The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1928-06-07
Complete History of Kandota


Anthony on the Ole J. Johnson
farm; Knute Larson on the Hal.
version farm; Andrew johnson on
the farm now owned by his son,
Ed johnson; Peder Erickson on
the farm now owned by his son
Charles E. Erickson; John Dimon
H. S. Doty, Ira Doty and A. D.
Hale and family and his son D. S.,
and family came here in the fall
of 1866 who settled west of
FAIRY Lake and John S. Baker who
homesteaded the land now owned
by O.. J. Lying and Jens Lying.
The Casey place was also occupied
either by one Davidson or Nels
Nelson who bought the former out
about 1868.
The year 1868 was the banner
year of settlement of this town and
at the end of that year there were
only few scattering pieces of
homestead land left. Between
then and 1871 aso came many of
the Eastern people who had bought
land here. During the hard times
of 1872 and 1878 most of these
Eastern people left never to come
back, and when the country as a
whole began to recover the years
1876 and 1877 the grasshoppers
got everything, and it was not till
1878 the people here began to
make any progress. Heretofore
it was only a matter of living.
Ersnroo fhic ti,,oo NJ
gress was made, so much so that
in 1886 there were 1892 acres in
crop of which 1887 was in wheat,
and 25,093 bushels of wheat was
raised. In 1896 there were 2,206
acres in crop, 1914 in wheat, and
yielded 20,3O1 bushels.
At the present not half as many
acres are planted in wheat as
was 80 years ago. Last year and
for several years before there was
something like 700 acres in wheat.
In 1897 there was reported 1875
milk cows in the town, about as
many as four of our best dairy
farmers have today.
Last year the amount received
for cream in this town was about
$4,000 while livestock and poul-
try sold exceeds the price of but
ter fat sold.
There were many hardships here
in early days and little income
but there was one thing in which
there was great contrast between
then and now-that is taxes. The
writer has before him tax list
of this town of taxes for the year
1898 and it shows the taxes on the
William Parkinson farm, which is
taken as an illustration because
there has been no changes in i'm
provement since. In 1898 the tax
was SIS. AZ; the current tax il
$84.58. In spite of the expensive
times in al respect the assessor re-
ported better than $16,OOO.OO in
and credit last year.
This town has had many men
who. has been or became promi-
nent, among those can be named
J. o. Milne who was a leading
spirit in all local affairs and repre-
scented the legislative district in
the state senate. ]. B. Jones, a son
of John Jones, was elected Register
of deeds of Todd county. He serv-
ed while he was Co. Supt. of
both in the house and
senate in the legislature; was clerk
of the Supreme Court and regist-
err of the U. S. Land office at Cass
Lake. He was until his death
few years ago a leading lawyer in \
Long Prairie. M. B. Milne, SON
of the aforesaid J. o. Milne is a
prominent minister in the Baptist
church.
Two sons of Drayton S. Hale,
both born here, were members of
Congress at the same time, one
from the Second district of Ten
uessee, a brother from some dis
trict of Kentucky. The writer new
er knew any of them as they left
here very young. They must have
been good men first because they
were born in Kandota. 1t took
good man to be elected to congress
as a Republican in Tennessee.
We have had many men here
who have been prominent in local
affairs. OF those who have passed
beyond can be named are Ole Oh
son, for 20 years on the town
board and for some 80 years
member of the school board;
Charles jacobson and Otto Warner
also were on the town board for
20 years; MIR. Jacobson was also
Town Treasurer.
OF those still living who are
among the most active are Theo-
dore Barnes, now a resident of the
Isle of Pines, Cuba; Nels Jacob
son, still resident of the town;
both served several years on the
town board. Of those who are yet
active in the affairs of the town
can be mentioned: Carl Wicklund,
as assessor, and Louis Reese of the
town board; Jonas Eckberg who
has held the office of town clerk
rs years. Probably the most &C
tive man in the public affairs of
the town today is Oscar J. Lying,
chairman of the town board, a po-
sition he has held for Is years. He
was unanimously reelected for an
other term of three years at the
March election. Mr.. Lying has
been director and president of
the Sank Lake Creamery, at Sank
Centre for a number of years.
Among the has beens of the town
is the writer, who came here in
1872, at the age of IL years and