The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1907-08-21
drew Birum, all are gone now.
MAY be | be the next one, said
the old pioneer cheerfully.
HISTORICAL NOTES.

Redwood county was a big county
when first set apart by the legis-
lature Of 1865, taking in all that
territory now comprising the coun-
ties Of Redwood, Lyon, Lincoln,
Yellow Medicine and Lac qui Parle,
extending from the Minnesota river
to the western boundary of the
state, and from the southern boun-
Diary of this county to Big Stone
lake on the north. Lyon county was
set off in 1869, Lac qui Parle and
Yellow Medicine in 1871 and Lincoln
in 1873, from Lyon county.
The first election of county off
GERS was held before the county was
legally organized, the legislature Of
1865 legalizing the election of J. S.
G. Homer, j. R. Thompson and O.
G. Martin as county commissioners,
T. w. Caster auditor, Jacob Tip
perry treasurer, j. S. G. Homer reg
lister of deeds and ]. r. Thompson
sheriff. It would thus appear that
there were not only enough offices
to go round, but to give two apiece
to Homer and Thompson.
The regular election of 1866 made
0. G. Martin, Hugh Curry and John
Winters commissioners, Edward
March auditor, L. M. Baker register
of deeds, Jacob Tippery treasurer,
Birney Finn clerk of court, Samuel
McPhail judge of probate and coun-
ty attorney, Norman Webster sher-
iff.
The first white child born in this
city is supposed to be Harry Thomp-
son, born February Of 1865, and the
first death was that Of Willie Hon
ner, in April of the same year.
The first store opened in the town
was that of Capt, Louis Roberts,
and the record is that the first
school ma'am, Miss Julia Williams,
made the first purchase at this store
"a dress pattern Of ten yards of
calico at the bargain price of sixty
cents per yard.
The first blacksmith shop opened
in Redwood Falls was in the spring
of 1866, by John Thomas, who is, we
believe, the ranking oldest inhabi-
tant in Redwood Falls today. And
the old shop on the alley back Of his
residence is one of the few build
ing relics still standing here, after
AZ years of service.
The first postoffice was established
in the fall of 1866, with j. r. Thomp-
son postmaster.
There was government saw mill
at the falls before the first white
settlement was started in 1864. In
1865 Col. McPhail, O. C.Martin, Lee
Brand and Thompson started pri-
vate mill, and the first log sawed,
furnished by Birney Finn, was cut
up for picnic tables for fourth of
July celebration in this vicinity.
The first religious service we have
any record of was at John Honner's
house in August Of 1866, conducted
by a Baptist minister. The first
school house was built of logs in the
fall of that year, but even before
that time, the few settlers in the
stockade had school in the fall and
winter of 1864. with Miss Julia A.
Williams of Minnesota Lake for
teacher the girl who paid S. for
the first calico dress pattern sold
here. That the first settlers were
not Indifferent to the claims of re-
ligion and education is further evil
denced by the fact that they held a
lyceum in the winter Of 1866.
The first marriage ceremony in
this county was performed by Squire
| @. G. Martin April 10th, 1865, be-
low the falls of the Redwood, Geo.