The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-06-26

part of Blue Earth county naturally con-
sists of the towns of Lime, Jamestown,
LeRav. Mankato, Mcpherson, and De-
coria. These six towns excepting De-
coria and the south half of Mcpherson,
were formed of territory commonly
known as the big woods. This timbered
part of Minnesota extends from near st.
Paul south over eighty miles to line
bounded by the LeSueur river and this
part of the county extends from the Min
nesota river to the east line of the
county near Smiths Mill. This part OF
country is extremely picturesque,ab abound
inc in varied and beautiful scenery. 1t
has number of large lakes among which
are Washington lake, in the northern
part of jamestown, and Madison lake IN
jamestown and LeRay. Madison lake is
one of the largest and finest lakes in
southern Minnesota. 1t is fine summer
resort. These six towns at the census of
1900 had the following Humber of inhabi-
tants:-Lime, $50; LeRay, l,431; Nc
Pherson, liza; jamestown, ass; Man
kato, 1867; Decoria, 9lS; Madison Lake
village, 800; Eagle Lake village,
a total of 5,426. The old settlers founu
most all the tillable land in these towns
covered by heavy timber, consisting of
maple, hard and soft, red oak, white
oak, white elm, red elm, Eastwood iron
wood, box elder, cottonwood, white and
black ash, blackberry and willow large
enough for saw logs, also black cherry.
was once the bed of a great lake and as
it was drained the parts that came to
land lying between the lakes and marsh
es. All the lakes abound in fish and in
ali early day were covered by the wild
aquatic fowls, geese, duck and swans.
To clear up and make the beautiful
in these towns required the brawny arm
and courage of youth. What to do with
the big trees that stood in the way of
corn and wheat fields was the question
of the early settlers in the sixties, and
not until 1870 was the question settled.
Then what was then known as the Wi
mona and St. Peter railroad was built
through the towns of LeRay, Mankato,
and Lime opening up market for wood
and ties. To show what the early settler
valued lis timber and what he would
give to get rid of it | will give as his
tory what one man did.
Mr.. A. c. johnson sometime in 1857 or
1858 entered the southeast quarter OF
Section p, town of LeRay. In Decem-
Der 1.-THE 10TH, 1856, my brother Alvin P.
Reynolds came to Mankato. He helped
Jerome Wetherby drive cattle from May
vile, Dodge county, Wis. Wetherby en-
tered the northeast quarter of section 26
in LeRay. My brother went to work
for Johnson and they put up one of the
first log houses in the town. The heavy
timber stood all around the home and
Mr.. Johnson gave my brother forty acres
of the hundred and sixty acres for cut
ting the timber on fifteen acres so 1T
could be piled up and burned, placing no
value on the timber. On this same l6O
acres | have cut 100 ties worth $50 and
twenty cords of wood worth $50, or 500
worth of wood and ties from one acre.
In fact there was no value in the timber
only what was wanted for use on the
farm before the railroad was built.
1t is evident that all kinds of wild
animals roamed over the land in these
big woods. Beaver dams are found
everywhere and l have plowed out the
entire bones of two buffalo. Up to 1850
but very few white men had visited this
part of the county.
Political and Social.
A. P. Reynolds who came to LeRay in
1856, says our first election was held in
1857 at George A. Berries house. John
Cummins, Geo. Bennett and George A.
Berrie were elected supervisors and A. c.
johnson, clerk l do not remember who
was elected to the other offices. One
man voted twice and was prosecuted and
paid his fine in potatoes. Jerome Dane
was LAWYER for the town and there was
lots of fun over the matter. There was
nothing raised in the woods but turnips,
potatoes and corn. The winter of '57
and SO, we ground ir coffee mill eigh-
teen bushels of shelled corn and the meal
was mixed up with water and baked in
to Johnny cakes.
In giving the history of the early
settlement of this part of Blue Earth
county it is impossible to give the name
of the first white man who came here to
make it his home. Alvin p. Reynolds,
now living in South Dakota, says he
came in 1856 and gives the following
named persons as living east of Mankato
city in the big woods: John Cumming,
Mr.. Bennett, ST., who lived at Tlvoli;
Jerome Wetherby, William Burgess,
Chester Ewers, John Small, M. D. Nc
Namara, George Bennett, John Burgess,