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


grass near the berry. l stopped to see
what it was and there lay rattlesnake
two feet long his head right near that
berry. l did not pick that berry but l
killed the snake. The woods were full
OF ginseng, the root of which is valued
very highly by the Chinese for medicinal
purposes.
Schools.
Schools in this part of the country
showed that the early settlers believed in
educating their children. The first school
house built in the town was made out of
logs covered with bark in. 1858 on John
Cummins' farm section 27, but no school
was ever taught in it.
Albert Turner built the first farm
house in the town of LeRay on his claim
in section % and Ira B. Reynolds the
first frame barn. Fifty men helped to
raise it on the 9TH of July, 1872.
Decoria Township.
Decoria derived its name from an
Indian chief who lived on the reservation.
1t was organized into township at the
home of j. S. Larkin, October 8, 1867.
The first board of supervisors were: A.
H. Mattison, j. S. Larkin and Jacob
Winnshenk. VIM. Larkin was clerk,
Chas. Rundquist, treasurer. Joshua Ady
was the first permanent white settler.
He settled on section 2, i'll 1865.
Mcpherson Township.
Mcpherson township received its pres
ent name in 1865. 1t originally was at
tached to Mankato township and called
Rice Lake. 1t was organized into a
township by the county commissioners in
1868 and called McClelland. The first
meeting to organize the town was held
at the home of Thomas Dyer in the town
Of Danville, September 10, 1868. John
Low was clerk and Henry Foster of
Mcpherson and j. L. Alexander, now of
LeRay, and r. O. Bartlett, supervisors.
The village of st. Clair has about 800
inhabitants. 1t was first known as Win
nebago Agency, then Hilton. 1t has a
fine high school, good town hall and
four churches and is surrounded by a
large number of enterprising farmers.
Jamestown.
jamestown was settled by the Irish in
an early day coming by the way of st.
Peter. A few of the early settlers were
Americans among them was A. p Davis,
Jake Kerlinger and Henry Robertson.
John Kerlinger came from Maryland. He
bought his farm in jamestown from a
man in Shakopee, giving him an old
watch and a small amount of money.
Henry Robertson bought forty acres of
A. p. Davis then moved to LeRay. We
find the following old settlers in James
town: P. Mullen, Tim, Tom, Mike and
John Murtaugh, P. c. Lyons, o. Sullivan,
J. Smith and Mike Farrell who all came
in 1856. Dan Sullivan came in 1857.
Father Somerson living in Mankato held
mass at Marysburg in very early day.
The church was built in 1857. The vii
lage of Madison Lake, station on the
Great Western is very pretty town
with population of about 300.
Lime Township.
] am indebted to the Hon Jacob Born
for the following facts in regard to Lime
township. Lime is one of the original
towns and was set off by the county
board in April, 1858. 1t contains the
south half of congressional township
100, Range 26, and that half south half
of 100, range 20, lying east of the Min
nesota river. 1t was one of the earliest
settled towns in the county. As early
as July, 1852, we find James Robin and
family located in section 3d. A child of
Robin and wife was the first born in the
town and his wife was the first white
woman who settled here. In 1858, quite
a number of settlers came among whom
we find r. Lewis, H. 7. Fuller, o. S.
Redfield, Robert Wardlow, William
Wood and James Talmaye. The settle
ment from this time was slow until 1856
when settlers came in rapidly. The first
death in the town was that of j. w.
Farnham in the spring of 1855. He
owned what is konwn as the Knowles
farm. The first school house was a
small log structure located on the west
side of section % and east of the old
Sioux City and Mankato road. This
building was used for school purposes
and as dwelling by Daniel Stale. This
was used until few years since when
brick building was erected which was
blown down during a hurricane III 1880.
The district has since erected a frame
house. The town has three school houses,
two frame and one brick. Religious serv
ces were held at an early date in the
Did school house by B. Y. Coffin. l am
unable to give the name of the person
who named the town but think it was ON
account of the large deposit of lime
stone in the western part of the town.
Dur first town board consisted of Daniel
Campbell and Francis Borgmier, supervis-
'rs, and Henry Goodrich, clerk. Names