Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2022 All Rights Reserved USGenNet Data Repository Please read USGenNet Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott for the USGenNet Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ =========================================================================== Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =========================================================================== History of Anoka County And the Towns of Champlin and Dayton In Hennepin County, Minnesota by Albert M. Goodrich pub. 1905 - Hennepin Publishing Co., Minneapolis page 155 Town Organizations RAMSEY - The early settlement of this town has already been described. The town was organized in 1857, and the first officers were: supervisors, JARED BENSON, chairman, ISAAC VARNEY and CORNELIUS PITMAN; clerk, DAVID WHITING; treasurer, WILLIAM TENNYSON; collector, JOSEPH C. VARNEY, Population: 1860 - 192; 1870 - 265; 1880 - 387; 1890 - 398; 1900 - 490. BURNS - The first settler of Burns is said to have been a Mr. DERIGAN, who made his home on section 29 about 1853. In 1854 CHARLES M. FORD made a claim in section 35 and gave his name to the brook which flowed through his land, although he spent much of his time for some years at Anoka, where he started the first blacksmith shop. In 1855 came CHARLES MER- RILL and FRANKLIN DEMAREST. The first wedding was that of THOMAS WEBB and EDITH FLINT in 1857. The first white child born in the town was ROBERT J. DEMAREST, son of FRANKLIN DEMAREST, who was born in August, 1857. The first religious service was in 1858, held at the house of M. MONTFORT. The first school was taught by Miss CLARA WAKEFIELD in 1863. The town of Burns was organized in 1869, it having previously formed a part of St. Francis. The first officers were super- visors, JOHN D. KEEN, chairman, JOHN A. MUZZEY and W. D. LACLAIR; assessor, HOMER McALISTER; treasurer, JAMES KELSEY; clerk, WILLIAM D. CHEEVER. Population: 1870 - 340; 1880 - 552; 1890 - 650; 1900 - 920. OAK GROVE - The first settlers in Oak Grove were MOSES S. SEELYE, SR., JARVIS NUTTER and JOHN M. McKENZIE, who made -------------------------------------------------------------- page 156 claims in May, 1855. Mr. SEELYE was accompanied by his son H. E. SEELYE, who assisted in breaking the first sod and who still lives on a farm adjoining the original claim. Close be- hind these came DAVID ROGERS, who arrived in June of the same year; and a little later JOHN C. SMITH made a claim. GILBERT LEATHERS assisted the settlers in breaking land during the summer and put up a house for himself, and in the fall FRANKLIN WHITNEY arrived. The next spring brought JOHN F. CLEMENTS, and during 1856 ALDEN W. NORRIS, GRAFTON NORRIS, JUSTUS SEELYE, THOMAS GASLIN and JOHN CUNDY settled in the town, west of Rum river. In Oak Grove east of the river there was a considerable settlement during 1856, including GEORGE SMALL, STEPHEN SIAS, DAVID SIAS, _______ POMEROY with his three sons, GEORGE, JOHN -------------------------------------------------------------- page 157 and ELWIN, WILLIAM VYE, BENJAMIN GRINNELLS, JONATHAN EMERSON, JAMES MURPHY, DAVID MOORE (now living in Burns), ____ McDONALD, PATRICK CORRIGAN and _____ GILLIGAN. In 1857 came THURMAN W. MORTON (now living in Burns), CHARLES and MICHAEL ATCKISON, _____ COPELAND, and PATRICK GALLAGHER. Religious services were held in Oak Grove in 1857 by Rev. LYMAN PALMER, and a Baptist church was organized not long after. In the same year Miss NORA ORTON taught the first school. The first white child born in the town was ROSALIA B. SMITH, daughter of JOHN C. SMITH, who was born Oct. 16, 1857. The town of Oak Grove was organized in 1857, and the first officers were: supervisors, A. W. NORRIS, chairman, DENNIS E. MAHONEY and PETER BRENNAN; clerk, FRANK LANE; collector, JOHN C. SMITH; justices of the peace, MOSES S. SEELYE and D. MAHONEY; assessor, THOMAS B. RICHARDS. Population: 1860 - 231; 1870 - 198; 1880 - 305; 1890 - 293; 1900 - 494. GROW - The first settler in Grow was probably Rev. ROYAL TWITCHELL, who took a claim just over the line from Anoka about 1852. SAMUEL BRANCH made a claim just above the Upper Ford and in 1853 JOHN GLYNN made a claim above Branch. In 1854 came FRANCIS PETELER, a Mexican War veteran, who settled at Round lake, and JACOB MILLIMAN abandoned his claim on Rum river and settled near PETELER. He was soon followed by THOMAS McGRAW and PATRICK TIERNEY. By 1856 there was quite a settle- ment in the town, including besides those already named, M. D. LAPHAM, PETER KELSEY, WALTER GAY, _____ GAY (father of WALTER GAY), STEPHEN LIBBY, ISAAC BARSTOW, U. W. HANK, Deacon J. F. WHEELER, JOSEPH McKINNEY, WILLIAM STAPLES, D. Y. SMITH, JOHN MAYALL, EDWIN DAVIS, Captain NATHANIEL SMALL, HIRAM PRONTY, -------------------------------------------------------------- page 158 CHARLES WHITEHOUSE, JARED HASKELL, ELI ROGERS, Major RIPLEY (afterward postmaster at Champlin), JOHN STARKEY, SILAS O. LUM, EDWARD STACK, ANDREW TALBOT, DANIEL SHANNON, HARVEY RICHARDS and JOHN DE LACY. This town was organized in 1857, with the name of ROUND LAKE. The name was changed to GROW in 1859 in honor of GALUSHA A. GROW, who spoke at Anoka in the politacl campaign of that year. The present town of Ham Lake was included in the organization until 1871. The first school was taught by JOHN GIDDINGS in the house of JAMES W. GROAT about 1857. The first child born in the town was DAVID GLYNN, son of JOHN GLYNN, who was born in December, 1853, and died six years later. Population: 1860 (including Ham Lake) - 330; 1870 - (including Ham Lake) - 396; 1880 - 419; 1890 - 485; 1900 - 721. BLAINE. - The first permanent settler appears to have been PHILIP LADDY, who came there about 1862. GEORGE TOWNSEND came soon after, and GREEN CHAMBERS settled on TOWNSEND'S claim after the latter had gone in 1865. Up to 1877 this town formed a part of the town of Anoka. The first town officers were: supervisors, MOSES RIPLEY, chairman, GEORGE TISDALE and RICHARD DELONG; clerk, G. G. MURRELL; assessor, H. P. WINDER; justices of the peace, THOMAS SCHLEIF and THOMAS CONROY. Population: 1880 - 128; 1890 - 205; 1900 - 374. HAM LAKE. - The craze for laying out town sites was mani- fested in this town before it had acquired any permanent pop- ulation. In 1856 the town of Glencarie or Glen Cary was platted on land now owned by BERGER TITTERUD. Seven or eight houses were built and the place widely advertised as a future city. One day after the panic of 1857 the houses were destroyed by a prairie fire. Some of the inhabitants barely escaped with -------------------------------------------------------------- page 159 their lives, and with the scanty lot of household effects saved from the flames they took their departure, and the embryo metropolis came to an end. JOHN SCULLY, a native of Ireland, made a claim on section 31 in March, 1858; a Mr. CONLEY settled near by, and in October of the same year JOSIAH HART settled on section 6. There was no further settlement until 1866, when MATS GILBERTSON settled in section 20, followed soon after by H. M. TITTERUD and A. B. LIVGARD. Other early settlers were NELS PETERSON, OLE MOORE, IVER PETERSON, OLE FOSS, OLE PETERSON, THOMAS OLSON and OLE HEGLUND. The town began to fill up with Scandanavians, and in 1871 it was detached from Grow and organized under the name of Ham Lake. The first town officers were: supervisors, JOHN ROWE, chairman, A. B. LIVGARD and C. OLSON; clerk, CHARLES ROWE; treasurer, D. C. MONEY; justice of the peace, JOSIAH HART. Population: 1880 - 235; 1890 - 384; 1900 - 505. BETHEL. - The first settlement in Bethel was made in the northern part of the town in the spring of 1856 by RICE PRICE, OWEN EVANS, ASHER HYATT and JOSEPH CANNY. They were Quakers, and the place came to be known as the Quaker Settlement. The same summer came EDWARD E. PRATT, ELISHA DAY, LOUIS MITCHELL, JAMES DYER, and JOHN DYER with their families. The last named died in the spring of 1857, and was the first person buried in the town. Three single men also came in 1856; JOHN DOUGHERTY, JOHN McCANN and CHARLES ROSS, and in the fall came JAMES COOPER, an enthusiastic abolitionist, who thought he would find the Quakers congenial neighbors. The Quakers held regular reli- gious services, and started a Sunday school, which was attended -------------------------------------------------------------- page 160 by the children of the settlement. The services were generally led by Mrs. ASHER HYATT. The first wedding in Bethel was that of JOHN DOUGHERTY and MARGARET DYER, and the first white child born in the town was their son JOHN B. DOUGHERTY. In the spring of 1859 came JOHN H. STRONG, now living just over the line in Isanti county. In the fall of 1862, at the time of the Sioux massacre, the Quakers moved away and never returned. The town of Bethel was organized in 1858 and included nearly all the present town of Linwood. The town was reduced to its present limits when Linwood was organized in 1871. The first town officers were: supervisors, OWEN EVANS, chairman, W. DICKENS, and RICE PRICE; clerk, J. MAYHEW; treasurer, JOHN WYATT; assessor, F. WYATT. About 1863 a postoffice was estab- -------------------------------------------------------------- page 161 lished with JAMES COOPER as postmaster. About 1876 HUGH SPENCE started a store near Mr. COOPER'S house, and the place began to be known as "Cooper's Corners." The postoffice was removed to Bethel station in 1899. Population: 1860 (including Linwood) - 128; 1870 (including Linwood) - 216; 1880 - 423; 1890 - 419; 1900 - 617. LINWOOD. - The first settler in what is now Linwood, was JOSEPH SAUSEN, who lcated in the southeast corner of the town on section 24 in 1855. W. DICKENS settled on section 5 in 1857. Other early settlers were EDWARD SERVIS, MICHAEL HURLEY, FERGUS McGREGOR, JOSHUA MAYHEW, JAMES SHORROCKS and TIMOTHY O'CONNOR. The town of Linwood was organized Sept. 5, 1871. The first town officers were: supervisors, J. G. GREEN, chairman, F. McGREGOR and MICHAEL HURLEY, treasurer, E. G. SMITH; clerk and justice of the peace, D. W. GREEN. Population: 1880 - 227; 1890 - 242; 1900 - 333. COLUMBUS. - The first settlers of Columbus were JOHN KLEINER, who settled in sectioin 11, and J. H. BATZLE, who settled in section 25. They came in 1855. The following spring JAMES STARKEY platted the village of Columbus in section 22 and built a saw mill to give employment to the settlers who were invited to make their homes in the new town. KLEINER put up a hotel in the village, and a few years later, Captain STARKEY built a two and a half story hotel said to have cost $10,000. In the fall of 1856 came YOST YOST, who made a claim the following year on the farm where he still lives. The saw mill ran during the win- ter of 1856-7. but the next year was shut down on account of financial troubles and May 2, 1865, it was burned. Captain STARKEY spent large sums of money in trying to make Columbus -------------------------------------------------------------- page 162 a city, but finally gave up the struggle, and moved away. The town of Columbus was organized in 1857. Capt. STARKEY was probably chairman of the board of supervisors, and Mr. SOMERS was a town officer of some kind. A postoffice was established in 1858, but was discontinued a few uears later. MARY YOST (Mrs. EDWARD RYOUX) was the first white child born in the town. Population: 1860 - 119; 1870 - 71; 1880 - 92; 1890 - 262; 1900 - 484. FRIDLEY. - JOHN BANFIL settled in what is now Fridley in 1847, and kept a stopping place for the accommodation of travelers. Two years later HENRY M. RICE acquired consider- able land and built a country residence at Cold Springs, -------------------------------------------------------------- page 163 giving his name to the creek which flows through the town. In the spring of 1853 came ISAAC KIMBALL, who purchased the hotel from BANFIL, and a little later JOB EASTMAN settled in the place. A ferry across the Mississippi river was established about 1854. May 23, 1857, the county of Manomin was organized, with the same limits as the present town of Fidley (including Columbia Heights). A. M. FRIDLEY was made chairman of the board of county commissioners. This miniature county of eighteen sec- tions of land, continued to exist until 1870, when it became part of Anoka county, as the town of Manomin. In 1879 the name was changed to Fridley. The first officers of the town of --------------------------------------------------------------- page 164 Manomin were: supervisors, JOHN SULLIVAN, G. W. THURBER and THOMAS CASEY; clerk, G. R. WEEKS; treasurer, JOHN SULLIVAN. The following correspondence explains the circumstances connected with the formation and discontinuance of Manomin county: State of Minnesota, District Court, Second District. Saint Paul, April 8, 1899. Major Fridley, Fridley, Minn. My dear Major: - In connection with my lectures at the Uni- versity of Minnesota on "Taxation" I want to give a brief statement of the history of Manomin county. To that end will you be good enough to give me what knowledge you have on this subject and refer me to authorities where that knowledge can be supplemented. Hoping to see you soon in St. Paul, and with pleasantest recollections of our transactioins while I was at the bar, I remain, Very cordially yours, EDWIN A. JAGGARD. ---------------------------- Judge EDWIN A. JAGGARD, Court House, St. Paul, Minn. Dear Sir: Your favor of 8th inst. was duly received, re- questing information regarding Manomin county. It was or- ganized by an act of the territorial legislature approved May 3, 1857, and abolished by constitutional amendment adopted Nov. 2, 1869. The bill passed by both houses embraced, in addition to the territory comprising the present town of Fridley, the town of Mound View, both taken from Ramsey county; but by skul- duggery, presumably by a Ramsey county politician, Mound View was omitted in the enrollment of the bill presented to the Governor (an uncle of mine), who approved it without dis- covering the emasculation. Of course, a county of so small an area and sparsely populated was unable to maintain an organi- zation without embarrassment and liability of being subject to exorbitant taxation, should its politcal management fall ------------------------------------------------------------ page 165 into competent hands. It was "an elephant on our hands," difficult to get rid of because of the constitutional pro- vision against reducing counties below four hundred square miles, hence the constitutional amendment was submitted and adopted as the only way out of the dilema. With best wishes for your continued success and prosperity, I remain, Very truly yours, H. C. FRIDLEY One of the most important industries in Anoka county is the Northwestern fireproofing Works, situated just north of the Minneapolis city limits. The proprietor, C. J. SWANSON, started in the business of brick making at Camden Place in 1875, and four years later purchased the present site east ------------------------------------------------------------ page 166 of the river, upon the buildings were erected in 1880. Large quantities of hollow brick and hollow tile fire proofing are manufactured and shipped to all parts of the west. About seventy-five men are employed at the works, and as many more on buildings. Population: 1860 - 104; 1870 - 103; 1880 - 257; 1890 - 476; 1900 (including Columbia Heights) - 566. ST. FRANCIS. - GEORGE ARMSBY, E. FOWLER and SMITH L. GALE were the first settlers to take up their residence in St. Francis. This was in 1855. J. P. AUSTIN, W. P. CLARK and others followed the next year. The first school was taught by Miss HATTIE WATERHOUSE at the house of E. FOWLER. The present flouring mill at St. Francis is the property of the St. Francis Milling Co. It is a five-story building, and was erected in 1888. It has a capacity of 250 barrels of flour per day. The bulk of the output is shipped to Chicago. The St. Francis Starch Manufacturing Co. has been doing business ------------------------------------------------------------ page 167 since 1895. The first year the company made 600 tons of starch. The average run per annum since has been about 300 tons, varying with the character of the season and the price of potatoes. There are about 140 stockholders, nearly all of whom are farmers. The starch is shipped to Chicago and Boston. The St. Francis Canning Factory has run four seasons. Corn is the only product canned. The last two years about 2500 cases have been turned out in a season. In a good year the factory should turn out double that amount. Population: 1860 (including Burns) - 153; 1870 - 166; 1880 - 270; 1890 - 324; 1900 - 483. CENTREVILLE. - The early settlement of this town is de- scribed on page 50. In 1854 CHARLES PELTIER built a saw mill, and in company with F. X. LAVELLEE and FRANCIS LAMOTTE, plat- ted the village of Centreville. The settlers in the village and vicinity were mostly French, and this came to be known as the French settlement. OLIVER DUPRE, A. GERVAIS, JOSEPH FORCIER, PAUL and OLIVER PELTIER, STEPHEN WARD and L. BURKARD were among the first comers. Meanwhile German settlers had been making claims near the home of F. W. TRAVES in the west- ern part of the town, among them HENRY WENZEL, who came in 1855, and this place was known as the German settlement. The town of Centreville was organized August 11, 1857. The first officers so far as known were: OLIVER PELTIER, chairman, FRANCIS LAMOTT; clerk, CHARLES PELTIER; treasurer, STEPHEN WARD; justice of the peace, FRANCIS LAMOTT. The first religious service in the town was at the resi- dence of FRANCIS LAMOTT, where mass was said by Father KALLER in 1854, who continued to visit the place occasionally for ------------------------------------------------------------ page 168 - (photo of Catholic Church at Centreville) ------------------------------------------------------------ page 169 several years. He was succeeded by Father ROBERT, and in 1861 Rev. JOSEPH GOIFFON was placed in charge of that parish and that of Little Canada, a position which he held for many years. His successors have been Rev. FRANCIS COMBETTE, Rev. H. BONNEFOUS, Rev. A. VAN DEN BOSCH, Rev. PETER A. QUESNEL, and the present pastor, Rev. MARCIL MASL. The Church of St. Genevieve of Paris was erected in 1859. Population: 1860 - 351; 1870 - 687; 1880 - 876; 1890 - 1134; 1900 - 1175. ==========================================================================