Levi Aldrich, Early Pipestone Settler with True Pioneer Spirit

by Mark Fode, The Pipestone County Star, June 1997

Back in the early 1870's , Pipestone County was a sparsely populated area, with virtually nothing on the map.

In fact, the area which is now Pipestone is called "Pipestone City" on the map. Under this city name is the name of the first resident: D.E. Sweet.

Before long, others would come, Pipestone County Museum Director David Rambow says. But is was only after the Indian uprising of the 1860's, which began in the New Ulm area, that white people began to settle in the Pipestone area.

"There really was nothing here," Rambow says, "compared to other areas around Pipestone (City)." A look at the map reveals that other counties to the east , north and south were more heavily populated, with more activity. The only thing which seems to distinguish Pipestone County on the map are sloughs.

It would be possible in the mind's eye to see this area in the 1860's and 1870's as one which featured the quarries. Indian people would have been regular visitors there, but would have come and gone, pitching tents while they quarried. "The Yankton band had control of this area and tried to keep other bands out", Rambow says. "It is possible there was still the perception that this was Indian land."

When the Indian uprising broke out ---sparked, it is said, by an unscrupulous government agent who was supposed to assist Indian people in exchange for them reporting to reserves ---violence spilled to Sioux Falls and Flandreau. Army troops were eventually mobilized. One of the soldiers who was part of the Army's mobilization was Levi Aldrich, a New Yorker who eventually came to Pipestone to live with his family in June of 1879.

Though Aldrich's name is not mentioned in the same breath as the Bennetts and Sweets and Moores, his life in Pipestone was very noteworthy, Rambow says, if only for its terrible tragedy in these very difficult times, but more importantly, because Levi Aldrich was farmer, carpenter, beekeeper and salesman here until his death from pneumonia in 1896.

The Aldrich family, which consisted of Levi, his wife Eliza and four children, arrived in Pipestone from Faribault in 1879, seeking a new home on the prairie after Levi's distinguished military service. The family eventually took a claim about eight miles from town (a claim which family members learned 100 years later was never finalized).

Within a few weeks, the Aldriches were featured in the Pipestone County Star because, even in a time when tragedy was a constant companion to the hardy residents of the area, theirs was considered a heavy burden to bear.

"That misfortunes never come singly is an old but true saying," the Pipestone County Star reported in its Aug. 28, 1879 issue, "and during the past two weeks our people have had a fair illustration of it".

The article dealt with Aldrich and his young family, noting that his claim on land was less than a success.

"A few weeks, he had his right leg broken accidentally when he concluded to move into town," the Star reported. "the family brought with them a tent, which they pitched in the east part of town and commenced living therein."

The family's hope was to make a living with Levi's team of horses, while dividing their time between the city of Pipestone and the homesteaded land. His right hand man was his son, Elmer. "The first night after he got here, one of the horses died quite suddenly," the Star noted. "This was a sad blow but was repaired by procuring another horse."

Soon after that, Levi and his son started out for Marshall to get their household goods, which had been shipped there from Faribault, and were being stored at the depot. On the way back, a terrible accident occurred, about 30 miles from Pipestone.

"Mr. A. and his son stopped to cook their dinner and feed the team," the Star reported . "In the wagon lay a loaded gun which the boy had taken along to shoot some game with. While the father was busy cooking, he heard the sudden report of the gun, and turning around, saw his boy fall to the ground . He hastened to the spot instantly but the boy was dead."

The newspaper account indicated that the boy, 18-year old Elmer, had attempted to take the ramrod from the loaded gun to use it in the roasting an ear of corn over the fire, but the hammer caught on something and raised it far enough to cause the gun to go off. The charge entered his head at the right temple.

Levi, "almost distracted by this catastrophe," covered the body and went for help. The nearest place was the J.J. McDonald residence a mile away. McDonald, a local insurance agent, sent a wagon and helped to bring young Elmer's body to Pipestone, refusing any compensation for his assistance.

"On reaching home, the news had to be abruptly given to the mother," the Star reported, "who almost went wild."

The tragedy wasn't over for the family, however. When Levi and his son left, they left two other children, both girls, sick with diphtheria. "During his absence one of them [Ruth] had grown worse, " the Star noted, "and despite the efforts of the physicians, she died yesterday morning at two o' clock, and went to meet her brother in that better land, where pain and suffering are never known. The [other] sister is getting better and will possibly recover."

The two children were buried next to each other in the Troy cemetery, a day apart.

Levi and Eliza, who were married in 1859, had three other children: Mabel, born in 1866; Olivia, born in 1871, and Clarence, born in 1881. Levi enlisted in the First Regiment of Minnesota Infantry in 1861, but was discharged one month later. He then re-enlisted the same year, serving first in the Warsaw Rifles, and then with the Fourth Regiment of Minnesota Infantry (Company I). He was a fourth sergeant, and in mid 1862, was promoted to third sergeant.

He requested and received a transfer to the Pioneer Corps, an engineering company, and was demoted to private in late 1862, serving with the Pioneer Corps for the remainder of the war. He participated in the battles in Corinth, Miss.(1862), Vicksburg, Miss. And Chattanooga, Tenn. (1863), and Columbia, S.C. (1865). He was also part of Sherman's 1864 campaign through Georgia.

His history noted that when he heard the news of President Lincoln's death, "he was greatly saddened (but) was cheered by the news that terms of peace were agreed upon, the fighting was over, and he would soon be returning home."

In a letter to his sister Olivia in Warsaw, Levi mourned the death of the president in detail: "The whole army and country never was called upon to mourn so great a loss, " he wrote. "Let us hope that our beloved president has gone to muster the patriots beyond the grave to tell them the glad tidings that the rebellion is crushed. The war is ended, the slaves are free and peace is at hand. We love him and feel his loss like a bosom friend, although I never saw him. Let us hope the country is punished for the crime of slavery sufficiently."

His letter also included details of the fall of Richmond and the capture of General Robert E. Lee and his confederate army, and the capture of Raleigh. These words were written as he waited to come home from Raleigh: "The weather is fine and healthy. The winter wheat waves in the wind. Garden peas are in bloom and currants are nearly full size. Trees are all leafed out. This is a fine country, one of the nicest we have found in the whole south. We are getting plenty of rations, but I long for some bread and milk mixed with kisses. This is the Sabbath day and some of the boys are going to church. Brass bands are playing and all goes well. Give my love to father, mother and to Henry. Kiss all that love kisses."

When he was mustered out of the service in July, 1865, he returned to Warsaw, in Rice County of Minnesota.

During his time in Pipestone, he was not only involved in farming, carpentry and beekeeping, but also helped to create Pipestone artifacts, served as school treasurer and was clerk and overseer of highways. He was also a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, but withdrew from the order because he felt the G.A.R. stood in the way of a "complete reconciliation of the forces" involved in the war. He objected to the clause in the G.A.R. rules which barred Confederate soldiers from joining the Grand Army..

When Levi Aldrich died on Jan. 17, 1896, the Star announced: "An Old Settler Gone." It was reported he died at his home at 6 o'clock in the morning, after an illness of 10 days. "Mr. Aldrich died very easy, seemingly dropping asleep but to awaken in the other world," the newspaper account read. He was buried in the Troy cemetery.

Levi kept a comprehensive 30 volume diary of his life, until his death, but the diary is in the keeping of the Minnesota Historical Society, and hasn't been seen by local people. A family member donated the diary in the 1940s.

Levi's wife Eliza lived on until her death in 1932. She died at the Soldiers Home in Minneapolis, but burial was in Pipestone.

The family represents the spirit which pervaded in Pipestone City's early days, Dave Rambow says.