The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1914-05-19
Julius A. Schmahl Writes of Career,
Character And Achievement of
Col. Samuel McPhail
BELIEVED IN CITY'S FUTURE
Fought in Mexican and Civil Wars,
Took Part in Indian Troubles,
Built Redwood Stockade
(By Julius A. SchmahD

10y JULIUS "A. OcnIndUl)
There is grave out near Taunton,
Alta Vista township, Lincoln county,
this state, occupied by the remains
of the founder of the present city of
Redwood Falls, and my attention is
never called to the quaint old charac-
ter, who in life was Col. Samuel Nc
Phail, without thought springing
from my brain cell that frequently
men live too long to be honored In
death, for if the remarkable men had
passed away while still living in the
town he founded the citizens would
have insisted that he be given pub
lie funeral and that his remains be
placed in some central plot of the
city. and over the spot erect tablet
concentrating some of the deeds
that made him so conspicuous before
he passed into the winter of his life.
Founded Redwood Falls
He founded Redwood Falls before
the writer was. born. But a few years
after the founding, and when the.
town was still on the frontier, when
the prairie schooners, loaded with
settlers for still more western points
passed through it's one business
street, when our family had migrated
from st. Peter to the new communi-
ty, and when most of US boys paraded
around barefooted and with shirt
tails protruding from the rear of our
knee breaches, he became friend
ly person, fatherly person, and one
upon whom all of us looked with a
great deal of reverence.
Court house square was laid out
by him just as it is now. He anti
cipated big town in generations to
come. He fancied that the square
laid out so as to be cut by Third and
jefferson streets, would always be a
spot on which the commons might as
semble.
Celebrated The Fourth
Even before we moved to Redwood
Falls-yes, even before the town con-
tanned more than thirty or forty in
habitants, the old Colonel, in his pat
riotic feeling, as a Fourth of July
rolled around, contended that Red
wood Falls must have a celebration
of that national day. He was the
big celebrant for the community, and
through him the program was ar
ranged, and the little publicity given.
The day appeared. 1t was rainy.
The time came for the Grafton and
the Colonel had made himself the
orator of the day. The only other
person present was bulky individual,
whose name has passed out of my
mind, and who was more or less on
an individual celebration. Nothing
daunted the Colonel, however, and
arising to speak, he remarked that
the audience was both large and re-
spectable-the individual being large
and the speaker being respectable.
Witness A Real Duel
In the early 70's, when the best
mother ever had, and there are
none better, was struggling under
adversely to bring up large family
she struggled to find employment for
all of US, and still keep us in school
during six months of the school sea-
son. To my brother, Otto, and my
self, was secured the very tedious
job of herding such of the cows as
belonged to the villagers for milk
ing purposes. Our range was along
the road leading to North Redwood,
and down in the hollow to the west
of that road. 1t was while engaged
in this occupation on warm sum-
mer day that both of us received the
worst fright of our Juvenile lives. 1t
appears that an hour before Col. Nc
Phail and Mr.. Gates had INDUCED in
a quarrel up town, and chasing
tournament followed. Anyway, down
the road where it now crosses the
rayine inst before reachinp the ceme-