Anoka County, Minnesota - Chapter 9: Returning Prosperity, 1905

Chapter 9: Returning Prosperity

Recovery from the panic of 1857 was more rapid llian from aii}' similar convulsion since the settlement of the West. Energies which had long been wasted in land speculation were quickly turned into productive channels. Crops in Minnesota were generally poor in 1858, but in Anoka county they were above the average, and after the harvest of 1859, the economic pinch had largely passed.

According to the census returns, Anoka county in 1859 produced 34,734 bushels of potatoes, 40,411 bushels of corn, 8.762 bushels of wheat, 9,917 bushels of oats, and 315 bushels of rye. This bountiful crop placed the people generally in a fairly prosperous condition once more. The secession of southern states brought another financial flurry in the fall of i860 and there were a number of business failures in the west, but the trouble was of short duration and hardly reached the mass of the people. Coin disappeared a second time with the advent of the greenbacks in 1861, but this occasioned no economic disturbance save a rapid rise in the cost of commodities.

On the night of May 31, 1863, a serious fire occurred at Anoka. The fire started in the shoe store of Colbath Brothers from the upsetting of a lamp. George C. Colbath and Thomas G. Henderson, who were in the store at the time were so badly burned that Colbath died soon after, and Henderson carried the marks of the conflagration to the day of his death. Adjoining buildings were saved, but Colbath's store and contents were destroyed. This disaster was made the more serious by the fact that Colbath was county treasurer at the time, and most of the books and papers of his office were destroyed. The county commissioners appointed H. L. Ticknor as his successor, and so well did the latter succeed in adjusting- the accounts that no complaint was ever made of his settlement of the matter. The office of the Anoka Republican was badly damaged and the paper came to an end. The forms and most of the type were saved however. The bed of the old press still does duty in the Union office as an imposing stone.

About 1857 George W. Putnam started a store near the present site of the Lincohi mill. He afterward engaged in the hardware business, and for many years was county auditor.

The banner crops of 1859 consisted largely of potatoes and corn, but the high price of wool tempted many into sheep raising the next \car, and there was a tendency to return to the raising of wheat, which had been the main crop before the panic. The census enumerators were able to find only fifty sheep in the county in i860. In 1870 the number had risen to 1745. In 1866 the Colorado beetle, better known as the potato bug, made its appearance for the first time, and the following year the potato crop was badly damaged by the pests. Children were sent out to knock them ofif the vines with sticks, and they were gathered in pails into which hot water was poured. In 1867 a few venturesome people tried poisoning the bugs with Paris green, but others shook their heads over this treatment, and feared the potatoes would also be poisoned and rendered unfit for food. The idea got abroad that the bugs themselves were also poisonous. The bugs never disappeared like the grasshoppers, and the problem of fighting the pests was renewed year by year. P.y [869 the potato crop of the county had fallen to less than half the amount of ten years previous, while the wheat crop had tripled in quantity. Ciradually improved methods of applying Paris green came into use, and by 1879 the potato crop had reached 68,000 bushels, which nevertheless was not much of a showing when compared with t 2 1,000 bushels of corn and 94,000 bushels of wheat raised the same year.

Reuel L. Hall

young man whose advent was a matter of great moment to the people of this and other counties of the Northwest. He went to work at lumbering on the Medway river in the northern part of the state, and while there became acquainted with a man of means and unfolded to him a plan which had long been forming in his mind. The young man was Reuel L. Hall, and his nionied friend was C. F. Leland. Having interested Mr. Leland in the matter. Mr. Hal! returned to Maine, where he had already acquired a knowledge of the method whereby starch could be extracted from potatoes. With considerable difficulty he obtained new facts and figures pertaining to the business, and at that time formed the plans of the factory wliich he afterward built in Anoka on* the bank of Rum river.

When returning from Maine to Minnesota, he stopped in Uoston to talk over with the largest starch dealer in the United States, the advisability of engaging in such an enterprise in Minnesota. This firm handled ninetenths of all the foreign and domestic starch used in this country. Much to his surprise, these Uoston men threw cold water on his project, and among other things, said that there was all the potato starch being manufactured that could be sold, and further stated that western potatoes did not contain sufficient quantities of starch to warrant starting such a business. But Mr. Hall knew the method of testing potatoes for starch, and his tests convinced him that the starch was thert, and that he could get it out.

Shortly after his return to Minnesota, the firm of Leland & Hall built at Anoka, in the summer of 1886, the largest potato starch factory in the United States, and the first in the West, at a cost of $25,000. Then Mr. Hall's troubles began. With a large plant on his hands and in a community not accustomed to raising potatoes in large quantities, the result was that the factory lay practically idle the first two years, and not until the third year did it have anything like a decent run. This crop, while not a large one. convinced those who planted that the potato crop, even at factory prices, paid much better than any other crop raised. From that time on, Mr. Hall had no trouble in securing acreage. When this fact became fully demonstrated, the value of land doubled and in some instances trebled in price. The large production of potatoes through this section, brought in shippers from all over the country, thereby giving the farmers two chances for marketing their fields of potatoes.

Two years later, Mr. Hall built a factory at Monticello, and within a year or two, one at North Branch and one at Harris, Minnesota. All of these factories proved successful and of great benefit to the farmers - so much so that people from other localities investigated and built factories. There are now over twenty factories in the West, as a direct result of Mr. Hall's enterprise ; consequently potato raising has become a large business in the West and is increasing every year.

Anoka county potatoes have become famous for their excellent eating qualities, and have been shipped to every state in the Union, meeting with a ready sale everywhere.

Reclaiming Marsh Land

About 1884 the first public ditch was constructed in Anoka county. The work was done under a recent act of the legislature, permitting the cost to be assessed against the benefitted property. O'Connell Twitchell of Centrcville. who had lately been a member of the board of county commissioners, was its principal champion, and finally succeeded in persuading the board to order

There was a large tract of low, marshy land running through the eastern part of the county, too wet to raise hay to any extent and practically worthless. Soon after the completion of the TVnonc ditch Montgomery & Mor- ley bought a considerable amount of this land and besought the commissioners to order more ditches. A few ditches were ordered, and some land reclaimed. But it was not until James T. Elwell became interested in the matter that any great amount of progress was made. Mr. Elwell had had some previous experience with drain- ing- wet land. He had some years before platted several additions to Minneapolis upon land which had been waste land until he put in some miles of box drains and drain tile.

About 1886 Mr. Elwell purchased 8500 acres of Montgomery & Morley's land in eastern Ham Lake. He then purchased from the Great Northern and St. Paul & Duluth railroad companies and the Jay Cooke estate all the lands which they owned in the towns of Linwood, Bethel, Columbus and Ham Lake. He next purchased irom Parker & Johnson about 6000 acres in Blaine, and various other pieces which connected these various tracts. He succeeded in getting the intervening lands to such an extent that his properties were all connected. In all he acquired 52,700 acres. About 200 miles of ditch were then constructed.

At his own expense Mr. Elwell built a road in an air line eight miles long, connecting his Oak Leaf stock farm in Ham Lake with his Golden Lake stock farm in Blaine. It was made with a ditch on each side and is still known as the Elwell Grade. Part of the work was done in the winter so that it could be more easily handled. It was all let by contract to the lowest bidder, and cost about $1000 a mile. It served to demonstrate the feasibility of an air line road through a country full of marshes.

Not only, was Mr. Elwell's land reclaimed from the bog, but ditches multiplied rapidly, and vast tracts of adjoining lands, and wet lands throughout the count\ were drained and made productive. A large part of the towns of Linwood, Columbus, Ham Lake, Bethel and Blaine have been benefitted in this manner.

Education

Most of the land has been disposed of, but Mr. Elwell still retains between 2,000 and 3,000 acres. The total amount invested by him was about $625,000.

The first school in Anoka couiily was a private school taught by Miss Julia Woodman (Mrs. Hamm) during the winter of 1853-4. It was kept in the "old" Companv Boarding House, which stood on Van Buren street just east of Second avenue. This building was afterward moved out on ]\fain street and was for years in use as a barn in the rear of Charles Qiurch's residence. It shouM not be confused with the "new" Company Boarding House, which was built somewhat later and stood on the present site of the Anoka National Bank.

The next winter (1854-5) there was no school in the village, and the older pupils repaired to Nathan Shumway's house in the town of Ramsey, where Miss Sarah C. Bowen (Mrs. Moses Brown, Minneapolis), kept a private school. During the summer of 1855 -^ school was kept by Sarah Lufkin in a small building on the southwest corner of Van Buren street and Third avenue. This building was afterward used as a dwelling.

In the fall a larger and more substantial building was erected just south of the present library building and about opposite the front door of the present court house. This building was ready for occupancy early in December, 1855, and became known later as the Third Avenue School House. The first teacher was George W. Smiley. There were forty-five or fifty pupils, more than half of whom are still living within the state. How the flame of interest awakes when that school is mentioned to one of its old-time attendants ! These were some of them : Hannah Robhins, Andrew B. Robbing (Robbinsdale, Hennepin Co.), John Robbins, Orin Smith, William Smith, Emily Smith (Mrs. Alfred Whitten), Ada J. Smith (Mrs, George Fairbanks), Matthew F. Taylor,

Ford (Mrs. Angus McLeod), Ford (Mrs. Demarest), Edwin Soper, John Soper, Alonzo Hayden (killed in the terrible charge of the First Minnesota at Gettysburg), Melissa Hayden (Mrs. Prentiss Hills, Spokane, Wash.), Emily Thorndyke (Mrs. S. O. Lum, Minneapolis), Charles Thorndyke, Irenas Atkinson, Columbus Lamb, George Tourtelotte, Daniel King, Helen Ripley

The first county superintendent of schools appears to have been William B. Greene, who died Dec. 13, 1865, while in ofifice, and the county commissioners appointed Rev. Moses Heath, a Baptist clergyman, as his successor. j

The next superintendent was Rev. A. K. Packard, who was appointed about 1867 by the county commissioners. He was succeeded some two years later bv Rev. Moses

Goodrich. His successor was Rev. J. P.. Tuttle, who served one teriTi. and then Mr. Goodrich again became superintendent, and served continuously until his death. Dec. 18, 1880. His son George D. Goodrich succeeded him and served until 1887. Since that time countv superintendents of schools have served as follows : S. C. Page, 1887 to 1889: A. P.. Clinch, 1889 to 1893: George

The winter of 1856-7 the teacher of the school at Anoka was a Mr. Payne, a retired Presbyterian minister. A later teacher vi'as Sewell A. Waterhouse. After the organization of Anoka county in the summer of 1857 the village of Anoka west of Rum river was placed in another district and a school house built not far from the Mississippi river, which became known as the "Robbins School." In 1866 this building was purchased by John S. McGlauflin and converted into- a dwelling. It is still standing on west Main street. About 1858 Rev. Lyman Palmer started a private school in some rooms of the St. Lawrence Hotel, and a lady whose name is thought to have been Tififany started a school about i860. Many of her pupils enlisted when the Civil War broke out. Then came Mr. and Mrs. E. T. Ailing, who kept a school for girls in the Shuler Building from 1862 to 1864 and perhaps later. Mr. and Mrs. W. B. Greene kept a private school later - also in the Shuler Building. In the summer of 1866 Miss Loretta Smith (Mrs. Chase j taught in the Robbins school.

In 1866 the two districts at Anoka were united and joined in the construction of a four-room school house, which was known in after \ears as the Irving school. This building was the only school house in the village for six years, and was in continuous use until IQ04, when it was moved away to make room for the new high school buildinc- The old Third Avenue School House was sold to H. L. Ticknor, who moved it to the back of his store, where it was finally destroyed by fire.

R, B. Abbott was the first principal of the Irving school, and Miss Sophonia Taylor (Mrs. M. A, Hutchins) was in charge of the primary room. Aliss Taylor was the first normal school graduate in the count\-, having graduated from the Winona normal school.

The next year (1867-8) all four rooms were in use for the first time. Mr. Abbott was retained as ])rincipa!, the grammru- (Ujiartnient was in charge of Miss Lucia

The next principal was Mr. Gilson and his assistants were Miss Jennie Powell, Miss Taylor and Miss Smith. Next came Robert D. Carvill as principal, with Miss Marv POwoll, Miss Romans, Miss Alice T'^rdan and

Josiah F. Clark was the first teacher of vocal music north of St. Anthony. He taught the first sing-ing school at Anoka in the winter of 1856-7.

Crime

On Sunday evening, May 27, 1900. a terrible tragedy occurred at the home of William Wise in the town of Grow. While members of the family were sitting around a table they were repeatedly fired upon through a front window with a Winchester rifle and a shot gun loaded with buck shot. Willie Wise, aged seven, was instantly killed. Eliza Wise, the mother, was shot several times through the body and died two days later. William Wise, the father, was pierced by probably thirty buck shot, but survived in a crippled condition, and has steadily improved during the past four years. Joseph Wise, aged eleven, was shot through the right lung and lost two fingers, but recovered. Two daughters. Eliza, aged thirteen, and Martha, aged fifteen, were in another room, and were uninjured.

The authorities made strenuous efforts to fix the responsibility for the nnu-(icr. .\ftor following up various clues, two young men who had been keeping company with the girls were arrested and charged with the crime. At the trial Eliza and Martha Wise testified that they had agreed with the two young men that their parents should be killed so that they might inherit the farm and a sum of money in the bank, after which they were to marry the two young men. The jury found the defendants not guilty.

In November, 1904, a saloon at Columbia Heights was the scene of a hold-up, in which a nine-year-old bo-^ named Freddie King was killed by the robbers.