Faribault County, Minnesota - Chapter 8: 15arber Township, 1896

Chapter 8: 15arber Township

Barber is congressional township one hundred and three (103) north, of range twenty-six (26) west. It is bounded on the north by Lura, on the east by Walnut Lake, on the south by Emerald and on the west by Prescott. The average elevation of this town, above the level of the sea, is about eleven hundred feet. The depth of the drift, to bed rock, is, in the northeast portion, about one hundred feet, and in other parts of the town, probably one hundred and fifty feet. It is a prairie town. Much of the land is quite rolling. A morainic belt, or tract of hillj\ or more or less rolling drift, of about three miles in width, extends from the east line through the to\vn, in a northwesterly direction. There are no running streams in this town, except some small brooks. A part of lake Ozatonka - a fine lake, about two miles long, by one and one half miles wide - is situated in the town, on the south line, near the southeast corner. There is, also, a group of three small lakes near the center of the town, the largest of which is named Swan Lake, but which was at one time called Green lake. Another is named, on the old maps, "Kenty," but has now, probably, some other name. The third appears not to be named. The native timber is about these lakes, and a part of it has been known, for many years, as "Wesner's Grove," an old land mark on the prairie. This immediate locality is the headquarters of the town. There was, at one time, a store and post-office here, and near by is the Roman Catholic Church of St. Mary, and parsonage and cemetery. There are, also, several dwelling houses. Mr. Wiesner kept here, for a number of years, a wayside inn, where the weary traveler might stop and "rest and refresh" himself and team. The building of the village of Easton, on the line of the railroad, only a few miles distant, interfered with the business and prospects of this locality. This town, like the others of this county, affords fine grain and pasturage lands. The people of Barber have also been quite industrious in setting out artificial groves of forest trees, which now thickly dot over the town. The southeast corner of section thirty-three of this town is the geographical center of the county.

The Name

The town was named Barber by the special commissioners in 1858, in honor of Mr. Chauncey Barber, who was supposed at the time to be a resident of the town, but who, in fact resided in Minnesota Lake township. The reader is referred to the history of the latter town, for a more full account of Mr. Barber.

The Settlement

Andrew Woesner and John Blocher were the first actual settlers of Barber township. Mr. Woesner was born in Germany. He came to the United States in 1854, and located in Indiana. In June,

1855, he removed to Illinois, and from thence to Winona county, Minnesota, and finally settled, about the thirteenth day of June, 1857, in this town. He is a blacksmith by trade, but has for many years been engaged in farming and stock raising. The land he settled upon was a part of the north half of section twenty-two (22).

1856, to Winona county in this State, where he fell in with Mr. Woesner, and came with him to this town. He is also a blacksmith by trade. He also took a claim on section twenty- two.

The following list contains the names of all the residents of the town, in June, 1860, as they appear on the national census rolls of that year, and the table following shows something of their possessions at the time:

At the time of the taking of the above census, A. Woesner and family and John Blocher were residing in Blue Earth City. Mr. Woesner subsequently returned to the town, but Mr. Blocher did not. Acres of improved lands in I860, 40; value of farms, 1,200; value of farming implements and machinery, $170; number of milch cows, 5; number of working oxen, 4; number of other cattle, 7; number of swine, 5: value of live stock, 30.'3.

It is not much to say that there are many individuals in the town to-day who, alone, have two or three times the aggregate value of all the above property, and a few much more.

Organization

Barber was attached to Walnut Lake township for civil purposes, by the special commissioners, in 1858, and was set off by the county commissioners May 27th, 1864. The first town election was held at the house of John Koonze, June 10th, 1864, and the town organized as a separate town. The town officers for the year 1878-9 were Josephus Vial, chairman of supervisors; T. Trowbridge and J. Linder, side supervisors; town clerk, A. Scheid; treasurer, H.

Historical Incidents

The first school house in this town was built in the spring of 1863, on section fourteen. It was a small log building. There are now (1879) six substantial school houses in the town.

A Grange of the Patrons of Husbandry was organized, in this town, July 'Jth, 1873, of which G. H. Brown was master, and T. C. Pond, secretary. It did good work, but long since ceased to exist.

Ever since the building of the S. M. R. R. in 1870, the farmers of this town have had the benefit of two convenient railroad markets, one at Easton, near the the northeast corner, and one at Delavan. near the northwest corner. No part of the town is over eight miles from one or the other of these markets.

Up to the close of 1879 this town had furnished to the public service, a representative in the lower House of the State legislature - Mr. Pond.

Religious

In the fall of 1803, St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church, above referred to, was erected on section fourteen. Subsequently a" parsonage was built near the place. There is a large and flourishing congregation of catholics here, and regular religious services are held. For some years a priest resided here, having charge of this and neighboring congregations, and this was the central locality, or seat of authority, foranumberof years of the church in this section of country. The building of churches and establishment of j^riests, in the surrounding villages, have lessened the importance of this locality as a church center. Other religious societies have, also, had organizations in the town, for many years.

The following schedule embraces the names of many persons, not already named, who were residt;nts of the town jjriur to the close of the year 1S79: J. Abraham, L. Anderson, ,T. Biu'ttler, 1'. Biirsaw, O. Urake, Jas. Hoylan. P. Corcoran, G. Claude, L Claude, .1. Domes, C. Eiselt, C. Frank, A. Feist, R. Feist, S. A. Goodrich, P. GalTy, N. W, Galpin, M. Garlow, G. Garlow, A. Glcason, F. Horn, H. Ilarttiian, S. G. Hendricks, .J. Hassing, B. Hassing, A. Hill, G. J. Ilassing, Jos. IIas,sing, F. Iladlick, G. Ilasslng. Henry Ilassing, C. Horn, P. Kelly, M. Koegan, J. Koonze, Wm. Kinsley, H. Keiser, A. Kruger, J. Klucas, J. Lang, H. Lane, T. Lavelle, M. Lutz, C. Lutz, Caesar Lutz, F. Lutz, J. A. Lutz, Jacob Linder, E. Marsh, A. Meyer, L. Mesahl, C. J. Malado, G. Nagel, J. J. Pauley, W. I'ipke. T. G. Pond, J. Uothans, H. Rouenhorst, F. Roske, W. Roske. M. Ronan, W. D. RosUe, J. Kakow, J. C. Reynolds. W. .^teinlierg, M. Stover, H. Stevermere, II. Schroeder, R. .Spencer, J. Scheid, A, Scheid, P. .Sipple, Henry Schrocder, C.Thayer, T. Trowbridge, L. Tressler, A. Troska, E. Tressler, W. Terry, Josephus Vial, A. Werner, G. M. Wheeler, J. Wahl, A. Woesner, M. Whalen, C. Whilen, C. Weber. T. G. Young, F. N. Young.

Some Statistics

The population of this town was, in 1860, enumerated with the people of Walnut Laife township, to which it was then attached, in 1865, there were 244 inhabitants; in 1870, f)61; in 1875, G33, and in 1880, 647.

It is learned from the assessor's returns for 1879, that there were owned in the town 351 horses, 405 cows, 422 other cattle, 4 mules, 695 sheep, 502 hogs, 29 sewing machines.

Products, etc., for the same year were estimated as follows: Wheat, 52,000 bushels; oats, 42,000 bushels; corn, 32,000 bushels; barley, 900 bushels; potatoes, 3,000 bushels; gallons of syrup, 2,400; flax seed, 1,300 bushels; wool, 2,800 pounds; butter, 8,000 pounds; honey, 132 pounds; apple trees growing, 3,000; total acreage of plowed land, 6,500.

Barber township is centrally located in the county, and has convenient railroad markets and trading points, and is one of the most beautiful and fertile tracts of country to be found anywhere in the State.