The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1937-05-27

OUT CQelr IdIulu0S were ~. u. Mar.
tin, T. w. Caster, George Charter,
Pom Angel and David Watson,
the surveyor. He erected the first
frame house inside the stockade
as the other five were of logs.
Birney Flynn also visited here
that winter. The only people who
lived outside the stockade that
winter were George Johnson and
his son Marion Johnson who came
here in October, 1864, slept one
night in the stockade and then
located on the banks of Tiger
Lake on the town line of Homer
and Paxton. have had many in
teresting visits with Marion john
son as he had known my father
very well.
In the spring of 1865 DR.. D. L.
Hitchcock came with his family
and moved into the east end of
the McPhail cabin and as the
Thompson family had the west
end which had a small lean to
and McPhails lived in the middle,
this made three families. But as
pioneers always do, they manag-
ed. Hospitality was watchword
in those times. Then came Birney
Flynns, the Martin family joined
Mr.. Martin here and the Charter
and Watson families. All lived in
the stockade.
February 9, 1865 Captain Louis
Robert arrived bringing with him
stock of goods and the next day
opened the first store, also in the
stockade. He made his first sale
to Julia Williams, the school tea
cher, selling her 10 yards of calico
, at 60 cents per yard, $500. 1t is
generally conceded she was the
first school teacher in Redwood
county, though the government
for several years previous tried to
| have a school at the lower agency.
| Of the real early school records
! we have not located any but are
fortunate in having the record
books of the years 1874 and rs for
School District l. The school
teachers in 1874 were G. w.
| Grannis, B. H. Truman and E. j.
Lewis and in 1875, Mr.. and Mrs,
E. j. Lewis, mother and father of
Sinclair Lewis, Emma Chapman
and Alice Lyman. They show the
names of pupils, ages, parents,
school visitors and salaries OF
teachers and contain most OF
the names of the children
of the first settlers. These registers
were given to Mr.. Knudson by A.
E. King when he bought Mr.
Kings insurance business when
he and Aunty King moved to Cal
ifornia.
In the fall of 1865 Roberts err
ected a store, outside the stock
ade, and the Behnke Brothers
from New Ulm, the second store
on second street. They started the
building July II and it was ready
for occupancy July "a, and a dan
ce in the building which was Ia
by 80 feet and one and one-hal1
stories high celebrated the COM
| pletion.
The third store owned by
Stickles and Scott, started in 1868
at the corner where the old state
bank stood later.
BY July 1865 quite few fam
lilies were living here and they
decided to have Fourth of July
celebration. A new saw mill own
ed by McPhail, Thompson, Brand
and Martin was just finished and
the first log sawed was donated
by Birney Flynn and the boards
used to build tables to spread the
big dinner on lin the park. The
ladies had made a flag which was
put in service and the Colonel
! was orator of the day.
We note John H. Thomas ar
rived about this time and was the
first blacksmith here, later erect
ing where his home stood for
many years frame blacksmith
shop which at the time was the
best building here. Their home as
we know is now the golf club
house. Mr.. Thomas in 1870 mar
ried Hannah Longbottom as her
parents and brothers had come in
1869 and also lived in the stock
ade The parents came up river
on boat and landed about where
the Weiss hotel is at North Red
wood, but the others came over
land from Mankato. The A. A.
Wilson and William Knapp fam
lilies came a little later and all
spent the balance of their lives
here.
My fathers people had located