Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-08-26

tinuous hills in the county-at least
that we have met with as yet. Re-
stralnlng our desire of taking q pict-
ure OF every striking view that met our
eye, we arrived at the Erick Dahlberp
home in time for dinner. And We
were served a repast fit for king.
After the severe exercise of mountain
climbing our appetites were sharp,
and we tried to do. justice to Mrs.
Dahlberg's cookery with keen rel
ish. Mr.. Dahlberg is secretary of the
Swedish Mission church of New Lon
don and here we secured notes from
those records. Leaving our hospit-
able friends, we took the road north
past Timber Lake. We secured more
views, one of them the Oldest house in
the county-one used as q school,
house near the townsite of Columbia
in the ffties-since moved to Colfax.
where for many years it has served as
residence and postoffice. We had au
Interesting interview with Olof Olson.
who with his father, Erick Olson,
were among the very first settlers of
Colfax. In the evening we came to
the home of George Johnson, who
with true Swedish hospitality took us
in, sheltered us for the night and gave
US an early start in the morning for
another hard days work, refreshed in
body and spirit.
We could not pass by old Mount
Tom, whose rounded top we had seen
from so many an eminence, without
an ascent. We secured view of
Lake Prairie from the summit. Later
we reached the home of G.. S. Geer.
clerk of Dist No. 10, one of the ear1i-
est settlers upon the prairie, the GUS
todian of church and o,her records.
Here we were busy until in the AFTER
noon. We had dinner With the pleas
ant old people. Mr.. Geer gave US a
great deal Of interesting information.
All the Geers, past and present, of
this county are the descend ants of Al
ba Geer, who in turn was the son of
Israel Geer, who came from England
in Colonial times. Alba Geer had
i've sons, one of which, Cyrus, was a.
captain with the Green Mountain bows
in the Revolutionary war, One of his
daughters was Mrs. Anthony Coffaa.
who died in this county. His two
sons, Sheldon and Alphonso, became
the heads of the two Geer families
who have resided in Colfax and Bur-
bank. George S., Lewis P. and Chas.
w. were sons of Sheldoa Geer. Lew
is and Charles Geer were both heroes
with Co. D, of the First Minnesota,
and both were wounded in the famous
charge at Gettysburg. Lewis p. died
at Burbank in 1867 and Chas. w.
lives in Oregon. Horatio P, Charles
S., Marion D and Orange S. are four of
the ten sons of Alphonso Geer. Two.
of the brothers-Elisha and Orlando
enlisted in the Ninth Minnesota and
died at the Andersonville prison from
the mistreatment received.
Our week was drawing to close,
and we had yet one school district to
look up. We were obliged for lack of
time, to forego to visit others who
possess information which one who
wou write township history should
know. We hope yet for another op-
portunity to visit Burbank before the
forms close for our book. By the
way, Dist No. 10 claims among her
old pupils larger number of school
teachers than any other country dis
trlct IN the county. Twenty-Five teach-
ers were counted offhand, who at
some time were pupils in No. 10, six
or seven of which are Normal school
graduates. And true to her past, she
this year leads off with q first-grado
teacher and an eight months school.
The teacher this fall will be Miss
, Winnifred E. Wickland of Wright
county.
District No. 81. was the one remain
ing district, M. O Batterberry being
the clerk. Our visit at the Batterber-
ry home was made interesting by the
inimitable Irish wit of that old veteran
OF Co. E. Eighth Minnesota, NJ. Bat
terberry. He located his homestead
in 1863, the same having been previ-
ously abandoned by one Christian
Johnson. >
Next week we expect to visit tha
Township of Norway Lake.
| V. E. L.
Lake ljtlian Death,