Faribault County, Minnesota - Chapter 2: Minnesota Lake Township, 1896

Location

The township of Minnesota Lake is Congressional township one hundred and four (104), north, of range twenty-five (25), west, of the 5th principal meridian. This town lies in the most northern tier of townships in the county, and is bounded on the north by Blue Earth county, east by Dunbar township, south by Walnut Lake township, and west by the township of Lura.

There are three names here, which should not be confused with each other - Minne.sota Lake, which designates the body of water; Minnesota Lake, the village, and Minnesota Lake, the township. We write here first of the township. This is one of the best farming towns in the county. The lands are well divided between tillable and pasturage. A large portion of the town is prairie.

Geological

The general surface of this township is slightly undulating, or "rolling." The estimated average height of the town, above the level of the sea, is 1,050 feet. The drift here is from 90 to 120 feet, in depth, when the bed rock, consisting of limestone and sandstone, is reached. Mr. C. Barber's well, which is 140 feet deep, disclosed the following strata: Yellow till, 10 feet; soft blue till, 80 feet, to top of rock; thin whitish limestone. 3 feet; thin layered limestone, 2 feet; soft green shale, 2 feet, and gray sandstone, 43 feet. This town lies in the region of artesian, or flowing, wells, several of which are found in the town. There is a peat deposit in the town, on section thirty, of about eighty acres in extent, and of about four feet in depth. The soil, black and fertile, the result of the decayed vegetation of centuries, and the ashes of a thousand prairie fires, is from two to four feet deep.

Minnesota lake, the body of water of that name, the largest sheet of water in the countj', lies in the northwest portion of the town. It is one, to one and three-fourths mile wide, from north to south, and about two and a half miles long, from east to west. It is a beautiful lake of crystal waters, having a gravelly beach, and is bordered by timber. This lake, with its agreeable surroundings, is as attractive a summer resort, for rest and recreation, as many a more famous place, and the day will come when the necessary capital and enterprise will make it a noted resort. There are several other small lakes in the town. One on sections twenty-seven and thirtyfour which is the head of one of the branches of the Maple river, and another on the south line of the town. The town is drained mainly by the Maple river, which runs in a general course from east to west through the central portion of the town. There are no other important streams. There was, formerly, considerable native timber on the Maple river and about the lake, some of which remains and which, with the numerous artificial groves of forest trees, give the country a pleasant wooded appearance.

Mr. MarjDles was an Englishman, and in his younger days served some seven years in the British regular army. He soon became a prominent citizen of the town. He had secured a fair education and considerable general information, and possessed a sound judgment upon public and business affairs, and was probably the best penman, not a professional, who ever resided in this county, yet strange to say, he had never attended any school whatever, a single day in his life. He was at one time chairman of the board of town supervisors. Some years since he removed to the state of Missouri.

The towns of Dunbar (then Douglass) and Clark (then Cobb), were attached to this town by the special commissioners in 1858 for township purposes.

Clark (then Cobb), was detached by the county supervisors on the fifth day of March, 1860, and on the same day Lura township, adjoining Minnesota Lake on the west, was attached to the latter town for town purposes, the town district, then comprising Minnesota Lake (then Marples), Dunbar and Lura, and so remained until January 5th, 1864, when Lura was detached and commenced its career as a separate town. Dunbar was detached in March, 1866.

Chauncey Barber and family and Nicholas J. Kremer and his brothers John and John P., were the very earliest settlers of this town, though several claims had then, perhaps, been taken by other persons, but if so, had been abandoned. The Kremers and Mr. Barber settled here in 1856. Mr. Barber remaining permanently, while the Kremers, soon after, went into Danville township, in Blue Earth county.

Mr. Barber kept the first hotel in the town, and which was, for many years, the headquarters of that section of the county, and was known far and wide as one of the principal stopping places on the road, for immigrants, travelers and land hunters, and in the » ays when Waseca was the railroad market of this county, this hotel was thronged by those going to and returning from the railroad. The township of Barber, in this county, was named in honor of Mr. Barber, and he was the original pi-oprietor of the village of Minnesota Lake.

Mr. Barber came, originally, from Pennsylvania to Wisconsin, and from thence to Minnesota Lake, at the time above stated. He possessed a great fondness for hunting and fishing, and was allured to this country, largely because of the opportunity it then presented for engaging in hunting. He was a man of varied mechanical skill, and not only kept a hotel, as above stated, and which was his principal business for many years, but at times he engaged in carpentering, blacksmithing and merchandising. He had two sons, Benning W. and Ira. The former was at one time sheriff of this county. Mr. Barber himself, it appears, never held any public office.

Mrs. Barber was an invalid for some eleven years, and during the last six of which she was confined to her bed, helpless and almost demented, and during all these latter years, Mr. Barber attended her bedside, never leaving her, day or night, until her death, except when the most urgent business required. There are but few like instances, of constant and affectionate devotion. In 1878 Mr. Barber went to Utah to reside for a time, but did not sell his property here. He subsequently returned for a brief period, and disposed of his property. He then removed to Oregon, where he has since resided.

N. J. Kremer afterwards returned to, and became a permanent resident of this town, and has from early years, been one of its most active, prominent and wealthy citizens. Peter Kremer, another of the brothers, located at the lake in 1874. where he has since taken an active part in the business and public affairs of the locality. The Kremers were born in Lorraine, France, and came with their father to America in 1850, and located at Alden, Erie county. N. Y. Several years later they emigrated to Wisconsin and from thence to Minnesota.

And we now have the pleasure of presenting here a "roll of honor," comprising the names of all the residents of the town according to the national census taken in June, 1860:

Old Time Mills

There was at one time, a saw mill in this town, near the lake, which did a good business for some years, and in the census reports of 1860 we find the firm of John Harrison & Co., returned, as manufacturers of lumber. The mill was operated by a fifteen horsepower steam engine. The product of lumber for one year, ending June 1st, 1860, was as reported, of black walnut, 20,000 feet, of basswood, 30,000 feet; of oak 40,000 feet, of ash, 5,000 feet, of butternut, 10,000 feet.

The Old Wind Mill

"Near the village of Minnesota Lake, situated on the north shore of the lake, stands an old-time wind mill which resembles in all its phases the Dutch mills of Holland. It is owned by Gotleib Shnstag, an old German, and built by him some thirty years ago, and used as a grist mill. For the past fifteen or twenty years Shastag has allowed no one to enter the building, not even his wife or son.

His reason for this is a strange one. It appears that, as the story is told by an old resident, some evil-disposed person "put the devil in the mill" and for five years it (the devil) caused him a great deal of annoyance, trouble and anguish of mind. After repeated efforts he finally succeeded in getting the devil out, and he knows this lo be a fact for he distinctly saw him going out in the form of a rabbit. As long as he allows no person to enter, it will be impossible for his Satanic majesty to return and renew his direful work. He is perfectly honest in his dealings, and a cut in the price of grist grinding by a competitor worries him not, for, as he says, 'God make de wind blow, and when de wind blow I grinds,' and he has an advantage over the competitor as It costs him nothing for fuel.

The building being octagon, its dimensions are larger than one would think at a casual glance. It has a diameter of forty feet, tapering to about twenty-five at a height of forty. The main arms, of which there are four, each thirty-five feet in .length, are of hewn oak, ten inches at the largest end and tapering to six, and are firmly fastened to an axle on top of the mill, and to this main axle or shaft, the machinery is attached. It is necessary, as is the case with modern windmills, to keep the fans facing that point from which the wind is coming, and this mill is not so automatic in its construction as modern ones are, as the wind changes it has to be turned by hand. This is accomplished by a long sweep or pole which is framed into the roof extending to within a few feet of the ground, to the end of which a chain can be attached. The other end of the chain is attached to a capstan, and when the miller finds the mill out of wind he drags the capstan ahead a few feet, where it is caught by anchor posts set for that purpose, and with a lever draws the sweep around until the proper point is reached.

The arms, as they revolve to the highest points, reach a height of eighty feet, and although at a distance they seem to be moving very slowly, in fact they pass a given point at the rate of twenty-five miles an hour with a thirty horse power. No one knows how the machinery of the inside is constructed, but it is supposed, like that of the exterior, to be an exact counterpart of the mills in Holland. When any part needs repairing, Shastag, unaided and alone, makes the change. Even to the long arms, which are very heavy, It would be

DothInK less than suicide, under the circumstances, to allow any ooe to assist. And so he works alone, in the words of the old song, 'Happy is the miller who lives by himself.'

Village Of Minnesota Lake

The village was laid off on the northeast quarter of section four (4), in October, 18CG. The site of the village is on the east bank of the lake from which it derives its name, and it is a station on the railway running from Mankato to Wells. Mr. Chauncey Barber was the original town site proprietor, on whose lands the village was situated. In November, 1870, an addition known as "Lambies Addition," was laid out. The village was incorporated by act of the legislature, approved February 14th, 1870, under and pursuant to the general act entitled "an act to provide for the organization of villages in the State of Minnesota," approved March 4th, 1875, and N. J. Kremer, W. Lambie, Chauncey Barber, S. T. Barnes, and C W. Appley, were by the act of incorporation designated as commissioners to give notice of a meeting for the election of village officers.

The village contains a population of about one hundred and fifty to two hundred people. There are four grain warehouses in the village at this writing (1879), an agricultural implement store, several dry goods and grocery stores, a furniture warehouse, several blacksmith shops, a meat market, several wagon and carriage shops, a harness shop, a cabinet shop, several saloons and a good hotel. The principal public building is the new brick school house, which is thirty-five by forty-five feet, and two stories in height, and is well finished and well furnished.

Educational

The first school house in this town was erected in 18G4. It is a frame building, and was first located on the lands of Wm. Gilson, but was subsequently removed to the village. There are now (1879) eight (8) substantial school houses in the town, in which are found well conducted district schools. There are more school houses in this town than in any other town in the county.

Various Historical Items

Up to the close of 1879, this town had furnished two members of the board of county commissioners, S W. Myrrick and D. Catliu; a county superintendent of schools, R. W. Richards, who held that office a number of terms, and a sheriff, B. W. Barber.

There was reported for the year 1879, for "the town, 388 horses, 347 cows, 288 other cattle, 6 mules. 133 sheep, 301 hogs, 95 wagons and carriages, 20 sewing machines and 4 organs.

Among other residents of this township, prior to the close of 1879, the following well- known names may be mentioned: P. M. Andrews. C. Allace. C. W. Appley, L. Brant. W. Ford. J. Brown, A. Berger, David Catlin, T. Cote, A. Clark, L. J. Cale, Albert Crechee, A. Crechee, E. A. Cooper, H. O. Camfield, A. Crocker, H. Drager, Geo. Doremus, A. Deitman. G. H. and David Dazel, W. H. Dodge, William and John Dornfielt, S. Even. P. Tallman, John Felber, the Gillsons. William, John, Robert, George and R. G. and W. G.; G. M. Graves. P. Grunsky, R. N. Gale, W. Hunt. Jas. B. Hill, C. Hudson, C. J. Hall; S. A. Halleck, T. Jokel, Peter Kremer, J. Klenk, And. Kulah, A. Lepka, J. Latusie. J. Lutz, Wm. Lambie, M. V. McKinstry, J. Naubauar, A. P. and A. S. and C. B. Park, P. Popel, John and J. Penhiler, C. L. Pease, J. Pease. P. Petrus. D. H. Pratt, Dr. R. Parkin, Dr. A. H. Pelsey, A. Plegeman, A. Pietrus, H. Quimby. J. Robinson. A. Rahn, A. B. Stiles, Prank Schoilman, O. Schumaker, H. R. Smith. M. T. Smith, J. J. Schermerhorn, P. Stalock, P. Sonnek, A. Sonnek, Andrew Sonnek, P. Stencel, P. Schultz, M. Stalock. John Stephenson. M. Schumaker, Joseph Schoffman, Albert, Prank and John Troske, J. D. Townsend, William and August Urban, Pred Voight. John Walner, W. Wheatly, Ed. Willson, H. A. Wolcott, L. B. Wolcott.

Hon. Smith T. Barnes

A prominent citizen of this town for many years was Smith T. Barnes. Mr. Barnes was born on a farm in St Lawrence county, N. Y., January 11th, 1841.. His early youth was spent on the farm. His father engaged in farming and merchandising until his death. Smith received his education in the district schools of the locality and at a select school. When eighteen years old he engaged in clerking in a store at Racket River, N. Y. Subsequently he was appointed postmaster at this place by President Lincoln. His brother, George, came to Minnesota Lake in 1804, and giving favorable accounts of the country, Smith came west also and located at the Lake, May 8th, 1866. His mother, then a widow, and his brother, Frank, came to the Lake in 1868. Mr. Barnes, on locating hero, went to work at once to erect a building, and in August purchased a stock of groceries and opened a store. He soon after added dry goods. In December of that year he was appointed postmaster at the Lake, a position which he held for eighteen years. Mr. Barnes, though always a staunch democrat in politics, was appointed postmaster in New York, and also in Minnesota, under republican admistrations.

Benning W. Barber was in partnership with Mr. Barnes in the mercantile business which continued until 1871, when Mr. Barnes sold out. Several years later he opened a drug store. After the building of the railroad through the town, he also engaged, for some years, in the purchase of grain. Mr. Barnes was married in August. 1871, to Miss Agnes Lambie. of Minnesota Lake. They have had three childi-en, one of whom is now dead. Mr. Barnes' fitness for office was soon apjiarent to his neighbors, and he was chosen town clerk at an early day, an office which he held for fifteen years. He was also justice of the peace for ten years. During those years there was no lawyer residing at the Lake, and Mr. Barnes did much of the conveyancing, writing of contracts and of wills for the people. He was also for many years connected with the school boards of the town.

In November, 1884, Mr. Bai'nes was elected clerk of the district court of the county, and removed to Blue Earth City. The term of office was four years. After the expiration of the term, he acted as deputy clerk for his successor, and at the general election of 1890, he was elected judge of the probate court, which office he filled until the expiration of the term. Mr. Barnes died August 8th, 1895.