Morris tribune., 1885-07-08
Bits of Recollection Concerning the first
Settling in Stevens Co. written "for the
Old Settlers meeting i885,by Thomas
Thnmaeson

Settling in Stevens Co. written for the
Old Settlers meeting 1885,by Thomas
Thomasson.
In preparing the following, bits Of
recollection, from the first years OF
settling in this county. 1 have used
the utmost care to present only what
l am sure to be the real facts, as near
as can now remember.
TO some, it may seem to be of little
or no consequence who We're the first
| to come, or who came before the other
but those who have felt the loneliness
| of the far west and who every day
used to espy the solitary prairie aud
scrutiuize the horizon for prairie
schooners or other signs OF newcomers,
they only eau imagine of what value
or Specification one year or even one
mouth or II weeks time is to the lone
ly frontier settler.
Taking also in consideration the
distance from civilization or market,
small means and no chance to earn
money to provide for II family Except
by the risk of leaving them to the I'M
certainty of Il wild and open country
poor roads, no bridges, rivers and low
places to ford and wade through, and
spending several hours In hunting for
the best place to cross; camping out
fighting the mosquitoes, flies, prairie
fires, and all the rest of the inexpressi-
Die unpleasantness that Is sure to
come; it naturally follows that those
years will ever be remembered as one
of the most interesting portions of
ones lifetime.
On the geographical map of the
State, this county was at first an en-
tirely different looking county from
what it is to day. The county of
Stevens as first established in 1865
was long and narrow, and consisted of
IS townships situated rs follows:
The south east corner of the county
was at the south east corner of the
town of FramEass the south west
corner, at the south west corner of the
town of Pepperton, (3townshlps wide)
and run 6 townships north to the pres
ent north houndary-line of Grant
county; the balance of the county,
lying south from the township-line
running through the village of Morris,
formed part Of what was then
known as the Lac-quay-Parle county.
In 1868 the county was reestablished
to its present shape. The name was
given as compliment to Col. Stevens
of Minneapolis, a man of pioneer
fame in the state.
The first settlers came in the fol-
lowing order:
1s66-Charles Olson, Lewis L. Heg-
land, Hans Gudvangen, Christian
jacobson, Peter Bjork, Thomas
Austinson Hagen, Mons. Johnson and
John Whipple who the following
spring took charge of the Gadger
Station, that was then located here
by Henry Gadger.
1S67-Lars H. Hansee, Hans Han
see ,Erick Erlandson, Thomas Thomas
son, Lewis Baker, Ole Mikkelson and
Phillip Frlsby and family, in the
fall, who came to take charge of the
aforesaid Station.
1S6S-Jacob Baker, Ole Melland,
Henry Gadger, William Perry, Henry,
Foss, Warner & Bros. Matt Diedrich
and Aberham Lee Henry Baldwin.
r. M. Richardson and John Folsom.
1s69-William McPerson John Har-
rlngton, Albert Movins Christian
Gaarder, Herman Winter, J. d. Good,
John Backius, Peter Peterson, George
Hanson and Archibald Young.
157O-Sahlmark ST.. Herman Zahl
and brothers, o. C. Hanson, VIM.
Wunch Michael Calvin and others.
The frontier line was that year adj
vanced to the lakes and groves near
Donnelly and Frog Lake and the
settlers then came in to numerous to
be mentioned here. The first post
office ''Scandia" named and kept by
Thomas was established December
3rd 1867. The first general election
was held at Gadgers-Station 1869 about
25 legal voters enrolled. The first
legal surveyed road Ga state road now
vacated from Glenwood via. Gadgers
Station to Brown Valley. The first
store kept by Henry Baldwin at Cad
gers Station, but trading post, in a
small scale, had previous been kept
there by the proprietor Henry Gadger.
The first grog shop was started and
kept by a Swede at Gadgers-crossing
the whole outfit consisting of a key Of
whisky and glass (minus shanty or
tent. The idleness between the pas
sers by, he would spend in sitting on
the tops of the bluffs watching the
teams to come past. The first child
born, Helene Highland Tin Sep. 1867
The first death child of Erick Erland-
son and the first baptized, Helene
HIGHLAND and Josephine Thomassop.
The first church meeting held by
Pastor Beckmann of the "Swedish
Augustana Synode" of Illinois. The
| first white woman crossing the
Pomme de Terre Mrs. Howe, ZEN route
to Fort Wadsw orth in the fall of 1867,
and the first as an actual settler Mrs,
P. Frlsby. The first mill site located
| by Albert Moyins. The first TO prove
up claim was Peter Bjork. He al-
so built the first house over the ground
log house and the first shingled roof
the "Scandia" Post office but the first
frame building was built by Thomas
Thomasson forJ. D. Good, on his
farm (tbe present Lights farm The
first wheat was raised by Lewis l.,
Highland WING in threshipg had the
grain todden out on the ground by OK
en- he also brought the first load to
I In.