Bert Barber

BARBER

Posted By: Emmet County IAGenWeb Coordinator (email)
Date: 1/23/2011 at 19:16:25

Bert Barber Came Here As Settlers Were Fleeing

Barber Family Came To Emmet County In Year 1863, Directly After The Big Spirit Lake Massacre

Was One of the First in Emmet County to Thresh Wheat

This week's pioneer story is by Bert Barber. Mr. Barber came to this county in 1863, when he settled in Emmet township, near Emmet bridge, He later moved to Estherville, engaging in the furniture business. In 1869 he was married to Miss Clara Ames. Mr. and Mrs. Barber live on north Seventh street in a very comfortable home, furnishing themselves pleasure now and then by joy-riding in their Buick. Mr. Barber, though 81 years old, drives about town with all the recklessness of a youngster.

By Bert Barber

When many of the people of this county and of southern Minnesota were moving away on account of the Indian scare, our family unaware of any danger, settled in the then forsaken township of Emmet. That was in the fall of 1863.

The Indian scare was in August and we came in October, On the road we met dozens of families every day who had given up their homes here because of the "terrible" Indians. They left their chickens, hogs, butter, etc., and taking only what they could crowd hurriedly into their wagons, did what they thought was the safe thing to do, and left the country. But they came back after a time.

Our family came from Rock county, Wisconsin. We had two yoke of oxen, a pony and two wagons. The R.T. Laughton family, who came along with us from Wisconsin, were equipped in like manner.

After four weeks of struggling through sloughs and almost impassable country, we arrived at the Chas. Jarvis homestead up in Emmet township. (That is just east of where Emmet bridge is now). It was sundown on the tenth day of October, 1963, when our weary family was greeted by the Jarvis'.

Find Snug Home

Of course we had no home, but Mr. Jarvis fixed that easily for us. He simply introduced us to one of the homes that had been forsaken by people who had moved on account of the Indians. He told us that we could live there. We accepted. It was the George Jenkins place. An old log house of about twenty by twenty-four feet, with two floors. All nineteen of us lived there that winter and that included also my brother John's family. It made us a "snug" home.

We had exactly one dollar and fifty cents between us when we arrived here. That meant that we had to hustle.

The Laughtons were better situated, for they had been here before and had filed a claim and built a house.

One of the first things that we did was to come down to Estherville and get some two inch plank. With this lumber we built shutters for all the windows. These we shut and locked at night as protection from the Indians. But that was not all the protection we had. Six or eight guns and revolvers were conveniently hung about the walls of a cabin.

A fence was another necessity. We built what is called a "worm fence." It was made of small rails that we cut from the vast amount of timber available.

Timber is Plentiful

There was so much timber, in fact, that lumber was almost worthless on the market. I remember that John traded a rifle for five immense walnut trees that we cut up into thousands of feet of lumber. We made tables and all sorts of furniture from these trees.

The provisions which the frightened settlers had left behind them were of considerable use to us that first winter. As soon as we were adjusting to our new home we started trapping. It paid us well. A man from Spirit Lake made the rounds, and he paid a dollar for three muskrat skins. That became our chief source of income. But since we raided much of what we ate and made most of what we wore, there was no special need for very much cash.

As I remember it, my father and I were the first in Emmet County to thresh wheat. We used the old fashioned flail. It was my job to take the grain to the mill.

Caught in Storm

In December (of '63) I hitched our pony and Laughtton's pony to our wagon, and set out for Spirit Lake with the eight bushels of the grain that we had threshed out. There was no particular road-just a small track across country. The mill was situated on the runway at Orleans. I stayed at the court house in Spirit Lake with the soldiers while the grain was being ground. When the job was finished and I was ready to start for home, the soldiers called my attention to the fact that a storm was approaching, The air was warm and a fine rain was falling. The atmosphere was rather misty. I did not think much about it, but the soldiers said that I had better hurry on for they were certain that a big storm was due.

I had no more than started when the rain turned to a snow, and a tremendous wind arose. It grew worse steadily, and became blinding. I paid no attention to the ponies, as I thought they would follow the road to Estherville. I was not cold, for I had plenty of Buffalo blankets.

Finds Way Home

When about enough time had passed that I thought we should be due in Estherville, I commenced looking for some land marks. Nothing could have surprised me more than when we pulled into the Moorhead yard which was a half mile from home, The ponies had retraced their trail perfectly.

The next summer, John, my brother, filed a claim of his own which was a few miles east of our place.

I would sometimes go to Wilton, Minnesota, with a team of ponies and bring back store goods for McKay. He had a general store where the round house now stands. I remember on one occasion that Mrs. John Barber wanted me to bring her some tea. It cost $2.50 a pound.

Ordinary boots cost $10.00. But a cow only cost about $12.00. Anything that was made or raised around here was cheap, but other things were exorbitantly high. That was only natural, however, for transportation, which was slow and costly, made the difference in price.

Game was certainly plentiful. I used to sit on the doorstep and bring down ducks and geese. One could not shoot playfully into the air without accidentally killing a dinner's worth. (Perhaps the last statement is a little strong).

Discovers Wild Turkey

One time I was in the timber looking for likely firewood. I had a wagon and axe, and was jogging along when I spied an extra large tree that had evidently fallen recently. I thought it would do for my purpose. I got out the axe and started working on the log. Presently to my great surprise, some sort of handsome bird came fluttering out of the foliage. It was a stranger to me. Thinking that it might possibly have a nest in the tree, I started investigation. The search revealed a dozen eggs. I took them home, and had one of the hens set on them. In a couple of days, twelve fine wild turkeys went strutting about.

A Real Picnic

On July Fourth, 1864, I remember that the soldier boys who were then staying in Estherville, sponsored a great celebration. They built a table of rough lumber that was about a hundred feet long, and made a whole barrel of lemonade. (Those were the outside dimensions of the picnic). I also remember that I had what I considered the best rig in Emmet county. I had it on exhibition at this particular picnic. It was a four seated rig and all four spring seats. I had Jarvis' pony and our pony hitched to it. The rig rated as one of the large attractions at the picnic, as I remember it now.

-------V.R.-------

The previous article by Bert Barber was in the Vindicator and Republican August 27, 1924. The date was handwritten on the paper the article was glued to. I believe the date stated by Bert Barber in the article is wrong, the Sioux uprising took place in the fall of 1862, in Martha Barber's obituary it stated the Barbers arrived in 1862. Also in Melinda Barber Luikart's obituary states the Barbers moved to Iowa in 1862. On a note written by Charles Barber it was mentioned the Barbers came to Iowa in 1862. Also Bert himself says later in the article that he went to grind the wheat in December 1863, they would not have had a crop that first year in Iowa.

Contributed by Jon Barber.