Hickman Township

About one-thrd of this township lies on the plateau, which, with the exception of several coulees in the level and good farming land; the other two-thirds lie in the valley; the surface rather level. There are several ravines or coulees that emerge from the Couteaus in Sisseton Township and run in a westerly direction; one of these coulees crosses sections 12, 11, 10, 9 and 8, and on sec 7 spreads out like a fan, covering three quarter section of land, making an excellent meadow. This coulee on sec. 11 contained some timber, currants, gooseberries and raspberries, also plum trees. Excellent drinking water is easily obtained anywhere along this coulee.

Pioneer Settlers

Ferdinand Gamache, born near Quebec, Canada, came here from Dayton, Minn. Oct. 1, 1882; not being able to secure a team in Andover to haul a load of lumber, he went to Groton, where he hired a man and team. They reached here after a days journey and Mr. Gamache erected his shanty on sec. 33 about the time the township was surveyed and soon after returned to Minnesota, and came back the next spring.

Henry Gerberich, from Niles, Mich., built a shanty where he now lives, sec. 31 Oct. 12, '82; his brother, Joseph, located on sec. 30 the next spring. Henry Gerberich was elected county commissioner in 1885; is also school and township clerk.

The next to locate were Wm. Ap. Williams and Wm. X. Roberts, popularly known as Bill X. They are natives of Wales and came here from Bath, Brown County, and located on the south half of sec. 20. They erected their shanties the next day after Gerberich built his, and broke a few furrows for firebreaks and while here that fall, boarded at Mr. Sheldon's, ten miles distant.

In the fall of '82 Geo. Hickman helped A.T. Hammond, near Mr. Gaub, move to his claim from Bath. The next day Nov. 11, he, Bill X, and Henry Gerberich, went to the Fort where they were snow-bound for serveral days, the winter having set in much earlier than usual. George Hickman was much pleased with this part of the country, and the next winter he hauled a load of lumber from Bath, which is forty miles from here, and built a shack on the southwest corner of sec. 8, but in March, when the land came in market, he filed on the southeast quarter where he lives. He was born near Heidelburg, Germany, and came here from Bath, having moved from Sac county, Ia., to Bath; was elected county Superindent of schools of Day county in 1884.

Hickman Township was organized as a school township, including Lowell, in June, 1883. In 1884 two school houses were built and completely furnished at a total cost of $1500; Lowell was set off the same spring.

The following named settlers located in the spring of '83, with a few exceptions where they found vacant land in the plateau the next year; Thos. Anthony, from Plymouth Eng. came here from Sac county Iowa, sec.8, Wm. Morgan from Crieff, Scotland, sec. 8 and built the first substantial and painted house and barn in the township. Robert R. Roberts and sister, Sarah, the pioneer school Ma'am, from Sparta, Wis., settled on the east half of sec. 6. Robert Roberts, from Racine, Wis., sec. 4; Robert Evans, from Cambria, Wis., sec. 9; Dan Sullivan, from Bangor, me., sec.10; Frank Thole, from Winthrop, Minn., on sec. 10, and his mother on sec. 4; Wm. Holt, from Minnesota, sec. 11; Joseph Weizel, from Dayton Minn., sec.11; Frank Bowers, from Ionia, Mich., settled on sec. 12, in 1884 sold out to Horace King and emigrated to Arizona in search of a more genial climate, but it proved too warm and he returned to Michigan; Elewood Luellen, from New York settled on sec. 3; returned to New York in '84 where he died.

Frank Osborne, from Buchanan, Mich., sec 14; Frank Schindler, from Applington, Wis., sec. 15; Henry Thole, from Wintrop, Minn., sec. 15; R.E. Porter from Galena, Ill., in 1884, purchased relinquishment from Wm. Beck, who went to Nebraska. Leonidas Recob, from Richland Center, Wis. section 18; Chas. Woodford, from Niles, Mich. sec. 19.

Roland Williams, youngest son of William Ap. Williams, located on sec. 19; afterwards moved to Columbia, and hnis father now lives on the farm. Phis Gaub and son-in-law, Chas. Esterbrook are from Dayton, Minn., settled on sec. 31. Mr. Gaub is well known by our settlers. He built a fine residence and barn, and being about half way between Andover and Britton, he has for three years furnished entertainment for man and beast, and generally known as the half-way house. Is township and school treasurer and was appointed postmaster of Haupt post office January, 1885.

Frank Lamberton, from Niles, Mich., sec. 30; Roland Williams and his daughter, Jennie, from Iowa, settled on the north half of sec. 29. Lesher, from Minnesota, sec. 29; Samuel L. Norton, from Richland Col, Wis., 32, Robert Atkins, from Minneapolis, sec. 32, John Conley, from Dane Co., Wis., sec. 21,Mr. Brigham and uncle, from Grand Rapids, Mich., section 28 and 21, Lafayette Brigham has been assessor for two years.

Laban Lamberton, from Niles, Mich., sec. 34. L.R. Knight, from Maine, sec. 33; sold out to Will Tiss in the fall of '85. John Glaser, from Wisconsin, sec. 35. The flowing name sellers are from Ionia, Michigan in 1854, and has opened an extensive farm. Alfred Stanton, sec. 26, and his son, Will Stanton, sec. 13, Marcus L.Babcock and son, George, on Sections 27 and 22; Will, an older son died suddenly at Aberdeen last May. Thos. Creaser, from St. Johns, Mich., settled on sec. 27 in the fall of '83, and his brother-in-law Chas. Perry, from Connecticut, on sec. 25. Mr. Perry is now Justice of the Peace. Samuel Preston and his father, Clark Preston, and sister, Mary, were originally from Vermont; came here from Steven's Point, Wis. and located on sections 15 and 20. Mary Preston married Wm. Morris, from Cambria, Wis. and lives on her father's claim. Mrs. Clark Preston died Oct. 16, 1884, and Clark Preston died April 5, 1886, aged 84 years and 2 months, and was undoubtedlyu the oldest man in the territory at the time of his death.

Chester Foote and father, from Spring Valley, Minn., sec.24. Clark Perkins from the same place settled on the same section. Chas. Bjork on sec. 26 and John Sherbank on sec. 23. Rose Alber and Henry Otto, from Independence, Iowa, settled on sections 1 and 2. W.O. Prichard, from Lime Springs, Iowa, Sec. 1. Roger and John Richards, from Monroe county, Wis., sec. 3.

Isaac Jones, sons of above Jones, first filed on east half of sec. 7 and afterwards relinquished to their father and sister, Maggie. Mr. Jones is now improving these claims. John Woulph, from Galena, Ill., came here last April with a lot of stock and now resides on the old Walter Osborn claim, sec. 7. Return to Home Page