Nobles County MN Archives Biographies.....Town, Julius A. 1844 - ************************************************ 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 sdgenweb@yahoo.com October 18, 2006, 7:51 pm Author: Arthur P. Rose (1908) JULIUS A. TOWN, attorney at law, Worthington, is one of the pioneers of Worthington and Nobles county, and has taken a prominent part in the affairs of the village and county for the last thirty-six years. He is a prominent member of the bar of southwestern Minnesota, is active in county, congressional and state politics, and is one of the best known G. A. R. men of Minnesota. Julius A. Town was born in Steuben county, Indiana, September 27, 1844. His father, A. Town, and his mother, Rebecca (Simmons) Town, were both natives of Vermont, as had been their families for several generations. The Town family is English stock and emigrated to America in colonial days. Our subject's maternal grandfather was a veteran of the war of the revolution, serving as a volunteer under General Stark, and took part in the battle of Bennington. For the first eleven years of his life the subject of this sketch lived in the county of his birth. Then he came with his parents to the territory of Minnesota, locating at the new town of Owatonna October 5, 1855. His father erected the first frame building on the site of that town and was the second to engage in business there. Young Town, who had started his schooling in Indiana, now attended the schools of Owatonna until the outbreak of the civil war. While not engaged with his studies he worked on a farm and clerked in his father's store. When President Lincoln called for volunteers to put down the rebellion, J. A. Town was among the first to offer his services, and he was mustered into the service of the United States in company E, of the Fourth Minnesota volunteer infantry, October 19, 1861. He was discharged June 28, 1862, by reason of having typhoid fever in camp, but reenlisted in the same company and regiment November 11, 1862. He served until the close of the war, being discharged at Louisville, Kentucky, July 19, 1865. His first service was at Fort Snelling, Minn., where his regiment remained until April, 1862. The command then went south and joined Halleck's army in front of Corinth. The first siege of Corinth followed, and Mr. Town's regiment took a part in that campaign. The next campaign in which our subject took part was with Grant south of Memphis, in an endeavor to reach Vicksburg overland. In the spring of 1863 the forces returned to Memphis and immediately started down the river by boat on the next Vicksburg campaign. The forces went down through the Yazoo pass, and tried to reach the important Mississippi town by way of the Yazoo river. A return was made to Mulligan's bend, and in the latter part of April, 1863, the troops started out again under General Grant. Mr. Town marched with the forces to Bruensberg and was in all the battles of the Vicksburg campaign, including Port Gibson, Raymond, Jackson, Champion Hills, and the charge on Vicksburg of May 22. He participated in the siege of Vicksburg and was present at the surrender of the city. He stood in the lines while Generals Grant and Pemberton arranged the terms of surrender, and on the morning of July 4, 1863, he marched with his regiment into the surrendered city, the Fourth Minnesota being the first regiment of Union troops to enter the city after the surrender. After a few months of garrison duty, in the latter part of September, the troops returned to Memphis, and from there marched to Chattanooga and took part in the battle of Missionary Ridge. Thereafter until the fall of 1864 he and the command, of which he was a part, did garrison duty. On the 5th of October he again engaged in fighting, taking part in the battle of Altoona, Ga. On November 9 was begun the famous march of Sherman from Atlanta to the sea, and our subject shared in all the vicissitudes of that memorable campaign. He was in the fighting in the advance on Savannah, and on the way north took part in the battle of Bentonville, N. C. He also witnessed the surrender of General Johnson near Raleigh. Marching by way of Richmond, the forces arrived at the capital of the country, and took part in the grand review. The war was then over, and the Fourth Minnesota was ready for discharge. The men marched to Louisville, Ky., and later to St. Paul, Minn., where they were discharged on July 19, 1865, although their muster out papers were dated Louisville. After the war Mr. Town returned to Owatonna and devoted the next few years of his life to finishing his education. For one year he attended the public school at Owatonna, then spent one year studying in a business college in Chicago. Another year was passed in Hillsdale college, Michigan, and his education was completed in the university of Minnesota, which he attended for a total of about one year's study in the winters of 1869-70 and 1870-71. During these years he also engaged in teaching school for about one year, teaching at Geneva, Waterville and near Chatfield, all in Minnesota. It was in the spring of 1871 that Mr. Town finished his studies at the university of Minnesota. That fall he moved to Windom, then a town just starting on the new St. Paul & Sioux City railroad, and for three months sold lumber there. That same fall he established the first lumber yard in Heron Lake. January 25, 1872, is the date of his permanent settlement in Nobles county and Worthington, and there are few men whose arrival in Worthington antedates that of Mr. Town. He immediately took charge of the lumber yard of Crocker Bros. & Lamareaux, operated the yard one year for that company, and then purchased the business. He disposed of his business in the spring of 1874. On November 2, 1875, he was elected sheriff of Nobles county on the republican ticket, defeating W. S. Stockdale. Two years later he was reelected, defeating B. F. Johnson. After going out of office at the beginning of the year 1880, he commenced the study of law in the office of George W. Wilson. He was admitted to the bar March 8, 1883, before M. J. Severance, and since that date has been practicing at Worthington. Mr. Town has always taken an active interest in politics, and has held many offices of trust in the gift of the electors of the county and village. When Worthington township was organized in the spring of 1872, he was chosen town clerk and attended the first meeting held on March 20. When Independent school district No. 5 was organized Mr. Town was a member of the board and served continuously six or seven years. In later years he again became a member of the board and served nine years. He was county commissioner for six years, and during that time was the chairman of the hoard. He was appointed village attorney when that office was established in 1887 and with the exception of the years 1895, 1905, 1906 and 1907 has ever since received annual appointment. Mr. Town was a charter member of Stoddard Post No. 34, G. A. R., and has been a member of that organization ever since, having served as commander several times. He has also served three terms as commander of the Southwestern Minnesota Veterans association, and is one of the active members of that organization. Additional Comments: Extracted from: AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF NOBLES COUNTY MINNESOTA BY ARTHUR P. ROSE NORTHERN HISTORY PUBLISHING COMPANY WORTHINGTON, MINNESOTA PUBLISHERS 1908 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mn/nobles/bios/town5gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/mnfiles/ File size: 7.8 Kb