Millerville History
Millerville Township, Douglas County, Minnesota, USA
Early Days in Evansville
written by
Charles L. Thompson
who died in 1893
Donor
Mrs. A. F. Risser
Typed and filed
May 29, 1981
jmh
from the Douglas County Historical Society
We have read that there is but three sections of country
in the United States where man could exist with but little
or no labor. One, along the lower part of the Columbia
river. One in what is known as the Park Region of Minnesota,
and the third along the shores of Lake Superior. That game
and fish in the Park Region of Minnesota were as abundant
or even more so than any other section of the United
States, there is no doubt. To be convinced of the
plentifuliness of fish, one has only to look at a map
of the region covered as it is with its hundreds of
lakes and streams.
The bones of buffalo, elk, and other animals were
numerous at the time of the first settlement by
the whites. Although the buffalo had left for regions
farther west and only occasionally was an elk seen,
deer, bear, wolves, fox and lynx, and the smaller
kinds of game and fur-bearing animals were plenty
and at that time pelicans, cranes and wild geese
nested and raised their young, while every slough
and lakes large and small had musk rats in them.
How long since the Indians had claimed this section
of country we know not, or from what tribe the
United States obtained it. In the early settlement
by the whites, bands of Chippewas from their
reservations North would come around each spring
and autumn hunting and trapping. Occasional troubles
with these Indians, together with hunting, trapping
and fishing which many followed not only for
pleasure, but as a means of subsistence, tended
greatly to relieve the otherwise monotonous existence
of frontier life. The settlement of Evansville dates
from the year 1859 when Evans the mail carrier
between St. Cloud and Fort Abercrombie created a
shanty and it was made a station or stopping place.
Evans had commenced carrying the mail the year
previous and for about one year carried it on
foot; the distance being about one hundred and
fifty miles. From him the station took its name
and afterwards tha village and township. In the
spring of 1859 J.C. Burbank and Company of St.
Cloud and St. Paul commenced running a line of
stages through Douglas County on the old government
state road. During the summer of 1860, a man by
the name of Rogers, settled at Evansville and kept
the station.
Other settlers came in and took claims nearby but
at the time of the Indian outbreak in August of
1862, they all deserted them and fled for safety to
the settlements below. Nor is it known that any
of them ever returned to occupy them afterwards.
The attention of the writer was called by a neighbor
about 1870 to what seemed to be on the N.E. quarter
of Section 14. Traces of breaking or plowing that
must have been done several years before as it was
sodded over as firmly as the adjoining'prairie.
It is the only trace of settlement before the
outbreak that we have heard of or seen except in
the village.
As near as can now be learned, the first settlers
after the Indian outbreak, came up during the
summer of 1866. Who was the first one on this
claim can not now be certainly determined. L.E.
Thompson and a man called General Anderson and
sometimes Yankee Anderson, were up the first
part of the season and located claims - the former
just south of town and the latter three miles
south near the west end of Long Lake and then went
below to St. Cloud to make filings on them. When
a party of five consisting of Olaf Dahleim, Charles
Jungroth, Adolph Swenson, August Swenson and Oscar
Nyberg reached their claims on which they had made
filings before seeing them, two settlers were already
here. Lieutenant Torke who was on the claim afterwards,
homesteaded by John Rylander N.W. of town and Jacob
Shanar who settled on the land where the stage station
was first built and on part of which the village was
afterwards platted. It took in most of the hill and
extended west to Lake Louise. Mr. Dahleim took as a
homestead, the farm now owned by C.J. Johnson S.W. of
town and Mr. Jungroth one about two and a half north
on the west side of Lake Johanna. The other three men
each had claims but afterwards abandoned them. This
is all we hear of that took claims in 1866. Some of
them stayed on their land a short time putting up
hay, but all soon went below again. In the autumn,
S.E. Thompson again returned to his claim during the
remainder of the winter. Early the following spring
Jacob Shanar moved up and occupied the log building
put up by Rodgers in 1860, having first repaired it
as it had partly been torn down by Indians or campers.
This was the log building that stood north east of
the Swede church which was torn down some two or three
years ago. There were several others who came up with
Mr. Shanar and remained with him until they had erected
houses or shanties on the claims they had selected -
Mr. Jonathan Morrill and his four sons, Perry, Milton,
Charles and Wesley, Joseph Junkins and McMasters.
Numbers moved in this summer among those not already
mentioned that we now remember were Lowell Carlton,
F.A. Thompson and family, Ole Knudson, John Davidson
and family, Johannes Peterson and family, W.H. Saunders
and family, M.C. Plummer, P. Bergland, George Partridge
and family, Philip and James Partridge and C.L. Thompson,
L.E. Thompson also returned to his claim.
This was the season which occurred what was known as
the big flood. The rain fell for about twenty-four
hours in such torrents as to raise lakes, sloughs
and streams to such heights as to make it most
impossible to get around and conservently provisions
which were freighted from below became very scarce
and but for fish and game, some would have suffered
for necessary food for as a rule the settlers were
poor and brought but little provisions with them.
After the rain, such clouds of mosquitoes abounded
as never known before or since we should think.
Not only tormenting man and beast by night, but
also through a good share of the day.
Trouble with the Indians
As we have stated, bands of Chippewas Indians from
of their reservation north came around each spring
and autumn to hunt and trap. It was no unusual
sight to see half a dozen or so stringing along
from one lake to another with one or two carrying
each a birch bark canoe on his head. When starting
back to their reservation they would be loaded down
with furs which they were very expert to take
especially musk rat.
But the settlers looked with suspicion upon them.
The terrible massacre of '62 was yet fresh in their
memories. Many thought that some of the murders
committed at that time in this part of the state
were done by Chippewas. This with their theiving
possibilities, made anything like very friendly
feelings between them. Then there were some however
especially those who had carried guns for Uncle
Sam who were not at all inclined to put up with their
thefts.
Near Alexandria a man by the name of Hardwick shot
and killed two while quarrelling with them about
thefts committed in his garden or field. Settlers
at Ten Mile Lake and Elbow Lake also had trouble
with them, though we believe not rebelling in blood
shed. The above circumstances together with some we
are about to relate that happened near and in
Evansville in the spring and autumn of 1869 caused
so much excitement amongst the settlers and such
bitterness of feeling against the Indians that the
latter came around but little afterwards.
The year above mentioned the Indians were around
as usual in the spring, but they had obtained liquor
of a couple of traders and under its influence had
become abusive, badly frightening some of the families
of the settlers, especially so that of Mr. George
Partridge living west of the village. One of them
chasing Mrs. Partridge out of the house with his knife
in his hand. Fortunately, for her, a neighbor not far
off in the field was seen by the Indian who turned and
left her.
They found Indians on a small island just south of the
cabin of Ole Knudson on the farm now owned by Hans
Hubred. On the approach of the whites one of the
Indians started to run. Two men Carl Dahleim and Ole
Knudson immediately started in pursuit after a lively
race. The Indian, finding they were getting pretty
close to him, stopped an commenced putting a cap on
his gun which he had in his hand but before he had
accomplished this his pursuers were up with and had
hold of him. The others who numbered sixteen or
eighteen made no objection to being taken, gave up
their guns and went quietly along with their captors.
Before starting, the question of hanging the Indian
was discussed, but it was decided to take him and the
entire band up to Evansville. Shortly before reaching
the village a halt was called to again discuss the
question of hanging, but again was it postponed. Arriving
at the village, the Indians except the guilty one, were
quartered in the log blacksmith shop of John Lanz and
a guard posted to watch them. The guilty one who had
been kept securely separate from the others was quartered
in the middle of the road in front of the log hotel
for most of the balance of the day while the question
of hanging or not was discussed pro and con. No definite
conclusion was reached. The two men who sold the liquor
to the Indians were arrested and after a trial before
a justice of the peace were bound over to appear before
the District Court, which they never did through the
fault of the county attorney we believe.
After keeping the Indians prisoners two or three days,
four or five men decided to take the law in their
own hands and taking the guilty one out one very
dark and rainy night some distance from the station
untied him and told him to go. As he started, several
shots were fired at him, he fell and his would-be
executors left him. After a while, they went back
to bury him, but no Indian dead or alive could be
found. At daylight, however, they found him some
distance away under a tree but still alive. They
brought him back to the station and an Indian doctor
who was with the band dressed his wounds. An examination
showed that five bullets had hit him - one entering
the back of the head and came out at the mouth. He
was taken to Alexandria and after medical treatment
of a few weeks was sent to his home. The others of the
band under a guard were sent back to the reservation.
The following statement about the trouble with them
the following autumn is given by Mr. Olaf Dahleim
who as will be seen was an active participant in the
affair. A neighbor notified Mr. Dahlheim one day that
the Indians were around again and causing trouble in
town of Lund to the settlers and that the settlers were
going to meet in Evansville to take some action about
it. Mr. Dahlheim and wife went up to the village where
they found a dozen or so gathered, after a consultation
it was decided to find the Indians and drive them away.
The men scattered in all directions to find them. Mr.
Dahlheim returned to his home - while standing in front
of his house, he saw a small smoke arising from the
island situated not far from his house and at once
concluded that some of the Indians were camped there.
At once he returned to Evansville to give information.
After agreeing to meet at Mr. Dahlheim's house the next
morning he returned home accompanied by his wife who
would not stay in the village, and Mr. Saunders and
Mathews. The three alternately stood guard during the
night. The next morning sixteen of the settlers gathered,
well armed and put out pickets around the lake. The
next thing was how to get on the island there being no
boats. Mr. Dahlheim told of a place which could be waded
and volunteered to go if any one else would go along with
him. Two more volunteered - Andrew Nass and Peter H.
Johnson, having examined their guns. Three of them started
across the water being about breast deep. Reaching the
island on the north side, they crossed over to the south
side where the Indians were found in camp. They were
lying - seven of them on their blankets around the fire.
There was also a considerable quantity of furs hanging
near the fire drying. After surveying the situation
for a moment Mr. Hass said we want you to 'get up and
leave immediately', in response, each Indian drew his
knife and commenced to pick his teeth. One responded
'Bomby'. 'How long do you mean by Bomby' said Hass. The
Indian answered 'three or four days' Hass said to get up
and leave immediately or 'I will throw every fur you
have in the fire'. The Indian who acted as a spokesman,
arose and shaking his knife towards the three men said,
'you doesn't do it'. The words were scarce out of his
mouth when Hass jumped and kicked the stacks over on
which the furs hung, knocking them into the fire. All
of the Indians jumped to their feet and made a dash at
the three men who stepped back a few steps and leveled
their guns at the Indians saying 'you may take the furs
out of the fire, but the first one that picks up a gun
or steps too near, will be shot down.
At this moment, Dahlheim saw a gun lying on the
ground at his feet and stooped to pick it up with
his own gun, still pointing at the Indians. He
had hardly got hold of the gun, when an Indian
jumped up from the underbrush behind him grabbing
hold of the gun and trying to wrench it from Dahlheim's
hand, who called to Hass and Johnson 'not to leave
their positions - he would take care of that one.
With his own gun in his left hand, he scuffed for
the position of the others until they reached the
waters edge, one on each side of a canoe that lay
there. There the Indian wrenched the gun from his hand.
Dahlheim immediately raised his own gun to the Indians
head and told him to drop that gun or die. The Indian
dropped it instantly in the canoe. The same instant,
Mr. Dahlheim, hearing a noise at his left, swung his
gun around just as another Indian presented a
double-barrelled shot gun cocked at Dahlheim's breast.
There they stood with Dahlheim's gun within a few
inches of the Indians head. Not a word was said on
either side but looking each other in the eye seeming
to hesitate about pulling the trigger, but under
the conviction that if one pulled the other would and
it would be death for both. At this moment John Rylander,
who had waded to the Island appeared on the scene
swinging a heavy colt revolver and crying 'shoot him
Dahlheim". Rushing up to the Indian, he placed his
revolver at his ear and calling in the Swede language
"G.D. you have to die!", The Indian slowly commenced
to lower his gun and Dahlheim doing the same until the
muzzels of the guns pointed to the ground. The Indian
laying his in the canoe. The other Indian during this
time remained quiet. Dahlheim and Rylander took the
Indians and marched the two up to the other party where
they found Hass and Johnson still standing with their
guns pointed at the Indians keeping them from making a
move. One of the two that came up from the slough spoke
in their own language to the other Indians who immediately
put up their knives and commenced to gather their things
together and one of them stated in English that they would
pack up and leave. They moved over East a ways where they
again stopped. On the evening of the second day, their
heavy signal guns were heard as a sign to other Indians
that they were going to leave and the third morning they
left, never to trouble the settlers again in this region
as we have heard of.
The next year as Mr. Dahlheim was hauling a load of
freight for contractors building the Northern Pacific
Railroad, passing along the west side of Rush Lake in
Otter Tail, he saw three men which he at first thought
were hunters, each carrying a gun, came out of the
timber from the north of where he was. When they
observed Mr. Dahlheim, they changed their course a
little and came towards him. On nearer approach he
saw they were Indians and begun to feel uneasy as he
had nothing to protect himself with and his uneasiness
increased still more when he noticed that one of them
talking to the others pointed towards Dahlheim. At this,
he recognized the Indian as being the one who had his
gun leveled at Mr. D.'s breast at the time of the
scrimmage on the island in Evansville. On making this
discovery, he first thought of unhitching one of his
horses and riding, taking his chance of escaping that
way. Seeing they were too close for this, he thought of
running a foot, but seeing they could easily shoot him
down, he stopped his horses, leaned back against the wagon
and waited their approach - putting on as brave a face
as possible and saying to himself if I have to die, I'd
rather die standing than running. When the Indians came up,
they all three stopped and looked at him for a moment,
nothing being said. The one whom Dahlheim recognized then
stepped in front of the others and holding out his hand
said, "Buzzno neche" and tapping him on the shoulder said,
"Goodman, goodman" and pointing in the direction of
Evansville, said, "Evansville, bad place". They others then
stepped up, shook hands and tapping him on the shoulder
also said "Goodman, goodman". Then speaking a few words
to each other in their own language went on their way, much
to the relief of Mr. Dahlheim.
At this time, thd old stage road was the main route of
the travel from the Red River and Winnipeg settlements
to St. Cloud where half-breeds obtained their yearly
supplies and dispared of their catch of furs and it
was no unusual, but rather peculiar sight to see long
trains of their two=wheeled oxcarts passing along loaded
with furs and supplies according to which way they were
traveling. With perhaps a squaw or papoose or two on
the load through generally squaws and men walked.
There would be one ox to each cart, which were made
entirely of wood and would go squeaking along. There
was also much other travel. Tn addition to Prairie
Schooner, the stages of which there were three or
four at a time would be loaded with passengers.
The first school in Evansville was taught by Miss Hammer
of St. Olaf in a small building that stood on what is
now the farm of Anfin Hanson. The first burial in the
cemetery was Mrs. John Olson Flor, who died from a fever
in the summer of 1868. The second, was the father of
Michael Anderson, an old man who was found dead on the
prairie on what is known as the Jonas Simonson farm.
The old man had been up to Old Brandon or Chippewa as it
was then called and perished before reaching his home,
it being in the winter. The first white child born in
the town we think was Charles Paulson, still a resident
whose fathers death caused great excitement, the body
being found in what was then a big slough on what is now
the farm of Mr. Stadstad close to town. The first regular
preaching was by Rev. Charles Kingsland of the Methodist -
Episcapal Church, whose genial manners made him a welcome
visitor at all times. Services were held sometimes in
private houses and sometimes in the log school house that
stands west of the Swedish Church. A church with a membership
of 12 or 15 was organized. Rev. Kingsland lived with his
family on a homestead several miles north east of Alexandria
in the woods. The points where he preached were far apart
and required a great deal of travel to reach them. One of
his daughters married a Mr. Burgan and still resides a
few miles south of Alexandria in the town of Hudson.
The great Blizzard of 1873 is of historical record,
coming up so suddenly on a mild and pleasant morning,
it caught large numbers away from home who were
destined never to reach there again alive. It commenced
snowing about 10 o'clock a.m. and the wind raising,
soon blew a gale filling the air so full of snow that
nothing could be seen a few feet distant - and the
temperature rapidly falling it soon became bitterly cold.
The awful sufferings of scores of people out in that
terrible storm of three days and nights will never be
known in this world. The only one in the vicinity of
Evansville, who lost his life in the storm, was Mr. Johnson,
who lived some two miles north west of the village. He
was on his way to Fergus Falls with a loaded team. His body
was found a few miles above Pommedeterre on the Prairie,
and his horses which he had unhitched from the sleighs
were found in a slough still alive. We believe no stock
was lost in this vicinity though some were nearly smothered
to death from the stables being covered in with snow.
Each year new settlers came and soon all of the government
land had been settled upon or bought up by speculators,
who as the United States laws were at the time, could
get the land easily and cheaply. Many hardships were
undergone by the Pioneers. Several seasons, hail destroyed
portions of the crops and two seasons, the grasshoppers
put in their work. They first came to this portion of
the state from the southwest in July of 1875. Some fields
were entirely, though most only partially destroyed by
them. They hatched out in large numbers the following
spring, also the spring after, but the second spring a
cold rain, setting in shortly after they hatched, they
were mostly all destroyed. We have seen fields where the
young grain had been eaten, which were as bare and black
as when first plowed, although they had their preference,
we have no doubt that they would eat every green thing
to be found when in sufficiently large enough numbers.
When the town was first organized, it comprised two
townships that of Evansville and what is now the town
of Lund. The first road laid out aside from the state
road was laid from Evansville, northwest to a point
between Lakes Pelican and Christina. Another was laid
at the same time from Evansville south past the west end
of Long Lake to the south line of the town. The former
has mostly been changed so but little of the original
line is now traveled. The latter is still traveled mostly
where first laid. The roads in the vicinity of Evansville
at this time will compare favorably with any that we have
seen in the western part of the state. Far different was
it twenty or twenty-five years ago, when sloughs were
much more numerous that at present. A person at this time
can hardly realize the difficulty of traveling, especially
with teams in those early days. Much of it was, however,
necessarily done on foot and in the winter time, on the
long Norwegian snow shoes, many being very expert in there
use. As in the improvement of roads so in other things, men
who came up here with no property except a cow and some not
even that much, now own not only one quarter section of
land but oftentimes two or three. With five horses and herds
of cattle and sheep, and all things necessary for a
comfortable living. While good substantial house, barns,
and outbuildings are taking the place of the old log
structures of the pioneer days. While others having sold
or rented their farms have bought residences in the village
intending to spend their remaining years in comfort on the
competence well earned from years of toil and hardships.
And now we will close by narrating the last Indian scare
that has taken place in this section of Minnesota. For
the extent of territory covered and the panic and fright
which seized the settlers it has hardly been excelled at
any time and place. It was during extremely warm weather
in the summer of 1875, we think that rumors came down
from the north west that the Indians had taken the war
path and were massacerring the whites. Without any effort
to get together and form some plan for protection or to
learn the truth of the report, it seemed as if the first
and only thought of the settlers for miles and miles of the
surrounding country was in immediate flight. The towns of
Lund and Millerville did indeed each send out a man on
horseback to see if any Indians could be seen. But they only
increased the panic for seeing each other, at long range,
they returned and reported that they had seen Indians. Young
and old, weak and strong men who had worked in the California
mines for years commenced immediate preparations for flight.
Hastily throwing provisions, bedding and a few household
goods into their wagons, and tying a cow behind and in many
cases, leaving gates or fences open to allow stock left
behind to roam at will. Whole neighborhoods started
helter-skelter below. In the town of Lund, but one family,
it is said, remained, Gabriel Petersons. He, taking his
family, went up on the top of one of the highest hills in
the town and there camped in the brush over night. Many
to the west and southwest, south to the main line of the
St. P. M&M R.R. intending to take the railroad for leaving.
Here at Evansville, large numbers were continually passing
during the night for the rumors reached this section late
in the day. The night being dark and warm, and the mosquitoes
thick, with babies crying and cows bellowing, it gave an
experience to some not easily forgotten. Daylight dispersed
the fears of the fugitives somewhat and hearing nothing to
confirm the reports of the previous day, after camping out
a day or two they gradually returned to their homes. The
reports were started afterward as we heard somewhere above
Fergus Falls by a farmer trying to have some Indians
arrested whose ponies, as they were camped near the farmers
land had broken into his field. How far below the scare
extended is hard to tell. Some say down into Iowa. We
asked an aquaintance who lives about fourty miles south
east of hear near Grove Lake, if it reached that far, he
said yes and much farther. That such large numbers should
be so frightened at the mere reports that were circulated
was perhaps due in great measure to the enervating effects
of the extreme heat that was often prevailing and shows
what dread and fear the settlers had of the Indians at
that time.
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Last Modified:
November 26, 2003