Daniel Dayton

As printed in 1882

Daniel Dayton, one of the prominent old settlers of Harmony, who has been as intimately I connected with its history as any other citizen, is a native of Bennington county, Vermont, born on the 29th of August, 1800. He went to Canada when a young man, and there married Miss Meribah Dunham, who was born in Canada, of American parentage. In 1839, they removed to Genesee county, Michigan, where Mr. Dayton filled the office of County Judge, and resided until November, 1854, when he removed to Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. The following spring they came to Fillmore county, and settled in section six, in this town and soon after opened a hotel in a log building, which was known as the **Ravine," and to which he made a stone addition in 1857. Mrs. Dayton died in 1858, after bearing him seven children, only two of whom are now living. Those deceased are, James, who was accidentally killed when eight years old; Jerusha, afterward Mrs. William B. Allen, who died in 1880; Emily, who married R. S. Blake, died in 1865; Clarissa and Maria. Zara, the oldest living son, was born in Canada in 1832, came here with his parents, and now owns the old homestead. He is a prominent citizen, and has held a number of local offices. His wife was Miss Carrie A. Brown, a native of New York. They have two children, Daniel and D. Orra C. Aaron H. H., the other son, was born in Canada in 1837. He served in the Seventh Minnesota Volunteer Jnfantry, first as private, then as Second and afterward as First Lietenant. He married Ann T. Stork, who died in 1866. His present wife was Rasatee, a sister of his first wife. This union has been blessed with two children, John S. and Emily. Mr. Daniel Dayton, the subject of this sketch, was a member of the State Legislature in 1859 dervisors and Town Clerk several terms; was the first Justice of the Peace and held the position twenty-five years, besides filling many other town and county offices.

[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]

1858, was married the following spring and settled in that town. George located in Harmony in

1859. Richard came with his brother William, and made a claim on his present farm in June, 1858. John died in January, 1861, and James is now living in Hamilton county, Texas. Edward came to Preston township in 1865. William and Greorge removed to Dakota in the spring of 1882. The father came to this county, but made no settlement. He died in Edgerton, Rock county, Wisconsin. Richard was married in 1859, to M. Mirandi Barnes, daughter of Moses Barnes who was born in Brookfield, Massachusetts, on the 20th of June, 1803. He moved to Perry county, Ohio, when nineteen years old, where he married Polly Bingham. They were early settlers in Dane county, Wisconsin, where they lived ten years, then removed to Howard county, Iowa, and remained six months. He wandered up into Minnesota, and located at Big Spring, this county, in February, 1854. In April of the same year he built a double log house, keeping a hotel for several years and doing a good business. He was appointed Postmaster of the Big Spring Post-office in 1856, which was name i after the spring on his farm. He sold his farm here in 1873, and moved with his youngest son, R. D. B., to Lyon county, where he still lives. He has seven children, Alvira T., now Mrs. Samuel R. Ayer; Augustus M.. Alvah E., Russel D., Mrs. M. M. Duxbury, Sarah L., now Mrs. Nelson Brightman. Mrs. Duxbury was born in Rock county, Wisconsin, and removed with her parents to Minnesota when eleven years of age. They have nine children; Lorinda J., Francis Adelbert, Lewis Newton, Roseltha, William R. C, Lodena P., Phebe Ann, Emma A and Frank R. They lost one daughter, Emma. Mr. Duxbury enlisted in September, 1864, in Hotchkiss' Battery, Light Artillery, and served till the close of the war. William Bingham came with Moses Barnes and located in section five. He is a brother of Mrs. Barnes.

Thomas Erickson was born in Norway in 1833. His father, Erick Erickson, was also a native of Norway, bora in 1798, and married Julia Oleson. They emigrated to America in 1845, and settled in Racine county, Wisconsin, where they lived nine years, coming to Fillmore county in July, 1854, and locating in section twenty. Harmony township. Mr. Erickson died on the 13th of September, 1874, leaving a wife and four children. Erick, the eldest, now lives in Stevens county, Minnesota; Thomas and Rachel reside on the homestead; and Ole is a clergyman in Chippewa county. Thomas, the subject of this sketch, married Miss Julia Riste, whose father was an early settler in Spring Grove, Houston county, and died in 1876. Mr. and Mrs. Erickson have ten children, seven sons and three daughters.

PuRDY Hart, one of the early settlers of this place, was born in Westchester county. New York, on the 16th of August, 1812, which State claimed him as a resident untu 1856, when he came to Fillmore county and made a claim of one hundred and sixty acres of his present farm. As illustrative of the progress and growth of this section since Mr. Hart came here, it may be stated that his nearest markets were McGregor, Iowa, a distance of seventy miles, and Winona, fifty miles away; five or six days were required to make the trip. Mrs. Harts maiden name was Phoebe Jane Boioe, a daughter of William and Susan Boice. She was born in Putnam county, New York, in 1834. Their children are Sarah, now Mrs. Jolm Stewart; Purdy, Josephine, William, Frank, Susan, Albert, Marvin, and Jennie. Mr. Hart is the only member of his father's family in this State. He now owns a fine farm of seven hundred acres.

Charles R. Hills was born in 1814, in Allegany county. New York, and moved to St. Joseph county, Michigan, in 1837. He married Miss Sarah Backins, a native of Batavia, Genesee county. New York, in 1837. In 1852,Mr. Hills went by the overland route to California, driving an ox team the whole distance across the plains. He returned to Michigan in 1855, and came to FiUmore county the same spring, settling on the farm which has since been his home. His wife died in 1878, leaving five children; Homer, Jane, now Mrs. Jay Hosford; Harriet, now Mrs. Arne Ameson; Webster, and Washington.

James Hoag is a son of After Hoag, who was born in Grand Isle, Vermont, in 1810, moved to St. Lawrence comity. New York, and afterward to Illinois. He married Miss Harriet Goodrich. They came from Illinois to this township in 1853, and settled on the farm where James now lives. Mr. Hoag was prominent among the early settlers of this place. He died on the 7th of April, 1875. His son Calvin, who died in the army, was the earliest settler of this township, coming in 1852, and locating on the State line. There were four other sons, all of whom served in the army; Charles, the oldest, was a member of the Seventh Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, and died while in service; James was in the First Minnesota Heavy Artillery; Seth in the Eleventh Minnesota Infantry, and Ephraim, the youngest, was in the Ninth Iowa Cavalry, and died in St. Louis. James was born in St. Lawrence county. New York, in 1838, and now owns and occupies the original homestead. He married Jane Damon, a daughter of Jason Damon, an early settler of the town of Bristol. They have five children; Harriet, James, Alice, Bird, and Lester.

As printed in History of Fillmore County, Including the Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota (1882). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.