Birch Cooley Township

Birch Cooley Township

Birch Cooley township is located in the southern part of Renville township on the Minnesota river, and embraces congress ional township 113. range 34. and a part of township 112, range 34. It is bounded on the north by Norfolk township, on the west by Bandon and Camp townships, on the southwest along the course of the Minnesota river by Redwood county, and on the west by Beaver Brails township. The eastern boundary is not a continuous line, the range line breaking between township 112 and 113. in such a way that the western boundary of Bandon is a short distance further west than the western boundary of Camp township.

The name of the township should be Birch Coulee, that being the correct rendering of the name. Coulee is a French word meaning the bed of the stream, even if dry, when deep, and having inclined sides. The original name of the stream in the Coulee was La Croix creek, but the vicinity was known from the early days as Birch coulee, and this was finally corrupted to Birch Cooley, now the official name of the township. In order to avoid confusion, the name in this history is spelled Cooley. though there are many places, especially in the Battle of Birch Cooley. where it should more properly be spelled Birch Coulee.

The story of the early settlement of the La Croix family, the first permanent settlement in the county, the gradual coming of other families to this locality, and the terrible devastation of the Indian outbreak has already been told. After the Massacre there were no settlers in Birch Cooley township for several years. Scouts passed through here, a few trappers ventured into the region. Some cabins which the Indians had not destroyed were burned by these trappers, and it has even been said that the trappers did everything possible to keep the fear of the Indians alive in order that settlers would not come in and cultivate the land and thus diminish the supply of fur-bearing animals.

The town began to be settled late in 1S65 and early in 1S6C. The exact chronology of the arrivals is not at this time known. John Buerry. who had been here before the Massacre, came back, and with him was John Vogtmann. John Kumro, who had been here before the Massacre, came back. The La Croix family and their relatives, including David Coursoll, returned to their former location. D. D. Frasier and his son-in-law, William Post, settled not far from the Minnesota river. Thomas F. Miller settled on the prairie on the west side of Birch Cooley creek and northwest of D. D. Frasier. Holger Jacobus settled in the eastern part of the township- Peter Lahti also came into the southeastern part of the township, built a warehouse and established quite a Finnish settlement.

Alexander McConnell settled in the north half of section 33. This land had been taken before the Massacre by his brothers, Joseph and David. Joseph Preston, a bachelor and an old soldier, settled in sec tion 28. and erected a log cabin. George Bowers settled first in the center of section 32. He later found that he was on the Kumro claim, and moved to another location on the creek. Patrick Ryan settled on the northeast quarter of section 2S Patrick Foley settled on the northeast quarter of section 22. Mathias Bogema, after spending the winter of 1865-06 in Camp township, settled in section 1. Birch Cooley township. Thomas Hill settled m the north half of the north half of section 29 James Keyes settled on the southeast quarter of section 15. Henry Witcher lived for a while on the northeast quarter of section 22. where Patrick Foley afterward lived. Later Witcher moved to the west half of the southeast quarter of section IS. Robert W. Davis settled on the southwest quarter of section 15. John R. Wimer first settled on the southeast quarter oi section 15 and lived there for a short time before Keyes moved thereon. John and William Tracy each secured claims. John Tracy was on the northwest quarter of section 28. William Tracy settled in the west half of the southwest quarter of section 34.

In the fall came Willard Drury. two adult sons. Wesley and John; and Owen T. Tubbs, and John Edgett. All the people previously mentioned were here when this group arrived. Wesley Drury settled on the northwest quarter of section 12. John Drury settled on the southwest quarter of section 11. Willard Drury settled on the southeast quarter of the same section. Darwin S. Hall, later so prominent a man came through here in 1S66 and secured land, but did not locate in the county at that time.

The town was gradually settled up. Among the early settlers whose names are still remembered are: James and Thomas Leary, John Delaney, John Delany, uncle and nephew. John and Wesley Drury, Robert Baker, John Killmer. Jerry P. Patten Samuel Sands. Patrick Foley, Charles Eldridge, Clemens Tretbar. Ed. Welmtz, R M Simmons, George McCulloch, Henry

In addition to these, W. C. Keefe gives the names of the following who were living in the township when he arrived with his parents in 1868: Magnus Johnson, section 2 (fractional township) ; Dr. T. H. Sherwin (fractional township); Wolfgang Wise section 20; Terrance Brazil, 21; R. T. Richardson, 22; W. H. Jewell, 23; Clark Greenfield, 23; Michael Reagan, 24; John Desmond, 24; and Daniel Tracy.

The first real estate assessment of Birch Cooley township (112-34 and 113-34) was made in 1868. Those assessed that year were (112-34): John Anderson, section 13; Joseph Coursall, 11; Nelson C. Frazier, 4; Jane Faribault, 24; Henry Graff, 13; Robert MH'liea, 4; Mary S. Robertson, 6; Louisa Roy. 3, 10; Joseph Roy, 11; Sam H. Sands, 4; Randall Simmons, 5; Lucy Medewakantonwan, 6; Isabella Young. 5; Vascal Young. 5, S.

Madaline Buerry, the daughter of George Buerry, was born Nov. 16, 1861. This has been given as the first white birth in the township, but this is an error, as several of the La Croix children were born in the township many years before. An early marriage after the Massacre was that of William Tracy and Mary Kilmer. Early priests brought the consolations of the Roman Catholic church to the La Croix family and their relatives in the earliest days. The first Protestant services were by Rev. Henry Singenstrue, of the German Methodists, in the summer of 1 S60.

The lirsi school in the vicinity of Morton was taught by Laura Simmons in the home of L. D. Griffin some two and a quarter miles east of Morton.

Birch Cooley township was organized on April 2, 1867, and then embraced all the county lying in range 34. It has had its present boundaries since July 29. 1874. The first election was held the fall of 1S67 at the home of Joseph L. Preston in charge of George Bowers. Henry J. Witcher and Terrence Brazil. Sr. The records of this first meeting have been lost.

Birch Cooley, the first village platted in Renville county, was surveyed in June. 1866, by David AVatson on lands owned by Louis La Croix. It had a store, blacksmith shop, warehouse and a few residences, but there being no other village in the county to awaken in the Cooleyites the spirit of rivalry, no progress was made. The village was burned in 1871.

When the M. fr St. L. Railroad was projected the tow-nship of Birch Cooley voted bonds of $5,000. Upon reaching Morton, a rocky formation near the river and the tracks ended some 400 feet from the river bank. They were not extended westward until some two years later. Taking advantage of the technicality of the 400 feet unfinished, the township refused to pay the bonds. In the litigation which followed the township won. For some years the bonds were alleged to be lost, though the money was ready for their payment. Of this money, the townshop lost some $3,300 when the Farmers Bank of i leaver Falls failed.