"History and Description of Lyon County, Minnesota", 1884
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Town of Sodus.
The township of
Sodus, which is town 110, range 41, lies south of the town of
Lake Marshall, and is six miles from the east and south lines of the county. Its surface is gently rolling prairie, with very little waste land. The south half has more natural meadows, especially along the
Cottonwood river and its branches. The grass of these meadows is very valuable, and that section of the town makes a very desirable grazing field where either dairying or stock raising can be made a profitable and easy business. Along these water courses there are between three and four hundred acres of these meadow lands as good as can be found in the west. The grass of these meadows, by the overflow of the river every spring attains a growth of from four to six feet, and makes the most nutritious of hay for winter feed.
Though with very little native timber, the town now shows several fine groves of forest trees that have been raised by the settlers. Among these may be mentioned those of Mr.
Curtis, the Messrs.
Neill, Mr.
Ford, Messrs.
Clark, Mr.
Estee and
Chace. There are also some thrifty timber claims that will furnish fuel in the near future to their owners and greatly add to the appearance of the town. There are in the town 112 acres of cultivated forest trees, and 2,314 rods set on highways.
There were reported in last assessor's report, 3,140 acres of cultivated land, of which 1,565 were wheat, 867 oats, 432 corn, 137 barley, 32 potatoes, 84 flax.
The farmers of
Sodus are of late paying more attention to good stock, and are consequently improving in finances accordingly. There are several prosperous and very good farmers in the town who are demonstrating that agriculture in
Lyon county can be made a success.
The public spiritedness of the town of
Sodus is shown in their highways, on which since the organization of the town, seven years ago, they have spent in labor and lumber for bridges about three thousand dollars.
The town has, also, four good school houses, the one in district No. 5costing about $900, the others about $600 each. School houses are located on sections 8, 10, 30 and 32.
The town is well situated in relation to railroad markets,
Marshall being five miles north,
Balaton four miles south,
Amiret one mile east; and there is a coming prospect of another station near by on the west when the Duluth road is completed through the county.
The first settler in
Sodus is said to have been
Henry Cuyle, who came in the spring of
1871. From that time the town settled up rapidly, and in
1876 the town was organized and named
Clartin, but soon changed to
Sodus. The first town meeting was held
Oct. 27, 1876, and the following first town officers were elected:
E. Hall, chairman;
C. Fisher and
D. Warn, supervisors;
W. H. Chaffce, clerk,
G. Sykes, treasurer;
N. Warn and
J. H. Clark, justices;
O. Pangburn and
W. G. Williams, constables.
Miss
Francis Mason taught the first school in
1877, a dwelling house having to be used in the absence of school houses.
The first death was that of
Tollet Olson in
Sept. 1873. The funeral sermon by Rev.
Joseph Rees was the first public religious service in the town it is said.