Photo by Linda Noll

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LINKS FOR THIS PAGE


Introduction Site Map What's New Search Engines Quick Clicks
Notes Other Resources County Information Contact/Meet Webmaster Personal Links



INTRODUCTION

The early settlers of the Minnesota frontier found unsurpassed beauty in the misty lowlands and valleys along the Mississippi River. Behind, the bluffs rose up blunt and rugged, giving way to undulating, fertile plains.

We are fortunate to have the stories of these early settlers and those who came after them in these two volumes: "The History of Wabasha and Winona Counties," published 1884, and "The History of Wabasha County," published 1920. I inherited both these books from my mother and I am transcribing and publishing their biographies and historical sketches as I am able.

Here you'll read of the daunting challenges and horrible disasters these pioneers faced while carving out farms and towns in the wilderness of this new territory, plowing hundreds of acres with a team of horses or yoke of oxen. You'll read of the stubborn determination and tenacious courage of these families who began in sod huts and log cabins but went on to build themselves brick Victorians.

These are the homemakers and husbands of a long-gone era, who made do or did without or made it themselves ~ who found worth in blistered hands and satisfaction in a day that lasted from before sun-up to after sun-down. Here are the families, the villages, and the townships that risked all, lost all, and won all by playing their strength and determination against the forces of nature.

As you read these biographies, you'll laugh at the cows that broke down the cabin door on a cold winter night so they could join the family around the fire. You'll cringe at the account of a hard-working bachelor who went home after dark and didn't bother to light the lamp before laying down beside a four-foot snake! And, if you look far enough, you just might find an ancestor!


SITE MAP

DIRECTORY, 1884 book: Indexes & Links to Biographies & Historical Sketches
DIRECTORY, 1920 book: Indexes & Links to Biographies & Historical Sketches
Wabasha Co., MN Biography Project
(Opens in a different section) 		History of Winona Co., MN
(Opens at a different site)
Comparison of the Content of Both Books Families: Genealogies Not Listed in the Books
Queries Lookups Glossary Wabasha Co. Info
Maps What is a Town (Township)? Poems and Pics Wabasha Co. Scrapbook
Wilderness Home 1854 The Native Americans Pioneer Stories The Way It Was
A Time Long Gone By Remember When? Out in the Barnyard Fraternities
Welcome About This Site Thank You! Black Sheep
Search Engines Quick Clicks Notes Webmaster
Personal Links Guest Book Rings Counter
"Growth of a Nation" (off-site)
This is a multi-media interactive movie. While there, click on "HOME" (upper left corner) for information on purchasing the enhanced version at a very reasonable price.


WHAT'S NEW: Yvon Cr�te has added a large section to Oliver Cratte's biography on the 1884 "C" Biographies page.



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QUICK CLICKS
For Those Familiar With The Site

Biographies From The 1884 Book
All biographies are transcribed and published.

A B C D E F G H I J K L
M N O P Q R S T U V W Y

Chapters From The 1884 Book
All chapters are transcribed and published.

Ch 1 Ch 2 Ch 3 Ch 4 Ch 5 Ch 6 Ch 7 Ch 8 Ch 9
Ch 10 Ch 11 Ch 12 Ch 13 Ch 14 Ch 15 Ch 16 Ch 17 Ch 18
Ch 19 Ch 20 Ch 21 Ch 22 Ch 23 Ch 24 Ch 25 Ch 26 Ch 27
Ch 28 Ch 29 Ch 30 Ch 32 Ch 33 Ch 34 Ch 35 Ch 36 Ch 37
~ ~ Ch 38 Ch 39 ~ Ch 40 Ch 41 ~ ~

Biographies From The 1920 Book
Not all biographies are transcribed.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M
N O P Q R S ~ T U V W Y Y

Chapters From The 1920 Book
Not all chapters are transcribed.

Ch 1: Ch 2: Ch 3: Ch 4: Ch 5: Ch 6: Ch 7: Ch 8: Ch 9: Ch 10: Ch 11: Ch 12:
Ch 13: Ch 14: Ch 15: Ch 16: Ch 17: Ch 18: Ch 19: Ch 20: Ch 21: Ch 22: Ch 23: Ch 24:


NOTES


One of the readers has sent the above photograph of an unknown family. Could this be your relatives? If you recognize these people, please contact Sister Jane.

I have found that both the Roy L. Irish family and the Nie Rich family were proud parents of triplets! Both families are found in the 1920 book.

Many biographies have told of the hardships faced in immigrating to America and in settling the new land. For instance, Baltz Meyer, a pioneer of Wabasha County, was a native of Germany where he spent his early years, and on beginning industrial life worked for six dollars, one pair of wooden shoes and one suit of overalls as yearly salary. I have found an amazingly detailed autobiography on a Minnesota GenWeb page titled "Photos, Autobiographies, and Other Treasures."

Not all babies were named right away. Some parents did not keep track of a child's birth day, only month and year or perhaps only year. Often, a new baby was named for a child who had previously died.

The name "Christ" is the diminutive of "Christian" and is pronounced with a short "i" as in "this." The first divorce that I have seen recorded in these books was that of Fred Dosdall's parents. The largest landowner that I have come across was David L. Philley with 3,000 acres in the state.

There have been a multitude of cemetery transcriptions added to my Wabasha County GenWeb site lately. I believe they will be very profitable to many family genealogists! For more photos and drawings visit the Minnesota State Historical Society Image Library. You'll find period photos of the various villages and areas in Wabasha County, plus maybe a photo of your great-great-grandpapa's farm!

For MAPS MAPS MAPS go to the Wabasha County GenWeb site.
There is a township map on my "What is a Town (Township)?" page.

Here are the names of some villages and towns in Wabasha County: Bear Valley, Bellechester, Bremen, Conception, Dumfries, Elgin, Hammond, Jarrett, Kellogg, Lake City, Maple Springs, Mazeppa, Millville, Minneiska, Oak Center, Plainview, Read's Landing, South Troy, Theilman, Wabasha, Weaver, West Albany, Zumbro Falls. You will find these places mentioned and described in the Chapters from both books on this site.

Many biographies have told of the hardships faced in immigrating to America and in settling the new land. For instance, Baltz Meyer, a pioneer of Wabasha County, was a native of Germany where he spent his early years, and on beginning industrial life worked for six dollars, one pair of wooden shoes and one suit of overalls as yearly salary. Now I have found an amazingly detailed autobiography on a Minnesota GenWeb page titled "Photos, Autobiographies, and Other Treasures."

LINKS TO OTHER RESOURCES

Rootsweb | USGenWeb | USGenWeb Archives
MNGenWeb | MNGenWebArchives
Wabasha Co. MN Cemeteries | Wabasha Co Resources
Minnesota Biographies Project
S-K Publications U.S. Census Maps
Wabasha County, MN GenWeb
Plainview Area History Center
Winona County, MN GenWeb
Olmsted County, MN GenWeb
Goodhue County, MN GenWeb
Goodhue County, MN Biography Project
Fillmore County, MN GenWeb
Houston County, MN GenWeb
La Crosse County, WI GenWeb
Pepin County, WI GenWeb
Buffalo County, WI GenWeb
Eau Claire County, WI GenWeb
Trempealeau County, WI GenWeb
Institut Grand Ducal (Luxembourg)
Jim writes: "There is a book, 'History of Luxemburg Township & Village (Wisconsin).'
It had many settlers from Luxembourg, Europe."
Andersonville Civil War Prison
City Directories of the United States
"The Aborigines of Minnesota" by Newton H. Winchell
Little Log House Pioneer Village
Laura Ingalls Wilder, Frontier Girl
German Genealogy

Mississippi Valley Partners


COUNTY INFORMATION

Wabasha County Townships
Chester, Elgin, Gillford, Glasgow, Greenfield, Highland, Hyde Park, Lake, Mazeppa, Minneiska, Mount Pleasant, Oakwood, Pepin, Plainview, Watopa, West Albany, and Zumbro.

Once Upon A Time, Wabasha County Was HUGE!
MN Territorial Map Showing Counties, 1849-1851
See also Chapter Six, 1884 Book, "Organization"

Sister City?
Chris Miller found a very old postcard of the area between Yarington and Wabasha in Nevada. This Wabasha appears to be long gone since it does not come up in any other geographic or other searches.

Do You Want to Take a Peek at your Favorite Town?
Simply go to TerraServer and follow the easy directions given there.


Contact Webmaster       Meet Webmaster


Personal Links

Barbara's Family Rosebush
Peach County, GA GenWeb
Macon County, GA GenWeb
Coweta County, GA GenWeb
Aitkin County, MN GenWeb
Wabasha County, MN GenWeb
Mahnomen County, MN GenWeb
History of Winona County, Minnesota
The Great Rebellion ~ Wabasha Co., MN Men In The Civil War
Bartow County, GA Confederate Soldiers of the American Civil War
Unbound

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