LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. ( liai)..T.Jo\>('opyright No». •JNITED STATES OF AMERICA. t • THE HISTORY -OF- FARIBAULT COUNTY MINNESOTA, From its First Settlement to the Close of the Year 1879. IN THEEE PAETS. FIRST PART. The Annals of the County. PART SECOND. Historical Sketches of the Several ToAvnships. PART THIRD. Historical Sketch of the Govei-nment of the County, and of the Several County Offices. THE STORY OF THE PIONEEIIS BY ^_ J. A. KIESXER, Attorney at Law. T- "Let me speak to the 3'et unknowing world, ^ How these things came about." Shakespeare. NINJ>!EAPOI,IS, ?IINN. HARRISON & SMITH, PRINTERS. •^•o COPYRIGHT J 896 BY A. KIESTER. , A^j ' '.-- ■^A/v, ' DEDICATION. To the early settlers of Faribault County, Minnesota, who have conferred upon me many official positions of trust and honor, and favored me with their unwavering and earnest friendship, during many years, this book is inscribed by the writer as a slight token of his regard for them, and it is his earnest wish that they may be prosperous and happy, that their days may be long in the land, which their labors have done so much to build up, that their sons may be gifted and brave, and their daughters "as the polished corners of the temple," and that all, finally, may rise to a glorious immortality, in the great hereafter. J. A. KIESTER. PREFACE. This book is not a narrative of the lives and deeds of those ■whom the world usually calls its heroes of great achievements, its Genuses, Statesmen, Warriors, Scholars and Princes of wealth. It is rather the unpretentious story of plain people, in the hum- ble walks of life, who have come to this fair portion of God's earth, from almost every land under the sun, to found homes for themselves and their children, and here fill the measure of their lives, and who, facing and conquering the hardships of frontier life, have in the course of years, taken up the lands, opened productive farms, insti- tuted civil government, erected numerous churches and school houses and factories, established newspapers, built railroads and telegraphs and thriving towns, and organized all useful associations, converting the wilderness into a rich and populous county, in which are found all the blessings of an enlightened. Christian civilization. And such deeds too are worthy of historic record. There are as many and as noble deeds of self-sacrifice, of unre- quited toil, of enduring fortitude, of triumph over difficulties, in short, of real heroism, in humble life, everywhere, which never reached the historian, or found a place on his pages, as any that have ever been recorded, "since Hesiod wrote, or Homer sang." The work was not written as a pecuniary speculation,'' but was undertaken many years ago, at the request of many of the early settlers of the county, and for the laudable purpose of preserving a correct account of the people, the times and events of the first set- tlement of the County. It was proper, too, that the record should be written by one of the old settlers. They have made and so shall one of their number write the history. The work was not done in haste, but the leisure hours of many years have been employed in collecting, arranging and digesting the materials, watching and noting the progress of events and in writing the record. The book embraces that portion of the history of the County — the first twenty-five years — which in the lapse of time was most liable to be lost or forgotten, yet which, in the course of years, becomes the most interesting. It may seem premature to even write, but more especially to pub- lish a history of so new a county as this, yet it is true that the first quarter of a century in the history of the County, now passed, seems in a great measure, to constitute a period, or epoch, complete in itself, covering as it does, the first settlement of the different parts of the County, and the origin of almost all its civil, religious, edu- cational and industrial institutions. PREFACE. 5 It is, so to speak, the epoch of first things, now comiDleted. But, however little interest the book may now possess, the time will probably come as the years go by, and when the first settlers of the County shall have passed away, when its contents will acquire an interest and an importance, not now possibly comprehended or appreciated. In the future, questions will arise pertaining to the times and events covered by the history, which can be answered only by a reference to its pages. The book was written not for the present only, but also for the future, and it may contain some- thing which may be helpful to those who are to make the history of that great future. A writer of history has very truthfully said: "The important duty of preserving local history and recording the events that attend the origin of institutions and communities, is too often neglected until a period, when truth becomes blended with fable and the original materials, one by one, disappearing, leave the analysis of events involved in an impenetrable mist of conflicting traditions." Original and authentic sources of information have been referred to, in collecting the materials for the work, always preferring to rely on written or printed statements, rather than merely upon the uncertain memory of events long past. The official records of the County and of the several townships and villages, of religous and other societies, the files of local newspapers, standard histories of the State, official reports and the State archives have been carefully consulted. Where no record of events existed, reference was had to the actors, or eye-witnesses themselves, and no time, labor or expense has been spared to make every date and statement correct, yet in such a multitude of names and d^^tes, there are doubtless some errors, but if so, they are of minor importance. That which purports to be history is worthless as such, unless it be true. Do not hastily question the accuracy of the work. The events of the first year of this history were mainly obtained from Mr. M. Sailor, himself, the first settler of the County. Those of the second year were derived mainly from J. B. Wake- field, G. B. Kingsley, H. P. Constans, H. T. Stoddard, Andrew C. Dunn and others, who were the principal actors in the events of that time. Prom near the beginning of the third year, the writer himself, was personally present and noted events as they occurred. The writer had also a personal acquaintance with almost all the first settlers of the several townships and obtained the facts relating to their first settlement and other events, from them directly. The history was not written from any local standpoint, or out- look, and no local, or personal prejudices warp or color any of its statements, but it was written "With malice toward none, with 6 PREFACE. charity for all" and for the whole County. Not wishing "To make or to mar any man's fortunes," the writer has on the one hand avoided the adulation of any one. and on the other, he has refrained from censuring the acts, or impugning the motives of individuals, or parties, even where the truth of history, in a few instances, seemed almost to demand severe criticism. There are some things, though true, and even of some importance, that had better sleep in oblivion. Let them rest. This book purporting to be a history and not a biographical repository, the brief personal and biographical notices given are of those only who were connected with the more important offices and events referred to in the history. No other rule of practical value could be adopted. Special notices, or bio- graphical sketches of many omitted in this volume, will be given in the next. The work is not a mere narrative of events and collection of biographies, but the writer has sought to weave into the record some observations, thoughts and suggestions, on various topics, con- nected with the history, which may be of value lo some, and it was the design and hope that the volume might contribute something to the information of at least some of its readers on certain special subjects and be worthy of perusal in the family circle around the hearthstone, in the quieter and better hours of life, and be left as a brief memorial by our old settlers, to their children, of 4heir lives and labors here. Many subjects referred to in this work might have been treated more elaborately, but a low. small voice continually whispered con- dense, condense. The work of writing the history was not little, nor without difiSculties, and few can appreciate them who have not attempted such work. The book makes no pretention to literary merit, ele- gance of style or completness of arrangement, and possesses but a local interest It is hoped that it may be received and treated in the same candid and kindly spirit in which it was written. The writer is under obligations to many friends for their kind- ness and courtesy in furnishing him with information required in writing the history, and who have, from time to time, inquireil of the progress being made, and now to each and all of them, he tenders his sincerest acknowledgments. But the writer desires especially, to express here, the acknowledgment of his many obligations to the Hon. S. P. Child, for his valuable assistance in the publication of of this work, and to say that whatever may be the merits, or de- merits of the book. Mr. Child is in no way responsible for any of its contents. J. A. KIESTER. Blue Earth City. Minn.. August. 1696. IXTEODrCTIOX. SECTION FmST. A BRIEF SKETCH OF MFN'XESOTA. L'EioUe du Xord. The district of country known as Minnesota, of which Faribault county is a part, lies betweem 43-30' and 49^ north latitude and extends in part fromf9-39' to 97^5' -svest longitude. It is baunied on the Xorth by the British Possessions, on the East by Lake Su- jjerior and the State of Wisconsin, on the South by the State of Iowa and on the West by Dakota Territory. Minnesota originjilly. however, extended westward to the Mis- souri river and was once -The land of the Dakotas," who were the aboriginal inhabitants, and here lived and loved and warred and died, through centuries, the number of which no one will ever know. Minnesota derives its name from the principal river within its boundaries — the Minnesota. The compound word Minnesota is composed of the Indian words Minne — meaning water and So-tah — meaning sky-tinted — the land of sky-tinted waters, because its numerous lakes and streams reflect, in their crystal depths, the clouds and blue of the over-arching skies. Minnesota contains S3, 53 1 square miles, equal to 5o.4o9,>40 acres of land, an area greater than all Xew England, and almost equal to the combined areas of the gres: s:a:'?s of Pennsylvania and Ohio. The geographical posiiion of the Sraie :s h.gn.y favorab.e — :: :s the central portion of the Continent of Xorth America, lying mid- way between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans on the east and west. and Hudson's Bay on the north and the Gulf of Mexico on the south. It is also in a large sense, the summit of the east half of the Continent — a high undulating plateau, table land or plain, having an average elevation of nearly one thousand feet above the level of the sea. and forms the water shed of the three great river systems 8 lllSTOllY OF of a large part of North America — that of the Mississippi which flows southward to the Gulf of Mexico; that of the St Lawrence, which connected with the Northern lakes has an easterly direction to the Atlantic Ocean and that of the Red River of the North, which Hows northerly to Lalce Wiunepeg, which has its outlet in Hudson's Bay. A glance at the map of this grand territory — Minnesota — exhibits it lined all over by numerous streams of water, which furnish the most abundant water power, and six of which are. or were formerly, navigable, and the whole surface is dotted over with lakes, nearly ten thousand in number and ranging in size from fifty rods to thirty miles in diameter, and on its eastern bbrder lies the largest lake of the world — Superior. Few regions of the world possess more beautiful and romantic scenery than Minnesota, especially that along the Mississippi river. The state has been appropriately named ••The Star of the North " and "The Empire State of the New Noi-thwest." It may also be as properly called The Mother of Rivers, The Land of the Lakes or The Summit State. The soil of the State, speaking generally, is of great fertility. It is a dark, calcarious, sandy loam and abounds in mineral elements and the rich organic ingredients, resulting from the de- composition of the vegetable growth of untold ages and is from one to four feet in depth. It is a valleij soil. It has been determined by climatologists, that "the cultivated plants yield the greatest pro- ducts near the northermost limits at which they will grow." and this law finds abundant illustration in the amount and perfection of the products of Minnesota. The climate of Minnesota has often been unjustly disparaged. But a word will be said here in I'eference to this sublect, it being more fully treated elsewhere. It is suflicient to say here, that Min- nesota possesses a modified mountain climate, the seasons more or less distinctly marked, follow each other in regular suc- cession. The atmosphere is pure, dry and invigorating and the climate is adapted to the growth of all the grains and the leading fruits of the middle states in their pro))er season, and the general heathfulness of the entire state, as the statistics fully show, is not surpassed by any other country on ihe globe. This is enough. Though Minnesota is called a prairie state, yet about one third of its area is covered with native timber. Its pine forests in the northern part of the State are among the most extensive and valu- able in the northwest and furnish an immense lumber trade. The "Big Woods" tract, lying on both sides of the Minnesota river and about one hundred miles long and of an average width of forty miles. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 9 is the largest body of hardwood timber, of all varieties, between the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. Elsewhere timber is found in groves, bordering the streams and lakes, throughout the State. Among the other natural resources of the State mention may be made of her inexhaustible raw material of iron, copper, slate, gran- ite, clay, limestone, superior building stone, salt springs and glass sand. The statement is eminently truthful that Minnesota contains within itself, all the elemental requisites of a very rich and very independent state. It is claimed that Minnesota was discovered in the year 1680 by Louis Hennepin, a Francescan priest and his companions Picard du Gay and Michael Ako. In the spring of that year, coming from Canada by way of the lakes and the Illinois river, they ascended the Mississippi on an exploring expedition and were captured by the Indians and carried far north and in their travels discovered the Falls of St. Anthony, which Father Hennepin named. After wan- dering about with the Indians for three months they in June, on their return, met Sieur du Luth, a French explorer, and several soldiers under his command. In the fall they all returned to Canada. Two centuries later (1880). the second centennial of these events was celebrated in the splendid city of Minneapolis, with appropriate ceremonies and eloquent addresses. It has also been claimed that Sieur du Luth, rather than Father Hennepin and his companions, was the real discoverer of Minne- sota. But it is quite certain that long before any of these persons visited this country, two French fur traders, about 1654-9, visited Minnesota and spent some two years in this region. In 1689 Nicholas Perrot, a man of much influence with the Indian tribes, was made commandant of this region of country and under a commission from the governor of Canada, took formal possession of the country, in the name and on behalf of the King of France. Louis the XIV, Le Grand Monarque then held the imperial scepter of France. In 1700 M. Le Sueur, who had accompanied Perrot and had sub- sequently gone to France, returned with a company of miners and ascended the Minnesota river, as far as the mouth of the Blue Earth River, near which he built a fort and spent the winter. In 1727 a company of soldiers were sent in from Canada, accompanied by a number of traders and missionaries. They built a fort on the west shore of Lake Pepin. The history of Minnesota from 1700, for more than half a cen- tury, is but a broken narrative of the adventures of explorers and traders, and of the toils and suffering of devoted missionaries in their efforts to plant the standard of the cross and proclaim to the sav- age nations the blessed gospel of Jesus the Christ. On the eighth 10 HISTORY OF day of September, 17G3, the French surrendered their posts in Can- ada and by the treaty of Versailles, in 1763, ceded the district of country embracing: Wisconsin and that part of Minnesota lying east of the Mississippi to England and west of it to Spain. In 17G(3 Jonathan Carver, exploring the northwest, entered the Mississippi by way of the Wisconsin river and proceeded as far north as the "curling waters" of St. Anthony's Palls. He also ascended the Minnesota River a considerable distance and spent several months with the Indians, e.xploring the country. He subsequently went to England and published an account of his adventures. By the treaty of peace at the close of the War of the Revolution (1783) England ceded her claims to all the territory south of the present British Possessions and east of the Mississippi, to the United States. This cession included all that part of Minnesota east of the Mississippi river. George the Third was then King of England and our Continental Congress, which had given the king so much trouble, represented the sovereignty of the United States of America. The constitution had not then been adopted, nor had the first president been elected. The Province of Louisiana, which included, with much other territory, that portion of Minnesota which lies west of the Missis- sippi obtained by Spain in 1763 from France, was retroceded by that power to France in 1800. During the Spanish supremacy, Charles the Third, a wise prince, and Charles the Fourth, an unwise one. sat upon the gorgeous throne of old Spain. The same territory was in the year 1803 sold by France to the United States, for fifteen millions of dollars and is known as the Louisiana pui-chase. During the above period of three years, the great Napoleon was the sovereign ruler of the larger portion of Minnesota and at the time of the purchase Thomas Jefferson was president of the United States. In 1805, General Z. M. Pike, an officer of the United States, explored this region and obtained from the Indians a grant of lands on which, in 1820, Fort Snelling was built. He proceeded as far north as Sandy and Leech lakes, where he found several forts oc- cupied by English fur traders. He also found the flag of old Eng- land bravel}' flying over these forts, which in the eye of our General was inimical to the sovereignty of the United States and he, there- fore, ordered these flags down and the Stars and Stripes set up, never to be lowered on this soil. It may here be observed that Minnesota has, in time been subject to Great Britain (in part). Spain. France and lastly to the dominion of the United States, four of the most enlightened and powerful nations that appear in the world's history. But more, the first occupants of the soil, the aboriginees, were among the FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 11 most numerous, haughty and warlike of the Indian nations that held sway over the continent, at the advent of the white man. To all this we may add the words of Judge Plandreu, contained in a late address before the Historical Society : "Our state had rather a mixed origin. Its mothers were the Northwestern Territory and Louisiana. The first gave us what lies east of the Mississippi, and the last what we embrace west of that stream; and before we became Minnesota we were on the west side of the river, first Louisiana, then Missouri, then Michigan, then Wisconsin, then Iowa." On the east side of the Mississippi we were, first Northwest Territory, which belonged to Virginia and was ceded by that state to the United States; it was next Indiana, and next Wisconsin." During the war of 1812, the Indians in this region were gener- ally opposed to the United States, being incited to this enmity by the British fur traders of the Northwest, but after the peace of 1815, they submitted to the federal authority. • In the year 1812, Lord Selkirk, a Scotch nobleman, established a small colony, mainly of Scotchmen, near the British line on the Red River of the North, in British territory, known as the Selkirk Settlement. Some years later a number of Swiss immigrants set- tled in the Colony. The settlement was greatly persecuted by the employees of the Hudson Bay Pur Company, and met with many misfortunes by fire, flood, grasshoppers and failure of crops, when about 1827, a company of the Swiss left the Colony and located near the site of St. Paul, and became the pioneers of agriculture in Minnesota and its first white settlers, other than United States troops and Indian traders. The first Mill was erected in 1822, and in 1823 the first Steam- boat that ascended the Mississippi, arrived at Port Snelling, to the great astonishment of the natives, who thought it some horrible monster of the waters, having a voice like a demon, and on hearing which they scarnpered away and hid themselves In 1832 the first regular mail was brought to Port Saelling. By the treaty made in 1887. the Indians ceded all their lands east of the Mississippi to the United States. In 18'11 a Roman Catholic Chapel was built on the site of what is now the live and rapidly growing city of St. Paul, the Capital of the State, a city with a grand future. The Chapel was dedicated to St. Paul, and hence the name of the city, the site of which was pre- viously named "Pig's Eye." And now we have reached in our sketch the period of those important events, which in America are premonitory of the birth of a great State— the fading out of the era of savage occupancy and the rule of the strong and bloody hand and the dawn of the era in- 12 UlSTOItY OF augurating the supremacy of law- civil government and enlightened progress. On the M day of March, 1H49. Con','ress passed a bill organizinfj the ■•Territory of Minnesota." the Territory extending as far west as the Missouri river. Hon. Alexander Ramsey, of Pennsylvania, was ajipointcd Governor by the President. Gen. Zach Taylor, and on the first day of .June of that year proclaimed the territorial gov- ernment organized with the following ofhcers: Governor, ALEX.\NDKR RAMSEY. Secretary, C. K. SMITH. Chief Justice. AARON GOODRICH. Associates. D. COOPER and B. B. MEEKER. Marshall, .1. L. TAYLOR. U. S. Attorney, H. L. MOSS. The inhabitants of the Territory then numbered 4.680. On the i3d day of September, following, the First Territorial Legislative Assembly met at St. Paul, -and among much other im- portant business transacted, created nine counties which were named as follows: Itaska. Wabasha. Dakota. Cass, Chisago, Ramsey, Pem- bina, Benton and Washington. By treaty in 1651. the Dakotas ceded to the United States all their lands in the Territory west of the Mississippi to the Sioux river and Lake Traverse, except a small tract on the upper Minnesota, kept as a Reservation. Immigration now began to pour into the Territory in a mighty stream, compared with which the first settlement of other states was but insignificant. Lands were taken up, farms opened, great high- ways established, water powers improved, towns and cities grew up as by magic, apparent prosperity was seen on every side, specu- lation in wild lands and town lots ran wild, fortunes were being made in a day, so to speak, and everything was progressing for some years, at high tide, when suddenly the great commercial revulsion of 1857 came and the bubble of land speculation burst. Then dawned the real, permanent prosperity of Minnesota. A Convention to frame a Constitution for the now proposed State, met at St. Paul in July, 1857, and drafted a Constitution, •which was submitted to the people of the Territory at a general election held in October, following, and was adopted. On the 11th day of May, 185S, the new state was admitted into the Union with its present boundaries, and Minnesota took its place in the great Union of States, as the thirtj- second state. When the great Rebellion broke out in 1861, our State was the first to respond to the call for troops to put down the rebellion, and the State furnished during the war 24,263 soldiers. This was a FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 13 larger number of soldiers in proportion to population than that furnished by any other state, and no state of the loyal North made a more brilliant record during the war than Minnesota. In August, 1862, there occurred on the western frontiers of the State, an appalling massacre of settlers, by the Dakota or Sioux Indians — the most atrocious butchery and destruction ever known in the history of Indian warfare. Huadreds of men, women and children were killed, thousands were driven from their homss and millions of dollars worth of property was lost, wasted and destroyed. In 1863, the Sioux and Winnebago Indians were removed from the State by the general government, to localities on the Missouri river, and their old "reservations" here were subsequently thrown open to sale and settlement, and long since became the abode of large and prosperous agricultural communities. It is unnecessai-y to the purposes of this work to trace the his- tory further of this great State. It may be remarked, however, that from the beginning of the immigration and settlement of the State in 1851, the growth of the State in population and permanent im- provements, notwithstanding fioancial revulsions, the great rebel- lion, the Indian massacre and grasshopper invasions, for several years, has been exceedingly rapid and probably without a parallel, and attests to the vast natural advantages and x'esources of the State and the indomitable and progressive spirit of its people. Minnesotans are justly proud of their State and its wonderful development, and they look forward with confidence to a future, now not distant, when the State shall be one of the most populous and wealthy in the American Union. Here, said that far seeing statesman, Wm. H. Seward, in his great speech in St. Paul in 1860, "Here is the place — the cent- ral place, where the richest agricultural region of North America must pour out its tribute to the whole world." But he said more, hear the grand prophecy! "I now believe that the ultimate last seat of government on this great Continent, will be found some where within a circle or radius not vez'y far from the spot on which I now stand, at the head of navigation of the Mississippi river." Here is a splendid future foretold. Twenty years have passed away since the prophecy was uttered and the great statesman has been gathered to the fathers. In the meantime, what have we been doing? Let us take a brief retrospect. In this sketch we have been dealing with general facts, let figures now "be submitted to a candid world." They will show how broad, and deep, and strong the foundations of a gi'eat state have been laid, and how rapidly and amply the structure is being reared. 14 HfSTOIiY OF But thirty years have passed since the territorial government was organized and we had then a population of 4, 6^0, and in 1890, by the national census, 780,806. In 1850 the area of tilled land was 1,900 acres, in 1880. 4.503.716. And the plow lay not idly in the furrows those years. Here is the exhibit of certain staple agricultural productions, in bushels: WHEAT OATS CORN 1860 1865 1870 1875 1879 5,101,432 9,475,000 n.2K3,12I :tO,()79.;iOO 31,218,634 2.912.857 4,000,000 10,588,689 13.801,761 20,667,933 3,143,577 6,092,230 7,195,681 12.939,900 The following is the statement of the live stock. 1879 Horse-s 225,403 Cattle 557,914 She.'p 203,791 Hogs :il6,9l3 The wholesale trade is estimated at Forty Million dollars an- nually. MANUFACTURES. The following statistics are taken from the United States Census of 1880: There are 124 different manufacturing industries and 3,493 establishments. Capital empU.yed $31,000,000 Average number of hands employed 21,247 -Vmount of wages paid during the year $8,613,094 Value of products $76,065,198 Ten dilTerenl dassesof manufactures produced each, over $1,000,000 In value. Truly Minnesota is destined to be a great manufacturing state. The rapid increase in the wealth of the State, may be inferred from the following exhibit of the assessed valuation of taxable pi-operty: I860. $36,753,408 1865 45,184,063 1 870 87, 133,673 1H75 218,855,743 1,S79 242,430.4.39 In 1857. congress made a large grant of lands in aid of a most magnificent railroad system. The first mile of road was not com- pleted until 1862. but in 1880. 3,099 miles had been built, penetrating, as any map of the State will show, to all parts of the State and one line of which, the Northern Pacific, was designed to reach the Pacific Ocean, and has already reached its far western terminus. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 15 All the Christian denominations ai'e represented in Minnesota, and the clergy compare favorably with those of any country. Many of them are men of high culture and of great eloquence and efficiency. No other state in the Union has such a magnificent provision for common schools and free education. Two sections of land in every township in the State, are set apart for this purpose, the proceeds of the sales of which are from time to time invested in interest paying bonds, the interest on which and on deferred pay- ments on sales being applied to the support of common schools. The public school fund already amounts to $3,500,000 and is con- stantly increasing from further sales of land. In 1879 there were 3,284 school houses, 4,872 teachers and 160,867 scholars. The State has also a state university in successful operation, which has a permanent fund of §375,000, which will be increased by further sales of special grants of land. The State has also three state normal schools and these have also a grant of 225,000 acres of land. In addition to all this, there are some sixty denominational schools, some of which rank very high. As a part of the educational system of the State, and as indicating something of tho intelligence of the people, it should be stated that many excellent newspapers and jDeriodicals are published in the State, almost every county having one, or more. Among the other great public institutions, it must not be over- looked that the State has now two hospitals for the insane, an institution for the deaf, dumb and blind, a reform school and a state prison, all admirably conducted. In all this but a very general exhibit is presented of the marve- lous development and present condition of the State. It is a source of pride and hope and reviewing it the thought is suggested, what, at this rate of progress, with the vast possibilities evidently here, shall be the grand totals, which may be written, at the end of another quarter of a century? And now we close this sketch with the testimony of a non- resident, impartial and well informed-witness: "I will venture the general statement that no state in the Union has today the same pi'oportioa of people to its entire population, more thoroughly educated and refined; that no such proportion of fine churches, splendid schools and educational appliances of so complete a character and such general provision for everything, which pertains to healthy civilization and generous social culture elsewhere exists, as in Minnesota. The railway, the telegraph, the newspaper are everywhere. Everything is bright and fresh and new, and the gigantic and wonderful progress, which is here uni- versal is universally stamped with such elegance and beauty, as have only come with half centuries in older communities." 16 HISTORY OF The writer is indebted for much of the substance of the above sketch, to Neill's History of Minnesota. Minnesota as it is in 1870, Footprints of Time, American Cyclopedia, United States Statutes, Tit. Treaties, History of St. Paul and Ramsey County and several state and other publications. The foregoing statistics show the progress of the State up to the closing period of this history, 1879, soon after which time they were compiled. But many years have passed since that date, and it is, there- fore, proper to add now, a few additional facts and figures, exhibit- ing the advancement of the State, up to the present time— the year of publication of this work. Population of the state In 1895 1,574,619 Assessed value of real estate , $353,157,461 Assessed value of personal estate 104,012,823 Total $857,170,284 STATE INSTITUTION.S. University of Minnesota, including Department of Agriculture and Experiment Station. Four State Normal Schools. Eighty eight State High Schools. ■• Over Six thousand District Schools. There are also many denominational Schools and Colleges in the state. Permanent SUte University Fund. . . . Sl.034.067. Permanent State School Fund 811,000,000. And these funds are constantly increasing. Institute for Defectives, embracing School for the Blind, School for the Deaf, School for the Feeble-minded. Faribault. Three Hospitals for the Insane, and a fourth one to be erected immedaitely. State Public School for Dependent and Neglected Children. Owalonna. State Agricultural Society, possessing extensive grounds and buildings. State Reform School. Red Wing. State Historical Society, having a Library of over 50,000 vol- umes. St. Paul. State Soldiers Home. Minnehaha Falls. State Library of 2."), 000 volumes, which is in fact the great State Law Library. St. Paul. Stale Reformatory. St. Cloud. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 17 State Prison. Stillwater. There are now 7,000,000 acres of cultivated land in the State and 100,000 farms. Production of three great cereals. ( Taken from latest report of the U. S. Department of Agriculture.) Wheat 41,210,000 bushels. Corn 24,]92,000 " Oats 43,578,000 By this report Minnesota is the greatest wheat growing state in the Union, except one. NUMBER OF CERTAIN LIVE STOCK. Horses, all ages 523,205. Cattle, including cows 945,490. Sheep 352,-347. Hogs 278,251. There are six thousand miles of Rail Roads in operation in the State. There are 146 State Banks and 79 National Banks, and numer- ous private Banks. There are also many State Boards, Societies and Commissions, which we cannot name here. IRON MINES. Within the past decade it has been discovered that Minnesota possesses the greatest iron ore district in the world and to-day a great number of mines are open aud worked, from which a vast output is shipped to the large iron manufacturing centers. The business is yet but in its infancy. MANUFACTURES. According to the national census of 1890, there were then em- ployed in the State 79,629 persons, working in the manufacturing establishments of the State, to whom there was paid, as wages, §38,189,239. One of the great industries of the State is the manufacture of flour. The production of flour exceeds that of any other state in the Union, and in fact nearly equals the output of all the other states combined. Ten million of barrels was the output for the year ending De- cember 31, 1894. The flour of this State is sent to all parts of the world. The manufacture of lumber has reached enormous proportions. The lumber cut, at Minneapolis alone, for 1894, amounted to 491,256,793 feet, besides shingles and lath. The still existing vast forests of pine, give the assurance of the continuance of this industry for years to come. 18 HISTORY OF Numerous other manufacturing establishments exist throughout the State, such as paper makers, extensive brick yards, potteries, agricultural implement, sash and door and furniture factories, and others too uumorous to mention. DAIRYING. The production of butter and cheese is already very great, an- nually, the former by the last report exceeded 40,000.000 pounds and the latter 2,000,000 pounds. Creameries are numerous through- out the State. The reader may now compare these latter figures with those given for 1879, and he will be surprised and gratified at the truly wonderful advancement of the State and may indeed, say that here "Progress swells on every breeze." FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 19 SECTION SECOND. LOCATION AND PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF FARIBAULT COUNTY. It has been wisely said "The physical characteristics of a land should be known, to correctly understand the history of its people." It is indeed true that the skies that are over them, the scenes that are around them, the climate they live in, even the food they eat and the very air they breath, all exert a powerful influence on the lives, the character and the achievements of a people. Faribault county is situated on the southern boundary of the State, in the valley of the Blue Earth river, and in the center of the most southern tier of counties. It is bounded on the north by Blue Earth and Waseca counties, on the east by Freeborn county, on the south by Winnebago and Kossuth counties, in the State of Iowa and on the west by Martin county. That portion of the State, now comprised within the boundaries of this county, with much other territory, was by authority of the general government, surveyed and divided into townships and lesser subdivisions in the year 1854. The county is comprised of townships 10 L, lO'J, 103, 101 north, in Ranges 24, 25, 26, 27 and 28 west, of the 5th principal Meridian, being twenty Congressional, or Land-survey townships, each six miles square, each township containing thirty-six square miles, each square mile being a section. Hence the county is thirty miles long, east and west, and twenty-four miles wide, north and south, and con- tains seven hundred and twenty- three square miles, or sections in- cluding fractions, and 463,184 acres of land, of which there is covered by water 9,151 acres. When the county was first formed, it embarced four more towns on the west, in Range 29,butthey were detached and added to Martin County, by act of the Legislature passed May 23d, 1857. The general surface of the county is not broken or hilly, but is slightly and desirably varied, or in other words, is gently undulat- ing, or "rolling,'" thus affording natural drainage and facilities for artificial drainage, if desired. There is but little waste, or unpro- 20 HI STORY OF ductivG lands. The surface of the county permits the making of good, dry roads, of easy grade and at little cost. And here some britf observations as to the geological forma- tion and history of the land, embraced within the limits of the county, are appropriate. Tlie county is covered heavily by drift, or diluvium, and there is no where any out crop of the bedrock, wilnin the county. But some of our readers may be pleased with some explanation of the term •'drift,' in this connection. The following quotations, relating to this subject, are taken from Wells' First Principles of Geology: ••The theory of the drift, which has been originated by Lyell, Hitchcock and other authorities, and which is now accepted by most geologists, is substantially as follows: It is supposed that about the close of the tertiary epoch, a subsidence of land took place in the Northern Hemisphere, which was accompanied by a great reduction of temperature, and that as in consequence of this access of cold. Glaciers formed upon most of the northern mountains and as in Greenland, at the present day, extended to the sea "Large islands and bergs of floating ice, laden with detritus (clay, sand, gravel and rock-masses) were also moved southerly, from the Polar regions, by oceanic currents. ••When the ice bergs and floes melted, their burdens of detritus, including fragments of rock, both large and small, which^had been frozen into them, as parts of glaciers or coast ice, would fall to the bottom of the ocean and in this way boulders, as well as finer ma- terials, would be scattered over extensive areas." P. P. 304, 30iJ. ••Finally, it is supposed, a gradual elevation of the submerged lands took place and that during their re-emergence the materials which covered them, were still further modified by exposure to the disturbing and stratifying action of waves, ice, tides and currents." pg. 305 ••In America the drift extended from the Polar regions, as far south as about latitude, forty degrees." pg. 297. And now a further word in reference to boulders, or lost rocks, so many of which are scattered over the surface of our county. ••The boulders which are everywhere characteristic of the drift for- mation, vary in size from a few pounds, to masses of hundreds, or even thousands of tons weight. They are generally more or less rounded in form, as if water worn, and are unlike the rocks in place, which underlie them." '•In short » * * the most superficial observer could hardly fail to arrive at the conclusion, that they are foreign lo the localities where they occur and must have been transported from a distance, by some powerful agency;" such as that above indicated. (Pg. 298. ) FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 21 It is, perhaps, proper to say that other theories, explanatory of the drift phenouiena, have been proposed fi'om time to time. For what is further said here, in reference to this subject, the writer is indebted to that admirable work, "The Geological and Natural History Survey of Minnesota," volume I, chapter 14. "The whole of Faribault county lies within the basin of the Blue Earth River, which flows northerly; * * * while the east fork of this river, formed by Jones and Brush Creeks, in the south- east part of the county, flows west * * * and joins the main stream. The middle part of the north third of the county, is drained by the head streams of the Maple river, which is tributary to the Le Sueur and through that to the Blue Earth River. The northeastern town- ship is drained principally by the Big Cobb river, also reaching the Blue Earth through the Le Sueur river. The general slopes of the surface thus descend northward; fx-om the southeast part of the county westerly to Blue Earth City, and from its west boundary east- erly to the Blue Earth river." "The thickness of the drift upon this county, probably varies fi'om 75 to 200 feet, averaging 125, or jjerhaps 150 feet. It is com- posed mainly of till, which encloses occasional veins and beds of gravel and sand." "The streams have channelled from thirty to one hundred feet into the drift." "The bottom land, five to twenty feet above the streams, is mainly from a quarter to a half mile wide, bordered by steep blutfs^ that rise to the * * * expanse of till' * * * which covers the whole county, excepting two belts of morainic hills. One of these extends from (the town of ) Kiester, in the southeast corner of the county, northwestward, nearly to Delavan; and the other, which lies mostly in Iowa, includes the southern edge of Elmore and Pilot Grove." "The mean elevation of the county is 1,130 feet, very nearly above the sea. The highest points, the hills in section 3, Kiester, are about 1,400 feet above the sea, and its lowest land, in the val- leys of the Blue Earth and Maple rivers, slightly less than 1,000." In conclusion of this subject here, it is interesting to learn that in the Ice Age, the basin of the Blue Earth river covering almost all of this county and portions of adjoining counties, there existed a great glacial lake, dammed on the north by the barrier of the wan- ing ice sheet of the last glacial epoch, during a considerable time, in which this was retreating northward and northwestward from the south line of the State, and from its eastern moraine, until its re- cession uncovered the present avenue of drainage, to the northeast, by the Minnesota river. Until this avenue of outflow was opened, "the outlet of this glacial lake was in Kossuth CountJ^ Iowa, at the 22 lllSToliV OF head of the most southern branch of the Blue Earth river, where Union Slough occupies a continuous channel from the head-waters of the Blue Earth to Buffalo creek and the east fork of the Des Moines." The depth of this lake in the north part of this county, ranged from tifty to one hundred and twenty five feet. But unnumbered centuries have rolled away since the tremen- dous "ice age." of which our knowledge at best, is but conjectural. Let us resume the description of the county, as it is known in our own time. The county is well watered throughout, the number and distri- bution of the streams and lakes being admirable, a*: will appear by a glance at the map of the county. The main streams are the Blue Earth, Maple and Cobb rivers, and Coon, Badger, Olter, South, Middle, Elm. Foster and Brush creeks, and many small, nameless rivulets. There are also the following lakes: Minnesota, Bass, Maple, Pilot Grove, Ozatonka, Walnut, Swan and two Rice lakes, besides a number of small lakelets not named. Minnesota lake is the largest body of water in the county. In digging wells water is usually found in abundance at fifteen to seventy feet depth. The well water is very pure, clear and cold, and is slightly impregnated with lime. The streams are indeed "living waters," pure and cold, and usually running with rapid current, over gravelly beds. The lakes are beautiful sheets of water, from twenty rods to three miles in diameter, and are famous for their crystal purity, reflecting in their depths the changing foliage of the groves upon their banks, and the blue and clouds of the summer skies. There is a strange fascination in the silent beauty of these placid mirror-like sheets of water with their frame-work of dark green timber borders. And when it is remembered that here the Indian, not long since, was often seen in his swift canoe skimming over the surface, and that about these lakes ho lived and loved, made war and followed the chase, immagination needs add but little, to invest the scenery with romantic interest. Timber is very well distriljuted throughout the county for a prairie country and is found in sutficient quantities to supply the demand for fuel and other purposes for many years. The facilities for procuring coal from the South and building lumber from the North, by rail, lessens constantly the demand for native limber. The timber is confined mainly to the borders of the lakes and streams and is of great practical advantage to the country besides adding to the beauty of the landscape in breaking up the monotony of "the billowy sea of land." It consists of basswood, burr-oak, black oak, black walnut, butternut, cherry, hickory, ash, red elm, water-elm, ironwood, box- elder, Cottonwood, poplar, hard and soft maple, hawthorn, dogwood, FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 23 hackberry, willow and several other varieties. The predominant and most useful kinds are basswood, oak, walnut, maple, cotton- wood and elm. In addition to the above, the prairie farmers, throughout the county, have set out groves on their lands, of one to ten acres of i-apidly growing varieties of forest trees, which add greatly to the beauty of the country and what is more important, to their comfort and convenience, such groves affording agreeable shade in the heat of summer and protection from the storms of winter. The people of the villages too, have set out vast numbers of shade and ornamental trees, about their premises, along the lines of their streets and on the public squares. The prediction may well be made, that twenty years hence there will be more timber in the county than at its first settlement and that owing to the extent of the groves, and the long lines of trees along the highways, the winds will be tempered and the climate greatly modified, and that the whole county will present the pleasing appearance of a natural arcadia. The soil of the county is a black loam, having a considerable mixtui-e of sand, rendering it warm and causing a very rapid growth of vegetation. It abounds in mineral elements and is rich in organic ingredients, originating from the decay of the vegetable growth of many centuries. It cannot be surpassed in fertility and ranges in depth from two to four feet. The sub-soil is clay. The day will never come, probably, when it can be said that the soil of this county is "worn out." Wheat, oats, barley, corn, and potatoes are the principal productions. Rye, buckwheat, beans, millet, sorghum, broom- corn, flax and tobacco are raised with success. Garden vegetables, in great variety and perfection and in vast quanties are annually produced. Clover, timothy, red top and other tame grasses are raised successfully, but up to the present time, have not been much needed, owing to the great abundance and nutritive quality of the native grasses, which have proved abundantly suflicient, for pasturage and hay. All the cereals, grasses and vegetables raised in the middle states can be raised here and under the higher and better cultivation, which a large population and ample means will effect, in the future, this county will become one of the most pro- ductive and wealthy agricultural districts in the world. The real extent of the producing power of this soil, under high and careful tillage, is yet practically unknown, but it will be seen at no distant day and with astonishment. The climate of this county is that, speaking generally, of the State, but modified somewhat by the fact that the county is situated in the extreme southern part of the State. It is true the winters are usually longer and colder than in the more southern latitudes of the temperate zone, and some winters are colder, longer and 24 HISTOllY OF stormier than others, but it often occurs that there is a milder winter here than in northern New York or in the New England states. And the winters here have ever been as bright and cheerful and marlccd with as much business activity and social and domestic enjoyments, both indoors and out, as they have been in any country north of Mason and Dixon's line. It is also true that when great storms of wind, snow or rain occur in Minnesota, they also usually occur in states much further south or east, and are equally severe ; and while the mercury sinks very low sometimes, unquestionable records prove that the climate here is much more equable, and subject to less sudden changes, than that of many other countries, with which no fault is ever found. But whatever disadvantages, if any, there may bo in the winters being longer or colder than in more .southern latitudes, they are amply counterbalanced by many great advan- tages. This is pre eminently the land of health and of physical and mental activity. The atmosphere is pure, dry and bracing. There are no tainted winds ; no stagnant waters and sluggish streams ; no malaria, no fevers, agues or pulmonary diseases. The bright eye, the ruddy cheek, the swiftly coursing blood and vital energy, the abounding health, which characterize the gi'eat majority of the people of this country, tell a story worth far more than "The balmy breezes," the "soft and fragrant air," and the "Pulseless langour" of " the Sunny South." Considerable attention has been paid to the cultivation of tame fruits. At an early day it was thought by some, that the climate was too severe to raise any fruits here with success, but this like many another absurd notion has been abandoned. Nature itself indicates that many varieties of fruit may be cultivated here as well as else- where. Among the wild fruit growing in abundance are crab apples, grapes, plums, cherries, gooseberries, strawberries, raspberries. Tame fruits are now raised throughout the county. Among the varieties of apples most generally successful, besides numerous seedlings, are the Duchess of Oldenburg, Red Astrachan, Fameuse, Golden Russets, Fall Stripe, or Saxton, Haas, Tetofski, Wealthy, Sweet Pear apple and Tallmou Sweet. Several varieties of plums, pears and cherries, the Siberian crab, transcendent, hyslop and various seedlings, prove success- ful, and the small fruits such as currants, gooseberries, straw- berries, raspberries and grapes are raised in great abundance, and in wonderful perfection. The varieties of fish and game of this region are treated of fur- ther along in this book,, but a word must be said of the birds; yes the birds. Who would live in a country whore there are no birds? They are indeed a part of the great economy of nature for man's blessing. They have followed us up to this new land. From early FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 25 spring, until late in the fall, the woods and groves are vocal with the notes of these airy choristers; and some remain with us during the winter. The robin, cat-bird, wren, blue-jay, martin, swallow, tom-tit, yellow birds, blue birds, sapsuckers, red birds, doves, hum- ming birds and the chickadee, come about our houses, build their nests, rear their broods and sing their summer songs. But we have many others not so friendly — the black bird, pigeon, woodpecker, the lark, king birds, owls, snow bunting, thrush, hawks, crows and the other varieties that are sought as game, and mentioned else- where. They are all welcome here, for they all have a useful pur- pose to fulfill. The natural scenery of this county is not such as is usually des- ignated as grand or striking, but it is picturesque and beautiful. The wide-spreading prairies dotted over with oak openings and green groves — the distant meandering lines of dark blue timber, bordering the streams — the silvery lakes glittering in the sun; deep, dark old forest glens and nooks; green hills and quiet vales, and the luxuriant and bright green foliage and vegetation, and the wealth of wild flowers, all through the spring and summer and the no less bright and manifold colored leaves of autumn, all viewed in the pure, bright atmosphere, must delight the eye of the most fastidious admirers of the beautiful in nature. Neither the poet nor the painter, here need hunger or thirst. And now, after this introductory chapter, in which it has been attempted to describe, briefly, the splendid territory— the arena— within whose boundaries the events to be recorded have occurred, we may enter upon the histoiy proper of the county. PART FIRST. THE ANNALS OF FAKIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. CHAPTER I. Anno Domini, 1855. " Spirit of Memory! Thou that hast garnered up the joys and tears, And all the human spoil of buried years, We bow to thee: O, lift the vail and bid the past appear." — Anon. The history of this county properly begins with the events of the year of Our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Fifty-five. It was in that year the county was named, its boundaries defined and its first settlement made by civilized men. But the pi-esent occupants of the soil were preceded by other races and it is a matter of profound interest to learn what is now known of them. At least two races of men, wholly different in origin, language, religion, habits and customs from each other and from our own race, have appeared here and each performed its part, in a great drama of national, or tribal and individual life, through unknown cen- turies and at last retired, the curtain, thick and dark, falling upon' scenes and hiding them forever. In the eloquent words of Senator Ramsey, it is truthfully said that, "Not a foot of ground that we tread but has been trodden by nations before us. Tribes of men have marched their armies over the sites of our towns and fields; fierce battles have been fought where churches now rear their spires; our plow-shares turn furrows amidst the graves of buried races and our children play 28 UJ STORY OF where perhaps generations of children have played, centuries before them." When will the drama end and the curtain drop up(jn tlic lii^j^her and grander scenes being enacted hero by the present racer Never! exclaims the hopeful and confident. Yet, who in the light of all past human history, may answer thus 't But who were our prede- cessors here r What manner of men were they ? What of their deeds and destiny ? THE MOUND BUILDERS. No mounds, or tumuli, have yet been discovered within the limits of this county to indicate that the mysterious and lost race of of the Mound Builders ever existed here, but several small copper implements and articles of pottery, such as is usually believed to be the remains of that forgotten race, have been found, and at some distance south of us, in the state of Iowa, and in several of the counties on the east, north and west of this, their undoubted works exist; from all of which it may be confidently inferred, that they knew and probably inhabited, this intervening territory. It may reasonably be expected that still more conclusive evi- dences will yet be discovered, in, or near, this county, that they once existed here. They were a prehistoric race and but little is now known of them. Almost all memorials of them have perished from the earth. Even their true name, as a race, or people, is lost and they are now known and named only from the gre&t and curious mounds, extend- ing through the Mississippi vallej' from the Great Lakes to the gulf, which were the works of their hands. From what remains of them — these mounds — their contents and other evidences, it may fairly be determined that this "Ancient population was numerous and widely spread, as shown from the number and magnitude of their works and the extensive range of their occurrence." That they were not nomadic, but lived in vil- lages and settlements, generally near great rivers and their tribu- taries. They were far in advance of the American Indian in their knowledge of arts and in civilization. They were agriculturists and wore clothing of woven cloth and had comfortable dwellings. They had a variety of articles of food, of which fish was the principal one. They were industrious, even very laborious, and possessed consid- erable mechanical and artistic skill. They had some knowledge of the arts of war and of the construction of fortifications. They manufactured beautiful vases and other articles of pot- tery, and they could model clay into a variety of objects, such as birds, quadrupeds and the human face. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 29 They used sun-dried bricks. They mined for copper and other precious ores. They had a definite standard of measurement and they had tools of copper, silver and stone. They had axes, chisels, knives, mauls, hammers, crucibles, spear-points, slates and cups, beads and bracelets, all well finished. Though they cultivated the soil, it appears that they had no horses, oxen or carts. They had a system of hieroglyphic, or picture-writing, but un- intelligible now, and knew something of practical surveying. They had commercial relations with some now unknown and distant nations. They made toys for their children and had some articles of fine workmanship, for the adornment of their persons and the embelishment of their homes and temples. They had a sense of the humorous, as appears from the caricatures and grotesque figures they sketched on vases and other articles. They had a peculiar art, that of building mounds of earth, some of which were of vast size and of considerable height; some were circular, others square and others were circular enclosures. Some of their mounds, made on the level ground, were in the shape of animals, birds, bows, arrows and human figures. Some represented elephants, or mammoths, the turtle and immense serjients, and some the hide of some animal stretched on the ground. In some locali- ties these mounds and figures occupied as much as twenty acres of ground. It is supposed that some of these curious shaped earth- works, were used as fortifications, others as burial places of the distinguished dead, and others as places of sacrifice and religious worship. The mounds built by the Indians, are quite different from those of the Mound-builders. It is a curious fact that the skulls found in the mounds of the Mound-builders, are of a shape entirely different fi'om those that characterize the Indian, and the shin-bones resur- rected from the same place, singularly flat, a peculiarity not noticed in the bones of any other tribe or race of people. The Mound-builders had a system of religion — they were sun- worshippers and believed in immortality and had many sacred places and temples for i-eligious worship . And here our summary must end. They have passed away into the deep darkness and voiceless silence of the long past centuries. From whence they came, who they were and whether, as has been said, they "Migrated to remote lands under the combined attractions of a more fertile soil and more genial climate, or whether they disappeared beneath the victorious arms of an alien race, or were swept out of existence by some direful epidemic, or universal famine, are questions probably be- yond the power of human investigation to answer." It seems prob- 80 II I STORY OF able that they disappeared because, as the poet Bryant has graphi- cally said — "The rod man came, The roaming huntcr-trlbes, warlike and fierce, And the Mound-builders vanished from the earth." Some late investigators have, however, claimed with much as- surance, that the Mound- builders were not a race, or people, separ- ate, or distinct from the Indian, but were, in fact, the ancestors of the Indians, who have degenerated. If so, the degeneration must have been very great indeed. At all events, the differences in the character and civilization of the Mound-builders and those of the Indians, were so great that, practically, they may well be deemed different races of men. But the day may come, probably will, when the pyramids of Egypt, the ancient ruined cities of the East and America and these mounds shall give up their secrets. Yea, the deep, deep sea shall some day surrender up the story of the lost Atlantis, even the story of the lost Lemuria. THE RED MEN. The occupants of this region of country at the time of, and probably for many centuries prior, to the advent of the white man, were certain bands of the Indian nation, known as the Sioux or Dakotas. The Dakotas were among the most populous, Varlike and powerful of the many savage nations which have inhabited the w'estern continent. They occupied a vast territory, including nearlj' all of Minne- sota, the Dakotas and a region of country west of the Missouri to the Rocky Mountains, and northward to the British Possessions. This great nation was divided into many tribes, four of which occu- pied nearly all of the country now comprising the state of Minne- sota. These tribes were named the Medawakonton, Wapeton, Wap- ekuta and Sissoton Sioux, and each of them had its own hereditary chief. Each of these tribes was subdivided into bands, each band having also its chief, and all these various bands had their own sep- arate territory, or hunting grounds, but their claims of territory were often indefinite and conllicting. They are a confederate pation. It appears from a consultation of the best authorities on the subject, that the territory on the headwaters of the Blue Earth river and adjacent on the west, was anciently claimed by the Wapa- kutas. or Leaf-Shooters and the Sissetons. In the year 1700. when M. Le Sueur erected a rude fort, near the mouth of the Blue Earth river, referred to el-sewhere in this work, this country was in pos- session of bands of the "Sioux of the west," known as the Ayavols (lowas) and Otoctatas (Ottoes). But little is known of any of these FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 31 people and there is much confusion, some contradiction and a great deal of uncertainty in the very meagre records of the aboriginal in - habitants. Of tlae origin of the American Indian, as little is known as that of the Mound builders. The Dakotas have ever been a barbarous and nomadic race. As to their physical characteristics, they are of a red copper color, variously shaded. The men are of middle stature, large boned and well made, eyes black, half closed and lodged in deep sockets; high cheek bones, nose more or less aquiline, mouth large, lips rather thick and the hair of the head black, straight and coarse. In many tribes they pluck out all the hair of the beard. The general expres- sion of the countenance is gloomy; stolid and severe. The women are usually short in stature and have broad, homely features and low foreheads, and while they sometimes have an expression of mildness and pleasantness, beauty is rare among them. They are the slaves and drudges of their race. Both the men and women are great lovers of ornaments, and are usually loaded with beads, rings, bangles and tinkling gewgaws. The Indian has a fair understanding, a quick apprehension, a retentive memory and very acute senses and assumes a peculiar air of profound indifference, in his general appearance and actions. President Sparkes, of Harvard, says : "With a strength of character and a reach of intellect unknown in any other race of absolute savages, the Indian united many traits, some of them hon- orable and some degrading to humanity, which made him formidable in his enmity, faithless in his friendship, and at all times a danger- ous neighbor; cruel, implacable, treacherous, yet not without a few of the better qualities of the heart and the head; a being of con- trasts, violent in his passions, hasty in his anger, fixed in his revenge, j'^et cool in counsel, seldom betraying his plighted honor, hospitable, sometimes generous. A few names have stood out among them, which, with the culture of civilization, might have been shining stars on the lists of recorded fame."' The Indians of this region are strangers to letters and wholly untutored. They know but little of the simplest arts and nothing of science, and leave behind them no records, monuments, or other memorials, excei^t traditions of bloody deeds and some of their names given to states, mountains, rivers and localities. They are polytheists and their religion is a strange medley of superstitious incantations and sorceries, but yet has some redeeming, though crude, central ideas. Speaking generally of their religion, the wild Indians believe in a good God, known as the Great Spirit, and a bad God, both equal in power. They have, also, some minor Gods. They think the good God wants no thanks or p;:ayers. but the bad one they hate 32 HISTOIIY OF and fear, bribe and entreat. They believe in tiie immortality of the soul, and that their final destiny is the "Happy Hunting Grounds." They also believe in the existence of spiritual beings that are neither good Dor bad. But these Indians are devoid of any moral sense, or sense of moral obligation, or accountability, as connected with their religion. They have no code of morals. Their ideas of right and wrong are very shadowy and there are many ditfering shades, in their relig- ious beliefs. Their clothing is made of dressed skins and, since their ac quaintanco with the white man, cheap cloth and woolen blankets, and their dwoUings are rude, temporary shelters, made of skins and bark, called wigwams, or teepos, and are moved from place to place. They live by the chase and on wild rice and fish, and they also plant a little corn and raise a few potatoes, but the j' are much more skillful in planting a knife in a foe"s back and in raising scalps. They are indolent and provide only for today. The men think labor degrading and hence the women do all the work. The war- path and the chase are the occupations of the men and when en- gaged in these, they are active, persevering and untiring. The phrase, ••poverty, hunger and dirt," describes their normal condi tion. The attempts to civilize and christianize these Indians have proved an almost wasted labor. Yet of late years some little suc- cess has crowned these beneficent ert'orts. * The Dakotas like most other Indian peoples, delight in deeds of cunning, treachery and blood, but there have been a few notable individual exceptions. It really seems that •'the only hope for the Indian is to educate him, make him a citizen with a citizens rights and responsibilities and absorb him into the body politic." Re- cognizing and treating with the Indian tribes within our jurisdic- tion, as separate nations from ours, they remaining subject to their own barbarous laws and customs, must always prove a failure, in all attempts to civilize them. Of those who inhabited this land in the long ago, there is dimly shadowed in old and wild traditions, recounted by the early trappers and voyageurs, visions of wild orgies and deeds of such darkness, indecency and cruelty, that the}' may not be written and of which ••it is more blessed to be ignoi'- ant." We may know, however, that here in our own county have been Inward the twang of the bow and the sharp crack of the rille and the wild war-hoop of this wily savage — that here they lived for centuries, hunting over our prairies and fishing in the lakes and rivers and that this soil has witnessed the advance and retreat and drank the blood of many contending foes, and '•ITL're too tliiit eloquence was heard Around ttie council. litiht, Which made the sturdy warrior bold And nerved hloi for the llnhl."' FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 33 But wasted by incessant wars, starved by famines, swept by pestilences, poisoned and demoralized by drunkenness, eaten up by loathsome diseases— always the helpless pray of greedy jjlunders— decimated to mere remnants and these forced to retire, bearing the burdens of great wrongs suffered, as well as done by them and chanting their weird dirges, so suggestive of the dark and hopeless future of their race, they are "moving on," toward the setting sun and final extinction. Upon no subject-race, except that of the Negro, perhaps, have ever been imposed such shames and frauds and wrongs, since the world began, as have been heaped upon the American Indian, and on the other hand, no oppressed race has ever struck back with such fiendish and persistent malignity as his, and in this matter of our dealings with the Indians, if God be just and man be immortal, and if all wrongs done by individuals and nations, must be righted, certainly, there is an awful day of reckoning coming sometime and somewhere, for somebody. But we must proceed, another and a mightier race is advancing to occupy the vacant lands. "I hear the tread of pioneers Of nations yet to be; The first low wash of waves, where soon Shall roll a human sea." THE NATION. Let us look about us for a moment. Casting an eye over the national field, we find that in 1855, Franklin Pierce was President of the United States. The nation then had a population of about 27,000,000 of i^eople. The Missouri Compromise of 1820, which had restricted slavery, within certain limits, had been repealed and the Compromise of 1850, which, with other provisions, imbodied the odious Fugitive Slave Law, had practically proved a failure in the North, and the contest in regard to slave, or free territory, a feature of the"Irrepresible Conflict," was the great absorbing national ques- tion of the times, and finally led to civil war in Kansas, which raged for nearly three yeai-s. Stephen A. Douglass was then promulgat- ing the doctrine of "Squatter Sovereignity." The old Whig party had become extinct and its former adherents in the North, uniting with all the parties and factions opposed to the extension of slavery into the territories, was rapidly forming the great Republican party preparatory to the presidential contest of the next year. MINNESOTA. Turning our attention to Minnesota, it will be observed that a great tide of immigration had for several years been setting toward this territory, most of the new-comers locating in the eastern and 34 HISTORY OF and central counties, and the territory was enjoying an era of great prosperity. Willis A. Gorman was then governor of the territory, and Henry M. Ivico was our delee and the same is hereby establi-shed as the county of Faribault: beginning at the southwest corner of township one hundred and one (101) north, range twenty-three (23) west, running thence west on the boundary line between the territory of Minnesota and the state of Iowa, thirty-six miles to the township line, between ranges twenty- nine (29) and thirty (80) west; thence north on said township line twenty-four miles to the township line, be- tween one hundred and four (104) and one hundred and five (105) north; thence east on said line thirty-six (36) miles to the township line between range twenty-three and twenty-four west; thence south on said township line twenty-four (24) miles to the place of be- ginning." An api)ortionment of the territory was made at the same session of the legislature, for legislative purposes. District number ten (10), was composed of the counties of Le Sueur, Steele, Faribault, Blue Earth, Brown, Nicollet, Sibley, Pierce and Renville, and was entitled to one councilman and three representatives. THE NAME OF THE COUNTY. The couniy of Faribault was so named in honor of Jean Baptiste Faribault. Gen. Henry H. Sibley, a gentleman of distinguished char- acter and abilities, and as well acquainted with the early history t)f the State, its prominent men and public affairs, as any other person in the State, and a member of the legislature, at the above session, in a letter answering an inquiry on this subject, says: St. Paul, Minn., May 13, 1872. J. A. KlESTER, Esq., Dear Sir: 1 have your favor of the 9th inst., and id reply beg leave to state, that while I have no positive inforruatiun on that point, my strong im- pression is, that your county was named for Jean B. Faribault, lie having been one of the oldest of our pioneers, and reference to that fact being the basis upon which some of our counties were designated. You are right in the state- ment that the city of Faribault was named for his son, Alexander Faribault, who was the founder of the town and still resides there. 1 think you will not go wrong in assuming that Faribault County was named for the senior ot that name. Very truly yours, H. H. SIBLEY. J. B. fARIBAULT. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 35 In reply to a letter subsequently addressed to J. F. Williams, Esq., the courteous and efficient Secretary of the Minnesota Histori- cal Society, the following answer was received: St. Paul., Dec. 26, 1872, J. A. KiESTER, Esq., My Dear Sir: I am still unable to ascertain anything definite, or satis- factory, relative to the naming of Faribault County. I have tallied with sev- eral who (I thought) ought to know, but strange to say, they cannot tell any more than we can. I have written to others with even less success. * * «■ What I can learn, however, leads me to conclude that Faribault County was named for Jean Baptiste Faribault. It would seem natural, reasoning on gen- eral principles, that it should have been named for him. He was one of the very earliest pioneers of Minnesota. * * * He was a man of fine education, good abilities, considerable means and great influence, both among whites and Indians, at an early day. If, as was done frequently, counties were named after pioneers and early explorers, he would be the one selected. I am per- fectly satisfied as much as if I knew it, that Faribault County was named for Jean Baptiste Faribault. I remain yours truly, J. F. WILLIAMS. And who was Jean Baptiste Faribault? We find the following brief notice of him in the Collections of the Minnesota Historical Society, vol. 1. "He was the son of Bar- tholomew Faribault, who was born in Paris, France, and who be- came an eminent jurist in that country, but emigrated in ITSi, to Canada, and held office there until the downfall of the French dominion in America. "His son, the subject of this sketch, was born in Canada. At the age of 17 he entered on mercantile pursuits, at Quebec, and re- mained until 1796, when he yielded to his adventurous and active disposition and entered the Indian trade, engaging in John Jacob Astor's "North- Western Fur Company," as an agent. He was sent to Mackinac first, and soon after came to the upper Mississippi river, and after a brief stay at a post near the mouth of Des Moines river, became a resident of wliat is now Minnesota. He carried on a trade with the Indians for about half a century, the last forty years on his own account. He married in 1814 a half-breed daugh- ter of Major Hanse, then superintendent of Indian ailairs. Mr. Far- ibault espoused the cause of the United States, during the war of 1812, and lost many thousand dollars thereby, as well as narrowly escaping with his life on several occasions. He labored all his life to benefit the red man, teach him agriculture and the arts of indus- try, and how to protect his interests. He had an unbounded influ- ence over many of them; his advice was never disregarded. He was prominent at all the treaties and councils and rendered the United States many valuable services." 36 BISTOIiY I IF lu an address delivered bj' Gen. Sibley in 1856, we find the following further facts, in relation to Mr. Faribault. "He removed to this country in 1708. His career in this region was marked with more of adverse fortune, than usually occurs, even in the perilous life of an Indian trader. Shortly after the close of the war with Groat Britau, he was robbed by the Winnobagoes. at Prairie du Chien, of a large stock of goods, for which he never received any remuneration. Some years subsequently he fixed his residence upon Pikes Island, near Fort St. Anthony (now Snelling) and had barely established himself in his vocation of trader, when he was forced, by the Mandate of the Commandant of the Fort, to abandon his buildings and betake himself with his movable ])roperty to the bottom land on the east side of the Mississippi, where he erected new tenements. The following spring, the water, which was un- usually high, carried otf his houses and live stock, he and his family escaping in boats, by means of which he was fortunately enabled to save his goods and furs from destruction. Still undiscouraged, he built a house at the point now known as Mendota, where he resided many years, except during the winter months, when he as- sumed charge of his trading post at Little Rapids, on the Minnesota river. He acquired a considerable fortune though having met with so many reverses." In person, Mr. Faribault was below the medium height, of prepossessing appearance and of much dignity and franlvhess. It is said of him that he was a gentleman of the old French school, of Parisian style and of great affability and urbanity of manners and that, notwithstanding his long residence among savages and at the out post of civilization, in the far northwest, he never lost his ac- complishments and character of a well bred gentleman. It appears from a letter received from his grandson, that Mr. Faribault, in very early days, in company with General John C. Fremont and General Sibley, visited this region of country, on an exploring and hunting expedition, and that they were near what is now the local- ity of Blue Earth City, for some days. He lived to a great age and spent the last years of his eventful life with his sons, at Fairbault, in Rice county, in this State. He died Aug. 20th, 1860, and was at the time of his death, the oldest white resident of what is now Min nesota. Our county is indeed worthily named and its people should, some day, erect an appropriate memorial, in honor of him whose name the county bears. A brief notice of Alexander Faribault, the oldest and most prominent of the sons of Jean Baptiste Faribault, may be of inter- est. In a letter from a friend, who, at the writer's request, visited Mr. Faribault, we find the following statements: "He was born at Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, in 1806. He is one-half French blood. ALEXAXDEK 1- AKIHAULT. FARIBAULT COUNTY. MINNESOTA. 37 one-fourth Scotch and one-fourth Sioux Indian. He settled at Port Snelling in 1819, and removed to Faribault (Rice County) in 1853, where he still resides (December 12, 1871). He is the father of ten children, seven of whom are now living He possesses a good busi- ness education and speaks the English language very correctly. Since his removal to Faribault, he has adopted the manners and customs of the whites and is a good citizen, public spirited and gen- erous to a fault, and has ever taken an active and lively interest in the growth and prosperity of Faribault, which was named for him. Mr. Faribault is quite actively engaged in business, and owns one of the best flouring mills in Faribault, which was built by him some eight years ago at a cost of twenty-five thousand dollars. His wife is a full blood, of the Dakota, or Sioux tribe of Indians, and still retains the dress and customs of her tribe. Mr. Faribault was chief of the Wabasha band of Sioux, up to the time of his settlement in Faribault." It appears that Mr. Faribault once visited this region of country. It is stated in the history of Rice county, Minnesota, that he, "in the spring of 1833, followed the Indians south, to their hunt- ing grounds, located in the present county of Faribault. (Should have added Martin.) The place had an Indian name signifying chained lakes." He was a member of the second territorial legislature, being one of the representatives of legislative district number seven. He died November 28, 1882. The following tribute to his memory was written by one who knew him well. "He was a man of the kindliest feelings, the most inflexible in- tegrity and an eveness of temper, which was seldom ruffled. A man more universally beloved and respected has never departed from among us." The county being now bounded and named, we shall proceed to relate THE STORY OP THE FIRST SETTLER. Moses Sailorwas the first permanent settler of Faribault county. He was born in Monroe county, state of Ohio, in the year 1808, and was married at the age of twenty-four years. He has always been a farmer by occupation. Immediately after marrying he emigrated to Elkhart county, Indiana, which was then quite a new and sparce- ly settled country. Here he continued to reside for twenty-two years. His wife died in 1849, leaving him with nine children. In the fall of the year 1854, he emigrated, with his family, to Chicka- saw county, Iowa, where he took up quarters for the winter, in the village of Bradford. Finding that the country there had already been mainly taken up and, as he says, "Not being new enough to 38 BfSTOHY OF suit his pioneer tastes." and desirin;? to get lands for liis boys as well as a home for himself, he concluded to prospect further, as soon as the weather would permit in the spring. Having heard very favorable accounts of the territory of Minnesota, he. near the first of April, 1855, in company with Jamas Little and John Love, carry- ing their guns, provisions and blankets, started on foot from Brad- ford, on an exploring expedition into Minnesota. After a day's journey, neither roads nor settlements existed, but striking out boldly into the wilderness, they directed their course by the aid of a pocket compass and a map. for the head waters of the Blue Earth river, as that stream was somewhat indefinitely laid down on the maps of that time. The first point at which they struck the Blue Earth river, was on the east branch, about two miles east of the site of Blue Earth City. Here they stopped and built a fire on the eighth day of April, at about eleven (11) o'clock in the forenoon. Leav- ing Mr. Little here. Mr. Sailor and Mr. Love proceeded across the prairie for the west branch of the river, to examine the timber and lay of the country. They reached the west branch on section twen- ty, in town 102. range 27. as was indicated by the section stakes and quite near where Mr. Sailor subsequently took liis "claim." After prospecting for a few hours and being much pleased with the country, they returned to Mr. Little and then all proceeded to the junction of the two branches of the river, afterwards known as "the forks," near which they were so fortunate as to find a small, rough log cabin, on the north bank of the stream. It was very rudelj' built, quite low and not more than ten by twelve feet in size, and had evidently been built as a mere temporary shelter. This cabin had been erected by one Thomas Holmes, of Shakopee, a famous explorer and town-site locator, in the early days of the territory of Minnesota. He was in this region in 1854. and erected this cabin, with the intention of making a claim of the land adjoining, with a view of eventually laying out a town in the vicinity. This he never did, however, but went so far as to employ two men. whose names are now forgotten, to go upon the land and who occupied this cabin a short time. But Mr. Holmes not coming with provisions, as agreed, they returned to Shakopee and the project of laying off a town was given up by him. This cabin was the first advance made in the building of a human habitation, on the capacity and architectural style of an Indian tepee. It was the first house erected in the county. To return to our companj', it being now near night, they concluded to camp here. This country at the time, presented a very favorable aspect. The snow of which there seemed to have been but little during the winter, had all disap- peared. i ^^^^^ k 1 l '''^» vC 1 4 k 1 "l ^"•^ ' ^ ^ .is V ^ MOSES SAILOK, The First Settler. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 39 The ground was dry and the grass just starting. The streams were very low and easily forded. A bright, warm sun, cloudless skies and a mild and balmy atmosphere, welcomed our explorers to this new land. The next morning they started northward to Mankato, exploring the timber and adjacent prairies and camped in the evening near Jackson's lake, in Blue Earth county. The next day they reached Mankato, which they found to be a small village of some fifteen houses, large and small, and a frontier hotel, where they stopped. This town had been laid out some three years before. Here they learned that it was currently reported that the Winnebago Indians, who were soon to be removed from their location in the more north- ern part of the territory, were to be located upon a "Reservation" on the head-waters of the Blue Earth river, in Faribault county. Should this occur, our pioneers would, of course, have to abandon any intention of settling in this county. They then proceeded to prospect the country for a few days on the Blue Earth, Maple and Cobb rivers, in Blue Earth county, with which they were highly pleased. At this time there were but a few scattered settlers in Blue Earth county and but one small village — Mankato. At an election held in that county, in the fall of this year, but eighty-six votes were polled. There were but a few settlers in Freeborn county, and this county and all the territory west, and northwest was vacant. Being entirely satisfied with the country, our company returned by their former route, through this county to Bradford and deter- mined to remove into Blue Earth county, immediatly in the vicinity of Mankato. In pursuance of this conclusion, Mr. Sailor, on or about the 8th day of May, started from Bradford with his family of children consisting of five sons, Jacob, Able, Daniel, William and Manuel and three daughters, Esther, Amanda and Roxina, all of whom subsequently remained here as residents of the county. He was accompanied by one Solomon Myers and Archibald Morris and family. They travelled in covered wagons heavily loaded with house- hold goods and provisions, each wagon drawn by two yoke of oxen, the great motive power of new countries. They had decided to settle somewhere on the Maple river, in Blue Earth county, and the route they travelled lay by Clear lake, in Iowa, Walnut lake and Minne- sota lake, in this county. This country as before intimated was then a trackless wilderness, no roads, or bridges, no human habita- tions and the "trail" made by Mr. Sailor and his company, was the first wagon track made in the county, by any settler. They stopped on the Maple river, about ten miles from Mankato, where Mr. Sailor left the company in camp and proceeded to Mankato. Here he found that the Indians had selected their Reservation in Blue 40 HISTOHY OF Earth county. He then concluded to return and settle on the head- waters of the Blue Earth, in this county, but Mr. Morris decided not to accompany him and remained in Blue Earth county a short time. Mr. Sailor accompanied by Mr. Myers travelled on his re- turn by the route he had taken when prospecting, there being no track, or road however, and on the twenty-fifth day of May, near noon, he had reached his jouney's end and stopped on the west half of the southwest quarter of section twenty, which with the south half of the southeast quarter of section nineteen, adjoining, all in town- ship one hundred and two, of range twenty seven, he determined to claim. On locating Mr. Sailor proceeded to break up about five acres of land, which he planted to corn and potatoes, camping in the meantime, in his wagon and a large tent, which he had brought with him. This sod corn produced plenty of "roasting ears,'' and fodder suflScient for one horse and a dozen hogs during the succeeding winter. The potatoes yielded abundantly and were of a superior quality. After getting in his crop, he proceeded to erect a log house. This building was eighteen by twbntyfour feet and one story high and was completed in about a week, except the roof, which was partly covei'ed by the tent cloth. And this was the second house in this county. Provisions now getting scarce, Mr. Sailor went about 120 miles into Iowa, for a supply. He was gone some twelve days and on his return he finished up his house, putting on a "shake" roof. This old house long since disappeared, but it was once the head- quarters of the county— the only hotel, or stopping place, in a vast region for sometime — the first resort of new comers — the scene of many a hospitable entertainment and of many a frontier dance and social gathering in the early days. The boys set to work to break up some ten acres more of land in the early summer and a small additional tract was broken in October, which Mr. Sailor says did not prove valuable, as the sod instead of rotting, dried in tough strips and pieces like old sheep skins and lay about for some three or four j^ears. He says he knows more about "breaking" now, than he did then. During the year many Indians, sometimes as many as two hundred, or three hundred, in a company, would call on Mr. Sailor, generally wanting tobacco, sugar, pork and sometimes "firewater," which latter article he never let them have. In fact the country was full of small bands of roving Indians, who were engaged in hunt- ing and fishing and sometimes on the war-path, but he says they were always peaceable and well disposed towards him. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 41 In those days he says game and fur-bearing animals were very plenty, especially wolves, foxes, mink, otter and elk, though but few deer. There were squirrels, rabbits, gophers, prairie chickens, geese, ducks, cranes, some few black bear, panthers, wild cats, wood chucks, musk rats and skunks, and the lakes and streams were stocked with fish. He further says that on his arrival he found no buffalo, but observed a stamping or herding ground near the state line, where a large number of buffalos had stopped during the preceding winter. During the year the health of himself and fam- ily was very good, and the weather until winter set in, unusually IDleasant. He has continued to reside on the land he first took up. His farm has been largely imjiroved and he has long since erected a comfortable frame house and large barn. Mr. Sailor is of medium stature, well built and has black hair and a long dark beard, now well sprinkled with gray; dark eyes and dark complexion, and in his prime was a man of great muscular power and endurance— hard working and courageous. He belongs to that race of hardy adven- turous pioneers, known only in the far west, who have the courage to abandon the advantages of old settled countries and go upon the extreme frontier, or plunge into the wilderness and amid want and hardships and privations, surrounded by many dangers, open up the ways of settlement and civilizatioD. He remarried some years ago (1869), and is passing his declin- ing years in ease and comfort, owing no man aaything, strictly honest in his dealings, hosjDitable and a Jackson democrat. In the early days of the county, he served the public well and faithfully for some years as County Commissioner. But he now takes no in- terest in politics, or public affairs, except to vote. He says he has no ambitions to gratify and hates turmoil and strife. May the even- ing of his days be cloudless, and his sun of life set in tranquility and peace, preluding a still brighter day that may break for him on the other shore. Since writing the above sketch, Mr. Sailor departed this life. He died February 14, 1896. OTHER SETTLERS AND VISITORS OF 1855. A short time after Mr. Sailor had located, Austin R. Nichols and Harry G. Roberts, called upon him, having followed his wagon track from the north. In a letter to the writer Mr. Nichols says, his and Robert's act- tual residence (or settlement) dates June 8th, and that Mr. E. Crosby came in a few days after their settlement. These persons located in town 104, range 28, now Winnebago city township. 42 BISTOllY OF Mr. Archibald Morris, having concluded to follow Mr. Sailor arrived about this time. In June also came Henry T. Stoddard and Newel Dewey, and selected claims. As they had only come to look out the land, they remained but a short time, but about the first of November following, Mr. Stoddard returned, accompanied by his wife and his father, Mr. Dewey and Henry R. Walker. They all settled in town 103, range -9, now Verona. A man by the name of White, with whom Mr. Sailor had become acquainted on the Cedar river, in Iowa, came to the county with his wife and son, about the first days of ,Iuue, and took a claim near W^alnutlake, in town 103, range 25. He erected a "shanty," broke up several acres of land and planted a few potatoes, but soon went back to Iowa. He returned in the fall and liarvestcd his crop — some fourteen bushels— and brought them to Mr. Sailor. At this time he discovered that he had taken his claim on a school section and could not hold it. He left the country again and never returned. Benjamin Gray and family and Aaron Mudge and family, be- came residents of the county this year. Orlow Webster. James L McCrery, J. G. Whitford, W. H. Furness and Rufus Nichols, visited the county and selected claims, and the next year brought in their families and remained. James .lohnson was among the settlers of this year. Alexander Johnson visited the county but did not remain. The next year he returned and became a permanent resident. In the latter part of August. Levi Billings. Sr., and AlWert Bill- ings, John Boon and his sons Nelson and William and Crawford W. Wilson passed through the county and called on Mr. Sailor. Mr. Wilson returned in the fall with his family, accompanied by Jacob Miller, and took a claim in town 101. range 27, now Elmore. Mr. Billings, Sr., and one Dickinson and Rufus Clark, all resi- dents of Iowa, had for a number of seasons i^revious to this, been in this county hunting buffalo calves and elk, which they shipped to Chicago, Illinois, and sold at large prices. Mr. Billings was thoroughly acquainted with the country and determined to locate a town near the "forks" of the Blue Earth river, either on the same ground, or in the vicinity of the present location of Blue Earth City. In pursuance of this design, in the autumn of this year, he sent in a number of teams loaded with jjrovisions and the irons and castings for a saw mill, which he designed to erect near the forks, on the east branch of the Blue Earth, the next spring. With these loads came Albert Billings, Levi Billings, Jr., William M. Scott and one Rouse. Several of these parties designed to remain here during the winter, but for some cause, after engaging Messrs. Gray and Mudge, to get out the mill timbers during the winter, which they did, they all returned to Iowa, all purposing to come again to the county in the spring. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 43 Owing to various unfavorable circumstances, Mr. Billings' inten- tion of laying off a town and erecting a mill was never carried out, and the timbers, designed for the mill, were subsequently used for a bridge across the east branch of the Blue Earth river, near Blue Earth City, and was the first bridge across that stream. During this autumn, Henry Schuler, also, made a flying visit to the county, and was so well jjleased with the country that he returned the next spring. On his return, an accident occurred to him, which nearly cost him his life. He had selected a, claim across the Blue Earth river, west of Stoddard's, where he was stopping. The water being very high at the breaking up in the spring, he had constructed a rude raft of logs, on which he passed back and forth to his work on his claim. On one occasion, some time in March, when far out in the stream, his raft swamped and he went down, but fortunately caught hold of some limbs and tops of small trees. After a long struggle in the water, which was very cold, swimming, and wading to his neck, he reached the west bank, nearly exhausted. He rested a moment, but found he should freeze to death, very soon, as the wind was very cold. He could not re-cross the stream and there were no residents on the west side. He must keep moving, and as there was no other way of saving his life, he started northward, but was compelled to wade, or swim, a number of streams, until at length he reached a house, near Vernon, in Blue Earth county. He was so worn out and chilled, that he could not have gone a mile further. Here he recuperated somewhat and then went to Mankato. At Stoddard's, as Schuler did not return, it was concluded he had been drowned and Stoddard proceeded at once to Mankato also, where was the nearest blacksmith shop, to have some grappling hooks made to drag the river for Schuler's body. Stoddard had arrived at the shop and had just given his order, for the hooks, which were to be made at once, when suddenly Schuler stepped into the shop ! The hooks were not needed. The names above given include all those, so fa.r as the writer has been able to learn, after the most careful inquiry, who settled in the county, or visited it with the intention of locating here, in 1855. The list of actual settlers is very short. It is curious to observe, as we proceed with this history, how and when, the men who have taken a large part in the public affairs of the county and in its gi-owth and development, appeared here upon the scenes of their life work. And it is worthy of record, as a valuable historic fact, that this county has been fortunate, beyond most others, in the character of its inhabitants generally from the beginning. With but rare exceptions, they have ever been an intel- ligent, law-abiding and industrious people. Among them too, even from the earliest years, have been quite a number of men of more 44 HISTOIiY OF than ordinary ability and of very liberal education in the schools and professions. And these facts have had their legitimate results, apparent on every hand. PRODUCTS AND IMPROVEMENTS. Notliing more than a few garden vegetables and some sod corn were raised during the year and the improvements made, consisted only of a few log cabins and some acres of breaking. The winter set in about the fourteenth day of December. The snows fell deep and the cold became severe and the year closed in a hard winter. The monotony in the lives of the few lonely residents here during that winter, was broken occasionally by visits among themselves and the Indians favored them with a few calls, which, however, were never returned But very important events were near at hand, as will be seen in the next chapter. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 45 CHAPTER II. A. D. 1856. The year 1856 was an eventful and ever memorable one in the history of this county. The record of its events reads lilte a romance. While during tlie winter of 1855-6, the few settlers here were living quietly awaiting the events of the future, and not knowing what was in store for them, far away from the borders of the county, plans were being laid by men who had never been within its limits, which were greatly to affect its future and control the lives and shape the destinies of many people. The first important matter of the year demanding our attention was the project of certain persons whom we shall name, the TOWN-SITE PIONEERS. On a cold stormy night in the last days of January 1856, James B. Wakefield, Henry P. Constans, Spier Spencer and Samuel V. Hibler, with several others, whose names are not important to this history, were assembled in a small store by a warm stove, in the town of Shakopee, in Scott county, Minnesota. All were poor in purse, but in youth, health and courage, were rich and hopeful. This was a year ever memorable in Minnesota of inflated prices of land and of wild speculations. Immigrants had been coming into the territoiy in great numbers and for several years past great improvements had been made and fortunes acquired in a day, by speculators in lands, town-sites and corner lots. The pros- pects for the year just beginning were very flattering. The con- versation of this small company turned upon these interesting sub- jects and the project was proposed of striking out somewhere and founding a city. Others were doing this very thing and were rapidly acquiring wealth and why should they not do the same? The company was "impecunious" it was true, but what of that — "where there is a will there is a way." So it was then and there agreed to go forth into the wilderness and find a suitable place for a town-site, survey and plat it and settle down as permanent citi- zens and build a town. Speculation was not the sole motive of this project. A desire to secure permanent locations, the establishment of business and to contribute their mite, toward the building up 46 HISTORY OF and development of the country, as well as the battering of their fin- ancial condition, induced this determination. The first intention was to go into Freeborn countj', but on ex- amining the map of southern Minnesota, the valley of the Blue Earth river, fixed the attention of the company The buffalo and elk hunter, the trapper, the Indian and the explorer, had already told their stories, of the beauty and fertility of the Blue Earth valley. Thomas Holmes, heretofore mentioned, had talked in glowing language of the forks of the Blue Earth river, as an eligi- ble location for a town and so to the head-waters of the Blue Earth river, our company decided to go. The winter had been long and cold. It was now the beginning of February and the snow lay twenty inches deep on the level and great drifts were piled in every direction, but what are such difiicultes to western energy, bent on great projects? Our little company nothing daunted, hired one Huffman, with his team and sled, which might have been named the Argo, and gathered together a few provisions, consisting of flour, pork, beans, some culinary utensils and a ten gallon keg of a peculiar fluid extract of rye, which latter article had been recommended by solicitous friends, as a valuable medicine in cases of frost-bites, snake-bites, chills, or general prostration, and well armed with guns, pistols and plenty of ammunition, they started for the forks of the Blue Earth, across a trackless region, like the Argonauts in pursuit of the golden fleece, across unknown seas. The cold was intense and the roads, where there were any. were blockaded. South of Mankato no roads existed then and after a tedious journey, on the 6th day of February. 1856, our company near evening crossed the lands where Blue Earth City now stands, and proceeded about a mile further south, to the cabin of Moses Sailor, the first settler, whose hospitality they claimed for the night. Having travelled all day over trackless prairies, plunging through deep snow drifts, sometimes breaking the way for the team, our pioneers were well nigh exhausted and they enjoyed the hearty welcome, the warm fire, the corn bread and bacon of the first settler. Having fully explained their designs to Mr. Sailor, the next morning our pioneers, with Mr. Sailor in the lead, entered upon the lands where the future city was to be built and Mr. Sailor, knowing the ground well, pointed out to them in glowing language, the beauty and adaptability of the location for a town-site. But few words are necessary with men of business and it was forthwith decided, here on the north-half of section seventeen in township one hundred and two of range twenty-seven, to found the town. This decided they were shown the small log cabin spoken of in the pre- FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 47 ceding chapter in which thsy stored their goods and took up their abode for the joresent. On the following day Wakefield and Spencer started out with the team, on their return to Shakopee, leaving Constans and Hibler to hold possession of the country. The weather, as before intimated, was cold and the snows deep, but in all countries "business is business" and delays are said to be dangerous. Certain matters of great importance required immedi- ate attention and hence the hurried return of Wakefield and Spen- cer. The Eden of Minnesota had been found, a town was to be built, a county organized, a county seat located. The territorial legislature was then in session at St. Paul, the capital, and thither Mr. Wakefield proceeded. Constans and Hibler were left alone and went to work to render themselves as comfortable as possible in their cabin. Their usual amusements were chopping wood and carrying it up the steep bank of the river, to their cabin, keeping fire and cooking their victuals. Frequently informal visits would be made to Mr. Sailor's, where they would get a warm meal, which visits would be kindly returned by Mr. Sailor in a day or two, and these courtesies were usually, according to the strict etiquette of the times, rendered mellow and agreeable, by "a little something to take."' All times have their follies and fashions and there are many things easily excusable, in the ways and manners of the pioneers of a new country. Thus the time passed until about the seventh day of March, vrhen Mr. Wakefield returned with a pocketful of official commissions and accompanied by another new settler, George B. Kingsley. Mr. Spencer did not return. During Mr. Wakefield's absence, he secured the passage of an act by the legislature, dated February 23rd, 1856, organizing the county of Faribault, of which the following is a copy: ORGANIZATION OF THE COUNTY. AN ACT TO ORGANIZE THE COUNTY OF FARIBAULT AND TO ESTABLISH THE COUNTY SEAT OF SAID COUNTY. (Passed February 23, 1S56.) Section 1.— Be it enacted by the legislative assembly of the territory of Mianesota: That the county of Faribault be, and the same is hereby declared to be,. an organized county, and invested with all the rights, privileges and immunities to which all organized counties in this territory are entitled by law. Sec. 2— That "Blue Earth City," situated between the forks of the Blue Earth river, as laid out and named by James B. Wakefield and others, be and the same is hereby declared to be the temporary county seat of said county and 48 EIS'J'OllY OF the county commissioners to be appointed, as hereafter provided, shall have full power to locate the county building thereon. Sec. 3.— That the Governor shall appoint and commission three suitable persons, the same being ([ualitled voters of said county, to be a board of county commissioners for said county, with full power and authority to perform all acts and discharge all duties devolving upon the board of county commissioners of any organized county in this territory. And that he shall also appoint and commission one slierilf, a register of deeds, and two justices of the peace for said county, who shall liold their oiUces respectively until their successors shall have been duly elected and (lualitied. Skc. 4.— The said county of Faribault shall be attached to the county of Ulue Earth for Judicial purposes. Sec. 5.— That at the next general election, the inhabitants of said county shall determine by vote, where the county seat of said county shall be locat.'d and all male inliabltants of said county, over the age of twenty-one years, who have acquired an actual residence in said county, shall have the right to vote on the location of said county seat. Sisc. 6— This act shall talce effect from and after its passage. OUR FIRST MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE. This county was first represented in the legislature, after it was named and its boundaries defined in 1855, by Charles E. Flandrau, of Traverse d' Sioux, a lawyer, in the council, and by Parsons K. Johnson, of Mankato, a tailor and Aurelius F. De La Vergne, of Le Sueur, a shoemaker, and Geo. A. McLeod, of Traverse d' Sioux, a merchant, in the house of representatives, they appearing as the representatives of the tenth district (of which this couifty was a part) in the seventh territorial legislature which assembled Jan- uary 2d, 1856. THE FIRST COUNTY OFFICERS. In pursuance of the act above mentioned, his excellency, W. A. Gorman, then territorial governor, appointed and commissioned the officers provided for in the act as follows: For County Commissioners — James B. Wakefield, Chairman; Henry T. Stoddard, Moses Sailor. For Register of Deeds — Samuel V. Hibler. For Sheriff — Henry P. Constans. For Justices of the Peace — George B. Kingsley and Newal Dewey. The commissions of all these officers bear date Feb. 25th, 1856. They all (lualified, except Mr. Dewey, and entered upon the dis- charge of their official duties, which, it should be remarked, were not specially burdensome, nor were the emoluments great. The county was now organized, the county seat located and officers ready for business. It is true that at the time of the organization of the county, there were not probably more than fifteen voters in the county, nor FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 49 was Blue Earth City in existence when the county seat was located there, nor was there any county business to be done, but these were small matters to men of large and liberal views and comprehensive purposes. All these things were to come and these energetic pioneers looking into the future went ahead in these little formal matters to prepare the way. It is a little remarkable, that no record now exists of any meet- ing of this board of county commissioners during the year 1856. It is well known, however, that the board took no action worthy of historic record. But to resume the narrative: our pioneers, now four of them, Wakefield, Constans, Hibler and Kingsley, all living in the small cabin, decided that their quarters were too small and uncomfortable and determined at once to build a larger house. This they proceeded to do and, after a week or two of hard work and the assistance of the Sailor boys the result was, "The Elkhorn," erected on the proposed town-site of Blue Earth City. It was the first house on the town site. The building was constructed of rough logs and was very roomy, being sixteen by twenty-two feet, one story high, large chimney, puncheon floor and one civilized window. As soon as com- pleted they removed into this commodious tenement and it became the general rendezvous, and head -quarters of the county for some time. Spring set in about the middle of March and the snow soon entirely disappeared, but it was still cold, and right about this time we reach in the history of these pioneers, one of those "times that try men's souls." Provisions had run very low and our Sailor friends had also exhausted their store. The weather continued cold — the ice in the streams was breaking up — the waters getting high and traveling was impossible. Day after day even weeks passed but no one came bringing provisions, nor could anyone go after a supply. Starvation stared the company in the face. They were at last reduced to buckwheat "slapjacks," the flour being stirred up with water, and as a rarity occasionally seasoned with ground cinnamon bark. This was the only article of food for some weeks, except that on several occasions some wild game — a squirel or a rabbit^ was shot by the nimrods of the party. And to add greatly to their miseries, their stock of tobacco became entirely exhausted — not a crumb left. Oh for one chew! just one smoke! was the repeated exclamation. Barks and roots were tried but gave no relief — pockets were worn out with the in- voluntary search for the weed and in the silent hours of the night weird dreams came to them of jolly "plugs" of pure "Cavendish," great smoking Meerschaums and Royal Havanas, dancing in the air. How strange that people will subject themselves to such habits I 50 UIST()j;y OF During this trying time, however, an event occurred which threw the company into great excitement — a tine fat coon was dis- covered in a tree top, at a short distance! Here now was some- thing of real importance. It had of course to be taken by some means — "they were out of meat." It was one of those great emer- gencies, where presence of mind, steady nerves and skill alone triumph. So the mighty hunter Constans, by far the best marks- man in the party and a dead shot, was deputed to bring down the coon. He approached the game with that silence, stealth and cunning, known only to the skilled hunter. He took deadly aim with a rest, he tired — the coon did not stir. Quickly loading again with great care and circumspection, he shot again but strange to say there w^ere no signs of trouble in that tree top. The coon did not say as Crockets did "ril come down." And now, alas, it was found that the shot were all exhausted. What was to be done? Our nimrod wore a vest, on which were some round buttons, out came his knife and off came the buttons — this thing was growing serious — no more fooling Mr. Coon. The gun was reloaded heavily. Mr. Constans concentrating his powers, took another deadly aim — fired and down came the coon and down also came the hunter. The gun killed, or nearly so, at both ends. It had kicked him fair on the nose, knocking him over, and that useful organ, being quite prominent, was badly smashed and dilapidated. But they got the coon and had a fat time. Life in Fairbault county during the times of which we write was not specially attractive and began to hang heavily upon our pioneers. No amusements — but few neighbors, no mails, nothing to do, except the cooking of their meals and carrying in their wood and water. Their stories had all been told a dozen times, inven- tion even was exhausted, no reading matter but that which had been read and re-read until it had become disgustingly stale. A vocal band was organized and much time spent in singing. Quiet games of cards were played, with no other purpose than to kill time, or as was often the fact to determine definitely who should bring in the next bucket of water, or back in the next load of wood. The last days of the month arrived and with it the occurrence of a great and long hoped for event. NEW SETTLERS APPEAR. Wm. M. Scott, Levi Billings Jr , Albert Billings and Zimri Butler, arrived from Iowa at this time, with a load of stores and provisions. Daniel L. Harrington. Levi Billings Sr., with Mrs. Bill- ings and Mrs. Scott, were several days behind, with another load of stores. This latter company, however, had got lost and wandered off to Walnut Lake, and not arriving as expected, a party consisting FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 51 of J. M. Sailor, Constans, Scott, Albert Billings and Butler, went in search of them. They were found and brought in, except Mr. Bill- ings Sr. , after a number of days of terrible suffering from cold and hunger. Mr. Billings Si'., in feeble health and almost blind, when he found that they were lost, had hired an Indian whom they met, to bring him to the forks of the Blue Earth, to get assistance to bring in the others, but the Indian jiroved treacherous, or ignorant, and they wandered about some days and nights on the prairies, when at last he too arrived at Blue Earth City. A new order of things were now inaugurated. Mr. Billings and family took possession of the old cabin on the north bank of the river, until a new house could be built, while Mr. Scott and wife commenced housekeeping in the "Elkhorn," taking our four pioneers as boarders, the Elkhorn thus becoming the first boarding house in the city. We must here break the chain of this personal narrative, to re- late, in the order of time, a tragical event. THE FIRST HOMICIDE — A MYSTERY. "Blood has beea shed ere now i' the olden time, Ere humaa statute purged the general weal; Ay, and since too murders have been performed Too terrible for the ear." — Shakespeare. During the month of April. 1856, three young men came to Blue Earth City, remained a short time at the Elkhorn, and then pro- ceeded, by way of H. T. Stoddard's, in Verona, a settler of the pre- ceding year, where they remained several days, to the vicinity of Mapleton. Their names were J. C Ackley. a young merchant from Con- necticut, who had come west to Caledonia, in Houston county, in this state, and Frederick Fisher, who had been a clerk in a store at Caledonia for several years, and E. C. Young, a farmer and resi- dent of Houston county for some years. They were looking for land, desiring to take claims. Ackley took a claim somewhere on the Maple river and went to work. Fisher and Young concluded to look further, and, finally, returned to the house of Mr. Stoddard. After prospecting several days. Young took up a claim about a mile south of Stoddard's, and Fisher found a tract to suit him, about two-and a half miles northwest of Stoddard's, in town one hundred and four, of Range twenty-eight (now Winnebago City township). They boarded with Stoddard, and worked on their claims together, until Young accidentally sprained his right knee, very seriously, and was confined to the house for a week or more. During this time Fisher worked on his claim alone. On Friday, the day preceding the date of the death of Fisher, while Stoddard's family, including Young and Fisher, were at din- 52 nisToii Y or ner. a number of Indians came to the house. The company com- prised a few Sioux, several Winnebagos and a half-breed of bad repute. It appears that these Indians, with quite a number of others, had a large camp near Fishers claim. While the Indians were staring in at the door and window, dur- ing the dinner, Fisher jokingly made a remark to one of the Indians, which greatly insulted him, but he did not, at the time, seem to specially resent the insult. Fisher went to work on his claim after dinner. About noon of the same day, three white men, named respectively Benson, Humphrey and Sinclair, also came to Stod- dard's, looking for land. They went away in the evening, going as they alleged to their boarding place, Tobias Miller's, just over the line in Blue Earth County, but returned the next Wednesday to Stoddard's, when Stoddard hired Benson and Humphrey, and Young hired Sinclair to work. During the afternoon the Indians returned to their camp. Fisher returned home in the evening as usual. The next morn- ing, Saturday, May 10th, Fisher, accompanied by one Brace, a boarder at Stoddard's and a claim holder, who was going in the same direction, some distance, started for his claim to split rails, taking his dinner, axe and wedges with him. Fisher did not return in the evening as usual, and after waiting until quite late, Stoddard and H. R. Walker on foot, and Young on horseback, went to Fisher's claim, in search of him, but found no traces of him. On Sunday morning, they with several others, went out again but found nothing of him, except the beetle and wedges. No rails had been split. It was then evident that Fisher had given up bis intention of splitting rails, or that something had happened to him on Saturday morning. It was suggested that he might have gone to Ackley's. for clean clothes, where he and Young had left their cloth- ing. But Fisher not returning on Monday, Young sent his hired man, Sinclair, to Ackley's place, to see if Fisher had been, or was then there. It appeared that he had not been at Ackley's and Ack ley returned with the messenger to Stoddard's, when another search was made for Fisher, but no further trace of him was found. The disappearance was unaccountable and foul play began to be suspected. The question arose, naturally, did he have any money with him "? It was known that he had a gold watch. Some persons alleged that he had considerable money, as much as three thousand dollars in gold. It was even said by some, that he had as much gold as would fill a shot bag. But others, who had the best opportunity of know- ing, said he did not have more than five dollars, if so much, and that Ackley had loaned him some money, at Austin, on their way coming west. Some days passed, but no tidings came of the missing man. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 53 The man Benson then took Fisher's claim, on condition, that if Fisher appeared, the claim would be given up to him. Ten days residence on the land was required by law, at that time, and certain improvements, before title could be perfected. Benson completed the improvements and Fisher still not being heard from, Benson, Ackley and Young proceeded to the United States Land Olifice, then located at Brownsville, Houston County, in this state, and "proved up" on their several claims. Young ad- vanced the means to pay the Government for Benson's claim. Ben- son, after proving up, sold the land to Young for fifty dollars ad- vance on the cost. Young remained in Houston county until the last of August, when he returned to Stoddard's' and he became a iiermanent resi- dent of the county. In the meantime, and about the 10th day of June, or perhaps a little later, Fisher's body was found in a small ravine, on his claim, by Patrick H. Allen. Fisher had been mur- dered. It was plainly evident how it had been done. He had been stabbed twice in the neck — once in the side and once behind — and was thrown into the ravine and covered with dirt and leaves, lightly, and several small willow withes, sharpened at the ends, were bent over him, in the form of a bow, the ends being stuck into the ground. Mr. Allen immediately reported the finding of the body, when a small burial party, consisting of Mr. Allen, A. D. Mason, H. H. Bigelow, J. Roberts, T. Maxson, N. Dewey, H. T. Stoddard, H. R. Walker, J. M. Stow, the Rev. J. G. Whitford, most of whom were new settlers in the vicinity, repaired to the locality of the body, and buried the I'emains near by. It may be stated as a singular fact, that the gold watch, which Fisher owned, was still on his person, but his boots and hat were gone. Col. Samuel McPhail, of Caledonia, was subsequently ap- pointed administrator of the estate of Fisher, and the watch which had been placed in Stoddard's care, was, by order of the adminis- trator, delivered to Young and was sent to Fisher's brother, resid- ing in Rochester, N. Y. Suspicion attached to several persons, as the perpetrators of this foul murder, but the most careful and impartial investigation but proved that the suspicions could not be correct, and were but the suggestions of mistake, or malice. Within four months after the homicide, a committee of citizens carefully investigated the affair, and some four years afterwards, the grand jury of the county formally inquired into the case, through all the obtainable witnesses to the facts known, but neither the committee nor the grand jury could learn anything as to the murderer, or any ac- cessory to, or instigator of the crime. 54 HlSTOnr OF Many circumstances connected with this sad affair, indicated that an Indian did the deed, probably the one offended by Fisher. Nearly a score of years have parsed away, but notwithstanding the old adage that, "murder will out," yet no further light has ever been thrown upon the horrible crime and the perpetrator will prob- ably never be known, until the great books shall be opened in the last day. The details of this case, have been given, as they were learned from those who knew most about it. In the spring of lt^74, being some years after the above article was written, a statement appeared in the Mankato Review, which was copied into the Blue Earth City Post, that a rumor was cur- rent to the effect that a short time before that date, a man had died, in Colorado, who, just before his death, confessed that he and an- other person had committed the murder of Fisher, at the instiga- tion of a person whom he did not name. Several weeks after the above statement was made, the Review said that it had learned that the person who was alleged to have made the confession and died — Tobias Miller — was alive and well and that "the whole thing proves to be onlj-^ a sensational story." In justice to Mr. Miller, it must be said, that there were never any suspicions, in the early days, that he had anything whatever to do with the crime, and no evidence that he was implicated in it has ever appeared since that time. The incidents attending this great crime are given so fully here, because it was the first known homicide occurring in the county and has always been a great mystery and, lastly, because at least two lives, besides that of poor Fisher, have been wrecked by asper- sions growing out of the event. And now to resume the story of our pioneers: Good weather had fairly set in, in May. Our company began to prospect the country and make their arrangements for laying otT the town and building certain houses, or pre emption shanties, which were neces- sary under the pre emption laws, to hold the town-site lands. THE FIRST MAIL SERVICE. The want of communication with the outside world was severely felt and it was determined to have, among the first things, regular weekly mail service between Blue Earth City and Mankato. The government was applied to and Mr. Kingsley was appointed post master — the first one in the county — and an arrangement was made with one Simon Dow. who had first come into the county, to carry the mail weekly, for a stipulated sum per trip, to be paid out of the receipts of the offices on the route and such additional sum as the settlers might be induced from time to time to contribute. This plan continued in force until late the next year, when the govern- FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 55 ment assumed the entire business of carrying the mails. The mail was carried on horseback most of the time and this means of com- munication proved a great convenience, as the first mail carrier was a man of a traflicing turn of mind and always returned from Man- kato loaded with coffee, tea, pork, cordials, tobacco and many other small articles of prime necessity. Passengers by this line "footed" it. but had the company of the mail carrier, who occasionally gave the passenger an opportunity to ride. The writer came into the county by this conveyance. SURVEYING THE TOWN SITE. Settlers now began to come into various parts of the county rapid- ly and locate. A number of claims were taken and cabins erected, and as the pleasant month of June arrived, the ground became settled and the great work of surveying the town-site was begun. Thomas Hood, of Shakopee, a first-class surveyor, was employed and a surveying corps was organized, consisting of Mr. Hood as chief, with Messrs, Kingsley, Constans, Hibler, and one Osgood, a new settler, as assistants, and Wakefield as a general advisory member. The surveying and staking out of the city required about a month's labor, and was completed in the first days of July. THE FIRST STORE. In the mean time and in the month of June, one Cornelius Gar- retson arrived with an assorted stock of merchandise, and proceeded to erect a hewed log house. This important building was erected on the southeast quarter of section seventeen (17), adjoining the town site; and was some twenty feet squai-e and one and one half stories high. It had, also, actually two floors, two windows, a counter and shelves. Here now was a house as was a house, and the style and finish were the subject of remarks throughout the whole settlement. Hei"e Mr. Garretson displayed his goods — an excellent assortment too — and this was the first store in the county. THE METROPOLITAN. And now our pioneers had established their town and had built various houses — log cabins. They had a store and a boarding house — the Elkhorn — and a weekly mail, and each of them had secured a "claim"' to a quarter section of land and the prospects were glow- ing. But there was one thing lacking to give character to the place — there was no regular hotel. Immigrants were coming in, land hunters were traversing the country, visitors were calling to see what a country this was, but there was no hotel. A consulta- tion was had. The enterprise was important and expensive. Money was scarce and town lots were not selling yet. Who would undertake this great work ? Here our friend Constans, with the 56 HiHTonv or indoiuilublc energy and active industry which have always charac- terized him, came to the rescue. "Boys," said he, "I'll build and keep the hotel," But it was remarked that ho was not married and to keep a hotel re<|uired the supervision of a landlady as well as that of a landlord. "I'll manage that matter, ' said ho blushing profusely at the suggestion, as his mind doubtless reverted to a dark eyed Swiss girl, modest and neat, "The girl he left behind him." In the month of August the hotel was built. The main building was twenty by forty feet, with a wing in the rear, sixteen by twenty-two feet, and the whole building was one and one half stories high. The house was built of hewn logs and about three thousand feet of hardwood boards were used in the flooring and for other purposes, at a cost of one hundred dollars per thousand feet. The building was completed in the fall and named the Metropolitan. New York had its St. Nicholas, Washington its National, St. Paul its International, why should not Blue Earth City have its Metropol- itan ? In the fall Mr. Constans was married and fitted up and opened the hotel for the reception of guests. This house — the first hotel in the county — disappeared several years ago, but it long stood as a land mark of the earlj' days. Within its walls were born all the children of Mr. Constans, now all grown to manhood's years. It was the first home in this new land of the writer, and of many others, and many were the days, in the long ago, spent by him be- neath its hospitable roof, when the winter winds were fierce and cold and in those darker times of Indian troubles, when the ruthless sav- age went prowling along the frontiers, murdering and burning, this rough old log house was the last and best refuge in all the land. And here we shall leave these pioneers to be named hereafter as other.o, only incidently as they may be connected with this history. The thought maj- be stated here that little does the citizen of today, surrounded Vjy all the comforts and blessings of civilized life, know of the hardships, dangers and privations of those early years, and little too of the fortitude and courage with which they were borne by the first settlers, ever hoi^eful and confident in the rose- colored future. THE FIRST PUBLIC REL.IGIOL-.S SERVICES. We now proceed to relate a pleasant and memorable event — the preaching of the first sermon at Blue Earth City, and probably the first in the county. The morning of July 13, 1850. broke bright and clear over this new land. It was the Sabbath — the day of rest and worship. "But the .so\ind of the church-going bell These valleys and rocks never heard — Never sighed at the sound of a knell, Or siuiled when a .Sabbath appeiired !" — Coioper. THE mi; lKOI'< iLITAN, The First Hotel. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 57 It was a day of peculiar loveliness. The wide, silent prairies were blooming with innumerable flowers, the neighboring forests and groves seemed more green than usual, and the summer air more balmy. Silence and peace rested like a blessing upon all nature, while the sun in a blue and cloudless sky, shone forth as the central glory and beneficence of the universe, the scenes reminding the be- holder of that far gone golden age, sung by the poets, when men led a quiet, pastoral life on the plains of the East — when peace and good will reigned supreme on the earth — when heaven and earth were nearer together and the Sons of Light came down to walk and hold converse with the sons of men. At such a time and amid such scenes, were the first religious services in Blue Earth City held. A small company, comprising a large majority of the settlers of the county, assembled about ten o'clock in the forenoon, in a shady grove on the plot of the young city. The preacher was the Rev. James G. Whitford, of the Metho- dist Episcopal Church — a plain unlettered man — sporting no high sounding titles, but possessing a heart full of zeal for the salvation of men — one of those good self-sacrificing men, who, ignoring a life of ease — the allurements of wealth and fame, go forth into tlie by- ways and hedges, and into the wilderness and amid toils and priva- tions, preach the blessed gospel of the Redeemer and — "Spend their sweat and blood and tears To cultivate Emmanuel's land." With reverend and uncovered heads the services commenced, and all joined in the simple but pathetic hymn of praise announced by the preacher, and then all bowed low as the humble prayer of thanks and invocation went up to the great white throne. The text, a part of the 16th verse of the first chapter of Second Peter — "For we have not followed cunningly devised fables" — was read. And then the preacher, in simple and earnest language, told the story of the Cross and pointed out the way of salvation and showed how these were not fables, cunningly devised, but the most blessed and important truths, which had in the course of all the ages, been proclaimed to man. The sermon ended, they all again united in a hymn of praise, and kneeling once more, the preacher poured forth an impassioned prayer to the God of nature and revelation, for the blessing and final salvation of all this little company, and then the benediction was pronounced and the first public services were ended. The reader may have stood beneath the mighty dome of St. Peters — he may have heard ten thousand voices unite in the praises of the Most High in that grandest Cathedral of all the earth, made by human hands, and may there have witnessed the most awe inspir- ing ceremonies of religious worship known among men, but here 58 HISTORY OF was a grander Cathedral— nature's temple of the ever living God — a temple bounded only by the distant horizon and whose dome was the clear, blue summer skies — whose lloor was not made of the polished mosaics of art, but was the solid earth, clothed and garnished by nature. And here too, was a worship grand in its simplicity, af- fecting in its pathos und acceptable in its humility and sincerity. THE PIONEERS OF THE MINISTRY. But regular religious services were not yet established in the county. That work was left for the Rev. J. W. Powell and Rev. R- A. Judd, of the Methodist Episcopal Church and a little later the Rev. J. E. Conrad, of the Presbyterian Church, who soon after preached regularly in the county, and were the pioneers of the min- istrj' in this county. Mr. Judd died many years ago, having given his life to his country during the great rebellion. The others are yet living. And they still, as the years go by, continue to call men to repen- tance and a preparation for the life to come, and will doubtless labor on in this highest and holiest of all callings, whatever may betide, until the great Master shall say to each of them, it is enough, "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." "The p;Uh of the just is as the shining li^'ht, That shineth, more and more, until the perfect day." CROPS. There was no harvest in this county in 1856. It is said that no wheat or oats were sown, or if any, so little that no account was taken of it. The principal crops raised during this year, were some seed corn and small patches of potatoes and a few garden vegetables. The great bulk of the provisions, flour, pork, beef, beans, corn meal ard other articles were imported, mainly from Iowa. And now next in the order of time, is the story of the foun- ders of WINNEBAGO CITY. In September, of this year, five energetic young men, then in St. Paul, moved by the spirit of the times and impelled much by the same motives which had actuated the founders of Blue Earth City, also conceived the idea of establishing a town somewhere in the great Territory of Minnesota. Their names were Andrew C. Dunn, Warren N. Dunham. Elijah H. Barritt, James Sherlock and Charles H. Parker. Having determined on this project, they at once pur- chased a team and outfit, and all except Mr. Parker, started out to find an eligible location. They laid their course for Lake Albert Lea, in Freeborn county, adjoining this county on the east, and ar- FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 59 rived there about the first of October. But on reaching that point they found that tlie only suitable location for a town had already been taken up by George Ruble and others. They endeavored to get an interest in this location, but failed. The question then arose to what point should they now direct their course? Mr. Dunn re- membered having met, during the summer of this year, at Mankato, Grover C. Burt and Hiram L. Young, who were at the time living on the Blue Earth river, in this county, and who had given him very glowing descriptions of the Blue Earth Valley and strongly invited him to visit this region. So they started for the Blue Earth, where they safely arrived and made inquiry for Mr. Young, whom they found living in a tent on the lands of Capt. H. H. Bigelow, adjoin- ing what is now the site of Winnebago City. Mr. Young and one B. K. Burt were then "claiming" the two quarter sections on which the village of Winnebago City was afterwards located, but on learn- ing that our company were desirous of founding a city, they sur- rendered their claims and took others. Our company camped with Mr. Young about six weeks, while making the claim and locating the town. The town was located upon the south-east quarter of section thirty-four and the south-west quarter of section thirty-five in town one hundred and four of Range twenty-eight west. The final surveys were made in January, 1857, by Messrs. Well- man and Johnson, civil engineers, of St. Paul, and the plats were filed soon after, in the office of the register of deeds of the county. Mr. Young having the logs hewed for a small house (12x14) was induced by the company to erect the house on the town- site, which was done in November and was occupied by an agent of Mr. Parker, with a small stock of goods during the winter of 1856-7. This was the first house in the town and the first store in the city. A hotel building next demanded attention. One Dr. W. N. Towndrow, assisted by the town proprietors, undertook this im- portant work. This structure was twenty by thirty-six feet and one and one-half stories high. The boards for the floor and roof — green basswood and elm — were purchased at Mankato, at an expense of about seventy-five dollars per thousand feet. The building, however, was not finished until the next year, but served a good purpose as a fort, during the Indian excitement, in the spring of 1857. A steam saw mill was also purchased in Chicago, by the com- pany during the year, but did not arrive until the following spring. The further history of this young city will be found in the his- torical sketch of Winnebago City township. Here now was another village, between which and Blue ICarth City there sprang up in after years, contests and rivalries like "The Wars of the Roses," and lasted a long time. No blood was shed, indeed, but in political figuring, bitter denunciations, heated con- 60 niSTOIlY OF tests and prodigious blustering, resembled somewhat, on a small scale, the old wars of the houses of York and Lancaster. But the old feuds have now happily- passed away. THE FIRST ELECTION. On the second Tuesday, the 14th day of October, the tirst elec- tion in the county for civil officers occurred. It was held at Blue Earth City, the county seat. The whole county was then one election district. The question also of the permanent location of the county seat was voted upon as required by law, and resulted in the unani- mou.s choice of Blue Earth City. The judges of election were Moses Sailor, J. B. Wakefield and H. T. Stoddard. The whole number of votes cast was eighty-two. It seems that no votes were cast for members of the legislative council and house of representatives, in this county at this election County officers only were elected as follows: — For County Commissioncr.s — Moses Sailor, Crawford W. Wilson and William M. Scott. For Register of Deeds — James B. Wakefield. For Surveyor — Orville Kimball. It cannot now be determined whether any other county officers were elected at this election, or not, as no record of the election can now bo found. This was the year of the eighteenth presidential election, but as Minnesota was then but a territory, no vote was cast here for presidential electors. The presidential candidates were James Buchanan, democrat, John C. Fremont, republican and Millard Filmore "know-nothing." Mr. Buchanan was elected, but had only what is called a plurality popular vote. This was the first great contest of the new republi- can party and the election was an exciting one. The main issue be- tween the republicans and democrats was that of the further ex- tension of slavery. The great plank in the platform of the know- nothing, or American party, was that none but native Americans should be put in office. The real contest, however. M'as between the two former parties and various causes rendered it a lively one. A great principal was involved, in which the troubles in Kansas heretofore referred to, intensified the interest. An event had also occurred in Washington of such significance as to add fuel to the fires. In May of this year, on the floor of the U. S. senate chamber. Charles Sumner, senator from the state of Massachusetts — a noble and honored statesman, one of the foremost men of the age and a great champion of human rights, while sitting at his desk, was, because of .some words spoken in debate, brutally assaulted and beaten over his bare head until he fell to the floor insensible, gashed, bleeding and powerless, by a detestable coward named Brooks — a FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 61 representative from South Carolina. It was a most infamous deed and without a parallel anywhere in history. But to return to our local election. It was as above stated the first in the county and we are happy to say it was a model election. Those were the days here of x'epublican (or if you choose democratic) simplicity and purity of the ballot box. There were no parties, nor partizan politics in- volved at this election. It was not preceded by "packed" caucuses in the townships. There were no county conventions managed by party wire pullers, or political demagogues, dictating for whom the people should vote by setting up candidates. There wei"e no country school house meetings and no riding up and down the county, canvassing the electors and extolling the vast abilities and immaculate virtues of one set of candidates and the prodigious villainy and utter incompetency of the other set. Office hunters and office hunting were unknown and the candidates were the free choice of the electors. Tlie honors of office were unsought and were borne by the recipients with modesty and diffidence. Blessed days were those, but never to return again. Alas! alas! how the times have degenerated! But we must now turn from these sub- jects to deeds of violence and death nearer home and recount the SECOND HOMICIDE. Samuel V. Hibler, the register of deeds of the county and one of the original town propietors, was holding the southwest quarter of section seventeen in township one hunderd and two, range twenty- seven, adjoining the town- site of Blue Earth City, as a claim under the pre-emption laws. He had erected a small log cabin and made some other improvements on the land. Not probably living up to the strict letter of the law as to residence upon the land and the land then being deemed quite valuable, one Theophilus Bowen "jumped the claim," as it was called in those days and determined to contest Hibler's right and ordered trial at the local land office, than located at Chatfield, Minnnesota. In Hibler's absence Bowen had gone upon the land and taken possession of the building. The jumping of claims was in those days, very unpopular and was viewed as a gross infringement of private rights, which warranted extreme measures. Many persons in those early days lost their ■lives in this teri'itory because of claim jumping. In many places on the frontiers law and order in the first settlement of the country is not well established, and but little respected and persons con- sidering themselves trespassed upon, often seek to right their wrongs "by the strong and bloody hand." Hibler returned and on the fifteenth day of October, taking sev- eral friends with him, proceeded to the house on his claim and ordered Bowen off of the premises. A young man named Alfonso Brooks, 62 niSToHY OF was in the house at the time with Bowen. High words followed between Hibler and Bowen, and they got into a scuttle, when Brooks interfered and Hibler, who had a stout cane in his hand, struck Brooks over the head. Brooks stooped down to pick up a piece of brick from a small pile in the corner and as he arose, Hibler struck him asain on the head several times. Brooks fell and died in about an hour. His skull was broken. Mr. Brooks was buried in the graveyard at Blue Earth City, the Rev. J. G. Whitford preaching his funeral sermon. It was indeed a .=ad affair. A young man of good habits, intelligent, of inoffensive character and not one of the principal parties to the quarrel, stricken down in the prime of life. Bowen immediately went to Mankato, in Blue Earth countj', to which this county had been attached for judicial purposes, and made complaint against Hibler and some others, whom he considered im- plicated. The complaint was made before a justice of the peace, who forthwith issued a warrant for the arrest of Hibler and the others. They were arrested and taken before the justice for exam- ination. Thomas J. Galbraith. an able lawyer of Shakopee. and James Dow, an attorney i-esiding at Red Wing, were retained as coun- sel by Hibler and his friends, and Lewis Branson, of Mankato. who afterwards became judge of the sixth district, appeared as prose- cuting attorney. When the case was called, Mr. Galbraith moved the court to discharge the prisoners on the ground that the justice had no jurisdiction over the territory (in the county) ^here the offence had been committed, the statute of the time enacting that the jurisdiction of a justice of the peace should be "Co-extensive with the limits of his county and no other or greater." They were discharged. Mr. Hibler never returned to this county. He went to Shakopee where he remained a short time, and then returned to Pennsj'lvania, his native state. The others, being no more than mere spectators of the homicide, came home. Bowen subsequently pre-empted the land in dispute, the larger part of which, in after years, was laid out in additions to Blue Earth City. The current opinion of the time was, that the killing of Brooks was mainly an accident and that Hibler was not seriously to blame under the cir- cumstances. THE WEATHER. The weather, during the summer and fall of this year, was very pleasant until the winter set in, on the twenty-second day of Novem- ber, coming down suddenly in the shape of a foot of snow, and became very severe. The winter of 1856 7 will long be remembered over the whole north, as one of the longest, coldest and stormiest ever known in the northwest. FABIBAILT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 63 FROZEN TO DEATH. But the tragedies of the year are not all told. About the first of December, Daniel Schneider, a resident of the county, and a man named Porter, started for Twia Lakes in the state of Iowa, to bring in a load of provisions, which Porter had succeeded in getting that far, but being unable alone to get further with his load, he had come to the residence of Schneider to get assistance. It was very cold and the snows deep, but they safely reached Twin Lakes and got ready for starting, but were delayed one day as a great snow storm was raging. There was then no one living at Twin Lakes, and they had to camp out. While at this place there came there a man named Jones, and another man quite advanced in years, whose name is now forgot- ten, who were on their way to this county. They soon found tliat they could not move with their load, owing to the great additional depth of snow and the drifts, and the cold becoming very severe, they were compelled to leave everything and seek some human hab- itation or perish. They turned their oxen loose to shirk for them- selves and all started for the residence of one Adams, in the Big Brush, near Forest City, about fourteen miles distant over the open prairies. All were frozen to death on the way, except Jones, who, almost exhausted and with feet and hands badly frozen, reached the cabin of Adams. It appears that Schneider was the first to fail on that terrible journey, as he gave out and laid down to die about six miles from Twin Lakes. Porter kept along some miles further and wandered off the road in the direction of Coon Grove, where he sank down in the sleep of death. The old man whose name is unknown, next succumbed, not far from their destination. A party went out from Forest City in a few days after and brought in the body of Porter, but the others were not found at the time. It was said that Porter had about one thousand dollars in gold with him, but no money was found on his body. Schneider's remains were found the next April, by his father. He was lying on his back, his limbs quietly composed, as though he had gone to sleep. His face and hands had been eaten away by wolves. His pockets had been turned inside out and his wallet lay upon his breast, empty. Whether the remains of the old man were ev-er found and what became of the oxen and load of provisions, the writer has never been able to learn. IMMIGRATION. Many permanent residents came into the county during the year, and great improvements were made, but there is now no means of knowing what the population of the county was at the close of the year. 64 IIISTOHY or The first settlements were made during the year in the towns afterwards known as Minnesota Lake, Lura, Delavan, Walnut Lake, Poster, Emerald, .Jo Daviess and Seely, as will be seen by reference to the historical sketches of the several towns. The times were prosperous, the future promising and the people ac- tive and hopeful. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 65 CHAPTER III. A. D. 1857. "Whoop after whoop with rack the ear assailed, As if unearthly fiends had burst their bar." —Oertrude of Wyoming. The year 1857 begun in the midst of one the severest winters ever known in this country. The snows lay very deep on the level prairies and great drifts, lying in every direction, rendered traveling almost impossible. During the winter, there was nothing to break the monotony, even in the two so-called villages, except the arrival of the weekly mail, bringing letters and papers from the great world, from whicli the people here were as much isolated as if they were situated on a distant island of the ocean. Sometimes the mail carrier, venture- some as any man, owing to the deep snows and unbroken roads, failed to get through for days after his expected arrival, causing great disappointment and many surmises. THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. The only event of public, or private importance, occuring during the winter, was the meeting of this board, and is the flrst meeting of which any record exists. The members of the board were Moses Sailor, C. W. Wilson and William M. Scott. They assembled on the fifth day of January and organized by electing Mr. Scott chairman for the year. James B. Wakefield was clerk. The board proceeded to divide the county into three districts for assessment purposes, but this act was simply a matter of high formality, as it was not in- tended to have an assessment, or levy any tax, and none was levied, until the next year. A few petitions for roads were examined. The only existing roads then were Indian trails. After a session of a few hours the board adjourned. LEGISLATION. The Eighth Territorial Legislature assembled at St. Paul, Jan- uary seventh and adjourned March seventh. An extra session was held in April and May. The tenth district, of which this county 66 HISTORY <>F was a part, was represented at this session by P. P. Humphery in the council, and Joseph R. Brown, Francis Baasen and O. A. Thomas in the house. No one of them resided in this county. The legislation at this and the extra session following, relating directly to this county, consisted of the following acts: — An act to incorporate the town of Winnebago City, approved February I'Jth, section 2 enacted, "That for the good order and im- provement of said town, Andrew C. Dunn be and hereby is appointed president; E. H. Burrit, C. H. Parker, James Sherlock and W. N. Dunham be and hereby are appointed trustees." An act passed May 19th, incorporating Blue Earth City in these words: — "That so much land as is contained in the plat of Blue Earth City, in the county of Faribault, as the same is platted and recoi'ded, be and the same is hereby created a town corporate, by the name of Blue Earth City." This is probably the shortest, most indefinite and unsatisfactory incorporation act on record. An act detaching this county from Blue Earth county, to which it had been attached for judicial purposes in 1856. It was thought that this county had now become able to stand alone. But little business of a judicial character, originating in this county, had been transacted during the union. For many years however, after the separation, persons who were committed by the courts in this county, were sent to the common jail of Blue Earth county and this county footed the bills. An act placing this county in the third judicial district, passed May 23d. By this act the judge of the dis- trict court was authorized to hold terms of court in this county and also, in his discretion, to appoint a clerk of court for this county. Also an act passed May 23d establishing the county of Martin and defining its boundaries, by which one tier of four townships, on the west end of this county, being in range twenty nine, was de- tached from this county and included in the territory of Martin county. The people of this county were asleep, even snoring, or grossly negligent at this particular time, especially the proprietors of Blue Earth City. The interests of Blue Earth City at least, de- manded that the eastern tier of townships — range twenty-four, should have been taken off, if any, and the western tier, range twenty-nine, retained as that would have brought Blue Earth City. the county seat, very near the geographical center of the county, and save a world of trouble afterwards. The pi-oceeding was in fact a bit of sharp practice, quite current in those days and which bore the euphonious name of "Sculduggery." It was at this session of the legislature that the famous act was passed for the removal of the seat of government — the Capital — from St. Paul to St. Peter. But the bill very mysteriously disap- peared before it became a law and the whole project fell through FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 67 to the great joy of St. Paul. The great questions of public inter- est, among the leading politicians and others, during the winter and spring, were the procuring of a state organization and grants of public lands from the general government to aid in the construc- tion of railroads. Accordingly the "Enabling Act," authorizing the people of the territory to form a constitution preparatory to the admission of Minnesota into the Union, was passed by congress, February 26th, and later in the session, a large grant of lauds was- made for railroads. These important events necessitated an extra session of the legislature which met on the 27th of April and ad- journed May 25th. LOCAL AFFAIRS. Turning again to our county affairs, we quote briefly, as illus- trative of the local events of the times, the conditions of the coun- try and the progress of settlement, from the Journal of an old set- tler, who came into the county in the spring of this year: April 2d, 1857. Set out this morning early from Mankato for Blue Earth City, forty-five miles distant, on horseback, in company with Mr. Dow, the Blue Earth City mail carrier and a Mr. A. C. Dunn, a young lawyer and one of the town proprietors of Winnebago City. Made but twenty-two miles to-day and stopped for the night at a lonely log cabin iu the edge of the timber, the proprietor of which, is a Mr. Gregory. The roads are terrible. I was never so tired, besides having had nothing to eat all day, I was as hungry as a wolf when I got here. When I reached here, I thought I had never seen in my life a house look so friendly and hospitable as this old cabin. We soon had a warm supper of salt pork, beans, slapjacks and barley coffee and felt much revived. This seems a very sparsely settled and desolated region. But it is lime to retire, as we start early in the morning. April 3d. We got a good breakfast and started early this morning. Mr. Dunn remained at Gregory's, being ill. Dow and 1 liad but one horse and a very poor one at that. We rode and walked alternately, but both mainly walked. The roads were very bad, even worse than yesterday. We waded sloughs from one to three feet deep in soft snow and water. At other places the mud was from six to twelve inches deep. The wind blew quite hard and chilly all day. It was about ten o'clock when we crossed the north county line, of this county, to which fact Dow called my attention, as though it was a mat- ter of grave importance. I did not observe anything very remarkable. On the right in the timber, was a small log cabin, on the east a boundless prairie and right before us was another wretched slough to be crossed, which was full three feet deep of water, ice and snow. We pulled through it on foot and also pulled the horse through, as he was blind. About twelve o'clock we reached Winnebago City, but there is cio city there, to speak of. In fact there is no town at all, but there is a magnificent, roomy place to build a town. I should think they could build a town there the size of London and not be cramped much. I observed there only a log house of some size, one-and-one-half story high and apparently not finished, which Dow said was intended for a hotel, also one other small log building at which we stopped. It proved to be a store kept by one T, Foley. He has a few dry goods, some tobacco, soap, cod fish and a barrel of whisky. Foley is post master and he oyerhauled the mail and seemed entirely happy and insisted en trealing^ 68 HISTORY OF several times. The driver, 1 observed, took some, iifter which we moved on our way much refreshed by the short rest. Wo reached another cabin about one o'clock, where wecat a prodigious dinner of salt pork, beans, potatoes and some Kood bread. This settler's name is Stoddard, and he said that he was the first settler in that locality. After dinner we moved on for our destination and after a liard tramp of a couple of hours, reached the east branch of the Blue Earth river, which we crossed IhrouKh a foot of water on the ice and about four o'clock we entered on the sacred soil of the town site of Blue Earth City and stopped at this hotel, which is called the Metropolitan. And this is Blue Earth City! It strikes me that the reputation of the.se western towns gener- ally, is much inflated. Tomorrow I shall look the place over. It Is quite plain now that I should have gone to St. Paul, as 1 llrst intended, instead of drift- ing so far out on the frontier. April 4th. After a liearty break last this morning of potatoes, beans, slap- jacks and tea (the pork has run out), I felt ([uite well and ready to prospect. I walked out and took a view of the Metropolitan, which is fjuite a large log building. It has a wing in the rear, which is used for a kitchen. The kitchen and a part of the main building only, appear to be finished. They say this is the largest building in tlie county and the only one entitled to the name of house. Nearly opposite the hotel is a one story log building, about fourteen by twenty feet, which is occupied by Messrs. Grout as a frontier storeand dwelling, being the only store in the county, except the one at Winnebago City. Pros- pecting further, I found that there are six other small, one story, log cabins scattered aliout within a circuit of about half a mile. The population of the place is about Iwi'nty-two, large and small, and this is abo\it all there is of this much talked of "city." After dinner had a talk with the landlord. lie says his name is Constans and that he is one of the town proprietors and that he came here over a year ago— says he came from France, via the Alantic^ocean, New Orleans, the Mississippi river, St. Paul, Shakopee and several other places, to this county. He speaks with a strong Franco-German accent. From our con- versation I learn that there are as yet, in the county, no newspapers, no courts, no schools, no churches, no doctors, no mechanics at work, no laid out roads, no bridges, and that there are but a few settlers and they are settled in the timber and about the lakes, and that the prairies are all vacant. It appears that there are not twi farms in the county of ten acres of plowed land ; that the people are all poor and that nobody is doing anything, and no one wanting to do any- thing, but, as the landlord says, all are contented and happy in the prospects of the future. Prospects, that is it, everything rests on prospects. Was intro- duced by Mr. Constans to one George B. Kingsley, a boarder at this hotel, Mr. Kingsley says he is a New Yorker — has ."ome interest in the town and a claim near by— says he is postmaster here, but the business does not warrant keeping an office and hence he carries the mail matter in his pocket, for convenience and safety— says that he is justice of the peace, the first and only one in the county, hut that he has never had any business in that line and don't want any. He seems quite frank and very hopeful of the future. Here two other men came in, one Wakefield, who is a very large man, and one Tennesen, ([uite a small man. The curious thought struck me, that if these two persons were equalized they would make two averaged sized men. I was introduced. I learned that Mr. Tennesen is a settlerholding a "claim." Mr. Wakefield is also one of the town proprietors— a lawyer by profession, and is the Register of Deeds. The conversation continued in relation.to the county and the prospects of this town. All seemed to think this county one of the best in the territory, FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 69 having a good soil, fair distribution of timber, good water and healtiiy. The village too is quite near the center of the county and is now the county seat. It was said also that the Keokulc, Fort Des Moines and Minnesota railroad, was now being built in Iowa, and will run from Fort Dodge to Mankato, this town, being on the direct line and the road will undoubtedly be built as far as this place, within two years at the furthest! They say the assurances are also very good that the United States land office, now located in the eastern part of the territory may soon be removed to this place, that is in a year or two probably. After some farther talk we all went over to Grout's store — was introduced to Lewis P. Grout. While there a Mr. Sailor came in and was introduced to him, as the first settler of this county. He gave me his hand and a hearty welcome to Faribault county. All present expressed the wish that I should decide to remain here. Soon after I returned to the hotel and went to tea and am now spending a quiet evening by the stove, jotting down the events of the day. While I can hardly believe that all the hopes of these people will be realized, yet I will say that I am much impressed with their courteous manners and affable conversation. I suppose I shall have to conclude to remain here, for a while at least. In the first place I am about out of money. In the second place the roads have become nearly impassable and in the third place, while everything here seems to be "prospects" the prospects certainly rest on the substratum of a good country. I shall leave the decision until to-morrow. THE COUNTY FATHERS. The commissioQers met again on the 6th day of April. A new election district was established comprising all the territory of the county lying north of a line commencing at the northwest corner of section nineteen, township one hundi'ed and three, range twenty- nine and running thence east to the boundary of the county. This district was named Winnebago City Precinct and W. N. Towndrow, H. T. Stoddard and E. Crosby were appointed judges of election and H. H. Bigelow, constable. The remainder of the county con- stituted Blue Earth City Precinct, and Albin Johnson, Allen Shultis and Benj. Gray were appointed judges of election and S. B. Miller, constable. Prior to this division the whole county constituted one election district. The county was now also divided into three road districts and Philip Chesley, O. N. Gardner and Dewitt Paddock, were appointed road supervisors. The board appointed Jas. B. Wakefield, judge of probate, L. P. Grout, county treasui'er and H. P. Constans, sheriff. The petition of John Clabaugh and others, for the formation of a school district — the first one in the county — was presented and acted upon. The commissioners subsequently held meetings, as follows, on July 6th and 25th, Sept. 6th, Oct. 26th and Nov. 2d. The public interests required frequent meetings of the board. The action of the board at these several meetings of historical interest, is noted elsewhere. 70 HISTORY OF THK INDIAN EXCITEMENT. Early in the spring occasional rumors reached the few settlers scattered through the county, of coming Indian troubles and af- forded grounds for serious apprehensions. Immediatly on the north of the county, lay the Winnobago Indian reservation and not more than seventy-five miles distant, on the upper Minnesota, was the Sioux reservation. Peace had long existed between these tribes and the whites, but the Indians were restless and dissatisfied, espec- ially the Sioux. The people here were without any special protec- tion and the Indians roamed over the country unmolested, hunting and fishing. They disturbed no one and peace and quiet reigned Avithin the county, but troublous times were near at hand. That the reader may have a proper understanding of the events about to happen, it is necessary that a brief account should be given of THE SPIRIT LAKE MASSACRE. This statement is taken from that valuable work, Neill's His- tory of Minnesota: In Ddrlhwestem Iowa, a few miles from the Minnesota bounrlary. there is a lake known as Spirit Lake. In the spring of 1856, persons from Ked Wing, Minnesota, had visited this place and determined to lay off a town. In the winter of IS.'JT there were six or seven Iok' cabins on the border of the lake. About fifteen or twenty miles north in Minnesota, there was also a small place called SprinKfleld. For several years Inkpaduta, a Wapckuta Dakota, liad lieen roving about with a few outlaws, being driven away from their own people by internal difficulties. These Indians were hunting in northwestern Iowa, when one was bitten by a white man's dog, which he killed. The whites then pro- ceeded to the Indian's camp and disarmed them, liut they soon supplied them- selves again. After this they arrived on Sunday, the 8th of March, at Sjiirit Lake. They p'oceeded to a cabin where only men dwelt, and asked fo' beef. Understanding, as they assert, that they had permission to kill one of the cattle they did so and commenced cutting it up, when one of the white men came out and knocked down one of the Dakotas. For this act the settler was shot and another one coming out of the cabin he was also killed. Surrounding the house, the Indians now fired the thatched roof and as the men ran out all were killed making the whole number eleven. About the sametime, the In- dians went to the house of a frontierman, by the name of Gardner and de- manded food and all the food in tlie house was given them. The son-in-law and another man left to go and .see if all was right in the neighboring cabin, hut they never came back. Toward night excited by the blood they, the In- dians, had been spilling through the day, they came back again to Mr. Gard- ners house and soon killed him, dispatching his wife, two daughters and grand children, carried off Abby, the surviving daughter. The next day they con- tinued their fiendish work and brought into camp Mrs. Thatcher and Mrs. Noble. » » » On Thursday, the 12th day of March, an In- dian who had been on friendly terms with Marble's family, called at his house and told them that the white people below them on the lake had been nippoed (killed) a day or two previously. • * » The next day (the 13th), quite early in the forenoon, four Indians came to Marble's house and were admitted. They proposed to swap rifles with Marble FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 71 and the terms were soon agreed upon. After the swap the chief suggested that they should go out on the lake and shoot at a mark. Marble assented. After a few discharges they turned to come in the direction of the house, when the savages allowed Marble to go a few paces ahead and Immediately shot him down. Mrs. Marble saw her husband fall and ran to him. The Indians seized her and told her they would not kill her, but would take her with them. They carried her in triumph to the camp whither they had previously taken the three other white women. * * * Inkpaduta and party now proceeded to Springfield, where they slaughtered the whole settlement about the 27th of March. * * » The four captive women were forced by day to carry heavy burdens through deep snow and at nightfall they were .made to cut wood and set up the tent and after dark, to be subject to the Indignities that suggested themselves to savages. Mrs. Thatcher and Mrs. Noble were soon after killed and Mrs. Marble and Miss Gardner were rescued, all having suffered cruel- ties too atrocious to name. The reports of these diabolical deeds spread consternation throughout the territory, but especially along the frontiers which were entirely unguarded. No one knew to what extent the massa- cre would be carried nor of how many of the Indians were engaged in it. How the news reached Blue Earth City and the consequent excitement and general results in this county, with many other interesting facts of this time, is best stated in the words of the Old Settler's Journal written at the time, from which we quoted above. April 13th. We were suddenly awakened last night about twelve o'clock by the arrival of C. W. Wilson and A. Morris, who had been to Mankato on business, who informed us in a hurried and frightened manner of terrible mur- ders by the Indians and that the Sioux were now coming upon us from the north and that the settlers along the river were being murdered and their cab- Ins burned. They had abandoned two loads of provisions on the way, which they had bought at Mankato, as they could not delay to bring them on. They urged us strongly to leave at once and then hastened on to inform the people southward on the river, to flee for their lives. The question arose for decision at once, what shall be done? There was here in the hotel, Mr. Kingsley, Mr. and Mrs. Constans and myself. Messrs Wakefield and Tenneson and the two Grouts were in their cabins near by. They came in, when a hurried consulta- tion was had. We were few in number and we had but few arms and but little ammunition. Would it not be best to go? On the other hand the night was dark, quite cold and the wind blowing very hard and there was but one way out, that is into Iowa and we should have to cross wide, unsettled prairies for forty miles to any known habitation, and we had no conveyance of any kind. Here, too, in the village were six or seven women, two of whom are ill. If we went they would have to be abandoned. We decided to stay, gather all into the hotel, fort up the best we could at once, and fight it out. Before daylight some thirty men with their families arrived from the neighboring settlement, but many others insisted on going on, and struck out over the prairies for Iowa. God help them! They must suffer much, yet they may be taking the wisest course. None knows what the result will be. We proceeded to fortify the 72 HISTORY OF house the best we fould with our lliiiitecl lueans, anil when daylight came, we found we liud surtU-lent arms and ammunition, witli what had been brought In, to stand a pretty lon^t siege. More people arrived during the day with addi- tional arms and ammunition. A terrible dread and suspense seems to rest upon all. A strong' guard will be placed out to-night. April 14th. Evening. lA sort of military organization was elTected this morning. J. li. (lillit. who says he was In the "Patriot war" in Canada, was elected captain, and S. R Miller, who saw service In Mi'.xico, was chosen lieutenant These are the only men jjresent who havi- had any military exp erience. A portion of the company was set to building a barricade at a dis- tance of about thirty feet from the house, and another party was directed to build a sort of rude bridge across the cast branch to facilitate the passage of the people from the north and east to the fort. Not expecting an attack during the day, the people were distributed among the various cabins for convenience, but all to return to the fort in the evening. A number of settlers came in to-day and there is much excitement and many rumors. Many from insullicient clottiing are suffering from cold. The children look half frozen. I was once on guard last night and guards will be stationed out to-night again. Each guard remains out one hour, which, considering the cold, is long enough. There are five on each watch stationed around the house at a distance of fifteen to twenty rods. The practical use of these guards I don't see, but our business Is to obey. April 15th, 10 A. M. I was twice on guard last night and have slept but three hours since the beginning of the excitement. No one could sleep much here: thu very dead would almost wake up in the hubbuband turmoil of scream- ing children, crying women and incessant running to and fru. No further news has been received this morning, but it was concluded to send a messenger to Mankato, to learn the condition of affairs. Mr. Dow volunteerq4 to go and has gone, but it is thought quite risky. Two others went out in quest of several persons who went to their homes yesterday and were to return last evening, but did not. 6 o'clock P. M. The party sent out after the missing men found tlieni and all have just returned together. They report that they saw no signs of Indians but early this morning they heard four or five gun shots in the distance in a locality which the settlers had all left and are now here at the fort, and it is thought the Indians are skulking about there. I am much rested having had a sleep of two hours this afternoon, though the bed was not a very good one — only a blanket spread on the floor in the corner of the room. Just had supper— salt pork, just brought in, fried, potatoes considerably frozen, boiled, corn bread and fat. Board five dollars per week and "accommodations the best the country alfords." April Ifith, 9 A. M. On guard once last night No further news this morn- ing. A s(iuad was just sent out for some kind of provisions. Slept but little last night. Noise, noise, confusion, all the time, night and day. Getting very tired of this and who is not. 12 M. Three strangers— hangdog looking fellows— just arrived frotu below and say that the reports we have heard are greatly exaggerated and that there Is no real danger. They are going on south. There is something in the manner of these men that is not just right and it is believed that they are lying for some purpose. I think myself, however, they are not far from the truth as to the reports. 3 P. M. William Granger, one of the founders of the Spirit Lake settle- ment and another gentleman of the same name, have just arrived from Spirit Lake, sixty miles west. They report that forty persons were slaughtered at FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 73 Spirit Lake and Springfield, all the settlers there, but four women, who were taken prisoners. All the other women were outraged and killed. Messrs. Grangers say that the Indians are prowling all along the frontier, in small bands, and that we must keep the closest watch. These men reside in Rod Wing, and being interested in the Spirit Lake settlement, when they heard of the massacre went there at once. After a brief rest they proceeded on their way to Red Wing. This news being reliable, the people are much alarmed and it seems reasonably so. The officers say that there will be two guards on each beat placed out to-night. Why have there been no troops sent on to the frontier? April 17th, 9 A. M. Last night we had the windows strongly barricaded and guns loaded and placed around the walls, ready for instant use. I was on guard but once last night. I tried during the night to get some sleep on the floor by the stove, and some others tried the same experiment. It was chiefly a failure. There was an incessant howling of dogs all night, crying of childen up stairs, ceaseless jabbering and punching of the tires. Was there ever such a bedlam outside of a mad house ? But I cannot blame the people much: I am beginning to feel a little ugly myself. 3 P.M. Dow has just returned from Mankato. He says many of the set- tlers are leaving the country. Some few have decided to stay and are forting up at various places along the river. Quite a number are forted up at Winne- bago City and at Stoddard's. He says that at Mankato and other places many say they believe there will be a general attack by the Indians all along the frontier and they are preparing for it. Two persons just arrived from Walnut Lake. They say that they saw a number of Winnebagoes near the lake, who were returning to their reservation and who informed them that the Sioux were coming in four days. Tomorrow will be the fourth day. 7 P. M. This evening a few of those who had fled to Iowa returned having found secure places for their families there and they have come back to render what assistance they can and to look after their effects. They report a terrible time of suffering — frozen hands and feet, starvation and fright. Oapt. Gillit announces that the provisions are about out. I thought they were about out for some time past. Kingsley thinks "Hank" ought to give us some deduction on tlie price of board, as he and I are the only regular cash boarders and the others all get their frozen potatoes, barley coff -e and johnny cake for nothing. April 18th, 7 P. M. This was a cold stormy day. Scott to-day brought in a sack of white flour, some good potatoes and some other articles of food, which he has kept hid somewhere until to-day. Hank told us privately, that we should have a good dinner and we had. To-day the case of Adams vs. Ahrens was tried before Geo. B. Kingsley, justice of the peace. J. A. Kiester appeared for the plaintiff and one Haggin for the defendant. Judgment was rendered for the plaintiff. Wakefield, Amicus Curiae, assisted the court in settling points of law. It was a queer time and place for a law suit. Quite a large number of spectators were present and considerable interest was mani- fested in the matter. I am informed that this is the first law suit which has ever occurred in the county. If the savages desolate the country, it may also be the last for some years at least. April 19th, Sunday evening 6 P. M. I was on guard twice last night, but got some sleep near morning. The people here are wearied out and they rested quietly all day until evening, when now the excitement is as great as ever. Several persons who have to-day been out in the country, have returned and report having seen, about eight miles out, six Indians, who flred upon them, but fortunately they had not been hit. They made all haste to get in and be- lieve the red devils are coming. The people are gathering in and are much 74 HISTORY Ot aliirmed. I must say it looks much as though the hour had come. Must these fair and fertile lands and new licinieslie nlven up to savage occupancy? April 20lh, A. M. No guards wore placed out last night, as it was thought too risky. I have thought all along that the guards were of little use in case of an attack. Soon after dark last evening, a meeting was called for consulta- tion and after an immense amount of jangling, it was concluded to send the women and childen away in the morning, under a strong guard, unless indeed we should he attacked (luring the night. Hut no Indians have appeared yet. 12 M. Great division and dissatisfaction exists among the people. Some talk of risking the possible danger and leave the country. Others want to remain. What is best to be done is' the (|ueslion. We cannot forever remain here forted up. It will wliolly ruin three fourths of our people to remove. Many are very poor and have large families and all have spent their ready means in living during the winter and in getting ready to do something this spring and summer. Where shall they go to, and exposed as they shall be on the roads may they not be attacked and killed. It was concluded impracticable to send the women and children away, as talked last night. 9 P. M. Tills aflernoDU about a dozen of the farmers cf)ncluded to return to their lands vvitli their families, take the risk of whatever danger there may be and go to work. They decided that this is the best of the only two practic- able ways, either all leave the country, or all remain and put in their crops and raise something to live on. But they returned to their homes very reluctantly and with many fears. They are not to lie blamed. There are many difficult questions connected with the situation just now, which noonecan solve. The Indians may, or may not be, very near us. Wehave no definite knowledge on any point upon which we can act. In an hour from now the demoniac war-hoop of the savages may be heard. There is nothing to prevent their coming. There are still some fifteen men here in the fort and we could show a pretty strong resistance to an attack, but how would it be with those who have gone to their homes? April 2Ist, 6 P. M. All retired to rest last night at a late hour and put out no watch. All claim that they slept soundly and perhaps safely and to-day was spent lounging alifiut in the easiest places we could find. Oh the wearing suspense. If we could only learn something definite. April 22d, 10 A. M. Slept well last night. Quite a number of people leav- ing this morning and others are talking of going. There are many contrary opinions. Some say there are no assurances of any degree of safety here. The people are all scattered now, and we have no protection and the very silence and comparative quiet which now exists, may be like the calm before a storm. One man with a very large family of children, all small, begs with tears that the younger men will not go away. He says he cannot go— has no money, no conveyance and no place to go to. There are many others in equally poor cir- cumstances. These people cannot be deserted and most of those who talked of going, say they will stay. Is the government doing nothing? It has always been too slow in protecting the \^•estern frontiers. 4 P. M. Just received news from the north of a reliable character that the Indians arc now not near us and that the United States troops are on the way to the west and northwest of us to be there stationed for the protection of the country. This is indeed good news Several persons start out into the country to carry the glad tidings to the people. Some of those who left this morning, having heard the good news on the way, returned this evening. The confidence of the people much restored and a (luiet joy tieams from every face. God bless the good old government, after all. Thus ends, for the present at least, this mean, fearful, bloodless, dirty, hungry, cold and wretched Indian excitement, the first in the history of the county and I hope the last. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 75 Alas ! how futile this hope. Had the writer of the Journal possessed the power of the seer, to know the future, he might have seen in his visions, the red specter of an infuriated demon, brand- ishing a tomahawk dripping in blood, prophetic of a coming day, not long delayed, of death and desolation. But it should not be thought that the people felt entirely secure — far from it. Nothing but stern necessity drove them to their homes and kept them there. Much the same dread and fearful apprehensions were upon all for many months, notwithstanding the troops were now in the country. The barking of a dog in the silent hours of the night, unusual noises borne upon the winds, the light of fires reflected in the midnight sky, unusual delay in the return of the absent, the reports of gun firing in the distance, unusual stillness, even the peculiar whistling of the wind around the log cabin, the calling of birds, or the dismal howl of the wolf, created uneasiness with the nervous, lonely settler on the frontier, and not without reason, for often in the traditions of the border, these things proved to be the omens of death, for the Indian is a silent, sudden, crafty and cruel foe, whose artifices and cunning few can match. Much the same experiences were had, during the Indian excitement at Winnebago City and one or two other places, as those detailed at Blue Earth City. STEAM SAW MILLS. During the sjiring of this year, a steam saw mill was erected at Winnebago City, being the first one in the county, and about the middle of June another was erected and put in operation at Blue Earth City. The starting of these mills was an important event in the business affairs and prosperity of the county. Prior to the erection of these mills building was almost impossible, as lumber could only be had at great expense. Only log houses had been built before, but now frame dwellings could be erected. Each of these mills could turn out lumber at the rate of about 2,500 to 3,000 feet per day. An average of about forty dollars per thousand feet was charged. The effects were soon apparent, especially in the villages. New houses were built, log houses repaired, fences put up, and these signs of improvement greatly encouraged the people. These mills were the first manufacturing establishments in the county. The proprietor of a saw mill in those days, was deemed a "great man" and a power in the land. But we have long since ceased to use native lumber. As railroads were built it became convenient to get pine. The old mills long ago disappeared and so also have the original mill proprietors. HISTORY OF WEATHER AND CROPS. The spring of this year was late and cold. CJold weather and high winds continuing until about the middle of Maj'. It was the latest and coldest spring which has yet been known here. The ground did not become fit for seeding until near the last of May. A little seeding, however, was done on the higher grounds as early as April l'7th. Some remnants of the deep snow drifts of the winter, were seen as late as the fourth day of Julj*. on the north side of the river bluffs, in the timber, near [^Blue Earth City. Yet vegetation never obtained a ranker, or more rapid growth, than it did in that year, and the crops in Minnesota were very abundant for the area cultivated. As there was yet but little land under cultivation, the crops in this count j' were merely nominal. PRICES. It may be of interest to some to know the prices current of staple articles at this time. Flour was $4.50 and corn meal 83.00 per hun dred; corn 81.00 and potatoes 75 cents per bushel; butter 30 cents, salt pork 25 cents, tea 81.00, sugar 18 cents, coffee 25 cents, chewing tobacco 8100, smoking tobacco 60 cents each per pound: sheeting 18 cents per yard; whisky 80 cents and brandy 75 cents per pint and pint flasks 15 cents each. For prices current in the earlier years of the county, the writer is indebted to the account books of Mr. Isreal S. Mead, who was engaged in mercantile pursuits during a number of those j'ears. CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION. Under the Enabling Act above referred to. aCJonstitutional Con- vention to consist of one hundred and eight members (each Council district to elect two for each Councilman and Representative, to which it was entitled), was authorized to meet at the Capital on the second Monday of July, to frame a State Constitution and submit the same to the people of the Territor3\ The election for members was held on the first Monday of June. On the 13th day of July, the delegates met, but owing to a dis- agreement as to the hour of meeting, the Republican members met and organized one body and the Democratic members also organ- ized separately. Each of these bodies claiming to be the legal Con- stitutional Convention, proceeded with the work of forming an in- strument to be submitted to the people. After some daj's an under- standing was effected between them and by means of committes of conference the same Constitution was framed and adopted by both bodies. On being submitted to the people at the general election October 13th, it was ratified. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 77 NEW APPORTIONMENT. The Constitutional Convention redistricted tlie Territory for Legislative purposes, by which action the counties of Faribault and Freeborn were constituted the Fourteenth Senatorial district and was entitled to one senator and thx-ee representatives. INDIANS AGAIN. About the middle of July, the frontier settlements were again agitated and put in great fear by rumors afloat on the borders, that the Indians were preparing for another attack on the white settlers. Government had failed as yet to punish the Spirit Lake murderers and the Indians generally of the north-west had grown insolent and made many threats. On the 20th, a meeting was called of the peo- ple of Blue Earth City and vicinity, to eifect some sort of military organization. A company was formed, of which James Decker was elected captain, J. A. Kiester, first lieutenant and H. P. Constans, second lieutenant, and it was determined to build a large block house, for a fort. . The company roll and subscription list of work and money for the block house, are still in the hands of the writer. Arms and ammunition were to be procured from the Governor, but the arms never came and the fort was not built, and in a few days the excitement died out, to be renewed again about the 9th of Aug- ust. On that day several settlers who resided at Chain Lakes, ar- rived at Blue Earth City and reported that the Indians were about the Lakes and that one Indian and one white man — a Mr. Britt — had been shot and the people there wanted assistance. The people at the lakes had built a fort of logs and named it Port Britt. It was a building of six sides, each side being twenty feet long. It was one story high and had a battlement around the top six feet high, which projected over the lower story all around, some six feet. It had re- quired a great deal of labor and has quite a strong and commodious fortification. As requested, a small company on horseback went from Blue Earth City to the Port where they found most of the people gathered and much " alarmed. It appeared that Mr. Britt, who had been down in the timber several days previous, had been shot at by one of a company of Indians and slightly wounded, and he returned the fire and probably killed the Indian, as he was seen to fall when the others fled, and Mr. Britt hurried home. The company scoured the woods and the country about the lakes, but found no Indians and they returned home next day just as well satis- fied as though they had got into a fight and been scalped. These rumors and excitements occurred at intervals during the whole year and kept the people in a state of constant anxiety and dread. To be attacked and defeated by a civilized foe, is bad enough, but to be beaten by these Indian savages and suffer the horrible 78 HISTOltY OF atrocities of maiming and torturing, which they usually inflict upon their victims, is quite another thing.and it is not a matter of surprise that when apparently well founded rumors that the savages were coming, reached the people of the frontier, scattered and unpro- tected, that the cheeks of strong men turned pal«^, and women grew wild with terror. And he is much of a braggart and more of a cow- ard, who would affect to sneer at or ridicule the alarm of the people under such circumstances. THE FINANCIAL PANIC. Probably the most extraordinary, violent and destructive finan- cial panic ever known in America occurred in this year. The times for some years preceding the panic were characterized by the great amount of debts of individuals and corporations and almost incredible extravagance and wild speculations. Cities, corpora- tions, banks and individuals, were drained of money to construct unproductive railroads, or to invest in western land speculations. The whole western country, especially the territories, was swarm- ing with land speculators, dealing in wild lands, paper cities and great schemes of improvement. Lands and lots were sold often at fabulous prices. Great railroad lines were projected, companies formed and stock sold. These operations with others of a similar character, made money scarce everywhere where it was properly needed and diverted thousands of men and millions of capital from legitimate and productive business. The inevitable result came, the great bubble suddenly collapsed. The Ohio Life and Trust Company, an immense moneyed institution, led off sometime in August in the failures. Then followed the banks, companies, cor- porations and individuals, all going down in bankruptcy and ruin. In the graphic words of a writer on the subject "all over the land, east, west, north, south, the dark days of fear, alarm and ruin settled down upon the people and panic raged like a pestilence." The excitement became terrible. Crowds of depositors and others interested, rushed upon the banks and other institutions demanding their dues, and mobs gathered in the streets of the cities. Thous ands of men accounted rich became beggars. Almost all the great industries ceased and tens of thousands of laboring men were turned out of employment. Bank paper became worthless and gold and silver exceedingly scarce. After raging some months the panic be- gan to subside and financial affairs to right themselves. But untold ruin had been wrought and the country did not recover from its effects, for years. Minnesota was of course in the maelstrom with the rest of the nation. In this county, then so sparcely settled and the money being mainly gold and silver, the great panic was not so suddenly and disastrously manifest, but it had its etfects in a year FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 79 or two aftei", as will be presently seen. But the rumbling of the thunder in the distance was distinctly heard here. THE FIRST CENSUS. The Enabling Act authorized the taking of a census, or enum- eration of the inhabitants of the Territory for the purpose of deter- mining the number of members of Congress the proposed State would be entitled to on admission into the Union. Andrew C. Dunn was appointed deputy marshal, to take the census of this county The work was completed in September and the population of the county was at that time, as appears from the State files, six hundred and eighty-nine, though it was otherwise reported to be over seven hundred. It was merely an enumeration of the inhabitants. No other statistics were taken. The writer has made repeated but fruitless efforts to obtain a copy of this census. It would be of great inter- est as exhibiting the names of the residents of the county at that time. THE "GREAT AWAKENING." In this and the following year occurred one of the most won- derful and general religious revivals ever known in America. It has been well said that "It was in a word the American Pentacost, the great religious epoch of the national century, unequalled in ear- nestness, union and universality by any similar movement that had preceded it in the history of the western world." It was not confined to any particular class of people, or religious bodies. Even among religious denominations unaccustomed to what are termed "revival meetings," the movement exhibited itself very early in acts of co-operation with others, in earnest prayers and in great and daily labors for the promotion and success of the work. It surpassed in many of its aspects, the religious movement com- menced many years later (in 1875) under the auspices of Messrs. Moody and Sankey. This great religious awakening, nothwithstanding its wide extent and influence, did not reach this immediate region. POLITICS— THE FIRST COUNTY CONVENTION. We have now, in the course of events, reached the first polit- ical campaign known in the history of the county. Oq the 19th day of September the first political convention ever assembled in this county met at Blue Earth City. It was a repub- lican mass convention aud was called for the purpose of nominating candidates for legislative and county offices. Prior to this time no political questions hud beeu raised. 80 histohy (IF It was claimed that the democrats were in the majority in the county, and it could not be disputed, as the party lines had never been drawn and the test made. Two republicans at Blue Earth City concluded to test the mat- ter and called this convention. It was well attended and harmo- nious. A declaration of principles was adopted, nominations made, a county central committee elected and the party organized, wiiicli organization continues to this day. By a previous arrangement between the leading republicans of the two counties, it was agreed not to hold a joint convention for the nomination of legislative candidates, but that Faribault county should nominate two candidates for representatives and Freeborn county should nominate the candidate for senator and one repre- sentative. The following nominations were made by this con- vention : For Representatives— J. B. Wakefield, of Blue Earth City ; W. N. Dunham, of Winnebago City. For County Treasurer— Albin Johnson. For County Surveyor— .T. A. Kiester. For Sheriff— Thos. R. Foley. For Judge of Probate— J. B. Wakefield. For Coroner— J. B. Gillit. For County Commissioners — M. Sailor and E. Crosby. No nomination was made for the office of Clerk of Coufl. The Rejjublican convention of Freeborn County, nominated Dr. George Watson for Senator and A. H. Bartlett for one of the Rep- resentatives, both of Freeborn County. The Democrats in a few days after, also placed candidates in the field for the several offices, as follows: For Senator — E. C. Stacy, of Freeborn county. For Representatives — A. P. Sweuford, of Freeborn county, Andrew C. Dunn, of Faribault county, Geo. B. Kingsley, of Fari- bault county. For Treasurer— C. W. Wilson. For Surveyor— H. L. Young. For Sheriif— Perry Lamphere. For Judge of Probate— H. P. Constans. For Clerk of Court — Jno. M. Jackson, jr. For County Commissioner — E. M. Ellis. One Leander Lee was an independent candidate for sheriff and O. G. Hill for treasurer. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 81 The election was held on the 13th clay of October, and resulted in this county as follows: For Senator— Geo. Watson 128 E. C. Stacy 91 For Eepresentativc— A. P. Swinford 77 A. H. Bartlett 122 W. N. Dunham 66 A. C. Dunn 51 J. B. Wakefield 169 Geo. B. Kingsley 146 For County Commissioner— M. Sailor 124 E. Crosby 102 E, M. Ellis 94 For Treasurer— Albin Johnson 118 C. W. Wilson 4 O. G. Hill 39 For Sheriff— Thos. E. Foley 62 P. Lamphere 54 L. Lee 46 For Surveyor — J. A. Kiester 121 H.L.Young 33 For Coroner-J. B. Gillit 123 No opposition. For Judge of Probate— H. P. Constans 87 J. B. Wakefield 116 For Clerk of Court— Jno. >I. Johnson, jr 46 James L. McCrery, Allen Shultis and Geo. K. Moulton were elected Justices of the Peace. Theo. Bowen, G. S. Converse, Henry R. Walker and B. Madison were elected Constables and Geo. D. McArthur, D. J. Sparks and Ed. Sumner. Road Supervisors, and Albin Johnson, John Haggin and H. T. Stoddard, Assessors. The Republican Legislative candidates except one, had a ma- jority in the district. This election showed that the whole vote of the county was about two hundred and twenty in this year and that both the legis- lative district and the county were Republican in iiolitics. W. W. Phelps and James M. Cavanaugh were elected Repre- sentatives in Congress. THE FIRST WEDDINGS. On the 6th day of November two weddings occurred at Blue Earth City, which were doubtless the first in the county and as such are entitled to a place in this history. The parties were Fred. Mittlesdorf and Miss Dora Miller, and Henry Miller and Miss Mary Drager. The marriages were solemnized by James L. McCrery, Esq., Justice of the Peace. It is written "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother and shall cleave unto his wife and they shall be one flesh." 82 HlSToliV OF "As Isaac ami Rebecca lived faithfully together, so these per- sons may surely perform and keep tlie vow and covenant betwixt them made, and may ever remain in perfect love and peace to- gether." The following clover lines are from the pen of a good deacon, a good jurist and evidently a good poet: There is a problem to the schools unknown, Whereby two added fjives the produft one; Whereby the more their sorrows they divide, So luuch the more their joys arc multiplied. And love subtracted from the willing soul, Gains while it t'i^es, and thus augments the whole. Nor stop we here, for when these Iovitj marry. Soon off it happc'Hs that there's one to carry! Yea two, three, four, to till the house with joy, And down the stream of time to hear the name of— Roy. In an old paper printed a century ago, we find the following on matrimony: Oh. matrimony, thou art like To Jeremiah's Hgs; The good is very good— the bad Too sour to )?ive the pigs. I never dreamed of such a fate, When I a— lass was courted— Wife, mother, nurse, seamstress, cook, housekeeper, chambermaid, laundress, dairy-woman, and scrub generally, dolpg the work of six. For the sakeof being supported! THE LONG PARLIAMENT. The first State Legislature, though the State had not yet been admitted to the Union, assembled at the Capital, December 2d, 1857, and continued in session until March 25th, 1858, when a recess was taken until June 2d, when it again met and continued in session until Aug. 12th, when it finally adjourned. The State had in the meantime been admitted. The transition from a Territorial to a State government and many great public interests, demanding attention, created the necessity for much legislation. The acts passed at the session having special reference to this county are named in the history of the next year. The representatives of this district, appearing at the opening of the '"long parliament," were Geo. Watson in the Senate and J. B. Wakefield. A. H. Bartlett and W. N. Dunham in the House. Andrew C. Dunn, of this county, was secretary of the senate. Mr. Geo B. Kingsley, however, claimed the seat occupied by Mr. Dunham and proceeded to contest the same. The facts in relation to the matter were as follows. By the ofiicial canvass of the votes cast for FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 83 representatives, Mr. Dunham, it appeared, had four hundred and nineteen votes, and Mr. Kingsley four hundred and thirteen votes in the entire district and Mr. Dunham received the certificate of election. But it appeared from the testimony taken on the in- vestigation, that the entire vote of Bear Lake Precinct No. 5, in Freeborn county, in which Mr. Kingsley had received thirty-eight votes and Mr. Dunham seventeen votes, had been rejected by the canvassing board of Freeborn county, on the ground that nine illegal votes had been cast and 'other irregularities had occurred in the election. The legislature decided that the returns from this precinct were improperly rejected by the canvassing board, and now deducting the nine illegal votes from the thirty-eight received by Mr. Kingsley left him twenty-nine votes, which added to the four hundred and thirteen votes cast for him elsewhere in the dis- trict, and adding the seventeen votes for Mr. Dunham to the four hundred and nineteen votes received, by him elsewhere in the dis- trict, and the result was for Kingsley four hundred and forty-two, for Dunham four hundred thirty-six, leaving Kingsley a clear majority of six votes all of which appearing satisfactorily to the House, Kingsley was admitted to the seat. At this Session, Henry M. Rice and James Shields were elected United States Senators, the former for six and the latter for two (2) years. IMMIGRATION. Notwithstanding the Indian excitement, the great financial re- vulsion and some other unfavorable circumstances, the immigration during the summer and fall was large and the population of this county was greatly increased and the building and other improve- ments were extensive and permanent. It was really the first year of substantial and encouraging progress. It was indeed a year among the most eventful in the history of the State and the county, but the events of the time are already fast growing dim in the memories of the people, while many of the principal actors in the events of both the State and the county are now sleeping in their graves. 84 niSTORY OF (JLVrTER IV. A. D. 1858. THE WORK OF THE SOLONS. The laws passed by the first State Legislature referred to in the preceding chapter, specially relating to this county, were the following : An act to locate a State road from Chatfield, Fillmore County, to Winnebago City in this countJ^ An act to locate a State road from Brownsville, Houston County, to Winnebago City. An act to establish a State road from Blue Earth City to Shell Rock City in Freeborn County. In those days, before the existence of railroads, state roads were deemed of groat importance, being usually established between important points and across two or more counties. The fact that a village was a crossing point, or the terminus of a number of state roads, was held to be a matter of great consequence, and the legis- lature was often asked to authorize the establishment of these high- ways. Some of these roads, attracting and directing the course of travel and traffic, in natural and convenient channels, served to ci'eate the necessity for, and prove the practicability of certain great lines of railway, subsequently built, of which they were the forerunners. State roads are seldom ever heard of now. THE COUNTY BOARD. The commissioners met at Blue Earth City on the 9th day of January. At this session the first lists of grand and petit jurors were selected. The lists consisted of fifty grand and seventy-two petit jurors. The task of selecting these numbers of suitable per- sons for jurymen, at that time, was rather a difficult one, and the lists embraced about all the talented, ablebodied and respectable settlers in the county, not in the legal and ministerial professions. None of these jurors were, however, called upon to serve, as no term of court was held this year. The board met again on the fifth day of April. More business was transacted at this session than at any preceding one, and it was much the most important session yet held. A new election precinct FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 85 was formed and named Walnut Lake precinct, and E. M. Ellis, P. C. Seely and L. J. Whitney were appointed judges of election. An act having been passed by the legislature establishing in each county a board of road commissioners, to which everything pertaining to public roads should be referred, the county board appointed W. J. C. Robertson and J. L. McCrery road commission- ei-s and they, with the county surveyor, then J. A. Kiester, who was by law ex-officio a member of the board, constituted the board of road commissioners. A number of the principal county roads still existing, were established by this board. The county commissioners at this session, after a great deal of discussion and profound meditation, decided to have a general assessment made of all the taxable property of the county and levy a tax for public purposes. It had become impossible to conduct the affairs of the county longer, without paying the expenses. Accordingly for the purpose of making assessments, Winnebago City precinct No. one was assigned to H. T. Stoddard, assessor. Blue Earth City precinct No. two was assigned to Albin Johnson, assessor, and Walnut Lake precinct No. three was assigned to John Haggin, assessor. Mr. Stoddard appointed Grover C. Burt, deputy, who made the assessment of district No. one and Mr. Haggin ap- pointed Albert Tower, deputy, who made the assessment of district No. three and Mr. Johnson made the assessment of his district, No. two, personally, and these three gentlemen were the first assessors in this county. At this session also the first batch of bills against the county was audited and amounted in all to ipl74.40. There have been few, if any, sessions of the board since that day, at which the auditing of bills was not the chief business. The other action of the Board at this session is noted elsewhere. SPRING RAINS AND FLOODS. The spring was late and stormy and the rains were so incessant that the farmers could scarcely get in their crops, though some little wheat was sown early in April. Only the highest grounds could be cultivated and much seed rotted in the ground. This year will ever be memorable with the old settlers as the wettest in the history of the county. All low lands were overflowed. Creeks became rivers and the rivers widened out over the bottom lands into seemingly perma- nent lakes, but still it continued to rain. The roads became imj)as- sable and overflowed in every direction. Some prophesied another deluge. Everything was wet and dripping and on every hand were fathomless mud and seas of water. Occasionally for a day the sky would clear up and the blessed sun would shine, but it afforded no hope and it had become a truthful, as well as a standing remark, ' 'Well it has cleared up for another shower." 86 HISTORY (>F The following lines from the Dublin Mai! are quite appropriate here: Dirty days has Seplfiiibor, April, Jurif, and November, From January up tn May, The rain it rainelh every day. All the rest have thirty-one. Without one blessed (,'leani of sun. And if any of them had-two and-lliirly. They'd be as wet and twice as dirty. However, about the last of July it began to dry up and the re- mainder of the year was not so bad. MOSQUITOES. To add to the discomfort of the times, great clouds of mosqui- toes tilled the air, as evening approached and annoyed the people beyond endurance. Sultry heat, constant rains, deep mud and swarms of mosquitoes, were the characteristics of the spring and summer. And the reader should know that the mosquitoes of the early years of this county were not the puny littje husks which a breath would demolish, such as we see occasionally now-a-days. They were large, bony fellows, with long nibs, ferocious songs, a diabolical aspect and blood thirsty instincts, and possessed of a courage that baffled the most heroic defence. Great smudges of chips, dry grass and green weeds, making a smoke stitjng enough to tan a hide, had to be built in the summer evenings to protect the devoted settlers from the attacks of these cannibals. "Of all the plagues hot summer brings, Whether they move on legs or wings, The little wretch that closest clings. The thing that most our patience wrings," Is the nasty little mosquito. The writer should probably apologize for an occasional frivo- lous remark or amusing incident in this work, yet while it is well to keep in mind the dignity and gravity of history, we may also re- member that "A little nonsense nfiw and then Is relished by the best of men." And, also, by a great many good women. THE FIVE MILLION LOAN. The legislature having proposed an amendment to the Constitu- tion of the State authorizing the loan of the credit of the State, to the amount of tive million of dollars, to aid the land grant railroad companies, in the construction of their roads, the amendment was voted upon by the people on the 15th day of April. The amend- ment was adopted by a large majority. The vote of this county was FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 87 favorable to the amendment but the returns of the vote cast here did not reach the State Canvassing Board and were not counted. There were many at the time who doubted the expediency of the measure. The debt was a very large one to be incurred by so young a State. People were not then as familiar with enormous public debts as they afterwards became during the war. Some doubted the good faith of the transaction and so expressed themselves. • But the hard times, the great importance of railroads to the development of the country and the hope that their construction would give labor and greatly increase the amount of money in circulation — in short malie good times, superceded every otlier consideration. The bonds of the State known as the "Minnesota State Railroad Bonds" were sub- sequently issued to the amount of two millioa two hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars, bearing interest, payable semi-an- nually, at the rate of seven per cent, per annum. Only a certain amount of grading was done to procure these bonds. The roads were not built and the whole project fell through. For more than twenty years the payment or even any adjustment looking to the payment of the principal or interest of these bonds was resisted by the people. An adjustment of the whole matter was reached finally in 1881. THE STATE ADMITTED. There was great rejoicing and some demonstrations made throughout the country, when it was anaounced that Congress had on the eleventh day of May, admitted Minnesota into the Union. The State Officei-s were sworn in on May 2-tth. The first State Officers were H. H. Sibley, Governor; Wm. Holcomb, Lieutenant Governor; Francis Baasen, Secretary of State; G. VV. Armstrong, Treasurer; W. F. Dunbar, Auditor and C. H. Berry, Attorney General. The leading strings and subordinate condition incident to the territorial organization were now dropped and Minnesota stood forth clothed in all the power and dignity of an equal state, with the motto emblaz- ened on her forehead' "L'Etoile du Nord" — the Star of the North. THE COUNTY BIBLE SOCIETY. The following pronouncement is found in the confession of faith of one of the greatest of American religious bodies, and is, there- fore entitled to the highest respect: "Although the light of nature and the works of creation and providence do so far manifest the goodness, wisdom and power of God, as to leave man inexcus- able; yet are they not sufficient to give that knowledge of God, and of His will, which is necessary unto salvation; therefore,it pleased the Lord at sundry times and in divers manners to reveal Himself and declare that His will unto His church, and afterwards for the better preserving and propagation of the truth and for the more sure establishment and comfort of the church against the cor- ruption of the flesh and the malice of .Satan and of the world, to commit the 88 HISTORY OF satuo wholly unto writing." • ♦ * "And the hcavenliness of the nialtiT, the ertlcacy of the doctrine, the majesty of the styli-, the consent of all the parts, the scope of the whole (which is to give all flory toGod), the full dis- covery it makes of the only way of man's salvation, the many otluT incompara- Me excellences and the entire perfection thereof are ar^juments whereby it doth abundantly evidence itself to be the word of God." Saith the Psalmist— "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; Iho testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple." Saith Paul the Apostle. — "All scripture Is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, foY correction, for instruction in righteous- ness." .Second Timothy, 3:16. On the 23d day of May of this j'ear, the Faribault County Bible Society was organized at Blue Earth City. As the records of the first six years of the society appear to have been lost, the names of the first officers cannot here be given. This society, it should be observed, was one of the first of the permanent institutions of the county. Until about the year 1866. the society was a branch of the Minnesota State Bible Society, but the State society becoming dis.sol- ved at that time, our society was transferred to and became an auxil- liary of the American Bible Society, one of the greatest and most beneficent institutions of modern times. There are other Bible soci- eties in America doing a great woi'k. but our society has no con- nection with them. The American Bible Society was instituted in May, 1816, in the city of New York. Brietly stated, the object of the societi^' is to pro- mote the circulation throughout the world, of the Holy Scriptures, without note or comment. The King James translation, known as the authorized version, is the text used. What the course of the society may be. as to the "revision" of our daj', will probably take a number of years to decide. The society is wholly unsectarian and people of almost all shades of religious belief, are interested in the society. Prom gifts and bequests and other sources, the society has become very rich, its property amounting to millions. There may be dangers lying in the path of this great institution. It may become too rich; the conduct of its affairs too expensive; indolence in its great work may come with age and wealth^ind its methods be- come inadequate and behind the wants of the age. Rings may usurp its management and dissensions rend it asunder. Where such great interests are involved, prudence, suggesting possible misfortunes may aid in avoiding them. But hoping and believing that this noble institution is in God's care and keeping, let us have no fears of the future. In each county, or district, where the society has an auxilliary, or branch, it has a number of depositories, where its various styles of publications are kept. They can be had very cheaply. A good copy of the Bible can be had for twenty-five cents and of the New Testament alone for five cents, and when the person who wants FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 89 them is too poor to pay these prices, he can have them for nothing. Agents are also employed to canvass the county and visit every family and supply the destitute with the Scriptures. An auxilliary society was organized at Winnebago in July, 1866, and one was established at Wells in December, 1871. Our local society has kept up its organization from its first institution and has carried out the purposes of its establishment with commendable success. To have in our midst an auxilliary of so ben- eficent a society, established so early in our history, and doing its Avork faithfully, is an honor to the county which should be duly appreciated. Among the ancient collects we find the following very appro- priate one. "Blessed Lord, who has caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning; grant that we may in such manner hear them, read, mark, learn and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of Thy Holy Word, we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life."' The Bible is certainly the greatest, most unique and the most valuable book which has ever appeared on earth. It is prevaded and illumined by wisdom and knowledge which are above and beyond man. There are those who are apprehensive of the alleged growing infidelity of the age and the results of what is known as the "higher criticism'' of the Scriptures, now dawning upon the world, and which latter is undoubtedly destined to still "higher" altitudes. Centuries have swept over the world, filled with doubt, perversion and infidelity, during which God and the Scriptures have been at- tacked from every side. Yet there are more intelligent believers in God and His Word today than ever before in the world's history. God and his word will take care of themselves. There can be but little danger to them, from the wisdom of their assailants, or from any man, however learned, or intellectual, whose knowledge at best is so shallow and limited, that but for God's reve- lation found in the Scriptures, he cannot even tell from whence he came, or whither he is going, or for what possible purpose he has appeared in this world. There are no grounds for fear, dear reader. AN INDIAN FLEET. In the early part of June, a fleet of Indian canoes passed down the east branch of the Blue Earth river, from Walnut Lake, on their way to their reservation in Blue Earth county. The red skins passed Blue Earth City and also Winnebago City, without deigning to call. Owing to the state of feeling existing against the Indians, in conse- quence of the Spirit Lake massacre, they were somewhat guarded in their movements for a year or two after. They were at least as 90 IIISTOHY OF much afraid of Ihc Wlates as tVio Whiles were of them, and both sides acted a good deal in the spirit of the fellow, who, having got into a tight with the wrong man, said to the by standers, "Two of you hold the other fellow — one can hold me." THE FIRST FOURTH OF JULY. It is pleasant to record the fact in this history, that the people of this county, though situated upon the borders of civilization, and a little short of many things that go to make up an old fashioned Fourth of July celebration, still possessed the spirit of i)atriotism unimpaired. On the third day of July, the Fourth being Sunday, occurred the first celebration of Independence Day in this county. The day was very fine, being an exception to the weather of that summer. The people in Blue Earth City, and vicinity, assembled about ten o'clock in the forenoon, at Young's Hall. W. W. Knapp read the Declaration and J. A. Kiester delivered an address, after which there was some patriotic singing. Then a splendid free din- ner was served in the hall and the program was closed for the day, but the festivities of the occasion were completed by two separate dances on Monday night, which lasted all night, and which, as re- lated by those present, for real enjoj-raent, free and easj' manners, good will and flow of spirits, have never been surpassed to this day. At Winnebago City also they had a celebration. It was held in a large rustic booth erected for the occasion. Guy K. Cleveland delivered the oration. A great dinner was prepared by the ladies — "a dinner that was in everybody's mouth for years afterwards." Here too a great ball closed the holiday proceedings. . DANCING. Without intending to discuss this subject, or express any opin- ion upon it, being beyond the purview of this work, it is necessary that something be said in relation to it here, as connected with our history as a people. It may be remarked that dancing appears to be an amusement known among all peoples and to have been prac- ticed in all ages of the world. The grossest and most ignorant, as well as many of the most refined and intellectual people everywhere appear to find a pleasure in dancing. The truth of this statement, is evident from the fact, that the chief amusement of the American Indian and of the howling Cannibals of the South Sea Islands, con- sists in their dances, and so also, we find that in the palaces of the cultured capitals of Europe and America, this is with many the most fashionable and most fascinating entertainment. Dancing among the ancient Hebrews formed a part of their I'e- ligious ceremonies, and even in the Christian church, at an early period, "the dance was united with the hymn in Christian festivi- FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 91 ties." But it must be remembered that these religious dances were very different in their character, their forms, postures and purposes from the dances for amusement of these days. The religious dances were modest, solemn, reverent, and having the intent of divine worship, while the modern, fashionable dance is but a social amuse- ment and without a religious sentiment or purpose, and too often borders on the indelicate, the voluptious and sensual, and too often brings into close, personal contact and association, the pure minded with the immoral, in such manner as would not be allowed for an instant anywhere but in a ball room. But the views of people differ on these subjects and we shall not discuss them here. Dancing is one of the chief social pastimes, or amusements, of most frontier or sparcely settled countries. In the early days of this county, that is, during the first five or six years, this was the principal amusement of the people. The excuse is found, if any is necessary, in the fact that there were no other social recreations or entertainments to be had. There was no established society. No libraries or reading rooms. No lectures and no concerts. No societies or other literary or social institutions to afford entertain- ment or instruction. During much of the time, even public religious services were infrequent. People will have social gatherings and they will have recrea- tions and entertainments of some kind. Hence it was that all assemblages of the people, for any except religious purposes, were signalized by a dance as the proper clos- ing exercises, if it did not constitute the principal business itself. The music in those days was made by one or more violinists and the dances were the cotillion, waltz, polka, schottish, French four and some few others now forgotten. In the villages of Blue Earth City and Winnebago City, during the winter evenings, there would be at least one dance a week, and often two or three, which would be frequently attended by some of the people of both places, interchanging courtesies and by the folks from the country. The middle aged as well as the young, the sober as well as the gay, would participate. They continued gen- erally not only to the "wee sma hours ayant the twal" but often all night "till broad day light in the morning." Many persons took part in these dances, with great ease and grace and exactness of time, who today would not be suspicioned of ever having seen a ball room. All seemed to enjoy themselves and everything was conducted with decency and politeness. There were no stately formalities. No uncomfortable restraints, no division into classes of upper ten and lower million. Fine dress, or calico gown, broad cloth coat, or "baggin" trousers created no distinctions, but all joined with hearty cheerfulness, for what was called "a good social 92 HISTORY OF time" the prevading sentiment, being well expressed in those spirited lines of Byron. "On with the dance, let joy Ik- um-nnllned; No sleep till luom when youth and pleasure meet To chase the ^'lowintr hours with tlying foetl"' But not the villages alone had their dances. Many a log cabin with its "puncheon'" floor in the country in those early days rang with the "sound of revelry by night" where from far and near would be gathered "fair women and brave men," in all sorts of toilets, who obeyed the injunction of that other eminent poet, Joshua B., in the following stanza: "Now Kalhcr round the kitchen Are, And pile the chunlvs on hier and higher; Get out the old llddle and partners choose, And shal<(' her down in your cow-hide shoes." It may be observed that generally, as people grow older and have the benefit of wider observation and more extended knowl- edge, the view.s they entertained of dancing in their youth, become greatly changed and they come to look upon this amusement as frivolous and as inimical to physical and moral health. BUSINESS. On the 5th day of July the county boai'd met and as they had neglected at the January session to choose a chairman for the year, they now proceeded to that weighty business and C.,W. Wilson was raised to the dignity of chairman. At the next session of the board held August 25th, the rate of tax was fixed at one-fourth of one per cent, for county purposes, to which was added by law one- half of one per cent, for state purposes, making but three-fourths of one per cent, as the entire rate of the first tax levied in this county. THE FIRST ASSESSMENT. The assessors returns were all made the latter part of August, and as this was the first assessment in the county, the following table of the valuations is of interest. DISTRICT NO. 1, WINXEnAOO CITY. Ileal Estate $71 ,453 Personal Estate 27,774 $99,227 Tax 8744 54 DISTKICT NO. 2, BLUE EAKTU CITY. Real Estate $82,711 Personal Estate 30,451 $113,162 Tax $849.52 DISTRICT NO. 3, WALNUT LAKE. Real Estate $12,743 Personal Estate 9,539^ 822,282 Tax $167.15 $2."i4,671 $1,701.21 The State realized from this assessment $1,174.14, and the county the sum of i?587.07. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 93 THE HARVEST. The harvest throughout the state was not abundant, and in this county was very little. No surplus was yet raised for export and the home prices of farm products were very low. The year was a discouraging one for the farmer and consequently for everyone else, for there is no permanent success in business of any kind in a merely agricultural community, unless the farmer is first prosperous. The tiller of the soil is the first and principal producer of wealth ; others are in the main but exchangers and consumers, and the farmers suc- cess or failure is the success or failure of the community. HARD TIMES. The early years of Faribault county were characterized by the want of money. This is doubtless true of most new countries, but it was peculiarly so of this county; New settlements are almost al- ways poor in money, because all the money brought in by immi- grants is at once invested in permanent, fixed property and improve- ments and some years must necessarily pass before such communi- ties produce any surplus, from which they can get any money. Capital is more needed and its benefits more apparent in the first settlement of a country than ever after, for the country being new produces nothing, yet everything in the way of improvement is an immediate necessity. Formerly many years were passed by the settlers of the new territories, in a state of semi-barbarism for the want of schools, churches, railroads, even common roads and brid- ges, the security of local governments, society and many other bles- sings of civilized life, because of the lack of capital. Of late years, however, in many instances in the settlement of the new countries, capital goes with the settler and in a comparatively few years, all the conveniences of an old settled country are enjoyed. To add to the natural causes of poverty here the great commercial revulsion of 1857, reduced the prices of land everywhere, crippled commerce and all industries and immigrants who came into this county, about this time, came with less money of course, than they would otherwise have done. The greater part of the money in circulation from the first settlement of the county, until 1861, was gold and silver, but in small quantities. Bank paper was greatly depreciated. A bushel basket full of it might be worth something and might not — most probably not. Money became exceedingly scarce and in the year of which we write it was loaned at from thirty to sixty per cent, on mortgage security. There is no legitamate business that can pay such rates, and a whole community burdened with them, is not benefitted — can- not be in any view of the case. Neither the productive powers of the soil, nor the commercial advantages of any community in 04 HISTORY OF existence, can endure it long and prosper. The inevitable evil results always follow. The country is drained of its money to pay iutei'est to nonresidents, instead of being expended in permanent improvements. Lands taken in good faith as the homestead of the settler, finally passes into the hands of the money loaner and the borrower becomes bankrupt and must commence life anew. For many years this county has borne a heavy burden in this respect. Loans at such exorbitant rates of interest were made in this county as early as 1857, but in the year of which we now write, became more general and continued for many years thereafter. Thousands of acres of land were preempted in this county, the pre-emptors getting the means to do so at thirty and forty per cent, by secur- ing the debt on the lands, and other thousands of acres were mort- gaged for money at these high rates for other purposes, and much of such lands were subsequently sold in payment of the debts under mortgage foreclosure and were never redeemed by the mort- gagors. Owing to the productiveness of our soil, the healthfulness of the climate and the energy of the people, the evil effects of these things were not so great even here, as in some other sections of the country. The effects to some extent in this, as well as in some other features of the financial crash, had just reached us in this year and hard times began, but this year did not see the worst of it, as we shall see subsequently. THE COMET. Let us turn now for a moment from the affairs of earth, to the innumerable worlds in the vast expanse above us. Behold 1 how the heavens do "declare the glory of God." In September of this year Donati"s comet visited our heavens and excited the admiration and wonder and perhaps the fears of some of its beholders. This comet, though smaller than some others, exceeded almost all others in the brilliancy of its head. It passed its perihelion, or nearest point to the sun, approaching within 55,000,000 of miles on the 29th of September and was nearest the earth, within 52,000,000 of miles, on the 12th of October. Its train was estimated to be 51,000,000 of miles in length and its period over 2,000 years. These singular bodies, have for thousands of years, been looked upon with dread by the great mass of the inhabitants of the earth. They have been considered ominous of the wrath of heaven and the harbingers of wars, pestilence and famine, the downfall of monarchs and the destruction of empires. Nor were these opinions always confined to the unlearned. The eminent writer, Farrar, says that "It is conceded by manj' wise and candid observers, even by the great Niebuhr, the last man in the world'to be carried away by credulity, or superstition, that great catastrophies and unusual phenomena FAETBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 95 in nature, have as a matter of fact — however we may choose to in- terpret such a fact — synchronized in a remarkable manner, with great events in liuman history." But science has greatly divested these phenomena of their terrors. Yet what important ends comets are designed to accomplish in the economy of the universe, what regions they visit when they pass beyond our vision, "On the long travel of a thousand years," or what are their exact physical const- itution, are questions beyond the powers of human knowledge even now to answer. Oh Omnipotent Creator and Governor of all things! Are these the messengers of thy wrath, or thy mercy! The mention of this brilliant visitor, which filled the evening skies with splendor, recalls the eloquent words in reference to it, of that great scholar and statesman, Edward Everett. These are his admirable words : "Return, thou mysterious traveller, to the depths of the heavens, never again to be seen by the eyes of men now living! Thou hast run thy race v?ith glory: millions of eyes have gazed upon thee viilh wonder; but they shall never look upon thee again. Since thy last appearance in the lower skies, empires' languages, and races of men have passed away; the Macedonian, the Alexan- drian, the Augustan, the Parthian, the Byzantine, the Saracenic, the Ottoman dynasties sunk or sinking into the gulf of ages. Since thy last appearance, old continents have relapsed into ignorance, and new worlds have come out from behind the veil of waters, the Magian flres are quenched on the hiil-tops of Asia; the Chaldean seer is blind; the Egyptian hierogrammatist has lost his cunning; the oracles are dumb. Wisdom now dwells in furtherest Thule, or in newly-discovered worlds beyond the sea. Haply when wheeling up again from the celestial abysses, thou art once more seen by the dwellers on earth, the languages we speak shall also be forgotten, and science shall have fled to the uttermost corners of the earth. But even then His Hand, thao now marks out thy wondrous circuit, shall still guide thy course; and then as now Hesper will smile at thy approach and Arcturus and his sons rejoice at thy coming." • THE FIRST COUNTY ORDERS. On the 15th of September, the county board directed the issue of the flrst county orders. They amounted to 1171.40. County orders have fluctuated in value, greatly, in this county. For many years they were under par, sometimes getting as low as twenty-five cents on the dollar and were held at various prices, at various times, up to a dollar. For some years past they have been l^ar and will continue so, doubtless, but they have never been known to command a premium. It is exceedingly poor economy in the county authorities to per- mit such a condition of the county finances as will cause county orders or warrants to get below par. All services rendered for the county must very soon be paid at a price advanced just in propor- tion to the depreciation of county orders. Thus services worth one hundred dollars costs the county just two hundred dollars, if paid in orders worth fifty cents on the dollar, 96 HISTORY OF and such has been the actual fact in this county. And it is stated as a historical fact that this county and many others in the State have paid thousands of dollars in excess of what they should have paid had a correct policy been pursued. On the one hand all public expenses should be kept down to the minimnm and the people should exercise more vigilence than they do. in seeing that their servants make no unnecessary expenses and then on the other hand, as a part of a correct financial system, it should be required that an amply sufficient tax should be levied each year to meet at once all claims against the school district, the town and the county, on pre- sentation. Large sums of money would thus be saved, the taxes lessened and the public faith and credit preserved. THE FALL ELECTION. The Republican County Convention for this year was held at Blue Earth City, and made the following nominations: For Representatives — Geo. D. McArthur, of Elmore; J. A. Lat- imer, of Winnebago City. For Register of Deeds — J. A. Kiester. For Judge of Probate — Guy K. Cleveland. The other republican candidate for Representative was A. B. Webber, of Freeborn County, nominated by the convention of that county. ,; Tlie Democratic candidates were: For Representatives — Jo. L. Weir, of Winnebago City; Jas. L. McCrery. of Blue Earth City. For Register of Deeds — Jno. M. Jackson Jr. For Judge of Probate — Andrew C. Dunn. The other democratic candidate for Representative was J. W. Heath, of Freeborn county. The chief "bone of contention" in this election was the office of Register of Deeds. It was commonly understood that no legislature would meet the ensuing winter and the contest for representatives was therefore, but slight, though some canvassing was done by the candidates. The election was held on the 12th day of October, and the fol- lowing was the vote cast in this county: For Representatives — A. B. Webber had 191 votes; Geo. D. Mc Arthur had 187; J. A. Latimer, 190; J. W. Heath had 101; J. L. Weir, 109; J. L. McCrery, 113. For Register of Deeds — J. A. Kiester had 215 votes and Jno. M, Jackson Jr. had 83. For Judge of Probate — Guy K. Cleveland had 175 votes and Andrew C. Dunn had 112. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 97 The whole republican ticket, both in the county and district was elected. TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATION. By Act passed August 13th, the Legislature instituted a new- system of County Government and provided for township organiza- tion. In pursuance of this act, the Governor a^jpointed Andrew C. Dunn, Jas. S. Latimer and R. P. Jenness, commissioners to divide the county into towns and name them, jireparatory to organization. The commissioners met at Winnebago City on the 27th of Septem- ber, and performed their duties under the act. In October the town- ship organization went into effect. A fuller statement of this mat- ter is found in another part of this history. THE COUNTY BOARD AGAIN. The commissioners met October 4, but did nothing of public in- terest, and on the 28th day of October they met again and for the last time, as they were superseded by a new authority instituted by the township organization act, known as the board of county su- pervisors. The commissioners at this last meeting approved an official bond and then adjourned sine die. Probably as this was the last meeting of the old board, they would have done something ap- propriate to the occasion had they known that they were making history. However, the clerk of the board appears to have appreci- ated the solemnity of the event and after the adjournment entered of record the following remarks:— "For about three years this board has managed the affairs of the county, and of those who constituted the board, it is but just to say, that they have ever given the best satisfaction, and always had the confidence of the people. May the power that succeeds them, ever regard the real interests of the county, and be dilligent in their labors to promote them." Although the times were hard, and the weather during a large part of the year very unfavorable, quite anumberof men of enterprise and of some capital became residents of the county this year and many substantial improvements wei-e made. In those days persons coming into the county, usually came first to the villages to make inquiries as to the most eligible lands to be had, and for some years residents of the villages spent much time, and that without fee or re- ward, in showing vacant lands to the newcomers. During the first two or three years immigrants were very exacting, and must have claims with at least eighty acres of timber and living water, with good pi-airie adjoining. Subsequently they were satisfied with from forty down to ten acres of timber, with liviag water and good prairie for the balance of the claim. Afterwards their demands were satisfied with simply good prairie and running water— then to be near the timber and streams, and finally they were glad to get 98 HISTORY OF claims far out on the prairies. It was long thought that the prai- ries, beyond four or five miles from the limber, would probably never be settled, or if so, at a very late day. Yet but a few years passed and the prairies were all dotted over with the cabins of set- tlers, and to-day many of the largest and best farms in the county are located far out on these very prairies. Lands in those days were taken under the pre-emption laws, the homestead laws not hav- ing yet been passed. They cost one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre. An actual residence upon the land for a certain length of time, the erection of a dwelling and some other improvements were required before the pre-emptor could "prove up' as it was called, or in other words pay up and get title to the land. Actual settlers usually complied with the letter and spirit of the law, but there was always a floating population that sought to preempt these lands by a veiy imperfect compliance with the pre-emption laws, and there were many very imperfect preemptions. Consciences were often very elastic. To make a colorable compliance with the law, various subter- fuges and pretences were resorted to, some of which were quite in- genious and amusing. In one instance some four quarter sections were pre-empted by four young men, who remained in the country but a few days and had for a house four rails, which they laid together in the form of a square and called it a house, which they moved from one quarter to another, sleeping within the enclosure one night on each quarter. A few grape vines stretched around a small tract, was called a fence. In another instance a small company of pre-empters erected a house 16 by 24, having two doors and four windows, which they moved from one to the other of their respec- tive claims for pre emption purposes. The house was 16 by 24 inches and 12 inches high. One made proof that he had a house on the land having a stone foundation and a board lloor and this was, in fact, a shanty built of poplar poles, each corner of which rested on a small stone and the floor was the earth, in which the pre-empter had bored a hole — it was a bored floor. Often the I'esidence on the land, re(iuired by law, was deemed complied with, in the mind of the pre-emptor, if he had spent a Sunday on the land hunting ducks. But little remains to add to the record of this j'ear. It may be noted as the most uneventful and in some respects, the most un- profitable in the history of the county, and the record is soon written. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 99 CHAPTER V. A. D. 1859. No session of the legislature was held in the winter of 1858-9, mainly owing to the protracted session of 1857-8, which rendered another following so soon, unnecessary. Representatives had been elected the preceding fall, as will be remembered, but their services were never required. There is, therefore, no legislation for this year to note here. The second State legislature assembled in December of this year. Some reference thereto, will be found in the history of 1860. THE COUNY SUPERVISORS. It has been seen that the old board of county commissioners held their last meeting on the 28th of October, 1858, and were then superseded by the new boai'd of county supervisors. This latter board was composed of the chairmen of the several boards of town supervisors. Under this new arrangement the new board consisted of ten members. On the third day of January, the new board met at Blue Earth City, but six members appearing, however, as several of the town districts had failed to organize. A quorum being pres- ent, they proceeded to organize by electing James L. McCrery, chairman, and Arthur Bonwell, clerk. The session lasted three days and much business was transacted, among the most important of which was the division of the county into fifteen school districts. During the existence of this board, the business was transacted much in the manner usual in legislative bodies. There was a standing commiitee of three on school dis- tricts, a committee on roads and bridges, and a committee on claims. Special committees also were appointed occasionally, and questions were discussed in committee of the whole. The committees reported to the board, when final action was taken. THE SPRING The spring of this year, like its predecessor, was late and cold. The snows of the winter were deep and the spring thaws and rains caused high waters and almost impassable roads. But little grain was sown until quite late in April, all of which was quite discour- 100 BTSTOnv (IF aging to the people. The great majority of tVie people, until after harvest, were wretchedly "hard up." The previous j'ear the crops were light, and the bread and feed during the winter, and the seed- ing of this year, had about used up the products of 1858. The fol- lowing extract from the journal of an old resident of Blue Earth City, gives a rather gloomy statement of the condition of the county in March, about the middle of which month il was written. "We have, as a community, arrived at a period more depressing finan- cially, and fuller of gloomy forebodings, than anj' other in the his- tory of this section of country. There is no money in the country. Provisions are very scarce and very high. There is no building, improvements or business of any kyid in progress. Many families are almost and some quite out of such articles of food as are necessary to support life. In the country, the farmers can do nothing yet of spring work. In the villages men stand idly about the streets, or sit in small companies about the shops and stores, listless and cheerless, and appear to be filled with apprehensions of a yet worse state of affairs to come. The times will doubtless be 'harder' before the new crops are harvested. But it is said 'The darkest hour is just before the break of day,' and it may be, that in three or four months, every department of business may be active, provisions plenty, and money to be had more easily than at present. 'It is never best to give up in despair.'" THE DISTRICT COURT. The first term of the District Court held in this county com- menced its session on the 4th day of April of this year. The officers of the court were, Hon. Lewis Branson, Judge; Geo. B. Kingsley, Clerk, and Geo. H. Goodnow, Sheriff. There were seven civil and two criminal cases on the calendar. The attendance on the court was largo, many coming out of curiosity, and the term was a very respectable one. A more full account of this term is given else- where. It is sufticientto say here, that the law was now established in the county, and its supremacy acknowledged. There was a tri- bunal in the county where wrongs could be righted and rights en- forced — the time when every man was "a law unto himself," had passed away and another step forward in the progress of the county haxi been taken. The Bill of Rights declares that "Every person is entitled to a certain remedy in the laws for all injuries or wrongs which he may receive in his person, propertj' or character; he ought to obtain justice freely and without purchase; completely and without denial; promptly and without delay; conformably to the laws." Constitution. The names on.the calendar of the attorneys appearing in the several cases were J. B. Wakefield, A. C. Dunn, Simeon Smith, W. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 101 W. Knapp, J. A. Kiester and Messrs. Wilkinson and Burt. The Grand Jury sworn and charged, being the first ever convened in this county, was composed of the following gentlemen: Dr. W. N. Town- drow, Foreman; E. Crosby, Wm. Phillips, T. Bally, J. S. Latimer, G. A. Weir, S. L. Rugg, Jas. Sherlock, B. Gray, A. Morris, A. J. Barber, E. B. Kendall, G. D. Mc Arthur, John Beidle, W. W. Sleep- ier, O. G. Hill, H. A. Paunce, W. Seely, Jas. Decker, S. A. Safford, H. L. Young, S. B. Hamilton and T. Bowen. No more respectable Grand Jury than this first one has ever assembled in this county. The first Petit Jury sworn was composed of the following named gentlemen: Aaron J. Rose, Aaron Mudge, Dr. R. P. Jenness, Dr. J. P. Humes, Martin Sailor, O. Webster, W. Ladd, James Prior. Jas. L. McCrery, J. Edwards, H. Chesley and J. Burk. And many very respectable petit juries have sat in this county since that day and pronounced their verdicts, but none more able, intelligent or conscientious than the first. They were "good and lawful men." The writer is sorry to have to record the fact that the first verdict rendered in this county was that short and terrible word "guilty." The term lasted five days and the business disposed of was con- siderable. Courts are usually conducted with much solemnity and dignity, but some very amusing incidents occur occasionally, and here is one. Our pronouns are apt to get mixed, as the following, which is reported from the Pacific slope. A policeman was being examined as a witness against an Irishman whom he had brought before the local court. After the officer had told his story, the judge inquired.— • "What did the man say when you arrested him?" "He said he was drunk.'' "I want his precise words, just as ho uttered them. He did not use the pronoun he, did he?" "Oh yes, he didi He said he was drunki He acknowledged the corni" "You don't understand me at all. J want the words as he uttered them. Did he say, '/was drunk?' " "Oh no, your Honor, he didn't say you was drunk. I wouldn't allow any man to charge that upon you in my presencel" "A fledgling lawyer, occupying a seat in court, here desired to air his powers, and said, "Pshawl you don't comprehend at all. His Honor means, did the prisoner say to you, '/ was drunk?' " "Waal, he might have said you was drunk, but I didn't hear him." "What the court desires," said another lawyer, "is to have you state the prisoner's own words, preserving the precise form of the pronoun he made use of in the reply. Was it in the first person 2; second person f/ioit or yow; or In the third person /le, s/ie or i(.' Now then, sir, did not the prisoner say, '/ was drunk?' " "No, he didn't say you was drunk, neither. D'yer supposes the poor fellow charged the whole court with being drunk?'' 102 HISTORY OF THE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. On llie 'Jth day of April of this year an important event occurred at Winnebago City. This was nothing less than the organ- ization of the Faribault County Agricultural Societi'. The minutes of the proceedings are given entire, as taken from the Secretary's book that they may be preserved for future use. This book was once lost for a period of about seven years, and was at last found among a lot of rubbish in the County Auditor's office. It is well to transcribe into this history, what is of interest in the book, as its next disappearance may be final. Besides the organization of the society and its subsequent proceedings are items of importance, in the history of the county. In the long future when the members of the society shall assemble around the banqueting board, spread in the spacious and decorated halls situated in the beautiful grounds of the society, to commemorate the centennial anniversary of the or- ganization, every scrap of the early history of the society will be prized as of a value we little comprehend now, and to the brave spirits of that distant time, none of the exercise of the occasion will possess more interest than the reading of the following minutes: SECRETARY'S REPORT. WiNNKKAOo City, April 9, A. D. 1859. In accordance with previous notice the inhabitants of Faribault County assembled at Winnebago City to form a County Agricultural Society. On motion, G. H. Goodnow was called to the chair and D. H. Morse was chosen secretary. On motion a committee of three was appointed to draft a constitution. G. K. Cleveland,. H. II. Bigelow and A. B. Ralcom were appointed said com- mittee. The following orticers were then electi.'d by acclamation to act until the next meeting, when permanent ollicers shall be elected. J. A. Latimer was duly elected president. W. J. C. Robertson and Amos Preston, vice-presidents. G. K. Cleveland, correspijnding secretary. D. H. Morse, recording secretary. J. S. Latimer, auditor. A. B. Balcom, treasurer. On motion, the election of other officers was deferred until the next quarterly meeting. G. K. Cleveland, H. H. Bigelow and A. B. Balcom were appointed a com- mittee to report, at the next meeting, liy-laws for the society. On motion the secretary was instructed to notify Messrs. Latimer and Preston of their election, and to cause tlie proceedings of this meeting to be published in the Mankato '•Independent.'' G. K. Cleveland offered the following resolution which was adopted. "Whereas it is of the tlrst importance to the farmers of Faribault County to raise superior stock, and to obtain seeds and grain of the best (lualily (in order) to encourage immigration, and to make this beautiful county what less fertile states of the east already are--"a land llowing with milk and honey." FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 103 "Therefore, Kestjived, That we will encourage the importatioQ of blooded stock and the introduction of choice seeds, grain and fruit trees, by buying of the farmer or merchant who will keep the same for sale. "2nd. That every member of this society should at once go to work to make or raise something rare to compete for a premium at our county fair next fall. "3rd. That county agricultural fairs stimulate enterprise and awaken emulation among farmers, and that as farmers, we are proud of our county, and proclaim it second to none in the State in the fertility and breadth and beauty of its farming lands, and that we cordially invite all who are seeking locations to make a home with us." On motion the society adjourned until the second Wednesday of June, A. D. 1859. D. H. Morse, Secretary.. After the minutes there appeared the following list of the first members of the society: Andrew C. Dunn, A. B. Balcom, W. W. Sleepier, J. S. Latimer, D. H. Morse, H. H. Bigelow, G. K. Cleveland, G. H. Goodnow, J. P. Humes, S. S. Wiltsey, Wm. Ladd, G.C.Burt, Jesse Dunham, Jas. Sherlock, Loyal Dudley, W. J. C. Robertson, J. A. Latimer, A. Preston, J. L. Weir, Geo. M. Patton. T. J. Maxson, W. W. Seely, R. P. Jenness, W. N. Towndrow, J. H. Welch, J. B. Chaple, L. W. Brown, A. D. Mason, A. D GrifBe. It may be observed that with one or two exceptions, all of the first members of the society were residents of the northern portion of the county. This was owing mainly to the fact of the meeting being called in that part of the county. Subsequently residents in all parts of the county became members, and took an active interest in the welfare of the society. On the 8th of June, according to adjournment, the society held a meeting at Winnebago City, for permanent organization. A con- stitution and by laws were then adopted, and permanent officers elected as follows: J. A. Latimer, president, and W. J. C. Robert- son and Amos Preston, vice-presidents; D. H. Morse, recording, and G. K. Cleveland, corresponding secretaries; J. L. Weir, auditor and R. P. Jenness, treasurer. The following board of councilmen,being one from each town dis- trict, was then chosen: Allen Shultis, Charles Marples, H. T. Stod- dard, Thomas Blair, H. M. Huntington, Albin Johnson, P. C. Seely, S. L. Rugg, J. L. McCrery and Lorenzo Merry. A long list of additional members was reported at this meeting, and the society was now fully organized under very favorable auspices. Agriculture and its kindred industries is and must ever of neces- sity continue to be the leading and most important pursuit of the people of this county. It is essentially an agricultural country. Our manufactures can never be very extensive, though they can be profitably extended beyond what they now are. But to compensate 104 HISTORY OF for the want of commercial and manufacturing facilities we have a most fertile soil, and plenty of it, and the future wealth of the county must come mainly from this source. The sooner, therefore, our people realize tiieso facts and direct tlieir energies to the fos- tering and development of our agricultural interests, the sooner will they be prosperous. And it is the duty of every resident of the county, whatever his occupation may be, to do what he can to encourage this industry. There are many ways of doing so, by word and deed. Among other things, our agricultural society should be patron- ized and the annual fairs of the society should be looked forward to and prepared for as a matter of the first importance. Every one, whatever his business, should take an interest in it, contribute something, if only his presence, and assist in making a success of every fair Other societies, farmers" clubs, stock associations and the like, designed to promote and protect this greatest of all interests should be favored. The establishment of convenient markets in the county, and facilities for the sale of all farm products, where some degree of fair dealing may be found, and where sharpers and jjlausable scoun- drels, who with impudent assurance and hands full of Chicago re- l^orts gamble with the fruits of tlie farmers' labors are not the chief figures, should have attention. The introduction of the best breeds of stock and the most successful varieties of seetl grain, ex- periments to test the character of our soils and the adaptation of various products to the soil and climate, the support of our agricul- tural schools, the circulation of newspapers, periodicals and books, devoted to agriculture and kindred subjects, should be encouraged. It is a well-known fact that the system of farming pursued in one country is not always successful in another, even of the same latitude. Every considerable district of country has its own pecu- liar system of farming, which experience has proved to be the best for that locality. In one district it may be stock raising, horses, cattle, hogs; in another, wool growing; in another, dairying; in others, mainly grain raising and in some localities, all of these. The fact has been illustrated here that people going into a new country are apt to take with them and put in practice, the system of hus- bandry, in the main, which they learned in the place from which they came, and failure often resulted. It was hard to get out of the old ways. The first question should be, what is the system of farm- ing best adapted to this soil and climate? It has already been proved in the experience of many here, that exclusive grain raising is not profitable. There are, in fact, few countries in which it is safe to be dependent on one class of products. And it has been well established here, as it has been generally elsewhere, that diversified farming industries are usually the most successful. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 105 A word should be said here in reference to that superficial and wholly erroneous idea entertained by certain classes, that agricul- ture is a simple and unimportant pursuit. A very silly practice has grown up among the newspapers, especially in the cities, of making derogatory, but supposed witty remarks about farming and in re- lation to farmers. The farmer is called "jiumplvin eater," "old tur- nip," "old hayseed." etc. , and caricatures are made of him repre- senting him in old fashioned clothes, outlandish hat, great cowhide boots, with his trowser legs, if not shown as too short, crowded into his boot tops, and having a great ox gad in his hands and his coun- tenance and general appearance those of a grotesque simpleton. Farmers, as a class, are no more amenable to such characterization than men of other occupations, and as there is neither wit nor wis- dom in the practice, it should be abandoned. Where the cultivation of the soil is looked upon with contempt, or as a calling beneath the attention of men of education and standing, it will soon drift into the hands of those who are without means and of small capacity, to the great public detriment. What are the facts'? The cultivation of the soil was man's original, first employment, and it is just as important and honorable now, as it was then. It is not only essential to the well-being of society in a rude state, but is equally necessary in every stage of progress and refinement. All other occupations— life and prosperity rest upon this as their basis, and it gives life and energy to all other pursuits and in- dustries. Without it they could not exist. The farmer is the pri- mary producer — tlie creator of the real wealth of the world. It is he that supplies the civilized world with its food, and it is he that stands at the doors of the world's graneries with the keys in his hands. His calling employs more workers than any other business, and the real and most permanent wealth of every civilized country, is in its farms and farming interests. All the nations of antiquity, which were celebrated for their progress in agriculture, were the most free and independent. Such is the fact today. No nation can afford to be so independent of the rest of the world, as a successful agricultural people. Many of the illustrious men in all ages of tlie world have en- gaged in this calling, and have not deemed it derogatory to their dignity in the least. We may mention Gideon, the renowned champion and judge of Israel, who went from his threshing floor to preside in the assemblies of his people; Cincinnatus the great Ro- man, who left his plow to lead the armies to battle and victory, and then returned to his native fields. In later times this calling has been held in high esteem by the greatest and best. Washington, Jefferson, Madison. Monroe and Jaclison, among the Presidents, 106 HISTORY OF ■ and other illustrious citizens of our country, engaged directly in this pursuit. Many of the respectable and cultured men of Europe and America — men eminent in the walks of science and literature- take a most active interest in the progress of agriculture, attend the meetings of farmers, the public fairs, and assist in the promo- tion of agricultural interests. It is an error, too, that education and culture are not necessary in this vocation. The truth is, that there is as much use for educa- tion, general intelligence and good judgment in this business, as in any other, and more of these qualifications are required in this, than in most merely mechanical occupations, and education and culture are as much entitled to honor, when brought to this pursuit, as to any other branch of human labor. There is indeed no more useful, or more honorable occupation known among men in any country than that of farming. It is indeed true, that the active, successful farmer, is the re- presentative of continuous hard labor year in and year out. Almost everything about farming both indoors and out, smacks strong of work and much of it, hard work, requiring close personal attention. The old lines express a general truth in the statement that "He that V)y the plow would thrive, lliniself must either hold or drive." And this vocation has its disappointments, trials, losses and perplexities, but so has every other business. No occu^pation, pro- fession or official station are without these labors, cares and haras- sing anxieties, and some of them have more of these, and coupled with greater temptations, dangers and risks than farming. We look upon this occupation not only as equal in dignity and imi^ortance with any other, but as having some peculiar advantages. The farmer has his i-ewards and successes, that often pay largely, and at all events, he rarely fails of a living at least. The man of no other business, is so free and independent in his personal action, and no employment is more healthful, or more con- ducive to a vigorous, manly and ingenious character. His labors too are greatly diversified and free fi-om the ceaseless treadmill grind of most vocations. He is too further removed from the corruptions and errors of society, the vices, the follies of the town than the men of other employments. He need not practice the petty frauds and cheats and shams too current in many other occupations, and in short there is no field of human employment in which a man can easier be "a good man and true, and strictly obey the moral law" and be a peaceable citizen "work diligently, live creditably and act hon- orably by all men." FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 107 In closing these observations, we cannot do better than quote the following admirable words, talien from a great speech once de- livered by Senator Pendleton, of Ohio. "Farmer life! Freedom from the noise and turmoil and dust and smoke of the crowded city; freedom from the daily struggle and daily anxiety for bread; freedom from competition with the crowds which throng every avenue of com- mercial and mechanical industry; freedom from the close and daily contact with vice and crime which the temptations and opportunities and sufferings of a city life develop; freedom from the small rooms, the crowded tenement houses, the tainted atmosphere, the contagious diseases, the unnatural hours, the un- due excitement, the exhausting pleasures, the glittering splendor, the abject squallor, the artificial life of the city— and in their stead the pure air, the abundant food, the deep sleep, the refreshing dews, the cool breezes, the peace- ful order, the ample homes, the healthful habits, the cleanliness, the content- ment of the country and that great exaltation of spirit which springs from the contemplation of the beauties of nature and the processes of its active benefl- cense — the absence of the shrewd cunning and the acute sense which the com- petition of trade engenders, and the presence of that large-hearted greatness ■with which our mother earth rewards those who call on her munificence for the returns of their labor.'' "In ancient times the sacred plow employed The kings and awful fathers of mankind, And some compared with whom your insect tribes Are but the beings of a summer day, Have held the scale of empire, ruled the storm Of mighty war; then with unwearied hand Disdaining little delicacies, seized The plow, and greatly independent lived."' THE COUNTY LEGISLATURE. The supervisors met on the second day of May. As a new board had been elected at the town meetings in April, the board was re-organized by the election of Geo. H. Goodnow, chairman, Mr. Bonwell continuing as clerk. They had a session of two days, but transacted no business of interest to us at this remote iDeriod. On the 30th of May, they re-convened, and among the business done was the appropriation of the sum of three hundred dollars for the erection of a jail. Here was another evidence of progress in the right direction, but the appropriation subsequently failed. THE FOURTH. There were no celebrations in this county on the 4th of July, 1859. The spirit of patriotism had frozen up. The day was stormy, rain with some sleet and hail falling most of the day, and it was so cold that fires were necessary to comfort. Heat and dust are just as necessary elements of a fourth of July celebration as lemonade and fire crakers, and they could not be had on that day in this county. 108 HISTOIiY OF PROCiRESS— CHOPS. The immigration to this county during the spring and summer and the amount of subtstantial improvements, especially in the breaking up of new land, were considerable. The crops of the year were very fair and were harvested in good season. The interesting fact may be stated here that the State which in 1858 imported bread- stutTs, in this year, for the first time, exported considerable grain. But there was yet nothing for export in this county, and there was no market for anything. Money continued scarce and the scarcity to intensifj'. In fact the people were thrown back to the original system of traffic by barter, or -exchange of one jiroduct for another. The condition of the country was. however, much better after harvest, than before, as there was then plenty to eat and there was some grain to exchange for necessaries, but at prices which did not pay for the raising. The average price of wheat after harvest and during the remainder of the year was thirty to forty cents, corn twenty-five cents, and oats fifteen cents per bushel. THE LOCAL A.SSEMBLY. The supervisors met in annual session, Sept. 13th, and contin- ued two days. A considerable amount of business was done, but nothing of general interest except certain action relative to the removal of «; THE COUNTY SEAT. The first action taken in relation to a change of the county seat was some movement made during the preceding session of the legislature, to secure the removal to Winnebago City, which, however, proved abortive. At this meeting of the county board, a petition was presented, asking the privilege of voting at the next election on the removal of the county seat, from Blue Earth City to Winnebago City. As the law then stood, it was the duty of the board, on the presentation of such a petition, if signed by a num- ber of legal voters of the county equal to one half the highest number of votes cast at the next preceding general election, to cause to be inserted in the notices for the next general election, an article requiring the voters to vote on the removal. The majority of the board being opposed to the removal, and to any action on the subject as premature, and for the further reason, as alleged, that the petition was not signed by a sufficient number of legal voters, it was after some hot discussion tabled. The friends of the removal then applied to the judge of the district court for a writ of mandamus, requiring the board to meet and take such action as the law required, or show cause, which writ was granted and duly served on all the members of the board. They FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 109 all attended at Blue Earth City, on a certain day, but only such as favored the removal — not enough for a quorum — met at the usual place of meeting. If a quorum had at any one time gotten together, they could have directed the insertion of the necessary clause in the election notices, but the opposing members were careful to appear at the place of meeting one at a time, and pass out. Thus no quorum being present, no action was taken by the board, nor was cause ever shown why action was not taken. The friends of removal then procured a peremptory writ requiring the clerk of the board to insert the necessary clause in the election notices, which under the circumstances he peremptorily refused to do, claiming that the pro ■ ceeding was without authority of law, and here the whole matter fell to the ground. It is hardly worth the while at this late day to comment upon these matters. THE ELECTIOWS. Although the times were hard and money scarce, the political interests of the county were not neglected. The fall elections were approaching and there were various legislative and county offices to be filled, and divers individuals were ready to fill them. A republican county convention met at Blue Earth City and made the following nominations for county offices : For Auditor — Arthur Bonwell. For Treasurer — Albin Johnson. For Sheriff — Geo. H. Goodnow. For Coroner — Wm. A. Way. For County Surveyor — S. A. Safford. And G. K. Cleveland and Allen Shultis were nominated for rep- resentatives, and in pursuance of the arrangement heretofore re- ferred to, the convention of Freeborn county nominated T. W. Purdiefor representative and Geo. Watson for senator, both of that county. The democracy nominated H. C Lacy for senator and Isaac Vanderwalker for representative, both of Freeborn county, and for the other representatives David H. Morse and Geo. B. Kingsley, of of this county. The county ticket was : For Sheriff— H. P. Constans. For Treasurer — Jas. L. McCrery. For County Surveyor — Geo. A. Weir. For Auditor — Wm. N. Towndrow. For Coroner — A. B. Balcom. 110 HISTOllY or The election was held on the 11th day of October, and resulted as follows: Votes. For Senator— Geo. Watson 208 H. C. Lacy 109 For Uepresentatlves— G. K. Cleveland 175 A. Shultis ]f)7 T. W. I'urdii! 203 I. Vanderwalker 108 D. II. Morse 122 G. B. KlnKsley 143 For Sheriff— G. H. Goodnow 220 II. P. Constans 97 For Treasurer— A. John.son 195 J. L. McCrery 113 For Surveyor— S. A. Safford 223 G. A. Weir 94 For Auditor— A. honwell 178 W. N. Townrtrow 145 . For Coroner— W. A. Way 188 A. B. Balcom 83 The republican candidates for senator and I'epresentatives, re- ceiving a majority also in Freeborn county were consequently elec- ted. State otRcers were elected this fall and the republican candidates, with Alex. Ramsey for governor, at the head, were, after a hard struggle, elected. Mr. Windom was the republican and C. Graham thp democratic candidate for congress. Windom was elected. THE FIRST FAIR. The first fair of our newly organized agricultural society, was held at Winnebago City on the 5th day of October. The attendance was large and great interest was manifested in the occasion and the display of productions surpassed all expectation. This lair demon- strated the fact that this county, yet in its infancy, could produce as excellent grains, vegetables, stock, daii'y products and articles of domestic manufacture, as any county in the northwest. In short, the fair was a great success, and a great credit to the people of the county. The writer, a few days since, observed a large and gor- geous "poster" tacked up in a conspicuous place giving the world notice of the twenty-first annual fair of the Faribault County Agri- cultural Society. AUTUMN. The fall of the year was a gloomy one, both in the weather and the conditions of business. Owing to the stringent times, low prices, two years of rather unfavorable weather, but little of that spirit of cheerfulness, activity and confidence in the future, so necessary to progress and success, were manifested. The weather seemed to be in harmony, too, with the other discouraging features of the times. It was dismal, the atmosphere was hazy, the smoke of prairie fires FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. Ill hung over the land for weeks, and the sun appeared red and dim. These weather conditions, though really nothing very unusual, had their depressing effect on the spirits of the people. The prices of various products, reported as current in the fall, were the following: — Flour .?4.50 and corn meal |2.00 per hundred; wheat 30 to 40 cents, oats 12^ cents, dull, potatoes 124- cents per bushel; butter 14 cents and tobacco 60 cents per pound; billiards 10 cents per string. AN OUTLOOK. The great mass of the people of every locality are much influ- enced by events and circumstances external to the locality in which they live. The heart of every intelligent man beats much in sym- pathy with the great events occurring in the world, outside of his own locality, and he is much influenced in his life and conduct there- by, and for these reasons no true history,' of even small localities, can be written unless at least some brief reference is made to the great current outside events which are the subject of interest, thought and discussion, at the time, in the homes, in the work shop and places of public resort, among the people of whom the history is written. Hence it is that from time to time in the course of this work, attention is called to the great, leading and memorable events of the State and the Nation. Among the events occurring in the State, during the year, which attracted public attention, was the "Wright County war." A man named Wallace had been murdered in that county in 1858. One Jackson was tried for the offense in the spring of 1859, and acquitted. In April, a crowd of men hung Jackson. The governor offered a re- ward for the conviction of any of the lynchers. Soon after, one Moore was arrested as one of the parties, and taken to Wright county for trial, but was rescued by a mob. The military was ordered out, and eleven of the lynchers and rescuers were arrested and turned over to the civil authorities. "Glencoe" and "Owatonna" money made its appearance this year. It was considered among that class of "circulating medium," known by the euphoneous name of "shin- plasters." The arrest, trial and conviction'of Mrs. Bilanski, for the murder of her husband near St. Paul, created much interest throughout the State. She was executed in March of the next year. On the wider, national field, we discover a few notable events, of that year, worthy of mention. On the 14th of February, Oregon was admitted into the Union as the thirty- third State. The discovery of petroleum, during the summer, in Pennsyl- vania, created a great excitement. People from all parts of the Union flocked to the oil regions. Fabulous prices were paid for land, where it was supposed that oil existed. Sudden and great fortunes were made by many. The discovery of this oil, changed. 112 HISTORY OF throughout the whole countrj', the modes and materials of illumina- tion, and the quantity of the oil obtained, has continued sufficient for the supply of the whole country for this and many other pur- poses. This discovery has created a new and profitable industry, employing thousands of men and many millions of dollars capi- tal. In September of this year occurred the fatal duel, near San Francisco, between Hon. D. C. Broderick, United States senator from California, and Hon. D. S. Terry, chief justice of that state. Broderick was killed. The duel grew out of iiolitical animosities. The event shocked the better sense of the whole United States. The duel is a most barbarous and criminal method of settling quarrels, but many of our public men, during the first three-quarters of a century of the republic, engaged in them. Public opinion at the time sustained the practice. Said Henry Clay, that eminent patriot, statesman, jurist and orator, himself several times engaged in duels, "When public opinion is renovated and chastened by reason, religion and humanity, the practice of dueling will at once be discontinued." That day has come. Public opinion, for some years past, has been against the practice, and he who has killed his antagonist in a duel, is considered but little better than a murderer. Happily duels sel- dom now occur. It was in October of this year that John Brown made his raid on Harper's Ferry, Va. He seized the U. S. Arsenal at that place and captured the town. His object was to liberate the'slaves of the ■south and destroy the system of American slavery. The capture of this place was the initial and strategic point in his scheme. He had but a few followers, probably not to exceed twenty-five active parti- cipants, in this overt act, but he had many .sympathizers in the north, and probably among the negro population of the south. His pro- ject utterly failed. Government troops soon dislodged him and he was taken prisoner, and with a number of his abettors tried, con- victed and executed. But there was far more in this event than appears in the sim))le statement of the occurrence. It tended to estrange still farther, the south from the north, and augmented the bitterness growing between the two sections, on the question of slavery, and for many years afterwards there was heard throughout the north the famous song in which occurs the lines: "John Brown's body lies mouklering in the grave, But his soul goes marching on." And here endeth ihe record of the fifth year. "Gonel Gone forever! Like the rushing wave, Another year— has burst upon the shore Of earthly being— and its last low tones. Wandering in broken accents on the air, Are dying to an echo. ' FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 113 CHAPTER VI. A. D. 1860. We now enter upon the history of the sixth year of the county. It was an important year, for among other things it was a year of reckoning — one in which the accounts were made up and the pro- gress which tlie county had made, was exhibited. Five of the most wretched years in the history of the county had been passed, 1855 was the first of the settlement, during which but little had been done. In 1856 the population was sparce, and the couaty still a wilderness. In 1857 the Indian excitement and late spring were greatly detrimental. In 1858 the county was deluged by excessive rains and the crops were light. In 1859 the spring was again late, provisions scarce and high and the times hard. It was the period of first settlement and of the struggle to get a foothold and a sub- sistence — the stone age of the county. They were the years of semi- barbarism, of salt pork, corn bread and poor whisky, of rags and recklessness. But with the incoming of 1860, a better day in many respects notwithstanding the hard times, a new day with new duties dawned upon the county — a new decade and a new epoch in our history began. In distinguishing between the earlier and later years of the county, the years before 1860 may appropriately be named, the "early years" or "early days" of the county, and those who resided here then "the old settlers" or the early settlers of the county. THE LEGISLATURE. The second State legislature assembled at the capital December 7th, 1859, and adjourned Mai-ch 12th, 1860. The county was repre- sented in this session by Geo. Watson in the Senate and Guy K. Cleveland, Allen Shultis and T. W. Purdie in the House. No acts were passed relating exclusively to this county, but the State was re apportioned for legislative purposes, and this county was placed in a new district, numbered the twentieth. The district was com- posed of the counties of Faribault, Martin, Jackson. Cottonwood, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone, Rock and all that part of Bi'own County lying east of range thirty-four— a tract of territory large enough for an empire. This county had the distinction of being considered 114 HISTOftY OF the senior county of tlie district. The district was entitled to one senator and one representative. At this session, Morion S. Wilkinson was chosen United States Senator to succeed James Shields. THE SUPERVISORS. This board met on the second day of January and had a session of four days. Much business was done, which is stated elsewhere in this history, but we note here that at the close of the session a very suspicious resolution was adopted, on motion of Supervisor Seely. The resolution was to the effect that Dr. W. N. Towndrow be appointed a committee "to inquire how much strychnine can be procured for one hundred dollars of county orders, and to report at the next meeting of the board." The resolution has a dark and mysterious aspect, as it does not state whether liquid "strychnine," as whisky was sometimes called, or the crystal, was intended, nor is there any intimation in the resolution, or on the record, as to the purpose for which the board was going into the wholesale poisoning business. But to save the board from unjust suspicion, the writer suggests the fact that in the earlier years of the county, among other calamities endui-ed by the settlers, was the great destruction of the crops by gophers, blackbirds and cranes, and which sometimes became so serious that the public authorities took the matter in hand, and purchased large quantities of poison, which was distributed among the farmers, with which to destroy the pests. The board met again on the 5th day of March, and after a session of several days adjourned, sine die. This was the last meet- ing of the board of supervisors. A note on the record reads as follows: "During the session of the legislatui-e of 1859-60, a general law was passed providing for a board of county commissioners, to consist of five members in counties of over eight hundred voters, and of three members in counties containing a less number, and repealing the act providing for a board of supervisors. Under this act this county is entitled to three commissioners, and in pursuance of the provisions of said act, such commissioners were elected at large at the annual town meetings in April, of this year, to hold their offices until the next general election." The persons elected were Albin Johnson, Thomas Blair and J. H. Welch. The supervisor system was wisely abolished. It may serve a good purpose in wealthy and populous counties, but the system is too cumbersome and expensive in counties thinly settled. Ordi- narily three or five men, as under the commissioner system, can transact the business of a county as wisely and expeditiously and much more economically, than a board composed of from ten to FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 115 twenty members. The only action taken at this last meeting of the supervisors, needing special mention, was that of granting two li- censes to saloonkeepers to sell intoxicating liquors, which were the first ever granted in the county. In such cases a certificate signed by the county auditor is usually made, certifying the fact that the person named is authorized to sell intoxicating liquors at retail, and is delivered to such person. It is often the fact that certificates and diplomas granted for various purposes, are appropriately embellished with legends, mot- toes, apt quotations from the poets, or the scriptures, and the custom is a proper one. It might be asked what suitable texts may be used to adorn and beautify a license certificate to sell intoxicating liquors. The following are suggested, which may be neatly printed around the borders — "Wine is a mocker: Strong drink is raging, and whoso- ever is deceived thereby is not wise." Prov. 20:1. "At the last it biteth like a serpent and stingeth like an adder." Prov. 23: 32. "No drunkard shall inherit the kingdom of God." 1 Cor. 6: 10. "Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning that they may follow strong drink." Isa. 5: 11. And this might be printed in illuminated letters across the face of the certificate: "Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink; that puttest thy bottle to him and makest him drunken." Heb. 2: 15. THE SPRING. The year was one long to be remembered by the old settlers for many things, but especially for its delightful weather. The pre- ceding years had been, as we have seen, very disagreeable, but seemingly to compensate for this, the spring of this year opened early and at once. The snows of the winter and the rains of the spring were light, and passed off without floods. The greater part of the grain was sown during the last days of February and first half of March, and the weather continued very fine, from the open- ing of spring until very late in the fall. The water, mud and mos- quitoes of the preceding years were forgotten, and it was declared that Minnesota possessed the finest climate in the world. Never was a spring time more enjoyed by the people. The season of spring is always welcome. The bright sun worshipped as a god in the olden day, again comes back from his low southern position, bringing his glorious light and warmth. I marvel not, O Sun, that unta thee In adoration men shoukl bow the knee, And pour the prayer of mingled awe and love For Hke a God thou art, and on thy way, Of glory sheddest, with benignant ray, Beauty and life, and joyance from above.— iSoirf/ici/. 116 nrsroitv or The icy fetters of old winter are broken. New born life and energy and activity are awakened on every hand. The doors and windows of our dwellings are thrown wide open, and the dwellers come forth with gladness as from a prison, to enjoy the bright day and balmy air and out door f j-eedom. "Zi'phyrs greet us, skies grow brighter, Flaiihing 'neath the noontide ray: Fair eyes .sparkle, heads grow lighter, .Smiles with gladden iuipul.se play; Spring brings with her leaf and flower, Heart's fresh gladnes.s, mind's fresh power." The streams again glitter and ripple and dance in the sun- light. The fields grow green, the wild flowers blossom and the trees and forests, long dead and withered, clothe themselves in verdure. The hu.sbandman goes forth to his fields to sow the seed, confident in the perpetual promise of the harvest, the cattle seek the fresh, new pastures, and the birds return to gladden the heart with their songs. What a grand resurrection from death unto life! Symbol indeed, of that more glorious resurrection of the just to life everlasting. These, as they change, Almighty Father, these Are but the varied God. The rolling year Is full of Thee. Forth in the pleasing Spring Thy beauty walks, Thy tenderness and love. , Wide flush the ttelds: the softening air is balm: Echo the mountains round: the forest smiles; And every sense, and every heart is joy. — Tkompson. THE COURT. In passing it may be well to state that the second term of the District Court commenced its session on the second day of April, Hon . L. Branson, presiding. A pretty lengthy calendar was disposed of, but none of the cases tried were of public importance. In the sum- mary of the events of a year, the sessions of our District Court, may, to a superficial observer, appear to be an unimportant item. But such is not the fact. Besides the important consideration that this court — the highest in the county — affords the means of the final adjustment of innumerable legal difficulties and the trial of offend- ers against the laws of the land, for which purposes it was estab- lished, it exercises a wholesome educational and restraining influ- ence upon the public. It is, too. the occasion of the assembling of many people from all parts of the county, either as parties having some interest in the causes to be tried, or as jurors or spectators. All become more or less instructed in the laws of the land and im- pressed with the jiower of the laws and the dignity and decorum of the courts of justice. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 117 THE COMMISSIONERS (REDIVIVUS.) No event of interest occurred until the 4th day of June, when the new board of county commissioners met and oi-ganized by the election of Thomas Blair, chairman. The board proceeded to divide the county into three commissioner districts as follows: District No. One. —Comprised the towns of Kiester, Seely, Campbell, Dobson, Pilot Grove, Jo Daviess, Blue Earth City, and Emerald. No. Two. — Comprised the towns of Brush Creek, Foster, Cobb, Walnut Lake, Barber, Prescott, and Verona. No. Three. — Comprised the towns of Dunbar, Marples, Lura, Guthrie and Winnebago City. This division of the county was a matter of much interest at the time because of the rivalry then ex- isting between the north half and the south half of the county, led respectively by Winnebago City and Blue Earth City, the only villages in the county. As the commissioners were thereafter to be elected in the districts separately, and not at large, it was thought that this division would give one or the other faction a controlling interest on the board and in the county affairs. Winnebago City prevailed. The board met again on the 16th day of June and on the 4th day of September and November 17th, but did no business of historical interest, except such as is noted in other parts of this work. THE FIRST NATIONAL CENSUS. During the month of June a national census, the first of this county, was taken. Geo. B. Kingsley acted as assistant marshal, for taking the census of this county. The following abstracts of the re- turns are of interest: Number of male inhabitants 743 Number of female inhabitants 589 Whole number of inhabitants 1 ,332 As compai'ed with the census of 1857, the increase of population was about one hundred per centum in three years. As to the nativ- ity of the population, one was born in Switzerland, one in Spain, one in District of Columbia, one in Holland, two in N. Carolina, two in Maryland, three in New Jersey, three in Nova Scotia, three in Missouri, three in Virginia, four in Hungary, four in Rhode Island, nine in France, ten in Kentucky, ten in Tennessee, twelve in Michi- gan, eighteen in Ireland, twenty in Connecticut, twenty- three in Scotland, twenty-five in New Hampshire, twenty-nine in England, thirty in Massachusetts, thirty-four in Prussia, thirty- five in Maine, thirty-seven in Norway, thirty-nine in the German States, foi-ty-two in Vermont, forty-eight in Iowa, forty-eight in Canada, fifty seven in Ohio, sixty-nine in Indiana, seventy-two in Illinois, seventy-five 118 nisronv of in Pennsylvania, one hundred and eighteen in Wisconsin, one hun- dred and fifty-eight in Minnesota, and two hundred and eighty-seven in New York. From which it appears that 1,095 of the inhabitants of the count}' were born in the United States, of whom one hundred and fifty-eight only were native Minnesotians, the remainder, two hundred and forty-seven, were born in foreign countries. No citizen of African descent is reported. Turning to the report of certain property, it is found that the numbor of acres of improved laud was 3,651. Cash valuo of farms $113,400 Number of horses 159 Milch cows 285 Working oxen 198 Other cattle 317 Sheep 46 Swine 579 As to the occupations of the people of the county, the returns show that thei'e was one stage driver, one silversmith, one clerk, one millwright, one baker, one cooper, one gunsmith, one trapper, one butcher, two machinists, two tailors, two merchants, two hotel keep- ers, three shoemakers, three wagonmakers, six blacksmiths, seven school teachers, nineteen carpenters, two hundred and sixty farmers, besides farm laborers, two i^hysicians to look after the health of the people, five lawyers to see that justice was done and topreserve the peace and secure the temporal prosperity of the community, and one minister of the gospel to guard their spiritual interests. The dis- proportion which appears above, between the law and the gospel, was not so great as it seems, as there was but one law^'er at that time who pretended to practice. A census is defined to be "an official enumeration of persons and their property, generally with such facts as tend to show their moral, social, physical and industrial condition." The knowledge of the number of inhabitants, their condition in all respects and the resources of the country is very necessary to every government. The enumeration of the people was enjoined in the Pentateuch, and the most ancient record of the kind is that of Moses. There is a record of a Chinese census made in the year 2042 B. C.and of one in .Japan in the last century before Christ. The Greeks and Romans made such enumerations of the inhabitants, and in almost all civilized or semi- civilized countries it has been the custom for many centuries, at longer or shorter periods, to take a census. The Federal Constitu- tion requires the taking of a census every ten years. The first was made in 1790, and one has been made in every tenth year since. The number of any year ending with a cipher, is the year of the National census. The State also provides for a census everj' ten years, but the State census is usually taken in the year, the number FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 119 of which ends with five. Thus we have a census of the State, either National or State, every five years. The National census of 1880, the tenth, was the most perfect, elaborate and reliable one ever made in any age or country. THE NATIONAL HOLIDAY. There was a Fourth of July celebration at Blue Earth City in due and ancient form. J. B. Wakefield, Esq. delivered the address. A large company was present and listened attentively as the orator eloquently told the old, old story, repeated every year from Wash- ington Territory to Florida, from Maine to California, of the great- ness and glory and eternal perpetuity of our country and its insti- tutions. Ah, how little we know of the future 1 This very anni- versary of the Fourth of July was the last one, for many years, celebrated in an undismembered country. The speaker of the fol- lowing year had a different story to tell — one of treason, disunion and blood, appalling to the patriotic heart! THE TIMES. The times still continued hard, and money, as the phrase goes, was very "close," but, as someone remarked, was not so close that the joeople could get hold of much of it. Yet a very marked and agreeable change had come over the community — a more hopeful and healthful spirit, a new life, new energy and enterprise seemed to animate the people. Immigration was very considerable, some building was being done in the villages and through the country — quite a large amount of land was broken up and farms opened, schools were started in various districts, roads were laid out and worked and bridges built, regular religious services were instituted at a number of places, society was getting in better condition and the county into good running oi'der, and to crown all, the crops were abundant and harvested in good season. NOTABLE EVENTS. Among the great events of the year, which attracted public at- tention and were the subjects of discussion, there may be mentioned that terrible calamity, the falling of the great Pemberton Mills, at Lawrence, Mass., in wbichhundredsof operatives were crushed and burned to death. Then there was the arrival in May, at Washington, of the Grand embassy from Japan, bearing a treaty of peace and commerce with the United States. This was the first treaty ever made by this curi- ous and ancient people, with any outside, "barbarous" nation. The Embassy, and the reception accorded it by the general government, were very imposing and worthy, too, such great nations. 120 HISTORY OF The checkered career of Gen. Walker, the great filibuster, whose "expeditions" during a number of years, created considerable interest, came to an end in Sei)tomber of this year. He was shot in Honduras, a country which he designed to "take," but which, it appears took him. The visit of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, and his tour through the United States during the summer and fall, was also one of the memorable events of the year. I. o. G. T. As an evidence of the progress of the times it is well to record the fact that on the 8th day of September, of this year, there was organized at Blue Earth City a lodge of the Independent Order of Good Templars, consisting of sixteen charter members. This was the first temperance organization ever instituted in the county, and the necessity for it, at that time, has never been questioned from that day to this* It being the first society of the kind, the writer will he excused for mentioning the chief officers of the lodge. They were as follows : J. A. Kiester, Worthy Chief Templar. Mrs. C. M. Butler, Worthy Vice-Templar. Geo. B. Kingsley, Worthy Secretary. Wesley Hill, Assistant Secretary. E. C. Young, Financial Secretary. Mrs. J. A. Converse, Treasurer. '• J. A. Monahan, Marshal. Geo. S. Converse, Chaplain. This lodge prospered greatly and many were reclaimed from hab- its of intemperance, but after about a year of good works, owing to various causes, it ceased to exist. The order has often however, been re-established and done good work in various parts of the county, since that day. Frontier towns are often rough and immoral places and the villages in our county, in the earlier days, were no excep- tion, though they were not so bad as many other places. In western border towns, saloons are too often the chief places of resort, and drunkenness, with its inevitable concomitants, gambling, profanity and rowdyism pretty generally prevails, to the great injury of the locality. To even a casual observer it is very plain that were the intoxicating liquors removed from such places the greater proportion of these evils would disappear. They constitute, in great measure, the fuel which feeds these fires of hell. A town or city should not only be an aggregation of people and houses, and a center of trade and manufactures, but it should also be a center of intelligence and culture, with its schools and libraries, lecture halls and high-toned press, a center of religion, morality and good man ners and good order, with its churches and moral and benevolent FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 121 societies and pure social and domestic life, and should exert a benign and elevating influence on all the surrounding and tributary country. It should not be a sinlf of iniquity where drunlienness, vulgarity, gambling, jDrofanity and other vices and crimes, with ignorance, filth and social degradation, are the predominent fea- tures, a place where easy facilities and temptations are found, on every hand, to allure the unwary to wrong doing, a quagmire, a hole in which not only many of its own people are sunk, but one exercising a baleful influence on all the surrounding country, a place which, when anyone visits on business or pleasure, an anxious family, or friends at home, fear for him because he may return demoralized, despoiled and drunken. That our villages, larger towns and cities, shall ever be such places as they should be, is doubtless but a Utopian dream, but all experience and observation prove, that the longest step which can be taken toward such an accomplishment, would be the extermination of the use of and traffic in intoxicating liquors, and blessed be the hand, the head, and the heart, that helps so good a cause. A powerful religious organization has incorporated in its fundamental law, the following declaration: "Temperance in its broader meaning is distinctly a Christian virtue, enjoined in the Holy Scriptures. It implies a suDordination of all tlie emotions, passions and appetites to the control of reason and conscience. Dietetically it means a wise use of suitable articles of food and drink, with entire abstainance from such as are i?nown to be hurtful. Both science and human experience argee withtheholy Scriptures, in condemning all alcoholic beverages as being neither useful nor safe. The business of manufacturing and vending such liquors is also against the principles of morality, political economy and the public welfare." FIGURING UP. Let us now see what we had this year in the way of crops and the value of property. The following statement was compiled by the county auditor from the asse'ssors returns: Wheat, acres 1,524 Bushels 27,087 Eye, " 8 " 166 Barley " 35 " 775 Oats, " 536 " 20,104 Buck\rtieat," 53 " 557 Corn, " 1,141 " 41,293 Potatoes. " 133 " 20,766 Beans, " 12 " 202 Sorghum, " 9 600 gallons Hay, (wild) 1,711 tons Assessed value of property in the county : Real $232,530.00 Personal 30,565.00 Total 263,095.00 122 HISTOUY OF Prices average as follows during the year: In the spring flour was *3. 50 per hundred, butter 12A cents per pound, corn 50 cents and wheat ^\.00 per bushel. In the fall Uour $3.50 to §4.00 per hundred, pork 9 to 12 cents per pound, butter 12A cents per pound, corn 50 cents and oats 16 cents per bushel. THE SECOND FAIR. The fair of the Agricultural Society was held again at Winne- bago City and proved a gratifying success. The farmers manifested a disposition to make these annual exhibitions pleasant and profita- able. The interest in the society was now well established and growing, and the society bid fair to serve a good purpose. THE HATTLE OF THE BALLOT.S. As the fall came on, politics began to interest the people. It was the year of a great presidential election and was the first presi- dential election at which the people of this county were permitted to vote on this question. Great interest too was manifested in our local politics. Several State and quite a number of county and dis- trict officers were to be elected. The presidential candidates were Abraham Lincoln, Republican: Stephen A. Douglas, Northern De- mocrat; .John C. Breckenridge, Southern Democrat, and John Bell, Old Whig and Peace party. The Republican District Convention met at Madeli^, and nomi- nated for Senator Guy K. Cleveland, of this county, and A. Strecker, of another county, for Representative. The Republican County Convention met at Blue Earth and nominated. For Register of Deeds, J. A. Kiester. County Auditor, A. Bonwell. Surveyor, J. H. Welch. Judge of Probate, A. Preston. • County Attorney, J. B. Wakefield. County Commissioners, J. H. Dunham, J. B. Wakefield and Thomas Blair. No nominations were made for the offices of Clerk of Court and Court Commissioner. The Democratic candidates wei'e: For Senator, Andrew C. Dunn. Representative, Wm. B. Carroll. For Register of Deeds, L. W. Brown. County Auditor, Geo. K. Moultou. Surveyor, J. M. Wheeler. Judge of Probate, D. H. Morse. Clerk of Court, Geo. B. Kingsley. Court Commissioner, Andrew C. Dunn. No nomination was made by the Democrats for the office of County Attorney. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 123 The election was held on the 6th day of November, and the fol- lowing was the result: Lincoln electors, 270 votes. Douglas electors, 63 votes. For Senator, Guy K. Cleveland had 221 votes and Andrew C. Dunn 105. For Representative, A. Streeker had 246 votes and W. B. Carroll 87. For County Auditor, A. Bonwell had 270 votes and Geo. K. Moulton 64. For County Attorney, J. B. Wakefield (no op- position), had 328 votes. For Surveyor, J. H. Welch had 264 votes and J. M. Wheeler 69. For Judge of Probate, A. Preston had 268 votes and D. H. Morse 65. For Register of Deeds, J. A. Kiester had 262 votes and L. W. Brown 74. For Clerk of Court, Geo. B. Kingsley (no opposition), had 126 votes. For Court Commissioner, Andrew C. Dunn had 91 votes and J. A. Kiester 102. For County Commissioners, J. H. Dunham, J. B. Wakefield and Thos. Blair were elected. The whole vote of the county was 336. The presidential contest of 1860 was a bitter and exciting one, and on its issues depended, in a great measure, very stupendous re- sults. The antagonism between the free States of the North and the slave States of the South, had been growing stronger and stronger, from year to year. The cry of "disunion, secession" had long been heard, but grew loud and portentious in this campaign. It meant something. The Shibboleths of the campaign in the North were, free homers, free labor, free speech, free press and squatter sovereignty. The Republican party was in the minority, as against all outside of its ranks, but owing to the divisions among the oppo- sition, Mr. Lincoln was elected president. When this fact became known, intense excitement prevailed throughout the South. Seces sion conventions were called in various southern States, southern members of the cabinet and a number of senators and representa- tives in congress, from southern States, resigned their seats, and several forts, custom houses and other property of the general gov- ernment, in the South, were seized under State authority. The year closed here, as throughout the whole nation, in gloom. Business became again depressed, another "money panic" prevailed, and currency became greatly depreciated, enterprise was paralyzed, and the people, full of forebodings, were watching and waiting. It was indeed evident that the di'eaded hour, long threatened, had come, and a dreadful time — the awful import of which none then fully realized — aye, even the day of the battle of the bullets — was indeed near at hand. "O, shame to men ! devil with devil damned Firm concord holds, men only disagree Of creatures national, ****** And live in hatred, enmity and strife Among themselves, and levy cruel vears, "Wasting the earth, each other to destroy." — Milton. 124 HISTORY OF If the reader will now recall to mind, the principal events of this year, the weather conditions, the scarcity of money, our sta- tistics of population, of live stock and farm products, the topics of local and public interest, discussed among the people, and will at the same time remember that there were then no railroads or tele- graphs and no newspapers in the county, that we had but two small villages then, that the settlements were confined to the timber, along the streams and about the lakes, and that the prairie lands were almost all unclaimed and vacant, he will have a very accurate mental picture of our county in 1860. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 125 CHAPTER VII. A. D. 1861. THE GREAT REBELLION. "Dissolve the Union! No, forbear, The Sword of Democles is there; Cut but a hair and earth shall know A darker, deadlier tale of woe Than history's crimson page has told, Since Nero's car in blood was rolled." This year saw the beginning, but alas, notwithstanding all the hopes and pi'omises at the time, not the end, of the great rebellion. The dark clouds of civil war — a war more gigantic and terrible than any yet known among men, were fast gathering, when the year opened, and cast their somber and ominous shadows over the whole land. The mutterings of the gathering storm, now grown loud and fierce, were heard by the people of this county, as by all other loyal citizens of the land, with grief and indignation. But they, like the great majority of the people of the United States, both North and South, but little apprehended the tremendous carnival of blood and desolation, u^Don which the Nation was about to enter. Though this county lay far out, at the time, on the frontiers and away from the great centers of activity, wealth and influence, the patriotic spirit of the peoiDle,was soon awakened. Recruiting for the army began very early, and every encouragement was given by the county and its people to the cause of the Union, from the very be- ginning until the close of the war, and we are proud to record the fact here, that the patriotism, courage and fortitude of no peo- ple ever surpassed that of the residents of this county, during the troublous times of the great rebellion and the terrible Sioux massa- cre, all of which will become evident as we px'oceed with this his- tory. Of the causes which led to the great civil war and the events which characterized it, belonging more properly to the domain of national history, but little need be said in this work. It is sufticient to say here, briefly, in explanation, that from Co- lonial times, there had been gradually growing up in the Nation, between the North and the South, an apparent antagonism of inter- ests, political sentiments and social structure, which originated in 126 HISTOltY OF and was fostered by the institution of slavery in the Southern States of the Union. Human slavery was an anomaly in a free government like ours. The system was not only a violation of the ))recepts of natural and revealed law. but was directly at variance with all the fundamental principles of our political institutions. The system of free government and equality of political privileges for all, and re- spected free labor in the North, could not peaceably exist by the side of the system of slavery, with its aristocracy of masters and de- graded slave labor and other inherent evils. Hence constant contention on the subject of slavery, its rights to protection and its right, under the constitution, to go into the free territories sprang up and constantly grew more and more bitter. The statesmen of the South soon conceived the idea that the union of the States was of little binding force or obligation, and they early taught the doctrine of absolute "State sovereignty" and the right of any State to secede from the Union when it chose. This pernicious doctrine of State rights was, in debate, overthrown by the statesmen of the North. Yet while the South was mainly united in its views and demands, the North was somewhat divided. In all the preliminary stages of the contest and during the rebel- lioQ the South had many sympathizers in the North. Numerous compromises on the subject were made but all was of no avail. Slavery was a sin against God, a crime against man and embodied within itself a host of intolerable evils, the result of the relation ex- isting between the absolute master and the absolute slave. It was repugnant to the progress and enlightenment and sense of justice and right of the age. It was well-named a "relic of barbarism" and was overliving its time in the world's history. Therefore com- promises, admitting its existence, settled nothing. No question is ever settled until it is settled right, and the only right settlement of the slavery question was its total abolition. All great evils, per- haps all evils are aggressive. Slavery was aggressive. It con- stantly demanded more and more. Southern leaders sought to make slavery national, while in fact it was never anything but a sectional institution. They became very arrogant, insolent and domineering everywhere, but especiallv in the national councils. The North could not agree to the extension of the evil, nor accede to the many other demands of the South. Southern statesmen determined to maintain their peculiar institution and its right to extension, its nationalization, and to dominate the politics and control the highest offices of the nation. If they could not do this in the Union, then they would dissolve the Union. They finally by falsohood.s, specious arguments, the spread of a false public sentiment and a great clamor, led the whole people of the South to believe that it was right and necessary for the slave States to secede. And this they FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 127 attempted. They organized a new government in February for the seceded States, and named it "The Confederate States of America," and they proposed to maintain themselves by force of arms, and proceeded to organize their armies, and early in the year they seized the forts, arsenals and navy yards situated in their States. Such action was a violation of the constitution and laws of the nation, and the whole theory of the action was erroneous. Another cause which led to and precipitated such action, was the lust for power of evil, ambitious and reckless, men, who led in the movement. They thought to obtain wealth, power and posi- tion by this act of dissolving the old Union and the establishment of a new government of which they should have control — a govern- ment built upon the basis of the slavery of a large part of its people. The attempt was rebellion against the supremacy and lawful author- ity of the nation, and the act was treason. That the reader of the future, may, without consulting the more extensive authorities, have some idea of the views of the people of the Northern States, on the subjects of secession and disunion, the writer has thought proper to note here, vei'y briefly indeed, some of the propositions maintained by them, on these, the most solemn and portentious questions which have ever agitated the American people. The secession of the States of the South from the Union, was impolitic, impracticable and grossly unjust, to say nothing of the higher and constitutional objections. We may briefly refer to some of these considerations. 1. It sought to dissever a united, homogeneous, free and pros- perous people — a people who, though originally constituted of sev- eral different nationalities and assimilating the people of the many nationalities, subsequently flowing to it, had created a new nation- ality — the American — having a national language, one religion, a common literature, education and traditions, the same social and do- mestic characteristics, habits and customs, a common inheritance of political rights and substantially common interests, except as some of these conditions were modified by the existence of chattel slavery in the States of the South. And the people of this new nationality is destined, if earth and time shall endure but a little longer, to be- come the greatest race in intellectual, intuitive and physical power, which has yet appeared in the world. 2. Disunion would divide great religious organizations, moral and charitable associations, scientific societies, greatly impair many splendid educational institutions, and break up many social and family relations, creating bitter antagonisms among them all. 3. Disunion sought to divide territory which nature seems to have designed to be one. Great rivers, the outlets to the sea, the 128 HISTORY OF highways of a vast commerce crossed many States, the free naviga- tion of which was an indisputable right and which should never be- come subject in whole, or in part, to control and tolls imposed by rival, perhaps hostile nations. And the natural and manufactured products of this great territory were necessary to the comfort and welfare of the whole, and to be free from any interstate duties and restrictions, such as would exist and would be necessary for local protection, if this territory should be divided into two or more sep- arate and independent nations. 4. Disunion sought to sunder territory already long bound to- gether in commercial and pecuniary unity, by the iron bands of railroads, built through and interlaced over many States of the Union, thus disrupting and injuring them, without regard to the rights of the relative parts, or the public or private interests in- volved. 5. Disunion would ignore and make no provision for the vast interstate moneyed interests and corporation rights (in addition to those of railroads), and would render worthless and subject to re- pudiation, State and other public bonded indebtedness, involving hundreds of millions of dollars, in value, and the property rights of hundreds of thousands of innocent people. Brielly stated, the right, so called, of secession was based upon the assumption that the union of the States was but a league or con- federation of sovereign and independent States, or natioas, and that any one of such States could dissolve the Union, that is, secede there- from at will. This doctrine had long been taught by a few of the statesmen of the South, but it is certainly a delusion. The impolicy of disunion is referred to above and now a word may be added as to the historical and legal, or constitutional phases of this so-called right. There never was a time from the earliest colonial times to the day of the Declaration of Independence, when any colony was a sov- ereign and independent State, or nation, but while, for a time, the colonies were independent of each other, they were all the subjects of one nation — Great Britain. And the colonies were united, when framing and promulgating the Declaration of Independence and long prior thereto, and were known by the name of the "United Colonies," then named States. And it was the rei)resentatives of the united not the separate. States of America, in general congress assembled. Congress representing the people, being the sovereign power which proclaimed, not by the authority of the sepai-ate States, but "in the name and by the au- thority of the people of the colonies," or States, the Declaration of Independence; independence not of each colony of the others, but FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 129 the independence of the united colonies, now States, of the mother country — Great Britian. It was not the independence of the separate States which was ac- knowledged by Great Britian by the treaty of 1783, or that which was recognized by the other States of the world, but it was the inde- pendence of the nation, the United (not the separate or sovereign) States of America. The Constitution of the United States was proposed by the sep- arate States through their representatives in congress, but received its adoption, sanction and authority, by the whole people, for the purpose of forming "a more perfect union" "and legislating" "for the general welfare." "The people of the United States" did this sovereign act, in conventions of the people, not separate and inde- pendent States, by their legislatures, claiming sovereign powers. And the Union is one and indivisible, except by the whole people themselves. For back of all States or other political subdivisions, back even of the organization known as the United States, is the peo- ple, one entire people, the source under God, of all authority and. power, the real sovereignty of the nation, and the Union is indis- soluble, except by the consent of the whole people. The vast subsequent acquisition of territory, the Louisiana pur- chase, Florida, etc., purchased from other nations and from the Indians, were not acquired by any one State, then existing, or sub- sequently organized, but by the Nation — the United States — from the common funds of the Nation, and belongs to the whole people, the Nation, and such territories are used and occupied by the people therein for the purposes of the Nation, under the constitution, and cannot be diverted to the use of a separate sovereignty, without the consent of the whole people. And if any State or States, or terri- tories of the United States became vacant, every part thereof, and everything therein would be immediately subject to the control and disposal of the people of the United States. The forts, arsenals, navy yards, custom houses, mints, coast defences, national hospitals and all other national property in the States or territories are the property of the Nation, and the State or territory wherein such property is situated, can acquire no prop- erty rights therein without the consent of the Nation. States in the Union are separate and independent only so far as indicated in and by the constitution of tlie United States. They are sovereign, sepa- rate from and independent of each other and of the United States, in relation to their local, domestic or municipal affairs, but are not sovereign in a national capacity, and cannot, in these respects, or in any respects, pass any law, or do any act, in conflict with the National Constitution and the laws of the United States, made in pursuance thereof. States have their rights, which should be care- laO HI STORY OF fully maintained, under the constitution and federal laws, but among these rights the so called right of secession is not one, and no pro- vision has ever been anywhere made whereby a State may secede, or the Union be dissolved, for the Union was to be perpetual. The general government had done no wrong to the States of the South ; had not even interfered with their peculiar institution of slavery. Tliese facts were admitted by some of the southern lead- ers. As can easily be proved, the southern States had no excuse for their action, which an enlightened humanity or wise statesman- ship can ever approve. It was simply wild, willful and wicked. There is such a right as the right of revolution, but there is no such right as that of rebellion. Rebellion is resistance to the exer- cise of lawful authority (and success does not sanctify it) and rebel- lion, sustained by arms is treason, pure treason, and such was the action of the seceding States. Revolution is resistance to the exercise of unlawful, or usurped authority, authority exercised against protest and in defiance of con- stitutional and natural rights and legal limitations, and is a right inherent in all peoples, and such was the American revolution which secured the existence of this independent nation. And the real char- acter, the distinctions between rebellion and revolution should never be confounded. But we have not yet reached the highth of the argument against secession and disunion. Disunion was death to this the greatest, freest, happiest, most prosperous nation the world or time had ever seen. United we could stand against all the world, in all that will ever be of real value to man, as an individual, or of true gloi'y as a nation. Divided, we should be broken into two, but more probably, eventually into four, or six, different inimical nations, ly- ing contiguous, between which continual and innumerable jealousies and contentions would exist. For among these there would be one, or more, aristocracies built upon the slavery of the masses of the people, where labor would be degraded, where the public life, sentiments and action would be arrogant, and exist upon a low plain of civilization. Such unfavorable conditions existing all about us, would create harassing apprehensions necessitating strong military equipments maintained by oppressive taxation. There would be alliances and intrigues with foreign powers whose interests it would be to foster and im- bitter our contentions, until wars should result, constant changes occur, peace and prosperity desert us, and finally, perhaps, when broken and weakened by our misfortunes, our liberties would be swept away, and either anarchy or despotism would rule the land. Judging by the past of nations, through all history, such a destiny was to be apprehended. The establishment of the Confederacy, FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 131 Tvould, indeed, endanger the peace and safety of the other States and nation, and this fact alone, was a sufficient warrant, by the laws of nations for the action of the general government, in putting down the rebellion. Wise indeed were the words of the immortal Washington, when in his farewell address he spoke of the value of the Union and the necessity for its preservation. He says: " It is the main pillar in the edifice of your real inde- pendence, the support of your tranquility at home, your peace abroad, of your safety, of your prosperity, of that very liberty which you so highly prize, and you should discountenance whatever may suggest even a suspicion that it can in any event be dissolved." But even this was not all. The question of disunion and its probable results, expanded into still vaster proportions. In the slow passage of the centuries in the world's history, men had struggled with but an uncertain hope, yet slowly moving upward and onward from political oppression and despotic rule, until out of the storms and blood and sufferings of the American revolution, arose the great republic, in which was embodied and illustrated the best forms of self government, citizen sovereignty, civil and relig- ious liberty and material national prosperity, the world had yet known. And it was soon conceived at home, and realized everywhere abroad, that, bound up with the success, or failure, of disunion, were the fate of free government and popular institutions, and that the results wei"e not a matter of awful interest to this country alone, or to this generation alone, but to all mankind and to all the genera- tions to come. To say nothing of the motives and objects of the southern lead- ers, the rebellion itself was the most enormous political crime of all the ages. And no grander, or holier cause — the maintenance of the Union, with all that it implied, ever sanctioned a resort to arms, or warranted men in laying down their lives in its defense, than this. In the emergency, there was nothing left but to maintain the Union, the constitution and the laws, and this and this only, was the pri- mary object of the government and loyal people. The abolition of slavery, was but an incident of the war, yet one of the grandest achievements of any age or country. Such being the situation and such the necessity, the general government and the loyal people of the North, believing in the jus- tice of their cause, and invoking the favor of Almighty God, entered with an enthusiasm never before witnessed among the nations of the earth, upon the gigantic task of crushing the rebellion. And they crushed it. Let us now turn to home affairs. 132 BISTOItY OF THE commissioner's COURT. The County Commissioners assembled on New Year's day and elected J. H. Dunham, chairman, when after a few hour's work, they adjourned, in view of the fact, it is to be presumed, that it was a holiday. They had sessions again on the 20th day of February, March 20th, June 24th and September 3d. The action of the board, during the whole year, was singularly devoid of historic interest. THE LAW MAKERS. The third State Legislature assembled at the Capital, January 8th, and held a session of sixty days. Only two acts were passed at this session of special interest to the people of this county. One of which was an act fixing the time of holding the term of the District Court, setting the same for "the first Wednesday after the first Tuesday of April in each year." The other and much more im- portant one, was an act relating to the county seat of this county, approved March first, which enacted "That the county seat of the county of Fairbault be and the same is hereby removed from the town of Blue Earth City, its present location, to the incorporated town of Winnebago City, in said county" and that "This act shall not take effect until the same has been adopted by the electors of said county." It is hardly necessary to say that this latter act created quite a commotion in the south half of the county, the results of which we shall see hereafter. Our members' of the legis- lature at this session, were Guy K. Clevelaad, in the Senate, and A. Strecker, in the House. THE LAND OFFICE. About the first of February great expectations existed that the United States Land Office, then located at Chatfield, Fillmore county, would soon be removed further west, and that Blue Earth City would be the lucky point of location. In fact all arrangements had been definitely made, and nothing remained to do, but to wait the event, now supposed to be near at hand. But alas! The best laid schemes o' mice and men GanK off a-gloy, An' lea'e us nousfht but grief and pain, For promis'd joy.— jB«r?is. The project failed to the great disappointment of the people of Blue Earth City. Yet the county secured the office. In October of this year, it was removed to Winnebago City, and was opened for business about the 4th day of November. For a number of years previous, it was currently understood that the office should soon have to be brought further west, and both of the villages in this county made great exertions to secure it, with finally the above re- ISAAC BOTSFORD. The First Editor. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 133 suit. It was in those days a boon worth contending for. It was a gi'eat accession to the business of the town where located, as per- sons taking up lands over a very large territory, attended at the office, to enter or prove up their lands, who expended more or less money, during their stay. It stimulated enterprise and improvement at home, and gave the town where located, a name and prestige, which attracted immigration and capital from abroad. It was an auspicious event for Winnebago City and a great con- venience and advantage to the people of the whole county. One of the citizens of the county, Mr. J. H. Welch, of Verona, was ap- pointed register and Mr. H. W. HoUey, who thereafter became a permanent resident of the county, was appointed receiver. THE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. The meeting of the Agricultural Society was held at Blue Earth City, April 3d. As an indication of the scarcity of money at the time, it may be stated that at this meeting a motion was made, that county orders be received and paid by the society, as money, but the motion was lost. At this time the officers of the society were J. A. Latimar, president; J. H. Welch, secretary and H. T. Stoddard, treasurer. The fair was appointed to be held at Blue Earth City on the 2d and 3d of October, but was adjourned to the 9th. It was a failure. Rain fell most of the day. There were but ninety-eight entries. THE COURT. The District Court held its regular annual session April 3d. Hon. Lewis Branson presiding. The term lasted but one day. There was no business for the grand jury, and but one case for the petit jury. This speaks well for the people. THE FIRST NEWSPAPER. One of the most important events which had yet occurred in the county, happened on the 6th day of April of this year. This was the appearance of the first newspaper published in the county. On that day the first number of the Blue Earth City Neivs was issued. It was a small, six column, four page sheet and bore the motto, "Devoted to the interests of the people of Faribault County." It was to be issued on Saturday of each week. The typographical and general appeax'ance of the paper was very good and gave general satisfaction. Isaac Botsford was the editor and proprietor as ap- pears from the first numbers of the paper, but Frank A. Blackmer was also interested in the paper and assisted in the publication. The ■subscription price was one dollar and fifty cents per annum, jiaya- ble in advance. The editor states that he will receive in payment lor subscriptions anything that grows that he can use, or anything that is made except counterfeit money. The first number was well 134 HISTORY OF filled with advertisements of merchants, hotels, professional cards and notices. The subscription list was not a very long one. To en- courage the project quite a number of the leading men of Blue Earth City took as many as fifteen copies each and paid for them. The editors salutatory was very lengthy and probably the most compre- hensive and exhaustive one ever written. It set forth in fair and frank language the editor's understanding of his duties and the diffi- culties of publishing a newspaper in the "back counties." The salutatory was entitled"Our Bow." We make the following extracts: "A time honored custom compels us in this, the initial number of the lilue Earth City News, to give the pablic an inkling of our principles and purposes. It is natural and right that a community should know something of the charac- ter of a paper just springing into life in their midst. Wlien money is scarce as it is at the present time, every prudent man will look twice at his money before parting with it, and more especially will he do so if he knows nothing of the character or quality of the article he is purchasing and, therefore, it is but just to ourselves and the public from whom we expect to receive our support, that we should state distinctly at the outset what we Intend to uphold and what we intend to condemn." "We shall have but very little to do with politics." "But we do not propose to publish a neutral paper by any means, neither on this subject, nor any other. We shall feel at liberty to speak, write and pub- lish jyst what we please on all subjects." "Our sympathies are with the republican party. » * • « Con- sequently none will be surprised to learn that we intend to publish a republican paper." , "We are, of course, opposed to slavery infotoand can never give our sanction to the further spread of the accursed evil." "Our great aim shall be to publish a good country paper." "An experience in newspaper publishing of two years has taught us the les- son that no man without the fortune of a Rothschild, can afford to publish a paper in any other manner than by requiring pay in advance." Mr. Botsford did not fail in his aim of publishing "a good county paper." The News was always a clean, truthful and relia- ble sheet. Many larger and more pretentious papers have been published since, but there has never been, to this day, a better local paper published in this county than the Bine Earth City News. A copy of the first volume of the Neios is in the hands of the writer, and is the only one known to be now in existence in this county. It •was kindly presented to the writer by John A. Dean, Esq., on condi- tion that it should be bound and preserved, which has been done. The spring of this year was rather late. Heavy rains and high waters prevailed. Spring plowing, of which there was more in those days, in proportion to the acreage than there is now, com- menced about the 13th of April, and most of the seeding was done after the LlOth of the month. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 135 TRAPPING. During the early years of the county a considei'able trade was carried on ia furs and peltries, which proved a great benefit to the people, in view of the low price of farm products and the great dis- tance of markets. Furs always brought cash, at some price, and were always ready sale. In the News we find a statement that dur- ing the winter and spring of 1860-61, "one merchant had purchased 5,000 muskrats, 300 minks, 100 foxes, 40 coons, 14 otters, 11 wolves, 5 badgers and 4 beavers at a cost of about ^1,200. Other merchants also dealt in furs to a considerable extent, and there were many traveling buyers in the county. The News further says that "com- petent judges assure us that not less than sSS.SOO has been paid to citizens of this county during the past winter for this one commodity." For some years quite a number of our citizens would engage every fall and winter in the business of trapping for furs. Usually two persons would go into partnership and fit out with numerous traps, several guns, ammunition, a small sheet iron stove, a few tin dishes, blankets for bedding, flour or meal, salt pork, tobacco, pipes and some other useful articles, and having sought out some suitable place on the prairies, on the margin of a slough, or on the borders of a lake, sometimes on the banks of a stream, or in the timber, they would erect a small shanty, eight or ten feet square and about six feet high, as their dwelling; these hovels were sometimes built of boards, but more frequently they were "dug-outs," that is, holes dug into the sides of a bank, and covered over with poles, grass and sods. Here some months would be spent in the interesting business of trapping, varied occasionally by a visit to the settle- ments for supplies. It was rather a hard, greasy and somewhat odoriferous life, but it had its attractions; it possessed a dash of romance and adventure, and usually paid well. The earnings averaged all the way from one hundred dollars to six hundred dol- lars a season, and the business covered a part of the year when little else could be done. Many a slough with its village of muskrat houses, in the years past, yielded a more valuable crop and a good deal more amusement than some of the grain fields. HUNTING. In the first years of the county large game such as elk, deer, bears, wolves, foxes, coon and the smaller kinds also, were quite plenty. The buffalo had ceased to roam over these prairies, but a short time previous to the first settlement one of their herding or stamping grounds was yet, at the time of the first settlement, to be seen near the head waters of the west branch of the Blue Earth 136 mSTOItV OF River. One of the first settlers of the county, soon after his arri- val here, discovered a buffalo following up his cattle when they came home one evening — a lone fellow that had strayed from his native herd. The deer, elk and bear disappeared soon after the first settle- ment, but occasionally for some years after, they would be seen. Wolves and foxes, however, continued quite numerous down to the time of the close of this volume, and the former have been very de- structive to the sheep. A bounty of three dollars by the State, and three dollars by the county, was given for wolf scalps, in the later years, and many a man made good wages in catching them at odd times. One person received as much as fifty-six dollars for a day's work of this kind. Rabbits and feathered game have been plenty at all times, and hunting in the proper seasons is indulged in by many. We have always had sportsmen of considerable skill, who look upon hunting with gun and dog and the other accoutrements of the chase, as the best of recreations and who take a special pride in their achievements and boast of their deeds, as b.11 hunters have done, from Nimrod to this day. Not only our own sportsmen engage in hunting, but of late years persons from the large cities and even from distant States come into the county during August and Sep- tember, sometimes bringing their families with them, and spend a couple of months in hunting, especially during the "chicken season" and find a period of enjoyment and recuperation better than the limited. expensive and formal watering places where fashion, frivol- ity and display hold their revels. These visitors usually hire their board and lodging at some comfortable farm house for a few weeks of quiet country life amid the pure airs of heaven, and luxuriate in the fresh rural scenes and glories of nature, or sometimes they take up their abode in the villages and spend the long summer days on the wide prairies with dog and gun. Frequently a company is formed, who take with them several tents, cooking utensils, and some bedding with all the necessary hunting equipments, and camp out, on the borders of some lake or stream for two or three weeks, during the "chicken season." There are State laws regulating the taking of the various kinds of game, but while they are well known, they are, unfortunately, not closely observed. A year's round of hunting sports may be said to begin in the winter, with wolves, foxes, rabbits, etc. Then early in the spring come swarms of wild geese, ducks and brants about the streams and lakes, and cranes in great flocks in the fields everywhere. After a month or two, these take their leave, then through June and Julj' we have the plovers, snipe, curlews, woodcock and wild j^igeons. In August, begins the prairie chicken shooting, lasting over a month. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 137 Then in September and October again come the brants, ducks, geese and cranes, and quail, ruffled grouse or pheasants, and par- tridges. Where can a pleasanter or more heathful sport be found than in hunting over the fields and about the lakes and streams, in the hazy, balmy, Indian summer days ? As the winter closes in, soon after the first of November, and our cranes, ducks and geese leave again, the deer hunting iDractically begins. In the counties in Iowa, adjoining this on the south, numerous deer are taken every winter, and it is about the beginning of winter that our hunters fit out for these expeditions to the deer grounds, in the more northern and less settled portions of the State, where several months are spent profitably, as well as pleasantly. But we should not foi'get the dogs, which do much of the hard work of all this sport, and manifest such an intelligent appreciation of it too. The hunter and his dog are inseparable companions. The trained dogs used in this country are pointers and setters, not those which are facetiously said to point for a bone and then "set" behind the stove and gnaw it, but dogs which possess a faculty for hunting and are specially trained for the business. The setters are trained as retrievers and will readily enter the water and bring out the dead game. Pointers will also retrieve, but are not so well adapted to this work. The intelligence sometimes exhibited by these dogs, in the execution of this work, is astonishing, and this fact, with the great use they are in the field, accounts for the great prices often paid for them. They are usually valued at from ten dollars to twenty-five dollars, but often sell for fifty to seventy-five dollars, and there is one instance in which the price paid for an extra dog was the sum of five hundred dollars ! But the great hunting season of this section of country, is the chicken season, when the game sought is jDrairie chickens, grouse and smaller bii'ds. This season commences about the middle of August. The young chickens are then well grown and excellent eating. The hunters go out some times alone, but oftener in pairs, with their dogs. Frequently three or four men, with as many ladies, for they often take part in the sport, start out in an easy riding con- veyance, in the bright summer morning, supplied with guns and' ammunition, a couple of dogs and a well filled basket of provisions, for a day's hunt on the prairies. The excitement of the hunt is agreeable. The keen scent and intelligent working of the dogs, the starting of the covies, the skillful shooting of the game and the gath- ering up of the spoils of the chase, the counting and bragging and bluster, are all interesting. But there is something more — that which gives tone and zest to all this— the bright skies, the fragrance laden breezes, the far reach- ing undulating prairies, carpeted with green grasses and innumerable 138 HISTORY OF wild flowers of every hue, the landscape dotted over with verdant groves, where nestle the quiet farm houses, the exhilirating air, fill- ing the soul with the beauty, variety and enchantment of the scene, the hearty dinner in the edge of some shady grove, during a couple of hour's nooning, the joke and song, the hap and mishap, the re- turn to the field until nightfall, and then the brisk ride home, all unite to make up a day of pure enjoyment, long to be remembered. "Let others kneel at Pleasure's shrine, And lioast the raptures of a 'spree'; Hut, ah: a hunter's joy be mine,— A hunter's merry life for xae.''—Uolley. FISHING. But say the Izaak Waltons, what about fishing? It is not every- one who cares to travel the prairies for game. Some of us like better the pleasure of practicing the angler's art. All of the streams and lakes, of which there are many in the county, are stocked with fish. The pike, pickerel, red horse, bass, sunfish, bullheads, perch, muskalonge, catfish, chubbs, suckers, and some other varieties, in all sizes, from twenty-five pounds weight to the tiny minnow, are found in our waters. The State fish commissioner has also placed in some of our lakes the salmon, white fish and some other varieties. Seining is not permitted by law, but the hook andlin^, the spear and trolling hook are. The spring fishing is best about the time when the high waters of the spring freshet begin to go down, the high waters having enabled the larger fish to come up the streams. It is then the fisherman with the hook and line, or spear, can get his string of fish in a very short time, and in this sport men and women, boys and girls, in small parties and large parties, with jolly laugh and joke, engage with great pleasure, ignoring all the old rules of fishing, about noise and telling fibs. Boat fishing either in the day time or at night with torches, is often embarked io and is an agreeable recreation. But it is not only in the spring and summer that fish are caught. They may be taken at all times, but certain seasons are better for this sport than others and the sport is more followed during these times. Probably the larger quantities of fish are taken in the winter. It has long been a custom with many to visit the lakes in the winter, when they are frozen over, when large quantities are caught, cleaned and salted down in barrels for the year's use. In such cases one method is to cut a hole in the ice, build a small house over it. so that it shall be dark inside, and then by various methods entice the fish to the hole, when they are taken with spear and hook. In the spring, also, when the ice on the waters begins to melt around the edges, the fish collect in great numbers about the outlets and inlets of the lakes and are easily taken in great quantities. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 139 In all this, is briefly indicated how many a pleasant day or ex- pedition of a week, is enjoyed and made profitable in fishing. But this does not suffice. The true angler does not want wagon loads of fish, he despises the spear, he hates noise and bustle. These things are too coarse for his placid philosophic mind. The true disciple of old Izaak Walton, pensive, kindly old Izaak, with his"pla- cid and benevolent countenance, joined to gentle and unaffected man- ners," loves the poetry of fishing best. Pull of quiet geneality and all the humanities, he is a lover of the pastoral life. He seeks the shady nooks along the still waters where he enjoys his quiet fancies, or serenely philosophises, while he watches his "sink and bobber," patiently waiting for a "bite." There is a fascination in the prac- tice of the piscatorial art, which cultured men of all professions ac- knowledge and love to enjoy. Yes, for the race of true anglers, which we are happy to say is not yet extinct, we have many a seclu- ded crystal stream and silvery lakelet, along whose quiet shady banks the angler may wander through the long summer day and fish and dream his fancies to his heart's content. And now, not to discourage, but to amuse, this article is closed with the following valuable table prepared by the Detroit Free Press, showing what chance a professional man has of catching anything, when he "goes a angling." Doctors 7 in 50 Merchants 13 in 50 Lawyers 3 in 50 Professors 1 in 50 Editors 10 in 50 Small boy with old Artists 2 in 50 straw hat and broken Architects 12 in 50 suspender 49 in 50 Bookkeepers 8 in 50 treason! treason! We have now reached in the order of time, the great event of 1861, in fact one of the most stupendous events in the history of the nation — the beginning of the Great Rebellion. The long con- test of words, the threats, the excited passions now broke forth in an overt act of treason on the part of the southern people. On the 12th day of April, Fort Sumpter was attacked by the confederates and taken. The first blow was struck, and each side — the government and the rebels — both before hesitating to begin, now hastened preparations for the conflict. The States of the South one after another were seceding from the Union, and the rebels were continuing their work of taking possession of the forts, arsenals and navy yards in those States. The President issued a proclamation, calling for seventy-five thousand volunteers to de- fend the Capital. 140 HISTORY OF The Governor of the State, Hon. Alex. Ramsey, issued a proc- lamation to the people of the State to organize volunteer military companies, arm and drill, so as to be prepared for any emergency. Great excitement]existed throughout the State and the whole North. The gallant Minnesota First was soon organized and ready to go to the front. Everywhere throughout the State, war meetings were held and companies formed. Our county was not asleep or behind while these great events were taking place. On the evening of the 30th of April a large and enthusiastic meeting was held at Winnebago City. Eloquent and patriotic speeches were made by Geo. H. Goodnow, A. C. Dunn, G. K. Cleve- land and others. The Governor's proclamation was read and avolun- teer company organized. A number of resolutions were adopted with great enthusiasm the first and second of which read as follows: "Resolved, That, the citizens of Faribault county are in favor of the Union, the Constitution and the enforcement of the laws. '^ Resolved, That in this hour of peril to our glorious government, wetender to Abraham Lincoln, President of these United States, "Our lives, fortunes and sacred honor," to aid him in punishing rebels and traitors for assaulting the flag of our fathers." Almost every man in the village and vicinity joined the com- pany, and we are sorry to say we have not the names that we may record them here in a Roll of Honor. « On the evening of May second a large war meeting of the citi- zens of Blue Earth City and vicinity was held. Great enthusiasm prevailed. A series of resolutions was adopted amid great cheering, condemning the rebellion in the strongest language. We quote several of them. Resolved. That we, citizens of Faribault county, without reference to those party names that have hitherto distinguished us and having unshaken faith in the power of right, are unalterably attached to the union of these States and the perpetuity of popular government. Resolved. That in order that we may render efficient aid to the govern- ment, should our services be required, we will immediately organize a company of our citizens and take such steps as may be necessary to perfect ourselves in military drill and discipline. Resolved. That live atmosphere of Faribaxdl County must not he breathed by traitors. Earnest speeches were made J. B. Wakefield, E. Raymond, J. A. Kiesler and Geo. B. Kingsley. A paper was presented for the signature of those who wished to enroll their names, as a volunteer company, and forty names were set down in less than as many min- utes. J. B. Gillit, a gray-haired veteran of sixty years led olf. then came E. Raymond. I. S. Mead, J. B. Wakefield, G. B. Kingsley, Isaac Botsford. S. T. McKnight, F. A. Squires. H. Tompkins, J. A. Kiester, H. P. Const'ans, G. S. Converse, G. S. Miles, H. G. Neal, FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 141 W. C. Gillit, W. A. Melvin, A. Sortor. H. A. Paunce, W. M. Scott, A. Bonwell, A. Pratt, O. Saunders, F. L. Howland, E. C. Youug, A. McElroy, L. Billings, Jr., H. Mount, F. A. Blackmer, Martin Sailor, J. C. Pratt, A. Johnson, John Beidle, J. K. Pratt, E. C. Ingals, L. B. Woodruff, J. Johnson, P. Harris and S. Dow. Many other names were afterwards added, of which there is now no record. Many of those who enrolled their names in the various com- panies formed at the time, subsequently in more permanent organ- izations proved their patriotism and sincerity on many a hard fought field beneath the southern sun, and some of them to-day, having given their lives for their country, sleep the last great sleep, in sol- dier's graves. "The land is holy where they fought, And holy where they fell. For by their blood that land was bought. The land they loved so well.'" THE COMET OF '61. While the inhabitants of this small planet called the earth, were busy with their cares and labors and ambitions, their joys and sorrows, far away in the heavens in the wide fields of space, there suddenly appeared a great comet on the 30th day of June, and created a great sensation. To the naked eye the head of the comet appeared brighter than a star of the first magnitude. "It was estimated that on the second day of July the breadth of the head of the nucleous was about one hundred and fifty-six thousand miles, and its train of light fifteen millions of miles in length." It was thought by one astronomer, that the earth passed through the tail of this comet. But it sped onward upon its trackless way and soon disappeared to the dwellers of this planet. In accordance with the old notions — perhaps superstitions — many looked upon this comet as the harbinger of a dreadful war and other great calamities. "A pathless comet, The menace of the universe; Still rolling on with innate force, Without a sphere, without a course." INDEPENDENCE DAY. The fourth of July was celebrated at Blue Earth City. The largest assembly of the people that had ever occurred in the county was seen at that time. The Sunday schools, the Good Templars and a large company of soldiers were in attendance in their separ- ate organizations. The exercises were held in the grove on the Court House Square, where a stand, seats and long tables were erected. The people assembled in the village and forming a procession marched 142 • HISTORY OF to the grove to the strains of martial music. The Declaration was read by Geo. Patten, of Verona, and the address was delivered by J. A. Kiester, of Blue Earth City, after which a public, free and very bounteous dinner was placed upon the long tables and every- body partook heartily. Good order prevailed throughout the day and the company en- joyed the festivities of the occasion with much satisfaction. Many things tended to make this celebration one of more than ordinary interest. The rebellion had just broken out. The people were in- tensely aroused and indignant, and anxiously watching events. There was no other formal celebration in the county, and every jier- son in the county had been invited to attend. The prepai'ations were ample, and the day in the main favorable, and people were in attendance from all parts of the county. MEN AND MONEY. About the iith of July, President Lincoln issued a proclamation calling for 400,000 men and §400,000,000, to put down the Rebellion, and the call was responded to in a spirit and with an alacrity which made the hearts of loyal men swell with pride and the hope of early success. On the second day of August, Congress, then in extra session, authorized the raising of 500,000 men and §500,000,000. HAD MONEY. During the summer many local banks in the western States failed. Many of what were known as the free banks of Wisconsin, held up, among the last, but there was great uncertainty as to the value of their j^aper. All of it was at a greater or less discount and kept getting worse until worthless. Of course the psople. the hold- ers of this wretched stuff called "money," were the losers. It is still remembered that a citizen of this county who had some eight hundred dollars of this money, suddenly learned one daj' that the whole sura was not worth a copper. During these times there was one column of every newspaper which was read with great interest. It was the column which contained a list of banks of issue, with the ever changing value of their currency. The currency is the life- blood of the business of the nation, the soul of all enterprise, the incentive to labor, and the people should ever watch its character with the greatest scrutiny, for they are the ones who must suffer by depreciation or failui'e. If some financial genius shall arise, who shall give us banks of deposit of absolute security, and money which cannot fail, can never fluctuate in value, or even if liable to failure or fluctuation, the loss shall fall, not upon the innocent holders, but upon the authority issuing it, he will be entitled to be numbered among the world's benefactors. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 143 WHAT OF THE HARVEST ? The harvest commenced about the 24Lh day of July, and the husbandman reaped an abundant reward for his toil, in the quantity and quality of the grain, but the prices were low, as appears from the statement following of the prices of farm products and other commodities current at the time: Produce.— Wheat, 35@40c; flour, $2.00: corn, 20c; beans, 40c; lard, 10c; oats, 18c; potatoes, 20c; eggs, 5c; pork, $3.50@4.00. Groceries. — Brown sugar, 10c; coffee sugar, 12^c; tobacco, plug, 30@50c; tobacco, pure leaf, 65c; tobacco, fine, 30@,50c; tobacco, smoking, 12^@15c; molasses, 80c; syrup, 80c; Rio coffee, 20c; Java coffee, 25c; salt, barrel, $4.75 ; salt, lb., 2c; tallow candles, 18ic; dried apples, 10c. Dry Goods. — Prints, 7@12^c; delains, 20@25c; sheetings, 8@ 12^c; denims, 12620c; Kentucky Jeans, 25@,35c; cassimere, 40c@ $2.00; cotton flannel, 12*@18fc; wool flannel, 37*S:50c. improvements. The immigration to this county during this year much exceeded that of the last year and was very encouraging. Much imjarove- ment in the breaking up of new lands and building was made throughout the county. Toward the close of the year money became easier. Near the end of December a grist mill, the flrst one in the county, was put in operation by Geo. H. Goodnow, at Winnebago City. This mill was attached to a saw mill and was run by the engine of the saw mill. It was a great convenience and did a good business. Prior to the starting of this mill the people had to haul their grists from thirty to sixty miles to mill. Many a bushel of corn, in the early days of this county, was ground in coffee mills, small hand-mills and horse-power mills, and the savory remem- brance of the Johnny cakes made from the meal ground in this way remains with the old settlers to this day. the election and county seat contest. The Hon. Alex. Ramsey, republican, and Hon. E. O. Hamlin, democrat, were the candidates for Governor. The Republican County Convention was held at Blue Earth City on the 21st day of September, and made the following nominations: For Sheriff, P. C. Seely. For Treasurer, Wm. Dustin. For County Attorney, N. B. Hyatt. For Surveyor, Geo. Patten. For Coroner, L. C. Taylor. For Commissioners, E. M. Ellis, H. Dunham and Thomas Blair. The Republican District Convention met at Madelia, Sept. 28th. and nominated for Representative, B. O. Kempfer, of Watonwan county. The democratic party made no nominations for legislative 144 HISTORY OF or county officers, but a greater local issue was before the people than that of politics — the question of the removal of the county seat was to be decided. As the election drew near, the excitement and interest in the results f^reatly increased, but all other considerations were sunk for the time in the important question of the county seat. Blue Earth City could not possibly afford to lose it. Winnebago City would gain very much to get it. Canvassing and electioneering on this subject was the order of the day, and for two weeks before election day, little else was done in either of the villages. The county was canvassed from Dan to Ber- sheba by both parlies and every voter visited and enlightened upon the subject. Blue Earth City had a little the advantage in several things, but especially in having a newspaper, while Winnebago City had none. About the last of September there appeared on the first page of the Blue Earth Citij JNVir.s an outline map of the counlj', on which each township was represented and the exact location of each village — the two contestants, and a line drawn equi-distant at all points thereof from Winnebago City and Blue Earth City. This line proved the great and unanswerable argument it was held, in fa- vor of Blue Earth City, for by it, it was clearly demonstrated on the map and everyone could test its accuracy for himself, that about three- fourths of the territory of the county, was nearer Biue Earth City than to Winnebago City An elaborate article in the interests of Blue Earth City also appeared in the same number of the paper, setting forth, in the strongest possible light, the reasons against re- moval. Winnebago Citj' not to be outdone in spreading information on the subject, had a vast number of circulars printed at Mankato, answering the article in the Neivs and giving cogent reasons as was thought, why the county seat should be removed to Winnebago City, and sent them out by messengers into all parts of the countj'. Every influence, public and private, and every argument that interest and ingenuity could suggest, were used to secure the objects of the re- spective parties, but these arguments were too numerous and many of them entirely too elaborate and abtruse to be mentioned here, or even comprehended, if mentioned, by the people of this day. The day — the great day of election came at last. It was the ninth day of October. The polls throughout the county were opened early. To prevent fraud and illegal voting, Winnebago City had a delegation of at least one, generally two, at each of the voting places in the south half of the county, and Blue Earth City had a like dele- gation at all the voting places in the north half of the county. The vote polled was the largest which had yet been cast in the count}', and surprised everyone. But there was not over half a dozen illegal FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 145 votes cast that day in the whole county, if so many. An incident occurred at the polls at Blub Earth City during the day which will bear repeating: A German of a burly and unkempt appearance came up to vote, when his vote was challenged by one of the Winne- bago City delegation on the grounds, that he had not been long enough a resident of the county to vote. He was asked the question how long he had been in the county, when after looking at the chal- lenger quietly a few minutes he said in a peculiarly sarcastic manner: "Ish been here so long ash ter raise von stack buckveets vot you steels ven you comes inter der country — vat you talks you tief ?" The official canvass exhibited the following results: For Governor — Alex. Ramsey, republican, had 433 votes and E. O. Hamlin, democrat, 61. For Representative— B. O. Kempfer, having no opposition in district, was elected, his vote in this county being 482. There was no opposition to any of the republican county candi- dates and they had the following number of votes: For Treasurer— Wm. Dustia 473 For .Sheriff— P. C. Seely 463 For Surveyor— Geo. Patten 480 For Attorney— K. B. Hyatt. 476 For Coroner— L. C. Taylor 477 E. M. Ellis, J. H. Dunham and Thomas Blair were almost unan- imously elected commissioners. But the result on the question of the removal of the county seat was the matter of the most isrofound interest and overshadowed all others. The vote stood: For the removal 202 Against the removal 324 Blue Earth City won the battle, but it was no childs" play, as it "had a foeman worthy of its steel," a foeman though beaten, was not conquered, but still held his banners to the breeze and fought many a hai-d fight afterwards. A CHANGE— GOOD BYE. Near the first of November, Mr. Botsford sold out his interest in the Blue Earth City Neivs to Messrs. Blackmer & Hyatt. Here is Mr. Botsford's "good bye:" " Yes, kind friends, good bye. Ere this number of the Blue Earth Oily News shall reach you, I will belong wholly and entirely to our venerable "Uncle Samuel.'' My sojourn in this county has been pleasant. I have received at least double the support I anticipated. Each and every citizen, old and young, male and female, have treated rue kindly. I have no fault to find whatever, with the people here, and I hope, trust and believe, that they all entertain the same feelings toward me. After a deliberate study of the matter, I have come to the conclusion that my country needs my services to aid in putting down the thousands of armed traitors with which these United States are infested, 146 HISTOID' OF and 1 have accordinRly enlisted in the Blue Earth Cavalry Company 'for three years or during the war." Isaac Botsford was born in the State of New York in 1830. He obtained his education at Lowville (N. Y.) Academy and Whites- town (N. Y.) Seminary. He early learned the business of printer and publisher. He left his home in the east and came to Albert Lea, Freeborn County, Minn., in 1857. and removed to Blue Earth City, this county, early in the year 1861. where he remained until his en- listment in the military service of the United States, which occurred on the tirst day of November, 1861. He became a member of the Second Company Minn. Light Cavalry, afterwards known as Co. B. Bracketfs Battalion. He states above, that he enlisted for three years or during the war. It proved to be "during the war." He re- mained continuallj^ in the service until .Tune 1st, 1866, a period of four years and seven months. His service was in the South until January 1st. 18()4, fighting rebels, and thereafter, until the close of his- time, in the Northwest fighting Indians, his company being among the very last to be mustered out. In 1864, while still in the service, he came home on a short fur- iow and was married to Miss Maggie E. Colby, of Freeborn County, Minn., and after his final discharge from the service, he took up his residence in that county where he still resides. Mr. Bots- ford is a member of the Presbyterian Church and in politics a pro hibition republican. During his career as a printer anS publisher, he was connected with the Freeborn County Eagle, the Blue F.arth City Neivs, as we have seen above, and later with the Albert Lea Standard. In 1878 he quit business on account of ill health and lived a very quiet and retired life. He died at Albert Lea in 18'J2. Mr. Hyatt, who assumed chai-ge of the Keios as editor, at the date of purchase, in his salutatory, among other things, says: "We shall publish a republican paper, but we are not so strongly attached to party as to be blind to its faults, or those of its leaders." "We hold the primai-y object of a county paper to be the interests of the county — it is from the citizens thereof we expect our support and in turn we expect to devote our columns to the promotion of their best interests. Wherever our paper is read we intend that the beau- tiful prairies and fine streams, the abundance of timber and the fer- tility of the soil in the already far famed valley of the Blue Earth shall be known." PROC.RESS OF THE WAR. As the great civil war, of which this was the first year, was the leading subject of interest and gave character to the times for the next four years in this section of countrj' as well as throughout the nation, and as many of the citizens of this county took an active part in the events of the time, both political and military, it is deemed FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 147 expedient to give in this history, a brief resume of the leading events of the war each year. "As one who sleeps and hears across his dream, The cry of battles ended long ago." In January, as we have already seen, many forts and arsenals in the southern States wei'e seized by the rebels. Feburary^9th, Jeff Davis and A. H. Stephens were chosen the first, president, and the latter, vice-president of the Confederate States for one year. April 12 14th, Fort Sumpter, S. C, was bombarded and taken. April 20th, U. S. Mint at Charlotte, N. C, .seized by the rebels. June 10th, bat- tle of Big Bethel, Va. June 18th, battle of Boonville, Mo. July 2d, battle near Martinsburg, Va. July 5th, battle at Carthage, Mo. July 12th. battle of Rich Mountain, Va. July 13th, battle of Car- nickford, Va. July 21st, first battle of Bull Run. Aug. 10th, battle of Wilson's Creek, Mo. Aug. 28th, capture of Forts Hatteras and Clark. Sept. 12th, battle of Cheat Mountain, Va. Oct. 3d, battle of Greenbrier, Va. Oct. 16th, battle of Pilot Knob, Mo. Oct. 21, battle of Balls Bluff. Nov. 7th, great naval battle at Hilton's Head, S. C. Nov. 8th, battle of Belmont, Mo. In addition to the above list there were almost innumerable smaller fights and skirmishes both on land and sea. The great matter of absorbing interest was the progress of the war. Recruiting and enlisting, organizing and drilling were the chief business of the times. The war had already developed into gigantic proportions. At the close of the year there were already two hundred and forty-six vessels, carrying two thousand guns, in the navy, and nearly seven hundred thousand men in the armies of the United States. 148 UISTORY OF CHAPTER VIII. A. D. 1862. "I by thee have watched, And heard the murmer tales of iron wars: And thou has talked of sallies and returns, of trenches, tents. Of palisados, frontiers, parapets. Of basilisks, of cannon, Culverine Of prisoners ransomed and of soldiers slain." THE LAWGIVERS. The fourth State Legislature met .Tan. 7th and adjourmed March 7th. The only acts passed specially relating to this county were first, "An act to provide for the location and construction of a State road from Blue Earth City, in Faribault county, to Mankato in Blue Earth county." Second. "An act to construct a State I'oad from a point on the road leading from Mankato to Mapleton in Blue Earth county, to Winnebago City, in Faribault county." «• Third, "An act to change the name of Dobson township in Pair- bault county, to that of Elmore." Fourth, "A memorial to the Congress of the United States for the establishment of a mail route from La Crescent to Winnebago City." The legislature assembled in extra session, September 9th, of this year, and had a session of twenty days, and enacted some laws of great importance, but none having any special reference to this county. We were represented in these several sessions, by Guy K. Cleveland in the Senate and B. O. Kempfer in the House. THE LOCAL LEGISLATURE. The commissioners met January 7th and had a session of two days. Thomas Blair was elected chairman. They had another meeting April 3d. but the business done was only of a i-outine charac- ter, and we shall hasten on to more interesting events. THE LAST OF THE NEWS. About the 8th of February, Mr. Blackmer, partner of Mr. Hyatt in the publication of the Neu-.t. retired, and Mr. A. Bonwell entered into partnership with Mr. Hyatt, the latter remaining the active editor. FARIBAULT COl'NTV, MINNESOTA. 149 Mr. Blackmer, following the lead of Mr. Botsford, his former confrere, enlisted ia the military service of the United States and not many months after did gallant service in the defense of Port Ridgley, against an attack by the Indians, on the breaking out of the Sioux war. During the fight he was wounded, being shot through the face, but survived. In April following, Mr. Bonwell leased his interest in the News to J. L. Cristie, who had previously been work- ing in the ofBce, and he and Mr. Hyatt became partners in the pub- lication of the paper. On the 19th day of July the name of the paper was changed to The South- West Minnesotian. During the In- dian disturbance, about one hundred pounds of the type were melted and run into bullets, as there was a scarcity of lead in that great emergency. It was designed that these tyjae, theretofore speaking to civilized people, through the columns of the paper, should now do ' good service in speaking to savages from the muzzles of well-loaded guns. The paper ceased to be issued for a short time in August, but the publication was resumed and a few more numbers appeared, when in October it ceased finally — its course was run — editors and work- men having all gone, or proposing to go, into the military service. Mr. Cristie enlisted in a company of thirty-day men, organized in Fillmore county, of this State, and after his discharge therefrom he joined Companj^ H, Minnesota Mounted Rangers, and went with the Sibley expedition, to the Missouri river. Mr. Hyatt, in December of this year, also enlisted in the military service and became the captain of his company. Our first editors, not only taught, but practiced the duties of patriotism. No paper was published in this county after the discontinuance of the Minnesotian until the fall of the next year. "A REVIVAL." During February and March, a memorable revival of religion occurred at Blue Earth City and in the town of Elmore. At Blue Earth City the meetings were conducted by the Rev. Mr. Vaughan, of the United Brethren Church, and in Elmore, by the Rev. Mr. Barnard, of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Toward the close of the meetings, the Rev. Mr. Conrad, of the Presbyterian Church, assisted, and other ministers of the gospel took part occasionally during the meetings. Very many at these several places determined to Ifead a new life and became members of the various religious de- nominations existing here at that time. This was the first general and important religious awakening which had yet occurred in the county. Large and valuable acces- sions were made to the several religious bodies, and their future permanence secured. It is gratifying to say that many, who at that time became church members, still, afttir the lapse of many 150 HISTOJIY or years, continue to fight the good fight and have "kept the faith." And it is for those and those only who continue faithful until the course is finished, that there is laid up a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give in that day. JCDICIAL. The district court this year had a session of only one day. The preceding year a session of but one daj' was held. The little busi- ness i-eciuired to be done by the courts in this county, during many of the first years, while it might not indicate that this county was a very favorable locality for lawyers, did indicate the non-litigious character of the people and that they were a quiet, orderly class of inhabitants, disposed to do justice toward each other, voluntarily, which was the fact and which was certainly a high recommendation to them. During manj- of the earlier years of the county, the law- yers as a rule, discouraged litigation, and often put themselves to considerable trouble, without fee or reward, to assist their neigh- bors in settling their disputes amicably if possible and this was very creditable to the lawyers. In the words of Shakespeare, frequently •'It pleases time and fortune to lie heavy Upon him ♦ ♦ ♦ who, in hot blood, Hath stepp'd into the law. which is past depth To those that, without heed, plunge into it." • THE FARMER'S SOCIETY. An adjourned meeting of the agricultural society was held at Blue Earth City. April 3rd. at which J. A. Latimer was elected president. .1. H. Dunham recording secretary, and Geo. B. Kings- ley, treasurer, and various other oftices tilled. Twenty-one new members were added at this time and it would appear that they gave their notes for the membership fee of one dollar, for a resolution was adopted by the meeting, to the effect, that notes given for membership fees be paid on or before the first da\' of the annual fair. Another meeting was held at Blue Earth City. July 2d, at which time A. Bon well appears as treasurer. He reports on hand: cash, eleven dollars; notes of 1660. fourteen dollars, and notes of 1862. eighteen dollars. The fourth annual fair was held at Winnebago City. October 1st and 2d. The premium list was quite a long one. but the pre- miums awarded appear to have been mainly "diplomas." FABIBAULT COUXTY. mXXESOTA. 151 PATRIOTISiL The 4th of July was celebrated at Blue Earth City with consid- erable interest. The Rev. Mr. Paine, of Garden City, delivered the oration. The day was commemorated at Winnebago City also, by a large social gathering in the evening. On the first day of July President Lincoln called for 600.000 more volunteers for a more vigorous prosecution of the war. and on the 4th day of August a draft was ordered of 300.000 men to serve nine months. The events of the war. the call of the president, the draft ordered, created immense activity and enthusiasm in enlist- ments and military organization throughout the whole North. In consequence of the above call for troops and the draft, the board of county commissioners were called together in extra ses- sion, on the 12th of August, for the purpose of taking some action on behalf of the county to encourage enlistments in the military service. Many citizens had alifeady enlisted, and every encourage- ment was given by the people generally, but it was thought on this call for troops that the county, in its corporate capacity, should take some action in this respect. A commendable ambition existed among the people, that our county should furnish its quotas of men without their being drafted, and an earnest effort was made all along, to secure this honor. The board adopted the following among other resolutions : '•Now. therefore, be it resolved that there be and there is hereby appropriated by the County of Faribault, the sum of one thousand doUars. payable at the rate of twenty dollars as a bounty to each and every resident of said county who shall, after the date hereof enlist in the aforesaid military service of the United States, upon presentation to the board of satisfactory evidence of enlistment, together with proof of residence at the time of enlistment." It was then farther resolved, that in the event that the sum of one thousand dollars should be insufficient to cover aU enlistments, a further sum would be appropriated. This was the first action taken by the county, and in the light of subsequent events this little bounty looks very s.mall, but it was but the first small indication of greater things to be done in the future, noble, generous action in which, we are proud to record the fact, our county never failed or faltered. On the evening of the 13th of August, a greafwar meeting was held at Blue Earth City, which was attended by people from all parts of the county. Strong resolutions wei-e adopted in favor of the earnest prosecution of the war, eloquent speeches were made, and a committee was appointed to solicit donations of money, grain and provisions, to be distributed among the families of enlisted sol- diers. A similar meeting was held about the same time at Winne- bago City and everywhere in the county the spirit of the people was 152 BISTOnV OF aroused to enthusiasm, and recruitinj; and mustering into the ser- vice was the business of the day. Those were the times when men and boys and little childi'en sang "We are coming father Abraham, Six riunrlred Thousand strong." ANOTHER COMET. We find the following amusing item in the Minneaotiau of Aug. 2d. It was copied from the Mercury. "Another comet has made its appearance in our hemisphere and is liegin- ninj; to attract attention. At present it is near the pole star, but alas! it has no tail. Only think of a comet without a caudal appendagel It reduces the character of a comet in pulilic estimation full fifty per cent at once to be mi- nus that essential attachment, for surely there is no end. What is its object? Comets to be respectable must have all their usual and si>;niflcaut characteris- tics. We are not to be huinbut'ged with such halfway llnishing up of the cometic properties. We are not going to put up with any half a comet. We want a whole one or none. This one may ac(|uire a tail as it approaches the sun and thus give us an opportunity to relate a tale about it, but at present, it is a mis- erable, sneaking-looking celestial object, and we shall have little to say about it." THE GOLDEN REWARD. The harvest commenced the first of August, and it was a suc- cessful one. The crops of wheat, oats and barley were excellent, and all rejoiced that the tiller of the soil had received for«his labors such an abundant reward. THE GREAT MASSACRE. A largo harvest had now been mainly secured, immigrants had been pouring into the county, prices of farm produce had gone up, provisions were plenty, many improvements were being made and business had greatly i-evived, when suddenly, while the people were engaged in their pursuits and local military interests with their at- tention directed to the South, watching the progress of the war, there came to them from the North and West the dreadful tidings of the Sioux Indian outbreak on the Minnesota frontier — a massacre attended with such fiendish murders, outrages and cruelties as the faltering tongue told the story, as were never known before. The people were horrified, confounded. The stoutest hearts failed The terrible news reached this county on the 19th of August. The slaughter of the frontier settlers, began the daj- before, at the Upper and Lower Sioux Agencies, and at Acton on the 17th. We cannot here enter into an extended account of the massacre. A few extracts from the standard histories of this atrocious and ap- palling event, will suftice to show its extent and character and at- tendant incidents. We quote from the History of the Great Mas- FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 153 saci-e by the Sioux Indians, written by Messrs. Bryant and Murch, and from several other reliable authorities. ■'The massacre in Minnesota by the Annuity Sioux Indians in August, 1862, marks an epoch in the history of savage races. In their western march across the American continent, in the van of a higher civilization, the native red men have at different times given sad and fearful evidences of their enmity to the dominant white race, but from the landing of the Pilgrim Fathers, on the rock- bound coast of New England in the winter of 1620, until their descendants had passed the center of the continent and reached the lovely prairies of Minne- sota, no exhibition of Indian character had so afflicted and appalled the soul of humanity, as the fearful and deliberate massacre perpetrated by them in August, 1862." "The scene of butchery and burning, extended all along the settled frontier of Minnesota from the north line of Iowa to the northern part of the State. It was the preconcerted and carefully arranged plan of the savages, to kill all the whites and desolate the whole state to the Mississippi river, and the plan was concocted in profound secrecy."' "The blow fell like a storm of thunderbolts from the clear bright heavens. Once begun the storm of fierce savage murder in its most horrid and frightful forms, rolled on until night came." 'Down sank the sun, nor ceased the carnage then- Tumultuous horrors rent the midnight air.' And still rolled on from day to day, until the sad catalogue reached the fearful number of two thousand human victims, from the gray haired sire, to the help- less infant of a day, wlio lay mangled or dead on the ensanguined field." "All we have read of Indian warfare, in the early history of this country is tame in contrast with the atrocities of this massacre. Without warning, in cold blood, beginning with the murder of their best friends, the whole body of the Annuity Sioux commenced a deliberate scheme to exterminate every white person upon the land once occupied by them and by them long since sold to the United States. In carrying out the bloody scheme, they spared neither age nor sex, only reserving for the gratification of their brutal lusts, the few white women, whom the rifle, the tomahawk and the scalping knife spared. Nor did their fiendish barbarities cease with death, as the mutilated corpses of their victims disemboweled, cut limb from limb, or chopped in fragments testified." 'All died— the wailing babe— the shrieking maid, And in the fiood of fire that scathed the glade The roofs went down. While on the billowy bosom of the air Eolled the dread notes of anguish and despair.' "Some idea may be formed of the mass of refugees moving before their sav- age pursuers. Thirty thousand panic stricken inhabitants at once deserted their homes in the midst of an indiscriminate slaughter of men, women and children. All this distracted multitude, on foot, on horseback, with teams of oxen and horses,from the wide area of eighteen counties, were .on the highways and byways, hiding now in sloughs and now in the grass of the open prairies, some famishing for water and some dying for want of food, some barefooted, some in torn garments and some entirely denuded of clothing, some, by reason of wounds, crawling on their hands and dragging their torn limbs after them, were all making their way over a country in which no white man could offer succor or administer consolation." "The unarmed men of the settlements offered no defense, and could offer none, but fled before the savage horde, each in his own way." 154 niSTOltV OF "Over the entire border of the State and even near the populous towns on the rivers an eye looking' down from above could have feen this human ava- lanche of thousands of all at,'es and in all possible plights, the rear ranlerform them, in a high minded and honorable manner, is a most honorable and important position and such an editor is usually respected as one of the first men of the locality. A good local newspaper, one which is conducted on correct prin- cipals, by an independent, a consciencious and able man. is an ines- FARIBAULT GOUNTY, MINNESOTA. 175 timable benefit to any community. There is hardly any one thing, which can effect so much, in moulding and directing public opinion, advancing the material prosperity and raising the moral and intel- lectual condition of a locality as this. But on the other hand no greater calamity can happen to a locality, than that of having pub- lished in its midst a newspaperreflectingthe qualifications of a nar- row-minded, self -suflicient, or conceited individual, who supposes him- self to be "the all in all" of the community, or one who is so weak, or so depraved, or both, as from week to week to criticise, decry, or misrepresent every moral movement and public enterprise, which does not square with his notions, or of which he is not placed at the head; or a paper which is a perpetual dispenser of "taffy" and fulsome adulation for the purpose of keeping friends; or the friend of the vicious elements and the ready apologist of crimes and dis- order; or the mouth piece of defamation and blackmail and a manace to the good name or reputation of every person in the community, who will not bend the knee, or pay the price of immunity from ridi- cule or libel; or a paper that is purchasable and ready and anxious to sell its support for a price, to any man or cause; or one which is pleased to pander to the curiosity of the vulgar, or is the tool of small beer politicians and self-seekers, who, for a consideration, may write their own puffs. From all such, or any combination therof, good Lord deliver us. There are such papers and probably always will be. They are like a cancer on the public body, and unless soon cut out, corrupt and destroy the whole community. The way to have an able and high-toned press, is to demand such, and patronize only such, and the way to get rid of the other sort, is to stick the pajier in the fire, pay the editor what is due him, if anything, and stop your patronage. It is a grateful task to record the fact, that with but a few ex- ceptions, the publishers of newspapers in this county, whatever the private character or conduct of anyone may have been, seemed to realize their obligations to the community, and if not active in every good work, isromoting intelligence and morality, have done nothing to hinder their progress. Among the many varieties of newspapers, there is a class which no man should ever read himself, or permit in his family, if he has one. They are those illustrated journals, of the deeds of darkness current in the land, which relate in detail, the shames and crimes of greed and hate and lust, illustrating them with all their horrors and vulgar features. They not only familiarize the mind with crimes of every name, but teach their methods of procedure. Their influ- ence is pernicious. They are Satan's open letters to the people, as the 176 HISTORY OF dime novels are his text books. No man wlio regards the welfare of the young, or the purity of his family, will permit them in his house. No one would want the company of the criminals and prof- ligates themselves, why then the pictures and stories of their devilish deeds. We get enough of them for the information of the people in the ordinary newspapers. It is indeed true in a very great measure, that what we read shapes our lives. No man in this enlightened age, can afford to be without at least one good paper. No one can afford to raise his children without the current information, given by newspapers, and the paper should be read by every member of the family, old enough to read. A home is not much of a home without a good newspaper, and every family which respects itself, will have its paper. Every man should take his home paper to learn the local news, and he should take a leading city journal of his State, and he should have a paper devoted to his special busi- ness, and he should get one of his church papers, and then to complete the list, if he has a family of children, he should get a child's paper for the little folks. All these papers together and all of the best quality, need not cost to exceed six or eight dollars per annum. As a linancial question it is the best little investment a man can- make, to say nothing of the greater benefits derived in the waj' of general information, correct principle and improve- ment of manners. There is much that can be said on, this splen- did subject of newspapers, but we close these observations by the statement that, the work of publishing a newspaper is a business transaction. But few papers are published wholly as matters of charity. Papers cannot live without support, and they ai'e generally good and useful, in proportion to the liberality of their support. A paper too, is generally a fair index of the enterprise and intelligence and moral sentiment of the community where iiublished. Every man should not only take at least his local paper and pay for it, but if he does any business that is respectable and worth do- ing, he should advertise and pay for that. If he wants patronage, people must know where he is, what he does or has to offer, and if he advertises, the paper tells these things to hundreds, perhaps thousands while he works, or eats or sleeps. It is a fact generally true, that the man who advertises is the man who does the business. It may be observed that the business of publishing a newspaper, ex- cept in the case of a few of the great city journals, is not a very money-making business. Many papers started in good faith, and capable of doing much good, fail every year. There is much truth couched in the following lines penned by a once famous Minnesota FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 177 editor who had started many papers which failed to live. He sadly wrote: "Man's a vapor Full of woes, Starts a paper, Up he goes." THE TALE TOLD BY THE TICKETS. The candidates for governor this fall were Stephen Miller, re- publican and H. R. Wells, democrat. The Republican District Convention was held at Blue Earth City October 22d, and nominated J. A. Latimer, of Winnebago City, for Representative. The Union Republican County Convention was also held at Blue Earth City and W. J. C. Robertson, of Verona, was nominated for sheriff; Wm. Dustin, of Blue Earth City, for treasurer; Andi-ew C. Dunn, of Winnebago City, for county attorney; D. Birdsall, of Pres- cott, for county surveyor; Amos Preston, of Elmora, for court com- missioner and Wm. A. Way, for coroner. The Democratic party made no nominations for legislative or county offices . The election occurred on the third day of November. The vote was exceedingly light and the Republican candidates were all elected. The following was the official canvass of votes : Prescott • Guthrie Elmore and Campbell Winnebago City Lura, Marples and Dunbar Brush Creek and Foster Barber, Walnut Lake and Cobb Blue Earth City and Emerald. . Seely and Keister Verona Totals d b n « a a a d o i 'a3 l-f O a 3 0) 19 18 18 18 18 18 18 33 1 27 31 29 27 31 30 23 23 23 23 22 19 16 80 1 67 73 72 65 72 73 30 U 11 11 10 11 11 16 2 15 15 15 15 15 15 11 14 11 11 U 11 11 11 68 4 46 53 52 52 52 52 12 11 12 n 11 12 12 37 .... 26 27 29 27 29 29 309 22 255 274 271 258 270 267 . 18 29 22 72 11 15 11 48 11 28 265 Note — It appears that there was no election held in Pilot Grove and Jo Daviess. Allen Shultis and Wm. M. Scott were elected county commis- sioners. The prices of farm products late in December ruled as follows: Wheat, 60 to 95 cents per bushel; oats, 45 to 50 cents; barley, 75 cents; corn, 50 cents; potatoes, 30 cents; onions, $1.50; beans, $1.50; 178 HISTORY <>F butter. 15 cents; fresh pork. 4 J; fresh beef, 3A; eggs, 15 cents per dozen. HOUNTIES. Another call having been made on the 17th of October for three hundred thousand men and a draft having been ordered to take place on the 5th day of January. 18G4. the commissioners met in special session December 11th, to consider the situation. They appointed Andrew C. Dunn as the special agent of the county, to proceed to St. Paul to get the returns of recruits enlisted from this county in the United States service corrected, so as to give this county and each town thereof, the proper credit for all recruits furnished since the beginning of the war. Then to encourage enlistments, and thus pre- vent drafting as much as possible, the following resolution was adopted: "Resolved that the sum of fifty dollars as a bounty to each volunteer or re- cruit, in each township in this county, who shall, subseiiuent to the recent call for the three hundred thousand iiieD, and prior to .January ."nh, next, be mus- tered into the military service of the United States." LIFE HERE. One may easily realize the conditions here and the life and interests of the people during the spring, summer and fall of this year. Extremely drj' weather prevailed for months. TheVe was great heat in the summer and the dust was deep on all the roads and great clouds of dust filled the air when the winds blew or when teams or droves of stock passed along the highways or the public streets. The lakes and streams were nearly dry and the pastures nearly, or quite, dried out and dead. The subjects that engaged the atten- tion of every one. at home or abroad, in the fields, or in the work- shops, or in public assemblies, were the impending draft, the battles fought and the great victories won on land and sea. and the losses in killed or wounded. And there was great rejoicing over the successes, and great sori'owing as well, sometimes bitter indignation at the losses and failures. And there was much activity in recruiting, en- listing and mustering into the service throughout the country. And during all this time money was scarce and dry goods and groceries so high-priced that nothing was bought by the people that could be dispensed with. Old clothing was long worn, often made over, and the people tried to live as much within themselves as possible. They practiced the most rigid economy. During these times, too, the peo- ple were bearing a special burden of anxiety about those at the front, in the far south and on the Indian frontier in the northwest, and about the outcome of the war. There were then but two villages and but few post-offices, no railroads and no telegraphs in the county. The FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 179 mails were carried by stages. The principal mails came from Man- kato. The post-offices in the villages especially, were thronged with people when the mails arrived, all eager for letters and papers. Women and children often came long distances on horseback or ou foot in haste to get their mails. How eagerly the papers were un- folded and the news of the great battles, and especially the list of the wounded and killed, were read to the groups of hearers. And the letters, how quickly they were torn open and their contents scanned, sometimes bringing good news, while others and not a few, told the sad stories of terrible wounds received, or the death of father, son, brother or friend, met bravely on the hard-fought field, and the moan of, deep anguish was heard from the heart of the stricken reader. And such sad scenes were not seldom. God for- bid that we shall ever see them again. Yet for all the unfavorable conditions under which the people suffered, the sentiment of all still was, "On to the front,'" "Down with the merciless savage, down with the accursed rebellion. " AT THE FRONT. This year was one of great national events — of even greater ac- tivity than the preceding year in military affairs, on land and sea. Many great victories crowned the Union arms. We can mention but a few of the more important events of the year. The Emancipation Proclamation issued January 1st, has al- ready been referred to. January 17th the government issued f 100,000.000 in notes, to pay the army. March 3d. congress author- ized the borrowing of $900,000,000, on the credit of the government, and the issue of $50,000,000, in fractional currency. Daring the month of April no less than eighty-five battles, skir- mishes and attacks took place, on land and water. May 1st, battle of Port Gibson and battle of Chancellorsville begun. May 16th, battle of Baker's Creek, Miss. June 15th, the President called for 120.000 militia to repel Lee's invasion of Pennsylvania. June 18th, 100.000 Confederates entered Pennsylvania near Cliambersburg. The first days of July formed the crisis of the war. On the 1st, 2d and 8d of July occurred the great battle of Gettysburg, Pa., which was one of the greatest of the civil war. July 4th, Vicks- burg, Miss., surrendered with 31,000 men, 220 guns and 70,000 small arms. July 8th, Port Hudson sun'endered. July 13th, great riot in New York City, lasting several days, during which the colored orphan asylum was burned, negroes hung in the streets and houses robbed and burned by the rioters. The riot was quelled by government troops. Aug. 1st, two cavalry fights in Virginia. Aug. 20th. Lawrence, Kan., attacked and destroyed by the guerillas. 180 HISTORY OF Sept. 19 20Ui, battle of Chickamauga. Oct. 14th, battle Bristoe Station, Va. Oct. 31st, battle Shell Mound. Nov. 23d, great battles of Chattanooga and Lookout Mountain, lasting three days. THE LAST DAY. The last day of this year was one of the most terrible ever known in this region. A great tempest of wind with intense cold prevailed on the last day of the year and for several days of the next year, over the whole country. Even in southern latitudes the cold was very severe. At St. Louis, Mo., and Louisville, Ky., the mercury sank to 24° below zero. In this county the wind blew a hurricane all day, the thermometer standing at 30" to 34° below zero. The air was tilled with fine particles of ice so thickly and was driven with such velocity that objects ten feet distant could not be seen, and it was almost impossible to face the wind. Night fell upon the earth, the storm unabated and thus closed the year 1863. "T'is donel Dread winter spreads his latest glooms, And reigns tremendous o'er the conquered year. » * * Horror wide extends His desolate domain."'— T/tonwon. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 181 CHAPTER X. A. D. 186i. The great storm and intense cold, with wliich the preceding year closed, continued during the first day of this year and for sev- eral days after, but were less severe than on the first day. We find the following notice of the storm in the Wliici of January 6th : "A storm of more than usual severity passed over this region last weelc. People who have been raised in this climate say they have never seen anything to equal the fierce blasts, wind, frost and snow combined. On Wednesday the wind blew fierce gales from the northwest, the air being filled with falling and drifting snow, increasing the terrors of the scene during the night. On Thurs- day and the night following, until about midnight, the storm had been rallying to its climax, and then gradually subsided, but on Friday morning the degree of cold was marked by the thermometer at 33° below zero. The soldiers of the expedition to Sioux City arrived in the neighborhood on the return in time to secure quarters at Fairmont and this place. They had suffered on their way out during a severe storm, and a young man named James Huntington, son of Col. Hallam Huntington, of this town, had a foot badly frozen, and was left at Sioux City. Twenty-three others of the party are said to have been disabled from the same cause. As yet we have no names. The weather of the past week surpasses the experience of the 'oldest in- habitant.' " It was estimated at the time that about three thousand dollars worth of stock, principally cattle and sheep, perished in this storm, in this county alone. Many people were more or less frozen and some were frozen to death in the counties west of this. The weather continued cold and rather stormy and wet, with some short excep- tions, in February and March, until the middle of April. Some wheat was sown about the twenty-fifth of March, but the greater part of it was sown during the third and fourth weeks of April, yet the weather even then was quite cold and blustery. It cleared up about the last day of the month, and became very warm and dry until the twenty-second day of May, when a terrific storm of wind, rain and hail prevailed over a large part of the county. During the remainder of the year, until late in December, when the winter began, the weather was very agreeable. This may be designated as another dry year. "THE BOARD." Among the events which confront us at the opening of the year was the meeting of the county board, which occurred January 5th 182 HISTORY OF Thomas Blair was elected chairman for the year. The board met again Januai-y 27th, February 10th, May 27ih and July 8th. But little was done at these meetings worthy of note, and that little is mentioned elsewhere in this work. Several meetings were held later in the year which will be noticed hereafter. THE LEGISLATURE. The sixth legislature met January 5th and adjourned March 4th. The legislature of the preceding year almost ignored this county, and that of 1804, did it quite, as no act whatever, was passed, having any particular relation to this county. Happy county! How- ever, there was some talk about this time, of an effort being made to change certain of the bouudarj' lines of the county, but it came to naught. D. G. Shillock, in the Senate and J. A. Latimer in the House, were our representatives in the legislature of 1864. An- drew C. Dunn, of this county, was chief clerk of the House of Representatives. MORE MEN. On the 1st day of February, the President ordered a draft of five hundred thousand men, and on the 15th of March he called for two hundred thousand more, which made the business of recruiting in this county, as elsewhere, quite lively, and almost monopolized the public attention. In the Whif) of March 23d, we find tlw following table showing the quotas of men required up to that time to be furn- ished by the several town districts in this county, and the number credited to each. It is of interest at this late day, but was of more interest at that time. Quota. Credits. Blue Earth City 42 6e Brush Creek 11 10 Elmore 12 16 Guthrie, (Dalavan) 15 17 Marplt'ss, (Minnesota Lake) 14 6 Pilot Grove VZ 13 Prescott 12 24 Seely 3 3 Verona 2S 27 WalnutLake 12 II Win neliagd Ci ty 37 53 198 246 It will be observed that while several town districts only wei'e slightly in arrears, yet the county, as a whole, was much ahead of the requisitions. ST. VALENTINE'S DAY— FEBRUARY FOURTEENTH. St. Valentine's Day is one of the important days of the year with the young folks in many countries, and has always been remembered FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 183 by them, and its curious custom of sending valentines observed to a greater or lesser extent every year in this county, and the day, therefore, demands, of course, a passing notice. St. Valentine was a Roman martyr, who was beheaded in the year 270, at Rome, in the reign of the Pagan Emperor Claudius I. He was a man of great ability, a christian, and famous for his love of his fellow-man, and his unbounded charity for all. Some writers say he was a bishop, others that he was but a pres- byter or priest. He was early canonized, and ever since, the four- teenth day of February has been known, in the church calendar, as St. Valentine's Day. But the peculiar customs incident to this day, had their origin long before St. Valentine lived, and can be traced back among the Romans to a period two thousand years ago. There existed among the Romans at that time, the pagan festival of the Lupercalia, which was held in February, and about the time when birds in that country were choosing their mates. It was the custom at the time of the festival and a ceremony in the worship of Juno, a heathen goddess, to place the names of young women in a box, when after being well shaken, they were drawn out at random by the young men, and the one whose name was drawn, was, as we should now say, the valentine of the drawer for one year. Later, during the times of the early church, the pastors finding this heathen custom so deeply rooted that it could not be eradicated, changed its form somewhat and connected it with the observances of St. Valentine's Day. Further changes followed in the course of years, until the sending of written or printed missives, called valen- tines, as we now have them, came in vogue, and has continued during a long course of years. The writer is indebted to various authori- ties for the historical facts above set forth. These missives were de- signed originally to be short messages of love, f rendship, tokens of regard, and are generally anonymous — the sender being unknown — and they are sent by the young women as well as by the young men. A poet writes: •'Girls should be modest they say; Still, on St. Valentine's Day I suppose a young maid may Offer a tiny bouquet And not wander far estray From perfection. "Only a leaf and a pink, Surely at that one may wink, I am still safe on the brink, Since I have not said, I think, That you are yourself the pink Of perfection." 184 HISTORY OF But at this day valentines are often sent and received by the older folks as well as by the young. Many years ago, in England, a custom connected with this day prevailed extensively, and for a long time, and which may be related here for the amusement of the young folks. According to this prac- tice each maiden was to regard as her valentine the first lad on whom her eyes rested on St. Valentine's Day. Hence on that day the boys were up early and dressed out in their very best clothes and went to call at the residence of the girl whom they wished to be their valen- tine, and many cunning devices were used by the young people to see or be seen by the right person first, the girls trying to avoid being seen by any other but the young man of her choice, and he using his best skill in trying to be seen by the young lady of his choice first, and by no one else until after this momentous question was determined, and a great deal of innocent sport was the result of all this maneuvering. The missives now called valentines are usually made of small sheets of paper, in various styles, sometimes in the form of cards, letters, pictures, boxes, and contain verses, printed or written, with portraits and pictures of vai'ious objects, usually flowers, caricatures and the like. Some are made up in silk or satin in various shapes. Very costly valentines are to be had in the cities, ranging in price from ten dollars to one hundred dollars. They are jnade in all grades, down to the penny daub. The shop windows in the smaller towns are usually full of the cheaper kinds for a week or two before St. Valentine's Day and attract a good deal of attention. Some are sentimental, some comic and occasionally some are even vulgar. Valentines are usually sent, dulj^ enveloped, postage prepaid, through the post-offices, and for a week or two before and after St. Valentine's Day, the post-offices are overloaded with this kind of matter, to be sent in every direction. And when these little missives are sent and i-eceived, and are of a proper character, much pleasure is enjoyed by those who take an interest in them. But sometimes this custom, like many others, is abused, and ill- conditioned, vulgar or malicious.people make use of it to injure the feelings of others, or bring them into ridicule. Comic valentines are perhaps more used at this day than any others, and create much sport when no malice is involved. Valentines are used sometimes to remind peojile of various things, and sometimes with not much propriety, yet occasionally with some benefit. For instance, an individual whom fortune has favored, may perhaps be disposed to "put on airs" and make himself very disagreeable to his neighbors, and someone who thinks he should be rebuked by being reminded of something, but does not wish to FAIUBAVLT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 185 say to him that his father was a city collector— that is, a collector of soap grease— sends him an anonymous valentine containing, perhaps, some suitable verse and a highly colored portrait of an old man ■with his greasy cart and barrels and scare crow of a horse. Spil- kins may know that old Soaker is an arrant drunkard, but don't wish to say so to his back, so he sends him a valentine representing a man with an enormous and very red nose and an empty whisky jug. Such valentines usually do much more harm than good and should not be indulged in. Used as an amusement, or for purposes of friendship or affec- tion, and within the bounds, always, of propriety, these customs of St. Valentine's Day may be made a source of benefit and of much innocent pleasure, and may certainly be commended. But on the other hand, any one should be severely censured, who should so far degrade himself as to be guilty of wounding the sensibilities of others, making sport of their misfortunes, or gratifying his malice at their expense THE NEWSPAPERS. About the ninth of March, J. L. Christie, formerly of the Minne- sotian, at Blue Earth City, purchased the Whic/ at Winnebago City. Mr. Christie, in his first issue, very wisely says, among other things, that '"A paper, properly conducted, can do much toward attracting immigration, and no pains will be spared to make the paper what it should be in this respect. The editorial department will be under the charge of H. W. HoUey." On the 29th of the same month, the first number of the Blue Earth City Advocate was issued at Blue Earth City, by Carr Hunt- ington, editor. It was a six column, four page sheet, and made a very creditable appearance — motto "Freedom (?) and Union now and forever." The editor says: ''The paper will stand square for the Union, and the men in every capacity who are engaged in the work of its preservation." In April, the name of the paper — the Whigot'lQ — at Winnebago City, was dropped, and the paper appeared under the very — proper head "THE FREE HOMESTEAD." The former editorial management continued. Of the new name the editor writes: "Located as we are in the very midst of free homesteads, which the government has given, or will give for the asking to the actual settler, it seems to us appropriate to identify our paper in name with these homesteads, as we intend it shall al- ways be identified with them in interest." Having now got our county papers — now two of them — squarely before the public and at work, as they remained for several years, we shall pass to other topics. 186 nisToiiY or WIND MILLS. In writing this sub heading immediately after the remarks on newspapers, tliere is no implied design of continuing our observa- tions on that subject, but to state that in the early part of the year an enterprise was inaugurated at Blue Earth City, looking to the erection of a grist mill at that place. At that time there was but one grist mill in the county, and that but a small one, located at Winnebago City, and the majority of those who desired milling done carried their grists twenty, thirty and even forty miles to mill. This was a great inconvenience and quite expensive, and the people of Blue Earth City concluded that no enterprise would be of more advantage to the village and the surrounding country than the building of a grist mill. After the expenditure of enough wind in talking over the mat- ter to run three ordinary wind mills, a number of meetings were held, and it was determined to erect a wind grist mill. On the sec- ond day of April a joint stock company was formed under the incorporation laws of the State. The officei's went manfully to work, and after the timbers were gotten out and some of the machinery purchased, the company sold out to private individuals who com- pleted and put the mill in oi^eration. It was not a great success, yet it proved quite a convenience and of considerable public advan- tage for some time. And this was the second grist 'mill in the county. The water power mills, of which we now have a goodly number, were next, and later "evolved," and these milling facilities were increased still later by the addition of first-class steam grist mills. AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY MATTERS. The agricultural society held a meeting at Winnebago City, March 26th. at which a new constitution and bylaws were adopted. It appears that another meeting — the regular quarterly meeting — was held at Blue Earth City April 4th, at which, also, a constitution and by laws were adopted, but whether the same as those adopted in March, does not appear — presumably they were. This meeting ad- journed to May 16th, at the county auditor's office, for the election of officers. The adjourned meeting was held, and J. A. Latimer was re-elected president, D. Birdsall, secretary and A. Bonwell, treas- urer, for the current year. Another meeting was held June 25th, when it was determined to hold the fair at Winnebago City on the 14lh and 15th of September, but the time was subsequently changed to the 23d and 24th of September. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 187 FIRST INSURANCE AGENCY. As a matter of interest to the insurance fraternity, it may be recorded here, that in April of this year, the first i)ermananl insur- ance agency was established in this county — one which still continues after a lapse of sixteen years. The agency was established at Blue Earth City by the old ^Etna Insui-ance Company, of Hartford, Conn. J. A. Kiester was appointed agent. In the next month. May, the Madison Mutual Insurance Company, of Madison, Wisconsin, appointed an agent in the town of Verona — A. B. Balcom — but this agencj' did not continue a great while. At this time many different companies have agencies in this county, among which are found many of the oldest and strongest companies of America and Europe. The business of underwriting, in its higher departments, is a learned and honorable profession. Insurance is a science, having an important history and literature. Many of the periodical and weekly publications, devoted to this science, are of a high order. As a business, its transactions are second only to those of the great railroading interests of the country. The vocation of an insurance agent is an important and honorable one. It is upon the agents of the companies that the great business of insurance rests, and is de- pendent for success, and insurance agents, as a class of business men, are as honorable, correct in the transaction of their business, and as trustworthy as the members of any other profess ion or oc- cupation; yet, as in other departments of business, there are some who dishonor the profession, and the companies should be, in fact generally are, ever ready to weed out such employees when dis- covered. oyer! oyer! oyer! The district court held a session of one day, at the usual time in May. This was the last term in this county at which the Hon. Lewis Branson presided, his term of office expiring January 1st following. He had presided at all our courts from the first organi- zation of the county to this time. A number of distinguished law- yers from abroad were present at this term, among whom was Hon. C. G. Ripley, afterwards chief justice of our supreme court. A COURT CRIER. A lawyer, living on Walnut Hills, has a son about seven years old, and a daughter about three times that age. The boy has been around the court room a good deal, and the girl has a solid beau. The other evening the gentleman passed the house, and the young lady wanted to see him. "Johnny," said she to the kid: "won't you please call Mr. Mann." Johnny knew the state of affairs, and with a ready "of course," he flew to the front door and called out in the usual loud monotone of a crier: "John Henry Mann, John Henry Mann, John Henry Mann, come into court." Mr. Mann came in, and Johnny withdrew to a safe place. 188 HISTORY (iF SETTLING UP THE COUNTRY. Immigration this year commenced in May and continued all summer, at high rate. A great deal of land was taken up, many farms opened and many buildings erected. Money became ([uite plenty and lands and grain brouglit good jjrices. This year was in fact, one of the great years of immigration and improvement in this county. In a new country few things are, so encouraging and bene- ficial as a large immigration. People and improvements are the chief requisites to make a country, and the Americans are the great- est country and state makers in the world. It is said that the Am- ericans are nomadic. This is true in a limited sense in the west, and while the old saying that "a rolling stone gathers no moss" is quite true, thousands of people are greatly benefited by a change of loca- tion, if they do not change too often. It was about this time that the homestead law. passed in 1862 by congress, began to have its effect, inducing a vast emigration for years to the new states and territories. Our county was not only the recipient of much immi- gration, but it was also the highway over which passed much of the immigration to the southwestern and northwestern counties of the State. The long lines of white covered wagons often called "prairie schooners" and droves of stock, passing through to the north and west, were for many years a common and an interesting sight, even though they did not stop with us. The day will come flrhen they shall be onlj* a thing of the past, and even now are less frequently seen than formerly. What western man can fail to feel an interest in the emigrant as he passes along in his covered wagon now his only home on earth? Generally there are tired looking teams, tired looking men and women, tired and hungry children, and the plod- ding stock following, all toiling along over the prairies, through forests, over the mountains, weary and dusty, but still patient, en- during, persevering until the Eldorado is at last reached. The heart involuntarily utters "God bless you stranger, may He pros- per your venture. It was thus most of our people came to this new land. It is thus great states are built. It is a venture with the emi- grant, it is always a venture, and we, the early settlers all well know what it implies. The old home far behind perhaps beyond the sea. forever deserted, old and dear social and Icindred ties and associa- tions of all the by-gone years forever broken, the toilsome journey, the land of strangers, the building of the new home, the establish- ment of business, the making of new friends and the beginning of a new life. The newcomer and the way-faring emigrant, is indeed entitled to the kindly greeting, the helping hand, if needed, and generous encouragement, of whatever name or nation, tongue, or kindred, he may be. FAIilBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 189 SEE HEREl About the last of May a fair and festival was held at Winnebago City by the Ladies' Soldiers Aid Society for the benefit of sick and disabled soldiers at the front. It was a grand success in every re- spect. The people were enthusiastic and everyone contributed lib- erally to the good cause. The amount realized from the fair and and festival, together with some additional sums afterwards con- tributed was the handsome donation of .^456.47. On the first day of June a like fair and festival was held at Blue Earth City by the Ladies' Soldiers Aid Society of that place. Notwithstanding the many enlistments, the large town and county bounties and other aid extended to the soldiers, the people were not weary. At Blue Earth City on this occasion a large concourse of citizens full of patriotism and liberality attended. They assembled at Young's Hall about 11 o'clock in the forenoon, where an address was deliv- ered by J. A. Kiester. After alluding to and briefly explaining the monarchal theories and systems of government, which had ruled the world through all the ages, and the results, and after explaining the new and better principles of civil government, asserted by the Declaration of Amer- ican Independence, the speaker said, among other things: — "But the American Revolution produced a change in the affairs of man — light broke in upon, and hope dawned for the down-trodden and oppressed millions of the earth. Those new and better and truer principles asserted by that revolution, recognizes man as a being of rights and of equal rights. And these better principles are becoming recognized. Mankind are progressing in knowledge everywhere, and in the knowledge of the true principles of political science. The shackles of the old despotic systems are slowly but surely loosen- ing — they must loosen as the mass of the people progress, or be burst assunder in bloody revolutions overturning all government and order. The despots of the old world already see, and to some extent admit this truth. The glorious car of human freedom is rolling forward. It is but a short time since the perjured villain and despot who rules France, in a call for a European Congress, stated that this progress of the people must be recognized. The English people are becoming more jealous of their civil liberties — Russia has freed her millions of serfs— Poland and Hungary are in revolution— and classic Italy, under the leadership of Victor Emanuel and that glorious patriot, Garibaldi, has risen from her divisions and degradations of ages to an honorable position among the nations with the glad shout of free and united Italy. Thus are those prin- ciples asserted by our revolution becoming recognized — thus is mankind pro- grossing in the pathway of true advancement and elevation, and may this progress in the true principles of government, hand in hand with that in science, art, literature and religion, move forward without let or hindrance, until every system of slavery, wrong and oppression with despots, and their systems, thrones, sceptres and minions shall be swept from the earth forever. And now let us revert to our own country and its great interests, its condi- tion and destiny. Eighty odd years have passed away since, through the Are and blood and storms of the revolution, our government was organized upon the principles asserted by that revolution— what is the result? Let us view it 190 Hisronv of for one iinvturii I a> ilfxistcfi before thu breaking nut (if tin' robcilioti. This people, who, at thetiaii' of the Iieclaration of IniifpiTidence, consisted of thir- teen colonies and tlirei' million of inhal)itants. without commerce, without a name and witliout a place amun^r tlie nations— had K'rown to be a mijihty peo- ple, composed of thirty-four states, and luvrv than thirty million iohaiiitants. We had tali -g aSjoaQ C^ —I W— — O — 1-1— CO •51D0;nqs T a o r- i* — O 'M T '^^ — » -r '- CI *» — i c-i — 1 «> ■Jiong laiuBQ -»"D3:0>-'^22''''''' — "''~*2— 1 " unsny 90BJOH — r o PrcsWfl Electors ■oilBJOoniaa — ■Mr-cSTfMssj-rooioOcJi^^ | O •ncniiqndaa •rr-ir: — — -rr^c-irti — ptrzocs— iM « — — ■^ ci >-" CI -r rt i-t — — ».'7 r: M 1 -r •ISBO sion^a jaquiiiji aioqA\ 3C o M 1- L" :c r^ C5 s; <~ 3^ "* r' — re i as • ^nrc-rcit'-^-r-Tw — — w — r: lo — — 1 QC Names of Townships. c ta r. * ■jr. • ■I.> — FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 199 As the county returns show the results of election only as to county officers, it may be stated that Abraham Lincoln was re- elected president, Wm. Windom was re-elected member of congress, Mr. Austin was elected jadge of this district and D. G. Shillock was elected senator and J. A. Kiester, representative. GOLD AND SILVER. Soon after the war commenced, gold and silver money began to grow scarcer and scarcer until they entirely disappeared from circu- lation. They fluctuated very greatly in value. Gold soon began to bring a premium. A dollar in gold was valued at from one dollar to as high as two and eighty- two one hundreths dollars in ' -greenbacks," depending on the condition mainly of public affairs and the circum- stances of the war. A rebel victory of importance sent gold up, a great union victory sent gold down. Speculation and some other causes also affected the value. Silver followed closely upon the heels of gold. During several of the last years of the war and for a number of years after, neither gold nor silver was seen. If some one happened to have a "quarter" or a "dime" and choose to exhibit it, a crowd would soon gather around to see the curious relic. During these times, the "circulating medium" was greenbacks, national bank notes of one dollar and upwards, fractional currency of five, ten, . twenty-five, fifty and seventy-five cents called "scrip." That was the "soft money" epoch, the "greenback age." "Hard money" began again to appear near the close of the seventies. First came nickel five-cent pieces, then ten centpi,eces, afterwards larger silver pieces (three of which made a dollar) and then silver dollars, and about 1880 and 1881 both gold and silver money, the latter depreciated, became quite common, but greenbacks and national bank notes still formed a large part of the currency. VAKIOUS INCIDENTS. The sixth annual fair was held at Winnebago City on the 23d and 24th days of September. It was a decided success. The weather was fair, the attendance large, and the show of stock, grain, vegeta- bles, fruits and articles of domestic manufacture excellent. On the 31st day of October the first sale of school lands was had in this county. The commissioner of the State land office, Hon. Chas. McIUrath, attended in person. The sale took place at Blue Earth City. Much interest was manifested in the sale, and people were in attendance from all parts of the county. There were 924 acres of land sold for the aggregate sum of 117,621.60, of which sum S14,904.91 were paid in hand, and on the balance remaining unpaid, the interest was paid for one year in advance, according to the terms of sale, amounting to $109.45, thus adding in money to the school fund of the 200 HISTORY OF State the sum of *15.014.36. And this was the time when many of our citizens purchased their ••wood lots'" from which has come the fuel which has kept them warm and made the "pot boil" for many years since. THE WAU. On the 19th of December the president issued a call for 300,000 more volunteers to finish the war. This was the fourth call during the year and the aggregate number called for during the year was 1.500.000. The government and the loyal people of the North had become in terrible earnest Military operations, and matters incident thereto, absorbed every other consideration in all sections of the country. The rebels were putting forth almost superhuman and in- human efforts, while in the North the cry went forth from the moun- tain and plain, from the city and the farm house, "no compromise," "down with treason," "crush the rebellion, cost what it may, in men or money!" In military operations this year was particularly remarkable for the vast destruction of property in the South by the Union armies. This had become a necessity. Of the almost innumerable battles and important events of the year, but a few can be noted here. March 12th, Gen. U. S. Grant made commander of the U. S. armies; March 28th. battle of Cane River. La.; May 5th. the great battle or series of battles of the Wilderness began — one of the greatest exhi- bitions of military iirowess known to history; May 8-10, battle of Spottsylvania; May loth, battle of Raseca; .June 1st. battle of Cold Harbor; .June 19th, the rebel pirate Alabama was sunk by the Kearsage; July 1st, public debt, ^1,740,000.000; July 20-22d, great battles near Atlanta. Ga. ; July 30th, Chambersburg, Pa., burnt by rebels— loss !j^l, 000, 000; Aug. 5th, Admiral Farriguttakes Mobile.Ala.; Aug. 9th, Atlanta, Ga.. bombaitled by Gen. Sherman and fell Sept. 2d. and was burned; Sept. 19th, about this time there was great fight- ing in the Shanandoah Valley, Va. ; October 19th. battle of Cedar Creek, Va.— this was a terrific fight; Nov. 14. Gen. Sherman left Atlanta on "the march to the sea"; Nov. 25th, an attempt was made to burn New York City by southern desperados, who set fire in their rooms in fifteen different hotels and other places, but the plot failed. At this time Gen. Grant, with the army of the Potomac, was operating about Richmond, Va. , the rebel capital; Dec. 15-16th. great battle of Nashville, Tenn. ; Dec. 21st. Gen. Sherman captured Savan- nah. Ga. Although when the year closed the rebellion was still raging, yet the back-bone of the Confederate power was broken. Any other power on earth, after the terrible defeats suffered by the rebels in 1863 and 1864. would have given up in despair, but the Con- FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 201 federates were Americans. And now, as the year closed, hopes of final triumph over treason, and of peace soon to come, wei'e cheer- ing the loyal millions. The year was indeed a mighty one in the history of the nation. Glorious in its victories in the field and forum, and at the ballot box for the Union cause, and correspond- ingly terrible to the rebels and traitors of the South, and their sym- pathizers and allies everywhere. 202 HISTORY OF CHAriEK XL A. D. 1865. "Now arc our brows bound with victorious wreaths; Our bruised arms hunj; up for monuments; Our stern alarms cliani^'ed to merry meetings: Our dreadful marches to delightful measures. "" We now enter upon the record of another year of general reckon- ing in this historj'. We have reached, so to speak, another mile- stone in the journey, the eleventh year of the county. By comparing the very full statistics of this year, with those of former years, we shall see that the county has made great progress in the past, and bids very fair for the future. LEGISLATION. The seventh State Legislature assembled Januarj- 3d. and ad- journed March 3d. The members of the legislature for this district, were D. G. Shil- lock, of Brown county, senator; and J. A. Kiester, of this county, representative. The onlj' legislation of this year, of special interest to the peo- ple of this county, was an act fixing the time of holding the annual term of the District Court, for the first Tuesday of June, in each year, and a Memorial to Congress introduced by Mr. Kiester pray- ing the establishment of a mail route from Blue Earth City, in this county, via. Fairmont and Jackson, to Yankton, the capital of Da- kota Territory, and an act granting swamp lands to aid the Minne- apolis and St. Cloud Railroad Company in the construction of their road. This company was authorized to build a branch road, (Act of 1856), southward from Minneapolis to the Iowa state line, which would pass through either Martin or Faribault counties. This bill was fa- vored by both of our members, as it afforded some prospect of a rail- road in one or the other of said counties. At this session Daniel S. Norton was elected United States senator, to succeed Mr. Wilkinson. Andrew C. Dunn, of this countj- was again chief clerk of the House of Representatives. Considering the action of this and some other sessions of the legislature, the following statement is not much out of the way. ''A young politician" writes: "Why does a State have a legislature?" My dear boy, It doesn't. The legislature has the State, every time. Has it by the throat by a large majority. Has it by the pocketbook. Has it on its back. You bet your slippers young man, the State never has the legislature,— iJiin/e»c." FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 203 THE COMMISSIONERS. The honorable board of commissioners met January third. Allen Shultis, of Elmore, was chosen chairman for the year. Other meetings of the board were held March 28th, April 18th, May 26th, and June 27th. No business of historical interest was transacted at any of these meetings. So much for the commissioners during the first half of the year. It may be observed that the County Record about this time exhibits a number of long lists of bounty orders of fifty dollars and one hundred dollars issued to soldiers. CONSCRIPTION AND EXEMPTION. A call for 300,000 additional troops having been made in De- cember, 1864, as we have seen, and a draft having been ordered to take place on the 8th day of March of this year, to fill up the ranks of the army, considerable excitement and activity in military affairs existed throughout the county, during January and February. The quota of each town had been assigned, and to prevent drafting, large town and county bounties wei-e offered, and recruiting agents were abroad everywhere, and men were being enlisted in large num- bers. It has often been said during the war, "well, the county can- not furnish another soldier," yet at every call, numbers were still found ready to enlist and march to the front and fill up tlie ranks of the country's defenders thinned by disease and rebel bullets. In order to reduce the quotas of the several towns to a just basis, by discharging such as were not, because of ill health, or other physi- cal infirmities, qualified for military service, many of our citizens, in February, went before the enrolling board at Mankato, to be ex- amined and exempted, if so entitled. The expenses of those who were exempted, of going before this board, were paid by the sev- eral towns. And this proceeding was an entirely proper, in fact a necessary one, to determine the just quota from each town, by striking out of the estimate of the population, or basis of deter- mining the number due from the several towns, those who were really not liable to draft. Owing to alleged corruption and other causes, all the exemp- tion certificates granted at this time, were subsequently cancelled, and so the whole proceeding went for naught. SPRiNc;. Spring dawned upon the laud about the middle of March, and farmers prepared for seeding, but the weather was quite unsettled. Some seeding was done the last week in March, but the greater part along the middle of April, and there was some very cold weather late in this month. In fact this spring, like many others, was one of frequent changes of cloud and sunshine, of alternating smiles and tears. '20i HISTOJIY OF fire! fire! fire! On Sunday. March 26th, atabout eleven o'clock, a. m., the build- ing used for county oltices at Blue Earth City, was discovered to be on fire. The register of deeds, Mr. Bonwell. to whom the building belonged, had left the house but a few minutes before, having first carefully closed up the stove in which was but little fire, and locked the outside door of the otfice. The stovepipe passed through the chamber Moor and out through the roof, thei-e being no chimney. The stove pipe was somewhat old and much rusted, and it is quite probable that the soot in the pipe took fire, making the pipe very hot, thus setting fire to the adjoining wood work, or perhaps holes had been eaten through the pipe by rust, through which fire may have escaped. In the experience of insurance companies, such pipe arrangements have been found so dangerous, that companies have long refused to insure buildings where the pipes pass through the roof. Albert Sortor first discovered the fire and gave the alarm. He ran to the building and bursting open the door, commenced car- rying out the books. C. Huntington, John Blocher and several others, were soon on the ground, and by their joint exertions, all the books and most of the valuable papers were saved, though some of the books were somewhat damaged. Quite a number of papers, however, on file in the auditor'% cases, and a large package of deeds and other instruments in the regis- ter's department, which had, fortunately all been recorded, but had been left in the office, were burned. It was a most fortuuate escape from destruction, as nothing of great value, in either the auditor's or register's office was lost. But Mr. Bonwell, besides the loss of the building, lost also considerable personal property in the building at the time, and consumed with it. VICTORY, VICTORY, PEACE! About the third of April the whole country was electrified by the announcement of the glorious news that the Union arms had tri- umphed over the last strong-hold of the rebellion, and peace was at hand. After four years of bloody conflict, in comparison with which, most of the wars of the earth sink into insignificance, the national flag at last waved over the rebel Capital — the head and heart of the monster rebellion. On the 9th day of April, Lee sur- rendered to Grant, at Appomattox. The full import and signifi- cance of these great events cannot be described here. No pen can do justice to the occasion, and no words could give utterance to the emotions of joy and hope and thankfulness which swelled the hearts of the loyal millions of the land, but those of the old hymns — FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 205 the grandest of the ages, the Gloria in Excelsis and the Te Deum Laudamus. "Glory be to God on high and on earth; Peace, good will toward men." "We praise thee, O God; we acknowledge Thee to be the Lord. All the earth doth worship Thee, the Father everlasting." ASSASSINATION, DEATH. And now following fast upon the joyful news of final victory and peace, and while the people were giving hearty expression to their feelings, there came the appalling tidings of the assassination of President Lincoln, on the 14th day of April, by J. Wilkes Bootli. The world was shocked, stood aghast, confounded at the atrocity of the deed. In the very hour of the final triumph of that cause — the pre- servation of the Union and the life and liberties of the nation, he, the chiefest actor, the most revered and beloved, the purest, the wisest and most merciful, had fallen by the hand of the dastardly assassin. Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, the friend of man, name blessed evermore with Washington, in the records of our race, was martyred, murdered. "Divinely gifted man, * * « The pillar of a peoples' hope The centre of a world's desire." Oh, perfidy I Oh, crime! when didst thou such an other deed as this'? "This is the bloodiest shame, The wildest savag'ry, the vilest stroke That ever wall-eyed wrath, or stareing rage." conceived, or Hell's agents executed. The sacrifice of Lincoln was the crowning sacrifice of the war, the outgrowth, the final culmination of that demoniatic spirit of ti'eason, which, in the graphic words of another made "the parra- cidal effort to destroy the nation's life by murder; murder on the lakes, murder and piracy on the high seas; murder and arson in cities; murder by the introduction and spreading of loathsome and contageous diseases; murder and highway robbery by guerrillas; murder and starvation of over thirty thousand defenseless prison- ers. " It was indeed such a spirit and only this, that could breed such a moral monster as him who did this deed. And that far-seeing and wise statesman, that kindly man, that incorruptable and faithful executive bore. "—His faculties so meek hath been So clear in his great office, that his virtues 'Will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued, against The deep damnation of his taking off ." 206 inSTOltV (IF Probably no events in the world's history ever carried a great people to such heijrhtsof rejoicing and such depths of grief, almost simultaneously as those we have just related. The citizens of this county always earnest and patriotic, keenly appreciated the signifi- cance of these mighty events, and gave utterance to their thoughts and emotions in words and earnestness of manner unmistakable. INDIAN DEPREDATIONS. About the first of May the country was again thrown into a great state of excitement by the reports current, that the frontier settlers were in danger from prowling bands of Indians. War with the In- dians was still in progress on the plains and on the extreme western frontiers, which lasted until late in August of this year. But the jirincipal local cause of the excitement and apprehensions, was the murder by the Indians of the .Tewett family, near Garden City, in Blue Earth county, on the second day of May. The family consisted of six persons, five of whom they murder in cold blood and severely wounded one, a child. Horses were stolen at various points, and other depredations committed by these marauding red skins, but as these events did not occur in this county, we shall not enter into details; suffice it to say, that some of the murderers of the Jewett family wore killed by scouts from Port Wadsworth. and one of them, Campbell, a halC-breed, a diabolical wretch, and the leader of the .Jewett murderers, was taken, and was hung by order of Judge Lynch at Mankato. As a result of the excitement, the "mounted minute men" of the previous year, were again, by order of the State author- ities, called out. The company at Blue Earth City was reorganized under Lieut. Foster, and the one at Winnebago Citj- and others along the Blue Earth river and at other points on the frontier reorganized, but did not long remain in service, for very soon a line of military posts was establislied and kept up, from Alexander on the Red river of the North, to Spirit Lake on the Iowa boundary. About the time of these depredations, a novel idea was con- ceived by certain persons on the frontier for the protection of the border, and the hunting down of these skulking Indian marauders. The expedient adopted in many of the slave states for the recovery of runaway slaves by putting bloodhounds upon their track to hunt them down in the cane breakes, swamps and jungles of the south, recommended itself as a feasible method of pursuing these Indians in their devious ways. Several persons were sent to the southern states for the purpose of pi'ocuring hounds, and they re- turned with quite a number, which were parcelled out to several frontier counties, and were paid for by those counties. The hounds were to be kept at certain points, and be used when occasion re- quired. This county did not enter into the "bloodhound scheme" FAllIBAVLT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 207 as it did not appear to be of any practical utility. The whole project finally proved useless. And now the writer is happy to say that the above is the last notice of the Indians it will be neces sary to take in the course of this history, for the above incident was the last one in the history of our relations to the red men, our predecessors on this soil. The Indian Reservations in Blue Earth county and on the Upper Minnesota, had now been broken up for several years and ere this year closed, the Indians were driven far from this immediate country, to return as hostiles, no more forever, and "Of their mortal weal or woe, No trace is left to-day. For like the foam upon the wave They all have passed away." A GRAND REVIEW. On the 23d and 24th days of May of this year, there occurred the grandest military review the world ever eaw. On those days— the victory won, the war ended — the victorious eastern and western armies of the republic made their triumphal entry into Washington, the capital of the nation. On those great days these battle-scarred legions of the Union, the heroes of many bloody conflicts with trea- son, travel worn, covered with sweat and dust, but proud and vic- torious, marched in review for the last time, and through the broad streets of the capital city of that nation which had been redeemed, protected and made one forever. No such pageant as this was ever seen before. History tells, indeed, of the grand triumphal displays accorded to Roman conquerors in the days of old, but they bear no comparison with this, they were but the rewards of conquests and robbery and the soldiery were in the main. " But ambition's tools, to cut a way, To her unlawful ends.'' But here, on those days, marched in the serried ranks, thousands and tens of thousands of the intelligent volunteer soldiers of the re- public, not with the spoils of conquest and arms befouled with rapine and plunder, but bearing the honors of freemen — of citizen heroes, who fought for constitutional liberty, for the maintenance of the Union, the supremacy of law, that the grandest, freest nation of all time — the last hope of the world might continue to live. And in those gallant companies and regiments and battalions there marched many of our own citizens, men of Faribault county, proud as the proudest, brave as the bravest, following their tattered battle flags, the relics of many a bloody day. And borrowing the imagery, though not the language of the poet, we may well express the thought that with the mighty hosts 208 msTony of that inarchod along those broad aveuues on those proud days, there was another and a mightier host which kept step with the triumphal music, invisible indeed to mortal eyes, but indeed there, great hosts, proud and victorious too. led by the immortal Washington and the other heroes of the Revolution, and the martyre Lincoln, and num- bering in the vast throng the patriot dead of all the battlefields of the Ko))ublic and the heroes of every age and land who have suffered and died for human freedom, for civil and religious liberty. No, reader, no such another pageant has the world ever seen, or may ever see again. THEY COME. Immigration began to pour into the county the last of May, and continued throughout the season, much of it, however, going through this county to the counties of Martin and .Tackson, immediately west of this. The settlement of the near counties on the west was deemed by many, at that time, to be of almost as much importance to this county (at least the next best thing) as the settlement of the county itself, for the people must, in those counties, be for a time, and in many respects, tributary for supplies to this county. HUMILIATION AND PRAYER. The first day of June was appointed by the national executive, as a day of prayer and humiliation, on account of the death' of Pres- ident Lincoln. It was observed in this county by appropriate ser- vices in the churches and other places of religious gatherings. "Remember not. Lord, our offenses, nor the offenses of our fore- fathers; neither take Thou vengeance of our sins; spare us good Lord, spare Thy people. From lightning and tempest, from plague, pestilence and famine; from battle and murder and from sudden death; from all sedition, privy conspiracy and rebellion. Good Lord, deliver us." HEAR YEl HEAR YEl HEAR VE! The District Court held a session of one day on the first Tues- day, the fith day of .June. Hon. Horace Austin presided, and this was his first term in this county. POSTING UP THE BOOKS. A State census was taken in June, of this year, the work being done in each countj- by the assessors. Our statistics for the year are made up partly from the census tables, and partly from other olticial I'eports subsequentlj' made. FARIBAULT COUNTY. MINNESOTA. 209 NO. 1— POPULATION. Barber Blue Earth City. Brush Creek Elmore Foster Guthrie Jo Daviess Lura Marples Pilot Grove Prescott Seely Verona Walnut Lake Winnebago City. Totals 4,735 2,517 13 en o s fa 244 144 100 807 425 382 233 115 118 295 162 133 166 8H. 78 367 200 167 241 124 117 362 199 163 290 158 132 175 90 85 384 207 177 88 43 45 337 178 159 283 152 131 463 ^32 231 4,735 2,517 2,218 s 58 150 39 66 30 75 49 64 56 30 82 24 67 58 78 926 NO. -STOCK, ETC. The returns show 1,257 horses; cattle, 5,587; sheep, 6,004; hogs, 991 ; 760 wagons of all kinds, and 81 watches. NO. '6 — VALUATIONS. The total value of all taxable personal property was set down at 1172,647.00; value of real estate, $650,094.00; total, $822,741.00. NO. 4— CROPS, ETC. The number of acres under cultivation was 10,887 and the farm products of the year were wheat 109,672 bushels, oats 115,872 bushels, corn 92,110 bushels, barley 7,331 bushels, potatoes 51,537 bushels, beans 729 bushels, buckwheat 200 bushels, sorghum syrup 12,387 gallons. NO. 5— SCHOOL MATTERS. The number of persons between five and twenty-one years of age, was 1,854, number of school districts 62, number of teachers 50, number of school-houses 22, which were valued at $4,925.00 in the NO. 6— PRICES. The prices of grain, in the fall, average as follows per bushel: wheat 50 to 55 cents, oats 20 to 25 cents, corn 25 to 30 cents. All kinds of "store goods" still continued at high figures, but ''with a downward tendency." As a matter of curiosity in may be stated that a record kept in Raleigh, N. C, in the closing Confederate days of February, 1865, shows that apples were $8 per dozen, bacon 18 per pound, beef |3 per pound, butter $10 per pound, corn $30 210 HISTORY OF per bushel, coffee !?40 per pound, eggs ^i per dozen, flour fSoOO per barrel, sugar '^1^^ per pound, sj'ruj) *25 per gallon, sheeting iftj per yard, salt $90 per bushel, calico *15 per yard, wood $95 per cord. About the 1st of April of this year, the Richmond Whig published at Richmond. Va., ([uoted flour in that cit^' at $900 to $1,000 per barrel, corn >=100 per bushel, and butter $20 per pound, in Confeder- ate money, however. The statistics presented here from time to time are made up from official reports, but it is time now to remind the reader, that our ordinary state statistics are not very reliable, or accurate. The assessed valuation of property, at least until very late 3'ears seldom exhibits the true value. Perhaps fifty per cent, could be added to the official estimates, and not exceed the real value. The reports of the amount of the different kinds of grain, etc., raised, and the numbers of the various kinds of stock, are almost, if not quite, equally faulty. All these statistics are imperfect, and are only valuable in a genei-al way. but thej^ are the best we have and we give them as we find them, for whatever they are worth. The statistics collected when the national census is taken, are usually more reliable than our ordinary state statisties. and help to "cor- rect up" and show quite nearly the actual facts and conditions, from time to time. The collection, collation, classification, adjustment and verification of statistics constitute a science of much "importance, and is one understood by but few. Our state commissioners of statistics doubtless do the best they can, with the means and methods they have at hand, but the primary collection of all the necessary data is in hands that but little comprehend the import- ance of the work, and have little incentive to do it well. THE patriot's DAY. On the Fourth of July a great celebration of the day was had at Blue Earth City. Very extensive preparations had been made and a large number of people attended and took part in the festivi- ties. The good old Declaration of Independence was read by Capt. P. B. Davy, and James B. Wakefield delivered the oration, and what with the address, the music, an abundant dinner, the great attend- ance, the fine day and the spirit of rejoicing over the close of the war, the celebration was a grand success. The day was also celebrated at Minnesota Lake. The largest con- course of people ever assembled in that portion of the county gathered there on this occasion. The Rev. A. W. Childs read the Declaration and J. A. Kiester, of Blue Earth City, delivered the ad- dress. Here also patriotic music and a bounteous dinner were a part of the programme. These were the only celebrations of the day in FAIUBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 211 the county, the people having generally concluded to attend at one or the other of these places. It may be mentioned as an incident of the time and the patriotic spirit of our local press, that the Blue Earth City Advocate came out in colors, the outside being printed in red, the inside blue, the paper white in honor of the brave old flag, "red, white and blue," which now waves victorious over the whole land. And never to this time, at least, was there such a general and enthusiastic celebration on the Fourth of July, such a great out- pouring and rejoicing of the people as occurred this year through- the whole country. And it was very right and proper that it should be so, for at no time in the history of the country, since the achieve- ment of independence had there been so much to render the day il- lustrious and worthy of commemoration and rejoicings. The final triumph of the nation over treason and rebellion, the Union restored, the great war just ended, peace, white-winged and all glorious, once more hovering over the whole land, the great body of the citizen soldiers — the heroes of the war — returned again to their homes, all now added much to the previous significance of the day and its grand memories and associations. A SUMMARY. The great civil war having now closed, we give a brief summary of the closing vents which occurred during the year to this time, and also certaii other facts and figures relating to the war of inter- est and value. January 15th, Port Fisher was taken by the Union army. This was the last pv, t of the rebels. February 18th, the Union troops enter Charleston, S. C. March 4th, Pi-esident Lincoln inaugurated. March 16th, battle of Averysborough. March 19th, battle of Ben- tonville, N. C. April 2d, Gen. Lee evacuated Richmond and Peters- burg, Va., and retreated westward. Same day the battle of Selma, Ala. was fought — a Union victory. April 3d, Union troops took pos- session of Richmond, Va. April 9th, Lee surrended to Grant at Appo- mattox. April 10th, Mobile. Ala., evacuated by the rebels. April 12th Union troops captured Salisbury, N. C. April 14th, President Lincoln assassinated. April 25th, Booth, the assassin, shot. April 26th, Gen. Johnson surrendered to Gen. Sherman. May 4th, Gen. Taylor surrendered to Gen. Canby. July 7th, four of the villians engaged in the assassination plot were hung. No great battles were fought after the middle of April. The armies were disbanded, and a great majority of the troops returned to their homes during the next six months. 21L' BlSTUllY o/' In the Adjutant General's report for the year, -we find the fol- lowing statement of quotas and credits of men for this county, under all calls during the war. Quota. Credits Blue Earth Cil.v 88 97 Brush Creek ) ' 25 21 Foster ( Elmore 27 28 Guthrie 27 35 Marples 46 18 Pilot Grove 35 25 Prescott 18 31 Seely 5 4 Verona 46 48 Walnut Lake 31 19 Winnebago City 48 74 396 400 There were eight others furnished by the county, not included in the above table, making our total credits 408. While a few of the town districts in the county were in arrears, yet the county as a whole, furnished twelve more men than was re- quired, and the number of soldiers furnished by this county, in pro- portion to population, was greater than that of any county in the State except perhaps two. It was reported about this time that there was one county in the State, which in this respect surpassed all others — the whole popu- lation, without exception, having enlisted — it appeared however, that there was but one resident in that county. The aggregate amount of bounties paid by this county and the several towns, and otherwise contributed to encourage enlistments, was the very large sum of seventy-five thousand dollars. The entire enlistments in the Union armies, during the war, were 2.688,523, but many of these were i-e-enlistments, and it is esti- mated that the entire number of individuals, forming the armies, was really but 1.500.000. Of these 56,000 were killed in battle, 35,000 died in hospitals of injuries received in battle and 184.000 died in hospitals of disease. Many died afterwards in other places, of disease, and thousands were ruined in health for life. The national government also em- ployed over 7,000 vessels on the waters, in the great contest. Of the Confederate forces, there was, during the war, an aggregate of 600,000 men. but this is deemed a low estimate. The Confederate killed and wounded and sick, who died in hospitals, was about 300,000. In a late work we read that "The entire amount expended by the national government, by states, counties and towns, and con- tributed in other ways, to the comfort or sustenance of the army, is computed at f!4, 000, 000, 000. The support of the southern army FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 213 cannot be ascertained, but it is thought that those expenses and des. truction of property, inflicted about an equal loss on them. These losses in life and property are fearful, but they are the price of free- dom and nationality." And now, so far as this history is concerned, we are done with the great civil war, and we have only to add that it should be the earnest hope, the constant prayer of every heart, both north and south, that never again, in all our history as a nation, may another so great a calamity be inflicted upon us, and to this end let us forget the past, .cease recriminations, drop the hard names of rebel, traitor, copperhead and all other epithets, and all unite as brethren in strengthening the foundations, rearing the struc- tures, promoting the interests and enjoying the blessings of the strongest, the most enlightened, most progressive and best govern- ment ever known among men. BUSINESS. With the close of the war came a new era in many respects. Money became plenty, real estate took an upward tendency, outside capital came into the State and county for investment. All branches of trade and business greatly revived and there was employment for all at fair wages, and the attention which the war and its affairs had absorbed was now turned to local interests and enterprises. THE INGATHERING. On the first of August the song of the reaper began to be heard in the land. The harvest was quite favorable. The wheat and oat crops were very heavy, but other crops quite light. The i^rice of wheat in August was seventy cents. CALAMITIES. The potato-bug, a very destructive insect, made its appearance in this region near tlie middle of June, and did some damage, and in July several immense swarms of grassshoppers visited the upper Minnesota river and came as near to us as Garden City, some twelve miles north of this county, where they did much injui'y to crops. But little notice was taken of these incidents at the time and they were soon forgotten, but we shall have much more to say hereafter about these pests. We are now done with the Indians and the war of the rebellion, what other calamities now await us? It is often true that "Coming events Cast their shadows before." THAT BOARD. The commissioners met September 5th, and had a session of three days. It having appeared by the returns of the last preceding general election, that over eight hundred votes had been polled in 214 UfSTOIlY OF the county, tlie county now beciime entitled under the law, to five instead of three county commissioners and the board at this meeting proceeded to divide the county into five commissioner, districts, as follows: The First district was comprised of the towns of Camp- bell, Elmore, Pilot Grove and Jo Daviess. The Second district, of Blue Earth City, Emerald and Prescott townships. The Third dis- trict of Kiester. Seely. Foster, Brush Creek, Walnut Lake and Cobb townships. The Fourth district of the towns of Winnebago City, Verona and Guthrie. The Fifth distinct was composed of the towns of Barber, Lura, Marples and Dunbar. The board also appointed school examiners, in conformity to the new commissioner districts, as follows: No. 1. J. A. Dean; No. 2, J. A. Kiester; No. 3, S. L. Rugg; No. 4, J. H. Welch; No. 5, Joseph Claggett. This was the last meeting of the board for this year, and the last board of on ly three commissioners, it subsequently being composed of five members. THE FAIR. The officers of the Agricultural Society for this year were J. A. Latimer, president; C. M. Sly, secretary and D. Birdsall, treasurer. The fair was held at Blue Earth City on the 21st and 22nd days of September. The fair while passably good, was not considered oiuch of a success. While the officers of the society and a very few others made considerable effort to keep up the society and make the fairs of interest and useful, it must be written that about this period in the history of the society, extending over several years, there was not that interest manifested in it and that unity of action on the part of the people, generally, which is so necessary to the support of such an institution. THE FALL FIGHT. The political campaign of this year covered a considerable pe- riod of time, and it was quite a lively and in some respects a peculiar contest. Among the other interesting features of the campaign, a governor of the State and several other State officers were to be elected. The republican candidate for Governor was Wm. R. Marshall and Henry M. Rice was the democratic candidate. On the 30th day of August, the Republican Countj' Convention met at Blue Earth City and made the following nominations. For Treasurer, Wm. Dustin. For Sheriff, W. J. C. Robertson. For County Attorney, J. B. Wakefield. For Surveyor. D. Birdsall. For ,Judge of Probate, A. Preston. For Coroner, D. H. McDowell. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 215 On the 16th day of September a mass convention was held at Blue Earth City, at the instance and in the interest of those wlio did not approve of all the nominations of the republican convention. This meeting nominated R. B. Johnson for treasurer and Hiram Raymond for sheriff. The other republican nominations were in- dorsed. This convention was rather slimly attended, there being persons present from only seven towns, and the prospects for the election of the new nominees were not at the time very flattering. But "great oaks from little acorns grow, etc." And sometimes "great aches from little toe-corns grow." But the situation was still not satisfactory to all, and so on the 23rd day of September a mass convention was held at Winnebago City, where certain republicans and the democrats formed a coali- tion. This convention made the following nominations: For Sheriff, Charles Chaple. For Treasurer, R. B. Johnson. For County Attorney. J. L. Weir. For Surveyor, A. H. Pelsey. For Judge of Probate, A. Preston. For Coroner, D. H. McDowell. It will be observed that several of the regular republican nom- inees were re-nominated by this convention. The principal contest was for the offices of treasurer and sheriff. The Republican Legislative Convention met at Winnebago City, October 2nd and nominated J. B. Wakefield for representative. For the same office the democracy again placed in the field R. B. Simmons, of Martin County. The election was held on the seventh day of November, and the following table exhibits the result as officially declared : Brush Creek Barber Blue Earth City. Elmore Foster Guthrie Jo Daviess, Lura Marples Prescott Pilot Grove Seely Verona Walnut Lake Winnebago City. Total Repr. Judge ^ 11 11 104 27 9 32 U 28 28 53 20 12 34 22 67 475 111 17 14 32 140 31 15 36 31 28 41 56 24 12 44 31 64 .Sheriff Treas. 598 42 180 426 418 229 499 437 176 586 Sur. Atty. Cor, 14 16 119 27 15 30 14 28 28 36 21 12 38 26 75 14 11 117 27 10 29 15 28 22 56 22 12 37 3 34 o G o 14 .32 140 32 15 42 31 28 41 35 24 12 44 31 65 216 HISTORY OF For Governor, Wm. R. Marshall had a total vote in the county of 501; Henry M. Rice had 138. The following-named persons were elected county commission- ers without opposition: Allen Shultis, District No. One. Henry J. Neal, District No. Two. John R. Sisson, District No. Three. H. H. Oilman, District No. Four. J. Claggett, District No. Five. Marshall was elected Governor of the State by a large majority, and Wakefield was elected representative of the district. The re- turns, as given above, indicate who were elected as county officers. The I'esultof the election as to sheritf and treasurer, was surprising to most of the people, and quite as surprising to the candidates them- selves. This was the first regularly organized "bolt," or formal op))osition to the regular nominees backed by convention nomina- tions, which had occurred in the republican party, or in fact in the politics of the county. The two newspapers took a great interest, on opposite sides, to some extent, in the local campaign, besides some questions of dif- ference had arisen earlier in the j'ear between them, and an examin- ation of the old files proves the fact that a great deal of a very poor class of dirt was ••slung" back and forth by both, and both equally bad, reminding the reader of the story of the Dutchman who, on being aslced the ago of himself and wife said, •■mine wife is dirty (30) and I ish dirty two." No frost occurred in September of this year, and the autumn was an unusually mild and pleasant one, and continued until about the middle of December, when the winter set in, introducing its reign by a heavy snow storm. THE GRAND ROSTER OF THE SOLDIERS OF FARIBAULT COUNTY. THE NAMES OK THE MEN FROM THIS COUNTY, WHO HEU'ED TO FIGHT THE (SKEAT BJITTLES. "Ye have kept the tlag and seal. Emblem «f the Nation's weal: Ye have stood like hardened steel In war's crimson way— the battle field— When shot and shell did ring the knell Of coniratles brave who 'round ye fell, Ye did leave your friends and home, And loved ones weeping', left alone To see the flag and country saved," And saved them. — Tai.bot. There is presented in this history of the county many rolls of liouor of the early settlers of the county and lists of public officers FABIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 217 and of the actors in many important events, but there is now pre- sented here the most honorable of all our rolls, that of the names of the men who enlisted from this county, in the militai-y service of the United States, during the Rebellion and the Indian war in the Northwest. This year practically closed the war, and it is now time to name the men of our county, who in the day of mighty conflicts with powerful foes, took an active part, as soldiers, in the great struggle for our homes, for the Union and for the maintenance of free gov- ernment on this continent. The list is not absolutely correct in every respect, but it is as nearly so as it is possible to make it, for there are errors in the public official records themselves, but many, if not all of which, are corrected here. The writer is greatly indebted in making up this I'oster, to Charles A. Rose, now of St. Paul, but a former resident of this county, and a soldier, enlisted from this county. Mr. Rose, as a public officer of the Stale for many years, has had access to all the official records in the capitol of the State and, owing to his long services in the army, is also possessed of a large personal knowledge of individuals and events connected with the war and there are few, if any persons, who are better qualified to prepare such a list than he. The writer is also indebted to James H. Mead, of Blue Earth City, another old soldier, for valuable assistance and suggestions in making up the roll. The companies and regiments given are those in which the first enlistments were made, but many, after the expiration of their term of service, re enlisted in the same or other companies and regiments. But of the re-enlistments, official positions or promo- tions, no record is here made, the principal object being to present and preserve here simply the names of those who enlisted in the service of the nation from our county. The re-enlistments numbered about twenty- eight per cent, of the original enlistments. ENLISTMENTS. liLUE EARTH CITY TOWNSHir DISTRICT. Andrews, Alfred D Company D, 9th Regiment Infantry, tfiree years Brown, Aaron " B, Braclcet's Battalion, Botsford, Isaac *' B, " Butler, Zirary C " C, 5th Regiment Infantry, Blackmer, Franfc A, " C, utli " Converse, Geo. S " B, Braclcet's Battalion, Decker, A. L. M " F, 1st Regiment Infantry. Grout, Albert K " C, otli Harris, Peter E " C, ,5th Johnson, John " F, 5th " 218 HI STONY OF Leslie, Sam.. .Ir Conipanv H, 2(1 Ueninient Infantry, thre*! years Mead, Jas. II C, .ith It McFall. Orlando C, ."■.th tl Morris, Wiu. D ... " F. 5th 11 Prall, Alliort D, !)th Rose, Chas A . . . " C, .5th tt Siiuires, Freeman A.... B, Bracket" s Hattalion, ** Scliroeiler, Peter ... " F, 5th Regiment Infantry, tl Schrocder, Herbert F, 5th (( •' tt Schrueder, Win D, 9th 1 ( > 1 It Thoiiipkins. Hiram — B, Bracket s Battalion *' Wheeler, Wm H, 2d Reg nient Infantry, tt Yuun^', E. C ... •• F, 5th i. It tl Andrr'ion Evan L, Mounted Rangers, (t It one year Anderson, .JelT L, tt Anderson, Geo L, It (1 ' ' Mrown, John L, ** (f II Bennett, Leon L, • 1 it It Cusick, Wm L, (( II Cook, Geo L, 1 1 tl. li Daw, Peter B L, It ii li Davis, Geo. R ... " L, '• It It Ellis, Ezra M .... " L, (i It ti Ellis, Henry ... " L, " tt tl Ewald, Henry C L, i( It Frandall, John J L, " ii ti Fo.\, Markham L, L, H It Frandall, Geo ... " L, n II II Frandall, Jos L, 1( i( li Franklin, Benj ... " L, '• If Grittin, Lucius L, '* It Hdwland, Geo. H ... " B, " t( " Hyatt, Norman H ... '• L, '* 1 1 Johnson, Ole L, '* it Johnson, Henry ... " L, •■' 11 Jameson, James L, i ( Kamrar, Henrv L, it 1 1 *l Krinke, Michael L, ti '* it Larson, Henry E ... " L, (t (1 41 Leslie, Sam. Sr L, l( It L, K II »' Manthie, Julius II — .... •' L, " 11 *• B, 4 1 tl 11 11 '* Newton. Wm. J .... " B, ti ^plmtn Christian L, 1( tt Nelson, Ole L, " It " Oleson, Harvey S L, li K Rose, Jacob A .... " B, H " Salor, Abel L, (( It Smith, Cyrus L, t( It Sailor, Martin L, • t Sailor, Jacob L, '^ It Silliman, Wayne B.... B. li t t ** Weber, Henry C L, " It *' FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 219 Waterbury, Sam B Company IT, Mounted Ranijers, one year Weger, John " H, 2ncl Regiment Cavalry, three years Williams, Wm " H, 2ncl CacUlv, Geo " H, 2nd Kennedy, Chas " H, 2nd Conklin, Wm.H " H, 2nd Bartholemew, R. R " H, 2nd " " " Bartholemew, Arthur " H, 2nd " " " Bakeman, Girard " H, 2nd •' •' " Coutier, Leon L " H, 2nd " " " Caddy, Geo. Jr • " H, 2nd " " " Dagner, Geo " H, 2nd Ellor.Joseph " H. 2nd Hunter, Otis M " H, 2nd " " " Kortt, Chas " H, 2nd Labatt, Geo " H, 2nd Mathews, Geo " H, 2nd Orr, Richard " H, 2nd Rude, Geo " H, 2nd Tallow, Stephen " H, 2nd Wheeler, Wm. G " H, 2nd " " Recruit " Wirt, George " B, Bracket's Battalion, " Gulickson, Evan " C, 11th Regiment Infantry, one year Dalziel, James " F, 1st ■' Artillery " Ellis, John E " F, 1st " " " Franklin, German " F, 1st " " " Getchell, Theo. W " F, 1st " " Gardner, O. N " F, 1st " '' " Getchell, Chas. O " F, 1st " Ingalls, Ed. C " F, 1st " " " Jones, Chauncy W " F, 1st " " " Katzung, Vallon " F, 1st " " " Moore, Robert " F, 1st " " " Mead.OrrinF " F, 1st " " " Ogilvie. James " F, 1st " " " Pugsley, Gardner O " F, 1st " " " Sauvain, Just " F, 1st " " " Truesdell, Hill " F, 1st " " " Billings, Levi " G, ist " Infantry, three years Dullard, Michael " G, 1st " •' " Elivess, Fran " G, 1st Ordway, Isaac F " G, 1st " " " Whitney, John " G, 1st " " " White, John J " G, 1st '• " Seely, Philander C " H, 1st " " BHUSH CREEK TOWNSHIP DISTRICT. Emerson, John Company L, Mounted Rangers, one year Fletcher, Chas " L, Peterson, Regnald " L, " " " Walter, Wm " L, " " " Seaton, LeonC " H, 2d Regiment Cavalry, three years Bartheaume, Rock " H, 2d " " " Ackerman, D. J " H, 2d " " " 220 HISTOnv OF Cluii)au, liaiii Company H, 2d Regiment Caviilry, three years iM.U-y, Win " H, 2d .Idluisiin, Herman H " H, 2d " " " Martin. .Joseph " H, 2(1 Dunliar, Chas. .S " H, 2d " " " Pine, John " H, '2d " " " Binsmore, Wiu " D, 1st " Artillery, one year Nelson, Elling " D, 1st " Nelson, Peter " V, 1st " " Shirk, Jaeol) E " F, 1st " " Livingston, Duncan '• G, 1st " " " Wood, Mason H " G, 1st " Wliitney, Lorin J " drafted 2d " Infantry, three years Hunt, Nathan " drafted 5th " " " ELMOKE TOWNSHIP DISTKICT. Boon, Daniel Company D, 9th Regiment Infantry, three years Cunimings, W. P. F " F, 5th Chute, Levi " C, 5th Chute, Xach " C, 5th " " Dobson,Jas " F, 5th " " Edes, Ed " F, 5th " " Greer, Mark M " C, 5th ITowland, Fred L " B, Bracket's Battalion, " Hale, John E " C, 5th Regiment Infantry, Preston, Sheridan " F, 5th Schneider, Simon '• I, 2d " " " Schneider, Freeman " I, 2d " " " Way, E. M " ¥, 5th Dane, Hartwell " L, Mounted Rangers, one year Ingalls. A. C " L, Tankard, Robt ■ H, 2(1 Regiment Cavalry, three years Barker, Walter " H, 2d Little, Rol.t. W " II, 2d Cook, Chas. E " II, 2d " " '• Woolery, Reuben " C, 11th " Infantry, one year El)eiline, Edward " F, 1st " Artillery, Gano. Marian E " F, 1st " " Morehoure, Francis " F, 1st " " " Morehouse, Rich. T " F, 1st Strong, Moses A " F, 1st Winn.Wm. B " F. 1st Allen, Horace B " G, 1st " Infantry, three years Baldwin, Will " G, 1st Comstock, Wm. H •' G, 1st " " " Pugsley, Wyman " G, Isi GUTHRIE, (NOW DELAVAN) TOWNSHIl". Alvey, Wm. T Company H, 3d Regiment Infantry, three years Burke, John F " D, 9lh Beatty, J. R " H, 2d Gray, Donald " H, ,W " " " McKinney, John " D, 9th " " Marsh, Enoch " H, 2d " " FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 221 Propper, Chas Company D, 9th Regiment Infantry, three years Terry, Geo. R " A, 7th (( " (( Johnson, Eleff " H, Mou nted Rangers, one year Miller, Saml. B " H, 2d Regiment Cavalry, three years Chestnut, John " H, 2d ii (( tt Snell, Isaiah H " H, 2d 2d (1 u Bover, JohoH " K. (( Fessenden, Ed. D... " K, 2d *( (( (I Fessenden, Chas. M. " K, 2d " t( (( McColley, Alonze.... ■' K, 2d ti (( (( Reichart, Henry " C, nth Regiment Infantry, one year Bemis, Lucius " D, 1st (( Artillery, • ( Johnson, Ellip " D, 1st (( i( Donaldson, Cramers. " F, 1st i( (« K Fuller, Myron L " F, 1st u U i( Falsett, John " F, 1st \i u i( Johnson, Bennett... " F, 1st if. (( (( Henson, Ilalver " F, 1st (( (t n McGuigKan, John... " F, 1st t( (( U Mandigo, Danl. L. .. " F, 1st u l( bt Ryan, Joseph " F, 1st u i( (i Ayers, Moses " H, 1st (( u t( Gordon, Samuel " H, 1st u tf (4 Nickerson, F. L " H, 1st (4 *' (( Thorp, Henry C " K, 1st 1( (( n Sharo. Henrv Substitute. Sycks, F. Lewis MARPLBS, (NOW MINNESOTA LAKE ,) TOWNSHIP DISTRICT. Brown, Henry Company H, 3d Regiment Infantry, three years Beebe, R. W " F, 4th *' u '' Myrick, Tellef A. . . . " H, 3d u 4t (; Taylor, Alfred L.... " F, 4th u (I (( Heisey, Wm " L, Mounted Rangers, one year Taylor, E. H " H, " " u Taylor, Phineas B... " F, 4th Regiment Infantry, three years Fish, Sam. Jr " F, 10th (( i( '^ Graves, Geo.M " D, 1st (( Artillery, one year Bandt, Fred drafted 5th (( Infantry, three years Miller, Christian drafted 5th (( " ( I Urban, Wilhelm.... 5th 5 th (t t ( Stephens, Fred darf ted (» Marples, Charles drafted 3d " (C i: Smith, Geo. A drafted 3d (( 11 u PILOT GROVE TOWNSHIP DISTRICT. Albee, Albert C Company P, 9 th Regiment Infantry, three years Blochner, John 1 1 1st Sharpshooters, Ik Gardnier, Joseph " B, Bracket's Battalion, <( McCrery, R. R " B, ' t ( (( McCrery, Jas. P.. .. " F, 5th Regiment Infantry, '' Mount, Humphrey.. " D 9th (; H 1 1 Waite, Reuben " D 9th 9th u Wallace, Horace " D i( 222 HISTORY OF Davis, Oriii G Ha/.elton, Diiniel Manthie, Krfcl. W More, Andrew R., Jr... Petit, Tlios. W Smith, Josiah Olds, John Cook, Aniasa Couthardt. Win Fettorly, Jas. S Foss, J . B Stoddard, Nathan Whitf, John D Cuniuiinps, Wiu Dean, John A Teeter, Reuben Hunter, Wiu., drafted.. Woolery, Robt.. " .. Brown, Jas. M Company Crandall, Leroy M " Eberline, Fred. E " Morehouse, James " Young, Lewis " Carver, Samuel " McDowell, David H Razey, Norman B " Spencer, F. L " Crandall, Minor M " Crippin, Sam. S " Miles, Geo. S McDowell, Jonathan " Straight, Merrit Straight, Oriville " Straight, Forester " Straight, Jas. M " McColley, Nathaniel " Anderson, Geo. R " Brelsford, Daniel S " Fuller, Albert L " Gibbs, Geo. E Razay, Silas " Brelsford, Isaac W Huntington, Loyal " Hodgnian, A. J " Rose, Chris " Woodruff, Wallace A SKELY TOWNSHIP DISTRICT. Bontrager, John Company C, 11th Regiment, Wickwire, Michael S " C, 11th Kellogg, Judson " G, 1st " Otten, Mathew, drafted... " 2nd " c, ")th Regiment In fan try. three years L, Mom ited Rangers, one year L, iK L. i( L, 4( L. tl L, (• H, 2d Regiment Cavalry, three years c. 11th In fan try, one year c, 11th K It c. nth l( tl c. nth It it c, nth tt *' c, nth tl tt c, nth It ** B, 5th tl three years c. .')th It It 2d II 1 1 2d II (1 FT TOWNSHIP. C. 5th Regiment I n fan try three years D, 9th (( It tt c. 5th (1 It >( D, 9th '• ■1 It 1), 9th ii i,i L, Mounted Rangers, one year B, 4 u • tt B, ' (( tc B, 1 (1 *' H, 2d Regiment Cavalry, three years H, 2d u II tt H, 2d ( . It tl H, 2d It It tt H, 2d i( It (1 H, 2d ti It (t H, 2d t( i; i( H, 2d u It li K, 2d 11 tt it K, 2d t( tt It K, 2d (( tt It K, 2d u 1 1 ■* K, 2d It It It K, 2d u It 11 c, 2d »i " tt H, 1st t( Artillery, one year H, 1st •' tt *' n, 1st 4i It tl H, 1st (t II It Infantry, one year. It 1 1 " three years. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 223 VERONA TOWNSHIP. Burgess, Harvey Company D, 9th Regiment Infantry, three years. Carlton, E Carlton, Wm. H DuCate, Moses M " Darlin, E. J " Dunham, John H " Forbes, Benj. F. jr " Franklin, Morrison " Geiser, Fred " Huntington, Henry M " Kent, Philo " Mayson, Wm. P " Nightengale, John A " Patton, George " Robertson, Jas. M " Towndro Wm. N " Walker, Henry R " Bursal!, Mitchell " Li, Mounted Rangers, one year. Cooper, Barney " Cooper, Sylvester " Pomeroy, Simeon " Stone, Lewis " Sancomb, Henry " Wakefield, Edward Harding, Hiram I '• H, 2nd Regiment Cavalry, three years. DuCate. Mitchell Foss, Melvin A " Nelson, Albert C " Nelson, Alex G " Shufelt. Sheldon " Whiteman, Joseph " Carlton, Nelson W " Carlton, Jas. S " Brayton, D. L '. " L', iltli ■' intantry, one year. Chapin, Morris P " Cooper, Joseph " Middaugh, John A " Maiers, Jas. A " Park, Frank L " Richardson, John L " Rice, Tobias L " Robertson, Chas. D " Dayton, John D " Netzel, John A •' Dibble, Jerome P " Champney, A. E " Cripps.Wm " F, 1st " Infantry, three years. Allen, David F " Filbel, Henry " Nash, Elbert " Wickwire, Philander " Stone, Lewis A " Yetter, Samuel " t\ ist '• Artillery, one year. B, Bracket's Battalion. D, 9th Regi ment. Infantry, D, 9th ti D, 9th (t D, 9th " D, 9th .i D, 9th (( A, 1st (( D, 6th (1 D, 9th [( D, 9th (C D, 9th u D, 9th (( D. 9th ( I D, 9th i( D, 9th il L, Moun ted Rangers, L, L, L, L, L, L, H, 2nd Regiment Cavalry, H, 2n(l (( " H, 2nd (t ii H, 2nd i( i* H, 2nd ([ U H, 2nd •• (t H, 2nd i; bt K, 2nd i( u K, 2nd it '• C, 11th (( Infantry, C, 11th i. Ik C, 11th t( (( C, 11th (1 a C, 11th t( '■ C, nth I i (( C, 11th ( i u C, 11th " (( C, 11th a (I F, 1st u Artillery F, 1st it (( H, 1st " (( H, 1st (I (1 F, 1st i( Infantry, G, 1st (( " G, Ist (( t( G, 1st i( ti G, 1st (( (1 H, 2nd (( Cavalry, F, 1st it Artillery, 10 I HISTOUY OF WALNUT t-AKK ToWNSIIll" DISTKICT. DulTy, James Company I, 9lli Ut'gimcnt lofantry, three years. DulTy, John " I, 9th " " Sauer, Chris " L, Mounted Rangers, one year. Post, Aaron S " H, 2d Regiment, Cavalry, three years. Post, W. H " H, 2d lialmat, Jerome " H, 2d Mattin, James " H, 2d Merry, James E " H, 2d Uolph, Geo. W " II, 2d Trowbridge, David " H, 2d " Waterbury. Sam. B " II, 2d Ford, James E " C, 2d " Aschman, Jcjhn " C, 11th " Infantry, one year. Kaufman, Jacob " C, llth Melady, Richard " D, 1st " Artillery, McGrady.Chas " D, 1st Weston, Chas. B " D, 1st Terhurner, John H " D, 1st " Stewart, Wm. W drafted, 2d " Infantry, three years Trowbridge, Truman " 4th " " " M'INNEBAGO CITY TOWNSDII". Baker, George Company B, Bracket's Battalion, three years. Brown, Frank M " D, 9th Regiment Infantry, " Burk, C. F " D, 9th Badger, Jas.S " H, 4th Badger, Sam. M " H, 4th Cograve, John W " H, 2d Chapel, Chas. E " C, 5th Chapin, Henry " B, Bracket's Battalion, " Crosby, Reuben II " H, 2d Regiment Infantry, " Chapel, John B " D, 9th Clabaugh, James " D, 9th Chesrown, Ezra " K, 9th Ellis, Wm.H " D, 9th Fagin, Daniel " H, 2d Goodfellow, Levi C " D, 9th Huntington, Jas " D, 6th " " " Latimer, Wash. K " D, 9lh Miller. John iN " B, Bracket's Battalion, More, John. " B, Miller, Peter M " D, 9th Regiment Infantry, Madison, Bailey " D, 6th Sinclair, John " D, 9th Terhune, Daniel F " D, 9th Terhune, Maurice " H, 2d " " " Taylor, Lyman " C, 9th \annice, Robt. R " B, Bracket's Battalion, Christie, J. Lute " II, Mounted Rangers, one year Fossett, Isaac " L, " " Lucas, Thdmas " B, Moar, Andrew " B, Mason. Jas " L, FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 225 Snell, Jacob Company B, Mounted Rangers, one year Washburn, Lewis " B, Warn, A " L, Hoover, Joseph " H, 2cl Regiment cavalry, three years Shufelt, Henry C ,.... " H, 2d Rohbins, Henry C " H, 2d Brown, Wm " H, 2d Clow,F.A " H, 2d Dunn, Geo. B " H, 2d Daby.Moses " H, 2d |' '' || Daby, Samuel " H, 2d Hockenhall, Joseph " H, 2d Kimball, Chas. H " H, 2d Lamphear, Mason H " H, 2d Robinson, John " H, 2d " " " Saunders, Geo. W " H, 2d Thurston, Wm. L " H, 2d Walter, Edwin " H, 2d " " " Webster, Sanford " H, 2d Latimer, Pleasant " D, 9th " Infantry, " Denton, Myron S " C, llth " " one year Goodnow, Julius C " C, llth Hardwig, W. H " C, llth Leise,Benj.F " C, llth " " " Mason, Jas. K " C, llth Miller, Wm.C " C, llth Hoffman, Leonard " F, 1st " Artillery, " Forsythe, Geo " G, 1st Carel, Patrick " H, 1st Dumpprope, David H " H, 1st " " " Kiefer, Scott " H, 1st " " " Snell, Jacob " L, 1st " " " Borden, Lysander " F, 1st " Infantry, three years Here the record of this tremendous year of triumphs, of great joys and profound sorrows, must close. And now but a decade of years has passed since the first settler, with his family, took up his residence here, not another white man within the borders of the county and surrounded only by the silent, virgin prairies, marked alone by Indian trails. But the fine soil, the distribution of the timber, the beautiful landscape and the salu- brious climate gave him good reason to hope that in the not distant future he should be surrounded by a prosperous and hapjay people. He was not disappointed. But ten years had passed and the county had a population of neax-ly five thousand people, two thriving villa- ges, mills and workshops, many good farms, schools and churches, society established, the laws administered and all the blessings of civilized life, existing under favorable auspices. 226 HISrOIlY OF CHAPTER XII. A. D. 1866. ""Tis done: again the conquering Chief appears, In the dread vision of dissolving years; His vesture dipped in blood, His eyes of (lame. The word of God His everlastinj; name: Throned in mid-heaven, with clouds of glory spread. He sits judgment on the quick and dead."— Jfonfffomeri/. The j'ear 1866 was one of the j'ears, which by religious enthu- siasts and would-be jirophets. as well as by some careful investiga- tors, have from time to time been foretold, as the last of the earth's history, the year, which should close the great drama of time, and be the final consummation of all sublunary things. Some of these predictions were based upon the supposed effects of the near approach to, or collision with, the earth in its passage, of that anomalous body, known as Biela's Comet, due in 1866. But the comet, though due, did not appear during this year. There has been for many years some forebodings as to the influence of this comet upon the earth. We proceed to relate briefly what events transpired in this county during this year, and it is necessary, in the order of time, to refer first to the new board of COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. The Board, now consisting of five members, met on the 2d day of January and organized for business, by electing Allen Shultis, of Elmore, chairman for the year. A session of three days was held, during which much important business was done. Prior to this time the supervison of the public schools of the county was in the hands of five persons, known as school examiners. But a system existed by law at the time, which provided for a single superintendent of schools for the whole county, and who should receive such salary as the Board might deem proper. This system of school supervision could be adopted by any of the counties of the State, whenever the commissioners thereof deemed it advisable. At this session of the Board, the system was adopted for this countj\ and A. H. Pelsey was appointed superintendent, at an annual salary of 1^175 00. The examiner system then ceased to exist. The com- missioners met again on March 19th. June 28th, and Sept. 4th, but their action of historic interest is referred to elsewhere. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 227 OUR STATESMEN. The eighth State Legislature met January 2d and adjourned March 2d. The district was represented in the legislature of 1866, by D. G. Shillock, of Brown county, in the Senate, and James B Wakefield, of Fairbault county, in the House. Mr. Wakefield was elected speaker of the House, being the first representative of the district who held that very important and honorable ofBce. An- drew C. Dunn, of this county, was again elected chief clerk of the House of Representatives. The legislature of this year re-districted the State for legisla- tive purposes. It was enacted that "The twentieth district shall be composed of the counties of Faribault, Martin, Jackson, Cotton- wood, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone and Rock, and shall be entitled to elect one senator and one representative."' The other acts of this session, relating to this county were: "An act authorizing the president of the town couacil of the town of Wln- nobaiio City to execute certain conveyances, and to amend an act entitled 'An act to incorporate the town of Winnebago City, approved Feb. 19, 1857.'" "An act to authorize the trustees of School District No. 7 in the county of Faribault to issue bonds for the purpose of building a school house in said district.'' "An act to legalize the action of the trustees of School District No. 14, in Faribault county, in issuing the bonds of said district to build a school house therein."' "An act to provide for the payment of certain taxes by the town of Emerald in Faribault county." "An act to provide for the location of a state road from Winnebago Agency in Blue Earth county to "Walnut Lake in Faribault county. "An act to locate and establish a state road from Wilton in Waseca county to Winnebago City in Faribault county." "An act to change the name of the town of Marples in Faribault county to that of Minnesota Lake." Approved Feb. 23, 1866. RAILROADS. In January, the legislature being in session, a railroad project was inaugurated by certain of the members, in which this county was interested. The following notice of the matter taken from the St. Paul Pioneer indicates the object and scope of the project. "Articles of incorporation of a new railroad company were yesterday filed with the Secretary of State. The object as the name indicates, is to construct a railroad from the Mississippi river through the southern tier of counties of this State to the Missouri river. The route of the road is described through Houston, Fillmore, Mower, Freeborn, Faribault, Martin, Jackson, Nobles and Rock bounties, and the main line is designed to run through the flourishing young cities of La Crescent, Chatfleld, High Forest, Austin, Albert Lea, Blue Earth City, thence to Yankton on the Missouri, with a branch line from High Forest to Rochester. The capital of the company is to be $10,000,000." Among the incorporators were the names of J. B. Wakefield, Geo. D. McArthur and Wm. Dustin, residing in this county. 228 IIISTonV OF The Southern Minnesota Railroad Company had already been organized, and designed building a road through the counties above- named and had already made a ])artial survey of a route. But this route ignoring many of the villages above named, gave much dis- satisfaction to the people of those places. It was at the time ex- pected that congress would soon make a grant of public lands to the State, to aid in the building of a road through the counties named above, and which grant was made on the 6th day of July following. This new company was therefore organized to compete with the S. M. R. R. Co. for the grant, if satisfactory terms could not be made with that company as to the points or localities through which the road should run. The new company was named the La Crescent, Rochester and Yankton Railroad Company. It is proper here to give a synopsis of the act of Congress mak- ing the grant of lands, as it was through this grant our county se cured its first railroad, and further, because out of these railroad matters grew, subse(iuently, a great deal of political strife, in this as well as in some other counties. The grant was made by Congress to the State of Minnesota "for the purpose of aiding in the construction of a railroad from Hous- ton in the county of Houston, through the counties of Fillmore. Mower, Freeborn and Faribault to the western boundary of the State" and gave "every alternate section designated by odd numbers to the amount of five altei'nate sections per mile on each side of said road." But in case it should appear that any of the lands granted as aforesaid, should have been already claimed by settlers or other- wise disposed of, then other lands nearest to the lands granted, designated by odd numbers and within twenty miles of the line of road, might be selected to supply the deficiency. The public lands remaining to the general government, within ten miles of the line of road were raised in price to §2.50 per acre. And it was further enacted, "that the land hereby granted shall be disposed of by said State for the purposes aforesaid only, and in manner following: Namely: When the Governer of said State shall certify to the Secretary of the Interior that any section of ten con- secutive miles of said road is completed * * then the Secretary of the Interior shall issue to the State patents for all the lands in alternate sections, designated by odd numbers, situated within twenty miles of the road so completed, and lying co-terminous to said completed section of ten miles, and not exceeding one hun- dred sections, for the benefit of the road having completed the ten consecutive miles as aforsaid." "Provided, however, ]that the coterminous principal hereby ap- plied, shall not extend to such lands as are taken by the said rail- FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 229 road company to make up deficiencies. Provided that no land to make up deficiencies shall be taken at any point within ten miles of each side of the line of said road." The proceeding was the same for each ten miles of the road completed. The road was to be completed within ten years from the acceptance of the grant, or the lands not already patented reverted to the United States. This magnificent grant of lands was to be disposed of by the next succeeding legislature to such company and upon such terms and conditions as might be thought expedient. Out of these facts and circumstances arose the great "points" and "no points" contest in this and several other counties, which existed for several years and caused much turmoil, expense, bad blood and aspersion of character. It is interesting, even somewhat amusing at this distant day, to look back upon these events, which once so engaged the attention of our people, but are now almost for- gotten. The events of those times also illustrate through what great tribulations, grand and beneficent enterprises have often to pass before completion. METEOROLOGICAL. The weather during the latter part of December, 1865, and Jan- uary of this year, was very cold and stormy, and several persons in this county who were exposed, were frozen to death — one at Pilot Grove.two reported at Rice Lake and two at Minnesota Lake. About the 13th of February a terrific snow storm prevailed over the whole country, lasting some twenty- four hours, and will long be sadly re- membered for its fury and intense cold. A number of persons were frozen to death and others badly injured during this storm in this, and in Martin county. Much snow covered the ground during the winter and the spring was late and cold. But little seeding was done until the latter part of April. The spring of this year is well described in the following ironical words, lately penned by some cynical individual, who evi- dently does not "take much stock" in the usual platitudes written in relation to spring. •'Gentle spring, wrapped in flannel and furs: wheezing, coughing, sneezing and running up a doctor's bill; airy, draughty, rheumatic spring, lotions, mix- tures, cough drops and chest protectors— Hail, gentle spring." WASHINGTON'S BIRTHDAY. February twenty-second of this year was the 134th anniversary of Washington's birthday, and it was observed with more than the usual formalities in the large cities, and expecially at the Federal capitol. The day is one of our national legal holidays. It has not. 230 lllSTonV OF during the past years, been observed to anj- great extent in this county, nor is it generally observed to the extent it should be in the rural districts. In the larger cities it is, however, usually celebra- ted by extensive military parades, the closing up of business houses, the dismissal of the public schools for the day, the adjournment of public bodii\s and other appropriate ceremonies and demonstra- tions.. George Washington was born on the 22d day of February, 1732. and died December 14th, 1799. During the time intervening between these dates some of the most important political events in their par- ticular character and far-reaching influences upon the political des- tinies of mankind known to history, transpired on this continent, at the head of which, as chief actor, was Washington. But of all men living or dead it is the least necessary to write a eulogy on Washington, and the writer does not propose to attempt it, for the life, character and deeds of this man who was "first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen," are known to all people of intelligence everywhere. Even little children can talk to us about Wasliington. Yet a few words may be written here as the authors humble tribute to this great man. His. indeed, is the most illustrious name in history, unapproashed and unapproachable. And the justice of his exalted position is such that this place is ac- corded to him by the universal judgment of mankind. As commander-in-chief of the patriot armies in the long war of independence he proved himself to be one of the greatest military commanders of any age or nation. He was not only successful, but he accomplished success in the face of the most persistent opposi- tion of the best drilled soldiers of the age, and these results he achieved, not with ample means, but with less means to accomplish a purjwse than those possessed by any commander of ancient or modern times. Then having won the independence of his country and a position in which he could have assumed and retained absolute power, he crowned his military career and honors by as sublime an act as is anywhere recorded — he voluntarily surrendered his position and authority to those who r/ave it. Then placed at the head, as chief magistrate of a new nation, surrounded by greai and difficult prob- lems and untried ways and methods on every hand, he proved him- self as em iiimt n stati'sma)! and patriot as any age can name. Confi- dence in Washington was that of all things which made ))ossible the organization of our government, and no man, in any age, stood for so much to his country and uHink-ind as he. His ability, sagacitj'. firm- ness, foresight and moderation, provided not only for the exigency of the time, but marked out and plainly designated the way of the future, and then, this great work done, he again roluutarily lniddsoott 79 81 Dunbar •?^, 26 .58 63 Guthrie 9 774 67 l-'l Totals 1"09 240 HISTOHY OF The election over, the victors of course, rejoiced- the beaten were disgusted and silent. "Points" won and although Mr. Brown, the homestead candidate for auditor was defeated, yet as Mr. Wake- field was the senatorial nominee of the homestead party and was elected, the other issue "no taxation of homesteads" also triumphed. The fight was made on the candidates for senator, representa- tive and auditor. "No homestead taxation" and "points" were united against "no points." As to the newspapers the Free Home- utead at Winnebago City favored "no points," and the Southtuest at Blue Earth City, sustained the homstead and "points" cause. The contest from the beginning, until the ballot box finally de- cided the issues, was very bitter and personal not only in this county, but throughout the legislative district. Both the county and the district were canvassed in their length and breadth, and every voter understood the issues. Party politics were entirely thrown aside, and democrat and republican, rallied shoulder to shoulder, on one side or the other of these local issues. Here is a story for politicians, taken from the Scientific Ameri can. "A man wanted to learn in what profession he would have his son engage. He put the boy in a room, with an apple, a Bible and a silver dollar. He left the room and decided that if upon his return he found the boy reading the Bible, he would make a minister of him. If he was eating the apple he should be a farmer, and if he had put the dollar in his pocket he should be a banker. When he returned he found the boy sitting on the Bible eating the apple, and had put the dollar in his pocket. What did he make of the boy? Well he made him a politician." THE END. The year 1866, like all preceding years, came to an end, having completed its full time. Notwithstanding the prophecies of "the end of the world," to occur this year, the earth regularly, as through countless years and centuries before, performed its diurnal revolutions, kept within its orbit and pursued its journey around the sun. The sun continued to shine, and the seasons to follow each other in their regular course and the rain to fall on the just and the unjust. "For the prophecy came not in the old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit." Many years after writing the foregoing sketch of the year 1866. the writer deemed it proper to add the following section. During the last three-quarters of a century and at least for a period dating back as far as the time of the great Millerite excitement of 1843, there has been a widely-spread opinion existing, not only among FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 241 persons given to alarms, wonders and sensationalism, but also among many thoughtful, intelligent and conservative investigators, that we are living in the "last tiioes," or as has been variously ex- pressed or understood, that some great crisis in the affairs of man- kind is near at hand — that we are near the close of the Christian dispensation — that the final judgment "the judgment of the great day" is imminent — that we are near "the end of the world." And the proi^hecies of the second advent of Christ being so frequently and explicitly declared in the Scriptures, it is not remarkable that there should be found one or more religious bodies making that im- portant truth and the near approach of the final judgment — the de- struction of all material things — the end of the world, as they believe, and the duties of Christians, growing out of these facts if such they be, primary points in their religion beliefs. And considering these prophecies and the stupendious charac- ter of the events they foretold, and those which they purport to foretell as yet to occur, it is not strange that many persons through the past centuries and in the present times have sought to interpret these prophecies and determine the time of the second advent or "the end of the world," whatever that may signify. The wonder is that if the prophecies relating to this matter, can be interpreted, the subject has not attracted universal attention, for it is certainly a subject of universal and overwhelming interest. But there are many — far too many, indeed, who are of the class described in 2d Peter iii: 3, 4, and will be to the end of time itself. 242 BJSTOny >2. 14; oats. *1.00; potatoes, ^1.00 per bushel. Flour, $7.00 per hundred pounds and butter 25 cents jjer pound. These were high prices, but we were destined to see and pay still higher figures further along in the year. THE DELUGE. The snows of the winter began to go o£E about the middle of April, with heavy rains. In fact the spring was characterized all over the country by almost incessant and deluging rains, and was very late and cold. The streams became very high, and vast districts of country along the course of the great rivers were submerged, and much damage was done by the fioods. Bridges were swept awaj', all lowlands were overflowed, and the roads for a time were literally im- passable. During the sj^ring many cattle died of disease and short feed. Hay was very scarce, and the price went up to •i!7.00 per ton. High waters and rains accompanied by heavy storms con- tinued until the latter part of June. It was almost impossible to do the necessary seeding, and immigration and improvements were much retarded. To add to the general discomfort and distress, pro visions of all kinds, owing to the short crops of the previous year, became very scarce and high. Wheat, near harvest, sold at from $2.50 to §5.3.00 per bushel; oats, $1.00 per bushel; potatoes, §2 50 per bushel; ttour, $10.00 per hundred weight; pork, twenty-five cents per pound, and money was very scarce. Actual suffering existed in many localities in the county because of the want of the commonest articles of food. It was truthfully said that many of the poorer families in the country were compelled to subsist for weeks on a few coarse vegetables, such as rutabagas and turnips, and several instances were related in which several families subsisted upon rutabagas and coarse bran alone for weeks, and in some other instances on ground corn and potatoes. Relief to a limited extent was afforded in a number of the worst cases, but few were able to assist others. The state of distress at one time became so pressing that in cer- tain sections of the neighboring country the people, it was rumored, designed clubbing together and making a raid on the stores, gran- eries and mills in Blue Earth City, and take by force what they had FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 245 not the means to bay. But it should not be thought that the resi- dents of the villages were insensible and selfish. The fact was that no one had anything to spare. Many in the villages were as desti- tute almost as those in the country, and all that could be done was done to assist the most needy. Aid, inthe way of food, clothing and seed grain was granted by the State, benevolent societies and indi- viduals, to the people of many of the frontier counties. During the high waters a boat came from East Chain Lakes, in Martin county, to Blue Earth City by way of Badger creek, and returned safely with several sacks of flour. This is the only known instance of the navigation of the Badger. Several boats also came from the same locality by way of Center creek and the Blue Earth river to Winnebago City, for supplies. SMALL TALK. We find the following announcements in the South West of June 8th and 15th of this year: "Subscriptions are being received for building in this city a new steamer for the Cincinnati and New Orleans trade." "Nobody is prophesying a dry season this year. He may be a false prophet." "Navigation is now open by way of the Badger to Chain Lakes." "These statements are more valuable as showing the condition of the country than for their wit." As the rain ceased and the new crops of the year came into market the general distress was relieved, and matters assumed a more cheerful and encouraging aspect, but were still far from being entirely satisfactory. OUR NEWSPAPERS. On or about the 20th day of February the Free Homestead, at Winnebago City, changed proprietors, J. L. Christie retiring and E. A. Hotchkiss becoming the proprietor and editor of the paper. Mr. Christie says, good naturedly, in his brief valedictory, among other things, "And now kind friends and patrons, wishing you all a prosjDerous future, we bid you all a kind adieu, hoping you have no ill-will toward us and assuring you that we have none toward you." On assuming charge of the paper Mr. Hotchkiss writes, "The polit- ical character of the Homestead will not be changed, but remain ever ready to advocate the right and condemn the wrong, as it is viewed through republican glasses." About this time a novel idea seems to have seized the editor of the South West. In the issue of March 2d, of that paper, there ap- pears on the first page some twenty-six revival hymns, and the tenth chapter of St. John's gospel in full. It was certainly a very curious 246 HISTOIiY OF newspaper page and attracted considerable attention. Did the editor suppose that this matter would be considered "news" to the benighted people of this region? While treating of newspapers it may be well to state that the first convention of newspaper editors ever held in Minnesota met during the month of February, of this year, at St. Paul, at which time the Minnesota Editorial Association was formed. A large number of delegates were present and the convention was in every way a perfect success. The Homestead says: "The citizens of St. Paul nobly responded to the efforts of the city press to make the guests welcnnie. The novcrndr (,'ave a receiitioo, the mayor took them in, the senate invited tlieiii wilhin the bar, the doors of the Opera house were opened, hotel proprietors presented rare bills of fare, and an artist offered to photot'raph the whole lot, free." ho! for MONTANA. In the early part of the year, considerable public interest was created in this county and elsewhere throughout the State, in con- sequence of the organization in this State, of what was known as "The Great Overland Expedition to Montana." by Capt. P. B. Davy, of this county. Montana was supposed to be rich in the precious, metals — a new California — and many desired to go to this new El Dorado. But the journey was a long one, and somewhatperilous and hence the organization of this expedition, which provided a comparatively cheap and safe way of reaching the land of gold. The expedition, when tinally made up, consisted of about seven hundred souls, and included some seventy families, about one- half of the whole number, however, were destined ultimately for the Willamette Valley, Oregon Territory. The company with its great train of one hundred and thirty wagons and other conveyances, left Minneapolis, Minn., on the long journey, near the middle of May. The expedition reached Port Abercrombie about the 1st of July, Port Stevenson about August 1st, and proceeded thence by way of Port Buford, near the mouth of the Yellow Stone river, to Port Benton, the head of navigation on the Missouri. Here the company divided, about one-half proceed- ing on the way to Oregon, the other portion pursuing the route to Helena, Montana, the objective point, which place was reached the middle of September. The expedition was conducted through without loss of life, or serious accident, and was in the main a success. In December fol- lowing Capt. Davy returned to this State and immediately began the organization of a large company for the exploration of the Black Hills of Dakota, to which some reference will be made hereafter. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 247 THE COURT. The June term of the district court was adjourned until the 21st day of October, the Judge assigning as one reason for the ad- journment, "the backwardness of the season." A term of five days was held in October, and quite a number of causes were heard and disposed of by the court. They have a curious way of deciding law-suits in Siam. Both parties are put under cold water, and the one staying longest wins the suit. It is different here. In this country, both parties are got into hot water, and then kept there as long as possible. The re- sult is about the same. THE COMMISSIONERS. On the 26th day of June, the commissioners again met and among other business ti-ansacted, we find the granting of licenses to run ferry boats on the Blue Earth river. One ferry was established at Latimer's Ford, and one at Dunham's Ford As being of some in- terest and possibly useful in similar cases occurring hereafter, it is well to state the rate of tolls which was established at this time. Here is the schedule: One pair of horses or oxen and wagon Fifty cents. One horse and buggy Twenty-five cents. One horse and rider Twenty cents. One footman Ten cents. The chairman of the board was authorized to grant licenses and fix tolls thereafter. The board met again September 3d, but, either not caring for history, or having nothing of importance to do, they did nothing worthy of being rescued from oblivion. "LIBERTY FOREVER." And now we have to record a singular fact. It does not appear that our nation's birthday was celebrated in this county in 1867. Indeed the editor of the South West announced in his paper that, "on account of the lateness of the season, the 4th of July has beea post- poned." THE HUSBANDMAN'S REWARD. The harvest was light. The grain was not all cut even as late as the 28th of August, and then nearly all of it had yet to be stacked. Much of the wheat was blighted this year, especially that grown on corn ground. The corn crop was not a good one. THE NATIONAL GAME. It was in this year, 1867 that the new National game of baseball was introduced into this county, and for many years after was the 248 HISTOIiV OF great game of the young men and boys. Games of ball had existed long previous to this, but they were only simple affairs. This new game of ball was made up upon new and scientific principles and was conducted according to strict regulations. Base ball clubs, under the new system, were organized everywhere throughout the United States, and some of these clubs acquired a national reputa- tion because of their great skill and success. There were also National and State organizations. Clubs of professionals traveled great distances to meet others in match games, in which as much interest was felt by certain classes as in the great horse races and trotting matches. A notable game was played at Blue Earth City, in this county, on the 30th day of August, of this year, between the Blue Earth City club and the Frontier club of Mankato. The "Fron- tiers" did not win the game. They came up in great style, but the country "Jakes" were too much for them. Each club, according to the regulations, had its officers, and when playing match games usually were dressed in a close, neat fitting and picturesque uniform. The game required nine men on a side — the captain, who was the catcher; the pitcher, the short stop, first, second and third base, the right field, the center field and the left field. There was also an umpire who decided all disputes, and a scorer who kept the count. Changes are made occasionally in the regulations, but the above outline coustitutes the basis arrangement. Ball clubs have been formed in all the villages and in most of the townships of the county, and match games between the various clubs were quite frequent for some years, especially on great public days, as the Fourth of July, and afforded a great deal of amuse- ment. Cracked heads, disjointed fingers and bruised shins, were often among the haps and mishaps of hardly contested games. Very novel matches were gotten up sometimes, to the great amusement of the spectators, such for instance as a game between the "heavy nines," usually composed of the heaviest men of the locality, and the "small nines," made up of small boys. It is a remarkable fact, never yet satisfactorily accounted for on any well-established philosophical principles, that in these matches the boys always con- trived to win the game, and inflict more or less misery of various kinds on the other side. It may be further added that each ball club assumed a name by which it was known and addressed, as the White Stockings, the Red Stockings, the Blue Jackets, the Innocents, the Greentops, the Yell- hards and like apt titles. Of late years the interest in this once great game has much sub- sided, and in many sections of the country, especially in this county, the clubs have ceased to exist, but will doubtless be revived again. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 249 THE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. There is but little to write of the proceedings of the agricultural society for this year, and that little may all be expressed in this one paragraph. There was a meeting of the society held at Blue Earth City, July li7th, at which time a list of premiums was drawn up. Early in September, L. W. Brown, president, offered in behalf of the society, a premium of fifteen dollars to any ball club in the State which would win the prize in a game to be played on the last day of the annual fair. The fair was held at Blue Earth City on the 25th and 26th days of September. The weather was fine, but the fair was not a great success. BIG TALK. Some of the subjects of public interest and discussion, during the year, were the following: In February: The passage, by congress, of the military gov- ernment bill, for the southern states. In March: The appointment of military governors, to various districts in the South; the purchase of Alaska from Russia. In May: The admission to bail of the arch-traitor, Jeff. Davis. In June: The shooting, in Mexico, of the invader, Maximilian. In September: The dedication of the national cemetery at Antietam. In December: The organization of the Patrons of Husbandry, or Farmers' Grange, at Washington, D. C. ; the commencement of proceedings to impeach President Johnson. THE CLAMOR FOR OFFICE. The election of a governor and several other State officers, added somewhat to the interest of the campaign this fall. The candidates for governor were Wm. R. Marshall, republican, and Chas. E. Flandrau, democrat. A proposed adjustment of the State railroad bonds and several amendments to the constitutonwere to be voted upon. The Republican County Convention was held at Blue Earth City, on the 25th day of September. The following nominations were made. For Treasurer — R. B. Johnson. For Sheriff— F. F. Harlow. For Judge of Probate — A. F. De La Vergne. For County Attorney — J. H. Sprout. For Coroner — A. J. Rose. For Court Commissioner — A. F. De La Vergne. 250 HI STORY OF The Republican Legislative District Convention was held at Fairmont, Martin county, on the 2d day of October, and nominated for re election, as representative, A. Andrews, of that county. Several days lator another legislative convention was held at Winnebago City, in the interest of the "No-pointers," and nominated A. B. Colton, of Martin county, for representative. The democracy, rallying from their lethargy, held a district and county convention at Blue Earth City, on the 12th day of October, and made the following nominations. R. B. Simmons, for Representative. Silas Richardson, for Sheriff. C. M. Sly, for Treasurer. G. B. Kingslej', for County Attorney. D. H. Morse, for Coroner. The only issue in this campaign besides that of general politics was that of "points" or "no jioints," and the main contest was, of course, upon the office of representative. The law had established the "points," and the railroad company had accepted the grant of lands with the "i^oints" fixed, it is true, but the company alleged that they could not and would not build the road through the points named, and that unless the "points" condition was removed the building of the road would be indefinitely delayed or entirely defeated. The "points" party held that the public con- venience and "the greatest good to the greatest number," required the road to be built through the points named, and that it could be as easily built on that line as on any other, hence the "no pointers" sought to elect a representative favorable to removing this restric- tion, the other party to retaining it. The election was held on the 5th day of November. The fol- lowing table exhibits the vote in this county: For Governor— W. R. Marshall 919 Chas. E. Flandrau 301 For Representative— A. Andrew."! 583 A. B. ColtoD 502 R. K Simmons 104 For Judge of Probate— A. F. De La Vergne 955 ForSherilT—F. F. Harlow 903 S. Richardson 301 For Treasurer— R. B. Johnson 941 C. M.Sly 277 For County Attorney— J. H. Sprout 887 G. B. Kingsley 328 For Court Commissioner— A. F. De La Vergne 952 For Coroner— A. J. Rose 917 D. 11. Morse 296 H. J. Neal was elected county commissioner for district No. 2, and W. J. Robinson for district No. 3. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 251 The remainder of the legislative district gave Mr. Colton a ma- jority sufficient to elect him representative, and this was a triumph for the "no pointers." STAMP TAXES AND LICENSE FEES. The reader will remember how odious Stamp Acts were held to be by the people of this country in our early history. In 1765 an attempt was made by Great Britain to levy a tax on the colonies in this manner. It will be remembered, also, how earn- estly Benjamin Franklin, then in London, labored to prevent the passage of the act, and how Samuel Adams, the ''Father of the Revo- lution," denounced this act; how the indignation of the people blazed out when they heard of the passage of the act. because of its gross injustice, and how the "Sons of Liberty, "in Boston demolished the building where the stamps were to be sold. A similar spirit at the time prevailed over the whole country. This obnoxious act was repealed the next year. But times and circumstances and hard necessities, alter cases. During the great rebellion — 1861-5 — stamp duties or taxes were laid by our general government on almost every form of legal instrument, and other papers of value, and on packages of a great variety of manufactured articles, some of which still continue to be imposed. The stamps were of various sizes, values and devices and resembled our postage stamps. License fees were also charged on various oc- cupations and pursuits. The object of all this was, of course, to aid in the raising of revenue to support the government and pay the enormous expenses of the war. There was but little opposition to this form of taxation, among the loyal people. Stamp duties on legal instruments, and license fees on occupations continued for a number of years after the war, and were in full force at this time, but were finally I'epealed, except on some manufactured articles as above stated. We state here some of the more common stamp duties and li- cense fees required by law, as a matter of interest to the generation which has come upon the stage of action since the war: Agreement or contract, in writing, each sheet $ .05 Bank check or draft 02 Promissory note, per each SlOO or fraction 05 Bond of indemnity, for each $1,000 or fraction 50 Bond of executor, administrator or guardian, where the property exceeded $1,000 in value 1. 00 Official bonds 1.00 Deeds, conveying lands, consideration under $500, 50 cts. Consideration $1,000, $1.00 and each $500 additional or fraction thereof 50 Life insurance policy for less than $1,000 25 Exceeding $1,000 and not execeeding $5,000 50 Fire Insurance policy, not exceeding $10.00 premium 10 252 HISTORY OF Not exceedinjrSoOOO 25 Leases, rental $H00 per annum or less 50 Mortgages of real or personal estate, same as deeds. Power of attorney to sell lands 1 .00 Probate of will, value of estate over 81,000 and not exceeding $2,000. $1.00 and every additional $1,000 or fraction thereof 50 Receipt for money paid, over $20.00 02 Trust deed, as security, same as a mortgage. License fees on occupations, etc. Lawyers, $10.00; physicians JIO. 00; claim agents, $10.00; insurance agents, $10.00, and many other occupations— like fees. LOOKING HEAVENWARD. On November 14th of this year, a remarkable meteoric shower was witnessed in the United States, of which Prof. Loomis. of New Haven, Conn., gives the following account: "A display of shooting-stars occurred this morning, and attained its great- est magniflcence about 4:30 o'clock. I counted 500 meteors alone in one hour, which would indicate about 2,000 per hour for the entire heavens, and that, too, in the presence of a full moon, which probably eclipsed two-thirds of the whole number. So far as the numbers are concerned, the exhibition was, therefore, more remarkalile than that seen in Europe last November, and was but little inferior to that seen in the United States in 1833." "What eye can pass Him over, Spreading aloft in the clear night? Him (God), flrst. Whoever scans the heavens is sure to trace." Nothing further remains to be said of the history of this year. It was one of the least eventful, least interesting and least profit- able, in the history of the county. The times during the whole year were, taking all things together, very discouraging to all classes of people, especially the farmers. Many were gloomy, lost their en- ergies and felt as though their labors and efforts were in vain. Such seasons of despondency and fear of difficulties ahead come to all sometimes, whatever their station in life may be. and is a very un- happy and unprofitable condition, from whatever cause discourage- ment may come. It is never best, in any of the proper ways of life, or business, to lose hope or abandon effort and it would be well if every one should know and oft repeat the following golden words of the poet, so apt. truthful, practical: "The wise and active conquer difflculties l>y dariwj to allempt them; Sloth and folly Shiver and shrink at sight of toil and hazard, And make the impossibility they fear.'' FARIBAULT COUNTY. MINNESOTA. 253 CHAPTER XIV. A. D. 1868 In this historic panorama of the year, as it passes in I'eview before us, we at last behold, high up on the canvas, the emblazoned figures 1868. What of this almost forgotten year? How little any one remembers definitely of the events of any past year. Two or three personal incidents makes up the sum total. All other events are vague and uncertain and may belong to a year, two or three years before, or after. But for the historian's labor the events of the past, however important would soon, in the lapse of time, become mere traditions in which truth and fable are indistinguishable, and they constantly growing more uncertain, would at last pass forever from the memory of man. In recounting the events of this year, a proper regard for our local legislative body and the order of incidents as to time, requires the statement that our county commissioners assembled on the 7th day of January and had a session of four days. All the further ac- tions of the board at this session, which it is needful to record here, is that Henry J. Neal was reelected chairman, and it was decided to let the contract for building the county jail, a much-needed im- provement in the light of public economy. The board met again on the 10th and 11th days of February, but did nothing of importance, but reject a number of exorbitant bids for building the jail. Other meetings of the board were held March 10th, June 12th and Sept. 1st, but the business done was of no special interest. A CONVENTION. Though somewhat out of the order of events, it may be noted here that on the 25th day of January, a convention of homestead men was held at Blue Earth City, of which John A. Dean was chair- man. In view of the demand of the "homesteaders," that further action be had by the legislature, then in session, in relation to tax- ation of homestead claims, the party at this convention was re- organized, a number of bylaws were adopted for the government of the society, and the name "The Free-Homestead Society of Faribault County," was adopted. This convention meant to accomplish some- thing for the relief of homestead men, as will be seen hereafter, they 254 HISTORY OF eventually succeeded. This convention much assisted in hastening certain legislation mentioned hereafter. Let us now look towards the Capitol of the State where the legislature was in session and see what was being done for the good of the ])eople by THE LYCURGUSES. The State Legislature of this year which assembled January 7th and adjourned March Gth, jiassed several acts having a direct re- lation to this county. The titles of these acts were as follows: An act to provide for the payment of certain taxes by the town of Grant (Rome), in Faribault county. An act to locate, survey and establish a State road from Blue Earth City, in Faribault county, via Fairmont, in Martin county, to Jackson, in Jackson county This road was subsequently surveyed and established. An act to authorize the towns in Fillmore, Mower, Freeborn, Faribault, Martin and Jackson counties, to issue bonds to aid in the construction of any railroads running into, or through said counties. Under the provisions of this act, most of the towns in this county, at one time or another, voted to issue bonds, in various amounts, to aid in the construction of railroads in the county, as may be seen more fully by reference to the history of the several townships. An act to provide for the taxation of improvements on home- stead claims, made under the act of congress approved May 20th, 1862, entitled "An act to secure homesteads to actual settlers on the public domain, and the interest of claimants in such claims." Bj' this law all improvements on homestead claims were re- quired to be assessed and taxed, but section 4 enacted that "no tax shall be assessed or levied on any lands, held or occupied by set- tlers under said act of congress, other than on improvements made on the same, and the interest of the claimant therein, so long as the fee of the same remains in the United States.."' This act was passed to satisfy the demands of the homestead settlers of the State who objected, as we have already seen, to the taxation of their homestead claims. In this connection it should be stated that on the first day of February, Mr Wakefield, senator from this district, introduced in the senate: "A bill for an act to compel the county auditors of the sev- eral counties of the State to strike from the several tax duplicates, certain taxes therein named." Section first enacted, that the county auditorsof the several counties of the State are hereby required to strike from the several tax duplicates for the year 1867, and the sev- eral delinquent tax lists for previous years, all taxes upon lands en- tered under the act of congress, entitled an act to secure homesteads to actual settlers, etc , approved May 20th, 1862, when such taxes FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 255 have been levied upon such lands prior to the time the person or persons entering the same, were entitled to receive a patent or pat- ents therefor. Section second enacted, "such lands shall not be subject to taxation for any purpose prior to the time that the per- sons entering the same, may be entitled to patents therefor, from the United States." During the first days of February many petitions were circulated through the county and were numerously signed, praying the State legislatui'e to pass Mr. Wakefield's bill. The bill passed the Senate but failed in the House, and the act above referred to relating to the taxation of improvements on homesteads became the law of the State. That act at first sight, appeared in the main satisfactory but as con- strued for a time subsequently, proved a delusion as much as a re- lief measure. It was very much as though a stone had been given when bread had been asked. All improvements upon the home- stead ••and the Interest of the claimant therein, so long as the fee of the same remains in the United States," being assessed, taxed and held as personal property, the last cow of the homestead settler could be taken as in all other cases of personal property taxes for the payment of the tax. And the payment of the tax, too, being per- sonal, was imperative, and more immediate than if assessed as a land tax. But the act was the best and in fact all that could be obtained of the legislature at that time, and was construed differently from the intention of many of the makers of the law. It may also be stated here incidently, that an act was also passsed, approved March 4th, relieving the Southern Minnesota Railroad Company from building their road to two "points" "Preston" and "Austin," named in the bill granting them the lands, and although this action had no direct reference to this county, it was the first and most important step towards the removal of all the points. James B.Wakefield, of this county, in the Senate, and A. B. Col- ton, of Martin county, in the House, represented this district in the legislature of 1868. SOWING THE SEED. The spring of this year opened about the 20th of March, and seeding was done as early as the 23d of March. All the seeding was done early, and the weather continued quite favorable until the 24th day of April, when quite a snow storm occurred. In view of the short crops of the two preceding years, a greater breadth of land was seeded this year than ever before, every availa- ble acre being put under cultivation. The farmers were encour- aged to hope for good prices, as wheat, in May, brought two dollars per bushel, and the fact was that prices during the whole year ruled very favorably to the farmers. 256 HISTOltY OF TOPICS OF THE TIME. On the 24th day of February the House of Representatives of the United States adopted articles of impeachment of Andrew John son. President of the United States, whicli event created great com- motion in political circles, and much interest throughout the countrj'. It is not proper here to discuss what, in that day, were known as "the reconstruction measures." the "my policy," of the President, nor the President's conduct, in the exercise of the functions of hi."* high office; they are simply alluded to here, as showing the subjects of public interest at the time, and in reference to the impeachment proceedings it is sufficient to say. that a trial before the Senate of the United States, sitting as a High Court of Impeachment was had. which terminated May 16th. The vote stood thirty five for im- peachment, and nineteen against. The law required a two-thirds vote to impeach, and the vote cast for impeachment lacked one of the requisite number. Another subject of much public interest at the time, was the overland expedition to the Black Hills of Dakota, projected by Capt. P. B. Davy, a resident of this county, and which created con- siderable excitement through Ihe county and State during the spring of this year. There was very good evidence that great mineral wealth existed in that wonderful tract of country, gold, silver, copper, iron, coal, besides immense forests of pine timber, and the object of the expedition was, as stated by the projector of the enterprise, "to open up that beautiful and fertile region to settle- ment and cultivation, and establish in her rich valleys a thriving and energetic people, who will bring to light the weight of her slumbering wealth and prospect her yet undeveloped and compara- tively unknown mines." Many agencies where established throughout the State for the purpose of affording information as to the objects of the enterprise, and facilities for joining the company. The expedition was gotten up on a large scale, and it was designed that the various detach- ments should leave the State about the 20th of May, and all gather at Yankton, D. T.. the place of general rendezvous, from whence the line of march would be taken up early in .June, for the Hills. But when the expedition was about organized, it was counter- manded by the general government, on the ground that the terri- tory of country known as the Black Hills had been reserved for the occupancy of the Indians, and all others were forbidden to tres- pass upon it. and consequently this whole project had to be aban- doned. It is hardly necessary to observe at this day. that the subse- quent opening and settlement of that region, which occurred in FABIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 257 latei' years, have abundantly proved the correctness of the previous conjectures and statements as to the great mineral wealth of the country. In connection with the Black Hills project, a pamphlet of twenty-eight pages was published at the South West office, in April of this year, under the supervision of Capt. Davy, containing an elaborate notice of the exi3edition and its objects, and containing, also, an article descriptive of Blue Earth City and Faribault county. Soon after harvest following, when the expedition had been aban- doned, another pamphlet of twenty-eight pages, more fully descrip- tive of the county, gotten up by Capt. Davy, with the assistance of several other residents of Blue Earth City, was published at the Soutli West printing office, for general distribution throughout the Eastern states and Canada. These publications constituted the first, and it may be said the last efforts, until late years, beyond a few newspaper articles, to afford information, to the world at lai-ge, of the character of this county, its natural advantages for settlement, and to induce immigration. Another topic of much interest at this time, with the people generally, was the building of the Southern Minnesota Railroad. Its progress was closely watched. When it should reach this county, if ever, was a matter of considerable discussion. At this time, and for several years, Waseca, in Waseca county, on the line of the Winona and St. Peter Railroad, was the great grain and lumber market of this region of country. An immense traffic was done over the roads leading from this county to that place. Long trains of from ten to thirty or more teams — farmers' wagons and the carry- alls of the regular teamsters, were almost daily passing back and forth, hauling out grain and bringing back lumber, merchandise, etc. A number of stopping places on the line became quite famous hostelries for a number of years — Barber's and Schoffman's at Min- nesota Lake; Hill's, Caster's, Larrabee's, the taverns at Wilton, are still remembered. Many an adventure, incident and joke of the road, occurring in those days, are still told by those who journeyed to and fro. THE TRIBUNAL. On the 2d day of June, the District Court commenced its annual term, Hon. Horace Austin, presiding. The term was a very import- ant one and lasted nine days. A large calendar was disposed of, but none of the cases were of public interest. Some of the cases, how- ever, involved the decision of a number of very difficult legal points. Owing to "the smooth tongues of the lawyers and the thick heads of the jui-ors," several suitors were greatly surprised at the 258 IIISTOItY OF outcome of what they thought just causes, and were led to solilo- quise with Shakespeare: "In law, what plea so tainted and corrupt; ^ But, being season'd with a ^rracious voice, Obscures the show of evil?' THE FIRST CIRCUS AND MENAGERIE. Whatever may be thought or said of the moral aspects and in- fluences of the circus or menagerie, or both combined, it is a fact that at this day, these great travelling shows have become a great American institution and their annual visits, during the summer months, are as regular and as much expected by almost all classes of people in the cities and in the towns and villages of the country, as the Fourth of July, and they are generally woU patronized. The first of these great shows which appeared in this county was announced as "Orton Brothers Egyptian Caravan and Great South American Circus," and exhibited at Blue Earth City, on the 18th day of June of this year. It proceeded thence to Winnebago City, where it entertained the people the next day. The attendance at both places was quite large. The blazeing show bills of this institution, posted up for weeks before and studied and canvassed in all their attractions by the boys, employed the gorgeous rhetoric usual in such cases, and read in about the following glowing words: The most gigantic and magnificent combination of equestrian and artistic talent, with the most interesting and prodigious collec- tion of wonderful animals ever seen on the face of the globe ! I A colossal canvas confederation ! ! A dazzling and illimitable collection of art, Animal and arenic splendors ! ! A whole world carnival of super-best, free sensations, a mighty miracle of golden glory 1 I Many an aged reader of this brief sketch will call to remem- brance what happiness the coming of a great show gave him in his boyhood's years — how he would lie awake most of the night, pre- ceding the day of the circus, full of imaginations, conjectures and anticipations — how early he would awake the morning of that gi-eat day, and, perhaps, with many others of his age, probably barefooted and without breakfast, as the writer himself did on more than one occasion during his hopeful youth, go out miles on the road to meet the coming show— how the elephants and camels were inspected, how the wagons were viewed and numbered, with what awe and envy the drivers were regarded, and everything noted, and how proudly he marched with the possession to town — then watching the putting FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 259 up of the great tents, and the final culmination of it all, the great exhibition itself. Life as we all know in the country towns and vil- lages, brings but few such genuine, compact masses of real happi- ness to the stout, healthy and active boy, as the great tented show. Perhaps but few of the readers of this article ever heard the showman's battle cry: "Hey Rube!" "Hey Rube!" "Hey Rube!" It has been heard, occasionally, of late years, but not often, especially in the northern states. It is a cry of awful import, and 'is never uttered, except in the last extremity, and then and always, it means, desperate fighting, blood and death. This is the rallying cry of the showmen when they are attacked by roughs and mobs, and there appears no other way than by fighting to protect them- selves and their property. In the showmans' literature it a^jpears that these desperate en- counters have occurred most frequently in the rough, border towns of the southern states, but they have been known, also, at various places in the North. It is, of course, the interest of showmen to avoid such collisions, and it is seldom, though sometimes, their fault that such fights arise. They are almost always made in self defense, and are often bloody contests. Such a fight occurred at Jacksonville. Texas, yeax-s ago, when twenty-three of the mob were killed and over fifty wounded — at a town in Arkansas where three were killed, many wounded on both sides, and a tent cut to pieces — at Somersett, Ky., where twenty were killed and many injured — ac Cartersville, Ga., three roughs were killed — at Plymouth, Ind., where many were wounded. These are but a few of the instances of this character which may be named. All of the old show companies have had some experiences of this kind — the elder Forepaugh, Robinsons, O'Brien, Dan Rice, Coup, Noyes, Barnum and others. Sitting as a spectator in the grand pavilions of the large com- bined circuses and menageries of these modern days, and contem- plating the scenes — the multitudes of interested people, the wonder- ful exhibitions presented by the trained knights of the sawdust arena, feats of strength, agility of trained muscles, the marvelous leaping, balancing, riding, the dangerous feats of the flying trapeze, all, apparently, setting the laws of nature at defiance, one is amazed at beholding what the trained human being and dumb animals are capable of. Yet, in some things, improvements might well be made — the clown's jokes are growing old. The camel stood quietly chewing and contemplating the scenes with lofty contempt, when he might have been heard to say, "The pyramids, the date palm, myself and the clown's jokes, are the only 260 irrsTO/:)- of things remaining on earth that are really venerable and worthy of respect; all elso is modern and worthless." But, after all, many of the wonderful performances exhibited at these shows, and others far more startling, were performed in their day, by actors who have been dead for nearly two thousand years. Witnessing these scenes, the mind involuntarily wanders back to the days of ancient Greece and the Olympic games, the jumping, running, boxing, javalin throwing and chariot races, and to the days of the great Roman circuses at Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria and other great towns of the Empire, but especially to the Circus Maximus and the colosseum of old pagan Rome, the capital of the world. Here tens of thousands assembled on the great show days, to witness the scenes. Seated safely high up, but over or near the stone and iron dens of hundreds of ferocious wild beasts, the spec- tators viewed scenic exhibitions of unprecedented splendor in the vast arena before them; mighty contests of gladiators with each other, or with wild beasts, to the death; the frightful conflicts of great numbers of savage beasts turned into the arena; great feats of horsemanship, acrobatic performances and chariot races, arous- ing the enthusiasm of the multitudes to madness, and perhaps, last of all the exciting scenes of these great shows, came the infernal culminating act, before which the angels in heaven veiled their faces, the martyrdom of Christian men and women, who in those ages of terrible persecutions, would not deny their Lord, and were often driven naked, or rather clothed only in a halo of purity, inno- cence and devotion, or of sanctified manhood and womanhood, into the arena and there kneeling on the bloody sands awaited the death decreed for them. Death by what means, reader":* Do you hear the grating and rumbling of the huge iron doors opening not far away, and the howling, roaring, shrieking and bellowing of the half starved and ferocious wild beasts, as they bound into the arena and in savage eagerness and fury rush to the feast? Now hide your face and muffle your ears, for this scene is not to be witnessed by enlight- ened or Christian men, but only by devils and degraded pagan hu- manity. And when you recall these things do not forget to thank God that you live in an age when such scenes are impossible, an age whose beneficence has been achieved by the blood of the martyrs and the sufferings of the patriots of many centuries. "THE GLORIOUS FOURTH." This ever memorable day was celebrated at Blue Earth City. The day was fine and the attendance of the people commendable. Geo. B. Kingsley read the Declaration and Capt. P. B. Davy was the orator of the occasion. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 261 There was also a grand celebration of the day at Winnebago City. It was estimated that some 1,500 people were present. Here A. C. Dunn was the reader of the Declaration and Prof. E. P. Bart- lett delivered the oration, which was subsequently published in the Homestead. At the grove of J. Chestnut, in the town of Guthrie, four Sun- day schools, and others numbering in all about four hundred peo- ple, assembled to do honor to the day, and here the Declaration was read by the Rev. Mr. Foss, and addresses were delivered by Jos. Claggett and J. Gleason. Altogether the demonstrations this year were a fitting recognition of the birthday of the best government the world has yet seen, as the orators of the day usually state, a government which has given the greatest amount of happiness and success to the masses of its people, which has given equal advan- tages to the rich and poor, exalted labor, made all proper stations in life honorable and the highest stations attainable to all. The following anecdote, an actual occurrence, may be appropri- ate right here. There is a lawyer, yet living, who some years ago was waited upon by a committee from a small village, for the purpose of engag- ing him to deliver a Fourth of July oration. When they asked him his price, he said he considered $25.00 cheap enough. "Mercy on me!" exclaimed the chairman, "but we caa't pay no such price as that! That must be for a regular Henry Clay oration." "Well, yes. 1 think it will compai'e favorably with anything Henry got off." "Oh! but we can't stand it — we must have a cheaper one." "How cheap?" "Not over §5.00. We'll give you §5.00, your dinner and all the lemonade you can drink for the cheapest oration in your head." "I'll do it!" replied the lawyer, and the money was paid him on the spot. He was on hand on the glorious day, and by andbye the pro- cession moved to the grove, the orator took the stand and was in- troduced, and without any fooling around he walked to the front and said: "Fellow countrymen: We whipped England twice and can do it again. We whipped Mexico once and can repeat that sport. We are a free people. This is the glorious Fourth. Give 'em hail Colum- bia, and go in for a good time. Thanks for your attention." He had given them a !?5.00 oration and every person in the crowd, except one, was perfectly satisfied. An old lady followed the orator around— she was a Boston woman — until she had cornered him, and then expressed her disgust by saying: 262 Hisronv or "Seems ter me, that if j-er mont to please this 'ere crowd, you would'nt have chopped off that air speech without a single word about the 'tea party,' and Bunker Hill and the Pilgrims. You don't know nothing." These well attended gatherings of the people, from year to year, are not only an indication of some inherent patriotic impulses, but of something more— the love of a day of association, .social en- joyment and entertainment. It is certainly a mistaken view of life that happiness and success are to be found at the present, or some future day, in a hard, perpetual devotion to labor and pinching economy and miserly saving. Such a life is apt to grow narrow and dark. The individual becomes selfish, sordid, censurous, mor- bid and unjust. The trite old saying is true, that "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." While all should be industrious, energetic in their callings, and not wasteful, it appears to be the better view to take of life, that we should often unbend, relax from labor for a time and seek amuse- ment and recreation, even if it does cost something. Life at best, for the great majority of the race, is not long, and the time of its end is uncertain, and it is not best to wait until some future day when we shall gel rich or become too old to work, but take life's rational pleasures as we go along. Though there is somewhat of sorrow, many disappointments, tix'esome toil and causes of grief in most lives, it is better to be cheerful and make the best of what we cannot avoid, than to be al- ways sad and gloomy. It is better to look on the bright side of things, the hopeful side, even if we cannot always give much of a reason for it, than it is to be forever looking on the dark side. There is much on every hand to enjoy. The earth itself is beautiful, grand, won- derful, and the natural conditions of the seasons and of bountiful productions and climate and scenery, wherever civilized man can live, are generally beneficent. What is bad is commonly the result of man's abuse of what is good, and it is not the product of nature. And while it is true that there are some bad, selfish, discourteous people in the world, it is also true that there are many intelligent, frank, generous,hospitable,lovable people in every locality, with whom itis a pleasure and a benefit to associate. And this is another and a chief source of human happiness. Few communities or individuals are so poor or so driven to toil, or so subject to suffering of any kind, but what there are means and occasions for some recreation and social enjoyments. It would be well if, among other things, people generally should make it a rule to often attend the great assemblies of the people in their section of country, the public lectures, concerts, conventions, fairs, school exhibitions, neighborhood parties and picnics when requested and FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 263 certainly the religious meetings of their locality, and occasionally visit distant friends, the neighboring villages and places of interest. These things break in upon the lives of most people like rays of sun- shine into a dark room. The body is rested, the mind broadened and enlightened and filled with new ideas and thoughts and hopes. Even in the sordid view of finances it may often prove a great benefit. There may be those who do not see the pertinence here of these common-place re- marks, but the prescription was written for the benefit of a gloomy, grunting, growling, jienurious class of people who can never see any- thing except through a smoked glass, and who are apt to get scared at the bugbear of a little expense. THE HARVESTERS AT WORK. The most of the wheat was ready for ha>'vesting the third week in July, and was a very heavy crop. The following excerpt from the journal of an old resident, writ- ten at the time, covers many items of interest: "Harvest is now over and the yield has proved very abundant. All kinds of grain and vegetables are good and cannot be surpassed in any country, in either quality or quantity. Prices are satisfactory. Immigration and capital have poured into the county, and for permanent improvements the present year, thus far, surpasses all preceding years. It is estimated that as much ground has been broken this season as the whole amount under cultivation the preceding years. Money is yet somewhat 'close,' but abundant crops and good prices will soon loosen up the money market. Business of all kinds is looking lively, the people are energetic, cheerful and confident of the future." How different the aspects and prospects and the spirits of the people from what they were the preceding year. As pertinent to the subject in hand the following quotation is given from the report of the Commissioner of Statistics relative to the wheat crop of this year. It is a gently flowing bland document. The season began most auspiciously. The spring opened unusually early. A prompt sun quickened the torpid earth into a willing mood. Wooing show- ers kissed the waiting vegetation, and upland and meadow, forest and prairie, grew radiant with vernal beauty. Coaxed by the soft rain, smiling skies and alluring breath of an early spring, the wheat fields of Minnesota gambolled and rioted in tropical luxuriance. Everywhere in the broad expanse of our wheat domain, the hastening crop grew big with the promise of the greatest harvest ever known, except in the years 1860 and 1865. There was the same bountiful " setting " at the start, the same generous spreading and stately development of stalk, and the same amplitude of head and milky plumpness of berry, which ripened into the golden harvests of those years. But when in the critical period of development, just as the kernel was in the milk, a "heated term" commenced of wholly unparalleled intensity and dur- ation. For two weeks the fierce heat descended with unmitigated fury upon the gasping earth. The sun, as if obeying the command of a modern Joshua, seemed to stand still and pour a flood of white heat upon the tender heads of the unhardened grain. It is a marvel that it was not wholly blasted in the fiery 264 HISTORY OF ordeal. But there is an invaluable property in the soil or climate of Minne- sota, perhaps in both, which enahlos the jtrain to measurahly resist the ex- tremes, wluthor of heat or flood. To such cause, whatever it may be, we have more than once owed the exemption of our maturing' crops from utter destruction. The worst result, in this instance, was that of forcing a pre- mature ripening, by which the berry was shrivelled and defrauded of its normal development. The untimely advent of this heated period during the critical transition of the grain from the milk to the dough, was perhaps the sole preventive of as large an average yield as was ever known in this State. Our heaviest wheat crops were those of 1860 and 1865, when the average was somewhat over twenty- two bushels per acre. Before the crop of 1868 was gathered, I estimated the loss from the cause named as equal to about one-tlfth of the crop, leaving an average which I estimated at 17.75, which estimate is shown to have been very near correct, the official returns showing 17.9 bushels as the average per acre. AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY ITEMS. At the session of the legislature of this yeai-, an important act ■was passed for the encouragement and assistance of the state and county agricultural societies. The act appropriated, annually, the the sum of two thousand dollars, to be equally divided among the county agricultural societies, which should comply with certain re- quirements, to be expended by them in such manner as they might deem best calculated to "promote and improve the condition of agri- culture, horticulture and the mechanical, manufacturing and house- hold arts and interests, in this State, either for the payment of pi'emiums at the annual exhibitions, or in the purchase and distri- bution of choice cuttings, seeds, plants or tubers, which having been tested, are found to be adapted to the soil and climate of this State, or in the pi'osecution of scientific investigation and experiments and in the collection and diffusion of information tending to develop the natural and agricultural resources of Minnesota." An adjourned meeting of the Agricultural Society was held at Winnebago City on the 11th day of July, at which time a premium list was made, judges appointed, and certain other arrangements made for the annual fair, which it was designed should be one of the best ever had in the county. It was determined to hold the fair at Winnebago City, on the 7th and 8th days of October. Among other intei'esting items, in the notices of the coming fair, the Homestead announced under the head. Agricultural Hop, that it was "proposed, as a finale to the fair, to have a jolly dance on the evening of the 8th." The fair proved very much a failure; the speaker engaged for the occasion failed to attend, and on the first day the ground was covered with snow and a cold nor'wester blew a regular gale. The following amusing account of the fair is taken from the Homestead of the 14th of October. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 265 "The fair last week had the elements for an enemy and could not be started until nine o'clock of the second day. Ministers said the weather was very un- propitious. Hotel proprietors thought it tough. Young ladies declared it to be a shame. Old ladies said there was no use in worrying; while strapping west- erners, of full growth swore it was a bad egg. * ♦ » Nevertheless there was a fair and three or four hundred people saw it. Two beets and a harness looked askance at each other down stairs, while out of doors, two fine wooled bucks occupied the rear of a lumber wagon. All took the premium. The department of Fine Arts, up stairs, made a better show. The walls were draped in clothes lines, festooned with bed quilts and pictures, while the body of the room was ornamented with a variety of useful and ornamental articles, including babies. Glancing our eye about, we noticed a smashed water-mellon hanging on the west wall, which on inspection proved to be only an imitation. In close proximity to it, was a good representation of a girl in pantalettes, in the act of drawing a broad-sword. A sick cookoo, in the top of a clock, tried to make a noise, but couldn't pitch the tune, without being bolstered up, and that act of kindness having been done, he did not know enough to go in and shut the door." "There being abundance of room, little stockings, big stockings, tatting and the shells of the ocean lay scattered around in the order of disorder, each possess- ing some charm to win a beholder." "The track was in bad condition, but the running and trotting came off notwithstanding." But for the weather, this fair would have been a grand success. EDUCATIONAL. A State Teachers' Institute was held at Winnebago City, com- mencing Oct. 12th and lasting five days. This was the first State Institute for the instruction of teachers, held in this county, and proved a very useful as well as a very interesting affair. Thirty- two school teachers were present and took part in the exercises, while many other people interested in the work of educa- tion, attended the meetings and lectures. Hon. M. H. Bunnell, state superintendent. Prof. Sanford Niles and S. J. Abbott, county superintendent of schools in this county, were the instructors. About the same time notice was given of a Sunday School Teach- ers' Institute, to be held at Winnebago City, on the 26th, 27th and 28th days of October, under the charge of Rev. Geo. W. Prescott, State Sunday school agent. A very interesting programme of exercises was prepared and published, but for some now unknown cause this institute was either not held, or all record of the event is now lost. THE POOR FARM. A sale of school lands was held at Blue Earth City on the 23d day of October. At this sale the county purchased a tract of three hundred and twenty acres for a poor farm. This was making a very wise provison for the future. A time comes in the history of all en- lightened communities, when some provision must be made for the 266 BfSTOItY OF aged and infirm poor, who have no means of support. In the mani- fold chances and changes of this mortal life — sickness, poverty, friendlessness, may come to even the richest and proudest of to-day, and the sad and lonely journey "over the hills to the poor house," may have to be made by some to whom such a contingency may be thought to be the remotest, or most impossible of all earthly events. The provision now usually made is the establishment of a hos- pital, or poor house, which is sustained by the public taxation. Of late years it has been found economical and beneficial, otherwise, to connect a farm with such poor house, from the products of which, in many places, the poor are comfortably maintained or nearly so. Besides many of the unfortunates who find the poor house their last resort, are able and willing to labor to some extent on a farm and thus contibute to their own support. The expense of purchasing lands at this time for the purpose, was much less than it would be in subsequent years when the county should become more populous. The tract purchased was near the center of the county, and com- prised the north half of section thirty six, in town one hundred and three (103) of range twenty-seven (27), being in the town of Prescott. THE POLITICIANS' FIELD-DAY. We now proceed to give a brief account of another furious and bitter political contest. The campaign was more than ordinarily exciting because, in addition to local issues, another presidential contest was in progress. Grant and Colfax were the republican candidates for president and vice-president, and Seymour and Blair the democratic candi- dates for the same high ofiices. Morton S. Wilkinson was the republican and Geo. W. Batchel- der the democratic candidate for member of congress, in this dis- trict. Three important amendments to the State Constitution were also to be voted upon. The Republican County Convention assembled at Blue Earth City on the 3d day of October. The convention nominated: F. Lent, for Register of Deeds. W. W. White, for Auditor. H. J. Neal, for Clerk of Court. J. R. Sisson, for County Surveyor. On the 10th day of October the Republican Legislative District Convention met at Fairmont, Martin county, and nominated for senator, A. L. Ward, of Martin county, and James L. Crays, of this county, for representative. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 267 About the same time the democrats held a convention at Fair- mont also, for the nomination of legislative candidates. Dr. Hewitt, of Martin county, was nominated for senator, and Peter B. Davy, of this county, for representative. The "points" being still the issue in local politics, or rather made so, and the homestead question not having yet been satisfac- torily settled, and the nominations made at Fairmont being thought to be opposed to "]3oints" and the exemption of homesteads from tax- ation, an informal convention was held at Blue Earth City on the evening of the 17th of October, in the interest of the "points" and homestead men to consider the situation. Representatives were present from two counties — ^this and Jackson. The convention adopted a series of resolutions as a platform, the substance of which was that the railroad company having ac- cepted the grant of lands with the conditions, agreed to build their road through the points named and were in good faith bound to do so — that they wanted the "points" removed and designed not to build the road into this county or district, and that the nominations made at Fairmont were not binding upon the party, as they were fraudu- lently made. James B. Wakefield was nominated as a candidate for senator, and James W. Hunter, of Jackson county, for representative. A committee was appointed to draft and publish an "address" to the people of the district, setting forth, as was alleged, the real issues to be decided. The resolutions and address were published in the form of a circular and were distributed broadcast throughout the district. Shakesj)eare somewhere says: "Get thes glass eyes; And, like a scurvy politician, seem To see things thou dost not." What relevancy these lines may have had to the political affairs of the time, the writer of this history will not attempt to say, but they were heard repeated about that time. On the 31st of October, the democracy held a county convention at Winnebago City, and placed in the field, for county officers, the following candidates: For Auditor — Geo. Barnes. For Register of Deeds — D. H. Morse. For Clerk of Court— H. Hufcut. For Surveyor — Geo. A. Weir. Messrs. Hewett and Davy, democratic candidates for senator and representative, subsequently withdrew from the contest, and the lists of candidates being now settled, they all entered upon a fair 268 HISTORY OF field for a free fight, which was conducted without fear, favor or affection upon either side. Politics in local questions were thrown aside, the district was canvassed from end to end, meetings were held, and the people were visited at their firesides by the candidates or their friends. Of the newspapers in the district, the Soutli-West at Blue Earth City, favored Wakefield and Hunter. The Homestead, at Winnebago City.and the Adas at Fairmont, favored Ward and Grays. The elec- tion was held on the third day of November. The following table presents the result in this county. Of the votes cast The Grant and Colfax electors had I 421 The Seymour and Blair electors 373 For Member of Conj,'russ— M. S. Wilkinson 1,418 Geo. W. BatChelder 373 For Senator— J. B. Wakefield 1,001 A. L. Ward 734 For Representative— J. W. Hunter 1,002 James Grays 743 For County Auditor— W. W. White 1,568 Geo. Barnes 165 For Register of Deeds— F. Lent 1,599 D. n. Morse 147 For Clerk of Court -H. .1. Neal 1,159 H. Ilufcut 590 For Surveyor— J. R. Sisson 1,511 Geo. A. Weir 189 J. A. Latimer was elected county commissioner for district No. 4, and Joseph Claggett for district No. 5. Messrs. Wakefield and Hunter had a majority of the votes cast in the entire district and were elected, and so "points" and "No Homestead Taxation" won again, but the contest was a hard one and the majority small. The winter closed in about the 15th day of November, when a very severe snow storm began and continued unabated for three days. And now the record of this year's events may be closed with the statement tlaat on the 19th of December, C. W. Thompson. General Manager of the Southern Minnesota Railroad Company, made a proposition to some fourteen of the townships of the county, to the effect that tlie company would build and complete its road to Winnebago City in this county, by the first day of January, 1871, if the towns named in the proposition would vote aid in the form of town bonds, payable in ten years with seven per cent annual inter- est to the amounts specified in the proposition, which was fifteen thousand dollars in all the towns but Winnebago City, of which twenty-five thousand was required. In conclusion it may be written that in the way of immigration and permanent improvements, crops, weather, the public health and general prosperity, the year was one of the best in our history. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 269 CHAPTER XV. A. D. 1869. "Pr'y thee friend, Pour out thy pack of matter to mine ear, The good and bad together." A CHRONICLE. In those days it was so ordered by the mighty rulers of the State that in each division thereof, known by the name of county, there should exist a body of five wise men who should have the supervis- ion of certain public affairs. And these men of experience in busi- ness matters, were chosen by districts composed of certain subdivisions named towns or townships, which small divisions were so made for the better government of the tribes and peoples thereof. Now it came to pass that on the fourth day of the first month of this year, these five prudent men met in council at the City of Blue Earth, the ancient capital of the county. Now their names were Andrew, surnamed More, a patriarch of the land of Pilot Grove, and one Henry, surnamed Neal, a man of much wordly wisdom from the section of country known as Blue Earth, and Jacob, better known by the name of Alec, surnamed Lat- imer, who came from the division known as "Winnebago City, and there was one named William, surnamed Robinson, whose people lived near the great water, called in the language of the English, Walnut lake, but in the language of the tribes which had been driven out, Ta- zu-ka, and there was the patriarch Joseph, surnamed Claggett, the man of ready tongue, who came from the regions known as Lura, to speak for the people thereof. And now it came to pass that as they were met together in council, the venerable man, Andrew, was chosen as chief for the year, and they then proceeded to consult to- gether in regard to certain public affairs, and they made certain or- ders and directions, which seemed unto them necessary for the public good. Now they had a scribe, one named William, surnamed White, a learned man who could write, and who was also of the tribes about Walnut lake, who made a record of all that these wise men did, in a great book which has come down even unto our day. But there was nothing done at this council which would be of interest to the people of this generation. Now, after they had conferred together for two days, they returned to their own people. And it came to pass that 270 HISTORY OF these wise men afterwards, in this year, in the third and sixth and ninth months thereof met in council again, and somewhat of that which they then did, is it not written in the book of the chronicles of the county? AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. An important meeting of the Agricultural Society was held at Blue Earth City on the tifth day of January. At this meeting the annual election of officers occurred, and L. W. Brown was re-elected president; Geo. W. Buswell was chosen secretary and Alex. Lati- mert reasurer. A full board of vice presidents, that is one vice president in each township, was selected, and a committee of mem- bers was appointed to attend a meeting of the State Agricultural Society, to be held in February. New life and energy seems to have been, from some cause, infused into the sluggish blood of the soci- ety, about this time, and was certainly much needed. Another meet- ing was held at Blue Earth City, July 17th, at which time a committee of one for each town in the county was appointed to prepare a pre- mium list and appoint judges for the next fair, and this committee met on the 31st day of July and performed the duties assigned them. It was at this time also determined that the next fair should be held at Blue Earth City on the 16th and i7th days of September. THERMOMETRICAL. It maybe recorded, as we proceed, that January, of this year was one of the mildest winter months ever known in this region. THE FIRST "BONUSES." The matter of leading public interest in the county during Janu- ary, was the voting of "bonuses" by a number of towns, on the proposition of C. W. Thompson, referred to at the close of the pre- ceding year, to aid in the construction of the Southern Minnesota Railroad, the route of which had been surveyed into the county and through the towns of Cobb, Walnut Lake, Lura, Guthrie and Win- nebago City. Town meetings were held in these and some other towns, for the purpose of voting the bonds, called "bonuses," of the several towns, in various amounts, to aid in the building of the road. The proposition called forth a great deal of discussion. Many different views were entertained as to the necessity and expediency of the proceeding. The proposition failed in most of the towns, and in one of those voting favorably, Verona, the issue of the bonds was subsequently stopped by injunction, and another, Guthrie (Delavan) made haste to rescind the vote. About this time petitions were again in circulation through the county praying the legislature, then in session, to pass Mr. Wake- field's bill in relation to taxation of homesteads, and this time they were of some avail. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 271 THE PARLIAMENT. The legislature assembled January 5th, and adjourned March 5th. The only acts passed at this session of the legislature in which this county had any special interest were the following: "An act to amend an act to authorize the towns ot Fillmore, Mower, Free- born, Faribault, Martin and Jackson counties to issue bonds to aid in the con- struction of any railroads running into or through said counties." "An act to compel count}' auditors of the several counties of the State to strike from their several tax duplicates, certain taxes therein named." This was Mr. Wakefield's homestead tax bill of the previous year which had then failed. It was now passed and disposed of — the question of homestead taxation; the views of the homestead settlers had triumphed. Alexander Ramsey was at this session re- elected his own suc- cessor as United States senator. James B. Wakefield, as intimated above, in the Senate, and James W. Hunter, of Jackson County, in the House, wex-e our members of the legislature for this year. HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION. The adoption of an important amendment to the homestead ex- emption law of the State, during the session of the legislature of this year, may warrant a few remarks here in relation to this im- portant subject. The homestead exemption law to which reference is here made, has no relation to the question of homestead taxation in regard to which much has been said heretofore in this history. This is a different subject. The wisdom of the policy of exempting by law, a portion of land, together with the dwelling house thereon and appurtenances, either according to the quantity of land, or the value of the prem- ises, from foi-ced sale in payment of all ordinary debts or liabilities of the owner and his family, and the extension of such exemption to the widow and children of a deceased person, is coming to be recognized by most civilized nations. We need not hesitate in saying at once, that such exemption is a most benificent act, both for the individual and the State. And the courts of justice, in modern times, taking this view of the sub- ject, are extremely liberal in their construction of the law, in favor of the beneficiary, and in protection of the right. In estimating the extent and value of this exemption, it must be remembered that it is granted, not only for the benefit of the indi- vidual owner — a favor personal to him alone — who, often, indeed, may not, as a matter of justice, be entitled, because of his dishon- 272 ETSTOIiV OF esty, to such protection, but it is designed for the protection, also, of the wife and children of the ownei* — a right of theirs as well — who might otherwise be deprived of a home, for no fault of theirs. To the procuring of such homestead, their care and labor may, and gen- erally does, largely contribute. The ownership of the home secures the family from many ills, however poor the family may be, in other respects, and saves the public charities fi-om many a burden they would otherwise have to bear. The stale suggestion, hoard sometimes, where the credit system prevails, that everything a man has should be holden for his debts, is sufficiently answered by the statement, that as the law exists, and is well-known to evei'yone, credit need not be granted to the owner of only a homestead, any more than it need be to one who has nothing. The fault in such case, if any fault there be, is largely with the creditor, in his not exercising proper discretion. The suggestion is one prompted by that seltishness and averice, which reduces everything to a sordid "business basis," gain, profit, per cent., and is without any conception of a correct public policy, or the higher, wider and more humane views of the subject. The fact is that the home of a man, and his family, is somewhat different in a number of respects, from ordinary propertj', and is en- titled to special protection. By this law there is granted to every man and his family, one spot of earth with its sheltering tenements, which they may call their own. A man's dwelling here is "his castle," which no one may enter without his leave, except when he is armed with the strongest writs of the law. And this spot of earth he and his family may make as comfortable and as beautiful as they can afford — a spot which, whatever misfortunes, or mischances of life or business, may befall the owner, cannot be wrenched from him, and they be turned out homeless upon the world, except indeed, as the result of their own deliberate act of mortgaging the premises. Even in this sol- emn act of mortgaging the homestead, the law manifests a strong leaning towards its protection, and contains the wise provision that where the mortgagor is a married man. any mortgage given, except to secure the payment of the purchase money, shall be void, unless signed by the wife of the mortgagor. Thus are the strong, shelter- ing arms of the law thrown about this right. And no mortgage should ever be placed on the homestead, ex- cept, possible, for the purchase money. If stress of circumstances compel the mortgaging of property, certainly prudence says, with a loud voice, let the homestead be the last thing to be thus encum- bered. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 273 It is unquestionable that having such homestead exemption for himself and family, the owner lias not only the advantage of a secure basis from which to work, to repair his fallen fortunes, if such be the fact, or on which to build up prosperity and success, but he retains that manly courage, that hopefulness, and has that encour- agement, all so necessary to success in the affairs and business of life. Secure here he goes forth bravely and manfully to fight the battles of life, to earn a subsistence and place in the world. This fact becomes evident when we consider the effects of a reverse con- dition. Divest a man and his family of tbeir all; turn them out empty-handed, upon the charities of the wox'ld, poor and homeless, and it is not hopefulness and renewed effort that are likely to result, but despair, even recklessness and utter destruction are more likely to follow, conditions upon which, in many instances, degredation and crime follow fast. It is such conditions that, all over the world, are breeding communism and anarchism. It may confidently be asserted that the possession of such ex- empt homestead has the tendency to make an independent, manly and interested citizen; independent, because he may live within him- self, in a great measure, and is not dependent for his very shelter from the weather upon some master; manly, because independent, at least to this extent, and interested in the welfare and prosperity of the land, because he owns a part of it, instead of being a mere sojourner, a mere tenant. There is a pardonable pride, a satisfac- tion, a spring of hopefulness in the heart of every man who owns his home. How much stronger, in any view, is a land of well pro- tected homesteads, than one of great land owners, and poor depen- dent tenants"? There are principles involved here, that reach evea to the liberties of a people. What is the "fatherland" or any other land worth to a man in which he can have no personal interest, no certain foothold, no po- litical rights worth fighting for? The Hebrew lawgiver realized the good policy of giving and securing to every head of a family a piece of ground with certain ownership thereof. The same policy was recognized among the jDeople of that wisest of the ancient nations, the Egyptians. To broaden a little more what has already been said, it may be added that ownership in the soil, especially if it is a protected homestead, is not only a question of public safety, but of good citizenship. Men who own property must support the laws and maintain good order, that their property may be protected and the enjoyment thereof made safe and agree- able, and this leads to interest in public affairs and promotes self- respect and patriotism. A man who has never known the hai"d struggle of the many for comfortable subsistence, and to provide for and protect a loved 274 HISTOliY OF family, dependent alone upon his health and the labors of his nands, can appreciate the value of a protected homestead, and is incompe- tent to sit in judgment on the subject. While proi)erty exempt from sale on execution for debt, should, of course, be always limited to a reasonable amount, the people should see to it that there is such exemption and that it is well guarded. ANOTHER CONSIDERATION PERTINENT. One of the greatest evils which oppress the nations of Europe to-day, arises from the fact that the ownership of the lands has passed into a few hands. Great landlords hold vast tracts of the country, while the people have no interests in the soil, and are sim- ply tenants. This same evil existed in many of the ancient nations and was one of the principal causes of their downfall. This condi- tion of affairs was especially intrenched in Europe through the operation of the old Feudal laws, but after their influence and oper- ation began to wane, other causes arose to continue or produce the same conditions. The privileged, or aristocratic and titled classes, who had the wealth and opportunities which they made for them- selves, began to acquire the lands, and continually added to their domains, until but few of the people — the masses of the citizens, who really constitute the nation, who are its strength, do its busi- ness, create its real wealth and fill its armies, have any interest in the soil they stand upon. The tendency is now in the same direction in this country. Men of great wealth and rich corporations have begun buying up vast tracts of the best farming lands and holding them for speculative purposes, or by some, for the purpose of creating great estates. Already more than one half of the farmers of the eastern and middle states are but tenants, and pay rent in money or share of crops for the use of the land they till. Many of them once owned the land. And what ad'ds to this menace to our institutions is the fact that foreigners, aliens, individually, and in the form of great com- panies, are becoming the owners of millions of acres of American soil. And it is possible that this absorption of our lands may go on until alien owners may control the destiny of a state or states, where they have secured such a foothold. And judging from the fact of the great quantities of wild lands still existing here, and the silent and insidious approach of this evil, it will go on, largely un- noticed, for j'ears hence. But a day will come, and it cannot be far distant, when the people of this country, state legislatures and congress will become aroused to the fact, that our vast domain of valuable public lands, has about passed away, and that some limit must be placed on cor- FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 275 porate, and especially on alien, ownership of lands in this country , The lands of this nation should be held only by American citizens, who are actual settlers upon them, or directly interested in their cultivation and improvement. America for Americans, native born or naturalized, must be our watchwords. Shall we allow it to be the fact that an American citizen cannot enter upon, or use, or buy, except at extortionate prices, any part of certain vast tracts of American soil, because that soil is owned by an alien and non-resident? This country has no use for European landed estates, nor for any European landlord and tenantry systems. Why cannot the in- telligent people of this nation — a people's nation — protect them- selves from the well-known evils of which this is one, which have wrought the ruin of all the nations, whose wrecks blacken the high- ways of time through thirty centuries, or is there a predestined course, which all nations must run, from birth to final destruction ? THE HOME. Intimately connected with the subject of homestead exemption, is that of the home itself, in reference to which the expression of a few thoughts here seem appropriate: "Better than gold is a peaceful home, Where all the fireside charities come. The shrine of love and the heaven of life. Hallowed by mother, or sister or wife. However humble the home may be. Or tried with sorrow, by heaven's decree. The blessing's that never were bought or sold, And center there, are better than gold." — Whittier. It is said that the thi-ee sweetest words in the English language are "Mother, Home and Heaven." It is a true and beautiful thought. They are, indeed, a noble trinity, and they are intimately related, for with almost every home there is the mother, the most important and most loved one of the homefold, and we all hope that when done with time, heaven may be our final home. And it should not be forgotten how near we can make the home to heaven. It can, indeed, be made the doorway, at least, to that eternal home. The poet and the orator have ever vied with each other in describ- ing the home, its memories, associations and influences, and volumes have been filled with the subject. It may be stated here as a pass- ing remark, that our own — the saxon race — as a general rule, have the best homes, and realize what real home life is to a greater extent than any other race of people on earth. • 276 HISTORY OF A man's home, the home of his childhood, or the home of his mature years, constitutes for him the center of the world from which all Hues radiate — the point where all lines converge. Home to all is the basic point — the jwint from which all start on the voyage of life and the chief object of interest in the return from all wanderings. Here are our dearest treasures and nearest and truest friends, and with it are entwined our purest hopes, most unselfish labors and tenderest affections. It is our place of refuge and rest. And it is true that by far the greater sum of human happiness on earth is to be found in the (luiet, contented and unambitious life of home. Such being the importance of home with every human creature, the corresponding importance of making the home what it should be. ought to be recognized by everyone. And how great and generous the law is in protecting and making the home secure, we have seen above and it should be an incentive to all in their labors to secure comfortable and happy homes. Every man in beginning life, if settled permanentlj', and, espec- ially if married or if expecting to marry, should secure a homestead — a home of his own. Such a determination would, to begin with, be a method by which many a young man could save his earnings. A man may have little influence or power in the great world around him. but here at least, in now his little empire, where he may exhibit his heart, his taste and his intelligence and be appreciated according to his real worth. Homes are of many grades, from those of ease, culture and beauty, to those of ragged poverty, squalor, ignorance and vice, but in every land there are more real homes among those who are classed as the poor, or people in ordinary circumstances, than among those whom the world calls rich. Fortunately riches are not neces- sary to make a home, but good sense, kindly hearts and generous sympathies are, and these may be among the possessions of the poor as well as of the rich. Safe and comfortable protection from the weather, health ful- ness and as much convenience of arrangement as can be afforded, are a primary consideration in every home, and when all cannot be reached at once, all know how much can be done even by the poor- est, in doing little by little, year by year, to reach the desired end. Shade trees, neatly kept walks, quiet little arbors, evergreens and trailing vines, flowers, shrubbery and a green lawn, even if small, and neatness and cleanliness in all the surroundings are things which all enjoy and which all can have with little labor or cost, however poor, while the more wealthy can have these things and others on a larger scale and in greater abundance, in propor- tion to their means. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 277 Then besides the articles of household use and eomfort, those of the adornipaent of the home must not be forgotten. Pictures and other articles of taste and beauty should be, and happily can be, had in every home, hoAvever humble, and these things are a perpetual pleasure, and are of utility as educators of the mind and tastes and heart. When man fell from his high estate of purity, and the angels who once had companionship with him went back to heaven, they forgot to take back with them a few things, among which music was one, and in every home on earth there should some sort of music be known and often heard. Let it be vocal, if nothing more can be had, but both vocal and instrumental, of some kind, if possible; yes, let music be cultivated in evex-y home — it purifies the soul, rests the weary heart, elevates the thoughts, awakens our purest emotions and smooths the furrowed brow of care and toil. Here, too, should be good books, the best the world affords, for in this day the best are as cheap as the poorest, and at the head of all should stand the old family bible. By them we are brought into intimate relations with the greatest and best of our race. And we should have pure newspapers for instruction, and to give us the news of the great outside world; ^,nd here the companionship of parent and child must not be forgotten, for it is the purest source of pleas- ure, the strongest bond of influence over the heart and life of both. The club for the mac of family to join, is not the club on the street, or the one that meets in some secluded room, but is the home circle, the home club. Let the home be beautified and made attractive, if for no other reason, at least, for the good one of making the children happy, and when they go forth from it in after years to fight the battles of life, they may ever bear with them the hallowed influences and pleasant memories of childhood's years. The home and its in- fluences will thus hold them in its grasp, however far they may stray away. It will not be long in any case when they must go forth from the home, when the storms of life, its cares, responsibilities and disappointments, will sweep around them. Life's duties of labor, good citizenship, of high and honorable purposes, will rest upon them. Oh I fathers and mothers, make your children, while yet in the home, strong in integrity, patriotism, industry, honor, intelli- gence; strong iu true manhood and true womanhood. Certain erro- neous views seem to be entertained hy some people as to the home. It is not a place to go to only to eat and sleep and get shelter from the inclemency of the weather, but it is the abiding place. The home and not the public school is the primary place of education. The home and not the Sunday school, nor even the church, should be the primary school of religious instruction. The home and not the great world, or society, should be the primary school of man- 278 HJSTOnV OF ners and of social life. The home and not the caucus, or the con- vention. Of the public meeting, or the polling place, is. the i>roper primary school in which to learn the duties of good citizen- ship and the lessons of patriotism. Some one has wisely said that "the real strength of a nation is in the homes of its people." And surely that is the most prosperous country which has the greatest number of happy homes. Home teaching, more than ministers and schools, or politics, is deciding to-day what the men and women of the future, and the destinies of our country will be. And now it may be remarked that no home, however large the tenement, however beautiful the surroundings and tasteful its adornments may be, can ever be a true and happy home, unless constant courtesy, good man- ners, mutual aid and sympathy, ready forbearance with each other's faults and foibles, respect for and obedience to parents and purity of life are found in it. But there is still a step higher in the grade of the home and the life there lived. Every home should be a Christian home, where Christian love and peace and cheerfulness shall reign. There is no development of civilized life so high, and so happy, as that of an intelligent. Christian home. Here the family altar is erected, and the living and known God is recognized in daily praise and prayer, and those many graces abound which spring up in the hearts and live in the lives of the true followers of Christ. The influence of daily home worship, sensibly, not censoriously and exactingly conducted, is ever beneficent. "It makes men to be of one mind in a house." Though silent, it is irresistible and last- ing. It tends much toward allaying selfishness, quieting jealousies and irritability. It subdues the passions, it softens the heart, ele- vates the sentiments and produces union, harmony and kindly con- sideration. Where the home is ruled by God's word, angels might tarry there a day, or a night, and not be out of their element. In such homes they have been seen and known in the long ago. May they not visit such homes now, though unseen by mortal ej'es'? But this is not all that may be said. The children who are brought up around the family altar, seldom, ever wholly, forget or lose the bene- fit of their teachings there. Among the social forces, none is stronger than the Christian teachings of the home of childhood. A word more and these observations may be closed. The great- est special enemies of the home and the happiness which should be enjoyed there, are the rum seller, the infidel and the scandal mon- ger, all representatives of satan, and active about his business, and of all the works of satan, the desecration of the home is the vilest and furthest reaching. FABIBAVLT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 279 And now it may be stated that all these remarks are but pre- liminary to the statement of the fact, which the writer is proud to record here as an item of this history, that our county has hundreds of real homes within its borders, happy homes, homes of comfort, taste, culture and refinement, and as the years roll on they increase in number, ever thus attesting to the advancement and elevation of our people. THE SPRING. The snows of the winter were carried off, early in April, with considerable rain, causing very high waters. The spring was quite unfavorable, and seeding was delayed until the middle of April and later in some localities. It was encouraging to the people of the county, under the gen- eral conditions of the weather and the money market, that immi- gration commenced in April, to a considerable extent, which is much earlier then usual. The immigration continued during the spring and summer, but going mainly into the counties west of this, and the tide which was then setting strongly to those new counties, was great indeed. Money about this time was scarce, and the times grew pretty "hard," for all of which there was abundant reason. THE UNITED STATES LAND OFFICE. In the month of April, James B. Wakefield, of this county, was appointed receiver, and E. P. Freeman, of Blue Earth county, regis- ter of the United States land office, at Winnebago City, in this county. On the twenty-first day of August, the office was removed from Winnebago City to Jackson, in Jackson county. A very earnest effort was made at the time, to secure the office at Blue Earth City, and it was thought, confidently, for a short time, that the effort would be successful. Some persons were so sanguine that Blue Earth City would succeed, that they had already selected the location of the office building. But Blue Earth City was again, as years befox-e, disappointed in its efforts. The public interests, it was said, required the location of the office further west, and westward with "the course of empire," the office took its way. THE PACIFIC RAILROAD. Owing to the rapid progress of settlement and improvement on the Pacific coast, and the requirements of a large part of the world's commerce, the necessity of a great trans-continental line, or lines, of railway, from the east to the west, was long apparent, and much discussed. But little, beyond enthusiastic talk, was done, however, until 1859, when congress authorized the great scheme. It was a pro- ject of great national importance, and worthy of, and of necessity had to be, taken under national patronage. Of the details of the 280 UISTOllY or act we cannot here treat, further than to say, the act comprised the building of three lines of roads, the Northern, the Southern and the Central. The Central or middle lino was the first to be completed. The construction of this, the greatest railroad in the world, in many respects, spanning the continent from the furtherest east to the Golden Gate, was the most stupendous work ever undertaken by man, in any age or country. The road was built from the western end eastwardly, by the Central Pacific Company, and from the eastern end westward ly, commencing at Omaha, Neb., by the Union Pacific Company. And it was on the tenth day of May, of this year, at Promontory Point, in the Territory of Utah, the two ends were united and- this grand work completed. It was to be expected that the completion of such a wonderful and valuable enterprise should be attended with great rejoicings throughout the whole country, and such was the fact. Spikes of pure gold and a hammer of pure silver were used in laying the last rail, and the blows of the sledge were telegraphed to all the great cities of the Nation, and then came the final telegram, "Tlie lafF —License or no license. This (luostion will ho voted on, In Winnebago City, at the next town nieetinj; —As you pass along through life, he kind and sympathizing; bestow snilles and gentle words upon your fellow pilgrims. Thus you will bring happiness to you heart and strew your path with fadeless (lowers. —During the terrible storm of wind and snow, last Tuesday, a large eagle, measuring seven feet from tip to tip of his wings, descended, for protection against the weather, on the farm of Mr. S. Crandall. — Religious.- A few weeks since there was but one professing Christian among the business men of the city. Now they number thirteen, and oversixty persons in all have been converted in the revival meetings here. THE SUNDAY SCHOOL ASSOCIATION. On the first day of June of this year, "The Faribault County Sunday School Association and Institute," was formed at Winnebago City, by tlie adoption, at a public meeting called for the purpose, of a constitution and the election of officers. The object of the association is declared in the second article of the constitution to be, "For the awakening of a greater interest in the cause of Sunday schools, and a higher culture of teachers for the work." The board of officers consists of a president, two vice presidents, a secretary and treasurer. A committee is appointed at each meet- ing to prepare, in good season, a program of exercises, and make all necessary arrangements for the next meeting. The association is defined to be "a delegated body composed of five members from each school, which number shall include the pas- tor and superintendent of the respective schools." The minutes of this first meeting state that the convention was well attended and considerable interest was manifested throughout the session, which continued two days. The officers elected for the year were the Rev. J. D. Todd, pres- ident; D. B. Thurston and 0. A. Albee, vice-presidents, and C. J. Farley, secretary and treasurer. It appears that, for some reason, no meeting was held in 1871. The meeting held in 1872, is named the second annual meeting in the records of the association. The meetings were regularly held thereafter, annually, and constantly grew in interest and importance. At this first meeting, among other action taken, it was resolved to circulate in all the Sunday schools a temperance pledge and a pledge against profanity and the wse of tobacco. A peculiar and most valuable feature of the exercises at the several meetings, is the chil- dren's meeting, a time for which is set apart and to which all the children of the locality are invited and take part in certain exercises arranged for the occasion. The Minnesota State Sabbath School Association was organized in 1858, and holds an annual convention. The State, as well as the FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 295 county societies, are entirely undenominational. Each county, or district society, is an auxilliary of the State society. Sunday schools were instituted at a very early day of the Chris- tian era, probably about the close of the second century. And all along down the centuries these schools h ave been known at various times, and in different countries, until the time of the institution of modern Sunday schools. It is said there was a Sunday school in Roxbury, Mass., in 1674, which was probably the first one in Amer- ica. But these schools were not such Sunday schools as we have now. They were not, as a rule, designed for religious instruction, but were intended to provide elementary instruction to the children of the poor who could not attend the day schools, or those who had no other time or opportunity of getting instruction. Modern Sun- day schools were originated by the Rev. Thomas Steck, of Glouces- ter, England, a clergyman of the Church of England, about the year 1779 or 1780 and who, in the latter year, associated with himself, Robert Raikes, who reorganized the schools existing in his charge, and thei'eafter took the main care of the schools and the extension of the system, and has come to be recognized, and properly so, as the real founder of modern Sunday schools. It is not necessary here, or at this day, to give any description of the Sunday school system, or to present any arguments in its behalf, though there are those who question the methods used, and there are some who even doubt the value of the institution itself. Its adoption by all the religious denominations throughout Christendom, and its self-evident value as a means of moral and reli- gious instruction and discipline, is a sufficient answer to all objec- tions and are " Confirmations Strong As proofs of Holy Writ," Of the value of these schools. The Sunday school has been justly called, "the nursery of the church," and it is in them, at this day, that more than one-half of our young people, whether rich or poor, or whether the children of educated or illiterate parents, get most of their i-eligious knowledge and training — instruction which but for the Sunday school, many of them, owing to the neglect, or incom- petency of parents and others, would never get. It is, indeed, one of the most beneficdht institutions of modern times and is doing a great, a good work — one of incalculable value to the world. It is gratifying to know, also, as might have been reasonably supposed, that the Sunday school has met the approval and received the attention and labors, in almost every country, of men and women of the highest intellectual culture, of great moral worth and high position. And right here it may be said, for the profit of a certain 296 HISTORY OF class of persons, who think themselves a little above the business of a Sunday school teacher, or who, because of the shallow knowl- edge they possess of this institution, affect to ridicule it, that many of the greatest and best men of this nation have taken a direct and personal interest in Sunday school work. That in Eagland, the late Lord Hatherley was a Sunday school teacher for forty years and that two of the Lord Chancellors — Lord Cairns and Lord Selborne, were both very attentive and efficient Sunday school teachers. THE FIUST SUNDAY SCHOOLS IN THE STATE. It appears, by reference to Neill's History of the State, that the first Sunday school in the State, and in fact, the first in the North- west, was instituted at Fort Snelling, in 1823. It was, however, but a temi^orary organization. The first permanent Sunday school in Minnesota was established at St. Paul, July 25th, 1847. "Seven scholars attended, and there was such a mixture of races among these that an interpreter was necessary, who could speak French, English and Sioux, before all could be made to understand the instructions given. The school in- creased to twenty-five scholars by the third Sunday * * « and finally became the Sabbath school of the First Baptist Church — so that said society claim to have the oldest Sunday school in Minne- sota." The first permanent Sunday school in this county — one which has continued to this day — was instituted in 1858, in the town of Pilot Grove, by several members of the Presbyterian church. A Sunday school was, however, held prior to this one. in Winnebago City township, the exact date of which cannot now be found, but this school did not long continue. It may, therefore, be said that the Pilot Grove school is, at least, the oldest existing Sunday school in the county. The number of Sunday schools in the county, their membership, the progress made by them, and the condition of the Sunday school work in the county, will be noted from time to time, in the accounts given in this work, of the meetings of the Association. And now, in concluding this subject here, the writer desires to express the most earnest hope that the Association may be greatly prosperous, that every pastor, superintendent, or other oflicer, and every teacher, in our Sunday schools, may be enlightened and guided by the Holy Spirit, in their noble work— a work beneficial to the State, as well as to the advancement of religion — a work which shall tell, not only in time, but in eternity, and which is indeed, and in truth, work done for the Master, and which shall at some time, and somewhere, receive its proper reward. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MTNNESOTA. 297 JUSTICE. The June term of the District Court commenced its session on the seventh and continued nine days. This was the first term in this county at which one new judge, the Hon. Franklin H. Waits, pre- sided. No causes of special public interest were tried. What a dull item this is? Let us enliven it a little by relating a joke, not connected, indeed, with our court, but which was floating around in the newspapers of the time. A certain judge who was quite lenient and not noted for keeping very orderly courts, one day became quite impatient, owing to the noise and confusion, and sud- denly exclaimed, "Mr. Sheriff!" "What your honor," said the sheriff. "Try and keep a little order in the court room," said the judge, "here we have already committed four prisoners without hearing a word of the evidence." A HEATED TERM. The last three weeks of June were excessively warm, being the hottest term yet known in this county. During most of this time the thermometer ranged from 90" to 98° in the shade. The earth became parched, as there had been no rain for a considerable period, and the crops suffered severely, A NEWSPAPER CHANGE. Exit — The Free Homestead, on the eighth day of June, after a career of six years of considerable prominence and influence. Mr. Ed. A. Hotchkiss, retiring editor, favors his readers with probably the briefest valedictory on record. "To-day we are Ed. To mor- row we shall be Ex." — and bows himself off the editorial stage. Entre — A. E. Foss, June 23d, making a very graceful obeisance to the public and presenting The Winnebago City Press. THE ANNUAL, GLORIFICATION. Some reader might think the history of this year incomplete, should the statement be omitted that the fourth of July was cele- brated at Blue Earth City with appropriate ceremonies and patriotic ardor. The great charter was read by Prof. E. P. Bartlett, and an eloquent oration was delivered by Rev. C. A. Stine, of Mankato. The day was very pleasant and many people were in attendance. The newspapers seemed to intimate that two or three individuals, on this occasion, permitted their patriotism to degenerate into pat- riot-ism which was disgraceful, both to themselves and the day. It does not appear that the day was celebrated in a formal manner at any other place. 298 HISTORY OF ANOTHER STORM. A memorable storm, the most severe of the summer, really a tempest of wind, rain and hail, occurred on the nineteenth day of July, coming up from the southwest. This tornado did much dam- age in the county, especially in the villages. Wells and Minnesota Lake suffered the most. At the former place several houses were blown over, others badly shaken. Roofs were blown off from many houses, and barns thi-own down, sign boards, fences and outhouses were, everywhere, damaged to a considerable extent. CUTTING THE GRAIN. The harvest of this year, which began in the last week of July, was not abundant. Wheat was light, averaging about ten bushels per acre. Barley and oats gave us about two-thirds the usual yield. The weather during harvest was exceedingly warm and sultry. The following remarks are quoted from the report of the commis- sioner of statistics, relative to the crops of 1870 : The ditTerence between good and Vjad farniinn was never, perhaps, more signally illustrated than by the results of agriculture in Minnesota, in 1870. With an auspicious season— when from seed lime until harvest the tempera- ture is favorable, the rains timely, and the approving heavens conjure the earth of her abundance, the blundurs and follii'S of the worst husbandry are corrected, and all alike rejoice in general abundance, but when the elements are perverse, and the struggling grain is beset with vicissitudes, the tost of the true farmer is assured. Such was the season of 1870. Its commencement was early and auspicious, and until the drought and heat began in June, the crops were everywhere alike promising. Then a difference in the fields began to manifest itself, which became more and more palpable as the season advanced. Those which had been deeply ploughed early the previous fall, withstood the dire beat and prolonged drought, and maintained their luxuriant vigor to the end, while the shallow fields, hastily ploughed in the spring, grew rapidly worse, and seemed literally to dry up and disappear. THE FIRST JAIL. During the course of this history allusion has been made sev- eral times to the action of the county authorities in reference to the building of a jail. It may now be stated that during the month of August, of this year, that useful institution was erected. It was a one-story frame building, sixteen feet by thirty feet in size. The north half of the building was fitted up for the purposes of a jail, and contained two sheet-iron cells. The south half was finished up as a residence for the turnkey. FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR. A brief space occurring here in our manuscript, it may be filled by the statement that during this year a great war was waged between France and Prussia. It was prosecuted upon a very large FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 299 scale and with tremendous vigor, and was short and decisive. The Emperor, Napoleon III, of France, was defeated and taken prisoner by the Germans; his government was set aside by the people of France, who founded a republic. On the seventh day of September the French Republic was rec- ognized by the United States government. On the twenty eighth of January, of the next year, the city of Paris capitulated to the Germans, which ended the war, terms of peace being soon arranged, and on the first day of March following, the Germans made a triumphal entry into Paris. Many of our citi- zens were natives, respectively, of these two great nations, and of course took a deep interest in the progress and results of the war. A CHIMERA. During the summer an enterprise was broached and somewhat discussed, of dividing the counties of Faribault, Freeborn and Mar- tin, in such a manner as to make the village of Wells a central location for the county seat of a new county to be formed by the divisions proposed. The project was designed so as to leave Blue Earth City the county seat of what remained of the old county. The scheme, however, was not viewed favorably by any one except a few persons -in Wells, where it originated. It was "a fond thing vainly inven- ted," and was soon dropped as entirely imjpracticable. There was, also, considerable talk during the year in certain localities, in refer- ence to the removal of the county seat, which culminated in certain action which we shall notice hereafter. THE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. A few words must here be said in relation to the Agricultural Society. At the annual January meeting L. W. Brown, of Prescott, was elected president and A. A. Huntington, of Winnebago City, secre- tary. Yet it appears that notice was given of a meeting to be held at Winnebago City, June 4th, for the election of officers. Of the pur- port of this it is not now profitable to inquire. The fair was held at Winnebago City on the 22d and 23d days of September. There was considerable jealousy existing at the time between the several villages relating to the society, and much gen- eral dissatisfaction as to the affairs of the society, all of which tended to interfere with its success, and as a result the fair of this fall was not encouraging. In connection with the subject in hand, it should be recorded as a matter of history that there existed at the time of which we write, and for a number of subsequent years, a growing inclination among the farmers throughout the country generally, and to some extent in 300 HISTORY OF this county, to leave the farm and crowd into the towns and cities. under the supposition that life was easier and better there than on the farm. The extent to which this disposition has pervailed and now pre- vails, is much greater in some localities than in others. The old fashioned quiet contentment with farm life, seems, with many, to have passed away for some reason. There are doubtless a number of causes which are operating to bring about such a result, in var- ious localities, but without attempting to enumerq,te, or speculate, as to the causes, or prescribe a remedy, we shall quote here a very appropriate article somewhat humorous as well as practical, from that curious paper, Perk's Sun, (Milwaukee, Wisconsin). THE farmer's mistake. "An exchange speaks of the departure of an old settler to Dakota, where he will take up a quarter section of land and start again in life at the age of 70. The man had a nice farm near a splendid town, where he had lived and brought up a family. He got tired of farming, sold the farm for 80,000, moved to town and went into the livery V)usiness, and in three years went through everything except a team and lumber wagon, and now he has packed and gone to Dakota, with a heart lieavier than his pocket-ljo(jk, and he will die out there. The number of farmers who decide to go to town to live, every year, and go into business, is appalling. Every town has them, and nine out of ten become poor. They get an idea that town business men are the happiest people on earth and have an easy time, and they get to brooding over their hard life, and they think any body can run a store, a grocery, or livery stable, and they sell out the farm and go into the grocery business because it seems so easy to weigh out sugar and tea. They can always tlnd a grocery man who will sell the re- mains of his sick stock of groceries for ready cash, and when the farmer first sees his name over the door of a grocery he feels as though he was made, and he puts his thumbs in the armholes of his vest. The farmer's girls and boys rea- lizing that they are merchant's sons and daughters, instead of farmer's, have to keep up with the procession. There have to be things bought as merchants that would never he thought of as farmers The farmers furniture is not good enough, the democratic wagon gives place to a carriage, the old mares gives place to high steppers, and the girls dress better and do not work. The family lives out of the grocery, the boys play base ball and the girls go to big parties. The farmer is a good fellow and trusts many other good fellows who can't pay, and in some cases he gets to drinking. Bills begin to come in, and he can't collect enough to pay rent. Friends that would help him out with money are mighty scarce, and he will have to give a chatlle mortgage on the stock. The stock runs down until there is nothing but a red tin can of mustard with a bull's head on it, some canned peaches and cove oysters on the shelves, a few boxes of wooden clothes-pins, six wagonloada of barrels with a little sugar in the bottom, a couple of dozen washboards, a l)ox of codfish of the vintage of 1860, which smells like a gUie factory, a show-case full of three cent wooden pocket comlis and blueing, hair pins and shaving soap, some empty cigar boxes, that the boys have smoked the cigars out of, and a few such things that do not bring enough at an auction to pay for printing the auction bills. Then the farmer breaks up and goes west, leaving a lot of bills in the hands of the law- yer for collection, who manages to collect enough to pay his commission, and FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 301 the family, once so happy on the farm, and as independent, becomes demor- alized, the girls marry chambermaids in livery stables rather than go west, the boys go to driving haclf or worlcing on a threshing machine, or tending bar, and refuse to go west; and the old folks go to Dalcota alone and wish they were dead, and will be quick enough. This is the history of thousands of farmers who get tired of the old farm. If they would but realize that they were better fixed than nine-tenths of the merchants in town, and they can not become successful merchants any more than merchants can become successful farmers, they would be learning something that would be valuable to them. THE POTATO-BUG. The potato has become a very important article of diet, with many nations. It is easy of iiroduction, always healthful, conven- ient and desirable. No other vegetable can fill its place. A well- set table seems to lack something if potatoes, in some form, are not present. The old and the young alike are fond of them. Who ever saw a boy who did not like fried potatoes and gravy. While it is an important item of food with the rich, it is almost indispensable with the poor. Its scarcity is a great calamity. All nationalities are the friends of the potato. The American is proud of it as a native pro- duction. The Frenchman must have his Pomme de Terre, the Irish- man his 'praties," the German his kartofle. This valuable vegetable, of the finest quality, is usually produced in great abundance in this county, and at one time Minnesota was famous for its fine potatoes, large quantities of which were exported. Some allusion has been heretofore made, in the course of this history, to the ravages of the potato-bug in this county for a num- ber of years. Nothing, not even the rot, has ever been so destruc- tive to the potato crop, and so much to be dreaded as the pota- to-bug. The native habitat or home of this insect, more properly named the Colorado potato-beetle, has been found to be in the canyons and high table-lands of the Rocky Mountains. It began its eastward march from Colorado about 1859 or 1860, and in about fifteen years, spread over the whole potato-growing sections of the United States and Canada, being the most numerous and destructive in the north- ern portions of the country. They reached the Atlantic States in 1874, and the seaboard in 1875, and finally passed over to Europe, where they did great injury and created much alarm. Among the first of the European countries to be attacked, was Ireland, in which country, more than in all others, the potato is useful and esteemed. And about that time some newspaper itemizer, forgetting the seriousness of this matter, wrote that "The potato bug has always been bad enough, goodness knows, but think of his coming back to us with a brogue and a shillalah!" Many methods were used to destroy these insects and protect the potatoes, but the most effectual proved 302 HISTORY OF to be the use of paris-green. either in the dry powder, sprinkled upon the vines when the dew was on, or in the form of a liquid, that is, the green mixed with water and sprinkled over the vines. But no method appeared to be entirely successful in destroying them. In this year (1870) also, these vermin were very destructive in this county, but it was the last year of their reign here. Another bug — a mightier bug than the potato bug, in the capacity of its stomach and appetite, if that were possible — a bug that had a long bill, or nib, and that cared nothing for potatoes appeared, looking about for potato-bugs, and the pests of years disappeared silently and quickly, not standing upon the order of their going, and every lover of that healthy esculent said heartily with the Irishman, "Bad luck go wid ye, ye bastes." DELAVAN. On the 10th and 11th days of October, a new town site was sur- veyed and another village founded in this county. It was located on section 36, in town 104, of range 27, on the line of the Southern Minnesota Railroad, and was named "Delavan." This was the fifth village in the county, according to number and age. A fuller reference to this village will be found elsewhere in this work. RAILROADS AGAIN. All the former projects and efforts to secure a north and south railroad through the county having failed, a new proposition to build a road was now submitted to the people of Blue Earth City and the adjoining towns, by the Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Min- nesota Railroad Company. The substance of this proposition was that, if the several towns interested should vote to the company $85,000 in town bonds, running twenty years and bearing seven per cent interest, donate to the company forty acres of land adjoining the village of Blue Earth City, and secure the right of way from the Iowa state line from the point where the road should cross the line to Blue Earth City, the company would extend their road to that village, completing it to that point by the first day of December, 1872. The proposition was made in good faith, no doubt, and was so accepted. The bonds were voted, mainly in October, the amount required being so nearly secured that it was satisfactory, the vote in the several towns was formally accepted by the company, the forty acres of land was contracted for and the right of way mainly obtained. A preliminary survey of the route was completed to Blue Earth City on the twenty-sixth day of November, and was found practic- FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 303 able and easy of construction, and now, to dispose of this project, it is sufficient to say, the road was not built into this county. "I never had a piece of bread. Well butter'd, nice and wide, But fell upon the sanded floor, And on the butter'd side." A POLITICAL SATURNALIA. The time has now arrived to give some account of the most bitter, exciting and, we may well add, the most disgraceful polit- ical contest ever known in the annals of this county. And first it is necessary to show when and how the candidates were placed in the field. On the tenth day of September, the democracy held a conven- tion at Blue Earth City and made the following nominations: For Senator — Moses King. For Representative — Harlow Seeger. For County Auditor — George Barnes. For Register of Deeds — C. L. Chase. Mr. Chase did not, however, remain a candidate. The republicans held a convention on the eighth day of October at Blue Earth City. The convention was very fully attended and was characterized by much strife. W. W. White was nominated for county auditor and J. R. Sis- son for county surveyor. Thirteen formal ballots were taken for register of deeds, there being three candidates for the nomination, but as neither candidate could secure a majority of the whole vote, no nomination was made. Ten delegates, over whom there was a hot contest, where chosen to represent this county in the Legislative District Convention. These delegates were understood to be favorable to the nomi- nation of Geo. W. Whallon, of Blue Earth City, for senator, and Geo. C. Chamberlin, of Jackson, for representative. On the eleventh day of October, another county convention, called the "People's Convention" assembled at Winnebago City. This convention formally nominated W. W. White for auditor, J. R. Sisson for surveyor, and Frank Lent for register of deeds. At this convention also, ten delegates were elected to represent this county in the Legislative District Convention. These latter delegates were understood to be favorable to the nomination of C. W. Thompson, of Wells, for senator, and A. L. Patchia, of Martin county, for repre- sentative. The legislative district was, at the time, composed of the counties of Faribault, Martin, Jackson, Nobles, Cottonwood, Mur- ray, Pipestone and Rock. 304 HISTORY OF The district convention for the nomination of candidates for senator and representative, assembled at Fairmont, Martin county, on the twelfth day of October. Two sets of minutes of the proceedings of this convention, each signed by a chairman and secretary, were published as official. It appears by the one report, that H. J. Neal, one of the dele- gates chosen by the regular county convention of this county, called the meeting to order, and was thereupon elected chairman, and J. W. Cowing, of Jackson, secretary, and then Geo. W. Whallon was nominated as the candidate for senator, and Geo. C. Chamberlin. for representative, after which the convention adjourned. By the other report it appears, that A. Fancher. of Martin county, was chosen chairman and A. E. Foss, of this county, secre- tary, whereupon C. W. Thompson was nominated as the candidate for senator, and A. L. Patchin for representative. Several resolu- tions were then adopted, after which the convention adjourned. The fact was that each party was determined to nominate its candidates, at all events, and that both conducted their proceedings at the same time and place, the Thompson party continuing their proceedings for a short time after the Whallon party had adjourned. We shall not attempt to determine the legality of either set of nominations, as the legality, or regularity of the proceedings, does not appear to have been a matter of much consequence to either set of delegates. About this time, Geo. A. Weir was announced as an indepen- dent candidate for county surveyor, and Fred P. Brown, as an inde- pendent candidate for register of deeds. A congressman was also to be elected this fall, and the candi- dates were, Mark H. Bunnell, of Steele county, republican, andC. F. Buck, of Winona county, democrat. The campaign was exceedingly earnest, bitter and personal. The contest was upon the offices of senator and representative in the district, and the office of register of deeds in this county. The entire district was closely canvassed, many meetings were held and many a country school house rang with turgid eloquence. At some of these meetings, the champions of both sides met, when words, hot and high, were heard for hours. The real issues of this campaign, so far as the district was con- cerned, were not men and politics, but were, first, the rivalrj' of interests of the several localities, or villages in this county; sec- ondly, the division of the 500,000 acres of State "internal improve- ment lands," among the railroad companies of the State, which it was designed to attempt at the next session of the legislature, of which Mr. Thompson desired to get a portion in aid of the roads in which he was interested, while Mr. Whallon and his friends were look- FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 305 ing after like intei*ests in behalf of their localities, and thirdly, but not least, so far as concerned Blue Earth City, the county seat ques- tion, in this county, was believed to be deeply involved in this elec- tion and, of course, awakened all the energies of Blue Earth City, and several other localities. Besides all these considerations a United States senator was to be elected at the next session of the legislature. The Winnebago Oity Press and Wells Atlas ta,voTed Messrs. Thompson and Patchin. The Blue Earth City Post sustained Messrs. Whallon and Chamberlin, and the South-West spoke favorable of both republican tickets, but did not take a decided stand for either. The election was held on the eighth day of November, and the following was the result in this county, as appears from the official canvass: TOTALS. For Congress— M. H. Dunnell, 1606; C. F. Buck, 607. State Senator— G. W. Whallon, 1246; Moses King, 40; C. W. Thompson, 917. Representative — G. C. Chamberlin, 1168; H. Seeger, 146; A. L. Patchin, 899. Auditor— W. W. White, 1669; Geo. Barnes, 532. Register— F. Lent, 1099; F. P. Brown, 1039. Surveyor— G. A. Weir, 1489; H. Sisson, 717. Henry J. Neal was elected county commissioner for District No. 2, and L. C. Seaton for District No. 3, and Mark H. Dunnell was elected representative in congress of this, the first congressional district. But the matter of chief interest was not yet decided. The votes for senator and representative in the entire legislative district, com- posed of the counties above named, were yet to be canvassed. As this county was the senior county in the district, the votes of the other counties were required by law to be returned to the auditor of this county to be canvassed, by a board designated by law, and was composed as follows: W. W. White, Auditor of Faribault county. C. Chamberlin, Auditor of Cottonwood county. M. A. Strong, Auditor of Jackson county. J. A. Armstrong, Auditor of Martin county. J. A. Kiester, Judge of Probate, Faribault county. D. F. Goodrich, Justice of the Peace, Faribault county. The canvassing board met on the third day of December, at Blue Earth City. Never before, or since, for that matter, was such an intense in- terest manifested in the canvass of any vote in the county. Gross frauds were charged to have been practiced by both parties, and the vote was known to be very close. 306 HISTORY OF There was a jri'eat attendance of citizens at the oflBce of the county auditor. Mr. Thompson, with his attorneys. Messrs. Losey, of La Crosse, Wis., and Dunn, of this county, with many friends, were present. Mr. Whalion and his friends were also in attendance. After much discussion, the raising of many objections and the read- ing of considerable law applicable to the subject in hand, the board duly considered the matter, and finally certified to the following canvass. For senator, Geo. W. Whalion had 1684 votes, and C. W. Thomp- son had 1609 votes, and Moses King had 87 votes. For representa- tive, Geo. C. Chamberlin had 1640 votes, A. L. Patchin 1565, and H. Seeger had 192. Whallon's majority over Thompson was 75, Chamberlin's over Patchin was 75. But Messrs. Thompson and Patchin were not satisfied, and very soon notices were served upon Messrs. Whalion and Chamberlin, by Thompson and Patchin, that the election of the former would be con- tested, and that testimony would be taken on the matter of the senator- ship at Winnebago City, on the twenty-first day of December, before C. A. Louusberry and S. J. Abbott, justices of the peace, and in the case of therepresentativeship, before the same officers, at the same place, on the twenty-third day of the same month. M. J. Severance and C. K. Davis were employed as counsel by Whalion And Chamberlin, and Messrs. Losey, of La Crosse, Wis., J. M. Gilman, of St. Paul, and A. C. Dunn, of this county, were re- tained as counsel by Thompson and Patchin. The following is a brief summary of the points made by Thomp- son and Patchin, and the counterpoints. 1st. That the ballot box used at the election, on the eighth day of November, at Blue Earth City, was stuffed with illegal and fraudulent votes, to the number of two hundred, and that all of said illegal votes contained the names of G. W. Whalion for senator, and G. C. Chamberlin for representative. 2d. That a fraudulent poll list was used, containing two hun- dred names of persons not residing in the election district. 3d. That not more than three hundred legal voters reside in Blue Earth City precinct, and to conceal the fraudulent voting, the poll lists were fraudulently taken from the offices of the county auditor and town clerk. It was also charged that thirty illegal votes were cast in the town of Emerald. The substance of the counterpoints was that many illegal votes were cast at Wells and in several other election districts for Messrs Thompson and Patchin, and that Mr. Thompson was not a resident of the State, and consequently ineligible to the office of senator. FAIUBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 307 Soon after meeting and organization, the court adjourned to Blue Earth City, when, after a session of eight days, during which many witnesses were examined, and their testimony reduced to writ- ing, the court finally adjourned. In the investigation of these matters, a very great difiSculty soon presented itself. The poll lists of Blue Earth City election district could not be found. The papers pertaining to the town clerk's office were, for convenience, kept in a "candle box," and one copy of the poll list should have been found in it, but the box was searched very closely, yet the list was not found, and the clerk could give no infor- mation as to what had become of it. The duplicate list, required by law, to be filed in the office of the county auditor, was so filed, but that list, also, mysteriously disap- peared and could nowhere be found, it having been taken from the office without the auditor's knowledge. Thei'efore, not knowing the names on the poll lists, it was impos- sible to prove directly that the persons whose names were on the list, and had voted, were not legal voters. It was, therefore, sought to be shown, by the testimony of the witnesses, the number of legal votes in the town, and that the vote cast was greatly in excess of what it should be. But one illegal vote was proved directly, as cast for Whallon and Chamberlain, and that was confessed, the voter lacking only a few days of the four months' residence in the State, required by law. Five illegal votes were shown to have been cast at Wells, which were doubtless cast for Thompson and Patchin. Mr. Thompson himself was placed on the witness stand, as to the question of his residence. The general tenor of his testimony was quite unfavorable as to his eligibility as a candidate. Although but few votes cast at this election were proven to be illegal, yet it must be admitted that there were illegal votes cast at Blue Earth City and at several other places for Whallon and Cham- berlain, and that the poll books of Blue Earth City election district mysteriously and criminally disappeared. It must also be as readily admitted that there were illegal votes cast at Wells and at several other places for Thompson and Patchin. But just how many such votes were cast for either candidate, in what manner the frauds were perpetrated and upon whom the odium of such outrages upon the purity of the ballot box should be cast, will probably never be known. The final result of all this turmoil, excitement and expense, is recorded in the history of the next year. It is gratifying to state that this was the first known instance of election frauds perpetrated in this county; that but comparatively few persons had any part in them, and that when the excitement of the time passed away, the great majority of the people denounced such action severely. 308 insTonv of In a free fjoverninent like that under which we live, where the source of all power and authority is the people and the ballot box, the means by which they indicate their wishes, frauds by which the expressed wishes of the majority are nullified, or defeated, consti- tute a crime of great magnitude, and should meet with universal exe- cration and certain and condign punishment. Our election laws throughout the whole country, to this date at least, seem to have been made on the assumption that all electors were honest and patriotic, and the great majority were, and are so, but it must be admitted that there were, and now are, a great many rascals abroad in the world, especially in the cities, and it would seem, occasionally in the country districts also, who would take advantage of the simple and loosely constructed laws to practice the greatest frauds upon the people. And the vast importance to the continued existence of our free institutions, of great reforms in our election laws, began, at about this period, to be realized by the peo- ple, and they began to inquire what regulations could be framed by which fair and honest elections might be secured. Election laws must be framed upon the assumption that there are a great many ingenious scoundrels living, everywhere, who are ready to corrupt the voter, invade and vitiate the ballot box itself, and pervert the will of the people if there is any possible chance of doing so. While treating of the subject of elections, the writer may be excused for offering a few further suggestions on the subject of voting and its importance. The theory of our government is that the people rule; that here exists self-government, citizen sovereignty. But every citizen can- not be invested with office and have a scepter placed in his hands. The method, therefoi'e. by which the people rule themselves, politi- cally, is mainly by the exercise of the elective franchise, or the right to vote. In the exercise of this right they choose representatives to frame constitutions and enact laws, and others to determine, in cases of dispute, what, in any particular case, the law is, and others to execute the laws. By this means the people also indicate, in a great measure, what they desire the policy of the government, state or national, shall be. in various matters of public interest. Certain public poli- cies, or political principles acted upon bj' the government, may result in great progress, prosperity and happiness, and the elevation of the standards of good citizenship, among the people, while cer- tain other political views and theories, if carried into practical ai)plication, may paralyze progress and all industries, create large indebtedness, disorder the currency, cause bankruptcies among business men. reduce labor to idleness and beggary, and even seri- ouslj- degrade the moral tone and the patriotic impulses of the FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 309 people of the nation. Every ^governmental act affects every citizen to some extent. But wrong policies, erroneous action in public affairs are dangerous, not only as regards the nation, but also, of course, to the state, the county, the township and school dis- trict; and the voter is not only interested in the principles to be pursued, or the action to be taken, but also in the men who are to fill the offices. Men must be selected who are competent and honest. There are some men in almost every community who are, because of incompetency, or lack of moral principle, unfit to be placed in any public office, and just such men are sometimes candidates for office, and this class of candidates usually rely much on the gullibility of the people. As a rule, the man Who has proved himself a failure, or a rascal, in his private life, is very likely to prove such in office, whatever his promises may be. Sooner or later his real character will appear, to the public detriment. The voter must pass upon these questions also, and should inform himself as to the real char- acter of candidates. It is undoubtedly true, that the right to vote, the duty of voting are, by many, greatly uader estimated. There are many voters who do not think it of much importance to vote, and frequently neglect to do so. Voters have been heard to excuse themselves from attending an election by the remark, "Well, one vote will not make any difference," yet in the history of our govern- ment, national and state, one single vote has on a number of occa- sions, determined great policies, changed anticipated results, or decided who should hold office. Several instances may be named: The lack of one more vote saved President Johnson from im- peachment. A majority of one vote in the Electoral Commission practically made Mr. Hayes President of the United States. A majority of one vote once elected a governor of the State of Massachusetts. A famous United States Senator was reelected by a majority of one vote, and that one vote was given by a member of the legisla- ture who had himself been elected by a majority of one vote. Coming to our own State, Senator C. K. Davis was re elected by the legislature by a majority of one vote, on joint ballot. There are also some voters who are so ignorant, or corrupt, or both, as to sell their votes, while in some sections of the country certain classes of voters are sent to the polls to exercise this right as an employer, or a ward boss, or some one else may dictate, and in some other localities, numbers of electors are not permitted to vote at all. It is well to think occasionally of the real character and import- ance of the right to vote. It is one of the highest, most dignified, most honorable and most necessary of the rights of a free citizen. 310 HISOTJIY OF This political right, more than any other, makes the distinction be- tween a monarchial, or despotic, and a free government. And it is literally true that millions of men, through the ages past, have perished in the struggle for those civil liberties, of which the right to say how they should be governed was one of the great- est. There may here be added to what has already been said of the value and importance of the elective franchi.se, the following further considerations: In the first place, it is well known, but not always fully recog- nized, that the right to vote is greatly limited as to the number who are invested with the right, or, in other words, that but few of the great mass of the people, who are interested in the atfairs of the town, county, state or nation, are permitted to vote. Only about one-sixth of the population, of any voting district, practically do the voting, and often a less number, for there are always some who are entitled to vote who fail lo do so. Thus, if the nation has a popula- tion of 60.000.000. about 10,000,000 of voters, practically, determine who shall be president and vice president, and the general policy of the government. If our State has a population of 1,500,000, then only about 250,000 vote on the questions of who shall be our State officers and decide other State affairs, which may be submitted to the people. If our county has 18.000 inhabitants, then about 3,000 votes .settle the question of who shall till our county offices and decide other impor- tant interests. Now these facts imply thatevery voter exercises the right to vote, not only in his own behalf, individually, but he votes, also, in behalf of five or six other persons, equally interested with himself. The right to vote thus* becomes a great trust, to be exercised for, not only the voter's own good, but for the welfare of many others, who cannot vote. But this is not all the responsibility which rests upon the voter. He decides, by his vote, the principles and policies that shall obtain, not only for the present, but, perhaps, for the future, for many years, thus making that country (state or locality) and its conditions of success, or failure, in which his children, probably, or his kin- di'ed, are to live and labor, long after he may be dead. The des- tinies of this great state, and the greater nation, of which we have the honor to be citizens, rests in the hands of the voters. And the school district, the township, the county, the state and the nation have the right to demand of every one invested with this great franchise, that he exercise the right; they are entitled to his judgment in the affairs of the public, and to be intelligently and con- scientiously expressed by his vote. To vote is the duty of every elector, as well as his right, and he who feels that he has voted ac- FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 311 cording to the noble sentiment "For God and home and native land," has done well. And the man who would permit his vote to be dic- tated by another, or who would sell his vote, is unfit to be a free citizen, and should be disfranchised. And the man who would seek to corrupt a voter, or to deceive him, or by fraud, attempt to annul, or pervert the expressed will of the people, deserves not only dis- franchisement, but imprisonment. MURDER. A murder was committed at Wells, on the 4th day of November. This was the fourth homicide in the county. The facts in the case, briefly stated, are about as follows. A number of Swedes and Nor- wegians under the influence of intoxicating liquors got into a street brawl when one Nels Hast stabbed or cut one Ole Olsen in the neck. Olsen died in a few minutes. Hast was immediately arrested and was finally tried at the June term, of 1871. "The Great King of Kings Hatii in the table of Ilis law Commanded, That thou shalt do no Murder."— S/iafcespcare. ANOTHER NEWSPAPER. On the ninth day of December, the first number of The Wells Real Esiaie Advertiser appeared. It was published at Wells, in this county, by Messrs. Chase and Hall. Wells could now boast of two newspapers. The Advertiser was a four page, seven column sheet. We copy the salutatory. "We present you, readers, with the Wells Advertiser. It means business. It is a permanent institution in Faribault county, fixed to stay. At present we shall publish it monthly, more frequently when it will pay to do so. Our aim shall be to benefit the entire community, not forgetting ourselves. We shall do a good deal of blowing, and being free-born, half white, andwhnlly independ- ent, expect to say a good many things that will make others blow. Our motto is "Advertise." We have got some things to sell and propose to let It be known, hence our name. In politics we are going for the best man and the county seat. If any body wants a row. let them punch us, if a farm, or village lot, come and see us." This is pith and point, but not much pathos. It may be added, that after the publication of two or three numbers of this paper, it "blew" itself out. THE GENERAL RECKONING. In this year the ninth national census was taken. The work was done in this county, during the months of June and July. S. P. Childs, of Blue Earth City, was the assistant United States Marshall, appointed for the south half of the county, and A. A. Huntington, of Winnebago City, for the north half, to do the work of taking the census. 312 HISTORY OF As this is another year of general reckoning and posting up of accounts, in the history of our county, a record is here made of all the valuable statistics of the year. The quotations from the census, the agricultural productions, the assessed value of property in the several towns, and the other items of interest given, make up a very complete exhibit. But it must be again stated, that the value of some of these statistical collections is not great. It is found that those compiled from the census differ considerably from those taken from the State reports. We cannot here attempt to explain the causes of these discrepancies. The statistics are given here as they are found recorded in the books of authority on the subject. TABLE NO. 1— POPULATION. Number of male inhabitants in the county .'),274 Number of females 4,672 Total number of inhabitants y,94G As to the nativity of the inhabitants, there were born in the United States, 7,453; in Norway, 821; in Germany, G80; Canada, 431; Ireland, 195; England, 150; Scotland. 74; Prance, 44; Denmark, 32; Sweden, 20; Wales, 17: Holland, 8; Switzerland, 3; other countries, 18. By the census of 18G0, the county ranked as No. 29 in popula- tion, but by the census of this year as No. 19. The population per square mile was, in 1870, 13.81. TABLE NO. 2— LIVE STOCK. Horses, 2,996; mules, 110; milch cows, 3,298; working oxen 1,401; other cattle, 3,447; sheep, 4,037; hogs, 3,311. TABLE NO. 3— FAUM PRODUCTS OF 1870. Acres. Bushels. Wheat 32,678 343,546 Oats 11,470 .•!2:J,I74 Corn ,"),497 l,JI,3;i3 Barley 1,618 29,868 Rye 16 106 Buckwheat 170 1,985 Potatoes 314 11,635 Beans 117 1,417 Tame hay 237 306 tons. Wild hay 17,243 23,208 tons. Sorghum 48 2,947 gals, syrup. Wool ; 10,778 lbs. Butter 188,490 lbs. Cheese 11,320 lbs. . Honey 2.025 lbs. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 313 TABLE NO. 4— VALUATIONS. The following table exhibits the total assessed value of all the Real and Personal Estate in each township in the county for the year 1870: » Total. Seely & Kiester $65,050 Rome 21,059 Elmore 64,677 Pilot Grove 26,266 Foster 58,910 Brush Creek 35,711 Emerald 77,816 Blue Earth Ci ty 223,444 Jo. Daviess 69,829 Clark 130,564 Walnut Lake 46,435 Barber 61,979 Prescott 83,230 Verona 103,966 Dunbar 56,713 Minnesota Lake 63,910 Lura 62,8.36 Guthrie 83,479 Winnebago City 160,822 $1,495,705 TABLE NO. 5 — MISCELLANEOUS. The number of farms in the county, in 1870, was 1,474. The number of dwelling houses, 1,911. There were 199 births and 88 deaths during the year. As this was the first year in which returns of births and deaths were required by law to be made, and the matter was not well understood, the returns made were quite im- perfect. There were five grist mills in the county, one a steam mill, two propelled by water, and two by wind power. There were in this year eighty-two marriages, and in five years, including 1870, six divorces, there being three in this year. SCHOOL STATISTICS FOR 1870. The following statistics and remarks are taken from Mr. Rich- ards' first reports, as superintendent of schools: No. of school districts 90 No. of school houses 79 No. of scholars 3,529 Eighty-one per cent of these attended school during the year. The graded schools at Blue Earth City and at Winnebago City, are doing good work. The county is well represented at the State Nor- mal School at Mankato. The deportment of pupils is generally 314 HISTORY OF good. Twelve public examinations of teachers were held in the county. One hundred and five certiticates were issued to teachers. There was paid to teachers during the year, ^15,123.00. Nine new school houses were built, costing ^3,590,00. These facts and figures clearly show that the people of Faribault county are wide awake in school affairs. THK FALL AND WINTER. The fall weather of this year was remarkably pleasant, and long continued, affording ample time for all fall work. But winter approaches '"Winds are swelling Round our dwelling. All day telling Us their woe. And at vesper Frosts grow crisper As they whisper Of the snow." The first snow fell about the twenty-third of November, but plowing was done as late at the sixth day of December, and navigation remained open on the Mississippi very late, a steamboat excursion coming off at St. Paul on the twenty seventh of December. FINIS. The following statement is clipped from a newspaper, and forms a neat conclusion to the history of this year: "Saturday, December 31st, 1870, was the lastday,otthelast week, of the last month, of the last year, of the last decade, ending with 1870. When will such a coincidence again occur?" " The winter winds are wearily sighing, Toll the church boll, sad and slow. And tread softly and speak low; For the old year lies — a dying."— Tennvson- FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 315 CHAPTER XVII. A. D. 1871. The morning of the first day of January, 1871, broke over this land, bright and still. Blue skies and a balmy atmosphere ushered in the new j'-ear — it was the Sabbath day. "Amidst the eartnioess of life, Vexation, vanity and strife; Sabbath! how sweet thy holy calm, Comes o'er the soul like healing balm." This year not only began, but ended on Sunday. In reference to the Sabbath, or Sunday, for whetlier properly, or improperly, both names are now generally given to the day linown as the Chris- tian Sunday and are so here used, there are several propositions . which may here be discussed. It is well known that the Jews and certain Christian denomina- tions, hold that Saturday, the seventh day of the week, is the true Sabbath day and the day which all people are, by the fourth com- mandment of the decalogue, required to keep as the Sabbath day. But, on the other hand, the great majority of Christian peoj)le keep Sunday, or the first day of the week, as the Sabbath day, and some legislative enactments, relating to the observance of Sunday, are to be found in the laws of most civilized nations. The propositions referred to above, are the following: Whether under the Christian dispensation, Sunday — the first day of the week — kept in commemoration of the Christ's resurrec- tion and the descent of the Holy Gliost, on the day of Pentacost, and kept by the apostles themselves and other followers of Christ, in the assembling themselves together and "the breaking of bread," preaching and the reading of the scriptures — a practice continued in the church in all ages, since their day, was, by competent authority, substituted lor the Jewish Sabbath, under the old dispensation, which, on the coming of the Christ, is said to have passed away. And here did the Christ, wlio declares that "He is Lord, also of the Sabbath," who in the three years of his ministry and, also, during the forty days between His resurrection and ascension, spake "of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God," instruct his apostles concerning the Sabbath, or Sunday. 316 HISTORY OF Whether Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch, who was a disciple of St. John, and was ordained by the Apostles then. living, spoke wisely and with authority, when he instructed some of his disciples, who wished to keep both Saturday and Sunday, that they should not keep the Sabbath of the Jews (the Saturday), but lead a life con- formable to the Lord's daj-. Wlielher the observance of one day in seven, as the Sabbath, be it the first or last day, or any other day of the week, is a compli- ance with the spirit of the law. Whether the sixth day — Sunday — before the Passover of the Jews (Saturday), was the day on which God rested from the work of Creation, and the original Sabbath, and whether, when the Israelites left Egypt, the day was put back one day to our Satur- day, and so remained for fifteen hundred years, until the Christ arose from the dead on Sunday the original seventh day of the week, and that Sunday and the original Sabbath are now the same day. Whether in the lapse of time, a discrepancy of one day has oc- curred, in consequence of which the present first day of the week — Sunday — is in fact the identical original seventh day of the week. Whether, from the time when the command was given to keep the Sabbath day holy, the weeks, day by day, have been exactly regular in their succession, and that counting, day by day, from the beginning, our present Saturday, or Sunday, or any other day of the week, will prove exactly correct in the order of time. And here, what effect on Sunday did the Act of the Parliament of Great Britian, in 1752, have, when it was enacted that the third day of the month of Sei)tember of that year should be called the (14th) four- teenth. Whether or not the Edict of the Emperor Constantine issued A. D. 321, commanding that all work should cease in the cities "on the venerable Sunday," was the first official recognition of Sunday. Sunday was, originally, and long before the Christian era, the old pagan Roman day of the Sun — a day in the pagan worship dedicated to the sun. Whether in this land, where "no religious test shall be required as a qualification to office," "where no law shall be made respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercises thereof," where all are guaranteed the liberty of "worshipping God according to the dictates of their own consciences." and where "no control of, or interference with the rights of conscience is per- mitted," any state, as such, has any constitutional, or other right to enact laws, pi'oviding for the observance of any day as the Sab- bath or as Sunday, and enforcing the same by penalties. Has a majority the right to determine this question? FARIBAULT COUNTY, BlINNESOTA. 317 But may not the State, considering the value of the Sunday, in its secular aspects only, enforce by law, its observance as a day of rest from toil? The answers to these questions may be left to theologians, chronologists and statesmen. But there are a few plain, brief remarks regarding the observ - ance of the Sabbath day, which may not be inappropriate here. That this day should be observed by all, in a proper manner, is clearly declared in the fourth Commandment. None of the Com- mandments are more positive, more full or more in detail than this. By this command, we are in six days to labor and do all we have to do, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord, to be kept holy. The seventh day — the Sabbath — is not ours, it is the Lord's. We have no right to pervert it, or use it for our ordinary purposes. We can only use it for purposes designated by Him to whom the day belongs. All this seems to admit of no argument. This day is evidently intended to be kept as a day of rest and luor- ship, in which all the ordinary labors of life are suspended, and works of charity and necessity, only, are permissable. The word "Sabbath," means rest. God rested on this day from the work of creation, and he commanded the day to be kept holy. It is not a day of frivolity, ■ dissipation, or amusement, and it is certainly to be kept quietly, restfully and reverently, and as the Jews were commanded to have a holy convocation on the seventh day — the Sabbath, and Christ, as was his custom, went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day and "stood up for to I'ead," and as the apostles and disciples assem- bled for public worship, subsequently on the Lord's day, as they did also on the seventh day, or Sabbath — the day is intended as a day of public assembling together for the worship of God. That the day should, in all things, be kept with the strictness of the ancient Jews, or the rigidity of our Puritan forefathers, would be unreasonable and certainly not the intention. The Christ said that "the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath," that is, it was made for man's benefit and, therefore, it is lawful to do good, as doing works of necessity, mercy, charity, piety, on that day. In the Church calendar, Sunday is a festival, not a fast. On the other hand, what is known as the Continental Sabbath, or Sun- day, that is, the Sunday as it is kept generally in Continental Europe — a day devoted to recreation, amusements, excursions, gaming, theatrical performances and general dissipation, is simply a perversion of the day. The public welfare and the cause of relig- ion would be much better promoted, even by the old puritanical Sab- bath, than by the Continental observance of the day. Sunday must not be secularized. 318 UISOritY OF There are some things in the conditions of society, which mili- tate greatly against the proper observance of the Sabbath. Among these, there may be named tho fact that persons who labor hard in factories, workshops, mines and otherwise all tho work days of the week, and many hours of the day, which prevails much in Europe, and is coming to be the fact in this country, are almost compelled to ignore the Sabbath day. When Saturday night comes they are ex- hausted. The laborer has had no time during the week to attend to his private or personal business affairs, or for self-improvement, instruction, amusement or rest, or enjoyment of family life, and when Sunday dawns he feels that he must devote the day to some of these requirements. But suppose that even Sunday should be abol- ished, as has been proposed in certain localities, what would be the life of the daily toiler. Of all men, the workingman should be the friend of tho Sabbath day. An eight hour day for the laborer and a Saturday half holiday, will be among those improved conditions of labor which will some day be recognized everywhere. Human experience, in all ages, has taught much of the value of the proper observance of tho Sabbath. The keeping of one day in seven, as a day of rest from ordi- nary labors, is necessary to the well-being of man, and of all working animals. They can accomplish more labor and under better condi- tions, because of this rest. Its hygienic effects are greatly beneficial to man, mentally and- physically, not only because of the rest and recuperation but, also, because, according to the customs of all Christian lands, it is a day of personal cleaning up and change of raiment, and the mind is diverted from the ordinary tread mill round of mental and physical labors, to something new and different for the time being. In this age of nervous diseases, insanity and suicides, caused by over- work, hurry and worry, the Sunday rest is especially valuable. The famous Dr. Parre declared that the keeping of the Sun- day is necessary to the public health, and many other eminent phy- sicians indorse this testimony, and so do statisticians and sensible observers in general. It is morally and religiously beneficial, because the mind and attention are, or ought to be, called from sordid, temporal, worldly affairs to a higher plane, to instructions in religious duty and obli- gations, and to spiritual and eternal interests. Sunday is the great conservator of the morals and religion of the world. Blackstone, the great commentator on the laws of England, says that "'A corruption of morals usually follows a profanation of the Sabbath." Justice McLean, formerly of the Supreme Court of the United States, declared that "where there is no Christian Sabbath, there is no Christian morality." FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 319 The proper keeping of the Sabbath is necessary to the well being of the State. Justice McLean, above-named, also said, that without the Christian morality which is conserved by the Christian Sabbath, "free institutions cannot long be sustained." Our Ameri- can liberties are largely connected with the weekly day of rest. Adam Smith, the eminent writer on political economy, declares that "The Sabbath, as a political institution, is of inestimable value, independently of its claim to divine authority." Macaulay, the English historian, writes that "If Sunday had not been observed as a day of rest, during the last three centuries, we should have been, at this moment, a poorer and less civilized people." But it is not only where the Christian religion prevails, that the value of keeping one day in seven, as a day of rest and worship, is recognized, but the Jewish and great pagan religions bear testi- mony to the same facts. Sunday, the first day of the week, is claimed as the proper day of rest by Christians, generally, Monday by the Greeks, Tuesday by the Persians, Wednesday by the Assyrians, Thursday by the Egyptians, Friday by the Mohammedan Turks, and Saturday, by the Jews and several Christian denominations. Finally, to sum up the subject, considering the authoritative command of the Great Greater, in regard to the observance of the Sabbath, its value to man's mental and physical well-being, its im- portance in the conservation of morality and religion, its value to the State and to the progress of civilization, the disregard and desecration of the Sabbath approaches very near the turpitude of a crime. And the writer regrets to record the fact that very generally, throughout the world, the profanation and desecration of the Sabbath is one of the evils of this age which seem to be rapidly increasing and over-shadowing the nations, our own among the number. But the writer adds here, with great pleasure, that locally (in Faribault county) the people generally, with a few ex- ceptions, have ever been a Sabbath observing, church going peoi^le. People who have the good of their race and nation at heart, can do no wisey act than to encourage, at all times, the proper observance of the Sabbath day. MORBUS SABBATICUS. A writer says, that morbus sabbaticus, or Sunday sickness, is a disease peculiar to church members. The attack comes on sud- denly every Sunday — it never occurs on any other day. No symp- toms are felt on Saturday night. The patient sleeps well, eats well, but just about church time, the attack comes on, and continues until services in the morning are over. Then the patient feels easy and 320 niSTonv of eats a hearty dinner. In the afternoon the patient can take a walk, talk politics and read the Sunday paper. This sickness never inter- feres with the sleep, or appetite— it usually attacks only the head of the family, but no physician is ever called. Yet the disease is serious and becoming so prevalent, that it is sweeping thousands every year prematurely to the devil. JUDICIAL. The first January term of the district court in this county, com- menced its session Januai-y 3d. Hon. Franklin H. Waite, judge. There were eleven criminal and eighteen civil cases on the calendar. The term lasted six days, and much important business was trans- acted. The June term of this court commenced its session on the sixth, and at this term there were on the calendar nine criminal and thirty-one civil cases. The first trial yet had in this county for the awful crime of murder, occurred at this term of court — that of Nels Hast, a more full account of which is given elsewhere. This term, though a short one — lasting only four days — was for a number of reasons, one of the most interesting and important ever held in the county. Hast was convicted of murder in the second degree, and was sentenced to imprisonment for life, at hard labor, in the state prison. This was the first life sentence passed in this county, and of the four homicides which had occurred, this was the first instance in which the perpetrator was punished. THE COUNTY LEGISLATURE. A passing reference must now be made to the meeting of the "grave and reverend seniors," the county commissioners. They assembled on the third day of January; Arthur Bonwell was elected chairman for the year, after which the board proceeded to the transaction of its usual business. They met again on the fifteenth day of March, on the twenty- sixth day of June, and on the fifth day of September, but a careful inspection of the records of these several meetings, furnishes noth- ing of special note. Yet the business done at these several meet- ings, as always, was important, as being necessary to the well being of the county. The fact is that the great mass of the business, the real work of the world, public and private, of the town, county, state and nation, of all societies, corporations and individual pursuits, is of the ordinary routine character, having little of special interest, and nothing of the noise and glitter of what are called great actions.yet necessary, absolutely necessary, to the very existence, the stability, success and progress of all our institutions, political, religious, FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 321 social, financial and educational, and, therefore, of the gravest im- portance. The world's real work, intellectual, moral and physical, is done by its quiet, busy, daily toilers, and is of incalculably more importance to the well-being of society, than all those brilliant actions, so called great deeds and noisy demonstrations of which alone the world seems to take any account. THE farmers' society. At the winter meeting of the Agricultural Society, held in the early part of January, S. Pfeffer, of Blue Earth City, was elected president; A. D. Hall, of Wells, secretary, and L. W. Brown, of Prescott, treasurer. A meeting of the society was held at Blue Earth City, July 14th, which adjourned to meet at Wells on the twenty-sixth day of August. The object of this meeting was the revision of the constitution and by-laws, the preparation of premium lists and to determine the place of holding the next fair. The fair was held at Wells on the 4tli, 5th and 6th days of Octo- ber. The exhibition was not great, but the attendance was good, and financially the fair was a success to the society. THE WEATHER. The first snow storm of the winter commenced on the eleventh day of January, and continued two days. With this exception the winter was a very mild one. No great depth of snow fell, and we were not visited by any of those terrific "north westers," known by the euphoneous name of "blizzard," that occasionally give us some idea of the intense cold, and furious storms of the polar regions. The old weather saw, "As the days begin to lengthen The cold begins to strengthen." did not hold very good this winter. In January, of this year, there was considerable rejoicing through- out the country, in consequence of the fact that all the southern States were represented in con gress for the first time since Decem- ber, 1860. "Reconstruction" was completed. THE STATE LEGISLATURE. We now invite our readers to the halls of legislation at the State capital, to see what w as there done of interest to the people of this county. The thirteenth State Legislature assembled January 8th and adjourned March 3d. It will be recollected that in December, of the preceding year, notices were served upon G. W. Whallon, senator elect of this (the £Oth) district, and upon Geo. C. Chamberlin, representative elect. 322 HISTORY OF that their election wduld be contested, and that testimony was taken in reference to the matter. On the assembling of the legislature, both Messrs. Whallon and Chamberlin took their seats in their re- spective houses. Without going into all the details incident to these contests in the legislature, it will sufiice to say that on the twenty-fifth day of January the contested election case of Whallon and Thompson came up for final action in the Senate on the following resolution: "Rcaolvcd, That in the contested case of Thompson against Whallon, now pending— 1st. Clark \V. Thompson received a majority of the legal votes for senator in the Twentieth Senatorial District, and that, therefore, George W. Whallon is not entitled to a seat in this Senate. 2d. That Clark W. Thompson be admitted to his seat as senator from the Twentieth Senatorial District." On motion Senators Farmer (absent) and Whallon (interested), were excused. The question being upon the above resolution, a division of the question was called for, and upon the first clause of the resolution, the roll being called, there were thirteen yeas and seven nays. So that clause of the resolution was adopted. The question being now upon the second proposition, the roll being called, there were ten yeas, and ten nays. So the second clause of the resolution was lost. On a motion to reconsider the vote last taken, there were ten yeas, and ten nays. So the motion to reconsider was lost. As the matter stands thus far. Mr. Whallon is out of his seat and the seat is vacant. But on the thirty- first day of January, Mr. Far- mer, who had been absent on the former vote, appeared in his place in the Senate, and requested permission to record his vote upon the motion to reconsider the vote upon the second proposition. He was allowed so to do, and cast his vote in the affirmative. The proposi- tion to admit Mr. Thompson being then before the senate, the yeas and nays being ordered, there were fourteen yeas, and five nays, when Mr. Thompson came forward and was sworn in. On Tuesday, February 7th, the matter of the contested seat of Geo. C. Chamber- lin coming up in the House for final action, and the question being on the resolution to oust Mr. Chamberlin and give the seat to Mr. Patchin. the vote stood yeas, twenty-eight, nays, twelve. So Mr. Chamberlin was ousted, and Mr. Patchin admitted to the seat as representative of this district. On the twenty first day of February "A bill for an act to remove the county seat of Faribault county from Blue Earth City to Wells," previously introduced by Mr. Thompson, was passed in the senate by a vote of thirteen yeas to four nays. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 323 The passage of this act naturally created great excitement in Blue Earth City and vicinity, and it was determined by the residents of that village to defeat the passage of the bill in the House if possi- ble. It was reported that the people of Wells had previously secured the names of five hundred and ten inhabitants of the county, to a petition to the legislature favoring the removal of the county seat. The people of Blue Earth City then proceeded to canvass the county with remonstrances against the removal and the passage of the act pending, and secured the names of fifteen hundred and forty legal voters, the lists being all sworn to by the persons who procured the singers. These remonstrances, in the aggregate, contained the names of over two-thirds of the legal voters of the county. They were for- warded to St. Paul and laid before the House. The result was that on Monday, February 27th, the House committee on towns and coun- ties, reported adversely on the bill for the removal of the county seat from Blue Earth City to Wells. The report of the committee was adopted by the House, by a considerble majority, and a motion to reconsider, under a suspension of the rules, was lost by a vote of twenty-five to fifteen, and the fate of the bill was sealed. And now, as was very natural, there was great rejoicing at Blue Earth City, and a corresponding depression of spirits at Wells. The further action of the legislature of this year, of special re- lation to this county, was the passage of an act apportioning the State into legislative districts, in which it is enacted that "the sixth district shall be composed of the county of Faribault, and shall be entitled to elect one senator and two representatives." Also "An act to incorporate the village of Wells." Also "An act to authorize the Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Minnesota, Rail- way Company to extend their line of railroad into Minnesota, and which provided that said railway shall cross the State line dividing Iowa from Minnesota in Faribault county. Wm. Wiadom, of Winona, was elected United States Senator, for six years, and 0. P. Stearns to fill out the term of Mr. Norton, deceased. From what has been stated above, it will be observed that this county was represented in the legislature of 1871, by G. W. Whal- lon, and C. W. Thompson, in the senate, and G. C. Chamberlin and A. L. Patchin, in the House, being a little more representation than this county ever had before, or since that memorable session. As a passing remark, it may be stated that but little, if any- thing of value, was gained by either party to the great contest of 1870-71. The bill for the removal of the county seat did not become a law, and the internal improvement lands were not divided, as the bill was vetoed, nor was any other act passed of any special advan- tage to either party. 324 HISTORY OF ITEMS. (From the Pott.) —March.— A Missouri paper olTers this for the requiem of a departed con- temporary. It lias had many local illustrations. "Leaf by leaf the roses fall; Dime by dime the purse runs dry, One by one beyond recall Mushroom papers droop and die." — Advices from Paris give details of the inauguration of another revolu- tion. A mob has seized the city, three prominent generals have been shot, the streets barricaded, and the government and the American diplomatic corps have left the city. — The tide of imiuigration to Minnesota has already set in and "prairie schooners'' are already to Ije seen. It is the opinion of well informed persons, that immigration to Minnesota will be very heavy this year. —St. Patrick's day was pretty generally observed throughout the State. — A conductor on the S. M. Railroad says that as he was collecting tickets the other day, he came to a very tall, pleasant looking gentleman, who seemed very anxious to reach his journey's end— when the conductor reached for his ticket, the tall gentleman took him by the hand, felt his pulse and asked to see his tongue. That doctor does not live far from here. —April 1st — The beautiful spring weather of the past week, has induced farmers to commence sowing grain. — May 20th — We claim to beat the State on corn, having a patch of sweet corn which is ten inches high at this date. — There are several different kinds of shirks— the religious shirk, the political shirk, the physical shirk; Init of all shirks, the meanest, the most contemptible is the public shirk. By the public shirk we mean the man of property who is beneOted by the pushing of every public enterprise, and yet who persistently refuses to put his shoulder to the wheel to assist. — It may be said with truthfulness that the salvation of this State depends upon the coming harvest. Never at any previous time, since the State was settled, have the people been so generally deep in debt. They owe the merchant, the machine man and the liaiiks. The amount of money loaned on mortgages is enormous. This money is loaned at a high rate of interest, ranging from two to three per cent a month. * * » —The duty of the hour is to economize, economize, ECONOMIZE. — June 10th — Strawberries in market. — The Delevan and Blue Earth City stage line is doing a good business these days. — Pieplant will soon disappear from the market. —We have been informed that the crops never looked better than they now do. — Jug butter can be bought in its utmost perfection at reduced prices. Some of these items are a little curious, but they represent some of the events and conditions of the times. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 325 THE SONG OF THE SEEDER. Seeding commenced the latter part of March, and was mainly completed early in April. Corn- planting commenced about the tenth day of May, and a much greater breadth of land was cultivated to corn this year than was usual. ST. PATRICK'S DAY. The numerous notices in the newspapers of the current year, of the very general observance of St. Patrick's Day by a large class of out citizens, suggest the propriety of a few words on the subject here. "How beauteous are the feet of those who bear Mercy to man, glad tidiags to despair."— C H. Johnson. St. Patrick — a bishop— was the grea tmissionary and apostle of Christianity to the Irish people, and is revered as the Patron Saint of old Ireland. He was born A. D. 372 or 873, and died March 17th, A. D. 493 or 495. There appears, however, to be some doubt as to the accuracy of these dates. He began his labors as mission- ary to Ireland, about A D. 432. He was an apostle of great zeal and ability, of high character, fearless and of untiring energy, and has the credit of having converted almost the whole of Ireland to Christianity. It appears that he worthily bore the commission of the Great Master, recorded in the Scriptures. "And Jesus came and spake unto them, (the Disciples) saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth." "Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." "Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." —3Mhew II, S: 18-19-20. And this is the highest, the holiest commission ever issued to man. And the grandest men of all the ages are these brave, self- sacrificing and devoted missionaries who bear this Gospel of Jesus Christ to the heathen, raising up the idol-worshipper from his dark- ness and degradation into the blessed light of the Son of Righteous- ness, placing his feet in the path of civilization and progress, and pointing out to him the way to eternal salvation. The Roman Catholic Church keeps St. Patrick's festival on March 17th, the day of his death. The day is usually commemorated by religious services in the Roman Catholic churches, and by processions through some of the principal streets of the cities, and by other appropriate demonstra- tions. The day has generally been observed in this county in some manner, usually simply by religious services. St. Patrick's Day is not, however, a legal holiday in this State, and it seems to be com • memorated only by the Roman Catholics, yet it might very appro- priately be observed by all Christian people, and especially is it 326 HISTOIiY OF fitting that Irishmen, throughout the world, should revere and pay honor to this great man's memory. The proper color of decoration on this day, is green, and the prevailing custom is to display upon the person a small badge, representing the leaves of the shamrock, as a recognition of the day. "Oh the Shamrock, the ^;reon immortal Shamrock 1 Chosen leaf, Of hard and chief, Old Erin's native Shamrock '."—Moore. TEACHERS' INSTITUTE. April was signalized this year by the fact that the State Teach- ers' In.stitute was held at Blue Earth City, commencing April 17th. Some eighty (80) teachers were present and were much interested, as well as much benefited by the meeting. The institute was under the direction of and conducted by Prof. Wilson, State Superintend- ent, Supt. Niles and Dr. Aiken, all noted educators. A number of very instructive lectures were delivered by these gentlemen on educational subjects. THE FOURTH OF JULY. The Fourth of July was celebrated at Winnebago City and Delavan this year, but not at Blue Earth City. The celebration at Winnebago City was a great success. It was estimated that over two thousand people were present. We present the following account of the celebration taken from the local newspaper, and also a number of extracts from the address of Hon. G. K. Cleveland, because of the references contained therein to many matters of interest in the earlier days of the county, and also as a tribute to the memory of one nowdeceased, who was once a citizen of the county, and was honored with some of its most important offices. "After passing through the principal streets the procession halted at the bower.when the exercises were opened by music by the band; this was followed by prayer by Rev. J. D. Todd, and singing by the Glee Club. Dr. D. Noteman then read the Declaration of Independence in an impressive manner, and was lustily cheered at the close of the same. The au'lience was then treated to music by both tlie brass band and Glee Club. After which Hon. J. A. Latimer, president of the day, introduced Major G. K. Cleveland, of Mankato, who delivered an oration of which we can only give an imperfect idea by the following extracts. We regret that our space forbids giving Major Cleveland's address in full, but as we cannot, we select those portions having a local application, judging that these will be of most interest to our readers— at least those who are considered 'old settlers.' The address was as follows: Mr. President, Ooddess of Liberty, and M(tid.s of Honor: Fellow Citizens: Friends of to-day, and friends of other days! Judging from what I see before me and around me, this is 'July,' and 'Thompson has FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 327 got home.' I read in youf paper that lively times were anticipated in some young city of your county 'when Thompson came home in July.' My friends, of Winnebago City, of Blue Earth City, of Fairmont, of Shelby, of Sterling, of Mapleton, Wells, and all of Faribault county. This opportunity of celebrating with you the glorious Fourth, is to me an occasion of unalloyed pleasure. This spot was my home from 1857 to 1862. I shall never forget, and will you, who took part in celebrating the Fourth of July. 1858, ever forget the joy and rejoicing of that day. Yonder, on the site of the old school-house, stood the green booth. Beneath it groaned the loaded tables which the Win- nebago ladies of that day had spread with royal, no, with Republican bounty. 1 use the word in a national, not a partisan sense. The ladies in question were famous for an intimateacquaintance with the mysteries of both substantial and pastry cooking. I venture they have not lost their skill. That was the first celebration of the Fourth in this city. The Fourth of July is like quails and prairie chickens— a bud of civilization. It follows the settlements. The Declaration of Independence was read; patriotic songs were sung; the day, the President, the old flag, the ladies present, and the girls we had left behind us, all were toasted. That was a memorable celebration. We who met there thus, for the first time, claimed half the State of the Union for birthplace and homes. We came from the Maine woods; from the shadow of Plymouth Rock; from the hills and valleys of the Empire State; from wood-crowned Pennsylvania; from Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa. Yankees, Knickerbockers, Leatherheads, Buckeyes, Wolverines. Hawkeyes, Hoosiers, and Suckers— a hodge-podge, a hasty pudding, to be soon simmered-down into Gophers. This is no inglorious ending. Gophers are the real ancient mound-builders of the Mississippi Valley, and by a happy transmigration of souls, have returned to their ancient seats, to found a race more mighty and enduring than the first. We came with the same patriotic associations, the same revolutionary reading, the same manly pride in American greatness, the same mother love for the old flag, the same rock-bottomed confidence in American destiny, the same amaz- ing faith in the scream of the national eagle to scare the world. Hither we came seeking homes, happiness, fortune. We found here a virgin soil— a flowery wilderness— a spot of uninhabited earth fresh from the hand of God. Its soil of marvelous fertility had never been cursed by wheel of bloody conqueror, by foot of cruel oppressor, or sweat of slave. You received it unstained from the hands of the Almighty world-builder, overlaid with the cream of a thousand centuries, and consecrated on that Independence Day to order, liberty, and law; to the equal rights of all men, of all climes, who should here set foot; to ad- vancement, education, and to that religion whose corner-stone is the Father- hood of God and the Brotherhood of Man. But are they all here who took part in that celebration? Let them an- swer to roll-call: Ladd, Welch, Jenn^ss, Goodnow, Moulton, Foley, Towndrow, Wheeler, Tommy George, Dunham, Spickerman, Seely, Dunn, Sherlock, Kim- ball, Humes, Grove Burt, Capt. Bigelow, Madison— where are you. all— and a hundred others, Hi. Young included? More than half are gone — scattered by the toss and whirl of time. Enough remain to enjoy with me a moment's retros- pect. The first social party I attended in this State was in Burnett's log hotel over there— do you recollect it?— in the winter of "ST-'S, when a solitary fiddle discoursed ravishing music, while the feet of forty dancers tore their soles on rough spots where the landlord's adze had smoothed down — or, rather, in a well-m(!ant effort, had roughed up— the warped edges of the floor-boards. Young ladies, like quails and prairie chickens, follow the settlement— in time. At that time there were no young ladies in these youthful "diggins." Butyoung 828 HISTORY OF luarricd ladies were numerous. These came from over the river, from Verona, from Bass Lake, from Shelby. They hroiight their tiahies— and a little pantry made clean for a clothes-room, was piled from bottom to top shelf with sleeping babies, from three weeks old and upward. It was a sight to behold. It always did seem to me that the soil and climate of the upper Blue Earth valley was remarkably congenial to the growth of babies— God hless their pug noses! The supper that night was sumptuous, and the social, innocent pleasure, temper- ately and most heartily enjoyed. The first sermon I ever heard in Minnesota was at tlie hospitable home of Capt. Bigelow and his most amiable and estim- able lady, when Elder Jacob Conrad preached. I pronounce his name with pleasure, and am proud to be numbered among his friends. Noble, faithful, cheerful of spirit, he lived among the sometime rough and wayward settlers of the frontier the religion he commended to others. He planted the Banner of the Cross where too many only thought of planting potatoes and corn. His illustrations of truth and duty often had the spice of an odd and humorous originality whi'jh often provoked a smile, but which did not fail of their mark. Noble, Christian man! Long may he live to enjoy life and do good . The first grave I ever stood above in Minnesota, was yonder in the woodland— the un- timely grave of murdered Fisher. I do not recall a single natural death during the first three years of my residence here, so gracious and so healthful was the time. By your favor I was first honored with an office— that of Probate Judge. In the political contests of those early days local 'honors" were 'easy'— for Republicans— they were overwhelmingly in the majority. Twice was I honored by your suffrages with a seat in the Legislature. But it was not votes alone that elected me. [Here the speaker paid a tribute to the memory of the 'stiff- necked, crop-eared Indian pony' which had carried him through his electioneer- ing expeditions. He then referred to the late civil war, paying a glowing tri- bute to those brave men who left the comforts of home to assist their country In her great peril; painted in vivid colors the fearful scenes of carnage in the field, and the broken-hearted wives and mothers left at home; referred to the present disseniiions in the South, and considered the rule of unprincipled rene- gades from the North to be one of the prime causes then-of; spoke of the 'new departure' doctrine inaugurated by Vallandigham, and favored the throwing aside of old issues by both political parties, and on nuestions of national im- portance all work together His closing remarks were eloquent, patriotic, and highly entertaining to the vast audience in attendance]. Mr. Cleveland was loudly cheered on taking his seat. The brass band and glee club then favored the audience with some charming music, which was followed by the benediction, delivered liy Rev. Mr. Ross." OUR RURAL SUMMERS. Again, as in every year, the glorious summer is with us. How beautiful are the azure skies and the golden sun, which rises early and looks for many hours, and until late in the evening, upon the daily scenes, as if loth to be absent long, and leaving, long after he lias gone down, the summer twilight; and who ha.s not listened with pleasure to the late summer evening concert of the cicada and other musical insects, when all other sounds are hushed? And now the trees, the groves and the great forests are clothed in their fullest foliage of dark green, and how numerously they are occupied by the birds, of every variety of plumage, which here make their homes, and charm the world with their music. How pleasant FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA- 329 is the cool shade, under the great leafy branches of the mighty oaks and maples and elms and other forest trees. "All who love the haunts of nature, Love the sunshine of the meadow; Love the shadow of the forest; Love the wind among the branches." The fruit trees bear on every bough a burden of growing fruit, which gives the assurance of the coming rich reward, for all the labor expended in their care. And in this favored season, the earth is carpeted with rich grasses and blooming flowers, and we see on every hand, wide and cultivated fields, bearing their wealth of grow- ing crops, — the rustling corn, the green, waving seas of other grains, or which are, perhaps, already growing golden, and ready for the abundant harvest. Nor can we overlook the grazing herds of cattle, the flocks of sheep and droves of horses, all well-fed and contented in the green pastures, for from these grain fields and droves and flocks and herds, come our living, and the wealth of the world. And to-day every breeze bears to us the fragrant odors of the wide spreading landscape. The softly falling dews of the night and the refreshing showers of this season, are full of blessings for man. This, too, is the season of the school and college commencement . exercises and long school vacation, the "outing" time of the city business man, the season of pic-nics and outdoor festivals, of cele- brations and the assembling of great literary and benevolent asso- ciations. And now is out- door life in the country full of useful labor, and all kinds of business activity. Now, too, the pleasure seekers are in the field and forest, on the land and on the waters, in quest of rest and recuperation. Yes, the summer is life in its perfection, for every living thing. "Then comes Thy glory in the summer months, With light and heat refulgent. Then Thy sun Shoots full perfection through the swelling year." Heaven itself is but an eternal summer. It is the summer that gives us the goodly fruits of the earth, without which, all things having life would perish. But the promise made in the world's morning is, that "while the earth remaineth, seed-time and harvest, and cold and heat and summer and winter, and day and night, shall notcease." THE HUM OF THE HARVESTERS. Harvest commenced about the twenty-fourth of July. Hands were plenty at two dollars per day, and the weather was good. Crops of all kinds were good this year, except wheat, which was generally light, many pieces not producing more than from five to eight bushels per acre. The average yield over the county did not. 330 HISTORY OF probably, exceed tea bushels per aero. The corn crop was the larg- est ever yet raised in the county. This was Minnesota's great corn year. If an Illinois farmer had been visiting this county, during the summer and fall of this year and had seen the tall thrifty stalks, the large and perfectly rippened oars, he might well inquire why this county was not adapted to raising "Cawn." He would not only have seen corn, but might have truthfully said with the poet "On cither hand The jellow pumpkins Ho, Sprinkled about the over-burdened land, Suggestive of delicious pie. Whose charms, a home-bred, hungry soul. Cannot withstand." THE SOUTH WEST AND THE MAIL. On the second day of September the last number of the South West appeared. The editor, in his good bye. after stating that he had sold out. says: "We shall now have an opportunity of a 'play spell' that is not in the least disagreeable to contemplate, after having conducted a newspaper for twenty-seven years." On the sixteenth day of September the Blue Earth City Mail ap- peared at Blue Earth City, published by M. H. Stevens, formerly of the Post. It was a large, eight column weekly, "neatly printed and ably edited," as the usual phrase goes. Mr. Stevens had bought out the South West, referred to above. THE CONTEST FOR THE OFFICES. With the incoming of September, another exciting political con- test commenced. It will be remembered that by the new apportionment hereto- fore mentioned, that this county now constituted one senatorial and representative district, being entitled to one senator and two repre- sentatives in the State legislature. This being the year of the gubernatorial election, the candidates of the loading parties were Hon. Horace Austin, republican, and Hon. Winthi'op Young, democrat. The democi'acy held a County Convention at Blue Earth City on the ninth day of September, and made the following nominations: For Senator — Geo. B. Kingsley. For Representatives — John McNeil, C. G. Slagle. For Treasurer — Geo. Barnes. For County Attorney — Richard Field. For Sheriff— A. B. Davis. For Judge of Probate — A. Hanson. For Coroner — J. M. Drake. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 331 On the fifteenth day of September, the republicans met in county convention, at Blue Earth City. The following nominations were made: For Treasurer — R. B. Johnson. For Sheriff— J. E. Wheeler. For County Attorney — J. H. Sprout. For Coroner — A. J. Rose. For Judge of Probate — J. A. Keister. An attempt was made to nominate a candidate for senator, G. W. Whallon and B. H. Hutchins being before the convention. A great deal of "noise and confusion" now prevailed in the con- vention, and in the hurry and excitement the vote was declared a tie, whereupon a motion was made and put and was supposed to have been carried to adjourn, without nominating senator and repre- sentatives, and the convention broke up in a general jumble. It was, however, claimed by Mr. Whallon and his friends, that the name of one delegate friendly to him had not been called, nor his vote counted, which if it had been done, would have given him one majority, and of course the nomination. The result, however, was that it was generally considered that no nominations had been made by the convention for legislative offices, and the field was open to all. A great deal of figuring, intriguing, "log-rolling" and combina- tions began at once among the local politicians — a great running hither and thither, a consultation of factions and individuals and interests. Dissatisfaction was expressed with the nominations of both parties, and as a result, about the close of September, certain independent candidates for legislative honors were announced. E. H. Hutchins and Geo. W. Whallon were announced as candidates for the senate. S. P. Child, Andrew Hanson, Henry M. Huntington and C. A. Lounsberry as candidates for I'epresentatives. A "People's Mass Convention" was called to meet at Wisner's Grove on the tenth day of October, for the purpose of making nom- inations. This convention, as announced, was not to be a party aifair — it was not to be controlled in any way by politicians — they were to be cast aside together with all kinds of "rings" and "cliques," and honest men were to be nominated. It was alleged that some of the candidates already nominated by one party or the other, and several of the independents wanted the indorsement of this convention. Others again, who had noth- ing to make or lose, were glad to see a "rumpus." The convention met on the day appointed. It was not largely attended, considering the efforts to get up an excitement. The convention nominated J. A. Latimer, for senator; J. C. Woodruff and C. A. Lounsberry for representatives, Nathaniel 332 HISTOIiY OF McColley for treasurer, Richard Field for county attorney, J. E. Wheeler for sheriff, J. M. Drake for coroner and W. J. Robinson for probate judge. Of these nominees, we may remark, that soon after the conven- tion, Messrs. Latimer and Woodruff withdrew, Mr. McColley de- clined the nomination, and Mr. Robinson did not accept nor run as a candidate, and all the others were defeated, as appears by the oflScial returns. The canvass was a very spirited one, and although there were no public meetings and speeches, every elector in the county was well informed of the claims of the several candidates. The contest was mainly on persons and localities, politics being greatly ignored. The principal contest was for the offices of senator, representatives and sheriff. The candidates for the senate made prodigious efforts and left nothing undone, while a number of the candidates for repre- sentatives pursued the business of electioneering, from the rising of the sun, each morning, to the going down thereof, and extended over considerably into the sombre shades of night. But all such contests must end at last and some result be obtained. The election was held on the seventh day of November, and the close and bitter contest resulted as follows: Austin 1,565 Slaple 263 Young 428 Johnson 1,625 Whallon 669 Barnes 354 Hutchins 689 Wheeler 939 Kingsley 613 Davis 1,035 Child 967 Sprout 1,278 Huntington 754 Field 715 Loiinsberry 726 Kicster 1,580 McNeil 589 Hanson 612 Hanson 324 For county commissioners the following named gentlemen were elected: Henry Sellen, in District No. 2; W. W. Potter, in District No. 4, and David Catlin, in District No. 5. It may be said of this election, that all the candidates for sen- ator and I'epresentatives were more or less dissappointed at the re- sult — some in being beaten, others in being elected, some in the majorities being either so large, or so small, and the result of no election ever held in this county produced such incense grief and indignation in the hearts of some of the defeated, as this, yet the election was fairly held, the canvass honorably conducted in the main, and no frauds were ever alleged. Defeat is among those unpleasant things in politics, as to which every candidate for office must take his chances. And the defeated cannot always see why they failed. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 333 "How many men have died believing The world was blind to their achieving, And has ungratefully ignored The gods designed to be adored! Who has not heard the woeful wail Of unappreciated whale, Who thinks, if chance had let him blow, The world would not ignore him so."— Holley. PICK UPS. On the third day of June a heavy hail storm passed over a por- tion of the county, doing much damage. The first heavy frost of the season occurred on the night of tlie nineteenth day of September. This item may not be of much inter- est to some people, yet there are those who are much benefitted in linowing just such unpretentious facts, and especially in knowing, for instance, when the first frosts have occurred during a number of years. It is from the knowledge of such apparently unimportant events that the work of farmers, in all countries, is much regulated. The weather, during the spring and summer of this year, was generally pleasant. There were but few storms, and not much rain. The year was one of those known as a dry year, and was dry especially in the fall. Winter set in early in November, quite cold, and continued so right along, the twenty -ninth of November being the coldest day of the winter. On that day the murcury run down to 31° below zero. THE YEAR OF FIRE. This year will ever be prominent in the annals of time as the year of fire. The fire fiend went forth in his robes of flame, on the wings of the winds, and great cities, thriving villages and vast districts of country were laid in ashes. On the 9th and 10th days of October the great city of Chicago was mainly burned up. Many lives were lost. Two hundred mil- lions of dollars worth of property was destroyed. Ninety eight thousand people were rendered homeless and pennyless. The in- surance losses paid amounted to?18,000,000, but hundreds of insur- ance companies, many of them among the strongest in the world, were made bankrupt. It was the most extensive, destructive and appalling fire known to history, the burning of Rome, in the reign of the monster, Nero, not excepted. "Blackened and bleeding, panting, prone On the charred fragments of her shattered throne. Lies she who stood, but yesterday, alone." —Bret Harte. Soon afterwards a large part of Minnesota, northern Wisconsin, and a part of Michigan, were burned over, destroying many villages, vast forests of timber, and other property, and throughout the whole country fires were more numerous and destructive than usual. 334 HISrOHY OF ALEXIS. And now we may close the record of this year by the statement that, in November, the Grand Duke Alexis, of Russia, arrived in America, and travelled through the country for several months, at- tracting considerable of the public attention. And here is a peg on which some pertinent remarks may be hung. While it is evidently proper that the representatives of foreign governments, the kings, the scions of royalty and others of the aristocracy of monarchial nations, should be received and treated, on visiting our shores, with proper respect, attention and hospitality, it is well to be careful not to stultify our republicanism and self-respect and sink our dignity into obsequiousness and flunkyism. The prying curiosity, the fawn- ing and toadyism which characterized the conduct of many of our citizens, e.specially those known as "society'" people among the up- per tendom of our cities, on the visit of this young man, noted for nothing he ever did. or thought, or said, was disgusting to all think- ing people, and must have surprised the Russian himself. Such sycophancy is not only inconsistent with self-respect, but also with our character as Americans, and with the spirit of American institu- tions. We pride ourselves as a nation, on our free government. We acknowledge no nobility but that of personal worth. A man is no better for his ancestors, or his relatives, even if they were, or are, kings, unless they were noble, because of their intelligence and vir- itues, and he is like them, and he is none the worse if they were igno- ble, unless he shares their unworthiness. They from abroad or at home, who are entitled to our homage and to special public honors are the Lafayettes and Kossuths, men who have said something, done something, represented something in the world's progress in civil and religious liberty — or men who ai-e the great leaders in science, literature, invention, the kings of thought, the reformers, the educators, the men who represent the brain and the work and the industries of the world. Such are the men who are entitled to our highest regard and attention, and to whom we can afford to doff our hats. Here is a little story with much in it: Maria Antoinette, Queen of France, wishing to send to Washington a royal gift, as a token of her appreciation of his great merits, consulted Lafayette as to the form of presentation. She recited the formularies of adulatory terms usual in addressing kings and other monarchs. Lafayette mildly objected to the employment of such terms, as unsuitable in this case, saying "They, Madame, were only kings, Washington is the great leader of a free nation." Let Americans ever maintain their self- respect as American citizens and the rcpresentatves of American ideas, even in the presence of the proudest monarch on earth. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 335 CHAPTER XVIII. A. D.1872. THE COUNTY CONTROLLERS. The first notable event of the year was the meeting of the board of county commissioners, on the second day of January. A. R. More, Sr., of Pilot Grove, was elected chairman for the year. The further action of the board at this meeting, of historical interest, is recorded elsewhere. The board met again on the eighteenth of March, and, among other business, considered a project in relation to the erection, at an early day, of a county building for a court room and county offices, and on the twenty-eighth of the same month, they again met for the purpose of examining jDlans and spec- ifications for such building. Finally, at a meeting held on the twenty-fifth day of June, they determined to erect a county building, to cost about 14,000, provided that Blue Earth City township should contribute about S2,300 to the enterprise. The township subse- quently accepted the proposition. The beautiful grounds— the court house square — on which the county buildings are erected, were re- served for the purpose by the original town-site proprietors of Blue Earth City, and were donated to the county, free of any charge. THE FARMERS' SOCIETY. On the third day of January, the agricultural society held its annual meeting, at which, Sabastian Pfeffer, of Blue Earth City, was chosen president, C. S. Dunbar, of Foster, treasurer, and R. W. Richards, of Blue Earth City, secretary. At this time the society was again somewhat agitated about securing a permanent location and grounds, but there were some difficulties in the way of deciding the question, as each of the villages, in the county, desired to secure it, and the members of the society being scattered all over the county, were much divided in their views. The secretary was authorized to get two hundred copies of the constitution and by-laws printed, for the use of the society, and pro- cure suitable books for the several officers, and also to transcribe all the records of the society into a proper record book. On the twentieth of April a meeting was held at Blue Earth City for the purpose of considering the question of the permanent location of the society, and the procuring of grounds. At this meet- 886 HISTORY OF ing a committee of six was appointed to receive propositions. Blue Earth City, Winnebago City and Wells were the competitors. Another meeting was held, at Blue Earth City, June 2Gth, when the proposition of that village to locate the society and fair grounds permanently at that place, in consideration of the gift, to the society, of twenty-five acres of land, near the village, for grounds, was ac- cepted. But the matter was not yet fully and permanently settled, owing to various causes, not necessary to mention here. THE DAY OF .lUDGMENT. At the January term of the district court for this year, but little business of importance was transacted, there being no cases attract- ing public attention. There were thirty-nine civil and but two crim- inal cases on the calendar. Hon. P. H. Waite, presided. At a meeting of the bar of the county, held during this term of court, the attorneys of the county adopted a uniform fee bill. It did not prove of much service, and this was the first united action taken by the bar of this county on any matter. Among the queer cases which sometimes occur in courts of justice, the following is told as a veritable one. It could hardly have happened in any but an "Arkansaw" court. A FELLOW FEELING. A gentleman was arranged before an Arkansas Justice on a charge of obtaining money under false pretenses. He had entered a store, pretending to be a customer, but proved to be a thief. "Your name is Jim Liiimore?" said the justice. "Yes, sir." "And you are charged with a crime that merits a long term in the peni- tentiary?"" '•Yes, sir." '•And you are guilty of the crime?" "lam." "And you aslc for no mercy?" "No, sir." "You have had a great deal of trouble within the last two years?" "Yes, sir, I have." "You have often wished that you were dead?" "I have, please your honor." "You wanted to steal money enough to talce you away from Arkansas?" "You are riglit, judge." "If a man had stepped up and shot you just as you entered the store you would have said, 'thank you sir'?" "Yes, sir, I would. But, judge, how did you ttnd out so much about me?" "Some time ago," said the judge, with a solemn air, "I was divorced from my wife. Shortly afterwards you married her. The result is conclusive. I discharge you. Here, take this $50 bill. You have suffered enough." FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 337 THE LEGAL PROPESSTON. As a member of the legal profession — though a very humble one indeed— the writer may be excused for some remarks here on the subject, which heads this brief article. It is a subject in which every one is more or less interested. Lawyers, as such, and the legal profession in general, are the subjects of a good deal of abuse, suspicion, invidious witicisms and sometimes of denunciation. A great deal of this is not merited, except by a few individuals. The profession and lawyers generally, are suspicioned and ma- ligned because of the inefficiency — say incompetency, or the bad character of a small proportion of those who belong to the profes- sion. The truth is that the members of the profession, generally, are entitled to respect and confidence. However, it is difficult to find a class of men or profession, who care less about abuse, or are better able to stand it, than lawyers. They are not very sensitive. The legal profession is one of the most noble in its great scope and in its intellectual requirements, and one of the most necessary to the welfare of society of any of the secular occupations. Its importance, in all countries, whether monarchial, or republi- can, or whether its members have been backed by wealth, or titles, or high places, or not, has been admitted. The legal profession, in itself, is a great republic as "The Re- public of Letters," in which real talent, large attainments, practical capacity, constitute the only gauge of rank. Lawyers in all ccun- rties and all times, or those who answer to that title, have always ranked in importance with the best classes of citizens. No civilized country can do without lawyers. Where laws exist, there must be those who know what the laws are, and who can give counsel as to what they are, and who can assist people in the main- tenance of their rights uader the laws. The knowledge of lawyers is also of the highest importance in the making of the laws them- selves. A large per centum of the members of all constitutional conventions, of National and State legislatures, and also of the highest official government incumbencies, are lawyers, and the judi- cial departments of all governments is their exclusive domain. But it is generally the fact that it is only when a man gets into serious personal difficulties, that he begins to appreciate the value of the services of an able and honorable lawyer. Lawyers hold in their hands much of the happiness and success of the community and state, for these are in a great measure dependent on the proper administration of wise laws. And considering the nature of their profession, lawyers are necessarily intrusted with much important business, and great con- 338 ni STORY OF fidences — secrets of the most important character, relating to fami- lies, people's personal, private and business affairs, by all classes of persons, and it may be allirmed that, considering the power they possess in this respect, to extort money, or take other advantages, the legal profession is a remarkably honorable and faithful one. The great majority of lawyers are true to their clients, under all circumstances. It may be added here, notwithstanding the adverse suggestions heard sometimes, that a man may be a lawyer and yet be a man of the highest honor and integrity. He may be a Chris- tian man in the true sense of that name. There have always been, and now are many lawyers who are Christian men. De Tocqueville says that lawyers are attached to public order beyond every other consideration, and further, that he "cannot be- lieve a republic could subsist at the present time, if the inQuenco of lawyers in public business did not increase in proportion to the power of the people." The profession of the lawyer is one which, for its successful conduct and broadest usefulness and honor requires the largest ability, the best training and widest extent of learning. There is no branch of human knowledge, which may not be of use to a lawyer. This may be true largely of most professions, or vocations, but it is peculiarly and emphatically so of this. That prince of American lawyers, David Dudley Field, says that "Above all others, this science (that of the law) so vast, so compre- hensive and varied in its details, needs to be served with all the aids whicli institutions, professors and libraries can furnish." While a much lower grade of qualifications than is here indicated, may cer- tainly serve to equip a lawyer for ordinary practice, yet the sup- position that a year, or two j'ears, desultory reading in a law ofSce. or even a course of study for one or two years in a law school, and the passing of a superficial .examination for admission to the bar, will make a lawyer competent to take into his hands the important business or other interests of men, and meet successfully opposing counsel, is one of the great absurdities of the age. But there are many lawyers at the bar, at this day, who have been "gotten up" in this way. The idea that it is well to admit applicants to the bar whatever their qualification, and depend upon subsequent practice and study for efficiency, now appears to be passing out. The work of a lawyer in full practice is very laborious and exacting. Constant thought, close attention, investigation of prin- ciples and authorities, study of every phase of his cases, and the evidence connected therewith, are his daily task, and to a large extent, nightly also. The lawyers' work is quite different in many respects from that of other professions or occupations, in the fact that any opinion he FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 339 gives, or every move he makes, is tlie subject of inspectioa and perliaps opposition. He therefore must always be well grounded and always ready. The doctor may doctor and the preacher may preach, for years, making perhaps many mistakes, and no fault may be found with them, but the lawyer must face inquiry and oppo- sition at once and constantly in his business, and his errors or weaknesses are taken advantage of by his o^jponent. A great deal more is expected of lawyers in America, than per- haps in any other country. In most countries lawyers devote their time to only one title, or branch of the law, or practice only in cer- tain kinds of courts, as the Law Courts, the Chancery Courts, the Criminal Courts, the Admiralty Courts. In England, for example, the profession is divided into attor- neys, solicitors, common law lawyers, proctors, counsellors, and perhaps some other designations, but in America a lawyer is ex- pected to be proficient in all the titles and departments of the law, and to practice in any or all of the courts. When Judah P. Benjamin, after the fall of the confederacy, went to England to engage in the practice of the law, he was asked by an English lawyer, in what division, or department of the law and courts he intended to jDractice, and greatly surprised the in- quirer, when he answered, in any of the courts where his services should be desired, and he did, and that with great success. In the larger cities of this country tliereare, however, lawyers who devote their time to practice in some particular courts, or branch of the law. Daniel Webster once said of eminent American lawyers, that "they work hard, live well, and die poor." And now another phase of the subject. It must be admitted that the profession has in some localities, perhajjs in many to some extent, fallen into considerable disrepute, as above intimated. This is not because of the real character of the legal profession itself, but because of the incompetent and dishonest jjersons who have gotten into it, and their evil practices, as has already been sug- gested. But a further word needs to be said. It is charged against the profession, that what was once known as legal ethics and honor, are lai'gely unknown at this day. It is said that legal ethics taught that it was dishonorable for a lawyer to take contingent feep— that a lawyer who had heard a case in the capacity of a court, and rendei-ed a decision therein, should not, on appeal to a higher court, act as the attorney of either party —that a lawyer should not hear a case, as a Judge, in which he had at any time been an attorney, even if no objection is made, or even if consent of parties is given — that an attorney engaged in a case, should not counsel or conspire with the attorney of the other side — that a Judge should not give counsel to either party.or instruct 340 HISTORY OF or hear one party, or his attorney, as to the merits of a case in the absence of the party and his attorney on the other side — that an attorney who has given an opinion or is employed on one side of a case, should not hear, or be employed on the other side at any time — that no attorney should be guilty of barratrj'. maintenance, or champerty, whether the law permits either of them, or not. Yet it is claimed that these things are done, quite commonly. It is also alleged, that it is a violation of legal ethics and honor for a lawyer, in the employment of a corporation, company, or individ- ual, to permit himself to be elected to a state legislature, or con- gress, for the purpose of promoting, or protecting the interests of his employer, thus ignoring his oath and dishonoring his office of a legislator, and instead of representing the people— his constituents, represents a client for pay, so far,at least, as his client's interests are involved, and whatever the interests of his constituents may be. And this, it is alleged in many places, is getting to be quite common in both our state and national legislatures. And it is doubtless true, that in congress and in many state legislatures, attorneys of great corporations and moneyed interests appear as members. It is said also, that there is a class of lawyers who dishonor the profession by living on, what may be termed, legal garbage, carrion — those who take doubtful personal injury suits, on speculation, or contingent fees — those who rummage the records of courts and titles, for the purpose of taking advantage of people's errors or oversights, to rob them of their property, or to extort money from them — those who institute suits without merit, for the purpose of getting fees, or making something by compromise — those who insti- tute, or threaten to institute suits for the purpose of levying black- mail — those wlio hang about saloons and jiolice courts and police officers, for the purpo.se of getting business, and finally, those who can be hired to do any kind of dirty work which no honorable man would do for himself. Undoubtedly there are such lawyers, and they are generally known in the profession, and at large, as pettifoggers, shysters, scalpers, razorbacks and sharks, and often end their career in the perpetration of crimes. These fellows are usually practitioners of very large pretentions, and they constitute the class of lawyers who bring odium upon the profession. A community where many of them, or any of them, in fact, are to be found, is to be pitied. What produces them? Want of capacity sufficient to warrant success in honorable practice or want of moral principle, profligate or evil lives, by which they forfeit the coutideuce of the public, are usually the causes. The lawyer who has reached the sage conclusion that it is better for his business, as a lawyer, to have the reputation of being a shrewd knave, rather than that of being an honorable man, FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 341 has traveled a long ways on the road to failure and the devil. Many- young men are placed in the professions who are not, by their nat- ural talents or tastes fitted for them, or for the one they enter. The question of a young man's adaptability, his natural capacity and taste for an occupation, is a serious one and should be well con- sidered before he enters upon it. It is a bad thing to spoil a good farmer, mechanic or merchant, to make a poor lawyer, doctor or preacher. There are thousands of men in the legal profession who have no natural adaptation for it, and sooner or later fail as lawyers and drift into clerkships and small agency business, all very well in themselves, and useful, but they are not — the practice of the law, technically speaking. The great remedy for the evils above referred to, is the exer- cise of more care in entering young men on the study of the law. the requirement of a much higher standard of qualifica- tions, that is, more thorough and extended learning, better instruc- tion as to the morals and dignity and honor of the profession, and the requirement of passing, satisfactorily, a more rigid examina- tion before admission to the bar. Our great law schools, the American Bar Association, and the various State Bar Associations, are doing much toward elevating the standards of the legal jjrofession. The relevancy of the preceding remarks on the subject of the legal profession, to our history, will become more apparent when we reach the closing year of this history, in which will be found some observations relating to the Bar of this county. LEGISLATION. The fourteenth State Legislature assembled January 2d, and adjourned March 1st. The legislation of this year, relating to this county, was: 1st. An act to incorporate the village of Blue Earth City. 2d. An act to authorize townships, cities and incorporated vil- lages, in Faribault county to vote a five per cent tax to aid in the construction of railroads. 3d. An act amending an act entitled an act to authorize the Minnesota Valley Railroad Company to construct a branch line from Mankato, or some point near thereto, to the south line of Faribault county. 4th. An act to authorize the Southern Minnesota Railroad Com- pany to construct and operate a branch from some suitable point, on its main line, in Faribault county, by way of Blue Earth City, to the Iowa State line. 5th. An act to authorize the Winona and St. Peter Railroad Company, its successors or assigns, to construct a branch road from 342 HISTORY OF Waseca, in Waseca county, via Blue Earth City, in Faribault county, to the I0W&, State line, and for other purposes. 6th. An act, approved March 1st, to change the name of the town of Guthrie, in Faribault county, to Delavan. 7th. A memorial to congress for a mail route from Blue Earth City to Banks, in Faribault county. 8th. An act dividing the State into three congressional districts, by which this county was placed in the first district. The following acts were somewhat remotely related to this county: 9th. An act to authorize the Minneapolis and St. Louis Rail- way Company to build branch lines from Minneapolis, and other points, to the south line of the State. 10th. An act to enable the cities, towns and villages in the counties of Siblej% Nicollet and Blue Earth to aid in the construc- tion of a railroad from Carver, in Carver county, by way of Hender- son, St. Peter and Mankato, to the State line of Iowa. 11th. An act to change the names of certain persons residing in Faribault county. 12th. An act appropriating sixteen hundred dollars, to re-im- burse Floyd Smith, of Faribault county, for expenses and damages arising from an arrest, upon the requisition of the governor of Wis- consin. A joint resolution was also adopted, asking the State of Wisconsin to indemnify the State of Minnesota for moneys appro- priated for the above purpose. The facts of this case, briefly stated, are as follows: On the fifth day of January, 1871, a requisition was issued by the governor of Wisconsin, upon the governor of Minnesota, for the arrest and extradition of Floyd Smith, of this county, upon the charge of steal- ing a horse from one Clemens, of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, in De- cember. 1869. Smith was arrested and conveyed to Wisconsin for trial, and was indicted, tried and convicted of the alleged offense, by reason of false or mistaken evidence produced against him by the prosecution, and was sentenced to the Wisconsin State Prison for two years, and was taken there and confined as a common felon for several weeks, when an application was made to the governor of Wisconsin, for the pardon of said Smith, who ordered an investiga- tion into the merits of the case. The investigation resulted in prov- ing conclusively, and beyond all doubt, that Smith was innocent of the offense charged, or of any oifense, or color of criminality in the premises, and was immediately and unconditionally pardoned. The arrest, trial and other proceedings in the matter, resulted in a loss to Smith, of about three thousand dollars, and left him with no property, and involved in debt to the extent of several hundred dollars, and with the support of a large family to provide for. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 343 A great state or nation, can do no nobler act, or attest its dig- nity and nobility, in no better manner, than in the defease of its humblest citizen from injustice, or the abuse of his rights and liber- ties, by the authority, mistakenly exercised, or otherwise, of any other state or nation. And this act was not only creditable to the State, but was alike honorable to the many private citizens who assisted in the work of righting the wrongs of their neighbor. The members of the legislature for this county for this year were E. H. Hutchins in the Senate, and S. P. Child and Henry M. Huntington in the House. Thomas George, of this county, was ser- geant-at-arms of the House. The State of Wisconsin, did, subsequently re-imburse the State of Minnesota, for all its expenditures in this case. THE ADVERTISER. The Winnebago City Advertiser appeared February 29th, taking the place of the Press. The editor, E. A. Hotchkiss, Esq., says: "We own the Advertiser office — do not owe one cent on it. * * * jf ^q^ wish to subscribe, please enclose one dollar to the editor. If you have no dollar, send us the names of four subscribers with four dollars and you will receive a free copy. If you do not like the paper and do not want it, at any rate, return a single copy to this office." * * * "It is one thing to be born great, another thing to have great- ness thrust upon you, and three times as much, to be obliged to shoulder a printing office against your will." Several months afterwards, Mr. A. A. Huntington purchased the Advertiser office, and the paper came out, under the former name of the Winnebago City Press, Mr. Huntington being editor and pro- prietor. WIND AND WEATHER. A great snow storm occurred on Monday night, February 12th, and continued through Tuesday and Tuesday night. The wind blew a hurricane, the air was filled with snow, and the cold was intense. Quite a number of people and some stock were frozen to death in counties west and northwest of this. The spring was very late. Some little wheat was sown the last days of March and the first days of April. A great storm of wind and snow prevailed over the country on the 14th and 15th days of April. Then came frequent heavy rains, owing to all of which the greater part of the wheat was not sown until the last week in April and first week of May, and much of the oats was sown after the fifteenth of May, and but little corn was planted until after the seventeenth of May. Low grounds were very mirey. About the middle of May, the 344 IllSrOnV OF roads were almost impassable and the streams were very high. As a consequence, farmers wore much discouraged and fears were enter- tained of a wet summer. PRICES — MONEY. Prices in the spring averaged as follows: Wheat, $1.00; oats, 25 cents; potatoes, 25 cents per bushel, and Hour $3.50 per hundred. In May wheat went up to $1.33 at Delavan. Money, during the spring and summer, was very scarce, and although wheat brought a fair price, there was but little surplus for sale, until after harvest. Notwitlistanding the hard times, however, the people did not bor- row so much money, at high rates of interest, as in former years, which was certainly a good symptom. Indeed, there were already premonitions of financial troubles near at hand. DRIFTWOOD. (Prom Post, Blue Eiirlh City.) — February 24th. A. Ilolliday of this place, has coiumeoced the erection of a (water power) grist mill on the Blue Earth river. —The iDs'ruiuenls have be^-n orderufi for a brass band (costing $212.00.) (This was the tlrst band at Blue Earth City.) —An e.xtensive revival of religion is in progress at Rice Lake (Foster town- ship) in this county, almost the whole community taking part. —March 3d. The first goese passed north on Monday and the weather-wise are, therefore, predicting an early spring. — There is more merit in the proposition to build a railroad from Waseca to Blue Earth City, than many would suppose, without some examination. —March 9th. Col. Thompion's cheese factory at Wells, will commence oper- ations on April lOth. (This was the first cheese factory in the county, and one of the best in llie United States.) —March 16lh. The Republicans at Wells have formed a thorough organi- zation for the promulgation of correct political principles. — A local clergyman, in presenting a subscription paper to an "outsider" the other day, remarked that it was a matter of economy to belong to some church, for, said he. "You outsiders are like apple trees along the road, every- body takes a 'bang' at you." GOOD-FRIDAY. "Well may the cavern depths of earth Be shaken, and her mountains nod; Well may the sheeted dead come forth To gaze upon a suffering God." — Whittier. Good-Friday is a legal holiday in many of the states. It has always been observed by a portion of our citizens, but not so gen- erally as it should be. The day is a fast-day in the church calendar, and is kept in com- memoration of that awful event, the crucifiction of Jesus, the Christ. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 345 The day has been observed from the very earliest ages of the Chris- tian Church. Because of the great good, even our salvation which we derive from the death of Jesus, our Saviour, the day is called Good Friday. Salvation! Oh most glorious hope! A hope, a faith indeed, which, if blotted out to-day, would fill the world with despair! The crucifiction took place on the day before the Jewish Pass- over, and the Passover comes, annually, on the Jewish Sabbath (Saturday), after the full moon, which falls on, or next after, the twenty-first day of March. It is said by historians, that the death, by crucifiction, was oneof the great punishments inflicted by Roman law in that age, and was lingering and exceedingly painful, and was only infliated upon slaves and the greatest criminals. It was ever deemed a death of great shame and dishonor. After a trial, which was a most gross travesty upon all sense of justice and right, Mark says (Chap. XV), "Christ was mocked, scoui'ged, smitten, spit upon and crowned with thorns." He was numbered with the transgressors. He was sentenced at six o'clock in the morning. "I saw Him la the J udgment Hall, before the haughty Pilate; He— the God — Man — arraigned before The changing justice of a human bar!"— Z. C. Here is a copy of what is alleged to be the sentence of death, against our Saviour. Something which but few people of this age have ever seen, and this is the most remarkable judicial sentence which has ever been pronounced in the world. It is word for word as follows: "Sentence pronounced by Pontius Pilate, Intendent of the Lower Province "of Galilee, that Jesus of Nazareth, shall suffer death by the Cross. "In the Seventh year of the reign of the Emperor Tiberius, and un the 24th "day of the month of March, in the most holy city of Jerusalem, during the "Pontificate of Annas and Caiaphas. "Pontius Pilate, Intendent of the Province of Lower Galilee, sitting in "judgment on the presidential seat of the Praitors, sentences Jesus of Nazareth "to death on the Cross, between two robbers. "As the numerous and notorious testimonials of the people prove: — "]. Jesus is a misleader. "2. He has excited the people to sedition. "3. He is an enemy of the law. "4. He called himself the Son of God. "5. He calls himself, falsely, the King of Israel. "6. He went into the temple, followed by a multitude carrying palms in "their hands. "Jesus to be taken out of Jerusalem, through the gates of Tournes." 3-lC EISOTBY OF "The witnesses who have signed t" the execuliun of Jesus are: "1. Daniel llobani, Pharisee. "2. John Zorababel. ";!. Raphael Robani. "4. Capet. (See note below.) He was led to Mount Calvary, where He was crucified at the third hour, (nine o'clock a. m.), and Matthew says. He died about the ninth hour, (three o'clock p. m. ). He was taken down from the cross and entombed at six o'clock in the evening. "At Calvary, I saw Ilim crucified; The bleeding side— the wounded head— The pierced hands and feet— that did atone, For human sin— the Holy Lamb of God, That took away the sins of the whole world! Ah! then I saw in Him, the Promised Hope Of Israel, of whom the prophets wrote— He who should save His people from their sins! Then the shut doors of my stout heart gave way, And I believed and trusted as a child!"— Z. C. Such was the cruel death of Him who "died for the ungodly" and in "His own self bear our sins in His own body on the tree;" He, who. in that hour of inconceivable agony and death, could pray in behalf of His murderers, —"Father, forgive them, they know not what they do." It is written that fi'om the sixth hour (noon), to the ninth (three o'clock, p. m. ), the hour of Christ's death — there was darkness over the whole land, and that at the moment of His death the earth quaked, the rocks were rent, and the vail of the Jewish temple was rent in twain from top to bottom. "It is finished," He exclaimed. "The work He came to do in the flesh. His humiliation and suffering; the life He came to live, mani- festing the power and love of the Father; the fulfillment of all the types and prophecies concerning Him; the death He came to die, and the redemption He came to accomplish, so far as His Messianic office as the Son of Man was concerned, were finished." No other death has ever been recorded in the annals of time of such awful incidents and profound import as this, and now even after the lapse of nearly nineteen hundred years, wherever the story of the cross is read or told, it strikes and thrills the deepest chords of the human heart and understanding. That the anniversary of this great and solemn day should be remembered and be observed by all Christian people, everywhere, by the most solemn religious services and by refraining from busi- ness, is evidently proper, and as a matter of fact it may happily be stated that the observance of the day is becoming more and )nore general, with the passing years, especially in the cities. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 347 Note— The seLtence above quoted is engraved on a plate of brass in the Hebrew language, and on its sides are the following words: "A similar plate has been sent to each tribe." It was discovered in the year 1280, in the city of Aquilla, in the Kingdom of Naples, by a search made for Roman antiquities, and it remained there until it was found by the Commission of Arts in the French army in Italy. Up to the time of the campaign in Southern Italy it was preserved in the sacristy of the Carthusians, near Naples, where it was kept in a box of ebony. Since then the relic has been kept in the chapel of Caert. The Carthusians obtained the privilege, by their petitions, that the plate might be kept by them, which was an acknowledgment of the sacrifice they made for the French army. The French translation was made literally by the members of the Commission of Arts. Denon had a facsimile of the plate engraved, which was bought by Lord Howard, on the sale of his cabinet, for 2,890 francs. There seems to be no historical doubt as to the authenticity of this plate. The reasons of the sentence correspond exactly with those of the Gospel. EASTER. Easter being a day of particular and general observance, an- nually, by a large portion of the people of this county, as it is throughout Christendom, and occurring so soon after Good Friday, a legal holiday, may be referred to briefly here. The English word Easter is probably derived from the Saxon word "Osten," which means "rising." The word Easter occurs once in the authorized version of the New Testament, Acts, 12th chapter and 4th verse, where it is used for the word Passover, but in the new version, the word Passover is used at this place. As to the time of celebrating Easter, much dispute existed in the early church, but the matter was finally settled by the great council of Nice, held in the year 325. As then determined, it comes on the first Sunday after the full moon, which happens upon or next after March 21st, and if the full moon happened on a Sunday, Easter day is the Sunday after. It cannot fall earlier than March 22d, nor later than April 25th. Easter is a feast day in the church calendar, and is usually accounted one of the leading events of the Christian year, the great- est in fact — and it has from the earliest ages of the church been designated as "the Queen of Festivals." "O day of days! Shall hearts set free No 'minstrel rapture' find for thee? Thou art the Sun of other days, They shine by giving back thy rays." — Keble. This great feast is kept in remembrance of our Lord's resurrec- tion from the dead, and has been observed in the church from the days of the Apostles down through all the Christian centuries, to our own time. Easter is the Christian Passover, and may be considered the continuance under the new dispensation, of the ancient Jewish 348 HISTOnr OF feast. And its observance seems to be of universal obligation, as it is written, "Christ, our Passover, is sacrificed for us; therefore let us keep the feast." 1 Cor. v: 7 8. "In the lipht of the Lord's resurrection, His peoph' should contiuerors he; In the haltlc" willi evil triumphant From the terror of di^ath ever free. We shall sleep in the dust and the darkness, We shall waken and sint; to Ilis name Who will liring us to life everlasting. By the path, that a victor. He came." — Sayigster. Easter may now bo called a universal festival, and in its con- tinuous celebration from the days of the Apostles, bears unimpeach- able testimony to the great fact of the resurrection, which is the great fact of the gospel on which all depends for, saith Paul, "If Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain." 1 Cor. xv: 14. And accordingly, we find that no fact of sacred or profane history, is better attested, few so well, as that of the resurrection from the dead, of Jesus, the Christ. On Sunday, or Lord's day, the first day of the week, is also a perpetual and weeklj' commemoration of the fact of the resurrec- tion, for it was on that day our Lord rose from the dead, and that event has given us the Lord's day, or the Christian Sunday, but Easter Sunday, the greatest Sunday of the year, is the annual and special commemoration of the resurrection. Of the manner of observing this day, in this country, and in fact as it has generally been observed through all the past centuries in most Christian lands, it may be brielly said that the principal fea- tures are the holding of very animated and joyful religious services of specially appropriate character, in the churches, and that the churches are usually made very attractive by floral decorations and the display of numei'ous mottoes and legends, posted in conspicuous places about the walls and arches and elsewhere, consisting of ap- propriate texts, as "He is risen," "The Lord is risen indeed," "Now is Christ risen from the dead," "The Lord is King for ever and ever." "Bring flowers to the shrine where we kneel in prayer, They are nature's offering, their place is there! They speak of hope to the fainting heart. With a voice of promise they come and part; They sleep in dust through the wintry hours. They break forth In glory— bring flowers, bright flowers." In all the varied works of nature there is no more beautiful symbol of the resurrection from the dead than the flowers, as they silently spring into life after the long, cold winter, which like death had wrapped them in a snowy shroud. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 349 It is also a special Sunday school festival, greatly enjoyed by the children. Of the many curious customs and traditions connected with the Easter festival, and of the literature of Easter, but little can be said here. Among the old superstitions connected vfith the day is that which requires one to procure and wear for the first time on that day, some new article of clothing, if only a pair of gloves, and it is quite a current practice, in many localities, even now, to appear on that day in some new article of dress. But the greatest distinctive peculiarity in the observance of the day is the distribution among the children of Easter eggs, which are beautifully colored and ornamented with many appropriate devices. Tlie egg has from very ancient times been used as a symbol of the resurrection. For, though the egg is apparently lifeless, it contains the germ of life, and there comes forth from it, under the proper conditions, a being of life and activity, thus symbolizing the resur- rection of the dead unto life. The distribution also among the chil- dren and others of beautifully designed and ornamented Easter cai'ds has become a general practice at this day. Finally, Christian people should not, amid the Easter joys, for- get the Easter lesson: "If ye then be risen with Christ, soelc those things which are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God."— CoL III: 1. As the first Easter was the event of Christ's resurrection, so the last Easter the world shall know, will be in the morning of the gen- eral resurrection, in the last day. "When all that are in their grave shall hear His voice, and shall come forth." "Blessed are they who shall come forth unto the resurrection of life." John V: SS-20. SCRAPS. From Blue Earth City .Vai(. —January.— Delevan is growing very rapidly. Already there are four dry goods stores, one hardware and one furniture store there, besides two hotels, a billiard hall and lumber yard. —February.— It may seem strange, but nevertheless true, that whisky, regu- larly applied to a thrifty farmer's stomach, will remove the boards from his fences, let cattle into his crops, kill his fruit trees, mortgage his farm, sow his fields with thistles, take the paint from his buildings, break the glass out of the win- dows and fill them with old rags, take thegloss from his clothes and the polish from his manners. It will bring sorrow and disgrace to his family, and lead him to a drunkard's grave. — March.- An entire winter's experience in coal burning, has convinced sev- eral of our citizens that it is more economical for heating purposes, than wood. (But little, if any, coal had been used in this county jjrior to this). 360 HJSOTUY OF — May.— The public, very generally— and with much cause— complain of our late spring. But we are not alone; our exchanges from all jiarts of the country are complaining of the cold. —There are two pensioners in this county of the war of 1812. —A clergyman said the other day, that modern young ladies are not the daughters of Sheni and Ham, hut the daughters uf Hem and Sham. THE "MAIL" AND THE "BEE" On the twenty- fifth day of May, the last number of the Blue Earth City Mail appeared. Its career was but a short one. The edi- tor says, in this last number, "With this number of the J/a(7its pub- lication is discontinued. This change has been made necessary by our business interests. The purpose for which the paper was estab- lished, has been accomplished." The first number of The Delavan Bee appeared on the eighth day of June, published at Delavan, in this county, by Carr Huntington, formerly of Blue Earth City, editor and proprietor. We quote from the editor's introductory remarks: "In starting a newspaper, it is usual to devote a column to salutatory promises, as to the course it will pursue. In our case, being well-known — perhaps too well-known — to all the people of this county, having been among them engaged in this business about nine years — promises are unnecessary. In conducting newspapers heretofore, it is usually admitted that in every emergency, we have taken the side of the people and endeavored to protect their interests against the machinations of corrupt cliques and the designing of every character and quality. This course on our part has sometimes led along a rough path. In starting a paper in this thriving young village, we have been materially aided by the liberality of its citizens, and, of course, it will be our duty to labor faithfully for the advancement of its best interests, always remembering that its welfare is closely connected with the pro- gress and prosperity of the whole county." SUNDAY SCHOOL INTERESTS. The second annual session of the Faribault County Sunday School Association, was held at Blue Earth Cltj- on the 28th and 29th days of May. "A large number of delegates were in attend- ance. The exercises throughout were conducted with animation, and were of great interest to all present." Rev. J. Door, of Winnebago City, was elected president; Rev- erends W. Ross and H. C. Cheadle, vice presidents; P. R. Woodard, of Wells, secretary, and C. B. Miner, of Verona, treasurer. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 351 DOTS AND DASHES. (From Advertiitr, Winaebago City.) March 28th.— Seven artesian wells are in operation in the town of Lura, and one in Verona. April 18th.— It is a significant fact, that not a man in this vicinity wishes to rent land. They all have a farm of their own. May 2d.— We note with pleasure that Faribault county is not represented at St. Paul in the seed wheat grab. —Total expenses of the county for the year ending February 28th, 1872, were $9,198.14. —Mr. Bullis recently imported to this county a cow and a bull, at a cost of six hundred dollars. They are of the Durham breed, full blood. May 9th.— Base ball has broken out in our community, though it is thought that it will nut rage as hard as in previous seasons. May 30th.— Said Mr. Cantwell to his clergyman, who had a great disrelish for hypocracy, "How can I help to reform the world?" "By beginning with yourself," was the conclusive reply. THIS, THAT AND T'OTHER. The June term of the District Court, while much business was done, was not characteriaed by any trials of special interest. The calendar contained three criminal and thirty-nine civil suits. Hon. P. H. Waite, presiding; H. J. Neal, clerk and A. B. Davis, sheriff. A NONPLUSSED ATTORNEY. A correspondent at Fredonia, N. Y., writes: "Being in attendance at the Circuit Court in Albany in the year 1870, I happened to hear a trial of a breach of promise case. The plaintiff was a young lady of rather delicate nerves, and although, through the aid of her counsel, Hon. Lyman Tremain, her case was looking well, yet when she came to be cross-examined by the opposite attorney, Hon. Henry Smith, she quailed before his searching examination, and finally fell down in a swoon. The sympathies of everyone were aroused, and Mr. Smith saw that he must do something. The young lady's face was of a purple-red dur- ing her swoon, and so, when the next witness was called (a middle-aged lady), Mr. Smith said: "Witness, you saw the plaintiff faint a short time ago?" "Yes, sir," said the witness. "Well, people turn pale when they faint, do they not?" The witness hesitated a moment, then said, "No, not always." "Did you ever hear of a case of fainting where the party did not turn pate?" "Yes, sir." "Did you ever see such a case?" "Yes, sir." "When?" "About a year ago." "Where was it?" "In this city." " Who was it?" " ^Twas a nigger. The plaintiff won the case. 352 B I STORY Ob The anniversary of our national independence was celebrated at Blue Earth City on the Fourth of July. The day was pleasant, and the number of people present was variously estimated at twen- ty five hundred to three thousand. Hon. Ara Barton, of Rice county, delivered the oration. The Declaration was read by the Rev. Mr. Cheadle, of Blue Earth City. A celebration was held at Wells, also, and the attendance there was estimated at two thousand people. Hon. M. H. Bunnell deliv livered the oration. At each place the celebration was a success and gave general satisfaction. The spirit of '7G still survived! On the sixth day of July, a terrific hail storm visited this county, which, by many, will long be remembered. It .seems to have started near Shclbyville, in Blue Earth county, passing thence southward, through the towns of Winnebago City, Delavan, Prescott, east side of Blue Earth City, west side of Emerald and thence into a small portion of Rome and Elmore, where the hail ceased. Its track was from one to three miles wide, and in many instances the entire crops of the farmers were destroyed. Several farmers lost as much as one hundred acres of grain. On the ninth of July a cattle fair was held at Wisner's Grove, in Barber township. It was only a partial success, but was a move in the right direction. THE HARVESTERS AT WORK. The harvest of 1872 began about the twenty-third of July and the weather was very favorable. The oats crop was very light, many fields not being cut. Barley was generally light. Corn was fair considering the late spring. Fife wheat, a variety long sown in this county, proved a failure with a very few exceptions. Some other varieties of wheat did well, and especially the Red Osaka, a new variety of Russian wheat. In fact, had it not been for this lattei- wheat, we could truthfully say, that the wheat crop of 1872 was a failure. HEADLESS ITEMS. On the twenty-sixth day of July the commissioners met to appoint two school land appraisers. Messrs. S. L. Rugg and A. R. More. Sr., were appointed. The board assembled again in September, which was the last meeting of the year, but did no business we care to note. Wheat which had been quite low commenced to rise about har vest, and from the 17th to the 20th of August, reached one dollar and five cents per bushel at Delavan, owing to a great wheat "corner" organized at Chicago. The "corner" was broken about FARIBAULT COUNTY. MINNESOTA. 353 the 20lh, and wheat fell imtnediatly to eighty five cents and lower. Some farmers were lucky enough to get in their new crop before the fall. It is well that the farmers, once in a while, get a benefit from the grain gamblers and monopolists who usually have all the profits. On the twenty second day of August, a railroad survey was completed to Blue Earth City, starting at Lake Crystal and passing through the towns of Winnebago City, Verona and Blue Earth City and running thence to the Iowa State line. Less survey and more railroad would have suited the people better. The efforts to get a railroad at Blue Earth City kept this subject in a state of agitation for many years. During the spring and summer a vast immigration passed through this county to the counties west of this, Martin, Jackson, Nobles and Rock. The immigration to this county was very fair, but the public lands having mainly been taken long before, the great body of the immigrants passed on to newer localities. The first heavy frost of the season occurred on the night of September 18th, but luckily did not materially injure the grass, for strange as it may seem, but little hay had been secured, owing to the wet weather and other causes, j^rior to the frost. Happily, it is not often the fact, that haying is done in this county in the latter half of September. ■ At the sale of school lands this fall, about eighteen hundred acres were sold, at prices ranging from $5.00 to $13.00 per acre. THE PAIR. The Agricultural Society held its fair this year at Delavan, on the 3d and 4th days of October. This was one of the best fairs ever held in the county. The weather was very favorable and the attendance large. There was some two hundred entries of stock and other things, and 8157.00 were awarded in premiums. Yet, after all is said, the fair was not what it should have been, in so populous a county as this. STATE TEACHERS' INSTITUTE. A State Institute was held at Winnebago City, commencing on Monday, October 21st, which was attended by eighty- seven teachers. The institute was conducted by instructors, thoroughly prepared for the work, and furnished with such professional books and literature as was of great value to those engaged in teaching. The value of these institutes in presenting new methods of teaching, discussing and impi'oving the existing methods, introducing new subjects of in- struction, offering to the young teacher the experience of the old one, harmonizing the system of instruction throughout the county. 354 HISTOliY OF and the awakening of a higher zeal and ambition in the minds and hearts of teachers, and in giving them a more just view of the im- portance of their calling, can hai-dly be overestimated. THE YEARLY SCUFFLE. This being the year of a presidential election, the hosts began to muster early for the conflict, throughout the whole country. On the fifteenth day of June, a mass convention was held at Blue Earth City of those who were opposed to the reelection of Gen. Grant to the presidency. This party was made up of and known as democrats and liberal republicans, and constituted the opposition to the republican party in the main. Gen. U. S. Grant was the republican, and Horace Greeley, of New York, the opposition candidate for the presidency. Chas. O'Connor, of New York, was the presidential candidate of a part of the demo- cratic party. The candidates for congress were Mark H. Dunnell, republican, and Morton S. Wilkinson, independent republican. There were also several State ofBcei's to be elected, and four amendments to the State constitution to be voted upon. On the nineteenth day of October the Republican County Con- vention was held at Blue Earth City. S. C. Leland, Esq., of Wells, was called to the chair, and Hon. A. A. Huntington, of Winnebago City, was chosen secretary. The attendance was full, and the convention harmonious. The following nominations were made: For Representatives — S. P. Child and M. A. Hawks. For Clerk of Court— H. .T. Neal. For Register of Deeds — F. P. Brown. For Auditor— W. W. White. For Survej''or — E. S. Levitt. The liberal republicans and democrats held their county conven- tion at Blue Earth City, on the twenty-second day of October. This convention was also harmonious in its action. D. H.Morse, of Verona, was chosen chairman, and D. P. Wasgatt, of Winnebago City, secre- tary. The convention then proceeded to make the following nomi- nations. J. H. Welch and T. S. Fellows, for Representatives. S. Pfeffer, for Register of Deeds. Geo. Schiod. for Auditor. Geo. A. Weir, for Surveyor. No nomination for the oflSce of Clerk of Court was made by this convention. Aaron J. Rose and Wesley Hill were announced as independent candidates for the office of Clerk of Court. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 355 F. Lent ran as an independent candidate for the office of Regis ter of Deeds. The only real local subjects of contest, in this election, were the offices of Register of Deeds and Clerk of Court, and the contest for these offices was earnest and persistent. The election was held on the fifth day of November. Gen. Grant was re-elected President, by an overwhelming majority. Mr. Dunnell was re-elected to Congress, and the Republican candidates for State officers were elected. The following table exhibits the votes cast for the several can- didates named. President— Grant, 1,626; Greeley, 508. Congress — Wilkinson, 503; Dunnell, 1,596. Representatives — Childs, 1,647; Hawks, 1,146; Welch, 769; Pel- lows. 662. Auditor -White, 1,814; Sheid, 245. Register— Brown, 920; Pfeffer, 682; Lent, 539. Clerk of Court— Neal, 1,103; Hill, 803; Rose, 187. Surveyor — Leavitt, 1,423; Weir, 561. Court Commissioner — Kiester, 18; Rose, 11. County Commissioner — J. A. Dean, elected. TWO NOTABLE EVENTS. There were two events occurring in November of this year, of such grave importance, that a word must be said here in reference to them. On the ninth day of the month, just one year and one month after the great Chicago calamity, a large part of the city of Boston, Mass , was destroyed by fire. The loss was $75,000,000 in buildings and merchandise. And this great fire was not among the wooden structures of the city, but it was the brick, stone, iron and granite buildings, the finest and costliest, that went down as though they had been tinder. This fire was only surpassed on this continent, in extent, by that of Chicago, and was one of the great calamities of the age. On the twenty-ninth of the month Horace Greeley, candidate at the recent election for the presidency, died. But Horace Greeley was so great a man that the fact of his having been a candidate, even for the presidency, was of small consequence. He was the founder, and for more than a generation, the editor of the New York Tribune, the greatest newspaper in its day in the world, and the political bible of hundreds of thousands of our people, and his name was a household name in tens of thousands of families from their youth to mature age. He was the king of journalism; the great representative and defender of republican institutions, as he was 356 UISTOltY OF one of their greatest outgrowlhs-he was the greatest citizen of the nation, an Amei'ican of Americans, and one of the greatest and grandest men of any age or nation. In his death, friend and foe alike, forgave and forgot what many thought the great mistake of his life, his candidacy for the presidency in opposition to the great political party of which he was the father, and bowed their heads in profoundest sorrow. THE EPIZOOTY. In November and December, a peculiar horse disease prevailed in this section of the country. The sickness commenced with a labored, half-suppressed cough, which rapidly increased in violence and was accompanied by a fever, intense heat of the mouth, whether dry or moist, and a running of very offensive mucus from the nos trils, as in distemper. The horses attacked refused all food, but evi- denced no disposition to lie down. In a few days the horse became very weak, and unless relief was afforded soon, and the greatest care taken of him, he died suddenly. By the best veterinary surgeons the disease was deemed an acute catarrh and influenza, and prevailed at the time as an epidemic. The disease originated in Canada where thousands of horses perished. It spread from thence into the eastern states and thence westward. It seemed to be most fatal in the cities, where in a day all the horses would be attacked and rendered unfit for labor, caus- ing a stoppage of business and great delay and damage. Canal boats, street cars, express wagons, omnibuses, mail carriages and the thousand and one means of transportation and conveyance in which horses are the motive power, ceased to run for a time. In some instances oxen wei-e substituted for the invalid horses. The mail was carried by ox team to and from Delavan and Blue Earth City on one day when no well horses could be had. Never before did people Icai-n and so fully realize the inestima ble value to man of that noblest of all the brute creation, the horse, and what a grand helper he is in the business and pleasure of the world. And if the lesson thus taught should procure for this valued servant kinder and more intelligent treatment, protection from over work, fair feed and attendance, care in sickness and comfortable stabling when his work is done, the lesson may not have cost too much. It is a sad fact that many a man exhibits greater brute in- stincts and conduct than the poor horse which has the misfortune to be in his charge. The disease was contagious and was supposed to have been caused by some peculiar condition of the atmosphere, and was prob- ably spread abroad by the atmosphere, as well as by infection. It was not so fatal in Minnesota as in the states further east, and in FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 357 this county but few horses died, though the disease lingered among some of them for a long time. As to the treatment of the disease, experience proved that the best course was to give but little medi- cine. Perfect rest and keeping the horse warm and dry, and other- wise carefully nursing him, feeding no hay, oats, corn or barley, but only warm bran mash, with a little oat or rye straw, was the best treatment. Small doses of bromide of potassium, given two or three times a day in a bran mash for the first two or three days while the inflammation lasted, and putting tar on the trough or man- ger, and on the horses nose, proved the best medicine when any was deemed necessary. As to the name of this epidemic, it was first called the Canadian Horse disease, and various names descriptive of the disease were framed in Latin or Greek, among which were "Hippoparenarhoea" and "Hipporhenophlegmatoblennonalastalagmatus," which is credi- ted to the N. Y. World, but not pi'oving convenient in every-day con- versation did not become popular. Then came Epizootic and Epi- zooty and Epizoot, and finally finished up with simple "Zoot." When the disease first appeared, it was supposed to be a new disease, as it was not mentioned in the books, but an old book- worm discovered that it had prevailed in Greece, about four hundred years before the Christian era, an'd this extended account of the disease and its treatment, is given here, so that if it again appears, say four hundred years after us, they who may see this account may know that we have had it. A COLD WINTER. The first storm heralding the approach of winter, occurred on November 13th, and closed up the plowing for the year. The week preceding Christmas was intensely cold and quite stormy. In exposed jjositions on the prairies it was reported that the thermometer ran down to 37° below zero, at other places less exposed to 25° and 30° below. A great scarcity of fuel existed at the time of this cold spell, especially in the villages, and some per- sons on the prairies were compelled to use corn for fuel. In many places on the prairies of the west, corn has been substituted for wood and coal as fuel, with much success. The winter of 1872-3 was very severe, especially in the month of December, as above intimated, not only in Minnesota, but through- out the country. In fact, when very cold weather prevails in Min- nesota, generally, it is usually pretty cold in many other localities, as will appear from the following reports from widely separated parts of the country. 358 EISTOIiY OF THE COLD EVERYWHERE. MPiuphis, Tcnn., Doc. 24.— To-day was the coldest ever known here in 25 years, the mercury ran^'in^' from 5 to 10 above zero during the day. Navigation is entirely suspended. Pittsburg, Dec. 24.— The weather continues cold; the mercury going below zero at 4 o'clock. Cincinnati, Dec. 24. — The temperature is sinking rapidly since dark, the therniomoter going 2 below at 8 o'clock. St. Louis, Dec. 24. — Last night was the coldest of the season, the mercury falling to 8 degrees below zero by the signal service thermometer, and to 12and 1.0 by ordinary instruincnls, according to location. To-uigbt, however, the temperature is much milder. Chicago. Dec. 24.— The weather has moderated again. Thermometers which were 20 below this morning are up to zero to-night. Accounts from all parts state that the weather for the past 24 hours was as cold as ever known. Fort Scott, Kan., Dec. 24. — Last night was the coldest known in this sec- tion. Mercury 18 degrees below zero at 7 a. m. Bath, Me., Dec. 24.— The weather for the past few days has been bitter cold. THE FIRST COURT HOUSE. The project of building a court house, for the use of the county officers and for court purposes, heretofore referred to, after much planning and discussion, resulted in the erection, on Court House Square, in Blue Earth City, of a brick building, thirty -seven by forty-five feet in size and two stories high. The first story is divided into five rooms, for county offices, the second story is fitted up for a court room. A commodious fire-proof vault is attached on the rear of the building, and the whole structure is well built and well finished. The cost was about five thousand dollars, the larger part of which expense was paid by the county, and the remainder by the township of Blue Earth City. No public debt was incurred in the enterprise. The building was completed late in the fall, and several county ofiicers moved into their respective rooms, in the holiday season, between Christmas and New Year's day. This structure is not large, nor imposing, but is substantial, a credit to the county, and will serve the purposes of the county for many years. Few counties have been so well, and at the same time, so economically provided for, in this respect, as ours. THE FIRST COURT HOUSE. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 359 CHAPTEE XIX. A. D. 1873. " All pitying heaven. Severe in mercy, chastening in its love, Oft-times in dark and awful visitation, Doth interpose, and leads the wanderer back To the straight path." — Baillie. The first day of January was very mild and pleasant. The new year was ushered in under very favorable weather auspices, but if this fact was taken as predictive of a pleasant winter, a favorable spring or a prosperous year, the horoscope was not well read. The seventh day of January, 1873, was an eventful one in this county. "Your plea is good, but still I say, Beware; Laws are explained by men; so have a care."— Pope. And first, on this day the district court commenced its winter term, Hon. P. H. Waite, judge. There were forty civil and four criminal cases on the calendar. There was a very large attendance of attorneys and of the people of the county, at this term. It was the first term of court held in the new court house. It was also the only term of this court, held in the county, during the year. The June term, owing to the sickness of the judge, was not held. A special session was called for July 15th, but this term, also, at the request of the ^oard of county commissioners, was dispensed with. The second event of the day was the assembling of the county commissioners. W. W. Potter, of Verona, was chosen chairman for the year. Of the business transacted by the board at this and subsequent meetings, it is not necessary to note anything here. Their subsequent meetings were held on the fourth day of March, June 10th and September 6th. Another event of the seventh was the meeting of the Agricul- tural Society, at Blue Earth City. J. A. Latimer was elected presi- dent, Charles Stockman, treasurer, and A. H. Bullis, secretary. It is necessary to say that there was no other business transacted at this meeting, worthy of record here, but while we are penning these lines, we observe in a newspaper lying before us, the following golden words : "In the wide world there are no more important things than farmers' boys. They are not so important for what they are, as for what they will be. At 3G0 HISTORY OF present they are, too often, of little consequence. But farmers' boys always will be the material out of which the noblest men are made. They have health and strcnRtb: they have bone and muscle; they have heart and will; they have nerve and patience; they have amtiition and endurance; and these are the ma- terials that malce men. Not buckrams and broadcloth, and patent leather and beaver fur, and kid gloves and watch seals, are the materials of which men are made. It takes better stuff to make a man. It is not fat and flesh, and swag- ger and self-conceit; nor yet smartness, nor flippancy, nor foppery, nor fastness. These make fools, not men: not men such as the world wants, nor such as it will honor and bless. Not artistically curled hair, nor a cane, nor a pipe, nor a cigar, nor a (luid of tobacco, nor an oath, nor a glass of beer or brandy, nor a dog or gun, nor a pack of cards, nor a novel, nor a v\ilgar book of love and murder, nor a tale of adventures, that makes a man, or has anything to do with making a man. Farmers' boys ought to keep clear of all these idle, foolish things. They should be employed with nobler objects. They have yet to be men of the clear grit— honest, intelligent, industrious men."— Herald of Health. A GREAT STORM. On the same day, the seventh, there happened one of the most destructive storms ever known in the northwest. We quote the fol- lowing well written and truthful account of this storm, taken from the Blue Earth Citij Post. It is not often that wo are called upon to record a more severe storm than that which occurred during the past week, commencing on Tuesday afternoon. The day opened warm and bright, presenting a marked contrast with the severe cold weather which had preceded it. All the forenoon it grew warmer, and people congratulated themselves that the severe cold spell had come to an end for the present. The town was full of people, and everybody was astir. In the afternoon alxiut two o'clock, entirely without warning, the wind veered around into the northwestand in a moment raged furiously, ttllingthe air with fine snow, and rendering objects invisible at a few rods distance. All the after- noon it continued to increase in severity, and night closed in with a "nor'- wester" in full force. During the night the war of the elements continued. The wind rose and fell in fitful gusts, seeming to gather strength with each subsidence, and threatening great damage. The fine snow was driven through every nook and cranny, and settled upon resting places in fantastic shapes. Many passed a sleepless night, expecting every moment that their houses would be overturned, take Are, or that .some other calamity would occur. It was a weird scene, well calculated to strike terror to stout hearts. Morning came, but brought no cessation of the storm, and daylight broke upon a scene of desolation and discomfort. People who wore in town the day before were compelled to remain all night, and together with those attendant upon the court and the meeting of the board of county commissioners, filled the hotels to overflowing, and drew upon the hospitalities of our citizens. Busi- ness was suspended, no session of the court was hold, and all congregated around the fires speculating upon the probable loss of life, and comparing the storm with preceding ones. All day long old Boreas revelled and howled in his strength, piling snow drifts to great heights, only to remove them the next moment to some other locality. The feelings of hilarity and good cheer, usually ruanifested upon such occasions were entirely wanting, and instead thereof was a sense of anxiety for those who might be exposed to the mercy of the storm. Those separated from their families were anxious for the safety of the dear FABIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 361 ones at home, while no doubt those at home were equally anxious for those who were away from home. The storm still raged when Wednesday night came, continuins through the night and on Thursday, though with less severity. On that day a few ven- tured to their homes. The court resumed business, and a feeling of relief be- gan to manifest itself. By Friday morning the storm had almost ceased, and during the day it stopped entirely; Saturday opened beautifully, and was a pleasant day. So far we have heard of no loss of life or serious damages, although there were some narrow escapes. Two little girls of Mr. Everson, living in Pilot Grove township who were absent at a neighbor's when the storm commenced, started for home, and nearly perished on the way. A school in the town of Elmore was compelled to remain in the school house for two days and a night, and doubtless other schools had the same experience. Many families were upon short allowances for fuel and perhaps for food, but as the weather was not remarkably cold, they managed to weather it through. Taken all in all, this storm will pass into history as one of the severest storms that has ever occurred in this region. — Since the above was written we learn that a German woman living near Wisner's Grove, in this county, was frozen to death. It is, also, rumored that a school teacher was frozen to death in Martin county. Several weeks elapsed before any definite information could be obtained of the loss of life, and the extent of the damage done by the storm, and many startling rumors were afloat. Great exaggera- tions are usual on such occasions. Estimates heard on the streets, and found in newspapers, based upon reports, were made, by which it was claimed, that as many as one thousand people had lost their lives, but this was finally reduced to five hundred and less. The matter, when subsequently investigated, proved not so bad after all, though still a sad reckoning, as appears by the following statement. LOSS OP LIFE BY THE STORM. "Gov. Austin made an official report to the legislature in regard to the effects of the great storm of January last, resulting in the death of seventy persons, and the injury of thirty-one more. The tabular statement by counties is as follows: Lost their Seriously County. lives. Injured. Blue Earth 1 1 Brown 3 1 Chippewa 3 Clay 2 Cottonwood 1 Dakota 1 Dodge 1 Douglas 1 ] Faribault 1 Freeborn 2 Grant 3 Kandiyohi 9 4 Lac Qui Parle 1 Lyon . 4 3 Martin 2 Meeker 2 1 362 HISTORY OF „ . Lost tlieir Seriously O0""* H 'Z, o O I EH O Eh B o a H O > < t-H a i-( u o en > ■t-3 a 2^ •sninqs 'V -^ : (71 r- CO - M r- CO -t* GO 00 01 1.':; CO <— ' • CO (M >— -^ " ^. .— T-H 00 ^ -f 'M OS ::ri CO •Woqqv T 'S CO (MOGO'OOOCD-P^-— lOOr-O: coOoOt-iO •qoijpooo -^ a 00 r- r- lO Ci ^ • W I-- 00 30 r- -^ CD Tt< CO c: 1-1 (T) r-i CO C]ir;iooo5'Ma:o-^»o 00 as (■aoiiisoddo o^) r-TtOOiO-fCO'— I'M -^r- Cl CO OifM 1— ■ C^ r-. T-H ■ 1-t ■ 1 •enaajo -j^ j^ 1-1 CO (M ^ CO ^ CO i-- 00 CO .-< CO 1-" CO CO CO lO t/3 •nBra>[00ig -SBqo CD-^-MOO^-^COOlCOOOiOCOeOOO-^-rt^i— iTf^O 55 •siABQ a -v lOCDWcoooroQOOi'Mr-i— co-t^osiC'-'OOicoco i-i'^'M (M— it>'MCO>-iCO-*iO-t^'MCO(MOOCD01r-COlO i-» • • • • +J g .0) jtS to .uJ . : PHfaaqf£ip3^0^mpHl> 410 HISTORY OF Tho republican candidates for State officers were elected. The vote in this county for jjovernor was as follows: Pillsbury— Republican 1,188 Buel— Democrat 465 THE STATE CENSUS. In June, of this year, a State census was taken, the town- ship assessors doing the work. The following is a condensed state- ment of certain items of the returns: Kicstor Seely Rome Elmore Pilot Grove Foster Brush Creek Emeralfl Blue Earth City. Jo Diiviess Wells Village.... Clark Walnut Lake... Barber Prescott Verrina Dunbar Minnesota Lake. Lura Delavan Winnebago City. Total $ 97,202 86,448 98,980 i:w,2oi 105,814 138,052 93.226 156,866 311,809 127,472 229,168 115,780 137,700 168,418 191,054 93,394 1.34,200 15.3.466 177,798 337,796 a o. $ 5,636 21,315 19,082 21,884 12,023 17,582 19,683 39,758 9C,203 12,608 25,393 5,034 15,192 29,170 21,958 24,255 11,135 27,457 33.557 33,401 48,429 $532,655 fl ■A cn c — V ja oa .X ai s 32 a. . c O 3 -5 a3 o 6 6 Oi S5 o Z Z 89 55 136 60 1 369 189 549 79 73 457 170 641 218 128 405 238 576 415 202 329 146 481 35 126 336 156 541 229 108 542 155 607 138 110 748 419 1,308 453 327 1,178 458 894 967 216 316 171 371 36 93 502 76 82 1 121 52 128 125 24 377 213 345 81 131 633 323 669 471 226 543 268 575 918 169 547 284 683 989 200 250 160 316 131 79 630 313 605 82 162 676 366 691 1,009 175 800 327 621 391 168 1,158 407 788 180 193 11,096 4,946 11,607 7,007 2,912 18 44 60 73 48 56 67 132 178 55 44 15 54 109 75 81 48 96 107 97 137 1,594 PRODUCTIONS 1875. Oats 344,985 bushels. Barley 18,316 Beans 1,115 " Tame Hay 1,000 tons. Wool 18,654 pounds. Cheese 53,860 Wheat 455,528 bushels. Corn 228,480 Potatoes 54,088 " Syrup 2,491 gallons. Flax Seed 22,649 bushels. Butter 212,768 pounds. Honey 2,921 The total assessed value of all taxable property was $3,5"23,715. The following statistics, relative to our schools, are taken from the report for the year, of the county superintendent. R. W. Rich- ards: No. of Districts 109. There are eighty-two frame, two brick and ten log schoo houses, valued at $53,625.00. Paid for teachers wages, $14,120.00. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 411 I have held eight teachers' institutes and training schools in the county, two of two weeks each, and six of one weelj each. The number of per^ns who attended the spring institutes was 160, while 83 attended those held in the fall. The whole number of persons examined for teachers was 282, of whom 63 re- ceived a second, and 136 received a third grade certificate. The other 83 were refused. The poorest teachers we have, as a class, are those, who come from some of the eastern States to spend a summer in visiting friends, and are, through the Influence of these friends, hired several months in advance in their friends' dis- tricts. They usually come well recommended as noted teachers, and they sus- tain their reputation as a general rule, as being noted for their failures. They usually manage to come '■'just a little too late to attend the Institute,'" so they go into their schools without any apparent plans or ideas, other than uti- lizing the visit with friends. I linow not whether any other counties are victimized by these health- seekers. We have suffered now for six years, but this is the first time I have publicly protested against it. There are some good teachers among this class, but the contrary is the rule and not the exception. A NEW PAPER. On the seventh day of October, the Wells Gazette appeared and arose from the ashes of the Wells Atlas. The career of the Atlas, always among the leading papers of the county, after many fluctua- tions of fortune came to an end. Geo. W. Plumley, an active newspaper man, was the editor and publisher of the Gazette. It was a seven column sheet, neatly printed — "patent internals and home- spun externals." THE AUTUMN. " 'Tis past! no more the summer blooms; Ascending in the rear. Behold! congenial autumn comes, The Sabbath of the year."— iogian. The autumn weather of this year was very fine for plowing, husking and threshing, until the middle of November, when winter set in. Indeed, the autumns are, usually, in this northern latitude, the most agreeable season of the year. Other lands may boast of the spring, or the summer, but nowhere on the globe, can be found a period of the year, more pleasant than the usual autumns of Min- nesota. The autumn! the season of the ripening and gathering of the fruits of the tree and shrub and vine, the season of Indian summer, later of "the sere and yellow leaf." The harvest is over, the grain has long been in the stack, the busy plow is at work in the fields, and we hear the humming of the thresher, throughout the land. A thousand streams of ripened grain are pouring their wealth into the granaries of the husband- man. The day of the ingathering and storage, and of wise fore- thought for the winter, is with us. ■11- UISTOUY OF In the village and the city, business is growing active. The suinmor vacation is over and the summer idlers return again re- freshed and rejuvenated, to the usual labors of life. The long school vacation has also ended, the school bell is heard again, and a new year's work begins. This too is the season of the State and county agricultural fairs and of conventions and political meetings and the great battle day of the ballots. And the Indian summer, the fifth season of the year and embraced in the autumn period, is not more beautiful and enjoy- able anywhei-e, than in this favored land. The sun, now shorn of his fiercest heats, rises, pursues his apparent journey and sets, like a ruddy globe of fire, a hazy atmos- phere filling the sky, and a warm, soft, dreamy, mellow air has dis- placed the extremes of the former season. "The haze that bancs upon the hills, Enshrouds the blazing sun; A tender luster spreads and (Ills The air, grown gray and dun." A peculiar, pleasant stillness, silence, reigns for weeks over the land. Hardly a leaf stirs to the soft touch of the light breezes. Ob- jects cannot, because of the dry, foggy atmosphere, be seen, or but dimly, except near by, while distant sounds are easily heard, and what gorgeous sunsets close these pleasant days. The nights and mornings are cool, and fogs envelope the low lands, until dissipated by the rising sun. How agreeable are now the night's healthful rest and slumber, and the early morning rising. And see on every hand: "The fading many-colored woods, Shade deepening over shade, the country, round, Imlirowned; a crowded umbrage dusk and dun Of every hue, from wan declining green To sooty dark." Slight frosts, growing more frequent, crisp and braceing, appear, and the time has come in this blessed season to ramble through the woods and gather the wild fruits. And now the roadsides and hedges and by-ways are splendid with blooming golden rod and crimson sumach, and many nameless flowers and shrubs, while the foliage of the trees is rich in gold and green and brown and yellow and red. But soon comes the falling leaf, the dying vegetation, "sober autumn fading into age," suggestive and saddening scenes of the closing, dying year, and the day breezes and night winds have a mournful cadence — the period of quiet contemplation, when thoughts come to us of the brevity of human life and of the great lesson, that all things earthly, must, sooner or later, fade and die. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 413 THE END OF '75. The year was characterized by the great abundance of wild fruits. Wild grapes and plums were.particularly, plentiful, and there was an abundance of all kinds of berries and nuts. And on a clear, bright day in September, after the first frosts, we hitched up the old family horse in the light spring wagon, and we put in a large basket of provisions for ourselves, and a big feed of oats for the horse, and some bags and baskets, and the whole family, old and young, got in, and we started off in happy spirits for the woodlands, along the streams and about the lakes, to spend a day in gathering grapes and plums and hazelnuts and butternuts and walnuts, to store up for the winter's use. And when the snows are deep, and the winter winds howl around the house, we shall gather around the cheerful hearthstone, in the long winter evenings, and crack nuts and tell stories and read and sing our songs and envy not the rich their jileasures. And we had a grand day as we wandered through the autumn woods and along the streams and by-way. A day free from anxieties and business and domestic cares, for it was so full of health and variety and freedom and pure air and exercise, that dull cares were forgotten. And we felt the beauty of the scenery, and the invigoration fall on us like a blessing. How kind and merciful is the Father above us and over all, who made all things for us and tinted and colored the skies and the fields and the plumage of the birds and the wings of the insects which sported their short lives in the sunbeams, and the foliage of the trees and the blooming flowers and made the forests vocal with the songs of the airy choristers not yet departed for warmer climes, blending their wild cadences with the music of rippling streams and waterfalls and gentle, whispering breezes. Be still and listen! Reader, go forth often to enjoy and commune with nature. You will be healthier and happier. And now old Boreas has come down from his home in the far north, and the birds have flown, the trees are stripped of their leaves, and the grass and the flowers of the fields are dead, and the white mantle of the snow king is spi'ead over the earth, and the year is near its end — Ay, ended. "Where goes the candle when it dies? The leaf, the music, summer sighs'? A finished thought, a world, a death? Where is the home of parted breath? Where goes a year, an age, nay, thine? Where is the end, tlie great sublime? All, all but centre, round that Being, The Great, Omnipotent, All-seeing! Unending, and unchanged forever; In vain the end from Him we sever — All ends are hid in God!" 414 EISTOliY OF CHAPTER XXIL A. D. 1876. Hail! All Hail! the Centennial Year Of the Republic— The Tear of Jubilee! At the beginning of every year we are called upon to note the action of certain public bodies, as the same may relate to our county. And, as tirst in dignity and number of members and the general im- portance of their action, we may refer to the legislature of the State, which assembled January 4th and adjourned March 3d. The acts passed by this body having any special reference to this county, were the following: To amend the act of incorporation of Winnebago City. To amend the act in relation to the voting of bonds in aid of railroads. To provide for the election of county superintendent. To authorize the auditor to extend certain taxes on the books. To incorporate the village of Minnesota Lake. To change the boundaries of cer- tain school districts. The county was represented at this session by J. P. West, of Wells, in the Senate, and in the House by A. R. More, Sr., of Pilot Grove, and Chas. S. Dunbar, of Poster. James B. Wakefield, lieu- tenant governor, president of the Senate, Geo. W. Buswell, chief clerk of the House, and Chas. A. Rose, assistant sergeant-at-arms of the Senate, were also residents of this county. Faribault county much apprciated the honor of these high positions conferred upon its cit- izens. Our attention may next be called to the annual .January term of the district court, which commenced its session on the fourth day of the month. Hon. D. A. Dickinson, judge, presiding. There were four criminal and thirty-seven civil cases on the calendar, many of which were disposed of. The term lasted fifteen days, being the longest term of court which had yet been held in the county. It was the desire of the judge to clear up the calendar as far as possible. It may also be stated that the grand jury sat longer at this term than ever before. At the June term of this court there were four criminal and twenty-five civil cases on the calendar, and the term lasted ten days. As a good many jokes are told by the lawyers, and sometimes even by the judges, during term time, we here append one FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 415 related several times of two spectators of a trial, one of whom was not much acquainted with court proceedings. "Mercy ! how angry those men are ! How they do shake their fists in each other's faces ! They call each other by all sorts of opprobrious epithets. Will they kill one another? Hardly. But one of them will surely strike; and the other; see ! he will strike back. Not a bit of it. Why, arn't they deadly enemies, and arn't they terribly angry with each other? Oh, dear, no ! If you follow them when they go out you will probably find them drinking out of the same bottle. Then, who and what are they, pray? Only a couple of lawyers. That's all. Oh!" The next important local event was the assembling of the Board of County Commissioners, which occurred also on the fourth day of January. Frank W. Temple was elected chairman for the year. They held a session of six days, being as long a sitting as had ever occurred in this county. Much public business was transacted. A part of the duties to be attended to at this meeting of the board, was the appointment of a superintendent of schools, but, after many bal- lotings, which reached no result, they adjourned the matter over to the March session. This board met again in March, but no business was done of in- terest at this time. As to the superintendency, the matter was dis- posed of by act of legislature, above referred to, which made the office elective at the next general election, and continued the present incumbents in ofBce until that time. Other meetings of the board were held during the year, the action at which is noted elsewhere. The summary of events of this part of the year may now be completed by the statement that the annual meeting of the Fari- bault County Agricultural Society was held at Blue Earth City, on Tuesday, the 4th inst., and was called to order by the president, M. B. Pratt. The report of the officers was read and adopted. The following is the treasui'er's report of the receipts and disbursements for the year ending December 31st, 1875. RECEIPTS. Gate money July 4th $102. 70 Fees for entering horses 13.00 Membership tickets, fair 1875 119.00 Gate money 82.30 State apportionment 58.82 From former treasurer 9.25 $385.07 416 HISTORY OF DlSHUnSEMENTS. Purses paid, July 4th $54.00 IncidtMilal expenses 13.40 For wiirk and luiuber 90. 50 Premiums paid 226.00 $383.90 Balance In treasury, January 4, 1876 1.17 The meeting then pi-oceeded to the election of officers for the ensuing year as follows: President— S. Pfeffer, Blue Earth City. Secretary — J. C. Woodruff, Prescott. Treasurer — A. Shultis, Elmore. WEATHER. The winter of 1875-76, at least after January 1st, was a remark- ably fine one. The weather during January and up to the last day of February, was very pleasant, there being no snow and no storms. On the twenty- ninth of February a snow storm occurred of severaldays. During March the ground was covered with snow, which went ofE at the close of the month with high waters, and March proved to be the real winter month of the whole winter. It may appear to be an infringement upon the time of the reader to quote the following item, in relation to weather remarks, but it hits an almost universal and very useless custom: "To go into statistics, it is estimated that during; the year the averaKO man has said: 'How are yer?' 3,743 times: 'is this hot enough for you?" and 'is this cold enough for you?' each 471 limes; 'pleasan t day,' 10,718 times; 'looks like rain,' 12,325} times; other meteorological remarks, not classified, 786,421,- 107,365,792,001 times." STATE FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. The Banner County. During the winter the State Forestry Association was organized at St. Paul, to encourage the planting of forest trees on the prairies of the State — a most valuable project. The Association appointed the first Tuesday of May as Arborday and recommended that on that day, trees and cuttings should be set out, throughout the whole State. Handsome premiums were offered by the Society to such as should, on that day. set out the most trees or cuttings, or both, and it was determined that the county which could show the greatest number set out, should be known as the banner county. It is pleasant to record the fact that this county proved and was declared to be the banner county of Ihe State, and that George D. Moore, of Pilot Grove, received the largest premiums awarded to any person in the county. He set 11.210 trees and cuttings. The FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 417 number of trees and cuttings planted in this county on Arbor-day, was one hundred, ninety-five thousand, two hundred and ninety- eight, and the whole number during the year was 1,803,776. The Association was permanently organized and was designed to continue for a number of years. For some years a bounty had been given by the several counties and also by the State, to such as should set out trees and cut- tings and continue for some years, to protect and cultivate them, which greatly encouraged the enterprise, but this Association was designed to be more comprehensive in its influence and encourage this industry in a more systematic manner. Many valuable pam- phlets on the subject of forestry were published for gratuituous dis- tribution, by the Society. The objects of the Association must be considered of the most commendable character. "WOODMAN, SPARE THAT TREE," Pew natural objects are of more real use and beauty than trees, whether they be fruit, shade, ornamental, or forest trees. The great forests of hard woods, or of soft woods' such as the sev- eral varieties of pine, are of great utility and immense value in many respects, besides that of furnishing lumber. A country without natural timber, is wanting in one of the most essential requisites of comfortable and profitable occupancy. Such a country is apt to be sterile — a desert, and unproductive, because of drouths, and is swept by terrible storms, and subject to greatex- tremes of temperature. Vast regions of the old world, which were once timbered and fertile, but have been denuded of their trees, are now almost barren wastes, and their inhabitants have gone back to semi-barbarism. The existence of large bodies of timber, or even the presence of many trees and detached groves, distributed over the land, have a marked influence on the humidity of the atmosphere and the rain- fall, the evenness of the temperature, and the productiveness of the soil. The influence of trees on the climate is very great. The streams of water grow smaller as the timber is cut away. Many European nations now recognizing these facts, have made provisions by law for the protection of their remaining native forests, and in both Europe and America, the subject, not only of protecting their forests, but also that of growing forests, has attracted the public attention. Minnesota wisely attended to the encouragement of the growth of forest trees at an early day. But the State has done little yet for the protection of our native timber, and its destruction goes on from year to year. Certain detached portions of all forests should 418 HISTOUY OF be preserved from destruction, or the trees simply "thinned out," not all cleared off. To cut down a tree, of even a centurj-, or two, in age, is some- thing that almost anyone — any fool, can do, but to plant a young tree as it should be planted, and have it grow, requires some sense and skill. It appears to be always easier, to destroy, than create. In some regions the forest must be felled, of course, to get arable lauds for cultivation, but the wholesale destruction of forest trees, where such a necessity does not exi.«t, is quite another thing. But long before the State paid any attention to these subjects, the people in the prairie districts of the State commenced the planting of trees and gi'oves, of various varieties of indigenous trees, about their homes. This county, which in this respect, is but a sample of many others, is now dotted all over with groves of from two to tenor more acres of rapidly growing forest ti'ees, and while at a little distance from a grove on the prairie.you see no habitation near, nothing but a grove, yet in the heart of that grove you will find, perhaps, a dwelling, well, barns, cribs, cattle yai'ds and other out buildings, all protected by the shade of the trees from the heat of summer, and from the storms of summer and winter. Our better sentiments and natural impulses and instincts incline us very strongly to the admiration and love of ti'ees and the green, sheltering and homelike groves and wild forests. There is a mys- terious tie between them and us, as though mankind and the trees are in some way a kin. There is a sort of companionship be- tween us. ''I would not say that trees at all Were of our blood and race, Yet lingering where theirshadows fall, I sometimes think I trace A kinship, whdse far-reaching root Grew when the world began, And made them best of all things mute To be the friend of man."— 5. V. C. We all have or have had associations with trees, they are our friends. Perhaps we played in childhood's years under their pleasant shade and often in maturer years, we have sought rest and peace, on summer days, under their strong, protecting limbs and thick foliage. But there is still another companionship, for where there are trees, there the birds are apt to visit and congregate. But, no trees, no birds. And trees have a voice of their own. That of the pine differs from that of the oak, and that of the oak from the elm, and that of the elm from others. Listen, reader, when the breezes blow and you will hear those low, soft voices. They are whispering, rustling, sometimes sighing and moaning sounds. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 419 A person residing far out on the treeless prairies, however com- fortable a dwelling he may have, feels that he is, somehow, away from home. A dwelling without, at least, a few trees about it, is lacking something to its comfort as a home. And no other proof of this is necessary, than the fact of the pleasure we all enjoy in the shade of our trees in summer. Trees, and especially a well kept grove, makes a locality homelike. And no man is so poor-, that he cannot have a few trees, at least, about his house, either in town or country. It is not remarkable that a lone tree on the prairies, is al- ways a landmark or guide, but it is a little curious to know that peo- ple in its vicinity, are very apt, sooner or later, to visit it and look it carefully over, and that without any very definite motive. The groves, so often called natures' temples of the ever living God, and the great forests, how wonderful they are, how attractive, grand, mysterious, the fresh, pleasant odors, the long aisles, the lofty arches, the world of living beings, whose homes are there, the realm of strange sounds, weird music and dreamy solitude. But we need not go to the great forests. What more beautiful thing is there in nature, than a well grown, thrifty tree, with its strong body, shapely limbs and green, rustling foliage; and the mysterious life that is in it, and, if a fruit tree, its fragrant blossoms, and then its fruit? Look with an eye of intelligence at such a tree, thinli how it grows, its uses, its beauty; what can supply its place, what could man do towards making it, with all his skill. All the science and art of the world cannot make a live tree. Only Almighty God can do that. "There's something in a noble tree — What shall I say? a soul? For 'tis not form, or aught we see In leaf or branch or bole. Some presence, though not understood, Dwells there always, and seems To be acquainted with our mood. And mingles in our dreams." — S. V. 0. Yet some men can see nothing in a tree but the lumber, or fire- wood that is in it, or the value of the fruit it can bear, and will think all our remarks but sentimental nonsense. But, reader, when you find a man that admires trees and loves to look at them and work among them, do not say that he is an old crank, or has a soft spot in his head, for that is probably not true, but what is true is this, that you have found one who has intelli- gence enough to appreciate the useful and beautiful, and that has, at least, one good spot in his heart. Let us always remember Arbor day, and plant a tree. 420 niSTOHY OF THREE ITEMS. The spring was backward and but little seeding was done until about the nineteenth of April, and corn planting was not begun un- til the middle of May. Wheat was very low in the spring, and during May and June money was exceedingly scarce, in fact during spring and summer hard times prevailed, and as indicating the financial situation, it may be stated that but little of the public taxes was paid until .June 1st, and there was greater delay in paying taxes than had been known for years. A great hailstorm occurred on Saturday, May 20th, and pre- vailed over a large part of the county. A large amount of hail fell. At Blue Earth City the storm was severe, and the windows on the west side of the houses were badly damaged, but no injury, beyond the breaking of glass, was done. The hailstones were larger than had ever been seen before in this county. THE S. S. ASSOCIATION. The action, progress and success of great moral and religious societies, no more than those of political parties and commercial corporations, can be overlooked in history. They are the conserv- ing, elevating, purifying influences of society, without which, every human interest would hasten to destruction. Strange as the statement may appear, at first sight, it is true, that the natural tendency, the bent, so to speak, of every individual, community and state, is to retrograde, to revert to the original con- dition of barbarism and savagery. There is an element of the bar- barous still in the heart of the most civilized races. An individual, a dozen, or twenty men, isolated from civilized society and free from any external, restraining influences, what- ever their other conditions and surroundings may be. would soon grow reckless, negligent, indifferent, uncouth and depraved, and in less than twenty years, would reach a condition, but little, if any, better than that of a barbarian. The most cultured state of to-day. if left free from the educa- tional and restraining influences of the teachings of the church and of other religious and moral societies, and the laws of the land, made in pursuance of justice, and morality, or if the influence of these saving agencies became greatly inactive, would, in less than the period of two generations, revert to the conditions of the savage tribes, which so lately roamed over our hills and valleys. And it is a sad truth that, even with all the conserving, redeem- ing and elevating influences that have been at work in the world, the whole earth, since the day when Cain killed his brother Abel, FABIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 421 has been a human slaughter house, too terrible to picture. Per- petual wars have deluged the earth in human blood. Even to day, the mightiest energies of great nations are not enlisted for the im- provement and the happiness of their people, but to secure the most efficient means of destroying property and human life. What infer- nal spirit has animated the human race, to make men and nations each others' worst enemy':' And the so-called "laws of the land," on which so many would depend, who would abolish religious influences, those laws, hovcever wise they might be, would, themselves, be worthless, whatever power should be provided to enforce obedience to them, unless backed by the moral sentiment and the religious conscience of the people, for without these they would be "but ropes of sand." They, whose duty it would be to enforce the laws, would, themselves, be- come corrupt and inefficient. In fact, wise laws would not exist, to begin with, but because of an awakened sense of justice and relig- ious conscience. And no government worth living under, can long exist without the constant cultivation of the sense of justice and of moral obliga- tion and duty. To progress, in the path of civilization, onward and upward, even to retain what the world has already secured, requires great, liositive, aggressive and perpetual effort and the use of not one, but many moral and religious instrumentalities. To go backward, downward, to degenerate, requires no labor. The work of the churches and other religious and moral socie- ties, even though they may not, at some particular time, or locality, appear to be making much progress, are still, and after all the ob- jections that may be alleged against them, the real conservators to- day of our civilization, and constantly exercise a mighty influence in behalf of the welfare of humanity. And when these influences are active, progressive and all-pervading, we may look for the happiest conditions of mankind. The contest with the powers of darkness, degradation and destruction, is indeed a mighty one. Among the greatest foes of the human race to day, are intemperance, or in other words, drunkenness, lust, and impurity of thought and conduct, fraud in its hundred garbs, unholy ambitions, lying, the love of money, the worship of wealth, and the studied perversion of truth, even of the Scriptures, to justify evil. And these are some of the ministers jjlenipoteutiary of satan on earth. While in every community there are, happily, some people who labor and give of their time and means to elevate the community, there are also others, whose principles, conduct and work, tend to mislead, de- moralize and degrade it. It certainly seems that every one who loves his country and claims to be a free and an honest man and a 422 HISTORY OF good citizen should give every encouragement to all religious and reformatory institutions. We note with pleasure, the sixth annual meeting of the County Sunday School Association, which was held at Wells, on the 30th and 31st days of May. The attendance was quite large, there being delegates present from all parts of the county. The association was in a very prosperous condition, and doing much good work. Andrew C. Dunn was elected president for the ensuing year, Chas H. Deaborn, secretary, and J. Chestnut, treasurer, and one vice president was chosen from each town in the county. A resolution was adopted instructing the vice presidents to assist in the organi- zation of schools in their respective townships, and to see that proper reports and returns be made, punctually, each year. The reports had always been defective. The session was a remarkably lively and profitable one. PARAGRAPHIC PENCILINGS. March 1st. — A bill passed by congress recommends all counties and towns in the United States to have historical sketches written, for July 4th, of this year, and file a copy with the county clerks, and one with the librarian of congress. This was an excellent sugges- tion, but was not, generally, acted upon. Had it been, much valua- ble local history would have been saved to the world. May 30th.— The Sultan of Turkey was deposed. June 25th. — The Custer Massacre occurred, in which Gen. Custer, one of the bravest of the brave, and his whole command of three hundred, were killed by the Indians. Not one person escaped to tell the story. July 12th.— A violent war raging in European Turkey. August 1st —Gen. Belknap, secretary of war, was impeached by the House of Representatives. He was acquitted by the Senate. October 17th. — President Grant issued a proclamation com- manding certain rifle companies, in South Carolina, to disband in three days. They disbanded. THE CENTENNIAL FOURTH OF JULY. The Fourth of July is the great secular holiday of our people, as it is of the whole nation, and in our local, social life, is a day of great importance. And it is because of this fact the annual cele- brations of the day have been noted through the course of this history. The day was appropriately commemorated, this year, at Blue Earth City. S. J. Abbott, of Winnebago City, read the Declaration, and S. W. Graham, of Blue Earth City, delivered the oration. The day was also celebrated at Delavan, where a large company had as- sembled, to do honor to the occasion. Here Andrew Carson read FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 423 the Declaration, and D. F. Goodrich, of Blue Earth City, was the orator. At these two places were the only formal celebrations in the county. This being the one hundredth, or the Centennial celebration of American independence, the day was commemorated much more generally throughout the United States than usual, and in many places with extraordinary display. To appropriately signalize the great event, preparations had been made during several preceding years, for a World's Exposition, at Philadelphia, Penn., which opened on the tenth day of May, and closed on the tenth of Novem- ber, and on the fourth of July there was had, in that city, the most costly and magnificent celebration ever seen in America. The Cen- tennial Exposition was gotten up on the most extensive scale, and far surpassed all the world's fairs which had yet been held. It was in truth an exhibition of the natural and manufactured productions, the industries, the works of art of all nations, and there was gath- ered there people from all parts of the globe. The history of the exposition reads like a splendid romance, and it was in all respects, a fitting, a most magnificent celebration of the one hundredth anniversary of the nation's birth. Should you ask, what meant the midnight clamor and the sun- , rise salute of thundering cannon and ringing bells, and all the dis- play and demonstration to-day? The answer is, that this is the Fourth of July — the anniversary of the birthday of the nation — an event which is not a hazy myth, but a fact, and that the people all over this great nation, celebrate this, the most memorable event, of a political character, in its influences upon the destinies of mankind, that can be found in the records of this world's history. Yea, ver- ily, it looms up like a mountain, above all others. And we should have clear ideas of the nature, the character of this sublime event, for it was the occasion of a vast stride in hu- man progress made across the line which divides the ages of polit- ical and religious darkness, superstition, bigotry, despotism — the alleged divine and hereditary rights of rules and the slavery of the masses from the age of national freedom, freedom of opinion, of the press, of speech, of conscience, of education, of personal action, the age of the acknowledged equality of men in the eye of the law, in short, the age of civil and religious liberty and self government. For, it must be said, that the fourth day of July, 1776, was not only the birthday of a gi-eat nation, which then stepped forth on the world's great stage, to demand recognition, but it was also the occa- sion of the declaration of certain political principles, which form a new departure in governmental science, and which constitute, as all true Americans believe, the only true basis upon which to establish civil government — principles which through all the long, dreary ages 424 BISTOJIY OF of despotism, men never dared to proclaim before, and which shall forever hereafter inure to the blessing of our people, and after a while, to that of all mankind. Read that declaration made on the fourth day of July, 1776, thoughtfully, and then tell us, student of history, at what other time and by what other body of men, or nation, or on what pages of the writers on political science, were the great truths announced, or more than vaguely suggested to the world, that are contained in that papery — The truth that all men are created equal, politically — that by their Creator they are endowed with certain inalienable rights, among which are, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness — that to secure these rights, governments are established — that government derives its just powers from the consent of the governed — that when any government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the governed to alter or abolish it, and institute such government as will secure these rights, and the safety and happi- ness of the governed. No such declaration was ever made before. Never before did men dare to make it. For ages men had been struggling with an uncertain and ever failing eifort to give some expression to their longing for civil and religious liberty and secure the just recognition of their rights, and here at last, in this new world and in this declaration, made on that day, were these new principles formulated and proclaimed to the world. But those other princii^les of civil government which are ob- noxious to reason and to natural justice, and which have cursed the earth for ages, the Shibboleths of which are, the divine right of kings, of hereditary rulei's — of the unequal division of men into classes as to rights and privileges, some of whom, the very few, are to govern, and the others to serve and suffer — of jiractically unre- strained power on the one hand and implicit obedience and submis- sion on the other — the system of perpetual serveillance and espion- age on the part of the government and citizen, slavery and political degradation — the government everything, the people nothing — these, through all the past centuries have been the dogmas of civil gov- ernment. And it is fortunate, beyond estimate, that the American revo- lution produced a change in these, among the most important of all the affairs and interests of man. As a result of that great event, light broke in upon and hope dawned for the downtrodden and op- pressed millions of the earth, for those new and better principles of civil government, announced in the declaration and maintained by the revolution, recognizes man, as a being of certain rights and of equal political rights, in the eye of the law — that government is of right made by the people and for the people — not the people for the government. Here is the grand idea of law regulated liberty and FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 425 citizen sovereignty, and in these few words is contained the whole philosophy of the science of civil government. And these great principles are not for us alone, for therein is that great thought and from thence is evoked that great force, which shall yet overcome all others and lead all nations at last to freedom. Victor Hugo says, of the great contest on the field of Waterloo, upon the result of which hung the destinies of Europe, that "it was not a battle merely, it was more, it was the change of front of the universe." So we say of the American revolution, with much more propriety, it was not a mere war — a mere revolution, it was more, it was the change of front of the universe, for in maintaining the truths of the declaration, it inaugurated an entirely new system of civil government. And these better principles are becoming recognized every- where, notwithstanding the strong bulwarks despotism has been everywhere raising against them. It is indeed but a narrow view that limits the beneficent influence of the great truths of the declar- ation and the results of the war of independence, to our own time and country. From the very day of the declaration, its great an- nouncements have helped to ameliorate the political condition of men in all lands — they have given hope to the oppressed in all countries — the shackles of the old iron-bound despotic systems of government are loosening, arbitrary power has heard the knell of doom, and the world now is moving forward, though slowly, yet, to tlie goal of political regeneration. Yes, the truths of that declara- tion will go forth to "all the world, have already gone forth, and will nerve the arm in the battle for liberty and right through all time to come, and while the thrones of tyrants and their kingdoms are crumbling to dust, they will live, the guiding light of mankind, in their struggles from wrong and despotism, to right and freedom. And now on this fourth of July, 1876, the first century of our national life has rolled away, and we stand to-day at the beginning of our second century, and the question is appropriate at this time, what haiS been the outgrowth and development of the great princi- ples of the Declaration and the fruits of the Revolution, as manifest- ed in the history of the nation, born one hundred years ago to-day? To answer this question it is not necessary to trace the history of the nation from the day of the Declaration to the present time. We need not recount the long years of suffering, the immensity of blood and treasure it cost to sustain the Declaration, nor need we speak of the constant success of the nation in war and the military glory and renown which render our annals glorious, for our greatest and best achievements, have been in the arts of peace. Let us summar- ize briefly — unlike any other nation, this republic came into existence an enlightened. Christian people; no long line of barbarous ancestry. 426 HISTORY OF no ages of growth and development, shrouded in the gloom of heathenish despotism, superstition and blood. But at the moment the United Colonies were declared free and independent, they were behind none of the nations in the arts and blessings of civilization. The fathers and founders of the republic were a body of men, than whom, for great experience in the waysof life, in intellectual culture and sterling virtues, no superiors have ever appeared. This people, who at the time of the Declaration, consisted of thirteen small colon ies and three millions of souls, without commerce, without a name or a place among the nations of the earth, has grown to be a mighty nation, indeed. Thirty-eight great free states, eight or ten organ- ized territories, and nearly fifty millions of population. We have taken the place now of a tirst-class power of the earth. Our empire is almost a continent. We have a country possessing every variety of soil, every character of climate and all kinds of productions. We have thousands of miles of sea coast, great harbors, the longest rivers, railroads and canals in the world. Our commerce spreads its sails on every sea We have brought our manufactures to compete with the world, and we carry our goods and inventions and machinery to every country on the globe. Our people are industrious, intelligent, brave, progressive, and in their personal demeanor they are also frank, courteous, dignified and self-contained, orderly, yet fearless in any presence where they have the right to be. But this is not all. The extent of territory and the vastness of the population of a nation and its progress in material things, is not all that is wanted to make the nation great. We have something more to boast of. In the higher blessings, those of free government, the universal diffu- sion of knowledge, progress in the arts and sciences and literature, which find their best encouragement and development here, the free- dom of conscience, of opinion, of speech, of the press, and of personal action, we have no equal among the nations of the earth, and here withal, and as important as any of our blessings, labor is free and honored, and the ways of promotion are open to all alike, and the culmination of all these blessings is summed up in the announce ment, which we make to all the world, that we live to day in the light of the fullest, freest and most progressive and best civilization of all the ages. But, says the political philosopher of the old school, is all this permanent — will it last? The answer may be that we have passed safely' through all the chances and changes of a hundred years of experiment. We have, too, been tried in the fires of rebellion, we have withstood the flood of opposition and unfavorable criticism and braved the fury of political cyclones, such as have wrecked many of the nations of the past. Yet we still live, and are stronger to-day than ever before. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 427 We may, too, rise to a hig:her view of this subject, and claim that by the decrees of the councils of heaven, there has been given to this nation a position, a work, a mission, the grandest that has ever been accorded to any nation of the earth, if we but remember that it is righteousness that exalts a nation^that of being the instrument of high heaven, in the final political redemption and re- generation of the nations of the earth, in these, the last centuries of the world's history. Such was the great event of the day — the fourth of July, 1776 — the anniversary of which we annually observe, and the outgrowth and results in the life of the nation, of the great principles of civil government proclaimed on that day. And it is not only the native born American who does honor to the day, for there assembles on these occasions the people of many nationalities, who have made this land their adopted home. The Scotchman, the Englishman, the Irishman, the Frenchman, the Scandinavian, the German, yea, representatives of the people of almost every land under the sun. Millions from all lands have come to America, and we bid them welcome. Let other millions of the intelligent, industrious, law- abiding and liberty-loving come. America wants them all. And herein lies one of the best assurances of the continued strength, prosperity and perpetuity of American institutions — in the infusion of the best blood of Europe, in American veins. In the union, assimilation and Americanization of the best brain and brawn of all nations making a wise, strong, free people, who shall never know mental or physical degeneracy. A people, who are at work, concentrating here, developing and making homogeneous, what is best in all the forms, phases, experiences, of the old world civilizations, in combination with the newer and better principles of government here. To these we can but say, ye are countrymen now, ever most welcome, in the scenes and festivities of this great anniversary. Well, indeed, may we celebrate this day with music, festivities and rejoicing, in the grove and in the temple, on the land and on the sea. And the voices of the long past come to us and admonish us not to forget it. Do you hear them? Hark! Floating on the mists of the long gone years there comes to us, the tones of a far off bell. Listen! It is the bell on old Independence Hall, pn the Fourth of July, 1776, proclaiming liberty to all the land and all the inhabitants thereof. Then ring, ring the bells on this day, over all the nation, long and loud. Fire your cannons from every hill top, they are but the echoes of the storm and thunder of battles, in which, long years ago, our forefathers shed 'there blood like water, that they and we might be free, and have a home and country. Yes, unfurl on this day the brave old flag — wreathe it about your doorposts, let it wave 428 UlSTUHY OF from every housetop, let it head every procession, for in hundreds of battles, on land and sea, the soldiers of the Republic have followed it to victory. "Fla^riif the brave thy folds shall fly, The si^'n of hope and triumph high I" And we shall not forget it. So long as our people celebrate this day in spirit and in truth, so long our people shall be free, and he wears the visage of a traitor to his country and mankind, or wags the tongue of an idiot, who seeks to belittle the day, or mali- ciously ridicules its commemoration. As every passing year brings round the day, let it be remembered. It is the patriots' day, the children's day, observe it somehow, in the picnic, the excursion, the quiet walk in the fields, even«n the retreat to the shady grove. Had it no other significance, it is the peoples great secular holiday, when neighbors and friends from far and near meet for a good time — for recreation — to renew old friendships, to make new ones, and to cultivate sociability. But best of all is the old fashioned Fourth of July celebration. Let the procession be formed and the marshals ride to and fro, let the bands crash and the drums beat. Let the old Declaration be read, that the young be instructed in its truths, and the old forget them not. Let the orator raise his voice and soar aloft, if he chooses, on the wings of the eagle, full of glorification over the past and proud prophecies of "the future. What if his rhetoric is a little florid and his eloquence turgid. Who has a bet- ter right to boast than we'? And the old songs must be sung, "Yankeedoodle," "Hail Columbia Happy Land." and the "Star Spangled Banner." And let us have the skyrockets and the fire crackers, the lemonade and the ice cream and peanuts. Ring the bells, fire the guns, wave the flags! What matters the noise and bustle, the heat and dust on such a day as this. This is the age of steam and electricity, of iron, of great projects, of giant pow- der and grand achievements, and these loud demonstrations ex- press the genius of the nation and the spirit of the age. Under all these noisey manifestations lies the broad, deep meaning — the rejoicing of the freest, most generous and most progressive people on earth, in the deeds of their forefathers and their own success, in popular government. Let us turn from the past to the future. The first century of our national existence is now complete. Whatever the century was, the record is made up, and must remain forever, and, while there are a few, a very few. shadows resting upon the fair pages, yet, as we have seen, no other nation of the past, or present, can boast of such a century of existence. What of the future? We now enter upon the second century of our national life, and the only assurance of the future lies in avoiding the rocks on which other nations have FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 429 split and gone down. A word will be pardoned here, as to the fu- ture of our beloved country, and we may speak not simply as a moralist, but as a citizen. As we read the history of the nations that have arisen and reigned and fell; as we scan the conditions of nations existing today, we learn first of all the two great causes of human misery, and n?^i\oxiaXva.\sfovi\\ne — ignorance and roickedness. This is the plain truth of all history, all observation. Remember- ing the thought and some of the language of one long since dead, we may bid you, if an inquirer for the proof of this assertion. — Com- mence your travel at the beginning of the highway of the ages, ascend to the summit of the last mountain that looms above the deluge, and looking down upon the lost nations of a drowned world, inquire the cause of the universal desolation, and the voice of the mighty waters will answer-ignorance and wickedness. Descend the stream of time, through all the generations that have lived and died, and as you pass the wrecks of a thousand empires, with the relics of their altars and dead gods around them, ask the cause of their ruin, and their mournful requiem answers — ignorance and wickedness. Look over the earth. Why are prostrate millions worshiping stars and wood and worms? Why are despots crushing out the hearts of weeping millions? Why is war devouring whole king- doms at a meal, and illumining the world with lakes of blood, and cities on fire? Why does intemperance fill the world with widows and orphans, and stock the land with drunkards graves? Why do falsehood and fraud and theft and murder pour their poison streams throughout the earth? Because of ignorance and wickedness. It was long ago said that the safety of Republics rests in the intel- ligence and virtue of the j)eople, not, certainly, in their ignorance and wickedness. Herein there lies the best assurance of the future. Let us learn, and learn well, what we can of true knowledge our- selves, and especially let us educate our children. If we can give them no other inheritance, let us give them the best of all endow- ments — a liberal education, that education which unchains the fac- ulties, liberates, informs and strengthens the mind. To this end let us ever guard well and constantly improve our free schools and public systems of education, and encourage the higher institutions of learning. And we must permit no sophistries, no craft, or threats to beguile us. We must cherish them as the apple of the eye. We must, too maintain a free press, and never allow any censorship to clog its utterance of truth. But this is not all, intellectual culture will not suffice. Intellectual power and im- morality are worse than ignorance and wickedness. We must have also, moral training, and this is the chiefest interest. We must lay broad and deep the principles of morality and religion. Let us impress it indelibly upon the minds of the young, and by our 430 HISTORY OF personal example enforce the truth, that there is no safety, no as- surance of individual happiness, or of national stability and true glory, but in the maintenance of the laws of right, the practice of justice and the acknowledgment and recognition of God and His lawg. A full and complete intellectual development, combined with sound moral principles and practices, constitutes the only true edu- cation. It is this that makes the man — the man that is made in the image of God — great, true, strong, of high and honorable mind, of noble impulses and generous heart, "the considerate husband, the indulgent, judicious parent, the true friend, the wise counsellor" and the lover and protector of his country, and the pure, patient, wise, tender, loving woman, fit to be the mother of freemen and the instructor of American youth. Ever acknowledging God, in whose hands are the destinies of all people, and that it is righteousness that exalts a nation, let us cherish a deep and abiding love for our country, glorious in its his- tory and achievements, grander still in the destinies that await it. Let the children of the Republic be taught, that next to God and home and honor, and as inseparably entwined with them, to love their country, its laws and institutions, then in the days of its peril its defenders will be many and invincible, and we shall transmit our political blessings to the latest posterity, as we received them from our fathers, the noblest inheritance of man. And now with these assurances, what a destiny awaits thee. Oh! beloved land? We look through the veils that hide the future to the close of this second century. "Behold the unsealed vision, To this glorious prospect rise." Proud old Babylon— Medo- Persia— Grecia, Rome, What were your glories of universal empire here I .Sesostris, Alexander, Ciesar, Constantino, Charlemagne, Napoleon, how weak yovir wildest dreams of universal rule! Behold here! an empire embracing a continent — more than two hundred millions of people, free, united, brave, generous and just, masters of all arts, learned in all sciences, practiced in all virtues — the arbiters of the world's destinies— the chosen people of God. "Columbia! Columbia! to glory arise, The queen of the work), the child of the skies. Thy genius commands thee, with rapture heboid. As ages on ages thy glories unfold." .SECURING THE CEREALS. The harvest weather was very favorable and the crops were secured in good husbandlike manner. All the crops were fairly abundant, except that of wheat, which was hardly a two thirds yield. Throughout the State, the crop of wheat was called a failure. There FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 431 were three causes which led to the reduced aggregate production in the State, all three of which had their influences in this county — heat, drouth and the locusts. These causes also effected other crops to a considerable extent. The summer was very warm and in some localities quite dry. More people, especially in the cities, lost their lives by sun-stroke, than had ever before been known in a summer, and many children, in the large cities, died of the great heat. Haying, after harvest, was much interfered with by the rains, and much poor hay was put up. FRUITS. All kinds of tame and wild fruits were, as in the preceding year, very abundant. There were probably more apples raised in the county this year than ever before. Thus it is that while condi- tions are favorable on one hand, they are deleterious on the other, and the general equilibrium of years is kept up. But what was there to make up for locust depredations? THE SCOURGE. On the eighteenth day of August, that terrible scourge, the grasshoppers visited this county again, lighting down in myriads. ' They came on a northwest wind, and spread over a large part of the county. They had already, immediately before reaching us, this year, invaded the whole west half of the State, and laid their eggs. They did but little damage to crops in this county during this year, but their presence here, the fact that they had laid their eggs here, and the doleful prospects for the next year, seriously affected busi- ness of all kinds, and much discouraged the people. After deiiositing their eggs, vast numbers of the grasshoppers arose, and left about the twenty -fifth day of the month. In consequence of the presence of the grasshoppers and the vast deposit of eggs and the general wish of the people that some public action should be taken to protect the country, if possible, from their ravages, a number of public meetings were held in vari- ous localities. During the early part of September, a grasshopper convention (not a convention of grasshoppers for they had already met), assembled in the town of Verona, to consider the situation. Resolutions were adopted in relation to the best methods of fighting the "hoppers," and an organization aifected. The farmers, also, of the towns of Lura, Barber, Walnut Lake and Minnesota Lake, met at Easton, and formed a grasshopper club, and adopted certain reso- lutions, not exactly against the grasshoppers, but as to the most feasible methods of destroying them. And on the nineteenth day of September, the board of county commissioners met in special session and took action in relation to 432 UISTOllY Ot this subject. They offered a reward of fifty dollars for the arrest and conviction of any one who should fire the prairies, in violation of the statute laws. They also appropriated the sum of three hundred dollars to defray the expense of making fire-breaks around the county, on or near, the county lines, in order to prevent prairie fires in the adjoining territory, from running into the county. The man- ner of making these firebreaks was that of plowing, or mowing, two strips of land, not less than six rods apart and burning the grass between. They also recommended that no fires be set out in the county, and that all the straw and waste hay be saved to be strewn on grounds wiiere the locusts had deposited their eggs. Now what had all this to do with the grasshoppers V Well this, it was the de- sign that after the pests had hatched out in the spring and were young and still unable to fly, to burn over the prairies and other lands where the pests should appear, and thus destroy them. THE NORTHFIELD TRAGEDY. In the early part of September, great excitement existed throughout the State, in consequence of an attempt made by certain outlaws— the Younger brothers and others — to rob the bank in that place. Pew crimes, probably, ever created more excitement than this, and there are but few instances of greater bravery known than that exhibited by the small company of men who secured the out- laws. A number of the citizens of this county went in pursuit of the robbers on the grand hunt, and for several nights guards were stationed at the bridges on the main stream of the Blue Earth river, and several other places, in the county, to intercept the fleeing murderers should they pass this way. The Younger brothers — three of them — were finally caught, tried, convicted, and sentenced to the State prison for life. NOW TAKE YOUR CHOICE OF TICKETS. The political campaign of this year was a long and exciting one, both nationally and locally. Rutherford B. Hayes, of Ohio, for President, and William A. Wheeler, of New York, for Vice President, were the Republican can- didates, and Samuel J. Tilden, of New Ycrk and Thomas A. Hend- ricks, of Indiana, were the Democi-atic candidates for President and Vice President. Peter Cooper, of New York, for President, and Samuel F. Gary, of Ohio, for Vice President, were the candidates of the Greenback Party . A congressman for this district was also to be elected, and Mark H. Dunnell, of Steel county was nominated by the Rejjublicans, and E. C. Stacy, of Freeborn county, by the Democrats. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 433 Let us now turn to our county politics. The Republican County- Convention was held at Blue Earth City, on the thirtieth day of September. Geo. W. Plumley, of Wells, was chosen chairman, and B. G. Reynolds, of Winnebago City, secretary. The following nomina- tions were made: For Representatives— S. P. Childs, of Blue Earth City, and An- drew C. Cunn, of Winnebago City. For Auditor— W. W. White. For Register of Deeds— F. P. Brown. For Clerk of Court— H. J. Neal. For Superintendent of Schools— J. A. Dean. For Surveyor — E. S. Leavitt. For Coroner — A. B. Balcom. For County Commissioner 3d District — J. R. Sisson. The Democratic County Convention was held at Blue Earth City. October 7lh, but adjourned sine die, without making any nomi- nations, but on the fourteenth of the same month a People's Con- vention was held at Blue Earth City, for the purpose of placing candidates in the field. D. P. Wasgatt. of Winnebago City, was elected chairman, and H. E. Mayhew, of Delavan, secretary,- of this meeting, whereupon tlie following nominations were made: H. H. Gilman, of Winnebago City, and L. W. Brown, of Pres- cott, were named as candidates for Representatives. Arthur Bonwell, for Auditor. Frank Lent, for Register of Deeds. Wesley Hill, for Clerk of Court. Richard W. Richards, for Superintendent of Schools. Geo. A. Weir, for Surveyor. A. S. Mygatt, for Coroner. Robert Andrews, for County Commissioner 3d District. Several resolutions on reductions of official salaries and other subjects relating to retrenchment and reform, were adopted. This presidential campaign and election was a peculiar and ex- asperating one, in many respects, and owing to the close, in fact, uncertain electoral vote, the excitement and bitterness was con- tinued into the next year, when the question as to who was elected, was finally determined in a novel manner. In the local campaign, the canvassing of the county was quite lively, and public meetings were held in almost all the towns, by the republican legislative candidates. The final results will be found in the following table of votes for the several candidates. For Presidential Electors: Hayes, 1,591; Tilden, 605. For Congressman: Dunnell, 1,532; Stacy, 727. 434 lll^TOltY OF For Representatives: Child, 1,585; Dunn, 887; Oilman. 1,368 Brown, 583. For Auditor: White. 1.432; Bonwell, 820. For Commissioner 3d District. Sisson was elected. For Superintendent of Schools: Dean, 792; Richards. 1,459. For Clerk of Court: Neal, 2,241. For Register: Brown. 1.893; Lent. 353. For Surveyor: Leavitt. 1,168; Weir, 1.062. For Coroner: Balcom. 1.215; Robertson, 491; Mygatt, 521. WELL SAID. "An excellent as well as witty reproof, which might be applicable to some politician.s even in these enlightened days, is accredited to the celebrated Richard Brinsley Sheridan. "When his son, Thomas Sheridan, was a candidate for an ortice of a Cornish borough, he told his father that if he secured the otBce he had a mind to place a label on his forehead with the words 'To Let' printed on it, and side with the party which made the test offer. " 'Very well, Tom,' replied his father dryly, 'but if you do tliat, don't forget to add the word 'unfurnisked.' " AGRICULTURE AND FINANCES. The annual fair of the agricultural society was held at Blue Earth City on the 12th and 13th days of October. For various rea- sons it proved almost a failure. The crops were short, money scarce, the outlook for the coming year, gloomy. The fair of the Blue Earth Valley Blooded Stock Association, held at Winnebago City on the 18th. lyth and 20th of the same month, was also a failure, for the reasons given above, and the ad- ditional one of bad weather. Toward the close of the year, the financial condition of the people began to improve, somewhat, in this county. There was not so much borrowing of money and mortgaging, as formerly, and farmers began to turn their attention, more, to stock raising. The sales of cattle and hogs began to yield considerable returns, and wheat, late in the year. brought a dollar per bushel, and was still higher after New Years. Thus the benefits of diversified farming became apparent, and the result was the inauguration of a new era too long delayed in this county. A FOX HUNT. On Saturday, November 11th, the first English fox hunt which probably had ever occurred in this State, took place in Martin county, adjoining this on the west, and attracted much attention. A number of the citizens of this county attended and took part in the hunt. It proved quite a success, and afforded a great deal of sport. FAIUBACLT COI'NTY, MINNESOTA. 435 It was inaugurated by the English residents of that county who desired to see and enjoy one of the great recreations of "Merrie Old England," in this new land. A NEW BOOK. In December of this year a small book appeared, bearing the title "Politicians and other poems/' by H. W. H., of which the Pion- eer Press says : "These iaitals in the title stand for Hon. Henry W. Holley, of Winnebago City, in this State, who is better l3.50 per hundred. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 441 THE LAST OF THE LOCUSTS. The vast deposit of grasshopper eggs throughout a large por- tion of the State, the preceding year, was a matter of such grave public importance, that the legislature of this year, in its efforts to do something for the relief of the public, passed a very curious and impracticable act. The act was entitled "An act to provide for the destruction of grasshoppers and their eggs," and provided for the payment of cer- tain bounties for destroying the same, as follows: The sum of one dollar, per bushel, for grasshoppers caught previous to the twenty fifth day of May. The sum of fifty cents, per bushel, from May 25th to the tenth day of June. The sum of twenty-five cents, per bushel, fi-om the tenth day of June to the first day of July and twenty cents per bushel, from said first day of July, to the first day of October. There was also to be paid the sum of fifty cents per gallon, for all grasshopper eggs taken and destroyed. The act appropriated one hundred thousand dollars, to pay these bounties. It also required that all persons liable to work on roads, in each township, should be assessed a number of days labor, not to exceed five, to be employed, under the direction of the overseers of highways, in destroying eggs and locusts. A measurer was to be appointed in each township, by the Governor of the State, who was to be paid by the several counties. It was made his duty to receive and measure tlie grasshoppers and their eggs, brought to him, keep an account of the same and by whom delivered, and to give a certificate to the person delivering the same, of the amount thereof. All this looked very fair on its face, but a close inspec- tion of the facts and circumstances involved, revealed a very differ- ent aspect and results. At the April session of the county board, after a careful exam- ination of the matter, the board concluded that if this law should go into effect, and the measurers be appointed by the governor, as con- templated in the act the cost to this county alone could not be less than one hundred thousand dollars should the locusts apjjear as ap- prehended, and that of the one hundred thousand dollars, appropri- ated by the State, this county would not get to exceed four or five thousaud dollars as its projiortional share. They, therefore, re- quested the governor not to make the appointment of measurers, in this county. They were not made, nor were the labor assess- ments made, and the act, in nowise, went into effect in this county, and such was the fact not only in this county but throughout the State. The law was a dead letter. Had it gone into effect in most of the counties affected by grasshoppers, it would have entailed a burden of indebtedness upon them, which would have far exceeded in damage, all the depredations of the pests. 442 HISTOIiV or And now in pursuance of this same subject, that of the locust scourge, it may be stated, that the twenty-sixth day of April was appointed by proclamation of the governor, and was observed in this county, as throughout the State, as a daj' of fasting and of prayer to Almighty God, that in mercy. He would relieve the peo- ple of the State from this threatened calamity. In the volume of the book it is written: "A fruitful land luaketh He barren, for the wickedness of theiu that dwell therein." Ps. cvii:34. "Call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee and thou shall glorify Me." Ps.,l:15. ".Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the Lord your God, and cry unto the Lord." Joel, i:14. "Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?" Isaiah, lviii:6. Millions of the eggs hatched out, throughout the infested por- tions of the State, yet, owing to some inscrutable causes, the pe- culiar character of the weather, the frosts, rains, freezing of the ground, the hatching was very irregular, and at intervals, and, doubtless, myriads of eggs rotted in the ground, and the young, at various stages of development., perished by millions, and with the exception of certain small districts of the State, no very material injury was done to the crops. Those locusts which attained full size, and there were some such over all the infested districts, ap- peared to be feeble and degenerate, and they, about the twentieth day of July, arose and left this portion of the State. The following item from a newspaper, well describes this last great exodus. "Last Friday was a day of great suspense to the people of this section of country. About half-past nine in the morning the 'hoppers commenced flying with a good breeze carrying them a little east of south. Never before in the memory of man were so many 'hoppers seen in the air at one time. It was one dense mass of locusts as far as the eye could see upward, and it took them until three o'clock in the afternoon to pass over. These were hours of deep suspense to the people. All business was abandoned and the flight of the destroying hosts watched with bated breath and weary eye. Hy two o'clock we all began to breathe easier, as it was noticed that none had cume down, but that nearly everyone of the resident'hoppers had risen and joined the marchingcolumn.and when night came it was safe to conclude that the 'hopper raid in Minnesota was at an end. It was a glorious feeling of relief, and thousands of prayers of thanksgiving were olTered up that night. They are gone, where, at this writing, we know not. and our people are embued with new life. The crops will be care- fully taken care of, and every acre of ground possible will be put in good condi- sion to receive the seed next year. Real estate will advance in value, business will revive, and with the stock now in the country, we can see the brilliant fu- ture just ahead of us.'' FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 443 And considering the myriad millions of the locusts that passed over at this time, in high, and steady flight, and with army like regularity, one might well surmise that the hosts were led that day by old Apollyon, the king of the locusts, himself. For some reason, the impression prevailed, generally, among the people, that this was the last we should see of the grasshoppers, and that we should not again be troubled with them, during this generation, if ever. It re- mains but to add, on the subject, that it was in this year, that that simple, but most effective instrument for the destruction of grass- hoppers, "the hopper-dozer," was invented, and used, and for a full account of which, the reader is referred to the history of the year 1874, "We are now done with the locust invasion, one of the greatest calamities which has yet befallen the State. THE SUNDAY SCHOOLS. The County Sunday School Association held its annual meeting at Winnebago City this year, on the twenty-ninth and thirtieth days of May. The attendance was quite large, and the interest manifested in the business and in the discussion of the questions proposed, was very considerable. At no former meeting were more questions pro- posed for consideration and discussed than at this. The report of the proceedings at this meeting occupy nearly two and a half col- umns of the newspapers of the county. The officers elected for the ensuing year were: O O. Odel. presi- dent. J. L. Christie, secretary, and James Damon, treasurer. THE PEOPLE SPEAK AGAIN. An election was held throughout the state on the twelfth day of June, on the question of the adoption of a proposed amendment to the coQstitution, providing for the application, of certain five hun- dred thousand acres of improvement lands belonging to the State, in payment of the old Minnesota state railroad bonds. The vote in this county stood two hundred and sixty-nine in favor and one thousand and twenty-nine against the proposition. There was a majority of forty-one thousand eight hundred and fifty- two agaiast the amendment, in the State. railroads! railroads! ! Several railroad companies were organized in the county during the early part of this year, one at Blue Earth City, named "the Blue Earth Valley Railroad Company, "organized in February and March, and one at Winnebago City, named "the Winnebago City and St. Paul Railroad Company," oi-ganized in May and June. "Bonuses" to aid in the building of roads, were again voted in several towns, and late in the year votes were taken in a number of towns, to extend the 444 HISTORY OF time given in former resolutions, jjranling bonuses. In June, the county was visited by an individual in the Interests of a narrow guage road, to be constructed forthwith. Starting at Des Moines, the capital of Iowa and running thence northward through this county, to Hutchinson, in McLeod county, in this State. While this project was deemed a favorable one, no action was taken in refer- ence to it, and nothing further was ever heard of it. Attention may also be called to the fact, that the time limited to the Southern Minnesota Railroad Company — ten years — to construct their road to the western boundary of the State, had expired, the road having been completed only as far west as Winnebago City, in this county. Of the original grant of lands to the old company, there yet re- mained many thousands of fertilejacres, unearned by the company, and which reverted to the State. And now, with an eye to securing these lands, there came to the front the great railroad project of the year, which was the organization of the St. James and Fort Dodge Railroad Company and the Martin County Railroad Company, which were essentially one. The purpose of the one was to build a road from Winnebago City westward, into Martin county, and of the other, to build a road from St. James, in Watonwan county, via Blue Earth City to Fort Dodge in Iowa. Grading was done from Winne- bago City westward and from Blue Earth City in a northwest direc- tion (towards St James), some seven or eight miles during the sum- mer. The parties who had the matter in hand, were probably act- ing in good faith, but the whole project failed, because, as it was alleged, certain persons who had agreed to assist in putting down the ties and iron, when the grading should be done, proved treach- erous and failed to do as they agreed Several of our citizens lost considerable sums in consequence of the abandonment of the pro- ject. Next followed a new company, which was organized at "Winne- brgo City, October 27th, of this year, named "the South-Western Railroad Company." with the purpose of securing the forfeited lands and building the road westward from Winnebago City to the west line of the State, and a collateral line or two north and south. To this company some reference will be made in the history of the next year. And we may now close this brief and imperfect sketch of the railroad affairs of that year, by the I'eraark. that of the worlc done that year, there remains only some miles of dilapidated grading, dimly stretching across the prairies, and the companies organized that year have all passed into oblivion. "All scatteri'd tires but end in wind and noise. The scorn (if men, the idle play of boys." FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 445 THE lOlST PATRIOTISM EFFERVESCING. The "Fourth of July" was celebrated in old fashioned stj'le at Wells, where J. M. Nye read the Declaration and M. W. Green delivered the oration. Winnebago City, also had a celebration, and here S. J. Abbott was the reader of the Declaration, and M. S. Wilkinson was the orator. The people of Blue Earth City were equally patriotic, and cele- brated the day in the usual manner. C. H. Slocum was the reader and Daniel F. Goodrich delivered the addi-ess. Lastly, at Bass Lake, in the town of Delavan, in the beautiful grove of ancient oaks, overlooking the crystal waters of the placid lake, the good people for many miles around, assembled to commemorate the day, and here Andrew Carson was the reader of the immortal charter of human rights, and J. A. Kiester, of Blue Earth City, addressed the people. The celebration of the day in so many prominent localities, ab all of which were large assemblages of our citizens, made the day a conspicuous one in the events of the year. "There is no other land like thee, No clearer shore; Thou art the shelter of the free, . The home, the port of liberty Thou hast been, and shalt ever be Til time is o'er." — Fercival. LACONICS. That the reader may be able to fully identify this year, we note a few great leading events of the times, outside of our county limits. On the twenty- fourth day of April, war was declared by Russia against Turkey. On July 16- 19, a memorable strike of railroad employes occurred, which extended to nearly all the roads of the northern states. They greatly interfered with railroad traffic. Great" riots took place at Baltimore and Pittsburg, and much property was destroyed and some blood shed. Troops were called out to suppress the rioters. On the fifteenth day of September, Louis A. Thiers, an eminent French statesman and ex-president of the French Republic died. Hon. Oliver P. Morton, ex-governor of Indiana and United States senator from that state, and one of the most distinguished of our latter day statesmen, died on the first day of November. THE HUSBANDMAN'S REWARD. The harvest of this year was a successful one. The wheat crop was the largest ever raised in the State, and all of the wheat was No. 1. The yield in this county, both as to quality and quantity, 446 HISTOnV OF was extraordinary, and if as great breadth had been sown as usual, we should have had the largest crop, in the aggregate, ever raised in this county. The acreage was less than usual, somewhat, because of the fear of destruction by the locusts. This was Minnesota's great wheat year, not .soon to be forgot- ten, and the news went out over all the nation and into foreign lands that "Minnesota has raised 40,000,000 bushels No. 1 wheat, 36,000,000 bushels of which she can spare for export," all of which was true and had a great influence on immigration, counteracting, in a great measure, the evil effects of the locust visitation. The corn crop was also very heavy, and oats, barley, potatoes, and other products were satisfactory, as were also the prices. Saith the Psalmist cvii:14. "He maketh peace in thy borders, and fiUeth thee with the finest of wheat," and saith Joel, the prophet, in the twenty-fifth and twenty-sixth verses of the second chapter of his book, "And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm and the caterpillar and the palmerworm, my great army, which I sent among you." "And ye shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord, your God, that hath dealt wonderously with you." THE BALLOT BOX, At the election occurring this fall, a number of State as well as county officers were to be chosen, and six amendments to the consti- tution, proposed, were to be voted upon. John S. Pillsbury, for Governor, and James B. Wakefield, for Lieutenant Governor, the latter a resident of this county, were the republican nominees for those offices, and W. L Banning, for Gov- ernor, and A. A. Ames, for Lieutenant Governor, were the demo- cratic candidates. First in order of time was the Republican County Convention, which was held at Blue Earth City on the twenty-second day of Sep- tember. Andrew C. Dunn, of "Winnebago City, was chosen chair- man, and A. A. Williams, of Verona, secretary. The following nominations were made: For Senator— D. F. Goodrich. For Representatives— J. P. West, H. H. Gilman. For Treasurer— F. W. Temple. For Sheriff— Allen Cummings. For County Attorney— M. W. Greene. For Judge of Probate— J. A. Kiester. For County Commissioners: Second District— F. E. Carey. First District— L. K. Woodwick. Fourth District— C. B. Miner. Fifth District— W. Herring. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 447 Next came the Democratic Convention, also held at Blue Earth City, which met September 27th. W. W. Stowe, of Delavan, was elected chairman, and Q. Adams, of Wells, secretary, when the fol- lowing nominations were made. J. W. PoUeys, for Senator. D. P. Wasgatt and Andrew Hanson, for Representatives. Otto Kanpp, for Treasm-er. M. B. Pratt, for Sheriff. S. J. Abbott, for County Attorney. The following named gentlemen were nominated as candidates for County Commissioners: First District — James Hardie. Second District— C M. Sly. Fourth District— Felix Hill. Fifth District — Andrew Woesner. A third convention was held at Delavan on the eight day of Oc- tober and placed in nomination: Thomas Blair and J. R. Sisson, for Representatives. A. W. Johnson, for Treasurer. Hiram Raymond, for Sheriff. Benjamin G. Reynolds, for County Attorney. For Commissioners: R. C. Alborn, for Second District. H. A. Woolery, for First District. A. H. Bullis, for Fourth District. J. Vial, for Fifth District. Chas. S. Dunbar, of Foster, was also a candidate for the Senate. The principal contest in this campaign, was on the offices of sheriff, treasurer, county attorney and re]3resentatives, and the elec- tioneering, during the two weeks prior to the election, was quite earnest, and most of the candidates visited, as usual, all the towns in the county. There were, however, but two or three public meetings held, and they were in the eastern portion of the county. There were two republican candidates for treasurer, and two, also, for sheriff, inconsequence of which the vote of that party was so divided that it resulted in the election of the democratic candidates for those offices. One printer reports that at his office, there were printed, 38,- 500 tickets, and of these, three forms or styles, were "straight," and ninety-two forms, of combinations, or "split" tickets. The election was held on the sixth day of November. The fol- lowing table copied from the official canvass of the votes, indicates the result, as to local offices. The Republican State ticket was elected. 448 Jiis/(u;y (IF For Governor: PiUsbury. 1,1271; Banning. 591. For Lieut. Governor: Wakefield, 1,240; Ames. oi29. For Senator; Goodrich, 1.168; Polleys, 521; Dunbar. 168. For Representatives: Gilman, 919; West, 9p7; Hanson, 523; Wasgatt. 662: Blair, 406; Sisson. 243. For Treasurer: Temple, 650; Kaupp. 747; Johnson, 405. For Sheriff: Cummings, 691; Pratt, 829; Raymond, 266. For Attorney: Green, 697; Abbott, 401; Reynolds. 531. Fur .Judge of Probate: Kiester. 1.662. For Commissioners: Gary, Woolery, Bullis and Catlin were elected. HALLOW EVE., OCTOHEK 31ST. Hallow Eve., known also as Halloween and Hallowmas Eve., is the vigil and eve., before, or of All Hallows, or All Saints' day, Nov. 1st. ofeach j-ear. It is best known in this county by the name of Hallow Eve., and has been observed in some localities in this county, for a number of years, notably at various places, this year. It is annually observed in many countries. It is signilicant now among us, only because of the curious customs incident to its observance, but the day which it precedes, and of, or for, which it was formerly, and in some places still is, a preparation, is one of mucli significance, with many Christian people, and this being the fact, and to show the ori- gin and purpo.se of Hallow Eve., it is proper to say a word first, of All Saints' day. All Saints' day is a church festival, ob.servcd in honor and rememberance of all the Angels and Saints of Heaven, and it is now annually commemorated on Nov. 1st (but formerly in May) by the Roman Catholic church, the Greek Catholic church, the Anglican Catholic church, in England and America and else- where, known as the Church of England, in England, and the Pro- testant Episcopal church in American, and by the Lutheran church, thus embracing more than three-fourths of all Christendom. It has been observed ever since the fourth century, in the Eastern church and in the Western, or Latin church and the Engli.sh church, since the early part of the seventh century, when its observance was enjoined by the Bishop of Rome — Bonifaae, the Fourth. The thought, the sentiment implied, and the purpose intended in the observance of this day, are beautiful and devout. In the order of worship appointed for this day. in the Anglican Communion, we find the following ancient collect: "O Almighty God, who has knit togetherThineelect inonecorumuoion and fellowship in I he mystical bddy of Thy Son Christ, our Lord: prant us grace so to follow Thy blessed saints, in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those unspealors. Thi'se (Iciiionstrations frightened the villains away. Assistance was then ren- dered Mr. Mapson, who was found to be badly injured about the head and face, and one ami broken. A' igorous measures were at once instituted, to hunt down the would-be murderers, and on Monday afternoon, a young man named Henry Measor, who had been living' near Winnebago for several years, was arrested nn suspicion, and failing to give bonds, is now in jail, awaiting an examination before Justice Mell, on Thur.-day next. Sheriff Pratt was satisfied that this man Measor had an accomplice, and having secured additional evidence, proceeded on Thursday, about four miles northwest of Winnebago, and arretted a young man named F. J. Williams, and brought him to Hlue Earth City, where he is now under examination before Justice G. B. Kingsley. The sherilT found on Williams' premises a policeman's club, loaded, with which the murderous blows were inflicted on Mr. Mapson. Both Measor and Williams were held for their appearance at the next (June) term of the district court. At the trial. Measor plead guilty, and was sentenced to seven years, at hard labor, in the State prison. Williams plead not guilty, Measor being the principal wit- ness against him, and was acquitted by the jury. The current opinion was, however, that Williams was the principal in the crime. Measor was pardoned by the governor in 1882, and discharged from prison. A TENDER HEARTED JUDGE. A Texas judge lately made the following very considerate de- cision. He said: "The fact is, Jones, the jail is an old, rickety affair, as cold as an iron wedge. You applied to the court for a release on bail, giving it as your opinion that you would freeze to death there. That is my opinion also, and to keep you from such sutTering, I do now order and direct the sheritT to hang you at four o'clock this afternoon, and may God be as merciful to you as 1 am " LIBERTY FOREVER ! A word must be said in reference to the Fourth of July, 1878. The day was celebrated at Wells, where C. S. Dunbar, of Foster, read the Declaration, and M. S. Wilkinson delivered the oration. At the grove of Mr. Cahoon, in the town of Elmore, a very in- teresting observance of the day occurred. Here C. H. Slocum was the reader, and the orators were James Hardie and S. W. Graham. A formal celebration was had, also, at Minnesota Lake and at several places in the county there were pic-nics. At Shelbyville, just over the north county line, a reunion of old settlers was had, at which many residents of the county attended. The peculiar feature of this meeting was the number of short and interesting addresses, by old settlers of this county, in which their experiences in frontier life were related. The day was very tine, and the attendance, at all of the above points, was large, and the occasion afforded much pleasure to all. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 457 THE REFRAIN OF THE REAPERS. Never was there a better prospect for a bountiful crop, than there was in this county, a few weeks before the harvest of this year. A great breadth of small grain had been sown and the stand was all that could be desired. Everyone Avas confident of getting, at least, twenty bushels of No. 1 wheat per acre. But a sad disap- pointment awaited the people. Instead of getting the best, we had probably the poorest wheat crop ever gathered in this county. The causes of this great misfortune were, the intense heat and excessive rains. From the 10th to the 20th of July, especially the IFth and, also, for many days after, excessive heat prevailed. Many wei-e compelled to quit work. The average temperature, for many days, was 95° in the shade, but sometimes it ran as high as 103° The heat was of that oppressive, sultry character, which enervates the whole system. During this time and, also, through harvest, the rains, especially at night, were quite heavy and the streams rose higher than they had been known for years. Many small bridges were swept away. The I'oads became very bad. The bot- tom grass lands were overflowed, destroying much of the best grass. The wheat was blasted and shriveled, and the lands became so miry, that it was next to impossible to get on the fields to cut, or take care of the grain, making the harvest difficult and expensive. Much of the grain was cut late, and some was not cut at all. This condition of things existed throughout the greater portion of what we call Southern Minnesota. In the northern portion of the State, however, the wheat crop, this year, was abundant, and the quality veiy good. To comprehend this calamity to the people of this county fully, it is necessary to state further, that owing to various causes, not necessary to name here, the general prices of wheat at best, had fallen very low, and when this inferior grain came to the market, the farmer realized the fact that the wheat crop of this year was a failure. The prices paid ranged from twenty to forty cents per bushel. Most of the wheat was below any grade which had yet been established. The average yield of wheat in this county was from five to eight bushels per acre. Oats and other small grain, also, shared somewhat in the blight. Much of the oats was as light as chaff, but there were some good fields. But to counterbalance the short crops of wheat and oats, the corn crop was abundant, po- tatoes and all other vegetables were good and plentiful, and fruits of all kinds were an average yield. The dairy products of the year were large, and also the amount of wool grown, and stock of all kinds were thrifty, and yielded a handsome income. We can live and prosper in this county without raising a bushel of wheat. 458 HISTORY OF FORECASTING THE WEATHER. A passing remark may here be added in relation to foretelling the weather. While there is undoubtedly much uncertainty in weather prognostications, yet the time has arrived when science has become able to afford many valuable suggestions as to the prob- able future weather conditions that are worthy of attention. There are always many weather prophecies uttered by the old weather prophets of the neighborhood, as to the coming weather, especially as to hard or mild winters, and they are generally worthless. We have heard a hard winter prophesied, because the corn husks were thick, or because themuskratshad built large houses, or because the moss was very thick on the north side of the trees, or that the squir- rels had stored up large stocks of nuts, or that the frogs had buried themselves for the winter in the muck of the ponds perpendicular, heads down and heels to the zenith. Conjectures, based upon ascertained and uniform facts, observed during a long course of years and noted by scientific men, are get- ting to be worthy of some attention. As an illustration of some of the methods pursued in this direction, we append a brief article clipped from the St. Paul Press, of July 23d, 1878. "Old Prob." cer- tainly hit the mark this year. LOUK OUT KOIi A WET HARVEST. Minneapolis dept. Pioneer-Presii. Mr. Wm. Cheney, our local "Probabilities," who has kept a complete and ac- curate weather record in ihis city for the past twelve years, is authority for the statement that we are liable to have a wet harvest. He Hnds that the average rainfall during the season, one year with another, is 23.631 inches, tlie variation is only about six inches— three inches either aliove or below the average. The rainfall this year during the month of April, May and .lune was 8.720 inches, considerably below the average. Add to this the average of three succeeding months, July, August and September, (which covers the period of harvesting) and we have but 19.972 inches, whereas the average for the corresponding six months of the past twelve years has been 2;i.681 inches. By close observation Mr. Cheney is satisfied that nature is accustomed to balance her books each sea- son, and he is therefore of the opinion that we are liable to have more rain, be- tween now and the tlrst of October, than the farmers will really want. All of which is worthy of iheir attention, in securing the standing crops. SOME ITEMS OF GENERAL INTEREST. Pope Pius IX, aged 85 years, died February 7th, and was suc- ceeded by Leo XIII, on February 20th. On February 28th, a bill, known as the "Bland Silver Bill," was passed by Congress, over the veto of the President. For some years prior to 1877 8, silver dollars had not been in use in the United States. Silver, as money, had. by the act of 1873. been practically degraded and demonetized, as has been alleged. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 459 The Bland Bill ordered the coinage of large sums in silver dollars, of 412A^ grains weight, and provided that they might be used in the payment of debts by the government. Silver was thus re- monetized. But this act provided that contracts might be made requiring that payments should be made in gold. A "gi-eenback" dollar was becoming as good as a gold dollar. March 3d. Peace was concluded between Russia and Turkey. Early in August, that fatal disease, the yellow fever, made its appearance in the South. In one of our local papers we find the following very appro^sriate remarks: "It is appalling to us, situated so far away, to read daily of the visitation of that dreadful scourage, yellow fever, that is raging to such an alarming ex- in the southern states and cities. We get only a superficial idea of its disastrous effects. Hundreds have died, and hundreds more are lying sick in all its stages. Thousands are flying northward to catch the healthy breezes of northern local- ities; towns with their two or three thousand population are almost deserted, and yet, while we look complacently on the destruction this disease is making 1,000 miles south of us, do we fully appreciate the healthfulness of our own climate? When one of those "gentle zephyrs" stirs up the sluggardness of our systems, we are apt to exclaim, "blast those winds." We do not stop to think that in them is the very elixir that blows away the malarious and pesti- lential fevers and other diseases that combine from various unforseeu circum- stances to invade the household. Let us be thankful for the breezes that scimetimes fiercely blow, for in them we And health, comfort, and bodily vigor." This group of general facts may be supplemented by the state- ment of a significant local item. The stimulus of the great wheat crop of the preceding year, the universal belief that the locusts had left us, finally, and the prospects in the spring, induced the farmers to break up much additional land, and an immense quantity of land was turned over, not only in this county, but throughout the State. THE COUNTY BOARD. During this year the board of county commissioners had five meetings of several days' each, but no business of historical interest was transacted, except that the board entered into contract with a purchaser, to sell to him one hundred and sixty acres, or one half of what was known as the "Poor Farm." At the January meeting, A. H. Bullis was elected chairman for the year. AGRICULTURAL MATTERS. The Agricultural Society held its annual meeting January 3d. The treasurer reported the receipts of the year to be $172.45 and the disbursements $161.34, leaving in the treasury §11.11. The officers elected for the year were A. R. More, Sr., of Pilot Grove, president; C. H. Slocum, secretary, and Henry Sellen, treasurer, and one vice president was chosen for each township Mr. Sellen de- 480 HISTORY OF clinod to serve, and Henry M. Temple was subsequently elected treasurer. During the year, a high board fence was built on the north and west sides of the fair grounds, and the buildings were removed to better situations and repaired, and a number of covered stalls, stables and pens, were erected, all adding much to the con- venience and value of the grounds. The annual fair was held at the grounds, near Blue Earth City, on the 19th, 20th and 21st days of September. The following article gives a very correct ac- count of THE FAIR. "The c'ouuty fair of last week is prondunced by all to he a .success, flnan- cially, and in attendance. More people were present than at any previous fair, and the ^ate money received was nearly doubled. The storm on Thursday eveninj,' made a difTerence in the first day's receipts, and interfered very much with the exhibit of stock. There were 429 articles entered for exhibition. What stock, horses, cattle, sheep and swine, there were, were all Urst-class, and very creditable to Faribault county. The exhibits in floral hall were very fine, especially in the fruit depart- ment. L. C. Seaton had on exhibition thirty-ei^ht varieties, all of them very choice, and of course took first premiums. J. D. Stanton, Capt. Davy and Frank Cole, also exhibited some choice varieties of apples. The principal attractions were the races and glass ball shooting, in which a large number participated. Taken altogether, the fair was the best ever held in the county, and the society has, in a great degree, so regained public confidence that we can safely guarantee future fairs to be successful, and improvements on the one just closed." THE FALL ELECTIONS. At the election held this fall, an associate justice of the supreme court, several state officers and a member of congress, in addition to our local officers were to be elected. Mark H Bunnell, was the republican and Wm. Meighen (green- backer) the opposition candidate for congress. Mr. Bunnell was elected. The Republican County Convention was held at Blue Earth City, on the fifth day of October. After choosing .J. H. Welch, of Winne- bago City, chairman, and Geo. W. Buswell, of Blue Earth City, sec- retary, the convention made the following nominations: For Senator — R. B. Johnson . For Representatives — J. P. West and T. S. Wroolie. For Register of Beeds — F. P. Brown. For Auditor— W. W. White. For Superintendent of Schools — Bavid Ogilvie. For County Surveyor — E. H. Leavitt. For Coroner — C. S. Kimball. On the ninth day of the same month the Bemocratic County Convention was held at Blue Earth City. B. P. Wasgatt, of Winne- FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 461 bago City, was elected chairman, aud C. W. Apley, of Minnesota Lake, secretary. The convention adjourned over to the nineteenth of the month, when the following nominations were made: Geo. B. Kingsley, for Senator. N. Kremer and H. M. Huntington, for Repx'esentatives. A. Bonwell, for Auditor. P. P. Brown, for Register of Deeds. Geo. A. Weir, for County Surveyor. J. A. Dean, for Superintendent of Schools. A. B. Balcom, for Coroner. Next came the County Convention of the Nationals (Greenback- ers), which was held at Blue Earth City, on the nineteenth of Octo- ber. A. H. Bullis, of Verona, was chosen chairman, and C. W. Ap- ley, of Minnesota Lake, secretary, when the following nominations were made: For Senator — J. H. Sprout, and for Representative — A. H. Bullis. For Auditor — W. W. White, and for Register of Deeds — G. H. Claggett. For County Surveyor — Geo. A. Weir. A very strong effort was made to form a coalition between the two conventions assembled at this time, and unite upon one ticket, but it was not successful, and each party made its own nominations. About this time Daniel F. Goodrich was announced as an indepen- dent candidate for Representative, and R. W. Richards as an inde- pendent candidate for Superintendent of Schools. The political issues were mainly on the financial question, "hard money, "and resumption of specie payments on the one hand and "soft money," "fiat money," or more properly speaking the "greenback theory," on the other. In the local campaign, though quite a num- ber of meetings were held about the county by several of the candi- dates, the canvass was not as active a one as many that preceded it. The election was held November 5th. The following statement of the vote cast for the several candi- dates, is taken from the official canvass: For Senator: R. B. Johnson, 962; J. H. Sprout, 513; G. B. Kingsley, 270. For Representatives: Wroolie, 840; West, 852; Kremer, 527; Bullis, 537; Goodrich, 331; Huntington, 363. For Auditor: White, 1,158; Bonwell, 597. For Register: Brown, 1,516; Claggett, 220. For Surveyor: Weir, 629; Leavitt, 1,119. For Superintendent: Ogilvie, 651; Richards, 674; Dean, 421. For Coroner: Kimball, 1,438; Balcom, 302. 462 HISTORY OF Some of the candidates, at this election, jrot themselves into strange conditions, politically, and for some time after election hardly knew where they stood, reminding us of two certain Irish- men who had just landed in America. They took a room in the second story of a small hotel for the night. During the night the house took fire and the guests were awakened suddenly. Pat arose in great haste, and in the confusion got his trowseis on "hind side" to the front, and dropped himself out of the window to the ground. Moike, greatly frightened, hurried to the window and called out, "Pat mo bye, aint ye kilt intoirly?" "No, I aint hurted" said Pat. looking down at his trowsers, "but Moike," said he, mournfully, "I guess I am fatally twisted, sure." FROST— PRICES CURRENT. The first killing frost occurred on the night of September lOlh. The fall weather was very pleasant for threshing and plowing, up to the twenty-fourth of November, when the first snow fell, but both threshing and plowing were continued far into December. The following list of prices current November 20th, may inter- est some reader: Dry Goods: Best prints, 6 to 7 cents per yard; sheetings, 6 to 10: canton flannel, 10 to 15; wool flannels, 35 to 50; good cashmeres, $1.00 to 11.25. Groceries: Coffee, 5 to 6 lbs. for $1.00; tea, 25 to 75 per lb.; sugar, white, 9 lbs. for $1.00; browD, 10 to 11 and 10 to 12 lbs. for $1.00; dried apples, 10 to 12 lbs. for $1.00. Canned fruits: Peaches, 25; raspberries and blackberries, 20. Farm products: Corn meal, $1.00 per hundred; wheat, 35 to 50; oats, 25: corn, 25: potatoes, 25; butler, 6 to 10; cheese, 8 to 10; eggs, 12; flour, $2.00 to $2.50 per hundred: live hogs, $2.00 per huhdred. THANKSGIVING DAY. (The last Thursday of November, i The WM'iter has gathered, from many sources, some facts and thoughts to express here, with his own views, of this well known day in our American calendar. And it is well, first of all. to quote a few sentences from the Great Book, and several others of like character. This is a religious subject. "Lord Thou hast been our refuge from one generation to another.'' Ps. xc: 1. "Thou crownest the year wiih thy goodness." Ps. Lxv: 11. "The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered over with corn.'" Ps. lxv: 13. "Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prcpareth rain for the earth, who makcth grass to grow upon the mountains." Ps. cxlvii: 8. "Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits." Ps. lxviii: 19. "Let us come Ijefore His presence with thanksgiving." Ps. lii: 2. "Offer unto God thanksgiving and pay thy vows unto the Most High." Pa. l: U. "O ye children of men, bless ye the Lord, praise Him and magnify Him forever." FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 463 "Young luen and maidens, old men and children, praise the name of the Lord." "Let everything that hath breath, praise the Lord." Ps. cl: 6. "Therefore with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify Thy glorious name, evermore praising Thee, and saying: Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts, heaven and earth are full of Thy glory; glory be to Thee, O Lord Most High." Thanksgiving day is one of the two great American holidays, the other being the Fourth of July, and it is peculiarly American in its origin and characteristics. Among the ancient Hebrew people there existed an annual feast, known as the Feast of Tabernacles, or Feast of Ingathering, at the end of the year. "On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the Lord" (Lev. xxiii: 39), was the command. This feast, probably, suggested the annual thanksgiv- ing day of later times. More nearly allied to it, however, is the Harvest Home Festival, of our day, a most beautiful and appropri- ate observance. This festival is usually held in September. When held at the churches, and attended with religious services, the in- terior of the church is usually tastefully decorated with fine fruits, vegetables, cereals and flowers, attractively arranged, and the ser- vices are conducted with special reference to the occasion. "And now, once more, the time of harvest past, God's children come to offer praise, Not only for the yield and increase vast. But all the blessings of their day." "For the return of seed time and harvest, and for crowning the year with Thy goodness in the increase of the ground and gathering in of the fruits thereof, and for all the other blessings of Thy merciful providence bestowed upon this nation and people." But, generally, though erroneously. Thanksgiving day and the Harvest Home Festival are deemed, practically, the same, and Thanksgiving day is the only day of general observance. Centuries ago, the civil authorities of various countries in Europe, occasionally appointed a day of public thanksgiving for such blessings as great victories, deliverance from famines, plagues and pestilences, and the like, and it is one of the peculiar features of the day we are writing about, that though it is a religious festi- val, yet it is always appointed by the civil powers. But this festival, as we know and observe it in America, origi- nated with the Puritans. The first public thanksgiving day ap- pointed in America, occurred in old Plymouth Colony, in 1621. After the gathering of the first harvest by the colonists. Gov. Bradford appointed a thanksgiving day, and it is recorded that he sent four men out "fowling" (for wild turkeys probably) that they "might, after a more special manner, rejoice together." In 1623, another •101 HISTORY OF day of thanksgiving was appointed for an abundant, refreshing and much needed rain, and in various subsequent years, such days were appointed in this colony. In the colony of Massachusetts Bay, thanksgiving days were appointed in 1631. and for a number of years, annually, thereafter. Such days were also appointed in other portions of the country, outside of New England, during the colonial times. During the Revolution, the day became a national institution, being annually i-ecommended by congi-ess, but subsequently it was observed, nationally, at irregular intervals, and only on special occasions. In 1789 and in 1795, President Washington issued proclama tions, recommending a day of thanksgiving for the whole nation. But in many of the states, especially in those of New England, it continued to be observed annually, and in the latter states, it has been, through all the years, the principal home festival, always most highly prized by the people. Since 1863, when President Lincoln appointed a national thanks- giving day, it has become again, an annual national institution. The usual time now fixed for the day is the last Thursday of November. The president of the United States, annually, issues a proclam- ation, specifying the day, and is followed by the governors of the several states, who usually recommend the same day. These official proclamations are usually carefully written papers and vary a good deal in length and style. Some have been written in verse, and occasionally one is humorous, but generally they are in substance uniform. It has been said that in the old days in Mas- sachusetts, and probably in some other states, the governors' proclamations, on these occasions, were about a yard long, and when the pastor read the document in church, which has been the custom for many years, one end would hang down to the floor, in the aisle, before he had finished it. It told the people in great detail, what they should be thankful for — crops, health, peace, etc. — and admonished them to go to church, to say their prayers, to eat a good dinner and generally, on that day, to unite piety with jollity. Of late years, however, these i^apors are much shorter, and some are so brief that they only recommend the day, without fur- ther comment. We cannot now state the first observance of the day in this county, but it has been ob.served, annually, for many years, with all the old time customs, by the people generally. The customs incident to the day vary somewhat in different localities, but the leading features, everywhere, are, first, the gather- ing at the churches, or other places of holding religious meetings. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. ' 465 for religious services; and second, the thanksgiving dinner, par- taken of by the family and invited guests. Stores and other busi- ness houses are usually closed up for a part of the day. There was, it is said, in the old puritan times, a touch of asceticism in its ob- servance, and it is also said that the puritan forefathers, when their peculiar religious opinions were more strongly maintained than they now are, sought to substitute Thanksgiving day for Christmas, as the great religious festival of the year, and even went so far as to punish some persons for keeping Christmas. But they only suc- ceeded partially, for a short time, and the day now partakes much of the jollity of Christmas, and the people of this age observe both days. . Nor must it be forgotten here to state, that many who have no special regard for the religious character of the day, observe it in ways not always indicative of special thankfulness, Balls, routs, parties, dancing, shooting matches, games of various kinds, are often incidents of the day. The turkey, well roasted and stuiied, and flanked with many a dish of good things, is the great bird of America, on Thanksgiving Day, and the proud eagle must, for this day, at least, abdicate his supremacy. The turkey, pumpkin pie, brown bread, and baked beans, are ' the great, leading, and "regulation" dishes of the thanksgiving din- ner, and it was with these dishes that the pilgrim fathers vainly thought to shove out Christmas, with its geese, and puddings, and mince pies. But we of this age, have compromised the old quarrel by taking them all, in their due season. The following amusing verse appeared in the newspapers some years ago: "Thanksgiving day will soon be here, The homemade Sabbath of the year; And all the land from west to east, Will then prepare a turkey feast. The fatted ones will then be slain, From California down to Maine " And a would-be witty writer says: "The average turkey, all over the land, has read, with mingled feelings of indignation and dismay, that the governor has recommended another Thanks- giving day." Thanksgiving day is peculiarly the day of family reunions— the day when all the younger branches of the family, to the third and fourth generation, are, when convenient, assembled again, un- der the old homestead roof, and around the festal board. And it is well thus, on this day, to gather home the scattered childi-en, in that most sacred of all temples — home — and give thanks and enjoy a happy reunion, about the old hearth-stone. The summer work is 466 HISTORY OF done. The kindly fruits of the earth have been safely gathered and stored. All have many blessing.s for which to be thankful. Not only have we a free government, civil and religious liberty, free education, peace, and national prosperity secured to us, for we are a favored people. "God hath not dealt so with any nation," but every one of the more than a million families, and every individual that sits down on this day, to a bounteous table, have each their own peculiar blessings to be thankful for. Thanksgiving day I What memories of the long gone child- hood's years cluster about the day! Joyful memories of the great fires on the old homestead hearth — the groaning table — grand- parents, fathers and mothers, kindred and children, gathered home again, all Joyful and happy in reunion, the old halls resounding again with the voices of other years. Sad memories, too, come to some, of the old home, now far away, perhaps beyond the sea, per- haps the old hearth desolate, the family circle broken, never to be united again, until all shall be gathered on the other shore. Be it ours, good reader, to plant in this new. western land, this custom of the fathers, that we and our children and kindred, may, in spirit and true thankfulness, enjoy this holiday. THE WINTER. And now the winter, as in every preceding year, has come again. The Psalmist says of Him who rules the seasons: '■He giveth snow like wool." "He scattereth the hoar-frost like ashes," "He casteth forth his ici.' like morsels." The fields are desolate and vegetation dead. The trees stand up naked and brown. The lakes and streams are frozen over. The earth is wrapped in its winding sheet of snow and ice, and the cold winds sweep far and wide o'er field and forest. The sun is far down the southern sky, and dim and cold, while the heavens are dark and gloomy, with heavy, hurrying clouds, and the day is soon done, and the nights are long. The flowers are withered and scattered. The birds have flown to more genial climes. The insect world is heard and seen no more. Old King Boreas now rules the land with storm and tempest. In the home, closed doors and windows and warm fires ai*e the necessity. But it is not thus all the time in winter. The severity of Minnesota winters has often been grossly exagger- ated. Many days the sun shines all day long and the atmosphere is mild and the storms are hushed. In this vast Northwest, as the years roll on, and the country becomes settled and improved, the winters have become milder and shorter. But winter, as every other season, has its uses and its pleas- ures. Old mother earth rests from her labors of production. The FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 467 atmosphere is changed and charged with new elements, necessary to healthful living, foul gasses and odors and malaria are destroyed. And "the snow, the beautiful snow." Job (xxxviii: 2ti), neaiiy entered four thousand years ago, asked the question, "Has't thou into the treasures of the snow?" It has long been known that the snow is the poor man's fertilizer of the soil. It brings down to the earth, from the upper air, and deposits many elements, that enrich the fields. The snow mantle protects the plant life and roots, in the soil, from the effects of extreme changes. It gives moisture and helps dissolve and refine and enrich the soil. Yes, the snow has its treasures. A good, heavy coat of snow, in its proper season, is one of the farmer's best friends. But the winter, with all its cold and storms, is not here a dread and dreary season. It is here a period of great business activity, of much profitable work and of social neighborhood and domestic en- joyments. This is the season which embraces Christmas and New Year's, as happy a period of geneality, generosity and jollity as the year affords. It is the season of lectures and the drama, of indoor festivals, of parties and balls, of sleighriding and skating, of good church and school work, the season of nervous energy and activity, of clear brain and the ruddy cheek. The winter is necessary and enjoyable and all right, in its proper time, but he who allows his heart and sympathies to be frozen, and makes a gloomy, unhappy winter within himself, is what is wrong. Let the snows fall and the drifts pile up, and tempests howl, but be ready for them, in the home, in the barns, in the places of business, and help those to be ready, also, with shelter and food and raiment, who cannot help themselves, and all will be well. But it is time to close the record of this year. It is already long, and, indeed, there is nothing more to add, except this little story, and then it is certainly finished. Not another line shall be added. "A certain well-known bishop was in the habit of pausing frequently in his sermon, poising his linger on the desk before hitu, and drawing a long breath before recommencing. A little boy in the congregation became very impatient of the long service, and was often admonished by his mother. At length, seeing that the child's impatience was increasing, she whispered, during one of the pauses, 'Be quiet, he is almost through.' 'No he isn't,' said the little fellow, 'he is swelling up again.' " 468 HISTORY OF CHAPTER XXV. A. D. 1879. We now enter upon the record of the twenty- fifth and last year of this volume of our history. Twenty four years have passed in review before us, which, with this, completes the recoi'd of the first quarter of a century of the existence of our county. As an introduction to the events of the opening year, these three occurrances are presented. The winter term of the district court began on January 7th. Hon. D. A. Dicliinson, judge. There were ten criminal and thirty -two civil cases on the calendar. The term continued thirteen days, and there were many important cases tried, but none of historical interest. The board cf county commissioners met on tlie seventh of .Janu- ary. A. H. BuUis was elected chairman for the year. The board met subsequently on March 4th, June 3d and July 21st, the latter session being the last of the year. The record of these meetings shows only routine business. The other members of the board, at this time, were David Catlin, J. R. Sisson, F. E. Gary and H. A. Woolery, clerk. W. W. White. At an adjourned meeting of the agricultural society, held at Blue Earth City, on the fourteenth day of January, John Franklin was elected president; C. H. Slocum. secretary, and F. W. Temple, treasurer. Mr. Franldin died in July following, when the vacancy in the office of president was filled by the appoinment of S. Pfeffer. Let us now adjourn to the capital of the state and learn what was being done by the legislature now in .session, relating to our county. The acts passed at this session, were the following: "An act to incorporate the village of Blue Earth City." "An act to amend the act incorporating the village of Wells." "An act to amend an act incorporating the village of Winnebago City." "An act to authorize the county commissioners of this county to issue bonds for the purpose of liuilding a jail." No vote was taken, or bonds issued under this act, the funds necessary being raised by ordinary levy of tax. "An act to detach certain territory from the village of Minnesota Lake in this county." "An act to declare the act to incorporate the village of Winnebago City a public act." FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 469 Our members of the legislature for this year were R. B. John- son, in the Senate, and J. P. West and T. S. Wroolie, in the House. James B. Wakefield, lieutenant-governor, was again, and for the last time, president of the senate. Master West, a son of our member, J. P. West, was appointed one of the messengers of the House. At the close of the session, a highly complimentary resolution of thanks to Mr. Wakefield, was unanimously adopted by the Senate, for the courteous, impartial and able manner in which he had pre- sided over that body. And now, returning to the county, we find that about the twentieth of March, the ground was in splendid condition for seed- ing, and the work was commenced in earnest. The weather was very fine, and the seeding of small grain was done very successfully. THE BEE KEEPERS. " — So work the honey bees; Creatures that by a rule in nature teach The art of order to a peopled ki ngdom." — Shakespeare. Bee keeping having become an important item in the productive industry of the county, as may be seen by reference to the official reports of the production of honey, the bee keepers concluded that they should like to see and talk with each other, and discuss bee interests, hence, after public notice given in the various county papers, they assembled at Blue Earth City, on the twenty-fifth day of March, and organized the "Faribault County Bee Keepers' Associa- tion." A. R. More, Sr., of Pilot Grove, was elected president; R. N. Fiero, of Verona, vice president; F. E. Carey, of Blue Earth City, treasurer, and D. B. Thurston, of the latter place, secretary. Among the subjects discussed at the meeting were the following: "Wintering Bees," "Hives," "Varieties of Bees," "Swarming." The meeting proved interesting and profitable. On the third day of June another meeting was held at Blue Earth City, at which J. P. West, of Wells, delivered an interesting and instructive address on the subject of bees. It is stated that there are in the United States two million hives of bees, and that the estimated annual revenue from them reaches the great sum of $14,000,000. There are several newspapers pub- lished in the United States, devoted to this interest, among which the Bee Keepers' Journal is a prominent one. The statistical reports, for this year, show that we had 284 hives of bees, which produced 5,208 pounds of honey. The reports of the preceding year, however, show 432 hives, which is probably more nearly correct, but still below the actual number of hives. 470 HI STORY OF THE SUN. On the third day of May, a new paper, named The Sun, with the legend, "It shines for all," was issued at Winnebago City— Col. Wm. Allen, editor and proprietor. It was a seven-column folio, neatly printed. The outsides were "homespun," inside pages "patent." THE NINTH SESSION OF THE S. S. ASSOCIATION. The County Sunday School Association met at Wells, on the 21st and 22d days of May, this being the nintli annual session. The meeting was largely attended and the session was very interesting. A great majority of the schools were represented, and the reports showed the general prosperity of the schools throughout the county. The following named officers were elected for the ensuing year. President — O. P. Southwick. Vice-President — Geo. O. Hanuum. Secretary — N. West. Treasurer — D. B. Thurston. Central Committee— R. W. Richards, I. S. Dodd, Mrs. H. C. Cheadle. Mrs. W. W. White. This Association has gradually grown with the passing years, until it has become an institution of great interest, large member- ship and extended beneficence. Two suggestions may here be offered: The adoption of a more complete constitution and organization, is demanded by the interests of the society and its continued usefulness, and should be considered at an early day. Some more efficient method should be devised for obtaining more full and correct reports from ihe Sunday schools, throughout the county. The experience of years has developed the fact, that one great difficulty in the way of the efficient work of both the State and county associations is found, in not obtaining full and reliable reports, and without them no satisfactory evidence is at hand, indicating the condition and progress of the work. To illustrate this fact, it may be stated that the State Commis- sioner of Statistics reported this county as having, in 1877, but one Sunday school! No more than this had been reported to the State society, and thus our county appeared before the world, or to a non- resident looking for our institutions, as a sort of barbarous region, oc- cupied by some twelve thousand people, among whom, the mission- aries, so to speak, at the peril of their lives, probably, had succeeded in planting one Sunday school! Let us have better reports than this. After careful inquiry the writer is able to state that there were in this county during this year, 1879, fifty regularly organized Sun- day schools, and that many of these were large and well conducted schools. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 471 And now as a parting word it may be said that our county- should be proud of our Sunday School Association, and of the ear- nestness, intelligence and efficiency of our Sunday school workers. May the Heavenly Father prosper the Association, and bless abun- dantly all its members and all workers in this good cause. IMMIGRATION. The immigration which usually commences in May, was very extraordinary this year. It seemed as though the majority of the people of the east and south were emigrating to the western states and territories. Immigration is. of course, one of the greatest ele- ments in thie progress and prosperity of the west. The foreign immigration during the year, to our shores, was also very great, and was peculiar in the fact that it embraced thousands of skilled artisans in all trades, who sought the better remuneration offered in this country. It was estimated that over three hundred thousand people emigrated to new homes west of the Mississippi during the year. This county received a share of this great influx of population, but not so large a proportion as it should, considering the many advantages the county had to offer to new comers, especially farmers. Hundreds of land hunters passed over lands, more fertile and cheaper, here, than any they found further west. THE COURT AND THE BAR. The summer term of the district court commenced June 3d. The calendar exhibited twenty-four criminal and twenty-one civil cases. This was the first time in our history that the criminal exceeded the civil calendar. But this fact must not be taken as indicating the increase of crime in our midst. None of these cases were capital, and most of them were of petty importance. The term continued eleven days. A special term was also held this year, in October, of four days. The following statements as to the constitution of the court, the names of the members of the P^aribault County Bar, and a few remarks in reference thereto, may interest some reader of the history of the last year of this volume. THE DISTRICT COURT OP FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINN. .TUNE TERM, 1879. Presiding— Hon. D. A. Dickinson, judge. Officers of Court— M. W. Greene, county attorney; H. J. Neal, cleric; M. B. Pratt, shieriff; H. A. Ctiase and Q. J. Adams, bailiffs. Faribault County Bar— Abbott, S. J.. Winnebago City; Buswell, Geo. W., Blue Earth City; Dunn, A. C, Winnebago City; Goodrich, D. F., Blue Earth City; Graham, S. W,, Blue Earth City; Greene, M. W., Wells; Keister, J. A., •172 HISTOny (IF Blue Earth City: Kinusley, Geo. K, Blue Earth City; Mell, J. V., Winnobat,'" City; Reynolds, lienj. G , Winneba^'o City; Radford, C. H., Winnebago City; Sprout, J. H., Blue Earth City; West. J. P., Wells; Watson, F. E., Wells; Wak.'Beld, J. B., Blue Earth City; Wilkinson, M. S., Wells. Terms of Court— First Tuesday In January llrst Tuesday in Juue. No Bar association has ever been formed in this countj' and the nearest approach to any concerted or associate action of the mem- bers of the Bar, occurred in 1872, when a fee bill was agreed upon by a majority of the attorneys in practice at the time. The Bar of this county, in learning and ability, and the reputation of its mem- bers for integrity and efficiency, compares favorably with the best average Bars of the State. Nor have the members of our Bar been wanting in public official honors, and we are a little proud to set forth here, though briefly, this very honorable record: One has been a county superintendent of schools, and later a member of the lower house of our legislature. Another has been once assistant and twice chief clerk of the lower house of the legis- lature. Another has been thrice chief clerk of the lower house of the legislature, and once secretary of the State senate, county at- torney and once a member of the lower house. Another, twice State senator and president jjro tempore of the senate. Another, a mem- ber of the lower house of the State legislature. Another, who was twice county attorne.y. Another, who was register of deeds, county attorney, judge of probate and member of the lower house of our legislature, and four years State senator. Another, who was mem- ber of the lower house and clerk of the district court for four years. Another, who was a Judge of probate court in the state of Ohio. Another, who subsequent to this year, became county attor- ney for two terms. Another, who was four times successively county attorney. Another, who was three times a member of the lower house of the legislature and once State senator, and after- wards deputy public Examiner. Another, who was several times a member of the lower house of the legislature, once speaker of the House, twice State senator, twice lieutenant governor and presi- dent of the senate, and afterwards member of congress for two terms. Another, who has been a number of times a member of each House of our State legislature, member of congress, and United States senator for six years. The writer ventures the assertion that there is not another Bar in the State, outside of the cities, which can make a better showing of official honors than ours. INDEPENDENCE DAY. The Fourth of July was appropriately commemorated at Win- nebago City where Dr. Everts, of Rushford. was the orator. At Easton, the day was celebrated with much enthusiasm. Daniel P. Goodrich, of Blue Earth City, delivered the address. A FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 473 rag a-muffin parade, ball playing, horse racing and a dance in the evening filled up the list of amusements of the day. The day was also remembered by a celebration in the town of Seeley. Music, recitations by the members of the several classes of the Sunday school, and an address by the Rev. M. Nichols, of Win- nebago City, was the intellectual program. A rag-a-muffin exhibi- tion — games of ball and a dance lasting all night, in a bow- house erected for the purpose, were incidents of this celebration. It is said that the first national salute in the South, since the war of the rebellion, was fired at Charleston, S. C, on the fourth day of July, of this year, and that the day was generally celebrated throughout the South, as well as in the North. A thought — At the time of the first Fourth of July — that of 1776 — the territory now embraced within the limits of our county was little known to the world, and its only occupants were wild beasts and savages. Now, at the one hundred and third anniversary of the day, we find it commemorated here by thousands of enlightened, patriotic people. Who will be here, and what will be the advance- ment in civilization, of those assembled to commemorate this day, on the two hundred and third anniversary? Oh! wonderous land! The hope of the world! The last nation spoken of in prophecy! Thou, dimly foreshadowed in the mysterious visions of the Apocalypse! The last home on earth, of the Church Militant! The fifth and last nation of universal worldly empire, but thine being of political principles!" "The first four acts already past, The fifth shall close the drama with a day. "Thy reign is the last, the noblest of time, Most fruitful thy soil, most inviting thy clime; May the crimes of the east ne'er encrimson thy name, Be Freedom and Science and Virtue thy fame." TEMPERANCE. The visit of the Rev. G. S. Allen, a distinguished temperance lecturer, to this county, during this year, was greatly beneficial, in the revival of the temperance cause, and led to the better organiza- tion of those who desired to promote the interests of this good cause, and a wider and more earnest and more influential work. On the eighth day of July, a convention was held, at Blue Earth City, when a county temperance society, under the name of the "Order of the Blue Ribbon," was organized. Geo. B. Kingsley was elected jDresident, H. W. Holley, secretary, Geo. D. McArthur, treas- urer. A vice president, for each township, was also chosen. A number of resolutions were adopted, expressive of the views of the convention, on the subject of temperance. But a more important 474 HfSTOnV OF and more permanent work, which occurred the same day. was the organization of a county society of the "Women's Christian Tem- perance Union." Of this society, Mrs. H. C. Cheadle, of Blue Earth City, was elected president. Mrs. H. McKinstry, of Winnebago City, corresponding secretary, Mrs. C. H. Dearborn, of Blue Earth City, recording secretary, and Mrs. H. W. Holley, of Winnebago City, treasurer. The Woman's Christian Temperance Union is one of the most sincere, unselfish, devoted, and white-souled societies which exist on earth. Thesociety is widely spread, permanent, unsectarian. and is made up of Christian women who want to do work for the great Master. It has no methods, or principles, but such as the most Christian man. or woman, can approve. It asks no pecuniary re- compense for its labor, and is constantly at work, if not in one place, in another, filling its mission to the world. No more efficient or beneficent institution is known to this age. The temperance cause in this county, as in many others, has had its periods of success and failure. There have been times, when intoxicating liquors were not sold by public authority, and a drunken man was rarely seen, and there have been other periods, when in almost all the villages licenses were granted to engage in this busi- ness, and drinking indulged in by many, and drunken men were frequently seen on the public streets. Temperance oi-ganizations, of some kind, have existed at all times, in the county, since 1860, when the first society was instituted, which have, at times, been very active, and at others, indolent. Such is the experience every- where. But there has been no thought, at any time, that this good cause would be abandoned. The world, even small localities, can- not afford that the cause of temperance should ever be entirely abandoned, until its purposes have been attained. What would the world be to day if there had not been, and was not now, great work being done in this cause? The writer does not intend here to dis- cuss the subject of temperance, but deems it well to make a few ob- servations in reference to the overwhelming evils of intemperance, as they are known at this day, and the remarks will be brief. Intemperance in the use of intoxicating liquors (and may not any use as a beverage be intemperate), is certainly one of the great- est (if not in fact the chief) of the evils existing in this age, and it has no redeeming features. It sinks its hundreds of millions of dol- lars annually, fills the world with widows and orphans and beggary, demoralization and crime, and stocks the earth with drunkards' graves. Well ascertained facts show that in our own country over five hundred millions of dollars are wasted, annually, by those who expend their money for drink, that three fourths of the crimes that are committed. and more than ouo-half of the pauperism of the nation FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 475 and the enormous expenditures of public money, rendered necessary by these two facts, originated from the curse of intemperance. Alas! the wasted resources! But this is not all. The worst features of this great evil are not yet told. Let the reader ponder for a moment, and there may appear to him, as in a vision, the mighty drunken procession of more than a hundred thousand of our own people, who are annually marching onward and downward besotted, staggering, swearing, jabbering, howling, fighting, murdering, to that awful precipice of destruction, down which they plunge and disappear, that precipice, over which is written, in letters of fire, the terrible sentence, "No drunkard shall inherit the kingdom of God." Gal. v:21. Almighty Father! what must be the final destiny of all these immortal souls? Certainly the cry of "radical" and "fa- natic" and "crank" is unnatural and inhuman here, when applied to temperance workers. If these word s have any definite meaning, surely they are more applicable to the users of intoxicants and the supporters of the liquor traffic. It must be true that if this intolerable burden of intemperance could be lifted from the people, the world would step forward and upward, at once, a hundred or more years, toward the millennium. And in view of all these facts is it too much to say that no man, but one whose intellect is defective, or besotted, or filled with the sophistries of satan. or whose morals are greatly depraved, or who is the enemy of God and of the human race, can stand up before intelligent men, in this enlightened age and defend the traffic in, and use of. intoxicating liquors in any of their phases? THE GOLDEN REWARD. The harvest commenced July 25th, and the weather was the finest ever known in this country. The crops of this year were very good, and were early and well secured, and at fair expense. The prices of grain and other products were very satisfactory, and bet- ter than they had been for some years, and new life and energy, as a result, were everywhere appai'ent. This was a year of prosperity for the farmers. The following item, taken from a newspaper, rep- resents the condition of the crops throughout the country. "The year 1879 will pass ioto American history as a year of wonderful agri- cultural prosperity. The cotton crop is larger by half a million bales than ever before; the tobacco crop 12,000,000 pounds greater, and the sugar crop exceeds, by some 200,000 hogsheads, all previous yields. These are crops which belong, almost exclusively, to the southern half of the republic. In behalf of the northern states, the excess of products this year over the crops of any previous year is, according to the Chicago Journal of Commerce, 20,000,000 bushels of wheat and from 80,000,000 to 100,000,000 bushels of corn. The hog crop also Is larger this year than for a number of years past— if it be not the largest ever raised." During the period covered by this history, a great and hajipy change came over the conditions of farm life affecting the greater 476 . niSTOHY OF portion of our people, by the introduction of improved farm machin- ery. Twenlyfive years ago, the scythe and the grain cradle were still used, to some extent, and the reapers and mowers and plows and threshers, then used, were quite imperfect. When the harvest came, a horde of men had to be employed, at two dollars to three dollars a '^ay, in cash, besides boarding and lodging. To harvest a field of seventy to one hundred acres of small grain was a great work of weeks, which wore out men in the field and tired out women in the house. To-day how different ! The farmer gets up on the seat, on his splendid harvester, gathers up the reins, and drives into his field of one hundred acres, his harvester smoothly cutting and binding the grain, and in six or eight days, with the aid of one or two hired hands, the grain is all in the shock, and the usual quiet and comfort has reigned about the dwelling. No extra preparations or labor having been reciuired. The farmer may now, too, use his sulky plow, either single or gang, and turn over more land, and do it better, in a day, than he formerly could in two or three weaiy days of incessant tramping. With his mower and horse- rake, he can put up more hay in a day, alone, than he could in the old times in two or three days, with the aid of two or three hands. And when the threshing comes, that great work so much dreaded, the great horse-iJower, or the steam thresher, puts in its appearance and makes a holiday work, lasting a few days, of the largest job. The fanner has become muster, instead of being, as formerly, the slave of his work. HUNTLEY. Sometime during the month of August, another village ap- peared on the map of the county, situated on section seven, in the town of Verona. It is a station on the Southern Minnesota Rail- road, and was named Huntley. This is our seventh village, and will be referred to more fully in another part of this work. THE TWENTY-FIRST FAIR. The annual fair of the Agricultural Society was held on the grounds of the society, near Blue Earth City, on the l^th, 19th and 20th days of September. The weather was very fine, the attendance large, the exhibition very creditable, and financially, the fair was a suc- cess. Twenty years previous to this, the first fair was held at Winne- bago City, being the first of the society, and the first in the county. The first and the last were both successes. The principal differ- ences between the two, existed in these facts— that the first was held in a hall and on grounds hired temporarily, the last on per- manently leased grounds, well enclosed, having a permanent race track and buildings belonging to the society. At the last, the at- tendance was much more numerous, and the receipts far greater — a FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 477 great variety of fruits were exhibited, considerable blooded stock and greatly improved machinery appeared. Something of a new feature in premiums was introduced this year, that of giving as a premium in many cases, a year's subscrip- tion to some leading agricultural journal, as the Prairie Farmer, Rural New Yorker, American Agriculturist, Farmer's Union, and others. The person entitled to a premium could have his choice. This was an excellent idea and should be carried out more fully. Approved books on agricultural subjects, might be added. A premium of one to five dollars in money, soon disappears, while a good paper or book is something of lasting value. THE BATTLE OF THE BALLOTS. At the general election of this year, in addition to a number of county officers, a Governor and several other State officers, were to be elected. John S. Pillsbury, was the republican candidate for governor. Edmund Rice, was the democratic, and W. W. Satterlee, the temperance candidates for the same office. The Republican County Convention was held at Blue Earth City, on the twenty -seventh of September. J. P. West, of Wells, was chairman, and D. F. Goodrich, of Blue Earth City, secretary. The following nominations were made: Anthony Anderson, for Treasurer. Allen Cummings, for Sheriff. J. A. Kiester, for Judge of Probate and Court Commissioner. B. G. Reynolds, for County Attorney. J. H. Burmester, for County Commissioner, 3d District. The Democratic County Convention assembled at Blue Earth City, October the 4th. Capt. P. B. Davy, of Blue Earth City, was elected chairman, and C. H. Radford, of Winnebago City, secretary, after which the following nominations wei-e made: For Treasurer — Otto Kaupp. For Sheriff— A. B. Davis. For County Attorney— M. S. Wilkinson. For Judge of Probate and Court Commissioner — J. A. Kiester, endorsed. On the eleventh day of the same month the Greenbackers, more properly named the "Nationals," met at Blue Earth City, in mass convention. A. H. BuUis, of Verona, was made chairman, and C. S. Dunbar, of Foster, secretary. A central county committee was ap- pointed, but no nominations were made. The campaign of this year, in the matter of local offices, was a quiet one. The election was held November 4th. The following table exhibits the vote as officially canvassed. 478 jf/sTonv OF ',ciuori!K zi 'IBIOX m Irt Q CO — S o CD n >«o —to ICQ ©O !00 ©OS -*• •* ^- &. a> t ^l!OoJ*»!q.U!A\ -r -r « "M MO •nBABioa I •wiiq a>rC® —CD 00 "M -v» CD 00 00 m 5 b.v-^H a I - Q o 0) : o c .2 o S" c !3 -i £ •= w ':; > I 2 ^ ^— ii '-^ = Y; 3 1 -^-^x j3<-< c7«ir— Thomas, Mrs. Agnes, John. Brans — Cornelius, iifoirfi/— Jacob V. Burk—io\\n. Conklin—'B.. S. Co(«— Perry, Mrs. Lucinrla, .Sarah. Z)(H-e)-»uni— Winslow J. Mrs. Laura. Fuller— 'Rnos, Mrs. Clar- inda, Lucy, Delos, Sarah. Graj/— Donald, Duff. Hart— John. Hart— George, irts/i— Isaac D. Jordan — Hugh, Mrs. Susan, Hugh, Jacob, .Sarah. Lardner — Patrick, Mrs. Mary, Thomas, Mary, John. jWcC'oiifw— Alonzo, Mrs. Martha, Al- vin. 3/or€/toi(,.5 he came to Iowa, and in May, 1856, he came to thiscounty and took up a claim in VVinneliago City township, which he proceeded to improve. Several years afterwards he opened a store in Winnebago City, where he re- mained for some twelve years, when he again returned to the farm, which con- tains two hundred and sixty acres of land. Farming has since been his busi- ness. Mr. Pierce was married in 18(>ii, to Miss Hattie Wetherell, of Mankato. To them have been born four children. He has frefiuently held town olMces. In 1874 he was elected to the State legislature, lower House, and attended the session of 187r>. Mr. Pierce is a re- publican in politics, and he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episco- pal church. HON. H. H. OILMAN. Mr. Oilman is a native of New Hampshire. He was born October 31st,1833. He spent his early years on a farm. His education was obtained in the common schools, and at an academy in Maine. In the spring of 1857 he came west, and located at Fulton, Illinois. In Octoljer, of the same year, he came to this county and took up some land in Winnebago City township. He afterwards entered one hundred and sixty acres of land, on which he has ever since lived. He has held various town offices, and was elected to the legislature, lower House, in 1876 and again in 1877. Mr. Oilman was married in \ii<0, to Miss Sophia Quiggle, who died two years later. In 1883 he married .Johanna Shatz. He had one child by his llrst wife and three by his second. Mr. Oilman has always been a republican in politics. He cast his tirst presidential vote for Fremont. OTHER RESIDENTS. The following list presents the names of many persons, not al- ready named, who were residents of this township prior to the close of the year 1879: M. Ayers, T. O. Allen, Wni. Allen, P. H. Allen, J. A. Armstrong, S. J. Ab- bott, C. Albee, E. H. Burrit, L. D. Rabcock, Ira Babcock, F. M. Babcock, Jeff. Bathrick, Wm. Brockman, Wm. Brown, Geo. Baxter, E. Bersie, Geo. Baker, R. M. Benson, J. F. Benson, W. Baxter, C. D. Bates, F. M. Brown, C. Comstock, E. G. Collins, H. Crist, T. R. Christie, L. K. Carson, H. C. Case, L. Comstock, W. Comstock, Jas.Crays, A. J. Crusen, II. A. Chase, W. J. Comstock, S.Dutcher.R. Dudley, N. W. Davis, B. P. Doud, D. Damon. N. H. Dorsey, F. Duncason, C. Dennie, D. E. Dingman, Frank Deudon, John Deudon, T. J. Derba, J. Derr, H. J. Davlin, A. B. Davis, \V. N. Dunham, A. Eastwood, T. S.Ellingson, S.Foster, C. Fessenden, M. J. Fellows, H. K. Fellows, B. C. Foot, J. K. Fairbanks, t,. C. Fowler, E. Fletcher, D. Fagen, A. L. Fox, J. S. Green, J. P. George, B. F. Good- win, D.T. Goodwin, A. C.Gayman,G.H.Goodnow,Thos.George,Z.G. Harrington,?. Huber,W.H. Huber.G. C. Hannum, O. G. Hannum, R. II. Harvey, H. W. Holley, C F. Howard, L Ilargraves, A. M. Hewitt, W. W. Howe, O. Harvey, H. H. Howe, C. Holgate, J.IIerman, J. Eartman, P. Hartman, L.C. Harrington, J. \V. H. H. OILMAN. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 531 Huffiuan. E. A. Hotchkiss, W. Z. Haight , F. F. Harlow, H. M. Hall, G. N. Hillman, E. H. Hutchins, A.. A. Huatington, A, Jordan, Isaac Kamrar, J. Koeble, H. H. Lewis, D. Lossing, D. A. Latimer, M. Loonier, J. Leet, P. Lutz, Geo. Lattin, H. Lester, D. Lothrop, A. Lord, A. Latimer, W. K. Latimer, E. L. Maine, Paul McKinstry, H. McKinstry, J. V. Mell, J. Mapson, R. Mapson, 0. Merkle, P. Mur phy, L. Murphy, J. McKibbin. S. Mitchell, G. M. Miller, J. N.Miller, Geo. Mas- ters, A. R. Nichols, J. B. Nichols, G. E Nelson, C. Osman, C. H. Patten, C. H. Payne, J. G. Paschke, J. Patterson, J. H. Purdy, W. W. Quiggle, T. L. Rice, O. C. Retslop, A. J. Reynolds, B. G. Reynolds, S. Rowe, Silas Richardson, J. S. Robertson, A. Robinson, J. H. Robinson, B. F. Robinson, Jas. Sherlock, W. W. Sleepier, J. Sharpe, N. D. Satterle, T. A. Sherman, N. W.Sargent. A. H.Schoon- over, J. ShatTer, C. Swartwood, C G. Slagel, F. Scholl, .L H. Sherin, H. C.Shu- felt, J. W. Spaukling, J. Stauffer, G. W. Spickerman, E. Schermerhorn, J. Spencer, R. Sherrin, Wm. Smith, J. B. Tyler, Levi Turner, L. Turner, W. N. Towndrow, U. J. True, P. B. Ward, A. Whitney, J. A. White, M. T. White, Geo. Wormwood, F. AVilcox, R. M. Willsnn, J. H. Welch, D. P. Wasgatt, E. Wallace, F. N. Ware, J. M. Wheeler, J. 3. White, S. Wright, J. S. Wallace, C. Wallace, E. Weed, J. F. Winship, B. K. Whitney, C. Weaver, N. G. West, A. H. Weed, IL S. Young. SOME STATISTICS. The population of the township was 286 In 1860, 463 in 1865, 1,106 in 1870, 1,158 in 1875, 1,426 in 1880. These figures include the village. Stock and certain other property, in the township in 1879: Horses, 525; cows, 499; other cattle, 432; mules, 7; sheep, 4.30; hogs, 500; sewing machines, 74; organs 23. Assessed value of real property in 1879, $.361,113; personal property in 1879, $89,167; total, 8450,280. Total tax assessed for 1879, $11,460 95. Agricultural products in 1879. (Grain in bushels). Wheat, 44,000; oats, 33,000; corn, 42,000; barfey, 800; potatoes, 2,100; gallons syrup, 2,241; flaxseed, 406 bushels; apple trees growing, 5,0C0; wool, 1,900 lbs.; butter, 3,700 lbs.; (Item of butter not correctly reported;: honey, 360 lbs. Acres of cultivated land in 1879, 6,000. Up to the close of 1879 Ihi^ town had furnished to the public service the following named citizens, in the several offices named: Members of the State Legislature, G. K. Cleveland, J. A. Latimer, E. H. Hutchins, F. M. Pierce and H. H. Gilman. Board of Commissioners, E. Crosby, J. L. Weir, G. H. Good- now, C. S. Kimball, Jas. Grays, J. A. Latimer and E. H. Hutchins. Judges of Probate, G. K.'Cleveland and A. F. De La Vergne. County Treasurers, Wm. Dustin and R. B. Johnson. County Superintendent of Schools, S. J. Abbott. Sheriffs, T. Foley, G. H. Goodnow, Chas. Chaple, F. F. Harlow and A. B. Davis. County Surveyors, S. A. Safford and G. A. Weir. County Attorneys, J. L. Weir and Andrew C. Dunn. Coroner, C. S. Kimball. 532 niSTojty or (JHAPTEli VI. VERONA TOWNSHIP. This town is ••land-survey" township one hundred and three (103) north, of range twenty-eight (28) west. It is bounded on the north by Winnebago City township. On the east by Prescott town- ship. On the south bj' Jo Daviess township, and on the west by the town of Center Creek, in Martin county. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS. The surface of this town is quite undulating, and is cut by the main stream of the Blue Earth river, which runs by a very tortuous course, northwestwardly through the east half of the town, coming into the town at the southeast corner, and going out near the north- west corner of section three. There are also three other streams, South creek. Middle creek and Elm creek, all considerable brooks, nearly two miles apart, running from the west In an easterly direc- tion, and emptying into the Blue Earth river. The soil is deep and fertile. The Blue Earth river bottom-lands and bluffs are well timbered clear through the town, but the re- mainder of the town is rolling prairie, dotted over with fine groves, grown by the settlers. Few, if any, towns in the county present greater natural advan- tages than this one, and the rural scenery here, in ,the summer months, especially, is unsurpassed anywhere in this region. Belts of natural timber, artificial groves, substantial farm houses and barns, and wide, cultivated fields present their attractions on every hand. The average elevation of the town above the level of the sea, is eleven hundred feet. The depth of the drift above bed rock, has not been determined in this town, but is doubtless considerably over one hundred feet. The valley of the Blue Earth river is from fifty to eighty feet in depth below the general level of the country. "Indications of the existence of cretaceous beds containing lig- nite are reported to have been found in the southwest quarter of section 11." (Geol. Rep't., p. 460). Hopes were entertained at one time, of the existence of stove coal in this town, but such hopes are doubtless delusive. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 533 NAME. It appears that at a very early day in the history of the county, it was designed to establish a mail route from Owatonna, in Steele county, in this State, to Mr. Stoddard's residence, in this town, and Mr. A. B. Cornell, of Owatonna, who it is said got the route estab- lished, gave the name of Verona to this terminus of the route. Subsequently, when in 1858, the special commissioners were naming the towns, this name was given by them to this town. And Verona is the name of an important province in Italy, the capital city of which is named Verona, and is one of the finest and most ancient of the cities of Europe, dating back to the days of the Roman Empire. The people of this province and city are known by the name of Veronese, a name which would be just as appro- priate for the good people who reside in our small province of Verona. This name seems to be quite a favorite one, as there are a dozen jDOst-offices in the United States named Verona. And we need not forget Shakespeare's "Two Gentlemen of Verona." FIRST SETTLEMENT. The first settler of this town was Henry T. Stoddard. He lo- cated in the town on the southeast quarter of section eleven (11), on the fourteenth day of June, 1855. This was the first tract of land claimed in the town, and the first one "proved up" upon in the county. He was accompanied by Newel Dewey. Rev. James G. Whitford took a claim in the town in June, 1855, since known as the Bassett farm. Mr. Whitford left the county, but returned in the spring of 1856, and settled here. Mr. Furness took a claim, since known as the Nelson farm, in the summer of 1855, and moved upon it in the spring of 1856. Henry T. Stoddard was born in Alford, Berkshire county, Mass., in 1822. In the spring of 1844 he emigrated with his parents to Wisconsin. After sev- eral years, they settled at Oakfleld, Fon du Lac county, where Henry continued to reside, until he located in Minnesota. He was married in 1852 to Miss Sarah E. Dewey. The fruits of this marriage were eight children, four of whom pre- ceded their father to the other shore Mr. Stoddard, in company with his father-in-law, Newel Dewey, visited Minnesota in .Tune, 1855, as above stated, and selected lands or "claims" In this township, soon after wh'ch they returned to Wisconsin. In November of that year (1855), he brought his family to Minnesota and located upon the lands be- fore selected. He was accompanied at this time by his father and Henry R. Walker, and Newel Dewey above named. He was the first actual settler of Verona township. Here he continued to reside for twenty-nine years, when he sold out and purchased a farm near Blue Earth City, where he resided at the time of his death. Mr. Stoddard was always a farmer by occupation. He took much interest in the early settlement of the county. He was a member of the first board of county commissioners, and one of the first three assessors of the county, and held various town and school offices during his life. He was, also, for many years, one of the vice presidents of the Old Settlers' Society. He died 534 iiis-rony nj- April 27lh, 1891, in tlit' seventieth year of his age. His wife and four children survive liini. The following list, copied from the census rolls taken in June 1860, gives the names of all the residents, old and young, of the town at that time, and embraces all those who may be justly deemed the tirst settlers of this town. It should, however, be noted here that some of the i)ersons named in this list very soon after it was taken, be- came residents of the town of Prescott, adjoining. ^i;(*)i— I'atriclt H., Mrs. Maria, iirotoi— Lorenzo W., Mrs. Catharine, Asaph, Nettie, Matilda Jiarllett—Am^on, Mrs. Elizabeth, Li/.zie, Amelia, Anson, Jr. ii(n(/c»-Leonidas. liujeloic—Unvtv/eW H., Mrs. Jane S., Jane, France-;, John. iir««.sai(— Mitchel, Mrs. Margaret. Bailei/— John. C'oo/iWgt— Orlando, Mrs. Mary. Cooper— Martin, Mrs. Chloo, Sylvester, B.vron, Melissa, William, Joseph, Maria, Burton, Harney, Angeline. C/arA— William. DarJin -Ut'tny .]. Bavlin— Edward. DuhIhuu— Jesse FI., Mrs. Frances, Curtis, Lucy. V^raAe— Hradner E., Mrs. Sarah, Amanda. />i(C'(j(f— Moses, Mrs. Margaret, Moses, Jr.. Mitchel, Mary, Paulina, Sopha. AVihiie— Ferdinand. Eberliyic—Edwunl. Franklin— Nathan, Mrs. Sophronia, Flarriscm, Sarah, Hannah, Philip. Fra»i/I7i)i— Perry, Mrs. Sarah, William. ii\)ss— Nathaniel, Mrs. Fanny, Jay. jPoW^es— Benj. F., Mrs. Julia, Mary, Theodore, Emma. i*'oi/>e.s -Charles H , Araistine. Forbes— Betij. F.,. I r., Sophronia. Forces— Dudley. J'oj'vcji— Charles. i'V»A— David, Mrs. Sarah. Fi(//c/— Isaac, Mrs. Melissia, Albert, .Sarah, Franlc. (^VarrfiHier— Joseph. Oeixer — Fred. Garrison— T>a.\'](\ , Mrs. A'iolet, Julia, George. C?ri(/;/— Benjamin, rrreenmaii— William, Mrs. Charlotte. GoM.sjui(/i— Leonard. /////—David, Mrs. Cynthia, Orpha, Earnest, //arercro//— Jane, //oi//— Herman. Jr., Mrs. Sarah, Maria, Jannette. J/(()-/oif— Freeland F. //MH/uiy/oii— Eugene, Mrs. Evaline, Joseph, Flora, Ada, Henry, James, /luiniaii— Ann, George, William. Johnson — Erastus, Mrs. Mary, Mary. Johnson— RM B., Mrs. Ellen. Minnie, Don C. Z,'((/rf— Wm. Lyonn—Wm. JHciJejvs— James. Mrs. Charlotte, Elvia. Jilaxson — Thomas J., Mrs. Saliy, William, Charles, Henry, Edgar, Cornelia. jl/a.soH —Allen D . Mrs. Mary, Elliot. 3/oore- John M., Mrs. Mary. 3/or.ff— David H., Mrs. Emma. il/a»-.i(o(i— Samuel, Mrs. Sarah, Luselte, Lavinia, Curtis, Pervin, Se- lina, Mary. AX.'foii —George R., Mrs. Sarali, Albert, Alexander, Sarah, James, Harvey, Mary, Georgiana. iVe/son— George E., Alsaida, Anna, Henry. Pollock —Frederick. Powell— John W., Rev., Mrs. Rhoda, Sarah, Erasmus, Mary, Em- ma, Alice. PooJ- Sam'l A., Mrs. Elizabeth, Cornwall. /io'yer(.so»t— William J. C, Mrs. Martha. James, Margaret, Helen Alice. /fo/iyrup, 2,600 gallons; apple trees urowing, 5,600. The returns were very meagre, and far from beinn reliable, as such returns very often are. The following list embraces the names of many persons, not already men- tioned in these pages, who were residents of the town prior to the close of 1879: J. A. Armstrong, W. W. Anderson, L. Benson, A. H. BuUis, M. Barth, J. M. Brown, W. Bursau, F. Bassett, S. Boyer, J. L. Bassett, C. Bursau, C. Brabender, ¥. W. Cady, A. P. Collins, John Campbell, John Carpenter, T. J. Carpenter, M. Carpenter, A. H. Chase, W. C. Campbell, D. Christensen, G. W. Dibble, J. C. Daniels, L. Dwight, G. W. Doeg, C. Dimmick, J. J. Eygabroad, C. H. Foster, O. P. Foss. 11. N. Fiero, W. Fletcher, J. H. Gleason, C. Garlick, C. Goutermont, F. Hill, .S. Hawes, .S. H. Hall, J. G. HLimphrey, G. Huntington, R. V. Hesselgrave, J. F. Hill, T. Held, T. .7. Jones, C. Jones, U. Johnson. W. L. Johnson, P. La Duke, M. H. Linsley, W. Larou, C. S. Linslcy, F. F. Moore, A. P. McKinstry, J. 1'. Miner, C. B. Miner, L. Moore, H. B. Mayson, F. Miner, M. W. Nelson, A. Oathoudt, M. H. Oliver, M.F. Oliver, W. H. Oliver, C. Oliver, W. W. Potter, C. Parks, J. H. Paschke, J. G. Pace, C. Ring, C. B. Rand, A. P. Sherman, W. P. Spaulding, A. E. Seger, M. .Schoolcraft, J. H. .Smith, H. J. Schoolcraft, J. Snencer, H. Sumner, N. T. Smith, H. M. Temple, A. A. Williams, Henry Wise, E. Wise, D. N. Wave, T. J. Williams. POLITICAL. The town of Verona was among the first of the towns to be set- tled, and for manj' years wa.s tlie third in population and wealth, and for many of the earlier years, it exercised an important influence in the politics of the county. Prior to the close of 1879, the town had furnished quite a number of members of tlie board of county com- missioners — Stoddard, Robertson, Dunham, Potter; a sherilf, Rob- ertson; acounty auditor. Cady; a judge of probate. Robertson; three county surveyors. Welch, Patten, Seely; and a member of the legis- lature, n. M. Huntington. FARIBAULT COUNTY, BIINNESOTA. 539 CHAPTER VII. PRESCOTT TOWNSHIP. The town of Prescott is congressional township one hundred and throe (.103) north, of range twenty-seven (27) west. As the surround- ings of a locality are a matter of much importance, it is well to observe that Prescott is bounded by the following townships: Dela- van on the north. Barber on the east. Blue Earth City township on the south, and Verona on the west. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS. This township is almost entirely prairie. The surface of the country is slightly undulating, and easily drained. The elevation of Prescott above the level of the sea, is about eleven hundred feet. , The drift here, to bed-rock, is between one hundred and two hun- dred feet, but no wells have been sunk in the town to bed-rock, by which the depth of the drift may be determined to this date. The main stream of the Blue Earth river crosses a small portion of the southwest corner of the township. There are no other water courses in the town of importance, and no lakes. The only native timber in the town is confined to the line of the river, but the western line of the town, lying so near the river, which is well timbered, fuel has always been conven- iently obtained. Many of the older settlers of the town have owned small tracts of timber along the river, and the timber on the river has been almost as much benefit to a large portion of the people of this town, as though it had been located within its borders. There are many fine groves of forest trees in the town, containing from one to five, and some of ten acres, which have been grown by the resi- dents. Tn fact Prescott was one of the first towns in the county to be beautified and benefitted by artificial groves. THE NAME. The town received its name from the special commissioners, when they proceeded to name the towns of the county, in 1858. The name is a familiar one. There is both a county and a village named Prescott, in Ontario, Canada, and there have been several noted men of this name. Oliver and William Prescott were distin- guished patriots and soldiers of the revolution; a William Prescott 540 inSTOHY OF was a famous lawyer of Boston, Mass. But the most noted of the name was William H. Prescott, the historian, a man known and hon- ored everywhere. There are, also, ten postoflfices of this name in the United States. But it is not in honor of any of these distin- guished men, or places, so far as the writer has been able to learn, that this town was named. The writer has been informed, by one of the special commissioners who named the town, that it was so named after a Mr. Prescott who resided in the town at the time it was named, but soon after left it. All that has been ascertained of him is. that he was a carpenter by trade, and that he was known by the name of "Old Honesty." But who he was, from whence ho came, whither he has gone, or how he fares, no one seems to know. FIRST SETTLEMENT. The first actual settler of Prescott, was Benjamin Graj', who took a ••claim" on section thirty-one, in the fall of 1855. He settled in this town on the twenty-fifth day of September, of that year. Mr. Gray, and family, came from Warren county, Penn. He was a car penter by trade. Some years ago, he removed to Yankton, S. D., where has since died. There were several claims taken prior to that of Mr. Gray's, but the parties did not permanently settle on them, until the next year. There were in this town quite a number of early settlers who resided here but a short time— only long enough to enter up their lands, some going away and never return- ing, others returning, after some time, and becoming permanent residents. The names of many of them do not appear on the census rolls of 1860. Among the earliest of such settlers, who proved up on lands in this town, prior to June, 1860, were: George Wirt, Al- bert Billings, Grover C. Burt. J. Ritchet. T. Hynes, D. Hynes, J. DeW. Smith. G. E. Gibbs, S. F. Morrison, G. K. Cleveland, H. J. Davlin, C. G. Wickershan, M. D. Madden, J. Marriner. Jr., D. W. Kingery, C. E. Trowbridge. E. Babcock, E. Bennett, J. Purness, P. Campbell, DeW. Paddock. J. Roberts. O. Dart. Jr., G. P. Wodell. G. S. Millard. P. G. Shinkle. J. Taylor. P. Wood. H. C. Hemanway. L. A. Crumb. G. Campbell, U. S. Karmany. W. M. Scott, J. T. Rod- gers. J. Koonze, B. Davis, G. Haller. J. A. Kincaid. L. Haller. The following list embraces the names of all persons found in the town in June, 1860. as appears from the census rolls, and the following table exhibits the possessions of the people and the im- provements at that time. (7r(i.v BcDJaruin. Mrs. .lulia, Josiah, BenjaniiD. Asenath, Julia, William. 3/i7«.s— Georges., Mrs. Jane, Gertrude, Ella. ,S'/««>€«— Freeman A., Mrs. Cor- nelia, John. At this time when the census was taken, a number of persons who were holding claims in Prescott. were residing temporarily in Verona, and at Winnebago City FAIilBAVLT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 541 Acres of land improved, 42; cash value of farms, S900: value of farming im- plements and machinery, $90; number of horses, 1: number of milch cows, 2; number of working oxen, 4; number of other cattle, 3; number of swine,3; value of live stock, $325. ORGANIZATION. The town was attached for civil purposes to the town of Verona by the special commissioners in 1858, and so remained until de- tached by the county commissioners, September 3d, 1861. The first election for town ofi&cers was called for September 16th, 1861, at the house of Jonathan McDowell. The organization has continued through all the subsequent years. The town officers for 1878-9 were: Supervisors, A. Lent, chairman, and Jas. McCoUey and J. H. Wagner; town clerk, M. Perrizo; treasurer, S. M. Young; assessor, W. Viebahn; constable, D. W. Nichols. HISTORICAL INCIDENTS. The first school house erected in this town was built in 1863, and was known as the McDowell school house. There are now six school houses in the town in which schools are regularly kept. Bounties were given to encourage enlistments during the late war, and all promptly paid. No bonuses to aid in the construction of railroads have ever been voted. Several propositions to grant aid were voted down. The town has the benefit of a railroad mai-ket, at Delavan, near the northeast corner, and of another at Winnebago City, near the northwest corner, and at Blue Earth City, which is convenient to the southern portion of the town. The Chicago, St. Paul, Minne- apolis and Omaha railroad passes through the southwestern part of the town. No part of the town is over five miles from a railroad market. There was a Grange of the Patrons of Husbandry organized in this town, when that great institution was flourishing in this county. RELIGIOUS. As in all other parts of this county, religious services were held in this town at a very early day of its settlement, and various relig- ious denominations have long since been organized. There has, for many years, been a church building on the southeast quarter of section fifteen, erected by the Methodist Protestant society. FRANK W. TEMPLE. Mr. Temple, for many years a resident and large farmer of Prescott town- ship, was born in Williamstown, Mass., February 19th, 1840. His father was a farmer and Frank W. has also made that his principal life occupation. There were six sons and three daughters in his father's family. Mr. Temple's school- 542 HISTOftV OF im: was receive during bis boyhood's years, id the very ^;oocl common schools of his native village. He came west to St. Paul, in April, 1857, and on the eiijrhth day of May, took up his residence in Chaska, Carver county, where he estahlished a hrick yard. While at that place he moulded, with his own hands, all the hrick in the court house of that county, built at that timi'. He remained in Carver county about two years, and then removed to Winona county, where he eni;aged quite extensively in farming. He was married in 1863, to Miss Cornelia Perry, of Olmstead county, Minn. They had two children who are now living, Charles E. and Mary B., now Mrs. .J. W. Kamrar, of Blue Earth City. Mrs. Temple died in 1874. In 1864, Mr. Temple sold out in Winona county, and in June, 1865, he came to this county and purchased considerable land, and since being here, he has been one of the largest farmers and sheep raisers in the county. He has, also, at times, engaged in the purchase and sale of stock. Mr. Temple has always been a republican in political sentiment. He was elected a member of the board of county commissioners, in 1874, and held that office almost continuously, until January, 1895, being most of the time chairman of the board. It was largely through the prudent management of Mr. Temple, that the county has secured one of the llnest court houses in the State without burdensome taxation, or contracting heavy indebtedness- When the structure was completed, it was practically, wholly paid for. In January, 1889, he was appointed by Gov. W. U. Merriam, a member of the board of slate prison managers, for three years, and was afterwards ap- pointed for the full term of five years. The position is one of much importance and responsibility. Up to the close of 1879, this town had furnished to the public service, in the office of county commissioner, Wm. M. Scott, F. W. Temple; register of deeds. Prank Lent; coroner, D. H. McDowell; county suryeyor, D. Birdsall. STATISTICAL. The population in 1800 was 14 persons; in 1865, 384; in 1870, 552: in 1875, 543; in 1880, 603. There has for some years been (juitc a settlement of French peo- ple in this town, but the majority of the inhatjitants are American born. By the assessors returns for 1879, there were in the town, of horses, 300; cows, 361; other cattle, 303; sheep, 1,305; hogs, 378; wagons and carriages, 83; sewing machines, 26. The assessed value of real estate for the same year was $182,356; personal estate, $26,487: total, $208,813. The total tax assessed on this property for 1879 was $2,729.79. There was returned, as produced in 1879 of wheat, 44,000 bushels; of oats 51,000 bushels: of corn, 58,000 bushels; of barley, 4,500 bushels; of potatoes, 4,200 bushels; of sorghum syrup, 1,000 gallons; of Max seed, 1.800 bushels; of wool, 6,000 pounds; butter, 30.000 pounds. There were also 2,600 apple trees, of which 800 were bearing. Number of acres cultivated, 7,000. Voici quelque faits historique qui interesserons-notre peuple Fran^ais et leurs descendants. Cela est bien raisonnable (luil ait beaucoup de residents de nationaIit<5 fran- caise dans ce pays. II y a cent ans, ou plus, que cette portion du Minnesota, faisant parti de I'em- pere de Louis quatorze, alors connu par le titre de "Grand Monarque de France," et 11 y a moins de cent ans, depuis que le grand Napoleon, Empereur des Fran- vais, etalt le souverain regnant sur cette region, et qui avec beaucoup de sa- FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 543 gesse et de prevoyance, ci'cla ce territoire aux Etats Unis, afln disait il, qu'il puisse au future sV-tablir dans cette hemisphere occindentale une puissance qui deviendrai VCgsXa et la ri vale de la grande Br<^tagne, parmi les nations du monde. Les premiers explorateurs, les premiers commergants, (traders) les premiers missionnairs de la croix au Minnesota etaient franqais. La premii-re place de traffic (trading post) dans la valK'e de la rlvitre Blue Earth fut C'tabli par le frangais Le Sueur. Le premier missionnaire qui mit le pied sur le sol de ce comt<^, de qui Ton a connaissance Cta.\t le Pf're Ravoux de Saint Paul, un fran- gais, qui pendant un voyage a une mission lointaine traversa ce comt*^, bien avant que I'homme blanc n'y eut C'tabli son habitation, et en dernier, celui de qui a comte porte le nom de Jean Baptiste Faribault ^tait un frangais, un homme desquel le nom et le souvenir peuvent Otre honore par toute le monde. Ce pays, pouvait avec raison avoir Ctd nommCe la Nouvellfr France, et le jour viendra quand le comt^ sera en richesse, en beaute et par I'intelligence et la prosperity' de ses habitants, le rival de n'importe quelle parti champOtre de la belle France avec ses colli nes de vignes. The following list contains the names of many persons who have resided in this town prior to the close of the year 1879. not already hereinbefore named: L. W. Brown, J. Bassett, Wm. Bassett, Ch. Bassett, P. Bassett, J. H. Black, Jas. Beard, O. J. Beard, A. Blunt, T. V. Brailhwait, O. Boiseclare, A. Butter- field, W. E. Cheney, W. O. Chestnut, J. Coulter, E. Clark, B. F. Clark, F. Cox, J. Davis, E. DeRusha, W. DeRusha, Elijah DeRusha. J. Dieter, H. Domes, P. Dolan, M. Dolan, O. Dolan, S. Edwards, C. Eberline, W. Eberline, E. Eberline, G. Freer, David Freer, R. Fierkey, A. Greisy, J. Galloway, C. Goyette, J. Goy- ette, G. Gibbs, P. Ilebert, R. Hacklander, A. Hacklander, T. Hynes, C. Hager, >E. Harding, H. Harding, H. O. Ives, J. B. Jones, E. Katzung, M. Kasulki, M. J. Kennedy, H. R. Keeler, J. Klawitter, C. Kube, Jacob Lent, Sam'l Lent, A. Lent, A. C. Lent, F. Lent, A. J. Lane, S. F. Lent, J. Leanny, D. H. McDowell, J. McDowell, C. Maxson, Wra. Mattin, H. Mattin, W. A. Miller, P. McCue, Jas. McColley, F. Mosher, R. Murray, H. Murray, C. Morehouse, L. Nichols, D. W. Nichols, L. Nurenberg, S. Noteman, O. S. Orr, A. Potter, W. D. Patten. M. Prescher, M. Perrizo, I^. Patten, B. Perrizo, J. Perrizo, G. Perrizo, C. Plochin- sky, W. Roberts, F. L. Spencer, J. M. Spencer, W. Spencer, F. Schultz, R. Schram, C. Sonnesac, N. B. Swartout, A. Swartout, B. E. Scott, A. Sweet, A. B. Sweet, C. Stroble, S. Shutteeworth, O. Tibedo. T. Tibedo, I. Tibedo, J. Terry, F. Trowbridge, W. Viebahn, J. H. Wagner, Henry R. Walker, L. C. Walker, A. Warren, G. F. Weiler, W. Wesley, O. B. Wheeler, P. Whitacker, A. Willett, Albert Willett, George Wirt, J. C. Woodruff, W. A. Woodruff, P. M. Young, E. C. Young, G. Young, D. N. Young, S. M. Young, S. Zutty. 544 HISTORY OF CHAPTER VIII. 15ARBER TOWNSHIP. Barber is congressional township one hundred and three (103) north, of range twenty-six (26) west. It is bounded on the north by Lura, on the east by Walnut Lake, on the south by Emerald and on the west by Prescott. The average elevation of this town, above the level of the sea, is about eleven hundred feet. The depth of the drift, to bed rock, is, in the northeast portion, about one hundred feet, and in other parts of the town, probably one hundred and fifty feet. It is a prairie town. Much of the land is quite rolling. A morainic belt, or tract of hillj\ or more or less rolling drift, of about three miles in width, extends from the east line through the to\vn, in a northwesterly direction. There are no running streams in this town, except some small brooks. A part of lake Ozatonka — a fine lake, about two miles long, by one and one half miles wide — is situ- ated in the town, on the south line, near the southeast corner. There is, also, a group of three small lakes near the center of the town, the largest of which is named Swan Lake, but which was at one time called Green lake. Another is named, on the old maps, "Kenty," but has now, probably, some other name. The third ap- pears not to be named. The native timber is about these lakes, and a part of it has been known, for many years, as "Wesner's Grove," an old land mark on the prairie. This immediate locality is the headquarters of the town. There was, at one time, a store and post-office here, and near by is the Roman Catholic Church of St. Mary, and parsonage and cemetery. There are, also, several dwelling houses. Mr. Wiesner kept here, for a number of years, a wayside inn, where the weary traveler might stop and "rest and re- fresh" himself and team. The building of the village of Easton, on the line of the railroad, only a few miles distant, interfered with the business and prospects of this locality. This town, like the others of this county, affords fine grain and pasturage lands. The people of Barber have also been quite industrious in setting out ar- tificial groves of forest trees, which now thickly dot over the town. The southeast corner of section thirty-three of this town is the geo- graphical center of the county. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 545 THE NAME. The town was named Barber by the special commissioners in 1858, in honor of Mr. Chauncey Barber, who was supposed at the time to be a resident of the town, but who, in fact resided in Minnesota Lake township. The reader is referred to the history of the latter town, for a more full account of Mr. Barber. THE SETTLEMENT. Andrew Woesner and John Blocher were the first actual set- tlers of Barber township. Mr. Woesner was born in Germany. He came to the United States in 1854, and located in Indiana. In June, 1855, he removed to Illinois, and from thence to Winona county, Minnesota, and finally settled, about the thirteenth day of June, 1857, in this town. He is a blacksmith by trade, but has for many years been engaged in farming and stock raising. The land he settled upon was a part of the north half of section twenty-two (22). Mr. Blocher was also born in Germany. He came to the United States in 1853, and located in Ohio. From thence he removed, in 1856, to Winona county in this State, where he fell in with Mr. Woesner, and came with him to this town. He is also a blacksmith by trade. He also took a claim on section twenty- two. The following list contains the names of all the residents of the town, in June, 1860, as they appear on the national census rolls of that year, and the table following shows something of their posses- sions at the time: Aadiman — John. ylsc/ima7(— Henry, Mrs. Christina, John. Lulz — Frank. SF Anflri-ws, C. N. Andrews, Wm. Allen, E. Anthony, h. W. Allen, J. Anderson, .1. Adamson. H. D. Habcock, E. A. Baldwin, G. A. Harm-s, Sr.. G. A. Harnes.Jr., C. H. BilllnKM, W. H. Barron, J. S. Brewstfr, H. BlodKott, N. D. Barrows, J. P. Burk, J. W. Banc's, J. E. Bunnell, U. VV. Carlllfk. M. V. Carlwright, G. M. Chapman, W. Clark, G. C. Campbell. W. E. Crosby, E. Cole, S. Calkins, W.J. Crandall, B. Chase, .lohn Klmore, J. Elmore, A. F. Eckenbreck, A. Eaton, C. Elliot, C. O. Esse, C. W. Elliot, A. Fay. T. S. Fellows, G. W. Fellows, J. A. Flinn, L. Fay, M. W. Green, E. Gallop, O. A. Gilbert, G. A. Gilbert, C. Guyen, H. Gilbertson, J. M. Hober, J. A. Hall, R. Huston. H Ilais'umen, M. Hanlin, P. Hagen, II. G. Haugan, A. D. Hall, E. R. Johnson, J.W. Kelley, E. U. Little, C. R. Lord, C. A. Lounsberry, S. C. Leland, M. N. Leland, H. J. Merriman, J. W. Merrinian, J. D. Morris, S. Merrill, M. J. Myers, J. Mengelt, J. M. Nye, J. Olson, W.T. Ogden, M. Olson, L. L. Olson. J. W. Polleys, J. Penny, Jas. Penny, C. W. Porter, A. Pratt, H. A. Park, J. Perrine, A. M. Roberts, D. Reed, W. F. Randolph, F. B. Robbins, E. D. Rogers, O. F. Southwick. F. A. Smith, A. Shil- len, C. .Seibert, Basil Smout, S. S. Sutton, G. W. Slade, B. F. Smith, S. A. Smith, J. R. Smith, J. Shrader, F. Shrader, M. Saxon, J. S. Stearns, Dr. Daniel Straw, A. P. Thombs, A. L. Taylor. C. L. Taylor, W. B. Wood, T. W. Woodard, W. W. Woodard, N. Wise. W. H. Wells, C. F. Wise, F. E. Watson, M. S. Wilk- inson, J. P. West, H. A. Wells. CHAPTER Xr. FOSTER TOWNSHIP. LOCATION. This township embraces that portion of the territory of Fari- bault county, which is described in the government surveys as town one hundred and two (102) north, of range twenty-four (24) west. It is bounded on the north by Clark township, on the east by the township of Alden, in Freeborn county, on the south by Kiester township, and on the west by the township of Brush Creek. PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION. The average elevation of the town, above the level of the sea- is about twelve hundred feet, but there is one point on the south line of the town which is about thirteen hundred feet. The drift here is from 110 to 150 feet, probably, in depth to bedrock. A morainic belt of "boldly rolling hillsof from fifty feet to seventy -five feet high, extend from section 28 to the north and northwest, by Rice Lake, where they occupy a width from one-half to one mile on each side of the lake," and thence tend northwest to west and north line of the town. The general surface of the land may be desig- nated as rolling prairie, and affoi'ds a fair proportion of hay, pas- turage and tillable lands. The soil is deep and fertile. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 561 There are several small streams, one named Joaes' Creek, and several slough runs in the town, which are the heads of the east branch of the Blue Earth river. There is also a very beautiful lake in the town known as Rice Lake, which is about a mile and a half long, and half a mile wide. What native timber there is in the town is found on the margin of this lake, and some of it is very good. This vicinity was in times long gone by, a great resort of the In- dians for hunting, fishing and gathering wild rice, which grain once grew in abundance here. There is a wild Indian legend of love and abduction, romantic and tragic, connected with this lake, but we have not the space to record it here. The people of this town have not been indifferent to the import- ance of setting out groves of forest trees, many of which are found in the town. And here it should not be forgotten, that there are in this town some fifteen very find living springs, and that water, pure and good, is easily found by digging, or boring, in any part of the town. FIRST SETTLEMENT. The first settlers of this township were Abraham Ackerman and J. O. Jones, who located in the town June 7th, 1856. Mr. Acker- man settled upon the N i of SE i and S i of NE \ of section eight. Mr. Jones took a claim on the same section. Ackerman said that their principal occupation during the summer was killing mosqui- toes and muskrats. Daniel J. Ackerman came into the country at the same time, but took a claim in Walnut Lake township. The Messrs. Ackerman and Jones, were, originally, residents of the state of Illinois. They removed from that state to Iowa, where they remained a short time and then came to Minnesota. Abraham Ackerman was for many years one of the most promi- nent and enterprising men of the town. He was married, and had four children. He became the owner of much land, and made many valuable improvements. He died in 18S2. Daniel J. Ackerman died in December, 1864. The following list copied fi'om the census rolls, of tha national census, taken in June, 1860, exhibits the names of all persons re- siding in the town at that time. Ackerman — Abraham, Mrs. Elmira, James. (The names of Abraham, and his wife, do not appear on the census roll, as they were temporarily absent at the time.) Burmester — Henry, Mrs. Eliza, Henry. Dowytes— William, Mrs. Lorancy, Martha, William, Laura. GoM;/— Stephen. JfiHer— Henry, Jr., Mrs. Mary, Henry. Miller— Reary, St., Mrs. Laura, John, Frederick. tioa. iM »ic |n»CTttnf«Bbc (i|lini»e SnriAn. |« VafuMiag Smcnla* geltcfm. Uat. ciac Inge (M«4nuA. ui ^- ta U^nuwoL fo»oM »« «f Stact ■■» Smauii, Mt gde^it, »«6 ^jcr Katwaoi. fi^ vuf^ntoc^ttn et> ivUfei ^t ia bei tb^ftctaBg wan «kgra»ca ate gftobe Mefc bcffere filaffc Ma Scatf^^ eoao^l al« ?aign bn Ktf4ie»«aea Z«»afi^t9§, a\i aa^ 3a^iieT liaMi^er Siitiaftc Zard)»«g, rr^ifltni tufc £«ate, hae \m»v etafa^e, btaaoi^ gate S<4aUaBaag. Xt««»'<"' iMrtn n: bari^aM^ fc^ batt ammtaainct. %ti bratf^c SiflBeat. aiit Staif^^t oaf giamo^anio^l tai staate niaaefoto. if — groB — 7^>a4(>4 gTVBff tnia iTg;ab etoe oibere, etaLjelae geaonaieae, aailiabtitbn 9ti' noa. Sie marea nater 6» ent» Saftiblrra buiel SoaaiiK, Bob fie mie i^ce Hi'i^loi.mn' f(^aft, bilben eta bebeateabrS X^nl iljrer Smvo^aei, fovit Dargec SBii tidfen fie aater nafera bodift eaergifi^ca, gebei^'.iiifen fomie mo^l^abcabea ^r- neia biefer SaabiJiatt. £o4 aai^ atdft atiaber erfolgteti^ aaf beni gef^iftu^ca 0efeiete ta Stdfiteo aob Xorfern. 34re titd)'-ul>e, moral aa) foctjl: Crj3ii7a;i03e3. tmbaatta, abcrrajea ia Sa^lea nhe am fBok'-. Henry Birmeiter, J. L. Bliss, H. C. Ruendorf. Ileorj- Baeodorf, M Butler. Wm Billings. C. B. Billings, C. S. Courtwright. D. C. Cady, C .S. Duoba'. A. Dinsmore. W. Dinsmore, J. M. Drake. B. F. Drake, W. H. Fish, G. Ganes. J. Guber, W. Heitzig. M. Heinou- sky, H. A. House, F. Hage, G. Hanks, Oliver W Jones, N. E. Joyner, A. Joyner, O. Kinney. B. Lischesske. W. T. Lyon, Geo. Martin. H. W. G. Meyer, Dewey McKinster, D. D. McKiost^r, H. Miller, W. F. Mason, F. Morris, Joseph Morris, J. Meyer. D.C. Meyers. Fred Miller. S. Nelson. Wm. O. Payne, J. Parser, br., August Passer. J. Passer. Jr., C. Quantz, W. Eeconburgh, C. Keconbu gh, A. F. Robinson, J. Rouike, A. Rusho, N. B. Schow, F. Schow. H. G. St«inhour, J. Shrquin, H. St*ckleburg, H. St^inhour, L. C. .Seaton. G. W. Strong. C. .Sauers, A. C. Thomas. H. W. Thomas, R. D. Taylor, L. Whipple, J. A.Waldreff, A. Waldreff. A. A. Williams. Albert Williams, Wm. Walter, A. White. C. A. Wicks, C. Yonkie. FARIBAULT COUXTY, MINNESOTA. 565 CHAPTJER XIL BRUSH CREEK TOWNSHIP. The town bearing the above name, is congressional township one hundred and two (102) north, of range twenty-five (25) west. It is bounded on the north by the town of Walnut Lake, on the east is Foster township, south is the town of Seely.and west is the town- ship of Emerald. The estimated average height of this town above sea level is 1,125 feet. The depth of the drift to bed-rock has not been ascer- tained in this town, but it is probably that of the surrounding coun- try, varying from 100 to 150 feet. The surface of the land is roll- ing prairie, easily drained. On section twenty-three are certain short "ridges, and round, or conical knolls, steep sided, about twenty feet high, composed of coarse gravel and sand, and form a series, three-fourths of a mile long." Nearly half of Walnut lake, one of the most beautiful sheets of water in the county, is in this town, near the northeast corner. There are. also, two other small lakes in the town, known as Swan Lake and Goose Lake. The east branch of the Blue Earth river runs from the northeast corner, in a southerly and southwesterly direc- tion through the town, and a small stream, known as Brush Creek, enters the town about a mile from the southeast corner and empties into the Blue Earth river. There is considerable native timber in the town, which is con- fined to the banks of the lakes and the river. Many fine groves of forest trees, the result of the labor and foresight of the people, are scattered throughout the town. The soil is deep and fertile — the wild grasses luxuriant and nutritious. Such a fine tract of land should have attracted settlers at an early day, and such was the fact. FIRST SETTLEMENT. James Prior was the first permanent settler of this town. He located on the southeast quarter of section thirty-three, on the twenty-sixth day of May, 1856. Mr. Prior was born in 1814, in Eng- land, and came to the United States in 1850, and stopped for awhile in Massachusetts. In April, 1854, he emigrated to Miama county, 566 iiistohy of Ohio, but the country not being healthy, he returned to Massachu- setts in November following. In 1855. he emigrated to Iowa, and from thence to this town at the time above stated. He has always been a farmer by occupation. Since living here, and at an early day, he was twice burned out of house and home and household goods. Both fires occurred within one year, and both were undoubtedly the work of an incendiary. For a number of .years he acted as town treasurer. He was married July Gth, 18G9, to Mrs. Fannie M. Whitney. He died in 1887. The following list embi*aces the names of all the residents of the town in June, 1860, and is taken from the census rolls of that year. i^/efc7ter— Charles, Mrs. Mary, Clara, Amanda, Mary, Castara, lletiecca. 3fi()-rrt(/— Win. Mull(>r\j—Dik\\i\. jNVk'oii— Ole. O/csoii— Nels, Mrs. Mary, Peter. Prior— James. Phillips— Vim. D., Mrs. Faustina, Harriet, DeWitt, Alice. Ray- mond— L\\c\\\& S., Mrs. Melissa. . JiK^j— Sam'l L., Mrs. Maria, Abl)y, David, Elizabeth. Whilmy-'L. J., Mrs. Fanny, Marian, Arthur, Eugene. The following table, made up from the census reports of 1860, shows the possessions of the people at that time, in the aggregate: Acres of land, improved, 222: value of farms $6,900; value of farm Imple- nients and machinery, $558: number of horses, 10: railch cows, 26; working cattle, 24; other cattle, 36: swine, 55; value of live stock, S2, 107. THE NAME. The town was named Brush Creek by the special commissioners in 1858, after the small stream of that name in the town, and the stream received this name because of the thick growth of small trees, thickets and brush along its banks. The name is not a com- mon one, yet there are some six or eight post-offices and villages in the United States, bearing the name of Brush Creek. ORGANIZATION. The township of Foster was attached to this town for civil pur- poses, by the special commissioners, in 1858, and an election for town officers was noticed to be held on the twentieth day of October, 1858. It appears from the county records, that on the sixth of March, 1860, the county commissioners consolidated into one town district, the two town districts of Brush Creek and Foster, and Seely and Kiester, for town purposes. The town of Foster was detached from Brush Creek township by the county commissioners, September Gth 1664. In separating these towns, the strange circumstance hap pened, that Brush Creek, the principal town, became disorganized as all the officers of the town district resided at the time, in Foster the attached, or ancillary town, and the commissioners, therefore ordered an election for town officers to be held at the house of Lu cius S. Raymond, on the twenty-fifth day of October, 1864. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 567 The board of town officers for the year 1878-9, was composed of the following named persons: Supervisors, Geo. Thompson, chair- man, H. Johnson and G. Susher; town clerk, C. EUert; treasui-er, J. Amundson; assessor, J. Emerson; justices of the peace, John Emerson and C. Ellert; constable, J. D. Seely. ITEMS OP INTEREST. About the years 1863-4-5, a locality of some importance grew up on section one, where one, Milton Morey had a saw mill in the timber on the banks of Walnut lake. He had also a small store here, which did quite a business, being patronized by the people of the surrounding country for many miles. There was a post-ofifice established in this town, on section 25, and named Alton. Military bounty bonds were voted during the war, to encourage enlistments, and were afterwards duly paid. About the year 1869, Charles Fletcher erected a small grist mill (water power), on the Blue Earth, on section 33. The mill was sub- sequently purchased by Hiram Raymond, and greatly im^Droved, and for some time did a good business, but Avas finally abandoned. This town has furnished to the public service a county commis- sioner, S. L. Rugg, in the early years of the county. EDUCATIONAL. Schools were held in the town as early as 1861, but it was sev- eral years before a school house was erected. There are now (1879) three very good school houses in this town, and schools are regularly kept. RELIGIOUS. Public religious services were held here soon after the first set- tlement, the people assembling in private houses for some years, ' until the erection of school houses. It appears that the Baptists were the first to have regular services. Other religious denomina- tions have held services here also, especially the Lutherans. STATISTICAL. The population in the town in 1860 was, in tact, .31, though reported 48. In 1865 there were 223 souls, in 1870, 422; in 187.5, 541; in 1880, 525. A large majority of the inhabitants are Norwegians. The assessor's reports for 1879, show that there were In the town at that time, 268 horses, 425 cows, 501 other cattle, 5 mules, 474 sheep, 196 hogs, 14 sew- ing machines, etc. The assessed value of real property was $118,334; personal, $23,440; total, $141,774. Total tax levied thereon was $1,799.67. Of products for 1879 there was reported, wheat, 99,000 bushels; oats, 125,000 bushels; corn, 37,000 bushels: barley, 50(1 bushels; potatoes, 800 bushels, syrup, 400 gallons; apple trees growing, 109; wool, 3,900 pounds; butter, 4,800 pounds. The total acreage cultivated is reported at over 12,000. There are evidently some errors in the above statements, as to the amount of products and acreage, but they are given as they are found. 568 HISTORY OF We should have but an imperfect idea of the importance of this town, without a statement of the names of a number more of the people who were residents of the town prior to the close of this sketch, and helped in the work of building up the town. Here are some of them. H. Alson, Ole Anderson, O. C. Anderson, L. Anderson, Geo. Armstroni;, Jeff Amundson, Pat Boyle, E. J. Bahcock, W. Babcock, A. Bergsetter, C. F. Bassett, Thos. Brown. Gustav Biischo, J. Conrad, C. Cheffy, A. Clementson, M. Chrlstopcrson, F. Cret'iT, II. Clino, E. .S. Dahl, .1. Dickens, Wm. Elrrikson, O. O. Eldojjuard, W. E. Everett, Cha.s. Ellert, John Emerson, P. Entfelbri^lhson, E. Francis, B. Francis, I. Francis, G. Gilbertson, 11. Gutormson, S. Gilliertson, O. Hollman, G. Hondrickson, Nils Hanson, H. Ilaverson, C. Haul, I. Iverson, H. H.Johnson, A. Johnson, P.Johnson, V. Johnson, Hans Johnson, J. M. Jones, Jas. Jones, O. Johnson, L. O. Legrid,T. H. Legrid, M. Lange, A. H. Lathrop, S. Lange, A. Larson. T. Larson, Thos. Lewis, L. Merrii, S. E. Merrit, M. M. Monson, N. S. Marklebust, S. T. Natvig, P. Nilson, J. J. Northness, C. Karveson, E. Nelson, Jas. Noakes, J. E. Odden, S. E. Odden, H. Olson, H. L. Olson, G. Olson, T. Pederson, Reginald Pedcrson, E. Pederson, O. Pederson, P. Pace, J. Pankonin. James Prior, F. Badinan, M. Radiuan, J. W. Robinson, L. H. Robinson, L. S. Raymond, N. Slockkelbo, J. D. Heely, J. J. Saben, O. O. Svangster, N. L. Satre, J. .Schultz, J. Sbjurson, F. W. Sibel, L. .Sohn, II. Sohn, Geo. Thompson, B. Thompson, J. Thompson, P. Thompson, J. Tellefson,S. E. Voldahl, L. J. Whitney, A. Whitney, E. Whitney, E. Wolf, H- A. Waldruff, Arz. Yocum. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 569 CHAPTER XIII. THE TOWNSHIP OP EMERALD. The town having the appropriate name written above, is bounded on the north by the township of Barber, on the east by Brush Creels township, on the south, not by tlie ancient city of Rome, but by Rome township, and on the west by Blue Earth City township. On the government surveys this town is numbered one hundred and two (102) north, of range twenty-six (26) west. The surface of the land is properly described as quite undulating prairie and natural meadows. The town is drained by the east branch of the Blue Earth river, which enters the town near the southeast corner, and passes through it, quUe centrally, running in a north- west and westerly direction, and by a small stream, which is the outlet of the lake and several slough runs. Lake Ozahtonka, one of the largest and most attractive lakes in the county, lies mainly in this town, on the north boundary, A number of valuable springs of cool, clear water, are also found here, and good water is easily to be had by digging or boring in any part of the town. The soil is deep, dark-coloi-ed and productive. The average elevation of the town is about 1,125 feet above sea level. The depth of the drift is unascertained as yet, but is doubtless that of the county generally, probably exceeding one hundred feet. There is considerable native timber in the town, which is found along the river bottoms and the margin of the lake. Many "artifi- cial" groves of forest trees, set out by the i-esidents of the town, give the town a wooded aspect, and adds much to the beauty of the landscape. The reader is now invited to pass from this description of lo- cation and physical characteristics of the town, to a brief setting forth of what is known of its history. In relation to the first settlements made here, we present the substance of a letter, received from Ezra M. Ellis, for many years a prominent resident of the town. He says: "I moved into the town on the first day of June, 1857. John Cook, and two sons, Henry Weber, Charles Castle and one Jones, were then settled in the town. Jones was at that time, however, away from home. Either Cook or Jones was the first settler, but I never learned which one." 570 HISTOltY OF Henry Weber, above named, George Mittlesdorf, Fred Mittles- dorf and Herman Priester located in the town in June, 1856, and Mr. Weber says that John Cook was then, and for some time previ- ous, had been settled here. Prom the above, and other information in regard to the matter, Mr. Cook is doubtless entitled to be deemed the first permanent settler of this township. He left the town, how- ever, many years ago. but whither he has gone, who he was, or from whence he came, the writer has been unable to learn. Looking further for the names of the early settlers of the town, we turn to the rolls of the census, taken in June, 1860, and find the following list of residents, at that time: ylmundson— Erick, Mrs. Agaata, Ann, Aniiuond, Ivor. Anderson— G\sX,. Cook — John. CooA-— George. £n-icA-,so«— Lars, i'/fe— Ezra M., Mrs. Lyclla, Henry, Edwin. Elva, Ezra, William, George, Elizal)eth. Fomira— Wra., Mrs. Louisa, AuKUSt, Julius, Augusta. (5 n;//in— Julius, Mrs. Mary, Julius, Lucius, Harriet, Lydia. Gilberliirm—OW, Mrs. Gertrude, Gilbert, Ole. /o/m.w/i— Flans, Mrs. Em- bric, John, Christie, Knut, Gertrude, John, Mons. JS'iiuf-voii— Christopher, Mrs. Agaata. Lar.son— IlenryE , Mrs. Hetsy, Eriel{,01e. Lodicic— Henry, Mrs. Signe, Christie, Alexander, Lodwic. J/j^/ctdor;/'— Fred, Mrs. Dora, Bertha, George. 2felson—0\e, Mrs. Ingeborg, Ann, Nilse, Caroline, Christina, Elsie, Ole 2d, Ann, Annie, Mary. PWesfcr— Herman. JJ'eM-— August. IKcber— Henry, Sr. , Mrs. Johanna, Henry, Frederick, Louisa, William, Wilhelniina. And here is a summary of the material resources of the people, in the aggregate, at that time. Acres of land improved, 125; value of farms, 82,100; value of farm imple- ments and machinery, $750; number of horses, 3; number of working oxen, 22; number of milch cows, 18: number of other cattle, 21; number of swine, 19; value of live stock, $1,(>25. The name Emerald, was given to this town by the special commissioners in 1858, they supposing that the town was settled mainly by Iri.shmen, at the time, and, as one of the commissioners said, "Old Ireland was known as the Emerald Isle, and the national colors of Ireland are green, so this town should be named Emerald." But, strange to say, not an Irishman resided in the town at that time, nor ever since that day. for that matter. The name, how- ever, is a beautiful and appropriate one. There are several villages and post offices in the United States named Emerald, and it is well known, perhaps, that Emerald is the name given to a species of gems or precious stones possessing rich green colors, transparent and vei-y beautiful, and very costly, and the people of this town have long claimed that their town is the gem among the towns of this county. Relative to the organization of this town for civil purposes, it is found ihat it was originally attached by the special commissioners in 1858, to Blue Earth City township, and so remained until March 19th, 1800, when it was detached by the county board. On the third day of April, following, the first town election was held, and town FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 571 officers elected, and from that time forward it has been a separate and independent township. The first town officers were Henry Sel- len, chaii-man of town board, and August Haase and Knut Olson; Andrew Hanson, town clerk; Knut Anderson, assessor; H. Priester, treasurer; Andrew Hanson, justice of the peace and H. E. Larson, constable. In view of the contemplated separation of the two towns and preceding joint liability on certain military bounty bonds, pre- viously voted by the town district, an act was passed by the legis- lature of 1866, which provided that when the town of Emerald should be detached from the town of Blue Earth City, the former town should remain liable for its proportionate share of the amount of the bounties to be paid. This proportion was subsequently de- termined and promptly paid. Turning again to the letter, above referred to, Mr. Ellis says: "In 1858, I built the first bridge in the town, at my own expense. As to the first school and school house in the town, I will say that in the summer of 1860, I hired Mrs. C. M. Butler to teach a free school at my house, and this was the first school taught in the town, and she the first teacher. In 1863 I hired Mr. S. Peabody to teach a free school. Free to all who choose to come. The first district school house was erected in 1864." This school house was known as the "Frandall School House." It was a log building and served the purpose very well for many years, for schools, town elections, gen- eral elections and religious meetings. The stump speaker was also heard within its walls, occasionally. There are, at this time (1879), six good frame school houses in the town; schools are regularly kept, and the people, generally, have been interested in the cause of education. Nor have the spiritual interests of the people of this town been neglected, as will appear from the following interesting statement furnished the writer by the Rev. Dahl. A SHORT HISTORY OF THE NORWEGIAN EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CONGREGATION IN EMERALD AND AD.J0INING TOWNS, FARIBAULT COUNTY. MINNESOTA. Said congregation was organized A. D. 1864, tho seventeenth of October, by Rev. Th. Johnson, from Nicollet county. In 1867 the congregatioa received a local pastor, namely: T. H. Dahl, who still is the pastor of the congregation. In the fall of 1869, the congregation built a parsonage, near what is known as the EHis bridge, in the town of Emerald, and, in the fall of 1871, a church edifice was comruencerl near the parsonage, which is not yet finished, but has for some time been used for worship. About a year ago (in the summer of '72) a church was commenced six miles southeast from the church in Emerald (in the western part of the town of Seely). It is not yet finished, but is used by the congrega- tion for public worship. The cost of the church in Emerald is about $1,500.00, and of that in Seely about $400.00. The whole congregation numbers about 140 families. The name of the congregation is, The Norwegian Evangelical Luth- eran Blue Earth Congregation. Respectfully yours, Emerald, August 25th, 1873. T. H. Dahl, Pastor. 572 BI STORY OF The German Evangelical Lutheran Church was organized in March, 1871, by the Rev. G. E. Ahner. This congregation has also a church building, situated on section six, which was erected about that year, and they have, also, a parsonage near by the church. And now, here is a handful of historical items of interest: For many years a post-olfice was established on section thirty (30), known as Ewald post office, but this office has now been discon- tinued for several years. There is now an office, named Emerald, on section eleven, and one, named Dell, on section twenty-three. Dell seems to be the headquarters of the town at present, as there is here the church, a parsonage, school bouse, post- office, blacksmith shop, several dwellings and a general store. The town has voted on the question of granting bounties, or bonuses, to aid in the construction of railroads, several times, but the vote was always adverse, but once. The township organization has been kept up from the first to the jiresent time. The board of town officers in 1879. the closing year of this sketch, was composed of the following named citizens: Supervisors, J. Levenick, chairman, J. Courier and G. Prandall: town clerk, O. C Veam; assessor, J. J. Prandall; treasurer, O. J. Sebben; justices of the peace, F. Dreblow and H C. Weber; con- stable, J. Underdall. Prior to the close of 1879, this town had contributed to the pub- lic service two members of the board of county commissioners, E. M. Ellis and Henry Sellen, the latter of whom was chairman of the board for some years. STATISTICS. The population of the town in 1860 was 76. In 1865 the people were enumerated with those of Blue Earth City township. In 1870 there were 748 inhabitants; in 1875. 825; in 1880, 860. It will be observed that this is one of the most populous towns in the county. With the exception of a few Germans and Americans, the popula- tion is almost exclusively Norwegian, and the town has often been called Norway. From the assessor's reports for the year 1879, there were in the town, of horses, 453; cows, 685: other cattle, 736: luules, 8; sheep, 681: hoRS, 542, wagons and carriages, 111; sewing machines, 54; organs, 2. Assessed value of real estate, $182,340; personal property, $48,906: total, $231,246. Total amount of tax assessed in same year, $2,000. The agricultural i)ro(luctions, etc., for same year, were estimated as fol- lows: Wh.-at, 31,000 Ini.; oats, 45000 bu.; corn, 19,000 bu.; barley, 2,100 bu.; potatoes, 1,700 bu.; syrup, 1,400 gals.; timothy seed, 54 bu.; apple trees growing, 784: wool, 3,000 lbs.; butter, 39,000 lbs; flax seed, 120 bu. Number of acres of cultivated land, 6,500. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 573 Here is an interesting muster roll of settlers in Emerald town- ship, prior to the close of 1879, in addition to those already named: Jeff Anderson, K. Anderson, M. Anderson, Axel Axelson, J. Amley, O. An- derson, R. C. Alborn, A. Absolemson, A. O. Anderson, O. C. Anderson, N. Bot- tleson, O. Bottleson, C. Bottleson, A. Balke, W. Botcher, H. Burndt, J. Chil- son, M. Chilson, L. Chilson, J. Conrad, J. Courrier, F. Dreblow, H. T. Dahl, G. Dagner, L. Doege, L. Errickson, R. Elingson, C. Eckhart, H. Errickson, A. Endahl, A. Enarson, E. Errickson, K. Errickson, E. Enarson, J. J. Frandall, P. Frandall, J. S. Frandall, Geo. Frandall, L. I. Floe, Aug. Fondry, Wm. Fondry, J. C. Fenske, A. Fosness, K. O. Groue, Ole Gulbrandson, O. O. Gilbertson, G. Gesche, S. S Grove, J. Grove. C. 0. Hamre, And Hanson, Ole Holverson, E. C. Hamre, T. Hojverson, J. B. Henjuni, Wm. Haase, A. Haase, Ole Iverson, M. Johnson, O. E. Johnson, P. E. Johnson, Iver Johnson, K. Johnson, J. K. John- son, M. Johnson, Anfln Johnson, Wm. King, J. M. King, H. E. Larson, F. Levenick, J. Levenick, Hans Larson, Ed. Larson, S. Marquardt, Geo. Mittles- dorf, J. B. Maland, J. J. Muland, M. Monson, S. Mikleson, John Miller, N. Mad- son, J. Mathevps, Iver Nelson, J. Nelson, O. Nelson, N. Nelson, Ole Nelson, A. Nelson, P. H Nederberg, Robt. Newman, A. Odett, P. Olson, C. Oleson, H. Ole- son, J. Oleson, A. Pederson, G. Pederson, J. Pederson, K. Pederson, R. Rasmus- son, E. Rakow, G. Rakow, T. Simpson, Ole Sebben, L Sivertson, Henry Sellen, E. Sasse, O. Samuelson, O. S. Thompson, A. ToUefson, H. Thompson, L. O. Underdahl, G. Ulrickson, H. L. Underdahl, J. G. Ulrickson, J. Underdahl, S. O. Veum, Henry Weber, F. Weber, H. J. C. Weber, Aug. Weber, Aug. Welk, C. Werner, Paul Wise, W. White, G. Zupp. CHAPTEE XIV. BLUE EARTH CITY TOWNSHIP AND VILLAGE. We have now reached, in the order of these historical sketches, that portion of the territory of tlie county, known as congressional township number one hundred and two (102) north, of range twenty- seven (27) west. The average elevation of this township, above sea level, is 1,120 feet. The depth of the drift, to bed-rock, has not been determined here, but probably exceeds one hundred feet. The surface of the land is well designated as rolling prairie, and is everywhere easy of drainage. The streams of water, in this town, are the branches of the Blue Earth river. Coon creek and several small nameless rivulets. The east branch of the river, rises in the eastern part of the county, and flows in a general westerly course, through the town, to its confluence with the west branch of the river, on section eight, about half a mile north of the village of Blue Earth City. The west branch of the river rises in a large swamp, just south of the State line, and runs northward to the point of confluence above stated. These united branches form the main stream of the Blue Earth river. 574 HISTORY OF Cooa creek rises near the south line of the county, and flows into the town, from the southeast, and empties into the west branch about a mile south of the village of Blue Earth City. The bottom lands and blulTs bordering these streams are well timbered. Such timber is mainly oak, walnut, basswood. elm and maple, and much of it, within the limits of this town was of supe- rior quality. Groves of native wood are also found scattered in va- rious localities, throughout the town, and to all this, we must add the many fine groves of forest trees, throughout the town, which have been planted and cultivated by the people, since the settlement of the county. In fact, the natural advantages of streams', timber, fer- tile rolling prairie, rich soil, presented here, constituted the attrac- tions which influenced the first settler of the county, who had previously viewed most of the territory of the county, to finally locate in this town. But something further of an historical character should here be said of the Blue Earth river, which is the principal water course of this region, and from which is derived the name of a large region of country — the Blue Earth Valley — a county, a township and a village. The length of this stream is about fifty miles, by direct line, but if estimated to include its many curves and angles, its length would be very much greater. The general course of the river is due north, and it empties into the Minnesota river in Blue Earth county. It is not a navigable stream. Owing to the tortuous character of the stream, protection has been afforded for the growth of much valu- able timber along its borders, bottom lands and bluffs, from prairie fires. The bottom lands, bordering the river, vary in width from about a quarter of a mile to about half a mile, and are bordered by steep bluffs. At Blue Earth City the bottom of the the river is about fifty feet below the general level of the country, and northward, through Verona and Winnebago City townships, its depth in- creases from fifty to ninety or one hundred feet, below the general surface of the land. It appears evident to the careful observer, that this river and its two main branches in Piribault county, were, at one time, much larger streams than they now are. It is not improbable that they once covered, entirely, the bottomlands through which they now have but a small channel (except in times of high water), and that what are now known as the river bluffs, were once the true banks of the river. There are many valuable water powers on this stream, some of which have been put to good use for mill purposes. The adjacent country drained by the Blue Earth river and its tribu- taries is known as the BlueEarth river basin and "the Blue Earth Valley," and is undoubtedly one of the most healthful and fertile districts of country in the State, and destined to become one of the FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 575 most populous and wealthy. In an article published by the writer of this history, many years ago, descriptive of the Blue Earth Val- ley, we find the following reference to the river: "The 'Bold Mankato,' or Blue Earth river, has its many attrac- tions to the lovers of nature. It is a clear, pure stream, sometimes noiseless in its passage, and placid as a mirror, pursuing its way through fertile lowlands, sometimes rushing through deep fo'rests and dark glens, breaking over rocky cataracts, sometimes rising in its might and like a savage warrior, breasting its way through steep bluffs and primeval I'ocks, and goes rushing on its course to the Minnesota. Here, too, bordering the river are wide-spreading landscapes, picturesque and beautiful as the eye wishes to rest up- on, and deep, dark, old forests, penetrated, until lately, only by the red man, whose camp fires have scarcely yet gone out." On several maps of Minnesota, made by the early French ex- plorers, this river is named the St. Henry's river, but — -The Sioux Indian and original name of the river was Ma-ka-to (Blue Earth), or Makatoose — the Mankato river. It was sometimes called the "Bold Mankato." It is said this name, "Blue Earth was given on account of beds of blue clay along its banks, which give a bluish tinge to the water." The clay was long used by the Indians for paint. (See Collections, Minnesota Historical Society). But it has also been said that the river derived its name from certain mines of bluish or greenish earths, of a peculiar character, found near the mouth of the river, as appears from the following bit of ancient history, for this river was well known, in the very earliest history of the region, now known as Minnesota. In the year 1700, M. Le Sueur, a Frenchman, with a felucca (a small boat), two canoes and nineteen men, ascended the Mississippi river from a post on the Gulf of Mexico, on a tour of exploration in Minnesota, and with the further intention of establishing a fort and fur trading post, and work certain mines of blue earth, near the mouth of the stream known as the Blue Earth river. This peculiar earth had been discovered by Le Sueur, on an exploring expedition, several years before, and was thought, by him and others, to pos- sess some great intrinsic value. About the first of October, of that year, after passing through many dangers in this, then, savage re- gion, he entered the river and ascended a short distance, and, by the fourteenth of the month, he had completed the erection of a rude, but strong fort, and named it Fort Le Huillier, in honor of the farmer-general of Paris, France, who had encouraged him in his projects. On the twenty-fifth of the same month, Le Sueur went up the river a short distance to inspect the character of the green and blue earth. It seems that the exact locality of this colored earth was on a branch of the Blue Earth river, called, subsequently, by Nicollet, 576 HISTORY OF the Le Sueur river, and about a mile above the fort. The exact spot where the fort was built canuot now be determined. Le Sueur and his men spent the winter in this fort, trading with the Indians, and in the following April he obtained about thirty thousand pounds of the colored earth, from which he selected some four thousand pounds, and he, with six of his men, left for his southern post. He subse- quently sent his earth to France for analysis. It proved to have no particular value. The thirteen men whom he left in charge of the fort remained until the spring of 1701!, when they, also, left the country. But here is another view, as to the derivation of the word Man- kato. To the Editor of the Pioneer Press:— In the report of the valuable address de- livered by General Baker at the reunion of the old settlers at Le Sueur, I see that in speaking of the Blue Earth river, he says, Mahkotah is the ladian name for Blue Earth. The Indian name was subsequently given to the city, with a simpler orthography, viz., Mankato. Some years ago, J. C. Wise, of Mankato, wrote to the editor of the Minnesota Monthly, then printed at St. Paul, asking for informatuin upon the derivation of the word Mankato. The said editor proposed a plan fur the survey of the town, and also the name, Mankato, both of which were accepted by the original proprietors. He further says, in his an- swer, that the name is not of Indian origin. It is derived from the report of the survey of Minnesota, by J. N. Nicollet, published in 184.'J, and was the source whence was derived the name of the flourishing town referred to. Among these (the regions of country adjoining the Coteau des Prairies), that which seemed to me the most favorable is the one watered by the bold Man- kato, or Blue Earth river, and to which I have given the name of Undine re- gion." ''It was on a visit to lakes Okamanipadan and Tchaiihassan (Little Heron and Maple Wood lakes) that it occurred to me to give it the name I have adopted, derived from that interesting and Romantic German tale, the heroine of which belonged to the extensive race of water sprites, living in the brooks and rivers and lakes, whose father was a mighty prince. She was, moreover, the niece of a great brook — the Mankato— who lived in the forests, and who was beloved by all the great streams of the surrounding country." Nicollet fancied an analogy between the ideal country described in the tale and the re- gion before him, and involuntarily adopted the name. I havt not seen the name Mankato in the translation of the German tale Undine, and the name Mahkotah, certainly resembles Mankato. But Nicollet could not have made an error, and the very resemblance of the words may have led others to suppose an Indian derivation. Can any one throw any further light upon the question? T E. UowEX. It is extremely probable thatLe Sueur, or some of his men, vis- ited the region now comprising this county, during their stay at FortL'Huillier. A great part of their business was trading with the Indians, and exploration. Soon after Le Sueur arrived, he sent two of his men, probably overland, to invite the Ayavois (lowas) and Otoctatas (Ottoes), who possessed the country about the upper waters of the Blue Earth, to come and establish a village near the fort, giving as a reason for this, that these Indians were reputed to be industrious, and accustomed to cultivate the soil, and he hoped to FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 577 get provisions from them, and have them work in the mines. The messengers returned, however, after several days, having failed to find the way that led to the locality of the Indians. This could not well have happened had they gone by boat. The principal method of travel and transportation, in that day, used by explorers and voyagers, was by boats. The streams were, doubtless, much larger then than they now are. But we cannot pur- sue these subjects further here. A fine volume might be written of the explorations, the Indian history, legends and traditions of the Blue Earth valley. It is a region of romantic and of startling events occurring in the long ago, and of which the people of this time know but little. FIRST SETTLEMENT. Moses Sailor, who, with his family, settled in the town May 25th, 1855, was the first settler of the town, as he was, also, the first set- tler in the county, and this was, consequently, the first town in the county, in which settlement was made. For a full account of Mr. Sailor, and his settlement here, the reader is referred to chapter first, Part First, of this history, com- prising the events of the year 1855. THE VILLAGE OF BLUE EARTH CITY. Following events in their order, we now record the fact that Blue Earth City, the only village in the township, and the oldest in the county, was surveyed and platted in July, 1856, and the first buildings were erected in that year. The founding of the village preceded the organization and naming of the township. The origi- nal proprietors and founders of the village were James B. Wakefield, Henry P. Constans, Samuel V. Hibler and Spier Spencer. The original town site embraces three hundred and twenty acres, being the north half of section seventeen. Three additions, Dow & Bowen's and Young's, of forty acres each, and McArthur's, were subsequently laid out. It is located upon a circular prairie, of about one mile in diameter, and is surrounded, almost entirely, by streams of water and timber. The town site is high, rolling prairie, dotted over with small groves of oak, popple, cottonwood and other trees. The village derives its name from the river. There have been two occasions, widely separated by years, when there was consider- able serious talk of changing the name of the village for various reasons given, but no official action was had, and it is not probable that the name will ever be changed. By the act organizing the county, the county seat was located at Blue Earth City, and the question of location was voted upon at the next general election, which was held in October, 1856, and was decided unanimously in favor of Blue Earth City. The question of 578 HISTORY OF removal of the county seat from Blue Earth City to Winnebago City ■was voted upon at the general election of 18G1, and a large majority of the votes proved to be against removal, and the capital of the county has remained, from the first, at this village. But our gen- eral history of the county will show that many subsequent attempts have been made to remove the county seat. By act of the legislature, approved March 1st, 187L*, the village of Blue Earth City was incorporated, subject, however, to ratifica- tion or rejection by the voters of the township, at the next ensuing town meeting, which was held in March. The act was ratified, but remained inoperative, until an election of village oflScers. The first election for village officers, under this charter, was held April 1st, 1874, when the following officers were elected: J. H. Sprout, pres- ident; S. S. Burleson, H. P. Constans and S. PfefTer, trustees; Alex. Anderson, recorder, and D. P. Goodrich, justice of the peace. The act of incorporation, or "village charter" of 1872, proving very defective in many particulars, the village was re incorporated by act of the legislature, approved January 27th, 1879. The latter act was much more extensive, and much more complete in its pro- visions than the former one. The limits of the territory included in the corporation were greatly extended, by this act, beyond the former boundaries. The first election, under the latter act, was held on the first Tuesday of April. 1879. As the history of the village of Blue Earth City is largely incor- porated in the general history of the county, from year to j'ear, the reader is referred to that record, and especially for an account of the events attending the founding of the village, which will be found in the history of the year 1856. Many items of historical in- terest, relating to the village, will also be found in this historical sketch of the township of Blue Earth City proper. The village having been the county seat since the organization of the county, and, being the oldest village in the county, and having had. from the beginning, a law-abiding, industrious, public spirited class of inhabitants, its people have always taken a leading and prominent part in all the principal political, religious, reformatory and other projects, associations and ijublic enterprises of the county. HON. JAMES B. WAKEFIELD. It is quite proper, that in connection with an historical sl^etch of Blue Earth City, there should In; ^'Iven a hiograpliical notice of Mr.Waketluld, one of tht! II rst settlers of thecimnly, and one of the original town site proprietors, and a resident of the village from its founding, to the close of his lite, with the ex- ception of a few short periods when alisent on official duty. Mr. Wakefield was born at Winsted, Conn., on the twenty-first day of March, 1828. His father. Dr. Luman Wakefield, was a distinguished physician, of that state. James received his preparatory education at Westlleld, Mass., J. n. WAKKKIIvLI). FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 579 and Jonesville, N. Y., and, in 1843, he entered Trinity College, Hartford, Conn., as a sophomore, and graduated in 1846. He read law at Painsville, Ohio, under the direction of Judge E. T. Wilder, his brother-in-law, and was admitted to the bar, at Delphi, Indiana, in 1851, where he engaged in the practice of law for two years. In April, 1854, Mr. Wakefleld came to Minnesota and located at Shakopee, where he engaged in the business of the profession, with Judge L. M. Brown. In February, 1856, he, in company with several other persons, came to this county and founded Blue Earth City, as is more fully detailed in our general history of the year 1856. Mr. Wakefleld was the principal actor in the work of securing the organiza- ticm of the county, and was the first chairman of the first board of county com- missioners, of the county, and was, again, a member of the board in 1859. He was, also, tlie first judge of probate, of the county, and also held theofficeof reg- ister of deeds some time. He was county attorney in 1857, and again in 1860-61, and was twice elected, subsequently, to that office, but declined to serve further. He was elected, in 1857, a member of the House of Representatives, in the last Territorial and first State legislature. In 1861 he was appointed deputy agent, at the lower Sioux Indian agency, in Minnesota, but returned to Blue Earth City at the time of the outbreak of the Indians, in August, 1862. In 1863 he was again a member of the lower House of our State legislature. Mr. Wakefleld was married, at Blue Earth City, in 1864 He was again, in 1866, a member of tlie House, and was elected speaker of the House, during the session of that year. He was State senator, for this dis- trict, in 1867, 1868 and 1869, but resigned the office of State senator about the middle of his second term, to accept the appointment of receiver of the United States laud office, Winnebago City district, to which office he was appointed by President Grant, in 1869. He held this office six years, when he resigned it. In 1875, Mr. Wakefield was elected lieutenant governor of this State, and, in 1877, was again elected, serving in that office two terms, and presided in the State Senate, at the sessions of 1876, 1877, 1878 and 1879. In the fall of 1882, he was elected representative in congress, for this district, and was again elected, in 1884, for a second term, both of which he served. He was not a candidate for re-election in 1886. In 1886, old Trinity College conferred upon him the very honorable degree of Doctor of Laws. Mr. Wakefield has been a republican since the organization of the party, and has, for many years, taken an active part in the politics of the State. He was chairman, of the Minnesota delegation, in the national con- vention in 1868, which nominated General Grant for the presidency, and was a a member of the Minnesota delegation in the national convention of 1876, which nominated General Hayes as the republican candidate for the presi- dency. Mr. Wakefield's name, it will be observed, appears very often in the course of this history, he having been so closely identified with the progress, improvements and important events of the county, from the beginning. OTHER EARLY SETTLERS. The names of other early residents of this township will be found in the following lists, which is a copy of the roll of inhabitants, in June, 1860, according to the census taken at that time. ^/irens— George, Mrs. Louisa, George, Frank, Alvira. 4ndreM)s— Alfred D. 4rnot— John. i?omoc/J— Arthur. Bloehner—iowa. Boioen—Th^Q. Burgess— Geo. Barker— Fied. Butler— Zimri C, Mrs. Caroline, Delia. Beidle— John, Mrs. Mary, Joseph, John, Mary. Beebe-A\onzo, Mrs. Lucretia, Mary Edward. 580 HISTORY OF lilnncltard—Chns. Blunchaid—'Wm. JSUlings—Livyi Sr.. Mrs. Mary, Levi Jr., Albert, Oliver. Beaumont— John B., Mrs. Kujti;nia, Ernt-st. liertmm—Jas. Belts — AIniira. Conxtdus—Urury P., Mrs. liartiara, Charles, PM ward, Theodore. Converse — Geo. S., Mrs. .lulia, ('ynthia, Kn-derick, Frank, Clara. Cln-ixtopherson —Christopher, Mrs Anna, Solvi, Erick, Gillog. Cou/fer— John B., Mrs. Eliza- beth, Leon, Lucien, Anestine, Adalaid. Cult— Jos. B., Mrs. Sarah. Decker— James, Mrs. Catherine, Artetuus, Gustavus, Eii>;ene. Bavy—PeU'T B., Mrs. Calista, Frank. Z>o6,son--James, Mrs. Adeline. £ioaW— John C, Mrs. Louisa, Frederick, Henry, Sophia, Johanna, Matilda. J'o.stcr— Reuben R., Mrs. Ufi)ucca Viran, Ethiuer.Girshani, Reulien. Fdniu-e— Horace A. i-'aWoic— Leander, Mrs. Frances, Frank. Fuckkr—AV/Ann, Calista. (Jot/Zorrf— Edmund. fr(iri— Addison, .Sophia. Kim/sky— Geo. B. 7wc*(e)-— Jacob A., Mrs. Caroline, iu^ti;/— Joseph, Mrs. Mary. Jioo»ze— John, Mrs. Elizabeth, An- toin, Frederick, Charles. JiTots— August, Mrs Anestine, William, Frederick. .Kcesfc)'- Peter J.. Mrs. Margaret, Mary, Elizabeth, Matilda, Henry. Leslie — Saml., Mrs. Jane, Samuel, John, Mary. Lu/e -Hopkins, Mrs. Mary, Mary. Lake — John D. Mann — Christian H. JUend— Israel S., Mrs. Maria, James, Frederick, Stephen, Phebe, Abigail, Alice, .Sarah, il/oioi^- John E., Mrs. Sarah Humphrey, Phiima. Mdvin—yVm. A. Manthie—Wm. Munthk — Julius. J/iaJge —Aaron, Mrs. Lydia, Charles, William, Richard. J/eoiJ— Solomon. Monalian —John A.. Mrs. Margaret. Clara. J/cCVea— Matthew. Miilkn-John. Xeal- Henry J., Mrs. Esther. .A'eicmfui— Lewis. PraM— John K., Mrs. Hannah, Vic- toria. Pan.s/i— Peter, Mrs. Harriet, George, Olive. Proper- Carlos. Ream— Robt. A. i?ose— Aaron J., Mrs. Catharine, Irene, Jacob, Charles, William. 7f((2/}HO»d— Elienezer, Mrs. Sarah, Charles. Pc!ji/(«rf— Nanette. Sly— Chester M., Mrs. Loriza, Ella. iSarj/ewf— Gilbert. Sco»— Wm. M., Mrs. Melvina, Mary, .S'crrto-— Albert. SiVmic/d— Wayne B. 'miJ/i— Aretas, Mrs. Mercy, Josiah. ryitre— John. None of these persons are now residents of the town, except Burton Chute and a part of his family, the others having died or removed, and Mr. Chute is entitled to the honorable designation of the patriarch of Jo Daviess. ORGANIZATION. This town was attached, for civil purposes, to the township of Pilot Grove, by the special commissioners, in 1858, and so remained until January 7th, 1864, when it was detached by the county com- missioners. The first town meeting was held at the house of W. B. Belding, January 26th, 1864, when officers were elected, and the town organized. The board of town officers for the year 1879, was composed of the following named residents of the town: Supervisors, C. C. Briggs, chairman, L. Y. Bobbins and W. R. Winn; town clerk, L. L. Coutier. Mr. Coutier had been clerk for nine previous years. Assessor, W. H. Behse; treasurer, E. Nash; justices of the peace, L. L. Coutier and W. H. Behse; constables, G. Rockwell and J. Neitzal. EDUCATIONAL. The first school-house erected in this town was built in the fall of 1859. It was a very small, cheap log house, and was known as the "Belding School-house." Sometime afterwards it was superse- ded by a very cheap frame building, near the same site, and this was succeeded, in 1867, by a good frame house, on the same lo- cation. Another school-house was erected, at an early day, in the north part of the town, and was known as the "Pezler School-house. " Miss Melissa Chute, it is said, was the first school teacher in this township. She taught a school here in 1859. There are now four good school- houses in the town, all well finished and well furnished. RELIGIOUS. On June 14th, J 868, a society of Seventh Day Adventists was organized in the town by Elders Ingraham and Pierce. Other reli- gious societies were formed here also, at an early day, and held public worship in the school-houses. The Belding school-house was for a number of years quite a noted place for the assembling of reli- gious bodies. 596 mSTOItY OF SUNDRY INCIDENTS. As to bounties given to encourage enlistments during the war of the rebellion, the reader is referred to the historical sketch of Pilot Grove township, for both towns then constituted the town district. The town voted bonuses many times to aid in the building of railroads, none of which proved of any use, until the last vote. Prior to the closing year of this sketch, this township had furnished to the public service, two county commissioners, J. L. McCrery and J. A. Dean, and a county surveyor, J. A. Dean. In the years 1873 and 1874, the crops in this town were almost entirely destroyed by grasshoppers, which caused much distress and discouragement, and compelled many of the people to remove from the town to procure a living, and this fact accounts for the great de- crease in population between the years 1870 and 1875. As illustrating the terrible destruction of crops here in 1874, we quote the following statement from the Blue Earth City Post of January 9th, 1875. The whole town was carefully canvassed, and the following result was obtained. Number of acres sown lo whoat, 1,407; number of bushels of wheat sown, 2,400; number of bushels harvested, (iOl; number of acres sown to oats, 560: number of bushels of oats sown, 1,5C3; number of bushels of oats harvested, 3,482; number of acres planted to corn, 535; number of bushels gathered, 3,020: average yield of wheat per acre in pounds, 25; average yield of oats per acre in bushels, a fraction over 6: average yield of corn per acre in bushels about 5». Add to this the destruction of other crops, in about the same pro- portion, and some idea may be formed of the damages done. Blue Earth City is the principal railroad and trading point for this town, but for the northern portion of the town, Huntley and Winnebago City are also convenient. SOME FIGURES. The population of the town in 1860 was 44; in 1865, 241: in 1870, 477: in 1875, 310; in 1880, 373. The population is mainly American and Irish. The assessor's returns for 187!) show that there were in the town in that year, 217 horses, 306 cows, 295 other cattle, 5 mules, 524 sheep, 271 hogs, 59 wagons and carriages, 21 sewing machines and 4 organs. The assessed value of real estate for that year was $140,1.57; personal property, $17,025; total, $157,782. The total amount of tax assessed for the same year, $2,517. There was pro- duced in the town in 1879, of wheat, 13,000 bu.; of oats, 37,000 bu.; of corn, 31.000 bu.; of potatoes, 2,300 bu.: of barley, 1,500 bu.: sorghum syrup, 2,400 gal- lons: nax seed, 166 bu.; apple trees growing, 1,6,30: wool, 2,600 pounds: butter, 30,000 pounds; total acreage cultivated, ,3,200. Now here is a second roll of honor, embracing the names of many residents of the town, prior to the close of 1879, many of whom have not yet been named in this sketch. a. W. Adair, P. Allen, W. D. Belding, A. Bork, C. C. Barber, E. C. Barnes, F. Barnes, C. C Briggs, A. R. Brockett, R. IT. Barker, Jonathan Burgess, A. Bonwell, J. Burgess, W. II. Behse, Jas.Brownlee.T.Corbett, W.Cummings, Wm. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 597 Child, S. Cook, L. L. Coutier, A. W. Childs, Burton Chute, A. C. Champney, T. Collintrs, M. Corcoran, P. Driscoll, G. W. Dunn, J. D. Dayton, J. A. Dean, Geo. Ellis, R. M. Esseltyne, P. B. Fezzler, Benoni Fortner, E. R. Gorman, P. Gorman, Ed. Gorman, John Gorman, Jas. Gorman, T. W. Getchell, I. F. Green, Patrick Guckeen, B. Hall, S. M. Hawes, L. Harmon, J. Hope, M. J. Haddeman, W. T. Ives, A. Jennings, Fred. Jennings, R. James, C. W. Jones, Matthew Kel- ley, Jud. Kellogg, J. Kennedy, Cor. J. Kennedy, John Merrick, H. McDonald, A. McDonald, F. H. McNerny, J. H. Mackey, P. McDermott, Jas. McDonald, P. Murphy, Wm. Murphy, R. A. Merrill, Elbert Nash, Henry Nutter, W. W. Nut- ter, J. S. Nutter, H. H. Nutter, J. A. Neitzel, E. M. Owen, A. Peterson, Thos. Pettit, E. Petti ngill, V. Perham, D. E. Perrine, John Russell, Geo. Rector, L. Y. Robbins, Geo. Rockwell, II. Robinson, E. Sailor, Daniel Sailor, W. G. South, II. Snyder, G. L. Skinner, Wm. Smith, Geo. Saunders, Fred. Swingdorf, F. J. Swingdorf, Wm. Underbill, S. Wagner, Wm. R. Winn, H. D. Wise, C. Wallace, Samuel Yetter, H. D. Yendis. The town is now being rapidly settled up, and its fertile lands improved, and at no distant day it will rank with the best townships of the county. CHAPTER XVL PILOT GROVE TOWNSHIP. This is congressional township one hundred and one (101) north, of range twenty-eight (28) west. It is the southwest township of the county, and is bounded on the north by the town of Jo Daviess; east, by Elmore township; south, by the State line; west, by the Martin county line. PHYSICAL FEATURES. The surface of this township averages eleven hundred and eighty feet above sea level, but there is one locality, in the town, which is twelve hundred and fifty feet, being among the highest lands in the county. Moraiuic hills appear along the southern boundary of the town. The drift here is probably considerably over one hundred feet in depth, to bed rock. The flowing artesian well, on the Winch farm, on section eight, reported to be one hundred feet in depth, did not reach bed rock. The Winch well flowed for some four years, and ceased in 1879. A well sunk on section twenty, in 1880, to a depth of seventy feet, proved, also, a flowing well. It is quite evi- dent, from these facts, that these valuable flowing fountains may easily be obtained in this township. The general surface of the land is rolling prairie. The heads of Badger creek, in the north part of the town, and Otter creek, in tlie south half, and a small branch of the Blue Earth, are the only run- 598 HlSTOIiY OF ning waters in the town. These streams are tributaries of the west branch of the Blue Earth river. There are, however, several small slough runs, which are considerable streams during parts of the year. There are, also, several small, but beautiful, silvery lakes in the town, known as Big lake. Pilot Grove lake, Weazel lake and Farlow lake, the latter named after one L. Farlow, a trap- per, who, in the early years, trapped about these lake, for furs. The timber, of which there is but little, is confined to the mar- gins of these lakes. The grove known as Pilot Grove is the princi- pal body of timber. The farmers of this town, also, have done a good work, in setting out many groves of forest trees, and the land- scape presents much the appearance of a wooded country, and the people are every year adding to the number of these beautiful groves. The whole township should, and doubtless some daj' will be, in fact, as well as in name, largely a grove. The lands are well divided into tillable and pasturage, and the soil is as good as any in the State. The surface is easily drained. Good well water is found anywliere at moderate depth. THE NAME. The town was named Pilot Grove bj' the special commissioners in 1858, and was so named because of the fine grove of native timber on the northern boundary of the town, and this grove was named Pilot Grove, because in the early days, before roads were established, this grove was a sort of land mark, on the wide prairies, by which the immigrant was piloted on his way westward. It may be added, too, that this grove, with its fine lake of sparkling waters and rich grasses surrounding it, was, in the days of the immigrants, a sort of capacious inn, or caravansary, or camping ground. There are live post offices in the United States which bear the name of Pilot Grove. FIRST .SETTLEMENT. Gilbert McClure was the first settler of Pilot Grove township. He located here in June, 1856, upon the west half of the northwest quarter of section two, and lots one and two in section three. Mr. McClure was born in Scotland. He came to the United States in 1852, and settled in the state of New York. Prom thence he removed to Lake county, Indiana, and from the latter place he came to this county. Mr. McClure is by occupation a brickmaker and farmer. During the summer of 1857, he and his brother Hugh, who is also an old resident, made some thirty thousand excellent brick in the town. On the eighteenth day of June, 1858, there came into this town a company of immigrants, all Scotch people, consisting of twenty- three persons, with their ox teams, covered wagons and a small drove FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 599 of cattle. These immigrants were Archibald Cardell, David Ogilvie, Andrew R. More and James Ogilvie and their respective families. They had come from the state of Wisconsin, through many tribula- tions of mud and high waters, to this new land to find homes. They camped on the banks of Weasel lake, and on the next day, the men went with a Mr. Hinckly to Chain Lakes, in Martin county, to in- spect the country, but they returned here in three or four days and determined to locate in this town, and accordingly proceeded to se- lect their lands. In a few days they removed their wagons and stock to the point of Tarr's Grove, near by, and here established a permanent camp. Owing to the want of roads to the timber, the high waters of that year (that was the wet year) and the impassable sloughs, they did not get up a cabin to live in, until about September, but in the mean time, lived in their wagons and tents, as best they could. While yet living in this patriarchal way and only four days after then arrival, to-wit: June 22d, the first children were born in the town. On that day was born to David and Mary Ogilvie, a pair of twins. They were named Alexander and Mary. Alexander died, when about two years old. Mr. Ogilvie and his companions had come to a new country, the great demand of which was settlers. To multiply and replenish the earth, was one of the ways to supply the demand. It may be remarked that these people do not now live in covered wagons, or even tents, but that long since large and con- fortable farm houses and barns, wide spreading cultivated fields, large herds and droves of improved stock, and an abundance of all the comforts and conveniences of life are the rewards of their labor and thrift, while their descendants are numerous, and have taken up and improved much of the lands in the vicinity of the old home- steads. Having mentioned the first births in the town we may also speak of the first death, being in the order of dates. The first death occurred in October, 1858, when Mrs. McClure, the mother of Gilbert McClure died, at the advanced age of seventy-three. She had come from her native Scotland, and the home and friends of her youth to lay her bones in this new and strange land. But the promise is, that in the blessed home of the hereafter, there are no boundaries of nations, or distances of separation, and the well grounded hope is, that all the redeemed shall be united, to part no more forever. Though dying so far from her native land, it is still true, that it is no farther from the earthly home in Pilot Grove, to the gates of paradise, than it is from the lowlands, or highlands of Scotland, or any other land under the sun. The following list presents the names of all the residents of the town in June, 1860, according to the census rolls, with the ex- ception of two or three persons, who were absent at the time. 600 nisTonv of Can1eU—ATch\\i:i\t\. Mrs. Anna, .lames, John. A/cCTurc— Gilbert. McClure— Margaret. Jtfo/-t— Andrew U., Mrs. .lanette, Robert, Janet te, Christina, Andrew, James, Marian, Thomas. 0(/i7t'i'( -James, Mrs. Ellen, Davirl, Robert, Isabel, Mary. OytVfic-David, ,Sr., Mrs. Mary, Akmu's, Julia, Mary. Alexander. And these are they to whom history must atcord the honor of being the old settlers of Pilot Grove. ORGANIZATION. The township of Jo Daviess was attached to the town of Pilot Grove, for town purposes, by the special commissioners, in 1858. The first town meeting of the joint towns was held at the house of Jas. L. McCrery, on the twentieth day of October, 1858, at which time the town district was organized by the election of officers. Mr. Mc- Crery was elected chairman, and A. R. More and James Ogilvie, side supervisors, and A. Cardell, clerk. The two towns were separated by the county commissioners, on the seventh day of January. 18fi4, and each started on an independent career. The ofiicial town records of this township, covering the period from the organization to the year 1865, inclusive, are lost. It appears that the records of these earlier years were kept on separate sheets of paper, and not in a bound book, as should have been the fact, and they have now disap- peared forever. This fact is much to be regretted by the historian, as these records would have, at least, given the action of the town on various subjects — military bounties, for instance, and the names of town officials. EDUCATIONAL. The first school-house in the town was a small log building, erected about the year 1859, on lands of James Ogilvie, and was known as the "Ogilvie Schcolhouse." This building was used for several years, when a new and better structure was erected, known as the "More School house." There are now four substantial frame school-houses in the town. Mrs. .lennette Silliman (then Miss More), daughter of A. R. More, taught the first school in the town, in the summer of 1859. RELIGIOUS. The Presbyterians have for many years had a flourishing society here, and regular services. The society was organized in 1860 or 1861. The Free Will Baptists organized a congregation here in May, 1869. There was a Sabbath school organized in this town as early as the spring of 1859, which still continues, and is probably the old- est Sunday school in the county. It appears that there was a Sun- day school instituted in Winnebago City township a little earlier than the Pilot Grove school, but did not long survive. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 601 SUNDRY INTERESTING FACTS. The first marriage in the town was that of Silas B. Howland to Margaret McClui'e, which occurred on the fourteenth day of Octo- ber. 1858. The people of this town, like all others residing on the frontiers, became greatly apprehensive of an attack by the Indians, at the time of the great massacre in 1862. They held a number of meet- ings, when plans of defense were discussed. A military company was formed, of which James Ogilvie was commissioned first lieuten- ant, and the company was drilled by Sergeant Shepard Young, the only old soldier in the company. The roster of this company was made up of the following names: Henry Eversou. Archibald Cardell, David Ogilvie, James Ogilvie, Shephard Young, John Young, J. L. McCreiy, R. R. McCrery, James McCrery, Aaron McCrery, Thos. Wilson, Sr., and John Wil- son, Sr., and perhaps several others. But on the fifth day of Sep tember, it was resolved to leave the country, and on the next day the Pilot Grove settlement was deserted. The people went to Blue Earth City, where preparations were made for defense in the erection of a fort, and here they remained for about a week, when they returned to their homes. Still it was a long time before they felt much confidence in their safety. This township has also endeavored to encourage the building of railroads, into the county, by voting of aid, in form of bonds. None of the "bonuses'" voted were of any avail, except those lasi given, in 1878. During the war of the Rebelion, liberal bounties were granted to soldiers who should enlist and be credited to the town district — this town and Jo Daviess being then attached. , It appears, from the town records of Jo Daviess, that on the twenty-third day of Decem- ber, 1863, the board of the joint towns resolved to give a bounty of §50, and that on August 17th, 1864, though the towns were then separate, the boards of the two towns had a joint meeting, and re- solved to give a bounty of $500 to each soldier enlisting, as above stated. We find also that subsequent to this, but the date is not given, the joint boards resolved to levy a tax of $2,900, and on the sixth of May, 1865, they resolved to levy a tax of $3,025 to pay vol- unteer bounties. On September 22d, 1866, they resolved to levy a tax of $206. to pay expenses of exempts (as see general history of the year 1865), and also resolved to raise $1,912 to pay off the balance of bounty bonds, issued in 1861. A number of joint meet- ings were held, during the following years, in relation to the pay- ment of the bounty bonds, but the details are of no interest at this day. 602 BISTOIIV OF The grasshopper ravages in this town, during the years 1873 and 1874, were very serious, amounting, in the latter year, to an almost total destruction of the crops. An inspection of the state- ment, as to the losses from this cause, given in the sketch of Jo Daviess, will give the reader some idea of the destruction wrought in this town. Many of the people were considerably in debt, and their situa- tion, for some years, very distressing. Some were compelled to re- move, temporarily, from the town, to procure a living, and this fact accounts for the decrease of the population, for a short period, as appears by the census. There has. for some years, been a post-office in this town, named Pilot Grove, but no village, and the principal trading point of the town has always been at Blue Earth City, but since the building of the North and South railroad, another convenient shipping and market town, esjiecially for the people of the southern portion of this township, is found at the village of Elmore. Prior to the close of this sketch, 187'J. this township had fur- nished to the jjublic service, a member of the Board of County Com- missioners, A. R. More, Sr., for six years, three of which he was chairman, and a member of the State legislature, al.so Mr. More. HON. ANDREW R. MORE. SR. Mr. Moro was born on the twent.y-flrst clay of .Tune, 1813, in the town of llainilton, Lanarkshire, Scotlanrl. His father was a cambric weaver by trade Mr. More received his education in the common and Krarumar schools of his district. He learned the trade of lace printer, and worlar- rled, in 1857, to Miss Elizabeth McArthur. He was often a meniher of the town and school boards of Elmore township. He was elected a representative in the State loKlslature, In 1859, and attended the sessioo of 1859-60. He was a meniher of the board of county commissioners, in 1804, 1865, and 1866, and was two years chairman of the board. In 1893 he was appointed postmaster of El- more. For a number of years after cominy lo this county, Mr. Shultis adhered to the republican party, but, subseiiuenlly allilialed with the democrats. He and his family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Shultis has always been engaged in farming and stock raising. A FEW FIGURES. By the census of 1860, the population of the town was 95; in 1865 there were 295, including the residents of Rtmie township. In 1870 there were 470, Rome having thi'nbeen setoff. In 1875 we And 404: in 18s:),442. A large majority of the population are American born. Stock and other property in 1879: Horses, 244; cows, 372; other cattle, 404; mules, 6; sheep, 2.264; hogs, 624; wagons and carriages, 66; sewing machines, 22; organs, 1. Agricultural productions (estimated) for 1879: Wheat, 16,.')00 bushels; oats, 10,.500 bushels; corn, 15,000 bushels; barley, 800 bushels; potatoes, 1,600 bushels; wild hay, 3,100 tons. There were 50() apple trees growing. But- ter produced, 29,000 lbs. The report of products is tiuite indefinite for this year. Assessed value of real estate for 1879, $144,052: assessed value of personal estate for 1879, $31,610; total, •$175,662; total tax assessed on same, $3,687.25. THE ELMORE "UAR." We cannot close this historical sketch of Elmore township ■without giving a brief account of the once noted "Elmore Bar." In the early days of the town there was considerable litigation among some of the people who resided near the Iowa line, and who had but little respect for either divine or human laws. Their fre- quent lawsuits give rise to what was known as the Elmore Bar. a merely local and unprofessional institution. This bar was composed of Allen Shultis, Geo. D. McArthur, W. W. Knapp. Zac. Haggiu and DuBois Tooker, who, for a small consideration, acted as attornej's of litigants before the justices' court. When heavier cases than or- dinary ones, arose, a regular attorney from the villages was brought in to manage affairs, but generally went out badly beaten. The court was composed of Mr. Philip Chesley, a highly respected and old time resident of the town, who was justice of the peace, and Hiram Chesley, constable. Many amusing incidents occurred in these trials, but we can give but one of them here. In a certain suit, Mr. Shultis was attorney for the plaintiff, and Messrs. Tooker and McArthur for the defendant. As the suit enlisted considerable local interest, the attorneys were quite earnest in behalf of their several clients. Mr. Shultis prepared an elaborately written argu- ment and laid it up between the logs of the cabin, in which they lived, for safe keeping, until the momentous day, and calmly and FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 611 confidently awaited the hour of victory over the combination of legal talent arrayed against him. But the opposing counsel, who resided in the same cabin with Mr. S., quietly purloined the argu- ment, and when the day of trial came, Mr. S. found it gone, but where, he could not imagine. He said nothing, but gallantly went into the contest. When the proceedings before the court, reached the argument, lo, and behold! one of the defendant's counsel read, with great energy and emphasis, the lost argument, and won the case. Mr. Shultis was afterwards heard to say that he considered the cabbaging of his argument a very mean trick, as he was thus com- pelled to furnish brains for both sides, while he could only charge for one and for that had to take his client's note, which was never paid. OFFICIAL. Prior to the closing year of this historical sketch, this township had contributed to the public services, three county commissioners, Wilson, Preston and Shultis, each of whom was chairman of the board; two members of the State legislature, McArthur and Shultis; a judge of probate, Preston; two court commissioners elect, Preston and McArthur (neither of whom qualified, however), and a coroner, W. A. Way. _ The following is a list of the names of a number of residents of the town prior to the close of 1879. It is impossible now to give the names of all who have been residents: Chas. Aling, Dan Ackerman, F. Albright. A. D. Adams, P. H. Austia, A.S. Anderson, A. R. Brockett, Daniel Boon, Abija Bowen, C. Bartz, H. Benson, H. Barkley, A. Beckwith, A. Cook, John Coppernoll, Enos Coppernoll, H. Copper- noll, S. N. Gaboon, J. A. Gaboon, J. Allison Gaboon, E. GoUison, Phillip Cbesley, Hiram Gbesley, Wm. Cbesley, J. E. Cbase, G. Collison, A. Gollison, R. M. Gordill, W. S. Drake, Sr., W. S. Drake, Jr., F. Goodrich, J Hardie, A. G. Hardie, F. L. Rowland, H. P. Hanson, P. B. Hanyburst, J. Haggin, A. T. Ire- land, A. G. Ingalls, E. G. Ingalls, John Ingalls, A. Krosch, W. Krosch, G. Krosch, J. Klatt, J. A. LaPoint, G. D. McArthur, C. McArthur, A. D. Mason, Elliot Mason, John McGoy, Sam'l Monroe, J. F. McLaughlin, W. G. Middleton, 0. Mathews, Orin Moffltt, M. Nauman, S. H. Norton, Wm. B. Page, Amos Pres- ton, J. M. Purdie, Harrison Pratt, Jas. Pratt, A. Russell, J. G. Russell, Roenus Robbins, Al. Robbins, Russell Richardson, J. Richardson, Benj. Stanton, W. M. Saxton, D. Schneider, Simon Schneider, Charles Stockman, Ralph Stock- man, R. R. Stockman, F. Smith, Jas. Sullivan, Martin Shultis, L. K. Sharpe, G. Sharpe, Du. P.. Tooker, Geo. A. Taylor, R. Taylor, Alfred E. Taylor, Allen Taylor, A. Taylor, C. Taylor, Sherman Taylor, J. VanSlyke, W. H. Vining, J. J. Vrooman, Geo. Vrooman, John H. VauBuren, A. J. Wilcox, C. Whittoun, O. Webster, P. Welden, Marshall Way, Henry Woolery, H. A. Woolery. 612 HISTOnV OF CHAPTER XVIII. ROME TOWNSHIP. The United States government in its ofiBcial land sui-veys, num- bers this township one hundred and one (101) north, of range twenty-six (2()) west, of the principal meridian. The surface of the town has an avorage elevation of eleven hun- dred and sixty feet above the level of tide water, and the depth of the drift here is doubtless over one hundred feet to bed rock. Yet this fact has never been determined accurately, either by deep wells or otherwise. The surface is slightly undulating, or rolling prairie, well adapted to farming, grazing and stock raising. The soil is very fertile and all crops which can be raised in the northwest, can be successfully grown here. There is no native timber in the town, but there are many and large artificial groves of forest trees, and more being constantly added. Coon ci'eek heads in this town, and this with several slough rivulets, are the only water courses in the town. Good well water is obtained in abundance, at moderate depths. THE FIRST SETTLEMENT. The first permanent settler of this township was Ole Nelson (Hauge) who settled upon and claimed the northeast quarter of sec- tion three (3) early in March, 1863. Mr. Nelson was born in Nor- way. He emigrated to the United States and first settled in Dane county, Wisconsin. He subsequently removed to this county, loca- cating in the town of Emerald, where he resided several years, and then removed to Rome, as above stated. Mr. Nelson has always been a farmer by occupation. Owing to the fact that Rome is a prairie town, it was among the towns last settled. AmonK those who are entitled to the name of old settlers of Rome, and who were residents of the town in 1868 or prior thereto, we record the names of Fred Everton, T. J. Everton, L. Rogers, H. Cordell, J. II. Stubbs, D. Coyle, A. Bart- lett, L. II. Ames, K. Peterson, Nels Thompson, George Rartlett, L. Kallostadt, L. Edson, John Emerson, C. Xing, W. D. Clark, Wm. Sterrett, John Sterrett, W. G. Clark, L. K. Wondwick, C. Nelson, H. Thompson, O. E. Legwold, Ste- phenson Iverson, Flo. Simeon Hess, J.Klareweter, VV. Tolliver, Eric Amundson, II. Ilalverson, P. Larson, A. Mickelson, A. Rasmusson, L. Sieverson, Jas. Pat- terson, Wm. Oelke, (). H. Littlefleld, Philip Maglouglln. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 613 THE NAME. This tovrn was first called "Campbell," by the special commis- sioners, in 1858, in honor of one James Campbell, who, by the way, was never a resident of this town, but was one of the first settlers in Elmore township. The writer has been unable to learn that "Old Jimmy," as Mr. Campbell was usually called, was ever distinguished for anything special, except that he was a smooth talking, plaus- ible, old Scotch-Irishman, and was skilled in "swappin' hoses, "and turned an honest penny in that way, occasionally. He left this country many years ago, and his present place of residence is un- known to the writer. The town was attached, by the special commissioners, to El- more, for civil purposes, and so remained until the January session of the county board, in 1868, when it was detached, and the name of the town was changed to "Grant," in honor of Gen. U. S. Grant. But it soon appeared that there was another town in the State, of the same name, and the State auditor directed the name to be changed again, which was done at the session of the county board, in March, 1868, and the town named "Rome," its present name. Some persons have said that the town was named in honor of old Pagan Rome, once the mistress of the world, others that ec- clesiastical Rome, the head of the church, was intended to be hon- ored, but, the fact is, that the town was named for the city of Rome, in the state of New York, and the name was suggested by Fred Everton, who, though not the first, was the second settler in the town, and for many consecutive years, from its organization, was chairman of the town board. The name Rome, as a designation of a locality, is undoubtedly more universally known, among men, than any other name in use at present, or any other to be found in history. There are some twenty cities, villages and postofiices, in the United States, of this name, and then there is the never to be forgotten, old Rome, on the Tiber— "The Eternal City." ORGANIC. When the town was set off as a separate town, the county board directed an election for town officers to be held on the twenty- eighth day of January, 1868, but a severe storm prevented the hold- ing of this election. The first election was held on the second day of March, of that year, at which officers were chosen, but there was another election held for town officers, which occurred on the eighth day of April, following, at which most of the same persons were chosen, as at the prior election. The second election was rendered necessary because of some irregularities in the first. 614 HISTORY OF The town has kept up its organization and self government from that clay to this. The roster of town officers was made up of the following named residents of the township, in 1868, when the town was organized : Supervisors, Fred Evcrton, chairman, T. J. Everton and Geo. Bartlett: town clerk, W. J. Cordill; treasurer, 8. H. Stubbs; assessor, D. Coyle; justices of the peace, Wni. Burton and K. Peterson; constables, L. Edson and J.Enarson. The olllcers for the years 1878St, were: for supervisors, H. E. Legvold, chair- man, W. G. Clark and T. Mikkleson: town clerk, .S. O. Nortoa; treasurer, Ole Nelson; assessor, C. A. Erdahl; justice of the peace, W. .T. Cordill; con- table, H. Tennessen. EDUCATIONAL. The first school house erected in this town was built in 1870 near the farm of Wm. Sterrett. It is a good substantial frame build- ing and is known as "the Sterrett school house." The Hess school house is over the line, and in Elmore, and was erected by a joint school district, composed of territory taken from both Rome and Elmore. This house was erected before the Sterrett school house. There are now three school houses in the town. It is said that a Miss Tolliver taught the first school. RELIGIOUS. The United Presbyterians established a society here at a very early day, and have had. for many years, a resident minister. This congregation worshiped, for many years, at the Sterrett school house. The Norwegian Lutherans have also had public worship in this town for many years past. SUNDRY INCIDENTS. An act was passed by the State Legislature in 1868. to provide for the payment of certain taxes by the town of Grant, in Faribault county, which enacted that the said town "which was detached from the town of Elmore * * shall be and is hereby declared to be liable to pay the same proportion of the tax thereafter neces- sary to be levied for the payment of the bounties offered by the said town to the volunteers of the late war. as would have been the case had the said town of Grant remained without a separate and independent organization." The town had been set off in .January 1868, and the purport of this act is plain. In 1870. the town, together with Elmore, was sued on military bounty bonds, issued when the town was attached to Elmore. Judgment was entered against the two towns for ^1.421. and costs, a proportionate share of which was paid by this town, and also of another judgment against Elmore alone, for ^809. The matter is more fully recited in the history of Elmore township. FABIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 615 The people of Rome have suffered severely, many times, from destructive prairie fires, which have swept over the country. Ref- erences thereto will be found in the general history of the county. That of August, 1874, was very disastrous to many. The town has frequently voted to aid in the building of rail- roads, but without effect, until the last vote taken, wliich secured a road to Blue Earth City, and thence southward. In 1870, the town voted $8,000 in bonds to the Burlington, C. R. and M. R. R. Company, to build a road from Mason City, Iowa, to Blue Earth City, which, if it had been built, would have given the town a depot, but the project proved a failure. Up to the close of this history, the town has furnished to the public service a member of the board of county commissioners, L. K. Woodwick. a' few figures. When the census of 1860 was taken, there were no inliabitants in Rome township. At the census of 1865 the town was attached to Elmore, and its inhabitants were enumerated with that town. By the census of 1870 there were 396 souls in the town, and in 1875, 458; in 1880, 504. The residents of this town are Americans, Germans, Scotch and Nor- wegians, the latter nationality largely predominating. In 1879, there were in the town 214 horses, 436 cows, 485 other cattle, 12 mules, 362 sheep, 188 hogs, 69 wagons and carriages, 21 sewing machines, and 2 organs. The assessed value of real estate that year was, $117,787. The assessed value of personal property that year was, $22,015. Total, $139,802. The total tax as- sessed thereon was $1,584.32. The agricultural products of the same year were as follows: Wheat, 27,000 bushels; oats, 26,000 bushels; corn, 12,000 bushels; barley. 1,300 bushels; pota- toes, 1,700 bushels: sorgum syrup, 700 gallons; flaxseed, 590 bushels; wool 1,482 pounds; butter, 31,000 pounds. Total acreage cultivated, 3,400. In addition to the names of early settlers in this town, already given, there is here added a further list of residents, prior to the close of 1879. All, however, may not be named: J. Anderson, A. Amundson, T. Atlakson, E. Amundson, P. Berg, A. L. Brakke, A. B. Balcom, E. A. Brownlee, W. J. Cordell, Curtis Dolliver, Fones Dolliver, C. Dalsing, S. Erdahal, L. Erdahl, R. M. Erdahl,C. A. Erdahl, A. O. Egness, Iver K. Floe, J. C. Foster, J. A. Fibelstad, S. Gerke, O. Hemmingson, J. Hemmingson, H. Halverson, E. Halverson, A. Ingebretson, O. Jacobson, K. Johnson, A. Johnson, L. A. Kallestadt, C. A. Kallestadt, P. Knudtson, P. Lar- son, C. II. Littlefleld, S. Lovass, H. E. Legvold, O. J. Legrid, A. Mikkleson, T. Mikkleson, A. Markesan, O. M. Mehl, 0. O. Mehl, P. F. Mundale, Philip Mag- louglin, S. O. Norton, O. Nilson, J. Nilson, G. Nilson, L. Oelke, Wm. Oelke, O. Oleson, L. A. Olson, Ole Olson, A. Oleson, Ole Peterson, C. W. Quiggle, O. J. Quam, R. M. Robertson, A. Rasmusson, L. Seivertson, O. Sjorson, J.K. Starrett, H. Simanson, O. O. Steene, T. Thorson, T. Torgerson, Neils G. Thompson, H. Thompson, R. J. Underdahl, O. J. Weberg, Ludwig Willmert, G. Willmert, W. Willmert, 616 HISTOItY OF CHAPTER XIX. SEELY TOWNSHIP. The town of Seely is Congressional townsliip one hundred and one (101) north, of range twenty-five (25) west. The surroundings of this town are as follows: On the north is Brush Creek township, on the east is the town of Kiester, on the sbuth is the Iowa State line, and on the west is the town of Rome. The mean elevation of this town above sea level is eleven hundred and seventy -five feet. A well bored on the southwest quarter of section four, to a depth of one hundred and twenty-three feet, proves the drift here to be about ninety-five feet in depth, to bed-rock. The bed-rock is a bluish- gray limestone. This is a prairie township, and the surface is mod- erately rolling. The soil is deep and fertile. Tillable and pasture lands are well proportioned. Brush Creek runs through the north- east corner of the town, and the east branch of the Blue Earth river through the northwest, and these, besides several slough runs, are the living streams of the town. Most of the lands are easily drained. There is no native timber in this town, except what is found on the Blue Earth River. Many thousands of trees have been set out by farmers, and there are now many fine groves of forest trees, well advanced, which dot the wide, green prairies on every hand. EARLY SETTLEMENT. The first white man to locate in this town was Jacob E. Shirk. He settled upon the northwest quarter of section four, about the twelfth day of .June, 1856, and made the first improvements in the town in breaking up the land and erecting buildings. Mr. Shirk was born in Lancaster county, Penn. He served four years in the United States Marine corps, was present in Japan at the signing of the treaty in 1854. between the United States and Japan, being a member of Commodore Perry's expedition. During this expedition, Mr. Shirk circumnavigated the globe. He was dis- charged from the service in November, 1855, at Washington, D. C. and immediately emigrated to Clarksville. Iowa, and from thence to Minnesota in 1856, as above stated. He was married in 1858 to Miss Catharine Schneider. V. C. SKKLY. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 617 Early in 1865, he enlisted in a Minnesota regiment of heavy artillery, and was ordered south, but the rebellion closing, he was, after seven months' service, discharged, after which time he engaged in farming on his old homestead in this town. Mr. Shirk died July 15th, 1895. The following list embraces the names of all persons residing in the town in June, 1860, according to the United States census of that year. Foster— Khrahaxa. P?-«J(— David, Mrs. Asenath, James, Parizade, Harri- son, Ellen. ProW— Samuel, Mrs. Helen, Ida. S/iu-t— Jacob E., Mrs. Catharine, Jefferson. Seely — Philander C, Mrs. Harriet, Clement. See^^v— Willard. But there are others whose names should be added to this list of the early settlers of the town, among whom were David Shirk, William Poster, Wm. B. Taylor, and Chester Eddy. The following table exhibits the appraised wealth of the people of this town, as set forth in the census schedules of 1860: Acres of land improved 85 Value of farms $2,000 No. of horses .5 No. of milch cows 16 No. of working oxen ]6 No. of other cattle 1.3 No. of swine 20 Value of live stock $ 985 Value of farm implements and machinery 363 The first company of immigrants who located in this town, was that of David Pratt andhis large family, accompanied by P. C. Seely and family, and a number of other persons who all located here in the year 1857. They took up considerable land, and proceeded to make large improvements. Deacon David Pratt, the patriarch of this company, was a man of more than ordinary intelligence and force of character, and was possessed of some considerable means and with all, and over all, was an earnest, christian man, who illustrated his pro- fession in his every day life and conduct. For many years the house of Mr. Pratt was the headquarters of the town, and the sto^jping place of the traveler, the immigrant and the missionary, all of whom found here, at all times, the most generous hos23itality. Mr. Pratt died in August, 1877. THE NAME OP THE TOWN. The town was named Seely, by the special commissioners, in in 1858, in honor of Philander C. Seely, one of the earliest settlers of the town. PHILANDER C. SEELY. Mr. Seely was born in Cayuga county, state of New York, in 1823. He emi- grated to Wisconsin in 1846, and from thence to this county in 1857. He married Miss Harriet Pratt, a daughter of David Pratt. They have one child living, Clement W. Seely, now a resident of the town. Mr. Seely was the 618 HISTORY OF first chairoian of the licarii df suporvisois, of this town, and ihi; first justice of th(! peace, being chosen to tiolli olllces the same year. He was also a tncniber of the board of county supervisors (now coiuniissioners) one tiTui. lie was elected to the otllce of sheriff, of this county, in the fall of 18iil, receivint? every vote polled in the county. He served one term. When elected sheriff he re- moved to Blue Earth City, where he resided some years, but subsefjuently returned to his farm in Seely, and enjraKcd in farmin)^. He was in the military service of the United States, and went south near the close of the rebellion. Mr. .Seely, in his youn^rer days, toolc much interest in politics, and early allied himself with the republican party, lie was a delegate to the lirst free- soil convention, which assembled in Wisconsin, and which was held in 1848, when the free-soil party was organized in that state, and he supported Mr. Van liuren, the free-soil candidate for president that year. Since writing the above sketch Mr. Seely returned again to Blue Earth City to reside, accompanied by his son and his family, and there he expects to spend the remainder of his days. There are five i)ost offices in the United States named Seely, and two named Seelyville. ORGANIZATION. This town was organized for civil purposes in 1858. and has kept up its organization to this day. The town of Kiester, then "Lake," was attached to Seely by the special commissioners in 1858 for town purposes, and so remained until set off as a separate town by the county commissioners, January 4th, 1892. On the sixth of March, 1860, the two town districts of "Seely and Kiester" and "Brush Creek and Poster." were consolidated as one town district, by the county board, but this arrangement did not continue a great while. The first board of town officers, elected in 1858, were: P. C. Seely, chairman of the supervisors and Abraham Foster and Samuel Pratt, side supervisors; town clerk, Willard Seely; assessor. David Pratt; justice of the peace, P. C. Seely; constable. James Pratt; treasurer, David Pratt. The town officers in 1879. the last year of this sketch, were the following named persons: supervisors, P. J. Glasted, chairman, O. Reed and C. Sheldon; town clerk, G. B. Bates; assessor, C. W. Seely; treasurer, R. 0. Haaland; justices of the peace. P. C. Seely and D. Salley; constables, Fred Williams and J. Reed. EDUCATIONAL. The first school house was built on the lines between the towns of Seely and Brush Creek, in the year 1858, the district then compris- ing the two towns. The house was built of logs, and was sixteen feet by twenty-four feet in size, and one story high. The first school was taught by Miss Parizade Pratt (afterwards Mrs. H. Raymond) in the above house, in the summer of 1858. There are now five sub- stantial, well furnished school houses in the town, and a very com- FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 619 mendable spirit has always been manifested on the subject of edu- cation. RELIGIOUS AND OTHER SOCIETIES. The first sermon preached in this township, was delivered by the Rev. Mr. Judd (Methodist), of the Winnebago Indian Agency, in the old log liouse of Deacon David Pratt, in February, 1858. The Baptist church was organized here, December 19th, 1858. Tlie Nor wegian Evangelical Lutheran church was organized about 1870, and this society erected a church edifice in the northwestern portion of the town, in 1872, on section 7. The Methodists organized in De- cember, 1871. A Grange of the Patrons of Husbandry was insti- tuted here in the days when that society flourished in this county. VARIOUS EVENTS. The first person born in Seely township was Ida M. Px-att, daughter of Samuel Pratt. She was born in August, 1858. The first marriage was that of Abraham Poster, to Miss Emily M. C. Murray, which occurred on the fourth day of May, 1859, and the ceremony was performed by Mr. Seely, justice of the peace. The first death was that of Samuel Pratt, which took place Januai'y 5th, 1863. A postofiice was established in this town named "Clayton," about the year 1859, on section four. Clayton is now known as something more than a post-office. It may be designated as a ham- let, and the headquarters of the town. For many years there has been a store here, and a hotel, blacksmith shop, school house, etc. There are two other post-offices in the town, one named Homedahl, on section 30; and one named Seely, on section twenty- two. Prior to the close of this history, this town has furnished the following public officers: two county commissioners, Seely and Sis- son; a sheriff, Seely; a county surveyor, Sisson. Prior to the close of 1879, there wei'e many settlers who came into this town, the names of some of whom, not already mentioned, are recorded here. K. Ander.son, A. Armstrong, J. Anderson, L. T. Batland, C. Bloom, A. B. Brant, G. D. Bassett, G. B. Bates, John Cushins, R. Dericksoo, C. E. Everett, F. S. Everette, A. Foster, Ole Gudall, T. N. Gestie, P. J. Glasted, M. O. Hogue, D. L. Hogue, J. G. Hogue, J. O. Hove, C. O. Haaland, T. O. Haaland, R. O. Haa- land, F. Hulbert, M. Halsett, A. Halsett, h. Johnson, C. Johnson, J. O. John- son, D. Johnson, Otten Iverson, Henry Kamrar, S. P. Langsav, S. Larson, L. Lewison, A. W. Langworthy, B. H. Langworthy, W. F. Lawrence, O. W. Lee, N. Nelson, O. N. Oleson, J. Peterson, P. Peterson, A. Peterson, S. Peterson, F. Pet- erson, J. Pratt. G. Pratt, W. W. Reed, E. R. Reed, J. Reed, O. Reed. John Reed, S. L. Rugg, T. T. Rosdale, Ira M. Riker, A. L. Rake, J. Raymimd, J. R Sisson, Jeff. Shirk, J. M. Showalter, Daniel Salley, O. Sannon, T. D. Stodland, T.Sher- man, 0. Scholden, T. L. Sherman, W. Seely. C. W. Seely, A. Torkleson, O. B. ThoDjpson, E. J. Torquine, Geo. Venim, H. Wing, Fred. Williams. 620 HISTORY OF STATISTICS. The reports for the year 1870, show Id this town, 240 horses; 442 cows: :i99 other cattle; 8 mules; 170 sheep; ;t9 hogs; 30 wagons and carriages; II sewinu machines; 6 organs. The assessed value of real property for that year was $101,7;!,"); personal, 824. r)(il; total, $126,296. Total assessment on the same for 18711, was $1,873.88. Of agricultural products, there were, for 1879, of wheat 30,000 hushels; oats, 17,000 bushels; corn, 11,000 bushels; barley, 1,200 bushels; potatoes, l.SHX) bushels, syrup, 1.200 gallons; flaxseed, 225 bushels: wool, 1,100 pounds; butter, 45,000pounds: cheese, 1,800 pounds. The population of the town in 1860, was 17, in 1865, it was 83, in 1870 it was 266, in 1875 it was 368, and in 1S,S0 it was ■l-*!- A large proportion of the inhabi- tants areof Norwegian nationality. Her er lidt Historie, oldtidens og nutidens Historie. Efter old tidens sagaer, der forta3ller os om, at Erik den Ri'ide, ••en Nord- mand." i Aaret 983, besOgte den sOndre Kyst af Gn'mland og grund- lagde der en Koloni, og at bans sOn, Leif Eriksen, med et fulge af tnodige somicnd i Aaret 1000, najsten fem hundrede Aar fr)r Colum- bus var f()dt, opdagede og landede paa Kysten af Nord Amerika, hvor de plantede det gamle Norges flag, og grundlagde en Koloni. Det nye land blev af dem kaldet Vinland. Nordma9ndene kunde saaledes have gjort fordring paa Amerika. som opdagere af landet; men deres Koloni dode snart ud og opdagelsen glemtes; kun erind- ret i Aarhundredernes lob gjennem gamle ForticUinger og upaalide- lige Optegnelser. Men i det siste Aarhundrede bar mange hun- drede tusinde af Norske folk kommet over til Amerika. og af disse har Minnesota i de siste firti Aar faaet en meget stor part. De. og deres Eflerkommere udgjor en stor del of vor stats og countj''s be- folkning. Mange af de allerfOrste settlere i Emerald, Brush Creek, Seely^ Rome, Delavan og forskellige andre townships var Nord- micnd. Amerikas frie Institutioner falder meget naturlige for Skandinaverne, og de blive snart forligte med dem; paa grund af at Skandinaverne i Aarhundreder har vaeret stadige Forkjtempere for hvert enkelt individs tanke og handle frihed. De har vicret en ud- holdende race og vanskelige at tvinge under en vilkaarlig og despo- tisk tivriglieds Hen'edi">mme. og sandheden er, at dette har endnu aldrig vioret gjort i det mindste for nogen hcngere tid i de gamle lande. Deres Pfedres lande med sine hole fjelde og dybe dale, sin frie luft. sin nierhed til den aabne sij, det oplivende klima. de gamle, ofte gjentagne sagaer om frihed og om Fasdreues uforfa^rdede og heltemodige gjerninger, har alt tilsammen forenet sig til at frem- bringe et friheds elskende folk: og idag er der ikke et land i Europa. som ikke allerede er en republik, der er mere skikket for frie Insti- tutioner end Norge. Ikke engang England. For i det sidste land fortryller og behersker glandsen af en arvelig Adelsstilling og rig- dom endnu alt formeget det engelske sind. Helo Amerika, og isaer- deleshed dets folk af Norsk herkomst. vil naar Norge opnaar, hvad dets statsmjcnd haaber paa. en uafha?ngig republiks stilling, hilse den dag velkommen med saa huie jubel raab. at deres ekko skal gjenlyde over hele jorden. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 621 CHAPTER XX. KIESTER TOWNSHIP. This is the southeast township of the county and is numbered on the government surveys, as town one hundred and one (101) north, of range twenty-four (24) west. It is bounded on the north by Foster township, on the east by the town of Mansfield, in Freeborn county, on the south by the State line, and on the west by Seely township. The average elevation, above sea level, of this town is, twelve hundred and fifty feet, but there is one elevation, or point of land which is fourteen hundred feet. There is a range of morainic or drift hills in this town designated by the State geologist, as the "Kiester Hills," and which extend, in a northwestern direction, • some twenty miles to the southwest part of Lura township. We quote here from Vol. I, "Geology of Minnesota:" "The most hilly portions of Kiester are its south side, for a width of one mile, and a belt through its northeast part, from section 13 to sections 3 and 4, in which are the most prominent of these hills, visible fifteen miles to the north and west. Their height is from 100 to 200 feet above the lowlands, * * * the highest points, which are in the S. W. i of section 3, being about 1,400 feet above the sea. These are massive hills of till, of irregular outlines." * «■ * These hills, on section 3, are not only the highest lands in the town, but constitutes the summit, or crowning elevation, of the county, and of a large scope of country, in every direction, surrounding them. And considering the general elevation of this town above sea level, the people of the town, going anywhere in the county, outside of their town, may be said to'be 'going down' to the place visited, and persons going to this town, from any part of the county, are 'going up' to the town. "Between the hill ranges of the north and south parts of this township, its central portion, for a width of two or three miles, is moderately undulating till. * •* * In sections 8, 17, 20 and 29, through the west part of Kiester, a series of hills of till, 60 to 75 feet high, connects the west ends of these ranges, and forms the west border of the lower tract between them, except at the gap through which Brush creek flows." The general surface of the town, as indicated, is quite high, dry and rolling. The soil generally is deep and as fertile as any in the State. There are numerous gravel beds in the town, which, at no distant day, will prove of considerable value for various purposes. The township is entirely prairie, there being no native timber in it whatever, but numerous groves of forest trees have been planted by 622 HISTORY OF Iho residouls which are changing the appearance of the country very much, and adding greatly to the beauty of the landscape and to the comfort of its homesteads. Brush creek has its sources mainly in this township, and is the only stream of running water in it, but there are here a number of fine springs of clear, cold water. "A copious spring, much resorted to by cattle, * * issues near the middle of section 14, upon land twenty-five feet higher than neighboring depressions, and a hundred feet below the highest hills, near the northeast and northwest." ABORIGINAL MOUNDS. Two mounds, apparently artificial, which are circular, and about twenty feet in diameter, and a foot and a half in hight, are found near the center of section nineteen. Good well water is easily obtained at moderate depths. And now, with this general view of the physical features of this town, we may proceed to a brief sketch of its history. THE NAME. This town was named "Lake" by the special commissioners in 1858, under the erroneous impression that it contained a number of lakes. There are, however, no lakes in the town. It appearing subsequently that there was another town in the State of this name, the State Auditor directed the name to be changed, and accordingly on the fourth day of January, 1859. the board of county supervisors named the town "Kiester," after one J. A. Kiester, of Blue Earth City, whose name appears occasionally in this history of the county. Mr. Kiester was born in Pennsylvania in 1832. He received his education in the common schools and at Mount Pleasant and Dick- inson colleges, in that state. He served an apprenticeship of four years in learning the mercantile business and book-keeping. He subsequently studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1855. In 1856 he came west to Wisconsin, where he remained some months. In April, 1857, he located at Blue Earth City, where he has ever since resided. He was married in December, 1859, to Miss Caroline Billings, of this county. They have had six children, one of whom died in infancy. Since coming to this county, Mr. Kiester has been county surveyor, register of deeds, member of the lower House of our state legislature in 1865, county attorney, judge of pro- bate court over twenty-one years, and state senator four years. He is a Mason, and a member of Blue Earth City lodge, of which he was twice W. Master, and he was subsequently chosen twice Grand Master of Masons in Minnesota. J. A. KIESTER. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 623 Mr. Kiester has always been a republican in politics, and he and his family are members of the Protestant Episcopal Church at Blue Earth City, of which he has been a lay reader for some years. He was the writer of this history of the county. FIRST SETTLEMENT. Owing to the want of native timber in this town, and the further fact that much of the land was owned by speculators, this was among the last towns in the county to be settled. Eli E. Judd and A. W. Judd selected lands here, about the first of November, 1865, and about the middle of December following, J. E. Wing, selected a tract of land for settlement. These jjersons did not remain during the winter, but on the seventeenth of May, 1866, they returned with their families and located on the lands pre- viously selected by them, on sections 20 and 21. On the next day. May 18th, Henry Conrad and George L. Conrad settled in the town, on section nine. Henry Conrad, one of the very first, if not the first actual set- tler of the town, as has been claimed, settled here in May, 1866. He was born in Oswego county, N. Y., in 1829. He learned the trade of carpenter and builder. In 1854 he went to Chicago, and worked at bridge building. On the fifteenth of December, 1854, he was mar- ried to Miss Sophia Cooley, of New York. They have eight children. He removed to Wisconsin, where he continued to reside until the spring of 1866, when he settled in this township, as above stated, and now has a large and valuable farm. Mr. Oonrad served in the army during the rebellion and is a republican in politics. George L.. Conrad, a brother of Henry, and also a resident of this town, was also born in the state of New York, and came to this town with his brother Henry, and became one of the prosperous farmers of the township. We have no further notes of Mr. George Conrad's per- sonal history, that we may give the same in more detail. J. N. Price, Ezra Oliphant and Wm. Cole moved into the town in the fall of 1866. Among the other early settlers were Hiram Wing, C. B.Wlng, A. J. Guern- sey, George Greely, Ole F. Mondale, Charles Oliphant, George Doust, Sylvester Payne, J. E. Wing and Albert Elston. EDUCATIONAL. The first school house was erected on section twenty-one, in 1868. It was a frame building, eighteen by twenty- eight feet; well finished, and at the time it was built, was among the best school houses in the county. This was known as the Judd school house. There is a good school library of over one hundred volumes, at this school house. The second school house, which is a very good one, was erected about the year 1870, on section ten (10) and is known as the "Con- G24 HISTORY OF rad school house. " There are now three good school houses in this town. ORGANIZATION. This town was attached by the special commissioners, in 1858, to the town of Seely, for civil piirpose.s. and so remained until Jan- uary 4th, 1872. when it was set off by the county commissioners, on a petition of the inhabitants, and was soon organized as a separate town. The first board of town officers, at the organization of the town, was composed of the following named citizens: Supervisors, S. Payne, chairman, J. N. Price and A. J. Guernsey; town clerk, J. E. Wing; treasurer, H. Conrad; assessor, Ole P. Mondale; justices of the peace, Thos. Robertson, and G. L. Conrad; constables, Geo. Doust and C Oliphant. The town officers during the last year of this sketch — 1879— were the following named persons: Supervisors, Ole P. Mondale, chairman, J. Harvey and E Oliphant; town clerk, G. G. Goodwin; treasurer, C. Oliphant; assessor, S. Payne; justices of the peace, J. Trattles and H. Mondale; constable, H. Doust. RELIGIOUS AND OTHER SOCIETIES. Religious services have been regularly held here for many years, by the Episcopal Methodists, who had a small society, or class oi'ganized about the year, 1872. Other religious bodies have also held public services here. A Grange of the Patrons of Hus- bandry was organized in the town, on the tenth day of July, 1873. Wm. Billings, master; A. Eaton, secretary. ITEMS OF INTEREST. The first boy born iu the town was Willard Conrad, son of Henry Conrad. He was born on Christmas. 1866. The first girl born here was Mary E. Judd, daughter of E. E. Judd. She was born March 25th, 1867. The first marriage in the town occurred on the twenty fifth day of October, 1868, when A. W. Langworlhy and Miss Fidelia Wing, and C. B. Wing and Miss Henrietta Calkins were married by Rev. S. L. Rugg. The first death that happened in this town, was that of William Cozard, who died in the fall of 1872. He was almost dead, with "consumption," when he came into the town, and died aboutaweek after his arrival. There is one post-office in the town, named Kiester, on the north- east quarter of section twonty-one. The railroad market most convenient, for some years, for the people settled here, is at Alden, in Freeborn county. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 625 STATISTICS. By the census of 1870, which was the first taken in this town, the popula- tion was 61; in 1875, there were 89 inhabitants; in 1880, 130. The American born inhabitants are largely in excess of other nationalities. The assessor's reports, for 1879, show that there were, that year, in the town, 83 horses, 116 cows, 123 other cattle, 153 sheep, 50 hogs, 27 wagons and carriages, and 7 sewing machines, with much other property. The assessed vahie of real estate, for that year, was $112,343; the assessed value of personal estate, $7,149; total, $119,492. Total tax assessed on the same was $1,056.38. The agricultural products of the town, for 1879, are estimated as follows: Wheat, 10,000 bu.; oats, 9,000 bu.; corn, 4,000 bu.; barley, 300 bu.: potatoes, 300 bu.; syrup, 400 gals.; cultivated hay, 22 tons, wild hay, 700 tons; timothy seed, 56 bu.; wool, 1,000 lbs.; butter, 5,000 lbs. Total acreage cultivated, 1,200. This sketch may now be concluded by a brief statement of the names of a number of residents who had settled in the town prior to the close of 1879, in addition to those already mentioned. A. A. Anderson, S. P. Corr, Fred Con- rad, Andrew Eaton, H. Ford, J. Godding, G. S. Goodwin, E. Hays, J. Harvey, S. Johnson, H. F. Mondale, O. F. Mondale, C. Oliphant, W. Oliphant, F. Oliphant, E. Oliphant, M. Oliphant, S. N. Payne, H. O. Stage, H. E. Stage, David Salisberry, Z. C. Sisson, E. Trattles, H. A. Waldreff. The writer is indebted to Messrs. E. E. Judd and Hiram Wing for many of the facts set forth in this slcetch of Kiester, and for the tables of town officers. The history of this town is quite brief and uneventful, yet its future may be as prosperous and important as that of any town in the county. 020 UISTOin Of PART THIllD. Historical Sketches op the County Government and of THE Several County Offices of the County to the Close op 1879, with Biographical Notices of the Several Officers, to Date of Publication. 'Roll back thy sabl« curtains dark witli age, Mysterious pasti divulge thy earliest page.''— Welch. SECTION ONE. A county, as all know, is a subdivision, or portion of the terri- tory of a state, or nation, established for civil or governmental and other purposes. It is sometimes known, as in England, by the name of "Shire." As to the origin of the civil divisions known as the county, such as we now have it, it is probable that it was first instituted by King Alfred, of England. Blackstone says: "For to him we owe that masterpiece of judicial polity, the subdivision of England into tith- ings and hundreds, if not into counties." We derive these divisions from England. However, similar subdivisions of territory, under other names, as province, department, canton, parish — and with various civil powers, not just such as ours, existed before Alfred, and we find them in some form in all civilized nations, to-day. They are a necessity to convenient and orderly government, whether mon- archical, or republican. As to the establishment and organization of our county, the reader is referred to the history of the years, 1855 and 1856. In the United States, these subdivisions of territory are known in all the states, and in all with similar powers, by the name of "county," ex- cept in Louisiana, where they are known as "parishes." The county is a great convenience in many respects, but espec- ially in the assessment and collection of the revenues of the State, FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 627 as well as the local revenues, for the support of government— in the election of National, State and legislative officers, and the canvas- sing of the votes and returns thereof; in the matter of the public schools and education; in the administration of justice; in the preser- vation of the public peace, the public health, and public order. If in all these matters we were under the immediate control, and were directed by, and had to report to, officers of the State, at the capi- tal, whose surveillance was extended over us, we should soon dis- cover that the evils of such a system would be intolerable. In this State, a county is a body politic and corporate, and may sue and be sued — may purchase and hold real and personal property for the use of the county, and make order respecting the same, and make contracts in relation to the property and concerns of the county, etc. The powers of the county, as a body corporate, are exercised by the board of county commissioners. Counties as organized in the United States, are a valuable, an almost indispensible requisite to local self-government, always a matter of great importance in the preservation of the rights and liberties of the people. The distribution of governmental powers relating to most of the practical affairs and interests of life, to the people of such districts, brings such power nearer home to them, and more under their control, and prevents that centralization and concentration of power in a common head, or locality, which leads to absolutism. We may here reiterate the caution already expressed, that in a government such as ours, of, by and for the people — the system of self government — we should look with suspicion upon, and severely scan any proposition which tends to limit, control, or abridge our powers of self government, either in our towns or county. Always remembering, however, that we are as much citizens of the state and nation as of the county or town. Every county is, so to speak, a little government within itself. It has a capital city, or town, known as the county seat, or shire town; a capitoI building, which is the court house; a limited legisla tive and supervisory power in its board of commissioners; its judi- cial system — its courts being the district court, of general civil and criminal jurisdiction; courts of probate and courts of justices of the peace; and its executive and administrative functions, exercised by various other county officers — all this, however, existing by and subordinate to the laws of the State. In the following historical sketches of the several county offices, the writer has thought it expedient to set forth, briefly, the legal duties and peculiar characteristics of each office, as there are many who are not fully informed as to the special duty, powers and 628 HISTORY <)F authority pertaining to these several offices. Such statement may assist the elector in selecting proper incumbents for these places. And who were the persons named in these sketches, who served the public during these yearsy Prom whence came they, and what of their lives, labors and achievements? These questions the writer has sought to answer in the brief biographical and personal notices here given, for they, witla many others, were of the number of those who, some in a larger and some in a smaller way, have helped to make, and are a part of the history of our county. SECTION TWO. THE JUDGES AND CLERKS OP THE DISTRICT COURT. The district court is a court of general common law jurisdiction in civil and criminal cases, and has a clerk and seal. It is presided over by one judge. When the county was orgapized, it was attached to Blue Earth county for judicial purposes, but was by act of the legislature, of 1857, detached from that county, and became entitled to terms of court within the county. By act approved May 23d, of the same year, it was placed in the third judicial district, comprising a number of counties and the judge was authorized to appoint a clerk of court in each county. Subsequently, by the constitution of the State, this county was placed in the sixth judicial district, where it still remains. By act passed August 12th, 1858, the county was given one term of court annually, to be held on the first Monday of April of each year. By act approved March 5th, 1870, the county was allowed two terms annually, commencing the first Tuesday of January and the first Tuesday of June. The principal duties of the office of the clerk of the district court are to keep accurate minutes of the proceedings of each term of court — to enter up all judgments, decrees and orders of the court — to keep a docket in which the name of each party to a judgment is entered alphabetically, with the amount and time of entry of judg- ment, to file and preserve all papers pertaining to each case. There are other duties also pertaining to the office. Marriage licenses ai-e issued by the clerk, and a record of mar- riage certificates kept by him, and the births and deaths in the county are annually reported to the clerk, and a record kept thereof, and he has now very important duties to jierform in relation to the public taxes. The clerk is paid for his services by fees prescribed by law. His term of office is four years, and he is required to take an official FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 629 oath and give an approved official bond for the faithful performance of his duties. He may ajjpoint deputies. The first term of the district court of this county was held in April, 1859, for a full account of which the reader' is referred to the history of that year. Let us now say something in reference to the office of judge of the district court and the judges. The office of judge of the district court is a very important and honorable one, and the question as to who shall be placed in the office is a matter of perhaps greater concern to the people than any other which they are called upon to determine by their votes. As is the judge, so will this highest local tribunal be. To fill this high office efficiently, in air respects, requires talent and learning of a high order, combined with great firmness, independence, pru- dence, good sense and incorruptible integrity. It is a position of hard, and often perplexing labor, and of grave responsibility. The importance of this office to the people, may be shown by a very simple illustration. The laws- may be violated, our private rights trampled uj^on, our property illegally taken from us, or we may be injured in person, or reputation, but we have no place to re- sort to but the courts, to vindicate or enforce our rights, or right our wrongs. But if the courts are weak, or corrupt, the tools of sharp- ers, shysters and villains, if justice is obtained, not freely, but by purchase, not completely and without delay, but after harassing and expensive waiting, if at all, what then? We may answer simply in the homely phrase, which all can understand, "the bot- tom of everything has fallen out." It is only in the confidence and assurance of the supremacy of the laws and their enforcement by able and incorruptible courts, that civilized society lives and moves and has a being. Take this away, and anarchy, mob- law and the rule of the strong and bloody hand appear. The people do well, when called upon to elect their judges, to weigh deliberately, the vote they are about to cast. And here, at least, party affiliations merely, church or social relations, are not to be considered, and political intriguing and trading are wholly out of place. Interests, too grave to be thus influenced, are at stake. Better make a mistake in any other oifice than in this. Chief Jus- tice John Marshall said: "The judicial department conies home in its effects to every man's fireside. It parses on his property, his reputation, his life, his all. Is it not to the last de- gree important that he (a Judge), should be rendered perfectly and completely independent with nothing to control him but God and his conscience? The greatest scourge * * ever inflicted upon ♦ *■ » a people, was an ignorant, corrupt or dependent judiciary." At best, human justice, as applied to the infliction of penalties in punishment for the perpetration of offenses against the laws, is 630 HISTORY OF always, in some degree, injustice, because of man's incapacity to ap- portion and exactly, the punishment to the offense, in any given case. For man cannot accurately weigh motives, influences, education, provocations, and mental conditions. God alone can perfectly do that. Hence it is apparent that our judges should be our wisest, most conscientious, discerning, independent and incorruptible men, for they are best qualified to administer e.Kact justice, according to legal intent. It is with unfeigned pleasure that the writer bears testimony to the fact that our judicial district has always been highly favored in the ability and high character of its judges. Hon. Lewis Branson, of Mankato, Minn., was the first judge who presided at our terms of court, which office he held until the close of the year, 1864. Judge Branson resided at Mankato. where he was engaged in the practice of the law until his election to the judgeship. Some time after the expiration of his term of office, he removed to California. The writer has been unable to obtain any farther facts of Judge Branson's personal history. Hon. Horace Austin, of St. Peter, Minn., was our next judge. He was elected to the office in November, 1864. and resigned Sep- tember 30th, 1869. Gov. Austin was born in the State of Connecticut, in the year 1831. His father was a blacksmith and tautrht his trade to his son Horace. Horace re- ceived his education in the common schools and at an academy, and he became a school teacher. He studied law four years with Messrs. Bradbury and Morrill, of Augusta, Maine. In 1854 he came to the great west, and reached Minnesota in 1856, and in March, 1857, located at St. Peter, and entrajred la the practice of the law. He served as captain of a company of cavalry, in (Jen. .Sibley's expe- ditien against the Indians, in 1863. In 1864 he was elected judge of this dis- trict, as we have seen above, and served in that capacity until his resignation. He was elected Governor of the State in 1869, and was re-elected Governor in 1872, for a second term, which he served, after which he retired to private life, engaging in agricultural pursuits and milling, at Minnesota Falls. Since the above sketch was written. Gov. Austin has engaged in business in Minneapolis. Hon. M. G. Hanscomb, of St. Peter, was appointed to fill the va- cancy arising from the resignation of Judge Austin, and was judge of the district from October 1st, 1869, to December 31st, 1869. Hon. Franklin H. Waite was elected judge in 1869, and presided over our courts for the next five years, when, owing to ill health and advancing age, he resigned, after the June term of 1874. Judge Waite was born in Windham county, Vermont, in February, 1813. When a boy he removed with his parents to Jame«town, New York. lie, early in life, showed a great preferance for the profession of law, and after sulticient study, was, at the age of tw(>nty-three years, admitted to practice by the supreme court of the state of New York. Five years later he was appointed In that state, judge of the court of common pleas, which position he held until that (illice was atiolished. During President Poll; 'sad ministration, he was post- FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 631 master at Jamestown, N. Y. Afterwards he came west and located at Fond- du-lac, Wisconsin, and engaged in the practice of his profession. In 1860 he came to Minnesota and located at Man Icato, pursuing his profession. He was elected to the State senate of Minnesota in 1867, and in 1869 was elected judge of this district as above stated. Judge Waite's political affiliations were with the democratic party, and dur- ing the war of the rebellion, he was a strong Union man. He was an earnest anti-monopolist, and a strong opponent of the national banking law. He died at Mankato, March 4th, 1884, at the age of seventy-one years. Hon. A. C. Woolfolk, of Mankato, was appointed to fill the va- cancy occasioned by the resignation of Judge Waite. He presided at the January term in 1875. Daniel A. Dickinson, of Mankato, was elected our district judge at the general election of 1874, and presided from the commencement of his term, except at the January session of 1875, until the June term, 1881, when he was appointed by the governor of the State, one of the associate justices of the supreme court of the State. At the general election of 1881 he was elected by the people to that high office. Mr. Dickinson was born October 28th, 1839, at Hartford, Vermont. His father was a farmer and merchant. When Daniel was about si.x years old his father and family removed to Boston, Massachusetts. Daniel's parents dying when he was yet (luite young, he spent his youth under the guardianship of his grand- father, at West Lebanon, New Hampshire. He entered Dartmouth college in 1856, and graduated in I860.. He read law at Plattsburgh. New York, and was admitted to the bar in 1862, but before commencing practice he enlisted in the naval service of the United States, as acting paymaster, and served until 1865. He returned to Plattsburgh where he engaged in the practice of his profession until 1868. On June 11th, 1867, he was married to Miss Mary E. "Weed, of Plattsburgh, New York. In 1868 he came to Mankato, in this State, and en- gaged in practice until elected judge, as above stated. On his promotion to the supreme court, he removed to St. Paul, the capital, where he now resides. Judge Dickinson was re-elected associate ju-Jtice of the supreme court in 1886. He was not re-elected in 1892, and has since been engaged in practice. Hon. Martin J. Severance succeeded Judge Dickinson, being appointed to the office in 1881. At the general election of 1881, he was elected judge. Mr. Severance was born December 24th, 1826, in Franklin county, Massa- chusetts. He received an academical education in his native county, and com- menced the study of the law in 1849, and was admitted to the bar in 1853. He practiced law in Chicopee, Massachusetts, several years, and then left bis na- tive state, coming to Minnesota, and locating at Henderson, Sibley county, where he was engaged in practice from 1856 to 1862, most of the time as county attorney. He enlisted, in the summer of 1862, as a private soldier, in the mili- tary service of the United States, and, after twenty months' service, was elected and commissioned captain of his company, and served three years, and was mustered out, with his regiment, August 18th, 1865. Returning home, Mr. Severance located at Le Sueur, this State, and practiced there until 1870, when he removed to Mankato. Judge Severance was married June 16lh, 1858, to Miss Elizabeth P. Van Horn, of Chicopee, Massachusetts, and they have three children. He was a member of the House of Representatives, of Minnesota, in 1859 and 1862. He was re-elected judge in 1886, and again in 1892. 632 HISTORY OF THE CLERKS. The first clerk of the district court of this county, was John M. Jackson. Jr., of Blue EartVi City, who was elected to the office October 13th, 1857, and he was also appointed to the office by the district judge, March 26th, 1858. He appointed Geo. li. Kingsley deputy, October 18th, 1858. He resigned the office January 3d, IHGO. Mr. Jackson came to this county in the .sprinj; of 1857, and "made a claim" near l!lue Earth City. While a resident here, he was, for a while, enga^'ed in the luiTcantlle business, and was deputy postmaster for some time. He was a democrat in politics. He left the county at an early day, returninR to his for- mer home, Peru, Indiana. On the resignation of the office by Mr. Jackson, January 3d, 1860, Geo. B. Kingsley, on the same day, was appointed clerk by the county board. At the next general election, held in November, 1860, Mr. Kingsley was elected clerk, and served the full term. He appointed Wm. Dustin, deputy clerk. GEORGE B. KINGSLEY. George B. Kingsley was born in Delaware county, state of New York, on March 21st, 1831. His father, Israel C. Kingsley, was an old resident of Delaware county, and engaged, for many years, in the trade of carriage and wagon maker. He had a family of eight children. (ieorge B. received his education in the common district schools. Hi' learned the trade of his father, commencing wlien quite young, and followed it for a number of years in his native state, and also in Minnesota. He came to the West in 1854, and located at .St. Paul in this State, where he remained until the next summer, when he removed to Shakopee, Scott county, in this State. Here he remained some thri'e months, when heconcluded to return to New York state, but stopped at Ri'd Wing with relatives during several months. Here a town site company was formed to go up into the Lake Superior region, which he joined, but finally gave up this project. He then bought an interest in the town site of Carver, in this state, and went there with the intention of staying, but finally sold out his interest. In March, 185(5, he mot James B. Wakefield, and concluded to \initc with him and others in the project of laying out Blue Earth City, and he came to this county in that month, and subseijuently purchased a one-eighth interest in the Itiwn site. Mr. Kingsley was the first justice of the peace and the first postmaster in the county. In 1857 he was elected a member of the House of representatives of the first State legislature. In 1860 he became clerk of the court, as we have seen before. On the twenty-third day of October, 1862, he was luarried to Miss A. D. Nichols. They have had one child, a son, who is now dead. Mr. Kingsley, in partnership with H. J. Neal, engaged for some years in the manufacture and sale of household furniture at Blue Earth City. Having turned his attention to the law, Mr. Kingsley was admitted to the bar June l.'ilh, 1870, and engaged, for some years, in the practice of law at Blue Earth City. After the completion of the railroad to Blue Earth City, Mr. Kingsley, in company with several other persons, engaged in the warehouse and wheat buy- ing business. ^9k w ¥ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^B^* II. J. NEAL. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 633 Mr. Kingsley has frequently been justice of the peace, town clerk, member of the board of town supervisors a number of terms, chairman of the board, a member of the city council, president of the council, and a member of the board of education, of Blue Earth City independent district. Mr. Kingsley and wife are members of the Presljyterian church. His politi- cal relations were with the democratic party for many years, but afterwards with the prohibition party. His name appears frequently in this history in connection with public events. Mrs. Kingsley, who has for some years been somewhat interested in literary pursuits, published, in 1887, an instructive and well written volume, entitled "Heart or Purse," which has been very kindly received and much commended. Mr. Kingsley died at Blue Earth City January 8th, 1894. John K. Pratt, of Blue Earth City, elected in November, 1864, next assumed the duties of the office in January, 1865, and held the office until his death. On his demise, James C. Pratt, of Blue Earth City, was appointed clerk by Judge Austin, in April, 1868. John K. Pratt was a native of Ohio, born in 1837, and emigrated with his father to Wisconsin in 1844. He was married in 1857, and came to this county in 1858. He died in March, 1868. His brother, James C.Pratt, was a Vermonter, born in that state April 23d, 1833. He emigrated with his father to Wisconsin in 1844, and came to this county in March, 1860. He was married to Miss Harriette Catlin, of Wisconsin, in August, 1861, and returned to this county the same year. Here he engaged in farming for some years, and subsequently removed to Blue Earth City and engaged in merchandising, which has been his business ever since. Mr. J. C. Pratt appointed as his deputy, Henry J. Neal, of Blue Earth City, April 13th, 1868, who performed the duties of the office as deputy, until after the next general election, held in November, 1868, when he was elected clerk. Mr. Neal was re-elected in the years 1872, 1876 and 1880. He was not a candidate for re-election in 1884. He served as clerk nearly seventeen years. Mr. Neal was born in the old Granite State (N. H.), at Woltborough, on the seventeenth day of May, 1834. His father, Harry Neal, was a farmer and land surveyor by occupation. He emigrated to Canada, where he remained a year or so, engaged in school teaching, and then removed to Niagara county, state of New York, where he died, when Henry was about eight years old. Henry received his education in the common schools and learned the trade of wheelwright. He emigrated to Wisconsin in 1849, and engaged there some- what in the lumber business. He was married in 1856 to Miss Esther B. Silliman. Mrs. Neal died Feb-, ruary, 1889. Mr. Neal came to this county in April, 1858. and settled at Blue Earth City, where he continued to reside until his death. He enlisted in October, 1862, in the regiment of the Minnesota Mounted Hangers, and was with Gen. Sibley in the expedition against the Indians. In August. 1864, he againenlisted in Company "C," Eleventh (11) Regiment Minn. Infantry, and became first lieutenant of the company. He went south and served until the close of the war, being mustered out with his regiment in July, 1865. On his return home he engaged in the manufacture and sale of household furniture, for some years. He was chairman of the board of town supervisors, held the office of justice of the peace for some time, and was a member of the 634 HISTOIiY OF hoard (if county coiuruisskinLTs pearly two terras, of which board he was chair- man in the years 1867 and 1868, and was clerli of the district court as above stated. After leaving the otllce of cleric, he engaged in the insurance and real estate business until May, 1891, when failing hi'Slth required his retirement. ITe died .lanuary 27th, 1890, at .Jacl. He was elected FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 637 court commissioner of this county in 1867 and qualitied. Judge De La Vergne was a ruarried man, but his wife did not reside with him while he lived in this county. After the resignation of Judge De La Vergne, J. A. Kiester, of Blue Earth City, was, on the second day of August, 1869, appointed judge by Gov. Marshall. Heretofore no permanent records in books, such as the law requires, had been kept of the proceedings of the court. The business and papers during the course of years, had greatly accumulated, and were in much confusion and disorder when the matter being called to the attention of the county commission- ers, the following resolution was adopted September 7th, 1869. Resolved, That J. A. Kiester, Judge of the Probate Court, be and is hereby employed and authorized by this board, to arrange and flle the papers pertain- ing to the several cases in said court, in proper order, and write up the minutes of the proceedings of said court, make the records required by law of the ap- pointment of executors, administrators and guardians, in suitable books to be provided by the county, and that for such services he shall receive such reason- able compensation from the county as may hereafter be allowed by this board." By virtue of this resolution, and the provisions of the statute authorizing judges to complete all unfinished business of the court, the duties assigned in the above resolution were performed. At the ensuing general election, held in November, 1869, Mr. Kiester was elected judge, and was re-elected in the years 1871, 1873, 1875, 1877, 1879, 1881, 1883, 1886 and 1888. A brief biographical notice of Mr. Kiester will be found in an- other part of this work. SECTION FOUR. THE COURT COMMISSIONERS. Some one who appears to have been a little Irritated at the ac- tion of a court commissioner, writes in a papier : ■'He was reduced to the ludicrous necessity of applying for his writ to that anomalous oflBcer— a sort of mysterious fifth wheel of our judicial system— a court commissioner, for his writ. What a court commissioner is for, probably no one ever knew before. No one ever heard before of a court commissioner doing anything. The office is indeed created by statute. But no salary is at- tached to it, and it is usually filled by some obscure fledgling of an attorney who is learned in the law only by a courteous professional fiction. The very existence of such an office is unknown to the great majority of people, except as they are reminded of it once every three years by seeing it figure on the printed tickets over the name of some one that nobody knows, as a candidate for its obscure and empty honors. It has been a popular mystery what was the use or functions of a court commissioner. It now turns out that his chief use is to do things in the judicial line which no court could be persuaded to undertake,- to assume powers which the superior courts have uniformly decided to be beyond their province. 'For fools rush in where angels fear to tread.' " 638 UIHTOUY OF By the statutes, "coui-t commissioners shall be men learned in the law, and shall have and may exercise the judicial powers of a judge of the district court at chambers." More definitely stated, a court commissioner may grant writs of attachment, writs of in- junction, writs of habeas corpus, approve bail bonds, recogniz- ances, and appeal bonds in certain cases, and various other duties which need not be named here. He has also power to administer oaths and take acknowledgements. His term of office was, formerly, three years, and he is required to take an oath of office and give an approved bond in the sum of §52,000. He is required to keep a record of all proceedings had before him. By the act of August 4th, 1858, the powers of court commissioner were conferred upon the judges of probate. The law was soon changed, however, and the office was made a separate one. Yet from the fact that the two offices had been previously combined, the practice grew up in this, as in many other counties, of electing the judges of probate, as court commissioners. A very correct view of the true character of this office is stated in the following quotation: "It is well known that the peniuisitos afforded by the position are incon- siderable— amountinff, practically, to nothing at all, hence, on that ground, no one could desire to hold the olllce, hut it i.s nevertheless, one of much responsi- bility, and requires special fltuess in the incumbent. The duties are co-exten- sive with those of a District Judge— sitting at chambers, or in vacation, for the hearing and determining of applications and motions, and for the issuance of writs and orders— hence it will be seen that even though the place is not a lucrative one, the honor which it confers, and the responsiliility which it de- volves, are very considerable." At the general election held in November, 1860, J. A. Kiester was elected court commissioner, and on the third day of September. 1862, resigned the office. Geo. D. McArthur was elected to the office in November, 1862, but did not qualify. Amos Preston was elected in 1863, and George Hart was elected in 1864, and Reuben Waite, in 1866, neither of whom qualified, and the office remained vacant. At the general election of 1867, A. F. DeLaVergne, of Winnebago City, was elected and qualified. Up to this time no bus- iness had ever been transacted by the commissioner, and there was but one transaction during the term of Mr. DeLaVergne. The office soon became vacant again by the resignation of Mr. De La- Vergne. At the general election of 1869, J. A. Kiester was again elected to the office, and as the public convenience had come to re- quire that some one should hold the office and perform its duties, he accepted it. He was re-elected in the years 1872 and 1875, 1879 and 1882, and resigned the office in March, 1885, having held it over fifteen consecutive years. The court commissioner is paid by fees prescribed by law, and have amounted from 0, to as great a sum, in some years, as forty dollars. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 639 SECTION FIVE. THE COUNTY ATTORNEYS. The county attorney is the law officer of the county, as the at- torney general of the State, and the attorney general of the United States are the law officers of the State and general governments. His general duties, as prescribed by statute, are to appear as at- torney in all cases where the county is a party, to give opinions and advice to the county officers upon all matters in which the county is interested; to attend all terms of the district court and other courts of criminal jurisdiction, and attend all preliminary examinations of criminals, when the magistrate so requests him, and furnishes him with a copy of the complaint; to attend before the grand jury and give them advice; draw presentments and indict- ments, examine witnesses, and issue process for witnesses; prose- cute all presentments and indictments, and attend all coronor's inquests, when requested. He is required to take an oath of office, and give bond to the board of commissioners. He is paid for his services by salary fixed by the county board. His term of office is two years. Prior to the admission of the State into the Union, the county attorney was named district attorney. It may be well to observe that the supposition that "any lawyer is good enough for county attorney" is a stupid mistake. A negli- gent, dishonest or incapable attorney may involve the county in great expense and fruitless lawsuits, and, in the administration of criminal justice, may betray the county and the public, or utterly fail in the prosecution of offenders, to the great disparagement of the public peace and good order. The first county attorney of this county was, probably, James B. Wakefield, who may have been, and very probably was appointed to that office, but no record evidence of the fact can now be found. "Wm. W. Knapp, of Blue Earth City, was appointed to the office by the county board, April 5th, 1858, and duly qualified, and acted in that capacity a short time. WILLIAM W. KNAPP. Mr. Knapp was a New Yorker by birth, and came to this county in 1857. He dealt somewhat in land, and was a school teacher, surveyor and attorney. After remaining for several years he went to Missouri, thence to Pike's Peak, and from thence to Idaho, and finally returned to the state of New York, to his old home, where he married, and then returned to Minnesota, and located at Faribault, Rice county, whore.he engaged in the hardware trade. From thence he removed, after some years, (in 1870) to Mason City, Iowa, where he resided at the time of his death. He died January 29th, 1890. G40 HISTO/IY or The office soon becoming vacant, we find that Jo. L. Weir, of Winnebago City, was appointed attorney January 4th, 1859, and as- sumed the duties of tlie office. Jo. L. Wi'ir was born in Robertson county, Tennessee, in 1821. He received his education in the common schools and at the Franklin college, Tennessee, which he attended for some time, but did not graduate. He studied law in his native county and was there admitted to the bar, and practiced his profession a short time. In 1857, in company with his brothers, George and Daniel, he came to this county and settled near Winnebago City, where they took lands imder the pre-emption law. Mr. Weir engaged to some I'Xtent in the practice of the law In this county, but gave his attention principally to farming. I)iirlng the "school examiner" system in this county, he held that offlce for .soiuc time in his commissioner district. Mr. Weir never married. In 1867 he returned to Ten- nessee, where he now resides. On the fifth day of March. 1860, the county board declared the office again vacant, and by resolution authorized the county officers to employ attorneys when necessary. Mr. Wakefield now re appears as the law officer of the county, having been elected attorney in November, IBGO. and qualified No- vember 17th. Norman B. Hyatt, of Blue Earth City, editor of the Blue Earth City Neivs, elected to the office in October. 1861, succeeded Mr. Wakefield. Mr. Hyatt, it is believed, came to this county early in 1861. He engaged in the practice of law at Blue Earth City, and subsequently became interested in the Blue Earth City Newn, of which paper he was the editor for some time. He afterwards enlisted in the military service of the United States, and became the captain of his company. After retiring from the service, he finally located at Webster City, Iowa, where he engaged in the practice of his profession. The office becoming vacant by the enlistment of Mr. Hyatt, the county board, on the twenty-eighth day of May. 1863, appointed Andrew C Dunn.of Winnebago City, to fill the vacancy. At the next general election held November 3d. 1863, Mr. Dunn was elected for a full term which he served. Mr. Dunn was born in New York City, October 9th, 1834. He received his education mainly from his father, Nathaniel Dunn, who was for many years a noted educator, at one time principal of Wilbraham Academy, Mass., and for many years professor of chemistry in Rutger's Female College, N. Y. Andrew commenced reading law under the direction of Edward Standford, Esq., of New York City, at the early age of fifteen years. He came to Minne- .sota in April, 1854, and was admitted to the bar by the Territorial .Supreme Court. practic3d a short titue at .Sauk Rapids, and then located at St. Paul. He came to this county in 1856, and he, with several others, founded the village of Winnebago City, being one of the original town site proprietors, and built the first house in that village. In 1858 Mr. Dunn was one of the special commissioners, appointed by the governor, to divide this county into towns and name them. On New Year's day, 1859, he was united in marriage to Miss D. J. Smith, of Blue Earth county, in this Slate. Seven children have come to thetu, but only three of whom are now living. Mr. Dunn, since his first location in this county, has made the practice of the law his chief business and life work, and he is the oldest resident practicing lawyer at the bar of this county. A. C. m'.NN. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 641 He was secretary of the tlrst State Senate of this State, (which convened in December, 1857). In 1863 he was one of the commissioners appointed to take the vote of the soldiers then in active service at the south. . Mr. Dunn was chief clerk of the House of Representatives of this State in the years 1864, 1865 and 1866, and was elected representative of this legislative district in 1880, and attended the memorable sessions of 1881, and was one of the counsel on the part of the House in the impeachment proceedings had against Judge E. St. J. Cox. He has, from time to time, held various local offices, and has always taken a large interest in the public affairs of the State, and especially of the county Mr. Dunn was a democrat in early life, and during the rebellion was a union democrat and has since affiliated with the republican party. He and his family are members of tbe Methodist Episcopal Church, and for many years "Mr. Dunn has been superintendent of the Methodist Episcopal Sunday school at Winne- bago City. At the general election of 1865, Mr. Wakefield was again elected attorney, and also representative for the twentieth district, in the State legislature. He accepted the latter office, and the former be- came again vacant. On the third day of January, 1866, J. A. Kiester, of Blue Earth City, was appointed attorney by the county board, and was re-ap- pointed on the nineteenth of March following, and served until the next January. In the meantime, Mr. Wakefield, elected attorney in November, 1866, apj)ears for the fourth and last time in this par- ticular branch of the public service, but having been also elected State senator, at the same election, he accepted the latter ofiice, leaving the attorneyship to be otherwise provided for. A bio- graphical notice of Mr. Wakefield will be found elsewhere in this work. On the third day of January, 1867, Mr. Kiester resigned the office, and it became again vacant. A brief biographical sketch of Mr. Kiester will be found in another part of this book. On the resignation of Mr. Kiester, John H. Sprout, of Blue Earth City, was appointed (January 3d, 1867) attoi'ney, and immedi- ately qualified. At the next general election, held in November, 1867, he was elected for a full term, and was re-elected in the years 1869, 1871, and 1873, and held office during nine consecutive years. JOHN H. SPROUT. Mr. Sprout was a native of Attica, Wyoming county. New York, where he was born December 16th, 1836. His father, Col. Hosea B. Sprout, a resident of Attica for fifty years, was a farmer by occupation. John H. obtained his education in the common schools and at Warsaw Academy, and Genessee Wyoming Seminary. He subsequently engaged in school teaching in his native county. In 1857 he emigrated to Dodge county, Minnesota, and engaged in farming for awhile. In the fall of 1857 he went to Columbia county, Wisconsin, where he read law with Hon. O. C. Howe, until the next spring, when he returned to 641' iijstohy of Minni'Sdia atiain, and engai,''"'! soiuewhat in farrainij. In tho autumn of 1850 he ri'lurnetl to Wisconsin, anii ('tiKii(j;o(l iu sciiool leachin^r foratioul tlirci' years, after wliicli lie cauie to Minnesota, and ennajred in fariuin); for about a yearand a half, and tlien went lo Juneau, Wisconsin, where he resumed the study of law under the direction of Messrs. BiUintfhurst, Lewis and Friebert, and then attended, for some time, Michit^an University law school. He was married, in 18()1, to Miss Caliste L. Nich(»ls, of Djd(.'e county. Wisconsin. lie was admitted to the liar in tlie last nanieil county, wliere he commenced the practice of law, and in tlie latter part of the year came to this county, locating at Ulue Earth City, where he has since resided, engaged all the time in the practice of his profession. He was county attorney, as aljove stated, and has been justice of the peace a number of years, twice president of the council of Blue Earth City, and, also, president and member of the board of education at Blue Earth City, a number of terms. For several years he was postmaster at Blue Earth City. Mr. Sprout is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and he is a republican in politics. M. W. Green, of Wells, elected in 1875, succeeded Mr. Sprout. Mr. Green was elected in 1877 for a second term, which he served. Mr. Green, after the expiration of his term of office, removed to Fargo. D. T., where he has continued in the practice of the law. Morton S. Wilkinson, of Wells, elected in November, 1879, was our next county attorney. He held the office one term. Mr. Wilkinson was born at .Skaneateles, N. Y., on the twenty-second of January, 1819. He received an academic education, and taught school some six months. He read law at Skaneateles, and was admitted tti the bar in 1842. He came west and settled at Eaton Rapids, Mich., where he practiced law till 1847, and then came to Stillwater, Minn. Mr. Wilkinson was twice married. His first wife died in Michigan, his second in Minnesota. He was elected to the tlrsl territorial legislature, which assembled in the fall of the year, 1849. He made St. Paul his home from that time, engaged in the practice of the law, until 1857, when he moved to Mankato, Minn. About this time he was appointed, with others, to draft and report a code of laws for the State, which work he did in 1859. The legislature of 1859 elected Mr. Wilkinson United States senator for the State of Minnesota for six years, which terra he served. After the expira- tion of his term in the senate he was (in ISfiS) elected representative in congress and served one term. Subsequently he represented Blue Earth county, in the State senate, in the years 1874, 1875, 1876 and 1877. Senator Wilkinson came lo this county in 1878, and located on a farm near Wells, but has all along continued in the practice of the law, appearing occa- sionally in our district courts, and also, lately, before the supreme court of the United States, at Washington, D. C, in a number of important suits. He was a republican in politics until late in his career, when he affiliated with the democrats. He died at Wells, February 4th, 1894. J. H. SPKOUT. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 643 SECTION SIX. THE BOARD OP COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. — THE OFFICIAL, DUTIES OP THE BOARD AND THE NAMES OP THE PERSONS WHO HAVE BEEN MEMBERS OP THE BOARD TO THE CLOSE OP THE YEAR 1879. The board of county commissioners constitutes the legislature of the county. As defined by law, the duties of the board, briefly expressed, are to examine and settle all accounts of the receipts and expenditures of the county, the care of the county property, the management of all the county funds, and the transaction of all the business pertaining to the county, except as otherwise provided by law. The board has power to set off, organize and vacate towns, and change the boundaries thereof; organize and change school districts, lay out roads, build bridges, levy certain taxes, make appointments to fill vacancies in various offices, and, in general, to supervise all the interests and transact all the business of the county, not specially otherwise provided for by law. It is also the special duty of the board to attend to the equalization of the assessments for tax pur- poses, and to all matters relating to the poor of the county. At the annual session of each year, held in January, the commissioners elect one of their number cliairman for the year, whose duty it is to preside at their meetings. The term of office of a county commis- sioner was, for many years, three years. (It is now four). They receive pay at the rate of three dollars per day, for each day neces- sarily employed in doing the county business, and ten cents per mile travel. The board, in its duties, somewhat resembles a court, and is sometimes called the "commissioners' court," and is also known as "the county board." The county auditor is exqfflcio clerk of this small legislature, and arranges and presents much of the business to the board for consideration. He keeps accurate minutes of all the proceedings of the board in a book denominated tlie "county records." 1856. The first board of county commissioners of this county was appointed by the governor of the territory, on the organization of the county, their commissions bearing date February 25th, 1856. This board was composed of the following gentlemen: James B. Wakefield, chairman, Henry T. Stoddard and Moses Sailor; clerk, Samuel V. Hibler, then register of deeds. 1857. For this year, the members of the boai'd were: William M. Scott, chairman, Moses Sailor and C. W. Wilson; clerks, J. B. Wakefield and J. A. Kiester, 1858. C. W. Wilson, chairman, Moses Sailor and E. Crosby; clerk, J. A. Kiester. 644 HISTORY OF 1859. At the sessioa of the legislature held in August, 1858, an act was passed abolishing the board of county commissioners and enacting the "supervisor system." By this system the several chair- men of township boards of supervisors, were ex-officio members of, and constituted the board of supervisors of the county. The duties of this board were the same, identically, as those of the former commissioners. These supervisors were elected in the several towns, on the first organization of the towns, October 20th, 1858. The new board met and organized .January 3d, 1859, and was com- posed of the following named gentlemen: James L. McCrery, chair- man, Jo. L. Weir, Amos Preston, J. B. Wakefield, S. W. Myrrick, W. J. C. Robertson ; clerk. A. Bonwell. The regular annual town meetings were held in the several towns in April of this year (1859) and resulted in the election of the follow- ing supervisors: Geo. H. Goodnow, chairman. Thomas Blair. P. C. Seely, S. L. Rugg, Amos Preston, J. L. McCrery, W. J. C Robert- son, J. A. Kiester and Lorenzo Merry; clerk, A. Bonwell. 1860. Geo. H. Goodnow. chairman. P. C. Seely, Thomas Blair, S. L. Rugg, Amos Preston, J. A. Keister, W. J. C. Robertson, Lo- renzo Merry and J. L. McCrery; clerk, A. Bonwell. By act of the legislature approved February 28th. 1860. the supervisor system was abolished, and the old commissioner system was re-established, as the supervisor system was found to be entirely too expensive and cumbrous, especially in the thinly set- tled counties. The new law went into effect on the election at the town meetings of this year (1860) held in April. In counties having less than eight hundred votes, the county was entitled to three commis- sioners, and counties having over eight hundred votes, were entitled to five. This county was at the time entitled to but three commissioners, and the three commissioners elected, who were chosen at large were: Thomas Blair, chairman, J. H. Welch and Albin Johnson; clerk, A. Bonwell. The last meeting of the supervisors was held in March, and the first meeting of the new board, above mentioned, was held in June of this year. At the general election in November, 1860, commissioners were elected again, and since that year, the commissioners are always elected by districts at the general election in November, of the year when the term for any district expires. As the result of this elec- tion, we have for 1861. Jesse H. Dunham, chairman, Thomas Blair and Wm. M. Scott. Clerk, A. Bonwell. Mr. Wakefield had been elected, but after the first meeting resigned, when Mr. Scott was appointed in his place. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 645 1862. Thomas Blair, chairman, Ezra M. Ellis and J. H. Dun- ham. Clerk, A. Bonwell. 1863. J. H. Dunham, chairman, Thomas Blair and Albin John- son. Clerk, A. Bonwell. Mr. Ellis had been elected, but did not accept the office, and Mr. Johnson was appointed to fill the vacancy. 1864. Thomas Blair, chairman, Allen Shultis and Wm. M. Scott. Clerk. A. Bonwell. 1865. Allen Shultis, chairman, Thomas Blair and Wm. M. Scott. Clerk, P. W. Cady. It appearing by the election of 1864, that the county had over eight hundred legal voters, the commissioners, on the fifth day of September, 1865, divided the county into five commissioner districts and at the general election held in November, 1865, five commission- ei's were elected, so we have for the years: 1866. Allen Shultis, chairman, H. J. Neal, J. R. Sisson, J. Claggett and C. S. Kimball. Clerk, F. W. Cady. 1867. H. J. Neal, chairman, J. R. Sisson, A. R. More, Sr., Jas. Crays and J. Claggett. Clerk, F. W. Cady. 1868. H. J. Neal, chairman, W. J. Robinson, A. R. More, Sr., Jas. Crays and J. Claggett. Clerk, P. W. Cady. 1869. A. R. More, Sr., chairman, J. A. Latimer, J. Claggett, W. J. Robinson and H. J. Neal. Clerk, W. W. White. 1870. A. R. More, Sr., chairman, H. J. Neal, J. A. Latimer, W. J. Robinson and J. Claggett. Clerk, W. W. White. 1871. A. Bonwell, chairman, J. Claggett, J. A. Latimer, A. R. More, Sr., and L. C. Seaton. Clerk, W. W. White. 1872. A. R. More, Sr. , chairman, David Catlin, Henry Sellen, W. W. Potter and L. C. Seaton. Clerk, W. W. White. \ 1873. W. W. Potter, chairman, David Catlin, J. A. Dean, L. C. Seaton and Henry Sellen. Clerk, W. W. White. 1874. W. W. Potter, chairman, David Catlin, J. A. Dean, Henry Sellen and Rob't Andrews. Clerk, W. W. White. 1875. Amos Preston, chairman, David Catlin, Rob't Andrews, E. H. Hutchins and F. W. Temple. Clerk, W. W. White. 1876. P. W. Temple, chairman, Amos Preston, Rob't Andrews, David Catlin and E. H. Hutchins. Clerk, W. W. White. 1877. P. W. Temple, chairman, Amos Preston, David Catlin, E. H. Hutchins and J. R. Sisson. Clerk, W. W. White. 1878. A. H. Bullis, chairman, David Catlin, J. R. Sisson, P. E. Cary and H. A. Woolery. Clerk, W. W. White. 1879. A. H. Bullis, chairman, David Catlin, J. R. Sisson, F. E. Cary and H. A. Woolery. Clerk, W. W. White. G46 HISTORY OF SECTION SEVEN. THE COUNTY AUDITORS AND THEIR OFFICE. Prior to January 3d, 1859, when the act of August 13th 1858, went into effect in this county, the duties of the auditor were performed by the register of deeds, who was then ex-officio clerk of the board of county commissioners. By reference to the history of the office ' of register of deeds, it will be seen who performed the dulies of auditor prior to the above date. The duties of the county auditor are multifarious and often in- tricate and perplexing, requiring a clear head, great patience and constant attention. He is required to keep an accurate account current with the treasurer of the several state, county, town, school district, road, poor, and all other funds, make out all the tax duplicates, draw or attest all warrants drawn on the treasury for funds, take charge of and direct the assessment of taxes and Iteep the tax records. The auditor is ex-officio clerk of the board of county commis- sioners, and as such is required to keep an accurate record of their proceedings, and carefully keep and preserve all documents, books, maps, records and other papers and files required by law to be kept in his office. The term of office of auditor is two years, formerly commencing in March, but now in January, and before entering upon his office he is required to take an official oath and give an approved bond in such sum as the commissioners may fix, not less than two thousand dollars, nor more than twenty thousand dollars, for the faithful performance of his duties. He may appoint deputies. The auditor was formerly paid by salary, but he now receives as salary, a per- centage on the aggregate assessments of the county. The auditor is usually considered the principal financial officer of the county — its accountant, or boolckeeper, and in many respects its business agent. It may be remarked that negligence, inefficiency or dishonesty in the auditor may lead to intermidable confusion in the accounts and business of the county, and the affairs of individ- uals, and open a wide door to fraud and public plundering. By the act above mentioned of August 13th. 1858, the county board was authorized to appoint a clerk, who, at the option of the board, might be the register of deeds, or any other person. At the organization of the board, January 3d, 1^59, Arthur Bonwell was appointed clerk. By said act it was enacted that the clerks there- after should be known as county auditors, aud should perform all the duties of auditor performed prior thereto by the register of deeds. Mr. Bonwell was thus the first auditor — eonomine— of this A. BON WELL. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 647 county. At the general election held Octobei- 11th, 1859, he was elected auditor. By act approved March 6th, 1860, the office of auditor was re- enacted, so to speak, new duties added, and he was made by virtue of his office, the permanent clerk of the board of county com missioners. When Mr. Bonwell took the office under the new laws relating thereto, there was much to be done to get the office into proper working order. A full set of tax and account books were to be opened, the papers, books and accounts pertaining to the office under the old system, arranged, and a system, or order of business for the future established, in conformity to the new laws, all of which was done. Mr. Bonwell was r^-elected auditor in 1860, and in 1862, serving until March, 1865. Arthur Bonwell was born in Brown county. State of Ohio, on the fourth day of July, 182.5. His father was a farmer. In 1829 his father and family removed to Hyland county, Ohio, and in 1836 removed to Tippecanoe county. State of Indiana. The subject of this sketch received his edu- cation in the commoa schools. He has, from early youth, been a stu- dious reader. He was brought up in the occupation oC a farmer, but com- menced teaching school when about nineteen years old, and taught many terms during his life. His health has never been very robust, and many times he has been in feeble condition for considerable periods of time, and this fact has had much to do with shaping his life. When about twenty-two years old, he went on a flat-boat expedition, to New Orleans, La., and returned as a deck passen- ger, on board a steamboat. In 1850, Mr. Bonwell, then twenty-five years old, went overland to California, where he remained until 1856, engaged in mining, trading, and ranching. In the latter year, he returned to the States, in July and August, by the isthmus route and steamship, landing in New York City, and from thence he journeyed to Butler county, Iowa, to which place his father had removed during his absence. After remaining at home for a short time, he went to the State of Texas, where he remained until spricg, traveling over the country and visiting many localities in the Lone Star State. From thence he visited New Orleans again, a short time, and returned up the river to Butler county, Iowa, where he remained during the summer of 1857. In September, 1857, he came to this county, locating at Blue Earth City. Here lie engaged for a time in surveying and school-teaching, and other occupations, until his ap- pointment as county auditor, in January, 1859, as above stated. While yet fill- ing the office of auditor, Mr. Bonwell was elected register of deeds of the county, in the fall of 1864. This office he held but one term, not desiring a re- election. He was married, in 1868, to Miss E,xcene Gano. They have had four children. About the year 1872, he removed to his farm in Jo Daviess township where he remained some eight years, engaged in faraiing, after which he re- turned again to Blue Earth City, where he erected a comfortable home, and now resides. Mr. Bonwell has, from time to lime, held various town and school offices, and the office of justice of the peace, several terms, at Blue Earth City, and was chairman of the board of county commissioners, of this county, in 1879 the board of which he had been, for many years, clerk. Mr. Bonwell has been a republican in politics since the organization of that party, until late years, during which he has acted with the prohibitionists. 648 HISTORY OF Franklin W. Cady. of Verona township, elected auditor Nov. 8th, 1804, succeeded Mr. Bonvvell. Mr. Cady was re elected at the general election, Nov. 6th, 1HG6, for a second term, which he served. Mr. Ciuly was born in Lake cuunty.Ohio, January I5lh, 1826. II« attt-nded the district scliools during' the winter terms, until he was elKlileen years old, and then was a student of Grand Kiver Institute, in Ashtahular county, O., for two years. He learned the art of penmanship, under the tuition of P. R. Spencer, and suhseciuently tau^jht writing schools and district schools, during four win- ters. He removed to Columbia county, Wisconsin, where he boughta farm and commenced farming. He was united in marriage to Miss Ellen Waterhouse, July 20th, 1851. They have three children. In June, 1S61, he came to this county and settled on a farm in the town of Verona. When lie assumed the duties of auditor he removed to Blue Earth City, but on retiring from oltice he returned to his farm. Having purchased a valuable tract of land near Hlu(,> Earth City, he removed upon it and resided there for some years, but having sold this farm, he removed again to the old homestead, in Verona, where he still resides. Mr. Cady has also held various town otllces from time to time, in Verona. He has been a republican ever since the organization of the party. He is largely engaged In farming and stock raising. William W. "White, of Walnut Lake township, next assumed the duties and responsibilities of the office, being elected auditor at the election held in November, 1868. Mr. White was re-elected in the years, 1870, 1872, 1874, 1876, 1878, 1880, 1882 and 1884, during all of which successive terms he has served the countj- in this office. Mr. White was born in Oneida county, state of New York, on the twenty- fourth day of IJeeember, 18J8. His grandparents were Vermonters, and emi- grated to New York State, where William's father, Asel White, was born. He was a farmer. William was educated, mainly, in the common or public schools of his neighborhood, but he also attended at Saquoit Academy, in his native county, for some time. He was brought up a farmer. In 1857 he was married to Miss Frances F. Lapham. They have had two children. In 1858, ]Mr. White removed to Dodge county, Wisconsin, where he bought a farm. Here he remained some three years, when he sold out and emigrated to this State, in April, ISGl, locating in Mower county, where he rented a farm. In the fall of the same year he came to this county and settled in Walnut Lake township, where he took up a quarter section of land under the pre-emption laws, but sub-equently changed to a homestead entry. He "proved up" on this tract, and still owns it. Mr. White, while a resident of Wisconsin, was town clerk of Beaver Dam township, one term, and was also a justice of the peace one term, while a resi- dent of Walnut Lake tf)wnship. In the fall of 1868 he was elected county aud- itor, as we hive seen above, and removed to Blue Earth City in the spring of 1869, to assume the duties of the office, and here he has resided during his term of otllce. He was a memberof the village council of Blue Earth City, one term. Mr. White has always been a republican in politics, and he and Mrs. White are members of the regular Baptist church. After retiring from office, Mr. White returned to his farm in Walnut L:ik«Uownship, where he remained some years, and then removed to Owatonna, Minn. W. \V. WHITE. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 649 SECTION EIGHT. THE COUNTY TREASURY AND THE TREASURERS. Briefly stated, the duties of the county treasurer, as defined by law, are to receive and safely keep all public moneys, directed by law to be paid to him, and to pay out the same, only upon the order of the proper authority. He is required to keep fair and accurate boolf s of account, showing the amount, the time when, by whom and on what account moneys are received by him, and the amount, time and manner of all disbursements. His accounts must be so kept, that they will show what lias been received and paid on each separ- ate and distinct fund, or appropriation. The treasurer is not only the depository of the public funds, but is also now the collector of all the taxes. Formerly the sheriff was the tax collector. The treasurer is required to make a full and complete settle- ment with the county auditor, every four months, in which he ex- hibits the balance and condition of each fund in his hands. His accounts and funds are also subject to examination at any time, without notice, by the State examiner and by the board of au- dit, consisting of the clerk of the district court, the chairman of the ' board of commissions, and the county auditor. The treasurer's term of office is two years, formerly commencing and ending in March, but now in January. He is required, before entering upon his du- ties, to take the usual official oath, and give an approved bond for the faithful performance of his duties, in such sum as the board of county commissioners may direct. The treasurer is paid by a cer- tain percentage on all funds coming into his hands, which he is al- lowed to retain. THE FIRST TREASURER. The first treasurer of this county was Louis P. Grout, of Blue Earth City, appointed by the county board April 6th, 1857. He immediately filed his official bond, and entered upon the duties of his office, which were not onex'ous, as it appears that he never re- ceived or paid out any public funds, as treasurer, except one dollar, which he paid some one for writing his bond, and that he paid in trade. In the absence of anything further to say of the first treas- urer, it may be recorded here, as an item of historical interest, that Mr. Grout, in partnership with his brother, Isaac E. Grout, an individual of some note in the early days of the county, kept a small store in Blue Earth City, for some years, in which the principal articles of merchandise were calico, salaratus, soap, tobacco, cod- fish and whisky. This store was not the first, but the second mercantile estab- lishment at Blue Earth City, and was kept in a one story log cabin, 650 HISTORY OF 14x20 feet, which stood nearly opposite the Constan's hotel. The building was roofed with "shakes, "and was chinked and rauddcd up in the usual manner, and had a puncheon floor, two doors and three half windows. It was divided into two rooms, the rear room being occupied by the families of the proprietors, as a dwelling, and the front room was devoted entirely to commercial purposes. Here, in the dignity of his office, stood the treasurer of the county, engaged in mercantile pursuits. And here, too, in this hovel, it may be re- marked, was many a "wassail," held of early settlers, when "joy was unconfined." The old building has long since disappeared, and the first treasurer has passed to his final account. Mr. Albin Johnson, of Blue Earth City, succeeded Mr. Grout, being elected to the office October 13th, 1857. He qualified Novem- ber 2d. following, and assumed the duties of his office. During the following year the first tax was levied and collected, and the first public funds came to the hands of the treasurer. At that time the treasurer did not collect the taxes, the sheriff being ex-offwio tax collector. The treasurer, however, several years later, became by law the collector of all taxes. At the general election, held October 11th, 1859, Mr. Johnson was re-elected for a second term, which he served. Albin Johnson was born in Carroll county, state of New Hampshire, on the sixteenth day of February, 1817. His urandfnther and father were amonp the old residents of Massachusetts, originally, but removed to New Hampshire. His grandfather was a soldier in the war of the Revolution, and was at Bunker Hill and other battles of that eventful period. His father was a farmer and blacksmith. Albin received his education in the common schools apd at an academy, located at Wakefield, New Hampshire. He designed entering the medical profession, but (;ave it up. In his youth he taught school during the winters for some sixteen years. His occupation during the remainder of the year, was principally farming. He held a number of town offices in his native town. Mr. Johnson was married July ISth, 1839, to Miss Nancy M. lUirleigh, and they have had five children, one of whom is now dead. He came directly from his eastern home to this county, in January, 1857, and has resided here ever since. He first settled on a farm, whore he has since erected good buildings and made other extensive improvements. When elected county treasurer he re- moved to Blue Earth City, but returned to his farm again afterwards. In 1880 he removed again to Blue Earth City and erected a large dwelling and other buildings, as a home, and continued to reside at that place, but still having charge, to a considerable extent, of his large farm, until bis death. Mr. Johnson and family are members of the Presbyterian church. He was a republican in politics from the organization of the party. Mr. Johnson was twice county commissioner, and frequently held the office of town supervisor. He died at Blue Earth City, August 2d, 1887. William Dustin, of Winnebago City, elected October 8th. 1861, was the next county treasurer. Heretofore the accounts of the treasurer (not very extensive indeed) were kept in small account books, and memorandums, furnished by the treasurer, but the county having provided a full set of proper books for the office. ^^w \ \ mi ^ i ^^ ^ 1 1 \VM. DUSTIN. FAUIBAVLT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 651 Mr. Dustin proceeded to open and keep the public accounts, in a more conveninent manner. Mr. Dustin was re-elected for a second term, at the general election November 3d, 1863, and held the office until the expiration of the term. WILLIAM DUSTIN. William Dustin was a native of Orange Cfounty, state of Vermont, where he was born in 182G. His father, John K. Dustin, was a farmer by occupation, and William was kept on the farm until he was twenty years of age. He received his early education in the common schools of the country. When about twenty years old (1847) he went to reside in Boston, Mass., where he received a practical, commercial education, which was the preparation for what proved to be his life work. In 1854 he was married to Miss Abby Gay, of Boston. They have four chil- dren now living. In 1857 he removed with his family to La Crosse county, Wisconsin, where he remained one year, and then, in the spring of 1858, came to this county, and settled near Winnebago City, and engaged in farming. Soon after his election to the office of county treasurer, Mr. Dustin and his family removed to Blue Earth City. Here, in connection with the duties of treasurer, Mr. Dustin engaged in the mercantile business for many years. For a time he was deputy postmaster, and was afterwards postmaster. He held the office of chairman of the board of town supervisors for many consecutive years, and was a member of the village council and of the board of education at Blue Earth City. In the spring of 1882 he removed to Holt County, Nebraska, and engaged in merchandising. Mr. Dustin was a republican in political sentiment. Rial B. Johnson, of Winnebago City, elected November 7th, 1865, succeeded Mr. Dustin, and at the proper time assumed the duties of the office. Mr. Johnson was re-elected to the office in the years 1867, 1869, 1871, 1873 and 1875, holding the office for twelve consecutive years. AN INCIDENT. On the night of March 1st, 1869, an attempt was made to rob the county treasury. The treasurer's office was entered, and the safe blown open. A small, iron till in the safe, which was supposed to contain the money, was taken out and carried to a wood-pile a square distant, where an axe was found, with which the till was smashed, when lo! but three cents were found to re- ward the rascal, or rascals, for their pains. The county auditor was the first in the morning to learn of the attempted robbery, and supposed that a large sum had been taken, and, while examining the safe, Mr. Johnson, the treasurer, came in. After viewing the safe a few moments to see what had been done, he quietly remarked, that "the burglars didn't seem to have known that that was not the safe in which the funds had been deposited, and that it required the auditor's warrant and not an ap- 652 HisronY OF plication of gunpowder to draw the funds." The treasurer had the public funds, to a cent, entirely secure, and the county lost nothing. No attempt was made to discover the burglars, nor has anj'thing transpired to this day to indicate by whom the burglary was at- tempted. The commissioners, meeting soon after this event, passed a resolution of thanks to Mr. Johnson for his care of tlie public funds. Mr. Johnson is a native of New Hampshire. He was born October 22d, 1827, in Grafton, Grafton county, of that state. When ten years of age, he reiuoved witli his parents to Vermont. His educational advantages were such as were fiirnislied, in that day, liy the coniinon sdiools of New England. He early learned a trade, which he afterwards found to Ije of great advantage in life. In 1856, he came west, and settled in Berlin, Wisconsin, where he carried on the shoe business, until his next removal. Here he was married, in 1857, to Miss Ellen Davlin. They have had two children, a son and a daughter. In the spring of 1858, he came to the township of Verona, in this county, and engaged in farming, and, in 1862, he removed to Winnebago City, this county, where he engaged again in the shoe trade, and also merchandising, until his election to the ortice of county treasurer, in 1805. In the spring of 1866, he became a resi- dent of Blue Earth City, and has continued to reside ever since at that place. After retiring from the oflice of treasurer, he was, in 1878, elected state senator for the sixth district, for four years, which he served. He was our first senator under the biennial system. Mr. Johnson has held various local offices, from time to time, as president of the village council of Blue Earth City, etc. Since leaving official life, Mr. Johnson has been largely engaged in farming opera- tions, and has, for many years, dealt largely in real estate. He was the origin- ator of the abstracts of title, in this county, a work on which he spent a large aninunt of labor, time, and money, and subsequently sold. The same abstracts now belong to the county. Mr. Johnson has been a republican in politics since the days of Fremont. He became a Mason in 1867, and has always taken much interest in the fraternity, and was, for two terms. Worshipful Master of Blue Earth City Lodge, No. 57. He is also a member of Mount Horeb Chapter, No. 21, Royal Arch Masons. Otto Kaupp, of Blue Earth City, is the next in order of the ti-easurers. He was elected in 1877 and assumed the duties of the office in March following, and served one term. It was in Wirtemburg, Germany, on the first day of December, 1842, that Mr. Kaupp was born. His father was a physician. He died in 1855. The sub- ject of our sketch received his education in the public schools of the city. In 1857 he came with his sister to this State and located at Mankato. Here he engaged in farming until 1860, when he commenced learning the tinner's trade and worked at the business seven years in Mankato. In the spring of 1867, he came to this county and located at Blue Earth City, where he engaged in the hardware business, in which he has continued ever since. He was married to Miss Mary J. McLaughlin, October 29lh, 1868. They have five children. He was town treasurer in 1877. town clerk from 1880 to 1886. President of the vil- age council of Blue Earth City in 1882, and village treasurer in 1885 and 1886. Mr. Kaupp is a member of the Roman Catholic church and a democrat in poli- tics. He was appointed postmaster at Blue Earth City in the fall of 1887. Mr. Kaupp was also president of the city council of Blue Earth City, a number of years in succession. R. B. JOHNSON. OTTO KAUPP. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 653 Anthony Anderson; of Delavan, succeeded Mr. Kaupp. He was elected treasurer in the fall of 1879, and was re-elected in the years 1881, 1883, 1886 and 1888. Mr. Anderson was born in Washington county, New Yorlr, August 18th, 1833. His father was a farmer, and Anthony remained at home most of the time assisting his father on the farm, until he was twenty-one years of age. His early education was acquired in the common schools, except one year, during which he attended Castleton Seminary, Vermont. When he left home, he went into the mercantile business at Putnam Landing, Washington county. New York, and remained at that place until he came west. He wasmarried in July, 1865, to Miss Mary E. Wright. They have had two children. In August, 1866, Mr. Anderson came to Blue Earth City and engaged in merchandising. In 1871 he removed to Delavan, in this county, and took charge of Mr. Coleman's lum- ber yards, where he remained until his election to the office of county treasurer, when he returned to Blue Earth City, and has since resided at that place. Mr. Anderson has held various local offices, as town supervisor in New York, justice of the peace of Delavan township, and member of the village council of Blue Earth City, and of the school board for many years. He is a republican in pol- itics, and he and his family are members of the Presbyterian church. Latterly, for a number of years, he has had charge of a lumber yard at Blue Earth City and has, also, been largely interested in the Farmers and Merchants Bank, at that place. SECTION NINE. THE OFFICE OF REGISTER OF DEEDS AND THE REGISTERS. The duties of the register of deeds as defined by law are, briefly — That he shall keep suitable books in which he shall record at large and in full, word for word, any and all instruments (duly exe- cuted), in any way affecting the titles to real estate, that may be left with him for record. Keeping separate books of deeds, mort- gages and other instruments, and shall also keep in separate books, an alphabetical index, in which he shall enter under the proiDer let- ter of the alphabet, the name of each grantor and grantee in any deed, mortgage or other instrument, left with him for record. He also furnishes abstracts of title when requested. The term of office of the register of deeds, is two years. He is required to take an official oath and give bond for the faithful per- formance of his duties. He is authorized to appoint deputies, for whose acts he is responsible. The register is paid for his services by fees, paid by the person desiring recording done. Prom the fact that the register of deeds is the only public official custodian of the records and evidences of all the land titles and the encumbrances thereon, that exist by law in the county, the importance of this office and the extent of the trust reposed in the register of deeds arevery evident, and comment is unnecessary. Prior to January 3d, 1859, the register of deeds was in this county, exofficio clerk of the board of county commissioners, and 6r)4 • IIISTOIIY OF in that capacity performed the duties of county auditor, or in other words, the register of deeds was both register and auditor. The first register of deeds of this county was Samuel V. Hibler. He was appointed by Gov. W. A. Gorman, on the organization of the county, his commission bearing date February LTHh, lH5t5. He appointed Wm. Dow and J. B. Wakefield, deputies. Mr. Wakefield, however, performed, principally, the duties of the ofifice, not at that time very onerous. Mr. Hibler held the office until the general election held in October, 185G. Mr. Hibler was a Pennsylvanian. Kervice in this position, he was chosen bookkeeper and paymaster of the concern. Here he remained until the factory was burned, in December, 1860. In January, 1867, he came to this county and purchased a farm in Minnesota Lake township, and came there to reside in the following April. On the eleventh of February, 1867, he was married to Miss Winifred Morris, of Painfleld, N. Y. They had three children, two of whom are dead. His wife died in July, 1873. K. W . K'U'llAK'D- FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 661 In the spring of 1872 Mr. Richards removed to Blue Earth City where he has since resided. He was married in April, 1879, to Mrs. Mary A. Looniis, of this county Mr. Richards' official history as superintendent, is detailed above. He has held various other official positions, as secretary of the Agricultural society many terms, and as an officer of the Sunday school association, and has always been a worker in the tempennce cause, an;! was Deputy G. W. C. Templar in this State for 1875 and 1876, and organized many lodges of that order in the state. He has been a member of the Presbyterian church since 1856, and always a stalwart republican in politics. During late years Mr. Richards has been chief clerk in the county auditor's office, and has been a member of the board of ed- ucation at Blue Earth City, of which he is at this time president. It is gratifying to the writer to record the fact here that from the early settlement of the county, to the present time, the people of all parts of the county have taken a large interest in the subject of education, and that they have made rapid progress in the increase of the number and standing of the schools, and the building of school houses, as is attested by the history of the several years of the county. Our schools take rank with the common schools of other parts of the State, and our graded schools compare favorably with schools of like grade anywhere in the northwest. No people can interest themselves in a better cause than that of the proper educa- tion of the young. THE COUNTRY SCHOOL HOUSE. THE DISTRICT SCHOOL. The country school house! the little red school house! the little white school house! "Within, the master's desk is seen, Deep scared by raps official; The warping floor, the battered seats. The jack-knife's carved initial; The charcoal frescos on its wall; Its door's worn sill, betraying The feet that, creeping slow to school, Went storming out to playingi" — Whiitier. Many scores of country school houses have been built in the twenty townships of this county. In some respects the country school houses are the most important structures in the county. How could we get along without them"? Their uses are manifold. Let us enumerate some of them. In some one of them the township cau- cuses meet, to elect delegates to the higher political bodies. Here the people assemble to hear political speeches and the discussion of the great party issues of the times. Here the district school meet- ings are held. Here, in some predesignated one, the electors of the town assemble, each year, to elect their town officers and decide im- 662 IIISTOIiY OF portant township questions, and often stormy contests occur, and high words of rival candidates are heard. It is in the school houses that the people of the country meet to hear lectures and organize their local societies. Here too, are the great spelling contests, the singing schools, and here the local debating societies meet to discuss and settle great social and moral questions, and declaim selections from the speeches of Adams, Patrick Henry, Webster, Clay, Cor- win, and other eminent orators, of bygone days. And it is not in the fine churches, but in the country school houses, that the great majority of the people of the county assemble for stated public re- ligious services, and it is here many of the great religious revivals occur, and many church societies are organized from time to time. Yet none of these are the uses for which the school houses were built. These uses, so far as the purposes of the erection of school houses are concerned, are but secondary. These buildings were erected, principally for the use of the several school districts, for school purposes. They are not public halls, or churches, however appropriate, their use as such, may be, but school houses. And the importance in this respect, of our dis- trict school houses, may be partially realized, when it is known that it is not in the high schools, academies, colleges, or universities, but in the common, public, free schools, that by far the greater number of our people get their education, or all the schooling they ever get. And from these schools, as their starting point, where they discover their capacity, get their first training, become imbued with their first impulses and ambitions, have come, many, who have won im- perishable names, ripe scholars, great orators, able jurists, wise and patriotic statesmen, great philanthropists and christian leaders, in the pulpit, and in the missionary fields. The country school-house! The district school! What remem- brances of boyhood's and girlhood's years these words awaken! How many terms of winter, or summer schools, or both, did we at- tend? And the teachei's! do we, in looking back, remember them'? How we loved some of them, and how we feared others. How dif- ferent they were in their manners and methods. How we often tried their .patience. And perhaps we may remember too. the "sproutings," the forulings, the dunce seat punishments, the chid- ings we received and deserved, and we may recollect, also, the oft expressed kindly words of praise and encouragement. And we know now, whatever we thought then, that most, if not all of our teachers, are entitled to our gratitude and k'lndly remembrance. But all who have been school children, have other memories of their young school days — the warm friendships, the games, the petty quarrels, the rivalries and contests, the triumphs and defeats. FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 663 the young love matches and jealousies. And many a love match, made in the country school house, has proved to be a life match. The existence of a free government, such as ours, its growth, stability and success restfj in the virtue and intelligence of the iieo- ple. An educated people can never be long deprived of their rights, or enslaved. And a free State must have many men of education to conduct its affairs. The State, therefore, and every citizen thereof, has a vast interest in the education of the young, and their preparation for the varied duties of life and good citizenship. In this favored land, the free district school is the most important fac- tor in the education of the people. And especially is this the fact in this portion of our country, in which its population is made up of many nationalities. There is no power known in this land which wields so mighty an influence in the unification, harmonization and Americanization of its people, as the free district schools. Their doors are open to all alike, the rich and the poor, and their training, lessons and ad- vantages, are for all the children of one common country. But our free school system has some powerful enemies who, for ulterior purposes, are opposed to any methods of education but such as may be directed by them. Then there are others, wlio, because of their own ignorance, or immorality, or disregard of the public welfare, or their selfishness, or avarice, would destroy the whole system of pub- lic schools, maintained at public expense. Besides these, it maybe remembered that all despotisms, either in church or State, really whatever their pretenses may be, believe in keeping the masses of the people in ignorance. They cannot live in the light of public in- telligence. All these need to be watched. We must permit no soph- estries, or jDromises, or pi-ofessions of favor, to blind our eyes, or threats, or auguries of evil to deter us from maintaining, extending and perfecting our free school system. There are some things that are peculiarly and essentially American, the outgrowth of American conditions and American necessities, that must be insisted upon, and our free common school system, maintained at the public expense and to which every citizen who enjoys the liberties and protection of the State, must contribute his lawful proportion, whatever his original nationality, or notions may be, is one of them. And now, we should remember, while engaged in the affairs of life and perhaps giving but little attention to the schools ourselves, that he in whose hands the people have placed the greatly impor- tant trust and duty of the supervision of our district schools, is the county superintendent. 664 HISTORY OF SECTION ELEVEN. THE COUNTY SURVEYORS. The duties of county surveyor are, to "execute any survey of lands which may be required, by order of any court, or upon appli- cation of any individual, or corporation " He is required to take an oath of ottice, and gi\'e an official bond. His term of office is two years. He may appoint as many deputies as he may need. He is required to keep a record of all surveys made by him. or his depu- ties, and is paid for liis services, by those who employ him, at the rate of four dollars per day. Orville Kimball was the first county surveyor of this county. He was either appointed by tlie countj^ board, or was elected at the general election, in 1850, but no record now remains of the matter. He left the country in the spring of 1857. He designed going to California, when he left here, and a number of years afterwards it was said by some of his relatives, residing in Massachusetts, that Mr. Kimball had located in Canton, China, engaged in the mercan- tile business, and became very wealthy. On the sixth of July, 1857, J. A. Kiester was appointed sur- veyor, by the county board, and, at the next general election of 1857, he was elected to the office for a full term. He was succeeded by S. A. Safford, of Winnebago City, who was elected in 1859. He re- moved from the county the next spring, when J. H. Welch, of Ver- ona, was, on the fourth day of June, 1860, appointed by the county board, to fill the vacancy, and was elected to the office, at the general election of that year, for a full term. Mr. Welch also re- moved from the county, temporarily, and the office became vacant in 1861. John Harvey Welch was born in Royalton, Niagara county, New York, March 21, 183S. He worked at home, on the farm, and attended the common schools, until he was seventeen years old. He then enpa^od in school teaching, occa- sionally, and attended the Union School, at Lockport, New York, until twenty- one years of age. He canii' west in 1854, and «pent three years engaged as a civil engineer, on railroads, in Wisconsin. He came to this county in May, 18.17, and located on a pre-emption claim, in the town of \'erona. Mr. Welch was married March 8th, 1859, to Mi.ss Martha J. Hazeltlne, of Dodge county, Wis- consin. They have had tlve children, two of whom are now dead. In 1861, Mr. Welch was appointed, by President Lincoln, register of the United States land ottice, then located at Chatfleld, Minnesota. In October, of that year, the office was removed to Winnebago City, in this county. He then became a resi- di'nt of Winnebago City, where he has ever since resided. He held the ottice of register about six years. In I86:{, he engaged, also, In the general mercantile business at Winnebago City, and, In 1866, in the hardware trade, in which he continued until 1887, wlien he sold out. He was appointed, In 1889, postmas- ter of Winnebago City. In 1860, Mr. Welch was one of the board of county commissioners, and he has held various local offices, as chairman of the town FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA. 665 board of supervisors, president of the village council, and member of the board of education, of Winnebago City. Mr. Welch is a republican in politics. He cast his first vote for Freemont, for President, in 1856. He and his family attend the Presbyterian church. On the twenty- fourth day of June, 1861, George A. Weir, of Winnebago City, was appointed to the ofifice by the county board and assumed its duties. George Patten, of Verona, elected in 1861, was our next sur- veyor, but enlisting in the military service of the United States, the office again became vacant. Mr. Patten did not return to this county again as a resident. W. W. Seely, of Verona, elected to the office in 1862, succeeded Mr. Patten. The office again became vacant. Mr. Seely removed from the county. Our next county surveyor was John A. Dean, of Jo Daviess, appointed by the county board September 1st, 1863. The survey, subdivision and jslatting of the timbered sections of the school lands in the county was performed by Mr. Dean. This was a large work, and some of it difficult and laborious. The woi"k was done in the fall of 1863, and the plats filed with the commissioner of the state land office, and also in the office of the register of deeds of the county. Mr. Dean is a native of New York state, born June 19th, 1825, in the county of Jefferson. His father, Samuel Dean, was born in England, and came to America and settled in Jefferson county, N. Y., when that country was yet quite new. He was a farmer by occupation. John, the subject of this brief sljetch, acquired his education mainly in the common schools of the country. He had also some instruction by private tutors. He spent his youth until he arrived at the age of twenty one years, on the farm of his father. He commenced teaching school at twenty and taught occasionally during a period of twenty-eight years. Having qualifled himself for the profession of civil engineer, he was engaged in the employment of the state ofKew Yorlc, as first assistant engineer in the construction of the Black River canal, from Rome to the Black river, when about twenty-three years old. This canal was an important work to the people of the state. The work, from its character, required much engineering skill and hard labor, and was satis- factorily performed. About the year 1851, Mr. Dean emigrated to the state of Wisconsin, and settled In Dodge county, where he engaged in school teaching, practicing law and surveying. He returned to New York and was married to Miss C. M. Yendes, in May, 1853. They have had two children, one of whom is now dead. The same year, Mr. Dean returned to Wisconsin and located at Markesan, Green Lake county. Here he engaged in the practice of law, surveying occasion- ally, teaching school, and sometimes working at thecarpenter trade. In August, 1860, Mr. Dean and family came to this county. Here betook up a quarter section of land in the town of Jo Daviess, which he settled upon and continued to reside, engaged in farming and the nursery business, until his removal to Blue Earth City. The nursery of fruit nnd ornamental trees and shrubbery planted by him, was the first nursery in the county, and was attended by him with much care for many vears. 6C6 HISTORY OF Mr. Dean entered the military service of the United States, in November, 1864, as a private, Bointr immediately south, to Nashville, Tennessee, where he joined Co. B, 5th Minnesota Vet. Vol. Inft. He was in the liatties of Nash- ville in December, 1864, and wasalsoat the .sei>;c of Mobile, Alabama, in Ai)ril,1865, and continued with his regiment until discharged in September, I8G5, when he came home. He removed to Blue Earth City about the year 1875, where he has since resided, but still continues to look after his farming interests and nursery business. Mr. Dean is an independent republican in politics, but has never taken a very active part in political matters, except to keep well posted on the issues of the times. He has been much alllicted during a great part of his life with asthma and his affliction has greatly inducnced the course of his active life. He has, from early youth, been much of a student, his tastes inclining him much to mathematical and kindred studies. Mr. Dean has freijuently held school and town olllces, and was at one time a member of the board of county commissioners of this county. Daniel Birdsall, of Prescott, elected in November, 1863, next performed the duties of the office. Mr. Birdsall was elected in 1865 for a second term. During the year following, he removed from the county, and the office became vacant. He was succeeded by John R. Sisson, of Seely, who was elected in 1866, and was re-elected in 1868. Mr. Sisson is a native of Massachusetts, born in Wilbraham, May 22d, 1815. He received a common school education and studied surveying. In 1822 he re- moved with his parents to the Western Reserve, Ohio. In 1839 he was employed by the general government and went to Arkansas, and engaged in the survey of the public lands. In 1841 he removed to Louisa county, Iowa, and was married February 1st, 1813, to Miss Lucy G. Clark. Nine children were the fruit i)f the marriage. His wife died September .30th, 1881. In 185!) he removed to La Crosse county, Wisconsin, from thence to this county in 1863. As to occupation, Mr. Sesson has been engaged in farming, carpentering, and as abdve stated, in surveying, and latterly, somewhat in merchandising. Mr. Sisson has been a supervisor in his town and a justice of the peace, and was county commissioner in the years 1866, 1867 and 1877, 1878 and 1879. He was again married February rr. Davis was born at Shiloh, New York, Dci-ciiiber 15th, 18.36, and re- ceived his educatiiin in the district schools. He was entfaiji'd for a number of years as a stage driver and mail contractor. lie cam Garretson, 55 Glint. .T.B 80, 81. 073 Gllman, H. H 434.438,448,453,530 Ooodnow, G. H 100, 102, 109, 110, 669 Goodrich, D. F 305, 423, 445. 448, 453, 471, 472, 578, 055 Gray, B 540 Grangers 249, 368 Graham, S.W 405. 422. 456. 471, .581 Grassliopperlnvaslon,365, 386, 391, 405,431. 441 Green, M. W 400, 448 Grout,!-. I' 68. 09 Harvests, see each year. Harlow, F. F 250, 670 Healy, O. 510 nibler,S. V 45. 48, 61, OiM Holley, H. W 133, 158, 435, 453, 473. 518 Holland, A 633, 554 Holidays- New Years Day 164 St. Valentine's Day 182 Waslilngton's Birthday 229 St. Patrick's Day 325 Good Friday 344 Easter 347 May Day 363 Norwegian IndepeudeDce 380 Memorial Day 400 Fourth Day of ,Tuly 423 Hallow Eve ^^% Thanksgiving 4(Q Christmas 484 Holmes, Tbos 38 Homestead E.xemptlon 271 Home. The 275 Homestead Taxation 232,253 Homicides 51, 61, 171, 311, 3:0 Hunting 135 Ilunllugton. Carr 587 Huntington. U.M 332. 537 Huntley Village 476,535 Hulchlns, E. H 332, 362. 393, 307 Hyatt. N. B 145, 610 Indians 30. 77 Indian Outbreaks 70, 77. 152, 168 Jackson, J. M 80, 81, 632 .lail.The First 298 .Tohnson. A 60, 80, 81, 110, 114,650 .TolinsoM. U. U..2l.n, 2.'>0. 289, 332. 372, 461, 409, 652 Jo Daviess Township 593 Judges District Court 630 Judges Probate Court 834 July Fourth, First Celebrations 90 Jurors. First to Serve 101 J uslioe of the Peace, The First 48 Kaupp.0 448, 652 Kiestor. J. A 81, 90, 96, 202, 289. 622 Klester Township 621 Kimball, C. 8 401, 675 Kingsley, Geo. B 5, 47, 48, 49, 54, 80. 81. 82. 83, 123, 385. 472, 473, 481. 581. 632 Knapp. W. W 635, 639 Kremer, N. J 503, .W» Kremer, Peter 504 Land Office 132, 279 Latimer, J. A 96, 177, 269, 289. 529 Lawsuit, The First 73 Leavitt, E. S 355. 434, 461, 667 Legislation, See Summary each year. Lent. Frank 239, 268, 305. 655 LoBuour, M 9, 575, 576 Lincoln, A 205 Lura Township 509 Mall, The First U. S 54 MoCormlck.John 510 McArtbur. Geo. D 96. 162, 473, 609 MeCrery, J. L 85. 98, 99. 394 McClure.G 598 Metropolitan, The First Hotel 55 Minnesota, see Introduction. Minnesota Lake Township 502 Minnesota Lake. Village of B06 Minute Men .150, 160, 196 More. A. li.. Sr 269, 291, 335. 398. 409, 414, 459, 469, 602 Moore. Geo. D 416 Mound-Builders 28 INDEX. 687 Neal, H. J ..268, 269, 305, 355, 434, 633 Nelson, O., (Houga) 512 Newspapers )V1 Blue Earth City News, The First, 1861.. 133 Southwest Minnesotian (Blue Earth City), 1962 149 Whig of -76 (Winnebago Oity), 1863 171 Blue Earth City Advocate, 1864 185 Free Homestead (Winnebago City), 1864 185 Minnesota Southwest (Blue Earth City), 1866 232 Blue Earth City Post, 1869 28U Prairie Bugle (Wells), 1869 286 Wells Atlas, 1870 293 Winnebago Oity Press, 1870 297 Wells Real Estate Advertiser, 1870. .... 311 Blue Earth City Mail, 1871 330 Winnebago City Advertiser, 1872 343 Delavan Bee, 1872 350 Faribault County Leader (Wells), 1874.. 391 Church Messenger (Wells), 1874 379 The Bee (Blue Earth City), 1874 393 Vedette (Blue Earth City), 1875 397 Wells Gazette, 1875 411 Wells Advocate, 1877 440 The Sun (Winnebago City), 1879 470 Winnebago Oity Times, 1879 483 Nichols, A. R 41, 526 Pteffer.S 321,335,416. 468,578 Pierce, P. M 393, 396, 530 Pilot Grove Township 597 Pond. T. G 372,377,546 Population, see 1857, 1860, 1865, 1870, 1875, 1879. Postmaster, The First 54 Potter, W. W 375 Powell, J. W 58, 366, 536, 537, 584 Powers. A 553, 554 Pratt, James 633 Pratt, Jno. K 198, 633 Pratt, David 617 • Pratt, M. B 395, 448, 672 Prairie Fires 369, 479 Prescott Township 539 Preston, Amos.... 123, 162, 177, 215, 393,397, 636 Prior, Jas 565 Probate Court and Judges 634 Quotas— Credits 182, 212 Railroad. The First Bonuses 270 Railroad, Tlie First in the County 292 Railroad, Gran J Opening (1879) 482 Register ot Deeds 653 Religious Services, The First 56 Reynolds, B. G 433,472 Richards, R, W 335,434,461,660 Robertson. W. J. C 85, 177, 635 Roberts, Henry 41, 526 Konie Township 612 Rose, A.J 250, 289, 372, 674 Rose. C. A 377, 438 Roster, Grand of Soldiers 217 Sailor, Moses 5, 37, 48, 60, 65, 80, 81 School Lauds 199 School Superintendents 657 Scott, W. M 42. 60, 65, 438 Settlers, Tlie First, see Township His- tories. Severance, M. J 631 Seely, P. C 145,617 Seely Township 616 Sheriffs. The 667 Shirli.J.E 616 Shillocl<, D. G 162, 198 Shultis, Allen 69, 81, 110. 409, 609 Sisson, J. R 239, 268, 434. 666. Slocum, C.H 379, 406, 445, 456, 459, 536 Society, Old Settlers 479 Spencer Spier 45, 47 Sprout, J. H 250, 289, 332. 372, 472. 578, 641 Spring, The 115 Squires, F. A 376 Summer, The 328 Statistics, see years 1860, 1865, 1870, 1875, 1879 Stoddard, H.T 5, 42, 48, 81 Sunday 315 Sunday School Association 294 Supervisors, The Town 496 Taylor. A. L 500 Temperance Society, The First 120 Temperance Union, W. C, 474 Temple, Franl< W., 376, 393, 397, 414, 437, 541, ,583 Thompson, 0, W 300, 322, 453, 553, 556 Trapping 135 Treasurers, The County 649 Voting 308 Verona Township 532 384. 630 Waite.P. W Wakelield James B 5, 4.5, 48, 60, 65, 80, 81, 82, 123, 162, 215, 239, 268, 279, 406, 414, 438, 448, 453, 469, 472, Walker. H. R 42, 53, 223. 392, Walnut Lake Township Way, W. A 110, 177, 239, Weddings, The First Weir.G. A 305. 393, Weir, J. L 96, Welch, J. H 114,123, Wells, Village West, J. P 372,377,385, 393, 396, 409, 414, 438, 448, 453, 461, 469. Whallon, G. W 305, 322, White, W. W...268, 305, 355, 393, 434, 461, 550, Wilson, C.W 42, 60, 65, 80, 81, 92. Wilkinson. M. S.. 268, 445, 456, 472, 478, 559, Williams, W. W 280. Winnebago Indians Winnebago Oity 58, 67, Winnebago Oity Township Winter, The Woesner, Andrew Wroolis, T. S 461, Young, E.C Young, H, P 578 481 547 674 81 666 640 664 555 472 332 618 604 642 379 523 523 ,522 466 545 469 51 409 (