The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-05-10
MATTHEW c, EvENSON,
THE PIONEER, IS DEAD
Came to St. Peter When Place
Known as Rock Bend.
From Fridays Daily.

TToIH TT'udyS DaiIy.
Messages received in st. Peter
yesterday morning announced the
death of Matthew G. Evenson, which
occurred at Sioux City, Iowa, We'd
nesday night, says The Herald.
About month ago Mr.. Evenson
slipped on an icy sidewalk at Sioux
City, and sustained a fracture of
the hip. At his advanced age, sew
enty-nine years, his injury proved of
a very serious character, and all
hope of his recovery was given up
early in the week. In his death
there passes territorial pioneer
of Minnesota, and a man who was
closely identified with the early
events in this community.
St. Peters Oldest Settler.
Mr.. Evenson was literally st. Pc
ter's oldest settler, and his career
was one that was extremely inter
esting. Born in Norway in 1888, he
came to America in 1S49 and set
tied in Dane county, Wisconsin,
moving to st. Paul in 1852. A year
later, accompanied by his brother,
Peter Evenson, and Captain A. K.
Skaro, who was killed on December
16, 1864, while leading a charge of
his company at the battle of Nash
vile, Mr.. Eyenson came to Nicollet
county. At that time there was not
vestige of what is now st. Peter
and the place was known as Rock
Bend. 1t was populated only by In
diaps and halfbreeds, and the out
look was so discouraging that the
three pioneers We're nearly ready to
retrace their steps. A tragic Incl
dent Influenced them to remain.
Now Residence Section.
Only the summer before an east
erner, James Howard, had taken a
claim in what is now the residence
section of the city. Under the ter
ritorial law he was allowed to be
away from his land for six months
at a time, and these periods he
spent at his home in New York
About the time the Evenson party
reached Rock Bend, Howard return
ed from the east and found his
claim in the possession of three
brothers named Kingsley, who had
jumped it.
AS he was attempting to eject
them one of the Kingsleys seized
rifle and gave Howard mortal
wound. The p, trio were at once
r1o al in
cabin at Traverse des Sioux, and
that night. a band of Indians melted
out summary justice. OverpOwering
the officer guarding the prisoners,
they took the murderers to the river
bank, applied tar and feathers, lash
ed them with cats-o'-nine-tails, and
finally set them adrift in canoe.
The Kingsleys made every effort to
escape and never returned to the i
frontier.
Tormented BY savages.
While they were being tormented
by the savages Howard lay dying |
at the trading post and Mr.. Evenson
ministered to him his last hours. !
His final request was to be given
a Christian burial, he offering his |
claim to his new-found friends. Both
of Mr. EvensOn's companions were
without funds, and he financed their /
syndicate by meeting the expenses !
of Towards funeral. Thus he be- !
came one of the three original pre- |
emptors Of the townsite, and the
in, hD wi
occupied by him and his associates. |
During the first summer in the
settlement they quarried rock for a |
warehouse being built at Traverse
des Sioux by General II. H. Sibley.
floating the material down the river
in fiat boat. Settlers came in rap :.
idly, simplifying the problem of ex-
istence, and in 1857 they seemed on
the road to wealth.
Agitation For Capital Removal.
Then the agitation in favor of re-
moving the capital from st. Paul
to st. Peter was at it's height and
town lots assumed fabulous values.
For their tract of $50 acres, be-
queathed them by the murdered
Evenson and Skaro were
offered $4,000 by Governor Willis
A. Gordon, but they refused to part
with it. Then Joe Rolette of Penn
bina disappeared with the capital
bill, and their dreams of
affluence disappeared as suddenly as
they had come.
When President Lincoln issued his
call for volunteers in 1862 Mr..
Evenson enlisted in the Ninth Min
nesota and was made first sergeant
Of Company d. While the volunteers
we're at Fort Smelling word was re-
;eived of the Sioux outbreak of Au-
gust, 1862.
Was at Execution of Indians.
They fastened home and for a
year their regiment guarded the
frontier, Mr.. Evenson being present
1T the execution of the thirty-eight
indians at Mankato. After going
south he participated in a dozen or
more battles, including that at Nash
Vile, where his old comrade, Cap