Brown County MN Archives History - Books .....Pioneer Settlement, Chapter IV 1916
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Book Title: History Of Brown County, See Below

               CHAPTER IV.

                     PIONEER SETTLEMENT.

     In many counties the tracing out of the first settlers, establishing who
were the first actual settlers, where they located and how long they remained,
is a hard task to successfully accomplish by the local historian, but here in
Brown county and New Ulm, such is not the case, as there has been left a
permanent record of all such first and important events, and it is a pleasure to
enter at once upon this work, drawing from such records and published accounts
as are at hand, both in this county and at the rooms of the Minnesota Historical
Society, at St. Paul. The author is further aided by the few persons who still
linger this side the strand, and whose memory goes back and they easily bring to
notice the events of the fifties, when Brown county had its first white settlers.

                      THE FIRST SETTLER.

     Prior to 1853, the year before the government surveyed the lands in what is
now Brown county, there were no white men, but the green solitude of the
flower-covered prairies and beautiful wooded glens and valleys were all held by
the Indian, whose rights up to then had never been disputed by his pale-faced
brother. To Edward McCole, who came across from Nicollet county in 1853, must be
ascribed the honor of being Brown county's first settler. His cabin was burned,
and while he was away his claim was jumped by Anton Kaus; this claim later
comprised the farm owned by Colonel Pfaender.

                    COLONIZATION SOCIETIES.

     The next settlement was effected by the Chicago Land Verein, who came in
the autumn of 1854. This was one of two colonization societies, each having
similar designs. These were the "Chicago Land Verein" and the "Colonization
Society of North America," the latter having its origin in the city of
Cincinnati, Ohio. Eventually a union of the two took place, as will presently be
observed. The result was the formation of the "German Land Association."

     The Chicago Land Verein was organized in Chicago in the summer of 1853, by
a class of six Germans who were studying the language of their adopted country.
Among the six persons was Frederick Beinhorn, who conceived the idea of a
colonization society. The notion met with favor and public meetings were held
and an organization was perfected, of which Frederick Beinhorn was president,
Frederick Metzke was secretary, and a Mr. Schwarz, treasurer. The teacher of
this class was William Fach, who was appointed to look up a location for the
association, the object of which was to get beyond the reach of greedy land
speculators, to obtain government land and create a model town, which should be
surrounded by gardens. One of the necessary conditions also, of the intended
site of the city, was that the site should face a river frontage. By November of
the first year the society numbered sixty-three; meetings were held every week,
and a monthly fee of ten cents was required from each, member, to defray
necessary expenses. In February, 1854, the society gave a ball at the old market
house on the north side, in Chicago, which affair netted them three hundred
dollars. Notice was given through the papers that a fee of three dollars would
thereafter be required for the enrollment of any new members, if joining before
eight days from publication of such notice. After then five dollars would be
exacted. It was not long before the membership had swelled to eight hundred
persons, nearly all of whom were working men. The agent then informed them that
he had selected a tract of land in every way suitable to the needs of the
proposed colony. This was in April, 1854. Investigation, however, proved that
such lands were situated in a sandy desert-like region in the northern portion
of Michigan.

     A committee, consisting of Beinhom, Assal, Hummelscheim, Mueller and
(Voehringer) was then appointed to select an eligible site for settlement,
according to the expressed desire of the society. After visiting many places,
principally in Iowa, they returned to Chicago without finding what they wanted.
Soon afterward, Pfeiffer and Messerschmidt were sent to Minnesota, and reported
good land in the neighborhood of Swan lake. Members Kiessling and Weiss were
sent out to corroborate this good news, and upon their return reported they had
found a very good place on the opposite side of the Minnesota river from a place
called "LeSueur." This was in September, 1854. An expedition of twenty members
was fitted out to go to the place selected. Upon their arrival they were not
well pleased, and proceeded up the river to Traverse des Sioux. Athanasius
Henle, Ludwig Meyer, Frederick Massapust and Alois Palmer started for Ft.
Ridgely, and arrived at the trading post of Joseph LaFramboise (a Canadian
Frenchman), who said there was a place near the Cottonwood where it flowed into
the Minnesota river, that was the most eligible place in the entire state for a
town.

     Arriving on the site of the present city of New Ulm they were charmed with
the situation, and sent for their companions, who had remained at Traverse des
Sioux, who arrived October 8. These hardy men made their way into the wilds of
Minnesota, from Chicago to Galena, fifteen miles by rail, thence by steamer to
St. Paul. The distance from their future home was about six hundred miles.
Henle, Massapust and Walser had set out on their journey ahead of the others,
and when they reached Stillwater they were sorely tempted to remain there.

     At St. Paul, the little company, except Henle, Walser and Haeberle, went
aboard the "Jeanette Roberts" and sailed to Ft. Snelling, six miles above St.
Paul, thence up the Minnesota river toward their destination. The three men
named above preferred to go by team, the distance from St. Paul being only
seventy miles. Having reached Henderson the party put up for the night,
intending to go to LeSueur the next day, as it was only four miles. LeSueur then
contained only three or four houses, but the party was very anxious to view the
promised land reported to them as being situated just across the river a short
distance. Between Henderson and LeSueur the party was met by a band of about
four hundred Indians in war costume and savage appearance. About that time they
had the misfortune to have their wagon overturn, whereupon the warriors turned
out and assisted the party to get righted up again. The fear they had felt
before was now all gone. The remainder of the colony arrived at LeSueur by
steamer, and from thence they went together to see the much-talked-of-land on
the west side of the Minnesota river. It was three miles from the village of
LeSueur, on the left bank of the stream, on a plateau steeply from the water's
edge. That was the chosen townsite that had been picked out for them. No one was
pleased over it. True, there was an extensive forest at hand and plenty of water
in the river. There was also a beautiful meadow at the foot of the hill through
which a canal could be dug as had been discussed on the journey from Chicago.
Still this site was rejected. The townsite did not offer them even a drink of
water and the September day was very hot and they uncommonly thirsty. The
well-matured plans of a canal, a zig-zag street, etc., were all abandoned, and
they bid the place a lingering farewell, and returned to LeSueur, from which
place the next day they went to Traverse des Sioux, a place they had heard much
of, and only fourteen miles distant. At Traverse they met a man who had much to
say about a fine townsite and induced eleven of the party the following day to
go and look at it. It was about eight miles from Traverse. They found tall
slough grass all about it. No one except the townsite shark was favorably
impressed with the site, and he did all the talking. He spoke of the placid
waters of Swan lake being lead to the Minnesota by the construction of a canal
and of how great factories and breweries might be propelled from its waters.

JOSEPH LA FRAMBOISE, TRADER.

     Seven of the party returned to Traverse des Sioux. The remaining four—A.
Henle, Ludwig Meyer, Fr. Massapust and Alois Palmer—wanted to prospect the
district west from Swan lake which appeared extremely inviting from a distance,
and, at all hazards, find a place better than the ones already looked upon.
After having spent a chilly night amid the high prairie grass, they simply
wandered along the shores of the lake in a westerly direction. Hunger and
fatigue came upon them, they found a trail on which a company of soldiers were
just then marching toward the newly erected Ft. Ridgely. They met a German
soldier who took pity on his countrymen and gave them a small piece of bacon and
a potato of unusual size. Being refreshed, they continued their journey on west
and at dusk their steps were directed to a shanty, but found it vacant. It
belonged to a half-breed who had deserted the hut and gone to the Sioux agency
on business. But they kept steadily pressing onward and at last came upon the
house of Joseph La Framboise, a French-Canadian trader who had married a squaw.
The party were well feasted there on the flesh of muskrats and strong black
coffee. This place was four miles from Ft. Ridgely and thirty-four from Traverse
des Sioux. Through this noble old pioneer trader the party were induced to look
at the present site of the city of New Ulm. After a long, tedious march with but
little to eat or drink, they trudged along until they found two deserted Indian
huts, made of long poles about two inches in diameter, set up in the form of a
circle, and covered with bark. Tired and hungry they stretched their weary limbs
out for a night's rest. When they awoke in the early morning, the sun high
heavenward, they observed that they were in the midst of a real Indian village,
but that the same was then deserted. They also noted a number of corpses hoisted
upon eight foot poles, a mode of burial with some of the tribes. Bleaching bones
and grinning skulls were not the most inviting sight. But the beauty of the
natural scenery—the Cottonwood and Minnesota valleys—worked like magic on their
tired brains. They all, with one accord, agreed that this was the place they had
long been seeking—a suitable townsite and adjoining farming section. They walked
back to Traverse des Sioux the same day, and upon their arrival about midnight,
found most of their companions still up and they asked if they had found a good
location. The prospectors replied, "We have found a very fine place; the houses
are already to move into and the graveyard is close at hand." They had reference
to the Indian huts and the corpses they had seen on the poles. The company
finally went to bed, but were early risers and heard the wonderful story of the
new-found land. This Was on October 8, 1854. The entire party set out from
Traverse des Sioux and soon found their new home, and without an exception they
all agreed that the site was ideal.

    In this connection it should be said that the company now numbered about
thirty men, principally made up of immigrants from Europe who, on account of
cholera in Chicago, desired to go west, and were neither acquainted with the
hardships of frontier life in general nor with the rigor of a Minnesota climate.
But they were constituted of the right make-up and were eventually crowned with
signal success.

FIRST IMMIGRANTS NAMED.

    Among the first party of immigrants who arrived at the newly chosen spot
were: M. Wall, Walser, the two Henle brothers, Dambach, the two brothers
Haeberle, Ludwig Meyer, W. Winklemann, Palmer, Kleinknecht, the two Mack
brothers, L. Hermann and wife, Kraemer, Schwarz, Weiss, Elise Finke, afterward
married to A. Henle; Julius, with wife and child; Thiele, Boeringen, Wiedmann,
Massapust; Zettel, with wife and child, J. Brandt, Koch and Drexler. Many of
these daring men and women were massacred in the Sioux outbreak in the summer
and autumn of 1862.

    From some of the men who braved those early-day hardships it has been
learned that they provided for winter quarters the first winter about as
follows: An Indian had already informed the party that it were better for them
to move away from there. Remembering now that the district where the prospectors
had found hospitality and good quarters with the trader La Framboise was well
covered with heavy timber and shrubbery, and that he was friendly to them,
furthermore that they would be near the fort in ease of need, they resolved to
spend the winter in that neighborhood. They broke camp and went up the Minnesota
river, crossing their future townsite. Four miles from La Framboise's they found
an Indian village. The Indians having gone to the fort for their annuity they
took possession of their huts until they could finish a small log cabin for
themselves. Provisions soon began to dwindle away, two barrels of flour and the
few potatoes they had bought of a half-breed, only lasted about two weeks. The
dangers of the situation were not at first understood by the colony. The nearest
places from which food could possibly be had was Ft. Ridgely, ten miles above
them and Traverse des Sioux, thirty-five miles to the east. They had only one
wagon and four oxen, two of which soon died, and the remaining two were very
poor and too weak to draw an empty wagon. They had very little hay. They had
some gold coin, but had it not been for the good trader, La Framboise, they must
have certainly starved, and as it was they suffered much from hunger at times
during that first winter.

     The Mack brothers finally undertook a trip to Ft. Ridgely for supplies and
lost their bearing and finally came up at an Indian camp, where they were
feasted and kept all night and put on the right track. On the way back the next
day they were belated and had to lodge beneath a tree the following night. About
this time another thoughtful member, Joseph Dambach, undertook a trip to St.
Paul for provisions. They were then happy in the thought that the Indians would
not return till spring and they could occupy their quarters at the Indian
village mentioned before. At Ft. Ridgely they could not always get supplies—they
ran races at times to see who should get the refuse materials thrown out, such
as hog heads, cattle heads, etc. Sometimes two or three would start out in the
dead of the night to outdo others who had intended to go. Fortunate, indeed, was
he who could offer a few drinks of whisky to the soldiers, by which act he could
obtain more and better provisions from the government stores. A saw-mill near
the fort was a place for exchange and barter with the soldiers and settlers. It
was there many a drink of whisky was exchanged for vegetables and other things
the settlers were in need of.

     The Indians, however, came back and claimed the use of their huts in the
dead of winter, and it was only through La Framboise and his influence that the
red men set up other quarters for that season nearer La Framboise. During the
winter the small-pox broke out among the Indians and they left the place
altogether. The tepees of the neighboring village had been deprived of their
coverings, hides and robes. One corpse was left behind. This was doubtless a
superstition of the Sioux who made it a practice to leave one body in honor of
the Great Spirit. They never came to claim the body and after the wolves had
nearly devoured it the settlers buried the remainder of it.

     Fortunately, that was a mild winter, compared to many in Minnesota. The
Indians frequently returned and traded with the settlers and asked for food,
which they always got, but they did not exact the Indian's home-made trinkets in
return. Thus they came and went on friendly terms and many a Sioux who was the
recipient of favors at the hands of the settlers at that time returned the same
during the fatal month of August, 1862, with his deadly tomahawk and bullet.

SETTLERS BURNED OUT,

     By February the snow had gotten very deep. They had cleared away a site for
a saw-mill to be erected in the coming spring. They had plenty of fuel and a
fair supply of provision by this time. On the fifteenth of that memorable month,
which was a very cold day, they built an uncommonly large fire in the three
stoves they had, and one of the stovepipes set fire to the straw and bark roof.
The fire was not seen until the whole cabin was on fire. The burning cinders
dropped on the floor and on the bedding on which one of the party was lying
sick- The cabin, and with it many of the necessities of life, burned, but no one
was injured. After this they were obliged to enter the miserable huts left by
the Indians as worthless. Provisions were again getting low and but little could
be had at the fort. La Framboise had given them some straw with which they
covered one of their huts and put a stove in it. But this was poor protection
against the severe cold northwest winds and frosts. Their victuals froze on
their plates while they tried to eat a meal. During that winter the Henle's and
Zettel cut the lumber for their buildings with their own hands.

     Spring finally came and was welcome to all the members of the colony, who
had suffered as no pen can describe. Now the matter of fixing exactly where the
permanent town-site should be exercised the minds of the colony—some favored one
place and some another. It was designed by some to utilize the waters of the
swift-flowing Cottonwood for milling and factory purposes, hence this faction
desired that the town be built near that spot. But the survey went forward and
the place chosen was the present city of New Ulm, the most of which was burned
in the August, 1862, Indian massacre period, but soon rose from the embers and
ashes to be a well-built, modern city. A greater part of the city as known today
is made from additions made to the original tract platted. The first houses were
built in 1855 by Adam Behnke, A. Dederich, Ludwig Ensderle, Paul Hitz, Ludwig
Meyer, H. Meierding and C. Staus.

     The first settlers were largely Swabians, and in rememberance of the city
of Ulm they named their town "New Ulm."

MORE ARRIVALS.

     On May 16, 1855, about twenty more members of this society arrived from
Chicago, among them one Volk, who according to instructions from the president
laid out the townsite of New Ulm. On May 20, the same season, a branch of the
home society was established, of which A. Kiessling was elected president; John
Zettel, vice-president; Henry Meyerding, secretary and Joseph Dambach,
treasurer, their terms of office being for three months. It was about this date
when the president in Chicago, F. Beinhorn, decided that every member of the
society should pay into the treasury the sum of thirty dollars, so as to enable
the land to be purchased. This was responded to by two hundred and fifty men
paying in the sum called for. When the money was thus paid in, the treasurer,
Albert Blatz, brother of Valentine Blatz, the famous brewer of Milwaukee, and
the president, Beinhorn, set out for New Ulm, May 10, 1856, with funds with
which to purchase the land of the government. Upon arrival it was found that in
order to claim land under the pre-emption laws, more houses must be erected, and
as soon as this could be done. Beinhorn and Blatz, in company with Charles E.
Flandrau and fourteen claimants, went to the land office at Winona, and bought
the land at government price, a dollar and a quarter an acre.

THE CINCINNATI SOCIETY.

     In the beginning of 1855 there was considerable discussion regarding the
enlargement of scope of the Turner societies. While this was proceeding the Turn
Zeitung, a publication of Philadelphia, in its issue of March 29, 1855,
published a communication under the heading of "practical gymnastics," which
called attention of the members to the importance of a practical colonization
project.

    Urged by the friends of this scheme the Cincinnati Turngemeinde, on April
20, appointed a committee consisting of J. G. Herzsch, A. Tafel, A. Fischer,
Nicolaus Meyer and William Pfaender, for the purpose of further considerations
of the plans, a constitution, by-laws, etc., for a society. This society was for
temporary purposes called the "Colonization Society of North America." The idea
of this society, without being Utopian in character, had a wider scope of
operation in mind than had the Chicago society. The Cincinnati society involved
the idea of obtaining means for carrying out a broad and liberal scheme of
development, physical and mental, on the wide prairies of the West. It was
founded when the theory of "Know-Nothingism" was at its greatest height and
these people desired to cut away such barriers by settling in the far West by
themselves and there build up, as it were, a little empire of their own, where
narrow sectarianism could not find a home, but where freedom to all honorable
people, regardless what country they chanced to be born in, might he enjoyed.
The membership of the society greatly increased. The price of shares was fixed
at fifteen dollars, and no one could hold more than two shares. Each shareholder
was entitled to one lot on the townsite and a small area of ground outside for
garden purposes, and to secure a larger tract of land at cost price for such as
wished to engage in agriculture. William Pfaender, William Seeger and A. Prieser
were sent out in the early spring of 1856 to look for a suitable place for such
settlement. They looked through the states of Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska
and finally Minnesota. At St. Paul they were informed that there was a
settlement of Germans up the Minnesota river, and they at once started for the
place and found the members of the Chicago society, who as yet had not located
on the site of New Ulm, but were getting ready to do so. A plat of the town had
already been made.

     Mr. Pfaender was acting as the agent for the Cincinnati society and liking
this site, entered into negotiations for the merging of the two companies. On
July 4, 1856, an agreement was effected in Chicago, the details of which were
that the Chicago society should get back all the money that had been paid for
land, and that the Cincinnati company should erect a warehouse and a saw-mill
and flour-mill. Originally, the Chicago society gave its members twelve lots and
nine acres of land outside; by the new arrangements they were to hold six lots
and four acres of land outside; the Cincinnati people received three lots and
four acres outside. After these plans had been agreed to Mr. Pfaender returned
to New Ulm and obtained sixteen additional quarter sections of land from the
government. The total amount of land acquired by purchase from the Chicago
company was 4,036 acres, which included 1,700 acres laid out in the town-site.
The consolidation of the two societies resulted in the formation of the "German
Land Association of Minnesota," which was duly incorporated on March 4, 1857,
the capital stock being named at one hundred thousand dollars, divided into
shares of fifty dollars each, and in place of having to be paid for in cash,
realty or personal property could be given in exchange. The society was also
authorized to "erect in the counties of Brown and Nicollet, buildings, mills and
other structures, with machinery for the manufacture of lumber, flour, paper,
woolen goods and all such articles adapted to the wants of the country, as shall
be deemed best by the stockholders." The first officers elected were William
Pfaender, president; Hermann Herrendorfer, secretary; August H. Wagner, treasurer.

     As soon as possible a party, under Mr. Pfaender, left in September, 1856,
by steamer, from Cincinnati, which went to St. Paul. Prom there they made the
trip in wagons to New Ulm. The names of this party were as follow: Adolph
Seiter, John C. Toberer, E. Grestenhauer, William Hummell, George Guetlich,
George Fein, Henry Knieff, Henry Haupt, Henry Hoffmann and William Petermann.
August Schell and a few others had started on in advance of these just named. On
their arrival they found a town consisting of twenty-three shanties scattered
over a stretch of three miles.

     In the autumn of 1856 a store was started by the company, in order to
provide provisions for the settlers. It stood where later stood the Pennsylvania
House. It was a two-story building of rough lumber, ten by thirty feet. William
Pfaender was placed in charge; everything was sold to the settlers at actual cost.

IMMIGRANTS OF 1857.

     In the spring of 1857 between sixty and seventy more settlers left
Cincinnati for this place. They chartered the steamer "Frank Steele" to convey
them the entire distance. They started too early in the season and were tied up
at Lake Pepin for quite a long time, but finally arrived at New Ulm without
accident. Their coming called for more stores and shops which were at once
provided. By 1860 the census reports showed that Brown county, including the
village of New Ulm, had 2,339 population, and the larger part of these resided
in and near the village itself. The further settlements in the county will be
traced out in giving the township histories in this volume.

EARLY HARDSHIPS ENDURED

     None but those who have had a similar experience can possibly appreciate
the trials and hardships endured by the pioneer settlers--men and women—who laid
well the foundations of New Ulm and Brown county, Minnesota. The Chicago
settlers (first colony that came to New Ulm's site), had at the time of selling
a part of their possessions here, almost exhausted their means of support, and,
knowing that the favorable location of their town would be without benefit to
them unless they would give others a chance to settle among them, the offer of
the Cincinnati gentlemen was quite readily accepted. The Chicago society
consisted of some two hundred persons. They sold their rights under conditions
about as follows: Each member was to receive thirty-three dollars in cash, six
building lots, to be determined by chance, and one of the surveyed four-acre
lots adjoining the "city."

     The first settlers had already built a mill by which lumber might be sawed,
and the Cincinnati colony were pledged to erect a large warehouse and erect a
flouring-mill. The offer was accepted, and during the same year many of the
Cincinnati society arrived—their society had a total membership of thirteen
hundred.

     The new addition was of great benefit to the colony; but it also brought
some hardships with it, too. They consumed large amounts of provisions and it
was with great difficulty that they could freight the most necessary articles in
way of provisions from St. Paul, a distance of one hundred and twenty miles over
bad roads and unbridged streams. The consequence of this was that provisions at
New Ulm were sometimes extremely high. Many had neither money nor work and were
now in great need. Corn bread was the main means of support, and having no lard,
this was poorly baked. All sorts of means were resorted to, to exist at all. A
man named Haeberle was obliged after planting his potatoes in the spring, to dig
them up again for immediate food for his family. Many of the immigrants had no
accommodations whatever. The expenses for their long journey here had deprived
them of what little money they did possess before starting. Still, they felt
proud and happy to see the rays of the sun fall through their windows into a
room they could rightfully call their own room. Many a house had no roof, or
only a part of one, and an umbrella at table or bed was at times considered a
blessing indeed. Great privations, even of the absolute necessities to sustain
life, were common in early days in New Ulm.

    Again, for the necessaries of life they often had to pay enormous prices. A
barrel of flour was sold at twenty-two dollars. The first wheat was sown in the
spring of 1856, but it was partly eaten by the blackbirds, and yielded poorly.
They did not really succeed in raising much wheat until 1858. The first serious
attempt at wheat growing was six miles northwest of New Ulm. Three
farmers—Athanasius and Anton Henle and Benedict Drezler—had stacked their wheat
at one place, in order to more easily get it threshed in the fall, after it had
"gone through the sweat." This was in 1858 and they had a most excellent wheat
crop and had high hopes built up for themselves and neighbors less fortunate.
But alas, a prairie fire came in and swept it into ashes in an instant. On
account of this, and other fires caught from this, many lost all the grain
raised that season. The prices naturally went up. Potatoes were sold at three
dollars a bushel, and a hen and a few chickens sold in New Ulm for five dollars.
Even a cat was sold at five dollars. Mice were very numerous and it is related
that one enterprising individual loaned out his cat to others for a certain
time, for which he charged two dollars.

     Instead of tobacco they smoked leaves and chewed roots from the nearby
forests. Again, when a person chanced to have some article of home-produced
provisions to spare, but few had any money with which to purchase it of the
producer. This went on in the vicinity of New Ulm for five or eight years, until
the country was gradually developed into a self-sustaining community.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:
HISTORY OF BROWN COUNTY MINNESOTA
ITS PEOPLE, INDUSTRIES AND INSTITUTIONS

L. A. FRITSCHE. M. D.
Editor

With Biographical Sketches of Representative Citizens and Genealogical Records
of Many of the Old Families

VOLUME I
B. F. BOWEN & COMPANY, Inc. Indianapolis, Indiana


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