Medford City

Medford City

The town of Medford is only three miles in extent from north to south and six from east to west, embracing only eighteen sections of land instead of thirty- six, about three fourths of which is covered with timber. Nearly all on the east side of the Straight river is covered witk a good growth of fine timber suitable for lumber or rails. The soil of the timber land is of a black sandy loam, very deep, with a clay subsoil, adapted to all kinds of cereals or vegetables. On the west side of the river the soil is of a lighter loam and produces the best quality of wheat, though not always of the largest yield. The town is well watered by the Straight river running through it from south to north, as well as several smail streams that flow into it. - There is one fine water power on the river as yet unimproved, and a steam saw mill in successful operation, owned by the Abbott Brothers.

The first claims were made in the summer of 1853, by Smith and Orlando Johnson, A. L. "Wright, L. M. Howard Chauncey Lull, '?7ho staked ofi" their claims, and in September Mr. Howard turned over the first prairie sod in what is now Steele County. The Messrs. Johnson commenced breaking on their claims that fall, but did not build their houses or remove their families to this place till the following spring. Messrs Wright and Lull built a log house in which they spent the winter, which was probably the first abode for civilization within the limits of the county. In the winter or .early spring of 1854 John Sanborn brought his family with him and located in the southern part of the town, Mrs. Sanborn being the first white woman to find a home in that vicinity. Mrs, Wm. K. Colling was the next white woman to take up her residence in the infant colony, which she did in the following spring. Soon after her arrival she gave birth to a son which was the first birth of a white child in either town or county. The first marriage that was solemnized in Medford was that of A. L. Wright and Miss Pheboe Ann Hays, Rev. 0. A. Thomas sealing the contract with the authority and sanction of the church. Mr. "William Woolford w^s the first to embark on the voyage '

In the spring of 1856 Miss Flora Sawyer, now Mrs. Isaac Sanborn, opened a select school in one room of her father's house, which was the first public efibrt at teaching the youth of that town how to climb the hill of science. - Religious services were held as early as 1854, Mr. Wm. Colling, a man of real practical piety, though not an ordained minister, frequently gathered his neighbors together and explained the scriptures, exhorting his audienee to live sober and useful lives. At a meeting of the settlers to consult upon a name wherewith to christen the town Mr. Colling said that he had a son who was born on board the ship Medford, and was named Medford in honor of the ship and proposed that the town should be named Medford in honor of the boy, which proposition was unanimously adopted.

Medford was organized on the 11th of May, 1858, and commenced the exercise of her new powers by the election of the following town officers:

Treasuerr: Edwin Drake. Overseer of Foot: E. Sanborn. Justices: K. Prescott, Joel L. Pound. Constables: D. T. Eastman, S. M. Freeman. Since that time the following named persons have served the town in the capacity of Chairman of Supervisors and Town Clerks:

W. P. Bissell. In the fall of 1857 Smith Johnson wbs elected to the Territorial Legislature. B. F. Melvin was elected County Treasurer in 1862 which position he has held till the present time, having been twice re-elected. 0. Bartholomew has been County Commissioner^since 1865.

In the spring of 1858 the town officers let a contract to B. F. Melvin and J. P. Eideout to build a bridge across the Straight river, for the sum of $900, the County to pay $600, on condition that the town of Medford should pay the other $300, 0. Bartholomew and others were sureties that the town would pay this sum, and on the 19th of June a special town meeting was called to take formal action for the town to assume the liablilaty. The vote stood 42 for paying the debt to 38 against it.

In 1862 the report of the Town Treasurer, as to the Liabilities of the town was as follows: " The Town owes not one dollar, that we know of and there remains in the hands of the Treasurer a ballance of $218,68," the proposition to purchase the School house on the west side of the river for a Town House, but the project failed and in 1867 the building was bought by the Free Will Baptist Society and removed to the east side of the river and fitted up for a Church, which by an arrangement with other denominations is now used as a Union Church.

In 1862, at the iinae of the Indian massacres on the frontier, the people of Medford became somewhat excited ia relation to their own safety, and the town appropriated $5 to purchase powder to burn in their defence, and for some time pickets were stationed about the town. But as the Indians very wisely confined their operations to the more remote settlements, the powder was burned to celebrate the fall of Richmond or the capture of Jeff. Davis.

In 1866 the spring floods carried away the bridge across the river, and in May a special town meeting was held to authorize an appropriation to build a new one. A majority decided in favor of the project, and a committee consisting of Smith Johnson, L. M. Howard, George Hankerson, W. Wilkins and Alfred Sanborn, were appointed to select a location that would be most favorable to the building, and the best accommodate the people of the town. The committee selected a point about forty rods above the old one. The report of the committee was adopted, and an appropriation of $1,500 made to pay the cost ; the county appropriating $1,000, making $2,500 in all. Another special meeting was called and the vote on the report of the committee reconsidered, and it waa decided to build on the old location, and on motion of Smith Johnson, an appropriation of $500 additional was made to the fund. The contract was let to a Mr. Alden, who cominenced th » work but failed to go through with it, and the town board finished it. Another ipccial meeting was called in July to add $650 more to the bridge fund, and thia sum proving insufficient, a further appropriation of $500 was made in the November following, making a sum total of $4,150, which completed a fine structure that will probably withstand the efi'ects of any floods that will be likely to visit that region. In the summer of 1855 the Messrs. Abbott Brothers built a fine steam saw-mill, which furnished most of the lumber for the new town. The mill was removed after running a year or two. In 1866 Messrs. Melvin, Rideout and Hall built a fine saw-mill a short distance below the village site, which, after being run for two or three years, was burned. In 1865 Messrs. Abbott and Merrill built another steam sawmill which is still in successful operation.

The first store was built in 1856 by Alfred McKinney, who put in a stock of goods the same season. The same year Smith Johnson built a hotel and furnished it for the accommodation of the traveling public. After the expiration of the Owatonna Begister the office was bought by Messrs. Sully & Francis and removed to Medford, where a paper was started, called the Medford Valley Argios, sometime in the fall of 1858. Mr. Sulley soon sold his half of the establishment to James R. Lucas, who, after continuing the publieation for a few months, sold his share to H. M. Sheetz, and Messrs. Sheetz & Francis removed the office to Owatonna. This is the only newspaper enterprise ever started in the town.

The privations that attended this new settlement were much such as attended other towns. Hardships and inconveniences in various ways were met with and overcome with such energy as is only begotten of pioneer life. At one time, soon after the arrival of Mr. Howard and his family, Mrs. Howard was taken sick, and as there was no physician near on that side of the river, Mr. Howard swam the river and went some distance and procured advice and medicine for his sick wife. At another time a man came to the usual fording place to cross, .but the river was so swollen by recent rains that it was impossible to ford it, and as the man could not swim the case seemed desperate, as there was no boat to be had. But westerners never stand idly by while any one is in need of assistance, and Smith Johnson, taking with him a rope, swam over the river and attaching the rope to the stranger swam back again to the other side, towing him alongside.

The village of Medford is located iu a beautiful little valley, through which flows the Straight river, and contains fifty- three dwelling houses, five stores, one hotel, two blacksmiths, two wagon shops, one shoe shop, one attorney and a post ofiice.

The village also^contains a fine two story Union school house, erected at an expense of about $3,000; also two churches - the Union church and the Congregational - the latter of which was built and dedicated in 1864 and immediately furnished with a bell. The church w;as organized in 1856 with fourteen members, by Rev. Ozro A. Thomas, who remained as pastor till 1863. The present membership is 47, Rev. Edward Brown, poster.

The culture of fruit trees has received considerable attention. Mr. A. A. Hubbard has a fine nursery, with choice native and imported trees and shrubs, that seem to indicate a maturity of fruitfulness.

Clinton Falls

near where is now the center of the town, and the following winter erected a house for his family, and soon had them domiciled with him, ready to try the pleasures of pioneering on the Minnesota prairies. The summer previous Dr. Wm. W. Finch, as ore of the commissioners appointed to survey and locate a road from St. Paul to the Iowa line, via the valley of the Straight river, had succeeded in getting the work so far accomplished as to have the ground explored and way-marks erected at intervals to guide the immigrants in their course. This was of vast benefit to those who were seeking homes in the interior, as they could then, by crossing the Mississippi at Prairie du Chien, proceed with teams and cattle directly through the country to their destination, where they had before been obliged to go up the river to St. Paul and from there into the interior. Soon after Mr. Adams settled Mr. David Sanborn, who had selected a claim sometime in the summer of 1854, came and took possession and brought his family with him. They were soon followed by Dr. W. W. Finch, Jas. W. Finch, Isaac Sanborn, Francis Adams, James and Sanford Hays and others, making quite a settlement in the course of the year 1855.

In 1856 Dr. Finch commenced building a dam across the Straight river, for the purpose of securing sufficient water power to operate mill machinery, but one half interest to two brothers, named Williamson, who were to build a grist mill, and Dr. Finch a saw mill ; the grist mill to be completed within a year. But the Messrs. Williamson failing to get the grist mill completed, Dr. Finch sent to Chicago and procured a run of stone, or what is called "a portable mill,'' and put it in operation in his saw mill. This mill was truly a God-sead to the settlers, who had frequently been under the necessity of resorting to their coffee mills to manufacture their meal to make bread. Wheat thus ground was very appropriately called meal, as it could not be reduced fine enough to be called flour. In 1857, Hon. G. W. Green, from Beaver Dam, in Wisconsin, purchased an interest in the grist mill and it was pushed forward to completion, under the faithful superintendence of Moses Hutchinson, the only practical millwright this section of country then afforded. D. R. Morrison was established as miller, and the housewives of the vicinity soon began to manufacture their snowy wheaten loaves out of flour of home production. In a short time Judge Green purchased the remaining interest of the Messrs. Williamson, and still owns and operates the mill. The mill has two run of stone, with a capacity of about 500 bushels per day. In 1863 the saw mill was purchased by Mr. Green who still owns it.

The first birth that occurred in Clinton Falls was that of Frank Adams, a son of Avery W. Adams, on the 6th of April, 1855. In the spring of 1856, David Morrison, an old gentleman and father of D. R, Morrison, died ; this being the first death of a white person in the town. The marriage rites were first performed for the benefit of Mr, William A. Williamson and Miss Lucretia Finch, daughter of James M. Finch. The first school was taught in the summer of 1856, in a small house owned by Dr. Finch, by Miss Mary Morrison, now Mrs. Charles Williamson, The first religious service was held by Rev. T. R. Cressy at the house of David Sanborn, in the spring of 1856. The town was organized in 1858. The number of votes cast at the first election was thirty-five ; Geo. W. Green was elected Chairman of Supervisors, and Geo. E. Rex, Clerk. The follow, ing named persons have served the town in the capacity of Chairman of Supervisors and Town Clerk since its organization :

T. B. Chase, 3 years A. C. Finch. The town has been represented in the Territorial Legislature by 0. A. Thomas and G. W. Green, The first church bell in the county was purchased by the Ladies' Sewing Society of Clinton Falls, in June, 1863. In 1867, the peo- . pie voted to build a good and substantial bridge across the Straight river, and raised by tax $2,000, and the county giving $1,000 more, a covered bridge was erected, with solid abutments and spanning the entire width of the rivei . An extensive stone quarry lies on the west bank of the river, which is said to be superior for building or burning into lime to any other found in this section of country. The business of the place now consists of one store, owned by Dr. W. W. Finch ; one hotel, one grist mill and one saw mill, owned by Judge Green ; one blacksmith shop operated by Isaac Tuttle ; one lawyer, G. W. Green ; and one physician. W. W. Finch. The Methodists have built a neat and comfortable parsonage for the pastor's residence, the present of whom is Kev. W. P. Coffin. Rev. Mr. Williams is pastor of the Baptist church. Both denominations hold service in the school hotise, there being no house of worship yet erected.