Walnut Grove City

Walnut Grove City

The vicinity of Walnut Grove has attracted attention since the earliest days by reason of its seventy acres of heavy black walnut. No explanation has ever been made of the presence of these great trees in a region where other trees grew but sparsely, and in a spot far removed from any other groves of the same

Trappers and traders are believed to have been familiar with this grove in the early days of the nineteenth century, and possibly earlier. Tradition tells of a cabin built by a lonely pioneer within the confines of the grove.

At the time of the massacre, John F. and Daniel Burns, members of the Lake Shetek settlement were living in the grove, trapping and raising hogs. They made their escape on the opening day of the Shetek massacre. The soldiers doing patrol duty, often camped in the grove, and killed off the Burns' hogs one by one.

About 1866, Joseph Steves came to the grove and erected a cabin over a partially dug cellar, on which site a shack had evidently been erected some years previous. At the time he came, and for some years thereafter, the lookout pole used by the soldiers was still standing, as was also the rude stables used by their horses. About 1867 the Steves family was awakened by noises in the grove, and prepared themselves to meet a large body of Indians. Instead of Indians, the visitors proved to be the United States surveyors, who came to survey Springdale, the township of North Hero having been surveyed before the massacre.

The first settler in North Hero township was Eleck C. Nelson, who came in 1871. He is still living in Walnut Grove, engaged in business as a stock buyer.

An early settler in North Hero was Thomas Allen. Allen then a young man of twenty -five years, came to this locality, and after looking about, filed on the southwest quarter of section 20. He then returned to his home and spent the winter. In the spring of 1872 he came back, driving an ox team, and reaching here ahead of the railroad which was put through that year. Mr. Allen still lives in Walnut Grove.

About the time that Allen came, Charles Lund drove in. He passed on and took a claim north of the grove, in section 34, Johnsonville township. He now lives in the village of Walnut Grove.

In 1873 there came quite an influx of settlers. The railroad, built in 1872, had suspended operations through the hard winter, but in the spring of 1873 regular service was established.

Among the earliest settlers were Elias and Lafayette Bedal. The first building on the site of the present village of Walnut Grove was the claim shanty of Elias Bedal. It was in 1873 that Lafayette Bedal was appointed the first postmaster, a position he held until 1879, when J. H. Anderson received the appointment.

Early in 1873 Gustave Sunwall and J. H. Anderson came to Walnut Grove or North Hero township and built a store building, stocking it with a general line of goods.

Progress was slow during the grasshopper years, but in the late seventies things took on a new aspect, and the village grew rapidly. The Gazetteer of 1880 describes Walnut Grove as a flourishing place, with a Congregational Union church, a steam flour mill, a good school, and several business enterprises. Wheat, barley and oats were then the principal shipments. The directory for that year shows the following business activities : Barnes, E. B., lumber dealer; Bedal, E., grain and lumber dealer; Burns, D. W., groceries and provisions; Byram, J. L., justice of the peace ; Clementson C, hotel ; Comstock, John S., express and railroad agent ; Pitch, John R., general store and farm implements ; Hills, F. H., hardware; Hoyt, R. W., physician; Hoyt & Anderson, druggists ; Longnecker, S. A., furniture ; Masters, S. 0., justice of the peace ; Masters, W. J., hotel ; Nelson, E. C, meat market; Owens, W. H, general store; Quarton, T. M., blacksmith; Sandquist, Paul, & Co., saloon; Simmons, Rev. H. C. (Congregational) ; Sinkler, A. F., blacksmith; Thompson, Daniel, constable;

In 1882, these business houses are shown: Anderson, J. H., druggist ; Burns, D. W., & Son, grocers ; Comstock, J. S., railroad and express agent ; Every, H., hotel proprietor ; Hills, F. H., hardware; Holt, Robert, meat market; Hoyt, R. W., physician; Laird, Norton & Co., lumber ; Longnecker, S. A., furniture ; Maloy, James, saloon ; Owens, W. H., general store ; Page, Moses, shoemaker ; Powell, Rev. (Methodist); Richards, W. J., justice of peace; Scharff, H., confectioner; Simmons, Rev. H. C. (Congregational); Spurr, C. B., blacksmith; Swaffer Bros., general store; Thorp, Quarton & Whitney, lawyers; Webber, C. L., general store.

The business houses for 1884 were as follows : Burns, D. W., grocer; Byram, James L., justice of the peace; Carlson, Andrew S., druggist; Chadbourne, R. G. grocer; Davlin, E. L., railroad and express agent ; Erickson, E. S., blacksmith ; Geese and Olson, hotel proprietors; Hills, F. H., hardware; Kidder, Rev. J. (Congregational) ; Laird, Norton & Co., lumber; Maloy, James, saloon; Masters, W. A., hotel proprietor; Owens, W. H., general store; Page, Moses, shoemaker; Powell, Rev. (Methodist); Scharff, H., confectioner ; Swaffer Bros., general store ; Thorp & Quarton, lawyers; Van Buskirk, H. B., physician; Way, Asa, meats; Webber, C. L., general store.

The original plat of Walnut Grove was filed on Sept. 10, 1874. The land was surveyed for Elias and Lafayette Bedal by E. G. Pahl. Each street was 80 feet wide, except Sixth and Main streets, which were each 100 feet wide. The plat consisted of twenty-four blocks, all full blocks except 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 16 and 17. The full blocks contained twelve lots each. The streets running north and south beginning at the east are First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh and Eighth. The streets running east and west beginning at the north are : Main, Bedal and Washington. The alleys are twenty feet wide, those on either side of Main and Sixth being thirty-five feet wide.

The plat of Masters' addition to Walnut Grove was filed Nov. 7, 1878. William J. Masters was the owner of the land. The plat of Wiggins' addition to Walnut Grove was filed Sept. 11, 1915. This land belonged to Jesse P. and Inga Wiggins. The plat of Remington Park addition to Walnut Grove was filed June 13, 1898. The land was owned by C. W. and M. J. Remington, his wife.

Walnut Grove was incorporated by act of the Legislature, approved March 3, 1879 (Chapter V, Special Laws of 1879). The territory incorporated was described as : "The southwest quarter of section 19, township 109, range 38; the southeast quarter of section 24, township 109, range 39; the northwest quarter of sec- tion 30, township 109, range 38 ; and the northeast quarter of the northeast quarter of section 25, township 109, range 39. The incorporation was under Chapter 139, of the General Laws of 1875, certain additional powers, however, being given to the council, and provision made that for certain purposes the parts of the new village lying in North Hero and Springdale should still be considered a part of those towns.

John H. Anderson, William H. Owens and A. F. Sinkler, were appointed commissioners to see that the provisions of the act were carried into effect. The first election was held March 10, 1879, and officers elected as follows: President, Elias Bedal; trustees, T. Quartan, J. Leo and C. Clementson; recorder, F. H. Hill, treasurer, W. H. Owens; justice, Charles Ingalls-, constable, J. Russell.

Walnut Grove today is an enterprising village with many attractive features. It has four grain elevators, one stockyard for shipping purposes, one creamery manufacturing butter and ice cream, two banks, two dry goods stores, three general stores, two hardware stores, two exclusive groceries in addition to the grocery departments of the general stores, one clothing and men's furnishing store, one agricultural implement agency, two garages, one lumber yard, one harness store, two restaurants, one hotel, two barber shops, a splendid electric light plant, an extensive waterworks system, a newspaper, a cream and egg shipping depot, a pool hall, four churches, two blacksmith shops, one millinery store and one livery barn. The village is putting in cement curbing on its main street, to be followed with paving.

The Methodist Episcopal church was organized in 1873 by the presiding elder of the district, the Rev. Henning, a circuit rider, being placed in charge of this and other churches. Early meetings were held at the homes of the members, and later in Masters' hall. In 1883 the present church was erected and John W. Powell installed as pastor. It was occupied for three years without plastering. Under the pastorate of Rev. Harrington, in 1885, the church was plastered. It was dedicated in 1903, while Rev. J. Franklin was pastor. The present pastor, W. M. Gillis, has been in charge since 1908.

The Congregational church was organized in 1874 as the Union Congregation society. The first service was held at the home of James Kennedy until the church was finished. This society built the first church in Walnut Grove, although not the first church organized. The building erected in 1874 is the same one used at the present time. In 1903 the society raised money and built a neat parsonage adjoining the church, making a very good addition to the buildings being erected in the village. There are now 76 members of the church, and the Sunday school which is in healthy operation, has a membership of 68 to 70. The present pastor,

The Swedish Lutheran society is building a fine church, never having been represented in the village before. The new building will have assembly room on ground floor and basement with Sunday school room and fully equipped modern kitchen. The pastor is L. E. Sjolinder, who resides at Tracy. This society has owned and occupied a large church in Gales township for over thirty years, but the society has grown so fast of late that the district will be divided, Rev. Sjolinder supplying both places.

The Norwegian Lutheran church has been organized since 1883, when a few families of the faith decided to get together. The first pastor was Rev. Bernt Askevold, and it was through his personal activities that the congregation was assembled for organization on Dec. 10, 1883. After ten years of struggles the society called Rev. Hans Magelssen, who for nineteen years served them as pastor. Mr. Magelssen gave himself up entirely to the work here, but never succeeded in building a church. At the present time the outlook is for a new church in the near future. The present pastor, J. B. Rognlien, is optimistic and believes the society will occupy its own church soon. At present they hold their services in the Congregational church. They have a membership of fifty-nine.

The Roman Catholic parish has a building of its own, but the services are conducted twice a month by Father H. Cahill of Tracy. The present church was built in 1905 and the first pastor was Rev. Byrne. The church is growing rapidly and they hope to have weekly services in the near future. The society consists at the present time of 29 families, meaning about 200 members.

The schools of "Walnut Grove are excellent. In the fall and winter of 1873 and 1874 Lafayette Bedal opened and taught the first school in North Hero township. It was held in his own house and had an attendance of fifteen scholars. The first school building was erected in 1875, a small wooden building standing where James A. Larson's residence now stands. This building sufficed until about 1883, when school district No. 23 was organized. About this time a movement was started to procure a better building, and bids were called for to put up a building on block 9, the present site of the village park. The old building was moved to the present site of the First State Bank, and used as a store building.

The new building was erected in 1884 and cost $2,000. An addition to the house was built in 1889, making it large enough to house all grades from one to eight. In 1905 the building was damaged by fire and the agitation for a new building commenced immediately. During the year of 1906 the new building was erected on a five-acre tract at the south end of Sixth street, the cornerstone laying taking place on May 23, 1906. The building was ready for occupancy at the beginning of the school year in September of the same year. The cost was $17,750 and contained rooms for grades, high school and large auditorium. High school work commenced in 1906, but the full, complete high school course was not taken up until 1912. Domestic science and manual training were added and space provided for them in 1915. The independent school district of Walnut Grove now employs a principal, two high school teachers and four grade teachers.

Occupying one block square in the heart of the town, the village park is surrounded by tall, stately trees. Arrangements are being made to lay out walks, with flower beds, and to otherwise beautify this already attractive spot.

The railroad came through Willow Lake township in 1899, and the present site of Wanda was selected as the location of a future village. Mathias Eichten then owned the land, but was not living here, his residence in Section 28, Willow Lake, the present site of the Catholic church, being then occupied by a renter.

The winter presented a scene of busy activity in the village. Mat. Jennings erected a general store on lot 16, block 3. Eichten Bros, erected a hardware store on lot 18, block 2. Paul Doepke opened a hotel and saloon on lot 15, block 3. In a barn in the rear of the store lived a carpenter who was helping to erect the different buildings. John Drees erected a saloon on lot 13, block 3. Herman Wenzel opened a blacksmith shop.

The spring of 1900 opened most auspiciously for the new village. Many dwellings were erected, and the business of the hamlet increased. In 1901 Spaulding Brothers built an elevator.

In 1902 the business activities of the village as given in the Northwestern Gazetteer were as follows: Bauermeister, P. H., furniture; Becker, F. C, harnessmaker; Beack, John, meats; Dederichs, Mathew, livery; Doepke, Paul, hotel and saloon; Dooner, Edward J., farm implements ; Dreis, John, saloon ; Eichten Bros., hardware and lumber; Fitch, A., barber; Gebhard & Roth, farm implements; Jenniges, M., & Son, general store; Pfiffer, V. F., railway, express and telegraph agent; Queal, J. H. & Co., lumber; Schneider, A. S., general store; Wanda Creamery Co.; Wenzel, Herman, blacksmith.

The growth of the village was rapid, and when the Gazetteer of 1904 was issued Wanda was a flourishing settlement, with Lutheran and Catholic congregations, three elevators, a hotel, a creamery, and with excellent railroad, express, telephone, telegraph and mail service.

The following business activities are shown in the business directory of that year: Alt & Altermatt (Edw. Alt and Geo. Altermatt), general store; Becker, Frederick C, harnessmaker ; Bingham & Sons (H. C. Olson, agent), grain elevator; Black, John, meats; Callahan, Paul A., cashier State Bank of Wanda, real estate and loans; Commercial Hotel, Christ Leuther, proprietor; Dederichs, Mathew, livery ; Doepke, Paul, saloon ; Dooner, Edward J., farm implements; Eichten Bros. (Valentine P. and Mathias) hardware and lumber ; Fitch, Amsden, barber ; Gebhard & Roth, farm implements; Holznagel, Louis, blacksmith; Larson, Andrew, general store; Laux, Nicholas, saloon; Leuther, Christ, proprietor Commercial Hotel; Marwick & Sonysen (James Marwick and Christ N. Sonysen), general store, furniture and undertaking; Ohlson, Henry C, general store and hardware ; Pfiffer, Victor F., railway, express and telegraph agent; Queal, J. H. & Co. (Geo. W. Dubois, agent), lumber; Schmechel, John, saloon; Schmechel, John & Son, agricultural implements; Spalding Bros. (Albert Spalding, agent), grain elevator; State Bank of Wanda (capital $10,000; M. Jennings, president; Paul A. Callaghan, cashier), collections a specialty ; Wanda Creamery Co., Mathias Jenniges, secretary (three miles west) ; Western Elevator Co. (F. Blowdow, agent.

Wanda was surveyed for the Western Town Lot Company on Sept. 26, 1899, by J. C. W. Kline. The plat was filed for record on Oct. 20, 1899. The village was located in the southeast fractional one-quarter of section 19, in town 110, range 36. The plat consisted of six blocks, each containing ten lots, except blocks three and four, which extended as far east as the railroad track. All the streets are seventy feet wide, except Main and Oak streets, which are eighty feet wide, and all the alleys are twenty feet wide. The north and south streets beginning at the west are: Pine, Elm, Oak and Railroad, which last named runs in a northwest and southeasterly direction. The east and west streets beginning at the north are : North, Main and South streets.

The plat of blocks 8 and 9, addition to Wanda, was filed Nov. 22, 1901. The land was owned by the Western Town Lot Co. The plat of block 7, addition to Wanda, was filed June 29, 1901, by the Western Town Lot Co. The plat of block 10, and outlots A, B, C and D, addition to Wanda, was filed Nov. 29, 1912, by the Western Town Lot Co.

The signers were Paul Doepke, Mathias Eichten, Louis Sandberg, V. P. Pfeiffer, A. Spalding, 0. C. Mueller, E. J. Duron, Peter Drees, Val. P. Eichten, M. Dooner, C. C. Bigelow, Alfred Balk, P. E. Wright, Henry Schrander, M. Jenninges, A. Schmechel, H. Kuent, M. J. Eichten, A. A. Schneider, H. C. Ohlsen, F. H. Bauermeister, F. Bloedow, Dick Balk, Herman Wenzel, Fred C. Becker, A. L. Bigelow, Math. Drees, John Drees, Lee Mohler, Edward Dooner, E. J. Dooner and Ed. Toban.

The petition was granted, and an election ordered held in Eichten 's Hall, April 10, 1901, in charge of Math. Jenniges, Math. Eichten and Paul Doepke. Of the thirty-four votes cast, every one was in favor of the incorporation. The village as incorporated included parts of sections 19, 20, 28, 29 and 30.

At the election held March 11, 1902, M. J. Eichten, O. C. Mueller and Nick. Jenniges presided as judges. The officers elected were : President, J. A. Johnson ; trustees, Math. Jenniges, M. Dooner and Albert Spaulding; treasurer, Paul Doepke; recorder, F. H. Bauermeister; justices, Math. Jenniges and P. H. Bauermeister; constable, Math. Dederichs and Nick. Jenniges.

The present officers are : President, Christ Leuther ; trustees, Albert Spaulding, F. X. Schlumperger and Math. Dedrichs; recorder, Paul Doepke ; treasurer, P. J. Borte ; justice of the peace, Math. Gorres ; constable, Nick. Jenniges.

The village of Wanda, with its brick school, its brick Catholic church and parsonage, its sightly German Evangelical Lutheran church, its towering water-tank, its pretty grove, its neat business streets, its bank, and other thriving commercial buildings, presents a striking appearance.

The children of Wanda village originally went to school in a one-room schoolhouse in section 20, Willow Lake township. In 1900 a two-room schoolhouse was built in the village at a cost of $2,400. The building is now remodelled into a sixten-room residence. In 1912 the present large brick schoolhouse was erected.

St. Mathias Roman Catholic church, originally a frame structure, was erected in 1905, and was burned the same year. In 1906 it was replaced with the present imposing brick building. The priest's home, also a brick, was built in 1912.

The waterworks, with the pumping station and tower, were installed in the fall of 1913. Electric lights will be installed on the streets, and in the stores and residences, in the fall of 1916, the power being secured from Lamberton. The village has no park, but Spaulding's beautiful grove adds to the appearance of the city, and furnishes an ideal place for outings and picnics.

Abandoned Vdllages

Cottonwood Crossing, an abandoned hamlet in Lamberton township, and Riverside, an abandoned river village in Honner township, are mentioned elsewhere, in connection with the histories of Lamberton and North Redwood.

Paxton was projected when the Sleepy Eye-Redwood branch of the Chicago & North Western was constructed in 1878. A village was laid out, the Cale brothers opened a small store, and S. F. Cale was appointed postmaster. After the store was discontinued Harvey Moore kept the postoffice at his house not far away.

The original plat of Paxton was filed April 18, 1879. This land was owned by Albert Keep, and surveyed by Arthur Jacobi on July 28, 1878. It was located in the west half of section 26, town 112, range 35. It contained four whole blocks and three fractional ones. The streets ran northwest and southeast, and northeast and southwest. The northwest and southeast streets were: Turrell, 100 feet wide, and Harriet, 80 feet wide. The northeast and southwest streets were : First, Second, Third and Fourth, all 80 feet wide.

Authorship and Authority. The material for this chapter has been prepared under the supervision of A. J. White, who, with the editor, made a personal tour of the county, studying local conditions in the villages, and interviewing leading citizens, as well as searching local records. The records of the plats were transcribed from the county records by Miss Lillian Jensen and others. The business directories from the Northwestern Gazetteers were transcribed by Miss Evelyn Bolin. The records of the incorporations were transcribed by Miss Lillian Jensen, from the county records, with the exception of the incorporations of Redwood Falls, Walnut Grove and Lamberton which are taken from the general laws of the state. Information regarding the early days of Lamberton, Walnut Grove and Redwood Falls, as well as of Riverside and Cottonwood Crossing, has been gleaned from the History of the Minnesota Valley published in 1882. The population figures are from State and Federal census returns.

Information regarding Seaforth has been furnished by John Longbottom and W. A. Hauck. Information concerning Sanborn has been furnished by Mrs. A. D. McRae, H. E. Kent and John T. Yaeger. Information concerning the early days of Delhi has been furnished by J. L. Borg. The article concerning Belview is by A. 0. Gimmestad. The other articles have been edited as follows: Lamberton, A. J. Praxel; Lucan, Anton Kramer; Milroy, "William Duncan, Jr., Frank Taplin and M. W. Johnson; "Wabasso, E. G. Weldon; Vesta, Harvey Harris; Clements, Otto Gerstmann ; "Wanda, Paul Doepke. Much of the information concerning these places was also furnished by the gentlemen who edited the articles. Chris Nielsen has furnished information concerning the early days of Revere. S. F. Scott, as well as Mr. Harris, was consulted in the preparation of the Vesta article. Village clerks in the various villages have placed their records at the disposal of the editor.

Acknowledgment. Charles "W. Howe, now of Redwood Falls, has been engaged for some time in preparing historical and "boosting" booklets, in connection with the Commercial clubs of various villages. To his "Redwood County Directory," his "Forty Wonderful Years" (Morgan) and "A Half Century of Progress" (Walnut Grove), all published in 1916, the editors owe considerable of the information contained in this chapter. The manuscript of Mr. Howe's forthcoming work on Lamberton has also been consulted. Mr. Howe's booklets are carefully and thoroughly prepared, and well printed, and are a decided credit to the villages, the story of whose history and progress he thus preserves.

Records of the incorporations of Redwood county villages, found in the miscellaneous records in the custody of the register of deeds of Redwood county.