Henry Lyman (Excelsior book)i
Summer. Whether they liked it or not, the white settlers had an audience watchingpotatoesandflour." Their kitchen, on the open side, was all out of doors.McG -A &B)every move they made as they built their cabins, planted their gardens, and ploughed
One day while the two men were building Bertram's log house, they heard some-
their fields. These were the Sioux Indians, who called themselves Dakota. Although
one calling in the woods. They yelled back repeatedly, until a very hot, tired and they had given up their rights to this territory west of the Mississippi when the Sioux
hungry stranger appeared on foot. According to McGrath, he was a "sorry- looking Treaties were signed in 1851 and ratified in 1852 they still lingered along Minne
individual," whose clothes were "the worse for wear and his patent leather shoes in tonka's shores, sadly watching white settlers take over their hunting grounds.
tatters and tied onto his feet by strips of bark ... or small twigs twisted together."The Indians did not leave until the Sioux Uprising of 1862. As late as the winter
McG -A) This was the Rev. Charles Galpin, whose vigor and versatility, encouragement of 1859 to '60, some 200 Sioux of all ages camped west of town near the old DeGroodt
and faith would become so important to the other colonists who followed soon after.house. Moreover, Chief Shakopee's band, numbering 20 to 30 tepees and lodges,
camped year after year in and around Excelsior. The settlers, who were more annoyed
June. When George Bertram, President of the Excelsior Colony, arrived with a small by the "redskins" than afraid of them, thought garrulous Chief Shakopee was much
band of followers, he found his house (at First and Center Streets) ready for occu too long-winded when he came into their cabins to harangue hour after hour." And
pancy. The colonists set to work platting village lots and building shelters for their on Sundays, Indian braves would wait until the church service had started before
families, either on the town lot assigned each one or the outlying farm each settler marching in and seating themselves on the floor in the center of the room. Then they
could claim. Among the earliest arrivals were Lemuel Griffith, James Phillips, H. Bir would "adjust their long- handled pipes and proceed to fill the room with smoke."
mingham, Samuel C. Staples, H. Blake, Patrick Murphy and Hezekiah Brake with his They usually filed out before the close of the service, "taking their departure with a
team of oxen and covered wagon. (He had left Mrs. Brake at St. Anthony to recover regulation grunt." (McG -B)
from an illness while he built their cabin on a quarter section of land outside the One of the first Excelsior women to confront a war party must have been timid
village limits.)Mrs. Bertram, who was alone in the cabin one Sunday morning with her three small
children. All of the men except Robert McGrath had gone with Preacher Galpin to
June 14. The first town meeting was called by President George Bertram. It took attend a meeting in Chanhassen.
place in the log carpenter shop McGrath had built for himself after finishing the Left to guard the settlement, young McGrath saw "six savage looking_ fellows
Bertram house. At this meeting the settlers voted unanimously to use, for their town,evidently on the war path, feathers in their hair, faces hideously painted and guns
the same name they had chosen when organizing the "Excelsior Pioneer Association."in hand ... They marched single file out of the woods and straight into the Bertram
Because Excelsior means "ever higher" or "onward and upward," they felt it expressed cabin. Hurrying after them, McGrath found the Indians standing in the middle of the
their hopes and dreams for the new village. (AS, 1279; McG -B)room, with their guns at their sides. Their mixture of Sioux words and sign language
was not easy to interpret, but this is the story in McGrath's words:
July 17. This Sunday was a special day, because Preacher Galpin had invited hisChanhassencongregationtojointheExcelsiorgroupintheparloroftheBertram's a Cherokee had shot a Sioux squaw ...scalped her and then taken a
new house. There he formally organized "The Independent Church of Excelsior and canoe and paddled away on the lake ... [These Sioux warriors] wanted to
Chanhassen" with the following nine original members: George and Julia Bertram,
borrow three canoes I had at the shore and paddle after [the Cherokee] .
James Phillips, Samuel Staples, Joshua Moore and daughter Hannah, Clarissa Cleave-I wanted to get rid of them, so I told them to take my canoes and go, which
land, George M. Powers and David Griffith. (N, 250)they did, promising to bring them back. After a few days [the canoes]
Since his arrival in Excelsior, the Reverend Galpin had been preaching alternate were back, sure enough. [The Sioux had accomplished their mission.]
Sundays in Chanhassen township where four families of the Northampton Colony McG A)
from Massachusetts had settled in April. Among those earliest settlers were the H.M.Lymans, the G.M. Powers, Joshua Moore and Hannah, and Arba and Clarissa Cleave-Fall. Peter M. Gideon came from the East with his dainty black- haired, dark -eyed
land (incorrectly spelled Cleveland). (DD, 6; FF, 366)wife (Wealthy Hull) and their first two children. He chose 160 acres beside what is
Mrs. Clarissa Cleaveland, by the way, was a sister-in-law of the Rev. Henry Martyn now Gideon's Bay and planted one bushel of apple seeds and a peck of peach seeds
Nichols, who had decided against Wayzata as a site for his Northampton Colony they had brought with them. Gideon's chief goal was to develop an apple tree hardy
because there were too many trees. (HAW, 1) Others of his colonists than those in enough to withstand Minnesota winters. It was to take ten years of hardship and
Chanhassen had settled near Faribault, but the Reverend Nichols had a church in disappointment, climaxed by a big freeze that killed all his trees but one Siberian crab,
Minneapolis when tragedy struck his family. It happened in 1860 when the Cleave-before the seedling of that crab would produce the famous Wealthy apple Gideon
lands were visiting the Nichols family and all decided to go swimming in Lake Cal-named for his wife. (AS, 1281)
houn. The multiple drowning which resulted took three members of each family, oneaftertheother. Mrs. Cleaveland was forcibly restrained by spectators who had gather-Late October. The Reverend Galpin, with Robert McGrath's help, was hurrying to
ed, or she would have waded in after her husband, two daughters, sister, brother -in -law finish building a one room frame house before the arrival of his wife. Despite their
and niece. Instead, she was left with two remaining small daughters and a nephew she best efforts, it still lacked floors, doors and windows when the preacher had to leave,
the Chanhassen farm.with his "half broken yoke of oxen," to meet his Semantha at St. Anthony. Headopted, all of whom she took back East with her after sellingFF, 163 -5)brought her to stay with the Bertrams until the house was livable.
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March 26. Miss Lorraine King, vocal music director at Excelsior High, led a double
a barge owned by Anson R. Mase. Following a picnic supper served in the Park life. During school hours, she was preparing the high - school chorus for the annual
pavilion, more than 100 members and guests went aboard for the boat ride. As the spring music festival. Outside the classroom, she and her golden harp had appeared
ship" pulled out, the Hopkins Municipal Band played "Anchors A- weigh."with the orchestras of Andre Kostelanetz and Vaughn Monroe and had provided
Mase's boat, "built to sustain large ships," had been used by the Navy during dinner music in all of the larger Minneapolis hotels. This evening Miss King was guest
the war for emergency dry -dock work. Now on Minnetonka, she served large groups soloist with the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra. (MR)
for events of this kind. (HCR)
March 27. The year -old Tonka Flying Club had increased its membership from 7 to 17
1 T'and now owned three planes: two Piper Cubs and one Aeronca Chief. During the
winter, members flew the planes with skis to land on Lake Minnewashta. In the spring
t
the Aeronca was "put on pontoons." Officers for the coming year were R.S. Kinghorn,
F #president; Harold Pohl, vice - president; and Les Johnson, secretary- treasurer. Semi - „,,,,
4 monthly meetings took place at the homes of members. (MR)
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n °April 3. This was the Grand Opening of the Wehnes Drug Store. The old MinnetonkaJ
1 / ,Drug Store had been rebuilt and remodeled by the new owner, Lloyd Wehnes. (MR)
7 April 9. The high - school vocal groups presented "Great Moments in Music” under
the direction of Miss Lorraine King. The high point of the evening was a "condensa-
3 tion" of the Merry Widow Operetta in which costumes, scenery and ballet combined
s:1`t
Y
Pearl and Ade (Mr. and Mrs. Adrian Sea-with the singing leads and chorus to produce a treat for the eyes, as well as the ears.mans) at two different radio stations, 1947
F The audience was wildly enthusiastic, calling it the "best musical program ever given
J,in Excelsior High School." (MR)
t April 16. Col. W.S. McWade, a veteran of two wars, died at his home on ChristmashA`
Lake, where he had lived since his marriage in 1899. He had been in command of
Company A of the 15th Minnesota National Guard when the regiment was ordered to
the Philippines. He was serving under Gen. McC. Reeve in the Spanish- American
November 1. This was Ruth Hutton Day in Excelsior, and the American Legion Post War and the Philippine insurrection that followed. During the first World War, he
served as Commander, was an instructor in infantry training at Dunwoody Institute,and Auxiliary gave a dinner in her honor. During her 25 years as a member of the local
organization, she had been ascending from one office to another on the state and Minneapolis, and military instructor in various Minneapolis high schools. After the
national levels. The World War, he enlisted in the Army Reserve Corps where he became a colonel andpinnaclewasreachedonAugust31whenMrs. Lee Hutton became remained active until 1941. (MR)National President of the American Legion Auxiliary. Since then she had toured
Europe with an Auxiliary delegation, visiting national cemeteries and studying the
May 12. The Excelsior School Patrol made its first appearance on street corners.needs of towns devastated by the war. Two years later she would be awarded the Backed by the Hennepin County Sheriff's office, this patrol was directed by SchoolFrenchLegionofHonorforherpart "in the rehabilitation of St. Die, a French town Superintendent Nilsen and sponsored by the Clarence Clofer Legion Post. (MR)destroyed by the Germans in World War II." (MR)
May 13. Roger Hennessy returned after two months spent in Philadelphia, studyingDecember1. The new National Tea store opened this afternoon with Russell Esau
at North America's School for Insurance Agents. He had been an insurance agent
as manager. It was located across Water Street from the Tonka Theater, on the site with the Minnetonka State Bank since his return from service two years earlier. (MR)where the White House had been razed and the land lowered to street level. (MR)
June 3. The new Town Pump was an eating place on Water Street owned by Mr. and
1948 Mrs. Mallory Bolton, of Deephaven. They had decorated their place in green and
mulberry and installed, in their front window, a real, old- fashioned, square wooden
pump with running water which flowed into an old oaken bucket. The Boltons offered
January 29. Arthur Lyman died. Son of Henry M. Lyman, he had grown up in Carver coffee, baked goods and fountain service at horseshoe - shaped counters with revolving
seats. One could also "take out" any of the famous brands of ice cream, candies andCounty, married Evelyn Brackett of Excelsior in 1903, and had two sons and one
daughter (Richard, A. Burton and Elizabeth). Mr. Lyman is best remembered for bakery goods they carried. Mr. Bolton had finally achieved a dream he had been
promoting Wendelin Grimm's alfalfa in the area and calling this hardy new variety harboring when World War II interfered with his plans. (MR)
to the attention of state agricultural experts. (MR)July 1. Sheila Kragness received a Ph.D. degree from the University of Minnesota in
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