Riceland Township

Riceland Township

This is one of the eastern townships of Freeborn county, lying in the second tier from the north, as well as the eastern county line. Its contiguous surroundings are as follows : Geneva town¬ ship on the north ; Moscow on the east ; Hayward on the south, and Bancroft on the west. It is a full congressional township of thirty-six sections or square miles, containing about 23,040 acres. A large marsh originally extended across the southwest corner, which the Indians said was originally a lake' of great depth and l&rge. It was also said that the water, or the greater portion of it, suddenly ebbed away and disappeared, leaving boats and canoes on dry land, as if by magic. The marsh has recently been ditched. The soil of the town is generally dark loam; but on the knolls there is a marked tendency to clay. A good acreage is under a high state of cultivation. The low lands are brought into use as hay land and the crops raised are as abundant as valuable. Rice lake is one of the larger lakes of Freeborn county. The name originated among the Indians from the abundance of wild rice in this locality. The lake lies in the northeastern part of the township.

The old village of Fairfield was located in this township. Lerdal is a small settlement centering about a creamery. The cemeteries are located in section 9 and the Danish Lutheran Church is also in the same section.

Early Days. The following article was prepared by D. G. Parker, and read by him to the old settlers at their annual reunion in 1877, as follows: "Ole C. Olson and Ole Hanson first settled this town in August, 1856. The former put up a log house in the same month, and opened the first farm in the latter part of that season. Samuel Beardsley, a blacksmith, commenced business in the same year, and was the first mechanic. George P. Bracket was the first merchant, and opened business in 1857. In 1859 Amy Baker taught in a private house the first public school. The first sehoolhouse was built in 1864. In 1858 the Rev. Mapes held the first religious services. The Methodists, in 1859. established the first organization. Stephen Beardsley and Sarah Croy were the first parties married. George P. Bracket performing the cere¬ mony. In April, 1858, the first child was born, in the person of Caroline Olson. The first death was that of Mr. Sliortledge, who was frozen in April, 1857. Isaac Baker was the first chairman of supervisors, and a Mr. Snyder the first clerk. The town was organized at the January session of the county board in 1858." Among others who were prominent early settlers the names are remembered a few who will be briefly mentioned: Samuel A. Beardsley and John Hull, his son-in-law, together with their fam¬ ilies, came by ox team from Illinois, brought considerable stock, and settled on the south side of Rice Lake. Beardsley remained until about 1860, when he removed to Wisconsin, and from there went to Otter Tail county, Minnesota. Hull remained a short time and went to Y\ isconsin. Ole Halvorsen, Hans Larson, and Ole Christianson were the first Norwegians to settle in the town, and with them Bottler Winjum came. He located in section 31. In 1858 a number settled in the township, among whom were

Snyder, Nick and John Reims, John Bell, and Thomas Walaska. About this time, or possibly before, quite a family of pioneers put in an appearance in the persons of Deacon Isaac Baker, his wife, Phoebe, and their children, William H., Charles E., Mar¬ garet X.. Amy J., Rhoda. and Sarah E. Baker. They settled upon section 20. Soon after this party had got settled, Xathan P. Amy and Charles Bartlett, from the eastern states, arrived, the former bringing the first team of horses. William L. McNish was another early settler.

Early Events. The first birth in the township occurred April 23, 1858, being that of Caroline Oleson. She was a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ole C. Oleson, who lived upon a farm in section 30. The earliest marriage of which there is any record took place January 1, 1858, and joined the future destinies of Stephen Beardsley and Sarah Croy. It has been stated that the first death which occurred within the limits of Riceland was that of Martha Hull, in October, 1857. The next death recorded was that of Sarah Baker July 18, 1859, from a stroke of lightning. The first school taught in the district was held at the residence of Harry Beardsley, in section 16, in the summer of 1859, Amy Baker being the instructor. The first religious services held in the township were presided over by the Rev. Phelps, in the spring of 1857, at the residence of Samuel Beardsley. The township of Riceland originally bore the name Beardsley, in honor of an early and prominent pioneer; but it was finally changed by the residents to Riceland, suggested by the name of the lake.

Early Industries. The first blacksmith shop in the town was opened in the fall of 1857, in a little log hut in the northern part of section 15, by Samuel A. Beardsley. John Peterson, a Nor¬ wegian, in 1880, erected a one-story, 18x20 foot, frame building in section 18, and opened a shop for shoeing, repairing and blacksmithing generally. In 1857, buildings were erected on the southshore of Rice lake, or rather a shanty, by Samuel A. Beardsley, who moved machinery from Rice county and commenced operat¬ ing a steam sawmill. The establishment continued turning out lumber for about one year when it was removed to Itasca, when the machinery was first moved from Faribault, Rice county. In 1880, N. P. Bartelson, a native of Denmark, erected a structure, put in two run of stones, and attaching it to a sixteen-foot winged windmill, commenced grinding feed, etc. The stones are what is here termed hardheads, and were dug from the ground in the vicinity of the mill, and manufactured into buhrs by Mr. Bartel¬ son. .The establishment cost about $300.

Township Organization. As stated elsewhere, this township was originally known under the caption of Beardsley. The first town meeting was held at the residence of Samuel A. Beardsley. It has been said that the first officers were : Supervisors, Isaac Baker, chairman ; Charles Williams, and James Harris; clerk, James Snyder.

C. U. Christenson. It was surveyed by Frank H. Fisk. It was filed for record March 17, 1900. The Advent cemetery is located in the same section.