Foster Township

Location

This township embraces that portion of the territory of Faribault county, which is described in the government surveys as town one hundred and two (102) north, of range twenty-four (24) west.

It is bounded on the north by Clark township, on the east by the township of Alden, in Freeborn county, on the south by Kiester township, and on the west by the township of Brush Creek.

Physical Description

The average elevation of the town, above the level of the seais about twelve hundred feet, but there is one point on the south line of the town which is about thirteen hundred feet. The drift here is from 110 to 150 feet, probably, in depth to bedrock. A morainic belt of "boldly rolling hillsof from fifty feet to seventy -five feet high, extend from section 28 to the north and northwest, by Rice Lake, where they occupy a width from one-half to one mile on each side of the lake," and thence tend northwest to west and north line of the town. The general surface of the land may be designated as rolling prairie, and affoi'ds a fair proportion of hay, pasturage and tillable lands. The soil is deep and fertile.

There are several small streams, one named Joaes' Creek, and several slough runs in the town, which are the heads of the east branch of the Blue Earth river. There is also a very beautiful lake in the town known as Rice Lake, which is about a mile and a half long, and half a mile wide. What native timber there is in the town is found on the margin of this lake, and some of it is very good. This vicinity was in times long gone by, a great resort of the Indians for hunting, fishing and gathering wild rice, which grain once grew in abundance here. There is a wild Indian legend of love and abduction, romantic and tragic, connected with this lake, but we have not the space to record it here.

The people of this town have not been indifferent to the importance of setting out groves of forest trees, many of which are found in the town. And here it should not be forgotten, that there are in this town some fifteen very find living springs, and that water, pure and good, is easily found by digging, or boring, in any part of the town.

First Settlement

The first settlers of this township were Abraham Ackerman and J. O. Jones, who located in the town June 7th, 1856. Mr. Ackerman settled upon the N i of SE i and S i of NE \ of section eight. Mr. Jones took a claim on the same section. Ackerman said that their principal occupation during the summer was killing mosquitoes and muskrats.

The Messrs. Ackerman and Jones, were, originally, residents of the state of Illinois. They removed from that state to Iowa, where they remained a short time and then came to Minnesota.

Abraham Ackerman was for many years one of the most prominent and enterprising men of the town. He was married, and had four children. He became the owner of much land, and made many valuable improvements. He died in 18S2. Daniel J. Ackerman died in December, 1864.

The following list copied fi'om the census rolls, of tha national census, taken in June, 1860, exhibits the names of all persons residing in the town at that time.

Ackerman - Abraham, Mrs. Elmira, James. (The names of Abraham, and his wife, do not appear on the census roll, as they were temporarily absent at the time.) Burmester - Henry, Mrs. Eliza, Henry. Dowytes - William, Mrs. Lorancy, Martha, William, Laura. GoM;/ - Stephen. JfiHer - Henry, Jr., Mrs. Mary, Henry. Miller - Reary, St., Mrs. Laura, John, Frederick. <S'eaton - L. C, Mrs. Mary, Wallace, Frank. iriZcci; - James, Mrs. Susanna, James, Louisa. TFai«er--William.

The Name

This town was named Poster, by the special commissioners, ia 1858, in honor of Dr. Reuben R. Poster, one of the earliest settlers of the county, but never a resident of this town.

Dr. Foster was born in .lellerson county, state of New York, in 1808. He removed, with his parents, in 1815, to the city of Bangor, state of Maine. In 1831 he was married, and soon after commenced the study of medicine. In 1846 he emiRratefl to Janesville, Wisconsin, and from thence, in 1848, to Rocicford, Illinois. During these years he was extensively engaged in the sale of drugs and in the practice of medicine. From Rockford he removed to Monona, Iowa, and from thence, in 1856, to Walnut Lake townsliip, in tliis county. His design was to quit the practice of medicine and go largely into the business of stock raising, for which his new location afforded great facilities, l)ut meeting with some severe losses, lie removed, in the spring of 1858, to Blue Earth City, in this county, where he resided for some nine or ten years, busily engaged in the practice of medicine. He was the first resident i)hysician of the village. The doctor holds one of those dressed sheep skins, which physicans, more than all other professional men. seem to covet, on which is inscribed, in medical Latin, a certificate of proficiency, and is known by the name of diploma.

He removed from Blue Earth City to Jackson, Minn., in 18G9, and from thence to Heron Lake, Minn., and, in 1876, returned to his old home in Blue Earth City, to spend the last years of an active and eventful life. After residing at Blue Earth City for some years, he removed to St. Paul, where he since died.

It may be well to note here, incidentally, that there are six or eight post-offices in the United States, and a county in Dakota, named Foster. There have also been several quite distinguished men of this name, notably. Bishop Poster, of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in the United States.

Organization

This town was attached by the special commissioners in 1858, to Brush Creek township, for civil purposes, and was set off by the county commissioners on the sixth day of September, 1864. An election for town officers was held September 24th, 1864, at the house of A. Ackerman, when the town commenced its career as a separate and independent township.

The several town offices were filled in 1879, the last year of this sketch, by the following persons: Supervisors, A. Ackerman, chairman, H. Steinhau.«r and G. Martin; town clerk, J. H. Burmester; treasurer. P. Miller; assessor, W. O. Payne; justices of the peace, C. S. Dunbar and A. Joyner; constables, A. Robinson and W. Reichenberg.

Items Of Interest

The headquarters of the town, so to speak, is on Rice Lake, where there is a post office named Banks, a store, hotel, blacksmith shop, school house and several dwellings. This hamlet has been

Religious services were held here at an early day. The Evangelical Association has a very strong congregation in this town, and a church building at Banks.

This town has furnished to the public service a county commissioner, L. C. Seaton ; and a representative in the State Legislature, C. S. Dunbar, prior to the close of this history, 1879.

Hon. C. S. Dunbar

Mr. Dunbar is a native of New York. He was born May 16, 1831, at Seneca, Ontario county. He came West with his father in 1846, to Rocl< county, Wisconsin. He remained in Wisconsin until 1850, when he went to Calit'ornia, where he remained four years. He then returned to his home in Wisconsin, and was married, in 1854, to Miss Helen M. Thomas. They have had ten children. He came to Freeborn county, Minnesota, in 1858. In 1861 he became a resident of this county, locating in Foster township, where he has ever since lived, engaged in farming. In 1863 he enlisted in Company K, Second Minne.sota Cavalry, and served until May, 1866, when he was honorably discharged and returned home. He held various local offices, among which was that of justice of the peace, which he has held since 1868. He was elected a member of the lower House of the State legislature, in 1875, and served in the Centennial session of 1876. His political views are in harmony with the principles of the republican party.

Some Statistics

From the assessor's returns in 1879, it appears that there were in the town, horses, 239; cows, 306; other cattle, 347; mules, 3; sheep, 333; hogs, 222; wagons and carriages, 71; sewing machines, 17; organs, 5.

The following list embraces the names of manv persons, who were residents of this town prior to the close of 1~79. most of whom have not already been mentioned: