Redwood County, Minnesota - Chapter 1: Geographical Conditions, 1916

Redwood county is situated in the southwestern part of Minnesota, within the basin of the Minnesota river which is its boundary on the northeast. Two tier of counties (forty -eight miles) intervene between it and the Iowa line, due south, and two tier of counties (forty -two miles) intervene between it and the South Dakota line, due west.

The lines of the Congressional survey which bound Redwood county are as follows : Beginning at a point on the Minnesota where that river is crossed by the range line between ranges 33 and 34, following that range line, to the township line between townships 109 and 110; thence running west on said township line to the range line between ranges 35 and 36 ; thence south on said range line to the township line between townships 108 and 109 ; thence west on said township line to the range line between sections 39 and 40; thence north on said range line to the township line (the Third Standard Parallel) between townships 112 and 113; thence east on said township line to the range line between ranges 37 and 38; thence north on said range line to the Minnesota river. The boundary is completed by the diagonal course of the Minnesota river.

The counties surrounding Redwood do not differ materially from it in general physical conditions. Across the Minnesota to the northward is Renville county. To the east and south lies Brown county. Cottonwood county is to the south as is also a part of Murray county. Westward lies Lyon county. Yellow Medicine county lies to the north and west.

Natural Drainage. The Minnesota river, at the north side, in this region, receives two large tributaries: the Redwood (called by the Sioux the Tchanshaypi) river, which flows east across the north part of Redwood county and enters the Minnesota about two miles northeast of Redwood Palls; and the Cottonwood (called by the Sioux the Waraju) river, which also runs easterly, crossing southern Redwood county, and dividing Brown county into nearly equal parts on its north and south sides, uniting with the Minnesota about one and a half miles southeast of New Ulm. While commonly called the Cottonwood and thus designated in this book, it is also sometimes called the Big Cottonwood, to distinguish it from the Little Cottonwood, which rises in Jackson county, flows through Brown county, and joins the Minnesota in the northwest corner of Blue Earth county.

The Minnesota river receives from Redwood county several small creeks, from one to five miles in length, the longest being Crow Creek, five miles east of Redwood Falls, and Wabashaw creek, in Sherman, the most northeast township of Redwood county.

The most important of the small creeks that empty into the Redwood river in the county of this name is Ramsey creek, five miles long, in the south part of Delhi, the outlet of Ramsey lake. Its junction with the Redwood is about a half mile north of Redwood Falls.

Numerous creeks of considerable size join the Cottonwood river from the south in southern Redwood county, including Plum creek, which flows by Walnut Grove; Pell creek, in the west part of Lamberton; Dutch Charley's creek, which flows within a mile south of Lamberton, after receiving Highwater creek, a large tributary, unites with the Cottonwood about two miles east of this station ; and Dry creek, which joins this river in the southeast corner of Charlestown. Through this distance of twenty-five miles, the Cottonwood river has no affluent from the north. Sleepy Eye creek, the largest branch of the Cottonwood, joins it from the north, but not in this county. It flows through the south central part of Redwood county, and unites with the Cottonwood in the eastern part of Leavenworth township in Brown county.

Lakes. Redwood county has frequent small bodies of water, and also sloughs, or marshy tracts, many of which are covered by water during the wet portions of the year. In Redwood county the most notable lakes are Ramsey lake, one mile long from east to west, in Delhi ; Goose and Swan lakes, at the northwest side of Underwood township, each about a mile long; two lakes, three-quarters and a half a mile in length, in Kintire Horseshoe lake, curved, more than a mile long, in Westline Hall lake, a mile in length from northwest to southeast, in Gales Willow and Rush lakes, each a half mile or more in length, in Willow Lake township; the Three Lakes, which give this name to the township in which they are situated ; and Hackberry lake, three-fourths of a mile long, in the north part of Brookville. Lake Redwood at Redwood Falls is an artificial lake, the water being held back by a dam.

Surface. Most of Redwood county consists of a plain that rises imperceptibly southwestward. This plain is intermediate in altitude between the valley of the Minnesota river, on the northeast, and the Corteau des Prairies on the southwest. With reference to the Minnesota valley, which is 150 to 200 feet deep, it constitutes a plateau, but in relation to the Corteau which lies 500 feet higher, it is a lowland tract. The ascent to the Corteau begins in the southwestern extremity of the county, where the upward grade is greatly augmented.

The county has almost universally a smooth, gently or moderately undulating surface of unmodified glacial drift or till. Some portions are nearly flat, and the whole county has this appearance when overlooked in any broad, far-reaching view; but mostly the contour is in broad swells of various extent, height and direction, generally without any uniformity in trend and sometimes oval or nearly round. Between these swells and in many low places are swamps and set lands. This condition is however being eliminated by tiling and ditching.

The Minnesota river flows through a valley from a few rods to a mile and a half in width, rising somewhat abruptly to the rich swelling country some 150 to 200 feet higher. In the valley are many farms admirably adapted to stock raising. The bluffs between the lowland and the general level of the county are for the most part heavily wooded.

Redwood and Cottonwood rivers, flowing eastward across the county, occupy rather shallow valleys until they approach the Minnesota, into which they discharge, they descend into deep and picturesque gorges. This is especially true of the Redwood river which cascades over granite ledges at Redwood Palls. Until the principal streams have cut their valleys down to accord with the Minnesota river, most of the county will have insufficient natural relief for an adequate drainage, though this deficiency as already noted is being supplied by an elaborate system of ditching and tiling. Near the southwestern part of the county, however, where the descent from the Corteau is relatively steep, many ravines have been cut, some of which extend down to the ground-water level and have permanent streams fed by springs. That is why so many of the affluents of the Cottonwood river come from the south.

Soil. The soil is a rich black loam, from two to four feet deep, with "a clay subsoil. The only light soil is on the tops of the bluffs. The soil is most admirably adapted to the production of all the common cereals, garden vegetables and small fruits of this latitude.

Natural Resources. Redwood county being an agricultural county its greatest resources consist of its soil, climate and drainage. It has some natural timber, but the timber for the most part has been planted and cultivated. There is a plentiful water supply in wells and springs, and many excellent waterpowers. The clay of the county in times past has been utilized for brick. The gravel of the county is used for roads and for cement tiles and bricks. Mineral paint has also been produced, and quarrying is conducted to a minor extent. Boulders are used for foundations and fences. Coal explorations have produced little results. The soil, location, climate, contour, drainage, water supply, and waterpowers are the only natural features which have exerted any important economic influence on the development of the county. For a time a gold mine was exploited and an extensive plant erected but without producing gold in paying quantities. "Soapstone" has also been secured near Redwood Falls.

Railroads. Railroad service is provided Redwood by one division of the Minneapolis & St. Louis Railroad Co. and by four divisions of the Chicago & North Western Railway Co. The Watertown division of the Minneapolis & St. Louis was built across the northern part of the county in 1884. The Winona- Tracy branch of the Winona & St. Peter, now a part of the North Western system, was built through the southern part of the county in 1872. The Sleepy Eye-Redwood Falls division was built to Redwood Falls in 1878. The Sanborn-Vesta division was built between those points in 1899. The Evan-Marshall branch was built through the central part of the county in 1902.

Trading Centers. The majority of the people of Redwood county do their trading within the limits of the county. Springfield, Tracy, Morton. Cottonwood, Echo. Marshall and possibly Wood Lake are trading points for people in this county. Lamberton and Sanborn get quite a little trade from outside the county, and some from outside the county also comes to Walnut Grove, Revere, Morgan, Milroy, Vesta, Belview, Delhi and North Redwood. Redwood Falls also receives a considerable portion of its trade from the people of Renville county. The catalogue houses do a good business in this county, but somewhat less than is usual in the average Minnesota rural community. Especially in the Redwood Falls vicinity, the excellent service and numerous sales given by the stores keeps the business at home. The important trading centers within the county are Redwood Falls, Lamberton, Morgan, Walnut Grove, Revere, Sanborn, Wanda, Wabasso, Lucan, Milroy, Seaforth, Vesta, Clements, Belview, Delhi and North Redwood. Shipping facilities are also provided at Rowena, Wayburne and Gilfillan.

Occupations. The county is entirely an agricultural one. Aside from a small quarry and a few marble dressing establishments, and a few cement block plants, the people are all engaged in tilling the land and raising stock, except in the villages, and in the villages the people are dependent entirely on the rural population for support.

Nationality. The German nationality predominates, with the Danish and the Norwegians as the next in numbers. The latest official returns are for 1910. There are eleven negroes, of whom five are black and six mulatto. There are 167 Indians. There are 5,361 native whites of native parentage. There are 9,428 of foreign and mixed parentage, of whom 5,981 are of foreign parentage and 3,448 of mixed parentage. The foreign born whites number 3,457, or nearly nineteen per cent of the total population. The foreign born whites are divided as follows. Germany, 1,527 ; Denmark, 458 ; Norway, 449 ; Sweden, 268 ; Austria, 247 ; Canada (not French, mostly Scotch), 184; England, 85; Ireland, 62; Switzerland, 59; Scotland, 57; Russia, 21; Belgium, 13; Canada (French), 7; Holland, 2; other foreign countries, 14. The native whites with both parents born in the respective countries mentioned are : Germany, 3,029 ; Norway, 694 ; Denmark, 577 ; Austria, 363; Sweden, 307; Ireland, 178; Canada (not French), 118; England, 72; Scotland, 63; Switzerland, 62; Canada (French), 20; Russia, 14; France, 9; "Wales, 7; Holland, 1; Hungary, 1; all others of foreign parentage (both parents born in countries other than above, and parents of foreign birth but of different countries), 466.

Original Surveys. Brookville, Morgan, Sherman, Sundown, Three Lakes, Paxton, Honner, Charlestown, Willow Lake, New Avon, Redwood Falls and Delhi were surveyed by government officials in 1858. North Hero, Johnsonville, Vesta, Granite Rock, Lamberton, Waterbury and Vail were surveyed in 1859. Sheridan and Kintire were surveyed in 1864. Swedes Forest was surveyed in 1866. Springdale, Gales, Westline and Underwood were surveyed in 1867.

Original Timber. With the elimination of the prairie fires, the river courses have become quite heavily wooded, while groves have been planted on nearly every quarter section. Originally the valley of the Minnesota was timbered, as well as the valleys of the Minnesota and the Cottonwood. These trees on the Redwood and Cottonwood gradually diminished as their sources were approached. The survey of 1858 found Charlestown plentifully supplied with timber, but further up the Cottonwood there were only isolated groups of trees with the exception of the walnut grove in Springdale.

Education. The number of school houses in use in Redwood county in 1915 and 1916 was 116, with 110 districts. There are four consolidated schools, in the villages of "Wanda, Lamberton, Redwood Falls, Walnut Grove. Delhi has voted to be a consolidated school after Sept., 1917. School districts No. 91 and No. 41 consolidated with No. 31, now known as consolidated district No. 31 in the village of Lamberton; school district No. 93 consolidated with No. 30, now known as consolidated district No. 30 in the village of Wanda. There are seven state graded schools, and two state high schools, the latter in Redwood Falls and Lamberton. The state graded schools are in Belview, Wabasso, Morgan, Sanborn, Walnut Grove, Delhi, and Wanda. School districts No. 109 in Morgan township, and No. 64 in Waterbury township, receive no state aid. Of the graded schools all except Wabasso, Delhi and Wanda do four years of high school work; Wanda and Wabasso do two years of high school work. The Lamberton and Redwood Falls schools have several special departments, including manual training, domestic art, domestic science, agricultural and commercial work. Walnut Grove, Wanda, Morgan and Belview do manual training work. Walnut Grove and Morgan do domestic science and agriculture. There were enrolled in the graded and high schools for 1915 and 1916, 2,313 pupils. There are 13 semi-graded schools in the county which means schools employing from 2 to 4 teachers. These are located in Clements, Revere, Milroy, Vesta, Seaforth, Lucan, district No. 7, New Avon township; district No. 19, North Hero township; district No. 27, Sundown township; district No. 49, Brookville township; district No. 67, Willow Lake township; district No. 70, Sheridan township, and district No. 78, Waterbury township. District No. 73, known as the Gilfillan school, will be a semi-graded school after Sept., 1917. There are 80 class A, one room rural schools and 10 class B one room rural schools. Four districts have seven months of school; none have less; all the rest have either eight or nine months. In the rural and semi-graded schools there were for 1915-1916, 3,239 pupils enrolled, making a total enrollment for that year of 5,552 pupils in the schools of the county. One hundred ninety-eight teachers were employed. The average wages for all the schools in the county, paid for men teachers was $88.75; for women, $60.09. The average number of days each pupil attended was 126.9.

All districts loan the text books free. We find improved heating and ventilating systems in every school building, except two. The highest price paid for rural school teachers in 1916 was $70 (in four schools), and the lowest price paid was $45 (in one school) ; the rest ranging from $50 to $65. There were 76 teachers, rural and semi-graded, in 1916, who were graduates of the Normal training department in high schools; there were seven State Normal school graduates of the advanced course, and one college graduate.