Long Before Deeds

For countless generations, this was Mni Sota Makoce — Dakota homeland, “the land where the waters reflect the sky.” The South Fork of the Crow River and surrounding lakes sustained villages, hunting grounds, and cultural traditions.

Treaties and Surveys

In 1851, the Treaties of Traverse des Sioux and Mendota ceded millions of acres to the U.S. government. By 1857, federal surveyors had divided Township 117N, Range 25W into neat mile-square sections. Section 13 — where this property lies — was drawn then, forming the legal framework for ownership.

A Veteran’s Legacy: Captain Steiner’s Company

The very first legal ownership of this land came not from a settler’s purchase, but from military service.

Private Michael Hefpner (deceased) received a bounty land warrant for his service in the War of 1812, where he served in the Maryland Militia under Captain Henry Steiner. Veterans of that war were often rewarded with warrants that could be exchanged for parcels of western land.

Hefpner’s warrant was ultimately located in Section 13, Watertown Township. Like many veterans, he assigned or sold his warrant to George Babst. Still, the record remains: this property’s chain of title begins with a man who shouldered a musket in defense of his young nation.

This connection means the land is not only part of Minnesota’s pioneer story, but also part of the national legacy of the War of 1812.

The First Patentees

Soon after, patents for Section 13 were issued to:

• George Babst

• John Heffner

• Lavinia Heffner

• Mary S. Heffner

• Michael Hefpner (warrantee, War of 1812 veteran)

Together, these families became the first recorded owners of Section 13, farming the soil and building lives in what became Watertown Township (organized in 1858).

A Family’s Memories

In modern times, the land belonged to Suzanne Glodek. For her daughter, Sadie Kitzmann, this was more than acreage — it was the center of a childhood. She remembers sledding down the big hill, baling hay with her father, paddling a rowboat through the flooded pasture, and working summer jobs to pay for college.

When her father passed from pancreatic cancer, Sadie and her husband brought their wedding to him — held on the hill where a new home will soon rise.

“The memories are beyond compare and my heart breaks to say goodbye. But I wish you all the best. May you love the land like we did, and may you create wonderful memories of your own. Welcome home.”

The Next Chapter

In 2024, the land was purchased by STAJE5 LLC, beginning a new stewardship. A new home will soon rise on the hill, overlooking the same fields and trees that have witnessed centuries of change.

This chapter is being written with a deep respect for what came before — the Dakota homeland, the War of 1812 veteran’s service, the pioneer farms, and the Glodek family’s memories. Our development effort is guided by a desire to honor the legacy of the land: to care for it as those before us did, to preserve its beauty, and to create new spaces for family, community, and memory.

As seasons turn and stories unfold, this land continues to be more than a parcel on a map. It is a living heritage, now entrusted to us, and we carry forward its story with gratitude and hope.