A History of Flora, Renville Co., MN Bios Included ========================================================================= 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: Joy Fisher Submitted: Janusry 2005 ========================================================================= Excerpted from: "HISTORY OF THE MINNESOTA VALLEY, INCLUDING THE EXPLORERS AND PIONEERS OF MINNESOTA" BY REV. EDWARD D. NEILL, -AND — "HISTORY OF THE SIOUX MASSACRE" BY CHARLES S. BRYANT. MINNEAPOLIS: NORTH STAR PUBLISHING COMPANY, 1882. RENVILLE COUNTY. CHAPTER LXXXIII. FLORA This town was organized in the spring of 1867, and the first officers elected were: Henry Dreyer, chairman, John Schefer and Henry Timms. supervisors; F. Shoemaker, clerk and justice; Louis Thiele, constable; no other officers qualified. The first settlers came in the spring of 1859, and were; Lattao, Schwauke, Theile, Stoltz, Krause, Kitsmon, and some others. Many of these were killed by the Indians. F. Shoemaker was the first settler after the Indian outbreak: he made a claim in August, 1865. The village of Vicksburg was surveyed in 1867, on land owned by Mr. Tillotson. William Baade had a store for several years; there was also a blacksmith shop and a few other buildings. In 1878 the buildings were moved to Sacred Heart. The first preaching was at F. Shoemaker's, in 1867. by Rev. George Simon; in 1869 an Evangelical society was organized by Rev. E. J. Hillscher. A church was built on section 35 in 1880, which cost $2,000. The German Methodists held meetings in 1869, conducted by Rev. H. Singenstrue; the society was organized in 1875 and a log church erected on section 22. The Christians have a frame church on section 19: the first meetings were held in 1874. The Lutherans organized in 1871, under charge of Rev. Hunziker. The first school was held in 1868, at Christian Spervers house, taught by Bert M. Nichols; the town now has four districts. Herzhorn post-office was established in 1869 with F. Shoemaker as postmaster; the office was discontinued in 1879. Sacred Heart post-office was located at Samuel Burnell's house about 1869. The next year the name was changed to Vicksburg, and the office moved to the store of William Baade, who was made postmaster; since 1878 John Larkins has had charge of the office. The first marriage was that of Joseph March and Betsey Rausch, in June, 1866. Henry W. Shoemaker, born April 26, 1866, was the first birth in the town. BRALEY H. S. Braley was born in 1833, in New York. When two years of age he accompanied his parents to Pennsylvania, and in 1865 removed to Iowa but shortly after went to Wisconsin. Since 1868 he has been at his farm in Flora, Mr. Braly has held several town offices. In 1858 he married Jane Smith, born in 1839. They have lost one child: the living are Amanda M., Willis H., Sherman J., Sumner G., Amy E. and Louisa R. BROWN David Brown, a native of Maine, was born in 1845; in 1868 he migrated to Wabasha county, Minnesota, but the following year removed to his present home in Flora; the farm of eighty acres lies in section 18. His father, Samuel Brown was born in 1811, in Maine, and lived on a farm with his parents until 1832. He came in 1868 to Minnesota and the next March, moved from Wabasha, to Flora, where he still resides. He married in 1834, Eliza Tibbets, who was born in 1814, and has borne him ten children. The living are David, Julia, Louisa and Etta. CHRISTIE James J. Christie was born in 1822, in Canada. He came to Minnesota in 1863; after living in Rice county about eighteen months he removed to Dodge county and was employed in farming there until 1870, at which date he came to Flora and located on his present farm. Miss Margaret Christie, born in 1833 was married to him in 1850; four children, James S., May J., Nancy Gr. and Margaret J. DAVIS R. W. Davis, native of Ohio, was born in 1839, in New Lisbon, but when young went to Lawrence county, Pennsylvania, and at the age of ten years removed to Meigs county, Ohio, where he worked at the trade of plasterer and mason. June 13, 1861, he enlisted in Company D, Fourth West Virginia; served over three years and lost his left arm. He made a claim in Birch Cooley, but abandoned it in 1867 and came to Flora; has held the offices of justice and register of deeds. In 1864 he married Vesta Black, who died in 1875. William A., Clarrissa A., James H., and Robert S. are the children; in 1876 he married Clara Chester; one child, Julia A. DOYLE J. M. Doyle was born in 1822 in New York but when only one year old accompanied his parents to Canada where after leaving school he was principally engaged in lumbering and railroad contracting. In 1862 he removed to Illinois and thence to Minnesota; he lived at Cannon City, Faribault and Northfield, but in 1871 located permanently in Flora. Married in 1843, Nancy Hunter; have six living children and have lost one. DREYER Henry Dreyer was born in 1828. He served three years in the army of Germany, his native country; he entered the service in 1848 and about eight months after being discharged immigrated to New York; soon removed to Wisconsin, where he worked at wagon making until 1856, then came to Minnesota. From LeSueur county he came in 1866 to Flora. Married in 1860, Mrs. Regina Korth, who had two children: Bertha and George. She and Mr. Dreyer are the parents of Rufus, Matilda, Louisa, Ida, Regina, Henry and William. GAFFNEY James Gaffney, native of Ireland, was born in 1813 and in 1828 came to New York. From there moved to Indiana, and after working on the Wabash canal two years, went to Illinois and began farming; thirty years after, he made a trip to Kansas, then came to Waseca county, Minnesota, and from there to Flora, where he now lives. In 1849 he married Mary Powers; she died in 1870. Ten children; nine are living. KYSAR Simeon Kysar was born in Indiana in 1836. In 1856 he came to Minnnesota and lived in Rice, Brown, Blue Earth and LeSueur counties. Served thirteen months during the war, in the mounted rangers; also eight months in the 1st heavy artillery. He lived in Le Sueur county until 1880, then came to Flora. His principal occupation has been that of engineer. Married in 1857, Miss Cynthia Thomas. Nine children. LARKIN John Larkin was born in Ireland in 1825, and came to this country in 1843; landed in Boston and lived on a farm in Massachusetts till 1867, then came to St. Peter, Minnesota, and from there to Flora. He has for four years been justice of the peace and postmaster. In 1852 he married Mary Darcy; they have had eleven children, eight are living. SCHAFFLER Charles Schaffler was born in Germany in 1827. He learned the trade of tinsmith; in 1847 went in the army and served two years; came to this country in 1852. Lived in Philadelphia until 1855 then came to Minnesota; after working at St. Paul one year he took a claim in Le Sueur county; in 1859 started a tin and hardware business at Le Sueur and lived there eighteen years. He was first lieutenant in the Le Sueur Tiger company during the Indian outbreak. In 1872 was elected sheriff of his county; in 1877 moved to Flora. In 1854 he married Anna Lenc. They have one son; Gustavus. SHOEMAKER Francis Shoemaker was born in Germany in 1823. Followed the life of sailor from the age of fifteen until 1852, then was mining in California till '57, when he settled on a farm in Le Sueur county. Minnesota. The following spring he visited Germany; lived in Le Sueur county eight years, then came to the farm where he now lives; has held several offices. Married Mrs. Rebecca Schluter; she had one child, J. C. Their children are: Francis M., Herman M., Gelia M., Martha A., Rebecca A.. Henry W. and Minnie G. Mrs. Shoemaker is a homeopathic physician. SHOEMAKER F. M. Shoemaker, Jr., was born in Le Suenr county, Minnesota, in 1858. Came with his parents to his present home in Flora, in 1866; he owns a farm of 160 acres. For four years he has been a member of the order of Patrons of Husbandry. ZIMMERMAN H. Zimmermann, native of Germany, was born in 1855. He immigrated to this country, and from New York came to Minnesota and until 1876 lived in New Ulm; in December of that year he went to Iowa, and in 1878 moved to Marshall, Minnesota. October 10, 1881, he came to Flora; he is a minister of the German Methodist church. May 23, 1881, he married Mary Cluckhohn.