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Sherburne County, Minnesota to her sister-in-law Elisa Knapp in Dummerston, Vermont,
<br />October 1, 1870)
<br />"Our little brook where we got our water all last winter and it did not freeze at all, is all
<br />closed up and Frank keeps a hole cut in the pond for the cattle and draws a boiler full for
<br />ourselves every day on a hand sled." (Maria H. Knapp, Livonia, Sherburne County,
<br />Minnesota, to Georgie Knapp, nephew in Dummerston, Vermont, January 7, 1872)
<br />Near Tibbets Brook —That's What They Said!
<br />(1870s period)
<br />"Cutting tamarack poles in the swamps for fencing, cutting and hewing timbers for next
<br />year's building, cutting and hewing ties to be hauled to the railroad for sale were the
<br />principle winter work besides chores and firewood." (Vernon Bailey, "The Making of a
<br />Naturalist: Field Work of A Biologist," in "The Hiram Bailey Family: Pioneers of America and
<br />Early Settlers of the Middle West," typescript, SCHS, 18.)
<br />Near Clear Lake —That's What They Said!
<br />"A few rods just south of this house is a beautiful clear lake, lying in a basin of perhaps'/2
<br />acre, where our stock are watered, and 100s of other cattle, feeding on the prairies, come
<br />down its clear smooth banks for drink." (Maria H. Knapp, Clear Lake, Sherburne County,
<br />Minnesota, to her sister-in-law Elisa Knapp in Dummerston, Vermont, June 20, 1870)
<br />Near Tibbets Brook —That's What They Said!
<br />"There were many forbearing [sic] animals about us, mostly muskrats, mink,
<br />raccoon, skunks, red foxes and a few otter. The extensive beaver dams which were
<br />responsible for most of the great hay meadows were still important features of the country.
<br />Generally considerable ponds remained back of the larger dams where water was held all
<br />summer and these were always choice breeding grounds for water birds and muskrats. After
<br />the hay was out the beavers' dams could be traced long distances across the meadows and on
<br />one of these our winter path to the log school house [sic] extended for half a mile. But no
<br />beavers that we knew of were within a hundred miles of home." (Vernon Bailey, "The
<br />Making of a Naturalist: Field Work of A Biologist," in "The Hiram Bailey Family: Pioneers
<br />of America and Early Settlers of the Middle West," typescript, SCHS, 36-7.)
<br />Theme Statement
<br />Theme 2: Being on the edge where three ecological land types meet enabled easy
<br />transportation and access to natural resources and economic resources.
<br />Subthemes
<br />Subtheme 2.4. Sherburne County's edge landscape included plentiful lakes, wetlands, and
<br />abundant wildlife that have been key to the areas' history and development.
<br />Contemporary visitor relevance
<br />1. An overwhelming number of members surveyed wanted to learn about history from
<br />through the words of the people who actually lived the history. Members also enjoyed
<br />Sherburne County Historical Society Heritage Center Interpretive Plan, April 21, 2005, page 21
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