McLeod County, Minnesota - Chapter 6: Early Days in Glencoe, 1917

Not until the early summer of 1855 was the first permanent white settlement made in McLeod county. As has been stated, the region was known and in good repute, but there were other locations nearer to towns, mills, river landings, and other advantages and these locations were naturally settled first. On May 21, 1855, the party mentioned on an earlier page of this history, the members of which were from Minneapolis, entered the county with the intent of forming a permanent settlement. Col. John Harrington Stevens, one of the most valuable citizens of Minnesota in early days, was a member of this party. Writing of its operations in the Glencoe Register of May 15, 1858, Col. Stevens says that when this party came to the present limits of McLeod county civilization had not reached this part of Minnesota and there were no traces of the white race within a radius of 30 miles in either direction from Glencoe.

Col. Stevens writes that the party at first thoroughly explored and examined the country, decided upon a location, and returned to Minneapolis. Within a few days thereafter they had arranged to establish a sort of colony on Buffalo creek, an advance guard and picket post of a great army of development and civilization. A detail was selected from the original party to go out and do the rough work. As has been stated, the original party consisted of Col. John H. Stevens, Hon. Martin McLeod, Andrew J. Bell, D. W. Fields, James H. Mayall, J. V. McKeen, Wm. S. Chapman, John Johnson, and Hon. Robert Vinton. According to Col. Stevens's account, the men selected to begin active work. in the new colony were Andrew J. Bell, Wm. 8. Chapman, J. V. McKeen, D. W. Fields, "and one or two others." It cannot be stated with certainty who these "others" were.

In the advertisement of Glencoe printed in the Register in August, 1857, it is stated that the town was laid out in June, 1855, by Martin McLeod, John H, Stevens, Samuel Mayall, Franklin Steele, A. J. Bell and Isaac B. Edwards. The Stev- ens account does not mention Steele, Edwards, or Samuel Mayall, but names J, H. Mayall, (brother of Samuel) and D. W. Fields, J. V. McKeen, Wm. S. Chapman, John Johnson, and Hon. Robert Vinton, who are not mentioned in the Register article. Who wrote that advertisement cannot be stated here,

The pioneer party reached the site of Glencoe June 11, or 20 days after the original explorers, and immediately began operations. After surveying the town site Bell and Chapman began the erection thereon of two small cabins, and Mc- Keen made his "claim," which he afterwards owned in fee, adjoining the southeastern part of the town. Wm. S. Chapman held the plow which drove the first furrow in the county, He wanted to be the first plowman in the county and he turned up the sod within a few hours after his arrival, June 11, For some weeks, or until they had time to build cabins, the town founders slept in their covered wagons. There were some discomforts, the chief of which was probably the at. tacks of mosquitoes which came in great swarms, assailed them savagely and incessantly, and nearly frenzied them at times. The poor horses also suffered severely from the winged pests.

The town was named before it was fairly founded, Martin McLeod suggested the name, and everybody liked it. There seemed a fair resemblance between the valley of the Buffalo and the historic vale of Scotland, and the euphony of the name was pleasing. Slow progress was made during the first year of the existence of Glencoe, because of the lack of lumber and other building materials, [ny order to obviate this difficulty the proprietors of the town arranged with Andy Bell and Wm. 8. Chapman to put up a saw mill at Glencoe. Under the circumstances this was not only an important but a serious difficult undertaking. All the machinery for the mill had to be hauled from Minneapolis or Carver, The roads to either place were new and in bad condition, for the gospel of good roads had not then been preached in Minnesota. The mill was not put into operation until in August, 1856, more than a year after the founding of the town. Col. Stevens writes that this was the first mill built west of the Big Woods, and that upon its completion it was situated farther towards the setting of the sun than any other mill in Minnesota Territory.

year, and he estimates that only about 20 acres of potatoes were raised "in the whole country west of the Big Woods." But considerable Plowing was done that fall, preparatory to cultivation the next year. The Mayalls had about 35 aeres plowed. Col. Stevens obtained 45 acres of fall plowing on his farm; Martin McLeod had 15 acres; J. V. McKeen, 5 acres; Chapman and Bell, 20 acres, and Isaac B, Edwards, 12 acres. Not one of these tracts was plowed in time to raise a crop that year. All the provisions that were used by the settlers during 1855 and the greater part of 1856 had to be brought into the county through the woods from the Minnesota river, commonly from Carver. This transportation was dilficult and expensive, involving the breaking down of teams and Wagons, the traversing of bad' roads, three or four days of time on a trip, and general conditions of toil and fatigue,

According to Col. Stevens the first merchant in Glencoe was Francis W. Hanscomb, but he did not continue in business very long and then began farming. He was Succeeded by Clayborne Chandler in June, 1856. Soon afterward a Mr. Parshall opened a store at Hutchinson and for some years he was the pioneer merchant west of the Big Woods.

The first blacksmith was Lawrence Gillick, an Irishman, who came in 1856. He was, like many of his countrymen, an ardent Democrat in politics, was chairman of the Board of Supervisors of Helen township in 1858 and the same year headed his party's County Central Committee. In 1860 he was census enumerator for McLeod county and did his work very well in spite of the trouble he had with the spelling of Norwegian, Bohemian, French and German proper names. Stevens wrote of him in May, 1858, that he was "an honest, first-rate man and a good mechanic." In late life he was for Some years, the town marshal of Glencoe and was held in great respect by all classes of citizens.

The first minister in Glencoe, who was also the first minof Glencoe from April, 1856, to June, 1857, and was Succeeded by Rev. John Pugh, and he by Rev. MecWricht, the second resident minister in Glencoe and the county,

June 11, 1856, the citizens celebrated the first anniversary of the founding of Glencoe by a banquet, speech-making, etc. The Henderson Democrat said that visitors were present from Henderson, Carver, and other outside towns.

Jacobs had been fully completed, Opposite the store a fine new dwelling occupied by Rev. J. J. Hill, had been erected. J. Folsom's "Pioneer House," the principal village hotel, and the barn in connection had both been remodeled and improved. A frame dwelling house on B. BE. Graham's lot was being roofed. The residences of B. F. Buck and Clayborne Chandler had been corniced and otherwise improved. A month or more previously Peter W. Savage had finished and occupied his new cottage and Fayette E. Ford and Elliott, carpenters, were at work on the house of Mr. Tiffany, opposite the Savage cottage. Ford & Elliott had also built a carpenter's shop for themselves, and Mr. Elliott had built a good house on his own lot. Mr, Hoffman's residence was being repaired and improved by Carpenter McKinney. Dean & Seaver's store building was finished in the early spring and painted white in August. The large dwelling house of James Egbert was nearing completion. Snyder & Close were running their steam mill, Bates & McKee's large hotel was nearing completion. J. B. & T, L. Denny were completing their new house. ©. G. Mickel had erected a shoe store and dwelling house. The new Register building was completed and the editor's dwelling finished about September 1. New regidences, neat and comfortable but modest, had been built by Mr. Clyde, Mr, McClary, I. W. Cummings, and F, A. Cummings. The Register claimed the population of the town was "nearly 500."

Agitation had already begun to secure the extension of the "Milwaukee & Prescott railroad" west from Hastings or Nininger to Glencoe via Carver and Henderson.

The Fourth of July was duly and enthusiastically celebrated in the town hall and 250 persons participated. Henry Little presided, Rev. H. Elliott was chaplain, Wilber Elliott read the Declaration, and L, L, Baxter of Glencoe and A. W. Freeman were the orators of the day. The Hutchinson Brothers (John, Judson, and Asa,) sang several songs and at 3:00 o'clock there was a "grand banquet," the dinner table, according to the Henderson Democrat, being "loaded with all the luxuries of the season." After the dinner, there were toasts and responses, ete,

The first numbers of the Register (in August, 1857) contained an advertisement, (which ran several weeks) of the advantages, happy conditions, and brilliant prospects of Glencoe. The advertisement read:

It is 45 miles from St. Paul and 60 miles directly west from Hastings and Nininger, on the Mississippi. It is the key to the great Northwestern prairies and the center of the very best agricultural district in Minnesota.

"The country between Glencoe and Carver (thirty miles east,) is covered with a heavy body of timber, of the best quality for building and fencing purposes, while on the west stretches far away to the Missouri river one of the most beautiful prairies in the world, dotted with small groves making most delightful places for the country residence and the farm house,

"This town was laid out in June, 1855, by Hon, Martin Mc- Leod, Col. J. H. Stevens, Hon. Samuel Mayall, Franklin Steele, A. J. Bell, and Isaac B. Edwards. But little was done towards improving the town until the following year. Although improvements were commenced here but little more than one year ago, the village of Glencoe now contains about 500 inhabitants. It has stores, two large hotels, a steam saw mill to which is soon to be attached a flouring mill, and many other business buildings. There have been erected the present summer about thirty buildings, and new houses are springing up every day. About twenty more buildings are now under contract and will be finished this fall.

"Provisions have been made for the erection of a school house, which will be completed this fall. The building is to cost $1,500. Two churches are soon to be built at this place. The large donations made by the town company to aid in the erection of these churches, together with other means which can at any time be obtained by the denominations to whom the donations were made, will secure the erection of these buildings next summer, if not this fall.

"Glencoe is settled by an honest, intelligent class of inhabitants, many of whom have left the rugged hills of New England and in the far west sought this delightful place as their future home, All labor, and consequently all prosper."

June 24, 1857, Mrs. Eliza M. Cummins, wife of J. W. Cummins, died of typhoid fever, at the age of 27 years and 2 months. April 16, 1858, Oscar Ernest Savage, aged two years, Son of Peter W. and Helen Elizabeth Savage; May 17, 1858, Mrs. Rebecca S. Clinton, wife of Nathaniel Clinton, Jy., of typhoid fever, at the age of 32; June 22, 1858, Nathaniel Clinton, Sr., died very suddenly of heart disease, aged 67. The wife of R, E, Grimshaw, of Grimshaw Settlement, near Glencoe, died September 4, 1857.

The first post office at Glencoe was established in the latter part of 1855 with Andrew J. Bell as postmaster, He resigned in October, 1856, and was succeeded by Luman G, Simons.

During the winter of 1856-57 certain representatives of the intellectual element of Glencoe formed an organization ealled the Lyceum. The object was the encouragement of literature and the education of the members. Meetings were held each week during the winter and at these meetings there were literary exercises, a debate, etc. The society reorganized in the winter of 1857-58 and again during the winter of 1858-59. In the former season - the Register having been established the previous summer - a literary weekly paper called "The Evening Star" was published weekly by the society. The publication was printed in the Register office and the paper continued during the season of 1858-59. The editors during the latter year were M. W. Rew and Miss Lizzie McKeen, who declared the little paper was "Devoted to Instruction and Amusement." The contents of the paper would be fairly derided in these days. The articles were sentimental, effeminate, puerile and not all practical. Yet the little sheet was very popular and some hundreds of copies were regularly sold at five cents a copy. In the winter of 1857 the secretary of the Lyceum was W. F. Elliott, the editresses of the "Evening Star" were Mrs. B. F, Buck and Mrs. I, W. Cummings, and the meetings were held in Mickel's hall. One of the subjects debated by the Society was: 'Resolved, That the signs of the times presage the downfall of the nation." Already many people had predicted the disruption and final destruction of the American Union by the disunionists of the South who were clamoring for the secession of the States because of the imminent prospect of the election of a "Black Republican" president.

The first banking institution in Glencoe was the Exchange Bank, which was established in the winter of 1858-59. Its stated capital was $50,000 and the principal officers were D. Graham, president and N. Graham, cashier, Just who were the real owners of the bank cannot here be stated,

An advertisement of the bank in the Register of the spring of 1859 stated that it was organized "under the general banking law." This law had been passed soon after the admission of the state and was modeled after the Wisconsin law, which had been in operation but a short time and which proved very unwise and ineffective so far as helping along financial operations in the new states was concerned. It was drawn in the interest of bankers. Under its provisions the bills issued by the banks were redeemable in coin at the place where they purported to be issued. These were the days of the "free banking" system, when banks were allowed to issue their notes which became the circulating medium of the commercial business of the country, and they, with the bills or notes of the few state banks, constituted three-fourths of that medium; there was but little gold and silver in circulation, and in 1859 nearly all of the gold coin was newly minted from the mines of California. The state bank money was issued by certain state governments under boards of state officers. Practically this money was at par with gold and it was remarkable if every dollar of this state bank money was not ultimately redeemed at its face value; it was also remarkable if a "free bank" bill was so redeemed!

did not care whether or not they were ever redeemed. It wag doubtless the full intent of the law that the banks were to be actually established and maintained where their notes were dated and ostensibly issued: that is to say, the notes or bills of the Exchange Bank of Glencoe were to be actually issued at Glencoe, where they were made payable,

But the banks were permitted to have agencies elsewhere than at the place of issue, and there was no express provision of the law that notes should not be issued at these agencies: they were, however, to be redeemed at the place where the bank was actually established, The Gleneoe bank had its agencies in St. Paul, Minneapolis, and elsewhere. It was the practice of the bank and its agencies to issue these notes from to Glencoe, the legal place of redemption! The Bank of Minnesota, at St. Paul, was owned by Sewell, Ferris & Company, of New York, who also owned the Nicollet County Bank, of St. Peter.

in the fall of 1859 the great banking house of Sewell, Ferris & Co. failed and precipitated another panic and another period of financial depression. The branch banks, or "agencies" of the Glencoe Exchange and other banks had flooded the country with the paper money of the main bank. St. Paul was full of Glencoe Exchange and Nicollet County Bank bills. Minneapolis had them too. The banks of the two towns began to tumble, and people ran to them and demanded the redemption in coin of the bills for which they (the banks) were the agencies. But the bankers coolly referred the billholder to the main bank at the purported place of issue. Thus the holder of a Glencoe Exchange Bank bill was directed to go to Glencoe and get coin for his bill; a holder of a Nicollet County note was politely but firmly told to go to St. Peter and there have his bill redeemed in coin. The Nicollet County Bank had out about $35,000 of its notes and only $5,000 in gold to redeem them. Mackubin & Edgerton, of St. Paul, had enough of the Nicollet notes to wipe out this amount and sent up a swift messenger, who killed three horses in his mad ride, but got the money. The other holders had to wait for their money until under a provision of the law, they and the issues of other banks were redeemed by the state auditor at from 14 to 40 cents on the dollar. (See the Andrews History of St, Paul, 1890, the Holcombe and Bingham History of Minneapolis, 1915, and other Minnesota historical publications.)

In the summer of 1859 two "raids'' upon the Exchange Bank were made by other bankers who presented the bank's notes and demanded the gold for them, About July 10 they drew out perhaps $5,000. July 20 they made another attack. Both raids were made by two St. Paul bankers, Capt. N. J. T, Dana, formerly of the regular army and a Mr. White. Noting the second raid the Register said that Dana and White drew out $6,000, and added: "They had such good luck before they thought they would try it again * * * In due time the gold will be forthcoming and we guess the bank ean stand it."

In August a St. Paul firm, Kessler & Riehl, presented through R. L. Gorman, a notary public, (and son of Ex-Goveynor Gorman) notes of the Glencoe bank to the amount of $1,200 and demanded the gold for them. The bank refused the demand; whereupon Gorman protested the notes, and the State Auditor, then W. F. Dunbar, gave notice that thereafter all the circulating notes of the Exchange Bank of Glencoe that were countersigned and registered would be redeemed by hira out of the trust funds deposited in the State Treasury for that purpose, as provided under the banking law. This virtually put the bank out of business.

The first building burned in Glencoe was a house owned by C. H. Pettit, of Minneapolis, but which was occupied by C. L. Snyder and family at the time it was burned, which was in 1858, Mr. Snyder had $2,000 in paper money burned up. The second building burned was a barn belonging to S. H. Harris and it, with a quantity of hay, corn, and farming implements, was consumed May 22, 1859. The citizens had hard work to prevent the fire from extending to other buildings. The total loss by the fire was only $500, but it was regarded as a calamity. In the summer of 1859 there was considerable discussion in Minneapolis and Glencoe over the proposition to build a plank road between the two towns. The Minneapolis Journal and the Glencoe Register warmly advocated the project. Prospects for a railroad between the two points were very unpromising, and the dirt roads were not at all reliable. The road could be built for a long distance through the Big Woods, and portable saw mills could easily supply the lumber needed. It was proposed that the new thoroughfare be a toll road, and it was believed that a charge of 25 cents for a team and loaded wagon between the towns, with other tolls in proportion, would be sufficient to keep the road in repair. Eventually, however, the project was abandoned.

In July, 1859, Buffalo creek was under flood conditions. "It is higher than it has ever been before within the memory of white men," said the Register, advising that "steamboats of a good size could come up to Glencoe, and even go many miles farther up stream."

The quarterly meeting of the Methodist Episcopal church for the Glencoe district was held at Glencoe January 21 and 22. The presiding elder, Rev. A. G. Perkins, preached the quarterly sermon and conducted the services. It is claimed that this was the first Methodist quarterly meeting held in the county.

A mass meeting of citizens held February 18, 1860, decided upon building a "suitable" school house and the levying of a public tax to defray the expense, Glencoe then constituted School District No. 1. The teachers for the winter of 1860 were Mr. and Mrs. 8. H. Folsom, and the school was held in the original little building erected in 1856.