Iosco Township

Iosco Township

IIEN Waseca County was lirst oiganized, in 1857, the territory now called Iosco was, together with about all of Janesville, known as the precinct of Empire ; and at the first election, which took place in June, 1857, the polling place was fixed at the hotel of John H. Wheeler, in the village of Empire. N. E. Strong, C. R. Miller and James Haynes were the judges of election. M. S. Green was the first justice of the peace.

At a meeting of the board of county commissioners held April 5, 1858, congressional township 108 north, range 23 west, was set off and organized into the town of Iosco. The place of holding the election was at the house of Daniel Tripp, in the village of Empire, and H. W. Peck, George L. Leonard and David Smith were the election judges.

Early Settlement

The pioneer settlers in what is now Iosco township, were Luke Osgood, Daniel Mc- Daniels and John II. Wheeler. These gentlemen came to Waseca County early in the summer of 1855. In July of that year Mr. Osgood, who had his family with him, erected the first shanty in the town. It was made of rough logs and covered with shakes ; a doorway was cut, but no door was swung in the opening, nor were there any Avindows or floor. His family resided in this until fall, and having lived in a canvas-covered wagon, found it a very comfortable change. Before cold weather set in, however, he put up a better cabin, into which he moved. He sold out some years afterward and moved back east, where he died about 1SS3. Daniel

John H. Wheeler is a resident of Nebraska, whither he removed in the year 1886. His first settlement was on section 29, and there he resided until he sold out, as above stated, to Julius Mittelstadt.

David Wood was the next to settle here after Osgood, McDaniels and Wheeler, commg here in 1855, and is still a resident of section 2, where he first located.

David Wood was born in Sutherland, Scotland, in 1820, and came to America in 1818, having spent the time up to that period in the land of his nativity. He landed at Quebec, and from there went through to St. Lawrence County, N. Y. During that summer he was employed on the American Mail Packet Company's steamers, between Ogdensburg and Lewiston, on Lake Ontario. He then journeyed to New Orleans, from there he returned to northern country, and was employed on the Cleveland & Pittsburg Railroad, laying track, and for four years was section boss. Taking a contract to build some two miles of road on the Pittsburg, Fort AVayne & Chicago Railroad, he was seized with the ague and came to Minnesota, locating on the land he now lives on, preempting the same. He came all the way by ox team, being six weeks on the road. In 1853 he was united in marriage with Susan Somerville, formerly of Virginia, who has Ijeen the mother of five children : David W., now living at home; Mary Ann, now ]\Irs. O'Leary, of Waterville ; Victor R. and

Mr. Wood has held the position of chairman of the town supervisors for about twenty years, and various school-district offices, assisting in organizing the district, and has always taken a prominent part in the town's historJ^

Aaron Hanes came to this county and selected a claim in 1855. He died here in 1859, leaving a wife and four children. James, the eldest son, lives in Le Sueur County; John died many years ago; the younger girl, Charlotte, died about 1884. The other daughter, Elizabeth, was married when they came here.

Jacob Conrad was a German lad who worked for J. H. Wheeler. He took up a claim, but in 1858 sold it to J. H. Wheeler, and left. His parents resided in Ohio, from whence he had come.

J. W. Hosmer, now of the village of Janesville, came to Waseca County in 1855 and settled in this township, but the following year removed to the adjoining township west.

Hubert P. Chamberlain came to Iosco in March, 1856, and making a settlement, has remained a resitlent ever since. H. P. Cliam berlain was born in Sparta, Livingston County, N. Y., April 13, 1833. His parents emigrated from there to Florence, Erie Count}^ Ohio, when he was but a year old. When he was but nine years of age he started for himself. He worked out by the month and day in Ohio until he was about twenty years of age, when he went to Grand Island, Lake Superior, where he worked about one year. He also worked in the Michigan pineries one winter, and started for Minnesota early in the spring of 1855. He came through from Michigan accompanied by his brother Orlando, arriving at what is now the city of Eochester, Olmsted Count}", April 13, 1855. His personal pi'operty consisted of one horse and a small amount of money for his expenses. He made a claim south of Eochester, near Eoot Eiver, put up a cabin, and eight days afterward sold his claim and improvements for $200 to a man named Wilson. Then in company with several others he came to Le Sueur County and located about a mile north of Okaraan, taking a claim. Mr. Chamberlain was married in February, 1857, to Sarah E. Hatch, daughter of Curtis Hatch, one of the pioneers of Blooming Grove. They have had born to them nine children : Alma, born February, 22, 1858; Adelia, August 29, 1860; Eosia, February 15, 1861; Effie, February 18,1864; Angeline, November 5, 1866; William, December 15, 1868 ; Lafayette, March 4, 1871 ; Edgar, March 24, 1875 ; Edward, November 9, 1880, aU of whom are living, six being residents of this county.

William Lee is one of the pioneers of this portion of the county, making his first appearance here in March, 1856. He came here from Hastings, Minn., hunting land. Shortly after this, making a second trip, he found what he wanted and settled here, locating upon the portion of section 6 where he now lives. He is a native of County Wexford, Ireland, born October 15, 1831, and resided in that " beautiful isle of the sea," until 1851, when he left his home for the United States. Landing in New York on the 17th day of March, he only remained in that vicinity about two months and then came west to Milwaukee, and spent about a year in that neighborhood, engaged in farming, railroading and blacksmithing. From there he drifted to Chicago, where he still followed the railroad business. Next we find him at Eockford, 111., where he was which he followed for eight months. In August, 1854, he was united in marriage with Catharine Beahan at Freeport, 111., after which event he came to Minnesota. This was in the fall of 1855. He remained at Hastings all that winter, coming here in the spring as mentioned above. Mr. and Mrs. Lee have been the parents of eight children : Mary Ann, single, at home, engaged in teaching ; Catherine, single, engaged as dressmaker ; Ellen J., now Mrs. Truman, lives at Hector, this State; John, section foreman Cannon Valley Railroad, lives at P>elle Creek, Goodhue County ; Maggie, Susan, James and Emma, at home. Mr. Lee was county commissioner for three years, town clerk, assessor, town supervisor and held several school district offices, now serving as clerk of district 27. He is also trustee of the Catholic Church of Iosco, and a member of the Farmer's Alliance of the county.

John Minske, with his two sons, August and Fred., located here in 1856. The elder Mr. Minske died a resident of this town in 1862, after a long and painful illness, brought on no doubt by the exposure and hardship incident to a new settlement, and to which he was not accustomed in early life. His sons are still living in the townshiji.

With the Minskes came Gottfried Kanne, his three sons, Fred., August and Gottlieb, and his son-in-law, William Martzahn. These all settled in the northeastern part of the town. Mr. Kanne the elder, died here in 1886, the balance are still living. They reached this place on the 25th of May, 1856, and at once broke some sixty acres, twenty on each of the three claims.

Fred. F. Kanne is a native of Germany, born February 10, 1846. When he was but eleven years of age he lost his mother, and the father, with his little family consisting of four children, left the fatherland to come to the shores of the great republic, in 1856, landing at Baltimore after a passage of seven weeks and two days. They came right through to Minnesota, locating near Waterville, Le Sueur County, where the old gentleman took up a claim, and where Fred. lived for ten years. On the 21st of July, 1865, Fred. F. Kanne and Augusta M. Richter, were joined in wedlock, and some time later came to Iosco Township, settling upon section 1, where he now resides. Mrs. Kanne's father and brother were killed by the Indians in the outbreak of 1862 ; her mother is also dead. Mr. Kanne has a large farm of 270 acres of fine land, good buildings and is one of the thrifty and prosperous farmers of whom any county may well feel proud. He has held the office of town supervisor and various others in the school district. He is the inventor of a patent collar pad for horses, which received honorable mention at the New Orleans exposition in 1885. Mr. and Mrs. Kanne are the parents of eleven children : Albert J., Otto F., Anton, deceased; Emma L., Anna M., Lydia M., Theodore E., Martha A., Wesle}' B., George G. and Karl II. Albert is at Waterville and is a clerk in the bank. AU the others live at home except Emma, who is attending school and lives with her grandfather in Waterville.

David Hutchinson, Thomas Bishop and Thomas Gibson made settlements within this precinct in 1856. Mr. Hutchinson is now a citizen of Red Wing, this State ; Mr. Gibson, who located on section 28, after livino- there for a few years moved back to Illinois, where he died. Mr. Bishop emigrated to Colorado.

John Reed, after whom Reed's Lake in this township was named, was a veteran of the war of 1812-15, who came here in 1856. He was the father of seventeen children by two wives, five boys of whom were in the service during the late war. He died at Morristown not many years since.

Richard Toner settled on section 16, in the fall of 1856. He was mixed up in the Hagadorn case, but there being.no evidence against him the jury acquitted him. He was born about 1813. On the 27th of August, 1878, his house was burned to the ground, and in spite of the strenuous efforts made by his son and others, he could not be rescued, and miserably perished in the flames. A daughter of William Kanne was also burned at tlie same time. She was a young girl and was living there at the time as a domestic.

During- this year (1856) quite a number of settlers arrived in this part of the county, among whom were H. W. Peck, George L. Leonard, Daniel Tripp, H. D. Baldwin, Benjamin W. Gifford, A. A. Gotten, Nelson and Henry Thwing, William Long and his sons, Seth W. and George; M. S. Green, Alnieran Wilsey, James Chad wick and Spencer J. AVillis.

Henry Peck, who was the fii'st to hold the office of county surveyor, was interested in the town site of tlie embryo village of Empire, but after the failure of that place to secure the seat of justice for the county and its subsequent downfall, Mr. Peck went back East.

Benjamin Giff'ord was also one of the proprietors of the town site of Empire. He Anally went back to Wisconsin. Later he returned to this county and remained a short time, tlien moving to Elysian, Rice County, where he died about 1885.

the larger part of the selling, no small job, for this was quite an extensive town on paper. On the collapse of the enterprise he left the county.

Henry Thwing after a few years' residence here removed to the western part of the State, where he is now living. Nelson Thwing is a i^esident of Janesville Township now.

M. S. Green owaed a farm adjoining the town site of Empire, and resided there for many years. Later he sold out and moved to Iowa, where he died.

Spencer J. Willis lived at the village of Empire working at his trade, that of carpenter. He afterward removed to Wilton, and for four years filled the office of clerk of the court. Some j'ears ago he removed to Washington, where he has been in one of the depai'tments as clerk ever since.

Jacob Hagadorn, the victim of the first murder in the county, came here in tlie fall of 1856 and settled in the village of Empire. After his death, in October, 1857, his family moved away.

Peter Farrell, the murderer of Hagadorn, came here in the spring of 1856. He was a man given to drink, and, when full of the intoxicating fluid, apt to grow boisterous. At the election of 1857, being full of whiske}'^ and frenzy, he killed Mr. Hagadorn, a quiet against whom he It was said at the time that it was his intention to slay some one else, and that, blinded by drink, he made a mistake. He was arrested, sent to Stillwater for security until he could be tried, but broke jail and left the country. He was seen or thought to have been seen at New Orleans, during the war. It is tliought now that he is a resident of Chicago, and has been for some time.

David Coddington and his son A. H. came to this township from New York State, in 1857, and took up claims, and remained here until 1861, when they moved over into Janesville. David Coddington died a resiand inoffensive neighbor had no grudge

Myron S. Sheldon came to this township in 1857. He was born in Monroe, Vt., in 1831, and was united in marriage at North Adams, Mass., Decemljer 25, 1855, with Mary E. Babcock. They were the parents of four children ; Inez, tlied in infancy ; Edwin II., also deceased ; Ida B. and Arthur M., living at home with their mother. Mr. Sheldon lived here from the time he made his settlement until 1S64-, when he enlisted in Company H, Third Minnesota Infantry, and went to Fort Snelling. From there they were ordered south, and at Little Ilock, Ark., was taken sick, came home on furlough and died at Waterville, January 21, 1865. His son, Arthur M., is second lieutenant of Hancock Camp, No. 20, Sons of Veterans.

Martin Miller is also among the settlers of the year 1857, coming to this township, where his father preempted some land, where Martin now lives. Martin Miller was born in Prussia, April 7, 1837. In 1856, the family, consisting of the father and four children, the mother having died years previous, left the old home beyond the sea, and came to America, to make a new home in " the land of the free." They landed at New York but came straight west as far as Chicago. Martin worked for one year in Lake County, Ind., and then the family came to Minnesota, and to Waseca. In 1864 Martin Miller and Mary Kaplisky were united in marriage. She was a native of the empire of

Bohemia. They have had eleven children : Barbara, Joseph, Lizzie, Mary, IVIollie. Anna, Henry, Charles, Clara, John and Ellen, all of whom are at home exce])t the eldest, who lives at Faribault. His father died in Indiana, July 23, 1883; his brother Jose])h lives near by him, and all of his sisters have left here, one being in German3% one in Chicago and one in Indiana. His daughters are liberally educated, Mary having attended the central high school at Faribault.

Hugh Ilealey came to this township in 1857, and made a settlement on section 7. He is a native of County Mayo, Ireland, born in September, 1821. He lived in that island with his parents for some twenty-eight years on a small farm, Ijut in 1849 he left his native shcn-es ami came to America, landing in New York, March 31 of that year. Fi'om that port he \vent to Pike, Luzerne and Wayne counties, Pa., where he lived several years. December 14, 1852, at Honesdale, Wayne Count}', he was united in marriage with Sarah Coleman, whose parents were natives of Ireland. From the last named place he came to this countv, and settled in this town as detailed above, in April, 1857. After living on the piece of land on section 7, he sold it, and bought his present place on sections 15 and 16. He has l)een closely identified with the educational interests of the district in which he lives, having held man\' of the school offices, and was town treasurer for two years. He has a fine farm of 160 acres of land, 100 of which is under a high state of cultivation. Mr. and Mrs. Healey are the parents of eleven children : Thomas, living in Dakota ; John, at home ; Mary, J[rs. Dreever, living in this town; Catherine, Mrs. Lansing, of Waseca; Sarah, at home ; Fi-ancis, at La Crosse, Wis.; Josephine and Sidney at home ; Luke died 1871 ; Elizabeth, died 1873, and Maggie, who who is home.

Representative Citizens History Of Waseca Cottntt

Philip Purcell, the present chairman of the board of county commissioners, is a native of Ireland, born in the County Tipperai'y, December 15, 1840. Six years later the family, consisting of his parents, two brothers, two sisters and himself, left the " Emerald Isle," and came to the United States. Landing at New York, they came right through to Milwaukee, in the county of which name in Wisconsin the elder Mr. Purcell made a settlement, where his wife died in 1856, and where the old gentleman still resides. Philip was reared in that county on a farm, receiving his education at the usual educational institutions, and later in life taught school there for some ten or twelve years. February, 1870, he and Mary A. Flynn were united in marriage, and shortly after came to Waseca County, where he has since lived, and been closely identified with the official life of the county, serving eight years on the board of commissioners, six of them as chairman. He has also held the office of town supervisor for several years, and is the present clerk of the school district in which he lives. Mr. and Mrs. Purcell are the parents of three children : Mary Agnes, born May 11, 1874 ; Ellen Theresa, February 14, 1870, and Anna Margaret, November 15, 1879, all living at home. He and family are members of the Catholic Church.

Samuel A. Minor was born in Coleraine, Mass., February 8, 1843, and j'esided in the " Old Bay State " for twenty -three years, when he came west, locating at Waterville, Le Sueur County. He was united in marriage at Wilton, with Mrs. Maiy E. Sheldon, widow of Myron S. Sheldon, one of the old settlers of Iosco, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere. There have been no children by this marriage, which took place Febi-uary 23, 1869. His father is still living in Cole- I'aine, where his mother died in 1876. His brothers were : Everett W., married and lives at Turner's Falls, Mass.; Cyrus H., died in 1863 ; William H., now of Waterville, Minn.; James B. and Joseph C, residing in Massachusetts; Winfield S. , at Waterville, Minn.; Uriah D. of Starke, Fla., and Charles D. on the homestead, Massachusetts. His sisters were: Sarah E., died 1870; Fannie E., Mrs. Martin, of Massachusetts. September 2, 1862, Mr. Minor enlisted in Company B, Fifty-second Regiment Massachusetts Volunteers, and served his country in the ranks of her noble defenders. He was in the siege of Port Hudson, and was held in reserve in front of that place twenty-seven days, but was in no open battle. He is a member of N. B. Barron Post, No. 93, Grand Armj' Republic, of Waterville. He taught school in 1866, in the same town, and was the clerk of the First Baptist Church of that village. He has 270 acres of land under line culture, and owns considerable fine graded stock, and has a fine residence.

Martin Plath was born in Germany, December 29, 1825, and resided in that country until he had attained the age of thirty-five years. When he was twenty -three years old he and Caroline Batke were united in marriage, and they have been the parents of nine children : Edward, Charles, Bertha, Pauline, Herman, Otelia and Mollie, twins; Martin and Alvina, all of whom were born in Germany except Alvina, who was born in Waseca County. His parents are both dead, and he was an only child. Mr. Plath and family sailed for America in 1865, landing in Quebec. While crossing the long bridge across the St. Lawrence River, at Montreal, the draw being open to permit the passage of a vessel, the train ran through the opening and Mrs. Plath was severely injured, having her jaw bone broken, and their child, Martin, then but nine months olil, was killed. They came to Wisconsin ami settled in Marquette Count}', where they remained three years and then came to Waseca County, when he purchased the farm on section 26, in this township, where they now reside.

History Ok Waskca Co0Nty

Christiiin Koester is a native of Alsace, France, born July 31, 1832. He remained a resident of "J.a Belle France" until he had reached his majority, in 1853, when he emigrated to the United States, his father having died when he was but eight years of age. On landing in this country he proceeded to Fhiladelphia, and after some stay there and in the vicinity, came west as far as Milwaukee. From there he went to Muskegon, Mich., where he worked for a short time in the first sawmill erected in that place. Soon after we find him on a farm near Watertown, Wis., but ten months later he went to Columbia County, in the same State, and rented a farm and finally bought forty acres of land and lived on it for about si.Y years, when he sold out and came to this county, and in 1864 purchased his present farm on section 29, where he now owns 2fi0 acres of land, 150 of which are under cultivation. He has a good and commodious dwelling and other farm buildings. Mr. Koester was married in 1858 to Catherine Eppingler, who died March 9, 1873, leaving five children : Louis, Laura (now Mrs. Pingel), Frank, Willis and Clara. On March 22, 1874, he was married to Anna Rudolph, who is the mother of three children : Eddie, William and Emil, all of whom are at home.

Ludwig Walter is a native of Schwerin Mecklenburg, Germany, and was born August 10, 1832. He remained in the land of his nativity until his mai'i'iage. In 1854 the young couple embarked for the faraway shores of America. Arriving at New Vork he went at once to Detroit, Mich., and from there went into the pineries and labored the following winter. In the spring he went to Milwaukee, Wis., to see his parents, who had followed their son across the ocean. From there he moved to Waukesha, Wis., and from thei'e to Appleton, and from the latter place came to Owatonna, where he rented a farm in the vicinity and engaged in agricultural pursuits for a year, when he purchased eighty acres of land in the town of Meriden, Steele County, where he remained until 1875, when he purchased the farm on section 21, Iosco, in this county, where he now lives. Mr. and Mrs. Walter are the parents of twelve children : Albert, married and living near; Emma, Mrs. Wendland ; Ida, Mrs. Frederick; William, Sophia, Minnie, Martha, Hannah, Sarah, L3'dia, Ella and Lewis, the latter of whom is dead. Mr. Walter has three brothers, all farmers of the town of Meriden, Steele (Jounty : Frederick, John and Henry ; his sister Minnie, Mrs. Peter, is the wife of the pastor of the Evangelical Society of the same place ; the other sister, Sophia, Mrs. Hensel, lives at Sleepy Eye. His father died at Meriden in 1871, but his mother still lives there. His wife's family consisted of two brothers, John and Christian, and two sisters. Mar}', Mrs. Jarcho, and Minnie, Mrs. Walter. Mr. Walter has a fine farm and a handsome residence, with pleasant surroundings to make him happy.

John McWade came to Iosco Township in 1856, and making a claim on section 25, remained there, proved up and still resides on the old homestead. He is a native of Ireland, born in County Tyrone, December 25, 1829, and remained there until twentj' years of age. Then with his sister Ella, set sail from ihe green shores of the Emerald Isle for America, and after seven Aveeks and three days spent on the passage, landed at Boston. He remained in that city and at Lowell, Mass., for about five years, when he came to this place. In 1855, at Lowell, he was united in marriage with Ann Lynch, whose parents had also come from Ireland. They have been the parents of five children : Frank, living at home ; Margaret, Mrs. James Bowe, living near Waseca; Catherine, deceased ; Theresa, died in infancy, and Mary A., at home. Mr. McWade has filled the offices of town supervisor, town clerk, justice of the peace and all the various ortices of the school district. He has a farm of 280 acres of land and a fine residence. He gives considei'able attention to fine stock, running to graded cattle, Poland-Cliina and Victoria hogs, etc. Mrs. Ann McWade is the daughter of Patrick and Ellen Lynch, who were the parents of six children : Mary, Hannah, Ann, Alice, Kate and John, all of whom are living in Massachusetts except John, who is in the Soldiers' Home at Logus, Me., and Ann, who is the wife of John McWade, of this township. John Lynch enlisted at Lowell, Mass., in October, 1861, in Company B, Twenty-sixth Massachusetts Infantry, and fought bravely in many of the battles of the late war, especially at that of Cedar Creek in 1804, in the Shenandoah Valle\^ He reenlisted on the expiration of his term of service, serving to tlie end of the war, and was honorably discharged.

August Bathke and his family settled in Waseca County in 1864, on section 22, Iosco Township, where Mr. Bathke now has 210 acres of tine land. He is a native of Germany, born May 25, 1825. He resided in the country of his birth for many years, and there he was united in marriage with Caroline Roesky, and they have had born to them eleven children : Charles, August, William, Gusta, Albert, Herman, Fred, Amelia, Martha and Lydia. Fred, is now dead, dying in Minnesota. When they came to America they landed at Quebec, Canada, and from there proceeded to Detroit, where they stayed only two days and then went to Princeton, Wis., where he worked on a farm that summer, and then bought a farm of s xty-five acres of land, and lived there five years. Selling out at the end of that time, he came to Minnesota, and after spending six months at New Ulm, came to thi.s county.

James E. Jones is a native of England, born in the parish of Minsterworth, Gloucestershire, May 20, 1827. Beginning life for himself at the early age of twelve years, his time has been filled with many adventures. Having a longing for tlie sea that girts his native land, he shipped on board of a vessel as ship's l)oy, and followed a sailors life for nearly a quarter of a century, making many voyages ; at one time was pressed into the service of the British P]ast India Company, and served in the military contingent in Hindoostan for four years. In 18fiO he came to America to stay, and located at Milwaukee, which he made his home, being engaged in the duties of seaman on the lakes. Shortly afterward he came to Iosco, Waseca County,where he still resides. June 11, 1863, Mr. Jones and Mrs. Louisa Lafayette were united in marriage. Mrs. Lafayette, who was a widow, had at that time two children : Edgar Lafayette, now at Casselton, D. T., and Minnie L., now Mrs. Brossard. Mr. and Mrs. Jones have had nine children : Fayette, born June 3, 1865, and died at the age of four years; Alice A., born September 3, 1867, and died at the age of sixteen months; Fayette, born May 20, 1869; Wesley, September 3, 1871; Frank, October 6, 1873; AHce, January 14, 1875; George, February 17, 1878; Willie, July 27, 1880, and Roy, February 27, 1882. James E. Jones purchased the place where he now lives, in 1860. It is very pleasantly situated and under a high state of cultivation. Notwithstanding his early education as a seaman, he has made a success of farming, and has achieved a competency.

Henry S. Ballard is a native of Iosco Township, Waseca County, Minn., born September 10, 1862, and has been a resident nearly all the time ever since. Determined to get an education, he attended the Wesleyan Methodist Seminary, at Wasioja, Dodge County, for nearly eight terms, working there at whatever he found to do to pay his tuition and keep, and attending the school whenever he could. He was away from home thus most of the time, from the time he was eighteen until he was twenty -four years old ; but August 31, 1886, his father was hurt by his horse running away, by which he received such injuries that he died after six weeks of suffering. Henry then came home and took full charge of the farm. He has delivered a number of public lectures, including one on the" use of tobacco and six on the prohibition question. His mother, Huldah A. (Wright) Ballard was united in marriage with John Eallard, his father, August 31, 1861. They had a family' of eleven children: Henry S., Mary A., Charles B.,Emma M., David L., Chandler J., Lovell A., deceased; Benjamin L., NelJie Mae and Ellie J. (twins) and Anna H.

Mary Newman was born in Milwaidvce, Wis., December 6, 1845, where she lived with her parents until twenty-six years of age ; in 18Y1 was united in marriage to John Newman, a native of Germany, born May 7, 1831. Soon after their marriage they came to Waseca County, Mrs. Newman's parents bavins: come some time before. Mr. Newman died November 4, 1885. They had born to them eight children : Fred, Anna, William, Gustave and Herman, all living and at home, and three died in infancy.

August Kaiser is a native of Germany, born November 4, 1849. He came to America when nineteen years of age, landing at New York City, and from there went to Wisconsin and worked in Green Lake County about one year; then came to Waseca County, Minn., and worked out for a few years. In 1874 he purchased the farm on which he now resides. The same year he was united in marriage with Augusta Wunderliech in Rice County. They have had born to them six children : George, Ilachel, Adolf, Almon, Eddie and Orlando. Mr. Kaiser has about 315 acres of land, of which 150 is under cultivation. He has four brothers and two sisters living in Minnesota. His farm is in a high state of cultivation and has fine buildings.

James Slattery was born in Montreal, Canada, October 4, 1833, where he lived for many years. In 1878 he settled in Iosco Township, Waseca County, Minn., where he purchased a farm on section 20. In 1863 he was united in marriage to ilary Murphy, also a native of Canada. Thej^ have had born to them four children : Lizzie, Katie, Bridget and Mary A. Mr. Slattery has a brother, a resident of Iosco ; a sister, now Mrs. Blanchfield, lives in Moorhead, Minn. His father and mother both died in Canada some years ago. Mrs. Slattery's parents are both dead. She has two brothers, Henr}' and Thomas, neither of whom are residents of Waseca County, however.

August Wendland came to Waseca Countv in 1868 and located on section 21, where he now resides. He is one of the prosperous farmers of Iosco, and has a fine farm under good cultivation. He is a native of Prussia, born March 4, 1826, and was reared in that countr\'. Like most youths of Germany, he served in the army of his fatherland. January 3, 1850, he was united in marriage with Justina Wendland, by whom he had seven children: Julius, deceased ; Herman, deceased ; August, born December 27, 1857, married to Emma Walter and resides in this town ; Henrietta, born May 27, 1860, now Mrs. Keiser, also of Iosco; Amelia, deceased; John, born December 6, 1862, and Mary, born November 14, 1864, now Mrs. Draham, of Waseca. In 1853, in company with his wife and one child, Herman, he left his native land and came to the United States, and for some years made his home in Wisconsin ; coming to Waseca Count}^ in 1868, he has made it his residence ever since. His first wife died in 1868 ; he was again married to Justina Block, of Mai'quette, Wis., who bore him one child, Henrv, September 8, 1869, who is stiU at home. Both his parents and those of his wife are dead, having died in the old country.

First Things Religious

The German Methodist congregration of Iosco Townslii]) is a part of the church at Waseca, but hold independent meetings at the residence of August Minske, who usually presides. This class was initiated at a series of meetings held at the house of John Minske, in the spring of 1857. No society was formed at that time, they belonging to the church organization in Blooming Grove, but in 1876 this was set off and called Waseca Mission. The class at Mr. Minske's numbers about twenty-five. Sunday school was instituted in 1865 and now has about thirty members.

St. Jarlath Roman Catholic Church is located on section 17, and was erected in 1868, at a cost of about $1,800, but has since been remodeled and finished until it represents a cost of $4,000. It is a very pretty specimen of church architecture and reflects credit upon the community that put it up. The first meeting of the Catholics of Iosco was held at Okaman, in 1858, mass being celebrated by Rev. Father Somerising. This was at the house of John Bradish. The people of this township attended mass at Elysian for the most part, going there to their duties. In 1865 meetings were held at the Murray schoolhouse on section 9. Missionary services were held from this time on until 1868 when the church here was built. At that time the church had some 140 members taking in a part of the Waseca, Janesville and Waterville missions, but now has but about forty members. Rev. Father P. J. O'Neil comes here from Janesville twice a month to attend to the spiritual wants of the community and celebrate mass.

The cemetery in connection with this church was laid out in 1868. The first interment here was that of John Oaks, in the winter of 1868- 9 ; the second, that of John Haley, in April, 1869.

There is a German Methodist Church on section 13, that was built in 1880-81. The first meeting of this societ}' was held at the house of Gottfried G. Kanne, on section 12, in the year 1858. This and subsequent services were held by Rev. Goechtenmier, at various houses, and the society organized. In 1872, when the schoolhouse was built, meetings were held in that until the building of the church.

Village Of Empire

In the spring of 1856 N. E. Strong, George L. Leonard, Daniel Tripp, Benjamin W. Gifford and A. A. Gotten, conceiving that a town in this part of the county would be a good thing, laid out the village of Empire, on the southeast quarter of section 20. II. W. Peck, afterward county surveyor, laid it out and platted it. High hopes were indulged in regard to the new village, and anticipations of having the county seat located there dazzled the eyes of the owners and residents ; but when the seat of justice was located at the rival village of Wilton, Empire gradi\ally lost its prestige and waned and melted away into nothingness. In the language of a local writer, " It rose, reached its zenith and faded away all in the course of two years." Where once the imagination of its partisans expected to see rise stately buildings filled with merchandise, hear busy factories make the air throb with beat of machinery, naught now is seen but nodding grain or bending corn ; streets they hoped to have seen pressed by the feet of huriying multitudes, now resound to the tread of cud-chewing cattle or whistling ploughmen.

The first hotel in this embryo village was built by John H. Wheeler, in the spring of 1856. It was a log building, two stories high and thirty feet square on the ground.

Mr. Long, the father of Seth W., the exsheriflf, brought a sawmill to this village, which was ver}' useful and a great accommodation to the settlers. It remained here for many years, finally being removed to Janesville

'J'hornas Tripp came to this village from Fiinliaiilt, in IHr<7, and erected another hotel, wliieli was run |)artly \ty himself and partly by Daniel 'i'ripp.