Bath Township

Bath Township

Bath is the center of the northern tier of towns in Freeborn county. Its contiguous surroundings are as follows: Waseca county on the north ; Geneva township on the east ; Bancroft town¬ ship on the south ; and Hartland township on the west. It con¬ tains thirty-six sections or square miles, comprising the territory of town 104, range 21. In early days the most of the township was covered with a growth of burr oak. This was interspersed with meadow or small patches of prairie land. There is a prairie of about 2,560 acres, located in the southwestern part of the township. The timber has been removed to a great extent, and the rich land been converted into valuable farms. The surface is rolling, and in places the undulation is so abrupt as to be called ridges, which are not subject to cultivation. The soil is a dark sandy loam, underlain with a subsoil of clay. The town is not so well watered as its neighbors, has no stream, and only one lake wholly within its borders. An arm of Geneva lake extends from the town bearing its name into section 25 of Bath, and covers a few acres of land. Lake George is the only body of water wholly within the boundaries, lying in the southern part of section 22. It was named in honor of George Skinner, Jr.

Bath township has two villages, Clark's Grove and Bath. A Catholic church and cemetery are located in the western part of section 8. The Advent church is in the eastern part of section 17. The Norwegian Lutheran church and cemetery are in the south¬ western part of section 21. The Danish Baptist church and cemetery are east of Clark's Grove.

Early Settlement. The earliest infringement by settlers, upon the territory of this town, commenced in the spring of 1856. The first parties to arrive and secure permanent homes were the Brooks brothers. The party consisted of Edward D., Dwight E., and Henry L. Brooks, with their sister Augusta, and mother. They were originally from Massachusetts, coming by way of Pennsylvania, and arriving in the spring of 1856. They settled in and about section 24, where the brothers joined interests and erected a log cabin 14x26 feet. Edward took a claim just over the line into Geneva township, and remained until 1866, when he went to Faribault county. Dwight E. remained until 1868, when he followed his brother, and they were subsequently joined by the other brother, Henry L. In May of the following year, 1857, John Kelly, a native of Ireland, who had stopped for a time in Iowa, came with his family, in an ox cart, and settled in section 11 or 14. Soon after his arrival he erected a 14x18 foot log house, which he covered with sod and slabs. Soon afterward John Harty and Martin Sheehan, of the same nationality, came and secured places. Harty became satisfied with a farm in section 4, where he remained until the time of his death, which occurred in the latter part of the sixties. Sheehan secured a farm in the northeastern part of the town, where he remained until he died in 1857. E. D. Porter came this year and settled near Clark's Grove.

In the summer of 1857, a party of Norwegians, consisting of Hans Peterson, Ingebret Erickson, and Nels Nelson, came with teams, bringing their families, and settled upon claims. Erickson left in 1880 for the Red River country; Nelson died during the war, in defense of his country. About the same time Richard Fitzgerald, a native of Ireland, came and first located at St. Nicholas, where he put in a crop; but soon after made his way to Bath. Fred W. Calkins came in June, 1857 and died in 1863.

George W. Skinner left Corning, New York, August 24, 1858, and arrived in Bath township September 7, having spent the preceding night in Geneva, where he found quite an important little settlement. On the tenth of the same month he selected the southeastern quarter of section 22 for his future home. Shortly after Mr. Skinner's arrival, John and George Blessing, natives of Germany, made their appearance and selected claims in sec¬ tion 23, where they remained for several years. Joseph Blessing came with his family and located in section 35, remaining four or five years. Horace Green came about the same time from Wisconsin, and located in section 14. Jacob Bower, a German, came in the fall of 1858 and planted his stakes in section 27 ; but his stay was abruptly terminated by the government officers, as he was discbvered selling whiskey to the Indians, and he soon left. Mons Grinager came in 1859 and settled. He later became regis¬ ter of the United States land office at Worthington, Minnesota. Ellend Erickson, later a prominent citizen, came in 1859. James M. Drake, a native of Massachusetts, came in 1856, and located in Geneva ; but later moved his residence over the line into Bath. Among others who were connected with the early history of this township are: David A. Pierce, who came in 1864; Niels P. Peterson, who came in 1867, and Mitchell Slater, who came in the early seventies. The settlement about Clark's Grove has already been described.

Early Events. The first birth in the township took place June 1, 1859, being that of John Schad, son of Mr. and Mrs. Bernhard Scliad. The second birth was that of a child to Mr. and Mrs. George Wr. Skinner, and occurred two weeks later than the above.

A triple marriage occurred in Bath, December 22, 1864, at the residence of the Brooks brothers, the ceremony being performed by George W. Skinner. The parties interested were as follows: Edward D. Brooks to Mary Bliss; Dwight E. Brooks to Mrs. Savanah Calkins, widow of Edward Calkins; Lieut. Loren Meeker to Augusta T. Brooks.

War Record. December 6, 1864, the sum of $1,000 was voted for the purpose of securing volunteers to fill the quota assigned the town, and to prevent the necessity of a draft. Of this amount $600 was used. The names of the participants in the war from Bath are as follows, fourteen in all : F. Drake, Dwight E. Brooks, Edward D. Brooks, 0. Iverson, Ingebret Erickson, P. Jacobson, Michael Sheehan, E. Johnson, John Peterson, C. John¬ son, Mons Grinager, Nels Nelsons, Tim Kelly, and Peter Nason. Of these, Nels Nelson, Ole Iverson and P. Jacobson never returned, finding the graves of martyrs in southern soil.

Official Record. When the county of Freeborn came into existence the present area of the township of Bath was merged into territory taken from Geneva and Hartland, and was known as Porter.

Porter township was organized for local government at a meeting held April 15, 1859, at the residence of Frederick W. Calkins. The meeting came to order and James M. Drake was chosen chairman ; F. W. Calkins, moderator, and Harris Green, clerk. The next matter taken up was that of the town name, and someone suggested "Bath," after the name of the county seat of Steuben county, Ohio, and the name was adopted. It was next voted that the lake near the center of the township should be known as "Lake George/' in honor of the oldest son of G. W. Skinner. The matter of election next came up and the judges of election were appointed as follows : George W. Skinner, Andrew Black and B. Renweiler. The judges were duly sworn before F. W. Calkins, and the election of officers for the ensuing year began, resulting as follow's : Supervisors, Harris Green, chairman, Joseph Blessing and E. Erickson; clerk, Horace Green; assessor, Joseph Foreman; collector, E. Erickson; justices of the peace, George W. Skinner and Horace Green; constable, Jack Bower. The elections were held in early days at the residence of John Munsen, and as time went by they were held at various places as the annual meeting directed.

This is a township lying in the western tier of Freeborn county towns, and containing an area of thirty-six sections or square miles, making 23,040 acres. Its immediate surroundings are Freeborn on the north, Manchester on the east, Alden on the south, and the county of Faribault on the west. As will, of course, be imagined, this is a prairie township. The town is watered by a lake and several small streams which bisect the prairie. Free¬ born lake, taking its name after the same gentleman in whose honor the county received its name, is one of the largest and most beautiful bodies of water in the county, and lies mostly within the limits of this town, only extending into the town north a few rods. It is situated in the northeastern part and covers about 2,240 to 2,400 acres, or three and a half sections, being about three miles long and, to the utmost, about a mile and a half wide, while its depth will not exceed twelve feet. The water of the lake is soft and of rather a muddy hue. Originally it abounded with fish of all local species, but in the winter of 1868-69, which was very severe, the lake water froze very deep and remained a solid mass of ice for six months. The carp has also proved a deadly enemy to the fish. The shores are covered with a small growth of timber, mostly burr oak, this constituting the timber land of the town, the balance being prairie of a rolling nature. There are no villages in the town, except to the extent to which the village of Alden extends from the town bearing the same name into section 33 of this town.

Early Settlement. The first settler in the township was Robert Miller, who came in the spring of 1855, and settled on a claim in section 15, on the banks of Freeborn lake, where he erected the first house and did the first breaking. He did not remain long, as he was discovered selling liquor to the Indians. Theodore L. Carlston was the second settler and for him the town was named. He erected a house in the same spring that he arrived, where he lived until the time of his death in 1858. The next to arrive was Elias Stanton, who also located on the shore of Freeborn lake, in section 14. He likewise put up a log house. In 1857, during the winter, he was caught in one of the noted Minnesota snow¬ storms and frozen so badly that after several amputations he died. When he arrived in this county he was accompanied by a man named Huyek, who located in section 11 for a number of years.

Thomas Ford arrived in 1856 and was- another of the first settlers in the town. He located in section 15 and remained until 1859, when he left. Joseph Jones also arrived at an early day. In 1856 John L. Melander, also known as John L. Melder, settled in the northern part of the township and became one of the most prominent pioneers of the county.

In the spring of 1858 L. T. Walker, a native of Vermont, came to the township and opened a valuable farm. He later moved to the village of Alden. Asa Walker, one of Freeborn county s distinguished citizens, arrived in 1859.

Henry Collins came in 1859 and located in section 27, where he remained, cultivating and improving the farm for about eleven years, when he removed to the village of Alden and engaged in the pursuit of his profession, that of law. David T. Colvin and family came in the spring of 1859 from Pickerel Lake, where he settled in 1858, and settled upon 160 acres in this town. He brought with him horses, wagon and several head of cows, and purchased a corn crib in which he and his family made their home for some time.

Charles Sweet was born in Allegany county, New York, in 1828, and in 1863 came to Minnesota, to the township of Carlston, locating in section 32. Nathan Jackman and William Clark were also early settlers.

Early Events. The following is a sketch of the early matters in this town, published several years ago by the Old Settlers' Association, in the Albert Lea papers: "Carlston was first set¬ tled in 1855 by Robert Miller. Miller built of logs the first house, in 1855, and opened the first farm in the same year. John L. Melder (Melander), a blacksmith, was the first mechanic. H. B. Collins opened the practice of law in 1860. The first school was taught by Martha Taylor in 1860, and the first schoolhouse was built by District 61, in the fall of the same year. The first religious service was held by Rev. Mr. Marsh, United Brethren minister, at a schoolhouse, in 1861. The Seventh Day Baptists effected the first church organization, in November, 1863. The first parties married were David Horning and Mary Jane Elliott, December 24, 1861. In 1856 the first child was born to Mr. and Mrs. Melander. The first death was that of Elias Stanton, in the spring of 1858."

Theodore Carlston, from whom this township is named, is said by some to have spelled his name without the "t, " and there are many early settlers who insist that this was the proper rendering of the name. The township name has always been spelled with a "t," but in the records the man's name is variously spelled, even appearing in some places as L. T. instead of Theodore L.

Cemeteries. Alden Union Association Cemetery. This burial ground is located near the central part of section 34. The associ¬ ation was organized January 17, 1877, with the following as their trustees: John A. Hazle, A. T. Briggs, J. E. N. Backus, W. A. Clark and L. M. Hall. The first burial here was of the remains of Justin, a son of Henry Ernst, who died June 27, 1871. The man¬ agement of this cemetery is now vested in the village council of Alden.