Washington County, Minnesota - Chapter with an unread heading (no. 53 of those read), 1881

Chapter with an unread heading (no. 53 of those read)

The major part of the township is quite hilly and broken. The better and richer portions are to be found in the Lyman settlement, in the north-eastern and the Macey-Boutwell, in the western part, both comprising land well adapted to farming. The township was originally covered with a growth of scrub oaks, which has been cleared off by the settlers.

Brown's creek, which is recognized by the gov¬ ernment survey, formerly passed over sections 18, 19, 20 and 21, but by John McKusick its course was turned south through sections 28 and 29, by way of McKusick 's lake.

Trap Ranch creek, the outlet of Silver lake, enters the river on section sixteen. About forty rods from its source is a water-fall of forty feet. In lowest water the fall is about four feet wide, and in high water twelve feet.

Of the lakes in the township, Silver lake covers about one hundred and fifty acres of land in sec¬ tions seven and eight. The shores are gravel and the water pure and clear, abounding with fish. Twin lakes, on sections 18, 19 and 20, each oc¬ cupy about one hundred acres of land and are separated by a narrow ridge, which furnishes room enough to drive on. The north lake is shallow, the other deep and well suppled with fish. Spruce swamp, the only one within an area of about fifty miles, embraces within its limits about one hundred acres. It is situated on sec¬ tion eighteen and extends into Grant township.

The banks of the river are usually quite ab¬ rupt. On section fifteen, just before the entrance of Boom Hollow, the walls rise perpendicularly to a height of one hundred feet. A road leads though this hollow, on either side guarded by stately pines.

ter outside of the limits of the city were, D. P. and C. 8 to rrs Lyman, who were accompanied by their parents, Cornelius and Betsey, the latter making their home with D. I*. Previous to the arrival of the family, C. 8. Lyman, had visited the country and selected a claim, during the sum¬ mer of 1848. After making some improvements, he returned to Illinois. In 1844, David P. came up, and the next two years, worked in saw-mills at Stillwater and Marine. Then the two brothers with their parents moved out on the land in 1846. Each of the boys erected a small frame building 16x18 feet, one and one-half stories high, aud broke enough land to raise a patch of potatoes. They then divided the land, D. P. , taking the lower two hundred and twenty-five acres and C. 8., the upper two hundred and forty acres. The next year they broke about thirteen acres. The 'Breaking and planting was all done on the part taken by D. F., the brothers working together. In 1851, C. S. Lyman moved his house from un¬ der the bluff where it had been built and located it on the present site in section two. This house is now occupied by Benjamin F. Lyman. In 1854, D. P. Lyman moved his house to its pres¬ ent location, and has since built around it. C. S. Lyman has resided on the farm continually since, but the brother in 1858, went to Marine, and part of the time since has made it his home.

Charles Macey staked out a claim in 1845, but did not immediately move on it. The next summer, while at work in the mill, he learned that Walter Vail was breaking upon the land, and immediately went out to the place. Remon¬ strating with Vail, his objections were answered by the remark that there was plenty of land for all. As Vail did not seem willing to respect Macey's claim, the latter compelled him to mark out a claim. Macey then marked out a new farm on section 19, and vowed vengeance against any future intruders. However, he did not per¬ manently reside there until in 18^9, then batch¬ ing until 1854, when he married Sarah Van Tassell, and has reared a large family.

W. T. Boutwell, in 1848, bought W. R. Vail's claim on section nineteen, and immediately be¬ gan preparations to build, and in the fall com¬ pleted a comfortable home, 18x24 feet, one and one-half stories high, and cellar. A few years ago this house was replaced by the large and

Sebastian Marty, came to StiUwater in 1845, and for a time served as assistant cook in McKusick's boarding house. In 1848 he made a claim in section thirty-two, broke about two and onehalf acres and made some other improvements. In the spring of 1850, his pre-emption right was purchased by II. A. Jackman, who, in 1851, built the house in which he has since resided. Marty then went to Lakeland, where he has since re¬ sided, on section thirty near Horse Shoe lake.

William Rutherford built a log shanty on sec¬ tion 30, in 1849. In the fall of that year, he went east and in his absence the house was burned. The site of this residence is now occu¬ pied by the cemetery. As Mr. Itutherfard had done all his breaking in Grant township, he re¬ built on that part of his claim, and has since resided there.

Dr. James Covey made a claim on section 2, and part of his time was engaged in making im¬ provements. lie died in 1851, from the effects of a cold contracted while sleeping in a newly plastered room, and the property was divided among his nephews S. and P. Trask. The place is now owned by the heirs of John Mower and

John J. McKensie took a claim on section two, in 1848. He resided on it until 1872, when he went to Montana territory and engaged in stock growing. Among the other early settlers who lo¬ cated in this township are many who have owned or now own property in and about the city of Still¬ water. Of these were Joseph R. Drown, the famous pioneer, Jacob Fisher and Alexander Wilcox. The latter entered a claim in 1848, and made some improvements. Soon after, he was arrested and convicted of a dangerous assault but escaped and left the country, his property; was sold to Rev. Mr. Carl, and finally to Steele and Thorne, who laid it out into town lots, and it now is mostly occupied by the city race-^ course.

The first white child bom in the township out¬ side of the city limits was Emily A., daughter of C. S. Lyman. She was born in October, 1846, and is now Mrs. Alcorn. The next was Hattie and is now a teacher in St. Paul. The first mar¬ riage was that of A. Click and Jane Sample, which took place in the spring of 1853. They are now living near Faribault, in well-to-do cir¬ cumstances. The next was that of Charles Macey and Sarah Van Tassell. The first death was that of Betsey, daughter of C. Storrs Lyman, oc¬ curring in 1846, the next was that of Dr. Covey in the fall of 1850.

The first election was held at the house of the late Samuel Hoffman, in what is now a portion of the city of Stillwater, April 3d, 1860. Cornelius Lyman was chosen moderator, and Howard Pack¬ ard, \V. T. Boutwell and I). P. Lyman, were judges of election. The first officers of the town chosen were, Cornelius S. Lyman, Howard Pack¬ ard, Henry A. Jackman, supervisors; Sylvanus Trask, clerk; Wallace Rutherford, treasurer; J. C. Gardner, assessor; C. S. Lyman, W. T. Boutwell, justices of the peace; Daniel Iloustin, W. T. Bishop, constables.

The United States government road was laid out in 1848, leaving the town by section two. The town then opened a road connecting this with a county road which is one and one-half miles east. This road runs along the south boundary line of sections two and three. .

Washington county poor farm. This institu¬ tion embraces in all two hundred and seven acres of land which lie in sections five and six. Eightyseven acres are in the former section, and one hundred and twenty in the latter. The site was purchased in 1868 for the county by Harvey Wil¬ son, clerk of the court. The buildings are in sections six, and will accommodate thirty in¬ mates. The main structure is 34x36 feet, two and one half stories high, and to this have been added a kitchen 16x30 feet on the west end, which was afterward removed to the north to make place for a one and one-half story wing 22x 30. erected in 1878. The main building contains twelve chambers; the wing, a sitting-room, dining¬ room and four chambers. On the farm are two bams, one of which, the old one, is used as a storing place for machinery and grain. The new one, built in 1879, is 50x66 feet, with twentyfoot posts. It will house forty head of cattle and one hundred tons of hay. It is a well built, ven¬ tilated and drained structure, conveniently near to Lake Louisa, which supplies water for the stock. The lake, which is wrell supplied with fish, covering about six acres, touches, the farm on the north. About one hundred acres of the farm are under cultivation.

The first overseer was II. Packard, w-ho was succeeded in 1864 by Thomas J. Withrow, and in the fall of the same year Andrew Richmond took charge. In 1870 A. J. Soule was appointed, and after serving one year was succeeded by Mr. Richmond, who has since held the position; he is assisted by his wife. At first there were but from one to three inmates; at preseut the number is ten. The greatest number was in 1868 - twen¬ ty-two. They are apparently contented, and en¬ joy clean, well kept apartments, and good whole¬ some food.

Washington Flour-Mill

This mill was built Rutherford and Booth, in 1857, on section niiie; It is 40x40 feet, three stories high and originally contained but two run of stone, one for flour, the other for feed, operated, by a thirty-foot breast water-wheel. In 1859, John Rutherford purchased Booth's share, and until 1867 operated the concern alone. The latter year A. Brosious purchased one-half interest, and one year later the whole establish¬ ment. He then replaced the breast^wheel by a twenty-inch American turbine, and also added a smut machine. The property was purchased in January, 1871, by J. It. Stussi, who put in a new race and dam, which increased the fall from twenty-five to .twenty-nine feet. In 1876 he added a new purifier and an extra bolting ma¬ chine, and in 1880, replaced the American by a fifteen-inch LefTel, also adding nnother run of stone. The mill produces fifteen barrels of flour per day, and has a capacity of four hundred bushels of feed.

A petition dated January 9th, 1851, signed by W. T. Boutwell and others, praying that the west half of sections 17, 20 and 29, and the whole of sections 18, 19 and 30, in township 30, range 20, and township 30, range 21 , be formed into a school district, was presented to the board of county commissioners, and by them granted. At the first meeting in the district, William Rutherford was chosen moderator, Abion Masterman clerk, and the following officers elected: W. T. Boutwell, James Rutherford, and Clias. Macey clerk. The first term of school was commenced in the spring^of 1852. There were ten scholars at¬ tending, and after teaching two months the teacher, Miss Cynthia Pond, quit, and Hester C. Boutwell finished the term. In the summer of 1868 the present school-house was erected accom¬ modating about seventy pupils. During the past winter the attendance was about thirty-five. The present officers are Edward R. Jones, director; Albion Masterman, treasurer; J. B. Taft, clerk.

School district number five was organized in June, 1861, and the following elected as trustees: J. R. Hathaway, director; Edward Coffin, clerk; Howard Packard, treasurer. The first teacher, Miss Emma Prescott, was paid thirteen dollars per month and board. The school-house was built in the fall of 1863, on section number five. In the fall of 1870 it was burned, and the next year rebuilt at a cost of six hundred dollars. In October, 1874, it was voted to move the building one-half a mile north of its location, on the same section. The present officers are: John Daley, director; John Kilty, clerk; Andrew Richmond, treasurer.

School district number fifty-live was organized in 1873. At the first meeting held October 10th the officers elected were: W. Van Tassell, di¬ rector; L. R. Comman, treasurer; J. W. Wheeler, clerk. The house is situated on the north-west quarter of section twenty, and was built in the fall of 1874, at a cost of $1,000. The present of-

District number eight was organized in June. 1801, and a house costing four hundred dollars built the following fall. It is situated on ground donated by II. A. Jackman in section thirty-two. The first officers were: II. A. Jackman, director; J. C. Gardner, clerk; Fred Shaser, treasurer. The present officers are: Philip Miller, director; II. A. Jackman, clerk; Fred Bloomer, treasurer.

District number fifty-two was organized in 1870, a site donated by F. J. Curtis on section nine, and a house erected that year. The first officers were: Reuben Smith, clerk: F. J. Curtis, di¬ rector; William Douglas, treasurer. The present officers are: Theodore Jarchow, treasurer; E. W. Rutherford, clerk; F. J. Curtis, director.

District number six was organized in 1861, the site donated by Socrates Kelson and a house erected soon afterward. The first officers were: John J. McKensie, director; S. Trask, clerk; Wallace Rutherford, treasurer. The present of¬ ficers are: D. P. Lyman, director; T. C. Clark, clerk; II. C. Lyman, treasurer.

Home cemetery consists of an half acre donated to the use of the neighborhood by William Ruth¬ erford, whose child was the first buried in it.