Benjamin Ellsworth House

In 1855 nearly all the land was taken up by settlers. In the spring of this year came Austin Raymond, father of the brothers above named, Luzon, his son, James Myers, William H. D wight, Clayburn Cheatham, J. S. Lewis, David Wlietstine, Philip Ramer, and numerous others. The first death was that of an infant child of Peter Ramer, wliich occurred in April, 1855. In the fall of the same year Mrs. Clayburn Cheatham died of consumption. In October, 1856, Daniel Ramer, a brother of Philip, died of the same disease, and about the same time Mrs. Perry Miller passed away. In February, 1857, Steward Cook, one of the pioneers, was killed by a landslide from the bluff while going through a valley on the way to Winona. Steps were early taken to secure postal facilities, and a postoffice was established on the northeast quarter of Sec. 23, the fall of 1855, at the house of William H. Dwight. The business of the office was transacted by Collins Rice. Soon after this a postofiice was also established at Dr. Bentley's house, on Sec. 17, ^ with the doctor as postmaster. It is still related, as one of the examples of the style of business in those days, that the mail was kept in an old trunk, and anyone expecting mail was free to sort over the contents of said trunk, taking or leaving as he pleased. This was quite as "convenient" as Elder Ely's hat, in the early days of Winona. The two postofiices still maintained in the town are near the above original sites, namely, at the villages of Lewiston and Utica.

Passage source: History of Winona County, published 1883.

Among the settlers of 1855 were a number of Dunkard families, who sought to settle a community of their faith. They succeeded in so doing, and now have a neat and commodious church edifice, standing on the eastern side of the line dividing Utica from Warren township. Philip Ramer, one of these pioneers, was a preacher of this faith, and very soon after their arrival regular meetings of the sect were inaugurated. As early as May 20, 1855, Mr. Ramer preached at the house of J. S. Lewis. In July of the same year Rev. William Sweet preached in a grove in the central part of the town. In 1856 Mr. Ramer conducted religions services in the western part of the town, in a shanty built by Luzon Raymond on his first claim. The first school of which we can find any memory was taught in the summer of 1856 by Miss Elizabeth Sands, in Mr. Raymond's pre-emption shanty on Sec. 19. The next year a frame schoolhouse was built in the same locality, and a good-sized school occupied it.

Passage source: History of Winona County, published 1883.

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