The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1902-02-07

ley anu nOD0TC h6uu6uy. CdCu luoLu-
Der contributed 800 to fund to be
used in developing the new enterprise.
The name ''Mankato'' was selected
by Mrs P. z. johnson and Mrs.
Henry Jackson afterwards Mrs. Hinck-
ley) from list submitted by the pro-
prietors, and was the one suggested by
Col. Robertson, who took it from
Nicollet's book descriptive of the Blue
Earth country. Being the old Indian
name of the Blue Earth river Though
the ladies did not know it at the time)
it was most appropriate.
Many persons at once became inter
ested in this much talkedof settlement
at the mouth of the Blue Earth and
were anxious to see it, but in those
days of no roads it was very inacces-
sible as great forest full of swamps,
ravines and tangled mass of growing
and fallen timber interviewed between
it and st. Paul. On the 9th Of April,
1862 five Germans attempted to reach
it in bateau they had constructed
with small mast and sail in its CEN
ter. They were Philip Krummel, -
Weinheimer, Jacob Guenther, Conrad
Stultz and another whose name we
did not learn. After ascending the
Minnesota about fifteen miles the mast
caught in an overhanging bough and
the bateau suddenly capsized and
Weinheimer was drowned. The other
four chung to the boat until rescued by
some Indians who happened to hear
their cries for help.
Finally the TOWNSHIP company ar
ranged with the little steamer "Tiger"
! to make a few trips to their new
town. On April 21st, 1859, she left
the st. Paul wharf on her first voyage
we'll loaded with supplies and crowded
with passengers. among whom was P.
K. Johnson, who had not been back to
the TOWNSHIP since February. johnson
took with him stock of goods intend
ed especially for the Indian trade,
which he sold in the log shanty under
license held by jackson. The boat
returned to st. Paul on the 25th and
on the 2Sth of April started on her sec
ond trip to Mankato with heavy load
of freight and passengers for that and
other points along the river. The
Tiger made her third trip to Mankato
on May 18th taking up as big load az
before. During this month of May the
townsite was surveyed and plated
by Simeon p Folsom of st. Paul, a
surveyor hired by the company. The
land adjoining the TOWNSHIP and be-
tween it and Kasota was soon taken
by the hoard of claim seekers who
came up on the boat and otherwise.
Josiah B. and Henry S. Gump located
on what is now Mankato city in April
or May and built shanty there. John
B. and William G. Greenway also
made claims adjoining them and
Evans Goodrich took the land or
which Dukes addition is situated.
John James, James Rablin and many
others located claims in the vicinity
also this spring. Philip Krummel,
Jacob Guenther and their two surviv
ing comrades, nothing daunted by theil
unfortunate first attempt, reached
Mankato about the 18th of May. hav
ing made the journey this time, how
ever, on foot. These and John Schrei
der and number of other Germans
took claims this spring near the town
site. These early claimants were nearly
all adventurous young men and many
did not remain long in the settlement
Quite number were employed more
or less by the TOWNSHIP company. Or
the oath day of May Daniel William
sold his interest to Gen. Samuel Leech
q man of considerable means and pro
minence, whose home was in Warsaw
Illinois He had recently been re
ceiver of the U. s. Land Office at st
Croix Falls and had invested largel!
in Wisconsin and Minnesota real es
tate. He soon took much interest il
his Mankato venture and was pro
minent factor in making the new towl
success. The local management O
the company's affairs during the frs
year, however, was left mainly t,
Mr.. johnson, who with his frient
Goodrich. remained faithfully at thei
wilderness post all of that summer ant
the following winter. In the earl,