Faribault County, Minnesota - Chapter 1: Dunbar Township, 1896

Location And Physical Description

Dunbar is "land survey" township, one hundred and four, (104) north, of range twenty-four (24) west, and lies in the northeast corner of the county. As to the surroundings of the town, it is bounded on the north by Waseca county, on the east by Freeborn county, on the south by Clark township, and on the west by Minnesota Lake township. This is a prairie town. The general contour of the surface is somewhat undulating, the descent being mainly from five to fifteen feet from the higher portions, by long slopes, to the sloughs. The town is drained, principally, by the Big Cobb river, a small stream, two branches of which, having their confluence on section eleven, pass through the eastern and northeastern portions of the town. There are no other streams in the town, except several slough runs. The average estimated height of the town, above the level of the sea, is 1,120 feet, though there is a higher point near the southeast corner of the town. which is about 1,150 feet. The general slope of the sui-face descends, mainly, though almost imperceptibly northward. The bed rock, beneath the drift, lies at a depth of, perhaps, 120 to 150 feet, and consists mainly of gray sandstone and whitish limestone. The soil of this town is the same as that of the county generally, and is very fertile and well adapted to grain raising and grazing. Good water is easily obtained by digging a reasonable depth, and this town lies in a .section of our county in which artesian fountains, or flowing wells, are obtained at little cost. There are several such fountains in the town. There was a remarkable flowing well obtained on the farm of Mr. L. C. Taylor, in 1874. In February of that year. Mr. Taylor employed some men to bore a

for him. with an eighteen inch auger. They xjassed through compact yellow and blue clay without interruption, to a depth of ninety-six feet, when suddenly, the auger with the rods attached, weighing 1,500 pounds, were raised up with tremendous force, some eight feet, when the rods came in contact with the derrick, and the water began to flow, and on taking out the auger, flowed a stream of great volume and velocity for about four hours, flooding everything. The stream then decreased to a diameter of about two inches, and has so continued to flow, but a remarkable circumstance is, that at intervals of a few weeks, the same original rush of water occurs for a short time. The wide spreading landscape here, is very beautiful. Numerous groves, cultivated fields and many well-built farm houses and barns, are seen on every hand. The most distant part of the town is not more than seven miles, on a direct line, from a railroad market at Wells, and a portion of the town is quite near a railroad market, at Minnesota Lake, and Wells and Minnesota Lake are the commercial or trading points, of this town. The line of the Central Railroad passes through the southwest corner of the town.

The Name

This town was named Douglass, by the special commissioners in 1858, in honor of the Hon. Stephen A. Douglass, who was at the time among the most active and noted statesmen of the period It was attached to Marples, now Minnesota Lake township, for civil purposes. But it subsequently appeared that there was another township in the State, which had secured the name of Douglass, and hence the State Auditor, then Hon. William F. Dunbar, directed the name to be changed, with those of several other towns, and the board of county supervisors, on January 4th, 1859, named this town Dunbar, in honor of the State Auditor.

William P. Dunbar was born in Westerly, R. I., November 10th, 1820. He i-eceived a common school education. From this place his family removed to Connecticut, and from thence to Massachusetts. At the age of twenty-two years, Mr. Dunbar went into the mercantile business at South Hadley Falls, Mass., where he continued some years. In 1843 he was married to Miss L. P. Rice, and they have had eleven children. In 1854 he came west and settled in Houston county, in this State. He was a member of the territorial legislature at the session of 1855-6, and in 1857 he was elected the first State Auditor of the State of Minnesota, and became a resident of St. Paul for some three years. His term of oflflce expiring, he returned to Houston county in 1861.

The name of Dunbar is one of some distinction. A William Dunbar, who lived in the latter part of the 15th century, was a very eminent Scottish poet. There is also a seaport town of Scotland

Fiust Settlement

A. L. Taj'Ior and liis father. Lucerne C, and family were, so far as the writer has been able to learn, among the very first settlers of Dunbar - perhaps the first permanent settlers.

A. L. Taylor preceded his father and family in his settlement here. The former located in Dunbar in 1856. He entered some eight hundred acres of land, and broke up one hundred and sixty acres, and raised a crop of sod corn. A. L. Taylor was born in New York state, February 2d, 1840, and came to Minnesota as above stated. He enlisted during the war of the Rebellion in the fourth Minnesota Infantry, and served four years. He was in thirty-seven battles. In 1868 he was married to Miss Ida M. Thomas. In 1870 he removed to the then new village of Wells, in this county, and engaged in business. In 1882 he went to North Dakota, where he opened a farm and spent one season, when he returned to Wells, where he has since lived. He was a county commissioner of this county for some years. Mr. Taylor is a republican in politics, and he and his wife are members of the Presbyterian church.

Lucerne C. Taylor, father of A. L. Taylor, came with the remainder of the family to Dunbar township in 1857. His family then including A. L., was made up of his wife, eight sons and two daughters. He settled on the northeast quarter of section twelve. Mr. Taylor was born in Saratoga county, N. Y., in 1812. Coming west, he resided for a time in Wisconsin, and from thence came to Minnesota. He has always been a farmer by occupation. His sons located around him in this town. Such was the manner of family settlements in the patriarchal age.

Organic

This town remained attached to Minnesota Lake township (originally Marples township) until, on the petition of Spencer J. Armstrong and twenty-four other citizens of the town, it was detached by the board of county commissioners at their session held March 19th, 1866. The commissioners directed that the first meeting for the election of town officers be held at the house of L. C. Taylor, on the third day of April, 1866, and notices were posted accordingly. Since that time the town has been a separate and independent organization.

Educational

The first school house was erected in this town in, or about, the year 1864. There are now (1879) three good school houses in the town, and the people manifest a commendable interest in the subject of education.

Statistics

Population - At the census of 1865 and the prior one of 1860, the inhabitants of the town were enumerated with the people of Minnesota Lake township. The population of the town, by the census of 1870, was 203, and by that of 1875, 247, and in 1880, the number was 368. The population of this town is almost wholly of German nationality.

The agricultural productions in 1879 as nearly as can be estimated from the reports, were of wheat, 44,000 bushels; oats. 36,100 bushels; corn, 20,900 bushels; barley, 2,855 bushels; potatoes, 3,858 bushels; syrup, 618 gallons; flax seed, 450 bushels; butter, 19,675 pounds; wool, 1,770 pounds; apple trees growing, 1,200; bearing, 356; apples grown, 121 bushels. The number of acres of cultivated land, was 4,900. Stock, etc., in 1879: Horses, 211; cows, 226; other cattle, 291; sheep, 327; hogs, 168; wagons and carriages, 63; sewing machines, 17; organs, 1.

In the closing year of this historical sketch, the affairs of the town were in the care of the following town officers; supervisors, Wm. Schroeder, Wm. Tellet and August Ganskow; clerk, James Nixon; tx'easurer, E. S. Behm; assessor, S. J. Taylor; justice, James Nixon; constable, S. H. Davis. Among the inhabitants residing in this town. prior to the close of 1879, the following names are found: S. J. Armstrong, David Anthony, E. S. andWm. Behm, H.P. and Charles and Harman Bebler, Alfred and Truman Bowen, C. and W. Brigger, H. and W. Barnick, C. T., Fred and Chas. Dumke, S. H. Davis, Andrew Eaton, Aug. Ganskow, H. Hille, W. Hohensee, M. Johnson, H. and W. Krigger, A. Kuffman, C. Kreplin, M. Kula, S. Lowry, C. Mil cher, P. and J. A. and W. Miller, A. Newson, James and J. A. Nixon E. O'Bryan, P. O'Bryan, J. Rhoda, L. Rahn. P. B. Robbins, L. Reih nore, P. Rollenhagen, John and J. C. Rasmussen, W. and P. Schroe der, P. and P.Schiinke, G. Stalmacher, V. and J. Schultz, J. Schnoor, W. and J. Tellet, L. C. and E. C and A. A. and W. and S. J. and P R. Taylor, A. Wendt, C. Weden, and A. and W. H. Young and S Young. Before the close of another quarter century, this township will be one of vast productiveness and great wealth.