In the late 1800s, pioneers were steadily arriving in and around the settlement near present-day Kenmare. Some were looking for coal, while others were in the cattle business. Some were simply looking for a place to call their own. The first known squatter was a coal prospector named Augustine Rouse, but the man credited as the force that created Kenmare was Eli Crane Tolley, also known as E.C.

Tolley arrived by rail in 1896, as a town-site locator and developer for the Minnesota Loan and Trust Company of Minneapolis. He was responsible for handling the townsite matters for the Soo Line Railroad, in a time when the iron horses could make or break a settlement. After visiting several locations as possibilities, the decision was easy and the townsite was finalized. Some believe that Tolley built the first wooden residence, but there’s been some dispute on whose claim shack was completed first. Regardless, Tolley didn’t exactly live a quiet life, flying under the radar in a prospering town. Which brings us back to Augustine Rouse.

Rouse apparently arrived in 1891 on a quest for coal. He had dug into the side of the hill and raised sod walls above the slope of the hillside overlooking the Middle Des Lacs Lake. He named the site Lignite and began distributing mail to the ranchers, miners, and other squatters, as well as continuing to mine for coal near his dugout. He served as postmaster until he was killed in a gun battle that included none other than E.C. Tolley. The two were far from friends, both concerned with development, more than likely motivated by potential financial gains.

It was a quiet Saturday, the day before the Independence Day celebration in 1896, when Tolley and Rouse had their last encounter. After exchanging conversation, Rouse, said to have been acting in a peculiar manner, grabbed a hammer and swung it at Tolley. Tolley reacted and a struggle ensued. With Rouse’s hands around his neck, E.C. was able to reach his revolver and pull the trigger. Rouse was dead.

A trial followed with the jury finding E.C. Tolley not guilty of murder, maintaining that he had acted in self-defense. It is believed that Rouse was the first man to be buried in Kenmare. If this is true, the grave is unmarked. Learn more about E.C. Tolley and whether he was able to keep a low profile in the years following the trial as the Talking Trail continues here in Kenmare…