Wright County, Minnesota - Incidents and Events, 1915

The Dustin Massacre - Storms - Village Plats - Population - A True Bear Story - Township and Village Officers - Wright County Sunday School Association - The Holland Settlement - McGannon Killed.

The Dustin Massacre. The general story of the Dustin massaere has already been related. D. C. Kreidler, who lives near Montrose, was one of the first men to learn of the horrible affair. He has made a statement for this history. He says: ''The Dustin family started with a yoke of oxen and a wagon for Cokato, where they planned to take a homestead. The cattle, without the wagon, were seen returning toward their former home. Nathan Dustin came after me to go with him and find out what had become of the family and the wagon. While we were on our way to investigate, others joined us, At the home of A. E. Cochran we found Mrs. Amos Dustin, and were shown the wound where Charles Cochran had drawn an arrow from her back. We heard her story. After the massacre she had concealed herself and her two children in the marsh. She sent her little boy to different places for water and help and he came back and said that he could find no one at home. Then she exclaimed, "'My God! We will have to die for lack of a drink,'' Charles Cochran and his father found them and took them to the Cochran home. After hearing her story, we traveled on and came to the wagon, where we found the murdered victims. Amos Dustin and the oldest boy were shot while in the wagon and their bodies had protected the little boy whe was under them, and thus eseaped death. The Indians had cut off Mrs. Dustin's (the grandmother) fingers, and then eut off both hands at the wrist. They had cut her lips clear around to the back teeth. Then they broke in her teeth. I found the very stick they had done it with. As a climax, they shot her through with an arrow. After we had made the investigation, the friends took charge of the bodies, and I returned home."'

Storms of 1871-72. Storms did severe damage in 1871-1872. Claims were presented to the county commissioners and a number of the claims were allowed. In the following list, the amount of the claim is given after the name, while the amount allowed is enclosed in parentheses:

Storm of 1873. Wright County was visited by a severe storm Jan, 7, 8 and 9, 1873. George Nagy gives the following account of it: ''The seventh of January was mild and the snow was very soft. At about 4 o'eleck in the afternoon it commenced to turn cold and to snow, and in about one hour it was impossible to see five rods ahead. The storm continued for three days and nights.

Village Plats. The years 1856 and 1857 were eventful ones in the history of the Wright County pioneers. Until 1856 very few settlements had been made, except along the prairies on the Mississippi river. At this time claim hunters became numerous and the timberland was swarming with anxious seekers for new homes. Very many were looking for town sites and locations for cities. In these eventful years many new towns were laid out. Their names and locations and their splendid maps, with their much-advertised advantages, have, for the most part, passed away, but some of them still live in the memories of the first settlers and in crumbling plats filed at the courthouse. Among them may be mentioned Hassan, on the Crow river. The surveyed and platted city, as presented by Wilcox, Bigelow & Norton, was partly in Wright County. The map showed the splendid water power, with mill, public squares, parks, railroads, and everything beautiful and sightly, and lots and town shares sold very readily. Hassan became the great central city of the Northwest, but only on paper and in the imagination of its promoters. There is not a building on the original townsite and never has been. Marysville, another much-advertised city, was located on the north fork of Crow river, on Section 21, near the center of the present town of Marysville. Mr. Plouder and Mr. Roberts laid out the city and sold shares and lots and advertised that they had purchased a fifty-horsepower engine and would have a sawmill and grist-mill running in the fall of 1856, but the mill never went into operation, and after selling many lots and giving Marysville a splendid reputation, the proprietors were forced to let the town die. Old Waverly, another city in the present town of Marysville, also had an excellent reputation. Messrs. Duffy & Cornell attracted considerable attention to Old Waverly in 1856, and shares and lots sold briskly. A splendid waterpower and prospects of obtaining the county seat made the city an attractive place for speculators to invest their funds. But the financial erash of 1857 killed Waverly, as it did hundreds of other embryo villages.

Cokato, located on Section 14, in the township of the same name, on what was then known as Mooers' prairie, at the outlet of Cokato lake, was also a widely advertised town. The glowing description of the advantages of this then-ealled ''Gem City of the West,'' brought many dollars into the pockets of the shrewd original owners, but it was many decades before Cokato began to grow into the prosperous and thriving village that it now is, several miles from its original namesake.

the Crow river, on Sections 26 and 36, in the town of Otsego. O, HL. Kelley was the original owner and the town became widely known. A large hotel, store and freight house were built in 1857, so that the village was really something more than a paper city. But in a short time the hotel was empty, the store closed, and in a few years more Northwood was only a memory. The buildings decayed and went to destruction.

Manhattan, another prospective city, was situated about two miles below Monticello, on the Mississippi river. It was shortlived, and soon passed into oblivion.

The history of these cities, with their glowing prospectuses, elaborate plats, high-priced lots and early failure is repeated many times in the story of numerous localities in the county. Among such cities may be mentioned El Dorado, Freemont, Albion, Maple Lake, Wright City, Frankford-on-the-Crow and others. Some of them were candidates for county seat honors. They are mentioned in detail in the histories of the several towns which appear in this work. At least one of them, Maple Lake, received new life in modern times, and is now a thriving village, located some two miles from the original site.

Population. The story of the growth in population in Wright County is a most interesting one. In 1855, when the first census was taken, there were but 598 people living within the limits of the county. In 1860, in spite of grasshoppers, and the fact that many left because they could not pay for the land when it was put on the market, the population had increased to 3,729. In 1865, after the depopulation, caused by the Civil war and the Indian scare, there had been an increase to 5,028. Tn 1870, the population was 9,457; in 1875, it was 13,775; in 1880, it was 18,104; in 1885, it was 22,790. In 1890, it had grown to 24,164. In 1895, it was 27,653. In 1900, it had inereased to 29,157, In 1910, it was 28,082.

The United States census report for 1910 gives the following information regarding the population of Wright County: Population, 28,082. Land area, 691 square miles. Population, per square mile, 1910, 40.6. Rural population per square mile, 1910, 40.6.

Sex. Male, 16,929. Female, 16,469, White, male, 16,912; female, 16,462. Negro, male, 15; female, 7. Males of voting age, 7,442; number in 1900, 7,461. Native white, native parentage, 1,486; number in 1900, 1,560. Native white, foreign or mixed parentage, 2,824; number in 1900, 2,048. Native white, foreign parentage, 2,317. Native white, mixed parentage, 507. Foreign born white, 3,175. Number in 1900, 3,852. Negroes, 6; number in 1900, 1. Japanese, 1. Per cent of total - Native white, native parentage, 21.3; native white, foreign or mixed parentage, 37.9; foreign born white, 42.7. Citizenship of foreign born, white - Naturalized, 2,378; having first papers, 162; alien, 207; unknown, 428. Iliteracy - Males of voting age, 306; per cent illiterate, 4; per cent in 1900, 8.4; native white, number illiterate, 86; per cent illiterate, 2; foreign born white, number illiterate, 220; per cent illiterate, 6.9.

Persons 10 years old and over. Total number, 21,411. Number of illiterate, 721; per cent illiterate, 3.4. Native white, number, 15,316; number illiterate, 159; per cent illiterate, 1.0; foreign born white, 6,079; illiterate, 562; per cent illiterate, 9.2. Negro number, 15,

School age and attendance. Total number 6 to 20 years, inclusive, 9,940; number attending school, 7,262; per cent attending school, 73.1. Number 6 to 9 years, 2,726; number attending school, 2,153. Number 10 to 14 years, 3,507; number attending school, 3,433. Number 15 to 17 years, 2,048; number attending school, 1,355. Number 18 to 20 years, 1659; number attending school, 321. Persons 6 to 14 years, inclusive, total number, 6,233, Number attending school, 5,586; per cent attending school, 89.6. Native white, native parentage, number, 2,455; number attending school, 2,188; per cent attending school, 89.1, Native white, foreign or mixed parentage, number, 3,683 ; number attending school, 3,315; per cent attending school, 90.0, Foreign born white, number, 92; number attending school, 81. Negro, number, 3; number attending school, 2.

A True Bear Story. Away back in early days when the country was wild, and new and the people were brave and free from the corroding cares that now dwarf and consume them and after the Indian war was over and peace 'and safety were assured, we, in company with many others, again moved onto our homestead near Cokato and again began the arduous labor necessary in opening up a new country and in establishing a home in a new land. In those early days there were many pleasures, not the least of which was the pursuit and capture of wild game, such as deer, bear and wolves. Bears in particular were numerous and aggressive and did not hesitate to come into the settlements in search of a living. During the season of 1867 bears killed nineteen hogs within a radius of four miles of where we lived and their incursions were numerous and destructive. In the month of October of that year, a neighbor went out one morning to look for a deer, it being the custom in those early days to replenish the larder from the forest, and was soon lucky enough to bag a fine deer. In the afternoon father thought he would try his luck, so taking his gun and one of the best hunting dogs in the neighborhood sallied out in quest of the denizens of the forest. Before he had gone a mile the dog scented a trail and started on the scent. After going some distance he came to the place where the deer had been killed in the morning, and passed onto the narrow neck of a marsh, where there was a passage way for game animals. Having reached this spot, the dog stopped and stood in an eager and expectant position, with one foot raised as if to say: ''Get ready, the game is here.'' Just then the brush crackled and out walked a large bear and its cub. Father raised his gun and fired and the old bear dropped, The dog's barking scared the cub up a tree, Father again reloaded his rifle and walked up to where the bear lay only to find that instead of killing he had only stunned the old bruin and again taking careful aim pulled the trigger, but, to his dismay, found that in the excitement he had poured the powder onto the ground instead of into the gun. By this time:the old bear had so far recovered from the shock as to be on its feet, The young bear was screaming for its mother and the situation was full of danger. Realizing that the gun was useless, father threw it to one side and drew his hunting knife ready for the deadly fray, and as the bear made a leap towards him he struck the knife, to the hilt, into her side, She caught the knife with one hind foot and sent it fying through the air, rolled over and died. Some powder put into the tube and a new cap discharged the bullet that had been put in without any powder; the gun was then reloaded and one shot brought down the cub. Father returned that evening about 10 o'clock. Result of the chase: an exciting time, two bears, from which was obtained ten gallons of ''hair'' oil and a plentiful

Albion - Supervisors, William H. Bullock (one year, chairman), Andrew Hillman (three years), Adolph Herold (two years); clerk, Patrick Doherty; treasurer, Conrad Heaton; assessor, J. W. Ryte. Buffalo - Supervisors, Andrew N. Larson (two years, chairman), Thomas Ryan (three years), Oscar Schmidt (one year); clerk, Michael Ryan; treasurer, William

Torrner; assessor, Edward Kobbe. Chatham - Supervisors, Hjalmar Borgstrom (one year, chairman), John Marquett (three years) ; clerk, H. J. Elsenpeter; treasurer, J. F. Berthiaume; assessor, A. J. Demarais. Clearwater - Supervisors, Philip Rice {one year, chairman), Charles A. Benson (three years), W. W. Wiegand (two years) ; clerk, John Evans; treasurer, C. W. Whittemore; assessor, R.C. Smith. Cokato - Supervisors, Alex Onkka (one year, chairman), Edward Samulson (three years), John Werness (two years); clerk, G. F, Anderson; treasurer, John Ojanpera; assessor, L, L, Wanha. Corinna - Supervisors, Joseph V. Segner (one year, chairman), Fred Shadduek (two years), Walter J. Planer (three years); clerk, Henry Ransom; treasurer, ©. Longworth; assessor, Elvie Sykas. Frankfort - Supervisors, Peter Walesah (three years, chairman), Frank A. Berker (two years), Nish Eull (three years); clerk, John Goeb; treasurer, Mathias Barthel ; assessor, Fred Borngesser. Franklin - Supervisors, William Sturman (three years), F. L. Addicks (two years), W. J, Leiter (one year, chairman) ; clerk, Carl Schroeder; treasurer, Charles Schaust ; assessor, Ernest Otto, French Lake - Supervisors, L. C. Thompson (two years, chairman), N. N. Dokkin (one year), N. O. Nilson (three years); clerk, P. B. Laughlin; treasurer, C. N. Anderson; assessor, Aug. Palmquist. Maple Lake - Supervisors, F. J. Kaiser (three years), Albert Pavlik (two years), J. A. Elsenpeter (one year, chairman); clerk, Thomas Mooney; treasurer, Thomas Hudek; assessor, H. J. Rettki. Marysville - Supervisors, Fred Boehlke (three years), J. M,. Peterson (two years), James Padden (one year, chairman) ; clerk, G. E. Doerfier; treasurer, John Bodin; assessor, F. J. Dahlin. Middleville - Supervisors, A. E. Ziedler (one year, chairman), H. F, Greenhagen (two years), Fred Main (three years) ; clerk, F, T. Prohe; treasurer, E. Y. Shaver; assessor, H. D. Gorman. Monticello - Supervisors, F. J. Sheirts (three years, chairman}, B, Oby (two years), J. C. Peterson (one year) ; clerk, A. J. Hoar; treasurer, Victor Kingsbury; assessor, Nick Sheirts. Otsego - Supervisors, Peter Greirunger (one year, chairman), Jerry Banley (two years), O. L. Davis (three years); clerk, PF. H. Brown; treasurer, R. E. Pepim; assessor, Conrad BH. Nelles. Rockford - Supervisors, Peter Olson (three years, chairman), A. E. Darrow (one year), Henry Steinhilber (two years); clerk, W. O. Esterly ; treasurer, William Leerssen; assessor, O. O. Susag. Silver Creek - Supervisors, George Goetz (three years, chairman), S. A. Soderstrom (two years), Hugo Johnson (one year, ehairman) ; elerk, C. P. Weston; treasurer, R, E. Nord; assessor, H. A. Johnson. Southside - Supervisors, John ©. Anderson (two years, chairman), ©. E. Nelson (one year), Frank Hoffman (three years); clerk, Emil Mauer; treasurer, Andrew Elfstrand; assessor, Jerome Bartlett. Stockholm - Supervisurs, Anton J.

Moody (two years, chairman), John A. Ekstrand (three years), E. P. Burkstrand (one year); clerk, Anton P, Moody; treasurer, Gustav Peterson; assessor, Geoffey Hohner. Victor - - -Supervisors, Henry Campbell (two years, chairman), F. H. Daugers (one year), David M. Custer (three years); clerk, H. C. Kuhlman; treasurer, Albert Diers; assessor, Herman Goetz. Woodland - Supervisors, Dan O'Connell (two years, chairman), Henry Doering (three years), Joseph Kopple (one year); clerk, J. 8S. Johnson; treasurer, Adolph Kinkor; assessor, Conrad Neustel.

The Wright County Sunday School Association was organized at Buffalo in 1900. The first annual convention was held at Buffalo in 1901, under the auspices of A. M. Locker. Mrs. Jean V. Hobart and John Orchard were also present. Mrs. Hobart spoke on primary work and Mr. Orchard delivered an intensely interesting address on missionary work in the Sunday school. The following officers were elected at this convention, viz: President, A. M. Perkins, Monticello; vice president, Mrs. C, Dickinson, Rockford; secretary, Mrs. D. Y. Hoblitt, Monticello; treasurer, A. B. Morse, Waverly. The second annual convention was held at Rockford, Oetober 6-7, 1902. A copy of the program is still on record. The third convention was held at Buffalo in 1903 with Mrs. Hobart. Mrs. John Orchard and Mrs. Hobart were to be the principal speakers, but owing to a railroad aecident Mr. Orchard was prevented from coming, and only one day's session was held. The fourth convention was held at Clearwater in 1904. At this time Mr. Perkins declined to hold office any longer on account of lack of time. Heretofore, he had given a great deal of his time to planning convéntions. There is no record of another convention until 1908, when a convention was held at Monticello with Mr. Locker in charge. The next convention of which there is a record was held at Annandale, November 19-20, 1910, At this convention Mr. Locker appointed Pinneo, of Clearwater, a committee of one to divide the county into three districts. Also at this time a complete set of officers were elected, including president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, superintendent of elementary division, advanced division, adult division, home department, and temperance. In 1911, a convention was held at Monticello, December 9-10, with Mr, Locker in charge. On account of the inclement weather there was a very small attendance.

On October 26-27, 1912, there was a convention held at Annandale. At this time, department superintendents were elected with the following change: The missionary department was added to the temperance and department of teacher training was added to the list.

W. J. Barr, Buffalo; vice president, Fred Green, Buffalo; secretary, Celia Thompson, Monticello; treasurer, W. B. Pinneo, Clearwater; elementary superintendent, Mrs. Charles Bradford, Monticello; advanced superintendent, Paul Meyer, Buffalo; adult superintendent, Mrs. T. S. Ellison, Monticello; teachers training superintendent, Rev. Molloy, Howard Lake; home department superintendent, Julia Plummer, Montrose; missionary and temperance, Mary Smith, Clearwater.

Under the efficient management of Rev. W. J. Barr, as president, for the past year, the association has advanced along all lines, and this year for the first time has all three districts organized, and has gained the honor of being a blue ribbon county, having gained all points of the county standard. W. B. Pinneo, of Clearwater, has shown a great interest in the work, and has had more or less to do with it ever since it was organized, always doing his work faithfully.

Wright County Holland Colony. On the fourth of June, 1867, thirty-one persons, fresh from Amsterdam, arrived at the farm of J. Price, one-fourth mile east of Silver Creek Mills. Their names were: P. Meyst and family of ten, A. De Leeuw and family of seven, G, Daubanton and family of four, A. H. Braat and family of six, Gerrit Vandyke, Dr. Kamhout, F. and Charles Vanhekeren, sons of a baron. I could write a book about these city-bred pianeers, whose parents had done all to cultivate their minds, but nothing to develop their muscles. We were greeted by woodticks, gray mosquitoes, deer flies and ants in summer; and in winter, the wolves howled, the lynx and wildeats shrieked and the bears growled at us, their welcome.

Eighty acres were purchased, a mile and a half south of Silver Creek Mills; and as we were afraid in this strange land, a Noah's ark, with the aid of American carpenters, was erected of some seventy feet long and fifty feet wide. I have no space in fhis book to relate how we farmed, but it would make a ten-year-old farmer's boy laugh to listen to all the blunders we made. We were told that it was too late for wheat, so we sowed corn, and after it was four inches high we transplanted it in rows artistically curved; for a few hours,

P, Meyst had brought an organ, and on the Sabbath day and evenings its sweet strains, combined with some of our trained vocal music, kept us from despair, even though it brought memories of better days and more luxuriant homes. In September, P. Meyst and family removed to Clearwater, Dr. Kamhout took up his abode in Monticello, where also M. Meyst accepted a position in Mealey's store; and De Leeuw and family made St. Cloud their home. Two years later G. Daubanton joined the Clearwater Hollanders with his family, leaving A. H. Braat and Vanhekeren brothers as a nucleus for the present colony.

In May 1873 four Vandergon brothers, distantly related to the Braat family, arrived from Vlaardingen, Holland, buying, the following winter, what was then known as the ''Jake Colvin farm,"' in section 18, and the young men, whose mother in the old country always kept two hired girls, did their own housework. April, 1874, T. Schermer from Hoorn, Holland, came and bought the "Nat Drew farm,'' section 8, still owned and oecupied by his son, Nicholas. H. Nyland, who arrived the same time from Netherland, bought the ''Edmond Lambert farm,'' and the '' Warren Walker place,'' in section 7. In November, 1875, D. D. Vandergon married Mr. Nyland's daughter, Jenny, and made a home on part of the ''Colvin place,'' where he and his children still reside, his wife having died in 1914.

J.J. Vandergon married Mr. Braat's daughter, Marie, in 1876, and after living a few years in section 8, moved his family in the neighborhood of his three brothers, D. D., N. D., who married Mr. Braat's daughter, Gertrude, in 1880, and H. A., who married Maggie Knibbe, of St. Cloud, both brothers settling on the old homestead, living in a double house. P. Schermer married and built himself a home on the ''John McKenzie farm,'' where he and his family still live, serving us as members of our consistory since 1893. George Meintsma and family, from Minneapolis, joined our colony in 1902, and is still with us, building our homes. In 1887 H. Vandenhoek married Catherine Knibbe and settled in the Vandegon neighborhood. He also served us as deacon since 1894.

Rev. P. Lepeltak and Rev. Dangremond organized our Dutch Reformed church in 1894, taking in some fifteen members, and baptizing twenty ehildren. Rev. Te Paske came to us in 1895 as theological student, preaching in the houses of the members, or in schoolhouse 119, during the summer months. Collections for 1896 were $59. Rev. Te Paske was ordained in 1897 and served us as pastor until 1899. In 1901 times were less hard, and our church collection amounted to $147, with a subscription of $330 towards the salary of Rev. Braak, whom we called, but he declined. In 1903, T. Schermer, Sr., started the contribution list for a ehurch building with $300, With financial help from the other members and the church building fund our church was completed in 1894. In 1905 our parsonage was completed and Rev. Gruys installed as our minister, who added greatly to the growth of our church and colony. Rev. Gruys left us in 1909 and in Apri, 1910, Rev. Dragt came to iead us in our spiritual way until October, 1918. In June, 1914, Rev. B. W. Lammers took his place. He is the present pastor. Our colony has forty-five families, and the church has over one hundred members and twenty-five adherers. At Christmas time, 1914, the Sunday school had 107 enrolled. The collections in 1909 were $1,180; in 1914, $1,537.

the date they came: G. Dalman and family, 1902, from Sandstone, Minn.; E. Kok and family, 1910, from Sandstone; H. Plaggerman and family, 1911, from Standstone; W. Posthumus and family, 1902, from Chicago; W. Kooistra and family, 1914, from Chicago; Theo. Hoekstra and family, 1904, from Chicago; M. Horjus and family, 1913, from Chicago; John Doorneweerd, 1904, from Netherland; P. Hamel, 1913, from Netherland; M. A. Vanden Oever, 1913, from Netherland; H. Dykhuizen, 1907, from Netherland; P, Hoffman, 1905, from Netherland; A. Naaktgeboren and family, 1906, Pella, lowa; Ben. Vanden Rosenberg and family, 1907, from Pella; Jelle Rosenberg, 1914, from Iowa; Will De Kraai, 1914, Iowa; L. Rotier, 1914, from Hamel, Minn.; 8. and H. Gruys, 1896, Hero Balster, 1912, from Iowa; Ralph Dalman, 1902; Jake Dalman, 1900; John Dalman, 1902. L. and C. Mol came in 1902 with their families, C. Mol settling in Corinna and L, Mol in section 17 of this township. Both brothers have been of great service to our colony, especially L. Mol, who has spared neither money nor time to promote its growth. W. Schut and Jolm Schut came in 1896 and 1898, and both married daughters of L. Mol and settled in Corinna. D. Ritsema, financier, came to Maple Lake in 1911. §. Bierema came to Maple Lake in 1910, keeping a grocery store in the village until 1915, when he bought the "'Hulleman farm,'' on which he now lives with his family. I. Viug came from Netherland in 1897 and bought a farm in Corinna. John Camfferman came in 1898 and built a home in Corinna township. The Maple Lake Flour Mill, with a capacity of 75 barrels, is owned by A. Dirkzwager and P. L. Vandergon. (Written by Gertrude A. Braat Vandergon.)

McGannon Killed. James McGannon, who lived in the Forest City district, was killed by the Indians on July 1, 1863, at a point in the southeast corner of section 30, in Southside township, His body was discovered by a Mr. Leavitt, the mail carrier. It was buried at that point, and laid there many years. Patriotie people later removed the body to the Fair Haven cemetery where it now rests. He was undoubtedly killed by a small band (three or more), led by a son-in-law of Little Crow. This son-in-law is named in all published histories as Hi-uka, but it is averred by Major R. I, Holeomb, of St. Paul, that the name properly is Hink-pa. When Little Crow was killed at Hutchinson on July 3, (two days later) he had on McGannon's coat. His son, Wo-wi-napa (the appearing one) says Hi-uka (or Hink-pa), gave this coat to his father, Little Crow. MeGannon had returned to his home for some purpose and was going back to St. Cloud on this Kingston-St. Cloud road when killed. This event is mentioned in Bryant's History, page 490; Kandiyohi county History, page 32; and the Histery of Minnesota Valley, page 256. (By M. P. Satterlee.)