Verona Township

Verona Township

And now but a decade of years has passed since the first settler, with his family, took up his residence here, not another white man within the borders of the county and surrounded only by the silent, virgin prairies, marked alone by Indian trails. But the fine soil, the distribution of the timber, the beautiful landscape and the salubrious climate gave him good reason to hope that in the not distant future he should be surrounded by a prosperous and hapjay people. He was not disappointed. But ten years had passed and the county had a population of neax-ly five thousand people, two thriving villages, mills and workshops, many good farms, schools and churches, society established, the laws administered and all the blessings of civilized life, existing under favorable auspices.

This town is --land-survey" township one hundred and three (103) north, of range twenty-eight (28) west. It is bounded on the north by Winnebago City township. On the east by Prescott township. On the south bj' Jo Daviess township, and on the west by the town of Center Creek, in Martin county.

Physical Characteristics

The surface of this town is quite undulating, and is cut by the main stream of the Blue Earth river, which runs by a very tortuous course, northwestwardly through the east half of the town, coming into the town at the southeast corner, and going out near the northwest corner of section three. There are also three other streams, South creek. Middle creek and Elm creek, all considerable brooks, nearly two miles apart, running from the west In an easterly direction, and emptying into the Blue Earth river.

The soil is deep and fertile. The Blue Earth river bottom-lands and bluffs are well timbered clear through the town, but the remainder of the town is rolling prairie, dotted over with fine groves, grown by the settlers.

Few, if any, towns in the county present greater natural advantages than this one, and the rural scenery here, in ,the summer months, especially, is unsurpassed anywhere in this region. Belts of natural timber, artificial groves, substantial farm houses and barns, and wide, cultivated fields present their attractions on every hand.

The average elevation of the town above the level of the sea, is eleven hundred feet. The depth of the drift above bed rock, has not been determined in this town, but is doubtless considerably over one hundred feet. The valley of the Blue Earth river is from fifty to eighty feet in depth below the general level of the country.

"Indications of the existence of cretaceous beds containing lignite are reported to have been found in the southwest quarter of section 11." (Geol. Rep't., p. 460). Hopes were entertained at one time, of the existence of stove coal in this town, but such hopes are doubtless delusive.

Name

It appears that at a very early day in the history of the county, it was designed to establish a mail route from Owatonna, in Steele county, in this State, to Mr. Stoddard's residence, in this town, and Mr. A. B. Cornell, of Owatonna, who it is said got the route established, gave the name of Verona to this terminus of the route.

Subsequently, when in 1858, the special commissioners were naming the towns, this name was given by them to this town. And Verona is the name of an important province in Italy, the capital city of which is named Verona, and is one of the finest and most ancient of the cities of Europe, dating back to the days of the Roman Empire. The people of this province and city are known by the name of Veronese, a name which would be just as appropriate for the good people who reside in our small province of Verona. This name seems to be quite a favorite one, as there are a dozen jDOst-offices in the United States named Verona. And we need not forget Shakespeare's "Two Gentlemen of Verona."

First Settlement

The first settler of this town was Henry T. Stoddard. He located in the town on the southeast quarter of section eleven (11), on the fourteenth day of June, 1855. This was the first tract of land claimed in the town, and the first one "proved up" upon in the county. He was accompanied by Newel Dewey. Rev. James G. Whitford took a claim in the town in June, 1855, since known as the Bassett farm. Mr. Whitford left the county, but returned in the spring of 1856, and settled here.

Henry T. Stoddard was born in Alford, Berkshire county, Mass., in 1822. In the spring of 1844 he emigrated with his parents to Wisconsin. After several years, they settled at Oakfleld, Fon du Lac county, where Henry continued to reside, until he located in Minnesota. He was married in 1852 to Miss Sarah E. Dewey. The fruits of this marriage were eight children, four of whom preceded their father to the other shore

Mr. Stoddard, in company with his father-in-law, Newel Dewey, visited Minnesota in .Tune, 1855, as above stated, and selected lands or "claims" In this township, soon after wh'ch they returned to Wisconsin. In November of that year (1855), he brought his family to Minnesota and located upon the lands before selected. He was accompanied at this time by his father and Henry R. Walker, and Newel Dewey above named. He was the first actual settler of Verona township. Here he continued to reside for twenty-nine years, when he sold out and purchased a farm near Blue Earth City, where he resided at the time of his death. Mr. Stoddard was always a farmer by occupation. He took much interest in the early settlement of the county. He was a member of the first board of county commissioners, and one of the first three assessors of the county, and held various town and school offices during his life. He was, also, for many years, one of the vice presidents of the Old Settlers' Society. He died

The following list, copied from the census rolls taken in June 1860, gives the names of all the residents, old and young, of the town at that time, and embraces all those who may be justly deemed the tirst settlers of this town. It should, however, be noted here that some of the i)ersons named in this list very soon after it was taken, became residents of the town of Prescott, adjoining.

Organization

The township of Prescott was, at the time, included with Verona, as it had been attached to the latter town for civil purposes, by the special commissioners. Prescott remained attached until September 3d, 1861, when it was detached, or set off, by the board of county commissioners.

The board of town officers, for the last year of this historical sketch, 1879, was composed of the following named persons: Supervisors, W. P. Spaulding, chairman, T. J. Williams and M. H. Linsley; town clerk, M. H. Oliver; assessor, H. M. Temple; treasurer, C. B. Minor; justices of the peace, A. E. Seger, L. Dwight; constable, J. P. Bassett.

In 1856 certain persons designed to lay off a village site, either on the southeast of section eleven, or on the southwest of section twelve, but no decision was arrived at, and nothing further was ever done about it, yet, on the old territorial maps a village is indicated at, or near, the above locality, and which, on some of the maps, is named "Dewy," on others "Verona." A portion of the village of Winnebago City was built into this town, on section two, but the territory thus used was never platted into town lots, and does not form a regular addition to the village plat, but the lands are described by metes and bounds, as fractional parts of the quarter section.

The village of Huntley, on the western boundary of the town' on section seven - a station on the C, M. & St. P. Railroad, was founded in August, 1879. It was at first designed to name the place Huntington, but, on inquiry, it was found that there were other places and postoffices of that name in the state, and so it was decided to cut the name short and call it Huntley. There are, however, several localities and post-offices in, the United States of that name, but only this office in this state.

Interesting Incidents

At the time of the Ink-pe-du-ta massacre, in the spring of 1857, and again at the time of the Sioux massacre, in August, 1862, this town was almost completely depopulated, for a short time, and, although no attack was made on the people of the town, at either time, yet prudence dictated the abandonment of the town for the time be- ing. at least. The writer well remembers passing, with a small scouting party, twice through the town, west of the river, in August of that terrible year. 18()2, and observing the tine fields, the many stacks of grain and fields of corn, but the dwellings were deserted, and no human being was seen, and no stock, except one poor, lone calf, in a fence corner, quietly chewing his cud, Indians or no Indians.

The first marriage in the town was that of Chas. H. Slocum to Miss Mary E. Robertson, which occurred January 7, 1858, the Rev. J. W. Powell ofificiating at the tieing of this knot. It was a little remarkable that, at this wedding, which was a high-toned affair at that day, six of the company present were left-handed, but the host declared that he did not see but that the company had as great facility for disposing of provisions, when they came to the table, as any equal number of people he had ever seen. The first death which occurred in the town was that of a Miss Badger, and the first child born in the town was Elliot Mason, son of Allen D. Mason.

In 1860 there was raised in the towns of Verona and rrescott, then united, of wheat, .507 acres; oats, 198 acres: corn, 294 acres. In 1801 there was raised in the same towns, of wheat, 1,100 acres; of oats, 304 acres: of corn, 261 acres. The largest number of acres of wheal raised in said towns hy any one person, in 1860, was 33. In 1861, Chas. L. White had .")7 acres wheat; James M. Robertson, 54 acres; P. II. Allen had 53 acres and Chas. I). Itoberlson had 50 acres.

There was. for some years, a post-ottice in the town, on the road from Winnebago City to Blue Earth City It was known as the Verona post-otlice. For a long time it was kept at the house of H. T. Stoddard, and afterwards at T. J. Maxon's. It was discontinued some years ago. The post-otlice at Winnebago City has always been convenient for the people of a large portion of the town.

The people of this township suffered greatly by the grasshopper devastations in 1873 and 1874, and quite a number of the inhabitants were compelled to leave the town to procure a living. In January, 1875, the town was canvassed in order to ascertain the amount of loss by grasshoppers in 1874. We cannot give the estimates in figures, and it is sufficient to say that the destruction was almost total. It was a grievous calamity.

There are a number of valuable water-powers on the Blue Earth river in this town, two of which have been for some years improved, one furnishing the power for Verona Star Mills, on the west line of section twenty-four, the other for Rising Sun Mills, on the southwest (luarter of section eleven, lioth are good grist mills doing custom work. A kiln of 130,000 red bricks was make on section eleven of this tr)wn in 1879.

The C. M. & St. Paul railroad was built in 1878, through this town from Winnebago City, in a southwesterly direction, giving the town a good market at Huntley. The C. M. St. P. & O. railroad was built in 1879, and passed through the northeast portion of the town. Another good railroad market is found at Winnebago City, where the latter road crosses the former.

This town, like most others in the county, voted liberal bounties to encourage enlistments in the military service, during the war of the rebellion, and paid the same in due time afterwards.

To encourage the building of the Southern Minnesota Eailroad, now the C. M. & St. Paul, the town voted to grant to the company $15,000 in interest bearing bonds, but on application of some of the citizens, an injunction was subsequently issued, enjoining the officers of the town from issuing the bonds, and they were never issued.

Educational

The first school house in Verona was a small frame building, about 12x16 feet in size, and one story high. It was known as the "Forbes School House" and was built by contributions. It was erected in 1861, and was situated on section nine (9). There are now seven good school houses in the town and the people have always taken a large interest in educational aifairs.

Religious

Keligious societies were formed at a very early day in this town, the dates of which cannot now be given. There were several ministers of the gospel who resided in the town, at its first settlement, one of whom, the Rev. J. W. Powell, of the Methodist church, was always engaged in his master's work.

Hon. H. M. Huntington

Henry M. Huntington one of the early settlers and large land owners of the county, was born in Yates county, New York, in 1835. Henry grew to manhood on his father's farm. He attended the common schools and Starkey seminary in his youth. Soon after becoming of full age, he came west and in 1856 visited Iowa. In 1857 he came to Faribault county. Here he pre-empted 160 acres of land in Verona township, and proceeded to improve the same, and continued farming until 1862, when he enlisted in Company D, 6th Regiment Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, and served until September 1865, when he was mustered out.

Mr. Huntington added much to his landed property during various years. After his military services he resumed his farming operations until 1879, when he returned to his old home in New York, and remained there until 1892, when he returned to this county, residing atWinnebagoCity. Mr. Huntington was formerly a republican in politics, but subsequently supported the democratic party. He has at various times filled local offices, and takes much interest in local affairs. In 1871 he was elected to the lower House of our State Legislature, and attended the ensuing session of 1892.

Some Statistics

The atiricultural products for the year 1879, as nearly as they can be estimated from the returns were: Wheat, 52,000 bushels; oats, 39,000 bushels; corn, .50,000 bushels; barley. 960 bushels; potatoes, 2,500 bushels: flaxseed, 456 bushels: .>iyrup, 2,600 gallons; apple trees urowing, 5,600. The returns were very meagre, and far from beinn reliable, as such returns very often are.

Political

The town of Verona was among the first of the towns to be settled, and for manj' years wa.s tlie third in population and wealth, and for many of the earlier years, it exercised an important influence in the politics of the county. Prior to the close of 1879, the town had furnished quite a number of members of tlie board of county commissioners - Stoddard, Robertson, Dunham, Potter; a sherilf, Robertson; acounty auditor. Cady; a judge of probate. Robertson; three county surveyors. Welch, Patten, Seely; and a member of the legislature, n. M. Huntington.