Class_jr^Jj4- 
 
..Early ^History.. 
 
 FAIR HAVEN, LYNDEN, EDEN LAKE 
 
 AND 
 
 PAYNBSYILLB 
 
 BY 
 
 E. H. ATWOOD, 
 
 ST. CLOUD, MINN. 
 
 
1^ 
 
 .fO'^Ol 
 
^1X 
 
 ie 
 
 .teJ 
 
 p. 
 
 
 o 
 
 o 
 
 
 C/2 
 
 ^ 
 
 H3 
 
 H- 
 
 O 
 
 tJ 
 
 w 
 
 3 
 
 Kl 
 
 CO 
 
 
 01 
 
 o 
 
 o 
 
 ^ 
 
 c+ 
 
 
 IV 
 
 M 
 M 
 
History of Maine Fpairie 
 
 By E. H. ATWOOD. 
 
 FIRST DISCOVERY OF MAINE PRAIRIE. 
 
 While gather! ntr statistics and items of 
 interest connected with the stormy times of 
 the Sionx outbreak and massacre of the 
 whites in the sntntner of 1862, it was sug- 
 gested that a history of the first discovery 
 and settlement of Maine Prairie would be 
 of value, and the writer was nrged to un- 
 dertake it, beginning with its first discov- 
 ery hv the whites. We often find great dif- 
 ferences in the details of scenes and events 
 as related by different individuals, even 
 when they viewed the same occurrences at 
 the same time. The endeavor will be to 
 arrive as nearly as possible at the true ac- 
 count of such historical events as maybe 
 deemed worthy of interest. 
 
 In the early fifties, there were but few 
 settlements north of St. Paul, and these, 
 with the exception of St. Anthony, were 
 quite small and chiefly confined to the riv- 
 ers. St. Cloud and Sauk Rapids were the 
 most northern settlements of any size on 
 the Mississippi river. There were a few 
 scattering settlers along the Sauk river; 
 but there was a vast unexplored territory 
 west of the Mississippi and south of the 
 Sauk river, that had probably never bef n 
 trodden by the foot of the white man. 
 Here was a broad and undefined boundary 
 line between the fierce and warlike tribes 
 of the Sioux Indians on the west and their 
 deadly and bitter foes, the savage tribes of 
 
 the Chippewas, on the east. The feud be- 
 tween these two tribes had been long, fierce 
 and bloody, and the soil of this region had 
 drank the blood of many of the braves of 
 both Sioux and Chippewas. In this re- 
 gion there was plenty of game. The wild 
 deer roamed almost unmolested. The 
 otter, mink, muskrat, and other fur bear- 
 ing animals, were fwund in great numbers 
 around the thousands of lakes. Wolves, 
 wild cats, lynx and coyotes were found 
 roaming unmolested, for the banter from 
 either tribe well knew the perils that 
 awaited him should he venture upon this 
 disputed territory. Should any hunter 
 not return from an expedition in this di- 
 rection his tribe well knew that his scalp 
 was dangling at the belt of some warrior 
 of the hostile tribe. If this happened, 
 fierce war was made to avenge the loss, 
 and in the sanguinary conflict that follow- 
 ed many brave warriors of both tribes lost 
 their lives. These conflicts continued at 
 intervals for some time after the territory 
 was occupied by the white settlers, the last 
 one in this section occuring in the spring 
 of 1860, in the town of Maine Prairie. 
 
 Such were the conditions of this territo- 
 ry, when, in the year 1854, a number of 
 families living in the state of Massachus- 
 etts decided to emigrate in a body and 
 form a settlement by themselves in some 
 new western state. 
 
 
HlSTdRY OF MAINK FKAIKIE. 
 
 These people were intelligent, and lib- 
 eral in their views, and wisiied to form a 
 Bettlenient with ])eople of broad an<l pro- 
 gressive luinds, so that their churciies and 
 schools might be conducted in accordance 
 with their advanced standard of truth and 
 progress. The agents whom they sent out 
 to find a suitable location for their settle- 
 ment came up the Mississippi to Clearwa- 
 ter, in the fall of 1854, and star'ed westward 
 into this unknown region. James Camp- 
 bell, brother of the late Mrs. J. E. West, 
 accom pained these agents from Clenrwater. 
 
 VIEWING THE PKOMISKD LAND. 
 
 A slight snow storm somewhat bewild- 
 ered them, but they soon came upon what 
 is now known as Maine Prairie. As they 
 stood upon a commanding hill and gazed 
 upon the beautiful plain spread ()Ut before 
 them, dotted with many beautiful groves, 
 with innumerable lakes flashing in the 
 bright sunlight, surrounded on all sides 
 with a dense growth of timber, they were 
 enraptured with the glorious scene. Com- 
 ing as they had from the rugged and 
 mountainous regions of Massachu8etls,they 
 were unused to such a -landscape. They 
 stood entranced with the grand and beauti- 
 ful picture of green plains, beautiful groves 
 and glistening lakes. With hushed and 
 baited breath, thej' drank in the glori(>us 
 panorama, and enthusiastically exclaim- 
 ed: "Here is what we have been looking 
 for! Here is where we will found our grand 
 colony! The inspiration of such a glor- 
 ious country cannot fail to inspire the 
 hearts of our children with a higher and 
 nobler idea of life. Here we can surround 
 them with all that will make them better 
 men and women!" They christened the 
 place "Paradise." After some inrther ex- 
 plorations, they undertook to again find 
 their "Paradise," but after repeated ef- 
 forts, they were unable to do so, and those 
 that were to form the colony, thus became 
 somewhat scattered, and settled in differ- 
 ent parts of the state. The golden dreams 
 that they bad cherished of a colony of in- 
 telligent, progressive and advanced think- 
 ers, where they could rear their children 
 
 in the atmosphere of the highest ideal at- 
 tainment of human life, were unrealiz-d. 
 When the agents could not find their 
 "ParaJise," they then called it "Paradise 
 Lost" 
 
 Whether the world has lost or gained 
 by their failure to establish a colony or 
 not, is hard to tell. It may be that tiie 
 good influence which each member of this 
 community exerted in different localities 
 has proved a stronger force for good than 
 they could have exerted if they had unit- 
 ed in onp isolated colony. 
 
 SliCONl) DISCOVERY AND SETTLEMENT IN 1S5G. 
 
 From the fall of 1854 until the spring 
 of 1856, nothing definite had been learned 
 of Maine Prairie. In February of that 
 year A B. and A. S. Greely and A. Mes- 
 ser, who had come out from Maine the fall 
 before, and had remained at St. Anthony 
 during the winter, heard of Maine Prairie 
 from Air. Henry Johnson, who kept a ho- 
 tel at N'.'enah, six miles south of St. 
 Cloud. They came up on foot, but did not 
 quite r.^ach the Prairie, and returned to 
 St. Anthony. On the lOlh of March A. B, 
 Greely and wife, A. S. Greely, A. Messer 
 and Ansel Crommuett left St. Anthony for 
 Maine Prairie. In due time they reached 
 Little Prairie, three miles west of Neenah 
 and five miles from Maine Prairie. Here 
 they built a built a log house and began 
 house keeping. Mrs. A. B. Greely was 
 the first white woman that had phUetr.Ued 
 thus far. Mr. H. Dam and a few others 
 joined them here. After their house was 
 built, »he men began to search for the 
 "lost Paradize." It is claimed that Mr. 
 Messer was the first to discover the Prai- 
 rie, and staked out the first claim for him- 
 self, and one for Albert Staples, in the 
 northeast corner of the Prairie, H. Dun 
 taking an adjoining claim. April lOlh, 
 A. B. and Horace Greely staked out 
 claims for themselves near Carnelian 
 Lake, and commenced a claim shanty. 
 
 A few days later, A. S. Greely and 
 Aansel Crommett, in looking over the 
 Prairie for a good location, ascended a 
 high lilull'south of the Prairie. The view 
 
HISTORY OF MAINE PRAIRIE. 
 
 from this place wao grand, and filled the 
 heart of the proppectors with delight. 
 They counted thirteen lakc-s that lay be- 
 neath them, sparkling in the morning 
 sun. One lake in particular attracted 
 their attention. It whs a beautiful sheet 
 of water and lay like a pearl set in emer- 
 ald, ft was afterwards named Pearl Lake. 
 Adjoining it, they saw what they had been 
 looking for: Wood, and water and prai- 
 rie. They started for tlie lake in haste, 
 fearing others in'ght appropriate their 
 j)rize, paced off, staked and marked their 
 claims, but in their excitement their 
 strides were too long, and their claims 
 contained enough for four settlers. This 
 land they held and shared with their 
 brothers, N T. Greely and J. 0. Crom- 
 mett, when they arrived the next fall. 
 
 About the 1st of May, A. B. and A. S. 
 Greely, H. Dam, Dudley French, A. 
 Messer and J. H French cut out a road 
 ttiri'ugh the timber from their home on 
 Little Prairie to .VTaine Prairie. A. S. 
 Greely's ox team accompained them, be- 
 ing the first team through. Mrs H Dtm 
 soon came through with her husband, be- 
 ing the first white women to arrive on 
 Maine Prairie. Soon after the road was 
 cut through, many other settlors from the 
 east be^an to arrive. 
 
 MANY SETTLERS ARRIVE. 
 
 The fame of the br-autiful Prairie, with 
 its sparkling lakes, its rich soil, and 
 beautiful groves, had reached back to 
 Maine, and other Eastern States, and dur- 
 ing the spring and summer of 1856 the 
 following ueople arrived and to<-»k up 
 claims: D. W. Fowler, F. H. D.m, 
 Joseph Dam, Joseph and Samuel 
 Young, Wm. Heywood, J. H. French, 
 Albert Staples, Wm. Milligan, Horace 
 Greely, M. Greely, Hiram Millett, Mo^es 
 Ireland, John Farwell, Farwell, F. 
 M. Kimball, R. F. Adley, James Taylor, 
 Geo. Clark, Daniel Spaulding, Rnel Fur- 
 long, Misf Marilla and Altr)ira French, 
 John Guf)lil, James Simmons, D. Suther- 
 lan<l, 1). A. Hoyt, S. Leavelt, Aaron Scrib- 
 ner, Andrew F. and Daniel Perkins, Wm. 
 
 Stewart, Henry Hutchinson and Doc. 
 Mayo. AH of these took claims during 
 the spring and summer of 1856. Most of 
 these earlv settlers were frou the slate of 
 Maine, which will probably explain, why 
 they named their town Maine Prairie. 
 
 Moses Ireland laid out and plated the 
 town-site on the west shore of Carnelian 
 Lake, September 7th, 1856, and called it 
 Marysville. The location was beautiful, 
 and undoubtedly the proprietor expected 
 to soon see a thriving and prosperous city 
 flourishing upon his town-site. But, like 
 many others in the new state, it never rose 
 above a paper town-site. 
 
 GRASSHOPPER VISITATION OF 1856. 
 
 In the fall ol 1856 swarms of grasshop- 
 pers, or locuwfp, alighted on some of the 
 farms, and deposited their eggs. The next 
 spring the roung ones damaged M. Gree- 
 ly's crops, and about the middle of July 
 an immense swarm alighted on his farm, 
 covering the ground and eating up all 
 that the others had left. Tfiev all left the 
 same day, leaving the few fields, denuded 
 of all crops. 
 
 MINISTERS AND CHURCHES 
 
 Alvin Messer, a Baptist Minister, 
 preached in the town in 1856, the services 
 being held in private residences, he soon 
 left, and Rev. Inman, a Close Communion 
 Baptist took bis place. In the early six- 
 ties, the frame of a Baptist church build- 
 ing was erected, but on account of the war, 
 never was finished. In 1879 the present 
 church was built and dedicated. 
 
 In 1857, Rev. Levi Gleason was sent by 
 the Methodists to Maine Prairie, and held 
 occasional services in private residences 
 and school houses. In 1873, the present 
 church was built, being the first church 
 building in the town. The Methodist was 
 the strongest church for many years. 
 
 GROWTH OF THE COLONY. 
 
 The winter of 1856-57 passed quietly. 
 The pioneers worked hard making their 
 houses and stables comfortable. The next 
 summer a few more home-seekers arrived 
 at d took land In June, T. B. Stanley 
 came from Trumball County, Ohio, and 
 
HISTORY OF MAINE PRAIKIE. 
 
 took up a claim in section 2, and in 1858 
 erected a house and barn. In 1859, be 
 brought out his wife and four sons, D. B., 
 Joseph, Plum and Roger. In 1857, among 
 others who arrived were A. Maservey and 
 family, Thomas Cadwell and wife, Geo. 
 W. Cutter and family, D. A. Roberts and 
 wife, Alex. Spaulding and wife, Thomas 
 Steen and wife. Elder T. E. Inman and 
 wife, "Willard Spaulding, S. F. Brown, 
 wife and son, S. F., 0. S. Senter, John 
 Guptil's wife and family, and John White. 
 
 INDIANS. 
 
 During the winter, numerous bands of 
 of Indians camped in the neighborhood 
 for short periods, for the purpose of hunt- 
 ing. They were generally peaceably in- 
 clined, and frequently visited the settlers' 
 houses. They often visited the house of 
 M. Greely. Mr. Greely worked in the 
 woods that winter, leaving home in the 
 morning and returning at night. But 
 Mr«. Greely was not afraid of the Indians, 
 and often gave them food, or let them 
 warm themselves by the fire. One day, 
 an Indian came in who had often been 
 there before. He made a great many de- 
 mands until Mrs. Greely becoming tired, 
 told him to "Go!" when he made an in- 
 sulting remark. Seizing a pitchfork and 
 pointing it at his eyes, she again said go! 
 He looked at her a moment and departed. 
 In a few days, he came again. Mrs. Gree- 
 ly did not wait for him to say anything 
 but reaching up to the beams overhead 
 took down Mr. Greely's sword and again 
 said to Mr. Chippewa, "Git!" He went 
 out very sullenly, and seeing a fine large 
 steer standing near, drove him into the 
 deep snow so that only his head was vis- 
 ible. He remained in that predicament 
 until the next day, when Mr. G. found 
 him. After this, Mrs. Greelv could al- 
 ways tell the near presence of Indians by 
 the intense fright of that steer. 
 
 FIRST FOURTH OF JULY CELEHRATION. 
 
 On July 4, 1857, the pioneers celebrated 
 the nation's natal day by a public 
 picnic in the 0. Farwell grove, on the 
 shore of Carnelian Lake. Elder T. E. 
 
 Inman delivered the oration. This was 
 the first time that the glorious Fourth of 
 July had been celebrated in this vast re- 
 gion. 
 
 AS FIRST ORGANIZED. 
 
 The town of Maine Prairie, as first or- 
 ganized, consisted of what is now the towns 
 of Rockville, Fair Haven and Maine Prai- 
 rie, and was organized in accordance with 
 and pursuant to an order of the Board of 
 County Commissioners of the county of 
 Stearns, issued on the 20th day of May, 
 1858. The following is the— 
 notice! 
 
 Notice is hereby given, that on th^ 27th 
 day of May, A. I). 1858, an election will 
 be held at the house of John Harwell, in 
 and for the town of Marysvilie, Stearns 
 Co inly, Minnesota, for the f)urpose of 
 electing the following town officers, to- 
 wit : 3 Supervisor^, one of whom shall be 
 designated as Chairman; 1 Town Clerk, 1 
 Assessor, 1 (Collector, 1 Overseer of the 
 Poor, 2 Constables, 2 Juntices of the Pence, 
 and as many overseers of road» as Road 
 Districts. 
 
 Per order of the Board of County Ctm- 
 missioners. 
 
 "^ated. Saint Cloud, May 20, 1858. 
 
 JosEi'ii Edelbrock. 
 "A truo copy, attest: 
 
 "M. Greki.y, Town Clerk." 
 
 MINUTES OF MEETING. 
 
 "According to the foregoing notice, the 
 voters of the town mentioned met at the 
 place do-^ignated, occupied John Farwell's 
 log trranery, and proceeded as follows: 
 
 "The meeting was called to order by 
 John Farwell, and on motion Orlen Far- 
 well was chosen moderator, and M. Gree- 
 ly clerk. 
 
 "On motion of M. Greely, it was voted 
 I hat the name of the town be Maine 
 Prairie. 
 
 "Then proceeded fo ballot for town offi- 
 cers, with the following result: For super- 
 visors, G. VV^. Cutter, chairman; Daniel 
 Spauldinir, Thos. Partridjfe; town clerk, 
 M. Greelv; assessor, A. H. Staples, J K. 
 Noyes and I. N. Berlin apsi'-tant assessors; 
 constables, A. B. Greely and VV H. Day; 
 Justicef< of the peace, 0. Farwell and A. 
 B. Gaylord; collector, H. P. Bennett; 
 overseer of the poor, O. S. Senter. 
 
 "Voted that the next meeting be held at 
 D. Spaulding's." 
 
 "Attest: O. Farwell, Moderator. 
 M. Greely, Clerk. 
 
 "A true copy: Attest, M. Greely." 
 
HISTORY OF MAINE PKAIKIK 
 
 5 
 
 FURTHER ORGAVIZATION. 
 
 As many of the officers of the new town 
 electeH at the town naeeting neglected to 
 qualify, the following petition was pre- 
 eented to M. Greely, town clerk: 
 
 "To Martin Greely, Esq., clerk of the 
 town of Maine Prairie: The undersigned 
 would respectfully petition that a meeting 
 of the legal voters of said town he called 
 as sonn as may be, at the most central 
 point, for the purpose of setting off road 
 districts, choosing and qualifying town 
 ofBcers; and as in duty bound will ever 
 pray." 
 
 "Maine Prairie, July 29, 1859, A. 
 H. Staples, O. S. True, J. H. French, H. 
 P. Bennett, John P. Guptill, Sumner 
 Leavett, H. Dam, D. S. French, A. 
 S. Greely, D. Spaulding, A. Spauld- 
 ing, Geo. W. Cutter, Jesse Lee Smith." 
 
 A town meeting was held in compliance 
 with the petition and the vacant oHices 
 filled. The town was divided into six road 
 districts. 
 
 THE USUAL TOWN HALL. 
 
 On the 23rd of October, 1858, a meeting 
 of the legal voters was called and it was 
 voted to erect a town hou^e and to raise 
 the sum of $500 to build it. 
 
 Daniel Spaulding, R. F. Adiey and 
 John Farwell were chosen a committee to 
 build it. "H. Dam, M. Greely and John 
 Farwell were chosen a committee to locate 
 the house, their decision to be final. The 
 town house seems to have "died abornin," 
 as no further mention is made of it. 
 
 A PIONEER PIC-NIC- 
 
 S. F. Brown and wife and Martin Gree- 
 ly and wife, celebrated the 4th of July, 
 1858, in truly pioneer if not patriotic 
 style. As provisions were scarce, it taxed 
 the ingenuity of the women to find dainties 
 enough for the pic-nic dinner. Tne com- 
 mon bill of fare for every day consisted of 
 pork, bread and mola8«es, l)ut that was 
 not sufficenlly elaborate for this occasion. 
 Mrs. Greely went into the fields and 
 I)icked *^nough of wild oxalis (or sorrei) 
 to make a pie. This sorrel somewhat re- 
 EtmbleB rhubarb in taste. Mrs. Brown 
 
 contributed a fruit cake, which she had 
 brought from her old home in Massachu- 
 setts the fall before. They remember this 
 dinner with a great deal of pleasure. 
 DOINGS IN 1858. 
 
 Among the arrivals this year (1858) 
 were Joseph Eaton, wife and children, 
 and Mr. Scheelar. 
 
 In February, 1858, as related by James 
 Kimball, as a party of ten or twelve 
 Chiopewas were passing Mr. Thos. Straw's 
 place, they broke into his shanty and stole 
 all the flour he had. Mr. Straw arrived 
 home with his ox team shortly after they 
 had left. The loss of his provision filled 
 him with anger, and leaving his team, he 
 bravely started with his goad stick on the 
 trail of the robbers. He soon caught up 
 with them and began belaboring the near- 
 est Indian with his gad, the others looking 
 on and laughing at their unfortunate 
 brother, but soon they all pulled the ram- 
 rods from their guns and began to retaliate, 
 causing Straw to beat a hasty retreat, 
 somewhat the worse for the conflict 
 
 In the fall of 1858, a band of Sioux were 
 camped near Willow Creek, on the prairie, 
 on a hunting expeditioii. While thus oc- 
 cupied one of their tribe was accidently 
 shot and killed. As he was being brought 
 to camp by his comrades the mourners 
 met them wailing their mournful death 
 dirge and wringing their hands and filling 
 the air with their wild death songs. The 
 next morning their camp was found de- 
 serted, whether through superstitious 
 fears or from some other cause, is not 
 known. 
 
 INCIDENTS. 
 
 From 1858 to 1862 wheat was worth 
 about 35 cents per bushel, in store pay. 
 Once in a while Proctor & Clark could be 
 induced to pay a little money. The pre- 
 vailing costum for the men during this 
 time was nude from grain sacks. A. S. 
 Greely had marked a lot of new sacks by 
 precsing them against the greasy cogs of 
 the bull wheel of his horse power, which 
 left an imprint very unique and not easily 
 counterfeited. It consisted of three black 
 
IIISTOKV OF iMAlNK I'KAlKll-. 
 
 marks two inches long. The story goes 
 that this peculiar mark was found upon 
 the newly made pants of people who had 
 harrowed sacks of Greely, unbeknown to 
 that gentleman. A. S. Greely ran ihe 
 first reaper, and in connection with A. B. 
 Greely, operated the first threshing 
 machine and took their pay in grain, tak- 
 ing every ninth bushel. 
 
 The following appeared in the St. Cloud 
 Democrat of Aug. 12, 1858: 
 
 "A Maine Prairieitc says: 'We have 
 crops enough on Maine Prairie to supply 
 all northern Minnesota,' and a Rockville- 
 ite says: 'You ought to see the crops up 
 the Sauk towards Rockville, I don't know 
 what they are going to do with them." 
 
 From the St. Cloud Democrat, May 20, 
 1858: "The country around St. Cloud, 
 west of the Mississippi was purchased of 
 the Indians in a treaty made with them 
 by Hon, Alexander Ramsey and Luke 
 Lee, in 1852, and ratified by the senate the 
 same year. The Sioux had owned this 
 land from 1827 but had not occupied it, 
 and it was used as a hunting ground by 
 Winnebagoes, whose land reached within 
 four miles north of St. Cloud." 
 
 The following extract is taken from the 
 St. Cloud Democrat, Dec. 9th, 1858: "Rev. 
 T. E. Tnmai, of the Baptist church, has 
 killed eight deer this season. Mr. Inman 
 is a regular pioneer preacher of the John 
 the Baptist class, who eat locust and wild 
 honey, and are clothed in camel's hair, 
 and have leather girdles about their loins. 
 He 8]»ends his Sabbaths and part cf other 
 days preacliing the Gospel in destitute 
 places, and in a great measure supports 
 his family by his rifle." 
 
 rOST OFFICK AND MAILS. 
 
 A Post Office was established in the Far- 
 well grove and called after the town-site 
 Marysville. Orlan Farwell was appointed 
 the first Post Master. Tbe mail was re- 
 ceived once a week. After a number of 
 years a tri-weekly mail was obtained and 
 in 1861 Alex. Spaulding was appointed 
 Post Master, The office was established 
 at the "Corners," and the name changed 
 
 to Maine Prairie. In a few years a daily 
 mail arrived, and in 1867 the present Post 
 Master, D. B. Stanley, was appointed, and 
 has held the office ever since, except two 
 years. 
 
 Hattie, daughter of Dudley French was 
 the first child born in the to-vn. Joseph 
 Mitchell and Sarah Greely were the first 
 to marry in the town, in 1858. 
 
 SECOND TOWN MEliTING, 1859. 
 
 The second annual town meeting was 
 held April 5th, 1859, at the store houso of 
 G. W. Cutter, on the west side of Pearl 
 lake. This was a meeting long to be re- 
 membered. The old settlers refer to it 
 with the remark that "they had a high 
 old time," and the animosities engendered 
 at that meeting, althou?h dormant, could 
 easily be aroused 35 years afterwards by 
 making inquiries about the meeting, when 
 there were those present who had been 
 opponents in the conflict. The victorious 
 party elected M Hanson, Chairman, and 
 P. Mouse and Wm. Shaffer supervisors; 
 and M. Greely, Clerk. Many roads were 
 laid out this year. 
 
 April 5th, of this year the townshiji of 
 Fair Haven was detached and organized 
 into a separate town. 
 
 "the school ma'am's road." 
 
 In the summer of 1859, Miss Anna 
 Maria Boobar, of Fair Haven, taught a 
 school in Horace Greely's house. She 
 boarded at Mr. Leavitt's and had to walk 
 to and from her school through the tall 
 wet grass. Soon some of the gallantyoung 
 men took a breaking plow and made a 
 good read, by plowing the grass under. 
 This ridge ran diagonally across the 
 prairie, and remained for many years, 
 occasioning a great deal of curiosity and 
 many imjuiries on the part of new comers 
 and strangers, for the Horace Greely 
 house was soon moved away and the 
 "School Ma'am's road," as it was called, 
 seemed to start at no particular point and 
 bo end in the same manner. 
 
 about early schools. 
 
 Among the new settlers who arrived in 
 1859 were B. H. Winslow and family, 
 
HISTORY OF MAINE TKAIKIE. 
 
 Charles Ntal and Isaac Benlly, with his 
 mother and sister Julia. 
 
 A school house was built near where the 
 Baptist church now stands, and during 
 that winter lofifs were hauled for the school 
 house in district No. 28. The house was 
 erected the next spring, on the west shore 
 of Pearl lake, M. Greely was elected di- 
 rector, S. F. Brown, clerk, and A. Mas- 
 ervey, treasurer. The first school in this 
 district was taught in the summer of I860, 
 by Miss Carrie Hicks, (now Mrs. Wm. L 
 Heywood.) Miss Lizzie Rice, of Fair 
 Haven, taught this school in 1861, and 
 Miss Philena Fields taui^ht it in 1862. 
 
 The Stanley school house in district No. 
 29, called the "Red School House," was 
 built in 1860. T. B. Stanley and Dudley 
 French were the first officers. The first 
 school in this district whs taught by Miss 
 Dean, of Fair Haven, and Miss Julia 
 Hicks taught the next school in the sum- 
 mer of 1861. In district No. 30 Mrs. Alonzo 
 Spaulding taught the spring term in Dan- 
 iel Spaulding's log house, and Miss Carrie 
 Hicks taught the fall term in the same 
 house in 1860. The school house in this 
 district was built in 1861. The first offi- 
 cers were John Farwell, R. F. Adley and 
 F. M. Kimball. It is generally known as 
 the Farwell school house. 
 
 INDIANS CAUSE UNEASINESS. 
 While the settlers were busy with their 
 labors in the fall of 1859, thery was much 
 uneasines:^ among them on account of the 
 encampment, in the sonthern part of the 
 town, of bands of Sioux Indians. The 
 citizens of Cold Spring had also become 
 .'.larmed on account of ihe numerous bands 
 of Sioux hunters roaming through the 
 country, and had sent to St. Cloud for a 
 company of men to go to Cold Springs and 
 assist the citizens in driving away a band 
 that had become very troublesome. Al- 
 though the(-e indians were at peace with 
 the whites, still there existed a feeling 
 among them that the land was iheirs, and 
 th it they had been defrauded of their just 
 rights. 
 
 AN INDIAN FIGHT. 
 
 There were rumors that there had been 
 several encounters between marauding 
 bands of Sioux and Chippewas in the 
 towns of Maine Prairie and Fair Haven, 
 and in the timber to the south, with more 
 or less fatal results. The feeling of fear 
 and distrust among the white settlers was 
 greatly intensified by a tragic event that 
 occurred soon after. At the time the Sioux 
 were encamped upon the prairie, two 
 young and brave Chippewas were trap- 
 ping upon the waters to the south of the 
 Pra'rie. The Sioux were not long in dis- 
 covering the signs of their deadly foes, 
 but were unable to capture them. Later 
 they succeeded in discovering and plun- 
 dering the camp of the Chippewas, and 
 destroying their entire outfit. This so en- 
 raged the young braves that they decided 
 that nothing but the scalp of a Sioux brave 
 would average their loss and retrieve their 
 wounded honor. With a desire for re- 
 
 venge burning to their hearts, they boldly 
 sought a spot near the hostile caaap. Se- 
 creeting themselves, they awaited the re- 
 turn of the Sioux hunters to their camp 
 after a day's chase. The boldness of this 
 move on the part of the Chippewas was 
 unparalleled in the annals of Indian war- 
 fare. Here were two Indians within half 
 a mile of fifty or a hundred fierce Sioux 
 warriors, and knowing that at the sound 
 of the first gun they would bring the whole 
 encampment after them. Still their fierce 
 desire for revenge caused take them to the 
 terrible risk. They had not long to wait, a 
 party of Sioux hunters passed near them. 
 The battle which followed was quick, 
 fierce and bloody, one Sioux was killed 
 and others wounded. They returned the 
 fire killing one Chippewa and severely 
 wounded the other, but, though badly 
 wounded, the surviving Chippewa sprang 
 upon his deadly foe, tore the bloody scalp 
 from his head while he was still struggling 
 in the last throes of death, then with a 
 wild exultant war whoop, which was 
 heard throughout the hostile camp he 
 dashed through the bush and timber and 
 
HISTORY OF MAINE I'KAIRIK. 
 
 plunged into a lake. In an incredible 
 ebort time tbe shore was lined with Sioux 
 warriors wbo tried to gain the opposite 
 shore in time to intercept him as he 
 emerged from the water, but he succeeded 
 in gaining a safe hiding place upon the 
 opposite shore, where he lay concealed for 
 several days. He then made his way to 
 the house of James Simmons, 
 with whom he was acquainted, 
 who secreted him in bis cellar, and, al- 
 though the Sioux were searching for bim, 
 and came to the house several times, 
 failed in their search. Simmons succeed- 
 ed, after several days, in covering him up 
 in a wagon and taking bim off in safety, 
 with the Sioux scalp dangling at his belt. 
 The body of the dead Chippewa was 
 placed upon a pile of dry brush and sur- 
 rounded by a circle of Sioux, who emptied 
 their guns into it. Tbe pile was then set 
 on fire while the Sioux leaped and shouted 
 around the burning mass antil all was 
 consumed. This scene was witnessed by 
 D. A. Roberts, and never, as long as life 
 lasts, will the impression of this wild 
 scene be effaced from his memory. 
 
 PRESENT TOWN ORGANIZED, 1860. 
 
 The third annual town meeting was held 
 at the h )use of G. Bauer, April 3.1, 1860. 
 The Rockville people captured about all 
 the town ofBces. 
 
 The citizens of Maine Prairie organized 
 the present town, pursuant to the following 
 "notice:" 
 
 "St. Cloud, June 5, 1860. 
 "Daniel Spaulding and others greeting: 
 
 Your township, and the fraction of (21) 
 (I think) was this day set ofl'by the coun- 
 ty board into a separate town, to be called 
 Maine Prairie, and your town meeting is 
 to be held at the house of Daniel Spauld- 
 ing, on Monday, the 25th instant. 
 
 "Stephen Miller." 
 
 "A true copy. Attest: S. F. Brown, 
 Town Clerk." 
 
 The following officers were chosen at this 
 first town meetingof Maine Prairie proper: 
 Supervisors, T. B. Stanley, chairman, J 
 Eaton, D. Spaulding; town clerk, S. F. 
 
 Brown; treasurer, R. F. Adley; justice of 
 the peace, Orlen Farwell; superintendent 
 of schooln, S. F. Brown; constables, Wm. 
 Milligan and F. M. Kimball; overseer of 
 the poor, A. B. Greely. 
 
 Rockville was organized into a separate 
 town, June 25th, 1860, and Maine Prairie 
 was left with one and one-half townships. 
 
 THE POUNDER OF YARMOUTH. 
 
 Geo. W. Cutter was quite a prominent 
 figure in the affairs of town and county. 
 In 1858, he had surveyed an<l platted the 
 town of "Yarmouth," on the west side of 
 Pearl Lake, built a house and large b-^rn 
 and store. He placed the lots in the town 
 of Yarmouth on the market, and regretted 
 his inability to go East and sell them at 
 fabulous prices. He was county commis- 
 sioner. 
 
 In May, of 1860, he left with his family 
 for the east, and the bright anticipations 
 of seeing the town of Yarmouth df-velop 
 into a mighty city vanished with him. 
 His old haunts saw him no more. 
 
 THE USUAL "INDIAN SCARE." 
 
 On the 8th of July, 1860, a wild rumor 
 came to the Prairie that a vast horde of 
 savage Sioux Indians were on the warpath 
 and were sweeping down from the west, 
 murdering and torturing the inhabitants 
 and burning their buildings, leaving a 
 blackened trail of death and desol.tion in 
 their wake. A panic seized the citizens. 
 All the women and children were hastily 
 started for St. Cloud, accompanied by some 
 of the older men. In their fright they 
 took only those things that were handiest 
 and would be most needed, and poured in- 
 to St. Cloud. Some traveled with horse 
 teams, some with oxen, and some on foot. 
 The citizens of St. Cloud opened wide their 
 doors, and took the panic-stricken refugees 
 in, and kindly cared for them. It was 
 rumored that the last ones that left the 
 Prairie could see the flames of the burning 
 buildings, and hear the shrieks of the vic- 
 tims as they were being tortured by the 
 savages. A large number of the men re- 
 mained on the Prairie, and met at the 
 bouse of Daniel Spaulding, where they 
 
HISTORY OF MAINli I'RAIRIE. 
 
 were drilled by Capt. Inman, and all 
 possible preparation made to resist the 
 Indians. 
 
 They bravely determined to stay and 
 fight for their homes and not leave unlets 
 overpowered by superior numbers. There 
 was an independent company of militia at 
 Hi. Cloud, with Mr. C. Lueg as captain. 
 When the rumor of the advance of the 
 savages (estimated at twenty thousanH) 
 reached St. Cloud, the members of this 
 company were hastily assembled, with 
 what arms and ammunition they could 
 collect, and bravely rode out to meet the 
 advancing hosts. The remaining citizens 
 cleaned up their old guns, collected am- 
 munition and made preparations to give 
 the savages a warm reception should they 
 reach the town. In St. Cloud, a large 
 number of the men remained up all that 
 night to wa'ch. All were anxious to learn 
 the fate of the men who had gone forward 
 to meet the Indi ms About three o'clock 
 the next morning a half-breed on the east 
 side, wishing to come across the river, gave 
 a prolonsred whoop to awaken the ferry 
 man. As the blood curdling sound rang 
 out on the still night air and reached the 
 ears of anxious watchers, it was thought 
 by some ol them that it was a veritable war 
 whoop, and that the Indians were about to 
 attack the place. 
 
 The little band of pioneers of Maine 
 Prairie were greatly relieved when they 
 saw the company of soldiers from Saint 
 Cloud coming to assist them. They could 
 get no reliable information as to'the move- 
 ments of the Indians. Thomas Straw 
 volunteered to go forward and reconnoiter 
 and obtain information regarding the lo- 
 cality and numbers of the invading horde. 
 He boldly started that night and reached 
 Forest City, without discovering any 
 Indians. He there ascertained that the 
 whole thing was a false alarm, and that 
 there were no Indians within a long dis- 
 tance. Early the next morning the sol- 
 diers returned to St. Cloud, and the people 
 returned to their homes. 
 
 OTHER ARRIVALS— DONATION — WEDDING. 
 
 During the summer of this year, 1860, 
 E. H. Atwood purchased the farm of An- 
 sel Crommet, situated on the south shore 
 of Pearl Lake, built a house and moved 
 into it in the fall. He came from Illinois, 
 accompanied by his wife and son, Clarence 
 L. 
 
 Wm. ri. Day settled in the town this 
 year. 
 
 The St. Cloud Democrat of Feb. 10, 1860, 
 has the following: "A donation party 
 was given at the house of Deacon Dam, to 
 Elder Inman. A very delightful afiair. 
 Parties from St. Cloud and Fair Haven 
 assisted in the success of the affair." 
 
 A. S. Greely and Miss Eliza Clark were 
 married Friday, June 15th, 1860, 
 
 CHIPPEWA-SIOUX BATTLE OF 1860. 
 
 The different accounts given the writer 
 of the battle between the Sioux and Chip- 
 pewas on Maine Prairie, on Saturday, 
 May 12, 1860, by different citizens who 
 lived on the Prairie atthat time, are some- 
 what conflicting. There was a wide dif- 
 ference between the numbers said to be en- 
 gaged, and the number killed and wound- 
 ed. But it is believed that the account 
 giyen below is substantially correct. 
 
 A party of ten young Sioux warriors 
 and one Winnebago started out from their 
 reservation on the warpath for Chippewa 
 scalps. On their way up to Crow Wing, 
 where they expected to surprise and cap- 
 ture Chippewas, they crossed Maine 
 Prairie, and stopped at Orlan 
 
 Farwell's to obtain something to eat. 
 They informed him that they were going 
 after Chippewa scalps. As some of their 
 guns were out of order, they got H. P. 
 Bennett to repair them. They went up 
 and scouted around the Chippewa settle- 
 ment, near Crow Wing. They surprised 
 and came near capturing a young squaw, 
 but she escaped by diving into the Mis- 
 sissippi river, and swimming to the op- 
 posite shore. After this they found the 
 grave of the father of Hole-iu-the-day and 
 dug up and burned the bones. Hole-in- 
 the-day was a celebrated Chippewa chief, 
 
HISTORY OF MAINIi rRAIKli:. 
 
 living at Crow Wing. He haJ a number 
 of wives, one being a white woman. On 
 one of his visits to Washington he had 
 been presented with a fine Coil's revolving 
 rille. The Sioux finding that they could 
 get no scalps started back, reaching 
 St. Cloud the next morning, on the East 
 side of the river. Philip Beaupre was 
 running the ferr/ and the Sioux tried to 
 get him to ferry them over, but, knowing 
 that they had been after scalps, he refus- 
 ed to do so. He also soon discovered that 
 Hole-in-the-day with a band of braves, 
 was secreeted on the west side of the river 
 watching every movement of their foes. 
 The Chippewa chief had learned of the 
 desecration of his father's grave, and 
 hastily gathering a few warriors he swiftly 
 descended on the west side of the river, 
 hoping to ambush the Sioux as they cross- 
 ed the river, failing in this they watched 
 them all day, 
 
 Hole-in-the-day, with whom Mr. Beau- 
 pre was acquainted, urged him to ferry 
 the Sioux over, so they could have a good 
 chance to ambush them, as they landed, 
 but Mr. Beaupre very wisely declined to 
 assist either party. That night the Sioux 
 succeeded in crossing the river, and start- 
 ed for their reservation. They had no 
 idea that they were being pursued and 
 when they arrived at Maine Prairie, they 
 felt quit safe and went to diflierent houses 
 to get something to eat. They stole a lot 
 of eggs and a pair of shoes from 0. Far- 
 well. While thus engaged Hole-in-the- 
 day and his band, who had taken their 
 trail early in the morning, had passed 
 around the prairie and secreted themselves 
 in a patch of hazel brush to the south of 
 where the present Farwell school house 
 stands, and near the trail by which the 
 Sioux would pass when they started to re- 
 turn. It was not long before they saw 
 their enemies advancing along the trail 
 single file all unconsious of the fate await- 
 ing them. 
 
 Each Chippewa selected his victim and 
 all fired simultaneously. With a fearful 
 yell five of their number leaped high in 
 
 the air and fell mortally wounded. Some 
 of them seeing no escape, cut their own 
 throats rather than sufler torture at the 
 hands of their merciless enemies. Hole- 
 in-the-Day now handled his Colt's revolv- 
 ing rifle with fearful effect. Five were 
 killed and left on the field, two were very 
 badly wounded but they succeeded in get- 
 ting into the brush and escaped capture. 
 Four got away, but three of them were 
 wounded and only one escaped unhurt. 
 Hole-in the-Day was the only Chippewa 
 wounded, and he only slightly. The dead 
 Sioux were scalped and the Winnebago's 
 head was cut off. The bodies of the slain 
 were greatly disfigured. The head and 
 the scalps were exhibited with boister- 
 ous demonstrations of joy to a number of 
 the white settlers. Hole-in-the-Day had 
 eight warrior.^! with him in the fight. Af- 
 ter several days, the whites buried the 
 dead Indians. Seven days later, seventy- 
 five Sioux warriors and several squaws 
 came and dug up the dead, washed them 
 and wrapped them in new blankets and 
 reburied them. One of those that had 
 crawled into the brush was found dead. 
 The other was still alive, having lain 
 seven days without attendance or anything 
 to eat or drink. The dead one and the 
 wounded one were taken back by the 
 Sioux. It is said that the scalped ones 
 are always buried where they fall, and 
 never taken back to their home. A scalped 
 Indian seems to be ^n disgrace. 
 
 The stolen shoes were found on a dead 
 Indian with a ballet hole through one of 
 them. Tlie head of the Winnebago was 
 presented to a St. Cloud physician by 
 Hole-in-the-Day. 
 
 After the fight the Chippewaa came to 
 the house of Daniel Spaulding, and feel- 
 ing greatly elated over their victory they 
 emptied the head and scalps out on the 
 floor at the same time yelling and boast- 
 ing that they were "Big Indians." Mrs. 
 Spulding was alone, and was badly fright- 
 ened at sight of the bloody trophies, and 
 the wild whoops of the savagea. 
 
HISTORY OF MAINE PRAIRIE. 
 
 THE WAR BETWEEN THE STATES 
 
 During the summer of 1861, there was 
 much excitement occasioned by the south- 
 ern rebellion. A volunteer company was 
 organized and frequently drilled. Meet- 
 ings were held and patriotic speeches were 
 made. On the 4th of July the company was 
 drilled. They made a fiplendi<l appearanc( , 
 and many ofT.-red to enlift for the war. 
 Captain T. E. Inman made a thrilling 
 speech, which aroused the patriotism of 
 the people to the highest pitch. The 
 crops were gathered in and preparations 
 were made by many to enlist, should the 
 war continue. It was the hope of all that 
 the war would soon end, and their services 
 would not b • needed. 
 
 President Lincoln's call for more troops 
 banished all hopes of a speedy termination 
 of the conflict. The Minnesota 4th Regi- 
 ment was being formed, and Captain In- 
 man oflered his services and was enrolled 
 Oct. lOlh, 1861, and mustered in as Cap- 
 tain of Company D The following are the 
 names of Maine Prairieiies that were en- 
 rolled in I is company: I. N. Bently, Geo. 
 A. Clark, Thomas Cadwell, Edward J, 
 French, Quartus Farwell, Horace S. Gree- 
 ly, Albert Guptill, John P. Gupiill, D. J. 
 Hanscom Ezra G. Hicks, E<lwin Kidder, 
 W. A. Milliifan, Charles Neal, Daniel F. 
 Perkins, William H. Stewart, J. C. Wins- 
 low, Albana Wade, S. F. Brown, Aaron 
 Scribner and Thos. Straw. 
 
 Andrew F. Perkins enlisted in Nov., 
 1861, in the Ist Minnesota Regiment. 
 David Spaulding, AlonsoSpaulding, John 
 Widert, John Greely, David Go')dner, 
 Alberton Whitney and Thomas Falone, 
 eniifted in different regiments, the three 
 last in 1865, and went rfouth ; while W. W. 
 Clark, Chester Clark and Albert Guptill 
 enlisted in the 2ud Minnnesota Cav dry, 
 and were sent out to scout on the western 
 frontier. Thomas O. and George .Spauld- 
 ing enlisted with Capt. Oscar Taylor, and 
 fought Indians on the plains. This makes 
 thirty-two that volunteered Irom our town. 
 Of the above volunteers, four never re- 
 turned. Horace Greely died ai St. An- 
 
 thony, Minn., on his way home in 1863; 
 John P. Guptill died April 24, 1863, in a 
 floating hospital at Nashville; Daniel F. 
 Perkins was killed May 22, 1863, in battle 
 at Vicksburg; Alberton Whitney died in 
 1865. The few men left at home had to 
 work hard to take care of their farms for 
 there were no men that could be hired. 
 
 PRIVATIONS OF EARLY PIONEERS. 
 
 Nothing has been said so far of the suf- 
 fering and privationsof the early pioneers. 
 The means of nearly all of them had been 
 exhausted by the expense incurred in 
 moving out to this country, and in im- 
 provements; in purchasing provisions and 
 seeds. They expecti d to raise enough the 
 first summer for their own food, but the 
 locusts came and devoured must of their 
 crops. Th.i winter of 1856 7 was a hard 
 one for the settlers. Provisions had to be 
 hauled from St. Anthony. The closest 
 economy had to be used in keeping down 
 expenses, and such luxuries as tea, sugar 
 and coflee were seldom used. In the 
 spring of 1857, great difficulty was ex- 
 I erienced in procuring seed to plant their 
 fields. But they were finally seeded, and 
 there was a good prospect of an abundant 
 crop, when, just before the timefoi harvest 
 to begin, an immense swarm of locusts 
 aligh'ed and in one day these ravenous 
 pests devoured their entire crop. 
 
 The winter of 1857-8 will long be re- 
 membered by those early pioneers. With 
 their crops destroyed, their funds exhaust- 
 ed and much of their property mortgaged, 
 and a long cold winter before them, the 
 prospects were gloomy enough to appall 
 the stoutest heart. But these people were 
 not easily discouraged. They had to 
 economize in every possible way. Fish 
 and wild game of all kinds were made use 
 of for food to help out their slender store of 
 provinions. Some of the familien at times 
 had but one or two articles i-f food in the 
 house. For shoes and clothing the strictest 
 economy had to be practiced. O'd boot 
 tops were taken by the women and made 
 into shoes for the children, often using 
 heavy cloth or felt for all but the soles, 
 
HISTORY OF MAINE PRAIRIE. 
 
 and Boiuetimes a man would take the boot 
 tops of last winter's wear and make a pair 
 of moccasins for the next winter's use. 
 After his woolen pants had been very 
 much demoralized and unpresentable in 
 polite society, and his coat and vest would 
 let the gentle zephers of summer or the 
 fierce blizzards perambulate unchecked 
 around bis body, he would, by some 
 method wholly unexplainable, procure 
 some heavy white ducking, and his wife 
 would make a pair of overalls and a 
 "warmus," the one to cover his pants and 
 the other to hide the defects of his coat. 
 Then (or a few weeks, while this new over 
 suit was clean and his head covered with 
 a coon skin cap of home manufacture, he 
 felt in a condition to attend church. Dur- 
 ing all of this time the hearts of the 
 settlers never failed them. They were 
 cheerful and hopeful. Their morning cup 
 of coffee, made of roasted peas or dried 
 bread crusfs browned, often without sweet- 
 ening, was relished by thone whose appe- 
 tites were stimulated by healthy exercise. 
 With unflinching courage they procured 
 seed to sow their lands in the spring of 
 1858. The good soil of Minne.sota re- 
 sponded nobly and their crops were good, 
 but it took several years to recover from 
 their loss and pay old debts and begin to 
 live. 
 
 THE SIOUX OUTBREAK OF 1862. 
 During the outbreak of the Sioux In- 
 dians, in the summer of 1862, there were 
 many acts of bravery, many deeds of valor, 
 many scenes of heroic unselfish devotion of 
 man to man, and many exciting incidents 
 that the historian has never chronicled, 
 and which are only remembered by the 
 few survivors who are fist passing to that 
 bourne from whence none returneth. Al- 
 though the numbers enjjaged in deadly con- 
 flict with thtir relentless and savage foes 
 were small and in8igDificanl,iD comparison 
 to the vast armies that were engaged in 
 putting down the rebellion, yet in true 
 bravery, heroism and courage, these 
 pioneers were unsurpassed by any of their 
 brethren on southern battle fields. The 
 
 future history of Minnesota, and especial- 
 ly of the events occurrifg during the pro- 
 gress of the massacre of the whites in 1862, 
 by the Sioux Indians, would be incom- 
 plete without an account of tiie thrilling 
 events that transpired in the many isolated 
 little hamlets and settlements upon the 
 extreme frontier of the young state. None 
 of the historians of that eventful period 
 have mentioned the i>rominent ])art taken 
 by the people of Maine Prairie in the 
 brave stand they m «de for their homes. 
 And, asthe principal actors of those stormy 
 days are fast passing away, it was deemed 
 advisable to record as m iny of the leading 
 events of that period, participated in by 
 the people of that isolated settlement as 
 could be found. 
 
 THE GREAT SIOUX OUTBREAK. 
 
 The town of Maine Prairij is situated 
 fifteen miles southwest of St. Cloud. The 
 prairie proper is irregular in shape, from 
 four to five miles acri>ss, and, in 1862, had 
 about fifty-five American families, with a 
 few German families in the northwest 
 corner. It the fall of 1861, (lapt. Inman 
 had organized company D. 4th regiment, 
 for the war, in which about 22 had enlist- 
 ed from our town. Besidf'S these several 
 others had enlisted in other regiments. 
 After doing duty at Fort Abercrombie 
 during the winter, they started the next 
 April for the seat of war, leavina about 
 thirty-five men, not including a numberof 
 quite old men, and a few boys, in the town. 
 There were but two or three reapers on the 
 prairie, the grain being bound on the 
 ground by hand, and needing from six to 
 nine men to make a full crew. Th« harvest 
 that year was very heavy and late. It 
 was impossible to hire men to help har- 
 vest, and the only way for a farmer to get 
 his grain cut was to join a crew and follow 
 a reaping machine. In this way he helped 
 others and they in turn were to a-^sist him. 
 We had been harvesting but a few days, 
 when, about the 19th of August, a rumor 
 was brought that the Sioux Iiidiaus, near 
 Yellow Medicine, had killt-d some of the 
 whiles. It was thought to be only a 
 
HISTORY OF MAINE PRAIRIE. 
 
 drunken row, and no alarm was f- It. A 
 henvy rain falling that afternoon 
 stopped the reaping for the next day, and 
 a number of the settlers on horseback 
 happened to meet near the center of the 
 Prairie. Among the number were A. B. 
 Greely, E. H. Atwood, D. A. Hoyt and 
 A. S. Greely. Rumors of more Indian 
 depredations had been heard, and some 
 alaim was felt. After discussing the sub- 
 ject a while, it was voted that E. H. At- 
 wood and A. B. (ireely should go to 
 Fair Haven, and farther, i( necessary, 
 to obtain some definite information regard- 
 ing the truth of the rumors. If there was 
 danger they were to come back and call a 
 meeting of the settlers. Both bad good 
 blooded horses, and they soon arrived at 
 Fair Haven, where they found the people 
 greatly excited, for a messenger with dis- 
 patches for Governor Ramsey had just ar- 
 rived from the seat of war bringing in- 
 formation that the Indians and soldiers 
 had I et in battle, and that a vast horde of 
 savages were butchering the inhabitants, 
 burning and torturing their captives, and 
 committing the most atrocious cruelties 
 ever known in the annals of savage war- 
 fare. They were sweeping everything be- 
 fore them, were coming our way, and un- 
 less checked we might expect them to 
 reach us in from 36 to 48 hours. They had 
 heard enough. The fearfal thought that 
 their homes, their wives and cfiildren were 
 BO'm to be at the mercy of blood thirsty 
 8:ivages, was enough to appal the stoutest 
 heart. Our town was so situated that it 
 would undoubtedly receive the first and 
 most furious shock of the advancing horde 
 of inhuman monnters. 
 
 WARNING THE SETTLERS. 
 
 It was then three o'clock p. m. The 
 settlers of Maine Prairie must be warned 
 to prepare to meet and repulse the foe. 
 There was no talk of seeking safety in 
 flight. We had a little band of 30 or 40 
 pioneers who could handle a gun who did 
 not propose to be driven from their homes 
 Wheeling their horses around, the two 
 couriers started back to warn the people 
 
 of their peril. Faster and faster they 
 urged their spirited horses, and as they 
 reached the settlement each took dif- 
 ferent routes stopping at each house just 
 long enough to tell them to be at 
 Spaulding's blacksmith shop at six p. m., 
 to take measures against the Indians. The 
 blood and foam-covered sides, and heaving 
 flanks of their horses, carried conviction 
 to the settlers that prompt action was 
 necessary. At six o'clock the two couriers 
 dashed up to the blacksmith shop, both 
 horses and riders nearly exhausted. They 
 had personally warned each family, or 
 sent them word, and each had ridden over 
 thirty miles in three hours. Nearly every 
 man in town was there. The meeting was 
 called to order, and after fully discussing 
 the situation, it was unanimously decided 
 to stay and 
 
 FIGHT THE INDIANS 
 if they should attack us. An organization 
 was eflTected by choosing R. F. Ad ley 
 Captain, F. H. Dam, D. W. Fowler, E. 
 H. Atwood and Joseph Eaton were given 
 the title ol 1st, 2d, 3d and 4th lieutenants; 
 R. F. Adiey, F. H and Joseph Dam were 
 chosen a committee on fortifications, and 
 A. B. Greely was chosen commissary; F. 
 M. Kimball, Wm. H. Heywood and Alex 
 Spaulding were chosen as 1st, 2d and 3d 
 sergeant''. 
 
 Every man was to come out the nf xt 
 morning with teams, wagons and other 
 tools and meet at the blacksmith shop, 
 (which was near the center, and com- 
 manded a view of nearly all the prairie) 
 for the purpose of building a fort. James 
 Jenks and F. H. Dam were chosen to su- 
 pervise the building. 
 
 BUILDING A BLOCK HOUSE. 
 
 Early the next morning nearly every 
 man was on hand. A site just south of 
 the present Methodist church was chosen 
 for a fort. All day long men worked with 
 eager haste to erect an inclosure capable 
 of holding their families in case of an at- 
 tack. The fort was forty feet square, made 
 by standing a double row of tamarack logs 
 on end close together. They were sixteen 
 
14 
 
 HISTORY OF MAINE I'KAIKIE. 
 
 feet above ground and two feet in the 
 ground, all roofed in, making it when 
 finally finislied, three stories high. Tim- 
 bers were run out under the eaves at two 
 corners and bullet proof rifle pits were 
 built capable of holding three or four rifle 
 men, to protect the sides of the fort. 
 House and barn logfl, fence rails, barn 
 timbers, bridge timber, wherever found, 
 was taken with or without leave, but gen- 
 erally it was freely donated. 
 
 All that and the following day the men 
 worked like beavers, but toward night of 
 the second day, no frcHh news coming in 
 from the scene of Indian depredations, 
 many began to doubt the danger, and the 
 idea began to prevail that they had not 
 secured suflBcient evidence to warrant 
 them in going to such an outlay. 
 Some did not propose to do any more work 
 on the fort until there was more proof of 
 danger. The next mornirg only about 
 half the men came back to work, the others 
 went to harvesting their grain. Those 
 working upon the fort had succeeded in 
 getting the sides up when about four 
 o'clock p. m. a courier arrived with the 
 
 STARTLING INTELLIOENCE 
 
 that the Indians had attacked the little 
 settlement of Paynesville the night before 
 and had massacred all the inhabitants and 
 had perpetrated all the harrowing atroc- 
 ities usually indulged in by savajjes. As 
 Paynesville was but 22 or 23 miles from 
 Maine Prairie, it was believed that the 
 whole force of Indians would be upon us 
 before morning. The reception of the 
 startling news that the savages were so near 
 at hand, and might even then be re-enact- 
 ing the same fe.irful slaughter among their 
 own families in the outskirts of the town 
 created for awhile the utmost confusion 
 and panic. A vote was immediately taken 
 to get all the women and children together 
 as soon as possible and start for St. Cloud. 
 But the cool heads of R. F. Adiey, Wm. 
 L. Heywood, F. H. Dam, E. H. Atwood, 
 James Jenks, A. B. Greely and others, 
 showed them the danger of a long exposed 
 line of teams going through the brush and 
 
 timber to St. Cloud, where a few Indians 
 could kill the whole of them without 
 danger to themselves. Another vote was 
 taken, and it was agreed to bring all the 
 women and children to the fort, place 
 them in the stockade and the meu guard 
 the outside. It was then nearly five 
 o'clock. There was not a moment to be 
 lost. Those living at a distance whose 
 houses were surrounded with timber, 
 feared that their families might be the 
 first victims of the relentless savages. This 
 caused them to make all haste possible, 
 and when they found their loved ones safe 
 their hearts were full of thankfulness. 
 Hastily selecting mch articles of clothing 
 and provisioa as were actually necessary, 
 they hastened to a place of safety, admon- 
 ised by the sinking sun. Swift courriers 
 had been sent out and all had been warned 
 of the impending danger. 
 
 GATHERING IX THE BLOCK HOUSE. 
 Soon after sundown the settlers and their 
 families began to arrive at the fort. Capt. 
 Adley and a part of the officers were kept 
 busy making arrangements for the women 
 and childn-n, while otlurs were equally 
 active in fortifying and placing out pick- 
 ets to prevent a surprise. 
 
 MILITARY PREPARATIONS FOR DEFENSE. 
 
 There were three houses near the fort 
 (which was not yet roofed in,) in which 
 the women and children were placed. 
 Pass words were given out and orders given 
 that no one was allowed outside the picket 
 line. A few mounted pickets were sent 
 out a mile or so with orders to dismount 
 and listen with their ears to the ground. 
 Upon the approach of danger they were to 
 fire their guns and ride for the fort. Few 
 if any men sltpt that night. It was be- 
 lieved that the Indians would attack us 
 before morning. A few men worked all 
 night long in building up breast works. 
 Boxes, trunks and anything that could be 
 found were used and before morning a 
 fairly good breast work had been erected 
 on four sides of the fort. Each man's arms 
 were carefully examined and nothing was 
 left undone that couhl be done to prepare 
 
HISTORY OF MAINE PRAIRIE. 
 
 15 
 
 for a conflict with the Indians. So the 
 night pabsed and the morning came. Af- 
 ter a hasty breakfast all went to work to 
 finish the fort. 
 
 It was Sunday, and in the afternoon 
 Elder Brooks preached a sermon in the 
 stockade. Then work was resumed and by 
 night the sides of the fort were considered 
 bullet-proof and many of the families 
 moved in. Many had ventured home and 
 brought back supplies. That night, after 
 carefully placing out a strong line of 
 pickets and a few mounted ones, nearly all 
 the rest, overcome by fatigue, had fallen 
 asleep. About midnight a shot rang out 
 upon the still night air from one of the 
 mounted pickets a mile to the south, fol- 
 lowed by the clatter of a horse coming 
 with headlong speed. The alarm was 
 given, the men sprang to their arms and 
 quickly formed in line, A lieutenant, 
 with nine men, was sent to each of the 
 four breast works with orders to hold them 
 at all hazards. There was no confusion. 
 Orders were given and executed quickly, 
 and, ere the arrival of the mounted picket, 
 we were fully prepared to receive the foe 
 with a force of ten men at each breast work 
 and the captain with a small reserve in 
 the center. Just then the horseman, A. 
 D. Guptil came up and reported that be 
 saw what he took to be an Indian partly 
 emerge from ihe brush, and had shot at 
 him and then started for the fort, but had 
 gone but a few rods when he heard a horse 
 whinney and thought it more than likely 
 that it was a stray horse. A small party 
 immediately started back to cautiously 
 reconoiter, and found the object shot at to 
 be a colt belonging to Orlen Farwell. It 
 was slightly wounded in the leg. Mr. 
 Farwell congratulated the picket upon his 
 coolness. Then the sleepy and exhausted 
 men sank down again to gain a little rest. 
 
 THE BRAVE WOMEN OF 1862. 
 
 The next day the work on the fort was 
 resumed. While the men were busy, 
 the women were not idle. There 
 was but little ammunition in the town, but 
 what there was was put into the general 
 
 fund and the woman were busy making it 
 up into cartidges. All the lead and pewter 
 that could be found they manufac- 
 tured into bullets and heavy shot. Band- 
 ages and lint were prepared. The com- 
 missary stocked the fort with. 
 
 PROVISIONS FOR A SIEGE. 
 
 Barrels were filled with water and 
 placed into the fort, and lumber was pre- 
 pared to curb a well inside in case of 
 need. Teams wore sent to St. Cloud for 
 lumber and shingles for the fort. H. P. 
 Bennett the gunsmith was kept busy fixing 
 up old guns. No one was idle, for it was 
 believed that the danger was imminent. 
 Rumors of Indian depredations reached 
 us daily, and many believed that they 
 would be upon us before another sunrise. 
 
 THE MEN RECEIVE ORDERS. 
 
 Before night the men were assembled 
 together and instructed how to act in case 
 of an attack, when and where to assemble 
 on the first alarm. None were allowed 
 outside the lines. The countersign was 
 given out, and a double line of pickets 
 stationed around the fort. Every gun was 
 carefully examined, and ammunition 
 given out. Then those not on duty lay 
 down to rest, with loaded guns and am- 
 munition at their side. The pickets were 
 changed at midnight. Several of the offi- 
 cers never retired, but kept a keen watch, 
 listening to catch the first and faintest 
 sound of an approaching foe. The night 
 passed with no alarm, and next day the 
 work on the fort was pushed ahead, with 
 all vigor possible. The shingles had come 
 and the roof and floors for ihe second and 
 third stories were hurried forward. 
 
 STILL WAITING THE DREADED ATTACK. 
 
 Another day passed, rumors of the ter- 
 lible fighting between settlers and Indians 
 to the south and west ef us were heard 
 daily. Every precaution was taken to 
 guard the loved ones. Pistols and knives 
 were given to women with the command 
 that they never allow themselves to be 
 taken captive alive by the Indians. Most 
 of the women and children now slept in 
 the fort. The next day the roofs and fl9ors 
 
i6 
 
 HISTORY OF MAINE PRAIHIE. 
 
 were finished and each family was allotted 
 a sleeping space. The dividing partition 
 between families consisted often of only a 
 chalk mark upon the floor. These slender 
 and inadequate partitions occasionally led 
 to ludicrous and sometimes serious blun- 
 ders. A weary guard who had been re- 
 lieved of picket-duty at midnight, would 
 quietly enter the fort and relying upon 
 his knowledge of the location of his own 
 family's allotted space upon the second 
 floor, would undertake to find it in the 
 dark. TLe next morning's light might 
 find him located two or three blocks away 
 from his own, and in the vicinity of some 
 other man's wife. It sometimes took a 
 long time to satisfactorialy explain to his 
 wife and the woman's husband, just how 
 the mistake occured. Litlle shanties to 
 cook in were erected 40 to 60 rods from 
 the fort and were occupied by one, two or 
 more families during the day. 
 
 A COMMON INCIDENT. 
 
 About this time a strange woman was 
 seen not far ofl' calling for some ©f the 
 women to come to her. They found her 
 to be a Swede girl whose family, father, 
 mother, brothers and sisters had been 
 butchered and tortured before her eyes, 
 and she had been taken captive by two 
 lustful savages who had kept her for two 
 or three days abusing her in the most 
 horrible and brutal manuer. Her 
 clothing had been nearly all torn 
 from her. She had succeeded in 
 escaping from her fearful bondage 
 and bad wandered in an almost nude con- 
 dition until we saw her. Our women 
 clothed her and kindly cared for her until 
 her strength returned, then sent her on to 
 Clearwater, where she expected to find 
 friends. 
 
 INDIANS IN SIGHT. 
 
 That night, just before dark, Mr. Stone, 
 who had come down with his family from 
 near Sauk Center, saw four Indians skulk- 
 ing among the willows near the lake, about 
 eighty rods distant. Stone immediately 
 reported the discovery to E. H. Atwood, 
 one of the officers. Drill Sergeant F. H. 
 
 Dam, was ordered to immediately get all 
 men in line and drill them, and have their 
 arms inspected. The band of men with 
 fife and drum made quite an imposing 
 spectacle. A meeting of the women was 
 called in the fort. Thus without any con- 
 fusion all the women wers gathered safely 
 into the fort, and the men informed of the 
 discovery of the Indians, and that we 
 might expect an attack some time during 
 the night. A strong picket line was put 
 out, with orders to watch for Indians. 
 
 SKIRMISH ON TIIK PICKET LINE. 
 
 About nine o'clock the otiliness of the 
 night was broken by the reports of several 
 shots on the picket line. Ii was then be- 
 lieved that the long looked for battle was 
 about to begin. The orders of Capt. Adley 
 ould be heard calling the men to rally 
 around the fort. Lieutenant Atwood 
 hastened to the picket line to assist in 
 holding the Indians in check. He found 
 the picket, Redman Field, bravely load- 
 ing his gun. An Indian had crawled up 
 through the grass to within three rods of 
 Field and then fired, the shot fortunately 
 striking the ground at his feet, (^uick as 
 possible Field, like a true veteran, had a 
 bead on the Indian and fired. He 
 sprang into the air and diappeartd 
 in the dark. Richard Vandervoort was 
 the next to re-enforce the picket line, and 
 his keen eye soon detected a dark object 
 in the grass. As no one was allowed out- 
 side the lines, it was believed to be an 
 Indian, and Vandervoort fired at it. When 
 the smoke cleared away the object was 
 gone. Not knowing what game the In- 
 dians were up to, the men slept with their 
 arms by their sides, ready for immediate 
 use. The next morning the trail where 
 the Indians had wormed their way through 
 the grass was easily seen. 
 
 SAVING TIIK CROPS. 
 
 During all this time a large part of the 
 wheat and oats were standing uncut in the 
 fields exposed to the destruction of the ele- 
 ments, which caused the grain to lodge. 
 So, just as soon as the fort was completed, 
 the men went out in small parties to bar- 
 
HISTORY OF MAINE PRAIRIE. 
 
 17 
 
 vest their grain, always keeping one or 
 two men on the watch for the foe, each 
 harvester keeping near his gun. An mm 
 were scarce several girls assisted by driv- 
 ing the reapers. 
 
 By this time, our numbers had been in- 
 creased by additions from families further 
 west. Among the number was Mr. Robert 
 Wheeler and wife, and daughters Nellie 
 and Lidia, Mr Stone and wife and son 
 Frank and daughter Ella, and Wm. West- 
 over from near Sauk Center. 
 
 One m«rning a pnrty of nine men went 
 to harvest E. H. Atwood's grain, Mrs. 
 Thos. B. Standley volunteered to go to the 
 bouse and cook the dinner. The house 
 was situated in the edge of the timber. 
 Every precaution was taken to prevent a 
 surprise. Two men were placed on guard 
 and every one kept his gun near him. 
 
 SETTLERS ATTACKED ON THE ROAD, 
 
 Messrs. Stone, Wheeler and Westover 
 had decided to return to their homes, and 
 about ten o'clock passed Atwood's bouse 
 with an ox team and their families. About 
 an hour after they had passed heavy and 
 rapid firing was heard in the direction 
 which they had taken. As the guns 
 sounded like Indian guns, there was 
 some uneasiness felt and just as the 
 men were going to dinner Westover 
 was seen coming running at his utmost 
 speed. He was nearly exhauHted and said 
 that they were going along through the 
 brush one and a half miles west of Pearl 
 Lake, Wheeler a few rods ahead of the 
 team. Stone jupt back of the wagon and he 
 a little further back, when just as the/ 
 came to th« foot of a hill three Indians 
 were seen dodging behind the bushes near 
 the road and one of them rose up, but two 
 or three rods off, and fired at VV heeler, but 
 missed him. Wheeler returned the fire, 
 and the Indinn dropped behind the brush. 
 Slone sprang forward just in time to see a 
 naked savage taking deadly aim at 
 Wheeler from behind a clump of bushes. 
 His naked left side was exposed and Stone 
 put in a charge of buck shot "where it did 
 the most good." The Indian fell to the 
 
 ground without a groan and the other In- 
 dians fled. The wagon was turned around 
 and they ran their oxen back a mile 
 and a half to Mr. Watkins' house, 
 where the oxen fell down from 
 exhaustion. They had seen the 
 
 Indians running their ponies to get 
 ahead of them and cut off their retreat, 
 but they had failed, and had come out in- 
 to the road a little behind them. Stone 
 and Wheeler and their families took 
 refuge in the Watkins house and Westover 
 had come on to our place for help. From 
 the boldness of the attack, it was thought 
 there were quite a number of Indians. No 
 time was to be lost if we would save the 
 besiged ones. Orders were rapidly given 
 and quickly executed. A. S. Greely was 
 ordend to hitch his team to a wagon and 
 take Mrs. Standly to the fort with all pos- 
 sible speed. One or two other men were 
 sent to warn other parties, who were har- 
 vesting in other places, and scouts were 
 sent out to prevent a surprise. Mrs, 
 Standly was informed of the situation and 
 danger, and that the men were going to 
 rescue the besieged people, and that she 
 was to get into the wagon and go to the 
 fort in haste, but she insisted that as dinner 
 was all ready we should eat before going. 
 It was argued that the danger was im- 
 minent, that even now there was danger 
 of our being surr<iunded by the savages, or 
 that the women and children might be 
 captured if we delayed. She still insisted 
 that we would be half sick if we went 
 "trapesing off there without our dinner," 
 and that the beans would all be cold and 
 mussed up. Just then hearing firing in 
 the direction of the Watkins house she 
 was persuaded to go. The rest of the 
 party, six or seven in number, started for 
 the rescue. The Indians fled upon their 
 approach. The oxen were found alive and 
 able to travel, and were hurriedly started 
 for the fort, with the women and children, 
 and guardeii out of the timber by the 
 whole force. Five then started to rescue 
 Mr. A. Maservey, John White and H. 
 Clark, who were harvesting a siUi^ll field 
 
HISTORY OF MAINE PRAIRIE. 
 
 west of M. Greely's The Indians had 
 been seen on their ponies near this field. 
 The field was found deserted, the 
 horses gone, and appearances indicated that 
 the place had been raided. While cau- 
 tiously reconnoitering the place, Atwood 
 saw a bald head and red face peering 
 around the corner of the old log house. 
 Taking it for the head of an Indian he 
 took aim and was just pulling the trigger, 
 when he discovered his mistake. It was 
 A. Maservcy's head. It was a narrow es- 
 cape. The men were taking their after 
 dinner nap and knew nothing of their 
 danger. The whole party then started for 
 the dead or wounded Indian that Stone 
 had shot, and were soon joined by about 
 20 from the fort. When the watchmen 
 on the fort saw A. S. Greely running his 
 horses to the fort he raised the alarm flag 
 and fired the signal guns. The harvesters 
 came pouring in from all directions and 
 when they heard of the peril of their com- 
 rades, hastened forward to their assistance, 
 the party were so close upon the retreat- 
 ing Indians that they had barely time to 
 snatch their dead or wounded comrade 
 and escape, leaving, where he had fallen, 
 a new bed cord, an oil cloth gun cover, a 
 woman's shawl, a white clean new woolen 
 bed blanket and an old smoked Indian 
 blanket. Their trail was followed over 
 the hills a mile or more and lost. The 
 party returned to the fort with appetites 
 that could relish beans, even if they were 
 cold and all mussed up. Thus far the 
 Indians had found our people alert and 
 watchful, brave and ready on the instant. 
 Contious and crafty as the Indians were. 
 It is untoubtedly due to our attitude, that 
 the savages were deterred from making 
 any formidable raid upon our settlement. 
 Thus we were saved from the fate of many 
 other sections. 
 
 F. 11. DAM RIDES TO ST PAUL. 
 
 We had but few guns and but little am- 
 munition. F. H. Dam volunteered to go 
 to St. P.iul and endeavor to procure some 
 guns and powder and shot from the gov- 
 ernment. He had John Farwell's fast 
 
 horse, and made the trip of 150 miles in 
 about 3G hf>urs, braving the dangers of 
 driving throujih alone in the niglit from 
 Clearwater. The few old muskets and am- 
 munition that he could get were gladly re- 
 ceived. After that John Farwell drove to 
 St. Paul and returned with more old mus- 
 kets and Hmmunition. The wonderful and 
 vigorous kick which thene old muskets 
 could exert made it equally dangerous to 
 be at either end when they were fired oflT. 
 But they had bayonets on them and looked 
 for.i'idable. 
 
 The next year Jolin White was hunting 
 for a lost cow and had one of these kick- 
 ing government muskets. Getting up on 
 a high log for a better view, he discovered 
 a black bear but a few rods away. Bruin 
 saw him at ihe same time and raised up 
 on his hind legs. While took good aim 
 and fired. The gun kicked him heels over- 
 head and the last he saw of the bear he 
 was performinsf a similar acrobitic feat. 
 
 WILLMOTT MAVBEE AND COMRADES KILLED. 
 
 There was a small settlement at Manna- 
 nah, 22 miles west of Maine Prairie, oi four 
 or five families. Upon the first alarm they 
 iiad all fled to s ifer places, some to Clear- 
 water and some to otiier places. After re- 
 maining a few days a parly often or fifteen 
 men thought there was no danger and re- 
 turned to get supplies of provisions and 
 other goods and to look after their stock. 
 They were urged not to go, as it was be- 
 lieved to be a dangerous undertaking. But 
 they had no fear. When they arrived 
 near their homes two of their number, 
 Thomas Ryckman and Chauncy Willson 
 left the wagon to look after some 
 cattle. Mr. Willmot Maybee, Lyman 
 Howe and Joseph Page were in the 
 two-horse wagon Mr. Maybee was driving, 
 and Philip Deck was driving a one horse 
 rig. 
 
 Willson and Ryckman were about 80 
 rods distant, when just as the party drove 
 up to their house imagine their horror to 
 see a party of Indians rise up from behind 
 a jiile of lumber and shoot and kill the 
 fiur men in the wagons. These two men 
 
HISTORY OF MAINE PRAIRIE, 
 
 19 
 
 on foot sprang into the timber with the 
 Indians in close pursuit. They succeeded 
 in escaping from their persuers and start- 
 ed for Maine Prairie Fort where they ar- 
 rived almost bereft of their senses, bare 
 headed and bare footed. They were brave 
 men, but the horror of seeing their friends 
 killed and mangled, and fearing every 
 moment that they might be overtaken bv 
 the savages whom they imagined were 
 pursuing them [during their long flight, 
 had completely prostrated them. 
 
 The balance of the party coming up la- 
 ter discovered the dead bodies of their 
 comrades and started at once for Forest 
 City, not waiting to investigate. They 
 put in a borrowing night wading through 
 marshes and orusb, not daring to keep the 
 road for fear of meeting Indians. They 
 reached the City the next morning in a 
 deplorable condition. A party of men 
 went right back and found all except May- 
 bee who was found two months later by a 
 soldier. Mr. Howe had been scalped and 
 Mr. Page's throat was c it from ear to ear. 
 The others were not mutulated. Mr. Ryck- 
 man is now one of Meeker county's mast 
 prosperous farmers and is living at Uiiion 
 Grove. But he will never for. et his thril- 
 ling experience at Mannanah, Aug. 26, 
 1862. 
 
 This incident caused us to redouble our 
 precautious at the fort. From many signs 
 seen and heard it was believed that our 
 movements were closely watched by our 
 savage foe from the surrounding hills, but 
 finding us always on the alert, brave and 
 ready t® dash out whenever there was a 
 foe or sign ot a foe in sight, and a match 
 for them in caution and strategy, they 
 dared not to molest us. The brave stand 
 made by these resolute men undoubtedly 
 had its influence in holding in check the 
 savages. 
 
 "WHAT THE LOOKOUT FOUND. 
 A little incident that occurred about this 
 time still farther strengthened them in 
 the belief that our movements were being 
 watched by the Indians. R. M. Vander- 
 vo-rt was appointed to keep a lookout 
 
 from the top of the fort during the day 
 with a telescope to guard against a sur- 
 prise by the Indians. He faithfully filled 
 that responsible position for three weeks. 
 One day he engaged a substitute to fill his 
 place while he took a vacation, and went 
 into the timb*r near Cornelian lake for 
 wild plums. He had not proceeded far 
 when he discovered a small pile of ashes. 
 As they looked fresh he was somewhat 
 startled. Thrusting his hand into them 
 he discovered that there was fire, and be- 
 lieving that the fire had been built by an 
 Indiin and fearing he might then be near 
 and probably drawing a bead on him, he 
 claims that he made the best time on 
 rtcord in his flight to the fort. 
 
 GETTING AMMUNITION AT ST. CLOUD. 
 
 It was understood at St. Cloud that a 
 courier would be sent through from the 
 prairie each uay unless surrounded by the 
 foe. It was brush and timber nearly all 
 the way and the messenger could easily 
 be shot by an unseen savage. The next 
 morning D. A. Hoyt, E. H. Atwood and 
 H. P. Bennett volunteered to go through 
 to St. Cloud. It was one of the darkest 
 periods of the outbreak. James Jenks of- 
 fered them his ponies. Mr. Jenks was 
 one of those big hearted, whole eouled 
 men often found on the frontier. These 
 ponies were thoroughly disgusted with life 
 in this world, and it required very weighty 
 argument, and unscriptural language, be- 
 sides the vigorous application of a three- 
 quarter inch brad, to induce them to go 
 faster than a walk. The citiz^jna of St. 
 Cloud were found badly frightened and 
 many leaving for the east. The were fear- 
 ful that the Chippewas would be down 
 upon them. General H. Z. Mitchell pre- 
 sented Atwood with two sacks of buckshot 
 and a can of powder. We were in great need 
 of anjmunition and were glad to gt-t these 
 supplies for the fort. It was near mid- 
 night when the party reached tlie prairie 
 on their return. 
 
 TWO FALSE ALARM.S. 
 
 They found the men at the fort all un- 
 der arms and a double line of pickets on 
 
HISTORY OF MAINE PRAIKIK 
 
 guard. Joseph Watkins, and Mr. and Mrs. 
 J. H. Nojes had gone out to R. F. Adley's 
 house to sleep. It was against the orders 
 of the captain to leave the fori at night 
 without leave. No one knew that anyone 
 was outside the fort. Near midniglit 
 Watkins saw through the window what he 
 took to be three Indians on ponies near 
 the bouse. Hastily taking his gun and 
 awakening Mr. Noyes he was ready to 
 give them a warm reception. But they 
 had mysteriously disappeared. He im- 
 mediately gave the alarm by firing the 
 danger signal. The fort was aroused, but 
 as no one knew of anyone being outside of 
 the lines, it was thought to be a decoy. 
 After firing the danger signal, several 
 times Watkins came to the fort and re- 
 I)orted his discovery. Several went down 
 with a buggy and brought Mrs. Noyes to 
 the fort. It proved to be three stray colts 
 that were taken for Indians. 
 
 The second day after this scire, a party 
 of men from St. Cloud, who had been out 
 beyond Forest City to bury some of their 
 countrymen, who had been murdered by 
 the Sioux, were returning home. When 
 about one and a half miles from the fort 
 in the timber they thoughtlessly began 
 firing ofT their guns to clean them. Hear- 
 ing the firing at the fort it was thought 
 that the Indians were attacking the whites. 
 Then there was mounting in hot haste and 
 swiftly forming, a strong force was soon 
 upon the spot ready for action, but they 
 discovered their mistake before any blood 
 was shed. 
 
 THE ATTACK ON FOREST CITY. 
 
 No freah rumors of Indian depredations 
 had be^n heard for a day or two, and the 
 men were somewhat relaxing the usual 
 vigilance and were hoping that "the cruel 
 war was o'er," when just before night a 
 messenger came through from Forei^t City, 
 16 miles southwest of us, with word that 
 their fort had been attacked the night be- 
 fore by a band of Sioux and several bad 
 been killed and the rest compelled to re- 
 main in the fort and see the Indians har- 
 ness their horses to wagons, load them 
 
 with plunder and go ofl". At this fort there 
 was a company of cavalry and about one 
 hundred and fifty armed citizens. As we 
 had but forty or fifty men at onr fort with 
 but little ammunition and very inferior 
 arms, we felt that our i)Ositi()n was critical. 
 Every man was called in, arms exam- 
 ined and everything done that could be 
 done to prepare for the worst. The wagons 
 were rendered useless by taking off and 
 hiding the nuts and the horses were 
 turned loose in a large pasture There 
 was little sleep that night. From the ac- 
 tions of the dogs, it was thought they 
 heard or smelled Indians. They snifled 
 the air to the west and barked continually. 
 One of our men burning with a desire to 
 avenge the wrongs and cruelties that he 
 bad seen and heard of felt a strong desire 
 to shoot and scalp an Indian. So intense 
 was this passion that he went to the picket 
 on the west and told him he was going to 
 reconnoiter for a scalp. Carefully load- 
 ing his gun, with pistol and knife in his 
 belt, he began crawling off into the d:irk- 
 ness listening with ear to the ground then 
 advancing, then listening and peering 
 through the darkness otten iraagning that 
 be could hear the approach of the crafty foe 
 or that some dark object in the grass might 
 be a skulking savage, until after hours 
 of patient search he crawled back greatly 
 disappointed. The Indians were not be 
 caught napping. The next day the forti- 
 fications were strenghtened by building a 
 breast work all around them and just out- 
 side of this a deep ditch or moat was dug 
 10 feet deep and 10 feet wide. Our horses 
 were placed in this at night. We now 
 felt that we could hold our fort against 
 five hundred savages and did not need so 
 many pickets. All slept in the fort nights, 
 except those who where out as pickets or 
 to go out at midnight. These slept in the 
 blacksmith shop. 
 
 INDIANS DRIVEN OFF RY TROOPS. 
 
 Soon after the raid on Forest City, the 
 Indians were driven back by the State and 
 United States troops, and the settlers be- 
 gan to feel safer, although occasional signs 
 
HISTORY OF MAINE PKAIKIE. 
 
 were seen that would iodicate that there 
 were a few savages skulking around, who 
 wo lid murder whenever they could. A 
 few began to leave the fort and go to their 
 homes. 
 
 ATTACKED BY AN INDIAN. 
 Old Mr. Field, his son and daughter, 
 went to their home one morning, and in 
 the afternoon the daughter went into the 
 brush near by to pick plums. A painted 
 warrior rose up near her and sprang for 
 her. She screamed and ran for the house 
 the Indian in close pursuit. Jnst as she 
 reached the edge of the brush lie caught 
 her dress by one hand and struck her with 
 a knife with the other hand. She tore 
 loose, and as her father and brother, hear- 
 ing her screams, had co re to her assist- 
 ance, the Indian retreated. The wound 
 received was on her arm and not very 
 deep. She was brought to the fort, but was 
 prostrated for some time from the shock. 
 
 WATER MELON BRIGADE. 
 
 This time a number of young men, with 
 a man calling himself "Captain," came 
 to the fort, and confiscated some horses, 
 grnin and provisions, in the name of the 
 State or some other authority. They misht 
 have been of great help to the people, but 
 their undesciplined actions and wild be- 
 havior made them obnoxious. They 
 were c^Ilt^d the "Water Mel'n Brigade," 
 on account of their many raids upon the 
 water melon patches. 
 
 RETURNED TO THEIR HOMES. 
 
 Gradually the people sought their 
 homes, but sonie stayed at the f 'rt until 
 cold weather, when all left, and the usual 
 routine of parties, lectures, meetings, sur- 
 j)ri8e parties and donations followed each 
 other in rapid succepsion. It must not be 
 inferred from ttiis fact that life was one of 
 sad and fearful foreboding. There were 
 many occasions of merriment; many 
 laughable incidenis, many pleasant hours, 
 and, among the younger lads and lassies, 
 many i tender look and action that were 
 the first seeds that soon ripened into a 
 closer union of soul to soul. No doubt, the 
 peril that surrounded them made many a 
 
 young man vow to sell his life dearly, 
 should ii ever be necessary, in defense of 
 the young lady walking by his side; and 
 the proud bearing and brave demeanor of 
 her young escort would tend to soften the 
 heart of the most obdurate maiden. Oh, 
 there is nothing like a common danger, 
 and a common cause to bring the hearts of 
 brave men and women to beat in unison. 
 But, alas for the fickleness of the human 
 heart. It is believed that in more than 
 one case, when the danger was over and 
 I he close associations were ended, that 
 time, distance and other associations, 
 gradually caused a coolness, then a final 
 severing of the once united hearts. 
 
 A NEWSPAPER ITEM. 
 
 In the St. Cloud Democrat, of Sept. 4, 
 1862, under the head of "locals" appeared 
 the following: 
 
 "As we go to press, this note is handed 
 us. It is from a well known Maine Prairie 
 citizen to his wife: 
 
 Dear Augusta: We were cutting our 
 wheat yesterday, when a man came run- 
 nii.g saying they had started back to Cold 
 Springs with three men, women and chil- 
 dren in an ox team. When they had got 
 a mile beyond John White's three Indians 
 arose. One Indian fired at one of the men 
 not more than twenty feet off, but missed 
 him Each of the men fired, and one In- 
 dian dropped as though killed. Then the 
 men turned the team around and run the 
 oxen back to the Cutter house. The In- 
 dians trying to head them off, but did not 
 succeed. Two of the men stayed with the 
 women in the house, while the other came 
 through and told me. We took a wagon 
 and went over and got the family to a safe 
 place, and then went up to find the dead 
 Indian. We found two blankets, a shawl, 
 a bed cord and gun civer, and some blood, 
 but no Indian. We had an alarm this 
 mornintj about 4 o'clock. I have no time 
 for particulars. E. H. Atwood. 
 
 THE WINTER OF 1862-3. 
 
 On account of the trouble with the In- 
 dians, quite a percentage of the crop of 
 1862 was lost or damaged, and it was very 
 late in the fall before the grain was all 
 secured. Although the settlers had plenty 
 to eat, still, on account of their losses and 
 the hard times, they had to economize in 
 Cvijry possible way during the winter of 
 
HISTORY OF MAINE PRAIKIK. 
 
 1862-3. Tea, coffee and pugar were lux- 
 uries that but few could indulge in. Home 
 grown tobacco whh largely used as a sub- 
 stitute for that sold in the stores. A new 
 suit of store clothes on a person at church 
 would attract so much attention that the 
 lervent words of the minister had but little 
 efl't'ct upon tlie congregation. The woman 
 with a brand new calico dress was gener- 
 ally greeted with a coldness by her less 
 fortuu;i(e sisters that made her wish that 
 she had worn her old dre^s. Many of the 
 more nervous people were still timid, 
 fearing that the Indians might come back 
 and do damage. But, spring came, and it 
 was believed that there would be no more 
 trouble with them. 
 
 SIGNS OF INDIANS AGAIN. 
 
 Soon, however, signs, showing that 
 small parties of Indians were lurking 
 around, were frequently met with. Mr. 
 Goodner found in a patch of brush not 
 far from his house fresh signs where 
 apparently several savages bad 
 cleared out a space in the 
 patch where they could lay concealed and 
 watch what was going on around them. 
 They had undoubtedly been making bridles 
 out of rawhide for clippings and strips of 
 untanned hide had been left on the ground 
 where they had lain. It was supposed 
 that their object was to steal horses, but it 
 was believed that thev would not hesitate 
 to shoot a white person whenever they 
 could safely do so. Several pf rsons had 
 been shot at by unseen foes, and a few 
 killed or wounded in the Big Woods to the 
 south. Great uneasiness was felt by the 
 people. The men mostly went armed and 
 the women were careful about keeping the 
 doors fastened. Finally the State organ- 
 ized a 
 
 CX5MPANY OF SCOUTS 
 and about three were detailed to each town 
 for the purpose of patroling the town, and 
 to be ready to concentrate at any threat- 
 ened point. These scouts were of great 
 benefit in allaying the fears of the citizens. 
 They were alert, and investigated many 
 alarms and scares, which often proved 
 
 groundless, but which occasionally clearly 
 indicated that Indians were around. If a 
 man found himself in the vicinity of In- 
 dians, or had any reason to believe that 
 there was danger of his coming in contact 
 with them, when he was unarmed, it was 
 considered wise and proper to seek safety 
 with all possible speed. 
 
 AN AMUSING INCIDENT. 
 One instance of a causeless panic oc- 
 curred when David Goodner and M. V. 
 Greely went after wild plums. They en- 
 tered a larjic plum thicket from opposite 
 sides at the same time. Each heard the oth- 
 er, and by stooping down and looking under 
 the brush they could see the legs of the 
 other, and the two front and two hind feet 
 of their horses They could not see high 
 enough to see the bodies of the men or 
 hornes. In their excitement, each mis- 
 took the other party for at least three In- 
 dians, and both sprang upon their horses 
 and rode for their lives in opposite direc- 
 tions, and spread the news that they had 
 seen Indians. Of course there was but 
 little sleep in the neighborhood that 
 night. Guns were carefully loaded and 
 ammunition brought out and all precau- 
 tions taken to guard against any raid the 
 Indians mitrht make. A careful investi- 
 gation the next morning revealed the true 
 facts in the case. Every few days some 
 such an alarm would be given in some 
 part of the town. Many, upon investiga- 
 tion, proved groundless. Olhers would 
 show that Indians were around and the 
 settlers (lid not know at what moment tiiey 
 might be tiie victim of a crafty foe that 
 was al)le to lay in wait for days to get a 
 shot at a white man. 
 
 LITTLE crow's LAST DITCH. 
 A large body of troops had driven the 
 main body of Indians back into the Bad 
 Lands of the Dakota? the fall before, but 
 Little Crow, a celebrated Sioux chief, his 
 son, and a few others had passed through 
 the lines and returned to the settlements 
 to steal horses, and avenge certain wrongs. 
 But the tragic death of Little Crow; the 
 narrow escape of his son; the disastrous 
 
HISTORY OF MAINE PRAIRIE. 
 
 23 
 
 results to the three Indians that stole 
 Block's horsep, as well as the failure of 
 those Indians who stole Mr. King's 
 horses, hut which they had to relinquish, 
 so disheartened them that they soon sought 
 sifety among their people on the western 
 plains. Little Crow's Fon was soon cap- 
 tured on the plains, and brought back by 
 Gen. Sibley in the fall of 1863. They 
 camppd on the east side of the river, and 
 many St. Cloud people visited the tent of 
 of Little Crow's son. 
 
 THE DROUTH OP 1863. 
 
 The summer of 1863 will long be re- 
 membered for the protracted drouth. 
 There was hardly any rain after the 
 spring crops were sown until they were 
 harvested, consequently the crops were 
 light. 
 
 "atwood's school." 
 
 In the winter of 1863-4 E. H. Atwood 
 taught 1 term of (-chool in the school house 
 in district No. 29, called the Stanly dis- 
 trict. The house was a mere shell, and it 
 wa^ impossible to keep warm. There was 
 no furniture except a desk or two and 
 benches to sit on, but the scholars were all 
 eager to get an education and stadied hard 
 while their feet ached with the cold. They 
 could rest their tired eyes occasionally by 
 looking out doors, through wide cracks in 
 the walls of the builtling. A few of the 
 names of those who attmded that school 
 were ''D. B.," R iger. Plum and Joseph 
 Stanly, Lnellen and John French, two 
 daughters, Helen and Mandy, and Herbert, 
 son of Dudley French, Fred and Mabel 
 Hamilton, and his sister, now Mrs. Al- 
 bert Guptil, Bwrtha Scribner, her brother 
 Frank Frank, Albert Guptil, Fred Greely, 
 and his sister, the late Mrs. E. G. Hick.p, 
 Thos. O. Spaulding, Vlrs. Horace Greedy, 
 Nellie Kimball, and her brother Gilbert, 
 Velora and Lydia Adley, and Otigood, 
 their brother, Ada A. Dim, Charles and 
 Hattie Wood, Bt-rtha Clark, Martin F. 
 Greely, and Alberton Whitney, (whoaft»r- 
 wards died in a southern hospital.) There 
 were others whose names cannot be recalled 
 just now. No one thought when he saw that 
 
 group of boys studying on those poor 
 benches, with cold feet, their noses red, and 
 lips purple with thecolJ,or when they were 
 declaiming their little pieces, or speaking 
 their dialogues, at spelling school, that 
 whf n they grew up to manhood, tbe clar- 
 ion voices of a number of them would be 
 heard harranguing the assembled wisdom 
 of the State in the Legislative halls, for 
 hours at a time on the mighty questions of 
 the period, or assiHting by voice and vote 
 in enacting laws for the protection of the 
 people of the State, against gigantic mon- 
 opolies. Nearly all of them have been 
 called to fill some responsible public posi- 
 tion at some times of their lives, 
 
 A LYCEUM ORGANIZED, 
 
 During the winter there would be a 
 spelling school about every two weeks. At 
 the close of spelling there would be dia- 
 logues and declamations. The improve- 
 ment in this line was rapid and at the last 
 one held on the 26th of Feb., 1864, the 
 ho ise was crowded full and the audience 
 became so enthusiastic that it was propos- 
 ed then and there to organize a lyceum 
 and choose officers. Accordingly J. R.Wat- 
 kins was chosen President; J. H. French, 
 vice-President; E. H. Atwood, Secretary, 
 and D. S. French, Treasurer. They then 
 adjourned to meet in the school house 
 near where the Baptist church now 
 stands, on the 2nd wf March. This 
 secotd meeting was very interesting, 
 although it was a new thing, 
 and but a few were willing to take bold 
 and do their part. R. F. Adley, D, B. 
 Siandley and E. H. Atwood were appoint- 
 ed a <;ommittee to draft a constitution and 
 by-lawr* for the government of the lyceum 
 and a library. At a regular meeting, 
 March 11th, the constitution and by-laws 
 were adopted, and the following officers 
 were elected: J. R. Watkins, president; 
 J, H. French and Alex, Spaulding, vice 
 presidents; S. Young, secretary; W. L. 
 Heywood, treasurer; R. F. Adley, librari- 
 an. The question debated at this meeting 
 was: 
 
24 
 
 HISTORY OF MAINE PRAIRIIC 
 
 Rcsolced, That a prohibitory liquor law 
 ifl beneficial to the temperance cause. 
 
 The speakerfl in the aflirn ative were 
 D. A. Hoyt, E. H. Atwood and A. B. 
 Greely; in the negative were S. Young, 
 J. R. WatkinB and Alex. Spaulding. 
 
 There was increased interest n3anifeflted 
 in the Lyceu<ia during the summer. On 
 the 2d of December, 1864, the first num- 
 ber of the "Maine Prairie Gem" was pub- 
 lished by the members, Mrs. EH. Atwood, 
 being editress? It was a fine paper and a 
 decided success. Meetings were held every 
 two weeks during the winter of 1864-5. 
 
 FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION. 
 
 At the meeting of June 16, 1865, it was 
 decided to have a big celebration in the 
 Farwell grove on the 4th of Inly, and the 
 following committees were appointed : 
 
 Committee on Flags and Arrangements 
 —0. Farwell, T. O. Spaulding, S. Young, 
 D. G. Reefe. 
 
 Committee on Lumber — J. E. Young 
 and R. F. Adley. 
 
 Committee on Speakers -A. B. Gree'y 
 and R. F'. Adley. 
 
 Committee on Toasts — E. H. Atwood. 
 
 Committee on Water — Joseph Stanley. 
 
 Committee on Ice — R. F. Adley. 
 
 Committee on Guess Cake — Mrs. O. 
 Farwell. 
 
 Committee on Tables — Mrs. J. Dam, Mrs. 
 O. Farwell, Mrs. S. Young, Mrs. M. Pat- 
 ten, Mrs. E. H. Atwood, Miss P. Field. 
 
 Committee on Ring Cake — Mrs . A. B. 
 Greely. 
 
 Committee on Post Office — Miss A. Boo- 
 bar. 
 
 Committee on Singing — Mrs. Stront, 
 Mrs. Fowler, Mrs. Neal, Miss L. Greely, 
 Mr. D. A. Roberts, E. H. Atwood, D. S. 
 French and A. F. Perkins. 
 
 Committee on Minister's Cake — Mrs. E. 
 H. Atwood. 
 
 The celebration on the Fourth was a 
 grand aflair. A. B. Currv, of St. Cloud, 
 delivered the oration. There was an im- 
 mense number of people present not only 
 from our own town, but from all the ad- 
 joining towns. There was good speaking. 
 
 good mu.sic and a goo 1 dinner. The so- 
 ciety cleared about $125. The ring cake 
 sold for $10. The guess cake $2 90. The 
 lemonade stand cleared $13.50. Post office 
 $26.20. But the minister's cake created 
 the must interest. It was to be donated to 
 the clergyman who received the most 
 votes. The votes cost five cents each, and 
 any person could vote as many times as he 
 wished at that price. There were 928 votes 
 cast. The cake brought $46.40. 
 
 The library had 122 volumes that fall. 
 A course of five lectures and exhibitions 
 were given that winter. The pioceede 
 were used to get lumber for a stage and 
 curtains and scenery, and to defray ex- 
 penses of getting the speakers out there. 
 The balance of t!ie money was used to buy 
 books for tiie library and pay the librari- 
 an. The Lyceum was kept up in first 
 class shape for 4 or 5 years. Then on ac- 
 count of sickness and other cau8t-8, there 
 were but few meetings until the f^II of 
 1871, when there was a reviv il of the 
 Lyceum. A new constitution and by-laws 
 were adopted and there "vas much interest 
 taken in the society. A course of lectures 
 was arranged and exhibitions were given. 
 These exhibitions consisted of a one or two 
 act plays, being sometimes a farce, at 
 other times a comedy, and at rare inter- 
 vals a tragedy was attempted. Besides 
 this there would be a paper, the Prairie 
 Gem, filled with original productions from 
 the members. This would be followed by 
 recitations and dialogues. At the next 
 meeting there would be a lecture 
 followed by mu^ic and a short 
 play. A debate would be had 
 occasionally. Generally there would be a 
 lecture, then in two weeks an exhibition, 
 followed in two weeks by a debate. Among 
 the lecturers was the Hon. D B Searle, 
 then a slim, quiet young man. C. C. An- 
 drews gave us a lecture, taking Shakes- 
 I)eart.'s Falstafl" as a subject. Several 
 other St. Cloud lawyers and ministers lec- 
 tured before the society. Many of the best 
 members of the society had either moved 
 away or passed over the silent river. It 
 
HISTORY OF MAINE PRAIRIE. 
 
 25 
 
 was hoped that the yonng and rising gen- 
 eration would come forward and fill the 
 places of the old an<J feeble and carry on 
 the Lyceum with its usual vigor, but for 
 various causes it languished and there 
 were but few meetines held from the spring 
 of 1872 until the spring of 1873 when a 
 special meeting was called and it was voted 
 to sell the books and fixtures belonging to 
 the library at public auction. This was 
 very unfortunate. The library contained 
 at least 200 volumes and had been very 
 largely patronized and been of inestimable 
 value to the early settlers by furnibhing 
 them the use of such a fine set 
 of books, bit according to the vote 
 on the 6th of June, 1875, this splendid 
 library of about 200 books with book case 
 lamps, curtains, lumber, &c., were sold 
 and scattered over the town. The amount 
 realized was only $40 25. The Lyceum 
 was thus broken up never to meet again. 
 
 It was the fond hope of the o'der mem- 
 bers of the society that the younger peo- 
 ple of th- Prairie, when they had grown 
 up, would take hold of the work and car- 
 ry the Lyceum along, gradunlly improv- 
 ing the work and increasing the library 
 and acquiring a love for greater knowl- 
 edge. It was with profound sorrow that 
 the old members saw the labor of years 
 scattered to the winds. 
 
 We trust that the young people of good 
 old Maine Prairie who have lately organ- 
 ized a literary and debating society will 
 take hold of the work and carry it forward 
 and build up a magnificent literary socie- 
 ty that will be known and honored 
 throughout the state. Let it be a vast im- 
 provement upon the first one. The labor 
 of carrying on the Lyceum in those early 
 days was performed under many diflScul- 
 ties. The country was new and the people 
 poor and scattereil. But with all advan- 
 tages that the youth now enj ly of excel- 
 lent schools and cheap books, and with 
 the assistance of the inanv talented leaders 
 in the society, the brilliant future of your 
 society is fully assured. 
 
 School district No. 32 of Maine Prairie 
 
 was organized in 1861 and the first teacher 
 was Miss Evelyn McKenney. The pres- 
 ent school house was built in 1869. The 
 present officers are Wm. L. Heywood, di- 
 rector; S. Young, treasurer; S. F. Brown, 
 clerk. 
 
 The Kimball school district No. 80, was 
 organized in 1869 and a school house was 
 built in 1870. The first officers were: J.M. 
 Kimball, T. J. Wiley and Michael Patten. 
 The first teachers were Mary Wiley and 
 Belle Wiley. This school house was moved 
 into the village of Kimball, and in 1890 
 school district No. 147 was organized 
 and a house built the same year. 
 This last district embraced much of 
 the territory of the old district. 
 The first otiicers were W. W. Connor, Ed- 
 win Baker and Joseph Mason. The first 
 teachers were Nellie Kimball, Celia Kim- 
 ball and Emma Lytle. 
 
 IN THE DAYS OF 1864. 
 
 At the town meeting in April, 1864, it 
 was "voted that & bounty of two (2) cents 
 per head for squirrels and five (5) cents 
 p r head for gophers be paid by the town. 
 Voted that the Justices of the Peace, 
 Chairman of Supervisors and Town Clerk 
 be authorized to count all squirrels and 
 gophers presented to them and give the 
 bearer a receipt for them." As no money 
 was voted to pay the bounty a special town 
 meeting was called in June, and $135 
 voted to be raised for that purpose. The 
 first year there was paid out in bounties 
 for squirrels and gophers the sum of 
 $181.30. In April, 1866, it was "voted to 
 pay no more bounties for squirrels or 
 gophers." 
 
 There were some funny articles written 
 at the time about the results of this bounty 
 business. It was recjuired that only the 
 tails of the animals need be brought to the 
 officers to be counted. It was claimed that 
 the boys often secured the tails and let the 
 stiuirrels go, and that stutnp-tailed squir- 
 rels were very plentiful on the Prairie, 
 and that as these tailless animals were not 
 taolested by the boys they in time became 
 very tame and that by certain Darwinian 
 
26 
 
 HISTORY OF MAINE PRAIRIE. 
 
 laws of evolution and the survival of the 
 fittest, and that while those animals with 
 full caudal appendagea were hunted, 
 trapped and destroyed, those with little or 
 no such a])pendage were free from perse- 
 cution, and that as a natural consequence 
 of the laws governing; the survival of the 
 fittest and of natural selection the tail of 
 the scjuirrels under such conditions would 
 gradually disappear and in time a race of 
 tailless squirrels would take the place of 
 those whose caudle appendage had proved 
 their ruin. 
 
 In July of this year there was a weekly 
 mail route established from St. Cloud to 
 Fair Haven by way of Maine Prairie. 
 The mail came in from St Cloud Tuesday 
 morning and returned the same day. 
 
 Alonzo Spaulding, of Maine Prairie, 
 and Christina Langdon, of Clearwater, 
 were married July 4, 1864. 
 
 MORE INDIANS AND SOME POLITICS. 
 
 During the summer the Indians had 
 been troublesome in parts of the state. A 
 raid by a party of Sioux had been made 
 near Mankato and several whites were 
 killed or wounded, and horses were stolen, 
 and a freight train near Breckenridge had 
 been attacked and a number kilkd and 
 wounded. This caused more or less un- 
 easiness, and a fteling of unrest. Politics 
 ran high this summer and fall. It was the 
 year in which the President was to be 
 elected as well as congressmen and mem- 
 bers of the legislature. Consequently 
 there was great excitement in the politi- 
 cal world. Lincoln was a candidate 
 for re-election. Ignatius Donnelly was 
 a candidate for Congress. Hon. H. C. 
 Waite and E. H. At wood were candidates 
 for the Stale Legislature. Donnelly's 
 course as acting (Tovernor in the absence 
 of Governor Ramsey had made him popu- 
 lar and when he came to St. Cloud Oct. 
 24, 1S64, to make a political speech a large 
 delegation froru Maine Prairie came in to 
 bear him. The front wagon carried a 
 large American Hag and a banner on 
 which was inscribed: "Lincoln and Don- 
 nelly." 
 
 In the fall, of 1S(J4, while Capt. Thos. 
 E. Inman was out hunting, he was shot at 
 by another hunter, who mistook him for 
 a deer, the ball parsing through his coat 
 sleeve. A narrow escape. 
 
 THE BOYS IN BLUE RETURN. 
 
 A supper was given Dec. 26ih, 1864, at 
 the Farewell school house, to the returned 
 soldiers. There was a large gathering. O. 
 Farwell was chosen president of the meet- 
 ing, and in an appropriate address gave 
 the soldiers a hearty welcome, and tnuch- 
 ingly alluded to those of their number 
 whom death bad taken while in the ser- 
 vice of theircountry. Capt. Inman repli- 
 ed in behalf of the soldiers. It was a 
 pleasant afi'iir and will long be remember- 
 ed by those present. 
 
 RAISING THE TOWn's QUOTA. 
 
 President Lincoln wass calling for more 
 troops, and the officers of the town of 
 Maine Prairie were endeavoring to asser- 
 tain whether the town would be called up- 
 on to furnish more volunteers, and if so to 
 devise ways and means to fill the town's 
 quota. 
 
 Alpheus Maservey, as chairmHii of the 
 supervisions, and E. H. Atwod, as town 
 clerk, labored diligently to see that jui-- 
 tice was secured the town, and that all the 
 volunteers from the town were properly 
 accreditt'd. Many towns were offering 
 from $200 to $225 for volunteers to fill 
 their quotas. In pursuance of a petition 
 properly signed and delivered, a special 
 town meeting was called to meet at the 
 Farnell school house Jan 7ih, 1865, to 
 see if the voters would vote to raise suffic- 
 ient money to hire volunteers to fill the 
 town's quota. At this meeting it was vot- 
 ed tiiat the 8U[)ervisor8 be authorized to 
 raise money for the purpose of hiring vol- 
 unteers to fill the town's (juota. Also that 
 D. \V. Fowler, D. A. Hoyt and E H. Ai- 
 wood act with the supervisors as a com- 
 mittee. This committee succeeded in hiring 
 six volunteers for a total of $1,450. It 
 was also voted that the supervisors be au- 
 thorized to issue to all soldiers who had 
 served two years, a (own order of the 
 
HISTORY OF MAINE PRAIRIE. 
 
 27 
 
 amount of their tax for volunteer money 
 now to be raised. The town bonds were 
 sold at a discount of 15 cents on the dollar. 
 
 AS TO THE SIX VOLUNTEERS. 
 
 Of the six volunteers that were hired by 
 the town, three of them, viz: Alberton 
 Whitney, David Goodner and Thomas 
 Faione, enlisted in the First Regiment 
 Heavy Artillery, Feb. 2d, 1865, and were 
 sent to Chattanooga, Tenn. Alberton 
 Whitney died at that place April 23d, 
 1865. The other three, Albert Guptil, A. 
 Clark and J. W. Clark enlisted Feb. 16, 
 1865, in Company E, 2d Regiment Caval- 
 ry, and were mustered out with the com- 
 pany and were dischared that fall with the 
 company. 
 
 GREAT CELEBRATION JULY 4, 1865. 
 
 The splendid harvest of 1864, the prom- 
 ise of a bountiful yield this year, and 
 above all else, the feeling that the long 
 and bloody war of the rebellion was about 
 over, and the expectation that the boys in 
 blue would soon return to their homes, 
 caused much joy and happiness among the 
 citizens. In their gladness they concluded 
 to celebrate the Fourth of July in a man- 
 ner befitting the occasion, and as a conse- 
 quence of this feeling arrangements were 
 made for a monster picnic on the old pic- 
 nic grounds, in the Farwell grove, on the 
 shore of the beautiful Cornelian Lake. 
 Never before or since has the shores of 
 that lake seen such a gathering of happy 
 people from that and surrounding towns. 
 A. B. Curry, of St. Cloud, was the orator 
 of the day. The Burbanks and many 
 others from St. Cloud were there. Fair 
 Haven, Lynden, and many other towns 
 had large delegations present. The Maine 
 Prairie and Fair Haven Glee Club sang 
 the popular war songs of the times. The 
 oration was excellent. The orator paid a 
 great tribute to those who had left their 
 homes and fought in defense of theircoun- 
 try, and by their bravery and perserver- 
 ance had saved the country from anarchy 
 and ruin. Few eyes were dry when he 
 feeliimiy alluded to those that had given 
 up their lives in defense of their coun- 
 
 try. Some of the soldiers were present. 
 Some of them had experienced all of the 
 horrors of prison life in Andersonville, 
 Libby, and other prisons, while others 
 had been disabled from wounds. The 
 happiness of the people seemed complete. 
 It was a great relief to the people, when, 
 after years of anxiety from short crops, 
 from hard times, from Indian depreda- 
 tions, from doubts and fears regarding the 
 safety of the country during the rebellion, 
 and from the thoughts of the loved onee 
 on Southern battle fields, that now, these 
 was, every prospect that all ot three 
 causes either had disappeared, or soon 
 would, and the future seemed to give 
 promise of peace, plenty and happiness. 
 
 With the hardships and privations of 
 early pioneer life forgotten, and with 
 bright anticipations of a glorious future, 
 the citizens of Maine Prairie started out 
 anew for a higher realigation of life. 
 
 This ends the present early history of 
 Maine Prairie. We humbly ask the 
 reader to be lenient and overlook its many 
 imperfections. 
 
 KIMBALL, MAINE PRAIRIE. 
 
 Kimball is a thriving village in the 
 southern part of the towH with a present 
 (1895) population of about 500. In 1886, 
 the first houses were built in the townsite, 
 and in 1891 the village was incorporated 
 and G. R. 'Jalkins, G. W. Beckman, J. 
 W. Kennedy and E. Peck were elected the 
 first officers. The "Soo" rail road runs 
 past the town. There is a rich and fertile 
 territory on all sides of the village, and 
 the farmers find a good market for their 
 produce at this point. 
 
 The M. E. Church of Kimball was organ- 
 ized in 1888, and the tiouae built the same 
 year. The first trustees were F. Driver, 
 J. M. Kennedy and A. Spaulding. The 
 first ministers were J. Kindred and W. 
 Wilson. 
 
 The School District was organized in 
 1887 and a fine school house was built, 40 
 70 by feet. The first officers were E. May- 
 hew, J. B. MoCann and E. A. Westcott, 
 and the first teacher was Miss J. Leayton. 
 
28 
 
 HISTORY OF MAINE PRAIRIE. 
 
 The present teacherp are D. W. Spauld- 
 ing and Mrs. E. Bullivant. 
 
 BIOGRAPHIES. 
 
 Following the historical portion of what 
 has been written of the town, I will 
 give short biographical sketches of some 
 of its early pioneers, and those who have 
 been more or less intimately connected 
 with its history. 
 
 The liven of the men who establish and 
 found a nation, or discover and settle a 
 new country, and build up its communi- 
 ties, ever form an integral part of the his- 
 tory 01 the same. To the early pioneers 
 of the town of Maine Prairie, the present 
 generation of its people, and thotie which 
 will follow, owe much. Anything con- 
 nected with their lives must be of great 
 interest, and, therefore, I have deemed it 
 appropriate to append to the history of 
 the "Prairie" brief biographical sketches 
 of "the first settlers." 
 
 AKKIVALS IN 1856. 
 R. F. ADLEY. 
 
 R. F. Adiey was born in Waterford, 
 Maine, in 1819. In 1856, accompanied by 
 his wife and daughters Lydia, Valora and 
 Ella, and son Osgood, he arrived and 
 settled on the Prairie, where he remained 
 until 1870, when he moved to Otter Tail 
 county. He died in 1885. Mr. Adley 
 was prominent in the afiairs of town and 
 school, holding for a bmg time important 
 offices in both. He was chosen captain ol 
 the Maine Prairie Guards during the In- 
 dian outbreak. He was one of the b-ading 
 men who orguuz^d and carried on the 
 Lyceum and Library. 
 
 GEORGE CLARK. 
 
 George Clark was born on Cape Cod in 
 1814, and came to .Maine Prairie in 1856, 
 and took a claim and operated it for about 
 fifteen yenrs, when he moved to Otter Tail 
 county, where he died in 1884. His fam- 
 ily consisted of his wife and son George 
 A., and daughters Eliza and Bethie. 
 
 THOMAS CADWEXL. 
 
 Thomas Cadwell was one of Stearns 
 county's i)ioneer8, arriving in the county 
 in 1855, and settling on his claim in 
 
 Maine Prairie in 1857, with his wife. He 
 was born in Madison county. New York, 
 in 1832. In October, 1861, he enlisted in 
 the 4th regiment, and after serving three 
 years re-enlisted and served ten months as 
 a veteran. Since returning to Maine 
 Prairie at the close of the war, he has 
 been engaged in farming ever since, ex- 
 cept a short time when acting as a guard 
 in the Reformatory. 
 
 F. II. DAM. 
 
 F. H. Dam was born in Enfield, Maine, 
 in 1835. He took a claim on Maine 
 Prairie, but spent much of his time for a 
 number of years working at his trade in 
 Minneapolis, afterwards establishing 
 himself in business in St. Cloud. Since 
 then, he has been so well known through- 
 out the county that it is n^edh S'^ to add 
 anything regarding his lite. During the 
 fort life on Maine Prairie in 1862, his 
 coolness, bravery anil knowledge of mili- 
 tary tactics, were of inestimable vaUie to 
 the .settlers during those p' rilous times. 
 He was one of the officers, and drove 
 throutrh to St. Paul and promired arms 
 and amtiiuniiion for tho.^e in the fort, wht^n 
 many brave men shrank from the danger- 
 ojs undertaking. 
 
 JOSEPH DAM. 
 
 Joseph Dim was born in Cumberland, 
 Maine, in 1830. In 1856, he arrived at 
 Maine Prairie. His wife and only 
 daughter, Ada A , joined him the next 
 year. He took a c'aim joining his brother 
 Hurcules, and carried on his farm for 
 eight or nine years His wife died and 
 he went to Dakota, where he has resided 
 ever since. Mr. Dam was a quiet citizen, 
 a good neiorhbor, charitable and kind 
 hearted. His family were intelligent and 
 well educated, and the community keenly 
 felt their lo^s when they ujoved away. 
 HURCULES DAM. 
 
 Hurcules Dam was born in Newfield, 
 Miiine, in 1806, and was one of the very 
 fir.st settlers on Maine Prairie, his wife 
 being the first white woman on the Piairie. 
 His son, F. H., and daughter Z^-lia, ac- 
 companied him to his new home. He 
 
HISTORY OF MAINE PRAIRIE. 
 
 29 
 
 built the first house and broke the first 
 land in the town, and operated his farm 
 until 1864, when he moved to St. Cloud. 
 Mr. Dam was a man of great 'nfluence for 
 good in the community, and his neighbors 
 looked up to him for advice and counsel 
 in spiritual as well as the more practical 
 concerns of life. After the death of his 
 wife in ISG-l, he returned to Maine Prairie 
 and remained there a number of years, 
 living with his daughter, Mrs. C. F. 
 Hamilton. He was a leading member 
 and deacon of the Baptist church. 
 
 OKLEN FARWELL. 
 
 Orlen Farwell was born in Compton, 
 Canada. He moved to Boston, Massachu- 
 setts, where he resided fifteen years. In 
 1856, he arrived at Maine Prairie, and 
 bought one-half interest of Moses Ireland 
 in the townsite of Marysviile. Returning 
 to Boston, his wife and son, Quartus, ac- 
 companied him back to his new home. In 
 1858 he was appointed postmaster, being 
 the first one in the town. The postofEce 
 was established at Marysviile. He served 
 as justice of the peace for a number of 
 years. 
 
 JOHN FARWELL. 
 
 John Farwell settled in Clearwater in 
 1854, and had an interest in the townsite, 
 but in 1856 came to Maine Prairie and 
 took a claim on the southwest side of Cor- 
 nelian lake. He built a house and large 
 barn Mr Farwell took an active and 
 leading part in town aifairs and was elect- 
 ed to several town oflBces. He was born in 
 Compton, Canada. 
 
 DUDLEY S FRENCH, 
 
 Among the first to arrive on the Prairie 
 and settle was Dudley S. French. H« 
 came from New York, where he was born 
 and raised. His wife and five children, 
 Herbert M., Francis M., Helen, Amanda, 
 and Harriett, soon joined him. There was 
 no doctor on the Prairie, and as he had 
 studied medicine, he began to practice 
 Homeopathy, and for a number of years 
 was the only physician in the town. 
 
 DAVID FOWLER. 
 
 Diivid W. Fowler was born in New 
 
 Brunswick, in 1825. He came to Maine 
 Prairie in 1856, and took a claim. In 
 1862 he was married and built the house 
 that he has occupied ever since. He has 
 held town offices, and has been one of the 
 school board for many years. He was one 
 of the sergeants of the home guards dur- 
 ing the Indian outbreak in 1862, while the 
 fort was occupied. 
 
 JOHN H. FRENCH. 
 
 John Hiro French was born in the town 
 of Wheeler, New York, in 1828. He was 
 one of the first to locate on Maine Prairie, 
 in 1856. He assisted in building the first 
 house, and in breaking the first land, and 
 drove the first team through from Little 
 Prairie to Maine Prairie. He had, the 
 year previous, bought a claim near Min- 
 neapolis, but sold it soon after. The first 
 claim he took on the Prairie was ''jumped" 
 and he took another one. Mr. French has 
 held the office of Supervisor four years, 
 and was clerk of his School Board eight 
 years. For may years he represented the 
 Republican party in county and district 
 conventions. His sisters, Almira and 
 Marilla settled on the Prairie in 1856. 
 Both took and operated claims a number 
 of years. 
 
 JOHN P. GUPTILL. 
 
 John P. Guptill was one of the early 
 settlers, coming from Maine in 1856. His 
 wife and daughters Margaret, Mary ar.d 
 Emma, and his sons A.D., Albert, Gilbert 
 and Willbert joined him the next year. 
 He enlisted is the 4ih Minnesota Regiment 
 and died in a Southern hospital. His son 
 A. D , has carried on the homestead and 
 kept store since he was old enough. He 
 was a member of the school board for sev- 
 eral years. Albert Guptill enlisted in the 
 4th Minnesota Regiment and served about 
 one year and was discharged. He re- 
 enlisted in 1864, in the 2d Minnesota 
 Cavalry, and went out on the frontier as 
 patrol guard and served one year. He 
 was in several battles. 
 
 AVILLIAM IIEYWOOD. 
 
 William Heywood came from Albion, 
 Maine, in 1856, accompanied by his two 
 
30 
 
 HISTORY OF MAINE PRAIRIE. 
 
 BODB William L. and Milton. Mr. Hey- 
 weod was one of the collectors chosen in 
 early times. He also held other impor- 
 tant town offices. But in a few years was 
 called to abetter land, and peacefully paps- 
 ed over the dark river. His son, Wm. L. 
 Heywood, continued to operate the farm 
 his father had taken. He was born in 
 Maine in 1832. He takes a deep interest 
 in town and school afi'airs, and has held 
 the oflSce of town supervisor and school 
 clerk many years. His brocher Milton 
 moved to Minneapolis many years ago. 
 
 .lAMKS M. KIMBALL. 
 
 James M. Kimball was born in Sum- 
 mcrsett county, Maine, in 1825. In 1846 
 he moved to Wisconsin and engaged in the 
 lumber business. He came to and settled 
 in that part of MHine Prairie 
 called Kimball Prairie, in Julv, 
 1856, and took up the claim that 
 he has resided on ever since. He married 
 Miss Margaret Dolan. Mr. Kimball has 
 been a successful farmer, attending strict- 
 ly to his business, and operating his farm 
 in an intelligent manner. His brother-in- 
 law, 
 
 JOHN C DOLAN, 
 
 was born in Ireland, in 1831. He lived in 
 New Hampshire five years, and also some 
 time in Illinoin, and arrived in Kimball 
 Prairie in 1858. He was a single man. 
 He was an intelligent and successful 
 farmer, ownin j; a farm of 400 acres. 
 
 K. M. KIMBALL. 
 
 Fry M. Kimball was Iwrn in Massa- 
 chusetts in 1824, and arrived at Maine 
 Prairie in 1856, with his wife and son (iil- 
 bert and daughter Nellie. He took a 
 claim and operated it until 1884, when be 
 moved to Minneapolis. He had followed 
 the trade of paper maker until he came to 
 Minnesota He was elected one of the first 
 constables at the time Maine Prairie was 
 organized as a separate town. 
 
 EDWIN KIDDKS. 
 
 Edwin Kidder wis born in Maine in 
 1829, and took a claim on the Prairie in 
 18o6. He enlisted in the 4lh Minnesota 
 Regiment in 1861, and served three years. 
 
 He was in many of the fiercest battles of 
 the war. Returning to Maine Prairie, he 
 cultivated his farm for many years. He 
 held prominent town offices nearly all of 
 the time, and was a leading memberof the 
 Patrons of Husbandry. 
 
 A. F. PERKINS. 
 
 A F. Perkins was born in Enfield, 
 Maine, in 1833, and came to Maine Prairie 
 in 1856. He took a claim, built a house 
 and improved his farm until 1861, when 
 he enlisted in the 1st Minnesota Regi- 
 ment, and after serving one year was 
 transferred to the Ist United States Caval- 
 ry. He was in many of the principal en- 
 gagements of the war, being engaged in 
 forty-two battles and skirmishes. He 
 served three years and two months. In 
 August, 1864, he was woun 'ed, an 1 in 
 January, 1865 was discharged. Return- 
 ing home he was married that spring. 
 After operating bis farm for 21 years he 
 moved to St. Cloud. He was Justice of 
 the Peace six years, and he'd other town 
 and school offices and was a prominent 
 metuber of the Lyceum and Grange. 
 
 DANIEL F. PERKINS. 
 
 Daniel F. Perkins was born in Maine in 
 1829, and arrived and took up a claim in 
 Maine Prairie in 1856. He enlisted in 
 the 4th Regiment in 1861. In 1863, while 
 cliartring on the works at Vicksburg he 
 was killed. 
 
 DANIEL SPAULDING. 
 
 One of the old and prominent early set- 
 tlers of Maine Prairie was Daniel Spauld- 
 ing. He was burn in Kennebec county, 
 Maine, in 1813, and came to Maim' Prairie 
 in 1856. His wife and sons, Alonso, David, 
 Thomas atidGeorge, joined him in the fall-, 
 He took a claim and lived on it until his 
 death, in 1886. His wile survived him three 
 years. Mr. Spaulding was deacon of the 
 Methodist church anil was the mainstay 
 of that church while he lived. 
 
 GEORCE SPAILDINQ. 
 
 Geo. Spaulding was born in Maine in 
 1844. He enlisted with his brother in the 
 Mounted Rangers and sewed in General 
 Sibley's expedition against the Sioux In- 
 
HISTORY OF MAINE PRAIRIE. 
 
 3' 
 
 dians id 1862. Since then he bought his 
 present farm, and has carried it on for 
 many jears. 
 
 THOMAS STRAW. 
 
 In 1856, Thomas Straw bought out Wm. 
 Milligan's claim, on Kimball Praiiie, and 
 farmed it until 1861, when he enlisted in 
 the 4lh Regiment. After the war he re- 
 turned to his farm and carried it on until 
 bis death. 
 
 MICHAEL L. PATTEN. 
 
 Michael L. Patten was born in Cherry- 
 field, Maine, in 1805. He made several 
 trips to California, when they had to go 
 by team. He arrived in Kimball Prairie 
 in 1858, and took a claim. While in 
 Maine, be was called out as a soldier to 
 guard the northern boundary line against 
 an invasion from Canada. He was post- 
 master three years from 1867. He spent 
 seven years in California, engaged in lum- 
 bering and mining. Mrs. Patten was the 
 first white woman in that part of the town. 
 They kept a hotel for many years. 
 
 A. WADE. 
 
 A. Wade came to Maine Prairie, in 
 1856, and took a claim. He was born in 
 Waterville, Maine, in 1833. In 1861 he 
 enlisted in the 4th Regiment. After serv- 
 ing one year he was discharged for dis- 
 ability. He was married in 1872. He 
 cultivated bis farm until 1892, when he 
 moved near Kimball. He persistently re- 
 fused to serve in any official capacity, pre- 
 ferring a quiet life at home. 
 SAMUEL YOUNG. 
 
 Samuel Y<>nng was born in Newport, 
 Maine, in 1825. He came to Maine 
 Prairie in 1856, and took a claim and has 
 farmed it ever si nee He married Miss 
 French, October, 1861. He was elected 
 one of the first supervisors of Fair Haven, 
 and was on the Board three years in Maine 
 Prairie and has also been a member of the 
 School Board. He has been an intelligent 
 and successfull farmer. 
 
 JOSEPH E YOUNG. 
 His brother, Joseph E Young, was born 
 in Newport, Maine, in 1831, and arrived 
 
 in Maine Prairie, in 1856, and took a 
 claim and farmed it until he died in 1870. 
 
 D. A. HOYT. 
 
 In the summer of 1856, D. A. Hoyt ar- 
 rived in MainePrairie and located a claim. 
 He was born in Aroostic county, Maine, 
 in 1829. He was a farmer. He tiled his 
 farm and built a house, and in 1859, he 
 married the widow of Geo. R.Whitney, of 
 Fair Haven. The result of this marriage 
 was two sons, Charles W. and F. A. Hoyt. 
 In 1867, Mr. Hoyt moved into St. Cloud 
 and went into the woods, to lumber and 
 returned to his farm, in 1869, and farmed 
 it until 1884, when he again moved into 
 St. Cloud and engaged in the real estate 
 business. He died in 1893. His son, 
 Charles W. Hoyt, studied law and is now 
 located at Duluth. The other son, F. A. 
 Hoyt, studied dentistry and is now prac- 
 ticing in St. Cloud. 
 
 A. S GREELY. 
 
 A. S. Greely was born in Palermo, 
 Maine, in 1830, came to Maine Prairie in 
 
 1856, and located on a farm. In connec- 
 tion with his cousin, A. B. Gretly, he 
 operated the first reaping machine, and 
 threshing machine, that was run on the 
 Prairie, He married Miss Eliza Clark in 
 
 1860. They had three sons and a daugh- 
 ter, George, Jacob and Alvin, and Nellie. 
 
 N. I. GREELY. 
 
 N. I. Greely was born in Palermo, 
 Maine, in 1833, and arrived in Maine 
 Prairie in 1857, and took a claim adjoin- 
 ing his brother which he operated until 
 his death, in 1892. He was married to 
 Mips Mary Wackley in 1866. They had 
 one son, Albert, and three daughters, 
 Elizabeth, Emma and Alice. 
 
 K F. BROWN. 
 
 S. F. Brown was born in Mapsachusetts 
 in 1817, but removed to Rhode Island. 
 From there he came to Maine Prairie in 
 
 1857, and took a claim, built a house and 
 began farming. He was the first town 
 clerk of the town, after it was organized 
 as a separate town. He was also elected 
 superintendent of common schools. In 
 
 1861, he enlisted in the 4th regiment and 
 
32 
 
 HISTORY OF MAINE PRAIKIK. 
 
 rose from the ranks to First Lieutenant 
 in command. At the battle of VickRhurg 
 he was wounded, and while in hospital 
 was delegated on court martial in civil 
 and military commission for three months, 
 until the close of the war. He began 
 studying and practicing medicine in the 
 army, and has continued to practice 
 homeopathy since his return. He hns had 
 a large practice. 
 
 D. A. ROBERTS. 
 D. A. Roberts was born in Lyman, 
 Maine, in 1830, and arrived in Maine 
 Prairie in 1857, with his wife and one son, 
 J. 0. He took a claim on the east side of 
 Cornelian Lake, and built a house. After- 
 wards, in 1861, he built a house ou the 
 townsile of Marysville, where he resided 
 until 1888, when he moved t<> Minneapo- 
 lis. He took an active interest in school 
 matters, and was a member of the ecl.ool 
 board. 
 
 ALEXANDER SPAULDING. 
 
 Alexander SpauMing was horn it) 
 Aroostic county, Maine, in 1839, and 
 came to Maine Prairie in 1857, accompa- 
 nied by his wife and daughter, Cor^ielia. 
 He served the town as assessor for nine 
 ynars. He was the first Postmaster, after 
 the name had been changed, in 1861, to 
 Maine Prairie, and held that office until 
 1865. He was orderly sergeant of the 
 home guards in 1861. He was one of the 
 enumerators that took the cetrsus of the 
 town in the years 1870 and 1875. In con- 
 nection with op. ruing liis farm, he has 
 beeii engaged in carpentering and house- 
 building. 
 
 DAVID SPAULDING. 
 
 David Spuilding was Postmaster from 
 1865 to 1867. He enlisted in the 4lh regi- 
 ment, and remained until ti)e close of the 
 war. After several years he moved to 
 Colorado. 
 
 WILLARD SPAULDING. 
 
 Willard Spuulding was born in Maine, 
 in 1833. He arr'v^'d in the town in 1857, 
 but returned to Maine in 1858, where he 
 was married, ami in 1862 returned and 
 bought a farai, on which he has remaineil 
 
 ever since. He has been a member of the 
 town board and also school board of trus- 
 tees for many years. 
 
 THOMAS O. SPAULDING. 
 
 Thos. O. Spaulding wasborn in Smyrna, 
 Maine, in 1838. In 1862 he enlisted in a 
 company of the ruounled rangers, and 
 served in the expedition with General 
 Sibley when driving the Sioux Indians 
 b.'<ck from our state, serving one year. 
 Returning home he bfiught a farm and 
 has operated it ever since. 
 
 ROGER W. STANLEY. 
 
 R. W. Stanl.y was born in Oltio in 1853. 
 He hat* been engatre<l in the commt-rcial 
 business on Maine Prairie for a number 
 of yeariJ. He attended the < unis Com- 
 mercial Jollege in Minneapolis. He has 
 filled the ofEcf of Town Treasurer for a 
 number of years. 
 
 DAVID p. STANLEY. 
 
 David B. Stanley accompanied his 
 parents to Maine Prairie in 1858. He was 
 born in Olro in 1845. In 186S he was ap- 
 pointed postmaster, and has hehl that po- 
 sition ever since, with the exception of 
 two years, when Hoyi & VVliitney had it. 
 He has been town clerk for nineteen years, 
 and in 1890 was one of the enumerators 
 ani took the census of the town. He has 
 bv-en one of the school board for many 
 years, and in 1878 represetited his district 
 in the legislature. In 1868 he was mar- 
 ried. He has occupied the same house 
 ever since 1868. He has been engaged in 
 tile mercantile business and is a rejjislered 
 pharmacist and dentist. He is a graduate 
 ot Bryant & Slratton commercial school, 
 St. Paul, and a notary public. 
 
 HKNRY WEIDERT. 
 
 Atnotig the few (Germans who settled in 
 Maine Prairie in the fifties, was Henry 
 Wejilert, who was born in Luxer.ibiirg, in 
 1810. In 1857, he can)e to M line Prairie, 
 accomparied by his wife and sons, Pet^r 
 and John, and daughters, Susan, Mary 
 and Marry Ann. Mary Ann died in 1881, 
 Peter is living on his farm in Maine 
 Prairie, John is fanning in Benton coiin- 
 ly. One of his daughters married Mr. 
 
HISTORY OF MAINE PRAIRIE. 
 
 33 
 
 Pent and one married N. Streitz, of St. 
 Cloud town. 
 
 ALPHEUS MASKRVEY. 
 
 Alpheus Maservey was born in the town 
 of Swanton, Vermont, in 1818. At the 
 age of 18, he went to New York, where he 
 remained five years. In 1841, he went to 
 Illinois, and located near Plainfield. In 
 Illinois he engaged in difiVrent occupa- 
 tions and spent a year or so operating a 
 sawmill in Missouri. He came to Min 
 nesota at a very early day, located near 
 Dayton, and was one of the very early 
 settlers in St. Cloud. In 1858 be located 
 on a claim in Maine Prairie, where he re- 
 mained until his death. He was chairman 
 of the board of supervisors and justice of 
 the peace for many years. He was mar- 
 ried in Illinois. 
 
 JOHN WHITE. 
 
 J(»hn White was born in Ireland in 1826, 
 and came to America in 1848. He was 
 employed several years in Rhode Island 
 as a clerk in a store. He came to St, 
 Cloud in 1858, and that spring married 
 Miss Margaret Gorman. In the fall they 
 moved on to Maine Prairie and took a 
 homestead. The next spring he moved 
 onto their homestead and has resided there 
 ever since. 
 
 CORRECTION. 
 
 In the biographical sketch of Wm. 
 Heywood, a mistake was made wherein it 
 was stated: "His son, Wm. L. Heywood, 
 continued to operate the farm his father 
 had taken." The fact is that Wm. Hey- 
 wood, the father, did not tnke a claim, but 
 William L., the son, took the claim before 
 his father's arrival on the Prairie, and has 
 operated his claim ever since. 
 
 E. H. ATWOOD. 
 
 E. H. Atwood was born in Lock port, 
 N. Y., in 1829. He attended school at 
 the Academic Institution at Wilson, N. 
 Y., and taught school one term at Lock- 
 port, N. Y. In 1853 he went to Illinois 
 and bought a farm near Springfield. He 
 was mairied to Miss Augusta Allen, of 
 Gualt, Canada, in 1850. While in Illinois 
 he taught school winters and carried on 
 
 his farm in the summer. In 1860 he 
 moved to Maine Prairie with his wife and 
 son, Clarence L. He bought a farm on 
 the south shore of Peirl Lake, and car- 
 ried it on until 1887, when he rented it 
 and moved into St. Cloud. He was a 
 breeder of full blooded Poland China 
 swine and short-horned cattle. He was an 
 active member of the 'Grange and -Lyce- 
 um, and was President of the Slate Farm- 
 era' Alliance in 1888. He was town clerk 
 of his town for many years, and also held 
 the offices at difi'erent times of superin- 
 tendent of schools for the town, assessor 
 and supervisor for several years. 
 
 SAMUEL COSSAIRT. 
 
 Among the late arrivals was Samuel 
 Cossairt, who bought the John Farwell 
 farm in 1863. He was born in Illinois, in 
 1815. His family consisted of Henry, 
 Mary, S;irah, Jane, Eliza, Jevry, William 
 and Frank. He operated hi-< farm until 
 his death in 1886. His son John was born 
 in Vermillion county, in 1840, and ar- 
 rived in Maine Prairie in 1861. In 1866, 
 he moved to Paynesville, but returned to 
 the town again in 1887, where he still re- 
 sides. 
 
 JOSEPH EATON. 
 
 Joseph Eaton was born in New 
 Hampshire in 1815 and arrived in Maine 
 Prairie in 1858, with his wife and three 
 children, Lydia, Oren and Mary. He 
 died in 1887. His wife and daughter 
 Mary are in Washington. His son Elmer 
 bought the old homestead and still retains 
 it. He was one of the officers during the 
 Indian troubles in 1862. 
 
 MICHAEL GOODNER. 
 
 Among the later arrivals in the town 
 were Michael Goodner, with his wife and 
 his sons, David and Henry, and daugh- 
 ters Nancy and Ellen. Mr. Goodner was 
 born in Kentucky in 1807, living awhile 
 in Indiana and Illinois and locating on 
 Maine Prairie in 1862, on a farm which 
 he had bought in 1859. He was a mem- 
 ber of the Disiple Church. 
 
 DAVID GOODNER. 
 
 His son David was born in Illinois in 
 
34 
 
 HISTORY OF MAINE PRAIRIE. 
 
 1844. In 1865 heenlieted in Co. E of the 
 Ist MinneBota heavy artillery, and remain- 
 ed until the close of the war, when he 
 bought a farm and followed that iccupa- 
 tion since. Jacob Goodner settled in 
 Maine Prairie in 1862, on section eight. 
 He moved to Kansas in 1877. 
 
 WIIKELER FRENCH. 
 
 Among the later arrivals from New 
 York, were Wheeler French with his wife, 
 an adopted daughter and son, E. J , also 
 his married hop, Almon, with his wife 
 and two sons, Wheeler and Luellen. They 
 took claims and carried them on until the 
 death of Wheeler French. Mr. French 
 took great interest in town affair.-? and was 
 elected to several responsible town offices. 
 His son Almon, together with his son", 
 operated the home farm for many years. 
 Mr. French was born in Otsego county 
 Nfw York, in 1805. 
 
 PERER MORRY. 
 
 Peter Morry was born in England in 
 1821, came to St. Paul in 1858, and lo 
 Maine Prairie in 1860, and took his pres- 
 ent claim, where le has r^-mained ever 
 since. His wife and daughter Annie, 
 came with him. His son B rt, graduated 
 in an Iowa medical college and is rmw 
 practicing me<iicine in Utah. 
 
 CHARLES NEAL 
 
 In 1859, Charles Neal arrived in Maine 
 Prairie, from Steele county, where he had 
 resided two vears. He was born in China, 
 Maine, in 1830. He bought 160 acres of 
 land, and rented it until his return from 
 the war in 1864. He erdisted in the 4th 
 Regiment in 1861 and serywl three years 
 and was in several severe battles. He 
 was always on duty and never was in a 
 hospital and never had a furlough. He 
 was interested in school matters and was a 
 member of ihe School Board. 
 
 TRUMAN L. STICKNEY. 
 
 Among tlie Irfte arrivals who have been 
 prominent in the affairs of the town and 
 school, T. L. Slickney may be mentioned. 
 He was a native of Erie county, N. Y., 
 having been born there in 1824. In 1870, 
 he arrived in Maine Prairie with his wife 
 
 and four children, Frank, S. G., John and 
 daughter Anna, and settled on the farm 
 he has since occupied. He has been in- 
 strumental in improving the cattle in his 
 part of the town by keeping fine bred 
 short horns, and inducing his neighbTrsto 
 improve their stock. He has held the of- 
 fice of supervisor 11 years, and has been a 
 member of the District School Board for 
 fifteen years. He took a leading part in 
 the Patrons of Husbandry. 
 
 B. H. WINSLOW. 
 
 B. H. Winslow was born in Freedom, 
 Maine, in 1834. Came to Fair Haven in 
 1858, and to Maine Prairie in 1859, and 
 with his family, consisting of wife ami one 
 daughter, Ann S., settled on his present 
 farm. He has tnken an active interest in 
 town and schf)ol aff Mrs and held the office 
 of supervisor eleven yewr^^, and also served 
 on the Scluiol Board. He took a promi- 
 nent part in the Patrons of Husbandry, 
 and in the Lyceum. He has raised large 
 flocks of sheep and many cattle. 
 
 His brother, J. C. Winslow, was born 
 in 1836, in Freedom, Maine, and enlisted 
 in the 4th Regiment, in 1861, and ferved 
 th-ee years. In 1872 he moved west. He 
 first settled in Fair Haven in 1857. 
 
 NICHOLAS LOESCII. 
 
 Nicholas Loesch was born in Grand 
 Dutchey. in 1829, and came to Superior, 
 Minn. In 1856 he went to Rockville, with 
 his parents. In 1863 be mnrried Miss 
 Annie Mouse and settled in Maine Prairie. 
 Mr. Loesch has been a hard wf)rl<ing 
 farmer, and by his induptry and inteliitient 
 management has made a success in farm- 
 ing. 
 
 .lOUN SCIIAKER. 
 
 John Schafer was among the early set- 
 tlers. He was born in Prussia in 1837, 
 and came to Minneapolis in 1856, and in 
 1858, came to Maine Prairie and took the 
 claim that he has lived on ever since. His 
 father and mother and his two brothers 
 William and Nicholas, and h's sistera, 
 Susan and Lina, accompanied him to his 
 new home. Nicholas located on a claim 
 adjoining John's, ami William took a farm 
 
HISTORY OF MAINE PRAIRIE. 
 
 35 
 
 near by, but in tbe town of Rockville. 
 Nicholas moved away many years ago, and 
 William has moved to Cold Spring. Suean 
 married Stephen Ethen and Lana married 
 Peter Ethen. The father and mother re- 
 mained with John until theirdeaths. John 
 has made a pucceps of farming and now 
 h-iB a fine farm of 640 acres and expects to 
 enlarge it foon by buying more land. 
 
 B. U. WATKINS 
 
 Bishop B. U. Watkins was born near 
 Carthaae, Ohio, Sept 14th, 1811, and 
 moved to Maine Prairie in May, 1862, ac- 
 companied bv h 8 wife and sons, William 
 and Joseph R , and daus;hters Julia and 
 Ida. When but six years old, he was 
 stricken with total blindness. A year af- 
 ter an operation was performed, which 
 partially restored his sig it. Notwith- 
 standing his afflicti'in, he persevered in 
 his studies and was educated at Woodward 
 High School in (incinnati, and became a 
 proficient scholar in the <Treek and Latin 
 languages. In his fourth decade he was 
 invited by the American Bible Union to 
 assist in the translation of the New Testa- 
 ment, but declined to serve. He was 
 among the leading Disciples in that part 
 of Ohio and became their minister, and 
 was afterwards given the title of Bishop 
 by some of his people. At Maine Prairie 
 he organized a Disciple church, and held 
 regular services for many years. His wife 
 died in 1870, and in 1872, he married Mrs. 
 Wood, of Ohio. They moved to Cameron, 
 Mo., where he died March 15th, 1892. He 
 was the author of several books and tran- 
 slations from the original Greek and 
 Latin. 
 
 T. J. WILEY. 
 
 Among the later arrivals, who were 
 prominent in town affairs, was T. J. 
 Wiley, who was born in Meigs county, 
 Ohio, in 1838. He was brought up on a 
 farm, and in 1857 came to Anoka county 
 with his parents. When of age he en- 
 gaged in lumbering winters and sumn'ers 
 at other work. Mr. Wiley ai.d Miss 
 Orlinda Frost were married in 1862. In 
 1863, they moved to Maine Prairie and 
 
 pre-empted a homestead which he im- 
 proved and carried on in connection with 
 runnirg a steam thresher and sawing 
 lumber winters. la 1880 he move to Fer- 
 gus Falls, but returned to St. Cloud in 
 1887, where he still resides. 
 
 BENJAMIN BARRETT 
 
 Benjamin Barrett was born in Meigs 
 county, Ohio, in 1830. He was brought 
 up on a farm. In 1856 he came to Anoka 
 county, Minnesota. He married Miss 
 Mary H. Wiley and in 1861, they moved 
 to Maine Prairie, and located on a farm 
 which he cultivated until he sold it in 
 1890, when he moved to Excelsior, Min- 
 nesota, where he now resides. It 1862, 
 he enlisted in the Ist rt-giment of Mounted 
 Rangers and operated on the frontiers 
 against the Indians. 
 
 ABRAM SHOEMAKER. 
 
 Among the later arrivals on Maine 
 Prairie was Abram Shoemaker, who was 
 born in Columbiauna county, Ohio, in 
 1816, where he spent his youth and 
 worked at the cooper trade, but afit-rwards 
 became a Millwright. He went to Lake 
 county at the age of 22. When 24 years 
 of age he was married, but in a year or so 
 his wife died. He married for his second 
 wife Miss Achsah Waite, and in 1863 
 came to Wabasha county, Minnesota. In 
 1872 he came to Maine Prairie, with his 
 wife, three sons, M. E., C. D. and W. A., 
 and two daughters, Mrs. Mason and Mrs. 
 Huntoon. He was ordained a minister in 
 the Disc'ple church when 25 years old. 
 He never attended school, but two months, 
 and what education he had was acquired 
 at home or in the shop. While working 
 at the cooper trade he had a book propped 
 open on the bench before him and took 
 everypossible opportunity to store his mind 
 with useful knowledge, and became a well 
 informed man upon many subjects. He 
 preached for forty-five years, at the same 
 time operating his farm in an intelligent 
 manner. In 1886, he quietly passed away, 
 gladly welcoming the messenger that was 
 to free him from pain and anguish, with 
 
36 
 
 HISTORY OF MAINE PRAIRIE. 
 
 briglil anticipalioris of a bleHMed liereafler, 
 and iiiouriieil by all wlio knew him. 
 
 Tliia tininheB the hinlory of Maine 
 Prairie, and the biouraphictil Hketcliea of 
 all the early Ht-ttli-rH which ootihi be ob- 
 tained. We winli to tliank the oilizenn of 
 that town for their kitulneHH and HHHiHtance 
 in thiH work. If errorn have occrnrred, 
 (and it would l>e BtranKe if there bad not,) 
 they were unintentional, for the threat aim 
 of the writer wafl to give a true history 
 and each person hiit juRt dues. 
 
 KEl'OUT Ol' INDIAN KIOIIT CORRECT. 
 
 The following letter, from Gun. H. 
 Beaulivu, Dejuity V. H. Marshal, will ex- 
 plain itself ^regarding the Indian light of 
 18GU: 
 
 St Paul, Sept. 29. 1895. 
 7-;. //. AtwuuJ, Esh., Si. Cloud, Minn. 
 
 Dear Sir: Read your letter of the 17ih 
 inBt., and alno one of a previoiH date, rel- 
 ative to the Indian light at Maine Pruirie. 
 
 I know all the Indians (Cbi(>pewap) 
 who were < ngaged in tlu light referred to, 
 but only two or three of them are Btill 
 alive. I r ad your account of the flight 
 piibliHhed in the St. Cloud Time.s to Me- 
 Hha-ke-keahip, one of the IndiatiB engaged 
 in the Gght, and who lives at White Earth, 
 and he Raid it waB BubBtantially correct. 
 When I fee him again, I will t;et all the 
 iiameB of the Chippewa participants of the 
 tight and his version of it. 
 Yours truly, 
 
 Gko. H. Bkauliku, 
 
History of Fair Haven 
 
 By E. H. ATWOOD. 
 
 FAIR HAVEN TIIK HEAUTIFUL. 
 
 The town of Fair Haven ia Rituated on 
 tlie south line of Stearns county. It is 
 bordered on the Hoiith hy the (jlearwater 
 river, which is cajiable of fiirnishintf suf- 
 ficient water power to run a saw and a 
 fiourint; mill. The surface of the town is 
 Bomewhat undulating, and a large part of 
 it, prior to its settlement, waB covered with 
 brush and timber. Its soil is very rich 
 and fertile, capable of raising the finest of 
 crops. Extensive marsh meadowy abound 
 throuKhout the town, which produce large 
 quantities of excellent hay, while the tiu)- 
 ber is valuable for wood, luml)er and 
 building material. There; are also many 
 beautiful lakes in the town. 
 
 The village of Fair Haven is on the ex- 
 treme Bouth line of the town, and ifl beauti- 
 fully located. To the Boutheast of the 
 village are several beautiful lakes, abound- 
 ing in the iinest kinds of (inh. The in- 
 numerable bays and i.ulentationH around 
 the shores of these lakes ; the green sloping 
 banks or wooded sides, make these lakes 
 ideal watering places and summer resorts 
 for those seeking the invigorating atmoR- 
 phere of Minnesota. The village is beau- 
 tifully situated on the high banks of the 
 Clearwater river. The deep rnnanlic 
 valley, the rip|)ling murmur of the stream 
 as i» courses its way to the lakes below, 
 and on to swell the volume of the Fathwr 
 
 of waters; the (Ivishing of the sunlight 
 through the trees upon the distant lakes, 
 are scenes that cannot fail to please the 
 eye and inspire the behohler with the 
 grandeur of nature. From elevated 
 points in the village, may be had a (>plen- 
 did view of the Hurrounding (country with 
 its wooded hills, its deep valieyB and fer- 
 tile prairies. The first lake below the 
 village was named Caroline, in honor of 
 Mrs. Thos. C. Partridge. The next ia a 
 small one called Mayhew Lake. The next 
 one is named Big Ijake, and is two or three 
 mileB long. Above the village on the 
 river are three more lakes that are so 
 situated in a secluded valley that they 
 form a line quiet resort for pleaflure seek- 
 ers. Tliey are called Mariah, Munda and 
 Lake Mary. Such are the conditions of 
 Fair Haven to-day, but there is no record 
 of any white rnan having ever been in the 
 territory of the present town of Fair 
 Haven prior to t 'e year LSfjO. Like 
 Maine I'rairie, which town it joiuB, it was 
 the disputed hunting ground of the Nioux 
 and Chippewa Indians and the many 
 relicH that are found in the vicinity, luch 
 an human bones, Indian weapons and rude 
 fortifications, indicate that many Hanguina- 
 ry confli(;ts between hostile tribefl of In- 
 dians has trans|>ired in thifl region. 
 
 riKHT DIKCUVKKV OK FAIR IIAVKN. 
 
 Thomas C. Partridge has been termed 
 
38 
 
 HISTORY OF FAIR HAVEN. 
 
 the Father of Fair Haven. He came frotn 
 Ohio to Minnesota in the fall of 1854, and 
 built a house in Minneapolis. The next 
 spring he bought a farm nine miles north- 
 west of that citj and raised large crojia of 
 wheat and oats. In the spring of 1856 he 
 was joined by the following named per- 
 sons from Oliio: Lovinus Abeil, Sylvt^sier 
 Woolcutt, Geo. W. Root, Henry Root, H. 
 Hill, J. G. Smith and John L. Dean. 
 Rumors had reached them of the fertile 
 and well matured region to the west of 
 Clearwater. His party with a team went up 
 the went bank of the Mississippi to dis- 
 cover this locality, and, if found desirable, 
 would locate there and send lor the'r fam 
 ilies and establish a colony of eastern peo- 
 ple. Many obstacles and difficulties were 
 encountered on their journey, for the 
 roads were poor, with no bridges over the 
 Bmall streams emptying into the Missis- 
 sippi from the west. When they arrived 
 at (Clearwater they made inquiries of the 
 inhabitants concerning the country to the 
 west, and up the Clearwater River, which 
 empties into the Mississippi at that place, 
 but could learn nothing definite regarding 
 the country to the west. They concluded 
 to explore for themselves, and started west 
 up the Clearwater river. It was slow, 
 tedious traveling, and at night they had 
 made but seven miles on their journey, 
 when they went into camp. 
 
 TAKING THEIR CLAIM8. 
 
 The next morning Partridge, Root and 
 Woolcutt, took several dayf' rations and, 
 leaving the others in camp, started west 
 on foot. They soon came out on what is 
 now the Fair Haven prairie, and soon 
 after discovered the river, where the pres- 
 ent mill is situated They then located 
 the present mill site. This was on the 
 27th day of May. The rest of the party 
 was sent for, and came through the same 
 day. They were all delighted with the 
 locality. The green prairie, the fine 
 wooded banks of river and lakes, the clear 
 bracing atmosphere, so pleased them that 
 they impatiently awaited the co oing of 
 daylight the next morning that they 
 
 might locate their claims. Before night 
 of May 28th they had all staked out their 
 claims near the present village. Mr. 
 Partridge located the town site of Fair 
 Haven, and in July Mr. E. O. Haven was 
 employed to survey and plat the lownnite. 
 Henry Root bjilt the first house on his 
 claim near the village during thesunjmer. 
 His house was used as a hotel or stopping 
 place, where new arrivals could remain 
 until they could build a house f'r them- 
 selves. Sometimes, it is claimed, that 20 
 to 30 persons slept in it at night. The 
 men were busy that summer getting sup- 
 plies from St. Anthony of food and build- 
 ing material and in clearing and breaking 
 their land. 
 
 NEW ARRIVALS, 
 
 Some returned to the East after their 
 fHmilies, but there were no n^vi arrivals 
 until fall. In October, the following per- 
 sons were among those that arrived in the 
 new settlement. Aaron Scribner and wife, 
 Wm. H. Day and wife, Mrs. Lovinus 
 Abell and family, consisting of Jane. New- 
 ton, Wtstley, John, Laurie and Milton; 
 Alonso'i Smith, wife and son Wallace and 
 daughter Mary, and E. G. Parsons In 
 November, Mrs. T. C. Partridge came 
 with her sons, Payson, Cecil, Florus and 
 daughter Valona. Mrs. Sylvester Wool- 
 cutt and two children also arrived, and 
 Joshua Kent and fatnily and Steven C, 
 Kent Hiid wife arrive! in June. Still 
 later that fall Mr. V. W. Olds arrived. 
 Mrs. W. H. Day, one of the above party, 
 was ambitious to be the first white woman 
 in Fair Haven, and when within six or 
 seven miles of that place she hastened for- 
 ward, on foot, ahead of the rest of the par- 
 ty, hoping to be the first to arrive; but 
 when near the end of her journey, she was 
 attracted into the brush to pick some ber- 
 ries. While thus engaged, Mrs. Aaron 
 Scribner, who also had a desire to be the 
 first to reach the place, passed Mrs. Day, 
 and has the satisfaction of being the first 
 irlnte woman in the village of Fair Haven. 
 When Mrs. Day arrived she was surprised 
 and chagrined to find Mrs, Scribner on 
 
HISTORY OF FAIR HAVEN. 
 
 39 
 
 the ground before her. When this party 
 arrived, there wat but one house finished 
 and one partly finished, in the town. The 
 newcomers to the number of twenty or 
 thirty, slept in Mr. Rwot's house the first 
 night. 
 
 TOLD IN AN ADDRESS. 
 
 The following: extract from an address, 
 delivered at a picnic at Long lake by a 
 Fair Havenite, pertains to the discovery 
 of the township: 
 
 "And there came a company of men from 
 the Buckeye State, ev^n Ohio, and they 
 looked for a water power. And when they 
 eaw the mills at Clearwater they said per- 
 advenlure we can find a mill site if we 
 follow up the Clearwater river. So they 
 followed it for the space of ten Sabbath 
 days' journey, and found what they sought ; 
 and builded a mill. And the place was 
 fair to behold, and was a haven of rest for 
 the weary. Now, therefore, called they it 
 Fair Haven. And th«fre was Thomas the 
 Partridge, and Sylvester whose surname 
 was Woolcult, and Lov'nus t' e Abell, and 
 Alanson the Smith, and many young men. 
 And they builded an house and dwelt 
 therein at night, but in the day they 
 worked on their claims And it came to 
 pass, that they had no lumber to build the 
 Btairs to the house. So they made a lad- 
 der of sticks, wherewith to climb to the 
 loft to sleep. And the rool was low, so 
 that no man could stand under it, and it 
 was so that the first one in the loft laid 
 down and rolled under the roof and the 
 next one rolled against him and so on till 
 all were in the loft, and they filled it full, 
 BO that no man could turn over without 
 the rest turned over also for they lay spoon 
 fashion. And they cut logs and built 
 bouses each man for himself, and when 
 they had made an end of building they 
 brought their wives and children and each 
 lived in his own house. And many others 
 camefo Fair Haven and dwelt there. James 
 the Tucker, and John the Noyesy Man, 
 Albertis the carpenter, '^eorge the clever, 
 and Uncle John his brother. And they 
 were sore distressed for bread, for the mill 
 
 was not yet finished to grind their corn. 
 But one, Charles, who is called Dally, had 
 a mill to grind corn and they called it a 
 "coffee mill" in derision, for it was small. 
 When the people had not meal they 
 pounded their corn in a morter,and mixed 
 it with water, baking it in pans and made 
 cakes of it. The cakes called they ban- 
 nocks. And they murmered because they 
 had to pound their corn and were glad to 
 go to the "coffee mill" though it was 
 small. And they caught many fish, even 
 suckers, and their food was bannock and 
 dried suckers. Then Ambrose W., son of 
 James the Tucker, took a boat and went 
 in search of the little mill, for it grieved 
 him to pound corn, and he found the mill 
 and got his meal, and when he had made 
 an end of his journeyings he told the people 
 of Fair Haven that he had discovered 
 some other settlers, who had come from 
 the great city, the city of churches; and 
 that they had settled on the banks of 
 Clearwater Lake, aud dwelt there, and 
 the land was exceedingly rich and they 
 tilled the land and raised wheat and cattle 
 and horses And the lake swarmed with 
 fine fish, and they caught fish and cooked 
 and gave to Ambrose, and he did eat. And 
 the name of the head of the family was 
 Octavius, and they had many sons and 
 daughters. And they were worthy peo- 
 ple and of mighty stature, therefore they 
 were called Longworths. And when Am- 
 brose had made an end of speaking, the 
 people cried out with one accord and said: 
 'Let us go and see the Longworths, and 
 have a good time.' And many people 
 gathered there from that day forth, and 
 picnics, and sociables, and hurvesl home 
 festivals, and tea parties, were held there, 
 for they said: 'Do we not always have a 
 good time? Yea verily.' Now the rest 
 of these chronicles how Fair Haven built 
 up and new families came in and old ones 
 died out, «nd moved away. Are they not 
 written in the memories of the people?" 
 
 BRAVERY OF PIONEER WOMEN. 
 
 An incident occurred in the fall of 1856 
 that showed the bravery of these pioneer 
 
40 
 
 HISTORY OF FAIR HAVEN. 
 
 women. Mr. Stephen C. Kent had taken 
 a claim four miles from the villagre and 
 built a house and began housekeeping. 
 There were but one or two other houses 
 within seveial milea. Mr. Kent was com- 
 pelled to be absent at times. A large band 
 of Indians were camped not far off, and 
 during the day time the house would be 
 visited by many of these hunters. These 
 Indians were hunting deer and in three 
 weeks had killed seven hundred. One day 
 quite a number of them had gathered in 
 and around the house. A huge Indian 
 chief was inside the house and saw some 
 powder and shot on a shelf and asked Mrs. 
 Kent for them, but she told him he couM 
 not have them. The Indian paid no at- 
 tention to her reply but started to get the 
 ammunition. Quick as a flash Mrs. Kent 
 seized a loaded gun and took a deadly aim 
 at the Indian. The savage was taken by 
 surprise, and badly frightened. He 
 wheeled and sprang through the door and 
 never stopped until out of range of the 
 deadly gun. The other Indians laughed 
 and hooted at the discomfited warrior flee- 
 ing from a white squaw, and then turned 
 to Mrs. Kent and shouted: "White squaw 
 brave," "brave white squaw," and seemed 
 to greatly admire the plucky white 
 "iquaw." The Indians after this test of 
 her bravery, never molested her and 
 seemed to have a great rt-spect for her. 
 
 BUSY WINTER FOR SKTTLERS. 
 
 The winter of 1856-7 was a busy one for 
 the pioneers. Houses and stables had to 
 be built; supplies of provisions and goods 
 had to be hauled from St. Anthony Ma- 
 terial for the saw mill and dam wa- hauled 
 out of the timber by a crew of men. T. C. 
 Partridge, a Free Baptist, conducted re- 
 ligious meetings in his big log house, and 
 men)bers of other denominations joined in 
 the exercises, and nothing was said abnut 
 sect. These j)ioneers were an educated 
 and intelligent class of people, and had 
 come from localities where they had access 
 to scicDtific and literary lectures and mag- 
 azines, and societies for the moral, social, 
 and intellectual development of its mem- 
 
 members. Id their new home with poor 
 mail facilities, and their distance from 
 large cities they were deprived of many of 
 their old time enjoyments, and were con- 
 sequently thrown upon their own resources 
 to discover something to take the place of 
 their lost intellectual plwasures. Soon 
 
 A LITERARY SOCIETY 
 
 was started, and two papers were very 
 ably edited by the members. One was 
 managed by the lady members, and the 
 other by the male members, and read at 
 their meetings alternately, followed by de- 
 bates, declamations, dialogues and music. 
 This society was kept up for many years 
 In 1859, they permanently organized their 
 society by adopting a constitution and by- 
 laws. The following is an account of this 
 meeting taken from the secretary's book: 
 "Fair Haven, Nov. 24. 1859. 
 
 "Fair Haven Literary Association met 
 and organized by appointing officers as 
 follows: President, J. C. Boob<r;Vice 
 President, V. W. Olds; Secretary, J. W. 
 Coats; Treasurer, Ja.Des Jenks; fommii- 
 tee, Ambrose Tufker; Editor of A'najo.sac/:, 
 A. Motittiomery. 
 
 "The forego ng constitution and by-laws 
 were also adopted at this meeting and 
 Miss E. Tucker was ajtpointed Editress of 
 the Ladies' Budgti. J. W. Coats, secre- 
 tary. 
 
 "Naujcs of members of Fwir Haven 
 Literary Society: 
 
 "J. C. Boobar.V.W.OIds, B. F. Butler, 
 J. 0. Rio*", A. W. Tucker, S. Woolcuit, J. 
 L. Dean, J. G. Smith, P. C. Towns^ind, 
 G. W. Townsand, VV. C. Tuft, John Dean, 
 N. M. Scovill, James Jenks, D. Spaulding, 
 D. A. Perkins, A. Montgomery, Wm. 
 Rice, T. C. Partridge, A. M. Dur.snd, C. 
 A. Robinson, J. W. Coats, J. C. VVinsiow, 
 N. Abell." 
 
 This society had many members of su- 
 perior intellectual attaituuetits, and their 
 meetings were social and literary events, 
 seldom equaled in any community. Music 
 of a superior order was furnished by its 
 members, as well as original essays that 
 were interesting and possessed of much 
 
HISTORY OF FAIK HAVEN. 
 
 41 
 
 intrinsic worth. The old fettlers look 
 back with pride to the many meritorious 
 literary production that were read at their 
 meetingn, and their eyes hindle with en- 
 thusiasm when they speak of their "feasts 
 of reason," and they wonder why it is that 
 the rising generation with all the advan- 
 tages for education and learning do not 
 seem to enjoy such literary entertain- 
 ments. 
 
 A DEBAIINQ SOCIETY. 
 
 The following account of the organiza- 
 tion of a young men's debating socitty is 
 taken from the secretary's record book. 
 There was also a long constitution and by- 
 laws and set of rules governing their de- 
 portment while debating: 
 
 "Fair Haykn, Oct 15, 1859. 
 
 The young men of Fair Haven met pur- 
 suant to call, for the purpose of consider- 
 ing the propriety of organizing a debating 
 club, the of'ject of which should be the in- 
 tellectual and social development of its 
 members. The preliminary organization 
 was effected by appointing A. W. Tucker, 
 |)resident; V. W. Olds, secretary. 
 
 B. F. Butler presented a constitution 
 and by-laws for the consideration of the 
 mee(ir)g which were unanimously adopted. 
 The club then proceeded to elect officers 
 for the ensuing week. J, L. Dean was 
 chosen president, D. A. Perkins vice pres- 
 ident, A. W. Tucker secretary V. W. Olde 
 treasurer, P. P. Partridge marshal. 
 
 Names of the members of the young 
 men's debating club: A. W. Tucker, B. 
 F. Butler, C. A. Robinson, V. W. Olds, 
 J. C. Winslow, N. Abell, D. A. Perkins, 
 T. J. Woodworth, T. J. R binson, Benj. 
 Plummer, G. W. Dean, I. L. Dean, C. 
 W. WeKt." 
 
 The club was kept up for some time, 
 but many of its most active members 
 joined the army to assist in putttinn down 
 the rebellion in 1861, and the club ceased 
 to exist. 
 
 MRS. SWISSIIELM AND STEPHEN MILLER. 
 
 The following account was given the 
 writer by one of the active members of the 
 Fair Haven Literary Society, who was 
 
 there and saw and felt the things whereof 
 he speaks: 
 
 "There was one thing connected with 
 this Lyceum that may perhaps deserve 
 more than a passing notice and may be 
 of extra interest to St. Cloud readers. 
 James Jenks was appointed a committee 
 of one to hunt up something new for the 
 edification of the society. This was during 
 the winter of 1858-9. There had been two 
 years of grasshippers; there was no old 
 grain; everybody was speculating in town 
 lots; wolves and bears were the occupants 
 of most paper cities; Mrs. Jane G. Swiss- 
 helm's printing outfit had been thrown in- 
 to the Mississippi, just below where the 
 Normal School now stands; a solemn com- 
 pact had been entered into, that the St. 
 Cloud Vi'iUor, (Mrs. Swisshelm's paper,) 
 should never again allude to the destruc- 
 tion of its office, and she had completely 
 turned the tables upon her persecutors. 
 (Those are her own words.) Mr. Jenks 
 was able to grasp the situation and thought 
 that a lecture from Mrs. Swisshelm would 
 be a drawing card. He succeeded in per- 
 suading that lady to go out to Fair 
 Haven and lecture before the 
 Lvceum. Stephen Miller, a relative 
 o( her hii.sband, and afterwards 
 Governor of Minnesota, drove the team 
 that took the famous controversialist to 
 Fair Haven. Standing room was at a 
 premium in the little slab shanty that 
 served for a lecture room. As there 
 seemed to be no other place for them to 
 go, Mr. Jenks took them home with him. 
 His house consisted of one low room fifteen 
 by twentv-four feet. A quilt partition 
 strung across the room ten feet from the 
 rear end to make a double bed room. Mrs. 
 Jenks gave u{) her bed to Mrs. Swisshelm 
 and with her baby shared a cot with Mary 
 Abby (now Mrs. W. H. Thompson, of St. 
 (/loud,) while the future Governor Miller 
 slept on the floor with Mr. Jenks, rolled 
 up in buffalo robes, with their feet to the 
 cook stove, where a rousing fire was kept 
 all night. In after life Mrs. Swisshelm is 
 said to have declared that she never slept 
 
42 
 
 HISTORY OF FAIR ll.WI.N. 
 
 more comfortably, although there wan but 
 one iuch of baBswood between her bed and 
 40 degree« below zito; although Hhe could 
 see the stare through the cracks in the 
 roof, and although the wolves howled in 
 the public square only 6G feet away. It 
 was on this occasion that Fair Haven dis- 
 covered that Stephen Miller was the best 
 stump speaker in the State. 
 
 ARRIVALS IN 1857. 
 The winter of 1856-7 had passed, and the 
 farmers iiegan clearing, plowing, sowing 
 and planting, while at the same time a 
 crew of men and teams were busy hauling 
 material for the dam and saA mill and 
 erecting the mill and building the dam 
 across the Clearwater river. In April a 
 large party from Ohio arrived and joined 
 the new settlement; moat of them took 
 claims near the village. Among this p^rty 
 were J. W. Coals, A. J. Brockett, Miner 
 Sperry, Newton Scovill, Charles Abeli, 
 Lucius Belden, Alfred Dean and wife, 
 Geo. W. Dean, wife and children, A. 
 Montgcinery and wife, Mrs. Alanson 
 Smith and son, Wallace, and daughters, 
 Elvira and Mary. The arrivals in May 
 were John K. Noyes and wife and chil- 
 dren, Josephine, Lizzie, Mary, Bernice, 
 George, Laura, Julia and Frank. During 
 the summer the arrivals in the new settle- 
 ment were J. t'. VVinslow, D. A. Perkins, 
 Josiah Koyes, A. J. Whitney, Joseph H. 
 Lock, wife and family, James Tucker, 
 with wife and children, Sarah, Ambrose, 
 Eliza, Georgianna and Nellie; Eligah 
 Townsend, with wife and s ns, Perry, Geo. 
 W., Erwin, Jason, Leonard and daughters, 
 Sarah Ann and Almira. 
 
 FIRST DKATII — FIRST MARRIAGE. 
 
 About the only event that occurred to 
 m.ir the h!ipi)ines8 of the pioneers this 
 spring in their new home was the death 
 of Theron Dean, son of Geo. W. Dean, 
 whose death was caused by an attack of 
 measles. The family had arrived that 
 spring from Ohio, and this loss was keenly 
 felt by the entire community. This was 
 the 6rst deaih in the new settlement. 
 Henry Root and Miss Aurilla Dean were 
 
 joined in the holy bonds of matrimony 
 this year, being the firnt marriage in Fair 
 Haven, according to the authority of Elder 
 Partridge, who performed the ceremony. 
 The village was growing and many new 
 houses were being erected. 
 
 MKRCANTILK VENTURES. 
 
 Charles Abell put in a general stock of 
 merchandise during the summer and 
 opened a store. In the fall T. C. Partridge 
 Mnd Hazzard started a clothing stor*-; and 
 J. K. Noyes erected a large log building, 
 which he used as a hotel until he finished 
 his large Octagon hotel. 
 
 FINANCIAL UEPRKSSION— GRASSHOPPERS. 
 
 The year of 1857 will long be remem- 
 bered as the year of the great financial 
 cra'-h that prostrated the business of the 
 country and ruined so many people. The 
 pioneers keenlv felt the depression, .Mnd to 
 add to their hardships, the grasslioppers 
 made their appearance, just as their fields 
 were golden with ripened wheat and oats. 
 Strenuous efibrts were made to protect the 
 grain, but in vain. They were forced to 
 stand and see the fruit of their summer's 
 labor, the crop on which so much toil had 
 been expended and on which was centered 
 all their hopes of sustenance during the 
 rigor of a Minnesota winter, consumed by 
 those insatiable insects, that stopped not 
 when the fields were ravisiied and laid 
 bare, but then attacked the gardetis. The 
 hungry swarm devoured all the vegetables, 
 saving a few a patches here and there that 
 were partially saved. 
 
 DISTRESSING SITUATION. 
 
 The situation of the pioneers, with their 
 winter's supply of food destroyed, and none 
 to be had this side of St. Anthony, 05 
 miles away, was indeed a distr- ssing one. 
 Add to this the fact that corn cost the ex- 
 horbitanl sum o( two dollars per bushel, 
 and the settlers had little or no money to 
 buy with, having nearly exhausted their 
 means in improving their homec and pur- 
 chasing supplies of food an<l clothing and 
 other necessaries, and the eituniion as- 
 sumes an aspect calculated to make the 
 stoutest heart quail. But these early 
 
HISTORY OF FAIR HAVEN. 
 
 43 
 
 pioneers of Fair Haven were not so easily 
 discouraged. They were full of hope for 
 the future, and began to prepare for the 
 coming winter with undaunted courage. 
 The few bushels of poor wheat were taken 
 in a boat to a small mill at the foot of the 
 lake, where it was converted into cracked 
 wheat. In order to eke out the scanty 
 supply of corn and potatoes that they were 
 able to procure, large quantities of fish 
 were caught in the neighboring lakes and 
 streams, and were salted and dried. At 
 certain times of the year, when the fish 
 were running up the streams to spawn, 
 wagon loads of suckers could be caught in 
 a single night. Theoe fish are excellent 
 when caught in the early spring. Besides 
 suckers there were large quantities of 
 pike, pickerel, bass, sunfish and other 
 kinds found in the lakes and streams near 
 the village. As there were plenty of deer, 
 bear and other wild animals, their meat 
 was used as food. In Fair Haven, as well as 
 in the town of Maine Prairie, the old in- 
 habitants pay that wheat flour was a lux- 
 ury that but few, if any, could indulge in 
 that winter. In Maine Prairie, it is 
 learned from a reliable source, that but 
 one family had any wheat flour in the 
 house that winter, and this family had 
 only a pail lull, which they kept all 
 winter, just to say that they were not out 
 of flour. Many families were reduced to 
 live on potatoes and salt or corn meal, at 
 times being unable to procure both articles 
 of food at the same time. But, notwith- 
 standing their privations, these people 
 were healthy, hearty and joUv, and in 
 conversation with them now, they enjoy 
 telling of their privations and the many 
 schemes used to get a little corn meal, or 
 a few potatoes and salt. Sugar, tea, cofTee 
 and store tobacco were luxuries that but 
 f«w could indulge in. 
 
 An amusing story is told of a widow 
 with a large family of children, who found 
 that her last pound of corn meal was gone 
 and the children were huntjry and only a 
 few potatoes remained in the cellar. The 
 situation was desperate and something 
 
 must be done and that quickly. "With the 
 skill that great emergencies beget in 
 woman quite as well as in man, this widow 
 rose to the occasion. By a brilliant and 
 unique commercial transaction, the de- 
 tails of which she has never been able to 
 explain, only that it was a fair and 
 honorable deal, she became the 
 possessor of a sack of corn, 
 and hastened her eldest son in a boat with 
 the precious charge ofl'to the little mill at 
 the foot of the lake, to get it ground, so 
 that they could have some corn bread. 
 During his absence the children appeased 
 their hunger with roast potatoes and salt. 
 About the time that the son should be re- 
 turning and would be upon the lake, a 
 terrible storm arose, and it was feared that 
 the boat would be swamped and the boy 
 drowned. Extreme pangs of hunger seems 
 to deaden the natural afl^ections, for 'tis 
 said that the widow paced her room wring- 
 ing her hands in great distress and burst 
 forth with the exclamation: "0, dear, 
 what will we do for supper if the boy is 
 drowned and the meal lost." But strong 
 men had gone to the assistance of the lad, 
 and soon had him and the precious corn 
 meal at home in safety, and the children 
 had their fill of Johnny cake. 
 
 Early in the spring it was learned that 
 the Legislature had made an appropria- 
 tion to assist the grasshopper sufferers, 
 and Mr. L. Belden volunteered t© go to 
 St. Paul with his ox team and procure 
 aid from this appropriation. He had no 
 money to pay his way, but the people 
 on the way were very hospitable and 
 kept him and his team without pay. 
 When he arrived at Minneapolis he 
 learned that the State appropriation had 
 been exhausted, but when he told his 
 story to the business men of Minneapolis, 
 with their proverbial generosity and pub- 
 lic spirit, contributed a quantity of pro- 
 visions, consisting of elevtn barrels of 
 flour, two sacks of beans, a quantity of 
 beef and pork, garden seeds and some 
 other things. Mr. Belden hauled one 
 load with his team and shipped the bal- 
 
44 
 
 HISTORY OF FAIR HAVI£N. 
 
 »nce by boat to Clearwater. At that time 
 a steam boat made regular tripR from 
 Minneapolis t« St. Cloud. When Mr. 
 Belden reached Fair Haven, a team was 
 sent to Clearwater for the provision that 
 come up on the boat. The settlers were 
 overjoyed upon the arrival of the much 
 needed supplies, which were distributed 
 among the more needy ones. These early 
 settlers have always remembered the kind- 
 ness of the Minneapolis business men and 
 cherish a warm feeling toward that city. 
 
 ARRIVALS IN 1858. 
 
 The following are among the arrivals 
 this year: Stinson Lovejoy and wile, 
 Frank Crane, John Metcafl", B. H. Wins- 
 low and wife and daughter, Ann S., Mich- 
 ael Patten and family, Mrs. Geo. R.Whit- 
 ney and family, consisting of Mary A., Al- 
 berton, Geo. R , Horace and F. H., J. C. 
 Boobar, wife and large family, consisting 
 of Anna M., Druzilla, Lucy, Henry, Al- 
 thea, Geo. Rosco, Charlotte, Harritt C, 
 Hannah W., James Elmer, James Jenks 
 and wif' , 0. D. Webb and family, con- 
 sisting ol wife and daughters, Alma, Ella 
 and Emma. 
 
 It wac a difficult task for the settlers to 
 procure sufficient seed wheat, oats, corn 
 and g:irden seeds to plant their fields and 
 gardens, tliis spring, and at thesa ne time 
 keep themselves supplied with food, to 
 sustain them until the new crop came in 
 In order to get these needed supplies, 
 money had to be borrowed for which 
 they were charged from two to five per 
 cent per month interest. This shows 
 that the modern Shylock, who charges ten 
 per cent, interest per annum and two per 
 cent, bonus for loans, is not "in it," when 
 compared with those who throve on the 
 misfortUBes of others, 37 years ago. The 
 rich Sf tilers had spent all of their moLey, 
 and were but little better oft' than the 
 poor. Supplies of all kinds were scarce 
 and hard to obtain. Corn cost two dollars 
 per bushel with freight added, an 1 other 
 provisions were proportionally dear. Not- 
 withstanding the hard times, short ra- 
 tions, and old clothes, these pioneers were 
 
 cheerful and the boys and girls had their 
 fun. There was marrying and giving in 
 marriage, and parties and balls, dancing 
 schools and prayer meetings, followed 
 each other in rapid succession. 
 
 FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION. 
 
 On the Fourth of July, 1858, the Fair 
 Havenites had their first celebration. 
 Tables were set in the public square, 
 where all ate together. Although the times 
 were hard and the bill of fare not elabor- 
 ate, this particular day is remembered as 
 one of the pleasant epochs of that period. 
 The time was passed with speeches and 
 plenty of music by the Glee Club. J. W. 
 Coats anil A. Montg(>mery composed an 
 original song, with words and tune in per- 
 fect harmony, which they sang to the 
 jjreat delight of their audience. It whs 
 the event of the day, and a few lines of 
 this song are still hummed by soKie of the 
 oldest settlers. The song portrayed many 
 of their hardships in a comical manner, 
 and also hit oft in a witty and amusing 
 style many of the people and incidents 
 connected with the times. 
 
 MARRIAGE AND CHARIVARI. 
 
 The following incident is related by a 
 Fair Havenite, who was a young s irl at 
 the time, and who distinctly remembers 
 all about it: In July of this year John L. 
 Dean and Sarah Tucker were to beqniptly 
 married. Great pains had been taken to 
 guard the secret of the intended ceremony 
 and let only the two families of the con- 
 tracting parties know of the affair, and it 
 was thought that all their friends were 
 wholly igtiorant of the prospective event. 
 It was in the evening after prayer meet- 
 ing that the minister (juietly 8te|)ped into 
 Mr. Tucker's house and performed the 
 ceremony that made them man and wife. 
 It was supposed that only those present 
 knew of the wedding. But the small boys 
 of that period were sharp as a modern 
 newspaper reporter. They soon <iiscov- 
 ered that the window shade of a window 
 opening into the main room of the Tucker 
 house was not quite down, leaving a two 
 inch space where the boys could view the 
 
HISTORY OF FAIR HAVEN. 
 
 45 
 
 whole ceremony and hear what waB said. 
 It is claimed that the hov who first dis- 
 covered the view of vantage was a fair 
 minded youth, and was not exorbitant in 
 his charges to the other iadn for an occa- 
 sional glimpse at the proceedings through 
 the narrow opening. As soon as the cere- 
 mony was over the yonng men an*) boys 
 decided to give the couple a j/rand chari- 
 va»i. As soon as "tired nature's sweet 
 restorer" had claimed each and all the 
 happy participants, and the calm of mid- 
 night's holy hour was over all the peace- 
 ful settlement, t'e stillness of the night 
 was sharplv and rud>-ly broken by the re- 
 ports of many guns a ceo tn pa ruled by the 
 ringing of bells and the wild whoops 
 and yells of the sf renaders 
 
 As there had been some uneasiness felt 
 by the citizens on account of some move- 
 menls of the Indians, the startled inhabit- 
 ants, when they heard the firing, accom- 
 panied by whoops, in which the levelers 
 endeavored to imitate the war whoop of 
 the savagcf, together with some Indian 
 jargon, thought that surely the Indians 
 had attacked the town and were murdering 
 and torturing the people. The alarm was 
 universal and many fled into the brush, 
 in their haste with only their nightclothes 
 on. Others prepared to get into boats and 
 row out into the lake. But theserenaders 
 soon learned that the people were fright- 
 ened and fleeing. They thereupon hast- 
 ened to let the facts in the case be known. 
 One badly frightened mother aroused her 
 large family, and although the frightful 
 din was gradually approaching her house, 
 and the children were wild with fear and 
 were anxious to flee into the brush and 
 hide, yet she restrained them for she had 
 been brought up in the east and had been 
 taught that the rules of pr®priety should 
 be observed under all conditions, and she 
 insisted that the children should have 
 their faces washed and esi)ecially her 
 young girl, should have her hair .combed 
 and be properly dressed before seeking 
 safety in (light. It \>* safe to say that this 
 
 particular wedding will long be remem- 
 bered. 
 
 INDIANS. 
 
 Later in the season a large encampment 
 of Sioux hunters with their families 
 pitched their tents about a mile north 
 of the village. They had been very suc- 
 cessful in their hunts and had slain large 
 numbers of deer, bear and othei game. 
 But one day, without any apparent cause 
 (unless they had seen signs of their dead- 
 ly foes, the Ch'ppewas') they hastily and 
 in much confusion took down ttieir tents 
 and hurried across the river south-east of 
 the town to a spot near lake Sylvia where 
 they fortified themselves by building 
 breastworks of logs. Soon after this they 
 went off^ to the south and were seen no 
 more that season. 
 
 FIRST POST OFFICE. 
 
 A Post office was established this year 
 at Fair Haven and John K. Noyes was 
 appointed postmaster, being the first one 
 in the town. 
 
 TOWN ORGANIZED 1S59. 
 
 "The town of Fair Haven was organized 
 ized this spring as a separate town, and 
 the first town meeting was held pursuant 
 to an order of the Board of County Com- 
 missioners, which order stated that said 
 town meeting was to be held April 5, 1859. 
 Accordingly a meeting was called to meet 
 at that time. 
 
 MINUTES OF FIRST TOWN MEETING. 
 
 At the town meeting held at Fair Haven, 
 April 5, 1859, T. C. Partridge was chosen 
 temporary chairman. The voters then 
 proceeded to elect officers for the day, and 
 Mr. Calvin J. Boobar was chosen moder- 
 ator, and Albertis Montgomery clerk, and, 
 being sworn into office, Messrs. Samuel 
 Young, M. L. Patten and N. J. Robinson 
 were choaeii judges of election. The polls 
 were ojjened, and the electors then pro- 
 ceeded to vote for officers Voted to ad- 
 journ at twelve .ind meet again at one. At 
 I lie proper time the moderator declared 
 the polls closed, and the judges proceeded 
 to canvass the vole*, and declared the fol- 
 
46 
 
 HISTORY OF FAIR HAVEN. 
 
 lowing perBons elected: Chairman of Su- 
 pervipors, Alberlifl Montgomery; 2d Su- 
 pervinor, T. (\ Partridge; 3ii Supervisor, 
 S. Young; Clrfrk, James Jfuks; Aaaeesor, 
 J H. Locke; Collector, Wm. Heyw(od; 
 Overseer of the Poor, H. H. Mayo; Con- 
 Btables, G. A. Bibber and Sumner Leavitt; 
 Justices of tbe Peace, H. P. Bennt-tt ard 
 C. J. Bonbar. J. P. Taylor and Jobn U.K. 
 Noyes were chosen overseers of highways; 
 J. K. Noves, pound master. The electors 
 then voted to raise a tax of fifty dollars for 
 township purposes. Voted to meet at J 
 P. Taylor's for the next meeting of ih** 
 towu. On motion adjourned. 
 
 Albertis Montgomery, Clerk." 
 Forty-four voted at this meeting. 
 
 EVENTS IN 1859. 
 
 There wt re but fev arrivals in Fair 
 Haven during 1859, but there was increased 
 activity in the new seitlemeul. The tine 
 water power was capable of running more 
 machinery than one saw mill. O. D. 
 Webb began the erection of a flouring 
 mill. >[ic.h a mill was greatly need«d,for 
 there whs no place near where the farmers 
 could get their wheat ground into flour, 
 and the completion of this mill was hailed 
 with great rejoicing. 
 
 Among the arrivals this year was O. S. 
 Senter, a Congregational minister. He 
 married Mrs. Stevenson, a widow, daugh- 
 ter of Mr. and Mrs. Abel Kent. The wife 
 died in about a year and Mr. Senter went 
 to California. 
 
 In 1859, there was a large band of Sioux, 
 said to number 100 warriors, with 200 
 equaws and young Indians, encamped 
 northwest of Fair Haven, huntinii game. 
 Deer were very plentiful, and it was said 
 that these Indians killed immense num- 
 bers while thus encamped. They were 
 peaceably inclined, still, with that number 
 of Indians so near, and with the knowledge 
 that their friendship did not emanate from 
 the heart, and that in their inmost souls 
 ihey hated the whites, there was a feeling 
 of uneasiness, especially among the women 
 who had read of the treachery and cruelty 
 of these savages. 
 
 The St. Clouil Democrat of March 24, 
 1859, had this Fair Haven item: "School 
 District No. 1 was organized March 14, 
 1859, by electing C. J. Boohar, A. C. 
 Smith and A. Montgomery trur<tee-» and 
 James Jenks District Clerk." 
 
 BANNER REPUBLICAN TOWN. 
 
 Fair Haven was considered the banner 
 Republican town of Stearns county. The 
 number of Democratic votes usually cast 
 at elections was i^uite small, and at one 
 general election it is claimed that there 
 was not a Democratic vote cast. There 
 was great rejoicing when it was known 
 that Abraham Lincoln was nominated, and 
 much interest was manifested throughout 
 the campaign. Their feelings reached a 
 high pitch of enthusiasm when he was 
 elected President, and they showed their 
 joy by kindling huge bonfires, and with 
 speeches and songs expressed their happi- 
 ness at tile result of the election. 
 
 EVENTS IN 1860. 
 
 The condition of the settlers began to 
 improve in many respects. The crops this 
 year were good and there was plenty to 
 eat of such as could be raised in this lo- 
 cality. But thp prices that they could ob- 
 tain for such produce as they had raised 
 was very small. It took about fifteen 
 bushels of wheat to buy a barrel of salt, 
 and such luxuries as sugar, tea, coflee and 
 store tobacco, were left for visitors, only in 
 many homes. Browned peas and barlev, 
 as well as browned crusts of bread 
 were used as a substitute for coffee by a 
 large majority of the familiew. One would 
 naturally suppose that under such condi- 
 tions of privation the people would be 
 downcast and gloomy. But such was not 
 the case. All looked forward to a bright 
 and glorious future. Hope, the well- 
 spring of life, was largely developed in 
 the hearts of these pioneers. These pri- 
 vations were considered only tempoiary, 
 and would, in the near future, pass away. 
 Ill the meanwhile their time was occupied 
 in developing the country and improving 
 their farms. In the winter the literary 
 feasts of their Lyceum were greatly en- 
 
HISTORY OF FAIR HAVEN. 
 
 47 
 
 joyed, ae well as their church festivals, 
 donations and s cial meetings. Thus passed 
 the winter of 1860-1. 
 
 PATRIOTISM IN FAIR HAVEN. 
 
 The citizens of Fair Haven did not lack 
 in patriotism, and when the war of the re- 
 bellion broke out they propose! to do their 
 P'rt toward putting it down. They held 
 meetings and discussed the question, and 
 many pignifi>-d their desire to enlist should 
 the war continue. A« soon as the harvest 
 was over, and the President had called for 
 more troops, a number volunteered. Tht 
 following are among those that enlisted at 
 difF-rent times: In the First Minnesota 
 Regiment, Perry C. Townsand, Geo. W. 
 Townsnnd, R M. E<stman. John Abell, 
 D. A. Perkins, G. Sias and Jerome Bald- 
 win. The latter died Aug. 11th, 1864, at 
 David's Island, New York Harbor. 
 Charles Robinson enlisted in the Second 
 Minnesota Rejjiment, and Ambrose W. 
 Tucker in the Third. In October, 1861, 
 tile following enlisted from Fair Haven: 
 In Company D, Fourth Minnesota Regi- 
 ment, with Thomas E. Inman as Cajitain, 
 B. F. Butler, A. J. Whitney, W. C. Tufts, 
 Milo M. Scoville,Thadeus I Robinson, H. 
 Boohar, Ruben Wheeler, Benjamin i'lum- 
 mer, and Newton A. Abell. S. ('. and 
 Albert Kemp and Jerome Pratt enlisted in 
 Hatche's Battalion. John B Inman 
 joined the First Regiment of Heavy Ar- 
 tillery in February, 1865. 
 
 In 1863, A. Farnsworth, B. F. Butler, 
 A. W. Tucker, James Robinson, L. H. 
 Brown, Elder Norris and John L Dean 
 joined the State'-* scouts. Of the volun- 
 teers of Company D, Fourth Minnesota 
 Regiment, the following met death be- 
 neath a strange sky and on unknown soil: 
 Thadeus I. Robinson, at Vicksburg, Mis- 
 sissippi, July 24, 1863; H. C. Boobar, at 
 Clear 're-k. Miss.. Aug. 18, 1862; Milo 
 M. Scnville, at Farmington, Miss , July 
 5, 1862. With si) many young men absent 
 fighting for their country, and exposed to 
 t'le perils of war in battles and sickness in 
 pestilential southern swamps, the citizens 
 of Fair Haven had little cause for joy and 
 
 many of their literary and social events 
 were given up. There were many whose 
 thoughts and aflTections were with the loved 
 ones on southern fields, so that the year 
 1861 passed without particular incident at 
 home. 
 
 SIOUX OUTBREAK OF 1862. 
 
 As a large number of the young men of 
 Fair Haven had enlisted for the war and 
 had gone south in the summer and fall of 
 1861, to fight for their country, there were 
 few if any of the people of that town but 
 had some one near and dear to them in the 
 army. It was either father, brother, 
 sweetheart, relative or friend, and very 
 few if any were indifferent to the results of 
 the mighty conflict that was raging on 
 southern battle fields. Both the northern 
 and southern forces had, during the winter 
 of 1861, made gigantic preparations for 
 the campaign of 1862, and great anxiety 
 was felt for the loved ones that were to en- 
 gage in the fierce battles so soon to be 
 fought. The spring of 1862 found the citi- 
 zens of Fair Haven like those in thousands 
 of other hamlets throughout the northern 
 states, in an anxious mood. But, with 
 silent prayers for the safety of the rela- 
 tives and friends in far away camps, they 
 worked on farms, in shops and in factories, 
 hoping that the war would soon be over 
 and peace again reign. This was their 
 condition in August. Everything was 
 quiet at home, and all were engaged in se- 
 curing a most bountiful crop of all kinds 
 of grain and other farm produce, when, 
 like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, the 
 news came of the massacre of the whites 
 and the battle between the Sioux Indians 
 and the soldiers on the Minnesota river. 
 For a short time this news occasioned 
 much excitement and confusion. Very 
 i-oon large numbers of refugees who had 
 been driven from their peaceful homes on 
 the frontier beyond the Big Woods, fleeing 
 for their lives, began passing through the 
 village on their way to a place of safety, 
 bringing with them daily and hourly, ad- 
 ditional tal"8 of the fiendish cruelties and 
 horrible atrocities perpetrated upon the 
 
48 
 
 HISTORY OF FAIR HAVEN. 
 
 helpleBB frontier Betllers by the blood 
 thirsty flavages. Every succeeding hour 
 broujjnt uewB of the rapid advance and 
 near approach of the ImiianH. It waHtime 
 that Homething should be done fortlie safe- 
 ty of the inhaJ)itants. A rneetiiig was called 
 and the situation was thoroughly discussed. 
 It was shown that the village was so sur- 
 ronnded by brush and timber that the In- 
 dians could approach unseen and surprise 
 the town, and that on account of this, and 
 the many ravines in which the foe cou d 
 secrete themselves, it would be difficult for 
 the settlers to so (orlify themselves in their 
 exposed situation, taking into considera- 
 tion the small number of men, as to jus- 
 tify them in allowing the women and chil- 
 dren to remain. After carefully copfider- 
 ing the mniler, it was decided to send the 
 women and children to a place of sifety, 
 while the men would remain and ifdeemed 
 necessary they would build a fort and de- 
 fend themselves. 
 
 BUILIJ A STOCKADE. 
 
 Accordingly some of the women went to 
 Clearwater and some to St. Cloud, while 
 others joined their forlur.es with the peo- 
 ple of Maine Prairie. About fifteen men 
 stayed and fortified themselves by build- 
 ing a stockade around the old log building 
 that had been used as a hotel in the early 
 days of thn village. Those that remained 
 armed themselves as best they could and 
 made the best preparations for a defense 
 possible. They organized by electing A. 
 Montgomery captain, and V. W. Olds 
 lieutenant. But before they had built 
 their fort a messenger had been sent from 
 Forest City, on the li)th day of August, 
 with the information that that town was 
 in great danger of being attacked by the 
 Indians, and asking the people of Fair 
 Haven to come to its assistance. Although 
 there was cause to fear that their own 
 town might be attacked while they were 
 absent, and the danger while going 
 through the timber was thought to be im- 
 minent, this did not deter them from the 
 undertaking. About a dozen men started 
 in the evening in wagons for Forest City. 
 
 It soon became so dark in the timber that 
 they could not see to follow the road, and 
 notwithstanding the fact that a litrh 
 would increase their danger by giving the 
 Indians the advantage if there should he 
 any lurking around, they were compelled 
 to light their lanterns and carry them 
 ahead of the teams. They arrived at 
 Kingston at day light and found the citi- 
 zens of that place very much excited and 
 greatly alarmed. There were three or 
 four hundred refugees that had come in 
 from the surrounding country. They were 
 quartered in the grist mill and other 
 buildings. The little band from F'air 
 Haven here joined (^apt. Ad kins' coinp! ny 
 of citizens. The alarm was caused by a 
 party of four Indians attacking some 
 whites at Acton. They had beeti hunting 
 in the neighborhood of that place for sev- 
 eral days and appeared sullen and ugly. 
 However, as the Indians were at peace 
 with ihe whites no uneasiness has been 
 felt. 
 
 KILLIN(J TIIK WHITES. 
 
 On Sunday, the 17th day of August, 
 these Indians came to the house of Mr. 
 Howard Baker. Visiting at their house 
 wt-re their neighbors, Mr. Webster and 
 wife, and Mr. Jones and wife. The In- 
 dians seeintr Mr. Jones, with whom they 
 had previously had a quarrel, wished to 
 renew it. They challenged Baker and 
 Jones to shoot at a mark. After shooting 
 they hastily reloaded their guns before the 
 whiles had loaded theirs and began firing 
 at the whites, killing Mr. Jones and his 
 wife, ard Baker and Webster. Mis-* Wil- 
 son was killed at Mr. Jones* house. Then, 
 stealing horses, this band of murderers 
 hastened back to their people near the 
 agency at Yellow Medicine. The next 
 day nearly all the Indians, who had been 
 waiting for some time at ihe agency for 
 their Hnnual paymentn, which were con- 
 siderably over due, started ofT on the 
 war path to exterminate the whites, and 
 the most terrible massacre of settlers 
 ever known in the annals of frontier war- 
 fare was begun. 
 
HISTORY OF FAIR HAVEN. 
 
 49 
 
 The party from Fair Haven, with Capt. 
 Adkin's company, went to Forest City, 
 then to Acton, but found that others had 
 been there before them and had buried the 
 dead. They then ecouted around to Green 
 Lake and other places to rescue any per- 
 sons found alive, and to bury any found 
 dead. 
 
 They returned to Forest City on Friday, 
 the 22nd of August, and to Fair Haven 
 the n*-xt day, without encountering the 
 enemy. Although no Indians were seen 
 near Fair Haven during the outbreak, it 
 was believed that there were small scout- 
 ing parties around. At one time, while 
 J. G. Smith and two companions were 
 working in the harvest field they distinct- 
 ly heard some gun caps snapped in the 
 brush near by. They quickly seized their 
 gUDS and made an investigation, but found 
 no one. They supposed that some Indians 
 hnd tried to shoot them, but their guns 
 had missed tire. 
 
 RETURNED TO THEIR HOMES. 
 
 The nieri that remained at Fair »Haven 
 slept in their fort nights and worked in 
 their fields during the day. It was but 
 two or three weeks before it was deemed 
 safe for the women to return. Most of 
 them came back to their homes and re- 
 sumed their usual duties. But there was 
 a feeling of uneasinei-s and fear until the 
 winter, when it waw believed that all dan- 
 ger was over. 
 
 BURYING THE DEAD. 
 
 Mr. John Goodspeed tells of his visit to 
 AciOD the next day, after Jones and his 
 people were killed, when the coroner at 
 Forest city empannelled a jury of 12 men 
 men, ncluding Mr. Goodspeed, to go to 
 Acton to hold an inquebt over the bodies 
 of the slain, and bury the dead. They 
 were accompanied by about 70 men on 
 horseback At Mr. Howard Baker's house 
 they found the dead bodies of Mr. Baker, 
 Mr. Webster, Mr. Robinson Jones, and his 
 wife. Going to the house of Mr. Jones 
 they found his n'ece, a Miss Wilson, lying 
 in the house dead. Her little sister was 
 asleep when the tragedy occurred, and 
 
 was covered with blood when found, for 
 she had been vainly endeavoring to get 
 her sister up. The bodies were not mu- 
 tilated. They were all buried. While they 
 were holding the inquest a party of 30 In- 
 dians appeared and were chased by those 
 on horseback. 
 
 GERMAN SETTLEMENT. 
 
 There was a small settlement of Germans 
 on the extreme northern line of the town- 
 ship of Fair Haven. One of the first of 
 these to locate a claim was Henry Block. 
 He was a native of Hanover, Germany, 
 and, in the spring of 1856, came to this 
 country and stopped a few months in Wis- 
 consin. He then came to Fair Haven, and 
 took a claim, which is situated on the 
 shore of Beaver lake. His son H. C. still 
 operates this same claim. 
 
 The other German families arrived sev- 
 eral years later. During the Indian out- 
 break in 1862, several of these families 
 fled to St. Cloud, but soon returned and all 
 went to the house of Mr. Locherand forti- 
 fied it as well as they could. In the day 
 time they would venture out and secure 
 their crops and sleep in the house nights, 
 with some one to sit up and look out for 
 Indians. One of this number narrates 
 some alarms that they had, that, at the 
 time, appeared very serious, but after the 
 danger was over, and the causes of the 
 alarm discovered, they could enjoy a good 
 laugh over the incident 
 
 ''mixing it." 
 
 The long winter of 1862-3 passed quiet- 
 ly. The Indians had been driven back in- 
 to the Dakota territory, and troops were 
 stationed at Paynesville, Sauk Centre, on 
 the Red River and at Chippewa, and sup- 
 plies had to be hauled to them. Oats from 
 Fair Haven and other towns were hauled 
 to feed the horses at Chippewa, where the 
 Government paid one dollar per bushel. 
 Wheat could be bought for 50 cents per 
 bushel, and one bushel of wheat would 
 weii;h nearly as much ab two bushels of 
 oats. It was a great temptation to those 
 hauling oats to feed the Government 
 horses and mules to mix some wheat with 
 
50 
 
 HISTORY OF FAIR HAVEN. 
 
 the oatB. They could buy a buohel of 
 wheat for fity cents and mix it with a 
 bushel of oats that would cost forty cents 
 and sell the mixture to the Government 
 for nearly three bushels of oats. It was 
 claimed that if the wheat was good, a 
 pound of wheal was as valuable for feed- 
 ing purposes as a j)ound of oats, and that 
 the horses and mules were just as well 
 suited with the mixtnre as with clearoats. 
 It was only when the oats was mixed with 
 foul seed, dirt, wild buckwheat and screen- 
 ings that not onlv was the government 
 cheated, hut the animals were defrauded 
 of their proper food. This demand for 
 the farmers' produce assisted them great- 
 ly, and money, which for many years had 
 been an almost unknown commodity, be- 
 gan to circulate. 
 
 KILLED BY INDIANS. 
 
 The spring came and with it quite active 
 farming operations were begun in antici- 
 pation of good prices. Soon after the see<l- 
 ing was Hnished there were rumors that 
 signs of Indians had been seen in the Big 
 Wo()il-< I'ld there was much uneasiness fell 
 amor)g tlie settlers of Fair Haven, and 
 other adjoining towns. There were known 
 to be small parlies of Sioux prowling 
 around in the timber south of the town, 
 and the belief thai they were hosiile was 
 fully confirmed by the tragic death of 
 Henry McGannan, who was shot down by 
 an unseen foe on the 28ih day of June, on 
 the roaii to Kingston. He was burit-d 
 where he fell on the I'^t of July, and in 
 the fall the body was removed to the Fair 
 Haven cemetery. 
 
 DESIGNING SOLDIERS 
 There were eight or ten soldiers from 
 the 8lh Miiinet^ota Regiment stationed at 
 Fair H iven that accompanied the mail 
 back and forth from Kingston to this place 
 as a truarfl, and also to scout wherever there 
 was supposed to be danger from In<iaiis 
 McGaniian's death was succeeded by no 
 other hostile demonst ration, so, after a 
 period of quiet, it began to be understood, 
 (so tradition says) that the Government 
 would soon send these troops South. Some 
 
 of them did not relish this, and they set 
 their wits to work to do something that 
 would cause their being retained in their 
 present position. It is claimed that three 
 of them dressed up like Indians and went 
 to the residence of Mrs. Hathaway, two or 
 three mibs west of the village, and finding 
 her absent, and only her mother, Mrs. 
 Storms, an old lady, at home, they pre- 
 tended to be Indians and caught her and 
 with a big knife cut off her hair and 
 frightened her nearly to death. She es- 
 caped and fled to Fair Haven and reported 
 that she had been attacked by Indians. 
 This occasioned quite a panic among the 
 people, and extra precautions were taken 
 by the settlers to guard the women and 
 children. A company of citizens was 
 formed and the territory around that part 
 of the country was thoroughly inspected 
 for many days, these same soldiers assist- 
 ing. But they had accomj)lished their 
 object, lor the Government, believing that 
 there were Indians still around, the sol- 
 diers were kept at Fair Haven several 
 months loi:ger. It is told that «ne of the 
 three who impersonated Indians at thai 
 lime, has at this late day told the truth of 
 the aflair. McGannan was shot by Little 
 Six and his son. Some time afterwards, 
 Little Six and his son were shot at near 
 Hutchinson, and the son killed. He bad 
 on Mc(iannan'8 coat which would indicate 
 that he was the murderer. 
 
 INDIANS STEAL HORSES. 
 
 Many signs of small pjrlies of Sioiix 
 In<liaiis had been ob'^erved in the towns of 
 Fair Haven and Maine Prairie and as a 
 result people were on the watch and many 
 went armed. One Sunday afternion in 
 August, Christ Block who at that lime 
 was quite a younjj boy, discovered three 
 IniliHiis fishing in a small lake, called 
 Beaver Lake, not far from his house, and 
 informed his father of his discovery. 
 About dark Mr. Bhick's horsts came run- 
 ning from the pasture greatly frightened. 
 Believing that the Indians had in some 
 way been the cause of their alarm .VIr. 
 Block fastened them in his stable for sife- 
 
HISTORY OF FAIR HAVEN. 
 
 51 
 
 ty About twelve o'clock his dog begran to 
 bark in a furious manner, and Mr. Block 
 went out and found three Indians leading 
 his horses out of the stable. He was un- 
 armed, but notwithstanding the odd' ol 
 three to one he pitched into them and suc- 
 ceeded in driving them off and getting bis 
 horses and agaio secured them in the sta- 
 ble. The Indians ran for their guns, 
 which they had left outside the yard and 
 Block ran into the house for his gun. 
 About two o'clock the Indians came back 
 and Block, armed wilh a shot sun and 
 his son Chris with a pistol, went 
 out and opened fire on the Indians, 
 who returned th( fire, with the result on 
 one side of a wounded Indian, on the 
 other a bullet had passed through Block's 
 cap. One shot had struck his gun and a 
 stray ball had cut f>ff the tail of a steer 
 that was in the vard. The Indians re- 
 treated but soon returned and succeeded ir 
 getting away with two horses and a suck- 
 ing colt. At daylight Mr. B. took their 
 trail whi( h went near Fair Haven. He 
 was soon joined by the following State 
 scouts. Quartus FarweM, Joseph Kim- 
 ball, A. Farnsworth, B. F. Butler, A. W. 
 Tucker, James Robinson, L ri. Brown 
 and Elder Ntirris. These scouts followed 
 the trail three days until they came out 
 onto the prairie near Kingston. When 
 near Albion the Indians killed a fine steer 
 belonging to Mr. Holmes, and cut pieces 
 of flesh out and took along with them. 
 The scouts heard the firing, but it was 
 near night and the trail could n(it be fol- 
 lowed. Ttie next morning when near 
 Corrina, as the scouts emerged from 
 the thick brush U|)On a march, they dis- 
 covered the three Indians on the opposite 
 side, dismounted. The Indians saw the 
 scouts and sprang behind their horses, 
 just as the scouts fired. They than sprang 
 upon their horses and escaped into the 
 thick brush, one ol them realing, 
 as if badly wounded, and it was 
 believed none escaped unhurt. 
 
 In their hasie they left a gun and two 
 knives. When the horse tniefs reached 
 
 the prairie, word was sent to some cavalry 
 and they pursued them thirty miles. 
 There were but two Indians then and they 
 escaped by swimming a lake. From the 
 bloody clothing that they had left on the 
 bank of the lake it was evident that both 
 were wounded. The horses were returned 
 to their owner, but in a wretched used up 
 condition. 
 
 Soon after this the scouting parties of 
 Indians left for their safer hunting 
 grounds in the far west and there was a 
 feeling of relief among the settlers. 
 
 The winter of 1864, will long be remem- 
 bered for its changeable weather. On the 
 2nd and 3d of January the the thermome- 
 ter showed 42 degrees below zero, while 
 on the 20th it was 70 degrees above, a dif- 
 f«»rence of of 112 degrees. It is the cus- 
 tom in Minnesota for the farmers to kill 
 their beef and pork in the fall or early 
 winter and let the meat freeze and keep it 
 frozen until toward Spring or until a bet- 
 ter price is obtainable. This meat will 
 keep fresh and good generally until Spring 
 but the extremely warm weather this win- 
 ter cansed it to thaw out and much of the 
 meat was ruined on account of the con- 
 tinued warm weather. 
 
 The next year, 1864, was a quiet one as 
 far as any startling incident to Fair Haven 
 is concerned. The old settlers do not re- 
 member anytbing worthy of note that oc- 
 curred that year only the deep interest 
 taken by this patriotic town in the war of 
 the southern rebellion where so many of 
 her sons were fighting for their country. 
 More volunteers were needed and it had 
 been decided by the general government 
 to raise them by draft if thfj could get 
 them in no other way. Then came the 
 perplexing question of how to draft men 
 and from what districts, for some towns 
 had sent more men than others according 
 to their population. In the first part of 
 the war but little attention was paid to the 
 subject of crediting each man to the town 
 that he lived in, but when the town of Fair 
 Haven was credited up with her volunteers 
 it showed that more than the town's quota 
 
52 
 
 HISTORY OF FAIR HAVEN. 
 
 had volunteered and coniequently there 
 would be no draft in that town. Thia was 
 a matter of pride in the town and alBO of 
 rejoicing. The draft wai Bet for January 
 4th, 1864, but before that date eo many 
 bad volunteered that it was poRtponed. 
 
 From the St. Cloud Democrat of March 
 lOih, 1864, the following items of interest 
 concerning Fair Haven are gleaned: 
 
 "The quotas of the following towns are 
 given showing how many volunteers had 
 been credited to that town and how many 
 were her share to send. They are given 
 for all calls from the commencement of 
 the war to the this time: Fair Haven's 
 quota wa« 18 and she has furnished 25, 
 showing that this town is 7 ahead of her 
 quota. Maine Prairie'i quota was 20 and 
 she has furnished 25 Lyiiden'e quota was 16 
 and she has furnished 15." 
 
 The following sad announcement is 
 found under date of March lOih: 
 
 "Mr. James Tucker, of Fair Haven, 
 who was working in the pineries in the 
 camp of F. Morrison, was killed by a 
 limb irorn a falling tree striking him on 
 the lieail. He lived eleven hours after 
 the accident." 
 
 July 1st O. D Webb got the contract to 
 carry the mail from St. Cloud to Fair 
 Haven via Maine Piairie once a week: 
 leaving St. Cloud at 6 a. m. Tuesday; ar- 
 riving at Fair Haven at 12 m and return- 
 ing to St. Cloud at 7 p. m. of the same 
 day. 
 
 The spring 1865 was a seacou of rejoic- 
 ing to the people of Fair Haven. The news 
 of the surrender of General Lee and his 
 army to Gt-neral Grant caused much re- 
 joicing in the hearts of those who had 
 Irieiids and relatives in the army, and they 
 looked forward with pleasant anticipation 
 to the lime in the near future when the 
 boys in blue would return h'^me and peace 
 should reign over a united and prosperous 
 nation, it was but a few dHy^ after receiv- 
 ing the glad tidings of Lee'ssurrender that 
 the appalling news of the assasination of 
 President Abraham Lincoln was heralded 
 through the land. This intelligence cast a 
 
 deep gloom over the whole country and 
 grave fears were entertained that it might 
 lead to a continuation of the war or the 
 breaking up of the nation into several dif- 
 ferent governments. But tbe intelligence 
 sound sense and understanding of the peo- 
 ple prevented such a catastroph, and, soon, 
 peace was assured. 
 
 Until the year 1865, there were but few 
 settlers in the northern and eastern part 
 of the town of Fair Haven, and a large 
 part of the town was covered with brush 
 and timber, but about this time this land 
 be^an being settled upon and improved. 
 Claims began to be taken and improved in 
 the timber to the south and west. This 
 ^ummer Grinols A Cooper opened a store 
 of general merchandise and did a thriving 
 business. About this time it was dii>c<>v- 
 ered that immense quantities of gin-eng 
 grew in the timber in the vicinity of Fair 
 Haven. The people turned out and du^ 
 the root and an immei se traffic soon be- 
 gan with this valuable product. The roots 
 were shipped to China, It was stated that 
 from sixty thousand to eighty thousand 
 dollars were paid out for the root in one 
 season, a large part of it was bought by 
 Grinols & Cooper, and although it seemed 
 as if every foot of ground was searched 
 each year, it was manv years before it 
 Ct-ased to be profitable to hunt for genseng 
 at certain seasons of the year. 
 
 With the war of the rt-bellion over, with 
 good cro])8 and good prices the peo- 
 ple of Fair Haven becan to see bright 
 prosp«-cts ahead, and to f-rget the many 
 privations tl at they had pawsed through. 
 The store of Grinols & Cooper, as well as 
 the grist mill, brought many people there 
 to trade, or to get their wfieat ground into 
 flour. The saw mill was well pa'roniz'd 
 and many hauled logs to the mill to be 
 converted into lumber, and nearly every 
 day in the yeAV the streets were thronged 
 with people froai the country, some of 
 them coming a distance of ten to fifteen 
 miles. 
 
 PRICES COMPARED. 
 
 In ordt-r to show tiow the prices of farm 
 
HISTORY OF FAIR HAVEN. 
 
 53 
 
 products fluctuate and also to show the 
 prices paid for groceries, the following 
 market reports are taken frona the St. 
 Cloud Democrat of March 20th, May 3.1, 
 and Sept. 1865, and from the St. Cloud 
 Daily Times of October, 1895. Although 
 ){ood prices were received for farm pro- 
 duce in 1865, yet for everything that they 
 bought a correspondingly high price was 
 paid. Sugar, tea aod kerosene were ex- 
 ceedingly high. Here are the fiaures: 
 
 March 20 May 3 Sept. Oct. 
 
 1865. 1S65. 1865. 1865. 
 
 Wheat per bu 8 1 2.5 $ 80 I 60 SO 50 
 
 Corn " " 1 25 1 00 75 15 
 
 Oats •' " 65 85 45 20 
 
 Rye " *• 1 15 1 15 50 
 
 Barley " " 1 60 1 30 — — 
 
 Beans " " 4 00 3 00 2 50 1 25 
 
 Onions " " 5 00 5 00 — 50 
 
 Hay per ton 800 700 600 500 
 
 EgKS per doz 20 12^^ 20 12i^ 
 
 Pork per cwt 15 00 15 00 15 00 — 
 
 Kero5ene per gal. 1 50 1 30 1 20 15 
 
 Flour per barrel.. 9 75 8 00 — 3 30 
 
 Sugar per pound..26@37 16@26 17@25 06 
 
 Tea per lb 1 50ra;2 50 1 25 1 25(5*2 00 50 
 
 NO NOTABLE EVENTS. 
 
 There were not many notable events oc- 
 curing in Fair Haven during the year 
 1866. John K. Noyes had the contract 
 for carrying the mail from St. Cloud to 
 Fair Haven, and in July a tri-weekly mail 
 route wac eslablished from Clearwatef to 
 Forest City, through Fair Haven and 
 Kingston. Prior to this year school had 
 been tHUght in such buildings as could be 
 hired, but a school house was built that 
 veHr which answered all purposes for a 
 short time. Soon however, the increase 
 of the population demanded a more com- 
 modious building and in 1880 the present 
 tine school biiildint; was complt-ted. 
 
 On the firet of Sfpteraber the railroad 
 was completed from St. Paul to St. Cloud 
 and there wan much rejoicing in conse- 
 quence. 
 
 The crops, this ye»r were fine, and the 
 usual sequence of nature's prodigality was 
 observable in this little village in the mat- 
 ing «)f the young people. 
 
 We coppv from the St. Cloud Democrat, 
 of Mav 24th 1866, the fojlowinir notices of 
 the wedding of two of Fair Haven's popu- 
 lar young men to twM of Fair Hnven'sfair 
 daughters: 
 
 "At the residence ofT. C. Partridge, 
 Rev. T. C. Partridge united in the holy 
 bonds of matrimony James B. Vander- 
 voort to MisB Valona M. Partridge." 
 
 "May 24, 1886, at the residence of O. D. 
 Webb, by Rev. J. N. Thresher, Mr. R. M. 
 Vand^rvoort to Miss Alma Webb." 
 
 The fine Octagon hotel belonging to and 
 operat d by J. K. Noy- s was destroyed in 
 the fall of this year. It was a great loss 
 to the village as well as to Mr. Noyes. 
 
 JUNK FRESHET, 1867. 
 
 In the June freshet of 1867, the waters 
 in the Clearwater river were greatly swol- 
 len, and the mills and dam at Fair Haven 
 were in great danger of being swept away. 
 Evt-rytbing was done to strengthen the 
 dam and prevent the threatened catas- 
 trophe, but all in vain. With a mighty 
 roar the huge volumeof water began pour- 
 ing ov-^r the dam, and in an incredibly 
 short time the flouring mill and dam were 
 swept down the river. The loss was keen- 
 ly felt, nf>t only by the owners, but bv the 
 whole community. But with their char- 
 acteristic energy and enterprise the own- 
 ers, Messrs. J. A. L'nscott hmiI Wm. Vie, 
 immediately began to rebuild the dam and 
 mill, and had it rebuilt and running that 
 same year. This was an unlucky year lor 
 Fair Haven. Besides the loss of the flour- 
 ing mill, Grinols & Cooper's store was 
 burned. But they were soon established 
 in a new building. 
 
 FAIR HAVEN CHURCHES. 
 
 The Christian church was organized in 
 1886, and in the vear 1887 the organiza- 
 tion ceded their present house of worship, 
 which was dedicated on the 4th day of 
 September of that year. The dedicatory 
 services were performed by Elder Pier, of 
 Litchfield, and Elder Campbell, of How- 
 ard Lake, preached th- se inon at the 
 first quaiterly meeting. Elder Truai was 
 their first minister, and preached for two 
 years. The organizition started out with 
 23 men)bers. Soon 35 new members were 
 added. Since Sept. Ist, 1893, there has 
 been no church organization. 
 
 The Seventh Day Advent church was 
 
54 
 
 HISTORY OF FAIR HAVEN. 
 
 organized April 26, 1879. Ite first officers 
 were .Mr. B. Gregory, Elder; S. Leavitt, 
 Deacon, and John Donehoe, clerk. In 
 1889 their prt-sent house of worship was 
 hui't and was dedicated by W. H. Tenny. 
 The church was orKaiiized by W. B Hill, 
 a Seventh Day Adventiot minister. 
 
 Th- Methodist Episcopal church build- 
 ing of Fair Haven was built in 1889. The 
 buiidinK is 24 feet wide by 40 feet long, 
 will seat about two hundred people, and 
 cost $1,100 I'B first trustees were Adam 
 Ringer, P. P Partridge, and C M King. 
 It was dedicated by the presiding Euler, 
 John Stafford, anJ bad twenty-five mem- 
 bers at that time. The following persons 
 have held the office of trustee in later 
 yearn: John Goodspeed Arnold Good- 
 Bt.ee«i and S. C. Kemp. It has had as 
 pastors Thomas E. Archer, C. E. Powell 
 and John Doran. 
 
 The present Baptist church was built in 
 1868. 
 
 ({. A. K. HALL. 
 
 The Grand Army Hall was built in 1889. 
 The funds to build it with were raised by 
 subscription besides labor was donated by 
 the members of the Post. 
 
 CLOSE OF NARRATIVE. 
 
 This completes the present early history 
 of the now prosperous and growing town 
 of Fair Haven. The main idea of the 
 writer has been to show how the people 
 lived in a new cunrv; the many priva- 
 tions they had to endure, and how bravely 
 and hopefully they persevered and over- 
 came the obstacles that confronted them 
 in their new homes. The memory of the 
 early settlers has had to be relied upon 
 for most of the incidents related in this 
 work. The good people of Fair Haven 
 have done everything in their power to 
 assist in this work, and the writer takes 
 this opportunity to thank them for the 
 many favors shown him, ami to ask them 
 to overlook the many mistakes that must 
 necessarily be made when the memory of 
 thirty-five to forty ye><r8 ago is depended 
 upon for information. 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 I append a few biographical sketches of 
 Fair Haven's earliest pioneers. 
 
 THOM.VS C. PARTRIIKIE. 
 
 Thomas C. Partridge the first discoverer 
 and founder of the townsite of Fair Haven 
 was born near Pittsburg, Penn., in 1815. 
 His parents moved to Trumball county, 
 Oiiio. In the fall of 18'4, he came to Min- 
 nesota and built a house in Minneapolis. 
 The next spring he traded this home for a 
 farm, 9 miles northwest of Minneapolis, 
 which he farmed fur two v^ars. In the 
 spring of of 1856, he, with a few men dis- 
 covered Fair Haven, and located it as a 
 townsite, and had it surveyed and platted 
 that summer. In the fall he brought up his 
 wife and family, consistinir of Payson P.. 
 Cecil, Florus and daughter Vaiona. Mr. 
 Partridge was a Free Baptist He I uill a 
 large log house and that winter rt*ligi<>us 
 meetings were held in his house, and l<>r 
 manv years he preached in that and s'lr- 
 ronnding towns. He look a great deal of 
 interest in town and school bojrds and 
 used his influence for an economical man- 
 a,gemei.t of public affairs. His daughter 
 Vaiona married J. B. ^'andervort May 
 23, 1866. Florous B. Partridge married 
 Miss Anna Hurtz Oct. 3, 1880. 
 
 JOHN L. DEAN. 
 
 John L. Dean was born in Ohio, and 
 came to Fair Maven in May 1856, and 
 took a claim. He engaged in farming and 
 carpenting for some tiaae and then became 
 a^ent for Holmes & Tyler, nurserymen. 
 Mr. Dean and Miss Sarah Tucker v7»-re 
 married at Fair Haven, in 1858. Their 
 children were named Hettie, Elida, Al- 
 bert Frederick, Louise and Florence. He 
 died in 1884. 
 
 LOVINUS ABELL. 
 LovinuB Abell was one of the party that 
 first discovered Fair Haven, in the spring 
 of 1856. He was b rn in Trumball coun- 
 ty, Ohio, in 1809. He took a claim and 
 built a house. In the fall he was joinvd 
 by his wife and daughters, Jane and 
 Laurie, and sons Newton, Westley, John 
 and Milton. Mr. Abell was a fanner all 
 
HISTORY OF FAIR HAVEN, 
 
 55 
 
 his life. In 1884 he passed quietly away 
 at the age of 75 years. His wife, who is 
 84 ye rs old, is still quite active, with her 
 intellectual faculties as clear as ever, and 
 remembers many iucidentsof their pioneer 
 life. 
 
 Of the children, .John and Milton are 
 now living in Fair Haven, and Jane is 
 now Mrs. L. Belden and also living in 
 Fair Haven. Westley, Newlon and Laurie 
 liave passed over ' he silent river. 
 
 JOHN G. SMITH. 
 
 John G. Smith wa.s born in Trumbill 
 county, Ohio, in 1834, and worked on a 
 farm until the full of 1855, when he came 
 to Minnesota Tn the sprinsr of 1856 he 
 was one of the first lo discover the place 
 where the village of Fair Haveen now 
 stands, and took a claim May 28, about 
 one mile north of it. He has resided on 
 this farm evt-r since. He was married in 
 1871, and has ten children living. He has 
 been a member of the town board several 
 years, and was prominent in town affairs. 
 He came from the Wester Reserve, Ohio. 
 When he lived there Garfield was their 
 representative in congress. At a time 
 when congress had voted a censure upon 
 Joshua 'biddings, Mr. Smith took an ac- 
 tive part in the canvass for his re-election, 
 and at one time drove him 12 miles to 
 speak at a mass meeting. Mr. Gid- 
 dings was elected lo congress that fall. 
 
 D. A. PERKINS. 
 
 D. A. Perkins was born in Canada, in 
 1834, and in 1839 he moved lo Pennsyl- 
 vania' He also lived in Ohio awhile and 
 came from that State to Minnesota in 
 1854, and stojtped at Minneapolis until 
 1857, when he arrived at Fair Haven 
 He enlisted in Co. C. 1st Minnesota Regi- 
 ment in 1861, and was discharged in 1864, 
 and re-enlisted in the same regiment and 
 servef' until the close of the war. He was 
 captured June 22, 1864, before Petersburg 
 and was a prisoner nine months, parts of 
 the time he was confined in the Anderson- 
 viile, Libby, Bell Island and Florence 
 prisons. He remained in Fair Haven un- 
 til 1867. when he went to work on his farm 
 
 near Sauk Center. He has resided in St. 
 Cloud fifteen years. .!e was married in 
 Jan. 1867. 
 
 JOHN GOODSPEED. 
 
 In 1856 John Goodspeed visited Maine 
 Pfikirie, but soon went to Manannah. In 
 1866, he came to Fair Haven, and settled 
 on a farm which he had bought five years 
 before. He has operated this farm ever 
 since, in an intelligent and skillful man- 
 ner. He has taken great interest in the 
 aflfairs of his town, and has served as 
 chairman of supervisors nine years, and 
 Several years as supervisor as well as be- 
 ing on the school board. He was born in 
 Kennebec county, Maine, in 1833, and 
 came to Minnesota in 1854, and located at 
 Minneapolis. In 1859, Mr. Goodspeed 
 and .Miss Helen Bryant were married. 
 They were accompanied to Fair Haven 
 with three children, Eunice, Frank and 
 Alvin. 
 
 JOSEPH H. LOCKE. 
 
 Joseph H. Locke was born in Holowell, 
 Maine, in 1820. He was brought up in 
 the mercantile business, which he followed 
 in Boston, Mas'^achusetts, until 1849, 
 when he went to California and spent sev- 
 eral years in mining. He then returned 
 to the states. In 1857 he came to Minne- 
 sota and located in the town of Fair 
 Haven, where he bought a farm and re- 
 sided upon it until he moved to St. Cloud 
 in 1884. Mr. Locke and Miss Martha B. 
 Bradford were married in 1845. They 
 adopted two children, Fanny W. and Har- 
 ry '"^ Mr. Locke was a member of the 
 Unitarian church oi" St. Cloud. On the 
 3l8t of January, 1891, he quietly passed 
 to the other side of the river. His wife, 
 who is 73 years of age, still survives him. 
 His adopted son, H. S. Locke, is now a 
 well known attorney in St. Cloud. 
 O. D. WEBB. 
 
 O. n. Webb was born in JeftVrson coun- 
 ty, New York, in July, 1821. At the age 
 ot eighteen he left home and worked for 
 two years in a Houring mill. He then 
 went to Plainstield, Illinois, and after- 
 ward to Chicago, and was clerk in a store 
 
56 
 
 HISTORY OF FAIR HAVEN. 
 
 one year. He tlien traveled tbrouKh the 
 northwest, and visited the eaflt and re- 
 turned to Plainpfield, where he built and 
 run a flouring mill In 1855 he came to 
 Minnesota, locating at iSauk Rn|iidB, where 
 he built a saw mill and afterwards added 
 a (I'Uiring mill. He built and operated 
 Ihuiring mills at Fair Haven, Paynesville 
 and at Clifton, Wis. In 1878 he moved to 
 Melrose, and in 1885 he returned to Fair 
 Haven. In 1886 had a stroke of paralysis 
 which was the cause of his de.ith that 
 year. Mr. Wf bb was married on the 4th 
 of April, 1847, to Mil's Esther Northuf", 
 of Lewis countv, New York. When he 
 returned to Fair Haven he was accompan- 
 ied by bis wife and three daughters, Alma, 
 Ella and Emma. 
 
 BENJAMIN GRINOLS. 
 
 Benjamin (jrinols was horn in the town 
 ofOito, New York, in 1832. His early 
 life was spent on a farm. He came to 
 Anoka county, Minneoola, in 1856, and 
 farmed it until in the summer of 1865, 
 when he arrived in Fair Haven and en- 
 gaged with Wva. Cooper as partner, in 
 the business of general merchandise. Mr. 
 Mr. Grinols and Miss Isabelle Cooper 
 were married in May, 1859. Their three 
 children are Clinton D., Ernest E. and 
 Elsie J. All are married. On account of 
 the death of his partner, Wm. Cooper, 
 Mr. Grinols formed a company known as 
 Grinols & Sons, with bis sons Clinton D. 
 and E. E. as partners. In 1887 they sold 
 out their merchandise business to Strout& 
 Sons, and went into the businees of farm 
 machinery. 
 
 WILLIAM COOPER. 
 
 In 1850 Wm Cooper arrived in F'air 
 Haven, and engaged in the business of 
 general merchandise in company with 
 Benjamin Grinols. Mr. Cooper wxs born 
 in Philadelphia, Pa., in March, 1838 He 
 moved with his family into the northern 
 part of the State when ffve years of age. 
 He followed farming until 1857, when he 
 came to Minnesota and settled in Anoka 
 county. In 1862 he enlisted in the Eighth 
 Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, and served 
 
 eighteen months on the frontier in pursuit 
 of the Indians, and then went south, but 
 after six months was discharged on ac- 
 count of wounds receiv^'d at the battle of 
 Vlurfreesboro. He was PdS' master of Fair 
 Haven for a number of years. On the 
 20th day of Mav, 1866, Mr. Cooper and 
 Mrs. Lizzie Robinson, daughter of J R. 
 Noyes, were married. The namesof their 
 children are Minnie M., Maud A. and 
 Blanche. He died Feb. 24th, 1882. 
 
 C. .1. HOOHAR. 
 
 Mr. C. J. Boobar was one of the jirom- 
 inent men of Fair Haven. He was born in 
 Milo, Maine, in 1811, and when old 
 enough, be engaged in the lumber busi- 
 ness. He was married in 1836, and in 
 1858 he came to Minnesota, from the town 
 of Lee, Maine, accompanied by his wife 
 and a large family. He was elected one (jf 
 the first justices of the peace in the town 
 of Fair Haven. He took a deep interest in 
 the afiairs of the town, school and literarv 
 society. In 1872, be quietly passed over 
 the silent river, leaving a wife and large 
 family of children besides hosts of friends 
 to mourn his loss His wife is now (1895) 
 in good healtti with faculties as bright as 
 many younger women. She is 79 years 
 old. 
 
 STEPHEN SIAS. 
 
 Stephen Sias was horn in Wyoming 
 county, N. Y., April 19, 1830, and lived 
 on a farm there until 1860. He married 
 Mrs. Desire Baldwin, sister of Benjamin 
 Grinols, of Fair Haven, in 1855. In 1856 
 he came to Minnesota an I settled in Anoka 
 county. In 18()1, he moved to Anoka, and 
 worked at the cooper trade until 1865, 
 when he came to Fair Haven, and re- 
 mained unt 1 1889. While at Fair Haven 
 he was engaged in farming, coopering and 
 carpentering. His wife died in 1889. He 
 then moved to Eden Valley where he 
 lived until hie death, which occurred in 
 1893. His only son, Frank L , is now en- 
 gaged in ihe lumber business in Eden Val- 
 l''y. Mr. Sias' step-son, Jerome Baldwin, 
 enlisted from Fair Haven, in 1S65, and 
 died in the army. Mr. Sias first came to 
 
HISTORY OF FAIR HAVEN. 
 
 57 
 
 Fair Haven in 1860, but on account of tbe 
 Indian scare went back to Anoka. 
 
 A, FARN8WORTH. 
 
 A. Farnswortb was born in Cherryfield, 
 Maine, in 1840. In 1861 be enlisted in 
 tbe Birdan Sbarp Sbooters and served two 
 years, and came to Fair Haven in 1863. 
 He engaged in tbe lumbering business un- 
 til 1872, wben he bougbt a farm of Rion- 
 ard Rice. His wife died tbat spring and 
 be went to Minneapolis and remained 
 there eight years, when he returned to his 
 farm, where he has remaited ever since. 
 In 1879 he married again. They have 
 two children. In 1863 he joined the State 
 scouts and scouted around Fair Haven, 
 and was one of those tbat pursued tbe 
 three Indians that stole Block's horses. 
 
 S. C. STHOUT. 
 
 S. C. Strout was born in Maine in 1833, 
 and went to Wisconsin in 1855 and en- 
 gaged in farming. In 1865 he moved to 
 Maine Prairie, and in 1867 he settled in 
 Fair Haven, where he operated a farm 
 until 1874, when he engaged in the mer- 
 cantile business for two years, and kept a 
 hotel one year. He moved to Monticello, 
 where he remained until 1887. He and 
 his son, Fred L., then engaged in the mer- 
 cantile business in Fair Haven until his 
 death in 1893 His son, Fred L , sold 
 out the store and moved to Paynesville. 
 WM. H. DAY. 
 
 Wm. H. Day was born in the town of 
 Gushing, Kennebec county, Maine, in 
 1821, and arrived in Fair Haven in 1856, 
 remaining there four years. In 1860 he 
 moved onto a farm in Maine Prairie. He 
 was the first constable elected when the 
 three towns were ortranized into one town. 
 He was also a member of the Board of 
 Supervisors. His son Euirene, was the 
 first white child born in Fair Haven, which 
 occurred in 1857. He tilled his farm for 
 many years. In Maine he followed farm- 
 ing and Inmberinjr. Mr. Dny assiHted in 
 building the first house built on the Fair 
 Haven town site in the fall of 1856. 
 
 R M. VANDERVORT. 
 
 Richard M. Vandervort was born in 
 
 Clinton county, Ohio, in 1842. He came 
 from there to Fair Haven in 1861, and for 
 sixteen years was engaged in tbe mercan- 
 tile business in tbat place. Mr. Vander- 
 vort has taken a great deal of interest in 
 town, county and national affairs, and has 
 been prominent in business connected with 
 the improvement of the town. He also 
 took a deep interest in tbe cause of educa- 
 tion, and tbe improvement of tbe schools. 
 He held the oflBce of town clerk for ten 
 vears and has held some town office al- 
 most continually. In 1862 be was one of 
 the party of fifteen that went to tbe assist- 
 ance of Forest City, upon tbe first of the 
 Indian outbreak. He also took a promi- 
 nent part in connection with the fort life 
 with the people of Maine Prairie in 1862. 
 
 H. p. BENNETT. 
 
 H. p. Bennett was born in Spencer, 
 Massachusetts, in 1819, and when 12 years 
 old he went to Chicopee, where he was en- 
 gaged in making patterns for a foundry. 
 In 1857 he came to Maine Prairie and 
 bougbt a farm and carried it on until 1863 
 wben he moveo to St. Cloud, and opened 
 a gun store and repair shop. In 1888 his 
 wife died. He soon after sold out bis 
 store and retired to private life. He was 
 one of the first collectors in the town and 
 also held tlie office of Justice of the Peace 
 SHveral years. 
 
 WILLARD C. TUFTS 
 
 Willard C. Tufts was born in Massa- 
 chusetts in 1836, and moved to Illinois in 
 1856, remaining there one year. He then 
 came to Fair Haven, look a claim which 
 he farmed until 1861, when he enlisted in 
 Company D, 4lh Minnesota Regiment, 
 and served four years. He then returned 
 and bought a farm three miles from the 
 village and tilled it fourteen years. He 
 then located on a farm west <>f the village, 
 where he now resides. Mr. Tufts married 
 Elvira Smith. Their children's names 
 are .John and Carrie. 
 
 HENRY BLOCK. 
 
 rienry Block was born in Hanover, 
 Germany, in 1812. He and Miss Johanna 
 Ziegenbein were married in 1842. In 1856 
 
58 
 
 HISTORY OF FAIR HAVEN. 
 
 he CRtne to this country, stopping a few 
 months in WisconBin. He started with 
 his family in an ox team and arrived near 
 the north line of Fair Haven on the 15th 
 of September. Here his wagon broke 
 down, and he located his claim near there 
 on Beaver Lake. He was accompanied 
 by his wife and two sons, H. C. and 
 Henry. His son H. C. now owns and 
 operates this farm. 
 
 JOHN K. NOYES. 
 
 John K. Noyes was born in Jonesbor- 
 ough, Maine, in 1817. His principal oc- 
 cupation was lumbering until 1856, when 
 he came to Fair Havt-n. He built an 
 octogan hotel, and operate I it a number 
 of years and in the meantime improved 
 and carried on his farm. He was also en- 
 gaged for a number of years in building 
 dams. Mr. Noyes took a deep interest in 
 the affairs of the town and county, and was 
 (juite prominent in developing the re- 
 sources of the town. He took a leadlnir 
 part in organizing the Old Settlers' Asso- 
 ciation of the towns of Maine Prairie and 
 Fair Haven, and making their meetingf 
 interesting. Mr. Noyes and Miss Martha 
 Small were married in Maine. He was 
 accompanied to Fair Haven by his wife 
 and daughters Josephine, Elizabeth, 
 Mary, Bernice, Laurie and Julia, and 
 sons George M. and Frank L. Mr. Noyes 
 died Dec. 7th, 1883, and Mrs. Noyes fol- 
 lowed him April 23d, 1893. 
 
 .MRS GEO. R. WHITNEY. 
 Among the early settlers was Mrs. Geo. 
 R. Whitney. She was born in Maine in 
 1821, and was married in 1838. In the 
 spring of 1857 the family came to Minne- 
 sota. Her husband started from their 
 home in Maine a few days before the fam- 
 ily, intending to transact some business in 
 Boston and then join the family as they 
 came along, but was taken suddenly sick 
 and died and was buried by his friends be- 
 fore the family arrived. The wife came 
 on with her family consisting of her ons 
 A. J., Alverloii, Geo R., Horace and F. 
 H., and dau.,hter M^ry A. The family 
 resided for one year nine miles sbove 
 Minneapolis and in March, 1858, moved 
 to Fair Haven. Mrs. Whitney and D. A. 
 Hoyt, were married in 1859 and moved on 
 to Mr. Uoyi'H farm on Maine Prairie. Id 
 1886 they were divorced and in 1889, she 
 married Sylvaruis Jenkins. Of the chil- 
 dren A. J. n)arried Miss Ellen Clark and 
 lived on Maine Prsirie aii'l kepi 8t'>re a 
 number of years He was S^econd Lieu- 
 tenant of Company D. 4th Minnesota Re- 
 giment. He died in June, 1884. Horace 
 was drowned in the biu flood near Bis- 
 marck in the spring of 1876. A'verton 
 difd in the army at Chattanoog April 23, 
 1865. Geo. R. is in business at Sauk Cen- 
 ter. F. H. is engineer at the Reformatory 
 at St. Cloud. The daughter, .Mary A., is 
 Mrs. W. H. Thompson, of St. Cloud. 
 
History of Lyndcn. 
 
 By E. H. ATWOOD. 
 
 ITS LOCATION. 
 
 The town of Lynden ie situated in the 
 southeast corner of Stearns county, and is 
 mostly covered with brush and timber. A 
 large part of the town is undulating:, with 
 a rich and fertile soil. The Mississippi 
 river forms its eatttern boundary while the 
 Clearwater river flows along its southern 
 line. A few settlers arrived in the town 
 in 1853, but it was not until 1856 that any 
 considerable settlement was made. The 
 town is so situated that its history is very 
 intimately connected with the towns of 
 Clea'water and St. Cloud. The settlers of 
 Lynden received their mail and attended 
 church, bough their supplies and sold 
 their produce at these points. For many 
 years the settlers occupied only the east- 
 ern side of the town, and a large part of 
 the western side of the town remained Uii- 
 eettied. 
 
 BUT FEW OLD SETTLERS REMAIN. 
 
 There are now but few of the early set- 
 tlers living in the town. Some have died, 
 and others have moved away There has 
 been but little of an exciting nature in the 
 history of the town. 
 
 LYNDEN WAR VOLUNTEERS. 
 
 During the r-'bellion, the town furnished 
 its (juola of volunteers for the army, and 
 her sons ditl noble work on many southern 
 battle fields. The farmers were an intelli- 
 gent, active and progressive class of citi- 
 zent*, and conducted their farming opera- 
 
 tions in an enlightened and business-like 
 manner. During the early years of the 
 town's existence, the settlers saw hard 
 times, and scant fare, and suffered many 
 privations. The following are among the 
 names of those who enlisted during the 
 war: Carroll H. Clifford. Frank W. 
 Clifford, George C. Clifford, John W. 
 Lyons, William h. Lyons, James M. 
 Lyons, E. P. Parcher, Frank M. Parcher, 
 Benjamin Robinson, Adam Bunt, William 
 Dallas, W^ilber F. Fisk, James Langdon, 
 C. H. Vorse and George T. Campbell. 
 There was one lacking to fill the town's 
 quota, and Levi Gleason was drafted and 
 afteiward promoted to chaplain. All of 
 the above named volunteers lived and re- 
 turned to their homes, except E. P. 
 Parcher, who was killed at the battle of 
 The Cedars December 7th, 1864. 
 
 THE FIRST SETTLERS. 
 
 It is claimed that John Townsand made 
 the first claim in the town, in 1853 He 
 was a native of Pennsylvania. William 
 and John McDonald and Joseph and Peter 
 Townsand arrived the same year, and the 
 next year took claims. Tn 1854, Jonothan 
 and Wm. Dallas arrived, and located in 
 the town. They were natives of Indiana. 
 M. D. Cambell came from Ohio, and Jae. 
 Cambell, his brother, from the State of New 
 York, and took clamis that fall. The next 
 year J. W. Stevenson and Abell Kent ar- 
 rived in the town, from Ohio, and took 
 
6o 
 
 HISTORY OF LYNDEN. 
 
 clainiB in section nine and ten. Mr. Kent 
 was aocompanied by his wife, and four 
 dauKhlers. Geo. T. Cambell also arrived 
 and took a claim thin year. 
 
 THK FIRST MARRIACE — A SCARE. 
 
 In the fall of lSo5, J W. Stevenson and 
 Miss Enima Kent, were joined intbeholy 
 bonds of matrimony. As there was no 
 officer qnalifit'd to perform tlie ceremony 
 on the west side of the Mi siHsippi river, 
 it was necessary to go across the river 
 Simon Stevens lashed two Indian canoea 
 together and took the wedding party over 
 the river. As the party was quite large 
 it took several trips. When the party ar- 
 rived on the opposite hank, a boy was dis- 
 patc ed for John Steveson, a Justice of the 
 Peace in the then county of Benton. The 
 place where they were is now in Sher- 
 burne county, Benton county having been 
 divid d. The bride and groom were ac- 
 companied by their relatives and a few in- 
 vited guests. But, as is usual in such 
 cases, many of the young men were not 
 invited to witness the ceremony, and fell 
 agrieved at being thus slighted, and con- 
 cluded to see the performance, invitation 
 or no invitation. While the bridal party 
 was waiting upon the eastern bank of the 
 father of waters for the arrival of the one 
 man in all that vast region clothed with 
 the authority to legnlly join them to- 
 gether, standing upon ground that had 
 probablv never before been pressed by the 
 foot of the white man, surrounded by a 
 primeval forest that h.ad never been des- 
 poiled by the advancing tide of civiliza- 
 tion, the young uninvited men had quiet- 
 ly crossed over the river and surrounded 
 the bridal party and secreted themselves 
 in the brush where they could see the 
 ceremony and not be seen themselves. 
 Soon the "Squire" came and began the 
 cerenaony. He had never before been 
 called upon for such a purpose It was 
 new business to him, but lie tiriaily pro- 
 nounced them man and wife. Th s was 
 the signal agreed upon by the uninvited, 
 and they simultaneously sprang up, fired 
 off their guns and gave the Indian war 
 
 whoop. All of the bridal party were badly 
 frightened, and the terrible shock caused 
 some of the women to faint. 
 
 (ieo. T. Cambell came from Boston in 
 1855, and bought a claim and remained 
 one year, then returned to Boston, but 
 came back in I8()0. That same fall Joseph 
 Townsand and Mins Harriet Ball, of Lvn- 
 den, were married. They also had to cross 
 the Mississippi river to have theceremonv 
 properly performed. In March, 1858, A. 
 B. Darbv and Jerusha Ingalls were mar- 
 ried and were the first couple to have the 
 ceremony performed in the town of Lyn- 
 den. 
 
 ARRIVALS K\ 1856. 
 
 Among the arrivals in 1856 were A. S. 
 Clitlored, Truman Parcher, L. C. John- 
 son, Geo. Vj. Warner, Martin Johnson, 
 Stephen Oyster, E. G. Mathews, T 
 Heaion, A. C Powers, E. <i. Mm- 
 thews, and B. T. Lyons. Tiiey 
 took claims in the eastern part of the town. 
 The same year Charles D'ily, Jo-epli 
 Pratt and Mr. McConney settled on the 
 west side of the town, near Fair Haven. 
 Mr. Dally operated bis claim until his 
 death about the year 1880. Mr. Pratt 
 moved to Nebraska about the tear 1873 
 Mr. McConney remained but a few years 
 (m his claim. 
 
 CLEAR\V.\TER'S FATAL BLUNDER. 
 
 The destinies of man, as well asof towns, 
 cities and even nations, are often changed 
 by events that seem at the time of verv 
 little imjiortance. His'ory is replete with 
 apparently unimportant events that have 
 turned the tide of battles or the fate of na- 
 tions. Cities have grown to immense pro- 
 portions in spite of unfavorable natural 
 conditions, while at other places, where 
 everything in nature points to it as a suit- 
 able site for a great metropolis, a stragling 
 town is found. Some of the early settlers 
 of Clearwater think that a very sin«ll 
 event changed the career of that place and 
 prevented it from now oci'upying the 
 proud position of the "Fourth City" of 
 Minnesota. In 1856, the Burbank stage 
 company were running their stages from 
 
HISTORY OF LYNDEN. 
 
 6l 
 
 St. Paul to the Red River of the North, 
 by way of St. Cloud, as well ae hauling 
 euppliee over tbie route. They found that 
 by making a road frona Clearwater to Cold 
 Spring it would save 12 to 15 miles of 
 travel over the sandy road from Clearwater 
 to St. Cloud. The saving of this distanc*- 
 was a biff item to the company, with their 
 heavy traffic. They made a propositioi 
 to the townsite owner? of Clearwater, of- 
 fering to mak« a good roa'i from that 
 plac to Cold Spring, through the rich and 
 fertile towns of Fair Haven, Maine Prairie 
 and Luxemburg, providing that, in return, 
 they were to have sufficient land for their 
 barns, stables and warehouses. They in- 
 tended to make this place a base of opera- 
 tions. The boHts could bring up their 
 BU[)plies from St. Anthony during the 
 whole season of navigation, whereas, it 
 was only during the high water that the 
 boats could reach St. CI md. The road to 
 Cold Spring would run through a very 
 fertile country, now fast settling up, and 
 soon immense quantities of wheat, corn 
 and oats would be hauled to Clearwater 
 and sold to be shipped by boat to St. 
 Anthony, and the money f r the grain 
 would be spent in the town for supplies 
 that would be brought up by water at a 
 rate cheaper than it could be 
 hauled by team, as the case was 
 at Saitit Cloud. Constquently, the 
 farmers could get better prices at Clear- 
 water for their supplies. T'len, again, 
 the immense trains of Rt'ii River carts 
 that made annuti trips to S . Cloud and 
 St. Pxul would C'>ine hy way of Cold 
 Spring to ( learwater, and h" they could 
 Bend their goods down on the boHt and net 
 their supplies up from St. Paul cheaper 
 than they could to go down with their 
 trains, this town would become the term- 
 inal point of these trains This alone 
 would be a big item. This, tokrelher with 
 the vast fertile country to the southwest 
 with unlimited quantities of ihe various 
 kinds of hard wood for lumber and m tnu- 
 facturing purposes, and together with a 
 splendid water power, capable of running 
 
 two flouring mille and a saw mill, would 
 naturally point out this place as having 
 all that was needed of natural advantages 
 to make in the near future, a large and 
 fl'iurishing city. But, the townsite owners, 
 like many others in the early days, were 
 short sighted, and replied to the Burbank 
 Company's proposition, that their lots 
 were for sale, but not to give away. The 
 result was that the road to Cold Spring 
 was never opened, and the company con- 
 tinued to go by way of St. Cloud. 
 
 FIRST BIRIH — FIHgT DKATH. 
 
 The first child born in the town was a 
 son of Peter Townsand. He was named 
 Byron in August, 1856. 
 
 J. W. Stevenon, who was the first to 
 marry in the town was th« first to die. 
 Hie death occurring on the 14th day of 
 September, 1856. 
 
 lynden's mills. 
 
 A mill was built at the mouth of the 
 Clearwater river in 1856, but before start- 
 ing up a flood washed it away. A steam 
 saw mill was erected and operated in 1857 
 by Frank Morrison. Stephen Ovester was 
 the millwright who built the mill. Thos. 
 C Rogers built the lower flouring mill in 
 1858, and in 1860 James Cambell erected 
 the upper flouring mill and operated it 
 several years. 
 
 FIRST SCHOOL. 
 
 The first school whs taught in a shanty 
 in the winter of 1858-59, by J. Kingsley, 
 from Vermont. The first school house was 
 built in 1859, the funds for building it 
 were raised by subscription. The first 
 teacher in the new house was Marrietta 
 Vt.rse. 
 
 FIRST ELECTION. 
 
 The first election was held in the house 
 of S A. Clifford in October, 1857. It was 
 then called CUarwater precinct. S. A. 
 Clifford, Truman Parcher and Martin 
 Johnson were judges of election, and A. 
 C. Powers and W. D. Davis were clerks. 
 A preliminary meeting of the voters of 
 the town to consider the question of or- 
 ganizing the town was held in 1858. The 
 
62 
 
 HISTORY OK LYNDKN, 
 
 HHltlerfl were f«'W nnd tliti lown whh not or- 
 giiii</i'(l until .Ian ir)tli, iHftU. 
 
 (llt(IANI/.IN(l 'I'llK low N 
 
 'VUit cili/.t'iiH liad pt-litioned tliu county 
 (■'iniiiiiHHionerH for im (ircItT lo foriu a 
 town. The pr-lilioii whh Kiuoted und tlio 
 volcrn notilit'd to luvfl on tlit' ir>ih day of 
 Jiiniinr», 18ri*,l, nnd orK>i)ii/,» l)y elevtint; 
 llin nfccHwary oIlicerH. The notice from 
 the county conimiHHioneiH whh Hiynt-d l»y 
 T. C;. McOlure hh clerk of thu board. At 
 tlie lirHl town iiieelinji; S. A. (llillurd, T. 
 Parcher and A. K«nt were choHen judges 
 of tdfClion. 'I'he county coniaiiHaionerR 
 hati desiKiiatetl the name of the town 
 "CroninK," hut the voters uhrintened it 
 LyndtfU. The following officxrH were elect- 
 ed aa the tirst oflicurH of the new town: 
 SuperviaorH, Snlh (iilil)H, cliairnian; Mar- 
 tin JohiiHiin and rninuin I'archer; VV. A. 
 SiiiniHT, iiivvii I'li-rk; T. I lualon arul F. II. 
 Tlioin|iKon, conMlahlea; \V. P. Iviehy anri 
 John .VIoDoiuild, justice <if tin- peace; S. 
 A. (^liflord, aHHcMBor; ovormcr of the poor, 
 N VV. .Merrill; road overHcer, .lonallian 
 ISar^enl; T. Hentoti, collector. 
 
 (iKANHK Oli" V. OK II. 
 
 In Ocloher, 1S7:5, a (irange of tite 
 I'ulronH of lluHhiiiulry waa or>{»i>'z»<l hy 
 Mr I'arHons, ninnter of the State (TrHnge. 
 \V. T. Kik'hy was elected niaater; T. C. 
 Torter, overneer; Geo. E. Warner, chap- 
 lain; .laincH IJaxter, lecturer; VV, .1. Hicks, 
 fc-ate kei'pir ; (! Winnlow, atewanl; B. 
 t<o.<«()rth, aHuiHtMht steward; .lohn Oakn, 
 H. cr.tary. Mrs. IviKhy, Mrf. Kirk, Mrs 
 UuHWorth and Mrs. Baxter were elected to 
 till I lie ladies' ollices, 
 
 I'lltST MASONIC l.ODllli:— CKMKTICHV 
 
 I • Ocloher, ISftS, a ni»sonic loiljff* whh 
 nii4;nii/.ed. Till- (irMi .illi.. ih were: VV M., 
 r I'. lu>»!ers;S. VV., .1. M. Mitchell; .1. 
 VV., S. ChurtnartI; Treas. and W. W. 
 Wi-lihier, Sec. At a nieetinif of the lod«e 
 in the '2(Uh of Ocloher, lS(i(>, upon lli« 
 HiikjueHiioii of VV. T. Hinhy, a committee 
 «HH appointed to sclut Huitable Kroundn 
 fur a cemetery. The committee reported 
 on the 'M of Nov«ml>er lollowiiiK, and were 
 inBtrucled to tile artielcH of incorporation 
 
 for the lodn<', and in its name to piirchnse 
 live and live-sixteenths acres of land in 
 section thirty-four, and to have it surveyed 
 and platted for a burial plsce, iiniler the 
 name of Acaasia cemetery. This wan the 
 first j^riund dedicated to that purpose be- 
 tween Monticello and St. Cloud. Through 
 the ihiluence of this lodt(e, they 
 have a hcaiitiful cemeterv with (grounds 
 well kej)t, an honor to the lodire and town. 
 They have added to the orit'inal plat iinlil 
 now they nave about 20 acres. It should 
 he an incentive to other towns to follow 
 the noble example of this society and town. 
 This oriraniz ilion may well feel proud of 
 the friiilH of their labors. 
 
 ACKNOWLKUCiMKNT. 
 
 For mu( h of the early history of I^yn- 
 den, the writer is indebted to, ami baa 
 taken extrHcIs from th« History of the 
 Mississippi Valley published in 18KI The 
 chapter in that work, jfivinjj the facts a» 
 to liVnden, wa-, undoulilwdl v, vrv largely 
 the work of the Hon. W. T. Kinby, who 
 was one of the early settlers and whs prom- 
 inent i I town, county and stale allairs. 
 
 This will en(l the early history of this 
 town. Many tliaiik«lo those who have 
 asHJstetl in t his work. 
 
 i; T. LYONS. 
 
 B. T. Lyons was one of the early settlers 
 of Lymlen. He was born in Yirjjinia in 
 1813, near where the famous battle of Bull 
 Run was afterwards fought. In 1840 he 
 inove<l to Ohio and from there to Illinois 
 in 1854. In ISJSll he moved to Lymlen, 
 accom|>anied by hi- wife and six sons. He 
 look a claim and op>-rnted it until his 
 death, which occurred in 188'.l. He held 
 the oflice of constable for a number of 
 y^ara. His six son* VVm. H., John VV., 
 Robert A., James N., Jacob H. and 1). F. 
 are all livinif ai the present time (18i)5) 
 exceptiim John VV., who died in 1887. 
 Two of the sons, James N. and John W. 
 weru in the army durini; the rebellion, 
 VVm. H , Robt. A., James N. and 1). F. 
 are farmiiiK in Lynden. Jacob H. is 
 farming in Fair Haven. 
 
HISTORY OK LVNDEN. 
 
 (>i 
 
 <iIC()I«;iS H WAUNKIt, 
 
 GeoFKts K. Warner was born in the 
 province of (iuehec. H« came to Clear- 
 water in the Hpriiit: of 1850 He firxttook 
 a claim on Maine I'rairic, but Hohl it to 
 MoHeH IreiaiKl, and took a claitn in Lyn- 
 <ieri, which he ha-- cnllivnted ever Hince. 
 HIh wif** joined him in 18''7. Me held the 
 office of ctiairman <>f HUjierviHorH for eit;ht 
 vearn and justice of the peace for a num- 
 ber of yearfi. ile haH been one of Lynden'M 
 PUCceBHful farmerH. 
 
 T. IIKA'I'ON. 
 
 T. Heaton waH l)orn in Walerbnry, Vt-r- 
 mont, anrl cwrne to Vlinnenoia in IS^fi. He 
 began that fitil huildinc the houHe he now 
 occiipieH. He han held the oflji-e ofchair- 
 man of HupervinorH for a number of yearn. 
 He haH eriKHKed in farming and operated 
 a tlireMhini; machine "-everal years. He 
 liaH a wife and five children. Mr. H. is 
 of -A lonu lived family. HIh menial facul- 
 ties are Hiili clear. He wmh born in IHi;^. 
 
 OKOUfiE T. CAMIililJ,. 
 
 Georjte T. (/'amht-ll was born in Bontfui, 
 Mass., in JH.'Jo. His principal occupation 
 was carpentering, which he followed in 
 New York and several otber states. He 
 came from Boston to Lynden in 1855, 
 and took a claim, then returned to New 
 York and remained until the fall of IB'Jl. 
 Jn AuKUHt, I8t52, he enlisted in Co. E, 8th 
 Minnesota Rejiunenl and served <»ne year, 
 guarditii; the frontier H(;aiiist the Indians. 
 In the spring of 18(j4 be was with General 
 Kully's expedition a^^ainst the In<lian'', 
 and went south that fall. Mr. Cambell 
 and .Vliss Mattie W. Whittemore were 
 married in 18(56. Thev have two children. 
 
 ALVtN TOWNSENO. 
 
 Alvin Townsend was born in Pennsyl- 
 vania in 1821. He came to the town of 
 Lynden in 1855. 
 
 H. A. <;i,iKi'«i:ij. 
 
 H. A. Clifford was born in New Hamj)- 
 ehire in 1814, and settled in Lynden 
 in 1856. He ojiened up and cul- 
 tivated a large farm in an intelligent 
 mafiner, and made a success of farming;. 
 He was cpiite prominent in town and 
 
 school afiairrt, holding oflices in both town 
 and scho(d. 
 
 'I'N.VIAN l-AltCUKK. 
 
 Tnman Parcher was horn in Vermont, 
 in 181], and came to Lynden in 1857. He 
 held ihe oflice of county comujiHsiriin'r anil 
 other important jiositions, hut prefered a 
 '|uiet life on his fine farm, 
 
 A C. J'OWEltK. 
 
 Early in the spring of 185G, A. C. 
 Powers, of Troy, New York, arrived in 
 the town and took a claim. He returned 
 to Troy in 1858 and came back to Minne- 
 so'a in 1801. He was married in I8t>2 to 
 Miss P. (]. Heaton, at the residence of 
 her father, T. Heaton. In 1864 he went 
 hack to New York and enlisted in a New 
 York regiment and participated in sev- 
 eral engajfements He served until the 
 close of the war. In 1870 he bought a 
 house and lot on the north side of the 
 Clearwater river and has resided there 
 ever since. He has held the repousible 
 office of town clerk for about twenty years. 
 His town record books are a model of 
 neatn(!MS and good order His family con- 
 sisted of himsell, wife and one daughter, 
 w. r. I'-JKii. 
 
 W. F. Fish was born in Lunenburg, 
 Vermont, in 1834. In 1857 he came to 
 Minnesota an<l settled on the claim where 
 he has lived ever since. He worked for 
 government contractors I auling sufiplies 
 for the Indians for some lime. In Febru- 
 ary, 1865, he enlisted in the Jst Minneso- 
 ta Heavy Artillery and wa- mustered out 
 and discharged Oct. 9th at Fort Snelling. 
 He returned to his farm, built a houoe 
 and began life as a farmer. In 1867 he 
 married Miss Sarah Townsand. For the 
 last twenty years he has turned his atten- 
 tion to gardening and is considered the 
 champion tomato and melon grower in 
 central Minnesota. 
 
 W. r. UKilJY. 
 
 William Tuttir Rigby was born in the 
 town of Oxford, Chenango County, N. Y., 
 8ept. 14tb, 1824. He was educated in the 
 common schools and Academy of his na- 
 tive town, and did such mechanical, mer- 
 
64 
 
 HISTORY OF LYNDEN. 
 
 cantile and common labor as circumstances 
 brought to his hand. 
 
 iKi wa * in:iiiied Dec. 11th. 1851, at 
 Corning, N. Y., to Miss Mariette Rowley, 
 who died Feby 18ib, 1853. He was mar- 
 ried again Nov. Ist, 1856, to Miss Susan 
 Pearce and immigrated to Minneapolis 
 the following May, and to the viUnge of 
 Clearwater in June, 1857. Hecommenctd 
 farming in 1859 on rented land. In 1864 
 he bought sixty-five acres of land in Lyu* 
 den, in Dec. 20, and later purchase"! sever- 
 al other tracts, making a large and fine 
 farm. He removed temporarily to the 
 village of Clearwater in t^je spring of 
 1892, and in June 1895 adopted it as his 
 permanent abode. The' farm is now 
 owned and occupied by his youngest son, 
 C. T. Rigby. By his second marriage 
 two sons and two daughters are living, the 
 eldest, W. S. Rigby at E^u Claire Wis., 
 the eldest daughter, Mavi E. married Col. 
 S. B. McGuire, of Minneapolis, and the 
 youngest daughter, Carrie M. married 
 Charles Finch of Tioga Co., N. Y. 
 
 The subject of this sketch was elected a 
 member of the Legislature for the year 
 1864, and re-e'ected f)r 1865, and has held 
 the ofBee of justice of the peace and mem- 
 ber of the Board of Education for Clear- 
 water graded school for twenty-four and 
 twenty-one years respectively in succes- 
 sion, and is now the village postmaster. 
 
 CIIAKLES WIIITEMORK. 
 
 Charles Whitemore was born in Dublin, 
 New Hampshire, in 1812, and arrived in 
 the town in May, 1861, and bought a farm 
 and erected a house that fall. He was ac- 
 compaDied by his wife and eight children. 
 
 He improved and briai;tifi.-d his fxrm by 
 Setting out trees and building good homes 
 and barns until the place has become a. 
 well known land mark. He has been an 
 extensive cattle feeder, shipping several 
 car loads of fat cattle each spring. About 
 sixteen years ago hi« sons, Joseoh and 
 Charles D. VVhilemore, bought the farm 
 from their father, and have ^ince carried 
 it on in the same intelligent manner. 
 
 .lAMES COLGROVE. 
 
 James Colgrove was born in Hornells- 
 ville, N. Y., in 1841. H arrived in Lyn- 
 den in 1866 and bought a la rare tract of 
 land. He taught school for a nuiuber of 
 years and then began improving and till- 
 ing bis farm. His principal line in farm- 
 ing has been the feeding and fattening of 
 cattle, shipping several car loads each 
 year to eastern markets. His beautiful 
 and highly cultivated farm indicates a 
 practical and intelligent supervision. He 
 has taken a deep interest in public affairs 
 and has held prominent town and school 
 oflBces most of the tiuie since he became a 
 resident of the town. He has invented and 
 perfected a two horse potato diggf-r that 
 will undoubtedly revolutionize potato dig- 
 ging- 
 it. C. BARRETT. 
 
 Among the later arrivals in the town 
 was H. C. Barrett, who was born in Bat- 
 tleborough, Vermont, in 1834. His occu- 
 pation was farming and carpentering. He 
 came to Clearwater in 1861, but in 1866 
 bough a farm in Lynden and moved onto 
 it and cultivated it twenty-five years. He 
 wa" justice of the perce and member of 
 the school board for a long time. 
 
History of Eden Lake 
 
 By E. H. ATWOOD. 
 
 In writing; up the early history of Eden 
 Lake, as well as of many other towns, the 
 histori in has to depend largely upon the 
 memory of the earlj settlers for the many 
 farls and incidents necessarily required to 
 faithfully portray the condition of the 
 people and country in the pioneer days. 
 Unfortunately the troublous times during 
 the Sioux outbreak, and the anxious years 
 of the Southern rebellion have tended to 
 crowd out and nearly obliterate from 
 memory the manv exciting scenes and in- 
 cidents that occurred prior to 1862. When 
 one of the early pioneers is requested to 
 recount some of the events that iranopired 
 in the early days of their settletn^^nt they 
 have at 6rst nothing to tell. The pages of 
 memory of those days, so long ago, have 
 grown dim. They have been laid away so 
 long and have not been thought of for so 
 many years that it needs something to 
 bring them out ; something to open up and 
 bring out those dark pages of memorj 
 from their long slumber. A few questions 
 skillfully put by the historian revives 
 and briifhtens the memory and vividly 
 recalls to Mjind the many scenes and inci- 
 dents ot thei*- e^^lv days. They are thus 
 enabled to recount the history of the 
 earlv settlement of the town. They can 
 tell of iheir privations and hardshipM, 
 their struggles to overcome the m my nh- 
 Btacles encountered in a new country witti- 
 out roads or bridges, without mills to 
 
 grind their wheat or corn, and with no 
 railroads within hundreds of miles, mak- 
 ing it necessary to haul all of their sup- 
 plies, except such as they raised on their 
 farms, by teams a hundred miles over 
 poor roads. Now they can remember and 
 will tell of their primitive modes of farm- 
 ing, with poor plows and home made har- 
 rows, made with an ax, saw and auger. 
 The harrow into which wooden teeth were 
 inserted was hewn from a small tree. 
 They cut their grain with a cradle, and 
 their grass with a snythe, raking it by 
 hand. Baggies and spring wagons were 
 almost unknown. But wooden springs 
 were hewed out and fastened in their lum- 
 ber wagons and a board placed 
 across them for a seat. Mr. A. 
 Swisher recounts the manner of 
 making roads in that early day. The resi- 
 dents were assessed four days poll tax 
 which they worked out on the roade be- 
 sides many days of volunteer work. For 
 many years there were few, if any, legallj 
 laid out roads. The easiest route was 
 selected for roads without regard to lines. 
 If they could not pass around trees they 
 cut them down low enough for a sled to 
 pass over. If a ro:id could not be made 
 around a marsh or mud hole, a corduroy 
 bridge was made by placing logs close to- 
 gether across the wet places and covered 
 with a few brush and .<ome earth. These 
 roads were barely passable, and were very 
 
66 
 
 HISTORY OF EDEN LAKE. 
 
 crooked, and .i« the 1 md was bouifht up 
 and improved, the ownerH obji'Cted having 
 them meanderintr over their Innd, po thej 
 had to be changed nod siade over. 
 
 Mr. W. T. Mills tells of the Ion? time 
 it took him to rut or swamp a road to his 
 claim. It took a stronn wagon, a power- 
 ful te;iiM and slow and careful drivi g in 
 tho«e dnys tn hHiil a 1 ad over these roadn. 
 The writer ban a vivid recoi d tion of a 
 ride over these roads on a bi>b sled one 
 wint r with the Hon. D. J. Hansrom a* 
 driver and owner of the rig. We were in 
 a hurry to get to the Grange meeting at 
 the school house. The horsee were not 
 shod and the roads were icy and when the 
 horces' feet caiue down upon th'- road they 
 did not remain vvhere they were placed 
 but slid out in different directions, giving 
 the hor'^es the appearance of diincing a 
 double schufHe. While swiftly circling 
 around one big tree and suddenly wheel- 
 ing to the right to dodge another the run- 
 ners of the bobsled wouM at the same time 
 run up on the roots of still another, ncHr- 
 ly pitching u« oat. However, running 
 over a log on the other side wciihl u-Ui'ly 
 right Hfl up again. The Hon. gentleman 
 did not seem to mind this rough riding. 
 It must take sevt-ral yeirs' practice to he- 
 come so used to such roads as to erg >y fa-t 
 riding over them. But tne same gentle- 
 man can now enjoy riding over fine roads 
 through the town in a 6ne carriage be 
 hind a spirited horse. Everything couies 
 to him who waits. 
 
 The following verpe is taken from Eu- 
 gene Fiehi's description of the road to 
 Bumpville, which fairly depcril)es the 
 roads in Eden Lake in its early days: 
 "Its biimpt)- bump and its jiggty jog, 
 
 Journeying on to Bumpville. 
 It's over the hill tops and down through the bog, 
 
 You ride on your why to Bumpville. 
 It's rattlety bang over boulder and stump; 
 
 There are rivers to ford and (ences to jump, 
 And the corduroy road ii goes bumptybump. 
 
 Mile after mile to Bumpville." 
 
 The town of Eden Lake is situated on 
 the south line of Stearns countv witli tie 
 towns of Paynesville on the west and Lux- 
 
 emburg on the east. Nearly one-third of 
 the northern psrt of the township is 
 prairie while the rest of the town has been 
 covered with a heavy growth of timber. 
 In 1895 a large part of this limber had 
 been cleared off' and the land turned into 
 beautiful farms with substantial houses 
 and mxny large comn oliou-" horns and 
 out biiildings. The curface ix undulHtii g 
 hut the soil, especinlly in the soutliern 
 two-thirds, is verv fertile. It is believed 
 that the 8)11 of E ien Lake is the best 
 adapted for dairy purposes of any town in 
 the county. Its rich soil, its hills and 
 vallt'ys, its splendid natural meadowu, its 
 adaptability for the raising of ;ill of the 
 tame grasg-s, indicate that the town will 
 in the near fuiure become the leading 
 dairy town of the county. Already many 
 of the intelligent and progressive farmers 
 ■^f the town «re gradunlly making prep- 
 arations for a cha- gefrom grain raining to 
 dairy farming. Many believe that their 
 soil is hettter adapted to clover and the 
 tame sjra-ses than it is to grain, although 
 they raise large crcpH of all the different 
 kinds of cerealn. A creamery tias been 
 siwrted in Eden V.illey and is beginning 
 to he well patroniz d. In anticipation of 
 the change from grain farming lo dairy- 
 ing, some fanners wre gradually breeding 
 into a class of cattle that are better adapt- 
 ed for milk and butter than those they 
 now have. 
 
 What a contrHst there is between the 
 Eden Like of to-d«y .itnl thnt same terri- 
 tory thirty-five years ago. Now are found 
 Inrge cietred and well cultivated farms 
 with tloe buildiuk'S, and with pastures 
 where lar_e herds of cattle and other do- 
 mestic animals gr:i/.« in contentment. 
 There are now fine, well-kept roadti 
 through the town. Bui go btek thirty- 
 five years. Tliis township and the luwn- 
 nhip of Vlunson formed oi^e town. Thern 
 was iHic a ro td in the township, and only 
 two or three houses on the extreme north 
 line. Two-thirds of the township was then 
 an almost unbroken and uninhabited 
 wilderness, and the first settlers found 
 
HISTORY OF EDEN LAKE. 
 
 67 
 
 it a longr and t.pHions undertflking to 
 swamp a road throuijh ihe wilderness of 
 fallen timbpr and over wet marshep, 8<> 
 that they couM get a team tliroutjh wiih a 
 load of hoiisehold goods, and thus move 
 their familieB to the places where they 
 had located their elaims. 
 
 There are sevtral beantifiil lakes in the 
 town that are well supplied with several 
 varieties of fish. The lartjest of these 
 lakes is calleii R ce L-ike. The others are 
 E len, Pi< z, Brown, Vails and Long lakes. 
 It is cUimed that Charles Holifer was the 
 first to settle in the town. He settled in 
 the north part in 1856, and was followed 
 that same year by Frt-d Ht-rberger. The 
 next year, B. Pirz and 'Ernst Holifer 
 took clniins in the northern part of the 
 town. In 1858 Anton Huschle and Henry 
 Boyer were amont; the arrivals. The next 
 yenr John Meverle and Thomas Thomatz 
 seitlt'd in the northern part of the town, 
 ami D. J. Hanscom, who was the first 
 American to locate here, took the first 
 claim in the southern portion. The next 
 year Hurley Clark took a claim adjoining 
 Mr. Hanscom. He was accompanied by 
 two sons and a daughter. John P. Meyer, 
 Geo. Weis, Michsel Weis and Mat Wfis 
 settle in the northern part of the town in 
 1860 There is no record of any more ar- 
 rivals until 1863, when Harman Flint ar- 
 rived. In 1864 Thomas A. Allyn and 
 family, Geo. Nichols and A. Nichols ar- 
 rived »nd took claims. In 1865 J. S. 
 Reeves with his wife and three sons and 
 ooe daughter, F. B. £imi<h, A. Swisher 
 and f»milv, Goin Hatuilton, C. P. Rus- 
 sell, Wm. and Horace Vail, Adam Eppen- 
 berger and Mortjan Driver came in and 
 took claims. In 1866 the following were 
 among the new arrivals: P. Vanblarigan 
 VVru. Marquett, Silas ('os-airt, James 
 Jones, W. T. Mills, R. McGuire, R,:.v. 
 Wilkins. In 1867 L. S. Bennett ai rived 
 and took a claim and W. R. Hoskinscame 
 in 1868. 
 
 Ttie territory coiiprising the town of 
 Eden Lake was a part of the disjtnted 
 hunting ground between the great Sioux 
 
 nation of Indians and the Chippewas. The 
 Sioux claimed the territory as exclusively 
 their own for bunting purposes, as far 
 north as several miles north of St. Cloud. 
 But the Chippewas often ventured upon 
 this ground to hunt and often lost scalps 
 by their temerity. 
 
 In the spring of 1857 a party of six 
 Chippewas were hunting in the vicinity 
 of Rice Lake and had their camp near the 
 shore. The Sioux no <n discovered them 
 and succeeded in killing and scalping one 
 of the Chippewas and caplur'ng their 
 camp The other five fled and escaped. 
 That fall eight Chippewas came there to 
 hunt. Samuel Wakefield had a t=mall 
 shanty without any floor but the ground. 
 B Pirz had his shanty about one mile 
 Irom Wakefield's. These Indians can)e to 
 Wakefield's shanty to sleep at night. It 
 is a custom among the Germans to fire off' 
 guns Christmas eve and New Years at 
 midnight. B. Pirz had an old fashioned 
 six shooter and coDcluded to inaugurate 
 the old country custom in his new home, 
 so at midnight he fired ofT the six shots. 
 The Chippewas were sleeping on tho 
 floor of Wakefield's shaotv. They heird 
 the shots and sprang to their feet shout- 
 ing "Sioux! Siouy!" and grabbing their 
 guns bounded out into the darkness, and 
 such was their fearful dread of their 
 enemy that they never stopped their wild 
 flik'ht until they were safe in their own 
 countrv. Up to the year 1864 there were 
 only a fe settlers on the north line of 
 the town, and two or three in the southern 
 part. 
 
 In 1862, at the beginning of the Sioux 
 outbreak, Harley Clark's was the only 
 family in the south p*rt of the town. He 
 took his family to .Maine Prairie and then 
 to Minneapolis and remained awav until 
 fall. There were about six German fam- 
 ilies in the north part of the town that 
 remained at home for some time, but 
 when Paynesville was attacked thev fled 
 to Mr. Middendorf's house near Rich- 
 n)ond. On the second ' ight, towards 
 morning some Indians fired at the house. 
 
68 
 
 HISTORY OF EDEN LAKE. 
 
 The shot could be hfard rattliriK against 
 the building. The me inside made a 
 great uoifle and the Indians were fright- 
 ened and ran away. 
 
 In 18G3, althouKb the Indians com- 
 mitted no depredations in the town, it 
 was known that small parties of i*ioux 
 were in the neighboring towns and that 
 they might inike a raid into their town 
 at any lime. Ro the people were kept in 
 a state of uneasiness during a large part 
 of tl at summer. 
 
 In the latter part of the year 1806 the 
 inhabitants of the township which is now 
 Eden Lake, but which then was a part of 
 the town of Munson, believing that there 
 were enough inhabitants in their town- 
 nhip to organize a separate town, obtained 
 the necessary authority from the Board of 
 County Commissioners to meet and or- 
 ganize by electing the necessary town 
 officers. Accordingly they held a special 
 meeting for that purpose. The following 
 is taken from the first town records: 
 
 ".Minutes of special town meeting held 
 Feb. IGih, 1867, for the purpose of organiz- 
 ing the town of Eden Lake, Stearns 
 county, Minn. Harley Clark was chosen 
 clerk, T. R. McGuire, Moderator. W. 
 T. Mills, J. Farrer and James lones were 
 chosen judges of election. The following 
 officers were elected: Supervisors: W. 
 T. Mills, Chairman, and T. R. McGuire 
 and Earnest Holifer. Clerk, D.J.Hans- 
 com; Assessor, C. P. Russell; Treasurer, 
 Thomas A. Allyn; Justice of the Peace, 
 James Jones anrf B. Pirz; Constables, 
 Goin Hamilton and Wm. Marqnett. 
 
 IIaklky Cl.xrk, clerk of the meeting. 
 
 "Minutes of the first annual Town njeet- 
 ing held in Eden Lake, at the house of 
 Wm. Marquet, on Tuesday the 7th day of 
 April, 1867. C. P. Russell was elected 
 and iworn in as moderator. Horace Vail 
 was a|)p<)inted and sw rn in as jndgf of 
 the town meeting to fill a vacancy. The 
 electors voted to raise a tax of three mills 
 on the dollar for town revenue. The fol- 
 lowing persons were elected to office. 
 Supervisors, W. T. Mills, chairman; T. 
 
 R. McGuire and Enrnest Holifer; D. J. 
 Hanscorn, clerk ; (J. P. Russell, afsesnor; 
 W. T. Mill- and B. Pirz, justices of the 
 peace; Wm, Marquett and Ernst Holifer, 
 constables; Goin Hamilton, treamrer. 
 The vote for division of the town, 13. 
 Aeainst division of the town, 24. 
 
 D. J. Hanscom, Town Clerk. 
 
 At a meeting of the su ervisors April 
 23rd, 1867, four days poll tax was assessied 
 to each man liable to do highway lalior. 
 
 At the second imnual town meeting held 
 April 7th, 1868, the following by-laws were 
 
 "That all cattle, sheep, hogs, asses and 
 horses shall be allowed to run at large be- 
 tween the first day of April and the loth 
 (lay "f October of each year. That a fence 
 to be lawful shall be f^ix rails high and a 
 rider, or eight rails high, the rails to be 
 four inches apart. 
 
 D. J. Hanscom, Town Clerk." 
 
 Many of the church and school records 
 prior to 1864 are either lo-t or were not 
 kept as they can be found only in the 
 memory of the early settlers, and as these 
 people are aged, it will not be lontr before 
 they will have passed away an I these 
 valuable records will be lost to the world, 
 unless secured soon. 
 
 EDKN L.VKE SCHOOL DISTRICT. 
 
 The first Hcliool district in Eden Lake 
 was No. 19. It was organized in 1865. 
 The firpt officers were: John Leind'^cker, 
 director; Charles Holifer, treasurer; B. 
 Pirz, derk. The first teacher was B. Pirz 
 in 1865, antl the second teacher was Tobias 
 Sleeper in 1866. The school house was 
 built in 1865. The territory comprising 
 this district included all of the present 
 town <if Eden Lake and one tierof sections 
 on the south side of Munson. 
 
 SCHOOL DISTRICT 68. 
 
 This district whs organized in 1869, and 
 the school house was built the next year. 
 The first officers elected were: C. P. Rus- 
 sell, clerk ; W. T. Mill^, director; D. J. 
 Hanncou), treasurer 
 
 Miss Lizzie Abbott tautrht the first school 
 in 1S70, beginning July 25th. Mrs. Mar- 
 
HISTORY OF EDEN LAKE. 
 
 69 
 
 garet Wjoings taught the same school the 
 next winter Mrs. D. J. Hascom, who 
 was Mips Lizzie Abbott before marriage, 
 taught the 3<1 term in the winter of 1871-2. 
 
 SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 69. 
 School District No. 69 was organized 
 about the year 1870 and its farst officers 
 were .John Cosnairt, Silas Cossairt and 
 James Jones. Mifs Cordelia Day, of 
 Maine Prairie, taught the first school in 
 1871, and ''irs. Wyninus tn tight the two 
 irext -tiirms. Miss Mary Greelv, (now 
 Mrs. W. F. Street.) of Maine Prairie, 
 taught the school in 1876. The officers 
 then w» r • A. Swisher, trt-anurer; Noah 
 WiifS. <)irec'or; John Welliver, clerk; 
 Mrs. Street gives a v«-ry interesting ac- 
 count of the condition of the town at that 
 time. She says that Mr. Welliver, the 
 Clerk, t<dd her that sht- looked too young 
 to teach such a large school, but handed 
 her H slate and pencil and said if you will 
 tiraw a townnhip plat and put in all the 
 sections numbered corrtctly, you can have 
 the f'chool It look her but a few minutes 
 to properly iiraw the town-hip ard thus 
 secured the school. She taught this school 
 two terms. There was no store nearer 
 than Mannanah, and the neartst railtoad 
 was at Litchfield. They had a weekly 
 mail. Mr Reeves was postmaster, aid 
 Willium Hohkins carried the mail from 
 Cold Spring. Elder Shoemaker, of Maine 
 Prairie, canie out orcHsionally lo preach. 
 
 SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 77. 
 
 Thi« district was organized in 1884, and 
 at its first school meeting in July, 1885, 
 the following officers were ele<ied Mich. 
 O'Brien, director; Jolm W Driver, treas- 
 urer; Curtis Robbins, clerk. i he school 
 houHe was built that year and MisB Ada 
 Dye taugh» the two first terms. Hatti* 
 Rogers was the next teacher 
 
 EDEN LAKE CHURCHES. 
 
 In 1875 Rev ('. Scoti organiz-d an as- 
 sociation called the ( hurch o( God. Their 
 first minister was Rev. S. P. Matheny, 
 who < fficiat»-d two years and was utilowed 
 by Revs. Jiid. RHymond,Wm. Parsons, O. 
 R Jenks and E. E. Torms. The church 
 
 building was erected in 1892, but is aot 
 yet completed or dedicated. They held 
 their meetings in private houses and 
 school houses until the church was built. 
 The first officers were. Elders, W. T- 
 .Vlilis and D. J. Hanscom. The first dea- 
 cons were Morgan Driver and H. W. 
 Welliver. There are now, in 1895, about 
 one hundred members in good standing be- 
 longing to this church. 
 
 CHRISTIAN CHURCH. 
 
 The first Christian church of Eden Lake 
 was organized in 1869 by the Rev. Wm. 
 Cameron. They had no church building, 
 but held their meetings in private houses 
 and had for some time quite a flourishing 
 organization, but for many causes the or- 
 ganization was discontinued, and in 1887 
 the present Christian church oiganization 
 was complet<-d and a church building 
 erected in the village of Eden Valley just 
 over the line in Meeker county. The first 
 trustees were J. H. Reeves, F. B. Smith, 
 Ursom White, S. Cossairt, J. G. Reeves 
 and J. S. Reeves. The first elders were 
 L. Rails and Ursom White. The first 
 deacons were F. B. Smith and J. H. 
 Reeves. Rt-v. John Truax was their first 
 minis er, followed by W. W. Pew and at 
 prisent Rev. J. A. Grice is officiating. 
 CATHOLIC CHURCH. 
 
 In 1894 the Catholit? church of Eden 
 Valley was organiz-d and their church 
 building built and finished at a cost of 
 about $10,000. At>out seventy-five fam- 
 ilies attend the churcK. The first officers 
 when organized were tliree trustees named 
 M. E. Weiler, Jacob Hammes and Ptt*r 
 Hunsoti. T.ie chureti was incorporated in 
 1895. Its present laymen are Jacob 
 Hammes an * Peter Hanson. 
 
 KDEN LAKE PATRONS OF HUSBANDRY. 
 
 In 1874 a Grange of the Patrons of Hus- 
 bandry was organizt^d with D J. Hans- 
 com, master; Elihu Swisher, treasurer; 
 and John Willoby, secretary. This was an 
 organization of farmers and their wives 
 and sons and daughters. Phis society was 
 kept up for a number of years. The meet- 
 ings of the Grange were pleasant and 
 
70 
 
 HISTORY OF EDEN LAKE. 
 
 benefirial to its memht-rfl in msny way?. 
 It proiuott'fl social intt-rcourse i»nH benefit- 
 ed them fiiiHiiciNlly and intelleoiually and 
 the oil menjbern rettret ihtit itwasulIow«d 
 to die out. 
 
 LITERARY SOCIETIES. 
 
 During the lonjf winter nionthH in the 
 new Hetllftiient, literary Rocietiefi were 
 formed. Tiie«e onianiziiions were rather 
 prinrjitive. But at stated intervals they 
 would have s'lme literary entertainnaent, 
 Buoh as debntef, enpavs, recitations, Ac, 
 These were kept up for many Tears. 
 
 This endt« the early history of Edeu 
 Lake. The writer teniK-rn hi« thnnks to 
 the manv cilizenB of that town who have 
 assidted in this work. 
 
 The following brief biograiihioHl sketch ee 
 all refer to the pioneers of Eden Lske: 
 
 BAKTHOLOME PERZ. 
 
 B. Perz was one of the first to settle in 
 the northern part of Elen Lake. He has 
 been closely identified *ith all of the town 
 affairs. He was born in Austria in 1819. 
 His ocrupxtion, after he had finished his 
 education, was bookkeeper in jjovtrnment 
 position. He came to Minnesota in 1854 
 and settled at Sauk Rapids. The next 
 year he went to Cold Sprinjr, where he re- 
 mained two years and then took a claim 
 in Eden Lake. The next year he married 
 Miss Johanna 1 1. •liter, and then settled on 
 his claim and li- jjan improving it. In 
 1860 he went to Pike's Peak and New 
 Mexico ."nd engaged in mining for three 
 jears. He then returned and bought his 
 present farm in sections 5 and 6. He was 
 appointed superintendent of common 
 Bchools to fill a vacancy, caused by the 
 death of the superintendent, Dr. Tolman. 
 He represented his district in the legisla- 
 ture two terms, from 1873 to 1875, and 
 with the exception of five years he has 
 be«n county commissioner from 1806 to 
 1896, as well as a member of the town and 
 school boards. He taught the first school 
 in his school district in 1865. His chil- 
 dren are Josephine, Magdaline, Joseph, 
 Angeline and John. 
 
 D.J. UANSCOM. 
 
 The history of Eden Lake would be in- 
 complete without tbe mention of D. J. 
 Hanscom, who has been closely identified 
 with the town since its earliest settlement. 
 Mr. Hanscom was Jmrn in York county, 
 Maine, Aug. 23.1, 1833. He engaged in 
 agricultural pur^uit'^ until he was 19 years 
 !«' Hge, when he engaged for three years 
 in ilie mer('antile business. In 185G he 
 come to Wisconsin, and the next year to 
 St. Paul and engaueii in the lumber busi- 
 ness until 1859. when he located a claim 
 in Eden Like, being the first American 
 settler in the town. In 1861 he enlisted 
 in Company D, 4th regiment, and re- 
 mained wiih the legimenl until 1864, when 
 he was honorably discharged. Returning 
 to Eden Lake be took the homstexd on 
 which he still resides He was the firnt 
 town clerk ill the town and ret lined that 
 office for ten years He was al-o asHessor 
 for 8 years supervisor 14 years, and treas- 
 urer 15 years. Besides this he nas been 
 on the school board 25 years. He repre- 
 sented bis district in the legislamre in 
 1881. Mr. Hanscom and Mi-s Lizzie 
 Abbott were married Feb 221 1871. Their 
 children's names >'re Geo., E. Stella L. 
 and Ella S. 
 
 FRANK 15. SMITH 
 
 F'rarik B Smith, although one ot the 
 later arrivals in town, haf been very prom- 
 inent in all town affairs. He was born in 
 Vermillion county, Illinois, in 1849, and 
 grew up to manhood on a farm. In 1865 
 be came to Minnesota, but returned af(er 
 a two years sojourn. In 1875 he again 
 sought the fertile lands of Eden Lake and 
 bought and improved a farm, and in 1881 
 Mr. Smith and Mifs Julia E. Maxwell 
 were married. Thev now have two chil- 
 dren. Mr. Smith has held responsible ef- 
 fices in town and Kcbool boards almost 
 since residence in the town. He was town 
 clerk three years, asHessor eleven years, 
 supervisor one year and was a member of 
 the school board many years and at pres- 
 ent is president of the village council of 
 Eden Lake. He was a prominent mem- 
 
HISTORY OF EDEN LAKE. 
 
 71 
 
 her of the Patrons of Husbandly. When 
 he bouffht his farm it was in the wilds of 
 Kden Valley with roads so bud they were 
 traveled with difficulty. Now this same 
 farm i« a pirt of the fl >urishing village of 
 Eden Valley and many trains pass 
 in sight of his house on the " 00." rail- 
 road. 
 
 A. SWISHEE. 
 
 A Swisher was born in Vermillion roun- 
 ty, Illinois, in 1821, arid whh brought up 
 as a farmer. In 1865 he cnme t>> Eden 
 Lake and bought a farm and improved it, 
 and has remained on it ever since. The 
 village of Eden Lake has ah-orbe"! his 
 land and he is now a re>*i<)ent of that vil- 
 latte although living in the same house 
 that he built in 1867 when there were no 
 roids fit to be cilied by that name in the 
 town. 
 
 SILAS COSSAIRT 
 
 Silas Cossairt was born in Vermillion 
 county, Illinois, in 1837. Farming was 
 his principal occupation. In 1865 he 
 moved to Maine Prairie, Minn , and to 
 E'len Lake the next year. He took a 
 claim of 160 acres and boujrht 80 acres 
 more. He has improved and operated his 
 farm ever since. ne married Aivira 
 Swisher in 1860 and had three childreii 
 when he arrived in the town viz: Mary B., 
 Samuel and Geo. D. Mr. Cosnairt hai- 
 be»n quite a traveler. He has been a 
 member of the town and school boards 
 many years and is now a member of 
 the council of Eden Valley. 
 
 The following brief biographical sketches 
 all refer to the pioneers of Eden Like: 
 QOIN HAMILTON. 
 
 In 1865 Goin Hamilton arrived in Eden 
 Lake and entered 160 acres uf land, which 
 he improved, but sold that and bought bis 
 present farm, where he still resides. Mr. 
 Hamilt(>n's life has been an active OLe 
 and he has seen much of the world as a 
 citizen and as a soldier. He was born in 
 the north of Ireland in 1825. The busi- 
 ness of hiB younger days was a bleacher of 
 linen. He came to New York in 1845 
 and worked in several states, but when the 
 
 Mexican war broke out he enlisted in the 
 regular army, and served in Mexico and 
 on the Pacific coast. After his time ex- 
 pired in the army he worked in the gold 
 mines of California for a number of years. 
 He enlisted and served two years in the 
 rebellion and re-enlisted as a veteran. 
 After his checkered career he settled down 
 and is operating his farm in an intelligent 
 iDanner. 
 
 MORGAN DRIVER. 
 
 Morgan Driver was born in Randolph 
 county, Indiana, in 1828, and was brought 
 up on a farm. He has worked ocasion- 
 ally at shoernaking, but farming has been 
 his principal occupation. In 1862 he en- 
 listed in an Indiana regiment, served until 
 the close of the wfr, anri was discharged 
 in 1865. He came to Eden Lake the same 
 year. Mr Driver and Miss Mary A. 
 Hedrich were married in 1856. When 
 they arrived at Eden Lake in 1865 they 
 were accompanied by their two «ons, John 
 W. and Morgan F., and their daui?hler 
 Mary A These children are all married 
 now. Mr. Driver took a homestead in 
 1865 and still lives upon it. Mr. Driver 
 preferred to live a quiet life but consented 
 to act on the school board. 
 
 L. S. BENNETT. 
 
 L. S. Bennett was born in Ohi© in 1833 
 and came to Minnesota in 1856 and settled 
 in ' e Sueur county, but in 1867 he and bis 
 wife came to Eden Lake and took a claim 
 which he improved and operated until his 
 death in 1893. His children, Angelette, 
 Delila, Charles, Nancy, Alfred, Matilda 
 and Angeline, accompanied them to this 
 place. All of these children except 
 Matilda, who is dead, are alive and mar- 
 ried, Mrs. Bennett's maiden name was 
 Miss Elizabeth Woodfield. 
 
 J. S. REEVES. 
 
 J. S. Reeves was born in Ohio in 1832. 
 When quite a small boy he moved with 
 his parents to Indiana. Mr. Reeves and 
 Miss Martha J. Campbell were married 
 in 1853. He came to Minnesota in 1862 
 and settled in Omstead county. That fall 
 be enlisted in Brackett's Battalion and 
 
7^ 
 
 HISTORY OF EDEN LAKE. 
 
 served on the f ontier until 1865 He 
 cnme to Stearns county in the fall of 1865 
 and Settled in E<ien L'tke. His three ponp, 
 J. H., J. G. and Wm. M., and hi» 
 dauebter, Anna J , accompanied him. 
 They are all now (in 1895) living at or 
 near Eden Valley. J. H. is a grain buyer 
 at Eden Vallev. J. G. has charge of the 
 grain elev <ior at Kimball. Wm. M. is 
 taking a four year's course at (he North 
 Western Christian CoUeite. Anna J. 
 married Mr. Wm. Workman. 
 
 W. T. MILLS. 
 
 W. T. Mills has been quite prominent 
 in the aflfairB of Eden Lnke. He was born 
 in Randolph couaty, Indiana, in 1834, and 
 has been a farmer all his life, except three 
 yeara, in which he engaged in the dry 
 goods business. In 1866 he came to EHen 
 Lake with bis wife and two sons, Wm. R. 
 and Noah r' , and daugoter, Abigal J. 
 The two eons are married and living on 
 farms near the homestead. Mr. Mills has 
 held the office of chairman of supervisors 
 nearly ever since he came here, being the 
 first chairman of the town. He baa also 
 been a member of the school boird twenty- 
 five years. He has followed an intelligent 
 
 plan of diversified farming, which has been 
 (juite successful. 
 
 W. R. HOSKINS 
 W. R. Hoskins was horn in Vermillion 
 county, Illinois, in 1831, his parents being 
 farmers. He came from there to Eden 
 Lake in 1868 and took a claim r)f 160 acrts, 
 which he has improvid and operated ever 
 wincf-. His principal line in farming was 
 raising catlie and horses as well as grnin. 
 He has been a member of the school board 
 fur munv years. His farm shows careful 
 and intelligent cultivation. 
 
 JAMES JONES. 
 
 James Jones, one of Eden Lake's pro- 
 gressive farm- rs, was horn in Randolph 
 county, Indiana, in 1838. He enlisted in 
 the armv in 1864 and served two years 
 and three months, and was mustered out 
 in 1866. He thm came to Eden Lake, 
 taking a homestead of 160 acres and buy- 
 ing 20 acres more. He has inipr >ved this 
 farm and raised large numbers of horses 
 and cattle, besides hay and grain. He was 
 one of the first justices of the peace in the 
 town and has been a member of the town 
 and school boards. 
 
History of Payncsville. 
 
 By E. H. ATWOOD. 
 
 The to-vn of Pavnesville is situated in 
 thtt fioulhwePtem part of Stearns county. 
 Near the center of the town is the present 
 incorported village of Paynesville. The 
 surface of the town is rather level prairie 
 in the northern pari, while the southern 
 part ie undulating and prior to settlement 
 was covered with brush and timber. The 
 northwestern part is rolling prairie. The 
 soil varies from a light sandy to a dark 
 rich loam, with a clay unbsoil, and is very 
 fertile. The N(jrth Fork of the Crow 
 River enters the town in section 18, and 
 flows in aB easterly and southerly direc- 
 tion, epieririg Like Koronis in section 35 
 This lake is quite large with several beau- 
 tiful islands. It lies in the southern part 
 of the town and extends into Meeker coun- 
 ty. It is a picturesque lake with its 
 islands, its many bays and indentations, 
 its bold wooded promontories and low 
 grassy nooks, and ever changing panorama 
 of shore and islands which it presents to 
 those coasting around it. Its beauties to- 
 gether with the invigorating and health- 
 giving atmosphere which obtains in 
 this region cannot fail to make Lake 
 Koronis one of the famous and ideal 
 watering places and healthful resorts in 
 Minnesota. 
 
 Tradition says that the honoi of making 
 the first claims in the town belong to 
 Messrs. McCormach and Bullard. They 
 located the first townsite in Paynesville in 
 
 1856; but when the town was surveyed and 
 subdivided in the following spring it was 
 found that they had located on section six- 
 teen, and this being a school section, could 
 not be taken as a townsite and so of course 
 had to be abandoned. The honor of mak- 
 ing the firft permanent claim in the town 
 belongs to Edwia E. Payne who settled on 
 section seventeen but a short distance from 
 where McCormach and Bullard had lo- 
 cated their claim. 
 
 During the summer of 1857 a postoffice 
 was established in the village and E. E. 
 Payne was appointed postmaster. The 
 mail was carried by Mr. Evans on foot 
 from Traves-de-Sioux to St. Cloud via 
 Paynesville once a week, 
 
 Mr. Payne was followed the same sum- 
 mer, 1857, by J. E. Pease, Geo. Lincoln, 
 W. P. Bennett, Richard Porter, Dwight 
 Twitchel, T. C. McClure, J. H. Boylan, 
 John Boylan, August Smith, John Baiten- 
 ger, and Fred Herberger. The two latter 
 settled in the eastern part of the town; the 
 others at or near the village. Elder C. S. 
 Harrison, a Congregational minister, be- 
 gan preaching at Paynesville this year, 
 being the first minister in th« place. He 
 held his meetings in private houses until 
 a school house was built several years 
 later. That fall Grace Lincoln was gladly 
 welcomed as the first child born in the new 
 settlement. 
 
 The townsite of Paynesville was located 
 
74 
 
 HISTORY OF PAYNESVILLE. 
 
 by E. E. Payne in 1857. Soon after a 
 townsite company waB organized, consist- 
 ing of T. C. McClure, H. C. Waite, E. E. 
 Payne, O. b. Freeman and Mr. Parks. 
 The townsite was surveyed and platted 
 that summer by E. ii. Payne. O. S. Free- 
 man, W. P. Bennett and D. Twitchel 
 erected houses on it that summer. The 
 towHBite compaay failed to fulfill th^ir 
 part of the proceedings necessary to hold 
 it as a townsite and the land was sold at 
 the government land sale in October, 1860. 
 It was bid in by Robert Blakely who soon 
 after deeded it to Waite and >icClure. 
 The original townsite was then vacated, 
 and in 1861 about one-half of the original 
 was surveyed and platted by John 
 filakely. 
 
 Among the new arrivals in 1858 were 
 Hugh Blakely, John Blakely, N. M. 
 Freeman, Stephen Harris, Luther brown, 
 Christopher Weasel and Christian Rien. 
 Later arrivals were Gottlieb Knebel, 
 Michael Schults, Angust Knebel and An- 
 drew Eckemeir. 
 
 Among the arrivals in 1859 was Daniel 
 Chisholm. 
 
 During the winter of 1859-60 the settlers 
 had somewhat improved their conditions. 
 Such food as they could raise was abund- 
 ant, but the cost of hauling goods by team 
 from St. Anilinnv made it difficult to ob- 
 tain them. Therefore nearly all luxuries 
 of the table were dispensed with. In 
 March of 1860 occurred the first death in 
 the new settlement, that of Luther Brown. 
 The community was small in numbersand 
 his loss was deeply felt bv all. 
 
 Among the arrivals in the new settle- 
 ment in 1860 were Christ. Helmer, Fred 
 Schroeder, Anton Wartenberg, Fred 
 GedoBch, Wilhelm Helmer, George W. 
 Prior, S. P. Roach and Lyman Reed. 
 
 In 1861 Edward H, Bates settled in the 
 town and opened the first blacksmith shop. 
 This was greatly needed in this far ofl 
 frontier town. 
 
 The first crop of grain that amounted to 
 much was grown in 1860, and that fail 
 and earlv winter the first threshing ma- 
 
 chine ever operated in the town was owned 
 and run by \Vm. Maybee and his brother- 
 in-law, Mr. Wm. Lee. Mr. Maybee was 
 afterwards killed by the Indians at Man- 
 nanah in 1862. The settlers were obliged 
 to haul their grain to St. Cloud, a distance 
 of thirty-three to forty miles, and had to 
 KO to the same place for their dry goods 
 and groceries. Until 1861 the nearest 
 blacksmith shop was at Jacob's Prairie, a 
 distance of over twenty miles, and the 
 nearest st' re was at St. Joe, twenty-six 
 tnilea away. 
 
 In the e»rly days the merchants ex- 
 changed their goods for etrgs and bntltr, 
 which they sent to St. Paul. For a num- 
 ber of vars there was quite a demand for 
 some wheat and a large quantity of oats 
 at Cold Spring to supply the n^-w settlers 
 on the Red River and otht^r localities to 
 the west, until they could raise them 
 themselves. During the Indirin war in 
 1862 to 1864, there was a good market at 
 home for oats, at fair prices, to feed the 
 government horses, stationed at d'fferent 
 frontier towns Then in 1864 there was a 
 a rush of immigrants to the Red River 
 and the counties west of Stearns Their 
 needs fur'UNhed a good market Hfor 
 all kinds of produce. 
 
 The Paynesville people found a good 
 sale for their produce at Sauk Centrr, 
 from whence it was shipped to the new 
 settlements. 
 
 When the railroad was built to the 
 south they hauled their produce there. 
 In the early days when the people gen- 
 erally uaed oxen, it took three to fourdays 
 to go to St. (^loud. In summer they 
 camped out while on these journeys, 
 sleeping under the wagon. These trips 
 were quite notable events. When anyone 
 intended to make the journey it would be 
 known several davs beforehand, and many 
 of their neighbors would send by them for 
 things they needed. One would want to 
 send eggs to be exchanged fer groceries, 
 others wanted dry goods and all sorts of 
 things, 80 that the departure or return of 
 a settler from one of these trips was quite 
 
HISTORY OF PAYNESVILE. 
 
 75 
 
 an inipoitant matter. It i8 claimed tlmi 
 the {)eo|)le in those days were more neigh- 
 borly, hospitable find erenerouB. There 
 WHS no Blealinsj and but very littl» qii rrt I- 
 
 The people were happy and cheerful 
 and looked hopefully forward for a 
 brighter future. 
 
 Th*' spring of 1861 found the cnnc'itioh 
 of the pioneers in ami around Paynfsville 
 somewhat improved, aftt-r four I"p<; yenr" 
 of the hardships and privations that usu- 
 ally befnll the first settlers on the frontier 
 of a new country. So far it had been a 
 lontf, }inrd struirtfle to «nbdue the wild 
 land and bring it into a condition to yieM 
 the bountiful crops of which its fertilesi.ii 
 was capable. This patriotic town was in 
 a poor condition to properly rt-spond to 
 the first calls for volunteers in thf spring 
 of 1861. All who could b" spared enlisted 
 and went to the front. But the situation 
 of many was such that it seemed imposni- 
 to go and leave their families on the ex- 
 posed frontier, so poorly prepared to take 
 care of themselves. Besides, in the year-t 
 1862 and 1863 these settlers had their 
 hands full in protecting their homes and 
 faruilirs from the savage foes that ravaged 
 and desolated the surrounding country. 
 But, after th*- dnnger from the Indian 
 depre 'ations were over, and before the 
 close of the war, this town nobly furnished 
 her qtiota of vwlunteers. 
 
 In July of 1862, T. H. Barrett, of St. 
 Cloud, came to Paynesville and called a 
 mass meeting at the school house, made a 
 patriotic speech an<t was followed by N 
 Darnell. As a result of ihe meeting M. 
 P Beckley. P Luce and W. N. Darnell 
 enlisted in Captain Asa Libby's compa- 
 ny, 7th regiment, and Alfred Harris and 
 G. W. Reed enlisted in T. H. Barrett's 
 company, 9lh regiment. Another mass 
 meeting was called in March, 1865, to see 
 if enough would enlist to clear the town 
 from the impendiuLf draft. As a result of 
 this meeting John Phipps, William Blake- 
 ly, Daniel Chisholm, John J. Brown, 
 
 Evan Thomas, W. I'. Bennett and H. 
 Jones enlisted in the Ist regiment. 
 
 The following is taken from the St. 
 Cloud Democrat of March 2d, 1865: 
 
 'Pliuky Town: The town of Paynes- 
 ville wiili twenty-sfven men enrolled has 
 a quota of nine. One of this number en- 
 listed some time ago, and yest^-rday eight 
 of th»- best ciiiz^rs of the to*ii, uni'er the 
 leadership of Postmaster Phipps, arrived 
 in this city on their way to St. Paul to 
 clear Paynesville of the draft by going in 
 themoelves " 
 
 The three following brave sons of 
 Paynesville were offered up as a sacrifice 
 to the cause of human freedom whiie in 
 the army: 
 
 Williatii Beckley died at St. Peter, this 
 state, in December, 1862, of me^wles, 
 
 William Blakely died in hospital at 
 Citv Point, May 6th, 1865 
 
 Geo. W. Reed died at St. Louis, Mo., 
 Oct. 20, 1864 
 
 The following are among those that en- 
 listed from the town of Paynesville at:d 
 served in the army during the Rebellion: 
 
 In the First Minnesota Regiment were: 
 John Phipps, William Blakely, Daniel 
 Chisholm, John J. Brown, Evan Thomas, 
 W. P. Bennett and H. Jones. Third Min- 
 nesota Regiment, S. P. Roach. Fourth 
 Minnesota Regiment, Andrew Eichemeir 
 aad William Helmer. Seventh Minneso- 
 ta Regiment, Michael P. Beckley, W. N. 
 Darnell and Harrison P. Luce. Eighth 
 Minuesota Regiment, Joseph J. Reed. 
 Ninth Minnesota Regiment, Alfred Har- 
 ris, Geo. W. Reed. First Regiment Heavy 
 Artillery, John Blakely. Hatch's Battal- 
 ion, Smith Flanders. Mounted Rangers, 
 Robert and John Blakely, John J. Briwn, 
 Anton Warlenburg, August Schultz and 
 Wm. Schroeder. Second Cavalry, Stephen 
 F. Brown and Smith Flanders. First 
 Regiment of Mounted Volunteers, Wm. 
 Beckley. 
 
 The inhabitants of Paynesville were 
 very busy securing their crops of grain 
 and hay in August, 1862. About the 20th 
 of August, the first news of the Sioux out- 
 
!(> 
 
 HISTORY OF PAYNESVILI.E. 
 
 break reached the village. The day previ- 
 ous, a wedding had been in progreRS at the 
 upper end of Norway lake, and the cere- 
 mony was just about to be performed when 
 a little boy came rushing into their midst 
 with the startling intelligence that the In- 
 dians had kill> d his brother and sister. 
 All was confusion in the little household 
 and the party broke up, and the guests at 
 the wedding immediately started for their 
 homes. Tliey soon met a party of Indians 
 who acted very kindly, shaking hands all 
 around, and appearing pleased to meet 
 them. But, watching their opportunity, 
 they began shooting the whites, killing 
 all but Mrs. Lunegburg, who at the first 
 hostile movement of the Indians, sprang 
 into a small stream surrounded by tall 
 reeds and sank into the water up to her 
 mouth. She there witnessed the savages 
 torture her companions in the most fiend 
 ish and horrible manner that their in- 
 generity could invent. They cut ofl' a 
 little baby's fingers one by one and then 
 its ears and nose, finding pleasure in see- 
 ing the child squirm and scream. They 
 protracted the torture of their victims as 
 long as possible and until death ended 
 their suflerings After ail were dead and 
 it had grown dark, Mrs. Lunegburg startt'd 
 for assistance, reaching the house of Ole 
 GergoDson wbiut three o'clock in the 
 morning and aroused them from their 
 slumber. She had traveled about eight 
 miles straight north over a very rough 
 country. Early the next morning they 
 all came to Paynesville and reported the 
 massacre. This was the first news received 
 at Paynesville of the outbreak. Prepara- 
 tions for the defence of the settlers were 
 immediately begun. A party consisting 
 of John and Hugh Biakely, Moses Pelkey, 
 Stephen Harris, Smith Flandet, Hugh 
 Jones, John Johnson and others at once 
 started for the scene of the masnacre. Ar- 
 riving there about five o'clock p. m., they 
 found thirteen dead bodies close together 
 and two others near by. They buried them 
 all in one grave. They then went into 
 camp. The next mornii.g they discovered 
 
 that a party of Indians had camped on 
 the other side of a ridge that night, 
 neither jiarty aware of the presence of the 
 other. They then started for the settle- 
 ment at the east end of the lake. They 
 soon heard firing, and hastening forwaid 
 found the Indians attacking this seiile- 
 ment. They rushed to the assistance of 
 the whites, causintr the s»v<ges to beat a 
 hasty retreat to »he t'mber three miles 
 away. The settlers then hastily loaded 
 up their goods and families into wajfons 
 and collected such stock as they could and 
 started for Paynesville, where they ar- 
 rived that night escorted by the Pnynt's- 
 viile party. Soon refuttees from thesodlh 
 and west began pouring into the town. 
 That night a meeting was called and a 
 company of home guards organized. 
 Stephen Harris was chosen caj)tain, John 
 Blakely first lieutenant and Hugli BhUely 
 second lieutenant and Joliti J. Brown 
 sergeant. There were about thirty n)en in 
 the settlement II was voted to build a sod 
 fort forty-one hundred feet square. That 
 night guards were detailed to keep wa'ch 
 and all possible precautions taken for 
 safety. There was b'lt little sleep that 
 night, for it was feared that their rxposed 
 settlement wouh) be attacked t)efnre morn- 
 ing. 
 
 Early the next morning the men w*-nt 
 to work on their sod fort. They expected 
 the Indians to soon attack them and 
 worked with all possible haste to get a 
 place of safety for the women and cbil- 
 ilren. The church and school buildings 
 were hauled up to make two corners of the 
 fort, while two dwellintf houses occupied 
 the other corners. A wall of sods four 
 feet thick was to be so built as to enclose 
 these buildings with basiians at the 
 corners Scouts were kept out on the 
 watch to prevent a surprise, and at night 
 the women and children occupied the fort 
 and the men took turns guarding the out- 
 side. Pickets were sent out about 80 rods 
 on the different sides, to give timely warn- 
 ing of the approach of any foe. 
 
 The men inside the fort slept with their 
 
HISTORY OF PAYNESVILE, 
 
 n 
 
 arms at their sides, ready at a moment's 
 warning, in case of need. In two or three 
 days they had the sidt-fi of the fort built 
 up five feet high, with provisions and w^ter 
 and preparations to sink a well for water 
 if needed They felt that now they could 
 stand quite a sieue. 
 
 About this time a company of voiunteers 
 from St. Cloud, un<ler Captain Ambrose 
 Freeman, came up and sroured the coun- 
 try to the south and west to assiot any who 
 mia-ht be found in danger on the frontier, 
 and to bury the dead. After two davs thev 
 returned to Paynesville. They remained 
 all night at that place and the next m'<rn- 
 ing returned to St. Cloud, accoHipanied by 
 most of the refugees who had fled from 
 homes on the frontiers and als) many in- 
 habitants of Paynesville. Thin so weak- 
 ened the garrison at the fort that it was 
 deemed unsafe and unwire to remain any 
 longer, for news reached them dailj of 
 terrible fighting and horrible atrocities 
 committed by the Indians. The fort was 
 consequently abandoned and all went to 
 Hichmond or other places for safetv. For 
 a short time Pavneeville was entirely 
 abandoned, but after remaining away a 
 week or so many returned to the village. 
 But soon the news came that a large force 
 of Indians were coming that way. The 
 settlers bad but little ammunition, they 
 were few in numbers, their fort was in- 
 BufEcient, and it was deemed unsafe to stay 
 80 they again left Paynesville for a safer 
 place farther east Some stopped at Rich- 
 mond and some at St. Cloud and other 
 places. 
 
 Several days passed and no fresh news 
 of Indian depredations were heard of in 
 the direction of Paynesville. The citizens 
 bad left in haste and their grain was 
 mostly in the shock and none threshed 
 out. They were in great need of food for 
 themselves and such stock as they had 
 been able to secure. This was about the 
 11th of Stptemper, when nine brave, 
 resolute men determined to secure some 
 of the grain. 
 
 They went back to their homes with 
 
 several teams and a threnhing naachine 
 outfit. At night they slept in the school 
 hoQse in the sod fort and placed their 
 teams ar.d cattle in the fort. They had 
 been threshing during the day and on the 
 night of ihe 13ih returned to the fort, 
 greatly fatigued with their day's labor. 
 After securing their teams and cattle in- 
 side the fort and partaking of a h'iKty sup- 
 per, they lay down in the Hchool house to 
 sleep, leaving their dog on the front steps 
 for a sentinel. Not a sign of an Indian 
 had so far been seen and nothing had been 
 disturbed since th«y had left th«ir homes 
 the week before. So they deemed it safe 
 for all to sleep. While soundly sleeping 
 thev were riadely awakened. A bright 
 light was shining into the school house 
 from the burning church anrt from the 
 school house. Mr. John Boylan stepped 
 to the door to ascertain the cause and was 
 shot by an Indian inside the fort and 
 severely wounded. This convinced those 
 inside the school house that they were be- 
 ing attacked by the Indians. Mr. Boylan 
 dropped down and crawled under a wagOB 
 where it was so dark that the Indians 
 could not see him. Watching his oppor- 
 tunity he made his way back into the 
 house. From what they heard and saw 
 they were convinced that the Indians did 
 not know "where the whites were. They 
 could see the Indians in the fort, the 
 bright light revealing th«m very plainly, 
 and they could have shot a number of 
 them. But as they were outnumbered and 
 knew that if they did shoot it would dis- 
 close their whereabouts to the Indians and 
 endanger their own lives, they refrained 
 from shooting. Finding that the Indian 
 guards on the outside had come into the 
 fort to assist in securing the horses, they 
 quietly scaled the walls and, keeping in 
 the shadow of the building as much as 
 possible, they started for the river bank, 
 (Crow River,) about one hundred rods 
 distant. Part of the way over which they 
 had to pass was lighted up as bright as 
 day from the burning church. The In- 
 dians caught sight of them while in this 
 
78 
 
 HISTORY OF PAYNESVILLE. 
 
 lightetl space and pourerf a volley of shot 
 after theiu, lorlunately without doing any 
 harm, and they succeeded in reaching the 
 wooded baok of the river. Jobn and 
 Robert Blakely remained with the wound- 
 ed man, carrying him nearly three miles 
 in the dark, and finally reached a deserted 
 house. Here they found a cotton shirt 
 with which they bound up the wound. 
 Mr. Boylan was nearly dead from loss of 
 blood, the ball passing within one-fourth 
 of an inch of an artery. The few settlers 
 in the eastern part of the town were 
 warned of their danger and hastened to 
 Richmond. A party from that place came 
 out the next morning and brought the 
 wounded man in and held the Indians in 
 check until all the st^ttlers had reached 
 Richmond. The names of the nine men 
 in the fort were John, Hugh and Robert 
 Blakely, O. S. Freeman, Hugh Jo'es, 
 Smith Flanders, E. H. Bates, Peter 
 Lagrow and John Boylan. The Indians 
 succeeded in taking ofl some ten or twelve 
 horses, some oxen and cows and consider- 
 able other plunder. 
 
 After the attack on the fort and the 
 burning uf buildings in the fort, and near- 
 ly all of the buildings in the village, the 
 citizens remained away until about the 
 20th of October. At this time the govern- 
 ment sent Com (>any E and *H, of the 
 Twenty-fifth Wisconsin Regiment, to 
 Paynesville. They immediately began to 
 enlarge and strengthen the fort and to 
 take measures to secure the safety of the 
 settlers. A large number of the settlers 
 then returned to their homes, some finding 
 only a heap of ruins, others finding their 
 homes despoiled of everything of value. 
 The troops remained until the middle of 
 December, when they were sent south, and 
 their places were taken by Company A, 
 of the Mounted Rangers. This company 
 remained during the winter. 
 
 While these conflicts with the Indians 
 were taking place in the village of Paynes- 
 ville, a little settlement of Germans on 
 the eastern side of the town were al- 
 so having their troubles. At the first 
 
 alarm about ten families gathered at the 
 house of Gottlol) Knebel, and all united 
 in building a sod breast work around the 
 house. They remained there two weeks, 
 the women an<l children remaining in the 
 hou^e thus fortified, and the men to the 
 number of fifteen would go out together to 
 secure their crops, first on one farm and 
 then >n another, always keeping someone 
 on guard and keeping near their guns. 
 After about two weeks, concluding that 
 danger was over, most of them returned to 
 their own homes. That very night the 
 Indianw attacked and burned the fort at 
 Prtynesville, and early in the morning the 
 settlers were warned of their danger and 
 all hastened to Richmond. During their 
 stay in their little fort, guards bad been 
 ke[)t out and relieved every two hours, and 
 every preeHUtion taken to guard against a 
 surprise. On the second nii^ht after ihey 
 arrived in Richmond the house they were 
 in was fired upon by Indians The next 
 morning a party persued these Dulians 
 for a long distance, the Indians burning 
 houses, barns and hay stacks as they went 
 along. 
 
 In the fall of 1862 Waite and McClure 
 opened a sm^ill store. 
 
 In the spring of 1863 most of the in- 
 habitants ot Pavnesville returned to their 
 homes, l>ut on the big prairies lothe8<iutli 
 and west, few dared to return to the homes 
 from which they had been driven the fall 
 before. As early as May rumors of Indian 
 depredations reached the village. May 2d 
 three soldiers of the 8tli regiment were 
 shot by the Indians near Poninie DeTerre. 
 In June Cuptain ^^ady and three men of 
 Company A followed the trail of Indians 
 near Kandiyohi Lake, where they over- 
 took and opened Sre upon them. The In- 
 dians n turned the fire and Captain Cady 
 was shot through the heart, and the In- 
 dians escaped. A detachment of Company 
 E followed a trail of Indians in Wright 
 county and exchanged shots with them, 
 but they also escaped. A sad event, which 
 cast a deep gloom over the community of 
 Paynesville, occurred on the 11th of 
 
HISTORY OF PAYNESVILE. 
 
 79 
 
 September. On the morning of that day 
 Captain Rutherford, Seargrent Edwardi 
 and another man of Company A, left 
 PayneBville for MaHnannh, taking the 
 place for tht» day of the rejjnlar patrol of 
 Company E on that road. When only a 
 short distance out, they were fir«d upon 
 by Indian'^ in ambush, who were evidently 
 waitine for the patrol. Seargenl Edwards 
 was shot and fell from his horse. Captain 
 Ratherford received a bullet through hiB 
 clothes and returned to Paynefville. All 
 of Company E who had horses iinmediate- 
 Ir started in pursuit. They found Seargent 
 Edwards scalped and dead. They followed 
 the trail of the Indians until it was lost 
 near Green Lnke. The soldiers remained 
 at Paynesville until May 24, 1864. 
 
 In 1865 Josiah Waite opened a store. 
 He sold out his store in 1867 to Darby & 
 Moore. 
 
 The first mill was a steHtn »iw mil] built 
 on Lake Koronis by Egl'ert Ostrander Mnd 
 Lyman Chandler, in 1868 and the next 
 year they huilt a flouring mill nn the north 
 side of Crow River, in the vill<«ge. This 
 mill wa-* afterwards ujov«d to the south 
 side. 
 
 AmoBg the arrivals in 1866 were James 
 C. Haines, who was a native of Canada. 
 He held the oflSce of justice of the peHce 
 for a number of years, as well as other 
 town and schord offices nrid was Appointed 
 postmaster. Egbert 08lran<ler aWo ar- 
 rived this year from New York. He kept 
 a hotel for many years in Paynesvil'e. 
 
 PAYNESVILLE SCHOOLS. 
 
 The Baitenger cchool district, No. 43, 
 was organized in 1868 and the first school 
 meeting was helil in March of that year. 
 Its first wfficers were elected as follow-: 
 John Schoenb b'-n, director; Andrew Eck- 
 mire, clerk; John Baitenger, tieasurer. 
 Emma Elliot was tti«^ first teacher after 
 the organization and she wns followed by 
 W. P. Bennett. Their present school 
 hoii-e WH« built in 1868 Mary Blakely 
 taught school in John Baitengrr's house 
 in 1867. 
 
 SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 52. 
 
 The first officers of this district were 
 Dwight Twichell, director; Hiigh Blake- 
 ly, clerk; Jacob Staples, treasurer. The 
 first teacher was Mrs. Alsina Blakely, who 
 taught 3 months in 1867. Mrs. J. W. 
 Sivers taught three months in 1868. The 
 schools were taught in a grainery until 
 1872, when the present house was built. 
 
 SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 162. 
 
 School district No. 162 was organized in 
 1892. Its first oflBcers were Henry Block, 
 director; Homer Beckley, treasurer; 
 Charles HudsoB, Clerk. Their house was 
 built that year. Ida A. Brown was the 
 first teacher. She was succeeded by Dallie 
 Young. 
 
 SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 27. 
 
 From the best accounts obtainable the 
 first school organized in the town of 
 Paynesville was situated in the village. A 
 frame school house was built in the spring 
 of 1862 and Miss F. Reed taught a six 
 weeks term that summer. This house was 
 one of four afterwards enclosed in the sod 
 fort and was burned by the Indians in 
 September of that year. In the fall of 
 1863 the house was rebuilt with logs and 
 Robt. Hoover taught the school that 
 winter. Mrs W. P. Bennett, S. P. Roach 
 and Mrs Daniel Chisholm are authorities 
 for these statements. A log school house 
 had been commenced in the spring of 
 1859, but the terrible storm of May 3lBt 
 blew it down before it was finished. 
 
 PAYNESVILLE CHURCHES. 
 
 The Congregational church was organ- 
 ized in July 27th, 1866. Its meetings 
 were held in a small chapel until 1872, 
 when their present house of worship was 
 built. Their first officers elected in 1866 
 were: John Lester, deacon; D. S. 
 Twichell, clerk. The first trustees were 
 R. P. Gilbert, James Lester, H. P. Luce, 
 John Lester and D. S. Twichell. S. B. 
 Trembly was their first minister. He be- 
 gan preaching August 3d, 1767. Their 
 present church was built in 1872. Prior 
 to that they held their meetings in a 
 small chapel. 
 
8o 
 
 HISTORY OF PAYNESVILLE. 
 
 MKTHOniST EPISCOPAL CHURCU. 
 
 The MelhoHist Episcopal church was 
 organized in 1859 with a membership of 
 thirteen. Their tirci minister, Rev. W. 
 N. Darnell, began preaching in 1859. and 
 remained until 1862, when he enlisted in 
 the army. Up to that time their meet- 
 ings ha>l bten held in private houses. In 
 the spring of 1862 a small house of wor- 
 ship was erected, but in September it was 
 burned by the Indians in their attack on 
 the lort. 
 
 George W. Bennett preached occasion- 
 ally in 1862. But on account of the out- 
 break there was no record kept, and there 
 seems to be no written record of this church 
 prior to 1864 that can be found only in the 
 memorv of its early members. 
 
 EVANGELICAL ASSOCIATION. 
 
 Zion's church ot the Evangelical Asso- 
 ciation sitaiiteii on the east line of the 
 town was organized August 15lh, 1864, 
 willi a inembership of about fifteen, but 
 now in 1895 it has eiKhtyeight. Its first 
 officers, Christ. Rien, -en.; Fred Schroeder, 
 and John fcjchoenleben, Sen. Their first 
 minister was C. Lahr, followed C. Brill 
 and F. Eoade. The Evangelical Assucia- 
 lion silUHieil in thf village of Paynesville 
 was orenniz»'d in 1893, and their church 
 building wan . reeled the same year. Its 
 trustees are John Baitenger, C. A. Zabel, 
 F. Frank. 
 
 EPISCOPAL CHURCH. 
 
 New Pay iieHville Parish of St. Stephen, 
 ■o-called because the first service was held 
 on St. Sleplien's day. 1888, was organiz«d 
 in July, 1888. Its officers are: A.Haines, 
 Senior VVardeu; A. T. Watson, J. W. 
 Vestrymen: Messrs. W. Haines, J. (\ 
 Harries, J. ti. Boy Ian, Geo. R. Stephens, 
 Dr Griffii, S. R. Cop«land, J. ^"air and 
 H. Baugh. W HairieB, treasurer; G. R. 
 Stephens, clerk. Rev. Mr. Booth Will- 
 mar was the clergyman in charge of the 
 parish and has remained so even since 
 holding services once in three months 
 Mr. C. B. Fosbrook was lay reader in 
 charge the first 2 years and Mr. A. Haines 
 siace. 
 
 The church was b lilt in '88-'89 at a cost 
 of $3000 of which ther^ still remains a 
 debt of Hboui 5*600. There were five com- 
 municanls when organiz-H. A. Haines, 
 Mrs. Baugh, Mrs C. J. LaGrave, Mrs. A. 
 T. Watson, and A. T. W^t-on. We have 
 now between 40 and 50 nommnniraxts. 
 
 ORGANIZATION Or THE TOWN. 
 
 In 1868 the town of Verndal** had been 
 organizt-d, including what are now known 
 as the towns of Lake Ht- nry. Crow River, 
 Crow Lake, North Fork, Lake G^oree, 
 Paynesvillt^ and half of St. Martin. 
 Paynesville was ori?aniz-*d as a sepsrate 
 town in 1867. The following is taken from 
 the town records of its first meetinr: 
 "First town meetiner was held September 
 231, 1867, at the hons'^ of John Phipps. 
 E H. Bates was cliDnen modnr-.tor; I. L. 
 Wait, H. H. Ramlolf and John BHiteriiifr, 
 judj^esiJ B. Pease, clerk. T'le nffict^rs 
 for the remaindfT of this year were chosen 
 by ballot. L En'o', chairniH''; Ji>l n 
 Baitentjt-r, R P. (-iilb^-rt, siipervi-ori- ; ,1. 
 B. Peace an<1 H. H Raodolf, jiisiif e-, Al- 
 fred Harris, constahlt- ;. J. B. Peas-, town 
 clerk; R. P. Gilbt-rt, treasurer; A. Chis- 
 holm, overseer of highways dirtirict No 1; 
 Alfred HHrris, oversft-r of tiitrliways di-- 
 trict No. 2; A. VVartonburir, overseer of 
 highways district No. 3 No money w:<9 
 voted rttised. 29 votes cast. I hereby 
 certify the above niinnteH to be correct. 
 "J B Phase, Clerk " 
 
 For ten long years the early setiler" of 
 this exposed frontier town ha) bravely 
 and uticoinplHiiiint'ly battled with ihe 
 hardships and privations of pioneer life. 
 Siill they were always cheerful and ni«ir)- 
 tained a hitih social and literary staruJin!.'. 
 Their liierxrv "ocietie- I'M frequent meet- 
 ings wliicli w.-re we" uir nded and greatly 
 enjoyed. Their socinl mee'liisis were fre- 
 (juent and pleasant. 
 
 Ii then took four tiays to make the trip 
 to St. (Moud with their ox teams Now 
 the railroad train covers ihe distance in 
 »1) ut an hour. 
 
 Ttie town was now (in 1867) faslseilling 
 up. The village was growing and bui-iness 
 
HISTORY OF PAYNESVILE. 
 
 8l 
 
 waB reviving. Comfortable homes were 
 being built and prosperity and plenty 
 reigned. The old settlers looked back up- 
 on their pioneer life as a sort of dream. 
 With a kind adieu, the writer leaTcetbem 
 with their well earned hapnineps, hoping 
 that some more capable writer will carry 
 forward the history of this prosperous and 
 enterprising town. Many thanks to thoee 
 who have assisted in this work. 
 
 Last week the history of Paynesville, 
 which has been running in the Times, was 
 concluded. Below will be found a number 
 of biographical sketches of early settlers 
 of that town: 
 
 JAMES H BOYLAN. 
 
 J. H. Boylan was one of the first settlers 
 of Paynesville. He was born in Burns, 
 New York, in 1834, and raised a farmer. 
 He came to Minnesota in the spring of 
 1856. In October of that year he arrived 
 in Paynesville and took a claim and began 
 its improvement. In 1859 Mr. Boylan 
 married Miss Canrissia Richardson, at 
 Cold Spring. In 1861 they went to New 
 York and remained there until 1867 and 
 then they returned to the farm which Mr. 
 Boylan has operated ever since. For the 
 last eleven years he has resided in the 
 village of Paynesville. He has been a 
 member of the town board since 1869, and 
 a member of the school board in district 
 No. 43 for twenty-one years and was post- 
 master under Buchanan and Cleveland 6 
 years and is now president of the Boylan 
 and Brackett bank of New Paynesville. 
 
 W. p. BENNETT. 
 
 W. p. Bennett was born in Burns, New 
 York, May 7th, 1825, and grew up a farm- 
 er. Ho graduated at a high school in 
 Livingston county, N. Y. Mr. Bennett 
 and Miss Mary J. Trembly were married 
 in 1853, and in the fall of 1856 they came 
 o Anoka, and in July of 1857 they came 
 to Paynesville and located a claim and 
 began improving it. They lived in the 
 village until the fall of 1860 when they 
 move I on to their claim. He was justice 
 of the peace for many years and has held 
 other town offices. He was assessor when 
 
 several townships were joined in one town 
 called Verdale. 
 
 JOHN BAITENOER. 
 
 John Baitenger has been so intimately 
 connected with all of the town affairs that 
 the history of Paynesville would be in- 
 complete without mentioning him. He 
 was born in Wertenberg, Germany, in 
 1833. His principal occupation in that 
 country was the raising of grapes and 
 making wine. In 1853 he came to New 
 York and worked one year on a farm, and 
 then learned the cooper's trade. The next 
 year Mr. Baitenger and Miss Fredricka 
 Yeager were married. In 18o6 they came 
 St. Cloud and built a hou'=e and remained 
 one year when they settled in Eden Lake 
 on section six, near the line of Paynes- 
 ville, and in 1866 moved over into that 
 town and took. a claim of 160 acres. Mr. 
 Baitenger was chairman of the super- 
 visors of the town of Verdale, and has 
 been a member of the town board of 
 Paynesville for many years. He was 
 postmaster from 1870 to 1887 of the post- 
 oflBce of Zion. He was intimately identi- 
 fied with the Evangelical Association, and 
 was their first >'unday school superintend- 
 ent. His beautiful farm with its fine 
 buildings shows careful and intelligent 
 management. He has lived in the village 
 of Paynesville for a number of years. 
 
 HUGH BLAKELY. 
 
 Hugh Blakely was born in Ontario, 
 Canada, in 1838. He came to Hastings, 
 Minnesota, in 1856, where he remained 
 two years, then coming to Paynesville and 
 taking a claim. Up to this time his prin- 
 cipal occupation had been carpentering. 
 He improved his farm and erected build- 
 ings on it and remained on it until 1873, 
 when he bought his present farm of two 
 hundred and lorty acres and moved upon 
 it and improved it and has remained upon 
 and operated it ever since. Mr. Blakely 
 has been a prominent person in town and 
 county affairs, having held the office of 
 justice of the peace seventeen years, and 
 county commissioner of Monongalie coun- 
 
82 
 
 HISTORY OF PAYNESVILLE. 
 
 ty three years, aa well as being on the 
 echool board for many years. 
 
 JOUN BLAKELY. 
 
 John Blakely was born in the north of 
 Ireland in 1821. He accompanied his 
 family to upper Canada in 1825, where 
 he was engaged in farming, siirveyiBg and 
 lumbering until 1851, when he came to 
 Minnesota and stopped at Hantingn, until 
 1852. His wife was the first white woman 
 that crossed the Mississippi from Point 
 Douglas to Hastings. In 1858 he moved 
 to Roseyille, Kandiyohi county, and lo- 
 cated on land half a mile west of his pres- 
 ent farm, on which he moved in 1862. 
 Mr. Blakely married Miss Jane Mo >ney 
 in 1842. She died in 1889. He has been 
 a member of the school board twelve years. 
 
 DANIEL CHISIIOLM. 
 
 Daniel Chisholm.a native of Nova Scotia, 
 was born in 1833. He emigrated with his 
 family to Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, in 
 1847, where he remained until 1859, when 
 he came to Paynesvillw and bought a farm 
 and operated and improved it, but lived 
 in the village. In 1862 they were driven 
 away by the Indians, and during these 
 Btirring times he moved to St. Cloud and 
 remained about a year, after which he re- 
 turned to his farm. Mr. Chisholm and 
 Miss Marietta Reed were married in 1855. 
 He enlisted in the Ist Minnesota volunteer 
 infantry in 1865 and served until the close 
 of the war. He has been a farmer all his 
 life. He has been a member of the town 
 and school boards. 
 
 s. p. ROACn. 
 8. P. Roach was born in England April 
 14th, 1836. He emigrated with his family 
 to the territory of Wisconsin in 1844, and 
 remained there until 1857, when he came 
 to Minnesota and settled in Houston coun- 
 ty. He was brought up on a farm. In 
 1860 he came to Paynesville and took a 
 claim and began to build a house and im- 
 prove his farm. In 1863 Mr. Roach and 
 Miss Susan Hoover were married. He 
 has operated this claim and other lands 
 that be has bought, ever since. He has 
 been chairman of the Board of Supervisors 
 
 for some time and a member of the school 
 board for twenty-two years. He entered 
 the army in 1864, and served about one 
 year. He has taken great interest in town 
 and state aflairs as well as in school mat- 
 ters. 
 
 JOHN PHIPPS. 
 Among the prominent early settlers of 
 Piiynesville we find John Phipp8,who was 
 born in Lawrei c • county, Indiana, in 
 1825 an 1 was rHiHe<l <>n a farm. In 1853 
 he went to Illinois and b >ught some wild 
 lainl and improved it. In 1859 he came 
 to Minnesota and located »t Silver Creek, 
 and remained there one year. He then 
 came to Paynesville in February, 1860, 
 and bought the farm that he still owns 
 ■ind operates. For the lust twenty years 
 Mr. Phipps has been in connection with 
 his son, engaged in the general merchan- 
 dise and furniture bus'ness. In March, 
 1865, he eLlisted in Company A, let Min- 
 nesota Regiment, and served until the 
 close of the war. He wis aHseescr oJ the 
 town of Verndale and also a member of 
 the town board of supervisors. 
 
 ALFRED HARRIS. 
 
 Alfred Harris was born in New York in 
 1840. In 186U he accompanied his par- 
 ents to Green Lake, Kandiyohi county. 
 In 1861 he came to Paynesville and took 
 a claim and improved and operated it un- 
 til 1883, when he sold his farm and moved 
 to Lincoln county and bought a farm and 
 operated it three years. Then he returned 
 and located in the village of Paynesville, 
 where he has since resided. In August, 
 1862, he enlisted in the army and served 
 until the close of the war. He was elected 
 constable when the town was organized in 
 1S67, and has held the office twenty-four 
 years. 
 
 ALEXANDER CHISIIOLM. 
 
 Alexander Chisholm was born in Nova 
 Scotia in 1847, and when two years old ac- 
 companied his parents to Wisconsin. His 
 parents were farmers. In the fall of 1862 
 he came to Paynesville and worked for 
 the Burb^nk Stage Company for four 
 years. He then bought 280 acres of land, 
 
HISTORY OF PAYNESVILE 
 
 83 
 
 on which the Great Northern station now 
 8tandf>, and has operated it ever since. 
 Mr. Chisholm has betm pronainent in po- 
 litical matters and has taken a depp inter- 
 est in town and state affairs. He repre- 
 sented his district in the legislature in 
 1873 and also in 1895. He has been one 
 of the town board for many years. 
 
 MICHAEL BECKLEY 
 
 Michael Bfckly was born in Syracuse, 
 N. Y., in 1831, and brought up on a farm. 
 He came to Paynesville in 1862. He en- 
 listed in the 7th regiment that same year 
 and served thiee years, and then returned 
 to his farm. In 1875 he built the lower 
 flouring mill, c-illed the Crow River mill, 
 and has operated it in conn^'ction with his 
 farm for the last twenty years. He is now 
 in Kansas. 
 
 W. H. BLASDELL. 
 
 W. H. Blasdell was born in lower Canada 
 in 1816 and lived on a farm. At the age 
 of seventeen he accompanied bis parer<ts 
 to Ohio. In 1842 he moved to Frankfort, 
 Illinois, where he resided lor twenty 
 years, with the exception of four years, 
 when he was sheriff of Will county and 
 lived at Joliet. While in Illinois he was 
 engaged in farming, lumbering and hotel 
 business. In 1863 he came to Paynesvillc 
 and took a claim and began farming and 
 stock raising, as well as keeping a hotel. 
 He was justice of the peace for many 
 years and a member of tiie school board 
 all the while that he lived there. Mr. 
 Blasdell died April 24, 1887. His wife, 
 who survives him, is still in good health 
 and active, with a strong and vivid mem- 
 ory of their early pioneer life. 
 
 EGBERT 08TBANDER. 
 
 Egbert O^trandcr, deceased, was a na- 
 tive of the State of New York, where he 
 was born in 1815. He came to Illinois in 
 1837, locHting at Kankakee, and thence to 
 Paynepville in 1866, where he opentd the 
 Ostrander House on the 4th of Jnly, 1873. 
 He married Miss Delilah J. Sargent, of 
 
 Indiana, in 1839. Their children are 
 Henry M., Marietta, John Q , James E., 
 Enoch M., R jal C, Hannah A., Eliza- 
 beth J. and William H. Mr. Ostrander 
 died in September, 1878. 
 
 JOHN W. DARBY. 
 
 One of the prominent persons of Paynes- 
 ville is John W. Darby, who w«s born in 
 Cambridge, Washintrton county. New 
 York, August 19, 18.35. He reninined 
 there, attendii^g school and working as a 
 machinist, until 1853. He Horked at his 
 trade as a nmrliinift in several states or 
 attended school until 1863, when he en- 
 listed and served until the cl<is>^ of the 
 war. He whs in General J. J. Barileti's 
 division, to which General Lee stacked 
 arms at his surrender. After his return 
 home his health was such that he could 
 not work at his trade. He started .vest and 
 Plopped at Chicago until the spring of 
 1867, when he came to Paynesville, and in 
 company with J. Moore, bought out J. L. 
 Waite's store, and wac appointed poet- 
 master, retaining this cfBce twenty-one 
 years. He has hehl the oflir»8 of justice 
 of the peace, supervisor nnd town clerk. 
 He married Miss Emma Elliott, of 
 Canton, Pennsylvania, J»n. 15, 1870. 
 They have one child, Bennett L. 
 
 A. K. BUGBIE 
 
 One of the later arrivals in the town 
 was A. E Bugbie, who wss born in 
 Holyoke, Mass., in 1849. When he was 
 quite young he move<l ^^ith his lnniily to 
 Belchertown, where he remained until 
 fourteen years old. They then moved to 
 Spring6eld, Mhss. In 1868 he arrived in 
 Paynesville. He had been a farmer. He 
 taught school five years, then bought a 
 farm and has operated it ever since. He 
 has held some responsible offices nearly 
 ever since his arrival in the town. He 
 has served ss town clerk twenty-two year* ; 
 was assessor three years and three years a 
 member of the School board.