Freeborn City

Freeborn City

This township has a name identical with that of the county. Its immediate surroundings are Waseca county on the north, Faribault county on the west, Carlston county on the south, and Hartland on the east. It is constituted, as are all the townships in this county, of a full congressional township, containing 23,040 acres, known in legal parlance as township 104, range 23. Free¬ born is principally a prairie town, not so much inclined to be rolling as most of the towns, but level and in places marshy. The lakes are surrounded by a small growth of the shrubby varieties of timber. The soil is a dark and sandy loam, with a sub-soil of clay and gravel, and almost the entire area is well adapted to agricultural purposes, and has a large cultivated acreage, yielding good crops of the cereals and other products of the latitude, and in the low lands hay is a most valuable crop. The township is well watered by numerous lakes and streams, which diversify the scenery and help make the land valuable for agricultural purposes. First in order should be mentioned the lake bearing the name of Freeborn, which extends from Carlston township, in which a greater part of the lake lies, northward, and covers a few acres of land in section 35, just south of the village of Freeborn. Lake George lies about one mile to the north, in sections 26 and 27. Still further north, in sections 11 and 14, is located another small body of water, known as Spicer lake. Trenton lake covers quite an area in sections 2 and 3, and extends northward into Waseca county. Another body of water, known as Prairie lake, is located in the extreme southwestern part of the town. Two rivers, known as the Big and Little Cobb rivers, traverse the town from the southeast to the northwest, almost parallel, within about two miles of each other, and enter Faribault county.

Freeborn township has a flourishing village of the same name and a little farming community known as Trenton. There are cemeteries in sections 35 and 11.

Cemeteries. When Mrs. E. S. Dunn died in 1858 a place was selected for her burial. Afterward the site was donated for ceme¬ tery purposes by L. G. Pierce. The first plat was filed for record May 7, 1866. It was replatted in 1899, being surveyed by H. W. Fisk. The trustees at that time were George P. Lattin. Wilbur Fisk and 0. S. Gilmore. The present trustees are: President, I. H. Seath ; secretary, O. S. Gilmore ; treasurer, F. M. Snyder ; actuary, G. P. Lattin. There is also a cemetery located in the northern part of the town, in section 11, which was set apart for burial purposes in 1862. The first person buried here was Norman Olin.

Early Settlement. In the early days it was generally agreed that the first settlers in this township were T. K. Page and William Montgomery, who came from Dodge county, Wisconsin, and in July, 1856, located in section 26 and commenced improvements, the former erecting the first house, of logs. They remained sev¬ eral years, when they returned to their former homes. The first permanent settlers came June 13, 1856, and were H. T. Simms, who located on a tract of land in section 10 ; Jeremiah Davis, and son, D. C., who located in section 2. and John W. Avars, who settled in the northern part of the township on sections 3 and 4. Another member of the party was a Mr. Heritage, who remained in the township but a short time and then returned to Wisconsin. This party of pioneers came from Wisconsin in covered wagons, drawn by ox teams, and for weeks after their arrival here they camped in their wagons while rude log houses were being erected. The locality in which these people located is still known as Seventh Day Adventists' Grove. About the same time came E. S. Dunn, long a justice of the peace, who settled in the northern part of the township. Mr. Dunn remained upon this farm until 1857, when he removed to the southern part of the town, and in June took 320 acres of land in sections 34 and 35, under the provisions of the law allowing it for townsite purposes. He lived here until 1881, when he removed to Missouri. September 10, in 1856, came Charles Giddings, Parker Page and L. T. Scott, from Dodge county, Wisconsin, who all settled upon sections 35 and 26. Mr. Giddings remained about six years, when he removed to Fari¬ bault, and from there to Blooming Prairie, Steele county. Mr. Page remained about eight years, when he went to Nebraska. Mr. Scott now lives in the village and is one of the most successful as well as most prominent men. This party came with ox teams, bringing also a few cows. Mr. Scott brought with him his wife, as did Parker Page. Theodore Page had a wife and boy with him, while Mr. Giddings also brought his wife and a small child. Among the pioneers of Freeborn township and vicinity may be mentioned: Stephen Fuller, Jason Goward, John G. Harrison, Henry Olin, Thomas, John B., Alexander and William Purdie, John A. Scroen, John Bostwick, Ezra Stearns, George Snyder, Nathan McQuinney, F. M. Snyder, Nathan McQuivey, W. H. Miller, D. A. Scoville, Charles Scoville, Levi W. Gilmore (in Carlston), Henry Simmons, Geo. M. Chase, E. D. Rodgers, Andrew Aughenbaugh, John Penny, Levi Stearns, C. H. Derby, Morris Stillman, John G. Harrison, George Seath, Alfred Crandall, Rus¬ sell D. Burdick, James Hanson, Francis Drake, Orville S. Gilmore, Ole Johnson, N. P. Stillman.

Historical Sketch. This sketch of the township, prepared by D. G. Parker, president of the Old Settlers' Association, was read by him at their annual reunion in the spring of 1877. Freeborn was settled by T. K. Page and William Montgomery in July, 1856. The former built a house of logs and opened a farm. The same season, being in advance of any other, Clark and West opened a small store in the winter of 1857-58 in the village, but left in the following spring. E. D. Rogers, a blacksmith, was the first me¬ chanic. J. R. Giddings was the first lawyer, and located in 1860. In 1861 J. K. Moore offered his services as the first doctor. The first school was taught at the village in E. S. Dunn's log house by Emeline Allen, in the summer of 1857. The first schoolhouse was built by district No. 13, in the fall of 1858. In 1857 L. T. Scott

February 14, 1857. The first death was that of Emily Dunn, in the fall of 1858. L. T. Scott opened the first hotel and was the first postmaster, the latter in the winter of 1857-58. C. D. Giddings, J. AY. Avars and E. D. Rogers constituted the first board of supervisors, and were elected May 11, 1858. John AA ood was clerk. The first board of school officers were J. S. Rickard, L. T. Scott and C. D. Giddings."

Organization. The township of Freeborn came into existence as an official subdivision of the county at a meeting held for the purpose of organization at the house of E. S. Dunn. Alay 11. 1858. The meeting came to order and Charles D. Giddings was chosen moderator and John AYood clerk. After the usual preliminaries the polls were declared open for the election of officers for the ensuing year, which election resulted as follows: Supervisors, Charles D. Giddings, chairman, E. D. Rogers and John AN . Avars; clerk. John AYood: assessor. Thomas AY. Purdie; collector. John B. Purdie : overseer of the poor, Joseph S. Rickard: constables. John B. Purdie and S. B. McGuire; justices of the peace, Edward Dunn and Henry Olin. In 1865, during the rebellion, a special town meeting was held, at which the sum of $1,800 was voted to pay men who should volunteer to enlist in the service and fill the quota assigned the town, the amount to be issued in bonds as directed by a committee for the purpose.

Early Events. It is claimed that the first birth in the township occurred February 12. 1857. being that of a son of Air. and Airs. L. T. Scott. The first marriage took place in August. 1858. and united the destinies of John AYood and Emily Allen. The first death was that of Airs. E. S. Dunn. Another early death was that of Georsre C. Snvder.

Freeman township is one of the southern tier towns of Free¬ born county, lying contiguous to Iowa on the south, and the town¬ ships of Albert Lea. Shell Rock and Xunda. respectively, on the north, east and west. It is a full congressional township, the greater part of which is under an admirable state of cultivation.

The surface of the township is considerably broken and inclined in places to be very hilly, although there are no bluffs and but few places so abrupt as to be detrimental to agriculture. The soil is variable, but in the greater portion of the town is of a rich dark loam, although not unfrequently a locality is passed where the sand and clay are visible. The water courses of this town are all small, there being only one which is named upon the map. This is Goose creek, which rises west of the boundary and enters by way of section 18, then taking a southeasterly course passes through Grass lake and leaves for Iowa. Another small stream rises in the northern part and flows southeasterly across the northeast corner of the town. Several small streams flow into Grass lake, but have no names, and in the low country are liable to change their courses. Grass lake is a body of water located in the corners of the four southeastern sections in the township.

Freeman township has a small hamlet called Knatvold. There is a cemetery in the central part of section 4. Lutheran churches and cemeteries are situated in the northwestern part of section 16 and in the northeastern part of section 21.

Early Settlement. There has always been considerable ques¬ tion as to the actual first settlers of Freeman township. It is be¬ lieved that the first settlers were John Oldinghouse (variously spelled), Oliver Diamond and Jacob ITostetter, who are said to have arrived in 1855, although the latter did not secure title to land until 1856 and the two former not until 1857. Oldinghouse was a native of Germany, and after spending a time in Wisconsin he came to Freeman township in the summer of 1855 with his family and settled on section 12, where he dug a hole in the ground and covering it with poles and hay, spent the winter here. The following year he removed to section 24. Oldinghouse erected a shanty upon this new farm and made improvements, remaining there about two years, after which he with his family removed to Kansas, where he died soon after. Oliver Diamond came in the fall. He was a native of Vermont and located in the same section with Oldinghouse (24), where, among other improvements, he erected a log house, 16x22 feet. Diamond did not remain long and sold to Charles Grimm. About the same time, in 1855, Jacob Hostetter, a Pennsylvania German, who came direct from Ohio by way of Wisconsin, settled With his wife, four daughters and two boys upon section 1. He erected a log house and commenced improvements, which he continued for fifteen or sixteen years, and then sold.

The spring following the arrival of Hostetter, in March, 1856, Christian Bias, a German, arrived, and settled upon the claim he secured in section 22, .where he remained for a couple of years, when he returned to Illinois. William Edwards, from England originally, but late from Beaver Dam, Wis., arrived on foot in Freeman township September 20, 1856, and took a claim in sec¬ tion 24, where he commenced improvements, boarding in the mean¬ time with Oliver Diamond. His claim was jumped shortly after¬ wards and he took a place in section 22, but finally, in 1857, sold that and took a place in section 3. Just before Christmas, in 1856, Charles Bessinger and Phillip Herman, from Canada, made their appearance and selected homes. Chas. Bessinger selected his domain in section 9 and lived there several years, when he sold to his brother, Morris Bessinger. Phillip Herman planted his stakes upon a fine tract of land in section 13. The year 1856 also marks the arrival of the Freemans, after whom the town is named. John Freeman was born in England, in 1805, and after coming to Amer¬ ica secured an entire section in Freeman township under the pre¬ emption laws for himself and his three sons, William, Robert and Mark. After living for a time in a tent on his claim in section 15, he erected a log house, and here lived for many years. Others who came in 1856 were Joseph Lang, Lars Nelson, John Nelson, Parton Greene, Ruben Wilsey, Joseph E. Marvin, Henry Thurston and William Edwards. Some of these had land in Shell Rock. Other prominent early settlers were Wiffing Wadsworth (who located in Albert Lea township in 1856), Charles Grimm, George Hvatt, B. H. Carter, Kaleb Hull, Louis B. Proebsting, Philip Herman and Lemuel Scoville. William Pickle came in 1859 but later moved to Nunda.

Early Events. Early births in the township were in the Dia¬ mond and Oldinghouse families. In 1858 Wiffing Wadsworth mar¬ ried Sarah Freeman. The infant son of Wiffing Wadsworth died at the age of nine months. Mrs. Wadsworth died in 1860. Louis B. Proebsting and Libbie Banning were married in 1857. In 1859 Sarah White taught school in the residence of Joseph Shaw. Joseph Lang was the first carpenter and mechanic.

Official Records. This town effected an organization as a local government at a meeting held April 2, 1861, at the house now occupied by William Freeman, by the election of the following officers : Supervisors, B. IP. Carter, chairman, William H. Moore and Lars Nelson; clerk, W. Wadsworth; treasurer, Henry Eaton; assessor, William Eaton; school superintendent, J. E. Marvin. After this meetings were held for four years in the same house, and then the schoolhouses were brought into requisition.