The Sauk Centre herald., 1938-12-29
Sauk Centre 5 Pioneers
And Early Life From 1864

{Ccntinued from Page one)
4 i forgot to mention that this slal
shanty was located near the river
on the east side of the first street
east Of what is now Main Street
The Teller and VanValkenburs
rooms were equipped with hunks
one above, one below-now called
berths.
Fire wood was hauled from north
Of the river for the entire town,
including the stockade. All traf-
fic had to ford the river. Those on
foot could cross on a shaky foot
walk over the dam, a block west,
which is now Main Street. This
dam was washed away at the time
of the terrible downpour, in, I
think, 1870. Many Herald readers
are familiar with the lay, or con-
tour Of the land just north Of West
port Lake. There is a ridge, or
hog back, running from the lake
north just east Of Ashley creek.
That ridge was entirely submerged,
except small spot near the north
end. One standing in a wagon up
on the level land could see the re-
Election or CLINT of the sun on the
water.
In Turtle Lake (now Lake Viii
lard) the grist mill and saw mill
were washed away, as was John
Cannon's home. Cannon was Alex
Moore's miller, both flour and saw.
As Cannon arose in early morning
after the rain ceased, the torrent was
at his door threshold, and there was
no mill by the damn site (sight)
Two were drowned near the old
Hickman farm, north Of town, on
the west side of the Lake. They were
q Mr.. Watson and Newton Park
er. Parker was a brother-in-law of
John Hickman and by the way,
there is now living not far from
the writer's home, Free S. Parker,
a nephew of Newton Parker, and a
schoolmate Of the writer's in 1865
and 1856.
Our first school was taught by
a soldier, stationed at the stock
ade. 1t was in little log house,
south of the stockade and north of
the Merry home. The teachers
name was Coon. Tuition was twen-
ty-five cents per week. Parker
and the writer often get together
and live over days long gone by,
and we seldom disagree over the
many happenings in our boyhood
days. We were both about eight
years old at our first school. Our
second term, one year later, was
in small shanty building across
the street from where the Eastern
Hotel was built many years later.
Some of the kids, who attended the
school were the Boobar kids, EN-,
Oliver, Charley; Byron McCloud,
son Of Sauk Centres first shoe
maker, whose shop was across the
street, (now Main), and a little
south Of the Boobar home; Fred
Martin and two or three sisters;
Ed Moore, son Of the father Of Sauk
Centre; Charley Bedell; Arista Bag
ley; Len Palmer, adopted son of
DR.. B. r. Palmer, then stationed
at the stockade as army surgeon.
The teachers name was Louch. He
had one wooden leg. (To the school
kids, Peg Leg.) A far cry, from
that school, to the school to day.
In those days, pupil slack in his
lessons got the devil belted out of
him, and no foolin'.
My father, in 1867, filed on a
homestead at Westport, on the
south shore of the lake. This tract
had been taken before the Indian
outbreak by Dyer B. Petty John,
and abounded our nearest neighbor,
Norman Shook, three miles distant,
who preceded US three days, and |
the ]. C. Huchins family. At Tur-
tie Lake, the Indians ran the Huch-
ins family out, and they had just
returned. Previous to the return
of the Huchins family and the 10
eating of the Shocks and my father
there was not a>single habitation
between Sauk Centre and Glen
wood. The last home on the trail
was the old Stiles home, some two
miles west Of town.
Ito he continued)