Hampton Township
New Trier was part of Hampton so you can expect some overlap in each of their histories including the families that settled in each. We will use the location of claims to identify since New Trier was included in the Hampton census for many years.
JOHN MARTIN BELL JR – made his first claim in Hampton on September 2, 1854. He was born in Halifax, Vermont to John Martin Sr (1781-1858) and Patience Martin (1781-1865) on March 18, 1812, both third-generation Americans. He married Susanna Ann Townsend (1818-1858) on October 3, 1834, and together they had six or seven children. The oldest son, Joseph prepared his own claim, however, he was only 20 years old, so he had to wait a year before the official filing. In the meantime, his claim was jumped. The new party used his prepared logs to build part of their new home. Young Joseph pulled a group together and burned the cabin down, but he lost the claim and moved back to Illinois and married. John farmed but mostly raised beef and his specialty was blooded Jersey cattle. Susanna (Ann) Bell died in July 1858. By September of the same year, John had remarried Martha Miller Thornbrugh (1825-1894) back in Illinois where he had lived previously. She lived with the Bell family there in 1850, even though she was married and expecting her first child. She left five mostly grown children behind as well as her husband. The family lived in Hampton for twelve years and then moved to Hastings. John died on February 23, 1882.
STEPHEN BELL – born July 30, 1822, the younger brother of John Martin Bell, came the following year and made his claim in Hampton. He married Princess Gilbert (1827-1887) on May 19, 1847, in Winchendon, Massachusetts. The couple had four children. He was a man of means and it is said that he had the first windmill in the area built in 1859. He farmed and lived in Hampton for the rest of his life. He died on June 30, 1895, attending the annual meeting at Red Rock Camp in Newport. He was one of the original organizers of the Red Rock Camp Association, and for twenty-one years had attended every year. The "rock" was discovered near the Mississippi River and became the site of Methodist camp meetings Each July up to 20,000 people attended. Special steamboats and trains brought people there from St. Paul twice a day.
The Doffing Brothers, Conrad, Peter, and Nichola came in March of 1855 along with other Germans, John Fox, Isaac Holton, and Joseph Stumpf. Nicholas Kranz and Michael Kranz, came shortly after. By 1858, the township was organized. The first name suggested was Holton after Isaac Holton, but this was rejected. Bellville was also considered but finally, Hampton was suggested by Nathaniel Martin after his birthplace and it was selected. Gilbert McKay was the first chairman. The town grew quickly, by 1860 the population was already 480, and ten years later it had grown to 1,095. They needed a school. A log house was built and the son of Nicholas Kranz who was also the Register of Deeds for Dakota County at the time became the first teacher. The terms were only 3 months at that time. The first wedding that took place was that of John Kranz and Abbie Stumpf. The first baby born was L. Holden on August 11, 1855. The first death was Philetus Dawson, he accidentally shot himself in the leg, which became infected. He died on August 23, 1855. The very same day, the infant son of Stephen & Amelia Bell was born and passed away. Mail in 1855 was delivered by stagecoach daily on a route from Hastings to Faribault. The first post office in Hampton was located in James Archer’s house. He was appointed the first Postmaster and he continued for eight years.
CONRAD DOFFING – the oldest to come with his two
brothers to America on December 23, 1846. His parents
were Thomas Dauphin (1766-1839) and Catherine
Wallich Doffing (1775-1845) from Röllersdorf,
Bitburg-Prum, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany. The family
lived in Wisconsin for a while but when land opened in
Minnesota, he left with them to stake a claim in Hampton
in 1855. Conrad was a farmer and he and Catherine had
ten children, 7 were boys.
Their oldest son MATHIAS DOFFING (pictured 2nd from
the left in the top row) was born February 28, 1839, in
Germany. He was only about seven when he came to
America and fifteen when his parents brought him to
Hampton. He married Margaret Ficker on July 24, 1861,
the same year that the Civil War began. He was 22. Mathias was instrumental in establishing Hampton Township and St. Mathias Catholic Church. St Mathias was built in 1900 on land donated by him and which bears his name. He was also a Township Supervisor and a member of the school board for several years. He once owned as much as 2,000 acres which his children inherited. Mathias purchased the first windmill in the area that was originally commissioned to be built by Stephen Bell. The property was handed down to his son Mathias Jr. A photo of the windmill and farm is below.
His daughter Lena (1865-1944) married NICHOLAS PAUL GORES (1860-1927), another important person in the development of Hampton on June 13, 1860. His father, Frank Gores owned the first general store in town which Nicholas worked at until he married.
The couple married on June 13, 1860, just after Nicholas graduated from
St John’s Catholic College. They had 16 children. Nicholas opened a second
general merchandise store with his father-in-law which was very successful.
In addition, he was the Mayor of Hampton, Post Master, a Minnesota State
Legislator, and President of Farmers and Merchants Bank. Pictured are
Nicholas & Lena and 13 of their 16 children.
PETER DOFFING – another son of Conrad Doffing was born on February 20,
1844. He Married Margaret Schmitz (1844-1936). Peter was a successful
businessman, living mostly in Hastings. He owned a large warehouse/pork
plant and in the 1900 census listed his occupation as “capitalist”.
JOHN E DOFFING (1870-1954). Son of Peter Doffing above. He married
Clara Goers (1878-1933) on January 22, 1895. John owned a livery stable in
Hastings and later owned a boarding house/hotel called the St. James Hotel
for many years. John & Clara had several successful sons.
CHARLES DOFFING (1872-1952) married Marie Noesen (1875-1932) on May
10, 1898. Charles was Vice President and Cashier at Hastings National Bank.
He worked at the bank for 51 years. He was also on the school board and was
County Treasurer for 10 years. The couple had 4 successful sons.
KARL PETER DOFFING, the oldest son of Charles & Marie (1899-1963)
attended St Thomas Academy, then St Thomas College. He married Belle F
Schuett(1907-2003) on February 11, 1929. Karl was a banker, like his father.
He worked at several banks in Minnesota. When he died, he was the Executive
Vice President at Habberstand Bank in Lanesboro, Minnesota.
GEORGE DOFFING, 2ND oldest son of Charles & Marie (1900-1960) attended
St Thomas Academy, then Grinnell College in Iowa. While at Grinnell, he was
Captain of the Basketball Team and President of the Student Senate and
Council. He received a scholarship to attend Harvard University. He married
Ruth Gale (1910-2004) on May 5, 1947. George worked in banking. He and
Ruth never had children. He along with his brothers established a bank in
Wabasha, Minnesota, where their mother was born. The couple was
instrumental in establishing the Hastings County Club Golf Course. George
died young, at age 59. Ruth established the Ruth & George Doffing Charitable
Fund which has generously donated to many organizations in Hastings.
ADOLPH DOFFING – 3rd oldest son of Charles & Marie (1902-1966) attended
St. Thomas College, Adolph was also a banker. He married Cynthia A Evans
(1905-1989) on August 25, 1933. He worked at a number of banks including the State Bank of Cannon Falls and was VP at Northwest Bancorporation when he left to be President of the Bank of Wabasha.
NICHOLAS DOFFING – (1809-1871) was the second oldest brother that came to America (1846) and to Hampton (1855) together. Son of Thomas Dauphin and Catherine Wallich from Germany. Nicholas was born on December 6, 1809. He married Anna Margaretha Hansen (1815-1874) in Germany on December 24, 1816. The couple farmed and had 15 children. Most of the children died at birth or when they were young. When his brother, Peter died in 1859, he went to live with his brother’s wife, who had several little children. He was with her for about 12 years. Nicholas died on March 22, 1871.
PETER A DOFFING –(1816-1859) was the third brother that came to America (1846) and to Hampton (1855) together. Son of Thomas Dauphin and Catherine Wallich from Germany. Nicholas was born on December 6, 1816. He married Anna Maria Fuchs (1814-1842) in Germany and they had a son Thomas. Anna died in childbirth. Next, he married Anna Maria Benedicta Elsen (1822-1887) in Germany, on January 10, 1843. He farmed and died on March 31, 1959, leaving her with young children.
Nicholas Doffing had heard that they had just opened up land to be claimed in SE Minnesota. He traveled there to check it out because most of the settlers that had made claims in Marshfield were disappointed. The land fit its name and was mostly marsh and swamps. When he returned to Wisconsin and told his friends about the opportunities in Minnesota, several made the decision to move there. In the late fall of 1856 the Fuchs, Stumpf, Ludwig, and the Tix families (all related by marriage) left Wisconsin for Hampton Township, where they would make their new home. Their plan was to first travel by ox-drawn prairie schooner to LaCrosse Wisconsin where they would catch a boat that would take them up the Mississippi River to Prescott Wisconsin or possibly Inver Grove Minnesota. Unfortunately, they learned that the boat had sunk when it was hit by a tornado in Lake Peppin. The woman & children boarded a small boat that took them to St. Paul Minnesota. When they finally arrived, it was too late in the season to risk traveling from there to Hampton which would be their new home. They found a small 13X18’ shanty where they all stayed the winter. Anna Catharina, the wife of John Joseph Fuchs was pregnant when the party left Wisconsin. Baby John was born in St. Paul in this crowded shanty. The men had continued their journey to Hampton the previous fall and most made claims immediately. When they returned to get their wives and children in the spring, John Joseph’s brothers decided to move to Stern’s County Minnesota instead.
.JOHN JOSEPH FUCHS – born September 6, 1819 in Langenfeld, Prussia. His parents, Anton (1781-1860) and Catharina Langenfeld (1784-1824) Fuchs had nine children and lived mostly in the same area. Catharina had died years before and Anton would join his brothers in Michigan where they had already settled. One sister remained, Maria Anna Schmitz, who died in 1850. Another sister, the oldest, Maria Catharine Schaffer married twice, to a Bauer and then a Schaffer. She died in 1836 in Prussia. One or two of her children may have traveled with their uncles to the new world. John Joseph would travel with his father and his new family to America. Their youngest would die on the way. He would not stay long in Westphalia Michigan. His plan must have been to join his brothers and others from where he lived in Prussia, in Marshfield Wisconsin in Fond du Lac County. He arrived there and staked his claim on
JOANNES (1810-1876) AND MICHAEL MARTIN FUCHS (1815-1888) – immigrated with their father but went to Wisconsin, where they established a town called Marshfield. Shortly before they left, they married sisters, Joannes to Anna Gertrude Loehr and Michael to Maria Anna Loehr. Their parents were Peter and Christina Weber Loehr. The first child born was Joannes, son Joseph in 1842. The first death was that of Joseph Stump in 1843.
The JOSEPH STUMPF and NICHOLAS KRANZ families also play a big role in the settlement and establishment of Randolph. Their histories will be added soon.
