OAK PARK
Was platted May 27, 1857. It is situated between the city of Stillwater and South Stillwater, with frontage on the lake. The proprietors were John Parker, Wm. Dorr, Gold T. Curtis, Mary Curtis, Olive A. B. Anderson, and Wm. M. McCluer. The surveyor was A. Van Voorhes.
The township of Stillwater was organized April 3, 1860, with the following board of officers: Moderator, Cornelius Lyman; judges of election, H. Packard, W. T. Boutwell, D. P. Lyman; supervisors, C. Storrs Lyman, H. Packard, Henry A. Jackman; clerk, Sylvanus Trask.
David P. Lyman was born in St. Lawrence county, New York, in 1822. In 1844 he came with his parents to Marine. In 1846 he removed to his present residence in the town of Stillwater. He was married to Anna J. Hannah, at Farmingdale, Illinois, in 1850. They have five children. Mr. Lyman is an upright, reliable citizen, and a consistent member of the Presbyterian church.
Henry A. Jackman, a native of Robbinstown, Maine, was born July 30, 1819. He was married to Sarah Blanchard in 1848. Mr. Jackman, with his family, his father and his wife's parents, came West in 1849 and located in Stillwater. In 1851 he removed to his farm. He has since engaged in farming and lumbering, and has filled several important positions. He served as school trustee for 30 years, as county commissioner 8 years, as warden of state prison 4 years, as state prison inspector 20 years, and was a representative in the territorial legislature of 1856, and the state legislature of 1867. Mr. Jackman's father, a native of Brunswick, Maine, died at his son's residence in Stillwater, April, 1867, aged seventy-four years. He was a man honored for his kindness and sterling integrity. His wife, the mother of Henry A., died in Maine in 1844. Three sons and four daughters survive them. The children of Henry A. Jackman are Mary E. (Mrs. Russell Pease), James E. and Alice (Mrs. Wm. A. Boxwell).
Frederic J. Curtis, a native of Ireland, was born in 1818. Before coming to America he learned the trade of boot and shoe making. He came to America in 1843, and spent two years in New York City working at his trade. He also spent two years in St. Louis and New Orleans. He came to Stillwater in 1848 and settled on his farm in section 9, where he has since lived. He held the office of sheriff two years. He was one of the first police of the city of Stillwater and has been town treasurer and school director. He was married to Bridget Fenton in 1849. Their children are Daniel, Thomas, James, Elisabeth, Mary, Maggie, and Ellen B.
David Cover was born in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, May 22, 1826. In 1844 he came with his parents to St. Louis, Missouri, where he became a river pilot, and engaged in lumbering for eight years, when he came to Stillwater, and for some years gave his attention largely to selling logs and lumber between Stillwater and St. Louis. During the years between 1860 and 1870 his business transactions were heavy, involving hundreds of thousands of dollars annually, and from some injudicious movements, due to lack of experience, resulted in disastrous failure. After his failure he devoted himself to farming and fire insurance business. He was married in 1850 to Elisabeth Harrold. They are the parents of three sons. Mr. Cover was accidentally drowned in Lake St. Croix Sept. 14, 1884. His life was insured for $17,000.
John Parker came from Vermont to the valley of the St. Croix in 1848, located for a couple of years at St. Croix Falls, and came to Oak Park, town of Stillwater, about 1850. In 1848 Mr. Parker was married to Susan, daughter of David Cover, who bore him three children: Edwin E., the oldest, killed by the explosion of the boilers of the steamer Penn Wright, near Winona; John E., living at home with his mother, and Ella, wife of Henry Pevey, of Stillwater. Mr. Parker was a kind hearted, genial man. He was one of the early river pilots, and came to his death in June, 1867, while in the performance of his duties as a pilot. In handling a line to "snub" a raft, he was caught in its coils and so bruised that he died.
WOODBURY,
As at present organized, includes township 28, range 21. At the date of its organization, in 1868, it was named Red Rock, and made to include a little over two sections of fractional township 28, range 22. This fragment contains the famous painted rock, now included in the town of Newport, and from this rock, familiarly called Red Rock, the town received its first name. The first board of town officers consisted of John Colby; moderator; David Little and C. Schmeiding, judges of election; John Colby, John A. Ford, J. J. Miller, supervisors; Ebenezer Ayers, clerk.