The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1908-07-03
From Fridays DaiIv.


the city today.
From Fridays DaiIv.
Fifty years ago last Saturday, Mr..
and Mrs. j. w. Sprague plighted
their marriage vows. Rev. j. Z. Con-
rad, the pioneer clergyman of this
vicinity, who has long since passed to
the other snore, performed the cere
mony, and of those who witnessed it,
there are but three survivors other
than the contracting parties them
selves, says The Mapleton Enterprise
Weddings in those days were some
what different from what they are to-
day. Carriages were few and far be-
tween, in fact, there were very few
horses in the country. Mr.. Sprague
on the wedding morning started after
his bride with an OK team, but it be-
ing the most auspicious event of his
life, he was not slow of avaling him
self of an opportunity of hiring a team
of horses to complete the trip after his
bride. The wedding ceremony took
place at the nome of the clergyman in
Ia little log shanty with bark floor, on
the place now owned by j. L. Stevens
Mr.. and Mrs. Sprague commenced
housekeeping in an old log house on
Old Orchard farm, four miles south of
Mapeton, which is still in possession
of Mr. Sprague. The farm, has never
changed hands, but the log house soon
gave way to a frame house which
today is doing duty as granary. 1t
was here that their three children were
Il 10 ,,n1x
Miss Carrie I Sprague, Mrs. G. NJ.
Cooper and Mrs. Frank Phelps. /
Came West in Early Day.
Joseph w. Sprague was otborn at
Moriah. Essex county, New York,
April 20, 1888, while his wife, Sarah
Annis, was horn ait Chelsea, Yer
mont, May II, 1880. Mr.. Sprague in
his younger days attended such schools
as were then in existence and at
an early day took up life's battles.
for himself, working on farms and in
the lumber mills of Pennsylvania and
Canada. Learning of the opportunities
in the fest he started for Minnesota
territory in 1856, walking most Of the
way from Columbus, Wis, to Maple
ton, in fact, every step of the way
here could not have gone much further
because of the swelling of his feet and
limbs from exposure incident to the
| trip. Here he found the Mapleton
colony already located, and being
pleased with the country, determined
to secure for himself farm. Conse-
quently in December of that year Rev.
Conrad who possessed practically the,
only team of horses in this locality,
took six men to Chatfield where the
government land office was then To-
Gated, for the purpose of proving up
on their claims. These men were j. r.
Tinckom, now of Mankato, a Mr.. Bur-
CESS, Smith Green, George Hyatt, w.
N. Tillotson and Mr.. Sprague. Mr..
Tinckom took the farm now owned
by j. E. Drews and Mr.. Burgess To-
Gated near by; Green took quarter
of the old Hartman farm on the east
side of Lura Lake; Hyatt settled on
the John Chase farm and TillotsOn
took the quarter now owned by Oscar
Healy, while Mr.. Sprague took the
farm he still owns on the bank of the
Maple river. the patent from the gov
eminent being signed by President
James Buchanan. In order to prove
up on his farm Mr.. Sprague borrowed
money to pay the government its $l.25
per acre, paying interest at the rate
of four per cent per month. This was
the first and only mortgage that ever
was recorded against his place.
During the Indian troubles Mr.. and
Mrs. Spraglle remained at home, keep
ing virgil at night with an ak near by
as a weapon of defense, the only gun
possessed being away from home for
repairs, and so highly priced by the
repairer that he never returned it to
the possession of the rightful owner.
High Price for Beans.
The year of the wedding. 1858, was
very much the same as the present
year, very wet and the crops practi-
cally a failure Said Mr. Sprague, 81
went to Mankato, swimming the rivers
with my oxen to seeIre a bushel of
beans, for which | paid 81. After max
ing the hard trip and planting them
l harvested nary a beam" Going to
mill at tla9 time was also an ex-
perience to be remembered. The mill
was located at st. Mary's, Waseca
county, and often when the settler
came with a grist he had to wait be-
fore he could secure his -four. why"
said Mr.. 'Sprague, ''the women who
remained at home during the trouble
some times incident to the Civil war.
were drawer than the men who re-
sponded to the nations CALL Left at
home alone with their children In
dams lurking in the forests, food
scarce and hard to get, the conditions
We're indeed such as to try the cour-
age of those left to care for the home.
Well do l remember going to mill at
st. Mary's, expecting to be back in a
few days, only to be detained by
severe weather until my absence had
extended into week. Arriving att