Peering at the Past Homeless boy escaped servitude prior to prominence in Minnesota

Part two of a series.

Before saving the homes of fellow southeast Minnesota settlers and attaining his adult acclaim (as described in part one of this series) – O. W Streeter had been a homeless boy. About two centuries before this writing, Oscar Willard Streeter was born about 1821 in Syracuse, N.Y.

Prospects were promising as the youngest son of Dr. Barton Streeter. But the prominent physician died young with his business debts leaving the family destitute. Only the oldest of the four children was able to earn a living. The widow and two children were taken in by friends, but Oscar was placed by his mother in a poorhouse.

He remained there, it is thought, for about 16 months. When first visited by his mother, she found him in wretched condition – dirty in ragged clothing. After improving his appearance, she and Oscar met with Dr. and Mrs. Barton and their daughter. Dr. Barton offered to take Oscar to live with his family in the town of Clarkstown, 20 miles west of Rochester. A legal document of indenture was signed by which Oscar would remain with the doctor until adulthood and would be provided with food, clothing and three months of schooling each year. At age 21, he would be given an additional suit of clothes, a horse, saddle and bridle.

The doctor now had complete control of the lad, who quickly was made aware of his subservient status. He took his meals in the kitchen, not with the family in the dining room. His meals were more akin to the scraps for the animals than the family fare. When sent to feed the pigs, he first salvaged what he could for himself.

His only friend was Laura, the Barton daughter, who also under the control of a tyrannical father and aristocratic mother, was unable to improve his lot in the household. But she was able to scheme for his escape. Sometime during his first year of indenture, the homeless boy and Laura planned for him to go to friends in Pennsylvania. She prepared an open letter describing for him the route to follow along with a plea to all who encountered him to offer him assistance.

Laura helped him pack some food and clothing into the oil-cloth satchel from the poorhouse. This apparel consisted of one change of roundabout (jacket) and pants made together and one change of shirts. One Sunday, when her parents were off at church, Laura and the lad took a box to help him get over the 10-foot-high fence. With him on the other side, Laura took from her purse all of her savings (a dollar and 35 cents), placed the funds into his satchel and standing on the box, threw it over the fence. With expressions of friendship, they parted.

With his satchel on a stick and more homeless than ever, the small boy, found the trail meant to avoid detection. In fear of being pursued, he spent the night in a meadow in a rick of a hay. After consuming part of his food that evening and then more for breakfast, he was off on foot early the next day. He had to use his bread to bribe the dogs who obstructed his path.

Good fortune befell him when a man in a carriage offered to take him to the friends he was seeking in Wellsboro, Pa. Meanwhile, these friends had received a letter from Laura, explaining that her enraged father would continue to search until he found his indentured prey. Learning that Dr. Barton could legally reclaim Oscar, all concerned decided he would not long be safe where he was.

Conveniently, a German family was leaving Wellsboro at once for Galena, Ill., which was then on the western edge of civilization. His friends made the arrangements, gave him some money and sent him off with the German family. Four days later, they were on a steamboat on the Ohio River and eventually would arrive in Galena on June 26, 1836.

This brings us to last week’s narrative about his work and education in Illinois and Wisconsin before becoming a settler and prominent citizen in Houston County, Minn., where he would eventually be reunited with his mother.

The source of this information was the autobiography of O. W. Streeter, first published in 1901.