Freeborn County, Minnesota - Chapter 17: Agriculture, 1911

Advantages of Freeborn County as an Agricultural Region - Farming in the Early Days - Wheat as the Principal Crop Gradual Decrease in the Raising of That Cereal - How the Settlers Obtained Their Land - Pests - Introduction of Dairy¬ ing-Modern Implements and Improvements - Illumination - Registered Farms - Calamities - Agricultural Society.

Freeborn county is one of the southern tier of counties of Minnesota and is about in the middle of the southern border, just across the line from Iowa. It has twenty townships, each six miles square; it extends thirty miles east and west and twentyfour miles north and south, and embraces 720 square miles. It has more than twenty lakes, and about 50,000 acres of choice farming land.

The surface of the county is gently undulating with a few rugged hills and a succession of groves and lakes that make the landscape wonderfully picturesque. The wagon roads are seldom on straight lines, but wind along lakes and through valleys. It occupies some of the highest farming land in the state, and is the watershed between the Minnesota and Mississippi river drainage slopes.

The altitude is about 1.200 feet. The Cobb finds its head waters in the northwestern part of the county and flows north¬ ward. The Shell Rock and a branch of the Cedar originate here amd flow southward to join the Mississippi.

A few hundred feet below the surface the whole county is covered by a layer of limestone which is again covered by glacial drift. The surface soil, two to four feet deep, is a rich mould made by ages of vegetable deposits that have been blackened and enriched by annual fires till the productive energies of the soil seem inexhaustible. The subsoil is a compact clay that prevents leaching. The soil is alike tolerant of extreme moisture and drought, and for fifty-four years of settlement there have been no real failures in crops.

On certain levels artesian wells can be secured at a depth of about 100 feet, and the purest artesian water rises high in the tubular wells that are drilled through the first stratum of lime¬ stone, 150 to 300 feet below the surface. The timber, though unevenly distributed, is abundant for domestic uses. There are deposits of peat in different sections of the county, but as yet little use has been made of it. Some use has been made of the clay. There are few natural sources of wealth, however, except the matchless fertility of the soil.

The people represent a large number of nationalities ; Ameri¬ cans, Scandinavians, Germans, English, Irish and Bohemians predominating. One settler came into the county in 1853. A few families came in 1855, and by 1857, the tide of immigration had fairly begun. The population of Freeborn county is 22,435.

Freeborn is acknowledged as being among the best and most prosperous agricultural and stock-raising counties in Minne¬ sota. Its people are wide awake and keep step with the pro¬ cession in industry and culture. The first settlers of the county were mostly farmers, and they were, with but few exceptions, poor men, as is the case in the history of every agriculturalregion. In fact, few had more than enough to barely get settled upon their lands; but they came with that which was in those days equal to it - training in agricultural pursuits, brawny hands that were able and not ashamed to work, and in connection with industrious habits, the energy and determination to win success. The country was new, and there was no alternative but that success must be wrought from the soil, which was them only wealth and their only hope. And, in spite of all the obstacles and inconveniences, notwithstanding the fact that the whole aim of the farming community has changed, success attended their efforts. Nor is the end yet reached, but the county has a mine of wealth yet undeveloped, which as years roll on, will grow more and more valuable as the agricultural population becomes more and more able to utilize it.

Early in the development of this country, wheat was the main product, and for a number of years excellent crops were raised with scarcely a failure. At the present time wheat has given up its former place to other cereals, and farmers find many other avenues in which to devote their time and energy.

The farms of Freeborn county are similar to the farms of any other county, having a rich soil. It has its good farms and its poor farms. Agriculture, like every other trade or profession, has its failures and successes, but perhaps not so many complete failures.

The high altitude gives to Freeborn county an ideal climate. Its mean temperature for summer is 70 degrees, the same as middle Illinois, Ohio and southern Pennsylvania. The extreme heat that is felt in these states is here tempered by the breezes of the ele¬ vated plateau. Its higher latitude gives two hours more of sun¬ shine than at Cincinnati. This with an abundance of rainfall,

26.36 inches annually, on a rich soil, accounts for the rapid and vigoruus growth of crops and their early maturity. There is a uniformity of temperature during the winter season in southern Minnesota, with bright sunshine, dry atmosphere, good sleighing and infrequent thaws that make life a pleasure in this bracing, healthy climate.

The soil is for the most part a deep, rich, warm loam with clay subsoil. Cultivation is easy and "irrigation and dry farming" that one hears so much about to-day, and which is so necessary to secure a crop on much of the new lands that are being opened up in the AVest, at so great an expense, are not needed here. During the past few years a number of farms have been tiled and with such marked success that within a few years most of the farms will be improved in this respect. The lay of the land is such that almost every farmer gets good drainage without difficulty. Two large factories manufacturing clay tile are located in the county and have a large total output.

Freeborn county has good roads and in several road districts its roads are as fine as a city's streets, thanks to the efficient work of townships good road organizations and to the use of the split-log drag.

The first settlers found here a rich, unbroken virgin soil, a land that had none but nature's care from time immemorial. Century after century, year after year, the grasses grew in all their richness and the prairie flowers bloomed to waste their fragrance on the summer air. No foot trod the unbroken stretches save that of wild beasts or bird, or the red warrior. No plow¬ share turned the green sod, nor was it torn by the iron tooth of the harrow, from the time an almighty power had unrolled it like a carpet until 1853, when a solitary pioneer settled here, and started raising a few vegetables for the use of his family.

Freeborn county has no state highways of macadam. The roads, which are made of the soil of the county, on the whole are good, and some of them are kept in the best of condition. This county understood road-building in the earliest days, and the greatest volume of business done by the early county commis¬ sioners and supervisors was in establishing road districts and providing for the maintenance of highways.

There was a time in Freeborn county when, like all new lands, the first consideration was to build good barns for the housing of the flocks and herds, and the home was the most inconspicuous object in the landscape. As the farmers prospered the log house disappeared and now there are not a half dozen log houses in the entire county. Now the farmer's house vies with the city resi¬ dence, and has many of the modern conveniences. AYhere electric light and power cannot be secured, gasoline engines furnish power, and a number of farm houses are lighted by their own gas plants. By the use of elevated tanks in the house or barn, or pneu¬ matic tanks in cellars, farm houses often have all the sanitary conveniences of a house in town. Our farmers recognize the value of keeping their property in the best of shape. Houses and barns are well painted, lawns are carefully kept and flower gardens show that our people recognize that the things which beautify add a value to life as well as to property.

The first two problems which confronted the early settlers were sustenance and shelter. The wagon in which the settlers came, the dug-out, the sod house, or the log cabin provided shelter. The ground must provide the sustenance. The settlers found here a rolling prairie surfaced with rich soil and with but little timber to be cut, the land being what is generally described as bur-oak openings. To break the sod, a breaking plow drawn by four yoke of oxen was required, the neighbors pooling their interests and helping each other. By this method, about one and a quarter acres of land could be broken a day. In this way, the settlers had a few acres broken, and started raising such food stuffs as were needed for their own tables. The settlers of 1855 and 1856 raised some corn and vegetables. The hopes of crops in 1857 was blasted, and there ensued the hard winter of 1857-58, during which the people existed on little more than cornmeal.

In 1858 and 1859 the crops were better, and in 1860, when Governor Alexander Ramsey issued his Thanksgiving proclama¬ tion, the soil of Freeborn county had brought forth its increase in abundant measure.

In 1860, however, just at the time of this promising prosperity, the people of Freeborn county were thrown into a state of conster¬ nation bv the announcement that on October 29, 1860, the land in Freeborn county would be offered for sale. This would have resulted in the practical impoverishment of the people of Free¬ born county. A few had proved up on their claims, paid the necessary $1.25 an acre in cash, or surrendered the proper value of land warrants, and secured clear titles to their lands. But most of the settlers had little money, and the sale would deprive them of their claims, their improvements and their homes. A meeting to consider ways and means was held at Albert Lea, and after much discussion, Col. G. NY. Skinner was sent to Wash¬ ington to see what could be done about the matter. A petition was also addressed to President James Buchanan. Colonel Skinner reported that the land could not be withdrawn from sale, but that land which was not sold could be filed on the day after the sale. Accordingly a committee was appointed to put in an appearance at the sales, and see that no bids were made on land already occupied in Freeborn county. No occupied land being sold, the occupants the next day refiled on their own claims. Some, later, purchased their claims at the pre-emption price of $1.25 an aeie, while others were secured in the possession of their improvements by the Homestead laws which were subsequently enacted. The Civil war caused a severe setback in the progress of Freeborn county agriculture. At the outbreak of the war, the county was on the road to success and prosperity. Improved land was worth from $5.00 to $10.00 an acre, and more land was being broken each year. The average cultivated field consisted of some twenty or thirty acres, upon which wheat was the principal crop; other vegetables and grains being raised practically for home use only. But the war called the able-bodied men to the front, and the old men, the invalids, and the women and children were left to operate the farms as best they could.

The year 1869 marked an important epoch in the agricultural history of Freeborn county. It was this year that the Southern Minnesota came through, and provided an output for the Free¬ born county wheat, thus making Albert Lea a wheat center of considerable importance. Previous to this, grain had been carted to McGregor, Iowa, or Hastings, Red Wing or Winona. Railroad facilities gave impetus to all farm pursuits, and thousands of acres of wild land were broken every year, from 1869 to 1877. The latter year marked the greatest wheat crop of the finest quality that the county has ever known. The next year the crop was much smaller, and grain raising in the county has, since 1877, gradually decreased, corn-raising and dairying taking its place.

The farmers of Freeborn county have had many difficulties to overcome. The gophers, the blackbirds and the prairie chick¬ ens were deadly enemies to the crops from the earliest days. Then, too, the climate presented difficulties, for although most of the settlers had considerable experience as farmers, their experience had been in warmer sections, and the climate here, with its early frosts, was a new condition to which they must become accustomed.

The insect pests were not strongly in evidence in the early days. The most serious of these pests, the Colorado beetle, better known as the potato bug, put in an appearance in 1865, and flour¬ ished until 1870, when the Paris-green method of killing them was introduced, since which date they have been fought successfully. In 1866 the rats made their first appearance in the county, brought here by immigration. Snakes have always been plentiful, but with the exception of certain areas in Shell Rock, in the early days, the deadly rattlers have never been a menace to the Free¬ born county husbandman. In 1873 the grasshopper plague began to work its ravages in the state, but the greatest damage done in Freeborn county by the grasshoppers was in 1876. That year this pest did much damage in the western part of the county, but even there, while the cause of great destruction, they did not totally consume the vegetation, as in some districts in the state.

In 1890 came the greatest impetus of Freeborn county farm¬ ing, the co-operative creamery and the cream separator being introduced that year. The growth of the dairying interests is discussed in another chapter.

The story of the primitive tools used in the early days, the gradual introduction of modern machinery, and in installation of the windmill, the silo, the hand separator and other improve¬ ments is a history which this county has in common with all the other counties of southern Minnesota. The almost exclusive use of oxen in the early days, the gradual introduction after the war of horses for farm work, and the still more gradual intro¬ duction of steam and motor power is also a tale that can be told of all the counties in this region, and is not peculiar to Freeborn county.

The history of the agriculture of Freeborn county would not be complete without mention of the subject of illumination. The original use of the tallow dip and the candle, the gradual intro¬ duction of coal oil, and the installation in the larger villages of gas and electricity, is the common experience of all new coun¬ tries. But in this county, there is still another development, that being the introduction in the homes of the gas lights man¬ ufactured by two companies in Albert Lea, and giving anywhere at a very low cost, an illumination superior to that enjoyed by the patrons of gas and electric plants in the largest cities.

The Grange. During the time of the Grange, or Patrons of Husbandry, flourished throughout the country, Freeborn county was particularly active in perfecting these organizations, until at one time in the early eighties, no less than twenty-five Granges, with a central county Grange, were in existence in Freeborn county. Gradually, however, the societies were allowed to lapse, but not, however, until greatly benefited farming conditions had resulted. Two years ago efforts were made to revive the society in this county and Granges were started at Albert Lea and Alden. The one in Alden is still in existence.

Registered Farms. Several progressive agriculturists in Free¬ born county have registered the names of their places at the court house. The names registered are as follows :

December 22, 1909, H. Hong, River Yiew Stock and Dairy farm, section 36, Albert Lea. December 16, 1909, Knudt Over¬ land, Oakland Grain and Stock farm, section 1, Nunda. January 27, 1910, M. J. Doud, Mt. Vernon Poultry and Stock farm, sec-

The Freeborn County Agricultural Society. Agricultural socie¬ ties and fairs of one sort or another have been in existence in Free¬ born county at intervals since the earliest days. The present agri¬ cultural society dates from 1891, when W. A. Morin, Dr. A. C. Wedge, T. A. Vandegrift and others organized a society and started holding fairs at Dr. Wedge's farm, west of the city. T. A. Vandegrift was the first president and Leander Thomas the first secretary. The fairs were held on the farm for many years, and several temporary buildings were erected. Later it became impossible to continue this arrangement, and there ensued an interval, during which several street fairs were held. April 24, 1903, in pursuance with a special act of the legislature, the county purchased forty-five acres northeast of the city, from A. C. Wedge and Laura A. Jenson, guardians of John L. Spicer, then a minor. The grounds have been graded, a race track laid out, a grand stand and various buildings erected, and other im¬ provements made. The annual fairs are largely attended, and do much toward bettering agricultural conditions; aside from furnishing recreation, and offering suitable rewards in all lines of endeavor, extending from work by the school children to stock raised by the farmers. C. L. Luce, the president of the associa¬ tion, is an enthusiastic booster of the project, and lias done much toward making the fairs a success. O. M. Peterson is the secre¬ tary and D. C. Armstrong the treasurer. The board of county commissioners constitute a board of supervisors, and Ole A. Ham¬ mer, the chairman of that body, has made the fair a matter for special activity. Every voter in the county is entitled to exer¬ cise tin- rights of membership in this association.

Late in the afternoon of June 15, 1892, one of the most de¬ structive cyclones recorded in the history of Freeborn county, entered the county at the west line of Freeborn township. It swept back and forth about three miles north of the village of Freeborn, and passed into Hartland, where one section crossed a mile north of the village, and another, went north through towns in Waseca and Steele counties. The storm entered Freeborn township from Fairbault county and swept across the township in a northeasterly direction. It crossed the county line, after demolishing the residence and other buildings of Edward Tellet, in Fairbault county. The first place which the storm struck in Freeborn was the Altliouse farm, owned by Mr. Nelson. Here the barn and out-buildings were demolished, and nearby barns belonging to John Larrabee, J. Tellet and Samuel Lowry were blown down. The house of Mr. Steen and family was next struck and here the only fatal result of the storm in this town¬ ship occurred. A son, seven years of age, was killed and the wife and daughter seriously injured. A barn and granary belong¬ ing to Truman Bowen was next blown down, also a large barn of Henry Thades'. From Mr. Thades' place the storm seemed to move north for a half a mile or more, to the school section. Here, it is said, three gigantic clouds came together forming a funnel shaped mass, which whirled like a spinning wheel. It first struck the house and stables belonging to M. Evenson, and injured all the members of the family, carrying one child into a field, where he was found two hours later. About eighty rods to the northwest stood the house of Mr. Shequin, which had been erected two years previous. This was struck by the storm and scattered over the fields. The family had seen the cloud and taken refuge in a straw stable, so escaped injury. The next damage reported was the destruction of Halvor AYestby's house, outbuildings, machinery and windmill. Mr. AYestby and his wife having taken refuge in the cellar, were uninjured. Across the road from the YYestby place stood the home of Thomas Johnson. This had the roof blown off, and the granary, horse stable, and most of his farm machinery was destroyed. About sixty rods north of Mr. Johnson's home stood the new house belonging to Emory McColley. This was blown to pieces. Mrs. McCollev and her two children had taken refuge in a milk cellar and so escaped. Mr. McColley was away at the time. The storm next struck the house on the Southwick place, which was occupied by Hans Amundson. Mr. Amundson, his wife and four children were in the house, which was lifted from its foundation and carried sev¬ eral rods, then dashed ot pieces, injuring all members of the family. The Dwyer farm was next struck and considerable damage done, after which the storm crossed Spicer Lake and blew down a house, injuring t lie occupant. On the cast side of the lake stood an unoccupied house belonging to Lincoln Drake; this was blown down and with it a greater part of the grove which surrounded it. Some distance beyond this farm stood the fine residence of F. D. Drake; this was crushed as were also his machinery shed, well house and wind mill, and the granar}r, un¬ roofed. Andrew Paulson's house on the east side of the town was swept away and with it the outbuildings and machinery. The following is a summary of the damage done in Freeborn township : F. D. Drake, $2,000; Halvor AYestby, $1,000; James Shequin, $700; Mickle Evenson, $500; Thomas Johnson, $700; Emory McColly, $400; Andrew Paulson, $700; Mahlon Steen, $500; Hans Amund¬ son, $200 ; O. F. Southwick, $400 ; Lincoln Drake, $200 ; Dazelle Bros., $150; also barns belonging to Henry Thade, Jay Tellet, Sam Lowry, Truman Bowen and others. After leaving Freeborn town¬ ship the storm swept through Hartland and Bath. F. E. Phipps, the day after the storm, wrote the following description of the damage done in Hartland and Bath townships: "As the result of the storm which passed through this region, Andrew Hanson is dead. He was standing in Chris Nygard's barn door, and in¬ stantly killed. Ole Nygard, who was standing near, was saved by oats from a bin above covering him, but he was somewhat injured. Peter Hanson saved the lives of himself and family by going into a cellar. J. J. Sullivan lost a new house, which was nearly completed. Chris Nygard lost a barn, wind mill, farm ma¬ chinery and a valuable horse, and several horses were injured. Frank Kruger lost a large and costly barn, and a stone wall three feet thick was demolished while his grove fruit trees and wind¬ mill were nearly entirely demolished. Thomas Brothers lost a windmill, granary and a part of their grove. Carl Hendrickson lost a barn, windmill, and a greater part of his grove. Chris. M. Christopherson lost half of the roof of his house and shanty. Halvor Sibilrud lost a large barn, outbuildings, windmill and a part of his grove. The schoolhouse in District 85 was completely demolished. Lynne Bros, lost a large barn, which had recently been completed, also his windmill, outbuildings and grove were practically destroyed. Dennis Nolan's windmill, milkhouse water tank and other property were destroyed. M. Sheehan's wind mill and outbuildings were destroyed, and James Lorgerson's house across the line in Steele county was destroyed. The Lutheran church building in Berlin was entirely demolished. After leaving Hartland and Bath, the storm entered Geneva, and M. M. Jones' residence was overturned, landing first on the roof and then turning on its side. Several persons were in the house at this time and severely injured. John Hinds' house was turned around and others of his buildings were destroyed. A schoolhouse in Steele county was utterly demolished.

On July 5, 1902, a furious hurricane swept across Freeborn county from the southwest. It passed across the first ward of the city of Albert Lea and, striking the baseball ground, lifted the grand stand, carried it about twenty-five feet, then hurled it to the ground, completely demolishing it. The gale then seemed to leap to Fountain and Water streets, where it twisted off trees which Avere a foot in diameter, also broke limbs from other trees. A portion of H. H. Dunn's residence on Vine street was entirely denuded of shingles. Several barns nearby were moved from their foundation and partly wrecked. The gale also swept to the lake and did considerable damage to the trees at Ballard's Point, and many trees further south of the city were more or less injured. Fierce hurricanes also visited other portions of the county at this time. At Freeborn village many trees were torn off, and a large barn, located about a mile to the north, owned by I. H. Seath, was demolished. Mr. Seath and a man were in the barn at the time milking, but they escaped without serious injury, as did also the horses and cattle. After doing a great deal of dam¬ age in the northern part of this county the storm passed on into adjoining counties, where it wrecked homes and killed several people.

On Sunday afternoon, July 23, 1895, a heavy rain storm in Albert Lea and adjacent townships was followed by one of the worst cyclones which had ever visited the county. This seemed to form in Morin and Mason's pasture west of Alden, then it leaped a distance of six miles and struck the farm owned by William Schmidt, in Section 30, Pickerel Lake. Here it wrought great havoc; the large barn with its contents was entirely de¬ stroyed, while outbuildings, fences and trees were torn down. It then swept to Fred Yost's farm on Section 29, where it huiled a new barn into the air, scattered it on the fields, wrecked a v indmill and outbuildings, twisted trees and killed a horse and cow. Herman Klukow's place on the northwest quarter of Section 30 was next struck, and here a barn was demolished, a cornel of his residence torn away, a small granary lifted and tossed over high willow trees, then set down; chimneys were blown down and a water tank was carried back from the course of the cyclone, and large trees twisted and broken. The storm then swept acioss the farm of August Lenz and tore the windmill off its tov ei and d.d other damage, after which it swept to Y illiam Marpe s farm, where it reached the climax of its fury. Its pathway, which had been about ten rods in width, here widened to a width of nearly 100 rods. Mr. Marpe 's large barn was destroyed, part of his resi- dence torn away, the windmill, corn crib, machine sheds, were hurled to destruction. George Hairs home was next struck, and his windmill wrecked and other damage done. Here the storm rose and spread through the southern part of Albert Lea and Freeman townships, where it turned into a wild gale of rain and hail and destroyed many fields of grain.