LOWER OSHAWA
A Brief History of Early Settlemen~ Churches, Schools, Industries and Organizations.
By Amelia and Florence Tum~
Facsimile Reprint with an Introductory Note by Emeroy Johnson and an Index by Florence Turner Peterson
Gustavus Adolphus College St. Peter, Minnesota
December 1981
INTRODUCTORY NOTE
Th~s is the history of Lower Oshawa in Nicollet County, Minnesota. It tells us how that community came to. be, the transition from an area where Indians freely came and went, where wild animals lived in a completely natural habitat, where native grasses and trees grew undisturbed - to a community of a few hun dred people who took possession of land, built homes, broke the sod and planted seed, put up fences, made roads, established local government, and formed a cohesive, vibrant community.
Who these people were, where they came from, and how they went about their daily work as they spontane ously were forming a new community "from scratch" (no instant pudding) - this is what two sisters, Florence and Amelia Turner, have told us in this history of Lower Oshawa. There they had grown up and learned to know almost every family of the pioneers.
It was in the 1920s that these young ladies inter viewed their neighbors, asked questions about the past, and wrote down what they had learned. At that time it was only seventy years since the first settlers had come. It was the fleeting moment when it still was possible to obtain first-hand accounts of life in Oshawa in the 19th century. Fortunate for those of the 1930s that the book was published. Fortunate for us a half century later that it is being printed again. Here we have an account of how "ordinary" people formed a com munity which had and still has its own spirit and ambience. It can enhance our understanding and appre ciation of life.
Amelia Turner died in 1938. Florence is now Mrs. Conrad Peterson. Since 1956 she has been Archivist of Gustavus Adolphus College, her Alma Mater.
Emeroy Johnson
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By
AMELIA AND FLORE~CE TURNER St. Peter, Minn.
A Brief History
OF EAR.LY SETTLEMENT, CHURCHES, INDUSTRIES, ScHOOLS, AND ORGANIZATIONS OF LowER OSHAWA . . . TowN~. SHIP, NICOLLET COUNTY, MINNESO'.J'A.
Published July 1, 1930
··Distributed During Seventy-fifth Anniversary Celebra tion of White Settlement in Oshawa.
To the Memory of THE PIONEERS The Authors gratefully dedicate this Volume.
Published by Herald Publishing Company St. Peter, Minn. "Build today, then, strong and sure, With a firm and ample base; And ascending and secure Shall tomorrow find its place." -Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
11 PREFACE 1 1
When we began to gather data for the pageant that is to be given by the Lakeside Bible Class on Fourth of 'july, 1930, we had no idea of publishing it; but the information has proved of such interest to us that we feel we should like to share it with others. We wish to express our gratitude to all of those who so willingly gave us this information. We have tried to write as complete an account of the settlement and progress of the community as is possible in this short time; but we know there is much more that might be written on the subject. We hope that we have included enough to remind us in some measure of -the debt we all ow~ the pioneers. Our share in this little book, we should like to dedicate to the memory of our mother who watched it grow with such unfailing interest and assisted us so ably with timely sug gestions.
AMELIA and FLORENCE TURNER.
Page Two CHAPTER I Northerrt· European Settlers Arrive to Claim Territorial Uarids, Most of the men,.and women who settled in lower' Oshawa came from Sweden,· Getmanv. ~ .Scotland; .. Jreland and France.· Until 1865 they had to come by sailboat. ·•1They were itequired to bring their own provisions which were supposed 1to . last. ;.bout a · year. This .meant that the women had tcr·
Page Thr.ee to be shipped in, and when the river was low, they had to use ox teams to haul the flour from St. Paul. The settlers did not buy more than a few pounds at a time, as it was expensive and if they had much of it the · Indians would come and beg it away from them. At one time, however, Mr. Isaac Lundet'n had saved up enough money to buy a whole barrel of flour. He was quite elated until he opened the barrel 'and found that the flour was all wet and moldy. The Indians carved out bowls-:out of large slabs of wood, put dry corn into these and with smooth stones crushed it for baking. The whites followed their example. · They also used coffee mills for grinding the corn. The Indians tapped maples and made large quantities of maple sugar, and the whites followed their example in this too. · · Game was plentiful at first. Some of the early settlers tell of Seeing as many as 25 deer at one time. Mr. Dunphy had a fence around a hay stack which the deer liked. In the early mornings the deer could be seen jumping over the fence away from the haystack where they had been uninvited guests. There were no wolves at first. Game birds were very plentiful. After the Traverse des Sioux treaty in 1851, the Indians were sup posed to live around their agencies but many of them continued to live around here at least part of the year. The Indian braves did a great deal of hunting with their bows and arrows, but when they killed a deer or some other large animal, they did not bring it to camp. Instead they blazed a trail to the camp from the deer and sent the squaws out to lug it home. All of the hard work was done by the squaws; they raised the corn and did the moving. Every year they came to Goose Lake to pick wild rice. The Indians cut up the bark from a certain shrub tO use instead of tobacco. When game became more scarce, the Indians who depended mostly on hunting for their food, often suffered from hunger. They often c;a~ to the settlers to beg for food. Usually the squaws came· with their papooses on their backs, and begged for bread for their babies. They also asked for things that the white people threw away; such as owls, frozen potatoes, and dead pigs. The women and children were often frightened by them ; because the Indians would come strutting into the cabin any time of the day without knocking, and one never knew when a hideously painted Indian face would be framed in the window. Sometimes their fears were not without rea son. Mr. Lange recalls one such occasion. His father always kept a loaded gun over the door. Once the Indians came into their cabin, took down the gun and were ready to shoot Mr. and Mrs. Lange who stood with each a baby in their arms when some squaws interceded and saved their lives. In 1862 there was great excitement when messengers c.ame to ·w&n ·the settlers to flee to St. Peter. It was a half-breed named Campbell ·who had access to the Indian consultations of war who gave_. ,the first warn ing. They had to hurry to pack together a few proYisions, hitclt·' up their horses or oxen and start off. As they drove they could see the lights from the fires in the west where the Indians were burning homes and property. Behind every bush they imagined an Indian. Mr. Lange
Page Four tells that as they were hurrying toward town, they saw something white lying on the roarl. Charles and Fred, who were but six years old, were told to jump off and sre what it was. They held each other's hands tightly and started off trembling with fear until they discovered ·it was a sack of flour. Then their fear turned to joy for flour was a scarc:ity. · The Indians 'always sent dogs ahead of them to search. for white people. and when the dogs found someone they would bark. · Otte of Mrs. Lange's neighbors managed to catch the Indian dog · and tied her apron around his mouth to keep him from barking. Then she hid under a pumpkin vine and escaped notice. Mary High tells that when word came to them in the Bottoms that they must flee, her mother and father walked the six miles into towi:i carrying each a child. , : .., .., t , ·. In St. Peter the prople were packed into crowded quarters. ·someone· remembers seeing Mrs. Boys stand for hours holding her twin boys, Frank and Ralph. The mr.n who did not go to New Ulm kept watch on~ College Hill, but the Indians never came down into lower Oshawa. The soldiers soon arrived from Fort Snelling and the settlers returned to their homes. They were called into town twice during the outbreak. Those who had been kind to the Indians, were usually rewarded in the massacre, as the Indians remembered and helped those who had helped them. As a 'rule the Indians were honest. Col. John Lundeen recalls that a drunken Indian once stole a small sled from them, but the other Indians made the thief leave the sled in the woods nearby. The pioneers were all poor as far as money was concerned, bu~ they were always hospitablr and welcomed visitors. They also opened their homes to the settlers who came after them until they could build home5 for themselves. It was common for two or three families to live in one small house. No one gave credit in those days. One man had built his log house, but lacked three sawed boards for a door. He had no money left, and the man who owned the lumber refused to give him the boards on credit; so the family had to use a blanket as a door all winter. Another man walked to town to buy ten cents worth of nails. As he had no money, he could not get the nails, but had to go home and make wooden pegs to use for nails. In the eady days they didn't have fences for the cattle; instead they fenced the crops ?.nd let the cattle roam. They tied cow bells on them, and each settler knew the sound of the bell on his cows, and would in that way find his cattle. It was usually the children who would be sent out to get tht' cows and sometimes it would take six or seven hours before they could find them and get them home. One time Mr. and Mrs. Johan M. Johnson's daughters, Tilda and Anna, searched so long for their cows that they could not find their own way home, and the two little frightened girls had to stay in the woods all night. Most of the wo1k was done by hand at first. They used oxen for. plowing, but they sowed their grain, planted their corn, mowed and rakr.d their hay, cut and tied their grain by hand. As they used the straws for tying the grain, they had to do their harvesting in the early morning or evening when the straw was less brittle. The evolution of our
Page Five modern machinery would form an interesting chapter, but it would be hard to describe without illustrations. Around 1876 and '77 the grasshoppers worked havoc with the crops. Mr. C. 0. Anderson recalls that they had a field of grain that they intended to cut in a few days but before they had time to do this the grasshoppers came like a black cloud, descended on the beautiful grain, and when they ldt there was not even a straw left in the field. Many contraptions were invented to use in catching the grasshoppers. There was a bounty for catching them, which at one time was as high as $1.00 a bushel. Mr. C. J. Johnson tells that he made as much as $10.00 a day catching grasshoppers. It seems that the destructive pests departed almost as suddenly as they came. Sometime later the crops were again threatened by chinch bugs. The farmers then plowed a deep furrow around their field> as the bugs could not climb over a furrow. The settlers felt that God had helped and guided them to this land and in return for His goodness they desired a place to worship and praise Him. Consequrntlv a meeting was held by the Swedish settlers on October 5, 1856, in the Jonas Lundeen home, when plans were laid to organize a Swedish congregation. Peter Ahlstrom was the chairman and Jonas Lundeen, secrrtary. At this time it was decided to get subscrip tions for a church building. Until this was erected they held services in the homes. On November 28, 1857, another meeting was held and a constitution was made. The charter members were P. J. Ahlstrom, Jonas P. Lundeen. Swen Lundholm. C. A. Johnson, S. Trollstrap, A. J. Petter son, ~· H. Johnson, Johan M. Johnson, Isaac Lundeen, C. J. Sandberg, father of Mrs. Dahlberg, Sven Johnson, father of Col. Frank and Col. Arthur Johnson, U. S. A., J. Sallstrom, Jens Nielson, 0. Anderson, furmen Johnson, G . Johnson, father of Gov. John A. Johnson. Mr. P. J. Ahlstrom and Mr. Swen Johnson used to be deacons and officiated in the absence of the pastor. It is interesting to note that of these charter members six lived in Oshawa. Jonas Lundeen with assistants built the first church that same year. It was located on Elm street between Fourth and Fifth ,across from the present church. Mr. Lundeen also designed and made the pulpit which was in the form of a large harp with a board or desk over it and on this a Bible. It is interesting to know that this pulpit was rescued out of the fire and for a number of vears was used as a desk in Dr. Carlton's class room at the college. When he got a new desk it was removed to the Swedish church, repaired, and is now being used again in the base ment of the church. The present church was built in 1882. T. N. Hasselquist was here in the summer of 1857 to organize the new church. In the fall the first pastor, P. A. Cederstam, took charge at both St. Peter and Scandian Grove, living at the latter place. Although we do not know what part Oshawa settlers played in the organizing of the other churches in St. Peter, we shall mention them briefly as some of our members belong to these churches, and we are interested in all of them. In I 857 the Presbyterian church with twelve members was organized in St. Peter under the leadership of Rev. A. H. Kerr who was also a school teacher. In 1869 this. church united with the one at Traverse des Sioux which had been organized November 5, I 853, Page Six by Rev. M. N. Adams. The present church was built in 1872. Episcopal servi•es were held in Captain Dodd's residence as early as 1854 but the church was not organized until 1857 under the pastorate of Rev. Ezra Jones. The present church was built in 1870. The first Catholic church was organized in 1856, and Father Brady \1'as appointed pastor. On his arrival he was seized with typhoid fever and died at the home of James Nutter. The Rev. Valentine Sommereisen was then given charge and under his direction the first church building was put up where the present St. Peter's Catholic church now stands. The Methodist Episcopal church was formally organized in 1867, with Rev. Alonzo Hitchcock as pastor but before this time there had been regular preaching by Rev. Lewis Bell and a church built in Traverse in 1854. The well known author, Edward Eggleston was once a pastor there. The German Lutheran denomination organized in St. Peter in Septem ber, 1867, with Rev. F. L. Richter as pastor. A church was erected in 1870. The first Norwegian Lutheran church was built in 1866, and the first pastor was Rev. Thomas Johnson. The First En~lish Lutheran church was organized on April 24, 1892, with Dr. John Sander as pastor. Prior to this, English services had been conducted in the Swedish Lutheran church under the direction of some of the professors at Gustavus Adolphus college: Prof. Frick, Prof. Shan non, Dr. Sander and Dr. Uhler, who has also served as deacon since the organization of the church and taken the place of the pastor when ever necessary. The present church was built in 1895. CHAPTER II Township Organized- Business Ventures Sketched. An important event took place May I I, I858, at 9 a. m. when several men met in St. Peter to organize Oshawa township. At that time the town of St. Peter was included in this township. The following men were elected as officers: A. F. Howes, chairman; · Spencer Sutherland and G. W. Piper, supervisors; J. B. Sackett, clerk; Samuel Dunning, assessor; Peter Morrison, collector; Wm. Schimmel, overseer of poor; J. P. Miner, ·overseer of roads; Geo. Hezlcp, justice of peace; Wm. Parrish and Henry Gerrish, constables. At this time a name for the township was voted upon and was as follows: Oshawa, I ~o votes, Harriet, 98 votes. The name Oshawa is from Indian dialect and is said by Gannett to mean "ferry him over or across the river." The first meeting of supervisors was held May 29. On November 16, 1858, at the town board meeting it was decided to build a road along the bluffs or what we call the Bottom Road. This was to extend from M . B. Stone's to Battes' creek or what is commonly known as "Seven Mile" creek. The signers were M. B. Stone, who lived on the road out toward the hospital, K. Darrington who lived near the present site of the criminal ward, J. M. Johnson, John Sallstrom, John Torngren, Andrew Torngren, and F. Lange. As we understand it, this first road followed
Page Seven the river closer than the present one, which was not opened ·past the hospital . until 187 l. The . New Ulm road was not officially laid out, but followed an . old Indian trail which wound in and out between the swampy places. Near Miner's and Buchanan's were two well-known mud holes. In wet weather the farmers who were hauling wheat into town to have it ground into flour, would often become· mired in the mud. They would have to get out and carry the sacks of wheat across and even then sometimes the oxen couldn't pull out, so they would have to take the wagon apart and carry that across too. The people usually walked to town except when they had heavy loads, and they often walked to the neighboring towns. At the time when the Indians were hanged in Mankato, Mr. Isaac Lundeen walked up there to witness the awesome spectacle and Col. John Lundeen walked to Winona to take his examinations to enter West Point. Mrs. Jonas John son tells that she always walked to town to do the errands for the fam-, ilv and to carry home the necessary provisions. She remembers passim~ Mr. and Mrs. Dunphy in their two-wheeled ca.rt drawn by oxen. ; ' "· · The first schocl in Oshawa township was in 1861 but w~ do ~ot 'kno)V exactly where it was located. District No. 23 (Boys' school) was organ ized March 8, 1864. It was petitioned for by J. B. Heritage, W. B. Hicks, and S. Sutherland. Just when they built the school we, have no record. School was held where Walter Johnson now lives. William Wil kinson b.uilt a house there for. his father who died soon after, .so they used the house for a .school. Next they had school on the Bresnah'ari farm where Hicks lived. Mrs. Hicks was the teacher. " Dr: ]. Wesley Anderson taught the first school in the new school building. His sister also taught there later. The building was small and ill-ventilated and there were many pupils, hence some of the girls fainted. John McQuot, who lived where Sands now live, conceived the idea of ventilation and cu1 a hole in the roof of the building. Miner's school, District 27, was organized May 5, 1865. A petition was presented bv S. B. Miner. On March 9, 1867, land was deeded for a school house by Cullen Buchanan. Although we have no exact record, we iudge the school was built that same year. It was of logs plastered with mud. Before this they had school in Modin's home, where Miss Adams taught. We think Theodore Catlin was the first to teach in the school building. He used to walk to and from school from St. Peter morning and evening. John Lundeen taught ·there in 1868. Among those who taught there later were Edna Briggs (Mrs. John Wright), Josephine Bronell (Mrs. Carlson) , Albert Linstrom, Lizzie Wiggerson, a sister of Mrs. Ole Karstad, Emily Brown, George· Linstrom, Emma Linstrom, Augusta Eklof, John Holteen, Gustaf Larson, Willard Hol teen, Esther Johnson, and Edmund Sandeen. In 1907 the .. present school house was built. Mrs. Wright remembers when James Brothers and the Youngers, well known bandits, p:!ssed the school shortly before they robbed the bank at Northfield. There were five of them, all dressed up, and they rode beau tiful horses. The whole school went to the window to look at them. She also told of a mirage that she and some of the children saw as they
Page Eight were going to school. The could see the children of District 23 play ing around the building. Never before or after did they see this. District No. 38 was organized September 3, 1868, and petitioned for by Peter J. Ahlstrom. In the spring of I 869 the first public school was · taught by John A. Lundeen in the White House, where Ecklunds and August Lundgren~ were living at the time. In the fall of 1869, Ellen Adams taught in Nels Lilliquist's home. For services as teacher she re ceived $2 7.oo and her board and room. George Anderson was paid $15.00 for boarding the teacher and Nels Lilliquist $6.35 for rent of school room. Jonas Lundeen built the school building which was completed in 1871. Lorinda Mattice was the first teacher there. Some of the others were: Lucinda Rockwood, Henrietta Catlin, Mary Delaney, Albert Davis, 0. S. Pettis, Susan Hoffman, Ed. Modin, Edna Briggs, Nellie Johnson, Emily Lundeen, Pauline Husch, Minnie Meyer, Nellie Dolphin, Olivia Eklof and Alma Lucken. The first desks were home made all of wood. When schools were held in the homes, benches were placed all around the walls and the teacher stood in the middle of the room. In District 38 there were two tables that ran the whole length of the school house. On each side and at each end of the tables were wooden benches. They had one table for the girls and one for the boys. Those who attended school at this time re call that it was very easy to pass notes under the table. They sometimes drew fonny pictures on their slates and passed these around under the tables, too. In the 6o's :md 7o's many industries sprang up in Oshawa. On the farm owned by Evans Brothers, Mr. Hunter ran a sawmill. There were three or four brickyards along the bottoms. One was right below Ecklund's present home. It was located right where the river now runs. They took the clay for the brick from what is now a small hollow in Ecklund's pasture. The people who owned the brick yard lived near the river. At one time when the river was at such a height it sur rounded the house, they removed the furniture, leaving the stove until the last. When that was taken, the house floated away. There was another brickyard below the present site of the Criminal Ward, and brick has been found up in the ravine above the caves where it is supposed therr was another brickyard. Still another was situated on the Norlin farm. Herc was built a two-story brick house. In 1881 the water was so high that they used a rowboat to get out of the top story window, anti they used to sit in this window and fish. Those who owned brickyards were Davidson, Sorenson, and Magnus Norman. Johan M. Johnson also had an interest in the one near his farm. The brick was not of the best and did not stand wear, so the business did not continue long. Another industry in Oshawa at this time was the brewery which was built in 1877 by Fred Veith, Sr. Mr. Veith with the help of two men, Match and Spring-er, dug the caves which they used for storing the liquor. They kept ice packed in the caves to keep the temperature at 42 degrees the year around. Thr building in which the beer was made had a flat root. After the beer had been prepared in large high kettles, it was put into flat pans like those used for cooking sorghum. These pans were
Page Nine then placed on top of the flat roof. Mr. Veith's grandson, the baker, who was a small boy then, remembers crawling into the large kettles to wash down their sides with a broom. Another industry in the early days was molasses cooking. Marshall
Stone's grandfather, M. B. Stone, who came here in 18541 operated the first sorghum mill on what is now the Joseph Johnson farm. Later Dolphins and Petersons had cane presses and cooked molasses for the farmers who brought their cane to the mill. There was also a blacksmith shop in Oshawa at that time, Mr. Berg quist who came here in 1869 built a shop near the ravine on Struck's land. Sometime in 1893 or 94 the farmers of this community together with those farther west met and organized the Oshawa creamery company. This organization built and operated a skimming station near the pres ent site of the Oshawa store. Every morning whole milk was delivered at the station where it was skimmed with a large separator. The cream was placed in thirty-gallon cans and either shipped by train or transported by team to the Willow Lawn Creamery at Traverse where it was churned into butter. When the expenses became too high to make this practicable, the Oshawa farmers met again, February. 1, 1899, at the Boys school house and the North Star Creamery Association was formed. Thos. J. Burch was elected president, Chas. Lange, treasurer, R. M. Boys, Fred Lange and Fred Reipke, director~ The latter was chosen the first secretary and manager, a position which he held until he was killed in a prt:mature dynamite explosion which occurred while the well was being repaired, July 8, 1903. Besides Mr. Reipke, the two well-diggers, Archie and Malcomb McDonald were killed, and the late Patrick Kneefe, a director was maimed for life. The first creamery burned to the ground following the explosion. Inside of four months the present creamery building was put up and equipped with the necessary machinery. Among those who have served as officers of the North Star Creamery Association in the past 31 years are several from our immediate community: Fred Reipke, Thos. Burch, J. M. Turner, C. W. Anderson, George P. Lin strom, Oscar Jacobson, Jay Miner and Ernest Edoff. CHAPTER III History of Township Organizations. This sketch would be incomplete indeed, withOut an account of the various organizations that have been and are flourishing in Oshawa.
May 23 1 18741 a Swedish Library society was organized. The purpose of this society wa<; to purchase Swedish books and lend them out to mem bers who paid regular dues. Others could borrow books by paying thirty cents a month. They also held festivals to raise money. The library was open Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Whoever was librarian kept the books. March 3, 1904, the society resolved to give the books over to the public library in St. Peter or to the college library. At that time the officers were: president, Chas. Roseen ; vice president, C. J, Johnson; secretary and trearnrer, J. P . Turner; directors, Peter Althin, J. P. Lun deen, J. G. Lindstrom; finance committee, Isaac Lundeen, C. J. Johnson, A. M. Lundquist, and librarian, Peter Althin.
Page T en About in 1895 Olivia Eklof and Elmer Turner organized a Literary Society. The young people gave many interesting programs and we find some of the library books in District No. 38 were donated by this society. It was later disbanded. In 1898 during the Spanish-American war, the ladies of the neighbor hood met at Eklof's to organize a Red Cross society to sew for the war sufferers. After the war, they decided to continue the society, which they named the Excelsior club, and to work for the upkeep of the Swedish Lutheran cemetery. They were not, however, affiliated with the church. They worked hard on their project; made quilts to sell, every midsummer, served a big dinner and in the winter time held box socials to raise money. They also disbanded later when it was decided to take care of the expenses for the cemetery in another way. The Qshawa Farmers' Club met for organization the fourth Monday evening in January, 1913. Herman Turner called the meeting to order. George Linstrom was elected the first president; James Biggar, vice presi dent; Edmund S:mdeen, secretary-treasurer. They had four speakers on their first program: Sam Haugdahl, Supt. Cosgrove, E. C. Davis and 0. J. Quane. That first summer the club sponsored the first 4-H corn club in Oshawa, and gave very substantial prizes for the best acre of corn. There were but three who entered the contest: Walter Levine, Oscar Johnson and Florence Turner. These two clubs have the distinction of being the first of their kind in Nicollet county. For seven or eight years the Oshawa Farmers' club carried off first prize on their booth at the Nicollet county fair. After this they had charge of the Nicollet county booth at the State Fair for five years and made a creditable showing there. The ladies had an auxiliary called the Woman's club which ·met after noons. Their first officers were: Mrs. Biggar, president, and Amy Tur ner, secretary. At their meetings they discussed questions of interest to housewives. The two organizations held a joint picnic every summer and a banquet at Christmas time. The women have discontinued their separate organization and have joined with the men in their meetings. A nutrition project, a sewing project, and a poultry project, were carried on successfully by the women in Oshawa a few years ago. The present officers of the Farmers' club are Homer Holteen, president; Walter Johnson, vice president, and Al. Deitrick, secretary-treasurer. Four-H club work received a new impetus in 1926 and since then the young people of the community have taken an active interest in it. Besides helping the boys and girls in less concrete ways, it has made it possible for many of them to win worthwhile prizes and trips. The most out standing prize winners are: 1926 County Fair. Walter Schultz of Cleveland, who became a member of the Oshawa club at a time when Le Sueur county had no organization of its own, re ceived a gold watch for having champion Holstein dairy calf. State Fair. Walter Schultz placed fourth on Holstein calf, was member of county judging team placing fifth; Paul Larson won third on corn; Austin Linstrom won fot~rth on corn; Agnes Linstrom and Myrtle Holteen won
Page Eleven sixth place as canning team. Paul Larson and Austin Linstrom received trips to farm boy's camp at State Fair. Junior Livestock Shmv. Walter Schult·l placed first on Aberdeen Angus calf in class of 64; reserve championship of breed. Calf weighed 93~ and sold at 5oc per pound. James Lambert received trip to Junior lin•stol·k show with his lamb. Mervyn Anderson received trip to Junior liYestock show with poultry. Junior 4-H Short Course. James Lambert received trip on lamb, and Ted Larson received trip on poultry. Both through courtesy of Minneapolis Journal. 1927 State Fair. Ted Larson, Farm Boy's Camp. Walter Schultz placed sixth on Hol stein calf. Florence Henning placed first on dress. Iva Linstrom and Margaret Lund placed second on canning exhibit, ninth on demonstration. Paul Larson placed second on corn. Walter Schultz, member of judg- ing team. Junior Livestock Show. Walter Schultz, grand champion Aberdeen Angus. Calf sold for $887.82. Walter Schultz, high man on Minnesota team judging at Dairy Cattle Congress at Waterloo, Iowa. Team won second. Walter Schultz, fourth high man on 4-H State team which judged National Dairy Show at Memphis, Tenn. Team won second in competition with thirty state teams. Agnes Linstrom received trip to Chicago on leadership work. 1928 .State Fair. Ted Larson :md Earl Miner third as poultry demonstration team at State Fair. Margaret Lund, second on French hemming, fourth on com plete outfit, seventeenth on bread baking. Junior Livestock Show. James Lambert received trip with lamb. Harlan Stoffregen state champion com member, 118 bu per acre. 1929 Junior Short Course. Alton Jacobson on poultry. State Fair. Ruth Turner and Nora Gran trip as demonstration team on bread. Harlan Stoffregen, Farm Boy's camp. Ted Larson won corn sweepstakes. Junior Livestock: Show. Alton Jacobson placed sixth on poultry. Harlan Stoffregen received trip to 4-H Congress at Chicago. 1930 Junior Short Course. Mervyn Anderson trip on Holstein calf, by Nicollet County Holstein Breeders Association. State Fair. John Deitrick, trip to Boy's Camp, ton litter record. Ted Larson, al ternate for trip to Washington. It might be of interest to some of the readers to learn that Oshawa carried off first honors for corn at the World's Fair in Chicago in 1893. The corn was grown by Mr. J. P. Turner on his farm in the Bottoms. The first farmers' telephone line was completed in 1902. It had
Page Twelve been installed ·in the Oshawa store the year before this. At first the farmers would hold regular concerts over the telephone in the evenings. They would all listen in while some one on the line played, sang, or en tertained in some other way. The first rural mail delivery was in 1902. Around 1900, about _a dozen girls from the eastern part of lower Oshawa formed a sewing club which they called the Fleur-de-lis club. They brouglit thdr sewing and met in the homes on certain afternoons of the month. About the samr time, the young folks in the western part of the com munity formed a Croquet Club and Debating Society. During the sum mer, they met on Sunday afternoons to play croquet. Effie Holteen and Oscar Jacobson won the championship. George Linstrom tells that the young folks used to set up their croquet sets in obscure corners of the farm so that they could practice sometimes when their parents thought they were working. In winter these same young people had a debating society which met evenings in the homes. In 1918 the first Boy Scout work in the county was begun under the auspices of the Lakeside Bible Class with Herman Turner as Scoutmaster, and Einar Swenson assistant. After three years the troop was taken over by the First English Lutheran church. A camp fire group was also organized in 1918 under the leadership of Mrs. H. M. Turner. CHAPTER IV Lakeside Club is Organized m 1904. In the fall of 190.i six young men met and organized a little club out of which our present Lakeside Bible Class has evolved. These boys, Homer and Willard Holteen, Clarence, Arthur and Winfield Turner and Edmund Sandeen met at their homes on Sunday afternoons.· Arthur led . in the study of Shakespeare, and Winfield, in the study of Bosworth's "Life of Christ." These young men state that the organizing of this little cl~b was suggested by Elmer Turner. They enjoyed these meetings so much that the girls soon demanded that they be allowed to join them; hence in 1908, thc. boys invited the girls to their meetings. These same ~ro , mg people organized a debating society which was to meet two eveningc; a month in the schoolhouse of District No. 38. The first meeting of this Lakeside Dehating society was February 4, 1909, at which time Winfield and Herman Turner upheld the affirmative and Edmund Sandeen and Ernest Levin the negative side of the subject : "Resolved That country life is better than city life." Esther and Florence Johnson and Agnes Lundgren were the judges and decided in favor of the negative. A constitution for the debating society was drawn up, and this states that the object of the organization "shall be to secure the advantages of united effort in the cultivation of the art of debating, ex temporaneous speaking, parliamentary skill and literary enlightenment in general." The following are extracts from the minutes of the Lakeside Debat ing society and would form a typical program. "Meeting called to order by the president.
Page Thirteen "Roll call answered by drawing pictures of someone present. "Song, Lawrence Levine and Emmet Johnson. "Talk on 'Whnt Are the Benefits of Leap Year and Why,' Charles Gustafson. "Vocal Duet, 'Darling I am Growing Old,' Esther Johnson and Amelia Turner. "Debate--'Resolved, That doctors are more useful than lawyers.' Affirmative: Walter Johnson, Winfield Turner; negative: Edmund San deen, Clarence Turner. "Decision made in favor of affirmative side. "Amusing duet. Amy Turner and Edmund Sandeen. "A contest was held between the upholders of the various presidential candidates. Esther Turner gave an exhaustive reading on the possibili ties of Roosevelt for president. Einar Swenson said what he could about Taft, and deserv~ much commendation for the way he handled the sub ject, which was none too easy to do. "Lakeside 'Echo,' Editor Herman Turner. "Organ duet, Marion Johnson and Florence Turner. "Critic's report, Florence Johnson. "Upon motion, Charles Gustafson and Lorinda Turner were appointed to blacken the stove. A collection should be taken up to reimburse them for their expenses. "The president appointed the following to fix the organ if possible : E. W. Sandeen. Charles Gustafson, W. H . and C. J. Turner. "Motion made and carried that IO cents per head should be charged at the play. "Motion made and carried that Edmund Sandeen should receive 2 cents for each time he operates the magic lantern. "Motion made and carried that all the boys should escort at least one girl to the next meeting or pay a fine. · "Election of officers: president, Alma Holmstead; vice-president, Clar ence Turner; secretary, Agnes Lind ; treasurer, C. E. Johnson; chief editor, E. W. Sandeen; assistant editors, Herman Turner, C. E. Johnson and Agnes Lind. "Upon motion the meeting adjourned." . According to the minutes there were exactly 100 meetings. So many of these young pr.ople had left the community that in 1913 when the Farmer's Club was organized, the Debating society was discontinued. At least ten plays were given under the auspices of the Lakeside: "Jumbo Jum," May, 1909. Characters: Winfield Turner, Edmund Sandeen, Einar Swenson, Lawrence Levine, Emmet and Esther Johnson. "Rice Pudding," Christmas, 1910. Characters: Clarence, Amy, Lor inda Turner, Charles Gustafson, Agnes Lind. "Who's Who" spring-, 1910. Characters: Edmund Sandeen, Clarence, Amy, Esther and Winfield Turner,- Florence Johnson. J "Black Blunden·," spring 19II. Characters: Eamund Sandeen, Win field Turner, Lawrence Levine, Herman Turner, Willard Holteen, Ernest Levine, and Clarence Turner. "Hiring a Servant," 191 I. Given by the girls.
Page Fourteen "That Rascal Pat," September, 1912. Characters: Edmund Sandeen, Amelia Turner, Einar Swenson, Effie Holteen, Herman Turner. "Aunt Susan Jones," June 28, 1913. "Back to the Farm," given seven times in 1914 and 15. Characters: Ruth and Elmer Anderson, Stewart Leaming, Ed. Peterson, Clarence Turner, Florence Johnson, Herman Turner, Harry Lundquist, Edmund Sandeen, Amy and Lorinda Turner, Coach, Arthur Turner. "Partners" given three times, 1918. Characters: Ruth and Elmer An derson, Clara Sjostrom, Effie Holteen, Amy, Clarence, Herman Turner, Edwin Johnson, Einar Swenson. - "Kindling the Hearth Fire," given five times in 1922. Characters: Arndt Anderson, Florence Turner, Einar Swenson, Amy Tµrner, Emily Wendell, Edwin Johnson, Verna Holteen, Joyce Larson, Ted Johnson, Ralph Miner, Eunice Gessner, Oscar Johnson, Ervin Gessner. The following are some of the events that will long be remembered by the first Lakesiders. On the 4th of July in 1911 the Lakeside boys treat ed us to an exhibition of the Lakeside Guard. Those who took part in the drill were: Lawrence Levine, Andrew Pehrson, Charles Gustafson, Emmett Johnson, Clarence and Winfield Turner, Edmund Sandeen, Homer Holteen, Emmett Anderson, Ernest Levine. Alfred Johnson was flag-bearer and Herman Turner, captain. Arthur Turner was Uncle Sam. John Skoog, Walter Levine, and Carl Hallander, Indians. That same summer the girls had an ice cream social at Jonas Johnson's. Lorinda Turner, who was dressed as a witch had a gypsy booth where she told fortunes. The waitresses were also in costume: Agnes Lund gren, a gypsy; Florence Johnson, Priscilla; Amelia Turner, milk maid; Effie Holteen, goddess of Liberty; Esther Johnson, Red Riding Hood; Florence Turner and Marion Johnson, fairies. The girls made all of the ice cream by hand. Sunday, the 13th of August, 1911, was an eventful day. In the wee small hours of the morning, all the Lakesiders were awakened by alarm · clocks or other means. All dressed up in their best; some ate breakfast, others didn't have time. All hurried to town with horses and buggies, in time to catch the 4 a. m. train for Carver. It rained and stormed on the way to the depot, but that didn't stop anyone. All went well until the train came to Blakely where there had been a wash-out on the line. Breakfast was ready and waiting for them at Skoog's at 7 a. m,, and the Lakesiders would have been ready to eat, but alas the train stayed in Blakely one, two and over three hours. It was Sunday; no stores open, and all the storekeepers asleep, tired out from the dance there the night before. After much pounding, one of them was awakened and he sold out all of his pop and graham crackers, which would not have felt out of place in an antique shop. After much persuasion, Esther Johnson was prevailed upon to open the box of cookies she was bringing to Mrs. Skoog. Edmund Sandeen helped matters out too by picking plums for the whole crowd. At last the track was repaired and the train proceeded to Merriam Junction where it was emptied of a hungry bunch of boys and girls who hiked from there to Carver. Some of them experienced the thrill' of being on the railroad bridge when a freight train went over it.
Page Fifteen At midnight the Lakesiders came back to St. Peter. The two ·othe-r' "trips made by the Lakesiders to Carver were not as eventful as the first. January 2, 1C)l2, a masquerade party was given at John M. Tumer's. That fall, the Lakesiders gave a play, "Rascal Pat," and had a night cap social. The girls made the night caps which were bought by the boys and then matched up for partners for the lunch. At Hallowe'en that year a party was given by the girls. The young men were invited to meet in School District No. 38 where they were met by ghosts and witches who blindfolded them and led them over rocky paths to Jonas Johnson's where they partook of mysterious concoctions. . On Washington's birthday in 1913 the boys treated the girls to a memorable surprise party at Andrew Levine's. The boys had decorated beautifully for the occasion, and entertained the 'girls royally with in teresting contests and a delicious lunch prepared entirely by themselves. In 1914 the girls again. ,treated the boys to a Hallowe'en party, this time at Winfield Turner's. The guests were obliged to climb up a ladder, crawl in through an upstairs ~indow and slide -down the stairs to get into the house. At this party Edwin Johnson demonstrated his strength by carrying Ernest Levine upstairs. · ·· Besides these mentioned there were ma~y othe~. . ,njoyable. parties.· Skating on Oakleaf Lake, with a bonfire an~ hot lunc.h was popular for' many years. An account of the Lakeside would be incomplete without mentioning the magic lantern which was purchased in 191I, an·d the phonograph which was purchased in 19q. Those who took part in the· "play, ·'·'Back to the Farm," earned the latter. It was brought along to each Sunday Bible class meeting and left at that home until the next meeting. In this way each family entertaining the Bible class could enjoy the phonogtaph for two weeks. Records were contributed by the members. Herman Turn.:r, Clarence Johnson and Edmund Sandeen served with
Company K on the Mexican border from July 15, 1916 to January 9 1 1917. The following served in the World War: Willard Holteen, Emmet Johnson, Lawrence Levine, Ernest Levine, Clifford McCloskey, Edwin Johnson, George Dunphy. During all thi!> time the Lakeside Bible class has ' continued to meet every other Sunday. At each meeting there is a discussion of the Bible lesson led by som<: one from the group or more often by a guest, and· we are indebted to many of the Gustavus Adolphus professors and students, and local pastors for very able leadership. The class is unique in that. it is not under the direction of any church, no roll is called, no collection is taken at the regclar meetings and no dues are paid. When funds are needed money is ri.ised by holding banquets or by free will offerings among the members. Each summer the Lakeside has sponsored a Fourth ·of July celebration. The following is a list of the places where the celebrations have been held since 1903: 1903, C. J. Levine's; 190~ , Dolphin's; 1905, Sandeen's; 1go6, J . M . · Turner's; 1907, Jonas Johnson's; 1908, Homecoming at St. Peter; 1909, Alfred Johnson's; 1910, Sandren's; 1911, Andrew Levine's; 1912, W . H. ·
Page Sixteen Turner's; ·1913, Jonas Johnson's; 1914, C. J. bevine's; 19i5, J. M~ Turner's; 1916, no celebration; 1917, C. J. Levine's; 1918, Jonas John son's in town; 1~:u9, Jonas Johnson's in town; 1920, Homer Holteen's; ·1921, George Linstroms; 1922, John Holteen's ;· 1923, ·Otto Anderson's; ,1924, Mrs. Anna Holteen's; 1925, Clarence Turner's; 1926, Ed. Peter~ 'son's; 1927, John Holteen's; 1928, Mrs. Mathilda Turner's in , town; 19i9, Walter Johnson's. We wi1l dose this 'section with a brief account of the celebration -of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Lakeside, September 21 and 22, 1929, the class held a Bible Conference at Homer Holteen's home. The follow 'irig programs· were rendered: Saturday evening-selection; 'Lakeside or -chestra; scripture reading and prayer, Dr. V. H. Hegstrom; vocal solo, Ted Larson; sermon by Rev. A. B. Anderson pn Ephesians I :16, 17 and 2 :1g-22. Sunday afternoon-scripture reading and prayer, Dr. J. P. Uhler, music by a quartet, Ethel Jorgeson, Ethel Holteen, Norman Wold, Perry Johnson; talk, History of the Lakeside, Herman Turner; sermon by Rev. A. B: Anderson on II Chronicles, chapter ·20; talk, by Gustav Larson on work: 6f Lutheran Bible Institute. Sunday evening-scripture reading an·d prayer, Rev. C. J. Karl; vocal solo, Ethel Jorgeson; "Who's Who: in Lakeside;" -. .Herman Turner; sermon by Rev. Anderson 011 · Ephesians, 6:10 and 3 :14-20. Conti·nuing the celebration of the 2).th anniversary; the Lakeside Bible Class is' sponsoring a homecoming of Oshawa· folks and planning. to give a 'pageant aLthe· 4tli· of.. .July celebration at William A. Johnsoq's home this year. ·;This ·will also .be the 75th anniversary of the ·coming of the first settlers to this communtty. CHAPTER V Biographical Sketches of Lower Oshawa Residents, Past •and Present. "Happy he w hom neither wealth nor fashion, nor the marr.h of the encroaching c~ ty drives an. exile .from .. , the hearth of his ancestral homestead. . "We may build more splendid habitatlo.ns, fill more rooms with paintings and with sculptures, .but we can not buy with gold the old associations."-Selected. This story will deal mostly with what is sometimes called the Lake side community or lower Oshawa; however, mention will be made of some of the old piohee rs in upper Oshawa. We have tried to include the names of those who have at some time lived in Oshawa, but have omitted the names of the children of those who married after they moved away from here. . The earliest ·settlement made in this township was in 1852 by Berthoing Bartroche, a French Canadian, wlio' settled on the farm owned by Ed. ·Boys. · ·Mc.. · Bartroche also has . the distinction of being .the ·first one married in·1this·· tewnship. His marriage to Martha Harneon took place at St. Peter in the summer of 1855. Michael Kneefe came in the winter of 1854 and 55. He came here as a single man, :ind built a small shack. In a few years he,.married Bridget Dunphy. · They built a two-room log cabin which is part of the present
Page Seventeen home of their daughter, Mrs. Rinkel. Nine children were born and raised in this house. A brother, Ed. Kneefe, came a little later and settled near there. In the summer of 1855, Mr. and Mrs: Jonas Lundeen with three children, John, Christine, and Mathilda, came to Oshawa. With them were two bachebrs, Peter Ahlstrom, an uncle of Mr. Lundeen's, and Swen Lundholm, who lived with the Lundeens for several years. Jonas Lundeen, with his wife and children, John and Christine, had come to Peoria, Illinois, in 1853 to join his brother, Isaac, who had come in 1851 and was farming there. Jonas was more of a carpenter than farmer though, so he moved his family to Galesburg, Illinois, where he could follow his trade. While they were living there the first railroad came into that city from Chicago. For a while the Lundeens lived with Dr. Hasselquist, the pioneer Lutheran editor and school man, and Mathilda was born in the Hasselquist home. Three months later Lundeens, Ahlstrom and Lundholm set out for Minnesota by land to the Mississippi, and then by boat to St. Paul where they purchased an ox team and covered wagon. They stopped first at East Union, but the best farm land was already taken, so the men left Mrs. Lundeen and the children there while they went up to St. Peter to look: at land. They liked it here much better. Peter Ahlstrom bought from Philip Dougherty, August 9, 1855, 100 acres of land for $350.00. Mr. Ahlstrom and Mr. Lundeen then divided this land in half along where the road now runs from the New Ulm road down to District 38. This · land had been sold to Philip Dougherty as a U . S. soldier's patent. We do not know whether or not Dougherty ever lived here as there is no record of it. The men left right away to bring Mrs. Lundeen and the children. On their return they set out at once to build a rough log house in the woods near the edge of the ravine and succeeded in getting a roof on it before winter set in. There they lived while another log cabin of hewn logs was being built. For sometime Mrs. Lundeen was the only white woman in that locality and her home was for many years the gathering place of the settlers who came after them. In the summer time Mr. Lundeen was kept busy building houses, barns and granaries for the whole neigh borhood, while in the winter, he made bob sleds and furniture. Mrs. Lundeen was doctor and midwife for most of the wives in the vicinity for many years. In her spare moments she picked herbs and husk which she carried in to town to sell. Three children, Anna, Josephine, and Emily were born to Mr. and Mrs. Lundeen while they lived in the log house near the ravine. In 1863 they built a home near the New Ulm road where ~he R. L. Struck: home now stands. Their son, John, who helped his father with his carpentry during his vacations, taught the first private school in Isaac Lundeen's home and also the first public school in District No. 38. He also taught in District No. 27. Before this he had been employed in the St. Peter postoffice as managing clerk under J. K. Moore who was editor of the St. Peter Tribune and could not devote much of his time to the postoffice. John won an appointment to West Point and entered there in 186g, graduating in 1873. In 1918 he was retired from active ser-
Page Eighteen vice with the rank of colonel. He and Mrs. Lundeen now reside in W ashington, D. C. All of the Jonas Lundeen daughters except Emily will be mentioned later. She was married in 1893 to Andrew L. Skoog and moved to Carver county. Peter Ahlstrom who came with Jonas Lundeen was married November 25, 1859, to Mary "Margaret Walin by Rev. P. A. Cederstam, the wit nesses being Isaac and Jonas Lundeen. Mary, who was a dressmaker from the East, was an intimate friend of Mrs. Ccderstam. After their marriage, Mr. Ahlstrom designed a house which Jonas Lundeen helped him build on the New Ulm road where it yet stands and where Otto Fahning now lives. Near this first house, he had another built which he used for his renters. Mr. Ahlstrom was very active· in church and school work. Under his leadership, the Swedish Lutheran church was organized. He µetitioned for School District No. 38 anti was on the school board for a number of years. Mr. and Mrs. Ahlstrom had two daughters, Esther and Amanda (deceased) . Esther married Andrew Levine who came here from Sweden in 1881. They lived on the home farm for many years. Their children are: Ernest, Lawrence and Walter. Johan Jacob Sallstrom came here about 1856 and settled on what was later John Lind's farm. Here he lived until he served in the Civil War with the Fourth Minnesota Infantry, Company B. On his return he married Anna Lillequist and they lived on what is now the Sivert Larson farm. As Mr. Sallstrom was not well, his wife taught school. Their children are Eva and Emma (Mrs. August Hed). In 1855, the same year that Lundeen's came, we find that two young men, Neal and Archibald McCloskey came here from Iowa on foot aver aging thirty miles a day. They had come from Scotland in a sailboat which took nine months to cross the ocean as there was so much storm, and the head winds were so strong at times that they lost in a few hours what they had gained in a day. The McCloskeys entered on land in the woods below Reipke's, and also on some land between Elmer John son's and C. W . Johnson's. They built first in the timber and later on the prairie. September 7, 1859, Archibald married a young lady from the East who came here in company with her sister and brother-in-law, a Welsh minister in Judson. The lumber, siding, and shingles for the house in which their son, Joe, now lives was hauled from St. Paul, each trip requiring one week. This house was often used as a stopping place for travelers on their way to New Ulm. Of Mr. and Mrs. McCloskey's children, there is but one son , Joe, living, who, after his marriage, took charge of the farm. He has one son, Clifford. A year or two after the McCloskey brothers came their sister and her husband,. Mr. and Mrs. Cullen Buchanan, came from Illinois. T hey settled on the farm which was later owned by Bronelle and is now Mr. Herrstrom's. Mr. Buchanan, who was a soldier in the Civil War, was mustered in April 21, 1862, and discharged June 12, l 865, wounded and absent in a hospital. The Buchanans had four children, William, who drowned; Euphemie, Alex and a baby girl who died while they were staying in the Nutter home at the time of the Indian outbreak. Besides this they brought up one boy, Henry. J ohn Lambert came in 1855 and preempted the farm where his son,
Page Nineteen Robert, now live<;. At the time of the outbreak Mr. Lambert served·.. as home guard on college hili during the night, going home in the· day tinie to fook after the stock. The Indians often lived in their woods ·during the winter, putting up their tepees in the fall and then the next summer breaking camp to roam around during the warmer seasons. The Indians had a 'cornfield right below the Lambert home which they had used as early as 1840 and maybe many years before that. Of the ·eight Lambert children, John, Mrs. John Pope and Robert are living. The latter Jluns the home farm. Mr. and Mrs. Robert Lambert have four children, Richard, Florence. George and Robert. The year before this, James and Michael . Magner came to Osltawa: James. preempted the present Magner farm, and when he was killed "in the Civil War, the farm was taken over by his brother, John, who lived in Nicollet at that time. Michael preempted the present Charles Gardner farm. When he died, his widow married Mr. Patch. In 1868 they sold to Charles Revier who was married in 1877. Mr. Reviei:- specializ 'ed in fruit growing. The Revier children were: Charles, Marietta, (Mrs: Harry Hatcher), Fred, Frank (deceased), Kate (Mrs. Z: P. Hatcher), Lawrence, Joe and Eugene. Mr. and Mrs. Charles•· R.evier, Jr., also lived on this farm until about ten years ago when they.;mqved 'to Lake Prairie. Their children: Anna Mae (Mrs. Ralph Gilbertsen}, Rav.mond; Donald, Verne; Charles and Helen. · In 1856 John Schneider homesteaded the land which is now· owne Page Twenty white •,children born in Oshawa.· Charles Lange is the father of Mrs . .Homer · Holteen and Mrs. Oscar J acobson of our community. To him we are indebted for much of our information concerning the life of the Indians. . Sometime in the spring of 1856 J onas Lundeen's brother, Isaac, and his . wife and small son, J ohn Albert, came from Illinois . . l saac bought a bounty patent from a soldier. T his patent was signed by the Presi dent of · the United States and entered June 27 1 1856. The Lundeens built· a log cabin about where the present George Linstrom home now stan·ds: A daughter, Emily Louise, who was born to theip there, Sep tember 11g; 1856, was as far as we know the first white child born in 'the Lakeside community. Besides these two children who both died ·in childhoodi ·there are a daughter, Mary Josephine and a son, W illiam Al fred. T--hey later left this farm and moved to the one which is still own ed ·by their daughter, Mary; (Mrs. Jonas Johnson). Mr. Lundeen took -an active part in school, chu'rch, and town affairs, and represented this county in the legislature in the session of 1877, and was a member of the board of county commis!iioners for a number of years besides holding numerous other. offices. Their. daughter, Mary, will be mentioned later. Their ·son, Alfred,· who was in business in St. Peter for ·several years is .at present in California. · IA the summer of 1856 Johan Magnus Johnson with his smalt son, Jonas, came here from Sweden. On the way f~om Sweden, Mr. John son had lost his wife and one daughter who had contracted the dreaded disease of cholera. About. this same time came a widow, Betsey or Britta Johnson, and her small son, Gustaf. She preempted a claim on land along the river, the present W. H. Turner farm. She was a friend of Mrs. S~er'I Johnson in St. Peter, who it ieems acted as matchmaker and brought about the marriage of Johan Magnus and Britta in 1857. This was the first wedding·in this community. To them were born two girls, Tilda and Anna, who married Claus Roust of Belgrade. Mrs. J ohns6n was taken sick and 'died in 1861. Mr. Johnson lived until 1899. Mrs. Johnson's son, Gustaf, married Christine Holmberg, Mrs. Jonas Lin strom's sister. They lived for some time with Johan M. Johnson before moving to Renville County. One son, Frank was born to them while they lived here. Mr. Johnson's son, Jonas, married Isaac Lundeen's daughter, Mary, June 1 I, i883. After living on the bottom farm for a short time they moved to the farm which is now owned by Carl Henning. Here they lived until their house burned down, when they moved to the Isaac Lundeen farm. Mr. Johnson served on the town board and school board for many years. Those who have attended school in District No. 18· will long re!'n<:mber the good times at the Johnson home while their daughter, Florence (Mrs. Leaming), was teaching in the district. Be sides Florence, there are three children, Esther (Mrs. Lawrence Levine), Emmet and MaTian (Mrs. Knight), living, and one daughter, Lilly, dead. Mr. and Mrs. Leaming lived for a short time on the home farm. Their children are: Mary Alice and Robert. We do not havt' the exact date but it was about this time that Jedeidiah P. Mi'ner ,.,:ith his two sons, Shepherd and Lonzo, came to Oshawa. J. Page Twenty-One P. Miner was the first road overseer in this township. He was a mem· ber of Company H, 4th Minnesota Infantry, in the Civil War, and was discharged for disability May 5, 1862. He died at Boise City, Idaho, in 1879. His son, Lonzo, entered on the land now owned by Fred. Rudell. The silver maples which he planted on this farm are still standing. He later sold to John Sandeen and moved to Idaho. The other son, Shep herd, secured the land which is now owned by his sons, Fred. and Jay. Mrs. Shepherd Miner was a daughter of Mr. Tucker from Cleveland. Mr. Tucker was one of the first and strongest prohibitionists in this community even refusing to vote on any other ticket. Mr. and Mrs. Shepherd Miner lived in a sod house first until they built a frame struc ture and then in 1885 the present brick house which Fred. owns. It is interesting to note that on the New Ulm road in front of their house was one of the worst mudholes along the way. In fact it was so well known that they even received mail addressed to Miner's mudhole. Mr. S. Miner's name appears on the petition for school District No. 27. He was very active in local politics and held several school and town offices. He served at Ft. Ridgely during the Indian outbreak. To Mr. and Mrs. Miner were born seven children: Bert, Frank, May (Mrs. Bert Rounseville), Kate (Mrs. Mills), Daisie (Mrs. Wolfe), Fred, and Jay. Of these the two latter are still living in Oshawa. Jay married Anna Bronelle and they have six children: Morey, Lyle, Ralph, Earl, Alice and Robert. Jay Miner holds several town, school and creamery offices. Michael Kennedy and family came in June, 1856. They came by boat from St. Paul to Traverse and it took: them a week to make the trip. They at once settled on the present farm of John Kennedy. On August 15, 1856, the first white girl was born in Oshawa. This was Mary Kennedy, now Mrs. Frank Boys. Frank Vogel also came in 1856 and located in the woods, the present place of his son, Leo, who rents it to J alee Molitor. A Frenchman, Holtzclaw by name, entered on the land now owned by Ed. Peterson and Homer Holteen. Louis Filler, also French, came to Oshawa in 1857. Two years later he went to Illinois to work and enlisted in Company D, 117th Illinois Infantry in 1862. Upon his discharge in 1865 he returned to Oshawa, and was married here in 1878. The Filler children are: Louisa, Henry, Fred, Louis, Herbert and Florence. Mr. and Mrs. William Dunphy came also in 1857 and built their first home in the woods south of the present Dunphy home. They had come from Ireland in 1850, and had lived in Maryland seven years. They came by boat up the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers to St. Peter. Mrs. Dunphy used to gather grain straws and make straw hats for the family and to sell to the neighbors. These hats were so well made that they never wore out if nothing happened to them. The Dunphys moved to their present place in 1869. Of the Dunphy children, William, Sr., who runs the home farm, is the only one still living. Even though he was but three years old at the time, he recalls distinctly their flight to St. Peter at the time of the outbreak and many interesting facts concerning pioneer life which we have mentioned in the first chapter. The first Mr. Page Twmty-Two William Dunphy died about 37 years ago, seven years after his wife. The present William Dunphy, Sr., was married to Josephine Casey from Le Sueur County May 24, 1893. Their children are: William, Anna, George and John. About this time came Andrew Torngren. His brother, John, who had come in 1854 traded land with Andrew who wanted to be by the river as he waj.a great fisherman and spent a great deal of time at that sport. At that time the river was the only means of travel past Tomgren's, hence they built their house to face it. When Gustaf Highs came in t86o, Mr. Torngren brought them up to their farm in his canoe or skiff as the road was not opened between Lind's and High's until 1868. They used a make shift road along the river, however, before this. The road from High's to Mankato was opened in 1877. Mr. Torngren was married later to a Danish girl, Johanna Margreta. Their children were: John, Anna, Emil and Lena. Mr. and Mrs. Nels Peter Johnson came to this locality in 1858. They lived first in a log cabin belonging to Matt. Everson near the Jonas Lundeen home. Later they moved to the Bottoms, and live_d with Johan M. Johnson until they, together with Abraham Anderson, bought the present Elmer Johnson place from a man named Nailer. Mr. Nailer, who lived there with his two sons, was one of the first settlers. In t 866 Mr. Anderson sold out his share of the farm to Mr. Johnson. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson lived on this farm until their deaths. Their children are: John, Charles, William, Edward, Elmer, and Phillip, three of whom are living in Oshawa now. C. W. Johnson who was born on the Everson place remembers seeing the Indians around there and recalls that once when his father threw out some pigs that had died, the Indians came and carried them away to use for food. Mr. Johnson also recalls when as a young boy,· he drove four yoke of oxen for a large breaking plow that his father was manipulating. In 1884 Charles W. Johnson married Louise Johnson who had come to Oshawa in 1882 and was staying with her relatives, the John Alms, who lived on the present Stoffregen place. After their marriage they lived in a log cabin on what is now their son, Ted's, farm which had belonged to Mr. Hamnstedt. They later bought Otto Swenson's house and moved that down there. At present Mr. and Mrs. C. W. Johnson are living on the old Peter Modin farm. Of their chil dren Minnie (Mrs. Klimper), Clarence, Theodore, Edwin, Oscar, and Alfred, the four latter reside in Oshawa. Theodore, who married Lillian Bolvig has on~ son, Richard ; Edwin, who married Eunice Gessner, has one son, Donald, and one daughter, Mary Louise. Mr. and Mrs. Klim per also lived in Oshawa on what is now Ted's farm for a few years. Their children are: Max, Margarite, Ima and Vera. They are at pres ent living in Centuria, Wis. Mr. C. W. Johnson has held several church, school, and town offices. His brother, William, married Lena Reipke and is at present living on the old Kahler farm. They have one son, Emmet. Another brother, Elmer, married Hilda Thorn and they are now living on the old Nels Peter Johnson farm. mhey also have but one son. Verner. John Olaf Wilson first came to Oshawa in 1858. He had been a seaman for eighteen years, and had landed in California just before the gold rush. Page T wenty-Three When he came to this localhy; he settled on··the farm now·owned by his son, Francis. He left this county for -some ·time but returned to · the same farm. · One of the interesting personalities of the early days was "Gina'~ whrise maiden name was Georgina Augusta Ferd.inand_sdotter. - There must have been something very fascinating about her for, it i.~ ·said, she was .married once in Norway and three times in t~..-ql}9_try . ,t.c;>,.tjle following men~ Jonas Nilsson, John Ericson, and a Mf:,_"L'li'fSOll. "Oi1;1a" who settled be low the hill that is now called "Gina.· Backe," came .here sometime before 1859. We find that smoking among women was ppt .originated bY. .the modern flapper for Gina smoked. · · Even at ·one of hei.weddings.she . went out into the kitchen, threw aside her veil and knelt dowq. .. by . the stove to light her pipe with a coal. · ··., ··?•~;i ,, · . · In 1859 Ernest Meyer received the patent on the farm wher~ his,MJn, Robert, now liv.es. He had preempted the farm in 1857. When Gov. Ramsey went to Lincoln and offered volunteers from Minnesota, Mr. Meyer was one of the first ones to volunteer from Nicollet county. · He was bugler, and during the Battle of Bull Run as the army was driven from the field, he lost his bugle. His company. later presented him with ,a new in5cribed bugle. After the war ~ _. worke.d . in the bank in St. Peter and held a county office. After his second marriage he moved. out on the farm where his family lived while he continued his work in town. Mrs. Meyer came with her parents in ;1856 to Lake Madisan. Sbe_, t'emem bers. when they. came on the top of . the hill at Mankato, they ·· counted twenty houses ar.d a Catholic church. She also remembers. th;f.t when she attended school, the Indians would come up to the window and· pee)t in, frightening the children very much. The Meyer children are: Henry., Minnie (Mrs. Turrittin), Robert and Hattie. Robert lives on the h.ome farm. He marric.d Mabel Adams and their children are~ qly· (~,t;s . Jensen), _Eugene, Sidney, Merle and Weslev. .. ,"11 11. · On July 3, ·1859, Jonas Gustaf Linstrom arrived ih ·St. ·· F..eter~ ·· H;e was born in Smaland, Sweden, and left his native land on M.ay. ~5, .i~5~ for America on a sailboat which took seven weeks to cross-the o,.:ea~. · He . worked at Hanibal, -Missouri, one year before coming· ·to .! l\/lirm~t~ From St. Peter he walked out the Bottom Road to find. "Johatd ,B.Qtten'' an old acquaintanct' from Sweden. When he came out.. to Johan Johnson's the river was overflowing its banks. The Johns0ns then· had their 00.uSe down near· the river bank, but were moving to a newly built · borne·· near the bluff. For the moving, they used oxen and wagon, ··arid . .the water went up into the wagon box. When they had moved all the furnltur-c, M-r. Johnson went out in a boat to get Mrs. Johnson. They ·had 200 bushels of oats and corn which they left in the house until the last to hold it down for fear it would float away. The next day, July 4th,-·they went to St. Peter to celebrate, and Mr. Linstrom went from there to Jonas Lundeen's where he stayed until he was married April 26, 1.8611.tto Chri9tine Johans dotter at Norseland. Here they lived on a homestead for tWo years aft~{' which they rented the Peter Ahlstrom farm for a n!Jmber·· of years · be for~ buying the present Linstrom farm from Isaac Lundeen. Of their--cihilld ren: Eirima (Mrs. O 'Donnell), George, Lillie (Mrs. Upham), .and Laura (Mrs. Smith), Gt'orge is the only one now living in Oshawa. He. began Page Twenty-Four his career as a school teacher, then operated a store in Oshawa for some time, was the first postmaster at Lange, and is at present running the home farm. He ·has been secretary of the North Star Creamery associa tion for a number of years and held other local offices. He married Ida Peterson of Belgrade and to this union were born four children, Ruth, Austin, Agnes and Iva. Jonas Linstrom, Gustaf Linstrom's father (George's grandfather) came the next year. He did not come with his son as his wife died. Before he came he was married again in Sweden to Lena Holmberg. They settled near the present George Linstrom home. Their son, Albert, who lives in Washington, was one of the early school teachers in Oshawa. He was also register of deeds in this county. He married Annie Anthony, a dau~hter of Jacob Anthony who lived on the farm where Bell's now live. · Mrs. Jonas Linstrom's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Holmberg, came some time during the 6o's and settled on a piece of land on the south bank of Oakleaf Lake between "Fella" and Jonas Johnson's place. The house stood on a high knoll surrounded by low swampy ground sometimes covered with water; hence it was given the name of "Arken" or The Ark. Mr. Holmberg· was called ,·'Gubben Noah," Old Man Noah, while his wife 'was "Duvan•: " the dove. After Mr. Holmberg's death, Mrs. Holm berg "lived · there alone awhile but later went back to Sweden. One of the Holmberg sons, Jonas, was drowned in 1867. With Jonas Linstrom, came Gustaf Johnson who got a piece of land on the south bank of Oakleaf Lake. This was meadow land and when people asked Mr. Johnson about his land, he would always tell them, "Oh, it is a real Fdla," a name given to a piece of land of that kind in Sweden. Hence his farm got the name of "Fella," Mr. Johnson was "Gustaf pa Fella" and his wife "Anna pa Fella." In 1861, Mr. Johnson enlisted and served in Company H, 4th Minnesota until August 24, 1863 when he was discharged for disability. His brother, John Magnus, who enlisted at the same time, died June 15, 1863, at Memphis of wounds received May 22. 1863. After Mr. Gustaf Johnson's discharge, he re turned to his farm in Oshawa and was married to Anna Kajsa Larson, January 23, I 864. Many of the older settlers recall that Mrs. Johnson always wore a green veil and a black and red shawl. When her husband became ill, she took to bed also and staved there the rest of her life, though it is not known whether she was sick or not. The· Johnsons had but one son who died in infancy. · Upon their deaths, the farm was in herited by their nearest relatives, James and Ed. Johnson who together with their 'cousin, Mary Anderson, lived there for some time. John Dolphin came here also in 186o, though he went with H olmbergs to Traverse. The following year he enlisted in the same company as the Johnsons. He reenlisted January 1, 186-1-, was promoted to corporal and discharged with the regiment. When he came back he settled in Timber Lake and was married to Augusta Lambert who had come there June 4, 1861. She was only 16 years old when she came with her parents and Laumann's from Cherokut, Iowa. She walked all the way driving cattle, sleeping in the wagon at night when they stopped. Her parents homesteaded at Timber Lake. Mr. and Mrs. Lambert lived for a few years on the Abraham Anderson farm nea r M odin's. After Mr. and Mrs. Page T wenty-Five Dolphin were married, they bought land from Mr. Patch, on Gardner's place. Here they built a home, Mrs. Dolphin planted all the trees. Later they went to Ortonville and lived there until Mr. Dolphin died in l 882 when Mrs. Dolphin and the children returned to Oshawa. Their children are: Will, Oliver, Ed., Hattie (Mrs. Modin), Bell (Mrs. Town},. Nellie (Mrs. Dickson}, Dooley (Mrs. Bailey}, and Gussie (Mrs. Dunhim), all living except Will. Mrs. Dolphin's sister and family, Jonas Anderson, called Cooper An derson, lived on the present Kruger farm next to the Swedish Lutheran cemetery. Mr. Anderson used to sell milk to the hospital. The family moved to Alabama, many years ago. One son, T . A. Anthony, lives in Denver, Coloradv. Mr. and Mrs. Erick Johnson moved on this farm from New Sweden in 1907. Their children are: Bernice (Mrs. Alfred Johnson, deceased), Albert, Esther (Mrs. Lundquist), Ida, and Anna, who have all left Oshawa. A man named Mr. Raymond, built the first log cabin on this farm, and gave the land for the cemetery. John Lind came here in 1861 and bought the place owned by John Sallstrom on the Bottom Road. It is interesting to note that Mr. Lind had one brother named Sallstrom and one Anderson. When Mr. Lind came to Chicago, his name was also Anderson, but as there were so many by that name, he took the name, Lind, from Jenny Lind, the great singer, who was a distant relative of his. Mr. Lind served in the Indian War. O~ Mr. and Mrs. John Lind's four children, Andrew, Josephine, Charles, and Anna, all but Andrew moved away from Oshawa. In 1864, Andrew enlisted in the Civil War. He was bought to serve by a man in Bel grade who was drafted and did not wish to go. Andrew was but l 8 years old, so his father had to sign for him. He served for eleven months. When h" came back from the war, he lived on the farm with his parents. In 1873 he married Martina Johnson who had come from Sweden in 1869 and was working at the hospital. For many yc~rs, Mrs. Lind has been weaving carpets in her spare moments. Mr. and Mrs. Lind had six children: William, Nettie (Mrs. Sigfrid Larson), Esther (Mrs. Tom Wright), Amy, Rudolph, and Agnes (Mrs. Rapp} , all of whom are living except Rudolph and Nettie. Mr. and Mrs. Larson and fam ily lived on the old Lind farm for a number of years. Their children arc: Genevieve, Raymond, Dorothy, Lee, Morris, Alice and Ralph. Mr. and Mrs. William Lind and children, Edna (Mrs. Stewart), Clifford and Viola rented Berglund's for a number of years. John Lind's brother, Joran or George Anderson, and family came after wards from Geneva, Ill., and stayed at Lind's. Mrs. Anderson died leaving one daughter, Josephine, who stayed with Lars Solmonson in Scandian Grove. At the time of the Indian outbreak, she hid in a hollow log. George Anderson enlisted in the Civil War !serving with Skaro's Company E, 2nd Minnesota. After the war he returned to Oshawa, and soon after wards married Mary Lundeen, who had come to Torngren's as she was a relative of theirs. Anderson's moved to Nels Peter Johnson's and lived in what is Elmer Tohnson's machine shed. Here Charlie was born. That same year Mr. .Anderson built the house right below there. He was treasurer of the township for a number of years. At the time of the Page Twenty-Six grasshoppers, he kept track of the number of bushels caught an·d paid the catchers $1.00 a bushel. He also helped to dig trenches to .bury the grass hoppers. The Andersons sold their farm to Gustaf Lundgren in 1879 and moved to St. Peter where Mr. Anderson died in 1881. Mrs. Ander son was head cook at the boarding club at college. Charlie, the only son, was but a small boy when he went tQ Miner's school, so small in fact, that William Dunphy used to carry him to school. Later when he went to District No. 38, he was such l! mischief, the teacher, Albert Davis, made him sit between Anna Lundeen and Esther Ahlstrom. One time when he had been in mischief the teacher told him to go and get a switch. Little Charlie set out for the woods, and oh, how. he worked to cut down a small hickory tree many times larger than himself. It required hard work and much tugging and pulling to get the little tree back to school through the underbrush and over the old wooden fences. When he finally got ther:.-, the teacher, who was hardly able to restrain his laughter, told little Charlie that he had worked hard enough, there would be no fur~her punishment. When he grew older, he very much enjoyed going to parties, one of which was especially memorable. This was held in J. P. Turner's new pi!{ house. To this party "Flickorna's Jons" had brought some young ladies who were .working at the hospital. One of these girls was Emily Swenson. It happened that at the supper Charlie and Emily were put at thr head of the long table. That was the beginning of a friendship which tnded in their marriage soon afterwards, July 1, 1902. When they began rural mail delivery on St. Peter route 1, ·Mr. Anderson became mail carrier, and held this position until his resignation in 1916. June 24, 1861 , Hans Johan Eklof, John Lundholm, and his sister, Stina Karin, and John Blomquist came to Oshawa to Jonas Lundeen's home. On July 20, Mr. Eklof and Stina Karin were married by Rev. P. A. Cederstam, S. J. Lundholm and Isaac Lundeen acting as witnesses. After their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Eklof lived in Brown's house which was located on the road which runs from the hospital up to the N cw Ulm road. Here they liv.ed during the Indian outbreak. Mr. Ekelof served as one of the guards on Collef?e Hill every night during the scare. They often told of one Sunday when they were all especially anxious and frightened. They heard shots and were sure the Indians were coming, but it was the troop of soldiers from Fort Snelling. From the Brown place, Ekelofs moved to John Sandeen's farm then owned by Henderson. Later the bought the present Eklof farm. They got a house of Jonas Lundeen and moved this over. In this they lived until they built their present home. They iilso owned a farm near Gustaf Larson's present home. Here Jonas Lundeen built a house which they n~nted out to many of the new settlers who came after them. This form was often called "Fille-co-mis," a name which was sometimes used in Sweden to apply to a farm leased under the direction of the owner of a larger estate. Mr. Eklof was very active in church affairs. Of the children, Albert, Olivia (Mrs. Lindskog), Augusta, Anna, and Cecilia, all except Olivia, who is dead, live on the home farm. John Blomquist, who came with Eklof's, married "Lilla Peter's" daughter from Timber Lake. They lived at first in a house near Jonas Page Twenty-Seven Lundeen's until they built their home on a farm near the Ark on Oakleaf Lake. Mrs. Blomquist died in 1873, leaving five small children" Mathil da (Mrs. Sweeney), Theodore (deceased), Amanda (deceased) , Alfred and Ida. . At the time of the Indian outbreak, 1862, there were no new settlers arriving in Oshawa. In 1864 Henry Reipke and family, Charlie, John, Doris, and Fred came to Oshawa and settled on the farm now owned by Fred's son, Albert. As it was all timber land, Mr. Reipke had to clear his whole farm. In I 87 5 Fred Reipke married Dorothea Kahler and took charge of the home farm. His parents lived with them until they died. Fred Reipke's had five children: Fred, Lena (Mrs. Wm. Johnson), Emma (Mrs. John Johnson), Jessie (Mrs. Wm. Stoffregen) and Albert. All are .living in Oshawa except Frt:d, who was killed in the explosion at the North Star Creamery in 1903. He was secretary and manager of the creamery at the time. Albert has charge of the home farm. About this same time, Leifers came and settled on the farm later owned in turn by Jacob Anthony, Jennie Vogel, William Duehn, 'and now Bell's. August Leifer married a daughter of Homburg who lived in a house on the knoll across from Frank Swenson's place. After their. marriage, they lived on the Homburg farm for a while until they mpved to New Ulm. In 1864 Gustal Linstrom or "Stor Gustaf" (Big Gustaf) as he was called, came to Oshawa. His wife Maija Stina, was a sister of Gustaf Johnson on Fella. The Linstroms lived on a farm between the Jay Miner and Ed. Peterson farms. Their children are: John, Carrie, and Alfred, who have all moved away. Mr. and Mrs. William Duehn came to Minnesota in 1864. They lived at first in Tiaverse des Sioux. Mr. Duehn was a stage coach driver aRd had the government mail route to St.. Cloud for four years. He used to haul provisions for the settlers along the way t-oo. He made .. friends with the Indians by giving them tobacco. The Duehn's decided. t to go to farming and homesteaded the Joe Schneider place where they lived . for a number of years. Later they rented farms in the vicinity until they ·bought a farm from Jennie Vogel. Here they lived until they sold a few years ago to Bells. Of the seven children Charlie, Tillie, Herman, Wil liam, Albert, Otto and Amelia (Mrs. Martin Johnson), the three latter are living. Mr. and Mrs. Battes lived near Reipke's in a log house right above what is called the Battes or Buchanan Hill. They had four sons. , .. , .,. ,. Mr. and Mrs. Welsh also came about this time and lived between · Dunphy's and Elmer Johnson's. · They had no children. Mr. Welsh was well known around the countryside as one who loved liquor. It is said that he had his horse trained to kneel down beside him so that when he was unable to control his legs properly, he could mount his horse any way. Sometime in 1864, Gustaf Kap's settled on the farm now owned by Carl Henning. Their children were: Axel, John, Josephine, Hannah, and Emma. They moved to Belgrade. In 1865 Mr. rtnd Mrs. Charles G . Johnson came to Oshawa. They Page Twenty-Eight , lived with Johan Johnson's in the Bottoms at first as Mr. Johnson's brother, Nels Peter, and his family were living ·there then. Later they settled on the farm where Mr. Johnson, his son, Ed., and daughter, Han nah a!"e living at the present time. One of their fields is lmown as the Indian Field as the Indians had a cornfield there and sometimes put up their tepees in thi!l field. At the time of a three-day blizzard, Mr. John son had gone to town and was unable to return until it was over. Mrs. Johnson succeeded in getting to the barn the first day, but after that it was impossible and the stock had to take care of themselves. There were three men living in the house across the road. Although they knew that Mr. Johnson was not at home, the blizzard was so blinding, they dared not venture that short distance to help Mrs. Johnson. After the storm had abated somewhat, Mr. Johnson drove out the Bottom Road, left his ox team at Lind's and walked home. Of Mr. and Mrs. Johnson's child ren, C. Ed., John, Christine, Hannah and Lydia (Mrs. Sivert Larson), all are living except Christine. C. Ed. lived at Gibbon for a number of years but is now on the home farm. John married Emma Reipke and owns the farm where John Schneider lived. They have one daughter, Alice. Lydia, who is Mrs. Sivert Larson, lives across the road. Hannah is at home with her brother and father who is one of the oldest settlers living in Oshawa. In 1866 Abraham Anderson built a house on the cemetery road across from Alfred Johnson's where Ed. Modine lived later. Mrs. Anderson was a ·very ambitious woman who helped do the grubbing. The Ander son's later lived on the Stoffregen farm which they. bought from a man named Mork, who did not live there but had it rented to John Alm.· An derson's daughter, Mary, married A. P. Rudbeck and they lived on this farm from 1895 until they sold to Wm. Stoffregen in 1910. Their chil dren are: Alma (Mrs. Henry Parsons), Arthur, Chester and Elizabeth (Mrs. Reuben Adolphson) . The John Alm's who lived on this farm were relatives of _Mrs. C. W. Johnson's. They had six children, Jennie, Clarence, Lydia, Ellen, Victor, and Harry. The family moved to Eagle Bend many years ago. Also in 1866 the Nels Lilliquists settled on the farm where Mr. Pettis lives, the old Frank Nyberg place. The second school in District No. 38 was taught in tht-ir home. When George Anderson died, Mr. Lilliquist took his place at college. The Lilliquist children were, Anton, Alfred, Emelia, August and Charlie. That same year, 1866, William Kruger, a sailor, came and built a small shanty on the hill above the caves. Later he built a house below the hill a short distance from the caves. Mr. and Mrs. Kruger did not live here all the time as they had a hotel in town. One of their daughters married L. M. Erickson and one, Fred Veith. A11drew Magnus Nelson and family came here in 1868. They lived at first at Theodore Holmberg's in Traverse, then in the house where Gustaf Linstrom lived. Mr. Nelson worked on the railroad until he was taken sick and unable to do heavy work. After renting several places, he bought thirty acres in the woods below Gustaf Larson's· present home. He used to cut wood and haul to the hospital. Mr. and Mrs. Nelson's , hildren were August, Alfred, Emma, Ada, Charlie, Oscar, Caroline (Mrs. Page Twn1ty-Nine Keen), and Elmer. August remembers when he tried to break some oxen for Pete Berglund who lived on "Fille-co-mis." He hitched them to a plow but was unable to control them so the plowing was not very straight. August married Hulda Thorn. They had one daughter, Evelyn, who died. · A relative, Charles Zund, later called Nelson lived in a small house in the Bottoms· across the creek from W . H . Turner's. Here Josephine Lind taught school. In 1868 John Sandeen came to Oshawa to Jonas Lundeens, his relatives. He came by train as far as Le Sueur which was the end of the road then. They were working on the railroad between Le Sueur and St. Peter at that time and it was completed about a year later. Mr. Sandeen worked as a machinist and engineer for fifteen years at St. Peter, Faribault and St. Paul. He bought the farm where Mr. Rudell now lives from Lonzo Miner, but never lived there himself. Later he sold this farm to Johan Gustaf Abrahamson, and bought his present farm. This farm which Mr. Sandeen rents to August Gustafson was homesteaded by John Schneider who sold to John Henderson. We do not know how long Hen derson lived there, but Mr. Sandeen bought the farm from Glover. Glo vers had four children, Charlie, Robert, Sarah and Hattie. The family moved from here to Kansas and then to Portland, Ore. Mr. San deen was married to Ellen Anderson October 25, 1882. She lived in Norscland and w2s confirmed there . with Christine Lundeen who had to go up there for confirmation as there was no class in St. Peter. Ellen often came down here to visit with Christine, and it was on these visits that she met John Sandeen. They met again in Faribault when she was matron at the state school there. After they were married, they lived in St. Paul for a year before moving on the farm. They had one son, Ed mund, who married Olga Bjork. They lived on the home farm for a number of years before moving to St. Paul. They have three children: Lorraine, John and James. John's father and stepmother, Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Sandeen, came also in 1868. They rented Glover's farm for a few years. Their child ren were: Josephine (Mrs. Aug. Swenson, deceased), Matilda (Mrs. Steven), Martin, Eva (Mrs. Hawkinson), Anna (Mrs. Jos. McClosky, deceased), Ida (Mrs. Johnson), and Emily. In 1868 on the same boat with John Sandeen came Carl Gustaf Ecklund and his young bride. They stayed in St. Peter for awhile before moving out to the White House which had. just been rebuilt by Jonas Lundeen. They also lived at "Fille-co-mis" for a while before moving down to the place now owned by their son, Albin. Mr. Ecklund was a stone mason and in his declining years, a great . fisherman. The Ecklund children were: Peter, who is dead, Alfred, Oscar, Anna (Mrs. August Noyd), and Albin. Sometime in the sixties Albert R. Davis with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Orange Davis, m:ived to Oshawa from Le Sueur County and lived on the farm where Charles Revier now lives. Albert Davis taught school in District No. 38 in the early days. He also conducted a store in St. Peter. Of the A. R. Davis children: Loia, Melville, Bernice (Mrs. Rogers), Sadie (Mrs. Willett), and Orange, all are living except Loia. Page Thirty In 1869 Zacharias Evans came with his two children : Charles Alfred and Mrs. Otto Jcnes, who with her husband, lived with ·her father for a number of years until he remarried. The Jones's then rented Ahlstrom's farm for a few years before moving to Traverse. . Mr. Zacharias Evans married a widow who had one daughter, Sophie. After their marriage, they lived on "Fille-co-mis," and it was while they were living here that Sophie was married to Andrew Berglund, a brother of John. They had a big wedding, inviting all the people in the neighborhood. Some of the older settlers remt'mber seeing Mr. Berglund walk home carrying his wed ding suit on a hanger, as Mr. Blomberg, the tailor, who was a great joker, had told him that the suit would crease if it were folded. Later the Berg lunds and Evans all moved to. Belgrade. A brother, Carl Evans, also came in 1869, April 15th. His wife and the oldest children came here the next year. They bought their land from Mr. Hunter who had had a saw mill and some sheep. None of the farm had been cleared until Mr. Evans bought it. The Evans child ren were: Stava {deceased), John, Gustav, Minna {Mrs. Iverson), de ceased, Hilda, Ida (Mrs. Hingstrom), Charles and Fred. The two latter are living on the Evans farm at present. Fred is married and has ten chil dren living: Maud, Robert, Mary, Fritz, Sadie, Isabel, Henry, James, Sam and Roy. Mr. Evans who is assisted by his oldest sol), Robert, is a painter and paperhanger. That same year, 1869, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Kahler and cliildren, Dorothea {Mrs. Fred Reipke), Caroline and Henry, came to Oshawa and settled on the farm now owned by William A. Johnson. Here they lived for twenty years when they sold to William Hessian, who came here with his sister who taught school in District No. 27. . Mr. Hessian married Patsy Kneefe's sister. When they moved out west, he sold the farm to John Schneider who in turn sold to Willie Johnson. Mrs. John son is a granddaughter of the Kahlers. John Anderson and family came also in 1869. They had come to New York the year before. Mrs. Anderson was a cousin of John Lind's, so they came out there first. They lived in a small shanty near Lind's for about a year, then on Bronelle's place for six or seven years before buying the farm where Mr. and Mrs. Anderson lived the rest of their lives. Their children were: Charles, Augusta {Mrs. Althin), Hattie {Mrs. Johnson), Anna, who died and Fred. Charles, who married Christine Johnson from Bernadotte and took charge of the home farm, where he lived until he and his wife moved to St. Peter a few years before his death. Mr. Anderson was active in school, church, and creamery affairs. Their daughter, Ruth, died in 1919. Their son, Elmer, who runs the home farm married Lydia Swenson. They have two children, Carl and Elaine. · Still another family came in 1869, the John Swensons, who lived in St. Peter for about a year before moving onto the Modin farm. They bought the C. ]. Johnson farm as railroad land and this they sold to Johnson. They lived on the Holteen farm until they bough• the present Rudell farm, where they lived until they moved to town. Of the Swenson child ren, Charles, Anna (Mrs. Johnson), Emma (Mrs. Chas. Lundholm), Eva, Josie (Mrs. Ed. Rydeen) , Esther (Mrs. Emil Asplund), ·Ellen and Page Thirty-One Amy, three, Emma, Eva, and Amy are dead. Charles Swenson is an elec- trician in St. Peter. · Mr. and Mrs. Johan Gustaf Abrahamson came also about this time. They lived for a time on the John Swenson farm until they moved to the farm now owned by Dahlbergs. They had one son, Charles, who was a mail carrier. Jacob Johnsons also came in 1869. They lived in Lonzo Miner's house until about 1875 when they built their home above Gessner's. Their children were Emm.a (Mrs. Lindberg), Tillie (Mrs. Kronschnable), Augusta (Mrs. Wilson), and Ed., Frank: and -Alfred. Sometime during the sixties, Andrew Lundquist came to Oshawa and built a house across the ravine from Bergquist's blacksmith shop. This house was sold to Berglund and Lundquist's lived on Ahlstrom's farm for a while before moving to the farm now owned by their son, Harry. Mr. Lundquist had two children, John and Christine (Mrs. Lind), with his first marriage. When his first wife died, he remarried. To this union were born Lydia (Mrs. Algot Lundborg), Esther (Mrs. Ed. Mongels, deceased), Harry and Arthur. Johan Magnus Berglund and wife came in 1869. They bought some . land between the New. Ulm road and the Fort road near Meyer's'. Then they bought Lundquist's house which they moved over on sleds in the winter. Their children were Amanda, Mary and Peter. Across ·from Berglunds was a house which had been built in the early days by a man nzmed Ames. This house was dark: and gloomy looking as it had never been painted, hence it was called "Svarta Huset" or the black house. Mrs. Ames' folks were killed by the Indians. Ames went back to Massachusetts• . In 1869 Gustaf Lundgren came to Oshawa as a bachelor. He married later and they lived for some time in the house built by George Anderson. Their children are: Esther, Hjalmar, Amanda, and Anton. . His brother, August Lundgren and wife came the next year. They lived in the White Hou5e first and then at "Fille-co-mis" until they bought land by the woods and the Bergquist house which they moved to their land. Here they lived until they sold to Gustaf Larson. Mrs. Lundgren used to gather small willows and birch twigs which she made into beaters and sold to the neighbors. In the days when they bound the grain by hand, she would hire out to the farmers, and was able to hold down her station alone just as well as a man, whereas it usually required two women. Of Mr. and Mrs. Lundgren's children, Hulda (Mrs. Karlen), Charles, Frank, Albert, Mary, Lydia (Mrs. And. Hultgren), Matina (Mrs. And. Hultgren), Anna (Mrs. Magnus Peterson), Esther (Mrs. J. Crist), Agnes (Mrs. W. H. Turner), Oliver and Oscar, there are five dead, Hulda, Charles, Lydia, Agnes and Oscar. In 1870 John P. Turner came to Oshawa from Vasa to visit Charlie Swenson who was at Isaac Lundeen's and to work on the . bu.ilding of the new state hospital for which he hauled stone. July 3·, 1872 he was married to Mathilda Lundeen .. They lived at her home, Jonas Lundeen's, for a .few years. On May 9, 1874, Mr. Turner bought land which had been preempt ed by Hirarri Mclntry in 1856, sold to George Piper and John Willock and Page Thirty-Two then to Mr. Turner. We do not know if any of these people lived here. On this land near Oakleaf Lake, the Turners built a brick house using some of the brick. from the local brick yards. They moved in to their new home in November 1876, and lived there until they moved to the Bot tom farm in 1892. In 1874 and 75 Mr. Turner was leader of a singing school. Both young and old people in the community would gather on Sunday afternoons about twice a month at Jonas Lundeen's who had an organ. Mr. Turner played the organ and led the singing. After the song fest, Mrs. L:mdeen would serve lunch. Mrs. Althin remembers well some of the songs that were sung. Mr. Turner was also organist in the Swedish church. He was made road overseer in 1878, served on the town board as supervisor and on the school board until his death in 1910. Mr. and Mrs. Turner's children are: Elmer, Lorinda (Mrs. C. Ed. Peterson), Esther (Mrs. Ernest Edoff), Winfield, Amelia and Florence. Winfield ll)ilrried Agnes Lundgren in 1916. They lived. on the home farm until 1927 when they moved to St. Peter where Mrs. Turner died in i928. They have one son, John. In i871 Charlt's Hultgren's moved to Oshawa where they lived for a few years on the Evenson land near the present site of the state hospital. Later they rented what is now the Rudell farm from John Sandeen. Their children were: Anna (Mrs. Elmquist of St. Paul), Charles, John, Tilda (Mrs. Gustafson), and Andrew. Mn. Hultgren was superin tendent of the Sunday school which was held for many years in District No. 38. Sometime in the seventies, the Sjogren family lived · for a number of years at "Fille-co-mis." The children were: John, August, Gustav, and ~~~ . Mr. and Mrs. Swen Lindholm lived in Oshawa aiso about this time. They lived first at Ahlstrom's and later in the White House. Their children were: Jchn. Christine, Augusta, and Emily. On June 4, 1872, Charles J. Johnson came from Sweden to his uncle, -Gustaf Johnson, for whom he worked the first six years. Mr. Johnson recalls that his wages for one whole summer were $65.00. Of this he used $15.00 for clothing and other necessities. The remaining $50.00 . he lent out at 10 or 12 percent interest to a young man in Kasota who had just married. A few months after the marriage, the man fell off the bridge and was killed, so Mr. Johnson lost his savings. He also tells of his first overalls. At that time there were no factory made overalls, so his aunt, Anna pa Fella, promised to sew him a pair. She used her hus band's overalls as a pattern, with the result that Charles who was much smaller than Gu!'taf was almost lost in the new overalls. The next pair he sewed for himself using his Swedish· trousers as a pattern. In 1878 Mr. Johnson married Christine Lundeen. They lived on John Sandeen's farm for ·fo1.tr• years before buying Mr. Johnson's present' farm from John Swen son.. Mr. Johnson has served on the school and church boards. Their children are: W :ilter, · Victor, and Alma. Walter married Nannie An derson and settled on a farm above Jacobson's. Their children are: Roland, Gordon, Eliri and Hazel. Victor married Veronica Prom whQ died in 1927. Alma, who was married to Sigfrid Nelson, died in 1929 leaving three children, Helen, Carl and Robert. Page Thirt31- Three Mr. and Mrs. Anders Johan Rydeen came here from Vasa in 1872. They lived in thf' White House a number of years and then at Berg quists before moving on the farm in the woods below District No. 38 which they bought from Jonas Lundeen, who in 1857 had bought a patent from a soldier from the Black Hawk war. On this land the Lundeen family would go each day and eat at least one meal to get their patent clear. Kolbergsen, a bachelor, had lived there before Rydeens. Mr. Rydeen worked in the quarry. The children are: Gust, Ellen (Mrs. And. Ed berg), Mary (Mrs. Ahlstrom), Edwin, and Victor. In 1873 John Larson's came from New York where they had been since 1869. The first winter in Oshawa they lived in Jonas Linstrom's house. Then they bought the land where Gessner's now live. They moved Rev. Sandell's stable from town and remodeled this into a house in which they lived a few years. After this they lived on Bronell's for three years, and then returned to their own fann. Mr. Larson said, that by this time they felt they didn't need to live in a minister's stable any longer so they built a house. Mr. and Mrs. John Larson had two chil dren, Emma (Mrs. Wilson) and Frank. As Frank said, "a Fox never steals chickens in his den, he goes away to get it, so I went away to New York to get my wife." Mr. and Mrs. Frank Larson came back here in ·1891 and lived on Stone's place for nine years, before moving to the farm where Henry Burg now lives. Their children are: Harry, Emma (Mrs. Anderson), William (deceased), Ted, Lillie (Mrs. Vogel), Arthur, Martina, Ella, Edward and Edith. Mr. and Mrs. Charles August Jacobson came to Oshawa in 1875, from New York where they had lived for six years. They lived for a while on the fann where Mr. Pettis now lives before buying the farm now own ed by their son, Oscar. The Jacobson children were: Hannah (Mrs. August Johnson) deceased, Emma, and Oscar, who married Anna Lange. They have one son, Alton. In October 1876, John M . Turner came from Vasa to attend G. A. C. He went out to visit his cousin, John P . Turner, who was living at Jonas Lundeen's. This was. at the time of the grasshoppers, and as M r. Turner had not seen a grasshopper, Josephine Lundeen went with him to find one. It seems that just then they were hard to find for they took quite a walk. Mr. Turner attended college two winters and spent his week ends with his cousin. Josephine used to help her sister, Mrs. John P. Turner, a great deal. November 16, 1881, John and Josephine were married at Jonas Lundeen's. They had a big wedding, and the rain con trived to make it a lengthy party for it came down in such torrents the guests were obliged to stay all night. Mr. and Mrs. Turner moved to the· farm which hr had bought in 1878 where he had built a home. This farm had been preempted by Alex Kinkedd in 1856 and had belonged to several people before Mr. Turner got it. Mr. Turner was secretary of the North Star Creamery and the New Sweden Mutual Fire Insurance company for a number of years and on the school and church boards. The Turner children were: Arthur and Bernard ( decease-d), Amy, Clarence and Herman. Clarence lived on the home farm until 1925. Herman married Edith Pearson of Vasa and built a new home across the road from the old one. Page Thirty-Four In 1877 Anders Johan Petersons came to Oshawa. For eight years they had lived in New York where Mr. Peterson worked in a foundry. When they came to St. Peter, July 20d, they were met by John Swenson, a brother of Mrs. Peterson. It was a hot day, the grasshoppers were numerous, the oxen slow and the Petersons were used to the city, hence it was a tiresome but memorable ride. They stayed with Swensons a few weeks before ,moving to Modin's place on the cemetery road where they lived a few months. They bought land down in the woods near Rydeens where they lived six or seven years. As this farm was all timber land, Mr. Peterson cleared a great deal and sold wood to the hospital and college. At that time they paid $4.00 a cord for maple and $2.00 for basswood. In the fall Mr. Peterson worked for Prentice in Traverse, cooking molasses. When he had learned the trade, he started a _press for himself in the woods. Mrs. Peterson used to raise a great many turkeys. In 1884 they moved to the farm where their son, Ed., now lives. There was a small shack here where M ike Doyle lived. Mr. Peterson continued to rurt his cane press down in the woods and also put up one on the new farm. His son, Fred, took care of one of them. Mr. and Mrs. Peter son's children were : Emma {Mrs. Franklin), Oscar (deceased), Fred, Anna (Mrs. Victor Swenson) and Ed. who runs the home farm and for many years followed his father's trade of molasses cooking. He married Lorinda Turner. Mr. and Mrs. Fred Peterson and their children, Ed win, Edna, Esther and Roy lived from 1898 to 1913 on the farm now owned by Mr. Deitrick before moving to Kasota. Mr. Peterson sold his farm in the woods to Gustaf Nelson, a brother of Gina's husband. He was known as "Tredsko" Nelson as he made wooden shoes. Later the school children of District No. 38 called him "Thornapple" Nelson as he had some fine thornapples which the children often helped tliemselves to when Mr. Nelson was not in sight. The Nelson children were: Charles, J oho and August. In 1878 J. M . Bronelle and family came to Oshawa. They rented several places before buying the Buchanan farm from Hildebrant. Here they lived for a number of years. Their children were: Otto, Eva (de ceased), Anton, Josephine ( Mrs. Carlson), Anna (Mrs. Miner), Hattie (Mrs. Converse), and Christine (Mrs. Converse). In 1880 John Norlins came to Oshawa. They lived at Fille-co-mis for a while before moving down in the Bottoms on the farm next to J. P. Turners. Mr. Norlin built a new house where the brick house had stood. The Norlin children were: Charles, T ina (deceased), Gust, Anna, and Dan who have all moved away. In 1881 John Nyberg and family came and lived for two years on Henning's farm before moving down in the Bottoms on the· opposite side of the Turner farm from Norlin's. Svensks had built this house where Nybergs lived until 1907 when Mrs. Nyberg moved to town. Mr. Nyberg died in 1~95. Mrs. Nyberg used to weave carpets and rugs. The children were: Tilda (Mrs. Gardling), Mary (Mrs. Heglund) , Augusta (Mrs. Landgren) , Emma (Mrs. Landgren), and Amanda. Frank, a brother of John Nyberg came some time before this. He worked on the railroad for a while before marrying Ida Carlson and mov- Page Thirty-Five ing out on the tarm owned by Lilliquist where Mr. Pettis now lives. Here they lived until 1908 when they moved to California where Charles, Hannah, Esther and Adaline now live. The other children who are dead were: Adolph, Hilding, Willie, Philip, and Anna. In 1882 came Charles Levin, a brother of Andrew, who came the year before. Charles worked around in the neighborhood until his marriage to Anna Lundeen. May 17, 1893. They then took charge of the Jonas Lundeen farm where they lived until they bought the Stone farm on which . they lived until they moved to California in 1918. Mr. and Mrs. Levine . served on the school board of their district. The Levine's have one daugh ter, Eva (Mrs. Campbell), who also lives in California. Mr. and Mrs. Carl Johan Edoff came also In 1882. They lived on what is now the Sivert Larson farm for seven years, then on Blomquist's and up in Timber Lake, coming back to Oshawa again, they lived at Leo Vogel's for two years before buying the present Edoff farm. This farm was all timber which Mr. Edoff cleared. The Edoff children were: Mildred (deceased), Victor and Ernest. Victor married and ran the home farm for a number of years while his parents lived on the Nyberg farm in the Bottoms. Later when Ernest took over the farm, Mr. and Mrs. Edoff returned to their old home where · Mrs. Edoff died in 1928. Ernest has been on the town board for a number of years. He married Esther Turner. August 5, 1882 on the train coming from St. Paul were two passengers, one a young man, August Turner, who had just come from Sweden, the other a small boy, Perry Johnson, who was very proud that he could come along to help his uncle find the way to St. Peter. Much to his chagrin however the little fellow failed to recognize St. Peter, in time to get off there, hence they were obliged to go on to Kasota and take the next train back. When they finally arrived in St. Peter, it was too dark to start out for John P. Turners, so they stayed at a hotel that night and walked out the next morning. August stayed with his brother, John P., until he married Ida Johnson in 1885 and he and his bride moved down to the Bottoms on the farm bought by John P. from Johan M. Johnson. Here they lived for seven years before moving out to Windom. Their child ren are: Alex, Julius, Ernest, Belle (Mrs. Hocke) and Carl. Sometime during the Bo's Gust Thom's came to Oshawa. Mr. Thorn worked for Charlie Johnson at first, and they lived in the White House, Blomquist's, and ''Fella" before buying the land down in the woods where their son, Otto, lives at present. Here they lived until their daughter and sou-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. August Gustafson, took over the farm and they moved in to St. Peter where' they lived until their death. Mr. Thorn was janitor of the Swedish Lutheran church for a num.ber of years. The Thorn children were: Hulda (Mrs. August Nelson), Mary (Mrs. Aug. Gustafson), Frank, Amanda (Mrs. Lee), deceased, Tillie (Mrs. Gunder son), Otto, Hilda (Mrs. Elmer Johnson), Carl and Ida (Mrs. Jacob son), deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Otto Thorn who lived · for sometime in Dakota, are at present running the home farm. They have four children, Virgil, Gladys, Donald and Dennis. In 1885 Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Burch bought the farm owned by Peter Modin. The Burches had come to Minnesota in 1865 settling farther Page Thirty-Six west. They also owned the Frank Swenson farm and the children took turns living up there. The Burch children were : George, Robert, War ren, Roy, Effie (deceased), Edith (Mrs. Kimball), Alta (Mrs. Justice), and Lou (Mrs. Wm. Witty). Mr. Burch was one of the .first officers of the creamery. He and his wife moved to California in 1903. December 17, 1885, John A. Anderson and family came' to Oshawa. They lived with their relatives, the Thorns in the White House . for a while. This White House contained but four roomS---living room, kitchen, bedroom, and pantry. Otto tells us that as there were so . many living in th'e ··house, the children had a small bed which was ·shoved under the big bed in the day time. Later the Anderson's moved ..down in the woods and built a house on the same forty where the Thorns lived. The two houses were only about two blocks apart. Anderson's later lived on Rydeen's place, and down in the Bottoms in Nyberg's house and in Noyd's house. The Anderson children were: Otto, Hulda (Mrs. Lundquist), Emil, deceased, Minnie (Mrs. Meade), Ellen, deceased, Emma (Mrs. Hilmer Lindberg), Lilly (Mrs. Alfred Johnson), Holger and Hilmer. Though he was but nine years old, Otto worked away from home the first summer at Vogel's. His wages were one pair of overalls, two shirts, and a 5 cent straw hat. On the 4th of July, he went to town with_6 cents and came home with four. After this he worked for John Alm for three years. The first summer' they gave him new clothing, the next, he got $1 .50 a month. From then on the wages increased. When Alms·mov ed away, Otto worked for C. W . Johnson's. He was to take care of their little daughter, Minnie. As there was so much brush, it was easy for her to run off and become lost, so Otto tells us he used to tie a cow bell to the little girl. After hiring out for several years, he rented the Tom Burch farm near Oshawa Station where he lived for sixteen years. He married Amanda Aronson. They had two children: Arndt and Hild~r. . His first wife died here. When John Swenson's moved to town, Otto Anderson bought their farm where he lived for sixteen years. He later married Emma Aronson. They have four children: Louise, Ruth, Dorothy and Lois. Four years ago Andersons moved to St. Peter. Mr. Anderson worked as patrolman on the N cw Ulm road at first and is at present janitor of the Washington school and Swedish Lutheran church. In 1885 Ben Holteens moved to the farm where their son, Homer, now lives. They came here from North Platte, Nebraska, where Mr. Holteen was engineer on the railroad. In 1889 their house burned and the Hol teens moved over to Mrs. Holteen's brother's, John P. Turner's, while a new house was being built. Mr. and Mrs. Holteen's children were: John, William, deceased, Homer, Effie and Willard. In 1902 Mr. and Mrs. Holtecri moved to town. John and Homer took over the .manage ment of the farm. In 1904 John married Minnie Peterson of Belgrade. A year or two after this Homer and John divided the. farm and John built a new house on his share. Mr. and Mrs. John Holteen have two daughters, Verna and Ethel. John has been on the church board and Farm Bureau board for many years. Homer married Dina Lange in 1909· They had three children: Myrtle, Bernice, deceased, and Ben. Homer has been on church and school boards also. In 1887 Frank Tanquist came to Oshawa. He bought the farm in Page Thirty-Seven the woods below Rciplcc's. . Mattson had built the ·house here, but -ha'd moved and Lindquist was living there at the time. Mr. Tanquillt later bought land from .Andrew Torngren in the Bottoms· and•·built'-aiihoti-st across the creek from Torngrcn's. Mr. and Mrs. Tanquist :Werci•marlitd in l 892. They had four children, Helga, deceased, Alice; · Rud&lph; >ai\d l:!e\cn.. · l)tfr. Tanquis~ .. was on the school and town boards- fon .-many years. . , .In 1888 Charles Gustatson came here from Sweden. .He Worked· for Isaac Lundeen and others for a number of yeai:s, befor~ renting a;;farm~ His bro~l)~rs, Alfred and Gust, . cam~ ~ater, . but they, ;(Jlq\!~ .away from· this communjty •some . timC' ~f.te:rwards.. Then in .1,897,,o:1i .JJt~ther:,.and sister, August and Amanda, · ~c t(l Oshawa. August ·MTOrk:cd .for · thfti;fat~en; aro'1nd here until . h~ · marric<\, Mary Thorn. . They lived. for ~,j yean on the Thorn farm and .now live on the Sandeen farm. Their . thildrt!o are: Hilma (Mrs. Radice), Rudolph, Frieda, Alma, . Hildio,g', Chester, Ruby, Hildegarde and Signy. Charles is at · prescnt, , renti~a ·Joe McClos- . key's farm. His sister Amanda, lives with him. . · · John Glanz bought the brewery from Fred Veith, Sr., and lived there for a time before selling to Noyd's in 1888. They tore it down and built a house. Mr, and Mrs. Noyd had two ·5ons, Charles and August. The latter married Anna Ecklund and lived on the home place for a sl\ort while before moving to Kasota. The house was later rented by ·Palm quists and John Anderson's, after which it was torn down and moved· to Ka$0ta. · Ia.1189<> ·Andrew· M ; Larson and family moved out to Oshawa. They had · ·Page Thirty-Eight · Anderson's sold to Oke Pehrson's who had rented C. J . Levin's farm for :a number of years before this. They have one daughter, Anna (Mrs. AU&uiAsp). When Mr. and Mrs. Pehrson moved to Amery, Wisconsin; t;ijcy 'SOid their farm to Barrs, who lived there a number of years. Mr,, andi Mrs. Alfred Johnson bought the Tom Burch farm in I<)O'J. M rs. Johnson died in 1910. Mr. Johnson later married Lily Anderson. Their children are: Ethel ( M rs. Siebert) and M arjorie. · In 1909 Mr. :ind Mrs. Kegley and children : William, Glenna, Mabel, Ella Mae, and Freddie moved to Norlin's house in the Bottoms, and later to the Rydeen farm where they lived until 1912. T hey will be remem bered as. a very musical fairtily. , ~r-~ ·· ~d Mrs. W m. Stoffregen purchased the Rudbeck farm in 1910. Their children are: Grant, Harlan, Florence, William, Alden, and Lois. ·Mrs. Stoffregen dit'd in 1926. Mr. Stoffregen married J essie Reipke in 1 ,92~! A brother, Ern~t Stof{regen and wife live on one of the McClo~ icy· farms .. , . , ,,_ Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Swenson purchased the John Larson farm in 1911_, Theiz: children . are: Anna, Alice (Mrs., Isenberg) and Lydja (Mrs. Elmer Anderson). In 1919 they sold to Frank Gessner's who h.av~ lived there since. The Gessner children· are: Ervin, Eunice (Mrs. .E4win Johnson), Raymond, Edna, and Wilferth. -Carl Henning's moved to Oshawa in 1913. They· first rented and "later purchased the old Jonas Johnson farm from Henry Benson. Their schil~ren are: Florence and David. Mr. and Mrs. R. L. Struck bought the old Jonas Lundeen farm from C. J. Levines in 1915 .. They have two daughters, Bernice and Leona. Before they moved to this farm, Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Swenson rented it for a number of years. Mr. and Mrs. A. F . Deitrick, and their children, Florence and John, moved here in 1916 buying the Fred Peterson farm. John ·Paulson's rented this farm for a year before this. Mr. and Mrs. Gustaf Larson purchased the August Lundgren farm in 1918. They had lived in St. Peter before this from 1896 to 19021 and Mr. Larson taught school in District No. 27, 1901 and 1902. The Lar son children are: Dorothy (Mrs. Dougherty:}, Olga (Mrs. Youngquist), Anton, Edith, Paul and Theodore. · Mr. and Mrs. Iver Benson moved 'to C. J. Levin's farm, the old Stone place, in 191 8, and rented this "fa'tt'!l ' for three years. After this they rented the Andrew Levine farm for three years. Their children are: Kenneth and Marion. After they left the Andrew Levin farm, Samuel sons rented it, and it was later bought by Walter Olson who ran a dairy. Mr. and Mrs. Otto Fahning live on this farm at present. Mr. and Mrs. John A. Turner bought the C. J. Levine farm in 1921. Two years after this, Mr. Turner was killed by a mad bulf, and Mrs. Turner and the two children, Paul and Jean, moved away the following year. Mr. and Mrs. Joseph J ohnson bought the farm from M rs. Turner. They have two children, Robert and Florence. Sometime around 1918, Peter H errstrom purchased the Bronelle farm. Page T hirty-Nine His son, William, lived here for a year or two, first, and later Mr. and Mrs. Delbert Herrsfrom had charge of the farm for a few years. · They have two children, Phyllis and Brewster. Mr. and Mrs. Charles Gunder son and family lived on this farm for several years sometime before Mr. ' Herrstrom bought it. Lyle Miner has charge of the farm at present. In 1919 Einar Swenson purchased the J . P. Turner farm near Oakleaf Lake. Mr. Swenson first came to Oshawa in 1908 to work for his uncle, J. P. Turner, and stayed here then a few years before going elsewhere to work. After the Turner's moved away from this farm in 1892, the first renters were Frank Lundgren's. Later Mr. and Mrs. Eric Nelson and their sons, Elof and Harold, rented it for a few years. Around 1926, Mr. and Mrs. Wesley Pettis moved to the old Frank Nyberg farm. Their children are: 'Norma and Lois. About ten years before this Mr. and Mrs. Smrz with their children, Hattie, Anna, Ernest, Joe and William, lived on this farm for a few years. Later Mr. and Mrs. Kawell (both deceased) with their children, Della, Herman, Charles, George, Fredrick and Hazel, rented this farm for a few years. Mr. and Mrs. Fred Rudell purchased the farm from Otto Anderson's in 1926. Their children are: Walfred, Russell, Shirley, Joyce, Jeannette, and Floyd. About this same time Mr. and Mrs. Sam Bell moved to the Duehn farm. Their children were: Florence, Gloria, Sam and Ralph, deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Richard Johnson moved to the old Isaac Lundeen farm in 1927. Their children are, Lorna and Milton. •After Jonas·Johqsell5 moved to town, this farm was rented in turn by Charles and Amanda Gustafson, Mr. and Mrs. Stewart Leaming, Mr. and Mrs. Kothenbeutel ·and Mr. and Mrs. Shaw. Page Forty INDEX Abrahamson,Johan Gustaf 32 Boys , Mrs. 5 Charles Frank, Ralph Ahlstrom, Peter 6,9,18, 19 Bronelle, J.M. 35 Esther, Amanda Otto, Anton, Eva, Alm, John 29 Josephine, Anna, Jennie, Clarence, Lydia Hattie, Christine Ellen, Victor, Harry Buchanan, Cullen 19 Ames 32 William, Euphemie, Anderson, Abraham 29 Alex Mary (Mrs. Rydbeck) Burch, Thomas 36 Anderson, Andrew 38 George, Robert, Warren, Carl, Axel, Minnie, Roy, Effie, Edith, Alice, Elmer Alta, Lou Anderson, Charles W. 31 Cederstam, Rev. P.A. 6,19 Ruth, Elmer Davis, Orange 30 Anderson, Elmer 31 Albert R. Carl, Elaine Davis, Albert R. 30 Anderson, John 31 Loia, Melville, Bernice, Charles, Augusta, Sadie, Orange Hattie, Anna, Fred Deitrick, A.F. 39 Anderson, John A. 37 Florence, John Otto, Hulda, Emil, Dolphin, John 25 Minnie, Ellen, Emma, Will, Oliver, Ed, Lilly, Helger, Hilmer Hattie, Belle, Nellie, Anderson,Jonas(Cooper) 26 Dooley, Gussie T.A. Anthony Dougherty , Philip 18 Anderson,Joran(George)6,26 Duehn, William 28 Charlie (Mailman) Charlie, Tillie, Herman, Anderson, Otto 37 William, Albert, Otto Hildur, Arndt, Louise, Amelia Ruth, Dorothy, Lois Dunphy , Bridget 17 Bartroche, Berthoing 17 (Mrs. Michael Kneefe) Battes 28 Dunphy, William 4,8,22 Bell, Sam 40 William, Anna, Florence, Gloria, George, John Sam, Ralph Ecklund, Carl Gustaf 30 Benson, Iver 39 Peter, Alfred, Oscar, Kenneth, Marion Anna, Albin Berglund, Andrew 31 Edoff, Carl Johan 36 Berglund, Johan Magnus 32 Mildred, Victor, Ernest Amanda, Mary, Peter Eklof, Hans Johan 27 Blomquist, John 27 Albert, Olivia Mathilda, Theodore, Augusta, Anna, Amanda, Alfred, Ida Cecilia -2- Evans, Carl 31 Jacobson,Charles August 34 Stava, John, Gustav, Hannah, Emma, Oscar Minna, Hilda, Ida, Jacobson, Oscar 34 Charles, Fred (Riley) Alton Evans, Zacharias 31 Johnson, Alfred 39 Charles, Alfred, Ethel, Marjorie Mrs. Otto Jones Johnson, Charles G. 28 Filler, Louis 22 C.Ed, John, Christine, Louisa, Henry, Fred, Hannah, Lydia Louis, Herbert, Florence Johnson, Charles J. 6,33 Gault 20 Walter, Victor, Alma Gessner, Frank 39 Johnson, Erick 26 Ervin, Eunice, Raymond, Bernice, Albert, Esther, Edna, Wilferth Ida, Anna 0 "Gina" 24 Johnson,Gustaf(Pa Fella)25 Jonas Nilson, John Relatives - James & Ed Ericson, Mr. Larson Johnson, Mary Anderson Glanz, John 38 Johnson, Jacob 32 Glover 30 Emma, Tillie, Augusta, Charlie, Robert, Ed, Frank, Alfred Sarah, Hattie Johnson,Johan Magnus5,6,21 Gustafson, August 38 Jonas, Gustaf, Tilda, Hilma, Rudolph, Frieda, Anna Alma, Hilding, Chester, Johnson, John 29 Ruby, Hildegard, Signe Alice Gustafson, Charles 38 Johnson, Jonas 21 Sister Amanda Florence, Esther, Lilly , Hasselquist, Dr. 6,18 Emmet, Marian Henning, Carl 39 Johnson, Joseph T. 39 Florence, David Robert, Elo~ence, Eugene Herrstrom, Delbert 40 Johnson, Nels Peter 23 Phyllis, Brewster John, Charles (C.W.) High, Mary 5 William, Edward, Holmberg "Gubben Noah" 25 Elmer, Philip Jonas Johnson, Charles W. 23 Holteen, Ben 37 Minnie,Clarence,Theodore John, Homer, Effie, Edwin, Oscar, Alfred Willard Johnson, Elmer 23 Holteen, John 37 Verner Verna, Ethel Johnson, William 23 Holtzclaw 22 Emmet Hultgren, Charles 33 Johnson, Richard 40 Anna, Charles, John, Lorna, Milton Tilda, Andrew Johnson, Victor 33 -3- Johnson, Walter 33 Larson, Sivert 19,28,38 Roland, Gordon, Elin, Melvin, Joyce, Sibley, Hazel Ardis, Quentin Jones, Otto 31 Leaming, Stewart 21 Kahler, Henry 31 Mary Alice, Robert Dorothea (Mrs. Fred Leifer 28 Reipke), Caroline, Henry Levine, Andrew 19 Kaps, Gustaf 28 Ernest, Lawrence, Walter Axel, John, Josephine, Levin, Charles 36 Hannah, Emma Eva Kawell, 40 Lilliquist, Nels 29 Della, Herman, Charles, Anton, Alfred, Emelia, George, Fredrick, Hazel August, Charlie Kegley 39 Lind, John 26 William, Glenna, Mabel, Andrew, Josephine, Ella Mae, Freddie Charles, Anna Kennedy, Michael 22 Lind, Andrew 26 Mary (Mrs. Frank Boys) William, Nettie, Esther, Kneefe, Ed 18 Amy, Rudolph, Agnes Kneefe, Michael 17 Lindholm, Swen 33 Mrs. Rinkel John, Christine, Kothenbeutel 40 Augusta, Emily Kruger, William 29 Linstrom, Gustaf 28 Mrs. L.M. Erickson, John, Carrie, Alfred Mrs. Fred Veith Linstrom, Jonas 25 Lambert, John 19 Albert John, Mrs. John Pope, Linstrom, Jonas Gustaf 24 Robert Emma, George, Lambert, Robert 20 Lillie, Laura Richard, Florence, Linstrom, George 24,25 George, Robert Ruth, Austin, Lange, William 4,20 Agnes, Iva Charlie, Fred Lundeen, Isaac 4,6,8,18, Larson, Andrew M. 38 Mary, Alfred 20,21 Sivert, Sigfrid, Signe Lundeen, John 5,8,18 Larson, Gustaf 39 Lundeen, Jonas 6,9,18,20 Dorothy, Olga, Anton, John,Christine~Mathilda~ Edith, Paul, Theodore Anna, Josephine, Emily Larson, John 34 Lundgren, August 32 Emma, Frank Hulda, Charles, Frank, Larson, Sigfrid 38,26 Albert, Mary, Lydia, Genevieve, Raymond, Matina, Anna , Esther, Dorothy, Lee, Morris Agnes, Oliver, Oscar Alice, Ralph -4- Lundgren, Gustaf 32 Noyd, Charles & August 38 Esther, Hjalmar, Nyberg, Frank 35 Amanda, Anton Charles, Hannah, ·Hilding, Lundholm, Swen 6,18 Willie, Philip, Anna, Lundquist, Andrew 32 Esther, Adolph, Adaline John, Christine, Lydia, Nyberg, John 35 Esther, Harry, Arthur Tilda, Mary, Augusta, Magner, James & Michael 20 Emma, Amanda McCloskey, Neal and 19 Pehrson, John 38 Archibald Hannah, August, Mccloskey, Joe 19 Carrie, Lena Clifford Pehrson, Oke 39 Merrick 20 Anna Meyer, Ernest 24 Peterson ,Anders Johan 10, 35 Henry, Minnie, Robert, Emma, Oscar, Fred, Hattie Anna, Ed Meyer, Robert 24 Peterson, Ed 10,35 Lillie, Eugene, Sidney, Peterson, Fred 35 Merle, Wesley Edna, Esther, Roy Miner, Jay 22 Pettis, Wesley 40 Morey, Lyle, Ralph, Norma, Lois Ear~, Alice, Robert Reipke, Henry 28 Miner, Jedeidiah 21 Fred,Charlie,John,Doris Shepherd, Lonzo Reipke, Fred 28 Miner, Shepherd 22 Fred,Lena,Emma ,Jessie Bert, Frank, May, Kate, Albert Daisie, Fred, Jay Revier, Charles 20 Modin, Peter 20 Anna Mae,Raymond,Donald, Peter,Ed,Annie,Maggie Verne,Charles,Helen Moore, J.K. 18 Revier, Charles 20 Nelson, Andrew Magnus 29 Charles,Marietta,Fred, August, Alfred, Emma, Frank, Kate, Lawrence, Ada, Charlie, Oscar, Joe, Eugene Caroline, Elmer Rinkel, Mrs. 18 Nelson, Eric 40 Rudbeck, A.P. 29 Elof, Harold Alma, Arthur, Chester, Nelson, Gustaf (Tradsko)35 Elizabeth Charles, John, August Rudell, Fred 40 Nelson, Sigfrid 33 Walfred,Russell,Shirley, Helen, Carl, Robert Joyce, Jeanette, Floyd Norlin, John 35 Rydeen, Anders Johan 34 Charles, Tina, Gust, Gust, Ellen, Mary, Anna, Dan Edwin, Victor -5- Sallstrom, Johan Jacob 19 Torngren, Andrew 23 Eva, Emma (Mrs. August John, Anna, Emil, Lena Hed) Turner, August 36 Sandeen~ Andrew 30 Alex, Julius, Ernest, Josepbine, Matilda, Belle, Carl Martin, Eva, Anna, Ida, Turner, John A. 39 Emily, John Paul, Jean Sandeen, John 30 Turner, John M. 34 Edmund Arthur, Bernard, Schneider, John 20 Clarence, Amy, Herman Sjogren 33 Turner, John P. 18,32 John, August, Gustav, Elmer, Lorinda, Esther, Christine Winfield, Amelia, Smrz 40 Florence Hattie, Anna, Ernest, Veith, Fred 9,38 Joe Vogel, Frank 22 Stoffregren, William 39 Leo Grant, Harlan, Florence, Welsh 28 William, Alden, Lois Wilson, John Olaf 23 Struck, R.L. 18,39 Francis Bernice, Leona Zund, Charles 30 Swenson, Andrew 39 Anna, Alice, Lydia Swenson, August 38 Oscar, Elmer, Frank, Mabel, Agnes, Clarence Swenson, Einar 40 Swenson, John 31 Charles, Anna, Emma, Eva, Josie, Esther, Ellen, Amy Swenson, Otto 38 Glen, Luther, Eva, Clifford, Ethel Tanquist, Frank 37 Helga, Alice, Rudolph, Helen Thorn, Gust 36 Hulda, Mary, Frank, Amanda, Tillie, Otto, Hilda, Carl, Ida Thorn, Otto 36 Virgil, Gladys, Donald, Dennis