Wright County, Minnesota - Chapter 10: Land Office Records, 1915

The Pre-emption Act - The Homestead Law - The Railroad Grant - The Townsite Act - List of Those Who Obtained the Original Patents to Land in Wright County - The RoU of Honor of the Men Who First Broke and Developed the Farms.

The original patents to laud in Wright county, upon which all subsequent deeds and transfers are based, were obtained in four ways: under the pre-emption act, under the homestead law, under tlie townsite act, and from the railroads. The first settlers obtained their homes under tiie i)re-emption act, by the provisions of which they were required to make certain improvements, to live upon their land a certain length of time, and to pay $1.25 an acre. There were certain restrictions as to the size of the claim and as to the eligibility of those who filed. Instead of paying money the settlers often paid soldiers' script which they had purchased at a discount. This script had been issued to soldiers, entitling each veteran to a certain number of acres free. Few of the soldiers ever used this script to obtain land, and thousands of these papers fell into the hands of speculators, by whom they were sold to settlers. Under the homestead act, which replaced the pre-emption act, the government issued a patent after a person had lived on an eighth or quarter section (according to location) for a certain period, and made certain improvements. Many of the people obtained their land from the railroads, who had a land grant of each alternate township along their improved rightsof-way. There was also a townsite act under which villages could be entered, platted, and lots sold.

The following transcriptions from tlie land office records gives the original owners of all the land pre-empted and homesteaded in Wright county. This is the roll of honor of those who dared the rigors of a pioneer country and started the first developments. The list is in the main accurate, though, through carelessness of the land office registers and their clerks, the original entries are often misspelled, and transcriptions of more or less illegible handwriting since that date have distorted some of the names in various ways. But especial eff'orts have been made to insure accuracy in this printed list, and the names of thousands of old pioneers will be recognized. A few of the original claimants are still living, and many families are still residing on the original claim of their father or -jraiulfather. For the most j^art, however, the original chiimants nioveil away, on aeeount of Indians, grasslioppers and hard times.

In the following li.st, where a person's farm lay in several sections, or where a second claim was later taken in another .section, only the first section of the first filing is given, except in special cases, for a constant repetition of naim>s would neeiUessly cumber the rolls.

Township 118, Range 26 (Woodland). The first claims in this Congressional township were taken in 1857. Those who filed that year were : 4 - Thomas Gargan, October 7. 5 - Jonah Davis,

October 24. B - Pat Hays, October 19. 8 - Patrick Casey, November 24. 9 - Thomas Gargan, October 7. 25 - John Galviu, December 9. 29 - Benjamin Cole, October 15. Those that filed in 1858 were : 5 - C. II. Saw yer, January 6 ; E. A. Crumsie, February 27. 9 - John Whealen, December 9. 12 - John W. Moore, February 18. 23 - J. II. Chandler, February 25. 26 - John Baxter, May 24. 29 - W. G. Flonseca, August 13. 30 - Robert Eckford, January 15. 34 - William Dunn, February 16; Stephen Lambert, February 17.

Township 118, Range 28 (Stockholm). The first claim in this Congressional townsiiip was taken in 1859. The one who tiled tiiat year was : 3 - Hugh McAuulty, October 8.

Township 119, Range 28 (Cokato). The tirst claims in this Congressional townsliip were entered in 1857. Those who filed that year were; 11 - S. P. Lowell, October 12. 13 - Sarah Murphy, October 21 ; Timothy Lowell, August 22. 24 - T. H. Arnell, October 19. 34 - A. Montour, September 1.

1876: 3 - E. Johnson, October 27. 5 - John Sunberg, September 1 ; H. P. Breed, August 24. 7 - L. G. Pendergast, May 9; A. Salomonson, November 24; A. Hara, October 4; John Wagner and John Lindquist, October 7. 11 - H. S. Rustod, November 9.

Township 119, Range 27 (MiddleviUe). The first claims in this Congressional township were entered in 1858. Those who filed that year were : 22 - John Lang, April 7. 24 - Michael Me- Cabe, April 3. These were on the edge of the township. The next entries were made in 1860. Those who filed that year were: 35 - William P. Buck, November 19.

Township 119, Range 26 (Marysville). The first claims in this Congressional township were entered in 1857. Those who filed that year were: 14 - Anna Findley, July 26. 18 - William A. Findley, July 22 ; Orange P. Whitney, December 30. 20 - Sarah J. Finley. July 22. 29 - A. W. Hunt, October 6.

Township 119, Range 25 (Rockford and small part of Franklin). The tirst claims in this Congressional township vi^ere entered in 1857. Those who filed that year were: 10 - John IL Thomas, October 24. 11 - John C. Jones, October 24. 24 - David Cline, October 24. 26 - Henry Luther, October 23. 27 - Dorathea Hotzel, December 1. 28 - Josiah Stuart, October 28; George Kechnell, February 28. 29 - Henry M. Ketchum, December 14. 32 - Louis Vertum, October 24; Henry M. Ketchum, December 14. 33 - W. A. Coggeshall, October 31.

Those that filed in 1858 were : 11 - John Atkinson, February 18 ; John Moffit, January 22. 21 - Henry Y^oung, January 22. 26 - William Knoble, February 22. 32 - Gottlieb Eppel, April 21.

Township 119, Range 24 (Fractional township - Rockford). The tirst claims in this part oi' the Congressional township were entered in 1856. Those who tiletl that year were: 5 - I. S. l?urnside, October 2. G - David Cook. August 8. 7 - David Cook, August 8. 8 - Amasa S. Gordon, August 8; William Sleight, September 29. 9 - Frederick Clark, February 4. 17 - William

Township 120, Range 23. Fractional (Frankfort). The first claim in this part of the Congressional township was entered in 1856. Those who filed that year were : 1 - John Baxter, September 3; Samuel Reem, July 24; Alexander J. Borthwick, July 16; 2_Patrick Burke, July 19. 3 - Patrick Wood, July 28. 4 - Francis Weaver, November 2; Daniel Carrigau, November 30. 6 - John Humal, October 8. 8 - L. Ayd, November 4. 9 - Thomas Dean, September 2. 10 - Patrick Ward, July 28.

Township 120, Range 24 (Frankfort). The first claims in this Congressional township were entered in 1855. The one who filed that year was : 3 - Anthony Clippen, July 11.

Township 120, Range 25 (Buffalo). The fir.st claims in this Congressiomil township were entered in 1858. Those who filed that year were; IS - N. X. Tavlor, October 5. 19 - Henry Var-

Township 120, Range 26 (sections 19 to 36, inclusive, Chatham). The first claim in tliis i)art of tlie Congi-essional to\vnslii[) was entered in 1857. The one who tiled that year was John F. Foster, who on October 22 filed on the northwest quarter of section 20. Those who filed in 1858 were : 20 - J. F. Foster, October 22. 11 - S. P. Lowell, October 12. 13 - Sarah Murphy, October 21 ; Timothy Lowell, August 22.

Township 120, Range 26 (Sections 1 to 18, Inclusive, Maple LaJie). The first claims in this Congressional township were entered in 1857. Those who filed that year were: 9 - Boyd W. Purdy, October 20 ; Trott Smith, October 20.

Township 120, Range 27 (Albion). The first claims in this Congressional township were entered in 1858. Those who filed that year were: 10 - Patrick Golden, February 24. 27 - S. S. Titus, June 29; Jane Titus, June 29; Henry H. Titus, June 29.

Tow^nship 120, Range 28 (French Lake)- The first claims in this Congressional township were entered in 1860. Those who filed that year were: 10 - Thomas O. Laughlin, June 6. 12 - James Grimes, September 22 ; C. Grimes, September 22. 14 - Hannah 0. Laughlin, July 7. 15 - Ernest Howart, Oetober 27.

Township 121, Range 28 (Southside). The first claims in this Congressional township were entered in 1857. Those who filed that year were : 9 - A. A. Dean, August 27. 10 - A. Montgomery, August 27. 13 - Julia Prescott, June 23 ; L. Duraarce, June 27. 14 - J. S. Abell, October 2. 24 - L. Dumarce, June 23. 27 - C. H. Rogers, October 21. 29 - A. J. Brackett, November 6.

Township 121, Range 27 (Corinna). The first claims in this Congressional township were entered in 1857. Those who filed that year were : 4 - Alvin Wilkins, September 6 ; 0. W. Butler, August 17 ; 0. W. Butler, Jr., Augu.st 17. 5 - 0. W. Butler, Jr., August 17. 9 - William B. Gordon, Augiist 31. 15 - Patrick Doiley, December 8. 17 - Elijah Doble, September 16. 19 - Elijah Doble, September 16. 20 - Elijah Doble, May 7. 22 - Patrick Dailey, December 8. 26 - William Qurik, December 6. 27 - C. E. Barber, October 10. 34 - John W. Rude, September 26 ; Charles G. Barber, October 18.

Township 121, Range 26, Sections 19 to 36, Inclusive (Maple Lake). The first claim.s in this half of Congressional township were entered in 1859 : 20 - Nancy S. Taylor, April 22. 23 -

Township 121, Range 24, Fractional Township (Monticello). The first claim in this part of the Congressional township w-as entered on section 4, by Benjamin Bursley in 1855. Those entered in 1856 were : 7 - James C. Beekman, August 29 ; Richard Allen,

Township 121, Range 24, Fractional Township (Otsego). The first claims in this part of the Cougressional township were entered in 1856. Those who filed that year were: 13 - Caroline E. Buel, July 16 ; George W. Barnes, June 14. 14 - William B. Mabie, June 27 ; John S. Leyerly, December 11 ; Obodish Inscho, June 27; Nelson Demiek, November 13. 15 - E. K. Harper, July 31 ; Andrew J. Iloyt, July 31. 22 - A. J. Hoyt, July 31 ; Leonard Choate, November 3 ; William Mathews, November 3. 23 - John M. Snow, July 31. 24 - George W. Barnes, June 14. 27 - L. W. Hamlin, September 26. 34 - 0. H. Porter, December 8.

Township 121, Range 23 (Otsego). The first claims in this Congressional township were entered in 1856. Those who filed that year were : 15 - George T. Vail, May 31 ; David McPherson,

Township 122, Range 27 (Clearwater). The first elaims in this Conyressional townshii) were entered in 18.^7. Those wlio filed that year were: 1 - F. P. Robinson, August 4; Horace Webster, August 7. Rebecca Wheelon, July 31 ; W. H. Fisher. August 20. 2 - F. P. Robinson, August 4; Artemus Stevens, July 2 ; Town Council Fremont City, August 8; B. II. Luce, September 2. 3 - Town Council Fremont City, August 26; James Crombell, July 2; H. JlcCrory. July 2. 10 - I. L. Chase, September 29; Abel Kent, September 8: Emuui C. K. Stevenson, September 8; Henry Townsend. June 22; L. Loughton, August 31. 11 - ^A. T. Boyington, August 7: Charles Folsom, September 7; Solomon Thorlonder, July 12 ; E. II. Whitney, August 22 ; Albert F. Matzky, August 6. 12 - W. H. Fisk, August 20; Elias Cowon; Horace Webster, August 7 ; A. T. Boyington, August 7 ; Samuel A. Hurd, December .'3. 13 - Samuel A. Hurd, December 5; Nelson C. Draper, July 15; Samuel A. Hurd, December 5; Elisha Cowon, July 22; George R. Fuller, October 8. 14 - A. F. :\Iatzky, October 6 ; E. II. Whitney, August 22; Albert Ilogemon, July 20; L. Loughton, August 31. 15 - L. Loughton, August 31 ; A. W^. Williams, July 25. 21 - George W. McCrory, July 28. 26 - 1. H. Bates, July 25. 28 - T. B. Titus. 33 - F. Kothmon, September 24. 34 - M. II. Goodman, September 21 ; F. Kothmon, September 24. 3.5 - James A. Thurlough, September 21.

Township 122, Range 25 (Monticello) . The first claims in this Congressional township were entered in 1857. Those who filed that year were : 19 - J. B. Locke, June 24. 30 - Joseph Brooks, June 24; Margaret E. Brooks, August 7. 33 - James E. Mealey, December 23; Amos Rich, November 9; Frederick F. Barker, July 30.