Wabasha County, Minnesota - Chapter 35: A Celebration, 1884

The fourth of July, 1863, was celebrated with a great deal ot patriotic enthusiasm at Minnesota City. The settlers of Rolling Stone invited the citizens of Wabasha prairie to join them in the customary honors and hospitalities of "independence day." The invitation was accepted, and many from the prairie were in attend-

The celebration was held in "the public square," under the oaks. The introductory was the following song, written by Robert Pike, Jr., the ])oet of the colony. It was sung to the tune of "Baker's Farewell":

" We've left the homes our childhood loved, The friends we never can forget; The friends that long, long years have proved, The friends who still in dreams are met.

The orator of the day was Egbert Chapman, who, it is said, gave an admirable and exceedingly appropriate address. He was followed by Robert Pike, Jr., who became really eloquent in his remarks, which were listened to with pleased expressions by the

An elegant repast was furnished by the ladies, to which all were invited. The concourse then adjourned from "the park" to the tables prepared under the shade of the walnuts, where ample justice was awarded the good things provided. After all were satisfied, volunteer toasts were drank from glasses filled with pure cold water plentifully furnished.

Toasts were given by Robert Pike, Jr., Edwin Hamilton, W. H. Colburn, E. Taylor, O. M. Lord, T. K. Allen, S. J. Smith, and others. Some of them are given to show the character of the entertainment.

The first was b}' Robert Pike, Jr.: "The ladies. May they ever be pure, as our own bright fountains ; beautiful, as our wild flowers ; as even of temper as our own delightful climate ( except the thunderstorms ), and as fruitful as the soil to which they have been transplanted."

The second was by Edwin Hamilton : " Superior cookery. The art that makes us happy, and that none better understand than the ladies of Minnesota City."

The third was by W. H. Colburn : "The motto of our glorious country, ' Union is Strength.' Minnesota City and Winona, - may they be ever thus united is the earnest wish of Winona to-day."

The si.xth was by Robert Pike, Jr.: "Winona and Minnesota Qty. May all the rivalry which exists between them be the rivalry of good neighborhood, and the desire to excel in offices of kindness and humanity."

The thirteenth was by O. M. Lord : " Winona. Like her namesake, wild and beautiful, may she prosper till the height of her aspiration is amply rewarded."

The eighteenth was by S. J. Smith: "Here is to Minnesota City from her eldest daughter, Winona. Although the Dark Water city, yet her waters are clear and sparkling ; and to its men, who being Rolling Stone men, yet gather commercial moss ; and to its ladies, who are blooming."

Another by O. M. Lord : "The Mississippi river, the highway of the nation. As long as the water flows in its channel may her valleys annually resound with the sound of cannon proclaiming the independence of the American people."

The day's enjoyment closed with another song written by Robert Pike, Jr. This was the first time the " Glorious Fourth " was ever celebrated in southern Minnesota.

The part of the county north of a line west from a point five miles below the town plat of Mt. Vernon on the Mississippi river to the west line of the county was called Mt. Ve'rnon precinct. James Kirkman and Louis Krutzly, living at the mouth of the White Water, and A. P. Hall, of Mt. Vernon, were appointed judges of election. This precinct had twelve legal voters.

The Minnesota City precinct was the next south of the Mt. Vernon precinct. The judges of election were H. B. Waterman, O. H. Hauk and E. B. Drew. This had the largest number of voters of any precinct.

The Minneowah precinct extended south to a line due west from a point on the Mississippi opposite the mouth of Black river to the west line of the county. The line between this and the Minnesota City precinct was not defined. The judges of election were W. B. Bunnell, of Bunnell's landing, James F. Toms, of Minneowah, and William Hewitt, of Burns valley. This had sixteen voters.

The Root River precinct was between the south line of the Minneowah precinct and a line west from the mouth of Root river to the west line of the county. The judges of election were G. W. Gilfillan, Joseph Brown and John L. Looney. It had ten legal voters.

The Brownsville precinct was all of the county lying between the Root River precinct at the Iowa state line. The judges of election were Charles Brown, Samuel McPhail and M. C. Young.

At this meeting of the board of commissioners a school district was established at Minnesota City, but no specific boundaries given. It was presumed to include the whole precinct.

A petition for a public road from Winona to Minnesota City was received and the following examiners appointed - Harvey Hubbard and E. B. Drew. These road examiners were to meet on Tuesday, July 19, at Minnesota City. C. R. Coryell, of Rolling Stone, was appointed county surveyor.

The next meeting of the board was at the Winona House, on July 22, 1853. At this meeting Gere and Luark were present. In the absence of Mr. Stall, the commissioners appointed Sylvester J. Smith clerk of the board pro tem.

"The examiners of the road between Minnesota City and Winona reported that they liad located the road. The report was received, examined and fully accepted, and an order issued to the county surveyor to locate and survey the same. " .

This was tlie fii-st public road officially located in the county. The above copy of tlie record is the only documentary evidence of the fact. All books and papers relative to the proceedings of this board of county commissioners were taken to Chatfield, the first county seat of Fillmore county. Mr. E. B. Drew, one of the examiners, says the road was surveyed and located about where the present road from Minnesota City to Winona is now laid. It was resurveyed after Winona county was created.

The first general election held in the county was on the second Tuesday, the 11th of October, 1853. At this general election Hon. H. M. Rice was elected delegate to congress from the Territory of Minnesota. Hon. 0. M. Lord was elected a representative to the territorial legislature from tins representative district. In January, 1854, when Mr. Lord attended the fifth legislature to which he was elected, he walked from Minnesota City to St. Paul for that pui-pose.

At this election the following officers were elected in Fillmore county: county attorney, Andrew Cole ; judge of jirobate, H. B. Waterman ; register of deeds, William B. Gere ; sheriff, John lams; county commissioners, John C. Laird, Eobert Pike, Jr., and W. B. Bunnell.

The justices of the peace elected were - for Wabasha prairie, George M. Gere and Wm. H. Stevens (Mr. Stevens had previously served as justice of the peace. He was appointed in July, 1853, by Governor Gorman) ; for Minnesota City, H. B. Waterman and Robert Pike, Jr.; for Mt. Vernon, S. M. Burns; for Minneowah, Mynon Lewis.

Among the settlers who came into the county later in this season were Mathew Ewing, Dr. Allen, E. S. Smith, A. C. Smith, James McClellan, Luke Blair, G. W. Wiltse, Lysander Kately, James Worrall, George Gay and T. B. Twiford.

Mathew Ewing settled on H. S. Hamilton's claim, where he built a comfortable frame house and opened a store with a fair assortment of goods. He sold goods during the winter and in the spring closed out his stock and gave up the business. He then located himself in the village and purchased two lots on the corner of Third and John- son streets, and also a lot on the corner ot Johnson and Front streets, where he built the building now standing on it. After two or three years here he sold out and left the county.

James McClellan brought a stock of goods with him and opened a store in the front part of the main portion of the residence of Rev. E. Ely, which was built this year. Mr. McClellan remained here until early in the spring, when he moved his family and goods to Chattield."^

Dr. Allen (his initials are unknown to the writer) came here and located himself as a practicing physician. He was the tirst to settle in the county to make that profession his special business. He remaiiled here until the spring of 18.54-, when he moved to Chatfield.

E. S. Smith bought an interest in the Stevens claim, and for a year or two lived in Winona, dealing in real estate, etc. He married Miss Mary Burns, and settled in Burns valley, where he built the Glen Flouring Mill. He remained there several years and then sold out and moved to Winona, where his family yet resides. Mr. Smith went to Washington Territory, where lie was for awhile connected with the western portion of the North Pacitic railroad. Although he occasionally visits his home in Minnesota, he is yet engaged in business in Washington Territory, which ret|uires his personal attention there much of his time.

Andrew C. Smith settled in Winona. In 1855 he started the first drug store ever opened in the county. After several years' residence here he moved to Stockton. He was a member of the State legislature from this county in 1869. He is now a resident of Rochester, Olmsted count}'.

L. D. Smith visited Wabasha prairie during the fall and winter of 1853, but did not bring his family here to live until the spring of 1854. He purchased the " Fridley claim" and built a house on it, where he lived several j-ears. This house is yet standing near the corner of Franklin and Wabasha streets. He then moved to his farm in the south Rolling Stone valley about half a mile above the village of Stockton, where he lived at the time of las 'death. He was appointed receiver in the United States land ofiice in 1854, and was one of the most active in securing the land grant for the benefit of the railroads in this state. Further mention will be made of him in other divisions of this history.

public lands in southern Minnesota. In the fall of this year hu visited Wabasha prairie, and in the spring following moved his family there and made Winona his home for about ten years, when he moved to Dubuque. He is now a resident of Dakota.

Mr. Jones held an undivided interest in the Smith and Johnson town plot, and also an interest in the Stevens claim (Stevens' addition). He opened up a large farm in the town of St. Charles. It is now known ate the "Laraberton Farm." Besides dealing in real estate, Mr. Jones found time and means to start the first newspaper published in the county, " The Winona Argus. " '

Luke Blair came to Wabasha prairie in the fall of this year. He bought two lots on the corner of Center and Second streets, where the "Simpson Block" now stands. He brought with him a small drove of cattle, which he wintered in stables built on the back part of these lots. He made a claim in what is now the town of Saratoga, but did not occupy it until the following season. Early in the spring of 1854 he built a store on lot -t, block 16, and brought on a stock of general merchandise.

During the summer he moved his family out on his claim. In the fall he sold the two lots with his store building to W. G. Dye, who sold them to V. Simpson, the present owner, and sold his stock of goods to James H. Jacoby, who continued the business in the same locality under the name of Day & Co. The upper part of Blair's building was used as a public hall. Meetings were held here until it was used as a printing-office by Wm. Ashley Jones. This was where the "Winona Argus" was started, with Samuel Melvin as associate editor and foreman in the office. W. G. Dye set the first type for this paper.

Mr. Blair settled on his claim, which has been his permanent home. The vicinity was long known as the Blair settlement. Mr. Wiltse and Mr. Kately made claims in that part of the county, and wintered there in 1853-4.

George Gay made a claim in Burns valley, on what was afterward known as the Salisbury Place. He remained here a year or two and moved to Wabasha county. James Worrall settled in Winona, and about two years after went to Wabasha county.