The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1937-06-03
FIRST ELECTION
IN COUNTY Held
INSIDE STOCKADE
FIRST COURT TERM IN
JUNE 1867 LASTED
SEVEN DAYS

Following is the second and
final inStalInlent of the paper ON
the early history of Redwood
Falls giUen at Twentieth Cent
ury club meeting here recently by
Minnie M. Lee KnudSOn.
We also note the A. Henle fam
lily were among the first settlers
of New Ulm and Mrs. John Lau-
terbach Sr. was one of the first
children born there. In 1865 the
citizens here, which really includ-
ed all the settlers around also in
what was still a part of Brown
county held an election in the
stockade with a view to the for
nation of a new county at which
officers usual in counties were
elected. This was premature and
illegal but was legaliZed by the
legislature when it met in the fall
and Redwood county then was set
off from Brown county And our
County dates from this date, 1865
but the boundaries then are not
those of today as four large coun-
ties have been formed from this
extensive territory. They were
Lyon county from the western
portion in 1869, Lac qui Parle in
same year, 1869, Yellow Medicine
county in 1871 and since this date
Redwood county boundaries have
remained unchanged though in
1873 Lincoln county was formed
from part which had been set
off as Lyon county.
Officers were then elected at
general election, those elected
being, county commissioners, O.
G. Martin, Hugh Curry and John
Winters; auditor, Edward March;
register deeds, L. M. Baker; trea-
surer, J. Tiperry; clerk of court
Birney Flynn; judge of probate,
Sam McPhail; sheriff, Norman
WeSter.
We note the first term of court
was held here June, 1867, lasting
seven days. There was trial of
New Ulm murder cases brought
here as there was such a strong
Feeling there the judge thought
change of venue was necessary.
We should have stated Colonel
McPhail located the townsite on
the land he had taken, though
small part was on the Caster
claim. McPhail soon buying this
though so that the first deeds are
either signed by Sam McPhail
and his wife Martha or by one
named Philip Osborn as he was
holding agent for McPhail and
many of the abstracts bear his
name as original owner.
McPhail had the land surveyed
by Watson and sold the lots,
twenty for 500 dollars, but no
one knew which lot he was
buying as this was to be decided
by a drawing and the twenty
might be some distance apart. At
the time for the drawing he found
he had sold more lots than he sur
veyed, so hastily had more sur
veyed. have here two of these
original deeds made to John H.
Thomas and both bearing govern
nent stamps for duty, fifty cents
being required on deeds up to
$500 and one dollar for deeds over
that amount and for each addit-
ional $500, fifty cents. The first
one made October 1, 1866, bears
a stamp marked Original pro-
cess, witnessed by Watson, Char
ter and Martin. Watson was also
the stage coach driver between
here and st. Peter. But the legal
part of the town business was
still in somewhat of an morgan
lied state especially as to bound
aries, as practically all of Red
wood county was voting here
with the town and it was not till
1880 that the county was thor
oughly organized by the legisla-
ture.
According to records, the first
religious services were held at the
Homer home by Baptist clergy
man but no church organized; the
Presbyterian church was estab-
lished March "a, 1867 and the
Methodist was established Octo-
Der, the same year. The Episco-
pal was established some years
later in 1875 and the Christian
and others later. The first school
and church services in south part
of the county were held in the D.
j. Sheffield home in Brookville
and have here my mothers
teachers certificate dated July
10, 1868. She taught in the wood
shed of her home and had gone
to Rochester to school before this,
going to and from on the old stage
coaches and likely was driven by
our old surveyor, David Watson.
A letter written in the spring of
1869, and bearing the thumbed
stamp on the envelope, shows us
that letter writing was an art at
that time.