Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1913-07-02


Old Settlers Association by Miss Edith
Tait.]
Ladies' and Gentlemen. and our old
Pioneers: have been asked by the Com
mittee of the Old Settlers Association
to give an account of the early Scotch
settlements at Harrison, which were
made by my father and uncles and 9TH
ers from their native beloved Scotland.
from their native beloved Scotland.
They came here to make a home in a
land which was then only a wilderness
and where nothing was heard but the
songs Of wild birds and warwhoop Of
the Red man.
The first Scotch settlers were the four
TAFT brothers, Mr.. Campbell, the Messrs.
David and Henry Stewart, Mr.. Hugh
Sanderson, Mr.. VIM. Martin, Mr.. Wat
son and Mr.. McCrimmon. The first of
these to come to Diamond Lake was Mr..
Campbell, who came here with a town
site company.
A spot on the north shore of Diamond
Lake was selected and laid out as a
townsite under the name of st. Johns.
Here they left James Campbell in charge
during the winter Of 1S56-1S57, in order
to hold their rights OF the company. He
lived here for a year, then sold out to
Mr.. Gates.
Among those who were first induced
to come to Diamond Lake by the adver-
Using done by the st. Johns tOwnsite
company were the Taits and Wheelers.
John TAFT, the oldest Of the TAFT bro
theirs and now one of the oldest and
most highly respected citizens of Kan
diyohi County, was the next to come up
to this County.
John TAFT landed in New York, in
July, 1S49, and came directly to Wall
pun, Wis, where he worked for some
time He was married in Westfield,
Wisconsin, and on their wedding day,
Mr.. and Mrs. TAFT started out to seek
a new home in the wilds Of Minnesota
They intended to settle in the southern
part Of the state near Blue Earth, but
finding nothing but prairie there, they
decided to seek some other location
where they could get some timber for
building. At Blue Earth every one was
talking about the town of st. Johns
which was supposed to be a little WILL
age on the north shore of Diamond
Lake. after hearing SO much about
this wonderful town, they decided to
set out for the place, which they reach
ed in July. They found st. Johns to
be a town which existed on paper on
ly. But the country was all that they
could desire, so John TAFT staked out
his claim where his home now is, and
his brother, Adam, who accompanied
him on the trip took an adjoining claim.
They underwent many hardships and
trials but Mr.. TAFT always had his kind
and helpful wife to cheer him on. Mrs.
TAFT was grand and nOUle woman. To
know her was to love her,
At the time of the Indian outbreak,
Mr. John TAFT was elected captain of
the little company. He took his family
to Westfield, Wis, where he rented land
for year. He then returned to Forest
City, and in the summer of 1855 again
took possession Of his old homestead
where he has since made his home and
which he has made one of the finest
farms in Kandiyohi County. MIR. Adam
TAFT came with his brother John ane
staked his claims where his home now
stands. Here on this land he erected
little shanty and there underwent man!
hardships such as one would on the
frontier Mr. Adam TAFT and Ton
Wheeler were the first to so to Acton
to investigate the truth of the rumors
which they had heard about the Indian:
on the war path. Mr.. TAFT can tell man.
interesting stories about his adventur'
with the Indians and his time spent a
st. Cloud.
In the fall of 1857 James and Rober
TAFT came to this County and located OF
claims where they are still living. I
part of the time during the first few
years, they made their home at thei
brother Johns cabin. At the time o
the Indian outbreak, Robert TAFT wa
with his brother James at Fort Aber
crcmbie. They were breaking land il
the Red River Valley, for the Burban
Company. 1t was just across the rive
from the fort. They were the first t
turn the sod of the Red River Vale
which now leads in it's production .
wheat.
When the news came that the Indian
had massacred every one at the Brock
enridge Hotel, short distance up tn
river and were on their way to the For
Robert and James TAFT left their Wor
and went to the fort at once. Inc
were no more imam safely ulS1ue WIG
the Indians opened fire from their plac
of concealment in the brush and timbe
on the opposite side Of the river. The
kept up the siege for about six weeks
The brothers had all the Indian expel
fence they wanted before the fort wa
relieved by Captain Freeman's and Car
tain Taylor's companies. ~
After the siege, they both returned :
their claims at Diamond Lake, wheI
they have lived ever since. They are a
still hale and hearty though they ar
past three score and ten years. The
are typical Scotchmen and endowed wit
sturdy mental vigor, characteristic :
the Scotch people.
Mr.. Dave Stewart was another of tn
Scotch settlers, who came from Yves
field, Wis, in the fall of 1859. He Il
Gated there for some time. Then whe
the Civil war broke out and the ca
came for more soldiers, he enlisted
2 the Wisconsin regiment and was goI
for number of years. When the WE
closed he returned to his claim on Sc
tiDn IS, where he lived with the famil
until his death. -. 81 az5.
His widow and son are still livin