Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1884-06-18

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children.
The first parties married in the county
We're Caleb Stock and Mary Watkins.
This was in 1855, Sylvester Smith, A
Justice of the Peace, officiating.
The first birth was that of Austin
Bemis, son of George and Elinor Bemis,
in the year 1856, who now, and has for
some time, lived in Utah.
The first death was that of Mary Robin
son, of High Forest. daughter of John
Robinson, in the year 1866.
The first town site recorded wa the
town of Austin, which was partly sur
veyed and plated by Yates and Lewis
and is now Yates & Lewis addition to
Austin. Then followed the village Of
Austin where we now are.
Several once five and famous town
sites, have long since passed in their chips.
/ refer to the city of Madison 10 miles
north Of here on the west side of the
Cedar river, which once had its hotels,
stores and q saw mill. 1 refer also to the
city of Two Rivers, one mile and a half
south Of here at the confluence of the
Turtle and Cedar rivers, which once had
a famous hotel, kept by Robert Audiss,
and for a time bid fair to eclipse Austin.
I refer also to Cedar City, six miles south
of here which Once had its saw mill and
its Touring null, and justice Meanes be-
fore whom long suits at law were wont
to be tried in ancient days. But the
floods of August, 1858, swept out the last
vestige of that city. I refer also to Troy
City, 8 miles south of here, which unlike
it's predecessor of ancient lore, never had
any wooden horses to beguile the unsus-
pecting and Over-credulous, but it had its
hotel and saw mill and grist mill, which
the floods Of 1858 and financial reverses
swept away. There were also some mis-
adventures upon the east side of the cou
ty in founding cities, like frankfort and
old Leroy, which have nearly faded out.
The first frame house built in the county
was built by Chauncy Leverich on lot 8,
in block 2, in the village of Austin, near
where the dwelling house of James T.
Sargent now stands. By so doing the
Leverichs were accused, at that time, of
long since went down before the corrod-
ing tooth of time.
The first saw mill built in the county,
was built by Chauncy Leverich in the
year 1855, where Engls's mill now stands.
The first newspaper ever published in
the county was by David Blakely in Aus
tin, in the fall of 1858, called the Mower
County Mirror. Blakely started this
paper, in consideration Of being elected
to the lucrative office of Register Of Deeds
of Mower county. He published this
paper for about one year, and was suc-
ceeded by Rufus K. Crum, who published
the paper for about another, at which
time the paper was removed to Rochester,
MINI. =
About 4 months thereafter B. F. Jones
commenced the publication of the Co..
qser. which, by various devices, was con
| tsnvNod fN~ c0ron q 1rAo~o 1syho,o To-oo 1rro~A
the Mower County Register was started
by Herman r. Davidson, just out of
Oberlin college, and son Of Joshua L.
Davidson, who published the paper for
about n year and until his death, when
G.. H.. Davidson continued the publica;
ton of the paper. Then came the TRAM
SCRIPT and other papers.
The first agitation Of the building of a
railroad in Mower county was the build
ing of a road by the Northwestern Rail
way Co.. in the year 1854, which company
got a land grant of six townships through
the centre of the county. This company
failing to comply with the provisions of
the grant, the land was sold out to specu-
latOrs ; then came the Cedar Valley rail.
road. whose grade was made almost con
tinuOus the whole width of the county,
XA AO yO"A AOOSJ bAu VXkON VGkXC vAoV xOuE
and weary waiting for nine tiresome
years, when the road was finally built in
connection with the McGregor Western
railroad, which McGregor road was gotten
here mainly through the hard toll of 4
citizens of Austin, one has passed beyond
the river, two reside in distant states, and
one still remains in Austin, the last named
was an intimate friend and -classmate of
engineer Hungerford. #
Then was built the Southern Minnesota
railroad on the identical line on which
they had filed their land grant 10 years
before. Then the branch from Austin to
Mason City the former in 1858 and the
latter in 1859, and now Mower county has
Sc miles Of railroad at an outlay of some
$4,000, 900, and still we are not happy.
We are waiting and watching for the
Austin, Mankato & st. Cloud railroad.
From an expenditure Of 81, 600 per year
for school purposes in the year 1855, We
have grown to an expenditure of $4,000
per year in Mower county.
From a population of 600 inhabitants
in the year 1856, We have become 18. 900
at the present time.
From a village of 100 in 1856 we have
become a city of 5000. inhabitants, with
good churches, good schools and bridges
and a good courthouse. These changes
have been so gradual that we have scarcely
noticed them. only as they have been q
severe strain on our pockets.
But if we e q little more into details
w find that on the road from here to
Ramsey Henry Baudler has given way to
W. A. Crane, Josephus p. Jones to Litch-
field and Boynton, Robert Dobbins 10
Garrad and John F. Cook, Samuel Clay
ton to M. Teeter, Jesse and Samuel Dix
on to John Mathieson, and when we look
around Austin, Henry Carter to ]. NJ.
Sterling, Col. Avery to j. K. Strever,
John Monroe to G. E. Carter, Alexander
Nigus to A., v. Ellis, and thus we might
travel all over the county. These former
bors, are scattered to the four winds,
some in western Minnesota, some in Iowa,
some in Dakota, some in Kansas, some in
Nebraska, and some on the Pacific coast,
and not q few during the Is years have
passed beyond the river. We are remind
ed that the Inhabitants of lakewood Gem
etery will soon lOutnumber those of our
city. There lie the forms of many of
our neighbors and friends, whom we have
embalmed with our tears and laid away
to that sleep which knows no waking.
There also lie q few of the many who
went down in that great conflict for the
life of the nation, for at the close of that
great struggle when the roll of honor fol
Mower county was called, more than SC
from b county answered not to their
and most Of them in distant states.
The hasty glance which we have taken
contrasting the present with the past,
shows that Mower county has indeed
made great progress in every material
and vital maffor nortoininn IN ond ofF>o<