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First Settlements in Howard County

1851 December -- The first white settler  within the limits of Howard County is said to have been Hiram Johnson.  It is believed that he erected his cabin near Oregon Grove and there existed by hunting and fishing,  never making an attempt to cultivate the land.  The old settlers of the county never considered Johnson, a bona fide pioneer of Howard County,  but simply one of the wanderers who followed the frontier without serious intention of making a home.  He was one of the early-day-characters who felt the cramping of civilization and  ever  kept just outside its influence.

  1853 -- Those who came here to preempt land first arrived in spring of 1853.

Henry Brown in May located in Oakdale.

Daniel Crowell and Andrew Nelson settled in Albion.

William Cottrell,  Thomas Lewis,  H. Shuttleworth  and William Brown made a settlement at New Oregon.

Owen Sprague,  William Harlow,  Thomas Fitsgerald,  Thomas Granathan and Mr. Noonan  settled at Vernon Springs.

1854 -- Brought quite an increase in the number of settlers.

S. M. Cole,  George Schofield,  J. F. Mitchell,  James G.  Upton,  E. Gillett,  M. G. Gross,  M. L. Gross,  M. L. Shook,  H. Blodgett,  J. M. Fields,  Thomas Fields,   and C. M. Munson in Vernon Springs Township

R. S. Buckminster,  A. D. C. and Joseph  Knowlton,  John Adam,  R. E. Bassett,  Benjamin and George Gardner,  Oscar Chesebro, and the three  Mertimers  in Forest City Township.

Jared Sigler,  and Charles Salmon in Saratoga.

C. S. Thurber and L. Aspinall in Albion.

A. Pooler,  Joseph Hall,  Lemuel Potter,  Martin Boardman,  Edward Butters and W. P. Hough in Afton.

W. S. Pettibone in Howard.

Robert Jared,  Josiah Laws,  O. M. Thayer,  M. Gates in Oakland.

A. W. Kingsley,  Norman Freeman,  C. M. Sawyer in Cresco.

1855 -- The settlers were as follows:

Thomas Griffin and Patrick Richards in Paris.

Joseph Daniels,  S. L. Cary and G. M. Van Leuvan in Forest City.

Augustus Beadle in Vernon Springs.

Oliver Arnold,  Thomas Osborne,  H. D. Lapham and W. D. Darrow in Albion.

Royal O. Thayer,  Alford Eldridge,  W. E. Thayer ,  Ira Eldridge,  Michael Creamer,   Patrick Mullen,  and Aseph Webster in Howard Center Township.

C. D. Cutting,  George Edward,  Stephan and Albert Tuples,  Edward Irish,  Samuel Hallet,  Willis Spencer,  David Patterson,  Thomas DeMoss,  L. Fassett,   William and Dennis Rice,  James E. Bennett,  James A. Cutting,  D. P. Bradford,  John Moffitt,  Lyman Southard,  Milo S. Torsey,   Hazen Ricker,  John Fiefield,  Asel Wilmost,  and Luther Titeum in the Township of Jamestown.

1856 -- Settlers reported in that year were:

J. S. Sturgis settled in Paris.

William Conery, John F. Thayer, W. A. and Calvin F. Webster, Henry A Cook, Laban Hassett and Lawrence Long in Howard Center.

1857 and later early settlers.

Thomas P. Davies,  William Kellow,  W. K. Barker,  C. F. Webster,  William Patterson,  A. Rivers,  William Rumsey,  Joseph Archer,  C. L. Bents,  James Barnes,  George Morse,  Alexis White,  W. R. Mead,  Aaron Kimball,  L. H. Van Niman,  P. C. Howe,  Hiram P. Marsh,  W. F. Daniels,  A. P. Hewett,  R. J. Roberts,  James F.  Borthwick,  John W. Dell,  Wirt G. Davis,  David C. Graver,  William H. Thayer,  Benjamin Offen,  C. C. Hewett,  M. M. Marsh,  Harvey H. Wells,  George Tibbals,  S. L. Thomson,  Gardiner G. How,  E. D. How,  F. Lincoln,  Jacob Wollstien,  John Miller,  John Blackburn,  James Oakley,  Thomas McCook,  and C. D. Cutting.

One of the first locations chosen by early settlers of Howard County was Oregon Grove,  later know as New Oregon and Vernon Springs.  \

1853 -- First Sawmill at Vernon Springs on the Turkey River was constructed by Oren Sprague.

1854 -- W. Harlow,  builds sawmill 1 1/2 miles from New Oregon.

1854 -- The first grist mill located at Foreston.

1854 -- The first post office was established at Oregon Grove with Hiram Johnson as postmaster.  However, before his commission arrived,  he had moved to Minnesota. ---  S. M.  Cole,  was then commissioned  as postmaster  and he kept the office at his home,  3 miles from Cresco,  New Oregon Township.

1855 -- In the summer at Vernon Springs the second mill was in operation.

1856 -- February of this year, a sawmill was built on the Cedar River in Jamestown Township, by a company of which James D. Cutting,  D. P. Bradford,  John Moffitt,  and Lyman Southard were members.

The first child born in Howard County was probably Lucy Thurber, although there have been differences of opinion on this statement.

1854 -- First male child, was Jacob Harlow, born in October 1854.

1855 -- Son of Jacob Kramer, was born in April, and C. S. Thurber, Jr. was born August 27, 1855.

The first marriage record.

1856 -- Edmund Gillett and Helen Barber, the ceremony occurring February 21, 1856.

1856 -- Census showed a population of 444

1915 -- Census was taken every 5 years and Howard County had grown to 13, 929 persons.

The first hotel in the county was kept at New Oregon by S. M. Cole, familiarly know as Matt Cole. It was a popular stopping point for travelers and was a station on M. O. Walker's Stage line, with Cole as agent.

(Note) Further details of early settlements in Howard County are incorporated in the chapters on townships. 

Ref: History of Chickasaw and Howard Counties (1919) Vol. Part 2,  Chapter 1, Pages 365 to 367. Edited and Transcribed by Lookup Person,  Leonard Granger