The following appeared in the Rock County Herald on July 18, 1924:
Continued from last week:
ROCK COUNTY AS IT WAS FIFTY ODD YEARS AGO
During the Autumn of 1866, Nathan C Estey and James Johnson, of Spirit Lake, Iowa, visited the county for the purpose of selecting claims on the un-surveyed lands for themselves and for Mr. Estey’s younger brothers, also having a few goods to barter with the Indians. They proceeded up Rock river into Vienna township and there built a shanty in which they lived two months.
The first attempt to establish a permanent home in Rock county was made early in the month of June, 1867, by a Mr. Towers, and was unsuccessful. During the month of June, 1867, Philo Hawes, who was to take a more active part in early day affairs of Rock than any other man, accompanied by Joe Fields, passed through the county selecting a route for a government mail line from Blue Earth City to Yankton, Dakota Territory, and arrived at Rock river, a short distance above the present site of Luverne, on June 13th, where they camped for the night. Proceeding on their way westward they arrived on the present site of Sioux Falls on the morning of June 15, 1867, where they found a military post occupied by a part of a regiment of soldiers.
The honor of making the first permanent settlement in Rock county must be accorded to Amos E. and Orville C. Estey, brothers, who arrived in Rock county the third day of August 1867, the location being section 25, Clinton township, some two miles north of the Iowa state line. The pioneer house of Rock county erected by them was nine feet wide by sixteen feet in length, seven high at the front, and sloping down at the rear until the roof was only nine inches from the ground. The frame was constructed of poles cut along the river, which were placed upon upright crotched poles. After the poles had been placed in position long slough-grass was placed over the frame, taking the place of clapboards. The grass was woven about the poles as the old-fashioned willow baskets were woven. Over all were piled brush, coarse hay, sods and loose dirt.
This pioneer home was decidedly of the frontier, the nearest family being one by the name of Kordwell at the head of Spirit Lake. To the north there were no settlers for a greater distance, and Yankton was the nearest settlement on the west, excepting the soldiers, at the falls of the Big Sioux. Jackson was the postoffice of the Estey boys, and Spirit Lake, Iowa was the point from which they secured their provisions.
It is perhaps needless to add that they did not enjoy the privileges of the rural free delivery in that day. Philo Hawes, having secured the contract for carrying mail, came out to Rock county again on Sept. 18, 1867. On Sept. 19th he moved and camped near the present site of the Rock Island depot and at this time also selected the site for his future home. The section lines had not yet been run, but he did claim under squatters rights what, when surveyed, was the east half of the northwest quarter and the south half of the northeast quarter, section eleven, Luverne township, land upon which he later filed, and later still founded the town of Luverne.
Donations to the Rock County Historical Society can be sent to the Rock County Historical Society, P.O. Box 741, Luverne, MN 56156.
Mann welcomes correspondence sent to mannmade@iw.net.