The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-07-03
EARLY SETTLEMENT
OF THE WATONWAN.
Paper Read by Charles Barney Before
Old Settlers June 49,

1854 to S. T. Mills, whose family still
own and occupy the old homestead north
east of the village of Garden City
o j. Westover, c. n. Gilchrist, Ed
Thompson, and George w. Lambertor
settled in the neighborhood of Garder
City and lived on their claims during
the winter of 1854 and 1855 During the
summer of 1855, w. R. Thompson and
family; John E. Thompson and family;
Joseph Derby and family; John Derby
and family; John B. Skinner and family;
James Gale and family; Edison Gerry
VIM. Washburn, Alban Washburn, Mr.
Esmond and family; Geo. Atwell, Genial
Abar, David d. Hunter and family;
Thinner Town and family; ]. 81. Green
wood and Warren Greenwood, settled on
claims on the Watonwan river in the
town of Garden City. Fellows D. Pease,
VIM. Gray and Mr.. Sloeum settled above
the mouth of Perch creek in town of
Ceresco.
My own experience of the early days
81, 1855, when in company with A. B.
Barney and d. X. Shaw, and a man by
the name of Askings, from Berlin, Wis,
whose acquaintance we made coming up
the Mississippi river arrived at c. n.
Gilchrist's, one mile northeast of Garden
City. The next day Mr.. Askings took
the present town site of Garden City as
redemption chain. g He Immediately
commenced the erection of the first house
in Garden City. When completed and
after residence of one night in it Mr..
Askings went TO Winona and Exempted
like many other early settlers sold his
claim and we never saw any more of
him. D. X. Shaw and A. B. Barney
took claims on the Watonwan river in
the town of Ceresco. l took one in the
town of Vernon Center, which L own and
occupy at the present time. Owing to
the lateness of the season we built a
shanty on the middle claim for conven-
fence and to protect our claims from
claim jumpers. The winter of 1855 and
1856 commenced December 10, by fall
OF eight inches of snow and severe cold
weather, so cold that the snow did not
melt in open air till the fourteenth of
the following February. We moved into
our new home uncompleted on the thir-
teenth of December. We had neither
door, window, nor floor in place but we
had them ready to put in place. We had
loaned our stove to neighbor, but ow-
ing to the slippery condition of the river
he was not able to bring it home, so
We spent the first night of our settlement
ir our new home OF the Watonwan
without a fire. We cooked our supper
ir. a kettle over a fire built by the side
of an oak tree. We ate our supper with
a good relish being the first food we had
eaten since early morning. Next day we
got our stove home after being without
a fire for thirty-six hours. The weather
became colder by degrees. Our nearest
postoffice was Mankoato. Our mail was
brought to C. n. Gilchrist's, where we
cot it when convenient The nearest
sawnsill where we could buy lumber was
at Kasota and the nearest grist mill was
at st. Peter Indians were numerous.
The Sioux had not left the country west
OF the Blue Earth river. There were also
about $500 Winnebagoes in, the eastern
part of the county. The Indians were
never out of the old settlers mind.
Small bands were always prowling about,
stealing anything they could make use
Of They were treacherous, but people
had little fear of them till after the
massacre at Spirit lake and Springfield.
The winter of 80 and Sc soon passed,
the weather becoming milder in March
and spring opened the middle of April.
immigration commenced coming in early.
Dilley and Gerry came in March on
sleighs. Samuel Fulsom came from Bos-
ton about the same time and become in
terested in the building of mill at
Garden City. In May, S. F. Barney,
Daniel Barney and B. f. Barney came
and took claims on the Watonwan in
Vernon About the first of June cover
ed emigrant wagons could be seen NOV
ing in all directions and claim shanties
sprang up like mushrooms. All claims
with timber ON along the rivers and lakes
were taken and the settlement began to
spread out over the prairies. Many
prairie claims were taken during the
summer. Charles and Rufus Thurston
settled on Perch creek, E. p. Evans and
Ebert Fulsom and family, came during
the summer Of 1856. Fulsome & Co..
consisting of Fulsome, Evans & Case
were preparing to build sawmill at
Garden City. Dilley, Capewell and Abel
were all preparing the site for another
mill in Garden City.
The first store opened in Garden City
was by man named Seaberry, in q
tent. Later FuIsome brought in small
stock OF groceries. Harrington & Cheney
built log building and put in stock
Il, NAr,lrl lin ny1