Dakota City

Dakota City

Z!Ze built in (oil) Dakota stood J-* ^"^ «/'-. P^^ ;! ^te They were simply a few log cabins erected as a trading-post with the hdTans and ear^ settlers. The houses have all disappeared nd nothing remains to tell the story ot the " ancient city. As this ^oint ifad a good landing and outlet to the surrounding -"f ''.V. '^^ early settlers had always labored to start a village here. The name s somewhat clothed in mystery, but the village itselt -s founded and started by Nathan Brown in 1849. In 1873 the site of the old viltge was vLted and that of the present Dakota located and surged The location is most beautiful, being high and dry and tree from nundations of the river. The soil is sandy and seldom wet or muddy. The first house was built in 1873. The building was moved one mile from above the village and put up on River street betTen Rogers and Center streets, by Henry Becker, who opened a store in the part moved, and built on an addition for a dwelling. Mr. Becker carried on quite an extensive business tor over a ;ear when he sold his building to .J. W. Young and moved his stock to

Thffirst hotel was built in the village in 1876 by ElUs Brown deceased. After the death of her husband Mrs. Brown the liote until 1880, when William Cfow rented for two years. The house is now run by Deunis Sullivan. . , ivt .li.

Skiff Ferky

March 31 1873, Alex. C. Donalson began to make regular daily tripf Dresback to Lacrosse with his skiff ferry. He ran three seLns between the above places, averaging 200 trips a season, of gMeen miles a trip, making 10,800 miles fo^ f t'-^; - In 1876 Mr. Donalson extended his trip from Dakota to La Crosse. He has averaged his regular 300 trips of twenty miles each every year, making 14,800 miles since 1876 and 34,800 nules since 1873 Mr Donalson is the best oarsman that paddles the Mississippi. He Ta large, tall, muscular man, and glides his boat over the water with as much ease and grace as the gentle current itself.

Mr. Peter Lee built and started the first blacksmith shop in Dakota in 1874. He formerly ran a shop in La Crescent and Dresbach. The first and only harness shop ever ran in Dakota was opened by Joseph Hoffman in 1874. In 1876 Mr. Leonard Helsaple opened a wagon-re) )airing sliop. He sold out to Mr. W. H. Vance in 1878, who sold his building to Dennis Sullivan, who uses it as a sleeping-house for his boarders. In May, 1874, Charley Dalton started a merchandise and drug store in Dakota. Nathan Brown also owned and ran a store for some time in Dakota. In March, 1880, A. C. Brown started a general merchandise store. The latter is doing a flourishing business and at present he is acting postmaster.

Buried In Dakota Cemetery

The first persons that died at Dakota and were buried in Bluff Cemetery were : Mrs. Eliza A. Brown, first wife of Nathan Brown, and infant of the same. Mrs. Brown died July 21, 1854, child August 16, 1854. The following are the names of some of the old settlers in and about Dakota who are buried in the above graveyard : Susan, wife of Caleb Inman, died July 21, 1880, aged 70 years ; Mary, wife of C. S. Guynnup, died December 16, 1876, aged 58 ; Reynold H. Brown, died March 30, 1870, aged 72 ; Charles Brown, died July 17, 1870, aged 79 ; Alvina, wife of B. J. Moore, died November 4, 1875, aged 47 ; Anna J. Cleveland died July 2, 1878, aged 67; Phebe A., wife of Simon Mott, died September 27, 1861, aged 77; Sarah, wife of Leonard Helsaple, died September 16, 1880, aged 66.

The first school of any kind was a select school taught in the township in the winter of 1856-7. The name of the teacher cannot now be ascertained. The school was taught where the village of Dresbach now stands. In the winter of 1858-9 was taught another subscription school by a teacher by the name of Charles Omsted. The first public district school was taught in Dresbach the winter of 1859-60 by Harlow Colsten at $25 a month. The people had by private subscription built a schoolhouse, but the winter being very severe the house was too cold to hold school in it, so the school was taught in a private house. There were thirty-five pupils enrolled. School board - G. B. Dresbach and Rufus Reed. The first public school in Dakota under district organization was taught by Miss

Ellen Young in 1S60. The school was held in Nathan Brown's trading shanty. There were eight scholars and the teacher. The latter received $12 per month. The township has always been active in her educational interests. She has gone from her trading shanties and log cabins to large, commodious schoolhouses.

The organization was effected at B. J. Moore's house, one-half mile west of Dakota. The names of those present, and who became members of the organization, were John Cramer and wife, James Fletcher and wife, and B. J. Moore and wife. As a number of the members of the above organization moved away, the meetings were discontinued for awhile. There were no churches then in this part of the county, so their meetings were conducted in shanties and private houses. Soon after the above meetings were discontinued the township became settled with a church -going people with ilo public worship. A new organization was formed in April, 1861, and called the Dakota and Dresbach class. The same organization is in effect yet, with a class at each of the above places. The organization has a membership of thirty-one, with B. J. Moore leader at Dresbach and Miss Lucinda Winters leader at Dakota. G. W. Barnette, of LaCrescent circuit, pastor at both places. The first Sabbath school of the township was organized by Rev. John Hooper, in a claim shanty, just below where Dakota now stands, with B. J. Moore superintendent. Here the children, now grown to manhood and womanhood, were gathered from Sabbath to Sabbath to learn those eternal truths taught their parents. The school was conducted by the Methodist Episcopal church, and had about twenty scholars. A union Sabbath school was organized in Dresbach in 1860, with E. G. Buck superintendent. The school is now under the supervision of the Methodist Episcopal church, with Godfreid Widmoyer superintendent. There is an attendance of about fifty-five. In 1879 a union Sabbath school was organized out of the old Methodist Episcopal Sabbath school of Dakota, by Rev. John Bally, with B. J. Moore superintendent. The school has an attendance of forty-five, and is in a prosperous condition.

November 18, 1881, a society under the name of the Dakota Mite and Church Society, was organized, with D. N. Gilliland president. Miss Lucinda Winters vice-president, Miss Mary Robillard secretary, and Miss Anna Eliza Lee treasurer. The society was

The Sons of Temperance were organized in Dakota in 1878, with Peter Lee W.P., Alex. Necmiet secretary, Alfred Purdy treasurer, and Gardner Lee sentinel. The society flourished for three years, and accomplished a good work.

Sickness

In May and June, 1882, the village of Dakota was visited by the most severe and alarming sickness that ever struck this healthy little town, Charley Dalton, while on a trip west of St. Paul, caught what was supposed to be the measles. After returning home he came down very sick. In a few days the whole town became helplessly prostrated. Physicians were called, who pronounced it the measles and a slight form of the scarlatina. For lour weeks every fainily in town was so stricken there were not enough well to wait on the sick. The families most severely bereaved were Messrs. D. W, Peters and James Wilkinson's. Three of Mr. Peters' little girls - Carrie, Zolie and Hattie May, died within three weeks. Scarcely had the people returned from the grave of the latter of these little girls when the town was again thrown into mourning by the death of Joey Wilkinson, a little boy about four years old; and still another gloom by the death of a sister. The sickness spread to the surrounding vicinities, and was very severe in some families. The people had just recovered from the above when the death of Miss Sadie Sullivan, of Dakota, was announced. She had been sick some time with consumption. She was buried in the Catholic graveyard in Pine Creek.

Ashel Pearse was the first inhabitant to locate where the village of Dresbach now stands. He built his first log cabin in 1853, near the river, just where the Johnston and Sherwood's brickshed now stands. The log cabin has been moved just below the briekyai-d, and is now used as a cow-stable. While Pearse was building his cabin he was stopped by the Wabasha Indians, who looked upon the whites as intruders on their rights. After the Indians became reconciled, Pearse resumed his building and finished several log cabins.

First Roau

the township, up and down the river. This was changed to a state road, soon after the admission of the state, and finally into a county road, under the county road statute.

While Joseph Maynard, one of the original members of Dresbach, was hauling a load of corn-fodder, his team became frightened and ran away, upsetting the load on Mr. Maynard and breaking his leg. He lingered for several weeks, but died from the effects ot his injuries, November 19, 1865. In April, 1878, Joseph Hoffman, a young man, accidentally fell oft a log, at Dakota, and drowned in the Mississippi. In 1881, Jimmy McClane, while crossing the river at Dresbach. accidentally fell from his skiff and was drowned.

Grain Shipped From Dakota

The following figures show the amount of grain shipped from here annually since the railroad was built : 20,000 bushels of wheat, 7,000 bushels of barley, 4,000 bushels ot oats.

Depot Agents

The following persons have, been depot agents at Dakota : Harvey Gates, J. B. O'Neil ; D. C. Sheehan came in the fall of 1879, and remained until fall of 1881, when P. J. Sheehan, the present agent, succeeded him.

First marriage in the village of Dresbach was J. W. Tibbets and Catharine Isilla (Maynard) Tibbets. Marriage ceremony was performed by Elder Card, Baptist minister of La Ci'osse.

Justices Of The Peace

The judicial history of the township begins with the election of Z. M. Caswell, fii-st justice of the peace, in 1856. First court convened in Judge Caswell's office, in October, 1857. Next justice after J ustice Caswell, and first under township organization act, was Terrence McCauly. He held the office twelve years. James Fletcher was also justice during part of the time McCauly held the office. Succeeding justices McCauly and Fletcher, William Patton, formerly of New York, was elected to the bench, who occupied the seat six years, when he was succeeded by the election of E. S. Burns and G. B. Dresbach, Sr., to the honorable position which they have held for six years, and who yet occupy the triVjunal bench of the township.