The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1907-08-28

ker, Grand ma Mason, Abiiah North
rop, Chester Fisk, VIM. Potter, l..
%. Root, James Mcmillan, I. NJ.
Bumill, Charles Williams, George
Sanford, S. j. F. Ruter, Birney
Flynn. VIM. Morrill,, Puloski Brough-
ton, D. L. Bigham, Charles Folsom.
Edward March, G. Griswold, d. L.
Hitchcock, and | think one family
of the name of Hardness, then lived
in what is now the corporate limits
of the city.
Outside were Jacob Tiffany, Ed.
Fosgate, S. S. Goodrich, O. C. Mar
tin and Robert Mason, while down
on the Crow Creek there was con-
siderable Of a settlement. | remem-
Der, too, that at that time, Jonas
SALISBURY had residence just about
at the geographical centre of what
is now North Redwood. On the sec
ond of July all of our caravan moved
in house that stood where is now
the residence of Geo. Lechner. On
Bridge street at that time the saw
mill at the falls was running and the
logs that had been in the previous
winter were piled as high as they
could be conveniently and covered
the whole available space from the
mill up to and above Second street
and all of block 16, except Thomas
blacksmith shop and the Northrop
residence lot, where now stands
Hitchcock's drug store. The ravine
between the Huntington and Brooks
property was also utilized by heaps
of logs and a good share Of block 9
the same. There was a 4th of July
celebration to come off soon and it
was about time to gather donations
for grand picnic. 1t was ascer-
tanned that there was scarcity of
flour In the stores. DIR. Hitchcock
took a trip thru the city to see how
much of that independence article
could be found in private families.
When he came to our place ne said
that SO far the only donations he
had secured consisted of butter and
gooseberries. But the day was cele-
brated and the spread was both
plenteous and delicious. Our picnic
grounds were on the bluff, not far
from the residence of Mrs. Newton
nee Butterfeld, on Minnesota ave-
nue.. | suppose there were five
hundred persons, or more, that
dined there that day. | gave list
of those families we found in
Redwood Falls when we arrived
there. In two weeks time the
whole scene was changed, and by
the time winter set in | judge the
was doubled. Worden &
Ruter's mill was finished that fall,
and that drew settlers to the sur
rounding country as well as the city.
That winter in Redwood was a win
ter of business. Lumber must be
had and the virgin forests furnished
it. There were two stores there at
that time Behnke & Bro. had a
store about where Lichtwarck's sa-
loon now is. That, with all its con-
tents, was burned in Feb. 1869, and
the old building on the Francois
corner, recently destsoyed, was
erected at once. Louis Robert had
a stock of goods in what was known
as the Gordon building on block 10.
c. C. Sickle came in July 1867, and
bought lot 6 in block 10 of O. C.
intending to build there
that season but was detained by
sickness until the next year. In the
Hustled & Garvin opened
up a stock Of general merchandise
near the corner of Mill and Second
streets. Close on to them came ".
c. Seward, who launched the Red
wood Mail, which is The GAZETTE
Of today.
Those first years were both pros
porous and happy seasons. Money
was plenty and all that wished en-
ployment could be accommodated.
cannot begin to recount even one
tenth Of the happenings Of those
days. We were an isolated COM
munity. New Ulm was the nearest
point Of any Importance, while to
the west and northwest the prairie
was practically untouched. The red
man was with nc 0nd IN M crnaIl