Meeker County

Litchfield, is named after another unfortunate stockholder of the Railroad company, who, it appears, resides in the -rural village of London, England. The Congressional township was originally called ” Ripley ” from the lake of that name in said town, and the lake was named from the fact that near its banks one Dr. Ripley was frozen to death in the winter of 1855-6, and his remains found and buried in the spring of 1856. Two or three years later the name was changed to “Ness” in honor of Ole Halverson Ness, Esq. This name was taken from the’ name […]

The Indian War formed a tragic episode in the history of Meeker County ‘About 11 o’clock A. M., of Sunday, the 17th of August, 1862, the first deliberate massacre of the brutal Sioux outbreak, took place 13 miles west of Forest City in the town of Acton. Six Indians came first to the house of Robinson Jones, and thence to that of of Mr. Howard Baker, where they deliberately shot five persons, viz: Robinson Jones, Howard Baker, Mrs. Ann Baker, Viranus Webster and Miss Clara D. Wilson, (the last named, at Jones’ house). This was the commencement of that terrible

The Adjutaut General might well be excused in styling us “Irregular” when connected with the fact that the horses were cabbaged upon democratic principles-no partiality being shown among horses or men–all were taken that could be found-in size of horses, from the Indian pony to the trace horse weighing 1,600, with switches from 8 inches to 3 feet long, and soldiers to match from five feet two, to six feet eight, with weight from 100 to 240 lbs, some in stoga boots, and others in nature’s moccasins. The Adjutant General must have been a man of extraordinary genius to have

Any one who understands the Indian trading system, as sanctioned by the Indian Department at Washington, can fill up the balance of the picture those who do not, will never know any more about the origin of the Indian massacre than they do now. On Monday morning the 18th of August, news of the Acton massacre reached Forest City, and in less than an hour A. C. Smith, J. B. Atkinson, Milton Gorton and, a few’ others accompanied by, Mrs. engaged with the inquest a band of eleven mounted Indians came in sight of the place where the people were

The war like Sioux driven to the Rocky Mountains, are compelled to make their last fight (and no insignificant one at that,) for tribal existence. In just one hundred years after the Declaration of our National Independence, the Government is engaged in the expensive, perplexing and perilous effort to drive the last nail in the coffin of American Pagan existence. It will ultimately succeed but at what cost time alone can determine. We are beginning to realize the enormous contract we are pledged to fill. The strength, as well as the bravery of the Sioux, has been greatly misrepresented. They

Harvey. This town was named in honor of James Harvey, who settled in that town in 1860, and subsequently resided at Forest City during the Indian war. Harvey was first settled by John and Thomas Dougherty in 1856. They broke 25 acres of land that summer. A man by the name of McCue came into the town about two weeks ahead of the Doughertys, but soon left. This town was , originally a part of Forest City, but set off, and organized separately in 1867. There were no marriages or deaths in this town till 1870. Dennis Dougherty and Mary

Forest City received its name at the hands of Thomas H. Skinner, who entered the town-site of the U. S. Government in February, 1858. The town had been settled two and a half years previous, and among the first settlers were Wait H. Dart, David Mitchell, W. H. Vanness, T. C. Jewett, John Whalen, Edward Campbell, Dudley Taylor, John Flynn, T. H. Skinner, D. M. Hanson, Dr. F. N. Ripley. R. Schultz, Chas Johnson, J. W. Quick, Matt Standish, John .W. Huy and others. The site of Forest City was originally intended to have been made farther up the river,

The “Guerrilla Guards” consisted of about 35 men and boys, while Capt. Pettit was now stationed here with a full company of U. S. soldiers Apprehending difficulty in making the arrest at Whitcombs quarters. Judge Griswold had made a call on Capt. Pettit of which the following is a copy. To Capt. G. F. PETTIT: Co. B. 8th, Regiment, Minn. Vol’s. Sir: Circumstances are such as to compel me to issue a warrant against, and to deal with, according to law, one Wm. Branham, Geo. W. Waggoner and Cornelius McGraw for a gross breach of the peace, as is alleged.

The first District Court held in Meeker county was in October 1859—Hon. E.. O. Hamlin Judge, and was held in Judge Smiths office. The bar consisting spiritually of Messrs Smith & Willie-Materially of Geo. B. Wrights old draw ing board 1 feet by 7-and the first case tried was that of John Pfeifer vs Peter Steirne–and as the case Was reported in Harpers New Monthly for Nov. 1861, I give the substance of the report from that work. “When Meeker County, Minnesota, was new before lawyers found their way out there, two Dutchmen, Pfeifer and Steirne (brothers-in-law), undertook to cheat