John and Jane Ditty moved their family after theCivil War, from Crown Point, Indiana, in 1865, to a location north of Cokato, Minnesota. After the death of their parents, the six children, Charles, William, Annette, Ella, John and Cora moved to Maple Plain in 1876. They lived on the land which later became the home of George Richards. William and Charles worked for the St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railroad which was later called the Great Northern. In August, 1884, William was married to Lily Budd and Charles to Anna Budd the same day. John married Harriet Haskell of Maple Plain and Cora married Frank Styner, living on what is now the Herum farm.
Three daughters, Blanche, Myrtle and Edna, the present wife of Ernest Pearson, were born during the time their father, William Ditty, worked for the railroad company while living at Barnesville, Minnesota. He was a conductor on the passenger train, but in 1894, he became a conductor on a freight train and moved back to Maple Plain. He helped dig the big railroad cut through Maple Plain. He bought a farm on the west end of town which was known as the Clauson Briley farm. There, five more children were born — Clifford, Clayton, Annette, Perry (now living in Delano) and Mildred. Mrs. Ditty passed away in 1916 and Mr. Ditty in 1942. The Pearsons still live on the Ditty farm west of Maple Plain. They have four sons, Marcel, Donald, Gordon and Lyle and two daughters, Elaine Wills and Mary Ann Karnick.