Blue Earth County, Minnesota - Chapter 19: The Grasshoppeks - Events of 1876-7, 1901

Big Elood

Tiie winter of 1874-5 was yery cold with deep snow, and the high water in AprU again did great havoc to the water mills, especially along the Watonwan. The flour mills of Butterfield & Co., Capwell & Co., Quayle & Eriend, Willard & Rodgers, Hopkins & Dilly and others suffered several thousand dollars in damages.

With . the opening of spring the grasshoppers began hatching in countless millions over most of the west half of the county and it was evident that the crops in that section were again doomed. It was getting to be a serious question what to do to rid the country of this scare. On the 3rd of June, 1875, the County Commissioners met and passed a resolution offering a bounty of ten cents a quart for all grasshoppers caught and brought to designated places in each town to be measured and destroyed. The people went to work with a will, with all sorts of contrivances for catching the pests. The most common plan was to rig a large net with sheets tacked to a light frame work, which was pushed over the field by hand or dragged by one horse. The farmers found they had a snap. Some were making - over $30.00 per day. In three days over 4,000 bushels were caught and $14,000 had been paid out. Monday morning, June 7th, the County Commissioners were hurriedly called together, for at such a rate the county would soon be bankrupt. The bounty was now cut one half, but the farmers were bringing in such an enormous quantity of hoppers, that the board was obliged on June 11th to cut the price to sixty cents per bushel, and on June 12 to withdraw the bounty altogether. In nine days the County had paid $31,255.66 for 15,766 bushels and eighteen quarts of grasshoppers. It was estimated that each bushel contained on an average

130,000 hoppers. The station at Garden City issued the largest amount of orders $5,727.78, the city of Mankato came next with $4,606.16, Judson $4,404.48, South Bend $3,916.75. Jamestown only paid out thirty cents, McPherson $6.38 and Beauford $1.10, showing the eastern towns were not much infected. At Mankato the place for receiving the grasshoppers was about where the city hall now stands. A large vat of boiling water was kept in readiness, into A\hich the bags-full of hoppers were emptied for their destruction, and their carcasses were then dumped into a long trench, which had been dug close by for their burial. In spite of this wholesale destruction of the pest, it did not seem to diminish their number in the least. Bounty or no bounty the farmers made a desperate and heroic struggle to save their crops. Trenches were dug about fields, which had not yet been infested, in the hope that the young hoppers could not pass over, a stream of tar was poured about them. Infected, fields were covered with a tliin coating of dry straw and burned, brine was sprinkled over them, a machine called the "hopper dozer'' v,-as invented and put upon the market, and home made devises of all sorts were used and the insects caught and destroyed by the billions, but all availed nothing. The very dust seemed alive with the pest. Rapidan called a lown meeting on June 35, and voted $1,500.00 to be used in the destruction of grasshoppers within its boundaries. But every effort was in vain, the larger part of the crops in the western half of the county were entirely destroyed. They completely covered every green thing. The trees were full of them, the very houses were plastered with them, one could not step anywhere without crushing them under foot, and they would crawl into one's clothing. It was indeed an Egyptian plague. The chickens ate them but they affected the eggs, flavoring and discoloring them, the birds and the hogs also feasted upon them, but nothing diminishing their number. As the summer advanced they gained their wings and the air was full of them, some days almost hiding the sun. During the fall they laid their eggs far and wide over this and adjoining counties. Many farmers plowed their fields and then dragged them thoroughly in the hope of destroying the eggs. The winter of 18'i'5-6 was rather mild and it was thought that the alternate thawing and freezing would have a baleful effect upon them. All winter long pans of earth were carried into the houses to experiment v/ith, but every test showed the pest to be as virulent as ever. The counties of Kicollet, Brown, 'Watonwan and many others were devastated fully as much, and even more than Blue Earth. The Legislature in February, 1876, passed a bill appropriating $15,637.83 to reimburse Blue Earth County for bounty paid for destruction of grassho|)pers. Bills were also passed for the relief of the farmers in the matter of seed wheat.

While most of the farmers seeded their land again, some refrained, deeming it useless. The grasshoppers were fully as numerous as ever during the summer of 1876, and nearly all of the west half of the county was devastated by them, as well as all the country to the westward. The people again waged a heroic fight in defense of iheir fields, but to no avail. Conventions andtown meetings were held to discuss ways and means for ridding the country of the terrible scourge. The preservation of the birds, the raising of more chickens, the cultivation of a small red parasite, and the destruction of the eggs, were among the principal remedies proposed. October 10, 1876, the town of Shelby voted to tax each man three days work in plowing and harrowing the ground to kill the eggs. As indicating li'^w thick the grasshoppers were, a train on the St. Paul and Sioux Eoad on July 18, 1876, was stopped by them near Hersey in Nobles county, the wheels and rails had become so smeared by their bodies that they slipped and bad to be cleaned. Trains on the same road were stopped in Lime town in Blue Earth county by the same cause. The winter of 1876-7 was very mild again, and a number of farmers sowed their grain in February. Hatching grasshoppers by the stove was the principal occupation of this winter to test the eggs, and to see if the young hoppers were as healthy as their progenitors and to discover how many a bushel of earth would produce. It is needless to say that the hoppers stood well in every test.

In March, 1877, the Legislature passed a bill giving a bounty of $1.00 per bushel for grasshoppers caught prior to May 25, fifty cents for all caught after that date to June 10, twentyfive cents thereafter to July 1, and twenty cents to October. Every township and village was, also, authorized to levy a tax for the destruction of the pests, and every male inhabitant between the ages of twenty and sixty years Avas to be assessed by the supervisors one day's work for each week, for not to exceed five weeks, to be applied under the direction of the Pathmasters for the destruction of the grasshoppers and their eggs. The work to be done much after the manner of our poll tax. The county was also authorized to employ persons having patent machinery for killing grasshoppers. $100,000.00 was appropriated to carry out the provisions of the act, and a bill passed authorizing a state loan for the purpose. Bills were also passed for the relief of grasshopper sufferers, who were unable to pay taxes or pay interest on state lands.

With the opening of Spring (1877) the grasshoppers appeared as numerous as ever. In many places they were so thick that they might have been literally shoveled from the ground. Dry, warm, sandy soil was their preference. Many farmers desisted from sowing their lands, when they saw them hatching out again. The people though discouraged, still kept up the fight ivith ditches, wet ashes, and fire, gathering them in canvass hoppers, in nets smeared on the inside with tar, and with "Hopper dozers" (a contrivance made of sheet iron with tar inside). But all this did not seem to diminish the number. The people in their bitter extremity appealed to the Governor to proclaim a day of fasting and prayer and April 26, 1877, was duly appointed as such a day. The day was generally observed. All business was suspended as though it were Sunday, and the people gathered in their churches throughout the land. Earnest appeals were made for Divine help by Catholic and Protestant alike. The Catholic church at Mankato prolonged the services for three days. Whether in answer to prayer or from natural causes, it is a singular fact that after this public appeal to the Almighty the grasshoppers began immediately to be troabled. Disease broke out among them and many died, while others were stunted in their growth. There were a number of heavy rains, and on June 10, there was a heavy frost, all of which seemed lo effect the locusts unfavorably. They did not attack the gardens and fields with anythiug of their old time vigor, and as soon as their wings were developed, on June 23, and 35, 1877, the great masses of them arose high in the air and flew away, no one ever knew whither. The comparatively few that remained, as their wings developed, did likewise, until by July 1, nearly all were gone. Still on sunny days the air continued full of stragglers, like flakes of snow in a winter storm the sky would swarm with them until August. Tor flve consecutive years many of the farmers of our county had lost nearly all of their crops, and for four years the most of the western half and portions of the eastern half had been completely devastated by this awful scourge. That their departure was a direct answer to prayer may not be positively affirmed, but neither can it be strongly denied. To say the least there was a singular coincidence between the day of prayer and the disappearance of the pest so soon thereafter. The going of the destructive hcrdes was a great relief to the impoverished people, and with fresh courage they bravely went to work to retrieve their shattered fortunes.

Going back to 1876, we note a few events in our history beside the ravages of grasshoppers. Two new postoffices were created, in the county this year, one in January at Rapidan station, with Noah Webster in charge, and the other in July at the home of Henry Stiemagle in Danville.

Duriug this summer the caterpillar pest appeared in the tiiuber area of LeEay, Lime, and Mankato Townships, and much of the foliage destroyed by them and some of the trees killed. They continued their devastations for two or three years.

It being centennial year a big Fourth of July celebration was held at Mankato. The Old Soldiers, the Mankato and Owatonna Fireman, The Danish, Swede, and Norwegian societies, were features, in the parade, and senator Wilkinson delivered the address. There was an immense crowd present. The people of Pleasant Mound and vicinity held a celebration of their own, at Wilder's grove, on Willow Creek.

On September 7, 1876, occurred the Northfield Bank robbery by the James and Younger gang. Tiiese desperadoes had visited Mankato a few days before, with intent of looting one of its banks. In their retreat they passed through our county and were seen in ilankato Township by G. P. Hoerr and Sebastian Kopp. They crossed the Blue Earth river on the St. Paul and Omaha railway bridge at night, while a posse Ai'as guarding the wagon bridge, and it ^as mainly through the efforts of Capt. A. J. j\[urphy of Lake Crystal, that they were finally captured near Madelia.

In the fall of 1876, Henry and Fred Boegen enlarged their saw mill at the city of Mankato. In Mankato township Capt. N. W. Dickerson transformed his saw mill into a large new steam saw and grist mill, which under the name of ''White Star Mills'' rendered good service for some time.

While the grange movement was dying out elsewhere over the county, it still continued to flourish in Danville and Shelby Townships. The Shelbyville grange under C. W. Herrman, as master, and J. F. Stock, as secretary, and the Woodland grange under F. Berut as Master and J. A. Lattimer as secretary formed a trade union and bought most of their goods at wholesale prices of Chicago and St. Paul houses, A. L.

Stephens acted as purchasing agent for a long time. The grange organization continued actiye in Danville, also, and monthly meetings were held at Mr. Thompson's home. They, also, were regular patrons of the grange supply house of Chicago.

During the seventies there was a strong temperance sentiment over most of the county. Good Templar lodges flourished in every village. The Red Ribbon movement started about 1877, and grew rapidly in favor. In those years "No license" carried a number of times in Mapleton, Good Thunder, Winnebago Agency and Lake Crystal as well in Eagle Lake, Garden City and Vernon.

In June, 1877, the proposition to settle the old State Railway bonds of 1857 was submitted to the voters. Our county had voted against the bonds originally and now defeated the settlement proposition by a vote of 2,259 to 511.

In the fall of 1877 Mankato built its present City hall at a cost of $8,395.00. Masonic block at Mankato was also completed and the hall dedicated. On September 1, 1877, Geo. W. Neff bought the "Mankato Union" of W. B. Griswold, and, about the same time, A. M. Morrison (then teaching school at Eagle Lake) and W. J. Clark purchased of Horace Cummins the printing outfit, which had belonged to Mr. Wheeler and started the "Eagle Lake Independent," which was published for a short time.

On November 1, 1877, within five minutes of the noon hour occurred the only earth quake shock ever felt in the county. The fall of 1877 ^\as extremely fine. Farmers were plowing on Christmas day, and even on December 29, a number of neighbors in Jamestown made a plowing bee for a sick friend. The weather continued very mild the winter through, with hardly any snow. Like many an open winter it was not very healthy. The small pox was quite prevalent over the county, but there were few fatalities, as the disease was very mild in cliai acter. Much more deadly was the epidemic of diphtheria, which swept over the county during this and the following winter, carrying away scores of children and youth. During 1879 there were forty-nine deaths from this disease

On February 23, 1878, an act was passed by the Legislature incorporating the village of Mapleton, and David Smith, James E. Brown and L. Troendle were authorized to call the first corporate meeting. This was done for March 19, when the following officers were elected: President of Board of Trustees, Joel Gates; Trustees, Lucius Toendle, James McLaughlin and C. H. Wicks; Treasurer, Sherman Peet; Recorder, P. A. Foster; Justice, C. W. Smith; Constable, Henry Tenney. At the same time the village became an independent school district and built a new school house.

An important event for the city of Mankato and our county was the erection by R. D. Hubbard, Wm. Pearson and George M. Palmer of what is known as the Hubbard Flour mill, the ground for which was broken on April 22, 1878, and the mill completed October 1, 1879.

One who rendered good service in the development of band music in the county was Prof. Howe of Mankato. During the seventies he organized bands at Mapleton, Good Thunder, Lake Crystal, Mankato and other points in the county, and did much in training the musical talent of our young men. Another musical genius, who helped to develop the skill of our young people in playing upon string and wind instruments was Wm. Matthews. Among those who did much in cultivating vocal music were: in the early period, Edward Thomas of South Bend, and Edson Gerry of Garden City ; and in the seventies. Prof. Brett, A. Neumayer and Weigel of Mankato.

During 1878 there was much immigration into our own county, and the counties to our west. The grasshopper scourge had for a few years stopped entirely the tide of immigration, but now that this calamity was over the settlers came in larger numbers than ever before. Eleven Norwegian families located in Medo alone. It was no uncommon sight to see one hundred canvass topped wagons passing up Front street in one day. The spring and summer of 1878 were rather wet, and this, coupled with the fact that the land had been given a long rest because of the grasshoppers, caused the grain to grow too rank and the crop this year was small in quantity and poor in quality.

In June, 1878, the Sunday schools of the southwest portion of the county held a union picnic at ShelbyvUle, and on July 4th, an old settler's picnic met in the grove of Erastus Eeed in Shelby. On July 30, 1878, a number of the Good Templar lodges held a large picnic at the Ellis grove in Sterling. These social functions indicate some of the things the people in the south part of our county were then interested in.

During this and the following summer there was much talk and agitation over the proposition of the St. Paul & Sioux City Eailway building a branch from some point on their main line southward through Blue Earth City to the Iowa line. Mankato wanted this branch to start from her gates, and pass by the Eapidan water power, but the engineers' survey favored a route from Lake Crystal as much more practical and economical, for the bit of country between Mankato and the Eapidan Mills is rather rugged for railroad building. The proposition to give this branch $10,000 bonus was defeated at an election held in Shelby on July 35, 1878, by a vote of eighty to twenty-five mainly because of the uncertainty as to whether the depot would be located at Shelbyville or elsewhere. After this the railroad authorities showed no great interest in the project during the rest of that fall and winter. But the people along the route became anxious, and in April, 1879, delegations of citizens were sent to interview the railway officials at St. Paul, from Garden City, Vernon and Shelby. The delegates from Garden City were: C. B. Frazer Eev. J. Eockwood, Hon. J. G. Thompson and T. B. Church; from Vernon Center, P. H. Tubbs, T. B. Francis, T. S. Hays, A. M. Hannay, Peter Mertesdorff and A. C. Wilber; and from Shelby, Geo. Quiggle, Thos. J. Cross, I. H. Darling and John C. Noble. Prompt action on the matter of bonus was taken and on April 33 Garden City voted $13,500, by a majority of fifty-five in a vote of 307, Vernon also voted $10,000 by a vote of ninety-two to sixty-five.

but the bonus was again defeated in Shelby by a vote of 130 to 53. This defeat was due to the same cause as the first. The road however, was built during the summer and fall of this year (1879) and completed the next spring to Elmore. The Commissioners appointed to appraise the damages for right of way were Clark Keysor, Henry Foster and James Miller. Early in August, 1879, Garden City was reached and the depot built. The railway crossed the Blue Earth river about a mile below the old townsite of Vernon and two new towns adjoining each other and a mUe distant from the old town, and on the opposite side of the river, were laid out in the fall of 1879 on the farm of Elnathan Kendall. One was platted by the railway company in October, 1879, called "East Vernon Center" and the other platted on November 37th, 1879, by Elnathan Kendall, under the name of "Vernon Center." The name of the station was changed soon thereafter to "Edgewood" and again later to "Vernon Center." For two or three years there was a hot rivalry between the old and new town, but the location of the railroad had made the doom of the old town certain, and it only lived in a lingering way for some half a dozen years.

The railway reached this place and built its depot there about the middle of September, 1879. The next station was put near the center of Shelby township about two miles north of the village of Shelbyville, upon land which the railway company had bought for the purpose of George Quiggle. At first the name of "Jackson Lake" was suggested, but when the plat of the townsite was made on October 31, 1879, it bore the name of "Amboy" after a town of that name in Illinois, from which its first postmaster and storekeeper, Eobert Eichardson, had come. As in the case of old Vernon, Shelbyville was thus dealt its mortal blow by the railway for which it had been praying so long. After a death struggle of two or three years it passed away and the place of this once thriving village now knows it no more.

iug in the county for the past fifteen years and A¥as now becoming an important industry. Its production continued to increase until the early nineties;, when it greatly diminished. Large cane mills were operated by T. E. Beeves and P. Stency, by Zimmerman and Compton and by Allen Moon, all of LeEay; by H. C. Howai-d and E. P. Evans of Garden City, by Geo.- Gilley in Cambria, by A. Anderson in Medo, and by many others over the county. Some mills made fro3n 200 to 300 gallons of syrup per day. The quality, was, also, very fine.

In Jamestown the Volk Bros, were building up a large manufacturing plant. They first built a saw mill, stave factory, and store and in 1879 added a big furniture factory. The latter was destroyed by fire in February, 1880.

In March, 1878, the Legislature authorized the issuing of bonds for the building of an iron bridge over the Minnesota river at Mankato. The city voted $15,000.00 in the fall of that year for the purpose, the county gave $10,000^ and the town of Belgrade $3,500.00. On October 2, 1879, the corner stone of the main pier was laid and the big bridge completed in the summer of 1880. Thus for the first time Blue Earth and Nicollet Counties were united. The cost of the bridge was $28,400.00, but extras connected with the approaches and gxading brought up the total expense to about $30,000.00. Its total length is 810 feet.

On October 15, 1878, was held at Garden City the first greenback convention in our county. Next year it met at Good Thunder and there were thirty-eight delegates present.

During the summer of 1879 Warner and Foot of Chicago issued the first map of Blue Earth county, showing not only its physical and political features, but every road, farm and building with names of proprietors. It was a most excellent map, fairly complete, accurate, and beautifully printed, and is still much in use. On May 13, 1879 J. L. Barlow, who was connected with so many newspaper enterprises in the villages of our county, started a paper at Mapleton, called the "Mapleton Messenger." December 4, 1879, John D. Quane started a paper at Lake Crystal, which he designated "The Blue Earth county Public Spirit." In November, 1879,

Gen. James H. Baker purchased the "Mankato Union" and the Mankato Eecord, and consolidated them into a new paper, which he called the "Mankato Free Press," the first issue of which appeared January, 1880.

The summer and fall of 1879 was very dry and prairie fires were very common all over the county, which resulted in inuch damage to some of the farmers. The years of 1879 and ].880 were noted, also, in our history for their severe storms of wind and hail. On July 3, 1879, such a storm passed through Ceresco, Lincoln, Garden City, Judson, Eapidan, Vernon Center, Lyra, Decoria and Medo. In one spot of Judson this storm developed into a small cyclone, which struck the residence of Henry E. lioberts and completely demolished it. Fortunately Mr. Eoberts and his family escaped injury, though carried with the debris of their home for some distance and then dropped outside in the yard. The next day another storm of like character swept through Pleasant Mound and Shelby. It unroofed the brick residence of Nathaniel Stevens and, wrecking a part of the wall, killed Mrs. Stevens. These storms worked great destruction to the crops all over the county. A partial estimate of the loss by towns was as follows: Beauford 500 acres, Ceresco, 2,500 acres, Decoria 1,300 acres. Garden City, 1,000 acres, Lincoln 200 acres, Lyra 1,200 acres, McPherson, 2,000 acres, Medo 2,500 acres, Eapidan 500 acres, Vernon Center 1,500 acres, total 13,200 acres.

In 1880 the storms came about a month earlier and were therefore not quite so destructive to crops, but were more injurious to buildings than the storms of the previous year. On June 3, 1880, a severe storm of wind and hail struck LeEay, McPherson, and Medo. Two days later (June 5th) a storm, amounting to a tornado, passed over Mankato, unroofing the Normal school, the court house, the Catholic College, Norwegian Church, Christian church. Masonic Hall, City Hall and a great many business blocks and private residences. It also blew down the cupola of the Swedish church, and demolished ^ ^ ^ windows, chimneys, and trees without number. Very few buildings in the city but received more or less damage. The storm, also, badly damaged a brick school house in Lime towB and did much injury in the country northeast of Mankato. The same day another tornado entered Pleasant Mound at its Southwest corner and thence swept eastward through this town and through Shelby demolishing six school houses in its path and unroofing and otherwise injuring many private houses. A man named Newell, a widower, living at Pleasant Mound, saw the storm coming, and got into the house before the liurricane struck it. Feeling the building move with the wind, he grabbed his two little children in his arms and tried to open the east door, the opposite side from the storm, but the suction of the wind was too great. The house toppled over on its side, then rolled upside down. When Mr. Newell recovered consciousness, he Tfas lying under a sulky plow in the yard, with the two children unhurt still in his arms, but the house was gone, torn in pieces by the wind. He picked himself and children up and hastily sought shelter from the pelting rain and hail in n sheep pen near by. H. B. Perrin and family then resided on their farm in Pleasant Mound. When the storm came Mr. Perrin threw himself against the door to brace it. A crash upstairs warned him the windows there had blowed in, and a second later the roof went, and then the siding began tearing ofE and flying away. Hastily leaving the fast disintegrating house Mr. Perrin and wife and children managed by clinging to each other to crawl into a root house close at hand.

A man going along the road saw the storm coming and ran for shelter to the Kenney school house, but, being Saturday, found the door locked. He sought shelter in one of the outhouses, but that soon was blown over. He then took refuge on the leeward side of the school house, but this building began to topple. There was BOW nothing else for our friend to do, but gird up his loins and run. As he sped with the storm he glanced back over his shoulder and saw the school house coming after him, tumbling before the wind. Afterwards he used to tell with great glee of the time he ran across the prairie chased by a school house and two outhouses. These are a few of the many incidents serious and sometimes humorous of these storms. Among the school houses demolished vere the Perrin new frame school house, the Willow Creek, Lattin, -and Kennedy brick school houses and the Brownly log school house. In Ceresco the McAllen, Mead and Delvin school houses were more or less wrecked. It was very fortunate the storm occurred on Saturday, when tliere were no schools, else worse tragedies might have happened.

The Kopieschke residence, in Ceresco, and the frame of the new Presbyterian church, at Amboy, were torn to pieces by the wind. A vast number of houses and barns were injured all over the southwest part of the county and the dam-- ages incurred - aggregated over $30,000.00.

About June, 1879, the people of Pleasant Mound and Shelby organized "The Blue Earth Valley Stock Association,'' which at first was merely intended to advertise a big Norman Percheron horse named "Colossus" and his progeny, but the event soon developed into a regular fair, a strong rival of the County Fair. These fairs were generally held at Wilder's grove, or at tlie farms of L. H. McKibben or J. D. Heritage.

In March, 1880, the first telephone in the cow.nty was installed. It extended between the City Hall in Mankato and the Hubbard mill and the Mankato House.

In November, 1879, the Minnesota Central Railway, (usually called the Mankato and Wells Eailroad) was sold to the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul railway company, who assumed charge in January, 1880.

During March and April, 1880, Red Itildion Clubs were organized at Mapleton, Good Thunder, Winnebago Agency, and Lake Crystal by Harry Hall of Michigan, which did considerable work along temperance lines.

The milling industry of our county continued active, but the tendency was to erect mills at railway points, and mills away from such points were on the decline. In July, 1880, the Hubbard Mill put in the roller process. In the fall of the same year ilr. Gates erected a new mill at Mapleton village. The Cable Mill in Lyra was now owned by Turner and Eedfearn. The Eapidan Mill, the Garden City Mill, the Butter- field mill, the Eed Jacket Mill, the White Star Mill, Eagle Lake mill, the Farmers Mill, Winnebago Agenej' Mill, Dyer Mill, Vernon Mill, Sterling mill and three or four other mills were still running. All these were flour mills. The saw mills of the county at this period must haye numbered about twenty.

On September 3, 1880 The Mankato Free Press appeared for the first time under the editorship of Woodward and Foss, who had succeeded Gen. Baker as proprietors. The itinerary journalist, J. L. Barlow, moved his printing press to Winnebago Agency and issued a few numbers of his "Messenger" there, but by January 6th, 1881, he was over at Garden City, issuing it as the "Garden City- Messenger." By March 1, 1881, the "Mapleton Censor" had been suspended.

About October 1, 1880, Olaf Olson started a new store at what is now Eapidan station in connection with the post office and his wood business. About the same time John Hanson started a store at Little Cobb post office in Medo.

On December 4, 1880, occurred the first big business failure in the coimty, that of Preal and Du Buisson and the mill company of Eocky and Company. The liabilities were over $46,000.00 and the creditors were largely Blue Earth County people, who could ill brook their losses.

On December 31, 1880 the old Red Jacket Mill burned. At the time it was owned by Hillyer and Bingham of Northfield, Minn., and was insured for $10,000.00. It had been one of the most noted mills in the county, but because of its out of the way location and want of capital it was never rebuilt. On January 31, 1881, the Mankato Mutual Building and Loan Association was organized at Mankato by a number of our county seat business men. It was the first organization of the kind in the county. The institution has helped build over 1,300 residences and business blocks in Mankato, North Mankato and elsewhere in the county.

The winter of 1880-1 was very long, cold and snowy. The snow came about November 2nd, and did not leave until about the 30th of April. The freshet, which occurred in the Minnesota about the last week in April was the biggest ever known in that river since the advent of the white settlers, and 1881 has ever after been known as the year of "high water."

The river attained to the height of twenty-four feet above low water mark, while in 1858 and 1867, when it had risen the highest before, it was only twenty-two feet. On May 3, 1881, the sternwheel steamer "Mary Barnes" arrived at Mankato from St. Paul. It was the first boat to reach our county for four or five years. It was in charge of Captain Newton. In. the spring of 1881 the German Catholic Benefit society was organized at Mankato, which soon had over a hundred members. This society prospered and now has several hundred members.

On March 3, 1881, a number of Sterling farmers organized an Alliance in the school house in District No. 102. It was among the first of that kind of farmers clubs in the county. About the last of the same month another Alliance was started at the Eed School house in Beauford. Other Alliances were formed during the year and the order began to take an active part in politics s,nd all matters looking to the betterment of the agricultural class.

On June 6, 1881, the farmers of McPherson, Medo, Decoria^ and Beauford met at the village of Hilton (Winnebago Agency) and organized a. Farmers Mutual Insurance Company." Its first officers were President, J. L. Cook, Secy. Chas. O'Connor, Directors, E. B. H. Norton, J. D. Hawkins, Chas. O'Connor, F. W. Lassow, J. L. Cook and John Bestman. Heretofore fire insurance in the county had been carried by big stock companies like the Fire and Marine of St. Paul, the Continental of Hartford, Conn., and similar corporations, and the insurance man was a familiar figure on our country roads. But this farmer's mutual insurance was the forerunner of a new order of things. In a few years the old line companies had been supplanted by local mutual insurance companies.

At our county seat during 1881, the Hubbard Mill was enlarged and improved and Grover C. Burt built a large three story brick addition to the Mankato House.

At a special session of the Legislature in 1881 a Municipal Court was established at Mankato and on January 13, 1882, 0. 0. Pitcher was appointed its first Judge and John B. Hodapp was its first Eecorder.

The Alliance movement had been growing rapidly in the county during the past few months, and in March, 1882, nine Alliances, met at Good Thunder and formed an Union under the name of the "Blue Earth County Alliance." These nine were: Mapleton, Sterling ISTo. 20. Sterling No. 65, Beauford, Mankato Township, Decoria, Amboy, No. 68, Amboy No. 60, and Good Thunder. The officers chosen were : Lvsander Cook, President; Peter McGrath, J. B. Emmerson, Joseph May, D. W. Evans, Joseph Bookwalter and Adam Arnold, Vice-Presidents, Capt. Geo. W. Haigh, Secretary; and J. S. Englerth, Treasurer. Another meeting was held at Good Thunder on June 3, 1882, when the following

Among the foregoing were several names who ^veve destined to play a prominent part in the advancement of the Alliance cause in our own county and the state.

On July 4, 1882, the County Alliance held a big celebration at Good Thunder, at which Hon. S. P. Sprague, State Lecturer for the order, and Seth Bottomly of Fairmont were the leading speakers.