota  Volunteer  Infantry.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Evangel- 
ical church.  He  died  April  23,  1915.  He  had  ten  children:  Carl 
(deceased),  Alice,  Sophia  (deceased),  Fred,  David,  Rachel,  Chris- 
tian,'Anna,  Lena  and  Gotlieb  (deceased).  Fred  Sausele  grew 
up  in  Hennepin  county  and  about  twenty-eight  years  ago  en- 
gaged in  farming  in  Troy  township,  in  Renville  county,  where  he 
erected  suitable  buildings.  He  located  in  section  17,  now  owns 
200  acres,  and  keeps  a  good  grade  of  stock.  Mr.  Sausele  was 
one  of  the  incorporators  of  the  village  of  Danube  and  was  town- 
ship clerk  of  Troy  eleven  years.  He  is  a  stockholder  in  the 
Peoples  First  National  Bank,  of  Olivia,  and  in  the  Farmers'  Ele- 
vator, of  Danube,  being  its  first  treasurer.  He  has  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  school  board  for  twelve  years.  He  was  one  of  the 
trustees  of  the  Evangelical  church  and  was  on  the  building  com- 
mittee of  the  new  church.  He  has  served  as  Sunday  school  su- 
perintendent and  has  taught  a  class  for  many  years.  April  5, 
1888,  Mr.  Sausele  was  married  to  Tillie  Stelter,  who  was  bom 
in  Prussia,  Germany,  June  9,  1862,  daughter  of  Gotlieb  and 
Frederica  (Hoensee)  Stelter,  who  settled  with  their  family 
in  Maple  Grove,  in  1867,  Robert,  a  son,  now  deceased,  having 
come  the  year  before  to  Minneapolis,  where  the  family  joined 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  403 

him.  They  cleared  up  some  land,  put  up  a  log  house  and  en- 
gaged in  general  farming.  The  father  died  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
one  years  and  the  mother  at  the  age  of  eighty-four  years.  There 
were  eight  children;  Robert,  Gotlieb,  Amelia  (deceased),  Hul- 
da,  Paulina,  Bertha,  Tillie  and  Emma.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sausele 
have  five  children:  Emma,  wife  of  A.  S,  Black,  a  jeweler,  of 
Fairfax;  George,  of  Buffalo  Lake;  Lilah,  a  graduate  of  tho 
Olivia  Normal  aehool ;  William,  at  home,  and  Alice,  now  attend- 
ing high  school.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Black  have  one  child,  Dorothy 
Helen. 

Looifl  H.  FolUngstad,  a  rising  young  farmer  of  Camp  town- 
ship, was  bom  in  Goodhue  county,  Minnesota,  near  Zumbrota, 
September  12,  1884,  son  of  Ole  0.  Pollingatad.  Louis  remained 
at  home  until  1908,  when  he  homesteaded  in  Bowman  county. 
North  Dakota,  remaining  until  1910.  Then  he  went  home  and 
remained  until  the  fall  of  1912,  when  he  purchased  160  acres 
in  the  northeast  quarter  of  sectiun  17,  Camp  township,  the  old  H. 
Sander  farm,  where  he  is  still  living.  He  has  built  a  fine  ten- 
room  house  and  large  barn  and  has  planted  a  very  fine  grove  on 
the  northwest  corner  of  his  farm.  He  raises  Shorthorn  cattle 
of  which  eight  are  registered,  Poland  China  hogs,  and  Belgian 
horses.  Mr.  Pollingstad  is  a  stockholder  in  the  elevator,  creain- 
ery  and  mill  at  Franklin  and  is  a  member  of  the  Hauge's  Nor- 
wegian Lutheran  church.  Mr.  Pollingstad  was  married  to  Jose- 
phine Olson,  June  2,  1915. 

Ole  Pollingstad,  president  of  the  Pirst  State  Bank  of  Wana- 
mingo,  Goodhue  county,  this  state,  was  born  in  Norway,  August 
15,  1834,  son  of  Ole  and  Mary  (Kolberg)  Pollingstad,  natives 
of  Norway,  who  came  to  America  in  1861  and  lived  with  their 
son,  Martin  Pollingstad,  until  the  time  of  their  death,  both  pass- 
ing away  in  1882  or  1883.  Ole  Pollingstad  received  his  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools  of  Norway  and  came  to  this  country 
in  1861,  locating  in  Wanamingo  township.  In  1868  he  pur- 
chased eighty  acres  of  land,  which  he  has  since  increased  until 
he  now  owns  380  acres  of  highly  improved  land.  His  home  is 
a  pleasant  one  and  well  furnished,  the  large  amount  of  books 
in  the  house  testifying  to  his  literary  tastes.  He  still  carries 
on  general  farming.  In  politics  an  independent  voter,  he  has 
been  elected  assessor  of  the  township  seven  different  years,  and 
has  served  on  the  school  board  many  terms.  Aside  from  his 
farming  interests  he  owns  stock  in  the  elevator  and  lurabr  com- 
panies as  well  as  in  the  financial  institution  of  which  he  is 
president.  lie  was  married  October  30,  1868,  to  Emma  Bakkc- 
tun,  born  Septpiviber  10,  1843,  daughter  of  Sivert  and  Gure 
(Onstad)  Bakketun,  natives  of  Norway,  who  settled  in  Rock 
county,  "Wisconsin,  in  1858,  and  in  Leon  township,  Goodhue 
county,  in  1861,  engaging  in  farming  operations  for  the  i 


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404  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

der  of  their  days,  the  father  dying  in  1866  and  the  mother  in 
1894.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Follingstad  have  been  born  eight  chil- 
dren :  Olaf  is  dead,  passing  away  in  1897,  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
six  years ;  Mary,  bom  in  1872,  is  the  wife  of  Deafin  A.  Goplin, 
of  North  Dakota ;  Julia  is  the  wife  of  the  Rev.  Thomas  Han- 
son, of  Renville  county;  Oscar  is  a  farmer  of  Goodhue  county; 
Ida  is  at  home ;  Matilda  is  the  wife  of  Philip  Johnson,  a  farmer 
in  Goodhue  county;  Louis  lives  in  Renville  county,  and  Henry, 
the  youngest,  is  a  graduate  of  the  agricultural  department  of 
the  State  university,  and  is  now  at  home.  The  faith  of 
the  Follingstad  family  is  that  of  the  Norwegian  Lutheran  church. 
Mr.  Follingstad  is  one  of  the  substantial  men  of  his  township 
and  his  influence  ia  strongly  felt  in  the  village  where  he  has 
contributed  both  his  efforts  and  his  money  to  assist  in  the  up- 
building of  the  business  interests. 

Henry  W.  Shoemaker,  proprietor  of  the  Old  Reliable  Store, 
at  Danube,  first  merchant  in  that  village,  the  first  white  child 
bom  in  Flora  township,  after  the  Indian  massacre,  and  the  son 
of  the  first  white  man  who  settled  in  that  town  after  the  massa- 
cre, was  born  April  26,  1867.  Francis  Shoemaker,  his  father, 
was  a  very  prominent  man  in  the  early  days.  He  was  bom  in 
Holland,  Germany,  in  1827,  and  while  still  in  his  early  teens  be- 
came a  sailor.  In  1848-49  he  was  in  California,  during  the  gold 
discovery  excitement,  and  succeeded  in  gathering  a  considerable 
amount  of  money.  In  1856,  with  the  money  he  made  in  California, 
he  returned  to  Germany,  where  he  remained  until  May  1,  1857, 
when  he  again  started  for  America  with  seventeen  friends.  Among 
them  was  Rebecca  (Fitz)  Schlueter,  with  whom  he  fell  in  love 
on  shipboard  and  to  whom  he  was  married  in  Buffalo,  New 
York,  at  once  upon  their  landing.  The  colony  settled  in  he 
Sueur  county,  Minn.  Mr.  Shoemaker's  name  was  originally 
spelled  Schumacher,  but  while  in  California  he  changed  the 
spelling  to  Shoemaker  on  account  of  having  trouble  in  getting 
his  mail.  In  1866,  Francis  Shoemaker  came  to  Flora  town- 
ship, which  the  Indian  massacre  had  left  deserted,  and  secured 
160  acres  of  land.  As  time  passed  he  added  to  this  tract 
until  he  owned  400  acres  of  good  land.  In  1903  Mrs,  Shoemaker 
sold  the  farm  to  her  son,  John  Schlueter,  of  a  former  mar- 
riage, who  is  the  present  owner.  Francis  Shoemaker  died  at 
North  Redwood,  Minn.,  December  26,  1901.  His  wife,  who  was 
bom  in  1833,  is  still  living  at  North  Redwood.  The  children 
in  the  family  were:  Frank,  a  farmer  of  Flora  township;  Her- 
man W.,  of  North  Redwood;  Celia,  widow  of  Herman  Page  and 
Anton  Page,  now  living  at  North  Redwood;  Martha,  now  Mrs. 
Herman  Liudeman,  of  North  Redwood;  Elsby,  now  Mrs.  Jacob 
Newenburg,  of  Wabasso,  Minn. ;  and  Minnie,  who  died  November 
28,  1900.     She  was  the  wife  of  Anton  Page,  whom  Celia  mar- 


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MR.  AND  MRS.  FRANCIS  SHOEMAKER 
H.  W.  SHOEMAKER  AND  FAMILY 


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PUSLlC  ll^i  K? 


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HISTORY  OP  EENVILLK  COUNTY  405 

ried  for  her  second  husband.  Anton  Page  was  a  brother  of 
Celia'3  first  husband,  Herman  Page.  Henry  W.  Shoemaker,  as 
already  noted,  was  the  first  white  child  bom  in  Flora  township 
after  the  Indian  massacre.  Before  the  massacre  the  town  had 
been  settled,  but  the  names  of  the  babies  born  have  not  been  pre- 
served. Henry  W.  Shoemaker  remained  with  his  parents  until 
1889  and  then  went  to  North  Redwood  and  bought  a  half  inter- 
est with  his  brother  Herman  W.,  in  a  general  store.  In  1899 
he  sold  this  and  came  to  the  present  site  of  Danube,  where  he 
was  the  first  settler,  broke  the  first  ground,  erected  the  first 
building  and  opened  the  first  store.  This  store,  known  as  the 
"Old  Reliable,"  is  still  in  operation,  and  is  winning  the  steady 
trade  which  it  so  richly  deserved.  In  March,  1901,  Mr.  Shoe- 
maker was  appointed  postmaster,  a  position  he  retained  until 
March  1,  1915.  He  has  served  on  the  village  board  as  trustee 
and  recorder.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican.  Fraternally  he 
is  a  member  of  Miles  Gamp,  No,  8242,  M.  W.  A.,  at  Danube, 
Minn.  Mr.  Shoemaker  was  married  November  23,  1899,  to 
Christina  Boehm,  who  was  bom  in  Missouri,  March  16,  1877, 
daughter  of  Edward  and  Christina  (Hoffman)  Boehm.  The 
father  was  bom  in  Germany,  in  1848,  came  to  America  in  1869, 
met  and  married  Christina  Hoffman  in  Missouri,  and  they  both 
now  live  in  Delhi,  Minn.  In  the  family  there  were  eight  chil- 
dren :  Dora,  now  Mrs.  Joseph  Eugerman,  of  Silverton,  Oregon ; 
Christina,  now  Mrs,  Henry  W,  Shoemaker;  Minnie,  now  Mrs, 
Charles  Retch,  of  Good  Thunder,  Minn. ;  Mable,  now  Mrs.  George 
Garrison,  of  Idaho ;  Caroline,  now  Mrs.  William  Brandt,  of  Dan- 
ube ;  Sibelia,  now  Mrs.  Ole  Ellingson,  of  Silberton,  Oregon ;  and 
Edward  and  Ruby,  who  are  with  their  parents.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Shoemaker  are  the  parents  of  five  children:  Edward,  bom 
December  28,  1900 ;  Caroline,  born  October  8,  1902 ;  Allen,  born 
December  12,  1906;  Otto,  bora  March  11,  1909,  and  Florence, 
bora  April  14,  1911. 

Zmil  A.  Voels,  postmaster  of  Danube,  was  born  in  Winfield 
township,  this  county,  September  28,  1890,  son  of  Fred  and 
Emilie  (Brown)  Voelz,  who  were  both  bom  in  Germany  in  1860, 
were  there  married,  came  to  America  in  June,  1882,  lived  for  & 
short  time  in  New  York  state,  then  stayed  for  a  time  in  Chi- 
cago, and  later  moved  to  Wisconsin,  from  which  state  they  came 
to  Olivia,  this  county,  in  October,  1882.  Six  years  later  they 
bought  160  acres  in  Winfield  township,  and  added  tracts  at 
various  times  until  they  owned  400  acres  on  which  they  still 
reside.  They  are  regarded  as  leading  people  in  their  neighbor- 
hood. In  the  family  there  are  eleven  children :  Anna,  now  Mrs. 
Gustave  Peterson,  living  at  Bowman,  N,  D.;  Frank  and  Fred, 
of  Minneapolis;  William,  of  Danube;  George,  on  the  farm  with 
bis  father;  Emil  A.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch;  Elsie,  now  Mrs. 


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406  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

A.  Tepfer,  of  Winfield  township;  Albert,  of  Danube;  Paul,  who 
is  living  on  the  farm  with  his  father ;  August,  who  is  dead ;  and 
Helen,  who  is  at  home,  Emii  A,  Voelz  completed  his  schooling 
in  Danube.  For  a  time  he  was  eniplojed  at  Minneapolis  and 
elsewhere.  In  1911  he  came  back  to  Danube,  and  was  employed 
by  H,  W.  Shoumaker,  general  merchant  and  postmaster.  Later 
he  worked  for  the  Danube  Mercantile  Co.  In  1913  he  bought 
a  stock  of  general  merchandise  and  opened  a  store.  In  Decem- 
ber, 1914,  he  was  appointed  to  bis  present  position  as  postmaster, 
and  he  operates  the  office  in  connection  with  his  store.  Mr.  Voelz 
was  married  October  8,  1912,  to  Lydia  Tepfer,  born  September 
18,  1897,  in  Renville,  this  county,  daughter  of  Gothlip  and  Otilda 
(Kemmitz)  Voelz,  who  were  bom  in  Germany,  came  to  Ren- 
ville county  in  1893,  and  located  on  a  farm  where  the  father 
died  in  1907,  and  which  the  mother  is  still  operating.  In  the 
Tepfer  family  there  are  ten  children:  Emilie,  now  Mrs.  Gust 
R.  Tistow,  of  Barrow,  Wis. ;  Adolph,  of  Winfield,  Minn. ;  Gust, 
who  lives  on  the  farm  with  his  mother;  Lydia,  wife  of  Emil  A. 
Voelz;  and  Beitha,  Albert,  Elsie,  Martin  and  Herbert,  all  of 
whom  are  at  home  with  their  mother.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Voelz  have 
one  child,  Lyle  Howard,  bom  October  5,  1914. 

Gnst  Nenow,  a  well  known  farmer  of  Osceola  township,  was 
born  August  22,  1882,  in  Germany,  his  parents  being  Herman 

B.  and  Augusta  (Krneger)  Nenow,  with  whom  he  came  to  Amer- 
ica in  1885.  He  was  raised  in  McPherson  township.  Blue  Earth 
county,  Minn.,  and  remained  at  home  until  he  was  twenty-two 
years  old,  when  he  rented  a  farm  in  Osceola  township,  where 
he  remained  nine  years.  In  1913  he  bought  the  southwest  quar- 
ter of  section  19.  During  that  year  he  erected  a  house  24  by 
26,  and  a  barn  44  by  42  feet.  The  wedding  of  Mr.  Nenow  to  Wil- 
helmina  Sing  occurred  January  18,  1905.  She  was  born  Febru- 
ary 16,  1888,  the  daughter  of  Henry  B.  and  Katrina  (Surges) 
Sing.  They  have  two  children:  Hazel  B.,  born  October  28, 
1906;  Howard  B.,  born  June  1,  1911.  The  family  attend  the 
German  Lutheran  church. 

Herman  B.  Nenow  was  born  in  Germany,  married  Augusta 
Krueger  in  the  fatherland,  and  came  to  America  in  1885.  locat- 
ing in  McPherson  township.  Blue  Earth  county,  on  a  rented 
farm,  remaining  there  until  1889,  when  he  came  to  Osceola 
township,  Renville  county,  where  he  bought  240  acres,  the  south- 
west quarter  and  the  south  half  of  the  southeast  quarter  of  sec- 
tion 16,  where  he  and  his  wife  now  live. 

Henry  B.  Sing  was  born  in  1865,  in  Joliet,  Illinois.  He  mar- 
ried Katrina  Surges,  also  a  native  of  Joliet,  in  1887.  Mr.  Sing 
is  a  farmer  and  came  to  Oseeola  in  1894,  where  he  bought  eighty 
acres,  the  east  half  of  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  30.  In 
1903  he  purchased  160  acres,  this  being  the  southwest  quarter 


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■  HISTORY  OF  HENVILLE  COUNTY  407 

of  section  29.  He  retired  in  1914,  locating  in  Bird  Island 
village, 

Beinhard  E.  Bell,  wholesale  and  retail  dealer  in  meats,  waa 
bom  in  Germany,  May  14,  1865,  son  of  August  and  Wilhelnuna 
(Hartfield)  Sell.  The  father,  who  was  a  German  stock  and  grain 
raiser,  owned  a  farm  of  167  acres  in  Germany.  He  was  born 
February  4,  1840,  and  died  December  1,  1886.  The  mother  was 
born  April  29,  1828,  and  died  October  1,  1913.  In  the  family 
there  were  three  children,  Reinhard  E.;  Augusta,  the  widow  of 
R.  E.  Zabel;  and  Otto,  who  died  in  1910,  Reinhard  E.  Sell  came 
to  America  in  1889,  after  having  worked  ten  years  at  the  meat 
business  and  served  two  years  in  the  Germany  army.  He  worked 
a  few  months  in  Harrisburg,  Pennsylvania,  and  then  came  west 
and  spent  the  winter  at  Fairfax,  in  this  county.  Then  he  went 
to  Gibbon,  in  Sibley  county,  and  worked  at  the  meat  business. 
April  13,  1891,  he  came  to  Buffalo  Lake,  and  started  in  for  him- 
self, occupying  the  location  next  south  for  some  six  weeks  while 
his  present  building  was  being  erected.  The  establishment  is 
modern  in  every  respect,  and  well  deserves  the  excellent  patron- 
age that  it  receives.  Mr.  Sell  received  his  first  papers  at  Gib- 
bon, Minn.,  and  his  full  citizenship  at  Olivia,  in  1897.  He  is  a 
Republican,  and  has  served  five  years  on  the  village  council, 
being  president  three  of  those  years.  He  has  been  clerk  of  the 
German  Lutheran  church  some  ten  years.  Mr.  Sell  was  married 
in  Germany,  February  11,  1889,  to  Emma  Schnick,  born  October 
2,  1868,  daughter  of  Julius  and  Matilda  (Knetter)  Schnick,  and 
this  union  has  been  blessed  with  five  children :  Lydia,  born 
January  9,  1890,  now  Mrs.  S.  0.  Johnson,  of  Minneapolis;  Alfred, 
born  August  29, 1892,  now  in  business  with  his  father ;  Elsie,  who 
was  bom  January  11,  1893,  and  died  September  1,  1897 ;  Rein- 
hold,  who  was  born  August  16,  1897,  and  Elsie,  who  was  bom 
September  8,  1902.  The  children  of  Julius  Schnick  and  hia  wife 
were  Amelia,  now  Mrs.  Robert  Steincke,  of  Germany;  Albert, 
of  New  York  City;  Oscar,  deceased;  Emma,  wife  of  Reinhard 
E.  Sell ;  and  Paul,  now  serving  in  the  German  army. 

Samnd  H.  Fnnk,  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  War,  was  born  in 
Pennsylvania,  June  3,  1840,  of  German  parentage,  and  came  to 
Fort  Wayne,  Indiana,  where  he  grew  to  manhood  and  engaged 
in  farming.  He  later  came  to  Waukesha  county,  Wisconsin,  and 
settled  on  a  farm,  where  he  remained  for  fifteen  years,  coming 
to  Minnesota,  in  1880.  He  came  to  Renville  county  and  rented 
a  farm  in  section  30,  Boon  Lake  township.  Later  he  homesteaded 
in  section  16  and  built  frame  buildings.  He  had  used  oxen 
when  farming  on  the  rented  place,  but  secured  a  team  of  horses 
when  he  homesteaded.  He  had  driven  into  the  county  from 
Wisconsin  with  horses,  the  trip  taking  eighteen  days.  He  lived 
there  until  1901,  improving  the  place,  and  then  sold  the  farm 


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408  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

and  retired  to  Weyerhauser,  WiscoQain.  Mr.  Fuuk  served  on  the 
board  of  supervisors  in  Ma  township.  He  was  married  in  Wis- 
consin to  Jane  Niver,  a  native  of  that  state,  and  of  Dutch  de- 
scent. They  had  the  following  children:  Etta,  Sarah,  Kate, 
■William,  Robert,  Charles,  Edith,  Emery  and  Emma,  twine,  and 
Samnel. 

Bobert  H.  Funk,  manager  of  the  Shippers'  Association,  of 
Buffalo  Lake,  was  bom  February  8,  1875,  in  Waukesha  county, 
Wisconsin,  son  of  Samuel  H.  Funk.  He  grew  to  manhood,  at- 
tended the  Church  Hill  school  of  Brook£eld  township  and  be- 
gan as  a  farmer  on  his  father's  place  in  Boon  Lake  township. 
He  soon  purchased  eighty  acres  in  section  30  and  carried  on 
general  farming.  In  1907  he  began  an  extensive  buying  and 
selling  of  stock.  He  took  prominent  part  in  the  organizing  of 
the  Lake  Side  Creamery,  of  Boon  Lake  township,  and  served 
on  its  board  ten  or  twelve  years.  In  1912  he  organized  the 
Shippers'  Association  of  Buffalo  Lake  and  has  held  the  position 
of  manager  ever  since.  He  has  also  served  on  the  council  of 
Buffalo  Lake.  February  7,  1900,  Mr.  Funk  was  married  to 
Nanna  Anderson,  bom  in  Boon  Lake  township,  daughter  of 
John  and  Mary  Anderson.    They  have  one  child,  Leroy. 

JllliUB  Manthei  was  bom  July  17, 1859,  in  Pomerania,  Germany, 
son  of  Carl  and  Wilhelmina  (Wilke)  Manthei.  The  family  came 
to  the  United  States  in  1875  with  their  five  children :  Carl,  Ame- 
lia, Augusta,  Julius  and  Herman,  and  located  at  St,  Peter,  in 
NicoUet  county,  where  they  remained  for  five  years.  In  1880  they 
came  to  Renville  county,  locating  at  Middle  Creek,  where  the 
father  died  in  1881  at  the  age  of  fifty-five  and  the  mother  in  1903 
at  the  age  of  seventy  years.  Julius  Manthei  first  settled  on  a 
tract  of  80  acres  of  prairie  land  on  Middle  Creek  in  Flora  town- 
ship, where  he  built  a  small  frame  house  and  a  bam.  In  1897 
he  sold  this  farm,  to  which  he  had  added  40  acres  more,  and 
moved  to  Troy  township,  section  19,  where  he  secured  200  acres 
of  land,  where  he  still  lives.  He  has  now  increased  the  farm  to 
480  acres  and  improved  it  greatly,  and  raises  a  good  grade  of 
stock.  He  also  owns  240  acres  in  Kittson  county,  Minnesota, 
which  he  has  improved  and  rents,  Mr.  Manthei  has  been  greatly 
interested  in  public  affairs,  has  held  several  township  offices  in 
Troy  township  and  has  been  on  the  school  board  of  Flora  town- 
ship. He  is  also  a  stockholder  in  the  Farmers'  Elevator  at  Dan- 
ube His  faith  is  that  of  the  Evangelical  church.  December  13, 
1883,  Mr,  Manthei  was  united  in  marriage  to  Mary  Evert,  born 
in  Northfield,  Minnesota,  March  26,  1867,  daughter  of  Joseph  and 
Lizetta  (Sehnltz)  Evert.  Her  father  is  now  living  at  Morton, 
Minnesota.  Her  mother  died  in  February,  1908,  The  Evert  chil- 
dren are  Charles,  George,  August,  William,  Mary,  Louise,  Lizetta 
and  Anna.    Matilda,  Edward  and  one  unnamed  child  are  deceased. 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  409 

Thirteen  children  were  bom  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Manthei:  George, 
bom  October  27,  1884,  is  a  farmer  of  Troy  township ;  Benjamin, 
bom  Jaly  3,  1887,  is  a  farmer  of  Troy  township,  married  Ella 
Roper  and  has  two  children,  Alice  and  Clarence;  Sarah,  bom 
July  7,  1889,  married  Elmer  Reek,  of  Troy  township ;  Julius,  born 
May  16,  1891;  Marie,  bom  April  19,  1893;  Otto,  bom  May  12, 
1895 ;  Anna,  bora  May  13, 1897 ;  Lydia,  born  April  1,  1899 ;  Hattie, 
born  April  17,  1901 ;  Ervin,  bom  May  21,  1903 ;  Harry,  bom  Sep- 
tember 21,  1905  i  Wesley,  bom  February  5,  1908,  and  Alvin,  bom 
January  10,  "1911. 

Charles  0.  Abrahamson,  a  progressive  farmer  of  Preston  Lake 
township,  was  born  in  Sweden  June  27,  1855,  son  of  Nels  and 
Mary  (Larson)  Abrahamson,  farmers  of  Sweden  who  started  for 
the  United  States  in  1864  with  their  three  children,  Josephine 
Augusta  and  Charles  Oscar,  and  after  a  nine  weeks '  voyage  aboard 
a  sailing  vessel  and  a  long  overland  trip  reached  Paxton,  Illinois, 
where  they  remained  two  years.  Here  they  met  Christina  Jaeob- 
son,  a  daughter  of  Mrs.  Abrahamson  by  a  former  marriage.  In 
1866  the  family  came  to  Minnesota,  settling  near  St.  Peter,  The 
first  year  the  father  worked  out  on  the  farms  and  the  next  year 
secured  a  homestead  of  160  acres  of  wild  land  in  New  Sweden 
township.  He  built  a  dugout  cellar  in  the  fall  and  in  the  spring 
the  family  moved  into  their  new  home.  During  the  first  year  the 
neighbors  helped  him  break  the  land,  as  he  had  no  tools  nor 
oxen.  The  next  year  he  obtained  a  pair  of  steers.  He  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Swedish  Lutheran  church  and  died  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
three  years  in  1886.  His  wife  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-five  in 
1896.  Charles  0.  Abrahamson  attended  the  public  schools  of 
Paxton  and  St,  Peter  and  grew  to  manhood  on  his  father's  home- 
stead. At  the  age  of  twenty-three  he  started  farming  for  himself 
on  a  tract  of  80  acres  in  New  Sweden  township,  Nicollet  county. 
A  few  improvements  had  been  made  on  this  place  and  a  log  house 
built.  Here  he  lived  five  years.  In  1886  he  came  to  Renville 
county  and  on  the  shore  of  Preston  lake  and  Lake  Allie  in  Preston 
Lake  township,  obtained  150  acres  on  which  some  improvements 
had  been  made  and  a  house  built.  He  built  a  new  house  and  made 
extensive  improvements,  giving  the  farm  the  name  of  "Lake 
Shore."  He  now  owns  a  tract  of  107  acres  adjoining  the  first 
farm  and  has  also  bought  ten  acres  from  D.  S,  Hall  to  complete 
160  acres.  Mr.  Abrahamson  has  served  on  the  school  board  for 
seven  years.  He  is  treasurer  of  the  Swedish  Lutheran  congrega- 
tion, this  organization  having  so  far  no  building  of  its  own.  Mr. 
Abrahamson  was  married  August  8,  1878,  to  Mary  Gunberg,  bom 
in  Sweden  May  3,  1857,  daughter  of  Johannes  and  Eva  (Larson) 
Gunberg.  The  parents  brought  the  family  to  the  United  States 
in  1866,  lived  a  time  in  Scott  county,  Minnesota,  later  located  a 
homestead  in  Nicollet  county,  built  a  dugout,  began  farming  with 


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410  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

an  ox  team,  and  suffered  the  privations  and  hardships  of  the 
early  settlers.  Mr.  Gunberg  is  still  living  at  the  age  of  eighty-one 
years  and  his  wife  died  three  years  ago  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight 
years.  Pour  of  their  children  died  in  Sweden :  Mary,  Andrew, 
Anna  and  Franz.  The  following  were  bom  in  the  United  States: 
Frank,  Justine,  Augusta,  Edwin  and  Emma.  Mr,  and  Mrs.  Ahra- 
hamson  have  had  seven  children :  Eugene,  of  Marshall,  is  presi- 
dent of  the  North  Star  College,  of  Marshall  county,  Minnesota. 
He  married  Hulda  Magnusson,  and  they  have  three  children: 
Linnea,  Marie  and  Aino  Magnalpha.  Alvin  married  Alice  Mills 
and  lives  at  Utiea,  Montana.  The  other  children  are  r  Emma 
and  Eva,  at  home;  Enos  (deceased) ;  Florence,  teacher  of  domes- 
tic science  at  Warren,  Minnesota;  and  Ruth,  teacher  at  Grafton, 
North  Dakota. 

John  W.  Brickaon  was  bom  February  17,  1862,  in  Sweden,  son 
of  Erick  and  Anna  Anderson,  farmers  who  lived  and  died  in  that 
country.  In  the  family  were  five  children:  Anton,  Lars,  Peter, 
Catherine  and  John  W.  John  W.  Erickson  and  his  sister  Cath- 
erine were  the  only  ones  to  reach  the  United  States,  coming  in 
1888  to  Nicollet  county,  Minnesota,  where  they  had  an  irnele  and 
aunt.  After  working  on  farms  in  that  county  a  while,  John  W. 
Erickson  came  to  Renville  county  in  1890  and  worked  around 
among  the  farmers  before  buying  a  place  of  6  acres  on  the  shore 
of  Preston  lake.  Mr.  Erickson  is  an  officer  of  the  Swedish 
Lutheran  church.  He  was  married  in  1897  to  Anna  (Anderson) 
Rost,  who  was  bom  in  Sweden.  February  18,  1857,  daughter  of 
Lars  Anderson  and  Greta  Christina  Anderson,  who  had  seven 
children:  Anna,  Anders  (who  died  in  Sweden),  Johannes,  Alfred, 
Christine  (who  died  in  Minneapolis),  £mil  and  Carl.  Alfred  and 
Christine  were  the  first  to  come  to  America,  arriving  in  1888. 
Carl  came  next,  tlien  Johannes,  and  later  the  parents,  with  Anna. 
They  located  in  Renville  county  in  Preston  Lake  township,  where 
the  parents  died.  Anna  Anderson  was  married  in  1883  to  Gustave 
Rost,  who  was  bom  in  Sweden,  September  27,  1849,  became  an 
engineer  on  a  steamer,  went  to  Russia,  and  died  at  Baku,  in  that 
country,  in  1891,  leaving  a  widow  and  two  children,  Ellen  (now 
Mrs.  Herman  Anderson)  and  Carl  (now  of  Minneapolis),  who  set 
out  for  America  in  1894. 

John  Fischer,  a  thrifty  farmer  of  Troy  township,  was  bom  in 
Wurttemberg,  Germany,  May  6,  1851,  son  of  David  and  Christina 
(Deile)  Fischer.  His  parents  died  in  Germany,  the  father  at 
the  age  of  sixty-five  in  1878  and  the  mother  at  the  age  of  sixty  in 
1883.  The  father  worked  in  the  vineyards.  There  were  eight 
children :  Frederick,  David,  Christian,  John,  Carl,  Albert,  Chris- 
tine,and  Louisa.  Christian  was  the  first  to  come  to  the  United 
States.  He  arrived  in  1869  and  was  joined  at  Chicago  in  1870  by 
his  brother  John.     Christian  worked  as  a  carpenter  and  John 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  411 

hired  out  to  a  farmer  in  IHinois  for  one  year,  and  then  went  to 
the  southern  part  of  Illinois,  where  he  remained  for  five  years 
working  on  the  farms.  After  his  marriage  in  1875  he  came  to 
Chicago  and  worked  in  a  furniture  factory  until  1882,  when  he 
came  to  Brown  county,  Minnesota.  In  1883  he  brought  his  family 
to  Renville  county  and  located  on  a  tract  of  land  on  the  half 
section  where  F.  A.  Schroeder  now  lives.  The  land  was  not 
improved.  They  erected  a  small  house  and  lived  there  for  two 
years,  after  which  they  located  on  section  7,  now  a  suburb  of 
Danube,  and  here  secured  first  120  acres  and  later  160  acres  more. 
The  land  was  broken  and  a  fine  modem  house  and  buildings 
were  erected.  Mr.  Fischer  has  held  several  township  offices.  He 
has  been  on  the  township  board  for  the  last  ten  or  twelve  years, 
being  chairman  part  of  the  time.  He  has  also  served  on  the 
school  board,  and  has  also  done  valued  service  as  president  of 
Danube  village.  The  first  school  house,  14  by  16  feet,  was  located 
on.  section  8,  a  part  of  his  farm.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Swine 
Breeders'  Association  and  president  of  the  Farmers'  Elevator 
at  Danube,  being  one  of  its  organizers.  He  is  a  faithful  member 
of  the  Evangelical  church  and  has  been  the  Sunday  school  super- 
intendent for  the  past  fifteen  years.  He  was  one  of  the  organizers 
of  the  Evangelical  church  at  Danube  in  1904  and  was  one  of  the 
first  trustees.  Mr.  Fischer  was  united  in  marriage  to  Mary  Sum- 
merlet,  born  May  14,  1856,  in  Fulton  county,  Illinois,  daughter  of 
Adam  and  Julia  (Ball)  Summerlet,  natives  of  Hesse,  Germany, 
who  earae  to  New  York  shortly  after  their  marriage.  The  father 
was  bom  March  12,  1819,  and  the  mother  was  bom  October  8, 
1825.  They  located  on  a  farm  in  Mason  county,  Illinois,  where 
the  father  died  at  the  age  of  fifty-two  years,  March  6,  1872,  and 
the  mother  July  5,  1901,  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Fischer  had  the  following  children :  Julia,  bom  December 
11,  1875,  in  Cook  county,  Illinois.,  died  April  28,  1883;  Albert, 
bom  in  Cook  county,  Illinois,  March  3,  1878,  is  now  farming  in 
Emmet  township.  He  married  Emma  Byer  and  has  four  children ; 
Orlinda,  Lloyd.  Mildred  and  Ruby.  Edwin,  bom  in  Cook  county, 
Illinois,  April  2, 1880,  is  a  farmer  in  Emmet  township  this  county. 
He  married  Ella  Byer  and  has  three  children,  Floyd,  Leslie  and 
Pearle.  Jesse,  bom  in  Sleepy  Eye,  Brown  county,  March  7,  1882, 
is  farming  in  Troy  township,  this  county,  and  married  to  Ella 
Kaska.  Martin,  born  in  this  county  June  7,  1884,  and  now  em- 
ployed in  the  lumber  yards  at  Danube.  Elmer,  born  in  this  county 
May  1,  1886,  is  in  the  hardware  business  in  Danube  and  married 
to  Mabel  Walner.  "Walter,  born  in  this  county  Augnst  7,  1888, 
is  at  home.  Theodore,  bom  in  this  comity  Jane  9, 1891,  is  cashier 
of  the  State  Bank  at  Portal,  North  Dakota.  Sarah,  bom  in  this 
county  April  15, 1893,  is  married  to  William  Schroeder  and  resides 
in  Troy  township.    Laura,  bom  in  this  county  April  24,  1895,  is 


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412  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

at  home.  Henry,  bom  in  this  county  January  31,  1897,  died 
February  1,  1897.  Lillie,  born  July  13,  1898,  died  May  4,  1899. 
Lawrence,  born  September  13,  1900,  is  at  home. 

Henzy  John  Braun,  a  succesBful  farmer  of  Troy  township,  waa 
born  on  a  farm  in  Muscatine  county,  Iowa,  October  10,  1867,  son 
of  Martin  and  Caroline  (Pogelle)  Braun.  Martin  Braun  was  bom 
in  Hesse,  Germany,  November  9,  1828,  and  came  to  America  and 
settled  on  a  farm  in  Muscatine  county,  Iowa,  where  he  atill  resides. 
He  was  married  in  1864  and  to  this  happy  union  five  children  were 
bom,  of  whom  two  died  in  infancy  and  three  are  still  living: 
Lewis,  who  resides  at  Muscatine,  Iowa;  and  Henry  and  Au^st, 
who  reside  on  their  respective  farms  in  Troy  township,  Renville 
county.  In  1876  Mrs.  Braun  died  and  later  in  the  same  year 
Martin  Braun  was  united  in  marriage  to  Bertha  Augusta  HofTman. 
To  this  union  were  bom  the  following :  Anthony,  now  living  on 
his  father's  farm  in  Muscatine,  Iowa;  and  Mrs.  Jacob  Gamber, 
Davenport,  Iowa.  Since  the  death  of  his  wife,  January  10,  1894, 
Martin  Braun  has  made  his  home  chiefiy  with  his  son,  who  operates 
his  father's  farm.  Henry  John  Braun,  the  second  oldest  son,  was 
educated  in  a  small  country  school  in  Muscatine  county,  Iowa,  and 
then  worhed  on  his  father's  farm  until  1895,  when  he  moved  to 
the  farm  in  Renville  county,  Mr.  Braun  has  always  taken  active 
part  in  public  affairs  and  served  as  an  ofScer  on  the  town  board 
for  two  years,  held  the  office  of  town  treasurer  four  years,  and 
has  held  an  office  in  the  Modern  Woodmen's  lodge  for  over  fifteen 
years.  He  was  also  elert  of  School  District  No.  70  for  over  twelve 
years.  He  now  resides  on  his  farm  of  160  acres  in  section  31  of 
Troy  township  and  is  a  breeder  of  well-bred  Poland  China  swine, 
full  blooded  white  Wyandotte  chickens  and  Mammoth  Bronze 
turkeys.  Henry  J.  Braun  was  united  in  marriage  to  Phoebe  E. 
Beimers,  of  Lake  Park,  Iowa,  May  6,  1896.  She  was  bom  Decem- 
ber 31, 1874,  the  daughter  of  Peter  and  Christina  (Brest)  Reimers. 
Peter  Reimers  was  bom  in  West  Prussia,  Germany,  March  1,  1837, 
and  when  twenty-one  years  of  age  came  to  America,  first  locating 
in  New  York  and  later  settling  in  Illinois.  While  in  Illinois  he 
was  married,  July  3,  1865,  to  Christina  Brest,  who  was  born  in 
the  state  of  Ohio,  April  21, 1849.  During  her  childhood  her  par- 
ents moved  on  a  farm  at  Springfield,  Illinois,  where  she  lived 
nntil  her  marriage.  After  their  marriage  they  lived  at  Davenport, 
Iowa,  for  two  years.  From  there  they  moved  to  a  farm  in  Tama 
county,  Iowa,  and  in  1878  moved  to  Tama  City,  Iowa,  next  going 
to  Garwin,  Iowa.  In  1888  they  moved  to  Lake  Park,  Iowa,  later 
moving  to  a  farm  near  that  place,  where  Christina  Reimers  still 
lives  with  her  youngest  son.  Mr.  Reimers  died  November  8,  1910, 
at  the  home  of  his  daughter,  who  resides  on  a  farm  near  Lake 
Park,  Iowa.  Eleven  children  were  bom  to  these  parents,  eight 
of  whom  are  living  at  the  present  time.    Mr.  and  Mrs.  Henry  J. 


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fflSTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  413 

Braun  have  two  children :  May  Ethel  Braun,  bom  May  4,  1897, 
and  Lauretta  Pern,  bom  November  15,  1898.  They  both  have 
completed  the  eighth  grade  course  in  School  District  No.  70  of 
Troy  township  and  are  now  attending  high  school  at  Olivia,  Min- 
nesota. 

Keinluird  T.  Kiecker,  a  leading  faraier  of  Wellington  town- 
ship, was  bom  in  section  10,  in  the  towfiship  where  he  still  resides, 
son  of  Fritz  and  Caroline  (Dettman)  Kiecker,  early  settlers.  He 
remained  at  home  until  twenty-three  years  of  age,  and  then  pur- 
chased 200  acres  in  section  10,  Wellington  township,  which  he  has 
since  successfully  conducted.  He  has  added  to  his  original  pos- 
sessions  until  he  now  owns  550  acres  of  fertile  land,  on  which 
he  conducts  general  farming  and  stock  raising,  making  a  specialty 
of  feeding  cattle  and  swine.  His  modem  home,  his  roomy  bams 
and  his  splendid  equipment  for  farm  work  all  combine  to  make 
his  one  of  the  best  places  in  the  township.  A  believer  in  education, 
be  has  been  director  of  school  district  54  for  five  years.  He  is 
an  active  supporter  of  the  German  Lutheran  church  at  Wellington 
and  serves  that  congregation  as  an  usher.  Mr.  Kiecker  was  mar- 
ried June  15,  1900,  to  Martha  Bradow,  born  January  12,  1870, 
daughter  of  Albert  and  Hannah  (Wosow)  Bradow,  natives  of 
Germany.  The  father  came  to  America  in  1857,  and  died  at  Water- 
town,  Wisconsin,  at  the  age  of  seventy-nine,  in  1912.  The  mother 
died  in  July,  1898,  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight.  Mr,  and  Mrs.  Kiecker 
have  seven  children :  Adeline,  bom  July  15, 1901 ;  Theodore,  bom 
December  6,  1902 ;  Elmer,  bora  November  28,  1903 ;  Arnold,  bom 
December  1,  1905 ;  Raymond,  bom  March  12,  1906 ;  Immanuel, 
bom  August  18, 1908 ;  and  Cornelius,  born  September  28,  1910. 

Henry  Globes,  an  iofiuential  farmer  of  Wellington  township, 
was  born  in  Nicollet  county,  this  state,  January  19,  1873,  son  of 
John  and  Martha  (Mans)  Globes.  The  father  was  born  in  Ger- 
many, came  to  America  in  1869,  worked  in  the  Eagle  Roller  Mills, 
New  Ulm,  for  nearly  four  years  as  engineer,  and  in  1872  moved 
to  Nicollet  county,  where  he  still  resides.  He  was  married  in 
London,  and  on  December  25,  1914,  he  and  his  wife  celebrated 
their  golden  wedding  anniversary.  Henry  Globes  remained  at 
home  with  his  parents  until  sixteen  years  of  age.  Then  he  was 
employed  for  some  ten  years  as  a  farmer.  In  1899  he  bought 
the  southwest  quarter  of  section  35,  Wellington  township,  and 
there  he  has  since  resided  and  prospered.  He  owns  320  acres  of 
well-improved  land,  carries  on  general  farming  and  raises  Short- 
horn cattle.  He  has  made  a  hobby  of  red  clover,  and  devotes 
twenty  acres  to  this  crop,  raising  it  both  for  seed  and  for  hay. 
He  was  town  clerk  eleven  years,  assessor  two  years,  and  director 
of  school  district  No,  56,  twelve  years.  Aside  from  his  farm  in- 
terests he  has  served  as  vice  president  of  the  Fairfax  Farmers' 
Elevator  Co.,  a  director  and  one  of  the  board  of  examiners  of 


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414  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

the  Citizens  State  Bank  of  Fairfax;  and  a  stockholder  in  the 
Farmers'  Co-operative  Creamery  and  the  Farmers'  Co-operative 
Store,  both  of  Fairfax.  The  family  faith  is  that  of  the  German 
Lutheran  chnreh.  Mr.  Globes  was  married  April  26,  1899,  to 
Bertha  Wellner,  who  was  born  April  7,  1873,  daughter  of  Henry 
and  Louisa  (Kemper)  "Wellner,  The  father  was  born  in  Ger- 
many, came  to  America  in  1858,  secured  a  farm  in  Lafayette 
township,  Nicollet  county,  this  state,  where  he  died  in  1900,  at 
the  age  of  seventy-three.  The  mother  was  born  February  5, 
1833.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Globes  have  four  children:  Armin  H.,  bom 
March  14,  1900;  Elmer,  born  November  9,  1906,  died  June  1, 
1907;  Harold,  born  August  23,  1908;  and  Edna,  born  November 
16, 1912. 

Kev.  Emil  G.  Fritz,  the  beloved  pastor  of  the  German  Luth- 
eran Immanuel  church,  of  Wellington  township,  was  born  in 
New  Ulm,  this  state,  July  14,  1873,  son  of  Christ  and  Augusta 
("Wehr)  Fritz,  The  father  was  born  in  Germany  on  November 
1,  1844,  came  to  America  in  1872,  settled  in  New  Ulm,  in  this 
state,  and  became  a  grain  dealer.  The  mother  was  born  March  5, 
1848.  Emil  G.  Fritz  attended  the  public  and  church  schools  of 
New  Ulm,  and  then  spent  six  years  in  the  Martin  Luther  College, 
in  the  same  city.  June  21,  1895,  he  graduated  from  the  Evangel- 
ical German  Lutheran  Theological  Seminary,  at  Wauwatosa, 
Wis.  A  month  later,  July  28,  1895,  he  was  ordained  at  Mazep- 
pa.  South  Dakota,  and  the  next  day  took  up  his  duties  as  pastor 
of  eight  congregations  with  headquarters  at  Henry,  South  Da. 
kota.  In  the  spring  of  1899  he  became  pastor  of  the  German 
Evangelical  Lutheran  church  at  Boyd,  Minn,  From  there,  in 
August,  1912,  he  came  to  his  present  charge.  Aside  from  being 
a  deep  student,  a  hard  working  pastor,  and  an  ardent  supporter 
of  the  cause  of  education,  he  has  been  prominent  in  the  affairs 
of  the  German  Evangelical  Lutheran  Synod,  of  Minnesota,  in 
which  ho  is  superintendent  of  Home  Missions.  Rev.  Fritz  was 
married  August  27,  1896,  to  Clara  Lueck,  who  was  born  August 
7,  1875,  daughter  of  Gu.stav  Lueck,  a  millwright  of  New  Ulm, 
who  died  in  1885,  and  of  Henrietta  (Backer)  Lueck,  who  died 
in  1896,  at  the  age  of  forty.  Rev.  and  Mrs,  Fritz  are  the  par- 
ents of  five  children:  Edmund,  born  June  26,  1897;  Lydia,  born 
July  13,  1898;  Irma,  born  December  11,  1900;  Esther,  born  De- 
cember 18,  1902;  and  Victor,  born  June  3,  1910. 

John  Henry  Bush  was  born  in  Dodge  county,  Wisconsin, 
April  11,  1860,  son  of  Henry  and  Sarah  (Ablard)  Bush.  The 
father  was  born  and  married  in  Lincolnshire,  England,  and 
started  for  the  United  States  in  1853  with  his  wife  and  three 
children,  spending  about  four  weeks  aboard  a  sailing  vessel. 
One  child  died  on  the  way  and  was  buried  at  sea.  The  mother 
died  at  Rochester,  New  York.     The  father  was  married  in  1857 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY.  415 

to  Sarah  Ablard  and  lived  in  New  York  until  the  fall  of  1858, 
when  he  set  out  for  Dodge  county,  Wisconsin,  where,  for  a 
number  of  years  he  rented,  and  finally  purchased,  a  farm.  In 
1882  he  came  to  Minnesota,  settling  north  of  Stewart  in  McLeod 
county,  where  he  lived  six  years  and  then  moved  to  Osceola 
township,  Renville  county,  where  he  spent  his  declining  years 
and  died  at  the  age  of  sixty-six  years.  His  wife  is  now  living 
at  Hutchinson  at  the  age  of  seventy-seven  years.  There  were 
seven  children  by  this  marriage;  John,  Nancy,  Edith,  Sarah, 
Lottie,  Lillie,  and  Ira.  John  Bush  was  educated  in  the  Pond  du 
Lac  county  (Wisconsin)  district  schools,  and  after  he  grew  to 
manhood  engaged  in  farming.  He  learned  the  cheesemaker's 
trade  in  Wisconsin  and  in  the  spring  of  1878  came  to  Minnesota, 
locating  in  Collins  township,  McLeod  county.  The  first  year  he 
worked  in  a  cheese  factory ;  then  he  followed  railroad  work  for 
about  six  years.  Next  he  learned  the  carpenter's  trade  and  fol- 
lowed that  for  some  time.  Then  he  engaged  in  farming  on  his 
father's  place,  in  the  township  of  Osceola.  After  six  years  he 
moved  to  Hutchinson.  Later  he  located  a  farm  in  Melville  town- 
ship and  farmed  there  three  years.  He  next  came  to  Hector,  took 
the  examination  for  rural  carrier  and  has  delivered  mail  on 
route  2,  since  July  1,  1906.  Mr.  Bush  has  held  the  office  of  eon- 
stable  Beveral  times  in  Osceola  township  and  is  a  member  of  the 
M.  W.  A.  and  M.  B.  A.,  at  Hector.  He  is  also  a  member  of 
the  Baptist  church.  Mr.  Bush  was  married  March  6,  1882,  to 
Tillie  Heaney,  who  was  born  in  Germany,  who  came  to  this 
country  with  her  parents  and  located  in  Minnesota.  She  died 
after  two  years,  at  the  age  of  twenty-four,  leaving  two  children, 
Oscar  Dayton,  jeweler,  at  Barron,  Wisconsin,  and  one  child  who 
died  in  infancy.  Mr.  Bush  married  a  second  time  at  Hutchinson, 
Mrs.  Mary  (Vaughn)  Peterson,  widow  of  A.  B.  Peterson,  and  of 
northern  Irish  ancestry.  ■  Three  years  after  her  marriage  to 
Mr.  Bush  she  died  at  the  age  of  forty-eight  years,  leaving  ten 
children  from  the  former  marriage. 

August  B.  Anderson,  an  influential  and  respected  resident  of 
Hector,  has  been  actively  identified  with  the  life  and  progi-ess 
of  the  village  for  several  years,  and  no  small  part  of  its  pres- 
ent prosperity  is  due  to  his  energetic  efforts.  He  was  born  in 
Sweden,  September  23,  1868,  son  of  Bengt  and  Nellie  (Peterson) 
Anderson,  also  natives  of  that  country.  In  December,  1879,  the 
family,  then  consisting  of  the  parents  and  ten  children,  came 
to  America,  and  after  finding  their  way  to  Minnesota,  located 
on  a  tract  of  timberland  near  Litchfield,  in  Meeker  county. 
They  set  to  work  with  a  will,  cleared,  grubbed  and  broke  the 
land,  erected  buildings  as  means  permitted,  and  in  time  had  as 
good  a  farm  as  there  was  in  the  neighborhood,  ornamented  by  a 
good  residence  and  substantial  outbuildings.     In  1900  the  par- 


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416  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

entfi  retired  to  Litchfield,  where  they  remained  until  1915,  when 
they  took  up  their  home  with  Mrs.  J.  E.  Rik,  at  Rosendale.  There, 
at  the  ages  respectively  of  eighty-three  and  eighty,  they  are 
spending  the-  afternoon  of  life,  surrounded  by  the  love  and  care 
that  their  life  of  hard  work  and  self  denial  has  so  richly  deserved. 
The  ten  children  are:  Andrew,  a  farmer  of  Mt,  Vernon,  Wash- 
ington ;  Bena,  now  Mrs.  Swan  Hasselberg,  of  Minneapolis ;  John 
B.,  a  farmer  of  Danielson  township.  Meeker  county;  Nels  B,, 
general  merchant,  at  Balfour,  North  Dakota;  August  B.,  of  Hec- 
tor; Joseph,  a  farmer  in  Florida;  Lena,  who  died  in  1882;  P.  B., 
a  banker  and  lumberman,  at  Cutbank,  Montana ;  Christina,  now 
Mrs.  J.  E.  Rik,  of  Danielson  township.  Meeker  county ;  and  0.  E., 
a  lumberman  of  Bismark,  North  Dakota.  August  B,  Anderson 
came  to  America  with  his  parents  in  1879  and  was  reared  on  the 
home  farm  in  Meeker  county.  He  attended  the  district  schools 
and  the  Litchfield  High  school,  and  as  a  young  man  engaged  in 
the  lumber  business  at  Litchfield  for  seven  years,  and  at  Herman, 
Minn.,  for  three  years.  It  was  in  1893  that  he  came  to  Hector 
as  manager  for  the  McGregor  Brothers'  lumber  yard,  a  position 
he  held  for  seventeen  years.  In  1910  he  purchased  the  Bagtey 
elevator  at  Hector,  which  he  has  since  conducted  under  his  own 
name  as  sole  owner,  proprietor  and  active  manager.  He  does  a 
large  business  and  his  long  career  of  honesty  and  integrity  and 
fair  dealing  has  won  for  him  a  wide  patronage.  In  addition  to 
the  elevator,  he  also  conducts  a  large  retail  coal  and  fuel  yard. 
He  has  done  valuable  service  as  member  of  the  village  council 
continuously  since  1896  and  is  now  serving  his  second  term  as 
president  of  that  body.  He  has  likewise  been  an  important  fac- 
tor in  the  wonderful  record  made  by  the  Hector  High  school, 
having  served  on  the  board  of  education  for  the  past  nine  years, 
two  of  which  years  he  was  president.  Financially  he  is  inter- 
ested in  the  State  Bank  of  Hector,  and  the  John  Hokanson  Grain 
Co.,  which  owns  a  line  of  elevators  in  South  Dakota.  In  both 
of  these  companies  he  is  the  vice-president.  Fraternally  he  is 
a  member  of  Hector  Lodge,  No.  158,  A.  P.  &  A.  M.,  of  which  he 
has  been  master  for  two  years,  Mr.  Anderson  was  married 
April  9,  1892,  to  HuMah  Peterson,  of  Herman,  Minnesota.  This 
union  has  been  blessed  with  the  following  children:  Hubert  C, 
Geneva,  Irma  and  Helen,  Hubert  C.  was  bom  July  5,  1893, 
graduated  from  the  Hector  High  school,  and  is  now  bookkeeper 
at  the  State  Bank  of  Hector,  Geneva  was  born  May  28,  1895, 
graduated  from  the  Normal  department  of  the  Hector  High 
school,  and  is  now  a  teacher.  Irraa  was  horn  April  9,  1897,  and 
is  now  a  student  in  the  Normal  department  of  the  Hector  High 
school.  Helen  was  born  December  5,  1903,  and  is  attending  the 
public  schools.  The  family  faith  is  that  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church. 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  41V 

Perry  Angiut  Btirg^rren,  a  Bueeessful  photographer  of  Hector, 
was  born  July  7, 1842,  in  Sweden,  sou  of  Swan  and  Mistena  Burg- 
gren.  In  the  family  there  were  five  children:  Charles,  Perry, 
John,  Mary  and  Louisa.  The  father  and  mother  and  children, 
and  the  grandmother  and  aunt  on  the  mother's  side,  all  started 
for  America  in  1853.  During  the  seven  weeks'  voyage  cholera 
broke  oat  on  board,  and  the  mother,  John,  Louisa  and  Mary  died 
and  werte  buried  at  sea.  The  grandmother  died  after  reaching 
New  York  City.  The  father  then  went  to  Indiana  to  join  aa  ancle 
on  the  mother's  side  and  located  near  Milford,  where  he  began 
farming.  After  two  years  he  moved  to  Adick,  Indiana,  his  son 
Perry  going  with  him.  Here  he  married  again.  He  purchased  a 
piece  of  land  at  Adick  and  after  a  period  of  ten  years  came  to 
Cannon  Falls,  Minnesota,  where  he  bought  a  farm  and  lived  until 
his  death  at  the  age  of  seventy  years.  His  wife  is  still  living  at 
the  age  of  ninety  years.  Perry  Burggren  had  received  but  few 
opportunities  to  secure  an  education.  As  a  youth  he  worked  on 
a  farm.  In  1863  he  enlisted  at  Lafayette  in  Company  D,  One 
Hundred  and  Sixteenth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  for  six 
months'  service  as  private,  and  was  under  arms  nine  months,  being 
sent  to  Tennessee,  where  he  took  part  in  fighting  the  bushwhackers. 
After  being  mustered  out  at  Lafayette,  he  engaged  in  railroading 
on  the  Toledo  &  Wabash  railroad.  A  year  later  he  took  up  the 
work  of  a  photographer,  moved  to  Paxton,  Illinois,  established  a 
gallery,  and  remained  there  for  thirteen  or  fourteen  years,  coming 
to  Hector,  Minnesota,  in  1883.  Here  he  opened  a  general  store  in 
company  with  Fred  Isaacson;  the  firm  being  known  as  Burggren 
&  Isaacson.  After  about  a  year  they  sold  out  their  stock  and  a 
photograph  gallery  was  started,  Mr.  Burggren  being  the  first  per- 
manent photographer  of  Hector.  Mr.  Burggren  has  held  the 
office  of  justice  of  the  peace  and  is  a  member  of  the  Swedish 
Lutheran  church.  In  1873'he  was  married  to  Emma  Selber^;, 
at  Paxton,  Illinois.  She  was  bom  in  Sweden  and  died  in  1885, 
at  the  age  of  thirty  years,  leaving  three  girls  and  one  boy, 
Martin,  now  of  Minneapolis;  Nellie  and  Tela,  both  of  Minne- 
apolis, and  Freda,  now  deceased.  They  all  received  a  good 
education. 

Edgfar  L,  Colby,  a  prominent  farmer  of  Hector  township  and 
a  gentleman  of  the  old  school,  descended  from  early  Colonial  stock, 
was  bom  in  Qreen  Lake  county,  Wisconsin,  September  27,  1854, 
son  of  George  H.  and  Emma  E.  (Pardee)  Colby.  George  H.  Colby 
was  bom  September  20, 1826,  in  Genesee  county,  New  York,  where 
his  father  settled  after  coming  over  the  mountains  from  Vermont 
on  horseback.  Emma  E.  Pardee  was  bom  in  Connecticut  and 
was  brought  to  New  York  by  her  parents.  The  young  couple  were 
married  in  New  York,  but  after  farming  there  a  while  set  out  for 
Wisconsin  by  way  of  the  Great  Lakes  and  located  on  a  farm  on 


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418  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

the  prairie  section  near  Little  Oreen  Lake,  Wisconsin,  where  they 
built  a  log  cabin  and  farmed  with  an  os  team.  After  seven  years 
they  moved  to  "Waushara  county,  farmed  there  for  four  years,  then 
came  to  Minnesota  and  settled  in  Plainview  townahip,  Wabasha 
county,  driving  from  Wisconsin  with  an  ox  team  and  covered 
wagon,  bringing  the  following  children  t  Dilazon  P.,  bom  Octo- 
ber 12, 1848 ;  Electa  F.,  bom  September  13, 1850  and  died  in  1909 ; 
William  H.,  bom  December  11,  1852;  Edgar,  bom  September  27, 
1854 ;  Mary  A.,  bom  February  25, 1857 ;  Emma,  bom  November  25, 
1858.  The  following  children  were  bom  in  Minnesota:  George, 
born  March  23,  1861,  and  died  October  19,  1887 ;  Charles,  bom 
October  21,  1863 ;  and  Royal  S.,  born  September  13,  1867.  The 
father  purchased  160  acres  of  wild  land,  about  twenty-five  acres 
of  which  were  broken,  and  put  up  a  rude  shelter  for  a  house. 
Then  he  enlisted  in  Company  G.,  First  Minnesota  Heavy  Artillery, 
February  11,  1865,  being  honorably  discharged  and  mustered  out 
September  27,  1865,  after  service  as  fifer  in  the  drum  corps  of  his 
regiment.  In  1869  he  moved  to  Giencoe,  McLeod  county,  settling 
on  a  farm,  where  he  remained  until  1886,  when  he  came  to  Renville 
coxinty  with  his  wife  to  spend  their  last  days  with  their  son  Edgar 
L.  Here  he  died  November  23,  1912.  His  wife,  who  was  bom 
March  4, 1822,  died  August  13,  1907.  Mr.  Colby  was  a  member  of 
the  G.  A.  R.  post  of  Hector.  He  joined  the  Masonic  lodge  at 
Plainview,  later  belonged  at  Giencoe  and  held  honorary  member- 
ship in  the  Hector  lodge  at  the  time  of  his  death.  Edgar  L.  Colby 
farmed  as  a  youth  and  coming  to  Hector  in  1877,  began  working 
for  J.  C.  Edson,  afterward  district  judge,  on  his  farm  of  320  acres 
in  section  34,  in  Hector  township.  This  farm  Mr.  Colby  later  pur- 
chased. In  time  he  added  160  acres  more  to  the  place  and  has 
made  extensive  improvements.  He  raises  good  stock  and  makes 
a  specialty  of  Shorthorn  cattle,  French  coach  horses,  Poland  China 
and  Chester  White  hogs.  Mr.  Colby  holds  stock  in  the  Farmers' 
Co-operative  Grain  Exchange  of  Hector.  He  has  occupied  several 
township  oSices,  and  is  a  member  of  Hector  Lodge,  No.  158,  A.  F. 
&  A.  M.  May  8, 1889,  Mr.  Colby  was  married  to  Augusta  Koehler, 
bom  in  Carver  county,  Minnesota.  September  9,  1867.  daughter  of 
Fred  and  Anna  (Reese)  Eoehler,  natives  of  Germany.  Fred 
Koehler  came  with  his  parents  to  America  by  sailing  vessel  when 
he  was  fourteen  years  of  age  in  1854.  Anna  Reese  was  only  ten 
years  old  when  she  came  with  her  parents  in  1855,  also  by  sailing 
vessel.  Both  families  settled  in  Carver  county  as  territorial  pio- 
neers. Fred  and  Anna  Koehler  located  a  farm  in  Lake  township, 
began  their  married  life  in  a  log  cabin  and  owned  an  ox  team. 
Mr,  Koehler  later  moved  to  Hector,  where  he  now  lives.  He  has 
farmed  and  followed  a  commercial  career  in  various  places.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Colby  have  four  children :  Ralph,  of  Superior,  Wiscon- 
sin; Woodard,  who  is  taking  a  seven  year  course  as  a  medical 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  419 

student  in  the  University  of  Minnesota ;  and  Edgar  and  Berniee. 
who  attend  the  Hector  high  school. 

William  J.  Hagw,  a  public  spirited  citizen  of  Hector,  where  he 
is  successfully  engaged  in  the  jewelry  business,  was  bom  in  Silver 
Lake,  August  6, 1890,  sou  of  Joseph  and  Anna  (Totushek)  Hager. 
He  was  reared  on  the  home  farm,  attended  the  district  schools, 
and  iu  1910  completed  a  course  in  the  Hutchinson  High  school. 
In  1910  he  entered  the  Stone  School  of  Watchmaking  at  St.  Paul, 
from  which  institution  he  graduated  the  same  year.  Thus  pre- 
pared he  opened  a  jewelry  store  at  Silver  Lake.  From  there,  in 
1913,  he  came  to  Hector  and  engaged  in  his  present  business.  He 
has  built  up  a  good  trade  and  enjoys  a  large  and  well  deserved 
patronage.  Mr.  Hager  was  married  August  16,  1913,  to  Marion 
Bell,  bom  at  Glencoe,  this  state,  August  29,  1891,  daughter  of 
John  and  Anna  (Kehrer)  Bell.  In  the  Bell  family  there  were 
eight  children:  John,  of  Savannah,  Oeorgia;  Michael,  of  Plato, 
Minnesota;  George,  of  Cologne,  Minnesota;  Marion,  now  Mrs. 
William  J.  Hager;  Frances,  Barbara  and  Elizabeth,  who  are  at 
home,  and  Katherine,  wife  of  E.  H.  Jungclaus,  a  Glencoe  dentist. 

Joseph  Hager  was  bom  in  Austria  in  1865,  was  brought  that 
year  by  his  parents  to  Racine,  Wisconsin,  and  in  1879  to  Silver 
Lake,  where  he  married  Anna  Totushek,  who  was  bom  in  that 
township  in  1874.  They  own  106  acres  of  land,  and  have  four 
children,  William  J.,  Martha,  Orrin  and  Alma. 

Q«orge  E.  Hokanson,  the  manager  of  the  Hector  Elevator,  was 
bom  July  19,  1885,  in  Renville  county,  the  son  of  John  and  Mary 
(Eirckson)  Hokanson.  On  completing  his  schooling  at  Hector  he 
went  to  work  for  his  father  at  the  elevator  and  with  the  exception 
of  a  year  spent  at  Watson,  Minnesota,  he  has  been  in  Hector  ever 
since.  When  his  father  moved  to  Minneapolis  he  was  made 
manager  of  the  elevator.  He  is  a  stockholder  in  the  John  Hokan- 
son Grain  Company,  with  branches  at  Minneapolis  and  Duluth. 
In  politics  he  is  an  independent,  casting  his  vote  for  the  man  who 
he  believes  ia  best  fitted  for  the  office.  During  the  years  of  1914 
and  1915  he  has  been  village  councilman.  He  is  Past  Master  of 
Hector  Lodge,  No.  158,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  April  12,  1913,  he  was  mar- 
ried to  Anna  Landblad,  born  October  2,  1888,  in  Pomeroy,  Iowa, 
the  daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Anton  F,  Landblad,  John  Hokan- 
son, bom  In  Sweden,  came  to  America  when  young.  He  was  a 
farmer  and  entered  on  a  timber  claim  in  Wright  county,  where  he 
met  and  married  Mary  Eirckson,  also  bom  in  Sweden.  He  came 
to  Hector  in  1894  and  in  time  acquired  320  acres  of  land.  For 
thirteen  years  he  was  manager  of  the  Heetor  Elevator  Company 
and  resigned  that  position  to  move  to  Minneapolis,  where  he  and 
his  wife  are  now  living.  Tliere  were  three  children  bom  of  the 
union:  Clarence,  who  resides  in  Chicago;  George  E.,  of  Heetor; 
Albert,  of  Lake  City,  South  Dakota.    Anton  F.  Landblad  came  to 


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420  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

Kenville  county  in  1911,  and  is  now  manager  of  McGregor 
Brothers'  lumber  yard.  He  has  four  children:  Anna,  the  wife  of 
Qeorge  E.  Hokanson;  Nettie  and  Arthur  who  are  at  home;  Ethel, 
a  trained  nurse  at  Minneapolis. 

George  W.  Leasman,  a  well  known  farmer  of  Hector  township, 
was  bom  July  27, 1852,  in  Green  county,  "Wisconsin,  son  of  Charles 
H.  and  Wilhelmina  (Schroeder)  Leasman,  both  natives  of  Ger- 
many, who  came  to  America  by  sailing  vessel  in  1848,  a  month 
apart,  and  were  married  in  Illinois.  Charles  H.  Leasman  was  a 
carpenter  by  trade  and  located  a  farm  in  Green  county,  Wiscon- 
sin, where  he  built  a  frame  house  and  started  farming  with  an  ox 
team.  In  1862  he  enlisted  in  the  Tenth  Mounted  Cavalry  and 
served  for  three  years.  In  1872  he  came  to  Minnesota,  bringing 
a  family  of  five  children :  George,  Eliza,  Ida,  Frank  and  Andrew. 
In  1874  they  came  to  Renville  county,  located  on  a  homestead  of 
160  acres  in  section  24,  Hector  township  and  obtained  a  160-acre 
tree  claim  in  addition.  There  were  no  bnildings  on  the  land  and 
80  they  erected  a  frame  house  and  a  straw  bam.  Here  the  father 
apent  the  rest  of  his  days.  He  lived  to  erect  modem  buildings 
on  his  farm,  and  to  see  the  place  greatly  developed.  Charles  Leas- 
man helped  organize  the  school  district  of  his  locality,  served  aa 
justice  of  the  peace,  and  was  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R.  post  of 
Hector.  He  died  in  March,  1897,  at  the  age  of  seventy-nine  years. 
His  wife  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-five  years  in  1914.  George 
W.  Leasman  was  educated  in  Wisconsin  and  engaged  in  farming 
and  threshing.  After  coming  to  Hector  township  with  his  parents 
he  secured  80  acres  in  section  22  and  a  tree  claim  of  160  acres. 
His  first  house  on  his  land  was  an  8  by  10  shanty  and  the  first 
barn  on  it  was  made  of  straw.  After  the  place  was  improved  he 
moved  to  Fairfax  and  entered  the  real  estate  and  loan  business 
with  W;  C.  White,  attorney,  where  he  remained  for  two  years. 
Then  he  entered  the  railway  mail  service,  in  which  he  continued 
for  twenty-one  years,  first  from  Chicago  to  Minneapolis,  then 
from  St.  Paul  to  Watertown,  and  later  from  St.  Paul  to  Aberdeen. 
In  the  meantime  he  added  to  his  holdings  160  acres  in  section  24, 
Hector  township,  and  200  acres  in  Melville,  which  was  later  given 
to  his  children.  He  now  has  160  acres  in  section  22  and  160  acres  in 
section  24,  and  farms  them  both,  making  a  specialty  of  raising 
thoroughbred  French  coach  horses,  Jersey  cows  and  Duroc-  Jersey 
swine.  In  1891  he  moved  to  the  village  of  Hector  while  the  chil- 
dren were  attending  school,  but  about  1902  moved  back  to  the  farm 
in  Hector  township.  Mr.  Leasman  has  held  several  township 
offices.  He  was  the  first  township  treasurer,  has  been  assessor 
for  nine  years,  and  has  served  as  justice  of  peace  for  four  or 
five  years.  He  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Farmers'  Co- 
operative Elevator  &  Grain  Exchange  of  Hector;  was  its  first 
president,  and  is  still  one  of  its  directors.    He  is  also  a  director 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  421 

of  the  Buffalo  Lake  Fire  Insurance  Co.  and  of  the  Swine 
Breeders'  Aasoeiation.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  A.  0.  U.  W. 
for  about  thirty  years.  Mr.  Leasman  waa  married  in  1884  to 
Mary  Jane  Daulton,  a  native  of  Vermont,  daughter  of  James 
and  Margaret  Daulton,  who  came  to  Minnesota  about  1863 
and  located  on  a  piece  of  land  in  Washington  county  where 
they  both  died.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Leasman  have  had  the  follow- 
ing children :  William,  now  residing  at  Madison,  Minnesota ; 
George  Ralph,  of  Minneapolis;  Charles  J.,  on  a  farm  in  Renville 
county;  Guy  F.,  at  home;  John  J.,  of  Glencoe;  Clayton  L.,  at 
home ;  Archie  A.,  at  home ;  and  one  who  died  in  infancy, 

Gtistav  0.  Lnnder,  a  well  known  business  man  of  Hector,  was 
born  in  Ho  Land,  near  Ghristiania,  Norway,  August  8,  1858,  son 
of  Olai  Lunder,  born  in  1819,  and  his  wife,  Marie  Lunder,  born 
in  1834,  farmers  who  came  to  America  in  1869,  locating  at  Stock- 
holm, Wisconsin,  where  they  remained  for  about  six  weeks  and 
then  came  to  section  30,  Cairo  township,  which  was  then  in  the  Ft. 
Ridgely  reservation,  bnt  which  later  was  opened  for  settlers,  at 
which  time  they  pre-empted  160  acres  of  it.  When  they  first 
arrived  they  built  a  rude  dugout,  broke  the  land  and  engaged  in 
farming.  After  a  time  the  dugout  was  replaced  by  a  log  house, 
in  which  they  lived  until  1886,  when  fhey  moved  to  Murray 
county  and  engaged  in  farming.  Olai  Lunder  died  that  year 
and  his  wife  stayed  there  for  a  period  of  three  years,  then 
removing  to  Fairfax,  this  county,  where  she  remained  until  1901 
when  she  came  to  Hector  and  has  since  made  her  home  with  her 
son.  There  were  five  children  in  the  family:  Anton,  of  Slayton, 
Minnesota;  Gustav  0..  of  Hector;  Lottie,  of  Mitchell,  South 
Dakota;  Augusta,  now  Mrs.  William  Shea,  of  Sioux  City,  Iowa, 
and  Alfred,  of  Fairfax.  Minnesota.  Gustav  0.  Lunder  received 
his  education  in  Norway,  and,  with  his  parents,  located  on  their 
claim  in  Cairo  township.  He,  like  his  parents,  endured  all  the 
experiences  of  the  pioneer  life,  and  remembers  distinctly  the 
four  consecutive  years  when  everything  was  destroyed  by  the 
grasshoppers.  He  remained  on  the  farm  until  1879,  when  he 
arrived  in  Hector  and  became  clerk  in  the  general  merchandise 
store  of  C.  H.  Nixon,  with  whom  he  remained  until  January  1, 
1890.  He  then  purchased  Alfred  Carlson's  interest  in  a  hard- 
ware firm,  which  became  Peterson,  Lunder  &  Company.  In  1892, 
together  with  Amund  Dahl,  they  opened  a  hardware  store  in 
Bird  Island,  as  Dahl,  Peterson,  Lunder  &  Company,  dealers  in 
hardware  and  implements.  In  1889  Peterson,  Lunder  &  Mahn 
purchased  the  elevator  of  the  Cannon  River  Mfg.  Co.,  located 
at  Hector,  and  conducted  it  for  five  years,  after  which  time  it 
was  sold.  The  firm  was  reorganized  and  incorporated  under 
the  name  of  the  Hector  Lumber  &  Supply  Co.,  with  0.  F.  Peter- 
son, president;  F.  E,  Renswig,  vice-president,  and  G.  0.  Lunder, 


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422  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

secretary  and  treasurer.  Hoa.  Peter  Nelson,  of  R«d  Wing,  was 
the  fourth  member  of  the  company.  In  1901  a  half  interest  in 
the  stock  was  purchased  by  Kennedy  Bros,  In  1903  the  busi- 
ness was  discontinued  as  the  Hector  Lumber  &  Supply  Co.,  C.  H. 
Freeman  taking  over  the  other  half  interest,  and  it  became 
known  as  the  Hector  Hardware  Company,  with  Mr.  Lunder 
representing  Mr.  Freeman  in  the  store.  He  continued  in  this 
position  until  1905,  when  the  entire  business  was  purchased  by 
the  Johnson  Hardware  Company,  by  whom  Mr.  Lunder  Is  still 
employed.  Mr.  Lunder  has  been  on  the  village  council  and  on 
the  school  board.  He  served  as  village  treasurer  for  eight  years, 
also  as  township  treasurer,  and  was  a  member  of  the  Republican 
Central  Committee  for  one  year.  Gustave  0,  Lunder  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Mary  Dale  in  1884.  She  died  in  1895,  leaving 
five  children.  Olga  is  the  wife  of  Arthur  Eynon,  a  banker  at 
Bowden,  North  Dakota,  and  they  have  one  child,  Robert  Allen. 
Ella  is  the  wife  of  Dr.  Harry  E.  McKibbin,  of  Hector.  Blanche 
lives  in  Minneapolis.  Chester  lives  in  Redfield,  South  Dakota, 
where  he  is  foreman  in  a  printing  office.  Herbert  is  a  graduate 
of  the  Stout  Training  School  of  Menomonie,  Wisconsin.  Mr. 
Lunder  was  married  in  1897  to  Helen  Marshall,  and  b.v  this 
marriage  there  is  one  child.  Helen,  a  student  in  the  Hector 
High  school. 

Erneet  W.  Bebstook,  Ph.  O.,  of  Buffalo  Lake,  Minnesota,  was 
born  in  Lewiston,  Winona  county.  May  28,  1868,  son  of  Ernest 
William  and  Frances  (Bickel)  Rebstock.  His  father,  Ernest 
William  Rebstock,  was  born  in  Germany  in  1833,  emigrated  to 
America  when  a  boy  and  became  a  brass  worker  in  Bridge- 
port, Connecticut,  where  he  was  married  to  Frances  Bickel,  born 
in  Germany  in  1837.  Soon  after  their  marriage  they  moved 
west  on  to  a  farm  near  Lewiston,  Minnesota.  Mr.  Rebstock  was 
elected  register  of  deeds  on  the  Democratic  ticket,  removed  to 
the  city  of  Winona  and  was  re-elected  to-  this  office  for  four 
terms.  Then  he  was  elected  city  assessor  of  Winona,  which 
office  he  held  for  twelve  years.  He  was  also  official  county 
abstractor  of  Winona  county.  He  died  in  Winona  in  1911  and 
his  wife  died  on  the  farm  in  1874.  They  are  both  laid  at  rest 
in  the  Lewiston  cemetery.  In  the  family  there  were  twelve 
children,  of  these  there  are  five  living :  Charles,  of  Halbrite, 
Saskatchewan,  Canada;  Emma,  wife  of  A.  J.  Smith,  of  Winona; 
Carrie  and  John,  of  Joplin,  Montana,  and  Ernest,  the  subject 
of  this  sketch.  The  first  eight  years  of  his  life  were  passed  on 
the  farm  near  Lewiston,  Minnesota.  Later  he  attended  school  in 
Winona  and  graduated  from  the  Central  High  school  there  and 
from  the  Northwestern  Institute  of  Pharmacy  at  St.  Paul.  He 
was  employed  for  a  number  of  years  by  McNie  &  Co,  at  Winona, 
and  from  there  went  to  Chas,  D.  Whitall  &  Co.  at  Minneapolis, 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  428 

next  going  to  the  American  News  Co,  aa  traveling  representa- 
tive. In  1890  he  bought  out  the  retail  drug  store  of  0.  D. 
Hutchinson,  Hutchinson,  Minnesota,  which  he  conducted  four 
years  before  selling  it  to  Ed  Nageli.  Then  he  went  to  Schune- 
man  &  Evans,'  St.  Paul,  where  he  remained  one  year,  and  next 
opened  a  drug  store  at  Sanborn,  in  Redwood  county,  Minnesota, 
being  appointed  postmaster  at  that  place  by  President  Grover 
Cleveland.  When  Mr.  Cleveland  was  defeated  he  resigned  his 
office,  sold  out  to  Henry  Fink  and  bought  the  drug  store  of  Dr. 
Born  at  Buffalo  Lake,  Minnesota,  where  he  has  been  in  busi- 
ness for  seventeen  years.  He  owns  hie  store  building  and  also 
a  modern  residence,  carries  a  large  and  complete  stock  of  drugs 
and  enjoys  the  coniidence  of  the  community.  Mr.  Rebstock 
built  and  operated  the  Buffalo  Lake  Telephone  Exchange  and 
rural  lines,  selling  the  same  to  The  Electric  Phone  Co.  of  Stewart 
and  Buffalo  Lake,  a  co-operative  stock  company.  He  has  been 
village  recorder  for  a  number  of  years  and  secretary  of  the 
Commercial  Club,  and  is  one  of  the  leading  mea  of  Buffalo  Lake. 
Fraternally,  he  is  a  member  of  Hector  Lodge  No.  158,  A.  P.  & 
A.  M.,  Garey  Lodge  No.  125,  I.  0.  0.  P.,  Buffalo  Lake  Camp  No. 
2775,  M.  W.  A.,  and  Unity  Lodge  No.  380,  M.  B.  A.,  Buffalo 
Lake.  The  family  faith  is  that  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 
Mr.  Rebstock  was  married  in  1893  to  Marcia  L.  Tifft,  born  in 
DeKalb  county,  Illinois,  in  1870,  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Char- 
lotte (Seltz)  Tifft,  and  this  union  has  been  blessed  with  three 
children:  Maurine  Stegmeir,  Charlotte  and  Leland.  Marcia  L. 
Rebstock  died  in  1895  after  an  illness  of  six  months  and  is 
interred  in  the  Hutchinson  cemetery  beside  her  father  and 
mother.  Her  father,  Samuel  Tifft,  owned  a  large  farm  in  Illi- 
nois. In  his  later  years  he  came  to  Hutchinson  and  moved  onto 
a  farm  in  Lynn  township.  He  died  in  Hutchinson  in  1903  and 
his  wife  passed  away  a  few  years  later.  Of  their  eight  children 
there  are  now  living  five:  Albert  P.,  of  McGrath,  Alberta; 
Judge  Merrill  C,  of  Minneapolis;  Judge  Cyril  M.,  of  Glencoe, 
Minnesota;  Dr.  Wallace  L.,  of  Glencoe,  and  Hattie  Zierke,  of 
Hutchinson,  Minnesota.  Mr.  Rebstock  was  married  in  1904  to 
Elizabeth  Harrier,  born  in  St.  Peter,  Minnesota,  April  26,  1881, 
daughter  of  Alexander  and  Elizabeth  Harrier,  and  this  union 
was  blessed  with  three  children:  Frances,  Ruth  and  Kenneth. 
Alexander  Harrier,  born  in  Ireland,  came  to  America  as  a  young 
lad  and  settled  in  St.  Peter,  Minnesota,  later  moving  on  to  a 
farm  in  Preston  Lake  township  near  Buffalo  Lake.  He  died  in 
Hutchinson,  Minnesota,  in  1904.  His  wife  died  a  year  later.  Of 
their  seven  children,  five  are  living:  William,  of  Preston  Lake 
township;  James,  of  Lake  Norden,  South  Dakota;  Alexander, 
of  Minneapolis;  Mrs.  Verne  Booth,  of  Washington,  and  Mrs. 
E.  W.  Rebstock,  wife  of  Ernest  W.  Rebstock. 


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424  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

Thomas  Toibenuon,  one  of  the  old  and  highly  respected 
pioneers  of  Renville  county,  was  born  in  Norway,  May  30,  1832, 
son  of  Ole  and  Anna  (Johnson)  Torbenson,  who  with  their 
lamily  of  seven  children,  Thomas,  Olive,  John,  Cornelia,  Halver, 
Carl  and  Simeon,  left  Norway  in  1847  for  America.  They  took 
several  days  going  from  their  home  to  Skien  and  were  three 
weeks  on  the  ocean  from  Skien  to  Havre,  France,  Five  weeks 
were  spent  on  the  water  from  Havre  to  New  York,  From  New 
York  they  went  up  the  Hudson  by  steamboat  to  Albany,  and 
from  thence  by  Erie  canal  to  Buffalo,  where  they  took  a  lake  " 
steamer  to  Milwaukee.  Then  they  settled  on  130  acres  in  Mus- 
keego  township,  Waukesha  county,  Wisconsin,  on  which  a  log 
building  had  already  been  erected,  and  with  their  ox  team  began 
farming.  After  ten  years  the  father  went  to  Eureka,  Dakota 
county.  Thomas  and  John  were  the  first  in  the  family  to  settle 
in  Minnesota,  coming  in  1856  to  McLeod  county,  where  they 
secured  farms.  In- 1873  Thomas  came  to  Renville  county,  where 
he  secured  land  in  Martinsburg  township,  but  did  not  move  upon 
it  until  some  time  in  the  eighties.  In  1886  he  built  a  modern 
house.  From  time  to  time  he  has  added  to  his  farm  until  it  now 
comprises  360  acres.  In  1904  he  moved  to  Hector  and  retired 
from  farming.  Mr.  Torbenson  has  held  such  township  ofBces 
afi  assessor  and  treasurer.  He  organized  School  District  No. 
113  and  served  on  its  board.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Norwegian 
Lutheran  church  of  Palmyra  township.  He  belongs  to  the  G. 
A.  R.  at  Hector.  Mr,  Torbenson  married  Caroline  Oleanne  Olson 
July  16,  1864,  at  Carver,  Minnesota,  just  before  he  went  to  war, 
Ahen  he  enlisted  in  Company  A,  First  Minnesota  Heavy 
Artillery,  and  went  south  to  Chattanooga,  where  he  did  guard 
duty  until  discharged,  after  which  he  returned  to  Minnesota, 
Caroline  Oleanne  Olson  was  born  in  Norway  November  16,  1837, 
daughter  of  Ole  and  Gurina  (Hendrickson)  Olson,  who  came  to 
the  United  States  in  1851  with  four  children :  Henry,  Bernt, 
Ole  and  Caroline,  Their  fifth  child,  Theoline,  was  bom  in  the 
United  States,  They  were  eight  weeks  on  the  water  coming  to 
the  port  of  New  York,  From  there  they  went  to  Albany  on  the 
mail  steamer  and  from  there  to  Milwaukee  by  way  of  the  Erie 
canal  and  the  Great  Lakes.  They  settled  on  a  farm  in  Waukesha 
county  and  with  an  ox  team  began  breaking  their  land.  Mr. 
Olson  died  in  1853  at  the  age  of  fifty-eight  years,  and  his  wife  in 
1863  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight  years,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Torbenson 
have  had  the  following  children:  Anna,  married  Grant  Giltner 
and  died  leaving  three  children,  Levina  Adaline,  Arthur  T.  and 
Henry  Clinton.  Clara,  now  Mrs.  Andrew  Helstad,  of  Minne- 
apolis, has  two  daughters,  Ellen  and  Hazel.  Octor  J.,  living  in 
North  Dakota,  married  Alice  D.  Miller,  and  has  the  following 
children:  Florence,  Joyce  and  Grace  (deceased),    Oscar  is  dead. 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  425 

Harry  L.  is  the  assistant  cashier  in  the  State  Baok  of  Hector.  He 
is  married  to  Eva  Griffith  and  they  have  one  child,  Raymond  L. 
Theoline,  now  Mrs.  Harry  H.  Nixon,  of  Woodworth,  North 
Dakota,  has  two  children :  Kathryn  and  Harriet.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Torbenson  are  still  hale  and  hearty  in  spite  of  their  advanced 
years,  and  celebrated  their  golden  wedding  anniversary  in  1914, 
All  their  children,  children-in-law  and  all  the  grandchildren, 
nine  in  number,  were  among  those  who  were  present.  They  were 
presented,  by  their  children,  with  a  gold  sugar  and  creamer  and 
with  electrical  fixtures  for  their  home,  and  also  with  a  gold  sugar 
spoon  by  Mrs.  Torbenson 's  sister.  Their  old  neighbors  presented 
them  with  a  gold  decorated  sugar  and  creamer.  They  also  gave 
Mrs.  Torbenson  a  gold  mounted  umbrella  and  Mr.  Torbenson  a 
gold  mounted  cane. 

Jacob  Mosher,  deceased,  was  bora  in  Illinois  in  July  22,  1820. 
The  father  was  a  millwright  by  trade  and"  spent  hia  entire  life 
in  Illinois  with  the  exception  of  a  short  time  when  he.  took  his 
family  to  Nova  Scotia.  Jacob  was  the  only  one  of  the  family  to 
come  to  Minnesota,  coming  in  1840  to  St.  Paul,  then  but  a  trad- 
ing post.  He  was  a  carpenter  by  trade  and  helped  build  the 
Minnesota  House,  the  first  hotel  of  the  place.  He  helped  to 
build  the  first  bridge  across  the  Mississippi  river  at  Meodota. 
Mr.  Mosher  pre-empted  a  piece  of  land  in  Washington  county, 
Cottage  Grove  township,  and  built  a  frame  building.  In  1887 
he  sold  this  place  and  moved  to  Renville  county  with  his  wife 
and  three  youngest  children,  the  rest  of  the  children  having 
started  homes  of  their  own.  He  purchased  a  tract  of  eighty-five 
acres  of  wild  prairie  land  in  section  3,  in  Hector  township.  Here 
he  built  a  small  frame  house,  which  is  still  standing,  and  lived 
here  for  about  seven  years,  dying  in  1895.  Mr.  Mosher  was  a 
member  of  the  school  board  of  Hector  township  at  the  time  of 
his  death.  He  was  not  a  member  of  any  church,  but  was  well 
read  on  religious  subjects.  Mr.  Mosher  was  married  at  Still- 
water to  Mariah  Shatto,  born  in  Massachusetts  December  12, 
1829,  a  daughter  of  Chauncy  and  Elvira  Gillett,  Ohio  pioneers 
of  English  descent,  and  widow  of  Louis  Shatto.  Mr.  Shatto 
brought  his  wife  and  two  children,  Louis  and  Alzada,  and  located 
at  Stillwater,  where  he  died.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mosher  had  seven 
children:  Frances,  Jennie,  William,  Addie,  Grant,  Laura  and 
George.  Grant  Mosher  lived  with  his  father  and  took  over  the 
management  of  the  place  after  hia  death.  He  was  born  Septem- 
ber 23,  1867,  and  was  educated  in  Washington  county.  He  still 
farms  the  old  homestead  and  has  added  to  the  farm  and  erected 
good  buildings.  He  raises  good  Shorthorn  cattle.  Mr.  Mosher 
la  a  member  of  the  Farmers'  Exchange  of  Hector,  and  a  member 
of  the  Equity  of  Churchill.  Mr.  Mosher  is  in  possession  of  an 
1812  half  dollar  which  was   tied   around  the  neck  of   Mariah 


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4a6  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

Stevens  by  her  grandfather  on  the  mother's  side  as  she  was  leav- 
ing  with  her  parents  for  Ohio  when  she  was  one  and  a  half  years 
old.  She  kept  it  till  her  death  and  then  gave  it  to  Qrant  Mosher, 
who  treasures  it  very  highly. 

Brin^l  TollifBon,  a  prominent  farmer  of  Palmyra  township, 
was  born  January  25,  1844,  in  Norway,  son  of  Tollif  Bringelson. 
The  old  farm  name  was  Graue,  the  name  Tollifaon  being  derived 
from  the  father's  given  name,  Tollif.  Tollif  Bringeleon  and  hia 
wife  came  to  America  in  1845  by  sailing  vessel,  settling  in  Jeffer- 
aon  county,  'Wisconsin,  where  they  cleared  up  a  farm  from  the 
woods.  They  built  a  log  cabin  and  used  an  ox  team  for  farm- 
ing. Mr. .  Bringelson  helped  organize  and  build  the  church  on 
his  farm  and  donated  an  acre  of  land  for  a  cemetery.  This 
church  became  known  as  the  Skopnong  Norwegian  Lutheran 
church.  He  died  at  the  age  of  sixty-^i^t  and  his  wife  died  at 
the  age  of  ninety-seven  years  seven  months  and  fourteen  days. 
They  had  the  following  children:  Bringel,  Anphin,  Amund,  Caro- 
line, Mary,  John  and  Andrew.  Bringel  Tollifson  was  about  one 
year  old  when  the  family  came  to  the  United  States  and  grew 
up  in  Jefferson  county,  where  he  attended  the  old  log  school  of 
the  county.  Later  a  frame  school  house  was  built  and  he  con- 
tinued his  schooling  at  this  place.  His  father  helped  organize  the 
district  and  was  a  member  of  the  school  board.  Bringel  Tollif- 
aon enlisted  in  1862  in  Company  E,  Twenty-eighth  Wisconsin 
Volunteer  Infantry,  served  three  years  or  more  under  Camby 
and  Steele  and  took  part  in  various  battles  in  Arkansaa.  He 
was  discharged  at  Little  Rock  and  mustered  out  at  Madison, 
Wisconsin.  After  the  war  he  remained  in  Wisconsin  until  1872, 
when  he  came  to  Renville  county,  Minnesota,  obtaining  a  home- 
stead in  the  spring  of  1873.  He  secured  160  acres  of  wild  land 
in  section  4,  Palmyra  township,  where  he  built  a  rude  home,  part 
dug-out  and  part  sod  hut,  being  16  by  18  feet.  Here  he  lived 
alone  for  about  two  years,  having  one  cow  and  two  or  three 
teams  of  oxen  and  broke  up  most  of  the  land  by  ox  team.  In 
1881  the  cyclone  of  July  14  destroyed  the  sod  house  and  then 
a  stone  house  was  built  the  same  fall.  Twenty-six  years  ago  he 
located  his  present  place  and  built  a  frame  house.  He  now  owns 
240  acres  of  farm  land  and  has  built  good  frame  buildings.  He 
raises  a  good  grade  of  stock.  Mr.  Tollifson  is  a  shareholder  in 
the  Creamery  Association  and  has  been  chairman  of  the  board 
of  supervisors  of  the  township.  He  is  a  member  of  the  school 
board  and  helped  organize  the  district.  He  is  also  a  member  of 
the  G.  A.  R.  of  Hector.  His  faith  is  that  of  the  Norwegian 
Lutheran  church,  of  which  he  has  been  a  member  of  the  board 
of  directors.  Mr.  Tollifaon  was  married  September  9,  1877,  to 
Caroline  Anderson,  a  native  of  Norway,  daughter  of  Anton  Ring- 
hein  and  Anna  (Halleson)  Anderson,  who  with  their  three  chil- 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  4'27 

dren,  Andrew,  Louise  (deceased)  and  Caroline,  came  to  America 
in  1854,  being  seven  weeks  and  four  days  on  the  trip.  After 
three  years  in  Wisconsin  they  moved  to  Adams  county,  where 
they  remained  for  six  yeara  and  then  came  to  Blue  Earth  county 
in  1863.  Here  they  purchased  some  wild  land  and  made  theii 
home.  Mr.  Anderson  drove  into  the  state  hy  ox  team  and 
brought  with  him  thirty  head  of  cattle  and  a  flock  of  fifty  sheep. 
His  wife  spun  and  wove  all  the  material  needed  for  their  cloth- 
ing. For  six  weeks  they  lived  in  the  wagon  and  then  a  rude 
shanty  was  built  and  later  a  large  log  house  was  erected.  Church 
services  were  often  held  at  his  home.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Norwegian  Lutheran  congregation  and  a  prominent  man  in  the 
organization  of  the  church.  He  died  July  13,  1891,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-one  years.  Hia  wife  is  still  living  at  a  ripe  old  age, 
having  been  born  September  22,  1822.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tollifson 
have  had  the  following  children;  Anna  C,  born  June  28,  1878; 
Oscar  T.,  born  February  1,  1881;  Andrew  L.,  born  March  27, 
1884;  Birthy,  bom  April  5,  1888;  Melvin  A.,  born  June  18,  1893; 
■  Florence  V.,  born  July  18,  1904,  and  Guy  Willis,  born  February 
20,  1891,  and  died  in  infancy. 

Soim  P.  Newholm,  a  model  farmer  of  Hector  township,  is  one 
of  those  men  who  have  helped  subdue  the  wilderness  and  in  so 
doing  have  made  possible  the  present  prosperity  and  progress 
of  Renville  county.  He  was  born  in  Kronoborgs-Lan  Wexio, 
Sweden,  November  23,  1847,  son  of  Daniel  Peterson  and  Martha 
Christina  Johnsdatter,  his  wife.  The  father,  an  extensive  fanner, 
died  in  1874;  the  mother  passed  away  in  1888.  John  P.  Newholm 
received  his  education  in  his  native  parish  and  became  thor- 
oughly versed  in  agriculture  under  the  able  tuition  of  his  father. 
For  two  years  he  was  employed  on  the  government  railway  and 
during  that  period  changed  his  name  by  the  permission  of  the 
authorities  from  Peterson  to  Newholm.  In  1872  he  came  to 
America,  locating  in  Afton  township,  Washington  county,  this 
state,  where  he  was  employed  for  one  summer.  Deciding  to  see 
more  of  the  Northwest  he  went  to  the  Red  River  Valley  and  until 
harvest  time  was  employed  in  railway  work  with  headquarters 
at  Crookston,  afterwards  returning  to  Washington  county,  where 
he  and  a  friend  took  a  contract  of  logging  and  "grubbing."  For 
several  years  thereafter  he  alternated  his  time  between  farming 
and  working  in  the  pineries.  It  was  in  1887  that  he  bought  160 
acres  in  section  5,  Hector  township.  The  next  year  he  located 
in  this  county  and  still  a  year  later  built  his  home.  When  he 
purchased  the  tract  it  was  all  wild  land.  He  broke  it,  brought 
it  under  cultivation,  planted  groves  and  made  it  into  an  ideal 
estate.  His  wide  experience  has  been  of  great  value  to  him  in 
this  work,  and  many  of  the  modern  implements  on  the  place 
are  of  his  own  manufacture.     A  true  believer  in  education,  he 


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^8  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

has  served  on  the  school  board  of  his  district  and  has  done  public 
service  in  other  ways.  He  owns  stock  in  the  Farmers'  Exchaage 
at  Heetor  and  in  the  Hector  Telephone  Company.  The  family 
faith  is  that  of  the  Swedish  Lutheran  church.  He  was  married 
March  15,  1890,  to  Hattie  L.  Walkan,  who  was  bom  in  Linkoping- 
Lan,  Odeshog,  Sweden,  April  27,  1852.  Her  parents  came  to 
America  in  1880  and  farmed  in  Nicollet  county,  this  state,  until 
1888,  when  they  came  to  Hector  township,  this  county,  and  pur- 
chased 160  acres,  on  which  they  spent  the  remainder  of  their 
lives.  The  father  died  April  21,  1891,  and  the  mother  October 
13,  1898. 

Ole  0.  Mordako^,  a  well-to-do  farmer  of  Palmyra  township,  was 
bom  in  Norway,  February  15, 1849,  eon  of  Ole  Nordskog  and  Gun- 
hild  (Ytterboe)  Nordskog.  In  the  family  were  nine  children :  Ole 
0.,  Thyke,  Svennung,  Gunhild,  Carrie,  Even,  Ingeborg,  Marie  and 
Ole.  This  last,  Ole,  was  so  named  because  the  elder  Ole  0.  had  left 
for  America  and  the  family  thought  that  he  was  dead.  Ole  0. 
came  to  America  in  1869  and  located  in  Fillmore  county,  Minne- 
sota, where  he  worked  on  the  farms.  The  first  year  he  earned 
from  fifty  cents  a  day  to  two  dollars  and  a  half  during  the  harvest 
season.  At  the  end  of  the  year  he  came  to  Decorah,  Iowa,  where 
he  had  an  uncle,  and  hired  out  on  a  farm  for  six  months.  Next  he 
return  to  Freeborn  county,  where  he  remained  for  two  years, 
and  then  in  1873  came  to  Renville  county,  where  he  obtained  a 
homestead  of  state  land.  He  was  one  of  the  last  to  receive  a  home- 
stead in  that  locality,  securing  a  tract  of  160  acres  in  section  18, 
Palmyra  township.  He  moved  on  to  this  place  in  the  spring,  and 
in  the  meantime  the  rest  of  the  family  arrived  from  Norway  and 
made  Renville  county  their  future  home.  He  built  a  frame  shanty, 
which  is  part  of  the  present  house,  and  a  straw  shed.  He  had  a 
team  of  oxen  and  one  cow  and  a  wagon,  and  began  farming  with 
these.  His  parents  also  secured  land  in  Palmyra  township.  The 
father  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-seven  years,  and  the  mother  at 
seventy-six  years.  They  were  members  of  the  Norwegian  Luth- 
eran church.  Mr.  Nordskog  has  a  tract  of  400  acres  of  farming 
land  at  his  present  place  and  also  120  acres  farther  east.  He 
has  made  a  specialty  of  raising  good  stock  and  owns  his  own 
threshing  outfit.  His  son  Conrad  now  has  charge  of  the  place  and 
raises  Hereford  cattle.  He  also  has  built  a  fine  residence  and 
erected  good  barns.  Mr.  Nordskog  has  held  office  on  the  township 
board  and  helped  organize  the  old  school  district  No.  112,  and  was 
a  member  of  the  school  board.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Norwegian 
Lutheran  church,  and  the  early  gatherings  of  the  congregation 
were  held  in  his  little  shanty.  He  has  been  a  trustee  of  the  church. 
Mr.  Nordskog  has  in  his  possession  several  old  curiosities  from 
Norway,  among  which  are  an  old  cupboard  built  in  1779  and  an 
old  wooden  drinking  bowl,  which  has  a  raised  hole  in  the  center  so 


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JUSTIN  JOHNSON  AND  FAMILY 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  429 

that  the  drinker  could  see  all  that  was  taking  place  and  prevent 
any  sudden  attack  by  an  unfriendly  companion.  Mr.  Nordskog 
was  united  in  marriage  August  22,  1877,  to  Iverine  (Mork),  born 
in  Norway,  and  came  with  her  parents,  John  and  Christina  Mork, 
and  her  brother,  Carl,  to  America  in  1868  by  sailing  vessel,  being 
nine  weeks  on  the  water.  For  four  years  they  lived  in  Lansing, 
Iowa.  Then  they  came  to  Renville  county  in  1872  and  located 
eighty  acres  in  section  9,  Palmyra  township.  They  had  a  team  of 
oxen  and  built  a  sod  shanty.  Here  Mr.  Mork  died  in  1886  at  the 
age  of  sixty-nine  years,  and  his  wife  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-five 
years.  They  were  members  of  the  Norwegian  Lutheran  church. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nordskog  have  had  the  following  children:  Oscar 
and  Clara  (deceased),  Oscar,  Caroline.  Conrad,  Theodore,  Olaf 
and  Clara.  Caroline  married  Herman  Schubert.  They  live  at 
Minneapolis  and  have  two  children,  Wallace  and  Douglas.  Oscar 
is  a  farmer  of  Palmyra  township.  -  He  married  Ronnaug  Suvdahl 
and  they  have  three  children,  Claudine,  Vivian  and  Eugene.  Theo- 
dore is  a  farmer  of  Palmyra  township.  He  married  Clara  Jahr 
and  they  have  two  children,  Alice  and  Rudolph.  Olof  is  a  farmer 
of  Palmyra  township.    Clara  is  at-  home. 

Justiil  Jobnaon,  son  of  Alexander  and  Susanna  (Mathison) 
Johnson,  was  bom  in  Norway,  October  "25,  1859,  He  received  his 
education  in  the  United  States  and  at  the  age  of  twenty-two  en- 
gaged in  farming  for  himself,  locating  a  farm  of  80  acres  of  state 
land  in  Palmyra.  It  was  all  wild  land  and  he  built  a  small  house 
of  lumber,  12  by  14  and  7  feet  high,  which  is  still  standing.  He 
began  farming  with  an  ox  team  and  has  gradually  built  up  the 
place  from  a  tract  of  eighty  acres  to  a  farm  of  540  acres.  He  has 
erected  a  modem  house  and  has  built  good  bams  and  silo.  He 
raises  a  good  grade  of  stock  and  is  a  member  of  the  Farmers'  Ele- 
vator at  Hector.  He  is  also  a  shareholder  in  the  Hector  Telephone 
Company.  Mr.  Johnson  served  on  the  school  board,  and  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Norwegian  Lutheran  church.  He  was  married  in  June, 
1882,  to  Anna  Gilbertson,  born  near  Deeorah,  Iowa,  daughter  of 
Nels  Gilbertson.  She  died  March  26,  1893,  at  the  age  of  thirty- 
eight  years,  leaving  seven  children :  Alice,  Alfred,  Mary,  Nettie, 
Blanche,  Annie  and  Julius.  Alice  married  George  Reitz,  of  Mel- 
ville township,  and  they  have  three  children,  Annie,  Norman  and 
Melvin:  Mary  married  Hugo  Libbeck.  of  Hector,  and  tbey  have 
one  child,  Alice. 

Iver  Gerald,  a  prominent  character  in  Renville  county,  was 
bom  in  Norway,  October  1,  1851,  and  came  with  his  parents  to 
the  United  States.  He  was  educated  in  the  Wisconsin  public 
schools  and  the  Normal  school  at  Whitewater  and  later  attended 
Luther  College  at  Iowa.  He  filed  on  a  homestead  in  Palmyra  town- 
ship, section  12,  and  continued  in  school  work,  teaching  in  Blue 
Earth  county  in  the  winter  and  working  on  his  homestead  in  the 


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480  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

summer  time.  He  went  to  Beaver  Falls  to  work  as  clerk  in  the 
auditor's  office  and  later  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  at 
Beaver  Falls.  For  six  years  he  was  superintendent  of  the  schools 
of  Renville  county.  Then  he  became  a  merchant  at  Bird  Island. 
In  1902  he  went  to  ThorBby,  Alabama,  and  engaged  in  banking, 
and  died  there  December  28,  1909.  He  was  an  earnest  adherent  of 
the  Lutheran  church. 

Harley  Z.  McLaren,  veterinary  surgeon  of  Hector,  was  bom 
May  22,  1882,  at  Portage  DuFort,  Quebec,  Canada,  the  son  of 
George  and  Annie  (Eades)  McLaren.  When  nine  years  old  he 
went  to  live  with  his  uncle,  Darwin  S.  Hall,  who  then  lived  in 
Detroit.  Two  years  later  he  removed  to  Buffalo  Lake,  where  he 
attended  the  graded  school.  On  graduating  he  entered  the  school 
of  agriculture  at  St.  Anthony  Park,  graduating  in  1901.  He  then 
entered  the  McKillip  Veterinary  College  at  Chicago,  from  which 
he  graduated  in  1908.  Beginning  practice  in  Hector,  he  has  made 
friends  on  all  sides  and  is  one  of  the  best  known  of  the  younger 
men  of  the  community.  On  election  day  he  votes  the  Republican 
ticket,  while  on  Sundays  he  attends  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church.  As  a  member  of  the  Minnesota  State  Veterinary  Associa- 
tion he  is  well  known  and  highly  esteemed  by  his  fellow  prac- 
titioners. Mr.  McLaren  was  married,  July  13,  1911,  to  Lueile 
Metcalf,  born  July  14, 1882,  at  East  Aurora,  New  York,  the  daugh- 
ter of  Frank  and  Nettie  (Hamlin)  Metcalf.  They  have  one  child. 
Earl  Leslie,  bom  April  4,  1912.  George  McLaren,  bom  1857  at 
Portage  Du  Fort,  Quebec,  Canada,  died  there  in  January,  1892. 
He  married  Annie  Eades,  bom  in  1855  at  ShawviUe,  Quebec, 
Canada.  She  died  at  Portage  Du  Fort,  May,  1910.  Mr.  McLaren 
was  a  lumberman  and  sawmill  man  during  his  life.  He  was  the 
father  of  three  children:  Eric  A.,  preacher  of  tfce  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church,  of  Howard,  Canada ;  Harley  E. ;  Grace,  widow  of  R. 
Hodgins,  now  living  at  Hegina,  Canada.  Prank  Metcalf,  bom  in 
1859,  married  Nettie  (Hamlin),  bom  in  1869,  the  wedding  taking 
place  at  Buffalo,  New  York.  Mr.  Metcalf  is  a  veterinary  surgeon 
at  Momenee,  Illinois,  and  has  two  children,  Lucille  and  Frank. 
His  son  is  also  a  veterinary  surgeon  and  is  associated  in  business 
with  his  father. 

Martin  Johnson,  son  of  Alexander  and  Susanna  (Mathison) 
Johnson,  who  lived  on  the  Totdahl  farm  in  Norway,  was  bom  there 
December  13,  1855.  Alexander  Johnson  came  to  America  in  1866 
and  settled  near  Lansing,  Iowa,  where  he  purchased  forty  acres 
of  land.  His  family  joined  him  in  1867,  and  in  1872  they  located 
a  homestead  in  Minnesota,  in  section  14,  Palmyra  township,  Ren- 
ville county,  where  he  obtained  a  tract  of  160  acres  of  wild  land. 
A  house  was  erected  and  fanning  begun  with  a  few  cattle  and  a 
yoke  or  two  of  oxen.  They  suffered  all  the  hardships  of  the  early 
settlers,  but  as  the  yeare  passed,  improved  the  farm,  increased  it 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  431 

to  260  acree  and  erected  modem  buildings,  including  a  sightly 
home.  He  was  a  faithful  member  of  the  Norwegian  Lutheran 
church,  and  died  in  1913  at  the  age  of  eighty  years.  His  wife  died 
in  May,  1891.  Martin  Johnson  was  eleven  years  of  age  when  he 
was  brought  to  the  United  States  by  his  parents.  He  had  already 
received  some  education  in  Norway  and  continued  going  to  school 
after  he  came  to  America.  In  1873  he  started  farming  and  in  18S0 
secured  his  present  place,  a  tract  of  state  land  of  eighty  acres, 
on  which  no  improvements  had  been  made.  He  first  built  a  small 
frame  house,  12  by  14  feet,  and  later  replaced  it  with  a  modern 
home  and  other  buildings.  He  has  increased  his  farm  to  200  acres, 
improved  it  in  every  way  and  successfully  carries  on  general  farm- 
ing and  stock  raising.  Mr.  Johnson  has  held  ofBce  on  the  town- 
ship board  and  for  the  past  two  years  has  been  the  township 
assessor,  having  also  been  assessor  in  the  early  days.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Norwegian  Lutheran  church  and  a  director  of  the 
Farmers'  Co-operative  Elevator,  of  Hector.  In  1885  Mr.  Johnson 
was  married  to  Marie  Gilbertson,  born  in  McLeod  county,  daugh- 
ter of  Nels  Gilbertson,  of  Norway,  an  early  settler  of  Minnesota. 
She  died  the  following  year,  and  Mr.  Johnson  was  married,  March 
20,  1889,  to  Greta  Hanson,  bom  in  Norway,  daughter  of  Hans 
Formo.  She  came  to  the  United  States  in  1884  and  assumed 
the  name  of  Hanson.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johnson  have  had  six 
children,  one  child,  Arthur,  dying  in  infancy.  The  others-  are 
Adolph,  Agnes,  George,  Helg»  and  Herbert,  whof  is  the  twin  of 
Arthur. 

Peter  Q,  NdsoB,  a  leading  fanner  of  Hector  township,  is  a 
splendid  example  of  what  a  poor  boy  from  a  foreign  country  may 
by  hard  work,  industry,  sturdiness  and  intelligence  accomplish 
amid  the  splendid  opportunity  of  the  United  States.  He  has  de- 
veloped a  good  farm,  and  many  of  the  farm  houses,  bams  and  vil- 
lage residences  in  this  part  of  the  country  testify  to  the  fidelity 
with  which  he  has  labored.  He  was  bom  in  Hesalehobn,  Christian- 
stad,  Sweden,  March  15,  1860,  son  of  Nels  Qortz  and  Hannah 
Madaon,  his  wife,  substantial  farmers  of  that  place.  The  father 
served  twentj'  years  in  the  Royal  Swedish  army  and  died  in  1907 ; 
the  mother  died  in  1904.  The  children  in  the  family  were  as  fol- 
lows :  Nellie,  now  Mrs.  J.  G.  Carlson,  of  St.  Paul ;  Nels,  of  Afton, 
Washington  county,  this  state ;  Mary,  of  Sweden ;  Martin,  a  farmer 
of  Hector  township,  who  married  Hattie  Tagner ;  Ellen,  who  died 
in  Sweden  the  year  she  was  confirmed ;  Peter  G.,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  and  John,  a  veteran  of  the  Royal  Swedish  army,  now  liv- 
ing retired  in  that  country.  Peter  G.  Nelson  received  his  educa- 
tion in  his  native  parish  and  as  a  youth  learned  the  carpenter 
trade.  In  1887  he  came  to  America  and  worked  at  his  trade  until 
1894,  when  he  came  to  Hector  and  followed  a  similar  occupation. 
He  is  now  engaged  extensively  in  general  contracting  and  car- 


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432  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

peater  work.  In  1907  he  bought  &n  eighty-acre  farm  in  section  30, 
Hector  township,  which  he  has  brought  to  a  high  stage  of  cultiva- 
tion and  where  he  now  lives.  Mr.  Nelson  married.  May  17,  1893, 
Mary  Person,  likewise  of  Hessleholm,  Sweden,  bom  June  23,  1865, 
daughter  of  Per  Person,  and  his  wife  Elna  (Monson)  Person,  also 
natives  of  that  parish,  who  came  to  America  in  1887,  locating  in 
St.  Paul,  where  the  father  now  lives,  and  where  the  mother  died 
March  17,  1903.  In  the  Person  family  there  were  five  children: 
Mary,  wife  of  Peter  G.  Nelson;  Paul,  of  St.  Paul,  married  to 
Jennie  Jackson,  Arthur,  cigarmaker,  of  California;  Ida,  of  SL 
Paul,  married  to  George  R.  Sisson ;  Ella,  of  St.  Paul,  and  Gotfred, 
of  St.  Paul,  married  to  Nannie  B.  Bjorkiund.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nel- 
son have  four  sturdy  sons:  Harold  E.,  bom  May  9,  1894,  who 
works  with  his  father;  Albert  L.,  bom  April  10,  1896;  Elmer  G., 
bom  October  25,  1902,  and  Clinton  W.,  bora  December  5,  1904. 
Albert  L.  married  Elsie  Hedtka,  and  they  have  one  child,  Howard, 
bom  May  13,  1904.  The  family  faith  is  that  of  the  Swedish  Luth- 
eran chnrch. 

John  G.  Nelson,  for  many  years  a  progressive  farmer  of  Ren- 
ville county,  was  born  September  16,  1842,  in  Sweden,  son  of  Nils 
Ingmanson  and  Elna  (Johnson),  farmers  who  lived  and  died 
in  that  country.  In  their  family  were  seven  children :  Anna, 
Mons,  John,  Hannah,  Jon,  Thomas  and  Betty.  John  G.  left 
Sweden  first  and  a  few  years  later  Jon,  Thomas  and  Betty  came 
to  America.  John  G.  came  to  America  in  1869  with  his  wife, 
coming  by  steamer  to  Quebec  and  then  going  to  St.  Paul.  He 
ffent  to  Afton,  where  he  worked  in  a  saw  mill  until  he  could  earn 
enough  money  to  buy  a  farm.  His  wife  worked  out  in  various 
families.  Finally  he  bought  a  farm  of  forty  acres  in  Wash- 
ington county,  Woodbury  township,  where  he  lived  for  seventeen 
years.  He  built  a  frame  house  and  began  farming  with  a  team 
of  horses.  In  1887  he  moved  to  Renville  county  and  located  in 
Melville  township,  in  section  1,  purchasing  160  acres  of  rail- 
road land.  The  first  year  he  lived  in  the  barn  and  began  build- 
ing a  house.  The  nearest  market  was  at  Hutchinson.  Wood  was 
scarce  and  twisted  hay  was  used  for  wood.  He  had  two  pair  of 
oxen  and  an  old  team  of  horses.  One  day  when  returning  from 
a  trip  to  market  a  snow  storm  came  up  and  he  lost  his  way  when 
four  miles  from  home.  Finally  he  allowed  the  horses  to  find  the 
way  and  they  arrived  home  in  safety.  Mr.  Nelson  has  improved 
his  farm  and  increased  it  to  320  acres.  He  bas  built  a  modem 
house  and  a  barn  52  by  38  feet,  ceiled  inside  with  double  wall 
around.  He  also  erected  a  hay  barn,  34  by  36  feet.  He  made 
a  specialty  of  raising  Duroc-Jersey  hogs,  Shorthorn  cattle  and 
Hamiltonian  horses,  having  the  finest  driving  team  in  the  county. 
Mr.  Nelson  still  owns  the  old  home  place  in  Washington  county, 
renting  it  and  keeping  it  in  good  condition.    He  was  one  of  the 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  433 

first  stockholders  of  the  Farmers'  Elevator  Company,  of  Hector. 
He  has  also  held  the  office  of  road  overseer.  He  is  a  trustee  and 
deacon  of  the  Swedish  Lutheran  church  of  Hector  and  helped 
bnild  this  church.  In  1912  Mr.  Nelson  moved  to  the  village  of 
Hector,  where  he  erected  a  splendid  home.  Mr.  Nelson  was  mar- 
ried in  Sweden  to  Elna  Trulson,  born  June  8,  1845,  daughter 
of  Tula  Holmquist,  who  was  a  blacksmith  and  farmer  of  Sweden. 
They  were  married  in  1869,  the  week  before  leaving  for  America, 
she  being  the  only  one  of  her  family  to  come  to  the  United  States. 
They  came  by  steamer  to  Quebec  and  traveled  on  to  Minnesota, 
where  they  have  lived  ever  since.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nelson  have  four 
children :  Lizzie  married  Joe  Aure.  She  died  and  left  three  chil- 
dren. Pearl,  Sadie  and  Lincoln,  all  reared  by  their  grandparents. 
Gotfried  is  a  thresher  of  Hector;  Theodore,  who  lives  in  Ward 
county.  North  Dakota,  and  conducts  a  hardware  store.  He  mar- 
ried Ella  B.  Albert.    Charles  is  deceased, 

Nelfl  Paulson,  a  successful  farmer  of  Hector  township,  was 
born  in  Sweden  April  2,  1864,  son  of  Paul  and  Hannah  Paulson. 
The  father  was  a  cabinet  maker  by  trade  and  set  out  with  his 
family  for  America  in  1865,  he,  however,  dying  was  buried  at 
sea,  being  about  thirty  years  of  age.  The  widow  continued  on  to 
Nicollet  county,  where  she  secured  a  homestead  in  Burndat  town- 
ship, section  10,  of  160  acres  of  wild  land.  She  then  married 
Andrew  Schallstrom,  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  war,  and  they  started 
life  together  in  the  rude  shanty  on  her  claim.  Here  they  lived 
for  about  forty  years  until  1905,  when  they  moved  to  Winthrop, 
where  they  built  a  modem  house.  Mr.  Schallstrom  and  his  wife 
were  members  of  the  Swedish  Lutheran  congregation  and  helped 
to  establish  the  church  in  this  locality.  There  were  nine  chil- 
dren :  John  and  Ida,  twins ;  Entma,  Anna,  Mary,  Benjamin, 
Judith,  Betsey  and  Edward.  Mrs.  Schallstrom  died  in  1911  at 
the  age  of  seventy-three  years.  Nels  and  Betsey  were  the  chil- 
dren of  the  first  marriage.  Nels  received  his  early  education  in 
the  district  school  of  Nicollet  county,  which  was  held  in  the  old 
log  cabin  with  home-made  benches.  He  had  to  work  out  on  the 
farms  of  the  neighbors  from  the  time  when  he  was  a  mere  boy. 
At  the  age  of  seventeen  he  went  to  Morrison  county,  near  Little 
Falls.  Then  he  went  to  Western  Canada,  where  he  remained 
about  nine  months,  afterward  returning  to  Nicollet  county.  For 
five  years  he  worked  on  a  farm  in  the  neighborhood  of  St.  Peter. 
Next  he  rented  a  farm  in  Sibley  county,  where  he  remained  for 
three  years,  and  his  sister  Anan  kept  house  for  him.  In  1892 
he  bought  a  tract  of  land  in  section  11  in  Hector  township,  where 
he  moved  in  1897.  There  were  no  improvements  made  on  the 
land  until  he  came  there,  it  being  a  wild  prairie.  He  has  made 
many  improvements  and  keeps  a  good  grade  of  stock.  Mr. 
Paulson  was  married  January  12,  1897,  to  Ida  Benson,  born  in 


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484  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

Sweden  December  1,  1869,  daughter  of  John  and  Mary  (Hawkin- 
son)  Benson,  natives  of  Sweden,  who  were  the  parents  of  ten 
ehildren,  seven  of  whom  are  living:  Clara,  Tilda,  Emil,  Alex- 
ander, Ida,  August  and  Helen,  the  last  two  being  born  in  the 
United  States.  John  Benson  was  a  farmer  of  Sweden.  In  1873 
he  came  to  Nicollet  county,  where  he  secured  a  homestead  in 
Lafayette  township,  section  2,  of  eighty  acres.  Here  he  built  a 
log  house  and  began  farming  with  an  ox  team.  He  was  a  hard 
worker  and  industrious,  and  in  time  increased  his  farm  to  180 
acres  and  built  a  modem  home.  '  He  was  a  member  of  the  Swedish 
Lutheran  church  and  helped  organize  the.  church  of  this  denom- 
ination in  his  neighborhood.  He  died  in  1911  at  the  age  of 
seventy-eight  years,  and  his  wife  died  in  1908  at  the  age  of 
seventy-six  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Paulson  have  two  children : 
Emery  and  Ethel  (twins).  Mr,  Paulson  is  a  quiet  and  unassum- 
ing man,  has  the  interests  of  the  community  at  heart,  and  is  the 
friend  of  every  good  cause. 

James  Q.  Tcwbert,  for  many  years  a  leading  farmer  of  Ren- 
ville county,  was  born  in  Indiana,  July  24,  1842,  son  of  Anthony 
and  Lucinda  (Bobinsou)  Torbert,  who  took  him  to  Iowa  about 
1860,  In  1863  he  moved  to  Steele  county,  in  this  state,  and  later 
to  McLeod  county,  also  in  this  state,  where  he  bought  120  acres. 
This  he  sold  and  in  1875  came  to  Renville  county  and  took  up  a 
timber  claim  in  Hector  township,  where  he  was  one  of  the  first 
settlers.  He  underwent  all  the  privations  of  pioneer  life.  In  the 
early  days  he  often  had  to  drive  thirty  miles  for  supplies.  He 
built  a  good  home,  and  as  time  passed  developed  a  splendid  farm. 
When  he  sold  to  his  son  in  1911  he  owned  200  acres.  He  died 
December  21,  1913;  and  is  buried  at  Hector.  He  was  highly 
respected  throughout  the  community  and  served  in  various  local 
offices.  Mr,  Torbert  was  married  November  21,  1870,  to  Anna 
Pettijohn,  who  was  bom  in  Moultrie  county,  Illinois,  March  15, 
1845,  daughter  of  Daniel  and  Clara  Pettijohn,  and  this  union  has 
been  blessed  with  six  children:  Belle,  born  September  13,  1871, 
now  Mrs.  George  Marsh,  of  Brookfield,  Minnesota ;  Mary,  bom 
March  12,  1873,  now  Mrs.  A.  W.  Croft,  of  Arkansas;  John,  bom 
May  16,  1877,  of  Bird  Island ;  George,  bom  March  20,  1879,  of 
Hector  township;  Charles  F.,  bom  December  13,  1880,  of  Hector 
township,  and  Alice,  bom  March  21,  1883,  now  Mrs.  A.  W. 
De  Long,  of  Hopkins,  Minesota.  The  children  of  Anthony  and 
Lucinda  (Robinson)  Torbert  were:  William  Harvey  (deceased); 
James  Gordon  (deceased) ;  Mary  Frances  (deceased) ;  Alice  B. 
(deceased),  and  Charles  C,  living  at  Hector.  Daniel  Pettijohn 
was  born  in  Ohio,  in  1810,  and  died  December  22,  1882.  He  mar- 
ried Clara  Stark,  who  was  bom  in  New  York  state  April  14,  1818, 
and  died  in  May,  1894.  In  the  family  there  were  nine  children : 
Robert   (deceased) ;  Helen   (deceased) ;  Jahiel   (deceased) ;  Har- 


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HISTORY  OF  EENVILLB  COUNTY  435 

riet  (deceased) ;  Anna ;  Silas  (deeeaaed) ;  Benjamin,  living  in 
Iowa ;  Christopher  (deeeaeed) ;  Alice  (deceased). 

Charles  F.  Torbert,  a  farmer  of  Hector  township,  was  born  on 
the  homestead  of  his  father,  James  G.  Torbert,  December  13, 
1880,  He  received  his  education  in  the  district  schools  and  grew 
to  manhood  on  the  farm,  later  taking  charge  of  it.  He  now 
farms  240  acres  of  land  and  raises  Holstein  cattle.  He  is  inter- 
ested in  farmers'  organizations  and  is  a  member  of  the  Hector 
Co-operative  Qrain  Exchange.  Mr,  Torbert  was  married  in  1906 
to  Candace  Temjyson,  bom  in  Wieconein,  They  have  two  chil- 
dren :  Bernard  and  Marjorie. 

Fl(^d  Hondc,  a  progressive  farmer  of  Preston  Lake  town- 
ship, was  bom  near  St.  Paul,  Minnesota,  January  22,  1854,  son 
of  Allison  Honck,  one  of  the  early  pioneers.  Floyd  Houck  grew 
to  manhood  on  his  father's  homestead  in  Preston  Lake  township, 
Renville  county.  After  farming  for  a  time  he  engaged  in  the 
trade  of  barber  in  Brownton,  Minnesota,  where  he  remained  for 
two  years.  Then  he  went  to  Arlington,  Minnesota,  where  he 
opened  a  shop  for  a  year,  next  going  to  Winthrop,  continuing  in 
the  same  trade.  After  six  years  he  sold  out  and  came  to  Stewart, 
Minnesota,  remaining  there  for  the  short  period  of  eight  months 
and  came  to  Glencoe^  where  he  operated  a  barber  shop  for  about 
two  years.  Then  he  returned  to  the  occupation  of  farming  and 
located  on  his  father's  homestead  in  section  14,  Preston  Lake 
township,  a  tract  jf  eighty  acres,  to  which  he  has  since  added  160 
acres  more.  He  has  erected  good  substantial  buildings  and  raises 
good  stock.  Mr.  Houck  is  a  member  of  the  I.  0.  0.  F.,  of 
Winthrop,  and  of  the  A.  0.  U.  W.  of  the  same  place.  His  wife 
is  a  member  of  the  Royal  Neighbors.  He  was  married  October 
12, 1889,  to  Mary  A.  Smith,  of  Buffalo  Lake,  daughter  of  Nicholas 
Smith,  and  they  have  two  children:  William  and  Syrena,  both  at 
home. 

Willlain  Ulrick,  a  well  known  farmer  of  Hector  township,  was 
born  in  Waldeck,  Germany,  May  25,  1863,  son  of  Peter  and  Emily 
Zom  Ulrick.  Peter  Ulrick  was  born  in  1832  in  Waldeck,  Ger- 
many. His  wife  Emily  died  in  1900  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight. 
Peter  was  the  son  of  Peter  and  Frederics  (Drewes)  Ulrick,  who 
were  farmers.  In  their  family  there  were  five  children:  Carl, 
Peter,  Fred,  Mary  and  Elizabeth.  Fred  came  to  America  to 
Logansburg,  Maryland,  some  forty-five  years  ago  and  died  in 
Indiana,  leaving  a  family  there,  Peter  and  Emily  Ulrick  had 
twelve  children:  Frederiea,  Carl,  William,  Mary,  Adam,  Eliza- 
beth, Peter,  Fred,  Emily,  John,  Jacob  and  Catherine.  Of  this 
number  all  but  Adam,  Emily,  Jacob  and  Catherine  came  to  the 
United  States.  Frederika  set  out  for  America  in  1879,  coming 
to  Lincoln,  Illinois.  She  lives  at  New  Ulm,  being  now  Mrs.  John 
Seivel.    William  came  next  in  1880.     Carl  and  Mary  came  next. 


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436  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

Carl  now  lives  in  Nicollet  county  and  Mary  is  Mrs.  William 
Wilmet,  of  New  Ulm.  Next  came  Elizabeth,  now  Mrs,  Jacob 
Sehnuerle.  Fred  came  next  to  the  United  States  and  lives  in 
Minnesota.  Peter  and  John  came  next.  John  lives  in  Nicollet 
county  and  Peter  in  Martinsburg  township,  Renville  county, 
"William  was  educated  in  Germany  and  learned  the  trade  of  black- 
smith. He  came  to  Illinois  in  1880  and  worked  on  a  farm,  where 
he  lived  until  1900,  when  he  moved  to  Nicollet  county  and  farmed 
there  for  six  months.  In  the  fall  of  1900  he  came  to  Renville 
county  and  located  a  tract  of  eighty  acres  in  section  10,  Mar- 
tinsburg township.  He  added  forty  acres  more  and  improved 
the  place,  selling  it  in  1906  and  located  in  section  35,  Hector 
township,  where  he  secured  220  acres  of  improved  land.  He 
raises  a  good  grade  of  stock  and  is  a  member  of  the  Farmers' 
Grain  Exchange  at  Hector.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  school 
board.  He  is  a  trustee  of  the  German  Lutheran  church  at  Buffalo 
Lake.  Mr,  Ulrick  was  married  January  10,  1888,  to  Sophia 
Sehnuerle,  bom  in  Wurttemberg,  Germany,  November  2,  1864, 
daughter  of  Adam  and  Margaret  (Seifert)  Sehnuerle,  who 
brought  the  family  to  Illinois  in  1864,  later  moving  to  Nebraska. 
The  father  died  in  1900  at  the  age  of  seventy-five  years  and  his 
wife  is  still  living  at  the  age  of  eighty-two.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Sehnuerle  had  the  following  children:  Adam,  John,  Margaret, 
Sophia,  Mary  and  Mat.  Mr.  and  Mrs,  Ulrick  have  had  eight 
children:  Emily,  born  June  19,  1889,  and  died  in  1910;  William, 
born  October  29,  1890 ;  Anna,  born  November  29,  1892 ;  Carl,  born 
May  8,  1894;  Marie,  born  March  6,  1899;  Margaret,  born  June 
14,  1904;  Edwin,  born  June  4,  1906,  and  George,  bom  February 
2,  1908. 

Charles  Weiu,  of  Hector  township,  was  born  in  Tuscarawas 
county,  Ohio,  July  29,  1851,  son  of  John  and  Mary  (Gettman) 
Wenz,  natives  of  Germany,  John  Wenz  was  a  shoemaker  and 
after  leaving  Germany  followed  his  trade  in  Ohio.  He  was  a 
veteran  of  Company  C,  of  an  Ohio  regiuumt,  enlisting  at  the 
beginning  of  the  Civil  war  and  serving  till  the  end  of  the  war 
in  1865,  when  he  came  to  Minnesota,  locating  on  a  farm  in  Carver 
county,  where  he  had  bought  a  tract  of  wild  timber  land,  and 
where  he  built  a  frame  house  and  farmed  with  an  ox  team,  his 
boys  helping  him.  He  died  December  10,  1907,  at  the  age  of 
eighty-three  years  and  his  wife  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-two 
years  in  1908.  They  were  members  of  the  Moravian  church. 
Eight  children  had  been  born  to  these  parents:  Charles,  John, 
Caroline,  Louise,  Fred,  Mary,  Louis  and  Amelia.  Charles  Wenz 
was  only  about  fourteen  years  of  age  when  he  came  to  Carver 
county,  having  received  his  education  in  Ohio.  He  helped  his 
father  and  brothers  break  up  the  land  among  the  stumps  and 
when  he  grew  to  manhood  engaged  in  farming  on  his  own  respon- 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  437 

sibility.  He  came  to  Renville  county  in  1877  and  located  a  tract 
of  land  in  Hector  township  of  200  acres  in  section  19.  This  was 
all  wild  prairie  land  and  here  he  built  a  14  by  20  frame  house, 
which  is  now  part  of  his  present  residence,  and  broke  the  land 
with  the  aid  of  an  ox  team.  He  has  since  made  extensive  improve- 
ments and  built  good  substantial  buildings.  He  has  been  prom- 
inent in  local  affairs  and  has  held  nearly  all  the  township  offices, 
having  been  assessor  for  nine  years,  chairman  two  years,  and 
justice  of  peace  for  two  years.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  and  has  served  as  trustee  for  several  years. 
Mr.  Wenz  was  married  October  12,  1881,  to  Kate  Bipes,  horn  in 
Cologne,  Carver  county,  Minnesota,  April  3,  1857,  daughter  of 
Charles  and  Anestena  Bipes,  both  natives  of  Germany,  who  lived 
in  Wisconsin  for  a  while  and  then  in  the  early  days  obtained  a 
homestead  in  Carver  county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wenz  have  had  nine 
children :  Edward,  Ludwig,  Minnie,  Ernest,  Clara,  Allen,  Esther 
and  Erwin  and  William,  who  died  in  infancy. 

Ooarge  W.  Wiaman,  an  energetic  representative  of  the  modern 
type  of  schoolman,  has  been  a  vital  factor  in  the  life  and  thought 
of  Hector  for  twelve  years.  Encouraged  and  assisted  in  every 
line  of  his  work  by  the  splendid  spirit  and  united  efforts  of  the 
citizens  and  by  the  co-operation  of  the  students,  he  has  devel- 
opened  the  Hector  High  school  into  one  of  the  best  institutions 
of  its  kind  in  the  state,  and  each  year  that  passes  adds  new  results 
to  the  fruits  of  his  labors.  Prof.  Wisman  was  born  in  Pioneer, 
Ohio,  October  4,  1864.  He  received  his  early  education  in  the 
schools  of  his  native  city  and  in  the  High  school  at  Montpelier, 
Ohio.  He  then  took  the  scientific  course  at  Wesley  University, 
Delaware,  Ohio.  His  B.Pd.  degree  was  conferred  at  the  Michigan 
State  Normal  school.  For  six  years  he  was  Superintendent  of 
Schools  at  Frontier,  Michigan,  and  for  four  years  held  the  same 
position  at  Clayton,  Michigan.  In  1903  he  was  elected  super- 
intendent of  the  Hector  public  school  system.  Here  he  found 
an  ideal  field  for  his  talents.  The  work  done  before  his  coming 
had  prepared  the  way  for  just  such  a  man  as  he,  and  the  results 
which  have  been  accomplished  are  a  part  of  the  educational  his- 
tory of  the  state.  One  of  the  students  has  well  said:  "A  bare 
recital  of  such  facts  as  these  can  convey  little  or  nothing  of  the 
character  of  the  man  who,  careless  of  self,  has  thought  only  of 
the  grave  responsibility  of  his  task  as  a  leader  of  the  children 
who  are  to  be  the  sturdy,  clear-thinking  men  and  women  of  this 
great  state.  To  this  man  of  infinite  capacity  for  toil,  great  heart 
and  farseeing  vision,  who  has  made  the  Hector  school  one  of  the 
finest  in  the  state,  the  respect  of  the  parents  and  the  affection 
of  the  pupils  will  ever  be  a  fitting  tribute."  In  all  his  efforts. 
Prof.  Wisman  has  found  his  greatest  inspiration  in  the  intelligent 
companionship  of  bis  talented  wife.    As  Blanche  Oreen  she  was 


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488  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

bom  in  frontier,  Hillsdale  county,  Michigan,  graduated  from 
the  Michigan  State  Normal  school  at  Ypsilanti  and  taught  with 
Prof.  Wisman  at  Clayton,  Michigan,  before  their  marriage  in 
1899.  Ever  since  arriving  in  Hector  she  has  capably  taught  in 
the  first  grade  of  the  Hector  public  schools. 

Augiut  Widir,  a  successful  business  man,  was  bom  February 
13,  1866,  in  Posen,  Germany,  son  of  William  and  Caroline 
(Nehring)  Wiehr.  His  mother  died  in  Germany  in  1881  at  the 
age  of  forty-two  years  and  the  father  came  to  America  to  Blue 
Earth  City,  Faribault  county,  in  1882.  There  were  five  children  in 
the  family:  Augusta,  August,  Emestina,  Julius  and  Rudolph. 
They  earae  to  Wells,  Minnesota,  May  2, 1882,  where  they  joined  an 
uncle,  Ludwig  Nehring.  All  began  working  except  the  very 
youngest  children.  The  father  married  again,  to  Mrs.  Emelia 
Henke,  a  widow,  and  took  up  farming  near  Blue  Earth  City.  He 
lived  in  a  sod  hut  on  a  homestead  of  eighty  acres,  which  ihe 
filed  for.  August  began  to  work  for  himself  and  that  summer 
went  to  Spring  Valley,  Fillmore  county,  where  he  remained  from 
1882  till  1888,  when  he  went  to  Buffalo  Lake  and  located  a  tract 
of  160  acres  of  state  land,  which  he  secured  from  P.  W.  Olson. 
It  was  all  wild  land.  He  built  a  house  14  by  18  feet  and  a  bam 
14  by  20  feet  in  1889,  and  began  farming  with  three  horses  and 
three  cows.  He  now  has  a  fine  farm  of  520  acres.  He  erected 
a  silo  in  1904  for  com  and  feed  for  the  cattle.  His  stock  is  of 
good  grade  and  he  has  specialized  in  Poland-China  and  Duroc- 
Jersey  hogs.  In  1906  he  started  out  on  a  small  scale  in  the  ditch- 
ing business,  at  first  doing  work  in  bis  own  township  and  county. 
His  contracts  have  taken  him  in  McLeod,  Yellow  Medicine,  Sib- 
ley and  Kandiyohi  counties.  Two  years  were  spent  in  Roseau 
and  Kittson  counties  building  a  state  highway.  He  employs  from 
eight  to  ten  men  and  has  a  complete  outfit.  By  strict  applica- 
tion to  his  business  he  has  become  very  successful.  He  still  con- 
ducts his  farm  together  with  hia  contract  business.  Mr.  Wiehr 
is  8  stockholder  in  the  Farmers'  Elevator  at  Buffalo  Lake.  For  a 
time  he  was  the  president  of  the  creamery  which  D,  S.  Hall  helped 
to  organize,  Mr.  Wiehr  succeeding  Mr.  Hall  as  president.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Evangelical  church  at  Buffalo  Lake  and  was  one 
of  the  first  trustees.  He  helped  organize  the  Sunday  school,  and 
was  its  first  superintendent.  Mr,  Wiehr  was  married  March  13, 
1889,  to  Anna  Krauae  at  Racine,  Minnesota.  She  was  bom  in 
Racine  township.  Mower  county,  Minnesota,  daughter  of  Ben- 
jamin and  Henrietta  (Schnieder)  Krause,  both  natives  of  Ger- 
many, They  were  married  there  and  left  with  two  children, 
Emestina  and  Augusta,  for  the  United  States  in  1860,  coming  by 
sailing  vessel,  being  about  twelve  weeks  on  the  water.  They  went 
to  Wisconsin  and  settled  near  Green  Lake,  near  Ripon,  After 
three  years  they  drove  to  Racine,  Minnesota,  by  ox  team.    The 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  439 

father  died  in  1891  at  the  age  of  sixty-nine  and  the  mother  died 
in  1904  at  the  age  of  seventy-five  years.  Pour  children  were  bom 
in  Minnesota:  Emma,  Ella,  Anna  and  Minnie.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Wiehr  have  had  six  children :  "William,  Henrietta,  Fred,  Alfred, 
Minnie,  and  one  who  died  in  infancy. 

Uartln  Mathlson,  a  well  known  farmer  of  Martinsburg  town- 
ship, was  bom  in  Norway,  November  30,  1849,  son  of  Mathias 
Hanson  and  Randi  (Qulbranson).  There  were  twelve  children  of 
whom  the  following  grew  up  to  manhood  and  womanhood :  Hans, 
Jens,  Corinna,  Gilbert,  Christian,  Marie,  Dorethea,  Ole,  Johan 
and  Martin.  Jens  was  the  firat  to  leave  for  America,  coming 
in  1854.  As  a  young  man  he  enlisted  in  the  Civil  war,  later  dying 
at  the  Soldiers'  Home.  Gilbert  left  two  years  later.  He  lived  in 
Renville  county  for  twenty-eight  years,  dying  in  Millelacs  county, 
Minnesota.  Johan  left  in  1864,  and  Martin  came  in  1866.  In 
1868  the  father,  mother  and  sister  Marie  came,  the  rest  of  the 
children  remaining  in  Norway.  Martin  was  seventeen  years  of 
age  when  he  came  to  the  United  States.  He  came  to  Bergen  town- 
ship, McLeod  county,  where  he  stayed  ten  years,  working  in  the 
woods,  grubbing  np  trees  and  clearing  the  land.  He  bought 
eighty  acres  of  railroad  land,  which  he  sold  after  moving  to  Ren- 
ville Gonnty.  He  came  to  Renville  county  in  a  covered  wagon 
drawn  by  two  team  of  oxen,  and  located  a  tract  of  land  in  sec- 
tion 18,  Martinsburg  township,  securing  eighty  acres  of  home- 
stead land  and  also  a  tree  claim,  which  he  later  changed  to  a 
homestead.  The  spring  before  he  had  made  a  dugout  18  by  24 
feet,  placing  logs,  boards  and  sod  on  top,  and  into  this  the  fam- 
ily moved  July  4,  1876,  He  endured  all  the  hardships  of  the 
early  pioneer  of  the  unsettled  country ;  his  crops  were  destroyed 
by  the  grasshoppers,  and  he  often  lost  his  way  in  the  snowstorms. 
Olencoe  and  New  Ulm  were  the  nearest  markets.  Com  was  often 
ground  into  meal  in  the  coffeemill.  Mr.  Mathison  now  owns  528 
acres  of  land,  raises  good  stock  and  has  a  modem  house  and 
bams.  He  replaced  the  dugout  with  a  small  frame  house  where 
they  lived  many  years,  and  fifteen  years  ago  the  present  house 
was  built.  For  many  years  he  was  a  stockholder  in  the  old  Ele- 
vator at  Hector  and  served  as  a  member  of  the  board  of  directors. 
He  is  now  a  stockholder  in  the  Farmers'  Exchange  at  Hector. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  town  board  for  years  and  for  two  years 
served  as  township  treasurer.  He  has  also  been  the  treasurer  of 
the  school  board  and  helped  organize  the  district  of  his  locality, 
No.  113.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Norwegian  Lutheran  church  and 
has  been  a  trustee  for  three  years.  Mr.  Mathison  was  married  at 
Glencoe,  McLeod  county,  June  9,  1874,  to  Marit  Olson,  who  was 
bom  in  Norway,  August  8,  1845,  and  came  to  the  United  States 
with  her  parents,  Ole  and  Barbara  Torgeson,  in  1871,  when  she 
was  twenty-six  years  of  age.    The  following  children  were  bom  to 


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440  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mathison:  Oetor,  bom  May  2X,  1876;  Randolph, 
bom  February  5,  1878,  and  died  August  17,  1879 ;  Bertine,  bom 
May  1,  1880,  and  died  December  10,  1892 ;  Christine,  bom  Feb- 
ruary 11,  1883 ;  Carl,  born  October  11, 1884 ;  Inger,  bom  December 
12,  1886 ;  Anne,  bom  June  22,  1889 ;  and  William,  bom  Febmary 
26,  1892.  Oetor  is  farming  in  Palmyra  township.  Christina  mar- 
ried Julius  Fosland,  a  farmer  in  Palmyra  township,  and  they 
have  three  children,  Melvin,  Conrad  and  Elmer.  Inger  married 
George  Hedtike,  a  farmer  of  Martinsburg  township.  Carl,  Annt' 
and  William  are  at  home. 

Edward  J.  Batlffl",  a  successful  farmer  of  Martinsburg  town- 
ship, was  bom  in  Erin  township.  Rice  county,  July  20,  1861,  son 
of  James  and  Catherine  (Cunningham)  Butler.  James  Butler 
was  born  in  Meath  county,  Ireland,  a  son  of  Nicholas  and  Mary 
(Kiley)  Butler,  who  lived  and  died  in  Ireland  as  farmers.  They 
had  five  ehildreD :  James,  Nicholas,  Thomas,  Margaret  and  Cath- 
erine. James  and  Margaret  were  the  only  ones  to  come  to  the 
United  States.  James  left  Ireland  as  a  young  man  of  eighteen 
and  came  to  Massachusetts,  where  he  remained  five  or  six  years. 
There  he  married  Catherine  Cunningham,  of  Ireland,  and  they 
left  for  Rice  county,  Minnesota,  going  by  rail  as  far  as  La  Crosse^ 
Wisconsin,  and  driving  the  rest  of  the  way.  He  located  in  1860 
a  homestead  of  160  acres  in  Erin  township,  made  a  dugout  in  the 
side  of  a  ravine,  14  by  16  feet,  and  began  farming  with  one 
cow  and  a  yoke  of  oxen.  The  nearest  marlcet  was  at  Hastings. 
In  1870  he  came  to  NieoUet  county  and  secured  a  tract  of  160 
acres  of  railroad  land  in  West  Newton  township.  It  was  all  wild 
land  and  here  he  built  a  cabin  out  of  poles  banked  with  sod  cov- 
ered with  hay.  Here  he  lived  until  the  fall  of  1884,  when  he 
moved  to  Renville  county  and  located  160  acres  in  Wellington 
township,  securing  state  land.  Here  he  built  a  good  house  and  ■ 
made  this  his  home  until  his  death  in  March,  1903.  His  wife  died 
in  1901  at  the  age  of  seventy-three  years.  While  in  Wellington 
township  he  held  the  office  of  chairman  of  the  board  of  super- 
visors and  served  as  treasurer  of  the  school  district  for  a  number 
of  years.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Catholic  church  and  served  as 
a  trustee  for  many  years  of  St.  Andrew's  parish,  which  he  helped 
to  establish.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Butler  reared  the  following  children: 
Margaret,  Eugene,  Edward,  Katie,  Thomas,  John,  Mary  and 
Frank.  Margaret  and  Eugene  were  children  of  a  former  marriage 
of  the  mother  to  John  Lynch  and  were  bom  in  Massachusetts. 
The  rest  of  the  children  were  bom  in  Riee  county,  except  Frank, 
who  was  bom  in  Nicollet  county.  Edward  was  bom  in  the  dug- 
out in  Rice  county  and  attended  the  log  school  of  his  locality. 
When  he  grew  to  manhood  he  engaged  in  farming  in  Cairo  town- 
ship, where  he  rented  a  piece  of  land,  boarding  at  home.  Next 
he  purchased  his  present  place  in  section  22,  Martinsburg  town- 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  441 

ship,  where  he  secured  160  acres  of  wild  land.  He  located  this 
homestead  in  1885  and  built  a  frame  house  14  by  16  and  began 
farming  with  a  team  of  horses  and  two  cows.  He  now  owns  560 
acres  and  keeps  a  good  grade  of  stock,  having  Shorthorn  cattle, 
Percheron  horses  and  Red  Duroe  hogs.  Mr.  Butler  is  a  member 
of  the  Co-operative  Elevator  Company,  of  Hector,  and  has  been 
the  vice-president  since  its  organization.  He  has  served  as  super- 
visor and  chairman  of  the  township  board,  is  an  ardent  believer 
in  education  and  has  done  good  service  on  the  school  board.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  county  board  for  two  terms  and  as  county 
commissioner  helped  move  the  county  seat  from  Beaver  Falls 
to  Olivia.  He  also  helped  adjust  the  school  districts.  He  took 
great  interest  in  the  old-time  conventions  and  in  the  early  days 
was  a  member  of  the  Populist  party,  but  later  became  an  adherent 
of  the  Democratic  party.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Catholic  church 
of  Hector  and  is  one  of  its  trustees.  Mr.  Butler  was  married  Feb- 
ruary 26,  1886,  to  Elizabeth  Tompkins,  bom  in  August,  1865,  in 
Wabasha  county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Butler  have  the  following  chil- 
dren: James  (deceased);  John,  living  at  Hector;  Edward,  who 
is  in  the  lumber  business  at  "Walker,  Iowa;  Robert,  at  the  Mar- 
quette Vincent  aehool  at  Milwaukee;  Mildred,  at  the  St.  Catherine 
College  at  St.  Paul;  Lester,  at  home;  James,  at  home,  and 
Michael  Tompkins,  a.  nephew  of  31r.  Butler,  whom  he  has  adopted. 
Charles  Marquardt,  a  well-to-do-  farmer  of  Martinsburg  town- 
ship, was  bom  January  24,  1862,  in  Wisconsin.  He  grew  to  boy- 
hood in  Wisconsin,  receiving  his  education  in  the  district  school. 
When  he  was  thirteen  the  family  came  to  Renville  county  in  1875 
and  here  he  grew  up  to  manhood  and  engaged  in  farming.  He 
purchased  160  acres  in  section  23,  Martinsburg  township,  it  being 
all  wild  prairie  land,  and  erected  a  granary  and  shed,  which  was 
used  for  a  bam.  He  has  improved  the  place  and  built  good  build- 
ings. He  vaisi's  good  sto^k,  having  Durham  and  Shorthorn  cattle, 
Mr.  Marquardt  is  a  member  of  the  Buffalo  Lake  Farmers'  Co- 
operative Elevator  Company.  His  faith  is  that  of  the  Methodist 
church.  He  was  married  June  25,  1896,  to  Myrtle  B.  Armstrong, 
daughter  of  James  H.  Armstrong.  They  have  had  the  following 
children :  Lester,  born  August  29,  1897 ;  Blanche,  bom  December 
18,  1899;  Myrtle,  bora  October  17,  1902;  Charlotte,  bom  October 
15, 1905,  and  died  in  infancy ;  and  Charles,  bom  January  12,  1915. 
The  children  are  all  at  home. 

James  H.  Armstroiigr,  son  of  William  and  Christian  {Doran) 
Armstrou?.  was  born  in  Clinton  county,  New  York,  December  27, 
1848.  William  Armstrong  and  his  wife  were  natives  of  Ireland 
and  came  to  the  United  States  as  young  people,  where  they  were 
married.  William  Armstrong  became  a  farmer  in  Clinton  county, 
New  York,  coming  to  Minnesota  in  1867  and  settling  at  Gleneoe, 
where  he  died  the  same  year  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight  years.    His 


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442  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

wife  died  November  7,  1877,  at  the  age  of  sixty-six  years.  They 
had  the  followiog  children :  John  Armetrong,  bom  May  2,  1836, 
snd  died  March  7,  1876 ;  William  Armstrong,  bom  September  31, 
1841;  Joseph,  born  October  28,  1S43;  Ann  Jane,  bom  December 
7, 1845,  and  died  March  10, 1872,  and  James  H.,  bora  December  27, 
1848,  The  son  William  came  in  1866,  but  returned  to  New  York 
for  a  while.  In  1867  all  the  family  came  except  John,  who  had 
died  in  New  York.  William,  Joseph  and  James  settled  at  Glencoe. 
William,  who  is  a  veteran  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Eighteenth 
New  York  Volunteer  Infantry,  in  which  he  served  three  years, 
is  still  living  in  Glencoe.  Joseph  came  from  Glencoe  in  the  sprint; 
of  1878  and  obtained  a  homestead  in  section  12,  Martinsburg  town- 
ship, here  he  made  extensive  improvements  and  sold  the  place 
in  June,  1911,  moving  to  Buffalo  Lake  village,  where  be  died.  He 
held  office  on  the  township  board  and  school  board.  He  was  a 
veteran  of  Company  I,  Ninety-sixth  New  York  Volunteers,  hav- 
ing served  two  years.  James  H.  Armstrong  worked  at  whatever 
he  could  get  when  he  came  to  Minesota  and  later  settled  in  Spink 
county,  Sooth  Dakota.  Next  he  took  a  pre-emption  claim  and  a 
homestead  in  Fanlk  county.  After  ten  y^ars  he  came  to  Martins- 
burg township,  Renville  county,  where  be  is  now.  He  has  been 
a  carpenter  for  the  past  twenty-five  years,  but  has  now  retired 
from  active  work.  He  married,  Eunice  Thompson,  of  Illinois, 
bom  April  27,  1853.  Her  father  was  a  native  of  Ohio  and  her 
mother  of  New  York.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  James  H.  Armstrong  had 
the  following  children:  OUa  Dell  (deceased).  Myrtle  B.  and 
Mabel  C. 

Ziorrin  Dod^,  a  well-to-do  fanner  of  Martinsburg  township, 
was  born  May  26,  1859,  in  Olmsted  county,  son  of  Ralph  K.  and 
Susan  J.  (Cook)  Dodge.  Ralph  Dodge  was  born  in  Massachusetts, 
June  16.  1826,  and  his  wife  was  bom  March  21,  1829,  at  New 
York  City.  They  were  married  December  27,  1848,  in  Massa- 
chusetts and  had  eleven  children.  Lorrin  attended  school  in  the 
frame  building  in  Olmsted  county  and  later  in  Renville  county 
and  grew  to  manhood,  engaging  in  farming.  In  1889  he  pur- 
chased 160  acres  of  land  and  built  a  small  shatity  and  here  he 
and  his  family  lived  for  many  years.  He  now  baa  a  fine  home 
and  outbuildings  and  at  this  writing  is  erecting  a  large  modem 
barn.  He  was  a  member  of  the  school  board  for  fifteen  or  sixteen 
years.  He  is  an  old  settler,  a  good  farmer  and  a  highly  respected 
citizen.  Mr.  Dodge  was  married  May  12,  1891,  to  Mary  Ellen 
Lane,  bora  August  10,  1871,  in  Nieollet  county,  daughter  of  John 
and  Phoebe  Overbough  Lane.  John  Lane  was  bom  in  Ireland 
and  came  as  a  yoting  man  of  twenty  years  to  America.  He  took 
part  in  the  Civil  war.  After  the  war  he  located  a  homestead  in 
Nicollet  county  and  lived  there  for  thirty-three  years.  He  began 
with  an  ox  team  and  built  a  frame  bouse.    His  market  was  at  New 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  443 

Uhn.  Next  he  moved  to  Fairfax,  where  he  lived  for  twenty-five 
years,  and  then  he  moved  to  St.  Paul,  where  he  now  lives.  Hia 
wife  was  bom  in  Belmont  county,  Ohio,  daughter  of  Joseph  and 
Delilah  (Hage)  Overbough,  who  came  to  Minnesota  and  located 
in  Nicollet  county  in  1859.  Their  old  log  house  is  still  standing. 
During  the  Indian  outbreak  they  took  shelter  at  Fort  Bidgely. 
They  had  eight  children:  Mary  Ellen,  Eliza,  Josephine,  John, 
Joseph,  William,  Phoebe,  and  an  unnamed  infant.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Dodge  have  three  children:  Oliver,  Ella  and  John,  all  living  at 
home. 

Ernest  Hertd,  son  of  Ootlieb  and  Henrietta  (Locker)  Hertel, 
was  born  in  Germany,  November  13,  1866.  His  parents  were 
both  born  in  Germany  and  engaged  in  farming.  In  1885  they 
left  Germany  and  with  their  five  children;  Robert,  Ernest, 
Richard,  Edward  and  Caroline,  came  to  Chicago.  Three  months 
later  they  went  to  South  Dakota,  settling  in  Spink  county,  where 
they  purchased  160  acres  of  land,  improved  the  place  and  built 
a  small  house.  Later  they  sold  this  and  moved  to  a  farm  in 
Iowa,  near  Charles  City.  Mr.  Hertel  died  in  1904  at  the  home 
of  his  daughter  in  South  Dakota  at  the  age  of  seventy-one  years. 
His  wife  is  still  living  with  her  daughter  in  South  Dakota  at  the 
age  of  seventy-one  years.  While  in  Germany  they  were  members 
of  the  German  Lutheran  church,  in  South  Dakota  became  mem- 
bers of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  Ernest  Hertel  was 
educated  in  Germany  and  received  but  very  little  schooling  after 
coming  to  America.  He  engaged  in  farming  and  purchased  a 
homestead  right  in  Spink  county,  South  Dakota,  which  he  sold 
before  proving  up.  Then  he  moved  to  Waseca  county,  Minne- 
sota, and  rented  a  farm  for  two  years,  after  which  he  rented 
another  for  four  years.  In  1903  he  came  to  Renville  county  and 
purchased  200  acres  of  land  in  section  22,  Martinsburg  township. 
He  has  improved  the  place  and  built  fine  barns  and  a  comfortabli' 
house.  He  raises  good  stock;  at  first  he  kept  Durham  cattle, 
but  now  is  specializing  in  Holstein  cattle  and  has  a  full  blooded 
Holstein  sire.  Mr.  Hertel  is  a  member  of  the  Hector  Co-opera- 
tive Farmers'  Exchange.  He  has  held  the  position  of  township 
clerk  of  Martinsburg  for  the  past  three  three  years  and  has 
served  as  township  treasurer  for  four  years.  While  in  Waseca 
county  he  served  on  the  school  board.  Mr.  Hertel  was  married 
August  20,  1896,  to  Helen  Mueller,  bom  in  Alton  township, 
Waseca  county,  April  2,  1875,  daughter  of  Michael  and  Caroline 
(Zerling)  Mueller.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hertel  have  had  six  children: 
Milton,  born  April  2,  1898 ;  Ruth,  born  May  7,  1901,  and  died  in 
infancy;  Wellington,  born  April  7,  1902;  Freda,  bom  July  31, 
1905;  Rollin,  born  March  28,  1909,  and  Lucille,  born  April  2, 
1914.  Michael  Mueller  was  born  October  18,  1830,  in  Germany 
and  emigrated  to  Wisconsin.    He  came  to  Minnesota  in  1861.    In 


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444  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

1855  he  was  married  to  Caroline  Zerling.     He  died  Aueust  2, 
1900. 

James  Henry  Maxwell,  son  of  Thomas  and  Ella  (McDermot) 
Maxwell,  was  born  in  Lake  county,  Illinois,  October  16,  1865. 
Thomas  Maxwell  was  born  in  Illinois,  son  of  Thomas  Maxwell, 
native  of  Ireland,  Ella  MeDermot  was  born  in  Ireland  and  came 
to  the  United  States  with  an  uncle.  She  was  married  to  Mr. 
Maxwell  in  Illinois.  For  eight  years  he  was  a  cook  on  the  lakes 
and  his  wife  lived  in  Waukegan,  Illinois.  Then  he  took  the 
family  to  McGregor,  Iowa,  in  1862,  going  by  horse  team.  They 
later  came  to  West  Newton,  where  they  secured  a  homestead. 
In  1878  he  came  to  Renville  county  and  pre-empted  a  tract  of 
160  acres  of  wild  land  iu  section  28,  Martinsburg  township,  where 
he  built  a  log  house  with  a  thatched  roof  and  ground  floor. 
There  they  lived  until  1881,  when  he  moved  to  John  Tompkins's 
homestead,  where  he  lived  until  his  death,  June  3,  1909,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-two  yeara.  His  wife  is  still  living  at  Fairfax  at 
the  age  of  eighty-two  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Maxwell  had  ten 
children:  Lizzie,  John,  James,  Mary,  William,  Amy,  Lucy,  Nellie, 
Frank  and  Joseph  (deceased).  James  Maxwell  received  his 
education  in  Renville  county  schools  and  grew  to  manhood  there. 
He  engaged  in  farming  and  obtained  eighty  acres  of  railroad 
land  in  section  33.  This  was  all  wild  land  and  here  he  bnilt  a 
frame  house  and  has  lived  here  ever  since.  He  has  increased  the 
farm  to  440  acres  and  keeps  a  good  grade  of  stock,  having  Short- 
horn cattle.  Mr.  Maxwell  is  a  member  of  the  board  of  super- 
visors and  a  member  of  the  Catholic  church,  being  a  member  of 
the  building  eommittee  of  the  church  at  Hector.  Mr.  Maxwell  ■ 
was  married  November  28,  1893,  to  Anna  Garrahy,  born  in 
Wellington  township,  Renville  county,  daughter  of  John  and 
Bridget  (Keira)  Garrahy.  Mr.  Garrahy  was  born  in  Clare 
county,  Ireland,  and  his  wife  was  also  a  native  of  the  same 
country.  They  were  married  in  England.  Three  children, 
Michael,  John  and  Kate,  were  born  there.  Mary,  Patrick,  Anna 
and  James  were  born  in  Renville  county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Maxwell 
have  nine  children :  Henry,  John.  William,  Mildred,  Everet, 
Arnold,  Alice,  Olive  and  Valine,  all  of  whom  are  living  at  home. 
James  E.  TompkinB,  a  farmer  of  Martinsburg  township,  was 
born  December  7,  1856,  at  Fulton,  New  York,  in  the  county  of 
Oswego,  son  of  James  and  Eliza  (Stanton)  Tompkins.  James 
was  a  native  of  Wicklow  county,  Ireland,  born  March  16,  1818, 
and  came  to  Canada  with  his  parents  at  the  age  of  fourteen 
years.  He  came  to  the  United  States  in  1848  and  settled  in 
Oswego  county.  New  York,  where  he  set  up  a  shoe  shop  at  Fulton. 
He  married  there  in  1850.  In  1857  he  set  out  for  Minnesota  and 
settled  at  Lake  City,  Wabasha  county,  where  he  set  up  his  shoe 
shop  and  worked  at  that  trade  for  a  year.    Then  he  moved  out 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  445 

into  the  country  and  settled  on  a  tract  of  160  acres  of  wild  land 
in  Lake  township,  where  he  built  a  rude  frame  house  16  by  20 
feet.  He  worked  at  his  trade  until  he  eould  afford  to  buy  a  yoke 
of  cattle  and  a  cow  or  two.  He  had  a  straw  shed,  which  he  used 
for  a  bam.  Later  he  built  a  better  house.  In  1872  he  moved 
to  Renville  county  and  homesteaded  160  acres  wild  land  in 
section  30,  Martinsburg  township,  where  he  built  a  log  house 
16  by  22  feet  with  a  board  floor.  He  used  a  team  of  horses  to 
break  up  and  improve  the  land.  In  1881  the  cyclone  o£  July  14 
blew  away  the  log  buildings  and  it  was  replaced  by  a  frame 
building.  He  held  the  office  of  supervisor  and  chairman  of 
supervisors  for  several  years.  He  was  of  the  Catholic  faith  and 
was  one  of  the  first  members  of  the  church  organized  at  Fairfax. 
He  was  married  in  1850  to  Eliza  Stanton,  who  was  bom  in 
County  Mayo,  Ireland,  in  1825,  daughter  of  John  and  Ann 
(Acton)  Stanton.  She  came  to  join  an  uncle  in  New  York  state 
when  she  was  about  twenty-one  years  old,  and  died  July  2,  1877, 
at  the  age  of  fifty-two  years,  Mr.  Tompkins  died  July  9,  1914. 
They  had  the  following  children:  James,  Mary,  John,  Ann, 
Michael,  Elizabeth  (deceased),  Joseph,  Elizabeth  and  Clara. 
James  H,  received  his  education  in  Lake  City,  Minnesota,  his  first 
school  being  a  claim  shanty.  When  his  father  moved  to  Ren- 
ville county  he  also  secured  a  homestead  of  eighty  acres  in 
section  22,  Martinsburg  township,  where  he  built  a  small  frame 
house  14  by  16  feet  and  a  straw  roof  barn,  and  used  a  horse  team 
to  break  up  the  land.  Here  he  lived  the  rest  of  his  days  except 
four  years,  which  were  spent  in  Hector,  where  he  rented  a  farm. 
He  now  farms  200  acres.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Co-opera- 
tive Creamery  and  Elevator  of  Buffalo  Lake.  He  has  held  all 
of  the  township  offices  and  has  also  been  the  clerk  of  school  dis- 
trict No.  71,  which  he  helped  to  organize.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Catholic  church  of  Hector.  Mr.  Tompkins  was  married  at 
Birch  Cooley  August  3,  1885,  to  Julia  Maxwell,  born  in  Wau- 
kegan,  Illinois,  December  25,  1860,  daughter  of  James  and  Mary 
(Winn)  Maxwell.  Her  parents  were  both  born  in  Sligo  county. 
Island.  James  Maxwell  was  three  weeks  old  when  the  family 
left  Ireland.  His  parents,  Thomas  and  Sarah  Maxwell,  first 
located  in  Chicago  and  then  moved  to  a  farm  seven  miles  from 
Waukegan.  The  following  children  were  horn  to  them  in  the 
United  States:  Thomas,  Mathew,  John,  Mary,  Margaret,  Bridget 
and  Sarah.  James  became  a  farmer  and  in  1868  moved  to  Minne- 
sota and  settled  on  a  farm  in  Camp  township,  near  Fort  Ridgely, 
where  he  and  his  wife  spent  the  rest  of  their  days.  Mr.  Maxwell 
died  March,  1913,  at  the  age  of  eighty-two  years  and  his  wife 
aied  November,  1906,  at  the  age  of  seventy-three  years.  They 
had  the  following  children:  Sarah.  John,  Julia,  Thomas,  James 
(deceased),  Jane,  James   (deceased),  and  an  infant   (deceased). 


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M6  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  James  Tompkins  have  the  following  children: 
Fred,  born  June  12,  1886;  Frank,  bom  February  23,  1888;  John, 
bom  February  11, 1890 ;  William,  bom  November  30,  1892 ;  James, 
bora  June  12,  1895 ;  Robert,  bom  December  14,  1897 ;  Mary,  born 
June  4,  1900;  Walter  and  Julia,  twins,  bora  April  18,  1904,  and 
Sabien,  bora  May  18,  1908. 

Mathias  Schnichels,  a  prominent  and  progressive  farmer  of 
Martinsburg  township,  was  bora  in  Scott  county,  Minnesota, 
March  12,  1875,  son  of  Mathias  and  Appalonia  (Bertrum) 
Schnichels,  both  natives  of  Germany,  who  came  with  their  family 
to  Scott  county.  They  moved  to  Renville  county  when  Mathias 
was  a  email  child  and  secured  eighty  acres  in  section  11,  Mar- 
tinsburg township.  Mr.  Schnichels  erected  fine  buildings  and 
improved  the  place,  making  additions  from  time  to  time  until  be 
had  280  acres  of  land.  He  served  on  the  school  board  and  was 
a  trustee  of  the  Catholic  church  at  Hector.  He  died  about  twenty 
years  ago  at  the  age  of  sixty-six  years.  Their  children  were 
Jacob,  Joe,  Gertrude  and  Mathias.  John  was  a  son  of  a  former 
marriage  of  the  father.  Mathias  Schnichels  received  his  early 
education  in  the  district  school  and  as  a  young  man  engaged 
in  farming  in  section  10,  locating  in  1902  on  a  tract  of  160  acres, 
where  he  now  lives.  He  has  improved  and  developed  the  place 
and  erected  suitable  buildings, .  Mr.  Schnichels  has  held  town- 
ship offices  and  has  been  supervisor  on  the  township  board  and 
also  school  officer.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Farmers'  Grain 
Exchange  of  Hector.  His  faith  is  that  of  the  Catholic  church. 
Mr.  Schnichels  was  married  in  1901  to  Eva  Froembger,  a  native 
of  Iowa.  Mr.  and  Mrs,  Schnichels  have  been  blessed  with  eight 
children :  William,  Leo,  Louis,  Helen,  Lucy,  Mathias,  Leonard 
and  Agnes. 

0.  T,  Neiti^  progressive  citizen  and  active  business  man  of 
Bird  Island,  was  bora  in  McLeod  county,  Minnesota,  June  6, 1872, 
son  of  August  F.  and  Wiepka  (Meyer)  Neitzel.  C.  F.  Neitzel 
was  reared  at  home,  attended  the  Brownton  High  school  and  in 
1883  engaged  in  the  harness  business  in  Brownton.  Then  he 
worked  for  a  time  in  the  grocery  at  J.  A.  Karson,  at  Glencoe, 
and  later  in  the  general  store  of  James  Bohn  at  Brownton.  It 
was  in  1896  that  he  came  to  Bird  Island,  and  entered  the  employ 
of  J.  Richardson  &  Co.,  with  whom  he  remained  seven  years. 
His  popularity  grew,  and  by  reason  of  his  ability,  industry  and 
good  judgment  he  was  enabled  in  February,  1903,  to  purchase  the 
general  store  of  H.  L.  Miller,  which  he  has  since  successfully  con- 
ducted. In  1908  he  took  his  brother,  Oscar  A.,  as  a  partner,  and 
the  firm  is  now  known  as  Neitzel  Brothers.  They  have  the 
largest  store  in  Bird  Island,  their  splendid  business  methods, 
their  fair  treatment  of  customers  is  constantly  increasing  the 
volume  of  trade,  and  the  firm  is  as  well  known  as  any  in  the 


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C.  F.  NEITZEL 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  447 

cotmty.  The  store  occupies  a  sightly  double  building  erected  for 
this  purpose  by  H.  L.  Miller  in  November,  1904.  C.  F.  Neitzel 
has  taken  an  active  interest  in  public  affairs  and  is  one  of  the 
euthusiastic  "boosters"  of  the  village.  In  1902  he  ran  for  the 
position  of  register  of  deeds  and  in  1912  for  a  seat  in  the  lower 
house  of  the  Minnesota  legislature.  In  1914  he  was  elected  to  the 
latter  position  and  served  with  credit  in  the  session  of  1915.  He 
was  one  of  the  organizers  and  is  a  director  of  the  Bird  Island 
Commercial  Club,  and  since  1903  has  been  a  director  and  ener- 
getic worker  in  the  Renville  County  Fair  Association.  In  poli- 
tics Mr.  Neitzel  is  a  Democrat.  His  family  faith  is  that  of  the 
Lutheran  church.  He  married  August  27,  1903,  Regina  Knutson, 
who  was  bom  March  14,  1872, 

Osoar  A.  NrituI,  of  the  firm  of  Neitzel  Brothers,  general  mer- 
chants of  Bird  Island  township,  was  bom  in  McLeod  county, 
August  8,  1888,  son  of  August  F.  and  Wiepka  (Meyer)  Neitzel, 
both  native  of  Germany.  August  F.  Neitzel  was  born  in  Ger- 
many and  came  to  America  in  1863.  He  was  married  in  Minne- 
sota to  Wiepka  Meyer,  who  was  also  bom  in  Germany,  and  after 
living  one  year  in  St.  Paul  they  moved  to  McLeod  county  in 
1864,  where  Mr.  Neitzel  took  a  homestead  in  Sumpter  township 
and  became  an  extensive  stock  buyer  and  farmer.  He  remained 
on  the  farm  until  1880,  when  he  sold  ouf  and  engaged  in  the  gen- 
eral merchandise  and  implement  business  at  Brownton  until  his 
death  in  1897,  at  the  age  of  fifty-one  years.  He  was  a  Democrat 
in  politics  and  did  good  service  as  sheriff  of  McLeod  county 
from  1892  to  1894.  He  also  held  many  local  ofBces  of  the  town- 
ship and  served  on  the  school  board.  Mrs.  Wiepka  (Meyer) 
Neitzel,  his  widow,  is  now  living  at  the  age  of  sixty-three  years- 
Their  six  children  were :  C.  F.,  Minnie,  Oscar  A.,  Alma, 
Edward  (deceased)  and  Ella.  Oscar  A.  was  educated  at  Glencoe 
and  received  his  commercial  training  in  his  father's  store.  He 
engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  for  himself  at  Winsted,  where 
he  remained  seven  years.  In  1908  he  came  to  Bird  Island  and 
entered  into  partnership  with  his  brother,  who  had  estab- 
lished the  business  years  before.  They  have  a  store  60  by  112 
feet  with  a  basement  and  carry  a  full  line  of  everything  found 
in  a  general  store,  such  as  groceries,  dry  goods,  clothing  and  so 
forth.  Oscar  A.  Neitzel  was  married  to  Helena  Werner,  of 
Winsted,  and  they  have  two  children :  Noreen  and  Donald. 

Angtut  E.  Jung,  a  progressive  fanner  of  Hector  township,  was 
bom  in  the  town  of  Hartford,  Dodge  county,  Wisconsin,  Novem- 
ber 30,  1882.  He  attended  the  district  schools  at  Randolph,  Wis- 
consin, and  took  a  course  in  the  agricultural  department  at  the 
State  University  at  Madison,  Wisconsin.  He  then  became  man- 
ager of  the  Dr.  Meacber  farms  at  Portage,  Wis.,  for  one  year,  and 
spent  the  next  year  traveling  through  the  western  states,  after 


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448  HISTORY  OF  KENVILLE  COUNTY 

wbioh,  in  1908,  he  eame  to  Benville  county  and  purchased  his 
present  farm  of  200  acres  in  section  19,  Hector  township.  He  has 
since  added  eighty  acres  more  adjoining.  He  has  now  under 
construction  an  up-to-date  barn,  36  by  80  feet,  with  cement 
basement,  modern  in  every  way. .  He  follows  general  diversified 
farming  and  feeds  cattle  for  the  market.  He  is  one  of  the  super- 
visors cif  Hector  township  and  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Farmers' 
Elevator  at  Hector.  Mr.  Jung  was  united  in  marriage  April  26, 
1910,  to  Ella  Malm,  of  Hector.  They  have  two  children :  Madeline 
and  Ruth. 

Amnnd  Dahl,  one  of  the  best  known  public  men  in  the  county, 
was  born  September  12,  1859,  in  Odalen,  Norway,  son  of 
Amund  and  Carrie  (Blaadamen)  Dahl.  The  parents  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1869  with  their  four  children,  Peter,  Carrie,  Dena 
and  Amund,  and  located  at  Red  Wing,  where  they  lived  for  two 
years.  Then  they  moved  to  Durand,  Wisconsin.  Here  the  father 
died  at  the  age  of  forty  years.  The  mother  died  there  twO  years 
later.  Mr.  Dahl  grew  to  manhood  there,  receiving  his  education 
in  the  district  and  village  school.  For  two  years  he  was  clerk  at 
Lake  City  in  a  mercantile  business.  In  1878  he  came  to  Renville 
county  and  located  at  Beaver  Falls,  where  he  remained  for  one 
year,  then  he  went  to  Hector,  where  he  remained  for  three  years. 
He  was  also  in  the  hardware  business  at  Fairfax  for  a  short  time. 
During  the  next  few  years  he  was  traveling  salesman  for  the 
Champion  Harvester  Company.  In  1891  he  located  at  Bird  Island 
and  engaged  in  the  hardware  business  until  1902.  For  the  next 
four  years  he  was  postmaster  of  Bird  Island  and  at  the  same  time 
was  the  cashier  and  later  became  president  of  the  Renville  County 
State  Bank  at  Bird  Island.  For  the  past  fifteen  years  Mr.  Dahl 
has  been  a  member  of  the  school  board  of  Bird  Island.  In  1912 
he  was  elected  county  treasurer  of  Renville  county  on  the  He- 
publican  ticket.  He  is  also  a  member  of  several  fraternal  orders. 
Mr.  Dahl  was  united  in  marriage  to  Cora  Donohue,  daughter  of 
Mathew  and  Olive  (Stanford)  Donohue.  Mr.  Donohue  was  bom 
in  Clare  county,  Ireland,  and  came  to  Minnesota  in  1854.  He  is  a 
well  known  merchant  and  held  several  county  offices.  He  came 
to  Renville  county  in  1877  and  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the 
Donohue  &  Paine  Bank  at  Beaver  Falls,  now  the  Renville  County 
State  Bank  of  Bird  Island.  His  wife  was  bom  in  Ohio  and  is 
of  English  parentage.  There  were  ten  children  in  the  family: 
Anna,  Mary,  Cora,  Edna,  Emma,  Olive,  Ada,  John,  Ellen  and 
Gertrude.  Mr.  and  Mrs,  Dahl  have  four  children,  Mildred,  Helen, 
Lei  and  and  Robert. 

Mr.  Dahl  is  well  qualified  for  the  high  position  he  occupies  and 
his  official  work  has  won  universal  commendation.  He  saw  pioneer 
life  in  the  villages  of  Beaver  Falls,  Hector,  and  Fairfax,  and  has 
been  actively  identified  with  the  growth  of  Bird  Island.     He  is 


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AMINI)   DAHL 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  449 

affable  and  approachable  and  well  liked  and  highly  esteemed 
by  all  with  whom  he  comes  in  contact. 

August  Prelwitz,  of  Hector  township,  was  born  in  Germany, 
February  20,  1842,  son  of  August  and  Wilhelmina  (Buske) 
Prelwitz,  both  natives  of  Germany,  He  came  with  them  to  Wis- 
consin in  1854,  and  after  they  had  come  to  Minnesota  he  remained 
in  that  state  and  sent  them  money  to  buy  food  and  to  secure 
their  claim. 

At  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War  he  answered  the  first  call 
for  three-year  men  and  in  1861  enlisted  in  Company  A,  13th 
Wis.  Vol.  Inf.  He  was  mustered  in  at  Janeaville,  Wis.,  and  was 
sent  to  Little  Rock,  Ark.,  serving  nine  months.  He  was  honor- 
ably discharged  at  Leavenworth,  Kans.,  for  disability,  and  re- 
turned to  Wisconsin,  so  crippled  that  he  was  scarcely  able  to 
walk.  Three  months  later  he  came  to  Minnesota  and  remained 
on  the  homestead  of  his  parents  in  McLeod  coun^ty  until  the 
next  summer.  He  then  worked  on  farms  summers  and  in  the 
winter  worked  in  the  woods.  L^te^  he  obtained  a  piece  of  land 
in  McLeod  county  and  in  1873  sold  this'  and  came  to  Renville 
county  where  he  located  a  claim  of  160  acres  and  also  a  tree 
claim  of  160  acres  in  section  29,  Hector  township,  close  to  what  is 
now  the  village  of  Hector.  Later  he  added  40  acres  more  of 
railroad  land,  part  of  his  farm  now  being  within  the  village  of 
Hector,  The  county  was  all  wild  prairie  land  at  that  time.  He 
built  a  shanty  8  by  10  feet,  where  he  lived  alone  for  some  time 
and  broke  the  land  by  ox  team.  His  market  was  at  Minne- 
apolis until  Glencoe  was  established,  then  the  terminus  of  the 
railroad.  Later  he  built  a  house  18  by  24  feet.  Fuel  was  very 
scarce  and  twisted  hay  was  burned  in  the  sheet  iron  stove.  In 
1904  he  built  a  modem  house  in  the  suburbs  of  Hector  on  the 
farm  where  he  and  his  wife  enjoy  life  together.  Their  farm  is 
rented.  Mr.  Prelwitz  helped  organize  the  Farmers'  Elevator 
Company  at  Hector,  and  was  a  member  of  the  first  board  of 
directors,  an  ofBce  which  he  still  holds.  He  also  helped  organize 
school  district  No.  63.  He  helped  to  form  the  Catholic  parish, 
and  was  one  of  its  trustees.  Mr.  Prelwitz  was  married  July  12, 
1882,  to  Anna  Garske,  born  May  8,  1859,  in  Germany,  daughter 
of  Stephen  and  Anna  (Sehultz)  Oarske.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Prelwitz 
have  opened  their  home  to  a  number  of  children.  Their  adopted 
son,  George,  was  bom  October  15,  1894. 

Angnst  Pnlwitx,  St.,  an  honored  pioneer  of  McLeod  county, 
this  state,  was  bom  in  Germany,  and  there  married  Wilhelmina 
Buske.  In  Germany  there  were  bom  four  children:  August, 
Julia,  Joseph  (who  later  died  in  Wisconsin)  and  Peter.  The 
family  started  for  America  in  1854,  and  after  a  long,  tedious 
voyage  of  twelve  weeks  aboard  a  sailing  vessel  landed  at  New 
York  harbor.     They  came  as  far  as  Chicago  by  rail,  thence  to 


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450  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

Milwaukee  by  boat,  and  tbenee  by  team,  first  to  Watertown,  Wis., 
and  then  to  Rock  county,  in  that  state,  where  they  remained  for 
several  years.  In  the  late  fifties  they  located  on  a  homestead  in 
McLeod  county,  this  state.  Here  they  underwent  all  the  trials 
and  privations  of  pioneer  life.  Times  were  so  hard  and  food 
was  so  scarce  that  had  not  their  son,  August,  then  worhinff  in 
Wisconsin,  sent  them  money,  they  would  have  been  compelled 
to  leave  the  country.  At  one  time  when  the  family  was  in  actual 
need  of  nourishment,  the  father  walked  eight  miles  to  a  neigh- 
bor's, traversing  the  wilderness  and  fording  the  Crow  river.  He 
obtained  some  com,  ground  two  bushels  in  a  large  hand  mill,  and 
started  home  with  the  sack  on  his  back.  In  fording  the  Crow 
river  on  this  return  journey  he  was  nearly  drowned.  As  time 
passed  they  prospered,  built  up  a  fine  farm,  erected  good  build- 
ings and  acquired  a  competence.  Both  reached  the  good  old  age 
of  eighty-two  years,  August  Prelwitz  dying  some  twenty-five 
years  ago  and  his  wife  some  thirteen  years  ago.  In  addition  to 
the  children  they  brought  from  Germany,  four,  Joseph,  Otllia, 
Agnes  and  Matilda,  were  bom  in  Wisconsin  and  Minnesota. 

Stephen  Qanke,  an  estimable  early  settler  of  McLeod  county, 
this  state,  was  bom  in  Germany  and  there  married  Anna  Schultz. 
They  started  for  the  United  States  in  1861,  bringing  their  four 
children,  Mary,  Prank,  August  and  Anna.  After  spending  thir- 
teen weeks  on  the  water  they  reached  Quebec,  and  then  settled 
in  Dane  county,  near  Madison,  Wis.  Four  years  later  they  came 
to  McLeod  county  and  settled  on  a  homestead  of  160  acres.  He 
has  now  reached  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-five  years  and  she 
eighty-two  yeai^.  In  addition  to  the  children  bora  in  Germany, 
they  have  four  children,  Agnes,  Rosalia,  Matilda  and  Albert, 
bom  in  the  United  States.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Garske  are  among  the 
noble  people  who  have  helped  to  make  Minnesota  what  it  is. 
When  they  first  settled  in  McLeod  county  they  lived  in  a  brush 
shanty,  and  the  rain  and  wind  and  cold  and  storm  found  their 
way  in  through  the  crevices.  Oftentimes  they  had  to  go  eighteen 
miles  after  provisions.  As  the  years  passed  they  prospered, 
became  successful  farmers,  and  won  high  regard. 

Benjamin  F.  Sheppard  was  born  in  Boon  Lake  township, 
Renville  county,  August  13,  1867,  being  the  first  male  child 
born  in  the  township.  He  received  his  early  education  in  the 
district  schools,  attended  Hutchison  high  school  one  year,  and 
entered  the  Mankato  high  school,  graduating  in  1889.  He  taught 
for  eighteen  years,  all  in  district  schools  of  Renville  county,  ex- 
cept one  year  in  the  graded  schools  at  Fairfax,  and  five  years 
which  he  taught  in  Hubbard  county  while  living  and  proving 
up  on  a  homestead  which  he  took  in  1895.  In  1900  he  returned 
to  Boon  Lake  township  and  took  up  farming  on  his  father's  old 
homestead  of  273  acres  on  the  shores  of  Allie  Lake.    He  breeds 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  451 

Holstem-FreBian  c&ttle,  five  of  his  herd  being  thoroughbreds  and 
registered.  He  has  served  as  town  clerk,  justice  of  the  peace  and 
on  the  school  board.  He  is  a  stockholder  and  director  in  Boon 
Lake  Co-operative  Creamery  Assoeiatioii  and  is  secretary  of  the 
Equity  Elevator  &  Trading  Co.,  of  Buffalo  Lake.  He  was  mar- 
ried January  1, 1890,  to  Evalena  Braithwait.  Tfaey  have  five  chil- 
dren: Marjorie  E.,  Ralph  B.,  Ross,  Ray  and  Harry  R. 

Christian  H.  Benber,  a  progressive  farmer  of  Hector  town- 
ship, was  bom  in  Ontario,  Can.,  September  5,  1862,  sod  of  Val- 
entine and  Catherine  (Bouelander)  Beuber.  Valentine  Reuber 
was  a  farmer  in  Qermany  and  came  to  Ontario,  Can.,  where  he 
continued  in  the  same  work,  later  coming  to  the  United  States, 
settling  first  in  Preston,  Fillmore  county,  this  state,  and  then  in 
Dakota  county.  He  spent  his  last  days  with  his  son  Christian  in 
Renville  county,  where  he  died  September  25,  1908,  at  the  age  of 
eighty-eight  years,  four  months  and  fourteen  days.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  German  Evangelical  church  and  helped  to  estab- 
lish this  church  at  Preston,  and  at  Millbank,  S.  D.  Mrs.  Cath- 
erine (Bouelander)  Reuber  died  February  24, 1877.  In  the  family 
there  were  eight  children  of  whom  there  are  living  Dora,  Chris- 
tian,  Margaret  and  Christina.  John  and  Adam  and  two  infants 
are  dead.  Christian  Reuber  was  educated  in  the  log  and  frame 
schools  of  his  neighborhood  in  Fillmore  county.  Then  he  en- 
gaged in  the  carpenter  trade,  going  first  to  St.  Panl  and  then  to 
South  Dakota.  In  1888  he  came  to  Hector  and  engaged  in  build- 
ing. From  1891  to  1901  he  spent  hia  autumns  in  the  threshing 
business.  In  1898  he  purchased  80  acres  in  section  18,  Hector 
tovmship,  on  which  a  crude  shanty  had  been  erected.  From  time 
to  time  he  added' to  this  tract  until  he  owned  a  half  a  section. 
He  has  sold  some  of  it,  however,  and  his  farm  now  consists  of 
200  acres,  120  acres  in  section  18  and  80  acres  in  section  19.  His 
residence,  which  is  about  one  and  a  half  miles  west  of  Hector  on 
the  "Yellow  Trail"  from  the  Twin  Cities  to  Watertown,  S.  D., 
is  sightly  and  comfortable,  and  fais  bams  are  commodious  and 
adequate.  He  carries  on  general  farming  and  makes  a  specialty 
of  raising  Shorthorn  cattle,  Chester  White  hogs,  and  graded 
Norman  and  Clyde  horses.  Mr.  Reuber  is  president  of  the  Hector 
Creamery  Co.,  and  was  formerly  vice-president  of  the  Farmers' 
Grain  Exchange  of  Hector.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  school 
board  of  his  district  for  ten  or  twelve  years,  and  also  chairman 
of  the  Associated  School  Board.  He  was  chairman  of  Hector 
township  for  six  years  and  took  great  interest  in  the  affairs  of 
the  county.  He  is  a  member  of  the  M.  B.  A.  .and  also  of  the 
A.  0.  U.  W.  Mr.  Reuber  was  married  May  31,  1893,  to  Kate  M. 
Stengle,  bora  December  27,  1872,  daughter  of  Rev.  C.  W.  Stengle, 
a  Moravian  minister,  and  Christina  (Shoemaker)  Stengle,  both, 
natives  of  Germany.    They  came  to  the  United  States  as  ehil- 


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452  .      HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

dren  and  married  Id  New  York  City  and  then  he  took  up  his 
calling,  dying  at  Monmouth,  Ore.,  1914,  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
two  years.  His  first  wife  died  at  Northfield,  Minn.,  1877,  at  the 
age  of  thirty-two  years.  He  married  again,  his  widow  now  living 
in  Monmouth,  Ore.  By  the  first  marriage  there  were  five  children. 
By  the  second  marriage  there  were  five  children.  Mr.  and  Mra. 
Reuber  have  the  following  children:  Earl  (deceased),  Clifford, 
Wallace,  Ralph  and  Donavan,  all  living  at  home. 

Keary  J.  Savelo,  a  representative  farmer  of  Camp  township, 
was  born  on  the  farm  where  he  now  lives  December  9,  1881,  son 
of  John  J.,  Sr.,  and  Elsa  (Oickarainen)  Savela.  He  attended 
the  public  schools  and  grew  to  manhood,  remaining  at  home  until 
1901,  when  he  purchased  the  north  half  of  the  northeast  quarter 
of  section  9,  Camp  township.  In  1904  he  moved  to  Franklin 
Village,  this  county,  where  he  engaged  in  carpenter  work,  la 
the  summer  of  1910  he  went  to  Iditarod,  Alaska,  carpentering 
and  pr<»pecting.  Durii^  the  season  of  1911  and  1912  he  was 
operating  a  garage  in  Franklin.  On  November  1,  1914,  he  re- 
turned to  the  home  farm  in  Camp  township  where  he  was  bom 
and  where  he  is  now  engaged  in  general  diversified  farming 
and  stock  raising.  Henry  J.  Savela  was  married  April  11,  1901, 
to  Mary  Johnson,  who  was  bom  January  25,  1881,  daughter  of 
Mathias  and  Albertiua  (Frisca)  Johnson.  This  union  has  been 
blessed  with  nine  children.  Isabel,  born  March  15, 1902 ;  Leonard, 
born  September  2,  1903;  Lillian,  born  April  20,  1905;  Harvey, 
born  December  11,  1907;  Margaret,  bom  December  16,  1908; 
Roselia,  bom  October  20,  1910;  Ethel  and  Edith  (twins),  born 
October  6,  1912;  Dorothy,  bora  January  11,  1914.  The  family 
faith  is  that  of  the  Finnish  Lutheran  church, 

John  J.  Savela,  Sr.,  an  estimable  resident  of  Camp  township 
for  many  years,  was  born  in  Finland,  November  14,  1836,  son  of 
John  Jakola  and  Bertha  Haikinen.  He  came  to  America  in  1872, 
and  after  living  in  Red  Wing,  this  state,  for  a  year,  went  to  Calu- 
met, Mich,,  where  he  worked  five  years  as  a  miner.  Then  he 
came  to  Renville  county  and  bought  160  acres  in  section  22,  Camp 
township.  His  first  home  was  of  logs,  but  as  time  passed  he 
prospered  and  erected  comfortable  buildings.  He  died  November 
15,  1913.  Mrs.  Savela  now  resides  on  the  old  farm  with  her  son, 
Henry  J.  John  J.  Savela,  Sr.,  was  married  November  2,  1861, 
to  Elsa  Oikarainen,  who  was  born  in  Finland,  October  9,  1839, 
the  daughter  of  Henry  and  Bertha  (Moilanen)  Oitarainen.  Mr, 
and  Mrs.  Savela  had  ten  children,  two  who  died  in  infancy,  and 
Ida,  Mathias,  Anna,  August,  Hilraa,  John  J.,  Jr.,  Henry  J.  and 
Minnie.  Ida  married  Joseph  Martin,  a  farmer  of  Camp  town- 
ship, and  died  in  1899,  leaving  three  children,  William,  Joseph 
and'  Minnie.  Mathias  was  killed  in  a  mine  in  Washington  in 
1895.    Anna  married  Lars  Pudfw,  retired  miner,  of  Minneapolis. 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  453 

August  was  bom  January  19,  1875,  graduated  in  the  Commercial 
and  Scientific  courses  of  Valparaiso  University  in  1893,  attended 
Carleton  College  at  Northfield,  Minn.,  a  year,  and  in  1907  grad- 
uated in  law  from  the  University  of  Minnesota.  Then  he  prac- 
ticed law  two  years  in  Minneapolis  but' his  health  failed  just  at 
the  threshold  of  a  brilliant  career.  He  returned  to  the  home 
farm  in  Camp,  where  he  died  May  9,  1915.  Hilma  died  at  the  age 
of  five  years.  John  J.,  Jr.,  is  a  merchant  in  Lake  Norden,  S.  D. 
Henry  J.  is  on  the  home  farm.  Minnie  is  the  wife  of  Matt 
Hiltunen,  a  farmer  of  Camp  township. 

John  J.  Savela,  Jr.,  a  prominent  merchant  of  Lake  Norden, 
S.  D.,  was  bom  March  27,  1879,  on  his  father's  farm  in  Camp 
township,  Renville  county,  Minn.,  was  there  reared  and  grew  to 
manhood.  He  remained  at  home  until  1900,  going  to  Sebeka, 
Minn.,  that  year,  where  he  engaged  in  the  general  mercantile 
business  for  two  years,  after  which  he  returned  to  the  home  farm 
in  Camp  township,  later  purchasing  a  160-acre  farm,  located  in 
sections  15  and  22,  on  which  he  followed  general  farming  until 
1905.  He  then  moved  to  Minneapolis,  remaining  there  one  year. 
He  then  went  to  Franklin,  Minn.,  this  county,  where  he 
was  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  for  two  years,  after 
which  he  lived  again  for  one  year  on  the  farm,  thence  going  to 
Lake  Norden,  S.  D.,  where  he  has  since  been  engaged  in  general 
mercantile  business.  He  was  united  in  marriage  March  21,  1900, 
to  Mary  E.  Salmonson,  who  was  born  at  Lake  Norden,  S.  D., 
April  5,  1880,  and  to  this  union  three  children  have  been  born: 
Gladys  Eosabelle,  bom  February  26,  1901 ;  Eleanor  Elizabeth, 
born  November  19,  1903,  and  Edmtind  John,  born  March  6,  1905, 

George  J.  SafTert,  a  prominent  builder  and  contractor  of  Pair- 
fax,  was  born  in  Austria,  May  1,  1887.  His  father,  Joseph 
Saffert,  a  mason,  came  to  New  Ulm  in  1890,  where  he  died  in 
1904  at  the  age  of  forty-seven.  His  wife,  Barbara  (Bechtel) 
Saffert,  aged  forty-nine,  still  lives  at  New  Ulra.  They  had  seven 
children,  three  girls  and  four  boys.  George  Saffert  is  the  oldest 
and  after  his  father's  death  supported  the  entire  family.  Prom 
1904  to  1907  he  worked  as  bricklayer.  At  the  age  of  twenty  he 
became  foreman  for  a  contractor  in  New  Ulm,  for  whom  he  worked 
three  years.  In  1910  he  came  to  Fairfax  and  on  April  1  of  that 
year  became  a  contractor  in  mason,  concrete,  brick  and  stone 
work,  and  also  a  manufacturer  of  cement  blocks  and  tile,  and 
any  kind  of  made-to-order  artificial  stone  work.  In  the  base- 
ment of  Bregel  Brothers'  garage  he  has  an  establishment  with 
a  floor  space  50  by  127%  feet,  equipped  for  all -around -the -year 
work.  Since  entering  into  his  present  business  Mr.  Saffert  has 
erected  many  substantial  buildings,  such  as  stores,  elevators,  mill 
additions,  etc.  Mr.  Saffert  was  married  September  15,  1908,  to 
Anna    Sittauer,    who    was    born    July    26,    1889.      Her    father. 


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454  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

Joseph  Sittauer,  waa  a  pioneer  of  Brown  county,  Minnesota,  and 
died  in  1912,  at  the  age  of  seventy-five.  Her  mother,  Margaret 
(Korbel)  Sittauer,  died  in  1913  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight.  Aside 
from  Anna  they  had  another  daughter  and  two  sons. 

John  Warner,  a  retired  farmer  and  well-known  citizen  of  Ren- 
ville, was  bom  February  23,  1838,  in  Mc£ean  county,  Pa.,  son 
of  Henry  and  Margaret  (Daly)  Warner,  Henry  Warner  was  a 
native  of  Germany,  who  came  to  Pennsylvania  at  the  age  of 
twenty-six  years.  He  was  a  tailor  by  trade,  as  was  his  father 
before  him.  He  began  farming  in  Pennsylvania  and  lived  there 
until  he  brought  his  family  to  Bodge  county.  Wis.,  in  1847. 
He  drove  to  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  and  went  by  boat  to  Milwaukee,  buy- 
ing a  farm  of  120  acres  from  the  government  at  $1,25  per  acre 
in  Schield  township.  Dodge  county.  Wis.  It  was  mostly  timber 
land  and  a  place  had  to  be  cleared  before  he  could  build  a  log 
house.  He  had  a  yoke  of  steers  and  borrowed  a  wagon  and  break- 
ing plow,  paying  for  the  use  of  these  by  working  a  day  for  the 
neighbor  for  each  day  they  were  used.  Later  he  moved  to  Jeffer- 
son county,  Wis.,  where  he  bought  a  farm  of  timber  land.  Be- 
fore his  death  he  had  partly  cleared  three  farms  from  timber. 
He  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-four  and  his  wife  died  at  the  age 
of  sixty-four  years.  While  in  Germany  he  was  a  member  of 
the  Lutheran  church  but  later  joined  the  Catholic  church.  Henry 
and  Margaret  Warner  had  nine  children :  John,  James,  Catherine, 
Mary,  Agnes,  Henry,  Margaret,  Timothy  and  Philip.  John 
Warner  received  his  early  education  in  Wisconsin,  attending  the 
country  school  held  at  the  log  school  house.  After  he  grew  to 
manhood  he  engaged  in  farming  and  located  on  a  tract  of  79 
acres  on  his  father's  farm  in  Dodge  county.  In  1869  he  moved 
to  Minnesota,  driving  to  Blue  Earth  county  in  a  covered  wagon. 
At  Blue  Earth  he  traded  his  team  of  horses  for  a  team  of  oxen 
and  drove  from  there  to  Renville  county,  where  he  spent  the 
first  winter  with  William  Powers.  In  the  fftU  of  the  next  year 
he  moved  to  his  own  farm,  which  he  had  located  in  section  22, 
Emmet  township.  It  consisted  of  160  acres,  80  acres  being  a 
homestead,  the  rest  having  been  purchased  at  the  rate  of  $2.50 
per  acre.  He  built  a  house  of  hewn  logs,  18  by  24  feet,  which  is 
still  standing.  He  began  breaking  the  land  with  his  team  of 
oxen.  He  also  had  one  cow  when  he  started  farming.  He  lived 
on  this  farm  for  thirty  years,  bought  120  acres  more,  built  a 
modem  house  and  put  up  other  fine  buildings.  He  has  now 
retired  from  farming  and  is  living  at  Renville.  Mr.  Warner  has 
served  on  the  township  board  and  has  been  the  treasurer  of  the 
school  board  of  his  district  for  several  years.  He  was  one  of 
the  organizers  of  the  Farmers'  Elevator  at  Renville,  holding  the 
office  of  director  for  many  years.  He  also  helped  organize  the 
Co-operative  Creamery  before  it  was  sold  and  was  salesman  for 


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HISTORY  OF  KENVILLE  COUNTY  455 

a  few.  years  for  the  creamery.  For  tax.  years  he  served  as  county 
conmussioiier  and  took  great  pride  in  being  one  of  the  men  who 
was  inflaential  in  getting  a  new  court  house  built  at  Beaver  Falls. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Catholic  church.  Mr.  Warner  waa  married 
in  1867  to  Catherine  Donahue,  bom  June  26,  1849,  in  Dodge 
county,  Wis.,  daughter  of  Patrick  and  Mary  Ann  (Cunningham) 
Donahue.  Her  parents  were  of  Irish  descent.  Six  children  were 
bom  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Warner:  Agnes,  wife  of  Halvor  J.  Lee, 
died  August  3,  1907,  leaving  three  sons,  Irving  W.,  Horace  J.  and 
Emory  J.  William  E.  married  Gertine  Kiiudson  and  lives  on 
the  old  farm.  They  have  one  son,  Emerson  W.  Mary  married 
Normon  O.  Stadum,  of  Warren,  Minn.,  and  they  have  one  child, 
Catherine.  Margaret  married  Henry  D.  Foster,  of  St.  Paul. 
James  died  November  14,  1902.  Emma,  a  graduate  of  the  Ren- 
ville High  school  and  of  the  Mankato  State  Normal  school,  has 
been  a  successful  teacher  for  a  number  of  years. 

John  Thompson,  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  war,  was  born  iu  Nor- 
way, July  27,  1846,  son  of  Truls  and  Tun  (Posse),  natives  of 
Norway.  His  father  was  bom  in  1796  and  came  to  America  in 
1850,  engaging  in  farming  in  Dane  county,  Wis.,  until  his  death 
in  1858.  His  mother  died  in  1895.  John  Thompson  was  four 
years  old  when  the  family  immigrated  to  Wisconsin.  Eleven 
years  later  the  mother  and  family  moved  to  Fillmore  county, 
Minn.  On  August  20,  1862,  John  Thompson  enlisted  in  Co.  D., 
8th  Minn.  Vol.  Inf.,  and  was  discharged  July  11,  1865.  Com- 
pany D  wa*3  made  up  of  Fillmore  county  people.  Mr.  Thomp- 
son took  part  in  General  Sully's  Indian  expedition,  taking  part 
in  the  battle  of  Eildeer  Mountain,  battles  in  the  Bad  Lauds, 
on  the  Yellowstone  river  and  back  to  Ft.  Rice.  He  afterwards 
fought  in  the  south  and  took  part  in  the  battle  of  Murfreesboro 
and  battle  of  Kingston.  There  was  intense  suffering  in  the  camp 
at  Washington  in  February,  1865,  waiting  for  the  ice  to  go  out 
of  the  Potomac  river  so  they  could  go  to  Ft.  Fisher.  He  also 
had  three  brothers  in  the  army.  Lewis  served  in  Co.  F,  11th 
Wis,  Vol.  Inf.;  Mons  served  in  Co.  I,  2nd  Minn.  Vol.  Inf.;  Chris- 
tian served  in  Co.  D,  8th  Minn.  Vol.  Inf.,  and. at  the  battle  of 
Murfreesboro,  December  7,  1864,  was  wounded  in  the  torso. 
After  living  in  Fillmore  county  some  ten  years,  the  Thompson 
family  came  to  Cairo  township  in  Renville  county.  John  Thomp- 
son secured  160  acres  of  school  land  in  section  16,  southwest 
quarter,  where  he  is  still  living.  When  he  purchased  the  place 
there  was  standing  on  it  a  log  building,  14  by  17  feet,  with  a  sod 
roof  and  board  floor.  He  began  farming  here  with  a  team  of 
horses  and  a  few  tools  and  gradually  improved  his  farm  and 
prospered  so  that  now  he  has  a  well  improved  farm,  well  stocked 
and  up-to-date  in  every  way,  Mr.  Thompson  has  been  prominent 
in  public  affairs,  has  served  on  the  township  board  for  one  term,- 


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456  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

has  held  the  office  of  township  clerk  and  a  member  of  the  school 
board  for  twelve  years.  For  eeven  years  he  did  efficient  Bervice 
as  county  GOmmiBsioner.  He  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Creamery 
and  Mill  at  Franklin.  His  faith  is  that  of  the  Hange's  Nor- 
wegian Lutheran  church.  John  Thompson  was  married  February 
26,  1881,  to  Johanna  Johnson,  bom  April  9,  1858,  daughter  of 
Ole  and  Carrie  Johnson,  both  of  whom  died  in  Norway.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  John  Thompson  have  had  ten  children :  Thomas,  of 
Wetonka,  S.  D.;  Ole,  at  home;  Louisa,  wife  of  Lars  DiBtad, 
farmer,  of  Bandon  township;  John,  who  died  at  nine  months; 
Carl,  a  farmer,  of  Birch  Cooley  township,  and  Bena,  John.  M., 
Inlaid,  Alfred  and  Anna,  who  are  at  home. 

Elwin  VMiy  Borden,  proprietor  of  the  Pleasant  View  stock 
farm  at  Buffalo  Lake,  was  born  March  4,  1886,  on  the  home- 
stead of  his  parents,  John  and  Eliza  (Burton)  Borden.  Elwin 
B.  Borden  grew  to  manhood  and  received  his  education  in  the 
Buffalo  Lake  school,  taking  up  work  for  himself  nine  years  ago. 
He  is  now  a  rural  mail  carrier  from  Buffalo  Lake  postoffice,  route 
No.  3.  He  has  twenty-two  acres  bordering  on  the  village  limits 
of  Buffalo  Lake,  where  he  specializes  in  the  breeding  and  shipping 
of  thoroughbred  registered  Chester  White  swine  of  the  0.  I.  C, 
strain,  and  also  full-blooded  White  Wyandotte  fowl.  His  terri- 
tory covers  all  of  Minnesota,  North  and  South  Dakota  and  some 
of  Wisconsin.  Mr.  Borden  was  married  August  10,  1909,  to 
Francis  Buckman,  bom  November  16,  1888. 

John  Borden,  bom  in  Allen  county,  Ind.,  May  25,  1847,  was 
the  son  of  David  and  Maria  (Hagerman)  Borden,  natives  of 
Michigan.  David  Borden  owned  and  conducted  a  sawmill, 
together  with  farming,  in  Indiana.  In  1866  he  sold  out  and 
moved  to  Cumberland  county,  Tenn.,  where  he  remained  until 
seventy-five  years  of  age,  when  he  came  to  Minnesota  and  made 
his  home  with  his  children.  He  died  November  4,  1902.  His 
wife  died  in  Tennessee  on  December  2, 1882.  While  in  Tennessee 
David  Borden  was  engaged  extensively  in  farming.  They  were 
the  parents  of  ten  children:  James,  Samuel,  Mary,  Nancy,  John, 
Eveline,  Benjamin,  David,  William  and  Olive.  John  Borden 
received  his  education  in  Indiana  and  worked  with  his  father 
in  the  sawmill  and  on  the  farm.  In  1865  John  Borden  enlisted 
in  Co.  D,  155th  Ind.  Inf.  and  served  eight  months  until  the  close 
of  the  war.  Then  he  returned  to  Indiana,  where  he  remained 
six  months.  October  27,  1866,  found  him  in  Renville  county, 
where  he  came  to  look  over  the  new  country.  He  soon  returned 
to  Indiana,  where  he  remained  one  vear.  In  1871  he  located 
permanently  in  Renville  county,  settling  in  the  northeast  quarter 
of  section  20,  in  Preston  township.  This  was  all  wild  prairie 
land.  He  broke  the  land  and  engaged  in  general  farming,  expe- 
riencing all  the  trials  and  ordeals  of  pioneer  life.    As  time  passed 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  (JOUNTY  457 

he  proBpered,  erected  a  fine  home,  sabBtantial  bams  and  outbuild- 
ings, and  added  to  his  farm  until  he  had  240  acres.  There  he 
farmed  until  1904,  when  he  retired  to  the  village  of  Buffalo 
Lake,  and  purchased  his  present  abode.  In  1907  he  went  to 
Canada,  where  he  took  a  homestead,  it  being  the  southeast 
quarter  of  section  13,  near  Wadena,  Saskatchewan.  He  proved 
up  on  this  claim,  and  remained  there  four  years,  after  which 
he  returned  to  Buffalo  Lake,  where  he  and  his  wife  are  now 
living,  spending  the  afternoon  of  life  in  quiet  and  retirement. 
He  was  united  in  marriage  May  26,  1872,  to  Eliza  Burton,  who 
was  bom  in  East  Troy,  Walworth  county.  Wis.,  August  23, 
1853.  They  are  the  parents  of  seven  children:  William,  bom 
February  27, 1873,  a  railroad  man  at  Edmunton,  Canada ;  Robert, 
bora  June  18,  1875,  and  died  March  21,  1902;  Alice,  bom  April 
9,  1877,  now  Mrs.  H.  A.  Roepke,  of  Buffalo  Lake,  who  has  one 
son,  Wallace ;  Bert,  bom  December  27,  1880,  a  farmer,  of  South 
Dakota,  married  to  Dora  Van  Riper,  and  has  two  children, 
Violet  and  Daisy ;  Arthur,  born  June  20,  1883,  a  farmer  at  Can- 
ada, married  to  Ida  Harrier,  and  has  three  children,  Warren, 
Lloyd  and  Edna  May ;  Elwin,  bom  March  4,  1886,  a  farmer  at 
Buffalo  Lake ;  Angle,  bom  September  20,  1888,  wife  of  George 
Quast,  at  Dumont,  Minn.,  and  has  three  children,  Beatrice,  Orval 
and  Miland,  John  and  Elizabeth  (Bachus)  Burton,  parents  of 
Mrs.  John  Borden,  were  both  natives  of  Yorkshire,  England. 
They  came  to  this  country  when  young  and  were  married  in 
Walworth  county,  Wis.,  November  6,  1852,  In  1856  they  located 
in  Carver  county,  Minn.,  being  among  the  earliest  pioneers.  They 
located  on  a  tract  of  wild  timber  land,  which  they  grubbed  and 
broke,  and  suffered  all  the  privations  and  hardships  of  pioneer 
life.  In  1862,  during  the  outbreak,  the  Burtons  were  driven  from 
home  by  the  Indians  and  took  refuge  in  Waconia  Island,  Minn. 
When  they  returned  they  found  that  most  of  their  household 
goods  had  been  destroyed.  August  15,  1862,  Mr.  Burton  enlisted 
in  Co.  C,  10th  Minn.  Vol.  Inf.  and  served  until  honorably  dis- 
charged August  1,  1865.  As  time  passed  they  became  prosperous 
and  remained  on  their  farm  until  1882.  They  then  moved  to 
Bath,  S,  D.,  where  Mr.  Burton  took  a  homestead,  where  they 
followed  farming  until  the  death  of  Mrs.  Burton,  December  10, 
1895.  Mr.  Burton  then  came  to  Renville  county  with  hie  daugh- 
ter, Mrs.  John  Borden,  with  whom  he  remained  until  his  death. 
May  14,  1908.  They  were  the  parents  of  seven  children :  Eliza 
Hannah.  William,  Robert,  Nancy,  Eva,  Ada  and  Angie. 

Elias  Evans  Soott,  deceased,  was  bom  in  Licking  county,  Ohio, 
May  28,  1837,  son  of  Joseph  and  Mary  Scott,  Joseph  Scott  was 
bom  in  Scotland  and  his  wife  was  of  Welsh  ancestry.  They  had 
two  children,  Elias  and  Martha.  Elias  received  his  early  train- 
ing and  grew  to  manhood  in  Licldng  county.     When  he  was 


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458  HlriTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

eighteen  years  of  age  he  came  to  Dakota  county,  Minn.,  in  1855, 
where  he  eecured  some  timber  land.  August  13,  1862,  he  enlisted 
in  Dakota  county  and  was  mtistered  in  at  Fort  Snelling  in  Co. 
F,  8th  Minn.  Vol.  Inf.,  under  Captain  Leonard  Aldrich  and  was 
discharged  July  11,  1865,  at  Charlotte,  N.  0.  Before  going  south 
he  took  part  in  the  Indian  campaign.  On  his  return  he  located 
at  Dundas,  Bice  county,  where  be  followed  the  trade  of  carpenter 
until  1871,  when  he  came  to  Renville  and  located  at  Vieksburg, 
Flora  township,  then  consisting  of  only  a  store  and  a  postoffice. 
Here  he  obtained  160  acres  of  land.  There  were  no  buildings 
on  the  place  and  no  road  leading  past  it  except  tha  old  govern- 
ment trail.  They  .came  in  a  covered  wagon  and  horse  team,  being 
two  weeks  on  the  road.  They  moved  into  a  neighbor's  house  and 
the  next  spring  built  a  log  house  on  their  claim  having  a  board 
floor  and  shingled  roof.  Beddes  their  team  of  horses  they  also 
had  a  cow.  Willmar  was  the  nearest  market  and  as  it  often  was 
inconvenient  to  get  supplies  many  substitutes  had  to  be  used. 
Parched  wheat  was  often  used  for  coffee.  Here  he  lived  for 
many  years  and  improved  the  farm  and  enlarged  it  until  he  had 
200  acres.  He  built  modern  buildings  and  home.  In  1894  he 
retired  from  farming  and  moved  to  Renville,  but  the  farm  is 
still  in  the  family.  Mr.  Scott  was  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R.  Post 
of  Renville.  He  was  also  a  stockholder  in  the  Farmers'  Elevator 
Company  and  also  in  the  creamery  in  Sacred  Heart  township 
near  his  farm.  He  died  April  12,  1912,  and  his  widow  resides 
in  Renville.  January  1,  1866,  Mr.  Scott  was  married  at  Fari- 
bault to  Lucia  Erwin,  bom  June  7,  1845,  in  St.  Lawrence  county. 
New  York,  daughter  of  Benjamin  Franklin  and  Orilla  ("Wal- 
bridge)  Erwin,  both  natives  of  St.  Lawrence  county.  Benjamin 
Franklin  Erwin  was  the  son  of  John  Erwin,  a  veteran  of  the  war 
of  1812,  and  of  Scotch  ancestry.  Orilla  Walbridge  was  the 
daughter  of  Benjamin  Franklin  and  Temperance  (Austin)  Wal- 
bridge, both  natives  of  Vermont  and  of  English  parentage.  Mr. 
"Walbridge  was  a  colonel  in  the  regiment  of  the  Home  Guards 
of  New  York  state.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Scott  first  became  members  of 
the  Christian  church  at  Vieksburg,  in  the  town  of  Flora,  and 
have  always  been  staunch  members  and  supporters  of  that 
denomination.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Scott  had  seven  children :  Charles 
Judson,  Mabel  Orilla,  Earl  Winfield,  Effie  Lulu,  Arthur  Walter, 
Fred  Albert  and  Frank  Erwin,  the  last  two  named  being  twins. 
Charles  Judson  is  a  farmer  in  Redwood  county,  this  state.  Mabel 
Orilla  is  a  teacher.  Earl  Winfield  is  a  grain  buyer.  Effle  Lula. 
a  former  teacher,  is  now  Mrs.  Fred  Tibbetts,  of  Redwood  county. 
Arthur  Walter  is  a  traveling  salesman,  with  headquarters  at 
Fargo,  N.  D.  He  married  Cora  Pease,  of  St.  Paul.  Frank  Albert 
is  a  barber  in  Renville  village.  Frank  Erwin  is  a  traveling  sales- 
man at  Fargo,  N.  D.   He  married  Delia  Kellenbach,  of  Milwaukee. 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  459 

AngOBt  Lund  was  bom  in  Sweden  June  2, 1S59,  aon  of  Andrew 
and  Catherine  (Larson)  Lund,  both  natives  of  Sweden  and 
engaged  in  farming.  They  had  the  following  children :  August, 
John,  Clara,  Hjelmar,  Augusta,  Matilda  (deceased),  Charles 
(deceased),  and  Eatie.  The  family  came  to  the  United  States  in 
1871,  coming  to  New  York  port  by  steamer  aud  continuing  their 
journey  to  St.  Peter,  Minn.,  by  way  of  Chicago  and  New  Ulm. 
They  located  a  homestead  in  Lafayette  township,  north  of  New 
Ulm.  It  was  all  wild  prairie  land.  Andrew  Lund  built  a  dug- 
out with  a  covering  of  logs  and  sod  and  with  a  ground  floor.  It 
was  two  years  before  he  could  afford  a  cow  and  an  ox  team.  St. 
Peter  and  New  Ulm  were  the  nearest  milling  places.  He  lived 
there  till  his  death  in  1894  at  the  age  of  fifty-eight  years.  His 
wife  is  still  living  at  the  age  of  eighty-two  years.  They  were 
members  of  the  Swedish  Lutheran  church.  August  Lund  had  but 
few  opportunities  for  acquiring  an  education  and  engaged  in 
farming,  next  going  to  Montana,  where  he  carried  on  freighting 
by  ox  team  for  four  years,  from  1880  to  1885,  between  Helena 
and  Benton.  Then  he  came  to  Winthrop,  Sibley  county,  bought 
a  threshing  machine,  and  has  covered  Sibley  and  Renville 
counties  since  during  the  harvest  season.  In  the  meantime,  he 
obtained  his  farm  of  180  acres  in  section  14,  Hector  township, 
to  which  he  has  since  added  40  acres  more.  When  he  took  the 
farm  in  1892  there  were  poor  buildings  on  it.  He  has  since 
erected  modem  buildings,  a  bam  32  by  64  feet  with  a  cement 
floor,  and  a  silo  with  a  capacity  of  90  tons.  He  raises  Shorthorn 
cattle,  Percheron  horses  and  Chester  White  hogs.  Mr,  Lund  ia 
a  member  of  the  Farmers'  Go-operative  Elevator  Company  at 
Hector.  He  has  held  the  office  of  township  supervisor  and  has 
been  a  member  of  the  school  board  of  his  district.  Mr.  Lund  was 
married  November  28,  1889,  to  Clara  Johnson,  bom  in  Sweden 
April  IS,  1865,  daughter  of  John  and  Lottie  (Swensou)  Lund, 
who  are  still  living  in  Sweden.  Lottie  Swenson  came  to  Amer- 
ica in  1880  and  came  to  Minnesota.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lund  have  the 
following  children :  Andy,  Charles,  Anna,  Catherine,  Hugo, 
Joel,  Edith.  George,  Arvil,  Ruth  and  Vivian. 

Hanty  Dunsmtn^  nurseryman  and  farmer,  was  horn  in  Scot- 
land March  25,  1861,  son  of  Robert  and  Marion  (McCauley) 
Dunsmore,  both  natives  of  Scotland,  where  the  former  died  io 
1912  at  the  age  of  eighty-nine,  and  where  the  latter  is  still  living 
at  the  good  old  age  of  eighty-seven  years.  Henry,  the  subject  of 
this  mention,  received  his  education  in  his  native  land,  and  there 
grew  to  manhood.  As  a  youth  he  learned  the  stonecutter's  trade, 
and,  after  coming  to  America  in  1882,  he  secured  employment  at 
his  trade  in  Detroit,  Mich.  Subsequently,  he  followed  this  line 
of  employment  in  several  of  the  larger  cities  of  the  United  States. 
It  was  in  1885  that  he  came  to  Renville  county  and  bought  160 


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460  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUiNTY 

acres  of  wild  prairie  in  section  34,  Troy  township,  paying  only 
$6^5  an  acre.  He  broke  the  land,  and  by  hard  work  and  per- 
sistent effort,  intelligently  applied,  now  has  one  of  the  finest 
farms  in  the  county.  His  place  of  320  acres,  is  well  tilled  and 
provided  with  the  best  equipment,  while  his  sightly  home  and 
farm  buildings  are  one  of  the  beautiful  features  of  the  landscape. 
For  many  years  Mr.  Dunsmore  has  been  profoundly  interested 
in  the  study  of  horticulture.  In  1900  he  launched  definitely  in 
the  nursery  business.  The  fifteen  years  which  have  since  passed 
have  brought  him  a  full  measure  of  success.  He  is  one  of  the 
leading  horticulturists  of  Minnesota,  and  is  widely  known  for 
his  experiments  and  his  intelligent  observations.  So  prominent 
is  Mr.  Dunsmore  in  this  line  that  he  was  chosen  by  the  committee 
to  prepare  the  chapter  on  Renville  County  Horticulture,  which 
appears  in  this  work..  It  is  a  credit  to  himself,  an  inspiration  to 
the  fruit  growers  of  the  county,  and  a  valuable  addition  to  the 
history.  Mr.  Dunsmore  carries  on  general  farming  on  an 
extensive  scale  and  makes  a  specialty  of  Shorthorn  cattle  and 
Percheron  horses.  The  splendid  buildings,  the  fertile  acres,  the 
modem  tools  and  machinery,  and  the  sleek  live  stock,  everywhere 
bespeak  his  thrift  and  good  judgment.  Mr.  Dunsmore  is  a  stock- 
holder in  the  creamery,  the  canning  factory  and  the  telephone 
company,  all  of  Olivia.  For  many  years  he  was  on  the  school 
board  of  his  district.  He  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  A,  0. 
U.  W.  at  Olivia.  The  family  faith  is  that  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church.  Mr.  Dunsmore  has  been  highly  honored  by 
his  fellow  fruit  growers.  He  is  a  life  member  of  the  Minnesota 
State  Horticultural  Society,  a  member  of  the  South  Dakota  Horti- 
cultural Society,  and  a  member  of  the  American  Genetic  Asso- 
ciation of  Washington,  D.  C.  Mr,  Dunsmore  was  married  Septem- 
ber 6,  1885,  to  Agnes  Aitkin,  who  was  born  in  Scotland  July  14, 
1869,  and  came  to  America  with  her  parents,  Thomas  and  Janet 
(Fairbain)  Aitkin,  in  1880,  locating  in  Michigan.  Mr.  Aitkin 
died  in  1894  at  the  age  of  forty-nine.  Mrs.  Aitkin  is  now  living 
in  Winnebago,  Minn.,  at  the  age  of  seventy-three.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Dunsmore  take  great  pride  in  their  splendid  family  of  fifteen 
children,  all  living.  This  is  one  of  the  largest  families  in  Minne- 
sota, Janet  was  bom  October  11,  1886,  and  is  the  wife  of  R.  G. 
Stewart,  of  St.  Paul,  Thomas  was  bora  April  15,  1888.  He  mar- 
ried Katie  Swoboda,  and  is  a  farmer  in  Flora  township.  Mary 
was  born  August  8,  1889,  and  is  now  Mrs.  Albert  Stahle,  of  St. 
Paul.  Nancy  was  born  October  6,  1893,  and  lives  in  St.  Paul. 
Margaret  was  bora  April  23,  1896;  Henry,  March  14,  1899; 
Fannie,  March  1,  1900;  Viola,  January  5,  1902;  Myrtle,  Novem- 
ber 23,  1903;  Robert,  June  10,  1905;  Charles,  February  11,  1907; 
Lulu  and  Luella  (twins),  July  17.  1908:  Randall,  December  9, 
1909;  Maynard,  April  12,  19]^. 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  461 

BeT.  Andrew  Bengifion,  pastor  of  the  Swedlanda  Swedish 
Lutheran  chiirch  of  Palmyra  township,  waa  bom  in  Sweden  July 
24,  1849,  sou  of  Lara  and  Anna  Bertha  (Anderson)  Bengtson. 
Lars  Bengtson  was  bom  in  Sweden  December  4,  1822,  and 
married  Anna  Bertha  Anderson,  who  was  born  in  that  country 
February  21,  1821.  They  brought  their  five  children,  Andrew, 
Frederick,  John,  James  and  Anna  Bertha,  to  the  United  States 
in  1867  and  settled  in  Batavia,  lU.  The  members  of  the  family 
were  of  devout  faith  and  the  father  was  one  of  the  founders  of 
a  Swedish  Lutheran  church  at  Batavia  in  1871.  Lars  Bengtson 
died  at  the  age  of  seventy-seven  and  his  wife  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
five.  Andrew  Bengtson  devoted  his  early  life  to  farming.  Fired 
with  an  earnest  purpose  to  make  bis  life  count  for  something  in 
the  world's  work,  he  long  cherished  the  idea  of  entering  the 
ministry.  After  courses  in  the  Augustana  College  and  Seminary, 
at  Rock  Island,  HI.,  he  was  ordained  to  the  ministry  at  James- 
town, New  York,  in  1890,  He  served  various  charges  in  Wis- 
consin and  in  1900  came  to  Stillwater.  He  has  been  in  charge  of 
his  present  pariah  since  1905.  He  was  married  October  10,  1874, 
at  Batavia,  111.,  to  Anna  B.  Larson,  bom  in  Sweden  August  8, 
1845,  daughter  of  Lars  Helgeson.  She  came  to  the  United  States 
in  1872  and  died  March  21,  1907,  leaving  seven  children :  Emma, 
who  keeps  house  for  her  brothers,  Emil  and  Robert ;  Erail ;  Julia, 
a  graduate  of  Augustana  College  at  Rock  Island  in  1908  and  at 
present  a  teacher  and  assistant  superintendent  of  Renville 
county ;  Mathilda,  who  keeps  house  for  her  father ;  Carl  0.,  who 
is  now  a  clergyman  at  Chicago;  Amalia  M.,  superintendent  of 
Renville  county  schools,  and  Robert,  a  graduate  from  the  pre- 
paratory department  of  Augustana  College.  Robert  and  Emil  are 
both  farmers  of  Renville  county. 

Amalift  H.  Bengtson,  the  well  known  and  popular  superin- 
tendent of  schools  of  Renville  county,  was  born  at  Batavia, 
Illinois,  the  daughter  of  the  Rev.  Anders  and  Anna  (Larson) 
Bengtson.  She  completed  her  education  at  the  State  Normal 
School  at  River  Falls,  Wisconsin,  and  then  taught  at  Estella  for 
a  year,  going  from  there  to  Bloomer,  where  she  taught  the  eighth 
grade  for  two  years.  She  spent  the  next  two  years  in  Renville 
county,  teaching  in  District  No.  91,  her  home  school,  and  the 
following  year  was  in  Coeur  d'Alene,  Idaho,  going  from  there 
to  Castle  Rock,  Washington,  where  she  remained  a  year.  Subse- 
quently for  two  years  she  waa  an  efficient  high  school  teacher  at 
Minneapolis.  In  1914  she  was  elected  superintendent  of  schools 
of  Renville  county  and  has  already  demonstrated  her  fitness  for 
the  position.  Her  energy,  her  splendid  training,  her  broad  views, 
her  experience,  her  knowledge  of  the  county,  her  pleasing  person- 
ality, her  genuine  interest  in  the  cause  of  education  and  her  high 
ideals  are  all  factors  in  the  success  which  she  is  winning. 


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462  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

Patrick  E.  Tocdflk  a  respected  and  succesaful  farmer  of  Hector 
township,  waa  bom  January  7,  1864,  in  Wasliiugton  Lake  town- 
.  sliip,  Sibley  county,  Minn.,  son  of  Thomas  and  Mary  (Hughes) 
Toole.  Thomas  Toole  was  born  in  Ireland  and  came  to  America 
at  the  age  of  fourteen  years  with  his  father  Patrick,  the  mother 
having  died  in  Ireland.  There  were  four  boys  and  two  girls: 
Michael,  James,  Donald,  Thomas,  Catherine  and  Mary.  The 
father  brought  these  children  to  America,  coming  to  New  York 
state  in  1844.  At  the  time  when  the  Civil  war  broke  out  they 
came  to  Minnesota  and  James  enlisted  in  Minnesota.  The  family 
located  in  Sibley  county.  A  homestead  was  secured  in  Washing- 
ton, Lake  township,  and  farming  was  begun  with  an  ox  team. 
The  land  was  mostly  timber  land  and  a  clearing  was  made  and 
a  house  was  built  of  logs.  There  were  many  Indians  in  the 
neighborhood  but  the  family  was  never  annoyed  by  them.  In 
1879  Thomas  sold  this  place  and  brought  his  family  to  Renville 
county,  locating  a  farm  in  Hector  township,  consisting  of  rail- 
road land.  Here  he  made  his  home  until  his  death  in  1900  at  the 
age  of  seventy  years.  He  was  of  the  Catholic  faith  and  Mass  was 
often  held  in  his  log  house  in  Sibley  county.  He  helped  to  build 
the  church  at  Hector,  which  was  one  of  the  first  in  this  section. 
He  encountered  many  hardships  in  the  early  days  in  Sibley  county 
and  often  had  to  carry  meal  and  groceries  from  Henderson  on  his 
back,  there  being  no  roads  or  horses.  Patrick  E,  Toole  received 
his  early  education  in  the  log  school  house  in  Sibley  county  in  his 
neighborhood  and  also  attended  school  at  Hector  after  the  family 
came  here.  He  was  then  fifteen  years  old  and  here  he  grew  to 
manhood.  He  engaged  in  farming  and  purchased  his  present 
place  in  section  21,  Hector  township,  in  1885.  It  was  a  tract  of 
160  acres  and  was  in  a  very  poor  condition,  the  only  thing  on 
the  place  was  a  rude  old  shack.  He  built  a  small  frame  house 
and  a  straw  bam,  beginning  with  nothing  and  buying  the  land 
on  time.  He  has  prospered  as  the  years  have  gone  by  and  has 
built  a  fine  modern  house  and  increased  his  farm  to  200  acres. 
He  has  set  out  a  fine  grove  of  trees  and  raises  registered  stock, 
having  Shorthorn  cattle,  Chester  White  hogs  and  a  good  grade 
of  Pereheron  horses.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Farmers'  Grain 
Exchange  at  Hector  and  also  of  the  old  Co-operative  creamery. 
He  has  held  township  oflices,  having  been  on  the  township  board 
ten  years,  and  has  served  as  treasurer  for  eight  years.  Mr.-Toole 
is  a  member  of  the  Catholic  church  and  has  assisted  materially  in 
building  up  the  church  at  Hector.  Mr.  Toole  was  married 
October  5,  1896,  to  Jennie  Freeman,  bom  in  Ticonderoga,  N.  Y., 
daughter  of  George  and  Mary  (McDonald)  Freeman.  They  have 
six  children :  Gordon,  Hazel,  Bcmice,  Leo,  Allen  and  Alice.  Mrs. 
Patrick  E.  Toole,  then  Jennie  Freeman,  received  her  education 
in  the  public  schools  of  her  native  state,  completing  her  studies 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  463 

at  the  Sherman  Academy,  at  Moriah  Comers,  New  York.  Thus 
equipped  she  commenced  teaching  at  Elizabethtown,  New  York. 
In  1883  she  came  to  Minnesota  and  for  three  years  taught  in  the 
vicinity  of  St.  Paul  and  Hastings.  Then,  with  the  exception  of 
one  term  in  Sibley  county  and  one  term  in  McLeod  county,  she 
taught  in  Renville  county  until  her  marriage  in  1896. 

Nflla  LeoaudMr,  proprietor  of  the  "Ideal  Home  Farm,"  was 
bom  in  Sweden,  January  12,  1858,  son  of  Swan  and  Pemilla 
(Torgleson)  Lenander.  His  parents  left  Sweden  in  1872,  with 
two  children,  Nels  and  Johanna,  another  son,  Peter,  remaining  in 
Sweden  to  complete  his  time  of  service  in  the  army.  The  family 
came  to  Nicollet  county  and  here  shortly  afterwards  Johanna  mar- 
ried Nels  Anderson  and  the  parents  made  their  home  with  them. 
Mr.  Lenander  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-five  years  and  his  wife 
at  the  age  of  eighty  years.  For  several  years  Nels  Lenander 
rented  a  farm  and  then  he  purchased  his  present  place  in  section 
14,  securing  137  acres  of  land  on  the  shores  of  Preston  Lake. 
Mr.  Lenander  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Farmers'  Co-operative 
Elevator  at  Buflfalo  Lake  and  in  the  Collins  Creamery.  He  had 
held  several  township  offices,  having  been  township  supervisor  for 
several  years  and  a  school  director.  He  is  a  trustee  of  the 
Swedish  Lutheran  church.  Mr.  Lenander  was  married  March 
29,  1884,  to  Anna  Gundberg,  native  of  Sweden,  born  November 
7,  1864,  daughter  of  Johannes  Anderson  Gunberg  and  Eva  (Lars- 
datter)  Gunberg.  Mr,  Gunberg  was  bom  in  Elfsborg,  Sweden, 
August  5,  1833,  and  his  wife  was  bom  in  Westre  Blekinge, 
March  10,  1833.  They  were  married  October  5,  1855.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Lenander  have  had  the  following  children :  Alice,  bom 
February  22,  1885,  now  Mrs,  Charles  Charter,  married  November 
2,  1907 ;  Elmer,  bom  April  18,  1886,  married  at  Minneapolis  June 
24,  1915,  to  Hilda  Stred ;  Adinna.  bora  July  13,  1887.  now  Mrs. 
AmauduB  Sagstrom,  married  June  17,  1908 ;  Clara  and  Clarence, 
twins,  deceased  in  infancy ;  Norman  Rudolph,  bom  May  16,  1891 ; 
Mabel  M.,  born  August  9,  1893;  Ruth  E.,  bom  September  18. 
1895;  Edwin  W.,  bom  March  26,  1897;  Melvin  E.,  born  May  21, 
1901,  and  Rosella  C,  bom  March  2,  1904. 

The  Ideal  Home  Farm,  owned  by  Nels  Lenander.  is  indeed 
true  to  its  name.  Formerly  a  wild  stretch  of  land,  with  nothing 
but  a  small  house,  14  by  20  feet,  and  a  rude  barn,  it  is  now  a 
beautiful  tract,  ornamented  with  sightly  and  modem  buildings. 
The  farm  consists  of  nearly  two  hnndred  acres  and  borders  on 
Preston  Lake.  The  fine  eight-room  modem  house  is  the  homg  of 
cheer  and  comfort  and  is  surrounded  with  beautiful  lawns 
bedecked  here  and  there  with  gardens  of  beautiful  flowers.  A 
large  apple  orchard  is  a  heavy  bearer  and  there  are  also  small 
fruits  and  berries  in  abundance.  The  bams  are  constructed  and 
operated  along  the  latest  approved  methods  and  a  fine  silo  has 


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464  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COt'N'iV 

been  erected.  The  machiuery  and  tools  are  ample,  and  the  farm  . 
is  well  improved,  well  fenced  and  of  the  highest  development. 
Being  a  believer  in  tiling  Mr,  Lenander  has  underlaid  his  farm 
with  nearly  six  carloads  of  tiling,  and  hia  improved  crops  have 
showed  the  result  of  his  modern  and  progressive  spirit.  Mr. 
Lenander  carries  on  general  farming,  and  makes  a  specialty  of 
a  good  grade  of  Shorthorn,  Hereford  and  HoUtein  cattle,  Duroe- 
Jersey  swine  and  Percheron  horses. 

Onarles  H.  Mizon,  pioneer  business  man  and  prominent 
citizen,  was  born  in  Boone  county,  Illinois,  February  2,  1840,  son 
of  Erastus  A.  and  Emily  (Walters)  Nixon.  Elrastus  A.  Nixon, 
a  tanner  and  currier  by  trade,  was  bom  in  New  Jersey  of  Irish 
parentage  and  married  Emily  Walters,  of  New  York,  a  descendant 
of  Pezmsylvania  German  and  New  England  stotHi.  He  came  to 
Boone  county,  Illinoia,  in  1836,  and  was  there  joined  by  his  wife 
aboQt  two  years  later.  He  began  farming  and  remained  until  the 
spring  of  1846,  when  he  moved  to  Chicago  and  followed  his  trade 
there  until  1848,  when  he  moved  back  to  Boone  county,  living 
on  the  same  farm.  In  1855  he  set  out  for  Minnesota,  traveling 
with  a  team  of  oxen  and  covered  wagon.  At  that  time  there  were 
seven  children:  Charles,  Amelia,  Revo,  Oeorge,  Angeline,  Helen 
and  Harriet.  Two  other  children  had  died.  After  a  trip  of  four 
weeks  they  reached  Rochester,  in  Olmsted  county,  and  settled  in 
Kalmer  township.  He  built  a  log  house  and  had  thirty  or  forty 
acres  under  cultivation  at  the  time  of  his  death  in  1859.  Charles 
H.  Nixon  grew  to  manhood  there.  He  had  received  some  school 
training  in  Chicago  and  in  a  small  village  in  Illinois.  He  enlisted 
in  1861  in  Company  K,  Third  Minnesota  Volunteer  Infantry  and 
was  sent  South.  He  was  captured  with  the  regiment  at  Murfrees- 
boro,  parolled  and  sent  north  to  Fort  Snelling  to  fight  the  Indians. 
Then,  having  been  exchanged  with  another  regiment  of  the  south, 
he  again  was  sent  south  and  took  part  in  the  battle  of  Vieksburg, 
being  mustered  out  in  August,  1865,  after  serving  three  years  and 
eleven  months.  He  had  enlisted  as  a  private  and  was  discharged 
as  a  corporal.  He  returned  to  Olmsted  county  and  remained 
there  until  1869,  when  he  came  to  Renville  county  and  «»  tied  in 
Cairo  township.  Here  he  secured  a  homestead  in  section  22  and 
erected  a  log  house  24  by  16  feet,  which  was  a  comparatively  large 
house  for  those  days.  It  was  built  on  the  line  of  two  claims,  that 
of  a  sister  and  his  own.  He  had  three  horses  to  start  with.  He 
farmed  there  for  seven  years  when  he  moved  to  Ft.  Ridgely, 
where  he  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business,  afterwards  going 
into  partnership  with  Harry  Simmons.  After  three  years  he 
came  to  Hector  and  engaged  in  the  mercantile  husiness  in  the 
spring  of  1879,  being  the  first  merchant  of  the  place.  For  two 
years  he  was  alone,  then  he  entered  into  partnership  vrith  W.  D. 
Griffith,  who  was  postmaster,  and  the  firm  became  known  as 


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HISTOfiY  OF  KENVILLE  COUNTY  465 

Nixon  &  Qriffith.  This  was  eontinued  until  the  winter  of  1893, 
when  he  bought  out  Mr.  Qriffith 's  share  and  continued  alone  until 
1898,  when  he  sold  out  the  stock.  During  the  time  that  he  was  in 
business  he  built  the  bricic.  store  which  he  occupied.  Mr.  Nixon 
was  elected  state  senator  in  the  fall  of  1898  on  the  Bepublican 
ticket  and  served  four  years.  Then  he  spent  one  year  on  the 
Pacific  coast,  returning  to  Hector,  where  he  entered  into  the 
livery  and  horse  business.  He  conducted  this  until  1910,  when 
he  retired  from  business.  Mr.  Nixon  has  been  active  in  local 
affairs  and  has  served  on  the  village  board  several  times.  He 
has  also  been  a  member  of  the  school  board  for  a  number  of 
years.  He  has  been  a  director  of  the  State  Bank  of  Hector  for 
some  time.  Mr.  Nixon  is  a  member  of  the  0.  A.  R.  Post  of  Hector, 
and  of  Hector  Lodge  No.  158,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  Charles  H.  Nixon 
was  married  in  1870  to  Marietta  La  Baron,  of  New  York  state, 
where  her  parents  were  bom.  Her  father,  Joseph  La  Baron,  came 
to  Cairo  township,  Renville  county,  in  1866,  By  this  marriage 
Mr.  Nixon  had  three  children :  Joseph,  \?ho  died  at  the  age  of  six 
months;  Eda,  Mrs.  Frederick  Hanson,  of  Minneapolis,  and  Har- 
rison, of  Woodworth,  North  Dakota.  Mrs.  Marietta  (La  Baron) 
Nixon  died  November  25,  1896,  at  the  age  of  forty-five.  The 
present  Mrs.  Nixon  was  Caroline  Johnson,  of  Wright  county, 
Minnesota,  who  was  the  widow  of  Charles  Johnson,  by  whom  she 
had  four  children ;  Ruth,  Ethel,  Bffie  and  Boy. 

Lewis  Hable,  a  farmer  of  Martinsburg  township,  was  born  in 
Germany  February  29,  1836,  son  of  Jacob  and  wife,  who  died 
when  Lewis  was  six  years  of  age.  Jacob  with  his  two  children, 
Lewis  and  Christian,  aet  out  for  America  in  1842  by  sailing  vessel, 
being  seven  weeks  on  the  water  and  came  to  New  York,  to  Croton- 
on-tbe-Hudson,  where  he  worked  in  a  brick  yard.  Here  his  son 
Henry  joined  him.  After  a  time  the  father  and  two  of  the  boys 
went  to  niinois  and  Lewis  was  left  to  shift  for  himself.  He  went 
to  school  a  little  and  worked  out  on  the  farms.  Later  he  also 
went  to  Illinois  and  came  to  Kendall  county  and  worked  on  the 
farms.  Next  he  came  to  Iowa,  where  he  remained  for  fifteen 
years.  Seventeen  years  ago  he  came  to  Minnesota  and  settled 
where  he  is  now  living,  having  280  acres  of  land.  Lewis  Hable 
was  married  February  11,  1864,  to  Maiia  Adams,  of  England,  who 
came  with  hia  parents,  Peter  and  Sarah  Adams,  who  located  land 
in  niinoia.  The  mother  died  at  the  age  of  sixty-three  years, 
in  August,  1904.  She  was  bom  July  2,  1841,  near  Gravesend, 
England.  There  were  eight  boys  in  the  family:  Chester  H. 
(deceased),  Edward,  William,  Lewis,  John,  Joseph,  Nelson,  and 
Frederick, 

Chester  Hemy  Hable  was  bom  in  Kendall  county,  Illinois,  son 
of  Lewis  and  Marie  (Adams)  Hable.  He  was  educated  in  the 
Kendall  county  district  school  and  at  the  age  of  nineteen  came 


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466  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

with  his  pareuta  to  Kossuth  count;,  Iowa,  where  he  grew  up  on 
tlie  farm.  Later  he  engaged  here  in  farming  for  himself  and  in 
1897  came  to  Renville  county,  where  he  located  in  Palmyra  town- 
ship, where  be  remained  ten  years.  Then  moved  to  Martinahnrg 
township,  where  he  died  August  15,  1913,  in  the  faith  of  the 
Methodist  church.  Chester  Habte  was  married  February  19, 
1889,  to  Alice  Archer,  born  in  Scott  county,  Iowa,  daughter  of 
George  and  Mary  Jane  (Leslie)  Archer,  George  Archer  was  horn 
in  Ohio,  of  French  and  Irish  descent.  Mary  Jane  Leslie  was  bom 
in  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  May  17,  1850,  daughter  of  James  and  Marie 
(Pierce)  Leslie.  James  Leslie  and  his  wife  were  both  natives  of 
Pennsylvauia,  he  being  of  German  descent  and  she  of  Scotch 
descent.  He  kept  a  hotel  at  Princeton,  Iowa,  George  Archer  and 
Mary  J.  Leslie  were  married  November  27,  1868,  and  spent  their 
lives  on  a  farm  in  Scott  county,  Iowa.  He  died  in  1879  at  the  age 
of  forty-four  years.  Chester  Hable  and  his  wife  had  four  chil- 
dren: George,  who  died  in  1910  at  the  age  of  twenty  years, 
Edward,  Bennie  and  Mary. 

Hemy  0.  Tinnes,  the  popular  manager  of  the  Stearns  Lumber 
Company,  of  Hector,  was  bom  in  Palmyra  county,  Wisconsin, 
October  13,  1868,  the  son  of  Lafe  and  Maggie  (Hogxtl)  Tinnes. 
He  attended  school  in  the  country  and  remained  at  home  helping 
his  father  on  the  farm  until  he  was  tweuty-three  years  old,  when 
he  went  to  Bird  Island,  where  he  spent  a  year  buying  wheat  for 
a  local  elevator  company.  He  then  entered  the  employ  of  a  local 
hardware  company,  where  he  spent  seventeen  years,  leaving  to 
go  to  Hector  in  1908  as  manager  of  the  Steams  Lumber  Company. 
He  is  a  Republican,  belongs  to  the  Modem  Brotherhood  and  is  a 
charter  member  of  Bird  Island  lodge,  which  was  organized  in 
1900.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Norwegian  Lutheran  church. 
Between  the  age  of  seventeen  and  twenty-three  years  he  owned 
and  operated  two  threshing  machines.  He  now  has  a  third  inter- 
est in  the  Knudtson  &  Tinnes  Grain  Company,  of  Bird  Island, 
and  the  Bush  Lake  Grain  Company,  of  Saskatchewan,  Canada. 
June  20,  1891,  Henry  0.  Tinnes  was  married  to  Carrie  Enudtson, 
bom  July  24,  1869,  at  Lyndon,  Brown  county,  Minnesota,  the 
daughter  of  Amond  and  Carrie  (Eckley)  Knndtson,  They  have 
six  children:  Mahle,  bom  in  1892;  Howard,  bom  in  1896;  Amy,, 
bom  in  1899;  Earl,  bom  in  1900;  Clinton,  born  in  1904;  Leland, 
horn  in  1910.  Mrs.  Carrie  Knudtson  died  in  June,  1915.  Lafe 
Tinnes,  bom  in  1847  in  Palmyra  county,  Wisconsin,  died  in  Ren- 
ville county  in  1871.  He  married  Maggie  Hogxtl,  bora  in  1850 
in  the  same  county  as  her  husband,  the  wedding  taking  place 
in  the  same  eonnty.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lafe  Tinnes  bad  six  children : 
Henry  0. ;  Lillian,  who  married  H.  E.  Summeyer,  of  Minneapolis; 
Albert,  who  resides  at  Willow  City,  North  Dakota;  Hattie,  who 
died  in  1913 :  Emma,  now  Mrs.  C.  Eck,  of  Painville ;  George  A.,  of 


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MB.  AND  MRS.  LAFE  TINNE8,  HKNRY  O.  TINNE8 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  467 

North  Dakota.  After  the  death  of  Lafe  Tinnes  the  widow  married 
Ole  Hanson,  who  died  six  years  later.  In  1883  she  married  Christ 
GulUckson,  with  whom  she  now  resides  in  Bird  Island.  Christ 
Gnllickeon  was  bom  in  Norway  in  1858  and  came  to  America  in 
1884.  For  four  months  he  lived  in  Kandiyohi  eoonty,  this  state, 
and  then  came  to  Renville  county,  where  he  now  follows  his  trade 
as  carpenter  and  contractor.  Amond  Knudtson  was  a  prosperous 
farmer  and  died  at  Renville  county  in  1890,  His  wife  survived 
him  and  is  now  living  at  St.  Paul  with  her  children.  Three  of  the 
eleven  children  she  brought  into  the  world  are  dead,  eight  are 
living :  Enudt,  of  Bird  Island ;  Mary,  now  Mrs.  Holverson,  of 
Lyndon,  Minnesota;  Carrie,  now  Mrs.  H.  0.  Tinnes,  of  Hector; 
John,  of  Wieblen,  South  Dakota ;  Bessie,  of  St.  Paul ;  Regina,  the 
wife  of  C.  F.  Neitzel,  of  Bird  Island ;  Clara,  now  Mrs.  M.  Meilke, 
of  Bird  Island ;  Marie,  Grace,  Bena,  Bessie  and  Emma,  of  St.  Paul ; 
Ross,  of  Bird  Island. 

Tred  J.  Fischer,  an  enterprising  farmer  of  Preston  Lake  town- 
ship, was  bom  in  Wisconsin,  near  Milwaukee,  August  2, 1869,  son 
of  Christ  and  Henrietta  (Gulke),  both  natives  of  Pomerania, 
Germany,  where  they  were  married.  They  left  for  America  with 
their  three  children,  Theodore,  Richard  and  Albert,  by  sailing 
vessel  in  1867,  being  many  weeks  on  the  water,  before  landing 
at  New  York  harbor.  From  there  they  went  to  Wisconsin,  locat- 
ing near  Milwaukee,  where  the  father  worked  in  a  brickyard. 
After  six  years  they  moved  to  Michigan,  where  he  cleared  forty 
acres  of  land  in  Montcalm  county.  Six  years  after  they  moved 
to  North  Dakota,  Pembina  county,  and  secured  a  homestead  and 
tree  claim,  bought  the  right,  paid  the  filing  and  built  a  shanty, 
which  was  later  replaced  by  a  log  house,  which  is  still  standing. 
Christ  Fischer  was  a  member  of  the  German  Evangelical  church 
and  donated  the  land  on  which  the  church  building  of  this  denom- 
ination was  erected  and  also  acted  as  one  of  its  ofiBcers.  He  died 
in  1899  at  the  age  of  seventy  years  and  his  wife  died  in  1913  at 
the  age  of  eighty-one  years.  Six  children  were  born  to  them : 
Fred  J.,  Emma  and  Henry,  and  three  died  in  infancy.  Pred  J. 
Fischer  received  his  early  education  in  Michigan  and  Dakota, 
attending  the  district  school  in  the  log  school  house  with  its 
home  made  benches.  He  remained  on  the  home  farm  until  he 
was  twenty-six  years  of  age,  when  he  received  a  tree  claim  from 
his  father  and  built  a  granary  and  lean-to,  where  he  lived  alone 
for  a  time.  Then  he  built  a  small  frame  house,  into  which  he 
moved  after  his  marriage.  He  added  a  quarter  section  more  to 
his  farm  and  moved  the  house.  Here  he  lived  for  three  years  and 
in  1900  moved  to  Renville  county,  where  he  located  his  present 
place  in  Preston  Lake  township  on  the  township  line  of  Hector, 
owning  land  in  both  tovmships,  amounting  to  240  acres.  The  next 
year  he  bought  another  eighty-acre  tract.     Five  years  later  he 


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468  HISTORY  OF  EENVILLE  COUNTY 

bought  eighty  acres  more,  which  have  since  been  sold.  He  now 
owns  775  acres,  coltiTating  one-half  section  and  renting  the  rest 
of  the  laud.  He  has  made  many  improvements  since  coming  into 
possession  of  this  land.  Mr.  Fischer  keeps  a  fine  grade  of  stock 
and  raises  Shropshire  sheep,  Durham  cattle,  Poland-China  hogs 
and  Percheron  horses.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Farmers'  Elevator 
Company  at  Buffalo  Lake  and  has  interest  in  the  bank  at  Buffalo 
Lake.  He  has  served  as  secretary  of  the  creamery  at  Buffalo 
Lake  and  is  a  member  of  the  Swine  Breeders'  Association.  He  is 
clerk  of  the  school  board  and  a  member  of  the  Evangelical  ehoreh, 
which  he  helped  organize,  and  is  also  the  Sunday  school  superin- 
tendent and  a  leading  missionary  worker.  February  13,  1895, 
Mr.  Fischer  was  united  in  marriage  to  Matilda  Klucas,  bom  in 
Faribault  county,  Minnesota,  September  19,  1874,  daughter  of 
John  and  Emelia  (Rekow)  Klucas,  natives  of  Germany.  Mr. 
Klucas  came  to  America  at  the  age  of  fourteen,  coming  all  alone 
by  sailing  vessel,  being  thirteen  weeks  on  the  water.  His  brother 
Christoph  had  come  to  the  United  States  before  and  John  joined 
him  in  Wisconsin.  John  grew  to  manhood  in  Wisconsin  and  mar- 
ried Emelia  Rekow,  who  had  come  at  the  age  of  seventeen  with 
her  parents.  John  left  for  Minnesota  by  ox  team  and  covered 
wagon  and  came  to  Faribault  county,  where  he  located  a  home- 
stead of  160  acres  of  wild  prairie  land.  Here  he  built  a  dugout, 
which  was  later  replaced  by  a  house.  He  built  better  buildings 
and  died  in  1887  at  the  age  of  fifty-two  years.'  His  wife  is  still 
living  at  Buffalo  Lake  at  the  age  of  seventy-five  years.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  Evangelical  church  and  held  ofBce  in  it.  He  had 
nine  children:  Emma  (deceased),  Augusta,  Pauline,  Herman, 
John,  Matilda,  Anna,  Albert  and  Hattie.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fischer 
have  had  eight  children:  Elsie,  Esther,  Alvin,  Walton,  Arnold, 
Orville,  Clifford  and  Walter  (deceased). 

Fetw  Lenando'  was  bom  in  Sweden  August  13,  1852.  He 
received  his  education  in  Sweden  and  at  the  age  of  twenty-one 
years  entered  military  service,  serving  in  the  Wenden  company 
for  three  years.  After  his  time  of  service  had  expired  he  came 
to  America  in  1876  and  settled  in  Nicollet  county,  this  state, 
where  his  parents  and  brother  Nels  had  already  located.  He 
bought  a  farm  in  partnership  with  his  brother  Nels,  later  buying 
his  brother's  share,  and  farmed  a  tract  of  eighty  acres,  forty  of 
which  were  homestead  land  and  the  rest  railroad  land-  He  built 
a  log  house  12  by  16  feet  and  farmed  here  for  about  twelve  years, 
when  he  moved  to  Renville  county  and  rented  a  farm  at  Boon 
Lake  township  for  six  years.  Then  he  moved  to  Preston  Lake 
township  and  secured  160  acres  of  prairie  land  in  section  25.  He 
improved  the  place,  set  out  trees,  built  good,  substantial  build- 
ings and  developed  the  land.  In  the  fall  of  1909  he  sold  that 
farm  and  purchased  a  farm  of  137  acres  in  sections  5  and  6, 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  469 

Preston  Lake  township.  Ll  the  fall  of  1914  be  sold  eighty  acres 
of  this  farm  and  kept  the  balance,  on  which  he  has  erected  a  new 
residence  and  outbuildings  and  carries  on  general  diversified 
farming.  Mr.  Lenander  has  seen  many  days  of  hardHhip  and 
trial.  He  had  the  misfortune  to  break  his  leg  the  first  year  he 
came  to  RenTille  county  and  has  been  lame  ever  since.  In  the 
early  days  of  his  farming  he  sold  butter  at  five  cents  a  pound  and 
eggs  at  five  cents  per  dozen,  hogs  at  two  dollars  per  hundred 
pounds  and  wheat  at  thirty  cents  a  bushel.  Ten  years  ago  a  hail- 
storm destroyed  all  that  he  had  and  he  was  forced  to  borrow 
straw  from  his  neighbors.  In  spite  of  all  he  h^  prospered.  Mr. 
Lenander  was  married  March  25,  1876,  to  Johanna  Jenson,  who 
came  from  Sweden  at  the  same  time  that  he  did,  and  by  this  mar- 
riage there  were  five  children :  Selma,  Robert,  Nellie,  Tillie  and 
Emma.  Mrs.  Johanna  (Jenson)  Lenander  died  four  years  ago 
at  the  age  of  sixty-six  years.  Mr.  Lenander  was  married  April 
13,  1912,  to  Emma  Buerkman,  born  in  Sweden  February  2,  1865. 
Her  father  died  in  Sweden  and  her  mother  is  still  living  in 
Worcester,  Massachusetts. 

Joseph  H.  Feeter,  a  leading  citizen  of  Bird  Island,  was  bom 
March  3,  1846,  in  Baden,  Germany,  son  of  Edgar  and  Clara 
(Richard)  Feeter,  who  brought  the  family  to  the  United  States 
in  1852,  coming  to  the  state  of  New  York  and  settling  at  Verona, 
New  York.  There  were  nine  children ;  David,  Caroline,  Elizabeth, 
by  a  former  marriage,  and  John,  Benjamin,  Joseph,  Mary,  Han- 
nah, and  Caroline  by  the  second  marriage.  The  father  died  there 
in  1867  and  the  mother  died  in  Renville  county.  Benjamin  and 
Joseph  came  to  Renville  county  in  1872.  Joseph  H.  had  enlisted 
in  Company  A,  148th  New  York  Volunteer  Infantry;  in  1863, 
had  been  assigned  to  the  Eighteenth  Army  Corps  and  served  till 
August  28,  1865,  when  he  was  mustered  out  at  Albany,  New  York, 
He  took  part  in  such  important  engagements :  Ft.  Darling,  Cold 
Harbor  and  Appomattox,  with  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  being 
wounded  at  Cold  Harbor,  June  3,  1864.  Mr.  Feeter  farmed  in 
Michigan  for  a  time  and  in  1872  came  to  Renville  county,  where 
he  secured  a  homestead  of  160  acres  of  wild  prairie  land  in  sec- 
tion 14,  Bird  Island  township,  with  no  roads  near,  and  built  a 
small  frame  house.  Here  his  wife  joined  him  and  he  began 
breaking  the  land  with  his  ox  team.  He  lived  there  until  fifteen 
years  ago,  added  forty  acres  more  to  the  farm  and  erected  new 
buildings.  Then  he  moved  to  Bird  Island,  where  he  opened  a  col- 
lection agency.  He  was  one  of  the  first  supervisors  of  his  town- 
ship, a  position  he  held  for  a  number  of  years.  He  was  also 
assessor  for  seven  years  and  justice  of  the  peace  and  constable. 
He  was  one  of  the  first  treasurers  of  the  first  school  district  No. 
64  and  was  instrumental  in  getting  a  school  house  built.  He  has 
also  been  village  recorder  for  a  number  of  years  at  Bird  Island. 


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470  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

He  haa  been  the  postmaster  for  the  past  eight  years.  He  is  a 
member  of  Bird  Island  Lodge,  No,  144,  A.  P.  &  A.  M.,  of  Bird 
Island,  and  of  Meade  Post  No.  53,  G.  A.  R,,  of  Bird  Island.  Mr. 
Feeter  married  in  South  Haven,  Michigan,  Nancy  J.  Rhodes,  of 
Indiana,  second  child  of  G.  W,  and  Mary  E.  Rhodes.  They  have 
the  following  children ;  G,  W.  (deceased),  Mamie,  Delia  and  Edith 
and  Edna  (twins), 

Theodore  Houck,  a  prominent  farmer  of  Preston  Lake  town- 
ship, was  bom  in  Indiana,  January  23,  1851,  son  of  Allison  and 
Charlotte  (Christ)  Houck,  the  former  of  whom  was  bom  August 
28,  1817,  and  died  July  5,  1887,  and  the  latter  of  whom  was  bora 
October  12,  1822,  and  died  May  13,  1898.  Allison  Houck  was 
bom  in  Pennsylvania  and  there  married.  He  and  his  wife  came 
to  Indiana  as  a  young  couple  and  there  four  children  were  bom 
to  them:  Elijah,  Mary,  Alfred  and  Theodore.  The  family  drove 
by  horse  team  from  Indiana  to  a  place  near  St.  Paul  in  1852, 
being  territorial  pioneers  of  Minnesota.  In  a  few  years  he  went 
to  Rice  county  and  farmed  and  later  moved  to  Dakota  county 
and  farmed  near  Lakeville.  In  1867  he  came  to  Renville  county. 
In  the  meantime  the  Civil  War  and  the  Indian  trouble  broke  out 
and  the  oldest  son,  Elijah,  enlisted  in  the  Eighth  Minnesota  Volun- 
teer Infantry,  serving  three  years.  On  reaching  Renville  county 
Mr.  Houck  located  a  homestead  in  section  14,  Preston  Lake  town- 
ship, on  the  south  shore  of  Preston  Lake,  where  he  obtained  eighty 
acres.  Here  he  erected  a  log  cabin  16  by  16  and  farmed  with  a 
team  of  oxen.  The  family  were  members  of  the  Methodist  church. 
Before  the  congregation  had  any  church  building  of  their  own 
the  services  were  held  in  the  cabin  of  Mr.  Houck,  as  were  also 
the  law  suits  of  the  section.  The  children  who  were  bom  in 
Minnesota  were :  Floyd,  Ellen,  Anna,  Prank,  Williara  and  Carrie. 
Theodore  received  his  early  education  in  Minnesota  and  grew  to 
manhood,  engaging  in  farming.  He  rented  a  farm  in  Preston 
Lake  township  for  one  year  and  after  a  short  time  spent  in  town 
he  located  his  present  place,  obtaining  one  of  the  few  remaining 
claims  in  the  section.  It  consisted  of  160  acres  of  land,  a 
granary  and  a  milk  house,  Mr,  and  Mrs.  Houck  making  their 
home  in  the  latter  until  a  house  cotild  be  built.  A  frame  house 
16  by  16  was  built  to  which  additions  have  been  made  from  time 
to  time  until  now  they  have  a  neat  substantial  home.  Good  farm 
buildings  have  also  been  built.  Mr,  Houck  is  a  member  of  the 
Modem  'Woodmen  of  America  of  Stewart  lodge.  Mr.  Houck  was 
united  in  marriage  November  17,  1882,  to  Elsie  Chase,  bom  in 
Sheboygan  county,  Wisconsin,  November  25,  1860,  danghter  of 
William  Dell  and  Roxanna  (Wilson)  Chase.  They  have  had 
eleven  children :  Floyd,  Leo,  Nora,  Edvrill,  Norman.  Doris,  Mona, 
Theodora,  Gretchen,  Bessie  (deceased)  and  Roxie  (deceased). 
The  Chase  family  dates  back  to  the  time  of  Henry  vlll  of 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  471 

England.  The  Richard  Chase  who  came  to  America  married  the 
only  daughter  of  Lord  Townley,  who  was  executed  at  the  time 
of  the  "Restoration,"  having  fought  under  Cromwell.  Walter 
Chase,  a  grandson,  had  five  sons,  and  one  of  these,  Ebenezer,  a 
sailor  and  soldier  during  the  Revolutionary  war,  married  Sarah 
Snow.  They  had  eight  children.  By  a  second  marriage  he  had 
four  children.  A  son,  Leonard,  married  Jane  Dell  in  1823,  and 
William  Dell  Chase  was  one  of  their  eight  children.  He  was 
born  in  Clyde,  Wayne  county,  New  York,  March  7,  1824,  and 
died  October  4, 1874.  He  homesteaded  in  McLeod  county  in  1864, 
and  had  seven  daughters,  Elsie  Chase  becoming  the  wife  of  Mr. 
Houck.  Mrs.  Houck's  mother  was  bom  December  28,  1828, 
daughter  of  Ezra  Wilson,  bom  April  1,  1789,  and  Edith  (Porter) 
Wilson,  bom  June  22,  1796,  both  of  New  York.  Mrs.  Wilson's 
grandfather  settled  in  New  York  in  1775  and  took  part  in  the 
Revolutionary  war. 

John  L.  Johnson,  the  efficient  auditor  of  Renville  coimty,  was 
bom  in  Stockholm,  Sweden,  Christmas  day,  1866,  son  of  P.  L. 
and  Wendla  {Hjalm}  Johnson,  who  brought  him  to  St.  Paul  in 
June,  1869,  and  to  Willmar,  in  this  state,  in  1872.  He  started  in 
life  for  himself  at  the  age  of  thirteen  years  as  a  clerk  in  the  Great 
Northern  station  at  Willmar,  and  either  in  that  capacity  or  as  an 
assistant  in  the  office  of  the  division  superintendent,  remained 
with  the  company  some  five  years.  For  five  or  six  years  more 
he  was  bookkeeper  in  the  Bank  of  Willmar.  In  1890  he  became 
cashier  of  the  New  London  State  Bank.  It  was  in  1892  that  he 
came  to  Renville  village  and  became  cashier  of  the  Security  Bank, 
now  the  First  National  Bank,  a  position  he  held  until  1895,  when 
he  went  with  the  Renville  State  Bank  for  about  seven  years.  He 
filed  for  county  auditor  in  1902,  but  failing  to  get  the  office  he 
worked  some  nine  months  as  cashier  of  the  Farmers  State  Bank 
at  Sacred  Heart  and  then  returned  to  the  Renville  State  Bank  as 
assistant  cashier.  In  September,  1908,  he  resigned  and  filed  for 
the  office  of  county  auditor  once  more.  He  was  elected  in  Novem- 
ber of  that  year,  and  took  office  January  1,  1909,  since  which 
time  he  has  succeeded  himself  at  each  election,  his  present  term 
expiring  January  1,  1919.  He  still  maintains  his  home  in  Ren- 
ville village,  where  he  has  lived  since  he  first  located  in  this 
county.  Aside  from  occupying  county  office  he  has  served  on 
the  village  councils  of  New  London  and  Renville.  His  religious 
faith  is  that  of  the  Norwegian  Synod.  Mr.  Johnson  was  married 
June  24,  1890,  to  Caroline  R.  Carlson,  of  Renville,  and  to  this 
union  have  been  bom  eleven  children:  Marion  C.  was  bom  in 
1891,  graduated  from  the  Johnson  School  of  Music,  Minneapolis, 
and  is  now  a  music  teacher;  Alfred  P.  L.,  bom  in  1893,  and  John 
C.  E.,  bora  in  1895,  conduct  the  homestead  farm  of  their  grand- 
father, Carl  Carlson,  in  Emmet  township;  Inez  C.  was  bom  in 


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472  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

1897 ;  Stella  E.  was  bom  in  1900 ;  Victor  E.  was  born  in  1902 ;  Joel 
L.  was  bom  in  1904 ;  Carl  R.  was  born  in  1906 ;  Adrian  R.  was  bom 
in  1908;  Maxwell  C.  was  bom  in  1910;  William  J.  was  bom  in 
1913.  P.  L.  Johnson,  a  cabinetmaker  by  trade,  was  bom  in  Carls- 
krona,  Sweden,  and  married  Wendla  Hjalm,  born  in  Stockholm, 
Sweden.  They  came  to  America  in  June,  1869,  and  located  in 
St.  Paul,  where  he  worked  at  his  trade.  In  1872  they  moved  to 
Willmar,  Minnesota,  where  he  became  ear  foreman  for  the  Great 
Northern.  About  thirty  years  later  he  retired  and  is  now  living 
in  that  city.  His  wife  died  April  1,  1913.  In  the  family  there 
were  six  children:  John  L,,  of  Renville  county;  Charles  H.,  of 
Fargo,  North  Dakota ;  George  W.,  of  Crookston,  Minnesota ; 
Edward  A.,  of  Fargo,  North  Dakota;  Henry  L.,  also  of  Fargo, 
and  Arthur  J.,  of  Crookston,  Minnesota.  All  are  prosperous  busi- 
ness men. 

Levi  A.  Kaiti,  an  energetic  agriculturist  of  Melville  township, 
ymi  bom  in  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  25,  in  the  township 
where  he  still  resides,  April  14,  1888.  The  father,  Charles  R. 
Raitz,  was  bom  at  Chaska,  this  state,  June  22,  1855,  arrived  in 
Melville  township  in  1878,  homesteaded  eighty  acres  in  section 
25,  later  purchased  another  eighty  acres,  added  to  this  until  he 
had  320  acres,  became  a  prominent  dairyman,  served  as  super- 
visor of  the  township  for  three  years,  moved  to  Hector  village, 
served  there  on  the  school  board  for  six  years  and  died  January 
12,  1915.  The  mother,  Augusta  (Jacobs)  Raitz,  died  December 
3,  1914,  at  the  age  of  fifty-three.  Levi  A.  Raitz  was  reared  on 
the  home  farm,  attended  the  neighborhood  school  and  learned 
farming  from  his  father.  In  1911  he  rented  the  home  farm  and 
is  there  carrying  on  general  farming  and  stock  raising,  now  own- 
ing and  operating  180  acres.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Grain 
Exchange  at  Hector.  Mr.  Raitz  was  married  August  24.  1914.  to 
Alice  Schwartz,  who  was  bom  January  5,  1893,  daughter  of 
"William  and  Thaoline  (Tollefson)  Schwartz,  who  live  on  a  farm 
in  Martinsburg  township.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Raitz  have  one  son, 
Floyd,  bora  April  10,  1915. 

John  BIill«r,  a  retired  farmer  of  Olivia,  was  bom  in  Sweden, 
April  24, 1858,  son  of  John  and  Anestina  (Anders)  Anderson.  His 
father  came  to  the  United  States  in  1867  and  his  family  joined 
him  the  next  year  at  La  Crosse,  Wisconsin.  After  coming  to 
Fnited  States  he  changed  his  name  to  Miller,  taking  the  name  of 
Miller  from  the  farm  on  which  he  was  bom,  June  30,  1832.  in 
Mokulla,  the  province  of  Halland.  Sweden.  As  soon  as  his  family 
came  he  moved  to  Houston  in  Houston  comity,  Minnesota.  Then 
he  rented  a  farm  for  a  year.  In  1873  he  moved  to  Cottonwood 
county  and  rented  a  farm  until  1875,  when  he  secured  a  home- 
stead in  Renville  county,  in  'Winfleld  township.  It  was  a  tract  of 
160  acres  of  wild  prairie  land  and  here  he  brought  his  family  in 


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HISTOKY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  473 

the  apring  of  1876,  and  began  improving  his  land.  He  built  a 
small  frame  house,  put  up  a  straw  shed  for  a  bam,  and  broke 
the  land  with  his  ox  team.  Here  he  lived  for  twelve  years.  Then 
he  rented  this  farm  and  moved  to  Olivia  in  the  fall  of  1888,  where 
he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  days.  Mr.  Miller  served  on  the 
township  school  board  for  many  years  and  was  a  member  of  the 
Lutheran  church.  There  were  three  children  in  the  family ;  Anna, 
John  and  Andrew.  Mr.  Miller  died  March  15,  1913,  at  the  age  of 
eighty-one  years,  and  his  wife  died  September  14,  1904,  at  the 
age  of  sixty-five  years.  The  son  John  lived  with  his  father  until 
the  time  of  bis  marriage.  He  had  obtained  a  homestead  of  eighty 
acres  in  Winfield  township  in  1879  and  had  worked  the  place  for 
a  time,  also  helping  his  father  on  his  farm.  In  1885  he  moved 
on  this  homestead  and  added  sixty  acres  of  railroad  land.  After 
four  years  he  moved  to  Olivia  where,  for  the  next  six  years,  he 
operated  the  Hotel  Merchant.  Then  he  engaged  in  the  livei-y 
business  for  &  period  of  twelve  years,  when  he  sold  out  his 
interests  in  Olivia  and  intended  to  locate  elsewhere.  After  travel- 
ing about  for  a  year  he  decided  to  return  to  Olivia  and  purchased 
seventy-five  acres  on  the  outskirts  of  the  village  in  Troy  township. 
Here  he  tore  down  the  old  dwelling  and  built  a  modem  house. 
Mr,  Miller  owns  farms  in  Bird  Island,  Winfield  and  Troy  town- 
ships, all  of  which  are  rented  out.  He  keeps  a  good  grade  of 
stock.  Mr,  Miller  is  a  member  of  the  Farmers'  Elevator  Com- 
pany, and  has  also  been  a  member  of  the  township  school  board 
in  Winfield.  He  belongs  to  several  fraternities,  being  a  member 
of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  of  the  Ancient 
Order  of  United  Workmen,  both  of  Olivia.  Mr.  Miller  was  united 
.  in  marriage  to  Augusta  Johnson,  bom  in  Smaaland,  Sweden,  June 
7,  1859.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Gustave  and  Johanna  (Rund- 
quist)  Johnson.  She  was  the  first  of  her  family  to  come  to 
America,  coming  in  1883,  the  rest  of  the  family  coming  in  1884. 
There  six  children  besides  Augusta :  Anna,  Louise,  Hulda,  Charles, 
John  R.,  Ellen  E.  Her  father  located  in  the  township  of  Win- 
field, securing  a  farm  of  120  acres  of  wild  prairie  land.  He 
began  breaking  land  with  his  ox  team,  built  a  frame  house  and 
made  a  dugout,  which  was  used  for  a  bam.  He  lived  here  until 
he  moved  to  Olivia,  where  he  died  in  1902  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
two  years.  His  wife  is  still  living  at  the  age  of  eighty  years, 
making  her  home  at  Olivia.  They  were  both  members  of  the 
Lutheran  church.  Mr.  and  Mrs,  Miller  have  had  two  children: 
Ida  Elmira,  bom  June  13,  1885,  and  died  July  12,  1898,  and 
Andrew  Edward,  bom  April  19,  1899,  who  resides  at  home. 

James  Brown  was  bom  in  the  Province  of  Quebec,  Canada, 
July  25, 1862,  son  of  James  and  Mary  Ann  (Goggin)  Brown.  The 
father  came  to  Minnesota  in  1868  and  took  a  homestead  in  the 
southeast  quarter  of  section  28,  Norfolk  township,  this  county. 


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474  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

where  he  lived  until  his  death  in  1881  at  the  age  of  forty-five. 
The  mother  was  born  in  1343  and  now  makes  her  home  with  her 
son  Patrick  in  Franklin  township.  James  Brown  remained  on 
the  home  farm  until  1893  and  then  went  to  Beltrami  county,  this 
state,  where  he  homesteaded  a  farm,  remaining  there  for  six  years 
and  dividing  his  time  between  farming  and  working  in  the 
pineries.  In  1899  he  sold  out  and  came  to  Norfolk,  where  he 
located  on  160  acres  in  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  20,  which 
he  had  purchased  in  1891.  It  was  in  1910  that  he  disposed  of 
this  and  bought  320  acres  in  the  east  half  of  section  18,  Melville 
township,  where  he  now  lives.  Mr.  Brown  was  treasurer  of  school 
district  28  for  seven  years  and  justice  of  the  peace  in  Norfolk 
township  for  four  years.  He  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Farmers' 
Elevator  Company  at  Bird  Island,  and  a  member  of  the  Swine 
Breeders'  Association  and  of  the  Farmers'  Mutual  Shipping 
Association  of  Bird  Island.  Mr.  Brown  was  married  January 
24,  1904,  to  Nellie  Lanigan,  bom  in  1879,  daughter  of  Michael 
and  Mary  (Bohan)  Lanigan,  of  Birch  Cooley  township,  the  first 
named  of  whom  died  in  1900.  The  mother  died  some  years  before. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brown  are  the  parents  of  three  children ;  James  T., 
November  8,  1905 ;  Rose  Eileen,  bom  August  31,  1907,  and  Mary 
Theresa,  bom  April  30,  1915. 

H«U7  Fehr,  a  retired  farmer  of  Olivia,  waa  bom  October  16, 
1845,  in  Switzerland,  the  son  of  Conrad  and  Snsanah  (Hug)  Fehr. 
He  eame  to  America  August  18,  1868,  settling  in  Toledo,  Ohio, 
where  he  remained  a  year.  Going  to  Burr  Oak,  Michigan,  he 
worked  in  a  brick  yard  for  two  years,  leaving  there  for  Lansing, 
Iowa,  where  he  spent  two  years  on  railroad  construction  work. 
Oaring  the  years  that  followed  he  visited  the  states  of  Kansas, 
Arkansas,  Louisiana,  Missouri  and  Illinoia,  going  to  Fillmore 
county,  Minnesota,  where  he  spent  thirteen  years  as  a  farm  hand 
and  renter.  Finally  he  bought  eighty  acres  in  Winfield  township, 
purchasing  120  acres  in  Bird  Island  township  and  removing  there 
after  having  spent  three  years  on  his  first  farm.  Later  he  bought 
another  240  acres,  selling  the  farm  and  retiring  to  Olivia  in  the 
spring  of  1911.  He  attends  the  German  Evangelical  church.  He 
served  as  a  member  of  the  township  board  three  years  and  for 
two  years  was  chairman.  For  three  years  he  was  a  director  of 
the  board  of  education.  He  is  also  secretary  of  the  Farmers' 
Elevator  Company  and  has  held  that  position  for  six  years.  He 
has  been  secretary  and  manager  of  the  Central  Creamery  Asso- 
ciation fourteen  years,  a  position  in  which  he  is  now  serving. 
Mr.  Fehr  was  married  December  2,  1877,  to  Eliza  Dennstedt,  bom 
July  24, 1859,  in  Canada,  the  daughter  of  John  E.  and  Willimena 
(Cmsp)  Dennstedt.  They  had  seven  children,  all  of  whom  are 
alive  with  the  exception  of  Esther,  who  died  June  7,  1893,  she 
having  been  bom  June  7,  1886 ;  Emest  K.  was  bom  December  3, 


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HISTORY  OF  BENVILLE  COUNTY  475 

1878 ;  Henry  E.,  born  March  21,  1880 ;  John  F.,  born  September  6, 
1883;  Eatella,  bom  April  3, 1890;  George,  born  February  7,  1893; 
Aaron  D.,  born  December  21, 1898.  Conrad  Pehr,  born  in  Switzer- 
land in  1814,  was  a  miller  who  lost  his  life  in  the  mill  in  1849  as 
the  result  of  an  accident.  He  married  Susana  Hug,  born  in  1816 
in  Switzerland. 

a«orge  Poetschat,  the  noted  marksman  of  Bird  Island,  was 
bom  July  24,  1880,  in  East  PrusBia,  Germany,  the  son  of  August 
and  Elsie  Poetschat.  He  left  home  at  the  age  of  eighteen  and 
worked  in  a  factory  until  he  entered  the  army  in  1900,  he  being 
a  member  of  Kaiser  Alexander  Garde  Grenadier  Regiment  No.  1 
of  Berlin.  Here  he  made  a  record  as  a  sharpshooter  and  was  dis- 
charged in  1902,  coming  to  America  September  5,  1904.  He 
located  in  St.  Paul,  where  be  worked  for  the  German  consul, 
Herr  Grunow,  for  three  years.  He  then  moved  to  Winthrop, 
Minnesota,  where  he  rented  the  Hotel  Seiter,  which  he  ran  for 
two  years,  coming  to  Bird  Island  in  1910.  Here  he  bought  the 
VanDyke  Hotel.  He  has  a  new  brick  building  that  is  modern  in 
every  sense  of  the  word.  It  is  steam  heated,  has  running  water 
and  is  lighted  by  electricity.  He  ia  a  member  of  the  German 
Lutheran  church.  Mr.  Poetschat  was  married  April  14,  1908,  in 
St.  Paul  to  Bertha  Tinner,  born  in  Switzerland,  the  daughter  of 
Ulrich  and  Katherine  Tinner.  They  have  four  children :  Elsie, 
bom  January  4,  1910;  George,  born  February  28,  1911;  Bertha, 
bom  March  26,  1912 ;  Frida,  bora  March  21,  1915.  August  Poet- 
schat, who  was  born  in  Germany,  where  he  pursued  farming  until 
his  death  in  1905  at  the  age  of  sixty-five  years,  was  married  Janu- 
ary 1, 1872,  to  Elsie  Werkies,  bom  May  18, 1847.  At  last  accounts 
she  was  living  in  the  war  zone  of  Germany.  Ulrich  Tinner  mar- 
ried Katherine  Tinner  in  Switzerland,  where  both  were  bom. 
Mr.  Tinner  was  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  hand  embroidery 
until  the  time  of  his  death.  Mrs.  Tinner  is  still  living.  The 
daughter  Bertha  came  to  this  country  with  her  brother  in  1903 
and  settled  at  St.  Paul,  where  she  met  and  married  Mr. 
Poetschat. 

Heniy  W.  Hanschen,  the  popular  and  efficient  young  butter- 
maker  of  the  Melville  Co-operative  Creamery  Company,  located 
in  Melville  township,  was  bom  in  New  Ulm,  August  28. 1894.  The 
father,  Henry  W.  Hansehen,  Sr.,  a  contractor  of  New  Ulm,  died  in 
1897  at  the  age  of  sixty-four,  and  the  mother,  Emelie  (Bischoff) 
Hansehen,  was  married  in  December,  1900,  to  August  Muske.  a 
railroad  man  of  New  TTlm.  Henry  W.  Hansehen  attended  the 
school  of  New  Ulm,  early  became' interested  in  dairying,  entered 
the  dairy  school  of  the  University  of  Minnesota,  graduated  in 
November,  1911,  worked  in  New  Ulm  two  weeks,  then  in  the 
Clover  Leaf  Creamery,  in  Osceola  township,  this  county,  seven 
montliB,  and  then  assmned  the  duties  of  hia  present  position.    He 


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476  HISTOKY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

IB  a  good  buttermaker  and  is  held  in  high  esteem  by  all  the 
patrons  of  the  creamery. 

Edwin  B.  Wolff,  a  farmer  of  Melville  towuHhip,  was  bom  in 
Hopedale,  Wayne  county,  Pennsylvania,  August  24,  1854,  son  of 
Paul  and  Frederica  (Stroub)  Wolff.  Paul  Wolff  was  born  in 
Saxony,  Germany,  came  to  America  at  the  age  of  twelve,  locating 
in  Hopedale.  In  1855  he  took  up  his  residence  in  Dahlgren  town- 
ship. Carver  comity,  this  state,  where  he  lived  until  1882,  when 
he  came  to  Hector  township,  this  county,  and  bought  a  farm  of 
160  acres.  Later  he  sold  this  place  and  retired  to  Olivia,  where 
he  died  in  1899.  His  wife  was  born  in  Wurttemberg,  Germany, 
and  died  in  October,  1911,  at  the  age  of  eighty.  Edwin  B.  Wolff 
remained  with  his  parents  until  the  age  of  twenty-two  years, 
when,  in  1876,  he  came  to  Melville  township,  and  settled  on  eighty 
acres  in  the  north  half  of  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  32, 
where  he  still  remains.  At  first  he  erected  a  shack,  12  by  14  feet. 
In  1889  he  erected  a  bam,  28  by  46  feet.  In  1899  he  built  a  house, 
16  by  28  feet,  with  a  wing,  14  by  20  feet,  the  whole  building  con- 
taining eight  rooms.  Mr.  Wolff  is  a  prominent  man  in  the  com- 
munity, has  been  road  supervisor  three  years,  director  of  the 
school  board  three  years,  and  treasurer  of  the  school  board  two 
years.  He  was  married  September  30,  1879,  to  Maria  Groth,  who 
was  bom  in  Germany  October  9,  1858,  and  eame  to  America  in 
1874  with  her  sister  Charlotte.  The  father,  Ferdinand  Groth,  was 
born  in  Germany,  came  to  America  in  1866,  and  lived  in  Carver 
county,  this  state,  until  1910,  when  he  moved  to  Carlton  county, 
this  state,  where  he  died  in  1911.  He  was  married  to  Maria 
Herzog,  who  was  bom  in  Germany  and  died  in  Minneapolis  in 
1900  at  the  age  of  sixty-nine.  Mr.  and  Mrs,  Wolff  have  had  five 
children :  Charlotte,  bom  July  10,  1880 ;  Beno  A.,  born  December 
18,  1881,  died  May  2,  1905;  John  P.,  bom  May  6,  1884,  and  died 
in  the  service  of  the  United  States  Navy  December  12,  1904; 
Minna  M.,  born  February  6,  1892,  and  August  G.,  bom  July  8, 
1895.  Charlotte  married  Henry  Schulze.  They  live  at  Fairmont, 
Minnesota,  and  have  one  child,  Edna  Mary,  bom  November  5, 
1914. 

James  Drake,  one  of  the  pioneer  farmers  of  Minnesota,  was 
bom  in  Kent,  England,  May  14,  1843,  the  son  of  Samuel  and 
Sarah  Drake,  farmers  in  England,  where  they  died,  the  father 
in  1871  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight  and  the  mother  in  1893  at  the  age 
of  eighty-six.  James  Drake  came  to  America  in  1860,  the  stormy 
voyage  from  Liverpool  to  New  York  city  taking  eight  weeks,  a 
second  class  ticket  from  Dover,  England,  to  Milwaukee,  Wis- 
consin, costing  $45.  He  went  to  a  brother  at  Bipon,  Wisconsin, 
remaining  there  two  weeks.  Then  he  began  farm  work  and  con- 
tinued at  that  place  for  five  years,  next  renting  a  farm  at  Roches- 
ter, Minnesota,  where  he  remained  for  two  years.    November  7, 


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ME.  AND  MES.  JAMES  DEAKE,  CHABLES  F.  DEAKE 
LETTIE  <DBAKB)   QILOMEN,  HAROLD  GILOMEN 


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PUBLIC  LlU.-Alii' 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  477 

1867,  he  came  to  Renville  county  and  secured  a  homestead  of  160 
acres  in  section  14,  in  Cairo  township.  There  were  only  fourteen 
families  in  the  township  at  that  time.  Here  he  buUt  a  log  house 
14  by  18  feet  with  a  shed  roof  and  started  farming  upon  a  small 
scale  with  one  team,  one  wagon,  one  plow  and  one  cow,  remain- 
ing there  until  1892.  During  his  first  winter  in  Minnesota  he 
trapped  muskrats  and  sold  the  skina  at  twenty-oue  cents  each, 
earning  enough  money  in  this  way  to  pay  for  his  first  seed  wheat. 
He  cut  the  first  crop  with  a  cradle  scythe.  In  1892  he  moved  to 
Fairfax,  where  he  built  a  comfortable  home.  He  has  made  a 
hobby  of  raising  fruit  and  berries'.  He  was  the  first  one  in  the 
township  to  raise  raspberries  and  currants  for  sale  and  received 
twenty-five  cents  per  quart.  In  1913  be  sold  $51  worth  of  rasp- 
berries from  his  city  lot.  Mr.  Drake  was  clerk  of  the  School  Dis- 
trict No.  29  for  four  years.  April  23,  1865,  Mr.  Drake  was  mar- 
ried to  Amy  L.  Col  Una,  bom  August  21, 1843.  Her  father,  Frank- 
lin Collins,  was  a  farmer  in  Wisconsin,  formerly  a  native  of  New 
York.  He  died  in  1891  at  the  age  of  sixty-nine.  His  wife,  Louisa 
(Norman)  Collins,  died  in  1886  at  the  age  of  sixty-one.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Drake  have  had  six  children,  five  of  whom  are  still  living. 
Charles  F.,  bom  April  12,  1866,  is  a  farmer  in  Nobles  county, 
Minnesota.  Alice  L.,  bom  June  24,  1867,  is  married  to  Eugene 
Dieters,  a  civil  engineer  of  Glencoe,  Minnesota.  William  E.,  bom 
March  22,  1869,  is  a  farmer  in  Saskatchewan,  Canada.  Albert  J., 
born  July  6,  1877,  edits  the  "Standard"  at  Westhope,  North 
Dakota.  Earnest  J.,  bora  January  5,  1879,  died  May  28,  1898. 
Edith  M.,  born  February  11,  1883,  is  the  wife  of  Thomas  Doheny, 
a  carpenter  of  Great  Falls,  Montana.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Drake  have 
twenty-nine  grandchildren  and  three  great-grandchildren.  The 
family  are  all  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  About 
ten  years  ago  Mrs.  Drake  had  the  misfortune  to  break  her  leg 
and  has  since  been  an  invalid,  being  able  only  to  move  about  in  a 
wheel  chair.  In  spite  of  this  she  has  not  given  up  her  house  work, 
and  has  continued  to  do  all  the  lighter  work,  though  some  one  else 
has  to  do  the  heavier  work.  A  notable  event  in  the  life  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Drake  was  the  celebration  of  their  golden  wedding 
anniversary  on  April  23, 1915.  Nearly  all  the  children  and  grand- 
children were  present.  The  honored  couple  received  many  pretty 
gifts,  among  which  were  a  silver,  gold-lined  tea  service  from  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Thomas  Doheny  and  $30  in  gold  from  the  other  children. 
Robert  Wolff,  an  estimable  farmer  of  Melville  township,  was 
born  in  Chaska,  this  state,  November  12,  1874,  son  of  Ferdinand 
E.  and  Pauline  (Hedtke)  Wolff.  The  father  was  bora  January 
25,  1840,  in  Pennsylvania,  came  to  Melville  township  in  1871  and 
homesteaded  eighty  acres  in  section  20,  where  he  died  November 
4,  1901.  The  mother  now  lives  in  Bird  Island.  Robert  Wolff  was 
reared  on  the  home  farm  and  attended  the  district  schools.    In 


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478  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

1898  he  rented  a  farm  nearby,  but  still  continued  to  live  with  his 
father.  He  bought  a  place  of  160  acres  in  1902.  There  he  now 
carries  on  general  farming  and  makes  a  specialty  of  Jersey  cattle 
and  Poland-China  swine.  He  has  made  many  improvements, 
including  the  rebuilding  of  the  bam  in  1910,  and  the  erection  of 
a  modem  house  in  the  spring  of  1915.  Mr.  Wolff  is  a  prominent 
citizen,  and  has  been  a  member  of  the  town  board  some  four  years. 
He  is  a  trustee  of  the  Moravian  church  in  Melville  township.  Mr. 
Wolff  was  married  January  27,  1903,  to  Lydia  Huebner,  who  was 
bora  February  20, 1881,  daughter  of  William  and  Mary  (Wodtke) 
Huebner,  of  Montevideo,  this  state.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wolff  have  one 
son,  Clinton  Le  Boy,  bom  April  5,  1906. 

William  F.  Lammers,  one  of  the  energetic  citizens  of  Bird 
Island,  was  bom  in  Nicollet  county,  July  1,  1873,  son  of  Fred 
and  Mary  (Hanson)  Lammers,  early  settlers.  He  attended  the 
schools  of  his  neighborhood  and  remained  at  home  until  twenty- 
seven  years  of  age.  Then  he  engaged  in  the  implement  business 
at  Gibbon,  Minnesota,  where  he  remained  for  five  years.  At  the 
end  of  this  period  he  became  interested  in  grain,  a  line  to  which 
he  has  since  devoted  his  attention.  For  three  years  he  continued 
in  the  business  at  Gibbon.  On  April  30,  1908,  he  came  to  Bird 
Island  and  bought  an  interest  in  the  Bird  Island  Boiler  Mills, 
of  which  he  is  now  secretary.  His  knowledge  of  grain  condi- 
tions, his  strict  integrity  and  his  wide  acquaintance  among  the 
growers  have  been  important  factors  in  the  success  of  this  con- 
cern. While  in  Gibbon,  Mr.  Lammers  served  as  a  member  of 
the  village  council  and  on  the  school  board.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  M.  W.  A.  The  family  faith  is  that  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church.  Mr.  Lammers  was  married  March  10,  1903,  to 
Sarah  Overbeck,  bom  October  6,  1871,  daughter  of  Herman  and 
Mary  (Rieke)  Overbeck,  and  to  this  union  have  been  born  two 
children;  Claude,  born  September  26,  1907;  Stella,  bom  March 
13,  1910.  Fred  Lammers  was  bom  July  5,  1849,  and  married 
Mary  Hanson,  who  was  bom  December  20,  1852.  He  came  to 
Minnesota  from  Cincinnati,  and  lived  in  Nicollet  county  until 
1902  when  he  moved  to  Le  Sueur  where  he  now  resides.  Her- 
man Overbeck  was  a  tailor.  He  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-five 
in  Toledo,  Ohio.  His  wife,  Mary  Rieke,  died  at  the  age  of  sev- 
enty in  1902. 

Andrew  J.  Anderson,  one  of  the  prominent  farmers  of  Camp 
township,  was  bom  in  Winneshiek  county,  Iowa,  April  24,  1860, 
His  father,  John  Anderson,  was  bom  in  Sweden  and  came  to 
America  in  1854,  engaged  in  farming  in  Winneshiek  county,  Iowa, 
for  a  period  of  six  years.  Then  he  moved  to  Goodhue  county, 
Minn.,  and  engaged  in  farming  in  Wannamingo  township  for  four 
years,  next  setting  out  for  Renville  county,  orerland,  but  when 
they  reached  Sibley  county,  the  Indian  scare  was  so  great  that 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  479 

the?  camped  in  Sibley  countj  for  nearly  a  year.  In  1865  they 
proceeded  to  Renville  county,  where  Mr.  Andersop  homesteaded 
in  the  Bouthweat  quarter  of  section  18,  Camp  township.  He  lived 
there  until  his  death  September  25,  1869,  at  the  age  of  forty-aiz 
years.  He  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  Camp  township  and  of 
school  district  No.  1,  Andrew  Anderson,  being  one  of  the  first 
boys  to  attend  school  in  that  district.  His  mother,  Martha  An- 
derson, was  bom  March  22,  1826,  and  died  October  12,  1914. 
Andrew  Anderson  worked  out  from  the  time  he  was  seventeen. 
During  the  winters  of  1883-84-85  he  attended  the  Mankato  State 
Normal  school.  At  the  age  of  twenty-five  took  up  teaching  and 
taught  three  years.  In  1887  he  purchased  200  acres  of  land  in 
section  8,  Camp  township.  Owing  to  Mrs.  Anderson's  poor  health, 
Mr.  Anderson  decided  to  rent  his  farm  and  move  to  California. 
Mrs.  Anderson  left  in  February,  1901,  and  Mr.  Anderson  followed 
in  the  fall  of  1901  with  his  family  and  joined  his  wife  and  mother 
in  California,  where  they  located  in  Sonoma  county.  Here  Mr. 
Anderson  purchased  a  five-acre  poultry  ranch  fully  equipped  with 
600  young  hens  of  the  White  Leghorn  variety,  hen  house,  breed- 
ing pens,  a  good  residence,  bam,  horse,  cow,  and  wagon,  to- 
gether with  household  furniture.  This  ranch  was  thirty-five  mites 
north  of  San  Francisco  and  here  he  remained  for  one  year.  Then 
he  sold  out  and  moved  fifty  miles  farther  north  and  purchased 
fifty-three  acres  in  the  same  county.  This  was  a  fruit  and  wine- 
grape  farm.  They  remained  on  this  farm  for  one  year  and  then 
sold  and  moved  fifty  miles  still  farther  north  into  Mendocino 
county  and  there  purchased  520  acres  and  engaged  in  farming' 
and  stock  raising,  remaining  there  for  nearly  five  years.  Then 
he  sold  and  returned  to  bis  old  farm  in  Camp  township.  Mrs. 
Anderson,  however,  though  greatly  improved  in  health  did  not 
return  with  the  family  but  went  to  Arizona  and  spent  the  win- 
ter there  and  returned  home  in  the  spring.  She  still  continues 
to  spend  her  winters  in  either  Arizona  or  California.  In  1911 
Mr.  Anderson  built  a  nine-room  honse  and  has  a  nice  bam  and 
silo.  He  has  made  many  improvements  and  has  set  out  a  fine 
grove.  He  carries  on  diversified  farming.  Mr.  Anderson  has 
served  on  the  township  board  eight  years,  has  been  justice  of 
peace  two  years,  and  clerk  of  the  school  board  twelve  years. 
From  1895  to  1899  he  did  eflScient  service  as  county  commissioner. 
He  is  treasurer  of  the  Farmers  Elevator  Company  at  PVanklin 
and  also  stockholder  in  the  mill  and  creamery  at  that  place. 
Mr.  Anderson  was  married  June  23,  1888,  to  Amelia  Haack,  bom 
January  22, 1861,  daughter  of  Max  and  Elizabeth  (Knopf)  Haack. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Anderson  have  four  children :  Florence,  bom  April 
23,  1889,  attended  the  common  schools  of  Camp  township,  the 
grammar  and  high  schools  of  Willits,  California,  spent  two  years 
at  the  State  Normal  School,  at  Mankato,  graduated  in  the  class 


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460  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

of  1910,  and  is  dow  teaching  at  Qaylord,  Minn.  Linnie  and  Lily, 
twins,  were  born  July  6,  1892,  and  both  completed  their  studies 
at  the  grammar  school  at  WiUits,  Calif.  Linnie  entered  the 
Eitel  Hospital,  Minneapolis,  graduated  there  in  1913  and  is  now 
a  nurse.  Lily  is  at  home.  Irving  Spencer,  born  November  22, 
1894,  is  a  student  at  the  Agricultural  Department  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Minnesota.  Max  Haack  was  a  native  of  Germany  ' 
and  learned  the  profession  of  a  physician  and  druggist.  He  came 
to  Nicollet  county,  Minnesota,  in  1858  where  he  engaged  in  farm- 
ing and  was  killed  by  the  Indians  east  of  New  Ulm  in  1862,  at 
the  age  of  thirty-two,  Mra.  Haack  was  afterward  married  to 
Henry  Qraf,  who  was  accidentally  killed  in  1867  by  falling 
off  of  a  wagon.  Her  third  husband  was  Andrew  Schott,  a  pioneer 
of  Camp  township,  who  died  in  1898  at  the  age  of  seventy-five 
years.  She  died  October  9,  1912,  at  the  age  of  eighty-three 
years, 

P«ter  J.  W^plo  was  born  in  Finland  December  17,  1868, 
son  of  John  and  Amanda  (Friseo)  Wepplo.  His  father  came  to 
America  in  1871.  For  three  and  one-half  years  he  did  surface 
labor  in  Michigan;  two  years  were  spent  in  South  Dakota  and 
four  in  Camp  township,  this  county.  Later  he  bought  eighty 
acres  in  section  sixteen,  eastern  half  of  the  northwest  quarter 
of  Bandon  township  where  he  lived  until  1909  when  he  moved  to 
Minneapolis  and  died  there,  in  1911,  at  the  age  of  sixty-seven. 
His  wife  died  in  1910  at  the  age  of  sixty-five.  In  1896  Peter 
■Wepplo  went  to  the  Black  Hills  where  he  engaged  in  mining 
For  five  years.  In  1897  he  bought  eighty  acres  in  section  sixteen, 
Bandon  township,  and  then  rented  it  for  five  years  to  his  brother, 
Oscar.  In  December,  1897,  he  went  to  the  Black  Hills  and  re- 
mained for  five  years,  half  of  the  time  engaged  in  mining,  and 
the  other  half  in  other  labor.  In  1899  he  bought  a  house  and 
lot.  In  1902  he  returned  to  Bandon  township  where  he  has  since 
been  engaged  in  farming.  He  has  a  splendid  farm,  has  taken 
a  deep  interest  in  agricultural  affairs,  and  is  one  of  the  leading 
men  of  his  vicinity.  He  is  a  stockholder  in  the  elevator  at  Frank- 
lin and  Fairfax,  the  Creamery  at  Franklin,  and  also  in  the  Pair- 
fax  Co-operative  Store.  He  is  a  trustee  and  treasurer  of  the  Fin- 
nish Lutheran  church.  Peter  Wepplo  was  married  October  29, 
1898,  in  Lead,  S.  Dak.,  to  Josephine  Huusko,  bom  September  5, 
1878,  daughter  of  John  and  Mary  (Eangas)  Huuako.  Her  father 
came  to  America  in  1887,  lived  at  Cloquet,  Minn.,  for  three  years 
and  then  moved  to  Bedlodge,  Mont.,  where  he  engaged  in  mining 
about  ten  years,  and  later  in  farming.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  "Wepplo  have 
six  children :  Mary  Lydia,  bom  December  20, 1900 ;  Eunice  Esther, 
bom  December  23,  1903;  Henry  Raymond  Walter,  bora  March 
27,  1906 ;  Effle  Amanda,  bora  March  30,  1910 ;  Eino  Adolph,  born 
August  30,  1912:  and  Elsie  Sophia  Elizabeth,  born  August  7, 


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MR.  AND  MRS.  FREDERICK  J.  FOX,  8R. 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  481 

1914.    The  children  are  known  as  Lydia,  tlBther,  Walter,  Effie, 
Eino  and  Elsie. 

Frederick  3.  Fox,  Sr.,  a  retired  farmer  of  Olivia,  was  bom  in 
Baden,  Germany,  November  20,  1848,  son  of  Jacob  and  Cather- 
ine (Werner)  Fox,  natives  of  Baden.  Jacob  Fox  was  born  in  the 
spring  of  1804,  and  his  wife  was  bom  December  24,  1817.  They 
left  Germany  in  1851,  coming  to  New  York,  the  voyage  taking 
six  weeks.  For  foor  years  they  lived  in  New  York  state  among 
the  Oatskill  mountains.  He  was  a  mason  by  trade  and  followed 
that  trade  in  the  new  country.  Next  they  moved  to  what  is  now 
Racine,  Wisconsin,  then  in  a  great  wilderness.  Here  he  worked 
at  his  trade  helping  pave  the  first  streets  and  erecting  one  of 
the  first  buildings,  bis  wages  being  seventy-five  cents  per  day 
in  payment  of  which  he  had  to  take  city  orders.  He  bought 
forty  acres  in  Caledonia  township,  Racine  county,  Wisconsin,  on 
the  shore  of  Lake  Michigan,  knovm  as  Wind  Point,  where  he 
built  a  log  house  and  cleared  the  land.  By  his  first  marriage  he 
had  the  following  children :  Conrad,  Jacob,  Michael,  Catherine, 
Evelyn  and  Mary.  By  this  marriage  to  Catherine  Werner  there 
were  the  following  children:  George,  Frederick  J.,  Christina, 
Elizabeth  and  Andrew.  Mr.  Fox  died  December  22,  1868,  and 
Mrs.  Fox  died  January  12,  1884. 

Frederick  J.  Fox,  Sr.,  was  a  small  boy.  when  the  family  came  to 
the  United  States.  He  received  his  education  in  Wisconsin  and 
learned  his  trade  of  his  father.  Then  he  went  as  a  sailor  on 
the  Great  Lakes,  continued  in  that  work  for  about  fifteen  years. 
At  the  end  of  that  time  he  became  shipping  clerk  for  the  J.  I. 
Case  Threshing  Machine  Co.,  at  Racine,  Wisconsin.  Here  he  re- 
mained for  twelve  years.  Then  he  returned  to  work  upon  the 
waterways,  this  time  working  on  the  river  until  1892,  when 
he  located  in  Winfield  township,  Renville  county,  securing  190 
acres  in  section  13.  This  was  all  wild  prairie  land  with  no  fences 
nor  buildings.  He  had  bought  the  land  in  1885  but  did  not  move 
until  1892.  He  hauled  lumber  from  Wisconsin  and  built  a  frame 
house  and  bam.  Later  he  built  a  good  basement  barn,  40  by  50 
feet,  and  numerous  other  buildings  and  also  fenced  all  of  his 
land.  In  1911  he  moved  to  Olivia  and  rented  his  farm.  Mr. 
Fox  is  a  shareholder  in  the  Olivia  Creamery  and  in  the  Farm- 
ers' Elevator  at  Olivia.  He  has  served  as  township  clerk  for 
six  years,  has  been  the  chairman  of  the  board  of  supervisors  for 
four  years,  and  has  been  the  director  of  the  school  board  for 
district  No.  121  for  two  terms.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Olivia 
Lodge,  No.  175,  M.  B.  A. 

October  7,  1874,  Frederick  J.  Fox,  Sr,,  was  married  at  Racine 
to  Anna  Schelling,  bom  in  Caledonia  township.  May  7,  1854, 
daughter  of  Adam  and  Josephine  (Klofenda)  Schelling.  Her 
father  was  bom  in  Germany  and  her  mother  in  Bohemia.    They 


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482  UldTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

w4re  married  in  Racine.  He  was  a  cooper  by  trade  and  fol- 
lowed that  trade  in  the  winter  and  was  a  farmer  in  the  sum- 
mer, having  a  small  farm  of  forty  acres  in  Caledonia  town- 
ship. He  used  two  cows  for  a  team.  His  house  and  barn 
were  made  of  logs.  Later  he  moved  to, Rochester,  Wisconsin, 
where  he  followed  his  trade  of  cooper,  but  soon  returned  to 
Racine.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  SchelUng  bad  seven  children:  Anna, 
Christ,  Frank,  John,  Elizabeth,  Caroline  and  Matilda.  Mr.  Sohell- 
ing  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-two  in  1903,  and  his  wife  died  in 
1902,  at  the  age  of  seventy.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pox  have  had  twelve 
children,  five  of  whom  are  living:  Walter,  born  July  17,  1883; 
,  Caroline,  bom  May  3,  1886;  Clara,  born  January  29,  1888; 
Thomas,  born  January  15,  1891 ;  and  Christ,  bom  September  19, 
1893.  Seven  children  died  iu  their  infancy ;  Alton,  born  August 
17,  1875 ;  Frederick,  born  September  15,  1876 ;  Henry,  bom  De- 
cember 3,  1877 ;  Charlotte,  bom  July  20,  1879 ;  Frank,  born  Jau- 
■uary  3,  1882 ;  Clarence,  bom  July  17,  1883,  and  Frederick,  bom 
in  1890,  Walter  is  proprietor  of  the  tonsorial  parlor  at  Elbow 
Lake,  Minn.  He  married  Hannah  Pitzpatriek.  Caroline  is  now 
Mrs.  Walter  Carr,  of  St.  Paul.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Carr  have  two 
children.  Clara  is  now  Mrs.  Thomas  Donavan,  of  Hopkins,  and 
has  three  children.  Thomas  conducts  a  tonsorial  parlor  at  Spirit- 
wood,  North  Dakota.     Christ  is  a  barber  in  South  Dakota. 

Edmnild  Kiecker,  a  progressive  farmer  of  Wellington  town- 
ship, was  born  in  section  22,  in  the  township  where  he  still  re- 
sides, November  21,  1883,  son  of  Albert  L.  and  Amanda  Kiecker, 
who  came  to  America  in  1878,  reached  this  county  and  home- 
steaded  a  farm  in  section  22,  Wellington  township,  where  tln'.v 
still  reside.  Edmund  Kiecker  remained  with  his  parents  until 
twenty-two  years  of  age.  Then  he  bought  the  southwest  quarter 
of  section  2,  in  the  same  township.  He  has  a  well  improved  farm, 
and  makes  a  specialty  of  raising  Holstein  cattle  and  Duroc-Jersey 
swine.  Mr.  Kiecker  was  married  May  2,  1907,  to  Minnie  Mahlke, 
bom  March  14,  1886,  daughter  of  Gustav  and  Minnie  (Miller) 
Mahlke,  of  this  township.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kiecker  have  three  chil- 
dren :  Erwin,  born  February  6,  1908 ;  Irene,  bom  April  7,  1911 ; 
Ermin,  born  April  18,  1912. 

Gustav  Mahlke,  a  well-known  farmer  of  Wellington  township, 
was  born  in  Germany,  in  1850.  At  the  age  of  fourteen  he  came 
to  Minnesota  with  his  parents  and  settled  in  Winona.  It  was 
in  1877  that  he  came  to  Wellington  township,  and  settled,  where 
he  now  lives.  He  has  served  in  a  number  of  local  offices  includ- 
ing that  of  justice  of  the  peace.  Mr.  Mahlke  was  married  April 
24,  1877,  to  Mrs.  Wilhelmina  Splettstear,  who,  by  her  former 
husband  had  five  children :  Lena,  Emma,  Johanna,  Herman  and 
Ottillia  Splettstear.  She  bore  Mr.  Mahlke  five  children :  Adelia, 
Minnie.  Mary,  Eddie  and  Qnstave. 


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HISTORY  Oi?'  KENVILLE  COUNTY  483 

Henrjr  Hihin,  a  promiueut  farmer  of  Melville  township,  was 
bom  in  Milwaukee,  Wiaconain,  November  1,  1849,  son  of  Con- 
stantine  and  Margaret  (Shenboven),  who  were  bom  in  Ger- 
many, came  to  the  United  States  in  1847,  and  were  married  in 
Milwaukee  in  1848.  Gonstantine  Mihm  was  a  farmer  and  dairy- 
man, selling  milk  to  the  citizens  of  Milwaukee.  He  began  with 
only  one  cow  but  gradually  increased  bis  herd.  For  about  a  year 
he*served  in  the  Second  Wisconsin  Cavalry.  He  died  at  the  age 
of  seventy-six  years  and  hia  wife  died  at  the  age  of  fifty-two 
years.  They  were  members  of  the  Catholic  church.  Twelve  chil- 
dren were  bom  to  them,  of  whom  nine  grew  to  ffiuihood  and 
womanhood:  Henry.Mary,  Eate  (deceased),  Jacob  (deceased), 
Lucy,  Hannah,  Eate,  John,  Anna,  Josephine,  and  unnamed  in- 
fant (deceased),  and  John  (deceased).  Henry  grew  to  manhood 
in  Wisconsin  and  attended  the  Milwaukee  public  aehools.  In 
1873  he  came  to  Sibley  county,  Minnesota,  and  farmed  on  a  rented 
place  for  seven  years.  Then  he  moved  to  Renville  county  and  set- 
tled on  a  farm  of  eighty  acres  in  section  31,  Hector  township. 
He  also  worked  160  acres  more.  The  family  moved  into 
a  14  by  20  one-story  building  and  here  lived  for  eleven 
years.  A  straw  bam  had  already  been  erected.  For  the 
next  fifteen  months  he  was  the  county  overseer  of  the 
Poor  Farm  of  Renville  county.  Then  at  the  expiration  of  his 
term  in  1893,  he  moved  to  his  present  place,  securing  a  half  of 
section  12,  Melville  township.  He  has  sold  some  of  this  land 
so  that  now  he  owns  a  quarter  section  and  raises  good  graded 
Percheron,  Belgian  and  Hamiltonian  horses,  and  Jersey  Red 
swine.  Mr,  Mihm  is  a  member  of  the  Farmers'  Co-operative 
Grain  Exchange  of  Hector  and  for  the  past  two  or  three  years 
has  been  a  director  of  the  Bird  Island  Farmers'  Insurance  Com- 
pany. He  has  also  been  a  member  of  the  township  board  and  has 
served  on  the  school  board  for  twenty  years.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Catholic  church  and  has  been  trustee  for  twelve  years  of 
the  Hector  parish.  Mr.  Mihm  was  united  in  marriage  at  Mil- 
waukee, September  23,  1873,  to  Mary  Schwartz,  bom  in  Aus- 
tria, July  20,  1854,  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Julia  (Mitzh) 
Schwartz,  both  natives  of  Austria.  Joseph  Schwartz  was  a  miller 
by  trade,  owning  a  mill  in  Austria,  and  died  soon  after  acquiring 
the  mill  at  about  the  age  of  thirty-two  years,  leaving  two  chil- 
dren, Mary  and  Emelia.  In  1866  the  mother  and  the  two  chil- 
dren set  out  for  the  TTnited  States  by  sailing  vessel,  being  seven 
weeks  on  the  water,  coming  to  the  port  of  Quebec.  Then  they 
went  to  Baltimore  and  later  to  Milwaukee,  where  the  mother 
died  at  the  age  of  sixty-two  years.  In  Milwaukee  she  had  mar- 
ried Frank  Mitzhke,  a  native  of  Germany,  who  died  a  week  after 
his  wife's  death.  He  was  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  War,  havinf? 
served  in  the  Wisconsin  regiment,  and  was  a  tailor  by  trade.   Four 


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484  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

children  were  born  to  this  marriage:  Anna  (deceased),  Emma, 
Anna  and  Frank.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mihm  had  twelve  children,  of 
whom  nine  are  living:  Henry,  Joseph,  Katherine,  Peter,  John 
(deceased),  Julia,  George,  Edwin  (deceased),  Mamie,  Alfred, 
Frank  and  Leo  (deceased).  Henry  was  born  July  3,  1S74,  and 
is  engaged  in  the  barber  business  at  Xiadysmitb,  Wis.  He  was 
married  in  1904,  fo  Edith  Arndt,  of  Norwood,  Carver  county, 
Minnesota.  Joe  was  bom  June  1,  1876,  and  married  in  1904  to 
Edith  Branham,  of  Hector,  Renville  county.  They  have  five 
children:  Archie,  Earl,  Lloyd,  Arnold  and  Julia,  who  lived  on 
a  farm  in  St.  Louis  county,  Minn.  Kate,  bom  January  16,  1878, 
was  married  in  1905,  to  Frank  Tegner,  of  Hector.  They  had 
one  boy,  Stanley.  She  is  now  a  widow  and  keeps  house  for  Mr. 
Haley,  on  a  farm  in  Floyd,  Iowa.  Peter  was  bom  June  20,  1879, 
and  married  to  Lizzie  Kugler,  of  Waconia,  Carver  county,  in 
1896.  They  have  three  children :  Gertrude,  Mamie  and  Loretta, 
who  lives  in  northern  Wisconsin,  on  a  farm.  John,  born  Febru- 
ary 12,  1881,  was  a  barber  by  trade  and  died  in  Hector,  Decem- 
ber 5, 1906.  Julia,  bom  December  27,  1882,  is  a  milliner,  and  lives 
at  St.  Louis,  Mo.  George,  bom  November  18,  1884,  does  farm 
work  in  Red  Lake  Falls,  Minn.  Edward,  born  June  6,  1886,  died 
June  11, 1907,  at  Virginia,  Minn.  Mamie,  born  May  8,  1888,  is  the 
assistant  secretary  for  the  Metropolitan  Milk  Company,  at  Min- 
neapolis. Alfred,  born  July  26,  1889,  lives  with  his  parents  on 
the  home  farm  in  Melville  township.  Frank,  bom  November 
30,  1891,  makes  his  home  in  Superior,  Wis.,  and  was  married 
June  24,  1913,  to  Marie  Aretz,  of  Cologne,  Carver  county,  Minn., 
and  they  have  one  child,  named  Clifford.  Leo,  bom  March  31, 
1894,  died  April  5,  1894,  at  Hector. 

BeEJamin  Jaaon  Butier,  a  prosperous  farmer  of  Brookfield 
township,  son  of  Lorenzo  Dow  and  Eliza  Darrow  Butler,  was 
born  on  North  Hero,  an  island  in  Lake  Champlain,  April  5,  1850. 
Lorenzo  was  a  native  of  North  Hero,  Vermont.  He  was  bom 
September  6,  1807,  and  died  October  20,  1883,  at  the  home  of  his 
son,  Benjamin  Jason.  Lorenzo's  father,  James  Butler,  was  a 
native  of  the  northern  part  of  Ireland.  He,  with  four  brothers, 
came  to  America  in  Colonial  days.  He  located  on  North  Hero, 
where  he  lived  the  remainder  of  his  life.  Butler's  Island,  in 
Lake  Champlain,  bears  his  name,  as  he  owned  this  in  addition 
to  his  farm  on  North  Hero.  He  had  eight  children :  Benjamin, 
Jason,  Steven,  Samuel,  Eunice,  Polly,  Sally  and  Lorenzo.  He  was 
a  member.of  the  Methodist  church.  Lorenzo  married  in  Vermont 
and  moved  to  St.  Lawrence  county.  New  York,  where  he  engaged 
in  farming  near  Potsdam,  where  he  lived  for  sixteen  years.  He 
then  moved  to  Wisconsin  and  located  in  Columbia  county,  where 
he  again  engaged  in  farming.  In  1878  he  and  his  wife  came  to 
the  home  of  their  son,  Benjamin  Jason,  where  they  spent  the  re- 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  485 

mainder  of  their  days.  Eliza  Darrow  Butler  was  born  in  New 
Hampahire,  October  22,  1814,  daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  James 
Darrow.  She  died  April  20,  1883.  James  Darrow  was  a  native 
of  New  Hampshire  and  lived  there  as  a  farmer  all  his  life.  He 
was  of  English  descent.  On  her  father's  side  Eliza  Darrow  was 
a  descendant  of  a  soldier  of  the  Revolutionary  War.  James  and 
Eliza  Darrow  had  three  children:  Eliza,  William  and  Edgar. 
Ten  children  were  bom  to  Lorenzo  and  Eliza  Butler.  They  were : 
John,  Nancy,  William,  Alonzo,  Jamea  Byron,  Lucretia,  Lorin, 
Elmeron,  Samuel,  Benjamin  Jason,  and  Enoch  Briggs.  Benjamin 
Jason  was  two  years  of  age,  when  he  came  with  his  father  to  New 
York.  He  received  his  early  education  in  St.  Lawrence  county. 
He  also  attended  the  academy  at  Marshall,  Wis.,  for  two  years. 
He  came  to  Renville  county,  Minnesota,  in  1876,  and  took  a  tree- 
claim  of  eighty  acres  in  Brookfield  township,  section  22.  At  an 
earlier  date  he  bomesteaded  in  Nebraska,  but  abandoned  his  claim 
on  account  of  the  grasshoppers.  He  came  to  Minnesota  the  year 
of  the  grasshopper  raid  here,  losing  the'  first  five  acres  of  cotton- 
wood  trees,  planted  on  his  tree  claim.  These  trees  were  replaced 
the  next  spring  and  later  ash,  maple,  boxelder  and  willows  were 
put  out.  But  when  the  custom  was  established,  a  few  years  ago, 
of  naming  farms,  the  family  chose  the  name,  "Cottonwood 
Grove  Farm."  So  many  of  the  cottonwood  trees  became  so  large 
and  tall  that  10,000  feet  of  dimension  lumber  was  sawed,  and 
forms  a  part  of  the  large  bam  on  the  place.  Before  this,  a  ma- 
chine shed  had  been  built  of  lumber  from  the  cottonwood  trees. 
This  was  done  without  apparent  loss  of  trees  on  the  place.  Ben- 
jamin and  his  wife,  as  a  young  married  couple,  located  on  the 
place  where  they  now  reside.  He  hauled  the  lumber  for  bis 
house  from  Glencoe,  a  distance  of  thirty  miles,  that  being  the 
nearest  railroad  station.  He  did  his  first  breaking  with  oxen, 
but  changed  to  horses,  aa  distances  were  so  long  for  hauling.  He 
hauled  wood  from  the  woods  north  of  Hutchinson,  a  distance  of 
twenty-five  miles.  The  nearest  markets  were  Glencoe  and  Litch- 
field. Mr.  Butler  has  been  successful  and  has  prospered.  He  now 
has  207  acres  of  well  cultivated  land.  He  keeps  a  good  grade 
of  stock,  believing  in  diversified  farming.  He  served  as  town 
clerk  for  several  years  and  also  as  a  member  of  the  school  board. 
He  belongs  to  the  Methodist  ehurch  and  is  one  of  its  stewards. 
He  is  a  stanch  temperance  man,  receiving  a  good  training  in  that 
line  in  the  Good  Templars  Lodge  at  South  York,  Wis.  He  was 
one  of  the  pioneers  in  the  cause  of  county  option.  He  was  a 
candidate  for  the  legislature  on  that  issue  on  the  Democratic 
ticket,  being  defeated  by  a  small  majority.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Modem  Brotherhood  of  America.  On  September  8.  1875, 
Mr.  Butler  was  married  at  High  Forest,  Minn.,  to  Martha  Amelia 
Porter,  born  in  Medina  township,  Dane  county,  Wisconsin,  No- 


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486  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

vember  26,  1852.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Philander  and  Aurilla 
(Prentice)  Porter.  Philander  Porter  was  a  native  of  Cattarau- 
guB  county,  New  York,  sou  of  Isaac  and  Bets;  Porter.  Isaac 
with  two  brothers,  came  from  England  to  Massachusetts  and  later 
located  in  New  York.  They  all  engaged  in  farming.  Anrilla 
Prentice  was  bom  in  New  York  of  English  and  Scotch  parentage, 
and  married  Philander  Porter,  May  24,  1839.  They  came  to 
McHenry  County,  Illinois,  lived  there  two  years.  They  then 
came  to  Dane  county,  Wis.,  and  settled  in  Medina  township, 
where  they  lived  for  thirty-five  years.  The  father  died  there 
September  28,  1874,  at  the  age  of  sixty-one  years.  TTib  wife  died 
in  1885  at  Hutchinson  at  the  home  of  her  daughter,  Mrs.  W.  S, 
Pierce.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Porter  were  members  of  the  Metho- 
dist church.  There  were  eight  children  in  the  family:  Maria, 
bom  February  1, 1840,  and  died  July  8, 1884;  Edna,  bom  Novem- 
ber 7,  1841,  and  died  at  the  age  of  two  years ;  Charles,  bom  May 
25,  1844,  and  died  in  1887;  Uretta,  bom  April  28,  1846,  and 
died  January  8,  1902 ;  Mary,  bom  May  7,  1848,  and  died  in  in- 
fancy ;  Martha  Amelia,  wife  of  Benjamin  Jason  Butler,  bom  No- 
vember 26,  1852 ;  Dellona,  bom  June  9,  1854,  and  Isaac  Prentice, 
bom  September  1,  1857.  When  Mr,  Butler  went  to  be  married, 
he  found  the  bridge  over  the  Root  river,  which  he  had  to  cross, 
torn  out  by  the  flood,  and  in  order  that  the  wedding  should  not 
be  delayed  he  plunged  into  the  swollen  stream  and  swam  across 
reaching  there  in  time.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Butler  have  had  six  chil- 
dren: (1)  Elva  and  Iva — twins — bom  December  12,  1878.  Elva 
married  William  Beed.  She  died  July  10,  1901,  leaving  her  hus- 
band and  two  children,  Gilbert  and  Elva.  Iva,  a  successful 
teacher,  is  now  teaching  in  the  graded  school  at  Buffalo  Lake. 
(3)  Eben  Elmeron,  bom  October  29,  1882,  and  died  November  22, 
1906.  (4)  Charles  Lorin,  bom  May  8, 1884,  is  a  prominent  farmer 
of  Brookfield.  He  was  married  November  16,  1904,  to  Alvira 
Potter.  They  have  two  children,  Kenneth  and  Harold.  (5)  A 
son  died  in  infancy.  (6)  Pearl  Lucretia,  bom  October  8,  1889, 
resides  at  home.  Pour  of  Mr.  Butler's  brothers  served  in  the 
Civil  War,  The  youngest  of  the  four,  Lorin,  died  of  typhoid  fever 
in  a  Southern  hospital.  A  cousin,  William  Butler  Hiekkok.  bet- 
ter known  as  Wild  Bill,  served  as  a  spy  through  the  war  and  after 
the  close  of  the  war  was  employed  as  government  marshal  in 
the  West. 

John  H.  Bice,  a  substantial  citizen  of  Melville  township,  was 
born  in  Chaska,  Minn.,  December  29,  1871,  son  of  John  and  Cora 
(Neinsinger)  Bice.  The  father  was  bom  in  Germany,  came  to 
America  in  1867,  lived  in  Chaska  for  several  years,  employed  as 
a  teamster,  then  engaged  in  farming  in  McLeod  county,  this 
state,  for  a  few  years,  and  in  1887  came  to  Renville  county  and 
bought  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  27,  Melville  township. 


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HISTOKY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  487 

where  he  remained  until  hia  death  in  1902,  at  the  age  of  seventh- 
three.  The  mother  was  eighty-one  years  of  age  in  June,  1915, 
and  now  makes  her  home  with  her  son.  John  H.  remained  with 
his  parents  until  twenty-five  years  of  age.  For  a  few  years  he 
rented  a  farm  in  Melville  township,  and  then  bought  the  home 
farm,  which,  by  that  time,  had  been  increased  to  a  half  section. 
He  does  general  farming  and  makes  a  specialty  of  raising  fancy 
stock.  The  farm  is  nearly  all  tilled  and  is  in  a  high  stage  of 
development.  For  the  past  twenty  years  Mr.  Kice  has  operated 
a  threshing  outfit.  He  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Melville  creamery. 
For  seven  years  he  has  been  road  overseer.  Mr.  Rice  was  mar- 
ried April  20,  1897,  to  Emma  Neibauer,  who  was  bom  May  26, 
1873,  daughter  of  Julius  Neibauer,  a  Glencoe  blacksmith,  who 
died  in  1912,  at  the  age  of  seventy-one.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bice  have 
nine  children:  Elsie,  Ernest  (deceased),  Herbert,  Eda,  Cora, 
Leonard,  Mabel,  John  and  Bertha.  Elsie  married  John  LafSn,  an 
engineer.  They  reside  with  Mr.  Rice.  Their  one  child  died  in 
infancy. 

James  Wood  was  born  December  23,  1864,  in  Cook  county, 
Illinois,  son  of  John  and  Sarah  ("Watson)  "Wood,  John  Wood 
was  bom  in  Cook  county,  Illinois,  and  was  the  son  of  Henry 
Wood,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  of  English  descent,  who  became 
a  farmer  of  Illinois,  dying  when  James  Wood  was  about  fifteen 
years  of  age,  at  the  age  of  eighty  years.  Henry  Wood  had  ten 
children :  John,  Nathan,  David,  Josephine,  Clara,  Barbara,  Hen- 
rietta, Katie,  Tillie  and  Bell.  John  Wood  was  a  carpenter  by 
trade  and  spent  his  life  in  Cook  county.  His  wife,  Sarah,  was 
bom  in  Cook  county,  daughter  of  Henry  Watson.  Her  parents 
also  came  from  Pennsylvania,  Her  father  was  a  blacksmith  and 
followed  that  trade  in  Cook  county  until  his  death.  He  died  at 
the  age  of  seventy-six  years  and  his  wife  died  at  the  age  of  sev- 
enty years.  They  had  six  children :  Joseph,  George,  Addie, 
Annie,  Libbie  and  Sarah.  Joseph  and  George  were  both  veterans 
of  the  Civil  War,  and  did  valiant  service,  Joseph  attaining  the 
rank  of  major.  John  and  Sarah  Wood  had  five  children :  Nathan, 
William,  James,  Hattie  and  Jennie.  John  Wood  died  in  Illinois 
at  the  age  of  thirty-seven,  and  his  wife,  Sarah,  is  still  living  in 
Mapleton,  Iowa,  at  the  age  of  seventy-five.  James  Wood  received 
his  early  training  in  Illinois.  He  worked  on  the  Rock  Island 
railroad  for  five  years.  During  this  time  he  was  married.  In 
1890  Mr.  Wood  and  his  wife  came  to  Renville  county  and  located 
on  the  farm  where  he  is  living  at  present,  in  section  25,  Troy 
township.  Here  he  bought  eighty  acres  of  wild  prairie  land  and 
put  up  a  granary,  where  the  family  lived  the  first  six  years. 
Then  he  built  a  frame  house  and  replaced  the  straw  bam  with 
a  substantial  one.  He  now  owns  120  acres  of  land  all  under  cul- 
tivation and  raises  a  good  grade  of  stock.    Mr,  Wood  helped 


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488  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

organize  the  Catholic  church  of  Olivia.  He  is  a  stockholder  in 
the  Farmers'  Elevator  and  Creamery  at  Olivia.  Mr.  Wood  was 
married  to  Anna  Hopman,  a  native  of  Holland,  born  December  ' 
17,  1866.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wood  have  three  children,  all  living  at 
home :  Josephine,  Elizabeth  and  John.  Mrs.  Wood  is  the  daugh- 
ter of  John  and  Johanna  (Browenberg)  Hopman,  natives  of  Hol- 
land, who  came  to  America  in  1870,  and  located  in  Pullman, 
minois,  where  they  lived  until  three  years  ago,  when  they  came 
to  Renville  county,  Minnesota,  and  located  in  Troy  township. 
The  mother  died  June  6, 1914.  The  father  is  still  living  at  Olivia. 
There  were  twelve  children  in  the  family:  Henry  Peter  (de- 
ceased), Anna,  Henry,  Mary,  Elizabeth,  Johanna,  Bertha,  John, 
James,  Catherine,  George  and  Delia. 

Carl  0.  Breck^  clerk  of  the  district  court  of  Renville  county, 
was  bom  in  Norway,  September  28,  1868,  son  of  Ole  Q.  and 
Boel  Begine  (Hoff)  Brecke,  who  lived  and  died  in  Norway.  Of 
the  seven  children  bom,  six  came  to  the  United  States.  Carl 
0.  Brecke  came  to  Chippewa  Falls,  Wisconsin,  in  1883,  and  be- 
gan working  for  his  board.  After  six  months  in  the  new  country 
he  entered  the  employ  of  Qunder  Lee,  general  merchant,  becom- 
ing his  assistant  bookkeeper.  A  year  later  he  was  given  the 
place  of  head  bookkeeper  and  remained  there  five  years.  Then 
he  was  offered  a  position  as  manager  in  a  clothing  store  of  that 
place.  In  1889  he  came  to  Renville,  where  he  became  the  assist- 
ant c^hier  for  O'Connor  Brothers  Bank.  After  a  time  he  estab- 
lished himself  in  the  grocery  business  at  Renville,  and  continued 
in  this  for  six  years.  In  1902  he  was  appointed  to  fill  the  vacancy 
in  the  office  of  clerk  of  court  of  Renville  county.  With  the  ex- 
ception of  one  term  he  has  held  this  office  up  to  the  present  time, 
having  been  re-elected  the  fall  of  1914.  He  has  served  as  presi- 
dent of  the  council  of  Renville  for  three  years  and  was  on  its 
'  school  board  two  or  three  years.  He  was  one  of  the  six  men 
who  built  the  first  telephone  line  in  Renville  county  from  Ren- 
ville to  Beaver  Falls.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Norwegian  Lutherfin 
church  and  a  member  of  the  Modem  Woodmen.  Mr.  Brecke  was 
married  at  Renville  to  Emma  Johnson,  daughter  of  L.  W. 
Johnson. 

John  E.  Menz,  a  progressive  farmer  of  Birl  Island  township, 
was  bom  December  20, 1854,  in  Germany,  son  of  Henry  and  Anna 
(Wagner)  Menz.  The  family  came  to  the  United  States  in  1867 
and  settled  in  Reynolds,  Lee  county,  Illinois.  There  were  six 
children :  Gus,  John,  Henry,  Charles,  Dora  and  Christina,  and 
one  boy^  Martin,  was  bom  in  Dlinois.  The  voyage  across  the 
ocean  took  eight  weeks  and  two  more  weeks  were  spent  in  reach- 
ing Ashton,  Illinois.  They  located  on  a  farm  and  improved  the 
place.  Here  the  parents  spent  the  remainder  of  their  lives,  the 
father  dying  at  the  age  of  eighty-eight,  in  1913,  and  the  mother 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  489 

dying  nineteen  years  ago,  at  the  age  of  sixty-five  years.  They 
were  membera  of  the  Evangelical  church,  John  E.  Menz  was  a 
young  boy,  when  the  parents  came  to  America,  and  grew  to 
manhood  in  Illinois.  He  located  on  a  farm  in  Reynolds  township, 
Lee  county,  securing  80  acres  of  land,  later  buying  more  land 
and  improving  the  place.  In  1900  he  came  to  Renville  county 
and  secured  160  acres  in  section  32,  Bird  Island  township.  There 
was  an  old  tumble-down  house  and  old  granary  with  a  lean-to 
for  a  bam.  In  1905  he  built  a  modem  bam,  40  by  64  feet  and 
also  remodeled  the  house.  He  has  planted  fruit  trees  and  has 
all  kinds  of  fruit,  even  cranberries,  and  the  farm  is  well  fenced. 
He  raises  a  good  grade  of  stock.  Mr.  Menz  is  the  present  super- 
visor of  the  township  and  has  held  the  position  of  treasurer  for 
two  years.  He  has  also  served  on  the  school  board  for  a  number 
of  years.  Mr.  Menz  was  united  in  marriage  to  Anna  Catherine 
Stein,  September  15,  1881.    She  was  born  in  Germany,  November 

23,  1862,  daughter  of  John  and  Magdalene  (Melhouse)  Stein. 
Her  parents  came  to  the  United  States  in  the  spring  of  1868,  the 
trip  taking  about  four  or  five  weeks  on  the  ocean  and  traveled 
on  to  Ashton,  Illinois,  where  they  located  on  a  farm  in  Reynolds, 
Lee  county.  Three  children  were  bom  tp  them  in  Germany,  Anna, 
Catherine  and  Elizabeth,  the  remaining  qhi^dren  all  being  bom  in 
Hlinois,  August  (died  in  infancy)  and  Paul  (twins),  Charles, 
Martha,  Marie,  Conrad,  Minnie  and  Lillian  (deceased).  The 
family  were  members  of  the  Evangelical  church.  The  father  died 
in  1912,  at  the  age  of  seventy-one  years.  His  wife  died  in 
1907,  at  the  age  of  sixty-six  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Menz  are  the 
parents  of  six  children :  Catherine,  now  Mrs.  Henry  Pehr ;  Gus,  a 
farmer  of  Bird  Island  township,  married  to  Elva  Carr;  Carl,  of 
Troy  township,  married  to  Matilda  Bratch ;  Martin,  of  North 
Dakota,  a  farmer;  Conrad  and  Nora.  The  two  last  named  are 
at  home. 

Jtisttu  Meblhoose,  a  retired  farmer  of  Olivia,  was  bom  June 

24,  1838,  in  Germany,  son  of  Adam  and  Martha  E.  (Weingarten) 
Mehlhouse.  The  father  was  a  farmer  and  died  in  Germany,  Feb- 
ruary 25,  1885;  the  mother  came  to  America  in  1866,  and  died 
in  Lee  county,  Illinois,  March  4,  1892.  In  the  family  were  the 
following  children:  Justus;  Elizabeth,  Mrs.  Geo.  Scheiver,  who 
died  in  Pennsylvania,  1866;  Lena,  Mrs.  John  Stein,  who  died 
Augnst  1,  1908;  Martha  E.,  Mrs.  Charles  Rice,  who  died  Novem- 
ber 25,  1913,  and  Kate,  Mrs.  William  Kilingbele,  living  at  Ash- 
ton, Illinois.  Justus  came  to  America  with  his  mother  in  1866 
and  settled  in  Lee  county,  Illinois,  where  they  bought  eighty 
acres  of  land,  which  cost  them  $25.00  per  acre.  Later  this  was 
sold  and  a  farm  rented  for  five  years.  In  1875  he  bought  130 
acres  of  well  improved  land  that  is  now  valued  at  $250.00  per 
acre  and  here  his  two  oldest  children  were  bom.    In  1882  he 


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490  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

sold  this  place  and  after  renting  for  one  year  moved  to  Benton 
county,  Indiana,  where  he  rented  a  farm  for  two  years.  Then  he 
moved  to  Iowa,  where  he  rented  a  farm  for  four  years  and  in  the 
spring  of  1888,  moved  to  Renville  county,  Minnesota,  having 
bought  200  acres  in  Norfolk  township  in  1887.  He  made  many 
improvements  on  this  place  and  when  he  sold  it  in  1914  it  was 
one  of  the  best  farms  in  the  township.  He  decided  to  retire  from 
farming  and  moved  to  Olivia  in  1914,  where  he  bought  a  home 
and  is  now  taking  a  well  earned  rest.  Besides  this  farm  he 
at  difCerent  times  owned  160  acres  of  other  land  in  Norfolk  town- 
ship. While  a  farmer  he  specialized  in  grain  raising.  For  several 
years  he  was  a  member  of  the  school  board  in  Lee  county,  Illinois, 
and  after  coming  to  Renville  county  was  road  overseer  for  a 
number  of  years.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican.  In  early  life 
he  was  a  member  of  the  Qerman  Lutheran  church  and  while  in 
Illinois  became  a  member  of  the  Evangelical  church.  Justus 
Mehlhouse  was  married  November  11,  1866,  to  Mary  Kuemmel, 
daughter  of  Peter  Kuemmel,  who  was  born  in  Germany,  February 
22,  1845.  She  came  to  America  in  1866  and  died  May  22,  1902. 
She  was  one  of  a  family  of  four  girls  and  two  boys.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Justus  Melhouse  had  the  following  children :  George,  bom 
January  29,  1868 ;  John,  bom  in  1869 ;  Elizabeth,  born  October  2, 
1871;  William,  born  October  13,  1873,  at  Bird  Island;  Catherine, 
bom  December  24,  1875,  and  died  July  13,  1909,  having  been 
a  teacher  in  the  Renville  county  schools  for  fifteen  years ;  Anna, 
born  April  7,  1878,  now  Mrs.  Henry  Kromer,  of  Norfolk ;  Jacob, 
bom  January  12, 1882,  living  in  Norfolk  township ;  Martha  (dead) ; 
Minnie  and  Nettie,  twins,  born  Jnne  30,  1884,  Minnie  dying  Oc- 
tober 3,  1900,  and  Nettie  becoming  the  wife  of  Harry  Juliar,  Man- 
kato,  Minn. ;  and  Rose,  who  is  at  home. 

John  M.  OIboh,  one  of  Bird  Island's  leading  citizens,  first  saw 
the  light  of  day  in  Denmark,  June  28,  1872.  He  graduated  from 
the  Silkeborg  Seminary  in  Jutland,  in  1889,  coming  to  this  coun- 
try in  1892.  After  a  year  spent  in  Chicago,  he  went  to  Wauke- 
gan,  niinois,  where  he  remained  five  months.  Next  he  went  to 
Marshall,  Minnesota,  where  he  remained  nine  months,  going  from 
there  to  Balaton,  Minnesota,  where  he  worked  for  a  year  in  a 
blacksmith  shop.  In  January,  1896,  he  bought  the  blacksmith 
business  of  John  Kromer,  in  Bird  Island,  devoting  his  time  to 
that  business  until  May,  1907,  when  he  bought  out  the  Erickson 
Hardware  Company  and  has  been  actively  engaged  in  that  busi- 
ness ever  since.  He  is  a  stockholder  in  the  State  Bank  of  Bird 
Island,  and  is  president  of  the  Renville  County  Fair  Association, 
and  president  of  of  the  Renville  County  Hardware  and  Implement 
Dealers'  Association.  He  was  one  of  the  organizers  and  first 
president  of  the  Bird  Island  Commercial  Club,  of  which  he  is  now 
a  director.    For  three  years  he  has  been  mayor  of  Bird  Island. 


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JOHN  M.  OLSON 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  491 

.  Olson  was  mamed  December  12,  1896,  to  Carrie  Paulina 
Wolf,  born  October  8,  1877,  daughter  of  Ferdinand  and  Paulina 
(Schwalbe)  Wolf,  and  they  beve  tliree  children :  Howard,  bom 
December  11,  1897;  Mabel,  bom  May  7,  1900;  Morris,  born  De- 
cember 10,  1903.  Ole  Olson,  bom  in  Denmark,  in  1852,  married 
Dusine  Bergitta  Peterson,  who  died  in  January,  1912,  at  the  age 
of  fifty-eight.  Mr.  Olson  wae  a  blacksmith  in  his  native  land, 
where  he  died  when  he  was  fifty-two  years  old.  Ferdinand  Wolf 
married  Paulina  Schwalbe  and  died  in  1906,  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
one.  He  was  one  of  the  pioneer  farmers  of  Melville  township. 
Mrs.  Wolf  is  living  at  Bird  Island  and  is  now  sixty  years  old. 

John  Neater,  a  retired  farmer  of  Olivia,  was  bom  in  Germany, 
November  18,  1846,  son  of  Valentine  and  Margaretta  (Baum) 
Neater,  who  were  married  in  Germany,  came  to  the  United  States 
in  1856,  lived  in  New  York  city  for  a  year,  and  then  located 
in  Evansville,  Indiana,  where  the  mother  died  in  1878,  and  the 
father  in  1882.  In  the  family  there  were  eight  children :  George, 
bom  March  27,  1839 ;  Phillip,  bora  April  6,  1841 ;  Peter,  bora  No- 
vember 7,  1842;  Barbara,  born  December  6,  1844;  John,  born 
November  18,  1846;  Valentine,  bom  June  4,  1848;  Christ,  born 
January  30,  1851;  Maria,  bom  April  16,  1852.  John  Nester 
came  to  this  country  in  1856  and  joined  his  parents  at  Evans- 
ville, Indiana.  After  attending  school  for  a  while  he  secured 
employment  as  cook  in  a  hotel.  April  30,  1864,  he  enlisted  in 
Company  P,  136th  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  served  until 
discharged  September  2,  1864.  He  was  mustered  out  at  Indian- 
apolis, Indiana.  During  the  greater  part  of  bis  service  he  had 
done  picket  and  guard  duty  at  Murfreesboro,  Tennessee.  Upon 
his  return  to  Evansville,  he  again  secured  employment  as  a  cook. 
In  1872  he  located  in  Red  Wing,  Minnesota,  was  there  married, 
and  shortly  afterward  came  to  Renville  county  and  took  a  claim 
of  143  acres  in  section  18,  Bird  Island  township.  A  year  later  he 
took  a  timber  claim  of  160  acres  in  section  18,  Bird  Island  town- 
ship. There  he  erected  a  one-room  frame  house  and  started  life 
in  the  wilderness.  For  the  first  years  he  had  to  haul  all  farm 
products  to  Willmar  by  ox  teams,  and  experienced  all  the  priva- 
tions of  pioneer  life.  He  was  one  of  the  very  first  settlers  in  Bird 
Island,  and  for  a  time  had  no  neighbors,  the  nearest  cabin  being 
that  of  Libby  White,  who  was  five  miles  away.  He  had  many  in- 
teresting experiences.  May  12,  1873,  he  was  out  in  a  terrific 
snowstorm,  his  oxen  ran  away,  he  lost  the  track,  and  suffered 
severe  privation.  In  the  spring  of  1886  he  went  to  St.  Paul,  and 
there  remained  until  the  spring  of  1894.  Then  he  returned  to  his 
timber  claim,  and  erected  a  two-story  frame  house.  Later  other 
suitable  farm  buildings  were  erected.  On  this  place,  Mr.  Nester 
carried  on  general  farming  until  1913,  when  he  moved  to  a  farm 
just  south  of  the  village  of  Olivia,  where  he  now  resides.     Mr. 


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492  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

Neater  Ib  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  a  member  of  the  Q.  A.  R. 
John  Nester  was  married  August  28,  1872,  to  Mary  Heydman, 
who  was  born  in  Evansville,  Indiana,  December  17,  1853,  and 
this  union  was  blessed  with  fifteen  children.  Of  these  there  are 
living  twelve :  Mary,  bom  May  17,  1873 ;  Peter,  born  March  13, 
1875 ;  John,  February  20,  1876 ;  Valentine,  born  August  28,  1877 ; 
Christina,  born  March  13,  1879;  Katie,  bom  November  2,  1880; 
Margaret,  bom  January  4,  1882;  George,  bora  July  10,  1883; 
Lena,  born  June  10,  1885 ;  Elizabeth,  bom  March  31,  1887 ;  Anna, 
born  June  17.  1890;  "William,  bom  February  21,  1886. 

Thomas  A.  Amutroiv,  a  respected  citizen  of  Buffalo  Lake, 
was  born  in  Clinton  county.  New  York,  May  29,  1875,  son  of 
John  W,  Armstrong,  bom  at  Mooers,  New  York,  May  2,  1836, 
and  Ellen  M.  Armstrong,  born  at  Shoreham,  Vermont,  February 
14,  1840.  The  parents  were  married  September  9,  1858,  and  bad 
the  following  children:  William  Carlton,  born  July  13,  1860; 
Anna  Elizabeth,  bom  August  II,  1862;  Ida  A.,  born  January  12, 
1865;  Nettie  Maria,  born  May  3,  .1867;  Mabel  Luella,  born  April 
1,  1871 ;  and  Thomas  Ashton,  bom  May  29,  1875.  John  W.  Arm- 
strong die'd  March  6,  1876,  and  his  wife  died  November,  1913. 

Thomas  A.  was  one  year  old  when  his  father  died  and  was 
adopted  by  his  uncle,  Joseph  Armstrong.  He  received  a  common 
school  education  and  grew  to  manhood  engaging  in  fanning. 
He  worked  on  his  uncle's  farm  in  Martinsburg  township,  Ren- 
ville county,  for  two  years.  Then  he  moved  to  Henry  county. 
North  Dakota,  homesteaded  160  acres  of  wild  land  and  built  a 
sod  shack.  Here  he  remained  from  1900  until  1910,  and  improved 
the  place  and  built  good  buildings.  Then  he  sold  this  farm  and 
returned  to  Renville  county,  going  back  to  the  old  farm  in  Mar- 
tinsburg township.  After  a  time  he  sold  this  and  moved  to  Buf- 
falo Lake.  Mr.  Armstrong  was  united  in  marriage  January  26, 
1898,  to  Emma  Marquardt,  born  in  Martinsburg  township,  April 
9,  1876,  daughter  of  Ferdinand  Marquardt.  Ferdinand  Mar- 
quardt (deceased)  was  bom  in  Germany,  February  19,  1837,  son 
of  Charles  Marquardt.  His  wife  died  in  Germany  and  Charles 
Marquardt  left  with  the  family  for  the  United  States,  in  1852. 
There  were  twelve  children.  They  came  by  sailing  vessel,  being 
nine  weeks  on  water,  and  located  in  "Wisconsin.  Ferdinand  Mar- 
quardt engaged  in  farming  in  Wisconsin  on  the  farm  of  his 
father  in  Dane  coimty,  and  May  15,  1862,  was  married  to  Augusta 
Moreek,  bom  in  Germany,  May  1,  1844,  daughter  of  William  and 
Wilhelmina  (Hauster)  Moreek.  They  were  farmers  and  set  out 
for  the  United  States  in  1847,  coming  by  sailing  vessel,  being 
nine  weeks  on  the  water.  They  had  two  children,  Amelia  and 
Augusta.  They  came  to  Dane  county  and  secured  a  farm.  Mr. 
Moreek  died  at  the  age  of  forty-nine  years,  and  his  wife  is  still 
living  at  the  age  of  seventy-three  years.    The  following  children 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  493 

were  born  in  Dane  county;  Henrietta,  'Vyilhelmina,  William, 
Henry  and  John.  Mr.  and  Mra  Ferdinand  Marquardt  lived  in 
Dane  county  fifteen  years,  and  then  in  1876,  drove  by  horse  teai^ 
and  covered  wagon,  with  their  ais  children,  to  Renville  county 
and  located  a  homestead  of  160  acres  in  section  26,  Martineburg 
township.  It  was  all  wild  land  and  here  a  log  house  was  built 
18  by  22  feet.  They  had  two  cows.  Mr.  Marquardt  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  school  board  and  belonged  to  the  German  Lutheran 
church  at  Buffalo  Lake,  which  he  helped  organize.  Mr.  Mar- 
quardt died  December,  1912,  and  his  son  John  now  owns  the  old 
homestead.  The  widow  lives  at  Buffalo  Lake.  Six  children  were 
bom  to  these  parents  in  Dane  county :  William,  Frank,  Charles, 
Minnie,  Anna  and  Bertha,  and  eight  were  bom  in  Renville  coun- 
ty :  Emma,  Edward,  John,  Clara,  Ella,  Sarah,  Lizzie  and  Alena, 
the  latter  two  dying  in  infancy.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Armstrong  have 
five  children:  Earl  and  Pearl,  born  in  Martinsburg  township; 
Florence  and  Goldie,  born  in  North  Dakota,  and  Margaret,  bom 
in  Buffalo  Lake. 

Bartlet  Qnigl^,  deceased,  was  born  in  Sligo  county,  Ireland, 
March  26,  1832,  and  died  in  1906.  He  came  to  New  York  state 
when  he  was  a  young  man,  coming  to  America  in  sailing  vessel, 
the  trip  taking  four  or  five  weeks.  He  located  at  Fougbkeepsie, 
where  he  worked  for  the  farmers  and  on  the  public  works.  In 
1861  he  located  at  FishkiU  Landing  and  worked  there  until 
1867,  when  he  left  for  Minnesota,  going  by  train  as  far  as  La- 
Crosse,  then  by  team  to  Mankato  and  from  there  to  New  Ulm. 
After  two  years  he  left  Blue  Earth  county  and  moved  to  Flora 
township,  Renville  county,  where  he  obtained  eighty  acres  of 
homestead  land.  There  were  no  buildings  on  the  place  and  he 
built  a  log  house  and  bought  a  team  of  oxen  and  a  cow  and 
started  farming.  He  made  his  home  in  this  township  the  rest 
of  his  life.  Later  he  moved  to  the  northern  part  of  the  township 
and  bought  240  acres.  Here  he  built  a  modern  house  and  build- 
ings, Mr.  Quigley  held  the  position  of  school  officer  for  many 
years.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Catholic  church  and  some  of  the 
first  meetings  were  held  in  his  old  log  cabin.  Mr.  Quigley  was 
married  at  Poughkeepeie  to  Catherine  Cumiski,  born  May  19, 
1838,  in  Sligo  county,  Ireland,  daughter  of  Edward  and  Bridget 
(Earley)  Cumiski.  There  were  five  children  in  the  Cumiski  fam- 
ily ;  John,  Ann,  Mary,  Catherine,  and  Aurora.  Ann  was  the 
first  of  these  children  to  come  to  the  United  States,  and  Catherine 
came  next  at  the  age  of  sixteen.  Four  children  were  bom  to 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Quigley:  Mary,  Edward,  John  and  Jennie.  Mrs. 
Quigley  is  now  living  at  Renville. 

^mUam  Powers,  a  retired  farmer  and  prominent  citizen  of 
Renville,  was  bom  in  Kilkenny,  Ireland,  November  1,  1837,  son 
of  George  and  Eliza  (Lynch)  Powers,  natives  of  Ireland.    There 


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494  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

were  four  obildren,  Mary,  Ann,  Ellen  and  William.  William  and 
Ellen  were  the  only  ones  of  the  family  to  come  to  America,  com- 
ing in  1855  to  New  York  city,  where  they  remained  for  the  win- 
ter, going  to  McKean  county,  Pennsylvania,  in  the  spring,  where 
William  engaged  in  farming  and  lumbering  until  1868.  Ellen 
married  Pat  Kilien,  a  farmer.  William  also  married  in  1868, 
moved  to  Minnesota,  locating  In  Blue  Earth  county.  In  1869 
he  moved  to  Renville  county,  where  he  obtained  a  tract  of  160 
acres  of  land  in  Emmet  township.  It  was  all  wild  land,  without 
any  buildings  or  improvements.  He  corresponded  with  James 
Daly,  a  cousin  of  his  wife,  who  lived  in  Wisconsin,  and  John 
Warner  induced  them  to  come  to  Renville  county.  Mr.  Daly 
hauled  logs  from  the  river  bottoms  by  ox  team  and  built  a  log 
house,  12  by  18  feet.  That  fall,  1869,  Mr.  Daly  returned  to 
Dodge  county,  Wisconsin,  to  get  his  family,  and  that  winter  Wil- 
liam Power,  James  Daly,  John  Warner,  with  their  families,  all 
lived  in  that  log  house,  it  being  the  only  home  in  the  township. 
Mr.  Powers  bought  an  ox  team  and  began  breaking  land.  He  also 
bought  a  cow.  The  nearest  market  was  Beaver  Falls.  He  lived 
on  -this  place  until  1899,  when  he  retired  from  farming  and  moved 
to  Renville. 

Mr.  PowwBft  held  several  township  offices,  having  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  township  board,  and  also  justice  of  the  peace.  He 
helped  to  organize  the  Farmers'  Elevator  Company  in  1890,  and 
held  the  position  of  president  for  several  years.  He  also  was  one 
of  the  men  who  was  influential  in  securing  a  flour  mill  for  Ren- 
ville. He  is  a  member  of  the  Catholic  church.  Mr.  Powers  was 
married  in  1856  to  Agnes  Daly,  daughter  of  James  and  Mary 
Daly.  Mr.  Daly  came  from  Ireland,  and  hia  wife  was  bom  in 
McKean  county,  Pennsylvania,  and  they  were  married  there  and 
lived  there  until  the  father's  death.  Mrs.  Powers  died  in  1885, 
at  the  age  of  forty  years.  Eight  children  were  bom  to  these  par- 
ents: George,  William,  Jr.,  Joseph,  Leo,  Andrew,  Mary,  Mabel 
and  Genevieve. 

Bert  J.  Day,  a  progressive  farmer  of  Boon  Lake  township,  was 
bom  on  the  farm  of  his  father,  in  section  21.  Boon  Lake  town- 
ship, December  3,  1877,  son  of  A.  S.  Day.  Bert  Day  received  his 
education  in  the  public  schools  of  Hutchinson,  where  hia  parents 
lived  at  the  time  of  his  school  days.  He  began  working  as  an 
apprentice  with  the  Hutchinson  "Democrat,"  edited  by  J.  J. 
Green.  He  spent  twelve  years  as  a  printer  working  on  different 
papers  in  Hutchinson.  Then  he  took  up  farming  in  1907,  settling 
on  his  father's  farm,  in  Boon  Lake  township.  Mr.  Day  has  been 
a  member  of  the  school  board  for  four  years.  He  is  a  shareholder 
in  the  Farmers'  Co-operative  Elevator  Company,  at  Buffalo  Lake, 
and  raises  good  stock.  He  is  a  member  of  the  M.  W.  A.,  of  Hutch- 
inson, and  a  member  of  the  Methodist  church.     Mr.  Day  was 


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WILLIAM    W1NDHOK8T 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  495 

married  in  1903,  on  Cliriatmas  day,  to  Anna  May  Richards,  daugh- 
ter of  Thomas  Richards.  They  have  three  children:  Luzetta, 
born  August  25,  1904  j  Vernon,  bom  February  3,  1907;  and  Orina, 
born  October  1,  1913. 

William  Windhorst,  pioneer  lumberman  of  Olivia,  was  born 
May  14,  1855,  in  Germany,  son  of  Henry  and  Lena  (Lohring) 
Windhorst,  who  were  farmers  of  Germany,  and  had  nine  chil- 
dren, eight  boys  and  one  girl.  "William  was  brought  to  the 
United  States  when  he  was  nine  years  old,  by  his  uncle,  Henry 
Lohring,  who  had  returned  to  Germany  on  a  visit.  He  was  taken 
to  his  uncle's  farm,  in  Milwaukee  county,  Wisconsin.  Here  he 
worked  on  the  farm  and  went  to  school.  After  a  time  be  left 
the  farm  and  came  to  Minnesota  and  began  working  for  the 
LaGrange  Mill  Company,  Red  Wing.  While  in  their  employ  he 
was  sent  to  Olivia  to  take  charge  of  their  grain  elevator  there. 
This  was  in  1880,  and  at  that  time  there  were  only  five  or  six' 
places  of  business  there:  Peter  Hines '  hardware  store,  genei'al 
merchandise  stores  of  Mr.  Stone  and  Mr.  Christiansen,  a  drug 
store,  operated  by  Mr.  White  and  a  saloon,  operated  by  John 
Morgan,  Mr.  Windhorst  worked  for  the  LaGrange  Mill  Com- 
pany for  a  number  of  years  and  then  established  in  the  lumber 
business  for  himself.  Soon  after  be  built  an  elevator.  He  has 
prospered  and  built  up  a  large  business  in  this  section  of  the 
county.  Mr.  Windhorst  served  on  the  early  council  of  the  vil- 
lage and  was  at  one  time  an  officer  and  stockholder  in  the  Bank 
of  Olivia.  He  is  a  member  of  the  German  Lutheran  church  and 
was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  congregation- at  Olivia.  Mr. 
Windhorst  was  imited  in  marriage,  January  1,  1880,  in  the  town- 
ship of  Oak  Creek,  to  Mary  Seebach,  bom  April  22,  1858,  on  a 
farm  in  the  township  of  Oak  Creek,  Milwaukee  county,  Wiscon- 
sin, daughter  of  Henry  and  Mary  (Schultz)  Seebach,  natives 
of  Prussia,  Germany.  Henry  Seebach  came  to  this  country  at 
the  age  of  eleven  years,  with  bis  parents,  Arand  and  Mary  See- 
bach. Arand  Seebach  was  a  mechanic  and  helped  build  the  first 
locomotive  used  in  Europe.  When  he  came  to  America  he  set- 
tled on  a  farm  in  Milwaukee  county  and  was  one  of  the  early  set- 
tlers, there  being  only  about  four  or  five  houses  there  at  that 
time.  He  lived  to  the  age  of  ninety  years.  Henry  Seebach  grew 
up  as  a  farmer  and  died  at  the  age  of  thirty-two  years,  leaving 
four  children.  Mary  Schultz,  who  became  his  wife,  came  to  the 
United  States  at  the  age  of  seventeen,  coming  with  her  parents, 
Carl  and  Caroline  Sehnltz,  being  fourteen  weeks  on  the  ocean. 
They  settled  in  Milwaukee  county,  and  later  near  Chaska,  Carver 
county,  Minnesota.  Mary  (Schultz)  Seebach  died  fourteen  years 
ago  at  the  age  of  sixty-three  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Windhorst 
moved  to  Eed  Wing  and  after  a  half  year  there  came  to  Olivia. 
Eight  children  have  been  bom  to  them;    Jennie,  the  first  white 


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496  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

female  born  in  this  city  of  Olivia,  now  Mrs.  William  Seheudel; 
Ida,  at  home;  George,  manager  of  his  father's  busiuesa  interests; 
Flora,  now  Mrs.  Harold  Bordwick;  Lenora,  a  teacher;  Oscar,  at 
home;  Elsie,  at  home;  and  Mata,  deceased  at  the  age  of  two  years. 
Homaji  Bchmechwl,  prominent  agricultiirist  and  man  of  af- 
fairs, was  bom  in  Germany,  April  11,  1857,  son  of  David  and 
Henrietta  (Kiecker)  Schmechel.  The  mother  died  in  Germany 
in  July,  1881,  at  the  age  of  sixty-nine.  The  father  came  to 
America  the  next  year  and  lived  with  hia  children  until  his  death 
by  sunstroke,  in  1887,  at  the  age  of  seventy-seven.  Herman 
Schmechel  came  to  America,  October  22,  1881,  and  was  variously 
employed  for  nearly  four  years.  In  1885  he  purchased  eighty 
acres  in  the  north  half  of  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  9, 
Wellington  township.  Thus  began  his  career  of  progress.  By 
hard  work,  diligent  effort,  and  sterling  honesty,  coupled  with 
shrewd  good  sense  and  intelligence,  he  has  increased  his  holdings 
imtil  he  now  owns  745  acres  of  good  land,  on  which  he  conducts 
general  farming,  and  stockraising,  making  a  specialty  of  blooded 
cattle  and  swine  and  Cotswold  sheep.  His  house  is  modern,  his 
barns  excellent,  and  his  machinery  of  the  best.  In  other  lines 
as  well,  Mr.  Schmechel  has  taken  a  leading  part  in  the  com- 
munity. He  is  president  of  the  Farmers'  Grain  and  Stock  Co.,  of 
Fairfax ;  vice  president  of  the  Fairfax  Co-operative  Creamery ; 
manager  of  the  Renville  County  Rural  Telephone  Co. ;  a  director 
in  the  Wellington  and  Birch  Cooley  Farmers'  Mutual  Fire  In- 
surance Co.,  and  a  director  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Fair- 
fax, For  twenty-five  years  he  has  been  treasurer  of  school  dis- 
trict No.  109;  and  for  a  long  period  he  has  been  elder  in  the 
German  Lutheran  church  of  Wellington  township.  Among  the 
notable  achievements  which  Mr.  Schmechel  has  accomplished  was 
the  supervision  of  the  construction  of  the  first  state  road  in  Ren- 
ville county,  started  in  1911.  It  is  located  two  miles  east  of  the 
Bandon-WellingtoD  town  line,  extending  south  six  miles  from 
the  Martinsburg  town  line  to  the  Cairo  town  line,  and  thence  a 
half  a  mile  west  on  the  Cairo-Wellington  town  line,  Mr. 
Schmechel  was  married  March  10,  1888,  to  Louisa  Tolzman, 
daughter  of  Charles  and  Augusta  (Sperber)  Tolzman,  of  Flora 
township,  this  county.  Mrs.  Louisa  (Tolzman)  Schmechel  died 
March  9,  1889,  at  the  age  of  twenty-five.  Mr.  Schmechel  was 
married  October  31,  1890,  to  Mary  Kamrath,  who  was  bom  in 
Germany,  April  25,  1872,  daughter  of  August  Kamrath,  who 
died  in  1903.  and  Caroline  (Falk)  Kamrath,  who  died  in  1877. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Schmechel  have  four  children,  all  of  whom  are 
at  home.  Ewald,  bom  August  30,  1891,  and  Paul,  bom  June  3, 
1893,  are  graduates  of  the  Fairfax  High  school,  while  Amold, 
bora  March  30,  1896,  and  Flora,  bom  January  23.  1898,  are 
students  in  that  institution. 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  497 

ffimon  Houglj,  a  substantial  farmer  of  Camp  township,  was 
born  in  Norway,  March  13,  1866,  son  of  Lars  NelBon  Hougly  and 
Mary  (Johnson)  Hougly.  The  father  eame  to  America  in  1881, 
and  died  in  1890,  at  the  age  of  fifty-five.  The  mother  died  Febru- 
ary 16,  1912,  at  the  age  of  seventy-six.  Simon  Hougly  arrived 
in  America  in  1880,  and  came  directly  to  Renville  county,  where 
he  was  employed  for  a  time  as  a  farm  hand.  Then  with  his  father 
and  his  brother,  John,  he  bought  160  acres  in  section  18,  Cairo 
township,  of  which  he  stiU  owns  eighty  acres.  There  he  remained 
until  1899,  when  he  purchased  160  acres  in  section  23,  Camp  town- 
ship, where  he  now  resides.  He  has  increased  his  holdings  to  440 
acres,  and  is  regarded  as  a  successful  man.  From  time  to  time 
he  has  erected  suitable  buildings,  and  in  1915  he  built  a  com- 
modious modem  bam,  46  by  62  feet.  He  is  a  stockholder  in  the 
Farmers'  Elevator,  at  Fairfax.  Mr.  Hougly  was  married  July  22, 
1897,  to  Elesa  Nelson,  daughter  of  Einar  and  Thea  (Einarson) 
Nelson.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hougly  have  three  children:  Leonard, 
bom  September  4,  1898;  Spencer,  bom  September  16,  1902;  and 
Tillie,  bom  April  4, 1905.  Einar  Nelson,  for  forty-six  years  a  resi- 
dent of  Ridgely  township,  not  far  from  Renville  county,  was  bom 
on  the  Hunsager  Farm,  HofE  Solar,  Norway,  September  8,  1829, 
and  died  April  18,  1915.  In  July,  1865,  he  located  in  Wisconsin, 
and  from  there  went  to  Preston,  in  Fillmore  county,  this  state, 
where  he  worked  as  a  blacksmith.  Three  years  later  he  became 
foreman  for  the  Ames  farm,  near  St.  Paul,  During  this  period, 
July  13, 1868,  he  married  Thea  Einarson.  Shortly  afterward  they 
located  on  a  farm  in  Ft.  Ridgely  township,  Nicollet  county,  where 
they  underwent  all  the  privations  of  pioneer  life.  For  many 
years  Mr.  Nelson  operated  a  blacksmith  establishment  in  addi- 
tion to  farming.  He  was  respected  by  all  who  knew  him  for  his 
kind  and  unassuming  nature.  Confirmed  in  the  Hoff  church  in 
Norway,  he  continued  a  consistent  Christian  until  the  end  of  his 
days. 

Holger  Jacobus,  a  pioneer  of  Franklin,  was  a  native  of  Den- 
mark, and  came  to  the  United  States  at  the  time  of  the  Civil 
War,  He  enlisted  in  the  service,  even  before  he  could-  speak 
English  and  in  one  of  the  battles  was  seriously  wounded.  After 
the  war  he  located  at  Franklin,  Minnesota,  and  engaged  in  farm-  , 
ing.  While  in  the  South  he  had  married  Elizabeth  Osborn.  from 
Chattanooga,  Tennessee.  He  died  in  1876,  leaving  four  children : 
Louis  Holger,  Charles  and  Mary.  An  old  painting  of  Holger 
Jacobus  is  hanging  in  one  of  the  rooms  at  the  State  Capitol 
building  at  St.  Paul,  in  memory  of  his  services  to  his  state  and 
eoimtry.  His  wife  married  a  second  time  to  Die  Tolefson  and 
moved  to  Renville  village,  having  a  farm  in  the  neighborhood. 
Mrs.  Tolefson  is  still  living  at  the  age  of  seventy  years. 

Edmtmd  Beihms,  deceased,  was  bom  in  Wabasha  county,  Jan- 
nary  20,  1869,  ninth  of  the  fifteen  children  of  Henry  and  Mar- 

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498  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

garet  (Vogt)  Bebms,  both  natives  of  Germany.  Edmmid  Behma 
received  his  education  at  Fairfax  and  engaged  in  farming.  In 
1889  he  located  a  tract  of  180  aqres  in  section  24,  Brookfield 
township.  There  were  no  buildings  on  the  land  or  any  improve- 
mentB  made.  He  built  a  rude  house,  12  by  14,  and  for  two  years 
lived  there  alone.  After  a  time  he  bought  a  cow  and  added  more 
land  to  bis  farm  until  he  bad  over  500  acres.  The  rude  house 
was  replaced  by  a  frame  dwelling,  and  good  bams  were  built. 
Eleven  years  ago  a  cyclone  destroyed  all  the  buildings  and  a 
fine  brick  house  and  good  barns  have  been  erected.  Mr.  BehruE 
held  the  office  of  township  supervisor  and  was  a  member  of  the 
school  board  for  a  number  of  years.  He  was  a  member  of  vari- 
ous fraternal  societies.  He  died  July. 22,  1914.  Mr.  Behma  was 
the  inventor  of  the  patented  "E.  Behrn's  Stacker,"  a  modem 
piece  of  farm  machinery  and  a  remarkable  labor-saving  device 
during  stacking  time.  Since  Mr.  Behms'  death  the  farm  baa  been 
conducted  by  the  widow  and  her  children.  Mr.  Behms  was  mar- 
ried September  15,  1892,  to  Mary  Jafiobus,  born  Febmary  27, 
1869,  at  Franklin,  Minnesota,  daughter  of  Holger  and  Elizabeth 
(Osborn)  Jacobus.  She  was  reared  by  Datis  and  Ellen  Rectors, 
of  Fairfax.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Behras  had  three  children:  Mabel, 
William  and  Maude.  Mabel  married  Herman  Splittgerber  and 
they  reside  on  the  home  farm.  They  have  two  children,  Evelyn 
Maude  and  Meston  Edmund. 

Hanry  Ahrais,  farmer,  was  born  in  Germany,  August  2,  1835  j 
came  to  the  United  States  in  1853 ;  settling  in  Renville  county,  in 
1862,  and  the  same  year  lost  most  of  his  property  in  the  Indian 
outbreak ;  was  the  first  treasurer  of  the  county.  Owned  an  inter- 
est in  a  saw  mill  and  flouring  mill  at  Beaver  Falls;  was  a  state 
senator,  1878. 

A.  E.  Anderson,  farmer,  was  born  in  Sweden,  in  1856 ;  came  to 
Minnesota,  in  1869;  resided  at  Sacred  Heart;  was  a  representa- 
tive in  the  legislature  in  1903. 

Charles  Bird,  pioneer,  was  born  in  Rome,  New  York,  Novem- 
ber 24,  1839;  died  in  Fairfax,  November  21,  1903.  He  came  to 
Olmsted  county,  Minnesota,  when  eighteen  years  old;  served  in 
the  Ninth  Minnesota  Regiment  in  the  Cival  War;  removed  to  a 
farm  in  Cairo  township,  this  county,  in  1869, 

0,  L.  Brsvig,  farmer,  was  bom  in  Norway,  in  1866;  came  to 
Minnesota  when  two  years  old ;  resides  in  Renville  county;  was  a 
representative  in  legislature  in  1895. 

Jeremiah  Farrell,  bom  in  Ireland,  in  1825 ;  died  in  Franklin, 
Minnesota,  January  22,  1902.  He  came  to  the  United  States  in 
1851;  settled  in  Mankato,  in  1869;  removed  in  1871  to  a  farm 
in  Bandon,  this  county,  being  the  first  settler  there,  and  giving  the 
town  its  name. 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  499 

L.  T.  Orad7,  bom  in  Monticello,  New  York,  February  21, 1852; 
'came  with  bis  parents  to  Minnesota,  in  1857;  settled  in  Hector, 
in  1879,  and  engaged  in  mercantile  busineas.  In  1891  be  estab- 
Ushed  the  State  Bank  of  Fairfax.  Later  he  moved  to  Foley  and 
established  a  bank  there. 

Henry.  Hippie,  pioneer,  born  in  Perry  county,  Pennsylvania, 
April  10,  1837 ;  came  to  Minnesota  in  1856 ;  served  in  the  Tenth 
Minnesota  Regiment,  1862-65 ;  the  next  year  he  erected  a  building 
at  Beaver  Falls ;  removed  to  Melville,  this  county,  in  1877. 

HalTCHT  J.  Lee,  merchant  and  banker,  born  in  Norway,  April 
26,  1859;  died  in  Minneapolis,  May  12,  1909.  He  came  to  the 
United  States  with  his  parents  in  1872;  lived  in  Renville  county, 
was  manager  of  the  Renville  Mercantile  Co.,  and  after  1902  was 
cashier  of  a  bank  in  Danube ;  was  county  auditor,  1903-08, 

William  D.  McOowan,  born  in  New  York  city,  in  1841 ;  served 
in  the  Fifth  New  York  Regiment  in  the  Civil  War,  and  after- 
ward in  expeditions  against  the  Indians,  1862-66;  settled  at 
Beaver  Palls,  this  county,  in  1872;  was  register  of  deeds  two 
years  and  clerk  of  court. 

Peter  A.  MattBon,  Lutheran  clergyman,  born  in  Sweden,  Sep- 
tember 29,  1865;  came  to  the  United  States  in  1882,  with  his 
parents,  who  settled  at  Sacred  Heart,  this  county;  was  gradu- 
ated at  Gustavus  Adolphus  College,  1892,  and  in  theology  at 
Augustana  College,  1894;  was  pastor  in  Minneapolis,  1899-1904; 
president  of  Gustavus  Adolphus  College,  St.  Peter,  Minn,,  1904-11. 

Oeorge  H.  Hegqnier,  bom  in  Lincoln,  Me.,  September  20, 
1844;  served  in  the  108th  Illinois  Regiment,  1862-65,  attaining 
the  rank  of  first  lieutenant;  was  admitted  to  the  bar  at  Beaver 
Falls,  51inn.,  in  1870;  was  county  attorney  and  county  super- 
intendent of  schools  in  Renville  county. 

C.  0.  Narveetad,  bom  in  Norway,  October  14,  1837;  came  to 
Minnesota,  in  1864,  and  settled  in  "Wang,  Renville  county,  in 
1867,  being  the  first  settler  in  the  township. 

J.  P.  Patton,  born  in  Oswego  county,  New  York,  October  17, 
1842;  came  to  Minnesota  in  1861 ;  served  in  the  Sixth  Minnesota 
Regiment,  in  the  Civil  War;  settled  in  Birch  Cooley;  was  sheriff 
of  Renville  county. 

0.  P.  Peterson,  bom  in  Indiana,  in  1852 ;  came  to  Minnesota  in 
1878,  and  the  next  year  started  business  in  Hector,  this  county; 
was  a  hardware  merchant,  and  dealt  in  machinery  and  furniture. 

Mrs.  Mary  B.  ReEviUe,  bom  at  East  Plattsburgh,  New  York, 
in  18.32;  died  near  the  Sisseton  Indian  Agency,  South  Dakota, 
September  30, 1895.  She  was  married  to  Rev.  John  B.  Renville,  a 
Sioux  pastor,  in  3859,  at  Hazelwood,  Minn.;  was  held  in  cap- 
tivity during  the  Indian  outbreak  of  1862;  lived  at  Beaver  Falls 
four  years :  engaged  in  teaching  and  in  missionary  work  at  Aa- 
cesson.  South  Dakota,  nearly  twenty-five  years. 


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500  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

Angus  V.  Ridce,  lawyer,  bom  in  Cairo,  Minn.,  August  15, 
1865;  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1898,  and  has  since  practiced  ' 
in  Fairfax;  was  county  attorney  of  Renville  county,  1899-1903; 
was  a  state  senator  in  1903-05. 

Cliaries  Sdiaffler,  born  in  Germany,  in  1827 ;  came  to  the  Uni- 
ted States  in  1852,  and  to  Minnesota,  in  1855;  engaged  in  hard- 
ware business  in  LeSueur;  served  against  the  Indians,  1862;  was 
elected  sheriff  of  the  county,  1872;  removed  to  Flora,  Renville 
county,  in  1877. 

Am  M.  Wallace,  bom  at  Marble  Rock,  Iowa,  October  29,  1868; 
engaged  in  newspaper  work  in  Minneapolis,  1885-92;  editor  of 
the  Standard  Fairfax,  1902;  assistant  state  fire  marshal,  1911. 

Natluut  D.  White,  born  in  Oneida  county.  New  York,  in  1822 ; 
settled  at  Beaver  Creek,  Renville  county,  in  1862;  suffered  much 
from  the  Sioux  outbreak  that  year,  and  was  obliged  to  abandon 
his  home;  returned  to  his  farm  there  in  1865,  and  after  1873 
owned  a  flouring  mill.  His  wife,  who  was  taken  captive  by  the 
Sioux,  in  1862,  wrote  a  paper  on  her  captivity,  published  in  Vol- 
ume IS,  of  the  Minnesota  Historical  Collection,  and  reprinted  in 
this  work. 

Nils  L.  Monson,  an  influential  farmer  of  Preston  Lake  town- 
ship, was  born  in  Sweden,  November  10,  1863,  son  of  Mons  and 
Bothllda  (Martinson)  Monson,  also  natives  of  Sweden,  who  came 
to  America,  in  1867,  and  located  at  Cokato,  "Wright  county,  Min- 
nesota. In  1871  Mons  Monson  located  a  homestead  of  175  acres 
on  the  banks  of  Preston  lake,  section  19,  Preston  Lake  township, 
onto  which  he  moved  with  his  family  in  May,  1872.  It  was  all 
wild  prairie  land  and  he  began  breaking  up  the  land  and  de- 
veloping it  and  built  a  home  and  other  buildings.  Later  he 
bought  seventy-five  acres  of  railroad  land,  well  covered  with  tim- 
ber. In  the  early  days  he  followed  the  carpenter  trade,  having 
learned  that  trade  in  Sweden,  in  connection  with  farming.  He 
became  prosperous  and  influential  and  remained  on  the  farm  until 
his  death,  in  1883.  His  wife  died  in  1899.  They  had  six  chil- 
dren: Mons,  now  of  Wyoming;  Annie,  also  of  Wyoming;  Nils 
L.,  of  Preston  Lake;  Martin,  of  Alberta,  Canada;  Jennie,  of  Al- 
berta, Canada;  and  Sadie,  of  St.  Paul.  Minn.  Nils  L,  Monson 
came  to  America,  with  his  parents,  in  1867,  and  located  with  them 
in  Cokato  and  later  came  with  them  to  Preston  Lake,  May  12, 
1872.  He  received  a  good  education  at  the  common  schools  and 
in  1887  entered  the  agricultural  department  of  the  State  TJni- 
versity  of  Minnesota,  graduating  in  1891.  He  farmed  with  his 
father  until  his  father's  death,  and  then  took  up  teaching,  fol- 
lowing that  profession  in  Renville  county  for  ten  years.  Then 
be  became  a  wheat  buyer  at  Buffalo  Lake,  being  identified  with 
the  Farmers'  Elevator  Company  for  two  years  and  for  three 
years  engaged  in  wheat  buying  for  himself.    Then  he  accepted  a 


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MB.  AND  MBS.  ANTON  CHRI8TIAN80N 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  501 

position  with  the  Piano  Machine  Company,  of  Chieiigo.  At  the 
end  of  fifteen  months  this  company  was  absorhed  by  the  Interna- 
tional Company  and  he  remained  with  them  twenty-one  months, 
his  territory  being  from  Minneapolis  to  Aberdeen.  Neit  he  went 
to  Alberta,  Canada,  and  took  a  homestead'  of  160  acres  and  en- 
gaged Ln  ranching  for  five  years.  In  1908  he  returned  to  the 
homestead  in  section  19,  Preston  Lake  township.  He  now  owns 
150  acres  of  it  and  earriea  on  general  diversified  farming.  He 
has  made  many  improvements  and  is  very  influential  in  the  com- 
munity. He  has  served  as  assessor  for  a  short  period  and  did 
good  serviee  as  justice  of  the  peace,  trying  over  250  cases  during 
his  time  as  jostice,  and  while  a  few  of  them  were  ap- 
pealed, there  never  was  a  reversal  of  decision.  He  is  also  inter- 
ested in  the  Farmers'  Elevator,  at  Buffalo  Lake.  The  family 
church  is  the  Lutheran.  Mr.  Monson  was  married  September  20, 
1896,  to  Alma  Betzke,  of  Buffalo  Lake.  She  was  bom  in  Ger- 
many, September  22,  1876,  and  came  to  America  with  her  par- 
ents, in  1881.  They  located  at  Brownton,  Minn.,  the  father  dying 
the  following  week,  after  their  arrival.  The  mother  is  still  living 
at  Brownton. 

Anton  Chiistianaoii,  a  retired  farmer  of  Palmjnra  township, 
was  bom  in  Norway,  July  13,  1830,  son  of  Christian  and  Martha 
Jaeobson.  They  were  farmers  and  lived  and  died  in  Norway, 
the  father  at  the  age  of  sixty  years  in  1860  and  the  mother  at 
an  advanced  age  in  1870.  There  were  seven  children  in  the 
family:  Anton,  Solomon,  Jacob,  Carl  A,,  Martin,  Mary,  Eliza- 
beth. Anton  was  the  oldest  and  the  first  one  to  leave  for  America, 
leaving  in  1868  with  his  wife  Johanna  and  three  children,  aged 
eight,  six  and  three  years  respectively.  They  came  by  sailing 
vessel,  the  voyage  taking  ten  weeks.  Mrs.  Christianson  died  and 
was  buried  at  sea.  The  father  and  the  three  children  went  to 
Allamakee  county,  Iowa,  where  he  remained  four  years,  working 
at  whatever  he  could  find  and  where  he  purchased  forty  aeres 
of  land.  In  1872  he  moved  to  Minnesota,  driving  an  oz  team  and 
being  three  weeks  on  the  trip.  He  secured  a  homestead  in  Ren- 
ville county,  Palmyra  township,  section  14.  It  was  all  wild  land 
and  the  family  lived  in  the  wagon  for  a  few  weeks  until  a  sod 
house  was  built.  It  contained  two  rooms  and  was  22  by  12  feet. 
Here  he  began  breaking  the  land  with  the  ox  team  and  hauled 
his  grain  to  Redwood  Falls  and  Hutchinson.  He  sold  his  first 
crop  at  Glencoe  and  received  seventy-three  cents  per  bushel.  The 
grasshoppers  destroyed  his  second,  third  and  fourth  crops.  He 
owned  three  or  four  cows  which  he  had  brought  with  him  from 
Iowa.  Once,  in  1873,  he  became  lost  in  a  snow  storm  and  was 
out  two  days  before  he  found  shelter.  By  hard  work  and  indus- 
try he  developed  his  farm  and  now  owns  300  acres  of  land.  The 
sod  house  was  replaced  with  a  small  one-story  frame  house  16  by 


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502  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

24  feet  and  he  has  since  built  a  large  modern  house.  He  always 
raised  good  stock.  Mr.  ChristianBon  has  served  as  township 
supervisor  and  treasurer  of  the  school  board.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Norwegian  Lutheran  church  and  services  were  often  held  in 
the  various  sod  houses  in  the  section  before  there  was  any  church 
building.  He  helped  organize  the  church  and  was  one  of  its 
trustees.  By  the  first  marriage  there  were  three  children:  Con- 
rad, a  professor  at  the  Lutheran  Normal  school  at  Sioux  Falls; 
Hannah,  Mrs.  Martin  Loftnes,  of  Palmyra  township,  and  Jetta, 
deceased.  He  married  again  in  Iowa  to  Tonetta  Thorson,  born 
in  Norway.  She  came  to  America  in  1868  and  was  sixteen  weeks 
on  the  ocean.  She  was  a  widow  and  had  one  child,  Thor,  eight 
years  old,  her  husband  having  died  in  Norway.  By  this  second 
marriage  there  was  one  son,  Carl.  His  wife  died  March  13,  1912, 
at  the  age  of  seventy-five  years.  Carl  now  has  charge  of  the  farm. 
He  was  born  September  29,  1876,  and  after  attending  the  Normal 
school  and  teaching  school  in  Renville  county  for  six  months  he 
engaged  in  farming  on  the  old  homestead.  He  has  held  offices 
of  the  township,  having  been  supervisor,  chairman  of  the  hoard 
of  supervisors  and  township  clerk.  Mr.  Christianson  makes  a 
specialty  of  feeding  cattle  for  the  market.  Mr.  Carl  Christianson 
was  maiTied  June  18,  1896,  to  Louise  Peterson,  of  Rock  county, 
Minnesota,  daughter  of  Martin  and  Sarah  (Olson)  Peterson, 
Sarah  Olson  was  born  in  Jeiferson  county,  Wisconsin,  near  Prim- 
rose, March  4,  1856,  daughter  of  Levor  and  Sigrid  Olson,  both 
natives  of  Norway  and  early  pioneers  of  Wisconsin,  coming  in 
1863  to  Winnebago  county,  Iowa,  being  also  early  pioneers  of  that 
county,  enduring  all  the  hardships  of  the  early  settler  and  becom- 
ing respected  citizens  of  that  county,  where  they  both  died. 
Martin  Peterson  was  born  in  Norway  October  10,  184.5,  He  came 
to  America  in  1867  by  sailing  vessel,  coming  to  Spring  Grove, 
Minnesota.  He  was  married  at  Forest  City,  Iowa,  in  1872.  He 
worked  for  four  years  in  Houston  county  and  after  his  marriage 
lived  in  Rock  county,  Minnesota,  in  1873,  where  he  engaged  in 
farming  until  1910,  when  he  moved  to  Hills,  Minnesota,  retiring 
from  active  farm  work.  They  had  ten  children;  Marie,  Louise, 
Elena,  Edwin,  Mollie,  Evelyn,  George  H.  (deceased),  Josephine 
(deceased),  Osear  W.  (deceased)  and  Mary,  who  died  in  infancy. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Carl  Christianson  have  six  children:  Thealine 
Sophia,  Anton  Melvin,  Sylvia,  Marie  Blenora,  Clarence  and  Leroy, 
all  at  home, 

Diedrich  Wichmaim,  one  of  the  most  honored  of  the  early 
pioneers,  one  of  the  heroes  of  the  days  of  the  Indian  uprising, 
and  for  many  years  an  estimable  citizen,  was  born  in  Germany, 
in  1852.  He  was  reared  on  a  farm  and  in  1853  came  to  America, 
locating  in  Cook  county  on  a  farm.  In  1858  he  came  to  Brown 
county.  Minnesota,  and  in  1860  took  a  homestead  in  section  14, 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  503 

Beaver  Falls  townshipj  this  county,  where  he  was  achieving  pros- 
perity when  the  Indian  uprising  took  place.  August  18,  1862,  he 
was  on  his  way  to  work  at  the  Indian  Agency,  just  aeross  the 
Minnesota  river,  in  Redwood  county.  Just  as  he  reached  the 
ferry  he  heard  the  firing  of  guns  and  knew  that  the  Indians  were 
attacking  the  agency.  Mr.  Wichmaim  hurried  home  and  finding 
his  wife  and  son  unloading  a  load  of  hay,  told  his  family  to 
climb  on  the  hay  rack,  and  with  yoke  of  oxen  hitched  to  this 
wagon,  started  for  Fort  Ridgely,  in  Nicollet  county,  south  of 
Fairfax.  When  he  reached  Port  Ridgely  he  stopped  a  few  min- 
utes, hut  kept  on  with  his  team  and  family  until  he  reached  the 
old  home  in  Illinois.  Further  details  of  Mr.  Wichmann's  experi- 
ences at  this  time  are  related  in  another  part  of  this  work.  The 
family  remained  in  Illinois  until  the  fall  of  1864,  when  they 
came  back  to  New  Ulm.  In  the  spring  of  1865  they  returned  to 
their  home  in  Beaver  township.  Diedrich  Wiehmann  was  mar- 
ried in  Germany  to  Margaret  Boorman,  and  to  this  luion  were 
bom  seven  children :  Cosmns  Frederick,  Diedrich  H.,  Henry  J., 
Dora,  Frederics,  William  and  John  C.  John  C,  born  in  1861, 
is  believed  to  be  the  first  white  child  born  in  Renville  county. 
Mr.  Wickmann  died  in  1890.  His  wife  died  in  1891,  at  the  age  of 
sixty-eight  years. 

Engebret  Thompson,  a  well-to-do  farmer,  of  Camp  township, 
was  bom  in  Norway,  August  14,  1856,  son  of  Thorsen  and  Marit 
(Lien)  Thompson.  He  came  to  America  in  1868,  and  after  two 
months  spent  in  Milwaukee,  located  in  Brown  county,  this  state, 
where  he  engaged  in  railroad  construction  work  for  a  number 
of  years.  In  1874  be  eame  to  Renville  county,  where  he  secured 
employment  in  the  old  Rieke  mill,  two  and  a  half  miles  south- 
east of  Franklin.  In  the  spring  of  1878  he  bought  160  acres  in 
section  18,  Camp  township,  where  he  still  resides.  He  has  in- 
creased his  holdings  until  he  now  owns  280  acres  of  well  im- 
proved land,  on  which  he  carries  on  general  farming,  making  a 
specialty  of  stock  raising,  and  shipping  a  carload  of  cattle  and  a 
half  a  carload  of  swine  each  year.  It  is  worthy  of  note  that  in 
1890  he  purchased  and  dismantled  the  old  Rieke  mill,  in  which 
as  a  young  man,  he  had  been  employed.  He  is  a  prominent  man 
in  the  community  and  holds  stock  in  the  State  Bank  of  Franklin, 
as  well  as  in  the  elevator,  mill  and  creamery  at  that  place.  In 
addition  to  farming.  Mr.  Thompson  has  devoted  much  of  his 
time  to  hunting  and  trapping,  and  has  found  his  fur  trade  very 
profitable.  Mr.  Thompson  was  married  July  23,  1876,  to  Annie 
Anderson,  bom  in  Iowa.  November  22,  1854,  daughter  of  John 
and  Martha  Anderson.  This  happy  union  has  been  blessed  with 
.six  children :  Julius,  Mary,  Mathilda,  Albert,  Elmer  and  Bella. 
Julius  was  born  February  15,  1878,  and  farms  with  his  father. 
Mary  was  bom  January  1,  1880,  and  Mathilda  was  bom  Sep- 


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504  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

tember  11,  1882.  Both  are  at  home.  Albert  was  bom  June  5, 
1884,  married  Caroline  LUke,  and  is  now  farming  on  the  Flat- 
head Indian  Reservation  at  St.  Ignatius,  Montana.  Elmer,  bom 
August  22,  1892,  and  Bella,  bom  April  17,  1894,  are  both  at 
home. 

John  Barnard,  an  early  settler,  arrived  in  St.  Croix  county, 
Wisconsin,  about  1858,  and  there  abandoned  his  previous  work 
as  a  railroad  contractor,  married  and  located  on  a  farm.  In 
1879,  filled  with  the  courage  of  his  sturdy  ancestors,  he  decided 
to  establish  himself  in  a  still  newer  country,  so  with  his  family 
and  household  goods,  he  started  out  with  a  team  of  horses  and  a 
covered  wagon,  to  find  a  home  in  Minnesota.  He  secured  160 
acres  of  land  in  Renville  county,  a  part  of  which  is  now  the 
Barnard  addition  to  the  city  of  Renville.  At  that  time  an  old 
claim  shanty  stood  on  the  place.  As  the  years  passed  substan- 
tial buildings  were  erected  and  the  place  became  one  of  the 
best  in  the  neighborhood.  Mr.  Barnard  was  a  fancier  of  fine 
stock  and  was  the  first  to  introduce  high  grade  cattle  in  this 
neighborhood.  He  did  not  care  to  mingle  prominently  in  polit- 
ical affairs,  but  devoted  his  attention  to  his  family  and  to  his 
farm.  He  was  a  loyal  friend,  popular  with  all  classes,  a  man 
on  whom  everyone  depended  and  in  whom  they  had  the  greatest 
confidence.  The  churches  of  all  denominations  found  him  a  lib- 
eral supporter,  and  he  took  a  part  in  every  good  move  that  made 
an  appeal  to  his  sympathy  and  generosity.  In  all  his  under- 
takings he  was  aided  by  the  encouragement  and  understanding 
of  his  good  wife,  Prances  (Vandercook)  Barnard.  They  passed 
away  the  same  year,  1907,  he  at  the  age  of  eighty-one  and  she  at 
the  age  of  seventy-one.  In  the  family  there  were  six  children: 
Lynas,  Clarence,  Prank,  Lucy,  John  and  Carl. 

Anffiut  T.  Dann  was  bom  in  Calumet  county,  Wisconsin,  Sep- 
tember 8,  1864.  His  father,  John  Daun,  was  born  in  Germany, 
and  came  to  America  in  1845,  coming  to  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  and  to 
Minnesota  in  1874,  where  he  lived  in  Lesueur  county  for  eleven 
years  and  in  Nicollet  county  for  three  years.  Then  he  bought 
280  acres  in  Norfolk  township  in  1888,  where  he  remained  until 
1898,  when  he  moved  to  Bird  Island,  where  he  died  March  19, 
1911.  His  mother,  Mary  K.  (Pitzon),  aged  seventy-four  years, 
lives  in  Bird  Island.  August  Daun,  at  the  age  of  fourteen,  be- 
gan working  out  on  the  farms  of  the  neighbors,  and  later  in  the 
pineries  and  still  later  on  the  railroad  until  1897.  Then  he  rented 
the  home  farm  until  1901,  when  he  rented  the  farm  of  Mrs. 
John  Gloden,  in  Norfolk  township,  where  he  stayed  for  two  years. 
Then  he  rented  farms  in  Birch  Cooley  township,  remaining  on 
that  of  Leonard  Farrenbach,  for  four  years  and  that  of  John 
Blume,  Beaver  Palls  township,  for  one  year.  Then  he  purchased 
160  acres  in  section  17,  Birch  Cooley  township,  securing  the  old 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVIUjE  COUNTY  505 

Qeorge  ChlBholm  farm,  and  now  owns  320  acres.  In  1909  Im 
built  a  silo,  14  by  39  feet,  with  a  capacity  of  128  tons.  He  has 
been  a  dairyman  for  twenty  years  and  makes  a  specialty  of  feed- 
ing cattle  and  hogs  for  the  market,  raising  Holstein  cattle.  Mr. 
Dsun  is  the  president  of  the  Farmers'  Co-operative  Grain  Com- 
pany at  Morton,  and  was  one  of  the  organizers.  He  has  served 
on  the  town  board  for  ten  years  and  has  been  a  school  director  in 
district  No.  19  for  eight  years.  He  is  also  the  chief  ranger  in 
the  C.  0.  F.  at  Morton,  and  a  member  of  the  Catholic  church,  at 
Morton.  Mr.  Daiin  was  united  in  marriage  October  2,  1888,  to 
Magdeline  Schwartz,  born  January  3,  1870,  daughter  of  Andrew 
and  Katherine  (Steinert)  Daun.  Mr.  Steinert  was  a  farmer, 
bom  in  Germany,  and  came  to  Renville  county  in  1875,  where 
he  died  in  1899,  at  the  age  of  seventy-one  years.  His  wife  died  in 
1898,  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight  years.  Eleven  boys  have  been 
bom  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Daun ;  Frank,  bom  March  20,  1889 ;  George, 
bom  February  14,  1890,  manager  of  a  lumber  yard  at  St.  Cloud; 
Edward,  born  July  30,  1891,  farmer,  in  Crow  Wing  county ;  Earl, 
borii  November  15,  1892,  a  student  from  the  Globe  Business  Col- 
lege, St.  Paul,  Minn.,  now  a  stenographer  at  St.  Paul ;  Frederick, 
bora  November  23,  1896;  William,  bom  November  15,  1897; 
Peter,  bom  September  8,  1898;  Leonard,  bom  September  15, 
1901;  August,  bom  April  18.  1903;  Arthur,  born  July  18,  1907, 
and  Robert,  born  April  30,  1912. 

William  F.  Sieke,  a  resident  of  Franklin,  was  bom  on  section 
26,  Cairo  township,  Renville  county,  December  6,  1879,  son  of 
Victor  and  Minnie  (Wolfers)  Rieke.  His  father  was  bom  in 
Germany  and  came  to  Cairo  township  in  1858,  with  his  brother, 
George,  th«?y  being  the  first  two  settlers  in  the  township.  With 
his  brothers,  George,  Adam  and  August,  he  took  part  in  the  de- 
fense of  Ft.  Ridgely  during  the  Indian  outbreak  of  1862.  One 
sister,  now  Mrs.  Charles  Fenske,  of  Fairfax,  was  also  present  at 
the  time  of  the  battle.  Mr.  Rieke  lived  on  hia  homestead  until 
1872,  when  he  built  a  mill  two  and  a  half  miles  southeast  of 
Franklin,  and  operated  this  until  1880.  Then  he  came  to  section 
7,  Camp  township,  where  he  remained  until  1912,  when  he  moved 
to  Franklin  and  lived  there  until  his  death,  October  20,  1913. 
His  wife,  Minnie  (Wolfers)  Rieke,  is  still  living,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-five  years.  William  Rieke  farmed  until  1896,  when  he 
came  to  Franklin  and  entered  the  blacksmith  and  implement 
business  with  Olof  Nelson.  In  1903  he  became  the  manager  for 
the  Hauser  Lumber  Company,  of  Franklin,  handling  lumber, 
hardware  and  furniture.  Mr.  Rieke  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Citi- 
zens Milling  Company,  at  Franklin,  and  has  served  on  the  vil- 
lage council  for  one  year.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church.  April  14,  1893,  he  was  married  to  Imogene 
Coffey,  aged  forty-six  years.    Her  father,  Christopher  Columbus 


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506  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

Coflfey,  was  the  proprietor  of  a  hotel  at  Franklin  and  waa  a  sol- 
dier of  the  Civil  War,  being  first  lieutenant.  He  was  one  of  the 
pioneers  of  Franklin  and  now  lives  at  Excelsior,  Minn.  Five 
children  have  been  born  to  Mr,  and  Mrs,  Rieke :  Amy,  aged 
twenty;  Myrna,  aged  sixteen;  Milo,  aged  fourteen;  Clella,  aged 
eight,  and  Qrace,  aged  two. 

Frank  Stasson,  deceased,  was  bom  in  Scott  county,  Minne- 
sota, in  1858,  and  died  May  11,  1913,  son  of  Captain  Henry  Stas- 
son  and  Margaret  (Cain).  His  father  was  killed  in  a  battle  at 
Nashville.  Tenn.,  December  16,  1864.  He  enlisted  in  Company  B., 
Fifth  Minnesota  Volunteer  Infantry,  April  2,  1862,  For  three 
years  he  served  as  first  sergeant,  on  September  3,  1862,  becoming 
second  lieuteJiant;  May  1,  1863,  first  lieutenant,  and  August  7, 
1863,  captain.  His  wife  died  in  1893,  at  the  age  of  seventy  years. 
Frank  Stas.son  eame  to  Renville  county  in  1879  and  bought  320 
acres  in  section  13,  Birch  Cooley  township,  where  he  lived  until 
his  death.  He  increased  his  farm  to  510  acres  and  built  a  fine 
house  of  six  rooms  in  1S79  and  a  substantial  basement  bam  in 

1912.  He  served  on  the  township  board  for  five  years  and  also 
as  township  clerk  and  member  of  the  school  board.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  M.  W.  A.,  Sons  of  Veterans,  and  a  member  of  St. 
Patrick's  Catholic  church,  in  Birch  Cooley  township.  Mr.  Stas- 
son  was  married  November  21,  1882,  to  Bridget  O'Shea,  born 
April  30,  1862.  Her  father,  Dennis  O'Shea,  was  born  in  Ireland, 
September  5.  1838,  and  died  February  22,  1913.  He  came  to 
America  in  1842,  living  in  Canada  and  New  York  for  a  time  and 
in  1870  came  to  Renville  county,  where  he  settled  on  a  farm  in 
section  36,  Birch  Cooley  township,  and  lived  there  until  his 
death.  His  wife,  Mary  Holland,  was  born  March  25,  1838,  and 
married  August  17,  1857.  There  were  eight  boys  and  three  girls, 
Mrs.  Rtasson  being  the  third  child.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stasson  have 
had  three  children:  Rosa,  born  August  9,  1883,  who  married 
Mr.  William  Carline  of  Minneapolis,   and  she  died  August  18, 

1913,  leaving  two  children,  Agues  and  Joseph,  who  make  their 
home  with  their  grandmother,  Mrs.  Stasson ;  Joseph  H.,  bom 
December  15,  1884,  and  Dennis  F.,  born  October  10,  1886,  who 
assist  their  mother  in  conducting  the  home  farm, 

Olof  Nelson,  a  well  known  business  man  of  Franklin,  was  bom 
in  Sweden,  May  27,  1865,  of  the  parents  of  Olof  and  Carrie  Nel- 
son, farmers,  who  both  died  in  Sweden.  Mr.  Nelson  came  to 
America  in  18B5,  spending  three  years  in  London,  Ontario,  com- 
ing to  St.  Paul  in  1888,  where  he  also  spent  three  years.  In  1891 
he  located  in  Franklin,  opening  a  blacksmith  shop  there.  In  1899 
it  was  improved  and  a  stock  of  implements  and  vehicles  was  put 
in.  In  1906  Mr.  Nelson  accepted  the  agency  for  automobiles 
and  handles  the  Buick,  Jackson,  Moline  and  Rambler  cars.  Dur- 
ing the  time  Mr.  Nelson  has  been  in  Franklin  he  has  taken  great 


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FEANK  STASSON 


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ijGoogle 


HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  507 

interest  io  civic  affairs  and  has  served  as  village  mayor  for  two 
years,  also  being  a  member  of  the  village  council  for  fifteen  years. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  Mr.  Nelson 
was  married  July  9, 1892,  to  Mathilda  Johnson,  of  St.  Paul.  Her 
father,  Frederick  Nelson,  was  a  farmer  in  Sweden,  both  her  par- 
ents dying  in  Sweden.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nelson  have  had  two  chil- 
dren, Phillip,  born  June  1,  1893,  who  died  February  17,  1907, 
and  Ebba,  bom  Jime  12,  1894,  who  is,  at  present,  a  student  at 
the  Manhato  State  Normal  school. 

Leonard  Farrenbach  was  born  in  Baden,  Germany,  November 
4,  1848,  son  of  Michael  and  Annie  (Stumpf)  Farrenbach,  natives 
of  Germany.  The  father  came  to  America  in  1852  and  settled 
in  Pennsylvania,  then  he  came  to  the  village  of  Beaver  Falls, 
this  county,  where  he  lived  until  1897,  when  he  moved  back  to 
Pennsylvania,  where  he  died  in  1899,  at  the  age  of  eighty-six 
years.  His  wife  died  in  Germany.  Leonard  Farrenbach  worked 
out  on  the  farms  until  he  was  about  twenty-five  years  old ;  then 
he  bought  eighty  acres  in  section  9,  Birch  Cooley  township,  in 

1871,  where  he  still  lives.  He  now  owns  400  acres  and  has  im- 
proved hia  farm.  From  1900  to  1910  he  lived  in  Morton  and  then 
returned  to  the  farm.  Mr.  Farrenbach  has  served  on  the  town- 
ship board  for  three  years  and  has  been  a  member  of  the  school 
board  for  two  years,  and  is  a  member  of  the  St.  Patrick's  Catholic 
church,  at  Birch  Cooley  township.  Mr.  Farrenbach  was  married 
August  4,  1873,  to  Mary  Poss,  who  died  December  6,  1879.  She 
was  the  daughter  of  Charles  and  Regina  Poss,  farmers  in  Penn- 
sylvania. Four  children  were  born :  Michael,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  seventeen  years :  Leonard,  a  farmer  of  Norfolk  township ; 
Annie,  who  is  the  wife  of  Timothy  Ryan,  a  farmer  of  Norfolk 
town.ship;  and  Ellen,  widow  of  Edward  Voerge,  of  Seattle,  Wash. 
Mr.  Farrenbach  was  married  a  second  time  on  January  7,  1890, 
to  Mary  Ryan,  born  January  6,  1863,  daughter  of  Philip,  a 
farmer,  aged  eighty-seven,  who  lives  in  Norfolk  township  and 
came  to  Renville  county  in  1873,  and  Bridget  (Gleason),  who 
died  in  1884,  at  the  age  of  forty-four.  The  following  children 
were  born  to  this  second  marriage:  Bernard,  bom  May  24,  1891, 
and  (lied  June  27,  1906;  Margaret,  born  February  2,  1892;  Mary, 
born  June  18,  1895;  Gertrude,  born  December  1,  1897;  Michael, 
born  October  31.  1899,  and  died  December  25,  1899 ;  Philip,  bom 
October  28,  1900;  Catherine,  born  November  18,  1902;  Emma, 
born  November  28,  1903;  and  Bertha,  the  twin,  who  died  Sep- 
tember 9,  1906. 

Andrew  S.  Erickson,  a  prominent  business  man  of  this  county, 
was  bom  in  Finland,  January  8,  1866.     He  came  to  America  in 

1872.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  he  began  working  in  Minneapolis, 
spending  four  years  on  the  railroad  and  in  the  city  parks.  Then 
for  the  nest  ten  years  he  acted  as  clerk  in  a  clothing  store.    In 


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508  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

1898  he  bought  the  store  of  Aase  and  Myster,  in  Franklin,  in 
company  with  Randall  Niemi  and  Charles  Johnson.  He  remained 
in  this  partaersbip  for  nine  years.  In  1907  the  firm  was  incor- 
porated as  the  Franklin  Mercantile  Company  and  William  and 
John  Curran  were  added  to  the  company,  Mr.  Niemi  retiring. 
The  capital  of  the  firm  at  this  time  amounted  to  $15,000.  The 
officers  were:  President,  Andrew  S.  Erickson;  vice  president, 
William  J,  Cnrran;  secretary  and  treasurer,  John  Cnrran.  On 
January  1,  1914,  John  Curran  retired  and  the  following  officers 
were  elected;  President,  Andrew  S.  Erickson;  vice  president, 
William  J.  Curran;  secretary  and  treasurer,  Charles  Johnson. 
The  firm  occupy  a  large  substantial  building,  25  by  96  feet,  with 
a  large  basement.  They  do  an  average  business  of  $40,000  per 
year,  dealing  in  merchandise.  Mr.  Erickson  has  been  prominent 
in  public  affairs  of  the  village  and  has  held  many  positions  of  • 
trust.  He  was  the  village  treasurer  for  one  year,  has  served  on 
the  village  council  for  three  years  and  has  been  president  of  the 
council  for  three  years.  He  is  also  vice  president  of  the  State 
Bank,  president  of  the  Citizens  Milling  Company,  and  treasurer 
of  the  Franklin  Local  and  Rural  Telephone  Company.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Modem  Woodmen  of  America  and  also  of  the 
Finnish  Lutheran  church.    He  is  unmarried. 

Ole  J.  BoTom,  a  well-known  farmer  of  Camp  township,  was 
bom  in  Norway,  March  9,  1858,  son  of  John  A.  Boyum,  who 
died  in  1910,  at  the  age  of  seventy-five,  and  of  Synva  Boyum, 
who  died  in  1912,  at  the  age  of  seventy-three,  Ole  J,  Boyum  came 
to  America  in  1879  and  was  employed  as  a  farm  hand  until  1885. 
Then  he  bought  the  east  half  of  the  northwest  quarter  of  section 
15,  where  he  now  lives.  He  owns  160  acres,  has  a  good  nine-room 
house,  with  modem  bam,  silo  and  outbuildings.  Two  acres  are 
set  in  fruit  trees.  Mr.  Boyum  carries  on  general  farming  and 
makes  a  specialty  of  raising  Holstein  cattle  and  Duroe  bogs. 
He  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Co-operative  Creamery,  Elevator  and 
Store  at  Fairfax.  Mr.  Boyum  wis  married  July  27,  1885,  to 
Ragnel  Nesburg,  bom  January  1,  1864,  daughter  of  Ole  0.  and 
Julia  (Maland)  Nesburg.  Mr,  and  Mrs.  Boyum  have  three  chil- 
dren :  Selma  Julia,  bom  September  10,  1895 ;  Obed  Joseph,  bom 
December  12,  1896,  and  Bertha  Sarena,  bom  March  5,  1903. 

Arthur  Lanon,  a  well  known  business  man  of  Franklin,  was 
bom  in  Camp  township,  Renville  county,  October  6,  1893,  His 
father,  Andrew  Larson,  aged  forty-five,  is  a  farmer  in  Camp 
township,  having  been  bom  there.  His  mother,  Louisa  (Nes- 
burg), is  still  living,  at  the  age  of  forty  years.  There  were  ten 
children  in  the  family,  eight  boys  and  two  girls.  When  he  was 
nineteen  years  of  age  Mr,  Larson  opened  a  motorcycle  garage 
St  Franklin,  in  which  he  is  still  engaged. .  He  sells  the  Yale, 
Indian  and  Excelsior  motorcycles  and  also  Grant  motor  cars,  and 


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HISTORY  OF  KENVILLE  COUNTY  509 

does  all  kinds  of  repairing.  During  tbe  first  two  years  he  sold 
fifty-seven  motorcycles  and  four  Grant  motor  cars.  He  also  han- 
dles a  targe  and  complete  line  of  supplies.  Mr.  Larson  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Norwegian  Lutheran  church.  Mr.  Larson  was  mar- 
ried June  30,  1915,  to  Olga  Lund,  daughter  of  Clans  and  Mary 
Lund,  of  Palmyre  township,  this  county,  settlers  of  1885, 

Lnlie  H.  Eirwin,  an  enterprising  druggist  of  Franklin,  was 
born  in  Fillmore  county,  Minnesota,  January  17,  1876.  His 
father,  James  Kirwin,  an  early  farmer  and  pioneer  of  Fillmore 
county,  died  in  1912,  at  the  age  of  eighty-seven  years.  His 
mother,  Anne  Moran,  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-four,  in  1910. 
Mr.  Kirwin  graduated  from  the  Spring  Valley  High  school,  in 
1894.  At  the  age  of  twenty  he  began  working  for  B.  W.  Hunt- 
ley, a  druggist  of  Spring  Valley,  Minn.,  where  he  remained  for 
one  year.  He  then  attended  the  pharmacy  department  at  the 
University  of  Minnesota,  graduating  in  1897.  During  the  next 
year  he  clerked  in  a  drug  store  at  Wells,  and  at  Minneapolis. 
Next  he  moved  to  Morton,  and  became  the  manager  of  a  drug 
store  at  that  place.  After  a  year's  stay  there  he  bought  the 
drug  store  of  C.  G.  V.  Cormonton,  at  Franklin,  in  January,  1899, 
and  has  lived  there  ever  since.  Mr.  Kirwin  is  a  stockholder  in 
the  Minnesota  Pharmaceutical  Association,  a  stockholder  and  di- 
rector in  the  Citizens  Milling  Company,  at  Franklin,  and  a  stock- 
holder in  the  Franklin  Local  and  Rural  Telephone  Company. 
He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Columbus  at  Fairfax,  and 
a  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  He  has  been 
a  member  of  the  village  conneil  for  six  years.  August  7,  1900, 
Mr.  Kirwin  was  married  to  Neva  Blackmar,  of  Buffalo,  New 
York,  daughter  of  Anson  and  Helen  Blackmar.  Her  father  was  a 
harness  dealer,  of  Buffalo.  Six  children  have  been  bom  to  this 
marriage:  Lillian,  bom  August  9,  1901;  Geneva,  born  April  12, 
1904 ;  Valeria,  bom  April  15,  1907 ;  John,  bora  May  3, 1908 ;  Vin- 
cent, born  May  18,  1909,  and  Winnifred,  bora  Febmary  17,  1913. 

Jacob  C.  Wagner,  a  merchant  of  Franklin,  was  born  In  Ger- 
many, October  18,  1866,  son  of  Jacob  Wagner,  a  contractor  in 
Germany,  aged  eighty-nine  years,  and  Katherine  (Lutz),  aged 
eighty-nine  years.  Jacob  Wagner  came  to  America  in  1878,  at 
the  age  of  twelve,  coming  with  a  neighbor,  to  whom  his  father 
had  given  money  for  the  child's  transportation,  expenses  and 
care  after  reaching  America.  After  reaching  Castle  Garden  the 
neighbor  deserted  the  hoy,  taking  his  money,  and  Jacob  was 
taken  in  charge  by  a  priest,  who  secured  a  position  for  him  with 
a  man  in  the  meat  business  in  Brooklyn,  where  ha  remained  for 
four  years.  Then  he  worked  two  years  in  the  stockyards  in 
Chicago  and  next  worked  one  year  in  Dubuque,  Iowa.  Then  he 
became  the  manager  of  the  meat  market  in  Fairfax,  where  he 
remained   for   one  year.     In   1893   he   purchased   a  market  in 


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510  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

Franklin  and  conducted  same  until  1912,  when  be  sold  the  busi- 
ness and  property  and  opened  a  confectionery  and  grocery  store 
and  bas  continued  in  this  line  since.  He  handles  ^oceries,  candies, 
cigars  and  also  operates  a  soda  fountain.  On  September  20,  1915, 
he  again  purchased  the  meat  business  and  conveyed  same  to  his 
son  Clarence,  who  is  now  sole  owner  and  proprietor.  Mr.  Wagner 
served  on  the  village  council  for  one  year  and  is  a  member  of  the 
German  Lutheran  church.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Modem 
Brotherhood  of  America.  He  was  married  July  15,  1873,  to 
Theresa  Melbauer,  who  died  in  1908  at  the  age  of  forty-two  years. 
Sbe  was  a  native  of  New  Ulm.  By  this  marriage  four  children 
were  born :  Clarence,  aged  twenty-one  years,  in  the  meat  busi- 
ness at  Franklin ;  Katberine,  aged  nineteen,  a  milliner  at  Wood 
Lake;  Freida,  aged  sixteen,  a  nurse  at  St.  Mary's  Hospital,  St. 
Paul;  Mamie,  aged  fourteen,  at  home.  Mr.  Wagner  was  mar- 
ried a  second  time,  December  1,  1908,  to  Emma  Lindgren,  of 
Franklin.  Tbe  following  children  were  bom  to  this  marriage : 
Eatherine,  aged  six;  Jacob,  aged  five,   and  Emma,   aged  four. 

Henry  Halverson,  a  prosperous  bueiness  man  of  Franklin,  was 
bom  in  Camp  township,  Renville  county,  Minnesota,  November 
30,  1872.  His  father,  John  Halverson,  eame  to  America  in  1856 
and  to  Renville  county  in  1858,  where  he  engaged  in  farming. 
He  died  in  1895  at  the  age  of  sixty -eight  years.  His  mother, 
Julia  (Lund)  Halverson,  died  in  1906  at  the  age  of  seventy-six. 
Henry  Halverson  began  farming,  renting  tbe  home  farm,  remain- 
ing there  for  fifteen  years.  In  1897  he  bought  the  home  farm, 
which  is  located  in  section  17,  Camp  township.  He  also  operated 
a  threshing  machine  until  1910,  when  he  gave  up  farming  and 
built  a  garage  in  Franklin.  This  building  is  40  by  80,  with  a 
40  by  60  foot  basement,  constructed  of  cement  blocks  with  cement 
floors.  It  has  a  well  equipped  machine  shop  and  an  800-gallon 
distance  Bowser  gasoline  outfit,  and  a  steam  vulcanizing  plant. 
The  building  will  accommodate  twenty-five  cars.  Cars  are  not 
sold,  as  only  repair  work  and  storage  is  done.  Mr.  Halverson 
was  a  member  of  the  school  board  in  Camp  township  for  two 
years  and  is  a  director  of  the  Citizens'  State  Bank  of  Franklin, 
He  is  a  member  of  tbe  Norwegian  Lutheran  church  and  is  unmar- 
ried. 

Q^arge  Forsytb,  agriculturist,  contractor  ahd  man  of  aflfairs, 
was  born  in  Aberdeen,  Scotland,  October  28,  1865,  son  of  John 
and  Mary  (Cruiksbank)  Forsyth,  who  spent  the  span  of  their 
years  in  that  country.  The  father  devoted  his  life  to  milling 
and  farming,  \ita8  an  active  worker  in  the  Episcopal  church,  and 
died  in  December,  1886,  at  the  age  of  eighty-four.  The  mother 
died  in  1895  at  the  age  of  sixty-five.  George  Forsyth  came  to 
America  in  1886  and  reached  Franklin,  this  county,  August  16, 
of  that  year.    He  at  once  started  working  for  bis  brother,  Jobs 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  511 

Porsytli,  who  owned  the  old  Rieke  mill,  two  and  a  half  mileB 
BoutheaBt  of  Franklin.  In  1888  the  Franklin  Milling  Co.  was 
organized  by  George  Forsyth,  John  Forsyth,  C.  W.  Woodbury, 
Feter  Henry  and  J.  A.  Bergley,  a.  mill  was  erected  and  equipment 
installed.  This  was  the  first  roller  mill  in  Renville  county. 
George  Forsyth  was  engineer  for  four  years  and  then  became 
miller  and  manager.  la  the  winter  of  1902  he  disposed  of  his 
milling  interests  and  engaged  in  the  contracting  and  building 
business,  in  which  he  has  since  successfully  continued.  In  1904 
he  bought  102  acres  in  the  village  limits  of  EVanklin.  In  1906 
he  erected  a  sightly  home,  in  1908  a  commodious  bam  and  in 
1904  a  large  silo,  one  of  the  first  in  the  county.  A  thorough' 
believer  in  modern  methods  and  bringing  to  the  work  of  his  farm 
those  qualities  that  made  him  a  success  as  a  contractor,  he  car- 
ries on  agriculture  on  an  extensive  scale  and  in  a  scientific  way. 
His  farm  is  all  fenced  with  woven  wire.  Each  year  he  feeds  and 
sells  a  carload  of  cattle  and  swine.  He  is  now  experimenting 
with  the  five-year  rotation  plan,  after  the  following  schedule: 
First  year,  clover  and  timothy  hay ;  second  year,  pasture-;  third 
year,  com ;  fourth  year,  small  grain ;  fifth  year,  small  grain  and 
seeded  to  timothy  and  clover.  Aside  from  the  home  place,  Mr. 
Forsyth  owns-a  half  interest  in  323  acres  more  in  Birch  Gooley 
township  and  160  acres  in  Camp  township.  He  is  secretary  of 
the  Farmers'  Elevator  of  Franklin  and  treasurer  of  the 
Citizens'  Milling  Co.  of  Franklin,  a  director  and  one -of  the 
organizers  of  the  State  Bank  of  Franklin.  EfenSsbeen  on  the 
city  council  continuously  since  1894  with  the  exfc^ption  of  two- 
years,  and  has  been  its  president  two  years.  His  I'eligious-  faith 
is  that  of  the  Presbyterian  church ;  he  and  his"  family  ettend  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church.  Mr.  Forsyth  was  married  June.  23, 
1894,  to  Bertha  Bundy,  of  Franklin,  and  they  have  had  six  chil- 
dren :  Isabel,  James,  Alda  Marie,  Jane,  William  and  John;  Alda 
Marie  died  in  February,  1911,  at  the  age  of  eight  years. 

Ohristian  P.  Lund,  a  very  successful  farmer  of  Birch  Cooley 
township,  was  born  in  Norway  August  17,  1850,  son  of  Peter 
Lund,  a  farmer  and  blacksmith,  who  died  in  Norway  in  1900, 
aged  seventy  years,  and  Karen  (Tedman)  Lund,  who  died  in 
Norway  in  1905  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight  years.  They  had  five 
boys  and  four  girls,  Chtistian  being  the  second  child.  Christian' 
Lund  came  to  America  in  1879  and  worked  on  the  farms  in  Fill- 
more county,  Minnesota,  for  three  years.  Then  he  came  to  Ren- 
ville county  and  worked  in  Camp  township  for  a  year.  In  1883 
he  bought  160  acres  in  section  36,  where  he  still  resides.  In  1910 
he  built  a  large  barn  32  by  72  feet,  with  sixteen-foot  posts,  and 
a  silo  14  by  34  feet,  with  a  capacity  of  one  hundred  tons.  In  1914 
he  built  a  modem  house,  24  by  30  feet,  with  eighteen-foot  posts, 
having  eight  rooms  and  a  full  basement.     The  farm  is  in  the 


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512  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

Bouthweet  quarter  of  the  Bection  and  the  house  and  buildicgs  are 
on  the  southwest  corner  of  the  same,  on  a  small  knoll  facing 
south,  and  can  be  seen  from  a  long  distance.  There  is  also  a 
large  grove  near  the  buildings,  also  large  yard  and  fine  lawns, 
making  it  an  ideal  farm  home.  Mr.  Lund  feeds  cattle  and  boga 
for  the  market  and  ships  a  carload  of  cattle  and  hogs  every  year. 
He  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Citizens'  Milling  Co.,  the  Farmers' 
Elevator  Co.  and  the  New  Creamery  at  Franklin.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  tbe  Norwegian  Lutheran  church.  On  October  10,  1883, 
Mr.  Lund  was  married  to  Karen  Nelson,  born  June  1,  1863.  Her 
father.  Christian  Nelson,  worked  on  the  railroad  in  Norway  and 
died  in  1902  at  the  age  of  seventy  years.  His  wife,  Sarena 
(Olson)  Nelson,  died  in  1905  at  the  age  of  sixty-five  years.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Lund  have  tbe  following  children :  Carl,  bom  Decem- 
ber 28,  1884;  Clara,  bom  December  28,  1887,  a  teacher;  Palmer, 
bora  July  30,  1889;  John,  bom  October  13,  1890,  and  died  May 
2,  1892 ;  Hjelmar,  bom  June  30,  1892,  and  died  October  18,  1903 ; 
William,  bom  July  28,  1893;  Raymond,  bora  July  15,  1895; 
Robert,  born  October  31,  1896;  Arthur,  born  December  1,  1898; 
Gladys,  bora  August  16,  1901;  Evelyn,  bom  April  17,  1904,  and 
Lillian,  bora  September  26,  1908. 

Frederick  Jensen,  son  of  Jens  Fredericksen  and  Margaret 
(Nelson)  Jensen,  was  born  in  Denmark  December  7,  1853.  He 
came  to  America  in  1873  and  worked  in  the  pineries  in  Manistee, 
Mich.,  for  ten  years.  Then  he  purchased  the  northeast  quarter, 
section  34,  Birch  Cooley  township,  in  1883,  paying  $1,700.  He 
now  owns  520  acres.  He  began  with  a  small  log  house  16  by  16 
feet,  a  team  and  a  cow,  and  has  prospered  and  improved  his  farm 
and  buildings.  He  bas  built  a  fine  ten-room  bouse  and  has  a 
good  bam.  His  stock  consists  of  about  forty  cattle,  some  Duroc- 
Jersey  hogs  and  Belgian  horses.  Mr.  Jensen  is  now  a  stockholder 
in  the  Mill  Creamery  and  in  the  Farmers'  Elevator  at  Franklin. 
He  is  also  a  shareholder  in  the  State  Bank  of  Franklin.  He  is 
a  member  of  tbe  Norwegian  Lutheran  church  and  is  a  member 
of  the  board  of  directors.  He  has  served  as  a  member  of  the 
township  board  for  four  years  and  of  the  school  board  for  six- 
teen years.  Mr.  Jensen  was  married  June  16,  1883,  to  Christina 
Nelson,  bom  October  18,  1862,  in  Denmark.  Her  father,  Nels 
Olson,  a  farmer  in  Denmark,  died  at  the  age  of  fifty  years.  Her 
mother  Kersten  (Nelson)  is  still  living  in  Birch  Cooley  township 
at  tbe  age  of  seventy-five  years.  As  was  tbe  custom  in  many 
homes,  Christina  derived  her  surname  from  ber  father's  given 
name  Nels,  adding  son  to  it.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jensen  have  had 
eight  children :  Anton,  born  March  15,  1884,  a  farmer  of  Birch 
Cooley  township:  Olga,  born  March  14,  1886;  Osear,  bom  Decem- 
ber 27,  1888;  Minnie,  born  August  11,  1890;  William,  bom 
August  7,  1892;  Esbem,  born  Pebmary  18,  1895;  Louie,  bora 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  513 

May  24,  1898;  Joseph,  born  June  18,  1904,  and  died  July  22, 
1904. 

Hans  JvaswOi,  a  prosperous  farmer  of  Birch  Gooley  township, 
was  bom  in  Denmark,  October  13,  1862,  son  of  Jens  Frederick- 
sen,  a  farmer  who  died  in  Denmark  in  1895  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
five  years,  and  Margaret  Nelson,  who  died  in  1897  at  the  age  of 
seventy-five  years.  Hans  came  to  America  in  1880  and  worked 
in  the  pineries  in  Michigan  for  three  years.  Then  he  went  to 
Birch  Gooley  township,  where  he  worked  until  1886.    Then  he 


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514  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

hogs  and  Percheron  horses.  Mr.  Fobs  is  a  stockholder  in  the 
mill  and  creamery  in  Franklin.  He  ia  a  member  of  the  Norwegian 
Lutheran  church.  May  12,  1881,  Mr.  Posb  was  married  to  Cecelia 
Ugland,  bom  August  21,  1862,  daughter  of  Lars,  a  farmer  and 
pioneer  of  Goodhue  county,  Minnesota,  who  was  bom  in  Norway 
and  died  in  1886  at  the  age  of  sixty-nine  years,  and  Martha 
CWiokum),  who  died  in  1901  at  the  age  of  seventy-two.  They 
have  had  nine  children:  Ingeborg,  bom  July  17,  1882,  married 
to  Oscar  Olson,  D.D.,  a  minister  of  the  Norwegian  Lutheran 
church  in  South  Dakota;  Martha  E.,  bom  October  8,  1884,  a 
nurse  at  the  Bethesda  Hospital  at  St.  Paul;  Edward  S.,  born 
March  11,  1887,  who  is  at  home  and  helps  his  father  operate  the 
farm;  Jennie  S.,  born  September  28,  1889,  a  teacher  in  South 
Dakota ;  George  L.,  bom  May  10,  1892,  a  teacher  in  South 
Dakota ;  Joseph  0.,  bom  September  24,  1895 ;  Edith,  born  Novem- 
ber 29,  1899;  Arnold  M.,  bom  August  22,  1902,  and  one  Amold, 
who  died  in  infancy. 

Otto  W.  Kiecker,  extensive  land  owner  and  estimable  citizen 
of  Wellington  township,  was  born  in  Germany,  October  29,  1866, 
son  of  Fritz  "W.  and  Caroline  (Dittraan)  Kiecker,  likewise  natives 
of  that  country,  who  eame  to  America  in  1872,  homesteaded 
eighty  acres  in  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  10,  this  town- 
ship; lived  here  until  1911  and  then  moved  to  Minneapolis,  where 
they  now  reside.  Otto  W.  Kiecker  remained  with  his  parents 
until  twenty-three  years  of  age.  Then  he  began  farming  in  sec- 
tion 4,  in  the  same  township.  By  frugality,  hard  work  and  intel- 
ligence he  has  increased  his  farm  holdings  to  400  acres,  on  which 
he  conducts  general  farming  and  stock  raising.  He  has  a  sightly 
home  and  commodious  bams,  and  believes  in  progress  along  all 
lines.  He  is  president  of  the  Farmers'  Co-operative  Co.  store  at 
Fairfax,  and  owns  the  building  in  which  the  store  ia  located. 
He  is  a  director  in  the  First  National  Bank  of  Fairfax,  and  in 
the  Farmers'  Elevator  of  Fairfax,  as  well  as  a  stockholder  in 
the  Farmers'  Co-operative  Creamery  of  Fairfax.  Mr.  Kiecker 
was  married  July  3,  1891,  to  Mary  Luedtke,  who  was  bom 
January  5,  1868,  daughter  of  Daniel  B.  and  Henrietta  (Mueller) 
Luedtke,  natives  of  Germany.  The  father  was  bom  in  Germany 
October  29,  1841,  came  to  America  in  1866,  lived  for  two  years 
in  Ontario,  Canada,  worked  on  the  railroad  out  of  "Winona,  Minn., 
nine  years,  and  out  of  New  Ulm  one  year,  and  then  in  1878  came 
to  Renville  county  and  bought  160  acres  of  land  in  section  11, 
Wellington  township,  where  he  now  livea.  His  wife  waa  born 
June  6,  1840,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kiecker  have  seven  children:  Hattie. 
Elsie,  John,  Ernest,  Esther,  Kenneth  and  Harold. 

Frank  A.  Eretsch,  a  successful  young  doctor  of  Fairfax,  was 
bom  in  New  TTlm,  Minn.,  August  15,  1887.  His  father,  John 
Kretseh,  eame  to  America  in  19^9  with  his  parents,  who  took  a 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  515 

homestead  in  Siegel  township,  Brown  county,  Minnesota.  Later 
he  was  in  the  implement  business  in  New  Ulm  for  many  years. 
He  died  October  27,  1898.  The  mother,  Barbara  Egl,  is  still 
living  in  New  ULm  at  the  age  of  siity-five  years.  Frank  A. 
EretBch  graduated  from  the  New  Ulm  High  school  in  1906  and 
then  served  as  messenger  for  the  American  Express  Co.,  running 
between  Mankato  and  New  Ulm,  After  two  years  of  tiiis  work 
he  took  a  course  in  the  Chicago  Veterinary  College,  graduating 
April  15,  1911.  May  1,  1911,  he  located  at  Fairfax  and  has  built 
up  a  very  fine  practice  at  that  place.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Minnesota  State  Veterinary  Medical  Association,  and  has  been 
appointed  by  the  state  to  administer  serum  virus  treatment  for 
the  prevention  of  hog  cholera  in  Renville  county.  At  college 
he  was  a  member  of  the  A.  U.  and  was  treasurer  of  the  society 
for  two  years.  "While  at  New  Ulm  he  was  a  member  of  the  Minne- 
sota National  Guards  for  five  years,  being  corporal.  He  is  also 
a  member  of  the  St,  Joseph's  Society  and  financial  secretary  for 
the  Knights  of  Columbus,  holding  the  fourth  degree.  Mr.  Kretsch 
is  a  member  of  the  Catholic  church  and  ia  unmarried. 

Edward  H.  Brown,  a  prominent  business  man  of  Fairfax,  was 
bom  February  18,  1875,  in  Norfolk  township,  Renville  county. 
His  father,  James  Brown,  was  a  farmer  of  Quebec,  Canada,  who 
came  to  Renville  county  about  1864  and  died  at  the  age  of  fifty 
in  1884.  His  mother,  Mary  Ann  (Goggin)  is  still  living  at  the 
age  of  seventy-two  in  the  village  of  Franklin.  At  the  age  of 
twenty-four  Mr.  Brown  began  working  in  a  hardware  store  and 
lumber  yard  in  Franklin,  where  he  remained  for  five  years.  Then 
he  bought  a  half  interest  in  a  hardware  store  in  Belleview,  Minn., 
in  1904.  He  remained  there  for  six  months  and  then  sold  out 
and  came  to  Fairfax,  where  he  bought  half  interest  in  the  Pair- 
fax  Hardware  Co.  and  is  still  in  this  business.  The  business  has 
more  than  doubled  in  the  past  ten  years,  and  about  January  1. 
1915,  the  firm  will  move  into  a  new  building,  which  has  been 
erected  for  them  by  John  Biebl.  It  is  40  by  125  feet  with  a  full 
basement,  one  story  high  and  is  thoroughly  modern,  with  steam 
heat  and  electric  lights.  Mr.  Brown  has  served  on  the  village 
council  for  the  past  five  years.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the 
Knights  of  Columbus,  of  which  society  he  is  the  treasurer,  and 
a  member  of  the  C,  0,  P.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Catholic 
church.  January  15,  1907,  Mr.  Brown  married  Mae  Rowe.  Her 
parents  died  when  she  was  very  young.  Two  children  were  bom 
to  this  union :  Grace,  born  April  20,  1908,  and  John  Everett,  bom 
April  18,  1910. 

Herman  J,  Voekg,  suceeasful  dairyman  of  Camp  township, 
was  bom  in  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  10,  Wellington  town- 
ship, this  county,  November  12,  1882,  son  of  August  and  Hulda 
(Kiecker)   Voeks.     He  was  reared  on  the  home  farm,   and  in 


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616  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

1906  purchased  his  preseot  place  of  160  acres,  embracuif  the 
southesst  quarter  of  section  12,  Camp  township.  He  has  a  good 
set  of  buildings,  carries  on  general  farming  and  makes  a  spe- 
cialty of  dairying,  Mr,  Voeks  was  married  March  20,  1906,  to 
Hattie  Hindernian,  who  was  born  October  23,  1883,  the  daughter 
of  Ernest  and  Hulda  (Kuelbach)  Hindermau.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Voeks  have  had  four  children:  Marsella,  bom  December  28, 
1906,  was  burned  to  death,  August  27,  1910;  Alba  was  born  May 
14,  1910;  Silva  was  born  July  3,  1911,  and  Ardell  was  born 
April  25,  1914.  August  Voeks  was  bom  in  Germany,  April  28, 
1848,  came  to  America  in  1865,  farmed  in  Blue  Earth  county, 
this  state,  for  twelve  years,  came  to  Wellington  township,  this 
county,  in  1877,  secured  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  10, 
increased  this  to  680  acres,  became  a  leading  dairyman,  and  in 
1912  retired  and  moved  to  Fairfax.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
town  board  nine  years  and  of  the  school  board  three  years.  His 
wife,  Hulda  Kiecker,  was  bom  February  20,  1858.  Ernest  Hin- 
derman  was  bom  in  Nicollet  county,  this  state,  May  12,  1859, 
came  to  Wellington  township,  this  county,  in  1890,  and  in  1910 
retired  to  Fairfax,  where  he  now  lives.  He  was  supervisor  of 
Wellington  township  for  twelve  years  and  foreman  on  the  state 
road  for  three  years.  His  wife,  Hulda  Euelbacb,  was  bom 
July  24,  1861. 

WiUiam  S.  Ruona  was  bom  in  Calumet,  Mich.,  July  28,  1876, 
son  of  Solomon  and  Anna  Carolina  (Ostala)  Ruona.  His  father 
was  bom  in  Sweden  July  16,  1850,  and  came  to  America  in  1871, 
and  worked  on  Sault  St.  Marie  canal  one  and  a  half  years,  then 
engaged  in  mining  at  Calumet,  Mich.,  working  in  the  copper 
mines  there  for  eight  years.  Then  he  bought  160  acres  of  land' 
in  section  34,  Camp  township,  and  lived  there  until  1910,  when 
he  moved  to  Minneapolis  and  died  there  April  8,  1911.  His  wife 
is  still  living  in  Minneapolis.  William  Ruona  remained  at  home 
until  his  marriage  in  1900,  when  he  bought  160  acres  in  section 
21,  northeast  quarter,  Bandon  township,  and  has  since  increased 
and  developed  this  farm  so  that  now  he  owns  280  acres.  In  1903 
he  homesteaded  160  acres  in  Marshall  county,  Minnesota,  and 
lived  there  until  1905,  when  he  came  back  to  the  first  place.  He 
raises  full-blooded  Hereford  cattle,  of  which  eighteen  are  regis- 
tered, and  makes  a  specialty  of  feeding  cattle  for  the  market. 
Once  a  year  he  has  a  public  sale.  He  also  raises  Poland-China 
swine.  Mr.  Ruona  served  on  the  township  board  for  three  years 
and  is  director  of  the  Franklin  creamery.  He  is  also  stockholder 
in  the  elevators  at  Franklin  and  Fairfax  and  also  in  the  Co-opera- 
tive Store  at  Fairfax.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Finnish  Lutheran 
church.  Mr.  Ruona  was  united  in  marriage  November  1,  1900, 
to  Siama  Lasala,  bom  December  14,  1880,  daughter  of  John  and 
Augustava  Vaara.    Her  father  is  a  native  of  Finland  and  came 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  517 

to  AmeriGa  in  1881.  For  four  years  he  was  a  miner  in  Mich- 
igan and  then  spent  four  years  in  Wisconsin.  Two  years  were 
spent  in  Bandon  township  and  in  1892  he  came  to  Gamp  town- 
ship, where  he  has  engaged  in  farming  ever  since.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Ruona  have  nine  children :  Viola,  born  August  30,  1901 ;  Roose- 
velt, bom  October  16,  1902;  Agnea,  bom  March  30,  1904;  Winni- 
fred,  bom  January  28,  1906;  Elaine,  bom  October  22,  1907; 
Kermit,  born  July  9,  1909;  Rufus,  bom  September  17,  1911; 
Clifford,  bom  May  25,  1913,  and  Delbert  Hayward,  born  April 
6,  1915.  Mr.  Ruona  has  sold  his  land  in  Marshall  coimty  and 
purchased  a  section  of  land  in  Bayfield  county,  Wisconsin. 

Albert  J.  Palmer,  one  of  the  energetic  citizens  of  Fairfax,  was 
bom  in  Cairo  township,  March  30,  1888,  son  of  Louis  F,  and 
Anna  (Eokesch)  Palmer,  well  known  farmers  of  that  township. 
On  March  1,  1913,  Albert  J.  Palmer  eame  to  Fairfax  and  opened 
a  motorcycle  garage,  where  he  dealt  in  the  Harley-Davidson  and 
the  Render son-Thien  machines.  He  sold  twenty-seven  machines 
the  first  summer  and  nine  the  next.  February  15,  1914,  he  put 
in  a  vulcan  welding  machine  of  the  oxyacetylene  process  pattern, 
which  greatly  increased  his  business.  He  is  now  doing  tire 
repairing  by  the  steam  vulcanizing  process,  and  also  general 
repairing.  He  carries  in  stock  various  lines  of  accessories,  and 
has  the  agency  for  gasoline  engines  and  gas  and  electric  light- 
ing plants.  He  is  one  of  the  rising  young  men  of  the  village 
and  a  popular  member  of  the  Knights  of  Columbus.  Albert  J. 
Palmer  is  the  oldest  of  nine  children.  The  others  in  the  family 
are :  Rose,  wife  of  Arthur  Schaeffer,  of  New  Ulm ;  Ella,  Hattie, 
Ervin,  Louis  and  Anna  (twins),  and  Edmund  and  Leonard. 

FMtUnand  Lena,  blacksmith  of  Fairfax,  was  bom  in  Germany, 
August  8,  1861,  son  of  Auirust  and  .Wilhelmina  (Klat)  Lenz. 
August  Lenz,  likewise  a  blacksmith,  eame  to  America  in  1883, 
located  in  Waeonia,  in  Carver  county,  this  state,  and  farmed  in 
Sibley  county  until  his  death  in  1900  at  the  age  of  sixty-five. 
His  wife  died  in  1902  at  the  age  of  sixty.  Ferdinand  Lenz 
learned  the  blacksmith  trade  with  his  father  in  Germany  and 
came  to  America  with  his  parents.  He  worked  at  his  trade  in 
Gibbon,  Sibley  county,  this  state,  imtil  1888,  and  then  spent  a 
year  with  his  father  on  the  farm.  He  eame  to  Fairfax  and 
worked  at  his  trade  as  a  helper  until  1900,  when  he  purchased 
the  shop  of  H.  L.  Hinderman,  which  he  now  conducts.  In  addi- 
tion to  this  he  owns  other  property  in  Fairfax,  and  also  a  farm 
in  Cairo  township.  Mr.  Lenz  was  married  November  10,  1892, 
to  Bertha  Bubolz,  who  was  born  March  4,  1868,  daughter  of  Carl 
and  Theresa  (Greuel)  Bubolz.  The  father  came  to  America  in 
1888,  and  bought  eighty  acres  in  section  3,  Wellington  township, 
where  he  lived  until  his  death  in  1897  at  the  age  of  sixty-six. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lenz  have  three  children :  Wilhelm,  bom  July  28, 


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518  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

1894;  Hildegaard,  bom  January  28,  1899,  and  Immanuel,  bom 
July  17,  1903. 

Henry  Kaestcr,  one  of  the  farmers  of  Wellington  township, 
ivlio  by  his  own  efforts  has  achieved  more  than  ordinary  success 
and  prosperity,  is  a  native  of  Germany,  bom  May  25,  1852,  son 
of  Henry  Kuester,  Sr.,  who  died  in  1883  at  the  age  of  eighty-one, 
and  of  Fredrika  (Elokmann)  Kuester,  who  was  born  in  1812  and 
died  in  1875.  Henry  Kuester  came  to  America  in  1892  and  for 
four  years  rented  farms  in  Wellington  township.  In  1896  he 
bought  the  south  half  of  the  northwest  quarter,  and  the  Bouth 
half  of  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  5,  in  that  township.  This 
land  he  has  since  increased  to  203  acres.  He  has  a  well-improved 
place,  and  his  house,  barns,  other  buildings  and  general  equip- 
ment are  of  the  best.  For  twelve  years  Mr.  Kuester  was  a 
director  in  the  old  Farmers'  Co-operative  Creamery  at  Fairfax, 
and  he  now  owns  stock  in  the  present  Fairfax  Creamery  Associa- 
tion. He  likewise  owns  stock  iu  the  Farmers'  Elevator  Co.  at 
Fairfax,  in  the  Farmers'  Co-operative  Store  at  Fairfax,  and  in 
the  Buffalo  Lake  Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Co.  For  twelve  years 
he  has  served  in  his  present  position  as  clerk  of  school  district 
109,  and  for  a  similar  period  he  was  a  member  of  the  township 
board.  For  two  years  be  has  been  clerk  of  the  German  Lutheran 
church  in  Wellington  township.  Mr,  Kuester  was  married 
November  20,  1876,  in  Germany,  to  Caroline  Kahl,  who  was  hom 
May  21,  1857,  daughter  of  John  H.  Kahl,  a  German  miner,  who 
was  born  in  1829  and  died  in  1867,  and  of  Johanna  Leiter,  who 
died  in  1901  at  the  age  of  seventy-one.  Mr,  and  Mrs.  Kuester 
are  the  parents  of  ten  children:  Edmund,  Herman,  Annie,  Wil- 
helm,  Ida,  Hedwig,  Gustav,  Carl,  Otto  and  Fritz.  Edmund  was 
born  October  30,  1877,  and  farms  in  Wellington  township.  He 
has  five  children:  Olga,  Arthur,  Helmuth,  Edgar  and  Wilbur. 
Herman  is  likewise  a  farmer  in  the  same  township.  He  was 
born  September  28,  1879,  and  has  four  children:  Robert,  Meta, 
Agnes  and  a  baby.  Annie  was  born  January  2, 1882,  was  married 
February  16,  1900,  to  Henry  Hardrath,  of  Unity  Wis.,  and  they 
have  six  children :  Arthur,  Eoy,  Elsie,  Alvin,  Fred  and  Bertha. 
Wilhelm  was  born  April  9,  1884,  and  farms  in  Sibley  county, 
Minnesota.  He  has  two  children:  Mabel  and  Elmer.  Ida  was 
born  September  21,  1886,  married  Fred  Halford,  of  Minneapolis, 
and  has  three  children :  Russell.  Henry  and  Grace.  Hedwig  was 
born  December  25, 1888,  married  Carl  Ewert,  of  Unity,  Wis.,  and 
has  three  children:  Maynard,  Louis  and  Violet.  Gustav  was 
bom  March  30, 1891,  farms  in  Unity,  Wis,  He  has  a  son,  Herman, 
and  a  stepson,  Alfred.  Carl,  born  December  13,  1894;  Otto,  bom 
March  3,  1897,  and  Fritz,  born  December  1,  1899,  are  at  home. 

William  S.  Pierce,  Sr.,  at  one  time  a  well  known  farmer  of 
Renville    county,   was   born    in    Onondago    county.    New   York, 


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HISTORY  OF  EENVILLE  COUNTY  519 

February  8,  1841,  bob  of  Chandler  and  Bowena  (Handy)  Pierce, 
natives  and  farmers  of  New  York  state.  They  came  to  Dane 
county,  Wisconsin,  in  1856,  being  early  pioneers  of  that  county, 
and  engaged  in  farming  until  1867,  when  they  retired  from  farm- 
ing and  located  in  the  village  of  Sun  Prairie,  "Wis.,  to  spend 
the  remainder  of  their  lives.  They  were  the  parents  of  three 
children:  Emily,  a  widow  of  Warren  Bockwood,  now  living  in 
Chicago  J  William  S.,  of  Canada,  and  Waittr,  who  died  in  infancy. 
William  S.  Pierce  attended  the  district  schools  of  Onondago 
county  and  moved  with  his  parents  to  Dane  county,  Wisconsin, 
where  he  attended  the  district  school  and  also  the  high  school 
of  Sun  Prairie.  He  attended  school  in  the  winter  and  worked 
with  his  father  on  the  farm  in  the  summer  until  twenty-one  years 
of  age,  August  5,  1862,  he  enlisted  as  a  private  in  CompaDy  B, 
Twentieth  Begiment  of  the  Wisconsin  Volunteer  Infantry,  served 
three  years  and  took  part  in  all  battles  and  skirmishes,  and  is 
proud  to  state  that  during  his  time  of  service  he  was  never 
wounded,  captured  or  in  prison  and  never  missed  a  meal.  He 
was  discharged  July  15,  1865,  at  Galveston,  Tex.,  with  the  rank 
■  of  corporal,  after  which  he  returned  to  Dane  county,  and  engaged 
in  farming  with  his  father  until  1867,  when  his  father  retired 
from  active  work  on  the  farm.  From  1867  until  the  fall  of  1870 
he  rented  and  conducted  his  father's  farm.  In  the  spring  of 
1871  he  moved  to  Benville  county,  Minnesota,  and  May  18  took 
a  homestead  of  160  acres  of  wild  prairie  land  in  section  30,  Boon 
Lake  township.  Here  he  built  a  small  frame  house,  broke  the 
land  and  engaged  in  farming  until  1880,  when  he  entered  the 
employ  of  the  St.  Paul  Harvester  &  Machine  Works  as  an  expert. 
He  then  rented  his  farm  and  moved  to  Hutchinson  with  his 
family,  building  a  home  on  his  property  which  he  had  previously 
purchased.  He  worked  in  the  machine  shop  during  the  winter 
and  traveled  during  the  summer.  In  1882,  while  doing  expert 
work  for  his  company  up  near  the  Canadian  line,  he  accepted  a 
position  with  the  Crosby  Machine  Co.,  with  whom  he  remained 
two  years.  He  then  took  charge  of  the  John  Elliott's  machine 
business  at  Manitou.  in  the  province  of  Manitoba,  which  position 
he  held  for  seven  years.  The  next  year  he  entered  the  machine 
business  for  himself.  The  following  two  years  were  spent  with 
Patterson  Bros.,  and  then  he  went  to  Hartney,  where  he  and  his 
son,  H.  C,  built  a  factory  and  engaged  in  the  maufaeture  of 
wood  and  porcelain  pumps  until  1897,  when  he  returned  to 
Hutchinson.  After  being  there  two  years  he  entered  the  employ 
of  the  United  States  government  and  for  two  and  a  half  years 
drove  the  rural  route  out  of  Hutchinson.  He  then  traded  part  of 
his  farm  and  his  Hutchinson  property  for  land  in  southern  Mani- 
toba. In  1906  they  all  moved  to  Wadena,  Saskatchewan,  Canada, 
where  they  remained  until  1911,  when  they  sold  their  property. 


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520  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

and  his  son,  William  S.  Pierce,  Jr.,  took  up  a  homestead  at  Echo 
Lake,  forty-five  miles  north  of  Wadena,  where  h«  has  a  large 
cattle  ranch,  and  with  whom  Mr.  Pierce  now  makes  hia  home. 
Mr.  Pierce  is  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R.  at  Hutchinson.  Mr.  Pierce 
was  married  September  9,  1866,  to  Uretta  Porter,  who  was  bom 
April  28,  1846,  and  died  December  8,  1898,  leaving  two  sons: 
H.  C,  who  for  the  past  seven  years  has  been  a  member  of  the 
Provincial  Parliament,  and  is  also  engaged  in  real  estate  busi- 
ness. He  was  married  to  Mattie  Hoffman  and  they  have  six 
children:  Herbert,  Ivan,  Melvin,  Olive,  Myrtle  and  Femwald. 
William  S.,  Jr.,  conducts  a  large  cattle  ranch  at  Echo  Lake,  Sas- 
katchewan, Canada.  He  was  married  to  Lucy  Foght,  and  they 
have  two  children :  Donald  and  Ruth  Loretta. 

Jtrirn  P.  Nestande,  one  of  the  estimable  pioneers  of  Renville 
county,  was  bom  in  Gulbrandsdahlen,  Norway,  December  22, 
1841,  son  of  Peter  Jacobson  Nestande  and  Mary  (Haga)  Nes- 
tande,  who  spent  the  span  of  their  years  in  that  district.  John  P. 
Nestande  attended  the  public  schools  of  his  neighborhood  and  aa 
a  youth  learned  the  shoemakers'  trade.  In  1868  he  started  out 
to  seek  his  fortune  in  the  new  world.  After  a  long  voyage  and 
a  tedious  overland  trip  he  reached  Oconto,  Oconto  county.  Wis. 
A  year  later  he  came  to  Renville  county  and  secured  eighty  acres 
in  section  26,  Bandon  township.  For  two  years  he  lived  in  a  sod 
house.  Then  he  hauled  in  logs  and  poles  from  the  river  bottoms 
and  built  a  log  shanty.  He  also  constructed  some  crude  shelters 
for  his  stock.  With  this  beginning  Mr,  Nestande  has  achieved 
his  present  success.  He  subdued  the  wild  prairie  land,  built  up 
a  splendid  farm,  increased  his  holdings  to  480  acres,  and  in  time 
erected  a  sightly  home  and  many  outbuildings.  There  were  many 
drawbacks  and  many  discouragements.  Crows  and  blackbirds 
stole  the  crops,  grasshoppers  ravaged  the  land,  blizzards  and  cold 
weather  added  to  the  discomforts  of  life,  mosquitoes  were  abun- 
dant, prairie  fires  threatened,  low  prices  prevailed,  crops  some- 
times failed  in  abundance,  there  was  a  large  family  to  support. 
But  with  undaunted  courage  and  perseverance  Mr.  Nestande, 
assisted  by  his  good  wife,  overcame  the  difficulties,  and  became 
a  prosperous  and  successful  citizen.  In  1909,  after  a  busy  life, 
full  of  busy  work  well  performed,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nestande  moved 
to  the  village  of  Fairfax,  where  they  are  spending  the  afternoon 
of  life  in  peace  and  quiet,  reaping  the  well  deserved  fruits  of  their 
worthy  effort.  Mr,  Nestande  served  his  township  as  supervisor 
and  assessor.  In  the  school  district  he  took  an  especially  interest 
and  served  on  the  board  for  many  years.  He  helped  to  organize 
the  first  school,  and  hauled  timber  from  a  demolished  government 
building  at  Ft.  Ridgely  with  which  to  build  the  first  school- 
Mr,  Nestande  was  married  October  1,  1873,  to  Lena  P.  Lee,  bom 
in  Norway,  November  22,  1856,  daughter  of  Peder  Lee,  who  was 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  521 

bom  February  12,  1824,  and  died  July  12,  1912,  and  of  Anna 
(Hohle)  Lee,  who  waa  bom  February  22,  1829,  and  died  June  25, 
1909.  The  Lee  family  came  to  America  in  1867  and  after  a  year 
in  Fillmore  coonty  came  to  Camp  township,  this  county,  and  set- 
tled on  a  farm.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nestande  have  had  twelTe  chil- 
dren: Peter,  Albert,  Minnie,  Anna  (deceased),  Anna  Patrina, 
Palma,  Joseph  (deceased),  Joseph  (deceased),  Oliver  (deceased), 
Joseph,  Alvin  and  Spencer.  The  oldest  son,  now  the  Rev.  Peter 
Nestande,  was  bom  January  22, 1875,  attended  the  public  schools, 
took  preparatory  courses  in  the  Minnesota  State  Normal  school 
at  Madison,  Minn.;  studied  at  what  is  now  St.  Olaf  College,  at 
Northfield,  Minn,,  and  was  graduated  in  1900  j  entered  the  United 
Church  Theological  Seminary  at  St.  Anthony  Park,  Minn.,  and 
there  completed  his  studies  in  1903.  He  was  ordained  at  Duluth, 
and  from  1903  to  1915  was  in  charge  of  several  churches,  with 
headquarters  at  Dodgeville,  Wis.  He  is  now  located  in  Lanes- 
boro,  in  Fillmore  county.  He  was  married  in  1903  to  Constance 
Emerson,  who  died  in  1908,  leaving  one  son,  Gonstantine.  In 
1912  he  was  married  at  Dodgeville,  Wis.,  to  Bertha  Laun,  and 
they  have  one  child,  Marion.  Albert  is  a  farmer  in  Bandon  town- 
ship. He  was  bom  June  8,  1876,  and  married  Anna  Peterson. 
They  have  had  five  children:  Merle,  Alf,  Lenora  (deceased), 
Leah  and  Melchior.  Minnie  was  bom  February  5,  1878,  and 
married  Enoch  Ellevold,  who  left  her  two  children:  Evangeline 
and  Joseph.  Her  present  husband  is  Gunder  Gjerdahl,  by  whom 
she  has  one  child,  Oliver.  They  live  in  Fairfax.  Anna  was  bom 
in  1880  and  died  in  1880.  Anna  Patrina  was  bom  July  1,  1881, 
and  lives  with  her  brothers,  Joseph  and  Alvin.  Palma  was  bom 
September  16,  1885,  married  John  Frank,  and  has  three  children : 
Melba,  John  P.  and  Constance.  Joseph  was  bom  in  1886  and 
died  in  1886.  Joseph  was  bora  April  14,  1888,  and  died  May  12, 
1893.  Oliver  was  bom  December  6,  1890,  and  died  May  15,  1893. 
Joseph  was  bom  May  28,  1893,  and  with  his  brother  Alvin,  bom 
August  8,  1896,  conducts  the  old  homestead.  Spencer  was  bom 
December  30,  1898,  and  attends  the  Fairfax  High  school.  The 
Nestandes  are  members  end  liberal  supporters  of  the  Norwegian 
Lutheran  church. 

ObriBtc^her  Thompson,  one  of  the  prosperous  farmers  of  Birch 
Cooley  township,  was  bom  in  Norway,  August  14,  1856,  son  of 
Thorsen  and  Marit  (Lien)  Thompson,  who  spent  the  span  of  their 
years  on  a  farm  in  the  old  country,  the  father  dying  in  1905  at 
the  age  of  sixty-five  years  and  the  mother  in  1902  at  the  age  of 
sixty-seven  years.  Christopher  came  to  America  in  1881,  and 
after  reaching  Franklin,  in  this  county,  was  variously  employed 
as  a  farm  hand  for  some  three  years.  Then  he  purchased  160 
acres  in  section  1,  township  112,  range  34,  Birch  Cooley,  where 
he  still  lives.    Mr.  Thompson  is  a  successful  man  and  has  brought 


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522  HISTOKY  OP  EENVILLE  COUNTY 

his  place  to  a  high  stage  of  development.  He  has  a  splendid 
home,  with  a  full  basement,  and  equipped  with  hot  water  heat, 
acetylene  lights  and  other  conveniences.  The  rooms  of  the  lower 
floor  are  finished  in  oak.  He  also  has  a  large  barn  and  other 
suitable  buildings.  The  farm  is  well  fenced  and  well  equipped 
with  tools  and  machinery.  In  addition  to  cultivating  his  farm 
for  the  usual  crops,  he  has  Bet  five  and  a  half  acres  in  apple  trees, 
mostly  of  the  Wealthy  and  Northwest  Greening  variety.  He  also 
makes  a  specialty  of  raising  Shorthorn  cattle  and  Poland-China 
hogs,  and  ships  about  three  carloads  of  cattle  each  year.  Mr. 
Thompson  takes  an  interest  in  public  affairs  and  is  a  stockholder 
in  the  creamery,  mill  and  elevator  at  Franklin.  Christopher 
Thompson  was  married  June  22,  1883,  to  Bertha  Lee,  who  bore 
him  six  children :  Palmer,  Milton,  Alfred,  Antoinette,  Clarence 
and  Leon,  Palmer  was  boru  May  8,  1884,  attpndud  the  Mankato 
Commercial  College,  married  Julia  Martin  September  30,  1912, 
has  two  children,  Antoinette  and  the  baby,  and  operates  a  store 
at  St.  Ignatius,  Mont.  Milton  was  born  September  14,  1886, 
attended  the  State  Agricultural  school,  and  is  now  a  farmer  in 
Camp  township.  Alfred  was  born  September  8,  1888,  and  lives 
at  home.  Antoinette  was  born  April  20,  1895,  passed  through 
the  public  schools,  graduated  from  the  Ladies'  Lutheran  Semi- 
nary at  Red  Wing,  Minn.,  in  1914,  and  had  taken  a  year's  course 
at  the  Mankato  State  Norma!  school.  Clarence  was  born  Novem- 
ber 6,  1897,  and  is  at  Bellingham,  Wash.,  attending  the  Belling- 
ham  State  Normal  school.  He  makes  his  home  with  his  uncle 
and  aunt,  Mr,  and  Mrs.  L.  P.  Bjorlie,  pioneers  of  Camp  township, 
who  moved  to  Washington  in  1913.  Leon  was  born  August  14, 
1899,  and  is  still  at.  home.  Bertha  Lee,  afterward  Mrs.  Chris- 
topher Thompson,  was  born  in  Lesje,  Gulbrandshahlen,  Norway, 
December  25, 1858,  daughter  of  Peter  and  Anna  Lee,  who  brought 
her  to  Fillmore  county,  this  state,  when  she  was  eight  years  of 
age.  A  year  later  she  came  to  Renville  county,  where  she  con- 
tinued to  make  her  home  until  her  death,  June  6,  1913.  She  was 
an  influence  for  good  in  the  community,  a  teacher  in  the  Sunday 
school,  and  a  member  of  the  Ladies'  Aid  Society,  of  Trinity  Nor- 
wegian Lutheran  Evangelical  church.  At  the  time  of  her  death 
it  was  appropriately  said  of  her:  "She  was  an  industrious 
woman,  a  diligent  church  member,  a  good  Christian,  seeking  the 
spiritual  as  well  as  the  temporal  welfare  of  her  family.  Her 
labors  here  are  ended,  but  her  blessed  memory  will  live  in  the 
hearts  if  those  who  were  dearest,  and  who  stood  nearest  to  her 
through  life's  struggles,  trials  and  victories." 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  523 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

HORTICULTURE. 

Wild  FruitB  and  Berries — Early  Difficulty  With  Tree  Raising — 
Fruits  Best  Grown  Here — Apples  for  Swine — The  Orchard  as 
an  Asset — The  First  Nursery — Growth  of  the  Industry  in 
Renville  County — Present  Nurseries — The  Old  Home  With 
Fruits  and  Flowers — By  Henry  Dunsmore. 

The  larger  part  of  Renville  county  was  originally  a  rolling 
prairie,  but  the  watercourses  were  heavily  wooded.  The  natural 
supply  of  fruits,  nuts  and  berries  waa  most  abundant,  and  flow- 
ers and  shrubs  kept  the  landscape  brilliant  with  color  from 
early  spring  until  late  autumn. 

When  the  early  settlers  first  came  into  this  county  it  was  be- 
lieved that  no  cultivated  fruit  would  ever  grow  here,  and  that 
such  fruits  as  the  apple,  pear  and  plum,  which  in  the  eastern 
states  they  bad  been  accustomed  to  picking  in  their  back  yards, 
would  now  have  to  be  obtained,  if. used  at  all,  from  far  distant 
points  at  heavy  transportation  expense.  The  weather  conditions 
were  such  that  the  raising  of  fruit  in  the  county  of  Renville 
seemed  forever  out  of  the  question. 

The  pioneers  found  here,  however,  the  wild  apple,  the  wild 
grape,  the  black  currant,  the  wild  plum,  the  wild  strawberry,  the 
smooth  and  prickly  gooseberry,  the  sand  cherry,  the  choke  clier- 
ry  and  the  high  bush  cranberry. 

The  native  apple  was  fortunately  a  good  keeper  that  could  be 
stored  and  used  for  a  considerable  time  into  the  winter;  the  larg- 
est and  best  flavored  made  passable  sauce,  and  perhaps  as  fine  a 
jelly  as  can  be  produced  from  any  fruit  whatever.  The  trees 
were  found  on  the  edges  of  the  meadows.  The  wild  grape  was 
as  abundant  then  as  it  is  today,  and  while  very  small  both  in 
bunch  and  in  berry,  was  found  in  sufficient  quantity  to  be  used 
largely  in  marmalades,  jellies  and  home-made  wines.  The  wild 
plum  was  undoubtedly  the  best  of  the  native  fruits,  some  select 
kinds  having  a  flavor  surpassed  by  few  of  the  stone  fruits  of  any 
climate.  It  was  very  plentiful  among  the  thickets  at  the  edge 
of  the  timber,  and  along  the  water  courses  generally.  It  was  the 
first  of  the  native  fruits  to  enter  the  cultivated  lists,  and  through 
selection  and  hybridization  it  has  become  the  basis  of  the  culti- 
vated varieties  of  the  north  Mississippi  valley.  The  wild  straw- 
berry was  abundant  in  favorable  seasons,  and  while  rather  soft 
and  difficult  to  pick,  was  of  such  excellent  flavor  as  to  be  per- 
haps the  highest  prized  of  all  tlie  native  small  fruits.  The  wild 
gooseberry,   both  the  smooth   and   prickly  form,  was  found  in 


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524  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

considerable  abundance  throughout  the  country,  being  most  plen- 
tiful in  the  timber  bordering  the  Minnesota  river.  A  few  thrifty 
farmers  transplanted  aome  of  these  fruits  to  their  gardens. 

For  many  years  Peter  M.  Gideon,  of  Lake  Miunetonka,  justly 
called  the  father  of  the  Minnesota  apple  industry,  pursued  his 
long  and  patient  efforts  in  originating  seedling  apples  suitable 
to  growing  in  Minnesota,  Among  these  varieties  were  the 
Wealthy,  now  at  the  head  of  the  list  for  commercial  planting 
in  Minnesota,  and  the  Peter,  an  apple  similar  in  color  and  qual- 
ity to  the  Wealthy.  Through  the  work  of  Mr.  Gideon  it  be- 
came apparent  to  the  farmers  that  there  were  important  lessons 
to  be  learned  if  they  were  to  make  the  apple  a  staple  crop  in 
Minnesota.  Trees  must  be  grown  that  were  adapted  to  the  soil 
and  climate  conditions,  among  the  necessities  being  hardness  of 
tree,  strong  constitutionality  to  resist  blight  and  sun  scald  and 
endure  the  sudden  and  severe  changes  of  winter,  and  the  ability 
to  mature  in  time  to  avoid  the  early  frosts.  It  takes  years  to 
originate  and  test  fruits  adapted  to  our  state.  With  the  arrival, 
■  however,  of  our  famous  Wealthy  and  some  very  good  crabs  as 
the  Whitney,  real  and  lasting  progress  was  being  made  io  horti- 
culture. These  apples  were  propagated  as  fast  as  possible  and 
planted  in  almost  every  county  of  the  state.  A  few  years  later 
found  these  apples  in  many  places  in  the  county,  doing  well 
and  bearing  excellent  fruit.  The  farmers  would  point  with 
pride  to  their  fine,  healthy  trees  with  bent-down  branches  full 
of  luscious  apples.  These  two  varieties  have  done  much  in  re- 
moving the  old  indifference  and  in  making  horticulture  more 
popular  in  our  country.  However,  they  were  not  the  only  vari- 
eties which  were  sent  out  daring  this  period ;  many  more  were 
originated  and  introduced  by  our  experimenters,  but  none  of 
them  ever  enjoyed  the  popularity  of  our  Wealthy.  This  apple 
is  now  grown  east  and  west,  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific 
ocean.  It  has  become  a  favorite  with  every  fruit  grower,  and 
famous  for  its  excellent  qualities  and  has  merited  the  distinc- 
tion of  being  called  the  "Jonathan  of  the  North." 

Through  all  the  early  days  in  Renville  county,  fruit  was  con- 
sidered a  luxury,  A  few  people  gathered  wild  fruit,  a  few  se- 
cured some  semi-cultivated  fruit  which  they  had  transplanted  to 
their  gardens.  The  only  ones  who  ate  cultivated  fruit  were  those 
who  could  afford  to  pay  tlie  high  price  demanded  for  that 
brought  to  the  market  from  eastern  and  southern  states. 

It  was  not  until  1890  that  fruit  culture  began  to  be  con- 
sidered a  possibility  here,  and  it  was  not  until  1900  that  any 
considerable  strides  were  made.  One  of  the  reasons  for  the 
increase  in  fruit  growing  in  this  county  was  the  work  carried 
on  by  the  Minnesota  Horticultural  Society,  throughout 
the   state.     Before   1893   it   scarcely   had   more  than  300  mem- 


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mSTOBY  OF  IffiNVILLE  COUNTY  525 

bers  any  given  year,  but  from  now  on  it  made  a  most  wonderful 
progress  in  its  membership,  and  in  1914  more  than  3,000  active 
horticulturists  of  the  state  belonged  to  this  society.  It  is  now 
the  largest  horticultural  society  in  the  United  States.  Prom  the 
very  beginning  its  members  worked  hard  to  test  all  the  different 
varieties  of  fmits,  foreign  and  native,  for  the  purpose  of  finding 
out  suitable  sorts  that  could  be  safely  planted  in  Minnesota. 
They  sowed  seeds  from  fruit  trees  annually  to  originate  new 
hardy  sorts  and  encouraged  everyone  else  to  do  the  same,  so  that 
we  might  originate  our  own  pomology  which  we  could  not  pos- 
sibly get  from  other  states.  Their  work  was  crowned  with  won- 
derful success,  not  only  in  introducing  many  sorts  from  foreign 
lands  but  also  in  originating  new  varieties  adapted  to  our  county 
and  state.  It  is  only  necessary  to  mention  such  native  seedlings 
now  grown  in  Renville  county  as  the  Wealthy,  Okabena,  Peer- 
less, Patten's  Greening  and  many  other  sorts  not  so  well  known. 
The  people  of  Renville  county,  and  for  that  matter  of  the 
state,  were,  on  account  of  past  failures  in  fruit-growing,  to  a 
great  extent,  still  in  a  mood  of  indifference.  It  now  became  nec- 
essary to  educate  the  public  in  this  art,  to  eliminate  failures  in 
the  future  as  much  as  possible,  to  show  the  people  in  a  practical 
way  the  possibility  of  more  extensive  fruit-growing  in  the  state 
and  to  arouse  a  general  interest  for  renewed  efforts.  There  were 
many  persuasive  means,  foremost  being  our  State  Fair.  To  most 
people  who  go  there  it  is  a  revelation  in  horticulture,  an  exhibi- 
tion of  horticultural  success  never  expected  to  be  seen  in  Minne- 
sota. Many  times  the  visitors  from  all  over  the  state  could  be 
noticed  glancing  over  the  long  tables  in  admiration  and  saying, 
"Is  it  possible  that  these  fine  apples  have  all  been  grown  in 
Minnesota?"  Usually  they  go  home  with  the  mental  resolve  to 
try  again.  Next  in  importance  come  the  county  fairs.  They, 
too,  are  educating  the  masses  and  create  new  interest  in  horti- 
culture. For  the  many  years  of  its  existence  the  Minnesota  Hor- 
ticultural Society  has  spread  the  gospel  of  horticulture  in  the 
state  by  its  many  publications,  its  reliable  information  on  horti- 
cultural topics  and  its  annual  meetings.  The  influence  of  this 
society  is  now  well  recognized  when  one  visits  the  many  towns 
and  farms  and  notices  the  many  fruit  trees  or  orchards  bearing 
an  abundance  of  luscious  fruit.  Finally,  there  is  another  factor 
that  works  well  for  the  advancement  of  horticulture  in  our 
county,  "We  mean  the  lecture  corps  which  visits  the  principal 
towns  and  cities  in  our  state.  To  this  belong  practical  men  who 
not  only  lecture  on  agricultural  topics  but  also  make  it  a  point 
to  instruct  our  farmers  how  to  grow  fruits  successfully.  All 
these  means  unite  in  producing  the  one  desired  effect — to  edu- 
cate our  people  in  the  art  of  successful  fruit-growing  in  our 
county,  and  we  may  say  that  this  has  been  wonderfully  aecom- 


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S26  HISTOKY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

plished.  Our  people  have  now  not  only  a  reliable  fniit  list,  but 
know  how  to  grow  these  fruits  to  perfection.  It  is  compara- 
tively but  a  few  years  ago  that  there  was  not  an  apple  grown 
in  Renville  county ;  it  was  not  even  thought  possible,  and  now 
the  crop  is  both  large  and  important. 

In  1913  the  orchard  of  G.  A.  Anderson,  Reuville,  produced 
1,!{00  bushels  of  marketable  apples;  that  of  Henry  Dunamore, 
Olivia,  1,000  bushels. 

Great  interest  has  been  taken  in  horticultural  exhibits  at  the 
county  fair,  and  the  horticultural  display  takes  up  more  thati 
its  share  of  the  space  in  the  agricultural  building.  Renville 
county  people  have  also  made  extensive  displays  of  fruit  at  the 
Minnesota  State  Fair,  and  have  won  many  prizes,  capturing  first 
place  in  1914. 

At  the  present  time  we  do  not  know  what  Reuville  county  has 
in  store  for  us ;  we  do  not  realize  its  possibilities  in  fniit-growiug 
as  yet.  But  Renville  county,  with  its  open  prairies,  is  one  of 
the  best  adapted  counties  in  Minnesota  for  horticulture.  As  it 
is  now  one  of  the  foremost  agricultural  counties,  so  it  will  be 
one  of  the  best  fruit-growing  counties  in  the  state.  Since  we 
have  accomplished  so  much  in  a  few  years,  we  may  confidently 
and  reasonably  expect  to  accomplish  more  iu  the  time  to  come. 
There  is  no  doubt  that  we  have  the  land  for  it.  Are  you  skep- 
tical t  Walk  out  into  the  woods;  there  you  will  find  native  vari- 
eties of  ail  kinds;  strawberries,  raspberries,  blackberries,  goose- 
berries, cherries,  thornapples,  hazelnuts,  grapevines  and  many 
others.  Now  all  these  native  fruits  would  not  grow  there  if  the 
soil  were  not  adapted  to  their  requirements.  As  for  quality,  it 
is  a  law  of  nature  that  fruits  grown  at  their  northern  limits  are 
better  than  the  same  fruits  grown  further  south.  This  is  why 
our  Minnesota  strawberries,  for  instance,  arc  much  better  than 
those  from  Louisiana.  "But  you  cannot  change  the  cold  win- 
ters, which  are  so  injurious  to  our  fruits,"  it  is  said.  Yes,  this 
is  very  true,  we  cannot  change  the  cold  winters,  but  we  can 
change  the  fruits  so  they  will  stand  the  winters.  This  is  just 
the  very  thing  that  is  now  being  done  at  the  Minnesota  State 
Fruit  Breeding  Farm  at  Zumbra  Heights,  near  Lake  Minnetonka. 
And  how  is  this  to  be  accomplished!  By  trying  to  combine 
the  hardiness  of  our  native  fruits  with  the  good  qualities  of  the 
cultivated  varieties.  Take,  for  instance,  the  plum.  The  flowers 
of  the  wild  plum  from  the  woods  are  crossed  by  hand  with  the 
pollen  from  a  California  or  a  Japanese  plum.  The  resulting 
seeds  contain  now  the  qualities  of  both  plums,  hardiness  to  stand 
our  winters  and  quality  to  suit  our  taste.  By  planting  these 
seeds  we  may  obtain  what  we  want,  a  good  hardy  plum  tree  that 
will  stand  our  winters  and  bear  excellent  plums  akin  either  to 
the  California  or  Japanese  phini.     But  many  trials  are  neces- 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  527 

sary  to  find  one  plum  in  which  both  of  these  qualities  are  domi- 
nant. In  this  manner  the  work  of  fl-uit-breeding  is  carried  on 
with  all  other  fruits.  Good  results  have  already  been  obtained, 
although  the  work  of  fruit-breeding  has  only  been  carried  on 
for  six  years.  There  are  now  originated  new  strawberries,  black- 
berries, raspberries,  grapes  and  plums.  There  are  now  thou- 
sands of  hybrid  trees  and  plants  growing  at  the  Fruit  Breeding 
Farm;  all  are  tried  and  only  the  few  good  ones  will  be  propa- 
gated and  sent  out  to  the  trial  stations  for  their  final  trial  be- 
fore they  are  recommended  for  general  planting  in  the  state. 
Should  this  work  be  carried  on  for  a  sufficient  number  of  years, 
it  is  very  probable  that  Minnesota  will  be  able  to  grow  some 
of  the  choicest  fruits  in  the  United  States. 

Herewith  is  appended  the  list  of  fruits  which  was  adopted 
by  the  Minnesota  Htate  Horticultural  Society  December  3,  1914, 
for  the  guidance  of  planters: 

Apples.  Of  the  first  degree  of  hardiness:  Duchess,  Hibernal, 
Patten's  Greening,  Okabena.  Ot  the  second  degree  of  hardiness: 
Wealthy.  Malinda,  Anisim,  Iowa  Beauty,  Lowland  Raspberry, 
Jewell's  "Winter,  Milwaukee.  Valuable  in  some  locations:  Wolf 
River,  Yellow  Transparent,  Longfield,  Northwestern  Greening, 
Tetofsky.  Peerless.  Most  profitable  varieties  for  commercial 
planting  in  Minnesota:  Wealthy,  Duchess.  Patten's  Greening, 
Okabena,  Anisim.  Recommended  for  top-working  on  hardy- 
stocks:  Wealthy,  Malinda,  N,  W.  Greening,  Stayman's  Wine- 
sap,  Grimes'  Golden,  Milwaukee,  Mcintosh.  Varieties  for  trial: 
Eastman,  Evelyn,  Windsor  Chief,  Gilbert. 

Crabs  and  Hybrids.  For  general  cultivation:  Florence,  Whit- 
ney, Early  Strawberry,  Sweet  Russet,  Transcendent.  Varieties 
for  trial:    Faribault,  Dartt,  Success. 

Plums  and  Hybrid  Plums.  For  general  cultivation:  De  Sbta, 
Forest  Garden,  Wolf  (freestone),  Wyant,  Stoddard,  Terry.  Most 
promising  for  trial :   Compass  Cherry,  Hanska.  Opata,  Sapa. 

Grapes.  First  degree  of  hardiness:  Beta,  Janesville.  Second 
degree  of  hardiness:  Moore's  Early,  Campbell's  Early,  Brighton, 
Delaware,  Worden,  Concord,  Moore's  Diamond,  Wyoming  Red. 

Raspberries.  Red  varieties:  King,  Turner,  Miller,  London, 
Minnetonka  Ironclad,  Sunbeam.  Black  and  purple  varieties: 
Palmer,  Gregg,  Ohler,  Columbian,  Cumberland. 

Blackberries.     Ancient  Briton,  Snyder.  Eldorado. 

Currants.  White  Grape,  Victoria,  Long  Bunch  Holland,  Po- 
mona, Red  Cross,  Perfection,  London  Market. 

Gooseberries.     Houghton,  Downing,  Champion,  Pearl,  Carrie. 

Strawberries.  Perfect  varieties:  Bederwood,  Enhance,  Lov- 
ett.  Splendid,  Glen-Mary,  Clyde,  Senator  Dunlap.  Imperfect 
varieties:  Crescent.  Warfield,  Haverland,  Marie.  Everbearing 
varieties  for  trial :    Progressive,  Superb,  American, 


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528  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

Native  Fruits.  Valuable  for  trial :  Dwarf  Jimeberry,  Sand 
Cherry,  Buffalo  Berry,  High  Bush  Cranberry. 

Nut  Fruits.     Shellbark  Hickory,  Black  Walnut,  Butternut. 

The  farmer  who  coutemplates  planting  a  home  orchard  would 
do  well  to  confine  his  selections  of  varieties  to  the  list  as  recom- 
mended by  this  society.  Many  new  varieties  appear  on  the 
market  from  time  to  time,  and  many  of  them  promise  fair  for  a 
while,  but  when  weighed  in  the  balance  with  our  standard  vari- 
eties many  of  them  perform  very  poorly.  New  varieties  should 
be  tried  in  a  small  way,  but  set  standard  varieties  for  the  main 
crop. 

There  was  a  time  when  the  product  of  the  apple  orchard 
was  looked  upon  as  a  luxury  for  home  use  or  for  market.  To- 
day the  apple  orchard  on  every  farm  is  an  absolute  necessity  to 
insure  the  health  and  happiness  of  the  family  and  also  to  pro- 
mote health  and  profitableness  with  live  stock.  If  every  farm 
in  the  Northwest  had  an  apple  orchard  of  from  one  to  five  acres, 
and  the  lower  grades  of  apples  fed  to  swine,  the  ravages  of  hog 
cholera  would  be  a  thing  of  the  past  and  the  raising  of  swine 
would  become  a  profitable  industry. 

Wherever  apples  are  raised  in  quantity,  there  is  always  a 
large  percentage  that  never  should  be  marketed  and  these  should 
be  fed  to  stock  on  the  farm.  Horses,  cattle,  sheep  and  swine 
relish  apples,  and  when  fed  in  liberal  quantity  it  is  the  best 
conditioner  that  it  is  possible  to  obtain,  and  can  be  grown  on 
the  farm  at  one-twentieth  of  the  price  of  the  many  nostrums 
which  flood  the  market  under  various  significant  names,  pur- 
porting to  cure  every  ailment  that  the  animal  kingdom  is  heir 
to.  I  have  realized  more  money  for  low  grade  and  cull  apples 
by  feeding  them  to  swine  during  epidemics  of  hog  cholera  than 
I  realized  for  No.  1  hand  picked.  Last  year  (1914)  hundreds 
of  bushels  of  apples  were  allowed  to  rot  on  the  ground.  Had 
they  been  fed  to  the  hogs  in  liberal  quantity,  it  would  have 
meant  thousands  of  dollars  to  the  farmers  of  Minnesota. 

The  problem  that  confronts  the  American  stock  raiser  today 
is  practically  the  same  as  the  United  States  had  to  deal  with 
when  we  took  over  the  Panama  Canal.  Over  thirty  years  ago 
in  company  with  six  others,  1  went  to  Central  America  to  work 
for  the  De  Lesseps  Company,  as  stonecutter  on  the  Panama 
Canal.  At  that  time  the  climate  was  unfit  for  a  white  man  to 
live  in.  I  had  almost  said  statistics  would  prove  it,  but  at  that 
time  statistics  pertaining  to  the  death  list  were  buried  with  the 
men  who  lost  their  lives  in  an  endeavor  to  make  the  Panama 
Canal  possible.  After  eight  months'  stay  in  the  canal  region, 
we,  or  those  of  us  who  were  left,  decided  to  get  out,  as  there 
was  something  the  matter  with  the  climate,  three  of  our  party 
of  seven  having  sueeurabed  to  yellow  fever.     The  French  used 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  529 

to  dope  their  men  with  drugs  and  special  preparations  in  an 
effort  to  stave  off  the  yellow  jack  just  as  we  dope  oar  hoga 
with  serum  in  Minnesota  today  in  an  effort  to  stave  oflf  the  hog 
cholera.  When  the  United  States  Government  undertook  to 
dig  the  big  ditch  they  realized  that  if  success  was  to  crown  their 
efforts  they  must  do  something  else  hesides  doping  their  men,  so 
they  set  to  work  to  remove  the  causes  which  brought  about  the 
diseases,  and  how  well  they  succeeded  is  shown  by  the  fact — 
and  statistics  will  prove  it — that  today  it  is  one  of  the  most 
healthful  climates  on  the  globe. 

Let  any  unbiased  man  investigate  the  conditions  under  which 
hogs  are  raised  in  the  Northwest  today,  and  he  can  come  to  no 
other  conclusion  than  that  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  we 
have  cholera.  The  wonder  is  that  we  don't  have  it  all  the  time. 
No  other  domestic  animal  on  the  farm  is  raised  under  such 
unnatural  condition,s.  If  hog  cholera  is  to  be  exterminated  we 
must  do  something  besides  doping  our  hogs  with  special  prepa- 
rations. We  must  provide  sanitation  on  the  farm  and  must 
feed  more  laxative  foods.  In  nearly  every  case  of  hog  cholera 
that  has  come  under  my  observation,  constipation  is  the  fore- 
runner of  the  disease,  and  wherever  a  liberal  quantity  of  apples 
is  fed  this  condition  cannot  exist. 

During  the  last  eighteen  years  the  vicinity  in  which  I  live 
has  been  visited  by  five  or  six  epidemics  of  hog  cholera  which 
annihilated  the  herds  of  swine  on  every  farm  adjoining  ray  own. 
My  hogs  were  in  direct  contact  with  diseased  animals  on  several 
occasions,  and  in  one  instance  they  devoured  the  carcass  of  a 
hog  that  died  from  hog  cholera,  it  having  strayed  to  my  place 
during  the  night  and  lain  down  beside  the  fence  and  died  within 
reach  of  my  hogs.  Yet  no  symptomM  of  the  disease  developed 
in  my  own  herd.  I  attribute  my  success  in  being  able  to  raise 
healthy  hogs  in  the  midst  of  so  many  epidemics  of  hog  cholera 
to  the  fact  that,  first,  my  hogs  are  fed  a  liberal  quantity  of 
apples  from  the  middle  of  July  to  the  end  of  the  year;  second, 
that  my  hog  enclosure  contains  one  acre  of  trees,  mostly  box 
elder,  soft  maple  and  two  rows  of  buckthorn,  and  here  the  hogs 
run  the  entire  year,  helping  themselves  to  whatever  roots  nature 
prescribes;  third,  to  the  roots  of  the  buckthorn,  which  are  as 
black  as  midnight  and  bitter  as  gall,  and  at  certain  seasons  of 
the  year  are  eagerly  sought  and  devoured  by  the  hogs,  so  much 
so  that  they  have  killed  out  one-half  of  the  buckthorn  by  eating 
out  the  entire  root  system. 

Such  are  the  conditions  that  have  enabled  me  to  raise  healthy 
hogs  in  the  midst  of  dying  thousands. 

The  annual  members  of  the  Minnesota  State  Horticultural 
Society  from  Renville  county,  are:  Bird  Island.  Ralph  Loomis; 
Buffalo  Lake,  N.  L.  Monson;  Fairfax,  Frank  H.  Borth,  Albert 


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530  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

Cuminmgs,  Adolph  Rieke,  A.  H.  Kieke,  and  Albert  D,  Schumach- 
er; Franklin,  H.  Berthe;  Hector,  J.  E.  Anderson,  Erik  Anderson, 
D.  Koehler,  Rudolph  Lidberg  and  Chas.  Wenz;  Morton,  "W,  T. 
Mahwald,  Wesley  B.  Miinacll  and  Fred  Pfeiffer;  Olivia,  "W.  H. 
Cheney,  W.  A.  Liiidquist,  and  Heury  Dunsraore,  Jr.;  Renville, 
S.  M.  Melntosh,  Ed.  J.  Nordby,  John  J.  Noska,  Pat  O'Brien,  J. 
F.  T.  Tiliseh,  Henry  "W,  Bruminer,  Aug.  Binger,  B.  A.  Binger, 
H,  J.  Hale,  and  Lawrence  Herscher;  Sacred  Heart,  J.  Flagstad 
and  J.  Myra. 

The  life  members  of  this  society  from  Renville  county  are: 
Renville,  J.  A.  Rice,  G.  A.  Anderson  and  Herman  Binger;  Mor- 
ton, John  Cheney;  Olivia,  Henry  Dunsmore,  D.  S.  Hall  and  C.  A, 
Heins;  Bird  Island,  Hamlin  V.  Poore. 

The  first  nursery  in  Renville  county  was  the  Olivia  nursery, 
established  in  1878  by  J.  E.  W.  Peterson.  A  man  of  high  ideals, 
a  thorough  lover  of  nature,  eoiiseientious  in  all  his  undertakings, 
and  willing  to  sacrifice  much  for  the  benefit  of  his  fellowmen, 
he  set  at  work  with  a  will  and  soon  became  an  extensive  grower 
of  forest  tree  seedlings. 

The  many  beautiful  groves,  parks  and  shade  trees  to  be 
found  in  every  part  of  Renville  county  stand  as  a  living  monu- 
ment to  the  man  who  did  more  for  the  shelter  and  comfort  of 
man  and  beast  in  Renville  county  than  any  other  man.  He  died 
May  31,  1900,  at  which  time  the  nursery  was  discontinued. 

In  1885  few,  if  any.  standard  apples  were  grown  in  Renville 
county.  It  was  the  consensus  of  opinion  that  apples  could  not 
be  grown  in  this  severe  climate.  And  not  until  1900  did  orchard- 
ing assume  commercial  proportions.  In  1890,  here  and  there 
could  be  found  a  man  who  was  growing  a  few  crab  apple  trees, 
mostly  of  the  Transcendent  type.  Some  of  the  trees  that  were 
given  reasonable  care,  .survived  for  many  years,  but  most  of  them 
perished  through  neglect,  by  stock  running  among  them,  by 
fire  or  by  the  elements.  The  surviving  trees  gave  encouragement 
to  a  few  eulturistie  horticulturists,  whose  younger  days  had 
been  spent  in  an  apple  growing  country,  and  who  were  anxious 
to  have  a  supply  of  apples  for  their  family. 

About  that  time  the  tree  agent  or  tree  "shark"  appeared  in 
Renville  county  and  urged  the  settlers  to  buy  fruit  trees  and 
plant  home  orchards.  These  men  were  nearly  all  representa- 
tives of  eastern  nurseries  and  the  apple  trees  sold  to  the  settlers 
of  Renville  county  were  of  varieties  usually  grown  in  the  east- 
ern states.  Most  of  the  varieties  sold  were  not  adapted  to  the 
severe  climate  of  Jlinuesota  and  many  of  them  were  too  tender 
to  live  beyond  the  first  winter.  It  took  only  a  few  years  and  a 
hard  winter  to  prove  that  trees  grown  in  the  milder  climate  of 
the  eastern  states  are  absolutely  worthless  when  planted  on  the 
prairies  of  Renville  county,  which  has  environments  and  climatic 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  531 

couditioiis  peculiar  to  itself.  The  introduction  of  eastern  nursery 
stock  into  Renville  coimty  came  very  near  giving  orcharding 
a  death  blow  at  that  time,  as  those  who  had  planted  an  orchard 
with  the  expectations  of  raising  some  apples,  found  that  in  a 
very  few  years  all  of  their  trees  had  gone.  And  these  early 
orchardists  from  their  actual  experience  were  in  a  position  to 
maintain  that  apple  trees  could  not  be  grown  in  Renville 
county. 

Root  killing  was  one  of  the  chief  causes  of  failure  in  orchard- 
ing. The  trees  were  grafted  on  roots  too  tender  to  withstand 
our  climate.  Twenty-five  years  ago  the  United  States  govern- 
ment sent  representatives  to  Russia  to  make  a  collection  of 
hardy  apple  trees  with  the  expectation  that  they  would  solve 
the  problem  of  root  killing  in  the  Northwest,  The  selections  of 
trees  were  made  in  a  climate  where  the  temperature  goes  to 
sixty  degrees  below  zero  in  winter.  The  collectors  brought  to 
the  United  States  some  218  varieties  of  hardy  apples.  Great 
things  were  expected  from  this  importation.  Nearly  all  author- 
ities were  of  the  opinion  that  their  introduction  into  the  North- 
west would  make  successful  orcharding  a  certainty. 

But  after  twenty  years  of  trial  and  testing  they  have  proved 
to  be  of  little  or  no  value  in  the  Nortiiwest,  with  one  exception, 
the  Hibernal,  which  is  probably  the  hardiest  and  healthiest 
standard  apple  tree  we  have.  The  fruit  is  of  large  size  and 
highly  colored,  but  of  very  poor  quality,  too  sour  to  eat  but 
considered  a  very  good  pie  apple.  The  Hibernal  is  being  propa- 
gated on  a  large  scale,  not  for  its  fruit,  but  as  a  tree  to  be  top- 
grafted  with  varieties  of  the  highest  quality  and  which  cannot 
be  successfully  grown  on  their  own  stem  in  this  climate.  Apples 
of  the  highest  quality,  snch  as  the  Jonathan  and  Grimes  Golden, 
can  be  successfully  grown  in  Renville  county  when  they  are 
top-grafted  on  Hibernal  stock. 

Many  new  orchards  are  being  planted  to  this  variety,  with 
the  intention  of  having  them  established  for  two  or  three  years 
and  then  have  them  top-worked  to  the  choicest  of  apples. 

Mo.st  of  the  Russian  apples  were  discarded  because  they  were 
too  low  in  quality,  some  of  them  blighted  badly,  sonu'  were  too 
tender  and  many  of  them  would  do  nothing.  While  the  Russian 
apples  proved  to  be  a  failure  in  the  Northwe.st  tliey  have  proved 
to  be  of  some  value  when  planted  within  two  or  three  hundred 
miles  from  the  sea  coast,  showing  that  the  ocean  is  a  great 
equalizer  the  world  over.  These  Russian  ap])les  were  collected 
within  two  or  three  hundred  miles  from  the  sea  coast  and  where 
the  thermometer  goes  to  sixty  degrees  below  zero  in  winter, 
yet  they  have  little  value  when  moved  so  far  inland  as  Renville 
county  is  situated.  But  the  losses  caused  by  planting  eastern 
trees   and   the   lessons   learned   by   the   failure   of   the    Russian 


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582  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

'apples  was  the  means  of  bringing  about  a  new  era  in  horticul- 
ture in  the  Northwest, 

Thinking  men  who  were  interested  in  horticulture  began  to 
realize  that  to  be  aiiecesaful  with  apple  trees  that  would  prove 
hardy  and  produce  good  fruit  must  be  originated  in  this  climate. 
They  also  discovered  that  all  standard  apples  should  be  grafted 
on  crab  roots,  thus  lessening  the  chances  of  root  killing  in 
severe  winters. 

Men  all  over  the  Northwest  began  to  raise  apple  trees  from 
seed  with  the  idea  of  originating  something  that  would  prove 
valuable  in  this  elimate,  and  how  well  they  succeeded  is  shown 
by  the  fact  that  the  Wealthy,  one  of  those  seedlings,  is  one  of 
the  very  best  apples  we  have  in  the  United  States  today.  About 
1900  many  nurseries  started  up  all  over  Minnesota,  with  the 
chief  object  in  view  of  propagating  trees  on  hardy  roots  and  of 
varieties  that  had  proved  to  be  of  value  in  Minnesota. 

Two  nurseries  are  located  in  Renville  county:  the  Dunsmorc 
Nursery,  Olivia,  and  J.  Flagstad  &  Son,  Sacred  Heart,  where 
trees  and  plants  are  propagated  that  are  adapted  to  this  locality, 
and  the  many  bearing  orchards  scattered  throughout  the  county 
stand  as  evidence  of  the  superiority  of  the  trees  propagated  by 
these  men.  There  are  a  number  of  orchards  in  the  county  that 
contain  iipwards  of  1,000  trees.  Most  of  these  large  orchards 
are  young,  just  commencing  to  bear. 

In  1913  the  orchard  of  G.  A.  Anderson,  Renville,  produced 
1,300  bushels  of  apples,  that  of  the  writer  1,000  bushels,  which 
were  sold  in  the  local  markets  and  shipped  to  the  Dakotas,  the 
package  used  being  the  standard  bushel  box.  In  1913  the  Olivia 
Canning  &  Preserving  Company  canned  about  2,000  bushels  of 
apples,  which  were  grown  in  Renville  county. 

The  soil  and  climate  of  Renville  county  is  adapted  to  fruit 
raising,  and  with  the  proper  selection  of  varieties  adapted  to 
this  locality  we  can  raise  the  best  fruit  on  earth.  As  evidence 
of  the  superiority  of  the  fruit  raised  in  Renville  county  and 
against  the  strongest  competition  possible,  that  of  an  interna- 
tional exposition,  the  Louisiana  Purchase  Exposition  awarded 
the  writer  both  a  medal  and  diploma  on  fruit  grown  in  Ren- 
ville county. 

It  is  estimated  that  there  are  now  in  Renville  county  orchards 
97,000  apple  frees  and  24,000  plum  trees,  about  one-third  of 
which  are  bearing.  I  am  anxious  and  I  hope  to  see  the  day 
when  by  every  farm  house  in  Renville  county  there  will  be  a 
nice  row  of  evergreens  planted  around  the  home,  an  orchard 
and  a  fruit  and  flower  garden  on  a  generous  scale,  thus  creat- 
ing a  little  paradise  where  the  children  will  spend  hour  after 
hour  in  peace  and  joy,  and  when  childhood  is  past  and  the 
children  have  wandered  away   from   home  they  then  can  stop 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  533 

and  think  back  to  the  old  Renville  county  home  with  its  little 
orchard  that  grew  the  best  apples  they  ever  tasted,  and  straw- 
berries that  were  better  than  any  other,  for  no  fruit  is  as  good 
as  that  which  grows  in  one 's  own  garden.  By  all  means  mould 
the  character  of  your  children  by  providing  a,  generous  flower 
garden.  Children  raised  under  such  environments  will  ever  have 
a  love  for  the  beautiful,  and  when  they  go  out  in  the  world  to 
enter  upon  the  more  stern  duties  of  life  and  mayhap  the  frown- 
ing of  forttine  they  will  then  realize  "It  is  not  all  of  life  to  live." 
And  under  any  circumstances,  they  will  always  have  a  source  of 
joy  to  draw  on  when  their  memory  reverts  to  their  childhood 
days  and  a  home  that  was  worthy  of  the  name,  beset  with  flowers 
on  every  side,  which  were  eager  and  anxious  to  bid  them  wel- 
come. Not  only  will  an  abundance  of  beautiful  flowers  give  an 
added  charm  to  your  own  life,  but  it  will  eheer  the  tired  wife 
and  mother  as  she  sits  on  her  porch  enjoying  the  fragrance 
of  the  flowers  as  it  is  wafted  about  her  on  the  wings  of  the 
dying  day. 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

PROQRESSIVE  ENTERPRISES. 

Urban  and  Rural  Telephone  Compames — Milling  Oomponies— 
Grain    Companies — Agricultural    Organizations — Fair    Aaso- 


One  of  the  features  which  is  doing  much  for  Renville  county 
life  is  the  telephone.  These  lines  of  eoinmunication,  which  place 
the  county  into  instant  connection  with  the  outside  world,  also 
join  village  with  village,  and  farm  with  farm.  The  county  is 
excellently  supplied  with  great  trunk  lines,  and  there  are  few 
people  indeed  in  village  or  country  in  this  county  who  cannot 
be  speedily  reached  with  a  telephone  call.  The  following  com- 
panies are  incorporated  in  Renville  county : 

The  Hawk  Creek  Rural  Telephone  Oo.  was  incorporated 
March  24,  1906,  by  P.  E.  Synnes,  G.  P.  Mangerud,  E.  O.  Oppe- 
gaard,  Steve  Odegard,  O.  M.  Agre,  all  of  whom  reside  in  the 
town  of  Hawk  Creek.  The  first  board  of  directors  consisted  of  r 
P.  E.  Synnes,  G.  P.  Mangerud,  E.  0.  Oppegaard,  Steve  Odegard 
and  0.  M.  Agre.    The  capital  stock  was  placed  at  $25,000. 

The  Morton  Rural  Telephone  Co.  was  incorporated  August  1, 
1904,  by  F.  W.  Orth,  P.  W.  Penhall,  Fred  Watschke,  M.  J.  Egan, 
George  Welsh,  Robert  B.  Henton  and  Henry  Beckinan.  The 
capital  stock  was  placed  at  $25,000, 

The  Franklin  Local  and  Rural  Telephone  Co.  was  incorporated . 
July  15,  1903,  by  C.  W.  Parsons,  Henry  Dittes,  A.  J.  Olin,  Daniel 
Whetstone,  R.  E.  O'Keefe,  H.  B.  Cole,  L.  H.  Kirwin,  A.  L.  Erick- 


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534  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

son,  C.  A.  Desmond,  Mathias  Kelley,  John  Curraii  and  C.  B. 
Freeman.  The  first  board  of  directors  was:  C.  W.  Parsons, 
Henry  Dittes,  A.  J.  Olin,  Daniel  Whetstone  and  R.  E.  O'Keefe. 
The  capital  stock  was  placed  at  $15,000. 

The  Fairfax  Telephone  Co.  was  incorporated  July  6,  1904,  by 
E.  P.  Sell,  Paul  Albrecht,  William  Diekmeyer,  C.  W.  Heimann, 
Q.  A.  Rieke,  A.  E.  Fenske,  Peter  P.  Ness,  John  M.  Mahowald, 
S.  W.  Smith,  A.  E.  Carver  and  A.  V.  Rieke,  with  a  capital  of 
$10,000.  The  first  board  of  directors:  C.  W.  Heimann,  E.  P. 
Sell,  William  Diekmeyer,  S.  W.  Smith,  John  Mahowald,  A.  E. 
Carver,  Paul  Albrecht. 

The  Hector  Telephone  Exchange  was  incorporated  February 
2,  1905,  by  Emil  Larson,  Edwin  Dahlgren,  Justin  Johnson, 
Harry  L.  D 'Arras,  Henry  L.  Torbenson,  E.  M,  Ericson  and 
George  S.  Eiehmiller.  The  capital  stock  was  placed  at  $25,000. 
The  hoard  of  directors-.  Harry  L.  D'Arms,  president;  E.  M. 
Ericson,  vice-president ;  G.  S.  Eiehmiller,  treasurer ;  Henry  L. 
Torbenson,  secretary ;  Prank  Grow. 

The  Eddsville  Telephone  Co.  was  incorporated  March  18, 
1910  at  Bird  Island  by  Charles  Glesener,  William  Keltgen,  Mike 
Jungers,  William  Glesener,  Anthony  Ziller,  John  Lafontaine, 
Joseph  Ziller,  Joseph  J.  Meurer,  Joseph  Sehmoll,  Martin  Paar, 
Joseph  Eiier,  Sr.,  Martin  Cook,  Alois  Mnench,  Steve  Sanger, 
Math.  Tarry,  M.  P.  Sanger,  R.  S.  Amberg  and  John  S.  Johnson. 
The  capital  stock  was  $3,000.  The  first  board  of  directors:  Joe 
Meurer,  president;  Charles  Glesener,  treasurer;  Mike  Jungers, 
Anthony  Ziller,  Alois  Muench.  William  Glesener  was  the  first 
secretary. 

The  Bird  Island  Telephone  Co.  was  incorporated  November 
2,  1908,  by  Arthur  C.  Bowe,  president  and  treasurer;  William  J, 
Huff,  vice-president  and  secretary,  and  M.  P.  Bowe.  Amount  of 
stock  was  $50,000. 

The  Renville  Consolidated  Telephone  Co.  was  incorporated 
January  21,  1893,  by  Jesse  T.  Brooks,  T.  0.  Connor.  Charles 
Brecke,  R.  T.  Daly,  M,  J.  Dowling,  George  S.  Humphrey,  all  resid- 
ing at  Renville.    The  capital  was  placed  at  $15,000. 

The  Danube  Tel^hone  Co.  was  incorporated  February  13, 
1908,  by  Otto  Schmidt,  N.  T.  Knott,  L.  C.  Hinrichs,  F.  A. 
Schroeder,  P.  A.  Bade  and  Hauter  &  Gundlock.  These  persons 
also  constituted  the  first  board  of  directors.  The  amount  of 
stock  was  $5,000. 

The  Renville  Rural  Tdephone  Co.  was  incorporated  March 
26,  1904,  by  A.  E.  Carver,  A.  V.  Rieke,  S.  W.  Smith  and  Paul 
Albrecht,  of  Fairfax,  and  C.  W.  Parsons,  0.  W.  Harris  and  E.  E. 
O'Keefe,  of  Franklin.    The  capital  stock  was  $20,000. 

The  Osceola  Telephone  Co.  was  incorporated  February  17, 
1912,  by  Hamlin  V.  Poore,  president;  Julius  Anderson,  vice-presi- 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  535 

dent ;  S.  M.  Freeman,  secretary ;  H.  J.  Jungclaus,  treasurer ;  John 
Homan,  Henry  Sing,  E.  W.  Wolff,  Harry  Braceo,  Julius  Ruchert, 
Johaii  Bernhageu,  John  Dummer,  P.  0.  Grimm.  The  capital 
stock  was  $3,000. 

The  Renville  OoaxAj  Telephone  Oo.  was  incorporated  May 
23,  1910,  at  Olivia  by  A.  C.  Bowe,  W.  J.  Huff,  M.  F.  Bowe,  with 
a  capital  stock  of  $100,000.  A.  C.  Bowe  was  president  and  treas- 
urer ;  W.  J,  Huff,  vice-president  and  secretary. 

The  West  Ericson  Telephone  Oo.  was  incorporated  May  13, 
1909,  by  P.  0.  Dosseth,  A.  0.  Skrukrud,  H.  H.  Sagness,  Herman 
Milsten  and  Hans  Vorken,  with  a  capital  of  $5,000. 

HILUNO  COMPANIES. 

Mills  are  a  valuable  adjunct  to  the  life  of  any  agricultural 
county.  Renville  county  is  especially  fortunate  in  having  a 
number  of  substantial  enterprises  of  this  kind.  They  add  to  the 
fame  of  the  county,  they  use  the  grain  raised  on  the  nearby 
farms,  they  supply  the  housewives  with  flour  and  other  mill 
products  of  the  best  quality,  and  they  also  furnish  some  of  the 
county's  important  exports.  The  following  are  the  milling  com- 
panies whose  incorporation  is  recorded  with  the  register  of 
deeds: 

The  Morton  Milling  Co.,  of  Morton,  was  incorporated  Decem- 
ber 14,  1893,  by  U.  P.  Murray,  of  New  Orleans,  Louisiana; 
Thomas  P.  Norton,  of  Fairfax;  George  R.  Lewis,  of  Minneapolis. 
The  capital  stock  was  placed  at  $50,000.  OfBcers :  President, 
Thomas  P.  Norton;  vice-president,  U.  P.  Murray;  secretary, 
U.  P.  Murray ;  treasurer,  Thomas  F.  Norton. 

The  Bird  Island  Roller  Mills  was  incorporated  at  Bird  Island 
February  21,  1891,  by  F.  W.  Baarseh  and  Albert  P.  Baarsch,  of 
Bird  Island,  and  Otto  Baarseh,  of  New  Ulm.  These  persons  also 
constituted  the  first  board  of  directors.  F.  W.  Baarseh  was  presi- 
dent; Albert  P.  Baarseh,  secretary  and  treasurer.  The  capital 
stock  was  $20,000. 

The  Hnghs  Hilling  Oo.  was  incorporated  September  13,  1898, 
at  Fairfax,  Minnesota,  by  the  following  persons :  Pulaski  H. 
Hughes,  president;  T.  E.  Hughes,  secretary,  and  Joseph  Chap- 
man, Jr.,  vice-president  and  treasurer.  The  capital  stock  was 
$10,000. 

The  Morton  Merchant  Milling  Oo.  at  Morton  was  iucorporated 
December  14,  1904,  by  J.  L.  Schoch,  president;  B.  Stockman, 
secretary  and  treasurer;  L.  A.  Fritsche  and  W.  M.  Ballinger, 
vice-president.  The  amount  of  capital  stock  was  placed  at 
$50,000. 

The  Franklin  Milling  Oo.  was  incorporated  at  Franklin  July 
28,  1903,  by  Henry  Dittes,  Charles  E.  Dittea,  Ernst  W.  Dittes, 
R.  G.  Dittes.    The  capital  stock  was  placed  at  $25,000, 


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586  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

The  Beny  Bros.  Milling  Oo.  was  iacorporated  at  Hector  Janu- 
ary 19,  1909,  by  the  following :  Charles  J.  Berry,  Oscar  S.  Berry, 
Alfred  Berry,  George  M.  Berry,  Henry  E.  Berry,  The  capital 
stock  was  placed  at  $50,000. 

ORAIK  AND  ELEVATOB  COMPAMIES. 

Many  of  the  elevators  which  form  bo  picturesque  a  feature 
of  the  Renville  county  landscape  are  owned  by  outside  concerns, 
who  operate  a  chain  of  such  establishments.  Some  of  them,  how- 
ever, are  owned  by  local  concerns.  The  following  grain  com- 
panies have  filed  their  incorporation  papers  with  the  register 
of  deeds: 

Ths  Peterson  Qraia.  Oo.  of  Sacred  Heart  was  incorporated 
April  25,  1902,  by  Frank  Peterson,  Saered  Heart;  Squire  Jones 
and  Alword  C.  Egelston,  Minneapolis.  The  capital  stock  was 
placed  at  $50,000. 

The  Grain  Mercantile  Co.  was  incorporated  November  26, 
1894,  by  Alexander  Stewart,  Sylvester  S.  Carigall,  W,  H. 
Wheeler,  A.  E.  Benedict  and  Charles  F,  Deaver,  of  MinneapoUs. 
The  capital  stock  was  placed  at  $12,000. 

The  Bird  Island  Farmers'  Elevator  Co.  was  organized  April 
29,  1905,  at  Bird  Island  by  Nicholas  Bruels,  of  Norfolk,  presi- 
dent; Henry  J.  Jungclaus,  Osceola,  vice-president;  Charles  Ken- 
ning, Bird  Island,  secretary;  Levi  Mitchell,  Bird  Island,  treasurer; 
William  Baumgartner  and  George  A.  Hesse,  Bird  Island ;  John 
Kromer  and  Frank  Lichter,  Kingman ;  Charles  Miller  and  Fred 
Foesch,  Melville;  Thomas  McGovern  and  Charles  Gleaener, 
Palmyra;  William  Korst,  Osceola. 

The  Danube's  Farmers'  Elevator  Co.  was  incorporated  at 
Danube  March  24,  1906,  by  Eugene  Grunert,  Chris  Hagedorn, 
F.  A,  Schroedcr,  Fred  Sausele,  Adolph  Kaiser,  George  Heine- 
mann,  Herman  Manthei,  Fred  Kramin,  F.  Stob,  with  a  capital 
stock  of  $10,000.  Officers:  Eugene  Grunert,  president;  Chris  • 
Hagedorn,  vice-president;  F.  A.  Schroeder,  secretary;  Fred 
Sausele,  treasurer;  F.  Stob,  Adolph  Kaiser,  George  Heinemann, 
Herman  Manthei  and  Fred  Kramin,  directors. 

The  Farmers'  Oo-op«^tiye  Elevator  Co.,  of  Fairfax,  was 
organized  January  26,  1906,  by  Paul  Albrecht,  Ole  S.  Olson, 
John  B.  Liebl,  Thomas  F.  Covan,  Herman  Schniechel,  0.  H. 
Grasmoen,  Olaf  Dale,  Ernest  Kienlen,  Gustaf  Mahlke.  The  cap- 
ital stock  was  $10,000. 

The  Equity  Elevator  &  Trading  Co.,  of  BuiTalo  Lake,  was 
incorporated  April  5,  1913,  by  Peter  lllrich,  George  Antonsen, 
John  H.  Van  Hale,  C.  A.  Dascher.  Thomas  Simmons,  Michael 
Kolbriek,  B.  F.  Sheppard.  The  capital  stock  was  placed  at 
$20,000. 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  537 

The  Farmers*  Orain  &  Stook  Co.  was  incorporated  August 
26,  1912,  at  Fairfax  by  Christ  H.  Boyum,  Herman  Sehmeehel, 
William  Knona,  G.  A.  Boemmels,  Einar  E.  Nelson  J.  I.  Carson. 
Einer  E.  Nelson,  0.  A.  Boemmels,  C.  H.  Boyum,  Oacar  Isaacson, 
Herman  Sehmeehel,  Charles  Hillman,  John  Durbahn  were  on  the 
first  board  of  directors. 

The  Farmers'  Qrain  Exchange  Oo.  was  incorporated  July  22, 
1912,  at  Hector  by  George  Leasman,  president;  C.  H.  Reneber, 
vice-president;  August  E.  Jiing,  secretary;  W.  E,  Kemp,  treas- 
urer; Charles  Freberg,  G.  W.  Torbert,  Mike  Koch,  John  P.  Berg- 
man, Ernest  Hertel,     The  capital  stock  was  placed  at  $15,000. 

The  Franklin  Farmers'  Elevator  Co.  was  incorporated  Febru- 
ary 27,  1913,  at  Franklin  by  N.  J.  Olson,  George  Forsyth,  A.  J. 
Anderson,  Martin  Siegfried,  J.  C.  Farrell,  Herman  Holm  and 
A,  Danielson,  These  persona  also  constituted  the  first  board  of 
directors.    The  capital  stock  was  placed  at  $10,000. 

The  Morton  Elevat<v  Co.  was  incorporated  February  25, 
1897,  at  Morton  by  Michael  Holden,  H.  M.  Hack,  F.  W.  Penhall, 
F.  W.  Orth,  Leonard  Farnbugh,  G.  H.  Chisholm,  Thomas  Seary, 
Wenzel  Kodet,  August  Vogel.  The  capital  stock  was  placed  at 
$10,000. 

The  Farmers'  Go-operative  Grain  Co.  was  incorporated 
August  8,  1914,  at  Morton  by  Tim.  Sullivan  (director),  Frank 
Grass  (director),  Charles  Buscho  (treasurer),  Harry  Hale,  Henry 
Schafer,  Fred  Pfeiffer  (director),  William  Wichman,  Paul 
Sehafer  (vice-president)  August  Daum  (president),  H.  F.  Lus- 
senhop,  T.  W.  Riley,  F.  E.  Zumwinkle  (secretary),  Thomas  Tis- 
dell  (director),  J.  Seheffler.  Pat  Buckley  (director).  The  capital 
stock  was  placed  at  $10,000. 

The  John  Hokansoti  Orain  Co.  was  incorporated  May  21, 
1908.  at  Hector  by  John  Hokanson,  H.  S.  Deming,  George  Hokan- 
son,  A.  B.  Anderson  and  C.  E.  Hokanson.  The  capital  stock  was 
placed  at  $25,000. 

The  Hector  Elevator  Co.  was  incorporated  at  Hector  Septem- 
ber 19,  189r),  by  E.  M.  Erickson,  C.  H.  Nixon,  A.  M.  Erickson, 
J.  W.  Whitney.  The  members  of  first  board  of  directors  were: 
Martin  Mathison,  E.  J.  Butler,  John  Johnson,  Martin  Johnson, 
Swen  Pearson,  B.  J.  Butler.  John  Hurst,  James  Hanna,  John 
Hokanson,  Frank  Music,  Andrew  Andei'son.  Officers:  Presi- 
dent, E.  M.  Erickson;  vice-president,  C.  H.  Nixon;  secretary, 
A.  M.  Erickson.    The  capital  stock  was  placed  at  $25,000. 

Union  Elevator  &  Mercantile  Co.  was  incorporated  at  Buffalo 
Lake  August  8.  189r>,  by  J.  S,  Armstrong,  N.  H.  Riebe.  William 
Rusch,  Ole  Olesen,  -John  Moore,  Martin  L.  Monson,  Prank 
Krueger,  Elius  Torcns,  Louis  Dickman,  Simon  Moore,  J.  H. 
Borden,  C.  H.  Smith,  J.  Heinecke,  M.  L.  Munson,  M.  B.  Foster, 
Ole  Hanson.    The  capital  stock  was  placed  at  $25,000. 


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538  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

The  Renville  Farmers'  Elevator  Co.  was  incorporated  August 
23,  1910,  at  Renville  by  Henry  Haen  (president),  J.  H.  Larkio, 
J.  C.  Jepaon  (secretary  and  director),  0.  A.  Stensvad  (treasurer), 
John  "Wordes,  Joachim  Scheiiiel,  Carl  Pankow,  A.  B.  Holmberg 
and  Theodore  Enestvedt.  directors.  The  capital  stock  was  placed 
at  $10,500. 

AGBICULTXmAL  OBOAITIZATIONS. 

The  co-operative  idea  is  grooving.  Farmers  are  banding 
together  for  commercial  and  social  advantages.  Among  the  first 
farmers'  organizations  were  the  fair  associations.  Now  there  are 
all  sorts  of  institutions  in  which  the  farmers  own  the  principal 
shares,  elevators,  warehouses,  creameries,  telephones,  shipping 
associations,  produce  companies,  stock  breeding  combiues  and 
the  like.  Following  are  some  of  the  agricultural  organizations 
whose  incorporation  is  6ied  with  the  register  of  deeds: 

The  Beaville  Ooonty  Agricnltural  &  Live  Stock  Association 
was  incorporated  December  13,  1879,  in  the  village  of  Bird 
Island  by  the  following  persons:  F.  E.  Wolff,  Norman  Heckok, 
George  H.  Megquire,  W.  A.  Biimp,  Charles  C,  Ladd,  J.  S,  Bowler,  • 
L,  L.  Tinnes,  Albert  Brown,  J.  K.  Salisbury,  John  King,  W.  M. 
Halbrook,  J.  S.  Niles,  James  Brown,  E.  D.  Stone  and  J.  J.  Steams. 
J.  K.  Salisbury  was  president;  J.  S.  Niles,  first  vice-president; 
Albert  Brown,  second  vice-president;  J.  C.  Ladd,  third  vice-presi- 
dent ;  J.  S.  Bowler,  secretary ;  P.  E.  Wolflf,  treasurer. 

The  Minnesota  Valley  Agricultural  &  Live  Stodi  Society  was 
incorporated  at  Morton  April  5,  1890,  and  was  to  continue  for  a 
period  of  twenty  years.  The  names  and  residences  of  the  per- 
sons forming  this  co-operation  is  as  follows:  W.  Q.  Bartley, 
J.  H.  McGowan,  John  M.  Clancy,  Morton;  J,  M.  Parisy,  Birch 
Cooley ;  Don  MeNevin,  Andrew  McCormick,  George  Welsh, 
W.  W.  Miller,  M.  Dooley,  T.  J.  Tradewell,  John  Mcintosh,  F.  Mor- 
gan, Morton;  0.  L.  Domberg,  Joseph  Lyson,  Redwood  Palls. 
"The  general  nature  of  this  society's  business  shall  be  the  pro- 
motion of  the  agricultural  and  mechanical  arts,  the  holding  of 
agricultural  and  mechanical  exhibitions,  county  and  other  fairs, 
the  purchasing  and  holding  of  real  and  personal  property,  the 
erection  of  buildings  and  the  fencing  and  improvement  of 
grounds."  The  first  board  of  directors  were :  J.  M.  Farisy,  S.  A. 
Greenslit,  John  Clancy,  C.  A.  McCormick,  W.  T.  Bartley,  J.  H. 
MeQowan,  A.  D.  Corey. 

The  Benvllle  Agricnltural  Fair  Association  was  incorporated 
at  Renville  November  25,  1892,  by  John  O'Connor,  B.  F.  Heins, 
A.  T.  Daly,  P.  0.  Gold,  A.  L.  Bratseh,  T.  O'Connor,  W.  D.  Spauld- 
ing,  S.  M.  Mcintosh,  A.  H.  Baehelder,  M.  J.  Spaulding,  0.  H. 
Howe  and  J.  H.  Dale.    The  capital  stock  was  placed  at  $5,000. 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  539 

Officers :  President,  O.  H.  Howe ;  vice-president.  A,  Bachelder ; 
secretary,  S.  M.  Mcintosh.' 

The  Bird  Island  fair  AsBOCi&tion  was  incorporated  Decem- 
ber 12.  1895,  by  J.  M.  Bowler,  F.  L.  Puffer,  A.  N.  Stone,  H.  H. 
Gokey,  Charles  Kenning,  L.  L.  Tinnes,  I.  S.  Gerald,  J.  A.  John- 
son, Phil  Johnson.    The  capital  stock  was  placed  at  $600. 

The  Fanners'  Development  Co.  was  incorporated  January  20, 
1914,  at  Sacred  Heart  by  A.  0.  Skrukrud,  H.  C.  Omholt,  0.  K. 
Osmundson.    The  capital  stock  was  placed  at  $25,000. 

The  Farmers'  Co-operative  Shipping  Association  of  Bird 
Island  was  incorporated  at  Bird  Island  March  27,  1915,  by  Frank 
H.  Manderfeld  (director),  Henry  T.  Kauenhorst  (director), 
Joseph  J.  Meurer  (vice-president,  Ed.  Kienholz  (director), 
George  T.  Wolff  (director),  John  S.  Johnson  (secretary  and 
treasurer),  Henr^i'  J.  Jungclaus  (president). 

The  Osceola  Farmers'  Club  was  incorporated  March  19,  1915, 
by  W.  H.  Sloan  (secretary),  Gus.  Nenow  (president),  George  M. 
Plocher,  H,  J,  Broderiua,  John  Schiller,  Max  L.  Freeman,  Emil 
Eueckert,  Henry  Thode,  Walter  Homan,  Louis  Kinning,  Charles 
Meleha,  Joseph  Melcha,  J.  0.  Anderson  (vice-president),  Charles 
Warren  (treasurer).    The  capital  stock  was  placed  at  $800, 

The  Sa(Ted  Heart  Produce  Co.  was  incorporated  at  Sacred 
Heart  September  30,  1886,  by  Haaken  Agre,  Simon  Johnson, 
Eorenus  Agre,  Hendrik  Skoberg,  Paul  Berg,  Hans  Listerud, 
Peter  Synnes,  John  Christofferson,  Ole  Christofferson,  Jorgan 
Flagstad,  A.  H.  Erickson,  Andrew  Reed,  P.  C.  Brevig,  C.  A. 
Evenson,  Ole  Hendrickson,  Dowel  Larson,  Ole  Fugleskjel,  Stens- 
md  &  Ramsland,  E.  0.  Lyders.  P.  F.  Walstrom,  Gjerde  &  Paul- 
son, Ole  0.  Melsness,  C.  P.  Bjom,  all  of  Sacred  Heart.  The  cap- 
ital stock  was  $10,000. 

The  BenviUe  County  Swine  Breeders'  Association  was  incor- 
porated April  13,  1914,  at  Bird  Island  by  Henry  W.  Leindeeker, 
president;  Henry  J.  Jungclaus,  vice-president;  Ralph  Loomis, 
secretary  and  treasurer;  E.  J.  Wilson,  Nels  Mattson,  John  S. 
Johnson,  Henry  Sing  and  Joe  Kienholz,  directors. 

HILLINO   COMPANIES. 

The  Fairfax  Roller  Mills  were  incorporated  January  28,  1892, 
by  J.  A.  Beard,  Horatio  Werring,  A.  V.  Rieke,  P.  A.  Gray,  H.  A. 
Baldwin,  Emil  Schmahl,  C.  C.  Peck,  Lawrence  Sather,  John 
Buhler,  J.  A.  Wetter,  Lewis  F.  Fullerton,  James  Ruddy,  John 
lago,  John  P.  Lindstrom,  August  Rieke,  William  Dom,  0.  H. 
Hopkins,  F.  J.  Minske,  J.  C.  Cretty.  Officers:  President,  J.  A. 
Beard ;  vice-president,  Horatio  Werring ;  secretary,  A,  V.  Rieke ; 
treasurer,  F.  A.  Gray.  The  capital  stock  was  placed  at  $15,000; 
paid  in,  $11,000.  The  original  stockholders  were:  Horatio  Wer- 
ring, A.  V.  Rieke,  John  lago.  H.  A.  Baldwin,  Emil  Schmahl,  C.  C. 


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540  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

Peck,  Lawrence  Sather,  John  Buhter,  J.  A.  Wetter,  Lewis  P. 
FuUerton,  James  Ruddy,  John  P.  LindBtrom,  Augoet  Rieke, 
"William  Dorn,  C.  H.  Hopkins,  F.  J.  Minske,  J.  C.  Cortty,  J.  A. 
Beard,  G.  A.  Fray. 

The  Benville  Hill  Co.  was  incorporated  at  Renville,  January 
10,  1891,  by  J.  T.  Brooks,  F.  N.  Maaon,  J.  H.  Dale,  P.  0.  Gold, 
W.  Clay,  J.  C.  Spencer,  K.  G.  Pott,  A.  L.  Bratsch,  S.  S.  Rusaell, 
L.  Prahl,  Henry  H.  Wilcken,  John  O'Connor,  B.  F.  Heins.  The 
first  board  of  directors  was;  Frank  N.  Muson,  John  H.  Dale, 
K.  G.  Rott,  Willis  Clay,  J.  C.  Spencer,  Ora  H.  Howe,  A.  L.  Bratsch, 
John  0 'Conner,  B.  F.  Heins.  The  capital  stock  was  placed  at 
$10,000. 

The  Citizens'  Milling  Co.,  of  Franklin,  was  incorporated  May 
29,  1907,  by  C.  A.  Fleming,  W.  L.  Smith  and  B.  P.  Webber.  The 
capital  stock  was  placed  at  $25,000. 

LUMBER   COMPANIES. 

The  Hector  Lmuber  &  Supply  Co.  was  incorporated  at  Hector 
July  16,  1892,  by  0.  F.  Peterson,  President ;  August  Mahn,  vice- 
president  ;  George  Eichmiller,  secretary ;  G.  0.  Lunder,  treasurer ; 
H.  I.  Corson.  The  first  board  of  directors  was:  0.  F.  Peterson, 
G.  0.  Lunder,  George  Eichmiller,  H.  I.  Corson  and  August  Mahn. 
Amount  of  capital  stock  $50,000. 

The  Hatuer  Lumber  Co.  was  incorporated  January  2,  1903, 
at  Fairfax  by  the  following  persons:  Henry  Hauser,  Robert 
Tester,  C.  W.  Parsons,  G.  A.  Rieke  and  Charles  Lammers.  The 
capital  stock  was  placed  at  $100,000. 

LAND   COMPANIES. 

The  Bird  lal&nd  Townsite  Go.  was  incorporated  June  6,  1878, 
by  William  H.  Kelty,  Owatonna ;  A.  H.  Reed  and  A.  M.  Knight. 
Glencoe;  James  M.  Bowler,  Newton  G.  Poor  and  Nahum  Stone, 
Bird  Island.  The  date  of  the  commencement  of  this  corporation 
was  July  1,  1878.  The  capita!  stock  was  $30,000.  The  first  board 
of  directors  consisted  of  William  H.  Kelly,  A.  H.  Reed,  A.  M. 
Knight,  James  M.  Bowler,  Newton  Q.  Poor  and  Nahum  Stone. 

The  Beaver  F^ls  Land  Co.  was  incorporated  June  13,  1899, 
at  Beaver  Palls  by  Hans  Gronnerud,  W.  H.  Cheney,  William 
Wiehman.  Henry  Zumwinkle,  James  S.  Anderson,  Eric  Erieson, 
Reinhold  Hummel,  Edwin  E.  Carpenter  and  James  A.  Carpenter, 
The  capital  stock  was  $50,000.  The  first  board  of  directors  was : 
Hans  Gronnerud,  William  H.  Cheney,  William  Wiehman  and  Eric 
Erieson,  of  Beaver  Palls,  and  E.  E.  Carpenter,  of  Canton,  S.  D. 

The  Olivia  Land  &  ImproTement  Co.  was  incorporated  June 
10,  1899,  at  Olivia  by  Hans  Gronnerud,  H.  H.  Neuenburg,  P.  W. 
Heins,  P.  J.  Schaffer,  John  Miller,  William  Windhorst.  William 
J.  Heaney  and  N.  P.  Peterson.    The  first  board  of  directors  waa: 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  541 

William  Windhorst,  N.  P.  Peterson,  P.  J.  SohafEer,  John  Miller, 
W.  J.  Heaney  and  H.  H.  Neuenburg.  OfBcers:  Hans  Qronnerud, 
president;  W,  J.  Heauey,  vice-president;  Henry  Neuenburg,  aec- 
retary ;  P.  W.  Heins,  treasurer.  The  capital  stock  was  placed  at 
$10,000. 

The  Q(dd-Stabeck  Land  &  Credit  Co.  was  incorporated  Decem- 
ber 16, 1901,  at  RcnviUe  by  W.  H.  Gold,  F.  0.  Gold,  H.  N.  Stabeek, 
P.  Stabpck.    The  capital  stock  was  placed  at  $10,000. 

The  Theo.  F.  Koch  Land  Co.  was  incorporated  July  31,  1897, 
by  Theodore  F.  Koch,  St.  Paul,  Minn.;  Henry  C.  Horstmann, 
Chicago,  111,;  Hiram  F.  Stevens,  J.  E.  Hoebom  and  Charles  C. 
Sharp,  St.  Paul,  Minn.  The  first  board  of  directors  consisted  of 
Theodore  F.  Koch,  Henry  C.  Horstman,  Hiram  P.  Stevens,  J,  E. 
Hoebom,  Charles  C.  Sharp.  The  capital  stock  was  placed  at 
$400,000. 

The  O'Otmner  Realty  Co.  was  incorporated  March  7,  1908, 
at  Renville  by  Timothy  0 'Conner,  Edward  0 'Conner  and  Rich- 
ard T.  Daly.    The  stock  was  placed  at  $50,000. 

The  O'Conner  Land  Co.  was  incorporated  September  25,  1913, 
at  Renville  by  Edward  O'Conner,  president;  William  O'Conner, 
vice-president  and  treasurer,  and  Timothy  O'Conner,  secretary. 
The  capital  stock  was  placed  at  $75,000. 

The  Western  Minnesota  Land  Co.  was  incorporated  March 
20,  1908,  at  Sacred  Heart  by  P.  C.  Brevig  (vice-president),  J.  H. 
Paulson  (secretary),  M.  0-  Sveiven,  0.  T,  Ramsland  (president), 
Carl  Anderson  (treasurer).  The  capital  stock  was  placed  at 
$25,000. 

The  RenvlUe  Realty  Co.  was  incorporated  May  20,  1913,  at 
Renville  by  Richard  T.  Daly,  president;  Adrian  A.  Bennett, 
vice-president ;  Lynas  D.  Barnard,  secretary  and  treasurer.  The 
capital  stock  was  placed  at  $50,000. 

The  Renville  County  Abstract  Co.  was  incorporated  October 
16,  1894,  by  P.  H.  Kerwan,  P.  H.  Heins,  Olivia,  Minnesota ;  Hans 
Gronnerud,  T.  H.  CoUyer,  E.  L.  De  Pue,  S.  R.  Miller,  Beaver 
Falls,  Minnesota ;  J,  L,  Johnson  and  M.  J.  Dowling,  Renville, 
Minnesota.    The  amount  of  capital  stock  was  placed  at  $10,000. 

STORES  AND   MISCELLANEOUS. 

The  Fairfax  Mercantile  Co.  was  incorporated  February  6, 
1907,  at  Fairfax  by  C.  W.  Miller,  Jr.,  W.  P.  Moorman,  S.  H. 
Gumpolen.     The  capital  stock  was  placed  at  $30,000. 

^e  Franklin  Mercantile  Co.  was  incorporated  at  Franklin 
April  10,  1906,  by  A.  S.  Erickson,  John  Curran,  Randall  Niemi, 
William  J.  Curran,  Charles  Johnson.  The  capital  stock  was 
placed  at  $25,000. 

The  Bartlett  Mercantile  Co.,  of  Hector,  was  incorporated 
June  29,  1904,  at  Hector  by  G.  F.  Bartlett,  George  T.  Kasson, 


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642  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

J.  P.  Bartlett.  These  men  were  alao  the  first  hoard  of  directors. 
The  capital  stock  was  placed  at  $25,000. 

The  Fairfax  Mravantile  Co.  was  incorporated  March  3,  1898, 
hy  Wenzel  Prank,  L.  T.  Grady,  S.  W.  Smith,  all  of  Pairfax, 
Minnesota.  The  amount  of  capital  stock  was  placed  at  $15,000. 
The  board  of  directors :  President  and  treasurer,  Wenzel  Frank ; 
L.  T.  Grady,  vice-president  and  general  manager,  and  S.  W, 
Smith,  secretary. 

The  Fairfax  D^»artment  Store  was  incorporated '  at  Fairfax 
June  9,  1910,  by  E.  F.  Sell,  A.  P.  Rieke,  R.  G.  Reinke.  The  cap- 
ital stock  was  placed  at  $30,000, 

The  Peoples'  Store  was  incorporated  at  Fairfax  August   17, 

1908,  by  Fred  Frank,  John  C,  Grams.  First  board  of  directors: 
Pred  Frank,  John  C.  Grams,  Charles  Kipp.  The  capital  stock 
was  placed  at  $15,000. 

The  Renville  Mercantile  Co.  was  incorporated  September  11, 
1893,  by  Halvor  J.  Lee,  Simon  Johnson,  Nels  Boreen,  Lars  E. 
Lien,  Andrew  Nelson,  Nels  Nelson,  Gunder  J.  Lee.  The  amount 
of  stock  was  placed  at  $25,000.  The  first  board  of  directors: 
Lars  E.  Lien,  Andrew  Nelson,  Gunder  J.  Lee,  Simon  Johnson, 
Halvor  Lee. 

Farrell  &  Keefe  was  incorporated  December  15,  1905,  at 
North  Redwood  by  P.  R,  Farrell,  president;  T.  M.  Keefe,  vice- 
president,  and  -J.  R.  Keefe,  secretary  and  treasurer.  The  capital 
stock  was  placed  at  $15,000. 

The  HofTman-Holton  Co.  was  incorporated  October  24,  1911, 
at  Renville  by  William  Hoffman,  Anton  Holton  and  John  Hoff- 
man.    The  capital  stock  was  placed  at  $30,000. 

The  W.  Sanders  Co.  was  incorporated  at  Renville  January 
15,  1911,  by  Wesley  Sanders,  president;  Oliver  T.  Sunde,  vice- 
president;  Oiuf  J.  Dahl,  secretary  and  treasurer.  The  capital 
stock  was  placed  at  $35,000. 

The  L.  Nichols  &  Co.,  of  Fairfax,  was  incorporated  February 
27,  1899,  by  Luther  Nichols,  August  Siefer  and  August  Dirks. 
The  amount  of  capital  stock  of  said  corporation  was  $25,000. 

The  Morton  Brick  &   Tile   Co.   was   incorporated   March   9, 

1909,  at  Morton  by  H.  A.  Sodergren,  president;  H.  A.  Hanson, 
vice-president;  J.  A.  Nelson,  secretary;  William  P.  Nelson. 
Henry  Beckmau  was  elected  treasurer.  The  stock  was  placed 
at  $50,000. 

The  Sacred  Heart  Automobile  Co.  was  incorporated  April  21, 
1913,  at  Sacred  Heart  by  John  H.  Sognes,  P.  0.  Melsness,  Torlief 
Arestad.  W.  A.  Day  and  E.  P,  Dosseth,  The  capital  stock  was 
placed  at  $10,000, 

The  Fairfax  Co-operative  Co.  was  incorporated  January  28, 
1911,  hy  Andrew  E.  Larson,  Henry  Hanson,  E.  H.  Grasmon, 
0.  H.   Grasmon,   Ole  E.  Landgraff,   Ole  J,   Boyum  and  F.  W. 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  543 

Bieke.    The  capital  stock  waa  placed  at  $15,000.    0.  W.  Kiecker,  ' 
president;  0.  S,  Olson,  vice-president;  0.  H.  Grasmon,  secre- 
tary ;  J.  H.  Elstad,  treasurer,  and  Edward  Kiecker. 

The  Johnson  Hardware  Co.,  of  Hector,  Minnesota,  was  incor- 
porated August  3,  1903,  by  George  Johnson  and  A.  E.  Schroeder. 

The  Olivia  Hardware  Co.  was  incorporated  August  24,  1912, 
at  Olivia  by  George  Mehlhouse,  president ;  A.  R.  Schueller,  secre- 
tary and  treasurer;  L.  A.  Matzdorf,  vice-president.  The  capital 
stock  was  placed  at  $35,000. 

The  Renville  FarmarB'  Fuel  &  Hwcantile  Co.  was  incor- 
porated January  24,  1912,  at  Renville  by  Henry  Haen,  Joseph  H. 
Larkin,  J.  C.  Jepson,  John  Wordes,  Joachim  Sehemel,  Carl 
Pankow,  A.  R,  Holmberg,  0.  A.  Stensvad,  L.  E.  Lien,  Albert 
Tolzman,  L.  Ahrenholz,  William  A.  Schneider,  Ernest  Hoffman, 
John  Reetz,  L,  Mulder,  D.  Hoogerman,  James  Garvey,  N.  J. 
Holmberg;  S.  M.  Serkland,  Lars  A.  Kronlokken,  WiUiam  John- 
son. The  first  officers  were:  John  Wordes,  president;  D.  Hoog- 
erman, vice-president j  L.  Ahrenholf,  treasurer;  A.  R.  Holmberg, 
secretary.  Directors:  L.  E.  Lien,  William  Johnson,  L.  Mulder 
and  James  Garvey.    The  capital  stock  was  placed  at  $60,000. 

The  H.  H.  Neuenlrarg  Co.,  of  Olivia,  was  incorporated  July  9, 
1901,  by  H.  H.  Nenenburg,  M.  Weichselbaum  and  Peter  J. 
Pitsehen,  Olivia;  H.  Linderman,  Miles;  A.  A.  Linderman,  Sleepy 
Eye.  Officers :  President,  M.  Weichselbaum ;  vice-president, 
P.  J.  Fitschen ;  secretary  and  treasurer,  H.  H.  Neuenburg.  The 
capital  stock  was  placed  at  $30,000. 

Heins  &  Co.,  of  Olivia,  was  incorporated  June  21,  1906,  by 
E.  H.  Heins,  H.  H.  Heins  F.  B.  Byers  and  C.  A.  Heins  as  surviving 
trustees  of  the  estate  of  P.  W.  Heins,  deceased.  The  capital  stock 
was  placed  at  $50,000. 

The  Johnson  Peterson  Co.,  of  Hector,  was  incorporated  April 

1,  1901.  by  George  Johnson  and  Hans  Peterson,  of  Hector;  Ed 
Johnson.  C.  A.  Beckman,  of  Minneapolis.  The  first  board  of 
directors  was  George  Johnson,  Hans  Peterson  and  C.  A.  Beck- 
man.    The  capital  stock  was  placed  at  $24,000. 

J.  Richardson  Co.,  of  Bird  Island,  was  incorporated  February 

2,  1903,  by  Joseph  Richardson  and  Cyril  M.  Tift.  Glencoe,  Minne- 
sota; Walter  J.  Richardson  and  George  R.  Crosby,  Bird  Island, 
Minnesota;  Edward  C.  Baird,  Graceville,  Minnesota.  The  cap- 
ital stock  was  placed  at  $25,000.  The  first  board  of  directors 
of  said  corporation  were  Joseph  Richardson,  Walter  J.  Richard- 
son, Axel  -T.  Richardson,  Edward  C  Baird,  George  Crosby  and 
Cyril  M.  Tifft. 

Fidelity  Loan  &  Trust  Co.  was  incorporated  January  2,  1886, 
at  Storm  Lake,  Buena  Vista  county,  Iowa,  by  the  following  per- 
sons :  Caleb  H.  Booth,  Dubuque,  Iowa ;  Charles  A.  Clark,  Cedar 
Rapids,    Iowa;   Joseph   Sampsen,    Stern   Lake,   Iowa;   John    C. 


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544.  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

French,  Stern  Lake,  Iowa;  ComeliuB  C.  Creyler,  New  York; 
Benjamin  Graham,  New  York;  William  G.  Clapp,  New  York. 
The  capital  stock  was  placed  at  $100,000. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

EARL7  SETTLEMENT. 

Nearby  Stations — ^First  Settlers  in  Kenville  County — La  Oroix  at 
Birch  Oooley — Cairo — ^Beaver  Falls — Flora — Hawk  Greek — 
SaxTtd  Heart — Flight  of  the  Settlers — Pioneers  Betom  and 
Modem  Era  Begins — An  Ancient  Atlas. 

Fur  tradiug  stations  were  the  first  settlements  made  in  this 
vicinity.  Later  came  the  Mission  stations.  Lake  Traverse,  Lac 
qui  Parle,  Big  Stone  Lake,  the  Yellow  Medicine,  the  mouth  of 
the  Chippewa  and  the  mouth  of  the  Little  Rock  were  all  favorite 
points  for  those  who  had  dealings  with  the  Indians. 

After  the  treaty  of  peace  between  Great  Britain ,  and  the 
United  States  in  1783,  the  influence  of  the  Northwest  Company 
traders  led  to  the  location  of  Sioux  villages  near  the  traders' 
posts,  both  above  and  below  the  mouth  of  the  Minnesota.  There 
were  several  of  these  as  far  to  the  south  as  the  lower  section  of 
the  Des  Moines  river.  In  the  fall  of  1783  Joseph  Ainse  (or  Anse 
or  Ana)  came  from  Mackinaw  to  Mendota  and  distributed  presents 
and  held  a  council  with  the  Sioux.  Five  Sioux  villages  were  rep- 
resented. In  the  report  of  this  council  it  is  mentioned  that  at  the 
time  white  traders  were  operating  between  St,  Anthony's  Falls 
and  Rice  Creek,  the  latter  in  what  is  now  Renville  county;  but 
the  names  of  the  traders  and  locations  of  the  posts  are  not  given. 

The  first  man  to  locate  in  Renville  county  was  Charles  Patter- 
son, a  native  of  the  north  of  Ireland,  who  about  1783  established 
a  post  in  what  is  now  Flora  township,  at  the  ripples  still  known 
as  the  Falls,  and  widely  famed  as  a  picnic  grounds.  It  is  a  short 
distance  from  the  old  village  of  Vieksburg,  and  the  contour  of 
the  land  above  the  falls  presents  Etlmost  limitless  possibilities  for 
the  establishment  at  some  future  date  of  a  great  waterpower  on 
the  site. 

Patterson  was  on  the  Renville  county  side  of  the  rapids  or 
falls,  some  twelve  or  more  miles  above  the  mouth  of  the  Redwood. 
The  locality  was  designated  in  all  the  early  maps  as  Patterson's 
Rapids. 

Patterson  was  here  for  some  time ;  it  seems  he  came  down  the 
Bed  river  and  the  Minnesota  to  his  post.  He  had  another  post 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Yellow  Medicine,  where  he  was  visited  by 
Ainse,  in  November  of  the  next  year,  after  the  latter  had  held  his 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  545 

council  with  the  Sioux.  At  the  time  of  his  visit  Ainse  sold  to 
Patterson  a  scarlet  coat  suitable  for  a  chief,  and  entered  the  price 
in  his  account  book  as  "six  pounds  three  shillings  and  four- 
pence."  After  Ainse's  departure  Patterson  created  a  chief  of  the 
Sisseton  Sioux  and  gave  him' the  gorgeous  red  coat  to  wear  and 
a  British  flag  to  wave  over  bis  tepee.  In  1787  Francois  La  Bathe 
(or  La  Batte)  was  in  Patterson's  employ  as  a  clerk,  and  there  is 
a  hint  that  he  was  stationed  at  the  Little  Rapids,  where  Carver 
now  is.  His  descendants  in  Minnesota,  half-blood  Sioux,  were 
prominent  in  the  State's  early  history.  His  son,  Francois,  Jr., 
was  murdered  by  the  Sioux  at  the  Lower  Agency  the  first  day  of 
the  great  outbreak. 

Perhaps  the  first  native  of  the  United  States  to  engage  in 
trade  on  the  Minnesota  was  James  H.  Lockwood,  a  native  of 
Clinton  county,  New  York,  bom  in  1793.  In  Vol.  H,  Wisconsin 
Historical  Collections,  he  writes  that  in  the  summer  of  1816,  a 
little  more  than  a  year  after  the  close  of  the  "War  of  1812,  and 
when  twenty-three  years  of  age,  be  engaged  as  a  clerk  to  "some 
traders"  to  take  charge  of  a  trading  post  near  the  head  of  the 
St.  Peter's.  In  the  fall  of  1816  he  came  up  and  assumed  charge  of 
the  post.   Narcisse  Frenier  was  his  assistant  and  Sioux  interpreter. 

From  Prairie  du  Chien  up  to  the  post  there  were  in  his  boats 
a  stock  of  goods.  Lockwood  himself,  his  boatmen  and  a  Yankton 
Indian,  the  son  of  a  chief  called  Wo-wah-she  Tonka,  or  the  Big 
Servant  ("Le  Grand  Serviteur"  in  French),  who  had  been  at  St. 
Louis  with  the  Americans  during  a  part  of  the  War  of  1812. 
Lockwood  conveyed  him  to  Lac  qui  Parle,  where  he  was  met  by 
his  uncles  from  Big  Stone  lake. 

Lockwood  notes  that  as  he  came  up  the  Mississippi  he  passed 
" Wa-pa-shaw 's "  village,  which  was  where  Winona  now  stands; 
Red  Wing's  village  at  Red  Wing;  little  Crow's  village  four  miles 
below  St.  Paul,  and  Black  Dog's,  at  Meudota.  On  the  Minnesota 
(or  St.  Peter's  as  it  was  then  called)  the  first  Indian  village  above 
Meudota  was  that  of  Penichon,  "a  man  of  little  note,"  says 
Lockwood.  Where  Shakopee  now  is  was  the  village  of  the  chief 
of  that  name,  and  of  him  Lockwood  says:  "He  possessed  a  good 
intellect,  but  was  not  popular  among  the  traders,  as  he  was  con- 
sidered very  dishonest."    Of  the  next  two  villages  he  writes: 

"At  the  Little  Rapids  was  another  village  of  the  Indians  called 
by  the  French  'Qens  de  Feuilles,'  or  Leaf  People.  [Wahpaytons, 
oc  People  of  the  Leaves,  according  to  the  Sioux.]  The  name  of 
their  chief  I  do  not  recollect.  There  was  a  village  of  the  Sissetons 
at  the  Roche  Blanche  [White  Rock],  and  above,  I  remember  no 
others." 

Lockwood  remained  at  Lac  qui  Parle  for  more  than  two  years, 
or  until  the  spring  of  1819,  and  then  returned  to  Prairie  du  Chien, 
where  he  afterwards  resided  until  his  death,  several  years  ago. 


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546  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

In  1833-34,  Joseph  Renville,  Jr.,  had  a  trading  station  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Little  Rock  (Mud)  creek,  only  a  few  miles  from  the 
present  Renville  county.  In  1834,  it  is  believed,  Joseph  La 
Frambois  located  there  permanently,  having  at  that  time  been 
living  at  the  mouth  of  the  Cottonwood  for  two  years.  One  author- 
ity, however,  declares  that  it  was  about  1834  when  La  Frambois 
took  charge  of  the  post  at  the  mouth  of  the  Cottonwood  river  (in 
Brown  county),  that  in  that  year  Hazen  Mooers  opened  a  post  on 
the  Little  Bock,  and  that  La  Frambois  did  not  take  up  his  station 
there  until  a  few  years  later. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  Joseph  La  Frambois  and  Hazen 
Mooers  sleep  only  a  few  feet  apart  in  the  cemetery  at  Ft.  Bidgely, 
Mooere  having  been  buried  in  the  government  cemetery  con- 
nected with  the  fort  some  years  before  the  outbreak.  La  Frambois' 
bones  were  moved  to  the  fort  cemetery  a  few  mouths  ago  from 
the  cemetery  on  the  old  homestead  at  the  mouth  of  the  Little  Roct. 

La  Frambois  was  born  in  Michigan  in  March,  1805.  He  became 
a  fur  trader  on  the  upper  Minnesota  in  the  early  thirties.  In  1834 
he  was  appointed  Indian  agent.  He  died  November  9,  1856.  His 
wife  was  Jane  Dixon,  the  marriage  at  Traverse  des  Sioux,  in  1845, 
being  one  of  the  first  in  Nicollet  county. 

In  1835,  Rev.  Thomas  S.  Williamson  established  himself  at 
Lac  qui  Parle. 

Louis  La  Croix,  the  first  settler  in  Renville  county,  built  a 
house  on  Birch  Cooley  creek,  just  across  from  what  was  after- 
ward the  Lower  agency  in  1845.  Louis  La  Croix  (Sr.)  died  June 
16,  1874,  at  Big  Stone  Lake.  His  life  was  full  of  romance.  He 
was  born  in  St.  Louis  about  1800  of  French  parents  and  was  an 
old  Sfittler  in  Renville  county  and  ever  since  he  was  first  known 
here  he  possessed  property  enough  to  have  made  him  well  off, 
but  in  the  days  of  prosperity  he  divided  with  all  hands  and  died 
poor. 

The  census  of  1849  showed  the  following  persons  living  at 
miR.sionary  or  trading  stations  near  Renville  county,  the  name 
of  the  head  of  the  house  being  given  first,  the  number  of  males 
next,  the  number  of  females  next  and  the  total  last: 

Little  Rock — -T.  La  Framboise,  three,  four,  seven;  R,  Hopkins, 
missionary,  three,  four,  seven;  A.  G.  Huggins,  missionary  assis- 
tant, three,  three,  six;  J.  Potter,  missionary,  three,  four,  seven; 
J.  Lature,  two,  none,  two;  J.  Bosorias,  one,  none,  one;  J.  Proven- 
calle,  two,  none,  two;  Alex  Gealian.  two,  none,  two;  J.  F.  Roy, 
one,  none,  one. 

Big  Stone  Lake  and  Lac  qui  Parle— S.  R.  Riggs,  missionary. 
three,  four,  seven;  M.  N.  Adams,  missionary,  one,  one,  two; 
J.  Petti.iohn,  two,  two,  four ;  J.  Renville,  three,  six,  nine ;  A.  Ren- 
ville, one,  four,  five;  Martin  McLeod,  two,  three,  five;  G.  Ren- 
ville, one,  one,  two;  M.  Renville,  one.  none,  one;  J.  Hess,  one. 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  547 

none,  one ;  Vetal  Rayee,  two,  one,  three ;  J.  B.  Boquet,  one,  none, 
one ;  P.  Clouther,  one,  none,  one ;  Maearon,  one,  none,  one ;  Levi 
Bird,  one,  two,  three ;  A.  Roy,  two,  two,  four ;  J,  Dummire,  four, 
two,  six;  Joseph  Labelle,  two,  two,  four;  A,  Fusmere,  three, 
three,  six ;  N.  Pusmere,  one,  two,  three.  There  were  also  scat- 
tering settlers,  like  the  La  Croix  family. 

In  1853  Ft.  Ridgely  was  built  just  outside  of  the  limits  of 
the  present  Renville  county.  In  the  same  year  the  Upper  agency 
was  established  on  the  Yellow  Medicine  river.  Soon  thereafter, 
and  not  far  away,  mission  stations  were  established.  The  Lower 
agency  was  also  established  across  the  river  from  Birch  Cooley, 
six  miles  east  of  the  mouth  of  the  Redwood  river.  In  1854 
Brown  county  began  to  be  settled. 

The  first  inland  settlements  in  Renville  county  were  made 
about  Preston  lake  in  what  is  now  Preston  Lake  township.  Little 
is  known  of  this  settlement,  which  consisted  doubtless  of  people 
who  had  come  down  from  the  "Big  Woods"  to  the  northeast. 
According  to  the  land  office  records,  S.  T.  Darbey  took  a  claim 
in  section  3,  J.  A.  Michael  in  section  11,  and  H.  L.  Benson  in 
sections  14  and  15,  in  the  fall  of  1856,  while  Solomon  Morrow 
took  a  claim  in  sections  9  and  10,  in  the  fall  of  1857.  In  1862, 
Lavina  Engle  secured  a  claim  in  section  4. 

George  M.  Michael  took  a  claim  in  section  34,  in  what  is 
now  Boon  Lajie,  in  1856.  In  1861,  V.  P.  Kennedy  and  M.  B. 
Rudisill  took  claims  in  sections  7  and  8  in  the  same  township. 
V.  P.  Kennedy  was  later  a  prominent  physician  and  active  polit- 
ically at  Litchfield,  Meeker  county,  where  he  died  a  few  years  ago. 

Little  can  be  learned  of  these  people,  how  they  fared  during 
the  massacre  or  when  they  left  here.  The  appearance  of  their 
names  in  the  land  ofScc  records  sheds  a  new  light  on  Renville 
county  history,  and  the  publication  of  these  facts  may  bring 
forth  new  information  on  the  subject. 

No  mention  has  ever  been  made  of  these  people  in  accounts 
of  the  early  days  in  this  county.    One  published  report,  however. 

has  said  that  in  1862.  Dr. Engle  and  N.  A.  Van  Meter, 

at  that  time  living  on  the  shores  of  Preston  lake,  went  below 
for  supplies,  and  hearing  of  the  Indian  uprising  did  not  return. 

While  much  of  the  prairie  region  of  what  is  now  Renville 
county  was  thrown  open  to  settlement  by  the  Treaty  of  Traverse 
des  Sioux,  signed  July  22,  1851,  ratified  and  amended  by  the 
United  States  Senate,  June  23,  1852,  and  proclaimed  by  Presi- 
dent Millard  Fillmore,  February  24,  1853,  nevertheless  most  of 
the  early  settlements  were  along  the  Minnesota  river  and  its 
tributary  creeks.  The  ten-mile  strip  along  the  Minnesota  river,- 
however,  was  included  in  the  Indian  reservation,  and  until  the 
treaty  of  1858  no  general  permanent  settlement  could  be  made 
there.    The  presence  of  any  white  people  within  the  reservation 


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548  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

was  punishable  unless  under  a  direct  license  of  the  government 
and  with  the  consent  of  the  ludians. 

Soon  after  the  reduction  of  the  reservation  in  1858  settle- 
ments began  to  be  made  all  along  the  river.  The  inducements 
to  settlers  were  various.  To  some  the  fertility  of  the  soil  was 
the  attraction  and  they  began  to  open  farms;  to  others  the  neigh- 
borhood of  the  reservation  was  a  reason,  since  it  enabled  them 
to  obtain  employment  there  at  the  same  time  that  they  secured 
a  homestead  on  the  open  land.  Many  carpenters  and  builders 
who  were  employed  by  the  government  in  the  erection  of  build- 
ings and  improvements  on  the  reserve  took  up  land  across  the 
river. 

In  the  early  fifties,  Werner  Boesch  settled  in  sections  22  and  23 
in  what  is  now  Gamp  township,  on  the  banks  of  Three  Mile  creek. 
He  had  helped  to  build  Ft.  Ridgely,  and  liking  the  neighborhood 
so  much,  settled  near  by,  farmed  and  established  a  trading  point, 
and  remained  until  frightened  away  by  the  Indians,  being  warned 
just  in  time  to  escape  the  massacre.  His  story  is  told  elsewhere 
in  this  work  by  N.  0.  Berge. 

In  1858  came  Halleck  Peterson.  This  good  man  settled  with 
his  family  in  section  20,  while  John  Halvorsen  and  John  Anderson 
and  their  families  settled  further  west  up  the  valley.  They  were 
driven  out  by  the  Indians  and  Halleck  Peterson  was  one  of  the 
defenders  of  Ft.  Ridgely.  Other  Norwegian  settlers  in  the  south- 
eastern part  of  the  county  were  Ole  Sampson  Quam  and  family, 
John  Hade  and  Conrad  Hamm.  Ole  Quam  and  several  of  bis 
children  were  killed  in  the  massacre,  but  his  wife  and  infant 
escaped  to  Ft.  Ridgely,  In  1858  settlers  also  came  in  from  Poland, 
Antoine  Bucofsky  and  Joseph  Michelsky  (MachanskyJ).  They 
were  soon  followed  by  Andrew  Schott  and  others.  William  R. 
La  Framboise  secured  land  in  section  22,  Thomas  A.  Robertson 
in  sections  22  and  23,  and  George  Quinn  in  section  34,  all  in  1861. 

A  settlement  was  made  around  Mud  Lake  in  the  present  town 
of  Cairo.  John  Buehro  settled  there  before  1859,  Mr.  Buehro 
was  killed  by  the  Indians  in  1862.  In  1859  came  Frederick  Rieke 
and  his  family,  two  of  his  sons,  Qeorge  and  Victor,  having  pre- 
ceded the  others  by  a  few  months.  Claims  were  also  taken  in 
the  southern  part  of  Cairo  before  the  massacre,  all  in  1861,  Mary 
Mumford  and  Peter  LaBelle  in  section  31  and  Adam  S.  Cristman 
in  section  32. 

Quite  a  settlement  existed  at  Beaver  Falls,  then  called  Beaver 
Creek,  among  whom  were  James  and  David  Carrothers  with 
wives  and  families ;  S.  R,  Henderson,  wife  and  family,  including 
Jehial  Wedge,  Diedrich  Wichmann  with  wife  and  large  family, 
Henry  Ahrens  with  wife  and  small  family,  Franz  W.  Schmidt 
with  wife  and  small  family;  Andrew  Himter  had  a  claim  but  was 
frequently  absent;  on  his  land  was  located  the  site  for  county 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  549 

bnildingB  of  the  county  organizatioD.  James  and  David  Car- 
rothers  had  claims  adjoining;  David  on  the  present  town  site  and 
James  adjoining  on  the  south.  They  were  employed  as  car- 
penters hy  the  government  on  the  reserve.  S.  R.  Henderson 
operated  his  claim,  which  joined  that  of  David  Carrothera  on 
the  north.  Schmidt  joined  Henderson  on  the  northeast;  Wich- 
mann  joined  Schmidt  on  the  nortlieaat,  and  Ahrens  was  north  of 
Schmidt  and  across  the  creek  from  Wichmann.  Andrew  Hun- 
ter's claim  was  south  of  and  adjoining  James  Carrothers.  Mr. 
Hunter  was  a  farmer.  He  had  been  an  Indian  teacher.  His  wife 
was  the  daughter  of  Dr.  T,  S,  Williamson,  the  famous  missionary, 
Jonathan  W,  Earle,  N.  D.  White,  as  well  as  others,  also  settled  in 
this  neighborhood.  A  family  named  Shepherd  settled  above  the 
Wichmann  claim  a  few  days  before  the  massacre.  John  Doyle 
was  also  a  member  of  this  colony.  Several  patents  were  issued 
for  land  in  Beaver  Palls  township  in  1861 ;  Mary  Renville,  section 
12 ;  Mary  Martin,  section  13 ;  Sophia  Renville,  section  22 ;  Mary  S. 
Robertson,  section  22;  Martha  C.  Robertson,  section  27.  The  next 
year  Isaac  Renville  received  a  patent  to  land  in  section  20.  This 
land  was  doubtless  obtained  by  the  "laying"  of  "Half  breed 
script,"  and  it  is  not  likely  that  these  people  actually  lived  in 
Beaver  Falls  at  that  time.  John  Hayden  and  Benedict'Eune  lived 
a  mile  and  a  half  from  the  Earle  home. 

Magloire  Robideaux  settled  at  Hawk  Creek  in  1859  and 
before  the  massacre  Louis  Labelle  and  Alex.  Guertin  had  joined 
him.  November  29,  1861,  Joseph  Schaffer  filed  a  claim  in  sec- 
tion 16.    Louis  Robert  also  had  a  store  or  trading  post  there. 

Joseph  R.  Brown  made  a  settlement  at  Sacred  Heart  in  1861. 
He  built  a  fine  stone  house  which  was  destroyed  the  next  year 
by  the  Indians.  In  this  neighborhood  were  Charles  Holmes,  a 
single  man,  and  J.  H.  Ingalls,  a  Scotchman  with  his  large  family, 
and  a  Mr.  Prace  and  family. 

The  La  Croix  family  at  Birch  Cooley  had  in  the  meantime 
been  joined  by  many  French-Canadians  and  half  bloods.  Among 
these  was  Francois  La  Bathe,  the  trader,  though  at  the  time  of 
the  massacre  he  was  living  at  the  agency.  David  Faribault  was 
another  prominent  member  of  the  colony.  Among  others  who 
were  there  previous  to  the  massacre  were :  John  Kumro,  Joseph 
and  David  McConnell,  George  Buerry,  Jacob  Mauley   (his  real 

name  was  Hubert  Miller  and  he  was  the  ferryman), 

Peeo,  Antoine  Young,  Boi,  John  Magner,  Edward 

Magner, Kawertewin,  Peter  Pereau  (ParoT),  Charles 

Clausen,    Peter   Clausen,    Piguar,    Andrew    Bahlke, 

Henry  Keartner,  Carl  Witt,  Patrick  Kelley,  John  Zimmerman, 

David  O'Connor,  Mrs.  Marie  Frorip,  Cardenelle  and 

others.  Not  far  away  was  the  Horan  family  (two  of  the  sons  were 
Keam  and  Patrick), 


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550  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

A  strip  of  laod  in  Flora  and  Sacred  Heart  townships,  extend- 
ing from  Middle  Creek  to  Sacred  Heart  creek,  was  thickly  set- 
tled by  Qermans,  heginniug  with  1859  or  possibly  earlier.  No 
doubt  there  were  over  one  hundred  and  fifty  persons  in  this  set- 
tlement at  the  time  of  the  massacre.  Unfortunately  the  names 
of  the  settlers  are  for  the  most  part  forgotten.  Many  were 
killed  in  the  massacre.  The  names  of  some  male  adults  are  Rev. 
Christian  L.  Seder,  Jofaan  Scbwandt,  John  Walz,  John  Frass, 
August  Frass,  Gottfried  Buce  (Busse),  Fred  Lentz,  Ernst  Lenc 
(Lentz?),  T.  Lene  (Lentzt),  Gottlieb  and  William  Manweiler, 
Louis  Thiele,  Michael  Zitzoff  (Zitzloff),  Charles  Lettow 
(Lateau?),  Paul  Kitzman,  John  Meyer,  Frederick  and  Wilhelm 
Schmidt,  M.  Yess,  Peter  Bjorkman,  Wiliiam  Smith,  John  and 
Michael  Boelter,  Frederick  Krieger  (Krueger),  William  Lam- 
mers,  Balthasar  Eisenreich,  Peter  Eidenfelt  (also  spelled  Inefeldt 
and  Eidenfield),  August  Horning,  Gottlieb  Zable,  John  Lateau 
(Sateau  also  Lotto),  John  Kochendorfer,  Sr.,  John  Grundmann. 
Other  family  names  in  the  colony  were:  Rosier  (Raessler), 
Urban,  Gluth,  Lummis,  Lang,  Sitzton,  Sieg,  Krause  (Krus, 
Kraus),  Stoltz,  Schwanke,  Nichols,  Giest  and  Levant.  In  the 
same  locality  was  Christ  Schlumberger,  three  miles  above  Beaver 
Creek. 

The  following  partial  list  of  those  who  found  refuge  in  Ft. 
Ridgcly  the  first  day  of  the  massacre  shows  many  names  of  early 
settlers  of  Renville  county.  According  to  the  official  reports  the 
refugees  at  the  fort  from  the  various  settlements  were : 

Beaver  Creek:  Ann  Latto,  aged  forty-two,  born  in  Germany. 
Husband  killed  August  18,  1862.  F.  Latto  (also  written  Lateau 
and  Sateau),  aged  twelve,  horn  in  Germany,  a  boy.  A.  Latto, 
aged  ten,  boru  in  Germany,  a  boy.  Augusta  Latto.  aged  five, 
born  in  Germany,  a  girl.  Marg.  Hayden,  aged  nineteen,  born  in 
Canada.  Husband  killed.  Catherine  Hayden,  aged  one  year, 
born  in  Minnesota.  John  Chassie,  aged  forty-six,  born  in  Prus- 
sia, lame  from  previous  injuries.  R.  Chassie,  aged  forty-two, 
born  in  Prussia,  wife  of  John  Chassie.  W.  Latto,  aged  one-half 
year,  bom  in  Minnesota.  Ernest  Lene  (Lentz),  aged  forty-five, 
born  in  Germany.  W.  Lene,  aged  forty-two,  born  in  Germany, 
wife  of  Ernst  Lene.  A.  Lenc,  aged  eleven,  born  in  Germany,  a 
girl.  L.  Lene.  aged  six,  born  in  Germany,  a  girl.  H.  Lenc,  aged 
one,  born  in  Minnesota,  a  boy.  T.  Lenc,.  aged  forty-three,  born 
in  Germany.  F.  Lenc,  aged  forty-three,  bom  in  Germany,  wife 
of  T.  Lenc.  P.  Belte  (Boelter),  aged  one-half  year,  born  in 
Beaver  Creek,  Minnesota,  parents  killed,  now  with  Fr.  Lene, 
C.  Yess,  aged  forty-eight,  born  in  Germany:  woman,  wounded; 
one  girl  nine  years  old,  captive.  M.  Yess,  aged  forty-five,  born 
in  Germany,  husband  of  C.  Yess.  A.  Yess,  aged  fourteen,  bom 
in  Germany,  a  boy.    A.  Levant,  aged  eleven,  born  in  Germany,  a 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  551 

boy,  parents,  two  sisters  and  brother  killed  by  the  Indians. 
G.  Cruer,  aged  eleven,  born  in  Germany,  boy,  father  and  mother 
killed.  John  Cruer,  aged  nine,  born  in  Germany,  brother  to 
G.  Cruer.  J.  Kircheodorfer  (Koehendorfer),  aged  eleven,  born 
in  Illinois  J  parents  and  sister  killed.  B.  Kirchendorfer,  aged 
nine,  bom  in  Illinois,  a  girl;  parents  killed,  relatives  in  Illinois: 
K.  Kirchendorfer,  aged  seven,  born  in  Illinois,  a  girl;  parents 
killed,  relatives  in  Illinois.  M,  Kirchendorfer,  aged  five,  born  in 
Illinois  j  parents  killed,  relatives  in  Illinois.  C.  Monwiler  (Man- 
weiler),  aged  twenty-three,  born  in  Germany;  husband  killed,  no 
children.  John  Myhre  (Myer),  aged  thirty-five,  bom  in  Ger- 
many; wife  and  three  children  killed  or  prisoners.  Michael 
Belter  (Boelter),  aged  thirty-one,  born  in  Germany;  wife  and 
children  killed  or  captives.  Petrus  B.  Jorkman  (Bjorkman), 
aged  forty-one,  bom  in  Sweden. 

Above  Beaver  Creek:  T.  Krons  (Krauset),  aged  thirty-two, 
born  in  Germany ;  wife  and  three  children  captured. 

Three  miles  above  Beaver  Creek:  Christ  Schlumberger,  aged 
twenty-six,  bom  in  Germany. 

LeCroix  Creek:  Ellen  McConnell,  aged  seventy,  born  in 
Scotland ;  has  a  daughter  and  two  children  captives.  David 
McConnell,  aged  forty  years,  bom  in  Scotland.  Joseph  McCon- 
nell, aged  twenty-five,  born  in  Scotland.  J.  Komro  (Kumro) 
aged  thirty-seven,  born  in  Germany.  May  Komro,  aged  thirty- 
two,  born  in  France;  wife  of  J.  Komro.  "W.  Komro,  aged  six, 
born  in  Minnesota,  a  boy.  L.  Komro,  aged  three,  born  in  Minne- 
sota, a  girl.  P.  Komro,  aged  three  months,  born  in  Minnesota, 
baby.  George  Buerry,  aged  thirty-seven,  born  in  Prance.  Sally 
Buerry,  aged  thirty-four,  bom  in  France,  wife  of  George  Buerry. 
C.  Buerry,  aged  fourteen,  bom  in  Buffalo,  New  York,  a  girl.  M. 
Buerry,  aged  twelve,  bom  in  Buffalo,  New  York,  a  girl.  George 
Buerry,  aged  six,  bom  in  Canada,  a  boy.  Emely  Buerry,  aged 
four,  born  in  Minnesota,  a  girl.  Mary  Buerry,  aged  three,  bom 
in  Minnesota,  a  girl.  Martha  Buerry,  aged  nine  months,  bom  in 
Minnesota,  a  baby.  H.  Kirtna  (Keartner),  aged  twenty-three, 
born  in  Germany,  husband  killed.  Mary  Zimmerman,  aged  forty- 
four,  born  in  Germany,  blind ;  husband  and  two  boys  killed,  rela- 
tives in  Ohio.  M.  Zimmerman,  aged  seventeen,  born  in  Germany. 
Eliz.  Zimmerman,  aged  fourteen,  born  in  Ohio.  Sam  Zimmer- 
man, aged  seven,  born  in  Ohio,  a  boy.  Mary  Froscap  (Frorip), 
aged  sixtj'-five,  born  in  Germany,  a  widow.  Eliza  Froscap, 
eighteen,  born  in  Germany.  E.  Paro  (Pereau),  aged  thirty-three, 
born  at  Sioux  Agency;  husband  killed.  J.  Paro,  aged  twelve, 
born  in  Canada,  a  girl.  M.  Paro,  aged  nine,  bom  in  Canada. 
E.  Paro,  aged  ten,  bom  in  Canada,  a  boy.  George  Paro,  aged 
eight,  born  in  Canada,  a  boy.  E.  Paro,  aged  five,  bom  in  Minne- 
sota, a  girl.     S.  Paro,  aged  one,  born  in  Le  Croix  Creek,  a  girl. 


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552  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

E.  Peco,  aged  twenty-two,  bom  in  Le  Croiz  Creek;  husband 
killed,  bas  one  girl  witb  the  Indians.  C.  Peco,  aged  one,  born 
at  Sioux  Agency,  Minnesota,  a  boy.  E.  Peco,  aged  six  months, 
bom  in  Minnesota,  a  boy.  C.  Witt,  aged  forty-five,  bom  in  Ger- 
many, wife  killed  by  the  Indians.  W.  Witt,  aged  fourteen,  bom 
in  Germany,  son  of  C.  Witt.  L,  Witt,  aged  nine,  bom  in  Ger- 
many, daughter  of  above.  C.  Witt,  aged  seven,  bom  in  Germany, 
a  boy.  M.  Witt,  aged  four,  bom  in  Wisconsin,  a  girl.  A.  Witt, 
aged  one,  bom  in  Minnesota,  a  boy.  Winona,  aged  seventeen, 
bom  at  Winona.  Louis  Lecroy  (Le  Croix),  aged  fifty-five,  bom 
in  Missouri.  Rosette  Lecroy,  aged  twenty-five,  bom  in  Missouri. 
Louis  Lecroy,  aged  twelve,  bom  in  Minnesota.  L.  Lecroy,  aged 
ten,  bom  in  Minnesota.  Spencer  Lecroy,  aged  eight,  born  in 
Minnesota.  Adrienne  Lecroy,  aged  seven,  bom  in  Minnesota. 
Olive  Lecroy,  aged  one  and  a  half  years,  bom  in  Minnesota,  a  girl. 

Fort  Ridgely :  M.  Jones,  aged  twenty-eight,  bom  in  England, 
wife  of  Sergeant  Jones.  Q,  W.  Jones,  aged  six,  bom  in  Mary- 
land, a  boy.  E.  L.  Jones,  aged  two,  bom  at  Fort  Ridgely,  a  girl. 
E.  Schilling,  aged  sixteen,  bom  in  Germany,  a  young  woman. 
J.  Schmahl,  aged  forty-five,  bom  in  Germany.  R,  Schmahl,  aged 
thirty-five,  bom  in  Germany,  wife  of  J.  Schmahl.  J.  Sclimahl,  aged 
seven,  bom  ia  Minnesota,  a  girl.  M.  Schmahl,  aged  six,  bom  in 
Minnesota,  a  girl.  S.  Schmahl,  aged  four,  bom  in  Minnesota,  a 
girl.  Al.  Schmahl,  aged  three,  bom  in  Minnesota,  a  boy.  H. 
Schmahl,  aged  one  and  a  half  years,  bom  in  Minnesota,  a  boy. 
S,  Halter,  aged  forty -five,  bom  in  Norway;  husband  enlisted  in 
Hamilton's  Battery.  C.  Halter,  aged  seven,  born  in  Chicago,  son 
of  S.  Halter. 

Near  Fort  Ridgely:  N.  Burb  (Buehrot)  aged  thirty-three, 
bom  in  Germany.  Anna  Burh,  aged  forty,  born  in  Germany, 
wife  of  N.  Burh.  W.  Burh,  aged  five,  bom  in  Minnesota,  a  girl. 
E.  Burh,  aged  one,  born  in  Minnesota,  baby.  Mary  Machansky, 
aged  twenty-eight,  bom  in  Poland.  M.  Machansky,  aged  seven, 
born  in  Illinois,  a  girl.  Jo  Machansky,  aged  five,  bom  in  Louisi- 
ana, a  girl.  Ant.  Machansky,  aged  four  months,  bom  in  Minne- 
sota. 

Below  the  Agency:  Anna  Sampson  (QuamJ),  aged  thirty- 
four,  born  in  Norway;  husband  killed  and  herself  badly  burned 
in  escaping.  Sam  Sampson,  one-half  year  old,  bom  in  Minne- 
sota. Ales  (Helleckl)  Peterson,  aged  twenty-seven,  bom  in 
Norway.  Julia  Peterson,  aged  twenty-two  bom  in  Norway,  wife 
of  Alex.  (Helleck)  Peterson.  P.  Peterson,  aged  three,  bom  in 
Minnesota,  a  boy.  J.  Peterson,  aged  one,  bom  in  Minnesota,  a 
girl. 

Three  miles  below  the  Agency  t  Peter  Klaron,  aged  twenty- 
nine,  bom  in  Germany.  This  is  possibly  a  misprint  for  Peter 
Horan. 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  553 

Mud  Lake:  A.  Buhro  (Buehrol),  aged  thirty-two,  bom  in 
Qermany ;  husband  killed  near  Fort  Ridgely.  H.  Buhro,  aged  one 
nnd  a  half  years,  bom  in  Minnesota,  a  boy.  The  Bieke  family. 
Four  sons  among  defenders. 

Although  Boon  after  the  massacre  the  Indians  were  punished 
or  transported,  prowling  bands  still  remained  in  the  vicinity  of 
their  old  haunts.  On  May  24,  1864,  Col.  Samuel  McPhail,  a 
pioneer  of  Redwood  Falls,  Redwood  county,  wrote  to  Col. 
William  Pfaender,  in  command  at  Fort  Ridgely.  lie  says: 
"There  are  in  this  vicinity  six  or  eight  straggling  Indians.  If 
you  could  send  up  ten  or  twelve  cavalry  for  a  few  days  with 
our  aid  I  feel  confident  we  could  capture  them."  On  June  2  he 
wrote  to  General  Sibley:  "We  are  and  have  been  greatly 
annoyed  by  small  bands  of  prowling  Indians.  We  would  respect- 
fully ask,  if  not  inconsistent  with  the  public  service,  that  you 
grant  us  a  small  detachment  of  troops."  Again,  imder  date  of 
June  14,  to  the  adjutant  general,  Oscar  Malmros,  he  says: 
"Send  me  to  Fort  Ridgely  twenty  Springfield  rifles;  also  1,000 
ball  cartridges.  Should  we  uae  these  cartridges  we  will  pay  for 
them  with  scalps,  that  is,  if  the  bounty  of  $200  still  holds  good ; 
if  not,  then  charge  them  to  the  good  of  the  service."  The  author- 
ities responded  to  the  appeals  by  sending  guns  and  ammunition 
on  July  28,  and,  on  December  12,  a  squad  of  twelve  ex-confed- 
erates for  guard  duty. 

In  the  winter  of  1862,  a  company  of  mixed  blood  scouts  com- 
manded by  Gabriel  Renville  was  stationed  at  Patterson's  Rapids 
in  Flora  township,  not  far  from  the  mouth  of  the  Sacred  Heart. 
&mong  these  scouts  was  Joseph  La  Framboise. 

After  the  Indian  outbreak,  a  chain  of  forts  was  established 
for  the  safety  and  protection  of  the  citizens  in  the  eastern  part 
of  the  state.  For  several  years  this  line  marked  the  western 
boundary  of  civilization  in  the  state.  Jerry  P.  Patten,  a  private 
in  Company  H,  Sixth  Minnesota  Volunteer  Infantry,  detachments 
of  which  were  stationed  at  these  posts  or  forts,  furnished  the 
names  of  the  posts  which  extended  through  Renville  county  and 
vicinity.  The  locations  were  as  follows :  Kingston  (on  Crow 
river),  Hutchinson,  Preston  lake,  Buffalo  lake,  Ft.  Burns  (between 
Buffalo  lake  and  Ft.  Ridgely),  Ft.  Ridgely  and  Sleepy  Eye.  In 
addition  to  the  companies  or  detachments  of  companies  of  infantry 
stationed  at  these  posts,  detachments  of  cavalrymen  patrolled  the 
line  every  day  to  look  for  signs  of  Indians.  The  ruins  of  the 
Buffalo  Lake  post  are  still  to  be  seen  on  the  shores  of  that  lake, 
not  far  from  the  village.  In  addition  to  the  posts  mentioned  the 
line  extended  across  the  state  and  well  into  Iowa. 

When  Darwin  S.  Hall  moved  to  Preston  Lake  township  there 
were  still  evidences  of  the  soldiers'  camp  along  the  shore  of  the 
lake  in  section  10.    On  the  southeast  quarter  of  the  northwest 


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554  HISTOKY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

qnarter  of  section  15  a  trench  had  been  cut  through  a  swell  of  land 
evidently  with  the  idea  of  shelter  and  defense. 

For  many  years  entrenchments  could  plainly  be  seen  near  Ft, 
Creek  in  Cairo  township,  some  mile  and  a  half  northeast  of  the 
fort. 

There  were  no  settlers  in  Renville  county  in  1864  west  of  the 
Riekies,  with  the  possible  exception  of  a  few  half  breeds  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  mouth  of  Hawk  creek.  Here  and  there  a  trapper 
pursued  his  calling  and  found  shelter  at  times  in  some  settler's 
cabin  left  standing  by  the  Indians,  but  for  the  most  part  the 
coimty  was  bereft  of  human  activity  from  the  time  of  the  Indian 
Massacre  to  the  time  when  a  few  brave  souls  ventured  back 
in  1865. 

That  there  were  no  settlers  between  Ft.  Ridgely  and  the  Red- 
wood ferry  in  1864  is  shown  by  an  experience  which  Jerry  P. 
Patten  relates  of  that  year. 

"In  the  month  of  May,  1864,  I  was  stationed  at  Ft.  Ridgely 
with  my  company,  H,  of  the  Sixth  Minn.  Vol.  Inf.  The  Indians 
cut  the  rope  of  the  ferry  boat  at  the  Lower  agency  ferry,  and  the 
boat  came  drifting  down  to  Ft.  Ridgely,  where  it  was  caught  by 
the  soldiers. 

■'Sergeant  Libbeus  White,  of  Co.  H.,  was  detailed  with  twelve 
'  men  to  pole  the  boat  back  up  the  river  and  with  a  new  rope  put 
the  ferry  in  working  condition  again.  The  detail  consisted  of  E. 
B.  Speed,  William  Speed,  James  Blair,  Lafe.  Root,  and  Jerry  P. 
Patten,  of  Co.  H,  Sixth  Regiment;  and  six  men  of  Co.  A,  Sixth 
Regiment.    The  task  was  performed  without  accident. 

"Then  we  tore  some  lumber  from  the  old  government  mill 
which  stood  just  below  the  ferry  and  made  a  raft  on  which  we 
floated  back  to  Ft.  Ridgely.    The  whole  trip  took  three  weeks. 

"At  that  time  there  were  no  settlers  above  Ft,  Ridgely. 
Neither  were  there  any  large  bodies  of  Indiana.  But  there  were 
smaU  parties  of  Indians  scouting  over  our  frontier.  A  scouting 
party  from  our  regiment  killed  an  Indian  on  the  Cottonwood 
river  between  Sleepy  Eye  and  New  Ulm  and  brought  his  body  to 
the  fort.  He  was  buried  behind  the  stone  quarters  in  lime  as  the 
physicians  desired  his  body.  The  place  he  was  killed  was  near 
the  home  of  R.  B.  Hinton,  later  one  of  the  first  business  men  of 
Morton." 

The  story  of  the  settlement  of  the  county  after  the  Outbreak 
is  told  elsewhere,  under  the  head  of  the  different  townships. 

An  Early  Map.  A  map  of  Renville  county  published  in  1873 
shows  many  interesting  features  as  contrasted  with  the  present 
day.  Boon  Lake  township  is  named  and  bounded  as  at  present. 
The  lake  bears  its  present  name.  Cornish  &  McKibbin  are  located 
on  the  lake  in  the  extreme  western  part  of  section  8.  A.  Schultz 
is  in  the  western  part  of  section  12.     A  school  house  is  in  the 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  555 

northwest  part  of  section  13.  W,  MeLaugblin  is  in  the  northern 
part  of  section  22.  A.  H.  Moore  la  in  the  southwest  part  of  sec- 
tion 21.  0.  B.  Stoddard  is  not  far  away,  but  his  exact  location 
is  not  indicated.  H.  I.  White  is  in  the  northern  part  of  section 
26  and  a  school  house  is  in  the  central  part.  W.  D.  Graham  is  in 
the  northern  part  of  section  28.  Section  30  ia  quite  thickly  set- 
tled. In  the  northeastern  part  is  a  school  house.  In  the  east 
central  part  is  J.  W.  Post,  while  in  the  southeastern  part  is  T.  H. 
Tyson.  In  the  northwest  corner  is  J.  McKeogh ;  south  of  him  is 
W.  H.  Simmons.  South  of  him  is  T.  McKeogh,  while  in  the 
southwest  corner  is  J.  Chapman.  G.  Maddock  is  in  the  southern 
part  of  section  31.  M.  T.  Ridout  is  in  the  north  central  part  of 
section  32  and  G.  R.  Green  is  in  the  northwestern  part.  Boon 
Lake  postoffice  is  northeast  of  the  center  of  section  33.  East 
of  it  is  I,  S.  Shephard.  In  the  southern  part  of  that  section  is 
J.  S.  Niles. 

Brookfield  township  is  named  and  organized  as  at  present. 
The  settlers  named  are  all  in  the  southeast  part.  G.  D.  Richard- 
son is  in  the  northeast  part  of  section  24 ;  J.  Booth,  south  of  him, 
and  W.  H.  Simmons,  south  of  him,  in  the  southeast  corner  of  the 
section.  J.  Wilt  is  in  the  central  part  of  section  26,  and  C.  E. 
Porter  in  the  northwest  corner  of  that  section.  E.  K.  Pellet  is 
in  the  northeast  comer  of  section  24. 

The  present  towns  of  Osceola,  Kingman',  Winfield  and  Crooks 
bear  no  name  and  no  names  of  settlers.  In  Winfield  township 
Lizzard  Lake  is  indicated.    This  is  the  present  Long  Lake. 

The  present  town  of  Ericson  is  indicated  as  Errickson,  but  no 
settlements  are  given  therein.  The  present  town  of  Wang  is 
given  as  a  part  of  Hawk  Creek  and  no  settlements  are  shown. 
The  creek  bears  its  present  name.  In  the  present  town  of  Hawk 
Creek  school  houses  are  shown  in  the  western  part  of  section 
4,  in  the  southeast  part  of  section  10.  Hawk  Creek  postoffice  is 
shown  in  the  southwest  part  of  section  8.  In  the  central  part  of 
that  section  is  F.  W.  Brasch,  .1.  Wynn  is  in  the  northern  part 
of  section  17  and  K.  T.  Reed  in  the  southwest  corner  of  section 
16.  M.  Robidoux  is  in  the  northeast  comer  of  section  28.  A 
hamlet,  Jeanettville,  is  on  the  river  in  the  northwest  part  of  that 
section.  J.  D.  McRoberts  is  in  the  northeast  part  of  section  34 
and  ft.  Kerry  in  the  northwest  corner  of  section  1  on  the  Min- 
nesota river. 

Saered  Heart  bears  its  present  name  and  area.  In  the  part 
that  embraces  townships  115-37  no  settlements  are  given.  A 
school  house  is  indicated  west  of  the  central  part  of  section  19. 
In  the  part  which  lies  in  township  114-37  a  school  house  is  shown 
in  the  southwest  part  of  section  12;  0.  Olson  is  shown  in  the 
southwest  part  of  section  4  and  Minnesota  Crossing  postoffice  is 
in  the  northeast  corner  of  section  8. 


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556  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

The  present  town  of  Emmet  is  given  as  Emmitt.  The  school 
house  is  shown  in  the  eastern  part  of  section  28  but  no  settle- 
ments. No  name  and  no  settlements  are  given  for  the  present 
town  of  Troy.  No  name  is  given  for  the  present  town  of  Bird 
Island.  The  only  farm  shown  is  that  of  N.  O'Brien  in  the  north- 
west corner  of  section  28.  No  name  is  given  for  the  present  town 
of  Melville.  N.  G.  Poor  is  in  the  central  part  of  section  18.  Hec- 
tor bears  its  present  name  and  boundaries.  W,  H.  Graham  is 
in  the  northern  part  of  section  2,  and  J.  J.  Clark  on  the  lake,  in 
the  southeast  part  of  the  same  section.  The  present  town  of 
Preston  Lake  hears  the  name  of  Preston  Lakes.  The  lake  bears 
its  present  name,  while  Lake  Allie  is  given  the  name  of  Lake 
Alley.  A  school  house  is  given  in  the  central  part  of  section  10, 
and  a  cemetery  in  the  northeast  part  of  section  15.  H.  H.  Davis 
is  in  the  northern  part  qf  section  7,  and  P.  Maddock  in  the 
southern  part  of  section  8.  In  the  central  part  of  section  16  is 
W,  Eynon.  Swansea  postoffice  is  in  the  western  part  of  sec- 
tion 14,  and  E.  Houck  in  the  eastern  part.  H.  F.  Bartlett  is  in 
the  north  central  part  of  section  22.  Buffalo  lake  is  in  the 
northern  part  of  section  30  and  northeast  from  it  flows  Buffalo 
creek. 

The  present  town  of  Martinsburg  is  given  no  name  and  no 
settlers.  The  present  town  of  Palmyra  is  given  its  present  name, 
hut  no  settlers.  Palmyra  postoffice  is  in  the  northwest  comer 
of  section  22,  The  present  town  of  Norfolk  is  given  the  name 
of  Marschner.  A  sehoolhouse  is  shown  in  the  southwest  corner 
of  section  28.  G.  W.  Crouch  is  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
township,  but  his  exact  location  is  not  given.  Henryville  bears 
its  present  name  and  boundaries.  M.  M.  Taylor  is  shown  in  the 
northwest  part.  Flora  township  has  its  present  name  and  boun- 
daries. A  school  is  shown  in  the  central  part  of  section  35. 
A  village,  Vicksburgh,  is  shown  in  the  central  part  of  section 

19.  Herzhorn  postoffice  is  in  the  central  part  of  the  boundary 
line  between  sections  35  and  2,  not  far  from  Minnesota  river. 
F.  Shoemaker  is  half  a  mile  away  in  the  northeast  part  of  sec- 
tion 1.  Middle  creek  flows  into  the  Minnesota  in  the  western  part 
of  section  33. 

Birch  Cooley,  Bandon  Wellington,  Camp,  Cairo  and  Beaver 
Falls  are  given  their  present  names  and  boundaries  with  the 
exception  that  the  "e"  is  omitted  in  spelling  Cooley. 

No  settlers  are  given  in  Wellington.  J.  Walseth  is  given 
in  the  southwest  part  of  section  31,  in  Bandon.  In  Birch  Cooley 
schoolhouses  are  shown  in  the  northeast  corner  of  section  29,  in 
the  western  part  of  section  23,  and  in  the  northwestern  part  of 
section  16.  Birch  "Cooly"  postoffice  was  west  of  the  center  of 
section  22.    G.  McCullock  is  south  of  the  central  part  of  section 

20,  P.  Henry  is  in  the  western  part  of  section  8,  and  J.  M.  Eaton 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  557 

in  the  northwest  part  of  section  4.  Holder  Jacobus  is  in  section 
12,  near  the  river.    Franklin  postoffiee  is  at  hia  home. 

Beaver  Falls  is  shown  as  a  good  sized  hamlet  in  section  22, 
Beaver  Falls  township.  A  cemetery  is  near  the  village.  School- 
houses  are  shown  in  the  southwest  part  of  section  8,  in  the  south- 
west part  of  section  2,  and  in  the  western  part  of  section  24.  A 
mill  is  shown  in  the  northeast  part  of  section  15,  owned  by  N.  D. 
White.  R.  Butler  is  in  the  central  part  of  section  12 ;  B.  Gordon 
is  in  the  southeast  part  of  section  1 ;  J.  Amett  is  in  the  northeast 
part  of  section  25 ;  E.  N.  Welch  is  in  the  northern  part  of  section 
20;  T.  H.  Risinger  is  in  the  eastern  part  of  section  8,  and  F. 
Schaller  in  the  northwest  part  of  section  9, 

The  only  church  shown  is  in  the  northwest  part  of  section  10, 
Gamp  township.  Schoolhouses  are  indicated  in  the  southwest  cor- 
ner of  section  10,  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  8,  and  the  north- 
east comer  of  section  26.  A  mill  is  shown  in  the  western  part 
of  section  18,  and  in  the  western  part  of  section  27.  H.  C.  Jansen 
is  southwest  of  the  center  of  section  10;  W.  Foley  is  in  the  south- 
east part  of  section  14;  N.  O,  Berge  is  ?hown  in  the  central  part 
of  section  26,  and  C.  Skielter  in  the  southern  part.  0.  0.  Nesburg 
is  in  tile  western  part  of  section  35,  and  William  F.  Grummons  in 
the  southwest  jiart  of  section  36.  A.  Monson  is  in  the  eastern  part 
of  section  7.  H.  S.  Johnson  is  in  the  northeast  part  of  section  18. 
J.  Halverson  is  in  the  southeastern  part  of  section  18.  Otto 
Haack  is  in  the  northeast  part  of  section  19.  Renville  postoffice 
is  near  the  joining  of  sections  22,  23,  26  and  27.  Three  Mile 
creek  is  indicated.     Foot  creek  is  also  shown. 

Three  schoolhouses  are  shown  in  Cairo,  in  the  northwest  part 
of  section  8,  in  the  Western  part  of  section  28  and  in  the  south- 
eastern part  of  section  27,  Mud  lake.  Mud  creek  and  Foot  creek 
are  shown.  E.  O'Hara  is  in  the  northeast  comer  of  section  8, 
D,  E.  Rector  is  in  the  central  part  of  section  20,  M.  M.  Buck  is 
in  the  southeast  part  of  section  29. 

The  map  is  by  no  means  complete.  The  few  farms  selected 
for  mention  were  evidently  taken  haphazard.  Some  of  the 
towns  in  which  no  farms  are  given,  were  fairly  well  settled.  Bat 
the  map  recalls  many  names  now  forgotten  and  gives  the  pres- 
ent day  reader  an  idea  of  the  appearance  that  Renville  county 
made  in  the  geographies  of  forty  years  ago. 

The  list  of  patrons  of  the  atlas  in  which  this  map  appeared 
is  also  interesting,  for  while  many  prominent  men  are  omitted, 
the  list  nevertheless  gives  the  names  of  many  people  who,  in 
those  days,  were  well  known. 

Marschner  township  (Norfolk) — Charles  H.  Sherwood,  sec- 
tion 34,  a  farmer,  bom  in  McHenry  county,  Illinois,  who  came 
to  Minnesota  in  1856. 


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558  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

£lkhom  township  (Melville) — Newton  G.  Poor,  section  18, 
farmer,  born  in  Warren  county,  Pennsylvania,  who  came  to  Min- 
nesota in  1856. 

Milford  township — J,  J.  Clark,  section  2,  a  farmer,  born  in 
New  York,  who  came  to  Minnesota  in  1871  j  W.  H.  Graham,  sec- 
tion 2,  a  farmer,  bom  in  New  York,  who  came  to  Minnesota  in 
1863;  and  K.  Olson,  section  18,  a  farmer,  bom  in  Waas,  Norway, 
who  came  to  Minnesota  in  1873. 

Hawk  Creek  township — F.  W.  Brasch,  section  8,  a  farmer, 
born  in  Germany,  who  came  to  Minnesota  in  1866;  Carl  Lewis, 
Minnesota  Falls,  a  merchant,  born  in  Stafford,  Conn.,  who  came 
to  Minnesota  in  18I»7;  George  Lewis,  Minnesota  Palls,  a  black- 
smith, born  in  Delaware  county,  Indiana,  who  came  to  Minnesota 
in  1857 ;  K.  T.  Reed,  section  16,  a  farmer,  born  in  Norway,  who 
came  to  Minnesota  in  1867 ;  Manlore  Robideaux,  section  28,  a 
farmer,  born  in  Canada,  who  came  to  Minnesota  in  1853;  George 
Theny,  section  1,  a  farmer,  born  in  Quebec,  Canada,  who  came 
to  Minnesota  in  1857;  Jesse  Wynn,  section  8,  a  farmer,  bom  in 
Warren  county,  Indiana,  who  came  to  Minnesota  in  1864, 

Beaver  Falls  township — Henry  Ahrens,  Beaver  Falls,  a  miller, 
born  in  Germany,  came  to  Minnesota  in  1861 ;  James  Arnold, 
Beaver  Palls,  sheriff,  born  in  Licking  county,  Ohio,  came  to  Min- 
nesota in  1867:  John  A.  Arnett,  section  25,  a  farmer,  born  in 
New  York,  came  to  Minnesota  in  1862;  Peter  Berudgen,  Beaver 
Falls,  dealer  in  general  merchandise,  born  in  Prussia,  Germany, 
came  to  Minnesota  in  1859;  Russell  Butler,  section  12,  a  farmer, 
bom  in  Clinton  county,  New  York,  came  to  Minnesota  in  1864; 
J.  W.  Barnard,  Beaver  Palis,  druggist  and  postmaster,  born  in 
Canada,  came  to  Minnesota  in  lfi70;  David  Corrothers,  Beaver 
Palls,  a  farmer,  born  in  Mansfield.  Ohio,  came  to  Minnesota,  in 
1856;  Wm.  Crowley,  Beaver  Falls,  proprietor  of  the  Dacota 
House,  born  in  Bradford  county,  Pennsylvania,  came  to  Minne- 
sota in  I860;  Lottie  A.  Clift,  section  8,  a  teacher,  bom  in  Indiana, 
came  to  Minnesota  in  1857;  C.  H.  Drew,  Beaver  Falls,  dealer  in 
fruit  trees,  born  in  Richmond,  Va.,  came  to  Minnesota  in  1850; 
John  M.  Dorman,  Beaver  Falls,  lawyer  and  court  commissioner, 
born  in  Rockbridge  county,  Virginia,  came  to  Minnesota  in  1865: 
Eric  Ericson,  Beaver  Palls,  county  auditor,  bom  in  Jefferson 
county,  Wisconsin,  came  to  Minnesota  in  1871 ;  Charles  W. 
Fleischer,  Beaver  Falls,  millwright,  born  in  Saxony,  Germany, 
came  to  Minnesota  in  1871 ;  G,  T,  Gronnerad,  Beaver  Palls,  a 
merchant,  born  in  Norway,  came  to  Minnesota  in  1872;  Hans 
Gronnerud,  Beaver  Falls,  county  treasurer,  bom  in  Norway,  came 
to  Minnesota  in  1871 ;  E.  H.  Gates,  Beaver  Falls,  saloonkeeper,  bom 
in  Connecticut,  came  to  Minnesota  in  1855;  C.  Henning,  Beaver 
Falls,  a  merchant,  came  to  Minnesota  in  1865,  bom  in  Prussia, 
Germany;  D.  S.  Hall,  Beaver  Falls,  clerk  of  the  district  court. 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  559 

bora  in  Kenosha  county,  WiBconsin,  came  to  Minnesota  in  1866; 
Henry  Hippie,  Beaver  Falls,  blacksmith,  born  in  Perry  county, 
Pennsylvania,  came  to  Minnesota  in  1856;  P.  W,  Heins,  Beaver 
Falls,  dealer  in  hardware  and  farming  tools,  born  in  Hanover, 
Germany,  came  to  Minnesota  in  1868;  Leonard  Hiller,  Beaver 
Falls,  retired,  born  in  Bavaria,  Qermany,  came  to  Minnesota  in 
1874;  H.  Kelsey,  Beaver  Falls,  editor  of  the  Renville  "Times," 
born  in  Danville,  New  York,  came  to  Minnesota  in  1874;  George 
H.  Megquier,  Beaver  Falls,  probate  judge,  county  attorney  and 
superintendent  of  county  schools,  bom  in  St.  Clair  county,  Maine, 
came  to  Minnesota  in  1867;  S.  R,  Miller,  Beaver  Falls,  attorney 
at  law,  born  in  Mansfield,  Ohio,  came  in  1871;  Jeppa  Pearson, 
Beaver  Falls,  cabinetmaker  and  furniture  dealer,  born  in  Sweden, 
came  in  1865;  T.  H.  Risinger,  section  8,  a  farmer,  born  in  Indiana, 
came  to  Minnesota  in  I860;  T.  H.  Sherwin,  Beaver  Falls,  physi- 
cian and  surgeon,  born  in  Allegany  county.  New  York,  came  to 
Minnesota  in  1860;  N.  Stone,  Beaver  Falls,  merchant  and  grain 
dealer,  born  in  Canada,  came  to  Mincsota  in  1854;  Frederick 
Shaller,  section  9,  a  farmer,  born  in  Germany,  came  in  1870; 
Charles  A.  Tripp.  Beaver  Falls,  a  fanner,  born  in  Wisconsin, 
came  in  1868:  M.  M.  Taylor,  a  farmer,  born  in  East  Canada,  came 
in  1865;  N.  D.  "White,  a  farmer  and  miller,  born  in  New  York, 
came  in  1862. 

Birch  Cooley  township — William  Brennan,  section  27,  clergy- 
man, born  in  Ireland,  came  to  Minnesota  in  1866;  James  M. 
Eaton,  section  36,  a  farmer  and  judge  of  probate,  born  in  New 
Hampshire,  came  to  Minnesota  in  1869;  Peter  Henry,  section  8, 
a  farmer  bom  in  Ireland,  came  to  Minnesota  in  lHn'4;  Holder 
Jacobns.  seetion  12  (Camj)),  bnrn  in  Ireland,  cHine  in  1865; 
George  McCulloch,  section  20,  a  farmer,  bom  in  Scotland,  came 
in  1853. 

Cairo  township — M.  M.  Burk,  section  29,  a  farmer,  born  in 
Vermont,  came  to  Minnesota  in  1869;  Edmund  O'Hara,  section 
8,  a  farmer,  bom  in  Limerick  county,  Ireland,  came  in  1866; 
and  Datis  E,  Rector,  section  20,  a  farmer,  bora  in  Schenectady 
eounty,  New  York,  came  in  1866. 

Rockford  township  (Brookfield) — Edward  K.  Pellet,  section 
34,  a  farmer  and  teacher,  bom  in  Massachusetts,  eame  to  Minne- 
sota in  1871 ;  Charles  E.  Porter,  section  26,  a  farmer,  born 
in  Illinois,  panic  in  1872;  George  D.  Richardson,  section  34, 
a  farmer,  born  in  Delaware  connty,  Indiana,  came  in  1867;  and 
Flora  E.  Wilson,  Brookfield,  a  teacher,  born  in  Dakota  county. 

Preston  Lake  township — H.  T.  Bartlett.  section  22,  a  farmer, 
born  in  Germany,  came  to  Minnesota  in  1868  r  Hiram  H.  Davis, 
section  7,  a  farmer,  born  in  Wyoming  county,  Pennsylvania,  came 
in  1856;  Watkins  Eynon,  section  16,  a  farmer  and  carpenter, 
bom  in  Wales,  came  in  1873;  Elijah  Houck,  section  14,  a  farmer, 


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560  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

born  in  New  Hampshire,  came  in  1854;  Francis  Haddock,  sec- 
tion 8,  a  farmer,  born  in  England,  came  in  1852. 

Boone  Lake  township — John  Booth,  section  24,  a  farmer,  bom 
in  Dutchess  county,  New  York,  came  to  Minnesota  in  1855 ;  Janaes 
Chapman,  section  30,  a  farmer,  bom  in  Niagara  county,  New 
York,  came  in  1866;  T.  M.  Cornish,  section  7,  stockraiser  and 
farmer,  born  in  New  York  city,  came  in  1872;  W.  D.  Graham, 
section  28,  a  farmer,  bom  in  Oakland  county,  Mieh.,  came  in 
1863 ;  George  R.  Green,  section  32,  a  farmer,  born  in  Chenango 
county,  New  York,  came  in  1852;  George  Maddock,  a  farmer, 
born  in  England,  came  in  1857;  Tim  McKeough,  section  30,  a 
farmer,  bom  in  Canada,  came  in  1872 ;  James  McKeough,  section 
30,  a  farmer  bom  in  Ireland,  came  in  1871 ;  G.  G.  McKibb,  Wil- 
liam McLaughlin,  section  22,  a  farmer,  bom  in  Schuyler  county, 
New  York,  came  in  1853 ;  James  S.  Nils,  section  33,  a  granger, 
bom  in  Indiana,  came  in  1855 ;  J.  W.  Post,  section  30,  a  farmer, 
bom  in  Niagara  county.  New  York,  came  in  1866;  Moaes  T. 
Ridout,  section  32,  a  farmer,  born  in  New  York,  came  in  1871; 
Ira  S.  Shepherd,  section  33,  a  farmer,  bom  in  Cattaraugus  county, 
New  York,  came  in  1855;  G.  D.  Stoddard,  section  24,  a  farmer, 
born  in  Steuben  county,  New  York,  came  in  1865;  W.  G.  Sim- 
mons, section  30,  a  farmer,  born  in  England,  came  in  1871;  Al- 
bert Schultze,  section  12,  a  farmer,  bom  in  Germany,  came  in 
1868;  William  H.  Simmons,  section  24,  a  farmer,  born  in  Eng- 
land, came  in  1871;  J.  H.  Tyson,  section  30,  a  farmer,  bom  in 
Champlain  county.  New  York,  eame  in  1867 ;  H.  T,  White,  section 
26,  a  farmer,  bom  in  Oswego  City,  New  York,  eame  in  1861;  John 
Witt,  section  26,  a  farmer,  bora  in  Dane  county,  Wisconsin,  came 
in  1873. 

The  native-bom  population  in  1870  was  1,808,  divided  as  fol- 
lows :  bom  in  Minnesota,  707 ;  New  York,  314 ;  Wisconsin,  199 ; 
Ohio.  62 ;  Illinois,  101 ;  Pennsylvania,  72.  The  total  foreign  bom 
population  was  1,411,  divided  as  follows:  bom  in  British  Amer- 
ica, 143;  England flnd  Wales,-34;  Ireland,  146;  Scotland,  4;  Ger- 
many, 248 ;  France,  3 ;  Sweden  and  Norway,  775. 

The  population  by  minor  civil  divisions  was  as  follows: 
Beaver  (now  called  Beaver  Falls),  total  569,  native  born,  401, 
foreign  bom,  168;  Birch  Cooley,  total  503,  native  born,  306,  for- 
eign born,  197;  Cairo,  total  326,  native  born,  227,  foreign  bom, 
99;  Camp,  total  418,  native  born  154,  foreign  born,  264;  Cedar 
Mills,  total,  205,  native  born,  180,  fon-ign  bom,  25;  Cosmos,  total 
62,  native  bom,  41,  foreign  born  21;  Flora,  total  269,  native  born, 
186,  foreign  bom,  83;  Hawk  Creek,  total  253,  native  bora,  94, 
foreign  bom,  259;  Preston  Lake,  total  198,  native  bora,  86,  for- 
eign bom,  230. 

In  1870  the  assessed  value  of  real  and  personal  property  in 
Renville   county  was  $225,143,  the  real  value  $1,209,252.     The 


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HKTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  561 

total  taxation  was  $6,084,  the  state,  $926,  the  county,  $4,165  and 
the  town  and  village,  $993.    The  public  debt  was  $1,000. 

Renville  county,  in  1870,  contained  512  farms,  which  are  di- 
vided according  to  their  acreage  as  follows :  Under  three  acres, 
1 ;  from  three  to  ten  acres,  142 ;  from  ten  to  twenty  acres,  183 ; 
from  twenty  to  thirty  acres,  159;  from  fifty  to  100  acres,  26, 
and  from  100  to  500  acres,  1. 

Improved  acres  of  land,  9,728;  woodland,  3,990  acres;  other 
land  unimproved,  61,084  acres.  Cash  value  of  farms,  $343,490; 
cash  value  of  farming  implements  and  machinery,  $30,149;  total 
amotmt  of  wages  paid  during  the  year,  including  value  of  board, 
$4,920;  total  (estimated)  value  of  all  farm  products  during  the 
year  including  value  of  board,  $96,043,  Value  of  animals 
slaughtered  or  sold  for  slaughter,  $2,606 ;  value  of  all  live  stock, 
$16,999;  number  of  horses,  404,  number  of  mules  and  asses,  20; 
milch  cows,  993 ;  working  oxen,  823 ;  other  cattle,  936 ;  sheep, 
833 ;  swine,  285. 

Spring  wheat,  43,289  bushels;  rye,  511  bushels;  Indian  com, 
6,537  bushels;  oats,  27,659  bushels;  barley,  3,610;  buckwheat, 
399  bushels ;  wool,  1,735  pounds ;  peas  and  beans,  97  pounds ;  Irish 
potatoes,  14,761  bushels;  butter,  40,185  pounds;  cheese,  610 
pounds;  hay,  9,731  pounds;  sorghum,  237  pounds. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

V2LLA0ES  PLATTED  AND  IHOOBPOBATED. 

Thirteen  Plate  Recorded — Surveys,  Locations  and  Owners — ^In- 
corporated Cities  and  Villages — Date  of  Incorporation — 
Tillajfe  Limits. 

Thirteen  plats  of  villages  are  recorded  in  Renville  county. 
One  of  these  has  since  become  a  city  and  nine  have  become  in- 
corporated villages.  The  other  three  were  of  considerable  im- 
portance as  flourishing  settlements  in  the  eaijy  days,  but  with- 
out railroads,  they  failed  as  time  passed  to  grow  as  their  pro- 
prietors had  hoped. 

Beaver  JallB  was  surveyed  July  25,  1866,  by  T.  W.  Caster, 
in  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  22,  township  113,  range  35, 
and  filed  July  4,  1867.  The  original  owners  were  Sam  McPhaill 
and  David  C or r others. 

Birch  Oooley  was  surveyed  June  17,  1866,  by  David  Watson, 
on  section  4,  township  112,  range  34,  and  filed  November  16, 
1870.    The  original  owner  was  Lewis  La  Croix,  Sr. 

Vicksbnrg  was  surveyed  October  21,  1870,  by  M.  S.  Spicer, 
in  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  19,  township  114,  range  36,  and 
filed  February  6,  1871.  The  original  owners  were  Zumwinkle 
Simon  Burch  and  William  Read. 


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562  HWTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

Bird  Island  was  surveyed  July  18-31,  1878,  by  E.  G.  Nourse, 
on  the  Boutheast  quarter  of  section  14,  range  34,  township  115, 
and  filed  November  30,  1878,  and  refiled  June  3,  1914  (according 
to  section  6859,  pp.  1474  of  the  G.  L.  of  Minn.,  1913).  The  orig- 
inal owner  was  the  Bird  Island  Townsite  company. 

Hecttnr  was  surveyed  September  11-14,  1878,  by  D.  N.  Cor- 
rell,  on  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  29,  township  115,  range 
32,  and  filed  April  9,  1879.  The  original  owner  was  the  Hastings 
and  Dakota  Railway  Company. 

Benville  was  surveyed  September  19-21,  1878,  by  D.  N.  Cor- 
rell,  on  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  5,  township  115,  range 
36,  filed  April  9,  1879.  The  original  owners  were  the  Hastings 
and  Dakota  Railway  Company. 

Olivia  was  surveyed  September  27-28,  1878,  by  D.  N.  Correll, 
on  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  7,  township  115,  range  34, 
filed  April  9,  1879.  The  original  owner  was  the  Hastings  and 
Dakota  Railway  Company. 

Sacred  Heart  was  surveyed  October  3-4,  1878,  by  D.  N.  Cor- 
rell, on  the  north  half  of  section  7,  township  115,  range  37,  filed 
April  9,  1879.  The  original  owner  was  the  Hastings  and  Dakota 
Railway  Company. 

Buffalo  Lalie  was  surveyed  in  August,  1881,  by  M.  D.  Rhame, 
on  section  30,  township  115,  range  31,  and  filed  August  31,  1881. 
The  original  proprietors  were  John  C.  and  Dorothea  Riebe. 

Franklin  was  surveyed  in  July,  1882,  by  GSeorge  W.  Cooley, 
on  a  portion  of  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  1,  township  112, 
range  34,  and  filed  August  9,  1882.  The  original  owners  were 
Axel  Anderson  and  Halleck  Anderson. 

Morton  was  surveyed  July,  1882,  by  George  W.  Cooley,  on  a 
portion  of  the  west  half  of  the  northeast  quarter  and  the  east 
half  of  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  31,  township  113,  range 
34.  and  filed  August  9,  1882.  The  original  owners  were  William 
G.  Hartley,  Elizabeth  S.  Bartley,  George  Buerry  and  Salome 
Buerry. 

Fairfax  was  surveyed  August  29,  1882,  by  George  W.  Cooley, 
on  the  northwestern  quarter  of  section  8,  township  112,  range 
32,  and  filed  October  9,  1882.  The  original  owners  were  John 
Welch  and  Mary  Welch. 

Miles  (Danube)  was  surveyed  June  27-28,  1898,  by  Charles 
G.  Johnson,  on  the  east  half  of  the  southeast  quarter  of  section 
6,  township  115.  range  35.  filed  July  3.  1899.  The  original  owners 
were  August  Sommerfield  and  Tillie  Sommerfield. 

mOOBPOBATIONS. 

Renville  county  has  one  city  and  nine  villages.  Renville  was 
incorporated  as  a  village  before  it  became  a  city,  and  there  was 
also  at  one  time  a  village  organization  in  Beaver  Falls. 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  56a 

Benville.  The  village  of  Renville  was  incorporated  by  an  act 
approved  by  the  legislature  February  19,  1881,  under  the  act  of 
legislature  approved  March  4,  1875.  The  following  parts  of 
territory  were  declared  a  village  corporation :  The  south  one- 
half  (14)  of  the  northwest  one-quarter  iVi),  and  the  southwest 
quarter  {14)  all  of  section  numbered  five  (5)  and  the  northwest 
one-quarter  (14)  of  the  northeast  quarter  {^^)  of  section  num- 
bered eight  (8),  all  in  the  township  numbered  one  hundred  and 
fifteen  (115)  north,  in  range  numbered  thirty-six   (36)  west. 

John  B.  Boyd,  William  P.  Baade  and  P.  Williams,  were  ap- 
pointed commissioners  to  perform  the  acts  relating  to  the  or- 
ganization of  the  village. 

The  charter  election  was  ordered  for  March  15,  1881,  at  the 
office  of  J.  T.  Brooks. 

Additional  territory  was  attached  to  the  village  by  an  elec- 
tion held  May  24,  1892,  in  charge  of  J.  C.  Spencer,  F.  0.  Gold 
and  Simon  Johnson. 

Renville  city  filed  its  charter  with  the  register  of  deeds  Janu- 
ary 17,  1906.     The  boundaries  were  described  as  follows: 

"All  of  section  five  (5)  and  the  north  half  (N.  14)  of  sec- 
tion eight  (8),  township  one  hundred  fifteen  (115)  north,  range 
thirty-six  (36)  west,  exceptin;;;  the  southeast  quarter  (S.  E.  V4) 
of  northeast  quarter  (N.  E.  Yi)  of  said  Section  eight  (8)  and 
south  twenty-eight  (28)  acres  of  southwest  quarter  (S.  W.  I/4) 
of  northeast  quarter  (N.  E.  y^)  of  said  section  eight  (8),  town- 
ship one  hundred  fifteen  (115)  range  thirty-six  (36)."  The 
elected  officers  were  to  be  a  mayor,  a  city  clerk,  a  treasurer,  a 
municipal  judge,  two  justices  of  the  peace,  one  alderman  from 
each  ward,  and  two  aldermen  at  large.  The  officers  of  the  city 
appointed  by  the  mayor  and  confirmed  by  the  council  were  to  be: 
a  city  attorney,  an  assessor,  a  board  of  health,  three  park  com- 
missioners, a  chief  of  police,  two  constables,  a  street  commis- 
sioner, a  chief  of  the  fire  department  and  a  superintendent  of 
the  light  and  water  plant.  Following  arc  the  persons  who  signed 
the  proposed  charter :  T.  0  'Connor,  president ;  L.  D.  Barnard, 
secretary;  H.  N.  Stabeek,  J.  H.  Dale,  L.  E.  Lien,  E.  H.  Heins, 
A.  B.  HolnibiTg,  F.  0.  Gold,  A.  L.  Bratseh,  Chris  Jensen,  L.  E. 
Lambert.  P.  Ilaan,  A.  M.  Holton,  R.  T.  Daly  and  William 
O'Connor. 

■  Bird  Island.  The  village  of  Bird  Island  was  incorporated  by 
an  act  approved  by  the  legislature  March  4,  1881.  It  was  to 
include  the  following  territory:  The  south  half  of  sections  eleven 
(11)  and  twelve  (12),  all  of  sections  thirteen  (13)  fourteen  (14), 
twenty-three  (23)  and  twenty-four  (24)  and  the  northeast  quar- 
ter (V|)  of  the  northeast  quarter  C^^)  of  section  twenty-six 
(26),  in  township  one  hundred  and  fifteen  (115),  north  of  range 
thirty-four  (34),  west. 


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564  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

The  officers  were  to  be:  one  president,  five  councillors,  one 
treasurer,  two  justices  of  the  peace,  one  recorder,  and  each,  ex- 
cept the  justices  of  the  peace,  was  to  hold  his  office  for  the  term 
of  one  year  and  until  his  successor  was  elected  and  qualified. 
The  justices  of  the  peace  were  to  hold  their  ofSces  for  two  years 
and  until  theil-  successors  were  elected  and  qualified.  In  addi- 
tion to  the  above  the  council  had  the  power  to  appoint,  and  de- 
fine the  duties  of  one  street  commissioner,  one  village  attorney, 
one  village  marshal,  and  such  other  officers  as  the  council  deemed 
necessary.  No  member  of  the  village  council  should  hold  any 
other  office  under  the  authority  of  the  village  during  the  term 
for  -which  he  was  elected  to  the  council.  The  president  and  the 
members  of  the  village  council  should  not  receive  any  salary  or 
compensation  whatever  for  services  as  such  officers. 

The  first  officers  of  the  village  were :  M,  Donohue,  president ; 
W.  H.  Holbrook,  J.  W.  Ladd,  Charles  C.  Ladd,  J.  W.  Barnard, 
E.  H.  Keenan,  councillors;  George  H.  Megquier,  village  attor- 
ney; T.  M,  Paine,  village  treasurer;  D.  D.  Williams,  village 
recorder;  J.  H.  Peeter,  street  commissioner;  W.  H.  Lewis,  village 
marshal ;  Wesley  Moran,  Fred  Hodgdon,  justices  of  the  peace. 

Bird  Island  village  was  reincorporated  November  15,  1905,  at 
a  special  election  held  for  this  purpose.  Pirty-two  votes  were 
cast  for  reincorporation  and  nineteen  votes  were  cast  against 
reincorporation.  The  clerks  of  the  election  were:  F.  L.  Puffer 
and  Albert  Brown.  The  judges  of  the  election  were:  L.  E.  Sher- 
wood, D.  J.  Deasy,  John  Kromer,  and  the  village  recorder  was 
J.  H.  Feeler. 

Hector.  The  village  of  Hector  was  incorporated  by  an  act 
approved  by  the  legislature  February  23,  1881,  under  the  act  of 
1875.  The  boundaries  were  as  follows:  All  those  portions  of 
the  county  of  Reuvilte  described  as  the  southeast  quarter  (Vi) 
of  section  numbered  twenty  (20)  and  the  southwest  quarter  (14) 
of  section  numbered  twenty-one  (21)  and  the  west  half  (^)  of 
section  numbered  twenty-nine  (29)  all  in  township  numbered  one 
hundred  and  fifteen  (115)  range  thirty-two  (32). 

C.  H.  Nixon,  O.  F.  Peterson  and  John  Truman  senior,  were  ap- 
pointed commissioners  to  do  the  acts  relating  to  the  organization 
of  the  village,  provided  for  by  section  nine  (9)  of  the  said  stat- 
ute. This  act  was  to  take  effect  and  be  in  force  from  and  after 
its  passage. 

Olivia.  The  village  of  Olivia  was  incorporated  by  an  act 
approved  by  the  legislature  March  4,  1881.  The  territory  was  to 
include:  All  of  section  seven  (7),  south  half  (Vz)  of  section 
six  (6),  north  half  (i/^)  of  section  eighteen  (18),  west  half  (V^) 
of  section  eight  (8),  and  northwest  quarter  (V4)  of  section  seven- 
teen (17),  southwest  quarter  {'/l)  of  section  five  (5),  township 
of  Bird  Island.    This  was  to  constitute  the  village  of  Olivia  under 


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HISTORY  OP  EENVILLE  COUNTY 


565 


the  provisions  of  chapter  one  hundred  and  thirty-nine  (139)  of 
the  general  laws  of  the  State  of  Minnesota  for  the  year  1875. 

Peter  Heins,  N.  Stone  and  William  Chriatensen  were  desig- 
nated commissioners  to  carry  out  the  provisions  of  section  nine  of 
said  chapter  and  the  secretary  of  state  was  directed  to  issue  his' 
official  notification  of  the  passage  of  this  act. 

Sacred  Hsart  was  incorporated  May  15,  1883.  This  village 
is  located  in  township  115,  range  37,  section  7. 

Fairfax.  On  December  2,  1887,  a  petition  was  presented  to 
the  board,  praying  for  the  incorporation  of  the  territory  as  Pair- 
fax,  commencing  at  the  southwest  comer  of  the  southeast  quarter 
of  section  7,  township  112,  range  32,  in  said  county,  running  east 
on  the  south  line  of  sections  7  and  8,  one  mile  to  the  southeast 
comer  of  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  8,  thence  due  north 
on  the  quarter  section  lines,  running  with  and  south  of  sections 
8  and  5  in  said  township  and  range,  one  and  a  half  miles  to  the 
northeast  comer  of  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  5,  thence 
due  west  on  the  quarter  line,  running  east  and  west  through  sec- 
tions 5  and  6  in  said  township  and  range,  one  mile  to  the  north- 
west corner  of' the  southeast  quarter  of  said  section  6,  thence 
due  south  on  the  north  and  south  quarter  line  of  sections  6  and 
7,  one  and  a  halt  miles  to  the  southwest  comer  of  the  southeast 
quarter  of  said  section.  The  petition  was  granted  and  an  elec- 
tion ordered  for  January  5,  1888. 

Morton.  A  petition  was  presented  to  the  board,  June  20, 
1887,  praying  for  the  incorporation  of  the  territory  as  Morton, 
located  as  follows:  In  the  county  of  Renville  and  the  state  of 
Minnesota,  in  the  township  113,  range  34,  section  31,  The  peti- 
tion was  granted  and  the  village  was  incorporated  June  20,  1887, 
and  an  election  was  ordered  to  be  held  August  1,  1887.  The  fol- 
lowing names  were  signed  to  the  petition:  T.  M.  Keefe,  D.  0. 
Lang,  J.  D.  Kennedy,  W.  M.  Westpaul,  George  White,  W.  Nelson, 
J.  H.  McGowan,  J.  C.  Vining,  W.  C.  Keefe,  B.  Brown,  A.  Aurmer- 
man,  James  Middleton,  A.  M.  Light,  Don  McNervin,  Pred  Mor- 
gan, C.  A.  Carleton,  John  P.  Thiery,  N.  A.  Stone,  H.  Brady,  P.  W. 
Orth,  P.  H.  Gallery,  W.  G.  Bartley,  A.  H.  Keefe,  T.  H.  Barkey, 
William  Danson,  H.  B.  Jackson,  E.  L.  Haskins,  Sam  Smith,  Ed- 
ward Bowler,  M.  H.  Bock,  Peter  Bertrang,  T.  W.  Keating,  Lib- 
bius  White,  W.  W.  Miller,  George  J.  Veigman,  James  Brose, 
Prank  Gaaseh,  William  Wall,  Morris  Cook,  H.  W.  Noak,  George 
H.  Miller,  J.  A.  Vickor,  P.  H.  Eyan,  John  Tote,  John  W.  Olson. 
Bobert  Henton,  W.  G.  Bartley  and  P.  H,  Gallery  were  appointed 
inspectors  of  the  election. 

Franklin.  On  March  20,  1888,  a  petition  was  presented  to 
the  board,  praying  for  the  incorporation  of  the  territory,  as 
Pranklin,  commencing  at  the  northeast  comer  of  section  1,  town- 
ship 112,  range  34,  running  thence  west  on  the  north  line  of  sec- 


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566  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

tious  1  and  2,  one  and  a  half  miles  to  the  northwest  comer  of 
the  northeast  quarter  of  section  2,  thence  south  on  the  quarter 
line  of  sections  2  and  11,  town  and  range  aforesaid,  one  and  a 
half  miles  to  the  southwest  corner  of  the  northeast  quarter  of 
the  northeast  quarter  of  section  12,  thence  north  on  the  east 
line  of  said  section  12  and  one  and  a  half  miles  to  the  place  of 
beginning.  The  petition  was  granted  and  an  election  was  or- 
dered April  24,  1888. 

April  15,  1890,  the  following  land  was  annexed  to  the  village 
of  Franklin:  Center  of  section  11,  township  112,  range  34,  part 
of  section  12,  containing  400.53  acres  of  land.  The  following 
petitioned  for  this  change :  Martin  Larson,  Jorgen  Oilbertson 
and  Louis  Shero. 

Beaver  Falls.  On  December  13,  1889,  a  petition  was  pre- 
sented to  the  board  praying  for  the  incorporation  of  the  territory 
in  section  15,  township  113,  north  of  range  35,  and  parts  of  sec- 
tions 15,  16,  17,  21,  22  and  23,  known  as  Beaver  Palls.  The  vil- 
lage was  incorporated  January  21,  1890,  at  the  court  house  of 
Beaver  Palls.  William  H.  Cheney,  P.  H.  Kirwan  and  P.  B.  Olson 
were  appointed  inspectors  of  election.  Following  are  the  names 
of  the  signers  of  the  petition :  T.  P.  Mclntyre,  P.  H.  Eirwan, 
T.  H.  Collyer,  Hans  Listenid,  Peter  B.  Olson,  James  S.  Anderson, 
"William  W.  McGowan,  Lewis  B.  Brown,  G.  McClure,  B.  Brown, 
Charles  Humbolt,  Gustave  Strenzel,  Willgems  Oldenburg,  S.  H. 
McCahe,  S.  R.  Miller,  Henry  Kelsey,  Fred  Robinson,  W.  H. 
Cheney,  Alexander  Brown,  L.  A.  Colson,  Peter  Ericson,  S.  Eric- 
son,  H.  H.  Neuenhurg.  John  Kelly,  F.  A.  Gordon,  Body  Siegfried, 
Andreas  Betz,  Julius  Betz,  Gregory  Witt,  Gregory  Witt,  Sr., 
E.  E.  Clements,  G.  P.  Gronnerud,  Albert  Carruth,  Edward  Power, 
George  Martin,  Eli  Stephens,  Hans  Gronnerud,  J,  T,  Cossentine, 
H.  C.  Weatherston  and  John  Garrity. 

This  incorporation  was  under  the  general  act  of  1885.  It  was 
found,  however,  that  all  the  details  of  that  act  were  not  com- 
plied with  and  on  April  14,  1891,  the  legislature  passed  a  special 
act  legalizing  the  incorporation  and  making  valid  all  the  busi- 
ness that  had  been  transacted  thereunder. 

The  incorporation  was  abandoned  some  years  later. 

Btiffalo  Lake.  October  5,  1891,  a  petition  was  formulated 
asking  that  the  village  of  Buffalo  Lake  be  incorporated.  The 
following  appeared  as  signers  to  this  petition:  John  C.  Riebe, 
Walter  Fausa.  Runhard  E.  Sell.  Frank  Warner,  Jr.,  Rudolph 
Engel,  William  Riebe,  Albert  Stucke,  August  P.  Kutzke.  C. 
Smith,  J.  N.  Matzdorf,  Jr.,  C.  P.  Hallgmen,  Thomas  Grause,  Wil- 
liam Goebel,  Fred  Wolphern.  Gustav  Heinberg,  W.  L.  Monson, 
Martin  L.  Monson,  Charles  Fauss,  Jr.,  Joseph  Femhotz,  Frank 
Schmidt,  L.  Matzdorf,  0.  A.  Pederson,  Edward  Sell,  Pred  Kroe- 
ger,  J.  S.  Pisher.  F.  Girber,  C.  Wallner,  C.  Bushmeyer,  R.  W. 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  567 

SchoenemaD,  Carl  Wenlund,  Charles  Hamaa,  William  Dixon,  and 
Charles  Wecker.  On  November  6,  1891,  the  petition  was  pre- 
sented to  the  board,  praying  that  the  territory  with  the  boun- 
daries commencing  at  the  southwest  corner  of  lot  No.  5,  in  sec- 
tion 31,  township  115,  range  31,  thence  due  north  on  the  west 
line  of  the  township  of  Preston  Lake,  two  miles  to  the  northwest 
corner  of  west  lot  No.  12  in  section  19  in  said  town,  thence  due 
east  on  the  east  and  west  quarter  line,  of  section  19  and  20,  thence 
south  on  the  quarter  line,  running  north  and  south  through  sec- 
tions 20  and  29,  one  mile  to  the  southeast  corner  of  the  north- 
west quarter  of  said  section  29,  thence  due  west  160  rods  to  the 
section  line  between  sections  29  and  30  in  said  town,  thence 
south  said  section  line  160  rods  to  the  northwest  comer  of  the 
northwest  quarter  of  section  32  in  said  town,  thence  east  on  the 
second  line  between  sections  39  and  30  of  said  town,  160  rods, 
thence  due  south  160  rods  to  the  southeast  comer  of  the  north- 
west quarter  of  said  section  32,  thence  due  west  two  miles  to 
the  place  of  beginning,  said  territory  containing  2,175.21  acres, 
be  incorporated  as  BufFalo  Lake.  The  petition  was  granted  and 
an  order  for  election  made. 

March  31, 1900,  a  petition  to  detach  certain  territory  from  the 
village  of  Buffalo  Lake  was  presented,  the  land  in  question  being 
the  north  half  of  section  31,  part  of  32,  30,  29,  20  and  19  in  town- 
ship 115,  north  of  range  31,  The  petition  was  signed  by  the 
following:  Paul  Johnson,  Andy  Leasman,  Prank  Wallner,  Mar- 
tin MonsoQ,  George  Haag,  John  Lindmeier,  Howard  L.  Clark, 
M.  D.,  Fred  Antonson,  Charles  TJecker,  David  W.  ToplifF,  Her- 
man Wendtland,  Charles  Pauss,  F.  G.  Nellermoe,  George  W. 
Riebe,  John  I.  Anderson,  Richard  Fisher,  Peter  Fisher,  Oscar 
Hagberg,  Charles  Hamann,  Wilhelmina  Wendtlandt,  John  Wall- 
ner, A.  L.  Richardson,  F.  C.  Eiaelein,  Joseph  Hames,  Joseph 
Plor,  Gustav  C.  Henke,  N.  L,  Monson,  and  J.  C.  Nagel. 

Miles  (Danube).  On  October  2,  1901,  a  petition  was  pre- 
sented to  the  board,  praying  that  the  territory,  beginning  at  the 
quarter  section  coiirse  between  sections  14  and  15  in  township 
115,  range  32,  thence  north,  on  the  section  line  to  a  point,  27.8 
chains  south  of  the  quarter  section  comer,  between  sections  10 
and  11  in  said  town  and  range,  the  point  of  termination  of  that 
part  of  said  road  proposed  to  be  changed,  be  incorporated  as 
Miles.  The  petition  was  granted  and  an  election  ordered  to  be 
held  November  5,  1901. 


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568  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

POSTOFFIOES. 

Beginning  of  System — Early  Offices  in  EenviUe  Coonty — BMory 
of  Present  Offices — Postmaster  and  Locations — Disotmtinned 
Postoffices — Forgotten  Names. 

Tlie  postal  service  is  a  feature  of  goTemment  as  old  as  the 
written  history  of  man.  The  influeDce  and  accomplishments  of 
the  postal  service  have  practically  extended  the  progress  of  com- 
mercialism throughout  the  vorld.  So  far  as  history  records, 
a  system  of  communication  was  evidently  conceived  by  Cyrus, 
shortly  after  his  conquest  of  the  Persian  empire,  in  the  year  550 
B.  C.  That  systematic  ruler  sought  to  keep  in  touch  with  the 
affairs  of  his  vast  domain,  and  to  that  end  required  his  governors 
to  write  to  him  frequently  about  their  several  districts.  In  order 
to  make  these  eommimications  safe  and  expeditious  he  built 
post  roads  throughout  the  empire  and  established  posthouses  at 
distances  along  these  roads.  The  service,  however,  both  in  an- 
cient and  medieval  periods  was  established  for  the  government 
alone  and  uot  for  the  general  public. 

The  first  postoffice  which  was  established  for  the  general 
public  was  in  1516,  between  Berlin  and  Vienna.  In  1523  England 
established  a  postal  system,  but  it  was  only  used  for  communica- 
tions between  the  royal  family. 

The  postal  system  in  America  dates  from  1639,  when  the  Gen- 
eral Court  of  Massachusetts,  by  an  ordinance,  legalized  such  a 
system  and  directed  that  all  letters  brought  from  across  the  sea 
or  to  be  sent  to  parts  of  the  colonies,  should  be  left  at  the  house 
of  Richard  Fairbanks,  in  Boston,  and  by  him  sent  to  the  proper 
destination.  He  was  allowed  a  penny  compensation  for  the  trans- 
mission of  each  letter  and  was  accountable  to  the  authorities  for 
any  dereliction  of  duty.  The  postal  system,  however,  in  the  early 
colonial  days,  was  something  of  a  go-as-you-please  system. 

Benjamin  Franklin,  the  father  of  our  postoffice  system,  was 
appointed  postmaster  at  Philadelphia  in  1737,  and  in  1753  he 
was  appointed  deputy  postmaster  general  for  the  Colonies. 

In  1776  there  were  btit  twenty-eight  postoffices  in  the  Colonies, 
fourteen  of  these  being  in  Massachusetts. 

In  1785  the  Colonies  decided  to  manage  the  postal  business 
on  their  own  responsibility,  and  appointed  Benjamin  Franklin 
postmaster  general  at  a  salary  of  $1,000  a  year,  authorizing  him 
to  establish  postoffices  from  Maine  to  Georgia. 

President  George  Washington,  in  1789,  appointed  Samuel  Os- 
good, of  Massachusetts,  the  first  postmaster  general  of  the  United 
States.  At  that  time  there  were  but  seventy-five  postoffices, 
yielding  a  revenue  of  less  than  $40,000  a  year.    The  rate  of  post 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY   ■  569 

age  was  six  cents  for  thirty  miles  and  up  to  twenty-five  cents 
for  450  miles. 

Today  there  are  over  60,000  postoffices,  yielding  a  revenue  of 
over  $200,000,000.  About  a  thousand  million  letters  and  postal 
cards  are  now  distributed  in  the  United  States  every  month.  The 
service  has  grown  and  expanded  to  such  a  degree  that  twenty 
years  ago  would  have  been  considered  extravagant,  and  yet  the 
service  is  practically  in  its  infancy.  But  it  already  forms  an  in- 
tricate network  over  all  oar  land  and  extends  to  the  far-off  island 
poBsessioDS,  and  yet  its  achievements  are  not  nearly  at  an  end. 

The  first  rural  route  in  the  United  States  was  established  in 
the  fall  of  1896.  Fifteen  thousand  dollars  was  expended  for 
rural  free  delivery  purpose  during  that  fiscal  year. 

The  parcel  post  regulations  which  went  into  effect  in  1913, 
opened  a  new  era  of  shipping  facilities  and  is  proving  of  the 
greatest  benefit  to  all  who  make  use  of  it. 

In  1873  there  were  twelve  postoffices  in  the  county  as  follows : 
Boon  Lake,  northeast  of  the  center  of  section  33,  Boon  Lake 
township ;  Hawk  Creek,  in  southwestern  part  of  section  8,  Hawk 
Creek  township;  Jeanetteville,  in  section  28,  on  the  river  in 
Hawk  Creek  township;  Swansea,  in  the  western  part  of  section 
14,  Preston  Lake  township;  Palmyra,  in  the  northwest  comer  of 
section  22,  Palmyra  township ;  Birch  Cooley,  in  the  west  of  the  cen- 
ter of  section  22,  Birch  Cooley  township ;  Franklin  postoffice,  at 
the  home  of  H.  Jacobus,  in  section  12,  near  the  river,  in  Birch 
Cooley  township ;  Renville,  at  the  joining  of  sections  22,  23,  26, 
27,  Beaver  Falls  township ;  Minnesota  Crossing  in  the  northeast 
corner  of  section  8,  Sacred  Heart  township,  on  the  river ;  Herz- 
hom,  on  the  line  between  sections  35  and  2,  Flora  township; 
Vicksburg,  in  section  19,  Flora  township ;  and  Beaver  Falls,  sec- 
tion 28,  Beaver  Falls  township.  Lake  Side  is  believed  to  have 
been  established  in  1871,  but  it  does  not  appear  on  the  map  of 
1873. 

In  1882  there  were  seventeen  postoffices  in  Renville  county, 
as  follows :  Olivia,  Bird  Island,  New  Lisbon,  Hector,  Eddsville, 
Henryville,  Renville,  Beaver  Falls,  Bandon,  Boon  Lake,  Lake 
Side,  Swansea,  Sacred  Heart,  Camp,  Birch  Cooley  (Morton), 
Vicksburg,  and  Franklin. 

In  1889  there  were  twenty-three  postoffices.  Swansea  had 
been  discontinued  and  the  following  added:  Bechyn,  Buffalo 
Lake,  Fairfax,  Plorita,  Wellington,  Winfield  and  Norfolk. 

No  changes  were  made  until  1895,  when  there  were  twenty- 
three  postoffices,  Henryville  being  discontinued  in  1893  and  Os- 
ceola added.    Birch  Cooley  was  changed  to  Morton. 

In  1897  there  were  twenty-three  postoffices. 

In  1899  there  were  twenty-five  postoffices:  Miles  (Danube) 
and  Brookfield  were  added. 


,v  Google 


570  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

In  1901  there  were  twenty-four  postofficea,  Bandon  being  di»- 
continued. 

In  1905  there  were  eleven  postoffices,  the  following  being  die- 
contiuued ;  Beaver  Falls,  Bechyn,  Boon  Lake,  Camp,  Eddsville, 
Florita,  Lake  Side,  New  Liabon,  Norfolk,  Vicksburg,  Wellington, 
Winfield  and  Osceola.  Recently  the  Brookfield  postoffice  waa 
discontinued,  leaving  ten  ofiSces  in  the  county. 

Morton.  Birch  Cooley  postofBce  was  established  about  1868 
or  1869  and  George  H.  McCulloch  appointed  postmaster;  the 
office  was  at  his  hous^,  in  section  20,  on  the  weat  branch  of  the 
Birch  Cooley,  on  what  is  now  the  Peter  Kaveny  farm.  It  con- 
tinued about  two  years  on  that  location  and  then  W.  H.  Jewell 
waa  appointed  postmaater  and  the  office  was  established  on  his 
farm  on  the  eaat  branch  of  the  Birch  Cooley  creek.  He  held  office 
about  eight  years  and  was  succeeded  by  "W.  G.  Bartley,  who 
moved  the  office  a  little  farther  down  the  creek  to  his  mill,  on 
section  28. 

In  the  fall  of  1882  the  land  on  which  Morton  now  stands,  was 
owned  by  W.  G.  Bartley,  and  in  1882  this  land  was  platted.  The 
first  building  was  erected  by  W.  G.  Bartley  for  a  postoffice.  It 
was  a  frame  building,  12  by  12,  a  kind  of  temporary  arrange- 
ment. This  building  is  still  standing.  It  has  been  moved  to  the 
place  now  owned  by  Fred  Pfeiffer  in  the  eaat  part  of  the  village 
and  ia  used  by  Mr.  Pfeiffer  for  a  chicken  bouse.  Mr.  Bartley, 
who  was  then  postmaster  of  Birch  Cooley,  moved  the  postoffice 
to  this  building  without  permission  of  the  postal  authorities,  and 
in  1895  the  name  waa  changed  to  Morton. 

Bartley 's  original  postoffice  waa  on  lot  24,  block  9.  Shortly 
afterward  be  erected  the  building  which  is  still  standing  on  lot 
2,  block  14.  He  originally  built  the  structure  on  lot  1,  but  moved 
it  to  its  present  location.  In  this  building  he  kept  the  postoffice. 
When  P.  J.  Ryan  became  poatmaater  he  moved  the  office  to  lot  23, 
block  15,  in  a  building  which  is  atill  standing.  The  next  post- 
master, Don  McNevin,  and  the  next,  W.  C.  Keefe,  kept  the  office 
in  the  same  building.  Joseph  Smith  kept  the  office  in  a  small 
building  on  lot  16,  block  9.  This  building  now  stands  on  lot  17, 
block  13.  When  this  building  was  moved,  Mr.  Smith  transferred 
the  office  from  lot  16,  block  9,  across  the  street  to  lot  13,  block  8. 
His  widow,  Mra.  Caroline  E.  Smith,  moved  the  office  to  the  pres- 
ent site.  The  next  poatmaater  waa  R.  B.  Henton,  Jr.  When  he 
reaigned,  William  Wichman  was  appointed  by  Preaident  William 
Taft.  But  the  senate  failed  to  confirm  the  appointment  and  the 
present  poatmaater,  Otis  W.  Newton,  was  appointed.  At  the  time 
of  going  to  press,  Julia  A.  Eeefe,  daughter  of  T.  M.  Keefe,  has 
been  recommended  for  the  position. 

The  present  employes  are :  Otis  W.  Newton,  postmaster ; 
Carrie  Newton,  assistant  postmaster ;  Lottie  Newton,  clerk.  There 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  571 

are  two  rural  routes — route  No.  1  goes  north  of  the  town,  the 
carrier  being  Peter  Toossaint,  and  route  No,  2  goes  south  of  the 
town,  with  carrier  A.  A.  De  France, 

Franklin  postoffice  was  established  in  the  late  sixties  prior  to 
which  time  mail  was  received  from  Ft.  Ridgely.  The  first  post- 
master was  Holder  Jacobus,  a  settler,  living  in  section  12,  range 
112  west,  township  of  Birch  Cooley.  He  was  a  Ciyil  War  veteran 
having  served  as  color  sergeant.  He  served  until  1873,  when 
Halvor  S.  Johnson,  living  in  section  18,  township  of  Camp,  two 
miles  east  of  the  Jacobus  place,  received  the  appointment  and 
held  it  for  two  years,  the  office  being  located  at  his  country  store, 
one  mile  east  of  its  first  site.  Mr,  Johnson  resigned  and  Peter 
Lahte  held  office  for  about  one  year,  when  he  resigned  in  favor 
of  Knut  Rye,  who  held  the  office  for  about  two  years,  being  lo- 
cated a  short  distance  from  the  old  place.  All  of  this  time  the 
office  was  on  what  is  known  as  the  old  Fort  Ridgely  trail.  Mr. 
Rye  resigned  and  moved  away  and  in  1881  the  postoffice  was 
taken  to  Camp,  where  it  was  held  by  Severt  Nelson,  at  what  is 
known  as  Three  Mile  Creek  in  that  township.  Then  Edwin  S, 
Johnson,  a  brother  of  Halvor  Johnson,  sent  in  a  petition,  to  the 
department  to  be  appointed  postmaster  for  the  Franklin  post- 
office  and  received  his  appointment  in  March,  1882.  He  kept  the 
office  at  the  old  Jacobus  place  in  Birch  Cooley,  where  it  was  first 
established  until  the  fall  of  1882,  when  he  built  the  first  build- 
ing in  the  village  of  Franklin  and  moved  the  postoffice  into  it. 
In  the  spring  of  1885  Peter  Henry  was  appointed  postmaster  and 
he  served  for  four  years,  when  Tver  Mahlum  was  appointed. 
After  four  years.  Rose  Reagan  received  the  commission  as  post- 
mistress in  1893  and  held  it  until  1897,  when  J.  M,  Johnson  was 
appointed  and  held  the  office  until  his  death,  in  1904,  when  his 
daughter,  Clara  Johnson,  was  appointed.  She  resigned  in  April, 
1907,  and  Edwin  S.  Johnson  again  took  charge,  April  20,  1907, 
and  is  the  present  postmaster. 

Franklin  postoffice  was  a  registered  letter  officn  in  1873  and 
became  a  money  order  office  in  1890,  the  first  money  being  is- 
sued April  14,  and  it  became  a  postal  savings  bank  August  1, 
1912.  Three  rural  routes  were  established  in  April,  1902.  S.  O, 
Hohle  has  had  charge  of  route  No.  1  ever  since.  Route  No.  2  has 
been  served  by  Edward  Anderson,  John  Tweet  and  Thomas 
Grimes,  who  has  carried  mail  for  eight  years  on  this  route. 
Route  No.  3  has  been  served  by  Joseph  Anderson  and  P.  0.  Hog- 
stad,  who  has  carried  mail  for  eleven  years  on  this  route. 

Bandon  and  Camp  postoffices  'have  been  discontinued  into 
Franklin  postoffice. 

The  present  staff  consists  of  Edwin  S.  Johnson,  postmaster; 
Martha  Johnson  Jacobs,  assistant  postmaster;  and  Mary  John- 
son, clerk. 


,v  Google 


572  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

Sacred  Heart  postoffice  was  established  in  1873  and  was  lo- 
cated about  one  and  a  half  miles  southeast  of  where  the  village 
now  stands,  the  ofBce  being  on  the  farm  of  Eric  S.  Qunderson. 
He  was  succeeded  by  0.  S.  Beishus,  who  had  been  the  postmaster 
of  the  Minnesota  Crossing  (or  the  Minnesota  Landing  as  it  was 
sometimes  called)  postoffice,  which  was  about  nine  miles  Bouth- 
east  of  Sacred  Heart.  It  had  been  established  in  1870  with 
Q.  P.  Qreene  as  postmaster,  who  kept  the  office  at  his  home.  In 
1876  or  1877  0.  S.  Beishus  was  appointed  the  postmaster  and 
moved  it  to  hia  home,  until  it  was  discontinued  in  1S77  or  1878, 
as  the  Sacred  Heart  postofBce.  Among  the  postmasters  have 
been  the  following:  Eric.  S.  Gunderson,  1873-March  19,  1877; 
O.  S.  Reishus,  1877-1885;  Andrew  O'Gordon,  1885-December  14, 
1889;  Gilbert  Martinson,  December  15,  1889-October  16,  1893; 
Nels  A.  Nellermoe,  October  17,  1893-Oetober  8,  1897 ;  Theodore  A. 
Eude,  October  9,  1897- April  30,  1903;  Peter  Roe,  May  1,  1903- 
August  3,  1913 ;  GuneriuB  0.  Bergan,  August  4,  1913,  who  is  the 
grandson  of  Eric  S.  Qunderson,  the  first  postmaster  of  Sacred 
Heart. 

Four  rural  mail  routes  were  established  in  1902  and  are  now 
being  served  by  Thomas  Gilbertson  on  route  No.  1,  who,  with  the 
exception  of  the  first  month,  has  carried  this  route  since  the  first; 
Emil  Ericson,  on  route  No.  2 ;  Ole  G.  Rude,  route  No.  3  and  Mar- 
tin H.  Skogberg  on  route  No.  4.  Besides  Minnesota  Crossing, 
the  postoffice  of  Jeannetville  was  also  discontinned,  after  Sacred 
Heart  was  established.  It  was  located  eight  miles  southwest  of 
Sacred  Heart  and  F.  W.  Brasch  was  the  postmaster. 

Danube  postoffice  was  established  as  Miles  in  1897.  In  1898 
August  Sommerfield  built  a  postoffice,  10  by  12  feet.  Emma 
Somraerfield  was  the  postmistress.  In  1900  the  name  was 
changed  to  Danube,  and  in  1901  H.  W.  Shoemaker  became  the 
postmaster.  He  served  until  1915,  when  Emil  A.  Voelz  was  ap- 
pointed. In  1904  it  became  a  registered  letter  and  money  order 
office.  The  present  staff  are  Emil  A.  Voelz,  postmaster;  Lillian 
Schroeder,  clerk.  The  rural  routes  were  established  January  2, 
1904.  The  carriers  of  route  No.  1  have  been  Henry  Grabow, 
Benjamin  Horst,  Mike  Strassuer  and  August  E.  Wallert.  Adolph 
Wallert  has  been  carrier  on  route  No.  2  ever  since  it  was  estab- 
lished. 

Hectn*  postoffice.  The  township  of  Hector  was  established  in 
the  early  seventies.  At  that  time  there  was  considerable  strife 
regarding  the  selection  of  a  name,  one  faction  on  th&  northwest 
portion,  headed  by  W.  H.  Graham,  wanted  the  name  of  Hector, 
and  the  opposition  on  the  southwest  portion,  headed  by  J.  B. 
Perkins,  insisted  on  the  name  of  Plainfield.  Hector  was  chosen 
and  at  the  same  time  application  made  to  the  postoffice  depart- 
ment, and  the  postoffice  of  Hector  established  in  1875.    John 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  573 

Baker  was  appointed  postmaster  and  kept  the  office  at  hie  home. 
The  opposition  also  applied  to  the  postofBce  department  for  a 
postoffice  to  be  established  under  the  name  of  Plainfield,  with 
J.  P.  Perkins  as  postmaster,  and  the  office  was  located  on  his 
farm,  nov  the  farm  of  Mrs.  F.  A.  Marsh.  A  star  route  had  al- 
ready been  established  between  Hutchinson  and  Beaver  Falls 
and  supplied  the  offices  with  mail  matter  about  once  a  week  if 
the  weather  and  the  roads  permitted. 

In  1878  the  Milwaukee  road  was  built  through  the  county  and 
iu  September,  of  the  same  year,  the  townsite  was  surveyed  and 
was  called  Hector,  after  the  township  and  the  postoffice  was 
moved  from  the  farm  of  Mr.  Baker  to  the  village  of  Hector,  with 
W.  D.  Griffith  as  postmaster,  his  commission  being  dated  October 
8,  1878.  The  office  was  kept  at  his  store.  '  The  receipts  of  the 
office  at  that  time  amounted  to  the  enormous  sum  of  $4.50  per 
quarter.  Fifty  dollars  worth  of  postage  stamps  ordered  from 
the  department  at  one  time  was  considered  an  endless  supply, 
but  as  the  postage  stamps  were  often  bought  by  people  sending 
small  remittances  through  the  mail,  the  requisition  soon  had  to 
be  increased.  In  a  short  time  the  Plainfield  postoffice  was  dis- 
continued and  the  postmaster  ordered  by  the  postoffice  depart- 
ment to  deliver  his  supplies  to  the  Hector  postoffice,  which  he 
did,  after  many  protests  and  threats  against  the  government. 
The  consolidation  of  the  two  offices  naturally  increased  the  rev- 
enue  and  as  the  village  began  to  grow  the  receipts  of  the  office 
increased  and  soon  it  was  found  necessary  to  establish  a  money 
order  system,  which  added  much  to  the  convenience  of  the  peo- 
ple, there  being  no  banks  nearer  than  Glencoe. 

W.  D.  Griffith  was  elected  county  treasurer  in  1885  and  re- 
signed from  his  office  as  postmaster,  the  compensation  paid  to 
the  postmaster  at  that  time  having  increased  to  $750. 

W.  D.  Griffith  kept  the  office  in  his  store  in  lot  2,  block  3. 
Then  he  erected  a  small  building  on  lot  20,  block  4,  to  which  he 
moved  the  office.  Then  he  went  into  partnership  with  C.  H.  Nixon 
in  the  firm  of  Nixon  &  Griffith,  general  merchants,  and  the  office 
was  moved  to  the  store,  lots  21  and  24,  block  4.  In  1885,  Wm. 
Griffith  resigned  and  was  followed  by  J.  S.  Niles  who  moved  the 
office  to  lot  16  in  the  same  block.  In  1889,  Niles  resigned  and 
was  followed  by  James  Chapman,  who  moved  the  office  to  lot  15, 
block  3;  In  1893,  0.  R.  White  became  postmaster  and  moved  the 
office  to  lot  9,  block  4.  The  next  postmaster  was  0.  C.  Halveraon, 
who  took  office  in  1897.  He  was  a  partner  of  A.  M.  Ericson  in  the 
hardware  business.  For  a  time  the  office  was  kept  on  lot  1,  block 
7,  and  later  moved  to  the  new  building  on  lot  14,  block  3.  W.  B. 
Strom,  the  present  postmaster,  took  office  in  1897.  He  kept  the 
office  in  the  former  location  for  a  while  and  then  moved  it  to  his 
store,  lots  5  and  8,  l:>lock  7. 


,v  Google 


574  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

When  W.  B.  Strom  became  postmaster,  June  1,  1897,  it  was 
a  fourth-class  office.  After  Mr.  Strom  had  conducted  its  affairs 
some  two  and  a  half  years  it  was  raised  to  the  third  class.  The 
business  ia  increasing  year  by  year  and  the  patrons  receive  excel- 
lent service.  There  are  six  rural  routes.  For  a  time  the  post- 
office  was  made  a  postal  savings  station,  but  no  deposits  were 
made,  as  the  savings  business  of  the  vicinity  is  adequately  looked 
after  by  the  local  banks.  C,  J.  Whitney  ia  assistant  postmaster. 
Mrs.  A.  E.  McQrath  is  clerk.  The  carriers  are :  1,  Thomas  J. 
Leary ;  2,  J.  H.  Bush ;  3,  Albert  J.  Brown ;  4,  A.  H.  Walker ;  5, 
Leon  B.  Haws;  6,  William  Cords. 

Buffalo  Lake  poatoffice  was  established  in  Preston  Lake  town- 
ship, October  1,  1887,  with  John  ('.  Riebc  postmaster.  Among 
its  postmasters  have  been  the  following :  A.  Stucke,  October  31, 
1895-August  15,  1899 ;  George  W.  Riebe,  August  15,  1899-Mareh 
31,  1903;  Peter  P.  Walstrom,  March  13,  1903-September  15,  1911; 
Philip  E.  Schoeneman,  September  15,  1911 — and  Lizzie  L.  Quast, 
assistant. 

It  was  made  a  postal  service  station  April  9,  1912.  The  first 
rural  route  was  established  April  1,  1902,  with  James  Harrier, 
carrier,  for  a  short  time.  Other  carriers  were  August  Eddeland, 
William  Wassmond,  Rudolph  Marks,  Wyman  L,  Townsend,  who 
is  still  serving.  Route  No.  2  was  established  October  1,  1903,  and 
the  carrier  was  Gustave  King,  who  is  still  serving.  Route  No.  3 
was  established  in  1903.  Its  carriers  have  been  Arthur  Buttler, 
Edward  Bottomlay  and  Alvin  R.  Borden,  who  has  served  nine 
years.  Route  No.  4,  with  Julius  Otto  as  carrier,  and  Route  No.  5, 
with  Charles  J.  Larson  as  carrier,  were  established  in  1903  and 
transferred  from  Brookfield  to  this  office,  June  15,  1914,  The 
following  postoffices  have  been  discontinued  into  Buffalo  Lake 
postoffice:  Brookfield,  June  15,  1914;  Lake  Side,  March  31, 
1902.  with  0.  J.  Edner,  postmaster;  Boone  Lake.  March  31,  1902, 
with  Thomas  Bradford,  postmaster;  Brack,  Minn.,  March  31, 
1902,  with  August  Albrecht,  postmaster. 

BenviUe.  J,  B,  Anderson  became  postmaster  in  January,  1879, 
at  which  time  the  Wadsworth  postoffice  which  had  been  conducted 
by  L.  A.  Brooks  in  the  southern  part  of  Emmet  was  discontinued. 
Anderson  kept  the  postoffice  in  the  drug  store  he  and  W.  D. 
Spaulding  conducted  on  the  present  site  of  the  First  National 
Bank.  He  was  superseded  by  W.  F.  Baade.  To  continue  the  story 
of  the  postoffice,  Mr.  Baade  continued  as  postmaster  until  Cleve- 
land's first  term,  when  Carl  Henning  was  appointed.  He  kept 
■the  office  in  the  brick  block'  on  the  west  side  of  Main  street,  just 
south  of  what  is  now  the  Columbia  elevator.  L.  A,  Brooks,  the 
nest  postmaster,  moved  the  office  to  a  small  building  on  the  west 
side  of  Main  street  a  few  doors  south  of  what  is  now  the  First 
National  Bank.    He  also  had  temporary  quarters  elsewhere  for  a 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  575 

I    -'^  m 

time.  It  was  also  Mr.  Brooks  who  moved  the  office  to  its  present 
location.  He  was  followed  as  postmaster  by  Ferdinand  H.  Berning 
who,  in  torn,  was  succeeded  by  W.  L.  Poseley,  the  present  post- 
master. 

Bird  Island  postoffice  was  established  in  the  spring  of  1878, 
and  the  office  located  at  J.  F.  Bowler's  house,  section  26;  he  was 
appointed  postmaster.  The  same  fall  it  was  removed  to  the 
yillage  and  located  at  J.  W.  Ladd's  store;  J.  W.  Ladd  becoming 
the  postmaster.  Since  then  the  poHtmasters  have  been  C.  L.  Lor- 
rain,  F.  Hodgdon,  Albert  Brown,  L.  E.  Sherwood,  D.  J.  Deasy, 
I.  S.  Gerald,  Amund  Dahl,  J.  H.  Feeter,  Josi'ph  Raggett. 

Olivia  postoffiee  waa  established  in  1878,  and  the  office  located 
at  the  elevator  of  I.  Lincoln,  Sr,,  who  waa  appointed  postmaster. 
In  January,  1880,  W.  P.  Christensen  was  appointed  postmaster 
followed  by  Lib.  White,  Daniel  Haire,  Wm.  H.  Sehmitt  and  Wm.  P. 
Christiansoii  again  nntil  1906,  when  -lames  Jl.  Peckinpangh  was 
appointed,  serving  mitit  1907.  Henry  11.  Niieunburg  then  held 
the  position  until  the  appointment  of  A.  P.  Heaney. 

Fairfax  postoffiee  came  into  existence  in  the  early  eighties. 
The  first  postmaster  in  Fairfax  was  L.  T.  Grady,  the  first  mer- 
chant. He  was  appointed  late  in  1882  or  early  in  1883.  He  kept 
the  office  first  in  his  shack  and  then  in  his  store.  He  was  followed 
by  Bridget  O'Hara,  who  kept  the  office  in  the  John  Buehler  store 
on  lot  10,  block  1.  She  was  followed  by  her  husband,  Vincent 
Brandt.  The  next  postmaster  was  Horatio  "Werring,  who  kept  the 
office  at  his  store  on  lot  9,  block  3.  M.  D.  Brown  became  post- 
master in  1894.  He  kept  the  office  in  a  building  back  of  lot  8, 
block  2,  on  the  alley.  He  was  followed  in  1898  by  P.  M.  Ray,  who 
kept  the  office  on  lot  3,  block  2,  The  next  postmaster  was  Ole 
H.  Grasmoen,  who  kept  the  office  on  lot  9,  block  2,  the  present 
location.    M.  D.  Brown  again  became  postmaster  March  13,  1915. 


DISCONTmUED  POSTOFFIOES. 

HertzhcMTi  was  established  in  Flora  township  in  1872,  with 
F.  Shoemaker  as  postmaster.  His  son,  H.  W,  Shoemaker,  now  of 
Danube,  says  of  those  days;  "The  nearest  towns  were  New  Ulm 
and  Willmar,  three  days  journey  away  by  ox  team. 

"The  winters  here  were  very  severe  in  the  early  days,  the 
roads  were  often  covered  with  snow  four  and  five  feet  deep,  and 
the  thermometer  would  sink  to  between  thirty  and  forty  degrees 
below  zero. 

"Along  in  the  early  seventies  we  had  the  grasshoppers  and 
I  have  seen  them  so  thick  on  the  limbs  of  the  trees  that  the 
branches  would  bend  to  the  ground ;  often  when  they  were  flying 
you  could  not  see  the  sun,  they  lasted  about  six  years." 


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576  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

Vicksburg  poetoffice  was  established  as  the  Sacred  Heart  post- 
office  at  Samuel  Burnell's  house,  in  Flora  township,  about  1869. 
The  next  year  the  name  was  changed  to  Yicksburg  and  the 
office  moved  to  the  store,  and  William  Baade  was  made  post- 
master; John  Larkin  became  postmaster  in  1878.  Josephine 
Brooks  served  from  1S99-1905,  when  it  was  discontinued. 

Camp  postoffice  was  established  before  1873,  then  being  known 
as  Renville  postoffice.  T.  H.  Hafsoe  was  appointed  postmaster 
and  kept  the  office  at  his  store  on  the  southwest  corner  of  sec- 
tion 23.  The  next  postmaster  was  Louis  Thiele,  In  1879  the 
name  was  changed  to  Gamp  and  Sever  P.  Nelson  appointed  post- 
master; the  office  being  at  his  store  on  section  23.  Mr.  Nelson 
was  suMeeded  by  H.  M.  Hogestad  and  he  in  turn  by  Curtis 
Merkel,  who  kept  the  office  in  his  house  on  the  north  side  of  sec- 
tion 27,  the  office  up  to  this  time  having  been  kept  in  the  stores 
of  the  various  postmasters.  The  sixth  postmaster  was  N.  0. 
Berge,  who  kept  the  office  in  his  house  on  the  south  side  of  the 
northeast  quarter  of  section  23,  who  held  the  office  for  fourteen 
years,  until  it  was  discontinued  before  1905. 

Brookfleld  postoffice  came  into  existence  quite  early  and 
among  its  postmasters  were  W.  F.  Volkenaut,  William  C.  Boon 
and  Victor  A.  Cedarstrom.  It  was  discontinued  into  Buffalo 
Lake  June  15,  1914. 

Swansea  postoffice  was  established  in  1869  with  William  Ros- 
ser  as  postmaster,  and  discontinued  before  1889.  It  was  located 
in  the  western  part  of  section  14,  Preston  Lake  township. 

Norfolk  was  established  as  a  postoffice  in  1878,  with  James 
Brown  as  postmaster,  hut  was  discontinued  the  same  year.  It 
was  established  again  in  1899  and  discontinued  before  1905. 
Among  its  postmasters  has  been — 1899-1905 — P.  Ryan. 

Bandon  postoffice  was  established  in  1881,  with  A.  0.  Hole  as 
postmaster.  It  was  discontinued  before  1901.  0,  P.  Hoimyr 
served  from  1899  to  1901. 

Henryville  postoffice  was  established  at  the  house  of  Dr. 
Schoregge,  postmaster,  in  1879,  and  discontinued  before  1899. 

New  Lisbon  postoffice  was  established  in  Wang  township  in 
1866,  and  Christopher  Hutchins  was  appointed  postmaster,  he 
having  the  office  at  his  home. 

Winfleld  postoffice  eame  into  existence  quite  early,  and  was 
discontinued  before  1905.    N.  Swanson  served  as  postmaster. 

Wellington  postoffice  was  established  quite  early  and  discon- 
tinued before  1905.    R.  O.  Shoenfelder  served  as  postmaster. 

Osceola  postoffice  was  established  before  1903  in  Osceola 
township  and  discontinued  before  1905.  Charles  Kenning  served 
as  postmaster. 

Boon  Lake  postoffice  came  into  existence  before  1873  and  was 
discontinued  before  1905.     E.  E.  Ricker  served  at  one  time  as 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  577 

postmaster.  It  was  discontinued  March  13,  1892,  into  Buffalo 
Lake. 

Bechyn  postoffice  was  established  in  Henryville  township  and 
discontinued  before  1905.  Among  its  postmasters  have  been  J. 
T.  Serbus. 

Hlmiesota  CrosBing  postoffice  was  established  about  1870,  and 
located  in  the  northeast  corner  of  section  8,  near  the  river,  in 
Sacred  Heart  township,  at  the  house  of  G.  P.  Greene,  who  was 
postmaster ;  in  1876  0.  S.  Reishus  was  appointed  postmaster,  and 
the  ofSce  was  moved  to  his  house;  in  1878  the  ofBce  was  moved 
to  the  village  and  the  name  changed  to  Sacred  Heart. 

Hawk  Creek  postoffice  was  established  in*  1869,  with  J.  S. 
Earle  in  charge ;  after  several  changes  the  office  was  discon- 
tinued in  1880. 

Plainfleld  postoffice  was  established  in  1875,  in  Hector  town- 
ship, with  J.  B.  Perkins  as  postmaster;  he  kept  the  office  at  his 
house  until  it  was  discontinued  in  187S. 

PslmTra  postoffice  was  established  at  T.  A,  RisdaU'a  house  in 
1873;  after  several  changes  it  was  discontinued  in  1880. 

Wadsworth  postoffice  was  established  in  Emmett  township,  in 
July,  1875,  and  H.  E.  Wadsworth  appointed  postmaster,  the  office 
being  located  at  his  house.  In  1876  the  office  was  removed  to 
the  house  of  L,  A.  Brooks,  who  was  appointed  postmaster;  in 
1879  the  office  was  discontinued. 

Hafakahsahpah  postoffice,  in  charge  of  E.  U.  Russell,  was  es- 
tablished in  1868  and  discontinued  in  1870.  It  was  in  Boon  Lake 
township. 

Lake  Side  postoffice  was  established  in  1871,  with  I,  S.  Shep- 
pard  as  postmaster.  It  was  discontinued  March  31,  1902,  into 
Buffalo  Lake.  Among  its  postmasters  were :  1899-1901,  Minnie 
B.  Carrigan;  1901-03,  Arthur  L.  Kingman;  1903-05,  Orville  J. 
Eduer.    It  was  discontinued  March  13,  1892,  into  Buffalo  Lake. 

Florita  postoffice  was  established  quite  early  and  discontinued 
before  1905.  Among  its  postmasters  have  been  Ferdinand  Schroe- 
der  and  Julius  A.  Sehroeder. 

Eddsville  postoffice  was  established  in  1878,  and  E.  H.  Oleson 
appointed  postmaster,  and  the  office  located  at  his  house  on  sec- 
tion 28,  It  was  discontinued  before  1905,  A.  Danielson  serving 
as  postmaster  from  1899  until  its  discontinuance. 

Beaver  Falls  postoffice  was  established  in  the  early  sixties 
with  M.  S.  Spieer  as  postmaster.  It  was  discontinued  in  1902, 
when  Philjp  Meier  was  postmaster. 

Biroh  Cooley.  The  history  of  this  office  is  given  under  the 
head  of  Morton. 

Jeanette  postoffice  was  established  before  1873,  in  section  28, 
on  the  river,  in  Hawk  Creek  township.  One  of  the  postmasters 
was  F.  W.  Brasch. 


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578  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

CHAPTER  XXVI 

OFFICIAL  TEANSACTIONS 

Story  of  th«  Doings  of  the  County  Conumssionera — Th«  CounQr 
Eleat  Fights  and  Successive  Court  Houses — Names  of  Coun^ 
Officialft  and  What  They  Did  While,  in  Office— Estimate  of  Men 
and  Motives — Compiled  from  tiie  Auditor's  Becords. 

That  there  were  county  officials  and  some  kind  of  county 
organization  prior  to  those  county  officials  elected  in  the  fall  of 
1866  may  be,  and  doubtless  is  true,  and  the  question  is  considered 
in  another  part  of  this  work. 

In  NoYeinber,  1866,  a  full  set  of  county  officers  was  elected. 
There  was  at  that  time  no  court  house,  no  county  seat,  no  village, 
no  sehoolhousp,  or  church,  in  fact,  no  public  hall  or  building  in 
Renville  county  in  which  to  conduct  the  official  business  of  the 
county,  and  the  county  officers  were  forced  to  conduct  their  offi- 
cial business  at  their  homes  upon  their  farms  in  different  parts  of 
the  county.  These  county  officers  did  not  begin  their  terms  until 
1867.  The  election  of  county  officers  in  1866  was  most  primitive; 
polling  places  were  few,  ballots  were  mostly  written  in,  but  the 
will  of  a  few  active  people  was  registered,  and  the  legality  of  the 
election  was  never  questioned. 

N.  D.  White,  George  McCulloch  and  Francis  Shoemaker  were 
the  county  commissioners  elected.  Mr.  White  was  chosen  chair- 
man. They  organized  at  Mr.  White's  house  on  Beaver  Creek  near 
where  the  county  seat  was  afterwards  located.  Some  of  the  newly 
elected  county  officers  came  forward  and  qnalitied  as  best  they 
knew  how.  Some  never  did  show  up,  others  resigned  soon  after 
getting  started.  Setting  up  a  county  government  in  the  wilder- 
ness was  most  perplexing  with  many  aggravating  things  con- 
nected therewith,  but  the  pioneer  of  those  days  had  to  do  the 
things  necessary  to  be  done,  regardless.  They  organized  Renville 
county  and  it  has  stayed  organized  from  that  time  on,  with  some 
uplhiHvals  that  thrt-ateuftl  the  stnieliire.  but  the  oltl  fellows  laid 
the  foundation  so  deep  it  never  settled  or  got  out  of  plumb. 

The  first  meeting  of  the  county  commissioners  before  men- 
tioned was  held  upon  April  2,  1867.  At  this  meeting  the  towns  of 
Mud  Lake  (now  Cairo),  Camp,  Birch  Cooley,  Beaver,  Flora  and 
Hawk  Creek  were  named  with  the  territory  comprising  them 
described,  as  were  the  school  districts,  from  one  to  eight  inclusive. 

Though  Charles  R.  Eldredge  had  been  elected  county  auditor 
and  his  term  of  office  began  in  March,  a  Mr.  Christian  appeared 
to  act  as  deputy  auditor  at  this  meeting. 

The  second  meeting  of  this  county  board  was  on  April  4,  1867, 
Election  districts  were  laid  out.    Judges  of  election  were  named 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  579 

and  other  local  -officers  appointed  in  the  effort  to  bring  order  out 
of  eoikfuBion.  Charles  R.  Eldredge,  the  duly  elected  auditor, 
appears  to  have  entered  upon  the  duties  of  his  office  at  this  time. 

Grasshoppers  and  drought  distressed  the  few  settlers  then  in 
the  county.  The  state  and  general  government  assisted  them  with 
food.  No  taxes  had  been  levied  or  assessed,  and  there  were  no 
prospects  of  any  money  in  towns  or  county  treasuries  for  an 
indefinite  time. 

On  May  21,  following,  this  same  board  directed  the  county 
auditor  to  procure  twelve  copies  of  the  revised  statutes,  pledging 
the  good  faith  of  the  county  for  the  payment.  At  this  meeting 
the  county  auditor's  salary  was  fixed  at  $100.00  per  year,  for 
which  the  good  faith  of  the  county  must  also  have  been  pledged, 
as  in  case  of  the  statutes. 

At  this  time  most  of  the  land  was  vacant  government  land 
and  those  few  homesteads  not  taxable.  The  board  appointed 
assessors  to  hunt  property  to  tax.  Like  the  election  judges,  some 
served,  others  paid  no  attention  to  their  appointment,  but  in  some 
way  it  was  planned  to  hunt  down  a  part  of  the  taxable  real  and 
personal  property  in  the  county.  Auditor  Eldredge,  who  was  not 
much  of  a  scholar  or  scribe,  with  some  help  collected  the  data, 
secured  writing  paper  somewhere,  made  himself  a  book  upon 
which  he  extended  and  made  a  record  of  taxes  against  those  they 
had  lassooed,  as  it  were.  January  7,  1868,  the  board  of  county 
commissioners  met  in  regular  session  in  Beaver  township  with 
N.  D.  White  of  Beaver,  chairman;  Francis  Shoemaker  of  Flora 
and  Halleek  Peterson  of  Camp,  commissioners. 

At  this  meeting  a  bill  of  $14.00  wa.'^  presented  by  Sheriff  F. 
E.  Bresnot,  and  one  for  $51.00  by  Gottlot  Schieg,  the  jailer  of 
Brown  county,  for  care  and  board  of  prisoners,  showing  that  law 
and  order  was  being  considered  and  the  need  of  a  county  jail 
apparent. 

At  this  time  Charles  R.  Eldredge,  county  auditor,  after  nearly 
a  year  of  official  trials  and  tribulations  laid  down  the  burden  of 
offici',  with  its  $100  annual  stipciul  annexed,  and  resigned.  Car- 
ter H.  Drew  was  appointed  county  auditor  in  his  stead.  Mr. 
Drew  was  an  eccentric  bachelor  about  fifty  years  of  age,  a  clean 
man  and  capable.  He  brought  order  out  of  confusion  and 
started  official  bookkeeping  of  the  county  remarkably  well,  con- 
sidering that  he  had  no  office,  no  blanks  or  bound  books  or  money 
to  purchase  them.  Sheets  of  writing  paper,  stitched  and  pasted 
together,  comprised  the  entire  records  of  his  office.  At  this  meet- 
ing the  auditor  was  directed  to  secure  lists  from  the  II.  S.  land 
office  of  land  entered  and  owned  by  individuals,  that  it  might  be 
assessed  and  taxed  as  funds  were  badly  needed.  The  treasury 
was  empty.  Nevertheless,  one  record  book  was  ordered  for  R. 
"W.  Davis,  register  of  deeds.    During  this  year  the  affairs  of  the 


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580  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

county  took  od  a  more  business  like  appearance.  Roads  were 
laid  out  and  some  eflFort  to  fix  the  worst  places  was  made.  Other 
towns  and  school  districts  were  created,  new  asseBsors  appointed 
and  the  small  amount  of  taxable  property  in  the  county  was 
fairly  well  listed  and  assessed.  County  Auditor  Drew  neatly  ex- 
tended the  taxes  upon  the  books  he  had  made  for  that  purpose. 
Now,  if  the  taxes  could  be  paid,  things  ofBcial  would  look  better; 
but  none  were  paid.  There  was  no  money,  nor  any  way  to  get 
it.  County  orders  were  issued  in  payment  of  all  county  indebted- 
ness, and  the  writing  of  these  county  orders  entailed  consider- 
able labor  on  the  part  of  Auditor  Drew,  So  it  wasdecided  that 
the  county  should  have  printed  order  blanks,  the  assumption 
being  that  a  printed  order  would  look  better,  and  what  was  of 
more  importance,  sell  better,  and  be  used  more  freely  as  a  me- 
dium of  circulation.  The  blind  goddess  of  Justice  was  fixed 
upon  as  an  emblem,  being  regarded  as  appropriate  and  consid- 
ered likely  to  give  the  orders  more  the  appearance  of  real  money. 
The  auditor  was  directed  to  write  to  Mart.  Williams,  a  printer  at 
St.  Peter,  for  prices  and  styles.  This  was  the  first  move  to  fur- 
nish supplies  for  the  auditor's  ofBce. 

The  determination  to  get  at  the  taxable  property  over  much 
territory  must  have  been  strong,  for  on  Sept.  3,  1868,  at  a  meet- 
ing of  this  same  county  board,  on  motion  of  Commissioner  Peter- 
son, the  county  auditor,  was  directed  to  assess  all  personal  prop- 
erty in  the  districts  consisting  of  the  counties  of  Chippewa,  Lac 
qui  Parle  and  Big  Stone.  Thus  it  would  appear  that  Renville 
county,  once  upon  a  time,  had  charge  of  a  vast  domain. 

By  this  time  the  town  site  of  Beaver  Falls  had  been  laid  out. 
Henry  Hippie  had  a  blacksmith  shop,  N.  Stone,  Christian  Preg- 
nitz  and  others  were  starting  or  were  already  storekeepers,  Louis 
Thiele  was  building  a  hotel,  which  was  so  far  completed  that  a 
county  convention  was  held  therein  and  a  full  set  of  county  offi- 
cers named  for  the  election  in  November,  1868. 

The  county  oiBcers  nominated  at  this,  Renville  coimty's  first 
Republican  convention,  were  all  duly  elected  at  the  November 
election  following,  among  whom  were  D.  S.  Hall,  county  audi- 
tor; Henry  Ahrens,  treasurer;  W.  H.  Jewell,  sheriff.  The  board 
of  county  commissioners  for  this  year  were  Francis  Shoemaker, 
of  Flora  ;  Newell  Morse,  of  Beaver,  and  William  Emerick.  of  Mud 
Lake.  They  could  provide  no  place  for  County  Auditor  Hall; 
and  Mr.  Ahrens,  the  treasurer,  was  to  be  found  on  his  farm  if 
anything  special  was  wanted.  After  Mr.  Hall  had  qualified  as 
county  auditor  he  succeeded  in  persuading  N.  Stone,  who  had 
just  erected  a  store  building,  to  allow  a  small  room,  seven  by 
nine,  to  be  partitioned  off  with  building  paper  in  the  rear  part 
of  this  store  for  a  county  auditor's  office.  Other  temporary  ar- 
rangements had  to  be  made  when  there  was  a  board  meeting, 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  581 

for  the  room  was  not  large  enough  to  hold  much  more  than  one 
person  with  any  comfort.  This  was  the  first  county  auditor's 
office  in  Renville  county. 

March  4,  1869,  an  act  passed  authorizing  the  county  to  vote 
$3,000  bonds  to  build  a  court  bouse.  No  action  was  taken  by 
the  county.  .Later  Mr.  Hall  moved  the  auditor's  office  into  his 
house.  Then  Lane  K.  Stone  built  a  small  building  alongside  of 
N,  Stone's  store  which  he  leased  to  the  county  for  the  register 
of  deeds  and  some  other  coimty  officers. 

The  affairs  of  the  county  ran  on  with  some  little  improvement. 
Taxes  were  levied  and  assessed,  a  board  of  equalization  met  in 
regular  form,  all  homesteads  returned  by  the  assessors  were 
stricken  from  the  rolls,  personal  property  equalized  and  county 
business  seemed  to  be  taking  shape.  There  was  no  election  of 
county  officers  this  year  other  than  commissioners,  but  P.  H. 
Swift,  of  Beaver  Falls,  was  elected  the  first  member  of  the  leg- 
islature from  Renville  county. 

At  the  regular  meeting  of  the  county  board,  Jan.  4,  1870,  the 
commissioners  were  R.  G.  Weed,  of  Beaver  Falls ;  Edmond  0  'Hara, 
of  Cairo,  and  Louis  Kope,  of  Hawk  Creek.  At  this  meeting,  the 
chairman,  R.  G,  Weed,  was  authorized  to  sign  the  bond  of  Louis 
Thiele  for  the  sale  of  liquor  in  Beaver  Falls.  In  March,  Francis 
Shoemaker  was  appointed  coroner,  and  in  June  his  official  bur- 
dens were  further  increased  by  the  appointment  of  overseer  of 
the  poor.  During  this  year  the  official  business  of  the  county 
was  whipped  into  better  shape ;  a  few  books  had  been  gotten  hold 
of  for  the  use  of  some  of  the  county  officers,  to  the  extent  that 
at  a  June  meeting  of  that  year,  upon  the  motion  of  Commissioner 
O'Hara,  the  books  of  the  auditor  and  treasurer  were  ordered  in- 
vestigated and  the  report  published.  No  graft  having  been 
found,  a  sigh  of  relief  went  up  and  public  business  moved  on  in 
a  fairly  decent  groove,  considering  the  cramped  quarters  for 
some  officials  and  no  offices  for  others.  Notwithstanding  all  this, 
however,  a  most  violent  campaign  was  entered  upon  for  the  pos- 
.session  of  the  offices  that  fall.  The  Republicans  gathered  in  Louis 
Thiele "s  hotel  had  nominated  a  ticket.  In  opposition  to  them 
was  put  up  a  full  ticket,  called  the  People's  party.  A,  J.  Wells, 
of  Tomah,  Wis.,  had  just  started  a  little  weekly  which  he  called 
the  "Beaver  Falls  Gazette,"  and  with  it  he  threw  bombs  into  the 
Republican  ticket.  The  Republicans  went  secretly  to  Redwood 
Falls  and  got  out  a  large  paper,  which  they  named  the  Beaver 
Falls  "Globe,"  and  circulated  two  days  before  election.  In  it 
they  assailed  the  People's  party  candidates  without  mercy,  call- 
ing thera  candidates  for  State's  prison  and  printing  affidavits  to 
prove  they  should  be  in  the  darkest  dungeons.  No  campaign 
since  that  time  has  ever  approached  the  contest  of  1870  in  wrath 
and  vituperation.    After  the  smoke  of  battle  had  cleared,  it  was 


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582  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTV 

found  that  the  entire  Republican  ticket  had  been  elected.  Wells 
moved  hia  Beaver  Falls  Gazette  back  to  Wisconsin,  and  the 
Beaver  Falls  Globe  never  appeared  again. 

After  such  an  exciting  and  not  a  little  expensive  time  in  se- 
curing office,  the  successful  ofScials  began  to  lay  plans  for  a 
building  of  some  kind  to  hold  them.  So  when  the  legislature 
convened  in  January  a  special  bill  was  introduced,  authorizing 
Renville  county  to  issue  $2,000  in  bonds  for  the  purpose  of  build- 
ing a  jail.  The  county  was  issuing  large  sums  in  county  orders 
for  transportation,  care  and  board  of  prisoners,  and  those  in 
favor  of  building  a  court  house  thought  that  if  the  proposed 
building  was  called  a  county  jail  less  objection  would  be  raised 
by  the  opposition.  However,  much  quiet  work  was  being  done 
by  those  interested  to  permanently  locate  the  county  seat  at 
Beaver  Falls,  and  an  emissary  was  sent  to  the  state  capitol  to 
assist  in  "logrolling"  the  bill  through  the  legislature,  a  purpose 
in  which  he  was  most  successful. 

The  act  was  approved  Feb.  27,  1871,  and  became  a  law.  It 
was  provided  in  the  act  that  the  question  of  issuing  county  bonds 
should  be  submitted  to  electors  of  the  county  at  the  town  meet- 
ings in  March  and  that  the  town  clerks  should  include  in  their 
notices  that  the  bond  proposition  would  be  voted  upon,  but  the 
act  further  particularly  provided  that  if  any  of  the  town  clerks 
failed  to  give  such  notices  it  would  not  invalidate  the  election 
or  prevent  the  canvas  of  the  votes  that  were  cast. 

The  test  of  the  act  is  as  follows : 
"An  Act  to  AnHiorizf  tlie  <'ounty  Commissioners  of  the  Coimty 

of  Renville  to  Is.sue  Honds  for  the  Erection  of  County  Build- 

inps. 

"Be  it  enacted  by  the  legislature  of  Minnesota: 

"Sec.  1.  That  the  county  commissioners  of  the  county  of  Ren- 
ville are  hereby  authorized  to  issue  the  bonds  of  the  said  county, 
to  the  amount  of  two  thousand  dollars,  for  the  purpose  of  erect- 
ing a  jail,  at  Beaver  Falls,  the  county  seat  of  said  county. 

"Sec.  2.  Such  bonds  may  be  issued  with  coupons  attached 
thereto,  and  of  such  denominations  as  the  county  commissioners 
may  determine,  and  shall  bear  interest  at  a  rate  not  exceeding 
12  per  cent  per  annum,  which  said  interest  shall  be  payable 
half  yearly,  and  the  principal  thereof  shall  be  payable  at  any 
time,  not  less  than  three  nor  more  than  six  years  from  the  date 
of  said  bonds. 

"Sec.  3.  Said  bonds  and  interest  coupons  attached  thereto 
shall  be  signed  by  the  chairman  of  the  board  of  county  commis- 
sioners, and  countersigned  by  the  auditor  of  said  county,  and  said 
auditor  shall  keep  a  record  of  all  bonds  issued  under  the  pro- 
\i8ions  of  this  act,  giving  numbers,  dates  and  amounts,  to  whom 
issued  and  when  payable. 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  583 

"Sec.  4.  The  said  board  of  county  eommissioners  shall  have 
authority  to  negotiate  said  bonda  as  in  their  judgment  shall  be 
for  the  best  interests  of  said  county ;  provided,  however,  that  said 
bonds  shall  not  be  negotiated  for  less  than  eighty-five  cents  on 
the  dollar. 

"Sec.  5.  The  said  board  of  county  commissioners,  and  the 
proper  authority  of  said  county,  shall,  and  are  hereby  authorized 
and  empowered  to  levy  an  annual  tax  on  the  taxable  property 
of  said  county,  in  addition  to  all  other  taxes  required  to  be  levied, 
sufficient  to  pay  the  interest  accruing  on  said  bonds,  and  the 
principal  of  said  bonds  as  they  shall  mature,  which  said  taxes 
shall  be  levied  and  collected  in' the  same  manner  as  other  taxes 
for  county  purposes  are  levied  and  collected,  and  no  part  of 
such  shall  be  appropriated  for  any  purpose  whatever  other  than 
the  payment  of  said  bonds  and  the  interest  thereon. 

"Sec.  6,  The  proposition  to  issue  said  bonds  shall  be  sub- 
mitted to  a  vote  of  the  electors  of  said  county  at  the  next  annual 
town  meeting.  The  ballots  shall  have  written  or  printed  thereon 
the  following  words,  'For  issue  of  bonds  for  building  jail,'  or, 
'Against  issue  of  bonds  for  building  jail,'  said  vote  shall  be  east 
at  said  election  in  the  same  manner  as  votes  cast  for  town  offi- 
cers, and  if  upon  a  canvass  of  said  votes,  a  majority  of  said 
voters,  who  shall  have  voted  upon  said  proposition,  have  voted 
in  favor  thereof  the  issue  of  said  bonds  shall  be  lawful.  The 
town  clerks  of  the  several  towns  in  said  county  shall,  at  the  time 
of  the  giving  notice  of  the  annua)  town  meeting,  insert  in  said 
notice  a  paragraph  setting  forth  that  the  question  of  issuing  said 
bonds  will  be  voted  on  at  said  town  meeting;  provided,  that  any 
neglect  or  failure  on  the  part  of  any  town  clerk  to  give  such 
notice,  shall  not  invalidate  the  election  or  prohibit  the  canvass 
of  votes  east  upon  such  question. 

Sec,  7,    This  act  shall  take  effect  from  and  after  passage. 

"Approved  February  27,  1871." 

Mai!  service  was  slow  and  facilities  for  information  were  few 
at  this  time.  Only  the  town  clerks  of  Beaver  Falls  and  Flora 
knew  Hiiything  about  the  legislative  act  or  gave  the  required 
notice,  hence  these  were  the  only  towns  to  vote  on  the  bond  is- 
sue and,  as  was  expected,  the  proposition  was  carried. 

At  this  time  the  commissioners  were  R.  G.  Weed,  chairman, 
Louis  Kope  and  Bemhard  Marehner,  Ed.  O'Hara  having  been 
eliminated  in  the  upheaval  the  fall  before.  The  "conspirators" 
for  the  building  of  a  court  house,  masked  under  the  name  of 
a  jail,  now  became  active.  Many  informal  meetings  were  held, 
attended  by  the  county  commissioners,  of  which  no  record  was 
made.  Much  secrecy  was  maintained  and  methods  pursued  that 
would  be  considerett  outrageous  at  this  time.  But  in  those  days 
it  was  considered  that  anything  was  fair  in  war,  and  war  it  cer- 


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584  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

tainly  was  that  was  waged  between  Beaver  Falls  and  Birch 
Cooley  for  the  posaeasion  of  the  county  seat  honors.  Much  of  the 
preliminary  work  for  the  issuance  of  the  bonds,  such  as  procur- 
ing the  blanks  and  the  like,  had  been  accomplished. 

So,  upon  May  18,  1871,  the  beforementioned  commiBsionerB 
met  at  Beaver  Falls  and  ordered  that  $2,000  in  bonds  of  the 
county  be  issued  for  the  purpose  of  building  a  jail  in  Beaver 
Falls.  A  resolution  adopted  and  signed  by  each  member  of  the 
board,  presenting  the  manner  of  issuing  and  negotiating  said 
bonds,  was  made  a  part  of  the  records.  It  was  a  kind  of  "Round 
Bobin,"  with  the  object  of  holding  each  commissioner  respon- 
sible, for  $2,000  was  a  large  sum  of  money  in  those  days.  That 
the  act  of  issuing  those  bonds  was  consummated  with  trepidation 
by  those  responsible  is  seen  by  the  careful  wording  of  the  fol- 
lowing resolution: 

"Whereas  by  an  act,  passed  by  the  legislature  of  the  state 
of  Minnesota,  approved  Feb,  27,  1871,  authorizing  and  empower- 
ing the  board  of  county  commissioners  of  Renville  county  to  is- 
sue the  bonds  of  said  county  for  the  purpose  of  building  county 
buildings  at  Beaver  Falls,  the  county  seat  of  said  county  upon 
certain  specified  conditions  named  in  said  act,  and  whereas  by 
the  provisions  said  act,  the  said  board  of  county  commissioners 
were  authorized  and  empowered  by  a  majority  of  the  legal  voters 
of  Renville  county,  voting  on  said  subject  to  issue  bonds  in  the 
sum  of  $2,000  for  the  purpose  expressed  in  said  act  and,  whereas, 
said  board  of  county  commissioners  have  agreed  and  decided  to 
erect  a  jail  in  Beaver  Falls,  the  county  seat  of  said  county  by 
virtue  of  the  authority  vested  in  them  by  the  provisions  of  said 
act  and  a  majority  of  the  legal  voters  of  said  county  voting 
thereon. 

"Now,  therefore,  it  is  resolved  by  the  said  board  of  county 
commissioners  that  D,  S.  Hall,  county  auditor  of  said  coimty, 
shall  proceed  forthwith  to  prepare  and  negotiate  the  said  bonds 
in  sums  of  not  less  than  $50  each  nor  more  than  $100  each,  to 
the  amount  of  $2,000  as  provided  in  said  act  and  at  no  greater 
rate  of  interest  than  provided  by  said  act,  and  on  such  terms, 
less  the  maximum  interest,  provided  in  said  act,  as  he  can  obtain 
the  funds  at  any  time  within  the  publication  of  the  notice  herein 
provided  for,  and  the  auditor  shall  report  to  the  board  of  county 
commissioners,  his  contract  with  the  purchaser  or  purchasers  of 
said  bonds,  properly  signed,  sealed  and  executed  within  ninety 
days  from  the  adoption  of  these  resolutions  by  the  said  board  of 
county  commissioners. 

"And  be  it  further  resolved  by  the  said  board  of  county  com- 
missioners that  th«  said  bonds  shall  be  divided  in  three  equal 
classes,  as  near  as  may  be,  that  the  first  class  shall  be  due  and 
payable  at  any  time  within  four  years  after  the  issuance  thereof, 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  5So 

at  the  option  of  said  board  of  comity  commiBsioners  and  in  liiie 
maimer  the  second  class,  at  any  time  within  the  fifth  year  after 
the  issuance  thereof  and  the  third  and  last  class  shall  be  due 
and  payable  at  the  option  of  the  said  board  of  county  commis- 
sioners at  any  time  within  the .  sixth  year  after  the  issuance 
thereof  with  interest  pro  rata  at  the  rate  of  negotiation,  not  ex- 
ceeding the  mazimum  rate  of  interest  allowed  by  said  act  in 
accordance  with  the  terms  thereof. 

"And  that  it  is  further  resolved  by  the  said  board  of  county 
commissioners  that  the  said  D.  S.  Hall,  county  auditor,  shall  pub- 
lish in  condensed  form,  in  the  St.  Paul  Daily  Press  and  in  the 
New  York  Daily  Tribune  for  one  week  and  in  a  weekly  news- 
■  paper  published  in  an  adjoining  county  to  Renville,  for  the  space 
of  two  weeks,  a  notice  that  bids  will  be  received  for  any  part  of 
said  bonds  or  the  whole  thereof,  for  sixty  days  from  and  after 
the  first  publication  of  said  notice.  That  all  of  said  bonds  pur- 
chased by  persons  residing  within  the  state  of  Minnesota  shall 
be  paid  when  due,  according  to  the  tenor  thereof,  at  the  office 
of  the  county  treasurer  of  Renville  county,  Minnesota,  of  Beaver 
Palls,  in  said  county  and  state,  and  all  bonds  purchased  by  parties 
without  the  state  shall  be  payable  when  due  according  to  the 
tenor  thereof  at  any  place  or  places,  in  the  city  of  St.  Paul,  Min- 
nesota, that  may  be  designated  in  the  said  bonds  by  the  said  D.  S. 
Hall,  the  said  county  auditor." 

This  resolution  was  so  carefully  considered  and  thought  to 
be  so  important  that  it  was  then  and  there  signed  by  R.  G.  Weed, 
Louis  Kope  and  Bernhard  Marschner,  county  commissioners,  aud 
attested  by  D.  S.  Hall,  county  auditor. 

At  the  next  meeting  of  the  commissioners,  June  16,  1871,  the 
ground  was  measured  off  and  a  site  selected  for  the  county  jail 
which  the  money  from  the  sale  of  the  county  bonds  was  going 
to  pay  for.  No  time  was  to  be  lost,  for  at  this  meeting  R.  G. 
Weed,  H.  W.  Nelson  and  Henry  Ahrens  were  appointed  a  com- 
mittee to  procure  plans  and  specifications  and  to  add  more 
ground  to  the  proposed  site  if  necessary. 

It  appears  that  D.  S,  Hall,  the  auditor,  had  been  active  and 
had  sold  the  bonds  to  Horace  Thompson,  of  the  First  National 
Bank  of  St,  Paul,  without  advertising  and  without  doing  many 
of  the  things  required  by  the  resolution  of  the  board  passed 
May  18,  directing  the  issuance  of  these  bonds.  Time  was  of  the 
utmost  importance,  the  rumblings  from  Birch  Cooley,  an  aspirant 
for  the  county  seat,  were  somewhat  alarming,  and  it  was  ru- 
mored that  W.  H.  Jewell  was  about  to,  or  already  had,  begun  a 
suit  to  enjoin  the  commissioners  from  building,  and  it  was  feared 
the  sale  of  the  bonds  might  be  prevented.  Thus  the  real  need 
of  converting  the  bonds  into  cash  was  apparent  and  the  resolu- 
tion of  May  18  was  practically  reconsidered,  County  Auditor 


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586  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

Hall  being  directed  to  do  the  things  he  had  already  done  by  the 
adoption  by  the  board  of  the  following  resolution : 

"The  resolution  passed  by  the  board  upon  May  18,  1871,  or- 
dering the  issuance  of  $'2,000  county  bonds  to  buiid  a  jail  at 
Beaver  Falls  is  so  amended  as  to  read  as  follows : 

"D,  S.  Hall,  auditor  of  said  county,  sjiall  proceed  forthwith 
to  prepare  and  negotiate  the  said  bonds  in  such  sums  as  may 
be  desired  by  the  parties  purchasing,  and  that  the  sum  be  made 
payable  in  St.  Panl  or  New  York  if  better  prices  be  obtained 
for  the  bonds  by  so  doing  and  that  $600  be  made  payable  in  the 
fifth  year  and  $700  be  made  payable  in  the  sixth  year,  after  the 
first  day  of  July,  1871,  the  day  said  bonds  shall  be  made.  The 
report  of  the  county  auditor  regarding  the  contract  for  the  pur- ' 
chase  of  the  $2,000  county  bonds  which  he  had  made  with  H. 
Thompson,  of  St.  Paul,  was  received  and  accepted,  and  it  was 
ordered  that  the  bonds  be  properly  executed  and  signed  by  the 
chairman  and  countersigned  by  the  county  auditor  and  for- 
warded by  the  said  county  auditor  to  the  First  National  Bank  of 
St.  Paul,  and  that  the  cash  received  therefor  be  payable  to  the 
order  of  Henry  Ahrens,  county  treasurer  of  said  county  of  Ren- 
ville and  state  of  Minnesota." 

Bids  were  advertised  for  and  activities  looking  to  the  build- 
ing of  the  county  jail  were  apparent  when  at  a  meeting  of  the 
county  board  on  August  10,  1871,  Chairman  Weed  announced 
that  several  bids  had  been  received,  but  he  had  been  ordered  by 
the  district  court  to  proceed  no  further  with  the  building  of  the 
jail  or  awarding  contracts;  until  at  a  hearing  before  said  court, 
it  was  shown  by  what  authority  said  jail  was  about  to  be  built. 
Hence  no  bids  were  opened  and  Chairman  Weed  was  authorized 
to  procure  counsel  and  defend  the  jail  building  proposition  in 
court. 

The  ease  as  brought  was  W.  H.  Jewell,  plaintiff,  vs.  R.  G. 
Weed,  et  al,,  defts.  E.  St.  Julien  Cos,  afterward  judge  of  Dis- 
trict court,  plaintiff's  attorney,  Alfred  Walling,  later  judge  of 
the  Supreme  court,  North  Dakota,  defendants'  attorney,  Mr. 
Jewell  sets  forth  in  his  complaint  among  other  things:  That  the 
county  commissioners  did  secretly  and  surreptitiously  procure 
and  obtain  the  passage  by  the  legislature  of  the  state  of  Min- 
nesota of  an  act  to  authorize  the  county  commissioners  to  issue 
$2,000  in  bonds  for  the  purpose  of  building  a  jail  at  Beaver  Falls, 
the  county  seat.  That  the  proposition  was  to  be  submitted  to  a 
vote  of  the  electors  of  the  county  at  the  town  meetings ;  that  it 
was  not  so  submitted  and  the  town  clerks  not  advised.  That  the 
matter  was  secretly,  covertly  and  designedly  kept  from  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  electors,  saving  only  those  of  Beaver  Creek  and  Flora 
in  said  county.  That  thirteen  towns  in  the  county  would  have 
cast  eight  hundred  votes;  that  only  Beaver  Creek  and  Flora  were 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVilJ.B  COUNTY  587 

advised,  casting  120  votes  in  all,  eighty  for  and  thirty  against 
said  bond  proposition.  The  complaint  further  alleged  that  the 
Goiumissioners  were  about  to  issue  or  already  had  issued  bonds 
to  carry  out  their  scheme  fraudulently  conceived,  and  that  the 
act  was  a  fraud  upon  the  inhabitants  of  Renville  county  because 
it  attempted  to  locate  the  county  seat  at  Beaver  Falls.  In  short, 
the  complaint  bristles  with  words  illustrating  the  war-like  spirit 
prevailing  at  the  locating  of  the  first  county  seat  of  Renville 
county. 

The  case  was  tried  before  District  Judge  M.  G.  Hanscom  in 
September,  1871,  and  decided  against  Mr.  Jewell.  At  a  meeting 
of  the  board  of  county  commissioners,  Oct.  2,  1871,  they  were 
informed  by  the  clerk  of  the  court  that  they  were  no  longer 
restrained  from  proceeding  with  the  erection  of  the  building  for 
which  bonds  had  been  issued.  The  commissioners  then  and  there, 
without  delay,  proceeded  to  open  the  bids  which  they  were  en- 
joined from  doing  in  August  previous.  It  was  found  that  David 
Carrothers,  of  Beaver  Falls,  was  the  lowest  bidder  for  the  build- 
ing of  the  jail,  his  estimate  being  $1,700.  He  was  awarded  the 
contract  and  immediately  proceeded  to  break  ground  and  gather 
"niggerheads"  (as  the  rocks  from  the  prairie  were  called),  of 
which  the  walls  were  to  be  made.  A  warranty  deed  to  the  county 
from  Essler  &  Carrothers,  the  town  proprietors,  had  already  been 
recorded. 

Mr.  Jewell  not  being  satisfied  with  the  decision  of  the  Dis- 
trict court  appealed  his  case  to  the  Supreme  court  (Minnesota 
Report,  Jewell  vs.  Weed,  Vol.  18,  page  247),  which  held  with 
the  District  court.  A  legal  review  of  the  case  appears  elsewhere 
in  the  history. 

Peter  Henry,  commissioner  in  place  of  R,  G,  Weed,  was  ap- 
pointed inspector  or  overseer  of  the  work,  but  before  much  could 
be  started  cold  weather  came  on  early.  Nothing  much  could 
be  done  in  the  winter,  but  in  the  spring  of  1872  things  began  to 
assume  shape.  Quite  a  respectable  stone  building  was  erected. 
The  jail  was  in  one  end,  two  good  sized  rooms  were  fitted  up  for 
county  offices,  and  these  with  a  hall  on  the  upper  floor  in  which 
to  hold  court,  cnmpriscd  the  completed  jail.  Lane  K.  Stone  re- 
leased the  county  from  a  two-year  lease  of  his  building,  then  oc- 
cupied by  some  of  the  county  oflBcers,  and  the  commissioners 
agreed  to  move  the  county  offices  into  the  new  court  house,  the 
so-ealled  "jail,"  on  Oct.  1,  1872. 

There  was  evidently  no  "graft"  in  the  building  of  Renville 
county's  first  court  house,  for  the  commissioners  allowed  David 
Carrothers,  the  contractor,  $169  above  his  estimate  to  partly  re- 
imburse him  for  his  loss  on  the  contract. 

The  court  house  being  completed,  the  auditor  and  treasurer 
moved  into  one  of  the  rooms,  the  register  of  deeds  and  judge  of 


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588  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

probate  into  the  other.  Other  county  officials  provided  their 
own  quarters,  Henry  Ahreos,  county  treasurer,  was  made  cus- 
todian of  the  court  house  hall  and  was  ordered  to  charge  $6.00 
lor  dancing  parties  and  shows,  and  $1.00  for  each  twenty-four 
hours'  use  by  the  justice  court.  He  was  directed  to  pay  at  once 
into  the  county  treasury  all  moneys  thus  received. 

The  county  ofiReers  being  better  located  than  ever  before, 
things  official  moved  quietly  after  the  strenuous  years  of  1871 
and  1872.  In  March,  1873,  Eric  Ericson  became  county  auditor 
in  place  of  D.  S.  Hall,  Hans  Gronnerud,  treasurer  in  place  of 
Henry  Abrens,  and  the  county  commissioners  were  B.  Marseli- 
ner,  chairman,  Peter  Henry  and  Ole  Jaeobson.  Officialdom  moved 
on  with  little  friction  this  year.  January,  1874,  finds  the  board 
of  county  commissioners  increased  to  five  instead  of  three,  as 
heretofore.  They  were :  Peter  Henry,  chairman,  Ole  Jaeobson, 
Jaines  O'Brien,  T.  L.  Rude,  arid  M.  T.  Ridout.  John  M.  Dorraan 
was  not  satisfied  with  the  small  salary  as  county  attorney  and 
the  district  judge,  M.  G.  Hanscom  ordered  his  salary  increased 
to  $480  per  annum  for  1873  and  1874.  In  March  it  was  found 
that  two  cell  doors  were  needed  for  the  new  jail.  Henry  Hippie, 
the  village  blacksmith,  was  awarded  the  job  at  $75,  and  Gns. 
Strenzel,  the  other  blacksmith,  was  appointed  to  inspect  tbe 
work  when  completed.  On  April  6,  of  this  year,  Geo.  H.  Meg- 
quier,  having  obtained  a  first-grade  certificate,  was  appointed 
county  superintendent  of  schools  and  April  7  John  M.  Dorman 
resigned  as  county  attorney  and  Megquier  was  appointed  county 
attorney  in  his  place.  Megquier  being  judge  of  probate  at  tbe 
time  of  these  appointments,  continued  to  hold  these  three  offices 
with  no  appearance  of  physical  exhaustion  or  fatigue. 

That  year  a  bed  was  needed  in  one  of  the  jail  Cells.  Horton 
W.  Nelson,  a  carpenter  of  Beaver  Palls,  agreed  to  construct  the 
bed  at  a  reasonable  price.  This  same  carpenter  was  later  ap- 
pointed an  expert  by  the  commissioners  to  investigate  the  finan- 
cial condition  of  the  county  from  the  time  of  its  organization. 

Jan.  17,  1874,  township  115-32  was  named  Milford.  July  29, 
1874,  it  was  changed  to  Hector, 

The  early  bookkeeping  of  the  first  county  officers  made  it 
quite  difficult  to  get  at  exact  figures,  but  by  this  time  there  was 
some  bad  political  blood  floating  and  the  carpenter  expert  was 
"out  to  get  some  one."  Nelson  was  an  honest  man  but  prej- 
udiced and  in  no  way  qualified,  but  he  took  plenty  of  time  and 
reported  that  the  county  had  been  defrauded  of  about  $1,400. 
This  was  much  money  in  those  days,  the  accusation  created  a 
sensation  and  citizens  of  "the  other  side"  rolled  it  under  their 
tongues  as  a  sweet  morsel.  The  commissioners  on  June  17,  di- 
rected the  auditor  to  notify  Ex-Treasurer  Henry  Abrens  and  his 
bondsmen  which  was  done.     Did  Mr.  Ahrens  or  his  bondsmen 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  589 

hasten  into  town  and  put  $1,400  or  any  other  sum  into  the  Ren- 
ville county  treasury^  Not  any.  On  the  contrary,  they  told  the 
commissioners  that  in  Horton  Nelson  they  had  an  inefScient  ex- 
pert, not  qualified  by  experience  nor  training  to  examine  county 
or  any  other  bookkeeping,  that  Mr.  Ahreiis  had  retained  no  money 
belonging  to  Renville  county  while  treasurer,  and  courted  the 
fullest  investigation. 

On  July  29,  the  commissioners  by  resolution  directed  the 
county  attorney  to  employ  assistance  and  commence  an  action 
at  once  against  Henry  Ahrens,  ex-treasurer.  Gordon  E.  Cole, 
the  leading  lawyer  of  the  state,  was  employed  to  asaist  County 
Attorney  Megquier;  Cos  &  Grenlund  and  Alfred  Wallin,  of  St. 
Peter,  were  Defendant  Ahren's  attorneys,  and  it  looked  as  though 
a  battle  royal  was  about  to  be  staged.  Excitement  ran  high, 
and  as  always  in  such  cases,  there  were  gossiping  persons  ready 
to  condemn  Ex-Treasurer  Ahrens  before  any  trial  was  held.  Ex- 
Auditor  D.  S.  Hall  stood  forth  boldly  in  the  defense  of  the  ac- 
cused, insisting  that  there  was  no  shortage  in  the  Renville  county 
treasury  chargeable  to  the  ex-treasurer. 

Por  this  reason,  though  charged  with  no  offense,  Mr.  Hall 
was  linked  with  the  defense  and  came  in  for  a  good  share  of 
scandal  while  the  affair  lasted.  As,  in  most  law  cases,  there  were 
many  delays,  giving  unlimited  opportunity  for  public  talk.  Later, 
Sept.  24,  1875,  the  counsel  for  both  sides  stipulated  that  the 
case  be  referred  to  Wm.  G.  Hayden,  of  St.  Peter,  former  auditor 
of  Nicollet  county,  a  competent  expert  on  county  bookkeeping 
and  an  able  man.  He  was  directed  by  the  court  to  thoroughly  ex- 
amine all  records  of  public  money  received  by  Ex-Treasurer 
Ahrens  during  his  three  terms  of  office,  he  having  been  the  first 
treasurer,  elected  in  1866.  Mr.  Hayden  was  also  directed  after 
this  investigation  to  report  a  judgment.  This  he  did  on  April 
1,  1876,  reporting  among  other  things  that  "the  auditor's  ac- 
counts have  been  kept  in  a  clear  and  concise  manner,"  that  no 
defalcation  on  the  part  of  Ex-Treasurer  Ahrens  had  been  proven, 
and  he  reported  a  judgment  in  favor  of  the  defendant,  Ahrens, 
and  against  the  plaintiff,  the  Board  of  County  Commissioners, 
thus  fully  exonerating  Mr.  Ahrens  to  the  gratification  of  friends 
and  officials  who  believed  in  the  honesty  and  good  name  of  Ren- 
ville coimty  ofl5cials. 

April  3,  1876,  Alfred  Wallin,  one  of  the  attorneys  for  the  de- 
fense, had  judgment  entered  against  the  Board  of  County  Com- 
missioners and  the  matter  was  closed.  The  county  had  been  to 
some  expense  and  it  bad  coat  Mr.  Ahrens  no  little  annoyance  and 
money,  but  the  political  atmosphere  was  cleared  and  few  re- 
gretted the  cost. 

Jan.  5,  1875,  Eric  Ericson  was  re-elected  county  auditor  and 
the  Board  of  County  Commissioners  consisted  of  "Wm.  F,  Grum- 


Digili: 


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590  IIISTORV  OK  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

moQS  (chairman),  Fred  V.  Uaaa,  Peter  Henry,  Francis  Shoemaker 
and  Ole  Jacobson.  These  commissioners  at  their  meeting  on 
January  7,  by  resolution,  instructed  all  the  justices  of  the  peace 
in  Renville  county  to  demand  security  for  costs  in  all  criminal 
cases  brought  before  them  and  to  enter  judgment  against  the 
complaining  witness  and  his  bond  when  the  defendant  was  not 
convicted.  It  is  not  known  that  this  local  statute  has  ever  been 
repealed.  Attorney  Wallin  appeared  before  the  board  and  of- 
fered for  $75.00  to  demonstrate  even  to  the  extent  of  getting 
court  decision  that  witnesses  in  a  criminal  action  iu  justice  court 
are  not  entitled  to  and  cannot  collect  fees  as  such  from  the  county. 
The  proposition  was  laid  on  the  table.  This  year  the  county 
officers  were  compelled  by  law  to  file  with  the  county  commis- 
sioners under  oath  a  statement  of  the  total  receipts  of  their  of- 
fices. The  judge  of  probate's  salary  was  $84.75:  the  register  of 
deeds  took  in  $550.00;  the  sheriif'a  salary  was  $376.83. 

Jan.  4,  1876,  Erie  Ericson  was  still  county  auditor.  The  Board 
of  County  Commissioners  consisted  of  Fred  V.  Haas  (chairman), 
Wm.  F.  Qruramons,  T.  H.  Sherwin,  Owen  Heaney  and  Ole  Jacob- 
son.  The  board  by  resolution  requested  the  legislature  to  au- 
thorize the  county  to  issue  bonds  to  the  amount  of  $8,000  with 
interest  not  to  exceed  10  per  cent.  July  27,  commissioners  re- 
fused to  raise  the  liquor  license  from  $50  to  $100. 

Jan.  2,  1877,  Eric  Ericson  was  re-elected  auditor  and  filed  his 
official  bond.  The  commissioners  were  T.  H.  Sherwin  (chair- 
man), Fred  V.  Haas,  Henry  Paulson,  Owen  Heaney  and  Wra. 
F.  (Jriiimiioris.  Oivi-n  IIi'Hny  v.iis  aiipniiitcd  superintendent  of  the 
burning  of  the  prairie  grass  in  Renville  county  to  comply  with  an 
act  (iHsst'd  by  the  last  legislature.  Some  ivmarkable  acts  must 
have  been  passed  by  tlie  legislature  in  thosi'  days.  In  September, 
Arnold  Vincent  sjipears  as  cnnimissiouer  in  place  of  Fred  V.  Haas. 
At  tliis  meeting  it  whs  decided  to  buy  a  county  poor  farm  and  a 
committee  was  appointed  to  receive  proposals. 

Jan.  1,  1878,  Erie  Ericson  again  became  county  auditor.  The 
commissioners  were  Henry  Paulson  (chairman),  T.  H.  Sherwin, 
W.  F.  Qmmmons,  Owen  Heaney  and  Edmond  O'Hara.  March, 
1878,  Commissioner  Gruramons  moved  that  county  officers  should 
not  get  any  printing  done  at  the  office  of  the  Renville  "Times." 
Eelsey,  the  publishers,  doubtless  had  said  something  which  bad 
touched  the  tender  sensibilities  of  some  of  the  members. 

At  the  July  meeting,  J.  S.  Niles  appeared  as  a  commissioner 
in  place  of  Edmond  O'Hara,  whom  he  had  ousted  in  a  contested 
election.  Ed.  O'Hara  presented  a  bill  for  $78  for  his  expenses 
of  the  contest.  Sept.  3,  1878,  a  special  meeting  of  the  board  was 
called  at  the  request  of  Commissioners  Sherwin,  Heaney  and 
Gruramons.  H.  H.  Grace  was  appointed  clerk  for  the  board.  At 
this  meeting  a  letter  was  received  from  Gov.  Pillabury  suspend- 


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HISTORY  OK  RENVILLE  COUNTY  591 

ing  temporarily  Auditor  Ericson.  By  resolution  of  the  board, 
P.  H.  Kirwan  was  appointed  to  act  as  auditor  during  the  disabil- 
ity of  Auditor  Ericson,  and  to  give  bond  and  quality  according 
to  law.  H,  H.  Grace,  clerk  of  the  board,  was  directed  to  so  notify 
Mr.  Eirwan.  A  bill  of  $90  was  allowed  to  H.  H.  Grace  for  work 
in  the  auditor's  oEKce.  Sept.  4,  on  motion,  the  board  requested 
the  appointed  auditor  to  employ  former  Auditor  Ericson  to  as- 
sist him. 

State  Examiner  H.  M.  Knox,  having  filed  a  report  charging 
Auditor  Ericson  with  a  shortage  in  seed  grain  vouchers  and  an 
overdrawn  salary  account,  was  the  cause  of  the  county  auditor's 
temporary  suspension.  At  tills  meeting  a  resolution  was  passed, 
signed  by  County  Commissioners  Paulson,  Heaney,  Sherwin, 
Grummons  and  Niles,  asking  the  governor  of  the  state  for  a  eon- 
tiniiaiK'i',  or  f-iny  of  jn-nwt'dings  ujiou  the  charges  lodged  with 
said  executive  against  the  said  auditor  by  Public  Examiner  Knox, 
setting  forth  in  said  resolution  that,  upon  a  further  inspection 
of  the  auditor's  office  by  them,  that  they  are  satisfied  that  there 
was  no  criminal  intention  on  the  part  of  Auditor  Ericson,  that 
vouchers  covering  alleged  deficits  had  been  produced  since  the 
examination  by  Public  Examiner  Knox  with  the  statement  of  the 
auditor,  that  they  were  misplaced  at  the  time  of  the  examination. 
At  a  special  meeting,  December  6,  a  letter  signed  by  every  mem- 
ber of  the  board  was  sent  to  Governor  Pillsbury,  setting  forth 
that  all  matters  pertaining  to  Auditor  Ericson  s  office  had  been 
adjusted  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  Board  of  County  Commis- 
sioners and  requesting  the  reinstatement  of  Auditor  Ericson, 
whose  resignation  followed.  Mr.  Ericson  was  afterwards  ap- 
pointed to  the  railway  mail  service,  where  he  served  with  credit 
for  a  number  of  years,  later  being  elected  county  superintendent 
of  schools  for  Renville  county,  holding  this  office  to  the  entire 
satisfaction  of  the  public  for  a  number  of  terms.  Jan.  7,  1879, 
the  Board  of  County  Commissioners  met  in  regular  session  with 
Commissioners  Henry  Paulson  (chairman),  Owen  Heaney,  J.  S. 
Niles,  Thomas  Leary  and  John  Thompson,  and  P.  H.  Kirwan, 
county  auditor. 

This  year  the  county  was  divided  into  three  districts  for 
medical  attendance  on  the  poor,  a  contract  to  be  let  at  the  lowest 
possible  rate  to  a  competent  physician  bidding  for  the  same. 

A  rcsoluticii  was  adopted  that  all  applications  for  liquor  license 
be   rejected    (■X(;ept    from   towns   which    have    voted    in    favor   of 

Jan.  6,  1880.  the  Board  of  County  Commissioners  met  in  reg- 
ular session.  The  commissioners  were  Henry  Paulson  (chair- 
man)', Owen  Heaney,  J.  S.  Niles,  Thomas  Leary  and  John  Thomp- 
son. P.  H.  Kirwan  was  the  county  auditor.  At  this  meeting, 
the  county  attorney's  salary  was  fixed  at  $400  for  the  year  and 


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592  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

Henry  Kelsey  was  to  do  the  comity  printing.  January  9,  pur- 
suant to  an  act  of  the  legislatiire  ratified  by  the  voters  of  the 
county,  $15,000  in  bonds  of  the  county  were  ordered  issued  to  pay 
the  Qoating  indebtedness  of  the  county.  These  bonds  to  run 
ten  years  at  7  per  cent  interest  and  not  to  be  sold  less  than  their 
face  value.  This  year  the  county  was  divided  into  five  districts 
tor  medical  attendance  on  the  poor.  Dr.  J.  W.  Barnard  was 
awarded  districts  2,  3  and  4  at  $36  each.  Dr.  P.  L.  Puffer  was 
awarded  districts  1  and  5  at  $45  each. 

Jan.  4,  1881,  the  regular  session  was  held.  Commissioners: 
John  Thompson  (chairman),  Henry  Paulson,  Owen  Heaney, 
Thomas  Leary  and  Owen  Carrigan,  P.  H.  Kirwan,  county  audi- 
tor. The  representatives  of  this  county  in  the  legislature  was 
requested  to  secure  the  passage  of  an  act  authorizing  a  second 
term  of  court  for  Renville  county. 

Jan.  3,  1882,  regular  session.  Commissioners:  Thomas  Leary 
(chairman),  Henry  Paulson,  Owen  Heaney,  Owen  Carrigan  and 
Louis  L.  Tinnis.    County  auditor,  P.  H.  Kirwan. 

Jan.  2,  1883,  regular  session.  Commissioners:  Owen  Carrigan 
(chairman),  Lewis  L.  Tinnis,  Thomas  Leary,  Henry  Schafer  and 
Peter  P.  Dustrud.  County  auditor,  P.  H.  Kirwan.  At  the  No- 
vember meeting  of  the  county  commis-sioners,  Peter  G.  FeterBon 
took  the  place  of  Peter  P.  Dustrud. 

Regular  session  of  the  board  January,  1884.  The  commis- 
sioners were:  Lewis  L.  Tinnis  (chairman),  Owen  Carrigan,  Thomas 
Leary,  Henry  Schafer  and  John  I.  Johnson ;  P.  H.  Kirwan,  county 
auditor.  At  this  time  the  salary  of  county  superintendent  of 
schools  was  placed  at  $960,  and  that  of  the  judge  of  probate  at 
$650.  At  the  session  in  March,  Dr.  Stoddard  was  awarded  the 
contract  for  attending  the  poor  of  Renville  county  for  one  year 
at  $350,  and  Henry  Kelsey  was  given  the  county  printing.  Joseph 
Smith,  of  Morton,  was  given  a  charter  for  a  ferry  across  the 
Minnesota  river. 

Jan.  6,  1885.  Regular  session.  The  commissioners  were: 
Henry  Schafer  (chairman),  Owen  Carrigan,  Gimerus  Peterson, 
John  I.  Johnson  and  Jerry  H.  Reagan.  P.  H.  Kirwan,  county 
auditor.  At  this  meeting  the  board  fixed  the  salary  of  county 
superintendent  of  schools  at  $1,000.  The  county  attorney's  salary 
was  fixed  at  $900  and  the  judge  of  probate's  at  $700  per  annum. 

Dr.  A.  G.  Stoddard  was  again  engaged  to  give  medical  atten- 
tion to  the  poor  of  the  county,  for  which  he  was  to  receive  $300. 
C.  L.  Lorrain,  of  Bird  Island,  secured  the  county  printing,  doing 
it  at  l^c  a  description  for  delinquent  tax  list;  financial  state- 
ment and  commissioners'  proceedings  of  each  meeting,  gratis. 
This  is  certainly  very  cheap  for  printing,  Dec.  1,  1885,  at  a  spe- 
cial meeting  of  the  hoard,  M.  0.  Little,  an  attorney,  presented 
a  petition  for  the  removal  of  the  county  seat  from  Beaver  Falls 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  593 

to  Bird  Islaod,  and  G.  J.  Depue  presented  a  petition  for  the 
county  seat  to  be  located  at  Olivia.  S.  R.  Miller,  county  attor- 
ney, was  consulted  and  a  diaeussion  of  matters  pertaining  thereto 
deferred  to  December  3,  at  which  time  Commissioners  Jerry  H. 
Reagan  and  Gunerua  Peterson  were  appointed  a  committee  to 
examine  the  two  petitions  and  report  to  the  board  as  soon  as 
practicable.  Gorham  Powers  appeared  as  attorney  for  Bird 
Island  petitioners  and  December  15  was  appointed  as  the  day  for 
the  board  to  consider  the  two  petitions. 

December  15,  Gorham  Powers,  attorney  for  Bird  Island  peti- 
tioners, asked  that  about  150  names  be  stricken  from  the  Olivia 
petition  and  added  to  the  Bird  Island  petition.  December  16  the 
board  addressed  a  note  to  County  Attorney  Miller,  asking,  "Is 
a  man  &  freeholder,  in  whose  wife  the  record  title  to  the  real 
estate  is  vested T'  His  answer  was,  "He  has  only  a  contingent 
or  inchoate  estate  which  may  never  ripen  into  even  a  vested  life 
estate.  Should  the  husband  die  first,  then  he  would  never  enjoy 
the  life  estate.  Should  she  sell  it  in  his  lifetime  the  estate  would 
be  defeated.  A  freehold  is  a  vested  estate  in  lands  either  in  fee 
or  for  life.  The  fee  is  in  the  wife  in  the  above  question,  and 
the  husband  has  no  part  of  the  estate  until  the  wife  dies,  leaving 
him  a  survivor.  Then  a  life  estate  in  the  homestead  only  vests 
in  him  by  operation  of  law." 

December  17  the  commissioners  spent  the  entire  day  examin- 
ing these  petitions  for  county  seat  removal  and  adjourned  to 
meet  after  supper  for  an  evening  session,  at  which  time  the  fol- 
lowing resolution  was  offered  by  Attorney  Powers,  for  the  peti- 
tioners, and  adopted  by  the  board. 

"Resolved,  that  the  county  attorney  be  and  is  hereby  in- 
structed to  submit  to  the  attorney  general  for  his  opinion  thereon 
the  following  questions,  to-wit: 

"If,  under  the  laws  of  1885,  for  the  removal  of  county  seats, 
two  petitions  are  presented  to  the  county  board  at  the  same 
time,  asking  for  the  removal  of  the  county  seat  to  a  different 
place,  and  many  persons,  duly  qualified,  have  signed  both  peti- 
tions, and  such  persons  who  have  signed  both  petitions,  do  before 
cither  petition  has  been  filed,  present  to  the  county  board,  proof 
by  their  affidavits  that  they  signed  one  of  said  petitions  under  a 
misapprehension  of  facts  and  false  atatesments,  and  have  since 
signed  the  other  petition,  and  asking  that  their  names  be  erased 
from  the  petition  first  signed  by  them,  and  that  they  be  counted 
up  on  the  petition  last  signed  by  them:  Can  the  board,  if  satis- 
fied that  such  persons  are  freeholders,  who  are  residents  and 
legal  voters  of  said  county,  count  them  upon  the  petition  last 
signed  by  them,  or  must  they  be  rejected  or  erased  from  both 
petitions  T" 

Jan.  12,  1886,  was  the  date  set  for  a  further  consideration  of 


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594  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

the  snbject.  Jan.  5,  1886,  tbe  board  met  in  regalar  sessioa;  the 
toxmty  conmuBsionera  were  Owen  Carrigan  (chairman),  Henry 
Schafer,  Qunerus  Pet«r80D,  J.  H.  Beagan  and  John  I.  Johnson; 
P.  H.  Kirwan,  coant;  auditor.  The  board  fixed  the  salaries  for 
1886  as  follows:  County  auditor,  $1,200;  treasnrer,  $1,200;  sa- 
perinteDdeut  of  schools,  $1,000;  county  attorney,  $900;  judge  of 
probate,  $700.  This  year  the  newspapers  came  to  an  agreement: 
liorraine,  of  Bird  Island,  took  the  tax  list  at  legal  rates;  Eelsey, 
of  Beaver  Falls,  got  the  financial  statement  (which  was  published 
gratis  the  previous  year)  at  $1.50  per  folio,  and  Kelsey's  paper, 
the  "Times,"  was  designated  as  tbe  official  county  paper.  SimoD 
Johnson,  of  Hawk  Creek,  and  John  Foley,  of  Birch  Cooley,  were 
appointed  appraisers  of  State  land. 

Jan.  12,  1886,  tbe  board  met  to  consider  the  Bird  Island  and 
Olivia  county  seat  removal  petitions.  January  12  and  13  were 
wholly  taken  up  with  tbe  examination,  and  the  fourteenth  was 
also  begun  when  Mathew  Donohae,  of  Bird  Island,  caused  con- 
siderable excitement  by  offering  for  the  consideration  of  the 
board  the  following:  "Resolved:  Upon  investigation  of  the  pe- 
tition asking  for  a  change  of  the  county  seat  from  Beaver  Falls 
to  Bird  Island,  we  find  aa  follows :  That  there  are  in  the  count7 
a  total  number  of  1,546  persons  who  are  legal  voters,  residents 
and  freeholders  of  this  county  and  that  841  of  said  legal  voters 
residents  and  freeholders  have  signed  the  above  named  and  de- 
scribed petition."  Commissioner  Peterson  moved  the  adoption 
of  the  foregoing  resolution  which  received  no  second,  and  on  mo- 
tion of  Commissioner  Schafer  "to  lay  on  the  table,"  there  were 
two  ayes  and  one  no,  two  commissioners  not  voting. 

Then  Ben.  Feeder  presented  for  consideration  the  following: 
"Whereas,  a  petition  duly  signed  by  a  majority  of  the  freeholders 
who  are  legal  voters  and  residents  of  said  county,  was  duly  pre- 
sented and  received  by  the  Board  of  County  Commissioners  of 
said  county  at  a  session  thereof  held  at  Beaver  Falls  in  said 
county  on  the  first  day  of  December,  1885,  asking  a  change  of 
the  county  seat  of  said  county  from  Beaver  Falls  to  Bird  Island 
in  said  county :  And,  wltereas,  you,  the  said  county  auditor  have 
not  filed  or  caused  said  petition  so  received  to  be  filed  as  required 
by  law:  Now,  therefore,  you  are  hereby  required  that,  withont 
delay,  you  file  or  cause  said  petition  to  be  filed  in  your  oflSce  and 
that  you  proceed  therein  as  required  by  law.  Dated  this  14th 
(lay  of  .Taiiuftry.  1886.  BcnJHinin  Ft'.'der.  On  behalf  of  himself 
and  all  other  petitioners." 

In  regard  to  the  above  request,  the  county  auditor  asked  time 
to  consult  the  county  attorney  before  acting. 

The  following  request  was  also  presented: 

"To  the  honorable  Board  of  County  Commissioners  of  Ren- 
ville county:    Whereas,  a  petition  duly  signed  by  a  majority  of 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  595 

the  freeholders,  who  are  legal  voters  and  residents  of  said  county, 
was  daly  presented  to  your  honorable  board  in  open  session 
thereof,  and  received  by  yon  at  Beaver  Palls  in  said  county  on 
the  first  day  of  December,  1885,  at  11:45  o'clock  A.  M.,  asking 
a  change  of  the  county  seat  of  said  county  from  Beaver  Falls  to 
Bird  Island,  in  said  county ;  and,  whereas,  said  petition  has  not 
been  filed  in  the  oEBee  of  the  county  auditor  of  said  county  of 
Renville  as  required  by  Section  3  of  Chapter  272  of  the  general 
laws  of  the  State  of  Minnesota,  approved  March  5,  1885. 

"Wherefore,  you,  the  said  Board  of  County  Commissioners 
of  Renville  county,  are  hereby  respectfully  requested  and  re- 
quired that  you  forthwith  order  and  direct  the  county  auditor  of 
said  county,  to-wit :  P.  H.  Kirwan,  Esq.,  that  he  forthwith  file  or 
cause  said  petition  to  be  filed  in  the  records  of  his  office  as  pro- 
vided by  law.  Dated  January  14,  1886.  Respectfully  yours, 
Benjamin  Peeder.    On  behalf  of  himself  and  all  other  petitioners." 

The  Board  of  County  Commissioners  asked  for  time  to  get  the 
opinion  of  the  county  attorney  as  to  how  to  proceed  in  the  matter 
of  the  above  petition. 

Things  were  getting  some  interesting.  The  Bird  Islanders 
had  been  waiting  results  of  the  commissioners'  examination  of 
their  petition  some  days  and  were  impatient.  During  a  lull  in 
the  activities  likely  when  most  of  the  forces  had  gone  for  re- 
freshments, Mat.  Donohue  went  to  the  clerk  and  withdrew  the 
Bird  Island  petition  and  put  it  in  his  pocket.  Dpon  this  becom- 
ing known  to  the  board  they  were  angry  and  ordered  the  of- 
fending clerk  to  demand  the  return  of  the  petition  and  freeholder 
list  until  final  action  could  be  had  thereon.  Such  request  was 
made  by  said  clerk  but  was  refused  by  the  petitioners.  Then, 
after  some  heated  discussions  on  a  motion,  the  board  proceeded 
with  the  examination  of  the  petition  for  the  removal  of  tlie 
county  seat  to  Olivia. 

The  following  request  was  presented  to  the  county  auditor, 
P.  H.  Kirwan:  "Whereas,  a  petition  duly  signed  by  a  majority 
of  the  freeholders,  who  are  legal  voters  and  residents  of  said 
county,  was  duly  presented  and  received  by  the  Board  of  County 
Commissioners  of  said  county  at  a  session  thereof  held  at  Beaver 
Falls  in  said  county,  Dec.  1,  1885,  asking  a  change  of  the  county 
seat  of  said  county,  from  Beaver  Palls  to  Olivia,  in  said  county ; 
and,  whereas,  you,  the  said  county  auditor,  have  not  filed  or 
caused  said  petition  so  presented  to  be  filed,  as  required  by  law; 
now,  therefore,  you  are  hereby  required  and  requested  that  with- 
out delay  you  file  or  cause  said  petition  to  be  filed  in  your  office, 
and  that  you  proceed  therein  as  required  by  law.  Dated  this 
14th  day  of  January,  1886.  Yours  respectfully,  G.  J.  De  Pue. 
On  behalf  of  himself  and  all  other  petitioners." 

A  similar  request  was  also  presented  by  Mr.  De  Pue,  addressed 


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596  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

to  the  Board  of  County  Commissioners.  The  commiesioners,  as 
in  the  Bird  Island  petition,  asked  time  be  given  until  the  county 
attorney  shall  have  rendered  his  opinion. 

The  county  attorney's  opinion  was  as  follows:  "To  the  Board 
of  County  Commissioners  of  Renville  county.  Gentlemen:  In 
response  to  your  request  for  an  opinion  as  to  your  duty  with 
respect  to  the  demand  herein  made,  I  respectfully  refer  you  to 
the  opinion  of  the  attorney  general  of  this  state,  under  date  of 
Dec.  12,  1885,  and  Dee.  14,  1885,  and  by  your  honorable  board 
received  and  filed  on  the  sixteenth  day  of  December,  1885.  which 
fully  answers  your  question,  which  is :  Whether  at  this  stage  of 
the  examination  of  the  petitions  before  yon  for  the  removal  of 
the  county  seat  of  this  county,  and  before  both  petitions  have 
been  examined  or  any  final  action  taken  as  to  the  validity  of 
either  petition,  you  are  bound,  in  duty  or  otherwise,  to  receive 
and  file  the  petition  as  within  required.  Respectfully  yours,  S. 
R.  Miller,  county  attorney.  Above  opinion  also  refers  to  papers 
of  similar  import  presented  to  Auditor  Kirwan.    S,  R.  Miller." 

The  above  opinion  of  County  Attorney  S.  R.  Miller  was  based 
upon  the  following  questions  propounded  to  the  attorney  general 
as  follows : 

"Attorney  General  W.  J.  Hahn.  Sir:  I  desire  to  submit  the 
following  questions  for  your  opinion  on  same:  When  two  vil- 
lages in  the  same  county  present  to  the  Board  of  County  Com- 
missioners of  sueh  county  petitions  for  the  removal  of  the  county 
seat  to  their  respective  villages  under  the  laws  of  1885  for  the 
removal  of  a  county  seat  and  when  such  petitions  both  purport 
to  have  a  majority  of  the  resident  legal  voters  and  freeholders 
of  such  county  as  petitioners  thereon,  and  both  petitions  are 
presented,  practically  at  the  same  time — is  the  Board  of  County 
Commissioners  authorized ; 

First.  To  examine  both  petitions  before  receiving  and  filing 
either! 

Second.  Where  names  of  such  petitioners  are  found  upon 
both  of  such  petitions,  asking  the  Board  of  County  Commis- 
sioners to  submit  the  question  of  removal  to  one  place  in  one  pe- 
tition and  to  another  place  in  another  petition,  is  not  the  Board 
of  County  Commissioners  authorized  to  cancel  their  names  on 
both  petitions  on  the  ground  of  inconsistency  in  their  prayer  or 
petition  t 

Third.  Where  both  petitions  have,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  about 
an  equal  number  of  signers  and  a  majority  of  legal  petitioners 
in  the  county  by  reason  of  such  duplication  of  names,  how  is 
the  board  to  determine  which  petition  should  be  filed  T  Respect- 
fully submitted,  S.  R.  Miller,  county  attorney,  Renville,  county, 
Minn. ' ' 

Attorney  General  Hahn  wired  answer  as  follows:     "Answer 


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HISTORY  OF  EENVILLE  COUNTY  597 

first  two  'yes,'  other  by  former  opinion.  Duplicate  petitions 
pasted  together  not  good." 

The  board  requested  the  auditor  to  give  notice  that  county 
seat  petitions  would  be  taken  up  again  by  the  board  March  16, 

1886.  On  March  16,  the  records  of  the  county  auditor's  office 
show  the  Olivia  county  seat  removal  petition  was  taken  up,  bnt 
that  is  all  it  does  show.  The  inference  is  that  the  county  seat 
war  dogs  were  organizing  for  a  stronger  battle. 

At  a  special  session  of  the  board  in  June,  Thos.  H.  CoUyer 
was  appointed  watchman  at  the  court  house  or  jail,  and  ordered 
to  keep  awake  from  7 :30  in  the  evening  until  6 :00  in  the  morn- 
ing under  the  threat  that,  if  he  failed,  the  auditor  might  dis- 
charge him.  Whether  the  auditor  was  to  sit  up  and  watch  Thomas 
is  not  stated  in  the  records,  but  as  no  discharge  is  recorded, 
Thomas  doubtless  "made  good." 

At  a  special  session  in  December,  the  Board  of  County  Com- 
missioners appointed  Hans  Gronnerud  county  abstractor,  requir- 
ing him  to  give  bond  in  the  penal  sum  of  $2,000.  January,  1887, 
the  Board  of  County  Commissioners  were  Henry  Schafer  (chair- 
man), Patrick  Williams,  A.  H.  Anderson,  John  Hurst  and  John 
Thompson,  with  P.  H.  Kirwan,  county  auditor.  This  year  Lor- 
raine, of  the  Bird  Island  Union,  was  to  print  the  financial  state- 
ment at  $1.50  per  foUo,  and  Kelsey,  of  the  Beaver  Falls  "Times," 
the  tax  list  at  12c  per  description.  Dr.  A.  G.  Stoddard  was 
appointed  county  physician  at  a  salary  of  $480  per  annum,  pay- 
able $40  monthly.  At  this  meeting  a  resolution  was  adopted 
looking  toward  the  purchase  of  a  county  poor  farm.     April  20, 

1887,  the  hoard  agreed  to  offer  bounties  for  the  destruction  of 
gophers  and  blackbirds.  April  21  a  petition  was  presented  to 
the  board,  asking  for  the  incorporation  of  a  village,  to  be  called 
Morton,  and  May  26,  1887,  was  the  day  appointed  for  the  electors 
to  meet  at  the  Keating  Building  and  decide  the  matter.  At  a 
special  session  June,  1887,  Hans  Gronnerud,  proprietor  of  the 
Farmers'  Bank  of  Beaver  Falls,  was  designated  as  county  deposi- 
tory for  county  funds,  furnishing  bonds  in  the  sum  of  $25,000. 

June  23  the  commissioners  resolved  to  pay  no  nxore  bounties 
for  gophers  or  blackbirds  after  July  1,  1877.  Dec.  2,  1877,  a  peti- 
tion was  presented  to  the  board,  asking  for  certain  territory  to 
be  incorporated  into  a  village  and  named  Fairfax.  The  board 
granted  the  petition  and  gave  notice  that  an  election  would  be 
held  by  the  electors  of  the  territory  affected,  at  the  office  of  Mar- 
tin D.  Brown,  Esq.,  Jan.  5,  1888,  to  decide  the  matter. 

Jan.  3,  1888,  the  board  met  in  regular  session  with  the  same 
commissioners  and  auditor  as  last  year,  though  John  Thompson 
was  elected  chairman.  This  year  C.  L.  Lorraine  secured  the  de- 
linquent tax  list  at  12c  per  description  and  Henry  Kelsey  took 
the  financial  statement  at  $1.50  per  folio,  and  60c  per  folio  for 


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698  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  OOUxNTY 

each  session  of  the  proceedings  of  the  commissionera  whieh  here- 
tofore have  been  published  gratis.  The  printers  were  evidently 
no  longer  devouring  each  other.  At  this  meeting  salaries  were 
fixed  as  follows :  County  treasurer,  $1,200 ;  county  auditor,  $1.200 ; 
judge  of  probate,  $800;  superintendent  of  schools  $1,050;  county- 
attorney,  $900. 

March  20,  3888,  a  petition  was  presented  for  the  incorporation 
of  territory  to  be  called  the  village  of  Franklin,  which  was 
granted  and  the  electors  notified  to  meet  at  the  drug  store  on 
April  24,  1888,  and  vote  on  the  proposition.  January,  1889,  the 
commissioners  are  John  Thompson  (chairman),  0.  P.  Peterson, 
Patrick  Williams,  John  Warner  and  A.  H.  Anderson;  Patrick  H. 
Eirwan,  county  auditor. 

This  year  Dr.  Stoddard  offered  to  give  medical  attention  to 
the  county  poor  for  $480.  Doctor  Welsh  applied  for  the  position 
at  $390,  but  it  was  notwithstanding  given  to  Stoddard  at  $480. 
Dr.  Stoddard  was  experienced.  C,  L,  Lorraine  was  the  one 
and  only  bidder  for  county  printing  this  year,  receiving  $1.50 
per  folio  for  the  financial  statement,  75c  per  folio  for  each  ses- 
sion, commissioners'  proceedings,  and  12c  per  description  for 
delinquent  tax  list.  Jan.  9,  1889,  Hans  Listrud  succeeded  Hans 
Gronnerud  as  county  treasurer  and  filed  a  bond  for  $65,000 ;  $17,- 
913.11  was  shown  to  be  in  the  treasury,  $17,615.38  of  which  wae 
on  deposit  in  Gronnerud 's  Farmers'  Bank  of  Beaver  Falls.  Al- 
though action  on  the  question  of  county  seat  removal  had  re- 
mained in  abeyance  on  the  account  of  inadequate  laws  pertain- 
ing to  that  subject,  rumblings  were  heard  in  different  parts  of 
the  county  and  considerable  activity  noticed  on  the  part  of  lead- 
ing citizens  who  bad  succeeded  in  securing  the  passage  of  a  new 
county  seat  law.  So,  on  May  3,  1889,  the  Board  of  County 
Commissioners  met  pursuant  to  a  call  issued  by  virtue  of  an  act 
of  the  legislature  of  the  state  of  Minnesota,  approved  March  21, 
1889,  for  the  removal  of  county  seats.  At  this  meeting  a  peti- 
tion for  the  removal  of  the  county  seat  from  Beaver  Palls  to 
Bird  Island  was  presented  to  the  board.  The  opposition  pre- 
sented a  goodly  number  of  names  of  those  who  had  signed  the 
Bird  Island  petition,  asking  to  be  stricken  from  that  petition  for 
various  reasons,  thus  the  matter  came  squarely  before  the  board 
for  consideration.  The  first  thing  the  board  did  was  to  establish 
a  set  of  rules  for  proceeding  with  the  ease  before  them^  which 
was  elaborate  and  precise,  resolving  first,  second,  third,  fourth, 
fifth  and  sixth  at  great  length.  M.  0.  Little  and  Thos.  E.  Boylen 
appeared  for  Bird  Island  and  Judge  H,  J.  Pick,  of  Shakopee, 
appeared  for  the  opposition.  The  session  continued  for  three 
days,  and  several  nights;  the  discussions  were  very  heated  and 
much  bad  blood  manifested.  On  the  evening  of  May  6,  1889,  the 
commissioners  ordered  an   election  to  be   held  throughout  the 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  599 

comity  on  June  4,  1889,  to  decide  whether  the  county  seat  should 
remaiu  at  Beaver  Falls  or  removed  to  Bird  Island.  The  election 
was  duly  held  and  the  result  was  3,427  votes  east,  of  which  Bird 
Island  received  1,580,  and  the  opposition  1,847.  So  the  county 
seat  remained  at  Beaver  Falls. 

The  result  of  this  election  made  the  friends  of  Beaver  Falls 
feel  some  jubilant  and  the  citizens  of  that  place  at  once  mani- 
fested a  generous  and  liberal  spirit  to  the  extent  that  on  July 
18  they  offered  to  pay  $500  for  certain  lots  and  buildings  and 
furnish  a  site  on  the  public  square  free  of  cost  to  the  county, 
provided  the  county  erect  a  court  house  with  vault  on  said  site 
costing  not  less  than  $3,500  and  during  the  year  1889.  The  ob- 
ject was  to  firmly  fasten  the  county  seat  at  Beaver  Falls,  with  a 
new  court  house.  It  appeared  as  though  efforts  looking  to  re- 
moval had  terminated  and  the  Board  of  County  Commissioners 
most  have  been  of  that  mind,  for  they  at  this  same  meeting 
adopted  unanimously  a  motion  for  a  building  to  be  40  feet  wide, 
60  feet  long,  and  20  feet  high,  with  vault  and  furnace  to  cost 
not  more  than  $3,700,  0.  F.  Peterson,  Pat.  Williams  and  John 
Warner  were  appointed  a  building  committee  with  authority 
to  proceed  with  the  erection  of  said  building. 

This  building  committee  advertised  for  sealed  bids,  for  the 
erection  of  this  new  court  house,  including  vault,  etc.  Sept.  3, 
1889,  it  was  found  that  the  lowest  bid  was  $3,939,  by  John  P. 
Thiry,  which  was  finally  approved  by  the  commissioners  and  the 
contract  let  to  Mr.  Thiry  for  that  amount.  The  contractor  was 
urged  to  make  no  delay,  so  he  at  once  began  to  break  ground, 
assemble  his  material  and  workmen  for  a  rapid  work.  On  De- 
cember 13,  of  this  same  year,  the  building  committee  reported 
the  new  court  house  complete  according  to  contract  and  it  was 
at  once  approved  by  the  board. 

Now  that  the  county  seat  matter  was  apparently  settled  for 
all  time,  Beaver  Falls  wished  to  assume  more  dignity,  and  upon 
this  same  day  presented  a  petition,  asking  to  be  incorporated  as 
a  village.  This  was  granted,  and  the  electors  notified  to'  hold 
an  election  Jan,  21,  1890,  at  the  court  house  to  decide  the  matter. 
December  14  the  commissioners  by  resolution  directed  the  county 
officials  to  move  their  offices  into  the  new  court  house  not  later 
than  Dec.  21,  1889. 

Jan.  7,  1890,  the  same  commissioners  continued  in  office.  A. 
H.  Anderson  was  made  chairman,  A  resolution  was  adopted, 
ordering  that  the  county  attorney's  salary  from  and  after  Jan. 
1,  1891,  should  not  exceed  $700. 

Lorraine,  again  the  only  bidder,  secured  the  county  printing 
at  the  previous  year's  price.  Jan.  10,  $500  was  appropriated  to 
aid  building  a  bridge  across  the  Minnesota  river  ai  Sacred  Heart 
and  $500  to  aid  a  bridge  at  Franklin,    At  the  meeting,  May  6, 


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600  niMTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

it  was  proposed  to  remodel  the  old  jail  and  make  it  a  residence 
for  the  sheriff  as  well  as  a  jail.  S.  R.  Miller  was  allowed  $10 
for  making  contact  for  new  court  house,  same  to  be  deducted 
from  county  attorney's  salary  for  September. 

Jan.  6,  1691,  Commissioners  0.  F.  Peterson  (chairman),  Pat. 
Williams,  A.  H.  Anderson,  Tyke  Yetterboe  and  John  Warner. 
E.  L.  De  Pue,  county  auditor.  Frank  Poseley  became  county 
treasurer  and  P.  B.  Olson,  register  of  deeds.  This  year  there 
must  have  been  some  dissension  among  the  priutois,  for  Lorraine, 
of  Bird  Island,  the  lowest  bidder,  asked  only  20c  a  folio  for  print- 
ing the  financial  statement  for  which  he  received  $1.50  the  pre- 
vious year;  3c  per  description  for  delinquent  tax  list,  as  against 
12c  the  previous  year;  proceedings  of  the  commissioners  he 
printed  gratis,  for  which  the  previous  year  he  received  75e  per 
folio.  But  the  Bird  Island  "Union"  was  made  the  official  paper 
of  the  county;  that  was  considered  a  partial  recompense.  R.  T. 
Daley  became  county  attorney  and  Wm.  Wichmanj  sheriff.  Jan- 
uary 9  the  following  resolution  was  adopted  by  the  hoard:  "Re- 
solved, that  the  county  hoard  desires  to  extend  to  the  retiring 
auditor,  P.  H.  Kirwan,  its  appreciation  of  his  untiring  efforts 
in  securing  for  the  county  an  able,  successful  and  economic  ad- 
ministration, always  willing  and  watchful  of  the  county's  inter- 
est; and  we  personally,  who  have  had  the  benefit  of  his  advice 
and  counsel,  desire  to  express  our  appreciation  of  his  efforts 
in  our  behalf." 

The  retiring  county  auditor  replied  feelingly,  thanking  them 
for  their  consideration  and  expressing  his  gratitude  to  them  and 
to  the  people  of  Kenville  county,  as  well  as  to  his  efBcient  as- 
sistant, T.  H.  CoUyer,  for  their  spirit  of  kindness  always  mani- 
fested toward  him,  during  his  many  years  of  service  as  auditor 
of  Renville  county.  May  4,  1891,  the  chairman  was  directed  to 
appoint  a  committee  to  look  up  and  locate  a  poor-farm  which 
should  consist  of  320  acres  and  be  located  within  three  miles  of 
the  H.  &  D.  railway. 

On  July  22,  1891,  Hans  Gronuerud  appeared  before  the  board 
and  offered  to  sell  the  following  described  property  to  the  county 
for  $8,000:  320  acres  of  land,  being  in  the  south  half  of  section 
20,  township  114,  range  33,  with  all  improvements  thereon  and 
including  personal  property  as  follows :  four  farm  wagons,  two 
mowers,  one  hay  rake,  two  binders,  two  churns,  one  complanter, 
one  grass  seeder,  two  farm  scales,  one  butter  worker,  blacksmith 
tools,  carpenter  tools,  one  road  scraper,  one  new  drill,  one  Van 
Brunt  seeder,  three  bob  sleds,  one  sulky  plow  and  breaker,  one 
cultivator,  two  double-shovel  cultivatoi's,  three  harrows,  four  hay 
racks,  one  sack  truck,  one  cook  stove,  one  heater,  all  household 
goods,  150  grain  sacks,  one  corn  marker,  two  wheelbarrows,  five 
good  mitch  cows,  ten  pigs,  300  bushels  wheat,  500  bushels  oats; 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  601 

and  Mr.  Gronnerud  agreed  to  have  all  land  then  under  cultiva- 
tion plowed  by  Oct.  1,  1891.  The  board  ananimously  agreed  to 
pnrchase  the  farm  and  property  at  the  price  offered,  and  the 
auditor  was  instructed  to  advertise  for  a  manager  of  the  poor- 
farm,  80  purchased  from  Mr,  Gronnerud.  Sept.  14,  1891,  Henry 
Mikm  was  employed  by  the  county  as  superintendent  of  the  poor 
farm  at  $50  per  month.  William  Windhorst  contracted  to  refit 
the  building  on  the  farm  for  $725. 

On  Nov.  6,  1891,  a  petition  was  presented,  asking  for  the  in- 
corporation of  Buffalo  Lake,  which  was  granted,  and  the  qualified 
electors  of  the  territory  affected  notified  to  meet  at  the  Hotel 
Goeble  on  Jan.  4,  1892,  to  decide  the  matter,  which  they  did  in 
due  and  ancient  form. 

Jan.  5,  1892,  the  same  commissioners  served,  but  A.  H.  An- 
derson was  chairman.  E.  L.  De  Pue  was  county  auditor.  This 
year  clerk  hire  was  allowed  in  the  following  offices :  county  audi- 
tor, $600;  register  of  deeds,  $500;  county  treasurer,  $200.  The 
board  refused  to  employ  a  regular  county  physician.  P:  W. 
Schmidt,  of  the  Fairfax  "Crescent,"  agreed  to  publish  the  finan- 
cial statement  at  10c  per  folio,  the  tax  list  at  li^c  per  descrip- 
tion, and  commissioners'  proceedings  at  5c  per  folia,  his  paper 
being  designated  as  the  official  county  newspaper  for  1892. 

On  November  16  the  county  commissioners  ordered  two  dele- 
gates from  each  town  in  the  county  to  meet  in  convention  at 
Bird  Island,  Jan.  14,  1893,  for  the  purpose  of  electing  four  dele- 
gates from  Renville  county  to  the  good  roads  convention  in  St. 
Paul,  Jan.  25  and  26,  1893.  Thus  started  the  good  roads  move- 
ment in  Renville  county,  which  its  energetic  and  public-spirited 
citizens  have  kept  alive  and  working. 

Jan.  3,  1893,  commissioners  were:  John  Warner  (chairman), 
Thyke  E.  Yetterboe,  E.  J.  Butler,  A.  H.  Anderson  and  A.  D. 
Corey.  E.  L.  Du  Pue  was  county  auditor.  S.  R.  Miller  again 
became  county  attorney.  A.  E.  Hilland  and  S.  W.  Tredway, 
publishers  of  the  Morton  "Enterprise,"  received  the  county  print- 
ing at  414c  per  folio,  and  were  to  furnish  all  county  papers  sup- 
plements, to  be  mailed  to  subscribers  at  le  per  copy;  delinquent 
tax  list  to  be  published  at  ^c  per  description.  Commissioners' 
proceedings  were  to  be  published  gratia.  But  the  "Enterprise" 
was  designated  the  official  newspaper,  which  was  evidently  con- 
sidered of  value. 

July  11,  1893,  the  telephone  company  of  Renville  was  au- 
thorized by  the  commissioners  to  operate  its  instruments  in  the 
auditor's  office  in  the  court  house,  but  with  the  provision  that  the 
company  must  indemnify  the  county  against  increased  cost  of 
insurance  caused  by  running  the  line  into  the  court  bouse  build- 
ing, and  the  commissioners  reserved  the  right  to  remove  the  tele- 
phone from  the  building  when  public  interests  demanded  it  and 


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602  HISTORV  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

wh^  public  opinion  is  opposed  to  such  use  of  the  court  house. 
Thus  we  see  how  the  telephone  was  received  no  later  than  1893. 
July  13  we  find  the  first  estimate  of  county  expenses,  which  was : 
Salaries,  $7,500;  board  of  prisoners,  $500;  insane,  $500;  district 
court  expenses,  $5,000;  justice  court,  $1,500;  stationery  and  print- 
ing, $1,400;  light,  fuel  and  repairs,  $600;  payment  on  poor  farm, 
$2,000;  support  of  poor,  $2,700;  road  and  btidge,  total  $24,100. 

Jan.  2, 1894,  the  same  commissioners  and  auditor  served,  with 
Thyke  E.  Tetterboe  as  chairman  of  the  board.  R.  C.  Sheppard, 
publisher  of  the  "Union"  at  Bird  Island,  secured  the  county 
printing  and  the  "Union"  was  designated  the  official  county 
newspaper.  Jan.  6,  1894,  the  county  commissioners  issued  a  no- 
tice to  the  voters  and  property  owners  of  Renville  county  that 
Hans  Gronnerud,  the  owner  of  two  sets  of  abstracts  of  land  titles 
of  the  county,  had  offered  to  sell  for  $6,000,  the  commissioners 
declaring  that  they  had  decided  to  purchase  unless  serioosly  ob- 
jected to  by  the  people,  and  stating  they  would  meet  Feb.  8, 
1894,  to  hear  and  consider  objections,  winding  up  their  notice 
by  saying,  "Let  the  people  now  be  heard  from  or  forever  hold 
their  peace."  On  February  8  the  board  decided  that  they  had 
no  authority  to  hire  a  force  of  experts  to  work  on  the  records. 
On  February  10  Mr.  Gronnerud,  for  one  dollar,  entered  into  an 
agreement  with  the  commissioners  to  sell  his  abstracts  to  the 
county  in  case  the  records  of  the  register  of  deeds  were  destroyed. 
Thus  the  county  was  given  the  first  chance  to  buy  the  abstracts 
for  $6,000. 

Now,  it  would  seem  with  the  new  court  house,  vault,  good 
office  rooms,  and  everythisg  for  conducting  the  county  business 
better  than  ever  before,  and  Beaver  Falls  incorporated,  that  the 
county  seat  removal  would  never  be  again  thought  of  or  sug- 
gested, but  busybodieR,  ambitious  towns  and  rival  interests  soon 
revivt'd  the  question,  and  this  time  Olivia  reached  out  for  the 
county  peat  and  began  an  active  campaign. 

On  May  2,  1894,  P.  W.  Heins,  for  and  in  behalf  of,  and  by 
authority  of  the  village  and  county  seat  committee  of  Olivia,  ap- 
peared before  the  board  and  offered  to  deposit  with  the  county 
treasurer  $4,100  to  aid  in  new  county  buildings  at  Olivia,  to  de- 
posit with  said  treasurer  a  deed  for  a  block  in  Olivia  upon  which 
to  build  a  court  house,  to  furnish  office  rooms  to  August,  1895, 
and  stiimlating  that  the  citizens  of  Olivia  would  waive  all  right 
of  action  to  recover  any  part  of  the  donation,  as  well  as  pledging 
their  sacred  honor  to  do  all  this  in  the  event  of  Olivia  securing 
the  county  seat. 

The  hoard  at  once  adopted  a  resolution,  accepting  the  deposit 
and  terms  thereof,  but  refused  to  be  responsible  for  the  safe 
keeping  of  the  deposit.     To  this  Mr.  Heins  made  no  objection 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  603 

and  thus  again  was  a  eoiinty  seat  war  launched  upon  the  people 
of  Renville  county.  The  contest  was  most  bitter  and  entered 
into  political,  social  and  even  religious  affairs;  candidates  for 
office  had  their  diplomacy  taxed  to  the  utmost,  catering  to  the 
opposing  forces  and  the  battles  went  merrily  on,  Olivia  scouring 
the  county  for  signers  to  her  petitions  for  the  removal  of  the 
county  seat  to  that  place. 

June  23,  1894,  the  comnuBsioners  met  to  consider  the  Olivia 
removal  petition.  As  in  the  Bird  Island  petition  five  years  pre- 
vious, the  board  adopted  elaborate  rules  for  introducing  and  dis- 
cussing matters  thereto  pertaining,  before  them,  one  of  which 
was  that  the  "sessions  of  the  board  shall  commence  at  9  o'clock 
A.  M.  of  each  day,  except  Sunday,  until  a  final  conclusion  is 
reached,  and  hold  till  6  P.  M.,  with  two  hours  for  recess  at  noon." 
Hon.  John  Lind  appeared  for  those  opposing  the  petition,  claim- 
ing that  the  petition  was  illegal  in  that  the  petition  was  circu- 
lated within  five  years  from  the  last  county  seat  election,  con- 
trary to  law,  Hon.  Lyndon  A.  Smith  appeared  for  the  petitioners, 
arguing  their  side  of  the  case.  The  commissioners  decided  for 
the  petitioners,  declaring  the  petition  to  be  legal  and  valid.  Days 
were  spent  before  the  board  in  this  matter  and  the  discussions 
were  heated  at  times.  Finally  a  general  protest  was  filed  against 
the  petition,  setting  forth,  among  other  things,  that  the  signa- 
tures were  obtained  by  fraud,  etc.,  and  signed  by  Attorneys 
Thos.  E.  Boylan,  John  Lind  and  G.  T.  Christianson.  But  the  com- 
missioners, after  much  deliberation,  decided  the  Olivia's  petition 
legal  and  valid,  so  an  election  to  decide  the  matter  was  ordered 
held  on  July  18,  1894. 

At  this  election  Olivia  received  more  than  55  per  cent  of  the 
vote.  So,  at  a  meeting  of  the  board  on  July  21,  1894,  the  com- 
missioners ordered  the  county  seat  moved  from,  Beaver  Falls 
to  Olivia  and  constituted  themselves  a  committee  to  superintend 
the  removal  of  all  records,  furniture,  archives  and  county  prop- 
erty. Olivia  was  feeliug  some  jubilant  while  Beaver  Falls  was 
in  a  "cave  of  gloom,"  but  the  friends  of  Beaver  Falls  did  not 
propose  to  quit  so  easily  and  on  this  same  twenty-first  day  of 
July,  Sheriff  Wichman  served  a  copy  of  a  complaint  upon  the 
commissioners  and  all  the  county  officers,  setting  np  twenty-one 
different  reasons  why  the  county  seat  should  remain  at  Beaver 
Falls  and  demanding  an  injunction  and  order  from  the  court, 
preventing  the  coimty  Beat  from  being  moved  to  Olivia,  How- 
ever, the  county  seat  went  to  Olivia  and  the  district  court  dis- 
solved the  injunction.  Quarters  were  rented  for  the  different 
county  officials  at  Olivia,  but  upon  an  appeal  to  the  Supreme 
court,  the  District  court  was  reversed,  and  the  county  seat  with 
its  archives,  furniture,  and  records  packed  back  to  Beaver  Falls. 
The  Beaverites  were  wild  with  joy,  of  course,  while  the  friends 


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604  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUiSTY 

of  Olivia  were  much  incensed.  Conditions  were  not  ideal  in 
the  county  during  these  contests. 

On  October  1  the  commissioners  set  apart  $700  from  the  gen- 
eral revenue  fund  to  pay  costs  in  defending  the  county  in  county 
seat  lawsuits.  The  two  sets  of  Gronnerud  abstracts  were  even- 
tually acquired  by  a  company  and  the  sets  finally  purchased  from 
that  company  by  the  county  for  $4,000.  They  are  now  in  the 
register  of  deeds  office.  These  are  kept  posted  right  up  to  the 
minute,  and  the  register  of  deeds  office  is  about  as  well  appointed 
in  these  later  years  as  it  well  could  be. 

Jan.  8,  1895,  the  commissioners  were :  A.  D.  Corey  (chairman), 
E.  J.  Butler,  A.  H.  Anderson,  A.  J.  Anderson  and  F.  A.  Sehroeder ; 
Jesse  T.  Brooks,  county  auditor;  Hans  Listrud,  treasurer;  Peter 
Ericson,  register  of  deeds.  Edgar  E.  Cook,  clerk  of  district  court ; 
and  Perry  W.  Glenn,  judge  of  probate.  Henry  Kelsey,  of  the  now 
Olivia  "Times,"  secured  the  county  printing  at  three  cents  per 
folio  for  financial  statement  and  agreed  to  furnish  the  other 
county  papers  the  same  at  40c  per  hundred,  delinquent  tax  list 
at  Ic  per  description  and  commissioners'  proceedings  gratis.  At 
this  meeting  a  resolution  was  adopted  asking  the  legislature  to 
change  the  school  district  system  to  a  township  system.  Julius 
A.  Betz  was  employed  by  the  board  to  transcribe  the  grantors 
and  grantees  index  in  the  register  of  deeds  office  for  $135.  March 
4,  1895,  E.  M.  Clay,  M.  D.,  was  made  county  physician  at  a  com- 
pensation of  $60  per  month. 

July  8,  1895,  the  board  of  county  commissioners  met  for  the 
first  time  in  Olivia,  the  citizens  fitting  up  the  Jiilian  block  with 
vaults  and  offices  for  the  county  officials,  and  they  moved  in. 
October  5,  the  commissioners  appropriated  $291.65  in  payment  of 
rent  for  county  offices  and  the  auditor  was  authorized  to  draw 
his  warrant  monthly  for  the  same  as  earned. 

Jan.  7,  1896,  the  same  commissioners  served  as  in  1895,  though 
E.  J,  Butler  was  chairman.  F.  W.  Rae,  of  the  Fairfax  " Crescent," 
secured  the  county  printing.  This  year,  for  the  first  time,  tw^o 
county  physicians  were  employed.  Dr.  E.  M.  Clay,  at  $600,  and 
Dr.  A.  G.  Stoddard,  at  $400.  On  February  27  Commissioner 
Corey  offered  a  resolution  setting  forth  the  fact  that  the  supreme 
court  of  the  state  of  Minnesota  had  reversed  the  decision  of  the 
local  district  court  and  adjudged  that  the  county  seat  of  this 
county  had  not  been  changed  to  Olivia  and  directing  that  the 
rehearing  of  the  case  petitioned  for  be  dismissed.  Hon.  John 
Lind,  attorney  for  the  opposition  to  Olivia,  addressed  the  boftrd, 
favoring  the  adoption  of  the  resolution,  but  it  received  only  the 
vote  of  Commissioner  Corey.  S.  B.  Miller,  county  attorney,  then 
presented  an  opinion  at  some  length,  which  was  spread  upon  the 
records.  He  opposed  the  resolution,  denying  the  right  of  the 
commissioners  to  dismiss  the  petition  for  rehearing,  which  was 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  fOUNTY  605 

set  for  six  weeks  ahead,  without  consulting  him.  He  declared 
that  the  commissjouers  said  they  objected  to  the  turmoil  when  in 
fact  they  started  the  turmoil- and  had  been  "turmoUing"  for  a 
year  and  seven  months  and  certainly  should  be  able  to  stand  six 
weeks  more  of  their  own  creation.  On  April  27,  1896,  the  board 
met  at  the  county  auditor's  office  in  Olivia  for  the  purpose  of 
providing  for  the  removal  of  the  records  and  county  offices  back 
to  Beaver  Falls,  but  all  were  served  with  an  order  from  the  dis- 
trict court  restraining  them  until  further  order  of  the  court, 
upon  which  they  adjourned  and  went  home,  but  the  supreme 
court  made  a  final  decision  against  Olivia,  and  in  May,  1896, 
the  county  seat  went  back  to  "Mother  Beaver,"  as  the  village 
was  called  in  those  days.  On  May  28  the  county  treasurer  was 
directed  by  the  board  to  return  to  the  Olivia  county  seat  com- 
mittee $4,100  and  deed  for  certain  lands,  in  view  of  the  supreme 
court  decision  that  the  county  seat  had  not  been  permanently 
located  in  Olivia,  and  so  the  elements  of  discord  continued  to 
smolder. 

Jan.  5,  1897,  the  commissioners  were  F.  A.  Sehroeder  (chair- 
man), E.  J.  Butler,  J.  L  Johnson,  A.  J.  Anderson  and  C.  A. 
Desmond ;  J.  T.  Brooks,  county  auditor.  Doctors  E.  M.  Clay  and 
A.  G.  Stoddard  were  again  county  physicians ;  Clay  was  to  receive 
$500  for  the  year,  while  Stoddard  had  to  be  satisfied  with  $350. 

July  15,  1897,  was  the  date  of  the  first  public  benefit  ditch  in 
Renville  county.  Isaac  Bogema  and  others  petitioned  the  board 
to  lay  out  a  ditch  through  the  town  of  Bandon,  Camp  and  Birch 
Cooley,  believing  it  to  be  a  public  benefit  and  utility,  Peter  E. 
Wicken,  C.  W,  Parsons  and  W,  B.  Mmisell  were  appointed  view- 
ers for  said  ditch,  which  was  ditch  No.  1  of  the  many  ditches 
layed  out  and  dug  through  Renville  county,  since  that  time, 
absorbing  many  hundred  thousands  of  dollars.  On  Oct.  25,  1897, 
after  hiring  overseers  and  having  trouble  with  renters,  the  com- 
missioners sold  to  P.  S.  Eastberg  the  county  poor  farm  for  $8,000, 
just  what  they  paid  for  it  aii  years  before,  November  4  a  peti- 
tion was  presented  to  the  board,  signed  by  C.  H.  Hopkins,  Albert 
Hansen,  A.  V.  Rieke,  A.  P.  Lee,  F.  M.  Reed  and  W.  F.  Mahler, 
asking  the  commissioners  to  purchase  paint  and  use  it  to  blot  out 
the  profane  inscription  on  the  Melntyre  building  adjacent  to 
the  court  house  in  Beaver  Palls.  Whether  Melntyre 's  house 
was  painted  at  the  expense  of  the  county  is  not  disclosed  by  the 
records. 

Jan.  4,  1898,  same  commissioners  and  auditors  served  as  in 
1897,  with  A.  J.  Anderson  as  chairman.  This  year  four  county 
physicians  were  appointed:  Dr.  E.  M.  Clay  for  the  northwest 
part  of  the  county,  at  $225  for  the  year ;  Dr.  F.  L.  Puffer  for  the 
northeast,  at  the  same  price ;  Dr.  F.  W.  Penhall,  the  southwest,  at 
$150;  and  Dr.  A.  G.  Stoddard,  the  southeast,  at  $200.    January 


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606  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

6  the  first  two  typewriters  were  purchased  by  the  county,  one 
for  the  judge  of  probate  and  one  for  the  auperintendent  of 
schools.  This  year  George  T.  Castle,  of  the  Bird  Island  "Union," 
received  the  county  printing  at  legal  rates. 

Jan.  3,  1899,  the  commissioners  were:  E.  J.  Butler  (chairman), 
J.  S.  Johnson,  F.  A.  Sehroeder,  C,  A.  Desmond  and  Norman 
Hickok,  with  J.  T.  Brooks  county  auditor.  Henry  Kelsey,  of  the 
Olivia  "Times,"  received  the  county  printing  that  year  at  $1.45 
per  folio  for  financial  statements,  12c  per  description  for  delin- 
quent tax  list,  commissioners'  proceedings  75c  per  folio,  and  all 
other  legal  notices  75c  per  folio  first  insertion  and  35c  for  subse- 
quent. Dr.  A.  G.  Stoddard  was  appointed  county  physician  for 
the  year,  at  a  salary  of  $750,  taking  the  place  of  the  four  physi- 
cians of  the  previous  year.  May  3,  1899,  W,  J.  Donohue  appeared 
before  the  board,  and  on  the  part  of  Bird  Island,  offered  to  place 
in  escrow  with  them,  a  deed  for  a  block  of  land  in  that  place 
free  to  the  county,  provided  the  county  seat  is  located  there. 
The  board  directed  that  the  subject  be  eonsidered  at  their  meet- 
ing July  next. 

On  July  10  R.  T.  Daly  appeared  as  attorney  for  Bird  Island, 
offering  a  building  gratis  to  the  county. if  the  county  seat  be 
moved  to  that  place.  On  the  same  day  Attorney  George  F.  Gage, 
on  behalf  of  the  citizens  county  seat  removal  committee  of  Olivia, 
offered  to  place  in  the  hands  of  Auditor  Brooks  a  warranty  deed 
for  the  Winhorst  block,  with  all  the  buildings  thereon,  or  a 
choice  of  several  blocks  of  land  in  Olivia  upon  which  to  build  a 
new  court  house,  free,  provided  the  county  seat  be  removed  to' 
the  village  of  Olivia,  and  at  this  same  time  Attorney  Gage  notified 
the  board  that  the  village  of  Olivia  was  about  to  enter  upon  a 
contest  for  the  removal  of  the  county  seat  permanently  to  that 
place. 

So  the  county  seat  removal  war  dogs  were  again  taking  up 
the  cry  with  both  Bird  Island  and  Olivia  lining  up  their  forces 
for  a  drive  to  win.  The  tension  was  nearly  at  the  breaking 
point  in  this  county  those  days.  August  23,  1899,  the  board  met 
at  the  county  auditor's  ofBce  to  inspect  and  consider  a  petition 
filed  in  that  office  on  August  3,  1899,  praying  for  the  removal  of 
the  county  seat  from  Beaver  Falls  to  Bird  Island.  H.  H.  Neuen- 
berg,  a  legal  voter  and  taxpayer  of  the  county,  appeared  specially 
by  his  attorneys,  Lyndon  A.  Smith,  George  W.  SomerviUe,  S.  B. 
Miller,  J.  M.  Freeman,  and  George  F.  Gage  and  objected  to  the 
jurisdiction  of  the  board  to  consider  and  inquire  into  that  Bird 
Island  petition,  and  their  reasons  were  set  out  at  length:  First, 
no  legal  notice  of  intention  to  circulate  petition  was  given; 
second,  petition  was  circulated  prematurely;  third,  petition  was 
prematurely  filed;  fourth,  no  legal  publication  of  auditor's  notice 
of  this  board  meeting  was  made;  fifth,  affida\its  of  publication 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  607 

of  notice  were  insufficient;  sixth,  notice  was  not  legally  posted, 
etc.,  ete.  The  objections  were  overruled  and  the  board,  as  in 
former  county  aeat  removals,  adopted  a  act  of  rales  for  its  gov- 
ernment upon  the  hearing  of  the  petition  to  be  considered. 
Auguat  24  McClelland  and  Tift,  Daly  and  Barnard,  G.  T.  Chris- 
tianson  and  B.  H.  Bowler  appeared  as  attomeya  for  the  Bird 
Island  petitioners  end  the  entire  day  was  spent  in  argning  ques- 
tions of  law.  August  25  the  examination  of  the  petition  for  the 
removal  of  the  county  seat  to  Bird  Island  was  begun  in  earnest. 
Numerous  names  were  withdrawn  from  the  petition  over  the 
objection  of  the  attorneys  for  Bird  Island,  Commisaionera 
Schroeder,  Johnson  and  Butler  voting  to  allow  the  withdrawals, 
Commissioners  Desmond  and  Hickok  voting  against  it.  It  was 
an  exciting  day  and  wholly  taken  up  in  withdrawing  names  and 
hearing  the  arguments  of  attomeya.  The  legal  battle  was  one 
long  to  be  remembered.  On  Auguat  26,  after  listening  to  argu- 
ments of  attorneys  and  noting  the  withdrawals  of  names  from 
the  Bird  Island  petitions,  the  board  of  county  commissioners 
voted  unanimously  to  reject  the  Bird  Island  petition. 

On  Sept.  15, 1899,  the  board  again  met  in  the  county  auditor's 
office,  this  time  to  inquire  into  and  examine  a  petition  for  moving 
the  county  seat  from  Beaver  Palls  to  Olivia,  but  found  that  an 
action  had  been  commenced  against  the  commissioners  and  all 
the  county  officers,  with  Justin  I.  Brown  as  plaintiff,  also  that  a 
writ  of  injunction  had  been  served,  restraining  them  from 
examining  the  Olivia  petition  until  the  termination  of  the  action. 
After  endless  delay  and  attorney's  defenses;  the  injunction  was 
dissolved. 

The  Olivia  petition  was  passed  upon  favorably  and  an  elec- 
tion was  ordered  to  be  held  throughout  the  county  upon  the 
twenty-fifth  day  of  October,  1900,  at  which  election  2,786  votes 
were  cast.  Against  Olivia  there  were  1,251  votes.  In  favor  of 
Olivia  there  were  1,535  votes.  So  again  the  commissioners 
declared  the  county  seat  of  Renville  county  located  at  Olivia. 
The  votes  were  canvassed  in  the  forenoon  of  the  twenty-ninth  of 
October,  1900,  in  the  afternoon,  county  officers  were  warned  that 
no  legal  business  could  now  be  transacted  in  Beaver  Falls.  Com- 
missioners Desmond,  Hickok  and  Johnson  were  appointed  to  pro- 
vide for  packing  and  transporting  all  furniture,  records,  etc., 
to  the  county  seat  now  at  Olivia.  Immediately,  and  with  all  due 
haste,  Commissioners  Butler  and  Schroeder  were  dispatched  to 
Olivia  to  arrange  for  county  offices.  Haste  was  admonished  on 
every  hand. 

At  the  Indian  outbreak  in  1862  the  vicinity  of  Beaver  Palls 
was  vacated  with  some  speed,  but  the  dispatch  in  getting  the 
county  seat  and  its  belongings  out  of  Beaver  Palls  and  over  to 
Olivia,  after  the  votes  were  counted,  is  claimed  to  exceed  that 


,v  Google 


608  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

stampede  by  several  hourB,  for  we  find  that  the  commissioners, 
with  all  members  present,  met  at  the  auditor's  office  in  Olivia  the 
next  day,  Oct.  30,  1900. 

Jan.  8,  1901,  the  commissioners  were:  F.  A.  Schroeder  (chair- 
man), W.  E,  Kemp,  Norman  Hickok,  W.  C.  Keefe  and  Carl  Ander- 
son; J.  T.  Brooks,  county  auditor.  The  Renville  "Star-Farmer" 
company  received  the  county  printing  that  year.  May  7  the 
board  adopted  a  resolution  authorizing  the  board,  with  the 
county  auditor,  to  visit  Swift,  Lac  qui  Parle,  Polk  and  other 
counties  to  aid  them  with  knowledge  thus  required  to  build  the 
right  kind  of  a  court  house  at  Olivia  for  Renville  county. 

May  14  Commissioner  Keefe  offered  a  resolution  that  the 
eounty  issue  $50,000.00  in  bonds  with  which  to  build  and  furnish 
a  court  house  at  Olivia,  which  was  agreed  to.  Commissioner 
Kemp  on  the  same  day  offered  a  resolution  soliciting  plans  and 
specifications  for  a  court  bouse  to  cost  not  less  than  fifty  or  more 
than  seventy-five  thousand  dollars,  which  request  should  be  pub- 
lished in  a  number  of  newspapers.  This  also  was  agreed  to. 
May  15,  1901,  Commissioner  Kemp  offered  a  resolution  for  a 
special  election,  to  be  held  in  the  several  precints  in  the  county  on 
June  26,  1901,  submitting  the  question  of  the  $50,000  bond  issue 
by  the  eounty  for  court  house  purposes,  which  was  adopted.  On 
motion  of  Commissioner  Kemp,  the  county  auditor  was  directed 
to  give  notice  of  the  election  on  the  county  bond  issue. 

June  4,  1901,  the  commissioners  were  considering  the  loca- 
tion of  a  court  house.  The  question  which  side  of  the  railroad 
track  to  build  was  to  be  considered.  Those  citizens  on  the  south 
side  were  asking  more  time  to  prepare  their  arguments  and  sub- 
mit their  proposals.  Thus,  even  with  the  county  seat  at  Olivia, 
all  was  not  harmony.  Eric  Ericson  was  placed  in  charge  of  the 
old  court  house  at  Beaver  Falls.  June  6,  1901,  by  resolution  of 
the  board,  block  16,  which  the  village  of  Olivia  had  donated  to 
the  county,  was  traded  for  a  block  of  ground  known  as  Nester 
Park,  upon  which  to  build  a  court  house,  the  village  receiving 
$500  difference  in  the  trade.  Upon  this  resolution,  Kemp, 
Schroeder  and  Keefe  voted  yes,  with  Hickok  and  Anderson  vot- 
ing no,  June  28,  1901,  the  following  named  architects  appeared 
before  the  board  and  submitted  plans  and  specifications  for  the 
new  court  house :  P,  D.  Kinney,  Austin,  Minn. ;  F.  D,  Orff,  Min- 
neapolis ;  E.  S.  Stebbins,  Minneapolis ;  E.  Strasburg,  Crookston, 
Minn.;  Pass  and  Schipple,  Mankato,  Minn.;  J.  F.  Taggert,  Min- 
neapolis; A.  P.  Terryberry,  Duluth,  Minn.;  W.  H.  Dennis,  West- 
field,  N.  Y.;  John  P.  Thomas,  St.  Louis;  Birdsall  &  Sturgis,  New 
York ;  and  I.  P.  Hicks,  Omaha. 

The  entire  day  was  occupied  by  the  board  examining  these 
plans  and  the  next  day,  June  29,  F.  D.  Orff  was  selected  as  the 
architect  to  superintend  and  furnish  plans  for  the  proponed  new 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  609 

court  house  for  RenviUe  county  at  Olivia.  July  9  following,  the 
county  auditor  was  directed  to  advertise  for  bids  for  the  con- 
struction of  a  basement  to  the  court  bouse  to  be  erected.  The 
auditor  was  also  directed  to  advertise  for  sealed  bids  for  the 
purchase  of  $50,000  bonds  of  the  county  for  the  purpose  of 
building  and  furnishing  a  court  house  at  Olivia,  the  county  seat 
of  said  county.  Sealed  bids  were  also  invited  for  the  sale  of 
the  court  house,  grounds  and  old  stone  jail  in  Beaver  Falls.  July 
29  it  was  decided  by  the  board  to  use  Portage  Entry  Red  Sand 
Stone  from  the  Portage  Entry  Quarries  Go.  for  the  construction 
of  the  basement  of  the  new  court  house.  0.  H,  Olson,  of  Still- 
water, Minn.,  was  awarded  the  contract  for  the  basement.  Com- 
missioner Kemp  offered  a  resolution  that  the  court  house  to  be 
erected  by  this  county,  to  be  located  in  the  block  in  the  village 
of  Olivia  known  as  Neater  Park,  which  was  adopted;  he  also 
offered  a  resolution  that  the  county  purchase  the  so-called  village 
park  of  Olivia  for  $2,000.00  to  be  used  as  a  site  for  the  new  court 
house.    This  resolution  was  also  adopted  and  the  board  adjourned. 

August  15  ten  sealed  bids  were  received  by  the  board  for  the 
purchase  of  the  $50,000  court  house  bonds,  and  the  commissioners 
decided,  through  Auditor  R,  C.  Dunn,  to  take  the  money  from 
the  permanent  school  fund  of  the  state,  and  made  application  for 
the  same,  setting  up  therein  among  other  things,  that  an  election 
was  held  June  28,  1901,  on  the  proposition  and  that  740  voted  in 
favor  and  642  against  issuing  the  bonds,  and  thus  the  county 
secured  funds  needed  in  the  business.  The  commissioners  ordered 
photographs  of  the  old  stone  jail  and  the  court  house  in  Beaver 
Falls  to  be  framed  and  hung  in  the  new  court  house,  W.  J.  Hines 
offered  $315  and  W  P.  Christianson  $352  for  the  old  court  house, 
grounds  and  heating  plant  in  Beaver  Falls,  which  bid  was 
rejected,  though  William  Wiehman  secured  the  old  stone  jail 
and  grounds  for  $50. 

On  August  16  it  was  found  that,  though  the  board  had  decided 
on  Neater  Park  for  the  location  of  the  court  house  and  the  village 
council  of  Olivia  had  directed  its  president  and  village  recorder 
to  execute  a  deed  to  the  county  for  the  purpose  before  men- 
tioned, the  village  president  absolutely  refused  to  do  so,  and 
as  the  county  had  bad  some  taste  of  litigation,  they  shied  at  the 
prospect  of  more.  So  when  Perry  W.  Birch,  as  agent,  offered 
them  all  of  block  2,  Peterson's  addition,  except  lots  7,  8  and  9, 
for  $3,950  and  James  Kirwan  offered  them  the  three  lots  for 
$1,000,  they  closed  the  deal  and  that  is  where  the  court  honse 
now  stands.  August  27  the  commissioners  accepted  deeds 
executed  by  George  W.  Burch  and  wife  conveying  lots  1,  2,  3, 
10,  11  and  12;  from  James  Kirwan  and  wife  conveying  lots  7,  8 
and  9,  and  from  Stephen  E.  Fay  and  wife  conveying  lots  4,  5 
and  6  to  the,  county. 


,v  Google 


610  IIIHTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

On  September  6  the  commissioners  decided  that  the  founds- 
tdon  walls  of  the  new  court  house  should  be  made  two  feet  lower 
than  specified  in  the  plans,  for  which  they  allowed  Contractor 
Olson  $1,116.00  extra.  Nov.  25,  1901,  the  commissioners  accepted 
the  basement  of  the  new  court  house  as  completed  and  paid 
Architect  P.  D.  OrfE  $800  as  part  payment  of  his  fees,  December 
2  was  taken  up  examining  plans  for  the  superstructure  of  the 
new  court  house.  December  3  Commissioner  Keefe  reported  that 
he  had  sold  the  heating  plant  in  the  old  court  house  in  Beaver 
Palls  to  the  Birch  Cooley  Lodge,  No.  122,  L  0.  0.  P.,  for  the  sum 
of  $400,  which  was  agreed  to. 

The  auditor  was  instructed  to  advertise  for  bids  for  the  erec- 
tion of  the  new  court  house  Jan.  7,  1902.  Norman  Hickok  was 
chairman  of  the  board  of  this  year,  J.  T.  Brooks  auditor,  and 
the  owner  of  the  " Star-Parmer, "  the  public  printiug.  The  com- 
missioners notified  the  board  of  control  that  they  would  consider 
building  an  up-to-date  jail  for  Renville  county  during  1902. 
January  15  the  contract  for  the  construction  of  the  new  court 
house  was  awarded  to  O.  H.  Olson ;  contract  for  heating  plant  to 
P.  E.  Ereatz ;  contract  for  plumbing  to  Chas.  Wilkins  &  Co.,  con- 
tract price  not  noted  in  the  commissioners'  record.  January  27 
the  Art  Metal  Furniture  Co.  were  authorized  to  furnish  steel 
vault  and  office  furniture  for  the  sum  of  $1,758.65,  and  the 
Phoenix  Pumiture  Co.  to  furnish  the  court  room  and  other  needed 
wood  furniture  for  $3,369.00.  April  3,  1902,  the  old  court  house 
and  grounds  at  Beaver  Palls  were  sold  to  Dora  Scheer  for  $800. 
Thus  the  county  did  well  in  not  accepting  the  first  offer.  On 
this  day  $25,000  was  transferred  from  the  ditch  to  the  building 
fund.  The  county  contracted  with  Dora  Scheer  to  board  the 
paupers  of  the  county  at  $2.50  per  week.  The  county  attorney 
was  directed  to  begin  an  action  to  reform  the  deed  given  on 
behalf  of  Olivia  citizens  to  block  16  prior  to  the  removal  of  the 
county  seat  to  that  village.  Chas.  Wilkins  Co.  secured  the  con- 
tract for  installing  a  lighting  system  for  the  new  court  house  at 
$995.  Chas.  E.  Perrir  was  appointed  to  superintend  the  con- 
struction of  the  new  court  house  at  $5.00  per  day.  August  21 
the  commissioners  contracted  with  P.  M.  Dolan  to  lay  out  the 
court  house  grounds  with  trees,  walks  and  ornamental  shrubs. 
October  9  L,  A.  Mclvar  presented  to  the  board  a  proposition  for 
decorating  the  inside  walls  and  rotunda  of  the  court  house,  which 
was  accepted,  price  not  recorded.  Nov.  1,  1902,  John  Toomey 
purchased  from  the  county  commissioners  lots  A  and  B  of  block 
1  of  Windhursts'  subdivision  for  $3,000,  the  same  having  been 
donated  to  the  county  by  the  citizens  of  Olivia.  M,  J.  Dowling 
purchased  a  dwelling  house  standing  on  the  court  house  grounds 
for  $765,  which  he  agreed  to  remove. 

Dec.  5,  1902,  upon  recommendation  of  Fremont  D.  Orff,  the 


,v  Google 


HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  6H 

architect,  the  commissioners,  by  resolution  accepted  the  new  court 
house  as  being  completed  according  to  plans  and  specifications, 
finding  the  contractor,  0,  H.  Olson,  entitled  to  the  sum  of  $11,- 
726.80.  The  board  then  proceeded  to  settle  with  F.  E.  Kreatz,  the 
heating  plant  contractor,  and  find  him  entitled  to  $2,155.20  as  final 
payment.  The  county  auditor  was  authorized  to  procure  and  have 
put  up  coat  and  hat  racks  in  all  the  closets,  while  P.  J.  Schafer 
was  employed  to  furnish  and  put  in  place  83  window  shades,  for 
which  he  was  to  receive  $92.00.  The  sum  of  $3,000  was  paid  to 
the  Phoenix  Furniture  Co.  on  wood  furniture  for  the  new  court 
house.  Jan.  9,  1903,  was  the  date  set  for  holding  a  sale  in  the 
basement  of  the  court  house  of  all  the  old  and  undesirable  furni- 
ture belonging  to  the  county. 

Jan.  6,  1903,  the  commissioners  were:  Carl  Anderson  (chair- 
man), William  Kemp,  W.  C.  Keefe,  M.  E.  Sherin  and  Ole  S.  Olson; 
H.  J.  Lee  taking  the  place  of  J.  T.  Brooks  as  county  auditor. 
The  county  attorney's  salary  was  fixed  at  $1,200  per  annum, 
while  the  superintendent  of  schools  was  to  receive  $10  for  each 
school  district  in  the  county.  Charles  B.  Dean,  of  the  Hector 
"Mirror,"  received  the  county  printing  for  1903. 

Jan.  10,  1903,  the  board  appointed  March  11,  following,  as  the 
time  when  they  will  take  up  the  question  of  building  a  county 
jail  and  providing  ways  and  means  for  the  same.  Feb.  17,  1903, 
J.  M.  Salstrom  was  given  the  contract  for  furnishing  screen  doors 
and  windows  for  the  court  house,  receiving  for  the  same  the  sum 
of  $225.  March  11,  1903,  M.  J.  Dowling,  J.  J.  Schoregge  and 
S.  K.  Miller  appeared  before  the  board  and  asked  to  be  heard  on 
the  proposition  of  building  a  county  jail.  Final  action  was  post- 
poned to  April  20,  next. 

April  22,  1903,  the  question  of  building  a  jail  for  the  county 
was  taken  up  and  considered  and  on  motion  indefinitely  post- 
poned. May  28,  1903,  Mrs.  Seheer,  who  purchased  the  old  court 
house  in  Beaver  Falls,  was  again  given  the  contract  to  board  the 
county  paupers,  this  time  at  $2.75  per  week.  July  17  N.  L. 
Headline  was  appointed  custodian  of  the  court  house.  Jan.  5, 
1904,  William  Kemp  was  chosen  chairman  of  the  board  for  1904. 
The  Sherwood  Printing  Co.,  of  Bird  Island,  were  appointed  public 
printers,  and  the  Bird  Island  "Union"  the  official  newspaper  for 
Renville  county  during  the  year  1904. 

Jan.  9,  1904,  Commissioner  W.  C.  Keefe  was  appointed  pur- 
chasing agent  for  the  year  1904,  to  purchase  for  Renville  county 
all  stationery,  blanks  and  blank  books  used  by  the  county  ofScers, 
all  fuel  and  gasoline  used  by  the  county  for  lighting  and  heating 
the  county  buildings,  and  all  other  necessary  supplies  of  every 
kind.  March  10,  1904,  the  board  instructed  the  county  auditor 
to  advertise  for  plans  and  specifications  for  a  county  jail  and 
sheriff's  residence  to  cost  in  the  neighborhood  of  $15,000  to 


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612  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

$22,000.  April  5,  1904,  the  board  purchased  from  Erick  Greep 
lots  7,  8  and  9,  block  1,  Peterson's  addition  to  the  village  of 
Olivia,  eoDsideratioD  $1,000,  for  a  site  for  a  county  jail  and 
sheriff's  residence,  and  the  entire  day  was  taken  up  by  the  board 
examining  plans  and  specifications  submitted  to  them  by  Louis 
Magen,  $20,000;  P.  D.  Orff,  $20,000;  Schuier  Brothers,  $19,000; 
Einney  &  Ditwiler,  $19,000;  Buchner  &  Ortb,  $20,000;  Haland 
&  Squires,  $21,500;  K.  J.  Hochkiss,  $20,000.  On  motion  of  Com- 
missioner Sherin,  Kinney  &  Ditwiler  were  selected  as  architects 
and  supervisers  of  construction  for  the  jail  and  sheriff's  residence 
at  five  per  cent  of  the  total  cost  of  such  building.  Thus  a  count)' 
jail  at  Olivia  was  started  under  more  favorable  conditions  than 
the  old  stone  building  for  the  same  purpose  at  Beaver  Falls  some 
thirty  years  before. 

May  6,  1904,  the  commissioners  ordered  the  plans  and  specifi- 
cations furnished  by  the  architects  be  submitted  to  the  state 
authorities  for  approval.  This  was  not  necessary  when  the  old 
"stone  jug"  at  Beaver  Palls  was  built,  the  old  jail  plans  would 
hardly  have  stood  such  scrutiny.  July  13,  1904,  the  board  pro- 
ceeded to  open  and  examine  bids  submitted  for  the  erection  of 
a  county  jail  and  sheriff's  residence.  They  were  as  follows: 
Pauly  Jail  Co.,  steel  work  only,  $9.541 ;  Diebold  Safe  &  Lock  Co., 
steel  work  only,  $7,743;  Meyer  Bros.,  steel  work  only,  $6,700; 
D.  H.  Lord,  building  without  steel  works,  $11,170;  Emil  M.  John- 
son, without  steel  works,  $10,975 ;  Saxton  Heating  Co.,  for  heat- 
ing plant,  $779;  0.  H.  Olson,  building  jail  and  sheriff's  residence, 
$21,000.  July  16,  1904,  0.  H.  Olson  was  awarded  the  contract 
for  $21,000,  the  building  to  be  completed  by  December  1,  1904. 
On  November  14  the  commissioners  spent  the  entire  afternoon 
in  considering  matters  pertaining  to  the  erection  of  the  county 
jail ;  on  December  7  the  auditor  was  directed  to  issue  his  warrant 
to  Contractor  Olson,  then  engaged  in  erecting  a  county  jail  and 
sheriff's  residence. 

Jan.  3,  1905,  the  commissioners  were  0.  S.  Olson  (chairman), 
M.  E.  Sherin  (vice-chairman),  Carl  Anderson,  B,  C.  McEwen  and 
Julius  Potzwold ;  H.  J.  Lee,  county  auditor.  This  year  the  county 
printing  was  divided  between  the  Renville  "StftP-Parmer,"  the 
Bird  Island  "Union"  and  Pairfax  "Standard."  The  superin- 
tendent of  schools  was  allowed  $1,500  and  the  county  attorney 
$1,300  for  the  year  of  1905  as  salaries.  February  13  the  board 
instructed  the  county  auditor  to  issue  his  warrant  in  favor  of 
0.  H.  Olson  for  the  sum  of  $5,962.75,  and  on  March  12  another 
warrant  was  drawn  in  favor  of  0.  H.  Olson,  contractor,  for  erect- 
ing county  jail  and  sheriff's  residence  in  the  snm  of  $2,500. 

March  27,  1905,  the  commissioners  spent  the  afternoon  look- 
ing over  the  new  jail  and  sheriff's  residence.  March  28,  on 
motion  of  Commissioner  Potzwold,  it  was  ordered  that  no  pur- 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  613 

chase  be  made  by  any  coimty  officer  for  supplies  for  his  office  in 
any  sum  exceeding  $5.00  without  first  consulting  this  board.  On 
this  same  day  the  commissioners  accepted  the  jail  and  sheriff's 
residence  as  completed  according  to  plans  and  specifications, 
directing  the  county  auditor  to  draw  his  warrant  in  favor  of 
0.  H.  Olson,  the  contractor,  for  the  sum  of  $2,877  as  final  pay- 
ment on  his  contract,  though  completed  three  months  later  than 
contracted  for,  a  number  of  things  preventing. 

May  4  Matt.  Hedlund,  of  Olivia,  was  awarded  the  job  of 
layiog  cement  sidewalks  aroimd  the  jail  grounds  at  eighty  cents 
per  square  yard.  William  Windhorst  put  on  the  screen  windows 
for  $41  and  M;  J.  Dowling  wrote  $10,000  fire  and  lightning  insur- 
ance on  the  building.  Thus,  with  new  court  house  and  new 
modem  jail  and  sheriff's  residence,  Renville  county  takes  rank 
with  the  best  in  making  things  convenient  for  her  county  offi- 
cials. How  different  from  the  early  start  in  Beaver  Falls!  But 
all  things  are  moving  under  improved  conditions.    , 

Jan.  2,  1906,  Carl  Anderson  became  chairman  and  Julius 
Potzwold  vice-chairman  of  the  county  board,  with  auditor  and 
commissioners  the  same  as  last  year.  This  year  H.  T.  Marsh,  of 
the  Sacred  Heart  "Journal,"  printed  the  delinquent  tax  list, 
and  Ralph  Prescott,  of  the  Hector  "Mirror,"  the  financial  state- 
ment, but  J,  R.  Landy's  Buffalo  Lake  "News"  was  designated  as 
the  official  county  newspaper  to  publish  proceedings  of  the  board, 
legal  notices,  etc.  January  4  the  petition  of  John  Halberg  and 
others  to  lower  the  waters  of  Preston  Lake  was  rejected  by  the 
board  and  the  petitioners  notified  to  pay  expenses.  July  11  the 
board  directed  that  all  bills  of  county  officials  for  postage  be 
accompanied  with  a  receipt  from  the  postmaster,  stating  amounts 
and  date  of  purchase. 

Jan.  8,  1907,  commissioners  were  M.  E.  Sherin  (chairman), 
B.  C.  McEwen  (vice  chairman),  Carl  Anderson,  Julius  Potzwold 
and  Charles  Lammers.  H.  J.  Lee,  county  auditor.  The  county 
auperintendeut  of  schools  received  a  salary  of  $1,500  and  the 
county  attorney  $1,300  for  1907  This  year  H.  W.  Wilson  of  the 
Olivia  "Times,"  M.  B.  Childs  of  the  Olivia  "Review,"  and  A.  W. 
Biselien  of  the  Danube  ' '  Herald, ' '  divided  up  the  county 
printing. 

Jan.  7,  1908,  the  same  commissioners  and  county  auditor 
served  as  in  1907,  but  with  C.  B.  McEwen,  as  chairman,  and  Carl 
Anderson  as  vice  chairman.  This  year  there  was  quite  a  con- 
test over  county  printing.  Bids  were  offered  and  action  post- 
poned from  day  to  day,  finally  Jan.  9,  on  motion  of  Commissioner 
Lammers,  all  bids  were  rejected,  and  time  given  to  submit  new 
bids.  At  a  later  date  the  Renville  "Star-Farmer"  received  the 
printing  of  all  but  the  financial  statement,  that  being  awarded 
to  the  Fairfax  "Standard."    Aug.  15,  1908,  the  board  decided  to 


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614  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

submit  to  the  voters  at  the  next  general  election,  the  questioa 
of  changing  the  system  of  caring  for  the  poor  of  Renville  county 
from  the  township  to  the  county  system. 

Jan.  5,  1909,  the  commissioners  were  Cha'^es  Lammers  (chair- 
man), M.  E.  Sherin  (vice  chairman),  Carl  Anderson,  B.  C.  Mc- 
Ewen,  and  Julius  Potzwold;  J.  L.  Johnson  came  in  as  county 
auditor  and  the  other  county  officers  were :  W.  D.  Qriffith,  coiui- 
ty  treasurer;  John  A.  Vick,  sheriff;  T.  H,  Collyer,  register  of 
deeds;  Geo.  F.  Gage,  judge  of  probate;  Loretta  Boeck,  clerk  ol! 
probate ;  Frank  Murray,  county  attorney ;  E.  M.  Clay,  coroner 
and  John  A.  Dahlgren,  surveyor.  This  year,  Sherwood  of  the 
Bird  Island  "Union,"  and  Landy  of  the  Olivia  "Times,"  divided 
the  county  printing  between  them,  though  the  Olivia  "Times" 
was  designated  as  the  official  newspaper. 

Feb.  1,  1909,  Peter  0.  Roe  and  others  of  Sacred  Heart,  pre- 
sented a  petition  for  the  enlargement  of  school  district  No.  40. 
Attorneys  Freeman  and  Stewart  appeared  for  the  petitioners  and 
Attorney  Daly  for  the  objectors,  which  were  school  districts  Nos, 
43,  35,  128,  41  and  94.  The  petition  was  after  much  argument 
by  attorneys,  granted,  but  the  contest  and  excitement  incident 
thereto  will  long  be  remembered  by  the  residents  of  the  territory 
affected.  Although  J.  R.  Landy  was  designated  as  official  printer 
his  bill  for  delinquent  tax  list  and  postal  cards  was  only  $133.80, 
while  H.  C.  Sherwood  received  $771.40  for  printing  the  county 
financial  statement. 

During  these  years  the  commissioners  and  coimty  auditor 
were  much  occupied  with  county  and  judicial  ditch  matters,  large 
sums  of  nioiif.v  v.iTc  iii'sotiati'd  for,  to  coniplett'  these  ditches 
and  those  contemplated.  Attorneys  found  a  new  field  for  lucra- 
tive employment  in  connection  therewith.  Extra  work  was  piled 
upon  the  county  auditor  as  shown  by  Auditor  Lee 's  bill  of  $955 
for  auditor's  service  in  establishment  of  county  ditches.  The 
work  still  goes  on.  To  take  up  and  give  a  history  of  each  ditch 
would  be  interesting  as  would  the  story  of  the  litigation  con- 
nected therewith.  The  history  of  the  hearings  and  discussions 
before  the  hoard  of  county  commissioners  would  take  many 
volumes  to  record.  It  may  be  written  some  time  in  the  future 
for  the  end  is  not  yet  in  sight. 

Jan.  4,  1910,  the  commissioners  and  county  auditor  were  the 
same  as  in  1909,  with  Carl  Anderson  as  chairman.  This  year  the 
county  treasurer  was  allowed  $600  and  the  judge  of  probate  $540 
for  clerk  hire  for  the  ensuing  year.  Also  $250  was  set  aside  as 
a  contingent  fund  for  the  county  attorney  and  an  incidental  fund 
of  $350  was  created  for  the  county.  Asa  M.  Wallace  of  the  Fair- 
fax "Standard,"  and  O.  W.  Smith  of  the  Morton  "Enterprise" 
divided  the  county  printing  between  them.  The  court  house  jani- 
tor's salary  was  fixed  at  $65  per  month.     July  12,  1910,  Hon. 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLB  COUNTY  615 

N.  J.  Holmberg  and  Olof  Dale  were  chosen  as  delegates  to  the 
Second  National  Conservation  Congress  in  St.  Paul,  Sept.  6  to  9. 

Jan.  3,  1911,  the  commissioners  were  B.  C.  McEwen  {chair- 
man), Julius  Potzwold  (vice  chairman),  Chas.  Lammers,  Carl 
Anderson  and  M.  E.  Sherin;  J.  L.  Johnson,  county  auditor;  C.  N. 
Mattsou  became  judge  of  probate;  C.  0.  Breeke,  clerk  of  district 
court;  J.  A.  Vick,  sheriff;  H.  L,  D'Arms,  coroner;  John  A.  Dahl- 
gren,  surveyor;  T.  H.  Collyer,  register  of  deeds  and  register  of 
titles,  while  L.  D.  Barnard  comes  forward  as  county  attorney,  J. 
R.  Landy  of  the  Olivia  "Times"  and  W.  A.  Beid  of  the  Renville 
"Star-Farmer"  divided  the  county  printing  for  the  year  1911. 

Jan.  2,  1912,  the  same  commissioners  and  auditor  served,  with 
M.  E.  Sherin  (chairman),  and  Julius  Potzwold  (vice  chairman). 
H.  C.  Sherwood  of  the  Bird  Island  "Union,"  and  A.  M.  Wallace 
of  the  Fairfax  "Standard,"  between  them  agreed  to  do  the 
county  printing  in  the  manner  required  by  law. 

Jan.  7,  1913,  the  county  commissioners  were  M.  E.  Sherin 
(chairman),  Chas.  Lammers  (vice  chairman),  with  James  U. 
Hoagland,  B.  H.  Nelson  and  John  Edirer ;  J.  L.  Johnson  was  county 
auditor;  Amund  Dahl,  county  treasurer;  0.  T.  Sunde,  sheriff; 
T.  H.  Collyer,  register  of  deeds;  L.  D.  Barnard,  county  attorney; 
P.  W.  Penhall,  coroner;  C.  N.  Mattson,  probate  judge.  •].  R. 
Landy  of  the  Olivia  "Times,"  and  W.  A.  Beid  of  the  Renville 
"Star -Farmer,"  carried  off  the  county  printing  for  1913. 

Jan.  6,  1914,  the  same  commissioners  and  auditor  served  as  in 
1913.  M.  E.  Sherin  was  chairman  with  R.  H.  Nelson  as  vice  chair- 
man. J.  L.  Jacobs  of  the  Franklin  ' '  Tribune, ' '  and  H.  C.  Sherwood 
of  the  Bird  Island  "Union,"  were  the  fortunate  bidders  for  the 
public  printing  of  1914. 

January  5,  1915,  the  commissioners  were  M.  E.  Sherin  (chair- 
man), with  James  U.  Hoagland,  Chas.  Lammers,  John  Edirer. 
Commissioner  R.  H.  Nelson  was  absent.  He  later  died,  and  was 
succeeded  by  Ed.  Paulson.  J.  L.  Johnson  became  county  auditor; 
Amund  Dahl,  treasurer;  0.  T.  Sunde,  sheriff;  C.  N.  Mattson,  judge 
of  probate ;  T.  H.  Collyer,  register  of  deeds  and  titles ;  S.  B.  Mil- 
Ici-,  court  foiiimissioiier;  A.  A.  Passer,  coroner;  T.  H.  Ilt'werdine, 
surveyor;  ('.  (>,  Hreeke,  cl.-rk  of  court,  il.  F.  Rubey  of  the  Mor- 
ton "Enterprise,"  and  J.  B.  Landy  of  the  Olivia  "Times,"  do  the 
county  printing  for  the  year,  1915.  County  officers  elected,  except 
probate  judge  hold  office  for  four  years  from  Jan.  1,  1915. 


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616  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 

FOBT  RIDGELY. 

Establishment — ^Notable  Soldiers  Stationed  There— Volnntfler 
Troops  Arrive — Poorly  Located — Inadequate  fta-  Defense- 
Left  Almost  Deserted — Indian  Massacre  Starts — ^Marsb  Stoiti 
for  Redwood  Feny — Disaster— Sefn^ees  Swarm  to  the  Fort— 
Sheehan  Returns — Renville  Rangers  Return — Preparations  for 
Defense— Attack  of  August  20— Attack  of  August  22— 
ThriUing:  Tales  of  Danger  and  Daring — Indians  Withdraw— 
Relief— The  Stoiy  of  Defender  Adam  Rid»— Charles  H.  Stfp- 
kins  and  His  Work  Wbidi  Has  Resulted  in  the  Tott  Sidg^ 
State  PariL 

With  the  creation  of  the  new  Indian  reservation  by  the  treaty 
signed  in  1851  and  ratified  in  1853,  and  the  removal  of  the  In- 
dians thereto,  came  the  advisability  of  establishing  some  sort 
of  governmental  supervision  over  the  tract.  The  concentration  of 
so  many  Indians  upon  an  area  small  in  comparison  to  the  vast 
sweeps  over  which  they  had  ranged,  and  a  radical  change  in  the 
conditions  under  which  they  had  lived  for  countless  generations, 
were  circumstances  which  the  officials  realized  might  result  in 
situations  which  would  require  the  firm  hand  of  stronply  en- 
trenched authority. 

For  several  reasons  it  was  necessary  that  a  military  post  be 
maintained  in  the  vicinity  of  the  new  reservation.  Whether  the 
Indians  would  be  reconciled  to  their  new  home  was  still  a  ques- 
tion, and  it  was  realized  that  settlers,  whose  presence  was  needed 
to  develop  the  country  which  the  treaty  opened,  would  not  locate 
in  any  considerable  numbers  in  the  lower  Minnesota  valley,  unless 
they  were  assured  of  some  sort  of  protection  from  the  Indians  in 
the  upper  valley.  It  was  also  advisable  that  there  should  be  con- 
stantly before  the  Indians  a  reminder  of  the  strength  and  organ- 
ization of  the  government. 

It  had  already  been  decided  that  there  were  to  be  two  Indian 
agencies  for  the  Indians  on  the  Reservation.  The  Upper  agency 
for  the  Sissetons  and  Wahpatona  was  established  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Yellow  Medicine,  and  the  Lower,  for  the  Medawakanton  and 
Wahpakoota  bands  was  placed  about  six  miles  east  of  the  mouth 
of  the  Redwood.  Both  agencies  were  on  the  south  bank  of  t^e 
Minnesota  river. 

The  matter  of  a  new  military  post  was  called  to  the  attention 
of  C.  M.  Conrad,  then  Secretary  of  War,  and  General  Winfield 
Scott,  then  commanding  the  regular  army,  by  Delegate  Henry  II. 
Sibley. 

General  Scott  concurred  in  Sibley's  recommendation  and  t!ie 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  617 

Secretary  of  War  approved  it  and  issued  necessary  orders.  In 
the  fall  of  1852,  Captain  Napoleon  Jackson  Tecumeeli  Dana,  then 
of  the  quartermaster's  department  (later  colonel  of  the  First 
Minnesota  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  major  general  of  volunteers), 
and  Colonel  Francis  Lee  of  the  Sixth  United  States  Infantry,  then 
in  command  at  Fort  Snelling,  were  ordered  to  select  a  suitable 
site  for  the  new  fort,  "on  the  St.  Peter's  river,  above  the  mouth 
of  the  Blue  Earth." 

In  the  latter  part  of  November,  with  an  escort  of  dragoons 
from  Port  Snelling,  and  after  a  three  days'  march  in  the  snow, 
the  officers  reached  Laframboise 's  trading  post,  established  about 
1834,  by  Hazen  Mooers  and  placed  in  charge  of  Joseph  Lafram- 
boise in  1837,  and  located  at  the  mouth  of  the  Little  Rock  creek. 
Five  miles  above  the  Rock,  just  back  of  the  crest  of  a  high  bluff 
on  the  north  side  of  the  Minnesota,  the  site  was  fixed,  immediately 
west  of  the  ravine  of  what  is  now  called  Fort  Ridgely  creek,  and 
overlooking  the  beautiful  Minnesota  valley  for  many  miles  in 
each  direction. 

The  Fort  Ridgely  reservation  extended  three  miles  on  each 
side  of  the  Minnesota  river,  being  six  miles  each  way,  the  bound- 
ary line  jogging  a.mile  north  to  every  mile  west. 

The  new  post  for  a  time  was  called  simply  "The  New  Forte," 
but  shortly  afterward  was  named  Fort  Ridgely  in  honor  of  Major 
Randolph  Ridgely,  a  gallant  officer  of  the  regular  army  from 
Maryland,  who  died  of  injuries  received  at  the  battle  of  Mon- 
terey, When  Fort  Ridgely  was  established,  Fort  Riley,  Kansas, 
was  ordered  built.  At  the  same  time  Port  Dodge,  Iowa,  and  Fort 
Scott,  Kansas,  were  ordered  discontinued  and  broken  up.  Fort 
Ridgely  took  the  place  of  Fort  Dodge  and  Fort  Riley  was  substi- 
tuted for  Fort  Scott. 

The  first  garrison  at  Port  Ridgely  was  composed  of  Companies 
0  and  K,  of  the  Sixth  Infantry.  The  first  commander  was  Cap- 
tain James  Monroe,  then  of  Company  K,  who  died  in  the  Civil 
War  as  colonel  of  the  Twenty-seventh  New  York  Volunteer  In- 
fantry. The  sutler  was  Major  B.  H.  Randall,  for  many  years 
prominent  in  Minnesota  history.  The  adjutant  was  T.  C.  Kelton, 
afterward  adjutant  general  of  the  United  States  army. 

Companies  C  and  K  went  up  on  the  steamboat  West  Newton 
from  Port  Snelling.  The  troops  arrived  at  the  landing  on  the 
evening  of  April  30,  1853.  On  Sunday,  the  first  day  of  May,  they 
disembarked  and  pitched  their  tents  for  a  summer  camp.  Aside 
from  the  settlement  of  Joseph  Laframboise,  there  were  no  white 
people  within  fifty  miles. 

To  the  people  of  the  present  generation  it  is  puzzling  that  the 
officers  should  have  selected  the  location  they  did  west  of  the  ra- 
vine, when  east  of  the  ravine  there  is  a  piece  of  high  land  over- 
looking all  the  surrounding  country,  so  situated  as  to  be  almost 


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618  HISTOKY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

impregnable,  whereas  the  site  selected  was  far  from  being  an 
ideal  spot  lor  a  fortitieatioii.  Officers  later  explaiiietl  this  by 
stating  that  the  fort  was  never  intended  for  defense.  At  the 
present  time,  however,  it  is  difficult  to  understand  how  a  fort 
established  for  the  purpose  of  exercising  military  supervision  over 
the  Indians  could  have  been  bnilt  without  some  thought  being 
taken  of  the  possibility  of  defending  it.  The  Indians  had,  as 
till'  officers  said,  prouiiscd  perpetual  peace,  but  the  govern- 
ment had  also  made  promises  which  it  had  broken.  Whatever  the 
thought  of  the  military  authorities  may  have  been  it  is  certain 
that  the  pioneers  in  settling  in  Renville  county  looked  upon  Fort  ■ 
Ridgely  as  a  possible  refuge  and  defense  in  case  of  emergency. 

Company  E  marched  across  the  country  from  Port  Dodge  and 
arrived  in  June,  1853,  when  work  on  the  buildings  was  begiiFi. 
When  Company  E  arrived,  its  captain,  Brevet  Major  Samuel 
Woods,  previously  well  identified  with  Minnesota  history,  took 
command  by  virtue  of  his  rank.  The  work  of  constructing  the 
fort  was  in  charge  of  Captain  Dana. 

From  its  founding  until  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War,  Fort 
Eidgely  was  occupied  by  companies  of  regular  troops. 

Oeneral  Lewis  A.  Armistead  of  the  Sixth  U.  S.  Infantry,  killed 
in  a  heroic  charge  at  Gettysburg,  was  one  of  the  early  officers  of 
the  fort.  Three  companies  of  the  Second  United  States  Infantry 
relieved  the  Sixth  in  1854.  In  1856  came  four  companies,  the 
band  and  the  staff,  of  the  Tenth  United  States  Infantry.  They 
were  ordered  to  Utah  in  the  fall  of  1858.  After  the  building  of 
Fort  Randall  on  the  Missouri,  tht-ee  companies  of  the  Second  U .  S. 
Infantry  were  stationed  here.  Then  came  the  school  of  artillery 
practice  with  four  companies,  one  of  them  being  Sherman's  But- 
tery of  Flying  or  Light  Artillery. 

Among  the  notable  officers  stationed  at  Fort  Ridgely  before 
the  war  and  who  distinguished  themselves  in  the  war  were ;  Dana, 
Kelton,  Armistead,  Steele,  Sully,  Abbercrombie,  Alexander,  Bee, 
Sherman,  Donovant,  Morris,  Pemberton,  De  Russey,  Tyler,  Pat- 
terson, Hill,  Lyon,  Ruggles.  Livingston,  J.  J.  Dana,  Hawkins, 
Bingham,  Swain,  Weeks,  Du  Barry,  Williams  and  Hudson.  Jef- 
ferson Davis,  afterward  president  of  the  Southern  Confederacy,  is 
said  to  have  visited  here  at  one  time. 

With  the  opening  of  the  Civil  War,  Fort  Ridgely  became  a 
rendezvous  of  volunteer  companies. 

Company  B,  of  the  First  Minnesota  Volunteer  Infantry,  Cap- 
tain Bromley  in  command,  and  Company  G  of  the  same  regiment, 
Captain  McKune  in  command,  were  stationed  at  Fort  Ridgely 
from  early  in  May,  1861,  until  well  into  the  summer  of  1861. 

June  17,  the  "St.  Paul  Guards,"  a  newly  recruited  company 
which  became  Company  E,  Second  Minnesota  Volunteer  Infantry, 
arrived   in    charge   of   Captain   A.    K.   Skaro.     The   "Western 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  619 

Zouves"  of  St.  Paul  also  arrived  at  the  same  time  in  cbarge  of 
Captain  Horace  H.  Western.  This  company  later  became  Com- 
pany D,  Second  Minnesota  Volunteer  Infantry.  The  trip  from 
St.  Paul  to  Fort  Ridgely  was  made  up  the  Minnesota  aboard  the 
Bteamer  "City  Belle." 

October  10,  1861,  Companies  A  and  B  of  the  Fourth  Minnesota 
Volunteer  Infantry,  became  the  garrison  at  Fort  Ridgely.  Cap- 
tain L.  L.  Baxter  of  Company  A  was  the  commander  of  the  post 
until  in  March,  1862,  when  the  companies  with  the  remainder  of 
the  regiment  was  sent  to  join  the  Union  army  in  front  of  Corinth, 
Mississippi. 

Upon  the  organization  of  the  Fifth  Minnesota  Volunteer  In- 
fantry, March  29,  1862,  three  of  the  companies  were  assigned  to 
garrison  Minnesota  forts.  Company  B,  Captain  John  S.  Marsh, 
commanding,  was  assigned  to  Fort  Ridgely.  As  Captain  Marsh 
had  not  as  yet  joined  the  company,  and  as  Lieutenant  Norman  K, 
Culver  was  on  detail  as  quartermaster.  Sergeant  Thomas  P.  Gere 
led  the  company  on  its  march  in  zero  weather,  through  the  deep 
snow,  from  Fort  SnfUing  to  Fort  Ridgely,  arriving  at  the  lattt-r 
post  March  25.  April  10,  Qere  became  second  lieutenant,  and  on 
the  16th,  Captain  Marsh  arrived  end  assumed  command  of  the 
post. 

There  were  then  at  the  fort  in  addition  to  the  ofSeers  and 
men  of  Company  B,  Post  Surgeon  Dr.  Alfred  Muller,  Sutler  B.  BL. 
Randall,  Interpreter  Peter  Quinn,  and  Ordnance  Sergeant  John 
Jones,  with  a  few  soldiers'  families  living  in  cabins  nearby. 

Sergeant  Jones  was  in  charge  of  the  Government  stores  and 
of  six  pieces  of  artillery  of  different  calibers,  the  relics  of  the  old 
artillery  school  at  the  post,  which  had  been  left  by  Major  Pem- 
berton  when  he  departed  for  Washington  with  the  last  battery 
organization  in  February,  1861. 

■Uiiu-  ™,  Lieut.-nant  T.  J.  Shuchaii.  Fifth  Miimfsota.  with  fifty 
men  of  Company  C,  and  fifty  men  of  Company  D,  Fifth  Minne- 
sota, was  ordered  by  John  Marsh,  captain,  Fifth  Regiment,  to  re- 
port at  the  Sioux  agency  on  the  Yellow  Medicine  river  about 
fifty-two  miles  northwest  of  Fort  Ridgely  to  Major  Thomas  Gal- 
braith,  Sioux  agent  there,  to  maintain  order  while  the  annuities 
were  being  delivered  to  the  Indians.  Arriving  July  2,  they  found 
the  Indians  troublesome  and  dissatisfied  because  the  annuities  has 
not  arrived  and  also  because  the  stores  were  dispensed  to  them 
through  traders.  They  submitted  an  address  to  Lieutenants 
Sheehan  and  Gere  as  follows:  "We  are  the  braves.  We  have  sold 
our  lands  to  the  great  father.  The  traders  are  allowed  to  sit  at 
the  pay  table  and  they  tate  all  our  money.  We  wish  you  to 
keep  the  traders  away  from  the  pay  table  and  we  wish  you  to 
make  us  a  present  of  beef." 

Without  authority  from  Washington  this  demand  could  not 


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620  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

be  met.  July  26,  in  conformity  with  an  agreement  some  of  the 
Indians  being  almost  starving,  a  counting  of  the  Indians  was 
ordered  and  crackers  waa  distributed  among  them.  The  count- 
ing took  twelve  and  one-half  houre. 

July  27,  Lieutenant  Sheehan  with  four  soldiers,  four  citizens 
and  an  Indian  guide  stole  away  in  the  night  to  capture  if  possible 
Inkpadoota,  who  had  stolen  horses,  etc.  He  was  notified,  how- 
ever, and  got  away.  Lieutenant  Sheehan  returned  August  3,  to 
the  agency. 

Lieutenant  Sheehan  with  the  detachment  from  Company  C 
was  ordered  to  Port  Ridgely  and  Lieutenant  Cluver  and  six  men 
of  Company  B  were  detached  to  St.  Peter,  with  the  fifty  recruits 
of  traders  and  half-breeds  who  constituted  the  B«nville  Rangers. 
This  left  at  Fort  Ridgely,  two  ofBcers  and  some  sixty-six  men. 

July  4,  the  Indians  sent  two  messengers  to  the  camp  to  state 
the  Indians  were  going  to  make  a  demonstration,  saying  the; 
meant  no  harm  thereby.  This  being  usual  no  objection  was  made 
to  it.  About  800  warriors  took  part  and  it  soon  developed  into 
an  attack  on  the  warehouse  for  provisions  and  became  so  serious 
that  the  howitzers  had  to  be  uncovered  and  aimed  at  the  door  of 
the  warehouse  when  the  Indians  left  the  warehouse. 

An  issue  of  pork  and  flour  allayed  the  tension  somewhat  but 
did  not  satisfy.    Finally  the  Indians  retired  to  their  camps. 

Lieutenant  Gere  was  dispatched  to  Port  Ridgely  to  report  to 
Captain  Marsh  and  ask  him  to  come  to  the  Upper  agency. 

July  7,  at  the  council  with  the  Indians  it  was  agreed  that  all 
the  stores  at  the  agency  should  be  issued  to  the  Indians  and  this 
agreement  was  carried  out  on  July  8  and  9.  The  Lower  Sioux 
Indians  had  taken  no  part  in  these  demonstrations  and  as  the 
Upper  Sioux  had  departed  in  good  humor  it  waa  expected  all 
would  patiently  wait  until  the  annuity  money  came. 

But  on  August  18  came  the  outbreak  with  its  widespread 
slaughter  starting  froTii  the  Ijower  Agency. 

J.  C.  Dickenson  kept  the  boarding  house  at  Redwood  Peny. 
As  soon  as  the  murderous  work  began  he  started  for  Fort  Ridgely 
with  a  load  of  refugees,  one  being  a  wounded  man.  Between  9 
and  10  in  the  morning  he  met  B.  H.  Randall  about  two  miles 
from  the  fort,  Raadall  being  out  driving  with  his  children. 
Randall  whipped  up  his  horse  and  brought  the  first  word  to  the 
fort.  Dickenson  at  once  started  out  to  intercept  the  Renville 
Rangers. 

Captain  Marsh  after  sending  orders  to  Xieutenant  Sheehan 
to  return,  was  soon  on  the  way  to  the  Lower  Sioux  agency 
with  forty-six  men  and  Interpreter  Peter  Quinn.  There  they 
met  the  disaster  recorded  elsewhere  in  this  volume. 

At  11  o'clock  the  members  of  Company  B  were  located  as 
follows:     On  the  way  to  the  ferry,  47;  at  St.  Peter,  7;  South 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  621 

with  the  regiment,  1;  on  furlough,  1;  sent  with  a  message  to 
Company  C,  1 ;  at  the  fort,  30.    Of  the  30,  six  were  sick. 

After  the  departure  of  Captain  Marsh  for  the  Lower 
agency,  refugees  from  the  surrounding  county  swarmed  into 
Fort  Ridgely  in  considerable  numbers,  many  of  them  bringing 
tales  of  murder,  outrage  and  ruined  homes. 

Lieutenant  Thomas  P.  Qere,  then  only  nineteen  years  of 
age,  had  been  left  in  charge  of  the  fort.  Preparations  were  at 
once  begun  for  its  defense.  Victor  Rieke,  who  had  taken  rei- 
uge  in  the  fort,  went  out  with  his  yoke  of  oxen,  and  some  as- 
sistants, and  from  the  big  spring  under  the  bluff  gathered 
enough  water  to  fill  the  tanks  and  barrels.  This  work  was  done 
under  the  direction  of  the  sutler,  B.  H.  Randall. 

With  a  lack  of  thoroughness  that  in  these  days  seems  little 
short  of  criminal,  no  well  had  been  dug  within  the  confines  of 
the  fort.  During  the  siege,  when  the  soldiers,  citizens  and 
refugees  were  suffering  from  lack  of  water,  and  it  seemed 
likely  that  their  confinement  within  the  limits  of  the  fort  might 
.  be  of  coQsiderable  duration,  it  was  proposed  by  the  citizens  that 
a  well  be  dug.  But  the  officials  did  not  favor  the  project,  their 
observations  of  the  contour  of  the  land  leading  them  to  believe 
that  at  least  one  hundred  feet  of  earth  would  have  to  be  pene- 
trated before  wholesome  water  could  be  reached.  In  the  summer 
of  1896,  when  a  well  was  finally  dug,  a  bountiful  supply  of  pure 
water  was  found  only  twenty-four  feet  from  the  surface. 

The  fort,  which  consisted  of  a  group  of  buildings  standing  at 
intervals,  surrounding  an  open  square  ninety  yards  across,  stood 
back  from  a  spur  of  the  high  prairie  tableland  which  extended 
from  the  northwest  toward  the  Minnesota  river,  that  stream  being 
about  one-half  mile  to  the  south.  Along  the  east  and  north  side 
of  the  fort,  and  within  musket  range  of  the  fort,  a  long  and  deep 
ravine  of  Fort  creek  extended  southeasterly  to  the  main  valley; 
to  the  south,  at  a  distance  of  about  three  hundred  yards,  ran  the 
line  of  a  quite  abrupt  descent  to  the  valley,  while  from  this  line, 
and  nearly  opposite  the  southwest  comer  of  the  fort,  another  lat- 
eral ravine  projected  into  the  spur,  terminating  not  over  three 
hundred  feet  from  the  buildings  on  that  angle.  The  buildings  on 
the  east,  south  and  west  sides  of  the  square  above  referred  to 
were  two-story  frame  houses,  erected  for  officers'  quarters,  ex- 
cepting a  one-story  storehouse  for  commissary  supplies,  which 
stood  adjacent  to  the  northwest  comer,  while  on  the  north  side 
stood  the  two-story  barracks  built  of  stone.  In  rear,  to  the  north 
of  the  barracks,  was  a  row  of  log  buildings  comprising  houses  for 
families  of  post  attaches  and  the  post  hospital,  while  at  the  north- 
east comer,  and  near  the  end  of  the  barracks,  stood  the  post 
bakery  and  laundry.  The  sally  port  was  south  of  the  commissary 
building.    The  guard  house  was  sixty  feet  west  of  the  sally  port. 


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622  HiyTORY  OF  KENVILLE  COUNTY 

PNirther  west  was  the  sutler's  store.  Still  further  and  beyond 
tlu'  (li'presaion  at  .tin"  hfait  of  the  ravine  was  the  sutlers  ware- 
house and  dwelling.  The  stables  were  near  the  edge  o£  the  Minne- 
sota bluff.  Near  the  Fort  creek  bluff  were  the  ice  and  root 
houses,  Bclweeii  tliese  and  the  stahlea  was  the  granary.  North- 
west of  tho  frarrison  ahont  6;10  feet  stood  the  two  log  ammunition 
iiiaga/ines. 

While  the  water  supply  was  being  replenished  on  the  morning 
of  the  eventful  eighteenth  of  August,  1862,  the  few  available 
small-arms  in  the  fort  were  furnished  to  the  men  who  seemed 
most  likely  to  handle  them  to  advantage,  these  men  being  placed 
on  duty  with  the  soldiers,  of  whom,  besides  the  sick  and  hospital 
attendants,  only  twenty-two  were  available  for  active  duty.  At 
about  noon  there  arrived  at  the  fort  in  charge  of  C.  G.  Wykoff, 
clerk  of  the  Indian  superintendent,  and  his  party  of  four,  the 
long  expected  annuity  money,  $72,000  in  gold.  Here  this  party 
was  halted.  As  the  day  passed,  the  frightened  fugitives  continued 
to  come  in,  until  at  night  fall  more  than  200  had  arrived.  In- 
telligence from  Captain  Marsh,  so  anxiously  awaited,  came  not,. 
Pickets  were  posted  in  every  direction  by  Lieutenant  Gere  in 
person,  instructed,  as  this  duty  required  nearly  every  man  in  the 
command,  to  rally  promptly  on  the  fort  in  case  of  attack  in  any 
quarter. 

Among  the  men  so  placed  was  Jack  Frazier,  a  noted  half -breed 
and  a  faithful  friend  of  the  whites,  who  had  escaped  from  the 
agency  that  morning  under  the  fire  of  half  a  dozen  rifles,  leaving 
his  wife  and  children  to  the  tender  mercy  of  hia  angered  full-blood 
kinsmen. 

Intelligence  from  Captain  March  was  expected  every  hour, 
but  it  did  not  come.  Shortly  after  dark  James  Dunn  and  William 
B,  Hutchinson  sent  forward  by  Sergeant  John  F.  Bishop  reached 
the  fort,  bringing  to  the  young  ofBcer  the  direful  news  of  the 
slaughter  of  his  comrades  and  the  death  of  his  captain  at  the 
Hedwood  ferry.  With  the  knowledge  that  new  regiments  were 
at  this  time  being  formed  at  Fort  Snelling  for  the  Union  army. 
Lieutenant  Gere  hurriedly  penned  a  dispatch  to  the  commander  at 
Snelling,  briefly  detailing  the  situation  and  asking  for  help  and 
requesting  that  Governor  Ramsey  be  informed  of  the  state  of 
affairs.  This  dispatch  was  written  at  8:30  and  sent  forward  im- 
mediately in  charge  of  Private  William  J.  Sturgis,  who  was  given 
the  best  horse  in  the  garrison.  He  was  also  instructed  to  report 
the  situation  to  Lieutenant  Culver  and  Agent  Galbraith  and  the 
Renville  Rangers  at  St.  Peter  and  hasten  their  coming. 

After  midnight,  when  bleeding  fugitives  were  still  coming  in 
with  tales  of  horror,  when  the  Indians  had  surrounded  the  post 
with  a  strong  skirmish  line,  and  Little  Crow  with  a  formidable 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  623 

array  was  reported  as  advancing  LieuteDant  Gere,  tired  and 
weighed  down  with  a  dreadful  pressure  and  the  dark  hour  upon 
him,  sent  out  the  following  message  to  his  comrade,  Lieutenant 
Sheehan,  then  on  his  way  to  the  fort. 

"Headquarters  Fort  Ridgely,  August -19,  1862 — Lieutenant  T. 
J.  Sheehan — Force  your  march  returning.  Captain  Marsh  and 
most  of  his  command  were  killed  yesterday  at  the  Lower  agency. 
Little  Crow  and  about  600  Sioux  warriors  are  now  approaching 
the  fort  and  will  undoubtedly  attack  us.  About  250  refugees 
have  arrived  here  for  protection.  The  Indians  are  killing  men, 
women  and  children.  Have  sent  dispatches  by  mounted  messen- 
gers to  Governor  Ramsey  and  commander  at  Fort  Snelling,  re- 
questing re-enforcements  immediately. — Lieutenant  T.  P.  Gere, 
Cominanding  Post." 

Immediately  upon  the  dispatch  of  the  courier,  Lieutenant  Gere 
ordered  the  removal  of  all  the  women  and  children,  who  were 
scattered  in  the  frame  houses  forming  three  aides  of  the  fort,  to 
the  stone  building  used  as  soldiers'  quarters,  which  stood  on  the 
north  side  of  the  square ;  but  before  this  order  could  be  executed, 
one  of  the  citizens  on  picket  fired  his  gun,  and  came  running  in 
crying.  "Indians."  Panic  seized  the  refugees,  who  rushed  fran- 
tically for  the  quarters,  and  some  of  the  young  boys  fired  a  volley 
of  shots  breaking  a  number  of  the  windows.  The  few  soldiers, 
true  to  their  discipline,  rallied  promptly  to  their  designated  po- 
sitions :  the  alarm  proved  false,  but  good  in  effect,  as  now  all  but 
the  fighting  men  were  in  the  quarters ;  the  pickets  were  replaced 
and  the  first  night  of  unceasing  vigil  wore  away.  The  effective 
soldiers  in  the  fort  at  this  time  consisted  of  1  second  lieutenant, 
3  corporals,  1  musician  (a  young  boy),  and  19  privates,  three  of 
whom  were  in  the  hospital,  thus  making  a  total  of  24  soldiers. 

But  the  Indians  made  no  attack  that  night.  Probably  they 
had  planned  none,  though  it  has  been  said  by  some  writers  that 
Little  Crow  was  moving  toward  Fort  Ridgely  for  a  night  attack 
when  a  scout  arrived  with  the  tidings  that  a  large  force  ot  white 
soldiers  were  on  their  way  to  the  fort,  and  that  this  news  caused 
Little  Crow  to  order  his  men  to  fall  back,  an  order  which  was 
Countermanded  only  when  a  second  scout,  who  had  seen  Sheehan 's 
force  on  its  way  from  Glencoe  to  Ridgely,  arrived  and  reported 
that  the  armed  force  of  whites  did  not  number  over  fifty.  As 
a  matter  of  fact  it  has  been  fairly  well  established  that  most  of 
the  Indians  were  making  merry  over  the  success  of  the  day,  and 
had  no  intention  of  continuing  their  work  or  revenge  before 
morning. 

Tuesday  morning  dawned  on  mingled  hope  and  apprehension 
for  the  coming  hours,  and  when  sunlight  shone  upon  the  prairies, 
every  quarter  was  closely  scanned  from  the  roof  of  the  highest 
building  through  the  powerful  telescope  fortunately  at  hand. 


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624  HiaTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

At  about  9  o'clock  the  Indians  began  assembling  on  the 
prairies  west  of  the  fort.  Most  of  them  were  mounted,  but  many 
were  on  foot,  and  some  were  in  wagons.  It  seemed  that  they 
held  a  coimeil  to  deliberate  upon  the  day's  program.  It  baa  been 
said  that  Little  Crow's  intention  had  been  to  attack  Fort  Ridgely 
promptly,  but  at  the  council  above  mentioned  it  was  determined 
to  first  proceed  to  New  Ulm,  and  soon  after  the  dispersion  of  the 
council  the  Indians  were  seen  passing  southward  on  the  west  side 
of  the  river.  No  demonstrations  at  the  fort  were  made  duriug 
the  day. 

TVhile  the  supposed  council  was  in  progress  cheers  of  wel- 
come announced  the  arrival  of  Lieutenant  Sheehan  and  his  fifty 
men  of  Company  C.  Corporal  McLean,  the  courier  dispatched 
by  Captain  Marsh  on  the  previous  day,  reached  Sheehan 's  com- 
mand at  evening  soon  after  it  had  gone  into  camp,  forty-two  miles 
from  Fort  Ridgely,  between  New  Auburn  and  Qlencoe.  Lieuten- 
ant Sheehan  at  once  commenced  his  forced  march;  and  during  the 
night  covered  the  entire  distance  traversed  by  him  in  the  two 
preceding  days.  Upon  his  arrival  at  the  fort  Lieutenant  Sheehan 
assumed  command. 

Meanwhile  at  St.  Peter  at  6  p.  m.,  on  Monday,  news  of  the 
outbreak  reached  Agent  Galbraith,  Lieutenant  Culver,  and  the 
Benville  Rangers.  Obtaining  some  old  Harper's  Ferry  muskets, 
which  belonged  to  a  militia  company,  and  such  other  guns  as  they 
could  requisition,  the  company  left  St.  Peter  at  6  o'clock  on  Tues- 
day morning,  with  barely  three  rounds  of  cartridges  to  the  man 
and  twelve  hours  later  reached  Port  Ridgely,  completing  its  roll 
of  defenders.  The  force  now  at  the  fort  consisted  of  fifty-one 
men  of  Company  B,  under  Lieutenants  Culver  and  Qere;  fifty 
men  of  Company  C,  under  Lieutenant  Sheehan ;  fifty  men  of  the 
Renville  Rangers,  under  Lieutenant  James  Gorman ;  about  twenty- 
five  armed  citizens;  Sutler  B.  H.  Randall,  Sergeant  John  Jones, 
Post  Surgeon  Muller,  and  a  number  of  brave  and  self-possessed 
women  who  proved  of  as  much  service  and  value  as  the  same 
number  of  male  defenders.  A  detachment  of  the  citizens  was 
placed  in  charge  of  Sutler  Randall.  Others  helped  man  the  can- 
nons. As  soon  as  Patrick  Heffron  arrived  he  repaired  for  service 
some  of  the  old  guns  at  the  fort  including  twenty  dragoon 
carbines.  The  total  force  numbered  about  180  men;  Lieutenant 
Sheehan  was  in  supreme  command  over  all.  The  non-combatants 
numbered  about  300,  some  of  whom  were  wounded,  others  sick, 
and  others  again  in  a  condition  of  nervous  prostration.  Many  of 
the  women  were  in  a  delicate  condition,  adding  to  the  embarrass- 
ment of  the  situation. 

Three  of  the  six  cannons  at  the  fort  were  brought  into  service. 
A  field  piece  was  given  in  charge  of  Dennis  O'Shea,  an  old  artil- 
lery man,  who  had  been  living  near  Franklin,  while  one  twelve- 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  •» 

pound  howitzer  was  placed  in  charge  of  Sergeant  J.  G.  McGrew 
and  another  in  charge  of  J.  C,  Whipple,  an  experienced  artillery- 
man of  the  Mexican  war,  who  had  escaped  to  tHe  fort  from  the 
Lower  agency.  Thus  organized  the  garrison  was  confident  of  a 
sturdy  defense  in  case  an  attack  should  he  made.  Werner  Boesch 
who  bad  been  an  artillery  officer  in  Switzerland,  but  who  had  been 
living  for  some  years  west  of  the  fort  in  Camp  township^  assisted 
Whipple,  while  James  Dunn,  a  merry  Irishman,  whose  wit  and 
humor  did  much  to  keep  the  defenders  in  good  spirits,  helped  Mc- 
Grew.   The  brave  Dunn  was  afterward  killed  at  Nashville. 

Repulsed  in  the  attack  made  at  New  Ulm  on  the  nineteenth, 
the  Indians  determined  to  carry  out  Little  Crow's  alleged  orig- 
inal plan,  to  attempt  the  capture  of  Fort  Ridgely,  and  on  Wednes- 
day, August  20,  made  their  dispositions  to  this  end.  Knowing 
the  facility  of  approach  aflEorded  by  a  long  ravine  to  the  east,  and 
that  the  usual  park  of  artillery  was  on  the  west  line  of  the  build- 
ings, the  main  attacking  party,  under  Little  Crow  was  moved 
down  the  river  valley  to  the  mouth  of  this  ravine  sometimes  called 
Fort  creek — then  under  its  shelter  to  a  point  opposite  the  fort. 
This  movement  was  executed  under  cover  and  entirely  unob- 
served. To  divert  attention  from  the  real  point  of  attack  a  num- 
ber of  Indians,  at  about  1  o'clock,  p.  m.,  made  their  appearance 
on  the  west  side  of  the  fort,  just  out  of  the  range  of  the  pickets. 
Some  writers  have  claimed  that  Little  Crow  was  in  this  group 
and  that  he  invited  the  officers  out  for  a  parley,  but  that  they 
refused  a  conference  unless  he  would  come  down  to  the  picket 
line.  At  this  juncture  the  advance  of  the  main  party  which  was 
approaching  from  the  northeast,  was  discovered  by  the  pickets 
on  that  side  and  skirmishing  commenced.  The  Indians  poured  a 
heavy  volley  through  the  openings  at  the  northeast  and  gained 
possession  of  some  of  the  out-buildings  at  that  quarter.  Lieuten- 
ant Gere,  with  a  detachment  of  Company  B,  was  ordered  directly 
to  the  point  of  attack,  and  moved  at  a  "double-quick."  Whipple, 
with  his  howitzer,  was  stationed  in  the  opening  between  the 
bakery  and  the  next  building  to  the  south,  the  detachment  of 
Company  C,  moved  on  a  run  around  the  north  end  of  the 
barracks  to  the  row  of  log  buildings;  while  Sergeant  McGrew 
wheeled  his  howitzer  rapidly  to  the  northwest  corner  of  the  fort 
and  went  into  position  on  the  west  side  of  the  most  westerly 
building  in  the  row.  All  of  these  detachments  at  once  became 
engaged  in  a  hot  fight  at  short  range.  At  the  beginning  of  the 
fight  Mark  M.  Greer  of  Company  C,  was  killed  and  William  Goode 
of  Company  B  was  shot  through  the  head. 

There  was  a  slight  delay  in  getting  Whipple's  gun  in  opera- 
tion, owing  to  the  fact  that  it  had  been  tampered  with  by  stuffing 
it  with  cotton.  But  the  infantry  of  Company  B  advantageously 
located  around  him,  kept  up  a  hot  fire,  enabling  him,  after  the 


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626  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

brief  delay,  to  work  his  gun  to  good  advantage,  and  some  ad- 
mirable work  was  here  performed.  The  men  of  Company  0  simi- 
larly covered  MeGrew'a  operations.  McGrew  first  trained  his  gun 
to  bear  northeasterly,  on  the  most  northerly  point  at  which  the 
enemy  appeared,  and  from  which  a  heavy  fire  was  coming;  but 
bia  fuse  bad  been  cut  for  a  range  of  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  and  the 
first  shell,  though  passing  close  to  the  grass,  exploded  over  the 
ravine.  Sunning  his  piece  quickly  behind  the  building,  McGrew 
cut  his  next  fuse  to  its  shortest  limit,  reloaded,  ran  the  howitzer 
out  amidst  a  shower  of  buUets,  and  exploded  his  second  shell  in 
the  very  midst  of  this  extremely  troublesome  party,  wholly  dis- 
lodging the  savages  from  their  position.  The  converging  fire  of 
these  two  howitzers,  with  their  musketry  supports,  soon  drove 
the  Indians  from  the  buildings  they  had  reached  and  forced  them 
back  to  the  line  of  the  ravine. 

Meanwhile,  upon  the  attack  at  the  east,  the  pickets  who  were 
defending  the  other  sides  of  the  fort,  fell  back  to  the  defense  oi 
that  point.  Thereupon,  the  Indians  used  their  extra  forces  to 
close  in  on  the  west  and  south,  to  divert  as  far  as  possible,  the 
white  defense  against  their  main  attack. 

Ordnance  Sergeant  Jones,  when  the  Indian  charge  started, 
took  immediate  command  of  Dennis  O'Shea  and  his  force,  who 
were  manning  the  field  piece,  which  had  been  placed  near  the 
opening  at  the  southwest  angle,  but  which  was  later  moved  back 
onto  the  parade  grounds.  This  gun  was  supported  from  within 
the  buildings  and  back  of  the  barricades  by  the  Lieutenants  Cul- 
ver and  Gorman.  The  rest  of  the  men  were  stationed  in  varions 
advantageous  positions. 

The  position  of  the  men  manning  the  field  piece  under  Jones 
and  O'Shea  was  especially  exposed,  as  the  Indians  in  the  shelter 
of  a  short  spur  of  Minnesota  valley,  could  swarm  almost  in  safety 
to  a  position  within  easy  musket  range,  and  the  men  at  the  gun 
worked  under  a  constant  hail  of  bullets. 

The  crew  of  this  gun  consisted  of  0  'Shea,  four  regular  soldiers, 
and  three  citizen  soldiers,  George,  Adam  and  Victor  Rieke. 

It  becoming  soon  apparent  that  the  Indians  were  in  large 
enough  force  to  maintain  a  continuous  siege  if  so  disposed,  and 
that  all  the  artillery  ammunition  was  likely  to  be  required,  it  was 
decided  to  remove  at  once  into  the  stone  buildings,  from  the  log 
magazine,  the  ammunition  remaining  there,  consisting  principally 
of  the  supply  for  the  extra  field-pieces.  The  magazine  stood  on 
the  open  prairie  to  the  northwest  and  distant  from  the  stone  bar- 
racks some  two  hundred  yards,  the  one  quarter  from  which  the 
Indians  could  not  approach  under  cover.  McGrew  now  took  po- 
sition so  as  to  command  any  locality  from  which  men  detailed  for 
this  duty  could  be  reached  by  the  enemy,  and  the  ammunition 
was  all  safely  brought  in.     Among  those  who  assisted  in  this 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  627 

venture  were  two  yomig  soldiers  of  Company  C,  Charles  E.  Chapel 
and  Charles  A.  Rose.  The  paymaster,  C.  G.  Wykoff,  and  his 
guard  ot  four  men  from  St,  Paul,  also  assisted. 

The  Indians'  original  plan  having  met  with  such  vigorous  re- 
pulse on  the  northeast  the  attacking  force  was  distributed  to  all 
quarters,  and  the  battle  became  general.  For  five  hours  an  in- 
cessant fire  was  kept  up  on  the  fort.  The  men  in  the  garrison  were 
directed  to  waste  no  ammunition  and  fired  only  when  confident 
their  shots  would  be  effective,  but  found  sufficient  opportunity  to 
maintain  a  steady  return  of  the  enemy's  fire.  The  artillery  did 
most  efficient  service  in  all  directions  throughout  the  entire  en- 
gagement. '  Just  about  sunset  the  building  in  front  of  Whipple's 
gun  was  set  on  fire,  also  some  log  buildings  in  front  of  the  bluffs. 
At  dark  the  firing  ceased,  but  each  man  remained  at  the  post 
where  night  found  him,  all  in  almost  momentary  expectation  of 
further  attacks. 

Sometime  during  the  day  six  half-breeds  of  the  Renville  Rang- 
ers deserted,  taking  to  the  Indians  the  news  of  the  gold  which 
had  reached  the  fort.  Some  writers  claim  that  there  was  but  one 
half-breed  deserter.  It  has  been  said  that  the  stuffed  gun  al- 
ready mentioned  was  the  work  of  some  of  the  deserting  half- 
breeds. 

That  night.  Sutler  Randall  went  to  the  bluffs  west  of  where 
the  Indians  had  that  day  destroyed  his  home,  and  clearly  beard 
the  Indians  talking. 

Later  in  the  night  the  Sioux  withdrew  to  the  Lower  agency. 

At  midnight  on  the  20th,  a  dreary  rain  set  in,  adding  not  only 
gloom,  but  discomfort  to  the  situation.  The  resulting  darkness 
was  utterly  impenetrable  for  even  the  distance  of  a  few  feet, 
and  amid  these  conditions  there  came  a  wailing  sound  from  out 
on  the  prairie,  repeated  over  and  over.  Believing  this  to  be  a 
ruse.  Lieutenant  Sheehan  ordered  McGrew  to  fire  his  cannon  in 
that  direction.  The  sound,  however,  continued  as  before.  Sheehan 
then  ordered  a  detachment  of  soldiers  to  proceed  to  the  spot,  and 
there  the  men  found  a  woman,  crazed  with  fear  and  grief,  whose 
harrowing  experiences  had  almost  unbalanced  her  reason. 

No  other  incident  disturbed  the  night.  Lowering  skies 
marked  the  morning  of  the  twenty-first  (Thursday),  but  the  day 
passed  uneventfully.  A  large  body  of  Indians  passed  within  view 
of  the  fort  and  their  presence  was  regarded  ominously.  They 
passed  by,  however,  and  entered  the  Minnesota  valley  a  mile  be- 
low the  fort,  passing  on  to  the  attack  of  New  Ulm. 

The  day  was  improved  by  the  construction  of  barricades  made 
of  everything  available,  for  the  better  protection  of  the  gunners, 
especially  at  the  southwest  comer  where  Jones  was  in  position. 
Another  field-piece  was  manned  and  put  in  position  in  reserve 
on  the  parade  ground  under  Sergeant  Bishop  of  Company  B ;  and 


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628  HISTORY  OF  RKNVILLE  COUNTY 

the  other  two  idle  guns  were  loaded  and  made  ready  in  case  a 
last  desperate  defense  became  necessary;  otherwise,  the  ofScers, 
men  and  guns  remained  in  the  positions  assigned  in  Wednesday's 
battle,  and  so  continued  generally  during  the  remainder  of  the 
siege. 

Little  Crow  was  determined  to  take  Port  Ridgely,  The  first 
attack  had  failed,  as  he  thought,  from  lack  of  sufficient  numbers 
on  the  part  of  the  Indians.  He  resolved  to  make  another  attempt 
and  this  time  to  bring  into  action  every  available  Sioux  warrior 
of  the  Lower  bands  and  those  of  the  Upper  bands  who  could  be 
induced  to  join  him.  On  Friday,  August  22,  with  about  800  war- 
riors, he  marched  from  the  Indian  villages  at  the  Lower  agency, 
and  massed  his  warriors  until  the  fort  was  fairly  surrounded  on 
all  aides.  At  about  1  P.  M.  a  sudden  but  furious  attack  was  made 
on  the  post  from  every  available  position.  The  garrison  returned 
the  fire  with  equal  spirit  and  vigor  and  with  great  effect  on  the 
Indians,  who  at  first  had  hoped  to  effect  a  quick  entrance  into  the 
post  by  the  sheer  weight  of  superior  numbers.  From  the  cover  of 
the  slopes  approaching  the  fort  their  fire  was  unceasing  and  very 
accurate.  They  kept  themselves  under  cover  and  well  concealed; 
their  presence  could  generally  be  detected  only  by  the  puffs  of 
smoke  when  they  discharged  their  pieces.  Many  of  them  stuck 
grass  and  golden-rod  and  ox-eyed  daisies  in  their  head-bands  so 
that  they  could  not  well  be  distinguished  from  the  herbage  which 
covered  the  prairies  and  hillsides. 

The  Indian  attack  continued  for  about  five  hours,  or  until 
7  P.  M.  The  plan  of  the  chiefs  after  the  first  attempt  had  failed, 
was  to  keep  up  a  continuous  fire  upon  the  garrison  from  every 
direction  until  the  defenders  should  become  weakened  and  then 
attempt  to  carry  the  fort  by  a  charge  at  the  southwest  corner, 
where  the  sally-port  had  been  left  open.  To  this  end  the  greater 
portion  of  the  warriors  were  collected  at  the  south  and  southwest 
corners  of  the  post  under  the  cover  of  a  ravine  and  the  high  bluff 
commanding  the  valley.  Chief  Mankato,  The  Thief,  Big  Eagle, 
and  other  noted  warriors  had  charge  of  this  movement.  They 
took  possession  of  the  government  stables  directly  south  of  the 
fort,  and  also  the  sutler's  store,  and  began  a  fire  from  these  struc- 
tures upon  the  south  line  of  the  garrison.  Sergeant  Jones  di- 
rected O'Shea  to  throw  shells  into  the  sutler's  store  and  other 
outbuildings,  and  set  them  on  fire.  This  was  skillfully  done  and 
the  buildings  were  entirely  consumed,  the  Indians  falling  back 
under  the  cover  of  the  bluff  and  of  the  ravine  to  the  west.  Some 
writers  have  said  that  Jones  and  O'Shea  fired  through  the  hall 
of  the  officers'  quarters  and  set  the  stables  on  fire.  Others  have 
said  that  the  Indians  fired  the  stables  themselves.  The  Indians 
attempted  to  fire  the  buildings  in  the  fort  by  shooting  burning 
arrows  upon  the  roofs,  but  the  shingles  were  wet  and  the  de- 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  629 

fenders  were  able  to  extinguish  the  fires  before  they  had  made 
any  progress.  Subsequently  the  roofs  were  covered  with  sod  and 
dirt  and  thus  rendered  fire-proof.  At  about  this  time  Joseph 
Yanosse,  a  refugee  from  Yellow  Medicine,  was  killed  by  a  bullet 
which  came  through  the  side  of  the  building  in  which  he  was 
sheltered. 

Still  in  pursuance  of  the  plan  of  battle,  the  hail  of  bullets,  the 
whizzing  of  arrows,  and  the  blood-curdling  war-whoop  were  in- 
cessant. From  the  ravine  to  the  northeast  came  an  especially 
heavy  attack,  the  object  being  to  divert  as  far  as  practicable  the 
defense  to  this  side,  and  here  was  some  gallant  and  effective  ser- 
vice again  performed.  Whipple  from  the  northeast  comer,  pro- 
tected in  every  discharge  by  the  hot  musketry  fire  of  Gere's  de- 
tachment and  the  men  of  Company  C  to  the  left,  swept  the  very 
grass  to  its  roots  all  along  the  crest  of  the  slope  while  McOrew, 
improving  the  opportunity,  vrith  most  conspicuous  bravery,  ran 
his  howitzer  out  from  the  northwest  comer  to  the  very  edge  of 
the  ravine  and  delivered  several  enfilading  volleys  of  canister 
down  along  the  hillside,  practically  sweeping  the  savages  from 
their  position. 

Now  began  the  convergence  to  the  southwest,  the  Indians 
passing  from  the  opposite  side  in  either  direction.  In  moving 
around  the  northwest  comer  a  wide  detour  was  necessary  to  avoid 
McGrew's  range,  but  the  open  prairie  rendered  the  movement 
plainly  apparent.  Divining  its  object,  McGrew  went  into  position 
on  the  west  line  and -at  the  south  end  of  the  commissary  building. 
Participants  have  declared  that  before  taking  this  change  of  po- 
sition he  also  changed  guns,  taking  one  of  heavier  caliber.  In 
this  new  position  he  did  most  effective  work.  He  fired  one  shot 
at  a  party  passing  around  the  fort  and  then  training  his  gun 
westwardly  dropped  a  second  shell  where  the  Indians  were  form- 
ing a  reserve  to  support  the  charge. 

About  4  o'clock  the  Indians  had  massed  in  the  ravine  ap- 
proaching the  southwest  sally-port,  with  Chief  Mankato  as  their 
leader.  His  voice  could  be  plainly  heard  in  the  fort  as  he  har- 
angued the  warriors,  urging  them  to  be  brave  and  not  falter  in 
their  charge  until  they  were  inside  of  the  fort.  His  voice  was 
mistaken  by  some  of  the  half-bloods  for  that  of  Little  Crow,  but 
it  is  said  that  at  the  time  that  chieftain  was  lying  in  the  ravine 
to  the  northeast  of  the  fort  from  the  effects  of  the  passing  of 
Whipple's  shell  by  his  ear,  it  was  at  first  thought  the  skull  had 
been  fractured,  and  it  was  three  days  before  he  was  able  to  take 
the  warpath  again. 

The  Indians  had  a  large  encampment  in  the  valley,  close  up 
under  the  bluff,  to  the  southwest,  and  here  their  women  were  en- 
gaged in  cooking,  looking  after  their  children,  and  caring  for  the 
wounded.    The  teepes  were  in  place  and  enough  meat  had  been 


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630  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

collected  to  feed  the  Indians  for  three  days.  Into  this  camp  of 
women,  children  and  wounded  Sergeant  McQrew  dropped  two  or 
three  shelU  which  exploded  fairly  in  their  midst.  The  eflfect  on 
the  Indians  was  disastrous. 

For  generations  the  Indians  had  been  told  that  the  white  men 
never  made  war  on  women  and  children.  "While  the  Indians  them- 
selves had  killed  women  and  children  in  a  mad  frenzy,  they  had 
not  expected  to  see  their  own  loved  ones  put  in  danger  by  the 
whites.  Witnessing  the  slaughter  of  the  women  and  babies  whose 
bodies  were  torn  by  the  bursting  shells,  and  seeing  their  comrades 
mowed  down  by  cannister.  some  of  the  Indians  were  inclined  to 
waver. 

Undaunted,  however,  and  bent  upon  his  one  determination  to 
take  the  fort,  Little  Crow  concentrated  hie  principal  force  at  the 
southwest.  Jones  and  his  support,  the  Renville  Rangers,  were 
tinder  a  merciless  fire  from  the  savages,  who  had  pressed  forward 
to  so  short  a  range  as  to  literally  perforate  every  foot  of  exposure 
of  the  barricade  and  headquarters  building,  but  this  fire  was 
heroically  returned,  and  with  telling  effect.  The  fusillade  had 
become  general  about  the  garrison  again,  as  the  preliminary  step 
to  the  assault  at  the  southwest,  and  when  the  musketry  of  the 
savages  had  reached  a  furious  stage.  Little  Crow  ordered  his  men 
to  club  their  guns  and  rush  in.  This  order  the  half-breeds  of  the 
Renville  Rangers  plainly  heard  and  communicated  to  their  offi- 
cers. -  This  was  the  most  critical  moment  the  garrison  had  ex- 
perienced. A  charge  of  the  overwhelming  numbers  would  have 
been  irresistible. 

To  stagger  the  enemy  at  this  supreme  juncture  was  the  only 
hope  of  the  garrison.  Jones'  crew  had  doubleshotted  their  gnn 
with  canister,  and  bravely  hazarding  their  lives  in  the  act,  dealt 
a  withering  blow  to  the  massed  foe  at  short  range,  at  the  crucial 
moment,  mowing  a  swarth  down  through  their  ranks  that  sent 
terror  to  their  hearts  as  they  were  in  the  act  of  leaping  like  wild 
beasts  to  the  charge.  The  Renville  Rangers  followed  with  a  gall- 
ing ToUey  and  a  challenge  in  the  Sioux  language,  hurled  defiantly: 
' '  Come  on ;  we  are  ready  for  you ! ' ' 

Bishop  had  used  his  gun  to  good  effect  at  the  southeast,  and 
the  garrison  now  rose  supremely  to  the  occasion  and  dealt  its 
telling  blows  fast  and  furious.  The  savages  hesitated,  wavered 
and  recoiled,  and  though  they  fought  on  until  night,  could  opt 
again  be  nerved  to  the  point  of  charging. 

But  the  garrison  had  reached  its  last  desperate  extremity.  B 
was  on  the  brink  of  collapse  through  exhaustion  of  its  supply  of 
ammunition  for  the  small  arras  of  the  men  who  had  fought  so 
gallantly.  The  guns  in  use  were  all  muzzle-loading.  There  was 
powder  available  by  ojiening  spherical  case  shot,  and  fortutiately 
caps  for  exploding  it.  but  there  were  neither  bullets  nor  lead  of 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  631 

which  to  make  them.  Human  resource  was  put  to  its  teat.  The 
limited  supply  of  small  iron  rods  in  the  Government  blacksmith 
shop  was  resorted  to,  with  which  to  prolong  the  struggle  until 
all  possible  means  of  resistance  should  cease. 

These  rods  of  iron  were  cut  into  slugs  three-fourths  of  an  inch 
in  length,  and  a  corps  of  nimble-fingered  workers  under  the  di- 
.  rection  of  Mrs,  Dr.  Muller  set  to  manufacturing  cartridges.  With 
these  (and  their  whistling  challenge  was  terrifying),  the  fight 
was  continued  until,  as  night  closed  in,  the  savages  withdrew, 
with  a  howl  of  rage,  but  fairly  vanquished.    The  battle  was  over. 

Incredible  as  it  may  appear,  during  these  engagements  at  Fort 
Ridgely  the  loss  of  the  garrison  was  only  three  men  killed  and 
thirteen  wounded.  Fighting  on  the  defensive,  and  availing  them- 
selves of  all  the  shelter  afforded  by  buildings  and  barricades,  the 
infantry  were  admirably  protected;  while,  as  before  noted,  as 
each  piece  of  artillery  was  fired  the  enemy  was  kept  down  by  a 
hot  musketry  fire. 

During  the  terrible  struggle,  the  wife  of  Sergeant  John  Jones 
was  in  one  of  the  log  houses  in  the  rear  of  the  barracks,  with  her 
little  children  and  a  young  girl,  but  so  sudden  was  the  attack  she 
could  not  get  to  a  place  of  greater  safety.  The  battle  raged 
furiously  around  her  during  the  afternoon,  and  an  Indian  came  to 
the  window,  and,  thrusting  his  gun  through,  fired  at  her  as  she 
crouched  behind  the  stove,  but  the  ball  missed  its  mark,  and  the 
Indian  did  not  return  again.  In  the  worst  of  the  battle,  her  baby 
was  born.  Mother  and  child  were  taken  from  the  log  house  in 
blankets  and  borne  to  a  place  of  safety. 

At  one  critical  period  the  Indians  got  possession  of  a  stable 
in  the  rear  of  Sergeant  Jones'  quarters,  and  held  it  for  a  long  time, 
until  Jones  threw  two  shells  into  it  from  a  mountain  howitzer. 
They  burst  inside  the  stable,  and  set  fire  to  some  hay,  and  in  a 
moment  the  stable  was  a  sheet  of  fiames.  At  once  the  Indian 
started  out  of  the  building,  but  a  ball  from  George  Daahner's  gun 
brought  him  to  the  ground,  and  he  started  to  crawl  away,  when 
Dashner  said  to  his  friend,  Joe  Latoier,  "Come,  Joe!"  They  both 
started  for  the  stable,  and,  seizing  the  struggling  Indian,  they 
pitched  him  headlong  into  the  raging  fire,  and  giving  an  Indian 
warwhoop,  returned  unhurt  into  the  fort,  although  the  Indians 
fired  several  shots  at  them  from  the  ravine.  In  savagery  and  heart- 
less treatment  of  the  wounded  some  of  the  whites  greatly  out- 
matched the  Indians. 

On  Wednesday,  when  the  defenders  were  wondering  whether 
or  not  help  was  coming  a  courier  came  dashing  in  from  Flandrau, 
at  New  Ulm,  with  the  following  message :  New  Ulm,  Minnesota, 
August  20. — "Commander  Fort  Ridgely — Send  me  one  hundred 
men  and  guns  if  possible.    We  are  surrounded  by  Indiana  and 


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632  HiaTOBY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

fighting  every  hour.  Twelve  whites  killed  and  many  wounded. 
G.  E.  Flandrau,  Commanding  New  Ulm." 

The  day  after  the  first  attack  Lieutenant  Sheeban  sent  a  mes- 
sage to  Governor  Ramsey  describing  the  situation  and  asking  for 
reenforcements.  This  dispatch  was  borne  to  St.  Peter  by  John 
McCall  and  he  and  Jack  Frazer,  the  half-breed,  were  the  only  two 
couriers  out  of  seven  that  started  from  the  fort  and  succeeded  in 
getting  through  safely ;  the  others  were  either  killed  or  prevented 
by  the  Indians  from  reaching  their  destination. 

Sheehan's  dispatch  to  the  Governor  read :  "Port  Ridgely,  Au- 
gust 21,  2  p.  m, — Governor  Alexander  Ramsey ; — We  can  hold  this 
place  but  little  longer  unless  re-enforced.  We  are  being  attacked 
almost  every  hour  and  unless  assistance  is  rendered  we  cannot 
hold  out  much  longer.  Our  little  band  is  becoming  exhausted  and 
decimated.  We  had  hoped  to  receive  re-enforcements  today,  but 
as  yet  can  hear  of  none  coming. — T.  J.  Sheehan,  Company  C,  Fifth 
Regiment  Minnesota  Volunteers,  Commanding  Post." 

August  23,  the  greater  portion  of  the  Indians  abandoned  their 
villages  and  fell  back  up  the  Minnesota  to  the  Yellow  Medicine. 
A  force  sufficient  to  encircle  the  fort  and  prevent  entrance  into  or 
departure  from  it,  was  left  behind  to  annoy  the  whites  and  give 
information  of  any  change  in  the  situation  especially  as  to  the 
approach  of  the  re-enforcements.  The  same  day  Lieutenant  Shee- 
ban sent  a  note  to  Little  Crow,  which  was  placed  by  a  scout  in  a 
split  stick  some  distance  west  of  the  fort  and  carried  away  by 
the  Indians  to  the  war  chief.    Following  is  a  copy  of  this  letter. 

"Headquarters  Fort  Ridgely,  August  23, 1862.  To  Little  Crow, 
Chief  in  Command  of  the  Sioux  Braves  and  Warriors — I  wish  to 
say  to  you  that  if  you  allow  your  chiefs,  braves,  and  warriors  to 
keep  on  murdering  and  scalping  women  and  children,  your  Great 
Father  at  Washington  will  send  white  soldiers  enough  after  you 
to  whip  your  forces,  and  all  the  Sioux  Indians  will  be  either 
killed  or  driven  to  the  Rocky  Mountains.  If  you  keep  on  fighting, 
take  women  and  children  prisoners  of  war,  and  fight  the  white 
men  like  a  man.  No  brave  Indian  warrior  will  kill  and  scalp 
women  and  children;  therefore,  I  advise  you  to  quit  it  and  try 
and  make  peace  with  your  Great  Father.  You  can  never  take 
Fort  Ridgely,  as  I  have  men  enough  to  defend  it,  and  as  you 
know,  after  yesterday's  fight,  my  big  guns  are  working  all  right. 
T.  J.  Sheehan,  First  Lieutenant  Company  C,  Fifth  Minnesota  In- 
fantry, Commanding  Post." 

The  guard  book  of  the  post  is  now  in  the  possession  of  the 
Minnesota  Historical  Society.  The  entry  for  August  18,  shows 
that  the  countersign  forthat  day  was  "Minnesota."  For  the  20th, 
it  was:  "Shoot  all  Indians  you  see  coming."  The  same  day 
other  entries  made  were:  "Kept  a  guard  around  the  whole  gar- 
rison divided  into  nine  posts  and  three  reliefs.    A  picket  guard 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  633 

was  kept  out  also.  As  the  soldiers  are  all  tired  and  worn  out,  we 
are  obliged  to  use  citizens  as  well  as  soldiers  for  guards. — 
(Signed)  John  P.  Hicks,  Company  C,  Fifth  Regiment,  Minnesota 
Volunteers,  Commanding  Guard."  No  entries  were  made  Au- 
gust 19. 

The  number  of  Indians  engaged  in  the  battle  will  never  be 
known.  It  has  been  estimated  that  between  500  and  600  took 
part  in  the  battle  of  August  20,  and  from  1,200  to  1,500  in  the 
battle  of  August  22.  On  the  other  hand  there  are  conservative 
historians  who  believe  that  these  figures  are  much  too  large.  See- 
ing the  Indians  swarming  on  every  side,  and  sweeping  from  one 
point  to  another,  the  defenders  had  no  means  of  judging  as  to 
the  numbers  of  the  attacking  forces.  It  is  believed  that  100  In- 
dians were  killed,  but  this  likewise  is  merely  an  estimate. 

Had  the  attacks  on  either  Fort  Ridgely  or  New  Ulm  succeeded, 
the  effect  upon  the  whites  would  have  been  most  serious.  Had 
New  Ulm  fallen,  the  Indians  would  have  swept  down  the  Minne- 
sota valley  on  the  south  side,  would  probably  have  taken  Mankato, 
and  desolated  the  country  as  far  eastward  as  Shakopee.  Had 
Eidgely  been  captured,  the  Indians  would  have  had  the  advantage 
of  six  pood  pieces  ol'  artillery  wiiicli  tliey  could  easily  have 
learned  to  use  by  the  help  of  the  disloyal  half-breeds,  and  with 
the  muskets  of  the  defenders  they  would  have  constituted  a  most 
formidable  army  whose  march  could  probably  not  have  been 
checked  until  it  had  reached  Minneapolis  and  Fort  Snelling.  But 
some  years  later,  Chief  Big  Eagle,  in  an  interview  with  Major 
R.  I.  Holeombe,  said:  "We  thought  the  fort  was  the  door  to 
the  valley  as  far  as  St.  Paul,  and  that  if  we  got  through  the 
door  nothing  could  stop  us  this  side  of  the  Mississippi.  But  the 
defenders  of  the  fort  were  very  brave  and  kept  the  door  shut. 
"Tee-yo-pa  Nah-tah-ka-pee!"  When  the  state  issued  bronze 
medals  to  the  defenders  of  the  fort,  the  legend  was  in  Sioux, 
"Tee-yo-pa  Nah-tah-ka-pee."    They  Kept  the  Door  Shut 

While  the  withdrawal  of  the  Indians  on  August  22,  terminated 
the  important  hostile  movements  at  Port  Ridgely,  the  garrison 
could  not  be  aware  that  such  was  the  case,  nor  for  a  moment  relax 
its  vigilance.  The  forces  continued  to  occupy  the  positions,  to 
which  they  had  become  accustomed.  The  room  in  the  houses,  in- 
cluding the  upper  half  stories,  were  occupied  by  the  soldiers,  who 
were  constantly  on  the  lookout  for  another  attack.  In  many  in- 
stances the  glass  in  the  windows  had  been  broken  out  by  the 
Indian  bullets,  but  the  openings  were  barricaded  and  made  fairly 
safe  covers.  The  construction  of  a  line  of  earthworks  in  the  open 
space  on  the  south  side  of  the  fort  was  begun;  the  roof  of  the 
commissary  was  covered  with  earth  to  prevent  fire,  and  the  barri- 
cades were  strengthened  as  well  as  possible.  Four  more  long  days 
of  isolation  and  suspense  of  scanty  rations  of  water  and  provi- 


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634  HISTORV  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

sions,  o£  little  sleep  and  privation  of  almost  every  sort,  vfiih  no 
word  from  friend  or  foe,  ensued. 

At  last,  on  the  morning  of  Wednesday,  August  27,  just  nine 
days  after  the  first  dispatch  for  help  had  been  sent,  there  rode 
into  the  fort  Colonel  Samuel  McPhail,  of  the  newly  organized 
Minnesota  militia,  and  Colonel  William  R.  Marshall,  at  that  time 
a  special  agent  for  Governor  Ramsey,  with  175  volunteers,  citi- 
zens, horsemen,  who  had  left  St.  Peter  at  four  p.  m.,  the  previous 
day,  as  the  advance  of  the  main  relief  expedition  under  Colonel 
Sibley,  whose  infantry  reached  the  fort  on  the  twenty-eighth. 
Thus  was  terminated  the  defense  and  siege  of  Fort  Ridgely,  one  of 
the  most  gallant  incidents  in  American  military  history,  and  one 
of  far-reaching  influence  upon  the  prosperity  and  general  'w^elfare 
of  Minnesota. 

For  its  gallant  successful  defense  Lieutenant  Sheehan  was 
continued  by  Colonel  Sibley  in  command  of  the  post  for  about 
three  weeks,  or  until  September  18,  when  he  left  with  his  com- 
pany for  Fort  Ripley.  Company  B,  marched  for  Fort  Snelling 
November  9,  as  part  of  the  escort  under  Colonel  Marshall  accom- 
panying the  Indian  prisoners  to  that  post.  Uniting  at  SnelUng 
the  two  companies  proceeded  South  and  joined  their  regiment 
near  Oxford,  Mississippi,  December  12,  1862. 

THE  BIEKE   REMnflSCENCES. 

Adam  Rieke  has  a  wonderfully  clear  memory  concerning  the 
events  of  the  thrilling  days  of  the  Indian  massacre.  He  was  one 
of  the  most  gallant  of  the  citizen  defenders  of  Fort  Ridgely  and 
took  a  part  in  the  development  of  the  county  through  all  its  early 
years.  The  facts  which  are  related  in  the  following  story  give 
a  splendid  picture  of  the  defense  of  Fort  Ridgely  and  the  inci- 
dents connected  with  the  horrible  holocaust  which  ravished  the 
county  in  the  stricken  year  of  1862. 

Frederick  Rieke  brought  his  family  from  Hanover,  Germany, 
in  1855,  and  located  in  Jaekson  County,  Ohio.  From  there,  in 
1859,  two  of  the  sons,  George  and  Victor,  started  out  for  Minne- 
sota. After  searching  for  a  while  they  found  a  suitable  location 
on  the  banks  of  Mud  Lake,  in  what  is  now  Section  26,  Cairo 
township. 

There  was  already  a  settler  in  the  neighborhood,  a  man  named 
John  Buehro,  who  had  served  five  years  in  the  United  States 
army,  and  who  upon  receiving  his  honorable  discharge  at  Fort 
Snelling  located  on  the  banks  of  Mud  Lake,  in  Section  23,  with 
the  intention  of  there  establishing  his  permanent  home.  He  had 
a  wife  and  one  son. 

George  and  Victor  Rieke  set  at  work  erecting  a  shack,  and  in 
1860  sent  for  the  rest  of  the  family.  April  27,  of  that  year,  the 
family  arrived,  consisting  at  that  time  of  the  father  and  mother, 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  635 

five  brothers,  Adam,  Henry  (originally  called  Heiurich),  August 
and  Herman,  and  two  sisters,  Mary  (now  Mrs.  Charles  Fenska), 
and  Lausetta  {now  Mrs.  Claus  Anthony).  There  were  two  other 
sons  in  the  family.  Fred  was  married  in  Ohio  and  came  to  Min- 
nesota with  the  others,  April  27,  1860.  He  and  his  wife  settled 
in  West  Newton  township,  Nicollet  county.  During  the  Out- 
break they,  with  others,  fled  to  St.  Peter.  William  was  also. 
married  in  Ohio.  He  remained  there  until  1865,  when  he  came 
to  Minnesota,  and  took  a  homestead  in  Section  26,  Cairo  town- 
ship, now  owned  by  his  son,  Adam  Rieke,  Jr. 

In  the  summer  of  1862  the  Rieke  brothers  took  a  contract  to 
furnish  the  government  with  150  tons  of  hay  for  the  use  of  the 
garrison  at  Fort  Bidgcly.  For  the  purpose  of  gathering  this  hay, 
they  established  a  camp  some  half  or  three-quarters  of  a  mile  from 
the  fort. 

Their  first  intimation  of  trouble  with  the  Indians  came  about 
the  middle  of  August,  when  several  Indians  appeared  at  the  camp 
and  demanded  provisions.  When  given  some  articles,  instead  of 
expressing  gratification  as  usual  they  threw  the  material  on  the 
ground  and  spat  on  it. 

On  Thursday,  August  14,  while  Adam  Rieke  and  his  brother 
George,  were  on  their  way  from  the  camp  to  the  fort,  they  were 
passed  by  about  200  Indians  riding  two  by  two  and  each  carrying 
a  gun.  They  were  in  high  spirits,  laughing  and  talking,  and 
brought  to  the  mind  of  Adam  Rieke  thoughts  of  the  soldiers  in 
Germany  when  on  an  informal  outing.  Several  Indians  ap- 
proached the  wagons,  took  handfuUs  of  hay,  anufEed  it,  declared 
that  it  sinelled  good,  and  then  inadf  demands  that  tobacco  be 
givfii  thcrn.  The  brothers  doclaied  that  they  had  no  tobacco, 
and  the  Indians  continued  on  their  way.  When  the  brothers 
reached  the  fort  they  found  the  Indians  on  the  porch  of  the 
barracks  at  the  fort. 

They  learned  that  when  the  Indians  had  arrived  at  the  top 
of  the  bluff  near  which  the  fort  is  located,  they  were  halted  by 
Interpreter  Quiiiu  and  told  that  if  they  were  to  enter  the  fort 
they  must  leave  their  guns  outside.  So  they  left  their  guns  at 
the  top  of  the  bluff  and  entered  the  fort.  They  were  given  all 
the  provisions  that  they  could  carry.  Had  they  been  allowed  to 
enter  the  fort  with  their  guns  the  story  of  Fort  Bidgely  would 
have  been  much  different. 

It  has  ever  been  a  question  as  to  whether  the  Indians  had 
planned  the  outbreak.  For  years  the  uprising  waa  believed  to 
have  been  the  result  of  long  plotting.  Modem  historians  reject 
this  theory,  and  declare  that  Little  Crow  was  as  much  surprised 
as  the  whites  at  the  murders  done  by  the  Bide  creek  renegades 
at  Acton,  August  17,  and  that  he  consented  to  the  Uprising  with 
great  reluctance  and  after  many  remonstrances. 


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636  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

Modem  historians  therefore  do  not  place  the  same  meaning  on 
this  visit  to  the  fort  that  the  early  settlers  do.  They  rightly  de- 
clare that  many  such  visits  had  been  made  before,  that  the  In- 
dians had  many  times  given  their  war  dance  within  the  confines 
of  the  fort,  and  that  this  particular  visit,  though  it  took  place  so 
short  a  time  before  the  outbreak,  had  no  more  significance  then 
.the  many  other  similar  visits  which  the  Indians  had  made  ever 
since  the  fort  was  established. 

According  to  Charles  S.  Bryant,  who  has  written  a  history  of 
the  massacre  the  Indians  mentioned  by  Adam  Rieke,  approached 
the  fort  on  the  forenoon  of  the  fourteenth,  and  asked  permission 
to  dance  within  the  jnclosure.  Permission  was  refused.  When 
they  became  insistent,  Sergeant  Jones  pointed  a  loaded  howitzer 
at  them,  and  kept  it  in  position  during  their  stay.  Accordingly 
the  dance  was  held  a  few  rods  distant  from  the  fort.  An  extrava- 
gant and  probably  untrue  story  is  told  to  the  effect  that  Jones 
slept  under  the  cannon  all  that  night  in  fear  that  the  Indians 
would  attack  the  fort. 

Adam  Rieke  is  one  of  those  who  are  convinced  that  the  In- 
dians had  planned  to  take  the  fort  that  day.  He  is  of  the  opinion 
that  at  that  time  some  of  the  Indians  tried  to  disable  one  of  the 
guns  by  stuffing  it  with  rags.  Others,  however,  believe  that  the 
gun  was  stuffed  by  the  six  half-breed  Renville  Rangers,  who  de- 
serted. 

Whether  the  Indians  had  any  real  plan  for  the  uprising  will 
never  be  proven.  The  testimony  introduced  in  the  early  days  to 
this  effect  was  not  convincing.  It  now  seems  certain  that  the 
Acton  murders  were  not  the  result  of  previous  plotting. 

But  it  is  true  the  Indians  were  in  a  state  of  unrest,  the  whites 
had  broken  their  promises,  the  Indians  were  in  ugly  mood.  No 
one  who  knows  human  nature  can  doubt  that  they  must  many 
times  have  made  dark  hints  that  the  whites  should  be  driven 
from  the  valley,  and  without  doubt  they  had  talked  over  the 
possibilities  of  accomplishing  this.  But  that  they  had  a  real  plan, 
that  they  had  long  plotted,  that  the  outbreak  of  Monday,  August 
18.  had  been  deliberately  arranged  earlier  than  the  previous 
evening  historians  do  not  believe. 

On  the  morning  of  August  18,  1862,  George  and  Adam  Rieke 
started  from  the  camp  to  the  fort  with  two  loads  of  hay.  Adam 
drove,  as  was  his  custom,  two  yokes  of  oxen,  while  George  drove 
one  yoke.  The  father,  with  Victor  and  August,  and  possibly  one 
sister,  were  left  at  the  camp.  Henry,  nineteen  years  of  age,  was 
at  home,  somewhat  ill,  with  the  mother,  the  little  brother,  Her- 
man, nine  years  old,  and  one,  and  possibly  both  of  the  sisters, 
Mary  and  Lansetta. 

When  Adam,  who  was  in  the  lead,  was  near  the  fort,  he  was 
passed  by  a  swiftly-moving  horseman.    The  horseman  shouted  a 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  637 

warning  that  the  Indians  had  arisen,  but  Adam  did  not  under- 
atand  him. 

Soon  after,  a  half-breed  passed,  riding  on  horseback  at  a 
break-neck  speed,  and  he  also  shouted  a  warning  which  the 
brothers  did  not  understand. 

The  brothers  reached  the  fort  between  9  and  10  in  the  momini;^ 
and  drove  on  the  scales.  An  unnatural  stillness  prevailed.  It 
was  evident  that  some  great  calamity  was  impending.  Therefore 
the  brothers  threw  off  their  loads  of  hay  as  rapidly  as  possible. 
At  about  this  time  the  brothers  saw  a  white-faced  soldier  evidently 
under  stress  of  some  great  excitement.  Next  they  met  a  German 
with  whom  they  were  acquainted.  This  German  had  been  fired 
upon  by  the  Indians,  had  been  wounded  in  the  arm  and  had 
escaped  to  the  fort.  From  him  the  brothers  learned  that  the  In- 
diana were  on  the  war  path  and  were  spreading  murder  right  and 
left.  They  accordingly  hastened  back  to  the  camp  and  brought 
their  father,  and  their  brothers,  August  and  Victor  to  the  fort. 
Possibly  also  one  of  the  sisters  had  been  at  the  camp  and  was 
brought  in  at  this  time. 

Then  with  a  pair  of  steers,  Adam,  George  and  August  started 
out  At  the  highest  possible  speed  for  Mud  Lake  to  get  their  family. 
Upon  reaching  the  cabin  they  loaded  the  family,  their  beds,  and 
such  things  as  they  could  conveniently  carry,  onto  the  wagon. 
August  went  to  the  Buehro  cabin,  and  hastily  telling  Mrs.  Buehro 
of  the  uprising  he  seized  the  boy,  Henry,  in  his  arms,  and  with 
Mrs.  Buehro  following  at  a  dog  trot,  he  made  his  way  back  to  the 
wagon.    Then  the  flight  to  the  fort  started. 

On  the  way  they  passed  a  spot  where  John  Buehro  and  Patrick 
Heffron  were  haying  near  the  Nicollet  county  line,  Mrs.  Buehro 
urged  that  they  stop  and  get  him.  Adam,  who  was  driving,  ac- 
cordingly stopped  the  osen  and  George  went  to  warn  the  two 
men.  Buehro  and  Heflfron,  however,  made  light  of  the  warning, 
and  were  inclined  to  make  fim  of  the  Rieke  boys  for  taking  the 
matter  seriously.  "Take  my  wife  and  Henry,  if  you  want  to," 
said  Buehro,  "But  don't  be  afraid.  Heffron  and  I  are  old  soldiers, 
no  Indians  can  hurt  us.  You  go  on.  Maybe  we  will  come  into 
the  fort  tomorrow,  or  maybe  some  other  day." 

So  the  party  continued  on  its  way.  About  three  miles  north 
of  the  fort  they  came  to  the  place  where  the  fort  road  branched, 
one  branch  leading  to  Henderson  and  the  other  to  St.  Peter.  Here 
two  hotels  had  been  built.  One  was  owned  by  William  Mills  ana 
the  other  by  James  Ryan. 

Ryan's  hotel  was  rented  to  -laeob  Schiiiahl.  He  and  his  wife 
reached  tho  fort  early  in  the  morning  of  the  nineteenth,  and  were 
among  the  defemlers.  They  were  the  parents  of  Secretary  of 
State  Julius  A.  Schinhhl. 

Mills  had  a  large  family.    He  and  his  brother-in-law,  Thomaa 


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ti38  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

Graham,  were  the  mail  carriers  on  the  route  between  St.  Peter 
and  Fort  Ridgely,  When  the  Rieke  party  reached  this  place, 
Mills  was  pacing  up  and  down  in  front  of  the  hotel  with  a  rifle, 
Graham  having  just  arrived  with  the  mail  from  St.  Peter.  "I 
want  my  supper  before  I  go  and  fight,"  he  declared. 

Mills  promised  to  follow  the  Rieke  party  into  the  fort.  The 
Riekes  afterward  heard  that  Mills  and  Graham  fearing  that  the 
fort  would  be  attacked,  and  knowing  its  weakness  of  location  and 
defense,  decided  not  to  seek  shelter  within  its  walls.  Consequently 
taking  their  two  teams.  Mills  and  Graham,  and  the  large  Mills 
family  hid  in  a  slough  until  toward  midnight  and  then  started 
for  Henderson  which  they  reached  in  safety. 

Bryant's  history  declares  that  sometime  in  the  afternoon  or 
evening,  Mills  made  two  visits  to  the  fort,  and  that  in  the  morn- 
ing, when  fleeing  with  his  family,  he  was  stopped  .by  the  soldiers 
on  their  way  to  Fort  Ridgely  under  Sheehan,  and  that  his  gun 
was  taken  from  him. 

As  the  Rieke  family  neared  the  ravine  near  the  fort  they  met 
a  trader  who  warned  them  not  to  pass  through  the  ravine  as  In- 
dians were  lurking  there,  ready  to  slay  the  families  fleeing  for 
safety.  Therefore  George  took  the  gun  while  Adam  led  the  oxen, 
and  they  passed  through  the  ravine  with  great  caution.  The  fort 
was  reached  about  sunset,  and  not  knowing  the  horrible  events 
which  were  to  follow,  the  family  believed  that  they  had  fomid 
safety  and  shelter. 

At  the  fort  they  met  the  rest  of  the  family  and  found  that 
Victor  had  been  employed  part  of  the  time  after  they  had  left,  m 
replenishing  the  water  supply  of  the  fort  from  the  big  spring 
under  the  bluff,  the  supply  having  been  permitted  to  run  out  over 
Sunday. 

After  the  arrival  of  the  Riekes  thrilling  events  followed  each 
other  in  rapid  succession.  All  day  long  refugees  had  been  coming 
in  with  tales  of  horror,  and  swift  preparations  had  been  made 
for  defense.  Indians  were  supposed  to  be  gathering  in  the  ravine, 
and  so  deep  was  the  excitement  that  when  a  false  alarm  of  "In- 
dians" was  shouted,  many  of  the  young  boys  shot  a  volley  of 
bullets  from  their  rifles,  breaking  many  of  the  windows,  and 
creating  much  consternation  among  the  refugees. 

Monday  night  and  all  day  Tuesday  continued  preparations 
were  made  for  defense.  The  Rieke  brothers  had  never  served  in 
the  German  army,  but  being  of  that  nationality,  the  officers  took 
it  for  granted  that  they  had  received  military  training,  and  there- 
fore placed  them  with  a  squad  in  charge  of  the  field  gun.  There 
were  six  cannons  at  the  fort.  The  field  gun  and  the  two  howitz- 
ers were  manned,  while  the  other  three  cannons  were  loaded  and 
held  in  reserve.  Sergeant  John  Jones  was  in  command  of  all  the 
artillery.    He  paid  nearly  all  his  attention,  however,  to  the  field 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  639 

piece.  This  field  piece  was  in  charge  of  Dennis  O'Shea,  who  had 
lived  near  Franklin,  and  who  was  an  old  artillery  man.  Four 
regular  soldiers  were  detailed  to  operate  this  gun,  and  the  three 
brothers,  Qeorge,  Victor  and  Adam  Bieke  were  assigned  to  assist 

At  about  9  o'clock,  Tuesday  morning,  the  Indians  were  seen 
gathering  on  the  prairie  on  the  west,  and  waving  a  red  fiag  as  a 
challenge.  Shortly  afterward.  Lieutenant  T.  J.  Sheehan  arrived 
with  fifty  men,  coming  on  the  Henderson  road  from  the  east. 
Against  the  advice  of  Sergeant  Jonea,  Sheehan  and  his  men  started 
at  once  after  the  Indians,  making  their  advance  toward  the  In- 
dians' position  by  short,  stealthy  runs  through  the  tall  grass. 
But  the  Indians  disappeared,  and  the  Sheehan  force  returned  to 
the  fort. 

There  the  brave  men  were  greeted  with  ringing  cheers.  Shee- 
han made  a  short  speech  to  the  soldiers  and  refugees.  "If  you 
see  an  Indian,  shoot  him,"  was  his  orders  to  them.  He  then  took 
supreme  command  of  the  fort.  He  was  an  ofBcer  of  volunteers, 
while  Jones  represented  the  highest  officer  present  of  the  United 
States  regular  army.  Jones  remained  in  command  of  the  artil- 
lery. Adam  Rieke  declares  that  Sheehan  offered  the  supreme 
command  to  Jones,  but  that  Jones  replied:  "You  take  charge 
of  the  fort,  I  will  take  charge  of  the  cannons."  Mr.  Rieke  also 
declares  that  Jones  had  remonstrated  with  Sheehan  against  mak- 
ing the  rush  after  the  Indians  to  the  westward,  saying,  "We  have 
enough  to  do  to  defend  ourselves,  without  making  any  attacks." 

Tuesday  at  noon  the  field  piece  was  fired  a  few  times  toward 
a  suspicious  movement  across  the  river.  At  that  time,  the  move- 
ment was  believed  to  be  a  body  of  Indians,  but  was  later  de- 
clared to  be  cattle. 

About  sunset,  when  a  thunder  storm  was  raging,  the  field 
piece  was  again  fired,  this  time  toward  the  south.  Later,  on  this 
side  of  the  fort,  six  dead  Indians  and  six  dead  horses  were  found, 
and  while  these  may  have  been  killed  daring  the  battle  of  Wednes- 
day, thcrf  are  many  who  believi'  that  they  were  killed  by  the 
cannon  on  Tuesday  night. 

About  6  o'clock,  Tuesday  evening,  Lieutenant  Culver  arrived 
from  St.  Peter,  with  Lieutenant  Gorman  and  the  Renville  Rangers, 
a  company  which  had  been  recruited  for  service  in  the  South. 
The  rangers  were  poorly  equipped,  having  been  hastily  armed 
at  St.  Peter  with  the  guns  of  an  old  military  company,  and  with 
guns  obtained  from  hardware  stores  and  other  sources.  They 
bad  but  little  ammunition,  and  what  little  they  had  was  some 
which  had  been  hastily  gathered  from  the  merchants  and  pri- 
vate citizens  of  St.  Peter. 

In  the  meantime,  on  Tuesday  forenoon,  John  Buehro  had  ar- 
rived at  the  fort  with  Patrick  Heffron  and  family. 

Wednesday  morning,  Mrs,  Buehro  urged  her  husband  to  go 


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640  HISTORV  OF  EENVILLE  COUNTY 

back  to  their  cabin  after  some  of  their  goods.  Mrs.  Buehro  had 
been  previously  married,  and  had  brought  to  the  cabin  much 
furniture  left  by  her  first  husband  which  was  of  considerable 
value.  Buehro,  still  inclined  to  make  light  of  the  danger,  hitched 
up  a  yoke  of  oxen,  and  prepared  to  make  the  journey.  With  him 
went  Felix  Schmidt,  also  an  old  soldier,  and  a  pioneer  of  Nicol- 
let county.  Frederick  Rieke  and  his  wife,  the  parents  of  the 
Bieke  boys,  also  climbed  into  the  wagon,  but  before  they  could 
start  on  the  journey,  a  friend,  Peter  Glassner,  persuaded  them  to 
remain  at  the  fort  and  not  to  go  on  such  a  foolhardy  trip. 

Buehro  and  Schmidt  went  to  the  cabin  and  got  the  goods, 
and  nearly  reached  the  fort  in  safety.  In  the  meantime  the  Id- 
dlans,  who  on  Tuesday  had  fought  at  New  Ulm,  had  returned  and 
were  gathering  about  the  fort.  Buehro  and  Schmidt  had  reached 
the  point  where  the  road  turns  into  the  bottoms,  when  the  In- 
dians opened  fire  on  them.  Buehro  dropped  in  his  tracks,  Schmidt 
ran  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile  on  the  St.  Peter  road,  prob- 
ably keeping  up  a  fight  by  using  his  revolver.  He  was  then 
killed.  His  body  was  afterward  found  and  is  buried  near  the 
southwest  comer  of  the  old  Hopkins  farm  in  section  33,  not 
more  than  ten  feet  from  the  Nicollet  county  line.  Near  him  was 
found  a  dead  Indian,  showing  that  Schmidt  had  put  up  a  good 
fight.  Buehro  was  buried  on  the  banks  of  Ft.  Creek.  Later  his 
body  was  taken  by  his  widow  to  New  Ulm,  The  oxen  wandered 
about  for  a  while,  and  were  found  long  afterward  with  the  yoke 
still  on  them.  The  goods  for  which  the  men  had  given  their 
lives  were  dumped  on  the  prairie. 

About  noon  on  Wednesday,  a  messenger,  Xavier  Zoliner,  ar- 
rived with  the  news  of  the  disaster  at  New  Ulm,  and  urged  that 
help  be  sent  at  once,  with  a  cannon.  Zollner,  who  was  acquainted 
with  the  Biekes,  informed  the  Rieke  brothers  that  from  the  way 
his  horse  had  acted  that  he  was  sure  that  there  was  a  large  body 
of  Indians  in  the  neighborhood.  He  explained  that  he  bad 
reached  the  fort  by  leaving  the  roads  and  taking  to  the  unbroken 
prairie.  Just  as  Sheehan  was  penning  a  reply,  the  great  attack 
came. 

When  the  attack  started,  the  two  howitzers  and  the  field  gim 
were  wheeled  into  position.  The  howitzer,  under  McGrew,  was 
placed  near  the  guardhouse,  west  of  the  barracks.  The  howitzer, 
under  Whipple,  was  placed  near  the  baker  shop.  The  field  piece, 
imder  O'Shea,  was  placed  on  the  parade  grounds,  where  it  com- 
manded the  south,  southwest  and  southeast,  and  was,  during  the 
action,  moved  about.  The  artillery  commander,  Sergeant  Jones, 
was  with  O'Shea  and  the  field  gun.  As  the  first  shot  was  fired 
from  the  field  gun,  it  was  found  that  Whipple  could  not  make 
his  howitzer  work.  Jones  ran  to  the  spot  and,  after  investiga- 
tion, found  that  the  gun  was  stuffed  with  rags.     The  fact  that 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  641 

the  gun  had  not  been  inspected  was  a  sample  of  the  careless 
manner  in  which  the  affairs  of  the  fort  had  been  maintained.  In 
preparing  the  troops  for  war  in  the  south,  the  possibilities  of 
trouble  near  at  band  had  been  forgotten.  These  cannon  indeed 
had  not  been  originally  intended  as  a  part  of  the  defense  of  Ft. 
Ridgely,  but  had  been  used  some  years  past  for  the  purpose  of 
instructing  recruits  in  artillery  practice.  The  rags  found  in  the 
howitzer  may  have  been  there  for  some  time.  There  is  a  possi- 
bility that  the  Indians  who  had  visited  the  fort  the  previous 
Thursday  had  attempted  to  disable  the  gun. 

After  Jones  had  put  the  howitzer  into  action  under  Whipple, 
he  found  shelter  on  the  stone  porch  of  the  barracks  and  from 
there  directed  the  fire  of  the  three  guns,  paying  especial  atten- 
tion to  the  field  gun  under  O'Shea.    The  bullets  were  falling  fast. 

Details  were  now  bringing  ammunition  from  the  old  log  maga- 
zine to  the  stone  barracks.  Several  of  the  soldiers  volunteered 
for  the  purpose.  Adam  Rieke  says  that  Jones  called  to  C.  Q. 
Wykoff,  the  paymaster,  to  help  bring  in  the  ammunition,  telling 
him  that  his  failure  to  arrive  with  the  money  for  the  Indiana 
was  one  of  the  principal  causes  of  the  Outbreak,  and  that  he 
should  be  willing  to  risk  his  life  in  defense  of  the  fort  now  that 
the  Uprising  had  come.  Wykoff  gallantly  started  at  the  task, 
under  a  galling  fire  of  bullets,  and  escaped  uninjored. 

Some  one  was  then  needed  to  take  the  ammunition  from  the 
stone  barrack's  out  to  the  bullet-swept  parade  grounds,  where 
O'Shea  and  his  men  were  manning  the  cannon.  Jones,  from  his 
position  on  the  porch,  called  to  Adam  Rieke:  "Adam,  come  to 
me."  George  Rieke  urged  him  not  to,  telling  him  that  as  soon 
as  he  stood  up  he  would  be  shot  down,  and  that  such  a  sacrifice 
was  useless.  Jones  then  called  to  Victor  Rieke.  Victor  did  not 
reply.  Then  Jones  called  to  George.  "It  is  not  for  you  to  give 
us  citizens  instructions,"  said  George,  resentful  of  the  officers' 
manner,  and  knowing  that  to  venture  from  the  gun  to  the  porch 
meant  certain  death.  It  is  declared  that  Jones  then  waved  his 
sword  in  wrath,  but  he  was  helpless  in  the  face  of  the  men's 
refusal  to  make  the  foolhardy  attempt. 

Then  Jones  rolled  the  shells  on  the  ground  out  toward  the 
gun,  and  the  Rieke  boys,  who  were  lying  on  the  ground  beside 
the  gun  for  the  purpose  of  moving  it  from  place  to  place  when 
necessary,  picked  up  the  shells  and  handed  them  to  O'Shea  and 
the  four  soldiers  who  were  firing  the  gun. 

The  battle  became  fiercer.  The  Indians  had  attacked  some  of 
the  stables,  the  ice  house  and  other  buildings.  These  were  set 
on  fire  by  bombs  thrown  into  the  buildings  from  the  field  gun. 
The  Indians  had  previously  taken  all  the  horses  and  all  the  mules 
except  one. 


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642  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

The  oxen  and  the  wagons  afforded  the  defenders  some  pro- 
tection ami  aoeoiint  for  the  fact  that  more  w«^re  not  killed. 

One  of  the  Boldiers,  manning  the  field  gun,  was  shot  through 
the  faee.  hiH  teeth  and  tongue  being  shot  away. 

Just  at  this  time,  Henry  Rieke,  who  had  been  ill,  and  was 
with  the  defenders  in  the  buildings,  was  passing  from  one  room 
to  another  on  the  upper  story  of  the  barracks  and,  looking  out, 
saw  the  man  fall,  wounded.  He  believed  that  the  man  was  one 
of  bis  brothers,  and  the  excitement  caused  injuries  to  his  lieart, 
which  resulted  in  his  death  the  following  Saturday. 

Another  soldier  was  also  shot  through  the  face.  After 
months  of  careful  nursing,  the  two  men,  unable  for  a  long  time 
to  take  any  solid  nourishment,  were  brought  back  to  health  under 
the  careful  nursing  of  Mrs.  Eliza  Muller,  wife  of  the  post  surgeon. 

About  sundown  the  Indians  withdrew.  Later  the  rain  started 
falling.  Thursday  was  a  cloudy  day,  and  partly  rainy.  How- 
ever, some  Indians  fired  at  the  fort,  and  there  was  a  bombard- 
ment by  the  three  cannon  for  some  half  an  hour  in  the  momiiig 
before  the  Indians  finally  decided  to  go  on  to  New  Ulm  and 
not  attack  the  fort  that  day.  The  day  was  spent  by  the  whites 
in  strengthening  the  defenses  at  Ft.  Ridgely. 

According  to  the  Riekes,  Little  Crow  was  not  in  command 
at  Ft.  Ridgely  on  Wednesday,  though  historians  generally  have 
declared  that  he  was.  The  Riekes  believe  that  White  Dog  waa 
in  command.  Adam  Rieke  compares  the  two  attacks.  The  at. 
tack  of  White  Dog,  Wednesday,  he  says,  was  like  that  of  a  snake. 
sly  and  treacherous.  The  method  of  Little  Crow,  on  Friday,  he 
says,  was  like  a  whirlwind,  Little  Crow  hoping  to  gain  all  in 
one  rush. 

The  battle  of  Friday  opened  at  about  noon.  First,  four  large 
warriors  on  horseback  showed  themselves  in  an  exposed  positiou 
about  a  half-mile  from  the  fort.  One  of  the  cannons  opened  £re 
on  the  four,  whereupon  two  fled  toward  the  Minnesota  river  and 
two  toward  Fort  Creek.  At  the  same  time  came  the  great  nish 
of  the  Indians  on  the  fort  from  all  sides. 

The  fight  was  desperate.  The  Indians  gained  the  shelter  of 
the  sutler's  store  and  other  buildings.  During  the  fight  of 
Wednesday  the  store  had  sheltered  citizens  and  soldiers ;  but  on 
Friday  none  were  there.  When  the  Indians  gained  the  store, 
0 'Shea's  gun  crew  and  the  crew  of  one  of  the  howitzers  opened 
fire  on  the  building,  and  split  it  with  a  cross  fire,  setting  it  on 
fire,  with  other  nearby  buildings.  How  many  Indians  were  killed 
is  not  known.  Ornaments  and  bones  were  afterwards  found 
there,  and  dnring  the  battle  Indians  were  seen  trying  to  bear 
away  dead  or  wounded  comrades.  The  smoke  from  the  burniny 
store  rolled  in  under  the  cannon,  where  the  crew  of  O'Shea'a  gun 
were  lying,  and  nearly  suffocated  them. 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  643 

Then  came  the  last  desperate  charge  of  the  Indians,  the  fatal 
few  moments  in  which  it  was  determined  whether  Ft.  Bidgely 
should  fall,  and  the  victorions  Indians  sweep  on  down  the  Min- 
nesota valley  to  the  rich  settlements  of  the  Mississippi.  The  In- 
dians were  massed  to  attack  the  southwest  comer.  At  that  point 
a  barricade  of  cordwood  had  been  erected,  some  six  or  seven 
lengths  wide,  some  hundred  feet  long,  and  about  four  feet  high. 
The  Indians  gained  this  barricade. 

The  field  piece,  under  Jones  and  O'Shea,  was  loaded  with 
caunister,  ready  for  the  last  final  rush.  The  gun  was  only  some 
sixty  steps  from  the  barricade. 

The  Indians  were  swarming  over  the  cordwood.  The  bullets 
were  falling  like  hail.  The  gallant  Jones  arose  to  the  emergency. 
To  the  citizens  manning  the  gun  he  said:  "You  have  no  arms. 
If  the  Indians  get  over  the  barricade,  run  for  the  one  door  of  the 
barracks  that  has  been  left  open,  and  prepare  to  defend  the 
women  and  children."  To  the  soldiers  he  said:  "We  are  sol- 
diers. It  is  our  duty  to  stick  by  the  gun,  that  is  what  we  are 
here  for.  Fire  the  gun  until  the  Indians  reach  it,  and  then  spike 
it  with  a  file." 

But  the  charge  was  stayed  by  the  well  directed  fire  of  the 
cannons  and  the  tide  of  the  conflict  was  turned.  Shortly  after- 
ward the  Indians  withdrew,  the  battle  was  over,  and  Ft.  Ridgely 
and  eastern  Minnesota  were  saved  to  civilization. 

Then  came  a  period  of  waiting.  During  the  days  of  stress, 
the  defenders  had  held  out,  in  anticipation  that  at  any  moment 
help  might  arrive.  They  were  keeping  the  gate  against  the  In- 
dians; the  people  of  St.  Paul  aii<l  the  otlier  Mississippi  towns 
knew  of  the  danger.  It  seemed  possible  that  by  forced  marches 
help  might  reach  them,  especially  as  the  news  of  the  Massacre 
was  known  in  St.  Paul  on  Monday.  Finally,  on  August  27,  help 
arrived  and  the  security  of  the  fort  was  assured. 

There  are  thousands  of  stories  of  those  times  of  danger  that 
will  never  be  told.  In  the  excitement,  brave  men  lost  their  self- 
control  at  one  moment  and  rose  to  heights  of  supreme  courage 
at  the  next.  The  trained  soldiers  were  few.  The  newly-enlisted 
companies  were  receiving  their  first  baptism  of  fire.  The  citizen 
soldiers  were  simple  farmers,  unused  to  the  ways  of  military 
discipline,  and  sometimes  resentful  of  the  abrupt  manner  in  which 
they  were  treated  by  the  hard-pressed  ofiScers.  But  each  one, 
officers,  regulars,  volunteers  and  citizen  soldiers  had  his  share 
in  the  heroic  work. 

The  question  of  food  and  water  was  an  important  one.  The 
little  water  in  the  fort  was  saved  for  the  women  and  the  wounded. 
The  citizens  urged  that  a  well  should  be  dug,  but  they  were  over- 
ruled by  those  who  believed  that  the  water  was  at  least  100  feet 
down.    As  a  matter  of  fact  they  could  have  reached  water  at 


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644  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

less  than  thirty  feet.  The  officers  and  some  of  those  in  the 
buildings  were  enabled  to  eat  cooked  food  prepared  by  the  women. 
Bilt  the  men  manning  the  gun  had  to  siibsist  on  dry  crackers, 
which  they  could  barely  force  down  with  their  dry  and  swollen 
tongues. 

During  the  action  of  Wednesday  afternoon,  Sergeant  Jonea' 
wife  presented  him  with  a  young  heir,  and  to  the  stress  of  the 
fight  he  had  the  double  stress  of  husbandly  anxiety.  It'was  about 
four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  when  Mrs.  Jonea  and  the  baby 
were  tenderly  passed  in  blankets  from  the  corn-house,  where 
the  birth  had  taken  place,  to  the  stone  barracks,  where  the  other 
women  and  children  were  sheltered. 

During  this  time,  the  $72,000  in  gold,  belonging  to  the  pay- 
master, was  sheltered  in  the  barracks.  When  it  seemed  that 
cannister  was  necessary,  one  of  the  officers  said,  "The  Indians 
wanted  their  payment,  let  us  put  the  gold  in  the  cannon  and 
give  it  to  them  that  way."  The  suggestion  was  not  accepted. 
Had  it  been,  the  youth  of  the  present  day  would  probably  still 
be  searching  in  the  bluflfs  for  scattered  gold  eagles. 


The  State  Park. 


The  commanding  sweep  of  land  on  which  were  enacted  the 
thrilling  scenes  of  the  defense  of  Ft.  Kidgely  is  now  a  state  park, 
this  insuring  the  perpetuation  of  the  memory  of  the  heroic  deeds 
which  once  hallowed  the  spot. 

The  moving  spirit  in  the  establishment  of  the  park  is  CoL 
Charles  H.  Hopkins,  of  Fairfax.  When  Col.  Hopkins  arrived 
in  1869  and  settled  within  the  Ft.  Ridgely  military  reaervation, 
only  one  and  a  half  miles  from  the  fort,  he  at  once  began  to 
inform  himself  as  to  the  early  history  of  the  vicinity,  his  own 
heroic  war  record  being  one  of  the  incentives  which  centered 
his  interest  on  any  point  where  brave  deeds  had  been  wrought 
and  where  men  had  died  in  defense  of  their  country's  flag. 

At  that  time  Ft.  Kidgely  stood  practically  in  the  condition 
in  which  it  had  been  left  at  the  close  of  the  Indian  massacre.  It 
had  been  abandoned  as  an  active  military  post,  but  Quartermas- 
ter-Sergeant Wm.  H.  Howard  was  detailed  on  duty  there  to  see 
that  the  government  property  was  not  molested. 

The  title  of  the  eighty  acres,  upon  a  part  of  which  the  fort 
was  located,  was  in  dispute.  The  fort  had  been  built  upon  land 
which  the  sutler,  Major  B.  H.  Randall,  had  filed,  and  on  this 
filing  he  afterward  proved  up,  his  sightly  home  being  located 
not  far  from  the  main  buildings  of  the  fort.  Major  Bandall  also 
secured  the  eighty  acres  to  the  east.  Later  he  acquired  other 
land  in  the  vicinity  through  the  "lajdng"  of  half-breed  Indian 
script  and  other  means. 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  645 

The  Ft.  Ridgely  military  reservation  took  in  a  strip  of  land 
approximately  six  miles  square.  It  extended  three  miles  east 
and  three  miles  west  of  the  fort,  and  three  miles  back  from  the 
river  each  way,  the  northern  and  southern  lines,  in  order  to  eon- 
form  with  the  course  of  the  river,  jogging  a  mile  north  to  every 
mile  west.  An  influx  of  settlers  arrived  in  1869,  mostly  old  sol- 
diers, and  settled  within  this  reservation,  among  them  being  Col. 
Hopkins.  The  reservation  was  not  then  opened,  Col.  Hopkins 
and  others  being  at  that  time  "squatters." 

In  1871,  Senator  William  Windom  secured  the  passage  of  a 
bill  through  Congress,  giving  the  settlers  on  the  Ft.  Ridgely  res- 
ervation the  right  to  take  the  land  under  the  preemption  act, 
At  the  same  time  it  was  provided  that  persons  who  had  acquired 
land  on  which  the  government  had  made  improvements  should 
pay  the  government  the  valuation  of  such  improvements.  A  com- 
mission appointed  for  that  purpose  appraised  the  Ft.  Ridgely 
improvements,  the  original  cost  of  which  to  the  government  had 
been  about  $300,000.  The  appraisement,  though  placed  at  some- 
thing like  one-tenth  of  the  original  value,  was  more  than  Major 
Randall  felt  he  should  pay. 

Under  this  act,  those  who  were  financially  able,  proved  up 
by  paying  $1.25  per  acre.  It  was  soon  found,  however,  that  the 
reservation  was  within  the  ten-mile  railroad  limit  and  that,  there- 
fore, the  real  government  price  was  $2.50.  A  few  proved  up  at 
this  figure.  Soon,  however,  came  the  grasshopper  ravages,  con- 
tinuing several  years,  followed  the  first  year  thereafter,  by  the 
blight,  and  the  next  year  by  the  hail.  The  consequent  hard  times 
left  the  settlers  without  money  and  some  of  them  in  the  direst 
straits  of  poverty.  In  this  dilemma.  Senator  Windom  again  came 
to  the  rescue  and  twice  secured  an  extension  of  the  time  in 
which  the  settlers  were  to  make  the  payment  on  their  preemption. 

During  these  years,  the  Ft.  Ridgely  buildings  began  to  dis- 
appear. The  splendidly  dressed  store,  the  well-seasoned  lumber, 
and  the  other  building  material,  entirely  unprotected,  and  evi- 
dently permanently  abandoned,  presented  a  temptation  which 
the  settlers  could  not  resist,  and  gradually  the  material  was  used 
in  erecting  or  improving  the  pioneer  homes  and  bams  for  miles 
around.  On  one  particular  day  no  less  than  100  teams  were  seen 
on  the  grounds  carting  away  material.  Old  settlers  tell  with 
relish  of  this  day,  for  when  the  settlers  were  all  busily  engaged 
picking  out  the  particular  material  they  desired,  word  came  that 
a  government  officer  was  approaching.  One  old  settler  says  he 
never  saw  anyone  move  as  quickly  as  did  the  men  there  in  un- 
loading their  wagons  and  disappearing  on  the  horizon. 

The  hard  times  continued  and  it  was  evident  that  it  would 
be  many  years  before  some  of  the  settlers  would  be  able  to  pay 
for  their  land.    Col.  Hopkins,  who  had  been  active  in  circulating 


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646  IIJSTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

petitions,  writing  letters,  interviewing  prominent  men,  and  doing 
other  work  to  push  the  bill  of  1871,  now  decided  that  an  entirely 
new  bill  waa  needed  to  meet  the  situation.  He  argued  as  did 
others  at  that  time,  that  the  fact  that  the  land  had  been  once 
selected  for  a  military  reservation  should  not  make  it  any  more 
difficult  to  acquire  than  other  land.  Settlers  were  homesteading 
land  in  the  vast  prairies  all  about.  The  Ft.  Ridgely  land  should 
likewise  be  subject  to  the  homestead  law,  they  declared. 

When  Qrover  Cleveland  was  elected  for  bis  first  term  as 
president,  Hon.  Henry  Poehler,  likewise  a  Democrat,  was  elected 
to  Congress  from  the  strongly  Republican  district  which  em- 
braced the  Ft.  Kidgely  reservation.  His  Democratic  fellow  mem- 
bers naturally  desired  that  he  should  make  a  good  record  and 
please  his  constituents,  and  Congressman  Poehler,  after  being 
duly  approached  by  Col.  Hopkins  and  others,  decided  that  he 
could  do  nothing  better  than  introduce  a  bill  to  place  the  Ft. 
Ridgely  reservation  under  the  operation  of  the  homestead  law. 
The  bill  was,  therefore,  quickly  passed,  and  under  its  provisions 
the  settlers  secured  their  long-delayed  titles. 

The  question  of  the  Ft.  Ridgely  improvements  again  came 
up.  A  commission  was  appointed,  and  the  improvements  again 
appraised.  But  Major  Randall  decided  that  the  land  was  not 
worth  the  price  that  the  commission  put  on  the  improvements, 
and  the  title  to  the  land,  therefore,  passed  from  his  possession 
back  to  the  government. 

The  eight  acres  containing  the  fort  buildings  thus  being  open 
to  settlement,  John  Stenert  filed  upon  it.  It  was  found,  however, 
that  he  was  under  age.  He  sold  his  rights  to  Butler  Le  Barron 
for  a  pair  of  ponies,  a  harness,  a  wagon  and  $50  in  cash.  Mr. 
Le  Barron  in  due  time  perfected  his  title  and  became  the  real 
owner.  In  1905  he  sold  to  the  state  the  five  acres  embracing 
the  site  of  the  original  buildings  and  parade  ground.  Later  the 
remainder  of  the  eighty  acres  passed  into  the  possession  of  C. 
W.  Heimann,  of  Fairfax. 

It  is  now  necessary  to  go  back  a  few  years  to  consider  the 
events  which  had  been  transpiring  in  relation  to  the  other  eighty 
acres  which  is  now  embraced  in  the  state  park. 

Long  before  the  massacre,  a  government  cemetery,  which  aft- 
erward became  known  as  the  Fort  Ridgely  National  Cemetery, 
was  established  on  the  brow  of  the  bluff  southeast  of  the  fort, 
its  purpose  being. for  the  burial  of  such  persons  as  died  at  the 
garrison.  The  first  burial  therein  was  that  of  Hazen  Mooers, 
the  trader,  who  died  April  3,  1857. 

Here  were  buried  also  the  victims  of  the  Redwood  Perry  dis- 
aster, the  Battle  of  Birch  Cooley,  the  defense  of  Ft.  Ridgely, 
and  other  victims  of  the  massacre.  In  time  the  early  settlers 
began  to  use  the  same  vicinity  for  the  burial  of  their  relatives, 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  647 

and  it  grew  to  be  a  cemetery  of  some  size.  It  was  believed  for 
many  years  that  the  land  was  owned  by  the  government,  but 
long  investigation  of  the  government  records  at  Washington  and 
elsewhere  showed  that  no  plat  had  ever  been  filed  and  that  there 
was  no  evidence  of  the  government's  title  to  the  land.  A  ceme- 
tery association  was,  therefore,  formed,  with  Albert  Cummmgs 
as  president;  C.  H.  Hopkins  as  secretary;  and  William  R.  La 
Framboise  as  treasurer.  A  quit-claim  deed  was  secured  from 
Major  B.  H.  Randall,  the  owner  of  the  property,  the  cemetery 
was  platted,  and  improvements  made. 

In  the  early  seventies  the  government  moved  a  number  of  the 
bodies  of  soldiers  from  th^  Ft,  Ridgely  cemetery  to  Rock  Island. 
It  was  planned  at  that  time  to  move  also  the  bodies  of  Captain 
Marsh  and  bis  men.  But  a  wave  of  indignation  swept  the  state. 
These  men  had  died  that  the  civilization  of  the  state  should  be 
preserved,  their  blood  had  sanctified  the  soil  of  Minnesota  and 
their  dust  had  hallowed  it.  Their  last  sleep  should  not  be  dis- 
turbed, and  they  should  forever  rest  in  the  state  whose  existence 
they  had  helped  to  preserve.  Consequently  their  bodies  were 
not  moved  and,  in  1873,  a  monument  was  erected  by  the  govern- 
ment to  mark  the  spot. 

Through  the  years  that  passed,  Col.  Hopkins  nursed  his  dream 
of  a  national  or  state  park.  "His  plans  were  crystallized  at  a 
Memorial  Day  celebration,  held  at  the  National  Cemetery  there. 
May  30,  1889.  Delegations  of  school  children  and  citizens  from 
the  various  townships,  together  with  G.  A.  R.  posts  and  their 
ladies,  met  on  the  old  parade  grounds  and,  headed  by  the  Fairfax 
Band  marched  to  the  cemetery  and  decorated  the  Captain  Marsh 
monument.  At  this  time  Co).  Hopkins  made  a  speech,  in  which 
he  advocated  his  long-cherished  dream,  a  dream  which  in  part 
has  now  been  realized. 

Soon  after  this,  both  the  state  legislature  and  the  national 
Congress  were  approached  for  funds  to  establish  a  park.  Con- 
gress was  asked  for  $40,000,  but  owing  to  the  number  of  such 
ilciiianils.  no  action  whs  taken  in  the  matter. 

For  a  time  there  was  little  better  success  in  the  state  legis- 
lature, though  Col.  Hopkins  presented  himself  at  St.  Paul,  filled 
with  patriotic  fervor,  and  well  equipped  with  historic  data  and 
convincing  arguments. 

From  that  time  to  this,  every  session  of  the  legislature  has 
been  importuned  by  Col.  Hopkins  personally  or  by  his  friends, 
and  marvelous  results  have  been  achieved. 

It  was  in  1895  that  the  legislature  made  its  first  appropria- 
tion, the  purpose  at  that  time  being  the  purchase  of  the  five 
acres  of  land  already  mentioned  and  the  erection  of  a  monument. 
The  matter  was  to  be  in  charge  of  a  commission. 

On  October  15,  1899.  the  Fort  Ridgely  National  Park  and 


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648  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

Historical  Association  was  organized  for  the  establislunent  of  an 
enlarged  park. 

The  first  directors  of  this  society  were :  Hon.  Chas.  E.  Flan- 
dreau,  who  was  in  command  of  the  forces  that  defended  New 
Ulm  against  the  Indians  in  August,  1862;  Lieut.  T.  J.  Sbeehan, 
who  was  in  command  at  Fort  Bidgely  in  the  nine  days'  siege 
and  two  days'  battle  at  about  the  same  time;  A.  G.  Stoddard,  E. 
F.  Sell,  M.  D.  Brown  and  C.  H.  Hopkins,  Fairfax,  and  Dr.  J.  W. 
B.  Welcome,  of  Sleepy  Eye. 

Efforts  were  again  pnt  forth  by  this  society  to  try  and  get 
the  oational  government  to  take  it  in  hand  and  another  bill  was 
introduced  in  both  houses  to  appropriate  forty  thousand  dollars 
and  establish  a  national  park,  the  same  to  be  in  charge  of  the 
war  department. 

Charles  H.  Nixon  represented  Renville  comity  in  the  Senate 
at  that  session,  and  Gunenis  Peterson  in  the  house,  and  they 
are  deserving  of  much  credit  for  the  tangible  results  accom- 
plished. 

'  Judge  Charles  Flandreaa,  in  command  at  New  Ulm  at  the 
time  of  the  ontbreak,  was  made  chairman  of  the  commissioD. 
Associated  with  him  were  Lieut.  Col.  Sheehan,  commander  at  the 
fort  in  1862;  C.  H.  Hopkins,  of  Fairfax;  Maj.  Powell,  of  Red- 
wood Falls,  and  Messrs.  Ives,  Anderson  and  Stone,  of  St.  Peter. 
The  work  of  looking  after  the  affairs  at  the  fort  and  locating 
the  monument  was  in  the  hands  of  the  Fairfax  man.  Major  B.  I. 
Holcombe,  of  St.  Paul,  an  historian  of  note,  was  secured  by  the 
commission  to  furnish  historical  data  and  act  as  clerk. 

The  monument  was  started  in  the  summer  of  1895  and  com- 
pleted in  the  fall  of  1896,  being  located  on  the  exact  spot  where 
the  flag  pole  stood  at  the  old  fort  in  1862.  Mr.  Hopkins  and 
Col.  Sheehan  selected  the  design  and  the  inscriptions.  The  com- 
mission served  without  pay  and  everything  was  done  with  the 
least  possible  expense  to  the  state. 

President  Hon.  Chas.  E.  Flandreau  was  kept  in  Washington 
some  two  months  one  session  to  try  to  get  it  through,  but  as 
before,  on  account  of  there  being  so  many  similar  bills  asked  it 
was  a  bar  to  all,  and  any  hopes  for  getting  national  aid  was 
given  up,  and  the  society  concluded  that  as  long  as  this  historic 
spot  had  formed  and  had  taken  so  important  part  in  the  early 
history  of  the  state  of  Minnesota,  it  would  be  proper  and  a  priv- 
'ilege  for  her  to  continue  to  enlarge  and  beautify  the  site  of  old 
historic  Fort  Ridgely,  and  Col.  C.  H.  Hopkins,  who  was  the  sec- 
retary, was  delegated  to  try  at  the  different  sessions  of  the  fol- 
lowing legislatures  to  get  additional  measures  passed,  but  waa 
unsuccessful,  until  his  son,  Hon.  Frank  Hopkins,  was  elected  to 
the  house  in  1911  and  1912,  who,  with  the  assistance  of  Bepre- 
aentative  N.  J.  Holmberg,  in  the  house  and  Hon.  Frank  Murray, 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  649 

Hon.  Frank  Clagae  and  Hon.  Henry  Benson  in  the  Senate  were 
suGcessfnl  in  getting  an  appropriation  to  purchase  the  eighty- 
acre  tract  that  indndes  the  site  of  old  Ft.  Ridgely.  Special  praise 
ia  due  Henry  Benson.  On  the  last  day  of  session  the  Ft.  Ridgely 
bill  was  far  down  on  the  calendar.  There  was  no  chance  of  ita 
being  reached  before  the  close  of  the  session.  But  Mr.  Benson, 
under  a  special  privilege  motion,  got  the  bill  before  the  Senate 
and  it  was  passed.  Otherwise  it  would  have  passed  into  oblivion 
with  no  action  taken  on  it. 

In  the  session  of  1912  and  1913,  they  were  successful  in  get- 
ting an  appropriation  to  purchase  the  other  eighty-acre  tract 
which  includes  the  old  National  Cemetery,  where  Capt.  Marsh, 
Interpreter  Quinn  and  twenty-five  other  soldiers  are  buried  that 
were  killed  in  the  battle  and  ambush  at  the  lower  Sioux  Agency 
ferry  in  August,  1862,  and  also  other  historic  points  of  interest. 
This  tract,  originally  ovmed  by  B.  H.  Randall,  had  passed  out 
of  the  possession  of  Rev.  P.  U.  Ronglie. 

This  society  has  one  hundred  and  fifty-two  members  from 
all  over  the  state  and  nation,  and  as  the  years  go  by,  will  in- 
crease in  membership  and  in  influence  and  will  be  the  great 
force  that  will  continue  to  upbuild  and  perpetuate  this  most  his- 
toric spot  to  posterity. 

Its  present  officers  are  Hon.  D.  S.  Hall,  president ;  Hon.  Chas. 
H.  Nixon,  vice-president ;  Col.  C,  H,  Hopkins,  secretary  and  treas- 
urer; Richard  R.  Pfefferle,  William  Pfaender,  Jacob  Klossner, 
Joseph  A.  Ochs,  of  New  Ulm ;  "William  Wichman,  of  Morton,  and 
Gustav  A.  Rieke,  of  Fairfax,  and  Alexander  Russell,  of  West  New- 
ton, are  the  seven  directors.  The  membership  fee  is  $5.00  for 
life,  no  assessments;  application  can  be  made  to  any  of  its 
officers. 

At  its  meeting  of  1915  it  was  voted  to  change  the  name  from 
the  Port  Ridgely  National  Park  to  the  Fort  Ridgely  State  Park, 
and  members  will  get  a  beautiful  certificate  to  frame  and  hang 
up  in  their  homes  which  contains  perfect  pictures  of  Hon.  Chas. 
E.  Plandreau,  Col.  T.  J.  Sheehan,  Old  Fort  Ridgely  as  it  was  in 
1862,  and  a  picture  of  the  monument. 

At  the  legislative  session  of  1915  an  appropriation  was  made 
to  make  improvements  which  have  been  done  the  past  summer. 
The  iron  fence  has  been  moved  from  the  five-acre  tract  and  used 
iD  fencing  the  Fort  Ridgely  cemetery  from  the  State  Park, 

The  private  dwelling  house  has  also  been  moved  from  the 
parade  grounds  to  down  near  the  amphitheatre,  where  public 
exercises  are  held,  and  it  has  been  repainted  and  repaired.  The 
foundation  under  the  house  was  taken  from  the  cellar  that  had 
been  originally  built  under  the  private  house  and  the  stones  were 
a  part  of  the  old  Fort  Ridgely  garrison ;  there  has  been  a  cellar 
made  near  the  house  where  it  is  now  located,  that  also  having 


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650  HISTORY  OF  REWILLE  COUNTY 

been  made  out  of  stone  from  the  old  garrison.  There  is  also  a 
new  grandstand  being  erected  of  all  cement  and  steel  in  the 
amphitheatre,  which  will  last  for  all  time. 

Now  it  is  Col.  Hopkins'  ambition  to  get  an  appropriation  to 
erect  a  dam  across  the  Fort  Ridgely  Creek  valley  near  the  Min- 
nesota river  bottoms,  thereby  creating  an  artificial  lake,  which 
will  be  some  three-fourths  of  a  mile  long  and  something  like 
100  rods  wide.  If  succi'ssfui,  and  he  probably  will  be,  his  ef- 
forts will  make  this  historic  spot  the  most  popular  and  most 
beautiful  park  for  the  public  to  come  to  for  their  summer  out- 
ing, thereby  confirming  the  saying  of  the  park's  father,  uttered 
many  years  npo.  in  which  ht'  said  that  one  standing  on  the  site 
of  old  Fort  Ridgely,  looking  down  the  beautiful  Minnesota  val- 
ley, is  led  to  exclaim  that  nature  must  have  foreseen  the  great 
events  that  would  transpire  here,  and  the  needs  of  the  unborn 
generations  for  a  breathing  place  and  lavished  her  charms  ac- 
cordingly. 

Fort  Ridgely  is  located  about  six  miles  south  of  Fairfax, 

The  annual  memorial  services  held  on  the  Sunday  nearest  to 
May  30,  are  fast  becoming  an  event  of  state  importance.  Thou- 
sands of  people  flock  to  the  celebration  from  near  and  distant 
points,  prominent  speakers  inculcate  lessons  of  patriotism,  and 
inspiration  is  gathered  for  the  future  by  considering  the  heroic 
events  of  the  past. 

Col,  Hopkins  is  of  the  belief  that  in  time  the  park  may  be 
used  as  a  drilling  and  training  point.  Nature  has  here  made 
an  ideal  place  for  such  a  purpose.  The  old  parade  grounds  offer 
unlimited  room  for  countless  military  maneuvers,  the  bottoms 
and  bluffs  offer  a  safe  opportunity  for  artillery  practice,  while 
the  bluffs  give  an  ideal  place  for  training  for  the  infantry  and 
cavalry  in  charge  formations.  It  is  a  suitable  distance  from 
Ft.  Snelling  and  only  a  brief  walk  from  the  thriving  village  of 
Fairfax  with  its  excellent  railroad  facilities.  Should  modem  con- 
ditions tend  to  create  a  demand  for  the  training  of  our  youth 
in  military  tactics  and  camp  life,  the  state  may  find  that  its  in- 
vestment at  Ft.  Ridgely  has  far  more  than  a  sentimental  and 
recreational  value. 

The  park  now  embraces  practically  160  acres.  The  cemetery 
association  owns  about  five  acres.  The  cemetery  association  has 
deeded  to  the  state  the  spot  where  stand  the  monuments  to  Cap- 
tain Marsh  and  his  men,  to  Mrs.  Eliza  Muller  and  to  the  faith- 
ful Chippewas,  as  well  as  the  land  on  the  slope  of  the  bluff,  which 
was  originally  a  part  of  the  cemetery,  but  from  which  the  bodies 
have  now  been  removed  to  another  part  of  the  cemetery. 

The  new  grandstand  is  located  in  a  small  ravine,  and  the 
beautifully  sloping  sides  of  the  ravine  form  a  natural  amphi- 
theatre for  the  accommodation  of  almost  countless  people. 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  651 

Near  the  cemetery  there  atands  a  church,  suitable  either  for 
funerals  or  for  religious  services  and  other  purposes.  This  church 
originally  stood  across  the  river  in  the  township  of  Lone  Tree 
Lake,  in  Brown  county,  but  many  years  ago  was  taken  down 
and  moved  to  its  present  location.  For  many  years  a  regular 
organization  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  was  maintained 
therein,  but  the  building  is  now  under  no  church  jurisdiction. 

Following  is  a  copy  of  the  inscriptions  on  the  monument 
erected  by  the  state  of  Minnesota,  in  September,  1896,  on  the 
former  site  of  Ft.  Eidgely,  pursuant  to  Chapter  375,  Laws  of 
Minnesota,  1895: 

IN  MEMORY  OF  THE  FALLEN ;  IN  RECOGNITION  OF  THE 

LIVING;  AND  FOR  THE  EMULATION  OF 

FUTURE  GENERATIONS. 

Erected  A.  D.  1896,  by  the  state  of  Minnesota,  to  preserve 
the  site  of  Ft.  Ridgely,  a  United  States  military  post  established 
in  1853,  and  especially  to  perpetuate  the  names  and  commemorate 
the  heroism  of  the  soldiers  and  citizens  of  the  state,  who  suc- 
cessfully defended  the  fort  during  nine  days  of  siege  and  in- 
vestment, August  18-27,  1862,  and  who  gallantly  resisted  two 
formidable  and  protracted  assaults  upon  it,  made  August  20  and 
22,  1862,  by  a  vastly  superior  force  of  Sioux  Indians  under  com- 
mand of  Little  Crow  and  other  noted  Indian  leaders  and  warriors, 

August  18,  1862,  the  Sioux  Indians  of  the  Upper  Minnesota 
river,  in  violation  of  their  treaties,  broke  into  open  rebellion, 
and  within  a  few  days  thereafter  massacred  about  one  thousand 
citizens  in  the  southwestern  part  of  the  state,  and  destroyed 
property  of  the  value  of  millions  of  dollars.  Many  men,  women 
and  children  fled  to  Ft.  Ridgely  and  were  under  its  protection 
during  the  siege.  The  successful  defense  of  the  fort  by  its  gar- 
rison, consisting  of  parts  of  Companies  B  and  C,  Fifth  Regiment, 
Minnesota  Volunteer  Infantry,  the  "Renville  Rangers,"  and  citi- 
zens and  refugees,  was  very  largely  instrumental  in  saving  other 
portions  of  Minnesota  from  ravage  and  devastation,  and  greatly 
contributed  to  the  ultimate  defeat  of  the  Indians  and  their  ex- 
pulsion from  the  state. 

During  the  entire  siege  of  Ft.  Ridgely,  the  garrison  was  skill- 
fully commanded  by  Lieut,  Timothy  J.  Sheehan  of  Company  C, 
Fifth  Regiment,  Minnesota  Infantry.  He  was  ably  assisted  by 
Lieut.  Norman  K.  Culver,  Company  B,  of  the  same  regiment,  act- 
ing post  quartermastei*  and  commissary  in  charge  of  detachments ; 
Lieut.  Thos.  P.  Gere,  Company  B,  Fifth  Minnesota  Infantry,  in 
command  of  the  portion  of  his  company  present  (Capt.  John  P, 
Marsh  and  twenty-three  men  of  that  company,  and  Peter  Quinn, 
U.  S.  Interpreter,  having  been  killed  by  the  Indians  at  Redwood 


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652  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

Ferry,  August  18,  1862) ;  Lieut.  James  Oormaii,  in  command  of 
the  Renville  Rangers;  Hon.  Benj.  H.  Randall,  in  charge  of  armed 
citizens ;  Ordnance  Sergeant  John  Jones,  of  the  Regular  Army, 
in  general  charge  of  the  artillery,  with  Sergt.  James  G.  McQrev, 
Company  B,  Fifth  Minnesota  Infantry,  and  Mr.  John  C.  Whipple, 
each  in  charge  of  a  gun.  Dr.  Alfred  Muller,  post  surgeon.  The 
names  of  the  other  defenders  of  the  fort  appear  elsewhere  on 
this  monument. 

Oo.  B,  Bth  BSinnesota  Infantry. 

First  lieutenant,  N.  E.  Culver,  post  quartermaster  and  com- 
missary. 

Second  lieutenant,  Thos.  P.  Gere,  commanding. 

Sergeants,  Jas.  G.  McGrew,  A.  C,  Ellis,  Jno  F,  Bishop. 

Corporals,  W.  E.  "Winslow,  T.  D.  Huntley,  C.  H.  Hawley, 
Michael  Pfremer,  Arthur  McAllister,  Allen  Smith,  J.  C.  McLean; 
drummer,  Chaa.  M.  Culver;  wagoner,  Elias  Hoyt. 

Privates — Geo.  M.  Annis,  Jas.  M.  Atkins,  Chas.  H,  Baker, 
Chas.  Beecher,  Wm.  H.  Blodgett,  Christ  Boyer,  John  Brennan, 
H.  M.  Carr,  W.  H.  H.  Chase,  James  Dunn,  Caleb  Elphee,  A.  J. 
Fauver,  J.  W.  Foster,  Columbia  French,  Ambrose  Gardner,  "Wm. 
Good  (w'd),  "W.  B.  Hutchinson,  L.  W.  Ives,  J.  W.  Lester,  Isaac 
Lindsey,  Henry  Martin,  J.  L.  McGill  (w'd),  John  McGowan,  J. 
M.  Munday,  Jas.  Murray,  E.  F.  Nehrhood,  Thos.  Parsley,  W.  J. 
Perrington,  H.  F.  Pray,  Antoine  Bebenski,  Heber  Robinson,  An- 
drew Rufridge  (w'd),  Lauren  Scripture,  John  Serfling,  K.  J. 
Spomitz  (w'd),  Sam'I  Steward,  Wm.  J.  Sturgis,  Wm.  A.  Suther- 
land, Ole  Svendson,  M.  J.  Tanner,  J.  F.  Taylor,  J.  A.  Underwood, 
Stephen  Van  Buren,  Eli  Wait,  0.  G.  Wall,  A.  W.  WilUamBon, 
M.  H.  Wilson. 

Co.  0,  6th  Minnesota  ilnfantry. 

First  lieutenant,  T.  J.  Sheehan,  commanding,  wounded. 

Sergeants,  John  P.  Hicks,  F.  A.  Blackmer  (w'd),  John  C.  Boss. 

Corporals,  M,  A.  Chamberlain,  V.  C.  Butler,  Wm.  Young,  Den- 
nis Porter  (w'd). 

Privates— S.  P.  Beighley,  E.  D.  Brooks,  I.  M.  Brown,  J. 
L.  Bullock,  Chas.  E.  Chapel,  Zachariah  Chute,  L.  H.  Decker,  Chaa 
Dills,  Chas.  H.  Dills,  Daniel  Dills,  S.  W.  Dogan,  L.  A.  Eggleston, 
Hijlvor  Elefson,  Martin  Ellingson,  C.  J.  Grandy,  Mark  M.  Greer 
(killed),  J.  P.  Green,  A.  K.  Grout,  Andrew  Gulbranson,  Peter  B. 
Harris  (w'd),  Philo  Henry,  James  Honan,  D.  N.  Hunt,  L.  C. 
Jones,  N,  I.  Lowthian,  A,  J.  Luther  (w'd),  John  Malacfay,  John 
McCall,  Orlando  McFall,  P.  M.  MeReynolds,  J.  H.  Mead,  J.  B. 
Miller,  Dennis  Morean,  Peter  Niason,  Andrew  Peterson,  J.  M. 
Rice,  Chas.  A.  Rose,  B.  F.  Ross,  Edward  Roth,  C.  0.  Russell,  W. 
S.  Russell,  Isaac  Shortledge  (w'd),  Josiah  Weakley,  G.  H.  Wig- 
gins, J.  M.  Ybright,  James  Young. 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  653 

Benville  Ran^rers. 

First  lieutenant,  Jamea  Gorman,  commanding  (wounded). 

Sergeants,  Theophile  Eichter,  John  McCole,  Warren  Carey. 

Corporals,  Louis  Arner,  Dieudonne  Sylvestre,  Roufer  Burger. 

Privates  —  Urgel  Amiot,  Joseph  Auge,  Geo,  Bakerman, 
Bocque  Berthiaume,  Ed.  Bibeau,  John  Bourcier,  Pierre  Boyer, 
Sam'l  Brmmelle,  David  Carpenter,  Antoine  Chose,  Geo.  Dagenais, 
Pred  Denzer,  Henry  Denzer,  Alexis  Demerce,  Francois  Demerce, 
Carlton  Dickinson,  James  Delaney,  Louis  Demeule,  Joseph  Portier 
(w'd),  B.  H.  GoodeU,  R.  L.  Hoback,  Geo.  La  Batte,  Pred  La 
Croix,  Joseph  La  Tour,  Cyprian  Le  Claire  (w'd),  Medard  Lueier, 
Moses  Mireau,  Theophile  Morlin,  A.  B.  Murch,  Ernest  Paul,  Henry 
Pflaume,  Henry  Pierce,  Joseph  Pereau  Tbos,  T.  Quinn,  Magloire 
Bobidouz,  Chas.  Robert,  Joseph  Robinette  (w'd),  Francois  Stay. 

Aimed  Citliens. 

B.  H.  Randall  (commanding),  Wm,  Anderson,  Bobt.  Baker 
(killed),  Werner  Boesdi,  Louis  Brisbois,  Wm.  Butler,  Clement 
Cardinal,  M.  A.  Dailey,  J.  W.  De  Camp,  Prank  Diepolder,  Henry 
Diepolder,  Alfred  Dufrene,  J.  C.  Fenske  (w'd),  Jo.  Jack  Prazer, 
T.  J.  Galbraith,  E.  A.  C.  Hatch,  Patrick  Heffron,  Geo.  P.  Hicks, 
Keran  Horan,  John  Hose,  Joseph  Koehler,  Louis  La  Croix,  James 
B.  Magner,  John  Magner,  Oliver  Martelle,  Pierre  Martelle,  John 
Meyer,  John  Nairn,  Dennis  O'Shea,  Joseph  Overbaugh,  B.  P. 
Pratt,  J.  C.  Ramsey,  John  Resoft,  Adam  Rieke,  August  Rieke, 
Geo.  Rieke,  Heinrich  Rieke  (died),  Victor  Rieke,  Louis  Robert, 
Louis  Sharon,  Chris.  Schlumberger,  Gustav  Stafford,  Joshua 
Sweet,  Louis  Thiele,  Nikolas  Thinnes,  Onesime  Vauasse  (killed), 
A.  J.  Van  Voorhes,  John  Walter,  J.  C.  Whipple,  C.  G.  WykoflE, 
Xavier  Zollner. 

A  number  of  women  cheerfully  and  bravely  assisted  in  the 
defense  of  the  fort.  The  following  named  rendered  especially 
valuable  services :  Anna  Boeseh,  Kenney  Bradford,  Elizabeth  M. 
Dunn,  Margaret  King  Hem,  Mary  A.  Heffron,  Eliza  MuUer,  Ju- 
liette McAllister,  Mary  D.  Overbaugh,  Agnes  Overbaugh,  Julia 
Peterson,  Mrs.  E.  Picard,  Mrs.  E.  Pereau,  Wilhelmina  Randall, 
Valencia  J.  Reynolds,  Mary  Rieke,  Mrs.  R.  Schmahl,  Mrs.  Spencer, 
Julia  Sweet,  Emily  J.  West. 


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654  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 
URBAN  SCHOOLS. 

Stor7  of  the  Growth  of  the  Educational  System  in  Benville  Coun- 
ty's City  and  Villas  Schools — Hij^li  School  CooTBes — Asso- 
ciated Schools — Domestic  Science — Mannal  Training — Agri- 
colture. 

Renville  county  has  eight  high  echools,  located  at  Fairfax, 
Franklin,  Morton,  Sacred  Heart,  Renville,  Olivia,  Bird  Island 
and  Hector.  There  are  graded  schools  in  Buffalo  Lake  and 
Danube. 

BenVille  Public  Schools.  The  origin  and  growth  of  the  public 
schools  of  District  33,  of  Renville,  is  typical  of  the  settlement  and 
development  of  the  prairie  country  in  this  section  of  the  state. 

District  33  vras  organized  in  the  year  1872.  During  the  greater 
part  of  the  first  seven  years  in  the  district,  there  wasno  regular 
school  building,  but  the  few  pupils  then  in  the  country  were 
gathered  in  some  of  the  homes  of  the  settlers  and  instructed 
theFe.  The  house  of  Tom  Foster,  which  is  at  present  a  part  of  the 
residence  on  the  L.  D.  Barnard  farm  just  south  of  Renville  city 
limits,  was  used  as  a  school  house.  Lettie  Spicer  was  the  first 
teacher  in  the  district.  Other  teachers  of  the  period  were :  Edith 
Brooks,  now  Mrs.  Silas  Wilcox  of  New  London,  N.  D.,  and  Eliz- 
abeth Gordon,  now  Mrs.  Henry  Crooks  of  Bertha,  Minnesota. 
From  the  time  of  the  organization  of  the  district  till  the  first 
building  was  erected.  Sergeant  John  Smith,  a  veteran  of  the 
Civil  War  and  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  in  this  section,  was 
chairman  of  the  school  hoard.  In  1879,  when  the  C.  M.  &  St.  P. 
came  through  the  region,  the  village  of  Renville  was  started  and 
the  first  school  building  in  the  corporation  was  a  small  frame 
building  erected  on  the  site  of  the  present  village  hall.  After 
two  years  of  school,  this  building  became  too  small  and  an  addi- 
tion was  built  on  the  west  of  the  original  building,  doubling  its 
size.  The  building  as  it  then  stood  still  remains  on  the  same  site 
and  is  used  as  the  headquarters  of  the  Renville  City  Fire  Depart- 
ment. This  building  satisfied  the  requirements  of  the  district 
until  1888.  Lysander  Hough  was  the  first  principal  of  the  two- 
roomed  building  and  be  served  until  1886  when  M.  J.  Dowling, 
who  was  later  an  editor  of  the  Renville  Star  Farmer,  member  and 
speaker  of  the  Minnesota  House  of  Representatives,  and  now 
President  of  the  Olivia  (Minnesota)  State  Bank,  accepted  the 
position. 

In  1888,  the  accommodations  of  this  building  having  beconit 
too  small,  a  four-room  wood  building  was  erected  on  the  site  of  the 
present  building.  During  the  interval  of  transfer  from  the  old 
building  to  the  new,  the  older  one  came  to  be  known  as  "Mary 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  655 

Munson's  College"  from  the  fact  that  Mary  Munson  taught  a 
part  of  the  school,  the  primary  department,  there. 

The  school  was  placed  on  the  state  graded  school  list  in  1888 
under  the  principalship  of  M.  J.  Dowling.  Three  departments 
were  maintained  during  this  period,  the  fourth  room  being  \ised 
as  a  lodge  room.  L.  D.  Barnes  followed  Mr.  Dowling  as  principal 
for  one  year  and  was  in  turn  succeeded  by  Abbie  Webster,  under 
whom  the  first  class  graduated  from  a  four-year  high  school 
course,  in  1892.  The  two  graduates  that  year  were  H.  B.  Brooks, 
now  editing  a  paper  in  Chinook,  Montana,  and  Samuel  Pederson, 
who  is  now  preaching  in  Stanton,  N.  B. 

William  Barnum  became  principal  in  1894  and  on  June  28,  of 
the  same  year,  the  school  building  was  utterly  destroyed  by  a 
tornado.  On  the  July  16  following  the  citizens  of  the  district 
voted  bonds  to  build  a  two-story  brick  structure,  which  is  the 
north  part  of  the  present  building.  On  March  16,  1901,  bonds 
were  voted  for  the  erection  of  the  large  addition  which  completed 
the  building  as  it  now  stands.  In  the  same  year  the  district  was 
made  an  independent  district. 

The  present  building  is  a  substantial  brick  building,  65  feet  by 
.  142  feet,  two  stories  high  with  a  full  sized  basement.  This  build- 
ing contains  twenty-four  rooms  in  actual  use  as  assembly  rooms, 
class  rooms,  libraries,  laboratories,  kitchen,  dining  room,  sewing 
room,  shops  and  offices.  Besides  these  there  are  two  modern  toilet 
rooms,  furnace  room,  coal  room  and  a  storage  room  in  the  base- 
ment. 

The  building  is  situated  on  Cottonwood  street  and  at  the 
end  of  and  facing  Hazel  street  toward  the  west.  It  is  situated 
in  grounds  nearly  three  acres  in  area  which  were  laid  out  accord- 
ing to  the  plans  of  a  landscape  architect  and  planted  with  trees 
and  shrubbery.  There  is  no  more  beautiful  school  yard  in  Minne- 
sota than  this.    The  grounds  are  equipped  for  play  apparatus  also. 

In  1896,  under  the  superintendency  of  I,  A.  Thorson,  who  is 
now  President  of  the  Northwestern  School  Supply  Company  of 
Minneapolis,  the  school  was  placed  on  the  accredited  list  of- state 
high  schools.  Following  Mr.  Thorson,  who  served  from  1895  to 
1899,  the  list  of  superintendents  is  as  follows :  1899-1901,  R.  H. 
Bums,  later  an  attorney  and  law  partner  of  Governor  W.  S. 
Hammond,  and  now  deceased ;  1901-1903,  J.  W.  Heckert,  now  pro- 
fessor of  modern  languages  at  Oxford  University,  Ohio;  1903- 
1908,  Geo.  A.  Hanson,  now  sales  manager,  N.  W.  School  Supply 
Co.,  Minneapolis ;  1908-1912,  J.  B.  Hagen,  at  present  Superintend- 
ent of  City  Schools,  Detroit,  Minnesota ;  1912-1916,  present  super- 
intendent, L.  J.  Farmer. 

In  common  with  other  schools  all  over  the  country,  the  Ren- 
ville Schools  prospered  and  grew  with  the  needs  of  their  com 
munity.    This  has  already  been  indicated  in  the  facts  relating  to 


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656  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

the  various  school  houses.  Besides  that  the  schools,  aided  lib- 
erally by  state  money,  supported  well  by  local  taxation  and  wisely 
administered  by  the  local  Board  of  Education,  have  been  success- 
ful whether  measured  by  the  satisfaction  they  have  given  the 
parents,  the  success  with  which  its  graduates  have  met,  or  by  com- 
parison with  other  schools. 

Some  of  the  school  records  were  lost  in  the  tornado  which 
destroyed  the  building  in  1894  and,  therefore,  we  cannot  state 
how  many  pupils  have  been  afforded  a  common  school  education 
by  these  schools.  But,  with  the  close  of  the  present  school  year 
{1915-1916)  no  leas  than  one  hundred  ninety-five  students  will 
have  graduated  from  the  high  school.  While  as  yet  none  of 
these  graduates  have  gained  fame,  they  all  maintain  a  good 
average  of  citizenship.  PuUy  twenty-five  per  cent  of  the  gradu- 
ates became  teachers  after  graduation  and  at  least  two  of  these 
are  now  superintendents  of  public  school  systems  in  Minnesota, 
Supt.  G,  G.  Kottke  ( '04)  of  Hayfield,  Minnesota,  and  Supt.  H.  D. 
Spaulding  { '08)  of  Lester  Prairie,  Minnesota.  Richard  Molenaar 
of  the  class  of  1906  is  principal  of  Petersburg  Consolidated  School, 
Jackson  Comity,  Minnesota. 

The  financial  growth  of  the  institution  has  been  interesting. 
In  the  year  ending  1880,  the  first  year  for  which  there  is  a  treas- 
urer's report  pl-eserved,  the  total  disbursements  were  $386.97;  in 
1898  the  total  disbursements  amounted  to  $7,000,  and  in  1915,  the 
last  school  year,  they  were  $16,811.48.  In  1880,  the  apportionment 
money  received  from  the  state  fund  was  only  $31.50,  in  1898  it 
was  $896.93  and  in  1915,  $1,753.75.  In  1880  no  special  state  aid 
was  received  by  the  district,  in  1898  the  state  aid  was  $400  and 
in  1915  it  amounted  to  a  total  of  $5,000.  In  1880,  the  amount  of 
special  school  tax  raised  was  $262.68,  in  1898  it  was  $5,171.62  and 
in  1915  this  tax  was  $9,786.08.  In  1898  the  rate  of  special  school 
tax  was  twenty-three  mills,  in  1915,  18  mills.  In  1898,  it  coat  $38 
a  day  to  run  the  school  through  the  term  and  last  year  it  cost 
$104  a  day.  In  1898  upon  the  basis  of  total  disbursements  and 
number  of  pupils  enrolled,  the  cost  per  pupil  was  $22,  while  in 
1915  upon  the  same  basis  the  cost  was  $34  per  pupil.  According 
to  the  report  of  the  U.  S.  Commissioner  of  Education  for  1913, 
the  average  coat  per  pupil  throughout  the  United  States  was 
$38.31. 

The  total  value  of  the  school  building,  grounds,  and  equip- 
ment, based  upon  a  complete  inventory  taken  in  the  school  year 
1913-14,  which  took  into  consideration  the  original  cost  and  de- 
preciation, was  $47,888.  The  actual  present  value,  however,  on 
the  basis  of  what  it  would  cost  to  duplicate  the  plant  and  equip- 
gustana  College,  at  Rock  Island,  Bl.,  taking  up  a  business  course 
ment,  would  not  be  leas  than  $75,000. 

The  Renville  Schools  have  in  the  past  always  kept  pace  with 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  657 

the  educational  growth  in  the  state  and  nation.  The  remarkable 
change  which  has  taken  place  in  the  local  school  during  the  past 
ten  years  is  typical  of  the  changes  going  on  in  education  else- 
where. Up  to  about  1905,  the  schools  of  the  county  followed  the 
old  style  curriculum  which  was  based  on  college  entrance  require- 
ments. This  purpose  was  then  well  served  and  that  policy  pro- 
duced the  great  men  of  the  former  and  present  times.  But  re- 
sponding to  public  sentiment,  the  schools  assumed  a  radical  change 
in  character. 

The  so-called  industrial  subjects  were  added  to  the  courses  of 
Renville  High  school  in  the  following  order :  Sewing  in  1908, 
Manual  Training  in  1909,  Cooking  in  1910,  Agriculture  in  1911 
and  Normal  Training  in  1911.  The  first  Winter  Short  Course,  a 
twelve-week  course  in  Elementary  English,  Arithmetic,  Manual 
Training,  Agriculture,  Sewing  and  Cooking,  was  held  in  1911. 

In  the  year  1913,  Renville  Public  Schools  were  reorganized 
as  follows :  Primary  Department  consists  of  the  first,  second  and 
third  grades;  Intermediate  Department  consists  of  the  fourth, 
fifth  and  sixth  grades ;  Junior  High  School  includes  the  seventh, 
eight  and  ninth  grades;  the  Senior  High  School  includes  the 
tenth,  eleventh  and  twelfth  grades.  The  Graded  School  is  com- 
posed of  the  Primary  and  Intermediate  Departments  and  the 
High  School  includes  the  Junior  and  Senior  Departments. 

Furthermore,  in  the  same  year,  1913,  the  courses  were  reor- 
ganized and  extended,  especially  in  the  industrial  subjects,  so 
that  instead  of  offering  only  one  high  school  credit  in  each  of 
the  subjects,  Home  Economics,  Manual  Training  and  Agricul- 
ture, the  school  then  and  thereafter  offered  three  high  school 
credits  in  Home  Economics,  three  in  Manual  Training,  three  in 
Agriculture  and  four  in  Normal  Training,  besides  giving  ele- 
mentary instruction  in  the  fifth,  sixth,  seventh  and  eighth  grades 
in  Sewing,  Cooking  and  manual  training.  The  Normal  Training 
Course  is  offered  to  twelfth  grade  students  and  is  a  one-year 
course  counting  four  credits  toward  graduation  from  high  school 
and  which  confers  upon  its  graduates  Minnesota  First  Grade 
Teacher's  certificates.  With  the  class  of  1916  the  Normal  course 
of  the  Renville  High  School  has  graduated  forty-five  girls  and 
four  boys. 

Under  the  reorganization  in  1913,  the  complete  High  School 
Course  of  Study  is  as  given  below.  Subjects  marked  (•)  are  re- 
quired, others  are  elective.  Twenty  periods  a  week  are  required 
of  all  students. 

Junior  High  School,  Seventh  Year:  'English,  'History,  •Eng- 
lish Grammar,  *Arithmetic,  'Geography,  'Sewing  (for  girls), 
'Manual  Training — Woodwork  (for  boys). 

Eighth  Year :  'English,  'Arithmetic,  'Sewing  and  Cooking 
(for  girls),  'Woodwork  (for  boys),  'American  History,  English 


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658  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

Grammar,  Civics,  Agriculture,  Commercial  Geography,  Physiol- 
ogy. ■ 

Ninth  Year:  *EDgli8h,  •Biology,  Latin  Grammar,  German 
Grammar,  Commercial  Arithmetic  and  Accounts,  Sewing,  Wood- 
work, Mechanical  Drawing. 

Senior  High  School,  Tenth  Year :  'English,  •Elementary  Alge- 
bra, Ancient  History,  Caesar,  German  Literature,  Commercial  and 
Physical  Geography,  Household  or  Farm  Accounts,  Farm  Crops 
and  Horticulture,  Cooking,  Mechaaieal  Drawing  and  Shopwork 
(wood  and  cement  work).  Music. 

Eleventh  Year:  *English  (American  Literature,  Debating), 
•Plane  Geometry,  Modem  History,  Cieero,  General  and  House- 
hold Chemistry  {for  girls),  General  and  Industrial  Chemistry  (for 
boys).  Animal  Husbandry  and  Dairying,  Shopwork  (wood,  ce- 
ment and  forge  work),  Music. 

Twelfth  Ye&r;  •English  (English  Literature — Periodical  Lit- 
erature), Senior  American  History,  Civics,  Higher  Algebra,  Solid 
Geometry,  Virgil,  Physics,  Farm  Management  and  Soils,  Home 
Management  and  Livalid  Cookery,  Commercial  Law-Economics, 
Normal  Training,  Music. 

One  of  the  most  important  departments  of  the  school  is  the 
Library.  From  the  first,  a  school  library  was  maintained.  About 
the  year  1910,  a  Library  Association  was  organized  in  Renville 
and  money  was  raised  by  it  to  maintain  a  public  library.  This 
was  conducted  in  connection  with  the  school  library  at  the  school 
house.  The  Association  besides  purchasing  additional  books,  fur- 
nished a  librarian  who  loaned  books  to  the  general  public  twice 
a  week.  In  1912,  thhe  Association  turned  the  management  of 
this  library  over  to  the  Board  of  Education  and  since  that  time 
the  librarian  and  library  has  been  under  the  supervision  of  the 
superintendent  of  schools,  the  library  remaining,  however,  both 
a  public  and  a  school  library.  This  library  contains  reference 
works  of  almost  every  class  as  well  as  a  large  number  of  volumes 
of  standard  and  popular  fiction.  At  the  close  of  the  year  1915-16, 
the  library  will  have  over  2,000  volumes  catalogued. 

The  most  recent  development  in  connection  with  the  Renville 
Public  Schools  is  the  organization  of  the  Associated  Schools  under 
Chapter  239,  Minnesota  Laws  of  1915.  According  to  the  provi- 
sions of  this  law,  five  common  school  districts  adjacent  to  Dis- 
trict 33,  voted  in  favor  of  placing  their  schools  under  the  super- 
vision of  the  Superintendent  of  the  Renville  Schools  so  that  the 
work  in  their  schools  would  be  more  uniform  with  that  done  in 
the  Renville  Schools  and  so  that  they  would  get  the  advantage 
of  the  Renville  School's  special  equipment  for  carrying  on  indus- 
trial education.  This  action  on  the  part  of  the  outlying  districts 
was  ratified  and  their  applications  for  association  accepted  by 
the  Board  of  Education  of  District  33.    The  area  of  Independent 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  6:)9 

District  33  is  twelve  and  one-fourth  square  miles  and  tlie  area 
of  the  five  associated  districts  makes  the  total  area  associated  to 
nearly  forty-five  square  miles.  As  the  city  of  Renville  is  essen- 
tially a  rural  community,  this  union  of  educational  effort  is  a 
natural  union  of  interests  and  ideals.  The  districts  associated 
ere  Districts  9,  37,  50,  52  and  140.  The  whole  organization  is 
legally  known  as  "The  Associated  Schools  of  Independent  Dis- 
trict No.  33  of  Renville  County,  Minn." 

The  average  attendance  in  days  per  pupil  in  the  Renville 
schools  has  steadily  increased  during  the  past  few  years,  being 
in  1913,  141.6  days;  in  1914,  145  days,  and  in  1915,  146.1  days. 
Accordiug  to  the  United  States  Commissioner  of  Education  Re- 
port of  1914,  the  average  number  of  days  attended  per  pupil  in 
the  United  States  was  115.6  and  in  the  same  year  the  average  for 
Minnesota  was  143  days  per  pupil.  In  1914,  according  to  the  same 
report  for  the  U.  S.,  the  number  graduated  from  high  schools 
was  14.27  per  cent  of  the  total  number  of  high  school  students 
while  in  the  Renville  schools  the  number  of  graduates  was  18.8 
per  cent  of  the  total  number  of  its  high  school  students. 

During  the  history  of  the  Renville  schools  many  good  and 
able  men  have  served  on  the  Board  of  Education,  giving  liberally 
of  their  time  and  their  best  thought.  In  1915,  R,  T.  Daly,  now 
Judge  of  the  Twelfth  Judicial  District  of  Minnesota.  I'\  II.  Beru- 
ing  and  Timothy  0  "Connor  severed  their  connection  with  the 
Board  of  Education  after  the  long  terms  of  service  of  twelve, 
fourteen  and  eighteen  years  respectively.  J.  li.  Dale  and  A.  R." 
Holmberg,  members  of  the  present  board,  have  served  continuous 
terms  of  fourteen  and  twelve  years  respectively.  During  all  this 
time  the  large  business  experience  and  breadth  of  view  of  these 
men  have  been  distinct  assets  to  the  district. 

The  Board  of  Education  for  the  year  of  1915-1916  is  organized 
as  follows:  Chairman,  F.  A.  Sehafer  (formerly  Ciunty  Super- 
intendent for  Renville  county) ;  clerk.  A.  R.  Holmberg  {manager 
of  the  Farmers'  Co-operative  Elevator);  treasurer,  J.  H.  Dale 
{president  of  the  First  National  Bank),  Dr.  J.  R.  Butters  (V.  S.), 
Mrs.  M.  L.  Hassinger,  James  Dvorak, 

The  full  corps  of  teachers  for  the  year  of  1915-16  are:  The 
Graded  School,  Primary  Department,  First  Grade — Sena  Peterson 
("Winona  Normal),  Appleton,  Minn.  Second  grade — ^Margaret 
Cunningham  (Potsdam  (N.  V.)  Normal),  Canton.  N.  Y.  Third 
Grade — Frances  Holmberg  (St.  Cloud  NorniaH,  Minneapolis, 
Minn. 

Intermediate  Department,  Fourth  Grade — Annie  Hawes  (St. 
Cloud  Normal),  Hector,  Minn.  Fifth  (iradc — .losephine  Larson 
(St.  Cloud  Normal),  Georgevjlle,  Minn.  Sixth  Grade — Emelyn 
Warner  'Moorhead  Normal),  Renville,  Minn.  Junior  High  School 
Department,  Principal  and  Teacher  of  Eighth  Grade  Subjects  and 


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660  HISTORY  OK  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

Biology — Abbie  Chestek  (St.  Cloud  Normal),  Hopkins,  Minn.  As- 
sistant and  Teacher  of  Seventh  Grade  Subjects — Olga  Wolberg 
(St,  Cloud  Normal),  Wilmar,  Minn.  Senior  High  School  Depart- 
ment, Principal  and  Instructor  in  Latin  and  English — Emma  J. 
Frederick  (B.  A.  Macalister) ,  Northome,  Minn.  Assistant  and  in- 
structor in  German,  Mathematics  and  Science — Clara  J.  Mealey 
(B.  S.,  University  of  Minn.)  Minneapolis,  Home  Economics — 
Mary  L,  Winter  (Stout  Institute),  Trinidad,  Col.  Manual  Train- 
ing— S.  W.  Bierlein,  Renville,  Minn.  Agriculture — Franz  Krause 
(B.  S.  in  Agr.,  Ames),  Eenville,  Minn.  Normal  Training — Mary 
Rourke  (Mankato  Normal),  Minneapolis,  Minn.  Librarian — Qu- 
drum  Lee  (Winona  Normal),  Renville,  Minn.  Superintendent,  L. 
J.  Farmer  (B.  A.,  St.  Lawrence  Univ.,  Canton,  N.  Y.),  Renville, 
Minn. 

The  Associated  School  Corps  of  Teachers  are:  District  9 — 
Theodore  Berning  {K.  H,  S.,  '15).  District  37 — ^Amanda  Scheme! 
{R.  H.  S.  '15).  District  50— Vera  Lumley  (R.  H.  S.  14).  Dis- 
trict 52— Emma  Leostokow  (R.  H.  S.  '14).  District  140— Emma 
Dahl  (R.H.  S.  '14). 

Bird  Island  Public  Schools.  The  schools  of  Bird  Island  main- 
tain a  high  standard  and  in  addition  to  a  complete  graded  and 
high  school  course  give  thorough  instruction  in  Agriculture,  Do- 
mestic Science  and  Manual  Training. 

The  court  house  erected  by  the  people  of  Bird  Island  for  county 
purposes  is  the  present  public  school  building.  The  size  of  the 
main  building  is  64  by  80  feet,  with  a  vestibule,  now  used  as  a 
front  entrance,  24  by  40  feet.  There  is  a  basement  under  the 
entire  building  eight  and  a  half  feet  in  height.  The  first  story 
is  12  feet  in  height,  the  second  story  is  sixteen  feet  in  height  and 
there  is  an  attic  ten  feet  in  height.  The  foundations  of  the  build- 
ing are  of  granite.  The  walls  of  the  building  are  of  solid  brick. 
The  grounds  of  the  buiiding  embrace  an  entire  block. 

|Noti'.  At  till'  tiiric  of  going  to  press,  March,  1916,  this 
building  was  dcslroyed  by  fiiv.] 

Fairfax  Public  Schools.  The  Fairfax  High  School  building  is 
one  of  the  largest  and  most  imposing  between  Minneapolis  and 
Watertown.  It  occupies  a  prominent  site  on  large  and  well-ap- 
pointed grounds  in  the  southern  portion  of  the  town.  This  build- 
ing, erected  in  1905,  is  modern  in  every  respect.  It  is  a  three- 
story  brick  structure  containing  twenty-two  rooms.  The  library, 
text-books,  laboratory,  furnishings  and  apparatus  equipment  is 
fully  equal  to  the  needs  of  the  school. 

The  high  school  department  has  a  present  enrollment  of  nearly 
seventy  pupils.  A  comprehensive  course  of  study,  recommended 
by  the  state  department,  together  with  graduation  requirements 
based  on  the  University  Entrance  Requirements,  is  in  force,     A 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  661 

large  number  of  electiveB  enables  the  pupilB  to  select  a  varied 
and  individual  range  of  subjects. 

Special  departments  in  home  traiaJBg,  manual  training  and 
agriculture  are  also  maintained. 

The  teachers'  training  department  has  been  temporarily- 
dropped  but  will  be  resumed  in  another  year. 

The  elementary  courses  have  an  enrollment  of  about  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  pupils.  Though  only  half  the  expected  number 
of  pupils  for  communities  this  size,  nevertheless  it  is  sufBcient  to 
form  the  groundwork  for  a  well-graded  and  highly  organized 
department.  Needless  to  say  the  teaching  is  modem  and  ef- 
fective, the  work  thorough,  and  the  advancement  regular.  The 
teaching  force  is  recruited  from  progressive  state  normal  schools, 
whose  business  it  is  to  develop  the  art  of  school-room  manage- 
ment, and  whose  unequalled  success  in  training  a  capable  corps 
of  teachers  for  public  school  work  has  become  traditional.  This, 
together  with  the  equipment  made  possible  by  a  Uberal  scale  of 
financial  aid  from  the  state,  enables  the  graded  school  department 
to  carry  on  its  superior  class  of  work.  As  a  machine  for  uni- 
formly developing  proficiency  in  the  common  branches  of  knowl- 
edge it  challenges  comparison.  Little  wonder  that  this  depart- 
ment has  been  referred  to  as  "the  backbone  of  the  whole  system." 

The  associated  districts  departments  comprise  what  is  tech- 
nically known  as  the  central  school  of  District  No.  17.  Asso- 
ciated with  the  local  school  district  are  eight  outlying  rural  dis- 
tricts, numbers  23,  26,  30,  31,  39,  54  and  109  of  Renville  county, 
and  No.  62  of  Nicollet  county.  The  purpose  of  this  association 
between  central  and  surrounding  schools  is  to  enable  the  rural 
schools  to  have  some  of  the  advantages  which  the  larger  school' 
enjoys,  such  as  training  in  agriculture  and  the  other  industrial 
branches,  and  closer  supervision.  The  association  also  entails 
financial  benefits  for  both  schools  by  way  of  state  aid.  Other 
mutual  advantages  are  attained  which  cannot  be  measured  in 
monetary  terms,  such  as  a  broadened  educational  horizon  and  a 
more  sympathetic  understanding  between  the  schools  involved. 

Two  literary  societies,  the  Minerva  and  the  Utopian,  are  do- 
ing effective  work  in  debate  and  literary  presentation.  Both  hold 
monthly  meetings  under  the  advice  of  the  high  school  faculty. 
The  school  is  also  a  member  of  the  Inter-High  School  Debating 
League  and  offers  the  pupils  opportunities  for  debate  with  the 
other  schools  of  the  state. 

An  athletic  association  offers  advantages  by  way  of  physical 
training  through  athletic  sports,  such  as  foot  ball,  basket  ball, 
base  ball  and  field  sports. 

Plans  are  under  way  for  installing  extensive  playground  equip- 
ment, providing  outdoor  recreation  for  both  fall  and  winter 
weather. 


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662  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

Following  are  some  items  taken  from  the  reportfl  of  1914-15: 
state  aid  received,  $5,105.36;  valuation  of  district,  $506,440; 
bonded  debt,  $27,000;  special  tax  levy,  $7,000;  expended  teachers' 
salaries,  $8,859.50;  department  expenses,  agriculture,  $2,012; 
home  training,  $725 ;  shopwork,  $90 ;  teachers '  training,  $805 ;  high 
school  (3  teachers),  $2,640;  average  monthly  teachers'  wages, 
grades,  $57;  high  school,  $91.90;  children  of  school  age  in  dis- 
trict, 288 ;  attending,  218 ;  average  yearly  cost  per  pupil  for  text- 
books, $1.25. 

The  early  settlers  of  this  community  were  of  a  character  that 
set  a  high  value  on  education  and  educational  privileges  and  one 
of  their  first  actions  was  to  form  a  school  district.  No.  17,  which 
included  the  territory  on  which  Fairfax  now  stands  and  even  be- 
fore they  had  comfortable  residence  themselves,  some  still  living 
in  primitive  sod  shanties,  they  erected  a  comfortable  log  school 
house  Ttithin  what  is  now  the  corporate  limits  of  the  village.  The 
logs  were  hewn  by  Col.  Charles  H.  Hopkins.  The  school  was 
opened  in  the  spring  of  1870  with  Nellie  McKenzie  as  teacher. 
It  is  interesting  to  note  that  the  old  log  school  house  is  still 
standing  in  the  southwest  comer  of  the  village.  The  school  was 
made  a  fully  independent  district  May  12,  1900.  In  1902  it  be- 
came a  state  high  school.  In  1905  a  splendid  high  school  build- 
ing was  started  and  was  fully  completed  in  1906  at  a  cost  of  over 
$35,000.  The  normal  course  was  introduced  in  1910;  the  domes- 
tic economy  course  in  1912;  the  agricultural  course  in  1914,  and 
the  manual  training  course  in  1915. 

The  superintendents  have  been :  R.  McKay,  1895-99 ;  Geo.  F. 
Forster,  1899-1902;  L.  H.  Pryor,  1902-04;  D.  A.  Grusendorf,  1904- 
09 ;  J.  E.  Palmer,  1909-11 ;  John  Farmer,  1911-14 ;  0.  E.  Youngdahl, 
1914  to  the  present  time. 

The  following  have  served  as  principals  of  the  high  school: 
Bertha  Foss,  1902-03;  Esther  Hokanson,  1903-05;  Helen  Hanken- 
son,  1905-08 ;  Miss  Steichen,  1908-09 ;  Helen  Roberts,  1909-11 ;  Eva 
Benson,  1911-12;  Grace  Doremus,  1912-13;  Jennie  Erickson,  1913- 
15;  Agnes  McGarvey,  1915  to  the  present  time. 

Among  the  prominent  members  of  the  school  board  since  1894 
have  been:  Ed.  O'Hara,  L.  McBride,  J.  F.  Russel,  C.  H.  Hopkins, 
M.  D.  Brown,  O.  H.  Qrasmoen,  E.  P.  Sell,  Dr.  Wm.  P.  Lee,  I.  A. 
"Whitmer,  Paul  Albreeht,  A.  E.  Carver,  G.  A.  Rieke,  J.  C.  Fuller- 
ton,  A.  M.  Wallace,  John  Albreeht,  C.  W.  Heimann,  Dr..  A.  E. 
Fenske  and  C.  W.  Fiss.  Among  the  presidents  may  be  mentioned : 
L.  McBride,  J.  P.  Russel,  C.  H.  Hopkins,  0.  H.  Grasmoen,  B.  F. 
Sell,  Dr.  W.  P.  Lee,  G.  A.  Rieke,  A.  M.  Wallace  and  Dr.  A.  E. 
Fenske.  Some  of  the  treasurers  have  been:  0.  H.  Grasmoen, 
E.  F.  Sell,  and  A.  E.  Carver.  Among  the  clerks  may  be  men- 
tioned Ed.  O'Hara,  M.  D.  Brown  and  C.  W.  Heimann. 

The  present  officers  of  the  school  board  are :    Dr.  A.  E.  Fenske, 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  663 

president;  C.  W.  Heimann,  secretary;  A.  E.  Carver,  treasurer; 
W.  A,  Pias ;  J.  C.  Pullerton  and  John  Albrecht. 

0.  E.  Yotmgdabl,  the  present  superintendent  of  the  Fairfax 
Public  Schools,  was  bom  in  Bed  Wing,  Minn.,  March  2,  1888.  He 
received  his  early  education  at  the  public  school  of  Red  Wing  and 
later  attended  Gnstavus  Adolphus  College  a't  St.  Peter,  receiving 
the  Bachelor  of  Arts  degree  in  1911.  He  taught  rural  school  at 
Northwood  and  at  Anamoose,  North  Dakota,  the  graded  school 
at  North  St.  Paul,  was  principal  of  the  graded  school  at  Becker 
and  then  came  to  Fairfax,  where  he  has  served  as  superintendent 
since  1914. 

Franklin  Public  Schools.  The  history  of  Franklin  School  Dis- 
trict No.  96  is  similar  to  the  history  of  the  school  in  the  average 
Minnesota  small  town.  The  district  was  organized  in  the  year 
1883  and  the  following  summer  a  two-story  frame  building  erected. 
One  room  only  was  completed  and  made  use  of  at  the  start. 

Mary  Breen  was  the  first  teacher  in  the  newly-organized  dis- 
trict and  taught  for  one  year.  A.  J.  Anderson,  who  still  lives 
in  this  vicinity,  taught  the  following  year  and  the  succeeding 
years  until  1891.  For  varying  lengths  of  time  Rose  Reagan,  Ella 
Traynor,  and Keegan  succeeded  Mr.  Anderson, 

In  1892  it  became  necessary  to  finish  the  remainder  of  the 
building  and  employ  two  teachers.  George  Sugden  was  elected 
principal  and  Katie  Brown  was  his  assistant  in  the  lower  grades. 
Miss  Brown  is  at  the  present  well  known  in  the  community  as 
Mrs.  Charles  E.  Freeman.  Miss  Brown  remained  in  the  employ 
of  the  district  for  three  successive  school  years.  Succeeding  Mr. 
Sugden  as  principal  was  A.  E.  Young,  who  was  unable  to  com- 
plete his  terra  and  was  succeeded  by  Chas.  J.  Freeman.  The  fol- 
lowing year  three  teachers  were  employed,  Ella  Powers  being  the 
additional  member  of  the  corps.  J.  C.  Serland  as  principal  and 
Ella  Powers  were  employed  for  the  term  of  1893,  The  following 
year  N.  L.  Erickson  was  principal,  assisted  by  Belle  Sampson, 
who  taught  the  lower  grades  for  several  years  in  succession.  Mr. 
Erickson  was  succeeded  by  P.  G.  Anderson,  who  remained  a  year. 

In  1899  the  present  site  was  purchased  and  the  building  in 
use  today  was  erected.  School  was  organized  immediately  with 
four  teachers,  including  the  principal,  E.  R,  Bottomley.  Belle 
Sampson,  Edna  Westphal,  and  Miss  Bottomley  were  the  teachers. 

Mr.  Bottomley  remained  in  the  employ  of  the  school  only  a 
short  time,  but  those  who  were  in  close  touch  with  the  school  at 
the  time,  inform  the  writers  that  he  was  an  active,  original  and 
independent  man  and  did  much  for  the  school  through  sheer  force 
of  character.  The  following  year  Mr,  Freeman  was  the  principal, 
assisted  by  Ada  and  Edna  Westphal  and  Belle  Sampson.  This 
year  the  school  was  placed  on  the  accredited  list  of  state  graded 
schools  and  received  its  first  state  aid.     The  entire  faculty  suc- 


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664  HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

ceeded  iteeLf  for  the  following  year.  G.  A.  Ma^j^nnsson  snceeecled 
Mr.  Freeman  in  1903.  His  aasiatants  were  Edna  and  Ada  West- 
phal,  Francis  Davis  and  Miss  Kirwan.  In  1904,  C.  Youngquist 
succeeded  Mr.  Magnnsson  as  principal  and  Belle  Sampson  and 
Miss  Bean  succeeded  the  Misses  Westphal.  Mr.  Youngquist  re- 
mained at  the  head  of  the  school  for  two  years  when  he  was  suc- 
ceeded by  T.  J.  Eastburg,  who  remained  for  three  years.  Dur- 
ing the  administration  of  the  school  by  Mr.  Eastburg  he  was  as- 
sisted by  Agnes  Bryan,  Nellie  Bryan,  Agnes  Kirwan,  Mayme 
Casey,  Emily  Broder,  Catherine  Brotberton,  S.  W.  Swensen,  Beyka 
Dahlgren.  '  In  1909,  M.  B.  Hogle  succeeded  to  the  ofBce  of  prin- 
cipal and  remained  at  the  head  o£  the  school  for  five  years.  Dur- 
ing Mr.  Hogle 's  tenure  of  office  the  faculty  was  increased  from 
five  to  seven  members  and  the  curriculum  of  the  course  much 
extended  until  students  received  sufficient  credit  to  graduate 
and  be  allowed  to  enter  the  University  of  Minnesota  on  the  same 
terms  as  graduates  of  other  schools.  Teachers  who  assisted  in 
the  school  under  Mr.  Hogle 's  supervision  in  1910  were:  Miss 
Eogstrom,  Jennie  Erickson,  Margaret  Farrell,  Reyka  Dahlgren, 
Mayme  Casey,  Margaret  Specker,  and  during  this  year  the  school 
received  for  the  first  time  an  additional  $500  state  aid  for  main- 
taining a  high  school  department.  The  next  year  Mollie  Hummei 
succeeded  Miss  Casey.  With  this  exception  there  was  no  change 
in  the  personnel  of  the  teaching  staff.  In  1911  Miss  Dahlgren 
and  Miss  Engstrom  were  succeeded  by  Carrie  Scoblic  and  Hulda 
Afdem.  All  of  the  teachers  were  re-elected  and  served  the  dis- 
trict during  the  year  1912-13.  The  following  year,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  the  principal,  an  entirely  new  faculty  took  up  the  work 
of  the  high  school.  Katie  White  was  assistant  principal  and  high 
school  instructor;  Joey  N.  Nugent  taught  the  8th  grade  and  as- 
sisted with  some  high  school  work;  Julia  N.  Devlin  taught  the 
7th  grade ;  Beatrice  Grimes,  the  5th  and  6th ;  Ananda  Nelson, 
the  3rd  and  4th ;  and  Edith  Anderson,  the  1st  and  2nd  grades. 
During  this  year  no  new  courses  were  established. 

The  present  administration,  with  Principal  Wesley  Thurman 
at  the  head,  began  in  1914.  The  school  board  recently  put  into 
effect  a  wise  policy  and  elected  Mr.  Thurman  to  succeed  himself 
for  a  period  of  three  years.  With  tenure  of  office  reasonably  sure. 
the  principal  can  take  a  greater  personal  interest  in  the  school 
and  work  for  certain  reforms  and  improvements.  It  is  also  the 
policy  of  the  board  to  retain  the  services  of  every  teacher,  who 
is  progressive  and  who  is  highly  efficient,  as  long  as  possible. 

The  chief  improvements,  since  Mr.  Thurman  took  charge  of 
the  school  is  a  manual  training  department  with  additional  build- 
ing for  the  same,  and  a  domestic  science  department.  Both  of 
tlii'se  (l<-|)HrtnieiitK  arc  being  well  ostablishcd  anil  are  proving  vcr^- 
satisfactory  to  the  students  and  those  in  charge  of  school. 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  665 

During  the  first  year  of  Mr.  Tburman's  administration,  Katie 
White  acted  as  assistant  principal,  Miss  Nugent,  eighth  grade; 
Miss  Devlin,  sixth  and  seventh  grades;  Miss  Grimes,  fourth  and 
fifth  grades ;  Miss  Cora  Steen,  second  and  third  grades,  and  Edith 
Anderson,  the  first  grade.  Several  changes  have  occurred  in  the 
faculty  membership  for  the  present  school  year.  Ethel  T.  Ander- 
son has  succeeded  Katie  White ;  Edith  K.  Collins  has  succeeded 
Miss  Devlin  and  Mrs.  Wesley  Thurman  has  succeeded  Edith  An- 
derson. Helen  Hale  has  charge  of  the  domestic  science  depart- 
ment. The  present  faculty  are  doing  good  work,  the  spirit  of 
the  students  is  first  class  and  the  future  of  the  Franklin  school 
seems  well  established. 

During  all  these  yearsFranklin  has  been  especially  well  served 
by  its  various  school  boards.  Perhaps  no  other  small  town  un- 
der similar  circumstances  has  been  more  fortunate  in  this  re- 
spect. They  have  always  had  due  respect  for  the  taxpayers'  in- 
terests, but  at  the  same  time  they  have  as  a  rule  been  men  of 
considerable  breadth  of  vision.  The  schools  have  progressed  and 
are  still  advancing.  With  no  intentions  of  slighting  anyone  of 
the  excellent  men  who  have  served  on  the  board,  it  may  be  well 
to  mention  the  names  of  the  three  veterans,  E.  S.  Johnson,  An- 
drew J.  Olin,  and  H.  B.  Cole.  Mr.  Johnson  has  served  as  a  mem- 
ber ever  since  the  organization  of  the  district  and  Mr.  Olin  and 
Dr.  Cole  almost  continuously  for  the  past  fifteen  years. 

The  first  class  was  graduated  from  high  school  in  1908.  Eva 
Newton,  Myrtle  Amtsbauer,  Amy  Frisco,  Clara,  Lund,  Jennie 
Foss,  William  Casel,  Philip  Eastburg  and  Annie  Jensen  consti- 
tuted the  class  of  1908.  In  1909  there  was  no  graduating  class. 
In  1910  the  class  was  composed  of  Julius  Jensen,  Mabel  Skau, 
Elizabeth  Johnson,  Julia  Lieake  and  Hattie  Erickson.  The  class 
roll  in  1911  contained  the  names  of  Ebba  Nelson,  Beatrice  Grimes, 
Julia  Prestholt,  George  Foss,  Carl  Hamrum,  Matt  Casey,  Ella, 
Steen,  Cora  Steen  and  Lillie  Sherman.  Again  in  1912  there  was 
no  graduating  class.  In  1913,  Amy  Rieke,  Isabelle  Forsythe, 
Hannah  Jensen,  Beatrice  Johnson  and  Clara  Nelson  graduated. 
The  1914  class  roll  contains  the  names  of  Alma  Erlandson,  Ethel 
Freeman,  Bessie  Scott,  Earl  Erlandson,  Harry  Prestholt,  Marie 
Grimes,  Verna  Rovainen,  and  Irene  Poas,  The  1915  class  is  the 
smallest  of  all  the  classes  and  consisted  of  Loretta  Fox  and  Ned 
Martell. 

Of  the  thirty-seven  who  have  graduated  from  the  school  all 
who  are  not  actually  engaged  in  the  pursuit  of  higher  training 
are  self-supporting.  Six  of  the  girls  have  married  and  from  what 
the  writers  can  learn  have  prospered  in  this,  too.  Fourteen  of 
them  are  engaged  in  teaching,  two 'of  whom  are  employed  in  the 
Franklin  public  schools.  One  teaches  music,  two  are  milliners, 
two  are  located  in  the  West  on  homesteads,  three  are  living  and 


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666  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

assisting  at  home  on  farms,  two  are  clerking  in  stores,  one  is  as- 
sistant bookkeeper  in  a  bank,  one  is  an  electric  lineman,  one  is 
at  college,  and  two  are  studying  in  hospitals  to  become  nurses. 
With  such  traditions,  it  is  hoped  that  there  will  be  no  question 
about  the  future  of  the  Franklin  school. 

And  thus  we  finish,  leaving  the  next  chapter  for  some  future 
historian  to  relate.  October  5, 1915.  By  Ernest  Olson  and  Wesley 
Thurman. 

Hector  Public  Schools.  The  Hector  High  School  is  one  of  the 
finest  in  the  state.  Soon  after  the  village  was  founded  a  school 
district  was  organized  and  the  first  school  building,  which 
was  a  frame  structure,  was  erected  on  the  northwest  comer  of 
the  present  school  square.  Although  there  was  but  one  teacher 
af  that  time  the  school  spirit  had  already  commenced  to  grow.  It 
was  only  five  years  later,  1883,  that  a  new  building  became  nec- 
essary. The  first  building  was  converted  into  a  dwelling  house 
and  is  now  the  residence  of  John  Hawes.  The  new  building  was 
veneer  and  was  erected  where  the  present  building  now  stands. 
It  was  BO  large  that  at  the  time  there  was  room  to  spare.  Three 
teachers  were  engaged,  but  the  spirit  grew  so  rapidly  that  it  was 
necessary  to  build  additions  three  different  times. 

About  1895,  H.  W.  Mayne  became  superintendent,  and  the 
school  spirit  grew  still  more  rapidly.  Hector  was  listed  as  a 
state  high  school  in  1899  and  the  first  class  was  graduated  in 
1900.  This  class  consisted  of  but  two  pupils.  The  second  year 
there  were  four  graduated;  a  number  of  this  class  attended  the 
University  of  Minnesota. 

When  Hector  was  listed  as  a  high  school  there  were  but  seven 
teachers  in  the  entire  school.  The  number  of  pupils  attending 
high  school  was  thirty-seven. 

In  the  fall  of  1903,  G.  W.  Wisman  became  the  superintendent 
and  since  theti  the  interest  has  increased  and  the  growth  has 
been  remarkable.  The  present  building — a  solid  brick  wall  struc- 
ture— was  erected  in  1907  and  has  been  built  onto  three  different 
times. 

In  1911  the  State  Legislature  passed  a  law,  making  ten  asso- 
ciated districts  possible  within  the  state.  Two  years  later  the 
Legislature  raised  the  number  to  thirty  in  all.  There  was  to  be 
but  one  associated  district  in  each  county.  The  contest  to  de- 
termine which  district  was  to  be  associated  was  held  at  St.  Paul. 
Hector  was  the  fortunate  winner. 

The  first  year  six  districts  associated  with  Hector  and  two 
more  the  following  year.  The  manual  training  department  was 
organized  in  1907,  and  in  1911,  along  with  the  right  to  associate, 
the  school  obtained  the  agriculture  and  domestic  science  courses. 

In  the  fall  of  1915,  an  addition  to  the  school  building,  some 
25  by  40  feet,  was  erected  to  further  increase  the  scope  of  the 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  667 

school  work.  The  lower  floor  is  iised  for  instructing  hoys  in  iron- 
working,  while  the  upper  floor  is  devoted  to  typewriting  and 
stenography. 

The  business  men  of  Hector  and  the  farmers  in  the  adjacent 
county  have  co-operated  in  a  movement  that  has  placed  the  agri- 
cultural department  of  the  high  school  at  the  top  of  the  list  of 
the  best  agricultural  schools  in  the  state.  This  movement  has  re- 
quired thought,  planning  and  organization.  Through  the  efforts 
of  G.  W.  Wisman,  superintendent  of  Hector  schools  for  the  past 
twelve  years,  the  farmers  and  citizens  of  Hector  were  led  to  be- 
lieve that  practical  results  of  special  value  to  the  farmer  could 
be  acquired,  through  a  uniBcatibn  of  school  and  farm  interests. 
Today  the  movement  has  grown  to  large  proportions  and  the 
farmers  have  become  so  genuinely  interested  that  it  is  quite  a 
common  thing  to  find  almost  as  many  farmers  in  the  high  school 
building  during  the  winter  months  in  a  special  room  set  apart 
for  them  for  study  as  high  school  students. 

0.  M.  Riser  has  charge  of  the  agricultural  department  of  the 
high  school,  and  it  is  due  to  bis  expert  and  scientific  knowledge 
of  farm  conditions  and  his  happy  faculty  of  working  with  the 
farmers,  as  well  as  the  students,  that  such  a  successful  depart- 
ment has  been  built  up.  Organized  four  years  ago,  the  depart- 
ment has  made  rapid  strides.  Recently  a  large  greenhouse,  for 
starting  plants  of  all  kinds  early  in  the  spring — to  be  transplanted 
later  to  the  fields — was  added  to  the  equipment.  Adjoining  this 
is  an  unusually  well  prepared  seed  room  for  testing  and  grading 
com.  Racks  for  storing  300  bushela  of  corn  for  winter  selection 
are  provided.  Here  the  farmers  gather  during  the  winter  months 
under  the  direct  supervision  of  Mr.  Kiser  and  shell  the  corn  for 
seeding  purposes.  Twenty-five  bushels  of  seed  com  can  be  tested 
at  one  time.  The  testing  apparatus  is  not  unlike  an  incubator 
in  results,  as  the  corn  will  grow  about  two  inches  high  in  four 
days.  The  boys  go  through  the  same  course  as  the  farmers,  bring- 
ing the  corn  for  testing  in  from  the  farm.  All  kinds  of  seeds 
can  be  tested  by  this  method. 

A  brief  resume  of  the  four  years'  agriculture  course  is  given 
to  show  the  practical  working  value  of  the  course  to  the  boys. 
This  course  may  be  continued  in  the  university.  The  first  year 
aims  to  discuss  soil  conditions,  how  foods  are  taken  by  plants 
and  what  plant  foods  are  and  how  stored.  The  preparation  of 
the  soil  for  different  crops  is  also  taught.  Farm  animals  are 
studied  the  second  year.  Judging  of  horses,  cows  and  hogs  and 
their  feeding,  breeding  and  prevention  of  disease  are  carefully 
gone  into.  During  the  third  year  agricultural  engineering,  sur- 
veying, drainage,  irrigation,  roads  and  ropemaking  are  taken 
up.  The  fourth  year  is  devoted  to  experimenting  and  a  thorough 
review  of  the  three  previous  years.    The  school  has  a  large  field 


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668  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

for  experimentiDg  in  soil  conditions,  fertilizers  and  crops.  The 
school  authorities  are  proud  of  the  fact  that  a  representative  of 
the  United  States  government  waa  sent  to  investigate  the  splendid 
methods  of  the  agricultural  department.  This  recognition  gave 
the  department  a  high  place  in  the  state. 

To  show  how  valuable  the  agricultural  department  is  to  the 
farmers,  one  illustration  may  be  cited.  After  experimenting,  it 
was  found  that  alfalfa  did  not  do  well.  A  test  of  the  soil  was 
made.  It  was  found  that  lime  was  lacking.  Since  then  this  has 
been  corrected.  Today  alfalfa  is  beyond  the  stage  of  experi- 
ment and  is  grown  and  harvested  each  year  by  many  farmers. 
Some  excellent  work  has  been  done  with  orchards.  A  course  has 
been  started  in  pruning  and  grafting  trees,  roots  and  scions 
being  bought  for  this  purpose.  The  children,  too,  raise  flowers 
and  vegetables.  The  schools  associated  with  the  village  of  Hector 
also  joined  in  this  work.  Over  3,000  packages  of  seeds  were 
bought  last  year  for  garden  study.  The  boys  often  have  com 
contests ;  last  year  as  high  as  88  bushels  per  acre  were  raised. 

Another  thing  that  the  agricultural  department  is  directly 
responsible  for  is  the  small  percentage  of  hog  cholera  to  be  found 
near  Hector.  In  the  fall  of  1913  over  1,200  hogs  were  inoculated, 
with  the  result  that  72  per  cent  of  the  infected  herds  lived,  while 
99  per  cent  of  hogs  not  infected  were  saved.  To  obtain  these 
splendid  results  49,000  C.  C.  serum  was  used. 

In  the  following  year,  1914,  there  were  less  than  a  do^ten 
cases  of  hog  cholera.  Besides  this  work,  cows  are  tested  by  the 
students  for  advanced  registry. 

To  make  the  land  adjoining  Hector  that  needed  tiling  more 
useful,  ditches  were  dug  and  a  system  of  irrigation  worked  out. 
The  schools  have  helped  in  this  work  by  drawing  up  plans,  mak- 
ing blueprints,  and  other  necessary  work.  A  valuable  farmers' 
library  of  250  volumes  and  2,000  bulletins,  on  every  subject  per- 
taining to  farming,  may  be  found  in  the  school  library. 

This  summer  a  new  building  for  the  commercial  department 
has  been  erected.  A  four  years'  commercial  course  will  be  of- 
fered. In  the  .basement  of  this  building  a  well  equipped  black- 
smith shop  and  forge  has  been  built  by  the  associated  districts. 

Other  departments  besides  that  of  agriculture  are  high  school, 
normal,  manual  training,  domestic  science  and  music.  There  are 
400  pupils  and  25  teachers.  Hector  boasts  of  78  non-resident 
pupils  in  the  high  school,  out  of  a  total  of  137  who  come  from  27 
districts  in  three  counties.  The  value  of  the  school  buildings  is 
$40,000.  Eight  districts  are  associated  with  the  Hector  high 
school.  Each  district  has  manual  training,  agriculture  and  do- 
mestic science  departments.  0.  A.  Allen,  president;  A.  E.  Schroe- 
der,  treasurer;  H.  L,  Torbenson,  clerk,  and  A.  B.  Anderson  and 
W.  B.  Strom  are  the  members  of  the  board  of  education. 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  669 

Mmton  Public  S<^ool8.  School  District  No.  55  of  the  village 
of  Morton  has  a  history  of  forty-one  years.  In  1874  a  amall  slab 
shanty  was  moved  from  the  farm  now  owned  by  Mrs.  Emma 
Dallenbach  to  a  place  north  of  where  the  village  now  stands. 
Jim  Moody  had  squatted  on  this  farm  and  upon  learning  that  he 
was  on  a  school  section  sold  his  shanty  to  this  newly-organized 
school  district.  The  dimensions  of  it  are  said  to  have  been  10 
by  12  feet,  and  to  make  it  habitable  Henry  Jorges  sodded  it  up. 
The  first  school  board  were :  George  Buerry,  clerk ;  Henry  Jorges, 
treasurer,  and  John  Kumro,  director.  The  following  were  some 
of  the  teachers  during  the  nine  years  that  this  continued  to  be 
the  principal  seat  of  learning  in  the  community:  Viola  Price, 
Cbloa  Rbenolds,  a  Miss  Hunter  and  Albert  Shram.  In  1883  a  new 
building  was  put  up  on  the  property  now  described  as  lot  8,  block 
2,  and  owned  by  Mrs.  Mary  MeConnel,  and  here  it  remained  un- 
til the  present  building  was  constructed  in  1895,  in  which  only 
five  rooms  were  occupied  and  only  a  few  classes  in  high  school 
work  conducted.  Here  the  main  part  of  the  present  school  build- 
ing stood  for  twenty  years  when  again  the  quarters  became  too 
small  and  it  became  evident  that  more  rooms  must  be  provided. 
An  addition  was  built  in  1905  which  gave  two  more  rooms  to  the 
school,  it  now  having  twelve  rooms.  During  the  period  from  1883 
to  1895,  when  the  school  stood  on  the  present  MeConnel  property, 
the  following  were  some  of  the  teachers  and  principals:  Jessie 
Henton,  sister  of  R.  B.  Henton  of  Morton ;  Leroy  Stegner,  also 
editor  of  the  Morton  Enterprise  for  some  time;  Elizabeth  Mc- 
Cann;  Nellie  Brown  (Mrs.  Henry  Beckman) ;  Lou  Glenn;  Mary 
Clancy;  P.  A.  Cosgrove,  later  county  attorney  of  Sibley  county; 
Fletcher  Bridges;  Samuel  Rankin;  Joseph  Forbes,  attorney  of 
Richland  county,  N.  D. ;  J.  P.  Reed ;  J.  B.  Arp,  county  superin- 
tendent of  Jackson  county  schools.  Mr.  Arp  also  taught  in  the 
present  building.  The  following  were  in  charge  of  the  present 
school :  Mr.  Lyman ;  Mr.  Dodge ;  Ralph  Wedge,  banker  in  Gran- 
ville, North  Dakota ;  Will  Mosier  Clark,  who  later  was  a  teacher 
in  New  York  state ;  M,  H.  Melvin,  now  superintendent  of  schools 
in  Minneota,  Minn. ;  H.  A.  Trapp,  principal  of  Quincy  school  in 
St.  Paul,  Minn.,  and  for  the  past  five  years  E.  E.  Qloege,  who 
has  been  engaged  again  for  the  coming  year.  Perhaps  the  most 
notable  educator  who  has  had  charge  of  Morton  high  school  is 
Superintendent  J.  B.  Arp,  of  Jackson  county.  He  is  at  present 
recognized  as  one  of  the  foremost  county  superintendents  of  the 
state.  As  a  member  of  the  committee  on  the  teachers'  pension 
bill,  he  has  done  a  lasting  service  for  the  teachers  of  the  state 
and  is  also  a  very  positive  force  against  the  liquor  traflfic.  The 
present  board  is  composed  of  the  following  members:  Michael 
Holden,  president ;  Dr.  D.  J.  McCartan,  secretary ;  F.  W.  Orth, 
treasurer;  Sam  Steinke,  Fred  Pfeiffer  and  L.  D.  Baker,  directors. 


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670  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

Morton  High  School  was  admitted  to  the  state  high  scdooI 
list  in  1906,  when  also  the  first  class  was  graduated,  consisting 
of  two  members,  Florence  Keefe  and  Ethel  Keefe.  Since  that 
time  the  number  has  varied  from  three  to  eleven.  In  1915  there 
were  eight  graduates.  The  total  number  of  graduates,  including 
the  last  class,  is  sixty-four,  most  of  whom  are  found  in  the  va- 
rious walks  of  life  aa  teachers,  business  men  and  business  women, 
newspaper  men,  managers  of  retail  housea,  etc.  The  present  high 
school  enrollment  is  sixty-eight  students.  Five  years  ago  the  en- 
rollment was  just  half  of  what  it  is  now.  With  the  addition  of 
two  of  the  outlying  districts  and  one-half  of  another,  which  was 
divided  between  Franklin  and  Morton,  a  continuous  growth  is 
expected  for  some  time  to  come.  A  plan  to  enlarge  the  present 
building  so  as  to  make  several  additional  rooms  is  under  way. 

The  Morton  High  School  prides  itself  on  having  very  good 
departments  in  domestic  aeience  and  manual  training.  Every 
girl  must  take  at  least  a  year  in  domestic  economy  and  every 
boy  two  years  of  training  in  the  use  of  tools  in  woodwork,  and 
along  with  it  a  course  in  mechanical  drawing.  Together  with 
cooking  and  household  economy,  every  girl  gets  a  course  in  sew- 
ing, and  at  graduation  appears  in  the  gown  she  made  in  the  sew- 
ing room  of  the  high  school.  The  girls  are  limited  to  $5.00  each 
in  expenditure  for  materials  for  their  gowns.  Students  are  of- 
fered practicable  work  in  commercial  and  practical  subjects. 
This  is,  however,  not  carried  so  far  that  it  hampers  them  should 
they  desire  to  follow  some  professional  course  at  the  university. 
Debating  is  made  a  prominent  part  of  the  work  in  English,  so  aa 
to  accustom  students  to  appear  before  an  audience  and  express 
themselves  in  a  clear  and  logical  way.  The  addition  of  an  agri- 
cultural department  is  under  consideration. 

Olivia  Public  Schools.  Olivia  public  schools  are  located  in 
block  27,  Nesters'  addition  to  Olivia,  on  Pairview  avenue.  Park 
street  and  Seventh  avenue,  the  grounds  occupying  an  entire  block. 
The  two  brick  buildings,  one  for  grades  and  one  for  high  school, 
are  both  on  the  same  lot  and  about  four  blocks  south  of  the  busi- 
ness section  of  town,  located  in  a  beantiful  grove.  The  district 
is  known  as  Independent  School  District  No,  79,  There  are  four 
rural  districts  associated  with  the  school  in  industrial  work,  these 
associated  districts  being  Nos.  117,  72,  137,  and  121.  The  school 
has  a  fine  agricultural,  domestic  science  and  normal  training  de- 
partment, all  of  which  were  established  in  1911,  Many  of  the 
graduates  are  holding  good  positions  in  the  rural  schools  of  the 
county  and  are  doing  excellent  work.  In  1913  a  central  heating 
plant  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $6,000,  being  the  Vacuum  high 
pressure  steam  system.  A  library  containing  1,200  volumes  is 
located  on  the  second  floor  of  the  high  school  building,  across  the 
hall  from  the  assembly  room. 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  671 

The  first  school  was  organized  there  in  1885  with  Julius 
Spencer  as  the  teacher.  The  original  number  of  the  district  was 
Common  District  No.  79.  It  was  changed  to  Independent  District 
No.  79  on  April  20,  1895,  there  being  sixty-four  votes  for  and 
forty-three  votes  against  changing  the  district.  The  first  prin- 
cipal of  the  independent  district  was  Mr.  Bamum,  of  Renville, 
who  received  a  salary  of  $70.00  per  month.  There  were  thirty- 
five  applicants  for  the  principalship  that  year.  In  1896,  J.  W. 
Smith,  of  Red  Wing,  was  elected  as  principal.  In  1897,  C.  W. 
Wagner,  of  Madison,  Minn.,  was  elected  as  principal.  He  re- 
mained for  three  years,  The  first  nine  months'  school  was  held 
in  1899.  J.  L.  Silvernale  was  the  next  principal,  and  he  remained 
for  seven  years  and  placed  the  school  on  the  high  school  list  in 
1900.  A  new  high  school  building  was  built  in  1903.  This  was 
one  of  the  first  modern  high  school  buildings  built  in  this  section 
of  the  country.  Mr.  Silvernale  left  Olivia  in  February,  1907,  and 
County  Superintendent  Erickson  filled  out  his  term.  C.  P.  Stan- 
ley was  next  superintendent,  remaining  two  years.  In  1910,  Q. 
H.  Pollard  eame  as  superintendent  and  remained  two  years.  Ar- 
thur N.  Gausemel  was  elected  superintendent  in  1912  and  has 
been  serving  in  that  capacity  ever  since. 

The  present  school  board  are :  James  Empey,  president ;  Qeo. 
E.  Peterson,  secretary ;  B.  P.  Byers,  treasurer ;  Dr.  G.  H.  Mesker ; 
H.  H.  Neuenburg ;  J.  R.  Landy.  Mr.  Empey  and  Mr.  Byers  are 
the  senior  members  of  the  board,  having  served  continuously  for 
the  paat  twenty  years. 

Sacred  Heart  Public  Schools.  The  first  school  held  in  this 
vicinity  was  taught  by  Peder  Ruddness  in  1872  in  a  building 
known  as  the  Trongorden  School,  and  located  three  miles  south 
of  Sacred  Heart,  A  short  time  after  this  date,  the  district  was 
divided  and  the  first  school  of  District  No.  40  was  located  near 
the  Ole  Worken  farm,  one  mile  east  of  town.  Miss  Johnson  being 
the  first  teacher.  In  1880  the  school  building  was  moved  to  town 
and  located  in  the  northeast  corner  of  the  block  in  which  the 
village  hall  now  stands.  0,  K.  Bergan  was  the  first  teacher  of 
the  village  school.  In  1890  the  district  was  made  an  independent 
district  and,  until  1914,  was  the  smallest  independent  district  in 
the  state.  The  present  building,  erected  in  1901,  is  located  three 
blocks  south  of  the  principal  business  center  of  the  town.  It  is 
a  two-story  building,  standing  in  the  center  of  the  school  ground, 
which  covers  one  square  block  and  is  surrounded  on  all  sides  by 
elm  and  evergreen  trees.  There  are  five  rooms  for  the  grades, 
an  assembly  room,  two  recitation  rooms,  one  of  which  is  used 
for  a  laboratory  for  the  high  school.  The  laboratory  is  well  sup- 
plied with  chemicals,  chemical  apparatus,  physical  apparatus, 
desks,  tables,  and  so  forth,  for  a  strong  course  in  both  sciences. 
The  library  is  a  room  15  by  18  feet  with  reading  table,  magazines 


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672  HiSTOKY  OF  KENVILLE  COUNTY 

and  500  volumes  indexed  and  catalogued  according  to  the  Dewey 
system.  A  manual  training  department  was  established  in  1910. 
The  shop  is  well  equipped  with  benches  and  tools.  Numerous 
practical  pieces  of  iui-niture  have  been  made  as  library  tables, 
writing  desks,  piano  benches,  magazine  stands,  and  so  forth. 

High  school  work  was  carried  on  as  early  as  1904,  but  the 
four-year  course  was  not  established  until  the  school  year  oi 
1907-1908.  The  first  class  graduating,  in  1908,  were :  Olga  Ber- 
gan,  Clara  Bergan,  Lottie  Wolstad,  Ctaretta  Roe,  Clara  Ames, 
Dora  Scholl,  and  Bert  Nordstrom. 

The  following  have  served  as  principals:  A.  F,  Adams,  1901- 
1902;  B.  S.  Wakefield,  1902-1904;  J.  A.  Grundahl,  1904  to  April 
24,  1905;  F.  S.  Morse,  April  24, 1905-1908;  H.  H.  Bond,  1908-1910; 

A.  N.  Gausemal,  1910-1912;  A.  L.  Swensen,  1912-1913;  P.  M. 
Mattill,  1913-1914;  A.  J.  Matthill,  1914  to  the  present  time.  The 
following  have  served  as  assistant  principals:  Grace  Whittier, 
I90r-I90y:  Irma  Brink,  1909)910;  Olga  Dahl,  1910-1913;  Vivian 
Swift,  913-1914;  Edna  R.  Hansen,  1914  to  the  present  time.  The 
present  board  of  education  consists  of  J.  H.  Paulson,  president; 

B.  T.  Birk,  clerk;  H.  O.  Skalbeck,  treasurer;  H.  L.  Quist,  W.  A. 
Day  and  A.  J.  Anderson. 

The  controversy  over  the  enlargement  of  District  No.  40,  the 
district  which  includes  Sacred  Heart  village,  attracted  wide  at- 
tention. The  district  originally  embraced  but  one  section  and  a 
half.  The  other  districts  in  the  county  included  from  six  to  thir- 
teen sections.  In  the  small  area  of  District  40  there  were  not 
scholars  enough  and  not  property  valuation  enough  to  support  a 
village  school.  Then,  too,  there  were  many  children  attending 
school  in  the  village,  whose  parents  were  not  paying  taxes  in  the 
district  but  in  other  districts.  Therefore,  in  1908,  a  majority  of 
the  male  voters  of  the  district  filed  a  petition  with  the  board  of 
county  commissioners  under  the  provision  of  Chapter  188,  Laws 
of  1907,  for  the  purpose  of  enlarging  the  school  district  by  tak- 
ing territory  from  other  school  districts  contiguous  to  the  dis- 
trict and  annexing  it  to  the  district,  the  districts  affected  in  ad- 
dition to  Independent  District  40,  being  Districts  35,  41,  43,  94 
and  128.  The  board  of  county  commissioners  in  1909  made  an 
order  granting  a  petition  annexing  the  territory  desired  and 
rearranging  the  otlier  territory. 

The  act  of  1907  did  not  provide  for  any  appeal  from  the  de- 
cision of  the  county  board  in  sucli  matters.  But  ten  days  after 
the  county  commissioners  had  granted  the  petition,  Chapter  188, 
Laws  of  1907,  was  amended  by  Chapter  13,  Laws  of  1909,  allow- 
ing an  appeal  to  be  governed  by  the  provision  of  Section  1285, 
Revised  Laws  of  1905.  Pursuant  to  this  amendment,  different 
districts  and  individuals  affected  by  the  order  of  the  county  board 
appealed  to  the  district  court.     At  a  hearing,  the  appeal  was 


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HISTORY  OP  RENVILLE  COUNTY  673 

dismissed  by  the  court  on  the  grounds  that  the  act  of  1909  was 
not  retroactive.  This  decision  of  the  District  Court  was  reversed 
by  the  Supreme  Court  March  11,  1910,  the  title  of  the  case  being, 
"Enoch  Oppegaard  and  others  against  Board  of  County  Com- 
missioners of  Renville  County," 

When  the  case  again  came  before  the  District  court,  the  court 
affirmed  the  order  of  the  county  commissioners.  An  interesting 
complication,  however,  arose  at  this  point.  The  petition  and  no- 
tice of  hearing  thereon  contained,  among  other  things,  a  descrip- 
tion of  the  territory  sought  to  be  added.  There  was  a  certain 
eighty  acres,  the  east  half  of  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  21, 
Ericson  township,  which  was  part  of  District  131.  But  the  county 
board,  believing  it  to  be  already  a  part  of  District  43,  included 
it  in  its  description  of  District  43.  The  court,  in  coDtirming  the 
action  of  the  county  board,  excluded  from  its  action,  however, 
the  eiglity  acres  mentioned. 

Those  opposed  to  the  action  of  the  county  board  in  enlarging 
District  40,  declared  that  the  court  had  no  authority  to  make 
this  change,  and  contended  that  the  action  of  the  board  was  il- 
legal on  the  ground  that  the  county  board  had  no  jurisdiction  to 
act ;  that  it  had  acted  against  the  best  interests  of  the  territory 
affected;  and  that  it  had  exceeded  its  jurisdiction  by  including 
in  its  acts  lands  which  were  a  part  of  District  131,  and  that  no 
notice  of  hearing  was  posted  in  the  district,  or  ever  served  on 
the  clerk  or  any  of  the  officers,  and  that  the  district  had  no  notice 
or  knowledge  of  the  hearing. 

The  opposition  likewise  contended  that  the  petition  to  the 
county  board  had  not  been  signed  by  a  majority  of  the  legal 
votera  residing  in  the  district,  as  the  women  of  the  district  were 
legal  voters,  qualified  to  vote  on  educational  matters. 

The  Supreme  court,  however,  Feb.  7,  1913,  sustained  the  ac- 
tion of  the  District  court  in  confirming  the  act  of  the  county 
commissioners  and  the  long  litigation  was  ended. 

.  Bnffalo  Lake  Public  Schools.  The  Buffalo  Lake  school,  built 
in  1894,  is  a  two-story  brick  building,  containing  four  rooms, 
and  is  located  on  a  slight  elevation  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  vil- 
lage. It  is  in  Independent  District  No.  53,  The  work  of  the 
eight  grades  is  carried  on  and  also  two  years  of  high  school  work, 
including  two  years  in  German.  Sewing  is  carried  on  in  the  upper 
grades.  There  is  a  reference  library  of  over  eight  hundred  vol- 
umes. There  are  at  present  about  twenty-five  pupils  attending 
the  high  school  and  about  one  hundred  and  ten  in  the  grades. 
The  earliest  records  date  back  to  1876.  The  voters  of  the  district 
met  at  the  home  of  the  district  elerk,  in  a  special  meeting,  Mon- 
day evening,  June  19,  1876,  and  unanimously  voted  to  erect  a 
new  school  house,  issuing  bonds  to  the  amount  of  $500.     It  was 


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674  HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY 

agreed  to  erect  the  schoolhouse  on  the  grounds  belonging  to 
Mons  Monsou  and  Curtis  Bowen,  east  of  the  fort.  (The  old  fort 
was  at  the  southern  end  of  Buffalo  Lake.)  It  was  also  voted  to 
have  three  mouths  of  school  and  the  teacher's  salary  was  to  be 
$40,  At  a  meeting  in  1883  it  was  decided  to  build  a  new  school- 
house  and  the  contract  was  let  to  C.  Riebe,  who  was  to  build  a 
school  building  18  by  36  feet  and  twelve  feet  high,  for  the  con- 
sideration of  $600.  This  building  is  still  standing.  It  was  moved 
into  the  village  from  the  old  site,  and  is  now  used  as  a  private 
residence.  Sept.  3,  1892,  a  special  meeting  was  held  at  the  school- 
house,  and  it  was  decided  to  erect  a  new  school  building  of  brick, 
50  by  50  feet  and  24  feet  high  with  a  gabled  roof.  Bonds  were 
issued  for  $4,000  for  the  building  and  $500  for  the  purchase  of 
a  site.  J,  R.  Landy,  now  the  editor  of  the  Olivia  "Times,"  once 
presided  over  this  school.  H.  H.  Kent  became  the  principal  in 
1904.  He  was  followed  in  1907  by  William  A.  Schummers,  who 
has  had  a  prominent  part  in  the  preparation  of  this  History  of 
Renville  County.  While  Mn  Schummers  was  principal,  the  two 
years  of  high  school  work  was  inaugurated.  In  1910,  A.  L.  Swen- 
flon  became  principal.  He  served  two  years.  Mr.  Swenson  was 
drowned  during  a  summer  vacation.  The  present  principal,  Jo- 
seph E.  Reichert,  followed  Mr.  Swenson.  He  is  now  serving  his 
fourth  year. 

Danube  Public  Sohot^  The  first  school  within  the  village 
limits  of  Danube  was  built  in  1904  at  a  cost  of  $4,000,  the  school 
having  previously  been  located  about  one-half  mile  south  of  its 
present  location.  Nellie  Pettis  and  Miss  Leonard  were  the  flrst 
teachers.  The  people  of  Danube  are  firm  believers  in  education 
and  the  school  building  is  perhaps  the  most  prominent  feature  in 
the  village.  It  is  a  two-story  building,  having  four  school  rooms, 
a  library  room,  a  recitation  room,  two  store  rooms,  halls  and 
cloak  rooms.  In  1914  the  building  was  rebuilt  at  a  cost  of  $14,500 
and  was  improved  in  every  respect,  modern  conveniences  were 
installed,  as  to  heating  and  ventilation,  including  steam  heat, 
ventilation  by  fan,  toilets,  septic  tank,  drinking  fountains,  fire 
alarm,  etc.  A  gymnasium  was  built  in  the  basement.  The  school 
is  in  District  No.  89,  There  is  a  text-book  library,  free  text-books 
being  furnished  to  the  pupils,  and  a  reference  library  of  about 
four  hundred  volumes.  Besides  the  regular  eight  grades,  two 
years  of  high  school  are  now  carried  on.  The  school  board  has 
recently  established  a  department  of  domestic  science,  thus  round- 
ing out  a  course  so  complete  that  every  child  in  the  village  or 
community  may  have  the  benefit  of  a  good  practical  common 
school  education,  without  the  necessity  of  leaving  home. , 

The  first  school  in  District  No.  89  was  held  in  1883  by  Emily 
Johnson,  at  a  salary  of  $20  per  month.  The  present  principal, 
A.  M.  Taylor,  succeeded  C.  A.  Heileg  in  1915.     There  are  four 


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HISTORY  OF  RENVILLE  COUNTY  675 

teachers  in  the  grades,  and  one  special  instructor  for  the  domes- 
tic science. 

The  first  achool  board  consisted  of  the  following:  A.  F. 
Byers,  clerk ;  John  Schanil,  director,  and  Eohert  Stelter,  treasurer. 
James  McCormiek  was  moderator  or  chairman  of  the  meeting 
when  the  first  board  was  elected.  The  present  school  board  are : 
Adolph  Wallert,  clerk;  F,  A.  Sehroeder,  treasurer j  and  Ed.  Grun- 
nert,  director. 


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