The country in Kneeland District was settled about the year 1868.  The first settler is thought to be Henry Marshall.  Other early settlers were Haines, Young, Ladd and Anderson.  The first settlers lived in sod shanties and plowed with oxen on the hills.  The valleys were marsh.  After a rain the valleys were flooded.

The Bosher place, believed to be the first place, is being torn down to be used as building material and fuel.

The land on which the Kneeland School now stands was given to the district by Don Kneeland.  Some people believe the Kneeland School first stood on the corner where the Union Cemetery is now and was later moved to its present site.  Others believe the Kneeland School was built where it stands and was not moved.

There is a question about the Pleasant Valley Methodist Church.  The church now standing is either the second or the third church.  Either way, everyone agrees that the church formerly there burned.

The first railroad ran about the year 1890.  That was the one that went via Eleva.

The railroad that went from Fairchild to Cleghorn was going to be lengthened to run from Fairchild to Minneapolis, unfortunately it was not.  It made its last run in 1925.

An older member of our community, Mr. Lloyd Anderson recalled most of these facts.  He recalled a Mr. Haines who used to be a shoemaker in Eau Claire (Eau Claire means water clear).  Mr. Haines moved near here.  He worked in Eau Claire.  He bought a plow and could not get it to his home.  Each weekend when he came home he carried a piece of the plow on his back.

When any of these people wished to get corn ground, they went to Alma.  For lumber they went to Augusta.

Two of Mr. Anderson's uncles came down from Canada after the Civil War.  They went as far as Ashland by boat and walked from there.  It was about 175 miles.