Meeker County

Means Township. 118, north of the base line, and 29 west of the fifth principal meridian, according to the United States survey, and so of the other towns hereinafter mentioned): Collinwood; so named by the first settlers who came from Collinwood, Canada. For a few years prior to its actual settlement it was known as New Virginia. The first permanent settlements were made in May, 1866, by Oliver Rasnick, Jacob Hutchins, Thomas Hutchins, Henry Fuller and George Fuller. Town organized May 8, 1866. O. Rasnick was the first justice of the Peace. The first death in the town was a […]

Few men had more difficulty in getting out of the prairie than our townsman Andrew Nelson the following is but one week of his life: Mr. N. a native of Sweden and but slightly acquainted in county at the time, was a single man and residing in Monongalia county. On the 21st of August 1862 he was engaged at Foot’s place having, with several other parties. About 4 P. M. his brother-in-law. Swanson, passed Foot Lake and gave the first alarm-Nelson spent some time in assisting Swanson, who had a wife and three children to get under way-with but an

In a former chapter, we gave the date of settlement of each town in Meeker County, and the names of a few of the earliest settlers. We now propose a random account of circumstances and incidents such as we think will not only interest the readers at this day, but be of more material value in the future. In this we are not confined to civil and judicial history, for while we were considered as “afar off” on the frontier, carving or trying to carve out a name and a future for our county, we found a national war of

Meeker County Immigration-Norwegians- Christiania Port Thanks to Sheryl, Minnesota State Coordinator for providing this information Meeker County

On the 24th, of August, orders were issued to Col. B. F. Smith, commandant at Fort Snelling, directing him to arm and equip the company of troops under command of Captain Strout then of the l0th Regiment, and detail them to proceed “to Forest City and such other places in the vicinity as expediency might require, for the purpose of protecting and assuring the inhabitants of that region.” As heretofore narrated in Chap. VI, p. 64, Strout arrived at Forest City on the eve of the 27th of August, and went into camp near the residence of Judge Smith, and

Of the early settlers in the county, many of them remain, while others have gone to parts unknown, or paid the debt of nature. There are from 75 to 25 voters who now reside in the county who were here prior to the commencement of the Indian War. The financial crisis of 1857 and ’58 did not facilitate a very rapid growth to Meeker County. At the commencement of the civil war, she had about 300 voters. No county in the State furnished Meeker, the first installment in 1861 and the second in 1862-3. Over 125 men from the county

Christian, Swedish and Catholic Churches This church was organized in 1871 with a membership of 38 persons, by Elder L. Y. Bailey. Trustees-Chauncy Butler, G. B. Lyon, V. H. Harris. Membership in 1876, about 40. Present officers Chauncy Butler, S. W. Leavett, V. H. Harris. The names of the clergymen officiating in this church, Rev. L. Y. Bailey, F. Grant, John Ains worth and J. McReynolds. Sunday school number 50 children. This church owns two lots of ground and has a church edifice costing $4.000 no debt. Mr. Ovid Butler of Indianapolis Ind. contributed $1,000 toward the erection of the

When Captain Strout was informed that a party of Indians were camped about three miles off there was considerable excitement among the boys, but few slept that night. The old condemned Belgian guns furnished Captain Strout’s men by Uncle Sam to scare the red men with, and which most of the men thought they would have no use for, were quickly examined, and it was found that only about one in five had ammunition that would fit, and the boys were kept busy till daylight preparing ammunition that might soon be needed. By the time it was fairly daylight, breakfast

On the 24th of August Capt. Strout was ordered to Forest City via Glencoe and Hutchinson but deeming Forest City the safest place, from his stand point, came up the Mississippi direct to the latter place, arriving on the eve of the 27th, and went into camp near the law office of Judge Smith. From a casual conversation, Capt. Strout remarked that he was authorized to make a stand where he could do the most good and should stay at Forest City a week or ten days, if deemed necessary. On being informed during the evening that all the Indians

There were eighteen wounded, Captain Strout in his official report says: “The loss of the corn pang in this encounter was three men killed and fifteen wounded, some of them severely, all were, however, brought from the field.” The reader will notice a material discrepancy in regard to the dead. That the 3d Regiment boys did not bury them, or Strout did not take them with him, requires no proof. Captain Strout continues, “in addition to this, they lost most of their rations, cooking utensils, tents, and a portion of their ammunition and arms. Some of their horses became unmanageable