EARLY HISTORY OF OSSEO ¹

“This is Paradise”, Pierre Bottineau exclaimed as he and his traveling companions: Joseph Potvin, Peter Raiche, and Peter Gervais stepped forth from the deep woods and scanned the beautiful prairie before them. They relaxed around the campfire, took an evening meal, and slept peacefully beneath the stars. Morning found them determined to make this “spot” a settlement. This all happened in July 1852, when Indian trails were the only roads. Claims were made on “Bottineau Prairie” and it wasn’t long before other brave and adventurous men came to the area.

Pierre Bottineau was born on January 1, 1817, in a hunting camp on a buffalo trail near Grand Forks in the Red River region, now a part of Pembina, North Dakota. His ancestors were of the Huguenots who came to America to enjoy a freer religion and settled near Boston. Pierre’s father, Charles Joseph Bottineau, went into the great wilderness of the Northwest in the early part of the nineteenth century. Here he married Margarette Ah-dik-Songab (“Clear Sky Woman of the Reindeer Clan”) who was half Dakota and half Ojibwe of the Lake of the Woods band, and sister of the Pembina Ojibwe chief Misko-Makwa or Red Bear. From his hardy and nomadic father, and from his Indian mother, Pierre inherited those characteristics that made him the most noted scout and voyageur in mid-America. He spoke every language in the region – French, English, Sioux, Chippewa, Cree, Mandan, and Winnebago. Experienced in all the particulars of frontier life, he was equally proficient as a hunter, trapper, boatman, guide, interpreter, trader, and business man, and he could build a house, fashion a boat, or plow a field with the same facility. Fully six feet tall and straight as a grenadier, with clear, piercing black eyes, he was of attractive appearance in spite of his swart complexion. He had a kindly disposition and was always true to his word.

In December, 1836, Pierre Bottineau was married to an Indian-French Red River farmer’s daughter named Genevieve Larance. They soon moved to a tiny settlement named Pig’s Eye, later to be named St. Paul. After moving around several times and having nine children, his wife died on April 9, 1851.

Bottineau married his second wife, Martha Gervais, on January 6, 1852, in Little Canada. She was born in Champlain, New York, in 1837. Records aren’t clear, but they had either 17 or 18 children.

In 1854, Pierre Bottineau built a house for his family on the west side of Osseo. This was the first frame house in Osseo. The house was once the object of an Indian attack. ² Bottineau was gone on an expedition and hired a man to guard his family while he was gone. A group of unknown, hostile Indians rode their ponies around the house, making lots of noise and pointing their guns, but they did no harm other than scaring Martha and the children.

OSSEO AND “CITY OF ATTRACTION” ³

Warren Sampson, Isaac LaBissonniere, Clark Ellsworth, Seneca Brown, D.B. Thayer, and James McRay settled on “Bottineau Prairie” in 1854. Mr. Sampson built and opened a store of general merchandise, and a post office in the settlement – then called Palestine. The years 1855 to 1856 saw a lot of growth, and in 1856 the settlement was renamed Osseo and platted by Mr. Sampson and Mr. LaBissonniere.

It is said that Osseo is an Ojibwe name, “Waseia” (or “waaseyaa”) meaning “there is light,” although more commonly known as “Son of the Evening Star.” The author Henry W. Longfellow mentions Osseo in one of his Indian legends contained in his poem “The Song of Hiawatha.” It is also claimed that Longfellow visited Osseo.

A short time later, another village named “City of Attraction” was laid out to the southeast by A. B. Chafee. This little city, with its stores, homes, and post office, was later absorbed into Osseo.

The ethnic groups that settled in early Osseo were mostly French Canadians, New Englanders, Swiss, and Germans, along with some native Americans. Businesses included blacksmiths, wagonmakers, harness makers, general merchandisers, boot / shoemakers, tin shops, saloons, hotels, cordwood suppliers, saloons, and hotels. There was also a Catholic church (1858), a physician, school, post office, and jail.

Utilizing the natural resources of the neighboring Maple Grove area (trees), a wood market was established by Sampson in 1855. Cord wood was cut, cured for a season, and then sold to Minneapolis merchants. It was common to handle up to one hundred cords per day during the wood season. The cord wood was hauled by teamsters over the rough trails to the big city. The monies received were used to purchase much needed goods by these hardy pioneers.

A blacksmith shop was established in 1855 by Clark Ellsworth; Eli Haviland became his partner in business in 1857. Later, O. Leferrier and Charest also opened blacksmith shops. In 1865, John Hechtman established a store of general merchandise dealing largely in cord wood. Emil Lefebvre opened a general merchandise and drug store in 1873. He was also a postmaster.

As more and more people settled here, more businesses sprang up. Among the many other businessmen who established themselves early in the development of Osseo are: Z. Labrasch (groceries and notions); Nelson Rougier (wagon maker); William Krueger and Joseph Woodly (boots and shoes); Samuel Pavitt (harness maker); and Maggie Rougier and Frances Thayer (dressmakers). Osseo has always been fortunate to have a resident physician to care for the sick. The first doctor to make his home in Osseo was Dr. A. Guernon, a Canadian, who came here in 1866, a young man from Minneapolis.

OSSEO INCORPORATED

Osseo was originally under the government of the townships of Brooklyn and Maple Grove until, by an act of the state legislature on March 19, 1875, it was incorporated with a president, three councilmen, a recorder, and a treasurer constituting its officers. The population of Osseo was 215 at the time. As of 2020, the population of Osseo was 2,688, with the greatest population being in 1970 (2,908).

Census 4	Population	% +/-
1880	206	N/A
1890	353	71.4%
1900	346	-2.0%
1910	390	12.7%
1920	433	11.0%
1930	561	29.6%
1940	738	31.6%
1950	1,167	58.1%
1960	2,104	80.3%
1970	2,908	38.2%
1980	2,974	2.3%
1990	2,704	-9.1%
2000	2,434	-10.0%
2010	2,430	-0.2%
2020	2,681	10.6%

EARLY PIONEER LIFE ⁵

During the development of the Osseo area, many brave and determined pioneers from the Eastern states and Canada migrated here to make homes for their families. Some of the area was prairie, but to the northwest there were many trees, this being known as the “Big Woods.” With grub hoe and ax in hand, the pioneers proceeded to grub out undesirable ground cover and chop down some of the trees. The logs were used to build homes; and to provide fire wood with which to heat their homes. In this part of the United States the winters could be very cold and the summers very warm – the people needed shelter. The land was gradually cleared, acre by acre, so crops could be planted.

There were no roads, but as more families came, trails on the prairie and through the “Big Woods” became a reality. One of the trails eventually led all the way from St. Paul to St. Cloud, known to many as the Territorial Road. One very important use for this trail was to carry mail from St. Paul to the outlying settlements, on “foot”, even though St. Cloud was 70 miles away. On warm days, it was not uncommon to see the children walking along barefoot carrying their “store boughten” shoes, to be put on just before entering the church or school. This saved on the shoes and besides, it could be fun going barefoot on the soft earth.

Each season of the year had its special tasks for these early settlers. Gather of sap from maple trees, and making syrup and sugar was an early spring activity. Later, it was time for the soil to be tilled; sometimes by hand tools, but later oxen and horses were used to pull a plow, which might have been made at the local blacksmith shop in the village. Seeds were planted and every tiny plant was carefully tended. Sometimes the weather wasn’t ideal and crops would be scarce. Every bit of the crop was utilized, even extra straw might be used to make straw hats, while the cornhusks filled the mattresses for their beds.

Tasks done during the summer included the weeding of the crops, tending of the family garden, and preserving foods for the coming winter. To preserve sweetcorn, the housewife would cook the corn slightly, cut it from the cob, then spread it out to dry in the sun until hard. The dried corn would then be stored in flour sacks in a dry upstairs room in the house. When the family wanted corn for a meal, some of the dried corn was soaked for several hours then cooked and made into “corn dishes.”

Fall found the finishing up of the harvest, cutting cord wood, and generally getting ready for the winter.

Winters were difficult even for these hardy pioneers. Snow fell and sometimes the people in the outlying areas would find themselves isolated from the rest of the world. They had many things to do during the long winter. One important job was to keep plenty of firewood split for the wood box. This was usually done by the men and older boys, and was often carried into the house by the other members of the house. Each day, everyday all year long too, the water must be pumped and carried into the kitchen to be used for drinking, cooking, washing dishes, bathing, and washing clothes. Water for washing clothes was heated in the clothes boiler, while the reservoir on the range heated water for other purposes.

The mother and girls of the family spent many hours sewing, by hand, the clothing for the family. Mending and darning by lamp light was a common sight; and each coming day saw the filling of the lamps with kerosene, trimming the wick and shining of the chimney, thus making it ready for the next evening. There were quilts to make; these might have been made from outgrown or worn clothing or from scraps left over from the sewing projects. When the quilt had been all pieced together, neighbor women were invited in and a “quilting bee” was soon in progress. This proved to be a much needed social get-together.

It wasn’t all work – such activities as taffy pulls, making “hand turned” ice cream, popping corn, and cooking fudge urged them on to other tasks that seemed light after some fun.

When sheep were introduced into the Osseo area, the shorn wool was spun by hand or if one were fortunate, a spinning wheel was used. Mittens, caps, scarves, and shawls were knitted. Some of the wool was colored by dyes made from berries, roots, and leaves – thus, sometimes the knitted articles were quite colorful. The hand carded wool was also used as bats inside the hand-made quilts.

War came, which caused much concern to the pioneers. It was in the 1860s that the Civil War broke out and all able-bodied young men of the community joined the forces of the Republic to fight for the cause of the Union. In 1866, the G.A.R. (Grand Army of the Republic) Post was established with an original membership of 300. With the final passing of these honored men, the Post was dissolved.

The settlers of Osseo regularly traded with friendly Winnebago and Chippewa Indians, trading tobacco and other necessities for pelts. Because they considered Pierre Bottineau a friend, they were able to maintain a close relationship.

Time passed and much could be written about many happenings in the Osseo area. During this passing, things came easier for the people. More modern homes, good roads, more merchandise to be purchased in the local stores, and generally the “good life” came into being.

JOHN HECHTMAN – 1st MAYOR OF OSSEO ⁶

John Hechtman was one of the pioneers of Osseo. He was born in Ilbesheim, Bavaria on Dec. 27, 1828. In 1849, accompanied by his cousin, J. Henry Flick, he traveled to California. This was at the time of the great gold excitement.

When President Lincoln called for 75,000 men for the Civil War for three months, he was among the first to enlist. After the three months, he re-listed in Company K of the 83rd Pennsylvania volunteers as a Private. He was promoted from time to time, and was Senior Captain of his company at the time of his discharge, on account of disability, in September 1864.

He was in over twenty battles, including Gettysburg’s 7 Days Battle, Chancellorsville, Fredericksburg, and the Witdorners. He was wounded several times and had many narrow escapes from death. He was so severely wounded at Laurel Hill, in May, 1864, that he was disabled from further service.

After he left the Army, he returned to Minnesota and settled in Osseo on Feb. 12, 1865, where he engaged in the mercantile business; also doing a large wholesale business in cord wood, potatoes, and farm products. He was a member of the state legislature for two terms, and held many minor offices of honor and trust in his community. In December, 1869, he married August Smith.

He was a Mason, being a member of Winslow Lewis Lodge, No. 125, and belonged to the G.A.R. post at Osseo, besides being a member of other American and German societies. He organized the Turner’s Society and William Grant, Post No. 88 of the G.A.R.

He was the first mayor of Osseo, when it was organized under a charter from the legislature, and was called the “Father of Osseo.” Children were taught that if they would follow in his footsteps and emulate his noble deeds of honesty and charity, they would have nothing to regret when their Creator called them.

John Hechtman died in Osseo on Oct. 15, 1902, at the age of 73. The immediate cause of his death was Bright’s Disease of the kidneys. He had been in bad health for several months and had recently become completely blind. Prior to that, he suffered with severely impaired eyesight due to discharge of a musket while in the war. It was said that death came as a great relief, for his suffering was becoming unbearable.

FOOTNOTES

1. “100 Year History of the City of Osseo, Souvenir Edition”, 1975, 4.
2. Jane Hallberg, “The story of Pierre Bottineau”, 1979, 15.
3. “100 Year History of the City of Osseo, Souvenir Edition”, 1975, 5.
4. Osseo, Minnesota. (2023, November 1). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osseo,_Minnesota.
5. “100 Year History of the City of Osseo, Souvenir Edition”, 1975, 12.
6. “Was Father of Osseo”, The Minneapolis Tribune, October 22, 1902, 7.