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A random historical sketch of Meeker County, Minnesota title page

Supreme Court of Meeker County

Meeker County / A random historical sketch of Meeker County

Something is due to our “Supreme Court,” presided over at times by Judges Butler, Ritchie, Geo. Frid, Robson, Griswold, Atkinson, Stevens, Walker, Campbell, Hutchins and a host of others. Jurisdiction depended somewhat on who got hold of the case first. In 1859 a case came before Judge Ritchie of Acton. Mark Piper and Nathan Butler acted as attorneys. Piper made a motion to “quash the summons” on the ground that the letters, s. s. were not attached to “The State of Minnesota Meeker County.” This was a poser for Butler and his argument therein was not the most lucid, but […]

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Presbyterian Church, Meeker County, Minnesota

Meeker County / A random historical sketch of Meeker County

The first Presbyterian Church and society organized in the county of Meeker was at Forest City by Rev. J. C. Whitney, who came to Forest City in the spring of 1858 and organized a Presbyterian society Sept. 25th, 1859 and styled “The trustees of the Westminister Presbyterian Society of Forest City.” The first trustees were I. C. Deltmater, Richard Pool, A. C. Smith, J. W. Griswold and A. W. Angier. The only one of these men now remaining in the county is A. C. Smith. In connection with this organization Rev. J. C. Whitney labored until the fall of 1862.

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Methodist Episcopal Church in Meeker County

Meeker County / A random historical sketch of Meeker County

Rev. John Robson preached the first sermon in Forest City, November 1856. Mr. Robson continued to preach in Forest City during the winter of 1856-7 and through the summer of 1857. In May 1857, Wm. Walker, organized a Sunday school, Wait H. Dart Superintendent. Rev. Thomas Haiwood was the first preacher on the Forest City circuit, in 1857. Rev. S. F. Sterritt, of Monticello, Presiding Elder. First Quarterly Meeting held at Kingston, October l0th, 1857. Official members present, Rev. S. F. Sterritt, P. E. Thomas Harwood, P. E. and E. H. Whitney, L. E. and B. Lyford, Stewards, E. H.

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Manannah, Meeker County, Minnesota

Meeker County, Wright County / A random historical sketch of Meeker County

Manannah; was organized as a township, April 5th,1858, and originally embraced the west half of 120–31, 120-32, 121-31, and 121 32. On the 15th of November, 1855, Chris Davis, Green Sykes, Ziba Caswell and Nathan C. Caswell left Monticello, Wright County in search of a mill-site and farm-land, passing through the “big woods,” so-called, and struck the prairie near the present site of Darwin, thence north to what is now Forest City, thence down Crow River about 10 miles, and thence on a straight shoot back to Monticello. Trying it again, on the 10th day of December 1855. Ziba Caswell

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