The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-07-04

of May 26, 1858, and has lived here
continuously since that time. She
was then Laura Maxfield, the daugh-
ter of George Maxfield.
Mrs. Beatty was born in a little
village near Columbus, Ohio, and
lived there until she was in her
twelfth year. Her father and James
Hanna, whose wives were sisters,
hen decided to come west and so
n the early spring of that year they
went by rail to Cincinnati and then
5y boat down the Ohio, up the Mis-
issippi and landed at ST. Paul. They
ook their families with them and
here were number of children in
each family. Provisions for a year
we're secured in st. Louis.
Mr.. Maxfeld and his brother-in-
'aw, Mr.. Hanna, left the families in
st. Paul and they came to Mankato.
One of the Hanna children was taken
seriously sick in st. Paul and died
here. Very soon after her death
he two women and their children
came to Mankato on the boat "Clar-
on" which had much to do with the
,arly history of Mankato.
Looked Out on a Pretty Morning.
The boat landed in Mankato in the
light and early on the morning of
May 26 little Laura Maxfield was up
md looking at the few buildings on
and. She said that she never saw
| prettier morning. The grass was
several inches high and was covered
with glistening dew drops so that it
looked like large carpet spread
over the land. Breakfast was served
IN board the boat and then the two
antilles landed. That was the
welfth birthday of the little girl,
Ind so she remembers the date very
well.
There were two rooted buildings
the town, the residences of Henry
Jackson and P. X. Johnson But
there was a large warehouse located
where the City Hall now stands
which was partly finished. The two
antilles moved into that building,
The roof was completed and that was
the home of Laura Maxfield during
that entire summer.
Her father then pre-empted $50
acres of land on which the stone
quarries are now located. A house
was built there and the family moved
70 it in the fall.
Going to School.
Early in the fall school was open
ed in the Hanna residence by Miss
Sarah Hanna and Laura Maxfield and
Ter brother and sister attended the
school. The. next year Miss Mary Ann
Thompson who later became Mrs A.
Y. Dukes, taught school and the
;hildren attended that school. Dur
ing the following years she attended
schools taught by l.. G. NJ. Fletcher,
Mr.. McKelyie, o. o. Pitcher and ].
R. Beatty. During the time that Mr..
McKelvie taught the school it had
the very pretentious name of South.
srn Minnesota University.
Mrs. Beatty continued to go to
school until the winter of 1S6O-61,
when Mr.. Beatty organized a COM
pany of soldiers, many of whom were
his pupils in school and left for the
south, to take part in the Civil War.
During the next two years no events
Of great Importance took place in
Miss Maxfeld's life, butt February,
1863 she was united in marriage with
Captain J. R. Beatty
Watched Towns Development.
From that time she has lived in
Mankato as formerly and has enjoy
ed watching the development of the
town from little village to city.
She lis the mother of four children,
two of whom also live here. The
children are Mrs. j. w. Schmitt,. Miss
Belle Beatty, Mrs. K F. Orr of Idaho
and John G. Beatty of st. Croix
Falls.
The years have no doubt made
many changes in Mrs. Beatty. but to-
lay she is woman who is young
n spirit and who enjoys her very