Meeker County MN Archives Biographies.....Lasher, H. J. 1832 - 
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 December 28, 2019, 10:56 am

Source: Alden, Ogle & Co.
Author: See Below

   ONE OF THE LEADING and most prominent farmers in Meeker county, is H. J. Lasher,
a resident of section 4, Cedar Mills township. He was born in Switzerland on the 22d
of August, 1832. When he was six months old his parents came to the United States
and settled in Philadelphia, where they died when the subject of this sketch was
eight years old. H. J. then went to Jersey City, where he remained until he was
eleven years of age. From there he went to Dryden, N. Y., and was adopted by Albert
Phillips, with whom he remained until he was fifteen years of age. At that time he
went to Homer, N. Y., and learned the tinner’s and coppersmith’s trade, serving
until twenty-one. He followed this business for years afterward in various cities
throughout New York.

   While at Marathon, N. Y., on May 15, 1854, he was married to Catherine J.
Topping, of Dryden, N. Y. They remained there until 1859, when they came to Meeker
county, Minn., and located on section 12, Cedar Mills township, having an interest
in a claim taken by his wife’s father, Mr. Topping. He also claimed land on section
4, and in 1861 moved on to the latter claim. For a time they lived in an Indian
tepee, then in the stable, and finally when their house was ready for occupancy they
moved into it December 31, 1861. There they were living when the Indian outbreak
began. As a full history of this matter is given in another department, it will only
be necessary to briefly refer to Mr. Lasher’s personal movements during those trying
times. On Monday morning, August 18, 1862, he learned of the massacre at Acton, and
sent his family to section 12, where his wife’s brother-in-law, D. B. Peck, lived,
while he started to notify the settlers in Greenleaf. He found them all gone and he
made his way down to Peck’s. The same day his family returned to his farm and he
remained to help Peck harvest. Thursday he was notified of firing near his farm and
went to Cedar Mills to get some one to accompany him for his family,  but no one
would venture, so he went alone. On reaching the farm he met some twenty parties who
had started from Forest City to bury those killed at Acton, but they had been
chasing Indians into Kandiyohi county and had made their way back this far in the
night. Mrs. Lasher got supper and breakfast for them and they then started for
Forest City. The family returned to Cedar Mills, and Peck, with his team, hauled
1,600 pounds of flour and other provisions from the farm to the same place. When
they got there they found some eight or ten families gathered from the surrounding
country, all bent on fleeing for safety, but after some talk it was decided to build
fortifications and remain. While they were talking, Dr. Earl, from Beaver Falls,
Renville county, came up and stated that all were killed in his neighborhood except
a very few, and that his three boys were wandering on the prairie somewhere
southwest of them. Mr. Lasher and L. S. Weymouth started out and soon found and
brought in the boys. They had met three Indians on the prairie who had passed
through Greenleaf and Cedar, and had given them food and traded guns with them.
These Indians they recognized as Little Crows. When Lasher and Weymouth got back,
however, all the rest had fled. They were soon overtaken and brought back. Mr.
Lasher was appointed captain, and they decided to fortify “the Point” in Cedar Lake
and remain there until the trouble was over. Weymouth and Lasher stood guard at the
crossing by the mill. On Wednesday a party of thirty or forty refugees from Yellow
Medicine county came up, accompanied by the friendly Indian, “Other Day.” With them
was a Mr. Garvey, who had been wounded, and who died the following day at Mr.
Lasher’s house. Thursday all the new-comers left for a safer place, and a few days
later the “Point” was evacuated, and all the settlers went to Hutchinson, through
the advice of “Other Day,” Mr. Lasher and several others returned to the farm to
care for the grain, Mrs. Lasher. Miss C. Jewett and Mrs. Geo. Wills-accompanying
them to do the cooking. While there Strouts’ company came through from Minneapolis
on their way to Acton, and the next morning were surprised by the Indians, and
routed and returned to Hutchinson. The others also went back except Mr. Lasher and
Frank Jewett, who remained upon a hill till they saw the Indians passing east and
west, when they also started for Hutchinson, and met a party in searoh of them. The
following day the Indians made the attack on Hutchinson. The next day Lasher and
Weymouth returned to Cedar Mills and set loose all the stock. They found the mill
running, it having been started by the Indians, who had stolen all the flour. They
returned to Hutchinson, and the next day Mr. Lasher organized a company, went back
and repaired the mill and ground some flour for the settlers, who were sadly in need
of it. Shortly after this a portion of the Third Minnesota Regiment, under command
of Major Welch, came through, and Mr. Lasher joined them as a scout, and remained in
the service with Gen. H. H. Sibley for three years and a half, participating in all
its expeditions and battles, being in the engagements at Wood Lake and Lac qui
Parle, etc. At the latter place they captured a number of Indians, thirteen of whom
were afterward hung at Mankato.

   During this time, Mr. Lasher’s family had returned to the old home in New York.
In the fall of 1864 they returned to Hutchinson, and in the following summer again
settled on the farm. In 1869 Mr. Lasher removed to Litchfield, where he followed his
trade until 1881, when they again settled upon the farm, and have since remained
there. While in Litchfield Mr. Lasher took an active interest in band matters, and
was leader of that organization for six years. He has now a valuable farm of 400
acres, with good improvements and has it well stocked.

   Mr. and Mrs. Lasher are members of the Presbyterian Church. Mr. Lasher has always
taken an active interest in church matters. He was one of the prime movers in
securing the organization of the church in this township. He had charge of the
erection of the building, and besides devoting much time, he personally became
responsible for $200 to complete the edifice. He was also chosen superintendent of
the first Sunday school organized in the township in 1860, and when they removed to
their farm on section 4, they organized a Sunday school there.

   Mr. and Mrs Lasher have been the parents of eight children. Only four of them are
living, as follows— Hulda C., now Mrs. H. P. Pfaff. of Greenleaf; Albert P., Sarah
A. and Daniel B. The last three are still at home.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from
Illustrated Album of Biography
Meeker and McLeod Counties, Minnesota
1888


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