Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/288

 23d ' HISTOKY OF GOODHUE COUNTY WARSAW TOWNSHIP. * Warsaw lies on the eastern border of Goodhue county and comprises township 11, range 18. It is bounded on the north by Stanton, cast by Leon, south by Holden and west by Rice county. The Little Cannon river passes along the eastern border, and in the valley of this river appears some timber, particularly notice- able in the southeastern portion. The larger part of the surface, however, is rolling prairie, with deep soil, and consequently many fine farms. "Happy is the land that has no history." says an ancient writer. This is true of Warsaw. Agriculture has been the impor- tant industry in the township, and from the earliest settlement the story of Warsaw has been one of increased cultivation, where the people live in peace and contentment, free from the disputes and stirring events which, while they made interesting reading, do not always tend to the real benefit or growth of a locality. In .June. IS.")."), the northern part of this township was sillied by a party of Americans consisting of the brothers. Musis. William and Edwin George, Robert McCorkle (some- times given ;is McCoskel), I-]. II. Sumner, Washington King, R. B. Wilson, -I. E. Wrigb.1 ami Francis McKee. These men at once started farming, and while tiny endured the hardships always incident to pioneer life, their firsl crops were good, and from some of tin' worse privations they were spared. In 1856 a child was born to Washington King, a truly important event, and duly celebrated by the pioneers, who all wanted to take a peep at the little stranger. The following year, 1857, John Chambers died and tlie funeral was attended by the entire population of the settlement. In the summer of 1858 Rev. Isaac Waldron con- ducted the first religious services, in a room of a house owned by Alex McKee. In the same room Emma IJabcock kept the first school, in the summer of 1859. Mr. Johnson built the first blacksmith shop in 1864. and later others were added. The settlement in the southern part of the township Avas started in 1856, by Anders Anderson, Nils Gunderson, Ole and Ha gen Knutson. Andrew Thompson and others. Soon a Nor- wegian eolony grew up around them. The township was organized in 1858. with N. B. Townsend as chairman and J. E. Wright as clerk. Other early chairmen were Samuel Carpenter. Abram Towne. J. L. Wells. Rice, R. B. Wilson and Chris. Lochren. Among the early clerks were William George, Edwin George. T. Bowman. Chris. Lochren and George Sheets. Warsaw's contribution to the Civil War consisted of: John A. Bond. Cyrus Bondurant, Ulrich K. Burk. Joseph E. Charles.