Meeker County, Minnesota - Chapter 8: Forest City Township, 1888

Chapter 8: Forest City Township

[fvV^HE subdivision of the count\' which ))eavs the above name is one of tlie oldest settled and one of the most picturesquely beautiful. It embraces what is technicallv known as congressional township 120, north of range 30 west, and contains 22,- 84G.87 acres in all, only 88-1-.37 of which are covered with water of any description. It is for the most part extremely fertile, and the timber which covers a portion of the territory is of the finest character.

It was upon tlie shores of the north branch of the Crow River, that meanders through the emerald prairies and leafy groves of this town, that John lluy and Thomas H. Skinner, the first settlers of the county, passed the lonesome and dreary winter of 1855, as related in the history of the early settlement of the county, in a former portion of this volume. I). M. Hanson, a talented young lawyer of

Minneapolis, and Rudolph Shultz had come here with Iluy and Skinner, but on the approach of winter returned to the " Flour City," where Hanson died the following April. Shultz returned to this county in the spring, and took up a claim in what is now Harvey township.

With the advent of the new year of 1856 came new settlers, the first to ari'ive l)eing ])ossibl3' Milton G. Moore and Elijah IJemis. The exact date of their arrival can not be ascertained at the present moment, but the former was ajipointed register of deeds and the latter sheriff at the time of the organization of the county, that same spring. Neither of them remained long, both leaving the county a few years after their settlement, probably in 1858.

During the year 1856, others made settlements in the township, among whom were the following named, some of whom still live here, some have moved away, while still another poi'tion have passed to their reward beyond the grave :

Most of these first settlers took up claims and commenced to improve their land, erecting log cabins in which to live. Their nearest market being St. Paul, they were, of a necessity, compelled to deprive themselves of all the comforts and conveniences of life, but game was in abundance in these pristine wilds, and they did not suffer from hunger at least.

The year 18.57 witnessed a still furtiier influx of settlers into this township, prominent among whom were the following : Milton Gorton, John Sullivan, John Murray, James B'. Atlcinson, Jacob Knapp, Jacob Ball, James "Willis, John Heath, A. F. Heath, L. F. Haines, Isaac Perrine, Allen Teachout, H. N. Baker, H. M. Angier, William Richards, W. W. Woodman, Hamlet Stevens, A. B. Hoyt, G. M. Blandin, H. Walker, B. F. Butler, Thomas Grayson, D. P. Delamater, Charles and William Willis, ]^. O. Griffin, Michael Lenhart and W. S. Chapman. Many' of those, also, have left the county, but a few are still residents, either of the farms upon which the}^ settled or in the village of Litchfield.

The hard times that followed the financial crisis of 1857 had a discouraging effect upon all emigration, and the tide of settlers flowing into Meeker county was not so strong during the year 1858 as might have been expected. Still there were a few that came to Forest City township, and made settlements that year. Among them were : Sylvester Stevens, Charles McPartheon. L. W. Henry, Patrick Finnegan, Rev. J. C. Whitney, R. AV. Brown, U. S. Willie, a lawyer ; George S. Sholes Sr., George S. Sholes Jr., J. A. Baird, Thomas E. Masse}^ A. C. Smith; John D. Evans,

Charles and Samuel Getchell, E. K. AVright, James Merrill, Levi Getchell, F. M. Scott, Dennis Cronin, G. AV. Parker, and N. W. Bannister. But few came here after this, until al)out the close of the war, and the condition of the country was more settled. The terrible outbreak and Indian massacre of 1862, a history in detail of which has been given in an earlier portion of this work, not only caused the cessation of settlement in this portion of the State, but nearly all that were here left to seek secure quarters for their families. Some never returned and others only after considerable absence. During the year 18(33, there were but few, if any, new settlers to locate in this town, and the population was much reduced in number, both by the people leaving and by the manv men being absent with the Union

The first birth was that of Sarah Jane Dougherty, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Dougherty, who was born here while her parents were camped Julj' 15, 1856. The first birth among the settlers of this township was that of a son to John Whalen, born in the early part of 1857.

Forest City Village

The village of Forest City was originally laid out by Stand ish and Moore, surveyors, in the summer of 1857, for the proprietors, T. H. Skinner, AV. S. Chapman, J. AV. Huy,

A. M. Fi-idlev, A. Juclvson Ucll, and E. E. Wilson. Tliisplat is described as covering the northeast (juarter of section IT, and the northeast (luarter of section 2(i, and was filed for record August 13, 1857. For some reason this was replatted, and other territory added in the latter part of 1858. The plat was tiled for record ]\[arch 23, 1859, and covered the south half of section 17 and the west half of the northwest quarter of section 21. The ]iroprictors are desci'ibed officially to have l^een W. P. Curtis, of Hennepin county, and Thomas 11. Skinner, president of the Forest City Company. To this nines, Kimball and Beedy laid out an addition on the northeast quarter of section 17, in September, 1871, the plat being filed on the 6th of that month.

Dudley Taylor and his wife had a large log building put uj), in which they kept the first hotel in the village and in the county. A few other cabins were put up by the few settlers here, and thus the county seat was commenced.

Early in the spring of 1857, James B. Atkinson came to the village with a load of goods, and putting up a building, about the 1st of March of that year opened a general stock of gooils. This was the first store in the township, and in the county. This establishment he presided over until the summer of 1802, when he took in as partner, Mark W. Piper, who ran it while Captain Atkinson was fifihtino' in defense of his country. In 1866, Piper sold out to Atkinson, he having acquired sole possession, and the latter gentleman ran the store until 1879, when it was closed out.

The second store was opened in the village in 1858, b)' Fitch & Stanton, who ran it until the time of the Indian outbreak, when the goods were removed to a safer place by their owner.

J. A. Baird established a lirickyard herein 1858, and made the fii'st brick in the county, liut, finding but little chance for his business at that tune, returned to Minneapolis the same year.

On 'the 22d of March, 1858, the United States land office, which had been located here, arrived at Forest City, and with it came John D. Evans, receiver, and A. C. Smith, register. Both of these men were afterward prominently identified with the growth of the place, and the institution over which they presided had a great influence in giving an ini|)etus to the settlement of the county.

A postoffice was established in the fall of 1856, with Walter C. Bacon as postmaster, and in the spring of 1857 he was succeeded by James B. Atkinson. In turn this positit« Avas held by the following named gentlemen : AVilliam IJichards, J. A. Stanton, C. F. Woodman, O. C. SIcGray, Benjamin Manter, William Hardy and others. Nicholas Schreiner is the pi-esent incumbent.

W. S. Chapman brought with him and erected the saw-mill, and, in company with others, operated it for a short time, when it was sold to John Bobson. After a little time it was again disposed of and removed to Bear Lake.

The Forest City flouring-mill was erected in 1865, by Hines, Kimball ife Beedy, and was operated by that firm for several years. N. C. Ilines then sold out to his partners, and the\' ran it untd a few years ago, when, becoming linancially embarrassed, it passed into the hands of Stout, Mills i*e Temple, of Dayton, Ohio, and was ojierated for them by William Hilderbrandt, until May, 1888, when it was purchased by a Minneapolis party.

The Methodist Church was oi'ganized in the old school-house, in 18.57, althougii there had been services held here ]ireviously. Rev. Tiiomas Ilarwood was tlie first pastor. Services wei'e held in pi'ivate houses, schoolhouses, or where occasion offered, until 1869, when, with the removal of most of the members to Litchfield, the church was moved to that village.

On the 19th of September, 1857, pursuant to a notice given, the people of this town met at the house of AVarren AV. AVoodman, to take some action toward building a schoolhouse. Mr. AVoodman was made chairman, and J. AV". Griswold, secretary. After some remarks by John Robson and AVilliam Richards, a committee, consisting of C. E. Cutis, John Robson and J. A. Stanton, was appointed to see how much money could be raised for the purpose. The committee reported that the sum of $205 could be raised for a church, or $130 for a school-house, and

C. E. Cutts, John Robson, T. C. Jewett and J. A. Stanton, to collect subscriptions. At a meeting held a week later, the committee reported that the following gentlemen had agreed to contribute toward the matter : John Robson, J. AV. Griswold, AV. Richards,

A\^. AV. AVoodman entered into a contract to ])ut up the Ijuildiug for $250, and it was finislied tluit same fall. This was the first school in the town.