Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1901-05-24
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The : I Late lrs. kin|lbaIl.
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ECONTRIBTED.;]S


the town 81 Ripley this oiurn ,t Oh d
the 18th, inst. bade her las 81 farewell
to weeping rel ati,ys,e.ss q and friends that /.
stood around her death bed /: s
j. Mrs. kimball was born at MINI I.
in the state OF Maine, j January IS,
1873. and had thereto reS reached the
ripe age OF s7S years. She was the
widow 81 rhe:late George II ". 4 kim ~.
ball to whom she was married al Is
yea rs OF age. Soon after their nj ar ar,
rage they, left Maine and went to { the
state OF Massac husetts, where the.
family lived eight years, N owing from
there directly to this county, ii the
summer Of 1856. Her history con-
ta'ns quite an element OF romance.
Mr.. kimball came to Minnesota q
year ahead of his family, and was
employed by Baldwin Olmstead,
working during the: summer Of 1865
In the construction OF a government
road from the Mississippi river to
Long Prairie. Than the following
winter he worked in the pineries Of
northern Minnesota. ! In the spring
OF 1896 ne selected a tract of land, on
a beautiful prairie, lying along the
west bank, OF the Mississippi river,
about eight miles south OF FIT. Ripley,
where several companies of United
States troops We're garrisoned. The
land not being surveyed. = he took
what was in those days designated
a squatter's claim. There We're then
not to exceed a half dozen settlers
west OF the Mississippi river in that
vicinity. ~. - -.
When his house was completed he
sent for his family, which then con
sisted OF his wife and four small chill:
dren, to come and occupy their new
home which was then in the far vest,
on the extreme frontier, and among
the aborigenees. Nothing daunted
she was equal to the task. The route
then was by rail to Dunlieth on the
Mississippi river, then by steam boat
to st. Paul, then by stage to Big
Bend on the Mississippi river, in
Morrison county. It was a long and
tiresome journey fer even a robust
person to undertake unincumbered.
Then for a lone woman unaided and
alone with four small children to set
out and accomplish such journey
with perfect ease without a mishap.
as vas done by Mrs. = Kimball, in
those pioneer days, challenges the adj
*miratlon OF all who have proper
appreciation Of heroism and perse-
verance, such as was shown bv Mrs.
kimball in coming from her old
home in Massachusetts,; TO her new
home in Minnesota. Il Nh W.: E &. &
Well, on arriving at Zig Bend, with
their four children; aboard the old
stage coach OF those days, she found
MIR. Kimball waiting by the road
side to greet them. ana take them
across the Father Of Waters in q boat
ito their new nome ON. the west side.
SO lar as known they lived happily
and prospered int heir new home un.
til the breaking out Of the war OF the
Rebellion, in 1861, when Mr.. .kimball,
being a patriotic man, felt it isduty
to obey the callof his country, andin
October vi that year went to the
war. He enlisted in Company u, 4th
Minnesota Init. His family remained
OH the farm nothing further OF
special, significance occurring until the
folio wing Year in August, 1862, when
the Sioux Indian IOutDre;lk took
place. But it SO happened that it
was confined to the western part oi
Minnesota, where it is estimated that
two thousand whites were butchered
by the Sioux Indians At the begin
ming Ct the Sioux outbreak sHole-in-
the,ds1y. chief OF the Chippewa IN
dfans, whose home was Crow Wing.
eight miles north of Fort Ripley, inn
mediately sent messengers out to all
the Indian bands OF the. Chippewa
nation requesting them to join him
In war against the whites. \ About
three hundred warriors responded to
his call and gathered together at
Gull lake, about twenty miles north
OF Fort Ripley, where owing to the
war only about twenty soldiers were
left to- protect this mill tary post.
But happily q large number. Of the
tribes refused to join Hole-in-the-day
II his prop osed raid on the white
settlers. The settlers became great.
" frtg htened, as did also the few
soldiers left at the fort who were ID
charge Of lieutenant who sent out
messengers and commanded all the
settlers toecongregate at the fort as
the safest place ia case Of at
tack BY the Indians. Mrs Kimball
wisely went to the forG With hel fam
lily and remained there until the In
:f7iane (1ishAnde6. y 70 1nich w ~ q ffar