Bio of Washburn, Lyman (b.1820) Wabasha 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: Barbara Timm ========================================================================= This bio comes from "HISTORY OF WABASHA COUNTY" 1920. Check out Barbara's site for more great information on this book: http://www.rootsweb.com/~mnwabbio/wab3.htm There are also some pictures and information from descendents for some of the bios on her pages. Washburn, Lyman (p. 308), a pioneer of Plainview Township, long since passed away, was a native of Jefferson County, N. Y., born May 9, 1820. He married Esther Amaret Doan, who was born in the same county May 15, 1820. Emigrating to the Northwest, they made their home for a while in Dodge County, Wis. In 1855 they set out for Wabasha County, Minn., with six children under 14 years of age, traveling with an ox-team, ferrying the Mississippi river at La Crescent, and arriving in the county June 14 as members of a party, some of whom did not remain here. Those who did were Zack Williams, Ben Pickett, Mr. Miner, with his family, and the Washburns. Mr. Washburn took the southwest quarter of section 3, Plainview Township, preempting the land. After he had proved up the property he found that it was on the Half Breed Tract, and in order not to lose it, he had to buy scrip. He had not been long in the new country, when, needing flour, he took his ox-team and wagon, and went across the prairie, through valleys, fording streams, and surveying his own route to Winona. He was gone four days and brought back two barrels of flour, for which he gave $20 a barrel; also other supplies. His route became practically the same valley road used today. One of Mr. Washburn's first tasks was to build a house, for which he used hewed rafters and hand-shaved shingles, which he himself prepared. He was not long permitted to enjoy the fruits of his labor, as in September, 1859, he was called away by death, leaving his wife and seven children, the eldest of whom, Gardner Selden, was then 17 years old. Mrs. Washburn continued to reside on the farm until 1889, when she moved to Plainview. There she subsequently died in her eighty-sixth year. Their children were: Gardner Selden, who died in 1889; Esther A. (Mrs. T. Parr), who died in 1883; Helena C. (Mrs. E. L. Burtin), of Dodge Center; H. T. Washburn, of South Dakota; F. D. Washburn, of Plainview, Minn., and James B. Washburn, who went to Wagon Mound, N. M., and died in 1919.