Albion Township

Albion Township

Albion township embraces Congressional township 120, range 27. Its area, which consists of 23,040 acres, was originally covered with heavy timber, interspersed with natural meadows, There are many lakes in the township, some of them quite large, covering in all about 2,500 acres. Granite lake in sections 20, 29 and 30, is the largest in the township, The lakes are pure and clear and well stocked with fish, The soil is a deep dark loam in a sub-soil of clay. Though Albion is unusually rich in agricultural advantages, its distance from the early markets, and its heavy timber retarded its settlement, and even as late as the close of the Civil war, very little land had been taken in the township.

In' the spring of 1856, Thomas G. Holmes and Robert S. Holmes, twin brothers, and B. E. Emery settled in sections 9 and 10 on the banks of Albion lake. The Holmes brothers platted Albion village, and sold quite a few lots, but the project never materialized further. The name of the village and subsequently the township is the designation applied to the British by the other peoples of Europe. Thomas G. and Robert 8. Holmes alternately occupied the position of postmaster at Albion for several decades.

In May, 1857, the township received some desirable settlers in the persons of William Taylor, M. A. Taylor, G. L. Ingraham, W. R&. Butterworth and his son, W. H. Butterworth, gentlemen of wealth, education and intelligence, from New York state. They took claims in section 10, on the shores of the lake, adjoiming the village site, and by July 1 had sent for their families. But July 5, William H. Butterworth was drowned while attempting to cross the lake in a canoe, and his body was buried on the shore, His father, W. R. Butterworth, then left the county, never to return. In this year the county road from Monticello to Forest City was laid out, and for many years it was the main thoroughfare to the prairies to the far westward.

In October, 1858, A. J. Phillips, who had passed through the township some three years before, settled in section 20. Thomas Dunham came about the same time. This was also the year of the arrival of Charles Judson, who reached here December 27, and settled in section 26. In 1867, after he had served as sheriff, Mr. Judson moved to section 10, where he built the first frame barn and the first granary in the township. In 1858 the county road from Albion to Buffalo was laid out and opened,

Albion was organized by the county commissioners in April, 1858, and embraced, in addition to its own territory, that now contained in French Lake, and reduced to its present limits on the organization of the latter town. The first election was held on May 11, and the following officers chosen: Supervisors, R. 8. Holmes (chairman), C. L. Ingraham, and W. R. Butterworth ; clerk, M, A. Taylor, and justices of the peace, T. G. Holmes and W.R. Butterworth.

The first school was established in a private house in 1860 with Henry Sears as teacher, The first schoolhouse was that of district 62, erected in 1866, There had been a dispute about its site, and it was burned before completion. In 1867 the dispute was settled and a schoolhouse completed.

Sawmills have been operated in the town at various times. Tn the eighties when the ''Big Woods'' were being converted into building material, A. J. Phillips and John Buckman each had a steam sawmill.

In 1860 and 1861 a small stock of store goods was kept at the Holmes house which was the headquarters of the ginseng traders, The town produced more ginseng than any other locality in the Big Woods, but most of it was gathered by non-residents.

During the Indians panies of 1862 and 1863 the township was practically abandoned. Many went to St. Paul and Minneapolis, and many stopped at Monticello. Two or three people from French Lake and Albion spent most of the time around the Holmes house, but being in constant expectation of seeing the Indians,

The most remarkable event in the history of Albion is the disappearance, in the fall of 1879, of a little girl two and a half years old, a daughter of John F. Spencer, who resided on section 12. Henrietta, or Etta, as she was familiarly called, in company with two older sisters, the eldest aged about seven years, was playing not more than five rods from their father, who was at work about twenty rods from the house. They were called by their mother, and Mr. Spencer saw the three start together for the house. When the two eldest. came in, the mother inquired for Etta, and was answered that she was coming, As she did not come in a few minutes, Mrs. Spencer went to the door and not seeing the child, went to her husband in the field in search of her. In answer to the inquiry for Etta, her father replied that she had started for the house about five minutes before. Search was at once begun, and a large party of men, who were at work in the vicinity, turned out and explored for miles around, but to this day not a trace of the child has been discovered. The little girl was not out of sight of her parents more than five minutes until she was missed, a thorough search was immediately begun, there is no lake, marsh, or bog in the vicinity, and no probability that there were any wild beasts in the neighborhood, which facts made the disappearance a very mysterious one.