Faribault County, Minnesota - Chapter 7: Prescott Township, 1896

Chapter 7: Prescott Township

The town of Prescott is congressional township one hundred and throe (.103) north, of range twenty-seven (27) west. As the surroundings of a locality are a matter of much importance, it is well to observe that Prescott is bounded by the following townships: Delavan on the north. Barber on the east. Blue Earth City township on the south, and Verona on the west.

Physical Characteristics

This township is almost entirely prairie. The surface of the country is slightly undulating, and easily drained. The elevation of Prescott above the level of the sea, is about eleven hundred feet. , The drift here, to bed-rock, is between one hundred and two hundred feet, but no wells have been sunk in the town to bed-rock, by which the depth of the drift may be determined to this date. The main stream of the Blue Earth river crosses a small portion of the southwest corner of the township. There are no other water courses in the town of importance, and no lakes. The only native timber in the town is confined to the line of the river, but the western line of the town, lying so near the river, which is well timbered, fuel has always been conveniently obtained. Many of the older settlers of the town have owned small tracts of timber along the river, and the timber on the river has been almost as much benefit to a large portion of the people of this town, as though it had been located within its borders. There are many fine groves of forest trees in the town, containing from one to five, and some of ten acres, which have been grown by the residents. Tn fact Prescott was one of the first towns in the county to be beautified and benefitted by artificial groves.

The Name

The town received its name from the special commissioners, when they proceeded to name the towns of the county, in 1858. The name is a familiar one. There is both a county and a village named Prescott, in Ontario, Canada, and there have been several noted men of this name. Oliver and William Prescott were distinguished patriots and soldiers of the revolution; a William Prescott was a famous lawyer of Boston, Mass. But the most noted of the name was William H. Prescott, the historian, a man known and honored everywhere. There are, also, ten postoflfices of this name in the United States. But it is not in honor of any of these distinguished men, or places, so far as the writer has been able to learn, that this town was named. The writer has been informed, by one of the special commissioners who named the town, that it was so named after a Mr. Prescott who resided in the town at the time it was named, but soon after left it. All that has been ascertained of him is. that he was a carpenter by trade, and that he was known by the name of "Old Honesty." But who he was, from whence ho came, whither he has gone, or how he fares, no one seems to know.

The first actual settler of Prescott, was Benjamin Graj', who took a --claim" on section thirty-one, in the fall of 1855. He settled in this town on the twenty-fifth day of September, of that year. Mr. Gray, and family, came from Warren county, Penn. He was a car penter by trade. Some years ago, he removed to Yankton, S. D., where has since died. There were several claims taken prior to that of Mr. Gray's, but the parties did not permanently settle on them, until the next year. There were in this town quite a number of early settlers who resided here but a short time - only long enough to enter up their lands, some going away and never returning, others returning, after some time, and becoming permanent residents. The names of many of them do not appear on the census rolls of 1860. Among the earliest of such settlers, who proved up on lands in this town, prior to June, 1860, were: George Wirt, Albert Billings, Grover C. Burt. J. Ritchet. T. Hynes, D. Hynes, J. DeW. Smith. G. E. Gibbs, S. F. Morrison, G. K. Cleveland, H. J. Davlin, C. G. Wickershan, M. D. Madden, J. Marriner. Jr., D. W. Kingery, C. E. Trowbridge. E. Babcock, E. Bennett, J. Purness, P. Campbell, DeW. Paddock. J. Roberts. O. Dart. Jr., G. P. Wodell. G. S. Millard. P. G. Shinkle. J. Taylor. P. Wood. H. C. Hemanway. L. A. Crumb. G. Campbell, U. S. Karmany. W. M. Scott, J. T. Rodgers. J. Koonze, B. Davis, G. Haller. J. A. Kincaid. L. Haller.

The following list embraces the names of all persons found in the town in June, 1860. as appears from the census rolls, and the following table exhibits the possessions of the people and the improvements at that time.

At this time when the census was taken, a number of persons who were holding claims in Prescott. were residing temporarily in Verona, and at Winnebago City

Acres of land improved, 42; cash value of farms, S900: value of farming implements and machinery, $90; number of horses, 1: number of milch cows, 2; number of working oxen, 4; number of other cattle, 3; number of swine,3; value of live stock, $325.

Organization

The town was attached for civil purposes to the town of Verona by the special commissioners in 1858, and so remained until detached by the county commissioners, September 3d, 1861.

The first election for town ofi&cers was called for September 16th, 1861, at the house of Jonathan McDowell. The organization has continued through all the subsequent years.

The town officers for 1878-9 were: Supervisors, A. Lent, chairman, and Jas. McCoUey and J. H. Wagner; town clerk, M. Perrizo; treasurer, S. M. Young; assessor, W. Viebahn; constable, D. W. Nichols.

Historical Incidents

The town has the benefit of a railroad mai-ket, at Delavan, near the northeast corner, and of another at Winnebago City, near the northwest corner, and at Blue Earth City, which is convenient to the southern portion of the town. The Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha railroad passes through the southwestern part of the town. No part of the town is over five miles from a railroad market.

Religious

As in all other parts of this county, religious services were held in this town at a very early day of its settlement, and various religious denominations have long since been organized. There has, for many years, been a church building on the southeast quarter of section fifteen, erected by the Methodist Protestant society.

Frank W. Temple

Mr. Temple, for many years a resident and large farmer of Prescott township, was born in Williamstown, Mass., February 19th, 1840. His father was a farmer and Frank W. has also made that his principal life occupation. There were six sons and three daughters in his father's family. Mr. Temple's school-

He came west to St. Paul, in April, 1857, and on the eiijrhth day of May, took up his residence in Chaska, Carver county, where he estahlished a hrick yard. While at that place he moulded, with his own hands, all the hrick in the court house of that county, built at that timi'. He remained in Carver county about two years, and then removed to Winona county, where he eni;aged quite extensively in farming.

He was married in 1863, to Miss Cornelia Perry, of Olmstead county, Minn. They had two children who are now living, Charles E. and Mary B., now Mrs. .J. W. Kamrar, of Blue Earth City. Mrs. Temple died in 1874.

In 1864, Mr. Temple sold out in Winona county, and in June, 1865, he came to this county and purchased considerable land, and since being here, he has been one of the largest farmers and sheep raisers in the county. He has, also, at times, engaged in the purchase and sale of stock.

Mr. Temple has always been a republican in political sentiment. He was elected a member of the board of county commissioners, in 1874, and held that office almost continuously, until January, 1895, being most of the time chairman of the board. It was largely through the prudent management of Mr. Temple, that the county has secured one of the llnest court houses in the State without burdensome taxation, or contracting heavy indebtedness- When the structure was completed, it was practically, wholly paid for.

In January, 1889, he was appointed by Gov. W. U. Merriam, a member of the board of slate prison managers, for three years, and was afterwards appointed for the full term of five years. The position is one of much importance and responsibility.

Up to the close of 1879, this town had furnished to the public service, in the office of county commissioner, Wm. M. Scott, F. W. Temple; register of deeds. Prank Lent; coroner, D. H. McDowell; county suryeyor, D. Birdsall.

Statistical

The population in 1800 was 14 persons; in 1865, 384; in 1870, 552: in 1875, 543; in 1880, 603. There has for some years been (juitc a settlement of French people in this town, but the majority of the inhatjitants are American born.

There was returned, as produced in 1879 of wheat, 44,000 bushels; of oats 51,000 bushels: of corn, 58,000 bushels; of barley, 4,500 bushels; of potatoes, 4,200 bushels; of sorghum syrup, 1,000 gallons; of Max seed, 1.800 bushels; of wool, 6,000 pounds; butter, 30.000 pounds. There were also 2,600 apple trees, of which 800 were bearing. Number of acres cultivated, 7,000.

The following list contains the names of many persons who have resided in this town prior to the close of the year 1879. not already hereinbefore named: L. W. Brown, J. Bassett, Wm. Bassett, Ch. Bassett, P. Bassett, J. H. Black, Jas. Beard, O. J. Beard, A. Blunt, T. V. Brailhwait, O. Boiseclare, A. Butterfield, W. E. Cheney, W. O. Chestnut, J. Coulter, E. Clark, B. F. Clark, F. Cox, J. Davis, E. DeRusha, W. DeRusha, Elijah DeRusha. J. Dieter, H. Domes, P. Dolan, M. Dolan, O. Dolan, S. Edwards, C. Eberline, W. Eberline, E. Eberline, G. Freer, David Freer, R. Fierkey, A. Greisy, J. Galloway, C. Goyette, J. Goyette, G. Gibbs, P. Ilebert, R. Hacklander, A. Hacklander, T. Hynes, C. Hager, >E. Harding, H. Harding, H. O. Ives, J. B. Jones, E. Katzung, M. Kasulki, M. J. Kennedy, H. R. Keeler, J. Klawitter, C. Kube, Jacob Lent, Sam'l Lent, A. Lent, A. C. Lent, F. Lent, A. J. Lane, S. F. Lent, J. Leanny, D. H. McDowell, J. McDowell, C. Maxson, Wra. Mattin, H. Mattin, W. A. Miller, P. McCue, Jas. McColley, F. Mosher, R. Murray, H. Murray, C. Morehouse, L. Nichols, D. W. Nichols, L. Nurenberg, S. Noteman, O. S. Orr, A. Potter, W. D. Patten. M. Prescher, M. Perrizo, I^. Patten, B. Perrizo, J. Perrizo, G. Perrizo, C. Plochinsky, W. Roberts, F. L. Spencer, J. M. Spencer, W. Spencer, F. Schultz, R. Schram, C. Sonnesac, N. B. Swartout, A. Swartout, B. E. Scott, A. Sweet, A. B. Sweet, C. Stroble, S. Shutteeworth, O. Tibedo. T. Tibedo, I. Tibedo, J. Terry, F. Trowbridge, W. Viebahn, J. H. Wagner, Henry R. Walker, L. C. Walker, A. Warren, G. F. Weiler, W. Wesley, O. B. Wheeler, P. Whitacker, A. Willett, Albert Willett, George Wirt, J. C. Woodruff, W. A. Woodruff, P. M. Young, E. C. Young, G. Young, D. N. Young, S. M. Young, S. Zutty.