for thirty-six hours and some had to wait forty-eight hours before they could get to their live stock. There were only ten houses in Leeds township at the time and the settlers suffered severely from lack of food and fuel. Feed for the stock meant hours of snow digging as some hay stacks were covered by six to ten feet of snow. Lars Solem, who was using flax straw for fuel, tugged a hand sled for two miles with a large canister on it to the James Lowe, Sr. farm.
He dug down in the snow until he struck the top of the flax straw stack and filled his huge can, and then started for home with his one day's supply of fuel. Stock disappeared and they were found on top of hay stacks where the men had dug out the snow.
Coming so early in the winter, farmers were unable to get to the mill and were forced to grind wheat in the coffee mill during the entire winter. The railroad, which had been built as far as Woodstock the year before, was hard hit by the storm. The rails were light and the track new so the big plows could not be used. After spasmodic efforts with plows and shovelers, the railroad company suspended operations in February, owing to continued snow falls. All train service was suspended until April 29th, 1881, when the train brought much needed supplies.
Currie was the nearest town with a flour mill and many of the men walked through the deep snow with a pack containing wheat and brought back flour. Bill Lowe and Jack Sheppard took turns in hauling a handsled to Currie with a sack of wheat. They had it ground in a feed mill, as there was no flour mill in operation at that time. These are just some of the instances which illustrate the severity of the winter months. Settlers wore home-made snow shoes and skis. Old timers, when they got reminiscent of the bad winters, always looked back to the winter of 1880-81 as the winter of the "Big Snow."
With the coming of spring, the whole country was covered with water. The old Beaver Creek overflowed its banks—in fact it had no banks. Alex Lowe tried to get across with a couple of plow lays, but the creek was so wide it was impossible. John G. Johnson, who saw him, got a boat and took him across. That was on May 2nd, and not a kernel of grain had been sown at that time.
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LEEDS HOLDS FIRST TOWNSHIP ELECTION
Town of Leeds, County of Murray, State of Minnesota
The first annual election was held in the town of Leeds at the house of Gilbert Johnson on the 6th day of April, 1873. Gilbert Johnson was elected moderator for the said meeting.
The meeting was called to order by Moderator and the following names received the numbers of votes:
| For supervisor: |
Nels Svenson, Chr. |
16 votes |
| |
Christian Christianson |
16 votes |
| |
Peter Thompson |
16 votes |
| Town Clerk |
Herman Nelson |
16 votes |
| Assessor |
Sven Nelson |
16 votes |
| Treasurer |
Gilbert Johnson |
16 votes |
| Justice of |
L. O. Solem |
16 votes |
| the Peace |
Simon Hanson |
16 votes |
| Constable |
John Peterson |
16 votes |
| |
Claus Clausen |
16 votes |
The next annual town meeting was ordered to be held at the house of Hans Simonson.
On motion by G. Johnson the following by-laws was adopted, yeas 12, noes 4. it is hereby ordered and determined that it shall be law for Cattle to run at large in town of Leeds in the day time from the 15th of April, to the 15th day of October.
On motion the meeting adjourned without day.
H. Nelson ù Nels Svensonù
ý clerks C. Christianson
ý Supervisors
S. Hanson û Pete Thompsonû
The next meeting was held in March, 1875, and at this meeting the only problem for the voters was the herd law. L. J. Heimness made a motion as follows: "It is ordered determined that it shall be lawful for all kinds of stock to run at large from Apr. 15th to Sept. 15th." The vote was nine votes for the motion and four against it. Elected that year were G. Johnson, C. Christianson, Sven Nelson, for supervisors. Herman Nelson, town clerk; L. J. Heimness, assessor; Theodore Knutson, treasurer, each receiving 13 votes.
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