A Chronicle of Claremont Township and Village, Edited by Jessie March Bowen. Sponsored by The Ladies Aid of the Claremont Presbyterian Church. This historical record, begun in the fall of 1932, aims to give a general view of the progress of Claremont Township and Claremont Village, to help us to appreciate what we now enjoy by knowing how it came to be.
in the summer and fall of 1866... John Gray came from Michigan and took the homestead southeast of Town, where his family has lived ever since, “unto the fifth generation”...
The first tragedy was on the evening of April 11, 1867, at the two low, narrow bridges with a grad between which crossed the Zumbro at Sam Firth’s. Miss Celia Firth crossed safely with an oxteam in the early evening; but the spring flood waters rose so fast than an hour later the bridges were submerged. George Gray, father of G. A. Gray, with two girls in a horse-drawn lumber wagon, attempted to cross on the way to a party at the Marshall house in the village. The team missed the footing on the narrow grade, and all were swept downstream. The girls, Jane Thurburne and Helen Marshall, were drowned; but George Gray managed to grasp a sapling, and he hung on until John Edmund rescued him by the aid of a homemade raft.
1867, a Presbyterian Church organization was formed by a Presbyterian missionary. The first elders were John Connell, James Edmond, Sr. and John Campbell. The first board of trustees, whose names appear on the deed to the church site afterward purchased by the church society, were (pg 33) James H. Jacoby, William Connell, George Gray, James Edmond and William Foster… Church services were held in the warehouse.
The Presbyterian church was finished (1870)... the first one to preach being Dr. John Edmond of London, England, an uncle of Tom Edmond… He had been sent as a delegate to represent the Presbyterians of Great Britain at a convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
(Spring, 1871) James H. Jacoby was clerk of the school board, George Gray, director, John Edmond treasurer…school finished and first used winter term 1871-2
1877 long remembered as the Year of the Big Crop… harvesters were busy and all threshing outfits were taxed to their utmost, including a new twelve-horse rig operated by Jack Harmer and George Gray, under the company name of Harmer & Gray. It was said that Claremont shipped the most grain that fall of any town on the whole Northwestern Railroad system.
(1878) John Gray, G.A. Gray’s grandfather, built a small house on East Street… and lived there several years, until near the time of his death.
(fall of 1887) George Gray was made County Commissioner -the first of several intermittent terms which amounted to 20 yrs of service in that position before his death in 1923.
Summary: John Gray Sr, the start of the Riverview, Gray Family Farm, Claremont, Minnesota
According to The Chronicle of Claremont Township and Village (see, Media: Gray, George R and John; Historical Information) and Family Records (see, Media: Gray, Family History by George Robert Gray), John Gray Sr (age 53) moved from Michigan to Minnesota in 1866, bought a homestead and (in March) built the first Gray house there. He probably farmed with his son, George R, about 12 years. In 1878 (age 65) he built a small house in Claremont.
The 1880 Minnesota Census (age 67) lists him among the residents of the Peter McMartin Hotel (he may have been recovering from a minor stroke). In the 1885 Minnesota Census (age 72) he is listed by himself (he may have been able to return to his home in Claremont); Jim Edmond is listed after him, was he a neighbor?
He died in 1892 (age 79) at the home of his son, George R Gray where he had been living. His obituary states that he died of paralysis (stroke) and that he had been an invalid for several years (a happy release from suffering).
The 1867 drowning accident on the Zumbro River; Comparison of 4 different newspaper accounts (to compare with the one given in the Chronicle of Claremont Township and Village)
Gray, George; Zumbro river incident (1)
(4/18/1867) Mower County Register: Sad Accident at Claremont
(9 p.m.) soon after cries were heard in the direction of the river and hastening to the spot whence they proceeded, Gray was discovered clinging to a tree. In order to reach him a raft had to be constructed, and when he was released from his perilous position, he was so benumbed with cold that no particulars of the catastrophe could be learned from him. Search was made with lanterns, but nothing could be found of the young ladies or the team. The wagon box was found turned upside down, about twenty rods below the bridge. The people were out on Friday searching for the missing ones -Winona Republican (the account, furnished by a correspondent)
notes: Miss Ellen Marshall and Miss Colbourne were on visit from near Mantorville.
Gray, George; Zumbro river incident (2)
(4/19/1867) The Mantorville express: Melancholy Occurrence
On Thursday, the 11th, Mr. George Gray, with Miss Ellen (Helen) Marshall of Claremont, and Miss Jane Thorburn, of Waterville, Waseca county, attempted to cross the Zumbro, near Claremont… Mr. Gray drifted to some willows, where he clung and called for help. When found, he was nearly insensible, having been in the water for two or three hours… The bodies of the young ladies were found on Friday, and were committed to the earth in burial on Sunday. Miss Marshall was a daughter of Mr. Thomas Marshall, Sr, and was well known and highly esteemed in Mantorville.
Gray, George; Zumbro river incident (3)
(4/20/1867) The Rochester post: Disaster at Claremont
Mr. George Gray, with Miss Helen Marshall and Jane Thorburn, were attempting to cross the Zumbro at Claremont in Dodge County on Thursday evening the 12th… Mr. G. hung to some willows and halloed for help. When found he was almost insensible, having been in the water for two or three hours. Miss M. is the daughter of Thomas Marshall of Claremont, highly esteemed and deeply lamented by a large circle of friends. Miss Thorburn was there on a visit. Her home was at Waterville, Waseca county, where her suddenly bereaved parents reside.
Gray, George; Zumbro river incident (4)
(5/16/1867) The Shakopee Argus
-One evening recently, two young ladies, in company with George Gray, in attempting to cross the Zumbro river at Clermont Station, Minnesota, were upset in the swollen stream and drowned. Their names were Hellen Marshall of Clermont, and Jane Thorburne, of Waterville. Gray was in the water hanging to some willow boughs before rescued.
Added by Jody Gray, 10/10/2015:
It was, of course, a noteworthy event and received a lot of coverage, even as far away as the ‘cities’ (Shakopee) and Winona. I found another account of it in this ‘historical’ book I ordered: Dodge County Profiles 1960 Compiled by Harold Severson, Kenyon, MN.
(pg 11) The first tragedy in the town’s history occurred April 11, 1867, at the two low narrow bridges which crossed the nearby Zumbro River. Miss Celia Firth had crossed safely with an ox team in the early evening but the spring waters rose so rapidly an hour later the bridges were submerged. George Gray, accompanied by two girls Jane Thurburne and Helen Marshall, attempted to cross on the way to a party at the Marshall house in the village, the trip being made in a horse-drawn lumber wagon. The team missed the footing on the narrow grad and all were swept downstream. The girls drowned but Gray managed to grasp a sapling and he hung on until he was rescued by John Edmond who came to his rescue on a homemade raft.
About Helen Marshall and her family
Helen Marshall
Find A Grave, Memorial
Created by Alice. Record added: 11/27/2011
Birth: unknown (B: 1846)
Death: 4/11/1867, age 21 years, drowned
daughter of Thomas and Har (which I believe is Mary)
Note: Source: Minnesota Cemetery Inscription Index.
Burial: Claremont Street Cemetery. Plot: 78 block 1
Claremont, Dodge Co, MN.
Linked: father and siblings
Father: Thomas Marshall, Sr
Birth: unknown. Kinross, Perth and Kinross, Scotland
Death: 1/10/1870
Claremont, Dodge Co, MN
Inscription:
Age 67 years.
Spouse: Har. (Mary, see, Census notes, below)
with Helen
On the 1857 and 1860 censuses, his wife’s name is Mary.
Note: Source: Minnesota Cemetery Inscription Index. Date of death on stone looks like Nov. 14
Created by Alice. Record added: Nov 27, 2011
Thomas Marshall, Jr
Note: In 1880 Census, Kasson, Dodge, MN, Thomas is 48 and he is a brick layer… he was born in Perth and Kinross, Scotland… buried in the Claremont Hill Side Cemtery (1899).
Also, noteworthy (links between the Marshall and Gray families)
Bathia aka Bertha Gray (Jr), daughter of John Gray Sr and Bathia (Sr) Davidson (sister of George R Gray), married George Marshall (Sr), they had a son, George Marshall (Jr) who, according to 1880 and 1885 Censuses lived with George R Gray after the death of his mother (1871); also, according to John Gray Sr’s obituary his grandson, George, was employed at the mill in Claremont (1892).
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