Champlin City

Champlin City

Tliis township is located in tlie uoitli-eastein part of tlie coiiiitv, on the Mississippi river, which forms its northern and eastern boundary. Its surface is varied. Along the river are heavilytimbered bottom-lands, back of whirli are high l)luffs. Tlie western portion of the town is covered with a growth of light timl)er. The central and soullicrn portions are level prairies. The soil is in all jiarts good and productive. This township, mdike many others in the county, has no large lakes. There are two small bodies of water known as I.eman's I>akeand 15ond Lake, the former on section tio and the latter on section 36. IIayden"s Lake, which is located mainly in the town of Dayton. i)iojects a short distance into Champlin on the west. Elm Creek Hows from Haydcn's Lake across the northern part of the town, and enipliesinto tlie Mississijiin. justljclow the village. Tliis creek furnishes an excellent waler-piiwcr. wliidi is utilized.

The liisloiyiit ('liain|iliii dales from Is."):.', wlien ("liarles Miles located near the junction of Klni Creek and the river, and opened a trading post for Indians. He was the first white settler in the township. Tlie following spring. .JosejOi and Augustus Hull arrived, and inaile claiins where the village is now localeil. During llie suninier (if ^^^r,^^. Auguslus Iloll erected a fiame house, the lirsl in Un- village. In the snmnier of 18o3, -lohu I'iUe. Hcnjamin IC. .Messer. and a Mr. Stevens, built houses near the river above tlie village. In. June of that year. Hev. Lewis .\tkiiison loeateil on section 3:!. lie caine witli teaius fnuu

IlUnois. The same year, R. H. Miller, F. Thorndyke and John Shumway, made claims west of the village ; Colby Emery settled on section 30. William ]Milliollin made a claim on section 33, Jilarch 2d, 18.54. He came with his family from Ohio to St. Anthony, in July, 18-53, and after remaining in St. Anthony until the following March, located in Champlin. In l.s.54. (luile a number settled in the town, amimg tliem liev. W. Hayden and Samuel Colburn. both of whom still reside on their original claims. In ls.5o, Josejih McCaim liuilt just above Miles, and during the succeeding tw^o years, several others located near. From this time the settlement went on rajiidly. Prominent among the early settlers here, was John (J. Howell, who came in ls-54. llis chiiiu was in Brooklyn, but his home in Clianipliii. lie was a young man. a general favorite, ami a leader in social gatherings and church meetings. He left in l.s.5ti.and after considerable travel, located in California, where he has held several prominent positions.

The Winnebago Imlians roaiued ii\cr Cliainplin, at the time of its tir.st settlement. Their village was located near Dayton. They were peaceable, and did not molest the settlers, except to beg. < )n "lie occasion, during a " big drunk,"" they stole a canoe fvoiii William Milholliu. but it was promptly returned b\ the women. Thelirst settlers in Chaniplin had to buy their supplies in St. Anthony, and in onler to reach that place, would often fasten two or three logs together, f<uniiiig a raft, on which they would lloat down the river. This <lid very well, going down, but the return tiip was nioic dillicull. as it had to be niaile on foot, lollowing Indian trails. This township was surveyed in 18.5.5.

was planted a red staff, from which lloated a red flag of small size. The moimd has nearly disappeared, owing to excavations made in search of reUcs. In the village near the liotel was a grave, surrounded hy a rude fence of logs. This was supposed to be the grave of a chief, as it was ornamented by a red staff, on the top of which was a red flag, or rag.

Early Incidents

A ferry across the Mississippi, was put in operation by Joseph Holt, in 185-5. McCann's locating near tlie mouth of Elm Creek, led to a dispute between him and Miles, in regard to the ownersliip of the water-power.

The contest was carried to the Land Office at Washington, for final decision, and resulted in Miles holding the claim. Both men were nearly ruined by the contest, and soon after, McCann moved to Anoka, where he still resides, and Miles to Minneapolis, where he died in 1878. The first birtli in the township was in 1854, a child of :\Ir. and Mrs. Stevens; the second birth was a daughter to J. B. Holt and wife, iSTovember, 1854.

The first death \\as tliat of a young man - a new-comer named Charles Teag, in 1856. He was buried in a field on :Mr. Miller's land. The first marriage was in 1857, the contracting parties being Cyrus Rollin and Miss Clark.

In 1858, tlie County Commissioners set apart the territory embraced in township 120, range 22, and tlie fractional township 120, range 21, as Marshall. A meeting was held at Champlin village; May 11th, 1858, and officers chosen for the town. At this meeting the question of a division of Marshall, into Dayton and Champlin arose, and finally resulted in designating the following boundaries ; Champlin, all of fractional township 120, range 21. and the eastern tier of sections of township 120, range 22. Dayton, all of township 120, range 22, excepting tlie eastern tier of sections. The first Town Meeting for Champlin was held April 5th, 18.50. At this meeting, Wentworth Ilayden presided as Moderator, and .J. B. Hunt acted as Clerk, pro tem. The following officers were elected. Supervisors, Wentworth Ilayden, Chairman, Samuel Briggs and S. D. Leman; Town Clerk, J. B. Holt; Assessor, J.

A. Linscott; Collector, Job Kenneston; Overseer of Poor, J. D. Hank; Justices, S. Colburn, Alvah Hills; Constables, Joseph Dovstis, George Hills. Oflicers in 1880; Supervisors, Harry Ghostly, Chairman, J. B. Hinkley and Jolni Stewart; Town Clerk, S. Colburn; Assessor, J. B. Hinkley; Treasurer, O. S. Miller; .Justices, Samuel Colburn and J. B. Hinkley; Constables, Geo. A. Hills and William DowUn.

The Township contains 5,310 acres of land, the assessed \'aluation of which, was in 1880, 877,596. The valuation of personal property was §14,348. Total amount of taxes for 1880, §1,2.52. The population of the town is 456.

Tlie first school in tlie town of Champlin, was held in an old slianty above the village, in 1855. Miss Emily Thorndyke (now Mrs. Lum of Minneapolis) was teacher. A school house was built in 1860, tlie first teacher being Cliandler B. Adams. There are now three schools sustained in the town. A graded school in the village, school district number 35, house located on'section 30, and district number 99, joint district with Brooklyn, school house located on section 34, Champlin. All the school houses are good buildings.

The Free-Will Baptist church was organized in 1854, as a biancli of tlie Minneapolis church, by Rev. C. G. Ames. It was supplied by Eev. W. Ilayden and others, until the following year. The first members of the branch organization were, Betsy Shumway, W. W. Cate, Sarah C. Cate, W. W. Woodman and wife. The first meetings were held in a school-house, and on an unfinished steamboat, which lay on the river bank at this point. In 1855 the church was organized independently, and named Elm Creek church, under which name it continued until 1S58, when it was changed til .Vimka and Champlin church, its present name. They have a frame building, erected in 1871 at a cost of §1,650. It is located in the village of Cliamplin, on an eminence overlooking the river. The first regular pastor was W. Ilayden. wlio officiated until 1863, when owing to ill-liealUi he was compelled to resign, and the church was without a pastor for two years, though occasional services were held. In

1865 Ttev. S. S. Paine took the charge, and remaiueil until ISTO. when he was sueceeded lyy Rev. C. L. Russell, the present pastor. There has been a Sabbath-school in connection with the chui'ch since its orjjtanization. and it is now in a Hourishiun condition.

The Melliodist Kpiscupal Church. A class was formed in 1872. by Rev. John Stafford. The year following they erected a church, about .SO x oO feet in size. They have no resident minister, the chui'ch being included in the circuit with Anoka. .\ Sabbath-school is ntaiiitaiucd in connection with the church.

.\ Litcraiy Society and Lyceum, organized in the fall of l.s.so. meets every Friday evening in the school-house of district Xo. 99. This society is well attendcil.

In 1879 a circulating library was established in the village, containing three lunulred volumes. It is kept at the post-ollice, and is patmni/id by the citizens of the township generally.

Ciiampi.Ix Mill

This Uiill is located on IClm Cieek. near its junction with the river, below the village. The first mill at this point was built Ijy A. P. Lane & ("o.. in 1807. The township records for that year show that two town bonds, of S2oO each, were issued in favoi- of this liiiii. to assist in building a (lam and bridge, in connection with the mill. All were built, but were swept away and destroyed liy high watei'. The present mill was built in 1874, by Clark and Smith, and after several changes came into the possession of R. M. Pratt & Co.. the present iiroprietors. It is in size, 30 X 40 feet, and two stories high above the ba.sement, with an addition foi' ollices and warerooms, 25x18 feet. Its machinery consists of live runs of stone, live middlings puriliers, besides the necessary minor machinery. It is driven by an .\mcricau turbine wheel. I'orty-two inches in diamcler. of seventy-live horse-power. Its capacity is forty barrels jier day.

Joseph Holt laid out a village on Ibc west bank of the river, and had it surveye(l mikI platted by Hugh Spence. 'I'lils was in 18o3. A hotel was erected in 1h.).'). hv (Jeoige Hollins. and opened by Hugh Spence. Several changes in ownership have since taken place. It is now conducted by F. Thorndyke. The first store was opened by J. B. Holt, in 1856. The post-offlce was established in 1858. with J. B. Holt as postmaster, (jeorge Hills now occupies that ollice. There are three stores, with stocks of general merchandise, three blacksmith shops, two wagon shops, one goldsmith, one millinery, and one flouring mill. The assessed valuation in 18so. of town lots and structures thereon, was S7,302. The nearest railway point for citizens of Champlin township, is Anoka, directly opposite the village of Champlin, and connected with it by ferry across the Mississippi ^river. At one time, steamboats plied on the river, landing at Champlin ; the river is not navigated regularly at the present time.

Colliy Kmery, one of the oldest settlers in Champlin. was born in 1822. in Oxford county. .Maine, where he resided, with the exception of some time passed in the hotel business in Boston and Xew Vork. until 18.")3, when he came to Minnesota. He at once pre-empted a claim of 100 aci'es. and has since resided in this town engaged in fanning. He now owns 12(1 acres of line land. He was married. .Iul> 2, bsoo. to Ruth Blaisdell. of Tamworth Iron W'oiks. Carroll coiuily. Xew Hampshire. She died. .laiiiiary. 1875. The family record is. James H.. born in ls5ii: Charles E.. 1857: ZenusB.. 1803. died 1870: .\nna (;..born 1809.

AVilliain Fullerlon was born at Hopewell, Maryland, in 1819. IIis])arents removed to Pennsylvania when he was two years of age. and he remained there until 1833, when he removed to Ohio, residing in Lower Sandusky four years, and in I-ucas county, until Isiiii. euii>loying himself in carpenter work and farming. In the s])ring of 1804. he enlisted in Company (i. First Ohio Sharpshooters, and was afterwards attached to the lilltli Ohio. He was wounded in the hand, losing a linger at Petersburgh. in lMi4. and was honorably discharged at Washington. I). C.. in 1M)5. In Isiiti he came to ('lianii>lin. where he has since resided. He was manie(l in 1848. to .Martha Crosby, ol' Ohio. Tliey have four children.

esee Western Seminaiv, near Rocliester, New York, graduating m 1839. He then began teaching winters, passing liis summers on a farm. In 18.54 lie came to Hennepin county, and resided in Minneapolis one year, then removed to Dayton township where he took a claim of Kid acres near Diamond Lake, remaining there nine years. In IS-JT and ls.j8 Mr. Ilinkley was a member of the legislature, diu'ing which time, Minnesota was admitted as a state. He held the office of County Commissioner a number of years, and had charge of the county poor farm for three years, dating from 1864. He then returned to ^Minneapolis where he remained until 1873, when he came to Cliamplin and lias since resided here, engaged in farming. Mr. Ilinkley lias held the office of justice of the peace, excepting a short time, since he came to this county, and was census enumerator of Dayton township in 1880. He was married in 1844 to Miss S. S. Moore. They liave two children.

Robert II. Miller, is a native of Oxford county, Maine, where he remained until twenty-three years of age ; then removed to New Hampshire. He was married in Conway, New Hampshire, January, 1848, to Sarah R. Hill, and removed to Waterford, Maine, where their only living sou, Orange S., was born September 6tli, 1849. In 1852, Mr. Miller came to St. Anthony, ilimiesota, where he remained one year, thence to Anoka and after a few months residence there, made a claim on the west side of the river in what is now Dayton. In 1856 he came to Champlin and bought a number of town lots, also the hotel now owned by Mr. Thorndyke, which he conducted for seven years. When he first came to lilinnesota he made a scpiatters claim, on the west side of the river, the present site of Minneapolis. Mr. JSIiller learned the trade of carriage maker, iu Maine, which Inisiness he engaged in for many years in Champlin. He held the office of postmaster from 1860 to 1867. The son. Orange S., resides with his parents. He was married to Miss Mary E. Wiley. They have one son.

G. D. Miars is a native of Nova Scotia where he was born in 1816. At the age of eleven years he went to sea and followed that occupation fourteen years. He then resided in Canada three years, and in Maine, where he was engaged in farming. He came to Hennepin county in 1856 and purchased a claim of eighty acres in the town of Crystal Lake. In 1866 he removed to Anoka county, and three years later came to Champlin, where he has since resided, engaged in the pursuit of farming. He was married in 18.52. to Syrene Pratt, a native of Penobscot county. Maine. They have had nine children, eight of whom are living.

Turner Fribble was born in Kennebec county, Maine, July 4th, 1836. At the age of twenty, he came to Hennepin county, locating in the town of Brooklyn. In 1860 he purcliased a farm of lifty-tive acres, which he disposed of in 1865, and the next year bought forty acres in the same town. He resided in Brooklyn until 1877, excepting the time he was absent in the army. In April, 1861 he enlisted for tliree months, and reenlisted November, 1861 in the First Minnesota Infantry. At Petersburg, Virginia, he was taken prisoner and held ten months. He was hon- (u-ably discharged July 20th, 1865. He came to Champlain in 1877 and has resided here since, engaged in farming. He was married in 1870, to Leila A. Coy, who was born in Maine in 1851. They have one child, Martha Irene born in 1875.

J. W. Reeves was born in Butler county, Ohio, in 1842, and remained in his native state until 1865, when he came to Minnesota, and located in Ramsey county, near St. Paul. In 1877 he came to Champlin, purchased a farm of forty acres, and has since resided in this town. In 1863, Mr. Reeves enlisted in Company D, 2d Ohio Heavy Artillery, and served until honorably discharged, in 1865, coming west the same year.

J. H. Trussel is a native of New Hampshire, born in New London, Merrimac county, September 26tli, 1828. He resided in his native town ten years, then to Wilmot, N. II., and remamed there until twenty-one years of age, when he went t<i Concord, and remained five years. In the fall of 1855, he came to Hennepin county, and made a claim of 160 acres in Brookl> n. Remained on it one year; then removed to Champlin. where he has since resided. In 1871, he sold his farm in Brooklyn. He has held the office of Supervisor several times, also Assessor and Treasurer. Married, m 1857, Mary E. Hill, who was born in Carroll county. New Hampshire, in 1831, and came with her parents to this comity in 1853. They have had five cluldren, three of whom are livuig.