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"East Chain Township, Martin County, Minnesota,
Historical Narrative covering the period from 1856 - 1929"
by Timothy Rowley
Chapter II
In 1866 several new settlers came. Jay Crittenden bought
the claim of Mr. Piper and, being a blacksmith, he built a shop
near where the M. E. church now stands and worked at his trade
when not engaged in farming. His father-in-law, Charles W.
Hackett, bought the claim of Daniel Love. This he divided with
his brother, Samuel Hackett, who took the south half and build a
house on the premises now owned by J. W. Dahl. W. L. Jones
homesteaded the place now occupied by M. E. Rehnquist, and John
Owens took the claim now owned by Mrs. Odell and Lyn Owens. That
fall Mr. Owens married Elizabeth Jones and began housekeeping on
the claim. Ben Owens took the north-east quarter of Section 30,
now owned by Andrew Carlson.
In this year the government ceded to the state all odd
numbered sections not previously filed on by homesteaders. The
state then transferred this land to the Milwaukee Railroad
Company under contract that a railroad should be built through
this part of the country within ten years. This checked somewhat
the coming of new settlers.
In 1867 Putnam Sisson came and took the claim vacated by
Mr. Powell. Up to this time settlements had only been made near
the lakes but this year Fal Foy took a claim near the county line
in Section 12, out on the broad prairie. Here he brought his
family and worked the place for many years. The summer of 1867
was very wet so that wheat was a failure and corn did not amount
to very much. The only crops that matured well were potatoes
and rutabagas. The following winter being severe made hard times
for the settlers.
Early in the fall Frank Wells and Molly Rice were married
and settled on the place now owned by H. A. Peterson. In 1868
three new settlers came. Thomas Erickson, a single man, entered
the place now owned by Wm. Seteckig. Andrew Anderson, also a
single man, took what is now known as the Lars Anderson place,
and there also came S. B. Miller, his wife and two boys, H. B.
and C. S. Miller, who later took part in the progress of the
township.
In 1867 a petition was presented to the county
commissioners asking for the formation of a new school district,
partly in Silver Lake and partly in East Chain, which embraced
the territory from the north line of L. W. Holcomb's place south
to the state line and extending east across the township. All
the rest was a part of District No. 6, which also embraced half
of Silver Lake. The commissioners established the district and
numbered it 37. J. H. Johnson donated the logs, patrons of the
school the labor, and built the little log school house on the
hill. It stood on the premises of Mr. Johnson, about four rods
from the township line. On the 8th day of January, 1868, Miss
Sarah Judge began a three-months term of school at a salary of
eight dollars a month and board. She boarded around, each
patron keeping her a length of time in proportion to the number
of pupils attending school.
This year also marked the coming of several new settlers.
H. N. Rice took the place now owned by G. H. Nord. Here he
brought his young wife who with him began the task of making a
home, but when the grasshoppers came he became discouraged and
went to Blue Earth and studied medicine with Dr. Winch and upon
his return he moved to Fairmont and became a practicing
physician. James George and George Nutter settled here, also
Mrs. Mary Owens, a widow, came with her two sons, David and
Daniel L. Owens. She homesteaded the place now owned by A. R.
Johnson.
In June of 1868, Darius Rowley employed Isaac Foster to
build a frame house to replace the log cabin into which he had
moved ten years before. Mr. Foster homesteaded the place now
occupied by Vanner Johnson. He purchased the logs on the claim
and brought his wife there in the fall. Asa Barber located on
the place now owned by John Van Heuman. Lars Anderson came and
spent the winter and the following summer with his brother Andrew.
He then went to Jackson County and took a claim. Peter Doyle
came with his wife, two sons and five daughters, of whom we
shall make mention later as they took a prominent part in the
development of this community.
About this time Romine, Eli and Adelbert Sisson came and
lived with Putnam Sisson, their father, and the following spring
Eli bought the claim of Frank Wells.
A misfortune occurred in the summer of 1869. We had high
water in the lake and the dam could not stand the strain. It
gave way, and mill and all went down the stream, but John Ruble
and Edward Murphy had purchased the property earlier in the
season and began to make plans for rebuilding. Also in this
year a new industry was added. In the spring W. L. Jones
induced the farmers to plant a lot of sorghum. Then he bought a
sorghum mill at Austin and he and his brother Ben hauled it from
there with teams over a trail minus bridges. It was set up and
began to operate day and night. This relieved the situation
somewhat as it took the place of sugar and tasted might good on
pancakes and made the occasion for many jolly candy pulling
parties.
In 1870 Ruble & Murphy began the erection of a new dam and
mill about twenty rods down the stream from where the old mill
had stood. In this year Henry Helpin and his family came and
settled on the land owned now by Sam Johanson. Peter Hoffman, a
single man, came with Mr. Nutter and filed on the land now owned
by Nels Johnson.
The farmers were still trying to raise wheat, thinking it
was the only crop there was any money in. It is true that a few
tried the raising of hogs and cattle but with hogs selling at
$1.90 per hundred, good 2-year old steers at four cents a pound
and butter at eight cents it was discouraging work.
In 1871 the new mill was completed and Edward Murhpy
began to grind grists for the farmers. This summer he and his
partner, John Ruble, built a store, a part of which is still
doing service for the Wm. Doyle Mercantile Co. William Hoffman
also put up a building across the road from the store, now owned
by G. E. Doyle and used in the hotel business.
On March 13, 1872 a petition was presented to the county
commissioners by A. Clendenning and others asking that Township
Number One Hundred and One, North of Range Twenty Nine, West of
the Fifth Principal Meridian, and Lot Two of Section One,
Township One Hundred and One North of Range Thirty be organized
into a township and named Chain Lake. The Commissioners granted
the petition and designated March 30, 1872, at the residence of
Wm. Hoffman as the time and place when the first town meeting
should be held for the purpose of electing three supervisors,
one of whom would be designated as Chairman, one town Clerk, one
treasurer, one assessor, two justices of the peace and two
constables.
When the day arrived the voters, fifteen in number,
assembled and elected the following ticket:
Chairman--A. Clendenning
Supervisors--Chas. W. Hackett, Asa Barber
Clerk--H. N. Rice
Treasurer--Wm. Hoffman
Assessor--George M. Scott
Justice of the Peace--D. P. Calkins
Constable--Darius Rowley
The voters present were not satisfied with the name
"Chain Lake" and recommended a change. Considerable discussion
followed. Some wanted to call it Murfreesboro and some suggested
the name of Rowley. They finally compromised by asking Mr.
Rowley to give it a name. This he did and called the new
township East Chain.
In the fall of this year Ruble & Murphy put in a stock
of goods and Chas. H. Ruble came and took charge there of. He
was appointed deputy postmaster under D. B. Rice who has
theretofore kept the office over in Silver Lake. A mail route
had been established some years before running from Blue Earth to
Estherville but up to this time the post office had been kept
across the creek.
The year 1873 seems to have been very disastrous to the
little settlement. On January 7th the worst blizzard this county
has ever know was experienced. It caught many away from home.
Isaac Foster and Andrew Anderson went down to the school section
after fire wood, were caught in the storm and both perished.
Lars Anderson then came and took the claim made vacant by the
death of his brother. In June we were visited by a horde of
grasshoppers. About the twentieth of the month they began to
come in countless numbers and in less than a week devoured the
crops. They laid their eggs and then departed. But when the
little hoppers hatched the following spring they ate up
everything except corn and the prairie grass. This taught the
farmers a lesson. They learned that it was unwise to depend upon
wheat alone. They soon got the idea of diversified farming.
Go to Chapter III
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