The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-06-10
STERLING SETTLERS ENJOY THEIR
OUTING; ADDRESS BY JUDGE CRAY

SNeia Hihuleu ou SetticlS gather
ed in Growers grove Sterling. today
and participated in the annual picnic
an event that was thoroughly enjoyed
One of the notable features of the ia,
was tie address delivered by former
Judge Lorin Cray of Mankatp. Hi
address follows: "As the wears 20 by
we 20 not live 81 much in the present
as in the past. While the past may b,
. stepping stone TO the future, at tn,
same time il is 4 part of our very sci
YES. 1t is linked TO Us, and we az,
linked to 1T, with chains which cannot
be broken.
CARED in our immediate nei.hborhooj
is To MS the most interesting OF all
history. We are all familiar with
localities, and are much impressed
with the facts. oar Imagination helps
u 10 see the Indian canoe on our riv-
crs ard lakes ana the tcpee upon the
bank, and later our memory recalls
tnc LOG cabins and rude surroundings
of tie pioneers, followed later by beau
iiful farms and bright cities and vii
laYrs.
The lives of some OF the settlers of
Minnesota are a household word in this
state, bat to the rest of America the
story of their hcroism is barely known
and il il were not for few descend
cnts scattered here aad there, | might
say. absolutely unknown.
"Of their history there is but little.
and what is being handed down to
thc;r children and their chidrcn's
children is being passed along by
means OF just such gatherings as we
are having today. This is particularly
true OF southwestern Minnesota.
u am nett her one of The very early
pioneers of Minnesota, Eor yet an his
toIian. In early life my horizon was
very narrow. Yet | saw and expert
enced Il few of the realities of frontier
Fife of whicn some of YOU saw and eX-
rCricnccd many.
In the early spring of 1889 my faith
cr and my brothcr-in-Iaw started with
t'diio vi oNtH anu tONcltu Ndf.OuS.
from our house near Oshkosh Wis, to
seek location in the west where homes
could be gotten without money and
without price
1t was not definitely determined
where they would 60 but it was to be
somewhere in the great new state of
Minnesota, to us an unknown region.
Pioneer emigration, by the then only
method, the covered wagon and drawn
by oxen. was quite brisk that year. and
inquiry made BY father of explorers
returning for their families, influenced
them to 90 to the western part of
Blue Earth county.
In October of the same wear all
of the earthly belongings of my father.
being my mother, seven children and
handful of household goods, were load
ed into a wagon drawn by pair of
unbrOken steers. and we were ready to
start for our new home. The two
COWS which we had were to be driven
behind the wagon.
My elder brother drove the steers
attached to the wagon, and we, the
younger children, drove the cows, and
IN the short period of precisely thirty
days we reached our new home in the
western part of Shelby.
Now we make the trip in twelve
hours. But. our loads were heavy for
the teams we had, and through Wis
consin sand and good Minnesota mud,
we made scarcely more than ten miles
day. camping at night in and under
our wagons.
The year had been a peculiar one
in Wisconsin,: there had been severe
frost at some time in every month dur
ing the entire summer. and corn and
other produce was badly frost bitten,
and by October first all vegetation was
brown and dead.
But there had been much rain in
Minnesota, evidently preventing frosts,
and when we crossed the great Father
OF Waters at Lacrosse, much swollen
and turbid. we were greeted by green
foliage and the freshness of spring:
vegetation was rank, grass tender crops
good. foliage magnificent. and boy like,
| at once fell in love with Minnesota.
and though it has been my fortune to
visit nearly every state and territory
i'll the Union, that love of good old
Minnesota has never Weakened but
grows stronger and stronger as the
years 60 by.
Entering Blue Earth County
I'VE entered Blue Earth county near
the southeast corner. and went as
nearly directly west as possible, passing
as j remember well Minnesota lake
near the north shore. camping for the
last time before reaching our destina-
ton. very close to the north short of
Lura lake, where we spent the night
While my recollection of the south
ern part of this county is. that it was
mostly low and level. with a wonderful
growth of wild grasses, yet the lands
were all. or nearly all, taken and there
were seen here and there settlers shan
ties, and III some places quite com
Portable houses, until we crossed the
Blue Earth river west of Shclbyviile
when, after leaving the settlers cabins
in or near the river timber the pie
tme was wild and dreary to the very
limit, and save few cabins and claim
shanties in the vicinity of the Mounds.
one could look from the river west,
southwest and northwest, and not an
nor nf hmm g., b,I ~