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Preston Lake Township
The History of Renville County, Volume 2
Compiled by Franklyn Curtiss-Wedge
Chapter XLI
p. 1327-1329

Preston Lake township embraces township 115-31. It is bounded, on the east by the townships of Collins and Lynn in McLeod county, on the south by Grafton township in Sibley county, on the west by Hector township and on the north by Boon Lake township. Lake Allie is in the northern part. Preston lake is a large body of water in sections 10, 11 and 3. There are several smaller lakes in the southwestern part, among which may be mentioned Buffalo lake and Lake Chamberlain. The village of Buffalo Lake is in the southwestern part of the township. The Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul crosses the township in the southern part.

On the shores of Buffalo lake was originally a heavy growth of timber. Some of the oaks were from twenty inches to two and a half feet in diameter, capable of producing four twelve foot saw logs. These oaks were extensively used by the early settlers in constructing their homes.

The first claims in this township were taken in 1856 and 1857. Nothing can be learned about this settlement except the record of the claims in the land office records. A previous history has said that Dr. Engle and A. Van Meter settled here just before the Massacre.

In 1864 Mrs. Minerva Warren, with eight others, came into Preston Lake township. Mrs. Warren erected a house at once, close to Buffalo creek. This was the first house in the township so far as can be learned. None of the nine except Mrs. Warren proved up on their claims. That fall Ensign Chilson built a cabin, believed to be the second in the township. At the close of the war came Mrs. Warren's son, F. L. Warren. He was a soldier in the Fourth Minnesota Volunteer Infantry. Until he came his mother was alone on her claim. She was gritty, but the fear of the Indians had not yet departed, and in later life she used to tell with relish of the nights when, too excited over Indian stories to sleep, she would patrol her premises with a pitchfork as her only weapon. The Warrens sold out in 1872, and moved to Angus, Iowa, where Mr. Warren still lives.

William Rosser and family, then consisting of a wife and three children, came from near London, Ontario, and arrived in Preston Lake in the spring of 1866. The last forty miles of the journey was made by team by way of Henderson and Glencoe. He settled on a farm of 140 acres in the eastern part of the township on the south bank of Preston lake. About the same time came Watkin Eynon and family; David and Robert Allway, father, and families; William Burgess and family; Lorenzo Gilbert and family; E. U. Russell and family.

In June, 1866, came Hiram H. Davis, who is now living at Bruce, Wis. He took a homestead in section 7. With him came his brother, William Davis, and Ira S. Sheppard and family.

The nearest postoffice was Glencoe, twenty miles away. The nearest market was Hutchinson, fourteen miles. There was no mail route until some time later, when one was established between Henderson and Lake Lillian, passing through Preston Lake twice a month. The roads in 1866 were almost impassable, owing to the wet season, and flour at Hutchinson went up to $20 a barrel.

Among others of the very earliest settlers the following families arrived: A. H. Reeks, Thomas Havens, James A. Washburn, Stephen Green, Allison Houck, Willlam Herring, Judson Mann, Frank and Levi Bartlet, William Phare, Henry L. Haws. There were also some transient families who came and went but made no permanent home.

In 1870 and the years following came the families of S. H. Kellogg, Frank Bartlett, Adelbert H. lves, John Borden, Francis Maddock, Charles Wilson, Curtiss Roan, T. L. Richardson, William Kellderhouse, Julius Hemeke, Charles Newcomb, Charles Wilson, Nathan Van Meter, David and Erastus Jenkins, Charles Allen, Dwight Kingsley. Custiss Roan lived on the shores of Buffalo lake, the old fortifications being on his farm. He sold out to John C. Riebe, the original proprietor of Buffalo Lake village.

The grasshopper scourge swept over this vicinity four consecutive years in the early seventies. All crops of small grains were devoured, all that remained to be gathered being potatoes and prairie hay. One year of drouth also caused a failure of crops. The settlers were reduced to the verge of destitution. Some state aid was rendered in the way of furnishing seed grain. One feature helped the citizens of Preston Lake and vicinity which did not prevail in many other parts of the county. The creeks and lakes abounded in fish. Game of all kinds was plentiful.

About 1874 a more frequent mail route came into existence and a postoffice called Swansea was established. William Rosser was appointed postmaster. He continued in this position eighteen years. For sixteen years he was town clerk.

After the Massacre the first school was taught in 1870 by Mary Stone. A public school was organized in 1875 with Sarah Eynon as teacher. The first marriage was that of Judson Mann and Lucy Haven, in 1867. The first birth was George, son of R. Allway, born in 1867. The first deaths occurred in 1866; two men who had gone after groceries and mail were found frozen to death; their names were Gozette and Cairne. They were buried near Preston Lake, but later removed to the graveyard south of the Preston Lake school house. It is said that it was snowing when the men started for home and that the people at the store tried to persuade them to postpone the journey. They were found dead less than three miles from their claims.

William Reeks, a Baptist preacher, settled in Preston Lake in the early days, but after a while went to Canada, where he died. S. H. Kellogg, a Congregatlonal preacher, lived in the early days in the southeast quarter of section 14. It was his wife who kept the private school which became so widely known. David Chilson, an early settler, lived in section 3. It is told of him that in the early days he captured a buffalo calf in the township and took it to Minneapolis, where he sold it for $50. An old soldier named Hatch was kicked by a mule in the early days as the result of which he died. He owned half a section of land. A cemetery was established in pioneer times near the school house and near Preston lake. This cemetery is still in use. William Rosser gave the deed to the property, the cemetery having been started on his farm. A. F. Jackson in the early days owned a large farm on the shores of Preston lake. It is still the largest farm in the township, though it has been reduced. He ran a lumber yard on the place and it is said that he was unable to pay for all the lumber he purchased, and that for this cause the farm passed into the possession of [outside] parties. Mr. Jackson went from here to the Southwest and was a pioneer in the boom days in Oklahoma.

Preston Lake was organized September 7, 1869. It then consisted of Boon Lake and Preston Lake; it has had its present boundaries since September 6, 1870. The first town meeting was held September 28, 1869, at the home of William Phare, in charge of Hiram H. Davis, George Reeks and M. C. Russell. It resulted as follows: Supervisors, E. U. Russell (chairman), William Rosser and Ira S. Sheppard; Hiram H. Davis, clerk; James A. Washburn, treasurer; G. A. Gifford and Allison Houck, justices; Judson L. Mann and William Herring, constables. Ten votes were cast. Each officer elected received a unanimous vote with the exception of Judson L. Mann. He received nine votes, the tenth going to Robert Alway. This town is fortunate in that it has the minutes of this first meeting and of all the meetings since then, thus covering a period of 46 years.

The township has a hall built in 1900 and located in the village of Buffalo Lake. The voters of the village are included in the poll list of the township. At present there are about 300 voters in the township, including those in the village. The present town officers are: Supervisors, G. H. Werner (chairman), August Simons and Gustav Koebnick; clerk, Frank Wallner; treasurer, John Quast; assessor, William D. Wallner; justice of the peace, H. F. Moede; constable, Claus Grelk.

The first real estate assessment of Preston Lake township (115-31) was made in 1869, being as follows: Downer & Jackson, sections 1, 6; J. E. & H. Thompson, 1, 2; Albert W. Drake, 2; Alex. Green, 2, 3; Samuel T. Darby, 3; S. Marlow, 3; T. E. Chilson, 4; Lavina Engle, 4; William L. Tayler, 5; J. O. Hatch, 5, 6, 17; C. W. C. Munsell, 6, 8, 17, 19, 21; Louis Marlow, 9, 10; Thomas E. Clucken, 9; David Allway, 9; David Chilson, 9, 10; H. E. Savage, 10, 15; John A. Michael, 11; P. Shaw, 12: John Simpson, 12; T. M. Martin, 13; Henry L. Benson, 14, 15; L. D. Gilbert, 15; J. H. Pennell, 18, 19, 31; William Rosser, 21; Levi H. Bartlett, 21, 22, 28; Betsy Miller, 24; Francis C. Griswold, 24; Oliver S. Munsell, 25, 26; S. P. Souers, 26; Aron R. Sours, 27; B. C. Smith, 27; Thomas E. Smith, 27; Thomas J. Smith, 28; L. Munsell, 29; John C. Root, 30; W. H. N. Richardson, 35.

The first personal property assessment of Preston Lake township, 115-31, was made in 1872. Those assessed were: H. F. Bartlett, Thomas E. Chilson, H. H. Davis, James Edwards, Stephen Greene, Allison Houck, Lucy M. Havens, Elijah Houck, Henry L. Haws, R. A. lves, S. H. Kellogg, George Maddock, Francis Maddock, William Rosser, James A. Washburn.


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