Freeborn County, Minnesota - Chapter 69, 1882

Chapter 69

This is the uortheast corner township of Freeborn county, and is therefore one of the most prominent towns as to the location. Its boundaries are as follows: Steele county on the north; Mower county on the east; Moscow township on the south; and Geneva on the west. It is a full congressional township of 36 sections or square miles, embracing the territory of township 104, Range 19.

The surface of the town is ([uite rolling and is made up mostly of oak ojsening land. The greater part of the prairie land is found in the northern part of the town, while the southern part is chiefly covered with timber of the varieties of black, red, and burr oak, poplar and black walnut, although the latter has now been mostly removed.

The .soil is different as you change localities ; the west, north, and eastern parts being mostly a dark loam of from two to three feet in thickness, and underlaid with a subsoil of blue clay ; and the southern and central part is more of a sandy nature or, as it is called, "black sandy loam," with a subsoil of gravel.

There are not so many water courses or lakes in this town as in a majority of its neighbors, yet it is not altogether devoid of them. A small body of water lying in section two is known as Newry Lake Oak, or Johnson's Lake, lies in section twenty -six, and from it flows a substantial little stream which empties into Deer creek in the northern part of section thirty-four. The population is almost entirely Irish and Norwegian, there being no Americans and only three German families in the township.

Early Settlement

The early settlement of this township commenced in 1854, and was about the second settlement started in Freeborn county. Eliot Kinetson and family, natives of Norway, were the first to arrive, making their appearance in 1854, and claiming a place in section twenty-five, where they remained until 1874, when Mr. Kinetson died and was buried in Mower coiinty. The family, with the exception of the youngest son, Halver Ellofson, removed in 1876 to Otter Tail county where they yet reside. The young man still remains in the township, living on section twenty-sis. These were about the only actual settlers in this year.

In 1855 quite a number of emigrants thronged in. Christian Erick Rukke and family, natives of Norway, who had stopped for a time in Illinois, were among the number to arrive this year, and they took a claim in section thirty-six, where they remained until 1868, when they secured the place they now occupy in section twenty-six. Helge Oleson came at the same time from the same place, and planted his stakes in section ten, where he has since been living.

In the spring of 1856 a colony of Irishmen came from Illinois and secured homes. The party consisted of Thomas Fitzsimmons, William and John Bell, John Breunan, aul Patrick Creegan, and all of the party settled on land near the center of the town where they yet remain, with the exception of Thomas Fitzsimmons, who died upon the 11th of April, 1867.

About the same time, or probably a little later than the above arrivals, Ole O. Thorson, a native of Norway, came from Dane county, Wisconsin, and secured a home in section thirty-sis, where he remained until 1857, when he removed to Olmsted county and still lives there.

iilly that it is impossible to trace them in 86- (luence, and by ISliO all of the government land in the township that was really valuable had been taken, and claims must be purchased according to the amount of improvements that had been made, instead of getting them free from Uncle Sam.

Town Okganization

When this locality first began to be colonized, liy common consent or usage, it took the name of Dover, more as the name of the locality than the township. Thus it was at the time of the first town meeting on the 11th of May, 1858, at the house of William Bell, iu section twenty-one, and the first matter upon the program was to take into consideration the propriety of changing the former order of things and give the township a j)ermauent a])pellatiou. It had been proposed by some one to call it "Liberty" instead of Dover, and there was quite a following to this idea; but all of this was dispelled by Thomas Fitzsimmons, who stated that he was in favor of the name of Newry, iu remembrance of a little town in Ireland from whence a number of the pioneers hailed, and 80 that name was bestowed by vote.

The first officers elected were as follows: Supervisors, John Brennan, Chairman, Daniel Hollywood, and WiUiam Bell; Clerk, Thomas Fitzsimmons; Treasurer, C. E. Johnson; Assessor, Patrick Creegan; Justice of the Peace, Thomas Hollywood.

Tlie present officials of the town, serving in 1882, are as follows: Supervisors, John Herron, Chairman, Peter P. Haugen, and Micliaol Dowd ; Clerk, Thomas A. Helvig; Treasurer, Ole Easton; Assessor, Ole C. Johnson; Justices of the Peace, Thomas Herron and Patrick Creegan: Constable, Andrew O'Leary. Elections are held in schoolhouses.

Statistical

Potatoes - 47^ acres, yielding 5,113 bushels. Sugar cane - \ acre, yielding 50 gallons. Cultivated hay - 123^ acres, yielding 816 tons. Total acreage cultivated in 1881, 6,277.', acres Wild hay - 2,703 tons. Timothy seed - 3 bushels.

PoPUiyATioN. - The census of 1870 gave Newry a population of 596. The last census, taken in 1880, reports 737 for this town; showing an increase of 141.

Matters Of Interest

The first birth in the township occurred at four o'clock a. m., on the 9th of February, 1856, and ushered into existence Tingne, a daughter of Christian E. and Randi N. D. Johnson who resided upon section thirty-six. The child grew to womanhood in the township and on the 6th of February, 1876, was married to .John G. Quamm and now resides in Dakota. The first marriage ceremony was performi'd by Rev. C. S. Clauson on the 5th of June, 1858, and united the destinies of Halver Elofson and Caroline Fingerson, and, sad to say, the happy bride mentioned, ere six months had elapsed, was called upon by the hand of death and passed to the unknown shore, making the first death in the township.

The first title to land witliin the boundary of Newry township was acquired by Oliver R. Au.stin and W. R. Lincoln, who proved upon lands iu sections four and five on the 4th of of September, 1856.

Newry Grange Lodge No. 99. - This society or order efl'ected an organization on the 9th of December, 1873, at the schoolhouse of District No. 79, under the auspices of Messrs Butler and King, of Albert Lea, with fifteen charter members, and C. E. Johnson was elected Master. The lodge flourished, holding meetings once each week until 1875, when the charter, thirty members, and fifteen dollars which was in the treasury, were merged with the Albert Lea Lodge.

Newry Post-office. - This office was established upon a petition from the citizens in 187i, with John Herron as Postmaster and office at his house in the northwestern part of section uine. Mail arrived by way of the Bloomiuy Prairie and Geneva route, and is yet carried to this point from the former place. The business has amounted to about $3 per quarter. The office, location, and Postmaster are the same at present as when first established.

The first services held in the township, of a religious character, were in the fall of 1856, at the house of Ole Thorson, in section thirty-six, and Kev. C. L. Clausen and Eev. O. Pierce were the ministers who officiated, both being followers of the Lutheran faith. In 1857 C. L. Clauson organized the Norwegian Lutheran Church at a house in section thirty-six, owned by C. E. Rulcke, with thirty-six members, and the society commenced holding services at private residences, which they continued until 1874, when they erected a fine church building just over the county line in Mower county, adjoining section twentyfour, which cost $6,000, and is a credit to the society. Tht^ church now has a membership of over two hundred, and is known under the title of Red Oak Grove Norsk Lutheran Church.

For educational purposes this township is divided into six school districts, which are all in good financial condition, and have a fair average attendance in each. Their numbers are 1, 2, 73, 79, and 106.