South Bend Township

South Bend Township

Of the first settlement of the village and townsliip of South Bend we have treated elsewhere in this volume. Soon after the founding of the village in the fall of 1853 by D. C. Evans and Lyman Mathews it became an important pioneer trading point.

In the early period the two story log house of D. C. Evans, built in 1854, on lot 6, block 64 of South Bend, was the center of activity. Here was held the first election in 18.54, when every voter got an office. Here was preached the first English sermon west of the Blue Earth in 1854, and the first Welsh sermon in 1855, here Joshua Barnard organized the first Sunday school in the town in 1854 and Dr. Edward Thomas organized the first Welsh Sunday school in the spring of 1855, here were held the first debating societies, the first singing school and the first Eisteddfod. In 185?, the South Bend hotel was built by Mathew Thompson and Jehiel Cheney and on Jan. 1, 1858 opened to the public by L. Abbott & Co. Mr. Thompson and Mr. Slepier were, also, among its early landlords.

The first saw mill in the town was built in 1854 by Isaac Lyons on Minneopa Creek. The first saw mill in the village was put up by D. C. Evans and E. D. Price in the fall of 1855. A year or two later a run of stones was attached to this mill for grinding corn. In 1858 Rev. Eichard Davis and John P. Williams erected a second saw mill in the village. In 1860 McCauley & MciSTamara built a large stone grist mill, which tiiey operated for two or three years. In 1802 Louis Seppman began the erection on his farm of a stone windmill, which was completed in 1864. It was constructed of boulders and other native stone and is circular in form. It is thirty feet in diameter at bottom and twenty feet at the top. It 's thirty-two feet in height from the ground to the eaves and the walls are two feet thick at the base and one and one-half feet thick at top. The roof is doomshaped and hung on a center shaft, so it can be turned clear around, that the sails might be shifted to face the wind in any direction. The arms of the mill were wooden frames covered with sail cloth, each thirty-five feet long, making with the diameter of the hub a spread of seventy-five feet. For sixteen years Mr. Seppman used the mill to grind flour, and many of the old settlers testify to its excellent quality. It had a capacit}' of 150 bushels per day. June ", 1873 lightning demolished two of the arms, but they were replaced next year. In 1880 a big wind storm again carried off two of the arms and as modern invention rendered the making of flour by this primalive method unprofitable, they were never re- :^tored. The mill was used to grind feed until the summer of 1890, when the two remaining sails were wrecked in another storm. The old tower, however, still stands like an ancient seniinel on the hill, as strong and sturdy as ever - the most picturesque of all the ancient landmarks of the county.

About 1860 South Bend had the distinetion of being the home of D. A. Allen (Tom Thumb ISTo. 2), who was then reported to be tlie smallest man in the United States. He was at that time twenty-two years old and only thirty-one inches in height, half an inch shorter than Barnum's famous Tom Thumb. His weight was only thirty-five pounds, much less than the great showman's prodigy-. Mr. Allen's parents lived in those days upon a farm, just west of Minneopa Creek on the Mankato and New Ulm road.

A number of stores and shops were built at South Bend village during 1856 and 1857. Pi'ominent among the stores in the fifties, were those owned by Eckstrom Bros, and Brown, Wm. Hewitt, McGibbon and Purnell, W. W. Davis and Lnrs Lee. During the same period A. K. Dahl had plow works; E. D. Price, D. D. Evans and E. K. Bangs had blacksmith shops; Peter Potts sold ready made clothing, Jonas Mohr (who in 1862 was killed by the Indians in Butternut Valley) had a hardware ; John D. Evans ran a =hoemakers shop ; Cake had a cooper shop ; Dr. Geo. W. Havens looked after the sick; Daniel Buck, the well known lawyer and jurist, and B. Parke Dewey, son of Judge Dewey, for many years on the Supreme bench of Indiana, assisted people in their legal quarrels; Geo. McGiviiey ]]ad a harness shop; And. Johnson conducted a tailor shop; Ever Severson had a cabinet shop; Joe -Barker, Hans Peter Olson, Joe Miller and Everett & Wright, (vi'ho were in the Lake Shetek massacre in 1862), helped to relieve the thirst of the pioneers; Horton W. Nelson, John IT. Goodsell, Wm. J. McCauley and J. T. Williams looked after the real estate booms of the growing metropolis; while Hon. D. C. Evans was General in Chief. In those early days. South Bend was a busy, bustling, trade center, full of hope and promise. It contained in its j)almy period nearly a hundred houses of all Irnds, and a population of 200 to 300. It continued to flourish until about 1868, when it was dealt a mortal blow by the St. Paul and Sioux City Railway Co. in its refusal to make it one of its stations. From that day forward it went down hill rapidly. W. W. Davis maintained a s-tore there off and on until May 1, 1896, when he sold, out to A. Lincoln, who was burned out in October, 1897. D. P. Davis and son conducted a store there continuously from the summer of 1867 until October, 1900, when he sold out to one Dethier and on the 11th of that month, this store and the old hotel building were burned to the ground. Since which time South Bend lias been a truly deserted village. The school house, the old Congregational church and the ancient stone building of Eckstrom Bros., which of late years has been transformed into a town hall, with a few scattered dwellings are all that remain of the town which once rivaled Mankato. South Bend postoffice was established in February, 1856, with Matthew Thompson as postmaster. He was succeeded by Daniel Buck, who lield the office until November, 1861, when Lars Ijce was appointed under the Eepublican administration. Paul P. Eckstrom in September, 1864, became his successor, and held the office until his departure from the village about 1870, when Wm. E. Price was appointed. March 19, 1878, David P. Davis, Jr., became postmaster, and was succeeded in 1885 by David P. Davis, Sr. W. W. Davis was appointed to the posifon in July, 1889, and in May, 1896, A. Lincoln succeeded him as postmaster and owner of the store. The store and postoffice were burned out in October,

1897. After this catastrophe G. A. Hultengren took the office. He was followed by H. D. Burnett, and he in turn, by James Steele. While held by the latter in 1900 the office was abolished and the free delivery system inaugurated.

The first toA¥n meeting was held at the village. May 11, 1858, when the officers elected 'u'ere: Supervisors, Lyman Matthews, (Chairman), Luther G. Barrett and John A. Jones; Clerk, Edmund Purnell; Assessor, David J. Lewis; Collector, Lars Lee; Justices, Elijah K. Bangs and L. Abbott; Constables, Lars Lee and W. P. Goodell.

The first school in the town was taught in the summer of 1855 by Mrs. Joshua Barnard, at her house in the village of South Bend. A log school house was built there in the fall of the same year, which stood near the present residence of D. P. Davis. The town now has four good frame school houses.

Of the beginning of religious services in the town we have spoken elsewhere. The first church was organized on August 1, 1855, by Eev. Eichard Davis at his own house in the village. It was a Welsh Union church with forty-three members. Its officers were Evan H. Evans, Evan Evans (Pant), William E. Price, William J. Eoberts and Edward Thomas, Sr.

September, 1856, the Welsh Calvinistic Methodist church of Zion was started. A church building was erected near Minneopa Creek in the spring of 1858, wh'ch was dedicated July 11, of that year. The present fine building of this church was erected in 1883 and dedicated February 6, 1884.

The South Bend Congregational Church was organized December 11, 1859, in a vacant log cabin, belonging to Evan Evans (Pant) in South Bend village, by Eev. Jenkin Jenkins, assisted by Henry Hughes, who was then lay preacher. The charter members were: W. W. Davis and viie, Griffith Eoberts and wife, Thomas W. Evans, Edward Thomas, Sr. and wife, Edward Thomas, Jr., Mrs. John A. Jones, Mrs. D. C. Evans, Griffith Williams and wife, John G. Eoberts and wife, and Mrs. Jennette Jones, the latter being then received on confession of faith. In 1861 the present house of worship was erected and dedicated in June, 1863. Eev. Jenkins conlinued as pastor until March, 1870, when Kev. Griffith Samuel was put in charge. In 18 iG the church was joined to the Cambria church under the pastorate of Rev. T. G. Jones. This union continued during the pastorates of Rev. Wm. Powell (1881-5) and Humphrey Jones (1889- [Ki). The Sabbath School was kept up under the superintendency of W. W. Davis until his departure in 1895. In the meantime the Welsh membership had moved away or died and a new population that knew not the old Cambrian tongue liad taken their place.

In August, 1895, W. A. Whitcomb, a young theological student, had gathered to an English service the parents and children of the neighborhood, and on the 24th of that month he organized an English church with sixteen members, i^evs. F. M. Washburn, Wm. Griffith, E. L. Ileermance and Messrs. Roerback, Baldwin and J. A. Clark have each taken part in the work t.ince. The old church was repaired in 1904 under the energetic leadership of Mr. Baldwin and Rev. Ileermance and a reopening service held on August 6, 1904.

October 19, 1856, a Wesleyan Methodist C^hurch was organized at South Bend village by Kev. E. D. Price, which continued its service until the Indian outbreak.

About 1860 a Welsh Cal. Methodist Church was organized in the village, but after a few years it disbanded. In 1865 a Welsh Presbyterian Church was started and Rev. James M. Price ministered to it for a few years, when it, also, disbanded.

A Sunday School and preaching service have been maintained off and on for many years in the Spring Island neighborhood. There the renovraed pioneer M. E. preacher, Rev. J. W. Powell, spent the declining years of his life.

In South Bend is found the famous Minneopa Falls, which have been a noted pleasure resort for the past fifty years. Minneopa townsite was laid out beside it in 1870 by D. C. Evans and T. P. Gere. A depot, warehouse, store and lumber yard were conducted here for a few years. The store which was owned by Eev. Daniel Rowlands, burned March 2, 1881. During the seventies the place was noted for the great

M. E. camp meetings conducted there in June of each year. Rev. Powell was the main instigator of these meetings, some of which were attended by 4,000 to 5,000 people.

In 1888-9 the big artesian well on the farm cf Wm. R. Williams was sunk by a company, who were prospecting for natural gas. In April, 1905, the Legislature passed a bill establishing a state park at the picturesque falls, and in 1906-7 seventy acres of land on which they are situated were bought by the State, and several thousand dollars spent in improvements. J. B. Hodge was appointed its first keeper, and in 1907 he was succeeded by Wm. R. Williams. In 1S59 Miner Porter built a summer hotel on his farm adjoining the village of South Bend, which he called "Llinneineopa." In 1868 Mr. Porter greatly improved and beautified both hotel and grounds. Planting trees, shrubbery and flowers, building arbors, swings and artistic walks, and surrounding all with a tasty fence, v.ith high arching gateways. In the nineties the farm was purchased by W. W. P. McConnell and Mrs. D. A. Swan, who conducted thereon for several years a fine dairy of high bred Jersey cattle. The old house burned February 1, 1906. in 1857 LeHillier was platted as a townsite and a stone hotel and about two dozen houses built thereon. In 1889 Samuel C. and Geo. Pond laid out Riverside Park Addition adjoining LeHillier on the west. A brick yard was started here by 0. R. Mather, I. K. Flanagan, E. A. Gibson and S. C. Pond. This yard for many years has been owned and operated with good success by F. G. Pannenberg & Co. Excellent cement stone in inexhaustible quantity is iound underlying the tableland, which lies just i-ast of the old village of South Bend. This for some years has furnished all the material use3 by Mr. Carney in the manufacture of the well kno^^Ti Mankato Standard Cements. In South Bend is, also, found the famous blue and green clay, used as a pigment by the Indians, and mistaken for copper by the French, and from which is derived the names "Mankato" and "Blue Earth." In 1869 Buck, Sowers and Co. started the manufacture of stoneware at South Bend village from the clays there found, and it is very probable that the future will see the clays