Fillmore County, Minnesota - The whole text, 1912 (part 20 of 20)

Surprise Camp, No. 133, Royal Nelghbors of America was organized March 27, 1895, at the home of Mrs. Cc. W. Ray of Canton by Deputy A. J. Dawson of Slayton, Minn., with the following charter members: Edith Weatherell, Alice Hudson, Emma Reed, Florence Manuel, Allie Wheeler, Dora Boyd, Mary Langwell, Mary L. Ryan, Celia McMaster, Bertha Bates, Jane McMaster, Tillie Larson, Anna Larson, Mate Jacobs, Carrie Funk, Lizzie Shutt, Sophia Anderson, Tena

Celia MeMaster was the first oracle and Edith Weatherill first recorder. The meeting place was in the E. 0. Oo. F. Hall until 1900, when they moved into the Masonic Hall where they still hold their meetings.

The present officers are: Gladys Wilford, oracle; Claudiene Boyd, viceoracie; Celia McMaster, past oracle; Cora Masters, recorder; Adelia Beach,

Hudson, inner sentinel; Anna Boardman, outer sentinel; The membership at present time is thirty-eight beneficiary and seventeen social members.

This society is a fraternal benefictary soclety and its object is to improve socially, morally and intellectually and to give moral and materia} aid to its members and those dependent upon them.

Spring Valley Camp, No. 245, Royal Neighbors of America was organized Jan. 30, 1896. The first officers were: Oracle, Alma Viall; vice oracle, Andrie Withie; chancellor, Helen C. Halbkat; marshall, Rose Scheli; recorder, W. W. Bonticou; receiver, Lydia M. Kumm; inner sentinel, Agnes Kleven; outer sentinel, Enima_ Nelson; physiclans, J. R, Johnson, F. W. Thornhill, R. L. Moore; managers, Florence Bonticou, Rose Schell, Helen C, Halbkat; past oracle, Florence Bonticou. The camp has enjoyed a prosperous Career, The present recorder is Georgiana G. Stevens.

Centennial Ladge, No. 56 %. O. O, F., of Spring Valley, was instituted Nov. 22, 1876. The charter members were: H. 8. Porter, G. W. Gregory, L. W. Harris, N. Brass and Jacob Shoemaker. The lodge has enjoyed a tranquil and prosperous career, and has been an infivence for good in the community. The present officers are: Nobie grand, George A. Beagle; vice

. O, O. F, was organized March 6, 1890. The charter members were: J. N. and Josephine Graling; W. H. and Isabelle Arnold; C, H, and Sarah C. Pfremmer; J. L. and Louisa Weisman; J. B. and Ann E. Dunham. The noble grands have been: ence Bonticou, Lydia_Schofield, belle Arnold, Anna Dunham, Katie Lamson, Helen Halbkat, Orpha Hendershott, Frances Graling, Nellie Washburn, Jessie Averill, Eliza Goodwin, Anna Hamlin, Hattie Kingsley, Eva Stevens, Cora Leonard and Hattie Howell. The secretaries have been: Katie Lamson, Grace Lawrence, C. A.

The jodge stands for benevolence and charity, not only to its own members but to others of the community as wen. in causes of sickness it has given tejder and in the hour of death, the bereaved ones have found comfort in the sympathy extended by the lodge. The lodge stands for pleasant assuciations 10 11s members and to the uplifiing of the morals of the com- Munity, and the character of the individual. The lodge aiso helps in the support of the state I. O. O. EF. home at Northiield and annually sends some gift to the inmates of the home at Christmas time.

Preston Camp, No, 276, Modern Woodmen of America was organized Dec. 2, 1855. The charter members were: <A. D. Gray, . H. Pooler, Fred Burton, C. &. McKinley, Henry Jones, John W. Archer, John Archer, Wm. Kruppenbacher, E. V. Farringfon, Myers Conkey, W. 8. Bigeiow,

The present officers are: Consul, P. L, Wilson; Past consul, Dell Young; advisor, Wallace rei banker, W. J. Merrijl, clerk, O. E. Frogner, escort, Diarvey Clark; watchman, Henry Watson; sentry, Ernie Coubern, managers, H. A. Larson, W. H. Pooler and Harvey Clark; physician, Dr. G. aA. Love.

The camP has accomplished substantlal benefits and promoted fraternal relationship among its members during life, and furnished financial aid and indemnity to the beneficiaries of beneficial members.

Ashton, B. J. besch, Willlam Buckbesch, Henry Buckbesch, Thomas Churchill, L. Erickson, G, O. Farrell, Bernard Foster, R. W. Hathaway, Knute Hegland, H. J. Heldt, . Jacobson, Thomas Langan, T. G. Parker and Robert Turner. The venerable counclis have been; F, &. Ashton, M. W.

Chatfield Lodge, No, 89, A. O WU. W., was organized April 13, 1886, with fifteen charter members. The first officers were: Past master workman, R, MecNeli; master workman, M. A. Trow; foreman, N, L. Roberts; Overseer, H. ©. Hamlin; recorder, EB. V. Farrington; financier, W. T. Williams; receiver, Geo. J. Hubbard; guide, N. L. Wylie; inside watch, Adam Belt; Cutside watch, W. A, Butler.

hundred dollars - one of the city. The membership increased steadily and reached 165. he, assessments, too, increased to $24 a year. This reduced the membership to 140, a loss of 25. Three years ago the grand lodge changed assessment rates based upon present age. This was hard on the older members. So the membership again was reduced by thirty-six dropping out, leaving 104 members. But the insurance proves good of the kind, and the number today is 122. The members tee! sure that wilh the ever-increasing emer- Bency fund that the grand Jodge has @stablished, places the order on a permanent foundation and that the

Spring Valtey Council, No. 1636, Royal Arcanum, received its charter Aug. i, 1895. It is a prosperous lodge, and like the other lodges of this order throughout the United States, is made up of the best representatlve people of the community. 'Phe present officers are: Regent, J. L. Norgaarcen; vice regent, Ole Aamot, past regent,

The Fillmore County Business Men's Association was orgunized in April, 1906. The first officers were: President, J. C. Halbkat, Spring Valley; vice president, S. A. Nelson, Lanesboro; treasurer, P. W. Young, Canton, secretary, Frank J. Ibach, Preston. The object of the assoclation is mutual improvement. Annual meetings and banduets are held, the business Integrity of the county Is discussed, credits are talked Over, the progress of the county is promoted, and an opportunity Is given for merchants of the various towns to become acquainted. Mr. Halbkat, one of the moving spirits in the association, was president three years. The Present officers are: President, J. H. Leary, Lanesboro; vice president, JC White,

The Fillmore County Poultry Association Is a new organization which has already demonstrated its usefulhess. The officers are: President, B. F. Neill; vice president, Joseph Shaw; secretary and treasurer, R. li. Farnham; executive committee, W. f. Nelli (chairman), O. \V. Moore, Jessie Gordon. Dr. N. Kendrick and S J. Huntley.

Burdick Post, No. 3, G. A, R., Deartment of Minnesota. Shortly after he reorganization of the Department of Minnesota in 1880. a request was made by a number of the old soldlers of Spring Valley, that a local Post be

Met a number of veterans at the office of A. R, Burleson, and Organized the first G. A. R. post in southern Minnesota, the first In the state. The charter members were: A. R. Burleson. Chartes W. Ackley, R. C, Livingston, H. B. Thayer, George C. Weed, Otho Stevens. C. BE. Huntley, M. M. Cowles, T. L. Gould, J. W. McNeely, Cc, E. Yearlan, O. W. Moore and T. A. Douglass.

Following is a_roster of the members: Charles W. Ackley, K., First Wisconsin, B, Fifth U. S. Veterans; Warren D. Andrews, A, Second Minn.; L. M. Ashley, F, First Minn. Heavy Artillery: Silas Avery, H, Sixth Minhesota: E. L. Babcock. ¢, First. Minnesota Heavy Artillery; W. G. Banks, H, Fourteenth Pennsylvania; John Bar. C, Fifth Minnesota: John C. Bateman, A, Second Minn., Second Veteran Reserve Corps; Dwight L, Beagle, A, Second Minnesota Cavalry;

North Star Chapter, No. 11, Royal Arch Masons. - This chapter has been one of the strongest Masonic landmarks in Filimore county, and has numbered some Of the leading men of

Appendix

The Onstine Party, by M. H. Onstine - The Lanesboro Schools, by Mrs. Cc, C, Scanlan - Early Days in Bloomfield, by O. P, Hadland - Fountain Waterworks, by A. W. Powers - Farmers' Mutual Cyclone Insurance Company - Gray & Thompson - Rushford Wagon Factory - -Spring Valley Sun - Highland Village - Early Rushford Schools - Harmony Schools - Reminiscences of Uriah Williams - Reminiscences of Kate Little - - Early Days in Rushford - Canton Items - Canton Schools - Elliotta - Canton Village - Prosper - Lenora - Soldiers from Canton.

The Onstine Party. - Henry Onstine set out from Ghio, in April, 1853, in company with his son, Michael H., and his son-in-law, B. F. Tillottson. Henry and his companions pushed their way west into Wisconsin, where he was joined by nis brother, Michael, and family, who_ had moved from Seneca county, Qhio, in 1847, and bought land in Green county, Wisconsin. E. P. Eddy, a son-in-law, who had a farm near Monroe, Wis., sold out and also joined the party. Crossing the Mississippi at Dubuque, Iowa, they wandered westward to Quasquiton, Buchanan county, where they camped for a month or more, awaiting @ report from a viewing party sent into southern Iowa and Northern Missouri. Finding nothing suitable for the colony, they continued the search in Iowa, camping at Charles City, Independence and Bradford, on the Cedar river, and finally taking claims on the Wapsipinicon river in Chickasaw county. But a few days Jater John B. Onstine, a nephew and young attorney, who lived in Decorah, Passing by on business, met and discouraged his uncles from settling in the sloughs and by flattering inducements turned them toward southern Minnesota. Tired and jaded the families were next cared for by securing rooms at Fort Atkinson, thirty miles from Decorah, while a party was sent in advance to select claims and build shanties. This party crossed over into Minnesota territory in August, 1853, and camped with James Kelly, Sr., who had come in the spring and settled one _ mile south 2f what is now Lenora Village. A Mr. Woodruff had taken a claim in what is now section 32, town of Amherst, built a log cabin, broke and planted ten acres of corn and wheat. His Place was on the Indian trail from the Hokah to the Iowa rivers. A party of hungry Indians once stopped there to ask for food. Crazed with execltement and alarm, Mrs. Woodruff ran with her baby to the timber where Mr. Woodruff was at work. She could not be reconciled to such visitors, so her husband sold the claim to James Kelly, Jr., for an old shotgun and a cow. He then made a claim in_section 36, in the town of Canton. With speculative genius he sold this for an old horse and a shoddy gold watch, thus placing him In 4 position to return tO civilization. Wm. McHenry, then a yOung man, and an old gentleman by the name of Colier spent the winter of 1852 and 1853 {n the grove of what is now the Sauer farm, McHenry elaiming what is now the poor farm timber and the prairie opposite in section 33, town of Amherst. This and the Woodruff claim and the eighty acres between is the original purchase made by Henry Onstine for farms for his two sons-in-law and himself, paying $375 for the same.

The earliest necessity In schoo! accommodation was met by_ holding school in the Densmore buitding, but the old stone school building which. still adorns the school house hill was accel before 1870. As the first lumer ever brought to Lanesboro was drawn by an ox team from Rushford in the spring of 1868 it is plain that the school is practically as oid as the town. The first building was erected during the time that the trees were being cut to make room for the business buildings.

On July 27, 1878, the school board resolved "to comply with the conditions of the High school Jaw to embrace in our course all the subjects required for entering the sub-freshman class of the state university."" Whatever was done along this line at that time was of temporary duration, and entire credit for placing the school In the high sehool list was due to K. Buell. who served the schools long and most faithfully as superintendent.

On May 11, 1886, a committee was appointed to confer with Mr. Buell in such preparation as was needed for high schoo} work, and final action was taken in the next year.

Crowded conditions in 1886 made it necessary to annex the Park School House. Plans for a new building were well under way when K. W, Buell] resigned to take up his duties as county superintendent. Mr. Long completed tae unexpired part of Mr. Bucll's erm.

In the fall of 1891 the four-room brick building was completed, and during the next five years the schools were under the efficient management of J. E. Tenney. Mr. Tenney was succeeded by Mr. Wells and Mr. Taylor, each remaining One year.

Since the fall of 1899 there have been four superintendents, J. C. Miller, R. A. Buell, A. R. Kent and Charles Eginton. Their earnest efforts have

The year 1912 marks another great change since a large addition has been made to the brick bullding, making it one of the finest and most commodious buildings in the state. Fifteen thousand doliars is the cost of the latest Improvements, and the school offers domestic science, manua) training and & norma] course, in addition to the reguiar grade and high school work.

The two school buildings are heated and ventilated by the fan system, and are in every way strictly up-to-date, representing a money value of over $40,000. and, like all good schools, the Lanesboro Schoo!) has an intrinsic value that cannot be measured by human standards. - By Mrs. C. C. Seanlan. Early Days in Bloomfieid. - O. P.

Hadland. son of Peter O. Hadland, one of the first settlers of Bloomfield township, has prepared for this work the following story of the coming of that pioneer party In the far distant days of 1854.

The first party of Norwegians who settled in Bloomfield came from Muskego, Wis., in the spring of 1854. They were Ole and Mathew Helleckson, Ole Halling and Ole Oian, who had families, and Peter O. Hadland and Henry Olson Oian, single men. The party stayed for two weeks near Decorah, while Ole Helleckson and two others started on an exploring journey westward. They visited Burr Oak, enora and Highland Prairie, put the country did not suit them, so they drifted westward until they_met a locator who took them to Bear Creek, Mowers county. Having decided to settle here they went back to bring their families and other belonglngs. Meanwhile the locator improved his time by bringing another party of Norwegians to the same place, receiving pay from both. As the second party was more numerous, Mr. Helleckson @nd his party turned hack and finally settled on the banks of the Root river, in sections 20, 21. 27 and 28, town of Bloomfield. Here they found an abundance of what the early settlers always looked for - good water, timber and meadow lands. The only visible sign of white men was a rude log hut covered with bark. In a few days the owner of this hut, a professional squatter by the name of Roy Rundall, appeared and claimed everything in sicht for himself and friends. As he backed up his arguments with a gun the settlers thought it the part of wisdom to buy him off, and in order to have it ''on the square," they atl went to John Bateman, who was secretary for a vigilance committee organized to keep claim jumpers and other undesirable citizens out. Here the Norwegians paid Rundall and his friends $175 for thetr rights. rea) or imaginary, and everybody was happy.

During the Indian outbreak in 1862 a@ great terror fetl on the people. I can remember how the whole nelghhorhood gathered for several nights In my Uncle Henry Olson's house so there was hardly standing room. To fight the Indians they had just one shotgun, besides any number of pitehforks, axes and seythes.

In the Year 1876 a school teacher by the name of Knute Hyelle started a country store on the southeastern corner of section 29. He had a good trade. but Jn 1879 he sold out to H. O. and Cc. M. Larson. The Larson brothers had a postoffies established there about

1881 and named it Hurdal, after a valley in Norway from which many of the people in the vicinity had come. The Larson brothers sold out to the firm of Hunson & Lundby. who in turn moved to the new village of Ostrand when the Winona & Southpa was built through Bloomtield n .

The village of Tifton was founded by W. T. Bly and named after one of his sons. Mr. Bly was a minister, doctor and speculator who expected Great things from the embryo city he had founded. Block 10 of the platted village was set aside and donated to tuture generations for a public park, but as the village never grew iarge enough to incorporate and improve said property it became an apple of discord to the inhabitants.

One worthy resident tried to get Possession of block 10 by pasturing cows and paying taxes on it. but his scheme proved a failure. The enraged cilizens took the case into court, I a his claim was declared null and void.

The murder mentioned in the history of Bloomfield, told elsewhere in this work, was committed in the town of Beaver. The man who was murdered was a one-armed Englishman, his body was found in Slough creek, covered with brush.

The first man to make any improvements in the town was John Bateman. My father found him breaking prairie Jand in section 1 in the summer of 1854 and he had put up a fence the year before.

The biue-blooded aristocracy of Europe pride themselves of ancestors, who have not done an honest day's work for a hundred generations. We, the miHtant democracy of the new world. should be proud of the faot that we are the descendants of the hardy pioneers who braved every danger, suffered every hardshin. subdued the wilderness and established comfortable homes for themselves and their children.

Fountain Waterworks. - After being twice defeated at spacial elections the matter bonding the village for a system of waterworks was carried April 30, 1996. By a vote of about three to one the voters decided to bond the village in & sum not to exceed $6,000, payable In twenty years. The work was taken up at once by the councll, and the contract let to the National Construction Company. of Michigan. On August 20, 1907, the village voted $4,000 more bonds to extend the svstem and pay up the entire indebtedness of the village. Fountaln now has one of the best air Pressure plants of any village of {ts size in the state, and a good supply of the best water fs carried to the outskirts of the vil- Jage In al! directions - By A. Powers.

The Farmers Mutual Cyclone insurance Co. of Fillmore county, was organized Feb. 12, 1898. and now has insurance in force to the amount of $2,080.407, The first officers were: Presifent. A. R. Wuneferford; secretarv, D. Kk. Michener. .treasurer, G. M. Warren. The present officers are: President, Arthur L. Sheldon: treasurer. G. M. Warren, treasurer, J. C. Meehum.

ie and Thompson. - A. D. Gray and k. E. Thompson entered into partnership, and began practicing law under the firm name and style of Gray & Thompson, November 23, 1881. Along the Ilne of criminal action, the firm has been very successful in defending men charged with the crime of murder. It has defended several men thus charged, and never fost a case. In 1904 the firm secured the acquittal of an Indlan charged with murder in Ada, Norman county. The firm seeured the acquittal of a man and his wife in Deadwood accused of manslaughter. SIx years ago the firm secured a verdict of "insane" in the case of Professor Gifford, at Decorah, who was charged with the murder of his wife. The senior member of the firm tried these cases. In the Prof. Gifford case more alienists testified as witnesses than in the noted Gitto case. The firm &!89 assisted the county attorney of Winneshlek county in the prosecution of John H. Cader charged with the crime of murder. He was convicted. The firm also has been very successful in civil actions. It has never acted for a rallroad company, but has won a number of personal] injury cases, notably an important one from the Chicago. Milwaukee

St. Paul. The firm, as attorneys for Thad T. Brokken, acted as administrators for the estate of his father, Tallek Brokken. The estate was the largest estate ever settied in the probate court of Fillmore county. It amounted to over half a million dallars, consisting of real estate in North Dakota. northern Minnesota, southern Minnesota and northern Jowa, together with notes, mortgages and bank stock. This estate was settled in_ fourteen months. The firm. with John W. Hopp, has Just been successfu) in setting aside the will of Levi Bevis. in which will he attempted to provide for a home for aged people to be located In Chatfield. Minn. This is one of the most important cases along the IIne of trust law_that has ever been decided by the Minnesota supreme court.

Rushford Wagon Factory. - In_ the ag 1860, John Albertson, after workng six years at his trade in Illinois, came to Rushford, and established himself in a small building in which he made and rebaired wagons. A year later John Nelson bought an interest in the shop. ive years later, when Mr. Nelson died, Ote Laugen became a Partner. In 1869. H. W. Holmes came to Rushford and opened: @ Wagon factory, A year later. A. J. SBtevens jolned the firm. In 1872 the two firms consaiidated, the new _company taking the name of the Rushford Wagon Factory Company, with

1878. they began making carriages, buggies and sjeichs. John Albertson had charge of the woodwork, G. J. Walker was general business tnanager and G. J. Walker was the bookkeener. In Sentember. 1279, the estab'ishmert was hurned. The original owners then went to Winona. where they are mannfacturing the ''Rushford Wagon" under the name of the Winona Wagon Company.

A few company was formed at Rushford, under the name of the Rushferd Wagen Comnany, the members belne Philip. Michael and Peter Miter, The new enmpany bought the Btandirg walls of the oid ntant. @nd In 1892 started manufacturing wagons. In 1897 Michaci and Peter sold out to

Philip Miller. In 1905 Philip Miler died. In 1906, the concern was made a stock company with the following officers: President, M. A. Maland; vice president, Michael Miller; secretary, Peter Miller; treasurer, James lobertson.

The Spring Valley Sun was started September 2, 1891, by E. G. H. Adams, as a Democratic paper and published as such until Hon. Knute Nelson was elected Governor of Minnesota. The morning after the election It was discovered that the Deinocrats of Spring Valley and Fillmore county had voted the Republican ticket. thus electing Mr. Nelson governor. The next issue of the Sun catne out as a Republican paper and {it so remains to this day.

n April 15, 1905, Mr. Adams sol@a "The Sun" to Fred Farmer, who im- Mediately sold the paper to L. H. Reinhardt, of St. Paul. Mr. Reinhardt conducted this paper about six months and disposed of It to S. J. Huntley, who managed the same until February 7, 1912, when it was sold to I. D. Lum, April 6, 1912. who [n turn disposed of it to F. B. Dille, who tired of it In a month's time, selling the property to W. H, Lee, who is still conducting jt.

Highland Village is situated on the boundary line between section thirtyfive and thirty-six, Holt, which brings it in the southeast corner of the town. A northesst and southwest road intersecta the section line road at this potnt. WN. A. Graves ang Andrew Shattuck who had farms here, realiz- Ing the need of a blacksmith shop, induced Christian Flohr to locate here, by each donating a piece of land, the one for a residence and the other for a shop. This was in 1864 or there about. and he sold to Olson and Westby in 1872 who head a short time before started a rival concern, the latter continued until 1891. The village was without a blacksmith shop until 1894 when Gabriel Munson built. A Year later he sold to G, Colby who continued a few years then aold to Opperud and Son the present owners, who are up to date blacksmiths and machinists, an@ have a commoedious and well equipped shop.

In_ 1866 a_store was started by two brothers, Ole and Gijermandson, in the house built by the first blacksmith for a residence. 'Fhey kept !t open for about eighteen months, then sold to Onstine and Jones. Two years later !t was disposed of to Graves and Son, who kept up the stock for a year, when !It was turned over to Mr. Rye, who at the end of a year falied in business. Andrew Olson was the next incumbent and he did a fiourishing business for eight years. Sometime in 1880 the store was rented to J. D, Elliott, who in 1882 sold his stock of goods to Christianson and Co. The junior member, J. A, Langord@, continues the business to the present

Wana enlarged it. and still owns the building, the stock having been DPurchased from Mr. Wana by Hans Paulson, later fram him by Erlek Johnson, then by Foarger Etstad, the present merchant who conducts #7 up-to-date general store, dolng a thriving business.

Hightand Postoffice, - -N. A. Graves produced the establishment of a postoffice in 1857 ard was the first postmaster. The Office was at his resldence up to 1861 when the place was given to J. A. Rose, In the spring of

1862 Andrew Shattuck was made postmaster and the office was brought back to the village. Mr, Shattuck held the office continuously until 1869 when it was removed to the store of Jones & Onstine. When first established, the mail was brought by different Persons for Some time until a route was opened from La Crescent by the way of Hokah. Houston, Dedham or Yucatan, Highland, and Preston, the carrier making the trip weekly, and not infrequently on foot when the roads were impassable for teams. This was continued until the railroad was built to Rushford. Those were the palmy days of 1867-68 while the end of the road was at Rushford. The mail was carried dally fram Rushford to Preston by a four-horse stage, which drove up with @ flourish and a toot of the horn at the Office, and the road was busy with the traffic of teams and big freight wagons. The postofiice has been held by several different ones during the years, the last one being W. N. Wana when it was discontinued with the extension of the rural @elivery from Whalan in 1903. The first telephone line to enter the village was built by the Rushford Telephone Co. in the spring of

Others were soon built and now the county is a network of lines and scarcely a farmer Is without a Phone. Highland has a switchboard of eight lines with long distance connections.

Early Rushford Schoois. - The first schoo) district organized in Rushford was in the Spring of 1857, and wags what is now known as the Tenborg school district, the first teacher, Martha Emery, holding sessions in the basement of her father's house with fourteen scholars in attendance as follows: Sarah. Betsy, Stephen, Moses, Mary. Phoebe and George Emery; Mary. Kate, Roderick and Isabe) Mc- Leod; Mary Cameron; Gertrude Jackson and George Hitcheock.

The first schoo} in the city was in the winter of 1857-58 when a private school, with half day sessions. was taught by Mrs. Henry Mead in her home where the Presbyterian parsonage now stands. The number of scholars In attendance was nine: Mary and Gamniiel Newcomb. Albert and Loulsa Woodworth, George Otis, Frank Hulbert, Ervie Walker, Hattie Stebbins and Mary Cameron.

The next school was a term of three months in the spring of 1858, taught by Jane Waters in a claim shanty, on land now owned by John McLeod,

In the summer of 1858 the first schoolhouse was built in the city. A part of this schoolhouse is now the restdence of F. A. Olson. Jane Waters was engaged to teach the school in the winter of 1858-59. The seats were long benches on either side. withont desks. the boys on one side and the girls on the other. There were twentythree scholars in attendance: Thomas Snei}. Fremont and Edelbert Philbrick. Frank Hulbert. Myron Walker, Albert Woodworth. George Otis. Gamaliel Newcomb. Eric Iverson, Byron Knapp, John Lenvig. Duncan and Marv Cameron, Hattie Stebbing. Eva Walker, Josephine and Emma MeAdams. May Stevens. Mary Otis. Elizabeth and Martha Rilanchfield. Louisa Woodworth and Mathilda Peterson.

Harmony Schools. - District Number Fortv (formerly known as _ district number twenty) was organized during the pioneer days of the early fifties.

It waa the twentieth to be formed in Fillmore county and although a great many more have since been organized, it has always ranked among the first in_educational affairs.

In the minutes of the first annual school meeting, heid in 1859, we find this interesting information: Resolved, That three months of school be held by a qualified male teacher who shail receive not more than twelve dollars per month; Said teacher shall recelve what money shall be drawn from the county treasurer as soon as It Is avallable and for the balance of his salary (if any) he shall wait until October first, 1860, without interest. Said teacher shail} board free of chaige with the parents or guardians of the children attending school, according to the number of children sent, and it is further made the duty of parents and guardians, sending children to school, to furnish their children with seats and desks and ali other necessaries and also to furnish a sufficient amount of wood free to the district. Francis J. Craig,

In 1859 fifty-seven were in attendance jin the first schoolhouse. The attendance Increased rapidly as young men and young women, with the children, found that school was a profitable place to spend « few hours each day during the winter months. In 1864 a small frame schoolhouse was built east of the Greenfield church. Many of our prominent citizens attended this school. Among those who taught it are found the following: M. A. Maland. 1872; Ida Ferris, 1872; Tollef Sanderson, 1874: Nellie Gaustad, 1878; Maria Adams. 1882; Nettie Dean, been lafd and the pioneers, realizing {ts favorable surroundings, saw fine Prospects for a thriving village. After consideration it was decided to buiid ® two-story schoolhouse here. This building. which is now part of the Artington Hotel, faced the east toward main street. In the lower room Miss Farrell, now Mrs. J. H. Pulver. taught the primary grades, The building was lighted by windows on the north and south. The rooms were heated by large stoves. placed in the center of the room. The teacher generally served as janitor, or kept the troublesome boy busy by allowing him to carry In the big sticks of wood.

In 1895 a small building in the north part of the town was rented and used as a schoolroom because of the crowded condition of the schoolhouse, In this building which the pufils spoke of as the "'schoo) in the sink hole" Rupert Barnes instructed the Intermediate grades. This same year Many Plans were made ta provide room for the increasing attendance, After due consideration the voters decided to build @ four room schoolhouse on what is the present site. This site contains one and one-half acres and ts very centrally located.

F. W. Gates was the first principal in the new building. Three raoms were used in 1897. but the following year the fourth room was finisned and another teacher added, with J. F.

Jones as Principal. In 1900 C. F. Elford introduced some high school work. It was not divided, however, from the grade work and because of disadvantages was not recognized as of importance until, the following year, C. G. Selvig became the principal. That same year a fifth teacher was hired and a first ycar high school class was more room again became necessary. In the summer of 1902 an addition of four rooms were added on the east of the butiding. the old part somewhat remodelied, and a stearn heating plant installed to heat the entire bullding. The enrollment increased to 270 this year. The school was admitted to the state high school list !n 1893 and in 1895 the first class, consisting of 9, Was graduated. Wight teachers were employed In 1895. Supt. Selvig was succeeded in 1907 by F. E, Maxson who was succeeded in 1910 by the present superintendent, R. L. Mason. A new brick building for the high schoo] was erected right east of the old building in 1910. This is a modern building -in every respect and contains rooms for the high school, agricultural department, domestic sciencc, manual training. library, reading room, superintendent's office, etc. The enrollment now exceeds 300. No high school in the county has grown go fast in the last dozen years. This year's graduatne. class numbered twelve.

he school is excellently equipped in every way. It gives a genera! education and has Special courses in general science, agriculture and industry.

Reminiscences of Uriah WINiams. - Uriah Williams, an eariy settler of Jordan, and for many years a town and school officer, has' prepared for this bistory the following story of the early days as he observed them.

In the fall of 1855. I left Springfield, TNinois, went to Dunleath, z y train, and came up the Mississippi on a steamboat, landing at Winona. I arrived in the evening, but so anxious was I to be on my way, that I left my trunk there, and walked elghteen miles, before seeking a night's rest at a farm house.. The next morning I shouldered my fourteen pound rifle and started on my way, reaching Chatfield in the evening. Chatfield was then a small village with only a few buildings. I stayed over night, and the next day walked out to Richard Hawkins', on the place now.owned by Will. Liebold. Later George Malene drove to Winona and got my trunk for me. I spent that winter with Mr. Malone on the place now owned by S. F. Leonard. There was but little to do but hunt and eat. One day while tracking ® black bear, of which I never saw more than the tracks, I discovered the spring from which have since been drinking; and as a reminder of the trip, I froze my big toe for the first time. I had @ Vittle money, and a land warrant calling for 120 acres, which I had purchased at Monroe, Wis., at ninety cents an acre. I was not long in staking out 120 acres around the spring. December 16, I went to the land office in Brownsville for the purpose of preempting my claim. In the party were

John Ray, Jessie Hartshorn, Bush Mosier and myself. We went to Preston with a horse team and wagon, and spent the night in a IJittle log hotel. When we arose we found that fourteen inches of snow covered the ground. So we iteft our wagon and started out with the two horses, tak- Ing turns riding horseback, the two men walking following in the tracks of the horses. When we reached Bellville. we met a party of ten men on from Pleasant Grove. We left one team of horses there, and ail fourteen started out in one sled. When we came to hills we would get out and walk, all except the driver and Dave Everétts. Dave \vas a singer, and as he disliked to walk in the snow, he and Mrs. Joseph Ober, who afterward opened the Minnesota House in Preston. They had two beds and plenty of sheep skins, so we spent the night in and around the beds, while Mr. and Mrs. Ober siept in chairs. The food was plenty and excellent. We continued the journey to Brownsville transacted our business, and stayed together until we again reached Beilville. Thirty-five years jater I met ane of the party, Mr. Stuckman, at the home of his daughter, Mrs. 8. F. Leonard, and I had to tell him where I first met him. I met others of the party once in a while for several years, but some I have not seen since, So far as I know, I am the only one of the fourteen now living.

The next spring I worked on my own place. grubbing and breaking ten acres, boarding in the meantime with Mr. Malone. I sowed turnips July 3, and the next day attended a celebration at the home of Greenbury Steer, now owned by EF. A, Leonard. They had a few home-made speeches, but no lemonade or firecrackers. But we had @ magnificent dance on a platform made of planks borrowed from the Johnson Stout stone mill. Richard Malone and Tom _ Trotter played the fiddles; Amos Steer and I did the calling. We had a parade about noon, forming two by two, and marching in'a half elrele. Of those that were there Caleb Comstock. H. E. King and myself are the only ones that I know to be still living. H. E. was then rather smal) and hung tightly to his mother's skirts.

July 5, I commenced work for Dave Greiner and George Malone, helping them build_thelr combined flour and saw mill. We bullt the dam and dug that race that summer and completed it that winter. At that time there was only one house on the present site of the village of Washington, that house being a littie shanty standing near the spring. and owned by a man named Asher Turner.

The summer of 1857 I spent on my own place, grubbing and breaking the land and selling putting in seed. I raised some of the finest wheat I have ever seen, selling it to the neighbors as seed at $1.50 a bushel. The next winter I worked at the Greiner mill with John Cozad. He and I had to keep it running night and day to keep it from freezing, We sawed over 90,- 600 feet of jumber. sawing the most logs and having the most water ever known in the history of the mill. Mill and owners are long since gone.

by Fred Jecke. 'Times were hard and for a few years I worked at odd jobs and rented my farm. There was little money and I came near working for Nothing and boarding myself. I hauled some of my share of wheat to Chatfleld and sold it to C, M. Lovell at thirty-one cents a bushel, receiving my pay in gold.

In 1861 I was married. The record in the famtly Blble reads: "Uriah Williams and Sarah Merriman were married April 30, 1861, at the residence of William Merriman, between the hours of eight and nine o'clock in the evening. By the Rev. Mr. Okey, Minister."

I had buflt my house with the assistance of Abraham Long, the structure being 16 by 22 feet, one and a half stories high, with siding and finishing lumber hauled from Winona. The bridal tour of my wife and myself was a walk. from her father's home to our new home, a distance of one mile. Her father lived on the farm now owned by Al. Leibold.

Knight, who received thirty. I assessed the town that year in sixteen days, recelving $1.00 per day, and being allowed $1.50 in addition for making returns to Preston, twentyfour miles distant. The assessor now recelves $50.00 for assessing the town. The next spring I was elected by a larger majority, getting eighty-nine out of the ninety-five votes cast. I did not qualify and was then appointed, but rerused to serve.

That fall I bought a yoke of oxen from my_ father-in-law. for $50.00, on time, and commenced farming, plowing the ground, and sowing the grain by hand, "dragging" it in. I plowed corn by taking out the front tooth of @ seven-tooth cultivator, straddling the row. IJ cut grain with a cradle and threshed it with a horse power machine. One year I mowed sixteen aeres of oats with a scythe. I threshed them in January, with a horse power apparatus Owned and conducted by Richard Gill and James Jallings. We could not stake the apparatus down, so we dug trenches, set the apparatus in them, brought water, poured it in the trenches, and froze it down solid.

Our grain markets in those days were Winona, St. Charles, Eyota and Rochester, Rochester which was elghteen miles away being the nearest. We received our mall from Jordan postoffice. For a time the postoffice was on a farm known as the "Bill" Hutton farm. Gillis & Hatch owned the log building and conducted the postoffice. They also had a few grogeries for sale. After a few years the #ifice was discontinued and a new ce established at James Tedman''s abeut eighty rods west of where the village of Washington now stands. Then he moved it to the present site of Washington, where he conducted the postoffice and sold @ few grocerles and notions. Boquette & Barnes conducted a blacksmith shop for a few Years Just south of what is now known as Coolle corners, on the south side of the road. Jessle Harahorn was conducting a mil at what was known as "'Slabtown" on the present site of the Kilbourn Roller Mill. This was on a school section. The timber disappeared from this achool section and no one knows where it went to. T. O. Kilbourn purchased the property after a few years and established the Union Roller Mili which he conducted most successfully up to a few pos ty ago, when he built a mill at Spring Valley and moved part of the old mill and machinery to tha new location. The old mill_is now con. ducted as a feed mb}. Mr, Kilborn died in November, 1911.

There were only a few shanties at Hamilton when I came here. Walter, Nathan and Danlel Booth llved there. A man by the name of Randall kept the postoffice in hls store. There was also a blaeksmith shop there. The owners of the Village expected that the railroad was coming through and that the place would be a second Chicago. The railroad did not come, the farmers had mlafortunes with their swine, and a city did not materialize. Most of the village is now used for farming purposes.

Johnson A. Stout and W. L. Horton bullt the stone mit) soon after I came here, and conducted it for several years. Mr.. Stout Jater sold his interest in the mill to his partner. Then he, with his brother Joe, and a Mr. Hammer, built the tunnel mill and a small store. But they did not succeed in establishing a good market for their flour, and_in a few years, Joe Stout and Mr. Hammer withdrew, and J. A conducted it alone for several years, later renting it to the Greiner Brothers for a year at $11,000 a Year. The mill was afterward sold for less than what had previously been received for one year's rent. . A, Leonard now owns the mill and uses it for a feed mill. The old stone mill has been torn down and the stone used for the foundations of other buildings.

We organized schoo} district 123, after a good deal of argument. We ealled the meeting finally at the home of Philo Bradley, and voted to build @ Jog schoolhouse on tho northeast corner of section 23, 104, 13, then owned by George Malone. I do not remember the exact date, but I think it was in December, 1856 or 1857. I was elected clerk; Philo Bradley, director; and Solon Truscott treasurer, Martha Gilt taught the first school. The schoolhouse burned down the night after our school meeting in 1875, and in 1876 we built a brick schoolhouse on section 14, eighty rads north of where the log schoolhouse stood. Elwin Smith taught the first term of school in thls building. The brick schoolhouse proved unsafe, after a few years' use, and in the spring of 1887, we tore it down and built a frame house. We had school that fall. Mary YF. Marshall taught the first school in the new frame building. The early records have not been preserved. I was treasurer of this district seventeen consecutive years, {n_ the early days, and have held the office several times since. H,. E. King was_ clerk nearly forty years without a break, and did not give up_the office until the Jast meeting in July. 1921. when he moved to Stewartville to Iflve. I am the onty one left in the district who was here when it was organized. In 1888 there were forty-seven scholars on the roll call; in 1905 but two attended school in the district; there are now nine of school age in the district.

Sumner township was organized on Tuesday, May 11, 1858, at the home of L. W. Corey. on the farm now owned by DE. A. Leonard, the Friends church being now on the southeast corner of it. Willfam B. Melvin waa chosen chairman; Charles D. Sherwood was elected moderator; and Walter S. Booth was elected cierk. H,. P, Sleeper and H, Plummer were appointed judges of election. Two balfot he citizeris voted $150.00 to defray the necessary expenses of the town fér the ensulng year. any, destgnated a fence four and a half feet high as a lawful fence, and decided that cattle and horses showld run at large with rights of free commons from the first Kg May to the first of November. Sheep and hogs were not to have the right of free commons: At 6 o'clook in the afternoon. the polls were declared closed by the moderator, and the judges and moderator: proceeded to count the votes, the result being as follows: Place of voting: for Martin Kicker's place, 88; for Hamilton. 53; for Sumner Center, 2. For supervisors: chalrman. C. D. Sherwood, 70; Joseph Koff, 69; William H. Dean. 1; second member, G. W. Knight, 8%: John E, King, 50; for third member. James H. Tedman, 9%; Tsaac Steer. 37. Town clerk, D. L. Booth, 78: M. J. Hoag, 47; W. S. Booth, 3; W. H. Dean, Assessor. John Jolly, 88: William B. Melvin, 47. Collector, William S. Horton, 92; Genre A. Hayas, 48. Overseer of the poor, L, Chamberlain, 84; John E. King, 52. Constables. D. C. Hendershott. 76; Benj. Day, 56:

. H, Ciarno, 188; W._S. Booth. 1. Justices of the peace, C. Brownwell. 133; W. S. Booth. 80; C. D. Sherwood. 57. For a time our meetings were held in various places, sometimes at Hamilton and sometimes at the Kedron schoothouse. On Tuesday, Mareh 34, 1876, we held our meeting In our new Sumner town hall for the first time. I have held the office of chalrman of the board of supervisors several times and have been a member of the side board many times.

We had a good many years' hard work getting our roads cleared and graded and bridges bullt across the streams. The south half of the town was more or less timbered and hilly with a good many streams to cross. The north half was rather too level with a good many sloughs to go through. But we have the roads ali cleared and sraded and the streams bridged. We have four steel bridges, and several arch bridges bullt of stone, and many of the culverts are of steel. Few planks are now used, their Place being taken by stee! and concrete.

There were 143 votes cast at the first election. I do not think there are that many voters in Sumner today. very quarter section then had a shanty on it and a family in the shanty. There were also shanties on some of the eighties.

I have sold dressed pork for $14.00 er 100 pounds: the cheapest was 2.60 a hundred pounds. I have sold wheat for $2.10 per bushel; the cheapest was thirty-one cents. I have sold oats for $1.00 a bushel; the cheapest was twelve cents. The most I ever received for a good horse was $220 and the lowest $50. I have received $3.60 for tabor in the harvest flelds: I have hauled rails from the timber for fifty cents a day and boarded myself. I have payed $1.00 for two and @ half pounds of sugar, fifty cents for calico, and seventy cents a yard fer common sheeting.

The way we lve now is in decided contrast to the way we lived in 1856 Or 1861. Then we took two days with our ox teams to go to Rochester and back. Now the trip is made in autos in two hofirs. We burned candles in else. Now a candle is a curiosity. Coa: oil, gas or electricity are now used. Fhe telenhone saves much time and one does not have to break the horses' backs to get to the physician when the children have the colic. Everything is "hurry-up"" now-a-days. but we used to have plenty of time. It used to take weeks for a letter to go 10 my old home, in Illinois: Now one can get a reply

I am still living on the place I took in the early days, and I expect to be here the rest of my life. I am gBlad that I have lived through the years of the early development of one of the finest states in the union.

Reminiscences of Miss Kate Little. - Miss Kate Little, whose articles on uplift and historical subjects are well known in Fillmore county, has written for this work a story of her father's - in the early days as fdlaws:

Duncan M. Little was born in Newark, Ohio, Dec. 17, 1813. Oct. 26, 1842. he married Elizaheth P. Hall. In 1850, they moved to [llinois, and there My. Little opened a grocery store. Dec. 12, 1851, his wife died, leaving him with a daughter, Kate, seven years of age. Mr. Little was in poor health, and was advised to lead an outdoor life. Consequently, while on a visit to his sister in Lansing, Iowa, he was easily Induced to take a trip to Fiilmore county, which was at that time attracting many settlers. He walked from Decorah. Jowa, and first looked over the land in the neighborhood of the present poor farm. As ail the land there was taken, he looked further. He often related in after life his experience of spending a night at John Vail's house, on the present site of Treston, he and six other land seckers sleeping on the floor. In the morning he was offered the claim where Preston now stands for $600. After looking about for a few days, he concluded to take @ claim on the north ifme of Preston township. just three miles west of Preston village. He preempted this ctaim at Brownsville, Nov. 24, 1854,

At that time any man over twentyone who would build a shanty end live in it a few days, could go to the iand office then located in Brownsville, and by swearing that he wanted it for his own use, file his claim to 160 acres. He could preempt this at any time by paying $1.25 an acre, or he could live on it until the government offered It for sale, at which time he had tiie first opportunity to purchase it at the same price. A man could preempt but once, and could not obtain more than 160 acres In-Vhis way. But before a Man preempe.] a claim, he could sell his rights. an® take a preemption in another place. The purchaser had to go to the land office and file his claim. As in many new countries, there were swindlers ready to allege ownership to claims they hand no right to, and for fifty or a hundred dollars would sell the use of thelr preemption right over and over again to those who wished to obtain more land than they were enlitied to.

Mr. Little hired a man and spent a month splitting rails on his new farm. The rest of the winter he spent at the house of Frank Ti}lotson on Richland Prairie. In the spring, Mr. Little went back to Illinois, and staying with his brother near Rock Island Until the spring of 1856, when he dgain started for Minnesota, driving a herd of cows and calves, and bringing a family to keep house for him. He arrived on his farm, May 29, 1856, and there resided until his death, Jan. 19, 1990. The family soon left him to take up e claim, and he had to do al) his housework in addition to his farm labor. He made buiter which he sold at thirty cents a pound in the Village of Preston, which in the meantime had been started and was in a flourishing condition. That summer twenty acres of Mr. Little's farm were broken, the work being done by two men, guiding a largé breaking plow, and driving tive yolk of oxen. For such service five doilars an acre was paid, the men being given their board, and the cattle their feed. Even after the land was broken, fit took from three to four years to get the soil entirely clear, as the oak roots jeft in the ground sprouted each spring. The only way to get rid of these ''grubs'' Was to carry an axe and cut them off whenever the plow entered them.

In the fali he improved his cabin by placing severa) rounds of jogs on top thus making it a story and @ half high. The cabIn had 4 board door with wooden hinges and a wooden latch. These wooden hinges were made by driving wooden Pins with perforated flat heads into the ribs of the door, and into the door frame, then placing a wooden pin in the perforations, holding the door to the frame and allowing it to swing. The arrangement was satisfactory, but Jet in much cold and snow when the wind was blowing. The wooden latch was a long strip of wood, fastened to the inside of the door with a wooden pin, and resting in the notch of a pin driven inte the door frame. <A string fastened to this latch passed through a small hole in the door. When the string was pulled inside no one outside could open the door. This gave rise to the expression, "My latehstring Is out." There was a small window opposite the door. A comfortable floor was made of slabs which had been cut three inches thick, the entire width of the log from whieh they were obtained. Under this floor w&s a hole where the potatoes and turnips were kept. loft was formed of loose boards bought at the mill in Waukokee. Rail steps led up stairs. This was guite out of the ordinary, as most of the cabins of that day had dirt floors; and those that had a loft had nothing in the way of stairs but pegs driven into the logs, one above the other. The roof was made of ''shakes.'' These were split from logs four feet long and Ralf an inch thick and eight inches wide. These "'Shakes" kept out the rap, but aid not lie close enough to keep out the wind and drifting snow. There was a big fire place, but No stove. Mr. Little made all the furniture himself. The bedsteads were of round hickory for the frame, with ropes stretched across both ways, supporting a bed tick filled with hay, there being no straw as yet. The chairs were of round hickory with seats and backs of

Nov. 16, 1856, Mr. Little's daughter Kate came to him. This was no doubt company for him, but little help, as she was but twelve years old, and had been reared to study rather than to do house work. When the stage driver, who had been told that her father's house was the only one he would find in that vicinity, stopped at the door, she demurred about getting out of the stage, saying she was sure her father would not live in such a place.

The winter of 1856-57 was long remembered as the ''winter of the hard crust." It was not so cold as other winters have been, but it commenced early, and found the settlers unprepared for it, with no shelter for the animals, and little if any grain, and only prairie hay for their stock. Mr. Little was no exception to the rule. But fortunately he had traded the horse he drove here for a yoke of oxen. This gave him a team which wintered easier than a horse, which would probably not have lived. He killed and sold for beef what stock he could, but there were few to buy. But tallow candies were in demand at forty cents a dozen, sO many evenings were spent in moulding them. In Mr. Little's diary we find that the first snow fell Nov. 21, followed by another on Nov, 23. On Dec. 3, the following entry was made, "A tremendous snow storm, drifting all night, siftin through every crack and crevice." sleet, Dec. 10, covered the snow with "a crust as thick as a piece of glass which cut like a knife, making it hard to get about or to haul wood." There was another sleet forming a crust about three-quarters of an inch thick on the twenty-seventh. This would almost but not quite hold up a man, making it still harder to get about. Many had to go to town on snow shoes, taklng a hand sled toa bring home flour and a few groceries. Feb. 14, a thunder shower made another crust. On Feb. 15 and 16 came the first thaw of the winter, settling the snow which had three crusts. The coldest weather of the winter lasted but a day or so, but it snowed a little every day, and on Jan. 18 it was recorded that it had not snowed for nine days. There were no Indians that winter, but there had been many the winter before. Previous to this winter there had been plenty of deer. But the deer were not able to travel this winter on account of the crust, their smaji hoofs easily reaking through. Men could run them down on snow shoes, and many were slaughtered. Toward spring they were too poor ta have their flesh of value and they were killed for their skins. There have been few if any deer in the county since that spring.

There was no dry wood that winter, and {tt was impossible to get about with oxen. Thg@ nearest trees were cut for firewood, and pulled through the snow. The trees were green and the bark full of snow. Stili there was no actual suffering or sickness.

"Bob" sleighs were unknown. The sieds were made of two iong runners split from a tree, contalning a natural crotch suitable for the purpose. It took several weeks to make such a sied, for the work had nearly all to be done evenings, the day-time being taken up with feeding the stock an getting the fuel, the fire place taking a large amount of wood. In March, when the winter broke up, the few settlers had completed their sleds, and nad cut the roads, using wooden mauls to cut the crust. Cattle were driven back and forth to make the roads passable. Then the settlers began rushing logs to the sawmills for the Purpose of getting needed lumber for floors, roofs and other purposes. everyone was determined to have enough shelter for stock the next winter. Needed cooking stoves, plows, and harrow teeth were hauled from Decorah, Iowa, as this was the nearest and best place where such articles could be procured. The condition of the roads was bad. Mr. Little made the trip in five days. He spent $600.00. He-carried his own quilts and blankets Ilke everyone else, and payed $1.50 for the privilege of sleeping on the floor in a house. The public houses usually had two beds. The first comers slept in the beds and the rest on the floor, but the price was the samc.

The harrow teeth were placed in a "V" shaped drag made from the crotch of a tree. Later sawed timbers with hinges were used for harrows. AS no iron runners were oObtainable the first few years, the sled runners wore out easily. The settlers soon learned, however, to make geveral runners out of the tree suitably erotched, by taking the tree to the mill and having it sawed. This was a great improvement. but the runners often split where the strain came on them and where the grain was the wrong bn /3

The Spring came late and was very dry at corn planting time. The fields had to be fenced, as the stock was allowed to run at large. The fences were seven rails high, staked at each calves were lost that spring but some had to be brought Into the cabins for a few hours. ne neighbor wintered a small pig in the corner of his cabin. Seed corn was $1,04 a bushel. Potaoes and oats were Sixty cents a bushel. The older settlers on Rich- Jand Prairie had corn to seed to sell. Flour was §2.85 a hundred pounds.

During the summer of 1857, Mr. Little put up a log barn with a board roof and floor. It was large enough for all his stock and had a loft capable of holding three loads of hay. He also fenced a barn yard, and a fifteen acre pasture for swine and cattle. That year he had plenty of corn, oats and wheat for flour and seed. There was plenty of wild hay, but no timothy or clover. Mr. Little found a little timothy growing in his door yard where some one had fed horses. We carefully preserved the seed, the first year, and raised a plot of timothy about a yard square. This continued to thrive, and in a year or two he had quite a large tract of tame hay before any of his neighbors.

There was little grain to sell and no market as yet. Everything in Preston had to be brought by team from Brownsville and Lansing. In 1859, hard work had impaired Mr. Little's health, so he rented his farm, putting up a hewn log house outside of the fleld. Schoo? district 48 was organized. a schoolhouse put up, and Iemfly Miller engaged as teacher for three months at $14.00 a month.

In 1859 there was a market for grain at Winona. The roads were sd and not direct and it took seven days to make the trip. Twenty-eight bushels. was a good load, and as but lifty-nine cents a bushel was paid at Winona, the returns were small. Those making the trips took along bedding and food for themselves, and hay .and-feed for the oxen, camping under the wagons or. sleeping in straw piles. One neighbor who was a mason worked at good wages in Preston while his wife and daughter worked the farm and marketed their wheat at Winona, driving two yoke of oxen and ae out along the way. Sept. 12, 1860, the vegctation was blighted by frost.

In 1561, Mr. Little built a granary. He secured the clapboards and shingles from Winona, and the rest of the lumber from logs which he took to Preston to be sawed. Before this the grain had been kept in rail pens, roofed with straw, the cracks in the sides also being stuffed with straw. Wheat that year brought fifty-eight cents a bushel, and_a load brought $16.55 at Winona. The roads were now shorter and better, and in making the trip to Winona the setticrs were away from home but three nights. Wood was $1.25 a cord in Preston. Mr. Little had his oxen so well trained that he could sit in the wagon and handle them as well as he could handle a team of horses. One was trained to work single, and Mr. Little used him when plowing corn.

During the war, Mr. Little raised a flag pole at one corner of his house. His daughter made-a flag which was raised every day. There were sorne disloyal neighbors who threatened to tear down the flag, but they never dared try it either when he was home or when his daughter was home alone during lis trips to Winona.

From Jan. 1 to Jan. 8, 1864, came the coldest weather experienced, That fali wheat sold at seventy-two cents a bushel and was marketed much easier, hotela being built along the road at frequent intervals, and camping out being no longer a necessity. Many had horse teams.

Jan. 1, 1866, Mr. Little moved into another and far better house. He had been Betting ready for this home for two or three yeurs, hauling a little lumber each year from Winona, there being little money to spare. Prices and roads were better, the farms were being improved each year, and times were prosperous.

The railroad from La Crosse soon reached Houston, and that became the market point for grain and swine, these being the principal products. The pioneers all killed their own hogs. One winter after the farmers had their swine ready for market, the weather was so warm and the roads S80 poor they all spoiled on their hands and were a total loss.

In 1867 the railroad reached Rushford. This was much better. Wheat rose to $1.40 a bushel. Still later the railroad reached Lanesboro. The markets Were near and prices were fair.

Mr. Little raised good stock. He had a fine herd of Poll-Angus cattle and was noted for many sears for his fine breed of Poland-Chin& hogs. His daughter Kate kept house for him all this time.

Mr. Little was a man of integrity and was noted for his well kept farm. An old neighbor wrote of him, many years after, ''A fine country gentleman, a man of considerable dignity and pride, one from whom young men of the vicinity could and did get information on many subjects, especially farming. He had an excellent farm, some fine buildings, raised good crops, was a first class farmer and raised good cattle." At his death it was said of him "His word was as good as his hond.'' At his own request he is buried on a little grove of trees near the home he loved so well.

Early Days in Rushford. - The first store in Rushford city was bullt by Otis Batherick in the early spring of 1856. Another was built a Httle later by T. G. Fiadeland. In the summer of 1859 the first hotel, jater known as the Adams House, was built. The owners were C. G, Hulbert and Hugh Lampman, the former being the proprietor. In the sixties Gulick O. Laugen Opened a hotel which he called the Rushford House.

At the time the Civil War broke out, the valleys were all settled and the prairies nearly so. Farms were under cultivation, and the people wera prospering. When the cal] came for iroops, Rushford was not lacking in patriotism. Rushford sent. thirty-one men to the front, several of whom are now lying in graves at Gettysburg, Richmond, Murphreesboro and Nash- Ville. With five exceptions, all who enlisted from here were young unmarried men. Twenty-one were Americans, ie Norwegians and two Gerinans. hey were: George G. Stevens, Henry Hitchcock, Leslie Gore, Henry Stage, Arnold Newcomb, John Moore, Steven Emery, Jeff Bathrick, William Reppy, Albert. Woodworth, Steven Otis, nstine Laugen, Bric Iverson, Hans Lenvig, Tosten_ Hol- Joque, William Stark, Byron _Knapp, Eathan Hitchcock, Charles W. Gore, Herman Stage, Gamaliel Newcomb, Oliver Moore, David Coolidge, Andrew Bathrick, Gilbert Osborn, Charles Fuller, James Patten, Ole Laugen, Ole Lenvig, Asbin Zachariahson and Gregor Gulickson.

On January, 1867, the railroad came through, and for some time Rushford was the terminus, That summer the little place boomed. Factories were built. business houses went up, and the town became a noted grain market. In 1868 Rushford was incorporated aS a city, the greater portion of it standing on_ what had been G.

The first blacksmith and Plow maker in the city was Isaac Anderson, who settled on the north side of Rush Creek in the fall of 1854. He brought the first horse, . S. West brought the first buggy in the fall of 1855, this being the first vehicle driven over the territorial road to Chattield after the survey.

The first carpenters were Joshua Tamery and Enoch Walworth, who settied here in 1856. The first. shoemaker was John Iverson. He did business in 1858-59 in a little shop west of the present Presbyterian parsonage. The first stonemason was Edward Blanchfieid.

in the winter of 1 The contracting parties "were Charles W. Gore and Martha Bartley, married March 14, 1860. The second marriage by Mr. Snell was_that of Geores 8. West and Mary I. Cameron, on July 3, 1860.

Early Norweglan Events. - O. P. Hadiland, at the expense of considerable research, haS gathered some information in regard to early Norwegian happenings in Fillmore county. The first Norwegian who settled in Fillmore county was Ieven Eilertson, who came to Newbur& township in 1851. The first Norwegian clergyman to visit the county was Rev. V. Korn, who preached in the county in 1856. The first Norwegian congregation was organized in Arendahl in 1857 by Rev. \. &. Boyum. The first meeting house

Canton ltems. - The following articles by Wiiliam Willford are here presented as additions to the material on the same subject pubjished elsewhere in this work.

Canton Schools. - The Canton village district was formed in 1838] by taking 40 acres each from districts 21, 24, 25 and 26. The first school in this district was taught by May L. Mason in the house of George Hudson in March, 1881. In 1882 a frame schoolhouse, 26 feet by 50 feet, two stories high, was built at a cost of about $2,000. In 1904 the frame building that was considered too small to accommodate the numerous pupils in attendance was sold and a more commodious brick building was erected, the size of which was 52 feet by 60 feet, two stories high, besides the stone basement for the heating plant; the total cost of which was about $12,000. This district has annually nine months school and employs four_teachers.

Elliota.x - The town of E\liota was located in the southwest part of what is now known as Canton township, being on section 32, town 101, range . It was piatted for J. W. BEiliott, the proprietor, by H, K. Averill, Jr., a Deputy United States Surveyor, on December 13, 1854, and was the second town platted in Fillmore county. When the Frink and Walker stage route from ubuque, Iowa, to St. Paul, Minnesota, was created in 1864, a postoffice was established In this locality with J. W. Eliott as postmaster. He was succeeded by Mr. Dickenson, Mr. Wiicox, John Manuel and finally by Dr. . A. Sturgeon, who surrendered the key of the pouch in Aprt!, 1882, when the office was discontinued. In the fall of 1853, after J. W. Elliott had staked off his elaim on the southwest quarter of section 32, town 101, range 9, he decided to start a town on his claim and opened up a hotel and named it the "Elliott House.'' He then began to glve away lots to the people that would improve them. Leing anxious to boom the contemplated new village the proprietor engaged in the mercantile business with a small stock of goods, but the stock of merchandise was soon sold to another party. About this time another hotel was started by Andrew Cheeney, called the 'Cheeney House." One of the first store buildings in this town was a large stone building erected by John Boone, with the words "Wholesale and Retail' artistically painted on the front. In the first part of the year 1854 a company was formed by J. W. Eliiott and Andrew Cheeney which was known as the Elliott & Cheeney Mercantile ComPpany. This company erred in judgment by putting in too large a stock of goods in this sparsely settled few country and soon found that the debit side of their ledger was freater than the credit side. On July 4, 1854, the sheriff of Fillmore county and his posse came from Carimona with four pairs of oxen and by virtue of a bill of sale that was eh Keith & Company, of Chicago, Illinois, by J. W. Elliott and Andrew Cheeney, took possession of the Elliott & Cheeney stock of goods and removed them to Carimona, where they were sold at auction, Wm. H. Strong being the prmoial buyer. J. W. Elliott paid 31200 and gave a quit claim deed on the south eighty acres of his land claim to liquidate the debt to Keith & Combany. The first doctor to locate in this village was Dr. Harvey Boone who had a drug store. He remained only a short period of time, and was succeeded by Dr. S. A. Sturgeon, who was also the proprietor of a drug store in the place until 1882, when he removed to Canton. In 1859 John Manvel traded his farm in section 21, town 101, range 10 Fabel township), to Keith & Company for the store building that was situated on the land that was transferred by J. W. Elliott to Keith & Company, and in this Same year John Manuel and John ©. Cook engaged in the mercantile business, which continued up to 1861, when John O. Cook sold his interest to L. O. Bliss, who later. gold to John Manuel. John Blake engaged in the mercantile business in this village in 1862. In 1879 John Manuel erected a frame store bullding in this town that was 24 feet by 80 feet and removed his stock of goods into this new building. In January, 1880, the building and the stock of goods were removed to the new town of Canton. In 1875 a large flouring grist mill 30 feet by 30 feet, operated by wind power, was erected by the citizens of this town and vicinity at a cost of about $13,500, The height of the tower of this mill was 90 feet, and the diameter of the wheel was sixty-two feet. This mill was operated about four years, when the stockholders began to realize that their investment was too high in the air for profit, and sold the flouring mij] to a party in Easton, Farlbault county, Minnesota, tO which it was removed. In the "old time' days when the Frink & Walker four-horse stage coaches passed through this new western town it was known far and wide. At one time this town had four stores, two hotels, shops and other village concomitants that did a flonrishing business and had bright prospects of becoming the greatest business center of the country. Today it has a de- Serted appearance, as the old business men of Elliota have removed to the new Village of Canton and become some of the most successful men of that town.

Canton Village was located on the narrow gauge railroad that was bullt from Reno on the Mississippi river to Preston, Minnesota, in 1879, and is situate on sections 20, 21, 28 and 29, in town 101, range $9 (Canton township), on the dividing ridge that crosses the township. The narrow gauge railroad was widened to a standard gauge on the tenth day of November, 1901, and is now_known as the Preston branch of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul system. This town was platted and named by Frank Adams in October, 1879, and magically loomed up as @ great grain and stock market with A. and T. Mc- Michael of McGregor, Iowa, and Mc- Cormick & Company of Lansing, Iowa, as buyers. David Donald was the man that established the first dry goods store, and John Myers was the first man to erect a boarding shanty and officiate as landlord. De rh a Haskins was the proprietor of the first drug store and was the first doctor in the town. S. G. Sands butlt the first blacksmith shop and hammered iron. Day Brothers of Decorah, Iowa, and Edwards & Osborne of La Crosse, 'Wisconsin, were the first to establish lumber yards in this town and engage in selling pine knots. During the fall of 1878 James roars erected a large two story store building and engaged in a general merchandise business in the lower story and the upper story was used as a residence for the family. During the first part of the winter following John Manuel, who had a store in Elliota, which was about three miles distant from the new town of Canton, moved his store building and stock of goods to the new town, and in January, 1880, commenced business in the Village of Canton. About this time a postoffice was established and named Boomer, which was a name suggested by John Manuel, who had been commissioned the postmaster. In the latter part of the eighties this name did not sound well in the ears of the patrons of the office. The name of the village was Canton, the rallroad station and the tewnship were Canton, which created great confusion in business, and the postoffice department was asked to change the name from Boomer to Canton, which was readily done. In the summer of 1879 a proposition wags made to the voters of Canton town- gauge rallroad from the Mississippi river to Preston, which was at the first election voted' down by a handsome majority. A second election was called in the middle of harvest and the bonds were voted. In the proposition made by the railroad company to the township of Canton as to the location of the depot, the railroad officials erred by stating that the depot should be erected nearest the east line of section twenty-one, instead of the west line of section twenty-one as was intended. In November, 1879, the bonds of $12,000 were issued, bearlng seven per cent interest, and to run twenty years unless sooner paid. The depot was first located nearly three-fourths of a mile east of the Village of Canton to comply with the proposition, where it remained until the fall of 1881, when it was moved to the village on 4 flat car. At the Spring election in 1882 it was voted to pay annually one thousand doilars of the principal and the accrued interest until the bonds were fully paid. At this writing Canton village has a population of 345. All branches of business are as well represented in this town as may be found in any other town of its size in Fillmore county.

The Canton Opera House, owned by the village. was built in 1892. Just now ,the house is being enlarged by an addition on rear. New seats, scenery, ete., will be forthcoming. Lecture courses are held every season and the opera house is well patronized.

opulation in the Canton township, ocated on the Preston branch of the Chicago, Milwaukee & f¥4. Pau) railroad, and situated on the section line between sections 35 and 36, about midway north and south of the sections. It is also on the dividing ridge that crosses the township of Canton. Soon after close of the war of the rebellion, &. B. Clark was instrumental in getting a postoffice established in this vicinity that was named Prosper, and was appointed postmaster and kept the office at his house on section 35 about one year, after which he was succeeded by Enoch Rollins, who lived across the state line in the state of Iowa. e was followed by John La_ Page, Joseph Ernst, F. R. Miles and Oscar Dahli, the present fncumbent. In 1880 a sorghum mill was erected by six enterprising settlers who had unbounded fatth in the success of the new plant, which they had located on the west side of section 36 near the railroad. It had a four horse power press that was run by a fifteen horse power engine, and_had a twenty-foot Cook evaporator. With these equipments It had a capacity of turning out several hundred gallons of syrup In a day. lt was operated for only a short period of time and the enterprise was abandoned for Yarious reasons. Shortly after the erection of the sorghum mill the railroad company put in a side track near the mill to accommodate the people in that vicinity. and this soon became an important shipping point. In this same year Frank R. Miles engaged in the mercantile business at this station, and secured the Prosper pastofice which he kept in his store. From this time on the Hamlet of Prosper continued to grow in the way of business as the name _ indicates until] today every branch of business found represented in the township is to be found in Prosper. The bank, lumber yard and creamery were esgai in this hamlet in the year

Lenora is the second town platted in the township of Canton, and the fourteenth sister among the villages of Fillmore county. It was located in the southern part of the piecturesque Richland Prairie, and was platted by the ah age Rev. J. L. Dyer, on April 19, 1856, in section 2, town 101, range 9. The proprietor of this village, like the proprietors of other "boomlets'" at this period of time, no Gdoubt imagined untold riches coming to him when the boom should come his way, as the advantages of his townsite was its surroundings of fertile farm lands, which gave it a promising existence, and would have continued had it not been for the encroachment of the railroads. The first store building erected and stocked with goods was by Joshua Dyer, a son of the proprietor, in 1856. The first postmaster was Charles B. Willford, who _ was commissioned on October 22, 1856, with Joshua Dyer as his deputy who kept the office in his

J. W. Goudy erected a hote! building in this new town in 1856 and officiated as the landlord. Dr. J. M. Wheat was the first Physician. He Started out tn his profession in 1856 and had an extensive practice. A pe steam saw mill, of which lias Watkins was the owner, commenced to make lumber in this town in the fall of 1856. This saw mill was hauled oyerland from Dunieith, Iiinois, by J. L. and Chas. Willford and Henry Pennock, with five pairs of oxen, in the summer of 1856. This steam saw mill is believed to be the first of its kind in the county. It was sold in the fall of 1857 and moved away, and another saw mill, of much larger capacity. was erected by Ben- Jamin Dobell, Jr. The building was two stories high; the upper_ story being used by Jacob Gage and Robert Armstrong, who manufactured furniture. This saw mill, owlng to the Panic of 1857 and 1858, did not prove to be a remunerative investment and was operated only a few years. The census of 1910 gave Lenora w population of 73 persons.