| A History of STRUM and the TOWN OF UNITY by Roy Matson |
| THIS IS PAGE 30 | TABLE OF CONTENTS | PAGE BACK | PAGE FORWARD |
| election only to lose the election in the electoral college by a vote of 185 to 184. Anyway, in 1887 Kittleson oiled up his brush and applied “Tilden” on the board. It lasted two years. When another post office by that name was called to his attention in late 1889 he hauled out the brush and reapplied “Strum” on the board permanently. This writer painted the Kittleson place in 1930 and saw the old sign board, but had developed no historical interest at that time. Osseo had no real explanation. The most logical seems to be the use of the mythical Longfellow character in “The Song of Hiawatha”. A conversation with a historian at Osseo, Minnesota some years ago gave no explanation of their choice of name either. As mentioned earlier, Price was named for congressman W. T. Price who also owned the Eau Claire-Sparta stage line during the late 1860’s. Regarding coulees and valleys, Kings Valley is named for James King, an early settler. So is Tracy Valley. Hale got its name from George Hale, an early settler in section 32, T23, R8. Somewhere is a note that he was a grand nephew of the patriot Nathan Hale. Some years later his neighbor was Nathaniel Bruce in section 28 who gave Bruce Valley its name. Three yankee squatters lived in Chimney Rock area in 1867 when Charles Wenberg from Solor, Norway settled in that township. Wenberg had authority to open mail sacks for that area when a later stage line wagon passed through. Martin Borst settled in section 32 and section 33 of Chimney Rock sometime in the early 1860’s at about the same time an early settler named Bennett located himself in Bennett Valley. The three northern townships of Trempealeau County have carried four names during the last 120 years. All lands included lie above township line 24 and include ranges 7, 8 and 9 west. This area was included in one township named Sumner established and first assessed in 1859. It was named after Charles Sumner, a Senator from Massachusetts. The first detachment from the new municipality came a couple of years later when bounty volunteer David Chase, a young man from Hamlin in Range 9, was killed at the battle of Shiloh. Neighbors and acquaintances formed a new township which included all area in Range 9 and one-half of Range 8 and named it the Town of Chase in remembrance of the young veteran. The population seemed to be small and continually changing in that area and in 1869 all trace of Chase township disappeared when residents of Range 9 formed a new township and called it Albion, a common English name applied to places in several states. Sumner then governed all lands in Ranges 7 and 8 for nearly a decade when residents in the latter range wished to assume their own responsibilities. Petitions were circulated and the Town of Unity took shape on April 2, 1878. The two earliest settlers were accorded the honor of selecting a name. There was a difference of opinion. Dennis Lawler, the first settler, felt his surname should be condsidered. P. B. Williams, a native of Unity, Maine, wanted his home town to have that honor. Straws were drawn and P. B. won. Johnson Valley, east of strum, got its name from Esten Johnson Dahl, its first settler. Jack Carter settled in section 18 north of town to give that valley its name. Main street of this village was known as the Carter Creek road for many of its early years. Further up that valley the branch east is known as Call Valley in honor of Andrew Call, an early settler. The valley south of Strum was known as the West Valley according to old maps. The town road leading south off County H is known as the Rognlien Road. Four families of that name lived in the coulee in an early day. East of Strum a highway known as the Williams road lets you travel north over the ridge into Romunstad Valley. P. B. Williams laid out this road while he was an early chairman. The road terminates on County D in the long valley always known as Big Creek. |