Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-02-21

Letter From Minnesota.
CALEDONIA, Houston Co., Mimi,
JAN 25 1877.
Mr. EDITOR: According to promise, I
-cn,I YOU the first installment of = series
of letters for the FREEMAN, from Southern
Minnesota, and I will commence by a
short
PERSONAL RETROSPECT.
Thirty Years ago was Jour in The
FREEMAN Office. In 1855, I took the nd
vice Of my aeaj ofa great and good man,
Il. g. ana emigrated to this State, then a
Territory, where [ have since resided. with
the exception Of three years in the Union
army.
In these letters shall treat Of the topog-
raphv, soil, climate and productions of lie
county. and also Of our present status in
regard TO Education. Agriculture. Religion
and Politics. The description may give
Of Houston county will apply 10 most Of
southern and western Minnesota. This
county is n the southeast corner Of the
state. and contains sixteen organized
towns. eacA town containing thirt7-six
square miles Zach town IS divided into
.AirrT-six sections, every section contain
ing six-1undred and forty acres. These
sections arc iirided into quarters, and
.Aese are sgain suo-diviJed into .ourths Of
forty acres each. Two of these sections,
sixteen and ,hirrv--ix, arc reserved for
common caools.
The land is somewhat broken in the
eastern part Of the county to the dis
.auce OF .bout Twelve miles bacG from he
Mississippiriyer. The remainder is rolling
prairie. intcrspersed with numerous groves
OF timber There are many line creeks IN
Tie county, the bottom ands Of which
t1ouHd IL he best quality Of timber.
There is Root river il the northern part Of
he county, hat empties INTO the Mississ-
ppi, md lhe other creeks dow south INTO
4e same river. There IS no .ack Of either
.!myer or water n .bi. county. .houch 7
.auDa- -ar be same in reference to some
eogrrts, vesr lf lis.
The county .eat of the county from
which a.. letter s written is near the cen.
aeoE t..s .nntr. fourteen miles from the
-.v.r lud Lon miles from he Iowa line.
ra.. sa Corporate .own of .wo thousand
inhabitants. which Fva think Is 1retty rood
.or So -1ua- 3 county. There lre six drv
good. .ore.. -v, hardware stores. four
hotels. i've l..cksni h slops. three ,inware
,tyr, .r5 .aaII-rs ,aop, and other bus
mess found IN tb,ivTur towns. IN. town
la, also i've ...-rcaes. nm academy and
.raoed soa. We have .ba he's, ..l n
-.e state. .rr,-alrse lud other 5rildincz
lecassar~ 10 .lrr- ln he county business.
The .ar.r .e.tiers Of his county wero
Mostly e,tega people. Vermont having
.ool -enrescntation. ind lie View ENGLAND
lates furnishing a naior.tv The later
migration hes been LARGELY from EuroDe
German. and @raudinavfaus 1eiug he
most numerous. AericaI.ure Is the chief
pursuit If the people. though manutactur-
fn4 +. carried ou .o quite IN extent. Tile
manufacture Of Iorlr is IN industry amo1r
ia. ,aer. yaIpg over twenty aourinc mill.
in the county. Besides theset there are saw
mills. furniture -nops ..riara ,narutar.
tories. 9oaer s!iop-. etc.. e.c.
In he county sra -ome oi .he uest wa.
.er-oowcrs n HE northwest r,D.cisilr
Is lAi, tr4e of TIo.,h.a ,ovn m the Sou,h.
crn Minnesota Railroad. At Dresen, this
town. Caledonia. IS fourteen miles from u
railroad. but there .s.t ,ro.pac. of = branch
rotd here nj IN .artv dar. There arc
GOOD mail Mcaities-t JsiIv .ynnaeriou
with The railroad. auI .r,.vaa.Ir with
other points
lido NOT think -l-re is qpv ,ov.r7r,a,r
land ia be county. but The railroad ls, ID
small lrar.f-v vet ,lndisnosad of Tho.
towns qre 1.u.i,v abort .vatra milo.
.n,r- ..rj ..ro s, t,llo,vs. c,iad.r;, rho
.arrrr sae- Brov7s,iir. ,r tho ,tissi.s.
.pDf. Io-ab. near he month of Root Pir-
%. Houston an Root pjvnr sor;ro e,ovo
.. Vor-va0i3u .o,r7 In fine -oY-b.va.r ,,r-