Obit for FROST, Nathaniel (b.1832 d.1899), Jackson Co., MN ========================================================================= USGENWEB NOTICE:In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material, AND permission is obtained from the contributor of the file. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of the contributor, OR the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. If you have found this file through a source other than the MNArchives Table Of Contents you can find other Minnesota related Archives at: http://www.usgwarchives.net/mn/mnfiles.htm Please note the county and type of file at the top of this page to find the submitter information or other files for this county. FileFormat by Terri--MNArchives Made available to The USGenWeb Archives by: Lucille Gano ========================================================================= Nathaniel Frost, desceased, was one of the very first residents of Jackson County, having located here when the country was a part of Brown County. He took part in many of the stirring events of the early days and after the county became settled, became a prominent citizen. Mr. Frost was born in Pipe Creek, Tioga County, New York, 14 Jan 1832. During the first year of his life, the family moved to Covington, Tioga county, Pennsylvania and there our subject spent his youth and early manhood. In 1854 he came west, locating in Michigan, where he lived 8 months. He then moved to Hardin Clounty, Iowa where he lkived nearly two years. Going to Webster City in Hamilton County, Mr. Frost met an old friend, Jareb Palmer, and with him drove to the future Jackson County, settling near the present site of the village of Jackson. He arrived in the county in company with Jareb Palmer and Bartholomew McCarthy on the 27th day of November, 1856 Some of the life history of Mr. Frost during these early days iss told in the historical section of this work, and in a brief biographical sketch of this kind, we can only touch on the principal events. The massacre of 1857 drove Mr. Frost temporarily from the county. In 1862 he enlisted in Company K of the 4th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry. He was ordered to St. Louis where he was abouit two years. After his tour of enlistment had wxpired, he re-enlisted as a veteran and served until the close of the war. He took part in sixteen important engagements of the Civil War and was with General Sherman on the march to the sea. With the exception of the four years spent in the army, two years spent at Kasota, Minnesota, and four years at Caldwell County, Missouri, Mr. Frost was a resident of the county until his death, which occured at Jackson Dec. 21, 1899. Mr. Frost was married Jan. 2, 1861 to Maryette Root of Benson, Vermont and to them were born three children: Flora J. (Mrs. Wagner), John and Moses. Moses L. Frost (1871) of Jackson, is a breeder of thoroughbred stock. He was born in Jackson County on Aug 25, 1871 and is a son of those pioneer settlers, Nathaniel and Maryette (Root) Frost. In 1874, the Frost family moved from the old homestead in Jackson to Mirabile, Mo. After engaging in Farmer there four years, they returned to Jackson in 1878 and since that dfate, Moses has made his home there. He was educated and gre to manhood in Jackson, and after reaching manhood, engaged in the stock business. He makes a specialty of thoroughbred OIC hogs and shorthorn cattle and has large herds. At the World's Fair in St. Louisin 1904, Mr. Frost exhibited his "Jackson Chief #4759" Vol.4 OIC, and that anaimal won the grand championship prize of the world for the best boar of any age. Mr. Frost owns 100 acres of land in the limits of the village corporation, and 80 acres in section 9, Des Moines Township. He served as a member of the village council from 1903 to 1907 and has heldd the office of constable. He is a member of the I.O.O.F. lodge. The village of Springfield was located on the homeplace before Jackson was founded and here one of the Wood brothers met his death in the Indian massacre of 1857. He was buried 60 rods north of the Frost home by Nathaniel Frost. Nathaniel Frost Nathaniel Frost died at his home in this city on Thursday, Dec 21, 1899 at 2:00 after a long illness. Mr. Frost had been a sufferer for years but was not considered dangeroussly ill until about two weeks ago. The funeral services were held on Sunday at the M.E. Church, Rev. Savage of Windom offficiating. The remains were laid to rest in Riverside Cemetery. Nathaniel Frost was born at Pipe Creek, Tioga County, New York 14 Jan 832. When a few months of age, his parents moved to Tioga County, Penn. where he spent his youth and early manhood. In 1864, he came west to Michigan and later to Illinois and Iowa. Nov. 27 1856, Thanksgiving Day, he reached the present site of Jackson, Minnesota. Being pleased with the location, he, with the Wood brothers of Mankato, started the village of Springfield, now on the present site of Jackson. A log store, house and log hotel were built. A few settlers were found along the river, but the Indians were merciless, and the settlers were driven away or killed. While Mr. Frost was away at Mankato after a load of provisions for the store, the Indians fell on the settlers, killed the two Wood brothers and, when he returned, forty warriors had possesion of the store. The Indians told him they had killed the Wood brothers and showed him where he would find their bodies. In those days, provisions had to be brought from Mankato or Souix City. An ox team was the only conveyance and, frequently the snsow was so drifted that it was impossible to travel in this way. Then the settlers would bring supplies on hand sleds. Mr. Frost made frequent trips on foot from Mankato to Souix City to carry the mail and bring supplies to settlers. He was indeed, one of those early pioneers who endured hardships, privations, dangers, and never shirked a duty. One time when returning from Mankato where he had been for supplies, he found that the Indians had attacked the settlers and a number had been killed. They had forted in a log cabin on the Thomas place for protection. But when they learned that the Indians at Belmont and further up the river were planning a second attack, the settlers started in their ox carts for Ft. Dodge settlement for safety. In their hurry to escape, they left behind a young man of twenty-two years, John Henderson, who had crawled away in the attic of a log hut for protection. When Mr. Frost returned, he and the two or three settlers who remained, buried the dead and then chanced to find this young man whom the Indians left alive after shooting both his legs off near his body. Mr. Frost took care of him, drew him to Mankato on a hand sled, and begged enough money to send him to his relatives in Illinois where he was educated for the ministry. In 1888, Rev. John Henderson, a Baptist minister, came from the east to visit Mr. Frost. Such a visit, only the recording angel can describe. These are only a few of the many hardships Nathaniel Frost has passed through in Jackson, where he has resided for more than 44 years, with the exclusion of 4 years spent in the Civil War, two years at Haboth, Minnesota, and 4 years in Caldwell County, Missouri. Jan. 2, 1861, he was married to Maryette Root, Benson, Rutland Co, Vermont. He returned with his wife immediately to Jackson, where he served in the home guard under Capt. West until he was called to go south. For about four years he served in the army in Co. E, 4th Minnesota Infantry, where he won the esteem and respect of his comrades and superior officers. He fought on 16 of the bloodiest battlefields of the rebellion and was with Sherman on his march to the sea. He leaves behind his wife, one daughter and two sons to mourn the loss of a true friend, a devoted husband and dear beloved father.