A History of Sacred Heart, 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. SACRED HEART The town of Sacred Heart was organized in 1869 and the first election held at G. P. Greene's house April 6th, at which the officers chosen were: S. Brooks, chairman; Ole Johnson and P. G. Peterson, supervisors; G. P. Greene, clerk; O. B. Dahl, assessor: OJe Enestedt, treasurer; P. W. Brooks and G. P. Greene, justices; J.P. Okens, constable. The name is supposed to have been derived from the Indian name given to a man named Patterson who wore a bearskin hat; the bear being a sacred animal to the Indians, they called him the "Sacred Hat" man, which gradually became Sacred Heart. J. R. Brown erected a fine stone building in 1861, with the intention of running a large stock farm, as he owned a large tract of land; the building was destroyed by the Indians in 1862 and the family barely escaped with their lives. A few other settlers located along the river in 1862, but were compelled to leave. Among the first settlers after the Indian outbreak were G. P. Greene, who came in 1866, and a party of Scandinavians the same year; they were followed by others and the town soon became well settled. The Norwegian Lutherans held meetings in 1869, and soon after organised a church society; in 1880 they erected a fine frame church in the village. A second society of this sect was organized a few years since, and built a church in 1880 on section 7, where services are held monthly by Rev. John Halverson. The Swedish Lutherans hold services at their church in the village, which was built in 1880; the first services of this denomination were held about 1872. The village of Sacred Heart was surveyed in October, 1878, on land owned by the Hastings & Dakota railroad company and J. H. McKinlay, on the north half of section 7. The business of the village is transacted by three general stores, one millinery, one drug and fancy grocery store, two blacksmiths, one shoe shop, a harness-shop, tailor-shop, meat-market, two hardware, two hotels, two saloons; there is one physician; there are two elevators, the combined capacity of which is about 50,000 bushels. Minnesota Crossing post-office was established about 1870, and located at the house of G. P. Greene, who was postmaster; in 1876 O. S. Reishus was appointed postmaster, and the office was moved to his house; in 1878 the office was moved to the village and the name changed to Sacred Heart. FIELD H. O. Field, native of Norway, was born October 1, 1832, and came to America in 1865. He worked at his trade, blacksmithing, at Beloit, Wisconsin, for seven years, then came to Renville county, Minnesota, and settled on section 8; when the village started he moved to it and opened a hotel; afterward started a blacksmith shop. In 1854 he married Martha Henningson; they have four children living. JOHNSON Charles G. Johnson was born in Sweden, July 30,1845. Came with parents to America in 1853, and went to Chicago, where the father died in 1854; two years later his mother came to Minnesota and settled near St. Peter, where she lived until her death in 1861. He enlisted in Company D, Ninth Minnesota, in 1862, and served until 1865; he was captured at Guntown and remained in rebel prisons nine months. He lived in Nicollet county until 1871, then settled in Sacred Heart. Was elected county surveyor in 1872, and has since held that office; has also been assessor, and is now justice of the peace. Married, April 12,1868, Christina Holberg; five of their six children are living. NES Ole O. Nes, a native of Norway, was born January, 1834, and when four years old came to the United States with his parents; first located in Dane county, Wisconsin but in 1858 removed to Waseca, Minnesota. Mr. Nes enlisted in 1863 in Company I, 10th Minnesota and remained in service until the war ceased. In June, 1872 he removed to Sacred Heart. His marriage with Margaret Farrell took place March 12,1860; eleven of their twelve children are living. OLSON H. W. Olson, who was born August 8. 1837, in Norway, has been since 1850 a resident of America. After living ten years in Rice county, Minnesota, he took a claim in Nicollet county. December 11, 1863, he enlisted in Company B, Second Minnesota cavalry and served until December, 1865: he was with Generals Sibley and Sully on the frontier; returned to Nicollet county and in November, 1869, settled on his present farm. Mr. Olson has held different town offices since living here. OSMUNDSON A. Osmundson was born April 12,1841, in Norway, and upon coming to this country in 1860, settled in Dane county, Wisconsin. Eighteen months later he migrated to Dakota county, Minnesota, but in 1863 removed to Waseca county and in 1871 located in Sacred Heart. On the 26th of February, 1868, Martha Fingerson became his wife; she has borne six children; one is deceased. REISHUS O. S. Reishus, born April 6, 1843 in Norway, immigrated to Wisconsin, while young, with his parents. Was educated at the college of Decorah Iowa. Removed in 1854, from Wisconsin to Fillmore county, Minnesota, and enlisted in 1864, in Company D, First Minnesota heavy artillery and served through the remainder of the war. In 1870 he settled on a farm in Yellow Medicine county and in 1872 was elected representative from that county; during 1873 he was engrossing clerk. After residing there two and one-half years he came to Sacred Heart and in 1881 came to the village; has held various town offices and been postmaster since 1875; was for a time in the drug business. Married in 1867 Ingebar Prestgarden; five children are living. SCHRODER Frederick Schroder, native of Germany, was born September 18, 1830 and while a resident of that country, learned the trade of butcher. Immigrated in 1857, to Chicago; worked in that city at his trade four years; ran on the lake and worked at stave making two years in Michigan; was in Illinois about six years. In 1862 he enlisted in the light cavalry of that state and served three months. After residing at St. Peter two years he took a claim in Sacred Heart. Married in 1865, Cecelia M. Hanson. SHUNERSON Berger Shunerson was born November 19, 1823 in Norway. His marriage also occurred in that country, in 1848, with Matilda Hanson. In October, 1853 they immigrated to Racine county, Wisconsin, and four years later removed to Nebraska; After making that state their home three years, they passed twelve years in Iowa and finally settled in Sacred Heart. The children are Edward, Bernt, Isabel. Sever, Matilda and Hans.