Burnstown Township
Burnstown is located in the western part of Brown
County. It is bounded on the north by Redwood County, on
the east by Leavenworth Township, on the south by Bashaw
Township, on the west by North Star Township. Its
population in 1890 was five hundred and seventeen; in
1900 it was five hundred and ninety-one, and in 1910 it
was five hundred and ninety-six. It embraces all of town
ship 109, range 34 west. The Chicago & Northwestern
railway traverses the township from northeast to south
west, with Springfield as the only station in the
township. Boy's lake is found in the northeastern part
of this town ship. This township is in the heart of a
thickly settled and well cultivated portion of Brown
County, having a thrifty, happy and contented
population.
The history of this township dates from the first
meeting which was held at the house of pioneer J. F.
Burns, October 14, 1871; officers elected were: E. L.
Cady, chairman; J. A. Potter and R. M. Johnson,
supervisors; John Boyes, clerk; David Eshbaugh,
assessor; Tedman Gullick, treasurer; A. B. Hubbard and
Peter Moe, justices of the peace; P. Cutland and Peter
Sist, constables.
The First Comers
The band of settlers which first dared to brave the
hardships in this wild, undeveloped section of Brown
County, in 1857, included the family of Jonathan F.
Brown, who made a claim in section 22. The family was
killed by the Indians in 1862, while trying to escape
from the township. In the spring of 1858, J. F. Burns,
for whom the township was named, E. Otto and a Mr. Webb
arrived. J. F. Burns and his brother, Daniel, were the
only ones of the early settlers who returned after the
Indian War of 1862; they returned the fall of the same
year. Other pioneers included:
A. E. Aarans, of
Norway
P. F. Altermatt, from Wisconsin
James Arnold, of Ohio
John Bagen, a son of the Emerald Isle
H. Bendixen, of Prussia
Thomas Brophy, of Ireland
Anton Crone, Of Chicago
Lucas Fecker, a German
Charles Gamble, of Wisconsin
Walter Henderson, of England
Dr. H. A. Hitchcock, of New York State
M. Howard, an Irishman
Adam Kalzenberger, a German
H. Knudson, a Dane
L. A. Larson, of Norway
John Lau, a German
Orlin Laughlin, of Wisconsin
Peter McKeever, an Irishman
J. Paule Nuessle, a German
J. J. Ray, of Canada
John Roth, a German
Chris Schewe, a German
Wolfgang Schmid, a German
A. Wangerin, born in Milwaukee
H. C. Warnke, of Wisconsin
G. C. Wellmer, of Prussia
A. E. West, of Wisconsin,
J. D. Yaund, of Pennsylvania |
These include several in Springfield.
The first birth recorded in the township was that of
Henry Hughes, born in 1869. The first marriage was that
uniting Ida J. Scott and J. F. Burns, October 20, 1870.
Village Of
Springfield
Springfield was originally known as the village of
Burns. It was surveyed into lots in 1877 at a station
point along the new railway then called the Winona & St.
Peter, but now the Northwestern line. It is in sections
18 and 19, township 109, range 34 west. The first
business house was erected in 1872 by H. M. Gamble. In
1881 the village had a population of three hundred; in
1890 it had reached seven hundred and sixteen; in 1900
it was placed at fifteen hundred and eleven, and in 1910
it stood fourteen hundred and eighty-two.
Springfield was incorporated as a village in 1881. The
first village records were all destroyed by fire. It is
known, however, that J. S. Colomy was the first
president of the village. The officers for 1916 are:
Fred Bott, president; A. G. Anderson, J. F. Bauch,
Herman Birkemeyer, trustees; Edward J. Fernholz,
recorder; C. H. Asch, treasurer; John Schultz, assessor;
J. J. Ray and J. Farrell, justices of the peace; Jack
Foster and August Bigot, constables.
The village owns a fine waterworks plant. It is of the
gravity type and is supplied with water from three
flowing wells which flow into an eighteen hundred barrel
reservoir at the pumping station, and is then pumped to
an elevation of one hundred and ten feet to a tank
holding seventy-five thousand gallons. This gives a
total height from the main business section of the town
of about one hundred and fifty feet. There are now in
use about three miles of water mains and thirty-six fire
plugs or street hydrants.
Of the lighting of Springfield it may be stated that
electricity lights the place. It has a two-unit system,
one directed to a fourteen by twenty-one Lentz engine
generator 100-kw., and the other unit belted to an Ideal
engine generator 50-kw., giving a continuous service. In
1890 a city hall was erected costing Six thousand
dollars.
The protection against fire is safeguarded by a
volunteer fire company of twenty-five members.
The post office was established here in 1873, with M. H.
Gamble as postmaster. The amount of business transacted
there in the last year was five thousand six hundred and
forty dollars. Five rural routes extend out from
Springfield.
Burnstown
Directory, 1916
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Auctioneer
J. J. Ray
B. F. Mowry
Auto-Garages
William Mueller & Schmid
John Schmelz
E. F. Mowry and Louis Kreitinger
Attorneys
A. G. Erickson
E. J. Fernholz
Adolph Frederickson
Bakery
D. Galle
Banks
State Bank of Springfield
First National Bank
Barber Shops
William Anderson
Otto Block
Blacksmiths Shops
August Neismann
Ed. Boelter
Brick and Tile Works
Springfield Brick & Tile Company
Cement Works
Henry Schworzrock
Cigar Factory
F. K. Reasoner
Chiropractor
F. C. Hinkley
Clothing Stores
F. E. Schotzks
Creameries
Springfield Farmers Association
Dentists
J. S. Lommen
J. L. Fritsche
Dray Lines
Eckholt & Johnson
W. N. Anderson
Drug Stores
P. W. Kuske
Olsen Schlick
Elevators
Farmers Elevator Company
Exclusive Dry Goods
H. F. Mierding
Standard Oil Company-P. M. Bott, agent
David Grain and Fuel Company
Feed Store
I. E. Hier
Furniture Dealer
George P. Forster
General Dealers
H. F. Dirks
A. G. Nuessler
Kamolz & Winkelmann Department Store
Adolph Altermatt Mercantile Company
Bauck Brothers
Grocers
H. Neumann
Emil Swanbach
Hardware
W. F. Runk
Schmid & Lehrer Company
Henry Longneck
Harness Shops
Henry Lischefska
John Berg
Hospitals
St. John's Hospital, Church property*
Hotels
The Exchange
Implement Dealers
W. F. Runk
Springfield Implement Company
Jewelry
Olson Schlick
George Bockman
Livery
Albert Knadel
Lumber
Schmid & Lehrer Company
Steinke-Seidl Lumber Company
Meat Markets
Joseph Feckner
A. E. Bigot
Mills
Springfield Milling Company
Millinery
Edna Stafford
Grace M Clark
Merchant Tailor
George F. Taner
Fred Hansen
Newspapers
Advance and the Free Press
Opera Halls
H. Bloenke
Parks
Riverside
Brown's and Martha Anderson Memorial Park
Photograph Gallery
F. H. Kranz
Physicians
Drs. W. A. Meierding
Rothenberg & Schroeder
Produce
Springfield Produce Company
Real Estate Dealers
Paffrath-Schmid Company
Restaurant
E. S. Henry
Stock Dealers
Springfield Elevator Company
Theodore Kroening
Telephone Companies
Farmers & Citizens Mutual
Tri-State and Northwestern companies
Veterinary
T. E. West
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* Managed by Drs. Rothenberg and Schroeder
The Springfield Milling Company, an incorporated
concern, does a splendid flourishing business and has a
capacity of over six hundred barrels a day. They usually
sell the product in the states Of Minnesota, Illinois,
Iowa and Pennsylvania.
St. John's Hospital was founded on money raised by
subscription a number of years ago. It is situated on
the south side of the river on a beautiful hillside, an
ideal location for such an institution.
Brown County |Minnesota
AHGP
Source: History of Brown County,
Minnesota, L. A. Fritsche, M.D., Editor, Volume I, 1916.
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