Prairieville, Minnesota

The village site is well located for a pleasant village, adjoining the rich farming land of East Prairie f>n the east, and the timber exi.ends up to the bouudary of the village on the west, being about two miles and a half distant from the city limits of Faribault. To show what has been said of the village at various times, we liave clipped fi'om a sketch of the county by 0. Williams, in 1860, the following in regard to East Prairieville; "It is a little village situated upon the edge of what is called East Prairie and the Straight River timber. It has perhaps the best settled prairie country east of it in the county. It contains from fifty to a hundred inhabitants, has a Post-office, a good schoolhouse, a tavern, a store, iind a steam mill."

Passage source: History of Rice County, published 1882.

Ten years later than the above was written, in 1870, F. W. Frink, County Auditor, commented on the village as follows: "East Prairieville is a small town four miles east of Faribault, lying on the edge of the Straight River timber, on what is known as East Prairie, a name which designates a large extent of the best prairie lands in the county. The town has a neat and commodit)Us church belonging to the Congregational society, has a Post-office and a store, and from its situation must always be a pleasant little village and a good point tor trade."

Passage source: History of Rice County, published 1882.

Early Development. - In 1854, Prof. Ide, in company with others who are noted in another place, came to Cannon City township and took as a pre-emption the land in section thirty -five, where the village now stands. He held it and remained until the spring of the following year, when James Anderson, with his father, Alexander Anderson, and their families made their appearance, and the former, in May, 1855, purchased Ide's claim, John Corsett bad also settled in the same section, adjoining the village, and in 1854, sold to W. N. Owena. On this pre-emption the first house erected in the village was put up, in the spring of 1854, by Corsett. In the year 1855, the village was laid out and all made ready for the events which followed. In the meantime, before the platting of the village,or about the same time.W. B. Spencer, a native of Pennsylvania, came and erecting a little board building, placed a stock of goods in it, and commenced keeping store. Alf. Barrick had arrived with his father and their families, and had located in another part of the town, but when he learned of East Prairieville he at once came down determined to start a shop, as he was by trade a blacksmith. As trade was at first slow in coming, he almost starved waiting for it, and had it not been for the generous spirit of Mr. W. N. Owens, who furnished bis family with provisions, they would have suffered from hunger. This was soon bridged over, however, and Mr. Barrick continued until 18G4, when he sold to John Wagner and removed to Crow River. Wagner ccmtinued for a time and finally sold to Charley Edward.s, who in turn, in 1878, sold to the present jnoprietor, Mr. McLean, who is now doing a good l)usiMess, to the entire satisfaction of all who jiatronize his establishment.

Passage source: History of Rice County, published 1882.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Cannon City Township - it names this place 3 more 3 times.