Fifty Years In The Northwest / With An Introduction And Appendix Containing Reminiscences, Incidents And Notes

by William H. C. Folsom

Mr. Peterson has been the president of Franconia since its incorporation. In 1869 he married Miss Ingur Johnson, daughter of Eric Johnson, a pioneer of St. Peter, Minnesota, and is the father of two children, Axel, a promising son, who died in February, 1885, at fourteen years of age, and Maria, now a student in the Ladies' Seminary at Faribault, who is developing marked ability as a pencil artist. Mr. Peterson owns one of the finest houses in the valley, romantically situated, which is supplied with pure spring water. It is a pride to the village and attracts general attention. He is also the inventor and patentee of the Lindholm & Peterson adding machine.

HARRIS.

The town of Harris contains twenty-four sections of township 36, range 21, the four western tiers of sections. The soil is a sandy loam with clay subsoil. The town is well watered and drained by Goose creek, which entering the town from the northwest, and bending at first southward, then eastward, leaves the town near its southeastern line in section 22. The timber consisted originally of oak openings and pine; 10,000,000 feet of the latter have been removed from the southeastern portion. Luxuriant wild meadows are found along Goose creek. The first improvement was a farm, made by W. H. C. Folsom in sections 21 and 22 in 1854. The first permanent settler was Henry H. Sevy, who located on this farm in 1856. The town of Harris was organized in 1884.

HARRIS VILLAGE.

A charter organizing Harris village was granted by the district court, under the general law, in 1882. A question arose as to the legality of the act. A subsequent legislature, by legislative act, confirmed all similarly organized villages in the State. The supreme court decided the organization of such villages illegal and the legislative act sanctioning it unconstitutional. It was subsequently organized legally. The village was surveyed by A. D. Miller and platted in May, 1873, in the south half of section 21, township 36, range 21, Philip S. Harris and N. D. Miller, proprietors. It derived its name from Philip S. Harris, a prominent officer of the St. Paul & Duluth railroad. Fred Wolf was the first settler, in 1870, and first merchant and first railroad agent, in 1873. He acted as postmaster subsequently and filled other offices of trust. His interests are intimately blended with those of the village. Isaac Savage was the second settler and merchant. He was the first postmaster, in 1873. The first school was taught by Mary Gwinn, in 1873. The first marriage was that of M. P. Smith and Charlotte Swenson. The first child born was Brague, son of W. D. Sayers. The first death was that of Isaac Morrill. A good school house was built in 1877. The village is rapidly growing. It has an extensive trade in hay, wood, ties and piles. Wheat shipments are large. It has four stores, two hotels, three elevators, three hay presses, two wagon and smith shops, one agricultural warehouse, one skating rink, one livery stable, two saloons, one meat shop and a railroad depot.

LENT.

This town includes the whole of township 34, range 21. It is well watered and drained by Sunrise river, but has no lakes. The soil is a sandy loam; the timber chiefly oak openings. The early settlers were Harvey Lent, from whom the town derived its name, William Robinson, James Buchanan, who raised the first crops in 1855, Joshua Dawson, Jesse Moore and others. The town was organized in 1872. The first supervisors were Dawson, Moore and Robinson. The first post office was established in 1875, at Stacy, a railroad station on the St. Paul & Duluth railroad, which traverses this town from south to north. Frank Dawson was the first postmaster.

NESSELL.

Nessell includes township 37, range 22. The surface was originally covered with a growth of hardwood, with some pine. Of the latter, about 10,000,000 feet has been cut. The soil is adapted to wheat culture. It is well watered. Rush lake occupies a nearly central position, and is a beautiful sheet of water with about fourteen miles of meandering shore line, crystal clear, and deep, well stocked with fish, and bordered with groves of maple, oak and linden. The town was set off from Rush Lake and organized in 1870. The first supervisors were Wm. H. McCray, John H. Breit and Matts Colleen. The town is settled by a class of industrious, upright people. There are three churches, with prosperous societies, the Swedish Baptist, the Swedish Lutheran and German Lutheran. Martin Linnell was the first child born. The first marriage was that of Wm. Vanetta and Anna Johnson, in 1861. Alice Draper taught the first school. Rev. Cedarstam preached the first sermon.

Robert Nessell was the oldest settler. The town was named for him. He was born in Germany in 1834; came to America in 1847, and to Minnesota in 1854. He was married at Sunrise to Kate Torbert, of Shafer, in 1856, and the same year located his present home. Other early settlers are John H. Breit, John Lindsey, P. Kelley, and the Jarchow brothers.