TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER I. ABORIGINAL DAYS— 1834-1866.
In Primeval State —An Imagery — Inhabited by Wild Beasts — And Wilder Red Men —
A Contrast — The Sioux — Tribal Divisions — The M'daywakantons — The Lower Sis-
setons Claimed NoblesCounty — Early Explorers — Nicollet Visits Nobles County —
His Map — The Coteaus Des Prairies — '"Okebene" Lake — Ocheyedan Hillock, or
Mourning Ground —"Karanzi" River — Surveyors Run Minnesota-Iowa Boundary
Line — NearbySettlements — Operations of Trappers — Jude Phillips and Brother —
Effect of the Panic of 18.57 — Spirit Lake Massacre — Hostiles Retreat to Indian
Lake — Southwestern Minnesota Depopulated — Incident of 1857 — Boom Days — Paper
Railroads — Original County Divisions — Nobles North of Dakota, Blue Earth and
Brown — Creation of Nobles County — Colonel W. H. Nobles — The Boundaries — Pro-
visions for Organizaiion — Gretehtown Named County Seat — Organization Post-
poned — Boundary Lines Surveyed — Settlers Return to Southwestern Minnesota —
Census of 1860 — Names of Inhabitants — Their Conditions — The Sioux War — The
County Deserted — Soldiers Established on the Frontier — The Military Road — Its
Course — Trappers Appear — Evidence of Early Occupation Disappear — Judge Wool-
stencroft's Letter — First Railroad Survey — The Land Grant — Close of an Era S3
CHAPTER II. EARLY SETTLEMENT— 1867-1871.
Obstacles Overcome —Frontier Line Recedes — First Settlers— The Graham Lakes
Country — Stephen and Joseph Muck — Planting Corn — Messrs. Woolstencroft, Drury,
Rice and Barnett Arrive— Stake Claims — Build Shanties— Other Settlers of 1867 —
Conditions Prevent Farming — Farmers Turn Trappers — Plentiful Small Game — Big
Game — Bison — Elk—Deer— Township Lines Run — Mail Route Established— The
First Post office—Settlers of 1868— First Birth — Andy Dillman Comes to Okabena —
County SurveyCompleted — Indians Arrive — And Create Stir — A Scared Boy —
Settlers on Indian Lake — Their Romantic Surroundings — Adventures in Blizzards —
Three Perish — IndianScare — Exciting Times — Company Formed — The Island For-
tified — Cottonwood County Settlers Notified — No Indians — First Sunday School —
Census of 1870 —Arrivals of That Year — Talk of County Organization — Decision
Reached- — GovernorAustin Appoints Commissioners — First Meeting — First Official
Acts — WanderingCounty Seat — Organization Legalized — Court House Talk — Sad
Death of Mrs. Palmer — Another Sunday School — Public Schools — Creation of Gra-
ham Ikes Township —Its Organization — The Name — Indian Lake Settlers Peti-
tion — Their Township Created — And Named — Settlers of 1871 — First Financial
Statement 45
CHAPTER III. UNDER COLONY RULE— 1872.
A Remarkable Year—Birth of the Colony Idea— Miller, Humiston & Company— Visit
Nobles County— Secure Control of Railroad Lands— Elaborate Plans — Thorough
Advertising Campaign—Its Results — Hundreds Flock to Worthington- Their Char-
acter — The Temperance Feature — Fate of the Colony Company — An Appreciation
of Professor Humiston — Hard Winter — State Relief — First Jurors— Railroad Begins
Operations — Worthington-Sioux Falls Mail and Stage
Route— Postoffices Established — Dettald —
llebbard — Westside — Mail Route Operated by Daniel Shell — A
Beautiful Country — Experiences of Colonists— Roseate Prospects- Land Values -
Worthington Township Organized — Petitioners — Bigelow Township— llersey — CranI
— Name Changed toRansom — Its History — Fairview— Renamed Lorain— Dewald —
Early Settlers There — Little Rock — Elk — Conferring the Name — Seward — First
Assessment — Real Estate— Personal Property — livestock — Townships Compared — License Voted Down
— Proposed Change in Boundaries — Nobles Votes to Add Four
Townships — But Rejects Proposition to Give Away Four — Vote by Precincts (il
CHAPTER IV. CALAMITOUS DAYS— 1873.
Days of Adversity —Professor Humiston's Charities — A Severe Winter — The Terrible
Blizzard of January 7 — Samuel Small, Mrs. John Blixt, John Weston and Taylor
Perish — Weston's Ghost — School Children Imprisoned — Joe Poots' Experience —
Other Adventures —District Court Established — Jurors — First Grasshopper In-
vasion — Relief Work — Wilson Township Organized — Petitioners — Name Changed
to Akin — To Summit Lake — Hebbard Township Created — Petitioners — Name
Changed to New Haven — Later to Olney — Grand Prairie Organized — Petitioners —
Selection of Name —Wandering Life of County Seat— Located at Worthington--
Stephen Miller Fathers the Bill — The Act — Provision for Permanent Location —
llersey Becomes a Candidate — Second Bill Provides for Vote on Question -County
Offices Moved to Worthington — Buildings Rented — Railroad Company Donates
Court House Square —Contest Between Worthington and Hersey — Former Wins
Easily — Vote by Townships — Tax Levy — School Conditions -Social Conditions 71
CHAPTEK V. THE GRASSHOPPER SCOURGE- 1874 1875.
Large Acreage Sown —Fine Growing Weather — Ravages of Young Hoppers First In-
vasion —Commissioners Appropriate Money' for Relief - County Paper Sold — Flour
and Pork Apportioned — Distributing Agents — Second Invasion — Fields Swept Bare —
Discouraging Sight —Grasshopper Stories — Third Invasion-The Harvest — Average
Yields — Auditor Bear's Estimate — Losses — A Prophesy — Rigid Economy — Hay for
Fuel — Potatoes for Food— Preparing for Winter— Soliciting Aid— J. C. Clark Raises
$1,800 — Solicitation for Private Account — Mass Meeting — Adopts Resolution Stat-
ing Conditions —Three Hundred Destitute Families — Appeal to Governor — "No
More Bonds" —Formal Appeal for Help — Clothing torn to Rags — Bed Clothes of
Prairie Hay — No Improvidence — Must Have Hell — State Aid Received — Tax Paying
Time Extended —Statement by Treasurer— Why Not Desert County?— Tax Levy —
Reduced — Assessment—Schools in 1874 — New Mail Route— Postoffices — Matter of
Taxes — StateFurnishes Seed Wheat — Its Distribution --Anxious Days— Grasshop-
pers on the Wing —Again Attack the Crops— Hersey, Graham Lakes and Seward
Suffer Most — ADegenerate Breed— Census of 1875 —Assessed Valuation — First Dis-
trict Court — Cases tried — Jurors 81
CHAPTER VI. THE GRASSHOPPER SCOURGE (Continued)— 1876-1879.
Railroad Rumors-Southern Minnesota to Extend - Settlers Enthusiastic — $40,000 Sub-
sidy Voted — Vote by Precincts — Project Fails — Sioux Falls Wants Railroad — Presi-
dent Drake Favors Worthington for Terminus — So Does Sioux Falls — Nole;
Asked to Aid —Company Incorporated — Survey Made — Construction — Lively Times —
First Train —Founding of Adrian — Miller Station — Grasshoppers Again — Myriads
Appear — Crops Disappear — Partial Wheat Crop — Damaging Setback — Relief Meas-
ures — "The Indians Are Coming' — Refugees Flock to Worthington — Cam]) on
Public Square — Great Excitement — No Indians — Origin of the Scare — Scouting
Party — Its Members —Lieutenant Plotts' Report — Settlement in West End — West-
side Township Organized — Petitioners — First Town Meeting — Court House Elected
— Thurber & Chandler, Builders — Hoppers Scarce in 1877 — Small Acreage — Weed-
Grown Fields — Seed Grain Appropriation — Adrian Catholic Colony — Bishop Ireland
Visits Adrian Country — Decides to Locate Colony — Contract With Railroad C0711-
pany — Father Knauf Arrives — Coming of First Colonists — Lands Sold — Rush in
Spring of 1878 —Land, Land, Land — Grasshoppers — Partial Crop Failure — Organi-
zation \Phillmont Township — Derivation of Name — Southern Minnesota Extends —
Heron Lake-Pipestone Branch — Railroad War — Kinbrae and Dundee Founded —
Last of the Grasshoppers — Organization Afton Township — Squabble Over Name —
Plethora of Petitions — Name Changed to Bloom — Leota Organized — Petitioners —
Named for Indian Maiden — Seney's Operations — Rushmore Founded — Activity in
West End — Railroad Lands Bought — Improvements by Adrian Colony — Good Times
Coming 91
CHAPTER VII. ERA OF PROSPERITY— 1880-1891
Reconstruction- Dawn
of a Brighter Day — Adrian Colony Active — The 1880 Crop —
Census of 1880
Lismore Township Organized — The Name — Signers to Petition —
The Long Winter — An
October Blizzard — Railroads Blockaded — Snow Boats — Out
of Fuel — Schools
Close — Burning Grain — First Train in Six Weeks — Blockaded
Again — April 13,
Thermometer Zero — Roads Opened — First Freight Train in Eleven
Weeks — Floods Stop
Traffic — Burlington Road Makes Proposition — Subsidy Voted —
Road Built — Last
Spike Driven — Round Lake Founded — A Bumper Crop — The
"Park Proposition" — Plan to Sell Part of Court House Block — Strong Opposition
— Scheme Defeated —
County Seat Contest — Adrian to the Front — Exciting Days —
Legislature
Petitioned -But Fails to Respond — Larkin Township Organized —
Petitioners —
Selecting the Name — Fraud Charged — Tornado — Cora Graf Killed —
Pioperty Destroyed —
Burlington Extends — And Founds Ellsworth — A Year of Jubi-
lee — Diversified
Farming Begim — Exports of 1884 — Real Estate Values Soar — Census
of 1885 — County Seat
Removal Talk — Big Crops — Another Railroad — Blizzard of
1888— Three Perish—
Hail Storm— Census of 1890— Plan to Divide the County—
Rushmore Sees a
Conspiracy — And Protests — Plan Defeated 105
CHAPTER VIII. CURRENT EVENTS— 1893-1908.
Panic of 1893 — Dull
Times- Plans for New Court House— And Jail — Work Begins —
Opposition —
Temporary Injunction — Commissioners in Supreme Court — 476
Residents Remonstrate
— Contract Let — Corner Stone Laid — Building Accepted —
County Seat Removal
Again an Issue — Census of 1895 — Prosperous Period — Land
Values Increase —
Spanish-American War — Nobles County Furnishes Company
Clustered In —
Typhoid Fever Epidemic — Three Deaths — Camps Ramsey, Siielling,
Meade, McKenzic —
Mustered Out — Roster of Company — Losses — Burlington Road
Extends — Wilmont and
Reading Founded — l.ismore Started— Census of 1900 —
Disastrous Year 1903
— Destructive Hail Storm — Big Losses — Stories of the Storm —
The Floods — Okabena
Overflows — Streets Traveled in Boats — Kanaranzi on a
Rampage — Sweeps
Everything Before It — Fury of the Little Rock — Freight Wreck
— Record of
Precipitation — All Records Broken — Crop Failure -Dull Times — Census
of 1905 — By
Precincts — Native and Minnesota Born — Foreign Born — Countries of
Birth— Good Crops of
1906 and 1007— Prosperous Times— In 1908 115
CHAPTER IX. POLITICAL—1870- 1 874.
Governor Austin Appoints
First County Commissioners — The Missing Records— Other
Officers Named —
First County Convention — The Bolt — Violence Narrowly Averted
at First Election —
The Result — Auditor Harris Refuses to Canvass the Vote —
Early Day Members of
the Legislature- Difficulty Getting Officers to Serve —
Election of 1871 —
One Democrat in the County — List of Voters — Changed Condi-
tions in 1872 —
Voters of That Year — Polling Places — Election Officers — County
Overwhelmingly
Republican — Legislative History — Opposition to Republican Party
in 1871 —
Republican Ticket Wins — Politics Dull in 1874 -Democrats Put Up a
Ticket— It Meets Defeat : 123
CHAPTER X. POLITICAL—1875-1887.
Passing of Pioneer
Ways — Prohibitionists Enter Politics — Election of 1875— Big Vote
in 1876 — Hayes
Carries County — Republican Split in 1877 — Peculiar Conditions That
Year — Result in
Giving Democrats a Few Offices — Only One Ticket in 1878 —
Exciting Contests of
1879 — Republicans Bolt and Fuse With Democrats — Republi-
can Ticket Defeated—
Spectacular Contests for Sheriff, Auditor and Treasurer —
Tie for Sheriff — Dramatic
Scene When Lots are Drawn — Court Decides Two
Contests — Garfield
Gets Majority in 1880- Republican County Ticket Elected —
Democrats and
"Anti-Ring" Republicans Combine in 1881 — Crushing Defeat of
Republican Ticket —
Little Interest in 1882 — Fusion Forces Name Part of Ticket
in 1883— And elect
It— Blaine Carries County in 1884— New Element Enters Poli-
tics — -Antagonism
Between East and West Ends — Big Vote of 1886 Republicans
Elect Majority of Ticket 131
CHAPTER XI. POLITICAL—1888-1908.
Vote Increases —
Passing of the Independents — Election of 1888 — Alliance Party Com-
plicates Matters in
1890 — Democrats and Republicans Break Even — Birth of Peoples
Party — Its Part in.
Polities — Australian Ballot Employed in 1892 — Harrison Car-
ries County — Result
Locally — Fusion in 1894 — Republicans Win — Fusion Forces
Take Three Offices in
ISOO .McKinley Gets Majority — Death of Peoples Party —
John Lind Carries the
County in 1898 — Republican County Ticket Elected —
Record Breaking Vote
of 1900 McKinley Again Carries County — Three Offices
for Democrats —
Primary Election Law — Revolutionizes County Politics — Primary
of 1902 — Nearly
Clean Sweep for Republicans — Interesting Primary of 1904 —
Roosevelt's Record
Breaking Majority — Republicans in County — Primary of
1906- Democrats Carry
County for Governor and Congressman — Primary of 1908 —
Summary 141
CHAPTEE XII. WORTHINGTON—1871 - 1872.
Location — Elevation—
Population — A Bower of Beauty— First White Men Visit the
Site— Infrequent
Visits by Trappers— Andy Dillman's Sod Shanty— G. J. Hoff-
man's Dug-Out— First
Building of Wood — Railroad Construction— Original Town-
site Abandoned — The
Town Platted— Original Owners— Additions— National Colony
Assumes Control —
Professor Humiston and Doctor Miller Visit the Site — The
Town Named —
Incidents Connected with the Selection of the Name — The Historic
Worthington Family— Regrets
that. "Okabena" Was Not Selected — A Hoax-
Start of the First
Building— Ceremonies When the First Nail is Driven — Business
Houses Opened in 1871
— The 'Worthington Hotel — Postoffice Established — Post-
masters—Winter of
1S71-72— Rush in the Spring — Impressions Upon Early Day
Visitors — The Town
in August, 1872 — Building Improvements That Year — ililler
Hall — ^Worthington
Township Organized— The Temperance Feature — Petitions— Li-
cense Refused 153
CHAPTER XITI. WORTHINGTON—1873- 1889.
Promises Fulfilled —
Worthington Becomes Important Trading Point — 1873 Opens Aus-
piciously — Okabena
Flouring Mills — Their Importance — Incorporation — Provisions of
Charter — Liquor
Selling Prohibited — First Election — Those Who Voted — Charter
Adopted — First
Officers — First Acts of Council — Worthington Becomes County
Seat — Grasshopper
Days — In lS7-t — The Land Office— Election of 1874 — Voters Tliat
Year — Census of 1875
— Big Business — Election of 1875 — Building Record for 1876 —
Election That Year —
Big Vote in 1877 — Immigration in 1878 — The Town Lively —
First Brick Block-
Miller Hall Burns— Elections of 1878 and 1879— Census of
1880 — A Comparison —
Election of 1880 — Wrangling Over Temperance Question —
Two Parties Born—
Exciting Election of 1S81— Prosperous Times in 1882— A New
Railroad — "The
Elgin of Minnesota" — Annual Election — Boom Times in 1883 —
Board of Trade — New
Buildings — Repeal of Temperance Clause in Charter — Under
Local Option —
License Carries in 1883-^And .Again Next Year — Population in
1885 — License
Carries — Improvements in 1886 — Exports and Imports — Elections of
188G and 1887—
"Dry" in 1888— Likewise in 1889 165
CHAPTER XIV. WORTHINGTON—1890-1908.
Steady Growth —
Census of 1890 — License Again in Vogue — Water Works Plant In-
stalled — Election of
1891 — Prosperous Days — Building Record — License Wins Again
in 1892— The Panic—
Its Effect— Election of 1893- Two Fires— Officers Elected in
1894 — Big Gain in
Population — Electric Lighting System — Temperance \\ave in
1895— A Cyclone—
Return to License in 1896— Elections of 1897, 1898 and 1899—
A Prosperous Decade-Census
of 1900 — Big Vote of 1901 — The Citizens' Movement —
Three Years of
DuUness^The Flood — Worthington "Dry" at tlio Time — Goes
"Wet" in
1904— Census of 1905— Clean Sweep for License in 1905 and 1906—
"Dry" in
1907— "Wet" by One Vote in 1908— The Contest 177
CHAPTER XV. WORTHINGTON'S ENTERPRISES.
Public School — The
First School — Early Day Teachers — The Attendance— Worthington Seminary — Its
Promoters — Its Failure — Petition for Independent District — Formed — First
Directors — First School Building — Bonds Issued — Robinson Gets Contract - The
Hexagonal Building — Railroad Company Donates Land — High School Or-
ganized — Alumni
Association — List of Graduates — New School House — Present
Condition of Schools
— Fire Department — Early Day Protection — Cisterns — Bucket
Brigades — Fire House
— Department Organized — Chartcr Members — The Tourna-
ments — New Fire
Station— Officers — Militia Company — Recruited — Mustered In —
Officers — Enlisted
Men — State Bank of Worthington— Elihu Smith Starts First
Bank — Thomas Parsons
— George D. Dayton — Becomes State Bank — Later History —
Worthington National
Bank — As Nobles County Bank — Founded by Thompson &
Day — Evans &,
Lynd Secure Control — Reorganised as National Bank — Citizens Na-
tional Bank — Founded
by C. T. Tupper — Changes in Management — First National
Bank — Farmers and
Citizens Bank — First County Fair — Association Organized —
"Bull and
Pumpkin" Story — (hounds Leased — Officers — Worthington District Fair
Association — Its
Operations — Chautauqua Association — Organization- Officers — The
Chautauquas —
Commercial Club — Carnegie Library — The Directors — Bath House As-
sociation — Bands —
Gun Club — Worthington Hospital 187
CHAPTER XVI. WORTHINGTON'S CHURCHES AND LODGES.
"City of
Churches" — Ten Organizations — Colony Christian Union — Union Plan
Adopted — First Religious
Service — Church Organized — Born in a Saloon Building — Union
Plan Fails — Three
Churches Founded — Union Congregational — Charter Members —
House of Worship
Erected — Destroyed by Fire — The New Church — Pastors —
Sunday School
Superintendents — Methodist Church — Rev. Crever — First Trustees — ■
Many Places of
Worship — Early Struggles — First Church Edifice — The New One —
Later Church History
— Pastors — Presbyterian Church — Charter Members — Elders —
Trustees — First
Church Building — Pastors — The New Edifice — Sunday School Su-
perintendents —
Swedish Lutheran Church First Members — Incorporated — Church
Building — Pastors — Parsonage
— Episcopal Church — Rev. Gunn — Church Building
Difficulties Overcome
— Catholic First Steps — Building Erected — Incorpor-
ated -Evangelical
Association — Members —Trustees — Church and Manse — Pastors — -
Baptist Church —
Initial Steps — Organization— .Members — Council of Recognition —
Incorporated Trustees
— Building — Pastors — Swedish Mission Church — Members
Church ;iii(l
Parsonage — Pastors — Christian Church — Lodges — Grand Army Post —
Mustered ln--First
Officers — Later Officers — largest in Minnesota — Disbanded—
Reorganization —
Charter Members — Relief Corps — First in Minnesota — Charter Mem-
bers — First Officers
— The Masons — Blue Lodge Organized — Certificate — f barter
Members — First
Officers — Chapter Organized — Its Prosperous Condition -Eastern
Star — Workmen —
Degree of Honor — Knights of Pythias .Modern Woodmen Royal
Neighbors — Odd
Fellows — Maccabees - Yeomen
CHAPTER XVII. .ADRIAN.
Location — Its
Attractive Site — Settlers in West End— Railroad is Coming Selecting
the Site — Surveyed —
The Dedication — -Additions — The Name — Mistakes as to Origin — George II.
Carr Erects First Building — And Opens Store — Other Enterprises of
1871 — Postoffice
Established — Postmasters — Bright Prospect-s — First School — First
Church Services- —
New Enterprises in 1877 — Business Directory of 1878 — Prosperous
Times— Census of 1880
— Incorporation - Charter granted- First Election— Officers
1881 to 1908 —
Adrian's Big Trade Territory — Improvements in Early Eighties —
Liveliest Town in the
County — Flouring Mill Burns — Building Boom in 1891 —
Panic of 1893 —
Census Figures - Loss of Trade Territory — Quiet Times — Assessed
Valuations — Conditions
in 1008 — First School — Held in an Attic — The Teacher —
First School House —
District Formed — Officers — The New Building — Public and
Parochial Schools —
City Hall — Water Works — Electric Lights — Fire Department —
National Bank of
Adrian — Adrian State Bank — First National Bank — St. Adrian's
Catholic Church — Its
History — Fine Church Edifice — Methodist Church — Norwegian
Lutheran Church —
Peoples Church — Fraternal Orders 217
CHAPTER XVIII. ELLSWORTH.
Nobles' Third Town —
Rich Trade Territory — The Site — Settlement of Grand Prairie —
"Uncle"
Stillwell— His Prediction— Selecting the Site— Platted— Additions— The
Name — Prospects —
Sale of Lots — Rush to the Site — First Building — Henry Tor-
rance Opens First
Store — Business Houses of 1884 — The Depot — First Lady Resi-
dent — Postoffice
Established — Postmasters — Lively Times — Selected as a Division
Point — Census of
188G — Petition for Incorporation — Petitioners — Incorporation Car-
ries — Officers
Chosen — Political History — On a Normal Basis — Census of 1890 — Cy-
clone — Brings
Disaster — Fire — City Hall — Population in 1895 — In 1900 - Prosperous
Years — Building
Operations — City Hall Burns — New City Hall — Water Works —
Electric Lights —
Census of 190.5 — Fire Department — German State Bank — First
National Bank — St.
ilary's Catholic Church — Organization — Church Building —
Pastors — Parochial
School — Congregational Church — Charter Members — Building —
Pastors — Methodist
Church — Its History — German Presbyterian Church — Knights of
Pythias Lodge —
Workmen — Degree of Honor — Foresters — Modern Woodmen — Royal
Neighbors 227
CHAPTER XIX. WILMONT AND BREWSTER.
Wilmont — Fourth in
Size — Location — Trade Territory - Site Selected — Platted - Addi-
tions — The Name —
First Train — Rush to the Site — First Resident — Prophesies —
First Business Houses
— A Town in a Day — First Lady Residents — Prosperous
Times — Incorporation
— Petitioners — Village Officers — After One Year — Population
First School —
District Formed — Fire Department — Water Works — Churches — Lodges
— Brewster — Location
— A Substantial Village — Old Town of Hersey — Station Es-
tablished — Depot and
Cottage — Platted —Additions— W. R. Bennett is Agent -Found-
ing the Town — First
Business Men — The Postoffice — Grasshoppers Bring Disaster —
Retrogression —
Change in Name — Origin of "Brewster" — Prosperous Days — Petition
for Incorporation —
Petitioners — Granted — Officers — Steady Growth — Population —
Water Works Troubles
— Drainage System — The Park — Schools — Churches — Lodges. 237
CHAPTER XX. ROUND LAKE. RUSHMORE, BlGELOW.
Round Lake— The Sixth
Town— The Old Postoffice— Site Selected— Platted— Was First
Indian Lake — Name
Changed — Section House and Depot — E. A. Tripp Comes as
Agent — Postoffice —
First Business Houses — Slow Growth — Replatted — Additions —
The Awakening —
Petitioners Ask for Incorporation — Municipal Life — Political His-
tory — Building Boom
— Smallpox Epidemic — Population — Cyclone - School - Church
Rushmore — Its Trade
Territory — Business Houses — As Miller Station — A Quiescent
Period — George T.
Seney's Operations — S. M. Rushmore and Associates Arrive —
And Found the Town —
First Buildings — Pioneer Business Men — Name Changed
to Rushmore —
Postoffice — Platting — Additions — Directory of 1879 — Flouring Mill —
Slow Growth —
Succeeded by Prosperous Times — Incorporated — Petitioners — Village
Officers — Prosperous
Decade — Population — The Schools — Churches — Bigelow — An Old Town— Location—
The First Building- S. O. Morse Becomes First Resident —
Platted— The Name —
First Business Houses— Cheese Factory— Slow Growth— Booms
in 1892 — Activity
During: Nineties Petition — Incorporated — Political History —
Population — The
First Church— Woodmen Lodge 217
CHAPTER XXI . DUNDEE, LISMORE, KINBRAE,
READING, ST. KILLIAN, LEOTA, ORG.
Dundee — Enterprises
— As Warien Station - Surveyed - Founded — Postoffice— First Store — Slow
Growth — Incorporated — Political History — Population — Ismore — Youngest Town
— Rich Territory — Railroad Arrives — Selecting the Site — Farmers Donate $800 —
The Name — Platted — First Business Houses — Postoffice — Incorporated —
Elections — Kinbrae — Location — In Early Days — Founded as Airlie — Later
DeForest — Dundee Improvement Company — Fir.st Enterprises— Platting —
Postoffice — Quiet Times — Fire — Named Kinbrae— Boom Days — Replatted—
Incorporated — Village Officers — The Decline — Reading — Centrally Located — Business
Houses — Site Selected — Named -
The Start — First
Buildings Postoffice — Postmasters — Townsite Surveyed — Telephone
Company — Bank — St.
Kilian — A Church Town — Building the Church— John Mock
Starts Store —
Postoffice — Business Houses — Bright Prospects — Railroad Misses
Town — Retrogression
— Church History — Leota — Founded by Mclanders — Business
Houses — Churches —
Postoffice — Townsite — Org — Smallest Town Many Names — As Sioux Falls
Junction— N. A. Call— His Operations — Station Established — Named
Org— Boom of 1899—Postoffice— Trent 259
CHAPTER XXII. THE PRESS.
Over Thirty
Newspapers Established — Nine Now in Existence— Part Played by (he
Colony Journal —
Founding the Western Advance — Changed to Worthington Advance
— Estimate of A. P.
Miller — Changes in Ownership- The Daily Advance — The Ad-
vance-Herald- Claim
Shanty indicator — Literary Triumph — Romantic History of the
Worthington Journal —
.-Adrian .Advertiser — Adrian Guardian— Its Veteran Editor —
Worthington Record —
Minnesota Home — Ellsworth News — Worthington Globe -Its
Many Editors — Adrian
Citizen — Nobles County Democrat — Outlives Its Rivals —
State Line Sentinel —
Nobles County Independent -Minnesota .Allahanda — Rushmore
Gazette — Kinbrae
Herald — Worthington Herald — Rushmoor Times — Minnisota Sig-
nal — Hound Lake Wave
— Rushmore Magnet- Round Lake Graphic — Dundee
.Advocate — Rushmore Enterprise-
-Brewster Beacon — Brewster Tribune- Wilmont
Initiator — Wilmont
Tribune — Ellsworth Herald— Lismore Leader 27.'i
CHAPTER XXIII. DESCRIPTIVE.
Location — Boundaries
— Area — Surface — Soil — Grand Prairie Plain — Geological History — Glacial
Epoch — The Ridge — Forms Watershed — Elevations — Graham Lakes — Oka-bena —
Ocheyda — Indian — Summit — Creeks — Champepadan — Kanaranzi — Little Rock — Ocheyedan—
Okabena — Elk — Jack — An Agricultural County — Products -Average Yields — Live
Stock — Numbers and Value — Dairying — Creameries and Their Output —Manufacturing
— Banks — Schools — Churches — Railroads — Telephone Lines- Assessed Valuation
— Prices of Land — Compared With Dakota and Canada — Proximity to Markets—
Prospects— Planted, More Settlers 287
CHAPTER XXIV. REMINISCENT.
The Dreaded Prairie
Fire — What it Was — Methods of Fighting — The Fire of 187.5 —
Origin — Damage — Prosecution
— "The Wild Girl" — Her Accomplishments — Worthing-
ton's First Saloon —
Big Sale of Rainwater — Battle of Stony Point — Finding of Old
Gun — Causes a Dream
— Story Results — The Diagonal Road — Its Building — Early
Day Importance —
Petition for Abandonment — A Mirage — Produces a Fairy Land —
The First Circus —
Barnum & Baily Draw Crowds — An Old Stove — Its Story —
Early Day Trials — An
Illustration — Michael Maguire — The
Father of Democracy —
Incident of the Sixties — John Freeman Drowns 293