Brown County MN Archives History - Books .....Brown County 1882
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/mn/mnfiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 August 27, 2015, 10:23 pm

Book Title: History Of The Minnesota Valley

BROWN COUNTY.

CHAPTER LXXVII.

DESCRIPTIVE-GERMAN COLONY-FIRST SETTLERS-INDIAN DEPREDATIONS-COUNTY
ORGANIZATION-FINANCES—WAR RECORD.

  Brown county is so named in honor of the widely known pioneer, Hon. Joseph R.
Brown, who had been soldier, Indian trader, lumberman, speculator, founder of
cities, legislator, editor and inventor.

  This county is bounded on the north by Redwood, Renville and Nicollet
counties; on the west by Nicollet and Blue Earth; on the south by Watonwan and
Cottonwood, and on the west by Cottonwood and Redwood counties.

  The surface is a fine undulating prairie, interspersed with lakes, meadows and
groves of timber; its soil is very rich and fertile. There are some twenty lakes
within its borders, the names of the principal ones being Lone Tree, Sleepy Eye,
Hanska, Linden, Armstrong, Rice and Clear. The Minnesota river flows along its
northeastern limits, that forming the dividing line between Brown and Nicollet
counties. The Cottonwood flows through the middle portion. Parallel, but a
little to the south, is the course of the Little Cottonwood. This lacustral
richness causes an abundant supply of timber, which may be obtained in nearly
all parts of the county.

  The first white settlement appears to have been made in 1854, when a party of
Germans from Chicago made an exploration of the region lying along the Minnesota
river. Their presence was with a view of selecting a tract of land for a German
colony that had been organized in Chicago, which consisted of several hundred
members. Mr. Weiss and Mr. R. Kiessling were the leaders of this exploring
party. The search resulted in their settling temporarily in what is now the town
of Milford. Being pleased with the situation they returned to Chicago, and the
same year part of the colony came on and settled on the land.

  These settlers subsequently moved from this spot, and laid out the town of New
Ulm, and the events of that short sojourn pertaining more particularly to the
history of New Ulm, will be described in the chapter devoted to that city.

  Jacob Brust in 1855 settled in the present town of Cottonwood, and he was
shortly afterwards followed by John Stamm and Jacob Pfenninger, who settled in
the same neighborhood. Next year the towns of Lake Hanska and Sigel were
settled, the latter by A. D. Loomis, Charles Smith and John Jacques, the former
by Edward Casey. Home and Linden townships were settled at almost the same time;
the first to arrive at the former being Oliver Matthews and John Armstrong at
the latter.

   Among the first settlers in the town of Leavenworth were Luther Whiton, Dr.
J. B. Calkins, Samuel Waitt and John Chosnock. John and Daniel Burns settled in
1850 in what is now called Burnstowu.

   In the first years of the settlement of the county the near presence of the
Indians was a serious inconvenience, as the savages were perpetually inflicting
annoyance of various kinds upon their white neighbors. A strict watch had to be
kept to prevent the stealing of horses and cattle, and several of the settlers
were killed in trying to protect their property.

   The government survey was made in 1854 by M. M. Hayden. The county was
established and its boundaries fixed by act of the legislature passed February
20, 1855. Its area was of immense extent. Commencing at the south-east comer of
town 101, range 30, west, its boundary proceeded along the Iowa line to range
48, and thence south to the mouth of the Big Sioux river (where Sioux City now
stands) then up the Missouri river to about the mouth of Grand river, then due
east, in a line projected to the Minnesota river, which formed, for some
distance, the north-east boundary of the county.

   This immense region had been set off from Blue Earth county and was still
attached to it for judicial purposes.

   February 11, 1856, the legislative assembly enacted "that the county of Brown
is hereby declared to be an organized county and entitled to all privileges and
immunities, and subjected to all liabilities of other organized counties of this
territory." The governor was empowered by this act, to appoint county officers
to serve until the following election; not knowing the names of any of the
settlers he handed Francis Baasen, who was then in St. Paul, the blank
commissions and ordered him to fill in the names of some proper persons to fill
the offices and report the names to him when he had so done. No record exists of
the names of these officers so appointed, and their names have entirely passed
out of the memory of the present inhabitants.

   On May 23, 1857, there were formed out of part of the territory contained in
the area of Brown county, Martin, Jackson, Nobles, Rock, Pipestone, Murray and
Cottonwood counties. In 1862 the boundaries wore again changed by the
establishment of Redwood county, which cut off from Brown the present counties
of Lyon, Lincoln, Yellow Medicine and Lac qui Parle, all of which w ere formed
into Redwood county. The boundaries of Brown county were then of less extent
than now. They were as follows: Beginning at the south-east corner of town 108,
between range 29 and 30, thence west to the town line between ranges 33 and 34,
thence north to the Minnesota river, thence down said river to a point between
ranges 29 and 30, thence south to the place of beginning." In 1864 the county
was enlarged by the addition of the four townships of North Star, Bums, Stately
and Bashaw, the two former being cut off from Redwood, the two latter from
Cottonwood counties. The total area of the county is about 600 square miles.

   The first meeting of the county commissioners, of which there is any record
in existence, took place at New Ulm, on September 1, 1856, the commissioners
being Peyton Nichols, Anton Kaus and A. Henle, at which meeting the former
register of deeds having removed from the county, Francis Baasen was appointed
in his stead. The board then reconsidered the vote at the last meeting in regard
to election precincts and established the same as follows:

   First precinct: All the surveyed townships south of town 110, range 20.
Second precinct: All that part of Brown county included in town 110, range 30.
Third precinct: All the surveyed townships in range 31, included in Brown
county. Fourth precinct: All that part of the unsurveyed land included in the
Redwood or Lower Sioux Agency. Fifth precinct: All the unsurveyed land in the
Yellow Medicine Agency.

   The judges of election appointed and the polling places were as follows:
William Winkelmann, Jacob Brust and Peyton Nichols for the first precinct, polls
at the house of Jacob Brust; Anton Kaus, Ernst Diedrich and Henry Meyerding for
the second precint, polls at the house of the latter; Athanasius Henle, Albert
Tuttle and John Zettel for the third precinct, polls at the house of David
Haeberle; James Lynd, Stewart B. Garvie and Thomas J. B. Heath for the fourth
district, polls at the house of Dr. A. W. Daniels; Thomas J. Williamson, Stephen
R. Riggs and A. Robertson for the fifth precinct, polls at the house of the
latter. The three first precincts were also created as road districts.

   In the first year of the settlement the farmers were subjected to much loss
by blackbirds. The damage inflicted by these pests was so great that on February
23, 1857, a petition, numerously signed, was presented to the board of
commissioners, praying that some provision be made for destroying blackbirds.
The commissioners not thinking themselves competent to do so, without consulting
the county at large, took no action in the matter. In the following April
pressure was again brought to bear upon them, and their stand in the matter was
reconsidered. It was resolved that, whereas William Pfaender had promised to
furnish the poison, the board concluded to use it three times in the season,
first, from May 10 to May 15; second, during the wheat harvest; third, in the
month of October, the money expended for which experiments was to be recovered
by the County treasurer.

   Again in 1859 the board had to come to the relief of the community, so great
were the ravages of these pests. In accordance with a petition received, praying
for help, it was determined to give to each farmer in the county who had part of
his land under cultivation one bottle of strychnine, and the clerk was ordered
to procure for that purpose three hundred bottles of the poison, and a day was
fixed for its distribution. These heroic measures were effective only for a
time, and in succeeding years rewards were paid for the killing of blackbirds at
the rate of forty cents per hundred birds. A war of extermination was waged, and
after a few years they entirely disappeared.

   Brown county has been most unfortunate in its subjection to malign
influences. The epochs of its history consist of a series of disasters, that
have required the exercise of much courage and determination to overcome.
Besides the blackbirds the grasshoppers were the source of ruin to many. Their
appearance was made as early as 1857, when they made a short sojourn of only a
few hours in the month of April. Their next visit was in 1864. That year they
laid their eggs and the next was one in which much damage was done to the crops.
During the after years when the plague of their presence raged through the
valley, Brown county was visited most severely. It was calculated that in the
five years of the continuance of the presence of these insects that the total
damage inflicted was equal to the entire crop products of three years. Other
causes of suffering were the Indian troubles of 1862, the massacres being most
terrible and bloody in Brown county. At the beginning of the outbreak the
Indians scoured the county in all directions, and before organization could he
effected they left a track of ruin and desolation in all parts of the county.
The destruction of property was immense and the murders committed numerous.

   In addition to all these troubles the great cyclone of 1881 came as a climax.
These matters are all treated fully in their proper places in this work, and
therefore need not be more than alluded to in this connection.

   The first ferry licenses granted were for a ferry across the Minnesota river
at the point where the "Mankato and Fort Ridgely road shall cross said river,"
and "for a ferry across the Minnesota river from the foot of Centre street in
the town of New Ulm, at such point as will be selected by the grantee not more
than a mile above or below said point." Both of these licenses were issued May
12, 1857.

   September 7, 1857, another election precinct, the sixth, was established,
which comprised all the government townships numbered 107, 106, 105, of range
30. The polls were ordered to be at the house of Philander Hartshorn, at
Madelia. Judges of election were to be selected by the voters at the polls.
Before the October elections several more townships were included in this precinct.

   Contracts were awarded, February 5, 1858, for the purpose of having the
bridge over the Cottonwood river constructed, to Julius Schramm for the
carpenter work, for the sum of $1,250; to Joseph Reinhard, for furnishing and
delivering all the timber at 5 1/4 cents per running foot; to Charles Lauer for
drawing the timber, and to J. Berndt and J. Victor, for constructing the piers.
Jacob Brust was afterward put in charge of the work.

   The first term of the district court was held September 22, 1857, by Judge A.
G. Chatfield. Lewis Branson was district attorney, and Henry Behnke clerk.
Albert Tuttle was foreman of the grand jury.

   July 6, 1857, the first four school districts were formed. They were only
temporary districts, made for the purpose of the apportionment. January 2, 1860,
the total number of children in the several school districts were as follows:
Milford, 89; Linden, 26; Redwood, 47; Madelia, 37; New Ulm, 139; District No.
10, 26; Cottonwood, 104; total number, 465. The amount of the school tax was
$672, an average amount for each scholar of $1.43 7-10. January 8, 1862, the
number of scholars reported was 487, the total amount of school tax $951.07.
January 3, 1867, an appropriation was made in order to send three suitable
persons to the State Normal school at Winona, and pay their expenses while
there, the consideration being that they should each agree to teach for three
years in the schools of Brown county. At present there are sixty-five school
districts in the county; the last report gives the total number of scholars as
being 2,797.

   At a meeting of the commissioners held April 12, 1858, the matter of township
organization was considered, as required by act of the legislature, and it was
resolved that "Whereas, Minnesota has not been admitted to the Union as a state,
and the said legislature had acted under the authority of the State of
Minnesota, which not being in existence yet, and, whereas, the organization of
townships as proposed is very expensive for a new county, the following
resolution was adopted by the board, not to take any steps in regard to the
township organization until Minnesota is admitted as a state and the benefit of
Brown county will require it."

   On June 28, 1858, notwithstanding the above a special session was held for
the purpose of carrying out the provisions of the township organization act.
There were only two of the commissioners present, the two being Jacob Brust and
F. Roebbecke. It was resolved "that the board has now a legal right to organize
the county into towns, whereas Minnesota is admitted into the Union as a state."
The following towns were established, New Ulm, Ludwigs, Lower Sioux Agency,
Yellow Medicine, Leavenworth and Cottonwood. The remaining portion of the county
was attached to Leavenworth. Elections were ordered to he held the second
Tuesday in July. The clerk was ordered to make out a record of the proceedings
of the board concerning the township organization and to give notice to the
different towns, and also to cause the proceedings to be published in the New
Ulm Pioneer.

   The elections were duly held and the first meeting of the board of county
supervisors was held November 8, 1858, Those present were Jacob Barbier,
representing New Ulm; Jacob Brust, Cottonwood; John Doster, Milford; John
Armstrong, Linden; Mr. Ruttledge, Madelia. The other towns had not then
perfected their organization. A majority of the supervisors of the organized
towns being present the board proceeded to business and elected Jacob Brust
chairman of the board. The clerk of the late board of county commissioners
delivered up the books of the late board and the assessment rolls.

   After some routine business had been transacted the board proceeded to
consider the financial condition of the county, and to devise some means for
improving the depressed state of the exchequer.

   It was also resolved that each township of the county according to the last
division should constitute a school district.

   A determined stand was taken by the board in 1859, against the detestable and
criminal practice of furnishing liquor to the Indians. Under date of September
15, of that year, a reward was offered of twenty-five dollars to any person who
would furnish such proof of violations of the law prohibiting the sale of
spirits to the Indians as would lead to their conviction. The officers at the
agencies and at Fort Ridgely were also notified that the people of the county
were determined to carry out the provisions of a law entitled an "act to extend
the laws of the state over all the Indian tribes within the boundaries of the
state, and to confine them to their own lands." To give added publicity to these
resolutions they were inserted in the columns of the New Ulm Pioneer.

   June 11, 1860, the subject of dividing the county into commissioner districts
was discussed, and resulted in the establishment of the following districts:
First, consisting of the town of New Ulm; second, consisting of the towns of
Madelia, Linden, Cottonwood and Leavenworth; third, the towns of Milford,
Redwood and Yellow Medicine.

   On January 1, 1861, the board met according to article 2, section 2, of the
act to provide for county organization and government. There were then seventeen
townships organized in the county. At this time Wm. Pfaender was register of
deeds; Charles Roos, sheriff; E. St. Julien Cox, attorney; ______ Brockmann,
surveyor. J. W. Young was chairman of the board of commissioners.

   When the war of the rebellion broke out Brown county furnished her proportion
of soldiers to the cause and offered bounties for volunteers to fill her quota.

   A petition signed by the mayor and the city council of the town of New Ulm,
in behalf of the citizens of said town, was presented to the commissioners
January 7, 1862, praying that the township of New Ulm be limited, so as to
comprise only the incorporated town of New Ulm and to attach those lands then
forming a part of the township not included in the corporation lines of New Ulm
to the adjoining townships. After due consideration of the matter it was
resolved by the board "that the boundaries of the township of New Ulm are hereby
limited to the lines of the incorporated town of New Ulm, provided, that the
town supervisors first shall submit the matter to the legal voters of the
township of New Ulm, at their next annual town election, to take a vote for or
against the alteration of said boundary." This being duly submitted to the
electors, as required by law, the vote was in favor of the proposed limitation.

   County Buildings: No action was taken in the matter of county buildings until
the fall of 1858. In November of that year three plans for a jail were submitted
to the board of commissioners; J. Berndt produced two, the cost of erecting the
first plan would be $580; of the second, $300. Mr. J. Pfenninger handed in a
plan and an estimate of cost at about $400. On motion it was resolved to accept
the first plan of J. Berndt. No contract was entered into until the next fall.
March 1, 1859 it was resolved to authorize the chairman to "issue a proclamation
about the building of the county jail as resolved by the board in Novemher."
Soon after, a contract was entered into and the jail ordered built, and the
following 14th day of September it was accepted as being built according to
contract. This was a log building situated in German Park and was the only
county building of any kind until the fall of 1865, when the present brick
building costing $4,000 was erected and used as county offices. Previous to this
various places had been rented as county offices. In the fall of 1873 the
present handsome brick jail and court room was constructed at a cost of $11,000.

   The whole amount of taxes assessed for the year 1857 was $2,296.19, of which
$830.42 was paid. The county borrowed money at the rate of two per cent, a
month, to meet expenses until money could he raised by taxation. The rate of
taxation, however, was not fixed high enough to raise a sufficient amount to
meet the liabilities, for on September 4, 1861, it was reported by the auditor
that the indebtedness of the county was $5,000. The rate of taxation was then
increased and the auditor was instructed to exchange county bonds not issued,
for those outstanding, then due. Authority was also given him to issue county
bonds due in five years, bearing interest at the rate of seven per cent, per
annum. In 1862 the special tax was fifteen cents on the dollar, and property
destroyed by Indians was exempted from tax for that year. The next few years
were marked by slight improvement in finances, and in 1872 a condition of sound
health was attained, and has since been maintained. The rate of taxation has
gradually fallen to five mills in 1880. The assessed valuation of property in
the county for that year was $3,240,500. For the year ending March 1, 1881, the
total receipts of moneys from all sources, was $14,706.73; the expenditure being
$14,137.79, leaving a balance on hand of $568.94. The total amount of county
bonds issued from time to time was $5,072, of which all have been redeemed
except $737. A new series of $15,000 is in process of issue for the purpose of
building county bridges, four in all, respectively at the villages of Iberia and
Springfield, the town of Sigel and over the Cottonwood on the Mankato and New
Ulm road.

   The Brown County Agricultural Society was organized in 1859, but during the
outbreak of 1862, it was discontinued. In 1864 anew organization was effected,
with J. Reinartz, president; J. Manderfeld secretary; P. Gay, treasurer.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from 

History of the Minnesota Valley
Minneapolis: North Star Publishing Co. (1882)


File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mn/brown/history/1882/historyo/browncou90gms.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/mnfiles/

File size: 21.2 Kb