Minneapolis City (part 17 of 80)

Thomas Hughes, one of the earl^^ settlers of Pl3Hnouth, was born, in England, November 25tb, 1803. He serv'-ed five years in the British Army, and, in 1849, brought bis famil}^ to America, and located at Burlington, Iowa, until the fall of 1854, when be removed to Minnesota. He settled on the claim in what is now Pl3mioutb, where he resided until his death, which occurred April 4th, 1887. At the time he came, there were no roads, excepting the Indian trails used the Sioux. Mr. Hughes gave his at¬ tention to farming, since his first set¬ tlement, and lived to build up a fine home. He was married, to Hannah Buckell, in England, February 6th, 1825. They have had nine children, two of whom still reside in Pl3miouth. The names of their children were: James, Mar3^ Ann, John, Thomas, Henr3^, Charles, Ellen, Edward and Ellen, second. His son, Thomas, since deceased, enlisted in the Sixth Minne¬ sota Volunteer Infantr3^, in 1861. He served one year and was transferred to Company H, Twenty-Ninth Regi¬ ment, Veteran Reserve Corps, and served until mustered out, at St. Paul, in 1865. He was engaged in the bat¬ tles of Birch Coolie and Wood Lake, during the Indian outbreak.

James Hughes was born, in Eng¬ land, January 2d, 1825. He remained with his parents until arriving at the age of twent3"-one, in the meantime serving an apprenticeship of seven 3^ears at the blacksmith trade. He then went to Wales, and was engaged in Lee's iron works for nine months; tlien returned to England and estab¬ lished a smithing business. In 1852, he came to Burlington, Iowa, and en¬ gaged in business there until March, 1855, when he started for Minnesota, with six yoke of oxen, two cows and one wagon. The journey was pleasatit until they arrived in Minnesota Territor3^ where they found large bod¬ ies of snow, and no roads. He was obliged to leave his fami^^ alone in the wagon one night, while he went in search of food and assistance, dur¬ ing a terrific storm. When he reached Red Wing he had only five oxen and one cow, the others having perished on the route. Shipped from there to St. Paul, sold his cattle, went to St. Anthony, and, in May, 1855, made his claim in Plymouth, where he after¬ wards lived, until his decease. He engaged in farming and smithing until the war of the rebellion. Ju^g 1864, he enlisted in the Eighth, and was detailed as assistant post black¬ smith, at Fort Snelling, where Ee served until mustered out, Ma3G 1865. He was active in all public affairs of the township, and has held nearl3" all its offices. He was married to Eliza¬ beth Hatcher, in England, April, 1848. They have had nine children, of whom six are living: Edward C., Ellen, John, Julia, Thomas and Carrie.

Henry Hughes, son of Thomas Hughes, was born in England, Januar3' 28th, 1835. He came to the United States, with his parents, and was en¬ gaged in blacksmithing, at Burling¬ ton, Iowa. Came, with his parents, to Minnesota, 811 1854, with two 3'oke of oxen, two cows, three horses and two wagons, being twent3"-seven da3's on the road. He worked at blacksmith¬ ing, in Minneapolis, one year, then joined his father, on the homestead, in Pl3'mouth. He was married, Uecember 4th, 1862, to Mary A. Case, of Ohio, who has borne him eight children, seven of whom are living. In July, 1864, he enlisted in the Eighth Minne- sota Infantry, and was mi ered out Ma}^, 1865. Mr. Hugl s ,s a fine farm, and, in connection with it, used to carry on a blacksmithing business.

Charles W. Hughes was born in England, May 2d, 1838. He came, with his parents, Thomas and Hannah Hughes, to America, in 1848. Charles W. remained at St. Anthony, working with Daniel Bassett, one of the first carriage makers in the place, one and one-half years. He and his brother, Henry, made claims, in Benton CountjL and remained one year, but were obliged to abandon them, on account of scarcity of provisions. In the fall of 1859, he built a cai'riage shop, near the suspension bridge, in Minneapo¬ lis, and remained there until 1861, when he enlisted, in Company D, First Minnesota Infantry, and served until mustered out, in May, 1864. He par¬ ticipated in twenty-one engagements, some of them the hardest fought bat¬ tles of the war. In 1864, he joined General Sully's expedition up the Yel¬ lowstone. Returned, in the fall, and worked for the government, at Fort Snelling, till the spring of 1865, when he came to Pl3'^mouth, bought forty acres of land, to which he has since added forty more, and has built up a good home. He married Martha Hatcher, of Hennepin County, May 14th, 1865, who died March 18th, 1882. They had eight children. He buried his wife in one of the real Minnesota blizzards, after which he was in poor health for some time. He sold his farm, removed to Minneapolis, and, after a while, married again, and has since left the State, and is seldom heard from, even by his own brothers.

of three years, his father and family came to the United States, and resided at Burlington, Iowa, until 1855, when they came to Minnesota. Here Ed¬ ward grew to manhood, and farmed, with his father, until November 28th, 1871, when he married Sarah Day, of this town. They settled on their present farm in March, 1873. They are the parents of four children: George, Edward, Ada and Edna.

Joseph Jamme, one of the early set¬ tlers of Hennepin County, was born, east of Quebec, Canada, May 16th, 1814. He lived with his parents, on the farm, until he reached the age of twent3^-four, and, in 1838, removed to the United States, residing in Maine, engaged in the lumber business, near Bangor. In 1853, he came to Minne¬ sota, and spent two 3^ears lumbering, at St. Anthony and on the river. In 1855, he made a claim, of 160 acres, in what is now Pl3miouth, where he lived several years. At first, after re¬ siding one year on his claim, he re¬ turned to Minneapolis and engaged in lumbering, until 1866, since which time he resided in Plymouth, on his farm, until 1882, when he left, and rented it, and removed to Minneapo¬ lis. He was married, in Oldtown, Maine, to Miss Celeste Barber, of that place. They have had nine children, of whom six are living, viz.: Addie F., Clara, Phoebe, Joseph R., Henry C. and Bernard G.

Alexander G. Jardine, a native of Scotland, was born, in A3weshire, on the 8th day of October, 1847. At the age of fifteen, he commenced to learn the blacksmith trade; also worked, for a time, with Randolph, Elder and Compan3L ship builders, of Govan, Scotland. In 1869, he went to Canada, sta3^ed one 3"ear, and then moved to Massachusetts, but afterwards re¬ turned to Canada, and, in 1879, came to Pl3nnouth, and established a black¬ smith shop, where he did a thriving business. October 19th, 1880, he mar¬ ried, in Minneai^olis, Miss Sarah, daughter of William and Ellen Allen, of Scotland. He sold out his busi¬ ness, and was afterwards killed b3''the bursting of a grindstone. His father worked in the shop a while, tlien his brother, John H., took the business, and, after some time, bought a place, on the Watertown road, west of Par¬ ker's Lake, and built a shop, south of the road, and opposite his house. Still later, he bought twenty acres of land, of Morris Connelly, and built a picturesque cottage, with barn and other out houses, and a new shop, south of the road. He and his wife and children not only have a natural taste for music, but have improved it b3'' cultivation. Mention should be made of a tragic accident that hap¬ pened to a man by the name of Denneson, a brother-in-law of the Jardines, who, while digging a well, near the southwest shore of the lake, lost his life, by the caving of the well, bur3dng him in sand. He was dead when the debris was removed.

John H. Jordan, a native of Prus¬ sia, was born Januar3^ 16th, 1845. When seven 3'ears of age, he came, with his parents, to America. The3^ landed in New York, in the fall of 1852, and went to Newark, New Jerse3q for a short time, and, in 1853, moved to Illinois. In the spring of 1855, they came to Minnesota, and made a claim on section 18 of what is now PLmiouth township, where they experienced, of course, their share of the hardships of pioneer life. In JUI3",

1864, Jo IT enlisted in the Eighth Minneso I giment Volunteer In¬ fantry, served nine months, and was mustered out, at Fort Snelling, May 16th, 1865. He returned to the home¬ stead and lived there until his mar¬ riage with Anna M. Widenbach, which occurred in November, 1868. In 1871, he bought the farm which he still cul¬ tivates, though he has since bought land joining the main road, where he has built a new home. Mr. Jordan has been active in all the public af¬ fairs of the town, also in promoting the causes of Christianity and educa¬ tion, as he understands them. He has been Assessor for six years, also Jus¬ tice of the Peace, and School officer a number of 3"ears. At present, he fills the office of Town Clerk, to the satis¬ faction of a majorit3^ of the voters. The3^ have hav^e a number of children, of whom Anna, John and Alexander have reached the age of usefulness.

Mathias Klausman was born, June 12th, 1828, in Baden, Germany. He lived with his parents until twenty 3^ears of age, when he went into the German army, for a time. In 1852, he immigrated to America; sta3^ed in New York a short time, then removed to Ohio, where he was engaged in farming, and freighting for the iron works, until September, 1864, when he enlisted in Compan3' F, One Hundred Eight3^-First Ohio Volunteer Infantr3^, and served until the close of the war. In 1866, he came to Minnesota, and settled on a farm, in Carver County, where he liv'ed seven 3'ears, and then came to Plymouth, and bought ninetyseven acres of land, on the east side of Medicine Lake. In 1874, he bought fift3'^-one acres more, in section 23. He had a fleet of pleasure boats. He has since sold most of his land, and it is included in what is now the village of Minneapolis Park, six miles west of the city. Mr. Klausman married Miss Frances Kreyer, January 12th, 1855. They have three living children, Peter, Charles and Frances.

Frank Kratz was born in Germany. Came to New York, where he married Anna Hughes. They came to Minne¬ sota, and settled on wild land, just on the eastern skirts of the "big woods," in Plymouth township, in 1855, and opened a fine farm, and made money, by industry and economy. Their chil¬ dren, besides John, a son of Mrs. Kratz, by a former husband, adopted and reared by his step-father, and who is now .living in Minneapolis, are: Augustus, Francis, one girl, who died young, George and Frederick. Fran¬ cis is caring for his jDarents and tak¬ ing charge of the large farm, but is, up to date, a single man.

Thomas Ottaway, a native of Dev¬ onshire, England, was born May 16th, 1828. When he had grown to man¬ hood, he superintended an extensive farm, near his birthplace. The most of his time was spent in this business until 1869, when he brought his famil}^ to America. He was with Wm. S. King, at Lyndale farm, one year, then superintended the Wilmar farm for five years, and, in 1876, bought a farm at Parker's Lake, but sold, in 1880, and bought where he now resides, a farm first owned by Francis A. Clay, and one-half mile east of Wayzata. Mr. Ottaway was married, to Miss Mary E. Ro\irel, of England, August, 1850. They were the parents of two child¬ ren, Mary and Emily. Their mother has since died.

Daniel C. Parker was born in Cum¬ berland County, Maine, June 9th, 1823. When four years of age, he went, with his father's family, to Ohio, and re¬ mained nine years, when they re¬ turned to Maine. At the age of twen¬ ty-one he began to work at ship¬ building, and was engaged at this business eleven years, helping build some of the largest sailing vessels of the time. On the 28th of May, 1851, Mr. Parker married Miss Hester A., daughter of Ira and Betsy Green, of Maine. In the spring of 1855, he came to Minnesota and pre-empted the farm where he now lives. In those days lumber was hard to obtain, and he built a log house, 20x30 feet, using basswood bark for shingles. He now has a fine, large barn and windmill for pumping water, and about the year 1870 he built his present resi¬ dence. He has taken an active part in all public affairs of the town. He was a member of the first school board, chairman of the first town board, and a delegate to the first con¬ vention held in the State, to draft a State constitution. They have had a family of seven children, only four of whom are now living.

James M. Parker, one of the early settlers of Pl3^mouth, was born in Cumberland County, Maine, Septem¬ ber 5th, 1820. He went, with his par¬ ents, to Kentucky, remaining there one year, and left on account of hostile Indians, removing to Cincinnati, Ohio, where his father engaged in ship¬ building. He remained there until 1836, when they returned to Maine. James lived with his parents until 1846, when he married Anna P. Rid¬ ley, and removed to Massachusetts, remaining one year. He returned to Maine, and, in 1856, brought his fam- to Minnesota and made the claim, in this town, where he has since re¬ sided. His father preceded him one 5'ear. There were no roads at that time, and the Indians were continually passing to and fro. He has held all the offices of the township. Has been justice of the peace thirty-two years and postmaster at Parker's Hake nine¬ teen 3'ears. He has also been largely interested in the cause of education. Alfred A., Geo. M., Ella J., Marietta M., Frances E., Dora A., Carrie E., Walter I. and Ida A. are their children. Eugene E. died.

John H. Past was born in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, March 23d, 1849. He came, with his father, to Minnesota in 1859, and remained until 1863, when they went to Delaware. In 1877, John H. returned to Minne¬ sota, where he has since resided. He married Miss Margaret Rowan, of Pennsylvania, December 25th, 1864. They have had four children, onl}^ one of whom is now living. They have since left town.

Henry Prohl was born in Mecklenburg-Schweren, in 1827. At the age of sixteen he started in life for himself and engaged in farming until 1858, when he came to this countrj^ and to Minneapolis. After living there nine years, he bought the farm where his son now lives, on the south shore of Bass Lake. He afterwards bought wild land, northwest of Bass Lake, and improved it, by building, and clearing land, where he now lives, with his other son. When he came to this country he was poor in ever}'- thing but physical strength and am¬ bition. He has since opened up two good farms, and in his old age enjo3's the fruit of his early toil. He was married, in Minneapolis, in 1859, to Dora Went, of his native place. They have had eight children, only two of whom are living, Charles and Henry.

Fred. Radintz, one of the early set¬ tlers of P^miouth, was born in Prus¬ sia, Tune 29th, 1828. He remained with his parents until fifteen 3'ears old, when he began to shift for him¬ self, and hired out for a shepherd un¬ til 1852, when he came to America. He went to Sheboygan, Wisconsin, and thence to the Lake Superior cop¬ per mines, sta3dng nearly two years. In October, 1854, he came to what is now Plymouth, and made a claim, in the edge of the "big woods," which he has since "made to rejoice and blos¬ som." He first built a small log house and shaved out shingles for the roof. After remaining one 3^ear he removed to St. Anthon3^, where he engaged in digging wells, for two years. In November, 1857, he was married to Christina Snabel, of Prus¬ sia, and returned to his farm, becom¬ ing one of the most successful grain and stock raisers in the town. Four¬ teen children have been born to them, of whom ten are living, viz.: Hanna, George, Bertha, Lena, Christine, Her¬ man, Elizabeth, Henry and Mar3'. Two hundred fort3' acres comprise his farm, much of it reclaimed from dense forest.

Nicholas Roehl, a native of Prus¬ sia, was born February 21st, 1827. When he was ten 3'ears old his father died, and, four 3'ears after, he began teaching, which he continued four 3'ears. His mother died, after which he worked at farming for nine 3'ears. He married Anna Mar3^ Schneider, Januar3^ 22d, 1849, and in June, 1854, brought his fating' to America and settled near St. Paul. In April, 1864, he bought the farm in Plymouth where he now lives, situated eleven miles west of Minneapolis, on the road leading to Maple Plain, where he has a fine farm, with neat and com¬ modious buildings. He buried his wife in 1888.

Jacob Roths, a native of Germany, was born August 6th, 1837, and re¬ mained with his parents until 1858. He was married, October 19th, 1865, to Katherine Nilles, of Germany, and, in November, came to America. Pie came directl}^ to Minnesota and lived on the west shore of Medicine Lake, until January, 1866, when he and his brother, Nicholas, bought the farm of Alfred Parker, north of Parker's Lake, where he now lives. He has been Town Treasurer four 3^ears and one of the board of supervisors for several 3^ears. They have had seven children and lost one. Four bo3^s and two girls are left to assist and cheer him.

August F. Sandhoff was born in Prussia, April 23d, 1834. He lived with his parents until twenty-one years of age, and worked at carpen¬ tering until 1861, when he came to America. He located in St. Anthony, and, in 1868, bought the farm where he now lives, in the town of Ply¬ mouth, on the Minneapolis and Rock¬ ford road, eight miles from the city. In 1869, he married Miss Willmina Sprung, of Prussia. They have had five children, three of whom are liv¬ ing, Otto, Bmma and Mary. Mr. Sandhoff has taken a lively interest in the growth of the town and has built one of those large barns with rock walled basement, for which the town is noted. He and his wife are members of the Evangelical Church.

Herman A. S.,tndhoff was born in Prussia, January 13th, 1830. He lived with his parents until the age of eighteen, when he began the trade of stone mason, and, in 1851, moved to Berlin, where he worked until 1854. He then came to America, and worked at his trade, in Galena, Illinois, a few weeks. He then came to St. Anthon3^, where he worked seven months on the old island mill and paper mill. In January, 1855, he made a claim to the farm where he now lives. At that time the region around him was an unbroken wilderness, save one or two settlers. He married Miss Amelia Schmidt, of Hennepin Count3'-. They have had seven children, six of whom are now living. Mr. Sandhoff has been several times . on the board of supervisors, and has been active in promoting the interests of the town. He and his wife are members of the Lutheran Church. In March he had his large barn burned by an incendi¬ ary, and, having good grounds for suspicion, got out a warrant for the arrest of a man named Hoss, who had worked for him, and who was, at the time, on a drunken spree. The jus¬ tice before whom he was examined, believing him guilty, sent him to jail, to await his trial before the district court. After an examination by the grand jury he was set free. He then sued Mr. Sandhoff for $5,000 damages and recovered $1, throwing the costs on Mr. Sandhoff.

Carl Schiebe, sr., a native of Prus¬ sia, was born on the 8th of Januar3L 1822. He lived with his parents until twenty-one years of age, when he com¬ menced the business of freighting, and was thus engaged until 1863, when he came to the United States. He lived three years in New York, and removed to Minneapolis, in 1866, where he re¬ mained seven years. In 1873, he came to Pl3miouth and bought two hundred acres of land, which included the "Farmer's Home" tavern, but as the house was too small for the increased business, he built an addition 20x28 feet. The house, retaining its former name, has since been remodeled in modern stjde, and is one of the best houses in town and still kept b^' his son, Charles Schiebe, who retains the confidence of the traveling public. Pie has built a large barn and a fine covered dancing floor in the pleasant grove west of the house. In 1879, the elder Schiebe bought one hundred sixty acres of land, in section 35, where he erected a large dwelling house, with spacious out buildings, on the Minneapolis and \Va3'-zata road, where his son, August, now lives, with eight3" more acres in addition, which he bought soon after his marriage, and built two more barns, large enough to store his many tons of tame and wild hay from the damaging rain. At the age of twent3'-two the elder Schiebe married Miss Johanna Genka, a native of Prussia. He has since died, leaving his widow and three children well provided for.

P'redbrick Hexry Bexjamix Schmidt was born in Prussia, December 27th 1829. He lived with his parents until of lawful age, when he enlisted in the Prussian arm3x and served three 3^ears. In 1853, he came to the "land of the free," and, after stopping in Chicago one 3"ear, came to St. Anthon3^, and, in the spring of 1855, made a claim of one hundred sixt3' acres south of Bass Lake, where his son now lives. He bought a farm of David Gorham, on the Rockford road, near the west part of the town, where he built two large barns and makes it his homestead. He resided in St. Anthony eleven years, engaged in carpenter work and teaming. In Januar3^ 1854, he made a trip, with his team, to the Red River countr3xand was out twent3^-nine days. During the trip he suffered much hardshij), being several da3"s without food for himself or forage for his team. He was married, December 17th, 1857, to Barbara Ortlieb, of Prussia, and in the following spring moved to his home in Pl3unouth, where he has since resided. He has been a school officer for a number of 3^ears, but would never accept town office. He has been one of the largest farmers in town; early getting his land cleared for the plow, he was an extensive grain raiser and stock farmer. But his previous hard labor begins to tell on his health and he has divided his original farm among his grown-up sons, who bid fair to follow in his lead.

Dexxis Schmitz was born in Coblentz bearish, west of the River Rhine, April 29th, 1827. He left his parental home at the age of eighteen, and entered the army, and served until 1850. In 1852, he came to America; spent three years in the lumber regions of Michigan, and, in 1855, came to Min¬ nesota. The same 3'^ear, his father and family came to America, and making claims, settled in what is now Pl3'^- mouth. Mr. Schmitz has been active in all public affairs of the town and keeps well posted in what is going on in the outside world. Was a member of the first school board, and has been chairman of the town board a number of times. Was the only member of the board of County Commissioners ever elected from l^L'inouth. Pie was mar¬ ried, in St. Paul, Februar3^ 6th, 1860, to Miss Susan Gainer, of Prussia.

Peter J. Winnen. If there is one man in Plymouth who above all others is entitled to be called a univer¬ sal genius, that one is Peter J. Winnen. Born in Germany, November 5th, 1835, he came to America, in company with his father, Michael Winnen, and uncle, Peter J. Weber. The former was born in 1802 and died in 1867; the latter was born in Germany, in 1804, and is now living in the house with his nephew, one of the oldest men in Pl3"mouth. They stopped in Detroit, Michigan, until 1854, when they came to St. Paul, and remained about one year, when they came to the land since named Plymouth and first made a claim, near the Catholic Church, in the east part of Medina, which thej^ soon sold, to be used by the church, and moved to the place where they now live and made a permanent home. Peter J. was a wood carver b^" trade and worked at his trade part of the time, for several years, both in St. Paul and Minneapo¬ lis. He married Miss Anna Lacher, who was born in Switzerland, October 24th, 1840. They were married at St. Paul, in 1858. The^'" have had ten children born to them. Mar}^, the eldest, born in 1861, married Alex. Frick and still lives in Plymouth, near her old home; Catherine, born in 1863, married Fred. Reuppe; Annie, born in 1866, married A. Dickey and lives at Wayzata; Dina, born January 1st, 1868, married Ebin. Dilimann; Soiohj^, born 1870, married H. Von Beck; Betty, born in 1871, married Arthur Squire; Caroline, born 1874; Barbara, born 1877; Paul, born 1880, and Lily, born in 1883, making a very bright, beautiful and interesting famiB-, and although the house and surroundings are home¬ like, unique and tasty, yet the visitor is always ready to forego the outside, attractive as it is, for the hearty wel¬ come and good cheer within. Besides the usual field crops, there is a garden and front yard devoted to an endless variety of flowers, in their season, and large patches of small fruit, from grapes down to currants. [Mr. Win¬ nen died in 1892, a short time after the above sketch was written.]

Conclusion. Plymouth does not boast of her statesmen, artists, poets, historians, philosophers and worldrenowned writers. Why should she? The town has been organized onl}^ thirty-four years. The inhabitants are nearly all farmers and are fully convinced that the best stock a farmer can raise is men and women, and the best place to improve that stock is the schoolhouse; the best cultivators yet invented are school teachers; the best securit3^ for free government is intelli¬ gent voters. And although many of us do not boast of much learning, we fully realize that knowledge is power, and are not disposed to withhold the mone3' necessary to educate our child¬ ren. And who shall say that some of the coming generations of noted men and women may not be interested in glancing over the history of Plymouth and learn patience, endurance and perseverance from the struggles of their parents and grandparents from 4854 to 1892? We may learn this truth even from corporations and trusts that co-operation and combination are better than competition, although the tuition is expensive; that the brains are as useful workers as the muscles, and the working of the first a little will tend to relieve and rest the latter; that "a government of the people" should look after the welfare of the producing classes; that indirect taxa¬ tion never made a people, as a whole, prosperous; that it is not wise states¬ manship that tends to rob the pro¬ ducer, to pile up wealth in the coffers of the few, while the many grow poorer from 3"ear to j^ear. While the farmer feeds and clothes the nations he isn't in the habit of furnishinaf capital to banking itistitutions, or for building railroads, although his scant3^ earnings are freely drawn on to pa^^ the interest on the bonds. While he is expected to reverence the laws he is seldom called on to make them. While he furnishes freight for the common carriers, he is not supposed to have anj^ interest in the cost of freighting. But we are living in an age of progress and farmers are begining to wake up and using the interogations, "Why?" and "How?"

William Frederick Holtz was one of the first pre-emptors of land in this township, and came from New York, in the summer of 1854. He was born in Furstenwerder, Prussia, and left that countrjHor America about the 3^ear 1848. Arriving in New York, he found emplojnnent as a carpenter in the Brookljm nav^^ 3"ard, and worked at that trade until the summer of 1854, when he came to St. Anthony Falls, looking for a place to locate a home.

He crossed to the west side of the Mississippi, and found a claim which suited him, part timber and part prai¬ rie, upon the shore of one of the numerous lakes in the vicinit3'- of the Fort Snelling Keservation. Parties in the land office at that time told him it was on the reservation and could not be pre-empted, and that he must remove.

choice of a claim in section 32, P13''- mouth Township,' on a lake now marked Gleason Lake. He built a cabin of logs, cleared and planted a garden patch, and i)re-empted the land, as soon as it came into market, with "gold, worth three per cent, per month, and five after due." Mean¬ while, his first claim was taken b3' other parties, regardless of the reser¬ vation rights, and was sold b3'^ the sec¬ ond claimants for $10,000, before the war of the rebellion. Only one case of hundreds in Minnesota, and perhaps many more in Hennepin Count3^ where the first claimants of land, in this count3', from the fear of locat¬ ing on "half-breed reservations" or "school lands," lost their chances of being the owners of some of the thidving cities of Minnesota.

In November, 1861, Mr. Holtz en¬ listed at Fort Snellling, in the Fourth Regiment, Compan3^ G, Minnesota Volunteers, and went immediately with his comrades to Georgetown. The3" marched through the first snow of winter, on foot, and camping out all the wa3"; having to build a fort after their arrival, for protection. The hardships they endured were, perhaps, as great as an3" suffered by United States soldiers in former wars.

When spring opened, they took up the weary march of a return to Fort Snelling, from there to be sent to Cor¬ inth, Mississippi. The extreme heat of the Southern States, and bad water, compared with the cold, healthful cli¬ mate of Minnesota, caused much ill¬ ness and more homesickness. Man3"a brave man died from that regiment and Compan3' G, whose life might have l)een saved b3'' a little home care.

Minnetonka, about the commencement of the Sioux Indian massacre, and, August 26th, 1862, was married by the Rev. Charles Galpin to Lydia D. Fer¬ guson, widow of Wm. H. Ferguson, Sr.

His return encouraged others to re¬ main, instead of leaving their homes, as many did, in their first affright. Twice Mr. Holtz went with others to the upper lake, to ascertain how near the Indians were. Mr. Galpin sent his wife and adopted children in one of the largest row boats to their home, to remain convenient to escape to Minneapolis, via Minnetonka Mills, whenever the signals were given that the Indians had come to Bxcelsior. The arrival of the Third Regiment, froiu the South, about that time, came to the rescue of the remaining settlers between Lake Minnetonka and Watertown. Quiet was restored, and the savages sent away to their reserva¬ tions.

ties contracted while in the army. He was a high spirited, honest, hardwork¬ ing man. Contrary to his wishes, often expressed when in good health and temper, his land, which, with much trouble, was pre-empted, with hard earned gold, got into the hands of a dishonest real estate firm, as did another farm upon which he had legal claims. The loss of his land, by no fault of his, greatly dis¬ turbed him, and the delay of the pay¬ ment of the pension, to which he was entitled, added further to causes which, with his personal sufferings, caused his death at the early age of forty-one years.

There shall be no more to cause grief in the home to which he has gone. True religion is to visit the widow and fatherless in their afflic¬ tion, and keep unspotted from the world. That he did, and God who knoweth the hearts of all His children, will reward him for all the good deeds of his short life.

The German settlement which ex¬ tends from the southwesterly part of Plymouth Township, across Medina into Independence and Greenwood Township, was begun, in 1854, by Frederick Radintz, Frank and Ferdi¬ nand Kritz, Daniel Glatz, and others, settling in Pl3unouth, and IMatthias Hansman, Joseph Welz, Carl Kassube and Michael Winnen settling in Me¬ dina. Michael Winnen afterwards re¬ moved to Plj^mouth, where his son, Peter. J., still resides. Among these Germans were a few Irish settlers, namely: The three Boyland brothers,

Burke. These settlers reached their locations by following O. E. Garrison's route to a point a short distance east of Wayzata, from where they opened a road, running in a northwesterl3^ di¬ rection, by Joseph Wilson's (now Rodner's), F. Radintz' and Matthias Hansman's, with diverging branches to their sev^eral locations, which were ex¬ tended as settlers came in, becoming the means of egress for that German settlement as it extended toward Crow River, in the years following.

While the English speaking people were settling the country auout Long Lake, Lake Minnetonka and west¬ ward, the Germans we're flanking them on the north, extending their settlement, which has been previously mentioned as beginning in 1854, through the town of Medina, during the year 1855, in about the following order, as to names and locations, be¬ ginning in the spring of the latter year, nanie^': George Reiser, John Merz, Leo Stunipf, Andrew Scherer, John Wolsfield and Anton Baumeister, with their families; also, Adam Scherer and Peter Behrins, single, Charles Wolsfeld, Carl Staark, Frank Melcher, John Engel, John Wagner and family, Peter Clasen and Valorious Chilson (see Perkinsville).

Amongst these Medina settlers of 1855, was a party who had participated in the attempts at revolution, in 1848, in Baden, Gerpian3^, nameL^ Leo Stumpf. He narrates many thrilling and interesting experiences of those turbulent times.

John Wolsfield settled on the north end of the lake known b3' his name, where, in Jul3", 1855, he was found b3' old neighbors of his former home in Trier, German3% namel3^: Bernard Caspar, Matthias Miller, wife and three sons, Peter, Edward and Nicho¬ las, and also b3" Nicholas Classen, Wolsfield having opened a road from that of a previous settler, perhaps that of Reiser or Merz, by which his old neighbors found him, and the3% Caspar, Miller and his sons and Clas¬ sen, in turn, opened roads to locations selected by them, other German set¬ tlers continuing the process of open¬ ing roads to their respective locations, all being extensions of that route, opened from Garrison's road, east of Wa3'zata, by Joseph Wilson's, Freder- ick Radintz' and Matthias Hausman's over which the German settlers of 1855 found their way into Medina. Following the settlers last mentioned, others came, namel}^; Jacob Engel, John P. Bourgeoies, William Blakeman, Matthias Schwalen, John Schwalen (son of Matthias), Jacob Baecker, Paul We3^dert, William P. Hillman and family, John Beck, Peter Hoppe, Pliilip Klein, Philip Lerch, Peter Lerch, Peter Schmitz and others.

Samuel Moodj^, Needham T. Per¬ kins, Joseph B. and Wyman Macomber, Americans, settled in that part of Medina lying south of Lake Inde¬ pendence, during the fall of 1855, Per¬ kins settling on the south shore of the lake and on the west line of Medina, adjoining the claim of his brother, John B., in Independence Township, where the two brothers later com¬ menced business enterprises, which subsequently developed into a village. They had in their emploj^ one Nollford Alford, a quadroon.

The Canadian French settlement, which was begun, in 1853, at Medicine Lake, bj' Antoine Le Count, extended itself across the town of Plj^mouth and entered the northeasterly part of Medina, in 1855. Those settlers, in seeking homes, sought lands possessed of sugar maple timber, and were con¬ ducted to such locations by Antoine Le Count, who, being a native of Min¬ nesota, born on the Red River, near the northwest corner of the State, in 1822, and serving as an explorer and guide long before his settlement on Medicine Lake, became familiar with the country between the Red River and the Falls of St. Anthony, and beyond, and was, therefore, well quali¬ fied to conduct these settlers to spots in Medina abounding with maple sugar timber. The names and loca¬ tions of those settlers were as follows: Lange Hamel (father of Joseph and William Hamel) on line of Plymouth and Medina, at Hamel post office, set¬ tling there with his family. Prudent Fortin and famil}^, amongst whom was Joseph Fortin, Peter Morin and family, Peter Billedeau and family, Peter Rouilliard and famil^^, Joseph Corriveaux and Remain Pouilliot.

The following parties, born in France, settled in the same locality with their Canadian kinsmen, at the same time, namely: Antoine Laurent, M. D., a graduate of the Paris Medical School, his brother, John Laurent; also Lewis Miller, of French descent, set¬ tled there at the same time. He after¬ wards organized the musical band known by his name, in Minneapolis, about 1860.

The following Irish settlers located in Medina during the same year, namely: the Crowe brothers, James, Michael and Daniel, James Rooney, on the line of Pljunouth and Medina, with land in both towns; James Mooney and famil3^, Michael Luby and family, of which Maurice, David and John Luby were members.

N. G. Leighton and Joseph H. Hutch¬ inson, and their families, settled in the northwesterly part of Medina, adja¬ cent to the line of Corcoran. The homes of these parties constituted the easterly end of an American settle¬ ment which extended through the towns of Corcoran and Greenwood to Rockford, those in Corcoran being Israel Dorman and family, of which Hill Dorman was a member, Ambrose Leighton, brother of N. G. Leighton, and - Case. These settlers located on the route traveled then from Kockford to Minneapolis, on which settlers of other nationalities also located, namel}": P. O'Loughlin and others.

Settlers locating in Medina in 185G and occurrences of that year were: Eu¬ gene Nettleton, near Lake Indepen¬ dence, John Schmitz, John Thies and famil}', Sebastian Kohler, Joseph Lenzen and family, Leonard Lenzen, Adolph Butz, Joseph Butz, Anthon Schaar, Bernard Feltas and parents, Christopher Seig, Adolph Hamisch and Carl August Hamisch.

The first marriage within the present limits of Medina and Orono was that of Sebastian Kohler, now of Watertown, and Miss Baumeister, daughter of Anton Baumeister, occuring in 1856.

Other settlers of 1856 were the Col¬ lins brothers, John, Cornelius, Dennis and Michael, and John Majdan settled on northern boundary of Medina; Maurice O'Herron on Medina Lake; also Thomas Kirkwood and Charles W. Burchfield and family, of which Joseph, Augustus, John and Louis Burchfield were members.

1857 settlers of Medina were: Jacob Clasen, Matthias Molitor, Matthias Mangen and family, Bernard Schockweiler and family, Joseph Lerch and Joseph O. Hamel, son of Lange Hamel, who came in 1855, the son remaining in Canada to complete his education at the seminary of Quebec, before mi¬ grating to Minnesota.

During the year 1856, John B. and Needham T. Perkins commenced the town site or village of Perkinsville, on the southerly shore of Lake Indepen¬ dence. The Perkins brothers set up a steam saw mill and opened a mer¬ chandising business, which, during that year and years following, proved to be a matter of much convenience to settlers, in the way of furnishing lumber, enabling the latter to improve their Iiabitations and obtain many of the necessaries of life. Valorious Chilson was an 1855 settler of Medina, who, on his arrival, became interested in the contemplated town site scheme of the Perkins brothers and became a resident of the village at the begin¬ ning of its existence. Additional set¬ tlers came in and constructed dwell¬ ings, of lumber manufactured there from the stately linden, elm and oak timber growing near by, and soon Per¬ kinsville became a neat hamlet, over¬ looking Lake Independence, the scene impressing the wanderer, as he ap¬ proached the place from the dense forest, as being pictures(|ue. The road then known as the Monticello and St Peter road was then surve3"ed through Perkinsville bj'' George B. Wright, in November, 1856. That sur- 'vey passed through the town site of Hassan, on Crow Kiver, running south to Lake Independence, circling around the easterly shore of that lake to Per¬ kinsville, and from the latter place it ran west of south and intersected the Excelsior and Greenwood road, near E. B. Sutherland's, following the lat¬ ter to Excelsior. A plat and survey' of Perkinsville was, in the meantime, made, b^^ K. J. Mendenhall, which was signed bj'^ John B. and Needham T. Perkins, as proprietors, and made mat¬ ter of record in June, 1857. In 1857, Orrin B. Crooker came to Perkinsville and opened a store, which, during the same 3"ear, he exchanged for a claim on Pioneer Creek.

The financial crash of 1857 had a fatal effect on the once prosperous vil¬ lage of Perkinsville, from which it never rallied. During the few j'ears following, the dwellings remained va¬ cant and the steam saw mill laj' idle, decajdng with rust, until sold. Finall^^

The town site of Perkinsville com¬ prised a body of one hundred forty acres of land, lying on the south¬ erly shore of Lake Independence, on the line of the towns of Medina and Independence, extending into both towns, and is now the property of Dr. Fargo and H. A. Loverin.

First religious services in Medina were held at the house of Philip Klein, in 1856, by Rev. Keller, Catholic, of St. Paul, following which, for several years. Catholic religious services were held occasionally at the house of John Beck (now Peter Becker's), at which Rev. Magness Mayr, and other clergy¬ men from St. Paul and St. Michaels, officiated.

The township of Hamburg, as origi¬ nally organized, contained one regular congressional township, namelj'"; town 118, range 23, part of which is included within the present limits of Orono. The citizens of Hamburgh met at the house of Valorious Chilson, Perkins¬ ville, on May 11th, 1858, for the pur¬ pose of organizing the Township of Hamburgh. Mr. Chilson was called to the chair. Andrew Scherer was elect¬ ed moderator, and William F. Hillman, clerk of the meeting. The resolution of George Reiser, changing the name of the town from Hamburgh to Medi¬ na, was unanimously adopted. The officers elected were; Supervisors, Valorious Chilson, Chairman; C. W. Burchfield and George Reiser; Town Clerk, W. F. Hillman; Assessor, L. Lenzen; Collector, Andrew Scherer; Overseer of the Poor, Joseph Lenzen; Justices, William Archibald and James Crowe; Constables, Leo Stumpf and Adolph Butz; Overseer of Roads, B.

Settlers of 1858 were: Jean Breyer, Frank Ahrens, Casper Friess; of 1859, Michael Wilzius; of 1860, Joseph Butz, John P. Meurer and parents and rest of family, Benjamin Maxon, Anthon Bently and family, Peter Schurme3^er and family, and Joseph Lerch; of 1861, Charles Barkow, Louis Winterhalter; of 1863, Christian Weier and family; of 1865, Alden P. Bill and family.

About 1859-60, Lenz post office was established, on the Minneapolis, Rock¬ ford and Greenwood mail route, with Lenard Lenzen as postmaster, the post office being named for him. Its location was on the site of the present village of Hamel, and the name of the post office, during recent years, has been changed to Hamel.

In 1859-60, settlers were put to much inconvenience by the order of the President bringing their lands into market, requiring them to pay for the land they were then holding under declaratory statements under the pre¬ emption law.

In 1860, the Free Thinkers' Club was organized, with a membership extend¬ ing into Pl^^mouth, Independence and Greenwood, and other localities, amongst whom were the Wolsfield brothers, Bernard Gasper, Dennis Schmidt, John Garber, John Schmidtz, Martin Conzet, Casper Friess, Henry Faue and J. P. Meurer. In 1868, this society established a cemetery at Ber¬ nard Gasper's, and, in 1874, they built a hall, at Long Lake, which has since passed out of their hands into the pos¬ session of the towns of Medina and Orono, successively.

1863, erected a church, on the lands donated by Matthias Hansman and Joseph Lenzen, and others. It is the same congregation that still holds ser¬ vices in the church building, at Ditter Post Office. The firstchurch edifice was a log structure, and was used for re¬ ligious services till 1876, when the present structure was erected and opened for that purpose, the original being still used for school purposes. In 1862, the Catholic congregation of St. Paul's and St. Peter's Church was organized, when a small church build¬ ing was erected. The presetit one was built in 1867, and is located, one mile southeast of the present village of Loretto.

In 1886, the Minneapolis and Pacific Railroad Company built its line (now the "Soo") through the town of Med¬ ina, on which two railroad stations were established within that town, viz., Hamel and Loretto.

the construction of the railroad gave the place new life. J. O. Hamel has long been identified with enterprises of the village, amongst which ma}" be named, merchandising and mill¬ ing. William Hamel, Peter Moran, Eu¬ gene Ruilliot and other parties, b^^ the name of Pammeleau and Gorham, are associated in the business enterprises of the village. The Catholic societ}' and church, previously mentioned as being organized and erected at Hamel, is still in existence.

The village of Loretto was laid out on land of Peter Lerch, opposite the railroad station. Peter M. Tautges began merchandising. He was suc¬ ceeded by Nicholas Miller. Philip Lerch built a hotel. The business of the village, at present, is represented as follows: Joseph and Felix Barbeau, saw mill; Franz Becker, shoemaker; Peter Becker, hay and feed; John Burg, hotel; Nicholas Miller, general store; Frederick Smith, blacksmith.

In its first settlement, two currents of immigration flowed into the town of Minnetrista, independent of each other, namely: (1) The Germans came into the southwestern part of the town from points on the Minnesota River, and (2) the English speaking people came into the northeasterly part of the town by crossing Lake Minne¬ tonka in boats and by traveling over Garrison's and Moffatt's road, through Wayzata, which touched the north¬ easterly corner of the town; the tem¬ porary roads, opened by the latter, to their habitations, were branches ex¬ tending from the Garrison-Moffat road, having no other connection, while those opened by the Germans con¬ nected similarly with roads running to Chaska and other points on the Minnesota River, so these settlements progressed for a time practically ignorant of each other's existence, be¬ ing separated, by the bays of Upper Minnetonka and an expanse of un¬ broken forest.

John and Joseph Merz took claims adjacent to the present site of St. Bonifacius, in the fall of 1853, settling there permanently with their families, in the spring of 1854.

Michael Mergen was an 1853 settler, and John Hirschberger, B. Logelm, Frederick Barberich. Nicholas Dies and George Wilson were 1854 settlers.

The settlers of the northeastern part of the town and their locations in 1855 were about as follows: Ebenezer F. Sutherland and family, of which Mar¬ tin, Drew and William Sutherland were members, settled at the north¬ east corner of the town, on the Garri¬ son-Moffat road; Sylvanus Stinson, nephew of Robert Stinson, of Indepen¬ dence, settled on land now owned by Anthony Yerger; William Bj^ers, a sonin-law of John Carman, settled on Cook's Bay, on land on which Mound City is now located; Frederick A. Jen¬ nings, father of Frederick Jennings mentioned previously, in connection with Orono, settled on the westerly shore of the West Arm, with other members of his family, and also, dur¬ ing the same year. Doctor S. D. Grant and Norman Shook settled in Minne¬ trista, and Harvey Y. Russell, a brother of William F. Russell (see Orono) made a settlement on land on the north side of the West Arm, which he pre-empted soon after; Capt. N. H.

Harrison's Bay; two or more parties by the name of Noble, and a party by the name of Westlake on islands in Upper Minnetonka, near the line of Excelsior and Minnetrista; William Buck, J. F. Buck, Edwin Gribble and Nathan H. Sanders located on the north shore of Halstead's Bay; Captain

To Wnship His Tor Y.

Frank W. Halstead was an 1855 settler on the southwesterly shore of Hal¬ stead's Bay, which portion of Lake Minnetonka was named for him. Ger¬ man (1855) settlers in the south¬ westerly part of Minnetrista were: Eli¬ jah Kramer and Andrew Boll.

Hutchins and famil3",of which Samuel, Joseph, Daniel and William Hutchins were members, Warren and Ephriam Dudlej^ (brothers), C^^rus Brayman and famil^^ Henry and Edmund Jackson (brothers), Samuel Merriman and fam¬ ily, Wallace Obert. German settlers of 1856 were: Joseph Ebert, A. Ebert, William Schuler, Joseph Schmidt, Henry Strobach, Franz Strobach, Rev. John Wendt, Charles Wendt, Charles Bruhn, Bruno Jetzer, Henry Ganz, Frederick Lueders, Samuel Hoffman. German settlers of 1857 were: Leo Jet¬ zer, Tobias Pahl, John Schramm, AnthonjWerger, Henr^'Lee and John Hoff¬ man.

During the earlj" ^^ears of the Ger¬ man settlement, at St. Bonifacius, about 1855, a Catholic congregation was organized there, who then erected a log structure as a place of worship. This congregation, it is claimed, was first organized by Father Shaver. The log structure was superseded, some 3'ears later, b3^ a larger church edifice.

The German Baptist congregation was organized in 1858, in which Rev. John Wendt and Charles Wendt were prominent, and, during the earl3^ 3"ears of the existence of this societ3", a church building was erected.

settled on Upper Minnetonka, on the premises known as the "Hermitage." He was a member of a prominent New Jerse3' family and about 1849, at the age of sixteen, he accompanied his three brothers, by wa3" of Cape Horn, to California, returning to New Jersey in 1850, and came to Minnetrista in 1855. He was a lover of sea life, and, in 1861, oti the breaking out of the Rebellion, enlisted in the naval ser¬ vice. On the termination of the war returned to his home on Upper Minne¬ tonka, where, in 1866, he erected the building known as the "Hermitage" where he resided as a much loved and respected citizen till his tragic death, which took place in 1876. His body was found in the lake, near Crane Island. There is a question still ex¬ isting among old settlers as to the cause of his death, although a coroner's jury brought in a verdict of suicide. Some believ'e there is much plausibilit3^ in the idea that the death of Cap¬ tain Frank W. Halstead occurred in some other wa3'.

The town of German Home remain¬ ed unorganized during 1858. The fol¬ lowing extracts from the proceedings of the Board of Commissioners of Hennepin Count3" is an important link in the history of that township:

Sept. 8, 1858. In compliance with the petition of S. D. Grant and W. E. Forster and twent3"-six others, claim¬ ing to be the inhabitants of the town of German Home, it was ordered, that the name of the town of German Home be and the same is hereb3' changed to Minnetrista.

Settlers of 1858 were: Fritz Seiffert, William Nagel, F. Logelin, Matthew A. Logelin, Dr. William Jackson, father of the Jackson brothers. In 1859, John A. Brerstettle, Martin Orth, Henr3^ Zanger, John Maerz, Bernard Blotz, Henr3' Rehhin, Joseph Forner,

It was early in the spring of 1859 that the town of Minnetrista became organized. The first election was held at the house of Matthew S. Cook, when the following officers were elect¬ ed: Supervisors, Deter Mitchels, chair¬ man; M. S. Cook and Ephraim Dud¬ ley; Town Clerk, R. V. Langdon.

Schools. On September 28th, 1859, on petition of John Wendt pnd others, school district number 70 was estab¬ lished, by the County Board. It em¬ braced territory about St. Bonifacius, and on January 4th, 1860, school dis¬ trict number 82 was established, on petition of C. J. Braman and others. It embraced territory in Independence and Minnetristra, and is latterly known as the Jackson District. In 1861, under a different statute, three districts were established in Minne¬ trista, which affected or superseded those already established by the County Board in town.

Lambert Lanman, Warren Merriman, Horace Merriam, Carl Klein, Freder¬ ick C. Maltby, Esq., and Joseph Horn. F. C. M'altby was an attorney by edu¬ cation, and was called on frequently to appear before justice courts in be¬ half of his clients; 1863: L. Schuler, John Bailie and James Bailie.

Following the construction of the canal, in 1873, between the upper and lower parts of Lake Minnetonka, by which navigation into the Upper Lake was established, the latter was sought by pleasure seekers and commerce. Hill, Griggs and Co., of St. Paul, in¬ augurated a commerce in cordwood, accompanied by a general store, put in charge of H. C. Carlisle, and near by, the Chapman erected a hotel and commenced business in that line. Thus becoming a nucleus of business, the place was named Mound City, to which the steamers of Captains Rock¬ well, May, Halstead and others found their way, which were followed by the erection of larger steamers and their navigation into the Upper Lake. Commodore Zimmerman, in the mean¬ time, became interested in the Upper Lake, erecting a cottage, and, likewise, many cottages and places for entertain¬ ment and pleasure adorn the shores of the lake. Latterly the Lake Minne¬ tonka Navigation Co. was organized, in which the ownership of the prin¬ cipal steamers, comprising nearly all the craft of the line in Minnetonka, was vested. Commodore Zimmerman has had charge of the steamers ever since the organization of the company, about 1884.

In 1886, the motor line, now Hutch¬ inson branch of the Great Northern Railway, was constructed, on which a station was established, in the south¬ ern part of Minnetrista, opposite St. Bonifacius, and is now known by the latter name.

The following- settlers on Lake Min¬ netonka, James Maxwell, Frank Max¬ well, Kelse3" Hinman and Asa Kellj^, discovered and named Lake Indepen¬ dence, July 4th, 1854, and, on the same da}', after passing the south end of the lake, discovered Pioneer Creek, and, after meandering the marshes through which the creek flows after leaving the lake, they found the stream flowing through hard ground, with, as the}' supposed, sufficient descent and volume, as to be suitable for a water power, becoming considerabl}' interested in the latter, which circum¬ stance led to the first settlement of the Town of Independence, being as follows :

Job Moffat, a Quaker, having learned through James Maxwell, of the prospective water power on Pio¬ neer Creek, and with the idea of utiliz¬ ing the same, began a settlement there that fall. In establishing himself at that place, he traveled with an ox team from St. Anthon\' Falls over O. E. Garrison's route to Wayzata. From Waj'zata he was obliged to open and make his own road, following the In¬ dian trail westward by Long Lake, to a point near Maxwell's Ba}', where he left the trail, hewing his way to a point near the southeasterly corner of Independence Township, where he found an Indian trail running from Shakopee through the present site of Excelsior, across the narrows of Lake Minnetonka, and by the prospective water power on Pioneer Creek, to the forks of Crow River, and turning northwesterl}' with the trail, he con¬ tinued his exertions until he arrived at his destination on Pioneer Creek; thus becoming the first settler in the future town of Independence, the scene of which was in section 22, now the premises of Robert M. Mills, and the road thus opened by Moffat was the first road opened to, and within the town of Independence.

Moffat, after having erected a dwell¬ ing, during that fall (1854), left the premises in charge of his son, John Moffat, who had accompanied and as¬ sisted him thus far, and returned to Indiana, with the intention of bring¬ ing the rest of his family to that place, the following spring.

Early in 1855, and before the open¬ ing of spring, Earle Hoisington, who had been prospecting for land on the Mississippi, above Crow River, wan¬ dered southward, and after passing Pioneer Creek, found the southerly slope of section 26, of Independence Township, the ideal spot for a future home, where he commenced a settle¬ ment forthwith, being the next settler after Job Moffat, in Independence.

In the spring of 1855, Job Moffat re¬ turned from the East (Indiana), with his family, taking them to the habita¬ tion on Pioneer Creek, erected by him the previous fall. Others settled in the vicinit}' of Pioneer Creek and in the town of Independence, during the spring and summer of 1855, namely: John Williams, Irvin Shrewsbury and John R. McGary, and their families; of the latter, Ennis and John H. McGary were members, and at the same time came Ebenezer Brandon, single, also George Hoisington, brother of Earle Hoisington, the two brothers settling with their families at the location pre¬ viously selected by Earle. They came from Wooster, Ohio. Irvin Shrews¬ bury settled on land adjoining the Hoisingtons; John R. McGar}^ settled north of Moffat's, on road opened by J. D. Young, and Ebenezer Brandon set¬ tled on land near McGary's. John Williams settled on land adjoining Moffat's. Some time later, Moses Brandon, father of Ebenezer Brandon, and father-in-law of John Williams, settled on land adjoining that of his son-in-law and Job Moffat.

Moses Brandon brought his family with him to Minnesota, amongst whom were Robert, Thomas and Jesse. Also William Cox and wife settled on land where Armstrong Station is now located.

Other parties from Indiana settled in the vicinity of the present village of Maple Plain, namely: William Norton, Elkanah Cox, brother of Vin¬ cent and David Cox, Aaron Rounds and William Fogleman, previously mentioned in connection with the first settlement of Orono. John B. Per¬ kins settled on the south shore of Lake Independence, adjoining the claim of his brother, in Medina, as previously stated, removing there with his family, in the fall of 1855. The Perkins brothers were North Carolina Quakers. Also, during the same fall, Robert Stinson, of Maine, settled on the south line of Independence.

1855 settlers, of Independence, namely: James Wilson, B. Barnhart and Thos. Thornton, their locations being near Job Moffat's and Pioneer Creek, and Frank Sutton was first an 1855 settler of Independence, locating on the west line of the town, his claim including lands within the towns of Independ¬ ence and Franklin, and, in 1855, he changed his residence to that part of his land lying in Franklin, Wright County. He has been a resident of Wright County ever since. John E, Cathcart was an 1855 settler, of Inde¬ pendence, his location being in section 6. He had two children, a son and daughter; the son becoming a superintendent of schools in some count}^ in one of the Northwestern States, and the daughter, a missionar}^, to some distant island. Mrs. Jackson, of Maple Plain, whose first husband was Robert Stinson, came with him to Independence, in 1855. Their children are Frank Stinson and Mrs. McIntyre, of Maple Plain.

Thomas Astrope and his son, Wil¬ liam, settled in the north part of Inde¬ pendence Township, in 1855, and James Wilson settled north of Armstrong Station, on road opened by J. D. Young and William Gould, from Moffat's set¬ tlement, on Pioneer Creek, to the vil¬ lage of Greenwood, the previous May.

Ebenezer Brandon and Miss Nancy McGary, daughter of John R. McGary, were married, in September, 1855. This was the first marriage iti the town of Independence.

In September, 1855, Harvey, the son of John W. Williams, was born, being the first white child born between Lake Minnetonka and the forks of Crow River.

To several of these parties settling in Independence, the matter of migrat¬ ing and making homes in the wilder¬ ness, far beyond the appliances and conveniences of civilization, was no new experience. They were born in the East, in the early days of the Re¬ public, when the places of their birth were still in a primitive state, from which they removed in early life, to wilds which were in the far West of that time, these parties removing to Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois and other Western States, where thej' sub¬ dued the wilderness and established homes, in which they abided for a time, but as the frontier line advanced from them, toward the setting sun, they became impelled to follow, in an¬ ticipation of finding a better place in the wilds bej^ond, and soon those homes were disposed of and they again were found in the front of the march of empire, taking its way west¬ ward, amongst whom might be men¬ tioned: John R. McGary, born in Ken¬ tucky in 1803; in 1828, emigrated to Missouri; in 1835, returned to Ken¬ tucky, and in 1840, removed to Indiana, from where he removed to Minnesota, in 1855. Moses Brandon, born in Car¬ lisle, Penns3dvania, about 1804, was taken by his parents while 3"et a child, with them, as they migrated to Kentuck}^ where he was raised; afterwards lived in Jefferson County, Indiana, having in the meantime mar¬ ried and raised a family", most of whom came witli him to Minnesota, in 1855. John Williams, born in the State of New York, in 1818; on arriving at manhood, went to Indiana, where he entered the arnn' during the Mexican war, and served under General Win¬ field Scott in the several engagements leading to the capture of the Cit}^ of Mexico, and on his return to Indiana, from Mexico, married Miss Brandon, and in 1855, removed to Minnesota. Job Moffat, who was a native of North Carolina, resided for a time in Indiana, finally coming to Minnesota, in 1854; and likewise William Fogleman was a native of North Carolina, later a resi¬ dent of Indiana, and finally coming to Minnesota, in 1855. William Cox, who long previous to the inauguration of railroad transportation in his locality', started from the State of Georgia with an ox team, and emigrated to and re¬ sided in different States, keepitig in advance of railroads with his ox team, finall}^ stopped in Independence, in 1855, where at last he was overtaken by the improved S3"stem of transjiortation in the St. Paul and Pacific Rail¬ road Company, in constructing its line through his farm, in 1867. Also a numuer of others might be added, whose experience the writer has not learned.

In regard to religious work, it may be stated that the Rev. George Galpin, Methodist, and brother of Rev. Charles Galpin, was associated with the Rev. J. J. Camp, in the pioneer opera¬ tions of the Methodist denomination in Crow River Valle3^, holding services in Independence, Greenwood, and other localities.

Settlers coming to the town of Inde¬ pendence, in 1856, and occurrences of that 3'ear, were as iollows: Jacob Rader and famil3', of which Washing¬ ton and George Rader and Mrs. Allen Ilosmer, deceased, were members.

The settlement of the Raders was made in the southwest part of the town, at a time when the Watertown road had scarcely an existence; they found a mere semblance of road in the shape of a trail, over which a man on foot could travel, and thereby save time and distance, in traveling from Watertown to Minneapolis, over the road passing by James P. Lyle's - and McGary's, but, during that year, a road suitable for general travel, was opened from Watertown to Moffat's road, in¬ tersecting the latter at Irvin Shrewsburj^'s, in section 26, which made a di¬ rect route from Watertown through Wayzata to Minneapolis, which be¬ came known as the Minneapolis and Watertown Road.

Other settlers: Bradford H. Hall, C. E. Berkman, later veterinary surgeon of St. Paul; Henry Swigler, Daniel A. Styner and family, of which Charles and Frank Styner were members; William Kissinger, John Stevenson and famil3^ John Moore, Cyrus Chap¬ man, William Briggs, William Meeks, William Edgerton, Henry Astrope, Jacob Bryant and family, William Lewis, Wesley W. Hall and Hollis Hall. Captain Lewis H. Williams, father of Joshua Williams, now a hard¬ ware merchant, of Minneapolis, made a pre-emption, in Independence, in 1856, and, during that year, two clergy¬ men came in, namely. Rev. J. J. Turwall, Methodist, and family. Rev. Abraham Gress, Methodist, and fam¬ ily, of which G. M. Gress, now of Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, was a member. These clergymen, although not authorized by the conference to act, in their pro¬ fessional capacity, for that vicinity, frequently held services, at the resi¬ dence of John R. McGary, also a mem¬ ber of the Methodist denomination. Rev. Jacob Myers also preached there.

Major James Whitehead was an 1856 settler in section 22; carried on mer¬ chandising for a while, on his claim. He served afterwards as an Indian agent at Leech Lake. F. Boynton and John Wilcutt, and families, were 1856 settlers. Zimri and Christopher Wil¬ cutt were sons of the latter. During the year, Elkanah R. Shaw came to Independence and settled in section 17. He was followed by his father, Timothj^ D. Shaw, and family, early in 1857; the others of the family being Thomas Shaw, Amanda (married T. S. Kerr, in 1858), Lorinda (Mrs. A. Young) and Timothy M. Shaw, now of Delano. The Shaws were natives of Canada. Elkanah R. Shaw died suddenly, early in 1861, having in contemplation, at the time of his death, the matter of enlisting in the United States Army, as soon as troops should be called for, with the idea of doing his part in sub¬ duing the Southern Rebellion, which was then making demonstrations at Fort Sumpter, and assuming a gen¬ eral threatening attitude.

Daniel McGar}^, father of John R. McGary, and grandfather of John H. McGary, came to Independence in 1856, taking a claim adjoining that of his son. He was a soldier of the war of 1812, serving under General Wil¬ liam H. Harrison, and also other com¬ manders of that war. He was a nephew of Colonel Hugh McGary, a celebrated Indian Lghter in the early da3^s of Kentucky. McGary died in Missouri, in 1858.

ence, with Irvin Shrewsbury as post¬ master. Tlie post office was located at his residence, in section 26, and was named Maple Plain. That post office has existed ever since, passing through several locations and the suc¬ cessive control of several postmasters, and finall}" taking its location at, and giving its name to the prosperous vil¬ lage of Maple Plain.

The German settlement, which had been made during the previous year, in Medina, extended into Indepen¬ dence, in 1856, locating about Lake Sarah; the names of those settlers be¬ ing: Theodore Caspar, John Loch, Nicholas Reifenburger and famil}^ John Reifenburger and familv. Hil¬ arious Schumacher, John Weidenbach; the latter was the pioneer of the Weidenbachs, in Independence, preceding the arrival of the famil}" b}^ two 3"ears, when his father, Michael Weidenbach, and the rest, came; other members of the family were: Adolph, who had just completed a term of service as a hussar in the German arm3% previous to his arrival, in Independence; Mat¬ thew, Michael, Mrs. Peter Schumer, deceased, Lucy (now Mrs. Jacobs), Gertrude (now Mrs. Wagner), and Mary (now Mrs. Jordan).

Settlers of 1857, and accompan3dng incidents, were: Jacob Batdorf and famil3", of which John, William, Bar¬ ton Batdorf, and Mrs. R. M. Mills, were members; William Mills and family; Mrs. William Mills was also a daughter of Jacob Batdorf; Charles Goodsell, now of Howard, and famil3'', of which George and Warren Goodsell, and Mrs. Miller, now of the State of Washington, were members; also the following Germans: Nicholas Georgan, Joseph Klers, Laurens Ahrens, located with their countrymen near Lake Sarah.

Amongst settlers coming to Inde¬ pendence, in 1857, were Hon. Joseph Crooker, of Maine, who previousl3' had been a member of the Legislature of the State of Ma ine, servino- d urine: the same session and in the same hod3^ of which Hannibal Hamlin was a member. His son, Orrin B. Crooker and famil3^ located with him in the town of Independence. Orrin B. Crooker had previously owned a store in Perkinsville, which he traded to one William Lewis, for a claim on Pioneer Creek, where, in the mean¬ time, his father had also secured a claim. Rev. Joseph H. Crooker, now a talented Unitarian minister, of Madi¬ son, Wisconsin, was a son of Orrin B. Crooker, and spent his childhood, and received his earl3" education, in the town of Independence. The Crooker famil3^ lived where Peter Sole3" now resides.

The first school, in the town of Indejiendence, was taught b3^ Norman Shook, in 1857-8, near the present site of the school house at Arrnstrons: Station.

John Quail, an Bnglishman, was an 1856 settler of Independence, on land latterl3^ owned by Timothy 0'Lear3^ and was much respected b3" his neighbors. After a residence there of a few 3'ears, he mysteriousl3'- disap¬ peared, under the following circum¬ stances: He left his residence, as his neighbors supposed, to be temporarily absent. He never returned, and noth¬ ing was ever learned in Independence as to what became of him.

Joel Bales, an 1856 settler of Green¬ wood, disposing of his claim in that town, bought a clain of John Riley, in Independence, and became a settler of the latter town, during that 3'ear.

mind, perhaps through some imagi¬ nary grievance, shot William Briggs. The victim lived about one day after i-eceiving the fatal wound. On the trial of Moore for the crime, two of his brothers produced evidence satisfac¬ tory to the court that he was not of sound mind. Briggs' claim is now the land of C. R. Carlton, and Moore's claim is now the land of Gustave Hil¬ debrand.

On January 5, 1858, upon the petition of J. B. Perkins and others, school dis¬ trict No. 54 (at Perkinsville) was estab¬ lished. It comprised territory about Lake Independence and in the towns of Medina and Independence. The first school of that district was taught at Perkinsville.

Township Organization. - The fol¬ lowing is a copy of the records per¬ taining to the organization of Inde¬ pendence, from which the following extracts and information are taken:

Legal voters of Independence met agreeable to a Notice at the House of J. Wilson, on Tuesday, May 11th, 1858, elected Richard McGary, Chairman; Robert Stinson, Moderator; William E. Hazelton was elected Clerk. Polls opened for votes for three Supervisors, one Town Clerk, one Overseer of Poor, one Assessor, one Collector, two Jus¬ tices of the Peace, two Constables, one Overseer of Highways. At twelve o'clock adjourned (no account of con¬ vening again); at five o'clock, polls closed; votes canv'assed.

The officers elected were: Super¬ visors, Irvin Shrewsbury, Chairman; Daniel Styner and E. Brandon; Town Clerk, Norman Shook; Assessor, W. C. Hazelton; Collector, N. E. McGary; Overseer of the Poor, Moses Brandon; Justices, Robert Stinson and Henry Swingle; Constables, Wesley Hall and Earle Hoisington; Overseer of Roads, John M. Williams. The total vote was eighteen, and, with the exception of chairman, there was but one set of candidates voted for. The vote on chairman stood, twelve for Irvin Shrewsbury, and nine for John B. Per¬ kins. Moses Brandon refused to serve as Overseer of the Poor, and John B. Perkins was appointed to fill the place.

June 6, 1858, a special town meeting was held, to enact certain town lines, a privilege allowed then, to towns, under the act pertaining to township organizations. The few laws enacted on that day by the town of Indepen¬ dence, have since become embodied in the general law of the State.

The school district at Armstrong was first organized in 1858, and within its log house erected there, educa¬ tional, political and township affairs were discussed during the early days of the towhship, and likewise religious services were held there. On all these topics, Daniel S. Styner, Irvin Shrews¬ bury, Orrin B. Crooker, William Cox, the Hoisington brothers, John R. and Ennis McGar3^ Ebenezer Brandon, John Williams, Norman Shook, Jacob Rader, and others, took an active in¬ terest. In 1859, Irvin Shrewsbury was elected a member of the Legislature on the Republican ticket.

In 1859, settlers were much benefitted by the ginseng industry, but were much inconvenienced by having to pay for their lands, by order of the President.

Settlers of 1860: James Bradford and George Bradford, brothers, with their families, of which the several parties of that name, about Maple Plain, were members, and during the same year, Abel Coffin and familj', of which Robert and Frank S. Coffin,

During the Indian troubles of 1862-3, a stockade was erected, in section 31, on the premises of Jacob Rader, as a place of refuge for the people of that locality and elsewhere, in case of a raid from the Indians. There was also a stockade erected at Watertown, and at various other points in the Big Woods, and on the extensive prairie be3^ond.

Charles W. Ingerson and famil}", Fletcher Ingerson, John Wasson, father of John E. Wasson, and other members of the famil}", among whom were William and Calvin Wasson, Robert M. Mills. H. C. and William Budd came in 1865.

In 1868, upon the completion of the St. P. and P. R. R., through Indepen¬ dence Township, a. station was located near the line of sections 24 and 25, on lands of H. C. Budd, and was named Maple Plain for the post office of the same name then on the Watertown Road and Hutchinson mail route. The post office being removed to the station, John B. Perkins became post¬ master, S. W. Yokel}" having previous¬ ly resigned the postmastership. S. W. Yokely was the first station agent, and John B. Perkins was the first mer¬ chant in Maple Plain, the latter re¬ moving a store that he was operating on his farm (formerly Perkinsville) to Maple Plain. Soon after, John and

About January, 1869, H. C. Budd had some land platted and designed as the township of Majde Plain, the plat be¬ ing certified by Ashabel Ingerson, as surveyor, and William Marsh and Mrs. Moody had West Maple Plain laid out, the plat being certified to by B. F. Christlieb, as surveyor. On its be¬ coming a railroad station, Edward Jenks, of Rockford, opened a boarding house at Maple Plain. These enteri:)rises, begati 1868-9, were superseded and followed by others. G. W. Smith bought out J. B. Perkins, and S. W. liokely and George Breed opened up and carried on merchandising for a time. Asa Bennett operated steam saw mills and other enterprises for several years. About December, 1876, Benjamin Drake bought the store of George W. Mason, 'then in operation, at Maple Plain, and, for several years following, George W. Smith and Ben¬ jamin Drake represented the merchan¬ dising lines. In the meantime, other enterprises were commenced and car¬ ried on. Dave Briley conducted blacksmithing, and H. C. Dickey, wagon making. Latterly, business enter¬ prises are represented about as fol¬ lows: General stores, McCormick and Co. (George McCormick and James Turnham), Mrs. G. W. Smith (widow of the late G. W. Smith); confection¬ ery, - Kennedy; hotels, Enoch

First Settlement. From informa¬ tion received from land seekers, hunt¬ ers and trappers, several parties of Shakopee conceived the idea of laying out a townsite, at the confluence of the north and south forks of Crow River, which place and surrounding countr}^ was then an unbroken wilderness. Those parties constituted themselves into a townsite company, their names being E. O. Newton, Thomas Holmes, Samuel Allen, Matthew and Albert H.

Robert Kennedy, and early in 1855, Newton, Holmes, Allen, the Taiseys (father and son) came to the proposed site for the future town, which was named Greenwood, and commenced preliminary operations, making sur¬ veys and settlements. These settlers came in by way of Shakopee, following an Indian trail, leading from the latter place, across the narrows of Lake Min¬ netonka, by Pioneer Creek, to the con¬ fluence of the forks of Crow River. The first house was built by the townsite company, which, on its comple¬ tion, was occupied by Newton and wife. Mrs. Newton was the first white woman that came and lived in the Crow River Valley. The second house was erected by Albert H. Taisey, and occupied by himself and wife, Mrs. Taisey being the next white woman after Mrs. Newton settling in the Crow River Valley. Samuel Allen erected the third house, which he and his wife occupied, on its completion. ,

A few days later, James D. Young and William Gould brought in supplies from St. Paul, following Garrison and Moffat's road, from Minneapolis to Pioneer Creek; from the latter place they were obliged to oiien their own road to the forks of Crow River, thus completing a road from Minneapolis to Crow River.

About this time. Captain John B. Edgar and family arrived. In the fol¬ lowing September, John F. Powers and A. W. Dorman, with their families, arrived and settled on Crow River, and adjoining the townsite. About this time, A. G. Sexton came to Greeriwood.

During the summer of 1855,. the lakes in the vicinity were named, some of which received the first names of the wives of the pioneers, and others, the names of the sweet¬ hearts of unmarried pioneers. Re¬ becca was named for Mrs. Samuel Allen, and the names of . Sarah, Mar¬ tha and Charlotte, were given to other lakes in the vicinity. Some of these names emanated from the brain of James D. Young.

The following settlers located in Greenwood, in the latter part of the year 1855, namely: Kelsey Hinman, after disposing of his claim near Max¬ well's Bay, to Allen Grave (see Orono,

ISoo), re-located on land now owned by John O'Meara and John Moffat, the son of Job Moffat, who remained on the latter's claim, on l^ioneer Creek, during his (the latter's) absence, in the winter of 1854-5, as previously stated, located on land now occupied

Astrope, second son of Thomas xVstrope (see Independence, 1855), settled near the west end of Lake Sarah, in section 33, the latter location being near that of his father and brother, in Independence.

The following settlers, mostl}" Ger¬ mans, located in the northerly part of Greenwood, during the latter part of 1855, namel3': Conrad Lutz, Charles Elide, Conrad Neil, Henr3" Groehling, August Kuehn, F. Lieder, ' Henry Schnappauf, John Russell, and a Can¬ adian Frenchman named Amable Coe.

the winter of 1855-6, pursued those vocations, and, with the exception of Allen, occupied a cabin on the west side of Crow River, opposite Green¬ wood. - Deihal was an Indian trader at different times in his life, and was murdered 1)3" the Indians at Yellow Medicine, during the Indian outbreak of 1862. Thomas Holmes was a pioneer of much experience, especially in the matter of la3 ing out and beginning towns on the frontier, and, previous to his operations at Greenwood, he was associated with the laying out of Ja3"nesville, Wiscon¬ sin, and Shakopee and Chaska; after¬ wards he laid out the town named for him. Holmes Cit3". He was one of man3" parties who, on the inllu.x of settlers into Minnesota, in 1855 and succeeding 3"ears, projected and laid out towns in anticipation of each be¬ coming a great nucleus of population and wealth in the future, which opera¬ tions were carried on with as much enthusiasm as that manifested 1)3" the boomer of the closing decade of the present centur3".

1856 settlers of Greenwood and accompany-ing circumstances were: An¬ drew Thompson, with his famil3', set¬ tled at his present home, in Fehruar3", 1856. He was followed, a week later, by R. W. Currier and famil3". Mrs. Ann Cunningham, and her son, John Cunningham, settled on a tract ad¬ joining that of Andrew Thompson (her brother), in Ma3", 1856. Other settlers were: Joel Bales, on Lake Rebecca, Februar3", 1856, D. R. Farnham, Louis Allers, W. P. C. Hawk, and Nathaniel Mooer and famih", of which A. P. and Henr3" Mooer, of Cokato, were members, being the same famil3" who afterwards settled on Mooer's Prairie, from whom the small prairie derived its name. Settlers in northerl3" part of township: Matthias Jacobs, William Ross and famil3", Adam Hohenstein, George Hohenstein, Anton Trump, - - Freitag, famil3", and Matthias Harff and famil3". Martin Conzet and famih", of w"hich Frederick and Lizzie, of Greenwood, Charles M., harness maker, Delano, John, hotel keeper. Eagle Bend, Mesdames David and Walter Archibald, of Deerwood, were members, settled in the town of Greenwood, in December, 1856. Mrs. Conzet's name, before her marriage, was Elizabeth Betischlein. So])hia, Mathilda an:l Henr3" were horn on the place still occupied h3" Martin and his estimable wife.

was taught by Miss Ruth Powers, now the wife of J. D.. Young, in 1856, at the village of Greenwood. Miss Ruth Powers and Miss Taise5-, daughter of Matthew Taisey, were the pioneer young ladies of Crow River Valley.

The history of the village of Rock¬ ford being so interwoven with that of Hennepin County, esj)ecially the township of Greenwood, the writer takes the liberty of making a few ex¬ tracts from the History of Wright Count3^ b3^ D. R. Farnham, and pub¬ lished in the Delano Eagle from 1881 to 1883, giving the beginning of Rock¬ ford, in which he states that George F. Ames and Joel Florida, of Boone Count}^, Illinois, and Guilford D. George, of Boston, all natives of the same localitj^ in Vermont, were pros¬ pecting in Minnesota for locations, in 1855.

- Arriving at the then undeveloped village of Minneapolis, b3^ accident, they heard of the beauties of the big woods and the rapid growth of the only cit3". Greenwood, and of the splendid unused water powers along the Crow River, and concluded to visit the place; they arrived at Green¬ wood, October 4, 1855, and the next day visited what was then called the best water power on the river, sup¬ posed to be held 133^ John M. Burt. It was supposed, 133^ the proprietors of the townsite of Greenwood, that the dam and mills would be built near the mouth of Edgar's Creek, ver3^ near the line of the townsite, as most of the falls or rapids were at that point and on Burt's claim. But Ames, Florida and George found a more available mill site below Burt's, so they pur¬ chased the claim from William Frazer. Mr. Ames took this as a pre-emption claim (the northwest quarter of section 29), Mr. Florida the northwest quarter of the same section, Mr. George the southwest quarter of section 20, and a Mr. C. O. Thomas the southeast quar¬ ter of section 20. James Goodwin took the southeast quarter of section

29; the last claim was purchased by Mrs. Mary H. Ames, a sister of Mrs. G. F. Ames (and afterwards Mrs. George), in the spring of 1856, and pre¬ empted. A small portion of this claim is in the village of Rockford. Messrs. Ames, Florida and George formed a co-partnership, then and there, for the purpose of building a mill and laying out a town. The cap¬ ital invested was $4,500, Mr. Ames taking four shares of $500 each, Mr. Florida three, and Mr. George two, making nine shares of $500 each. Messrs. Ames and Florida returned to Illinois, and on the sixth day of Octo¬ ber, 1855, G. D. George became the first permanent settler in the town of Rockfoid. On the eighteenth day of November, 1855, Isaac P. Harve3' and C3^rus Redlon and his sons, Frederick and Frank, arrived from Illinois. *****

In Februar3", 1856, Calvin Steward, and his nephews, Washington Stew¬ ard and Jackson Steward, came to Rockford; they walked from near Fort Atkinson, in Wisconsin. They came partly to find homes, and to \SAork for Ames, Florida and George, clearing land and building a house for the rest of the company who were to come in the spring. * * * * village timber was cut that winter and spring, and the walls of a large, double log house put up near the river, now on the southwest corner of Bridge and Mechanic streets. * * * The

30th day of June, 1856, quite a large party arrived from Illinois. The town company decided to purchase a steam saw mill to saw lumber for the pro¬ posed dam and mills, and supply the settlers with lumber, until the water mills were completed. The travel from Minneapolis to Greenwood had been by a ver3^ poor and crooked road, by the way of Wayzata; there was no road laid out direct to the cities. The present Rockford and Minneapolis Road is a part of the Minneapolis and Forest City Territorial Road. By act of the Legislature, passed February 26th, 1856, Thomas Hanson, George H. Fletcher and D. R, Farnham, were appointed a committee to survey and lay out a territorial road from Minne¬ apolis, via Greenwood, to Forest Citj". The committee met at Minneapolis, the 24th of June, 185(5, and emplo3"ed R. J. Mendenhall, as surve3'or; he had just arrived, and this was his first work. William B. Burril, now of Greenwood, was one of the chainmen. The committee acted as axmen, chainmen, and ever3'thing else. The road has never been changed, except to get it onto the original surve3^. Like all other pioneer road surve3'ing, it was a difficult job; through brush, swamps and heavy timber, rain, mud and mos¬ quitoes, with nian3'^ experimental lines to run through a country of lakes, marshes and hills, it was slow, tedious work. When about half wa3" to Rock¬ ford, they were overtaken by the Rockford Town proprietors, with about a dozen teams, the steam saw mill, and some twent3^ men, besides women and children. The3' cut out the road, built bridges, and camped wherever night overtook them. The3^ arrived at Rockford, and forded the river the 30th da3'^ of June, mill and all hands safe. With this party came G. F. xVnies, Joel Florida, William Sleight, Thomas Steele, Joseph Balls, William O. Eldred, Amos Dentu^, Thomas Prestige, Joel Beel)e, W. W. Burch, and -others. Some of the families stopped at Minneapolis for a while, but many came to Rockford and lived in tents for a short time, until the3' could build log cabins. C. C. Jenks came to Rockford at the satne time, but not from Illinois; he had been living at Anoka and Rice Creek, for four or five 3'^ears, but had fonnerl3' resided at Rockford, Illinois, and when the time came to name the town, Amesville, Big Rock, and other names were talked of, but Mr. Jenks suggest¬ ed Rockford, and stuck to it, and it was finall3^ adopted.

The survey and final location of the territorial road, authorized b3^ the act of the Legislature, Februar3'-, 1856, to be laid out from Minneapolis, via Greenwood, to Forest Cit3', which, in¬ stead of coming direct into the townsite of Greenwood, in its approach from Minneapolis to Crow River, made a detour b3'' way of Rockford and en¬ tered the v'illage of Greenwood, on the west side of the river. This location was not satisfactor3'- to the citizens of Greenwood, as the3^ expected, b3^ the title of the act of the Legislature, that the approach and departure from Greenwood would be direct, so the citizens of that village, in order to ob¬ tain a direct route to Minneapolis, opened the road running east from Greenwood, and along the shore of Lake Sarah, and connected it with the surve3" of the territorial road, near the southeast corner of the township of Greenwood. This road was opened in October, 1856, by voluntary labor on the part of J. F. Powers, Samuel Allen, J. D. Young, Isaac Pierre, or Per, and Matthew Taise3", during a season of inclement weather, in which these parties were exposed to rain and cold, evening seldom finding them with dr3' clothing. The3" succeeded, how¬ ever, in getting a road fairU^ passable for that da3" and time. This road was legalized b3^ surve3', embodied in order of Count3' Board, Ma3'- 13, 1858, and in order to connect this road with that l^art of the territorial road leading from the west side of Crow River to Forest Cit3", it was necessar3" to erect a bridge across that river, at Green¬ wood, so during the 3"ear 1857, a bridge of 720 feet in length, of timber taken from the stirrounding forest, with a covering of tamarack poles, was con¬ structed, mostl3', if not entirel3^ from voluntar3^ contribution of labor and material, 1)3^ citizens of Greenwood and of the countr3' extending main" miles be3"ond Crow River. The bridge was a valuable affair to the pioneers of Crow River Valle3".

3^ears, four score, has been an enter¬ prising citizen, and was untiring in his efforts to make a town at the forks of Crow River; finally, when the cur¬ rent of events rendered that scheme impracticable, he removed to Delano, and contributed no small part to the growth of that village.

A plat and survey of Greenwood was filed in the Register of Deeds' office, in Hennepin Count3", March 14, 1857, with Matthew and Albert Taisey as proprietors.

Up to 1857, Greenwood had no hotel. Strangers coming to that forest ham¬ let were hospitably entertained by residents. In 1857, Albert H. Taisey opened a hotel, which was known as the Beaver House. In the winter of 1856 and 1857, a mail route was estab¬ lished on the territorial road, at the following places, viz: Medicine Lake, Frances Huot, postmaster; Rockford, Joel Florida, postnaaster; Greenwood, J. F. Powers, postmaster; Leighton, N. G. Leighton, postmaster; the latter postoffice was in Medina. A part}^ by the name of Lovering was mail con¬ tractor.

About 1857-8, there was a mail route in existence, running from St. Peter, by John R. Gary's (Independence), to Greenwood and Dayton. The mail was carried b^^ Weego and Lawson, under the usual mail contracts. The mail route did not prove to be a pay¬ ing operation to the government or contractors, and was discontinued. Weego has since been County Treas¬ urer of Carver County.

The following parties were 1857 set¬ tlers of the north part of Greenwood Township: Christian Sipe, of Penn¬ sylvania, and family, of which Ephriam Sipe was a member.

found their way to their locations by traveling the Rockford Road, to where it intersected the north line of Medina, at N. G. Leighton's; from there they followed the road running by Israel

In their hunting excursions, the Sioux came in considerable numbers, including their squaws and pappooses, and making camps of several daj^s, or even weeks, duration. These excur¬ sions were made during the winter seasons, and the winters of 1858-9, and 1859-60, are remembered by old settlers as being accompanied by the hunting excursions of Shakopee and his peo¬ ple. The camping places of Indians during these being at the fol¬ lowing places, viz: Lake Sarah, on the premises now owned by W. W. Hall, and, also, at a point south of Lake Rebecca, near D. Chapman's premises.

Concerning these hunting opera¬ tions, Martin Conzet states: "I re¬ member one morning that a party of twenty Indians passed my shanty, and returned in the evening with eighteen deer, one wolf and one raccoon." The Indians were then camped on Lake Sarah, about 1858. Other camping places of the Sioux were: At a point about one-half mile east of Crow River, near the northwest corner of Independence; at a point on the south side of Pioneer Creek, opposite Job Moffat's premises, now R. M. Mills'; at Mound City, and other points on Lake Minnetonka.

To the old settlers of the region about the forks of Crow River, a cer¬ tain July 4th celebration of one of the closing 3'ears of the fifties, held at the village of Greenwood, is a memorable event. In preparing for that occasion.

To Wnship History

no pains were spared on the part of the inhabitants of the village and vicinity, to make it a success, amongst whom may be named, Albert H. Taisey, J. I). Young and A. G. Sexton, three jovial spirits of about one and twent3^ and to make the occasion a success was the desire of all. It was soon decided who should direct the ceremonies of the da^', who should read the declaration, and who should make the orations, but who should conduct the religious ceremonies of the occasion, was rather a perplexing question. They were not all, at that ' time, of a religious turn of mind. Finally" a happ3' suggestion came from Albert H. Taise3^ that Captain John B. Edgar, of the vicinity, would be a suitable person to carr3^ out that part of the program, and, after a consulta¬ tion with that gentleman, the matter was arranged accordingl3'. Captaiti Edgar, being at this time a strict church member, was not of the Phari¬ saical kind, inclining rather to the opposite, being naturall3" not 01113^ of a genial but jovial disposition, retaining many of the characteristics of his former life, that of a sea captain, and being endowed with a fluency of speech and a fine address, was well suited for the occasion.