Minnesota Genealogy

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,…

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…

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…

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 region known as the “Big Prairie” west of the Big Woods” has been known to white settlers but 21 years, and yet the twilight of uncertainty has already thrown its shadows, and the night of forgetfulness seems about to descend and forever obscure many little incidents which, although in…

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…

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….

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….

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…

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…