This colony is located in Big Stone County, west of Swift. It is our
Homestead Colony, and one which we feel very proud of. What is thought
of Big Stone County by Western men, in connection with stock raising, is
shown by the following extract from a published communication.
"Stock raising now receives more attention from the prairie farmers than
ever before, since the erroneous impression heretofore existing that the
wintering of cattle was too expensive, has been entirely disproved.
Numbers of settlers from the lower part of our State, and from Iowa,
have removed to Big Stone County with large droves of cattle, that they
herd on the vast natural meadows of that county, which also furnish all
the necessary hay for winter food." We will add to this, that the soil
of Big Stone County, for agricultural purposes, is deemed as good as any
in the State, without exception.
The lands in the county being government lands, we could not of course
have any control of them, they were open to all comers; but by prompt
action the Bureau located during the months of March, April and May, one
hundred and seventy-five families in the county. Many of those colonists
were poor people who were induced to leave Minnesota towns and settle on
land.
But we will let a resident of the colony, one who has examined every
quarter section in it and materially aided in its settlement, speak for
it.
In answer to a letter from us, Col. J. R. King, a resident of
Graceville, and a practical surveyor, who has acted as agent for the
Bureau since the opening of the colony, writes:
"During the months of March and April, 1878, a great number of claims
for our people were entered in the United States Land Office, but before
any of them come on to their lands, Bishop Ireland shipped, in March,
five car loads of lumber for erecting a church building; the church was
commenced the same month and completed, in the rough, in about three
weeks. This is the first instance, in my knowledge, where a church was
erected in advance of settlement. Our Right Rev. Bishop must have had a
foreknowledge of what was to follow.
"In the short space of three months there was built, in a radius of six
miles from Graceville Church, over 150 comfortable cabins, and on each
claim from five to ten acres broken for a garden and planted with
potatoes, corn, beans, turnips, &c., &c., which yielded quite a good
supply for the present winter. Our colonists had the advantage of being
early on the ground and had their gardens planted in May.
"The colonists broke during last summer from fifteen to thirty acres per
man, so that next spring they will be able to get in wheat sufficient to
carry them through the second winter handsomely. They are all in the
very best spirits and could not be induced to return to the cities--for
they already feel independent and masters of the situation.
"The soil here is splendid and the country beautiful. Gently rolling
prairie, with numerous ponds or small lakes and plenty of the finest
hay.
"The balance of Big Stone County, outside of our colony, has all been
taken up; a large majority of the claims occupied and substantial
improvements made by the settlers, who are first class. Traverse County,
adjoining us on the north, is fast filling up.
"I must not forget to say that we have good water in abundance; my own
well is sixteen feet deep, with as fine, pure water as ever was found.
"And now to tell you about our little village, Graceville, named in
honor of our revered Bishop, the Right Rev. Thos. L. Grace. It is
beautifully situated on the north shore of one of the two large lakes
known as Tokua Lakes, and has three general stores, one hotel, one
blacksmith and wagon shop, a very handsome little church and the
priest's residence attached. Around the lake is a fine belt of timber
which adds much to the beauty of the place. The village is 26 miles due
east from Morris, on the St. Paul & Pacific Railroad, but the Hastings &
Dakota Railroad, now built close to the line, will run through our
county next summer; by and by we will have a cross road running through
the colony lands.
"Our resident pastor is the Rev. A. V. Pelisson, a veteran missionary,
who is doing a wonderful deal of good, temporal and spiritual, among his
people, and is 'the right man in the right place,' full of energy and
zeal.
"The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is offered up in our church every day,
and on Sundays we have High Mass, for Graceville has a sweet church
choir.
"It is most edifying to see the crowd of men, women and children who
flock in from all points of the compass to church on Sundays. Father
Pelisson had the first temporary church taken down and in its place he
has erected one of the prettiest and neatest churches in the State; a
credit both to the good father and his people who so cheerfully assisted
in its erection, under many difficulties.
"From the roof of the church I can count to-day over 70 houses where
last March there was nothing but a bare prairie. If God prospers our
people next season with good crops, they will be over their
difficulties, in a fair way to prosperity."
We do not know that we have anything to add to Col. King's very graphic
and truthful statement in regard to Graceville Colony and the prospects
of its settlers, very many of whom were so poor when they went in, that
it required Western pluck to face the prairie. The building of the
Hastings & Dakota Railroad last summer, giving them employment, was a
great help.
No doubt they had and will have a rough time of it for a little longer,
but, they are toiling with hope, with the hope of an honest independence
in the future. And with this hope in his heart, the settler toils and
feels himself "every inch a man."
Traverse County, mentioned in Col. King's letter, has, at the present
writing, a large quantity of government land open to homestead and
pre-emption entries. (See the Homestead Law in another place.) There is
no doubt too, but that persons, during the land excitement last year,
made government claims in Big Stone County--some within the colony
bounds--which, from one cause or another, they will neglect to hold, by
not fulfilling the conditions required by the law governing such claims.
In all cases of the kind the lands revert to the government and are
again subject to entry. Yet, so rapidly are those lands taken up that we
cannot promise to our people, coming from the East, that when they
arrive, they will find any homestead land adjoining or within any of our
colonies.