Fifty Years In The Northwest
$250,000. The present board of officers are: F. E. Searle, president;
John Cooper, vice president; F. M. Morgan, cashier.
St. Cloud has many fine buildings. The court house cost $40,000, and
four school buildings an aggregate of $75,000. The bishop's cathedral
cost $40,000, and the Catholic church $30,000. The Episcopalians,
Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodists, Congregationalists, and Lutherans
have organizations and good church buildings. The normal school
buildings located here cost $100,000. St. Cloud University is a
flourishing institution. St. John's University, although located in
the adjoining town of St. Joseph, has been identified more or less
with the interests of St. Cloud, and deserves mention in its history.
It was originally located two miles south of St. Cloud, but was
subsequently removed to a point northwest, a mile distant from the
thriving village of Collegeville.
The university owes its existence to the zeal, energy and self
devotion of the Benedictine Fathers, a colony of whom came to America
in 1846. This colony settled first in Westmoreland, Pennsylvania, but
in 1856, at the invitation of Bishop Cretin, came to Minnesota, where,
the year following, they commenced their educational work on the banks
of the Mississippi near St. Cloud. The school was commenced as a
seminary, but in 1869 the state legislature granted authority to
confer degrees, and in 1883 formally changed the name from St. John's
Seminary to St. John's University. The buildings are ample and
commodious, and located pleasantly on the banks of a beautiful lake.
The faculty consists of Rt. Rev. Alexius Edelbrock and twenty-two
professors. In 1885 St. Benedict's Hospital was erected at a cost of
about $15,000. It is under the supervision of the Benedictine Nuns.
The state reformatory was located at East St. Cloud in 1887.
LA SAUK,
Formerly St. Joe, adjoining St. Cloud on the north, had a saw and
flour mill erected in 1855. These mills were burned in 1886, and
rebuilt in 1887. Amongst the early settlers were J. H. Lineman in
1854, J. A. Upham and George Rieder in 1855.
PETER SCHAELER, a farmer, a native of Germany, came to America in
1850, and to St. Joseph in 1856. John, his only son, retains the old
homestead, and was in 1883 engaged in the insurance business in St.
Cloud.
JOHN L. WILSON was born in Columbia, Washington county, Maine, in
1820. He came to Minnesota in 1851, locating at St. Anthony, but in
the following year removed to Sauk Rapids and in 1854 to St. Cloud.
The first deed on record in Stearns county was from John L. Wilson to
L. C. Kenna, and bears date of 1855. In 1855 he was married to Harriet
N. Corbett. They have three children living.
CHARLES T. STEARNS, from whom the county took its name, has been for
many years a resident of Louisiana, and is a wealthy planter.
HENRY G. FILLMORE, a nephew of President Fillmore, was born in the
state of New York in the '20s, and came to Watab in 1848. He has lived
in St. Cloud many years.
NATHANIEL GETCHELL was born in Washington county, Maine, in 1828. He
came to St. Anthony in 1852, and to Stearns county in 1855.
JAMES KEOUGH came from Ireland to America in 1850, and directly to
Watab. He settled in St. Cloud in 1854, was married in 1855, and has a
large family.
LOREN W. COLLINS was born in Lowell, Massachusetts, Aug. 22, 1839. He
received a common school education; came to Hastings, Minnesota, some
time prior to the Rebellion, studied law with Smith & Crosby and was
admitted to practice, but in August, 1862, entered the service of his
country in Company F, Seventh Minnesota Volunteers, of which company
he was commissioned second lieutenant, and a year later first
lieutenant. He was discharged with his regiment at the close of the
war, and returned to his law practice. In 1866 he removed to St. Cloud
and practiced law. He served as county attorney a number of years; was
a member of the Minnesota house of representatives in 1881-83; was
appointed judge of the Seventh Judicial district April 8, 1883, and
elected to that office in 1884. Nov. 12, 1887, he was appointed to
fill the vacancy caused by the death of Judge Berry, an appointment
that gives general satisfaction, Judge Collins having won an enviable
reputation as a jurist and as a man.
HENRY C. WAITE was born in Albany county, New York, in 1830; graduated
at Union College, Schenectady, New York; was admitted to practice law
in 1852, and the same year came to Iowa. A year later he removed to
Wisconsin, and located at Madison, where he practiced law two years.
In May, 1855, he came to St. Cloud, where he has since continuously
resided. The first ten years of his residence in St. Cloud he devoted
to the practice of his profession, after which he devoted his time to
farming and milling.
Mr. Waite was a member of the constitutional convention in 1857. He
also served several terms in the senate and house. During President
Lincoln's administration he served as register of the land office. He
was married to Maria D. Clark in 1860. He has two sons.
GEN. S. B. LOWRY was the son of the devoted and zealous missionary,
Rev. David Lowry, who labored among the Winnebagoes in Northern Iowa
in the '30s and '40s. He located first at Brockway, ten miles above
St. Cloud, and established a trading post, but in 1853 removed to St.
Cloud, where he surveyed and platted the village of Acadia, afterward
known as "Lowry's addition." He made St. Cloud his home until his
death, which occurred in 1861.
ANTHONY EDELBROCK was the first resident of St. Cloud. His oldest son
was the first child born there. This son died in infancy. His second
son became the abbot of St. John's University. Mr. Edelbrock is now a
resident of Missouri.
JOSEPH EDELBROCK was born in Westphalia, Prussia, in 1826. He learned
the trade of a carpenter, came to America in 1847, and lived in
Chicago until 1855, when he came to St. Cloud and engaged in
mercantile pursuits. He is the oldest merchant continuously in
business in the city. He served as sheriff two years and as register
of deeds four years. He was married in Chicago in 1852, and has six
children living. A daughter, the second child born in St. Cloud, is
the wife of Peter E. Kaiser.
JOHN RENGEL, made a claim here in 1855. He has been and still is a
prosperous citizen. He has a family of ten children.
LOUIS A. EVANS was born near Philadelphia, Nov. 2, 1822. His
forefathers came to America with William Penn and bought of him a
township of land, on which still reside many of his descendants. His
father served as a soldier in the war of 1812. Louis was educated at
the graded schools in Philadelphia; was apprenticed to a piano maker,
and worked at his trade at Cincinnati, Ohio, Clinton, Mississippi, and
New Orleans until 1856, when he came to St. Cloud, where he still
resides. During his residence he has served as postmaster, judge of
probate, clerk of the district court, editor of the St. Cloud _Times_,
mayor of St. Cloud, and president of the council and member of the
house and senate of the state legislature. He was married to Elisabeth
W. Libby in 1871.
AMBROSE FREEMAN.--We have no datum as to when Mr. Freeman came to St.
Cloud, but it was probably prior to 1860. He was a stonemason, and
while working on a cellar wall heard the report of the Sioux uprising
and massacre (in 1862), and, dropping his tools, hurried off to
satisfy himself as to the truth of the reports, called a meeting of
citizens, and organized a company of twenty-five volunteers to assist
in caring for the wounded and burying the dead. On his return he was
commissioned captain of the Northern Rangers and marched with his
command to the relief of Forest City and Fort Abercrombie. He was with
Gen. Sibley's command in 1863, and while riding over the prairie was
shot with an arrow by an Indian, and expired instantly.
NATHAN F. BARNES has lived a somewhat eventful life. He was born at
Portland, Maine, June 26, 1817; received an academic education; served
as a midshipman in the navy from 1834 to 1839, visiting many parts of
the globe. In 1840 he commenced the study of law, was admitted to
practice in 1843 and practiced awhile at Conway, New Hampshire, where
in 1844 he was married. In 1850 he was appointed mail agent on the
Isthmus route to California, served six years, and then located in
California. Two years later, in 1858, he removed to Alexandria,
Minnesota. During the Sioux massacre he and Andreas Darling were the
only persons remaining in the neighborhood who escaped being killed.
In 1865 he came to St. Cloud, where he has been an active and
prominent citizen. He served many years as city clerk and city
justice and was elected to the house of the state legislature in 1875.
He was influential in securing the location of the normal school in
St. Cloud. One son, Percival S., died in the Saulsbury prison during
the Civil War. He has one son and one daughter living.
NEHEMIAH P. CLARK was born in Worcester county, Massachusetts, April
8, 1836. In his youth he attended school in Kentucky and at seventeen
years of age was clerking in a store at Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. In
1856 he came to St. Cloud and engaged actively in business, selling
goods, farming, staging, lumbering, and dealing in pine lands. He has
a farm in Le Sauk of 2,000 acres, a creamery, a cheese factory, and
one of the largest and best herds of cattle, horses, hogs and sheep in
the State. For office and official honors he has no taste. He served,
however, as president of the State Agricultural Society in 1886.
OSCAR E. GARRISON was born at Fort Ann, New York, in 1825, and was
early thrown upon his own resources. He came to Minnesota in 1850, and
built the first house on the shores of Lake Minnetonka where Wayzata
is now located. In 1850 he surveyed and platted the village of
Wayzata. In 1860 he came to St. Cloud. He made a land claim in Polk
county in 1862 and narrowly escaped being murdered by the Sioux at
their uprising. His house and property were destroyed. While hiding
with his wife and four-year-old son, Indians passed within twenty feet
of him. After a perilous night journey, during which he came almost
within touching distance of sleeping Indians, he arrived safely at
Sauk Centre.
THE GILMAN FAMILY.--The Gilman family of which Charles A. is a
descendant came to America from Hingham, England, with the Folsoms, in
1638, and are the founders of the town of Hingham, Massachusetts. The
Gilmans were renowned for their loyalty to the colonies, and later to
the state and national government.
CHARLES A. GILMAN was born in Gilmanton, New Hampshire, Feb. 9, 1833.
His youth was spent at home, where he received a common school and
academic education, the latter at Gilmanton Academy. He taught school
during the winters. In 1855 he came to Sauk Rapids, Benton county,
where he engaged in farming and real estate business; he also filled
the offices of auditor and register of deeds. In 1861 he removed to
St. Cloud, having been appointed register of the United States land
office for that place. He served seven years as register and receiver.
He studied law, and was admitted to practice in 1876. Mr. Gilman has
lived a busy life, and besides his real estate, law, surveying and
exploring business, he has taken a conspicuous position in the
politics of his State, having served as state senator in the years
1868-69, and as representative from 1875 to 1879. In 1878-79 he served
as speaker of the house. From 1881 to 1884 he was lieutenant governor
of the State. He was elected to the legislature several times as a
Republican, when the district was strongly Democratic, a high
compliment to his ability and integrity. He was married to Hester
Cronk, at Sauk Rapids, Jan. 1, 1857. They have six children living. He