Atlas of Benson County, 1910 Plat Map
McClellan township was organized in 1884. It is thought it may have been named after Judge McClellan of Minnewaukan. There were no churches in the township. Families attended church in Brinsmade or other nearby towns. Most of the farmer, renters or owners of land in McClellan township have at some time been a member of the township board as a supervisor, clerk, treasurer or assessor. There were three schools in the township. One was the Gallanger school No. 1, Gallanger school No. 2 and Gallanfer school.No.3.
Legend has it that the name Brinsmade originated with a man named Brinsmade, who was the engineer on the first train through here.
In 1889 the railroad was completed through this territory. In that same year on October 7, Eugene S. Rolfe platted the town site. All but block 8 was sold to John S. Hubbard in January 1892. The village was incorporated April 4, 1904. Goodard Hofstrand was the first president of the village board and J.R. McFaren was the first clerk.
The Lutheran Church was organized in 1899 with E. T. Quamme as the first pastor. The church building was not begun until 1908 when Pastor Strandness was serving the congregation. Rose Olson, Mrs. Carl Anderson of Spokane Washington was the first organist. Rev. K.O. Rafshol served from 1911 until 1939.
In 1905 the Presbyterian Church was built on lots donated by Pastor Alberts. Pastor Alberts commuted from Harlow weekly for a salary of $85 a month. Mrs. Frank Bowman was the first Sunday School Superintendent. She began serving as superintendent before the church was built when meetings were held in the school. This church later became the present Christian & Missionary Alliance Church.
The Catholic Church was organized and built in 1909-09. It was torn down in 1955 and the congregation merged with Minnewaukan Parish.
On Main street in the early 1900's were the following businesses: George Dickinson's Store, built and operated previously by Al Johns, and above which was the community hall; the Jens Haugo Store; the telephone office, operated by Bill Gibbs and his wife; a hotel operated by Mrs. Eric Johnson; Myking and Mehus Meat Market; the Citizens State Bank owned by Thomas Ose with Bill Harney and Harvey Herman assisting; First National Bank owned by Ed Beissbarth and employed Bill Riedler and Henry Haugen; a livery barn; photography studio run by Axel Hultgren; a lunch room run by Mr. and Mrs. Ed Dunn, Hardware Store owned by Elling Gunnerud; and Drug store operated by Gunard Hofstrand; a General Store owned by Elias Muur; Bowman and Cullen Lumber Yard; black smith shopp operated by Emil Hultgren and a printing office owned by John Lindelien, who published the first Brinsmade Star in 1906.
In the year 1905 finds the names of Beissbarth, Ed Nelson, R.F. Forest, Alex Link, John Lindelien and Edward Rolle making their appearance on the village records.
It was in 1911 that Dr. Vigeland of Olivet, South Dakota read an advertisement in an American Medical Journal stating that a $1,000 bonus was being offered to any doctor who would set up a practice in Brinsmade, North Dakota. On January 12, 1912, just after receiving his citizenship papers, Dr. Vigeland arrived in Brinsmade. He served this community until his death on August 11, 1905. He never did receive the $1,000 bonus, however.
Dr. Ernest Yri began his dental practice here in 1926 and remained until 19s9, when he moved to Minnewaukan.
On March 11, 1914, thirty-nine men, women and children from Allen County, Indiana arrived here in a railroad passenger coach along with four boxcars of furniture, livestock, etc. Settling on farms in this community were Mr. and Mrs. William Deitz, Mr. and Mrs. John Witmer and family, Mr. and Mrs. David Witmer and family, Mr. and Mrs. Peter Ringenberg and family, Mr. and Mrs. Noah Gerig and family, and Mr. and Mrs. Ed Ehnert and family. Later John Liechty, his sister Leah, Henry Witmer and Henry Ringenberg arrived.
Gene Rolle and Andrew Grasser were among the very early settler in this territory. They arrived in 1883 from Minnesota. Another early settler was Jack O'Connell, the first sheriff of Benson County. Ole Solberg and his father also had claim west of town at about this time; also Elias Olson and Elling Remmen.
Brinsmade is also remembered for its baseball team. Thomas Ose was the manger of a salaried team which included such figures as Ben Tester, R.P. Forest, George Hopper, Spud Drummond and Gus Planting. Traveling teams with players such as Pachel Paige and Quincy Troupe were among the many who played here.
1961 finds a grand old town faded and barely existing. But it had its day and will remain a treasured memory in the minds of many people who lived here when it was a booming, progressive village.
Early Settlers
Charles E Bailey, who came to Benson county in those early days when courage along enabled men to become permanent settlers, is a resident of McCellan township (township 154, range 68) on section 1 of which his pleasant home is located. Mr. Bailey was born in Washington county, Iowa, October 20, 1863, and was the eldest of four children born to the union of Wesley A. and Martha S. (Cox) Bailey, who are now residents of Seattle, Washington. Of the children one sister and our subject are the only survivors. The family removed to Michigan when our subject was two years old, and there he grew to manhood, working mostly on the farm, later spending five years as clerk in his father's hardware store. In 1886 the family came to Benson county, and the father filed claim to lands which Charles E. Bailey took up government land, and two years later, when is parents went to the coast, he took charge of both farms and has since operated them. He came to Benson county when he had few neighbors and little to encourage a young man, and for the first few years crops were such as to render conditions anything but agreeable. In his own language he was induced to remain only because "walking was not good, and he would have had a long way to go." For two years he lived in a 10x12 foot shanty, and then erected a frame house 18x20 feet, to which he afterward made additions. He now owns a fine residence, with stone cellar, a two-hundred-and-fiftty-barrel cistern, a fine barn and all conveniences and comforts of country life. His house is beautifully situated, commanding a view of a wide stretch of the most fertile region of Benson county, including ten villages and Devils Lake. Mr. Bailey is a Republican in political faith, and is a valued citizen and member of the community. He was married, in 1898 to Miss Amarilla Johns. She died without issue May 29, 1900. By a former marriage Mr. Bailey has one son, Lester C.
No one in Benson county is more worthy a place in the annuals of North Dakota than Mr. Bailey, coming as he did when the county was a wilderness and laboring with undaunted courage to develop the resources of the country. He is now the owner of eight hundred acres, six hundred and forty under cultivation, making one of the most valuable estates in Benson county. Among the improvements on the farm is a grove of ten acres, containing fourteen hundred trees, some of which are thirty-five feet high. This is undoubtedly the finest grove in the county, and has grown in the last eight years. (Compendium of History and Biography of North Dakota)
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