Blue Earth City

Blue Earth City

Following events in their order, we now record the fact that Blue Earth City, the only village in the township, and the oldest in the county, was surveyed and platted in July, 1856, and the first buildings were erected in that year. The founding of the village preceded the organization and naming of the township. The original proprietors and founders of the village were James B. Wakefield, Henry P. Constans, Samuel V. Hibler and Spier Spencer.

The original town site embraces three hundred and twenty acres, being the north half of section seventeen. Three additions, Dow & Bowen's and Young's, of forty acres each, and McArthur's, were subsequently laid out. It is located upon a circular prairie, of about one mile in diameter, and is surrounded, almost entirely, by streams of water and timber. The town site is high, rolling prairie, dotted over with small groves of oak, popple, cottonwood and other trees.

The village derives its name from the river. There have been two occasions, widely separated by years, when there was considerable serious talk of changing the name of the village for various reasons given, but no official action was had, and it is not probable that the name will ever be changed.

By the act organizing the county, the county seat was located at Blue Earth City, and the question of location was voted upon at the next general election, which was held in October, 1856, and was decided unanimously in favor of Blue Earth City. The question of removal of the county seat from Blue Earth City to Winnebago City voted upon at the general election of 18G1, and a large majority of the votes proved to be against removal, and the capital of the county has remained, from the first, at this village. But our general history of the county will show that many subsequent attempts have been made to remove the county seat.

By act of the legislature, approved March 1st, 187L*, the village of Blue Earth City was incorporated, subject, however, to ratification or rejection by the voters of the township, at the next ensuing town meeting, which was held in March. The act was ratified, but remained inoperative, until an election of village oflScers. The first election for village officers, under this charter, was held April 1st, 1874, when the following officers were elected: J. H. Sprout, president; S. S. Burleson, H. P. Constans and S. PfefTer, trustees; Alex. Anderson, recorder, and D. P. Goodrich, justice of the peace.

The act of incorporation, or "village charter" of 1872, proving very defective in many particulars, the village was re incorporated by act of the legislature, approved January 27th, 1879. The latter act was much more extensive, and much more complete in its provisions than the former one. The limits of the territory included in the corporation were greatly extended, by this act, beyond the former boundaries. The first election, under the latter act, was held on the first Tuesday of April. 1879.

As the history of the village of Blue Earth City is largely incorporated in the general history of the county, from year to j'ear, the reader is referred to that record, and especially for an account of the events attending the founding of the village, which will be found in the history of the year 1856. Many items of historical interest, relating to the village, will also be found in this historical sketch of the township of Blue Earth City proper. The village having been the county seat since the organization of the county, and, being the oldest village in the county, and having had. from the beginning, a law-abiding, industrious, public spirited class of inhabitants, its people have always taken a leading and prominent part in all the principal political, religious, reformatory and other projects, associations and ijublic enterprises of the county.

Hon. James B. Wakefield

It is quite proper, that in connection with an historical sl^etch of Blue Earth City, there should In; ^'Iven a hiograpliical notice of Mr.Waketluld, one of tht! II rst settlers of thecimnly, and one of the original town site proprietors, and a resident of the village from its founding, to the close of his lite, with the exception of a few short periods when alisent on official duty.

Mr. Wakefield was born at Winsted, Conn., on the twenty-first day of March, 1828. His father. Dr. Luman Wakefield, was a distinguished physician, of that state. James received his preparatory education at Westlleld, Mass., and Jonesville, N. Y., and, in 1843, he entered Trinity College, Hartford, Conn., as a sophomore, and graduated in 1846. He read law at Painsville, Ohio, under the direction of Judge E. T. Wilder, his brother-in-law, and was admitted to the bar, at Delphi, Indiana, in 1851, where he engaged in the practice of law for two years.

In April, 1854, Mr. Wakefleld came to Minnesota and located at Shakopee, where he engaged in the business of the profession, with Judge L. M. Brown.

In February, 1856, he, in company with several other persons, came to this county and founded Blue Earth City, as is more fully detailed in our general history of the year 1856.

Mr. Wakefleld was the principal actor in the work of securing the organizaticm of the county, and was the first chairman of the first board of county commissioners, of the county, and was, again, a member of the board in 1859. He was, also, tlie first judge of probate, of the county, and also held theofficeof register of deeds some time. He was county attorney in 1857, and again in 1860-61, and was twice elected, subsequently, to that office, but declined to serve further. He was elected, in 1857, a member of the House of Representatives, in the last Territorial and first State legislature. In 1861 he was appointed deputy agent, at the lower Sioux Indian agency, in Minnesota, but returned to Blue Earth City at the time of the outbreak of the Indians, in August, 1862. In 1863 he was again a member of the lower House of our State legislature.

He was again, in 1866, a member of tlie House, and was elected speaker of the House, during the session of that year. He was State senator, for this district, in 1867, 1868 and 1869, but resigned the office of State senator about the middle of his second term, to accept the appointment of receiver of the United States laud office, Winnebago City district, to which office he was appointed by President Grant, in 1869. He held this office six years, when he resigned it. In 1875, Mr. Wakefield was elected lieutenant governor of this State, and, in 1877, was again elected, serving in that office two terms, and presided in the State Senate, at the sessions of 1876, 1877, 1878 and 1879. In the fall of 1882, he was elected representative in congress, for this district, and was again elected, in 1884, for a second term, both of which he served. He was not a candidate for re-election in 1886.

In 1886, old Trinity College conferred upon him the very honorable degree of Doctor of Laws. Mr. Wakefield has been a republican since the organization of the party, and has, for many years, taken an active part in the politics of the State. He was chairman, of the Minnesota delegation, in the national convention in 1868, which nominated General Grant for the presidency, and was a a member of the Minnesota delegation in the national convention of 1876, which nominated General Hayes as the republican candidate for the presidency. Mr. Wakefield's name, it will be observed, appears very often in the course of this history, he having been so closely identified with the progress, improvements and important events of the county, from the beginning.

Other Early Settlers

The names of other early residents of this township will be found in the following lists, which is a copy of the roll of inhabitants, in June, 1860, according to the census taken at that time.

But there were quite a number of persons who resided, for longeror shorter periods, in the township, who had left prior to the taking of this census, or were absent temporarily at the time, and who must not be forgotten. Among such we llnd the names of the following persons: Perry Lamphere, Jno. M

Love, Ed. Woods, Simon Dow, W. W. Knapp, J. A. J. Bird, Orville Kimball, Isaac E. Grout, Lewis P. Grout, Joe Durgin, Cornelius Garretson, Sauiuel V. Hibler, Dan Sherwood, A. Shaw, Jonas Tennesen, Geo. Merriam, J. D. Sparks. The following table, made up from the census reports of that year, exhibits the aggregate numbers of stock, value of farms, etc., in the township at that date. It is interesting, as a matter for comparison with later years.

Acre.s of improved land, 77.5; value of farms, $31,100; value of farm implements and machinery, $2,270; number of horses, 46; number of milch cows, 59; number of working oxen, 58; number of other cattle, 67; number of sheep, 5; number of swine, 212; value of live stock, $9,012.

The Name

The township was named Blue Earth City by the special commissioners in 1858, in compliance with the request of citizens of the village of this name. Thus the name of the township is derived from the village, and the name of the village is derived from the river, and the name of the river is derived from the Indians, or possibly from a German romance.

Organization

The town was organized for civil purposes on the twentieth day of October, 1858, on which day a town meeting was held and the first town officers were elected. Their names will be found in the table appended hereto. At this town meeting a curious resolution was adopted, which reads: "Resolved, that after the first day of November, next, it shall be unlawful for /ior/.? and swine to run at large." The vote cast at this meeting was fifty-eight. The first meeting of the town board was held on the thirtieth day of October. The town of Emei'ald had been attached to Blue Earth City townbhip, for town purposes, and was included in this organization of the town. Emerald remained attached to Blue Earth City township until March 19th, 1866, when it was detached by the county commissioners.

The officers for the year 1879, the last year of this historical sketch, were as follows: Supervisors, Geo. B. Kingsley, chairman, Geo. Strong and A.Kobs; town clerk, C. A. Pinkham: assessor, W. M. Scott; treasurer, A. Anderson; justices of the peace, Geo. B. Kingsley and S. W. Graham; constables, G. D. Moore and J. H. Mead.

Religious And Other Societies

The Methodist Episcopal Church was first organized, in this township, at Blue Earth City, in December. 1857, Rev. J. W. Powell, pastor, and was the first denominational organization in the town.

This society, in November. 1872, erected a neat chapel at Blue Earth City. Some years later (1887) a large and handsome church edifice erected by this denomination.

The Presbyterian Church was organized at Blue Earth City, on the seventh day of March, 1859, Kev. J. E. Conrad, pastor. This denomination has a commodious church building, erected in November. 1866. at a cost of about Si.OOO. It was greatly repaired and improved in 1880.

A lodge of Good Templars was instituted, in the village, in September. 18G0, but soon ceased to exist. The Order has been reorganized here many times since the first lodge was instituted.

A congregation of the Roman Catholic Church was partially organized, at Blue Earth City, prior to 1863, but it was on the second day of March, of that year, that the first meeting was called to consider the question of erecting a church edifice. A number of meeting were subsequently held for the purpose of collecting money and and making the necessary arrangements, until, finally, in July, 1866. the building was erected. This structure was but a small one, being only eighteen by twenty five feet, but the size was- subsequently increased, by an addition in the rear, of thirty feet. This was the first church building in the village. Some years afterwards, a parsonage was also erected, near the church, but was subsequently sold and removed. These buildings served the purposes of the parish until 1880, when, under the pastorate of Rev. Father Theodore Venn, who took charge of the parish in 1873, a large, brick church building was erected, forty four by one hundred feet, and of excellent style and workmanship.

Father Venn had already won the honorable title of "The Church Builder," owing to the great number of church edifices he had caused to be erected before coming here, and this building, one of the finest church structures in this portion of the State, but added to his well earned fame.

The dedication of the new church occurred on Sunday, May 21st. 1882. The non-resident clergy, who took part in the ceremonies, were: Rt. Rev John Ireland, bishop of St. Paul; Rev. A. Ravoux. Vicar. General; Rev. P. Hanley. of Chalfield, Minn.; Rev. P. Schnitzler. of Mankato, Minn.

A large concourse of people wore in attendance, some coming from St. Paul, many from Mankato and other towns along the lines of the railroads, and from the SMrrounding country. The ceremonies of dedication were highlj' appropriate, solemn and impressive.

Emmanuel church of the German Evangelical Association, was organized in December, 1864, Rev. Joseph Rahscopp, pastor, and in August and September. 1865, the society erected a large frame church edifice on section thirteen. The society has since built a parsonage near the church. This was the first church erected in the county. This congregation had, however, an informal organization prior to the above date. The church structure, above referred to, has since been succeeded by one of the largest and most costly church buildings in the county.

Blue Earth City Lodge, No. Pifty-seven(57), Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons, U. D., was organized at Blue Earth City, June 19th, 1866, T. H. White, W. M.

The Protestant Episcopal church established a mission at Blue Earth City in January, 1871, and erected a church building in November, following. A rectory was also built near the church, all under the superintendence of Rev. S. S. Burleson, pastor.

On March 15th, 1873, a Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry was instituted at Blue Earth City, L. W. Brown, master; T. V. Braithwait, secretary; P. W. Temple, treasurer. This Grange became a large and flourishing one, and continued to exist longer than other granges established in this part of the State.

A lodge of the Ancient Order of United Workmen was instituted at Blue Earth City, November 8th, 1877, N. L. Heffron, master workman; C. H. Slocum, recorder; Samuel Schulei", receiver.

Salem Congregation, of the German Evangelical Association, was organized at Blue Earth City prior co the closing year of this history. This congregation erected a church building in 1881, which was sold in 1895, and in that year the society built a new church edifice, large, and elegantly finished and furnished.

Many minor societies and associations, literary, educational and social, and such as are found in all enlightened communities, have been established here from time to time, but which, being mainly of an ephemeral character, need not be named here.

The First Bank

The first banking institution established at Blue Earth City was a private bank, founded in 1866, by Messrs. H. D. Baldwin and S. P. Child, under the firm name of Baldwin & Child.

A "Board of Trade and Public Improvements," was organized at Blue Earth City, in January, 1875, C. H. Dearborn, president; R. C. Tremain, secretary; S. Teskey, treasurer. The board embraced in its membership, most of the active business men of the village, and for several years it served a good purpose in promoting the interests of the locality.

The Gospel

There are two persons who should be named in any history of Blue Earth City, because they were the pioneers of the ministry in this county, and long identified with the county, and especially with Blue Earth City, in church and all reformatory societies. They were the Kev. James W. Powell and Rev. J. E. Conrad, of whom brief biographical sketches are liere presented. Mr. Powell was born in Dearborn county, Indiana, on the fifteenth day of August, 1822. His opportunities for getting an education were limited to the common winter schools of the locality, until he had reached the age of eighteen years, when he attended Shelby County Seminary for a short time. He returned to this school when he was twenty-two years old, and remained some months. He took his theological course, of four years, while he was in the active ministry, and has always been a student. He was raised a farmer by occupation. He, in 1845, entered the ministry of the Methodist Episcopal Church, joining the Indiana Conference, and continued in the work during his life. He was married, in 1847, to Miss Rhoda B. Gray. They have had eleven children, five of whom are now (1887) dead. He came, with his family, in 1855, to Mankato, and was the first regular pastor of the church at that city. In his service in the ministry, he first preached in this county in the winter of 1856-7. being then located at Sholbyville, in Blue Earth county. In the spring of 1857, Blue Earth City was added to his work. The Blue Earth City Class was not organized until the winter of 1857-8. In 1859 he moved his family to Blue Earth City, where he remained until he became a resident of Verona, where he was living in June, 1860, but he still had charge of the Blue Earth City mission until the fall of that year. He was engaged in various charges in the State until 1871. when he returned to Blue Earth City and remained two years. In 1872 he built the chapel at that place, and in the fall of 1873 he left Blue Earth City and served on various charges for some twelve years, when, in 1885, he again returned to Blue Earth City, and, in 1887, erected the Methodist Episcopal Church at that place, one of the largest and finest church buildings in the county. He then left Blue Earth City and has since been serving in various localities in the State. Mr. PowelFs early affiliations were with the whig party, afterwards with the republican, and of late years, he has been an active prohibitionist.

Rev. J. E. Conrad

The Rev. J. E. Coorafl was a native of the state of North Carolina, where he was born io 1814. The family removed to Missouri in 1821, and cnijaKed in farmin^f. Mr. Conrad resided on the farm until 183G. Up to this time he had received some eighteen month's schooling in the common schoolsof that section of the country.

In November, 1836, being then twenty-two years old, he entered Dr. Nelson's Mission Institute, near (,»iiiticy, 111., where he remained a number of years and graduated. Jlf then took a year of theoloj^'ical study. He was licensed to preach by Schuyler Presbytery, in April. lH4r.. In September, of that year, he went to Cincinnati, Ohio, and attended Lane .Seminary for one year.

In 1846 he was married to Miss Therina Urocltway, and they removed, in November, of that year, to Warsaw. Ind. lie was ordained by the Presbytery, of Logansport, Ind., in April, 1847. He remained in Warsaw, and vicinity, preaching nearly ten years. During this tinae his wife and two children died.

In August, 1854, he was married to Miss Margaret Slagle. They came to Minnesota in November, 1856, and located at Sterling, in Blue Earth county, and commenced farming. But Mr. Conrad continued to preach at various places. Hesoon after commenced the worlt of the ministry in this county. Reorganized the Presbyterian Church, at Winnebago City, Blue Earth City and Minnesota Lake, and preached to them from two to ten years each, and preached, also, to the congregation at Wells, in this county, five years. He resided at Blue Earth City in the winters of 1863-4 and 1871-2, and at Wells in the winters of 1874-5, but, aside from the above short absences, he resided on his farm at Sterling, in Blue Earth county, for thirty-one years, to 1887.

He also organized the church at Mapleton and Amboy, in Blue Earth county, at which latter place he ministered during eighteen years, one-half the time, while the other half was devoted to other localities. His wife died in November, 1882. At this date (1887) six children are living, three boys and three girls. Two of his sons are now ministers in the Presbyterian church.

Politically Mr. Conrad was brought up a Jackson democrat, but in 1840 he went over to the anti-slavery party, but afterwards became a republican, and so remained until 1889, when he became a prohibitionist. He never held any political office.

The above sketch may now he supplemented by the statement, that Father Conrad (since 1890) pass='d his declining years with one of his sons, who is the pastor of tlie church at Blue Earth City. Though too old to have the care of a parish, he still preached, quite frequently, up to near the time of his death, which occurred May 6th, 1896.

Educational

The first school, kept in this township, was a subscription and contribution school, taught in the winter of 1857-8, by W. W. Knapp, Esq.. at Blue Earth City. There were but few children at the time, to send to school, and in order to have the school, it was necessary that quite a number of the citizens, who had no children to send to the school, should contribute, somewhat, for its support.

After the organization of the first school district, in 1859, the schools, at Blue Earth City, were the ordinary district schools, and were kept in hired rooms, until the erection of the first district school house, which was completed about the first of November, 1861, at Blue Earth City. This was quite a large frame structure, twenty-four by thirty feet, and one story in height. For a long time it was the best school house in the county. Some years after its erection, the house was doubled in size, by an addition. This building was situated on "The Court House Square." It was subsequently sold and removed.

In April, 1872, the old district, which numbered fourteen (14), was changed to Blue Earth City independent school district, and was fully organized, as an independent district, by the election of a board of education, in May, of that year. In the course of years, this first school building became too small, and additional rooms had to be hired, for the use of different departments of the school.

In 1M74 the district erected a large two story brick school house on block seventy-seven, in this village, at a cost of about six thousand dollars. A large addition, costing about three thousand dollars, was built in 1882, and the entire building now constitutes one of the largest, most convenient and most substantial school houses in the county. The school is known as a "graded school" of six departments, and is ordinarily, attended bj' many scholars who reside out of the district, in addition to resident pupils, thus attesting to the standing of the school. In the mean time, the people in other parts of the township have organized their school districts and erected school houses and have had good schools, there being now four school houses outside of the village, situated respectively, on sections ten, twelve, twentj'-six and twentj'-eight, all of which are substantial structures, well finished, well furnished and well filled.

The First Brick

The first manufacturing industry in the county was, pi'obably, that of making brick. Captain J. B. Gillit, in August and September, of 1856, made a small kiln of excellent brick on lands adjoining the village site of Blue Earth City.

The first child born in the township was Mary Frances Gillit, daughter of W. C. Gillit. She was born on the 20th day of February, 1857. The first female child born in the village of Blue Earth City was Emma Way. daughter of W. A Way. She was born in April, 1857, and the first male child born in the village was Chas. W. Constans, son of Henry P. Constans. born in November. 1857. The first frame house that was erected in the village was built by Jas. B. Wakefield, in 1857. on lot 5, block 94. It was sixteen by twenty-four feet, and one and ahalf story in height, and painted W'hite.

War Bounties

During the war of the rebellion, the town gave certain bounties for the purpose of encouraging enlistments in the military service, as follows: The town board, on the twelfth of December, 1863, otfered a bounty of ?50 to any volunteers who should enlist prior to .January 5th, 1864. On the eighth of August, 18G4, the bounty was raised to $100 to all volunteers enlisting to the credit of the town, and on the fourteenth of January, 1865, a special town meeting was held, at which it was voted to give 8500 to such volunteer, and the action of the town meeting was indorsed b}' resolution of the town board January 30th, 1865. The aggregate amount of the bounties given was large, but was paid to the last dollar.

An Indian Pow-Wow

Early in the summer of 1862, there came to Blue Earth City a company of Sioux and Winnebago Indians, with their ponies, carts and dogs, and camped on the court house block, where the court house now stands. In the afternoon they put up a large enclosure, under the trees, made of brush, old canvass and carpet, and in the evening they gave a number of performances, to see wliich they required the payment of a small admittance fee. Their lights were some sort of smoking, flaring pitch lamps and torches. They were a dirty and hard looking company. The performances consisted of the corn dance, hunting dance, wedding dance, scalp dance, war dances, and the monotonous, melancholy Indian songs, dirges and chants, sung to the beating of the tomtom. Among their songs was the death song. When these savages, almost naked, and hideously painted and armed with clubs, hatchets and large knives, went through their gyrations, jumpings, dancing, flourishing their weapons and uttering their wild, piercing war-whoops, they ax:)peared and acted more like incarnate fiends than human beings. The scenes were startling, wild, weird and impressive, and not desirable to be seen a second time. Some people had suspicions at the time that this visit had some serious significance, and it was said, when in August the great massacre occurred, that these Indians were spies, who came to see the condition of the country, but as this county was not attacked during the outbreak, the supi^osition was doubtless erroneous.

The first newspaper published at Blue Earth City, and the first in the county, was issued in April, 1861, as will be seen by reference to the general histoiy of that year. A paper has been published at that place, continuously, from that time to the present, with the exception of a period of less than two years, extending from about October, 1862, to March. 1864. There have been as many as four papers published at that place at the same time. The newspapers published at Blue Earth City at the close of this history - 1879 - were The Bee and The Blue Earth City Post. Carr Huntington was the proprietor and editor of the Bee, and C. H. Slocum of the Post.

Carr Huntington

Mr. Huntington was the oldest editor in the business, in the county, and one of the oldest editors in the northwest. He was born September 29th, 1815, in Addison count}', Vermont. He was a descendant of the Huntington's of revolutionary fame. He learned the printing trade and wurlced as a journeyman printer in most of the States of the Union, at that time, but especially in the southern states, where he spent many years. For some time he was employed in the office of a paper published in Kentucky, by a Mr.Gibbon. Mr. Gibbon was killed by an assassin, and Mr. Huntington, at the request of the widow of the deceased, continued the publication of the paper. In 1846 Mr. Huntington was married to Mrs. Sarah Olbtifin, the widow of the murdered man. At various periods of his life, Mr. Iliintinjjton published newspapers In Kentucliy, Indiana, IlliiKiis, Wisconsin, and latterly in Minnesota. Some of the papers which he pnlilislu'd were dailies, of considerable prominence. lie came to this county from, it is believed, Portage City, Wiscon.sin, in 1863, and established "The H'/iiy o/TC," at Winnebago City. This was the first paper published at Winnebago City. He sold his press here and located at Blue Earth City, where In March, 1804. he established the "Blue Earth City Advocate:' lie remained at Blue Earth City, publishing a paper, under various names, until September, 1871, when he sold out. Up to that time he had been in the business of publishing newspapers for twenty-seven years. Of his e.xperience he said in his last issue at lllue Earth City, that, "In that long period we have passed through all the scenes, oppositions and hardships of this life, without taking down our sign, or quailing before the fierce blasts that have sometimes crossed our path." Some of those blasts must have been quite severe, for in a paper which he subser|uently published, he says: "The best printing offlce we ever owned, lies, like John Brown, mouldering at the bottom of theOhio river - two burned at Beaver Dam, Wis., and one pretty well bricked up at Blue Earth City (Minn.), besides having sulTered in our person, in repeated instances, from the direct attack of the armed assassin."

Mr. Huntington removed to Delavan, in this county, and in June, 1872, commenced the publication there of "The Delavan Bee." And this was the first paper published at Uelavan. He remained there until early in December, 1874, when he returned to Blue Earth City, with his press, and began the publication of "37it Bee." Here he continued to live until the time of his death. Mr. Huntington was a democrat in politics, until his arrival in this county, when he became a strong Union supporter, and thereafter, the papers which he published were largely repul)lican in political sentiment, Init still quite independent. Mrs. Huntington died at the home of her daughter, in Iowa, .September 11th, 1888, and Mr. Huntington died January 6th, 1889, and was interred in the Blue Earth City cemetery.

On the twelfth day of July, 1872, a special town meeting was held, for the purpose of appropriating, on behalf of the town, the sum of twenty three hundred dollars, toward as.sisting the county in erecting county buildings, at Blue Earth City. The vote was carried almost unanimously in favor of the proposition, and a court house was erected in the autumn, of that year.

The Fight For A Railroad

Well knowing the absolute necessity of railroads, in the rapid and profitable development of the county, and especially the building of the villages, the citizens of Blue Earth City commenced, at an early day, the labor of securing a railroad.

First. They first turned to the south. The Keokuk, Port Des Moines and Minnesota Railroad Company had been organized in Iowa, and commenced the work of building a road from Keokuk, on the Mississippi, up the Des Moines river, and looking in the direction, it was alleged, of Mankato, in this State. A direct line would pass through Blue Earth City. This was away back in 1857. The company had a large land grant in Iowa. Much con-espondence was had, with the officers of the company, in relation to the building of the road in this direction. The country was fully described, and the importance and feasibility of the route fully set forth. The prospect was bright, indeed, and the building of the road, into this county, seemed to be only a question of time. For years we worked and waited, filled with this glowing prospect. The project failed. Second. Then we turned to the east. The Southern Minnesota Railroad Company was organized to build a road through the southern tier of counties, in this State. This was a great and hopeful project. This was also a land grant company. As the grant was made in trust to the State, to be disposed of by the legislature, to that or some other company, the matter got into politics. Blue Earth City, and the south half of the county, as well as other localities, wanted the line of the road located through the several county seats of the counties, through which the road was to be built, and the company wished to be free to locate their route where they pleased. The result was some three or four political struggles of great intensity. Blue Earth City won the fight, so far as the political aspects of the contest were concerned, after the expenditure of much time and labor and money, but the victory was bootless, as the road was built on a more northern line. And this ended the second effort. This occurred in the years 1866, 1867 and 1868.

Third. More than a year elapsed of comparative inaction, but still correspondence was kept up with railroad men in all directions, and especially with a company in Iowa, then building a road to Port Dodge. At length, near the close of 1869, the star of hope arose in the north. The St. Paul and Sioux City Railroad Company proposed to build a road from Mankato to the Iowa State line, via Blue Earth City, if aid should be voted by the townships along the line of the road, in the form of town bonds, to the amount of 'S200,000. Blue Earth City township, in January, 1870. voted $iO,000, and the adjoining towns, various amounts, but a great deal of work was required in canvassing the towns, calling meetings and publishing information on the subject. No time, labor or expense were spared. The aid, or bonds, asked were voted. All necessary arrangements were made, and it was thought a railroad was now certain. But alas! this effort, also, in the very hour of success, was blasted, and the effort added one more to the failures of the past.

Pourth. Correspondence was still, however, kept up with companies building roads in this state and Iowa, with the hope of inducing some one of them to come this way, when at last, in the summer of 1870, hope dawned again in the southeast. The Burlington, Cedar Rapids & M. R. R. Co. came with a proposition to extend their road to Blue Earth City if aid in town bonds to the amount of $85,000 should be voted, forty acres of land for depot grounds se- cured, and the right of way through the county. Again there was a calling of town meetings, canvassing of voters, publication of various documents, a vast amount of writing - in short, much time, labor and money expended. The aid was again voted, the depot grounds secured, and all things arranged. Now, indeed, a road was certain at last. Not quite. Just at this time a petty judge at St. Paul, decides, in relation to similar town bonds voted there, that towns cannot constitutionallj' vote such aid. The case is carried to the Supreme Court, where a year may elapse before a decision can be had, and our railroad company gives up the project of building .the road. And now what V Every effort has but resulted in failure.

Fifth. A year passes away without any definite hope or prospect, when, in the spring of 1873, cheering words again came from the north. The St. Paul and Sioux City R. R. Co. having made more certain arrangements, again proposed to build a road from Mankato, via Blue Earth City, to the Iowa State line, if $150,000 aid should be voted by the towns on the route. Often beaten, but not wholly disheartened, the citizens of Blue Earth City went again to work, calling town meetings in the adjoining towns, canvassing, talking, arguing and distributing documents. It was in April, the mud was deep and roads almost impassable. It rained and snowed, people were suspicious and obstinate, and the prospects gloomy, but through all difficulties, the few who had charge of the matter at Blue Earth City worked on, and at last the aid was voted. All details were again arranged, and we had every reason to believe that we should now get the road. But the reader may add number five to the failures that went before.

Sixth. Time passes on, and in the year 1877 a new project is broached. A railroad company is formed in Martin county. A scheme of this company was to build a road from St. James. Watonwan county, via Blue Earth City, to Ft. Dodge, in Iowa, on condition of receiving aid similar to that so often voted before. The project was laid before the people of Blue Earth City and adjoining towns. A great deal of work had again to be done. The several towns approved, and contracts were entered into with the company Work on the line of road was commenced. Some seven miles o road, from Blue Earth City northwestward, in the direction of St James, were graded. Here, now was something tangible, substan tial, certain. But alas, it proved but "the baseless fabric of a vision."

Besides all these greater efforts, other and minor projects for securing a road, engaged the attention of at least a portion of the people. Votes were taken, increasing or diminishing the amount of bonds already voted - time of building of road extended, railroad companies formed, various propositions submitted, and much writ-

Seventh. It was in 1878, that the St. Paul & Sioux City Railroad Company came with their third proposition. It was accepted, town bonds were again voted, Blue Earth City giving 136,000. A part of the road was graded in that year. In 1879 the road was completed from Lake Crystal in Blue Earth county, a point on the main line of the road, to Blue Earth City. The battle was won. We were connected with the great world by a railroad. A great jubilee was held at Blue Earth City in October, of the latter year, an account of which is given elsewhere in this work. It was on the thirtieth day- of September, at four o'clock, p. m., just before the road was completed to Blue Earth City, that the engine whistle was first heard on the streets of Blue Earth City, and was greeted with loud cheers and clapping of hands and the projection of hats into the air. And on the thirteenth day of October, at one o'clock, p. m , the first locomotive and cars entered upon the sacred soil of the village of Blue Earth' City, and was received by a multitude of cheering and rejoicing people. And here we rest.

Some six men, residing at Blue Earth City, three of whom from the beginning, and the others uniting with them some years later, were the leading workers in all these efforts to secure a railroad for Blue Earth City. It would be invidious to mention their names, as they were always ably seconded by citizens in all the towns. But these more than any others, especially three of them labored on, through all discouragements, often reviled, suspicioned and belied, always giving their time and money, braving all opposition and defeats, holding steadily on until the end was at last reached. The work they did, the money they gave and the perseverance they exercised will never be fully known to those, who today enjoy the the fruit of their labors.

Political And Official

Prior to the close of 1879, the last year of this sketch, Blue Earth City township, including the village, furnished to the public, legislative and county service, quite a number of servants.

On the Board of County Commissioners, Walcefleld, Sailor, Kiester, Johnson (Albin), Scott, Neal. Bonwell and Cary; Auditor, Bonwell; Register of Deeds, Hibler, Walcefleld, Kiester, Bonwell and Brown; Treasurers, Grout, Johnson (Albin), Kaupp; Superintendent of Schools, A. H. Pelsey; Clerics of Court, Jackson, Kingsley, J. K. Pratt, James C. Pratt, Neal; Judges of Probate, Waliefleld, Knapp, Kiester; Coroners, Gillit, Rose, Young and Baloome; County Surveyors, Kimball and Kiester; County Attorneys, Wakefield, Knapp, Hyatt, Kiester and Sprout; Sheriffs, Constans, Pratt (M. B.), Cummings; Representatives in State Legislature, Wakefield, Kingsley, Kiester and Childs; State senators, Wakefield, Cbilds, Goodrich and Johnson (R. B.)

Statistical

or stock and certain other property, in the town, in 1879, we find that of horses there were 513; cows. 536; other cattle, 630; mules, 6; sheep, 1158; hogs, 613; wanons and carriaj;es, 206: scwinff machines, 74; organs, 28; pianos, 4.

The following list contains the names of many persons, not hereinbefore named, who were residents of the township or village prior to the close of 1879. Alex. Anderson, John Anderson, W. Ackerman, A. W. Ackerman, Geo. Bates, Wm. H. Bates, E. Beaumont, G. W. Buswell, R. II. Bartholemew, Z. C. Butler, L. Botcher, F. P. Brown, L. W. Brown, Fred. Bemus, .S. Clark, F. E. Gary, C. II. Gary, Frank Gole, H. Cole, J. Cole, J. Conklin, C. W. Constans, J. H. Couper, S. CummiDgs. W. Clark, J. Casten, N. Ghadbourn S. P. Child, J. B. Coutier, H. C. Cheadle, F. Claude, F. W. Cady. C. Craig, L. Craig, S. Dutton, Wm. Dustin, J. D. Dayton, II. Doege, C. II. Dearborn, J. Dobson, G. S. Dobner, F. Dendon, J. A. Dean, N. Dustin, A. F. Eastman, E. D. Evans, .T. Emerson, Paul Flecken-tein, M. Fierky, J. Franklin, A. J. Franklin,