Pleasant Mound Township

Pleasant Mound Township

determined. Among the settlers of 1856 may be named, Eev. James H. Hindman, Thos. J. Thorp, Wm. A. Clark, Milton Walbridge, Lee Calhoon, Eev. John and Francis A. Clow. Others who came that year or in 1857 were: Oriu and John Scramlin, Hiram Bigelow, Knute Thompson, Geo. E. Bissell, Austin Brown, Wm. S. Marston, Barnard Marble, Wm. P. McKenney, and Joel and Jesse P. Thomas. 1858 came Nathanael Stevens, Phineas Lattin, Mvnard A. Chamberlin, Henry Eichardson, Hiram L. and Oscar Brown, Pardon B. Day and Sherman W. and Wm. Day. In 1859 came Frederick 0. Marks. Other early settlers were, Eev. Harrison F. Longworth, John S. Parks, Oliver E. ]\Iather, Alfred and John Kenney, Horace P. and Wm. I'errin, John and Wm. Eobinson, Jeremiah Parker, John L. Daboll, Gustavus McCollum, Horace E. Seeger, Jas. A. and Wm. H. Belts, Isaac J. Gardner, L. P. McKibbin, John E. Wilder, John C. Pratt, Benj. and Eli Preble, John K. Underwood, John P. West, Sanford AVebster, Isaac J. and John A. Wilson, Nathaniel T. York, Chas. N. Eadcliff, Jacob Schaffer, Cyrus P. Little, Benj. L. Eaymond, Chester J. Eyal, Wm. H. Porter, James J. Hamilton, Silas W. Graham, Ealph Cook, Elijah Carter, Eufus S. Briggs, Jlark Bradbury, Philander and Austin Brown, John Brockenridge, Wm. Adams, Jacob and James H. Anderson, Warren Andrews, Albert Archer, Alson D. Bently, Wm. A. A'eal, and Dexter Bartholcmew.

The town was named "Otsego by the County Commissioners on April 6, 1858, and attached to Shelby for official purposes. Oct. 14, 1858, the name was changed to "Willow Creek" probably an eastern name familiar to some old settler, appropriately applied, because of the abundant growth of willows, which characterize the principal brook in the town.

Eunning north and south through sections 25 and 36 a peculiar chain of mound shaped hills rise to the height of 50 to 75 feet above the surrounding prairie. On the mounds in Section 25 lay the claim of P. 0. Marks, who in 1863, had a postoffice established at his home, which at his suggestion was called "Pleasant Mound."

eastern states and may have suggested to Mr. ilaiks the appropriateness of the name he gave the postoffice, and the beautiful ridge on which his cabin stood. The Indian name for this ridge was "Ichokse" or "Eepah Kichakse." (To cut in the middle, perhaps from the fact that the ridge is divided into a number of mounds, or it may mean "Thrown down or dumped in heaps" as the spelling is uncertain.)

Another postoffice was established in the town in 1863, called "Willow Creek" with T. H. Day as postmaster. Both offices were on a weekly mail route established that year between Garden City and Fairmont.

In January, 1864, an attempt was made to organize the town as a separate municipality under the name of "Butler" but it failed. September fj, 1865, the town was finally created and designated "Pleasant Mound," on the suggestion of ]''. 0. Marks, after the postoffice and ridge just mentioned. The first town meeting was held Sept. 26, 18-56, at the house of Harrison P. Longworth, when the following officers were cJiosen: Supervisors - M. A. Chamberlin, chairman, F. 0. Marks, and Isaac J. Gardner, clerk - John S. Parks, treasurer - H. P. Longworth, justices - J. P. West and J. H. Hindman, conbtable - H. G. Sager, and J. A. Betts.

About 1860, a brick yard was started on Section 12, by 0. E. Mather and Wm. McQueen, some claim this brick yard was located mostly in Section 7, of Shelby and was not started until 1864 or 5. The earliest known Fourth of July celebration was held in 1867, on top of the mounds, where a booth was made of the leafy branches of trees, and a Eed Eiver Cart was used as a speaker's platform.

The first settlers of the town were almost exclusively Americans, but not many became permanent settlers. In June, 1866, the vanguard, of v/hat proved to be a large German Lutheran Colony arrived in the town and purchased claims therein. They were Carl Schwarz, Amil Ludtke, iMichael Mitzner, Henry Wilke, John Kroenke and Chris Schwarz, all from Greenwood Prairie, Olmsted County, Minn. Carl Schwarz and some of the others removed to their new homes with Uieir families about September, the rest arrived next spring. In the spring of 1867, they were joined by Wm. Schwarz, August Urban and Wm. Ulrich and their families from Wisconsin. In 1868, came Samuel and John Hensline, and sevc'j-al others. All were religious people and the first German Lutheran services among them were held in 1868, at private houses by Eev. Ahner of Blue Earth City. The Congregation was organized in November, 1869, by Eev. Julius C. Mueller with 25 members. Among the charter members were: Carl Schwarz, Herman Zemple, August Urban, Wm. Schwarz, J. Urban, Emil Luedtke, Michael Altenburg, John Kroenke, Wm. Ulrich, Christ Schwarz, Johajin AVeinkauf, J. Wester, John Hensline, Wm. Lentz and Johan C. Witt. In the fall of 1869, a church and parsonage combined under one roof erected about half a mile south of the present buildings and Eev. J. C. Mueller was called as fitst pastor. A parochial school was started the same fall at the house of John Weinkoff in charge of the pastor. In April, 1872, the church and parsonage burned. The same summer both church and parsonage were rebuilt as separate buildings on a five acre lot in the northeast corner of Section 2 which lot was deeded Nov. 1874, by John Christian Witt and wife to Wm. Schwarz, Emil Ludke and August Urban', as church trustees. In 1881 it was determined to build two parochial school buildings. Accordingly on March 15, 1881, Wm. Ulrich and wife deeded to the church four acres of land in the S. E. corner of S. W. % of S. E. 14 Section 10, upon which a school building 20x30 was erected that summer. About 1884, a new school house was erected by the church on the S. B. corner of Section 35, Ceresco,- and the church has maintained both schools ever since. The first parocliial school teacher was Frederick Zink for 2 years. He was followed by Herman Zemple for one year. Then came Carl Voight, who was the first regular teacher of the school on Section 10. A teacher's residence has been erected beside each <.^f the parochial school houses. The old churchbuilding becoming too small, a large new edifice was erected in 1886, 38x70 feet, which with the steeple in front and pulpit in rear made the total length 90 feet, and the height of steeple is 104 feet. The building cost from $6,000 to $8,000. After serving the congregation with gi-eat satisfaction for 17 years, Rev. J. C. Mueller accepted a call to Lester Prairie, JMinn., and Rev. C. Ross succeeded him, who in 1891 accepted a professor's chair in Concordia College, Milwaukee, Wis. Rev. Ernest Starck became pastor next, and upon his death in 1893, Rev. A. F. Ude took charge of the congTegation, and has served them with acceptance ever since. In 1902, the present parsonage was built at a cost of about $1,700.00. In 1908, a new school building was erected on the site of the old building on Section 35, Ceresco. In the lists of the parochial teachers are: District No. 1, C. Yoight, P. Trupke, C. Marquardt and C. Bode; District ;\'o. 2 ; Carl Frolig, Renter and Y P. Goesveiler. The congregation now numbers about 110 voting members (heads of families) and C50 souls. The corporate name of the church is "The German Evangelical Lutheran St. Johannes Church of Willow Creek." The two churches and parochial schools in the Southwest corner of Ceresco minister to a number of German people in Pleasant Mound. Besides the parochial schools the town contains five public school buildings. No English church was ever established in tlie town, but English services were maintained in private homes, and school houses for years, and three or four of the early settlers, as we liave seen, were preachers. The American occupation of the town, however, wa.s too transitory for the development of such organizations to any extent. The few American families, who remained in the town, united with the j\r. E. and Christian churches just across the town lines, in Shelby, Nashville and Antrim townships.

In October, 1865, John S. Parks succeeded F. 0. Marks as postmaster of Pleasant IMound postoffice, and continued in charge until the office was discontinued in 1902. The Willow Creek postoffice was removed soon after its creation to the home of Horace Kinney in Shelby township, thence to Nathaniel Capen, and thence on Dec. 9, 3379, to John R. Wilder's home in Pleasant Mound in which town the office rema'ned thereafter until discontinued in February, 1902. Mr. Wilder was succeeded as postmaster in February 1887, by Carl Schwarz and he by Rich. Jones, he by G. H. Perry and he in turn by G. N. C'lrich in July, 1896. In the fall of 1886 two new postoffices were established in Pleasant iiound. One called "Upton" in charge of Mrs. S. A. Pattridge on section 5, and the other named "Hope" in the Northwest corner of Section 30 with Thos. Hamilton as postmaster. l:i 1899 Carl Nibbe was appointed postmaster of Upton in place of Mrs. Pattridge resigned. We have spoken elsewhere in this volume of the Pleasant Mound Grange; of the Blue Earth Valley Stock company and its big fairs; of the great wind storm of June 5, 1880; of John S. Parks apple orchard with its two hundred and forty varieties; and of the alleged jnurder on July 10, 1889 of John Schwarz by Wm. Lentz. In 1896, a creamery was built near the west line of the Southwest quarter of Section 13, with Nath. Haas as first buttermaker. A store had been erected at this place about 1889, by Rich. Jones. He sold out to G. H. Perry, and he in turn sold to G. H. Ulrich and he was succeeded by Wm. Ulrich. A blacksmith shop was put up, and the place has ever since been a small center for the town under name of "Willow Creek." Rural mail routes and telephone accommodations now reach all parts of the town, which is one of the most prosperous in our county-