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Daniel Kirkendahl
Mr. Kirkendahl was the first known settler on the site that is now
Northfield. He was originally a native to Germany. He
immigrated to the U.S. and all that is known of his time before coming
to Northfield is that he came here from Pennsylvania. Once
reaching this area he preempted a piece of land that is part of the
city now. It was located where Carleton College now stands.
There he set up a tent and later built a log cabin (Centennial,
7). There is not much information on what his life was like here
except that he had a farm of some sort and later sold his land to John
W. North. His farm was probably of the subsistence style as many
pioneers practiced in their early years of settlement. He was
recorded as the first to grow crops in the
region, but what kind of crops is unclear from the documentation that
exists (Berg, 103). It appeared that he wanted to experience
western life and probably like many immigrants was looking for a better
life in America and to the promise of western lands to make a new start.
Alexander
Stewart Family
Alexander Stewart came to the site about 2 weeks after
Kirkendahl. He came
from New York his birthplace with his family. They stopped for a
while in Wisconsin
on the way to Minnesota. Mr. Stewart arrived
in Northfield in June of 1854. Once he found the site he wanted
along the Cannon River, he preempted it and brought his family to the
new land. The Stewarts brought with them 4 cows, some loose
cattle and 3 pair of oxen along with all their basic household
goods. They like Mr. Kirkendahl put up a tent as temporary
housing. Where they lived for about 4 weeks. A more
permanent building was erected but only half the roof was finished and
it would not be completed until the fall. There was no floor in
their first crude shelter. In the fall Mr. Stewart traveled to
St. Paul to purchase lumber for repairs. The dwelling was then
transformed into a sod cabin. They lived in this for about two
years. The Stewarts would learn early how to adapt and survive in
their new home. Learning to work with the natural features of
the land. During a severe rain storm the sod cabin was destroyed
as the sod rotted and the building fell apart. The stewards then
built a sturdier house in the place of the cabin that could withstand
such events (Centennial,
7-8). Learning how to adapt to a new place and to find what
buildings would work best for shelter there was a process that many
immigrants went through.
Jonathan
Alexander Family
The Alexanders arrived about two weeks after the Stewarts. Upon
arrival they selected a site for a farm. With them they brought
10 cows, 10 head of loose cattle, one horse and all their worldly
possessions. Like the others before them
they set up a tent as their first dwelling. They probably also
put up some sort of fencing and/or a shelter to keep their cattle
in. Later they built a
hotel/inn and tavern. It was a stopping place for many who
traveled through or to the area in the 1850s until other hotels were
built. Even with their business they continued to raise their
livestock on their land (Centennial, 8). Their story illustrates
that the
line
between rural areas and towns were not as defined in early settlement
history as they are now.
John W. North
Family
Used
with permission - Shaw-Olson Center for College History, St. Olaf
College
John W. North
John W. North first discovered the area that was to become Northfield
when visiting his friend Alexander Faribault who he helped plat a town
by the name of Faribault. North was also looking for land but did
not find any that suited him in the Faribault area. He then
visited another friend named Jonathan Alexander. While there John
W. North noticed the potential power of the river and decided that they
would move the area (Munson, 19-28). The Norths were originally
from
New
York. They had moved to St. Anthony Falls Minnesota in 1849. At
this time John was 33 and Ann, his second wife, was 17 (Golden Nugget,
5). From there they made their journey to Northfield. They
came
in January of 1855 by a covered sled, bringing with them a feather bed,
a stove, and a rocking chair. At this time John and Ann North had
three children. The oldest was four years of age (Centennial,
9-11).
John W. and Anne North lived along the east side of the river with
their children. Their house was the first timber framed building
in the area. John in 1855 had a dam built on the river.
Then two mills would be built. One on the west side a sawmill and
one on the east side the flour mill (Centennial, 9-11). For more
information on mills
go to the Mills section of the
website. These mills became the
industries the town relied on during this time.
The economics of the mills were only one part of what the Norths gave
the town. They also came with certain ideas that were fostered in the
community. The Norths believed in the abolitionist cause and
women's suffrage. They would work toward both of these
ideals. They were also deeply religious and involved in the
Methodist church. They wanted to live in a community with the
same morals and principles they themselves held (Northfield
Heritage Preservation Committee ed, 4-5). "[North] wanted
Northfield to be more than just a thriving center for wheat
production. He wanted Northfield to be a center for reform and
culture as well" (Northfield
Heritage Preservation Committee ed, 6).
Jesse Ames Family
The Ames were originally from Maine. They were of Scottish and
English heritage. Jesse Ames was a captain and owner of a
fleet of New England clipper ships. They came to Northfield from
Cannon City where the elder Ames had retired to. Their children
had decided it would be a nice way for them to live out their "sunset
years" . However in 1864 their son Adelbert bought the North
mills
from Charles A.Wheaton. The Ames moved from their farm to help
run the mill with their sons. Adelbert would move away from
Northfield. He served in the Civil
War and as part of his education had graduated from West Point.
After the war he was
elected governor of Mississippi, but there were difficulties for him
there. He
resigned and rejoined his family in Northfield. Jesse Aims and
his sons ran the mills together making it a wholly family enterprise
(Swanberg, 180). The Ames mills became a staple for the
Northfield economy. Click here to
learn more about the Mill.
Jacob Crosby Family
The Crosbys were originally from
Maine. In 1856 the Crosby brothers with consent from their
parents traveled separately to Minnesota by canoe, instead of with the
rest of the family by oxcart. They
went up the Keenbec from Swanville, Maine to the St. Lawrence River and
from
here they went up the Otwwa. They
canoed and portaged their way to the Mississippi River. They knew
the trip would be dangerous. At this time Jacob Crosby was 12
years old. He could speak several tribal languages and was an
avid woodsman. He was "good with animals, had knowledge of what
was edible in the forest, how to protect oneself in a storm, and
tracking skills" (Rice County
Historical Society
ed, 279). The tribe in New England he had, had friendly
relations with called him "boy who talks to animals". He was the
guide and mediator with Indian tribes on the trip. The brothers met up
with their parents in Hastings, MN. From
here the
family would travel together to St. Cloud where their
father Rueben was gorged by a bull. Their mother died later about
the time Jacob joined to fight in the Civil War (Rice County
Historical Society
ed, 279).
Jacob would return from the war and marry Betsey Moulton. They
had
a farm in Bridgewater township where three of their children were
born. In 1884 they moved from farm to a frame house on the Cannon
River. The house was built by Jacob and his father-in-law.
In that house two more children were born bringing the total to
five. Later in life Jacob built and
operated a Northfield Ice company, which later became Fremouth Ice
Co. He was also a rural mail carrier and custodian in two
churches in town. After retirement he would spend time gardening,
maple tree tapping, and splitting wood. Betsey like her
husband was hard working and active in the community. She was an
active member in the Lady's Aid, enjoyed tatting, knitting, and
crocheting. She would also produce underthings for her
grandchildren out of old flower sacks. Showing the ingenuity and
resourcefulness of some of the early settlers. The Crosby home
became a boarding house for High School students who had to room and
board during the week. Both Jacob and Betsey died in Northfield (Rice
County Historical Society
ed, 279).
Drake Family
The first Drake to move into the Northfield area was Edwin Sumner
Drake. He arrived in 1854 soon to be followed by some
brothers. He came from New York where he had grown up. He
was one of twelve children. The Drakes were of
English origin. Their father Joseph Drake had stolen away on a
ship to
get to America. In 1854 three other Drake brothers ended up in
the area. They were Joseph, Charles Bon, and Albert W.
Drake. They bought tracks of land and together built a log
house. Later they would donate land
for use of the community. Charles donated land for the first
schoolhouse. Albert W. Drake later donated land for the
Northfield cemetery, where their father was buried (Centennial,
45). The burial of their father in the cemetery implies that
other members of the family also moved to
the area. The Drakes farmed their land. They were the first
to bring grain to the North
flour mill to be ground up. There is not a lot of information on
any
farming they did (Centennial, 11). But based on this documented
story the fact that they grew crops for a living can be surmised.
The main crop in this area was also wheat so it is probable that this
is what they grew. They probably like many other farmers of the
area also did some subsistence farming along with that grown for the
market.
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