Chapter 18 • History of Detroit Township

This chapter of the history of Detroit Township appeared in "A Pioneer History of Becker County", published in 1907 By A. H. Wilcox and Mrs. Jessie C. West in 1907. The following account was written by Henry Way, who was one of the pioneer party.

In 1865, sixteen families left Iowa,and came to Otter Tail County, July 31 1865. There were no white families in that county at that time. We settled at Battle Lake and stayed there two years, from Ottertail to Dayton over the vast expanse of country, now covered with cities and towns. Where Fergus Falls now stands, there was not a white settler or a house. We looked for good farm land with grass, water and timber. Having been informed by Indians and half-breeds that there was good land north, five families started in search of this new land. We went past Ottertall City, then was occupied by mixed bloods. We forded Otter Tail River three times and came to what is now Frazee City, where we found a man by the name of Butler, who said all the land was taken by script, and that it still was fourteen miles to the "Land of promise".
We camped there that night, he promising to go with us the next day and show us the land rich with wild strawberries and only waiting for the cows to come so they could have cream for the wild strawberries. We reached Oak Lake June 28 1868, and were so well pleased with the country that we took out claims without getting out of the wagon. L. D. Sperry, A. W. Sherman and myself each took a claim at Oak Lake, Mr. Sherman taking the one which was since the county poor farm. We started our foundation for the houses and left them for the buzzards to roost on till we returned later. We went back to Ottertail to our families.

Mr. Sherman came back and built a house and put up hay. I also built my house and next spring came with my family. When we were at Battle Lake, we had to go to Cold Springs, nine miles this side of St. Cloud for our flour and Sauk Centre for our groceries and all the things used by farmers. This was 108 miles and took eight to ten days to make a trip. When we came to Becker County we did our trading and milling at Alexandria, one hundred miles away. We went with ox team one hundred miles for a box of matches or a pound of tea. Then they started to build the railroad.
Mr. Sherman was on his farm during the winter of 1868, and during my absence they ran out of provisions. Paul Beaulieu of White Earth called and learned of their situation and sympathizing with them, promised them a sack of flour before the setting of another sun, and he was as good as his word.
All traffic was carried on with dog sleds and our mail came from Ottertail City by the hand of some Indian folk.
In the spring of 1869, a party of men employed by the Northern Pacific Railroad came through from St. Cloud. They came with supplies and made my place headquarters.
John O. French came with the N.P. Railroad 1870 crew and they camped on the east shore of Floyd Lake, where later Mr. John French made his home till years later they moved to Detroit Lakes. Myself and family went to French's Floyd Lake home and had many family picnics there.
Mr. French's daughter Rose was married to William Beaulieu of White Earth. They were the next door neighbors for a few years when they lived on the place joining my land. I remember Mr. and Mrs. J. O. French very well. Mrs. French was a very kind woman and Rose likewise was very kind. Because Rose was our neighbor, that is how come we went to her folks on their neighborhood picnics. Rose and Bill would take a whole sleigh load of folks and drive way east of Richwood to a house party. There were so many people in that house you could not move.
Oak Lake County organized April of 1874.
A Catholic Priest came through Detroit. He was a Frenchman. He looked across Detroit Lake in plain sight of where the long sand bar stretched across the lake. The water was low and dim outline of the bar stretched across the lake was gleaming in the light of the setting sun. When Father exclaimed to some attendant, "See what a beautiful Detroit", which meant the sand bar across the lake. This is how Detroit got its name.

The census population of Becker County in 1870 was 308, 60 white, the rest were Indians.
In the year of 1879, there was not a single settler in the whole region of county east of the Otter Tail River. The timber townships were slower to settle. The first white settler to die was Almon Sherman, who died at Oak lake December 31 1869. The first girl born was Clara Way, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Way, who were living at Oak Lake in Detroit Township. She was born July 20 1870. The first white boy born in Becker county was Olans Peep, son of Mr. and Mrs. Sevall Peep, he was born on July 29 1871, and recorded Jan. 20 1872.
The first school in Becker County was taught by Mrs. Julis A. Spears at White Earth in the fall of 1870. The first school in Becker County outside of the reservation was taught by Miss Nancy M. Comstock in the fall of 1871in the house belonging to Henry Way, District Number 3, Audubon Township. The first school legally organized, was district 1 in Detroit Village by Miss Lottie Frank, July 2 1872.
The first religious service in Becker County was by Rev. Dr. Lord on the shore of Big Floyd Lake at the French homestead, 1869, at the camp of the Northern Pacific Railroad exploring expedition.
The first religious service held in Becker County, with a full audience with a minister residing in this part of Minnesota was conducted by Rev. T. Valtenson at the home of John F. Beaver in Audubon Township, Nov. 6 1870.
Father Gurley, the first minister in Becker County, came here as a missionary for the Northern Pacific Railroad under the auspices of the Methodist Church. July 1871.
Patrick Quinlan was born in Canada at Norwood, Feb. 15 1836. He was Irish. There was no Minneapolis or St. Cloud at that time. Pat Quinlan came to Becker County May 28 1868. He built a cabin near where Frazee is now, later he lived near Richwood where he died, March 10 1905. He had three sons and one grandson, Joe Quinlan of Richwood.

August 5 1871, E. G. Holmes and Company sent a stock of goods to Detroit. There were only two houses in Detroit at that time. By Sept. 30 1871, E. G. Holmes and company had established a store at Detroit to keep pace with the development of the N.P. Railroad.

December 5 1871, Mr. Giles Peake opened a new store also at Detroit. The train was now running regularly as far as Oak Lake.

Feb. 24 1872, Captain Roberts of Boston Colony is just completing a new hotel on the town site.
The first Detroit Record was published on May 18 1872, the editor at the time was William F. Ball. The first newspaperman in the county, a Virginian, he was in the Union Army for three years. Mr. Ball moved to Detroit from Ottertail in 1872.
July 20 1872, Charles Wright was added to A. H. Wilcox force of men examining the N.P. Railroad land in Becker County.
August 1870 they surveyed the Red River flats; there were no settlers in the Clay county area. McCanleyville had a ferry that crossed the Otter Tail River to survey all around the area.
July 27 1872, First Baptist Church of Duluth, 4th Baptist Church of Boston, and the American Home Missionary Society organized the first Baptist Church of Detroit, west of Duluth on the N.P. railroad. The ministers were Rev. E. Wood and J.S. Campbell.
July 27 1872, the only flour mill in Becker County, and that is hardly called a mill, was the old government mill at White Earth, of very small capacity. The grain crop of this present year could afford plenty of work for a mill.
At the county commissioners' meeting, June 8 1872, they laid out a road to White Earth, which is the stage coach road from Detroit through Richwood to White Earth. This new road from Richwood to White Earth was contracted by Swan Olund and J. P. Enberg of Richwood. It had to the ready by Oct. 1 1872. There was 2,800 feet of marsh to corduroy. 2,100 feet in one stretch. The road was called the Stagecoach Road, between Detroit and White Earth. This road goes by my house.
In my front yard there has been a large mound of dirt for years. My sister wanted to dig it up; she said it was an Indian grave, but I never consented to dig it up. So I took a shovel and leveled it off for the lawnmower, but there never was nor still is not any grass growing on this spot.
Whiskey Creek is just down the road a little way from my home. Here the Indians camped between Detroit and White Earth and on the Creek bank. They stayed overnight, had campfires on the banks, mixed their whiskey with creek water, and cooked their food. It was a great camping ground for them, as most of them walked in these days between towns.
George D. Hamilton bought and published the Record in 1878 and it was one of the best published papers in Minnesota, at that time. He bought the paper from W. F. Ball, A. J. Clark, and H. Johnson. Later it was bought by L. Benshoof from Hamilton. In 1963 it was incorporated by the party that bought the Tribune and Record.
The new telegraph office was built on Sept. 7 1872. A new depot agent was Frank Johnson.

These articles were written by Mrs. Jessie West. She was born Jan. 9 1849, and died on Jan. 25 1903. She worked for the Record at the time this was written.