Morris tribune., 1922-11-24
SteOens COUNTY II the Making
and the Men Who Made 1t
BY Chief Justice Calvin L. Brown.
ORGANIZATION OF THE COUNTY

GENERALIZATION Of 1Edn COUN41 I
Though Stevens County was Gre
ated by the legislature in 1852, the
boundaries being somewhat changed
in 1858, it was not organized for gen.
eral purposes until 1871. So far as
now known there were no permanent
settlers in the county prior to the
year 1866, and those coming in after
| that year were not in search of poll
| tical preferment or public office and
were in no haste for a county organi-
zation. For the most part the drst
permanent settlements upon farm
lands were by Scandinavians and
Germans, who had immigrated to this
country in search of homes, and with
view of taking advantage of the
opportunities afforded the new conner
by our homestead laws. the benefits
of which were available to aliens
who on arriving declared their i'm
tention, under the forms or law of be-
coming citizens and subjects Of this
country, though patents were not
granted to them until nnal citizen
: ship papers were issued.
THE MEN WHO ORGANIZED THE
COUNTY
All of those instrumental in organ
izing the county have long since
passed on to that future of which we
know so little. r. M Richardson,
Samuel Larson, J., ID. Good, M L
Torpey, Henry Foss, William Dragoo,
Henry Baldwin. H. B. WolK. Thomas
Thomasson, John r. Folsom, and
many others who will be remembered
I by the old settlers who still survive.
Mr., Richardson was probably the
oldest active man in the county ct
the time. He had been prominent
In many political contests In state
and territorial elections. having
served several terms in the legisla-
ture from the Stearns-Benton Iegis-
lative district, and was an active and
influential factor in the late terri
torial and early state civil and poli-
tical affairs He settled in Stevens
county In 1870. He was appointed
as Register Of Deeds In the, county
Organization proceedings. Henry
Baldwin, -'sOnStn-law OF Mr. Richard
son was named. as County treasurer.
He was q native of Massachusetts,
but came west when a young man,
and had been on the frontier some
time before coming to Stevens county
in 1870 He first opened general
store at Gager's station, so called, but
later moved to the Morris settlement.
Gager's station was located at the
time in large grove Of timber on a
tract Of land some distance north Of
Norris. later owned by Charles Win
ttermute. The story went the rounds
in the early days that when owned
by eager the place was q sort Of
rendezvous or hang out" for horse
thieves, being a secluded place for
the concealment Of stolen horses be-
in taken to only one Dakota in three
days for sale. I do notSvouch for
the story.
M. Z. Torpey who was named as
the frst county auditor was conspic-
uous in the organisation proceedings
and reliance was had upon his know
ledge Of public affairs for a safe and
proper Inauguration Of the ofacial
life Of the county. He was later
Register Of Deeds, held the once OF
chief enrolling clerk of the legisla-
ture Of 1877, and served as the viii
lage postmaster for several years.
Survivors Of the family still reside
at Morris.
William Dragoo was a hardware
dealer and tinsmith at the time Of
the organization Of the county, and