Corinna Excerpts from:Farnham's History of Wright 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. Made available to The USGenWeb Archives by: Rebecca B Frank ========================================================================= Corinna Excerpts from: Farnham's History of Wright County. Delano Eagle, Publishers. Delano, MN. Call No. #: 977.6 F23d (Originally publish in 1880 by the Delano Eagle and written by Daniel Ross Farnham.) Pages 206-212 TOWN OF CORRINA Corrinna is situated in the northwest part of the county, township NO. 121 range 27, bounded on the north by Clearwater, west by Southside, south by Albion, east by Maple Lake and Silver Creek. The town originally all timber land, a large part sugar maple, the soil a rich dark loam, and as far as it has been cultivated very productive. There are more lakes in this town than in any other town in the county. Clearwater lake in the northwest part of the town covers about 2,000 acres; Pleasant lake in the west about 500 acres; Bass lake in the northwest, sec. 5, 200 acres; Mink in sec.24, 200 acres; Somers Lake in sec. 24, 150 acres, Sandy lake in sec. 10, 100 acres. Of the 23,000 acres in town, nearly 5, 000 is water. Besides the lakes there are several creeks and springs, so that the town is well watered. EARLY SETTLERS Corrinna with its many lakes is well stocked with fish of all kinds, it is very sure that the only White fish found in the county are taken from the waters of Clearwater lake, and the large amount of sugar maple was a favorite home, hunting and fishing ground of the Red men of the forest. The Sioux had several villages as stopping place on the banks of the beautiful lakes, and many of their dead are buried here; on the north side of Clearwater lake quite a number of Indian graves have been found; they never left their dead except in favorite and level pleasant spots on the banks of lovely streams or on the shores of beautiful lakes. THE MOUND BUILDERS But all along the shores of the lakes on many prominent points, the relics of a more ancient race of men are found; the same kind of mounds, nearly always three in a row and equal distants from each other, about 24 feet in diameter and seven or eight feet high at present, though they have withstood the action of storm and wind, of heat and cold, the action of the elements for ages; very often a giant oak two hundred years old stands in the center of one of these relics of a mysterious long ago; occasionally a large single mound is found on some high bank or prominent point, overlooking the lakes, and seems to have been used as a signal mound on which fires were evidently kept burning. On the west bank of Clearwater lake, in sections 20, 21, 17, and in 18, in cultivated fields and in the timber, many ancient mounds are found, and extending for three or four miles on the south and west banks of this lake, there probably was a large settlement of those old unknown people. FIRST WHITE SETTLERS In August 1856, Levi H. Dakin, Charles Dakin, John F. doble, Eligah Doble, Ebenezer Perry, Thomas Doble and Lorenzo Doble, all from the state of Maine, visited the town and took claims on the south side of Clearwater lake. Some of them built log houses and claim shanties the same year, and in the spring of 1857, several families were in the settlement. As the first settlers, the pioneers, had to cut out roads and build bridges for many miles, it was rather slow work moving families or household gooods. During these first years, roads were opened to the town of Clearwater, about 15 miles, at least ten miles of heavy timber; during this and the following year many claims were taken, and the few pioneer from Maine wre joined by men of all nationalities. In 1858 came Mr. M.S. Harriman, and settled on section 18, where he has contined to live and administer spiritual consolation to many of the afflicted; as a citizen and as a preacher he has been a useful man, holding the offices of town clerk and postmaster for several years. In the spring of 1859 came H. L. Gordon, S. A. Gordon and C. M. Gordon from Pennsylvania. C. M. and S. A. Gordon, still remain in this town, and are prosperous farmers. H. L. Gordon resides at Minneapolis; he spent several years in Wright county, at Clearwater and at Monticello, held the office of county commissioner, county attorney and state senator. Octavious Longworth came in the spring of 1859 from New York City; he had for several years been a prosperous merchant in that city, but hte financial crash of 1858 left him almost disgusted with city life, and the tricks of trade, and he sought and found a home in the then far west, on the borders of civilization. He took a claim in a beautiful, spot on the north shore of Clearwater lake, in section 8; here for the past twenty years he has live a quiet life. How 77 years of age, he looks and feels hale and hearty, and is in every respect a gentleman of the old school with all of the more modern acquirements. He had a commodious mansion in a beautiful grove near the shores of the lake, and at a short distance has erected several cottage for summer visitors and tourists. His summer visitors are generally select, those who wish to spend a season of quiet, peace and happiness. He has several boats, and the excellent fishing and hunting, and the high moral and religious character of the place and its inhabitants render this one of the most delightful watering places or summer resorts to be found in the state. In 1871 Mr. Longworth, together with Rev. D. B. Knickerbocker of Minneapolis, built a fine church on the grounds, well finished and furnished; it is a gem, and show the excellent taste of the builders. It was dedicated in September 1871; during the winter season. Services are not held very regularly, but the winter and summer when there is no regular clergyman to officiate, Mr. Longworth, a lay reader, holds services in the church. Mr. Longworth has held the office of town clerk ten years, and the pay has been something less than ten dollars per year; he has also been justice of the peace six years, and the whole amount of fees received during the six years was two dollars and seventy-five cents, nearly all disputes and trouble between neighbors and tohers have been settled by him without litigation. TOWN ORGANIZATION When Clearwater was organized, May 10th, 1856, it included the towns of Corrinna and Southside, but at the electing of the board of county commissioners in January 1860, a petition was received from citizens of the two towns asking that township 121, ranges 27 and 28 be organized as a separate town, and to be named Delki; the petition was granted, and the first town meeting was held at the house of O Longworth, April 2nd, 1860,a nd the following persons were elected town officers; Supervisors- H. L. Gordon, chairman, Levi H. Dakin, Elihah Doble, Jr. Town Clerk-Octavius Longworth Collector- John F. Doble Justices of the Peace-Ed Moody, O. Longworth Constables-F. Dakin, John F. Doble June 9th, 1864, on petition of citizens of the town of Delhi, the following resolution was passed by the board of county commissioners; "Resolved, that the town of Delhi be hereafter known as the town of Corinna." February 19th, 1868, the town of Southside, comprising the west half of the town of Corinna, township 121, range No. 28. The present board of town officrs of Corinna are, Supervisors, S. A. Gordon, chairman, Pk.Heverling, O. M. Harriman; Town clerk, Wm Ponsford; Assessor, J.P. Shire; Treasurer, M. S. Harriman; Justices of the Peace, Geo. Winget, Cyrennus Pullen; Constables, Ed. W. Day, John Coates. POST-OFFICE A post-office was established in 1868, and M.S. Harriman was appointed post-master; the office was kept on Sec. 18. In 1878 William Ponsford was appointed postmaster, and the office was removed to his dwelling on section 17; the office is supplied by the Clearwater and Howard Lake mail route, on Fridays and Saturdays. SCHOOLS There are four school districts in the town; the first school was opened in the house of E. Doble, in June 1862; the first school house was built in 1868; the first frame school house was built in 1871; the citizens of Corinna have generally taken an interest in schools, and education has been one of the leading interests. CHURCHES In 1859, Rev. Bartlett Blaine held meeting in town; and they have had a good supply of local preachers; there are no organized churches except the Protestant Episcopal church at Longworth's and the German Methodist church located on the northwest corner of section 9. Rev. Mr. Mentz commenced preaching here in 1868; the church was built in 1875, and is a very neat and well finished building; there is also a cemetery on section 9 near the church, and another at the Longworth church. The first child born in town was Emery Dakin, son of Charles Dakin, born September 10th, 1858. The first death was Elijah Doble, Sr., December 5th, 1857. The first marriage, Cyrus Smith and Sarah V. Longworth, 1860. MILLS Daniel Haberling, of Pennsylvania, put up a steam saw mill on the east side of Clearwater lake in August 1865, on section 9, about twenty-five horse power, and it was in operation several years. Daniel Haberling died May 21, 1871, and his son P. Haberling has continued the mill business. In 1870 Mr. Reynolds built a dam and water power saw mill on section 21, at the outlet of Cedar lake, and near Clearwater lake; it was rented to the Haberlings who run it eight or ten years, but it fell into decay and was burned in 1880; there are no mills in operation at present. EARLY HARDSHIPS, GINSENG The first settlers underwent many hardships; without any local market, heavy timber land to clear, new roads to make long distances, small crops the first years, and during 1858 and 1859, the hard times and no money in circulation, very little to sell at very low prices, some of the early settlers were obliged to give up their claims and leave the town or starve. Most of those who remained were reduced to the last extremity; many of the claims were not paid for, and taking all things together the prospect was anything but pleasant. But in 1860 the ginseng business opened. Corinna was noted for the immense amount of ginseng gathered; many of the settlers earned two and three hundred dollars that season, besides doing the usual and necessary work on the farm; mortgages were paid off, old debts were paid, farms were paid for, new settlers came in and the settlement took new life and prosperity. One of the old settlers, L. M. Dakin, says that he dug one dollar and fifty cents worth after he had done a long, hard day's work on the farm and while his wife was setting supper; he did not go fifteen rods from his house. During those years of privation the fish in Clearwater lake were of much use as an article of food, and many of the old settlers still enjoy fishing, and still talk of the times when they would find very little to subsist on but the never-failing fish. INDIAN SCARE OF 1862 AND 1863 As prosperity began to dawn on the backwoods settlements, good crops and seeming plenty in the future, in August 1862, the Indian war broke out. Then thousand rumors of "Indians in the Big Woods" were in circulation; of course, there was no safety in such isolated places with timber on all sides, and as was supposed from well founded reports that the Indians were liable at any moment to make an attack, a panic seized them, and with one accord in a disorganized and demoralized state started for a place of safety. Nearly all went pell mell to Clearwater, many of them leaving everything behind; as teams were not plenty, many went on foot taking what they could carry, and leaving nearly everything to the tender mercies of the savages, or what was worse, white stragglers. The town was left without an inhabitant for many days, but after awhile first one and then another returned to find, in many cases, their crops destroyed and other property missing; a few returned no more. Peace and quiet was nearly restored, when on the 3rd day of July, 1863, news reached the settlement of the murder of the Dustin family; the panic and flight of the previous year was repeated with intensity. Not an inhabitant was left in town; after a week or ten days several settlers returned cautiously and when on the east side of Clearwater lake hard two or three shots fired on the west side. When they arrived in the vicinity they found the cattle much frightened and that one of Mr. Dakin's oxen had been shot; he was shot in the side of the head the ball lodging in the throat; he was driven to Clearwater and killed the next day, as it was decided that he could not live. A calf was found with an Indian arrow sticking in its back. The Indians who have been mentioned in the history of Cokato as having stolen horses near Fair Haven and were chased by scouts through the county southwest, were the ones that shot the cattle in Corinna; the Fair haven scouts were about an hour behind them at Clearwater lake. After a few weeks, more the settlers returned to find that again had their crops been destroyed and many houses broken open; chickens, ducks, and geese were missing, and many articles taken from the houses. The numerous parties of scouts patrolling the county sometimes got out of rations, and some of them seemed to think that all deserted property was public plunder; it took two or three years for this town to recover from the Indian scare of 1862 and 1863.