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HISTORY  AND  BIOGRAPHY .: 


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Meeker  County,  Minnesota, 

Containing  Sketches  of  the  Cities,  Villages  and  Townships,  Educa- 
tional,  CiYil,    Military    and    Political    History ;    Portraits    of 
Prominent  Citizens  and  Biographies  of  Old  Settlers  and 
Representative  Hen,  together  with  a  Full  History 
of  Meeker  County's  Experience  During  the 
Famous    Indian    Massacre    of     1862. 


History  of  Minnesota, 

Embracing  an  Account  of  Early  Explorations,  Organization,  a 

RcYiew  of  the  Political  History  and  a  Concise 

History  of  the  Indian  Outbreak. 


Presidents  of  the  United  States, 

Embracing  Biographical  Sketches  and  Full  Page  Portraits  of  Each. 


ILLUSTRATED. 


CH  IC  A  GO  : 

Alden    Ogle   &   Company, 
18S8 . 


ul- 


f.: 


■.^^4 


\-  ^ 


I;  5   '^i 


'Biography  is  the  Only  True  History." — Emerson. 


CHICAGO: 
DONOHUE   &    HENNEBERRY, 

Printers  and  Binders, 
1888. 


PEEFACE. 


^^^1^   N  the  compilation  of  this  volume,  it  has  been  the  aim  of  the  publishers  to  prepare  a 
ife'fi         local  encyclopedia  dealing  with  the  history  and  biography  of  the  people  of  Meeker 
■  '  >^-        county,  of  the  past  and  present,  comprising  in  a  single  volume  of  convenient  form 
a  varied  fund  of  information,  not  only  of  interest  to  the  present,  but  for  preservation 
for  coming  generations,  from  which  future  searchers  for  historic  data  may  draw, 
without  the  tedium  incurred  in  the  preparation  of  this.     We  have  gathered  together 
a  vast  mass  of  historic  facts,  and  present  them  with  individual  sketches  of  hundreds 
of  those  who  have  been  identified  with  the  development  of  the  various  localities.     That  our  work 
is  wholly  without  error,  or  that  nothing  of  interest  has  been  omitted,  is  more  than  we  dare  to 
hope,  and  is  more  than  any  reasonable  or  intelligent  reader  will  expect,  but  we  have  spared  neither 
pains  nor  expense  in  our  efforts  to  have  the  work  as  nearly  perfect  as  it  is  possible  for  .such  a  work 
to  be  made.     The  manuscript  of  the  historical  portions  was  carefully  submitted  to  committees  of 
prominent  old  settlers,  who  were  requested  to  make  all  changes  or  additions  necessary  for  a  com- 
plete and  correct  work.     The  certificates  of  these  gentlemen  will  be  found  on  page  iv.    As  to 
the  biographical  department,  equal  care  was  bestowed.     The  biographical  sketches,  in  every  case, 
were  submitted  to  those  whom  they  concerned,  so  that  all  had  an  opportunity  to  correct  and  revise 
the  statements  and  data  before  it  was  sent  to  press. 
Inclosing  our  labors,  we  have  the  gratifying  consciousness  of  having  used  our  utmcst  endeavors  in 
securing  reliable  data,  and  feel  no  hesitancy  in  submitting  the  result  to  an  intelligent  public,  feeling  justi- 
fied in  believing  that  the  work  will  compare  favorably  with  any  local  historical  work  ever  published  in  the 
State. 

There  is  always  more  or  less  ditliculty,  in  an  historical  work,  in  selecting  those  things  which  will 
interest  the  greatest  number  of  readers.  Individual  tastes  differ  so  widely,  that  that  which  may  be  of 
absorbing  interest  to  one  has  no  attractions  for  another.  Some  are  interested  only  in  that  which  concerns 
themselves,  and  do  not  care  to  read  of  even  the  most  thrilling  adventures  in  which  they  were  not  partici- 
pants. Such  persons  are  apt  to  conclude  that  what  they  are  not  interested  in  is  of  no  value,  and  its  pre- 
servation in  history  a  useless  expense.  In  this,  they  are  in  error,  as  the  most  trivial  reminiscence  becomes 
more  and  more  important,  as  years  roll  by,  and  the  preservation  of  the  names  of  the  pioneer  partici- 
pants is  regarded  with  a  just  pride  by  their  descendants.  In  the  .settlement  of  any  new  township  or  county, 
no  one  person  is  entitled  to  all  the  credit  for  what  has  been  accomplished,  but  every  individual  is  a  part  of 
the  great  whole,  and  all  are  directly  or  indirectly  connected  with  each  step  of  progress.  For  this  reason, 
it  is  always  a  very  difficult —  if  not  impo.ssible  —  task  to  measure  and  express  the  exact  meed  of  praise  or 
commendation  due  to  the  individual,  and  we  have,  therefore,  stated  facts,  with  "naught  set  down  in 
malice  or  in  praise." 

In  conclusion,  we  desire  to  express  our  sincere  thanks  to  the  citizens  generally,  the  pioneers,  the  press, 
and  the  county,  township  and  village  officials,  who  have  extended  more  than  ordinary  courtesy  to  our 
employes  in  their  arduous  duties  of  obtaining  data. 

That  our  efforts  may  prove  satisfactory,  and  this  volume  receive  a  welcome  commensurate  with  the 
care  bestowed  upon  its  preparation,  is  the  earnest  desire  of  the  compilers. 

ALDEN   PUBLISHING   COMPANY. 


fliRTIFICATHS  OF  COMMITTHItS. 


5^       / 


^-^   I 


^  '^->>-^'^^f^>^'^;^^=^:^^^i^^^V5^ 


^^^V 


Certificate  of  I^eVi^ion  and  dowection  of  the  Indian  IVja^^ad'e  and  (general  dhaptef^. 


W 


'E.  ihe  undersigned,  members  of  the  committee  appointed  to  revise  and  correct  the  chapter  relating  to  the 
Indian  massacre,  and  also  the  general  historical  chapters  of  the  History  of  Meeker  County,  compiled  and 
published  by  Alden,  Ogle  &  Co.,  do  hereby  certify  that  the  manuscript  was  duly  submitted  to  us,  and  fur- 
ther, that  we  revised  and  corrected  the  same,  making  all  the  changes  and  additions  we  deemed  necessary;  and,  as 
corrected,  we  hereby  approve  of  the  same  as  being  correct  and  complete,  to  the  best  of  our  judgment  and  recollec- 
tion. '  [Signed,]  Hamlet  Stevens. 

J.  B.  Atkinson, 
A.  Nelson, 

J.  B.  S.'VLISBURY, 

M.  J.  Flvnn. 


dertificate  of  the  I^eVi^ion  and  dowection  of  diti]  and  ToWn^hip  Hi^torij. 


WE,  the  undersigned,  members  of  the  various  committees  selected  to  revise  and  correct  the  history  of  our 
respective  township  or  city  for  the  History  of  Meeker  County,  do  hereby  certify,  that  the  manuscript  relating 
to  our  respective  township  or  village  was  duly  submitted  to  us,  and  further,  that  we  revised  and  corrected 
the  same,  making  all  the  changes  and  additions  we  deemed  necessary;  and,  as  corrected,  we  hereby  approve  of  the 
same  as  being  complete  and  correct,  to  the  best  of  our  judgment  and  recollection. 


[Signed,]  J.  B.  Atkinson,    . 

J.  B.   S.VLISliURV, 
W.  D.  JOUUERT, 
M.  J.  Flynn, 
Chas.  H   Strobeck, 
Peter  Johnson, 
John  Rudberg, 
N.  E.  Hanson, 
Nils  Elokson, 
J.  Blomberg, 
C.  C.  Reitan, 
A.  P.  Nelson, 
R.  D.  Griniiall, 


J.  M.  Pit.man, 
Daniel  Jackman, 
C.  A.  Oilman. 
Patrick  Casey, 
J.  S.  Shields, 
Andrew  Davidson, 
L.  L.  Wakefield, 
G.  W.  Harding, 
N.  C.  Caswell, 
James  Lang, 
O.  H.  Campbell, 
Ole  Kittei.son, 
Daniel  Danielson, 


SoREN  Morton, 

John  A.  Sa.mpson, 

E.  Evenson, 

Harrison  Fuller, 

W.  H.  Greenleae  (Ellsworth), 

C.  E.  CUTTS, 

m.  muri'iiy, 
Orrin  Whitney, 
James  A.  Kline, 
Thomas  Rvckman, 
Jer.  Leaminc, 
Ed.  H.  Muri'hv. 


—  •  •  '^-^sj— *«- 


CONTENTS. 


>•♦•»♦♦♦♦— 

I 


'"^S^o^^^  ^^S).^^e^^^ 


Presidents  of  the  United  States. 


Greorge  Washington 9 

John  Adams 14 

Thomas  Jefferson 20 

James  Madison 3li 

James  Jlouioe  33 

John  Quincy  Adams 38 

Andrew  Jackson. 47 

Martin  Van  Biiren 53 

Wm.    Henry  Harrison 56 

John  Tvier fi4 

James  K.  Polli 64 


PAGE. 

Zachary  Taylor 68 

Millard  Fillmore 73 

Franklin  Pierce 76 

James  Buchanan 80 

Abraham  Lincoln 84 

Andrew  Jobn.son 93 

U.S.   Grant 96 

Rutherford  B.  Hayes  103 

James  A.  Garfield 109 

Chester  A,  Arthur 113 

Grover  Cleveland 117 


History  of  Minnesota. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Location,  Topography,  &c 123 

Location 123 

Resources 133 

Topography 133 

Railroads 134 

Popul  itiou  Statistics 124 

CHAPTER  n. 

HiSTOUY  FROM  1660  TO  1888 125 

Early  E.x'plorations 135 

During  the  Seventeenth  Century 126 

During  the  Eighteenth  Century . .  138 

During  the  Nineteenth  Century 129 

Organization  as  a  Territory 131 

Organization  as  a  State 131 

Chronological  Events 131 


CHAPTER  in. 

TiTE  Indian  Massacue 133 

Indian  Tril)es 133 

^Bloodshed 1.3.5 

Battles 138 

Surren<ier  of  Indians 138 

Execution  of  Thirty-eight  Indians 139 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Territorial  and  State  Officers 140 

CHAPTER  V. 

Representation  in  Congress  and  Creation  of 

Counties    143 

Senators 143 

Representatives '  143 

Creation  of  Counties 144 


History  of  Meeker  County,  Minnesota. 


CHAPTER  I. 
Location  and  Topography 


CHAPTER  II. 


Early  Settlement 

CHAPTER  III. 
Official  ^Matters 


499 


500 


509 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Political  519 

Olficial  Vote,  1857-188G 519 

CHAPTER  V. 
Journalism  and  Education 527 

CHAPTER  VI. 
Meeker  County  During  the  SIassacre 531 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

PACE. 

Forest  City  Townshii- IJ^O 

Forest  City  Village SSI 

CIIAPTEK  IX. 

Man  ANN  All  Township 553 

Manannah  Village 555 

Eden  Valley  Village 550 

CIIAPTEK  X. 

Kingston  Township 556 

Kingston  Village 557 

CHAPTER  XI. 

Cedau  ;Mii.i-s  Township 558 

CHAPTER  XII. 

SwicDE  GiiovE  Township •.  560 

CHAPTEII  XIII. 

Darsel  TowNSiiii' 561 

Dassel  Village 50a 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

Daiiwin  Township 567 

Darwin  Village 508 

CHAPTER  XV. 
Hauvey  Township 568 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

PAGE. 

Daniei.son  Township 569 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

Litchfield  Township 570 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 
Cosmos  Township 572 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
Union  Grove  Township 573 

CHAPTER  XX. 

FOEEST  PliAIKIE  ToWNSHIP 574 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

A(  ton  Township 575 

Grove  City  Village 576 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

Greicnt.eaf  Township 578 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

Coi.i.iNwooD  Township 579 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

Ellsworth  Township 581 

Greenleaf  Village 583 

CHAPTER  XXV. 
History  of  Litchfield 584 


V 


BIOGRAPHICAL. 


page. 

Adams,  Frederick 375 

Ahlstrom,  Clias.  M.. 317 

Akes.son,  Hans  M 329 

Akcson,  Nels 195 

Amundson,  Ole 230 

Ames,  Harlow 429 

Ames,  Harlow  F 439 

Ames,  Henry 401 

Anderson,  Israel  J 252 

Anderson,  Andrew  J 359 

Anilerson,  David 361 

Andersen,  Ilalsten 399 

Angier,  H.   M 378 

Ansiell,  C.  L 379 

Armstrong,  P.  F 310 

Atkinson,  J.   B 156 

Atkinson.  C.  H 383 

Barrick,   Ximrod 183 

Baden,   Christian 325 

Bauer,  Nick 406 

I5en.son,  E.  B. 330 

Berggren,  Peter 326 

I5ercgren,  Nels  () 230 

Berg,  J.   P 282 

Becker,  George 248 

Beckstrand,  CM 281 

Belknap,  Geo.  S 305 

Benton,  .lolin  W 309 

Belfoy,  :\Irs.  Mary 307 

Bclfoy,  Frank 308 

Bergcjuist.  Gustof 368 

F.issell,  Dr.  F.  E 2.56 

Birch,  .lolin 342 

Bigelow,  Clias.  II 429 

Bjorhus,  Ole  K 476 

Bjorhus,  Andrew 476 


PAGE. 

Blomberg,  John 203 

Blackwell,  John 308 

Bogar,  T.  H 200 

Bogar,  Moses  II 379 

Boyer,  Marion 389 

Boring,  Eli 816 

Boyntoo,  Henry  J 333 

Boweu,  Mrs.  Martha 436 

Brown,  Lansing  V 197 

Brown,  Peter  K 313 

Briggs,  E.  A 480 

Brown,  Mons  A 451 

Branhani,  Jesse  V.,  Sr 466 

Branham,  Jesse  V.,  Jr 491 

Branham,  H .  S, 455 

Brower,  Adam 375 

Burns  ISrothers 483 

Buttcrfield,  Chas.  W 335 

Bylund,  Erick 389 

Caswell,  N.  C 444 

Caswell,  A.  M 316 

Caswell.  Silas  H 450 

Ca.sey,  Patrick 280 

Carlson,  Andrew 307 

Carl.son,  Elias 298 

Carlson,  Swan 484 

Cairncross,  Alex 370 

Case,  R,  F 398 

Came}',  John 341 

Campbell,  ().  II 418 

Campbell,   Ibm.  W.  M 485 

(Jates,  Mark 440 

Case,  Roy  M 383 

Chriatenson,  J.  (Union  Grove).  162 
Christenseu,  John  (Grove  City)  423 
Chapman,  Geo.  H " .  306 


PAGE. 

Chapman,  Dr.  Will  E 353 

Chevre,  Frank  J 359 

Chaney,  Wui.  P 483 

Clements,  Nels 195 

Clay,  Henry 360 

Clark,  Geo.  W 419 

Coombs,  Vincent 189 

Comstock,  Ezra  B 200 

Cossairt,  Samuel 309 

Cox,  William  S 353 

Connole,  Peter  J 277 

Coleman,  A.  W' 473 

Cross,  Daniel  A 200 

Crowe,  Luke  1) 379 

Cutts,  Hon.  C.  E 800 

Daggett,  F.  E.    109 

Danielsou,  Daniel 170 

Danielson,  Henrv  E 392 

Danielson,  Nels.". 287 

Danielson,  D.  N 301 

Davidson,  Andrew 180 

David.son,  Angust 305 

Davis,  James  P 313 

Damulh,  Robt.  N a71 

Dart,  Chas.  H 331 

Delaney,  Michael 155 

Dearey,  James 305 

DeCoster,  F.  V 330 

Delong,  Madison 347 

Delong.  Alliert  II 350 

Dcck,"Phillii. 352 

Deck,  Franklin 355 

Der.sch,  Otto 407 

Dime,  John  E 210 

Dickson,  George 389 

Dowling,  Hugh 186 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


PAGE. 

Dorman,  S.  A 460 

Dorman,  A.  T 390 

Doyle,  Kichard 469 

Draxton,  Nels  A 466 

Dunn,  Timotliy 328 

Duckering,  Jolm 241 

Duckering,  Chas.  H 358 

Eckstrom,  P 480 

Eblers,  Theo 461 

Ekbom,  Nels _ 351 

Ekbom,  Louis '. 479 

Eklund,  Andrew  W 361 

Eklund,  Eric  P 349 

Ekmau,  Nels 470 

Elofson,  Nels 237 

Elofsoii,  Andrew. . .   377 

Elofson,  Peter 397 

Elmquist,  D 375 

Elliott,  Richard 376 

Enright,  Patrick 387 

Erickson,  August 471 

Esbjornsson,  John 235 

Evenson,  Hans 221 

Evenson,  Hon.  E 158 

Evenson,  .John  F 232 

Evenson,  Andrew 312 

Falk,  .JohnP 286 

Pinnegan,  Michael  ....  y56 

Flynn,  John 225 

Flynn,  Hon.  M.  J 337 

Flynn,  Daniel 339 

Fosen,  Amos  N 199 

Fourre,  Richard 480 

FLdler,  G.  W 288 

Puller,  Harrison 335 

Gardner,  Mrs.  Elizabeth 162 

Gardner,   Peter 163 

Gibney.John 246 

Gibney,  Timothy 398 

Oilman,  Chas.  A 391 

Gorman,   David 291 

Gordon,  A.  L 316 

Gorton,  Milton 841 

Greenleaf,  Hon    "W.  H  149 

Greenleaf ,  Chas.  A 261 

Greenwood,  Marcellus 262 

Grant,  James 285 

Grindall,  Ralph  D 380 

Grindall,  E.  L 443 

Grindall,  Hiram 442 

Grono,  Wm 388 

Grotte,  Peter 401 

Gunderson,  Andrew 318 

Gumaclius,  CM 442 

Harding,  G.  W 168 

Hanson,  James  N 225 

Han.son,  Peter  N 246 

Hanson,  Christian  L 407 

Hansen  Peter  E 409 

Han.son,  N.  C.  G 362 

Hanson,  Bengt 453 

Hanson,  C.  J.  G 378 

llalvorsen.  Christian 396 

Halversen,  H.  0 388 

Hallgren,  John 297 

Hamilton,  William 301 


PAGE. 

Harris,  Virgil  H 34S 

HawkinsonTN.  W 357 

Hawkinson,  O.  W 430 

Hawkins,  Buel  J 399 

Hershey,  R.  S 233 

Heard,  Samuel  A 381 

Ilines,   Harry  H 357 

Hill,  F.  R 399 

Hill,  John 391 

Houk,  Jlartin 161 

Hoar,  David  B 180 

Hoar,  Adelbert  B 198 

Howard,  Col.  J.  M 306 

Hukriede,  William 159 

Hukriede,  Henry ■ 160 

Hunter,  John 186 

Hull,  Caleb 193 

Hubbard,  Joseph 273 

Hurley,  John 335 

Hutchins,  Albert 433 

Inman,  Jacob  C • 308 

Iverson,  Hans 183 

Jackman,  Daniel 371 

Jewett,  Co!.  T.  C 308 

John.son,  Svenning 168 

John.sou,  Nels  F 179 

Johnson,  L.   M 188 

Johnson,  Peter  (Acton) 203 

Johnson,  Peter  (Da.ssel) 237 

Johnson,  A.  C 316 

JoluLsou,  John  I\I 387 

Johnson,  Alfred  J 338 

Johnson,  Taylor 361 

Johnson,  John  W 433 

Jolmson,  John 43.5 

Johnson,  Ola  ,r 439 

Johnson,  Nels 464 

Johnson,  C.  G 490 

Johns,  William  H 199 

Jorgenson,  Olof  B 380 

Joubert,  W.  D 166 

Jordeu,  August 307 

Kastett,  Ole  Nielson 395 

Kauffman,  Dr.  J.  H 309 

Kennedy,  Dr.  V.  P 165 

Keilty,  Peter 339 

Kimball,  E 355 

Kittelson,  Harold 443 

Kittle.son,  Ole 377 

Kline,  James  A 247 

Knights,  John   475 

Knight,  John  W 373 

Koerner,  August  T 308 

Kon,sbrick,  John 392 

Kruger,  John  C 268 

Lang,  James 423 

Laughton,  Chas.   A 178 

Larson,  Lewis 313 

Larson,  Nels 450 

Larson,  Ole 475 

Larson,  Peter  E 476 

Larson,  Andrew 336 

Larson,  John  E 343 

Lawson,  A.  0 370 

Lawton,  James 378 

Lasher,  H.  J 242 


PAGE. 

Leighton,  Luther  W 318 

Lenhard,  Jacob 178 

Lenhardt,  M.  F 329 

Lee,  Andrew 299 

Leavitt,  S.  W 421 

Leamiug,  Jer 433 

Lindgren,  John 198 

Lindgren,  S.  0 303 

Lindell.Ole  N 355 

Linuell,  Hon.  O.  M 382 

Lovett,  Michael 346 

Lovett,  James 346 

Lund,  Peter  (Greenleaf) 331 

Lund,  Peter  J.  (Acton) 370 

Martin,  N.  C 153 

Martin,  Henry 185 

Martin,  John 350 

Martenson,  Peter 155 

Martenson,  Louis 371 

Marten.son,  Nils 387 

Mattson,  Andrew  S 158 

Mattson  .John 445 

Mayer,  Simon 161 

Maynard,  George 365 

Manguson,  Chas 309 

March,  N.  J 340 

Malmqui-st,  PeterJ 392 

Maass,  Adolph 366 

McCaruey,  James 205 

McCue,  James 338 

McCusker,  Fergus 474 

JlcCann,  Henrv 369 

McCaffrey,  Patrick 463 

Mclntyre,  Frank 268 

Mclntyre,  Peter, 479 

Mclntee,  John 331 

McKarney,  Patrick 326 

McKennev.  James  H .    378 

McAloon,"  Charles 339 

McGraw,  Cornelius 363 

McDevitt.  Rev.  H 371 

McLaue,  Daniel 370 

McLauffhliu,  Frank 464 

MerrilCN.  D 191 

Minton,  Frank  W 326 

Miller,  William  H 257 

Miller,  Israel 446 

Mitchell,  David 406 

Jlitchell,  Peter  J ;  446 

Jlouslcy,  John  M 153 

Morris,  James  H 258 

Morton,  Soren 489 

JIurray,  John 390 

Murphv,  William 328 

Murphy,  Edward  II 434 

Murphy,  Michael 439 

Nelson,  Hon.  Andrew 171 

Nelson,  Carl 166 

Nelson,  Rasmus 181 

Nelson,  Andrew  J 318 

Nelson,  B.  P 366 

Nelson,  Ole 319 

Nelson,  Erick  AV 335 

Nelson,  Frank 340 

Nelson,  Ola 345 

Nelson.  N,  L 347 

Nelson,  Soren 431 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


PAOE. 

Nelson,  Nicholas 473 

Nelson,  James 489 

Nelson,  Arnlrow  P 397 

Neuliauer,  (Jeorge 390 

Ness,  OIo  H 187 

Ness,  Ilalver  0 456 

Ness,  Martin  O. 461 

Ness,  Vax\  0 460 

Norgien,  John 493 

Noi'sreu  &  Co 493 

Nygren,  J.  P 291 

Ogren,  John 36G 

Olson,  Johannes 160 

Olson,  John 346 

Olson,  L.  M 463 

Olson,  Peter 483 

Ornbcrg,  Peter  P 449 

Osterhind,  Lewis 349 

O'Keeffe,  Menus 259 

Paulson,  Geo 358 

Paulson,  JIartin  J 454 

Paulson,  Paul   M 307 

Paulson,  John 207 

Palm,   John 207 

Patterson,  James  405 

Peterson,  E.  P 190 

Peterson,  H.  1 257 

Peterson,  Frank  T   220 

Peterson,  Hans 409 

Peterson,  John   336 

Peterson,  Olaf 452 

Peterson,  Peter  R 481 

Peterson,  Peter  (Acton) 376 

Pennoyer,  J.  I? 218 

Pitman,  J.  M 302 

Pier,  Lewis  A . .    295 

Pluraadore,  Joseph 386 

Polk.  James  W 310 

Price,  Thos.  F 190 

Pratt.  Sophia  0 229 

Proctor,  Edwin  F 417 

Printy,   Owen 471 

Quick,  John  A 235 

Quigley,  J.ames 397 

Quinlan,  John 451 


PAGE. 

Rails,   Luke 367 

Ralston,  Robert  B 327 

Ralston,  John 376 

Rcmick,  John  II 322 

Reilan,  f.0 238 

Renos,  Ole  J 369 

Ringstrora,  Peter  D 355 

Roman,  Leonard 177 

Ross,  A.  I) 317 

Roach,   William 345 

Roach,  Jlichacl  J 400 

Rodanj;e,  John   441 

Rodgers,  Alfred 452 

Rowley,  Henry  C 473 

Russell,  J.  M 179 

Rimisey,  H.  V 332 

Rudberg,  Jonas 440 

Rudberg,  Hon.  L 376 

Rudberg,  John 400 

Ryckman,  Thomas 292 

Sallberg,  August 408 

Salisbury,  Hon.  J.  B 311 

Sangreen,  Peter 167 

Sampson,  John 176 

Sampson,  John  A 167 

Scarp,  J.    P 248 

Scarp,  Swan  A 247 

Schultz.  Carl 262 

Schwarz.  Kudoli.h 300 

Segar,  William   H 269 

Shelley,  James  151 

Sherman,  Job  B 187 

Shields,  Hon.  J.  S 196 

Shepherd,    David 277 

Shepherd.  Charles 315 

Shimin.  James  H '"80 

Smith,  John 318 

Smith,  Daniel  F 320 

Smith,  Charles 351 

Smith,  A.  C 493 

Snell,  John 201 

Soule,  T.  J 296 

Sorenson,  Lars  P 380 

Spath,  Frederick 420 

Spaulding,  Charles  F 462 

Strobeck,  fUiarles  H 211 

Strobeck,  Geo.  B 465 


PAOK. 

Stevens,   Hamlet 443 

Staples.  Charles  A 170 

Sund(|uist.  John  .1 265 

Sundahl,Gundrr  H 191 

Sullivan.  Andrew 387 

Swansou,  Fred 198 

Swanson,  August 367 

Taylor,  Norris  Y 150 

Teberg,  John 295 

Thoms,  James  H 319 

Thorp,  Bersvend  S 340 

Topping,  Orcn  W 468 

Torrey ,  John  \V 473 

Turner,  Nelson 286 

Twombly ,  Frank  J 465 

Viren,  N.  A 197 

Vincent,  Samuel  C 402 

Vose,  Orrin  B 231 

Vossen,  Joseph 290 

Vogcl,  John 455 

Von  Eckstaedt,  Albert  V :M6 

Wakefield,  L.  L 239 

Wakefield,  Joseph  L 453 

Wall,  Ambrose 422 

Waller,  Hon.  G.  B 434 

Waller,  Geo.  B.,  Jr 434 

Wanvig,  D.  M 459 

Waylander,  Ncls 483 

Weeks,  Dr.  E.  B 481 

Welch,  Richard 398 

Wheeler,  R.  A 315 

Wheeler,  Isaac 218 

Wheeler,  Frank  E 319 

Whitney,  Orrin 412 

Whittiugton,  W.J 470 

Whalen,  John 389 

Wis,-,  John 469 

Williams,  Henry  R 405 

Wilcox,  William  H 396 

Wood,  Miller  C ..  4.54 

Wood,  LoxlcyR 485 

Wright,  Jasper 460 

Youngstrom,  John 169 

Zaekrison,  John  E 285 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


PORTRAITS. 


'  Adams,  John 15 

/  Adams,  John  Quiucy 39 

/  Arthur,  Chester  A 113 

^  Becker,  George 253 

■  Belknap,  George  S   303 

'  Buchanan,  James     81 

'  Cleveland,  Grovcr 116 

'  Evcnson,  E 163 

'  Fillmore,  Millard 73 

•  Flynn,  M.  J 213 

'  Garfield,  James  A 108 

I  Grant,  U.  S 97 

1  Greenleaf.  William  H 153 

'Grindall,  Ralph  D 373 

/  Hansen,  Peter  E 467 


•  Harrison,  AVilliam  II 57 

(  Hayes,  Rutherford  I! 103 

'Hubbard.  Joseph 273 

'  Jackson,  Andrew 46 

'  Jefferson,  Thomas 21 

'  John-son,  .Vndrew 93 

I  Johnson,  Peter 333 

(Lasher,  H.  J 343 

'Lang,  Jaru-s 435 

■  Lang,  Mis.  James 426 

•^  Leaminir,  Jcr 403 

•Linnell    ().  M 383 

'Lincoln,   Aliraliam 85 

'"Madison,  James 37 

'  Monroe,  James 33 

'  Morris,  James  H 363 

^NeLsou,  Andrew 173 


Pennoyer,  J.  B 203 

'  Pierce",  Franklin 77 

Polk ,  James  K 65 

Tlodange,  John 437 

( Sampson,  John  A 183 

Shields,  John  S 193 

■Taylor,  Zaehariah 69 

'Tyler,  John 61 

Van  Bmen,  Martin 53 

'Washington,  George 8 

'Whitney,  Orrin 414 

'Whitney,  Mrs.  Rebecca  C 415 

•Wilcox,' AVilliam  H 393 

VIEWS. 
Peter  E.  Hansen's  residence...  515 
Andrew  Nelson's  residence 525 


GEORGE     WASHfXCrTON. 


•4-»_^__5j- 


.4-_^_./>«?^^ 


EORGE  WASHING- 
TON, the  "Father  of 
his  Country"  and  its 
first  President,  1789- 
'97,  was  born  Febru- 
ary 22,  1732,  in  Wash- 
ington Parish,  West- 
"^^iM^C^  moreland  Count  y,  Virginia. 
His  father,  Augustine  Wash- 
ington, first  married  Jane  But- 
ler, who  bore  him  four  chil- 
dren, and  March  6,  1730,  he 
married  Mary  Ball.  Of  six 
children  by  his  second  mar- 
riage, George  .was  the  eldest, 
the  others  being  Bettv,  Samuel,  John,  Au- 
gustine, Charles  and  Mildred,  of  whom  the 
youngest  died  in  infancy.  Little  is  known 
of  the  early  years  of  Washington,  beyond 
the  fact  that  the  house  in  which  he  was 
born  was  burned  during  his  early  child- 
hood, and  that  his  father  thereupon  moyed 
to  another  farm,  inherited  from  his  paternal 
ancestors,  situated  in  Stafford  Count}-,  on 
the  north  bank  of  the  Rappahannock,  where 
he  acted  as  agent  of  the  Principio  Iron 
Works  in  the  immediate  vicinity,  and  died 
there  in  1743. 

From  earliest  childhood  George  devel- 
oped a  noble  character.  He  had  a  vigorous 
constitution,  a  fine  form,  and  great  bodily 
Strength.    His  education  was  somewhat  de- 


fective, being  confined  to  the  elementary 
branches  taught  him  by  his  mother  and  at 
a  neighboring  school.  He  developed,  how- 
ever, a  fondness  for  mathematics,  and  en- 
joyed in  that  branch  the  instructions  of  a 
private  teacher.  On  leaving  school  he  re- 
sided for  some  time  at  Mount  Vernon  with 
his  half  brother,  Lawrence,  who  acted  as 
his  guardian,  and  who  had  married  a  daugh- 
ter of  his  neighbor  at  Belvoir  on  the  Poto- 
mac, the  wealthy  William  Fairfax,  for  some 
time  president  of  the  executive  council  of 
the  colony.  Both  Fairfax  and  his  son-in-law, 
Lawrence  Washington,  had  served  with  dis- 
tinction in  1 740  as  officers  of  an  American  ' 
battalion  at  the  siege  of  Carthagena,  and 
were  friends  and  correspondents  of  Admiral 
Vernon,  for  whom  the  latter's  residence  on 
the  Potomac  has  been  named.  George's  ■ 
inclinations  were  for  a  similar  career,  and  a 
midshipman's  warrant  was  procured  for 
him,  probably  through  the  influence  of  the 
Admiral ;  but  through  the  opposition  of  his 
mother  the  project  was  abandoned.  The 
family  connection  with  the  Fairfaxes,  how- 
ever, opened  another  career  for  the  young 
man,  who,  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  was  ap- 
pointed surveyor. to  the  immense  estates  of 
the  eccentric  Lord  Fairfax,  who  was  then 
on  a  visit  at  Belvoir,  and  who  shortly  aftei^- 
ward  established  his  baronial  residence  at 
Greenway  Court,  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley. 


PRES/DhXTS     OF     THE     UN/TED    STATES. 


Three  years  were  passed  bv  3'(ning  Wash- 
iiii^ton  in  a  rough  frontier  Hfe,  gaining  ex- 
perience which  afterward  proved  very  es- 
sential to  iiim. 

In  1 75 1,  when  the  Virginia  mihtia  were 
put  under  training  with  a  view  to  active 
service  against  France,  Washington,  though 
only  nineteen  years  of  age,  was  appointed 
Adjutant  with  the  rank  of  Major.  In  Sep- 
tember of  that  year  the  failing  health  of 
Lawrence  Washington  rendered  it  neces- 
sary for  him  to  seek  a  warmer  climate,  and 
George  accompanied  him  in  a  voyage  to 
Barbadoes.  They  returned  early  in  1752, 
and  Lawrence  shortly  afterward  died,  leav- 
ing his  large  property  to  an  infant  daughter. 
In  his  will  George  was  named  one  of  the 
executors  and  as  eventual  heir  to  Mount 
Vernon,  and  by  the  death  of  the  infant  niece 
soon  succeeded  to  that  estate. 

On  the  arrival  of  Robert  Dinwiddie  as 
Lieutenant-Governor  of  Virginia  in  1752 
the  militia  was  reorganized,  and  the  prov- 
ince divided  into  four  districts.  Washing- 
ton was  commissioned  bv  Dinwiddie  Adju- 
tant-General of  the  Northern  District  in 
1753,  and  in  November  of  that  year  a  most 
important  as  well  as  hazardous  mission  was 
assigned  him.  This  was  to  proceed  to  the 
Canadian  posts  recently  established  on 
French  Creek,  near  Lake  Erie,  to  demand 
in  the  name  of  the  King  of  England  the 
withdrawal  of  the  French  from  a  territory 
claimed  by  Virginia.  This  enterprise  had 
been  declined  by  more  than  one  officer, 
since  it  involved  a  journev  through  an  ex- 
tensive and  almost  unexplored  wilderness 
in  the  occupancy  of  savage  Indian  tribes, 
either  hostile  to  the  English,  or  of  doubtful 
attachment.  Major  Washington,  however, 
accepted  the  commission  with  alacrity  ;  and, 
accompanied  bj'  Captain  Gist,  he  reached 
Fort  Le  Boeuf  on  French  Creek,  delivered 
his  dispatches  and  received  reply,  which,  of 
course,  was  a  polite  refusal  to  surrender  the 
posts.     This  reply  was  of  such  a  character 


as  to  induce  the  Assembly  of  Virginia  to 
authorize  the  executive  to  raise  a  regiment 
of  300  men  for  the  purpose  of  maintaining 
the  asserted  rights  of  the  British  crown 
over  the  territory  claimed.  As_  Washing- 
ton declined  to  be  a  candidate  for  that  post, 
the  command  of  this  regiment  was  given  to 
Colonel  Joshua  Fr}^  and  Major  Washing- 
ton, at  his  own  request,  was  commissioned 
Lieutenant-Colonel.  On  the  march  to  Ohio, 
news  was  received  that  a  part)'  previously 
sent  to  build  a  fort  at  the  confluence  of  the 
Monongahela  with  the  Ohio  had  been 
driven  back  by  a  considerable  French  force, 
which  had  completed  the  work  there  be- 
gun, and  named  it  Fort  Duquesne,  in  honor 
of  the  Marquis  Duquesne,  then  Governor 
of  Canada.  This  was  the  beginning  of  the 
great  "  French  and  Indian  war,''  which  con- 
tinued seven  years.  On  the  death  of  Colonel 
Fry,  Washington  succeeded  to  the  com- 
mand of  the  regiment,  and  so  well  did  he 
fulfill  his  trust  that  the  Virginia  Assembly 
commissioned  him  as  Commander-in-Chief 
of  all  the  forces  raised  in  the  colony. 

A  cessation  of  all  Indian  hostility  on  the 
frontier  having  followed  the  expulsion  of 
the  French  from  the  Ohio,  the  object  of 
Washington  was  accomplished  and  he  re- 
signed his  commission  as  Commander-in- 
Chief  of  the  Virginia  forces.  He  then  pro- 
ceeded to  Williamsburg  to  take  his  seat  in 
the  General  Assembly,  of  which  he  had 
been  elected  a  member. 

January  17,  1759,  Washington  married 
Mrs.  Martha  (Dandridge)  Custis,  a  young 
and  beautiful  widow  of  great  wealth,  and  de- 
voted himself  for  the  ensuing  fifteen  years 
to  the  quiet  pursuits  of  agriculture,  inter- 
rupted only  by  his  annual  attendance  in 
winter  upon  the  Colonial  Legislature  at 
Williamsburg,  until  summoned  by  his 
countr}'  to  enter  upon  that  other  arena  in 
which  his  fame  was  to  become  world  wide. 

It  is  unnecessary  here  to  trace  the  details 
of  the  struggle  upon  the  question  of  local 


GEORGE     WASHINGTON. 


self-government,  which,  after  ten  years,  cul- 
minated by  act  of  Parliament  of  the  port  of 
Boston.  It  was  at  the  instance  of  Virginia 
that  a  congress  of  all  the  colonies  was  called 
to  meet  at  Philadelphia  September  5,  1774, 
to  secure  their  common  liberties — if  possible 
by  peaceful  means.  To  this  Congress 
Colonel  Washington  was  sent  as  a  dele- 
gate. On  dissolving  in  October,  it  recom- 
mended the  colonies  to  send  deputies  to 
another  Congress  the  following  spring.  In 
the  meantime  several  of  the  colonies  felt 
impelled  to  raise  local  forces  to  repel  in- 
sults and  aggressions  on  the  part  of  British 
troops,  so  that  on  the  assembling  of  the  next 
Congress,  May  10,  1775,  the  war  prepara- 
tions of  the  mothesr  country  were  unmis- 
takable. The  battles  of  Concord  and  Lex- 
ington had  been  fought.  Among  the  earliest 
acts,  therefore,  of  the  Congress  was  the 
selection  of  a  commander-in-chief  of  the 
colonial  forces.  This  office  was  unani- 
mously conferred  upon  Washington,  still  a 
member  of  the  Congress.  He  accepted  it 
on  June  19,  but  on  tiie  express  condition  he 
should  receive  no  salary. 

He  immediately  repaired  to  the  vicinity 
of  Boston,  against  which  point  the  British 
ministry  had  concentrated  their  forces.    As  , 
early  as    April   General    Gage  had    3,000  ' 
troops  in  and  around  this  proscribed  city.  [ 
During  the  fall  and  winter  the  British  policy 
clearly  indicated  a  purpose  to  divide  pub- 
lic sentiment  and  to  build  up  a  British  party 
in  the  colonies.     Those  who  sided  with  the 
ministry  were  stigmatized  by  the  patriots 
as  "  Tories,"  while  the  patriots  took  to  them- 
selves the  name  of  "  Whigs." 

As  early  as  1776  the  leading  men  had 
come  to  the  conclusion  that  there  was  no 
hope  except  in  separation  and  indepen- 
dence. In  May  of  that  year  Washington 
wrote  from  the  head  of  the  army  in  New 
York:  "A  reconciliation  with  Great  Brit- 
ain is  impossible When  I  took 

command  of  the  army,  I  abhorred  the  idea 


of  independence  ;  but  I  am  now  fully  satis- 
fied that  nothing  else  will  save  us." 

It  is  not  the  object  of  this  sketch  to  trace 
the  military  acts  of  the  patriot  hero,  to 
whose  hands  the  fortunes  and  liberties  of 
the  United  States  were  confided  during  the 
seven  years'  bloody  struggle  that  ensued 
until  the  treaty  of  1783,  in  which  England 
acknowledged  the  independence  of  each  of 
the  thirteen  States,  and  negotiated  with 
them,  jointl}-,  as  separate  sovereignties.  The 
merits  of  Washington  as  a  military  chief- 
tain have  been  considerably  discussed,  espe- 
cially by  writers  in  his  own  country.  Dur- 
ing the  war  he  was  most  bitterly  assailed 
for  incompetency,  and  great  efforts  were 
made  to  displace  him  ;  but  he  never  for  a 
moment  lost  the  confidence  of  either  the 
Congress  or  the  people.  December  4,  1783, 
the  great  commander  took  leave  of  his  offi- 
cers in  most  affectionate  and  patriotic  terms, 
and  went  to  Annapolis,  Maryland,  where 
the  Congress  of  the  States  was  in  session, 
and  to  that  body,  when  peace  and  order 
prevailed  everywhere,  resigned  his  com- 
mission and  retired  to  Mount  Vernon. 

It  was  in  1788  that  Washington  was  called 
to  the  chief  magistracy  of  the  nation.  He 
received  every  electoral  vote  cast  in  all  the 
colleges  of  the  States  voting  for  the  office 
of  President.  The  4th  of  March,  1789,  was 
the  time  appointed  for  the  Government  of 
the  United  States  to  begin  its  operations, 
but  several  weeks  elapsed  before  quorums 
of  both  the  newly  constituted  houses  of  the 
Congress  were  assembled.  The  city  of  New 
York  was  the  place  where  the  Congress 
then  met.  April  16  Washington  left  his 
home  to  enter  upon  the  discharge  of  his 
new  duties.  He  set  out  with  a  purpose  of 
traveling  privately,  and  without  attracting 
any  public  attention  ;  but  this  was  impossi- 
ble. Everywhere  on  his  way  he  was  met 
with  thronging  crowds,  eager  to  see  the 
man  wiicm  they  regarded  as  the  chief  de- 
fender of   their   liberties,  and    everywhere 


PRESIDENTS     OF     THE     UXITED    STATES. 


he  was  hailed  with  those  public  manifesta- 
tions of  joy,  regaicl  and  love  which  spring 
spontaneously  from  the  hearts  of  an  affec- 
tionate and  t^rateful  people.  His  reception 
in  New  York  was  marked  by  a  grandeur 
and  an  enthusiasm  never  before  witnessed 
in  that  metropolis.  The  inauguration  took 
place  April  30,  in  the  presence  of  an  immense 
multitude  which  had  assembled  to  witness 
the  new  and  imposing  ceremony.  The  oath 
of  office  was  administered  by  Robert  R. 
Livingston,  Chancellor  of  the  State.  When 
this  sacred  pledge  was  given,  he  retired 
with  the  other  officials  into  the  Senate 
chamber,  where  he  delivered  his  inaugural 
address  to  both  houses  of  the  newly  con- 
stituted Congress  in  joint  assembly. 

In  the  manifold  details  of  his  civil  ad- 
ministration, Washington  proved  himself 
equal  to  the  requirements  ol  his  position. 
The  greater  portion  of  the  first  session  of 
the  first  Congress  was  occu])ied  in  passing 
the  necessary  statutes  for  putting  the  new 
organization  into  complete  operation.  In 
the  discussions  brought  up  in  the  course  of 
tills  legislati(5n  the  nature  and  character  of 
the  new  system  came  under  general  review. 
On  no  one  of  them  did  any  decided  antago- 
nism of  opinion  arise.  All  held  it  to  be  a 
limited  government,  clothed  only  with  spe- 
cific powers  conferred  by  delegation  from 
the  States.  There  was  no  change  in  the 
name  of  the  legislative  department ;  it  still 
remained  "  the  Congress  of  the  United 
States  of  America."  There  was  no  chansfe 
in  the  original  flag  of  the  countr3',and  none 
in  the  seal,  which  still  remains  with  the 
Grecian  escutcheon  borne  by  the  eagle, 
with  other  emblems,  under  the  great  and 
expressive  motto,  "  E  Phtribiis  Uuriui." 

The  first  division  of  parties  arose  upon 
the  manner  of  construing  the  powers  dele- 
gated, and  they  were  first  styled  "strict 
constructionists"  and*  "  latitudinarian  con- 
structionists." The  former  were  for  con- 
fining the  action  of  the  Government  strictly 


within  its  specific  and  limited  sphere,  while 
the  others  were  for  enlarging  its  powers  by 
inference  and  implication.  Hamilton  and 
Jefferson,  both  members  of  the  first  cabinet- 
were  regarded  as  the  chief  leaders,  respect 
ivel\\  of  these  rising  antagonistic  parties, 
which  have  existed,  under  different  names 
from  that  day  to  this.  Washington  was  re- 
garded as  holding  a  neutral  position  between 
them,  though,  by  mature  deliberation,  he 
vetoed  the  first  apportionment  bill,  in  1790, 
passed  by  the  party  headed  by  Hamilton, 
which  was  based  upon  a  principle  construct- 
ively leading  to  centralization  or  consoli- 
dation. This  was  the  first  exercise  of  the 
veto  power  under  the  present  Constitution. 
It  created  considerable  excitement  at  the 
time.  Another  bill  was  soon  passed  in  pur- 
suance of  Mr.  Jefferson's  views,  which  has 
been  adi.ered  to  in  principle  in  every  ap- 
portionment act  passed  since. 

At  the  second  session  of  the  new  Con- 
gress, Washington  announced  the  gratif}'- 
ing  fact  of  "  the  accession  of  North  Caro- 
lina" to  the  Constitution  of  1787,  and  June 
I  of  the  same  year  he  announced  by  special 
message  the  like  "  accession  of  the  State  of 
Rhode  Island,"  with  his  congratulations  on 
the  happy  event  which  "  united  under  the 
general  Government"  all  the  States  which 
were  originally  confederated. 

In  1793,  at  the  second  Presidential  elec- 
tion, Washington  was  desirous  to  retire; 
but  he  yielded  to  the  general  wish  of  the 
country,  and  was  again  chosen  President 
by  the  unanimous  vote  of  every  electoral 
college.  At  the  third  election,  1796,  he  was 
again  most  urgently  entreated  to  consent  to 
remain  in  the  executive  chair.  This  he 
positively  refused.  In  September,  before 
the  election,  he  gave  to  his  countrymen  his 
memorable  Farewell  Address,  which  in  lan- 
guage, sentiment  and  patriotism  was  a  fit 
and  crowning  glory  of  his  illustrious  life. 
After  March  4,  1797,  he  again  retired  to 
Mount  Vernon  for  peace,  quiet  and  repose. 


GEORGE     WASHINGTON. 


13 


His  administration  for  the  two  terms  had 
been  successful  beyond  tiie  expectation  and 
hopes  of  even  the  most  sanguine  of  his 
friends.  The  finances  of  the  country  were 
no  longer  in  an  embarrassed  condition,  the 
public  credit  was  fully  restored,  life  was 
given  to  every  department  of  industry,  the 
workings  of  the  new  system  in  allowing 
Congress  to  raise  revenue  from  duties  on 
imjiorts  proved  to  be  not  only  harmonious 
in  its  federal  action,  but  astonishing  in  its 
results  upon  the  commerce  and  trade  of  all 
the  States.  The  e.xports  from  the  Union 
increased  from  $19,000,000  to  over  $56,000,- 
000  per  annum,  while  the  imports  increased 
in  about  the  same  proportion.     Three  new 


chief  to  quit  his  repose  at  Mount  Vernon 
and  take  command  of  all  the  United  States 
forces,  with  tlie  rank  of  Lieutenant-General, 
when  war  was  threatened  with  France  in 
1798,  nothing  need  here  be  stated,  except  to 
note  the  fact  as  an  unmistakable  testimo- 
nial of  the  high  regard  in  which  he  was  still 
held  by  his  countrymen,  of  all  shades  of  po- 
litical opinion.  He  patriotically  accepted 
this  trust,  but  a  treaty  of  peace  put  a  stop 
to  all  action  under  it.  He  again  retired  to 
Mount  Vernon,  where,  after  a  short  and 
severe  illness,  he  died  December  14,  1799, 
in  the  sixty-eighth  year  of  his  age.  The 
whole  countr}^  was  filled  with  gloom  by  this 
sad  intelligence.     Men  of  all  parties  in  poli- 


membershadbeenadded  to  the  Union.   The     tics  and  creeds  in  rehgion,  in  every  State 


progress  of  the  States  in  their  new  career 
under  their  new  organization  thus  far  was 
exceedingly  encouraging,  not  only  to  the 
friends  of  libctv  within  their  own  limits, 
but  to  their  sympathizing  allies  in  all  climes 
and  countries. 

CM  the  call  again  made  on  this  iUustrious 


in  the  Union,  united  with  Congress  in  "  pay- 
ing honor  to  the  man,  first  in  war,  first  in 
peace,  and  first  in  the  hearts  of  his  country- 
men " 

His  remains  were  deposited  in  a  family 
vault  on  the  banks  of  the  Potomac  at  Mount 
Vernon,  where  they  still  lie  entombed. 


4-, fm. 


14 


PRbS/DENTS    OF     THE     UNITED    STATES. 


=, -    ■    '.^^4«S?-»Sflf'""""-^'iSS»fffi5fi^i?!S!B:°>  V'  ^ 


OHN  ADAMS,  the  second 
President  of  the  United 
States,  1797  to  1801,  was 
born  in  the  present  town 
,._  of  Quinc_v,  then  a  portion 
2*  of  Braintree,  Massachu- 
setts, October  30,  1735.  His 
father  was  a  farmer  of  mod- 
erate means,  a  worthy  and 
industrious  man.  He  was 
a  deacon  in  the  church,  and 
was  very  desirous  of  gi'"ing 
his  son  a  collegiate  educa- 
tion, hoping  that  he  would 
become  a  minister  of  the 
jospel.  But,  as  up  to  this 
time,  the  age  of  fourteen,  he 'had  been  only 
a  play-boy  in  the  fields  and  forests,  he  had 
no  taste  for  books,  he  chose  farming.  On 
being  set  to  work,  however,  by  his  father 
out  in  the  field,  the  very  first  day  con- 
verted the  boy  into  a  lover  of  books. 

Accordingly,  at  the  age  of  sixteen  he 
entered  Harvard  College,  and  graduated  in 
1755,  at  the  age  of  twenty,  highly  esteemed 
for  integrity,  energy  and  ability.  Thus, 
having  no  capital  but  his  education,  he 
started  out  into  the  stormy  world  at  a  time 
of  great  political  exxitement,  as  France  and 
England  were  then  engaged  in  their  great 
seven-years  struggle  for  the  mastery  over 
the   New   World.     The  fire  of  patriotism 


seized  young  Adams,  and  for  a  time  he 
studied  over  the  question  whether  he 
should  take  to  the  law,  to  politics  or  the 
army.  He  wrote  a  remarkable  letter  to  a 
friend,  making  prophecies  concerning  the 
future  greatness  of  this  country  which  have 
since  been  more  than  fulfilled.  For  two 
years  he  taught  school  and  studied  law, 
wasting  no  odd  moments,  and  at  the  early 
age  of  twenty-two  years  he  opened  a  law 
office  in  his  native  town.  His  inherited 
powers  of  mind  and  untiring  devotion  to 
his  profession  caused  him  to  rise  rapidly 
in  public  esteem. 

In  October,  1764,  Mr.  Adams  married 
Miss  Abigail  Smith,  daughter  of  a  clergy- 
man at  Weymouth  and  a  lady  of  rare  per- 
sonal and  intellectual  endowments,  who 
afterward  contributed  much  to  her  hus- 
band's celebrity. 

Soon  the  oppression  of  the  British  in 
America  reached  its  climax.  The  Boston 
merchants  employed  an  attorney  by  the 
name  of  James  Otis  to  argue  the  legality  of 
oppressive  tax  law  before  the  Superior 
Court.  Adams  heard  the  argument,  and 
afterward  wrote  to  a  friend  concerning  the 
ability  displayed,  as  follows  :  "  Otis  was  a 
fiame  of  fire.  With  a  promptitude  of 
classical  allusion,  a  depth  of  research,  a 
rapid  summary  of  historical  events  and 
dates,  a  profusion  of  legal  authorities  and  a 


Jc^fiJdc 


mm 


JOHN    ADAMS. 


■7 


prophetic  glance  into  futurity,  he  hurried 
away  all  before  him.  American  independence 
ivas  then  and  there  born.  Every  man  of  an 
immensely  crowded  audience  appeared  to 
me  to  go  away,  as  I  did,  read}'  to  take  up 
arms." 

Soon  Mr.  Adams  wrote  an  essay  to  be 
read  before  the  literary  club  of  his  town, 
upon  the  state  of  affairs,  which  was  so  able 
as  to  attract  public  attention.  It  was  pub- 
lished in  American  journals,  republished 
in  England,  and  was  pronounced  b}'  the 
friends  of  the  colonists  there  as  "  one  of  the 
very  best  productions  ever  seen  from  North 
America." 

The  memorable  Stamp  Act  was  now  ' 
issued,  and  Adams  entered  with  all  the 
ardor  of  his  soul  into  political  life  in  order 
to  resist  it.  He  drew  up  a  series  of  reso- 
lutions remonstrating  against  the  act,  which 
were  adopted  at  a  public  meeting  of  the 
citizens  of  Braintree,  and  which  were  sub- 
sequently adopted,  word  for  word,  by  m(5re 
than  forty  towns  in  the  State.  Popular 
commotion  prevented  the  landing  of  the 
Stamp  Act  papers,  and  the  English  author- 
ities then-closed  the  courts.  The  town  of 
Boston  therefore  appointed  Jeremy  Grid- 
ley,  James  Otis  and  John  Adams  to  argue  a 
petition  before  the  Governor  and  council 
for  the  re-opening  of  the  courts;  and  while 
the  two  first  mentioned  attorneys  based 
their  argument  upon  the  distress  caused  to 
the  people  by  the  measure,  Adams  boldly 
claimed  that  the  Stamp  Act  was  a  violation 
both  of  the  English  Constitution  and  the 
charter  of  the  Provinces.  It  is  said  that 
this  was  the  first  direct  denial  of  the  un- 
limited right  of  Parliament  over  the  colo- 
nies. Soon  after  this  the  Stamp  Act  was 
repealed. 

Directl}'  Mr.  Adams  was  employed  to 
defend  Ansell  Nickerson,  who  had  killed  an 
Englishman  in  the  act  of  impressing  him 
(Nickerson)  into  the  King's  service,  and  his 
client  was  acquitted,  the  court  thus  estab- 


lishing the  principle  that  the  infamous 
royal  prerogative  of  impressment  could 
have  no  existence  in  the  colonial  code. 
But  in  1770  Messrs.  x\dams  and  Josiah 
Quincy  defended  a  party  of  British  soldiers 
who  had  been  arrested  for  murder  when 
the_v  had  been  only  obeying  Governmental 
orders ;  and  when  reproached  for  thus  ap- 
parently deserting  the  cause  of  popular 
liberty,  Mr.  Adams  replied  that  he  would  a 
thousandfold  rather  live  under  the  domina- 
tion of  the  worst  of  England's  kings  than 
under  that  of  a  lawle.ss  mob.  Next,  after 
serving  a  term  as  a  member  of  the  Colonial 
Legislature  from  Boston,  Mr.  Adams,  find- 
ing his  health  affected  by  too  great  labor, 
retired  to  his  native  home  at  Braintree. 

The  year  1774  soon  arrived,  with  its  fa- 
mous Boston  '•  Tea  Party,"  the  first  open 
act  of  rebellion.  Adams  was  sent  to  the 
Congress  at  Philadelphia ;  and  when  the 
Attorney-General  announced  that  Great 
Britain  had  "  determined  on  her  system, 
and  that  her  power  to  execute  it  was  irre- 
sistible," Adams  replied  :  "  I  know  that 
Great  Britain  has  determined  on  her  sys- 
tem, and  that  very  determination  deter- 
mines me  on  mine.  You  know  that  I  have 
been  constant  in  my  opposition  to  her 
measures.  The  die  is  now  cast.  I  have 
passed  the  Rubicon.  Sink  or  swim,  live  or 
die,  with  m}-  countr}-,  is  ni}'  unalterable 
determination."  The  rumor  beginning  to 
prevail  at  Philadelphia  that  the  Congress 
had  independence  in  view,  Adams  foresaw 
that  it  was  too  soon  to  declare  it  openly. 
He  advised  every  one  to  remain  quiet  in 
that  respect ;  and  as  soon  as  it  became  ap- 
parent that  he  himself  was  for  independ- 
ence, he  was  advised  to  hide  himself,  which 
he  did. 

The  next  year  the  great  Revolutionary 
war  opened  in  earnest,  and  Mrs.  Adams, 
residing  near  Boston,  kept  her  husband  ad- 
vised by  letter  of  all  the  events  transpiring 
in  her  vicinity.     The  battle  of  Bunker  Hill 


18 


r-RES/DENTS     OF     THE     UNITED    STATES. 


Congress  had  to  do  something 


came  on  _ 

immediatel}'.  The  first  thing  was  to 
choose  a  commander-in-chief  for  the— we 
can't  say  "  army  " — the  fighting  men  of  the 
colonies.  The  New  England  delegation 
was  almost  unanimous  in  favor  of  appoint- 
ing General  Ward,  then  at  the  head  of  the 
Massachusetts  forces,  but  Mr.  Adams  urged 
the  appointment  of  George  Washington, 
then  almost  unknown  outside  of  his  own 
State.  He  was  appointed  without  oppo- 
sition. Mr.  Adams  offered  the  resolution, 
which  was  adopted,  annulling  all  the  ro3'al 
authority  in  the  colonies.  Having  thus 
prepared  the  wav,  a  few  weeks  later,  viz., 
June  7.  1776,  Richard  Hcnrv  Lee,  of  Y'n- 
ginia,  who  a  few  months  before  had  declared 
that  the  British  Government  would  aban- 
don its  oppressive  measures,  now  offered 
the  memorable  resolution,  seconded  by 
Adams,  "that  these  United  States  are,  and 
of  right  ought  to  be,  free  and  independent." 
Jefferson,  Adams,  Franklin,  Sherman  and 
Livingston  were  then  appointed  a  commit- 
tee to  draught  a  declaration  of  independ- 
ence. Mr.  Jefferson  desired  Mr.  Adams 
to  draw  up  the  bold  document,  but  the 
latter  persuaded  Mr.  Jefferson  to  perform 
that  responsible  task.  The  Declaration 
drawn  up,  Mr.  Adams  became  its  foremost 
defender  on  the  floor  of  Congress.  It  was 
signed  by  all  the  fifty-five  members  present, 
and  the  next  day  Mr.  Adams  wrote  to  his 
wife  how  great  a  deed  was  done,  and  how 
proud  he  was  of  it.  Mr.  Adams  continued 
to  be  the  leading  man  of  Congress,  and 
the  leading  advocate  of  American  inde- 
pendence. Above  all  other  Americans, 
he  was  considered  b}'  every  one  the  prin- 
cipal shining  mark  for  British  vengeance. 
Thus  circumstanced,  he  was  appointed  to 
the  most  dangerous  task  of  crossing  the 
ocean  in  winter,  exposed  to  capture  by  the 
British,  who  knew  of  his  mission,  which 
was  to  visit  Paris  and  solicit  the  co-opera- 
tion of  the  French.     Besides,  to  take  him- 


self awa}-  from  the  country  of  which  he 
was  the  most  prominent  defender,  at  that 
critical  time,  was  an  act  of  the  greatest  self- 
sacrifice.  Sure  enough,  while  crossing  the 
sea,  he  had  two  very  narrow  escapes  from 
capture ;  and  the  transit  was  otherwise  a 
stormy  and  eventful  one.  During  thc- 
summer  of  1779  he  returned  home,  but  was 
immediately  dispatched  back  to  France,  to 
be  in  readiness  there  to  negotiate  terms  of 
peace  and  commerce  with  Great  Britain  as 
soon  as  the  latter  power  was  ready  for  such 
business.  But  as  Dr.  Franklin  was  more 
popular  than  heat  the  court  of  France,  Mr. 
Adams  repaired  to  Holland,  where  he  was 
far  more  successful  as  a  diplomatist. 

The  treat}'  of  peace  between  the  United 
States  and  England  was  finally  signed  at 
Paris,  Januar}^  21,  1783;  and  the  re-action 
from  so  great  exxitement  as  Mr.  Adams  had 
so  long  been  experiencing  threw  him  into 
a  dangerous  fever.  Before  he  fully  re- 
covered he  was  in  London,  whence  he  was 
dispatched  again  to  Amsterdam  to  negoti- 
ate another  loan.  Compliance  with  this 
order  undermined  his  physical  constitution 
for  life. 

In  1785  Mr.  Adams  was  appointed  envoy 
to  the  court  of  St.  James,  to  meet  face  to 
face  the  very  king  who  had  regarded  him 
as  an  arch  traitor!  Accordingly  he  re- 
paired thither,  where  he  did  actually  meet 
and  converse  with  George  III.!  After  a 
residence  there  for  about  three  years,  he 
obtained  permission  to  return  to  America. 
While  in  London  he  wrote  and  published 
an  able  work,  in  three  volumes,  entitled: 
"  A  Defense  of  the  American  Constitution." 

The  Articles  of  Confederation  proving 
inefficient,  as  Adams  had  prophesied,  a 
carefully  draughted  Constitution  was 
adopted  in  1789,  when  George  Washington 
was  elected  President  of  the  new  nation, 
and  Adams  Vice-President.  Congress  met 
for  a  time  in  New  York,  but  was  removed 
to  Philadelphia  for  ten  j-ears,  until  suitable 


JOHN    ADAMS. 


19 


buildings  should  be  erected  at  the  new 
capital  in  the  District  of  CoUimbia.  Mr. 
Adams  then  moved  his  family  to  Phila- 
delphia. Toward  the  close  of  his  term  of 
office  the  French  Revolution  culminated, 
when  Adams  and  Washington  rather 
S3'mpathized  with  England,  and  Jefferson 
with  France.  The  Presidential  election  of 
1796  resulted  in  giving  Mr.  Adams  the  first 
place  by  a  small  majority,  and  Mr.  Jeffer- 
son the  second  place. 

Mr.  Adams's  administration  was  consci- 
entious, patriotic  and  able.  The  period 
was  a  turbulent  one,  and  even  an  archangel 
could  not  have  reconciled  the  hostile  par- 
ties. Partisanism  with  reference  to  Eng- 
land and  France  was  bitter,  and  for  four 
years  Mr.  Adams  struggled  through  almost 
a  constant  tempest  of  assaults.  In  fact,  he 
was  not  truly  a  popular  man,  and  his  cha- 
grin at  not  receiving  a  re-election  was  so 
great  that  he  did  not  even  remain  at  Phila- 
delphia to  witness  the  inauguration  of  Mr. 
Jefferson,  his  successor.  The  friendly 
intimac}'  between  these  two  men  was 
interrupted  for  about  thirteen  j-ears  of  their 
life.  Adams  finallv  made  the  first  advances 
toward  a  restoration  of  their  mutual  friend- 
ship, which  were  gratefully  accepted  bv 
Jefferson. 

Mr.  Adams  was  glad  of  his  opportunit)- 
to  retire  to  private  lite,  where  he  could  rest 
his  mind  and  enjoy  the  comforts  of  home. 
By  a  thousand  bitter  experiences  he  found 
the  path  of  public  duty  a  thorny  one.  For 
twenty-six  years  his  service  of  the  public 
was  as  arduous,  self-sacrificing  and  devoted 
as  ever  fell  to  the  lot  of  man.  In  one  im- 
portant sense  he  was  as  much  the  "  Father 
of  his  Country "  as  was  Washington  in 
another  sense.  During  these  long  )'ears  of 
anxiety  and  toil,  in  which  he  was  laj'ing. 
broad   and   deep,    the   foundations   of   the 


greatest  nation  the  sun  ever  shone  upon,  he 
received  from  his  impoverished  country  a 
meager  support.  The  only  privilege  he 
carried  with  him  into  his  retirement  was 
that  of  franking  his  letters. 

Although  taking  no  active  part  in  public 
affairs,  both  himself  and  his  son,  John 
Quincy,  nobly  supported  the  policy  of  Mr. 
Jefferson  in  resisting  the  encroachments  of 
England,  who  persisted  in  searching 
American  ships  on  the  high  seas  and 
dragging  from  them  any  sailors  that  might 
be  designated  by  any  pert  lieutenant  as 
British  subjects.  Even  for  this  noble  sup- 
port Mr.  Adams  was  maligned  by  thou- 
sands of  bitter  enemies  !  On  this  occasion, 
for  the  first  time  since  his  retirement,  he 
broke  silence  and  drew  up  a  very  able 
paper,  exposing  the  atrocity  of  the  British 
pretensions.  , 

Mr.  Adams  outlived  nearly  all  hisfamil3\ 
Though  his  physical  frame  began  to  give 
way  many  years  before  his  death,  his  mental 
powers  retained  their  strength  and  vigor  to 
the  last.  In  his  ninetieth  )ear  he  was 
gladdened  by  the  popular  elevation  of  his 
son  to  the  Presidential  office,  the  highest  in 
the  gift  of  the  people.  A  few  months  more 
passed  away  and  the  4th  of  Julv,  1826, 
arrived.  The  people,  unaware  of  the  near 
approach  of  the  end  of  two  great  lives — 
that  of  Adams  and  Jefferson — were  making 
unusual  preparations  for  a  national  holiday. 
Mr.  Adams  lay  upon  his  couch,  listening  to 
the  ringing  of  bells,  the  waftures  of  martial 
music  and  the  roar  of  cannon,  with  silent 
emotion.  Only  four  days  before,  lie  had 
given  for  a  public  toast,  "  Independence 
forever."  About  two  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon he  said,  "And  Jefferson  still  survives." 
But  he  was  mistaken  by  an  hour  or  so; 
and  in  a  few  minutes  he  had  breathed  his 
last. 


PRESrOE.VTS     OF    THE     UNITED    STATES. 


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^g^HOMAS  JEFFER- 

iriff  ^""'  ^^^  third  Presi- 
dent of  the  United 
States,  1801-9,  ^^"^s 
born  April  2,  1743, 
the  eldest  child  of 
his  parents,  Peter 
and  Jane  (Randolph)  Jef- 
ferson, near  Charlottes- 
ville, Albemarle  County, 
Virginia,  upon  the  slopes 
ofthe  Blue  Ridge.  When 
he -was  fourteen  years  of 
age,  his  father  died,  leav- 
ing a  widow  and  eight 
children.  She  was  a  beau- 
tiful and  accomplished 
good  letter-writer,  with  a  fund  of 
humor,  and  an  admirable  housekeeper.  His 
parents  belonged  to  the  Church  of  England, 
and  are  said  to  be  of  Welch  origin.  But 
little  is  known  of  them,  however. 

Thomas  was  naturally  of  a  serious  turn 
of  mind,  apt  to  learn,  and  a  favorite  at 
school,  his  choice  studies  bemg  mathemat- 
ics and  the  classics.  At  the  age  of  seven- 
teen he  entered  William  and  Mary  College, 
in  an  advanced  class,  and  lived  in  rather  an 
expensive  style,  consequently  being  much 
caressed  by  gay  society.  That  he  was  not 
ruined,  is  proof  of  his  stamina  of  character. 
But  during  his  second  year  he  discarded 


lady. 


society,  his  horses  and  even  his  favorite 
violin,  and  devoted  thenceforward  fifteen 
hours  a  day  to  hard  study,  becoming  ex- 
traordinarily proficient  in  Latin  and  Greek 
authors. 

On  leaving  college,  before  he  was  twenty- 
one,  he  commenced  the  study  of  law,  and 
pursued  it  diligently  until  he  was  well 
qualified  for  practice,  upon  which  he 
entered  in  1767.  Bv  this  time  he  was  also 
versed  in  French,  Spanish,  Italian  and  An- 
glo-Saxon, and  in  the  criticism  of  the  fine 
arts.  Being  very  polite  and  polished  in  his 
manners,  he  won  the  friendship  of  all  whom 
he  met.  Though  able  with  his  pen,  he  was 
not  fluent  in  public  speech. 

In  1769  he  was  chosen  a  member  of  the 
Virginia  Legislature,  and  was  the  largest 
slave-holding  member  of  that  body.  He 
introduced  a  bill  empowering  slave-holders 
to  manumit  their  slaves,  but  it  was  rejected 
by  an  overwhelmiilg  vote. 

In  1770  Mr.  Jefferson  met  with  a  great 
loss ;  his  house  at  Shadwell  was  burned, 
and  his  valuable  library  of  2,000  volumes 
was  consumed.  But  he  was  wealthy 
enough  to  replace  the  most  of  it,  as  from 
his  5,000  acres  tilled  by  slaves  and  his 
practice  at  the  bar  his  income  amounted  to 
about  $5,000  a  year. 

In  1772  he  married  Mrs.  Martha  Skelton, 
a    beautiful,    wealthy    and     accomplished 


f 

\ 


y^zz^ 


THOMAS     JEFFERSON. 


n 


young  widow,  who  owned  40,000  acres  of 
land  and  130  slaves;  yet  he  labored  assidu- 
ously for  the  abolition  of  slavery.  For  his 
new  home  he  selected  a  majestic  rise  of 
land  upon  his  large  estate  at  Shadwell, 
called  Monticello, '  whereon  he  erected  a 
mansion  of  modest  yet  elegant  architecture. 
Here  he  lived  in  luxury,  indulging  his  taste 
in  magnificent,  high-blooded  horses. 

At  this  period  the  British  Government 
gradually  became  more  insolent  and  op- 
pressive toward  the  American  colonies, 
and  Mr.  Jefferson  was  ever  one  of  the  most 
foremost  to  resist  its  encroachments.  From 
time  to  time  he  drew  up  resolutions  of  re- 
monstrance, which  were  finally  adopted, 
thus  proving  his  ability  as  a  statesman  and 
as  a  leader.  By  the  year  1774  he  became 
quite  bus}',  both  with  voice  and  pen,  in  de- 
fending the  right  of  the  colonies  to  defend 
themselves.  His  pamphlet  entitled  :  "  A 
Summary  View  of  the  Rights  of  British 
America,"  attracted  much  attention  in  Eng- 
land. The  following  year  he,  in  company 
with  George  Washington,  served  as  an  ex- 
ecutive committee  in  measures  to  defend 
by  arms  the  State  of  Virginia.  As  a  Mem- 
ber of  the  Congress,  he  was  not  a  speech- 
maker,  yet  in  conversation  and  upon 
committees  he  was  so  frank  and  decisive 
that  he  always  made  a  favorable  impression. 
But  as  late  as  the  autumn  of  1775  he  re- 
mained in  hopes  of  reconciliation  with  the 
parent  country. 

At  length,  however,  the  hour  arrived  for 
draughting  the  "  Declaration  of  Indepen- 
dence," and  this  responsible  task  was  de- 
volved upon  Jefferson.  Franklin,  and 
Adams  suggested  a  few  verbal  corrections 
before  it  was  submitted  to  Congress,  which 
was  June  28,  1776,  only  six  days  before  it 
was  adopted.  During  the  three  days  of 
the  fiery  ordeal  of  criticism  through  which 
it  passed  in  Congress,  Mr.  Jefferson  opened 
not  his  lips.  John  Adams  was  the  main 
champion  of  the  Declaration  on  the  floor 


of  Congress.  The  signing  of  this  document 
was  one  of  the  most  solemn  and  momentous 
occasions  ever  attended  to  by  man.  Prayer 
and  silence  reigned  throughout  the  hall, 
and  each  signer  realized  that  if  American 
independence  was  not  finally  sustained  by 
arms  he  was  doomed  to  the  scaffold. 

After  the  colonies  became  independent 
States,  Jefferson  resigned  for  a  time  his  seat 
in  Congress  in  order. to  aid  in  organizing 
the  government  of  Virginia,  of  which  State 
he  was  chosen  Governor  in  1779,  when  he 
was  thirty-six  years  of  age.  At  this  time 
the  British  had  possession  of  Georgia  and 
were  invading  South  Carolina,  and  at  one 
time  a  British  officer,  Tarleton,  sent  a 
secret  expedition  to  Monticello  to  capture 
the  Governor.  Five  minutes  after  iNIr. 
Jefferson  escaped  with  his  family,  his  man- 
sion was  in  possession  of  the  enemy  !  The 
British  troops  also  destroyed  his  valuable 
plantation  on  the  James  River.  "  Had  tiiey 
carried  off  the  slaves,"  said  Jefferson,  with 
characteristic  magnanimity,  "  to  give  them 
freedom,  the}'  would  have  done  right." 

The  year  1781  was  a  gloomy  one  for  the 
Virginia  Governor.  While  confined  to  his 
secluded  home  in  the  forest  by  a  sick  and 
dying  wife,  a  party  arose  against  him 
throughout  the  State,  severely  criticising 
his  course  as  Governor.  Being  very  sensi- 
tive to  reproach,  this  touched  him  to  the 
quick,  and  the  heap  of  troubles  then  sur- 
rounding him  nearly  crushed  him.  He  re- 
solved, in  despair,  to  retire  from  public  life 
for  the  rest  of  his  days.  For  weeks  Mr. 
Jefferson  sat  lovingly,  but  with  a  crushed 
heart,  at  the  bedside  of  his  sick  wife,  during 
which  time  unfeeling  letters  were  sent  to 
him,  accusing  him  of  weakness  and  unfaith- 
fulness to  duty.  All  this,  after  he  had  lost 
so  much  property  and  at  the  same  time 
done  so  much  for  his  country!  After  her 
death  he  actually  fainted  away,  and  re- 
mained so  long  insensible  that  it  was  feared 
he  never  would   recover!     Several  weeks 


p:;i-:siosvTS    of   the    u.y/ted   sr.iTES. 


passed  before  he  coulc]  fully  recover  his 
equilibrium.  He  was  never  married  a 
second  time. 

In  the  spring  of  17S2  the  people  of  Eng- 
land compelled  their  king  to  make  to  the 
Americans  overtures  of  peace,  and  in  No- 
vember following,  Mr.  Jefferson  was  reap- 
pointed by  Congress,  unanimously  and 
without  a  single  adverse  remark,  minister 
plenipotentiary  to  negotiate  a  treat}'. 

In  March,  1784,  Mr.  Jefferson  was  ap- 
pointed on  a  committee  to  draught  a  plan 
for  the  government  of  the  Northwestern 
Territory.  His  slavery-prohibition  clause 
in  that  plan  was  stricken  out  by  the  pro- 
slavery  majority  of  the  committee;  but  amid 
all  the  controversies  and  wrangles  of  poli- 
ticians, he  made  it  a  rule  never  to  contra- 
dict an3'bod3-  or  engage  in  any  discussion 
as  a  debater. 

In  company  with  Mr.  Adams  and  Dr. 
Franklin,  Mr.  Jefferson  was  appointed  in 
May,  1784,  to  act  as  minister  plenipotentiary 
in  the  negotiation  of  treaties  of  commerce 
with  foreign  nations.  According!}',  he  went 
to  Paris  and  satisfactorily  accomplished  his 
mission.  The  suavity  and  high  bearing  of 
his  manner  made  all  the  French  his  friends; 
and  even  Mrs.  Adams  at  one  time  wrote 
to  her  sister  that  he  was  "  the  chosen 
of  the  earth."  But  all  the  honors  that 
he  received,  both  at  home  and  abroad, 
seemed  to  make  no  change  in  the  simplicity 
of  his  republican  tastes.  On  his  return  to 
America,  he  found  two  parties  respecting 
the  foreign  commercial  policy,  Mr.  Adams 
svmpathizing  with  that  in  favor  of  England 
and  himself  favoring  France. 

On  the  inauguration  of  General  Wash- 
ington as  President,  Mr.  Jefferson  was 
chosen  by  him  for  the  office  of  Secretary  of 
State.  At  this  time  the  rising  storm  of  the 
French  Revolution  became  visible,  and 
Washington  watched  it  with  great  anxiety. 
His  cabinet  was  divided  in  their  views  of 
constitutional   government  as    well   as  re- 


garding the  issues  in  France.  General 
Hamilttjn,  Secretarv  of  the  Treasury,  was 
the  leader  of  the  so-called  Federal  partv, 
while  Mr.  Jefferson  was  the  leader  of  the 
Republican  party.  At  the  same  time  there 
was  a  strong  monarchical  party  in  this 
country,  with  which  Mr.  Adams  svmpa- 
thized.  Some  important  financial  measures, 
wiiich  were  proposed  by  Hamilton  and 
finally  adopted  by  the  cabinet  and  approved 
by  Washington,  were  opposed  by  Mr. 
Jefferson ;  and  his  enemies  then  began  to 
reproach  him  with  holding  office  under  an 
administration  whose  views  he  opposed. 
The  President  poured  oil  on  the  troubled 
waters.  On  his  re-election  to  the  Presi- 
dency he  desired  Mr.  Jefferson  to  remain 
in  the  cabinet,  but  the  latter  sent  in  his 
resignation  at  two  different  times,  probably 
because  he  was  dissatisfied  with  some  of 
the  measures  of  the  Government.  His 
final  one  was  not  received  until  January  i, 
1794,  when  General  Washington  parted 
from  him  with  great  regret. 

Jefferson  then  retired  to  his  quiet  home 
at  Monticello,  to  enjoy  a  good  rest,  not  even 
reading  the  newspapers  lest  the  political 
gossip  should  disquiet  him.  On  the  Presi- 
dent's again  calling  him  back  to  the  office 
of  Secretary  of  State,  he  replied  that  no 
circumstances  would  ever  again  tempt  him 
to  engage  in  anything  public!  But,  while 
all  Europe  was  ablaze  with  war,  and  France 
in  the  throes  of  a  bloodv  revolution  and  the 
principal  theater  of  the  conflict,  a  new 
Presidential  election  in  this  country  came 
on.  John  Adams  was  the  Federal  candi- 
date and  Mr.  Jefferson  became  the  Republi- 
can candidate.  The  result  of  the  election 
was  the  promotion  of  the  latter  to  the  Vice- 
Presidency,  while  the  former  was  chosen 
President.  In  this  contest  Mr.  Jefferson 
really  did  not  desire  to  have  either  office, 
he  was  "so  weary"  of  party  strife.  He 
loved  the  retirement  of  home  more  than 
any  other  place  on  the  earth. 


THOMAS     JEFFERSOX. 


25 


But  for  four  long  years  his  Vice-Presi- 
dency passed  joylessly  away,  while  the 
partisan  strife  between  Federalist  and  Re- 
publican was  ever  g-rowing  hotter.  The 
former  party  split  and  the  result  of  the 
fourth  general  election  was  the  elevation  of 
Mr.  Jefferson  to  the  Presidency !  with 
Aaron  Burr  as  Vice-President.  These  men 
being  at  the  head  of  a  growing  party,  their 
election  was  hailed  everywhere  with  joy. 
On  the  other  hand,  many  of  the  Federalists 
turned  pale,  as  they  believed  what  a  portion 
of  the  pulpit  and  the  press  had  been  preach- 
ing— that  Jefferson  was  a  "  scoffing  atheist," 
a  "Jacobin,"  the  "incarnation  of  all  evil," 
"  breathing  threatening  and  slaughter  !  " 

Mr.  Jefferson's  inaugural  address  con- 
tained nothing  but  the  noblest  sentiments, 
expressed  in  fine  language,  and  his  personal 
behavior  afterward  exhibited  the  extreme 
of  American,  democratic  simplicity.  His 
disgust  of  European  court  etiquette  grew 
upon  him  with  age.  Me  believed  that 
General  Washington  was  somewhat  dis- 
trustful of  the  ultimate  success  of  a  popular 
Government,  and  that,  imbued  with  a  little 
admiration  of  the  forms  of  a  monarchical 
Government,  he  had  instituted  levees,  birth- 
davs,  pompous  meetings  with  Congress, 
etc.  Jefferson  was  always  polite,  even  to 
slaves  everywhere  he  met  them,  and  carried 
in  his  countenance  the  indications  of  an  ac- 
commodating disposition. 

The  political  principles  of  the  Jeffersoni- 
an  party  now  swept  the  country,  and  Mr. 
Jefferson  himself  swayed  an  influence  which 
was  never  exceeded  even  by  Washington. 
Under  his  administration,  in  1803,  the  Lou- 
isiana purchase  was  made,  for  §15,000,000, 
the  "  Louisiana  Territory  "  purchased  com- 
prising all  the  land  west  of  the  Mississippi 
to  the  Pacific  Ocean. 

The  vear  1804  witnessed  another  severe 
loss  in  his  familv.  His  highly  accomplished 
and  most  beloved  daughter  Maria  sickened 
and    died,    causing    as    great    grief    in    the 


stricken  parent  as  it  was  possible  for  him  to 
survive  with  any  degree  of  sanity. 

The  same  year  he  was  re-elected  to  the 
Presidenc}',  with  George  Clinton  as  Vice- 
President.  During  his  second  term  our 
relations  wdth  England  became  more  com- 
plicated, and  on  June  22,  1807,  near  Hamp- 
ton Roads,  the  United  States  frigate 
Chesapeake  was  fired  upon  by  the  Brit- 
ish man-of-war  Leopard,  and  was  made 
to  surrender.  Three  men  were  killed  and 
ten  wounded.  Jefferson  demanded  repara- 
tion. England  grew  insolent.  It  became 
evident  that  war  was  determined  upon  by 
the  latter  power.  More  than  1,200  Ameri- 
cans were  forced  into  the  British  service 
upon  the  high  seas.  Before  any  satisfactory 
solution  was  reached,  Mr.  Jefferson's 
Presidential  term  closed.  Amid  all  these 
public  excitements  he  thought  constantly 
of  the  welfare  of  his  family,  and  longed 
for  the  time  when  he  could  return  home 
to  remain.  There,  at  Monticello,  his  sub- 
sequent life  was  very  similar  to  that  of 
Washington  at  Mt.  Vernon.  His  hospi- 
tality toward  his  numerous  friends,  indul- 
gence of  his  slaves,  and  misfortunes  to  his 
property,  etc.,  finally  involved  him  in  debt. 
For  years  his  home  resembled  a  fashion- 
able watering-place.  During  the  summer, 
thirty-seven  house  servants  were  required  ! 
It  was  presided  over  by  his  daughter.  Mrs. 
Randolph. 

Mr.  Jefferson  did  rnuch  for  the  establish- 
ment of  the  University  at  Charlottesville, 
making  it  unsectarian,  in  keeping  with  the 
spirit  of  American  institutions,  but  poverty 
and  the  feebleness  of  old  age  prevented 
him  from  doing  what  he  would.  He  even 
went  so  far  as  to  petition  the  Legislature 
for  permission  to  dispose  of  some  of  his 
possessions  by  lottery,  in  order  to  raise  the 
necessary  funds  for  home  expenses.  It  was 
granted ;  but  before  the  plan  was  carried 
out,   Mr.    Jefferson    died,  July    4,   1826,  at 

12:50  P.    M. 


;6 


PRESIDEXTS     OF    THE     V SITED    STATES. 


^i-    »    -.^ 


:-^ 


iLC,:Qi  c^oic;oiOiC.iciC!.o;C;  ic, :  l-f 


J4Mii  MillS®S« 


J^fSi'-'*    !JS       -■■      * 


m^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^i^^m^^^s^^^m^A 


i?^ 


*-"--if^ 


y'AMES     MADISON,   the 

=:     fourth    President   of  the 

i^     United   States,    1809-'!  7. 

Y  was   bom   at   Port  Con- 

wav,     Prince    George 

„ -/       County.  Virginia,  March 

16.     1 75 1.       His    father. 

Colonel  James  Madison,  was 

a  wealthy  planter,  residing 

upon    a    verv    fine    estate 

called    ■■  Montpelier,"   only 

twentv-five  miles  from  the 

home  of  Thomas  Jefferson 

at  Monticello.     The  closest 

personal    and   political    at- 

'^     tachment     existed     between 

these  illustrious  men  from  their  early  youth 

until  death. 

James  was  the  eldest  01  a  lamily  of  seven 
children,  four  sons  and  three  daughters,  all 
of  whom  attained  maturity.  His  early  edu- 
cation was  conducted  mostly  at  home, 
under  a  private  tutor.  Being  naturally  in- 
tellectual in  his  tastes,  he  consecrated  him- 
self with  unusual  vigor  to  study.  At  a  verv 
early  age  he  made  considerable  proficiency 
in  the  Greek,  Latin,  French  and  Spanish 
languages.  In  1769  he  entered  Princeton 
College,  New  Jersey,  of  which  the  illus- 
trious Dr.  Weatherspoon  was  then  Presi- 
dent.    He  graduated  in  1771,  with  a  char- 


acter of  the  utmost  purity,  and  a  mind 
highlv  disciplined  and  stored  with  all  the 
learning  which  embellished  and  gave  effi- 
ciency to  his  subsequent  career.  After 
graduating  he  pursued  a  course  of  reading 
for  several  months,  under  the  guidance  of 
President  Weatherspoon,  and  in  1772  re- 
turned to  Virginia,  where  he  continued  in 
incessant  study  for  two  years,  nominally 
directed  to  the  law,  but  really  including 
extended  researches  in  theologA",  philoso- 
phy and  general  literature. 

The  Church  of  England  was  the  estab- 
lished church  in  Virginia,  invested  with  all 
the  prerogatives  and  immunities  which  it 
enjoved  in  the  fatherland,  and  other  de- 
nominations labored  under  serious  disabili- 
ties, the  enforcement  of  which  was  rightly 
or  wrongly  characterized  by  them  as  per- 
secution. Madison  took  a  prominent  stand 
in  behalf  of  the  removal  of  all  disabilities, 
repeatedlv  appeared  in  the  court  of  his  own 
county  to  defend  the  Baptist  nonconform- 
ists, and  was  elected  from  Orange  County  to 
the  Virginia  Convention  in  the  spring  of 
1766,  when  he  signalized  the  beginning  of 
his  public  career  by  procuring  the  passage 
of  an  amendment  to  the  Declaration  of 
Rights  as  prepared  by  George  Mason,  sub- 
stituting for  '•  toleration"  a  more  emphatic 
assertion  of  religious  liberty. 


-(--t^  ifti,-<%^ 


JAMES    MADISON. 


29 


In  1776  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the 
Virginia  Convention  to  frame  the  Constitu- 
tion of  the  State.  Like  Jefferson,  lie  took 
but  little  part  in  the  public  debates.  His 
main  strength  lay  in  his  conversational  in- 
fluence and  in  his  pen.  In  November,  1777, 
he  was  chosen  a  member  of  the  Council  of 
State,  and  in  March,  1780,  took  his  seat  in 
the  Continental  Congress,  where  he  first 
gained  prominence  through  his  energetic 
opposition  to  the  issue  of  paper  money  b}^ 
the  States.  He  continued  in  Congress  three 
years,  one  of  its  most  active  and  influential 
members. 

In  1784  Mr.  Madison  was  elected  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Virginia  Legislature.  He  ren- 
dered important  service  by  promoting  and 
participating  in  that  revision  of  the  statutes 
which  effectually  abolished  the  remnants  of 
the  feudal  system  subsistent  up  to  that 
time  in  the  form  of  entails,  primogeniture, 
and  State  support  given  the  Anglican 
Church  ;  and  his  "  Memorial  and  Remon- 
strance" against  a  general  assessment  for 
the  support  of  religion  is  one  of  the  ablest 
papers  which  emanated  from  his  pen.  It 
settled  the  question  of  the  entire  separation 
of  church  and  State  in  Virginia. 

Mr.  Jefferson  says  of  him,  in  allusion  to 
the  study  and  experience  through  which  he 
had  already  passed : 

"  Trained  in  these  successive  schools,  he 
acquired  a  habit  of  self-possession  which 
placed  at  ready  command  the  rich  resources 
of  his  luminous  and  discriminating  mind  and 
of  his  extensive  information,  and  rendered 
him  the  first  of  every  assembly  of  which  he 
afterward  became  a  member.  Never  wan- 
dering from  his  subject  into  vain  declama- 
tion, but  pursuing  it  closelv  in  language 
pure,  classical  and  copious,  soothing  al- 
ways the  feelings  of  his  adversaries  by  civili- 
ties and  softness  of  expression,  he  rose  to  the 
emi".cnt  station  which  he  held  in  the  sfreat 
N?.^ional  Convention  of  17S7;  and  in  that  of 
Virginia,  which  followed,  he  sustained  the 


new  Constitution  in  all  its  parts,  bearing  off 
the  palm  against  the  logic  of  George  Mason 
and  the  fervid  declamation  of  Patrick 
Henrjr.  With  these  consummate  powers 
were  united  a  pure  and  spotless  virtue 
which  no  calumny  has  ever  attempted  to 
sully.  Of  the  power  and  polish  of  his  pen, 
and  of  the  wisdom  of  his  administration  in 
the  highest  otifice  of  the  nation,  I  need  say 
nothing.  They  have  spoken,  and  will  for- 
ever  speak,  for  themselves." 

In  Januar}',  1786,  Mr.  Madison  took  the 
initiative  in  proposing  a  meeting  of  State 
Commissioners  to  devise  measures  for  more 
satisfactory  commercial  relations  between 
the  States.  A  meeting  was  held  at  An- 
napolis to  discuss  this  subject,  and  but  five 
States  were  represented.  The  convention 
issued  another  call,  drawn  up  by  Mr.  Madi- 
son, urging  all  the  States  to  send  their  dele- 
gates to  Philadelphia,  in  May,  1787,  to 
draught  a  Constitution  for  the  United 
States.  The  delegates  met  at  the  time  ap- 
pointed, every  State  except  Rhode  Island 
being  represented.  George  Washington 
was  chosen  president  of  the  convention, 
and  the  present  Constitution  of  the  United 
States  was  then  and  there  formed.  There 
was  no  mind  and  no  pen  more  active  in 
framing  this  immortal  document  than  the 
mind  and  pen  of  James  Madison.  He  was, 
perhaps,  its  ablest  advocate  in  the  pages  of 
the   Federalist. 

Mr.  Madison  was  a  member  of  the  first 
four  Congresses,  i789-'97,  in  which  he  main- 
tained a  moderate  opposition  to  Hamilton's 
financial  policy.  He  declined  the  mission 
to  France  and  the  Secretaryship  of  State, 
and,  gradually  identifying  himself  with  the 
Republican  party,  became  from  1792  its 
avowed  leader.  In  1796  he  was  its  choice 
for  the  Presidency  as  successor  to  Wash- 
ington. Mr.  Jefferson  wrote:  "There  is 
not  another  person  in  the  United  States 
with  whom,  being  placed  at  the  helm  of  our 
affairs,  my  mind  would  be  so  completely  at 


3° 


PKhS/DEIVTS    OF     THE     UNITED    STATES. 


rest  for  the  fortune  of  our  political  bark." 
But  >fr.  Madison  declined  to  be  a  candi- 
natc.  His  term  in  Cong'rcss  had  expired, 
and  ho  returned  from  New  York  to  his 
beau.tiful  retreat  at  Montpelier. 

In  1/94  Mr.  Madison  married  a  young 
widow  of  remarkable  powers  of  fascination 
—  Mrs.  Todd.  Her  maiden  name  was  Doro- 
thy Paine.  She  was  born  in  1767,  in  Vir- 
ginia, of  Quaker  parents,  and  had  been 
educated  in  the  strictest  rules  of  that  sect. 
When  but  eighteen  years  of  age  she  married 
a  young  lawyer  and  moved  to  Philadelphia, 
where  she  was  introduced  to  brilliant  scenes 
of  fashionable  life.  She  speedily  laid  aside 
the  dress  and  address  of  the  Quakeress,  and 
became  one  of  the  most  fascinating  ladies  | 
of  the  republican  court.  In  New  York, 
after  the  death  of  her  husband,  she  was  the 
belle  of  the  season  and  was  surrounded  with 
admirers.  Mr.  Madison  won  the  prize. 
She  proved  an  invaluable  helpmate.  In 
Washington  she  was  the  life  of  society. 
If  there  was  any  diffident,  timid  young 
girl  just  making  her  appearance,  she 
found  in  Mrs.  Madison  an  encouraging 
friend. 

During  the  stormy  administration  of  John 
Adams  Madison  remained  in  private  life, 
but  was  the  author  of  the  celebrated  "  Reso- 
lutions of  1798,"  adopted  by  the  Virginia 
Legislature,  in  condemnation  of  the  Alien 
and  Sedition  laws,  as  well  as  of  the  "  report" 
in  which  he  defended  those  resolutions, 
which  is,  by  many,  considered  his  ablest 
State  paper. 

The  storm  passed  away ;  the  Alien  and 
Sedition  laws  were  repealed,  John  Adams 
lost  his  re-election,  and  in  1801  Thomas  Jef- 
ferson was  chosen  President.  The  great  re- 
action in  public  sentiment  which  seated 
Jefferson  in  the  presidential  chair  was  large- 
ly owing  to  the  writings  of  Madison,  who 
was  consequently  well  entitled  to  the  post 
of  Secretary  of  State.  With  great  ability 
he  discharged  the  duties  of  this  responsible 


office  during  the  eight  ^-ears  of  Mr.  Jeffer- 
son's administration. 

As  Mr.  Jefferson  was  a  widower,  and 
neither  of  his  daughters  could  be  often  with 
him,  Mrs.  Madison  usually  presided  over 
the  festivities  of  the  White  House;  and  as 
her  husband  succeeded  Mr.  Jefferson,  hold- 
ing his  office  for  two  terms,  this  remarkable 
woman  was  the  mistress  of  the  presidential 
mansion  for  sixteen  years. 

Mr.  Madison  being  entirely  engrossed  by 
the  cares  of  his  office,  all  the  duties  of  so- 
cial life  devolved  upon  his  accomplished 
wife.'  Never  were  such  responsibilities 
more  ably  discharged.  The  most  bitter 
foes  of  her  husband  and  of  the  administra- 
tion were  received  with  the  frankly  prof- 
fered hand  and  the  cordial  smile  of  wel- 
come; and  the  influence  of  this  gentle 
woman  in  allaying  the  bitterness  of  party 
rancor  became  a  great  and  salutary  power 
in  the  nation. 

As  the  term  of  Mr.  Jefferson's  Presidency 
drew  near  its  close,  party  strife  was  roused 
to  the  utmost  to  elect  his  successor.  It  was 
a  death-grapple  between  the  two  great 
parties,  the  Federal  and  Republican.  Mr. 
Madison  was  chosen  President  by  an  elec- 
toral vote  of  122  to  53,  and  was  inaugurated 
March  4,  1S09,  at  a  critical  period,  when 
the  relations  of  the  United  States  with  Great 
Britain  were  becoming  embittered,  and  his 
first  term  was  passed  in  diplomatic  quarrels, 
aggravated  by  the  act  of  non-intercourse  of 
May,  1810,  and  finally  resulting  in  a  decla- 
ration of  war. 

On  the  iSth  of  June,  1812,  President 
Madison  gave  his  approval  to  an  act  of 
Congress  declaring  war  against  Great  Brit- 
ain. Notwithstanding  the  bitter  hostility 
of  the  Federal  party  to  the  war,  the  country 
in  general  approved ;  and  in  the  autumn 
Madison  was  re-elected  to  the  Presidency 
by  128  electoral  votes  to  89  in  favor  of 
George  Clinton. 

.March  4,  1S17,  Madison  yielded  the  Presi- 


JA.UhS     MAD/SUN. 


31 


dency  to  his  Secretary  of  State  and  inti- 
mate friend,  James  Monroe,  and  retired  to 
his  ancestral  estate  at  Montpelier,  where  he 
passed  the  evening  of  his  days  surrounded 
by  attached  friends  and  enjoying  the 
merited  respect  of  the  whole  nation.  He 
took  pleasure  in  promoting^griculture,  as 
president  of  the  county  society,  and  in 
watching  the  development  of  the  University 
of  Virginia,  of  which  he  was  long  rector  and 
visitor.  In  extreme  old  age  he  sat  in  1829 
as  a  member  of  the  convention  called  to  re- 
form the  Virginia  Constitution,  where  his 
appearance  was  hailed  with  the  most  gen- 
uine interest  and  satisfaction,  though  he 
was  too  infirm  :o  participate  in  the  active 
work  of  revision.  Small  in  stature,  slender 
and  delicate  in  form,  with  a  countenance 
full  of  intelligence,  and  expressive  alike  of 
mildness  and  dignity,  he  attracted  the  atten- 
tion of  all  who  attended  the  convention, 
and  was  treated  with  the  utmost  deference. 
He  seldom  addressed  the  assembly,  though 
he  always  appeared  self-possessed,  and 
watched  with  unflagging  interest  the  prog- 
ress of  every  measure.  Though  the  con- 
vention sat  sixteen  weeks,  he  spoke  only 
twice ;  but  when  he  did  speak,  the  whole 
house  paused  to  listen.  His  voice  was 
feeble  though  his  enunciation  was  very  dis- 
tinct. One  of  the  reporters,  Mr.  Stansbury, 
relates  t^he  following  anecdote  of  Mr.  Madi- 
son's last  speech: 

"  The  next  day,  as  there  was  a  great  call 
for  it,  and  the  report  had  not  been  returned 
for  publication,  1  sent  my  son  with  a  re- 
spectful note,  requesting  the  manuscript. 
My  son  was  a  lad  of  sixteen,  whom  I  had 
taken  with  mc  to  act  as  amanuensis.  On 
delivering  my  note,  he  was  received  with 
the  utmost  politeness,  and  requested  to 
come  up  into  Mr.  Madison's  room  and  wait 
while  his  eye  ran  over  the  paper,  as  com- 
pany had  prevented  his  attending  to  it.  He 
did  so,  and  Mr.  Madison  sat  down  to  correct 
the  report.     The  lad  stood  near  him  so  that 


his  eye  fell  on  the  paper.  Coming  to  a 
certain  sentence  in  the  speech,  Mr.  Madison 
erased  a  word  and  substituted  another  ;  but 
hesitated,  and  not  feeling  satisfied  with  the 
second  word,  drew  his  pen  through  it  also. 
My  son  was  young,  ignorant  of  the  world, 
and  unconscious  of  the  solecism  of  which  he 
was  about  to  be  guilty,  when,  in  all  simplic- 
ity,- he  suggested  a  word.  Probably  no 
other  person  then  living  would  have  taken 
such  a  liberty.  But  the  sage,  instead  of 
reoarding  such  an  intrusion  with  a  frown, 
raised  his  eyes  to  the  boy's  face  with  a 
pleased  surprise,  and  said,  '  Thank  you,  sir  ; 
it  is  the  very  word,'  and  immediately  in- 
serted it.  I  saw  him  the  next  day,  and  he 
mentioned  the  circumstance,  with  a  compli- 
ment on  the  young  critic." 

Mr.  Madison  died  at  Montpelier,  June  28, 
1836,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-five. 
While  not  possessing  the  highest  order  of 
talent,  and  deficient  in  oratorical  powers, 
he  was  pre-eminently  a  statesman,  of  a  well- 
balanced  mind.  His  attainments  were  solid, 
his  knowledge  copious,  his  judgment  gener- 
ally sound,  his  powers  of  anal3-sis  and  logi- 
cal statement  rarely  surpassed,  his  language 
and  literary  style  correct  and  polished,  his 
conversation  witty,  his  temperament  san- 
guine and  trusfful,  his  integrity  unques- 
tioned, his  manners  simple,  courteous  and 
winning.  By  these  rare  qualities  he  con- 
ciliated the  esteem  not  only  of  friend*,  but 
of  political  opponents,  in  a  greater  degree 
than  any  x\merican  statesman  in  the  present 
century. 

Mrs.  Madison  survived  her  husband  thir- 
teen 3 cars,  and  died  July  12,  1849,  i'^  the 
eighty -second  year  of  her  age.  She  was  one 
of  the  most  remarkable  women  our  coun- 
try has  produced.  Even  now  she  is  ad- 
miringly remembered  in  Washington  as 
"  Doll}'  Madison,"  and  it  is  fitting  that  her 
memory  should  descend  to  posterity  in 
company  with  thatof  the  companion  of 
her  life. 


PJtESIDEXTS     OF     THE     UNITED    STATES. 


''<g<^i^<i^>i^t^»^ta9 


:S^ 


SSS.-Fx^n  lES-IES-: 


^^  ^Ffi^'^^^^k'^^'ji^a: 


'^^^^it 


gi<^'5gi«ji*a«^- 


•  yf'F(^■^ 


^Y 


ir'C^^  y  AMES  MONROE,  the  fifth 
President  of  the  United 
States,  i8i7-'25,\vasborn 
in  Westmoreland  County 
Virginia,  April  28,  1758. 
He  was  a  son  of  Spence 
Monroe,  and  a  descendant 
of  a  Scottish  cavalier  fam- 
ily. Like  all  his  predeces- 
sors thus  far  in  the  Presi- 
dential chair,  he  enjoyed  all 
the  advantages  of  educa- 
tion which  the  country 
could  then  afford.  He  was 
early  sent  to  a  fine  classical 
school,  and  at  the  age  of  six- 
teen entered  William  and  Mary  College.. 
In  1776,  when  he  had  been  in  college  but 
two  years,  the  Declaration  of  Independence 
was  adopted,  and  our  feeble  militia,  with- 
out arms,  amunition  or  clothing,  were  strug- 
gling against  the  trained  armies  of  England. 
James  Monroe  left  college,  hastened  to 
General  Washington's  headquarters  at  New 
York  and  enrolled  himself  as  a  cadet  in  the 
army. 

At  Trenton  Lieutenant  Monroe  so  dis- 
tinguished himself,  receiving  a  wound  in  his 
shoulder,  that  he  was  promoted  to  a  Cap- 
taincy. Upon  recovering  from  his  wound, 
he  was  invited  to  act  as  aide  to  Lord  Ster- 
ling, and  in  that  capacity  he  took  an  active 
part  in  the  battles  of  Brandywine,  Ger- 
aiantownand  Monmouth.   At  Germantown 


he  stood  by  the  side  of  Lafayette  when  the 
French  Marquis  received  his  wound.  Gen- 
eral Washington,  who  had  formed  a  high 
idea  of  young  Monroe's  ability,  sent  him  to 
Virginia  to  raise  a  new  regiment,  of  which 
he  was  to  be  Colonel;  but  so  exhausted  was 
Virginia  at  that  time  that  the  effort  proved 
unsuccessful.  He,  however,  received  his 
commission. 

Finding  no  opportunity  to  enter  the  arm\- 
as  a  commissioned  officer,  he  returned  to  his 
original  plan  of  studying  law,  and  entered 
the  office  of  Thomas  Jefferson,  who  was 
then  Governor  of  Virginia.  He  developed 
a  very  noble  character,  frank,  manly  and 
sincere.     Mr.  Jefferson  said  of  him: 

"James  Monroe  is  so  perfectly  honest 
that  if  his  soul  were  turned  inside  out  there 
would  not  be  found  a  spot  on  it." 

In  1782  he  was  elected  to  the  Assembly 
of  Virginia,  and  was  also  appointed  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Executive  Council.  The  next 
year  he  was  chosen  delegate  to  the  Conti- 
nental Congress  for  a  term  of  three  years. 
He  was  present  at  Annapolis  when  Wash- 
ington surrendered  his  commission  of  Com- 
mander-in-chief. 

With  Washington,  Jefferson  and  Madison 
he  felt  deeply  the  inefficiency  of  the  old 
Articles  of  Confederation,  and  urged  the 
formation  of  a  new  Constitution,  which 
should  invest  the  Central  Government  with 
something  like  national  power.  Influenced 
by  these  views,  he  introduced  a  resolution 


JAMES    MONROE. 


3S 


that  Congress  should  be  empowered  to 
regulate  trade,  and  to  lay  an  impost  duty 
of  five  per  cent.  The  resolution  was  refer- 
red to  a  committee  of  which  he  was  chair- 
man. The  report  and  the  discussion  which 
rose  upon  it  led  to  the  convention  of  five 
States  at  Annapolis,  and  the  consequent 
general  convention  at  Philadelphia,  which, 
in  1787,  drafted  the  Constitution  of  the 
United  States. 

At  this  time  there  was  a  controversy  be- 
tween New  York  and  Massachusetts  in 
reference  to  their  boundaries.  The  high 
esteem  in  which  Colonel  Monroe  was  held 
is  indicated  by  the  fact  that  he  was  ap- 
pointed one  of  the  judges  to  decide  the 
controversy.  While  in  New  York  attend- 
ing Congress,  he  married  Miss  Kortright, 
a  young  lady  distinguished  alike  for  her 
beauty  and  accomplishments.  For  nearly 
fifty  years  this  happy  union  remained  un- 
broken. In  London  and  in  Paris,  as  in  her 
own  country,  Mrs.  Monroe  won  admiration 
and  affection  by  the  loveliness  of  her  per- 
son, the  brilliancy  of  her  intellect,  and  the 
amiability  of  her  character. 

Returning  to  Virginia,  Colonel  Monroe 
commenced  the  practice  of  law  at  Freder- 
icksburg. He  was  very  soon  elected  to  a 
seat  in  the  State  Legislature,  and  the  next 
year  he  was  chosen  a  member  of  the  Vir- 
ginia convention  which  was  assembled  to 
decide  upon  the  acceptance  or  rejection  of 
the  Constitution  which  had  been  drawn  up 
at  Philadelphia,  and  was  now  submitted 
to  the  several  States.  Deeply  as  he  felt 
the  imperfections  of  the  old  Confederacy, 
he  was  opposed  to  the  new  Constitution, 
thinking,  with  man}'  others  of  the  Republi- 
can party,  that  it  gave  too  much  power  to 
the  Central  Government,  and  not  enough 
to  the  individual  States. 

\x\  1789  he  became  a  member  of  the 
United  States  Senate,  which  office  he  held 
acceptably  to  his  constituents,  and  with 
honor  to  himself  for  four  years. 


Having  opposed  the  Constitution  as  not 
leaving  enough  power  with  the  States,  he, 
of  course,  became  more  and  more  identi- 
fied with  the  Republican  party.  Thus  he 
found  himself  in  cordial  co-operation  with 
Jefferson  and  Madison.  The  great  Repub- 
lican party  became  the  dominant  power 
which  ruled  the  land. 

George  Washington  was  then  President. 
England  had  espoused  the  cause  of  the 
Bourbons  against  the  principles  of  the 
French  Revolution.  President  Washing- 
ton issued  a  proclamation  of  neutralit}-  be- 
tween these  contending  powers.  France 
had  helped  us  in  the  struggle  for  our  lib- 
erties. All  the  despotisms  of  Europe  were 
now  combined  to  prevent  the  French 
from  escaping  from  tyranny  a  thousandfold 
worse  than  that  which  we  had  endured. 
Colonel  Monroe,  more  magnanimous  than 
prvident,  was  an.xious  that  we  should  help 
our  old  allies  in  their  extremitv.  He  vio- 
lently opposed  the  President's  procla- 
mation as  ungrateful  and  wanting  in 
magnanimitv. 

Washington,  who  could  appreciate  such 
a  character,  developed  his  calm,  serene, 
almost  divine  greatness  bv  appointing  that 
very  James  Monroe,  who  was  denouncing 
the  polic}-  of  the  Government,  as  the  Minis- 
ter of  that  Government  to  the  republic  of 
France.  He  was  directed  b}'  Washington 
to  express  to  the  French  people  our  warm- 
est sympathy,  communicating  to  them  cor- 
responding resolves  approved  by  the  Pres- 
ident, and  adopted  \yy  both  houses  of 
Congress. 

Mr.  Monroe  was  welcomed  by  the  Na- 
tional Convention  in  France  with  the  most 
enthusiastic  demonstrations  of  respect  and 
affection.  He  was  publicly  introduced  to 
that  body,  and  received  the  embrace  of  the 
President,  Merlin  de  Douay,  after  having 
been  addressed  in  a  speech  glowing  with 
congratulations,  and  with  expressions  of 
desire  that   harmony  might  ever   exist  be- 


36 


PRESIDENTS     OF     THE     UNITED    STATES. 


tween  the  two  nations.  The  flags  of  the 
two  republics  were  intertwined  in  the  hall 
of  the  convention.  Mr.  Afonroe  presented 
the  American  colors,  and  received  those  of 
France  in  return.  The  course  which  he 
pursued  in  Paris  was  so  annoying  to  Eng- 
land and  to  the  friends  of  England  in 
this  country  that,  near  the  close  of  Wash- 
ington's administration,  Mr.  Monroe,  was 
recalled. 

After  his  return  Colonel  Monroe  wrote  a 
book  of  400  pages,  entitled  "  A  View  of  the 
Conduct  of  the  Executive  in  Foreign  Af- 
fairs." In  this  work  he  very  ably  advo- 
cated his  side  of  the  question;  but,  with 
the  magnanimit\-  of  the  man,  he  recorded  a 
warm  tribute  to  the  patriotism,  ability  and 
spotless  integrity  of  John  Jay,  between 
whom  and  himself  there  was  intense  antag- 
onism ;  and  in  subsequent  years  he  ex- 
pressed in  warmest  terms  his  perfect 
veneration  for  the  character  of  George 
Washington. 

Shortlv  after  his  return  to  this  country 
Colonel  Monroe  was  elected  Governor  of 
Virginia,  and  held  that  office  for  three 
years,  the  period  limited  by  the  Constitu- 
tion. In  1802  he  was  an  Envoy  to  France, 
and  to  Spain  in  1805,  and  was  Minister  to 
England  in  1803.  In  1806  he  returned  to 
his  quiet  home  in  Virginia,  and  with  his 
wife  and  children  and  an  ample  competence 
from  his  paternal  estate,  enjoyed  a  few  years 
of  domestic  repose. 

In  1809  Mr.  Jefferson's  second  term  of 
office  expired,  and  many  of  the  Republican 
party  were  anxious  to  nominate  James 
Monroe  as  his  successor.  The  majority 
were  in  favor  of  Mr.  Madison.  Mr.  Mon- 
roe withdrew  his  name  and  was  soon  after 
chosen  a  second  time  Governor  of  Virginia. 
He  soon  resigned  that  office  to  accept  the 
position  of  Secretary  of  State,  offered  him 
by  President  Madison.-  The  correspond- 
ence which  he  then  carried  on  with  the 
British    Government     demonstrated    that 


there  was  no  hope  of  any  peaceful  adjust- 
ment of  our  difficulties  with  the  cabinet  of 
St.  James.  War  was  consequently  declared 
in  June,  1812.  Immediately  after  the  sack 
of  Washington  the  Secretary  of  War  re- 
signed, and  Mr.  Monroe,  at  the  earnest 
request  of  Mr.  Madison,  assumed  the  ad- 
ditional duties  of  the  War  Department, 
without  resigning  his  position  as  Secretary 
of  State.  It  has  been  confidently  stated, 
that,  had  Mr.  Monroe's  energies  been  in  the 
War  Department  a  few  months  earlier,  the 
disaster  at  Washington  would  not  have 
occurred. 

The  duties  now  devolving  upon  Mr.  Mon- 
roe were  extremely  arduous.  Ten  thou- 
sand men,  picked  from  the  veteran  armies 
of  England,  were  sent  with  a  powerful  fleet 
to  New  Orleans  to  acquire  possession  of 
the  mouths  of  the  Mississippi.  Our  finan- 
ces were  in  the  most  deplorable  condition. 
The  treasury  was  exhausted  and  our  credit 
gone.  And  ^et  it  was  necessary  to  make 
the  most  rigorous  preparations  to  meet  the 
foe.  In  this  crisis  James  Monroe,  the  Sec- 
retary of  War,  with  virtue  unsurpassed  in 
Greek  or  Roman  story,  stepped  forward 
and  pledged  his  own  individual  credit  as 
subsidiary  to  that  of  the  nation,  and  thus 
succeeded  in  placing  the  city  of  New  Or- 
leans in  such  a  posture  of  defense,  that  it 
was  enabled  successfully  to  repel  the  in- 
vader. 

Mr.  Monroe  was  truly  tlic  annor-bcarer 
of  President  Madison,  and  the  most  efficient 
business  man  in  his  cabinet.  His  energy 
in  the  dmible  capacity  of  Secretary,  both 
of  State  and  War,  pervaded  all  the  depart- 
ments of  the  country.  He  proposed  to 
increase  the  arm}-  to  100,000  men,  a  meas- 
ure which  he  deemed  absolutely  necessary 
to  save  us  from  ignominious  defeat,  but 
which,  at  the  same  time,  he  knew  would 
render  his  name  so  unpopular  as  to  preclude 
the  possibilit}'  of  his  being  a  successful  can- 
didate for  the  Presidency. 


JAMES    MONROE. 


37 


The  happy  result  of  the  conference  at 
Ghent  in  securing  peace  rendered  the  in- 
crease of  the  army  unnecessary;  but  it  is  not 
too  much  to  say  that  James  Monroe  placed 
in  the  hands  of  Andrew  Jackson  the 
weapon  with  which  to  beat  off  the  foe  at 
New  Orleans.  Upon  the  return  of  peace 
Mr.  Monroe  resigned  the  department  of 
war,  devoting  himself  entirely  to  the  duties 
of  Secretary  of  State.  These  he  continued 
to  discharge  until  the  close  of  President 
Madison's  administration,  with  zeal  which 
was  never  abated,  and  with  an  ardor  of 
self-devotion  which  made  him  almost  for- 
getful of  the  claims  of  fortune,  health  or 
life. 

Mr.  Madison's  second  term  expired  in 
March,  1817,  and  Mr.  Monroe  succeeded 
to  the  Presidency.  He  was  a  candidate  of 
the  Republican  party,  now  taking  the  name 
of  the  Democratic  Republican.  In  1821  he 
was  re-elected,  with  scarcely  any  opposition. 
Out  of  232  electoral  votes,  he  received  231. 
The  slavery  question,  which  subsequently 
assumed  such  formidable  dimensions,  now 
began  to  make  its  appearance.  The  State 
of  Missouri,  which  had  been  carved  out  of 
that  immense  territory  which  we  had  pur- 
chased of  France,  applied  for  admission  to 
the  Union,  with  a  slavery  Constitution. 
There  were  not  a  few  who  foresaw  the 
evils  impending.  After  the  debate  of  a 
week  it  was  decided  that  Missouri  could 
not  be  admitted  into  the  Union  with  slav- 
er}'. This  important  question  was  at  length 
settled  bv  a  compromise  proposed  by 
Henry  Clay. 

The  famous  "Monroe  Doctrine,"  of  which 
so  much  has  been  said,  originated  in  this 
way:  In  1823  it  was  rumored  that  the 
Holy  Alliance  was  about  to  interfere  to 
prevent  the  establishment  of  Republican 
liberty  in  the  European  colonies  of  South 
America.  President  Monroe  wrote  to  his 
old  friend  Thomas  Jefferson  for  advice  in 
the  emergency.     In  his  reply  under  date  of 


October  24,  Mr.  Jefferson  writes  upon  the 
supposition  that  our  attempt  to  resist  this 
European  movement  might  lead  to  war: 

"  Its  object  is  to  introduce  and  establish 
the  American  system  of  keeping  out  of  our 
land  all  foreign  powers;  of  never  permitting 
those  of  Europe  to  intermeddle  with  the 
affairs  of  our  nation.  It  is  to  maintain  our 
own  principle,  not  to  depart  from  it." 

December  2,  1823,  President  Monroe 
sent  a  message  to  Congress,  declaring  it  to 
be  the  policy  of  this  Government  not  to 
entangle  ourselves  with  the  broils  of  Eu- 
rope, and  not  to  allow  Europe  to  interfere 
with  the  affairs  of  nations  on  the  American 
continent;  and  the  doctrine  was  announced, 
that  any  attempt  on  the  part  of  the  Euro- 
pean powers  "  to  extend  their  system  to 
any  portion  of  this  hemisphere  would  be 
regarded  by  the  United  States  as  danger- 
ous to  our  peace  and  safety." 

March  4,  1825,  Mr.  Monroe  surrendered 
the  presidential  chair  to  his  Secretary  of 
State,  John  Ouincy  Adams,  and  retired, 
with  the  universal  respect  of  the  nation, 
to  his  private  residence  at  Oak  Hill,  Lou- 
doun County,  Virginia.  His  time  had  been 
so  entirel}-  consecrated  to  his  country,  that 
he  had  neglected  his  pecuniary  interests, 
and  was  deeply  involved  in  debt.  The 
welfare  of  his  country  had  ever  been  up- 
permost in  his  mind. 

For  man\'  years  Mrs.  Monroe  was  in  such 
feeble  health  that  she  rarely  appeared  in 
public.  In  1830  Mr.  Monroe  took  up  his 
residence  with  his  son-in-law  in  New  York, 
where  he  died  on  the  4th  of  July,  183 1. 
The  citizens  of  New  York  conducted  his 
obsequies  with  pageants  more  imposing 
than  had  ever  been  witnessed  there  before. 
Our  country  will  ever  cherish  his  mem- 
ory with  pride,  gratefully  enrolling  his 
name  in  the  list  of  its  benefactors,  pronounc- 
ing him  the  worthy  successor  of  the  illus- 
trious men  who  had  preceded  him  in  the 
presidential  chair^ 


38 


PKESIDENTS     OF    THE     UNITED    STATES. 


iHSaHHaHd!  r!  H  r'  ?FF?^??aH 


'Si(x^i}d~.  .^         ^         ^^        .^ 


HSHHHI 


JaffiiQ  Qminof  Adam 


'ii^m^m^r 


''■:\,^r;j^C,;^^/^^,.;  ^' 


,$m 


'I'^OHN  QUINCY  ADAMS, 

''3: 


the  sixth  President  of  the 
United    States,     i825-'9, 
was   born    in  the    rural 
home    of     his     honored 
father,  John   Adams,    in 
Q  u  i  n  c  y  ,    Massachusetts, 
July  II,  1767.     Hismother, 
a  woman  of  exalted  worth, 
watclied  over  his  childhood 
during  the  almost  constant 
absence  of  his  father.      He 
commenced    his   education 
at  the  village  school,  giving 
at  an  early  period  indica- 
tions of   superior  mental  en- 
dowments. 

When  eleven  years  of  age  he  sailed  with 
his  father  for  Europe,  wiiere  the  latter  was 
associated  with  Franklin  and  Lee  as  Minister 
Plenipotentiary.  The  intelligence  of  John 
Quincy  attracted  the  attention  of  these  men 
and  received  from  them  flattering  marks  of 
attention.  Mr.  Adams  had  scarcely  returned 
to  this  country  in  1779  ere  he  was  again 
sent  abroad,  and  John  Quincy  again  accom- 
panied him.  On  this  voyage  he  commenced 
a  diary,  which  practice  he  continued,  with 
but  few  interruptions,  until  his  death.  He 
journeyed  with  his  father  from  Ferrol,  in 
Spain,  to  Paris.  Here  he  applied  himself 
for  six  months  to  study;  then  accompanied 


liis  father  to  Holland,  where  he  entered, 
first  a  school  in  Amsterdam,  and  then  the 
University  of  Leyden.  In  1781,  when  only 
fourteen  years  of  age,  he  was  selected  by 
Mr.  Dana,  our  Minister  to  the  Russian 
court,  as  his  private  secretary.  In  this 
school  of  incessant  labor  he  spent  fourteen 
months,  and  then  returned  alone  to  Holland 
through  Sweden,  Denmark,  Hamburg  and 
Bremen.  Again  he  resumed  his  studies 
under  a  private  tutor,  at  The  Hague. 

In  the  spring  of  1782  he  accompanied  liis 
father  to  Paris,  forming  acquaintance  with 
the  most  distinguished  men  on  the  Conti- 
nent. After  a  short  visit  to  England,  he  re- 
turned to  Paris  and  studied  until  May, 
1785,  when  he  returned  to  America,  leav- 
ing his  father  an  embassador  at  the  court 
of  St.  James.  In  1786  he  entered  the  jun- 
ior class  in  Harvard  University,  and  grad- 
uated with  the  second  honor  of  his  class. 
The  oration  he  delivered  on  this  occasion, 
the  "  Importance  of  Public  Faith  to  the 
Well-being  of  a  Community,"  was  pub- 
lished— an  event  very  rare  in  this  or  any 
other  land. 

Upon  leaving  college  at  the  age  of  twenty 
he  studied  law  three  years  with  tlie  Hon. 
Theophilus  Parsons  in  Newburyport.  In 
1790  he  opened  a  law  office  in  Boston.  The 
profession  was  crowded  with  able  men,  and 
the  fees  were  small.     The  first  year  he  had 


Ui      W  .    iJ^i. 


CUVyy^ 


JOHN    ^UINCr    ADAMS. 


no  clients,  but  not  a  moment  was  lost.  The 
second  year  passed  away,  still  no  clients, 
and  still  he  was  dependent  upon  his  parents, 
for  support.  Anxiously  he  awaited  the 
third  year.  The  reward  now  came.  Cli- 
ents began  to  enter  his  office,  and  before 
the  end  of  the  year  he  was  so  crowded 
with  business  that  all  solicitude  respecting 
a  support  was  at  an  end. 

When  Great  Britain  commenced  war 
against  France,  in  1793,  Mr.  Adams  wrote 
some  articles,  urging  entire  neutrality  on 
the  part  of  the  United  States.  The  view 
was  not  a  popular  one.  Many  felt  that  as 
France  had  helped  us,  we  were  bound  to 
help  France.  But  President  Washington 
coincided  with  Mr.  Adams,  and  issued  his 
proclamation  of  neutrality.  His  writings 
at  this  time  in  the  Boston  journals  gave 
him  so  high  a  reputation,  that  in  June, 
1794,  he  was  appointed  by  Washington 
resident  Minister  at  the  Netherlands.  In 
July,  1797,  he  left  The  Hague  to  go  to  Port- 
ugal as  Minister  Plenipotentiary.  Wash- 
ington at  this  time  wrote  to  his  father,  John 
Adams: 

"  Without  intending  to  compliment  the 
father  or  the  mother,  or  to  censure  any 
others,  I  give  it  as  m}-  decided  opinion, 
that  Mr.  Adams  is  the  most  valuable  char- 
acter we  have  abroad;  and  there  remains 
no  doubt  in  m)'  mind  that  he  will  prove  the 
ablest  of  our  diplomatic  corps." 

On  his  way  to  Portugal,  upon  his  arrival 
in  London,  he  met  with  dispatches  direct- 
ing him  to  the  court  of  Berlin,  but  request- 
ing him  to  remain  in  London  until  he  should 
receive  instructions.  While  waiting  he 
was  married  to  Miss  Louisa  Catherine  John- 
son, to  whom  he  had  been  previously  en- 
gaged. Miss  Johnson  was  a  daughter  of 
Mr.  Joshua  Johnson,  American  Consul 
in  London,  and  was  a  lady  endowed  with 
that  beauty  and  those  accomplishments 
which  fitted  her  to  move  in  the  elevated 
sphere  for  which  she  was  destined. 


In  July,  1799,  having  fulfilled  all  the  pur- 
poses of  his  mission,  Mr.  Adams  returned. 
In  1802  he  was  chosen  to  the  Senate  of 
Massachusetts  from  Boston,  and  then  was 
elected  Senator  of  the  United  States  for  six 
years  from  March  4,  1804.  His  reputation, 
his  ability  and  his  experience,  placed  him 
immediately  among  the  most  prominent 
and  influential  members  of  that  body.  He 
sustained  the  Government  in  its  measures 
of  resistance  to  the  encrcjachments  of  Eng- 
land, destroying  our  commerce  and  insult- 
ing our  flag.  There  was  no  man  in  America 
more  familiar  with  the  arrogance  of  the 
British  court  upon  these  points,  and  no 
one  more  resolved  to  present  a  firm  resist- 
ance. This  course,  so  truly  patriotic,  and 
which  scarcely  a  voice  will  now  be  found 
to  condemn,  alienated  him  from  the  Fed- 
eral party  dominant  in  Boston,  and  sub- 
jected him  to  censure. 

In  1805  Mr.  Adams  was  chosen  professor 
of  rhetoric  in  Harvard  College.  His  lect- 
ures at  this  place  were  subsequently  pub- 
lished. In  1809  he  was  sent  as  Minister  to 
Russia.  He  was  one  of  the  commissioners 
that  negotiated  the  treaty  of  peace  with 
Great  Britain,  signed  December  24,  18 14, 
and  he  was  appointed  Minister  to  the  court 
of  St.  James  in  1815.  In  1817  he  became 
Secretary  of  State  in  Mr.  Monroe's  cabinet 
in  which  position  he  remained  eight  years. 
Few  will  now  contradict  the  assertion  that 
the  duties  of  that  office  were  never  more 
ably  discharged.  Probably  the  most  im- 
portant measure  which  Mr.  Adams  con- 
ducted was  the  purchase  of  Florida  from 
Spain  for  $5,000,000. 

The  campaign  of  1824  was  an  exciting 
one.  Four  candidates  were  in  the  field. 
Of  the  260  electoral  votes  that  were  cast, 
Andrew  Jackson  received  ninety-nine;  John 
Quincy  Adams,  eighty-four;  William  H. 
Crawford,  forty-one,  and  Henry  Clay, 
thirty-seven.  As  there  was  no  choice  by 
the  people,  the  question  went  to  the  House 


*> 


PliES/DENTS     OF    THE     UN/TED    STATES. 


of  Representatives.  Mr.  Clay  gave  the 
vote  of  Kentucky  to  Mr.  Adams,  and  fie 
was  elected. 

Tfic  friends  of  all  disappointed  candidates 
now  combined  in  a  x'enomous  assault  upon 
Mr.  Adams.  There  is  nothing  more  dis- 
graceful in  the  past  history  of  our  country 
than  the  abuse  which  was  poured  in  one 
uninterrupted  stream  upon  this  high- 
minded,  upright,  j^atriotic  man.  There  was 
never  an  administration  more  pure  in  prin- 
ciples, more  conscientiously  devoted  to  the 
best  interests  of  the  country,  than  that  of 
John  Quincy  Adams;  and  never,  perhaps, 
was  there  an  administration  more  unscru- 
pulously assailed.  Mr.  Adams  took  his  seat 
in  the  presidential  chair  resolved  not  to 
know  any  partisanship,  but  only  to  con- 
sult for  the  interests  of  the  whole  Republic, 

He  refused  to  dismiss  an}^  man  from  of- 
fice for  his  political  views.  If  he  was  a  faith- 
ful officer  that  was  enough.  Bitter  must 
have  been  his  disappointment  to  find  that  the 
Nation  could  not  appreciate  such  conduct. 

Mr.  Adams,  in  his  public  manners,  was 
cold  and  repulsive;  though  with  his  per- 
sonal friends  he  was  at  times  very  genial. 
This  chilling  address  very  seriously  de- 
tracted from  his  popularity.  No  one  can 
read  an  impartial  record  of  his  administra- 
tion without  admitting  that  a  more  noble 
example  of  uncompromising  dignity  can 
scarcely  be  found.  It  was  stated  publicly 
that  Mr.  Adams'  administration  was  to  be 
put  down,  "  though  it  be  as  pure  as  the  an- 
gels which  stand  at  the  right  hand  of  the 
throne  of  God."  Many  of  the  active  par- 
ticipants in  these  scenes  lived  to  regret  the 
course  they  pursued.  Some  years  after, 
Warren  R.  Davis,  of  South  Carolina,  turn- 
ing to  Mr.  Adams,  then  a  member  of  the 
House  of  I^epresentatives,  said: 

"  Well  do  I  remember  the  enthusiastic 
zeal  with  which  we  reproached  the  admin- 
istration of  that  gentleman,  and  the  ardor 
and  vehemence  with  which  wc  labored  to 


bring  in  another.  For  the  share  I  had  in 
these  transactions,  and  it  was  not  a  small 
one,  I  hope  God  will  forgive  vie,  for  I  shall 
7iever  forgive  myself. 

March  4,  1829,  Mr.  Adams  retired  from 
the  Presidency  and  was  succeeded  by  An- 
drew Jackson,  the  latter  receiving  168  out 
of  261  electoral  votes.  John  C.  Calhoun 
was  elected  Vice-President.  The  slavery 
question  now  began  to  assume  pretentious 
magnitude.  Mr.  Adams  returned  to 
Quincy,  and  pursued  his  studies  with  una- 
bated zeal.  But  he  was  not  long  permitted 
to  remain  in  retirement.  In  N  )vcmber, 
1830,  he  was  elected  to  Congress.  In  this 
he  recognized  the  principle  that  it  is  honor- 
able for  the  General  of  yesterday  to  act  as 
Corporal  to-day,  if  by  so  doing  he  can  ren- 
der service  to  his  countr}'.  Deep  as  are 
our  obligations  to  John  Quincy  Adams  for 
his  services  as  embassador,  as  Secretary  of 
State  and  as  President;  in  his  capacity  as 
legislator  in  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives, he  conferred  benefits  upon  our  land 
which  eclipsed  all  the  rest,  and  which  can 
never  be  over-estimated. 

For  seventeen  years,  until  his  death,  he 
occupied  the  post  of  Representative,  tow- 
ering above  all  his  peers,  ever  ready  to  do 
brave  battle  for  freedom,  and  winning  the 
title  of  "  the  old  man  eloquent."  Upon 
taking  his  seat  in  the  House  he  announced 
that  he  should  hold  himself  bound  to  no 
party.  He  was  usually  the  first  in  his 
place  in  the  morning,  and  the  last  to  leave 
his  seat  in  the  evening.  Not  a  measure 
could  escape  his  scrutiny.  The  battle 
which  he  fought,  almost  singly,  against  the 
pro-slavery  party  in  the  Government,  was 
sublime  in  its  moral  daring  and  heroism. 
For  persisting  in  presenting  petitions  for 
the  abolition  of  slavery,  he  was  threatened 
with  indictment  by  the  Grand  Jury,  with 
expulsion  from  the  House,  with  assassina- 
tion; but  no  threats  could  intimidate  him, 
and  his  final  triumph  was  complete. 


JOHN    ^UINCr    ADAMS. 


43 


On  one  occasion  Mr.  Adams  presented  a 
petition,  signed  by  several  women,  against 
tlie  annexation  of  Texas  for  the  purpose  of 
cutting  it  up  into  slave  States.  Mr.  How- 
ard, of  Maryland,  said  that  these  women 
discredited  not  only  themselves,  but  their 
section  of  the  country,  by  turning  from 
their  domestic  duties  to  the  conflicts  of  po- 
litical life. 

"Are  women,"  exclaimed  Mr.  Adams, 
"  to  have  no  opinions  or  actions  on  subjects 
relating  to  the  general  welfare?  Where 
did  the  gentleman  get  his  principle?  Did 
he  find  it  in  sacred  history, — in  the  language 
of  Miriam,  the  pr<:)phetess,  in  one  of  the 
noblest  and  sublime  songs  of  triumph  that 
ever  met  the  human  eye  or  ear?  Did  the 
gentleman  never  hear  of  Deborah,  to  whom 
the  children  of  Israel  came  up  for  judg- 
ment ?  Has  he  forgotten  the  deed  of  Jael, 
who  slew  the  dreaded  enemy  of  her  coun- 
try ?  Has  he  forgotten  Esther,  who,  by  her 
petition  saved  her  people  and  her  coun- 
try? 

"  To  go  from  sacred  history  to  profane, 
does  the  gentleman  there  find  it  'discredita- 
ble '  for  women  to  take  an  interest  in  politi- 
cal affairs?  Has  he  forgotten  the  Spartan 
mother,  who  said  to  her  son  when  going 
out  to  battle,  '  My  son,  come  back  to  me 
zvith  th}'  shield,  or  jipon  thy  shield?'  Does 
he  remember  Cloelia  and  her  hundred  com- 
panions, who  swam  across  the  river  unt"'er 
a  shower  of  darts,  escaping  from  Porsena  ? 
Has  he  forgotten  Cornelia,  the  mother  of 
the  Gracchi  ?  Does  he  not  remember  Por- 
tia, the  wife  of  Brutus  and  the  daughter  of 
Cato  ? 

"  To  come  to  later  periods,  what  says  the 
history  of  our  Anglo-Saxon  ancestors  ? 
To  say  nothing  of  Boadicea,  the  British 
heroine  in  the  time  of  the  Caesars,  what 
name  is  more  illustrious  than  that  of  Eliza- 
beth ?  Or,  if  he  will  go  to  the  continent, 
will  he  not  find  the  names  of  Maria  Theresa 
of    Hungary,    of  the    two    Catherines    of 


Prussia,  and  of  Isabella  of  Castile,  the  pa- 
troness of  Columbus  ?  Did  she  bring  '  dis- 
credit '  on  her  sex  by  mingling  in  politics  ?  " 

In  this  glowing  strain  Mr.  Adams  si- 
lenced and  overwhelmed  his  antagonists. 

In  January,  1842,  Mr.  Adams  presented 
a  petition  from  forty-five  citizens  of  Haver- 
hill, Massachusetts,  praying  for  a  peaceable 
dissolution  of  the  Union.  The  pro-slavery 
party  in  Congress,  who  were  then  plotting 
the  destruction  of  the  Government,  were 
aroused  to  a  pretense  of  commotion  such  as 
even  our  stormy  hall  of  legislation  has 
rarely  witnessed.  They  met  in  caucus,  and, 
finding  that  they  probably  would  not  be 
able  to  expel  Mr.  Adams  from  the  House 
drew  up  a  series  of  resolutions,  which,  if 
adopted,  would  inflict  upon  him  disgrace, 
equivalent  to  expulsion.  Mr.  Adams  had 
presented  the  petition,  which  was  most  re- 
spectfully worded,  and  had  moved  that  it  be 
referred  to  a  committee  instructed  to  re- 
port an  answer,  showing  the  reason  why 
the  prayer  ought  not  to  be  granted. 

It  was  the  25th  of' January.  The  whole 
body  of  the  pro-slavery  party  came  crowd- 
ing together  in  the  House,  prepared  to 
crush  Mr.  Adams  forever.  One  of  the  num- 
ber, Thomas  F.  Marshall,  of  Kentucky,  was 
appointed  to  read  the  resolutions,  which 
accused  Mr.  Adams  of  high  treason,  of 
having  insulted  the  Government,  and  of 
meriting  expulsion;  but  for  which  deserved 
punishment,  the  House,  in  its  great  mercy, 
would  substitute  its  severest  censure.  With 
the  assumption  of  a  very  solemn  and  mag- 
isterial air,  there  being  breathless  silence  in 
the  audience,  Mr.  Marshall  hurled  the  care- 
fully prepared  anathemas  at  his  victim. 
Mr.  Adams  stood  alone,  the  whole  pro-slav- 
ery party  against  him. 

As  soon  as  the  resolutions  were  read, 
every  eye  being  fixed  upon  him,  that  bold 
old  man,  whose  scattered  locks  were  whit- 
ened by  seventy-five  years,  casting  a  wither- 
ing glance  in  the  direction  of  his  assailants, 


44 


PRESIDENTS     OF     THE     UNITED    STATES. 


in  :i  clear,  slirill  tone,  trcmuloiis  with  sup- 
pressed emotion,  said: 

"  In  reply  to  this  audacious,  atrocious 
charije  of  liig'h  treason,  I  call  for  the  read- 
ing of  the  first  paragraj)h  of  the  Declaration 
of  Independence.  Read  it !  Read  it !  and 
see  what  that  says  of  the  rights  of  a  people 
to  reform,  to  change,  and  to  dissolve  their 
Government.' 

The  attitude,  the  manner,  the  tone,  the 
words;  the  venerable  old  man,  with  flash- 
ing eye  and  flushed  cheek,  and  whose  very 
form  seemed  to  expand  under  the  inspiration 
of  the  occasion — all  presented  a  scene  over- 
flowing in  its  sublimity.  There  was  breath- 
less silence  as  that  paragraph  was  read,  in 
defense  of  whose  principles  our  fathers  had 
pledged  their  lives,  their  fortunes  and  their 
sacred  honor.  It  was  a  proud  hour  to  Mr. 
Adams  as  thev  were  all  compelled  to  listen 
to  the  words: 

"  That,  to  secure  these  rights,  govern- 
ments are  instituted  among  men,  deriving 
their  just  powers  fn^m  the  consent  of  the 
governed;  and  that  whenever  any  form  of 
government  becomes  destructive  of  those 
ends,  it  is  the  right  of  the  people  to  alter  or 
abolish  it,  and  to  institute  new  government, 
laying  its  foundations  on  such  principles 
and  organizing  its  powers  in  such  form 
as  shall  seem  most  likely  to  effect  their 
safety  and  happiness." 

That  one  sentence  routed  and  baffled  the 


foe.  The  heroic  old  man  looked  around 
upon  the  audience,  and  thundered  out, 
"  Read  that  again!"  It  was  again  read. 
Then  in  a  few  fiery,  logical  words  he  stated 
his  defense  in  terms  which  even  prejudiced 
minds  could  not  resist.  His  discomfited 
assailants  made  several  attempts  to  rally. 
After  a  conflict  of  eleven  days  they  gave 
up  vanquished  and  their  resolution  was  ig- 
nominiously  laid  upon  the  table. 

In  January,  1846,  when  seventy-eight 
years  of  age,  he  took  part  in  the  great  de- 
bate on  the  Oregon  question,  displaying 
intellectual  vigor,  and  an  extent  and  accu- 
racy of  acquaintance  with  the  subject  that 
excited  great  admiration. 

On  the  2 1  St  of  February,  1848,  he  rose  on 
the  floor  of  Congress  with  a  paper  in  his 
hand  to  address  the  Speaker.  Suddenly 
he  fell,  stricken  by  paralysis,  and  was  caught 
in  the  arms  of  those  around  him.  For  a 
time  he  was  senseless  and  was  conveyed 
to  a  sofa  in  the  rotunda.  With  reviving 
consciousness  he  opened  his  eyes,  looked 
calmly  around  and  said,  "  This  is  the  end  of 
earth."  Then  after  a  moment's  pause,  he 
added,  "  I  am  content."  These  were  his  last 
words,  and  he  soon  breathed  his  last,  in  the 
apartment  beneath  the  dome  of  the  capitol 
— the  theater  of  his  labors  and  his  triumphs. 
In  the  language  of  hymnology,  he  "  died  at 
his  post;"  he  "  ceased  at  once  to  work  and 
live." 


ANDREW    JACKSON. 


47 


4- 


g^   gfe  «n  n^f 


I  fi'MjD'B*EM;3ffiCSK.SieWI 


(  •■ 

^^M 


•^  ^ 


^m 


NDREW  JACKSON, 

the  seventh  President 
of  the  United  States, 
i829-'37,  was  born  at 
the  Waxhaw  Settle, 
ment,  Union  Coun- 
ty, North  Carolina, 
[arch  i6,  1767.  His  parents 
;ere  Scotch-Irish,  natives  of 
^arrickfergus,  who  came  to 
Lmerica  in  1765,  and  settled 
Twelve-Mile  Creek,  a  trib- 
utary of  the  Catawba.  His 
father,  who  was  a  poor  farm 
laborer,  died  shortly  before  An- 
drew's birth,  when  his  mother  removed  to 
Waxhaw,  where  some  relatives  resided. 

Few  particulars  of  the  childhood  of  Jack- 
son have  been  preserved.  His  education 
was  of  the  most  limited  kind,  and  he  showed 
no  fondness  for  books.  He  grew  up  to  be  a 
tall,  lank  boy,  with  coarse  hair  and  freck- 
led cheeks,  with  bare  feet  dangling  from 
trousers  too  short  for  him,  very  fond  of  ath- 
letic sports,  running,  boxing  and  wrestling. 
He  was  generous  to  the  younger  and 
weaker  boj's,  but  very  irascible  and  over- 
bearing with  his  equals  and  superiors.  He 
was  profane — a  vice  in  which  he  surpassed 
all  other  men.    The  character  of  his  mother 


he  revered;  and  it  was  not  until  after  her 
death  that  his  predominant  vices  gained 
full  strength. 

-  In  1780,  at  the  age  of  thirteen,  Andrew, 
or  Andy,  as  he  was  called,  with  his  brother 
Robert,  volunteered  to  serve  in  the  Revo- 
lutionary forces  under  General  Sumter,  and 
was  a  witness  of  the  latter's  defeat  at  Hang- 
ing Rock.  In  the  following  )-ear  the 
brothers  were  made  prisoners,  and  confined 
in  Camden,  experiencing  brutal  treatment 
from  their  captors,  and  being  spectators  of 
General  Green's  defeat  at  Hobkirk  Hill. 
Through  their  mother's  exertions  the  boys 
were  exchanged  while  suffering  from  small- 
pox. In  two  days  Robert  was  dead,  and 
Andy  apparently  dying.  The  strength  of 
his  constitution  triumphed,  and  he  regained 
health  and  vigor. 

As  he  was  getting  better,  his  mother 
heard  the  cry  of  anguish  from  the  prison- 
ers whom  the  British  held  in  Charleston, 
among  whom  were  the  sons  of  her  sisters. 
She  hastened  to  their  relief,  was  attacked 
by  fever,  died  and  was  buried  where  her 
grave  could  never  be  found.  Thus  Andrew 
Jackson,  when  fourteen  years  of  age,  was 
left  alone  in  the  world,  without  father, 
mother,  sister  or  brother,  and  without  one 
dollar  which  he  could  call  his  own.     He 


48 


PlfBSfDENTS     OF     THE     UNITED    STATES. 


soon  entered  a  saddler's  shop,  and  labored 
diligently  for  six  months.  But  gradually, 
as  health  returned,  he  became  more  and 
more  a  wild,  reckless,  lawless  boy.  He 
gambled,  drank  and  was  regarded  as  about 
the  worst  character  that  could  be  found. 

He  now  turned  schoolmaster.  He  could 
teach  the  alphabet,  perhaps  the  multiplica- 
tion table;  and  as  he  was  a  very  bold  boy, 
it  is  possible  he  might  have  ventured  to 
teach  a  little  writing.  But  he  soon  began  to 
think  of  a  profession  and  decided  to  study 
law.  With  a  very  slender  purse,  and  on 
the  back  of  a  very  fine  horse,  he  set  out 
for  Salisbury,  North  Carolina,  where  he 
entered  the  law  office  of  Mr.  McCay. 
Here  he  remained  two  years,  professedly 
studying  law.  He  is  still  remembered  in 
traditions  of  Salisbury,  which  say: 

"  Andrew  Jackson  was  the  most  roaring, 
rollicking,  horse-racing,  card-playing,  mis- 
chievous fellow  that  ever  lived  in  Salisbury. 
He  did  not  trouble  the  law-books  much." 

Andrew  was  now,  at  the  age  of  twenty, 
a  tall  young  man,  being  over  six  feet  in 
height.  He  was  slender,  remarkably  grace- 
ful and  dignified  in  his  manners,  an  exquis- 
ite   horseman,  and   developed,  amidst  his 


traversed  the  almost  pathless  forest  between 
Nashville  and  Jonesborough,  a  distance  of 
200  miles,  twent3'-two  times.  Hostile  In- 
dians were  constantly  on  the  watch,  and  a 
man  was  liable  at  any  moment  to  be  shot 
down  in  his  own  field.  Andrew  Jackson 
was  just  the  man  for  this  service — a  wild, 
daring,  rough  backwoodsman.  Daily  he 
made  hair-breadth  escapes.  He  seemed  to 
bear  a  charmed  life.  Boldly,  alone  or  with 
few  companions,  he  traversed  the  forests, 
encountering  all  perils  and  triumphing 
over  all. 

In  1790  Tennessee  became  a  Territory, 
and  Jackson  was  appointed,  by  President 
Washington,  United  States  Attorney  for 
the  new  district.  In  1791  he  married  Mrs. 
Rachel  Robards  (daughter  of  Colonel  John 
Donelson),  whom  he  supposed  to  have  been 
divorced  in  that  year  by  an  act  of  the  Leg- 
islature of  Virginia.  Two  years  after  this 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jackson  learned,  to  their 
great  surprise,  that  Mr.  Robards  had  just 
obtained  a  divorce  in  one  of  the  courts  of 
Kentuck}-,  and  that  the  act  of  the  Virginia 
Legislature  was  not  final,  but  conditional. 
To  remedy  the  irregularity  as  much  as  pos- 
sible, a  new  license  was  obtained  and  the 


loathesome  profanity  and  multiform  vices,  a     marriage  ceremony  was  again  performed 
vein  of  rare  magnanimity.     His  temper  was 
fiery  in  the  extreme;  but  it  was  said  of  him 
that    no   man    knew    better  than    Andrew 
Jackson  when  to  get  angry  and  when  not. 

In  1786  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  and 
two  years  later  removed  to  Nashville, 
in  what  was  then  the  western  district  of 
North  Carolina,  with  the  appointment  of  so- 
licitor, or  public  prosecutor.  It  was  an  of- 
fice of  little  honor,  small  emolument  and 
great  peril.  Few  men  could  be  found  to 
accept  it. 

And  now  Andrew  Jackson  commenced 
vigorously  to  practice  law.  It  was  an  im- 
portant part  of  his  business  to  collect  debts. 
It  required  nerve.  During  the  first  seven 
years  of    his  residence    in    those    wilds  he 


It  proved  to  be  a  marriage  of  rare  felic- 
ity. Probably  there  never  was  a  more 
affectionate  union.  However  rough  Mr. 
Jackson  might  have  been  abroad,  he  was 
alwa3'S  gentle  and  tender  at  home;  and 
through  all  the  vicissitudes  of  their  lives,  he 
treated  Mrs.  Jackson  wil;h  the  most  chival- 
ric  attention. 

Under  the  circumstances  it  was  not  un- 
natural that  the  facts  in  the  case  of  this 
marriage  were  so  misrepresented  bv  oppo- 
nents in  the  political  campaigns  a  quarter 
or  a  century  later  as  to  become  the  basis 
of  serious  charges  against  Jackson's  moral- 
ity which,  however,  have  been  satisfactorily 
attested  by  abundant  evidence. 

Jackson    was    untiring   in    his  duties  as 


A.VUtih  \r    JACKSO  V. 


49 


United  States  Attorney,  which  demanded 
frequent  journeys  through  the  wilderness 
and  exposed  him  to  Indian  hostilities.  He 
acquired  considerable  property  in  land,  and 
obtained  such  influence  as  to  be  chosen 
a  member  of  the  convention  which  framed 
the  Constitution  for  the  new  State  of  Ten- 
nessee, in  1796,  and  in  that  year  was  elected 
its  first  Representative  in  Congress.  Albert 
Gallatin  thus  describes  the  first  appearance 
of  the  Hon.  Andrew  Jackson  in  the  House: 

"  A  tall,  lank,  uncouth-looking  personage, 
with  locks  of  hair  hanging  over  his  face  and 
a  cue  down  his  back,  tied  with  an  eel  skin; 
his  dress  singular,  his  manners  and  deport- 
ment those  of  a  rough  backwoodsman." 

Jackson  was  an  earnest  advocate  of  the 
Democratic  party.  Jefferson  was  his  idol. 
He  admired  Bonaparte,  loved  France  and 
hated  England.  As  Mr.  Jackson  took  his 
seat,  General  Washington,  whose  second 
term  of  office  was  just  expiring,  delivered 
his  last  speech  to  Congress.  A  committee 
drew  up  a  complimentary  address  in  reply. 
Andrew  Jackson  did  not  approve  the  ad- 
dress and  was  one  of  twelve  who  voted 
against  it. 

Tennessee  had  fitted  out  an  expedition 
against  the  Indians,  contrary  to  the  policy 
of  the  Government.  A  resolution  was  intro- 
duced that  the  National  Government 
should  pa\'  the  expenses.  Jackson  advo- 
cated it  and  it  was  carried.  This  rendered 
him  very  popular  in  Tennessee.  A  va- 
cancy chanced  soon  after  to  occur  in  the 
Senate,  and  Andrew  Jackson  was  chosen 
United  States  Senator  by  the  State  of  Ten- 
nessee. John  Adams  was  then  President 
and  Thomas  Jefferson,  Vice-President. 

In  1798  Mr.  Jackson  returned  to  Tennes- 
see, and  resigned  his  seat  in  the  Senate. 
Soon  after  he  was  chosen  Judge  of  the  Su- 
preme Court  of  that  State,  with  a  salary  of 
$600.  This  office  he  held  six  years.  It  is 
said  that  his  decisions,  though  sometimes 
ungrammatical,  were  generally  right.     He 


did  not  enjoy  his  seat  upon  the  bench,  and 
renounced  the  dignity  in  1804.  About 
this  time  he  was  chosen  Major-General  of 
militia,  and  lost  the  title  of  judge  in  that  of 
General. 

When  he  retired  from  the  Senate  Cham- 
ber, he  decided  to  try  his  fortune  through 
trade.  He  purchased  a  stock  of  goods  in 
Philadelphia  and  sent  them  to  Nashville, 
where  he  opened  a  store.  He  lived  about 
thirteen  miles  from  Nashville,  on  a  tract  of 
land  of  several  thousand  acres,  mostly  un- 
cultivated. He  used  a  small  block-house 
for  a  store,  from  a  narrow  window  of 
which  he  sold  goods  to  the  Indians.  As  he 
had  an  assistant  his  office  as  judge  did  not 
materially  interfere  with  his  business. 

As  to  slavery,  born  in  the  midst  of  it.  the 
idea  never  seemed  to  enter  his  mind  that  it 
could  be  wrong.  He  eventually  became 
an  extensive  slave  owner,  but  he  was  one  of 
the  most  humane  and  gentle  of  masters. 

In  1804  Mr.  Jackson  withdrew  from  pol- 
itics and  settled  on  a  plantation  which  he 
called  the  Hermitage,  near  Nashville.  He 
set  up  a  cotton-gin,  formed  a  partnership 
and  traded  in  New  Orleans,  making  the 
voyage  on  flatboats.  Through  his  hot  tem- 
per he  became  involved  in  several  quarrels 
and  "affairs  of  honor,"  during  this  period, 
in  one  of  which  he  was  severely  wounded, 
but  had  the  misfortune  to  kill  his  opponent, 
Charles  Dickinson.  For  a  time  this  affair 
greatly  injured  General  Jackson's  popular- 
ity. The  verdict  then  was,  and  continues 
to  be,  that  General  Jackson  was  outra- 
geously wrong.  If  hesubsequentl}' felt  any 
remorse  he  never  revealed  it  to  anyone. 

In  1805  Aaron  Burr  had  visited  Nash- 
ville and  been  a  guest  of  Jackson,  with 
whom  he  corresponded  on  the  subject  of  a 
war  with  Spain,  which  was  anticipated  and 
desired  by  them,  as  well  as  by  the  people 
of  the  Southwest  generally. 

Burr  repeated  his  visit  in  September, 
1806,  when  he    engaged  in  the  celebrated 


5° 


PRESIDENTS    OF     THE     UNITED    STATES. 


combinations  which  led  to  his  trial  for  trea- 
son. He  was  warmly  received  by  Jackson, 
at  whose  instance  a  public  ball  was  given 
in  his  honor  at  Nasiiville,  and  contracted 
with  the  latter  for  boats  and  provisions. 
Earlv  in  1807,  when  Burr  had  been  pro- 
claimed a  traitor  by  President  Jefferson, 
volunteer  forces  for  the  Federal  service 
were  organized  at  Nashville  under  Jack- 
son's command;  but  his  energj'  and  activ- 
ity did  not  shield  him  from  suspicions  of 
connivance  in  the  supposed  treason.  He 
was  summoned  to  Richmond  as  a  witness 
in  Burr's  trial,  but  was  not  called  to  the 
stand,  probably  because  he  was  out-spoken 
in  his  partisanship. 

On  the  outbreak  of  the  war  with  Great 
Britain  in  181 2,  Jackson  tendered  his  serv- 
ices, and  in  January,  181 3,  embarked  for 
New  Orleans  at  the  head  of  the  Tennessee 
contingent.  In  March  he  received  an  or- 
der to  disband  his  forces;  but  in  Septem- 
ber he  again  took  the  field,  in  the  Creek 
war,  and  in  conjunction  with  his  former 
partner.  Colonel  Coffee,  inflicted  upon  the 
Indians  the  memorable  defeat  at  Talladega, 
Emuckfaw  and  Tallapoosa. 

In  Ma\ ,  1814,  Jackson,  who  had  now  ac- 
quired a  national  reputation,  was  appointed 
a  Major-Generalof  the  United  States  army, 
and  commenced  a  campaign  against  the 
British  in  Florida.  He  conducted  the  de- 
fense at  Mobile,  September  15,  seized  upon 
Pensacola,  November  6,  and  immediately 
transported  the  bulk  of  his  troops  to  New 
Orleans,  then  threatened  by  a  powerful 
naval  force.  Martial  law  was  declared  in 
Louisiana,  the  State  militia  was  called  to 
arms,  engagements  with  the  British  were 
fought  December  23  and  28,  and  after  re-en- 
forcements had  been  received  on  both  sides 
the  famous  victory  of  January  8,  181 5, 
crowned  Jackson's  fame  as  a  soldier,  and 
made  him  the  typical  American  hero  of 
the  first  half  of  the  nineteenth  century. 

In  1 817-'! 8  Jackson    conducted  the  war 


against  the  Seminoles  of  Florida,  during 
which  he  seized  upon  Pensacola  and  exe- 
cuted by  courtraartial  two  British  subjects, 

Arbuthnot    and    Ambrister acts    which 

might  easily  have  involved  the  United 
States  in  war  both  with  Spain  and  Great 
Britain.  Fortunately  the  peril  was  averted 
by  the  cession  of  Florida  to  the  United 
States;  and  Jackson,  who  had  escaped  a 
trial  for  the  irregularity  of  his  conduct 
only  through  a  division  of  opinion  in  Mon- 
roe's cabinet,  was  appointed  in  1821  Gov- 
ernor of  the  new  Territory.  Soon  after  he 
declined  the  appointment  of  minister  to 
Mexico. 

In  1823  Jackson  was  elected  to  the  United 
States  Senate,  and  nominated  by  the  Ten- 
nessee Legislature  for  the  Presidency.  This 
candidacy,  though  a  matter  of  surprise,  and 
even  merrvment,  speedily  became  popular, 
and  in  1824,  when  the  stormy  electoral  can- 
vas resulted  in  the  choice  of  John  Quincy 
Adams  by  the  House  of  Representatives, 
General  Jackson  received  the  largest  popu- 
lar vote  among  the  four  candidates. 

In  1828  Jackson  was  triumphantly  elected 
President  over  Adams  after  a  campaign  of 
unparalleled  bitterness.  He  was  inaugu- 
rated Marcli  4,  1829,  and  at  once  remcived 
from  office  all  the  incumbents  belonging  to 
the  opposite  party — a  procedure  new  to 
American  politics,  but  which  naturally  be- 
came a  precedent. 

His  first  term  was  characterized  by  quar- 
rels between  the  Vice-President,  Calhoun, 
and  the  Secretary  of  State,  Van  Buren,  at- 
tended by  a  cabinet  crisis  originating  in 
scandals  connected  with  the  name  of  Mrs. 
General  Eaton,  wife  of  the  Secretary  of 
War;  by  the  beginning  of  his  war  u])on  the 
United  States  Bank,  and  by  his  vigorous 
action  against  the  partisans  of  Calhoun, 
who,  in  South  Carolina,  threatened  to 
nullify  the  acts  of  Congress,  establishing  a 
protective  tariff. 

In    the    Presidential    campaign    of    1832 


ANDREW    JACKSON. 


51 


Jackson  received  219  out  of  288  electoral 
votes,  his  competitor  being  Mr.  Clay,  while 
Mr.  Wirt,  on  an  Anti-Masonic  platform, 
received  the  vote  of  Vermont  alone.  In 
1833  President  Jackson  removed  the  Gov- 
ernment deposits  from  the  United  States 
bank,  thereby  incurring  a  vote  of  censure 
from  the  Senate,  which  was,  however,  ex- 
punged four  years  later.  During  this  second 
term  of  office  the  Cherokees,  Choctaws  and 
Creeks  were  removed,  not  without  diffi- 
culty, from  Georgia,  Alabama  and  Missis- 
sippi, to  the  Indian  Territory;  the  National 
debt  was  extinguished;  Arkansas  and 
Michigan  were  admitted  as  States  to  the 
Union;  the  Seminole  war  was  renewed;  the 
anti-slavery  agitation  first  acquired  impor- 
tance; the  Mormon  delusion,  which  had 
organized  in  1829,  attained  considerable 
proportions  in  Ohio  and  Missouri,  and  the 
country  experienced  its  greatest  pecuniary 
panic. 

Railroads  with  locomotive  propulsion 
were  introduced  into  America  during  Jack- 
son's first  term,  and  had  become  an  impor- 
tant element  of  national  life  before  the 
close  of  his  second  term.  For  many  rea- 
sons, therefore,  the  administration  of  Presi- 
dent Jackson  formed  an  era  in  American 
history,  political,  social  and  industrial. 
He  succeeded  in  effecting  the  election  of 


his  friend  Van  Buren  as  his  successor,  re- 
tired from  the  Presidency  March  4,  1837, 
and  led  a  tranquil  life  at  the  Hermitage 
until  his  death,  which  occurred  June  8, 
1845.   _ 

During  his  closing  years  he  was  a  pro- 
fessed Christian  and  a  member  of  the  Pres- 
byterian church.  No  American  of  this 
century  has  been  the  subject  of  such  oppo- 
site judgments.  He  was  loved  and  hated 
with  equal  vehemence  during  his  life,  but 
at  the  present  distance  of  time  from  his 
career,  while  opinions  still  vary  as  to  the 
merits  of  his  public  acts,  few  of  his  country- 
men will  question  that  he  was  a  warm- 
hearted, brave,  patriotic,  honest  and  sincere 
man.  If  his  distinguishing  qualities  were 
not  such  as  constitute  statesmanship,  in  the 
highest  sense,  he  at  least  never  pretended 
to  other  merits  than  such  as  were  written 
to  his  credit  on  the  page  of  American  his- 
tory— not  attempting  to  disguise  the  de- 
merits which  were  equally  legible.  The 
majority  of  his  countrymen  accepted  and 
honored  him,  in  spite  of  all  that  calumny 
as  well  as  truth  could  allege  against  him. 
His  faults  may  therefore  be  truly  said  to 
have  been  those  of  his  time;  his  magnifi- 
cent virtues  may  also,  with  the  same  jus- 
tice, be  considered  as  typical  of  a  state  of 
society  which  has  nearly  passed  away. 


52 


PRESIDENTS    OF     THE     U.XITED    STATES. 


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ARTIN    VAN    BU- 

REN,  the  eighth 
rJ  President  of  the 
United  States,  1837- 
'41,  was  born  at  Kin- 
derhook,  New  York, 
December  5,  1782. 
His  ancestors  were  of  Dutch 
origin,  and  were  among  the 
earHest  emigrants  from  Hol- 
land to  the  banks  of  the 
Hudson.  His  father  was  a 
tavern-keeper,  as  well  as  a 
farmer,  and  a  very  decided 
Democrat. 
^  Martin  commenced  the  study 
of  law  at  the  age  of  fourteen,  and  took  an 
active  part  in  politics  before  he  had  reached 
the  age  of  twenty.  In  1803  he  commenced 
the  practice  of  law  in  his  native  village. 
In  1809  he  removed  to  Hudson,  the  shire 
town  of  his  county,  where  he  spent  seven 
years,  gaining  strength  by  contending  in 
the  courts  with  some  of  the  ablest  men 
who  have  adorned  the  bar  of  his  State. 
The  heroic  example  of  John  Quincy  Adams 
in  retaining  in  ofifice  every  faithful  man, 
without  regard  to  his  political  preferences, 
had  been  thoroughly  repudiated  by  Gen- 
eral Jackson.  The  unfortunate  principle 
was  now  fully  established,  that  "  to  the 
victor  belong  the  spoils."  Still,  this  prin- 
ciple, to  which  Mr.  Van  Buren  gave  his  ad- 


herence, was  not  devoid  of  inconveniences. 
When,  subsequently,  he  attained  power 
which  placed  vast  patronage  in  his  hands, 
he  was  heard  to  say :  "  I  prefer  an  office 
that  has  no  patronage.  When  I  give  a  man 
an  office  I  offend  his  disappointed  competi- 
tors and  their  friends.  Nor  am  I  certain  of 
gaining  a  friend  in  the  man  I  appoint,  for, 
in  all  probability,  he  expected  something 
better." 

In  1812  Mr.  Van  Buren  was  elected  to 
the  State  Senate.  In  181 5  he  was  appointed 
Attorney-General,  and  in  1816  to  the  Senate 
a  second  time.  In  1818  there  was  a  great 
split  in  the  Democratic  party  in  New  Ycjrk, 
and  Mr.  Van  Buren  took  the  lead  in  or- 
ganizing that  portion  of  the  party  called 
the  Albany  Regency,  which  is  said  to  have 
swayed  the  destinies  of  the  State  for  a 
quarter  of  a  century. 

In  1 82 1  he  was  chosen  a  member  of  the 
convention  for  revising  the  State  Constitu- 
tion, in  which  he  advocated  an  extension  of 
the  franchise,  but  opposed  universal  suf- 
frage, and  also  favored  the  proposal  that 
colored  persons,  in  order  to  vote,  should 
have  freehold  property  to  the  amount  of 
$250.  In  this  year  he  was  also  elected  to 
the  United  States  Senate,  and  at  the  con- 
clusion of  his  term,  in  1827,  was  re-elected, 
but  resigned  the  following  year,  having 
been  chosen  Governor  of  the  State.  In 
March,  1829,  he  was  appointed  Secretary  of 


O  7  7y^^  ^^^^^^^ 


MARTI X     VAS    BUREN. 


55 


State  by  President  Jackson,  but  resigned 
in  April,  1831,  and  during  the  recess  of 
Congress  was  appointed  minister  to  Eng- 
land, whither  he  proceeded  in  September, 
but  the  Senate,  when  convened  in  Decem- 
ber, refused  to  ratify  the  appointment. 

In  Ma}-,  1832,  Mr.  Van  Buren  was  nomi- 
nated as  the  Democratic  candidate  for  Vice- 
President,  and  elected  in  the  following 
November.  May  26,  1836,  he  received  the 
nomination  to  succeed  General  Jackson  as 
President,  and  received  170  electoral  votes, 
out  of  283. 

Scarcely  had  he  taken  his  seat  in  the 
Presidential  chair  when  a  financial  panic 
swept  over  the  land.  Manv  attributed 
this  to  the  war  which  General  Jackson  had 
waged  on  the  banks,  and  to  his  endeavor  to 
secure  an  almost  exclusive  specie  currency. 
Nearly  every  bank  in  the  country  was  com- 
pelled to  suspend  specie  payment,  and  ruin 
pervaded  all  our  great  cities.  Not  less  than 
254  houses  failed  in  New  York  in  one  week. 
All  public  works  were  brought  to  a  stand, 
and  there  was  a  general  state  of  dismay. 
President  Van  Buren  urged  the  adoption  of 
the  independent  treasury  system,  which 
was  twice  passed  in  the  Senate  and  defeated 
in  the  House,  but  finally  became  a  law  near 
the  close  of  his  rxlminictration. 

Another  important  measure  was  the  pass- 
age of  a  pre-emption  law,  giving  actual  set- 
tlers the  preference  in  the  purchase  of 
public  lands.  The  question  of  slavery,  also, 
now  began  to  assume  great  prominence  in 
national  politics,  and  after  an  elaborate 
anti-slavery  speech  by  Mr.  Slade,  of  Ver- 
mont, in  the  House  of  Representatives,  the 
Southern  members  withdrew  for  a  separate 
consultation,  at  which  Mr.  Rhett,  of  South 
Carolina,  proposed  to  declare  it  expedient 
that  the  Union  should  be  dissolved ;  but 
the  matter  was  tided  over  by  the  passage 
of  a  resolution  that  no  petitions  or  papers 
relating  to  slavery  should  be  in  any  way 
considered  or  acted  upon. 


In  the  Presidential  election  of  1840  Mr. 
Van  Buren  was  nominated,  without  opposi- 
tion, as  the  Democratic  candidate,  William 
H.  Harrison  being  the  candidate  of  the 
Whig  party.  The  Democrats  carried  only 
seven  States,  and  out  of  294  electoral  votes 
only  sixty  were  for  Mr.  Van  Buren,  the  re- 
maining 234  being  for  his  opponent.  The 
Whig  popular  majority,  however,  was  not 
large,  the  elections  in  many  of  the  States 
being  verv  close. 

March  4,  1841,  Mr.  Van  Buren  retired 
from  the  Presidency.  From  his  fine  estate 
at  Lindenwald  he  still  exerted  a  powerful 
influence  upon  the  politics  of  the  country. 
In  1844  he  was  again  proposed  as  the 
Democratic  candidate  for  the  Presidency, 
and  a  majority  of  the  delegates  of  the 
nominating  convention  were  in  his  favor ; 
but,  owing  to  his  opposition  to  the  pro- 
posed annexation  of  Texas,  he  could  not 
secure  the  requisite  two-thirds  vote.  His 
name  was  at  length  withdrawn  by  his 
friends,  and  Mr.  Polk  received  the  nomina- 
tion, and  was  elected. 

In  1848  Mr.  Cass  was  the  regular  Demo- 
cratic candidate.  A  schism,  however, 
sprang  up  in  the  party,  upon  the  question 
of  the  permission  of  slavery  in  the  newly- 
acquired  territory,  and  a  portion  of  the 
party,  taking  the  name  of  "  Free-Soilers," 
nominated  Mr.  Van  Buren.  They  drew 
away  sufficient  votes  to  secure  the  election 
of  General  Taylor,  the  Whig  candidate. 
After  this  Mr.  Van  Buren  retired  to  his  es- 
tate at  Kinderhook,  where  the  remainder 
of  his  life  was  passed,  with  the  exception  of 
a  European  tour  in  1853.  He  died  at 
Kinderhook,  July  24,  1862,  at  the  age  of 
eighty  years. 

Martin  Van  Buren  was  a  great  and  good 
man,  and  no  one  will  question  his  right  to 
a  high  position  among  those  who  have 
been  the  successors  of  Washington  in  the 
faithful  occupancy  of  the  Presidential 
chair. 


S6 


PRES/DBNTS    OF    THE     UNITED    STATES. 


sm^ 


^^ei  WILLIflffl  HENRY  HflRHISDN.  ^^^ 


Virginia, 
dence   of 


L  I  A  M  HENRY 
HARRISON,  the 
ninth  President  of 
the  United  States, 
I  84  I,  was  born 
February  9,  1773, 
in  Charles  County, 
at  Berkeley,  the  resi- 
his  father,  Governor 
Benjamin  Harrison.  He  studied 
at  Hampden,  Sidney  College, 
with  a  view  of  entering  the  med- 
ical profession.  After  graduation 
he  went  to  Philadelphia  to  study 
medicine  under  the  instruction  of 
Dr.  Rush. 
George  Washington  was  then  President 
3f  the  United  States.  The  Indians  were 
committing  fearful  ravages  on  our  North- 
western frontier.  Young  Harrison,  either 
lured  by  the  love  of  adventure,  or  moved 
by  the  sufferings  of  families  exposed  to  the 
most  horrible  outrages,  abandoned  his  med- 
ical studies  and  entered  the  army,  having 
obtained  a  commission  of  ensign  from  Pres- 
ident Washington.  The  first  duty  assigned 
him  was  to  take  a  train  of  pack-horses 
bound  to  Fort  Hamilton,  on  the  Miami 
River,  about  forty  miles  from  Fort  Wash- 
ington.    He     was    soon    promoted    to    the 


rank  of  Lieutenant,  and  joined  the  army 
which  Washington  had  placed  under  the 
command  of  General  Wayne  to  prosecute 
more  vigorously  the  war  with  the  In- 
dians. Lieutenant  Harrison  received  great 
commendation  from  his  commanding  offi- 
cer, and  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of 
Captain,  and  placed  in  command  at  Fort 
Washington,  now  Cincmnati,  Ohio. 

About  this  time  he  married  a  daughter 
of  John  Cleves  Symmes,  one  of  the  fron- 
tiersmen who  had  established  a  thriving 
settlement  on  the  bank  of  the  Maumee. 

In  1797  Captain  Harrison  resigned  his 
commission  in  the  army  and  was  appointed 
Secretary  of  the  Northwest  Territory,  and 
ex-officio  Lieutenant-Governor,  General  St. 
Clair  being  then  Governor  of  the  Territory. 
At  that  time  the  law  in  reference  to  the 
disposal  of  the  public  lands  was  such  that 
no  one  could  purcliase  in  tracts  less  than 
4,000  acres.  Captain  Harrison,  in  the 
face  of  violent  opposition,  succeeded  in 
obtaining  so  much  of  a  modification  of 
this  unjust  law  that  the  land  was  sold  in 
alternate  tracts  of  640  and  320  acres.  The 
Northwest  Territory  was  then  entitled 
to  one  delegate  in  Congress,  and  Cap- 
tain Harrison  was  chosen  to  fill  that  of- 
fice.    In  1800  he  was  appointed  Governor 


^  /^/9c 


(S-^T^^L'-i^^^tn^.,^ 


WILLIAM    HENRY     HAIUilSON. 


59 


of  Indiana  Territory  and  soon  after  of 
Upper  Louisiana.  He  was  also  Superin- 
tendent of  Indian  Affairs,  and  so  well  did  he 
fulfill  these  duties  that  he  was  four  times 
appointed  to  this  office.  During  his  admin- 
istration he  effected  thirteen  treaties  with 
the  Indians,  by  which  the  United  States 
acquired  60,000,000  acres  of  land.  In  1804 
he  obtained  a  cession  from  the  Indians  of 
all  the  land  between  the  lUinois  River  and 
the  Mississippi. 

In  18 1 2  he  was  made  Major-General  of 
Kentucky  militia  and  Brigadier-General 
in  the  army,  with  the  command  of  the 
Northwest  frontier.  In  1S13  he  was  made 
Major-General,  and  as  such  won  much  re- 
nown by  the  defense  of  Fort  Meigs,  and  the 
battle  of  the  Thames,  October  5,  1813.  In 
1 8 14  he  left  the  army  and  was  employed  in 
Indian  affairs  by  the  Government. 

In  18 16  Genei^al  Harrison  was  chosen  a 
member  of  the  National  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives to  represent  the  district  of  Ohio. 
In  the  contest  which  preceded  his  election 
he  was  accused  of  corruption  in  respect  to 
the  commissariat  of  the  army.  Immedi- 
ately upon  taking  his  seat,  he  called  for  an 
investigation  of  the  charge.  A  committee 
was  appointed,  and  his  vindication  was 
triumphant.  A  high  compliment  was  paid 
to  his  patriotism,  disinterestedness  and 
devotion  to  the  public  service.  For  these 
services  a  gold  medal  was  presented  to  him 
with  the  thanks  of  Congress. 

In  1 8 19  he  was  elected  to  the  Senate  of 
Ohio,  and  in  1824,  as  one  of  the  Presiden- 
tial electors  of  that  State,  he  gave  his  vote 
to  Henry  Clay.  In  the  same  year  he  was 
elected  to  the  Senate  of  the  United  States. 
In  1828  he  was  appointed  by  President 
Adams  minister  plenipotentiary  to  Colom- 
bia, but  was  recalled  by  General  Jackson 
immediately  after  the  inauguration  of  the 
latter. 

Upon  his  return  to  the  United  States, 
General  Harrison   retired  to    his   farm  at 


North  Bend,  Hamilton  County,  Ohio,  six- 
teen miles  below  Cincinnati,  where  for 
twelve  years  he  was  clerk  of  the  County 
Court.  He  once  owned  a  distillery,  but 
perceiving  the  sad  effects  of  whisky  upon 
the  surrounding  population,  he  promptly 
abandoned  his  business  at  great  pecuniary 
sacrifice. 

In  1836  General  Harrison  was  brought 
forward  as  a  candidate  for  the  Presidency. 
Van  Buren  was  the  administration  candi- 
date; the  opposite  party  could  not  unite, 
and  four  candidates  were  brought  forward. 
General  Harrison  received  seventy-three 
electoral  votes  without  any  general  concert 
among  his  friends.  The  Democratic  party 
triumphed  and  Mr.  Van  Buren  was  chosen 
President.  In  1839  General  Harrison  was 
again  nominated  for  the  Presidency  by  the 
Whigs,  at  Harrisburg,  Penns\'lvania,  Mr. 
Van  Buren  being  the  Democratic  candi- 
date. General  Harrison  received  234  elec- 
toral votes  against  sixty  for  his  opponent. 
This  election  is  memorable  chiefly  for  the 
then  extraordinary  means  employed  during 
the  canvass  for  popular  votes-  Mass  meet- 
ings and  processions  were  introduced,  and 
the  watchwords  "  log  cabin  "  and  "  hard 
cider  "  were  effectually  used  by  the  Whigs,  ^ 
and  aroused  a  popular  enthusiasm. 

A  vast  concourse  of  people  attended  his 
inauguration.  His  address  on  that  occasion 
was  in  accordance  with  his  antecedents,  and 
gave  great  satisfaction.  A  short  time  after  he 
took  his  seat,  he  was  seized  by  a  pleurisv- 
fever,  and  after  a  few  days  of  violent  sick- 
ness, died  April  4,  just  one  short  month  after 
his  inauguration.  His  death  was  universally 
regarded  as  one  of  the  greatest  of  National 
calamities.  Never,  since  the  death  of 
Washington,  were  there,  throughout  one 
land,  such  demonstrations  of  sorrow.  Not 
one  single  spot  can  be  found  to  sully  his 
fame;  and  through  all  ages  Americans  will 
pronounce  with  love  and  reverence  the 
name  of  William  Henrv  Harrison. 


6o 


PliESIDENTS    OF    THE     UNITED    STATES. 


m  I 


OHN  TYLER,  the  tenth 
President  of  the  United 
ix'"  '^U^/iM  i  1^^**  States,  was  born  in 
Charles  City  County, 
\'irginia,  March  29,  1790. 
His  father,  Judge  John 
Tyler,  possessed  large 
landed  estates  in  Virginia, 
and  was  one  of  the  most 
distinguished  men  of  his 
day,  filling  the  offices  of 
Speaker  of  the  House  of 
Delegates,  Judge  of  the  Su- 
preme Court  and  Governor 
of  the  State. 
At  the  early  age  of  twelve 
entered  William  and  Mary 
trraduated  with  honor  when 
but  seventeen  years  old.  He  then  closely 
applied  himself  to  the  study  of  law,  and  at 
nineteen  years  of  age  commenced  the  prac- 
tice of  his  profession.  When  only  twenty- 
one  he  was  elected  to  a  seat  in  the  State 
Legislature.  He  acted  witii  the  Demo- 
cratic party  and  advocated  the  measures  of 
Jefferson  and  Madison.  For  five  years  he 
was  elected  to  the  Legislature,  receiving 
nearly  the  unanimous  vote  of  his  county. 

When  but  twentv-six  years  of  age  he  was 
elected  a  member  of  Congress.  He  advo- 
cated a  strict  construction  of  the  Constitu- 
tion and    the   most  careful    vigilance    over 


young    John 
College,  and 


State  rights.  He  was  soon  compelled  to 
resign  his  seat  in  Congress,  owing  to  ill 
health,  but  afterward  took  his  seat  in  the 
State  Legislature,  where  he  exerted  a 
powerful  influence  in  promoting  public 
works  of  great  utility. 

In  1825  Mr.  Tvler  was  chosen  Governor 
of  his  State — a  high  honor,  for  Virginia 
had  many  able  men  as  competitors  for 
the  prize.  His  administration  was  signally 
a  successful  one.  He  urged  forward  inter- 
nal improvements  and  strove  to  remove 
sectional  jealousies.  His  popularity  secured 
his  re-election.  In  1827  he  was  elected 
United  States  Senator,  and  upon  taking  his 
seat  joined  the  ranks  of  the  opposition.  He 
opposed  the  tariff,  voted  against  the  bank 
as  unconstitutional,  opposed  all  restrictions 
upon  slavery,  resisted  all  projects  of  inter- 
nal improvements  by  the  General  Govern- 
ment, avowed  his  sympathy  with  Mr.  Cal- 
houn's views  of  nullification,  and  declared 
that  General  Jackson,  by  his  opposition  to 
the  nuUifiers,  had  abandoned  the  principles 
of  the  Democratic  part}'.  Such  was  Mr. 
Tyler's  record  in  Congress. 

This  hostility  to  Jackson  caused  Mr. 
Tyler's  retirement  from  the  Senate,  after 
his  election  to  a  second  term.  He  soon 
after  removed  to  Williamsburg  for  the 
better  education  of  his  children,  and  again 
took  his  scat  in  the  Legislature. 


^(fy'urc 


JOHN     rVLER. 


63 


In  1839  he  was  sent  to  the  National  Con- 
vention at  Harrisburg  to  nominate  a  Presi- 
dent. General  Harrison  received  a  majorit)- 
of  votes,  much  to  the  disappointment  of  the 
South,  who  had  wished  for  Henry  Clay. 
In  order  to  concil'ate  the  Southern  Whigs, 
John  Tyler  was  nominated  for  ^^ice-Presi- 
dent.  Harrison  and  Tyler  were  inaugu- 
rated March  4,  1841.  In  one  short  month 
from  that  time  President  Harrison  died, 
and  Mr.  Tyler,  to  his  own  surprise  as  well 
as  that  of  the  nation,  found  himself  an 
occupant  of  the  Presidential  chair.  His 
position  was  an  exceedingly  difficult  one, 
as  he  was  opposed  to  the  main  principles  of 
the  party  which  had  brought  him  into 
power.  General  Harrison  had  selected  a 
Whig  cabinet.  Should  he  retain  them,  and 
thus  surround  himself  with  councilors 
whose  views  were  antagonistic  to  his  own? 
or  should  he  turn  against  the  party  that 
had  elected  him,  and  select  a  cabinet  in 
harmony  with  himself?  This  was  his  fear- 
ful dilemma. 

President  Tyler  deserves  more  charity 
than  he  has  received.  He  issued  an  address 
to  the  people,  which  gave  general  satisfac- 
tion. He  retained  the  cabinet  General 
Harrison  had  selected.  His  veto  of  a  bill 
chartering  a  new  national  bank  led  to  an 
open  quarrel  with  the  party  which  elected 
him,  and  to  a  resignation  of  the  entire 
cabinet,  except  Daniel  Webster,  Secretary 
of  State. 

President  T\-ler  attempted  to  conciliate. 
He  appointed  a  new  cabinet,  leaving  out  all 
strong  party  men,  but  the  Whig  members 
of  Congress  were  not  satisfied,  and  they 
published  a  manifesto  September  13,  break- 
ing off  ail  political  relations.  The  Demo- 
crats had  a  majority  in  the  House ;  the 
Whigs  in  the  Senate.  Mr.  Webster  soon 
found  it  necessary  to  resign,  being  forced 
out  by  the  pressure  of  his  Whig  friends. 

April  12,  i8z^4,  President  Tyler  concluded, 
through  Mr.  Calhoun,  a  treaty  for  the  an- 


nexation of  Texas,  which  was  rejected  by 
the  Senate ;  but  he  effected  his  object  in  the 
closing  days  of  his  administration  by  the 
passage  of  the  joint  resolution  of  March  i 
1845. 

He  was  nominated  for  the  Presidency  by 
an  informal  Democratic  Convention,  held 
at  Baltimore  in  May,  1844,  but  soon  with- 
drew from  the  canvass,  perceiving  that  he 
had  not  gained  the  confidence  of  the  Demo- 
crats at  large. 

Mr.  Tyler's  administration  was  particu- 
larly unfortunate.  No  one  was  satisfied. 
Whigs  and  Democrats  alike  assailed  him. 
Situated  as  he  was,  it  is  more  than  can 
be  expected  of  human  nature  that  he 
should,  in  all  cases,  have  acted  in  the  wisest 
manner ;  but  it  will  probably  be  the  verdict 
of  all  candid  men,  in  a  careful  review  of  his 
career,  that  John  Tyler  was  placed  in  a 
position  of  such  difficulty  that  he  could  not 
pursue  an)' course  which  would  not  expose 
him  to  severe  censure  and  denunciation. 

In  1813  Mr.  T\ler  married  Letitia  Chris- 
tian, who  bore  him  three  sons  and  three 
daughters,  and  died  in  Washington  in  1842. 
June  26,  1844,  he  contracted  a  second  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Julia  Gardner,  of  New 
York.  He  lived  in  almost  complete  retire- 
ment from  politics  until  February,  1861, 
when  he  was  a  member  of  the  abortive 
"  peate  convention,"  held  at  Washington, 
and  was  chosen  its  President.  Soon  after 
he  renounced  his  allegiance  to  the  United 
States  and  was  elected  to  the  Confederate 
Congress.  He  died  at  Richmond,  January 
17,  1862,  after  a  short  illness. 

Unfortunately  for  his  memory  the  name 
of  John  Tyler  must  forever  be  associated 
with  all  the  misery  of  that  terrible  Re- 
bellion, whose  cause  he  openly  espoused. 
It  is  with  sorrow  that  history  records  that 
a  President  of  the  United  States  died  while 
defending  the  flag  of  rebellion,  which  was 
arrayed  against  the  national  banner  in 
deadly  warfare. 


64 


PliES/DENTS     OF     THE     UNITED    STATES. 


3^ 


-L-  ©DC^Vi-JOII®  •■!-_^_'-l- 


fj5_.i._A  .nir?^5^ 


^M^^m^mm^^i^^^^^^^ms!^m^^m^^mm 


-;■  t4s"  -I- 


....;;::::.  J;.^^;;.„. ..^... ;.^±:i^i5,, 


,^.  AMES  KNOX  POLK, 
'%  the  eleventh  President  of 
§m  the  United  States,  1845- 
s'  49,   was   born   in    Meck- 

lenburg County,  North 
A-  Carolina,  November  2, 
1795.  He  was  the  eldest 
son  of  a  family  of  six  sons 
and  four  daughters,  and  was 
a  grand-nephew  of  Colonel 
Thomas  Polk,  celebrated  in 
connection  with  the  Meck- 
lenburg Declaration  of  In- 
dependence. 

In  1806  his  father,  Samuel 
Polk,  emigrated  with  his  fam- 
il}-  two  or  tliree  hundred  miles  west  to  the 
valley  of  the  Duck  River.  He  was  a  sur- 
veyor as  well  as  farmer,  and  gradually  in- 
creased in  wealth  until  he  became  one  of 
the  leading  men  of  tlje  region. 

In  the  common  schools  James  rapidly  be- 
came proficient  in  all  the  common  branches 
of  an  English  education.  In  181 3  he  was 
sent  to  Murfreesboro  Academy,  and  in  the 
autumn  of  1815  entered  the  sophomore  class 
in  the  University  of  North  Carolina,  at 
Chapel  Hill,  graduating  in  181 8.  After  a 
short  season  of  recreation  he  went  to  Nash- 
ville and  entered  the  law  office  of  Felix 
Grundy.     As  soon  as  he  had  his    finished 


legal  studies  and  been  admitted  to  the  bar, 
he  returned  to  Cokunbia,  the  shire  town  of 
Maury  County,  and  opened  an  office. 

James  K.  Polk  ever  adhered  to  the  polit- 
ical faith  of  his  father,  which  was  that  of 
a  Jeffersonian  Republican.  In  1S23  he  was 
elected  to  the  Legislature  of  Tennessee.  As 
a  "strict  constructionist,"  he  did  not  think 
that  the  Constitution  empowered  the  Gen- 
eral Government  to  carry  on  a  sj'stem  of 
internal  improvements  in  the  States,  but 
deemed  it  important  that  it  should  have 
that  power,  and  wished  the  Constitution 
amended  that  it  might  be  conferred.  Sub- 
sequentl)-,  however,  he  became  alarmed  lest 
the  General  Government  become  so  strong 
as  to  undertake  to  interfere  with  slavery. 
He  therefore  gave  all  his  influence  to 
strengthen  the  State  governments,  and  to 
check  the  growth  of  the  central  power. 

In  Januar}',  1824,  Mr.  Polk  married  Miss 
Mary  Childress,  of  Rutherford  County,  Ten- 
nessee. Had  some  one  then  whispered  to 
him  that  he  was  destined  to  become  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States,  and  that  he  must 
select  for  his  companion  one  who  would 
adorn  that  distinguished  station,  he  could 
not  have  made  a  more  fitting  choice.  She 
was  trul)^  a  lady  of  rare  beauty  and  culture. 

In  the  fall  of  1825  Mr.  Polk  was  chosen 
a  member  of  Congress,  and   was  continu- 


J.I  USS     A'.     POLK. 


67 


ously  re-elected  until  1839.  He  then  with- 
drew, only  that  he  might  accept  the 
gubernatorial  chair  of  his  native  State. 
He  was  a  warm  friend  of  General  Jackson, 
who  had  been  defeated  in  the-  electoral 
contest  by  John  Ouincy  Adams.  This 
latter  gentleman  had  just  taken  his  seat  in 
the  Presidential  chair  when  Mr.  Polk  took 
his  seat  in  the  House  of  Representatives. 
He  immediately  united  himself  with  the 
opponents  of  Mr.  Adams,  and  was  soon 
regarded  as  the  leader  of  the  Jackson  party 
in  the  House. 

The  four  years  of  I^fr.  Adams'  adminis- 
tration passed  away,  and  General  Jackson 
took  tne  Presidential  chair.  Mr.  Polk  had 
now  become  a  man  of  great  influence  in 
Congress,  ana  was  chairman  of  its  most 
important  committee — that  of  Ways  and 
Means.  Eloquently  he  sustained  General 
Jackson  in  all  his  measures — in  his  hostility 
to  internal  improvements,  to  the  banks,  and 
to  the  tariff.  Eight  years  of  General  Jack- 
son's administration  passed  away,  and  the 
powers  he  had  wielded  passed  into  the 
hands  of  Martin  Van  Buren  ;  and  still  Mr. 
Polk  remained  in  the  House,  the  advocate 
of  that  type  of  Democracy  which  those 
distinguished  men  upheld. 

During  five  sessions  of  Congress  Mr. 
Polk  was  speaker  of  the  House.  He  per- 
formed his  arduous  duties  to  general  satis- 
faction, and  a  unanimous  vote  of  thanks  to 
him  was  passed  by  the  House  as  he  with- 
drew, March  4,  1839.  He  was  elected 
Governor  by  a  large  majority,  and  took 
the  oath  of  office  at  Nashville,  October  14, 
1839.  He  was  a  candidate  for  re-election 
in  1 841,  but  was  defeated.  In  the  mean- 
time a  wonderful  revolution  had  swept 
over  the  country.  W.  H.  Harrison,the  Whig 
candidate,  had  been  called  to  the  Presiden- 
tial chair,  and  in  Tennessee  the  Whig  ticket 
had  been  carried  by  over  12,000  majority. 
Under  these  circumstances  Mr.  Polk's  suc- 
cess was  hopeless.     Still  he  canvassed  the 


State  with  his  Whig  competitor,  Mr.  Jones, 
traveling  in  the  most  friendly  manner  to- 
gether, often  in  the  same  carriage,  and  at 
one  time  sleeping  in  the  same  bed.  Mr. 
Jones  was  elected  by  3.000  majorit)'. 

And  now  the  question  of  the  annexation 
of  Te.xas  to  our  countr}-  agitated  the  whole 
land.  When  this  question  became  national 
Mr.  Polk,  as  the  avowed  champion  of  an- 
nexation, became  the  Presidential  candidate 
of  the  pro-slavery  wing  of  the  Democratic 
party,  and  George  M.  Dallas  their  candi- 
date for  the  Vice-Presidency.  They  were 
elected  by  a  large  majority,  and  were  in- 
augurated March  4,  1845. 

President  Polk  formed  an  able  cabinet, 
consisting  of  James  Buchanan,  Robert  J. 
Walker,  William  L.  Marcy,  George  Ban- 
croft, Cave  Johnson  and  John  Y.  Mason. 
The  Oregon  boundary  question  was  settled, 
the  Department  of  the  Interior  was  created, 
the  low  tariff  oi  1846  was  carried,  the 
financial  S3'stem  of  the  Government  was 
reorganized,  the  Mexican  war  was  con- 
ducted, which  resulted  in  the  acquisition  of 
California  and  New  Mexico,  and  had  far- 
reaching  consequences  upon  the  later  fort- 
unes of  the  republic.  Peace  was  made. 
We  had  wrested  from  Mexico  territory 
equal  to  four  times  the  empire  of  France, 
and  five  times  that  of  Spain.  In  the  prose- 
cution of  this  war  we  expended  20,000 
lives  and  more  than  $100,000,000.  Of  this 
money  $15,000,000  were  paid  to  Mexico. 

Declining  to  seek  a  renomination,  Mr. 
Polk  retired  from  the  Presidency  March  4, 
1849,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  General 
Zachary  Taylor.  He  retired  to  Nashville, 
and  died  there  June  19,  1849,  i"  the  fifty- 
fourth  year  of  his  age.  His  funeral  was  at- 
tended the  following  day,  in  Nashville,  with 
every  demonstration  of  respect.  He  left 
no  children.  Without  being  possessed  of 
extraordinary  talent,  Mr.  Polk  was  a  capable 
administrator  of  public  affairs,  and  irre- 
proachable in  private  life. 


es 


PRESIDENTS     OF    THE     UNITED    STATES. 


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>^  ACHARY    TAY- 
r-^       LOR,  the  twelfth 
' ""  President    of    the 

United  States, 
i849-'50,  was  born 
in  Orange  County, 
Virginia,  Septem- 
1784.  His  father, 
Richard  Taylor,  was  Colo- 
nel of  a  Virginia  regiment 
in  the  Revolutionary  war, 
and  removed  to  Kentucky 
in  1785  ;  purchased  a  large 
plantation  near  Louisville 
and  became  an  influential  cit- 
izen ;  was  a  member  of  the  convention  that 
framed  the  Constitution  of  Kentucky;  served 
in  both  branches  of  the  Legislature ;  was 
Collector  of  the  port  of  Louisville  under 
President  Washington ;  as  a  Presidential 
elector,  voted  for  Jefferson,  Madison,  Mon- 
roe and  Clay;    died  January  19,1829. 

Zachary  remained  on  his  father's  planta- 
tion until  1808,  in  which  year  (May  3)  he 
was  appointed  First  Lieutenant  in  the 
Seventh  Infantry,  to  fill  a  vacancy  oc- 
casioned by  the  death  of  his  elder  brother, 
Hancock.  Up  to  this  point  he  had  received 
but  a  limited  education. 

joining  his  regiment  at  New  Orleans,  he 


was  attacked  with  yellow  fever,  with  nearly 
fatal  termination.  In  November,  18 10,  he 
was  promoted  to  Captain,  and  ni  the  sum- 
mer of  1812  he  was  in  command  of  Fort 
Harrison,  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Wabash 
River,  near  the  present  site  of  Terre  Haute, 
his  successful  defense  of  which  with  but  a 
handful  of  men  against  a  large  force  of 
Indians  whicii  had  attacked  him  was  one  of 
the  first  marked  military  achievements  of 
the  war.  He  was  then  brevetted  Major, 
and  in   18 14  promoted  to  the  full  rank. 

During  the  remainder  of  the  war  Taylor 
was  actively  emplo3-ed  on  the  Western 
frontier.  In  the  peace  organization  of  181 5 
he  was  retained  as  Captain,  but  soon  after 
resigned  and  settled  near  Louisville.  In 
May,  1816,  however,  he  re-entered  the  army 
as  Major  of  the  Third  Infantry  ;  became 
Lieutenant-Colonel  of  the  Eighth  Infantry 
in  1819,  and  in  1832  attained  the  Colonelcy 
of  the  First  Infantry,  of  which  he  had  been 
Lieutenant-Colonel  since  1821.  On  different 
occasions  he  had  been  called  to  Washington 
as  member  of  a  military  board  for  organiz- 
ing the  militia  of  the  Union,  and  to  aid  the 
Government  with  his  knowledge  in  the 
organization  of  the  Indian  Bureau,  having 
for  many  years  discharged  the  duties  of 
Indian  agent  over  large  tracts  of  Western 


»^ 


ZACHART    TAT  LOR. 


7i 


country.  He  served  through  the  Black 
Hawk  war  in  1832,  and  in  1837  was  ordered 
to  take  command  in  Florida,  then  the  scene 
of  war  with  the  Indians. 

In  1846  he  was  transferred  to  the  com- 
mand of  the  Army  of  the  Southwest,  from 
which  he  was  relieved  the  same  year  at  his 
own  request.  Subsequentl)"  he  was  sta- 
tioned on  the  Arkansas  frontier  at  Forts 
Gibbon,  Smith  and  Jesup,  which  latter  work 
had  been  built  under  his  direction  in  1822. 

Way  28,  1 84:5,  '""c  received  a  dispatch  from 
the  Secretarv  of  War  informing  him  of  the 
receipt  of  information  by  the  President 
"  that  Texas  would  shortly  accede  to  the 
terms  of  anne.xation,"  in  which  event  he 
was  instructed  to  defend  and  protect  her 
from  "  foreign  invasion  and  Indian  incur- 
sions." He  proceeded,  upon  the  annexation 
of  Texas,  with  about  1,500  men  to  Corpus 
Chnsti,  where  his  force  was  increased  to 
some  4,000. 

Taylor  was  brevetted  Major-General  May 
28,  and  a  month  later,  June  29,  1S46,  his  full 
commission  to  that  grade  was  issued.  After 
needed  rest  and  reinforcement,  he  advanced 
in  September  on  Monterey,  which  city  ca- 
pitulated after  three-days  stubborn  resist- 
ance. Here  he  took  up  his  winter  quarters. 
The  plan  for  the  invasion  of  Mexico,  by 
way  of  Vera  Cruz,  with  Gene'^al  Scott  in 
command,  was  now  determined  upon  by 
the  Govenrment,  and  at  the  moment  Taylor 
was  about  to  resume  active  operations,  he 
received  orders  to  send  the  larger  part  of 
his  force  to  reinforce  the  army  of  General 
Scott  at  Vera  Cruz.  Though  subsequently 
reinforced  by  raw  recruits,  yet  after  pro- 
viding a  garrison  for  Monterey  and  Saltillo 
he  had  but  about  5,300  effective  troops,  of 
which  but  500  or  600  were  regulars.  In 
this  weakened  condition,  however,  he  was 
destined  to  achieve  his  greatest  victory. 
Confidently  rel3ing  upon  his  strength  at 
Vera  Cruz  to  resist  the  enemy  for  a  long 
time,  Santa  Anna  directed  his  entire  army 


against  Taylor  to  overwhelm  him,  and  then 
to  return  to  oppose  the  advance  of  Scott's 
more  formidable  invasion.  The  battle  of 
Buena  Vista  was  fought  February  22  and 
23,  1847.  Taylor  received  the  thanks  of 
Congress  and  a  gold  medal,  and  "  Old 
Rough  and  Ready,"  the  sobi'iquet  given 
him  in  the  army,  became  a  household  word. 
He  remained  in  quiet  possession  of  the 
Rio  Grande  Valley  until  November,  when 
he  returned  to  the  United  States. 

In  the  Whig  convention  which  met  at 
Philadelphia, June  7,  1848,  Taylor  was  nomi- 
nated on  the  fourth  ballot  as  candidate  of 
the  Whig  party  for  President,  over  Henry 
Clay,  General  Scott  and  Daniel  Webster. 
In  November  Ta3'lor  received  a  majority 
of  electoral  votes,  and  a  popular  vote  of 
1,360,752,  against  1,219,962  for  Cass  and 
Butler,  and  291,342  for  Van  Buren  and 
Adams.  General  Taylor  was  inaugurated 
March  4,  1849. 

The  free  and  slave  States  being  then  equal 
in  number,  the  struggle  for  supremacy  on 
the  part  of  the  leaders  in  Congress  was 
violent  and  bitter.  In  the  summer  of  1849 
California  adopted  in  convention  a  Consti- 
tution prohibiting  slavery  within  its  borders. 
Taylor  advocated  the  immediate  admission 
of  California  with  her  Constitution,  and  the 
postponement  of  the  question  as  to  the  other 
Territories  until  they  could  hold  conven- 
tions and  decide  for  themselves  whether 
slavery  should  exist  within  their  borders. 
This  policy  ultimately  prevailed  through 
the  celebrated  "  Compromise  Measures"  of 
Henry  Clay ;  but  not  during  the  life  of  the 
brave  soldier  and  patriot  statesman.  July 
5  he  was  taken  suddenly  ill  with  a  bilious 
fever,  which  proved  fatal,  his  death  occur- 
ring July  9,  1850.  One  of  his  daughters 
married  Colonel  W.  W.  S.  Bliss,  his  Adju- 
tant-General and  Chief  of  Staff  in  Florida 
and  Mexico,  and  Private  Secretary  during 
his  Presidency.  Another  daughter  was 
married  to  Jefferson  Davis. 


P/iES/DENTS     OF     THE     U.VITED    STATES. 


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LARD  FILL- 
MORE,   the    thir- 

!■  teenth  President 
of  the  United 
States,  i850-'3,  was 
born  in  Summer 
Hill,  Cayuga 
,   New  York,    Janu- 

1800.     He    was    of 


New  England  ancestry,  and 
his  educational  advantages 
were  limited.  He  early 
learned  the  clothiers'  trade, 
but  spent  all  his  leisure  time 
in  study.  At  nineteen  years 
*''  of  age  he  was  induced  by 
Judge  Walter  Wood  to  abandon  his  trade 
and  commence  the  study  of  law.  Upon 
learning  that  the  young  man  was  entirely 
destitute  of  means,  he  took  him  into  his 
own  office  and  loaned  him  such  money  as 
he  needed.  That  he  might  not  be  heavily 
burdened  with  debt,  young  Fillmore  taught 
school  during  the  winter  months  and  in 
various  other  ways  helped  himself  along. 
At  the  age  of  twenty-three  he  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas,  and 
commenced  the  practice  of  his  profession 
in  the    village  of  Aurora,  situated  on  the 


eastern  bank  of  the  Ca3'uga  Lake.  In  1825 
he  married  Miss  Abigail  Powers,  daughter 
of  Rev.  Lemuel  Powers,  a  lady  of  great 
moral  worth.  In  1825  he  took  his  seat  in 
the  House  of  Assembly  of  his  native  State, 
as  Representative  from  Erie  County, 
whither  he  had  recently  moved. 

Though  he  had  never  taken  a  very 
active  part  in  politics  his  vote  and  his  sym- 
pathies were  with  the  Whig  party.  The 
State  was  then  Democratic,  but  his  cour- 
tesy, ability  and  integrity  won  the  respect 
of  his  associates.  In  1832  he  was  elected 
to  a  seat  in  the  United  States  Congress. 
At  the  close  of  his  term  he  returned  to  his 
law  practice,  and  in  two  years  more  he  was 
again  elected  to  Congress. 

He  now  began  to  have  a  national  reputa- 
tion. His  labors  were  very  arduous.  To 
draft  resolutions  in  the  committee  room, 
and  then  to  defend  them  against  the  most 
skillful  opponents  on  the  floor  of  the  House 
requires  readiness  of  mind,  mental  resources 
and  skill  in  debate  such  as  few  possess. 
Weary  with  these  exhausting  labors,  and 
pressed  by  the  claims  of  his  private  affairs, 
Ml'.  Fillmore  wrote  a  letter  to  his  constitu- 
ents and  declined  to  be  a  candidate  foi  re- 
election.    Notwithstanding  this  communi- 


MILLARD    FILLMORE. 


7S 


cation  his  friends  met  in  convention  and 
renominated  him  bv  acclamation.  Though 
gratified  by  this  proof  of  their  appreciation 
of  his  labors  he  adhered  to  his  resolve  and 
returned  to  his  home. 

In  1847  Mr.  Fillmore  was  elected  to  the 
important  otifice  of  comptroller  of  the  State. 
In  entering  upon  the  very  responsible  duties 
which  this  situation  demanded,  it  was  nec- 
essary for  him  to  abandon  his  profession, 
and  he  removed  to  the  city  of  Albany.  In 
this  year,  also,  the  Whigs  were  looking 
around  to  find  suitable  candidates  for  the 
President  and  Vice-President  at  the  ap- 
proaching election,  and  the  names  of  Zach- 
ary  Taylor  and  Millard  Fillmore  became 
the  rallying  cry  of  the  Whigs.  On  the  4th 
of  March,  1S49,  General  Taylor  was  inaug- 
urated President  and  Millard  Fillmore 
Vice-President  of  the  United  States. 

The  great  question  of  slavery  had  as- 
sumed enormous  proportions,  and  perme- 
ated every  subject  that  was  brought  before 
Congress.  It  was  evident  that  the  strength 
of  our  institutions  was  to  be  severely  tried. 
July  9,  1850,  President  Taylor  died,  and,  by 
the  Constitution,  Vice-President  Fillmore 
became  President  of  the  United  States. 
The  agitated  condition  of  the  country 
brought  questions  of  great  delicacy  before 
him.  He  was  bound  by  his  oath  of  office 
to  e.xecute  the  laws  of  the  United  States. 
One  of  these  laws  was  understood  to  be, 
that  if  a  slave,  escaping  from  bondage, 
should  reach  a  free  State,  the  United  States 
was  bound  to  do  its  jitmost  to  capture  him 
and  return  him  to  his  master.  Most  Chris- 
tian men  loathed  this  law.  President  Fill- 
more felt  bound  by  his  oath  rigidly  to  see 
it  enforced.  Slavery  was  organizing  armies 
to  invade  Cuba  as  it  had  invaded  Texas, 
and  annex  it  to  the  United  States.  Presi- 
dent Fillmore  gave  all  the  influence  of  his 
exalted  station  against  the  atrocious  enter- 
prise. 

Mr.  Fillmore  had  serious    difficulties  to 


contend  with,  since  the  opposition  had  a 
majority  in  both  Houses.  He  did  every- 
thing in  his  power  to  conciliate  the  South, 
but  the  pro-slavery  party  in  that  section 
felt  the  inadequency  of  all  measures  of  tran- 
sient conciliation.  The  population  of  the 
free  States  was  so  rapidly  increasing  over 
that  of  the  slave  States,  that  it  was  inevita- 
ble that  the  power  of  the  Government 
should  soon  pass  into  the  hands  of  the  free 
States.  The  famous  compromise  measures 
were  adopted  under  Mr.  Fillmore's  admin- 
istration, and  the  Japan  expedition  was 
sent  out. 

March  4,  1853,  having  served  one  term, 
President  Fillmore  retired  from  office.  He 
then  took  a  long  tour  through  the  South, 
where  he  met  with  quite  an  enthusiastic 
reception.  In  a  speech  at  Vicksburg,  al- 
luding to  the  rapid  growth  of  the  country, 
he  said: 

"  Canada  is  knocking  for  admission,  and 
Mexico  would  be  glad  to  come  in,  and 
without  saying  whether  it  would  be  right 
or  wrong,  we  stand  with  open  arms  to  re- 
ceive them;  for  it  is  the  manifest  destiny  of 
this  Government  to  embrace  the  whole 
North  American  Continent." 

In  1855  Mr.  Fillmore  went  to  Europe 
where  he  was  received  with  those  marked 
attentions  which  his  position  and  character 
merited.  Returning  to  this  country  in 
1856  he  was  nominated  for  the  Presidency 
by  the  "Know-Nothing"  party.  Mr.  Bu- 
chanan, the  Democratic  candidate  was 
the  successful  competitor.  Mr.  Fillmore 
ever  afterward  lived  in  retirement.  Dur- 
ing the  conflict  of  civil  war  he  was  mostly 
silent.  It  was  generally  supposed,  how- 
ever, that  hissympath}'  was  with  the  South- 
ern Confederacy.  He  kept  aloof  from  the 
conflict  without  any  words  of  cheer  to  the 
one  party  or  the  other.  For  this  reason 
he  was  forgotten  by  both.  He  died  of 
paralysis,  in  Buffalo,  New  York,  March  8, 
1874. 


76 


PRESfDENTS     OF     THE     UNITED    STATES. 


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'r^ANKLIN  PIERCE, 
the  fourteenth  Presi- 
dent of  the  United 
States,  was  born  in 
Hillsborough,  New 
Hampshire,  Novem- 
ber 23,  1804.  His 
father,  Governor 
Benjamin  Pierce,  was  a  Rev- 
olutionary soldier,  a  man  of 
rigid  integrity  ;  was  for  sev- 
eral years  in  the  State  Legis- 
lature, a  member  of  the  Gov- 
ernor's council  and  a  General 
of  the  militia. 
Franklin  was  the  sixth  of  eight  children. 
As  a  boy  he  listened  eagerly  to  the  argu- 
ments of  his  father,  enforced  by  strong  and 
ready  utterance  and  earnest  gesture.  It 
was  in  the  days  of  intense  political  excite- 
ment, when,  all  over  the  New  England 
States,  Federalists  and  Democrats  were  ar- 
rayed so  fiercely  against  each  other. 

In  1820  he  entered  Bowdoin  College,  at 
Brunswick,  Maine,  and  graduated  in  1824, 
and  commenced  the  study  of  law  in  the 
office  of  Judge  Woodbury,  a  ver}'  distin- 
guished lawyer,  and  in  1827  was  admitted 
to  the  bar.  He  practiced  with  great  success 
in  Hillsborough  and  Concord.     He  served 


in  the  State  Legislature  four  3'ears,  the  last 
two  of  which  he  was  chosen  Speaker  of  the 
H(5use  b}'  a  very  large  vote. 

In  1833  he  was  elected  a  member  of  Con- 
gress. In  1837  he  was  elected  to  the  United 
States  Senate,  just  as  Mr.  Van  Buren  com- 
menced   his   administration. 

In  1834  he  married  Miss  Jane  Means 
Appleton,  a  lad}'  admirably  fitted  to  adorn 
every  station  with  which  her  husband  was 
honored.  Three  sons  born  to  them  all 
found  an  early  grave. 

Upon  his  accession  to  office,  President 
Polk  appointed  Mr.  Pierce  Attorney-Gen- 
eral of  the  United  States,  but  the  offer  was 
declined  in  consequence  of  numerous  pro- 
fessional engagements  at  home  and  the 
precarious  state  of  Mrs.  Pierce's  health. 
About  the  same  time  he  also  decHned  the 
nomination  for  Governor  bv  the  Demo- 
cratic party. 

The  war  with  Mexico  called  Mr.  Pierce 
into  the  arm}'.  Receiving  the  appointment 
of  Brigadier-General,  he  embarked  with  a 
portion  of  his  troops  at  Newport,  Rhode 
Island,  May  27,  1847.  He  served  during 
this  war,  and  distinguished  himself  by  his 
bravery,  skill  and  excellent  judgment. 
When  he  reached  his  home  in  his  native 
State  he  was  enthusiastically  received  by 


FRANKLIN    PIERCE. 


79 


the  advocates  of  the  war,  and  coldly  b}^  its 
opponents.  He  resumed  the  practice  of  liis 
profession,  frequently  taking  an  active  part 
in  political  questions,  and  giving  his  sup- 
port to  the  pro-slavery  wing  of  the  Demo- 
cratic party. 

June  12,  1852,  the  Democratic  convention 
met  in  Baltimore  to  nominate  a  candidate 
for  the  Presidenc}-.  For  four  days  they 
continued  in  session,  and  in  thirty-five  bal- 
lotings  no  one  had  received  the  requisite 
two-thirds  vote.  Not  a  vote  had  been 
thrown  thus  far  for  General  Pierce.  Then 
the  Virginia  delegation  brought  forward 
his  name.  There  were  fourteen  more  bal- 
lotings,  during  which  General  Pierce 
gained  strength,  until,  at  the  forty-ninth 
ballot,  he  received  282  votes,  and  all  other 
candidates  eleven.  General  Winfield  Scott 
was  the  Whig  candidate.  General  Pierce 
was  elected  with  great  unanimity.  Onl}' 
four  States — Vermont,  Massachusetts,  Ken- 
tuck}'  and  Tennessee — cast  their  electoral 
votes  against  him.  March  4,  1853,  he  was 
inaugurated  President  of  the  United  States, 
and  William  R.  King,  Vice-President. 

President  Pierce's  cabinet  consisted  of 
William  S.  Marcy,  James  Guthrie,  Jefferson 
Davis,  James  C.  Dobbin,  Robert  McClel- 
land, James  Campbell  and  Caleb  dishing. 

At  the  demand  of  slaver\-  the  >fissouri 
Compromise  was  repealed,  and  all  the  Ter- 
ritories of  the  Union  were  thrown  open  to 
slavery.  The  Territorj'  of  Kansas,  west  of 
Missouri,  was  settled  by  emigrants  mainl}' 
from  the  North.  According  to  law,  thev 
were  about  to  meet  and  decide  whether 
slavery  or  freedom  should  be  the  law  of 
that  realm.  Slavery  in  Missouri  and 
other  Southern  States  rallied  her  armed 
legions,  marched  them  into  Kansas,  took 
possession  of  the  polls,  drove  away  the 
citizens,  deposited  their  own  votes  by 
handfuls,  went  through  the  farce  of  count- 
ing them,  and  then  declared  that,  by  an 
overwhelming  majority,  slavery  was  estab- 


lished in  Kansas.  These  facts  nobody 
denied,  and  3-et  President  Pierce's  adminis- 
tration felt  bound  to  respect  the  decision 
obtained  b}'  such  votes.  The  citizens  of 
Kansas,  the  majority  of  whom  were  free- 
State  men,  met  in  convention  and  adopted 
the  following  resolve  : 

"Rcsok'cJ,  That  the  body  of  men  who, 
for  the  past  two  months,  have  been  passing 
laws  for  the  people  of  our  Territory, 
moved,  counseled  and  dictated  to  by  the 
demagogues  of  other  States,  are  to  us  a 
foreign  body,  representing  only  the  lawless 
invaders  who  elected  them,  and  not  the 
people  of  this  Territory ;  that  we  repudiate 
their  action  as  the  monstrous  consummation 
of  an  act  of  violence,  usurpation  and  fraud 
unparalleled  in  the  history  of  the  Union." 

The  free-State  people  of  Kansas  also  sent 
a  petition  to  the  General  Government,  im- 
ploring its  protection.  Iii  reply  the  Presi- 
dent issued  a  proclamation,  declaring  that 
Legislature  thus  created  must  be  recog- 
nized as  the  legitimate  Legislature  of  I-ian- 
sas,  and  that  its  laws  were  binding  upon 
the  people,  and  that,  if  necessarv,  the  whole 
force  of  the  Governmental  arm  would  be 
put  forth  to  inforce  those  laws. 

James  Buchanan  succeeded  him  in  the 
Presidency,  and,  March  4,  1S57,  President 
Pierce  retired  to  his  home  in  Concord, 
New  Hampshire.  When  the  Rebellion 
burst  forth  Mr.  Pierce  remained  steadfast 
to  the  principles  he  had  always  cherished, 
and  gave  his  sympathies  to  the  pro-slavery 
party,  with  which  he  had  ever  been  allied. 
He  declined  to  do  an\'thing,  eithei"  bv 
voice  or  pen,  to  strengthen  the  hands  ot 
the  National  Government.  He  resided  in 
Concord  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in 
October,  1869.  He  was  one  of  the  most 
genial  and  social  of  men,  generous  to 
a  fault,  and  contributed  liberall)-  of  his 
moderate  means  for  the  alleviation  of  suf- 
fering and  want.  He  was  an  honored 
communicant  of  the  Episcopal  church. 


So 


rnEsrDE.VTS   of   the    united   states. 


PEEkggirsBifeKggr'^KKrKKir^i^Kir^  ^ 


IJIvVA^[Mf5  M  fi^^^T-ri^:(^r,  f| 


~  y.y  -v  A  .^  -v  -v  -v  .t^v:r^^' 


xtcsi^lESi:!: 


-CSift^Ci^iiiK^i^&^'^u 


hi&f^imUi^ii^ii^^Ui^-^^^  f 


•^Y  AMES  BUCHANAN,  the 
'''  "■        fifteenth  President  of  the 


3; 


^.. 


United  States.  1857-61, 
was     born    in    Franklin 
County,  Penns3lvania, 
p       April    23,    1791.      The 
])lacc    where    his  father's 
cabin    stood    was    called 
Stony    Batter,    and   it    was 
situated  in  a  wild,  romantic 
spot,  in  a  goi-ge  of    mount- 
ains,   with    towering   sum- 
mits rising  all  around.     He 
was   of   Irish   ancestry,   his 
father  having  emigrated  in- 
1783,    with   very  little  prop- 
erty, save  his  own  strong  arms. 

James  remained  in  his  secluded  home  for 
eight  years  enjoying  very  few  social  or 
intellectual  advantages.  His  parents  were 
industrious,  frugal,  prosperous  and  intelli- 
gent. In  1799  his  father  removed  to  Mer- 
cersburg,  where  James  was  placed  in 
school  and  commenced  a  course  in  English, 
Greek  and  Latin.  His  progress  was  rapid 
and  in  1801  he  entered  Dickinson  College 
at  Carlisle.  Here  he  took  his  stand  among 
the  first  scholars  in  the  institution,  and  was 
able  to  master  the  most  abstruse  subjects 
with  facility.  In  1809  he  graduated  with 
the  highest  honors  in  his  class. 

He  was  then  eighteen  years  of  age,  tall, 


graceful  and  in  vigorous  health,  fond  of 
athletic  sports,  an  uneiTing  shot  and  en- 
livened with  an  exuberant  flow  of  animal 
spirits.  He  immediately  commenced  the 
study  of  law  in  the  city  of  Lancaster,  and 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1S12.  He  rose 
very  rapidly  in  his  profession  and  at  once 
took  undisputed  stand  with  the  ablest  law- 
3-ers  of  the  State.  When  but  twenty-six 
years  of  age,  unaided  b)'  counsel,  he  suc- 
cessfully defended  before  the  State  Senate 
one  of  the  Judges  of  the  State,  who  was 
tried  upon  articles  of  impeachment  At 
the  age  of  thirty  it  was  generally  admitted 
that  he  stood  at  the  head  of  the  bar,  and 
there  was  no  law3'er  in  the  State  who  had 
a  more  extensive  or  lucrative  practice. 

In  1812,  just  after  Mr.  Buchanan  had 
entered  upon  the  practice  of  the  law,  our 
second  war  with  England  occurred.  With 
all  his  powers  he  sustained  the  Govern- 
ment, eloquently  urging  the  rigorous  pros- 
ecution of  the  war;  and  even  enlisting  as  a 
private  soldier  to  assist  in  repelling  the 
British,  who  had  sacked  Washington  and 
were  threatening  Baltimore.  He  was  at 
that  time  a  Federalist,  but  when  the  Con- 
stitution was  adopted  by  both  parties, 
Jefferson  truly  said,  "  We  are  all  Federal- 
ists; we  are  all  Republicans." 

The  opposition  of  the  Federalists  to  tiic 
war  with  England,  and  the  alien  and   sedi- 


d 


i^'z^ear^ 


y.lMES    BUCHANAN. 


S3 


tion  laws  of  John  Adams,  brought  the  party 
into  dispute,  and  the  name  of  Federalist 
became  a  reproach.  Mr.  Buchanan  almost 
immediately  upon  entering  Congress  began 
to  incline  more  and  more  to  the  Repub- 
licans. In  the  stormy  Presidential  election 
of  1824,  in  which  Jackson,  Cla}-,  Crawford 
and  John  Ouincy  Adams  were  candidates, 
Mr.  Buchanan  espoused  the  cause  of  Gen- 
eral Jackson  and  unrelentingly  opposed  the 
administration  of  Mr.  Adams. 

Upon  his  elevation  to  the  Presidency, 
General  Jackson  appointed  Mr.  Buchanan, 
minister  to  Russia.  Upon  his  return  in  1S33 
he  was  elected  to  a  seat  in  the  United  States 
Senate.  He  there  met  as  his  associates, 
Webster,  Clay,  Wright  and  Calhoun.  He 
advocated  the  measures  proposed  by  Presi- 
dent Jackson  of  making  reprisals  against 
France,  and  defended  the  course  of  the  Pres- 
ident in  his  unprecedented  and  wholesale 
removals  from  office  of  those  who  were  not 
the  supporters  of  his  administration.  Upon 
this  question  he  was  brought  into  direct  col- 
lision with  Henr)-  Clay.  In  the  discussion 
of  the  question  respecting  the  admission  of 
Michigan  and  Arkansas  into  the  Union,  Mr. 
Buchanan  defined  his  position  by  saying: 

"  The  older  I  grow,  the  more  I  am  in- 
clined to  be  what  is  called  a  State-rights 
man." 

M.  de  Tocqueville,  in  his  renowned  work 
upon  "  Democracy  in  America,"  foresaw 
the  trouble  which  was  inevitable  from  the 
doctrine  of  State  sovereignty  as  held  by 
Calhoun  and  Buchanan.  He  was  con- 
vinced that  the  National  Government  was 
losing  that  strength  which  was  essential 
to  its  own  existence,  and  that  the  States 
were  assuming  powers  which  threatened 
the  perpetuity  of  the  Union.  Mr.  Buchanan 
received  the  book  in  the  Senate  and  de- 
clared the  fears  of  De  Tocqueville  to  be 
groundless,  and  yet  he  lived  to  sit  in  the 
Presidential  chair  and  see  State  after  State, 
in  accordance  with  his  own  views  of  State 


rights,  breaking  from  the  Union,  thus 
crumbling  our  Republic  into  ruins;  while 
the  unhappy  old  man  folded  his  arms  in 
despair,  declaring  that  the  National  Consti- 
tution invested  him  with  no  power  to  arrest 
the  destruction. 

Upon  Mr.  Polk's  accession  to  the  Presi- 
dency, Mr.  Buchanan  became  Secretary  of 
State,  and  as  such  took  his  share  of  the 
responsibility  in  the  conduct  of  the  Mexi- 
can war.  At  the  close  of  Mr.  Polk's  ad- 
ministi-ation,  Mr.  Buchanan  retired  to  pri- 
vate life;  but  his  intelligence,  and  his  great 
ability  as  a  statesman,  enabled  him  to  exert 
a  powerful  influence  in  National  affairs. 

Mr.  Pierce,  upon  his  election  to  the 
Presidency,  honored  Mr.  Buchanan  with 
the  mission  to  England.  In  the  year  1856 
the  National  Democratic  convention  nomi- 
nated Mr.  Buchanan  for  the  Presidency. 
The  political  conflict  was  one  of  the  most 
severe  in  which  our  country  has  ever  en- 
gaged. On  the  4th  of  March,  1857,  Mr. 
Buchanan  was  inaugurated  President.  His 
cabinet  were  Lewis  Cass,  Howell  Cobb, 
J.  B.  Floyd,  Isaac  Toucey,  Jacob  Thomp- 
son,  A.  V.  Brown  and   J.   S.  Black. 

The  disruption  of  the  Democratic  party, 
in  consequence  of  the  manner  in  which  the 
issue  of  the  nationality  of  slavery  was 
pressed  by  the  Southern  wing,  occurred  at 
the  National  convention,  held  at  Cliarleston 
in  April,  i860,  for  the  nomination  of  Mr. 
Buchanan's  successor,  when  the  majorit}^ 
of  Southern  delegates  withdrew  upon  the 
passage  of  a  resolution  declaring  that  the 
constitutional  status  of  slavery  should  be 
determined  by  the  Supreme  Court. 

In  the  next  Presidential  canvass  Abra- 
ham Lincoln  was  nominated  by  the  oppo- 
nents of  Mr.  Buchanan's  administration. 
Mr.  Buchanan  remained  in  Washington 
long  enough  to  see  his  successor  installed 
and  then  retired  to  his  home  in  Wheatland. 
He  died  June  i,  1868,  aged  seventy-seven 
years. 


84 


PliE^/DENTS     OF     THE     UXITED    STATES. 


i,%  B  R  fl  H  A  ivi:  LIN  CD  L  N  J 

2^i?iC^""  Nt-  •:-  *5  ■!■  **»  -I-  itfl  -I- ©SicjaT-a^as)  ■'•  «**  •'■  *iSi  -t- " e^^  -w 'i^' ""v^^- 


BRAHAM  LIN- 
COLN,  the  sixteentli 
President  of  the 
United  States,  i86i-'5, 
was  born  February 
12,  1809,  in  Larue 
(then  Hardin)  County, 
Kentucky,  in  a  cabin  on  Nolan 
Creek,  three  miles  west  of 
Hudgensville.  His  parents 
w  ere  Thomas  and  Nancy 
(Hanks)  Lincoln.  Of  his  an- 
cestry and  early  years  the  little 
"^^^  that  is  known  may  best  be 
given  in  his  own  language  :  "  My 
parents  were  both  born  in  Virginia,  of  un- 
distinguished families — second  families,  per- 
haps I  should  say.  M3'  mother,  who  died 
in  my  tenth  year,  was  of  a  family  o[  the 
name  of  Hanks,  some  of  whom  now  remain 
in  Adams,  and  others  in  Macon  County, 
Illinois.  My  paterna'  grandfather,  Abra- 
ham Lincoln,  emigrated  from  Rockbridge 
County,  Virginia,  to  Kentucky  in  1781  or 
1782,  where,  a  3'ear  or  two  later,  he  was 
killed  by  Indians — not  in  battle,  but  b)^ 
Stealth,  when  he  was  laboring  to  open  a 
<rfarm  in  the  forest.  His  ancestors,  who  were 
Quakers,  went  to  Virginia  from  Berks 
County,  Pennsylvania.     An  effort  to  iden- 


tify them  with  the  New  England  family  of 
the  same  name  ended  in  nothing  more  defi- 
nite than  a  similarity  of  Christian  names  in 
both  families,  such  as  Enoch,  Levi,  Mor- 
decai,  Solomon,  Abraham  and  the  like. 
M}'  father,  at  the  death  of  his  father,  was 
but  si.x  years  of  age,  and  he  grew  up,  liter- 
ally, without  education.  He  removed  from 
Kentucky  to  what  is  now  Spencer  County, 
Indiana,  in  my  eighth  year.  We  reached 
our  new  home  about  the  time  the  State  came 
into  the  Union.  It  was  a  wild  region,  with 
bears  and  other  wild  animals  still  in  the 
woods.     There  I  grew  to  manhood. 

"  There  were  some  schools,  so  called,  but 
no  qualitication  was  ever  required  of  a 
teacher  bevond  '  readin',  writin',  and  cijiher- 
in'  to  the  rule  of  three.'  If  a  straggler,  sup- 
posed to  understand  Latin,  happened  to 
sojourn  in  the  neighborhood,  he  was  looked 
upon  as  a  wizard.  There  was  absolutely 
nothing  to  excite  ambition  for  education. 
Of  course,  when  I  came  of  age  I  did  not 
know  much.  Still,  somehow,  I  could  read, 
write  and  cipher  to  the  rule  of  three,  and 
that  was  all.  I  have  not  been  to  school 
since.  The  little  advance  I  now  have  upon 
this  store  of  education  I  have  picked  up 
from  time  to  time  under  the  pressure  of 
necessity.    I  was  raised  to  farm-work,  which 


-,-^      ^g-f 


Qy^/^'OL^^^f:-cr'^^ 


jlBRAHAM    LI.\C'>LX. 


87 


I  continued  till  I  was  t\vent3'-two.  At 
twent^'-one  I  came  to  Illinois  and  passed 
the  first  year  in  Macon  County.  Then  I  got 
to  New  Salem,  at  that  time  in  Sangamon, 
now  in  Menard  County,  where  I  remained 
a  year  as  a  sort  of  clerk  in  a  store. 

"  Then  came  the  Black  Hawk  war,  and  I 
was  elected  a  Captain  of  volunteers — a  suc- 
cess which  gave  me  more  pleasure  than  any 
I  have  had  since.  I  went  the  campaign, 
was  elated  ;  ran  for  the  Legislature  the 
same  year  (1832)  and  was  beaten,  the  onl}- 
time  I  have  ever  been  beaten  by  the  people. 
The  next  and  three  succeeding  biennial 
elections  I  was  elected  to  the  Legislature, 
and  was  never  a  candidate  afterward. 

"  During  this  legislative  period  I  had 
studied  law,  and  removed  to  .Springfield  to 
practice  it.  In  1846  I  was  ^elected  to  the 
Lower  House  of  Congress ;  was  not  a  can- 
didate for  re-election.  From  1849  to  1854- 
inclusive,  I  practiced  the  law  more  assid- 
uously than  ever  before.  Always  a  Whig 
in  politics,  and  generally  on  the  Whig  elec- 
toral tickets,  making  active  canvasses,  I  was 
losing  interest  in  politics,  when  the  repeal 
of  the  Missouri  Compromise  roused  me 
again.  What  I  have  done  since  is  pretty 
well  known." 

The  early  residence  of  Lincoln  in  Indi- 
ana was  sixteen  miles  north  of  the  Ohio 
River,  on  Little  Pigeon  Creek,  one  and  a 
half  miles  east  of  Gentry  ville,  within  the 
present  township  of  Carter.  Here  his 
mother  died  October  5,  1818,  and  the  next 
year  his  father  married  Mrs.  Sally  (Bush) 
Johnston,  of  Elizabethtown,  Kentucky.  She 
was  an  affectionate  foster-parent,  to  whom 
Abraham  was  indebted  for  his  first  encour- 
agement to  stud}'.  He  became  an  eager 
reader,  and  the  few  books  owned  in  the 
vicinity  were  many  times  perused.  He 
worked  frequently  for  the  neighbors  as  a 
farm  laborer ;  was  for  some  time  clerk  in  a 
store  at  Gentry  ville;  and  became  famous 
throughout   that    region    for   his   athletic 


powers,  his  fondness  for  argument,  his  in- 
exhaustible fund  of  humerous  anecdote,  as 
well  as  for  mock  oratory  and  the  composi- 
tion of  rude  satirical  verses.  In  1828  he 
made  a  trading  voyage  to  New  Orleans  as 
"bow-hand"  on  a  flatboat;  removed  to 
Illinois  in  1830;  helped  his  father  build  a 
log  house  and  clear  a  farm  on  the  north 
fork  of  Sangamon  River,  ten  miles  west  of 
Decatur,  and  was  for  some  time  employed 
in  splitting  rails  for  the  fences — a  fact  which 
was  prominentl}'  brought  forward  for  a 
political  purpose  thirty  years  later. 

In  the  spring  of  1851  he,  with  two  of  his 
relatives,  was  hired  to  build  a  flatboat  on 
the  Sangamon  River  and  navigate  it  to 
New  Orleans.  The  boat  "stuck"  on  a 
mill-dam,  and  was  got  off  with  great  labor 
through  an  ingenious  mechanical  device 
which  some  years  later  led  to  Lincoln's 
taking  out  a  patent  for  "an  improved 
method  for  lifting  vessels  over  shoals." 
This  voyage  was  memorable  for  another 
reason — the  sight  of  slaves  chained,  mal- 
treated and  flogged  at  New  Orleans  was 
the  origin  of  his  deep  convictions  upon  the 
slavery  question. 

Returning  from  this  vo3-age  he  became  a 
resident  for  several  years  at  New  Salem,  a 
recently  settled  village  on  the  Sangamon, 
where  he  was  successively  a  clerk,  grocer, 
surveyor  and  postmaster,  and  acted  as  pilot 
to  the  first  steamboat  that  ascended  the 
Sangamon.  Here  he  studied  law,  inter- 
ested himself  in  local  politics  after  his 
return  from  the  Black  Hawk  war,  and 
became  known  as  an  effective  "stump- 
speaker."  The  subject  of  liis  first  political 
speech  was  the  improvement  of  the  channel 
of  the  Sangamon,  and  the  chief  ground  on 
which  he  announced  himself  (1832)  a  candi- 
date for  the  Legislature  was  his  advocacy 
of  this  popular  measure,  on  which  subject 
his  practical  experience  made  him  the  high- 
est authority. 

Elected  to  the  Legislature  in   1834  as  a 


88 


P/if-:S/DE\TS     OF     THE     UNITED    STATES. 


"  Henry  Clay  Whig,"  he  rapidly  acquired 
that  command  of  language  and  that  homely 
but  forcible  rhetoric  which,  added  to  his 
intimate  knowledge  of  the  people  from 
which  he  sprang,  made  him  more  than  a 
match  in  debate  for  his  few  well-educated 
opponents. 

Admitted  to  the  bar  in  1S37  he  soon 
established  himself  at  Springfield,  where 
the  State  capital  was  located  in  1839, 
largely  through  his  influence;  became  a 
successful  pleader  in  the  State,  Circuit  and 
District  Courts  ;  married  in  1842  a  lady  be- 
longing to  a  prominent  famil_y  in  Lexington, 
Kentucky;  took  an  active  part  in  the  Pres- 
idential campaigns  of  1840  and  1844  as 
candidate  for  elector  on  the  Harrison  and 
Clay  tickets,  and  in  1846  was  elected  to  the 
United  States  House  of  Representatives 
over  the  celebrated  Peter  Cartwright. 
During  his  single  term  in  Congress  he  did 
not  attain  any  prominence. 

He  voted  for  the  reception  of  anti-slavery 
petitions  for  the  abolition  of  the  slave  trade 
in  the  District  of  Columbia  and  for  the 
Wilmot  proviso;  but  was  chiefly  remem- 
bered for  the  stand  he  took  against  the 
Mexican  war.  For  several  years  there- 
after he  took  comparatively  little  interest 
in  politics,  but  gained  a  leading  position  at 
tiie  Springfield  bar.  Two  or  three  non- 
political  lectures  and  an  eulogy  on  Henry 
Clay  (1852)  added  nothing  to  his  reputation. 

In  1854  the  repeal  of  the  Missouri 
Compromise  by  the  Kansas-Nebraska  act 
aroused  Lincoln  from  his  indifference,  and 
in  attacking  that  measure  he  had  the  im- 
mense advantage  of  knowing  perfectly  well 
the  motives  and  the  record  of  its  author, 
Stephen  A.  Douglas,  of  Illinois,  then  popu- 
larly designated  as  the  "  Little  Giant."  The 
latter  came  to  Springfield  in  October,  1854, 
on  the  occasion  of  the  State  Fair,  to  vindi- 
cate his  policy  in  the  Senate,  and  the  "  Anti- 
Nebraska"  Whigs,  remembering  that  Lin- 
coln had  often  measured  his  strength  with 


Douglas  in  the  Illinois  Legislature  and  be- 
fore the  Springfield  Courts,  engaged  him 
to  improvise  a  reply.  This  speech,  in  the 
opinion  of  those  who  heard  it,  was  one  of 
the  greatest  efforts  of  Lincoln's  life  ;  cer- 
tainl}'  the  most  effective  in  his  whole  career. 
It  took  the  audience  by  storm,  and  from 
that  moment  it  was  felt  that  Douglas  had 
met  his  match.  Lincoln  was  accordingly 
selected  as  the  Anti-Nebraska  candidate  for 
the  United  States  Senate  in  place  of  General 
Shields,  whose  term  expired  March  4,  1855, 
and  led  to  several  ballots;  but  Trumbull 
was  ultimatel}-  chosen. 

The  second  conflict  on  the  soil  of  Kan- 
sas, which  Lincoln  had  predicted,  soon  be- 
gan. The  result  was  the  disruption  of  the 
Whig  and  the  formation  of  the  Republican 
party.  At  the  Bloomington  State  Conven- 
tion in  1856,  where  the  new  party  first 
assumed  form  in  Illinois,  Lincoln  made  an 
impressive  address,  in  which  for  the  first 
time  he  took  distinctive  ground  against 
slavery  in  itself. 

At  the  National  Republican  Convention 
at  Philadelphia,  June  17,  after  the  nomi- 
nation of  Fremont,  Lincoln  was  put  for- 
ward by  the  Illinois  delegation  for  the 
Vice-Presidency,  and  received  on  tlie  first 
ballot  no  votes  against  259  for  William  L 
Dayton.  He  took  a  prominent  part  in  the 
canvass,  being  on  the  electoral  ticket. 

In  1858  Lincoln  was  unanimously  nomi- 
nated by  the  Republican  State  Convention 
as  its  candidate  for  the  United  States  Senate 
in  place  of  Douglas,  and  in  his  speech  of 
acceptance  used  the  celebrated  illustration 
of  a  "house  divided  against  itself'  on  the 
slavery  question,  which  was,  perhaps,  the 
cause  of  his  defeat.  The  great  debate  car- 
ried on  at  all  the  principal  towns  of  Illinois 
between  Lincoln  and  Douglas  as  rival  Sena- 
torial candidates  resulted  at  the  time  in  the 
election  of  the  latter ;  but  being  widely  cir- 
culated as  a  campaign  document,  it  fixed 
the    attention   of    the    country    upon    the 


ABRAHAM    LINCOLN. 


89 


former,  as  the  clearest  and  most  convinc- 
ing exponent  of  Republican  doctrine. 

Early  in  1859  he  began  to  be  named  in 
Illinois  as  a  suitable  Republican  candidate 
for  the  Presidential  campaign  of  the  ensu- 
ing year,  and  a  political  address 'delivered 
at  the  Cooper  Institute,  New  York,  Febru- 
ary 27,  i860,  followed  by  similar  speeches 
at  New  Haven,  Hartford  and  elsewhere  in 
New  England,  first  made  him  known  to  the 
Eastern  States  in  the  light  by  which  he  had 
long  been  regarded  at  home.  By  the  Re- 
publican State  Convention,  which  met  at 
Decatur,  lUinois,  May  9  and  10,  Lincoln 
was  unanimously  endorsed  for  the  Presi- 
dency. It  was  on  this  occasion  that  two 
rails,  said  to  have  been  split  by  his  hands 
thirty  years  before,  were  brought  into  the 
convention,  and  the  incident  contributed 
much  to  his  popularity.  The  National 
Republican  Convention  at  Chicago,  after 
spirited  efforts  made  in  favor  of  Seward, 
Chase  and  Bates,  nominated  Lincoln  for 
the  Presidency,  with  Hannibal  Hamlin 
for  Vice-President,  at  the  same  time  adopt- 
ing a  vigorous  anti-slavery  platform. 

The  Democratic  party  having  been  dis- 
organized and  presenting  two  candidates, 
Douglas  and  Breckenridge,  and  the  rem- 
nant of  the  "American"  party  having  put 
forward  John  Bell,  of  Tennessee,  the  Re- 
publican victory  was  an  easy  one,  Lincoln 
being  elected  November  6  by  a  large  plu- 
rality, comprehending  nearly  all  the  North- 
ern States,  but  none  of  the  Southern.  The 
secession  of  South  Carolina  and  the  Gulf 
States  was  the  immediate  result,  followed 
a  few  months  later  by  that  of  the  border 
slave  States  and  the  outbreak  of  the  great 
civil  war. 

The  life  of  Abraham  Lincoln  became 
thenceforth  merged  in  the  history  of  his 
country.  None  of  the  details  of  the  vast 
conflict  which  filled  the  remainder  of  Lin- 
coln's life  can  here  be  given.  Narrowly 
escaping  assassination   by  avoiding  Balti- 


more on  his  way  to  the  capital,  he  reached 
Washington  February  23,  and  was  inaugu- 
rated President  of  the  United  States  March 
4,  1 86 1. 

In  his  inaugural  address  he  said:  "  I  hold, 
that  in  contemplation  of  universal  law  and 
the  Constitution  the  Union  of  these  States  is 
perpetual.  Perpetuity  is  implied  if  not  ex- 
pressed in  the  fundamental  laws  of  all  na- 
tional governments.  It  is  safe  to  assert 
that  no  government  proper  ever  had  a  pro- 
vision in  its  organic  law  for  its  own  termi- 
nation. I  therefore  consider  that  in  view 
of  the  Constitution  and  the  laws,  the  Union 
is  unbroken,  and  to  the  extent  of  my  ability 
I  shall  take  care,  as  the  Constitution  en- 
joins upon  me,  that  the  laws  of  the  United 
States  be  extended  in  all  the  States.  In 
doing  this  there  need  be  no  bloodshed  or  vio- 
lence, and  there  shall  be  none  unless  it  be 
forced  upon  the  national  authority.  The 
power  conferred  to  me  will  be  used  to  hold, 
occupy  and  possess  the  property  and  places 
belonging  to  the  Government,  and  to  col- 
lect the  duties  and  imports,  but  beyond 
what  may  be  necessary  for  these  objects 
there  will  be  no  invasion,  no  usina-  of  force 
against  or  among  the  people  anywhere.  In 
your  hands,  my  dissatisfied  fellow-country- 
men, is  the  momentous  issue  of  civil  war. 
The  Government  will  not  assail  you.  You 
can  have  no  conflict  without  being  your- 
selves the  aggressors.  You  have  no  oath 
registered  in  heaven  to  destroy  the  Gov- 
ernment, while  I  shall  have  the  most  sol- 
emn one  to  preserve,  protect  and  defend 
it." 

He  called  to  his  cabinet  his  principal 
rivals  for  the  Presidential  nomination  — 
Seward,  Chase,  Cameron  and  Bates;  se- 
cured the  co-operation  of  the  Union  Demo- 
crats, headed  by  Douglas  ;  called  out  75,000 
militia  from  the  several  States  upon  the  first 
tidings  of  the  bombardment  of  Fort  Sumter, 
April  15;  proclaimed  a  blockade  of  the 
Southern  posts  April   19;  called  an  extra 


go 


PJiES/DEiVrS    OF    THE     UN/TED    STATES. 


session  of  Congress  for  July  4,  from  which 
he  asked  and  obtained  400,000  men  and 
$400,000,000  for  the  war;  placed  McClellan 
at  the  head  of  the  Federal  army  on  General 
Scott's  resignation,  October  31;  appointed 
Edwin  M.  Stanton  Secretary  of  War,  Jan- 
uary 14,  1862,  and  September  22,  1862, 
issued  a  proclamation  declaring  the  free- 
dom of  all  slaves  in  the  States  and  parts  of 
States  then  in  rebellion  from  and  after 
January  i,  1863.  This  was  the  crowning 
act  of  Lincoln's  career — the  act  by  which 
he  will  be  chiefly  known  through  all  future 
time — and  it  decided  the  war. 

October  16, 1863,  President  Lincoln  called 
for  300,000  volunteers  to  replace  those 
whose  term  of  enlistment  had  expired ; 
made  a  celebrated  and  touching,  though 
brief,  address  at  the  dedication  of  the 
Gett3^sburg  military  cemetery,  November 
19,  1863;  commissioned  Ulysses  S.  Grant 
Lieutenant-General  and  Commander-in- 
Chief  of  the  armies  of  the  United  States, 
March  9,  1864;  was  reelected  President  in 
November  of  the  same  year,  by  a  large 
majoritv  over  General  McClellan,  with 
Andrew  Johnson,  of  Tennessee,  as  Vice- 
President;  delivered  a  ver}-  remarkable  ad- 
dress at  his  second  inauguration,  March  4, 
1865;  visited  the  army  before  Richmond  the 
same  month;  entered  the  capital  of  the  Con- 
federacy the  day  after  its  fall,  and  upon  the 
surrender  of  General  Robert  E.  Lee's  army, 
April  9,  was  actively  engaged  in  devising 
generous  plans  for  the  reconstruction  of  the 
Union,  when,  on  the  evening  of  Good  Fri- 
day, April  14,  he  was  shot  in  his  box  at 
Ford's  Theatre,  Washington,  byjohn  Wilkes 
Booth,  a  fanatical  actor,  and  expired  earl}' 
on  the  following  morning,  April  15.  Al- 
most simultaneously  a  murderous  attack 
was  made  upon  William  H.  Seward,  Secre- 
tary of  State. 

At  noon  on  the   15th  of  April  Andrew 


Johnson  assumed  the  Presidency,  and  active 
measures  were  taken  which  resulted  in  the 
death  of  Booth  and  the  execution  of  his 
principal  accomplices. 

The  funeral  of  President  Lincoln  was 
conducted  with  unexampled  solemnity  and 
magnificence.  Impressive  services  were 
held  in  Washington,  after  which  the  sad 
procession  proceeded  over  the  same  route 
he  had  traveled  four  years  before,  from 
Springfield  to  Washington.  In  Philadel- 
phia his  body  lay  in  state  in  Independence 
Hall,  in  which  he  had  declared  before  his 
first  inauguration  "that  I  would  sooner  be 
assassinated  than  to  give  up  the  principles 
of  the  Declaration  of  Independence."  He 
was  buried  at  Oak  Ridge  Cemetery,  near 
Springfield,  Illinois,  on  ISIay  4,  where  a 
monument  emblematic  of  the  emancipation 
of  the  slaves  and  the  restoration  of  the 
Union  mark  his  resting  place. 

The  leaders  and  citizens  of  the  expiring 
Confederacy  expressed  genuine  indignation 
at  the  murder  of  a  generous  political  adver- 
sary. Foreign  nations  took  part  in  mourn- 
ing the  death  of  a  statesman  who  had  proved 
himself  a  true  representative  of  American 
nationality.  The  freedmen  of  the  South 
almost  worshiped  the  memor}-  of  their  de- 
liverer; and  the  general  sentiment  of  the 
ereat  Nation  he  had  saved  awarded  him  a 
place  in  its  affections,  second  only  to  that 
held  by  Washington. 

The  characteristics  of  Abraham  Lincoln 
have  been  familiarly  known  throughout  the 
civilized  world.  His  tall,  g;iunt,  ungainly 
figure,  homely  countenance,  and  his  shrewd 
mother-wit,  shown  in  his  celebrated  con- 
versations overflowing  in  humorous  and 
pointed  anecdote,  combined  with  an  accu- 
rate, intuitive  appreciation  of  the  questions 
of  the  time,  are  recognized  as  forming  the 
best  tvpe  of  a  period  of  American  historv 
now  rapidly  passing  away. 


ANDREW     JOHNSON. 


93 


■»-^*^  -j-^^t^'*- 


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EHHBaBaHHmHHHaaa^aHHgasHgH^eHFj^ggE 


>^*c^ 


'nDREW  JOHNSON, 
the  seventeenth  Presi- 
dent of  the   United 
States,    1 865-9,    was 
born  at  Raleigh, 
North  Carolina,  De- 
c  e  m  b  e  r  29,    1808. 
His  father  died  when 
he  was  four  years  old,  and  in 
his  eleventh  3-ear  he    was  ap- 
prenticed to  a  tailor.     He  nev- 
er  attended   school,    and    did 
not  learn  to  read  until  late  in 
his    apprenticeship,    when     he 
suddenly  acquired  a  passion  for 
obtaining  knowledge,  and  devoted 
all  his  spare  time  to  reading. 

After  working  two  years  as  a  journey- 
man tailor  at  Lauren's  Court-House,  South 
Carolina,  he  removed,  in  1836,  to  Green- 
ville, Tennessee,  where  he  worked  at  his 
trade  and  married.  Under  his  wife's  in- 
structions he  made  rapid  progress  in  his 
education,  and  manifested  such  an  intelli- 
gent interest  in  local  politics  as  to  be 
elected  as  "  workingmen's  candidate"  al- 
derman, in  1828,  and  mayor  in  1830,  being 
twice  re-elected  to  each  office. 

During  this  period  he  cultivated  his  tal- 
ents as  a  public  speaker  by  taking  part  in  a 


debating  society,  consisting  largely  of  stu- 
dents of  Greenville  College.  In  1835,  and 
again  in  1839,  he  was  chosen  to  the  lower 
house  of  the  Legislature,  as  a  Democrat. 
\n  1 841  he  was  elected  State  Senator,  and 
in  1843,  Representative  in  Congress,  being 
re-elected  four  successive  periods,  until 
1853,  when  he  was  chosen  Governor  of 
Tennessee.  In  Congress  he  supported  the 
administrations  of  Tyler  and  Polk  in  their 
chief  measures,  especially  the  annexation 
of  Texas,  the  adjustment  of  the  Oregon 
boundary,  the  Mexican  war,  and  the  tariff 
of  1846. 

In  1S55  Mr.  Johnson  was  re  elected  Gov- 
ernor, and  in  1S57  entered  the  United 
States  Senate,  wiiere  he  was  conspicuous 
as  an  advocate  of  retrenchment  and  of  the 
Homestead  bill,  and  as  an  opponent  of  the 
Pacific  Railroad.  He  was  supported  by  the 
Tennessee  delegation  to  the  Democratic 
convention  in  i860  for  the  Presidential 
nomination,  and  lent  his  influence  to  the 
Breckenridge  wing  of  that  partv. 

When  the  election  of  Lincoln  had 
brought  about  the  first  attempt  at  secession 
in  December,  i860,  Johnson  took  in  the 
Senate  a  firm  attitude  for  the  Union,  and 
in  May,  1861,  on  returning  to  Tennessee, 
he  was  in  imminent  peril  of  suffering  from 


94 


PliES/DEXTS     OF     THE     UNITED    STATES. 


popular  violence  for  his  loyalty  to  the  "  old 
flag."  He  was  the  leader  of  the  Loyalists' 
convention  of  East  Tennessee,  and  during 
the  following  winter  was  very  active  in  or- 
ganizing relief  for  the  destitute  loyal  refu- 
gees from  that  region,  his  own  family  being 
among  those  compelled  to  leave. 

Bv  his  course  in  this  crisis  Johnson  came 
prominently  before  the  Northern  public, 
and  when  in  March,  1863,  he  was  appointed 
bv  President  Lincoln  military  Governor  of 
Tennessee,  with  the  rank  <A  Brigadier-Gen- 
eral, he  increased  in  popularity  by  the  vig- 
orous and  successful  manner  in  v.-liich  he 
labored  to  restore  order,  protect  Union 
men  and  punish  marauders.  On  the  ap- 
proach of  the  Presidential  campaign  of  1864, 
the  termination  of  the  war  being  plainl}^ 
foreseen,  and  several  Southern  States  being 
partially  reconstructed,  it  was  felt  that  the 
Vice-Presidency  should  be  given  to  a  South- 
ern man  of  conspicuous  loyalty,  and  Gov- 
ernor Johnson  was  elected  on  the  same 
platform  and  ticket  as  President  Lincoln; 
and  on  the  assassination  of  the  latter  suc- 
ceeded to  the  Presidenc}-,  April  15,  1865. 
In  a  public  speech  two  days  later  he  said: 
"The  American  people  must  be  taught,  if 
they  do  not  already  feel,  that  treason  is  a 
crime  and  must  be  punished;  that  the  Gov- 
ernment will  not  always  bear  with  its  ene- 
mies; that  it  is  strong,  not  only  to  protect, 
but  to  punish.  In  our  peaceful  history 
treason  has  been  almost  imknown.  The 
people  must  understand  that  it  is  the  black- 
est of  crimes,  and  will  be  punished."  He 
then  added  the  ominous  sentence:  "  In  re- 
gard to  my  future  course,  I  make  no  prom- 
ises, no  pledges."  President  Johnson  re- 
tained the  cabinet  of  Lincoln,  and  exhibited 
considerable  severity  toward  traitors  in  his 
earlier  acts  and  speeches,  but  he  soon  inaug- 
urated a  policy  of  reconstruction,  proclaim- 
ing a  general  amnesty  to  the  late  Confeder- 
ates, and  successively  establishing  provis- 
ional Governments  in  the  Southern  States. 


These  States  accordingly  claimed  represen- 
tation in  Congress  in  the  following  Decem- 
ber, and  the  momentous  question  of  what 
should  be  the  policy  of  the  victorious  Union 
toward  its  late  armed  o|)poneiits  was  forced 
upon  that  body. 

Two  considerations  impelled  the  Repub- 
lican majoritv  to  reject  the  policv  of  Prcsi. 
dent  Johnson:  First,  an  apprehension  that 
the  chief  magistrate  intended  to  undo  the  re- 
sults of  the  war  in  regard  to  slaverv;  and, sec- 
ond, the  sullen  attitude  of  the  South,  which 
seemed  to  be  plotting  to  regain  the  policy 
which  arms  had  lost.  The  credentials  of  the 
Southern  members  elect  were  laid  on  the 
table,  a  civil  rights  bill  and  a  bill  extending 
the  sphere  of  the  Freed  men's  Bureau  were 
passed  over  the  executive  veto,  and  the  two 
highest  branches  of  the  Government  were 
soon  in  open  antagonism.  The  action  of 
Congress  was  characterized  by  the  Presi- 
dent as  a  "  new  rebellion."  In  July  the 
cabinet  was  reconstructed,  Messrs.  Randall, 
Stanbury  and  Browning  taking  the  places 
of  Messrs.  Denison,  Speed  and  Harlan,  and 
an  unsuccessful  attempt  was  made  by 
means  of  a  general  convention  in  Philadel- 
phia to  form  a  new  party  on  the  basis  of  the 
administration  policy. 

In  an  excursion  to  Chicago  for  the  pur- 
pose of  laying  a  corner-stone  of  the  monu- 
ment to  Stephen  A.  Douglas,  President 
Johnson,  accompanied  by  several  members 
of  the  cabinet,  passed  through  Philadelphia, 
New  York  and  Albany,  in  each  of  which 
cities,  and  in  other  places  along  the  route, 
he  made  speeches  justifying  and  explaining 
his  own  policy,  and  violently  denoimcing 
the  action  of  Congress. 

August  12,  1867,  President  Johnson  re- 
moved the  Secretary  of  War,  replacing 
him  by  General  Grant.  Secretary  Stanton 
retired  under  protest,  based  upon  the  ten- 
ure-of-office  act  which  had  been  passed  the 
preceding  March.  The  President  then  is- 
sued a  proclamation  declaring  the  insurrec- 


ANDREW    JOHNSON. 


95 


tion  at  an  end,  and  that  "  peace,  order,  tran- 
quility and  civil  authority  existed  in  and 
throughout  the  United  States."  Another 
proclamation  enjoined  obedience  to  the 
Constitution  and  the  laws,  and  an  amnesty 
was  published  September  7,  relieving  nearly 
all  the  participants  in  the  late  Rebellion 
from  the  disabilities  thereb}'  incurred,  on 
condition  of  taking  the  oath  to  support  the 
Constitution  and  the  laws. 

In  December  Congress  refused  to  confirm 
the  removal  of  Secretary  Stanton,  who 
thereupon  resumed  the  exercise  of  his  of- 
fice; but  February  21,  1868,  President 
Johnson  again  attempted  to  remove  him, 
appointing  General  Lorenzo  Thomas  in  his 
place.  Stanton  refused  to  vacate  his  post, 
and  was  sustained  by  the  Senate. 

February  24  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives voted  to  impeach  the  President  for 
"  high  crime  and  misdemeanors,"  and  March 
5  presented  eleven  articles  of  impeachment 
on  the  ground  of  his  resistance  to  the  exe- 
cution of  the  acts  of  Congress,  alleging,  in 
addition  to  the  offense  lately  committed, 
his  public  expressions  of  contempt  for  Con- 
gress, in  "  certain  intemperate,  inflamma- 
tory and  scandalous  harangues''  pronounced 
in  August  and  September,  1866,  and  there- 
after declaring  that  the  Thirty-ninth  Con- 
gress of  the  United  States  was  not  a 
competent  legislative  body,_  and  denying 
its  power  to  propose  Constitutional  amend- 
ments. March  23  the  impeachment  trial 
began,  the  President  appearing  by  counsel, 
and  resulted  in  acquittal,  the  vote  lacking 


one  of  the  two-thirds  vote  required  for 
conviction. 

The  remainder  of  President  Johnson's 
term  of  office  was  passed  without  any  such 
conflicts  as  might  have  been  anticipated. 
He  failed  to  obtain  a  nomination  for  re- 
election by  the  Democratic  party,  though 
receiving  sixty-five  votes  on  the  first  ballot. 
July  4  and  December  25  new  proclamations 
of  pardon  to  the  participants  in  the  late 
Rebellion  were  issuec*,  but  ,were  of  little 
effect.  On  the  accession  of  General  Grant 
to  the  Presidency,  March  4,  1869,  Johnson 
returned  to  Greenville,  Tennessee.  Unsuc- 
cessful in  1870  and  1872  as  a  candidate  re- 
spectively for  United  States  Senator  and 
Representative,  he  was  finally  elected  to  the 
Senate  in  1S75,  and  took  his  seat  in  the  extra 
session  of  March,  in  which  his  speeches 
were  comparatively  temperate.  He  died 
July  31,  1875,  and  was  buried  at  Green- 
ville. 

President  Johnson's  administration  was  a 
peculiarly  unfortunate  one.  That  he  should 
so  soon  become  involved  in  bitter  feud  with 
the  Republican  majority  in  Congress  was 
certainly  a  surprising  and  deplorable  inci- 
dent; yet,  in  reviewing  the  circumstances 
after  a  lapse  of  so  many  years,  it  is  easy  to 
find  ample  room  for  a  charitable  judgment 
of  both  the  parties  in  the  heated  contro- 
versy, since  it  cannot  be  doubted  that  any 
President,  even  Lincoln  himself,  had  he 
lived,  must  have  sacrificed  a  large  portion 
of  his  popularity  in  carrying  out  any  pos- 
sible  scheme  of  reconstruction. 


96 


PliLSIDENTS     OF    THE     UNITED    STATES. 


1*    .^ 


ntit^wi  ■■  ■■  11  11  11  II  »»  ■■  11  ji  »i  11  ■!  n  ■■  ■■  ■!  »■  »■  ij  n  I]  ij  n  n  n  II  .1  ..n^^.i 


LVSSES   SIMPSON 
GRANT,    the    eight- 
eenth President  of  the 
United  States,  i%6g-jj, 
was  born  April  27,  1822, 
>  ^^        at  Point  Pleasant, 
"i^       Clermont     County, 
Oliio.    His  father  was  of  Scotch 


descent,  and  a  dealer  in  leather. 
At  the  age  of  seventeen  he  en- 
tered the  Military  Academy  at 
West  Point,  and  four  years  later 
graduated  twenty-first  in  a  class 
of  thirty-nine,  receiving  the 
commission  of  Brevet  Second 
Lieutenant.  He  was  assigned 
to  the  Fourth  Infantry  and  re- 
mained in  the  army  eleven  years.  He  was 
engaged  in  every  battle  of  the  Mexican  war 
except  that  of  Buena  Vista,  and  received 
two  brevets  for  gallantr}'. 

In  1848  Mr.  Grant  married  Julia, daughter 
of  Frederick  Dent,  a  prominent  merchant  of 
St.  Louis,  and  in  1854,  having  reached  the 
grade  of  Captain,  he  resigned  his  commis- 
sion in  the  army.  For  several  3'ears  he  fol- 
lowed farming  near  St.  Louis,  but  unsuc- 
cessfull}- ;  and  in  i860  he  entered  the  leather 
trade  with  his  father  at  Galena,  Illinois. 

When  the  civil  war  broke  out  in  1861, 
Grant  was  thirty-nine  years  of  age,  but  en- 
tirely unknown  to  public  men  and  without 


any  personal  acquaintance  with  great  affairs. 
President  Lincoln's  first  call  for  troops  was 
made  on  the  15th  of  April,  and  on  the  19th 
Grant  was  drilling  a  company  of  volunteers 
at  Galena.  He  also  offered  his  services  to 
the  Adjutant-General  of  the  army,  but  re- 
ceived no  reply.  The  Governor  of  Illinois, 
however,  emp!o3'ed  him  in  the  organization 
of  volunteer  troops,  and  at  the  end  of  five 
weeks  he  was  appointed  Colonel  of  the 
Twenty-first  Infantr}-.  He  took  command 
of  his  regiment  in  June,  and  reported  first 
to  General  Pope  in  Missouri.  His  superior 
knowledge  of  military  life  rather  surprised 
his  sujicrior  officers,  who  had  never  before 
even  heard  of  him,  and  they  were  thus  led 
to  place  him  on  the  road  to  rapid  advance- 
ment. August  7  he  was  commissioned  a 
Brigadier-General  of  volunteers,  the  ap- 
pointment having  been  made  without  his 
knowledge.  He  had  been  unanimously 
recommended  by  the  Congressmen  from 
Illinois,  not  one  of  whom  had  been  his 
personal  acquaintance.  For  a  few  weeks 
he  was  occupied  in  watching  the  move- 
ments of  partisan  forces  in  Missouri. 

September  i  he  was  placed  in  command 
of  the  District  of  Southeast  Missouri,  with 
headquarters  at  Cairo,  and  on  the  6th,  with- 
out orders,  he  seized  Paducah,  at  the  mouth 
of  tiic  Tennessee  River,  and  commanding 
tlic   navigation   botli  of  that  stream  and  of 


^^-'--t-^O 


ULTSSES    S.    GRANT. 


99 


the  Ohio.  This  stroke  secured  Kentucivy 
to  the  Union ;  for  the  State  Legislature, 
which  had  until  then  affected  to  be  neutral, 
at  once  declared  in  favor  of  the  Govern- 
ment. In  November  following,  according 
to  orders,  he  made  a  demonstration  about 
eighteen  miles  below  Cairo,  preventing  the 
crossing  of  hostile  troops  into  Missouri ; 
but  in  order  to  accomplish  this  purpose  he 
had  to  do  some  fighting,  and  that,  too,  with 
only  3,000  raw  recruits,  against  7,000  Con- 
federates. Grant  carried  off  two  pieces  of 
artillery  and  200  prisoners. 

After  repeated  applications  to  General 
Halleck,  his  immediate  superior,  he  was 
allowed,  in  February,  1862,  to  move  up  the 
Tennessee  River  against  Fort  Henry,  in 
conjunction  with  a  naval  force.  The  gun- 
boats silenced  the  fort,  and  Grant  immedi- 
ately made  preparations  to  attack  Fort 
Donelson,  about  twelve  miles  distant,  on 
the  Cumberland  River.  Without  waiting 
for  orders  he  moved  his  troops  there,  and 
with  15,000  men  began  the  siege.  The 
fort,  garrisoned  with  21,000  men,  was  a 
strong  one,  but  after  hard  fighting  on  three 
successive  days  Grant  forced  an  "  Uncon- 
ditional Surrender"  (an  alliteration  upon 
the  initials  of  his  name).  The  prize  he  capt- 
ured consisted  of  sixty-five  cannon,  17,600 
small  arms  and  14,623  soldiers.  About  4,- 
000  of  the  garrison  had  escaped  in  the  night, 
and  2,500  were  killed  or  wounded.  Grant's 
entire  loss  was  less  than  2,000.  This  was  the 
first  important  success  won  by  the  national 
troops  during  the  war,  and  its  strategic  re- 
sults were  marked,  as  the  entire  States  of 
Kentucky  and  Tennessee  at  once  fell  into  the 
National  hands.  Our  hero  was  made  a 
Major-General  of  Volunteers  and  placed  in 
command  of  the  District  of  West  Ten- 
nessee. 

In  March,  1862,  he  was  ordered  to  move 
up  the  Tennessee  River  toward  Corinth, 
where  the  Confederates  were  concentrat- 
ing a  large  army  ;    but  he  was  directed  not 


to  attack.  His  forces,  now  numbering  38,- 
000,  were  accordingly  encamped  near  Shi- 
loh,  or  Pittsburg  Landing,  to  await  the 
arrival  of  General  Buell  with  40,000  more; 
but  April  6  the  Confederates  came  out  from 
Corinth  50,000  strong  and  attacked  Grant 
violentl}-,  hoping  to  overwhelm  him  before 
Buell  could  arrive  ;  5,000  of  his  troops  were 
be3'ond  supporting  distance,  so  that  he  was 
largely  outnumbered  and  forced  back  to  the 
river,  where,  however,  he  held  out  until 
dark,  when  the  head  of  Buell's  column 
came  upon  the  field.  The  next  day  the 
Confederates  were  driven  back  to  Corinth, 
nineteen  miles.  The  loss  was  heavy  on 
both  sides ;  Grant,  being  senior  in  rank  to 
Buell,  commanded  on  both  days.  Two 
days  afterward  Halleck  arrived  at  the  front 
and  assumed  command  of  the  army.  Grant 
remaining  at  the  head  of  the  right  wing  and 
the  reserve.  On  May  30  Corinth  was 
evacuated  by  the  Confederates.  In  July 
Halleck  was  made  General-in-Chief,  and 
Grant  succeeded  him  in  command  of  the 
Department  of  the  Tennessee.  September 
19  the  battle  of  luka  was  fought,  where, 
owing  to  Rosecrans's  fault,  only  an  incom- 
plete victory  was  obtained. 

Next,  Grant,  with  30,000  men,  moved 
down  into  Mississippi  and  threatened  Vicks- 
burg,  while  Sherman,  with  40,000  men,  was 
sent  by  way  of  the  river  to  attack  that  place 
in  front ;  but,  owing  to  Colonel  Murphy's 
surrendering  Holly  Springs  to  the  Con- 
federates, Grant  was  so  weakened  that  he 
had  to  retire  to  Corinth,  and  then  Sherman 
failed  to  sustain  his  intended  attack. 

In  January,  1863,  General  Grant  took 
command  in  person  of  all  the  troops  in  the 
Mississippi  Valley,  and  spent  several  months 
in  fruitless  attempts  to  compel  the  surrender 
or  evacuation  of  Vicksburg;  but  July  4, 
following,  the  place  surrendered,  with  31,- 
600  men  and  172  cannon,  and  the  Mississippi 
River  thus  fell  permanently  into  the  hands 
of  the  Government.      Grant  was   made  a 


PRES/DENT^i    OF     THE     UNITED    STATES. 


Major-General  in  the  rci^iilar  annv,  and  in 
October  followiiiij  lie  was  placed  in  com- 
mand of  the  Division  o(  tiic  Mississippi. 
The  same  nioulii  lie  went  to  Cliatlanooga 
and  saved  the  Army  o(  the  Cumberland 
from  starvation,  and  drove  Brai;s^- from  that 
part  of  the  countr\-.  This  viclorv  over- 
threw the  last  important  hostile  force  west 
of  the  Alleg-hanies  and  opened  the  way  for 
the  National  armies  into  Georgia  and  Sher- 
man's march  to  the  sea. 

The  remarkable  series  of  successes  which 
Grant  had  now  achieved  pointed  him  out 
as  the  appropriate  leader  of  the  National 
armies,  and  accordingly,  in  February,  1864, 
the  rank  of  Lieutenant-General  was  created 
for  him  by  Congress,  and  on  March  17  he 
assumed  command  of  the  armies  of  the 
United  States.  Planning  the  grand  final 
campaign,  he  sent  Sherman  into  Georgia, 
Sigel  into  the  valley  of  Virginia,  and  Butler 
to  capture  I-lichmond,  while  he  fought  his 
own  way  from  the  Rapidan  to  the  James. 
The  costly  but  victorious  battles  of  the 
Wilderness,  Spottsylvania,  North  ^Vnnuand 
Cold  Harbor  were  fought,  more  for  the 
purpose  of  annihilating  Lee  than  to  capture 
any  particular  point.  In  June,  1864,  the 
siege  of  Richmond  was  begun.  Sherman, 
meanwhile,  was  marching  and  fighting  daily 
in  Georgia  and  steadily  advancing  toward 
Atlanta ;  but  Sigel  had  been  defeated  in  the 
valley  of  Virginia,  and  was  superseded  by 
Hunter.  Lee  sent  Early  to  threaten  the  Na- 
tional capital ;  whereupon  Grant  gathered 
up  a  force  which  he  placed  under  Sheridan, 
and  that  commander  rapidly  drove  Earlv, 
inasuccessionof  battles,  through  the  valley 
of  Virginia  and  destroyed  his  army  as  an 
organized  force.  The  siege  of  Richmond 
went  on,  and  Grant  made  numerous  attacks, 
but  was  only  partially  successful.  The 
people  of  the  North  grew  impatient,  and 
even  the  Government  advised  him  to 
abandon  the  attempt  to  take  Richmond  or 
crush  the  Confederacy  in  that  way;  but  he 


never  wavered.     He  resolved  to  "  fight  it 
out  on  that  line,  if  it  took  all  summer." 

By   September  Sherman   had   made   his 
way  to  Atlanta,  and  Grant  then  sent  him 
on  his  famous  "  march  to  the  sea,"  a  route 
which   the  chief  had  designed  six  months 
before.     He  made  Sherman's  success  possi- 
ble,  not  only    by  holding  Lee  in  front  of 
Richmond,  but  also  bv  sending  reinforce- 
ments to  Thomas,  who  then  drew  off  and 
defeated  the  only  army  which  could  have 
confronted  Sherman.     Thus  the  latter  was 
left  unopposed,  and,  with  Thomas  and  Sheri- 
dan, was  used  in  the  furtherance  of  Grant's 
plans.     Each  executed  his  part  in  the  great 
design  and  contributed  his  share  to  the  re- 
sult at  which  Grant  was  aiming.    Sherman 
finally   reached    Savannah,  Schofield    beat 
the  enemy   at  Franklin,  Thomas  at  Nash- 
ville, and  Sheridan  wherever  he  met  him; 
and  all  this  while  General  Grant  was  hold- 
ing Lee,    with    the    principal    Confederate 
army,  near  Richmond,  as  it  were  chained 
and  helpless.     Then  Schofield  was  brought 
from  the  West,  and  Fort  Fisher  and  Wil- 
mington were  captured  on  the  sea-coast,  so 
as  to  afford  him  a  foothold  ;    from  here  he 
was  sent  into  the  interior  of  North  Cai"o- 
lina,  and   Sherman   was  ordered  to  move 
northward  to  join  him.     When  all  this  was 
effected,  and  Sheridan  could  find  no  one  else 
to  fight  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  Grant 
brought  the  cavalry  leader  to  the  front  of 
Richmond,  and,  making  a  last  effort,  drove 
Lee  from   his  entrenchments  and  captured 
Richmond. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  final  campaign 
Lee  had  collected  73,000  fighting  men  in 
the  lines  at  Richmond,  besides  the  local 
militia  and  the  gunboat  crews,  amounting 
to  5,000  more.  Including  Sheridan's  force 
Grant  had  1 10,000  men  in  the  works  before 
Petersburg  and  Richmond.  Petersbuig fell 
on  the  2d  of  April,  and  Richmond  on  th.e 
3d,  and  Lee  fled  in  the  direction  of  Lynch- 
burg.     Grant    pursued    with    remorseless 


t/LrSSES    S.    GRANT. 


enei"gy,  only  stopping  to  strike  fresh  blows, 
and  Lee  at  last  found  himself  not  only  out- 
fougiit  but  also  out-marched  and  out-gen- 
eraled.  Being  completely  surrounded,  he 
surrendered  on  the  glh  of  April,  1865,  at 
Appomattox  d^urt-House,  in  the  oyjen  field, 
with  27,000  men,  all  that  remained  of  his 
arm}'.  This  act  virtually  ended  the  war. 
Thus,  in  ten  da\'s  Grant  had  captured 
Petersburg  and  Richmond,  fought,  by  his 
subordinates,  the  battles  of  Five  Forks  and 
Sailor's  Creek,  besides  numerous  smaller 
ones,  captured  20,000  men  in  actual  battle, 
and  received  the  surrender  of  27,000  more 
at  Appomattox,  absolutely  annihilating  an 
army  of  70,000  soldiers. 

General  Grant  returned  at  once  to  Wash- 
ington to  superintend  the  disbandment  of 
the  armies,  but  this  pleasurable  work  was 
scarcely  begun  when  President  Lincoln  was 
assassinated.  It  had  doubtless  been  in- 
tended to  inflict  the  same  fate  upon  Grant ; 
but  he,  fortunately,  on  account  of  leaving 
Washington  early  in  the  evening,  declined 
an  invitation  to  accompany  the  President 
to  the  theater  where  the  murder  was  com- 
mitted. This  event  made  Andrew  Johnson 
President,  but  left  Grant  by  far  the  most 
conspicuous  figure  in  the  public  life  of  the 
country.  He  became  the  object  of  an  en- 
thusiasm greater  than  had  ever  been  known 
in  America.  Every  possible  honor  was 
heaped  upon  him  ;  the  grade  of  General 
was  created  for  him  by  Congress;  houses 
were  presented  to  him  by  citizens;  towns 
were  illuminated  on  his  entrance  into  them  ; 
and,  to  cap  the  climax,  when  he  made  his 
tour  around  the  world,  "all  nations  did  him 
honor"  as  they  had  never  before  honored 
a  foreigner. 

The  General,  as  Commander-in-Chief, 
was  placed  in  an  embarrassing  position  by 
the  opposition  of  President  Johnson  to  the 
measures  of  Congress ;  but  he  directly  man- 
ifested his  characteristic  loyalty  by  obeying 
Congress  rather  than  the  disaffected  Presi- 


dent, although  for  a  short  time  he  had 
served  in  his  cabinet  as  Secretary  of  War. 

Of  course,  everybody  thought  of  General 
Grant  as  the  next  President  of  the  United 
States,  and  he  was  accordingly  elected  as 
such  in  1868  "by  a  large  majorit}',"  and 
four  years  later  re-elected  by  a  much  larger 
majority  —  the  most  overwhelming  ever 
given  by  the  people  of  this  country.  His  first 
administration  was  distinguished  by  a  ces- 
sation of  the  strifes  which  sprang  from  the 
war,  by  a  large  reduction  of  the  National 
debt,  and  by  a  settlement  of  the  difficulties 
with  England  which  had  grown  out  of  the 
depredations  committed  by  privateers  fit- 
ted out  in  England  during  the  war.  This 
last  settlement  was  made  b}'  the  famous 
"  Geneva  arbitration,"  which  saved  to  this 
Government  $15,000,000,  but,  more  than  all, 
prevented  a  war  with  England.  "Let  us 
have  peace,"  was  Grant's  motto.  And  this 
is  the  most  appropriate  place  to  remark 
that  above  all  Presidents  whom  this  Gov- 
ernment has  ever  had,  General  Grant  was 
the  most  non-partisan.  He  regarded  the 
Executive  office  as  purely  and  exclusively 
executive  of  the  laws  of  Congress,  irrespect- 
ive of  "  politics."  But  every  great  man 
has  jealous,  bitter  enemies,  a  fact  Grant 
was  well  aware  of. 

After  the  close  of  his  Presidency,  our 
General  made  his  famous  tour  around  the 
world,  already  referred  to,  and  soon  after- 
ward, in  company  with  Ferdinand  Ward, 
of  New  York  City,  he  engaged  in  banking 
and  stock  brokerage,  which  business  was 
made  disastrous  to  Grant,  as  well  as  to  him- 
self, by  his  rascality.  By  this  time  an  in- 
curable cancer  of  the  tongue  developed 
itself  in  the  person  of  the  afflicted  ex- 
President,  which  ended  his  unrequited  life 
July  23,  1885.  Thus  passed  away  from 
earth's  turmoils  the  man,  the  General,  who 
was  as  truly  the  "  father  of  this  regenerated 
countr}-"  as  was  Washington  the  father  of 
the  infant  nation. 


PlfESlDENTS     OF     THE     UNITED    S7ATES. 


.V.UTHERFORD  BIRCH- 
^^  ARD  HAYES,  the  nine- 
ja^  teenth  President  of 
the  United  States, 
\8jj-'Si,  was  born  in 
-,'%^  Delaware,  Ohio,  Oc- 
^''^■"^-s-^  tuber  4,  1822.  His 
ancestry  can  be  traced  as  far 
back  as  1280,  when  Hayes  and 
Rutherford  \vere  two  Scottish 
chieftains  fighting  side  by  side 
with  Baliol,  William  Wallace 
and  Robert  Bruce.  Both  fami- 
lies belonged  to  the  nobility, 
owned  extensive  estates  and  had 
a  large  following.  The  Hayes 
family  had,  for  a  coat  of-arms,  a 
shield,  barred  and  surmounted  by  a  flying 
eagle.  There  was  a  circle  of  stars  about 
the  eagle  and  above  the  shield,  while  on  a 
scroll  underneath  the  shield  was  inscribed 
the  motto,  "  Recte."  Misfortune  overtaking 
the  family,  George  Hayes  left  Scotland  in 
1680,  and  settled  in  Windsor,  Connecticut. 
He  was  an  industrious  worker  in  wood  and 
iron,  having  a  mechanical  genius  and  a  cul- 
tivated mind.  His  son  George  was  born 
in  Windsor  and  remained  there  during  his 
life. 

Daniel  Hayes,  son  of  the  latter,  married 
Sarah  Lee,  and    lived    in    Simsburv,    Con- 


necticut. Ezekiel,  son  of  Daniel,  was  born 
in  1724,  and  was  a  manufacturer  of  scythes 
at  Bradford,  Connecticut.  Rutherford 
Hayes,  son  of  Ezekiel  and  grandfather  of 
President  Hayes,  was  born  in  New  Haven, 
in  August,  1756.  He  was  a  famous  black- 
smith and  tavern-keeper.  He  immigrated  to 
Vermont  at  an  unknown  date,  settling  in 
Brattleboro  where  he  established  a  hotel. 
Here  his  son  Rutherford,  father  of  Presi- 
dent Hayes,  was  born.  In  September,  1813, 
he  married  Sophia  Birchard,  of  Wilming- 
ton, Vermont,  whose  ancestry  on  the  male 
side  is  traced  back  to  1635,  to  John  Birch- 
ard, one  of  the  principal  founders  of  Nor- 
wich. Both  of  her  grandfathers  were 
soldiers  in  the  Revolutionary  war. 

The  father  of  President  Hayes  was  of  a 
mechanical  turn,  and  could  mend  a  plow, 
knit  a  stocking,  or  do  almost  anything  that 
he  might  undertake.  He  was  prosperous 
in  business,  a  member  of  the  church  and 
active  in  all  the  benevolent  enterprises  of 
the  town.  After  the  close  of  the  war  of  1812 
he  immigrated  to  Ohio,  and  purchased  a 
farm  near  the  present  town  of  Delaware. 
His  family  then  consisted  of  his  wife  and 
two  children,  and  an  orphan  girl  whom  he 
had  adopted. 

It  was  in  1S17  that  the  famil}-  arrived  at 
Delaware.     Instead    of    settling   upon  his 


s 


uA^' 


<3_.04^ 


RUTHERFORD    B.    HAYES. 


i"5 


farm,  Mr.  Hayes  concluded  to  enter  into 
business  in  the  village.  He  purchased  an 
interest  in  a  distillery,  a  business  then  as  re- 
spectable as  it  was  profitable.  His  capital 
and  recognized  ability  assured  hiin  the 
highest  social  position  in  the  communitv'. 
He  died  July  22,  1822,  less  than  three 
months  before  the  birth  of  the  son  that  was 
destined  to  fill  the  office  of  President  of  the 
United  States. 

Mrs.  Hayes  at  this  period  was  very  weak, 
and  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  so  feeble 
at  birth  that  he  was  not  expected  to  live 
beyond  a  month  or  two  at  most.  As  the 
months  went  by  he  grew  weaker  and  weaker 
so  that  the  neighbors  were  in  the  habit  of 
inquiring  from  time  to  time  "  if  Mrs. 
Hayes's  baby  died  last  night."  On  one  oc- 
casion a  neighbor,  who  was  on  friendly 
terms  with  the  famih',  after  alluding  to  the 
boy's  big  head  and  the  mother's  assiduous 
care  of  him,  said  to  her,  in  a  bantering  wa)', 
"That's  right!  Stick  to  him.  You  have 
got  him  along  so  far,  and  I  shouldn't  won- 
der if  he  would  really  come  to  something 
yet."  "  You  need  not  laugh,"  said  Mrs. 
Hayes,  "  you  wait  and  see.  You  can't  tell 
but  I  shall  make  him  President  of  the 
United  States  ^-et." 

The  boy  lived,  in  spite  of  the  universal 
predictions  of  his  speedy  death;  and  when, 
in  1825,  his  elder  brother  was  drowned,  he 
became,  if  possible,  still  dearer  to  his  mother. 
He  was  seven  years  old  before  he  was 
placed  in  school.  His  education,  however, 
was  not  neglected.  His  sports  were  almost 
wholly  within  doors,  his  plavmates  being 
his  sister  and  her  associates.  These  circum- 
stances tended,  no  doubt,  to  foster  that 
gentleness  of  disposition  and  that  delicate 
consideration  for  the  feelings  of  others 
which  are  marked  traits  of  his  character. 
At  school  he  was  ardently  devoted  to  his 
studies,  obedient  to  the  teacher,  and  care- 
ful to  avoid  the  quarrels  in  which  many  of 
his    schoolmates    were  involved.     He  was 


always  waiting  at  the  school-house  door 
when  it  opened  in  the  morning,  and  never 
late  in  returning  to  his  seat  at  recess.  His 
sister  Fannie  was  his  constant  companion, 
and  their  affection  for  each  other  excited 
the  admiration  of  their  friends. 

In  1838  3'oung  Hayes  entered  Kenyon 
College  and  graduated  in  1842.  He  then 
began  the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of 
Thomas  Sparrow  at  Columbus.  His  health 
was  now  well  established,  his  figure  robust, 
his  mind  vigorous  and  alert.  In  a  short 
time  he  determined  to  enter  the  law  school 
at  Cambridge,  Massachusetts,  where  for 
two  3'ears  he  pursued  his  studies  with  great 
diligence. 

In  1845  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  at 
Marietta,  Ohio,  and  shortly  afterward  went 
into  practice  as  an  attorney-at-law  with 
Ralph  P.  Buckland,  of  Fremont.  Here  he 
remained  three  years,  acquiring  but  limited 
practice,  and  apparently  unambitious  of 
distinction  in  his  profession.  His  bachelor 
uncle,  Sardis  Birchard,  who  had  always 
manifested  great  interest  in  his  nephew  and 
rendered  him  assistance  in  boyhood,  was 
now  a  wealth}'  banker,  and  it  was  under- 
stood that  the  young  man  would  be  his 
heir.  It  is  possible  that  this  expectation 
may  have  made  Mr.  Hayes  more  indifferent 
to  the  attainment  of  wealth  than  he  would 
otherwise  have  been,  but  he  was  led  into  no 
extravagance  or  vices  on  this  account. 

In  1849  1^6  removed  to  Cincinnati  where 
his  ambition  found  new  stimulus.  Two 
events  occurring  at  this  period  had  a  pow- 
erful influence  upon  his  subsequent  life. 
One  of  them  was  his  marriage  to  Miss 
Lucy  Ware  Webb,  daughter  of  Dr.  James 
Webb,  of  Cincinnati;  the  other  was  his 
introduction  to  the  Cincinnati  Literary 
Club,  a  body  embracing  such  men  as  Chief 
Justice  Salmon  P.  Chase,  General  John 
Pope  and  Governor  Edward  F.  No3-es. 
The  marriage  was  a  fortunate  one  as  every- 
body knows.     Not  one  of  all  the  wives  of 


io6 


PRESIDENTS     OF     THE     UXITED    STATES. 


our  Presidents  was  more  universally  ad- 
mired, reverenced  and  beloved  than  is  Mrs. 
Hayes,  and  no  one  has  done  more  than  she 
to  reflect  honor  upon  American  woman- 
hood. 

In  1856  Mr.  Hayes  was  nominated  to  the 
office  of  Judge  of  the  Court  of  Common 
Pleas,  but  declined  to  accept  the  n(5mina- 
tion.  Two  years  later  he  was  chosen  to  the 
office  of  City  Solicitor. 

In  1861,  when  the  Rebellion  broke  out, 
he  was  eager  to  take  up  arms  in  the  defense 
of  his  countr}'.  His  military  life  was 
bright  and  illustrious.  June  7,  1861,  he 
was  appointed  Major  of  the  Twenty-third 
Ohio  Infantry.  In  July  the  regiment  was 
sent  to  Virginia.  October  15,  i86r,  he  was 
made  Lieutenant-Colonel  of  his  regiment, 
and  in  August,  1862,  was  promoted  Colonel 
of  the  Seventy-ninth  Ohio  Regiment,  but 
refused  to  leave  his  old  comrades.  He  was 
wounded  at  the  battle  of  South  Mountain, 
and  suffered  severely,  being  unable  to  enter 
upon  active  duty  for  several  weeks.  No- 
vember 30,  1862,  he  rejoined  his  regiment  as 
its  Colonel,  having  been  promoted  Octo- 
ber 15. 

December  25,  1862,  he  was  placed  in  com- 
mand of  the  Kanawha  division,  and  for 
meritorious  service  in  several  battles  was 
promoted  Brigadier-General.  He  was  also 
brevetted  Major-General  for  distinguished 


services  in  1864.  He  was  wounded  four 
times,  and  five  horses  were  sliot  from 
under  him. 

Mr.  Ha3'es  was  first  a  Whig  in  politics, 
and  was  among  the  first  to  unite  with  the 
Free-Soil  and  Republican  parties.  In  1864 
he  was  elected  to  Congress  from  che  Sec- 
ond Ohio  District,  which  had  always  beqn 
Democratic,  receiving  a  majority  of  3,098. 
In  1866  hew-as  renominated  for  Congress 
and  was  a  second  time  elected.  In  1867  he 
was  elected  Governor  over  Allen  G.  Thur- 
maii,  the  Democratic  candidate,  and  re- 
elected in  1869.  In  1874  Sardis  Birchard 
died,  leaving  his  large  estate  to  General 
Hayes. 

In  1876  he  was  nominated  for  the  Presi- 
dency. His  letter  of  acceptance  excited 
the  admiration  of  the  whole  country.  He 
resigned  the  office  of  Governor  and  retired 
to  his  home  in  Fremont  to  await  the  result 
of  the  canvass.  After  a  hard,  long  contest 
he  was  inaugurated  March  5,  1877.  His 
Presidency  was  characterized  by  compro- 
mises with  all  parties,  in  order  to  please  as 
many  as  possible.  The  close  of  his  Presi- 
dential term  in  188 1  was  the  close  of  his 
public  life,  and  since  then  he  has  remained 
at  his  home  in  Fremont,  Ohio,  in  Jefferso- 
nian  retirement  from  public  notice,  in  strik- 
ing contrast  with  most  others  of  the  world's 
notables. 


yAAfES    A.     GARFIELD. 


109 


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^^■=-  ^  '^^AMES  A.  GARFIELD, 
twentieth  President  of 
the  United  States,  1881, 
was  born  November  19, 
1 83 1,  in  tlie  wild  woods 
of  Cuyahoga  County, 
Ohio.  His  parents  were 
Abram  and  EHza  (Ballou) 
Garfield,  who  were  of  New 
-  England  ancestry.  The 
senior  Garfield  was  an  in- 
""  dustrious  farmer,  as  the 
rapid  improvements  which 
appeared  on  his  place  at- 
tested. The  residence  was 
the  familiar  pioneer  log  cabin, 
and  the  household  comprised  the  parents 
and  their  children — Mehetable,  Thomas, 
Mary  and  James  A.  In  May,  1833,  the 
father  died,  and  the  care  of  the  house- 
hold consequently  devolved  upon  young 
Thomas,  to  whom  James  was  greatly  in- 
debted for  the  educational  and  other  ad- 
vantages he  enjoyed.  He  now  lives  in 
Michigan,  and  the  two  sisters  live  in  Solon, 
Ohio,  near  their  birthplace. 

As  the  subject  of  our  sketch  grew  up,  he, 
too,  was  industrious,  both  in  mental  and 
physical  labor.  He  worked  upon  the  farm, 
or  at  carpentering,  or  chopped  wood,  or  at 
any  other  odd  job  that  would  aid  in  support 
of  the  family,  and  in  the  meantime  made  the 


most  of  his  books.  Ever  afterward  he  was 
never  ashamed  of  his  humble  origin,  nor  for- 
got the  friends  of  his  youth.  The  poorest 
laborer  was  sure  of  his  sympathy,  and  he 
always  exhibited  the  character  of  a  modest 
gentleman. 

Until  he  was  about  sixteen  years  of  age, 
James's  highest  ambition  was  to  be  a  lake 
captain.  To  this  his  mother  was  strongly 
opposed,  but  she  finally  consented  to  his 
going  to  Cleveland  to  carry  out  his  long- 
cherished  design,  with  the  understanding, 
however,  that  he  should  try  to  obtain  some 
other  kind  of  employment.  He  walked  all 
the  way  to  Cleveland,  and  this  was  his  first 
visit  to  the  city.  After  making  man}'  ap- 
plications for  work,  including  labor  on 
board  a  lake  vessel,  but  all  in  vain;  he 
finally  engaged  as  a  driver  for  his  cousin, 
Amos  Letcher,  on  the  Ohio  &  Pennsyl- 
vania Canal.  In  a  short  time,  however,  he 
quit  this  and  returned  home.  He  then  at- 
tended the  seminary  at  Chester  for  about 
three  years,  and  next  he  entered  Hiram  In- 
stitute, a  school  started  in  1850  by  the 
Disciples  of  Christ,  of  which  church  he  was 
a  member.  In  order  to  pa}'  his  way  he 
assumed  the  duties  of  janitor,  and  at  tmies 
taught  school.  He  soon  completed  the  cur- 
riculum there,  and  then  entered  Williams 
College,  at  which  he  graduated  in  1856, 
taking  one  of  the  highest  honors  of  his  class. 


PRESIDEXTS    OF    THE     UNITED    STATES. 


Afterward  he  returned  to  Hiram  as  Presi- 
dent. In  hisyouthful  and  therefore  zealous 
piety,  he  exercised  his  talents  occasionally 
as  a  preacher  of  the  Gospel.  He  was  a 
man  of  strong  moral  and  religious  convic- 
tions, and  as  soon  as  he  began  to  look  into 
politics,  he  saw  innumerable  points  that 
could  be  improved.  He  also  studied  law, 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1859. 
November  11,  1858,  Mr.  Garfield  married 
Miss  Lucretia  Rudolph,  who  ever  after- 
ward proved  a  worthy  consort  in  all  the 
stages  of  her  husband's  career.  They  had 
seven  children,  five  of  whom  are  still  liviii<r. 

It  was  in  1859  '^''''^  Garfield  made  his 
first  political  speeches,  in  Hiram  and  the 
neighboring  villages,  and  three  years  later 
he  began  to  speak  at  county  mass-meetings, 
being  received  everywhere  with  popular 
favor.  He  was  elected  to  the  State  Senate 
this  year,  taking  his  seat  in  Januar}-,  i860. 

On  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  of  the 
Rebellion  in  1861,  Mr.  Garfield  resolved  to 
fight  as  he  had  talked,  and  accordingly  he 
enlisted  to  defend  the  old  flag,  receiving 
his  commission  as  Lieutenant-Colonel  of  the 
Forty-second  Regiment  of  the  Ohio  Volun- 
teer Infantry,  August  14,  that  year.  He 
was  immediately  thrown  into  active  service, 
and  before  he  had  ever  seen  a  gun  fired  in 
action  he  was  placed  in  command  of  four 
regiments  of  infantry  and  eight  companies 
of  cavalry,  charged  with  the  work  of  driv- 
ing the  Confederates,  headed  by  Humphrey 
Marshall,  from  his  native  State,  Kentucky. 
This  task  was  speedily  accomplished,  al- 
though against  great  odds.  On  account  of 
his  success.  President  Lincoln  commissioned 
him  Brigadier-General,  January  11,  1862; 
and,  as  he  had  been  the  youngest  man  in 
the  Ohio  Senate  two  years  before,  so  now 
he  was  the  youngest  General  in  the  army. 
He  was  with  General  Buell's  army  at  Shi- 
loh,  also  in  its  operations  around  Corinth 
and  its  march  through  Alabama.  Next,  he 
was  detailed  as  a  member  of  the  general 


court-martial  for  the  trial  of  General  Fitz- 
John  Porter,  and  then  ordered  to  report  to 
General  Rosectans,  when  he  was  assigned 
to  the  position  of  Chief  of  Staff.  His  mili- 
tary history  closed  with  his  brilliant  ser- 
vices at  Chickamauga,  where  he  won  the 
stars  of  Major-General. 

In  the  fall  of  1862,  without  any  effort  on 
his  part,  he  was  elected  as  a  Representative 
to  Congress,  from  that  section  of  Ohio 
which  had  been  represented  for  sixty  years 
mainly  by  two  men — Elisha  Whittlesey  and 
Joshua  R.  Giddings.  Again,  he  was  the 
youngest  member  of  that  body,  and  con- 
tinued there  by  successive  re-elections,  as 
Representative  or  Senator,  until  he  was 
elected  President  in  1880.  During  his  life 
in  Congress  he  compiled  and  published  by 
his  speeches,  there  and  elsewhere,  more 
information  on  the  issues  of  the  day,  espe- 
cially on  one  side,  than  any  other  member. 

June  8,  1880,  at  the  National  Republican 
Convention  held  in  Chicago,  General  Gar- 
field was  nominated  for  the  Presidency,  in 
preference  to  the  old  war-horses,  Blaine 
and  Grant ;  and  although  many  of  the  Re- 
publican party  felt  sore  over  the  failure  of 
their  respective  heroes  to  obtain  the  nomi- 
nation. General  Garfield  was  elected  by  a 
fair  popular  majority.  He  was  duly  in- 
augurated, but  on  July  2  following,  before 
he  had  fairly  got  started  in  his  administra- 
tion, he  was  fatally  shot  by  a  half-dcmcnted 
assassin.  After  ver}-  painful  and  protracted 
suffering,  he  died  September  19,  1881,  la- 
mented by  all  the  American  people.  Never 
before  in  the  history  of  this  country  had 
anything  occurred  which  so  nearly  froze 
the  blood  of  the  Nation,  for  the  moment,  as 
the  awful  act  of  Guiteau,  the  murderer. 
He  was  duly  tried,  convicted  and  put  to 
death  on  the  gallows. 

The  lamented  Garfield  was  succeeded  by 
the  Vice-President,  General  Arthur,  who 
seemed  to  endeavor  to  carry  out  the  policy 
inaugurated  by  his  predecessor. 


CHESTER    A.    ARTHUR. 


"3 


HESTER  ALLEN 
ARTHUR,  the  twen- 
ty-first Chief  Execu- 
tive of  this  growing 
republic,  i88i-'5,  was 
born  in  FrankHn 
C  o  u  n  t  y  ,  Vermont, 
October  5,  1830,  the  eldest  of  a 
family  of  two  sons  and  five 
daughters.  His  father,  Rev. 
Dr.  William  Arthur,  a  Baptist 
clergyman,  immigrated  to  this 
country  from  County  Antrim, 
Ireland,  in  his  eighteenth  year, 
and  died  in  1875,  in  Newton- 
ville,  near  Albany,  New  York, 
after  serving  manv  years  as  a  successful 
minister.  Chester  A.  was  educated  at  that 
old,  conservative  institution.  Union  Col- 
lege, at  Schenectady,  New  York,  where  he 
excelled  in  all  his  studies.  He  graduated 
there,  with  honor,  and  then  struck  out  in 
life  for  himself  by  teaching  school  for  about 
two  years  in  his  native  State. 

At  the  expiration  of  that  time  young 
Arthur,  with  $500  in  his  purse,  went  to  the 
city  of  New  York  and  entered  the  law  office 
of  ex-Judge  E.  D.  Culver  as  a  student.  In 
due  time  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  when 
he  formed  a  partnership  with  his  intimate 


friend  and  old  room-mate,  Henry  D.  Gar- 
diner,  with  the  intention  of  practicing  law 
at  some  point  in  the  West ;  but  after  spend- 
ing about  three  months  in  the  Westen. 
States,  in  search  of  an  eligible  place,  they 
returned  to  New  York  City,  leased  a  room, 
exhibited  a  sign  of  their  business  and  al- 
most immediately  enjoyed  a  paying  patron- 
age. 

At  this  stage  of  his  career  Mr.  Arthur's 
business  prospects  were  so  encouraging 
that  he  concluded  to  take  a  wife,  and  ac- 
cordingl}'  he  married  the  daughter  of  Lieu- 
tenant Herndon,  of  the  United  States  Navy, 
who  had  been  lost  at  sea.  To  the  widow 
of  the  latter  Congress  voted  a  gold  medal> 
in  recognition  of  the  Lieutenant's  bravery 
during  the  occasion  in  which  he  lost  his 
life.  Mrs.  Artaur  died  shortly  before  her 
husband's  nomination  to  the  Vice-Presi- 
dency, leaving  two  children. 

Mr.  Arthur  obtained  considerable  celeb- 
rity as  an  attorney  in  the  famous  Lemmon 
suit,  which  was  brought  to  recover  posses- 
sion of  eight  slaves,  who  had  been  declared 
free  by  the  Superior  Court  of  New  York 
City.  The  noted  Charles  O'Conor,  who 
was  nominated  by  the  "  Straight  Demo- 
crats" in  1872  for  the  United  States  Presi- 
dency, was  retained  by  Jonathan  G.  Lem- 


114 


PRESIDENTS    OF    THE     UNITED    STATES. 


mon,  of  Virginia,  to  recover  the  negroes, 
but  he  lost  the  suit.  In  this  case,  however, 
Mr.  Arthur  was  assisted  by  William  M. 
Evarts,  now  United  States  Senator.  Soon 
afterward,  in  1856,  a  respectable  colored 
woman  was  ejected  from  a  street  car  in 
New  York  City.  Mr.  Arthur  sued  the  car 
company  in  her  behalf  and  recovered  $500 
damages.  Immediately  afterward  all  the 
car  companies  in  the  city  issued  orders  to 
their  employes  to  admit  colored  persons 
upon  their  cars. 

Mr.  Arthur's  political  doctrines,  as  well 
as  his  practice  as  a  lawyer,  raised  him  to 
prominence  in  the  party  of  freedom ;  and 
accordingly  he  was  sent  as  a  delegate  to 
the  first  National  Republican  Convention. 
Soon  afterward  he  was  appointed  Judge 
Advocate  for  the  Second  Brigade  of  the 
State  of  New  York,  and  then  Engineer-in- 
Chief  on  Governor  Morgan's  staff.  In  1861, 
the  first  year  of  the  war,  he  was  made  In- 
spector-General, and  ne.Kt,  Quartermaster- 
General,  in  both  which  offices  he  rendered 
great  service  to  the  Government.  Alter 
the  close  of  Governor  Morgan's  term  he 
resumed  the  practice  of  law,  forming  first  a 
partnership  with  Mr.  Ransom,  and  subse- 
quently adding  Mr.  Phelps  to  the  firm. 
Each  of  these  gentlemen  were  able  lawyers. 

November  21,  1872,  General  Arthur  was 
appointed  Collector  of  the  Port  of  New 
York  by  President  Grant,  and  he  held  the 
office  until  July  20,  1878. 

The  next  event  of  prominence  in  General 
Arthur's  career  was  his  nomination  to  the 
Vice-Presidency  of  the  United  States,  under 
the  influence  of  Roscoe  Conkling,  at  the 
National  Republican  Convention  held  at 
Chicago  in  June,  1880,  when  James  A.  Gar- 
field was  placed  at  the  head  of  the  ticket. 
Both  the  convention  and  the  campaign  that 
followed  were  noisy  and  exciting.  The 
friends  of  Grant,  constituting  nearly  half 


the  convention,  were  exceedingly  persist- 
ent, and  were  sorely  disappointed  over 
their  defeat.  At  the  head  of  the  Demo- 
cratic ticket  was  placed  a  very  strong  and 
popular  man  ;  yet  Garfield  and  Arthur  were 
elected  by  a  respectable  plurality  of  the 
popular  vote.  The  4th  of  March  following, 
these  gentlemen  were  accordingly  inaugu- 
rated ;  but  within  four  months  the  assassin's 
bullet  made  a  fatal  wound  in  the  person  of 
General  Garfield,  whose  life  terminated 
September  19,  1881,  when  General  Arthur, 
ex  officio,  was  obliged  to  take  the  chief 
reins  of  government.  Some  misgivings 
were  entertained  by  many  in  this  event,  as 
Mr.  Arthur  was  thought  to  represent  espe 
cially  the  Grant  and  Conkling  wing  of  the 
Republican  party ;  but  President  Arthur 
had  both  the  ability  and  the  good  sense  to 
allay  all  fears,  and  he  gave  the  restless, 
critical  American  people  as  good  an  ad- 
ministration as  they  had  ever  been  blessed 
with.  Neither  selfishness  nor  low  parti- 
sanism  ever  characterized  any  feature  of 
his  public  service.  He  ever  maintained  a 
high  sense  of  every  individual  right  as  well 
as  of  the  Nation's  honor.  Indeed,  he  stood 
so  high  that  his  successor.  President  Cleve- 
land, though  of  opposing  politics,  expressed 
a  wish  in  his  inaugural  address  that  he 
could  only  satisfy  the  people  with  as  good 
an  administration. 

But  the  day  of  civil  service  reform  had 
come  in  so  far,  and  the  corresponding  re- 
action against  "  third-termism"  had  en- 
croached so  far  even  upon  "second-term" 
service,  that  the  Republican  party  saw  fit 
in  1884  to  nominate  another  man  for  Presi- 
dent. Only  by  this  means  was  General 
Arthur's  tenure  of  office  closed  at  Wash- 
ington. On  his  retirement  from  the  Presi- 
dency, March,  1885,  he  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  law  at  New  York  City,  where  be 
died  Koveinher  18,  1886. 


^ 


r 


G  ROVER     CLEVELAND. 


117 


":i«: 


^^^Ms 


^^^^ 


ROVER  CLEVE- 
LAND, the  twenty- 
second  President  of  the 
United  States,  1885—, 
was  born  in  Caldwell, 
Essex  County,    New 

W ^      Jersey,  March  1 8, 

1837.  The  house  in  which  he 
was  born,  a  small  two-story 
wooden  building,  is  still  stand- 
ing. It  was  the  parsonage  of 
the  Presbyterian  church,  of 
which  his  father,  Richard 
Cleveland,  at  the  time  was 
pastor.  The  family  is  of  New 
England  origin,  and  for  two  centuries  has 
contributed  to  the  professions  and  to  busi- 
ness, men  who  have  reflected  honor  on  the 
name.  Aaron  Cleveland,  Grover  Cleve- 
land's great-great-grandfather,  was  born  in 
Massachusetts,  but  subsequently  moved  to 
Philadelphia,  where  he  became  an  intimate 
friend  of  Benjamin  Franklin,  at  whose 
house  he  died.  He  left  a  large  family  of 
children,  who  in  time  married  and  settled 
in  different  parts  of  New  England.  A 
grandson  was  one  of  the  small  American 
force  that  fought  the  British  at  Bunker 
Hill.  He  served  with  gallantry  through- 
out the  Revolution  and  was  honorably 
discharged  at  its  close  as  a  Lieutenant  in 
the  Continental  army.  Another  grandson, 
William  Cleveland  (a  son  of  a  second  Aaron 


as   a 


Cleveland,  who  was  distinguished 
writer  and  member  of  the  Connecticut 
Legislature)  was  Grover  Cleveland's  grand- 
father. William  Cleveland  became  a  silver- 
smith in  Norwich,  Connecticut.  He  ac- 
quired by  industry  some  property  and  sent 
his  son,  Richard  Cleveland,  the  father  of 
Grover  Cleveland,  to  Yale  College,  where 
he  graduated  in  1 824.  During  a  year  spent 
in  teaching  at  Baltimore,  Maryland,  after 
graduation,  he  met  and  fell  in  love  with  a 
Miss  Annie  Neale,  daughter  of  a  wealthy 
Baltimore  book  publisher,  of  Irish  birth. 
He  was  earning  his  own  way  in  the  world 
at  the  time  and  was  unable  to  marry;  but 
in  three  years  he  completed  a  course  of 
preparation  for  the  ministry,  secured  a 
church  in  Windham,  Connecticut,  and 
married  Annie  Neale.  Subsequently  he 
moved  to  Portsmouth,  Virginia,  where  he 
preached  for  nearly  two  years,  when  he 
was  summoned  to  Caldwell,  New  Jersey, 
where  was  born  Grover  Cleveland. 

When  he  was  three  years  old  the  family 
moved  to  Fayetteville,  Onondaga  County, 
New  York.  Here  Grover  Cleveland  lived 
until  he  was  fourteen  years  old,  the  rugged, 
healthful  life  of  a  country  boy.  His  frank, 
generous  manner  made  him  a  favorite 
among  his  companions,  and  their  respect 
was  won  by  the  good  qualities  in  the  germ 
which  his  manhood  developed.  He  at- 
tended the  district  school  of  the  village  and 


ti8 


P/iES/DENTS    OF    THE     UNITED    STATES. 


was  for  a  short  time  at  the  academy.     His 
lather,  however,  believed  that  bo3's  should 
be  taught  to  labor  at  an  early  age,  and  be- 
fore he  had  completed  the  course  of  study 
at  the   academy  he   began  to   work  in  the 
village  store  at  $50  for  the  first  year,  and  the 
promise  of  $100  for  the  second  year.     His 
work  was  well  done  and  the  promised  in- 
crease of  pay  was  granted  the  second  year. 
Meanwhile    his   father   and    family    had 
moved  to  Clinton,   the   seat  of  Hamilton 
College,  where  his  father  acted  as  agent  to 
the  Presbyterian  Board  of  Home  Missions, 
preaching  in  the  churches  of   the  vicinity. 
Hither  Grover  came  at  his  father's  request 
shortly  after  the    beginning  of   his  second 
year  at  the  Fayetteville  store,  and.resumed 
his  studies  at  the  Clinton  Academy.     After 
three  years   spent  in   this  town,    the  Rev. 
Richard    Cleveland   was  called  to  the  vil- 
lage church   of  Holland  Patent.     He  had 
preached  here  only  a  month  when  he  was 
suddenly  stricken  down  and  died   without 
an  hour's  warning.     The  death  of  the  father 
left  the  family  in  straitened  circumstances, 
as    Richard   Cleveland    had    spent   all    his 
salary  of  $1,000  per  year,    which   was  not 
required  for  the  necessary    expenses  of  liv- 
ing, upon  the  education  of  his  children,  of 
whom  there  were  nine,  Grover  being  the 
fifth.     Grover  was  hoping  to  enter  Hamil- 
ton   College,    but  the  death  of  his  father 
made  it  necessary  for  him  to  earn  his  own 
livelihood.     For  the  first  year  (1853-4)  lie 
acted  as  assistant  teacher  and  bookkeeper  in 
the  Institution  for  the   Blind  in  New  York 
City,  of  which  the  late  Augustus  Schell  was 
for  many  years  the  patron.     In  the   winter 
of   1854    he  returned  to    Holland    Patent 
where  the   generous  people  of  that  place,' 
Fayetteville  and  Clinton,  had  purchased  a 
home  for  his  mother,  and  in  the  following 
spring,  borrowing  $25,  he  set  out  for  the 
West  to  earn  his  living. 

Reaching  Buffalo  he  paid  a  hasty  visit  to 
an   uncle,    Lewis  F.  Allen,  a    well-known 


stock  farmer,  living  at  Black  Rock,  a  tew 
miles  distant.     He  communicated  his  plans 
to  Mr.  Allen,  who  discouraged  the  idea  of 
the  West,  and  finall}-  induced  the  enthusi- 
astic boy  of  seventeen  to  remain  with  him 
and  help  him  prepare  a  catalogue  of  blooded 
short-horn  cattle,  known  as  "  Allen's  Amer- 
ican Herd  Book,"  a  publication  familiar  to 
all  breeders  of  cattle.     In  August,  1855,  he 
entered  the  law  office  of  Rogers,    Bowen 
tS:  Rogers,  at   Buffalo,  and    after  serving  a 
few  months  without  pay,    was  paid    $4  a 
week — an  amount  barely  sufficient  to  meet 
the  necessary  expenses  of  his  board  in  the 
family  of  a  fellow-student  in  Buffalo,  with 
whom  he  took  lodgings.     Life  at  this  time 
with  Grover  Cleveland   was  a  stern  battle 
with  the  world.     He  took  his  breakfast  by 
candle-light  with  the  drovers,  and  went  at 
once  to  the  office  where  the  whole  day  was 
spent  in  work  and  stud}-.     Usually  he  re- 
turned again  at  night  to  resume    reading 
which  had   been  interrupted  by  the  duties 
of  the  day.     Gradually  his  employers  came 
to   recognize    the  ability,  trust worthinesb 
and  capacity  for  hard  work  in  their  young 
employe,  and  by  the  time  he  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  (1859)  he  stood  high  in  their  con- 
fidence.    A  year  later  he  was  made  confi- 
dential   and    managing   clerk,    and  in  the 
course  of  three  3ears  more   his  salary  had 
been  raised  to  $1,000.     In  1863  he  was  ap- 
pointed assistant  district  attorney  of  Erie 
County  by  the  district  attorney,  the  Hon. 
C.  C.  Torrance. 

Since  his  first  vote  had  been  cast  in  1858 
he  had  been  a  staunch  Democrat,  and  until 
he  was  chosen  Governor  he  always  made 
it  his  duty,  rain  or  shine,  to  stand  at  the 
polls  and  give  out  ballots  to  Democratic 
voters.  During  the  first  year  of  his  term 
as  assistant  district  attorney,  the  Democrats 
desired  especiall}'  to  carry  the  Board  of  Su- 
pervisors. The  old  Second  Ward  in  which 
he  lived  was  Republican-  ordinarily  by  250 
majority,  but  at  the  urgent  request  of  the 


GRO  VEIi     CL E  V ELAND. 


"9 


party  Grover  Cleveland  consented  to  be 
the  Democratic  candidate  for  Supervisor, 
dnd  came  within  thirteen  votes  of  an  elec- 
tion. The  three  years  spent  in  the  district 
attorney's  office  were  devoted  to  assiduous 
labor  and  the  extension  of  his  professional 
attainments.  He  then  formed  a  law  part- 
nership with  the  late  Isaac  V.  Vanderpoel, 
ex-State  Treasurer,  under  the  firm  name 
of  Vanderpoel  &  Cleveland.  Here  the  bulk 
of  the  work  devolved  on  Cleveland's  shoul- 
ders, and  he  soon  won  a  good  standing  at 
the  bar  of  Erie  County.  In  1869  Mr. 
Cleveland  formed  a  partnership  with  e.x- 
Senator  A.  P.  Laning  and  ex-Assistant 
United  States  District  Attorney  Oscar  Fol- 
som,  under  the  firm  name  of  Laning,  Cleve- 
land &  Folsom.  During  these  years  he 
began  to  earn  a  moderate  professional  in- 
come; but  the  larger  portion  of  it  was  sent 
to  his  mother  and  sisters  at  Holland  Patent 
to  whose  support  he  had  contributed  ever 
since  i860.  He  served  as  sheriff  of  Erie 
County,  i870-'4,  and  then  resumed  the 
practice  of  law,  associating  himself  with  the 
Hon.  Lyman  K.  Bass  and  Wilson  S.  Bissell. 


The  firm  was  strong  and  popular,  and  soon 
commanded  a  large  and  lucrative  practice. 
Ill  health  forced  the  retirement  of  Mr.  Bass 
in  1879,  ^"d  the  firm  became  Cleveland  & 
Bissell.  In  1881  Mr.  George  J.  Sicard  was 
added  to  the  firm. 

In  the  autumn  election  of  1881  he  was 
elected  mayor  of  Buffalo  by  a  majority  of 
over  3,500 — the  largest  majority  ever  given 
a  candidate  for  mayor — and  the  Democratic 
city  ticket  was  successful,  although  the 
Republicans  carried  Buffalo  by  over  1,000 
majority  for  their  State  ticket.  Grover 
Cleveland's  administration  as  mayor  fully 
justified  the  confidence  reposed  in  him  by 
the  people  of  Buffalo,  evidenced  by  the 
great  vote  he  received. 

The  Democratic  State  Convention  met 
at  Syracuse,  September  22,  1882,  and  nomi- 
nated Grover  Cleveland  for  Governor 
on  the  third  ballot  and  Cleveland  was 
elected  by  192,000  majoritv.  '  In  the  fall  of 
1 884  he  was  elected  President  of  the  United 
States  by  about  1,000  popular  majority, 
in  New  York  State,  and  he  was  accordingly 
inaugurated  the  4th  of  March  following. 


.vj«^^ 


>V 


HISTORY 


-OK- 


<x1MINNESOTA> 


HISTORY    OF    MINNESOTA. 


CHAPTER  I. 


LOCATION,  TOPOGRAPHY  AND  GENERAL  REMARKS. 


INNESOTA  is  located  in  the 
geographical  center  of  the  con- 
tinent of  North  America  —  mid- 
way between  the  Atlantic  and 
Pacific  Oceans,  and  also  midway 
between  Hudson's  Baj'  and  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico.  It  embraces 
territory  extending  from  latitude 
43  degrees  50  minutes,  to  49  de- 
grees, and  from  89  degrees  29 
minutes  to  97  degrees  5  minutes 
west  longitude.  As  to  its  area, 
it  can  only  be  estimated,  as  portions  of  the 
State  are  as  yet  unsurveyed  ;  but  as  near  as 
can  be  arrived  at,  the  area  is  85,531  square 
miles,  or  about  53,760,000  acres.  In  size 
Minnesota  is  the  fourth  State  in  the  Union. 
From  its  southern  boundary  to  the  northern 
is  about  4()0  miles,  and  from  the  most  east- 
ern to  tiie  extreme  western  point  about  354 
miles.  In  altitude  it  appears  to  l)e  one  of 
the  highest  portions  of  the  continent,  as  the 
headwaters  of  tlie  three  great  river  systems' 
are  foun<l  in  its  limits  —  those  of  streams 
flowing  northward  to  Hudson's  Bay,  east- 
ward to  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  and  southward 
to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 

Nearly  three-quarters  .of  the  surface  of  the 
State  is  made  up  of  rolling  prairie,  inter- 
sjiersed  with  frequent  groves,  oak  openings 
and  belts  of  hardwood  timber,  watered  by 
numerous  lakes  and  streams,  and  covered 
with  a  warm,  dark  soil  of  great  fertility. 
The  balance,  embracing  the  elevated  district 


immediately  west  of  Lake  Superior,  consists 
mainly  of  the  rich  mineral  ranges  on  its 
shores,  and  of  the  pine  forests  which  extend 
over  the  upper  Mississippi  country,  affording 
extensive  supplies  of  timber.  But  a  very 
small  portion  is  broken,  rocky  or  worthless 
land ;  nearly  all  is  arable.  But  few  States 
are  so  well  watered  as  Minnesota,  and  the 
numerous  rivers  and  water-courses  give  ex- 
cellent drainage.  A  number  of  the  rivers  — 
the  Mississippi,  the  Minnesota,  the  St.  Croix, 
the  St.  Louis,  the  Red  and  the  Red  Lake  riv- 
ers—  are  navigable,  and  nearly  all  of  the 
balance  afford  water  power.  The  lakes  of 
Minnesota  are  among  its  principal  ])hysical 
characteristics.  The  estimate  of  10,000  lakes 
in  the  State  is  not  an  unreasonable  one. 

With  all  these  natural  advantages,  favor- 
able climate  and  rich  soil,  Minnesota  has 
become  one  of  the  most  successful  agricult- 
ural States  in  the  Union,  and  stock-i-aising 
and  dairying  is  rapidly  becoming  a  leading 
industry.  Lumbering  is  also  carried  on  very 
extensive!}',  and  the  manufacturing  branch 
is  rapidly  becoming  large.  While  at  first  it 
was  supposed  that  this  State  was  destitute 
of  valuable  minerals,  recent  discoveries  prove 
to  the  contrary.  Inexhaustible  sujiplies  of 
the  best  iron  ore  exist,  and  are  now  being 
mined  and  exported  in  large  quantities.  Sil- 
ver veins  have  also  been  found  near  the 
boundary  line ;  copper  ore  has  also  been 
found,  and  it  is  known  that  plumbago  and 
gold  quartz  exist.     Building  material,  gran- 


124 


HISTORY  OF  MINNESOTA. 


ite,    brownstone,  limestone,    sandstone  and 
brick  and  ])otter's  clay  are  abundant. 

A  few  words  as  to  railroads  and  history 
relating  to  tlieir  construction  will  also  be 
interesting.  Twenty-five  years  ago  (1802), 
there  were  only  ten  miles  of  railway  in 
operation  in  the  State.  At  the  close  of  1885 
there  were  0,721  miles  in  operation.  The 
general  government  has  granted  to  railroads 
within  this  State  12,151,527  acres  of  land, 
and  the  State  has  given  1,811,750  acres  of 
swamp  and  other  lands,  making  a  total  of 
13,933,277  acres  of  land  within  the  State 
given  to  railroads,  valued  on  the  average  at 
$5  per  acre,  making  $09,000,385  thus  given. 
In  addition,  local,  county  and  State  bonds 
have  been  given  them  amounting  to  over 
$0,080,000,  making  in  lands  and  cash  a  total 
gift  of  $70,490,385,   or  about    $19,345   for 


every  mile  completed.  There  is  material  in 
these  facts  for  an  extended  political  essay, 
and  they  certainly  furnish  food  for  thought. 

In  concluding  these  general  remarks  it 
may  justly  be  h:aid  that  the  outlook  for  the 
State  is  most  gratifying.  Its  population  is 
raj)id]y  increasing,  and  its  taxable  wealth 
increasing  in  similar  ratio.  Every  year  sees 
an  enormous  area  of  its  rich  soil  brought 
under  cultivation,  while  there  are  still  mill- 
ions of  acres  awaiting  the  plow  of  the  set- 
tler. 

The  following  table  of  census  returns  will 
show  the  growth  of  the  State  as  to  popula- 
tion: 1850,  population  0,077;  1860,  popula- 
tion 172,023;  1805,  population  250,099  ;  1870, 
population  439,700;  1875,  population  597, 
407;  1880,  population  780,773,  and  in  1885 
the  population  was  1,117,798. 


CHAPTER  II. 


HISTORY  OF  MINNESOTA  — FROM  1660  TO  1887. 


tIE  first  exploration  bywhites  of 
the  territory  which  now  com- 
prises the  State  of  Minnesota 
dates  back  early  into  the  seven- 
teenth century.  It  is  claimed 
by  good  authorit}'  that  Jean 
Nicolet  (pronounced  Nicolay), 
one  of  Champlain's  interpreters, 
was  the  first  to  spread  knowl- 
edge of  the  country  west  of  Lake  Michigan. 
As  early  as  1635  he  set  foot  upon  the 
western  shores  of  Lake  Michigan,  and  traded 
near  Green  Bay,  also  roaming  over  various 
portions  of  Wisconsin  at  about  that  time. 
In  December  of  the  same  year  he  returned 
to  Canada.  It  is  very  doubtful  whether 
Nicolet  ever  set  foot  on  Minnesota  soil, 
although  it  is  certain  that  his  visit  to  the 
countr}'^  Avest  of  Lake  Michigan  was  the 
means  of  spreading  knowledge  of  this 
country,  and  of  the  aborigines  of  Minnesota. 
It  was  said  of  him  that  he  penetrated  far 
distant  countries,  and  in  a  letter  bearing 
date  of  1640,  it  is  stated  that  "if  he  had 
proceeded  three  days  more  on  a  river  which 
flows  from  that  lake  (Green  Bay),  he  would 
have  found  the  sea."  The  death  of  this 
explorer  occurred  at  Three  Rivers  in  164-0. 

After  Nicolet's  visit  to  Wisconsin,  for  a 
quarter  of  a  century  history  brings  no  trace 
of  any  explorations  concerning  this  region. 
At  the  end  of  this  time,  in  1660,  the  first 
white  men  of  whom  there  is  any  reliable 
record,  set  foot  on  Minnesota  soil.  They 
were  Medard  Chouart,  called  Groselliers, 
and  Pierre  d'Esprit,  who  was  known  as  Sieur 
Radisson.  Both  Avere  Frenchmen  who  had 
come  to  Canada  when  young  men  to  engage 


in  the  fur  trade.  About  the  middle  of  that 
century  several  important  changes  had  been 
made  in  the  location  of  Indian  tribes.  The 
Ilurons  and  their  allies,  the  Ottawas,  after 
successive  battles,  had  drifted  to  the  west  of 
Lake  Michigan.  In  former  times  they  had 
been  located  in  the  St.  Lawrence  region. 
Finally  reaching  the  Mississippi  they  found 
the  Iowa  River.  Later,  returning  to  the 
Mississippi,  they  settled  upon  an  island  in 
the  river  near  where  the  city  of  Hastings 
is  now  located  ;  but  becoming  involved  in 
battles  with  the  Sioux,  we  finally  find  the 
Ilurons  located  about  the  headwaters  of 
the  Chippeway,  and  the  Ottawas  on  the 
shores  of  Lake  Superior,  near  Avhere  Bay- 
field is  now  situated.  It  was  to  trade  with 
the  Indians  that  the  two  Frenchmen  men- 
tioned, Groselliers  and  Radisson,  made  their 
trip  to  this  wild  region.  They  passed  the 
winter  of  1659-60  among  the  Sioux  villages 
in  the  Mille  Lacs  country,  and  the  following 
spring  and  summer  was  spent  in  the  region 
of  Lake  Superior.  In  August,  1660,  they 
returned  to  Montreal,  and  their  report  of  the 
country  they  had  visited  created  much  ex- 
citement. Within  a  few  weeks  an  exploring 
and  trading  party  was  formed,  and  accom- 
panied by  six  Frenchmen  and  two  priests, 
one  of  whom  was  the  Jesuit,  Rene  Menard, 
they  again  started  westward,  and  on  the 
15th  of  October,  1660,  the}^  reached  the 
Ottawa  settlement  on  the  shores  of  Lake 
Superior.  The  objects  of  this  party  were 
various,  some  bent  on  exploration,  others 
on  trading,  while  Father  Menard  went  as 
a  missionary.  Groselliers  (pronounced  Gro- 
say-vfi)  and  Radisson,  accompanied  by  others, 


126 


J//STOKY  OF  MINNESOTA. 


pusiied  on  through  the  country  to  the 
noi'tliwest  of  Lake  Sujierior  anil  at  length 
reached  Hudson's  Bay.  They  returned 
to  Montreal  in  May,  16G2.  The  names 
of  all  the  members  of  this  party  have 
not  been  preserved.  Groselliers  and  Uad 
isson  proceeded  to  Paris,  thence  to  Lon- 
don, where  they  were  well  received  by 
the  nobility  and  scientific  men.  A  vessel 
was  litted  out  and  placed  at  their  disposal, 
in  the  hope  of  finding  a  northwest  passage 
to  Asia.  In  June,  1G6S,  they  left  England 
and  made  an  extended  voyage,  reaching  a 
tributar\^  of  Hudson's  Baj'  and  returning  to 
England,  where,  in  1670,  the  famous  trading- 
corporation,  the  "  Hudson's  Bay  Company," 
was  chartered. 

Now  to  return  to  the  venerable  Father 
Menard,  who  had  been  left  among  the  Ottawa 
Indians  on  the  shores  of  Lake  Superior  in 
October,  1600.  For  nearly  a  year  he  lived 
there  in  a  cabin  built  of  fir  branches.  In 
the  summer  of  1661  he  decided  to  visit  the 
Ilurons,  who  had  fled  eastward  from  the 
Sioux  of  Minnesota  and  were  located  among 
the  woods  of  northern  "Wisconsin,  as  stated. 
He  was  accompanied  by  one  Frenchman, 
whose  name  has  been  lost  in  the  mist  of 
years.  They  became  separated,  and  Father 
Menard  was  lost,  as  Perrot  says,  ''in  the 
labyrinth  of  trees."  This  was  the  last  ever 
positively  known  of  him,  although  his  brevi- 
ai'y  and  cassock  were  said  afterward  to 
have  been  found  among  the  Sioux  Indians. 
Whether  this  good  and  venerable  man 
starved  or  was  murdered  or  captured  by  the 
Indians  will  forever  be  shrouded  in  mystery. 

These  were  the  earliest  explorations  of  the 
Northwest  of  which  any  record  has  been  left, 
but  after  that  period  this  region  was  visited 
by  various  parties  at  long  intervals,  and 
many  interesting  documents  have  been  pre- 
served giving  accounts  of  their  journeys  and 
discoveries. 

About  the  j'ear  1665  several  French  trad- 


ers and  the  Jesuit,  Allouez,  visited  the  coun- 
try off  the  western  shore  of  Lake  Superior. 
Early  in  1679  we  find  Daniel  G.  Du  Luth 
west  of  Lake  Michigan,  and  it  is  believed  he 
planted  the  Fi-ench  arms  on  Minnesota  soil. 
His  records  state  that  "on  July  2(1  he  caused 
his  Majesty's  arms  to  be  planted  inthegreat 
village  of  the  Nadousioux.  called  Kathio, 
and  at  Songaskicous  and  ILnietbatons,  one 
hundred  and  twenty  leagues  distant  from 
the  former."  Pev.  E.  D.  Neill  in  his 
tiiorough  work  relating  to  early  explorers  of 
Minnesota,  locates  this  as  being  "one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  leagues  beyond  Mille 
Lacs."  Du  Luth  states  that  at  one  point  on 
Minnesota  soil  he  found  upon  a  tree  this 
legend :  "  Arms  of  the  King  c«t  on  this  tree 
in  the  year  1679."  He  established  several 
posts,  carried  on  trading  with  the  Indians, 
and  was  probably  the  most  prominent  of 
the  early  explorers.  Later  he  was  stationed 
near  Lake  Erie  and  died  in  1710.  His 
reports  furnish  much  interesting  information 
regarding  the  early  explorations  in  the 
Xorthwest. 

La  Salle  Avas  given  a  commission  by  the 
King  of  France  in  167S  to  "explore  the 
AVest,"  and  do  limited  trading.  He  visited 
various  parts  of  the  Northwest.  His  jeal- 
ousy of  Du  Luth  appears  to  form  a  consider- 
able portion  of  his  official  reports,  but  it  is 
stated  on  good  authority  that  he  wrote  the 
first  description  of  the  upper  Mississippi 
Valley,  August  22, 1682,  some  months  before 
the  publication  of  Father  Hennepin's  first 
work,  "Description  de  la  Louisiane."  He 
must,  however,  have  obtained  his  information 
from  one  of  Hennepin's  men. 

Father  Louis  Hennepin's  explorations  and 
atl ventures  through  the  Northwest  form  an 
interesting  cha]iter  in  the  earlier  history  of 
this  region.  He  was  a  native  of  Ath,  an  in- 
land town  of  the  Netherlands,  and  had  early 
rssumed  the  robes  of  ]iriesthood.  In  1676 
he  came  to  Canada,  and  two  vears  later  "vas 


HISTORY  OF  MINNESOTA. 


127 


ordered  to  join  the  La  Salle  exploring  expe- 
dition. A  ship  was  rigged,  and  on  August 
7th,  1679,  its  sails  caught  the  breezes  of 
Lake  Erie — the  first  European  vessel 
launched  on  the  great  lakes.  La  Salle  con- 
ducted his  expedition  to  Green  Bay,  thence 
along  the  coast  of  Lake  Michigan,  and  about 
the  middle  of  January',  1080,  landed  it  on  an 
eminence  near  Lake  Peoria,  on  the  Illinois 
River,  where  he  commenced  the  erection  of 
Fort  Crevecffiur.  On  the  last  of  February  of 
the  same  year,  Father  Hennepin,  in  company 
with  Michael  Accault  (Ako)  and  Angelle, 
left  the  fort  to  ascend  the  Mississippi  River. 
On  the  11th  of  April,  16S0,  after  having 
reached  a  point  north  of  the  Chippewa  River, 
they  wei-e  met  and  taken  charge  of  by  a 
party  of  over  a  liundi'cd  Sioux  Indians.  They 
then  proceeded  witli  tlis  Indians  to  their 
villages,  nearly  sixty  leagues  north  of  St.  An- 
thony falls.  The}'  remained  with  the  Indians 
some  time,  being  well  treated,  and  on  the 
2.5th  of  July,  1G80,  they  were  met  by  Du 
Luth,  who  was  accompanied  by  his  interpre- 
ter, Faff  art,  and  several  French  soldiers. 
They  then  proceeded  to  Mille  Lacs,  arriving, 
according  to  Father's  Hennepin  writings,  on 
the  nth  of  August,  1G80.  In  the  latter  part 
of  September  they  started  to  return  to  the 
French  settlement,  passing  by  St.  Anthony 
falls.  Father  Hennepin  published  two  works 
relating  to  his  discoveries,  the  first,  "  De- 
scription de  la  Louisiane,"  in  1836;  the  sec- 
ond, "  The  JSTew  Discovery,"  in  1697.  These 
works  called  forth  much  criticism,  as  there 
can  be  no  doubt  Hennepin  greatly  magnified 
his  own  importance,  and  exaggerated  his 
services  and  discoveries.  For  instance,  he 
claims  to  have  descended  the  Mississippi 
River  to  the  Gulf  of  IMexico,  before  proceed- 
ing northward,  then  returned  and  proceeded 
on  to  the  St.  Anthony  falls.  This  in  the  face 
of  his  own  stated  facts  —  leaving  FortCreve- 
coeur  the  last  of  February,  he  claims  to  have 
made  this  wonderful  trip,  and  arrived  two 


miles  south  of  where  the  city  of  St.  Paul  is 
now  located,  late  in  April,  giving  the  11th 
of  April  as  the  date  of  their  capture  by  the 
Indians.  However  this  may  be,  Father 
Hennepin's  work  was  not  in  vain,  and  his 
memory  is  entitled  to  the  credit  for  that 
which  he  did.  His  publications  hastened  and 
facilitated  exploration,  and  his  failing  —  if 
such  it  was  —  should  be  treated  with  charity. 
La  Salle  speaks  of  him  highly,  but  charitably 
says,  "  it  was  his  failing  to  magnify  those 
adventures  which  concerned  him." 

During  1684,  Nicholas  Perrot  and  Le 
Sueur  visited  Lake  Pepin,  and  the  following 
winter  the  French  traded  with  the  Indians 
on  Minnesota  soil.  Perrot  had  been  ap- 
])ointed  l)y  the  governor  of  Canada  as  the 
commandant  for  the  "West,  and  was  accom- 
panied by  twenty  men.  Upon  his  arrival  he 
caused  a  stockade  to  be  built  on  the  east 
bank  of  Lake  Pepin,  which  bore  his  name 
for  many  years.  He  discovered  a  number  of 
lead  mines,  and  his  name  figures  conspicu- 
ously in  the  history  of  the  early  French  ex- 
plorations and  frontier  Avoik.  Perrot  re- 
mained for  some  time  after  building  the  fort, 
then,  in  1686,  returned  to  Green  Bay.  He 
passed  much  time  in  collecting  allies  for  the 
expedition  against  the  Iroquois  in  New  Yoi'k, 
and  in  the  spring  of  16S7,  was  with  DuLuth 
and.Tonty  with  the  French  and  Indian  allies 
in  the  expedition  against  the  Senecas  of  the 
Genesee  Valley  in  New  York.  The  follow- 
ing j'ear  lie  was  sent  with  a  company  of 
Frenchmen  to  reoccupy  the  post  on  Lake 
Pepin,  in  Minnesota,  and  it  was  in  1689  tiiat 
Perrot,  in  tiie  presence  of  Father  Juse]ih 
James  Marest,  a. Jesuit,  Boisguiblot,  a  trader 
on  the  Wisconsin  and  Mississip]ii,  and  Le 
Seur,  made  a  formal  record  of  taking  posses- 
sion of  the  Sioux  country  in  the  name  of  the 
King  of  France. 

Le  Sueur,  who  accompanied  Perrot  in  his 
first  trip  to  Lake  Pepin  in  1684,  was  inti- 
mately connected   witli  that  explorer's  move- 


128 


HISTORY  OF  MIXXESOTA. 


iiicnts.  In  1G92  Le  Sueur  was  sent  by  Gov. 
Fi'oiUenac,  of  Canada,  to  the  extremity 
of  Lake  Superior  to  maintain  ])eace  between 
tlie  Indian  tribes.  Entering-  tlie  Sioux 
country,  in  1094,  lie  established  a  jiostupon  a 
prairie  island,  nine  miles  below  where  Hast- 
ings is  now  located.  lie  v.is  acconijianied 
by  Peiiicaut  and  others.  Here  they  estab- 
lished a  fort  and  storehouse  and  ]nissed  the 
winter,  as  game  was  veiy  abundant.  On 
July  15,  1G95,  Le  Sueur  went  back  to  Mon- 
treal accompanied  by  a  ]mrty  of  Ojibways, 
and  the  first  Dakotah  brave  that  ever  visited 
Canada.  Le  Sueur  then  visited  France,  and 
in  1697  received  a  license  to  open  certain 
mines  that  were  supposed  to  e*xist  in  Minne- 
sota. The  ship  in  which  he  was  returning 
was  captured  by  the  English,  and  lie  was 
taken  to  England ;  when  released  he  returned 
to  France  and  secured  a  new  commission,  but 
it  was  afterward  susjiended.  Fortunately, 
D'llberville,  a  kinsman  of  Le  Sueur,  was  ap- 
pointed governor  of  the  new  territory  of 
Louisiana,  and  in  December,  1G99,  Le  Sueur 
arrived  from  France  with  thirty  workmen 
to  proceed  to  the  mines.  During  the  next 
year  he  ascended  the  Minnesota  Kiver  with 
his  expedition,  and  in  October,  1700,  built  a 
fort  on  the  Blue  Earth  Eiver,  which  he 
named  L'lluillier.  This  was  occupied  by 
Le  Sueur's  men  until  1702,  when  it  ■n'as 
abandoned  because  of  the  hostility  of  the 
Indians.  Charlevoix,  who  visited  the  val- 
ley of  the  lower  Mississippi  in  1 722,  says  that 
"  Le  Sueur  spent  at  least  one  winter  in  his 
fort  on  the  banks  of  the  Blue  Earth,  and 
that  in  the  fulhjwing  April  he  went  up  to  the 
mine,  about  a  mile  above,  and  in  twenty-two 
days  they  obtained  more  than  .^0.000  jiounds 
of  the  substance — lead."  Le  Sueur  estimated 
the  Sioux  Indians  at  that  time  as  being 
four  thousand  families. 

In  1703  a  little  volume  was  published  in 
France  and  England  by  Baron  La  Ilon- 
tan,  giving  an  account  of  his  "travels,"  in 


which  he  claimed  to  have  iirnetrated  and 
pursued  exj)lorations  through  the  territory 
which  now  "orms  ^linnesota,  farther  tlian 
any  of  hi'  predecessors.  He  states  tliat  he 
found  a  river  tributary  to  the  Mississippi, 
and  describes  a  journey  of  500  miles  up  this 
stream,  which  he  named  Long  TJiver.  His 
wontlerful  story  was  believed  at  the  time 
and  the  river  was  placed  upon  the  early 
maps;  but  in  later  years  it  was  discredited 
and  is  now  by  the  closest  students  and  ablest 
historians  treated  as  fabulous. 

In  September,  1727,  Fort  Beauharnois  was 
erected  and  a  French  post  established  on  the 
shores  of  Lake  Pepin,  under  the  directions  of 
Sieur  de  la  Perriere.  An  extensive  trade 
Avas  carried  on  with  the  Indians  here,  and  it 
was  occupied  for  a  number  of  years.  In  172S 
Veranderie,  who  had  been  ])laced  in  com- 
mand of  a  post  on  Lake  Xe]"t:gon,  began  lay- 
ing plans  for  finding  a  co-  .munication  with 
the  Pacific  Ocean.  An  expedition  was  fitted 
out  which  left  Montreal  in  1731,  under  the 
management  of  his  sons  and  a  ne})hew,  Dela 
Jemeraye,  he  not  joining  the  part}-  until 
1733.  A  fourth  son  joined  the  expedition 
in  1735.  In  the  autumn  of  1731,  the  party 
reached  Rainy  Lake,  at  the  foot  of  which 
a  post,  called  Fort  St.  Pierre,  was  erected. 
The  next  year  the}'  reached  Lake  of  the 
Woods,  and  established  Fort  St.  Charles  on 
its  southwest  bank.  A  few  miles  from  Lake 
Winnepeg  they  established  a  post  on  the 
Assinaboine,  and  a  fort  was  established  on 
the  Maurepas  ("Winnepeg)  Biver.  In  June, 
1736,  while  twenty-one  of  the  expedition 
were  encamped  on  an  isle  in  the  Lake  of  the 
"Woods,  they  were  surprised  by  a  band  of 
Sioux  Indians  hostile  to  the  French  allies, 
and  all  were  killed.  The  island  on  this  ac- 
count is  called  Massacre  Island.  The  re- 
maining portion  of  the  expedition  pro- 
gressed as  best  they  could.  October  3, 
1738,  they  built  an  advanced  post  called 
Fort  la   Reine   on  the  Assinaboine    River. 


HI  ST  OR  Y  OF  MINNESOTA. 


I2g 


They  came  in  sight  of  the  Eocky  Mountains 
on  the  1st  of  January,  1743,  and,  on  the 
12th,  ascended  them.  In  1744,  after  plant- 
ing a  leaden  plate  of  the  arms  of  France  in 
the  upper  Missouri  country',  they  returned, 
reaching  Minnesota  soil  late  in  June,  and 
after  establishing  several  posts  in  the  ex- 
treme northern  frontier  country  they  finally 
returned  to  Montreal.  Expeditions  were 
afterward  fitted  out,  one  of  which  again 
reached  tlie  Eocky  Mountains,  Init  the  clash 
of  arms  between  France  and  England  put 
an  end  to  the  explorations  so  far  as  the 
French  were  concerned. 

In  1763,  by  the  treaty  of  Versailles,  France 
ceded  Minnesota  east  of  the  Mississippi  to 
England  and  west  of  it  to  Spain.  In  1766 
Capt.  Jonathan  Carver,  the  first  British  sub- 
ject, although  a  native  of  Connecticut,  visited 
the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony.  He  spent  some 
three  years  among  the  different  tribes  of 
Indians  in  the  upper  Mississippi  country ; 
found  the  Indian  nations  at  war  and  suc- 
ceeded in  making  peace  between  them.  As 
a  reward  for  his  good  offices,  it  is  claimed 
that  two  chiefs  of  the  Sioux,  acting  for  their 
nation,  at  a  council  held  witli  Carver  at  a 
great  cave,  now  within  the  corporate  limits 
of  St.  Paul,  deeded  to  Carver  a  vast  tract  of 
land  on  the  Mississippi  Eiver,  extending  from 
the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony  to  the  foot  of  Lake 
Pepin,  on  the  Mississippi,  thence  east  one 
hundred  miles  ;  thence  north  one  hundred 
and  twenty  miles  ;  thence  west  to  the  place 
of  beginning.  This  pretended  grant,  how- 
ever, was  examined  b}^  our  government  and 
totally  ignored. 

At  the  begmning  of  the  present  century 
there  were  no  white  men  in  Minnesota,  excejit 
the  few  engaged  in  the  fur  trade,  and  the  posts 
were  chiefly  held  by  the  Northwest  Com- 
pany, which  corporation  in  1794  erected  a 
stockade  at  Sandy  Lake.  In  1802  we  find 
William  Morrison  trading  at  Leech  Lake,  and 
two  years  latei'  at  Itasca.     In  the  meantime. 


in  1796,  the  iaws  of  the  ordinance  of  1787 
had  been  extended  over  the  Northwest,  and 
on  May  7,  1800,  that  part  of  Minnesota  east 
of  the  Mississippi  had  become  a  part  of  In- 
diana by  the  division  of  Ohio.  On  the  20th 
of  December,  1803,  that  part  of  Minnesota 
west  of  the  Mississippi,  for  forty  years  in  the 
possession  of  Spain  as  a  part  of  Louisiana, 
was  ceded  to  the  ITnited  States  by  Napoleon 
Bonaparte,  who  had  just  obtained  it  from 
Spain.  In  1804  Upper  Louisiana  Territory 
was  constituted.  During  the  following  year 
the  United  States  for  the  first  time  sent  an 
officer  to  Minnesota,  in  the  person  of  Lieut. 
Z.  M.  Pike,  who  established  government  re- 
lations and  obtained  the  Fort  Snellino-  reser- 
vation  from  the  Dakotahs.  He  remained 
here  for  some  time,  but  the  war  of  1812 
coming  on  postponed  the  military  occupa- 
tion of  the  upper  Mississippi  by  the  United 
States  for  several  years.  Pike  afterward 
fell  in  battle  at  York,  in  Upper  Canada. 

In  1817  the  Earl  of  Selkirk,  a  nobleman, 
visited  the  Scotch  colony  on  the  Eed  Eiver, 
established  in  1812,  and  created  Cjuite  an  ex- 
citement on  the  part  of  some  of  the  United 
States  authorities.  The  same  year  Maj'or 
Stephen  H.  Long,  of  the  United  States  En- 
gineer Corps,  visited  Minnesota  and  made  a 
report  recommending  the  bluff  at  the  junc- 
tion of  the  Minnesota  and  Mississippi  rivers 
as  a  site  for  a  fort. 

In  1819  Minnesota  east  of  the  Mississi])pi 
Eiver  became  a  part  of  Crawford  County, 
Mich.  During  the  same  year  Fort  Snell- 
ing  was  established  and  the  site  of  Mendota 
was  occupied  by  the  United  States  troops, 
under  Col.  Leavenworth.  Major  Taliaferro 
was  appointed  Indian  agent. 

During  the  year  1820  much  of  interest 
transpired  on  Minnesota  soil.  Early  in  the 
spring  Jean  Baptiste  Faribault  brought 
Leavenworth's  horses  from  PrairieduChien. 
On  the  5th  of  May  Col.  Leavenworth  estab- 
lished summer  quarters  at  Camp  Cold  water, 


I30 


HISTORY  OF  MINNESOTA. 


(Hennepin  County).  In  July  Gov.  Cass,  of 
Michigiin,  visited  the  camps.  In  August  Col. 
Joshia  Snelling  succeeded  Leavenworth  in 
command,  and  on  the  20th  of  September  the 
corner-stone  of  Fort  Snelling  (then  Fort  St. 
Anthony)  was  laid.  On  the  loth  of  April 
t lie  superintendent  of  farming  for  Earl  Sel- 
ivirk  left  Pi'airie  duChien,  having  ])urchased 
seed  wheat;  he  ascended  the  Minnesota 
River  to  Big  Stone  Lake,  where  the  boats 
were  placed  on  rollers,  dragged  a  short  dis- 
tance to  Lake  Traverse,  and  reached  Pembina 
June  3.  This  j'ear  the  first  marriage  in 
Minnesota  occurred,  Lieut.  Green  to  a 
daughter  of  Capt.  Gooding.  The  first  birth 
of  a  white  child  in  the  State  -occurred  this 
year,  a  daughter  to  Col.  Snelling ;  died  the 
following  year. 

In  1821  Fort  St.  Anthony  (Snelling)  was 
sufficiently  completed  to  be  occupied  by 
troops.  During  this  year  a  sawmill  was 
constructed  at  St.  Anthony  Falls  for  the  use 
of  the  garrison  under  the  supervision  of 
Lieut.  McCabe. 

Nothing  of  particular  interest  transpired 
during  1S22.  In  1S23,  however,  the  first 
steamboat,  the  Virginia,  arrived  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Minnesota  River  on  the  10th  of  May, 
and  created  consternation  among  the  Indians. 
Beltrami,  the  Italian,  during  the  same  year 
explored  the  northernmost-  sources  of  the 
Mississippi,  and  Maj.  Long,  of  the  United 
States  army,  visited  the  northern  boundary 
by  way  of  the  Minnesota  and  Red  rivers. 
Millstones  for  grinding  flour  were  sent  to 
St.  Anthony  to  be  placed  in  the  sawmill. 

In  1824  Gen.  Winfield  Scott  visited  Fort 
St.  Anthony,  and  at  his  suggestion  the  name 
was  chanjjcd  to  Fort  Sneilinn:. 

After  tiiis  time  events  crowd  rapidly  one 
after  the  otliei'  to  fill  in  the  time.  From 
1825  on,  the  arrival  of  steamboats  became 
more  frequent.  During  this  year  a  heavy 
flood  visited  the  Red  River,  and  a  portion  of 
the  colony  were  driven  to  Minnesota  and 
settled  near  Foil  Snellinjj:. 


In  1832  Schoolcraft  exploited  the  sources 
of  the  Mississippi  River,  and  during  the  fol- 
lowing year  Rev.  W.  T.  Boutwell  established 
the  first  mission  among  the  Ojibways  on 
Leech  Lake.  About  the  same  time  E.  F.  Ely 
opened  a  mission  school  at  Atkins,  a  trading 
post  on  Sandy  Lake. 

That  portion  of  Minnesota  lying  west  of 
the  Mississippi  River  was  attached  to  Michi- 
gan in  18.34.  During  this  year  Gen.  II.  II. 
Sibley  settled  at  Mendota  as  agent  for  the 
fur  company,  and  Samuel  W.  and  Gideon 
H.  Pond,  missionaries  among  the  Sioux,  ar- 
rived. They  were  followed  the  next  year 
by  T.  S.  Williamson,  J.  D.  Stevens  and  Alex- 
ander G.  Huggins,  and  in  June,  1835,  a 
Presbyterian  Church  was  organized  at  Fort 
Snelling.  Late  the  same  year  Maj.  J.  L. 
Bean,  in  accordance  with  the  treaty  of  1825, 
surveyed  the  Sioux  and  Chippeway  bound- 
ary line  as  far  as  Otter  Tail  Lake. 

In  1836  the  Territory  of  Wisconsin  was 
organized,  embracing  all  of  Minnesota  east 
of  the  Mississippi  River;  that  territory  west 
of  the  river  being  attached  to  Iowa.  A 
numl)er  of  steamboats  arrived  during  this 
year,  a  passenger  on  one  of  them  being  the 
distinguished  French  astronomer,  Jean  N. 
Nicollet. 

In  1837  Gov.  Dodge,  of  Wisconsin,  made 
a  treaty  at  Fort  Snelling  with  the  Ojib- 
ways, by  which  the  latter  ceded  all  their 
pine  lands  on  the  St.  Croix  and  its  tributaries ; 
a  treaty  was  also  effected  at  Washington 
with  a  deputation  of  Dakotahs  for  their  pine 
lands  east  of  the  Mississippi.  These  treaties 
led  the  way  to  the  first  actual  settlements  in 
the  State.  The  treaty  was  ratified  by  Con- 
gress in  1838.  At  about  this  time  Franklin 
Steele  made  a  claim  at  St.  Anthony  Falls ; 
Pierre  Parrant  took  a  claim  and  built  a  cabin 
on  the  present  site  of  St.  Paul ;  Jeremiah 
Russell  and  L.  W.  Stratton  made  the  first 
claim  at  Marine  in  the  St.  C.''oix  Valley. 
During  the  year  1838  a  steamboat  arrived  at 
Fort  Snelling  with  J.  N.  Nicollet  and  J.  C. 


HISTORY  OF  MINNESOTA. 


Fremont  on  a  scientific  expedition.  Develop- 
ment begins  in  the  St.  Croix  Valley.  The 
next  year  the  chapel  of  "St.  Paul"  was 
built  and  consecrated,  giving  the  name  to 
the  capital  of  the  State. 

Henry  M.  Eice  arrived  at  Fort  Snelling 
in  IS-iO,  others  came  and  in  November,  184-1, 
St.  Croix  County  was  established  with 
"Dakotah"  designated  as  the  county -seat. 

On  the  10th  of  October,  1813,  a  settlement 
was  commenced  on  the  present  site  of  the 
city  of  Stillwater,  and  the  erection  of  a  saw- 
mill was  immediately  commenced.  The 
names  of  the  town  proprietors  were :  John 
McKusick,  from  Maine  ;  Calvin  Leach,  from 
"Vermont ;  Elam  Greeley,  from  Maine  and 
Elias  McKeane,  from  Pennsylvania. 

Dr.  E.  D.  Neill  in  his  "  Explorers  and  Pio- 
neers of  Minnesota,"  says  that  in  1816  "  the 
site  of  St.  Paul  was  chiefly  occupied  by  a 
few  shanties,  owned  by  '  certain  lewd  fellows 
of  the  baser  sort,'  who  sold  rum  to  the  sol- 
diers and  Indians."  On  the  6th  of  August, 
1846,  the  Wisconsin  enabling  act  was  passed. 
In  181:7  St.  Croix  County  was  detached 
from  Crawford  County,  Wis.,  and  reorgan- 
ized for  civil  and  judicial  purposes  with  Still- 
water as  the  county-seat.  The  town  of  St. 
Paul  was  surve^'ed  and  platted,  and  recorded 
in  St.  Croix  County.  During  this  year  the 
Wisconsin  constitutional  convention  was  held. 
On  the  29th  of  May,  1818,  Wisconsin  was 
admitted  to  the  Union,  leaving  Minnesota 
(with  its  present  boundaries)  without  a  gov- 
ernment, and  on  the  L'lith  of  the  following 
August  a  convention  was  held  at  Stillwater 
to  take  measures  foi'  a  separate  teri'itorial  or- 
ganization. On  the  30th  of  October,  1818, 
Henry  II.  Sibley  was  elected  delegate  to 
Congress,  and  he  was  admitted  to  a  seat 
January  15,  1849.  March  3d,  1849,  a  bill 
was  passed  organizing  Minnesota  Territory, 
and  on  the  19th  of  the  same  month  territo- 
rial officers  were  appointed.  June  1st  Gov. 
Ramsey   issued  a    proclamation    declaring 


the  territory  organized,  and  on  September  3d 
the  first  territorial  Legislature  assembled.  In 
1851  tlie  capital  of  the  State  was  permanent- 
ly located,  as  was  also  the  penitentiary.  In 
June,  1854,  the  first  line  of  railway  was  com- 
pleted to  St.  Paul. 

On  the  23d  of  February,  1857,  an  act 
passed  the  United  States  Senate,  to  author- 
ize the  people  of  Minnesota  to  form  a  consti- 
tution, preparatory  to  their  admission  to  the 
Union.  In  June  a  constitutional  convention 
was  held,  and  the  State  constitution  was 
framed.  This  was  adopted  on  the  13th  of 
October,  1857,  and  a  full  list  of  State  officei's 
was  elected.  On  the  lltli  of  May,  1858,  the 
President  approved  of  the  bill  admitting  the 
State,  and  Minnesota  was  full}'  recognized  as 
one  of  the  United  States  of  America.  The 
first  State  officers  were  sworn  in  on  the  24th 
of  May. 

From  this  time  on  we  can  only  briefly  re- 
view the  most  important  events  that  have 
transpired.  A  great  tide  of  immigration  had 
set  in  early  in  the  "fifties,"  which  rapidh' 
filled  up  portions  of  the  State,  until  in  1857 
a  census  gave  the  State  a  total  population  of 
150,037.  During  that  3'ear,  however,  real 
estate  speculation  reached  a  climax,  and  the 
terrible  financial  panic  occurred  which  great- 
ly retarded  the  settlement. 

In  1858  the  "State  loan  of  $250,000  Avas: 
negotiated ;  five  million  loan  bill  was 
passed,  being  voted  on  April  15;  great  strin- 
genc}'  in  money  market. 

During  1859  the  hard  times  continued 
to  intensify.  "Wright  County  War"  oc- 
curred ;  "  Glencoe"  and  "Owatonna"  money 
was  issued  ;  work  on  the  land  grant  roads 
ceased  ;  collapse  of  the  five  million  scheme  ; 
first  export  of  grain  that  fall ;  hard  jiolitical 
struggle,  in  which  the  Republicans  tri- 
umphed. 

Another  warm  political  canvass  occurred 
in  1860  ;  the  census  taken  this  year  gave  the 
State  a  total  population  of  172,123. 


132 


HISTORY  OF  MINNESOTA. 


In  ISfil  war  cast  its  gloom  over  the  coun- 
try ;  on  A})ril  13th  the  President's  proclama- 
tion for  tr'oops  was  received  ;  the  first  regi- 
ment i-ecriiited  at  once,  and  June  22d  it  em- 
barked at  Fort  Snelling  for  the  seat  of  war. 

In  1862  occurred  the  memorable  Sioux 
outbreak ;  x\ugust  17th,  massacre  at  Acton  ; 
August  ISth,  outbreak  at  Lower  Sioux 
Agency;  19th,  New  UIra  attacked ;  20th, 
Fort  Eidgely  attacked  ;  25th,  second  attack 
on  New  Ulm ;  30th,  Fort  Abercrombie  be- 
sieged ;  September  1st,  the  bloody  affair  at 
Birch  Coolie ;  19th,  first  railroad  in  Minne- 
sota in  o]ieration,  between  St.  Paul  and 
Minneapolis;  22d,  battle  of  Wood  Lake; 
26th,  captives  surrendered  by  the  Indians  at 
Camp  Release;  military  commission  tried 
321  Indians  for  murder,  303  condemned  to 
die ;  December  26th,  thirty -eight  hung  at 
Mankato. 

In  1863  Gen.  Sibley  conducted  an  expedi- 
tion to  the  Missouri  Eiver  ;  July  3d,  Little 
Crow  was  killed ;  July  24:th,  battle  of  Big 
Mound  ;  26th,  battle  of  Dead  Buffalo  Lake  ; 
July  28th,  battle  of  Stony  Lake. 

In  1864  the  civil  war  was  still  in  progress, 
and  large  levies  for  troops  were  made  in 
Minnesota;  expedition  to  Missouri  River,  un- 
der Sully  ;  inflation  of  money  market ;  occa- 
sional Indian  raids. 

In  1865  the  war  closed  and  peace  returns ; 
Minnesota  regiments  return  and  are  dis- 
banded ;  in  all,  25,052  troops  were  furnished 
by  the  State  ;  census  showed  250,000  inhabi- 
tants. 

After  the  close  of  the  war,  and  from  1866 
until  1872, "  good  times"  prevailed ;  immigra- 


tion was  very  heav}%  and  real  estate  and 
all  values  were  inflated.  The  western  por- 
tion of  the  State  received  many  settlers. 
Railwa\'  construction  was  very  active. 

In  1873  the  famous  grasshopper  raid  began 
throughout  the  western  part  of  the  State, 
and  continued  about  five  seasons.  January 
7-8-9  of  this  year,  a  terrible  storm  swept 
over  the  State,  in  which  seventy  persons  per- 
ished. In  September  of  the  same  year,  the 
financial  "panic  of  1873  "  began. 

In  1874  and  1875  nothing  of  especial  im- 
portance occurred. 

On  the  7th  of  September,  1876,  an  attack 
was  made  on  the  Bank  of  Northfield  by  a 
gang  of  armed  outlaws  from  Missouri ;  three 
of  the  latter  were  killed,  and  three  were  capt- 
ured. 

In  1877  biennial  sessions  amendment  was 
adopted. 

In  1878  (May  2),  three  flouring  mills  at 
Minneapolis  exploded,  and  eighteen  lives 
lost. 

On  November  15th.  1880,  a  portion  of  the 
hospital  for  the  insane,  at  St.  Peter,  was  de- 
stroyed by  fire ;  eighteen  inmates  were 
burned  to  death,  seven  died  subsequently  of 
injuries  and  fright,  and  six  were  missing. 
Total  loss  was  $150,000. 

In  1881  the  State  capitol  at  St.  Paul  was 
destroyed  by  fire. 

In  1884  the  State  prison,  located  at  Still- 
water, was  partly  burned. 

In  1SS6  (April  14),  a  cyclone  swept  over 
St.  Cloud  and  Sauk  Rapids,  demolishing 
scores  of  buildings,  and  killing  about  seventy 
people. 


CHAPTER  III. 


THE  INDIAN  MASSACEE. 


IHE  outbreak  of  the  Indians  in 
1862  furnishes  one  of  tlie  most 
interesting  chapters  in  Minneso- 
ta's history.  At  the  time  of  this 
sad  tragedy  there  were  scat- 
tered throughout  the  State  vari- 
ous bands  of  Sioux  Indians,  a 
powerful  and  warlike  nation. 
They  included  the  Medawakontons  (or  "Village 
of  the  Spirit  Lake) ;  AVapatons,  (or  Village 
of  the  Leaves);  Sissetons  (or  Village  of  the 
Marsh),  and  Wapakutas  (or  Leaf  Shooters), 
'f  iiese  four  tribes,  numbering  about  six  thou- 
sand and  two  hundred  persons,  comprised 
tlie  entire  annuity  Sioux  of  Minnesota. 
All  these  Indians  had  from  time  to  time, 
from  the  19th  of  July,  1815,  to  the  date  of 
the  massacre  in  1862,  received  presents  fi'om 
the  government,  by  virtue  of  various  treaties 
of  amity  and  friendship.  From  the  time  of 
the  treat}'  of  St.  Louis  in  1816,  these  tribes 
had  remained  friendly  to  the  whites,  and 
had  by  treaty  stipulations  parted  with  all 
the  lands  to  which  they  claimed  title  in 
Iowa  ;  all  on  the  east  side  of  the  Mississippi 
River,  and  all  on  the  Minnesota  River  in 
Minnesota,  except  certain  reservations.  One 
of  these  reservations  lay  upon  both  sides  of 
the  Minnesota  ten  miles  on  either  side  of 
that  stream,  from  Hawk  River  on  the  north 
to  Yellow  Medicine  River  on  the  south  side, 
thence  westerly  to  the  head  of  Big  Stone  Lake 
and  Lake  Traverse,  a  distance  of  about  one 
hundred  miles.  Another  of  these  reserva- 
tions commenced  at  Little  Rock  River  on 
the  east  and  a  line  running  due  south  from 
its  mouth,  and  extending  up  the  river 
westerly  to  the  eastern  line  of  the  reserva- 


tion first  named,  at  the  Hawk  and  Yellow 
Medicine  rivers.  The  last  also  had  a  width 
of  ten  miles  on  each  side  of  the  Minnesota 
River. 

Early  in  1858  a  scheme  was  devised  by 
the  authorities  at  Washington  for  the  civili- 
zation of  these  annuity  Indians.  A  civiliza- 
tion fund  was  provided,  to  be  taken  from  their 
annuities  and  expended  in  improving  the 
lands  of  such  as  should  abandon  their  tribal 
relations  and  adopt  the  habits  and  modes  of 
life  of  the  whites.  To  all  such,  lands  were 
assigned  in  severalty,  eighty  acres  to  the 
head  of  each  family,  on  wiiich  should  be 
erected  the  necessary  farm  buildings,  and 
farming  implements  and  cattle  furnished 
him.  At  the  time  of  the  outbreak  about  one 
hundred  and  seventy-five  Indians  had  taken 
advantage  of  the  provisions  of  this  treaty 
and  become  "  farmer  Indians."  A  great 
majority  of  the  Indians,  however,  disliked 
the  idea  of  taking  any  portion  of  their  gen- 
eral fund  to  carry  out  the  civilization  scheme. 
Those  who  retained  the  blanket,  called 
"blanket  Indians,"  denounced  the  measure 
as  a  fraud,  as  it  was  slowly  but  surely 
destroying  what  was,  to  them,  their  God- 
given  right  to  the  chase.  The  result,  in  brief, 
of  this  civilization  scheme  was  this  :  After 
tiie  chase  was  over  tiie  "blanket  Indians" 
would  pitch  their  tents  about  the  homes  of 
the  "farmer  Indians"  and  proceed  to  eat 
them  out  of  house  and  home,  and  when  the 
ruin  was  complete,  the  "farmer"  with  his 
wife  and  children,  driven  by  necessity,  would 
again  seek  temporary  subsistence  in  the 
chase.  During  their  absence  the  "  blanket 
Indians"  would  commit  whatever  destruc- 


134 


HISTORY  OF  MIXXESOTA. 


tion  of  fences  or  tenements  their  desires  or 
necessities  would  suggest.  In  this  way  the  an- 
nual process  continued,  so  that  when  the 
"farmer  Indian"  returned  to  his  desolate 
home  in  the  spring  to  prepare  again  for  a 
crop,  he  looked  forward  to  no  different  re- 
sults for  the  coming  winter.  It  will  thus  be 
seen  that  the  civilization  scheme  was  an  ut- 
ter failure. 

The  treaty  referred  to,  of  185S,  had  opened 
for  settlement  a  vast  frontier  country  of  the 
most  attractive  character  in  the  valley  of 
the  Minnesota  River,  and  on  the  streams  put- 
ting into  the  Minnesota  on  either  side,  such 
as  Beaver  Creek,  Sacred  Heart,  Hawk  and 
Chippewa  rivers,  and  some  other  small 
streams,  there  were  flourishing  settlements 
of  white  families.  "Within  this  ceded  tract, 
ten  miles  wide,  were  the  scattered  settle- 
ments of  Bircli  Coolie,  Patterson  Eapids, 
and  others  as  far  up  as  the  upper  agency  at 
Yellow  Medicine,  in  Renville  County.  The 
county  of  Brown  adjoined  the  reservation, 
and  was  at  that  time  settled  mostly  by  Ger- 
mans. Here  was  also  the  flourishing  town 
of  New  Ulm,  and  further  on  was  a  thriving 
settlement  on  the  Big  Cottonwood  and 
"Watonwan.  Other  counties.  Blue  Earth, 
Nicollet,  Sibley,  Meeker,  McLeod,  Kandiyohi, 
Monongalia  and  IMurray,  together  with  others 
somewhat  removed  from  the  direct  attack  of 
the  Indians,  as  "Wright,  Stearns ancljackson, 
and  even  reaching  on  the  north  to  Fort 
Abercrombie,  tlius  extending  from  Iowa  to 
the  valley  of  the  Red  River  of  the  North, 
were  severally  involved  in  the  consequences 
of  the  warfare  of  1SG2.  This  extended  area 
had  a  population  estimated  at  over  fifty 
thousand. 

Early  in  the  fifties  complaints  began  to  be 
made  by  the  Indians,  and  dissatisfaction  be- 
gan to  be  manifest.  By  the  treaty  of  Trav- 
erse des  Sioux,  dated  July  23,  1851,  between 
the  United  States  and  the  Sissetons  and 
"Wapatons,   $275,000  was  to   be  paid  their 


chiefs,  and  a  further  sum  of  i?30,000  was  to 
be  expended  for  their  benetit  in  Indian  im- 
provements. By  the  treaty  of  Mendota, 
dated  August  5,  1851,  the  Medawakantons 
and  "Wapakutas  were  to  receive  the  sum  of 
$200,000,  to  be  paid  to  their  chief,  and  a  fur- 
ther sum  of  $30,000.  These  several  sums 
amounting  in  the  aggregate  to  $550,000, 
tliese  Indians,  to  whom  they  were  payable, 
claim  they  Avere  never  paid,  except  perhaps 
a  small  portion  expended  in  improvements. 
This  led  to  great  dissatisfaction,  of  which 
the  government  was  fully  apprised.  Several 
l)arties  were  at  different  times  sent  out  Iiy  th« 
Indian  department  of  the  government  to  in- 
vestigate into  the  causes,  but  the  rascality 
of  the  agents  and  officers  who  had  defrauded 
the  Indians  had  been  carefully  covered  up, 
and  as  usual  in  such  cases  the  guilty  parties 
were  exculpated.  This  was  one  of  the  lead- 
ing and  most  important  causes  which  led  to 
the  massacre  of  1 862. 

Another  cause  of  irritation  among  these 
annuity  Sioux  arose  cut  of  the  Spirit  Lake 
massacre  of  1857 — known  as  the  Inkpadutah 
massacre.  Inkpadutah  was  an  outhiw  of 
the  "Wapakuta  band  of  Sioux  Indians,  and 
his  acts  were  entirely  disclaimed  by  the  "  an- 
nuity Sioux."  He  had  committed  murder  in 
his  own  tribe  some  twenty  years  previous, 
and  since  had  led  a  wanderin<f  and  marauding 
life  about  the  headwaters  of  the  Des  Moines 
River  and  westward  to  Dakota.  Finally  his 
outrages  reached  a  climax,  when  early  in  1857 
with  a  few  of  his  followers,  he  proceeded  to 
murder  every  family  in  the  little  settlement 
about  Spirit  Lake,  Iowa,  except  four  women 
whom  they  bore  away  captives.  From  there 
the}^  went  to  the  Springfield  settlement  (on 
the  present  site  of  Jackson,  Minn.),  where  they 
murdered  seventeen  people,  making  a  total  c-f 
forty  seven  persons  killed.  Tiiey  then  re- 
treated westward.  Shortly  after  the  mas- 
sacre at  Springfield  (now  Jackson)  a  com- 
pany of   regular   soldiers  under    Capt.  Bee 


HISTOli  Y  OF  MINNESOTA. 


135 


was  stationed  at  that  place,  and  had  the 
officer  been  a  zealous  or  capable  one  might 
easily  have  overtaken  and  punished  them. 
As  stated  the  "  annuity  Sioux  "  disclaimed  the 
acts  of  this  outhiw  ;  but  for  a  time  the  gov- 
ernment refused  t(j  jwy  the  annuities  until 
they  should  deliver  up  the  murdei'ers.  In  a 
short  time,  however,  the  government  let  the 
matter  drop,  and  continued  to  }iay  the  an- 
nuities as  before.  Some  thought  that  this 
was  a  great  error  and  that  the  Indians  mis- 
took it  for  a  sign  of  weakness. 

However  that  may  be,  as  time  went  on 
the  Indians  became  more  and  more  insolent, 
and  Little  Crow,  together  with  a  few  leaders 
among  the  annuity  Sioux,  from  the  time  the 
government  ceased  its  efforts  to  punish  Ink- 
padutah,  began  to  agitate  and  plan  the  great 
conspiracy  to  drive  the  whites  from  the  State 
of  Minnesota.  Little  Crow  was  one  of  the 
"  farmer  Indians,"  whose  headquarters  was 
a  short  distance  above  the  Lower  Agencv, 
who  is  credited  with  being  the  leader  in  the 
outbreak  against  the  whites. 

The  antecedent  exciting  causes  of  this 
massacre  are  numerous.  The  displaced 
agents  and  traders  find  the  cause  in  the  er- 
roneous action  of  the  government,  resulting 
in  their  removal  from  office.  The  statesman 
and  the  philosopher  may  unite  in  tracing  the 
cause  to  improper  theories  as  to  the  mode  of 
acquiring  the  right  to  Indian  lands.  The 
former  nuiy  locate  the  evil  in  our  system  of 
treaties,  and  the  latter  in  our  theoi'ies  of  gov- 
ernment. The  philanthropist  )nav  find  the 
cause  in  tiie  absence  of  justice  which  we  ex- 
hibit in  all  our  intercourse  with  the  Indian 
races.  The  poet  and  the  lovers  of  romance 
in  human  character  find  the  true  cause,  as 
they  believe,  in  the  total  absence  of  all  ap- 
preciation of  the  noble,  generous,  confiding 
traits  peculiar  to  the  native  Indian.  The 
Christian  teacher  finds  apologies  for  acts  of 
Indian  atrocities  in  the  deficient  systems  of 
mental  and  moral  culture.     Each  of  these 


different  classes  are  satisfied  that  the  great 
massacre  of  August,  18(12,  had  its  origin  in 
some  way  intimately  connected  with  his 
favorite  theory. 

Maj.  Thomas  Galbraith,  Sioux  agent, 
says,  in  writing  of  the  causes  which  led  to 
the  massacre  :  "  The  radical,  moving  cause 
of  the  outbreak  is,  I  am  satisfied,  the  in- 
grained and  fixed  hostility  of  tlie  savage  bar- 
barian to  reform  and  civilization.  As  in  all 
barbarous  communities  in  the  history  of  the 
world  the  same  people  liave,  for  the  most 
part,  resisted  the  encroachments  of  civiliza- 
tion upon  their  ancient  customs,  so  it  is  in 
the  case  before  us.  Nor  does  it  matter  ma- 
terially in  what  shape  civilization  makes  its 
attack.  Hostile,  opposing  forces  meet  in 
conflict,  and  a  war  of  social  elements  is  the 
result  —  civilization  is  aggressive,  and  bar- 
barism stubbornly  resistant.  Sometimes, 
indeed,  civilization  has  achieved  a  bloodless 
victor}',  but^generally  it  has  been  otherwise. 
Christianity,  itself,  the  true  basis  of  civiliza- 
tion, has,  in  most  instances,  waded  to  success 
through  seas  of  blood.  .  .  .  Having 
stated  thus  much,  I  state,  as  a  settled  fact 
in  my  mind,  that  the  encroachments  of 
Christianity,  and  its  handmaid,  civilization, 
upon  the  habits  and  customs  of  the  Sioux 
Indians,  is  the  cause  of  the  late  terrible  Sioux 
outbreak.  There  were,  it  is  true,  many  im- 
mediate inciting  causes,  which  will  be  allud- 
ed to  and  stated  hereafter,  but  they  are  sub- 
sidiary to,  and  developments  of,  or  incident 
to,  the  great  cause  set  forth.  .  .  .  But 
that  the  recent  Sioux  outbreak  would  have 
happened  at  any  rate,  as  a  result,  a  fair  con- 
sequence of  the  cause  here  stated,  I  have  no 
doubt. 

''  Now  as  to  the  existing  or  immediate 
causes  of  the  outbreak  :  By  my  predecessor  a 
new  and  radical  system  was  inaugurated ; 
practically,  and  in  its  inauguration,  he  was 
aided  by  the  Christian  missionaries  and  by 
the  government.     The  treaties  of  1858  were 


136 


JU STORY  OF  MINNESOTA. 


ostensibly  uuule  to  carry  this  new  system 
into  effect.  The  theory,  in  substance,  was 
to  brealv  up  tlie  community  system  which 
obtained  among  tlio  Sioux,  wealceii  and  de- 
stroy their  tribal  relations,  and  individualize 
them,  by  giving  them  each  a-  separate  home. 
On  the  1st  (\as  of  June,  A.  D. 
1861,  when  I  enteretl  upon  the  duties  of  my 
office,  I  found  that  the  system  had  just  been 
inaugurated.  Some  hundred  families  of  the 
annuity  Sioux  had  become  novitiates,  and 
their  relatives  and  friends  seemed  to  be 
favorably  disposed  to  the  new  order  of 
things.  But  I  also  found  that,  against  these 
were  arrayed  over  five  thousand  'annuity 
SiouXj'  besides  at  least  three  thousand  Yank- 
tonais,  all  inflamed  by  the  most  bitter,  re- 
lentless and  devilish  hostility. 

"  I  saw,  to  some  extent,  the  difficulty  of 
the  situation,  but  I  determined  to  continue, 
if  in  my  power,  the  civilization  system.  To 
favor  it,  to  aid  and  build  it  up  by  every  fair 
means,  I  advised,  encouraged,  and  assisted 
the  farmer  novitiates  ;  in  short  I  sustained 
the  policy  inaugurated  by  my  predecessor, 
and  sustained  and  recommended  b}'  the  gov- 
ernment. I  soon  discovered  that  the  system 
could  not  l)e  successful  without  a  sufficient 
force  to  protect  the  'farmer'  from  the  hos- 
tilit}'  of  the  'blanket'  Indians. 

"  During  my  term,  and  up  to  the  time  of 
the  outbreak,  about  175  had  their  haircut 
and  had  adopted  the  habits  and  customs  of 
the  white  men. 

"  For  a  time,  mdeed,  my  hopes  were  strong 
that  civilization  would  soon  be  in  the  as- 
cendant. But  the  increase  in  the  civilization 
party  and  their  evident  prosperity,  only 
tended  to  e.xasperate  the  Indians  of  the  'an- 
cient customs,'  and  to  widen  the  breach.  But 
while  these  are  to  be  enumerated,  it  may  be 
permitted  me  to  hope  that  the  radical  cause 
will  not  be  forgotten  or  overlooked ;  and  I 
am  bold  to  express  this  desire,  because,  ever 
since  the  outbreak,  the  public  journals  of  the 


country,  religious  and  secular,  have  teemed 
with  editorials  by  and  communications  from 
reliable  individuals,'  politicians,  philanthro- 
pists, philosophers  and  hired  '  penny  a-liners,' 
mostly  mistaken  and  sometimes  willfully 
and  grossly  false,  giving  the  cause  (jf  the 
Indian  raid." 

Maj.  Galbraith  enumerates  a  variety  of 
other  exciting  causes  of  the  massacre,  which 
our  limit  will  not  allow  us  to  insert  in  this 


volume.      Among  other  causes. 


that 


the  United  States  was  itself  at  war,  and  that 
"Washington  was  taken  by  the  negroes.  .  , 
But  none  of  these  were,  in  his  opinion,  the 
cause  of  the  outbreak. 

The  Major  then  adds  : 

"Grievances  such  as  have  been  related, 
and  numberless  others  akin  to  them,  were 
spoken  of,  recited,  and  chanted  at  their 
councils,  dances  and  feasts,  to  such  an  extent 
that,  in  their  excitement,  in  June,  1862,  a 
secret  organization  known  as  tlie  'Soldiers' 
Lodge  '  was  founded  by  the  3'oung  men  and 
soldiers  of  the  lower  Sioux,  with  the  object, 
as  far  as  I  was  able  to  learn  through  spies 
and  informers,  of  preventing  the  '  traders ' 
from  going  to  the  pay-tables,  as  had  been 
their  custom.  Since  the  outbreak  I  have 
become  satisfied  that  the  real  object  of  this 
'  Lodge '  was  to  adopt  measures  to  '  clean 
out '  all  the  white  people  at  the  end  of  the 
payment." 

Whatever  may  have  been  the  cause  of  the 
fearful  and  bloody  tragedy,  it  is  certain  that 
the  manner  of  the  execution  of  the  infernal 
deed  was  a  deep-laid  conspiracy,  long  cher- 
ished by  Little  Crow,  taking  form  under  the 
guise  of  the  "  Soldiers'  Lodge,"  and  matured 
in  secret  Indian  councils.  In  all  these  secret 
movements  Little  Crow  was  the  moving- 
spirit. 

Now  the  opportune  moment  seemed  to 
have  come.  Only  thirty  soldiers  were  sta- 
tioned at  Fort  Ridgely.  Some  thirty  were 
all  that  Fort  Ivii)ley  could  muster,   and  at 


HISTORY  OF  MINNESOTA. 


■37 


Fort  Abercrombie,  one  company  under  Capt. 
Van  Der  Ilork  was  all  the  whites  could 
depend  upon  to  repel  any  attack  in  that 
quarter.  The  whole  effective  force  for  the 
defense  of  the  entire  frontier,  from  Pembina 
to  the  Iowa  line,  did  not  exceed  200  men. 
The  annuity  money  was  daily  expected,  and 
no  troops  except  about  one  hundred  men  at 
Yellow  Medicine,  had  been  detailed,  as  usual, 
to  attend  the  anticipated  payment.  Here 
was  a  glittering  prize  to  be  paraded  before 
the  minds  of  the  excited  savages.  The 
whites  were  weak  ;  they  were  engaged  in  a 
terrible  wa  r  among  themselves ;  their  atten- 
tion was  now  directed  toward  the  great 
struggle  in  the  South.  At  such  a  time,  offer- 
ing so  many  chances  for  rapine  and  plunder, 
it  would  be  easy  to  unite  at  least  all  the 
annuity  Indians  in  one  common  movement. 
Little  Crow  knew  full  well  tiiat  the  Indians 
could  easily  be  made  to  believe  that  now 
was  a  favorable  time  to  make  a  grand  attack 
upon  the  border  settlements. 

A  memorable  council  convened  at  Little 
Crow's  village,  near  the  lower  agency,  on 
Sunday  night,  August  3,  previous  to  the 
attack  on  Fort  Ridgely,  and  precisely  two 
weeks  before  the  massacres  at  Acton.  Little 
Crow  was  at  tiiis  council,  and  he  was  not 
wanting  in  ability  to  meet  the  greatness  of 
the  occasion.  T!ie  proceedings  of  this  council, 
of  course,  were  secret.  The  council  matured 
the  details  of  the  conspiracy  It  appears 
that  the  next  day,  August  4,  a  party  of 
ninety-six  Indians  in  war  paint  and  fully 
armed,  rode  up  to  Fort  Ridgely  and  re- 
quested permission  to  hold  a  dance  and  feast 
in  the  fort.  They  were  allowed  to  hold  the 
dance  outside  the  fort,  but  Sergeant  Jones, 
with  singular  foresight,  mounted  a  howitzer 
charged  with  shell  and  canister-shot  and 
guarded  the  entrance,  having  it  pointed 
toward  the  Indians.  After  finishing  the 
dance  the  red-skins  left  without  making  the 
attack,  which   had  undoubtedly  been  medi- 


tated. Only  thirty  soldiers  occupied  the 
post  at  Fort  Ridgely,  and  this  was  deemed 
amply  sufficient  for  times  of  peace. 

On  the  same  day  a  great  many  Indians 
were  encamped  about  the  Upper  Agency. 
They  were  afraid  they  would  not  get  their 
annuity  money,  which  had  not  arrived  as 
3'et.  They  had  been  complaining  bitterly 
of  starvation,  and  on  this  day  made  an 
attack  on  the  warehouse,  carrj'ing  off  a 
great  deal  of  flour  and  other  provisions. 
The  matter,  however,  was  finally  adjusted, 
and  the  agent  issued  rations,  promising  to 
distribute  their  money  as  soon  as  it  should 
arrive.  None  of  the  Indians,  however,  were 
punished  for  their  attack  on  the  supply 
house. 

We  now  come  to  the  massacre  itself,  the 
first  blow  of  which  fell  upon  the  town  of 
Acton,  in  Meeker  County,  about  thirtj^-five 
miles  northeast  of  the  Lower  Sioux  Agency. 
On  Sunday,  August  17,  1862,  six  Sioux  In 
tlians  brutally  murdered  a  man  named  Jones, 
with  his  wife  and  a  daughter,  and  a  man 
named  "Webster  and  Howard  Baker. 

On  the  next  day,  Monday,  the  massacre 
at  the  Lower  Agency  occurred,  where  many 
were  killed  and  fearfully  mutilated.  A  few 
escaped  and  made  their  way  to  the  eastern 
settlements.  The  Indians  declared  it  to  be 
their  intention  to  kill  or  drive  off  all  the 
whites  to  the  east  of  the  Mississippi  Eiver, 
and  to  spare  none.  All  that  day  the  w^ork 
of  plunder  went  on  at  the  lower  agency, 
and  when  the  stores  and  dwellings  had  been 
emptied,  they  were  fired.  So  complete  was 
the  surprise  and  so  sudden  and  unexpected 
the  terrible  blow  that  not  a  single  one  of  the 
host  of  savages  was  slain.  In  thirty  min- 
utes from  the  time  the  first  gun  was  fired 
not  a  white  person  was  left  alive.  All 
were  either  weltering  in  their  gore  or  had 
fled  in  fear  and  terror  from  that  ])lace  of 
death.  It  seems  that  hundreds  of  the  In- 
dians had  gathered  here  and  then  dispersed 


-i:S 


HISTORY  OF  MINNESOTA. 


througli  the  scattered  settlements  for  their 
murderous  work. 

On  the  same  morning — of  August  IS — 
the  massacre  began  on  the  north  side  of  the 
Minnesota  River,  from  Birch  Coolie  to 
Beaver  Ci-eek  and  bevond,  and  the  recion 
was  strewn  with  the  mutilated  bodies  of  the 
dead  and  dying  men,  women  and  children. 
So  the  terrible  warfai'e  continued,  murder- 
ing and  burning  ;  none  were  allowed  to  es- 
cape who  could  possibly  be  discovered.  The 
outbreak  extended  over  a  vast  scope  of  coun- 
try, and  the  Indians  numbered  well  up  into 
the  thousands.  The  entire  length  of  the 
Minnesota  and  its  tributaries,  and  out  into 
Dakota,  together  with  all  the  western  part 
of  this  State  was  the  scene  everj'where  of  a 
carnival  of  blood.  Tiie  counties  affected 
have  already  been  named. 

On  the  ISth  of  August  the  Indians  at- 
tacked New  Uhn.  and  after  several  battles 
and  skirmishes  were  defeated.  A  few  days 
later  the  whites  evacuated  the  town  and 
moved  toward  Mankato. 

On  the  18th  of  August  the  battle  at  Lower 
Agency  Ferry  was  fought. 

On  the  20th,  seeing  they  were  foiled  in 
their  attack  on  New  Ulm,  they  made  a 
furious  assault  on  Fort  Ridgely.  A  number 
of  whites  were  killed  and  woimded,  but  the 
Indians  were  defeated.  The  attack  was  re- 
newed on  the  22d  and  another  severe  battle 
occurred,  which  was  ended  Ijy  night  coming 
on. 

Numerous  engagements  were  also  fought 
in  the  northern  part  of  the  State. 

Throughout  all  the  Minnesota  River  coun- 
try many  women  and  children  were  taken 
prisoners.  In  the  meantime  companies  had 
been  raised  and  were  everywhere  following 
up  the  Indiansand  guarding  the  various  posts 
at  which  the  settlers  had  gathered.  These 
various  companies  had  also  ])icked  up  a  great 
many  wounded  found  on  tlie  iirairies,and  also 
buried  the  dead.     On  the  1st  of  September, 


Company  A,  Sixth  Regiment  Minnesota  Vol- 
unteers, under  Capt.  II.  P.  Grant,  fought 
tiie  battle  of  Bircli  Coolie,  a  most  terrible 
and  blood v  en^anement.  The  noble  little 
band  of  soldiei's  were  relieved  on  September 
3,  by  an  advance  movement  of  Col.  Sibley's 
forces  at  Fort  Ridgelv.  The  sig-nal  defeat 
of  Little  Crow  at  this  battle,  in  effect,  ended 
the  effoi'ts  of  the  Indians  in  subduing  the 
whites  on  the  border.  After  this  battle  all 
of  the  Indian  forces  under  Little  Crow  be- 
^an  a  retreat  up  the  vallev  of  the  Minnesota 
toward  Yellow  Medicine ;  and  on  Septem- 
ber 16,  Col.  Sibley,  with  his  whole  column, 
moved  in  pursuit  of  the  fleeing  foe,  and  on 
the  23d  they  came  up  with  the  Indians  and 
defeated  them  in  the  battle  of  Wood  Lake. 
This  put  an  end  to  the  hopes  of  Little  Crow. 
On  the  same  day  as  the  battle  of  Wood  Lake, 
the  Wapeton  band  of  Indians  sui-rendered 
later  and  turned  over  to  Col.  Sibley  all  the 
captives — 107  whites  and  162  half-breeds. 
This  place  has  since  been  known  as  "  Camp 
Release." 

After  the  disaster  at  Wood  Lake,  Little 
Crow  retreated  in  the  direction  of  Big  Stone 
Lake,  with  those  who  remained  with  him. 
The  chief  was  never  captured,  but  is  said  to 
have  been  killed  at  Scattered  I^ake  in  1863. 
Col.  Sibley  continued  to  pursue  the  deserting 
Indians,  and  demanded  the  surrender  of  all 
bands.  By  the  Sth  of  October,  1862,  prison- 
ers had  come  in  and  surrendered  to  the  num- 
ber of  2,000.  Scouting  parties  were  sent 
over  various  parts  of  the  West,  and,  until  all 
danger  of  further  depredations  was  ]  ast, 
soldiers  were  stationed  at  all  of  the  frontiir 
posts  and  settlements. 

A  military  commission  was  soon  after 
inaugurated  to  try  the  parties  charged  with 
murder  of  white  persons.  On  the  5th  of 
November,  1862.  321  Indians  and  their  allies 
were  found  guilty,  and  303  were  recom- 
mended for  capital  punishment,  and  the 
others   for  imprisonment.     They    were  im- 


HISTORY  OF  MINNESOTA. 


139 


mediately  removed  under  a  guard  of  1,500 
men  to  South  Bend,  on  the  Minnesota  Eiver, 
to  await  further  orders  from  the  govern- 
ment. The  final  decision  of  the  President 
was  rendered  on  the  ITth  of  December,  1802, 
ordering  that  forty  of  these  be  hung  on  Fri- 
day, December  2fi.  One  of  tliese  died  a 
sliorttime  before  tlie  day  set,  and  one  other, 
a  half  ])reed,  had  his  sentence  commuted  to 
imprisonment  for  life  just  before  the  fatal 


da3\  As  to  the  other  thirty-eight  the  sen- 
tence was  executed  at  Mankatoon  the  day  set. 
On  the  16th  of  February,  1863,  the  trea- 
ties before  that  time  existing  between  the 
United  States  and  these  "annuity  Indians" 
were  abrogated  and  annulled,  and  all  lands 
and  rights  of  occupancy,  and  all  annuities 
r.nd  claims  then  existing  in  favor  of  said 
Indians,  were  declared  forfeited.  Thus  ended 
the  saddest  chapter  of  Minnesota's  history. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


TEERITORIAL  AND  STATE  OFFICEES. 


TEREITOKIAL   OFFICERS. 


3;,      .  S':.  .      :l 

11 

" 

1 

f 

K 

y 

it 

HE  first  governor  of  the  Terri- 
tory of  Minnesota  was  Alexander 
Ramsey,  who  served  from  June 
1,  1S40,  to  May  15,  185:1  Willis 
A.  Gorman  succeeded  him,  and 
held  the  office  until  April  23, 
1857.  Samuel  Medary  was  the 
next  territorial  governor,  and 
held  the  office  until  the  State 
officers  were  sworn  in.  May  24,  1858. 

The  first  secretary  of  the  Territory  was 
Charles  K.  Smith,  who  served  from  June  1, 
1849,  until  October  23, 1851,  when  Alexander 
Wilkin  qualified  and  held  the  office  until 
May  15,  1853.  Joseph  Travis  Rosser  was 
the  next,  and  served  until  April  23,  1857. 
Charles  L.  Chase,  the  last  territorial  sec- 
retary, qualified  on  the  date  last  named  and 
served  until  succeeded  ijy  the  newly  chosen 
secretary  of  state.  May  24.  1858. 

The  office  of  territorial  treasurer  was  first 
filled  by  Calvin  A.  Tuttle,  who  served  from 
November  3,  1849,  to  July  2,  1853.  George 
W.  Prescott  came  next  and  retained  the 
position  until  Februar}'  24,  1854.  Succeed- 
ing him  Charles  E.  Leonard  served  until 
May  7,  1857,  when  George  AY.  Armstrong 
was  appointed  and  served  until  the  State 
officers  qualified,  May  24,  1858. 

J.  E.  McKusick  Avas  the  first  territorial 
iiuditor,  qualifying  November  3,  1849,  and 
serving  until  November  30,  1852.  A.  Van 
V  orhees  succeeded  him  and  held  the  office 
until  the  IStli  of  May,  1853,  when  Socrates 
Nelson  qualified.  January  17,  1854,  Julius 
Georgii  took  charge  of  the  office  and  served 
until  succeeded  by  the  State  auditor,  May 
24, 1858. 


Dui'ing  the  existence  of  the  Territory  of 
Minnesota,  Lorenzo  A.  Babcock  and  then 
Lafayette  Emmett  were  the  only  ones  to 
hold  the  office  of  attorney  general.  The 
first  named  served  from  June  1,  1849,  until 
May  15,  1853,  and  the  latter  from  1853  until 
May  24,  1858. 

In  tei'ritorial  times  there  were  no  district 
judges,  but  the  justices  of  the  supreme  court 
attended  to  all  judicial  matters  now  within 
the  jurisdiction  of  the  district  bench.  The 
first  chief  justice  of  the  territorial  supreme 
court  was  Aaron  Goodrich,  who  served  from 
June  1,  1849,  to  November  13,  1851,  when 
Jerome  Fuller  was  appointed  and  presided 
until  December  16,  1852.  Henry  Z.  Hayner 
was  next  appointed,  but  never  presided  at  a 
term  of  court.  William  II.  Welch  was  ap- 
pointed April  7,  1853,  and  served  until  May 
24,  1858. 

David  Cooper  and  Bradley  B.  Meeker 
were  the  first  associate  justices,  and  served 
from  June  1,  1849,  until  April  7,  1853. 
Their  successors  were  Andrew  G.  Chatfield 
and  Moses  G.  Sherburne,  who  retained  the 
]iositions  until  A]n'il,  1857,  and  were  fol- 
lowed by  E.  R.  Nelson  and  Charles  E. 
Flandrau,  who  served  until  the  State  officers 
qualified. 

The  clerks  of  the  territorial  supreme  court 
were  :  James  K.  Humphrey,  Andrew  J.  Whit- 
ney and  George  W.  Prescott,  in  the  order 
named.  The  reporters  were :  William  Hol- 
linshead,  Isaac  Atwater,  John  B.  Brisbin,  M. 
E.  Ames  and  Harvey  Officer. 

Henry  II.  Sibley  was  the  first  delegate 
from  the  Territory'  to  Congress,  serving  from 
January  15,  1849,  to  March  4,  1853.    Henry 


uo 


HISTORY  OF  MINNESOTA. 


141 


M.  Rice  was  the  second,  serving  from  De- 
cember 5,  1853,  to  March  4,  1857,  when  he 
was  succeeded  by  W.  W.  Kingsbury,  wlio 
qualified  December  7,  1857,  and  whose  term 
expired  May  11,  1858. 

STATE    OFFICERS. 

Tlie  governors  of  the  State  of  Minnesota, 
in  their  order  have  been  as  follows  :  Henry 
H.  Sibley,  from  May  24,  1858,  to  January  2, 
1860  ;  Alexander  Eamsey,  to  July  10,  1863  ; 
Henry  A.  Swift,  to  January  11,  1864; 
Stephen  Miller,  during  1864-5 ;  William  E. 
Marshall,  during  1866-7-8-9  ;  Horace  Aus- 
tin, during  1870-1-2-3  ;  Cushman  K.  Davis, 
during  1874-5 ;  John  S.  Pillsbur^^  during 
1876-7-8-9-80-81 ;  Lucius  F.  Hubbard,  dur- 
ing 1882-3-4-5-6,  and  A.  E.  McGill,  the 
present  governor,  who  assumed  the  duties  of 
the  office  January  5,  1887. 

The  lieutenant  governors  since  the  organ- 
ization of  the  State  have  been  as  follows : 
William  Holcomb,  from  May  24,  1858,  to 
January  2,  1860 ;  Ignatius  Donnelly,  to 
March  3,  1863  ;  Henry  A.  Swift,  to  July  10, 
1863;  Charles  D.  Sherwood,  during  1864-5; 
Thomas  H.  Armstrong,  during  1SC6-7-8-0  ; 
William  H.  Yale,  during  1870-1-2-3;  Al- 
phonzo  Barto,  during  1874—5 ;  James  B. 
Wakefield,  during  1S76-7-8-9  ;  C.  A.  Gill- 
man,  during  1880-1-2-3-4-5-6,  and  A.  E. 
Eice,  who  qualified  January  4,  1887. 

The  office  of  secretary  of  State  has  been 
filled  successively  by  the  following  gen- 
tlemen: Francis  Baasen,  from  May  24,  1858, 
to  January  2,  1860  ;  James  H.  Baker,  to 
November  17, 1862  ;  David  Blakely,  to  Janu- 
ary 8,  1866;  Henry  C.  Eogers,  during  the 
yeai-s  1866-7-8-9 ;  Hans  Mattson,  during 
1870-1 ;  S.  P.  Jennison,  during  1872-3-4-5  ; 
John  S.  Irgens,  during  1876-7-8-9;  Fred. 
Von  Baumbach,  during  1880-1-2-3-4-5-6, 
and  Hans  Mattson,  during  1887-8. 

The  State  treasurers  have  been  as  follows : 
George  W.  Armstrong,  from  May  24,  1858, 


to  January  2,  1860;  Charles  Scheffer,  during 
1860-1-2-3-4-5-6-7;  Emil  Munch,  during 
1868-9-70-1  ;  William  Seeger,  from  January 
5, 1872,  to  February  7, 1873  ;  Edwin  W.  Dyke, 
to  January  7,  1876  ;  William  Pfaender,  dur- 
ing 1876-7-8-9  ;  Charles  Kittelson,  during 
1880-1-2-3-4-5-6,  and  Joseph  Bobleter,  the 
present  treasurer,  who  was  elected  for 
1887-8. 

The  auditors  of  State  have  been  as  fol- 
lows :  W.  F.  Dunbar,  from  May  24,  1858, 
to  January  1,  1861 ;  Charles  McHrath  to 
January  13,  1873  ;  O.  P.  Whitcomb,  to  Jan- 
uary 10,  1882,  and  W.  W.  Braden,  who  is 
the  present  incumbent  of  the  office. 

The  office  of  attorney  general  has  been 
filled  as  follows  :  Charles  H.  Berrj^,  served 
from  May  24,  1858,  to  January  2,  1860  ;  Gor- 
don E.  Cole,  served  during  1860-1-2-3-4^5  ; 
William  Colville,  during  1866-7;  F.  E.  E. 
Cornell,  during  1868-9-70-1-2-3  ;  George  P. 
Wilson,  during  1874-5-6-7-8-9  ;  Charles  M. 
Start,  from  January  10,  1880,  to  March  11, 
1881 ;  W.  J.  Hahn,  to  January  5,  1887,  and 
Moses  E.  Clapp,  the  present  attorney  general. 

The  present  board  of  railroad  commission- 
ers is  made  up  of  Horace  Austin,  John  L. 
Gibbs  and  George  L.  Becker.  Those  who 
have  composed  the  boai'd  in  the  past  were: 
A.  J.  Edgerton,  W.  E.  Marshall,  J.  J.  Ean- 
dall,  J.  H.  Baker  and  S.  S.  Murdock. 

Edward  D.  Neill  was  the  first  superintend- 
ent of  public  instruction  for  ilinnesota.  Pie 
was  appointed  in  March,  1860,  and  on  the 
1st  of  July,  1861,  was  succeeded  by  B.  F. 
Crary.  From  1862  to  1867  the  secretary  of 
State  was  ex-officio  superintendent,  but  on 
April  1,  1867,  M.  H.  Dunnell  was  appointed 
sujierintendent,  and  served  until  August. 
1870,  when  he  was  succeeded  b\'  II.  B.  Wil- 
son. April  3,  1875,  David  Burt  was  ap- 
pointed superintendent,  and  retained  the 
office  until  succeeded  by  the  present  incuir. 
bent,  D.  L.  Kiehl,  who  was  appointed  Se[) 
tember  1,  1881. 


142 


HISTORY  OF  MINNESOTA. 


The  oiRce  of  insurance  commissioner  has 
been  liekl  in  turn  by  Pennock  I'usey.  A.  II. 
McGill  and  Charles  Sliandrew ;  the  hist 
nameil  gentleman  having  been  appointed 
January  0, 1SS7,  is  the  present  commissioner. 

The  commissioners  of  statistics  have  been 
as  follows :  J.  A.  Wiieelock,  Pennock  Pusey, 
C.  F.  Solberg,  J.  B.  Phillips,  T.  M.  JMeteaif, 
J.  P.  Jacobson,  F.  Sneedorflf,  Oscar  Malmros, 
A.  F.  Nordin,  Victor  Hjortsberg  and  Her- 
man Stockenstroin. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  gentlemen 
who  have  filled  the  office  of  adjutant-gen- 
eral :  Alex.  C.  Jones,  W.  II.  Acker,  John  B. 
Sanborn,  Oscar  Malmros,  John  Peller,  11.  P. 
Van  Cleve,  M.  D.  Flower,  .II.  A.  Castle,  11. 
P.  Van  Cleve,  A.  C.  Ilawley,  C.  M.  McCar- 
thy and  F.  W.  Seeley. 

JUDICIARY. 

The  first  chief  justice  of  the  supreme  court 
of  the  State  was  Lafayette  Emmett,  wlio 
was  sworn  in  May  2-i,  1858,  and  served  until 
January  10,  1805.  Thomas  Wilson  suc- 
ceeded him  and  served  until  July  14,  1SC9, 
when  he  was  succeeded  by  James  GiLfillan. 


Christopher  G.  Ripley  was  the  next,  liolding 
the  position  from  January  Y,  1870,  until 
April  7,  1874,  when  he  was  followed  by  S. 
J.  R.  AIcMillan,  who  served  until  March  10, 
1875.  At  that  time  James  Giltillan  became 
ciiief  justice,  and  is  the  present  incumbent. 

The  following  statements  -will  show  the 
associate  justices,  together  with  the  date  of 
qualification  of  each  :  Charles  E.  Flandrau 
and  Isaac  Atwater  served  from  ]\Iay  24, 
1858,  to  July  0,  1864;  S.  J.  R.  McMillan 
from  July  0,1864,  to  April  7,  1874;  Thomas 
Wilson  from  July  6,  1S04,  to  January  10, 
1865;  George  B.  Young  from  April  10, 
1874,  to  January  11,  1875  ;  F.  R.  E.  Cornell 
from  January  11,  1875,  to  May  23,  1881,  and 
Greenleaf  Clark  from  March  14,  1881,  to 
January  12,  1882.  The  present  associate 
justices  are  John  M.  Berry,  who  first  quali- 
fied January  10,  1865 ;  D.  A.  Dickinson, 
since  June  27, 1881;  William  Mitchell,  since 
March  14,  1881,  and  C.  E.  Vanderburgh, 
since  January  12,  1882. 

As  to  district  courts,  the  State  is  now 
divided  into  thirteen  districts. 


CHAPTER  Y. 


EEPRESENTATION  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES  CONGRESS,  AND  THE 

CREATION  OF  COUNTIES. 


ENATORS.  The  firstUnited  States 
Senators  from  Minnesota  were 
James  Shields  and  Ilenrj^  M.  Rice, 
who  took  the  oath  of  office  May  ■ 
11,  1858.  The  former  was  suc- 
ceeded on  March  4th,  1860,  b}' 
Morton  S.  Wilkinson,  who  served 
the  full  term.  Daniel  S.  Norton 
was  sworn  in  to  succeed  Wilkin- 
son, March  4,  1867,  and  died 
while  in  office,  July  14,  1870.  O. 
P.  Stearns  was  appointed,  and  served  out  the 
few  weeks  left  of  the  term.  William  Win- 
dom  came  next,  and  retained  the  office  until 
March  12,  1881,  when  he  was  succeeded  by 
A.  J.  Edgerton,  who  resigned,  however,  in 
October  of  the  same  year,  and  William  Win- 
dom  was  again  chosen,  serving  until  suc- 
ceeded by  one  of  the  present  Senators,  D.  M. 
Sabin,  March  4,  1883. 

Henry  M.  Rice,  who  was  mentioned  as  a 
colleague  of  James  Shields,  served  as  United 
States  Senator  from  May  11,  1858,  to  March 
4,  1863,  when  Alexander  Ramsey  succeeded 
him,  and  retained  the  position  until  March  4, 
1875.  S.  J.  R.  McMillan  became  United 
States  Senator  on  the  day  last  named,  and 
occupied  the  position  for  two  full  terms  — 
twelve  years  —  being  succeeded  March  4, 
1887,  by  Cushman  K.  Davis,  one  of  the 
present  Senators. 

REPRESENTATIVES    IN    CONGRESS. 

The  territorial  delegates  have  already  been 


spoken  of.  When  the  State  of  Minnesota 
was  organized, it  was  entitled  to  two  represent- 
atives in  the  House  of  Representatives  of 
the  United  States.  This  state  of  affairs  con- 
tinued until  1871,  when  a  reapportionment 
was  made,  and  the  State  was  allowed  three 
members  of  the  House.  At  that  time  the 
State  was  divided  into  three  congressional 
districts — No.  1,  embracing  the  southern. 
No.  2  the  central,  and  No.  3  the  northern 
portion  of  the  State.  In  1881  another  ap- 
portionment was  made,  by  which  the  State 
secured  five  Representatives.  This  is  the 
present  status  of  the  representation.  The 
State  is  divided  into  five  congressional  dis- 
tricts, as  follows  :  The  first  district  includes 
Houston,  Fillmore,  Mower,  Freeborn,  Steele, 
Dodge,  Olmsted,  Winona  and  Wabasha 
counties  ;  the  second  district  includes  Fari- 
bault, Blue  Earth,  Waseca,  Watonwan,  Mar- 
tin, Cottonwood,  Jackson,  Murray,  Nobles, 
Rock,  Pipestone,  Lincoln,  Lyon,  Redwood, 
Brown,  Nicollet,  Yellow  Medicine,  Lac  qui 
Parle,  Sibley  and  Le  Sueur  counties  ;  the 
third  district  embraces  Goodhue,  Rice,  Swift, 
Dakota,  Scott,  Carve  i",  McLeod,  Meeker, 
Kandiyohi,  Renville  and  Chippewa  counties  ; 
the  fourth  district  includes  Washington, 
Ramsej',  Hennepin,  Wright,  Pine,  Kanabec, 
Anoka,  Chisago,  Isanti  and  Sherburne  coun- 
ties, and  the  fifth  district  includes  Mille  Lacs, 
Benton,  Morrison,  Stearns,  Pope,  Douglas, 
Stevens,  Big  Stone,  Traverse,  Grant,  Todd, 


1-14 


HISTORY  OF  MINNESOTA. 


Crow  Win^,  Aitkin,  Carlton,  "Wadena,  Otter 
Tail,  Wilkin,  Cass,  Becker,  Clay,  Polk,  Bel- 
trami, Marshall,  Hubbard,  Kittson,  Itasca, 
St.  Louis,  Lake  and  Cook  counties. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  various  gen- 
tlemen wiio  have  represented  Minnesota  in 
tlie  lower  house  of  Congress,  with  the  years 
during  which  they  served.  With  one  or  two 
exceptions,  the  term  of  office  began  and 
closed  March  4th. 

W.  W.  riielps,  lS.58-9;  J.  M.  Cavenaugh, 
1858;  William  Windoin,  18C0-l-2-3-tl:-5-G-7-S  ; 
Cyrus  Aldrich,  1860-1-2;  Ignatius  Donnelly, 
18(U-5  6-7-8;  M.  S.  Wilkinson,  1869-70;  E. 
M.  Wilson,  1869-70 ;  John  T.  Averill,  1871-2- 
3-t ;  M.  H.  Bunnell,  from'1871  to  1883 ;  11. 
B.  Straight,  1874-5-6-7-8;  William  S.  King, 
1876;  J.  H.  Stewart,  1878;  Henry  Poehler, 
1879-80  ;H.  B.  Straight,  1881-2-3-4-5-6;  W. 
D.  Washburn,  1879-80-1-2-3-4;  Milo  White, 
1883-4-5-6;  J.  B.  Wakefield,  1883-4-5-6; 
Knute  Nelson,  1883-4-5-6-7-8  ;  J.  B.  Gilfillan, 
.1885-6;  Thomas  Wilson,  1887-8;  JohnLiod, 
1887-8  ;  John  L.  McDonald,  1887-8  ;  Edmund 
Kice,  1887-8. 

CREATION    OF  COUNTIES. 

In  this  connection  we  present  a  list  of  the 
counties   of   Minnesota,  together  with   the 
date  on  which  they  were  created  by  the  terri- 
torial or  State  Legislatures,  v-iz.: 
Aitkin,  May  83,  1857,  Marsliall,  February  25, 1879, 


Anoka,  May  23,  18.J7, 
Becker,  March  18,  18.58 
Hellrami,  F'bru'ry  28,  1806 
Benton,  October  27, 1849, 
Big  Stone,  F'br'ry  20, 1862, 
Blue  Earth,  March  .i,  1853, 
Brown,  February  20,  185.5, 
Carlton,  May  23.  18.57, 
Carver,  February  20,  1855, 
Cass,  September  1,  1831, 
Chippewa,  F'br'ry  20,  1862, 
Chisago,  September  1, 1851, 
Clay,  March  2,  1862, 
Cook,  .March  9,  1874, 
Cottonwood,  May  23,  1857, 
Crow  Wing,  May  23,  18.57, 
Dakota,  October  27,  1849, 
Dodge,  February  20,  18.55, 
Douglas,  March  8,  18.58, 
Faribault,  F'br'ry  20,  1855, 
Fillmore,  March  5,  18.53, 
Freeborn,  F'br'ry,  20, 18.55, 
Goodhue,  March  5,  1853, 
Grant,  March  6,  1868, 
Hennepin,  March  6,  1852, 
Houston,  Feb'ry  23,  18.54, 
Hubbard,  Feb'y  26,  1883, 
Isanti,  February  13,  1857, 
Itasca.  October  29,  1849, 
Jackson,  Jlay  23,  1857, 
Kanabec,  March  13,  1858, 
Kandiyohi,  March  20, 18.58, 
Kittson,  February  25,  1879, 
Lac  qui  Parle,  Nov.  3, 1871, 
Lake,  March  1,  1856, 
Le  Sueur,  March  5,  18.53, 
Lincoln,  IMarch  6,1873, 
Lyon,  November  2,  1869, 
McLeod,  March  1,  1856, 


Martin,  Jlay  23,  1857, 
Meeker,  February  23,  1856, 
,  Mille  Lacs,  May  23,  1857, 
Morrison,  Febr'ry  25,  18.58, 
Mower,  February  20,  1855, 
Murray,  May  23,  18.57, 
Nicollet,  March  5,  1853, 
Nobles,  Jlay  23,  1857, 
Norman,  Nov'mb'r29,  1881, 
Olmsted,  February  20,  18.55, 
Otler  Tail,  JIarch  18,  1858, 
Pine,  JIarch  31,  18.56, 
Pipestone,  Jlay  23,  1857, 
Polk,  July  80,  1858, 
Pope,  February  20,  1863, 
Ramsey,  October  27,  1849, 
Redwood,  February  0,  1862, 
Renville,  February  20,  1855, 
Rice,  JIarch  5,  1853, 
Rock,  JIarch  23,  1857, 
St.  Louis,  JIarch  1,  1856, 
Scott,  JIarch  5,  1858, 
Sherburne,  Feb'y  85,  1856 
Sibley,  JIarch  5,  1853, 
Stearns,  February  20,  1855, 
Steele,   February   20,  18.55, 
Stevens,  February  20,  1860, 
Swift,  JIarch  4,  1870, 
Todd,  February  20,  1862, 
Travers,  February  20,  1862, 
Wabasha,  October  37,  1849, 
Wadena,  July  11,  1858, 
Waseca,  February  27,  1857, 
Washington,  Oct.  27,  1849, 
Watonwan,  Nov.  6,  1860, 
Wilkin,  JIarch  6,  1868, 
Winona,  February  23, 1849, 
Wright,  February  20,  1855, 
Yellow  Jledicine,    Novem- 
bers, 1871, 


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MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


149 


-^.,^^^P^^^     (D  ^^^ 


BIOGRMPHIQMl  H 


▼  J 


■♦♦♦♦♦*♦  *•*«••*«»«*■ 


'*♦♦* 


^^^^C^p^^^    ©-^ 


"Tp^^ON.  WILLIA 
>l.,  ■-  J*,  a  prominent 
jy^^    village  of  Li 


WILLIAM  H.  GREENLEAF, 
it  lumber  dealer  of  the 

•g,..  v..  .jitchtield,  is  one  of  the 
early  pioneers  of  Meeker  county  who  has 
risen  to  prominence  through  hisown  unaitled 
efforts.  lie  is  a  native  of  Allegheny,  now 
Livingston  county.  New  York,  born  Decem- 
ber 7,  1834,  and  is  the  son  of  William  and 
Elmira  (Sanford)  Greenleaf,  natives  of  the 
Empire  State  and  Vermont,  respectively. 
Tiie  Greenleaf  family  is  of  respectable  antiq- 
uity in  this  country,  the  chain  of  ancestry 
having  been  traced  back  as  follows:  William 
Greenleaf,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  the 
son  of  Tilly  Greenleaf  and  was  born  Decem- 
ber 23,  1797.  Tilly  was  the  son  of  Israel 
Greenleaf,  and  born  March  25,  1770.  Israel 
was  born  March  28,  1732,  and  was  the  son 
of  Dr.  Daniel  Greenleaf,  who  was  born  No- 
vember 7,  1702,  died  July,  1795,  and  was  the 
son  of  Eev.  Daniel  Greenleaf.  The  latter 
was  the  son  of  Stephen  Greenleaf,  Jr.,  and 
was  born  February  10,  1680,  and  died  Au- 
gust 26,  1763,  his  father's  birth  having  taken 
place  August  15, 1652,  and  his  death  October 
13,  1743.  Stephen  Greenleaf,  Sr.,  was  born 
in  1630,  and  was  the  son  of  Edmund  Green- 
leaf, and  died  December  1, 1690.     llis  father, 


Edmund,  was  born  in  the  parish  of  Brixham, 
Devonshire,  England,  about  1600,  and  came 
with  his  family  in  1635  to  this  country  and 
settled  at  Newbury,  in  the  colony  of  Massa- 
chusetts Bay.  lie  was  the  lineal  descend- 
ant of  an  old  French  Huguenot  family,  who 
left  theu"  home  in  La  Belle  France  on  account 
of  religious  persecutions  early  in  the  sixteenth 
century,  the  name  Greenleaf  being  a  literal 
translation  of  their  French  name,  Fuillevert. 
The  subject  of  this  personal  memoir,  Will- 
iam H.,  when  he  was  but  eight  years  of  age, 
removed  with  his  parents  to,  Jefferson  county, 
Wisconsin,  which  in  that  year,  1843,  was  but 
a  new  country,  where  his  father  settled  upon 
a  farm.  When  he  had  attained  the  age  of 
seventeen,  William  H.  commenced  attending 
school  at  the  Fort  Atkinson  Academy,  his 
earlier  education  having  been  derived  from 
the  common  schools,  and  remained  at  that 
institution  some  two  years,  after  which  he 
acquired  a  knowledge  of  civil  engineering. 
In  1856,  during  the  Kansas  troubles,  he  made 
a  trip  to  that  territory  with  a  company  raised 
by  Prof.  Daniels,  for  the  assistance  of  the 
Free  Soilers.  He  returned  to  Wisconsin 
where,  in  1857,  he  was  engaged  as  surveyor 
on  the  Wisconsin  Central  railroad.     In  the 


150 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


spring  of  1858  he  came  to  Meeker  county  and 
locateil  upon  section  30,  Ellsworth  township, 
where  he  put  up  a  saw  mill  and  improved  the 
water  power.  He  also  took  up  a  homestead 
on  section  25,  in  Greenleaf  township,  which 
township  was  named  in  liis  honor.  A  his- 
tory of  his  business  operations  while  in  the  vil- 
lao-e  of  Greenleaf  is  given  in  detail  elsewhere 
in  this  volume.  While  a  resident  of  that  place 
he  was  awakened  at  four  o'clock  on  the  morn- 
ing of  August  18,  1862,  and  told  the  dread- 
ful tidings  of  murder  and  rapine  that  her- 
alded the  terrible  massacre  of  that  eventful 
year,  and  as  soon  as  possible  took  his  wife 
and  ten-months-old  child  to  St.  Paul  for  se- 
curity, and  then  returned  to  help  make  a 
stand  against  the  red  fiends  who  were  de|)op- 
ulating  the  border.  He  stopped  at  Hutchin- 
son, where  he  went  through  the  experience  of 
border  warfare  with  the  people  of  that  vil- 
lage and  remained  that  fall.  Pie  then  went 
to  Minneapolis,  where  he  made  his  home  un- 
til March,  1864,  and  then  returned  to  this 
county,  where  he  has  lived  ever  since.  In 
the  spring  of  1872  he  removed  to  Litchfield, 
and  put  up  some  of  the  first  buildings  in  that 
town.  In  1871  he  entered  into  the  general 
merchandise  business  in  that  "burg"  in 
which  he  continued  until  1876.  In  1874  he 
was  appointed  receiver  of  the  United  States 
Land  office  at  this  jilace  and  continued  in 
that  office,  having  been  reappointed  in  187S, 
until  1879,  when  he  resigned.  In  1878  he 
purchased  the  lumber  yard  of  M.  J.  Flynn, 
and  in  1880  that  of  II.  B.  Brown,  and  consoli- 
dated the  two,  thus  establishing  his  present 
business.  In  18S2  the  present  firm  was  formed 
by  the  admission  of  his  son,  Charles  A.,  to  a 
full  partnership. 

In  the  fall  of  1870  Mr.  Greenleaf  was 
elected  by  the  people  of  this  district  to  rep- 
resent them  in  the  State  Legislature,  and 
served  continuously  for  three  sessions  in  that 
capacity.  In  1882  he  was  sent  to  the  State 
Senate  and  for  four  vears  was  a  member  of 


that  august  body,  looking  sharply  after  the 
interests  of  his  constituents.  He  was  united 
in  marriage  September  27,  1859,  with  Miss 
Cordelia  J.  DeLong,  the  daughter  of  Hiram 
and  Maria  DeLong,  the  latter  a  niece  of  the 
celebrated  revolutionary  general,  Ethan  Al- 
len. Iler  father  is  still  living  at  Greenleaf 
village  at  the  ripe  old  age  of  eighty-nine 
years.  The  result  of  this  marriage  has  been 
four  children — Charles  A.,  of  whom  a  sketch 
is  given  elsewhere;  Jessie  A.,  now  Mrs.  H.  S. 
Branham  ;  and  twins,  Frankie  and  Fred,  de- 
ceased. 

ORRIS  Y.  TAYLOR,  an  enterprising, 
prosperous  and  reliable  farmer  of 
Ellsworth  township,  has  his  home  upon  sec- 
tion 17.  He  settled  on  this  place  on  coming  to 
the  county  in  1874,  and  has  now  a  fine  farm 
of  246  acres  of  excellent  arable  land  for  the 
most  part,  110  of  which  is  under  a  high  state 
of  tillage.  He  carries  on  general  farming, 
but  gives  considerable  attention  to  dairy  in- 
terests, keeping  about  thirty  head  of  cattle, 
mostly  of  Ilolstein  strains. 

Our  subject  is  a  native  of  Illinois,  born  in 
Vermilion  county,  October  8,  1850.  He 
commenced  life  young,  for  when  but  sixteen 
years  of  age  he  hired  out  to  work  for  ten  dol- 
lars per  month.  His  next  move  was  to  work 
for  his  board  and  go  to  school,  with  the  set 
purpose  of  making  up  for  the  lack  of  earlier 
opportunity.  In  this  way  he  acquii'ed  the 
elements  of  an  excellent  education,  taking  a 
course  or  more  in  the  higher  branches,  in  the 
schools  at  Berrysville,  Ind.  He  now  com- 
menced farming  in  the  neighborhood  of  Bis- 
marck. In  the  spring  of  1870,  having  had 
an  attack  of  some  lung  disease,  he  came  to 
Minnesota  and  was  engaged  in  lumberyards 
at  Stillwater,  but  a  few  months  later  he  moved 
to  St.  Paul  and  was  engaged  as  chainman  by 
a  party  of  Government  surveyors.  This  kind 
of  business  recuperating  his  health  and  being 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


151 


agreeable  to  him,  he  continued  to  follow  it 
seven  years  in  one  capacity  or  another  until 
he  rose  to  be  superintendent  in  charge  of  the 
party.  The  north  shores  of  Lake  Superior, 
the  White  Earth  reservation,  the  Eed  Eiver 
valley,  and  the  Leach  Lake  reservation'  were 
all  the  scenes  of  his  labors.  In  1877  he  gave 
up  his  wandering  and  came  to  Meeker  county, 
where  he  had  settled,  or  rather  bought  a  farm 
and  worked  it  between  his  surveying  expedi- 
tions. Here  he  remained  until  1880,  when 
he  accepted  the  superintendency  of  the  "No- 
bles county  farm,"  of  George  L  Seney,  of  New 
York,  but  the  next  year  transferred  his  ser- 
vices to  the  executors  of  the  Horace  Thomp- 
son estate  in  the  same  capacity.  For  three 
yeai-s  he  managed  one  of  their  farms,  and 
then  came  back  here  and  has  remained  ever 
since. 

Mr.  Taylor  was  married  May  3,  1881,  to 
Miss  Fina  Shuart,  a  native  of  Geauga  county, 
Ohio,  and  daughter  of  William  and  Mary 
Ann  Shuart,  and  by  this  union  there  have 
been  three  children — George  S.,  Wilford  B., 
and  Marion. 

In  his  views  Mr.  Taylor  is  entirely  free 
politically,  and  independent  of  party  lines. 
He  was  elected  to  the  office  of  town  clerk 
in  the  spring  of  18SS,  and  still  holds  that 
office. 


JTAMES  SHELLEY.  Among  the  promi- 
^  nent  pioneers  of  Darwin  township,  and 
well-to-do  farmers,  there  is  none  tliat  has 
more  influence  in  the  community  in  which 
he  Uves  than  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  He 
has  his  residence  upon  section  26,  on  his  fine 
farm  of  500  acres,  120  of  which  are  under  a 
high  state  of  cultivation,  wliere  he  carries  on 
agricultural  pursuits. 

Mr.  Shelley  is  a  native  of  Ireland,  born  in 
County  Tipperary,  in  the  parish  of  Lough- 
more,  where  his  fathers  and  ancestor's  had 


lived  from  time  immemorial.  In  1848,  that 
eventful  year  in  Irish  history,  he  left  his  na- 
tive land  and  disembarked  at  New  York  after 
a  long  voyage,  and  for  over  seven  3'ears  was 
employed  at  Wilberham,  Mass.  At  the  ex- 
piration of  that  time  he  came  West,  and  after 
one  week  spent  in  Wisconsin,  settled  in 
Meeker  county.  April  29,  1857,  he  took  a 
claim  by  preemption,  the  northeast  quarter 
of  section  22,  Darwin  township.  At  that  ■ 
time  there  were  but  eight  or  ten  men  settled 
here  and  the  country  was  in  its  wild  and 
primitive  condition.  After  putting  in  his 
crop  of  potatoes,  corn,  etc.,  and  working 
around  some,  he  went  to  Minneapolis  and 
fired  on  board  the  steamer  H.  M.  Kice,  then 
plying  upon  the  river.  Returning  to  his 
farm,  he  passed  the  winter  here  and  made 
this  his  home  until  the  Indian  troubles  of 
1862.  Before  this  he  had  been  accustomed 
to  trade  with  the  Sioux  and  found  them 
peacefully  inclined,  althougli  they  would 
steal  whatever  they  could  lay  their  hands  on. 
When  he  heard  of  the  outbreak  he  was  har- 
vesting, but  at  once  went  to  Forest  City,  and 
tlie  next  morning  started  for  Clearwater, 
where  he  went  to  work  for  Eugene  Baldwin. 
Shortly  after  he  came  back  and  procured  some 
of  his  things  and  returned  to  Clearwater.  He 
was  back  and  forth  several  times,  and  in  the 
fall  took  some  of  his  stock  to  Minneapolis, 
and  then  returned  and  passed  the  winter  here. 
He  then  went  to  Minneapolis  and  remained 
nearly  all  the  time,  occasionally  coming  to 
his  place  to  see  about  it,  until  the  spring  of 
1865,  when  he  came  to  stay  and  lias  lived  on 
his  place  ever  since. 

Mr.  Shelley  was  married  in  1866  to  Miss 
Mary  Vaughan,  in  Minneapolis,  and  by  this 
union  there  have  been  born  four  children — ■ 
William,  John,  Daniel,  and  James,  all  of 
whom  are  still  living.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Shelley  are  members  of  the  Eoman  Catholic 
Church  and  prompt  in  the  fulfillment  of  their 
religious  duties. 


152 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


^I^H"  C.  MARTIN,  ex-judge  of  probate  of 
M^^  Meeker  county,  is  one  of  the  most 
prominent  attorneys  at  Litchfield.  He  is  a 
native  of  Tuscarawas  county,  Ohio,  where 
he  was  born  on  the  20th  of  January,  1843. 
His  parents  were  Samuel  M.  and  Martha 
(McGrew)  Martin;  the  father  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania,  but  who  had  come  to  Ohio 
wlien  young ;  the  mother  a  native  of  Ohio. 
They  both  died  when  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  was  six  years  old,  and  N.  C.  went  to 
live  with  his  grandmother,  who  was  carrying 
on  a  farm.  In  ISfi-l  she  removed  to  Indiana 
and  our  subject  remained  on  the  farm,  except 
the  time  he  sjient  in  the  army,  until  he  was 
twenty-eight  years  of  age.  On  the  2nd  of 
June,  1862,  N.  C.  Martin  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany G,  Eighty-sixth  Ohio,  and  served  dur- 
ing that  year  in  "West  Virginia.  He  was 
then  mustered  out  of  that  regiment,  and 
enlisted  in  Company  B,  One  Hundred  and 
Twenty-ninth  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  on 
the  20th  of  June,  1863.  He  served  in  West 
Virginia,  Kentucky,  Tennessee  and  Virginia. 
He  never  missed  a  day's  service  during  his 
army  life,  and  was  tinalh'  mustered  out  as 
orderly  sergeant  on  the  5th  of  March,  1864. 
In  1870  Mr.  Martin  began  reading  law  at 
Bowling  Green,  Clay  county,  Ind.,  with 
Hon.  E.  Miles,  now  of  Denver,  Colorado. 
In  1871  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  and  in 
the  spring  of  1872  he  established  the  Clay 
County  Enterprise  at  Knightsville,  in  Ind- 
iana, a  republican  paper  which  is  still  run- 
ning,— the  only  republican  paper  in  that 
county.  Mr.  Martin  conducted  that  paper 
for  one  year,  and  a  short  time  later  he  struck 
out  for  the  West  for  the  purpose  of  locating 
in  Minnesota.  After  remaining  a  few  days 
at  St.  Paul  and  Minneapolis  he  came  to 
Litchfield,  arriving  August  20,  1873,  and 
has  since  made  that  his  home.  While  living 
at  Knightsville,  Indiana,  he  was  married  to 
Miss  Clara  S.  Ward.  Upon  his  arrival  at 
Litchfield  Mr.  Martin    first  engaged  in  the 


law  and  real  estate  business,  but  in  1876  he 
established  the  Litchfield  Independent  and 
ran  that  as  a  greenback  paper,  supporting 
Peter  Cooper  for  the  presidency.  He  con- 
tinued in  tlie  newspaper  business  until  June, 
1877,  when  he  sold  out,  and  the  same  fall 
was  elected  to  the  office  of  judge  of  probate 
of  Meeker  county  on  the  greenback  ticket. 
He  was  three  times  re-elected,  the  last  time 
his  nomination  being  endorsed  by  all  the 
parties.  He  served  from  January  1,  1878. 
until  January  1,  1887,  and  in  the  fall  of  1887 
was  unanimously  renominated,  but  declined. 
Since  that  time  Mr.  Martin  has  given  his 
attention  wholly  to  the  practice  of  law,  also 
carrying  on  an  extensive  real  estate  and 
loan  agency.  He  has  alwa\'s  taken  an  act- 
ive interest  in  all  matters  affecting  the  wel- 
fare of  Litchfield.  He  was  one  of  the  prin- 
cipal workers  in  the  original  organization  of 
the  Frank  Daggett  Post,  Grand  Army  of 
the  Tiepublic,  and  has  taken  an  active  inter- 
est in  its  progress.  He  held  tiie  office  of 
commander  of  the  post  for  four  successive 
terms,  a  fact  which  speaks  for  itself,  as  the 
office  is  one  wliich  is  usually  held  but  one 
term.  In  1879  Mr.  Martin  was  a  candidate 
for  Attorney  General  on  the  greenback  ticket 
and  for  a  number  of  years  took  a  very  active 
interest  in  political  matters.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Martin  have  seven  children,  Myrtle,  Daisy, 
Clara  Ma\',  Belle,  Emma,  Nathan  and  an 
infant. 

JTOHN  M.  MOUSLEY,  one  of  the  earliest 
^  settlers  of  Meeker  county,  and  an  hon- 
ored and  respected  citizen  of  Ellsworth,  has 
his  residence  upon  section  22  of  that  town, 
where  he  first  settled  in  1S5S.  He  is  a  native 
of  England,  born  in  Manchester  December 
6,  1827,  and  is  the  son  of  Samuel  and 
Nancy  (Mason)  Mousley,  natives,  also,  of 
"Albion."  The  family  came  to  Canada  in 
1851,   and   settled   in   Elgin   count}^  where 


K.J 


^'^-^^ 


MERKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


155 


Samuel  died  of  lung  disease  in  1864.  He 
was  born  in  1792.  His  wife,  who  first  saw 
tlie  light  in  1795,  died  in  England  in  Novem- 
ber, 18-19.  The  father  of  our  subject  was  a 
cotton  dyer  by  trade,  having  learned  the 
trade  when  a  boy.  He  was  an  excellent 
citizen,  a  good  Cliristian  man  and  a  kind 
neighbor.  Both  he  and  his  estimable  wife 
were  meml^ers  of  the  Church  of  England,  or 
E[)isco])al  Churcli.  They  were  the  parents  of 
five  children — James,  Alfred,  Jane,  John  and 
Alice. 

The  subject  of  this  narrative  continued 
to  make  his  home  beneath  the  parental 
roof  until  the  spring  of  1842,  when,  although 
but  fourteen  years  of  age,  he  crossed  the 
briny  deep  to  Canada,  where  he  had  an  uncle 
living,  with  whom  he  made  his  home  for 
some  eight  years.  During  this  time  he  as- 
sisted in  the  work  upon  the  farm  and  at- 
tended the  common  schools,  receiving  there- 
from the  elements  of  a  fair  education. 

Most  of  this  was  obtained  under  difficulties, 
as  hai'd  and  persistent  work  was  tiie  order  of 
the  da\'.  He  finally  commenced  to  learn  the 
blacksmith's  trade  with  McPherson,  Glasgow 
&  Co.,  but  after  the  expiration  of  his  three 
years' apprenticesliip  returned  to  his  uncle's, 
working  for  him  in  the  summer.  He  then 
took  u[)  liis  trade  in  the  employ  of  several 
parties,  and  continued  tlius  emplo^^ed  until 
he  came  to  this  county,  in  1858,  as  detailed 
above.  After  taking  his  claim  of  160  acres 
of  land,  the  next  spring  he  went  to  St.  Paul 
and  went  to  work  for  one  Frank  Gilnian  in 
a  foundry.  With  what  he  earned  he  pur- 
chased a  yoke  of  oxen  and  tlie  various  tools 
he  would  need,  and  returned  here  and  com- 
menced the  development  of  his  farm,  and 
has  seen  it  grow  from  pristine  wiidness  to 
its  present  condition.  Pie  has  since  that,  once 
or  twice,  worked  at  his  trade,  but  only  for 
short  periods. 

Mr.  Mousley  was  married  in  April,  1S64-, 
to  Miss  Catherine  Doane,  a  native  of  Canada, 


born  in  1841,  who  died  in  January,  1872, 
leaving  four  children — James  Alfred,  Hattie 
Jane,  Fi-ank  M.,and  Alice  Ann.  Hattie  died 
in  the  spring  of  ISSl,  when  some  fifteen 
years  old ;  and  Alice  died  August  26,  1886. 
Mr.  M.  has  held  the  offices  of  town  su]ier- 
visor,  town  clerk  and  scliool  clerk  for  years. 

Tp)ETER  MARTENSON  is  engaged  in 
I^  farming  on  section  25,  Litchfield  town- 
ship. He  is  a  son  of  Marten  and  Annie  Isaac- 
son, and  was  born  in  Sweden,  on  the  27th  of 
February,  1845.  Peter  was  engaged  in  farm- 
ing with  his  father  in  the  old  country  until 
1869,  when  he  started  for  America.  He 
came  direct  to  Meeker  county,  Minn.,  and 
purchased  a  tract  of  railroad  land  on  section 
25,  in  Litchfield  township.  During  the  win- 
ter of  1871-2  he  re-visited  the  fatherland, 
but  the  pleasure  of  his  visit  was  marred  by 
the  death  of  his  father  on  the  very  day  that 
he  arrived  at  the  old  home.  In  the  spring 
of  1872,  he  was  married  to  Ellen  Larson,  a 
daughter  of  Lars  and  Ellen  Peterson,  and 
in  the  following  May  he  returned  to  the 
United  States,  and  to  his  Meeker  county 
home.  Four  children  have  been  the  fruits 
of  their  marriage,  as  follows:  Louis,  born 
October  14,  1872;  John,  born  March  29, 
1876;  Henry,  born  September  6,  1879:  and 
Annie,  born  April  2,  1882. 

Like  others  in  iiis  neighborhood,  Mr. 
Martenson  has  sutt'ered  from  grasshoj)pers 
and  hailstorms,  but  his  industry  and  perse- 
verance have  enabled  him  to  recover  from 
these  reverses  and  he  is  now  in  comfortable 
circumstances. 


J^^iCHAEL  DELANEY,  a  prosperous 
jPLi^L  'I'ld  industrious  farmer  of  Ells- 
worth township,  residing  upon  section  16, 
came  to  Meeker  county  in  1877,  and  located 
on  the  place  where  his  home  now  is.  He  had 


156 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


pui'cliaseil  the  land  sdine  time  previous  to 
this,  but  he  has  made  iiearh' all,  if  not  all,  the 
improvements  here,  and  he  has  now  a  mag- 
nificent ])ropertv  consisting  of  342  acres 
h'ing  in  tiiis  and  (ireenleaf  townsiiips.  lie 
is  giving  a  large  share  of  his  attention  to 
stock-raising,  principally  to  half  and  three- 
quarter-bred  Durham,  llolstein  and  Jersey 
cattle.  His  home  is  one  of  the  most  beauti- 
ful in  the  township,  and  attracts  the  atten- 
tion of  even  the  most  casual  observer. 

Mr.  Delaney  is  a  native  of  Ireland,  born  in 
County  Leitrim,  July  28,  1828,  and  is  the 
son  of  Bernard  and  Catiierine  (McWeeny) 
Delaney,  both  of  whom  died  in  that  "ever 
verdant  isle,"  the  mother' in  1863,  the  father 
in  1873,  at  theage  of  ninety  years.  Bernard 
Delaney  was  a  farmer  ancl  followed  that 
business  as  best  he  could  in  that  oppressed 
land.  lie  was  the  ])arent  of  but  two  chil- 
dren, Bernard  and  Michael. 

The  latter,  the  subject  of  this  biography, 
was  reared  among  the  beautiful  scenery  of 
the  West  of  Ireland,  but  on  attaining  man- 
hood felt  that  he  must  seek  in  other  countries 
the  freedom  from  the  Saxon's  yoke  that  has 
oppressed  that  island  for  seven  centuries,  and 
accordingly,  in  1852,  emigrated  to  the  United 
States,  landing  in  New  York.  From  there, 
after  stopping  a  short  time  in  New  Haven, 
Conn.,  he  went  to  the  State  of  Virginia, 
where  he  was  engaged  in  railroad  construc- 
tion for  four  years.  His  next  move  was  to 
Minneapolis,  where  he  arrived  in  1856,  and 
made  his  home  until  1877,  except  a  year  spent 
in  Kentucky  and  Tennessee.  At  the  date 
last  mentioned  he  moved  to  Meeker  county. 

Mr.  Delaney  was  united  in  marriage  in 
June,  1858,  with  Miss  Mary  Garvey,  a  native 
County  Mayo,  Ireland,  who  had  come  to  the 
United  States  a  short  time  before.  Ihe 
ceremony  took  place  in  St.  Anthony,  now 
Miiin(-a])iilis.  By  this  uni(jn  they  have  had 
seven  ciiildren,  six  of  whom  survive:  Mar}', 
who  is  a  teacher  in   tiic    St.  Paul  schools; 


John,  teaching  in  Swift  County,  this  State; 
Kate,  who  is  teachmg  the  school  in  District 
68,  Litchfield  township;  Hannah,  who  is 
teaching  in  District  '(i^,  Ellsworth  ;  Nellieand 
Antliony  William. 

TprON.  JAMES  B.  ATKINSON,  one  of 
'_^S8L  the  pioneers  of  JNIeeker  county,  as 
well  as  one  of  the  most  prominent  citizens,  is 
a  native  of  Kingston,  Canada,  born  November 
13,  1822.  His  parents  were  both  natives  of 
Yorkshire,  England,  but  came  to  America 
in  1821,  landing  in  New  York,  from  whence 
they  proceeded  to  Canada,  where  James  B. 
was  born.  About  a  year  later  the}^  removed 
to  Black  Rock,  N.  Y.,  where  they  remained 
for  about  nine  years.  The  father  was  a 
stone  mason  by  trade,  and  during  this  time 
was  contracting  on  canal  bridges  and  other 
heavy  work.  Later,  he  purchased  a  large 
farm  near  Freeport,  Penn.,  where  he  lived 
until  the  time  of  his  death.  The  parents  of 
James  B.  had  four  children,  three  of  whom 
are  still  living — two  in  Minnesota  and  one 
in  Kansas. 

James  B.  Atkinson  remained  athomew'ith 
his  parents  until  eighteen  years  of  age,  at- 
tending common  schools  most  of  the  time. 
At  the  age  referred  to  he  began  learning  the 
printer's  trade  at  Freeport,  following  that  at 
various  places  until  he  was  twenty-two,  when 
he  returned  home  and  rented  a  farm  for 
twentj'-one  months.  The  firet  fall  from  this 
experiment,  the  hay  crop  cleared  him  $600 
above  all  expenses,  including  the  rent  for 
the  full  time.  The  following  winter,  March 
20,  1845,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Abbie 
Sholes,  of  Allegheny  City,  Penn.,  Init  re- 
mained on  the  farm  until  tiie  followin"-  fall, 
when  he  moved  into  Frt'(>p(>i't  and  opened  a 
butcher  shoj).  Five  oi'  six  yeais  latei-,  he 
sold  out  and  began  his  aftciward  extensive 
business  of  i-ailroad  contracting.  His  first 
contract  was  one  for  $8,000  on  the  Allegheny 


iMEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


157 


Valley  road ;  next  on  the  North-Western, 
now  Pennsylvania,  and  from  that  to  the  Iron 
Mountain,  on  which  he  had  a  contract  for  over 
$100,000.  His  next  move  was  to  return  to 
Freeport,  where  he  bought  a  stock  of  general 
merchandise  and  conducted  that  business  for 
one  year.  He  then  came  West  in  search  of 
a  location,  and  spent  some  time  in  travelling 
through  the  eastern  part  of  Iowa.  In  the 
.spring  of  1856,  he  decided  to  come  to  Min- 
neapolis, and,  being  pleased  with  the  prospect 
there,  he  returned  to  New  York  for  goods, 
was  taken  sick  and  laid  up  for  three  months. 
For  this  reason  he  did  not  get  back  to  Min- 
neapolis until  August  of  that  year  and  the 
.same  fall  came  out  to  Rockford  and  took  up 
a  claim,  where  he  remained  thirty  days.  The 
town  of  Rockford  had  been  laid  out  only  that 
iSpring :  game  was  abundant  and  the  pros- 
pect generally  fine.  After  returning  to 
Minneapolis,  where  he  remained  some  six 
weeks,  he  went  East  for  his  family.  His 
Jiousehold  goods  were  packed  and  shipped 
West,  but  the  goods  never  arrived,  nor  have 
they  ever  been  seen  or  heard  of  since.  Early 
in  the  year  1857,  he  made  his  first  trip  to 
Meeker  county,  driving  through  with  a  team, 
bringing  a  load  of  goods  and  working  his 
way  through  the  "  Big  Woods."  Upon  his 
.arrival  he  located  at  Forest  City.  The  coun- 
ty had  just  been  organized  and  that  country 
village,  being  the  county  seat,  was  the  prin- 
cipal point  within  its  limits,  although  there 
were  neither  business  nor  business  houses 
there  at  that  time.  Mr.  Atkinson,  liaving 
brought  the  first  goods  to  the  county,  went 
immediately  to  work  getting  up  a  building. 
He  then  returned  to  Minneapolis  for  the 
balance  of  his  goods. 

Having,  like  all  others,  taken  up  a  claim, 
lie  placed  his  family  upon  it,  and  going  back 
to  St.  Paul,  proved  up  on  it,  paid  for  it,  and 
returning  with  more  goods,  removed  to  the 
village,  where  he  opened  his  store  for  busi- 
ness, about  March  1,  1857.     He,    the  follow- 


ing fall,  erected  the  hotel,  which  he  ran  in 
connection  with  his  other  businesses  until 
1879.  The  store  was  kept  by  him  until 
1865,  when  he  disposed  of  it  to  his  partner, 
he  having  taken  Mark  W.  Piper  in  with  him 
in  1862.  During  the  winter  of  1861-2  Mr. 
Atkinson  made  a  trip  to  Pike's  Peak,  but 
came  home,  arriving  at  Forest  City,  August 

I,  just  seventeen  days  previous  to  the  Indian 
outbreak.  At  the  time  of  the  organization 
of  the'  "Home  Guanls,"  at  Forest  City 
he  was  elected  first  lieutenant.  The  night 
previous  to  the  attack  u])on  the  stockade, 
ammunition  being  short,  he  volunteered  to 
go  after  a  supply,  and  starting  after  night, 
alone,  traveled  throug'h  the  "Bio'  Woods,'* 
beset  with  savage  enemies,  but,  although 
aware  of  his  peril,  would  not  quail  or  flinch. 
His  undaunted  courage  carried  hmi  through 
safely,  and  procuring  powder,  lead,  and 
soldiers  to  relieve  the  garrison,  he  returned. 
He  had  previous  to  this,  in  company  with 
Geo.  C.  Whitcomb,  been  raising  a  company 
for  the  Sixth  Minnesota  Infantry,  but  the 
outbreak  stopped  jiroceedings.  He  then 
enlisted  and  served  as  private  and  scout, 
althougli  favored  by  his  superior  officers  to  a 
degree  unknown  elsewliere,  on  account  of 
his  social  position  and  certain  promises  made 
to  him  but  not  fulfilled,  in  Company  D, 
Second  Cavalry.  He  remaineil  with  them 
until  the  close  of  hostilities  with  the  red- 
skins, when  he  was  given  a  commission  to 
recruit  men  at  St.  Paul.  After  following 
this  for  a  time  he  raised  a  company  which 
was  mustered  into  the  service   as   Company 

II,  First  Minnesota  Heavy  Artillery,  with 
which  he  served  as  cajitain,  being  stationed 
chietiy  at  Chattanooga,  until  the  close  of  the 
war. 

Captain  Atkinson  has  filled  many  offices 
of  trust  and  honor  in  this  coinmunit}';  he 
was  the  representative  in  the  Legislatui'e  in 
1857  and  1858,  has  filled  the  office  of  mem- 
ber of  the  board  of  county  commissioners, 


158 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


served  <as  town  sn]iervisor  for  years,  was 
sheriff  for  three  years,  town  assessor  for 
seventeen  years,  and  occupied  tlie  position 
of  justice  of  tlie  peace  for  nearly  a  quarter 
of  a  century.  He  is  the  parent  of  eiglit 
children  :  Hannah  Elizabeth,  Mrs.  J.  W. 
McKean,  of  Indianapolis,  Ind.;  Charlotte  M., 
Mrs.  Henry  Clinton,  of  Las  Vegas,  Cal.; 
Abigail  A.,  now  Mrs.  E.  H.  Hull,  living  at 
Mineapolis;  Frank,  now  Mrs.  T.  Tiichardson, 
of  Forest  City;Chai-les  II.,  of  the  same  place; 
Kate,  Mrs.  C.  E.  Bai'kam,  of  Dallas,  Tex.; 
Jessie  B.,  Mis.  Charles  Boynton,  of  Forest 
City;  and  .lames  B.,  Jr.,  at  home,    .-^ih- 


^  M  N  DREW  S.  MATTSON,  a  jn-osper- 
_^^L  ous  farmer  whose  land  adjoins  the 
village  of  Litchfield,  is  a  native  of  Sweden, 
born  Se})tember  7,  1852.  His  parents  were 
Swan  and  Margaretta  Mattson,  who  came  to 
the  United  States  with  their  family  in  1858 
and  located  in  Carver  county,  Minn.,  where 
they  were  among  the  pioneers.  A  year  or 
so  after  their  settlement  there,  Mr.  Mattson, 
the  father  died,  and  in  1859  Mrs.  Mattson 
removed  with  her  family  to  Meeker  county 
and  claimed  eighty  acres  of  Government  land 
on  Section  10,  in  Ness  (now  Litchfield)  town- 
ship. AV^hen  the  Indian  outbreak  began,  she 
removed  to  St.  Paul,  and  remained  there 
until  after  the  close  of  hostilities,  when  she  re- 
turned to  her  land  in  Meeker  county,  erected  a 
small  house  and  commenced  improvements. 
She  made  this  her  home  until  1885.  She 
was  married  to  Nels  M.  Pearson  in  1867,  and 
is  now  a  resident  of  Darwin  township. 

Andrew  S.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  lived 
with  his  mother  until  they  moved  to  Darwin, 
when  the  mother  conveyed  the  farm  to 
him.  Since  that  time  he  has  added  about 
$1,150  in  building  improvements,  and  other- 
wise added  to  the  value  of  the  farm.  He 
now  has  1 15  acres  of  good  land  within  eighty 


rods  of  the  incorporated  limits  of  Litchfield 
village,  where  he  carries  on  general  farming- 
and  stock-raising. 

[^ONORABLE  EVEN  EVENSON,  the 
jiresent  representative  of  Meeker 
county  in  the  Lower  House  of  the  State 
Legislature,  resides  on  section  8,  in  Gi-een- 
leaf  townshiji,  and  is  one  of  the  most  prom- 
inent citizens  of  the  county.  He  is  a  native 
of  Norway,  and  was  born  on  the  21st  of 
November,  184-4.  His  parents  were  Hans 
and  Chi'istine  Evenson,  who  came  to  Ameri- 
ca in  1857,  settling  first  in  Scott  county,. 
Minn.,  where  they  remained  one  year,  and 
then  removed  to  Wright  County,  where 
they  resided  for  two  years,  after  which,  in 
1860,  they  settled  in  Meeker  County,  Minn., 
the  father  pre-empting  a  quarter  of  sec- 
tion 8  in  the  ])resent  township  of  Green- 
leaf.  A  full  history  of  the  father  and  other 
member's  of  the  family  will  be  found  in 
another  department  of  this  work.  The  fam- 
ily consisted  of  father,  mother  and  five  chil- 
dren. Even  being  the  eldest  son. 

At  the  time  of  the  Indian  outbreak  ia 
1862,  Even  was  residing  with  his  parents  on. 
the  homestead.  Although  not  j^et  eighteen 
years  of  age,  he  was  a  careful  observer  of 
events,  and  on  the  memorable  17th  of  Aug- 
ust was  in  attendance  on  the  war  meeting  at 
the  old  Pipley  postoffice.  That  night  he 
was  one  of  the  fearless  little  band  of  settlers, 
who  went  to  the  Jjaker  and  Jones  residences- 
and  discovered  the  horrible  butchery  which 
the  savages  had  committed  so  near  their  own 
doors.  He  remained  with  the  squad  that 
night  and  the  following  day,  and,  later  in 
the  same  week,  went  with  the  family  to 
Forest  City,  where  he  was  doing  guard  duty 
when  the  Indians  attacked  the  place  in  the 
night.  A  sentinel  named  Henry  L.  Smith 
was  the  first  man  to  I'eturn  the  fire  of  the 
savages,  and  the  second  shot  was  fired  by 
Even.     Diirinii'    the    folliiwino;   vear,    Even 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


159 


worked  in  St.  Paul  suid  Anoka,  and  in  the 
fall  of  1863  he  enlisted  in  Company'  I,  Sec- 
ond Minnesota  Cavalry.  The  regiment  was 
assigned  to  duty  on  the  frontier,  and  Even 
went  with  a  detachment  of  his  company  as  es- 
cort of  Captain  Fisk's  immigrant  train  to  the 
Idaho  gold  fields,  and  went  as  far  as  Fort  Rice 
in  Dakota.  He  remained  with  the  command, 
doing  frontier  service  until  the  fall  of  1805, 
when  he  was  mustered  out.  He  returned 
to  the  old  homestead,  and  has  since  re- 
mained there,  with  the  exception  of  the  sum- 
mer of  1867,  when  he  was  emplo3^ed  near 
St.  Paul. 

In  November,  1869,  Mr.  Evenson  Avas  mar- 
ried to  Helen  Danielson,  a  daughter  of  Nels 
and  Randi  Danielson,  who  wei-e  among  tlie 
first  settlers  in  Meeker  county.  She  was 
boi,'n  in  Norway  on  the  28th  of  October,  1847. 
During  the  Indian  outbreak  she  had  a  thrill- 
ing and  dangerous  adventure,  she  being  one 
of  the  two  women  who  were  left  in  the  thicket 
all  night  while  the  settlers  were  flying  for 
their  lives.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Evenson  have  been 
blessed  with  seven  children,  the  tliiril  born 
of  whom,  Robert  E.,  is  dead.  The  othei's 
are  as  follows:  Henry  Nicholas,  liorn  Octo- 
ber 24,  1871;  Carl  Richard,  born  December 
17,  1873;  Robert  B.,  born  July  27,1877; 
Elmer  Emanuel,  born  August  13,  1879; 
Anna  Bertha,  born  September  25,  1881;  and 
Nels  Oscar,  born  April  13, 1 884.  The  family 
are  members  of  the  Ness  Norwegian  Luth- 
eran Church. 

Mr.  Evenson's  life  has  nx)t  only  been  a 
busy  one,  but  an  unusually  useful  one  as  well. 
Besides  tilling  various  township  offices,  he 
has  filled  the  office  of  county  commissioner 
for  eight  years,  the  last  four  years  of  which 
time  he  was  honored  with  the  chairmanship 
of  that  body.  He  made  a  careful  and  effi- 
cient member  of  the  board,  and  dui'ing  his 
service  was  recognized  as  second  to  none  in 
point  of  ability  or  influence.  In  1886  Mr. 
Evenson  was   elected   to   represent  Meeker 


county  in  the  Lower  House  in  the  XXVth 
Legislature  on  the  republican  ticket,  and  he 
has  proven  well  worthy  tlie  trust  rej)osed  in 
him,  making  a  record  satisfactory  to  his  con- 
stituents and  highly  creditable  to  himself. 
His  ability  was  recognized  in  the  formation 
of  the  House  Committees  as  he  was  placed 
upon  the  Committees  on  Education,  Deaf, 
Dumb  and  Blind  Institute,  and  on  Roads, 
Bridges  and  Navigable  Streams. 

When  the  State  Board  of  Trade  was  in 
existence  Mr.  Evenson  was  appointed  by 
Judge  Brown  to  represent  the  Twelfth  Judi- 
cial District  in  that  body,  the  most  important 
work  of  which  was  the  recommendation  to 
the  Letjislature  for  the  establishment  of  the 
State  grain  inspection  system. 

A  portrait  of  Mr.  Evenson  will  be  found 
upon  another  page  in  this  Alisum. 

K&riLLIAM  HUKRIEDE,  the  genial  pro- 


y0Sl.  ]irietor  of  the  Mansard  House,  the 
leading  hotel  of  Eden  Valley,  is  a  native  of 
West])halia,  Germany,  born  September  4, 
1838.  He  was  reared  in  that  classic  land, 
I'eceiving  in  youth  the  education  which  is 
the  birthright  of  the  rising  generation  of  his 
fatherland.  He  was  there,  in  1860,  married 
to  Miss  Mary  Christopher,  a  native  of  West- 
phalia, Germany,  and  daughter  of  Henry 
and  Lizzie  Christopher.  In  1873,  with  his 
family,  he  emigrated  to  America,  and  pur- 
chasing a  farm  on  section  23,  in  Manannah 
township,  commenced  life  here.  On  this 
place  he  made  his  home  until  the  fall  of 
1887,  when,  in  connection  with  his  son  Hen- 
ry, he  came  to  Eden  Valley  and  bought  the 
Mansard  House,  and  has  continued  at  the 
head  of  its  affairs  ever  since.  Mr.  Hulvriede 
has  a  family  of  eight  children,  as  follows: 
Fred,  born  May  28,  1861 ;  Henry,  whose 
sketch  is  given  elsewhere  in  this  volume; 
Reka,  born  October  6,  1865;  William,  born 
February  1,  1808 ;  Ernest,  born  January  28, 


i6o 


MEEKEK  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


1871;  Aup:ust,  born  April  15,  1873;  Minnie, 
born  ]\[;ircli  1,  lS7<t;  and  Annie,  born  JS'o- 
vember  14,  1878. 


J'iilENRY  HUKRIEDE,  the  partner  of  his - 
^H|J  father  in  the  proprietorship  of  the 
Mansard  House  and  who  is,  also,  engaged  in 
operating  a  blacksmith's  sho])  in  Eden  Val- 
ley, is  a  native  of  "Westphalia,  German}^, 
born  January  5,  1863,  and  is  the  second  son 
of  William  and  Mary(Christopher)Hukriede. 
lie  came  to  the  United  States  in  1873,  with 
his  parents,  and  remained  upon  their  fann 
until  the  spring  of  1882,  when  he  went  to 
Litchfield  and  tiiere  learned  the  blacksmith's 
trade.  In  thespringof  1886,  became  to  Eden 
Valley  wliile  the  graders  were  still  at  work 
here  and  bofore  tlie  iron  upon  the  i-ailroad  was 
laid  and  started  a  blacksmith's  shop,  and  has 
followed  that  trade  ever  since.  In  1887,  in 
connection  with  his  father,  he  bought  the 
hotel  and  maintains  connection  therewith. 

JOHANNES  OLSEN,  a  well-to-do  and  re 
spected  farmer,  residing  on  section  32, 
Acton  township,  is  a  nativeof  Norway,  born 
January  31,  1837,  and  a  son  of  Ole  and 
Sophia  Johnson.  He  came  to  the  United 
States  in  1857,  and  first  stopped  at  St.  Paul, 
where  he  hired  to  a  man,  named  Fred  Erick- 
son,  wiio  held  a  Government  contract  for  fur- 
nishing hay.  Tliey  cut  tiie  hay  on  the  Minne- 
sota liiver  bottoms  near  P'oit  Snelling,  and 
the  ground  was  so  wet  that  tliey  were 
obliged  to  carry  it  on  poles  to  higher  land  for 
stacking.  After  spending  some  time  in  this 
way,  he,  with  six  others,  went  to  Howard 
Lake,  Wright  county,  and  selected  claims. 
Two  of  the  ))arty  remained  during  the  win- 
ter to  make  the  improvements  necessary  to 
hold  the  claims,  while  the  others  returned  to 
St.  Paul  to  earn  and  send  provisions  to  their 
two  comrades.  The  following  spring  Mr.  01- 
sen  returned  to  his  claim,  expecting  to  find  a 


house  erected  and  other  improvements,  but 
as  nothing  had  been  done  he  went  back  to 
St.  Paul  to  find  work.  He  had  a  hard  and  dis- 
couraging time  of  it,  but  in  the  fall  he  secured 
a  job  on  tiie  railroad  between  St.  Anthony  and 
St.  Cloud,  and  on  the  southeast  side  of  the 
Minnesota  Tliver,  above  Mendota.  This  was  a 
very  wet  season,  and  they  were  obligexl  to  lay 
plank  tracks  in  order  to  run  their  wheelbar- 
rows. Heturning  tlien  to  St.  Paul  he  did  not 
succeed  in  finding  employment  until  after 
Christmas  when  he  got  work  cutting  cord 
wood, which  lasted  until  spring.  His  next  move 
was  to  Point  Douglas,  where  he  hired  to  a 
farmer  for  six  months  at  $10  per  month.  At 
the  expiration  of  that  time  he  returned  to 
St.  Paul  and  woi'ked  at  building  Hat  boats, 
and  in  the  spring  went  with  them  to  St. 
Louis,  where  he  was  paid  off.  During  the 
summer  he  worked  at  farming  on  Paint 
Creek  Prairie,  Alhunakee  county,  Iowa,  and 
split  and  cut  rails  during  tiie  winter.  Tiie 
following  spring — April  1-f.  1800 — he  was 
married  to  Miss  Mary  Paulson,  a  daughter 
of  Mathias  and  Mary  Paulson.  After  his 
marriage  he  rented  a  fann  for  two  years,  but 
the  first  season  the  chinch  bugs  destroyed 
most  of  his  crop.  In  1864  he  came  to  Meeker 
county,  Minn.,  and  took  a  homestead 
on  section  32,  Acton  township,  wliei'e  he 
has  since  lived. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Olsen  have  been  blessed  with 
the  following  children — Mathias,  born  No- 
vember 10,  1862,  died  July  15,  1885 ;  Sophia 
Elizabeth,  born  October  12,  1864 ;  Ole,  born 
March  15,  1867 ;  Paul  Emanuel,  born  Sep- 
tember 17,  1869;  and  Carl  Johan,  born  Feb- 
ruary 16,  1877.  The  family  are  members  of 
the  Norwegian  Lutheran  Church.  In  politi- 
cal matters  Mr.  Olsen  affiliates  with  the  re- 
publican party.  Both  of  Mr.  Olsen's  parents 
died  in  Norway.  His  wife's  parents  are  also 
deceased — the  father,  Mathias  Paulson,  died 
in  Acton  July  26,  1883;  and  the  mother 
died  September  19,  1880. 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


i6i 


JI^ARTIN  HOUK,  a  Avell-known,  suc- 
J^J.^^  ccssf  111  and  highly  respected  fanner, 
residing  on  section  3G,  Ilarvey  township,  was 
born  in  Owen  county,  Ind.,  on  the  3d  of 
November,  1844,  and  is  a  son  of  John  and 
Evelin  (Grouse)  Houk.  His  parents  still  re- 
side in  his  native  State. 

Martin,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  grew  to 
manhood  in  his  native  State,  working  on  a 
farm  and  attending  school,  according  to  the 
facilities  of  that  day.  He  was  married  in 
Indiana  on  the  23d  of  January,  1870,  to  Miss 
Mary  F.  Doll,  and  in  1874,  with  his  wife  and 
two  children,  started  for  the  West,  arriv- 
ing in  Meeker  county,  Minn.,  on  the  15th 
of  October,  1871.  He  first  settled  in  Man- 
annah  township  and  remained  there  for  one 
year,  and  then  removed  to  Harvey  town- 
ship, settling  on  section  36,  where  he  has 
since  lived.  He  has  three  brothers  living  in 
Meeker  county. 

Mrs.  Honk's  parents  resitle  in  Harvey 
township,  Meeker  county. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Honk  are  the  parents  of 
seven  children — five  girls  and  two  boys — all 
of  whom  are  living.  Their  names  are  as 
follows:  James  F.,  Josephine,  Alice  M., Eve- 
lin, Henrietta,  Jessie  and  Marcus  R. 


-«J- 


^^IMON  MAYER,  residing  on  section  2.3, 
"^^^  is  an  ex-Union  soldier,  and  is  one  of 
the  most  prominent  and  successful  farmers 
and  stock-raisers  in  Union  Grove.  He  is  a  son 
of  Gregor  and  Mary  (Winterholden)  Mayer, 
and  was  born  in  Wiirtemberg,  Germany,  on 
the  20th  of  October,  1834.  His  parents  died 
when  he  was  fifteen  years  old,  and  he  was 
apprenticed  to  learn  the  turner's  trade. 
When  he  was  eighteen  years  old,  in  1852, 
he  came  to  the  United  States  and  for  three 
years  worked  at  his  trade  in  New  York  city 
and  in  Paterson,  N.  J.,  after  which  he  came 
to  St.  Paul,  where  he  remained  for  two  days, 
but  as  he  could  not  find  work,  he  left  his 


trunk  at  the  hotel  and  walked  to  Stillwater, 
one  Sunday  night.  He  secured  work  on  a 
raft  and  made  three  trips  to  St.  Louis,  thus 
spending  one  summer.  He  next  worked  on 
farms  and  spent  one  winter  in  the  pineries; 
also  worked  for  L.  D.  Bartlett,  running  a 
ferry  from  Lakeland  to  Hudson,  for  several 
summers.  In  the  fall  of  1801  he  went  to 
Fort  Sneliing  and  enlisted  for  tliree  years  in 
Company  B,  Third  Minnesota  Volunteer  In- 
fantry, and  went  Soutii  the  same  fall.  He 
participated  in  many  skirmishes,  but  not  in 
any  pitched  battle.  When  his  three  years 
were  ended  he  re-enlisted  at  Little  Rock,  Ark. 
Tiie  Third  was  surrendered  to  General  For- 
rest at  Murfreesboro  and  was  paroled  and 
sent  to  Benton  Barracks,  Mo.,  and  from  there 
was  sent  to  the  relief  of  the  settlers  in  Min- 
nesota, and  started  for  Forest  City.  Seven- 
ty-five men  of  the  Third  reported  at  Forest 
City.  A  history  of  their  movements  will  be 
found  in  the  chapter  devoted  to  the  Indian 
troubles.  When  they  landed  at  Fort  Sneli- 
ing Governor  Ramsey  made  them  a  speech 
and  requested  them  to  march  for  Forest  City 
that  night,  whicii  they  did.  From  this  cam- 
paign they  went  to  Sibley  Camp,  Fort  Ridge- 
ly,  and  joined  Sibley  in  liis  expedition  through 
the  JNorthwest.  Mr.  Mayer  participated  in 
the  bloody  fight  at  Wood  Lake.  The  Third 
Regiment  left  Sibley  and  joined  Governor 
Marshall,  and  captured  the  Indians  who  were 
hung  at  Mankato.  January  15,  1863,  Mr. 
Mayer  returned  Soutii  and  served  until  Au- 
gust, 1865,  when  he  was  mustered  out  at 
Fort  Sneliing. 

He  then  went  to  Hudson,  AVis.,  and  was 
married  to  Ellen  Moody,  October  16,  1865. 
She  was  a  daughter  of  Arnold  and  Olive 
Moody,  and  was  born  November  16,  1849. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mayer  have  been  the  i>arents 
of  two  children,  as  follows:  William,  born 
January  11,  1868 ;  Delia,  born  October  4, 
1873. 

Mr.  Mayer  is  a  republican  in  political  mat- 


l62 


MI-EKEK  COUNTY,  M/X.VESOTA . 


ters,  imd  has  taken  an  active  and  prominent 
part  in  township  aff.iirs.  He  has  held  vui'i- 
ous  to\viishi|)  ottices,  iiaving  been  cliairnian 
of  tiie  supervisors  tliree  years,  school  treas- 
urer twent3'-one  years,  road  overseer,  and  in 
other  minor  positions.  lie  is  one  of  the  best 
posted  and  most  intelhgent  men  in  the  town- 
ship, and  is  a  careful  business  man.  lie 
stands  high,  wherever  he  is  known,  for  his 
integrity  and  uprightness,  and  is  one  of  the 
leading  citizens  of  his  townshij). 

Mr.  Mayer  now  owns  500  acres  of  land,  a 
£rood  deal  of  which  is  under  cultivation,  and 
he  has  good  building  improvements. 

,RS.  ELIZABETH  GARDNER  of  Das- 
sel  township,  came  to  Meeker 
county  in  July,  ISGtS,  with  her  brother-in-law, 
Andrew  Davidson,  bringing  with  her  her 
only  child,  Petei",  who  was  then  f<air  years 
of  age.  She,  at  once,  took  up  a  homestead 
of  eighty  acres  of  land  on  section  1-1-,  Das- 
sel  townslii|),  where  she  has  since  made  her 
home.  She  is  the  widow  of  Bradford  (xard- 
ner. 

The  husband  of  oui'  sul)ject  was  a  native 
of  Pennsylvania,  who,  when  a  young  man. 
came  west  to  AVisconsin  and  settled,  where 
he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Elizabeth 
McCalister,  a  native  of  Scotland,  born  in 
Whitehorn,  Wigton  Shair,  1836,  who  had 
come  to  America  in  1855  and  subsequently 
located  at  Caledonia,  Wisconsin.  After' 
their  mairiage  they  lived  in  Sauk  County, 
in  the  "Badger  State,"  until  November  20, 
1863,  when  Mr.  Gardner,  being  drafted, 
entered  Company  I),  P'irst  Wisconsin  Infant- 
rv  as  a  I'ecruit  and  served  with  that  gallant 
re<'-iment  until  the  battle  of  Buzzard's  Roost, 
in  the  Atlanta  campiign,  when  he  fell  mor- 
tally wounded,  and  died  in  the  hospital  at 
Chattanooga,  Tennessee,  September  S,  18G4. 
Filling  an  honored  soldier's  grave,  his  life 
offered  up  a  sweet  sacrifice  upon  the  altar  of 


his  country,  his  mission  on  earth  was  accom- 
plished, and  while  the  comrades  regret  his 
loss,  they  dare  not  murmur  against  the  de- 
cree of  the  Most  High,  that  snatched  him 
from  liis  loving  widow  and  his  boy. 

Mrs.  Gardnei'  and  her  son  remained  at 
their  home  in  Wisconsin  until  they  came  to 
Minnesota,  grieving  after  the  brave  soldier 
who  had  lain  down  his  life  in  defense  of  his 
country  and  who  is  enshrined  in  every  patri- 
ot's breast. 

Peter  has  always  remained  with  his  be- 
loved mother.  He  was  born  in  Sauk  county, 
Wis.,  May  14,  1862,  and  was  married  De- 
cember 24,  1885,  to  Miss  Sarah  Ai-rowood, 
a  native  of  IMinnesota,  and  daughter  of  G. 
D.  and  Louisa  Arrowood,  natives  of  North 
Carolina  and  Kentucky,  who  came  to  this 
town  in  1865. 


OHN  CHRISTENSON,  a  highly  re- 
spected and  successful  farmer  residing 
on  section  32,  Union  Grove  township,  was 
born  in  Sweden,  on  the  22dof  August,  1828, 
and  is  a  son  of  Christen  and  Bets}'  Eliason. 
His  early  life  was  spent  in  the  land  of  his 
birth,  where  he  acquired  the  habits  of  indus- 
ti'y,  economy  and  integi'ity  which  are  char- 
acteristic of  the  people  of  his  nationality. 
In  1868  he  came  to  the  United  States  with 
his  family  and  came  to  Meeker  county, 
Minn.,  where  he  took  a  homestead  of  eighty 
acres  on  section  6,  Swede  Grove  townsh'p. 
Seven  years  later  he  moved  to  section  5, 
where  he  bought  280  acres  of  railroad  land, 
and  lived  there  until  the  si)ring  of  1887, 
when  he  settled  upon  his  present  farm  on 
section  32,  Union  Grove  township,  having 
purchased  eighty  acres  there  in  1SS6.  He 
has  divided  the  rest  of  his  land  among  his 
children,  giving  them  a  start  in  the  world. 

Mr.  Christenson  was  married  on  the  27tli 
of  December,  1850,  to  Miss  Anna  Pehrson, 
and  their  union  has  been  blessed   with  ten 


-^,  f? 


^'lA^^^^^z^^L^^-iy 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


165 


children,  as  follows :  Christoplier,  born  Oc- 
tober 3,  1852;  Hannah,  born  February  5, 
1855  ;  Elias,  born  May  14,  1857  ;  Ella,  born 
May  27,  1859;  Nels,  born  April  2,  1861, 
died  August,  1861 ;  Nels  J".,  born  June  28, 
1862;  Andrew,  born  September  28,  1864; 
Alfred,  born  May  12,  1866,  died  July  1, 
1868 ;  Alfred,  born  July  12,  1868,  and  Her- 
man, born  July  19,  1870. 


"•V'  "1 


«»^ 


kOCTOR  V.  P.  KENNEDY,  of  Litch- 
field, besides  being  a  pioneer,  is  one  of 
the  .best  known  citizens  in  this  part  of  the 
State.  Doctor  Kennedy  was  born  in  Butler 
county,  Penn.,  on  the  11th  of  July,  1824. 
"When  he  was  five  years  of  a,ge  his  parents 
removed  to  and  became  pioneers  of  Indiana, 
where  the  subject  of  this  sketch  remained 
until  1856.  His  younger  days  were  spent 
upon  a  farm,  but  when  twenty-one  he  entered 
the  Asbury  University  at  Greeneastle,  Ind., 
where  he  spent  two  years,  and  then  went  to 
Rockville,  Ind.,  where  he  began  the  study 
A  year  later  he  went  to 
;  later  to  Chicago,  and  in  1851 


of   medicine. 
Louisville,  Ky 
finished    his    course 


Rush  Medical  College. 


and  graduated  from 
\\\  1875  he  took  an 
ad-eundum  degree  at  the  Bellevue  Hospital 
College,  New  York. 

Doctor  Kennedy's  parents  were  Martin 
and  Elinor  [Pellett]  Kennedy.  The  father 
died  when  the  Doctor  was  ten  and  the 
mother  when  he  was  six  years  of  age.  He 
was  then  thrown  upon  his  own  resom-ces  and 
for  a  time  lived  with  an  uncle ;  but  when 
sixteen  he  left  iiis  uncle's  roof  and  began  the 
battle  of  life  on  his  own  account.  In  June, 
1856,  he  came  to  Meeker  county,  Minn.,  and 
took  the  same  claim  which  had  been  held  by 
Dr.  Frederick  N.  Rijjley,  which  is  mentioned 
at  length  elsewhere  in  this  volume.  Ripley 
had  been  frozen  to  death  in  March  of  that 
year.  Dr.  Kennedy  at  once  Ijegan  improve- 
ments in  a  light  way,  building  a  little  cabin 


on  the  place,  but  he  lived  in  Cedar  City, 
McLeod  county,  until  the  spring  of  1857, 
when  he  settled  on  his  claim.  During  the 
season  of  1856  he  had  "  broke  "  some  land 
and  raised  a  few  potatoes,  the  Indians,  how- 
ever, getting  the  benefit  of  his  labor.  Doctor 
Kennedy  remained  on  his  claim  until  the 
fall  of  1860,  when  he  was  elected  to  the  State 
Legislature.  He  was  re  elected  in  the  fall 
of  1861.  In  the  spring  of  1862  he  entered 
the  United  States  service  as  surgeon  of  the 
Fifth  Minnesota  Volunteer  Infantry  and 
remained  with  his  regiment  until  the  1st  of 
May,  1865,  when  he  was  mustered  out  at 
Montgomery',  Ala.  The  following  summer 
was  spent  upon  his  farm,  and  in  the  fall  he 
received  the  appointment  of  physician  for 
the  Chippewa  Indians  at  Red  Lake,  and 
remained  there  from  November,  1865,  until 
March,  1867.  He  again  returned  to  Meeker 
county,  and  bought  what  was  known  as  the 
Cedar  Mill  and  ran  that  until  1869,  when  he 
came  to  Litchfield  and  resumed  the  practice 
of  his  profession.  In  1880  he  went  to  Brown 
county  D.  T.,  and  took  a  claim,  but 
continued  his  practice  at  Litchfield  until 
1883,  when  he  removed  to  Ordway,  D. 
T.,  and  engaged  in  the  drug  business, 
also  becoming  postmaster.  In  the  fall 
of  1885  he  was  elected  to  the  Dakota 
Senate  and  took  an  active  interest  in  shap- 
ing Territorial  legislation.  In  the  spring  of 
1886  his  family  returned  to  Litchfield  and 
for  some  time  the  Doctor  was  back  and 
forth  between  the  two  points,  but  the  latter 
place  is  now  his  home. 

Doctor  Kennedy  was  first  married  on  the 
19th  day  of  July,  1S49,  to  Miss  Julia  A. 
Rudisell,  who  died  July  13,  1854.  This 
union  was  blessed  with  two  children,  one  of 
whom  is  now  living,  Julia  A.,  wife  of  Nim- 
rod  Barrick,  who  lives  at  the  Doctor's  origi- 
nal claim  in  Meeker  county.  Dr.  Kennedy 
was  again  married,  on  the  2d  of  July,  1860, 
to  Caroline  Rudisell,  a  sister  of  his  first  wife. 


i66 


MEEKER  COUNTY,   MINNESOTA. 


They  have  three  children  now  living — 
Milford  P.,  who  lives  on  a  farm  in  Daivota  ; 
Harry  M.  and  Lewis  H.,  who  are  attending 
university  at  Minneapolis. 

Doctor  Kennedy  is  an  active  member  of 
tlie  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  At  the 
annual  encampment  in  1887  he  was  elected 
medical  'director  for  the  department  of 
Minnesota  and  served  for  one  year.  He  is 
also  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity, 
having  joined  Golden  Fleece  Lodge  in  the 
fall  of  1875.  He  is  prominently  identified 
with  the  State  Medical  Association  and  is 
recognized  as  one  of  the  best  educated  and 
most  experienced  members  of  the  medical  pro- 
fession in  this  part  of  the  State.  During  late 
years,  however,  he  has  devoted  his  attention 
chiefly  to  his  extensive  farming  interests, 
having  360  acres  in  this  county  all  of  which 
is  improved  ;  and  640  acres  in  Dakota,  with 
400  under  cultivation. 


l''-)?  ARL  NELSON,  the  subject  of  the  pres- 
ent biographical  notice,  is  a  respected 
and  enterprising  farmer  and  stock  raiser, 
who  resides  on  section  10,  Danielson  town- 
ship. He  is  a  son  of  Nels  and  Karen 
Madson,  and  was  born  in  Denmark  on  the 
20th  of  August,  1849.  His  early  life  was 
spent  in  his  native  land,  where  he  remained 
until  1866,  when  he  came  to  the  United 
States  with  his  parents,  and  settled  in  Steele 
county,  Minn.  A  year  later,  in  July,  1867, 
they  removed  to  Meeker  county,  and  the 
father  took  a  homestead  on  section  8,  in 
Danielson  township,  in  which  township  there 
was  only  six  settlers  at  that  time.  Here  the 
father  died  in  October,  1872,  and  the  mother 
in  April,  1885. 

After  his  father's  death,  Carl  went  to  St. 
Paul  and  worked  at  different  kinds  of  em- 
ployment for  about  two  years,  when  he  re- 
turned to  the  homestead  and  remained  with 
his  mother  until  the  4th  of  June,  1882,  when 


he  was  married  to  Miss  Anna  Marie  Mad- 
son.  She  was  born  March  19,  1860,  and  is  a 
daughter  of  Martin  and  Anna  Marie  Mad- 
son,  who  are  residents  of  Danielson.  By 
this  marriage,  Carl  Nelson  and  wife  have 
been  the  parents  of  two  children — Minnie, 
born  June  11,  1883,  and  Nels,  born  Novem- 
ber 30,  1885.  Tlie  family  are  members  of 
the  Presbyterian  church. 

Mr.  Nelson  now  lias  a  valuable  farm,  of 
which  he  lias  considerable  under  cultivation, 
and  has  a  comfortable  home.  He  has  the 
farm  well  stocked  and  devotes  his  energies 
to  diversified  farming  and  stock  raising.  By 
economy  and  industry'  he  has  placed  himself 
in  comfortable  circumstances,  and  is  justly 
rated  as  one  of  the  leading  citizens  of  his 
township.  He  has  taken  an  active  interest 
in  township  affairs,  and  has  held  various 
local  offices,  including  those  of  supervisor 
and  road  overseer. 


HE  WELL-KNOWN  and  able  editor 
the  Litchfield  News-Ledger,  W.  D. 
JouBERT,  is  a  native  of  Fon  du  Lac  county, 
Wis.,  born  in  September,  1852.  His  par- 
ents were  Stephen  and  Elizabeth  Joubert ; 
the  father  of  French  descent,  but  born  in 
Montreal,  Canada,  and  the  mother  a  native 
of  New  York.  Stephen  Joubert  was  a  car- 
penter by  trade.  He  was  one  of  the  pioneers 
of  Hudson,  Wis.,  but  is  now  a  resident  of 
Traverse  county,  Minn. 

W.  D.  Joubert  had  but  little  schooling  ad- 
vantages, until  he  was  nine  years  of  age,  but 
from  that  time  until  he  was  fifteen,  the  most 
of  his  time  was  spent  in  school.  When  he 
was  fifteen. he  began  life  on  his  own  account 
and  began  learning  the  printer's  trade  with 
Daggett  &  Rose,  at  Wabasha,  Minn.  He 
remained  with  them  for  three  years  and  then 
went  to  LaCrosse,  Wis.  Later  we  find  him 
at  Minneapolis,  where,  for  several  months, 
he  worked  on  the  Minneapolis  Hews,  then 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


167 


edited  by  George  K.  Shaw.  From  there,  in 
April,  1872,  with  Franli  Daggett,  the  man 
under  whom  he  had  learned  his  trade,  he 
came  to  Litchfield,  and  started  the  Litchfield 
Ledger,  wliich  has  since  become  the  News- 
Ledger. 

Mr.  Joubert  was  married  December  3, 
1881,  to  Miss  Ida  Kline,  of  Kingston,  Meeker 
county.  They  now  have  one  child — Ethel,, 
who  is  five  years  of  age.  Mr.  Joubert  is  a 
member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  having 
joined  the  Golden  Fleece  Lodge  in  1873,  and 
is  quite  active  in  promoting  the  interests  of 
the  organization.  He  is  also  a  member  of 
the  fire  company,  and  was  one  of  the  princi- 
pal workers  in  getting  that  organization 
estabUshed.  Besides  these  he  is  a  member 
of  the  military  company,  and  was  one  of  the 
charter  members  of  the  dramatic  association, 
which  was  organized  in  1873.  Mr.  Joubert 
is  a  staunch  republican  in  political  faith,  and 
is  recognized  as  one  of  the  ablest  editorial 
writers  on  political  questions  in  this  part  of 
the  State. 

-•   •^•^^^••<t-   • 

"OHN  AUGUSTUS  SAMPSON,  who  re- 
sides on  section  -t,  Greenleaf  township, 
"is  one  of  the  leading  farmers  and  stock  rais- 
ers, and  also* one  of  the  most  prominent  cit 
izens  in  the  southern  part  of  Meeker  county. 
He  comes  of  a  nationality,  wliich,  through 
their  industry  and  frugality,  makes  the  most 
substantial  and  valuable  citizens  of  Minne- 
sota. He  was  born  in  Sweden,  on  the  9th  of 
August,  1849,  and  came  to  the  United  States 
in  1858  with  his  parents,  John  and  Anna 
Hellena  Sampson.  After  having  resided  one 
year  and  a  half  in  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  he, 
with  his  mother  and  youngest  sister,  joined 
his  father  and  oldest  sister,  who  had  gone  six 
months  before,  in  Minnesota,  in  tlie  fall  of 
1859,  and  took  up  their  residence  with  the 
husband  and  father,  on  section  4,  in  the  town 
of  Greenleaf,  Meeker  county,    where  they 


still  reside.     A  full  sketch  of  the  parents  will 
be  found  elsewhere  in  this  volume. 

John  A.,  the  subject  of  this  biographical 
memoir,  was  reared  on  a  farm,  imbibing  and 
acquiring  from  the  necessities,  the  principles 
and  habits  of  industry  and  economy  which 
were  so  essentially  a  concomitant  of  pioneer 
life.  As  no  district  schools  were  yet  in  the 
neighborhood,  he  managed  to  attend  a  few 
months  school  a  few  miles  from  home,  work- 
ing at  the  same  time  in  a  private  family  for 
his  board.  Being  fond  of  reading  and  gen- 
eral information,  he  enlarged  his  stock  of 
knowledge  in  both  the  Swedish  and  English 
languages,  and  tried  in  all  respects  to  be  a 
sel-fmade  man.  An  op]iortunity  offered  it- 
self to  acquire  a  more  substantial  knowledge 
in  the  winter  of  1864  and  1805,  when  he  re- 
solved to  attend  for  a  few  months,  the  Ans- 
cary  Academy,  at  East  Union,  Carver 
county,  then  superintended  by  his  brother- 
in-law,  Rev.  Andrew  Jackson. 

On  the  30th  of  August,  1874,  he  was  joined 
in  marriage  to  Anna  Elizabeth  Romwall. 
His  wife  was  born  in  Sweden  July  29,  1852, 
and  came  to  America  in  1864  with  her  par- 
ents, who  are  still  living  in  Carver  county, 
Minn.  Their  marriage  has  been  blessed 
with  five  children,  as  follows:  P>eda  (de- 
ceased), born  July  2, 1875 ;  Freda  L.  V.,  born 
June  11,  1877;  Esther  A.,  born  June  3, 
1879;  Joshua  Theodore,  born  July  14,  1881 ; 
Hannah  JST.,  born  November  23,  1883;  and 
Walter  C.  E.,  born  June  30,  1887.  The 
family  are  active  and  jirominent  members 
in  the  Beckville  Lutheran  church. 

Mr.  Sampson  has  taken  an  active  interest 
in  public  matters,  and  is  I'ated  as  one  of  the 
most  substantial  and  prominent  citizens  of 
his  township.  In  political  matters  he  affili- 
ates with  the  republican  party,  and  has  held 
many  offices  of  local  importance,  including 
those  of  township  supervisor,  assessor,  treas- 
urer, etc.  In  financial  matters,  although, 
like  others  in  his  township,  he  has  suffered 


i6S 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


some  reverses,  he  has  withal  been  very  suc- 
cessful. He  has  a  large  and  valuable  farm, 
a  great  proportion  of  which  is  under  cultiva- 
tion, and  has  it  well  stocked.  Ilis  building 
improvements  are  among  the  finest  in  the 
township,  making  a  home  in  which  he  may 
justly  take  a  pride,  and  which  is,  in  the  enter- 
prise it  manifests,  a  credit  to  the  county. 

In  another  department  of  this  work  will 
be  found  a  jiortrait  of  Mr.  Sampson. 


•■^-J^S^^-^— •- 


EORGE  W.  HARDING,  one  of  the 
leading  citizens  of  Darwin  township, 
and  the  present  town  clerk,  is  living  on  his 
fertile  and  highly-cultivated  farm  on  sec- 
tion 21.  lie  was  born  in  Hardenburgh,  Ind., 
Octol)er  3,  1852,  and  is  the  son  of  Mitchell 
and  Mary  A.  Harding.  He  was  reared  and 
educated  in  the  '-Iloosier  State"  and  remained 
a  resident  there  until  April  25,  1866, 
when  became  to  Meeker  county,  Minn.,  with 
his  father,  and  settled  in  Darwin  township, 
where  he  now  makes  his  home. 

Mitchell  Harding,  the  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  born  in  Genesee  county,  N. 
Y.,  March  14,  1808,  and  came  West  and 
settled  in  Indiana  in  1836,  one  of  the  pio- 
neers of  that  noble  State.  His  father  was  a 
veteran  of  the  conflict  with  Great  Britain 
in  1812-1815,  and  died  at  Fort  Erie  during 
the  war.  Mitchell  Harding  makes  his  home 
with  his  son,  George,  having  given  up  act- 
ive business  pursuits,  as  he  is  over  eighty 
years  old. 

George  Harding  was  united  in  marriage, 
April  5,  1874,  with  Miss  Josie  L.  Smith,  and 
by  this  union  they  are  the  parents  of  tiiree 
children — Earl  C,  born  March  1,  1875,  died 
October  8,  1880;  Jennie  M.,  born  May  11, 
1878  ;  and  George  W.,  born  July  26,  1881. 

Our  subject  is  politically  a  republican, 
and  has  been  called  on  several  times  by  his 
fellow  citizens  to  discharge  official  duties. 
He  was  elected  chairman  of  the  town  board 


of  supervisors,  and  served  in  that  capacity 
three  terms.  Town  assessor  and  town  clerk 
he  has  also  been,  and  at  present  holds  the  two 
offices — clerk  of  the  township  and  school 
district  treasurer.  Keligiously,  he  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church, 
while  his  estimable  wife  holds  communion 
with  the  Chui'ch  of  God,  and  both  are  sin- 
cere, earnest.  Christian  people. 

^^VENNING  JOHNSON  is  a  respected 
~^^  and  successful  farmer,  who  resides  on 
section  21,  Danielsoii  township.  Like  a 
majority  of  the  most  thrifty  and  enterpris- 
ing farmers  of  his  township,  Mr.  Johnson  is 
a  native  of  Sweden,  where  he  was  born 
November  3,  1831.  His  early  life  was  spent 
in  his  native  land,  but  in  1869  he  came  to 
the  United  States,  and  first  settled  in  Illinois, 
where  he  remained  for  two  years,  working 
for  different  farmers.  At  the  end  of  that 
time,  on  April  24,  1871,  he  came  to  Meeker 
county,  Minn.,  and  ]nirchased  forty  acres 
of  land  on  section  21,  in  Danielson  town- 
ship, where  he  has  since  lived.  He  has 
since  bought  140  acres  more,  so  that  he  now 
owns  180  acres,  100  of  which  are  on  section 
21,  and  eighty  on  29. 

Mr.  Johnson  was  married  ]^fay  2,  1862, 
while  still  in  Sweden,  to  Johanna  Larson,  and 
their  union  has  been  blessed  with  the  follow- 
ing named  children  :  Amanda,  born  Api'il 
18,  1863 ;  Augusta,  born  September  9, 
1864 ;  Lewis,  born  August  28,  1867 ;  August, 
born  September  26,  1869  ;  Hattie,  born  Sep- 
tember 1,  1872,  and  Emel,  born  July  28, 
1874.  Amanda  and  Augusta  are  working  in 
St.  Paul.  The  son,  Lewis,  has  general  charge 
of  the  farm,  as  his  father  is  now  well  along 
in  years,  and  is  spending  the  evening  of  his 
long  and  useful  life,  partially  retired  from 
the  active  participation  in  farm  labor.  The 
famil}'  are  members  of  the  Methodist  church. 

When  Mr.  Johnson  came  to  the  United 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


169 


States  he  was  a  poor  man,  and  it  was  only 
by  the  hardest  labor  and  strictest  economy 
that  he  secured  a  start  and  was  able  to  sup- 
port his  family.  lie  pei-severed,  however, 
and  is  now  in  very  good  circumstances,  hav- 
ing a  cojnfortable  home  in  which  to  spend 
the  latter  part  of  his  life,  and  is  possessed  of 
a  comfortable  property. 


-^^ 


"OHN  YOUNGSTROM,  a  farmer,  resid- 
ing on  section  2S,  Litchfield  township, 
is  one  of  the  most  intelligent  and  best-posted 
citizens  in  his  portion  of  the  county.  He  is 
a  native  of  Sweden,  born  on  the  1st  of 
Februar}^,  184-5,  and  is  a  son  of  Andrew  and 
Christine  Youngstrom.  John  grew  to  man- 
hood  at  the  home  of  his  parents,  and  at  an 
ea,rly  age  embarked  in  the  mercantile  busi- 
ness, continuing  it  until  1868,  when  he  came 
to  the  United  States.  Shortly  after  his 
arrival  he  decided  to  locate  in  Meeker  coun- 
ty, Minn.,  and  accordingly  purchased  parts 
of  sections  21,  28  and  29,  in  Litchfield 
township.  His  farm  at  that  time  was  one  of 
the  largest  operated  by  one  man  west  of  the 
"  Big  Woods,"  but  after  about  ten  years'  trial, 
he  became  convinced  that  it  was  not  quan- 
tity of  land  which  was  essential  to  success 
in  farming,  but  sagacity  and  business  tact  in 
management.  Accordingly,  he  unloaded  a 
good  portion  of  his  huge  farm,  and  has  since 
been  operating  on  the  safe  side.  Although 
the  grassho]ipers,  hailstorms  and  drouth  have 
caused  him  serious  backsets,  entailing  the 
loss  of  three  crops  in  four  years,  he  has  man- 
aged to  come  out  of  it  all  in  pretty  good 
financial  shape. 

Mr.  Youngstrom  was  married  in  1871  to 
Mary  C.  Kjellander,  a  daughter  of  John 
Kjellander,  and  a  native  of  Sweden,  born  in 
1844.  Four  children  have  been  born  to  them, 
viz.:  John  Oscar,  Hilder  Mary,  Olga  and 
Axel  H.  Although  Mr.  Youngstrom  has 
never  been  caught  m  the  maelstrom  of  polit- 


ical office  seeking,  he  has  ever  been  a  close 
student  of  political  economy,  and  has  lent  a 
considerable  amount  of  ■  time  and  all  his 
influence  to  the  remedying  of  existing  evils 
in  governmental  aff'airs,  and  is  an  unyielding 
foe  to  monopoly  and  all  manner  of  oppres- 
sion and  harmful  influences. 

«"S^^-4^ • 

l^RANK  E.  DAGGETT,  deceased,  was 
Jp^  at  one  time  one  of  the  most  prominent 
citizens  of  Meeker  count}^  and  during  his 
residence  at  Litchfield,  figured  conspicuously 
in  its  history.  He  was  a  native  of  Vermont, 
but  when  quite  young  he  came  "West  to  Fond 
du  Lac,  Wis.,  and  in  1853,  went  to  Hudson, 
in  the  same  State.  He  learned  the  trade  of 
a  printer  when  still  a  boy,  at  Hudson,  Wis., 
and  Stillwater,  Minn.  At  an  early  day  he 
went  to  Kansas  and  Nebraska,  and  as  a 
journalist,  took  an  active  part  in  the  anti- 
slavery  movements,  being  one  of  John 
Brown's  most  active  associates,  and  expected 
fully  to  accompany  Brown  on  the  Harper's 
Ferry  expedition ;  but  he  went  home  to  visit 
his  mother,  and  as  the  move  took  place  ear- 
lier than  was  planned,  he  did  not  get  back  in 
time  to  participate  in  it.  After  that,  he 
went  to  St.  Paul  and  began  working  at  his 
trade  on  the  old  Pioneer.  From  there  he 
returned  to  Rutland  county,  Vt.,  and  in 
18(>0  was  married.  Before  he  started  West 
again,  war  was  declared,  and  he  enlisted  for 
three  months  in  the  First  Vermont  Regiment. 
At  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  service,  he 
came  to  Minnesota  and  enlisted  in  the  Sixth 
Minnesota  Infantry,  and  was  ordered  to  the 
frontier  to  participate  in  the  Indian  warfare. 
After  the  close  of  the  Indian  troubles,  he 
went  before  the  examining  board  at  St.  Louis, 
and  having  passed  the  examination,  was  ap- 
pointed lieutenant  in  the  117th  LTnited  States 
Regiment  [colored],  and  was  assigned  to  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac.  In  the  summer  of 
1861  he  was  taken  sick  and  ordered  to  resie:n. 


170 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


He  then  returned  to  Minnesota  and  worked 
on  the  Pioneer  until  1S*!6  when  he  went  to 
Wabasha  and  purchased  the  ^Vahaslla  Herald. 
This  he  published  until  the  fall  of  1870, 
when  he  went  to  LaCrosse  and  bought  an  in- 
terest in  the  Leader,  of  that  place,  the  firm 
becoming  Taylor,  Burns  &  Daggett.  Through 
some  mismanagement  the  firm  became  in- 
solvent, and  Mr.  Daggett  began  work  on  the 
Milwaukee  Daily  News  as  a  compositor.  .In 
the  fall  of  1871  he  was  given  a  position  as 
city  editor  on  the  Minneapolis  News,  and  re- 
mained there  till  April,  1872,  when  he  re- 
signed and  came  to  Litchfield,  and  in  com- 
pany with  W.  D.  Joubert,  established  the 
Litchfield  Ledger.  While'in  business  here  he 
was  three  times  elected  clerk  of  the  Minne- 
sota House  of  Representatives.  He  was  a 
prominent  and  active  member  of  the  Grand 
Army  of  the  Republic,  and  at  one  time  was 
Grand  Commander  of  the  Department  of 
Minnesota.  The  post  at  Litchfield  was  named 
"  Frank  Daggett  Post,"  in  honor  of  him. 
Mr.  Daggett's  death  occurred  Saturday, 
October  li,  1876.  He  was  then  in  his  thirty- 
ninth  year. 

•    •«>  '^^'  ■<'■    • 

CHARLES  A.  STAPLES,  a  successful 
merchant  of  the  village  of  Manannah, 
is  a  native  of  Waldo  county,  Me.,  born  Feb- 
ruary 17,  1843,  and  is  the  seventh  son  of 
Jacob  C,  and  Elizabeth  (Small)  Staples, 
both  of  whom  were  also  natives  of  the  Pine 
Tree  State.  The  father  of  our  subject  was 
born  March  0,  1801,  and  his  mother  March 
24,  1805.  Their  marriage  took  place  March 
20,  1828,  and  they  continued  to  make  their 
home  in  their  native  State  until  October, 
1854,  when  they  came  to  Minnesota  with 
their  family  of  ten  children,  of  whom  our 
subject  was  one.  The\^  settled  in  Sauk 
Valley,  six  miles  west  of  where  St.  Cloud  is 
now  located,  but  at  that  time  there  was  not 
a  house  where  the  city  now  is  located.  They 


remained  in  that  vicinity  until  the   time  of 
their   death,  the  mother  October   17,  1874, 
the  father,  November  26, 1879.     The  latter's 
demise  was  caused   by   exposure,  cold   and 
exhaustion.     He  was  then  a  man  of  seventy- 
eight   years   and    having  been  to  St.  Cloud, 
upon  a  visit  to  a  son  who  still  resides  there, 
and  on  returning  missed  his  road  and  landed 
in  the   night   on  Maine  Prairie,  and   being 
refused  shelter  by  professed  Christian  people 
along  the  way,  was  out  all  night   that   cold 
November  night,  and  died  a  few  days  later. 
Charles   A.  remained   at   home   with   his 
parents  until  attaining  his  majority,  during 
which  time  he  learned  the  carpenter's   trade 
of  his  father,  also  a  good  knowledge  of  farm- 
ing which  afterwai'd  he  made  a  success.     He 
came  to  Meeker  county,  and  took  up  a  home- 
stead on  section  5,  Union  Grove  to\vnship, 
selecting    his  land   in   July,  1864.       After 
filing  papers  for  a  homestead  in  August,  he 
enlisted,  September  3,  1864,  in   the   Fourth 
Minnesota  Infantry  as  a  recruit,  with  which 
he  served  only  about  three  months,  and  then 
being  discharged  for  disabilitv,  he  returned 
to  his  claim  and  commenced  improving   it, 
and   made   it   his   home    until  1882,  during 
which  time  he  had  added  by  purchase  some 
360  acres  to  his  original  homestead.    He  then 
sold    his    original  homestead  and  went  to 
Litchfield  and  entered  into  a  partnership  in 
company  with  his  brothers,  J.  II.  and  N.  P., 
under  the  firm  name   and   style   of   Staples 
Brothers,  who  were  then  in  the  business  of 
general  merchandising.      In  the  spring   of 
1883  he  sold  out  and  made  a  trip  to  Dakota, 
with  the  intention  of  dealing  in   hardware, 
lumber  and  farm  machinery  in  Spink  county, 
but  returned  and  located  at  Manannah,  and 
in  November  of  that  year  put  in  a  new  stock 
of  general  merchandise  and  commenced    his 
present  business  in  company  with  his  brother, 
J.  H.  Staples,  and  continued  the  business  as 
Staples  Brothers  up  to  April  13, 1888,  when  he 
purchased  his  brother's  interest  and  assumed 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


171 


sole  proprietorship.  He  left  l^ome  empty- 
handed  but  by  diligence  and  business  tact 
natural  to  him,  before  he  left  Union  Grove 
township,  he  had  accumlated  a  fine  farm  of 
240  acres  of  land  and  $3,000  in  cash.  lie 
was  chairman  of  the  board  of  town  super- 
visors in  that  precinct,  justice  of  the  peace 
and  town  clerk  for  a  number  of  years,  and 
held  some  office  of  trust  or  responsibility  in 
that  town  nearly  all  the  time  of  his  residence 
there.  He  was,  also,  active  in  all  educational 
work  and  is  now  one  of  the  trustees  in  the 
village  of  Manannah. 

Mr.  Staples  was  united  in  marriage  in  the 
year  1870,  with  Miss  Sarah  A.  Hinds,  a  native 
of  Columbia  county.  Wis.,  and  a  daughter  of 
Isaac  and  Mary  (Thomas)  Hinds,  who  settled 
in  Union  Grove  in  1864.  By  this  union  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Staples  became  the  parents  of 
three  children — Carrie  Angelia,  born  Jan- 
uary 4, 1871 ;  Ancil  Edmonds,  born  August 
21,1872;  and  Frances  Ann,  born  January 
1,  1882. 


^ON.  ANDREW  NELSON,  one  of  the 
prominent  and  leading  citizens  of 
Meeker  county,  resides  in  the  village  of 
Litchfield.  His  sterling  integrity  in  all  his 
dealings  with  his  fellow  men,  the  honor  and 
ability  displayed  in  official  positions  and  the 
spotless  purity  of  his  private  life,  have  won 
for  him  the  respect  of  the  entire  conmiu- 
nity.  He  is  a  native  of  Sweden,  born 
December  29,  1829,  in  the  Forsamling  of 
Troninge  Paapsbyl),  No.  3,  Hallandslane, 
which  is  about  three-quarters  of  a  Swedish 
mile  (about  five  miles  English)  from  Halm- 
stadt. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Nels  Anderson, 
was  born  in  1773,  and  was  a  native  of  the 
same  country  and  one  of  the  wealthiest 
faimers  of  that  locality.  He  had  erected 
some  very  fine  farm  buildings,  but  lost  them 
by  fire,  and  this,  and  other  misfortunes  which 


overtook  him,  reduced  him  in  circumstances. 
He  had  been  assaulted  and  nearly  killed  by 
a  man  who  bore  him  enmity,  and  left  for 
dead,  with  his  brains  almost  oozing  from  his 
fractured  skull,  but  being  of  a  very  strong  con- 
stitution he  recovered  his  physical  strength, 
although  his  mental  balance  was  considera- 
bly affected.  He  came  to  the  United  States 
in  1862,  with  his  wife,  Johanna  (Anderson) 
Anderson,  and  came  at  once  to  St.  Paul. 
He  died  there  about  1867,  after  lying  in  bed 
for  three  j^ears,  having  been  crippled  by  be- 
ing run  over,  and  never  recovered.  His 
widow  is  now  making  her  home  with  her 
son,  Andrew  Nelson,  in  Litchfield,  and  not- 
withstanding her  eighty-eight  years,  she 
having  been  born  in  October,  1800,  is  in  the 
enjoyment  of  nearly  aU  her  faculties,  and  in 
excellent  health. 

Andrew  Nelson,  on  account  of  his  father's 
misfortunes,  received  but  a  limited  education, 
the  present  excellent  school  system  of  Swe- 
den not  having  then  been  adopted;  there 
were  no  public  schools.  He,  on  attaining 
maturer  years,  worked  out  at  farm  work 
until  the  spring  of  1856,  when,  taking  passage 
on  a  sailing  vessel  from  the  port  of  Gotten- 
borg,  emigrated  to  the  new  world,  and,  after 
a  stormy  voyage  across  the  Atlantic  ocean, 
arrived  in  New  York  harbor  on  the  3d  of 
July,  and  was  compelled  to  stay  on  ship- 
board all  of  the  4th.  At  night  when  the 
surrounding  scenery  was  lit  up  by  the  brill- 
iant lights  of  the  fireworks,  he  and  his  fel- 
low travelers  thought  the  inhabitants  of 
America  must  be  crazy,  for  they  had  no  idea 
of  our  celebrating  that  day.  On  landing, 
Mr.  Nelson  started  for  the  West  and  located 
at  Galesburg,  111.,  where  he  remained  two 
years,  working  at  farm  labor,  and  teaming, 
hauling  wood  for  the  railroad,  etc.  In  July, 
1858,  he  came  to  Minnesota  and  settled  in 
Monongalia  count}',  now  a  part  of  Kandiyohi 
county,  where  he  took  up  160  acres  of  land 
near  Foot   Lake.     He  commenced  the  im- 


172 


MEEKER    COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


provement  of  the  jiroperty  and  there  made 
his  home  until  the  Indian  outbreak  in 
August,  1862. 

There  was  living  in  the  house  with  him, 
for  he  was  at  that  time  a  single  man,  his 
brother-in-law,  Swan  Swanson,  with  the  Lit- 
ter's wife  and  three  children,  Annie,  Theo- 
dore and  Emma.  On  the  21st  of  August 
they  received  the  news  of  the  massacre  at 
Acton  and  the  general  uprising  of  the  sav- 
ages, and  at  once  made  preparations  for 
flight.  Mr.  Nelson  assisted  Swanson  to  take 
off  the  hayrack  from  the  running  gear  of  the 
wagon  and  substitute  the  box,  into  which 
they  loaded  some  of  their  household  goods 
and  the  little  family,  and  started  for  a  place 
of  safety,  Mr.  Nelson  remaining  to  collect 
some  forty  head  of  cattle  which  they  had. 
Night  overtook  him,  and,  starting  in  the  dark- 
ness, he  soon  heard  whispered  voices  near  him 
and  incautiously  shouted,  "Who's  there?" 
and  in  an  instant  the  rapid  footsteps  of  his 
savage  foes  gave  him  the  alarm  as  they 
rushed  toward  him.  Favored  by  the  night, 
he  eluded  them  and  made  his  way  toward 
Foot's  house.  He  saw  the  Indians  enter  the 
house,  and  he  crept  into  the  cornfield ;  but 
hearing  them  in  liis  immediate  neighbor- 
hood,  the  rustling  of  the  leaves  and  the 
breaking  of  the  stalks  betra3'ing  their  move- 
ments, he  slipped  out  and  sought  security  else- 
where. Arriving  on  the  banks  of  Mud  Lake, 
he  jumped  off  of  a  high  bank  for  the  water 
below,  but  fell  into  a  scrub  oak,  but  a  min- 
ute or  two  after  dropped  into  the  lake  in 
mud  and  water  to  his  armpits.  After  a 
short  time  spent  there  he  scrambled  out,  and 
as  the  water  in  his  boots  made  such  a  noise 
when  he  walked  he  pulled  them  off,  and  in 
doing  so  lost  one  and  then  threw  the  other 
away.  He  wandered  all  about  the  prairie 
all  night  in  his  bare  feet,  and  at  one  time, 
having  cast  himself  down  beside  a  log  by  the 
side  of  the  road,  saw,  dimly  portrayed  against 
the  sky,  the  figures  of  several  of  his  pursuers 


pass  within  a.  few  feet  of  him.  As  the  morn- 
ing dawned  he  heard  the  sound  of  musketry, 
and  looked  about  him  to  find  out  his  bearings, 
for  he  was  still  bewildered  with  his  wander, 
ings  and  did  not  know  where  he  was,  and, 
casting  himself  into  the  grass,  made  out  that 
he  was  in  the  vicinity  of  Oscar  Erickson's 
house,  about  two  miles  from  his  own  ])lace. 
This  cabin  was  near  the  outlet  of  Eagle  Lake, 
and  contained  four  families,  those  of  Foot, 
Carlson,  Swanson  and  Erickson,  who  were 
making  a  brave  defense  and  drove  off  the 
invaders.  Young  Carlson  was  killed,  and 
Mr.  Foot  and  Mr.  Erickson  severely  wound- 
ed, but  all  escaped  with  their  lives,  except 
the  former.  Mr.  Nelson,  after  waiting  a 
short  time  within  about  sixty  rods  of  the 
house,  finally  struck  across  the  prairie  for 
Diamond  Lake.  His  lacerated  feet,  the  flesh 
cut  from  them  and  bleeding  at  every  step, 
hardly  allowed  him  to  make  much  speed, 
but  on  arriving  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Gates  he 
found  a  number  of  the  settlers  ready  to  start, 
but  calmly  preparing  their  breakfast.  Mr. 
Nelson's  tidings  of  the  nearness  of  the  ruthless 
savages  altered  all  this,  and,  abandoning  the 
half-prepared  meal,  they  quickly  betook 
themselves  to  flight,  he  riding  with  them, 
for  by  this  time  the  pain  in  his  feet  had  be- 
come insupportable.  Behind  them,  a  few 
miles,  they  could  see  a  train  of  fleeing  set- 
tlers, who  were  attacked  about  two  miles 
west  of  Swede  Grove,  but  who  beat  off  the 
savages  by  drawing  up  their  wagons  in  a 
circle  around  a  hole  in  the  earth,  corral- 
ine:  their  animals  and  fighting  it  out  with 
the  Indians,  losing  two  of  their  number, 
Lorenson  and  Bucklin.  The  band  with 
whom  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  arrived 
at  Forest  City,  and  pi-epared  to  go  on  east 
beyond  the  Big  Woods  for  safety.  Mr. 
Nelson  went  with  them  as  far  as  Kings- 
ton, where,  through  the  kindness  of  Mr. 
Davidson,  the  miller,  ami  his  wife,  he  had 
his   feet    washed    and    the    wounds   dressed 


^?a4 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


175 


with  tallow  and  linen  rags  bv  that  gentle- 
man, who  loaned  him  a  pair  of  Indian  moc- 
assins to  wear.  Borrowing  a  hoise  of  Swan 
Munson,  Mr.  Nelson  determined  to  return 
and  seek  his  brother-in-law's  famil\%  but  on 
the  way  thither  met  Lieut.  J.  B.  Atkinson, 
of  the  Meeker  county  militia,  who  was  or- 
dered with  his  squad  to  take  all  the  horses 
they  could  find  to  mount  the  command.  Mr. 
Nelson  was  ordered  to  dismount,  but  lie 
would  not,  and  informed  the  officer  that  he 
could  not  have  the  horse  as  long  as  he  (Mr. 
Nelson)  was  alive,  whereupon  the  good-nat- 
ured officer  told  him  to  come  along  with 
him,  and  Mr.  Nelson  joined  the  troop,  en- 
listing as  a  private  therein.  Tliis  was  in 
Captain  Whitcomb's  company.  From  this 
time  out  Mr.  Nelson  participated  in  every 
movement  of  the  troop,  being  with  every 
detail.  The  first  time  he  was  out  with  them 
they  got  as  far  as  Peter  Lund's  farm,  and 
foun<l  the  Indians  preparing  a  meal  in  a  big 
iron  kettle,  which  they  had  strung  gypsy- 
fashion  over  a  fire,  they  having  killed  one  of 
the  settler's  hogs.  Quitea  skirmish  occurred, 
and  the  Indians  retreated  to  the  woods  to 
draw  the  squad  into  an  ambush,  but,  their 
design  being  penetrated,  our  forces  fell  back 
to  Forest  City.  At  another  time,  as  is  de- 
tailed elsewhere,  they  were  driven  back  by 
some  three  or  four  hundred  savages,  re-in- 
forcements  to  their  foes  being  perceived  all 
around  the  horizon,  and  threatening  the 
total  annihilation  of  the  little  band  if  they 
were  surrounded.  The  next  day  they  built 
the  stockade  at  Forest  City,  and  Mr.  Nelson 
helped  defend  that  place  during  the  attack 
made  on  it  on  the  morning  of  the  3d  of  Sep- 
tember. A  few  days  afterward  the  com- 
mand moved  to  Hutchinson  to  escort  their 
wounded,  and  as  their  horses  were  stolen 
the  men  had  to  walk.  Ole  Ingeman  loaned  Mr. 
Nelson  a  horse  to  ride,  but  tiie  officer  would 
not  allow  tliat,  and  our  subject  was  com- 
pelled to  hobble  along  as  he  best  could,  for 


his  feet  were  still  in  a  horrible  condition. 
He  also  toolv  part  in  the  expedition  to  Dia- 
mond and  Eagle  Lakes,  where  he  acted  as 
guide,  and  helped  bury  the  dead  bodies  they 
found. 

After  the  company  was  disbandeil,  Mr. 
Nelson  went  to  St.  Paul,  and  worked  for  the 
Government  at  Fort  Snelling,  building 
stables,  etc.,  after  which  he  was  employed 
at  various  labor  in  that  city,  sawing  wood 
and  other  work,  the  winter  of  1862  and  1863. 
In  the  spring  of  1863  he  leased  forty  acres  of 
land  in  AVashington  county,  of  John  Forber, 
and  put  in  a  crop,  and  the  next  year  pur- 
chased eighty  acres  of  lantl  in  the  same 
county.  To  this  he  added,  little  bv  little, 
until  he  owned  some  200  acres,  all  of  which 
he  had  under  cultivation.  In  1867  he  sold 
out  his  property  and  purchased  between  300 
and  400  acres  of  land  in  Darwin  township, 
this  county,  on  section  19,  near  Nelson  Lake, 
and  moved  on  it  in  1868,  commencing  to 
open  up  a  farm.  There  he  made  his  home 
until  about  1871,  when  he  sold  it  to  his 
father-in-law,  Ole  Johanson ;  and  purcliasing 
a  lot  in  Litchfield,  put  up  a  building,  and  in 
company  with  his  brother,  B.  P.  Nelson, 
opened  a  stock  of  general  merchand  ise.  Some 
years  later  he  sold  this  business  to  Alexander 
Cairncross,  since  which  time  he  has  been 
variously  employed,  principally  in  looking 
after  his  large  landed  property,  and  farming 
a  little. 

Mr.  Nelson  was  one  of  the  original  stock- 
holders of  the  Meeker  County  Bank,  and 
was  its  first  president,  and  has  always  taken 
an  active  interest  in  the  business  life  of  the 
village.  He  was  elected  to  the  Sixteenth  Leg- 
islature  of  this  State,  and  served  in  the  lower 
house  during  the  session  of- 1874.  In  1875 
and  1876,  he  represented  this  district  in  the 
State  senate.  As  chairman  of  the  board  of 
county  commissioners  of  Meeker  county,  Mr. 
Nelson  served  this  people  during  the  years 
1884,  1885  and  1886,  with  credit  to  himself 


176 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


and  honor  to  the  judgment  of  the  constituency 
that  sent  him  tliere.  He  was  village  trustee 
of  Litclilield  in  1873,  and  is  now  a  member 
of  the  city  council,  having  been  elected  to 
serve  through  1888  and  1889. 

Mr.  Nelson  and  Miss  Ellen  Johanson  were 
united  in  marriage  March  28,  1868.  She  is  a 
daughter  of  Ole  and  Hannah  Johanson,  nat- 
ives of  Sweden,  and  was  born  in  the  latter 
country.  She  came  to  America  with  her 
parents  in  1857,  who,  after  a  short  stay  in 
St.  Paul,  settled  that  year  in  what  is  now 
Litchfield  township.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nelson 
were  the  parents  of  but  one  child,  who  died 
when  but  nine  days  old. 


OHN  SAMPSON,  a  respected  farmer 
and  pioneer  of  Meeker  county,  whose 
home  is  on  section  4,  Greenleaf  township, 
is  a  native  of  Sweden,  born  on  the  2Stli  of 
March,  1815,  and  a  son  of  Peter  and  Cather- 
ine Samuelson.  His  early  life  was  spent  on 
the  farm  of  his  parents,  employed  at  farm- 
ing and  carpenter  work.  In  1858  he  came 
to  tiie  United  States,  having  previous  to  this 
been  married,  and  after  living  for  one  year 
in  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  he,  with  the  oldest 
daughter,  took  up  their  westward  march 
in  April,  1859,  and  came  to  Meeker  countv, 
Minn.  The  trip  from  the  Eastern  States  was 
made  by  way  of  railroad  and  steamboat  as 
far  as  Carver,  Minn.,  the  rest  of  the  fam- 
ily remaining  in  Jamestown  until  in  the 
fall.  He,  together  with  Charles  Allen  and 
Swan  Palm,  made  the  journey  from  Carver 
on  foot.  The  tri])  was  one  of  severe  hard- 
ship, as  they  found  it  almost  impossible  to 
get  provisions.  Mr.  Sampson  returned  to 
Carver  with  an  ox  team  for  his  baggage,  and 
the  roads  were  so  bad  that  many  limes  he 
was  obliged  to  unload  the  wagon  and  carry 
its  contents  through  the  mire  in  his  arms. 
Shortly  after  arriving  in  Meeker  county  he 
selected  land  in  section  4,  in  Greenleaf,  and 


the  following  year  (1860)  erected  a  house,  and 
has  since  continued  to  reside  there,  although 
extensive  building  and  other  improvements 
have  been  made,  so  that  the  farm  of  to-daj' 
makes  a  wonderful  contrast  with  the  rude 
cabin  home  of  twenty -eight  years  ago. 

Mr.  Sampson's  marriage  took  place  on  the 
20th  of  June,  1842,  when  Anna  Ilellena,  a 
daughter  of  Jonas  Jonson,  became  his  wife. 
She  was  born  in  Sweden  November  18,  1822. 
Their  marriage  was  blessed  with  three  chil- 
dren, as  follows — Christina,  born  October 
20,  1845,  died  October  25,  1875;  John 
Augustus,  who  is  mentioned  at  length  else- 
where in  this  volume,  and  Johanna  Louisa, 
born  January  19, 1852,  died  April  4,  1886. 

At  the  time  of  the  Indian  outbreak  the 
family  were  living  on  the  farm  and  the  father 
was  doing  carpenter  work  for  the  neighbor- 
hood. The  news  of  the  massacre  at  Acton, 
only  a  few  miles  distant,  reached  the  family 
on  the  17th  of  August,  1862,  and  after 
sto]iping  a  short  time  at  the  houses  of 
neiglibors  they  went  to  Forest  City.  After 
remaining  there  and  at  Kingston  a  short 
time,  they  spent  several  weeks  at  Clearwater 
and  St.  Paul  and  then  went  to  Cottage 
Grove,  Washington  county,  Minn.,  where 
they  rented  a  farm  and  remained  until  the 
fall  of  1864.  They  then  returned  to  the 
homestead. 

Mr.  Sampson  is  now  spending  the  even- 
ing of  his  life,  partially  retired  from  the 
cares  of  active  business,  and  holds  the  respect 
and  esteem  of  all  who  know  him.  Both  he 
and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Beckville 
Swedish  Lutheran  church,  and  are  exem- 
plary Christian  people. 


liMVANlEL  DANIELSON,  a  successful 
tkj  fanner  and  stock  raiser,  residing  on 
section  6,  Danielson  township,  and  one  of 
the  most  prominent  citizens  in  that  portion 
of  the  county,  is  a  native  of  Norway,  and 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


177 


was  born  on  December  14,  1840,  his  parents 
being  Daniel  and  Ingber  Aslagson.  His 
«arly  life  was  one  of  industry  and  economy, 
and  he  was  thrown  on  his  own  resources 
when  still  a  mere  lad,  having  earned  his 
own  living  ever  since  he  was  twelve  years  of 
age.  Wlien  he  was  twenty  years  of  age  he 
left  his  native  land,  booking  as  a  sailor  on  a 
native  vessel  for  about  nine  months,  then 
left  it  in  England,  and  made  one  trip  to  the 
West  Indies.  In  1862  he  left  London  on  a 
vessel  bound  for  China,  and  was  shipwrecked 
about  sixty  miles  off  the  coast  of  China. 
After  this  he  remained  in  China  about  six 
"months,  acting  as  quartermaster  on  a  steamer. 
He  then  went  to  Australia,  w^here  he  re- 
mained for  about  five  years,  part  of  the  time 
in  New  Zealand,  digging  gold  ;  also  working 
in  Sidney,  New  South  Wales,  and  a  part  of 
the  time  he  sailed  among  the  Friendly  Isles. 
He  left  there  in  1868,  and  after  spending 
about  three  months  at  his  native  iiome  in 
Norway,  he  sailed  for  the  United  States. 
Upon  his  arrival  in  this  country,  about  July 
1,  he  came  direct  to  Meeker  county,  Minn., 
and  bought  eighty  acres  of  railroad  land, 
■on  section  5,  in  Danielson  township. 
About  nine  months  later  he  took  a  home- 
stead on  section  30,  where  he  lived  for  seven 
years,  when  he  sold  that  and  purchased  his 
present  place  on  section  6.  He  has  also 
sold  his  railroad  land,  so  that  he  now  owns 
160  aci'es,  a  good  deal  of  which  is  under  a 
high  state  of  cultivation.  He  has  suffered 
some  reverses  through  the  loss  of  crops,  par- 
ticularly in  1876  and  1877  from  grasshoppers, 
and  in  1885  from  hail. 

In  political  matters,  Mr.  Danielson  is  a 
prohibitionist,  and  he  has  taken  an  active 
interest  in  pul^lic  matters,  having  held  var- 
ious offices,  including  tiiose of  township  clerk 
one  year  and  assessor  five  years. 

Mr.  Danielson  was  married,  April  20, 1868, 
in  Norway,  to  Inger  Peterson,  who  was  born 
August  7,  1849.     Their  marriage  has  been 


blessed  with  the  following  named  children : 
Peter  Chri,  born  April  2.3,  1869;  Ine  Dor- 
thy,  born  April  16,1871;  Daniel  Edward, 
born  July  26,  1873 ;  Hannah  Julia,  born 
August  12,  1875  ;  Victor  Emanuel,  born  De- 
cember 9,  1877  ;  Martin  Julius,  born  Decem- 
ber 16, 1878  ;  and  Inger  Malinda,  born  March 
27, 1885. 

— — «'-^{^-<'-    •  ■ 

ll^EONARD  ROMAN.  The  subject  of 
W&^  this  biographical  notice,  a  resident  of 
section  17,  is  one  of  the  most  prominent  and 
successful  farmers  and  stock  raisers  in  Green- 
leaf  township.  He  was  born  in  Varmland, 
Sweden,  on  the  22d  of  April,  1845.  His 
parents  were  born,  and  lived  in  the  land  of 
his  birth  until  the  time  of  their  deaths. 
Leonard  was  reared  on  a  farm  and  remained 
in  his  fatherland  until  1869,  when  he  sailed 
for  the  United  States,  and  came  direct  to 
Meeker  county,  Minn.,  settling  in  Greenleaf 
township,  where  he  has  since  lived.  He  now 
has  270  acres  of  lanil,  a  good  share  of  whicli 
is  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  Pie  has 
been  very  successful  in  his  farming  opera- 
tions, although  he  has  met  with  the  partial 
loss  of  several  crops  ;  but  by  careful  manage- 
ment and  hard  labor  he  has  accumulated  a 
comfortable  pro]ierty.  He  has  taken  an  act- 
ive interest  in  public  matters,  and  has  held 
various  offices  of  a  local  nature,  including 
that  of  township  assessor.  In  political  affairs 
he  affiliates  with  the  prohibition  party. 

Mr.  Roman  was  married  on  the  6th  of 
July,  1876,  to  Emma  E.  Ilagerstrom,  and 
their  marriage  has  been  blessed  with  the 
following  children  —Axel  L.,  born  "June  5, 
1877;  Benhart  E.,  born  March  9,  1879; 
Victor  E.,  born  June  19,  1880;  Emma  E., 
born  June  4,  1883 ;  and  Arnold  A.,  born 
January  18,  1885 — all  of  whom  are  still  liv- 
ing except  Benhart  E.,  who  died  August  28, 
1879,  and  whose  remains  are  interred  in  tiie 
Beckville  cemetery.      The  family  attend  the 


178 


MEEKER    COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


Mission  church.  Mrs.  Roman's  parents  were 
also  natives  of  Sweden.  They  came  to 
Meeker  county,  Minn.,  in  August,  1871,  and 
are  now  living  in  Greenleaf  township. 


«"S^^-^- 


CHARLES  A.  LAUGHTON,  one  of  the 
prominent  business  men  of  Litchfield, 
was  born  in  Platteville,  Grant  county,  Wis., 
March  20,  1851,  and  is  the  son  of  George  R. 
and  Mildred  (Durley)  Laughton.  His  father 
was  born  in  Soho  Square,  London,  Eng., 
June  27,  1820,  and  came  to  the  United 
States  in  1835,  arriving  in  New  York  Octo- 
ber 25.  He  came  to  Southport,  now  Keno- 
sha, Wis.,  with  L.  G.  Merrill  and  John 
Nichols,  who  lirought  some  $56,000  worth  of 
goods  to  that  place  October  30,  1842.  In 
December  following,  these  parties  sent  him 
to  Platteville,  with  a  large  stock  of  goods. 
He  became  a  large  land  owner  in  that 
county  and  lived  on  a  farm  in  the  environs 
of  Platteville  until  1870,  when  he  removed 
to  that  village,  where  he  lives  retired  from 
business.  He  was  married.  May  1,  18-t4,  to 
Miss  Mildred  Durley,  who  was  born  August 
9,  1828,  at  Greenville,  Bond  county.  111.,  who 
died  January'  8,  186-1. 

The  elder  Mr.  Laughton  owned  and  oper- 
ated a  splendidly  equipped  woolen  factory 
upon  his  farm,  and  Charles  A.,  who  attended 
school  in  the  summer  months,  during  the 
winters  worked  in  the  mill,  and  there  showed 
his  mechanical  ingenuity.  In  1870  when 
the  place  was  sold,  Charles  entered  the  Young 
Men's  Academy,  at  Lake  Forest,  111.,  where 
he  spent  two  years.  He  then  entered  into 
the  mercantile  trade  at  Platteville,  with  his 
brother,  but  finding  the  work  too  confining 
for  his  health,  entered  the  employ  of  J.  I. 
Case  tt  Co.,  of  Racine.  The  following  spring  of 
187+,  he  commenced  traveling  in  their  inter- 
ests, as  an  expert,  over  the  United  States  and 
Canada,  and  has  seen  much  of  the  world  while 
doingso.  He  followed  that  line  of  work,in  the 


service  of  the  same  company,  until  Septem- 
ber, 1881,  when  he  came  to  Litchfield,  as  the 
resident  agent  for  Case  &  Co.'s  threshing 
machinery.  In  the  spring  of  1887,  he  built 
the  machine  shop  where  he  does  all  kinds  of 
repairing  of  machinery,  especially  engine 
work,  which  he  carries  on  in  connection  with 
his  other  business. 

November  10,  1887,  C.  A.  Laughton  was- 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Julia  Gratiot, 
a  native  of  Platteville,  Wis.,  daughter  of  the 
late  Lieut.  Col.  E.  H.  and  Ellen  (Hager)  Gra- 
tiot, natives  of  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  and  Paltimore, 
Md.,  and  niece  of  the  late  Hon.  E.  B.  Wash- 
burn. While  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Laughton  are  not 
among  the'  older  residents  of  the  village, 
their  genial  dispositions  and  happy  manners- 
have  won  tiiem  a  high  place  in  social  circles. 
Mr.  Laughton  is  ranked  among  the  leading- 
business  men  of  the  place,  and  a  bright  future 
is  evidently  before  him. 


--.^ 


TaCOB  LENHARD,  of  Darwin  town- 
0  ship,  is  a  native  of  the  German  Empire, 
born  July  1,  1827.  He  was  reared  in  that 
classic  land  and  remained  there  until  1852, 
when  bidding  adieu  to  the  beloved  fatherland 
he  crossed  the  ocean  to  the  shores  of  free 
America,  in  search  of  the  liberty  of  action 
and  the  chance  of  competency  not  afforded 
to  him  in  the  land  of  his  birth.  He  settled 
near  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  where  he  remained  some 
three  months,  after  which  he  went  to  Canada, 
and  worked  on  the  construction  of  the  railroad 
suspension  bridge  oyer  the  Niagara  river. 
From  there  he  proceeded  west  to  Chicago,  111., 
but  less  than  a  year  later  removed  to  Polk 
county,  Wis.,  and  there  purchased  a  farm  and 
settled  down  to  the  life  of  a  Western  farmer. 
He  made  that  part  of  the  "  Badger  State" 
his  home  for  thirteen  years  and  at  the  ex- 
piration of  that  time,  in  1868,  came  to 
Meeker  county,  and  settled  in  Darwin  town- 
ship.    He   was   united  in  marriage,  Septem- 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


179 


ber  4,  1854,  with  Miss  Dora  Yerkes,  who 
is  the  mother  of  seven  children — Henry  P., 
born  June  22,  1855  ;  John  P.,  born  January 
•9,  1857 ;  William  F.,  born  December  9, 1858  ; 
Jacob  A.,  born  January  21,  1860 ;  Mary  M., 
born  December  25,  1862;  Conrad  E.,  born 
March  24,  1865;  and  Anna  D.,  born  January 
18,  1869.  The  sons  are  all  well-to-do  farmers 
of   the  township. 

Mr.  Lenhard  and  his  family  are  members 
of  the  Lutheran  church  and  respected  and 
honored  citizens. 


^TeLS  F.  JOHNSON,  is  one  of  the  well- 
&''fj|  to-do  farmers  of  Swede  Grove  town- 
ship. He  is  a  son  of  John  and  Anna  Chris- 
tianson,and  was  born  in  Sweden,  on  the  28th 
of  June,  1862.  He  came  to  the  United  States 
with  his  parents  in  1868,  and  they  came 
direct  to  Meeker  county,  Minn.,  settling  in 
Swede  Grove  township,  where  Nels  F.  re 
■ceived  a  common-school  education.  He  lived 
with  his  parents,  working  on  the  farm  until 
1887,  when  he  purchased  160  acres  of  land 
on  section  6,  whei'e  he  now  lives,  keeping 
"bachelor's  hall"  and  tilling  his  farm.  A 
sketch  of  his  parents  will  be  found  elsewhere 
in  this  volume.  Mr.  Johnson  takes  active 
interest  in  township  matters.  He  was  ap- 
pointed school  clerk  to  fill  the  unexpired 
term  when  tiiat  oihce  became  vacant  throucrh 

O 

the  removal  of  his  father  to  another  town- 
ship. He  is  a  member  of  the  Swedish  Luth- 
eran church.  In  political  matters  he  is  a 
I'epublican. 


'«« 


^^►^ 


^HE  legal  profession  has  a  number  of 
able  and  prominent  representatives  at 
Litchfield,  among  them  being  J.  M.  Eussell, 
county  attorney  of  Meeker  county.  He  is  a 
native  of  Clay  county,  Ind.,  born  on  the  13th 
of  Februar\',  1852.  His  early  life  was  spent 
upon  a  farm  attending  district  school  in  the 


winter,  and  thus  continuing  until  he  was  six- 
teen years  old,  when  he  began  teaching 
school  in  the  winter,  working  on  the  farm 
during  the  summer.  Two  years  later  he 
purchased  his  brother's  interest  in  the  old 
homestead,  his  father  having  died  when  he 
was  less  than  three  years  of  age.  After  this 
he  worked  the  farm  during  the  summer, 
teaching  during  the  winter  months,  until  he 
was  twenty-three  j'ears  old,  when  he  sold 
the  stock  and  farm  implements  and  for  two 
years  attended  college  at  Westfield,  111.  From 
there,  in  the  spring  of  1877,  he  came  to 
Meeker  county,  remaining  here  one  year 
and  teaching  two  terms  of  school.  In  the 
spring  of  1878,  returning  to  the  old  home  in 
Indiana,  he  worked  on  the  farm  with  his 
brother  that  season  and  taught  school  during 
the  following  winter. 

On  the  8th  of  April,  1879,  Mr.  Eussell  was 
married  to  Miss  Julia  E.  Hays,  of  Clay 
county  Ind.,  and  the  following  day  they 
started  for  Meeker  county,  Minn.  For  a 
year  he  taught  school  at  Cedar  Mills,  and,  on 
the  14th  of  September,  1880,  he  settled  at 
Litchfield  and  entered  the  law  office  of  N. 
C.  Martin  for  the  purpose  of  fitting  himself 
for  that  profession,  and  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  in  the  fall  of  1882.  He  spent  the 
summer  of  1881  upon  a  claim  in  Dakota.  He 
sold  this  in  188.3,  and  having  taken  a  home- 
stead in  the  same  Territory,  that  spring,  he 
spent  the  summer  on  that,  and  still  owns 
the  farm.  After  being  admitted  to  the  bar 
in  the  fall  of  1882  he  formed  a  law  partnership 
with  IST.  C.  Martin  under  the  firm  name  of 
Martin  &  Eussell.  This  partnership  was 
maintained  until  the  1st  of  January,  1887, 
when  it  was  dissolved,  and  since  that  time 
Mr.  Eussell  has  devoted  his  attention  exclu- 
sively to  his  profession,  as  before,  but  alone 
in  business,  and  has  built  up  a  lucrative 
practice.  In  1884  he  was  elected  city 
attorne}"^  and  held  the  office  for  three  suc- 
cessive   terms.      In    the    fall    of    1887   he 


I  So 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  M IXXESOTA. 


was  elected  county  attorney  on  the  repub- 
lican and  alliance  tickets  and  assumed 
the  duties  of  the  office  on  the  1st  of  Jan- 
uary, 1SS7.  Mr.  Russell  is  an  active  meni- 
of  the  Christian  Church. 


— -^f^^--^- 


^MNDREW  DAVIDSON,  is  one  of  the  pio- 
J^}i_  neers  of  Dassel  township,  where  he 
lives  on  section  !■!,  and  one  of  its  leadincr 
and  representative  citizens.  He  is  a  native 
of  Scotland,  born  in  Wigtown  Shair,  Mai'ch 
28,  1833.  Among  the  heaths  and  glens  of 
his  native  land  he  was  reared,  and  there  made 
his  home  until  his  twenty -first  year,  and  then 
determined  to  seek  a  new  home  in  the  wilds 
of  America.  Crossing  the  tempestuous  At- 
lantic, he  landed  in  New  York,  and  for  a 
short  time  made  his  home  in  Orleans  countv, 
N.  Y.,  but  then  moved  to  Morristown,  N".  J., 
where  he  went  into  a  hardware  store,  where 
he  was  employed  for  some  time,  and  later 
commenced  market  gardening  or  "truck 
farming."  In  1856  our  subject  came  west, 
and  for  ten  years  followed  farming  in  Col- 
umbia county,  Wis.,  from  whence  he  came 
to  Meeker  county  in  1866.  He  drove  the 
entire  distance  with  an  ox  team,  brineinor 
his  family  with  him,  and  on  his  arrival  here 
took  up  as  a  homestead  eighty  acres  of  land 
on  section  14.  First  setting  foot  in  the 
county  July  4,  1866,  he  has  been  for  nearly 
twenty  years  a  constant  citizen,  except  the 
first  winter,  when  he  spent  that  season  in 
McLeod  county  after  partially  building  the 
house  upon  his  place,  where  he  worked  to 
keep  his  family  in  the  necessaries  of  life. 
During  the  fii'st  few  years  he  did  consider- 
able hunting,  getting  at  one  time  eighty -six 
deer  in  six  weeks,  and  in  taking  the  venison 
and  furs  to  Minneapolis  to  market  he  add- 
ed considerably  to  his  revenue.  As  game 
became  sciirce.  he  took  up  teaming  with  a 
yoke  of  oxen,  and  transacted   considerable 


business  at  remunerative  figures.  Soon  his 
farm  demanded  his  sole  attention,  and  by  the 
exercise  of  labor  and  perseverance,  together 
with  the  thrift  and  frugality  with  which  his 
race  are  proverbially  endowed,  has  succeeded 
in  placing  himself  in  comfortable  circum- 
stances^  and  lives  surrouinled  by  most  of  the 
co7uforts  of  life. 

Mr.  Davidson  wiis  married  before  he  left 
"the  land  of  heather,"  December  1,  1849,  to- 
Miss  Grace  McAllister,  but  left  her  in  Scot- 
land when  he  came  to  America  in  search  of 
a  home.  Two  years  afterward  she  emigrated 
to  the  "land  of  the  free,"  joining  her  hus- 
band, in  Morristown,  in  1856.  They  are  the- 
happy  parents  of  four  children — Janet,  Peter, 
Margaret  and  Alexander.  Janet  is  the  wife 
of  Barney  Cox,  a  resident  of  Dassel ;  Peter, 
who  is  also  married,  lives  in  the  town  of 
Dassel;  the  other  two  still  reside  at  home. 

On  the  organization  of  the  town  in  1867,, 
Mr.  D.  was  elected  one  of  the  first  justices  of 
the  peace,  and  for  the  past  thirteen  years 
has  been  chairman  of  the  town  board  of 
supervisors. 


BAVID  B.  HOAR.  The  subject  of  this, 
biography,  a  prominent  and  successful 
farmei'  and  stock  raiser,  residing  on  section 
34,  Union  Grove  townshij),  justly  beai'S  the- 
reputation  of  being  one  of  the  most  solid  and 
substantial  citizens  in  the  northern  part  of 
the  county,  and  his  many  yeai-s  of  residence 
there  have  caused  him  to  be  well  known  to 
all  the  old  settlers  of  that  region. 

Mr.  Hoar  was  born  in  New  Brunswick, 
Albert  county,  Canada,  on  May  8,  1822.. 
His  father  was  originally  a  tanner,  but  he 
lost  his  feet  from  the  eifects  of  a  cold,  morti- 
fication setting  in,  and  amputation  was 
necessary,  and  he  then  learned  and  worked 
at  the  tailor's  trade  for  some  time,  after 
which  he  was  engaged  in  the  mercantile 
business.     A  few  years  later  he  built  a  vesseL 


MEEKKR  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


i8i 


which  he  sailed  for  three  years,  and  then 
sold  out  and  engaged  in  farming.  He  died 
in  1878,  and  his  wife  in  1883. 

David  B.  Hoar,  our  subject,  spent  his  early 
days  in  aiding  to  care  for  his  parents.  In 
May,  1857,  he  came  to  Minnesota,  and  ^Yorked 
in  a  steam  saw  mill  in  Wright  county  until 
tlie  spring  of  1858,  when  he  came  to  Meeker 
county,  and  rented  a  farm  in  what  is  now 
Union  Grove  township,  which  he  worked 
and  raised  three  crops  on.  The  last  year  he 
bought  the  right  and  improvements  on  160 
acres  of  land  on  section  3-i,  wiiere  he  win- 
tered. The  next  summer  he  worked  for 
farmere  in  Wright  county,  and  the  same  fall, 
on  October  23,  1861,  he  was  married  to 
Miss  Melissa  Bryant,  daughter  of  Ambrose 
and  Narcissa  Bryant.  She  was  born  in  Ken- 
ne|3ec  county.  Me.,  July  24,  1842,  and 
came  to  Minnesota  with  her  parents  in  the 
fall  of  1855.  At  the  age  of  nineteen  she 
commenced  teaching  school,  and  taught  one 
term  before  and  one  after  marriage.  She 
was  teaching  when  the  outbreak  of  the  In- 
dians occurred.  As  a  full  history  of  this 
matter  is  given  in  another  department  of 
this  work,  it  is  unnecessary  in  this  connec- 
tion to  repeat  it.  On  the  Wednesday  fol- 
lowing the  massacre  at  Acton,  Mrs.  Hoar 
was  teaching,  when  a  man  came  and  notified 
her  that  the  Indians  were  coming.  She  at 
once  sent  the  children  to  their  homes,  and 
she  rode  home  with  the  mail  carrier.  Mr. 
Hoar  at  once  started  to  notify  the  Good- 
speeds,  Mrs.  Goodspeed  being  a  sister  of 
Mrs.  Hoar.  They  hitched  up  a  yoke  of 
oxen  and  a  horse,  antl  expected  to  take  din- 
ner at  Mr.  Hoar's,  but  they  did  not  stop  to 
eat  it,  as  the  Indians  had  got  sight  of  him 
and  were  in  hot  pursuit.  Mr.  Hoar  cocked 
his  gun  and  backed  up  to  the  wagon,  wait- 
ing till  all  were  in,  and  they  started,  and 
before  they  were  out  of  sight  the  Indians 
were  plundering  the  house.  The  party  drove 
to  Manannah,  where  they  were  joined  by 


quite  a  crowd,  and  then  proceeded  to  Forest 
City.  Mrs.  Hoar,  Mrs.  Learning  and  two 
children,  Mrs.  Helen  Goodspeed  and  three 
children,  and  Miss  Florinda  J.  Bryant,  the 
four  sisters,  went  to  Monticello.  Mr.  Hoar 
remained  during  the  summer  and  was  on 
some  of  the  most  perilous  expeditions,  and 
had  many  narrow  escapes.  He  spent  the 
ensuing  winter  at  his  father-in-law's,  after 
which  he  spent  about  three  years  in  his  na- 
tive province.  In  1866  he  returned  to  Union 
Grove,  and  this  has  since  been  his  home. 
He  has  one  of  the  most  desirable  farms  in 
the  township,  owning  320  acres,  and  has 
substantial  improvements.  All  that  he  pos- 
sesses is  the  result  of  his  own  management 
and  industry,  and  he  has  accumulated  a  fine 
property,  notwithstanding  tlie  fact  that  he 
has  passed  through  enough  hardships  and 
dangers  in  early  days,  and  loss  of  crops  in 
later  years,  to  have  discouraged  and  dis- 
heartened the  generality  of  mankind. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hoar  are  the  parents  of  the 
following  children — Adelbert,  born  Decem- 
ber 12, 1862 ;  David  Alonzo,  born  September 
1,  1864;  Elisabeth  S.,  born  August  11, 1866; 
Wesley  J.,  born  September  5,  1868 ;  Wino- 
gene,  born  July  11,  1870  ;  Irvine,  born  Jan- 
uary 15,1872;  Forest,  born  April  26,  1873; 
A.  Chesley,  born  March  23, 1875  ;  Phebe  A., 
born  January  13,  1877 ;  Narcissa,  born  De- 
cember 30, 1878  ;  and  Ambrose,  born  Octo- 
ber 24,  1880.  Adelbert  is  mentioned  else- 
where in  this  work.  David  Alonzo  runs  a 
stationary  engine  at  BuS'alo,  Minn.  The 
rest  are  at  home. 

4" 


l[£>j)  ASMUS  NELSON,  the  junior  member 
'JPfV  *^f  *^^  ^™^  o^  Birch  &  Nelson,  Litch^ 
field,  is  a  native  of  Denmark,  born  Febru- 
ary 11,  1844.  His  father  was  engaged  in 
agricultural  pursuits,  and  our  subject  was 
reared  upon  a  farm,  acquiring  such  education 
as  the  schools  of  his  native  land  afforded 


l82 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


until  ho  w;is  some  fourteen  years  of  age,  after 
wliich  his  tiiue  was  devoted  solely  to  labor. 
In  1869  he  emigrated  to  the  New  World  and 
upon  lauding  in  this  country,  came  to  Minne- 
sota and  pui'fhased  a  farm  on  section  34, 
Acton  township,  and  upon  that  tract  of  land 
made  his  home  for  some  sixteen  years. 
While  a  resident  in  that  portion  of  the  county 
he  was  very  active  in  the  discharge  of  his 
duties  as  a  citizen,  and  was  duly  honored 
by  the  people  with  election  to  several  im- 
portant offices.  He  served  three  years  as  town 
supervisor,  four  years  as  county  commissioner, 
and  in  a  number  of  the  minor  ones,  and  on 
the  school  board. 

In  1884  the  subject  of  this  sketch  pur- 
chased the  interest  of  Andrew  Nelson  in  the 
clothing  and  gents'  furnishing  goods  firm  of 
Birch  &  Nelson,  and  has  been  actively  en- 
gaged in  mercantile  pursuits  in  this  line  and 
place  ever  since.  lie  is  still  the  owner  of 
some  400  acres  of  excellent  farm  land  in  the 
county,  most  of  which  is  under  cultivation. 
His  house,  which  is  a  handsome  one,  is  sur- 
rounded by  a  fine  grove,  and  his  place  con- 
tains a  thrifty  orchard,  and  is  generally  con- 
sidered one  of  the  best  farms  in  the  county. 

Mr.  Nelson  was  united  in  marriage  in  Den- 
mark, previous  to  his  leaving  his  native  land, 
with  Miss  Maren  Peterson,  a  native  of  the 
same  countr}'^,  who  died  September  29, 1887. 
They  were  the  parents  of  eight  children — 
Nels  P.,  Charles  G.,  Annie,  Carrie  M.,  Gertie 
C,  Walter  W.,  Jennie  and  Arthur  E. 


1^- 


-^- 


lEMJT^ANS  IVERSON  resides  on  section  33, 
JPSL  Acton  township.  The  parents  of  the 
subject  of  this  biogi'aphy  were  Iver  and 
Johanna  Anderson,  both  of  whom  were 
born  in  Norway  and  lived  in  their  native 
land  until  the  time  of  their  deaths.  Hans 
Iverson  was  a  native  of  the  same  country 
and  was  born  on  the  4th  of  May,  1846.  He 
came   to   the   United   States  in  1869,  and 


shortly  after  his  arrival  he  proceeded  to 
Dakota  county,  Minn.,  where  he  was  em- 
ployed by  various  farmers  until  during  the 
year  1873,  when  lie  came  to  Meeker  county 
and  bought  railroad  land  on  section  33, 
in  Acton  township,  where  he  still  lives.  He 
has  a  good  farm  of  130  acres  of  land  with 
a  good  portion  of  it  under  cultivation,  a 
comfortable  house,  and  other  farm  buildings, 
and  withal  is  in  comfortal)le  circumstances. 
This  has  all  been  the  result  of  his  own  in- 
dustry and  economj',  as  he  was  a  poor  man 
when  he  came  to  this  countr}'.  He  has  met 
with  some  reverses,  especially  during  the 
year  that  the  grasshoppers  visited  Meeker 
county,  but  as  a  whole  his  farming  operations 
have  been  very  successful. 

Mr.  Iverson  was  married  in  1869  to  Miss 
Ingeborg  Pederson.  She  was  born  in  Nor- 
way', on  the  4th  of  April,  1848,  and  is  a 
daughter  of  Iver  and  Martha  Pederson. 
Her  father  died  in  Norway  and  her  mother 
is  now  living  in  Pope  county,  Minn.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Iverson  have  been  the  parents  of 
the  following  children — Martin,  born  March 
14,1870;  Man,  born  December  29,  1873; 
Olof,  born  July  7,  1875 ;  Mina,  born  Sep- 
tember 10,  1877;  Hilda,  born  January  16, 
1880;  and  Lydia,  born  July  23,  1882. 


►^. 


^^TlMROD  BARRICK,  a  farmer  of  EUs- 
^y'fji  worth  townshi[),  lives  on  section  33, 
where  he  carries  on  agricultural  ]mrsuits, 
and  confines  his  operations  to  grain  and  cat- 
tle raising. 

Mr.  IJarrick  was  born  in  Cediu'  county, 
Iowa,  September  20,  1851,  and  is  the  son  of 
Alpheus  and  Minerva  (Porter)  Parrick,  nat- 
ives of  \'irginia  and  Indiana  respectively, 
who  came  to  Meeker  count}'  in  the  spring  of 
1864,  and  settled  in  the  town  of  Cedar  Mills, 
where  they  still  live.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Alpheus 
Barrick  were  the  parents  of  eight  children — 
Isaac,  Amos,  Sarah,  Scott,  Nimrod,  Nellie, 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


185 


James  and  Ethan.  Isaac,  one  of  those 
"  whose  faith  and  truth  on  war's  red  touch- 
stone rang  true  metal,"  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany 11,  Third  Minnesota  Infantry, and  after 
nearly  three  years'  service,  died  from  expos- 
ure.    Ethan  died  at  the  age  of  two  years. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  spent  a  portion 
of  his  earl}'  life  in  Rice  county,  Minn.,  where 
his  father  followed  his  trade,  blacksmithing, 
until  war  times,  then  enlisted  in  Company  A, 
Seventh  Minnesota  Volunteer  Infantry,  serv- 
ing one  year.  During  this  time  our  subject 
attended  district  school,  and  in  the  fall  of 
186-i  he,  with  the  rest  of  his  people,  removed 
to  Meeker  county,  Minn.,  and  settled  in  Ce- 
dar Mills  township,  where  he  remained  at 
home,  assisting  in  the  work  and  improving 
the  place,  until  the  fall  of  1873,  when  he 
commenced  }ife  for  himself  and  removed  to 
the  town  of  Ellsworth. 

October  9,  1873,  Mr.  Barrick  and  Miss 
Julia  Kennedy  pledged  their  mutual  vows 
at  the  marriage  altar.  The  bride  was  a 
daughter  of  Dr.  V.  P.,  and  Julia  Ann 
(Rudisill)  Kenned}',  natives  of  Pennsylvania 
and  Indiana  respectively,  and  was  herself 
born  in  Clay  county,  Ind.  A  history  of  her 
parents  is  given  elsewhere  in  the  pages  of  this 
Album,  to  which  the  reader  is  referred.  By 
this  union  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barrick  have  become 
the  parents  of  three  children,  Poscoe,  Vincent 
and  Baby,  and  their  home  is  lightened  by 
the  merry  sound  of  childhood's  laugh  and 
song. 

In  the  spring  of  1885,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bar- 
rick moved  to  Brown  county,  D.  T.,  but 
becoming  dissatisfied  there,  returned  to 
Meeker  county  in  the  fall  of  the  same 
year. 

Our  subject  is  republican  in  his  principles, 
and  affiliates  with  that  organization.  In 
local  politics  he  takes  considerable  interest 
although,  in  no  way  a  professional  politician 
or  an  office  seeker.    In  1882  he  was  honored 


by  the  citizens  of  Ellsworth  township,  by 
having  had  bestowed  upon  him  the  office  of 
town  supervisor,  and  for  four  years  filled 
that  position.  Several  minor  offices  have, 
also,  in  him  found  a  worthy  and  trusty 
administrator  and  he  merits  and  receives  the 
respect  and  esteem  of  the  whole  community. 


^i^"^^^^' 


l&saTFNRY  MARTIN,  a  successful  and  en- 
JPjL  ter])rising  farmer  residing  on  section 
9,  Cedar  Mills  township,  has  been  a  resident 
of  Meeker  county,  with  the  exception  of  one 
year,  since  1873.  He  is  a  native  of  Monroe 
county.  Wis.,  and  was  born  October  8,  1855. 

When  Henry  was  seven  years  of  age  he 
removed  to  Kedron,  Fillmore  county,  Minn., 
with  a  man  named  Hale,  who  had  adopted 
him.  He  remained  there  until  1873,  when 
he  came  to  Meeker  county,  Minn.,  and  located 
in  what  is  now  the  town  of  Cosmos.  After 
remaining  there  a  year  he  went  to  Stevens 
county,  Minn.,  where  he  also  remained  a 
year,  and  then  returned  to  Meeker  county. 
After  his  return  he  lived  in  Greenleaf  town- 
ship until  the  spring  of  188-1,  when  he  pur- 
chased his  present  farm  on  section  9,  Cedar 
Mills  township.  Since  that  time  he  has 
resided  upon  his  farm  and  devoted  his  time 
to  diversified  farming  and  stock  raising.  He 
has  a  valuable  farm  of  160  acres,  consider- 
able of  which  is  under  cultivation,  and  is  in 
very  comfortable  circumstances. 

Mr.  Martin  was  married  on  January  9, 
1878,  to  Miss  Alma  Pt.  Nevens.  She  is  a 
native  of  Maine,  born  November  26,  1861, 
and  is  a  daughter  of  Daniel  and  Eveline 
Nevens,  who  were  among  the  earliest  set- 
tlers of  Greerdeaf  township.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Martin  are  the  parents  of  four  children,  as 
follows — Luman  D.,  born  January  28,  1880; 
Mary  E.,  born  May  28, 1882;  Sarah  A.,  born 
April  28,  1885 ;  and  Lettie  G.,  born  Septem- 
ber 22,  1887,  all  of  whom  are  now  living. 


1 86 


MEEKER   COUXTY,  MINNESOTA. 


"OHN  HUNTER,  SR.  The  subject  of  this 
sketch,  who  is  one  of  the  most  ])romi- 
iient  and  respected  fannei-s  and  stock  raisers 
in  the  northern  porti(Mi  of  the  county,  is  a 
resident  of  section  IS,  Union  Grove  township. 
He  comes  of  a  race  which  make  the  best 
citizens  in  Minnesota's  population,  and  a  race 
which  is  proverbial  for  their  integrity,  in- 
dustry, frugality,  and  genial  and  hospitable 
temperament,  for  it  is  an  old  and  true  saying 
that  "  no  man  goes  liungry  from  a  Scotch- 
man's door." 

Mr.  Hunter  was  born  in  the  county  of 
Barrackshire,  Scotland,  on  the  10th  of  April, 
1826.  His  early  life  was  spent  in  the  land 
of  his  birth,  Avhere  he  received  the  training 
and  education  afforded  by  the  facilities  of 
those  days,  and  imliibed  the  principles  of 
honesty,  industry  and  economy,  which  are 
characteristic  of  the  Scotch  ))eople.  Economy 
and  industry  were  essential  in  those  days  to 
make  a  living,  and  the  wage  earnings  of  that 
day  would  now  be  considered  a  pittance. 
About  the  year  1849  he  came  to  America 
and  settled  in  Canada,  where  he  remained 
for  sixteen  years.  He  then,  in  1865,  came  to 
Meeker  county,  Minn.,  and  located  on  section 
18,  in  what  is  now  Union  Grove  township, 
where  he  has  since  lived.  At  the  time  he  came 
here  there  were  only  three  settlers  within  the 
limits  of  the  township,  as  all  the  earlier 
settlers  had  been  driven  off  by  the  Indians 
and  had  not  returned  as  yet.  Mr.  Hunter 
had  a  good  deal  to  contend  with  during  those 
early  days  and  had  to  encounter  difficulties 
and  disadvantages  to  which  most  men  would 
have  surrendered.  When  he  arrived  here 
his  earthly  possessions  consisted  of  one  yoke 
of  oxen  and  a  cow,  and  for  two  years  he  had 
very  little  to  eat,  living  a  good  share  of  the 
time  on  wheat  boiled  in  milk.  Flour  was 
worth  $16  per  barrel,  and  potatoes  $1.25  per 
bushel,  and  at  one  time  he  traded  a  two-year- 
old  steer,  even,  for  a  100-weight  of  flour. 
They  were  obliged  to  go  to  Cold  Springs,  a 


distance  of  twenty -five  miles,  to  mdland  the 
trip  usually  took  three  days.  No  work 
could  be  found,  and  there  was  no  money  in 
the  country,  and  at  times  it  looked  astliough 
starvation  stared  them  in  the  face,  but  during 
all  the  trials  and  hardships  his  courage  and 
enterprise  never  forsook  him  and  it  has  not 
been  unrewarded,  as  he  is  now  rated  as  one 
of  the  most  solid  and  substantial  citizens  of 
the  township  in  which  he  lives.  He  has  a 
fine  farm  of  250  acres  and  a  comfortable 
home. 

Mr.  Hunter  was  married  on  the  1st  of 
April,  184:9,  to  Agnes  Brown  Lee,  and  tlieir 
union  has  been  blessed  with  seven  children, 
as  follows — Mary,  Jane,  James  (deceased), 
John,  Charles,  Charlotte,  and  George 
(deceased). 

During  the  first  year  that  Mr.  Hunter  and 
his  family  were  liere,  they  had  neither  team 
nor  cow  ;  they  had  to  carry  their  house-logs 
out  of  the  woods — Mr.  Hunter  carried  one 
end  and  old  Mr.  Beaumont  the  other.  The 
boys  each  had  to  liold  forked  sticlcs  to  reach 
to  the  log  so  as  to  help.  When  they  got 
their  oxen,  thev  did  all  their  hauling,  sum- 
mer and  winter,  on  a  sled.  Deer  and  elk 
would  often  come  into  the  doorj'ard,  while 
bear  was  by  no  means  an  unfrequent  visitor. 
On  one  occasion,  they  found  by  the  ti-acks, 
that  a  bear  had  climbed  upon  the  wood-house 
and  from  there  to  the  roof  of  the  cabin, 
which  was  covered  with  sod.  In  those  days 
they  were  afraid  that  some  night  they  might 
come  down  the  fire  chimney.  Wolves  were 
numerous,  and  in  addition  to  this  they  were 
constantly  on  the  lookout  for  Indians.  These 
were  some  of  the  trials,  experiences  and 
hardships  which  the  early  settlers  endured. 


UGH  DOWLING,  harness  maker  and 
dealer  in   horsemen's    goods,   Litch- 
field, is  a  native  of  Bath,  Me.,  born  Septem- 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


187 


ber  29,  1848,  and  is  the  son  of  Edward  and 
Lizzie  (Hanlon)  Dowling,  natives  of  tlie  Em- 
erald Isle,  wiio  liad  settled  in  Maine  sliortly 
before  the  birth  of  Hugh.  The  father  of 
our  suljject  worked  at  sliip-carpentering  until 
1850,  in  Bath,  after  which  lie  came  to  Minne- 
sota, and  remained  until  1855  in  St.  Paul.  He 
then,  in  company  with  a  Mi'.  Egan,  removed 
to  Dakota  county,  this  State,  and  was  one  of 
the  first  settlers  in  the  town  of  Egan.  He 
took  up  a  homestead  there,  and  made  it 
his  home  until  18(56,  when  he  sold  out  and 
came  to  Meeker  county  and  bought  a  farm. 
He  died  here  December  27,  1870. 

Hugh  Dowling  resided  at  home  on  tlie  farm 
until  he  had  attained  the  age  of  twentj'-five 
years,  when  he  commenced  to  learn  the  har- 
ness-making trade.  In  1879  he  opened  a 
shop  of  liis  own,  which  burned  down  March 
4,  1885,  with  a  loss  of  $1,900,  only  part  of 
wliich  was  covered  by  insurance.  Recover- 
ing himself,  our  subject  soon  afterward 
opened  his  present  place  of  business,  where 
he  carries  in  stock  all  kinds  of  harness,  robes, 
blankets,  trunks,  et<c. 

Mr.  Dowling  and  Miss  Kate  E.  Dougherty 
were  united  in  marriage  January  11,  1880. 
Tlie  lady  is  a  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Cath- 
erine (Ward)  Dougherty,  natives  of  County 
Donegal,  Ireland,  who  were  among  the  very 
earliest  settlers  in  this  county,  coming  here 
in  July,  1856.  Mrs.  Dowling  is  a  native  of 
Will  county.  111. 

OB  B.  SHERMAN,  a  prominent  resident 
of  Litchfield,  is  a  native  of  Erie  county, 
N.  Y.,  born  in  18-40.  His  parents  were  Jo- 
seph and  Mercy  (Willitt)  Sherman ;  the 
fatlier  a  native  of  Massachusetts  who  had 
settled  in  Erie  county,  N".  Y.,  in  1823,  and 
the  mother  a  native  of  New  York.  They 
remained  upon  their  old  homestead  in  Erie 
county  from  the  time  of  their  settlement  un- 
til the  time  of  their  deaths. 


Job  B.  remained  with  his  parents  until  he 
was  twenty-two  years  of  age,  when  he  en- 
listened  in  Company  K,  One  Hundred  and 
Sixteenth  New  York  Infantry,  serving  two 
years  and  nine  months.  During  this  time 
he  was  in  thirteen  elitferent  battles,  and  was 
wounded  twice — first  at  Port  Hudson,  La., 
by  a  minie  ball  entering  his  left  cheek  and 
coming  out  at  the  back  of  his  neck ;  and 
again  at  Cedar  Creek,  Va.,  bj'  a  spent  minie 
ball  entering  his  left  cheek.  The  first  wound 
was  serious,  and  unfitted  him  for  duty  for 
about  six  months,  seven  weeks  of  which  time 
were  spent  in  the  hospital.  After  receiving  his 
discharge  from  the  army,  Mr.  Sherman  re- 
turned to  Erie  county,  N.  Y.,  and  engaged 
in  farming,  remaining  there  until  1885,  when 
he  settled  at  Litchfield.  With  the  exception 
of  one  year  spent  in  Kansas,  Litchfield  has 
been  his  home  since  that  time.  He  followed 
his  trade  (carpentering)  until  the  spring  of 
1887,  when  he  was  appointed  policeman  for 
the  village,  which  position  he  still  holds. 
Mr.  Sherman  was  married  on  the  25th  of 
December,  1865,  to  Miss  Hannah  E.  Sole,  of 
Erie  county,  N.  Y.,  and  they  are  the  parents 
of  two  children  —  Grace  D.,  wlio  was  born 
December  5,  1867  ;  and  Blanche  H.,  born 
July  29,  1878.  Mrs.  Sherman  is  one  of  the 
most  active  members  of  the  Woman's  Eelief 
Corps,  No.  17,  and  is  the  present  secretary 
of  the  corps.  The  family  are  members  of 
the  Episcopalian  church.  Mr.  Sherman  is  a 
member  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic, 
the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen,  and 
also  the  Odd  Fellows. 


,LE  HALVERSON  NESS  is  one  of  the 
most  prominent  old  settlers  of  Meeker 
county.  He  was  born  in  Hullingdal,  Nor- 
way, October  6,  1824,  and  is  a  son  of  Halver 
Munsonand  IngeberNess.  His  father  served 
for  thirty-six  years  in  the  Norwegian  army, 


188 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


and  Ole  H.  saw  six  years'  service  in  the  same 
army,  with  the  rank  of  sergeant.  In  1846 
he  was  married  to  Margaret  Christian,  a 
daii£rhter  of  Christian  Knudson,  who  was 
born  in  1821.  One  week  after  liis  marriage 
Mr.  Ness  embarked  for  America  with  his 
parents,  and  settled  in  Rock  county,  Wis. 
In  1856  he  sokl  his  farm  there  and  came  to 
Meeker  county,  Minn.,  his  family  being  one 
of  the  three  original  families  who  settled  in 
Litchlield  township.  The  party  came  tlirough 
by  "  prairie-schooner"  conveyance, and  were 
charmed  with  the  delightful  scenery  of  Min- 
nesota in  June.  During  the  summer  the 
family  lived  in  "'camp-lifestyle"  on  the  land 
where  Ole  H.  had  taken-up  his  claim,  and  in 
the  fall  he  completed  one  of  the  first  cabins 
erected  in  the  township,  and  moved  into  it. 

After  experiencing  the  hardships  and  tri- 
als incident  to  pioneer  life,  he  had  just  begun 
to  get  a  foothold  in  the  M'ilderness,  and  was 
looking  forward  to  the  brighter  days  of  civ- 
ilization, when  the  outbreak  of  the  Sioux 
Indians  came.  Bred  in  the  school  of  the 
intrepid  Norwegian  soldiery,  Mr.  Ness  did 
not  for  a  moment  quail  or  hesitate  before  the 
onslaught  of  the  savage  redskins,  but  sprang 
to  the  defense  of  his  home  and  fireside.  On 
the  night  of  the  shedding  of  the  first  blood, 
a  few  miles  from  his  own  door,  he  was  one 
of  the  few  who  dared  to  go  to  the  scene  of 
the  slaughter  in  the  darkness,  and  who,  after 
finding  the  bodies  of  the  five  slain  pei-sons, 
stood  faithful  watch  until  they  were  bm'ied. 
Then  O.  H.  Ness  went  home,  and,  although 
the  whole  populace  seemed  to  be  on  wheels 
to  get  out  of  the  way  of  the  savages,  he 
remained  at  home  with  his  family  until  Sat- 
urda\-  following  the  massacre  at  Acton,  when 
he  took  them  to  Forest  City.  His  horses 
being  pressed  into  service,  he  spent  a  few 
days  at  Kingston  and  then  returned  to  For- 
est City,  and  superintended  the  building  of 
fortifications  there.  His  family  occupied 
apartments  over  the  postoffice  at  the  time  of 


the  Indian  attack,  and  he  first  discovered  it 
while  going  out  to  change  the  guard,  and 
had  just  time  to  arouse  the  people  and  get 
them  into  the  fortress.  After  remaining  at 
Forest  City  until  the  latter  part  of  Decem- 
ber, 1862,  Mr.  Ness  removed  his  family  to 
the  farm  and  kept  them  there  during  the 
entire  winter — the  only  case  of  the  kind  in 
the  whole  county.  The  Indians  destroyed 
fully  $2,000  worth  of  pro}ierty  for  him. 

Mr.  Ness'  first  mari'iage  was  blessed  with 
eleven  children,  whose  names  are  as  follows 
— Sarah,  Halver  O.,  Christian,  Margaret,  Mar- 
tin O.,  Lina,  Caroline  and  Karl.  Margaret 
is  married  to  Abt  Mattson,  Lina  to  Paul  P. 
Olson,  and  Caroline  to  George  Beach.  The 
first  wife  died  in  August.  1877. 

Mr.  Ness  has  retired  from  all  active  par- 
ticipation in  business  affairs,  and  is  now 
pleasantly  passing  the  evening  of  his  life 
with  his  second  wife.  All  his  children  have 
grown  up  about  him,  and  are  comfortably 
settled  in  life. 


-«- 


i^NE  of  the  most  intelligent  and  enter- 
prising farmers  in  the  southern  part  of 
the  county  is  L.  M.  Johnson,  a  resident  of  sec- 
tion 22,  Greenleaf  township.  He  is  a  native 
of  Sweden,  and  was  born  on  February  25, 
1844.  His  parents  were  also  natives  of 
Sweden,  where  they  are  still  living,  his  father 
following  the  vocation  of  a  farmer. 

L.  M.  Johnson,  the  subject  of  our  sketch, 
was  reared  in  early  life  on  a  farm,  but  later, 
while  still  in  the  old  country,  was  employed 
at  the  milling  business,  and  at  the  carpen- 
ter's trade.  In  1867,  he  left  the  land  of  his 
birth  and  came  to  the  United  States,  and 
after  spending  some  three  weeks  in  Chicago, 
he  went  to  Marquette  county,  Mich.,  where 
he  worked  at  the  carpenter's  trade.  On  May 
8,  1869,  he  came  to  Meeker  countj^  Minn., 
and   settled  upon  a  farm  on  section   17,  in 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


189 


Greenleaf  township.  In  1871  he  entered  a 
homestead  of  forty  acres,  where  he  now 
lives,  on  section  22,  and  moved  onto  it  dur- 
ing the  same  season.  He  now  has  a  splenditl 
farm  of  180  acres,  a  large  portion  of  which 
is  under  cultivation,  and  his  buildings,  which 
are  among  the  best  in  the  township,  reflect 
great  credit  upon  his  enterprise  and  good 
management.  He  has  a  large  amount  of 
stock  and  carries  on  diversified  farming, 
together  with  stock  raising.  He  has  taken 
an  active  interest  in  public  matters. 

Mr.  Johnson  was  married  on  July  4,  1867, 
to  Sarah  C.  Olson.  Her  parents  were  born 
in  Sweden,  where  her  father  died,  and  her 
mother  is  still  living.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johnson 
have  been  blessed  with  the  following  chil- 
dren— Johanna  T.,  born  June  24,  1869 ; 
Esther  E.,  born  October  6,  1870 ;  Mary  S., 
born  July  11, 1873  ;  John  W.,  born  October 
8,  1874  ;  Ida  N.,  born  August  9,  1876  ;  Euth 
J.,  born  May  16,  1878 ;  Joshua  E.,  born 
August  24,  1881 ;  and  a  pair  of  twins  that 
died  at  the  time  of  their  birth,  August  28, 
1868.  The  family  are  members  of  the  Church 
of  God.  Mr.  Johnson  has  five  brothers  and 
two  sisters  living  in  this  country. 


^Jf^lNCENT  COOMBS.  The  subject  of 
\^l  this  sketcli,  a  successful  farmer  and 
stock  raiser,  residing  on  section  11,  Cedar 
Mills  township,  is  one  of  the  oldest  settlers 
in  the  southern  portion  of  the  county.  He 
is  a  native  of  Indiana,  and  was  born  on  April 
30,  1841. 

He  arrived  in  Meeker  county,  ilinn.,  on 
the  7th  of  July,  1857,  with  his  parents,  Mil- 
ton and  Elizabeth  Coombs,  he  being  at  the 
time  only  sixteen  years  of  age.  The  father, 
Milton  Coombs,  took  a  claim  in  the  town  of 
Ellsworth,  but  only  remained  on  it  a  few 
days  ;  not  being  satisfied  with  the  location, 
packed  up  his  goods,  preparatory  to  starting 
for  Iowa.     Upon  arriving  at  Cedar  City  he 


was  persuaded  to  take  a  claim  in  Cedar  Mills 
township,  and  he  accordingly  selected  160 
acres  of  land  on  section  2.  For  some  time 
they  lived  at  Cedar  City,  working  the  farm 
in  the  meantime,  however,  and  in  1859  they 
moved  to  the  place.  When  the  Indian  out- 
break occurred,  tliey  with  others  went  to  the 
"Point"  in  Cedar  Lake,  where  they  built 
fortifications,  and  later  went  to  Hutchinson. 
In  the  spring  of  1863,  they,  with  George 
Nichols  and  family,  returned  to  Cedar  Mills 
— they  being  the  first  to  return. 

The  family  of  Milton  Coombs  remained  in 
Cedar  Mills  townsliip  until  1865,  when  they 
moved  to  the  town  of  Greenleaf. 

In  the  fall  of  1869  the  family  moved  to 
Delano  and  later  to  Minneajwlis,  and  thence 
to  Hinckley,  where  they  now  reside. 

In  the  fall  of  1862,  Vincent  Coombs  en- 
listed in  Captain  Herriiigton's  three  months 
State  Militia,  and  served  during  his  term  of 
enlistment.  In  the  following  spring  he  en- 
listed as  a  scout  under  General  Sibley,  and 
served  with  the  Sibley  expedition  thi'ough 
the  West.  He  was  one  of  the  scouts  who 
picked  up  the  son  of  Little  Crow  to  the  south 
of  Devil's  Lake.  Mr.  Coombs  was  in  the  In- 
dian country  during  most  of  the  time  while 
the  trouble  lasted.  He  was  one  of  the  four 
men  who  went  into  the  timber  to  look  after 
Caleb  Sanborn,  and  found  his  body  where 
the  Indians  had  killed  him,  near  his  own 
house.  He  was  also  one  of  the  party  that 
went  from  Hutchinson  to  recover  the  body 
of  Daniel  Cross,  who  was  killed  by  the  Indi- 
ans north  of  Cedar  Lake. 

In  the  fall  of  1864  Vincent  Coombs  sold 
the  farm  in  Cedar  Mills  and  took  a  home- 
stead in  Greenleaf  township.  In  the  spring 
of  1869  he  was  married  to  Miss  Lydia  A. 
Abbott,  of  Forest  Prairie.  Mrs.  Coombs  died 
on  the  18th  of  November,  1878,  leaving  her 
husband  five  small  children  to  care  for,  her 
last  request  being  that  her  childi-en  be  kept 
together,  and  it  has  been  faithfully  fulfilled. 


I  go 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


Mr.  Coombs  was  again  married  in  the 
spring  of  1SS3,  when  Sarah  J.  Jordan,  of 
Cedar  Mdls,  became  his  wife.  Our  subject 
resided  ill  tlie  town  of  Greenleaf  until  the 
spring  of  18S7,  when  he  sokl  his  phice  and 
purchased  the  Pitman  farm,  of  a  fraction  over 
332  acres,  located  on  sections  2  and  11,  Cedar 
Mills  township.  While  in  Greenleaf,  Mr. 
Coombs  held  many  offices  of  a  local  nature, 
and  took  an  active  and  prominent  part  in 
politics,  township  matters  and  educational 
affairs.  He  is  a  meinber  of  the  Masonic 
order,  having  joined  Golden  Fleece  lodge, 
No.  80,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  in  1872,  and  Eabboni 
chapter.  No.  37,  Eoyal  Arch,  in  1887.  "When 
the  Grange  movement  s'tarted  he  was  one  of 
the  leading  members  in  the  oi'ganization  and 
was  master  of  the  Greenleaf  lodge. 

Mr.  Coombs  has  now  one  of  the  best  farms 
in  the  town  of  Cedar  Mills,  he  and  his  wife 
together  owning  412  acres  of  the  finest 
land  in  this  region.  Mr.  Coombs  has  good 
substantial  buildings  and  a  nice  artificial 
grove,  set  out  by  Rev.  J.  M.  Pitman  about 
twenty  years  ago.  In  conversation  with  Mr. 
Coombs,  he  said  :  "  I  am  my  mother's  best 
boy — being  the  only  boy  in  ten  children." 


^^  P.  PETERSON,  attorney  at  law,  of 
\^i  Litchfield,  came  to  Meeker  county  in 
May,  1S67,  with  his  parents,  Olof  and  Hedda 
F.  Peterson.  E.  P.  Peterson  was  born  in 
Goodhue  county,  Minn.,  in  June,  1855,  and 
was  therefore  twelve  years  of  age  when  he 
came  here.  His  father  took  a  homestead  in 
Harvey  township  and  remained  until  1883, 
when  he  removed  to  Nicollet  countj'^,  and 
later  to  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  where  he  still  lives. 
E.  P.  Peterson  remained  at  home  attending 
school,  and  also  spent  one  year  in  the  State 
University,  and  when  he  had  arrived  at  the 
age  of  nineteen  he  began  teaching  school, 


and  followed  tliat  profession  for  three  years. 
Then,  m  company  with  his  brother  H.  I., 
he  bought  the  Litchfield  IndepeiuJent.  In 
1880,  selling  his  interest  in  the  paper  to  his 
brother,  he  began  the  study  of  law  with 
Campbell  &  Spooner,  of  Litchfield,  and 
about  two  years  later  was  admitted  to  the 
bar.  Since  that  time  he  has  devoted  his  time 
exclusively  to  his  profession,  and  has  been 
very  successful. 


^P^HOMAS  F.  PRICE,  a  prominent  old 
XiL-  settler  of  Meeker  county,  residing  on 
section  IS,  Harvey  township,  is  a  native  of 
Gilmanton,  N.  H.,  and  was  born  on  the  18th 
of  August,  1838.  His  puivnts  were  Thomas 
and  Ann  E.  Price.  The  father  was  born  in 
Gilmanton,  N.  H.,  and  remained  there  until 
the  time  of  his  death,  February  14,  1849. 
The  mother  was  a  native  of  Med  way,  Mass., 
born  August  26,  1809.  She  came  West  with 
her  family  in  the  fall  of  1856,  and  for  six 
months  remained  at  Minneapolis,  after  which 
she  settled  at  Kingston,  in  Meeker  county, 
and  made  her  home  in  this  county,  after- 
ward,however,  removing  to  Harvey  township, 
until  the  time  of  her  death  Januaiw  10, 1877. 
She  was  formerly  Ann  E.  Purlen  from  Med- 
way,  Mass.,  and  w;is  united  in  marriage  to 
Thomas  Price,  of  Gilmanton,  N.  II.,  October 
30,1836.  After  coming  West  she  endured 
many  hardships  and  privations,  especially 
during  the  outbreak  of  the  Indians  in  1862, 
but  still  maintained  great  fortitude  and 
courage  through  all — alwavs  cheerful  and 
looking  on  the  bright  side,  until  the  last,  and, 
at  sixty-seven  years,  passed  away,  after  suf- 
fering acutely  for  over  one  3' ear.  She  was 
a  member  of  the  Congregational  church, 
with  her  husband,  ller  remains  were  buried 
at  Manannah  cemetery.  There  were  five 
children  in  her  family,  four  of  whom — E.  A., 
of  Big  Stone  county,  Minn.,  Thomas  F., 
Harriet  M.,  and  Augusta  A. — are  still  living. 


MEEKER    COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


igi 


One  member  of  the  family,  a  son,  Wilmot 
Austin  Price,  died  in  Harvey,  October  9, 1870, 
and  was  buried  in  the  Manannah  cemetery. 

Thomas  F.  Price,  the  subject  of  om-  present 
sketch,  spent  most  of  his  early  life  in  his 
native  town.  He  received  the  education 
afforded  by  the  facilities  of  those  days,  and 
at  an  early  age  he  learned  the  carpenter's 
trade,  which  he  worked  at  more  or  less  at 
Boston  and  other  places.  In  1856  he  came 
West  with  his  mother's  family  to  Minneapo- 
lis, and  six  months  later  to  Kingston.  They 
were  living  there  when  tiie  Indian  outbreak 
occurred.  The^^  remained  at  Kingston  dur- 
ing all  of  the  trouble  with  the  redskins,  al- 
though nearly  all  of  the  settlers  throughout 
the  county  went  away  for  safety.  In  1863 
they  removed  to  Harvey  township,  where 
Thomas  F.  has  since  lived.  He  has  devoted 
his  time  to  general  farming  and  stock  raising 
and  owns  a  valuable  farm. 

In  religious  matters  Mr.  Price  attends  the 
Congregational  church,  and  in  his  political 
views  he  affiliates  with  the  republican  party. 
He  has  taken  considerable  interest  in  town- 
ship affairs,  and  has  served  more  or  less  as 
justice  of  peace  during  the  last  few  years. 
Mr.  Price  is  a  man  of  the  strictest  integrity, 
and  is  justly  regarded  as  one  of  the  leading 
citizens  of  the  township  in  which  he  lives. 


-««S€^«-i^* 


UNDER  H.  SUNDAHL  is  one  of  the 
eading  farmers  in  the  southeastern 
portion  of  Acton  township.  He  is  a  son  of 
Halver  and  Mary  Sundahl,  and  was  born  in 
JSTorway,  on  the  28th  of  July,  18-16.  He  re- 
mained in  his  native  land  until  1870,  when 
he  came  to  the  United  States,  and  first 
stopped  in  Iowa,  where  he  worked  at  rail- 
road work  for  three  years.  In  1873  he  came 
to  Litchfield,  and  for  two  years  was  em])lo}'ed 
by  various  farmers  in  the  neighborhood, 
after  which  for  two  years  he  ran  a  ditching 


machine.  He  then  purchased  a  farm  of  152 
acres  on  section  25,  Acton  township,  where 
he  has  since  lived,  devoting  his  time  to  diversi- 
fied farming  and  stock  raising.  He  has  been 
very  successful,  and  now  has  a  good  lot  of 
stock  gathered  about  him.  His  farm  is  in  a 
good  location  and  he  has  a  considerable  por- 
tion of  it  under  cultivation. 

Mr.  Sundahl  was  married  in  1878  to  Miss 
Christina  Olson,  who  was  born  on  the  12th 
of  July,  1856.  She  was  a  daughter  of  An- 
drew Olson,  who  was  killed  by  the  Indians 
in  September,  1862,  a  short  distance  from 
where  Mr.  Sundahl  now  lives.  A  full  account 
of  this  matter  is  given  elsewhere.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Sundahl  have  had  the  following  chil- 
dren born  to  them :  Halver.  born  December 
31,  1878 ;  Andrew,  born  August  28,  1880 ; 
Matilda,  born  March  29,  1881 ;  and  Lura, 
born  March  18,  1884.  Mr.  Sundahl  takes  an 
active  interest  in  all  matters  pertaining  to  the 
welfare  of  his  to\vnship,  and  is  one  of  its 
leading  citizens.  He  is  a  republican  in  polit- 
ical matters. 


J^^  RELIABLE  and  enterprising  citizen  of 
J^>^  of  Ellsworth  township  is  N.  D.  Mer- 
rill, livmg  on  section  32,  where  he  is  engaged 
in  carrying  on  general  farming  and  stock 
raising.  He  first  came  to  Minnnesota  in 
1855,  and  after  a  year  spent  in  Minneapohs, 
settled  in  Buffalo,  Wright  county,  where  he 
made  his  home  until  the  breaking  out  of  the 
Civil  War,  when,  imbued  with  the  patriotism 
of  an  American  citizen,  Mr.  Merrill  enlisted 
in  the  Second  Minnesota  Battery,  under  the 
command  of  Captain  Hotchkiss,  on  January 
1,  1862,  and  on  the  21st  of  April  following, 
moved  forward  to  the  seat  of  war.  The 
company  was  engaged  for  the  first  time  at 
the  capture  of  Corinth,  and  from  that  time 
on  made  a  creditable  record  for  itself  in  the 
conflicts  of  Perryville,  Knob  Gap,  Stone 
River,    Chattanooga,    Mission    Kidge     and 


192 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


others.  When  the  war  closed  they  were  on 
detached  duty  in  East  Tennessee,  where  they 
were  mustered  out.  His  term  of  service 
over,  Mr.  Merrill  returned  to  Minnesota, 
where  he  remained  until  1867,  when  he  re- 
moved to  Montana,  where  he  was  engaged 
in  mining  for  three  years,  returning  to 
Wright  county,  this  State,  from  whence  he 
came  to  Meeker  county,  in  1870,  and  here 
has  made  his  home  ever  since.  He  is  a 
native  of  Maine,  born  in  Dover,  Decem- 
ber 29,  1834,  and  is  the  son  of  True  and 
Sally  C.  Merrill,  both  natives  of  Maine,  the 
father  having  been  born  September  7,  1806, 
and  the  mother,  Jul}'  25,  1805. 

True  and  Sally  C.  Merrill  were  married 
October  11,  1827,  and  were  the  parents  of 
the  following  children  :  E.  W.,  born  March 
19,  1829  ;  S.  T.,  born  May  25,  1831 ;  Betsy 
A.,  born  February  14,  1833;  N.  D.,  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch ;  Julia  A.,  born  February 
2,  1837 ;  Sarah  E.,  born  July  26,  1839 ; 
Charles  L.,  born  May  19,  1842,  and  Marinda 
A.,  born  July  3,  1844. 

N.  D.  Merrill,  our  subject,  was  married  on 
July  21,  1870,  to  Mrs.  Ireland,  widow  of 
Wesley  Ireland.  She  was  a  native  of  Pen- 
obscot county.  Me.;  was  married  in  1860 
to  Mr.  Ireland,  who  afterward  died.  She 
came  to  Minnesota  in  1864  with  her  one 
child,  Ellen  M.,  and  lived  a  widow  until  her 
marriage  with  Mr.  Merrill.  Her  daughter, 
Ellen  M.  Ireland,  was  born  November  1, 
1861,  and  is  now  Mrs.  A.  G.  Hoot,  of 
Nebraska. 


>ALEB  HULL,  a  prosperous  and  enlight- 
^  ened  farmer  of  Dassel  township,  hav- 
ing his  home  on  section  10,  is  a  native  of 
Herkimer  county,  N.  Y.,  born  in  the  town  of 
Russia,  September  26,  1824,  and  is  the  son 
of  Benjamin  and  Betsey  (Clapper)  Hull, 
natives  of  lihode  Island  and  New  York, 
respectively.      Benjamin   Hull    removed  to 


Dodge  county.  Wis.,  in  1851,  where  he  died 
in  1861 ;  his  wife  some  years  later  came  to 
Meeker  countv,  and  died  at  Forest  City  in 
1877. 

The  subject  whose  name  heads  this  per- 
sonal sketch,  commenced  at  the  age  of  thir- 
teen years  to  learn  the  shoemaker's  trade,  and 
after  devoting  three  years  to  it,  went  to  St. 
Lawrence  county,  N.  Y.,  whither  his 
parents  had  removed,  where  he  made  his 
home  for  three  years.  Coming  West,  he 
spent  the  same  period  of  time  in  Jefferson 
county.  Wis.,  and  then  was  engaged  in  the 
pineries  of  that  State  for  six  years.  On  his 
return,  he  built  a  house  at  Hustisford,  Dodge 
county,  Wis.,  but  from  there  went  to  the 
Michigan  pineries,  where  he  spent  some  three 
years  more,  and  then  came  back  to  Dodge 
county,  where,  December  1,  1855,  he  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Eunice  Frost. 
The  next  year  of  his  life  was  passed  in 
Watertown,  AVis.,  after  which  he  removed 
to  Freeborn  county,  Minn.,  and  purchased 
160  acres  of  land  on  section  6,  town  of  Free- 
man, where  he  settled.  While  there,  he  fol- 
lowed hunting  and  trapping  to  a  great  ex- 
tent, and  found  it  highly  remunerative ;  so 
much  so  as  to  enable  him  to  provide  his 
family  with  many  comforts  that  the  other 
new  settlers  could  not  reach.  While  thus 
engaged,  came  the  news  of  the  Indian  out- 
break of  1862,  and  most  of  his  neighbors 
fled  panic  stricken,  but  he  would  not  go. 
One  day,  while  returning  from  his  work  in 
Iowa,  he  met  a  numljer  of  his  neighbors  who 
advised  him  not  to  go  home,  saying,  with 
their  selfish  instincts  ujtpermost,  that  by  the 
time  he  got  there,  his  family  would  be  mur- 
dered and  his  home  in  flames,  as  the  Indians 
were  close  behind  ;  but,  nol^ly  responding  to 
his  duty,  which  called  liim  to  the  ilefense  of 
his  family,  he  went  on  and  found  all  peace- 
ful at  home,  and  the  danger  mucli  magnified 
by  their  fears  and  abject  tenor.  He  re- 
mained in  Freeborn  county  some  nine  years 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


195 


and  then  sold  out  and  came  to  Meeker 
county,  arriving  here  July  7,  18G7.  He 
took  up  a  homestead  on  section  10,  where  he 
now  lives,  but  lived  in  Darwin  until  the 
spring  of  1868,  and  then  moved  into  a  log 
cabin,  where  the  family  lived  until  he  could 
get  a  house  built,  which  stood  where  his 
present  cottage  now  stands.  This  latter  was 
erected  in  1879,  at  a  cost  of  $1,000,  and  is 
handsome,  neat  and  commodious,  and  he  has 
a  fine  farm  of  120  acres  of  excellent  land. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hull  have  had  a  family  of 
six  children,  four  of  whom  still  survive — 
Augustus,  living  in  Dakota,  Ida  E.,  Mrs. 
Charles  Penny,  of  Dassel;  Lillie  B.,  and 
Mark  W.,  at  home.  Mr.  Hull  has  served  in 
several  official  positions,  chief  among  which 
was  that  of  chairman  of  the  town  board  of 
supervisors. 


MELS  CLEMENTS,  of  Litchfield,  is  the 
son  of  Nels  and  Betsy  Clements,  and 
Avas  born  in  Meeker  county  May  14,  1860. 
His  parents,  natives  of  Sweden,  came  to 
Meeker  county  in  1857,  and  on  the  20th  of 
August  settled  in  the  town  of  Litchfield  on 
a  farm,  where  they  lived  until  the  death  of 
the  father,  in  1870.  During  the  time  of  the 
Indian  outbreak  Nels  Clements  removed  for 
safety  to  Forest  City,  and  manfully  did  his 
part  toward  the  building  of  the  stockade  and 
its  defense.  Having  been  on  friendly  terms 
with  the  Indians,  they  did  not  destroy  his 
house,  but  stole  all  the  provisions  and  stock 
that  were  left  on  the  place. 

Nels  remained  at  home  upon  the  paternal 
farm  until  he  was  of  aye,  on  attaininu-  which 
he  went  to  Minneapolis,  but  returned  during 
the  following  winter.  The  season  of  1SS2 
he  spent  in  Montana,  but,  returning  to  this 
county  in  1883,  he  located  in  Grove  City, 
and  went  into  the  farm-machinery  ])usiness. 
In  1881  he  came  to  Litchfield  and  tended 
bar  for  S.  A.  Scarp,  but  in  October,  1886, 


opened  the  saloon  he  now  lams.  He  was 
married  April  30,  1886,  to  Miss  Kate  Men- 
ten,  a  native  of  Meeker  count}^,  Minn.,  and 
daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Theodore  Men- 
ten,  natives  of  Germany.  By  this  union 
there  has  been  born  one  child — Mary,  whose 
birth  took  place  May  9,  1887. 


5^ ELS  AKESON  is  one  of  the  prominent 
y''^  and  well-to-do  citizens  of  Swede 
Grove  township.  Mr.  Akeson  is  a  son  of 
Ake  and  Hannah  Anderson,  and  was  born 
in  Sweden  on  the  9th  of  May,  1841.  He 
came  to  the  United  States  in  1868,  and  first 
settled  at  Stillwater,  Minn.,  where  he  lived 
for  about  seven  years,  being  employed  part 
of  the  time  in  a  saw  mill,  again  at  railroading 
and  various  other  means  of  securing  a  living. 
In  1875  he  came  to  Swede  Grove  township, 
and  bought  a  farm  on  section  35,  where  he 
has  since  remained,  carrying  on  general  farm- 
ing and  stociv  raising.  He  has  a  comfortable 
home,  having  a  neat  frame  house  and  a  very 
fine  barn  30x44  feet  in  size,  and  has  gathered 
about  him  considerable  stock.  When  he 
came  to  the  United  States  he  had  only  fifty 
cents  in  his  pocket,  but  by  industry  and  good 
management  he  has  placed  himself  in  com- 
fortable circumstances,  and  to-day  is  one  of 
the  substantial  farmers  of  his  township. 
Mr.  Akeson  married  Anna,  a  daughter  of 
Ole  and  Carrie  Anderson.  She  was  born 
January  17,  1851.  They  have  had  the  fol- 
lowing children  :  Hilma,  born  July  18, 1875; 
Hattie,  born  February  23, 1877  ;  Carrie,  born 
February  10, 1879  ;  Ake,  born  April  24, 1881 ; 
Ella,  born  September  13,  1883;  and  Olof, 
born  August  9,  1887.  The  family  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Swedish  Lutheran  church.  Mr. 
Akeson  has  taken  a  prominent  and  active 
part  in  all  public  matters,  and  has  held  the 
ottice  of  township  clerk  since  1882.  He  is  a 
republican  in  political  faith. 


196 


MEEKER    COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


JMLON.  JOHN  S.  SHIELDS,  the  present 
\j  -X^    state  senator  from  Meeker  county,  is 
a  resident  of  Darwin  townsliip,  living  upon 
his  fine  and  extensive   farm   on    section    34. 
He  is   a   native   of   Ottawa,   Canada,   born 
November  8,  1830,  and  is  of   Irish   ancestry, 
at    least    ujwn    liis   father's   side.     He  was 
reai-ed  and  educated  in  the  Dominion  of  his 
birth    until     is.",;),    when    he   came   to   the 
United    States,    and    from   June   until   the 
following  fall  remained  mostly  in  the  city  of 
Minneapohs.     During  this  time  he  came  to 
Meeker    county,   and   prospected,   spending 
July  4,  1859,  here,  and  the  following  August 
came  here  and  made  a  settlement  at   Forest 
City,  where  he  resided  until  that  winter,  when 
he  located  wliere  he  now  lives.     I'revious  to 
leaving  his  liome,  on  the  24th  of  May,  1859, 
he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Margaret 
Kenney,   and    with    his   young   wife  came 
through  the  Big  Woods  to   the   new   settle- 
ment.      Mr.    Shields    furnished    the    labor 
toward  making  the  first  United    States   flag 
ever   floated  in  Meeker  county,  J.  B.  Atkin- 
son furnishing  the  cloth  and  Thomas  Gray- 
son the  paint.     He  was  appointed   in    1860, 
by  the  State,  to  cut  a  road  thrnugh  the   Biff 
Woods,   and   did   so  about   this   time,   and 
through   it   hauled   the   merchandise  for  a 
merciiant  at  Forest  City,  which  was  the  first 
load  brought  that  way.  Mr.  Shields  remained 
upon  his  farm  until  the  sad  times  of  the  fall 
of  1862,  but  on  the  terrible   Sabbath   of   the 
17th  of  August,  he  heard   the   news   of  the 
Indian  outbreak  and  went  to  Forest  City  to 
investigate.     He   returned    and    warned   all 
witliin    his    reach.      He   took    part   in   the 
inquest,  and  all  the   subsequent   movements 
of  the   settlers   as   detailed   elsewhere.     He 
sent  his  wife  and  children  to  Clearwater,  but 
he  remained  in  Forest  City  and  took  part  in 
all   the   marclies,   engagements,  etc.,  of  the 
Home  Guards,  although   not  mustered   into 
the  company.     When  the  attack  was  made 
by   the  Indians  on  Forest  Citv,  Jir.    Shields 


was  sleeping  in  the  barn  with  the  sixty 
horses  of  the  Home  Guards,  and  on  the  com- 
mencement of  the  tiring  untied  his  two 
horses  and  endeavored  to  get  to  the  stockade, 
but  one  horse  was  shot,  and  with  the  other 
he  got  away.  This  was  the  only  horse 
saved  out  of  the  lot.  Many  more  incidents 
of  his  bravery  could  be  given  did  not  space 
forbid,  but  it  is  enough  to  say  that  lie  did 
his  duty  manfully. 

He  afterward  went  to  Minneajiolis,  where 
he  remained  until  1865,  but  in  the  fall  of  that 
year  returned  to  this  county  and  to  his  farm 
where  he  now  lives.  He  has  occupied  several 
responsible  positions  since  coming  here,  in- 
cluding that  of  chairman  of  the  town  board, 
assessor,  town  clerk,  and  justice  of  the  peace, 
and  was  elected  to  represent  the  county  in 
the  State  Senate  in  1886,  on  the  Farmers* 
Alliance  ticket,  of  which  organization  he  is 
the  present  president.  He  is  the  father  of 
the  following  six  children  :  Isabella,  born 
April  15,  1860,  and  died  October  29,  1879; 
EUen  J.,  born  December  19,  1864;  William 
A.,  born  August  20,  1868 ;  Maggie  E.,  born 
April  2,  1870 ;  and  Charles  A.,  born  October 
2,  1872.  On  the  11th  of  December,  1874, 
the  death  angel  invaded  this  little  family 
circle  and  drew  from  their  affectionate  em- 
brace the  beloved  wife  and  mother,  leaving 
only  her  memory  in  their  inner  hearts,  wliere 
it  is  forever  enshrined.  Mr.  Shields  is  an 
attendant  upon  the  services  of  tlw  Episcopal 
chui'ch,  and  an  upright,  honorable  gentle- 
man. 

In  the  fall  of  1886,  as  above  mentioned, 
Mr.  Shields  was  elected  to  represent  his 
district  in  the  State  Senate,  took  his  seat  at 
the  opening  of  the  Twenty  fifth  Legislature, 
and  holds  that  office  at  the  present  writing. 
In  the  last  session  lie  was  among  the  most 
active  and  influential  members  of  that  body, 
and  ably  represented  liis  constituents  in  a  ses- 
sion which  was  among  the  most  important 
held  in  the  historv  of  the  State.  His  influence 


MEEKER    COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


197 


and  ability  were  recognized  in  the  formation 
of  the  senate  committees,  and  none  more 
zealously  favored  and  aided  anti-monopoly 
legislation.      He   has   been   identified   with 

O 

Minnesota  matters  for  more  than  a  quarter 
of  a  century  and  is  well  informed  as  to  its 
history.  An  able  parliamentarian,  a  clear- 
headed and  careful  business  man,  lie  has  ac- 
cumulated a  comfortable  fortune. 


lllyHE  PRESENT  register  of  deeds  of 
\j  Meeker  county,  N.  A.  Vieen,  came  to 
this  section  of  the  State  in  1858,  and  in  April 
of  that  \'ear  passed  through  to  tiie  extreme 
frontier  of  those  days,  and  located  in  Kan- 
diyohi county.  He  remained  there  until  the 
,21st  of  August,  1862,  when  the  dreadful 
massacre  of  the  defenseless  settlers  by  the 
red  wards  of  our  government  struck  terror 
into  the  hearts  of  all  upon  the  borders,  for 
their  loved  ones  were  in  imminent  danger. 
Mr.  Viren  joined  the  tide  of  fugitives  for 
safety,  and  finally,  after  considerable  travel, 
reached  Forest  Cit}'  with  his  family.  He 
took  the  latter  on  to  Clearwater,  where  he 
left  them,  and  returned  to  assist  those  who 
were  less  fortunate  and  to  help  make  a  stand 
against  the  diabolical  I'ed  fiends,  who,  reek- 
ing with  the  blood  of  the  innocents,  thirsted 
for  more  lives  to  take.  He  did  not  join  the 
home  guai'ds,  but  was  active  in  many  of  the 
volunteer  expeditions  that  went  out  to  look 
up  stock,  etc.,  and  was  in  Kandiyohi  at  the 
time  of  the  attack  on  Forest  City.  After 
performing  his  part  in  the  operations  of  that 
fall  Mr.  Viren  removed  to  St.  Paul,  where 
he  made  his  home  until  180!*,  when  he  again 
tur-ed  westward,  and  located  in  Litchfield, 
where  lie  opened  a  wagon  shop,  wliicii  busi- 
ness he  continued  in  until  assuming  the  du- 
ties of  register  of  deeds,  in  January,  1871,  to 
which  he  had  been  elected  tiie  previous  fall. 
He  remained  in  this  oSice,  being  reelected 


his  own  successor,  until  January,  1879.  He 
during  the  next  few  years  filled  the  positions 
of  justice  of  the  peace  and  town  clerk,  but 
at  the  regular  election  of  November  4, 1884, 
the  people  of  the  county  manifested  a  wish 
for  him  to  resume  the  office  of  register  of 
deeds,  and  he  accordingly  entered  upon  its 
well-known  duties  in  January,  1885,  where 
he  has  remained  ever  since. 

Mr.  Viren  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity, a  charter  member  of  Golden  Fleece 
lodge,  iSTo.  89,  and  also  connected  with  the 
A.  O.  U.  W. 

V.  BROWN,  the  efficient 
station  and  express  agent  at  Eden 
Valley  came  to  tiiat  village  November  15, 
1886,  to  take  charge  of  tlie  Minneapolis  & 
Pacific  Railroad  Company's  business,  and 
has  remained  tiiere  in  that  position  ever 
since.  He  became  the  agent  for  the  Amer- 
ican Express  Company  in  the  fall  of  1886, 
also. 

Mr.  Brown  was  born  in  the  beautiful  city 
of  Watertown,  Jeff'erson  county.  Wis., 
January  8,  1858,  and  is  the  son  of  Peter  V. 
and  Elizabeth  (Johnson)  Brown,  both  of 
whom  were  natives  of  New  York.  The 
father  of  our  subject  was  one  of  the  early 
settlers  and  pioneer  merchants  of  Water- 
town,  and  is  one  of  the  stockholders  of  the 
Wisconsin  National  Bank  of  that  ]ilace, 
where  he  still  resides. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  received  his 
education  in  the  excellent  schools  of  his 
native  city,  and  at  the  age  of  fifteen  entered 
the  office  of  tlie  Northwestern  Telegraph 
Company  at  that  place,  as  manager,  where 
he  remained  four  years.  He  was  then  trans- 
ferred to  Eau  Claire,  Wis.,  but  a  short  time 
after  came  to  St.  Paul  and  entered  the  office 
of  the  train  despatcher  of  the  St.  Paul  & 
Sioux  City  Railroad  Company,  where  he 
remained   about   one  year.     In   May,   1878, 


198 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


he  became  station  agent  at  Darwin,  Meeker 
county,  in  the  employ  of  the  St.  Paul,  Minne- 
apolis &  Manitoba  Railroad  Company,  and 
remained  at  that  post  four  years. 

The  next  two  years  he  h.ad  charge  of  the 
station  at  Willmar,  but  in  188-4  went  to  West- 
ern Montana,  as  traveling  auditor  of  the 
iNorthern  Pacific  Railroad,  which  position  he 
held  for  two  years,  and  then  accepted  his 
present  place.  His  upright  dealing  and 
straightforward,  gentlemanly  demeanor  has 
won  him  hosts  of  friends,  and  his  future  looks 
bright. 

OHN  LINDGREN,  who  has  charge  of 
the  Farmer's  and  JMerchant's  Co-operat- 
ive Elevator  at  Litchfield,  is  a  native  of 
Sweden,  born  in  1854.  He  was  brought  to 
America  when  still  less  than  four  years  of 
age  by  his  step-father,  his  father  having  died 
when  John  was  an  infant. 

Mr.  Lindgren  lived  with  his  step-father,  T. 
G.  Cornelius,  until  he  was  thirteen  years  of 
age,  when  he  began  life  for  himself,  working 
on  a  farm  in  Meeker  county.  In  the  spring 
of  ISSO  he  went  to  llallock,  Kittson  county, 
Minn.,  where  he  had  charge  of  a  large  farm 
for  four  years,  after  which  he  returned  to 
Litchfield,  where  he  has  since  been  connected 
with  the  grain  trade.  Mr.  Lindgren  was 
married  in  1876  to  Miss  Matilda  Olson,  of 
Stevens  county.  They  have  four  living 
children  —  Annie  M.,  George  J.,  Bertha  E., 
and  an  infant. 


<4« 


^^^ 


gf^RED  SWANSON.  The  subject  of  this 
Ijiography,  a  jirominent  and  respected 
fanner,  residing  on  section  2,  Greenleaf 
towruship,  is  a  native  of  Sweden,  born  Maj' 
5,  1S46.  He  remained  in  his  native  land 
until  twenty-one  years  of  age,  when  he  came 
to  the  United  States  and  settled  in  ]\Iar- 
quette  count\%  Mich.      For  six  years  he  was 


employed  in  the  iron  mines  in  that  county, 
and  then  came  to  Meeker  county,  Minn.,  and 
purchased  a  farm  on  section  2,  in  Greenleaf 
township.  By  good  management,  industry 
and  economy  he  has  been  very  successful  in  his 
farming  operations,  notwithstanding  the  fact 
that  he  has  met  with  the  partial  loss  of  crops 
in  various  j'ears,  and  is  to  day  in  comfort- 
able circumstances  and  justly  rated  as  one  of 
the  substantial  and  "solid  "  citizens  of  his 
townshi]).  He  has  an  excellent  farm  of  213 
acres,  about  half  of  which  is  under  cultiva- 
tion, and  has  it  well  stocked.  The  place  is 
a  valuable  one,  and  is  located  in  the  best 
farming  district  in  Meeker  county. 

Mr.  Swanson  was  married  in  1809  to  Miss 
Mary  L.  Walstrom.  She  was  a  native  of 
Sweden,  and  had  settled  in  Marquette  county, 
Mich.,  in  1869,  being  twenty-three  years  old 
at  that  time.  Her  father  died  when  she  was 
yet  a  child,  and  her  mother  remained  in  Swe- 
den until  1882,  when  she  came  to  live  with 
her  daughter  in  Greenleaf.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Swanson  have  been  the  parents  of  seven  chil- 
dren, six  of  wliom  are  still  living.  Their 
names  are  as  follows — Clara  J.,  born  March 
29,  1870;  Carl  J.,  ])orn  September  27,  1873; 
Hebna  M.  (deceased),  born  October  14,  1875, 
died  December  24,  1886 ;  Ida  E.,  born  Sep- 
tember 6,  1878;  Esther  M.,  born  April  1, 
1881 ;  Hulda  E.,  born  June  1,  1885 ;  and  Sig- 
frid  E.,  born  December  4,  1886. 


M  DELBERT  B.  HOAR,  a  thrifty  and 
J^-S^  enterprising  young  farmer  residing 
on  section  32,  Union  Grove  township,  is  the 
eldest  son  of  David  B.  and  Melissa  (Bryant) 
Hoar,  and  was  born  in  Wright  county,  Minn., 
on  the  12th  of  December,  1862.  A  full 
sketch  of  his  parents  will  be  found  in  another 
department  of  this  work,  as  they  were  among 
the  most  jM'oininent  early  settlers  in  the  north- 
Avestern  part  of  the  county. 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


199 


The  subject  of  our  present  sketch  com- 
menced hfe  for  himself  when  about  twenty- 
one  years  of  age,  but  remained  at  home  for  a 
year  or  so  after  that  time.  He  received  the 
education  afforded  by  the  pubhc  schools,  and 
supplemented  this  by  attending  the  Litch- 
field schools  for  some  time.  On  the  4th  of 
May,  1887,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Emma  A. 
Caswell,  a  daughter  of  Nathan  W.,  and 
Margaret  (Robinson)  Caswell.  She  was  born 
at  Brompton,  Province  of  Quebec,  Can., 
March  9,  1865. 

Mr.  Hoar  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land  on 
section  32,  Union  Grove  township,  in  1885, 
and  that  forms  liis  present  place.  He  has  a 
comfortable  residence,  and  substantial  farm 
buildings  and  is  getting  in  good  shape  for 
carrying  on  his  farming  and  stock  raising 
operations.  In  addition  to  this  he  owns  a 
half  interest  in  an  improvetl  steam  thresher, 
and  during  the  proper  season  devotes  his 
attention  to  that  business. 


MOS  NELSON  FOSEN,  ex-county 
^)^  treasurer  of  Meeker  county,  and  now 
a  prominent  farmer  residing  on  section  31, 
Litchfield  township,  is  a  native  of  Norway, 
born  on  the  26th  of  September,  1837,  and  a 
son  of  Nels  and  Malline  (Ilovelsen)  Gunder- 
son.  His  father  died  in  Norway  in  1886  at 
the  age  of  eighty-two  years,  and  the  mother 
is  still  a  resident  of  his  native  land.  In  1855 
Amos  sailed  for  the  [Jnited  States,  and  after 
spending  one  year  in  Wisconsin,  he  came  to 
Meeker  county,  Minn.,  becoming  one  of  the 
six  original  settlers  of  Litchfield  township. 
He  first  took  up  a  timber  claim  on  section 
25,  in  Acton  township,  but  afterward 
settled  on  section  30,  in  Litchfield  township, 
and  retained  property  there  until  1887,  when 
he  sold  that  and  rented  the  Crowe  farm  on 
section  31,  where  he  now^  lives.  In  1861  he 
went  to  Fort  Snelling  to  enlist  for  service  in 


the  army,  but  before  being  sworn  in  he  re- 
ceived a  commission  as  a  recruiting  officer 
and  started  for  home  to  raise  men.  He  had 
to  walk  the  entire  distance  and  sleep  out  of 
doors  at  night,  thereby  contracting  rheum- 
atism, which  unfitted  him  for  service,  and 
from  which  he  has  never  fully  I'ecovered.  At 
the  time  of  the  Indian  outbreak  in  1862  his 
farm  was  tenanted  by  Burger  Anderson,  and 
he  onl}'  spent  a  portion  of  the  time  there. 
He  was  employed  as  a  farm  hand  by  Jones, 
and  narrowly  escajjed  being  one  of  the  party 
that  was  murdered  f»n  that  fatal  Sunday  — 
August  17,  1862. 

After  the  excitement  attendant  on  the 
Indian  troubles  had  somewhat  subsided  he 
returned  to  his  farm.  He  was  married,  in. 
1869,  to  Eacliel  Hanson,  a  daughter  of  Chris- 
topher Hanson.  They  have  had  eight 
children,  one  of  Avhich  died  in  infancy,  and 
the  rest  are  all  living  at  home,  as  follows 
— Nels  A.,  Mathilda  Caroline,  Laura  Marie, 
Kagna  Amelia,  Agnes  Eosilia,  Hjalmar 
Arthur  and  Gunda  Mabel.  The  family  are 
active  members  of  the  Ness  Norwegian  Luth- 
eran church.  Mr.  Fosen  has  always  taken  a 
commendable  interest  in  all  public  matters 
and  has  held  a  great  many  local  offices,  be- 
sides which  he  held  the  office  of  county 
treasui'er  for  three  successive  terms. 


WILLIAM  H.  JOHNS,  of  the  firm  of 
Johns  Brothers,  dealers  in  hard- 
ware, at  Litchfield,  and  one  of  the  most  promi- 
nent business  men  in  Meeker  count}',  is  a  native 
of  Louisa,  Lawrence  county,  Ky.,  the  date  of 
his  birth  being  July  23,  1855.  His  parents 
w^ere  Daniel  N.  and  Annie  [Atkins]  Johns. 
In  1864  the  family  removed  to  McLeod  county, 
Minn.,  and  purchased  a  farm  upon  which  they 
lived  for  a  number  of  years,  but  they  are  now 
residents  of  Glencoe,  in  the  same  county. 
William  H.  remained  with  his  parents  until 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


twenty-one  years  of  age,  during  which  time 
he  received  the  advantages  of  a  common- 
school  education  in  the  district  scliools,  anil 
also  attended  tlie  higher  gi'aded  scliools  at 
Howard  Lake  and  Hutchinson.  Upon  ai-riv- 
ino-  at  his  majority  he  began  life  for  himself, 
and  for  four  or  five  years  was  engaged  at 
teaching  school  and  working  on  a  farm.  He 
then  went  to  Groton,  Dak.,  and  in  com^iany 
with  his  brother,  D.  B.  Johns,  opened  a  hard- 
Avare  store  under  the  firm  name  of  Johns 
Brothers.  They  remained  in  trade  at  that 
place  for  about  six  years,  when  they  sold  out 
and  opened  their  present  business  at  Litch- 
field. Mr.  Johns  is  a  member  of  tlie  Masonic 
fraternity,  having  joined  Groton  lodge  No. 
G5,  in  1SS6;  and  is  also  a  member  of  an  Odd 
Fellow's  lodge  at  the  same  place. 


/^ZRA  B.  COMSTOCK.  Among  the 
\^^  well  known  ]ioi)ular  educators  and 
school  teachers  of  Meeker  county,  there  is, 
perhaps,  no  better  representative  than  Mr. 
Comstock,  a  resident  of  Ellsworth  township, 
living  in  the  village  of  Greenleaf.  lie  is  a 
native  of  Canada,  having  first  seen  the  light 
October  8,  1838,  in  Brown  county,  in  the 
province  of  Quebec,  and  is  the  son  of  Anson 
and  Hannah  (Constadt)  Comstock,  both  of 
whom  have  passed  to  their  reward  in  the 
land  beyond  the  river  of  death. 

Our  subject  received  the  benefits  of  a 
primary  education  in  the  district  schools  of 
his  native  count}',  and  knowing  the  advan- 
tages to  be  derived  from  it,  for  two  years 
was  a  student  at  I'rowne  College,  from  which 
he  was  graduated  in  1858.  His  studies  for  a 
time  were  in  the  direction  of  civil  engineering 
but  meeting  with  an  accident  to  one  of  his 
limlis,  whicli  disqualified  from  the  labors 
incident  upon  that  profession,  he  gave  it  up 
and  turned  his  attention  to  "teaching 
the  vounff  idea   how   to   slioot."    He  com- 


menced his  life's  labors  as  pedagogue  in  his 
native  land.  He  came  to  the  State  of  Min- 
nesota in  18G9,  and  for  some  four  years 
presided  over  the  studies  of  a  large  school. 
From  there  he  came  to  Meeker  count}', 
locating,  for  the  nonce  in  Cedar  Mills  town- 
shi]),  where  he  remained,  following  his  pro- 
fession, for  some  four  years,  and  then 
removed  to  his  present  residence,  in  Green- 
leaf. 

May  21, 1861,  Mr.  Comstock  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Eliza  Cook,  a  native  also 
of  the  Dominion  of  Canada,  with  whom  he 
had  been  to  school  in  his  youth.  Her  par- 
ents, both  of  whom  were  born  in  tlie  same 
section  of  country,  are  both  dead,  the  mother 
dying  when  Mrs.  Comstock  was  but  a  child, 
and  the  father  in  June,  1SG7.  By  this  union 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Comstock  have  one  child — 
Myrtie  M.,  who  was  born  in  Meeker  county, 
this  State,  May  12,  1875. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Comstock  coin- 
cides with  the  republican  party,  although 
not  blindly  partisan.  His  judgment  and 
own  intelligence  are  what  he  mostly  depends 
upon.  He  has  held  many  of  the  more  im- 
portant township  offices  since  coming  here, 
and  always  with  honor.  He  has  been  a 
constant  resident  since  187,3,  except  that 
during  the  year  1870  when  he  was  teaching 
in  St.  Paul,  he  has  taken  a  deep  interest  in 
the  advancement  of  educational  matters,  and 
to  him  is  due  a  share  of  the  jmjgress  made 
in  this  direction  by  Ellsworth  township. 
Mr.  Comstock  at  present  holds  a  commis- 
sion as  notary  public. 


►h4^^ 


BANIEL  AVERY  CROSS,  deceased,  was 
one  of  the  most  prominent  of  those 
hardy  pioneers  who  first  located  in  the 
southern  part  of  the  county.  He  was  born 
in  Oneida  county,  N.  Y.,  on  the  6th  of 
Julv,   1820.     When   he  was  five  years  old, 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


his  parents  removed  to  Indiana.  His  fatlier 
died  when  he  was  ten  years  of  age,  and  he 
was  early  thrown  upon  his  own  resources. 

In  1857,  accompanied  l)y  his  family,  which 
consisted  of  his  wife  and  two  children,  and 
also  a  man  named  E.  Dibbel,  Mr.  Cross  came 
to  Minnesota  and  took  a  claim  on  section  13, 
in  what  is  now  Cedar  Mills  townshij).  They 
arrived  in  July,  and  Mr.  Cross  and  family 
lived  in  tlieir  wagon  on  the  bank  of  Cedar 
Lake  until  fall.  That  fall  they  built  a  house 
an  Cedar  City,  McLeod  county,  as  they  were 
unable  to  procure  the  logs  unless  they  built 
on  the  town  site,  a  plan  which  was  followed 
for  the  purpose  of  building  up  a  village. 
Two  years  later  they  moved  the  house  to 
the  claim,  and  lived  there  until  the  Indian 
outbreak  occurred.  At  the  time  the  news  of 
the  massacre  reached  him,  Mr.  Cross  moved 
his  family  to  the  "Point,"  in  Cedar  Lake; 
but  a  short  time  later  moved  them  to  Hutch- 
inson. "When  the  report  came  tljat  the 
Indians  were  raiding  and  burning  in  Cedar 
Mills,  volunteers  were  called  to  go  on  an 
expedition,  and  Mr.  Cross  was  one  of  the 
first  to  offer  his  services.  They  followed 
the  Indians  until  dark,  and  then  spent  the 
night  at  Mr.  Cross'  house.  In  the  morning 
Llr.  Cross,  with  five  others,  started  to  go  to 
the  house  of  Caleb  Sanborn,  who  lived  on  the 
north  side  of  Cedar  Lake,  to  warn  him  of 
his  danger  if  the  Indians  had  not  already 
killed  him.  While  on  their  way  they  were 
surprised  by  the  Indians,  and  Mr.  Cross  was 
shot  and  killed,  while  the  others  fled.  Mr. 
Cross  laid  where  he  fell  until  the  following 
day,  when  his  remains  were  taken  to  Hutch- 
inson, where  the}^  were  interred  on  the  25th 
of  September,  1862.  His  death  was  mourned 
by  a  wide  circle  of  friends.  He  was  a  man 
possessed  of  the  very  best  of  qualities,  and 
of  the  strictest  integrity  and  honor. 

Soon  after  the  death  of  Mr.  Cross,  the 
widow  returned  to  her  former  home  in 
Indiana,    where    she   remained  for  a   year 


and  a  half,  when  she  returned  to  the  farm 
on  section  13,  Cedar  Mills  township,  where 
she  has  since  lived.  Mrs.  Cross  has  two 
children,  who  are  now  living:  Mary  E.,  now 
Mrs.  A.  Jordan,  of  Greenleaf  township; 
and  Daniel  Avery,  who  was  born  March  16, 
1863,  and  still  lives  on  the  old  homestead, 
where  he  carries  on  farming  and  stock 
raisino". 


-*- 


OHN  SNELL,  the  leading  furniture  deal- 
er of  Litchfield,  is  a  native  of  Verina 
Island,  Sweden,  born  September  5, 1831,  and 
is  the  son  of  Andrew  and  Katherine  (Berg- 
stadt)  Snell.  He  was  reared  at  home  until 
he  had  attained  the  age  of  seventeen,  when 
he  commenced  to  learn  the  cabinet-maker's 
trade,  and  served  an  apprenticeship  at  that 
until  he  was  twenty-one  years  old.  He  then 
determined  to  emigrate  to  the  New  World, 
the  "  promised  land  "  of  the  poor  of  the  old 
countries,  and,  accordingly  set  sail  for  New 
York.  For  eighteen  months  after  landing 
there  he  was  employed  in  John  dander's 
piano  manufactory  in  the  metropolis  of 
America,  after  which  time  he  removed  to 
Galesburg,  111.,  and  for  a  year  was  engaged 
at  his  trade.  Coming  still  farther  west  after 
a  short  time  spent  in  St.  Paul,  he  located  in 
Carver,  Carver  county,  Minn.,  in  185-1.  That 
village  had  just  been  laid  out,  and  as  an  induce- 
ment to  have  so  excellent  a  mechanic  settle 
among  them,  Mr.  Snell  was  given  a  lot  in 
the  village  upon  which  to  build.  He  put  up 
a  house  there,  and  commenced  making  chairs, 
tables,  etc.,  by  hand,  using  one  room  in  his 
house  for  a  shop.  Later  on  he  erected  a 
small  mill  that  ran  by  water-power,  which 
greatly  facilitated  his  work,  and  remained, 
actively  engaged  in  trade  in  that  place  until 
1874,  when  he  sold  out  his  interests  there 
and  removed  to  Chicago.  In  the  latter  city 
he  was  engaged  in  carrying  on  the  photo- 
graphic business,  he  having  accpiired   some 


MEEKER    COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


knowledge  of  that  art  while  living  in  Carver. 
In  1877  he  came  to  Litchfield  and  purchased 
his  present  business,  to  wiiich  he  has  added 
undertaking,  and  has  been  employed  in  tiiat 
ever  since.  In  1879  he  began  the  erection  of 
his  present  handsome  quarters,  finishing  it 
the  next  year.  It  is  a  tine  brick  building  of 
some  eighty  feet  front,  and  corresponding 
depth,  and  one  of  the  handsomest  in  the 
village. 

Mr.  Snell  was  married  while  in  New  Yoi'k.  in 
1852,  to  Miss  Esther  Peterson,  who  died  May 
13,  1864,  in  Carver,  leaving  two  children — 
Clara  A.,  born  May  15,  1858,  now  the  wife  of 
William  Murdock,  a  business  man  of  Chi- 
cago ;  and  Hilda  E..  bori)  January  8, 1802,  now 
Mrs.  E.  M.  "Warhanich,  whose  husband  is  a 
druggist  in  the  same  city.  Mr.  Snell  was 
again  married  July  2*),  1865,  to  Miss  Ida 
Peterson,  who  has  been  the  mother  of  three 
children,  onl}'^  one  of  whom  is  living — Alvin 
O.,  born  IVlarch  17,  1867.  Those  deceased 
were  Ida,  born  April  26, 1866,and  died  Novem- 
ber 12,  1883;  and  Julian  Paul,  born  May 
5,  1870,  and  died  July  13,  1872.  Mrs.  Snell 
was  born  August  17,  1830,  and  is  a  most 
estimable  woman. 

PETER  JOHNSON  is  one  of  the  leading 
farmers  living  in  the  southern  part  of 
Acton  township,  his  residence  being  on  sec- 
tion 33.  Mr.  Johnson  is  a  son  of  Peter  and 
Sarah  Johnson,  and  was  born  in  Norway  on 
the  17th  of  October,  183-4.  lie  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1868,  and  for  about  a  year 
was  employed  at  Minneapolis  in  a  brick  yard 
and  in  different  saw-mills.  In  1869  he  came 
to  Meeker  county  and  took  a  homestead  of 
forty  acres  on  the  line  between  Acton  and 
Danielson  townships.  After  proving  up  on 
the  homestead  he  removed  his  house  to  an 
adjoining  eighty  acres  which  he  had  pur- 
chased in  the  meantime.  He  still  lives  on 
the  last  named  place. 


Mr.  Johnson  was  married  in  Norway  to 
Miss  Guru  Peterson,  a  daughter  of  Peter 
and  Mary  Henderson.  B\'  this  marriage 
they  have  had  the  following  named  ciiil- 
dren— Sarah,  born  November  28,  1860; 
Mary,  born  September  5,  1862 ;  John,  born 
November  28,  1866 ;  Catherine,  born  Sep- 
tember 8,  1869  ;  Peter,  born  November  12, 
1872  ;  Christian,  born  March  18,  1875  ;  M;v 
tilda,  born  December  30,  1878  ;and  Hannah, 
born  October  15,  1881.  Mary  is  now  the 
wife  of  Theodore  Christian  Kue,  a  resident 
of  Cosmos  township.  Meeker  county;  and 
Sarah  is  now  the  wife  of  Lewis  Olson,  who 
is  a  resident  of  Dakota  Territoi-v. 


'J^^-4- 


5r  OHN  BLOMBERG  is  a  prominent 
iy  fanner  who  i-esides  on  section  18, 
Acton  township.  He  is  a  native  of  Sweden, 
born  October  27,  1835,  antl  is  a  son  of  Jones 
and  Engriel  Blomberg.  In  1857  he  came  to 
the  United  States  and  settled  in  Chisago 
county,  Minn.,  where  for  three  j^ears  he  was 
engaged  at  farming  and  lumbering.  He 
than  went  to  Olmstead  county,  where  for  two 
years  he  worlced  for  different  parties.  Re- 
turning to  Chisago  county,  he  made  that  his- 
home  until  1864,  when  he  went  to  Taylor's 
Falls  and  enlisted  in  Company  D,  Third 
Minnesota  Volunteer  Infantry.  He  served 
one  year  with  his  regiment,  and  after  being 
honorably  discharged  he  worked  in  Chicago, 
Goodhue  and  other  counties  until  1867,  when 
he  came  to  JVIeeker  county  and  took  a  home- 
stead claim  in  Acton  township.  For  nearly 
a  year  after  this  he  worked  in  the  pineries, 
but  in  1868  he  settled  on  his  homestead  and 
has  since  lived  there.  He  was  a  poor  man 
when  he  came  to  the  United  States  and  M'as 
even  obliged  to  borrow  a  portion  of  the 
money  with  which  he  paid  his  passage  ;  but 
his  perseverance,  industry  and  economy  have 
been  rewarded,  and  he  is  now  in  comfortable 


.iii^Si 


i  -'^ii^m- 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


205 


circumstances  and  getting  along  well.  He 
owns  212  acres  of  land,  110  acres  of  which  are 
under  cultivation  and  he  also  has  a  great  deal 
of  stock.  He  has  met  with  some  reverses  in  his 
farming  operations,  especially  during  the 
grasshopper  raids,  when  he  lost  all  the  wheat 
on  eighty  acres  except  sixty  bushels.  He 
says  he  saved  some  oats  that  year,  but "  there 
were  more  grasshopper  legs  than  grain." 
Mr.  Blomberg  has  taken  an  active  interest 
in  all  public  matters  and  has  held  many  local 
offices,  including  the  following:  School 
clerk,  ever  since  he  came  hei'e;  county  com- 
missioner, now  serving  his  second  term  ;  was 
chairman  of  supervisors  one  term  ;  town  clerk 
two  years ;  and  was  assessor  four  terms.  He 
is  the  present  secretary  of  the  Insurance 
Company  of  Acton  and  Genesee,  which  in- 
cludes twenty-five  townships  in  Meeker  and 
Kandiyohi  counties.  The  company  was  or- 
ganized in  1S84  and  now  has  a  membership 
of  about  600,  and  is  carrying  risks  to  the 
amount  of  about  $800,000. 

Mr.  Blomberg  was  married,  by  a  justice  in 
the  town  of  Acton,  in  the  house  where  the 
Indians  killed  the  first  wiiites  in  Meeker 
county,  inaugurating  the  terrible  outbreak  of 
1862.  The  marriage  occurred  on  the  25th  of 
Se])tember,  1869,  with  Miss  Lena  M.  Peter- 
son, who  was  born  July  7,  1842.  They  have 
been  blessed  witii  the  following  children — 
Charles  E.,  born  May  26,  1870,  died  February 
€,  1878  ;  Anna  Christina,  born  July  14, 1871; 
Emily  Catharine,  born  June  30,  1873;  Ida 
Victoria,  born  September  1,  1875  ;  Victor 
Emanuel,  born  January  5,  1877 ;  Alice  Char- 
lotte, born  August  27,  1880,  died  March  21, 
1881 ;  Claus  Edward,  born  February  4,  188:i ; 
Peter  Eugene,  born  February  27,  1885 ;  and 
Hattie  Maria,  born  Noveml^er  24,  1887. 


JAMES  MC  CARNEY,  a   well-known  and 
highly    respected   farmer,    residing  on 
section    4,  Harvey    townsiiip,    comes    of   a 


nationality,  which  through  their  natural 
thrift,  enterprise  and  frugality',  now  form  one 
of  the  most  substantial  and  desirable  elements 
in  Minnesota's  population. 

Mr.  McCarney  was  born  in  Ireland,  and  is 
a  son  of  Patrick  and  Catherine  (Brady) 
McCarney.  He  spent  his  early  life  in  the 
land  of  his  birth,  and  on  March  1,  1846,  he 
sailed  for  the  United  States,  landing  at  New 
Orleans  on  the  7th  of  May,  and  proceeding 
from  there  to  Galena,  111.  He  remained 
there  for  five  years,  and  then  came  to  Min- 
nesota and  settled  at  St.  Paul,  where  he  spent 
about  three  years.  His  next  move  was  to 
Dakota  county,  where  he  settled  upon  a  farm 
in  Burnsville  township.  There  he  was  living 
when  the  civil  war  broke  out,  and  in  response 
to  the  President's  call  for  men,  he  enhsted  on 
December  24,  1862,  in  Company  M,  First 
Minnesota  Mounted  Rangers.  He  remained 
in  the  service  until  August  16,  1863,  when 
he  was  discharged  for  disability,  and  re- 
turned to  his  farm  in  Burnsville,  Dakota 
county,  Minn.  Three  years  later  he  came 
to  Meeker  county,  Minn.,  and  after  spending 
the  winter  with  his  brother,  Patrick,  who 
was  living  in  Manannah  township,  he  settled 
on  the  farm  where  he  still  resides,  on  section 
4,  Harvey  townshij-).  This  was  in  the  spring 
of  1867. 

In  May,  1850,  Mr.  McCarney  was  married 
to  Miss  Margary  McGinlay.  Tliey  are  the 
parents  of  ten  children,  eight  of  whom  are 
still  living.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McCarney  are 
members  of  the  Catholic  church.  In  politi- 
cal matters,  Mr.  McCarney  affiliates  with 
the  democratic  party. 


^  V'  '1 


«^- 


AMES  DIEAREY,  a  leading  and  represent- 
ative farmer  of  Darwin  township,  has 
his  residence  on  section  10,  where  he  carries 
on  the  pursuit  of  mixed  agriculture.  He  was 
born  in  County  Monaghan,  Ireland,  March 
9,  1835,  but  when  but  eight  years  of  age,  in 


2'o6 


MEEKER    COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


1843,  came  to  the  United  States  with  his 
parents,  who  were,  also,  natives  of  the  Em- 
erald Isle.  The  family  remained  in  New 
York,  where  they  at  first  located,  about  a  year; 
and  then  removed  to  Philadelphia,  Penn., 
where  the  subject  of  this  narrative  grew  to 
manhood.  October  15,  1855,  he  came  to 
Minnesota,  locating  in  Minneapolis,  where 
he  remained  a  year  and  then  removed  to 
Monticello,  Wright  county,  where  he  made 
his  home  for  the  succeeding  four  years.  In 
1860  he  came  to  Meeker  county  and  made  a 
settlem-ent  in  Darwin  township  on  the  land 
where  he  now  resides,  and  has  been  identi- 
fied with  the  growth  and  development  of 
that  part  of  the  county  e^?er  since. 

At  the  time  of  the  Indian  outbreak  he 
was  livmo:  on  his  fann  in  Darwin,  working 
south  of  the  house,  and  the  next  day  re- 
moved to  Kingston,  where  he  remained  until 
after  the  attack  on  Forest  City,  when  he 
returned  to  his  farm.  He  in  company  with 
his  fatlier  and  brother-in-law,  Timothy  Dunn, 
cut  loo})holes  in  his  cabin  and  tletermined  to 
stand  and  make  a  strong  defense  if  attacked. 
They  had  seven  guns  and  plenty  of  ammu- 
nition, and  felt  confident  of  themselves.  He 
remained  here  until  December  1,  1863,  when 
he  enlisted  in  Company  D,  Second  Minne- 
sota Cavalry.  After  serving  against  the  In- 
dians in  Montana,  he  was  discharged  Decem- 
ber 2, 1865,  and  returned  to  his  home. 

Mr.  Dearey  was  united  in  marriage,  with 
Miss  Hannah  Roberts,  who  bore  him  two 
children — John  E.,  and  Mary  A.,  both  of 
whom  are  living.  July  7,  1877,  the  death 
angel  entered  the  little  household  and  bore 
from  the  bereaved  husband,  his  loved  com- 
panion, and  from  her  little  ones  their  best 
friend,  their  mother. 

Mr.  Dearey  is  independent  in  his  politics, 
and  a  most  excellent  citizen.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  Frank  Daggett  Post,  G.  A.  R.,  of 
Litchfield,  and  religiously  is  attached  to  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church. 


#EORGE  H.  CHAPMAN,  harness  deal- 
er, and  one  of  Litch field's  substantial 
business  men,  is  a  native  of  Birmingham, 
England,  born  January  27, 1844,  but  came  to 
the  United  States  in  July,  1856.  His  par- 
ents were  John  and  Susan  (Crump)  Chap- 
man. His  father,  John  Chapman,  first  came 
to  America  in  1848,  and  later  took  up  gov- 
ernment land  where  Portage  City  now  stands. 
He  lived  for  a  year  or  so  at  Fort  Winnebago, 
Jefl'  Davis  at  that  time  being  one  of  the 
commanding  officers  of  tiie  fort.  On  his 
first  trip  Mr.  Chapman  had  brought  with  liira 
one  son  and  a  daughter,  and,  after  his  first 
few  years  in  the  new  world,  he  decided  to 
locate  at  Mt.  Morris,  Waushara  county.  Wis. 
He  accordingly  sent  for  the  balance  of  his 
family,  who  arrived  in  July,  1856,  as  stated. 
John  Chapman  was  a  tailor  by  trade,  and  he 
followed  that  in  Wisconsin  until  the  spring 
of  1857,  when  he  again  took  up  his  westward 
march,  and,  taking  with  him  a  stock  of 
goods,  he  started  for  Nebraska.  He  went 
by  the  way  of  St.  Louis,  and  took  a  boat  up 
the  Missouri  river,  but  the  boat  foundered 
and  Mr.  Chapman  lost  all  he  had.  He  re- 
mained in  Nebraska  about  four  yeai-s,  when 
he  returned  to  Berlin,  Wis.,  where  the  fam- 
ily had  been  living  in  the  meantime.  His 
death  occurred  at  Berlin  in  about  the  year 
1866. 

George  II.  Chapman  remained  with  his 
father's  family  until  he  had  reached  the  age 
of  fifteen,  when  he  began  life  on  his  own 
account,  and  began  learning  the  harness-ma- 
ker's trade  at  Berlin,  Wis.  He  remained  at 
that  until  November,  1861,  when  he  enlisted 
in  Company  H,  Eighteenth  Wisconsin  In- 
fantry, for  three  years'  service.  A  short 
time  later  he  was  transferred  to  Company  C, 
Thirty-Eighth  Wisconsin  Infantry,  and  re- 
mained with  that  regiment  until  the  close  of 
the  war.  His  first  battle  was  that  of  Shiloh, 
in  April,  1862,  and  he  afterward  participated 
in  the  battles  of   Corinth,  Miss.,  in   June, 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


207 


1862;  Cold  Harbor,  Va.,  in  May,  1864;  in 
front  of  Petersburg,  June  16,  ISGA;  Weldon 
Railroad,  Va.,  in  August,  1864;  Pebel's  farm, 
in  September,  1864 ;  again  at  Petersburg,  dur- 
ino;  the  winter  of  1864-5  ;  and'  was  in  the 
final  charge  on  Sunday,  April  2,  1865,  being 
with  the  brigade  that  captured  Ft.  Mahone 
and  followed  Lee  up  the  south  side  of  the 
railroad.  He  was  near  Appomattox  at  the 
surrender  of  Lee.  During  all  of  his  eventful 
and  active  service  Mr.  Chapman  was  neither 
wounded  nor  taken  prisoner,  and  was  only 
in  the  hospital  for  a  few  days.  He  was  on 
guard  at  Washington  during  the  trial  of  the 
conspirators  against  Lincoln,  and  saw  the 
gallows  where  they  were  executed  and  the 
graves  of  the  criminals.  He  was  finally 
mustered  out  in  August,  1865,  and  returned 
to  the  old  home  in  Berlin,  Wis.  In  1867  he 
Settled  at  Rochester,  Minn.,  and  a  few  years 
later  removed  to  Wabasha,  where  he  lived 
for  a  time,  and  then  decided  to  come  to 
Litchfield,  Meeker  county,  and  accordingly, 
in  May,  1870,  he  opened  the  harness  and 
saddleiy  business,  which  he  has  successfully 
carried  on  ever  since.  Mr.  Chapman  is  an 
active  member  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the 
Republic,  and  was  one  of  the  charter  mem- 
bers of  Frank  Daggett  Post,  in  which  he  has 
almost  constantly  held  some  office  since  its 
organization.  He  was  also  a  charter  mem- 
ber of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Work- 
men at  Litchfield,  and  has  held  at  different 
times  all  the  offices  in  the  gift  of  the  local 
lodge.  In  political  matters  he  is  a  staunch 
re])ublican,  and  cast  his  first  vote  for  Abra- 
ham Lincoln  for  President,while  a  soldier. 

Mr.  Chapman  was  married  on  the  2d  of 
December,  1868,  to  Miss  Ellen  Agnew,  of 
Preston,  Fillmore  Co.,  Minn.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Chapman  are  the  parents  of  seven  children, 
as  follows — Emma  Glencora  Susan,  born 
September  23,  1870,  died  January  2,1887; 
Leslie  H.,  born  July  14,  1872;  Sybal  May, 
born  November  9, 1874,  died  March  24, 1881 ; 


Bessie  Pearl,  born  January  30,  1877;  Lillian 
G.,  born  September  14,  1879 ;  George  Wal- 
ter, born  February  22,  1884;  and  Willie 
Royal,  born  March  5,  1888. 

Our  subject  and  his  estimable  wife  are 
devout  and  zealous  members  of  the  Episco- 
pal Church,  and  exemplary  Christian  people. 


-^-I 


-^- 


OHN  PALM,  the  junior  member  of  the 
igi;  firm  of  Cairncross  &  Palm,  of  Litch- 
field, is  a  native  of  Sweden,  born  on  October 
1,  1860.  He  remained  in  Sweden  until 
1870,  when  he  came  to  America  with  his 
father's  family,  the  father  having  the  year 
before  settled  at  Litchfield. 

John  Palm  remained  with  his  parents  until 
thirteen  or  fourteen  years  of  age,  when  he 
began  to  work  as  a  painter,  and  followed 
that  four  summers,  attending  school  dur- 
ing the  winter  months.  In  1878  he  en- 
tered the  store  of  Cairncross  &  Johnson  as 
clerk  and  remained  with  Mr.  Cairncross  after 
that  gentleman  had  bought  out  his  partner, 
and  finally  on  the  1st  of  January,  1885,  Mr. 
Palm  was  admitted  to  partnership,  and  the 
firm  became  Cairncross  &  Palm. 

Mr.  Palm  is  a  shrewd  and  careful  business 
man,  and  his  manner  of  conducting  the  af- 
fairs of  the  firm  have  deservedly  won  them 
an  extensive  trade. 


"OHN  PAULSON  is  one  of  the  old  resi- 
dents of  Swede  Grove  township.  He, 
like  a  majority  of  the  citizens  of  his  town- 
ship, is  a  native  of  Sweden,  and  was  born  on 
the  14th  of  July,  1833.  His  parents'  names 
were  Paul  and  Ingra  (Olson)  Johnson. 

John  Paulson  came  to  the  United  States 
in  1869,  and  came  direct  to  Meeker  county, 
Minn.,  and,  purchasing  eighty  acres  of  land 
on  section  28,  Swede  Grove  township,  he 


208 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


began  his  life  in  the  new  world  on  the  place 
where  he  still  lives.  He  was  married  before 
leaving  Sweden  to  Miss  Betsey  Nelson.  Mrs. 
Paulson  was  the  mother  of  si.x  children,  as 
follows — Ellen,  l)orn  May  28,  1865,  is  mar- 
ried to  John  Anderberg,  and  now  lives  in 
Grove  City;  Hannah,  born  March  12,1868; 
Anna,  born  August  8,  1869;  Nels,  born  May 
4,  1870,  and  died  September  1,  1883  ;  Lillie, 
born  June  14-,  1872,  and  died  February  18, 
1873 ;  and  Henry,  born  June  4,  1871.  The 
mother  of  these  children  died  on  March  28, 
1876. 

Mr.  Paulson's  second  marriage  was  witli 
Miss  Hannah  Jeppeson,  a  daughter  of  Nels 
and  Malinda  Jeppeson.  -Her  father  died  in 
Sweden,  and  her  mother  is  now  a  resident  of 
Meeker  county.  Mrs.  Paulson  has  been  the 
mother  of  the  following  children  — Nels,  born 
November  5,  1875 ;  Oscar,  born  January  17, 
1878,  and  died  June  18,  1879;  Edward,  born 
ISToveraber  22,  1879;  Molly,  born  May  15, 
1882;  Ella,  born  June  24,  1884;  and  Lillie, 
born  May  9,  1886.  By  thrift  and  economy 
Mr.  Paulson  lias  accumulated  a  comfortable 
home ;  he  has  a  good  farm,  and  has  gathered 
considerable  stock  aljout  liim. 

M  UGUST  T.  KOERNER,  real  estate  and 
J^^  loan  agent,  is  one  of  Litchfield's  most 
prominent  citizens.  He  is  a  native  of  Ger- 
many, born  July  7,  1843.  He  remained  in 
his  native  country  until  fourteen  years  of 
age  when  he  started  for  this  country,  ]irac- 
tically  alone,  and  made  his  way  to  Ste.  Gene- 
vieve, Mo.,  wiiere  a  sister  was  then  living. 
Until  the  fall  of  1860  he  made  his  home  with 
his  sister,  and  then  went  to  Vernon,  Ind.,  for 
the  purpose  of  learning  the  millers'  business. 
He  remained  at  his  trade  until  April,  1861, 
Avhen  he  enlisted  for  ninety  days'  service  in 
Company  H,  Sixth  Indiana  Volunteers,  being 
then  three  months  short  of  eighteen  years  of 
age.     After  the  term  of  enlistment  expired 


he  reenlisted  for  three  years  in  Company  H, 
Twenty-sixth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry. 
In  the  spring  of  1864  he  veteranized  and 
served  until  the  close  of  the  war.  His  serv- 
ice covered*  a  period  of  four  years  and 
three  months,  the  time  being  spent  in  West 
Virginia,  Missouri,  Arkansas,  Mississippi, 
Louisiana,  Texas  and  Alabama.  He  was 
wounded  in  the  left  arm  by  a  minie  ball  at  the 
battle  of  Prairie  Grove  ;  was  all  through  the 
siege  of  Vicksburg,  and  in  all,  participated  in 
seventeen  battles.  After  the  close  of  the  war 
he  located  at  Troy,  III.,  where  he  was  em- 
ployed at  book-keeping  for  Throp  &  Co., 
merchant  millers.  During  his  residence  at 
that  point  he  made  his  first  trip  to  Meeker 
county  in  August,  1865,  and  while  here  was 
married  to  Miss  Katie  McGannon,  after  which 
event  he  returned  to  Troy.  In  1867  he  again 
came  to  Meeker  count}^  Minn.,  this  time  to 
stay,  and  settled  upon  a  farm  on  section  2, 
Greenleaf  township. 

There  he  remained  for  two  years,  and  then 
gave  up  the  farm  and  made  several  trijjs  to 
Illinois.  In  the  spring  of  1873  he  again  moved 
onto  the  farm,  and,  after  losing  three  suc- 
cessive crops  from  grasshoj)pers  and  hail,  gave 
it  up  and  removed  to  Litchfield.  For  two 
yeai-s  thereafter  he  was  engaged  at  clerical 
work,  and  in  1877  was  elected  register  of 
deeds  of  Meeker  county.  He  was  twice  re- 
elected and  therefore  served  three  successive 
terms.  Dui'ing  this  time  he  opened  a  real 
estate  office,  and  since  the  expiration  of  his 
term  of  office  has  devoted  his  whole  attention 
to  his  real  estate,  loan  and  insurance  business. 

In  1877,  in  company  with  N.  A.  Viren  and 
P.  Ekstrom,  Mr.  Koerner  opened  the  first  set 
of  abstract  books  in  Meeker  county.  Mr. 
Koerner  has  taken  an  active  interest  in  all 
matters  affecting  the  welfare  of  his  home, 
and  during  his  residence  here  has  almost  con- 
stantly held  some  public  position  of  trust  and 
responsibility.  He  Avas  one  of  the  charter 
members  of  the  Frank  Daggett  Post  of  the 


MEEKER  COUNTY,   MINNESOTA. 


209 


Grand  Army  of  the  Eepublic,  and  has  taken 
a  prominent  part  in  its  history.  He  is  a 
Mason,  being  a  member  of  Golden  Fleece 
Lodge,  No.  89,  Rabboni  Chapter,  No.  37,  and 
Melita  Commandery,  No.  17,  and  has  held 
various  offices  in  each  organization,  tilling  all 
positions  with  credit  to  himself  and  honor  to 
the  fraternity.  Mr.  Koerner  and  wife,  with 
their  family,  are  members  of  the  Christian 
church.  Their  family  consists  of  three  chil- 
dren—  Mamie,  Carney  and  Pauline  —  all  of 
whom  are  living  at  home.  They  have  lost 
three  children  by  death. 


-^^ 


^^AMUEL  COSSAIRT,  the  managing 
"^^^  partner  of  the  general  merchandise 
firm  of  S.  Cossairt  &  Co.,  and  one  of  the 
most  active,  enterprising,  energetic  business 
men  of  Eden  Valley,  is  a  native  of  Vermilion 
county,  111.,  born  February  12,  186:3,  and  is 
the  son  of  Silas  and  Alvira  (Swisher)  Cos- 
sairt. In  1866  his  parents  and  others  of  the 
family  came  to  that  part  of  Meeker  county 
lying  in  the  vicinity  of  Eden  Valley,  and 
settled  here  ,  the  pioneers  of  this  region,  as 
there  were  no  neighbors  between  them  and 
Manannah  or  Forest  City.  The  parents  of 
our  subject  still  live  upon  the  original  home- 
stead. 

Samuel  was  reared  upon  the  parental 
farm  and  remained  beneath  his  father's  roof 
until  he  had  attained  the  age  of  eighteen 
years,  drawing  liis  primary  education  from 
the  district  schools  of  the  vicinity.  In  1881 
he  commenced  attendance  at  the  Normal 
school  at  St.  Cloud,  Minn.,  where  he  remained 
about  a  year  and  a  half,  and  for  the  succeed- 
ing three  years  was  occupied  in  teaching 
school,  in  which  he  made  quite  a  success.  At 
the  age  of  twenty-three  he,  in  company  with 
E.  L.  Parker,  opened  a  store  in  the  village  of 
Litchfield.  Three  months  later  the  firm 
started  a  branch  at  Eden  Valley,  of  which 


our  subject  took  charge,  and  operated  until 
March,  1888,  when,  having  purchased  the 
interest  of  his  partner,  a  new  firm  was  formed, 
consisting  of  Samuel  Cossairt,  his  father, 
Silas,  and  brother  G.  B.  Cossairt.  They  car- 
ry an  extensive  stock  of  all  the  various  lines 
that  go  to  make  up  an  establishment  of  this 
kind  and  are  doing  an  ample  business. 

In  October,  1886,  the  subject  of  this 
memoir  was  apjiointed  postmaster  of  Eden 
Lake,  and  when  the  office  was  changed  to 
Eden  Valley  was  reappointed  and  now  holds 
that  oflBce. 


This  gentle- 


HARLES  MANGUSON. 
^  man  is  a  thrifty  and  respected  farmer 
who  resides  on  section  33,  Litchfield  town- 
ship. He  is  a  native  of  Sweden,  born  on  the 
3d  of  February,  1834,  and  a  son  of  Magnus 
and  Katrina  Nelson.  When  he  was  seven- 
teen years  of  age  he  enlisted  in  the  Swedish 
Artillery  and  served  about  two  years,  when 
he  received  his  discharge  on  account  of  an 
injury  received  in  cannon  practice.  In  1857 
he  came  to  the  United  States  and  after 
living  about  three  years  in  Chisago  and 
Kandiyohi  counties,  he  settled  in  Meeker 
county.  In  the  spring  of  1862,  he  was 
married  to  Mrs.  Anna  Colberg,  widow  of  Nels 
Colberg  (deceased),  and  they  settled  on  a 
farm  near  Lake  Harold,  where  he  was  living 
when   the   Indian   outbreak   began.      Upon 


began. 

receiving  the  warning  he  started  with  his 
family  for  Forest  City,  but  when  they  had 
arrived  within  two  and  a  half  miles  of  that 
place,  darkness  came  on  and  a  terrific  rain 
storm  set  in.  From  necessity,  therefore,  he 
and  his  wife  and  their  four  children  slept  all 
night  on  the  prairie  in  the  beating  and  drench- 
ing rain.  The  next  day  they  got  to  Forest  City, 
and  after  remaining  there  and  at  Kingston 
for  several  days  they  went  to  Anoka  and 
made  that  their  home  for  two  years.  In  the 
fall  of   1864,  Mr.  Manguson  moved  back  to 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


Meeker  county  and  took  u])  a  homestead 
near  the  present  site  of  Litclilield  village, 
and  after  living  there  for  six  years  traded 
the  homestead  for  his  jiresent  farm  on 
section  33.  In  1870  his  first  wife  died.  In 
1872  he  was  married  to  Siso  Swanson,  who 
■was  born  in  Sweden  November  29,  1831,  and 
who  came  to  the  United  States  in  1S71.  By 
this  marriage  they  have  had  four  children — 
Johanna,  William,  Mathilda  (deceased), 
and  Mathilda. 


OHN  E.  DIME,  fanner,  of  Swede  Grove 
township,  is  a  native  of  Sweden,  born 
J^ovember  13,  1842,  and  a  son  of  Carl  and 
Catharina  (Born  Janson)  Anderson.  He 
came  to  the  United  States  in  18C)8,  and  first 
stopped  at  Ishpeming,  Marquette  county, 
Mich.,  where  he  worked  in  the  iron  mines 
until  the  spring  of  1884,  when  he  came  to 
Swede  Grove  township,  Meeker  county, 
Minn.,  and  purchased  160  acres  of  land  on 
section  32,  where  he  has  since  lived. 

Mr.  Dime  was  married  on  November  15, 
1873,  to  Miss  Johanna  Johnson,  and  the 
couple  have  been  blessed  with  the  following- 
named  children — Erick  Adolphus,  who  was 
born  August  16,  1874;  Samuel  Edward, 
born  October  17,  1876;  Hannah  Elizabeth, 
born  July  31,  1880  ;  Ernst  W.,  born  October 
10,  1883  (died  same  day);  and  Oscar  Em- 
anuel, born  Feljruary  18,  1886.  Mr.  Dime's 
sister  is  married  to  John  J.  Berg,  a  resident 
of  Pope  county,  Minn.  Mr.  Dime  has  been 
very  successful  since  coming  to  this  country, 
as  he  was  so  poor  when  he  left  the  old  coun- 
try that  he  was  obliged  to  borrow  money 
to  pay  his  passage.  He  now  has  a  good 
farm  and  a  comfortable  home,  while  in  the 
way  of  stock  he  already  has  a  good  start. 

While  Mr.  Dime  was  not  here  at  tlie  time 
of  the  Indian  massacre,  so  as  to  have  an  ex- 
perience in  the  war  against  them,  neverthe- 
less he  has  his  adventures  to  relate  from  the 


mines  wlien  his  life  was  endangered,  and  he 
had  some  narrow  escapes.  One  instance, 
when  a  part  of  the  Lake  Shore  Iron  Mining 
Company's  mine  caved  in,  filling  up  Mr. 
Dime's  woi'king  place  with  22.000  tons  of 
rock,  he  had  to  run  for  his  life,  while  the  rocks 
rolled  in  after  him.  Another  time  he  had  a  very 
narrow  escape  from  a  falling  rock  from  the 
back  of  a  tunnel  where  he  kept  his  tools; 
he  was  engaged  in  looking  over  the  tools, 
when  a  solid  block,  one  and  one-half  tons  in 
weight,  fell  down  close  to  his  side,  touch- 
ing his  clothes,  but  not  hurting  him  in  the 
least.  Another  time  his  tender  dropped  the 
contents  of  a  smoking  pipe  right  in  the  hole 
on  the  naked  powder,  when  he  (Dime)  was 
charging  up  for  a  blast,  but  God,  the 
Almighty,  led  the  fire  so  as  not  to  come  in 
contact  with  the  powder,  and  no  accident 
happened. 

Still  another  time,  God,  who  leads  the  fates 
of  men,  kept  his  hand  between,  when  he  went 
back  after  due  time  after  blasting,  to  find  out 
the  cause  of  a  missing  hole.  He  stepped  right 
up  to  the  missed  blast,  touched  the  fuse  with 
his  hands,  but  suspecting  something  wrong 
went  out  of  the  pit,  going  well  out  of  danger. 
The  blast  exploded,  throwing  the  rocks  after 
him,  and  he  had  great  cause  to  thank  God 
for  his  deliverance. 


•■«»-J^^' 


lATRICK  F.  ARMSTRONG,  a  well- 
p*-"  known  and  substantial  farmer  and  stock- 
raiser,  residing  on  section  28,  Harvey  town- 
ship, is  an  old  settler  who  has  done  his  share 
toward  the  development  of  Meeker  county's 
resources. 

Mr.  Armstrong  is  a  native  of  Prince  Ed- 
wards Island,  Canada,  and  was  born  on  the 
16th  of  March,  1846.  Before  Patrick  was  a 
year  old,  his  j)arents  removed  to  the  United 
States  and  settled  in  Will  county,  111.,  where 
they  remained  for  ten  yeare,  and  then  came  to 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


Meeker  county,  Minn.,  and  settled  in  Harvej'^ 
township,  where  our  subject  still  resides. 
The  parents,  whose  names  were  William  and 
Teressa  Armstrong,  were  both  natives  of 
Ireland.  AVhen  they  came  to  Meeker  county 
the  family  consisted  of  the  father  and  motlier, 
four  boys  and  two  girls.  The  father  and 
mother  are  now  living  in  Mannanah  township. 

Patrick  learned  the  cooper's  trade  and  fol- 
lowed that  for  six  years  w^lien  he  was  a 
young  man  ;  he  also  followed  railroad  work 
for  two  years,  but  the  balance  of  his  life  has 
been  spent  in  tilling  the  soil.  He  was  mar- 
ried December  2,  1879,  to  Miss  Anna  Corri- 
gan,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  four  chil- 
dren, ^vhose  names  are  as  follows:  Michael, 
Thomas,  Arthur  and  Patrick.  Mrs.  Arm- 
strong's parents  are  also  natives  of  Ireland ; 
they  are  now  living  in  Harvey  township. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Armstrong  are  devout  mem- 
bers and  active  supporters  of  the  Catholic 
church.  His  political  principles  are  demo- 
cratic. 

Like  all  the  old  settlers,  their  farming 
operations  were  interrupted  and  abandoned 
at  the  time  of  the  Indian  outbreak.  At  the 
time  of  the  massacre  at  Acton,  in  August, 
1862,  Patrick  Armstrong  was  at  Empire  City, 
south  of  St.  Paul.  Hearing  of  the  Indian 
depredations,  he  at  once  started  for  home  to 
learn  whether  or  not  they  had  ail  been  killed. 
He  found  them  at  Forest  City,  all  well,  and 
on  their  way  to  Minneai)olis,  so  he  went  with 
them  to  that  place.  They  lived  in  Minneap- 
olis until  1866,  when  they  returned  to  Har- 
vey township,  where  Patrick  F.  Armstrong 
has  since  lived. 


•^"^^^►-^►> 


ij^HARLES  H.  STROBECK,  the  present 
'^^^  probate  judge  of  Meeker  county,  is  a 
native  of  West  Parishville,  St.  Lawrence 
county,  N.  Y.,  born  October  8,  1841,  and  is 
the  son  of  Henry  and  Fannie  M.  (Willis) 


Strobeck,  natives  of  the  Empire  State  and 
New  Hampshire,  respectively.  The  father 
was  originally  of  Wurtemberg  stock,  and  the 
mother's  ancestors  were  among  the  Puritan 
pilgrims  of  the  Massachusetts  Bay  Colony. 
The  fatiier  died  at  Litchfield,  Meeker  county, 
December  17,  1887,  having  come  to  this  place 
the  summer  previous.  The  mother  is  still 
living  witli  her  son.  The  judge  was  reared 
and  received  his  primary  education  in  the 
county  of  his  birth,  assisting  his  father  in  the 
labors  attendant  upon  farm  life  until  he  was 
some  nineteen  years  of  age.  At  that  time 
he  entered  the  St.  Lawrence  Academy,  where 
he  remained  during  the  spring  and  fall  terms 
from  1860  to  1863,  teaching  school  during 
the  winters.  During  the  winter  of  1863-4, 
he  took  the  place  of  the  professor  in  the 
mathematical  department  of  the  same  acad- 
emy, and  filled  the  post  creditably. 

On  leaving  school,  he  entered  the  law 
office  of  Judge  Henry  L.  Knowles,  as  a  stu- 
dent and  clerk,  where  he  remained  until 
October,  1865,  when  he  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  in  a  class  of  fourteen,  at  a  session  of  the 
Supreme  Com-t  of  New  York,  at  Canton,  the 
county  seat  of  St.  Lawrence  county.  A  bout 
the  1st  of  December,  the  same  year,  Mr. 
Strobeck  came  west  to  Chicago,  and  from 
there  to  Ked  Wing,  Minn.,  where  he  located, 
and  commenced  the  practice  of  law.  and 
wrote  fire  insurance  until  coming  to  Litch 
field.  The  latter  branch  of  the  business  was 
carried  on  in  partnership  with  W.C.Williston. 

October  22,  1869,  Mr.  Strobeck  came  to 
Litchfield  and  made  up  his  mind  to  locate  in 
the  place,  then  in  embrj'o,  as  there  was  only 
a  few  buildings  erected  at  that  time.  He 
put  up  an  office,  being  the  pioneer  attorney 
of  the  city,  and  has  remained  in  practice  here 
ever  since.  The  judge  is  a  staunch  republican 
but  has  had  but  little  political  aspirations.  He 
has  held  several  local  offices  in  the  govern- 
ment of  the  village  and  in  educational  mat- 
ters, prominent  among  which   was  that  of 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MIA'XESOTA. 


prosecuting  attorney.  In  the  fall  of  1880  he 
■was  elected  to  tiie  responsihie  position  of 
Probate  judge,  which  ho  still  holds. 

On  the  24th  of  February,  1873,  Ciiarles  H. 
Strobeck  antl  Miss  Carrie  E.  Phelps  were 
united  in  marriage.  The  lady  is  a  native  of 
Oaivland  county,  Mich.,  and  daughter  of 
William  and  Carrie  (James)  Phelps,  the 
latter  natives  of  the  Empire  State.  B3'  this 
union  there  have  been  two  children — Alice  J, 
and  Henry. 

eludge  Strobeck  is  a  man  ol  sterling  integ- 
rity, and  having  a  mind  of  his  own,  has 
strong  feelinffs  in  regard  to  what  he  conceives 
to  be  ri^ht  or  wrone:,  and  what  is  more, 
dares  to  maintain  them. 


-«-; 


v-^> 


PETER  K.  BROWN,  who  is  one  of  the 
leading  and  influential  farmers  of 
Acton  township,  has  had  an  eventful  and 
varied  life.  He  was  a  son  of  Knute  and  Eliza 
Jirown  and  was  born  in  Denmark  on  the  8th 
of  October,  1834.  When  he  had  arrived  at 
the  age  of  twenty-four,  thinking  to  benefit 
his  financial  condition  he  started  for  the 
gold  fields  of  Australia,  and  after  101  days  of 
sailing  he  landed  at  Melbourne,  and  was 
soon  hard  at  work  in  the  mines.  He  re- 
mained there  for  seven  years,  and  endured 
much  more  hardship  and  suffering  than  falls 
to  the  lot  of  mankind  generally.  At  one 
time  he  had  neither  money  nor  provisions, 
and  after  a  siege  of  fasting,  which  nearly 
resulted  in  starvation,  he  was  fortunate 
enough  to  find  gold  with  which  he  purchased 
something  to  eat.  He  underwent  many  other 
experiences  which  were  fully  as  trying,  but 
still  he  pei-severed.  At  times,  however,  he 
would  enjoy  a  run  of  luck,  and  at  one  time 
he  had  about  $2,000  in  his  possession,  but  he 
managed  to  leave  with  about  $500  in  his 
pocket.  He  then  returned  to  Denmark, 
stopping  at  London,  England,  for  a  few  days 


while  on  the  way  home.  He  then  remained 
in  Denmark  for  about  two  years,  and  on  the 
17th  of  April,  1868,  he  started  for  the  United 
States  ami  landed  at  New  York,  during  the 
latter  part  of  May.  He  proceeded  at  once 
to  Kandiyohi  county,  Minn.,  where  his 
brother,  N.  K.  Brown  was  living.  A  year 
later  he  moved  to  the  farm  in  Acton  town- 
ship on  which  he  still  lives,  having  purchased 
railroad  land.  As  he  had  learned  the  car- 
penter's trade  in  the  old  countr\',  he  erected 
his  own  buildings,  which  are  located  on  sec- 
tion 29.  He  has  excellent  improvements, 
and  now  owns  250  acres  of  land,  a  good 
share  of  which  is  under  cultivation.  Mr. 
Brown's  mother  is  dead  and  his  father 
lives  with  a  brother,  N.  K.  Brown,  in  Kandi- 
yohi county.  There  are  several  other  mem- 
bers of  the  family  living  in  the  United 
States,  including  R.  K.  Brown,  of  Acton  ; 
John  K.  Brown,  of  Danielson  ;  and  Karen, 
now  Mi's.  Paul  Nelson,  of  Danielson;  besides 
N.    K.    Brown,   of  Kandiyohi  county. 

Peter  K.  Brown  has  taken  a  prominent 
and  active  part  in  all  public  matters,  and  has 
held  many  offices  of  a  local  but  at  the  same 
time  important  character,  including  those  of 
town  clerk  two  years,  chairman  of  super- 
visors two  years,  assessor  one  3'ear ;  and  was 
elected  justice  of  the  peace  but  did  not 
qualify. 

Mr.  Brown  was  married,  during  the  year 
1870,  to  Bertha  Margrethe  Madson,  and 
they  have  been  blessed  with  the  following 
children — Mads  Peter,  born  March  21,  1871; 
Albert  Knuteson,  born  July  21,1873;  Jo- 
hanes,  born  June  13,  1875;  Elizze  Marie, 
born  April  30,  1877;  and  Nels  Christian, 
born  April  25,  1879. 


•^^^►-4- 


EWIS  LARSON,  of  Litchfield,  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  of  Nelson,  Johnson 
&  Larson,  dealers  in  general  merchandise. 
Mr.  Larson  was  born  in  Sweden  in  1842,  and 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


215 


remained  in  tlie  "Fatherland"  until  about 
twenty-seven  years  of  age.  His  father  died 
when  Lewis  was  three  and  his  mother  when 
he  was  fifteen,  so  he  was  left  to  care  for  him- 
self. He  had  up  to  that  time  attended  school 
regularly  and  had  attained  a  good  education. 
"When  about  twenty  years  old  he  entered 
a  civil  office,  corresponding  with  the  office 
of  sheriff  in  this  country,  and  he  remained 
in  this  for  six  years.  After  this  he  went  to 
Gottenberg  and  for  a  short  time  was  engaged 
in  business  at  that  place  but  he  finally  sold  out 
and  came  to  Ameiica,  locating  in  Wisconsin. 
At  that  time  he  could  speak  and  understand 
very  little  English,  and  for  one  year  he  lived 
with  an  American  family  for  tiie  jnirpose  of 
acquiring  it,  finally  becoming  very  profi- 
cient. On  the  31st  of  Decern l^er,  1870,  he 
arrived  in  Litchfield,  and  entered  the  store 
of  Nelson  Brothers  as  a  clerk  a  short  time 
later.  In  the  summer  of  1872  he  went  to 
Willmar  and  was  there  emj)loyed  as  a  clerk 
in  the  store  of  Spicer  &  Larson  for  about 
three  years  and  a  half.  Then,  in  company 
with  W.  Paulson,  under  the  firm  name  of 
Paulson  &  Larson,  they  went  into  the  gen 
eral  merchandise  trade  at  Willmar.  In  1880 
Mr.  Larson  sold  his  interest  to  his  partner 
and  removed  to  Litchfield,  and  the  present 
mercantile  firm  of  Nelson,  Johnson  &  Lar- 
son was  formed.  Mr.  Larson  is  a  member  of 
the  Masonic  fraternity,  having  joinetl  Golden 
Fleece  Lodge,  No.  89,  in  1888. 


PROMINENT  farmer  and  stock-raiser 
']^S^  residing  on  section  11,  Cedar  Mills 
township,  is  R.  A.  AVheeler,  a  veteran  of  the 
late  civil  war,  and  one  of  the  leading  citi- 
zens in  the  southern  part  of  the  county. 

Mr.  Wheeler'  is  a  native  of  Bangor,  Me., 
born  on  the  25th  of  May,  184-1,  and  is  a  son 
of  Isaac  and  Martha  (Norcross)  Wheeler. 
His  parents  were  old  settlers  in  Cedar  Mills 
township,  and  their  history  will    be   found 


in  another  department  of  this  work.  Reuben 
A.  Wheeler,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  re- 
mained with  his  parents  (coming  with  them 
meanwhile  to  Wright  county,  Minn.,)  until 
October,  1861,  when  he  enlisted  in  Company 
D,  Fourth  Minnesota  Volunteer  Infantry. 
He  remained  in  the  service  until  July,  1865, 
and  probaldy  saw  more  actual  active  war  ser- 
vice than  any  ex-soldier  who  to-day  resides 
in  Meeker  county.  He  participated  in  the 
first  and  second  battlesat  Corinth.  luka,  Siege 
of  Vicksburg,  where  he  was  wounded  in  the 
head  by  a  piece  of  a  shell,  Altoona  Pass. 
Savannah,  Ga.,  and  was  with  Sherman  in 
his  famous  March  to  the  Sea.  He  then,  with 
Sherman's  army,  went  to  Washington  and 
participated  in  the  grand  review.  After  re- 
ceiving an  honorable  discharge  from  the  serv- 
ice he  came  to  Meeker  county,  Minn.,  arriving 
in  July,  1865.  He  at  once  located  on  a  soldier's 
homestead,  which  his  father,  Isaac  Wheeler, 
had  selected  for  him  in  1863,  which  was 
located  on  section  11,  Cedar  Mills  township, 
where  he  now  lives.  lie  at  once  began 
improving  his  place,  and  erected  a  log-cabin, 
covering  it  with  a  hay  roof.  Mr.  AVheeler 
remained  on  his  place  most  of  the  time  until 
1867,  when  he  went  to  Green  Lake,  Kandi- 
yohi county.  Three  years  later  he  went  to 
Montana,  but  a  short  time  later  he  returned 
to  his  homestead  in  Cedar  Mills  township, 
where  he  has  since  lived.  He  devotes  his 
attention  to  general  farming  and  stock-rais- 
ing, and  is  one  of  the  most  prominent  and 
best-known  citizens  of  the  township  in  which 
he  lives.  He  is  a  prominent  member  of  the 
Frank  Daggett  Post,  No.  35,  Grand  Army  of 
the  Republic,  of  Litchfield. 

Mr.  W^heeler  was  married  on  the  11th  of 
November,  1866,  to  Miss  Malvina  Nichols, 
who  was  born  in  Racine  county,  Wis.  Their 
marriage  has  been  blessed  with  six  children, 
as  follows  —  Martha  M.,  George  R.,  Frank  E., 
Harlan  M.,  Ray  M.,  and  Mary  P.  The  fam- 
ily are  members  of  the  Presbyterian  church. 


21(3 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


Mi.  WELL-KNOWN  businessman  of  Litch- 
Jj^"^^  field  is  A.  C.  Johnson,  a  member  of 
tliefirmof  Nelson,  Johnson  &  Larson,  gen- 
eral merchants.  He  is  a  native  of  Sweden, 
and  was  born  in  1S5L 

"When  eleven  years  of  age,  he  started  with 
his  grandparents  and  his  uncle,  B.  P.  Kel- 
son, for  America,  intending  to  come  direct  to 
Meeker  county,  Minn.,  where  Andrew,  a 
brother  of  Mr.  Nelson,  was  then  living.  They 
crossed  the  ocean  in  a  sailing  vessel,  being 
ten  weeks  on  the  way,  arriving  at  Boston 
about  August  20,  1862.  There  they  learned 
of  the  terrible  outbreak  of  the  Indians  in 
this  country,  but  continued  on  their  journey, 
coming  as  far  as  St.  Paul,  where  they  decided 
to  remain  for  a  time.  Mr.  Johnson  remained 
there  until  1871,  when  he  removed  to  Litch- 
field and  entered  the  store  of  Nelson  Broth- 
ers as  a  clerk,  and  remained  with  them  until 
they  sold  out  to  Alex.  Cairncross.  lie  was 
then  with  the  latter  gentleman  for  about  two 
years  and  a  half.  At  the  end  of  that  time, 
he,  in  company  with  Stephen  Cairncross,  a 
brother  clerk,  bought  out  the  establishment 
and  went  into  business  for  themselves,  under 
the  firm  name  of  Cairncross  &  Johnson. 
This  firm  continued  in  business  for  about  two 
years  and  a  half,  when  the  stock  was  sold 
out.  In  18S0,  the  present  firm  of  Nelson, 
Johnson  &  Larson  was  formed.  The  other 
members  of  the  firm  are  B.  P.  Nelson  and 
Lewis  Larson,  and  the  business  they  do  is 
probably  the  largest  done  in  tiie  village,  in 
their  line.  They  carry  a  full  stock  of  dry 
goods,  groceries,  etc.,  and  cater  to  the  tastes 
of  everybody.  They  are  among  the  bright- 
est business  men  of  the  village,  and  are  in 
splendid  financial  condition. 


•««: 


—^^ 


JJEpROMINENT  among  the  old  settlers  is 
_fj*~  is  A.  M.  Caswell,  who  now  resides  in 
the  village  of  Litch'ield.  He  was  born  in 
Melbourne,  Canada,  October  2,  1833.     His 


father,  Moody  Caswell,  was  born  in  Vermont, 
and  his  mother,  Hannah  (Bishop)  Caswell,  in 
New  Hampshire.  They  lived  in  Canada  un- 
td  he  was  past  seventeen  and  then  moved  to 
Vermont,  and  fi'om  there  to  New  Hamp- 
shire, and  came  to  Minnesota  in  April,  1856. 
They  came  to  Dunleath,  111.,  by  rail  and 
thence  uj)  the  Mississippi  on  the  old  steamer 
"War  Eagle."  There  were  about  700  pas- 
sengers on  board,  generally  in  high  spirits 
about  the  prospects  in  the  Territory  of  Min- 
nesota, where  the  land  was  rich  and  money 
plenty.  They  landed  at  St.  Paul  and  then 
took  the  stage  to  St.  Anthonj\  There  was 
only  a  few  houses  there  then  and  one  saw- 
mill ;  from  there  they  came  by  steamboat  up 
the  river  to  Monticello,  where  they  stopped 
until  about  the  1st  of  June,  and  then,  hear- 
ing of  the  great  chance  for  getting  land  on 
the  big  prairie  in  Meeker  count}',  and  as 
there  was  a  party  of  immigrants  came  along, 
A.  M.  Caswell  followed,  and  camped  the  first 
night  alone  in  tiie  woods  about  midway  be- 
tween Monticello  and  Kingston.  The  next 
morning  he  came  up  with  Patch's  company, 
and  camped  on  the  bank  of  Crow  river. 
The  water  was  high,  and  as  there  was  no 
bridge,  they  had  to  make  a  raft  of  logs. 
After  crossing  the  river  the  company  scat- 
tered, hunting  claims.  Our  subject  traveled 
to  Forest  City  and  took  dinner  with  Thomas 
Skinner,  a  whole-souled  and  public-spirited 
gentleman,  always  courteous  and  obliging  to 
everybody,  in  whose  death  Meeker  lost  one 
of  her  best  men.  From  there  he  started 
with  two  others  to  look  for  claims,  and  trav- 
eled over  the  level  prairie  of  Harvey,  but 
found  it  generally  marked,  as  a  ])arty  had 
been  through  there  and  marked  claims  for 
all  their  relatives,  some  which  were  yet  in 
the  old  country',  so  he  left  that  and  went 
above  the  woods  in  the  vicinity  of  Manan- 
nah,  and  there  the  claims  were  vacant,  and 
he  marked  his  claim — the  first  one  marked 
in  the  townshiji — and  then  returned  to  Mon- 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


217 


ticello.     He  was  boarding  at  a  hotel,  when  a 
party  came,  who  had  been  through  to  the 
big  prairie,  among  tiie   party   being  T.  C. 
Jewett   and  Captain  A.  D.  Pierce,  an   old 
sea  captain  from  Cape  Cod,  Mass.,  who  said 
he   had   been   up    above   Forrest   City   and 
located  a  town  site.     He  gave  glowing  ac- 
comits  of  the  country  and  said  there  was  only 
one  claim  marked  there  and  that  was  just 
the  one  he  wanted  to  build  his  town  on,  and 
he  was  going  to  have  it.     He  also  said  that 
he  camped  on  the  liighest  hill  there  was  near 
there,  (which  must  have  been  Tower  Hill) 
and  fought  mosquitoes  all  night,  and  he  fore- 
saw the  great  events  of  the  near  future ;  the 
network  of    railroads  that  would  come  to 
and   through   his  town.      He  took   out   his 
book  and  read  the  name  tiiat  he  found  on 
his  claim,  as  he  called  it,  and  it  hap])ened  to 
be  Mr.  Caswell's;  he  afterward  tried  to  scare 
Mr.  C.  off,  but  failing  to  do  it,  he  bought 
him  off  b}'  paying  fifty  dollars  and  a  watch. 
He  afterward  stated  that  the  trade  was  like 
a  horse-trade,  and  he  was  mighty  sick  of  the 
horse.   Mr.  Caswell  then  made  another  claim 
where   F.    F.    Phillips   now    lives,   and    his 
brother,  Albert,  came  on  and  took  one  ad- 
joining, and  his  father,  mother  and  sisters 
came  the  next  fall.    His  mother  was  afflicted 
with  a  rose  cancer,  and  after  having  it  cut 
out  died  within  a  year,  being  the  first  woman 
buried  in  Manannah  grave-yard. 

But  the  flush  times  of  1856  were  followed 
by  several  years  of  dearth,  or  almost  a  famine. 
There  was  no  money  in  the  country  and 
scarcely  any  provisions,  and  for  two  or 
three  years  a  laboring  man  could  get  neither 
money,  clothing  nor  provisions  for  his  work. 
The  only  way  to  get  money  was  to  hunt  or 
trap  for  fur,  which  was  hard-earned  money. 
So,  getting  tired  out  or  starved  out,  at 
Manannah,  his  brother,  Albert,  and  himself, 
and  Ziba  and  Nathan  Caswell  started  out 
for  the  gold  mines  at  Pike's  Peak,  in  Colo- 
rado, and  were  gone  from  the  State  most  of 


the  time  until  after  the  Indian  war.  Our 
subject  was  at  work  in  the  mines  in  Colorado, 
and  his  brother  and  Ziba  Caswell  were  in 
Nevada  in  the  Washoe  silver  mines.  They 
heard  of  the  Indian  war  and  started  for 
home,  and  although  they  were  two  thousand 
miles  apart  when  they  started  and  neither 
party  knew  when  the  other  was  going  to 
start,  they  met  in  Minneapolis  and  came  home 
on  the  stage  together. 

The  next  spring  A.  M.  Caswell  was  mar- 
ried to  Vesta  J.  Britt,  of  the  town  of  Har- 
vey. They  kept  a  hotel  at  Coon  Creek  one 
year,  then  sold  out  and  went  to  Anoka,  where 
they  remained  about  three  years.  They  then 
sold  out  and  moved  to  Harvey  township, 
where  they  lived  until  removing  to  Litchfield 
in  1888.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Caswell  have  two 
children  —  one  a  young  man,  twenty  four 
years  old,  and  a  daughter  about  eight 

In  speaking  of  the  "old  times"  Mr.  Cas- 
well says :  "  When  I  came  to  this  county, 
there  had  never  been  a  bushel  of  wheat,  corn 
or  potatoes  raised  here.  Now  nearly  every 
acre  of  prairie  and  thousands  of  acres  of 
brush  and  tiinbei'  land  are  under  cultivation, 
,  and  thousands  of  reaping  and  threshing  ma- 
chines are  kept  busy,  instead  of  the  old  down 
reaper  that  took  four  horses,  two  men  and  a 
bov  to  operate,  the  grain  having  to  be  raked 
off  by  hand,  and  much  of  it  left  scattered  on 
the  ground.  We  have  a  machine  that  three 
horses  and  one  man  manage  easily  and  which 
leaves  the  grain  tied  up  in  neat  bundles, 
leaving-  the  field  clean  as  if  it  hail  l^een 
gleaned  by  the  gleaners  of  old  times.  But  the 
young  men  that  were  vigorous  and  strong 
and  active  are  now  becoming  okl,  bleached 
and  gray  ;  but  there  is  another  generation 
coming  on  to  fill  our  places.  I  have  faith  and 
believe  there  is  a  bright  future  for  Meeker 
county,  and  that  it  is  bound  to  be  one  of  the 
richest  and  best  stock-producing  counties  in 
the  Northwest." 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MIXNESOTA. 


J^SAAC  WHEELER,  who  was  one  of  the 
a_  most  prominent  early  settlers  in  Cedar 
Mills  township,  is  a  native  of  Maine,  and  was 
born  on  June  19,  1817.  He  remained  in 
his  native  State  until  1861,  when  he  came  to 
Minnesota  and  located  on  a  farm  in  Wrif^ht 
county.  In  xA.pril,  1863,  lie  came  to  Meeker 
county,  and  selected  160  acres  of  land  on 
section  9,  Cedar  ]\Iills,  and  the  following 
year  moved  on  to  it  with  his  family.  The\' 
were  tlie  first  settlers  west  of  Cedar  Mills 
after  the  Indian  outbreak,  and  were  there 
one  season  entirely  without  neighbors.  At 
the  time  they  came  here  the  soldiers  were 
stationed  at  Pipe  Lake,  and  they  helped  Mr. 
Wiieeler  cut  the  logs  with  -wliich  he  erected 
his  cabin.  IVIr.  Wheeler  remained  on  tiie 
farm  until  after  his  wife's  death  in  1876, 
when  he  sold  his  place  to  his  sons,  Frank  and 
Newton  Wheeler,  and  since  that  time  has 
lived  with  his  children,  going  back  and 
forth  between  them. 

After  a  long  and  useful  career  of  toil  and 
industry,  he  is  now  spending  the  evening  of 
his  life  in  a  quiet  and  peaceful  way,  having 
to  the  fullest  degree  the  confidence  and 
respect  of  all  who  know  him. 


-^^ 


NDREW  J.  NELSON,  a  well-to  do  and 
'^\^  highh'-respected  farmer  residing  on 
section  22,  Union  Grove  township,  is  a  native 
of  Sweden,  where  he  was  born  on  the  2d  of 
December,  18.52.  His  parents'  names  were 
Nels  and  Kersten  Anderson.  The  mother 
died  when  he  was  only  sixteen  weeks  old, 
and  his  father  died  when  he  was  seventeen 
years  of  age. 

Andrew  J.  spent  his  younger  days  in  the 
land  of  his  birth,  when  he  acquired  the  same 
habits  of  industry  and  frugality  which  are 
characteristic  of  the  race  of  which  he  springs. 
In  1880  he  sailed  for  the  United  States,  and 
making  his  way  directly  to  Meeker  county, 


Minn.,  he  rented  a  farm  in  Swede  Grove 
townsiii]).  He  remained  there  for  three  years 
and  then  io  February,  1884,  he  removed  to 
the  farm  on  section  22,  Union  Grove  town- 
ship, where  he  still  lives.  He  owns  130  acres 
of  land,  a  good  share  of  which  is  cleared  and 
under  cultivation.  lie  has  considerable  stock 
and  comfortable  buildings.  When  Mr.  Nel- 
son came  to  America  his  earthly  possessions- 
consisted  of  $1,000  in  money,  but  he  lost  a 
good  share  of  that  in  the  first  two  years 
through  the  failure  of  crops,  but  by  good 
management  and  hard  work  he  has  recov- 
ered and  is  now  in  comfortable  circumstances. 
Mr.  Nelson  was  married  before  leaving- 
Sweden,  in  1878,  to  Miss  Ingrid  Larson,  a 
daughter  of  Mr.  anil  Mrs.  Lars  Nelson,  and 
their  union  has  been  blessed  with  three  chil- 
dren, as  follows — Hilda,  born  in  Sweden,  Jan- 
uary 19,  1879 ;  Ida,  born  in  Swede  Grove 
township,  October  18, 1880  ;  and  Anton,  born 
in  Union  Grove  township,  July  30,  1884. 
Mrs.  Nelson's  mother  died  in  1868,  and  her 
father  is  now  living  with  them. 


"OHN  B.  PENNOYER,  a  prominent  resi- 
dent of  the  village  of  Greenleaf,  is  a 
native  of  Sherbrook  county.  Lower  Camula, 
born  on  the  12tli  of  February,  1832.  His 
parents,  Truman  and  Priscdia  II.  Pennoyer, 
were  natives  of  Vermont,  and  both  were 
born  in  the  year  1804.  The  mother  died  in 
1886,  but  the  father  is  still  living,  a  respected 
resident  of  Ellsworth  township,  Meeker 
county.  Truman  Pennoyer's  father  was  a 
Frenchman,  and  sailed  the  seas  as  a  privateer 
during  the  revolutionary  war,  subsequently 
settling  in  Vermont.  Truman  spent  a  few 
years  in  Canada  and  then  returned  to  Ver- 
mont. P'rom  the  latter  State  he  removed  to 
St.  Lawrence  county,  N.  Y.,  taking  the  family 
by  wagon  through  the  timber  over  the 
Plattsburg     and      Ogdensburg     ]iike,     and 


MEEKER    COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


219 


through  the  Chateaugay  cedar  swamp,  to 
Potsdam,  and  remained  there  from  1836  to 
1864.  He  was  a  cooper  by  trade,  but  a 
farmer  by  occupation 

Truman  Pennoyer  and  wife  were  the  par- 
ents of  seven  sons  and  six  daughters.  The 
three  oldest  died  in  infancy,  and  were  buried 
at  Compton  Center,  C.  E.  Three  others  died 
in  infancy,  and  two  sisters  died  after  they 
were  grown.  Five  of  their  children  are  still 
living — J.  B.  Pennoyer,  O.  A.  Pennoyer, 
H.  H.  Pennoyer,  Mrs.  J.  M.  Howard,  of 
Meeker  county,  Minn.,  and  Mrs.  H.  F.  Pow- 
ers, of  Cincinnati,  Oiiio. 

John  B.  Pennoyer,  the  subject  of  this  mem- 
oir, was  reared  on  a  farm,  and  upon  reaching 
the  age  of  twenty-four  lie  left  home  and 
started  West,  He  traveled  over  various  por- 
tions of  the  West,  but  lived  the  greater  part 
of  the  time  in  Whiteside  and  Jersey  coun- 
ties, 111.,  until  1864,  when  he  came  to  Meeker 
eounty,  Minn.,  making  the  journey  from 
Hastings  on  foot.  He  entered  a  homestead 
on  section  35,  in  what  is  now  Greenleaf  town- 
ship, and  continued  to  reside  thereuntil  Aug- 
ust, 1885,  when  he  rented  his  farm  and 
started  out  in  search  of  a  locality  that  would 
benefit  his  health.  After  spending  the  fall 
and  winter  in  Macoupin  and  Jersey  counties, 
111.,  he  went  to  Huntsvilie,  Ala.,  and  remained 
there  until  Septeml)er  27,  1886,  when  he 
■came  back  and  took  up  his  residence  in  the 
village  of  Greenleaf. 

In  tlie  month  of  September  following  Mr. 
Pennoyer's  first  arrival  in  Meeker  county, 
1864.  he  went  to  Greene  county,  111.,  and  was 
married  to  Mary  F.  Bilbruck,  a  daughter  of 
John  and  Charlotte  Bilbruck,  who  was  born 
in  Nottinghamshire,  England,  on  the  7th  of 
December,  1842.  Five  ciiildren  have  been 
born  to  them  —  Alice  Naomi,  born  July  25, 
1867,  died  May  8,  1870  ;  Charlotte  Augusta, 
born  December  5,  1870;  Francis  Irene,  born 
October  26,  1875,  died  April  3,  1879;  Har- 
mon  Lee,    born    September  4,     1880 ;    and 


Florence  Emma,  born  June  5,  1884.  Mr. 
Pennoyer  has  taken  an  active  interest  in  all 
public  matters  and  has  held  various  local  of- 
fices. In  political  matters  he  affiliates  with 
the  republican  party. 

Having  been  identified  with  the  growth 
and  development  of  Meeker  county  iluring 
a  residence  of  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century, 
he  is  well-known  to  all  pioneers,  and  none  is 
held  in  higher  esteem.  Tiirough  his  untar- 
nished and  unblemished  integrity  his  word  is 
recognized  as  being  as  good  as  a  bond,  and 
he  is  held  in  the  highest  respect  by  all  who 
know  him.  Hospitable,  charitable,  and  en- 
terprising, aiding  whatever  entei'prise  is  cal- 
culated to  benefit  either  town  or  county  in 
which  he  has  lived  so  long,  he  has  justly 
earned  the  high  reputation  which  he  bears,  of 
being  one  of  the  most  desirable  citizens  of 
which  any  locality  can  boast. 

We  take  [Jeasure  in  presenting  a  portrait 
of  Mr.  Pennoyer  in  another  department  of 
this  work. 


I^RANK  E.  WHEELER.  The  subject  of 
JP'  this  sketch,  a  resident  of  section  9,  is 
one  of  the  leading  citizens  of  Cedar  Mills 
township,  and  is  a  son  of  Isaac  Wheeler,  who 
is  mentioned  above.  He  is  a  native  of  Gar- 
land, Maine,  and  was  born  on  the  1st  of  Jan- 
uary, 1851.  His  early  life  was  spent  in  his 
native  State,  and  in  1861  he  came  West  with 
his  father's  family,  and  they  settled  in 
Wright  county,  Minnesota,  as  has  been 
stated.  In  1863  they  settled  in  Meeker 
county,  and  Frank  remained  at  home  until 
the  death  of  his  mother  in  1876,  when 
the  family  was  l)roken  up  and  scattered. 
After  this  Frank  taught  school  in  this 
county  and  also  in  Wabash  county,  Indiana, 
following  this  profession  for  three  years. 
In  April,  1881,  he  settled  upon  the  old 
homestead,  and  this  has  since  been  his  home. 
He  has  a  valuable  farm  of  180  acres,  eighty 


MEEKER    COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


of  which  are  already  under  cultivation,  and  all 
of  it  is  in  tillable  condition.  He  has  made 
substantia!  im])rovenients  on  the  place  and  it 
is  conveniently  arranged.  He  devotes  his 
time  and  energies  to  general  farming  and 
stock  raising,  and  is  I'ated  as  one  of  the  nK)st 
successful  and  enteiprisiug  agriculturists  in 
the  township.  He  has  taken  an  active  and 
prominent  part  in  township  and  educational 
affairs  of  late  years,  and  has  held  various 
local  offices,  including  those  of  supervisor, 
school  clerk  and  others.  He  has  been  a 
member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  for 
fifteen  years. 

Mr.  Wheeler  was  married  at  Ellsworth, 
March  19,  1879,  to  Miss  .Lucy  Porter,  of 
Ellsworth  township,  and  they  are  the  parents 
of  four  children,  as  follows:  Mellen  E., 
Ethel  E.,  Ruth  C.  and  Allen  K.  Mrs. 
Wheeler  was  born  at  Greenfield,  Wis.,  July 
9,  1856. 


-♦• 


J^RANK  T.  PETERSON,  of  Swede  Grove 
_lp2- township,  is  one  of  the  most  extensive 
stock  raisers  in  Meeker  county.  lie  is  a  son 
of  Peter  O.  and  Christine  (Hawkinson) 
Peterson.  The  parents  were  natives  of 
Sweden,  who  came  to  the  United  States  in 
1854,  and  settled  in  Chisago  county,  Minn. 
The  following  is  a  hst  of  their  children — 
John  W.,  born  January  20,  1858 ;  Frank  T., 
born  October  2,  1859  ;  Mary  C,  born  March 
14,  1861 ;  Christine  E.,  born  March  29,  1863  ; 
Oscar  F.,  (deceased)  born  January  20,  1865 ; 
and  Ida  ]V[.,  born  May  21,  1867.  Mary  C. 
married  Charles  M.  Ahlstrom,  a  resident  of 
Harvey  township.  John  W.,  for  the  past 
three  years,  has  been  engaged  in  railroad 
contracting,  in  company  with  a  cousin,  John 
G.  Lundquist,  who  has  been  in  the  business 
for  the  last  thirteen  years.  They  are  now 
building  a  road  near  Chicago.  Frank  T., 
Christine   and   Ida   M.    still   live   at   home, 


although  the  last  named,  at  this  writing,  is 
in  St.  Peter,  attending  college.  Frank  T.  & 
Co.  carry  on  the  extensive  farming  and  stock 
raising  business;  they  own  1,200  acres  of 
land  and  have  about  the  finest  farm  build- 
ings in  the  western  j)art  of  the  county. 

As  has  been  stated,  the  father  settled  in 
Chisago  county,  Minn.,  in  1854.  In  1868  the 
family  removed  to  Swede  Grove  township, 
Meeker  county,  settling  on  section  36,  where 
the  father  died  on  the  24th  of  November, 

1886,  and  where  the  mother  still  lives.  The 
farm  is  carried  on  jointly',  being  owned  in 
thirds  by  Frank  T.  and  John  W.  Peterson, 
and  their  cousin,  John  G.  Lundquist,  with 
Frank  as  manager.  They  devote  sjiecial  at- 
tention to  raising  blooded  horses,  cattle  and 
hogs,  and  some  of  the  finest  stock  in  the 
State  may  be  seen  at  their  fai'm.  They  have 
on  hand  two  stallions  worthy  of  special 
notice :  Sansonnet,  imported  by  M.  W. 
Dunham  in  1887;  French  No.  8,811,  Ameri- 
can No.  6,991 ;  also  Simonneau,  French  No. 
9,020,  American  No.  7,108.  They  have  the 
following  valuable  inares,  which  were  im- 
ported by  M.  W.  Dunham :  Poulotte,  im- 
ported in  1886,  French  No.  6677,  American 
No.  5614;  Valentine,  imported  in  1884, 
French  No.  2778,  American  No.  3663 ;  Lil- 
liane,  imported  in  1887,  French  No.  8554, 
American     No.    7145 ;     Bibi,    imported    in 

1887,  French  No.  10248,  American  No. 
7128.  These  magnificent  animals  were 
purchased  at  a  cost  of  $11,750.  In  addition 
to  these  they  have  many  others  of  high 
grade  which  are  a  credit  to  the  county. 

^^  B.  BENSON,  cashier  of  the  Meeker 
^^^  Bank  of  Litchfield,  was  born  in  St. 
Peter,  Nicollet  county,  Minn.,  July  2,  1860, 
and  is  the  son  of  Peter  and  Malena  Benson, 
natives  of  Sweden,  who  were  engaged    in 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


agricultural  pursuits  in  that  section  of  the 
State,  having  settled  there  some  time  in  the 
"  Forties,"  among  the  pioneers  of  the  State. 

The  subject  of  this  memoir  was  reared 
upon  the  paternal  farm,  receiving  his  educa- 
tion in  the  district  schools  and  remained  at 
home  until  the  fall  of  1880,  when  he  attended 
a  course  at  the  business  college  at  Minnea- 
polis. The  following  spring  he  came  to 
Litchfield  and  entered  the  Meeker  County 
Bank  as  book-keeper,  and  remained  in  that 
capacity  until  July  7,  1884,  when  he  was 
made  assistant  cashier,  and  in  March,  1885, 
was  jiromoted  to  the  post  of  cashier  in  tiie 
same  monetary  institution.  He  is  one  of  the 
solid  young  business  men  of  whom  Litchfield 
can  justly  boast,  and  has  a  bright  and  pros- 
perous future  before  him. 

On  the  24th  of  November,  1887,  Mr.  Benson 
'  led  to  the  hymeneal  altar  Miss  Pauline  Fuller, 
one  of  Meeker  county's  fairest,  brightest 
daughters.  She  was  the  child  of  George  W. 
Fuller,  the  well  known  horticulturist  and 
arboriculturist  of  Litchfield.  The  happiness 
of  the  young  couple  was,  however,  of  but 
brief  duration,  the  angel  of  death  claiming 
the  bride  on  the  9th  of  May,  1888,  and  after  a 
brief  honeymoon  of  about  five  months  she 
passed  to  that  land  Elysian,  whose  portals  we 
call  death,  leaving  her  husband's  heart  and 
home  a  desolate  waste. 


l&aTANS  EVENSON,  a  successful  farmer 
JL-^IL  and  stock  raiser,  residing  on  section  8, 
Green  leaf  township,  and  one  of  the  most 
prominent  old  settlers  in  Meeker  county, 
was  born  in  Norway  on  September  6,  181.5. 
He  remained  in  his  native  land  until  the 
spring  of  1852,  when  he  came  to  the  United 
States  and  settled  in  Eock  count\'.  Wis.  On 
July  12,  1854,  he  returned  to  his  native  land 
and  remained  until  1857,  when  he  returned 
to   the  United  States,  setthng  this  time  in 


St.  Paul,  but  three  months  later  went  to 
Scott  county,  Minn.,  where  he  spent  the 
winter.  His  next  move  was  to  locate  in 
Wright  county,  where  he  spent  two  years  in 
the  "  Big  Woods,"  and  then,  in  the  spring  of 
1860,  he  came  to  Meeker  county,  and  took 
a  claim  on  section  8,  where  he  has  since 
lived.  Flis  trip  to  this  county  was  one  of 
severe  hardship,  as  he  came  on  foot  from 
Wright  county,  accompanied  by  his  oldest 
son,  Even.  At  that  time  there  was  only  one 
house  in  sight — on  Inger  Hill,  which  was  oc- 
cupied by  a  man  named  Inger.  They  came 
in  tlie  winter  or  early  spring,  and  bought  a 
hand-sled,  on  which  they  drew  their  tools, 
etc.,  and  went  direct  to  the  Ole  Ness  place, 
which  was  near  Little  Lake,  in  what  is  now 
Litchfield  township.  During  that  winter, 
he  would  start  every  morning  for  his  place, 
and  spent  his  time  in  getting  out  logs,  so  as 
to  be  ready  to  build  in  the  spring  ;  also  dur- 
ing that  time,  he  dug  a  well  fifty  feet  deep 
for  Ole  Ness,  and  stoned  it  up.  He  remained 
about  a  month  at  that  time,  and  then  bor- 
rowed a  sled  and  yoke  of  oxen  from  Ness  and 
started  to  Wright  county  for  his  family.  At 
the  time  he  started,  the  ground  was  covered 
with  snow,  but  it  thawed  before  he  s:ot 
through,  and  he  was  compelled  to  construct 
a  home-made  wagon  with  which  to  get  back, 
accomplishing  it  by  hewing  out  four  wheels 
and  erecting  a  rude  frame  work.  Upon  his 
return,  he  staid  two  nights  at  the  Ness  place, 
and  then  left  his  family  for  several  months 
at  a  bachelor's  named  Guner,  while  he  was 
building  a  shanty  on  his  place.  About 
August  he  moved  his  family  into  the  cabin. 
During  that  year  he  raised  a  few  potatoes, 
but  for  the  first  five  years  following  his  set- 
.  tlement,  he  lost  most  of  his  crops  through 
the  blackbirds. 

Thus  matters  were  moving  peaceably  until 
that  fatal  August,  1862,  when  the  terrible 
Indian  outbreak  began,  and  as  Mi'.  Evenson 
was  one  of  those  who  were  here  during  the 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


most  trying  times,  we  will  briefly  review  his 
experience.  On  the  ITtli  of  August,  Even 
and  one  of  his  brothers  were  at  Ness's  and 
learned  of  the  massacre  at  Acton.  When 
they  told  their  father,  he  could  not  realize 
that  the  matter  was  an  aotual  fact,  and  after 
remaining  quietly  at  home  over  night,  he 
started  the  next  day  (Monday,  the  18th,)  for 
Ness's  to  learn  the  pai-ticulars.  On  the  way 
he  met  a  neighbor,  named  Butler,  who 
begged  him  to  hitch  u])  mhiI  take  his  family 
to  St.  Paul,  but  Ml'.  Evensou  refused  and 
went  on  to  the  farm  of  Ole  Ness.  Learning 
that  the  Indians  were  really  on  the  warpath, 
he  sent  his  wife  and  two  little  children  to 
Forest  City,  and  he  and. the  boys  staid  on 
the  farm  until  the  following  Wednesday, 
putting  up  hay.  On  the  day  mentioned,  his 
wife  returned  to  the  ])lace,  and  told  him  that 
he  must  pack  up  and  get  to  some  place  of 
safety,  as  the  news  had  come  in  daily  of  the 
terrible  murders  which  the  Indians  had  com- 
mitted. He  accordingly  was  reluctantly  pre- 
vailed upon  to  go  to  Forest  City,  where  heat 
once  learned  that  there  was  good  ground  for 
the  terror  which  had  seized  every  one.  The 
following  morning  he  started  with  his  family 
for  Kingston,  where  he  remained  t\\  o  weeks, 
and  then,  as  Capt.  Whitcomb's  "  Home 
Guards"  had  been  organized,  they  returned 
to  Forest  Cit}\  They  were  there  when  the 
Indians  made  the  attack  on  that  place,  and 
Mr.  Evenson  and  son,  Even,  were  doing 
guai'd  duty  that  night.  Even  was  the  sec- 
ond one  to  return  the  fire  of  the  Indians. 
At  the  time,  the  family  were  sleeping  in 
Atkinson's  store,  and  when  the  attack  came, 
at  about  one  o'clock  in  the  morning,  they 
hastened  inside  the  fortification.  When  the 
father  got  a  chance  to  look  around,  he  found 
that  one  of  his  sons — Andrew — was  missing, 
and  at  once  started  out  to  find  him,  but  see- 
ing nothing  of  him,  he  returned  and  found 
that  Andrew  had  safely  got  inside.  The 
bullets    were    then    flying   thick    and  fast. 


After  the  attack  there  followed  a  period 
when  j)rovisions  got  very  scarce,  and  it  was 
dangerous  to  go  out  to  find   eatables. 

After  a  time  the  excitement  some\vhat 
subsiiled,  but  for  two  years  they  were 
always  on  the  alert,  not  knowing  what  time 
the  treacherous  savages  might  renew  their 
depredations.  In  the  fall  the  family  return- 
ed to  the  farm  and  during  the  \vinter  they 
lived  by  trapping.  Settlei's  soon  began  re- 
turning to  tlieir  claims  and  his  cabin  was  a 
I'egular  tavern.  Money  was  very  scarce, 
and  but  few  of  the  settlers  had  the  pleasure 
of  seeing  any  money  that  winter,  to  say 
nothing  of  owning  any. 

Now  to  return  to  Mr.  Evenson's  private 
history :  Hans  Evenson  was  married  in  the 
year  1842,  to  Christina  F.  Anderson,  and 
they  have  been  blessed  with  seven  chil- 
dren, as  follows  —  Bertha,  born  Sept.  22, 
1842;  Even,  born  Nov.  21,  1844,  mentioned 
elsewhere  at  length  ;  Andrew,  born  Oct.  30, 
1847;  Helena  M.,  born  Oct.  3,  1852 ;  John 
F.,  born  Feb.  3,  1856,  died  May  30,  1857,  on 
board  shiji  and  was  buried  at  sea  in  St. 
Lawrence  Bay  ;  John  F.,  born  Jan.  22, 1859 ; 
and  a  child  born  in  1861,  which  died  at  the 
time  of  birth.  Mrs.  Evenson,  the  wife  and 
mother,  dieil  on  the  19th  of  January,  18S7. 
Mr.  Evenson  is  a  republican  in  politics  as  is 
the  case  with  all  his  sons.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Lutheran  church.  Mr.  Evenson  is 
now  well  along  in  years  and  is  passing  the 
evening  of  his  life  in  a  quiet  way  with  his 
children.  He  has  lived  a  life  of  usefulness 
and  activity,  a  man  of  the  strictest  honor 
and  integrit}''  and  one  for  whom  every  one 
who  knows  him  entertains  the  kindliest  feel- 
ings and  highest  regard. 

John  F.  Evenson,  one  of  the  sons  who  is 
mentioned  above,  with  whom  the  father 
resides,  was  born  in  Wright  county.  He 
was  married  May  28,  1885,  to  Mary  John- 
son, and  they  have  been  blessed  with  two 
children — George  H.,  born  June  22,   1886  ; 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


225 


and  Christina  F.,  born  Feb.  20,  1888.  Mr. 
•Evenson  carries  on  the  farm  and  also  devotes 
his  attention  extensi veh'  to  stock  raising. 
He  is  one  of  the  leading  and  most  successful 
agriculturists  in  the  township. 


-■•J" 


JAMES  NELSON  HANSON  is  one  of  the 
successful  farmers  of  Acton  township. 
He  was  born  in  Denmark  on  the  20th  of 
March,  1837.  When  he  left  his  native  land, 
in  1859,  he  was  called  upon  liy  a  government 
officer  and  told  that  he  must  return  to 
Denmark  a  year  later  and  serve  his  time  in 
the  army  but  after  his  arrival  liere  he 
decided  that  he  was  better  suited  to  stay 
here  and  so  he  "forgot  to  return."  Upon 
landing  in  the  New  World  he  stojiped  for  a 
short  time  at  New  Orleans  and  then  went 
to  Kaufman  county,  Tex.,  where  he  was 
employed  at  driving  and  marking  cattle  for 
an  extensive  stock-raiser  until  the  fall  of 
1860.  He  then  returned  to  New  Orleans 
and  worked  for  W.  H.  Wilier,  at  gardening 
for  one  month  for  §10;  then  he  drove  a  mule 
team  for  the  same  party  for  $20  per  month. 
His  next  move  was  to  St.  Louis,  but  not 
liking  the  place  he  boarded  a  steamboat  for 
St.  Paul  and  from  there  made  his  way  to 
Empire  City,  Dakota  county,  Minn.  There 
he  remained  for  six  years,  working  on  a  farm 
for  Mr.  J.  Haislet,  after  which  in  1872,  he 
settled  in  Acton  township,  where  he  still 
lives. 

Mr.  Hanson  was  married  in  1802,  to  Miss 
Marthe  Christianson,  who  was  born  in 
Norway  on  the  17th  of  February,  1843. 
They  have  been  blessed  with  the  following 
named  children — Josephine,  born  January  9, 
1863,  died  April  5,  1860;  Mary  Julia,  born 
December  IS,  1861:;  Josephine  E.,  born 
August  24,  1866  ;  Gemalinde  Christine,  born 
April  3,  1869;  Hans  Olaus,  born  September 
25,  1870 ;  Martin   Julius,  born   August   16, 


1872;  Edwin  Anton,  born  September  25, 1874^ 
Adolph  Ottoer,  born  June  26, 1876,  died  June- 
8,  1877;  Adolph  Ottoer,  born  April  8,1878; 
Nettie  Amanda,  born  July  3,  1880,  died  Feb- 
ruary 16,  1884;  Henry  Elvin,  born  August 
21,  1882;  and  Nettie  Amanda,  born  October 
6,  1885.  Mr.  Hanson  has  taken  an  active 
interest  in  all  public  affairs  and  has  held 
various  offices  of  trust  and  importance, 
including  those  of  school  director,  and 
clerk,  road  ovei'seei-,  pound  master  and 
others.  The  family  are  members  of  the 
Norwegian  Lutheran  church.  Mr.  Hanson 
was  a  poor  man  when  he  came  to  this 
country  but  has  been  very  successful  and 
has  a  comfortable  home  and  a  valuable  farm 
of  120  acres. 


>^HARLES  W.  BUTTERFIELD,  proprie- 
^^^  tor  of  the  hotel  and  the  oldest  resi- 
dent now  living  in  the  village  of  Greenleaf, 
was  born  in  Washington  county.  Me.,  on 
the  8th  of  May,  1835.  His  parents,  Francis 
and  Eliza  Eutteriield,were  of  English  descent, 
though  natives  of  the  "Pine  Tree"  State. 
The  greater  part  of  Charles'  early  life  was 
spent  on  his  father's  farm  and  doing  carpen- 
ter work,  yet  he  was  engaged  at  various 
times  in  the  pineries.  In  1854  he  was  mar- 
ried to  Mary  E.  Beedy,  who  was  born  in 
Maine  1835.  Three  children  were  born  to 
them  —  Wilmot  B.,  who  is  mentioned  else- 
where at  length;  Ida  May,  now  Mrs.  W.  W. 
Johnson,  of  Litchfield;  and  Edwin  B.,  a  resi- 
dent of  Dickinson,  Dakota.  Mrs.  Butterfield 
died  in  1861,  and  in  1862  Mr.  Butterfield 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Mary  A.  Pineo, 
who  was  also  a  native  of  Maine. 

In  1865  Charles  W.  Butterfield,  our  sub- 
ject, came  West  and  settled  in  the  village  of 
Greenleaf,  Meeker  county,  Minn.,  where 
he  still  lives.  He  purchased  farm  property 
in  Ellsworth  township,  but  his  residence  and 
business   interests  were  in  the  village.     For 


2a6 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


one  year  he  controlled  the  mail  route  from 
Minneapolis  to  (Treenleaf  via  Watertown,  and 
he  at  ]ircsent  has  thei'oute  from  Litchfield  to 
Hutchinson.  Mr.  Butterfleld  is  a  Greenleaf 
man  in  the  strongest  sense  of  ihe  term.  He 
has  staid  by  the  village  through  all  its  vicis- 
situdes, and  to-day  enjoys  the  distinction  of 
being  its  oldest  inhabitant  in  point  of  years  of 
residence.  He  has  held  various  township 
offices  and  is  ever  found  identified  Avith  mat- 
ters pertaining  to  the  welfare  of  his  adopted 
home.  Mr.  Buttertield's  name  appears  fre- 
quentl}'  in  the  pages  of  this  volume,  as  he  has 
been  prominently  connected  with  the  history 
of  the  village  in  whicli  he  resides.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Golden  Fleece  lodge,  No.  89, 
A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Litchfield. 


>ETER  BERGGREN,  a  respected  and 
1^  intelligent  farmer  residing  on  section 
85,  Union  Grove  townshij),  is  a  son  of  Nels 
O.  and  Meta  Berggren,  and  was  born  in 
Sweden  on  the  27th  of  July,  1860.  His 
parents  brought  the  family  to  the  United 
States  in  1868  and  made  their  way  direct- 
ly to  Meeker  county,  Minn.  They  first 
stopped  at  Grove  City,  and  the  father  took 
a  homestead  near  there,  upon  which  they 
lived  for  five  years,  proving  up  on  the  place, 
but  afterward  lost  it  on  a  mortgage,  having 
had  bad  luck  with  their  crops.  They  then 
settled  on  another  farm  where  they  lived 
three  years,  but  the  grasshoppers  came  and 
destroyed  their  grain  and  they  lost  that 
farm.  In  March,  1879,  they  came  to  Union 
Grove  township  and  the  father  purchased 
200  acres  of  land  on  sections  35  and  36, 
•where  the  family  still  reside.  The  fatlier 
died  tliere  on  the  4th  of  Septeml)er,  1879, 
and  the  mother  on  the  2d  of  Februarv, 
1888.  They  were  both  honest  and  industri- 
ous peo])ie  and  were  held  in  high  respect  by 
all  who  knew  them.     They  had  a  family  of 


eleven  children,  six  of  whom  are  dead  and 
five  living.  The  living  children  are  as  fol- 
lows :  Petei-,  born  July  27,  1860 ;  Ole,  born 
September  5,  1862  ;  Andrew,  born  July  17, 
1869 ;  William,  born  February  8,1871;  and 
John,  born  July  16,  1875. 

Peter  has  cliarge  of  the  farm  and  is  a  suc- 
cessful and  industrious  young  man,  who  is 
certain  to  succeed  in  liis  farming  opei'ations. 
The  farm  is  well  stocked,  and  is  one  of  the 
most  valuable  in  the  township. 


TOHN  FLYNN,  the  father  of  Michael  J. 
W  and  Daniel  Flynn,  was  one  of  the 
pioneers  of  Meeker  county,  arriving  here  on 
the  8th  of  July,  1856,  and  took  Government 
land  on  sections  22  and  23,  in  Forest  City 
township.  He  was  accompanied  at  that 
time  by  John  Whalen  and  family,  and  sev- 
eral others.  His  family  at  that  time  con- 
sisted of  himself  and  wife;  Mary  (now  Mrs. 
Daniel  Dougherty,  of  Harvey  township); 
Michael  J.  and  Daniel,  now  of  Litchfield; 
and  Elizabeth,  now  wife  of  Hon.  W.  M. 
Campbell,  United  States  Marshal  for  Minne- 
sota. Besides  these,  there  were  two  hired 
men  and  a  nephew  of  Mr.  Flynn.  The 
Flynn  family  started  from  Crown  Point, 
Lake  county.  Ind.,  about  the  12th  of  May, 
1856,  with  the  idea  of  finding  a  home  in 
Iowa  or  Minnesota.  Their  outfit  consisted 
of  two  covered  Avagons,  with  two  yoke  of 
oxen  hitched  to  each ;  and  they  also  had 
twenty-five  head  of  cows,  besides  quite  a  lot 
young  stock.  Wlien  they  reached  Dubuque 
and  learned  of  the  magnificent  country  in 
this  part  of  ]\Iinnesota,  tlie  father  decided  to 
investigate,  and,  in  company  with  John 
"Whalen,  he  started  on  a  Mississip])i  river 
boat  for  St.  Anthony,  with  the  under- 
standing that  the  family  should  meet  him 
upon  his  I'eturn,  at  Rochester.  The  family 
accordingly  2>i"oceeded  with  the  teams  and 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


227 


stock,  arriving  at  the  appointed  place  four 
or  five  days  before  tlie  return  of  the  father. 
At  that  time  there  was  only  one  house  at 
Eochester — a  little  14x20  feet  log  cabin, 
which  served  tiie  purpose  of  store,  hotel, 
saloon,  etc.  When  the  father  returned  he  told 
them  that  he  had  looked  over  Meeker  county 
and  had  decided  to  locate  here.  They  then 
started  north,  crossing  the  river  at  Monti- 
cello  on  the  4th  of  July,  having  to  swim  the 
stock,  finally  arriving  and  taking  up  land  in 
this  county,  as  above  stated.  Mr.  Flynn  at 
once  began  improvements  and  remained  upon 
the  farm  until  the  time  of  his  death,  in  June, 
1859.  The  family  remained  there  until  the 
time  of  the  Indian  outbreak,  at  wiiich  time 
the  women  folks  went  to  Clearwater,  where 
they  remained  a  month  or  so.  The  bo^'s 
remained  here  or  returned  immediately  to 
get  in  their  crop  (for  it  was  harvest  time), 
and  participate  in  the  action  against  the 
Indians.  Their  house  was  not  molested  by 
the  redskins,  but  served  as  a  headquarters 
for  all  of  the  friends  and  neighbors  south 
and  west  of  them. 

John  Flynn  was  a  native  of  County  Wa- 
terford,  Ireland,  born  in  1805,  and  was  a 
gardener  Ijy  profession  in  the  old  country. 
About  the  year  1836  he  emigrated  to  Amer- 
ica ami  lived  for  some  time  at  Buffalo,  N.  Y., 
whence  he  removed  to  Chicago.  In  the  lat- 
ter city  lie  married  Miss  Ann  Lynch.  From 
there  he  moved  to  Elgin.  111.,  where  he  set- 
tled on  a  farm.  He  afterward  made  several 
removals  previous  to  coming  here,  and  was  at 
one  time  engaged  in  contracting  on  the  Lake 
iShore  &  Michigan  Soutliern  railroad,  in  Indi- 
ana, just  before  starting  for  this  locality. 


MELS  ELOFSON  is  one  of  the  pioneers 
of  Swede  Grove  township.  He  is  a 
son  of  Elofson  and  Bertha  Anderson,  and 
was  born  in    Sweden   on  the  14th  of  June, 


1834.  He  came  to  the  United  States  with 
his  mother  in  1857,  coming  to  Meeker 
county,  Minn.,  direct,  and  filed  a  claim  on 
land  on  section  33.  He  later  sold  that  place 
and  now  owns  240  acres  on  sections  26  and 
27,  where  he  now  lives.  On  tlie  31st  of 
August,  1861,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Ellen 
Eckbom,  a  daughter  of  Andrew  and  Anna 
Eckbom,  who  was  born  in  Sweden  August  20, 
184L  Their  union  has  been  blessed  with 
the  following  children — Edward  N.,  born 
October  9,1862;  Andrew  N.,  born  March  21, 
1864;  William,  born  April  11,  1866  ;  Betsy, 
born  May  16,  1868  ;  Anna,  born  December 
26,  1869;  Alice  Bertha,  born  January  18, 
1876,  and  Fred,  born  November  18,  1880. 
Edward  is  in  business  at  Grove  City ;  An- 
drew N.  is  foreman  in  a  store  at  Paynesville  ; 
and  Betsy  is  a  dressmaker  at  Litchfield.  The 
other  children  are  at  home.  Mr.  Elofson 
learned  the  carpenter's  trade  before  he  left 
his  native  land.  The  fii-st  work  he  did  in  tlie 
United  States  was  in  that  line,  finishing  a 
house  for  a  Mr.  Yates  in  the  fall  of  1857. 
Being  unable  to  speak  English,  Mr.  Elofson 
was  made  to  understand  what  was  wanted 
by  signs,  and  when  the  job  was  finished  he 
received  his  pay  in  flour,  and  was  perfectly 
satisfied. 

Tlie  following  spring  he  had  hard  work  to 
find  employment,  but  finally  about  six  miles 
below  St.  Paul,  he  got  a  job  of  digging  a  cel- 
lar, laying  the  wall  and  foundation — his  first 
mason  work — and  buikling  the  house.  After 
finishing  this  he  went  to  Carver  and  took 
charge  of  a  widow's  farm  for  about  a  year 
and  a  half,  when  he  again  returned  to  his 
claim,  but  soon  went  back  to  Carver  and  for 
a  few  months  was  engaged  in  a  furniture 
shop.  After  his  marriage  he  returned  to  his 
claim  and  his  mother,  his  brother,  Peter,  and 
sistei",  Betsy,  lived  with  him. 

Mr.  Elofson  took  an  active  part  in  the 
Indian  warfare  and  was  present  through  all 
the  Indian  troubles.     On  the  17th  of  August, 


228 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


1862,  a  meeting  of  some  of  the  settlers  was 
held  at  Mr.  Elofson's  house  for  the  purpose 
of  raising  three  men  to  fill  a  draft,  which  had 
been  made  on  the  town  of  Swede  Grove.  At 
about  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning  his  neighbor 
Monson's  children  came  and  informed  them 
that  the  Indians  were  about  and  they  were 
afraid  to  stay  there.  Upon  learning  this  Mr. 
Monson  and  Swan  Nelson  went  over  to  see 
what  was  the  trouble  and  met  the  Indians, 
who  were  mounted,  on  tiie  way.  One  of  the 
red  skins  reached  down  and  caught  Nelson 
by  the  whiskers  and  pointed  to  the  east,  but 
he  did  not  understand  what  tiiey  meant. 
They  soon  arrived  at  Elofson's  and  the  latter 
found  that  he  was  acquainted  with  several 
of  the  party.  The  Indians  would  not  talk 
English  but  stated  that  they  were  on  their 
way  to  the  "  Big  Woods ''  for  the  purpose  of 
killing  some  Chippewas,  that  had  been  kill- 
ing the  whites.  They  then  rode  off  and  soon 
met  an  aunt  of  Mr.  Elofson's  and  frightened 
her  by  brandishing  their  knives,  but  offered 
no  violence.  After  the  murder  of  the  Jones 
and  Baker  families  the  news  of  the  outbreak 
spread  very  rapidly,  and  in  the  evening  Mr. 
Elofson  and  Nels  Hanson  went  to  the  scene 
of  tlie  murder  where  others  had  gathered 
before  tlieir  arrival.  There  they  learned  the 
details  of  the  affair  and  were  told  to  come 
back  the  next  morning  and  help  bury  the 
dead,  which  they  did.  While  they  were  there 
nine  Indians  came  in  sight  and  several  shots 
were  exchanged,  but  no  one  was  hurt.  Mr. 
Elofson  then  returned  to  his  home  and  helped 
to  start  his  own  and  all  neighboring  families 
for  Lake  Ripley  (now  Litchfield);  while  he 
with  acouple  of  others  awaited  developments. 
On  the  22d  they  saw  Indians  at  a  distance 
in  pursuit  of  whites  and  decided  that  it 
was  time  for  them  to  go  to  some  place  of 
safety.  Mr.  Elofson  learned  that  his  family 
had  gone  from  Lake  Ripley  to  Forest  City, 
then  Clearwater,  and  then  St.  Paul,  and 
knowing  they   were  safe    he    returned    to 


Forest  City  and  participated  in  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  "  Home  Guards."  Mr.  Elofson 
was  also  at  Forest  City  at  the  time  it  was 
attacked  by  the  Indians,  and  took  an  active 
part  in  the  defense.  Mr.  Elofson  remained 
at  Forest  City  until  October,  when,  lie  in 
company  with  others,  started  out  in  seai'cli  of 
stock  and  found  considerable  of  it.  All  of 
the  houses  in  Grove  City  had  been  burned 
except  two.  Not  iiaving  heard  from  his 
wife  and  child  since  the  beginning  of  the 
outbreak,  and  not  knowing  where  they  were, 
he  went  to  St.  Paul  to  look  them  up.  There 
he  met  a  friend  who  informed  him  that  they 
had  gone  to  his  wife's  parents  at  Carver, 
whither  he  went,  and  remained  until  the  fol- 
lowing spring.  lie  then  worked  at  carpen- 
ter woi'k  until  August,  when  he  removed  to 
Anoka.  In  February,  1864,  he  rented  the 
farm  where  Litchfield  is  now  located,  and  re- 
mained there  until  fall,  when  he  Ijought  a 
house  at  Forest  City,  and  lived  there  until 
the  following  s])ring,  then  returned  to  his 
farm,  and  has  since  made  this  his  home.  In 
January,  1870,  he  went  to  Sweden,  and 
returned  the  following  June,  bringing  300 
emigrants  with  him ;  he  was  the  first  post- 
master in  Swede  Grove  township  and  held 
the  office  for  seven  years.  From  1872  to 
1876  he  was  in  the  agricultural  implement 
business.  He  also  spent  about  five  months 
in  the  employ  of  the  map  publishing  house 
of  Warner  ife  Foote.  Mr.  Elofson  is  a  demo- 
crat in  political  matters,  and  has  taken  an 
active  interest  in  all  matters  of  a  public 
nature.  He  has  held  various  offices,  includ- 
ing those  of  coroner,  chairman  of  supervisors,, 
school  clerk,  etc. 


f 


^Ifi^'iMOTHY  DUNN,  one  of  the  earhest 
._Jj  settlers  of  Meeker  count}',  made  a  pre- 
emption claim  on  a  part  of  sections,  Darwin 
township,  in  July,  1856,  atid  upon  that  same 
piece  of  land  makes  his  home  at  the  present. 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


229 


He  was  a  native  of  Count}-  Tipperary,  Ire- 
land, who  had  come  to  the  free  shores  of 
America  in  1847,  landing  at  New  York. 
After  a  few  daj'^s  spent  in  the  metropolis  of 
the  western  world,  he  went  up  the  Iludsoii 
river  to  Rondout,  New  York,  but  a  few 
weeks  later  came  westward  and  settled  at 
Milwaukee,  Wis.,  where  he  labored  for  five 
years.  About  that  time  the  gold  excitement 
in  California  was  at  its  height,  and  Mr. 
Dunn,  then  a  young  and  vigorous  man, 
started  for  that  land  of  the  sunset  and 
passed  three  years  of  his  life  in  that  part  of 
our  country. 

Returning  to  the  "  States,"  as  it  was 
termed  in  tiiose  days,  Mi-.  Dunn  then  came 
to  Meeker  county,  as  stated  above.  He  was 
one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Darwin  township, 
and,  it  is  believed,  plowed  the  first  furrow  in 
that  part  of  the  county.  His  boy,  Edmund, 
who  died  in  1862,  was  the  first  death  in  the 
township.  The  first  season  that  Mr.  Dunn 
was  here  he  planted  some  potatoes,  but  says 
that  the  grasshoppers  took  them  about  as 
fast  as  they  showed  above  the  ground. 

In  August,  1862,  Mr.  Dunn  was  assisting 
in  stacking  grain  at  the  Widow  Powers' 
place,  Avhen  he  heard  of  the  cowardly  mur- 
ders at  Acton  and  the  first  news  of  the 
Indian  outbreak.  Leaving  at  once,  he 
found,  on  reaching  his  own  place,  that  a 
notice  was  fastened  upon  the  door  of  his 
cabin,  warning  him  of  his  danger,  and  that 
the  Indians  were  up  for  mischief.  He  ac- 
cordingly went  to  Forest  City,  antl  from 
there  to  Kingston,  where  lie  remained  some 
three  weeks.  Going  on,  finally,  to  Minne- 
apolis, he  there  remained  until  October  fol- 
lowing, when  he  returned  to  his  farm.  He 
found  everything  destroyeil  here,  and  had  to 
commence  forthwitii  to  rebuild  his  place 
as  from  the  very  beainnino-. 

Mr.  Dunn  was  married  July  -1,  1861,  to 
Miss  Mary  A.  Deavey,  who  l)ecame  the 
mother  of  nine  cliildren,  all  of  whom  are 


dead  but  two.  Tlie  family  are  devotedly 
attached  to  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  and 
fulfill  their  proper  duties.  In  politics  Mr. 
Dunn  is  a  steady,  warm-hearted  democrat, 


and  a  good  citizen. 


-4- 


^^OPHIA  C.  PRATT  is' postmistress  at 
"^^^  Greenleaf  village,  and  also  cari-ies  an 
extensive  stock  of  general  merchandise.  She' 
is  a  native  of  Otsego  county,  N.  Y.  After 
receiving  a  thorough  education,  attending 
school  in  New  York  and  Canada,  she  be- 
gan teaching  school  and  followed  that  pro- 
fession for  some  time  in  Canada.  On  the 
17th  of  September,  1859,  she  came  to 
Meeker  county,  Minn.,  with  her  sister,  Eliza, 
the  father  having  arrived  here  on  the 
6th  of  June,  1859,  they  Ijeing  among  the 
early  settlers,  and  she  resumed  her  vocation 
as  a  teacher  in  her  new  home.  She  was  one 
of  the  first  teachers  in  the  county,  having 
held  one  term  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Ci'oss,  at 
Cedar  Mills,  as  early  as  1860.  She  was  paid 
by  subscription  and  "  boarded  round."  When 
the  Indian  outljreak  occurred  siie  was  teaching 
school  at  Greenleaf  village.  At  an  early  day 
Miss  Pratt  clerked  for  W.  H.  Greenleaf.  On 
November  30,  1SS6,  Miss  Pratt  was  ap- 
pointed postmistress  at  Greenleaf  village,  the 
office  having  become  vacant  through  the 
resignation  of  her  brother  Ira,  and  since  that 
time  she  has  retained  the  position  to  the  entire 
satisfaction  of  all  the  patrons  of  the  office. 
Miss  Pratt's  connection  with  the  business  in- 
terests of  Greenleaf  has  been  an  active  one, 
and  she  is  prominently  identified  with  the 
history  of  the  southern  part  of  the  county. 


BANIEL  FLYNN,  of  Litchfield,  is  a 
son  of  John  Flynn,  who  has  ah'eady 
been  mentioned  in  this  department.  Daniel 
is  a  native  of  Elgin,  111.,  born  May  18, 1843, 


230 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


and  came  to  Meeker  county,  witli  his  parents, 
in  1856,  when  still  a  boy.  lie  remained 
principally  with  the  family  until  1873. 
During  the  Indian  troubles  the  family  was 
taken  to  Clearwater,  l)ut  Daniel,  with  others, 
remained  to  fight  the  redskins.  In  1S73, 
he  rented  out  the  old  homestead  and  came 
to  Litchlieltl.  Tiie  following  year,  in 
company  with  his  brother,  Michael  J.,  he 
engaged  in  the  lumber  trade  and  in  the 
winter  of  1875-0,  they  took  up  agricultural 
implements.  Later  they  sold  out  their 
lumber  business  to  W.  H.  Greenleaf.  In 
1879  the  firm  purchased  the  Butler  elevator, 
and  since  that  time  have  carried  on  a  very 
extensive  business  in  'grain  and  farm 
machinery.  During  the  season  of  1887  they 
handled  over  175,000  bushels  of  wheat  alone. 
In  1884  Mr.  Flinn  was  elected  sheriff  of 
Meeker  county,  and  held  the  office  for  three 
years.  He  has  filled  various  other  offices 
and  was  for  several  years  one  of  the  village 
aldermen,  and  has  always  taken  an  active 
interest  in  all  matters  affecting  the  welfare 
of  his  town  or  county. 

Mr.  Flynn  was  united  in  marriage,  Decem- 
ber 25,  187-1,  with  Miss  Mary  A.  McNamara, 
a  native  of  Jefferson  City,  Mo.  By  this 
union  there  have  been  born  a  family  of  eight 
children,  whose  names  are  respectively — 
John  Arthur,  Daniel,  Thomas,  Michael, 
Francis,  Louise,  Mary  and  Elizabeth. 


-«-- 


lLE  AMUNDSON,  a  pioneer  of  Meeker 


county,  who  is  now  a  resident  of  sec- 
tion 29,  Litchfield  township,  is  a  native  of 
Norway,  born  April  9,  1823,  and  a  son  of 
Amund  and  Bertha  Christophdatter  Olson, 
both  of  whom  are  dead.  Ole  came  to  Amer- 
ica in  1855,  and  after  living  for  two  years  in 
Eock  county.  Wis.,  came  to  Meeker  count}^ 
Minn.,  arriving  here  in  July,  1857.  He  first 
selected  a  timber  claim  on  section  25,  Acton 


township,  and  he  and  Kels  Danielson  and 
Amos  Nelson  Fosen  ])roved  u]i  on  tlieir  land 
together  and  then  divided  it.  he  retaining 
one  forty -acre  tract  in  tlie  timber,  and  three 
forties  on  section  29,  in  what  is  now  Litch- 
field township.  After  the  close  of  tiie  war 
he  took  an  eighty-acre  liomestead,  and  five 
years  latei'  built  the  house  on  section  29, 
where  he  now  lives. 

On  the  lotli  of  October,  1860,  he  was  mar- 
ried to  Oline  Marie  Sy  vertsdatter,  who  was 
born  in  Norway  on  the  5th  of  February, 
1832,  and  who  died  on  the  27th  of  August, 
1883.  She  bore  him  seven  children — Albert, 
born  July  30,  1861 ;  Betse,  born  January  4, 
1863;  Syvert,  born  October  20,  1864,  died 
October  6,  1865;  Syvert,  born  March  21, 
1866;  Johanne  Marie,  born  August  9, 1869  ; 
Carl,  born  September  3,  1871 ;  and  Olaven, 
born  October  3,  1873. 

At  the  time  of  the  Indian  outbreak  Mr. 
Amundson  was  living  on  his  original  claim. 
He  received  the  news  of  the  beginning  of 
the  massacre  from  Mrs.  Baker,  widow  of 
one  of  the  murdered  men,  and  another 
woman,  who  came  to  his  house  on  Sunday, 
August  17,  1802.  After  assisting  in  the 
burial  of  the  victims,  he  removed  his  family 
to  Forest  City,  and  assisted  in  Iniilding  the 
stockade,  living  in  the  meanwhile  in  a  house 
just  outside  of  it.  W.'ien  the  town  was  so 
suddenly  attacked  by  the  Indians,  he  lost  no 
time  in  gettmg  his  family  into  the  fort  for 
refuge.  When  the  danger  seemed  to  have 
passed,  he  and  several  others  went  to  Ever 
Jackson's  place  to  cradle  wheat,  taking 
with  them  Mrs.  Ever  Jackson  and  IMrs. 
Helena  Danielson,  to  keep  house  for  them. 
They  cradled  wheat  on  one  Saturday,  and 
on  Sunday  went  out  and  found  the  cattle, 
which  had  strayed  off,  and  drove  them  into 
tlie  yards.  That  night  they  noticed  that  the 
dogs  were  in  a  state  of  alarm  all  night,  and 
it  became  evident  that  Indians  were  prowl- 
ing  around.     The   next    morning    Andrew 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


231 


Olson  and  Nels  Danielson  -vvent  over  to  the 
corrals  to  salt  the  cattle,  while  Mr.  Amund- 
son  and  Burger  Anderson  were  ens'affed  in 
grinding  their  cradles.  Presently  they 
heard  five  shots  fired,  and  taking  the  two 
women  with  them,  started  to  run  for  their 
hves.  Finding  that  the  women  could  not 
hold  out,  they  secreted  them  in  a  thicket  and 
then  went  on  to  Forest  City.  The  next 
morning  they  returned  with  a  squad  of  men 
and  found  the  women  still  safeh^  hid,  but 
Olson  had  been  killed  and  scalped.  They 
buried  him  on  the  spot,  but  his  remains  were 
subsequently  interred  in  the  Ness  cemetery. 
In  the  spring,  after  the  outbreak,  Mr. 
Amundson  moved  his  family  back  to  his 
farm.  He  has  met  with  three  disasters 
since,  having  his  crops  destroyed  once  by  a 
hailstorm,  and  twice  by  the  grasshoppers ; 
but  his  untiring  energy  has  enabled  him  to 
overcome  all,  and  he  now  has  a  splendid 
farm  of  over  200  acres.  His  family  are 
members  of  the  Ness  Norwesfian  Lutheran 
church,  and  he  is  sexton  of  the  cemetery. 
It  may  be  of  interest  to  state  in  this  connec- 
tion, that  the  State  monument  over  the  first 
five  massacre  victims  is  located  in  this  burial 
ground. 


-«— 


lRIN  B.  VOSE,  the  present  township 
clerk  of  Union  Grove  township,  is  an 
enterprising  and  respected  farmer  residing 
on  section  22.  Mr.  Vose  was  born  in  Waldo 
county,  Maine,  on  January  28, 1840,  and  is  a 
son  of  Edwin  and  Nancy  J.  (Custis)  Vose. 
His  mother  ,died  when  he  was  eight  years 
old,  and  for  two  years  he  lived  with  Daniel 
Heriman,  near  Frankfort,  Maine.  He  then 
went  to  Montville  and  lived  with  Samuel 
Dodge  for  four  years,  after  which  for  eight- 
een months  he  worked  for  Ames  Sprawl. 
He  then  went  to  Boston,  Mass.,  where  he 
was   apprenticed    to    George   Kobinson,  to 


learn  the  carpenter's  trade,  remaining  with 
him  three  years.  He  then  worked  at  his 
trade  for  two  years,  when  he  had  a  serious 
fall  while  working  on  an  ice  house  at  Lin- 
field,  Mass.,  which  laid  him  up  for  six 
months.  When  he  had  recovered  sufficiently 
from  his  injuries  he  found  employment  driv- 
ing the  horse  cars  between  Chelsea  and  Bos- 
ton, which  he  followed  for  a  year  and  a  half. 
He  then  enlisted  in  Company  H,  Fiftieth 
Regiment,  Massachusetts  Volunteer  Infantry, 
for  nine  months'  service,  and  was  mustered  in 
on  the  29th  of  September,  1862.  After  the 
expiration  of  his  term  of  service  he  was  mus- 
tered out  on  the  24:th  of  August,  1863.  He 
then  went  back  to  the  horse  cars,  and  served 
as  conductor  on  the  line  between  Eoxbury 
and  Boston  for  two  years  and  a  half.  At 
the  end  of  that  time  he  came  to  Minnesota, 
and  for  one  summer  stopped  at  St.  Joseph, 
Stearns  county.  In  the  fall  of  1866  he  came 
to  Meeker  county,  and  took  a  homestead  on 
section  22,  Union  Grove  township,  and  soon 
afterward  spent  two  and  a  half  months  in  the 
pineries.  He  then  settled  on  his  homestead, 
building  a  log  cabin,  but  two  months  later 
took  his  family  to  St.  Joseph,  Stearns  county, 
and  remained  there  four  months.  He  then 
settled  again  upon  his  homestead  and  has 
since  lived  here,  Avith  the  exception  of  one 
year  spent  in  California. 

Mr.  Vose  was  married  on  the  11th  of  Sep- 
tember, 1861:,  to  Miss  Sarah  F.  Merrill,  a 
daughter  of  John  and  Mary  (Wilson)  Merrill, 
who  was  born  April  2, 184:8.  Their  marriage 
has  been  blessed  with  one  child — Bessie  Lynn 
Vose,  who  was  born  September  17,  1881. 
Mrs.  Vose  lost  one  brother,  Charles  F.,  in  the 
first  battle  of  Bull  Hun.  She  has  three  sisters 
living  in  Minnesota,  and  one  in  Maine, 
besides  one  brother  in  Maine  and  one  in 
Ohio.  Mr  Vose  lost  one  brother,  Edwin,  in 
the  battle  at  Petersburg. 

Mr.  Vose  has  taken  an  active  interest  in 
public  affairs,  and  has  been  closely  identified 


23^ 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


with  official  business  of  tlie  township.  He 
has  held  various  offices,  including  the  follow- 
ing: supervisor,  one  year;  constable,  eight 
years;  school  clerk  ten  years,  and  town  clerk 
since  18S4. 


JAMES  PETER  BERG,  of  Acton  townshiji, 
is  a  native  of  Denmark,  and  was  born  on 
the  29th  of  December,  1S44.  His  parents 
were  Hans  Peter  and  Mary  Berg  ;  the  father 
died  in  Denmark  in  1870  and  the  mother 
is  still  living  in  his  native  land.  James 
Peter  came  to  the  United  States  in  1865, 
and  first  stopped  at  Chicago,  where  he  was 
employed  in  a  lumber  yard  for  several  weeks. 
He  then  went  to  Dakota  county,  Minn, 
where  he  remained  until  the  spring  of  1867, 
and  then  settled  in  Acton  township.  Meeker 
county,  having  previous  to  this  time  taken  a 
homestead  on  section  3-4,  in  that  township, 
where  he  still  lives.  He  was  a  poor  man 
when  he  came  to  America,  in  fact  was 
almost  penniless,  but  by  thrift  and  economy 
he  has  accumulated  a  line  property.  He 
now  has  172  acres  of  land  and  a  great  deal 
of  it  is  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  He 
has  excellent  farm  buildings,  an  abundance 
of  farm  maciiinery,  and  has  considerable 
valuable  stock  gathered  aljout  him. 

Mr.  Berg  was  married  on  the  23d  of 
October,  1869,  to  Miss  Helena  Sophia  Mari,a 
Thompson,  a  native  of  Denmark,  born  April 
10,  1850.  She  came  to  Meeker  county,  in 
1869,  with  Nels  K.  Brown  and  worl;ed  for 
different  parties  until  her  marriage.  Her 
parents  came  to  tlie  United  States  in  1877 
and  are  now  living  in  Big  Stone  county, 
JMiiin.  Tlie  niarriaije  of  Wv.  and  Mrs.  Bero- 
has  been  Ijlessed  with  the  following  named 
children:  Hansina  Maria,  born  October  12, 
1870;  Thomas,  born  March  27,  1873;  Karo- 
line,  born  June  13,  1875 ;  Jennie  Sophia, 
born  February  13",  1878  ;  Hans  Peter,  born 


June  15,  1880;  Dagmar  Anneta,  born  Febru- 
ary 13,  1883;  and  Rose  Marinda,  born 
August  15,  1885.  The  family  are  members 
of  the  Norwegian  Lutheran  church.  In 
])oliticul  matters,  Mr.  Berg  acts  independent 
of  party  lines  or  party  ties. 


"•V'  'l 


EUBEN  S.  HERSHEY,  proprietor  of 
[['c^,  the  "  Fairview  Stock  and  Dairy 
Farm,"  in  Greenleaf  township,  is  a  lineal 
descendant  of  the  Swiss  Mennonites  of  that 
name  who  first  settled  in  Lancaster  county. 
Pa.,  in  1719.  Reuben  Hershey  was  born  in 
Lancaster  county,  and  was  reared  on  the 
farm  with  his  parents,  Martin  and  Elizabeth 
Hershey.  After  reaching  manhood  he  \vas 
engaged  for  a  time  in  the  forwarding  and 
commission  business,  and  in  1872  he  came 
to  Meeker  county,  Minn.,  and  bought  his 
l)resent  farm  ])roperty  in  Greenleaf  town- 
shij).  In  1873  he  purchased  the  James  H. 
Morris  interest  in  the  Litchfield  flouring 
mills,  retaining  the  interest  about  three 
years,  remodeling  the  mill  and  giving  it  a 
reputation  second  to  none  in  this  part  of 
the  State.  After  his  retirement  from  the 
milling  business,  he  began  devoting  all  his 
time,  energy  and  talents  to  the  stock  and 
dairy  business  and  the  improvement  of  his 
beautiful  farm  home.  The  farm  consists  of 
about  1,000  acres,  but  a  goodly  portion  is 
tenanted,  Mr.  Ilershey's  attention  being  for 
the  most  jjart  given  to  his  stock  and  dairy 
interests.  He  operates  a  dairy  on  the  place, 
the  butter  of  which  always  commands  an 
advance  in  price  over  the  best  creamery  but- 
ter generally  on  the  market.  Mr.  Hershey 
has  in  the  ])ast  suffered  some  heavy  losses 
through  grasslH)j)per  ravages  and  hailstorms, 
yet  he  has  taken  but  few  backward  steps, 
antl  to-day  "  Fairview  "  is  justly  regarded  as 
one  of  the  most  beautiful  and  most  valuable 
farms  in  this  portion  of  Minnesota. 


^^^<yH^ 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


235 


JOHN  ESBJORNSSON  is  one  of  the  most 
prominent  lumber  merchants,  and  is  also 
one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Litchfield.  He 
arrived  at  Litchfield  on  the  28th  of  June, 
1869,  coming  as  far  as  Smith  Lake,  then  the 
end  of  the  railroad,  on  a  train,  anil  walking 
from  there  to  Litchfield.  At  tiiat  time  the 
site  of  the  village  only  contained  one  black- 
smith shop,  and  the  site  of  the  present  depot 
was  covered  with  a  wheatfield. 

In  August,  1869,  in  company  with  C.  Peter- 
son, he  engaged  in  the  lumber  trade,  start- 
ing the  first  lumber  yard  in  the  village.  The 
following  winter  the  firm  was  dissolved,  and 
Mr.  Esbjornsson  engaged  in  the  wheat  trade. 
This  he  followed  until  the  fall  of  1887.  In 
1876  he  bought  out  S.  "W.  Leavitt's  lumber 
yard,  and  has  since  continued  m  that  busi- 
ness, handling  sash,  doors,  blinds  and  every- 
thing pertaining  to  that  line  of  trade.  Mr. 
Esbjornsson  has' taken  an  active  interest  in 
public  matters,  has  been  elected  alderman  a 
number  of  times,  and  at  present  is  the  mayor 
of  the  village,  having  been  elected  to  that 
position  in  the  spring  of  1888. 

Mr.  Esbjornsson  is  a  native  of  Sweden, 
where  he  was  born  January  30,  1845.  His 
younger  days  were  spent  upon  a  farm,  and 
his  earlier  education  was  that  afforded  by 
common  schools,  but  when  he  was  twenty- 
two  he  took  a  course  in  an  agricultural  col- 
lege. Shortly  after  this  he  decided  to  come 
to  America,  and  from  that  time  until  his  emi- 
gration, in  1869,  he  devoted  his  time  to  edu- 
cating himself  in  the  English  language.  He 
was  married  in  1879  to  Miss  Eureca  A.  Ilo- 
senquist,  of  Meeker  county. 


-«" 


«^- 


OHN  A.  QUICK,  one  of  the  energetic 
citizens  of  Collinwood  township,  is 
engaged  in  carrying  on  farming  operations 
on  lot  5,  section  20.  He  is  the  son  of  Elijah 
and  Phoebe  (Clark)  Quick,   and   was    l)orn 


in  Grayson  county,  Ky.,  August  21,  1838, 
but  when  he  was  about  a  year  old  his  parents 
emigrated  to  Perry  county,  Ind.,  where 
they  died.  Our  subject  worked  at  home  on 
his  father's  farm,  and  his  educational  facili- 
ties were  extremely  limited.  He  obtained 
but  five  months'  attendance  upon  a  subscrip- 
tion school,  but  diligent  study  and  an 
extended  course  of  reading  have  given  him 
an  excellent  education,  which  is  altogether 
self-acquired.  On  attaining  his  majority  he 
went  back  to  Kentucky',  and  for  several 
years  was  employed  in  various  laborious  busi- 
nesses. He  finally  returned  to  Indiana  and 
rented  a  piece  of  land  and  put  in  a  crop. 
"While  here,  June  29,  1862,  he  was  wedded 
to  Miss  Margaret  Waggoner,  who  was  born 
in  Frankfort.  Germany,  February  27,  1841, 
and  daughter  of  AVilliam  and  Elizabeth 
(Haydener)  Waggoner.  He  then  purchased 
the  homestead  of  his  mother,  and  carried  on 
farming  until  December,  1863,  when  he 
enlisted  in  Company  L,  Thii'teenth  Indiana 
Cavalry,  and  partici])ated  in  the  engage- 
ments at  Huntsville,  Murfreesboro,  Franklin, 
Nashville  and  Moljile,  and  in  many  of  the 
raids,  skirmishes  and  expeditions.  For  over 
thirty -seven  days  they  were  in  the  saddle 
constantly  on  one  raid,  and  they  had  several 
of  thein.  He  was  mustered  out  of  ser- 
vice, as  blacksniitii,  in  December,  1865, 
and  for  a  sliort  time  after  followed  that 
trade  in  Indiana.  He  then  sold  out  and 
came  to  Minnesota,  settling  in  McLeod 
county  in  1866,  wiiere  he  lived  two  years 
and  then  came  to  Meeker  county.  He  has 
held  various  townslii])  offices,  and  also  that 
of  notary  public  and  county  coroner.  He 
taught  school  somewhat  after  coming  here, 
and  holds  two  teacher's  certificates  now.  He 
is  a  zealous  Methodist  in  religion,  a  licensed 
exhorter  and  has  held  the  office  of  church 
steward  and  class-leader  for  several  years. 
He  is  the  parent  of  the  following  children — 
Lucy  Jane,  who  was  born  October  2,  1863, 


236 


MEEKER    COUXTY,  MIXNESOTA. 


but  died  Jul}'  4,  186i;  Mary  Magdalene, 
born  September  25,  1867,  now  Mrs.  Ilerljert 
Quick,  of  Fort  Ilipley,  Morrison  county,  this 
State,  her  marriage  having  taken  ])lace 
November  18, 1880,  and  she  is  the  mother  of 
one  child,  Ernest  Clyde,  born  March  18, 
1888;  Andi'ew  Jackson,  born  March  31, 
18fi9,  died  January  4,  1873;  Rebecca  Jane, 
liorn  August  14,  1871,  died  the  following  Oc- 
tober 20;  Sarah  Elizabeth,  born  February  24, 
187G ;  riia'be  Catherine,  born  August  5, 
1878 ;  and  Effie  Josephine,  born  July  16, 1881. 
jNfr.  Quick  has  the  reputation  of  making 
the  best  syrup  manufactured  in  Meeker  and 
McLeod  counties.  He  began  the  manufacture 
of  cane  syrup  in  1884  and  'has  continued  it 
ever  since.  He  has  one  of  Cook's  improved 
evaporators  and  other  necessary  machinery, 
and  with  his  skill  and  management  his  pro- 
ducts in  this  line  are  second  to  none  manu- 
factured in  the  State.  In  the  fall  of  1884  he 
made  over  600  gallons,  12  {wuncls  to  the  gal- 
lon ;  in  the  fall  of  1885,  1,600  gallons,  weigh- 
ing from  12  to  13  pounds  to  the  gallon ;  and 
in  the  fall  of  1886  about  1,200  gallons  of  the 
same  weight.  In  the  fall  of  1887  he  only 
manufactured  about  600  gallons,  as  his  work 
was  delayed  on  account  of  sickness. 


.-.^— — 


lig>>ATRICK  CASEY.  Prominent  among 
W~  the  old  pioneers  of  Meeker  county 
that  still  remain  here  is  the  gentleman  whose 
name  heads  this  personal  memoir.  He  is  a 
native  of  County  Tipperary,  Ireland,  and  was 
born  in  March,  1816,  being  baptized  on  the 
12th  of  that  month.  He  was  reared  in  the 
Emerald  Isle  and  there  made  his  home  until 
tlie  sad  and  eventful  year  of  1848,  when, 
with  a  laudable  desire  to  better  his  condition, 
he  came  to  this  country,  landing  at  the  port 
of  New  York  on  the  22d  of  January,  1849. 
After  a  short  stay  in  the  metropolis  he 
removed  to  Allegheny  county,  Pa.,  where  he 


remained  some  six  years,  and  where  he  was 
married  July  8,  1851,  to  Miss  Hannorali 
McRaith.  Leaving  the  "Keystone  State"  in  the 
spring  of  1S56,  he  came  west  to  IManitowoc. 
Wis.,  and  from  there  by  way  of  Chicago,  to 
Dubuque,  Iowa,  and  fi'om  there  by  steam- 
boat to  St.  Paul.  There  he  met  Captain 
Hayden,  with  his  corps  of  surveyors,  William 
and  Michael  O'Brien  and  Patrick  Condon, 
and  the  whole  party,  in  the  month  of  May 
started  in  a  bee  line  for  Meeker  county. 
With  them  was  one  ox  team,  the  wagon 
being  loaded  with  four  barrels  of  flour 
belonging  to  Hayden.  On  the  1st  of  June, 
the  little  pai'ty  struck  the  Big  Woods  and 
for  sixteen  days  they  struggled  through  the 
thirty-five  miles  that  lay  between  them  and 
their  destination,  reaching  Kingston  on 
the  16th  of  June,  1856.  Two  days  later  Mr. 
Casey  took  his  claim  on  section  33,  Darwin 
township,  where  he  now  lives,  and  which 
has  been  his  home  ever  since,  except  during 
the  Indian  troubles. 

Putting  up  a  cabin  for  himself  and  assist- 
ing the  others  to  do  the  same,  he  paid  Cap- 
tain Hayden  thirty-five  to  dollars  plow  up 
an  acre  of  ground  for  him,  so  that  he  could 
hold  the  claim.  He  then  returned  to  Penn- 
sylvania, where  he  had  left  his  family,  but 
hearing  that  his  claim  had  been  "jumped," 
he  returned  to  his  land  and  found  that  Cap- 
tain Hayden's  brother  in-law  had  laid  claim 
to  the  land,  but  no  one  was  occupying  it  at 
the  time.  He  took  up  his  residence  in  his 
humble  cabin  to  guard  the  place,  but  found 
no  trouble.  He  and  Patrick  Condon 
"  batched  "'  in  Condon's  shanty,  where  they 
had  plenty  of  provisions,  and  spent  that  win- 
ter. In  the  spring  IMr.  Casey  sent  for  his 
family,  and  waited  in  St.  Paul  for  them.  On 
their  arrival  he  brought  his  wife  and  three 
children  to  this  county,  they  arriving  here 
May  9,  1857.  That  year  he  raised  but  a  few 
potatoes,  and  in  1858  he  bought  a  few  bush- 
els of  wheat,  which   he  sowed  and  had  to 


MEEKER    COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


237 


thrash  witli  a  flail.  From  the  bushel  and  a 
half  which  he  sowed  ujion  the  acre  of  ground 
which  he  broke,  he  harvested  over  fortj^ 
bushels. 

On  the  evenino-  of  the  18th  of  Aug-ust, 
1862,  our  subject  heard  of  the  Indian  out- 
break that  had  commenced  that  day,  and 
immediately  took  his  family  to  Forest  City, 
and  two  days  later  to  Clearwater,  stopping 
several  times  on  his  way,  and  from  the  last 
place  sent  the  family  on  to  Minnea})olis,  and 
returned  to  look  after  the  stock.  lie  found 
all  in  good  sha])e  but  one  steer,  and  gathering 
them  together,  drove  off  some  twenty  seven 
head,  leaving  six  cows  with  John'Peiffer  to 
keep  for  him.  Going  to  Minneapolis,  he  did 
not  return  here  until  the  spring  of  1865, 
when  he  again  took  up  his  abode  on  his  farm. 
He  got  about  $300  from  the  State  to  indem- 
nify him  for  his  losses,  which  helped  give  him 
a  new  start. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Casey  are  the  parents  of 
twelve  children,  of  whom  the  following  is  the 
record — Bridget,  born  April  16,  1853;  Mary, 
whose  birth  took  place  August  31, 1854 ;  Pat- 
rick, born  April  18,  1856  ;  Daniel,  born  April 
3,  1858;  John,  born  March  21,  1861;  Ed- 
mund, born  December  24,  1862;  Margaret, 
born  August  20,  1865  ;  Thomas,  born  Janu- 
ary 20,  1867  ;  Ellen,  born  February  3,  1869  ; 
Hannorah,  born  June  27, 1870;  Joanna,  born 
May  14,  1872;  and  James,  born  February  9, 
1874. 

The  family  are  devout  members  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  church.  Mr.  Casey  is  in 
politics  a  democrat,  and  has  held  the  offices 
of  chairman  of  the  town  board  and  town 
treasurer. 


^TlLS  DANIELSON,  deceased,  was  a 
_yfj|  respected  citizen  and  an  old  settler 
in  the  western  part  of  the  county.  The 
township  of  Danielson  was  so  named  in 
honor   of   him.     He   came   to  this  country 


with  his  parents  in  1855,  and  first  settled  in 
Rock  county,  Wis.  They  moved  from  there 
to  Meeker  county,  Minn.,  in  1857,  in  com- 
pany with  Kittel  Haraldson,  Ole  Amundson 
and  Gilbert  Zackson.  They  first  settled 
in  the  town  of  Acton  and  in  1863,  Nils 
Danielson  took  his  homestead  on  section  2, 
town  of  Danielson,  and  was  the  first  settler 
in  the  township  and  the  town  was  afterward 
named  in  honor  of  him.  Nils  Danielson  died 
in  1869.  The  widow  and  six  children 
survive  him,  all  living  in  this  county.  There 
are  four  boys  and  two  girls:  the  eldest,  Helen, 
is  married  to  E.  Evenson,  of  the  town  of 
Greenleaf;  the  next  oldest,  Mary,  is  married 
to  Ole  K.  Nilson,  of  the  town  of  Danielson. 
Then  comes  D.  N.  Danielson,  who  is 
mentioned  elsewhere.  The  next  oldest  is 
Henry,  who  is  married  and  lives  in  the  town 
of  Cedar  Mills.  The  next  is  Hans,  who  is  a 
single  man  and  lives  with  Daniel.  The 
youngest,  Anthony,  also  single  and  lives  on 
the  old  homestead  with  his  mother. 

As  will  be  seen  the  family  were  hei'e  at 
the  time  of  the  Indian  outbreak.  The  father 
took  an  active  part  in  the  whole  of  it; 
was  one  of  the  band  who  went  on  the  night 
of  the  17th  of  August  to  Acton,  where  Jones, 
Baker  and  the  others  were  murdered.  Nils 
Danielson  started  out  in  company  with 
Andrew  Olson,  to  their  respective  farms,  on 
the  morning  when  Olson  was  shot  by  the 
Indians,  and  the  two  were  only  about  fifty 
rods  apart  when  Olson  fell. 


fETER  JOHNSON.  Among  the  citizens 
of  Meeker  county  who  owe  their  pres- 
ent adequate  fortunes  entirely  to  their  own 
ability  and  labor  there  is  probably  none  more 
widely  or  more  favorably  known  than  the  gen- 
tleman whose  name  heads  this  sketch.  He  is  a 
resident  of  the  village  of  Dassel,  where  he  has 
large  interests,  prominent  among  which  are 
his  loan  and  real  estate  business,  the  lumber 


23S 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


yarcl,  liis  connection  with  the  woolen  mill, 
and  greatest  of  all,  the  Tile  Stove  J\Ianufac- 
tory,  the  product  of  which  is  destined  to 
supersede,  to  some  extent  in  this  country, 
the  old,  unsightly  iron  stoves  of  the  present. 

Mr.  Johnson  is  a  native  of  Sweden,  born 
December  13, 1S40,  and  the  son  of  Maria 
and  John  Olson,  of  CoUingwood  township. 
When  a  young  man  he  learned  the  tailor's 
trade  and  followed  that  avocation  in  his 
native  land  until  1861.  Perceiving  the 
impossibihty  of  acquiring  any  start  in  life  in 
that  counti'v  he  determined  to  seek  in  the 
New  World  the  fortune  denied  him  at  home, 
and  accordingly  crossed  the  stormy  Atlantic, 
and  coming  directly  west  worked  at  his 
trade  in  Chicago,  111.,  Mem])his,  Tenn.,  and 
St.  Paul,  Minn.,  remaining  in  the  latter  city 
until  1867.  Leaving  there,  that  year,  he 
traveled  on  foot  to  see  the  country,  and  on 
his  arrival  in  CoUingwood  township,  this 
county,  took  up  a  homestead  on  section  12, 
and  commenced  its  improvement.  He  lived 
upon  this  place,  engaged  in  the  avocation 
of  a  farmer  until  1878,  when  he  sold  out 
and  removed  to  Dassel,  and  opened  his  loan 
and  real  estate  office.  From  this  time  on  he 
has  been  identified  with  the  growth  and 
development  of  the  town  and  county,  and 
hasgrown  in  wealth  and  influence  with  them 
and  to-day  is  one  of  the  leading  spirits  in  all 
enterprises  that  advance  the  interests  or 
propei-ty  of  Dassel. 

Mr.  Johnson,  while  a  resident  of  St.  Paul, 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Johanna 
Swanson,  a  native  of  Sweden.  The  ceremony 
which  united  them  took  place  May  28,  1868, 
in  the  German  Lutheran  church,  tiien  on 
Ninth  street. 

Xo  one  citizen  has  been  more  prominently 
identified  with  the  growth  and  development 
of  the  eastern  jiart  of  Meeker  county  than 
has  Mr.  Johnson,  and  every  enterprise  cal- 
culated to  benefit  either  town  or  county  has 
always  received  his  hearty  aid  and  encour- 


agement, lie  is  a  man  of  the  strictest  honor 
and  integrity,  and  justly  merits  the  high 
esteem  in  which  he  is  held.  He  takes  an  act- 
ive interest  in  political  matters, being  a  staunch 
republican,  and  is  one  of  the  leaders  of  that 
party  in  the  locality  in  which  he  lives,  and 
as  such  is  well  known  thi'oughuut  this  part 
of  the  State.  Mr.  Johnson  was  one  of  the 
delegates  from  this  congressional  district  in 
J1888  to  the  national  convention  at  Chicago. 
A  portrait  of  him  will  be  found  elsewhere  in 
this  Album. 


/^^,  ROVE  CITY  can  boast  of  as  fine  a 
^^pT  class  of  business  men  as  any  town 
of  its  size  in  Minnesota,  and  prominent 
among  them  is  C.  C.  Reitan,  the  subject  of 
this  sketch.  He,  like  many  of  the  citizens 
of  the  State,  is  a  native  of  Norway,  born 
March  21,  18-19,  and  the  son  of  Clement  and 
Anna  Reitan.  Reared  in  his  native  land,  he 
there  received  the  elements  of  his  education, 
and  remained  there  until  1870,  when,  at  the 
age  of  twenty-one,  he  crossed  the  ocean  to 
the  New  AVorld  to  hew  out  his  own  fortune, 
bringing  with  him  the  honesty  of  purpose, 
the  perseverance  and  the  thrift  so  common 
to  his  countrymen.  He  came  direct  to  Min- 
nesota on  his  arrival  on  Columbia's  shore, 
and  locating  in  Rice  county,  near  Northfield, 
worked  for  a  farmer  there  for  some  four 
years.  He  then  went  to  Minnea])o]is,  and 
for  nearly  as  long  a  period  was  employed  as 
a  clerk  in  the  grocery  store  of  A.  C. 
Haugen.  A  triji  to  his  native  land  at  the 
close  of  that  eno-asement  followed ;  and 
while  there  he  was  united  in  marriage  Julv 
10,  1877,  with  Miss  Karen  Kinseth.  the  sister 
of  Mrs.  A.  C.  Haugen,  the  cashier  of  the 
Scandia  bank  of  Minneapolis.  She  was 
born  September  19,  1852.  He,  with  his 
young  wife,  returned  to  this  country,  arriv- 
ing in  Minneapolis  on  the  13th  of  August, 
1879.     Resuming  his    old    place   with    Mr. 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


239 


Haugen,  he  remained  until  November  fol- 
lowing, when  he  came  to  Grove  City  and 
opened  a  general  merchandise  store  in  con- 
nection with  Mr.  Haugen.  This  partnership 
lasted  three  years,  and  then  he  purchased 
the  interest  of  his  partner.  Two  years  later 
John  Christensen  became  a  member  of  the 
firm,  and  the  business  is  still  carried  on  by 
them.  Their  building  is  a  very  line  one 
and  well  filled  with  a  well  assorted  stock  of 
goods.  The  firm  Iniilt  an  elevator  of  50,000 
bushels  capacity,  which  tliey  also  operated 
for  two  years,  after  which  they  sold  it  to 
the  Northwestern  Elevator  Co.  In  1885 
Mr.  Reitan  made  another  trip  to  Europe  for 
his  health,  durine  which  he  visited  Enjr- 
land,  France,  Belgium,  Germany,  Norway 
and  Sweden.  His  parents  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1887,  and  now  make  their 
home  with  him. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Reitan  are  the  parents  of 
five  children,  of  whom  the  following  is  the 
record — Conrad  Ulfred  C,  born  June  17, 
1879;  Louis,  born  April  17,  1881;  Gustaf 
Arthur,  born  July  19,  1883 ;  Ludwig 
Christian,  born  June  30,  1885 ;  and  Beatha 
Susanna,  born  October  20,  1886. 


«»- 


lp)ETER  KEILTY,  a  highly  respected 
1^  farmer  and  stock- raiser,  residing  on  sec- 
tion 28,  Forest  Prairie  township,  was  born  in 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  on  the  20th  of  September, 
1847,  and  is  the  son  of  William  and  Bridget 
Keilty,  who  were  natives  of  Ireland.  The 
family  were  among  the  earliest  settlers  in  the 
township,  the  father  having  cut  his  own  road 
to  his  homestead  on  section  34,  which  he 
took  in  1864.  The  parents  lived  here  for 
many  years,  then  went  to  Kansas,  but  re- 
turned, and  are  now  living  in  the  township. 
Peter  Keilty  spent  his  school  days,  receiv- 
ing a  good  education,  in  Kentucky  and  Illi- 
nois, his  parents  having  removed  to  the  latter 


State  in  1863.  They  remained  there  for  sev- 
eral years,  one  of  which  was  spent  in  the  city 
of  Chicago,  and  they  then  went  to  Berrien 
county,  Mich.,  where  they  remained  until 
coming  to  Meeker  county,  Minn.,  in  1866. 
The  most  of  the  life  of  our  subject  has  been 
devoted  to  farming,  althougii  there  have 
been  some  excejjtions.  For  two  years  he 
was  on  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  as  a 
cook,  and  he  also  spent  some  time  in  lumber- 
ing.    He  also  for  some  time  was  in  Colorado. 

Mr.  Keilty  was  married  at  Forest  City  on 
the  7th  of  January,  1SS3,  to  Miss  Gertrude 
Thissen,  a  native  of  Minnesota  and  a  daughter 
of  Peter  Thissen,  a  farmer  of  Forest  Prairie 
township.  Their  marriage  has  been  blessed 
with  two  children,  named  Josie  and  Bernard. 

In  political  matters  Mr.  Keilty  affiliates 
with  the  republican  party.  The  family  are 
members  of  the  Catholic  Church.  lie  has  a 
comfortable  home  and  good  farm,  and  de- 
votes his  time  and  attention  to  stock-raising 
and  to  diversified  farming'. 


-«•-£: 


-^^.■ 


EANDER  L.  WAKEFIELD.  One  of  the 
first  pioneeis  of  Meeker  county,  and 
one  who  has  always  been  identified  with  its 
interests,  is  the  gentleman  named  above,  who 
first  made  his  appearance  here  in  November, 
1856,  and  settled  upon  section  18,  Forest  City 
township.  He  is  now  a  resident  of  the 
village  of  Forest  City,  the  old  county  seat, 
whose  glory  has  departed  since  the  incep- 
tion of  Litchfield. 

Mr.  Wakefield  is  a  native  of  the  town  of 
Gardiner,  Kennebec  county.  Me.,  born  Octo- 
ber 22,  1833. 

He  received  his  education,  and  was  reared 
in  the  "  Old  Pine  Tree  State,"  and  as  he 
grew  to  manhood  engaged  in  lumbering  in 
that  locality,  and  followed  that  business  until 
some  twentj'-three  years  of  age,  when  he 
came  to  Minnesota,  and  Meeker  county. 


240 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


He  iulopted  farniing  on  coining  here,  which 
has  been  liis  chief  occupation  ever  since,  lie 
has  filled  several  of  tiie  town  offices,  the 
chief  ones  being  those  of  supervisoi'  and  con- 
stal)le.  lie  is  always  interested  in  educational 
matters,  being  for  several  yeai's  a  member  of 
tlie  school  board. 

Our  subject  lias  been  twice  married,  the 
first  time  to  ]\[iss  Lois  Sturtevant,  also  a 
native  of  Maine,  who  died  Aunust  2r.,  1876, 
leaving  seven  children — AVilliam  Edwin,  wlio 
married  Miss  Addie  Peters,  and  is  living  in 
Forest  City  ;  Theron  A.,  who  married  Miss 
Flora  Taylor,  and  lives  in  Litchfield ;  Sarah 
H.,  Mrs.  Seth  Burdick,  living  in  Forest  City ; 
Mary  E.,  John  R.,  Luella  L.,  and  Leander  L. 
April  15,  1878,  Mr.  Wakefield  contracted  a 
second  matrimonial  alliance,  with  Mrs.  Ruth 
E.  Smith,  a  native  of  the  State  of  Maine. 

During  the  Indian  outbreak  Mr.  Wake- 
field had  quite  an  experience.  He  and  Will- 
iam Mai'ble  had  engaged  to  take  a  quantity 
of  flour  from  Forest  City  to  the  Yellow 
Medicine  Agency,  and  when  within  half  a 
mile  of  tlie  Minnesota  river  and  eight  miles 
below  the  agency,  camped  for  the  night, 
sleeping  under  their  wagons. 

About  two  o'clock  in  the  morning  they 
were  awakened  by  two  Frenchmen  who  had 
fortunately  escaped  the  mui-derous  Sioux  at 
the  agency  and  on  account  of  the  dense  fog 
had  lost  theii'  way.  From  the  Frenchman's 
limited  knowledge  of  the  English  language 
they  \vere  unable  to  learn  the  particulars, 
and  determined  to  investigate  the  matter. 
They  yoked  tlie  oxen,  intending  to  proceed  to 
the  ferry,  then  in  charge  of  a  Mr.  Brown. 
When  on  their  way  to  the  ferry  their  atten- 
tion was  attracted  by  two  horsemen,  riding 
at  a  rapid  rate.  On  noticing  the  teams  the 
horsemen  turned  out  of  their  course,  accosted 
Mr.  AVakefield  and  Mr.  Marble,  saying, 
"  Turn  back,  if  you  want  to  save  your  scalps  ; 
the  Indians  arekilling  the  whites  at  sight,  at 


the  agenc}'."  After  giving  this  information 
they  continued  their  flight  to  the  lower 
agency.  Witliinan  h<iurtliey  werecaj)tured 
by  the  Indians. 

Providentially,  one  of  the  men,  Mr.  Blair, 
escaped  thi-ough  the  mei'cy  of  some  friendly 
Indians.  The  fate  of  the  other  was  unknown. 
Obeying  the  order  given,  Mr.  Wakefield  and 
Mr.  Marble  turned  back,  down  to  a  ravine, 
unloaded  their  flour  and  started  toward 
Forest  City,  traveling  the  distance  of  seventy 
miles  in  twenty-four  hours.  Finding  his 
house  deserted,  his  family  having  gone  away 
for  safety,  he  j)roceeded  to  the  village. 
After  caring  for  his  family,  he  rolled  himself 
in  his  blanket  and  slept  for  nearly  forty- 
eight  hours.  He  then  was  emjiloyed  by 
Judson  A.  Stanton  to  take  the  merchandise 
out  of  his  store  to  Minneajtolis,  and  then 
joined  his  family. 


^IT  ELSON  J.  MARCH  is  a  native  of  Ack- 
worth,  Sullivan  county,  N.  II.,  and 
was  born  in  1828.  He  is  a  son  of  Geoi'ge  and 
Hannah  (Nelson)  March,  the  former  of  whom 
was  born  in  Londonderry,  N.  H.,  and  the 
latter  in  Georgetown,  Mass.  They  were 
married  in  1808  and  a  j'ear  later  settled  in 
Ackworth,  where  they  spent  the  balance  of 
their  days,  Mr.  March  dying  about  the  first 
of  the  year  1832,  and  his  widow  in  1850. 

Nelson  J.  remained  at  home  with  his  ])ar- 
ents  until  he  was  about  sixteen  years  of  age, 
at  which  time  he  went  to  Boston,  where  he 
s[)ent  some  six  years.  From  there  he  re- 
moved to  New  York  city,  where  he  made 
his  home  until  1852.  in  which  year  he  enii- 
ffrated  to  Illinois,  where  he  was  in  the  em- 
ploy  of  a  railroad  company,  and  had  his 
headquartei-s  in  the  cities  of  Springfield  and 
Bloomington.  In  August,  1855,  with  a  view 
to  the  betterment  of  his  financial  condition, 
he  came  to  Minnesota,  and  followed  the  trade 
of  carpenter  at  St.  Paul.      In  the  summer 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


241 


of  1861,  and  through  the  following  fall 
and  winter,  the  subject  of  our  sketch  was 
eno-ao-ed  in  recruiting-  men  to  fill  various 
Minnesota  regiments,  at  the  front  and  in  the 
process  of  organization,  and  continued  in 
this  employment  until  July,  1862,  when 
he  was  appointed  deputy  provost  marshal  of 
the  second  district,  and  sei'ved  in  that  capac- 
ity until  released  from  duty  in  July,  1865. 
Mr.  March  then  engaged  in  the  market  gar- 
dening business  on  some  seven  acres  of  ground 
in  St.  Paul,  and  remained  in  that  city  until 
1867,  when,  having  purchased  a  tract  of  160 
aci'es  of  wild  land  in  the  town  of  Cedar  IMills, 
this  county,  he  came  here  and  broke  a  j>art 
of  it,  and  got  it  ready  for  seeding.  In  the 
fall  he  returned  to  St. Paul,  where  he  spent  part 
of  the  winter  in  getting  ready  for  removal. 
In  January,  1868,  Mr.  March  moved  his 
household  goods  and  belongings  to  this  farm 
where  he  made  his  home  until  1874:,  when 
having  been  elected  to  the  office  of  sheriff  of 
the  county  he  removed  to  Litchfield,  on  tak- 
ing up  the  duties  of  that  position.  He  was 
reelected  at  the  expiration  of  his  term  of 
office,  and  served,  in  all,  four  years,  in  a  very 
satisfactory  manner.  About  1876,  our  sub- 
ject disposed  of  his  farm  in  Cedar  Mills,  but 
shortly  after  invested  in  240  acres  on  section 
30  of  the  same  town,  which  he  owned  until 
1885.  In  1880,  however,  he  took  up  a  tree 
claim  in  Spink  county,  Dak.,  and  bought 
lots  in  the  village  of  Mellette.  In  1885  he 
purchased  SO  acres  on  section  1,  Litchfield 
township,  which  he  now  cultivates.  In  1862 
Mr.  March  married  Miss  Mary  J.  Morrison, 
who  was  born  in  Bradford,  N.  IL,  in  1842, 
and  is  the  daughter  of  Moses  and  Mary 
(Cressey)  Morrison,  representatives  of  two  of 
the  oldest  families  of  the  "  Old  Granite  State." 
Her  parents  settled  at  St.  Anthony,  Minn., 
in  1855,  Ijut  a  year  later  removed  to  St.  Cloud, 
where  JMr.  March  and  Miss  Morrison  were 
married.  By  this  marriage  there  have  been 
born  five  children — Frank  M.,  born  October 


22,  1863  ;  Nelson  D.,  born  February  26, 1866 ; 
George  K.,  July  26,  1868;  Charles  IL,  Octo- 
ber 20,  1870;  and  Mary  N.,  July  1,  1874. 
Mr.  March  is  a  member  of  the  city  council  of 
Litchfield,  and  of  Frank  Daggett  Post,  No. 
35,  G.  A.  E.,  and  of  the  Masonic  fraternity, 
having  joined  the  latter  order  in  St.  Paul  in 
1857. 

Mr.  March  has  been  a  ])rominent  and 
active  public  man  wherever  he  has  lived. 
In  the  spring  of  1858  he  was  ajipointed  as- 
sessor of  the  third  ward  in  the  city  of  St. 
Paul ;  in  the  spring  of  1859  was  appointed 
market  master  for  one  year  by  the  common 
council  of  St.  Paul;  in  June,  1862,  was  ap- 
pointed enrolling  agent  of  Dakota  county, 
Minn.,  by  Governor  Ramsey.  These  positions 
all  came  to  him  unsolicited,  as  was  also  the 
case  Avith  his  apjiointment  as  provost  marshal. 
Mr.  ]\Larch  was  engaged  at  "enrolling"  in 
Dakota  county  when  he  first  learned  of  the 
Indian  outbreak. 

JTOHN  DUCKERJNG.  Among  the  older 
^  residents  of  the  county,  and  reliable, 
trusted  citizens,  may  be  found  the  subject  of 
thi^  sketch,  who  is  a  resident  of  section  22, 
Ellsworth  township,  where  he  settled  July 
5,  1865,' and  where  he  is  devoting  a  large 
share  of  his  attention  to  the  rearing  of  Nor- 
man and  English  Shire  horses,  high-bred  Dur- 
ham and  Shorthorn  cattle,  and  also  sheep. 
He  has  some  imported  stock  of  the  very  best 
strains,  that  represent  a  large  outlay  of  cash 
capital.  Of  late  years  the  celebrated  Cots- 
wold  sheep  have  been  his  favorite,  although 
formerly  doing  much  with  the  fine-wool  or 
Merinos.  He  sold,  during  the  year  1886,  of 
his  surplus  stock  some  §1,500  worth.  His 
English  Shire  horse  is  claimed  to  be  as  fine 
a  one  as  there  is  in  the  State,  and,  with  one 
exception,  the  only  one  in  the  county.  He 
has  now  some  348  acres  of  excellent  land,  a 
large  share  of  which  is  under  tillaare. 


242 


MEEKER   COi'XTV.  MINNESOTA. 


Mr.  Duckering  was  born  in  Apley,  Lincoln- 
shire, England,  September  11,  1819,  hence  is 
nearly  the  same  age  as  Queen  Victoria.  lie 
is  tlie  son  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Semper) 
Duckering,  the  former  a  native  of  Horsing- 
ton  and  the  latter  of  Bucknell,  England.  The 
greatgrandfather  of  oui' subject  was  born  in 
DenniJirkand  died  in  England,  and  all  of  the 
ancestors  on  his  father's  side  died  in  the  same 
house,  and  lie  in  the  same  cemetery.  John 
Duckering,  the  father  of  oui'  subject,  was 
a  whig  in  politics,  an<l  a  ('hristian  member 
of  the  Church  of  England.  He  was  the  \yav- 
ent  of  but  three  children — Mary,  Elizabeth 
and  John.  The  two  girls  are  still  residents 
of  "Old  Albion,"  living  in  the  city  of  Lin- 
coln. John  Duckering  came  to  the  LTnited 
States  alone  in  1842,  and  first  located  in 
Troy,  Walworth  county.  Wis.,  after  a  short 
stay  in  ]\[ihvaukee.  He  remained  there  sev- 
eral years,  and  then  removed  to  Dodge  coun- 
ty, in  the  same  State,  and  there  made  his 
home  for  the  term  of  seven  years.  While 
there  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Maria  Bean,  October  22,  1846.  She  is  the 
daughter  of  John  K.  and  Maria  Bean,  \\-\\o 
had  a  family  of  eigiit  children — Louisa,  Will- 
iam, Betsey,  Charley,  Elizabeth,  Maria,  John, 
ami  one  that  died  in  infancy.  Mrs.  D.  is  a 
native  of  Clinton  count}',  N.  Y.,  anfl  is  the 
mother  of  twelve  children,  four  of  whom  are 
dead.  Those  living  are — Mary  E.,  Charles 
H.,  John,  Adam,  Duane  H.,  Maria  L.,  Flora 
B.,  William  C.  and  Warren  W.  Those  de- 
ceased are — Dora,  born  in  1861,  died  Sep- 
tember 13,  1886,  the  wife  of  James  Lemon; 
Frederick  v.,  born  March  29,  1859,  died  Feb- 
ruary 25,  1864;  and  William  and  Willis, 
twins,  born  in  1865,  who  died  in  infancy. 


,  lNE  of  the  leading  and  most 
^^^  prominent  farmers  in  Meeker  county, 
is  IL  J.  Lashek,  a  resident  of  section  4,  ( 'cdar 


Mills  township.  He  wiis  born  in  Switzer- 
land on  the  22(1  of  August,  1832.  When  he 
was  six  months  old  his  parents  came  to  the 
United  States  and  settled  in  Philadelphia, 
where  they  died  when  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  was  eitcht  vears  old.  H.  J.  then 
went  to  Jersey  City,  where  he  remained  until 
he  was  eleven  years  of  age.  Fi'om  there  he 
went  to  Dryden,  N.  Y.,  and  was  adopted  by 
Albert  Phillips,  with  whom  he  remained 
until  he  was  fifteen  years  of  age.  At  that 
time  he  went  to  Homer,  N.  Y.,  and  learned 
tiie  tinner's  and  copjtersinith's  trade,  serving 
until  twenty-one.  lie  followed  this  Im.siness 
for  years  afterward  in  various  cities  thi'ough- 
out  New  York. 

While  at  Marathon,  N.  Y.,  on  May 
15,  1854,  he  was  married  to  Catherine  J. 
Topping,  of  Dryden,  N.  Y.  They  remained 
there  until  1859,  when  they  came  to  Meeker 
county,  Minn.,  and  located  on  section  12, 
Cedar  Mills  township,  having  an  interest  in 
a  claim  taken  by  his  wife's  father,  Mr.  Top- 
ping. He  also  claimed  land  on  section  4, 
and  in  1861  moved  on  to  the  latter  claim. 
For  a  time  they  lived  in  an  Indian  tepee,  then 
in  the  stai)le,  and  finally  when  theii'  house 
was  ready  for  occupancy  they  moved  into  it 
December  31,  1861.  There  they  were  living 
when  the  Indian  outlircak  began.  As  a  full 
history  of  this  matter  is  given  in  another 
tlepartment,  it  will  only  be  necessary  to 
briefly  refer  to  j\Ir.  Lasher's  personal  move- 
ments during  those  trying  times.  On  Mon- 
day morning,  August  18,  1862,  he  learned 
of  the  massacre  at  Acton,  and  sent  his  family 
to  section  12,  where  his  wife's  brother-in-law, 
D.  B.  Peck,  lived,  while  he  started  to  notify 
the  settlers  in  Greenleaf.  He  found  them 
all  srone  and  he  made  his  wav  down  to 
Peck's.  The  same  day  his  family  returned 
to  his  farm  and  he  remained  to  help  Peck 
harvest.  Thursday  he  Avas  notified  of  firing 
near  his  farm  and  went  to  Cedar  Mills  to  get 
some  one  to  accompany  him   for  his  family, 


^¥;^ 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


245 


but  no  one  would  venture,  so  he  went  alone. 
On  reaching  the  farm  he  met  some  twenty 
parties  wlio  had  started  from  Forest  City  to 
bury  those  killed  at  Acton,  but  they  had 
been  chasing  Indians  into  Kandiyohi  county 
and  had  made  their  way  back  this  far  in  the 
night.  Mrs.  Lasher  got  supper  and  break- 
fast for  them  and  they  then  started  for  For- 
est City.  The  family  returned  to  Cedar 
]\Iills,  and  Peck,  with  his  team,  hauled  1,G00 
pounds  of  flour  and  other  provisions  from  the 
farm  to  the  same  place.  When  they  got 
there  they  found  some  eight  or  ten  families 
gathered  from  the  surrounding  country,  all 
bent  on  fleeing  for  safety,  but  after  some  tallc 
it  was  decided  to  build  fortifications  and 
i-emain.  While  they  were  talking,  Dr.  Earl, 
from  Beaver  Falls,  Kenville  county,  came 
up  and  stated  that  all  were  killed  in  his 
neighborliuod  except  a  very  few,  and  that  his 
three  boys  were  wandering  on  the  prairie 
somewhere  southwest  of  them.  Mr.  Lasher 
and  L.  S.  Weymouth  started  out  and  soon 
found  and  brought  in  the  boys.  They  had 
met  three  Indians  on  the  prairie  who  had 
passed  through  Greenleaf  and  Cedar,  and 
had  given  them  food  and  traded  guns  with 
them.  These  Indians  they  recognized  as 
Little  Crows.  When  Lasher  and  Wey- 
mouth got  back,  however,  all  the  rest  had 
fled.  The\'  Avere  soon  overtaken  and 
brought  back.  Mr.  Lasher  was  appointed 
captain,  and  they  decided  to  fortify  "the 
Point"  in  Cedar  Lake  and  remain  thereuntil 
the  trouble  was  over.  Wej'mouth  and 
Lasher  stood  guard  at  the  crossing  by  the 
mill.  On  AVednestlay  a  part}'  of  thirty  or 
forty  refugees  from  Yellow  Medicine  county 
came  up,  accompanied  by  the  friendly 
Indian,  "  Other  Day."  With  them  was  a 
Mr.  Garvey,  who  had  been  wounded,  and 
who  died  the  following  day  at  Mr.  Lasher's 
house.  Thursday  all  the  new-comers  left  for 
a  safer  place,  and  a  few  days  later  the 
''Point"  was  evacuated,  and  all  the  settlers 


went  to  Hutchinson,  through  the  advice  of 
"  Other  Day,"  Mr.  Lasher  and  several  others 
returned  to  the  farm  to  care  for  the  grain,  Mrs 
Lasher,  Miss  C.  Jewett  and  Mrs.  Geo.  WiUs 
accompanying  them  to  do  the  cooking. 
While  there  Strouts'  company  came  through 
from  Minneapolis  on  their  way  to  Acton, 
and  the  next  morning  were  surprised  by  the 
Indians,  and  routed  and  returned  to  Hutch- 
inson. The  others  also  went  back  except 
Mr.  Lasher  and  Frank  Jewett,  who  remained 
upon  a  hill  till  they  saw  the  Indians  passing 
east  and  west,  when  they  also  started  for 
Hutchinson,  and  met  a  party  in  search  of 
them.  The  following  day  the  Indians  made 
the  attack  on  Hutchinson.  The  next  day 
Lasher  and  Weymouth  returned  to  Cedar 
Mills  and  set  loose  all  the  stock.  They 
found  the  mill  running,  it  havmg  been  started 
b\^  the  Indians,  who  had  stolen  all  the  flour. 
They  returned  to  Hutchinson,  and  the  next 
day  Mr.  Lasher  organized  a  company,  went 
back  and  repaired  the  mill  and  ground  some 
flour  for  the  settlers,  who  were  sadh^  in  need 
of  it.  Shortl}^  after  this  a  portion  of  the 
Third  Minnesota  Regiment,  under  command 
of  Major  Welch,  came  through,  and  Mr. 
Lasher  joined  them  as  a  scout,  and  remained 
in  the  service  with  Gen.  H.  II.  Sibley  for 
three  years  and  a  half,  ])articipating  in  all  its 
expeditions  and  battles,  being  in  the  engage- 
ments at  Wood  Lake  and  Lac  qui  Parle,  etc. 
At  the  latter  place  they  captured  a  number 
of  Indians,  thirteen  of  whom  were  after- 
ward hung  at  Mankato. 

During  this  time,  Mr.  Lasher's  family  had 
returned  to  the  old  home  in  New  York.  In  the 
fall  of  186-i  they  returned  to  Hutchinson,  and 
in  the  following  summer  again  settled  on  the 
farm.  In  lS(i9  Mr.  Lasher  removed  to 
Litchfleld,  where  he  followed  his  trade  until 
18S1,  when  they  again  settled  upon  the  farm, 
and  have  since  remained  there.  While  in 
Litchfield  Mr.  Lasher  took  an  active  interest 
in   l)and    matters,    and    was  leader  of  that 


■246 


MEEKER    COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


organization  for  six  years.  He  has  now  a 
valuable  farm  of  400  acres,  with  good 
improvements  and  lias  it  well  stocked. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lasher  are  members  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church.  ^Ir.  Lasher  has 
always  taken  an  active  interest  in  church 
matters.  Lie  was  one  of  the  prime  movers 
in  securing  the  organization  of  the  church  in 
this  township.  lie  had  charge  of  the  erec- 
tion of  the  building,  and  besides  devoting 
much  time,  he  personally  became  responsible 
for  $200  to  complete  the  edifice.  He  was 
also  chosen  superintendent  of  the  first  Sun- 
day school  organized  in  the  township  in 
1860,  and  when  they  removed  to  their  farm 
on  section  4,  they  organized  a  Sunday  school 
there. 

Mr.  and  Mrs  Lasher  have  been  the  parents 
of  eight  children.  Only  four  of  them  are 
living,  as  follows — Hulda  C,  now  Mrs.  II. 
P.  Pfaff  of  Greenleaf ;  Albert  P.,  Sarah  A. 
and  Daniel  B.  The  last  three  are  still  at 
home. 


1B)ETER  N.  HANSON,  a  young  and  enter- 
_|^  prising  farmer  of  Cosmos  township, 
has  his  home  upon  section  2,  where  he  has 
160  acres  of  land,  as  well  as  another  quarter 
on  section  9,  making  his  farm  to  consist  of 
320  acres.  He  is  the  son  of  Hans  H.  and 
Mary  Hanson,  natives  of  Norway,  who  came 
to  the  United  States  in  1863.  Llis  father 
with  his  family  came  to  Meeker  county  in 
1865,  and  located  in  Greenleaf  township.  In 
the  spring  of  1867,  he  came  to  Cosmos  and 
put  up  the  claim  shanty  of  Daniel  Iloyt,  the 
first  settler  in  the  town,  and  later  the  same 
year  took  up  a  claim  for  himself  on  section 
10.  The  same  fall  he  removed  with  his  wife 
and  children  to  this  ])lace,  and  they  were  the 
first  family  in  the  township.  They  lived  in  a 
"dugout"  that  winter,  but  erected  a  house 


in  the 


Mr.  Hanson  resided  on  this 


farm  until  1883,  when  he  removed  to  Dakota, 


where  he  now  lives.  He  raised  the  first  crop 
in  the  town,  having  some  fifteen  acres  in 
wheat  the  summer  of  1868. 

i'eter  X.  remained  with  his  pai'ciits  until 
his  marriage  December  13,  1876,  Avith  Miss 
Mary  Olson,  the  daughter  of  Marten  and 
Kain  Olson,  who  was  born  in  Norway.  He 
then  struck  out  for  himself  and  bought  a 
farm  on  section  2,  and  on  this  spot  has  lived 
ever  since. 

Although  a  young  man  in  years,  Mr.  Han- 
son has  a  shrewd  head  on  him,  and  this  be- 
ing appreciaited  by  the  community,  they  have 
elected  him  to  the  office  of  town  supervisor, 
whicli  office  he  now  holds;  he  has  also  been 
road  supervisor. 


JOHN  GIBNEY,  an  enterprising  and  suc- 
cessful farmer  residing  on  section  27, 
Manannah  township,  is  one  of  the  most  in- 
telligent and  one  of  the  best  read  and  posted 
men  in  the  county,  and  a  man  of  a  great 
deal  of  natural  as  well  as  acquired  ability. 
He  is  a  self-educated  man,  but  a  thorough 
course  of  reading  on  scientific,  theological 
and  other  subjects  has  made  him  a  ripe 
scholar,  and  because  of  his  attainments  he  is 
one  of  the  most  prominent  citizens  in  the 
northern  part  of  the  county. 

Mr.  Gibney  was  born  in  County  West 
Meath.  Ireland,  on  the  22d  of  June,  1819, 
and  is  a  son  of  Timoth}^  and  Mary  E.  (Car- 
ney) Gibney.  His  early  life  was  spent  in  the 
land  of  his  birth,  but  in  1836  he  came  to  the 
new  world,  binding  at  New  York,  and  settled 
in  the  county  of  Madison,  in  New  York 
State.  In  1S3S  he  removed  to  Canada,  and 
remained  there  until  186.5,  when  he  came  to 
Meeker  county,  Minn.,  and  settled  in  Manan- 
nah township,  where  he  has  since  lived. 

In  1818  Mr.  Gibney  was  married  to  Miss 
Anna  Lleaney,  and  their  union  has  been 
blessed  with  ten  children,  five  girls  and  five 
boys,  whose  names  are  as  follows — Timothy, 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


247 


Mary,  James,  Owen,  Katie,  Ann,  Patrick, 
Christoplier  and  Eliza,  all  of  whom  are  living. 
The  family  are  members  of  the  Catholic 
Church. 

During  twenty-two  years  of  his  life,  Mr. 
Gibney  followed  railroatling,  but  the  balance 
of  the  time  he  has  been  farming.  In  political 
matters  he  is  an  independent  voter,  and  acts 
regardless  of  the  dictation  of  party  or  creed. 
He  has  taken  an  active  interest  in  his  town- 
ship affairs,  and  has  held  several  local  offices, 
one  of  which  was  that  of  township  assessor. 


AMES  A.  KLINE,  who  has  been  engaged 
^  so  successfully  in  carrying  on  farming 
and  stock-raising  on  his  fine  farm  on 
section  22,  Kingston  township,  is  a  native 
of  Amsterdam,  Montgomery  county,  N.  Y., 
born  December  17,  1813.  He  remained  in 
the  place  of  his  nativity  until  some  twenty- 
two  years  of  age,  when  he  emigrated  to  the 
wilds  of  Michigan,  settling  in  Genesee 
county,  where  he  was  engaged  in  farming 
and       lumbering.  From    there     about 

1855,  he  removed  to  Winnebago  county, 
111.,  where  he  made  his  home  nntil 
18G7,  when  he  came  to  Meeker  connty,  and 
settleil  where  he  now  lives.  He  received  in 
his  youth  the  elements  of  a  good  common- 
school  education  and  l)y  a  diligent  use  of  it 
has  well-informed  himself  on  all  general 
subjects.  AVhile  a  resident  of  Michigan  he 
went  to  Tuolumne  county,  Cal.,  where 
he  engaged  in  mining  foi'  two  j'ears  and 
then  returned  home.  Most  of  his  life  has 
been  actively  engaged  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits, but  having  succeeded  in  achieving  an 
easy  competence,  he  is  spending  his  declining 
years  in  the  enjo^'ment  of  home. 

Our  subject  is  the  son  of  Adam  and  Eliza- 
beth (Ciyslor)  Kline,  both  of  whom  were  na- 
tives of  the  Empire  State,  and  who  emi- 
grated to  Michigan  in  1838,  where  the  father 


died  at  the  age  of  fifty-two  years.  His  wife, 
the  mother  of  our  subject,  died  after  attain- 
ing some  eighty-three  years.  They  had  a 
family  of  twelve  children- — William  A.,  born 
August  21,  1810,  died  April  15,  1840;  A.  C, 
born  May  31,  1812;  James  A.,  born  Decem- 
ber 17,  1813 ;  John,  born  January  24,  1851 ; 
Joseph,  born  August  20,  1823;  George,  born 
November  10, 1827;  Sarah  Jane,  born  March 
23,  1830;  Henry,  born  May  15,  1832,  enlisted 
in  the  Eighth  Michigan  Infantry,  and  was 
killed  July  12,  1864;  Maria,  born  April  28, 
1819,  died  August  1,  1822;  Margaret,  born 
November  17,  1822,  died  August  8,  1823; 
and  Elizabeth  J.,  born  January,  1826,  died 
November  8,  1826. 

James  A.  Kline  was  first  married  on  tiie 
11th  of  October,  1840,  in  Michigan,  to  Mary 
Ann  Perry.  They  had  one  son,  who  is  liv- 
ing— George  P.  Kline,  a  resident  of  Dakota. 

Mr.  Kline's  second  marriage  occurred  De- 
cember 12,  1848,  when  he  was  wedded  to 
Mrs.  Ann  Talbott,  nee  Shimin,  who  was  born 
in  England,  a  daughter  of  John  and  Ann 
(CoiTis)  Shimin.  The  date  of  her  birth  was 
November  21,  1815.  A  sketch  of  the 
Shimin  family  is  given  elsewhere  in  this 
Album.  By  this  union  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Kline  have  had  two  children — Anna,  wife 
of  Mr.  Hiram  Ramsey,  and  James  E.,  a 
farmer  of  this  townsliip,  who  married  Miss 
Emma  Baker.  Mrs.  Kline  by  her  former 
marriage  had  two  children — Henry  T.,  killed 
in  the  army  November  25,  1863,  at  Lookout 
Mountain,  a  member  of  the  Seventy-Fourth 
Illinois  Infantry,  and  William,  born  January 
IS,  1846,  married  in  1868  to  Miss  Amelia 
Boom. 


^WAN  AUGUST  SCARP,  of  Litchfield, 
^^^  is  a  native  of  Sweden,  born  August 
20,  1845,  and  emigrated  to  the  United  States 
when  he  was  about  twenty-seven  years  of  age. 
On  landing  he  came   direct  to  this  village, 


248 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


where  he  remained  until  the  following  spring, 
when  lie  moved  to  a  farm  near  that  place, 
where  he  spent  the  next  two  years.  Keturn- 
inii-  to  Litchfield  he  erected  his  residence,  and 
entered  the  employ  of  S.  Alnupiist,  in  the 
saloon  business  and  remained  with  him  some 
six  years  and  a  half,  at  the  expiration  of  which 
time  he  entered  into  the  same  line  of  business 
for  himself  and  continues  to  carry  on  the 
saloon.  In  1887  he  erected  one  of  the  finest 
residences  in  the  village,  at  a  cost  of  over 
$5,000,  superintending  its  erection  himself. 

Mr.  Scarp,  November  16,1873,  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Sophia  Johnson,  a  na- 
tive of  Sweden,  and  daughter  of  John  and 
Ingra  (Parson)  Johnson;  who  became  the 
mother  of  four  children — Annie  C,  Julia  L., 
Francis  E.,  and  Jennie.  Mr.  S.  is  a  member 
of  the  Order  of  United  Workmen. 

J.  P.  Scarp,  a  native  of  Sweden,  was  one  of 
Litchfield's  earliest  business  men,  coming  here 
in  1871,  and  engaging  in  sale  of  agricult- 
ural implements.  He  continued  in  that  line 
of  trade  until  1882,  when  he  made  a  visit  to 
the  land  of  his  birth  to  see  the  old  home  and 
his  parents,  and  on  the  vo^'age  back,  the  ves- 
sel upon  which  he  sailed  was  wrecked  and 
he  was  di-owned  in  the  Baltic  Sea.  He  car- 
ried a  policy  of  insurance  in  the  Redwing 
company,  which  provided  partially  for  his 
family,  who  still  are  residents  of  the  village, 
and  this,  with  his  other  estate,  places  them  far 
above  any  necessity.  He  was  a  charter  mem- 
ber of  the  Workmen's  Lodge  in  Litchfield,  the 
insurance  from  which  was  also  $2,000.  He 
was  a  man  who  ])ossessed  the  respect  and 
esteem  of  the  whole  community,  and  was 
widely  known  as  everybody's  friend.  His 
cruel  death  was  a  sad  blow  to  his  bereaved 
family,  who  still  mourn  his  loss. 

^^,  EORGE  BECKER,  a  successful  and 
\^pr  prominent  farmer  and  stock-raiser, 
who  resides  on  section  23,  Greenleaf  town- 


ship, has  the  distinction  of  being  one  of  the 
oldest  settlers  of  Minnesota,  who  now  resides 
in  Meeker  county,  lie  is  connected  with  a 
family  that  has  given  a  number  of  i)ioneers 
and  prominent  pul)lic  men  to  the  State. 

Mr.  Pecker  was  born  in  Schoharie  county, 
N.  Y.,  September  30,  1842.  When  he  was 
three  years  old  his  ])arents  settled  in  Michi- 
gan, and  remained  there  until  1855,  when 
they  came  to  Minnesota,  and  located  near 
the  present  site  of  St.  Cloud,  in  Stearns 
county.  They  made  part  of  the  journey  by 
railroad,  a  portion  by  steamboat  itnd  the  latter 
part  by  team.  They  arrived  at  their  destin- 
ation in  May,  1855,  and  were  among  the 
very  first  settlers  in  that  county.  The  gov- 
ernment survey  had  not  yet  been  made ; 
the  old  •'  Territorial  Road  "  was  opened  that 
far,  but  that  was  the  terminus  so  far  as 
settlement  was  concerned.  The  father  made 
arrangements,  in  1854,  to  claim  the  land 
which  afterward  became  the  original  plat  of 
St.  Cloud,  l)ut,  through  the  du])licity  of  one 
in  whom  he  had  placed  confidence,  he  was 
cheated  out  of  it.  There  they  lived  through 
the  most  trying  times  in  the  history  of  the 
State,  and  there  our  subject,  George,  grew 
to  manhood. 

His  father,  Harmon  Becker,  was  born  in 
1797,  and  for  years  was  a  hotel-keeper  in 
Schoharie  county,  N.  Y.  He  Avas  married 
to  Margaret  M.  Efner,  and  they  reared  a 
family  of  eight  children  —  five  boys  and 
tliree  girls.  Harmon  Pecker  was  a  man  of 
prominence  and  ability,  and  in  the  prime  of 
his  life  had  a  great  deal  of  influence  in  the 
locality  where  he  lived.  He  took  a  great 
interest  in  stock-raising,  and  imported  the 
first  thorough-bred  stallion  of  Duroc  blood 
ever  brought  to  the  United  States.  In  slav- 
ery days  he  was  a  slave-owner,  but  at  the 
time  of  the  abolition  movement  he  gave  his 
slaves  their  freedom,  and  ]>resented  them 
with  a  forty-acre  farm  on  which  to  live,  not- 
withstanding their  protestations  that   they 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


249 


preferred  to  continue  their  old  relation  of 
master  and  servant.  In  1846  Harmon 
Becker  removed  to  Washtenaw  county, 
Mich.,  settling  near  Ann  Arbor.  While  in 
that  State  he  erected  a  large  hotel,  and 
later,  sold  it  for  $8,000  to  a  man  named 
Grovener,  but  lost  it ;  and  besides  this,  lost 
another  $8,000  by  becoming  surety  for  an- 
other party  and  having  to  pay  it.  After 
this  he  followed  farming  until  1854,  when  he 
came  to  Minnesota  to  see  the  country,  and, 
being  pleased  with  it,  he  made  arrangements 
to  locate  the  land  on  which  the  city  of  St. 
Cloud  is  now  located.  J.  L.  Wilson  was  sent 
for  a  compass  to  survey  the  site,  and,  immed- 
iately upon  his  return,  he  ran  out  tlie  lines,  and 
built  a  shanty  of  tamarac  rails  and  slept  on  the 
place  that  night.  The  next  day,  when 
search  was  made  for  him,  there  he  was, 
in  the  first  house  on  the  site,  and  he,  accord- 
ingly, claimed  the  land.  Harmon  Becker 
then  returned  to  Michigan,  and,  the  follow- 
ing year,  settled  in  Stearns  county,  as  stated 
above.  He  lived  there  until  the  time  of  his 
death,  in  January,  1857,  aged  sixty-six  years. 
The  widow,  Margaret  M.,  was  very  sickly 
at  the  time  of  leaving  Michigan.  She  gained 
strength,  however,  and  recovered,  living 
until  January,  1886,  when  her  death  occurred 
at  Litchfield.  She  was  eighty  years  of  age. 
She  was  a  woman  of  rare  personal  cour- 
age, which  stood  her  in  good  need  during  the 
Indian  outbreak.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Har- 
mon Becker  were  members  of  the  Presby- 
terian church,  and  exemplary  Christian  peo- 
ple. 

Times  were  very  hard  during  their  first 
few  j'ears' settlement  in  Stearns  county,  as  all 
pioneers  will  realize,  and  at  times  it  seemed 
as  though  starvation  stai-ed  them  in  the 
face.  But  with  that  indomitable  persever- 
ance and  hope  for  the  future  which  is  of 
necessity  a  characteristic  of  the  pioneer,  they 
lived  through  it  all.  Just  as  times  began  to 
look  a  little  brighter  the  Indian    outbreak 


occurred,  but  they  stood  their  ground  and 
lived  at  or  near  St.  Cloud  during  all  the  ex- 
citement. Shortly  after  this,  George  joined 
the  Sully  expedition,  and  followed  the  move- 
ments of  that  brigade,  acting  as  sutler's 
clerk.  Upon  his  return  he  remained  at  St. 
Cloud  until  1865,  when  he  went  to  the  Pa- 
cific coast,  by  way  of  New  York  city,  and 
as  his  journeys,  hardships  and  adventures 
form  an  interesting  narrative,  we  will  briefly 
review  them  in  this  connection.  He  shipped 
from  the  metropolis  on  the  steamer  "Golden 
Rule"  for  Central  America.  They  crossed 
the  Isthmus  by  way  of  the  Nicaragua  river 
and  lake,  their  steamer  striking  a  rock  and 
sinking,  but  the  passengers  continued  their 
journey  on  other  crafts.  The  river  was  so 
low  that  a  part  of  the  way  they  were  con- 
veyed in  small  boats,  manned  by  the  natives. 
George  Becker  finally  reached  the  Pacific 
ocean  and  shipped  for  San  Francisco.  The 
second  day  out  they  learned  from  a  passing 
vessel  the  news  of  the  death  of  Abraham 
Lincoln,  and  the  flags  were  placed  at  half- 
mast  during  the  rest  of  the  voyage,  and  upon 
their  arrival  at  the  metropolis  of  California, 
they  found  the  city  a  solid  mass  of  emblems 
of  mourning  in  honor  of  the  martyred  pres- 
ident. The  trip  from  New  York  to  this 
point  had  consumed  forty-five  days,  and 
George  at  once  sailed  for  the  city  of  Victo- 
ria, Vancouver's  Island,  and,  in  a  small  boat 
crossed  Puget  sound  to  Whatcom  county. 
There  he  remained  for  three  years,  follow- 
ing lumbering,  and  then  returned  to  St.  Cloud, 
Stearns  county,  Minn.,  on  which  trip  he  ex- 
perienced many  dangers  and  hardships.  He 
first  shipped  on  the  steamer  "California"  for 
San  Francisco.  When  within  thirty-five 
miles  of  the  harbor  of  the  latter  place  they 
encountered  one  of  the  worst  storms  ever 
known  on  the  Pacific  and  they  were  driven 
500  miles  to  sea  by  the  gale.  The  cabin  was 
partly  filled  with  water  by  the  waves  rolling 
over  the  vessel  and  the  stateroom  doors  were 


250 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


broken  in  by  tlio  force  of  tlie  water.    When 
the  vessel  pitched  and  rolled,  those  in  the 
lower  berths  were  carried  to  the' floor  by  the 
water.     Some  were  crying,  some  were  Jiray- 
ing,  some  swearing,  and  others,  as  the  saying 
goes,    "were   throwing   up    Jonah."     Alter 
three  days  the  storm  subsided,  but  the  waves 
were  mountain  high  and  it  was  not  until  the 
fifth  day  that  they  reached  San  Francisco. 
Their  vessel  had  been  given  up  for  lost  and 
reported  wrecked  with  about  eighty  others 
that  shared   this  fate.     George  Becker  then 
shipped  for  Panama  and  on  this  voyage  the 
vessel  he  was  in  took  fire.     When  the  alai-m 
was  given  it  created  a  terrible  panic  and  for 
a  time  it  looked  as  though  all  were  lost,  but 
the    engine,   with  a   capacity  of  320-horse 
power  w^as  attached  to  the   hose,  and  the 
flames  were  extinguisiied.     Four  daj's  later, 
the  vessel  ran  out  ot  fuel,  and   the  masts, 
yardarms,   deck,   cattle    pens,   bacon,   rezin 
and  all  other  loose  material   was   used   for 
fuel,  to  get  ashore   at   Saline   Bay,  twelve 
miles  from  San  Juan  del  Sura.     Tliere  they 
anchored  and  sent    boats   to  San   Juan  for 
coal,    while  the   passengers  and  crew  went 
ashore  in  small  boats,  to  cut  mahogany  wood, 
securing  about  forty  cords   by  the  time  the 
coal  arrived.     That  night  the  crew  mutinied, 
and   those   who   refused   to   do  their   duty, 
were  brought  to  time  by  being  tied  to  the 
masts.     Upon  his  arrival  at  Panama,  George 
Becker  crossed  the  Isthmus  on  the  railroad, 
the  trains  being  queer  affairs  and  running 
only  at  the  rate  of  five  miles  an  hour,  mak- 
ing no  stops.     Our  subject  then  shipped  on 
the   Atlantic    for   New    York.     When   two 
days  out,  the  vessel  was  wrecked  or  disabled 
by  the  cylinder  head  being  blown  out,  and 
for  twenty-four  hours  they  were  left  at  the 
mercy  of  the  sea.     They   were   then   taken 
in  tow  by  another  steamer  and  piloted  to  the 
Gulf  Stream,  off'  the  coast  of  Cuba,  and  were 
then    left    to    drift    in    to    Savannah,    Ga. 
By  this  time,  George  Becker  had  had  enough 


of  that  kind  of  life,  as  for  the  last  three  days 
out,  the  cabin  passengers  hail  nothing  to  eat 
but  rice,  crust  coffee  and  hiud  tack.  Accord- 
ingly, he  pui'chased  another  ticket  for  New 
York  by  rail,  through  the  Southern  States. 
This  was  shortlj'  after  the  war,  and  General 
Sherman  had  left  Georgia  a  hard  looking 
country.  Provisions  were  verj'  scarce,  and 
the  conductors  were  obliged  to  telegi'a])h 
ahead  for  supplies  for  the  passengers.  Mr. 
Becker  sto])ped  off  at  several  points,  includ- 
iui!'  Pichmond,  Washington  and  New  York, 
and  finally  arrived  at  St.  Cloud  on  February 
1-1,  1S6S.  He  remained  there,  following  the 
vocation  of  a  policeman  and  various  other 
lines  of  business  until  June,  1871,  when  he 
returned  to  tiie  Pacific  coast  by  wa_y  of  the 
Central  Pacific  Eailroad,  proceeding  from 
San  Francisco  to  Puget  Sound.  He  remained 
there  until  the  winter  of  1876,  when  he  came 
to  Litchfield,  Meeker  count}',  Minn.  In 
1878  he  settled  on  the  farm  where  he  now 
lives,  on  section  23,  Greenleaf  township.  He 
has  one  of  the  largest  farms  in  the  township, 
and  one  of  the  most  valuable  in  the  county, 
and  has  justly  earned  the  reputation  which 
he  bears,  of  being  one  of  the  most  desirable 
citizens,  and  from  liis  extensive  travels  and 
wide  association  with  business,  is  one  of  the 
most  intelligent  and  best-posted  men  in  the 
county. 

On  July  18,  1885,  Mr.  Becker  was  married 
to  Sophia  Vanberg,  and  they  are  the  parents 
of  two  children — William  II.,  born  April  28, 
18S6,  and  Lillie  M.,  born  August  18.  1887, 
both  of  whom  are  living.  Mr.  Becker  is  a 
member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity.  He  and 
his  wife  attend  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

We  take  pleasure  in  presenting  a  portrait 
of   Mr.  Becker  on  another  ]iage  in  this  Album. 


-«— I 


«4^- 


JTOHN  MARTIN,  an  intelligent,  thrifty  and 
^  enterprising  farmer,  residing  on  section 
5,  Harvey  township,  was   born   in   County 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


251 


Cavan,  Ireland,  in  Maj',  1824.  His  parents, 
Avho  were  Pliigh  and  Elizabeth  Martin,  were 
natives  nf  the  same  count}'.  The  father  died 
in  Ireland  in  1830.  The  mother  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1851,  and  lived  in  Pennsyl- 
vania until  the  time  of  her  death,  in  1876. 

John  Martin,  the  subject  of  our  sketch, 
grew  to  manhood  in  liis  native  land,  acquir- 
ing the  same  habits  of  enterprise,  industry 
and  frugality  which  are  so  characteristic  of 
his  race.  In  1S4S  he  left  Ireland  and  came 
to  the  United  States,  landing  at  New  York 
city  on  the  23d  of  May,  and  two  days  later 
he  went  to  Bucks  county,  Pa.,  where  he 
remained  for  four  years.  At  the  expiration 
of  that  time  he  went  to  Schuylkill  count}', 
Pa.,  and  remained  there  from  the  year  1852 
until  1877.  While  in  that  State  he  was  em- 
ployed in  mining  coal  for  twenty-seven  years. 
In  1877  he  came  to  Meeker  county,  Minn., 
and  located  on  a  farm  on  section  5,  in  Har- 
vey township,  where  he  has  since  lived.  Since 
his  residence  here  he  has  been  eneae'ed  in 
farming  and  stock-raising,  and  now  has  a 
valuable  farm  of  160  acres,  a  good  share  of 
which   is   under  cultivation. 

Mr.  Martin  was  married  on  the  25th  of 
July,  1852,  to  Mary  Farrelly,  and  their  mar- 
riage has  been  blessed  with  the  following- 
named  children:  Ellen,  born  August  22, 
1853,  died  January  25,  1855;  Hugh,  born 
October  31,  1855,  died  October  12,  1857; 
Joseph,  born  September  28,  1857;  Bridget 
and  Lizzie,  born  November  17,  1859;  John, 
born  November  3,  1861 ;  Mary,  born  Sep- 
tember 18,  1863,  died  December  17,  1863; 
Thomas,  born  January  30,  1870,  died  same 
day.  Mrs.  Martin's  parents  were  both  na- 
tives of  Ireland,  where  they  lived  until  the 
time  of  their  death. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Martin  are  both  active  and 
exemplary  members  of  the  Catholic  Church. 
In  political  matters  Mr.  Martin  affiliates  with 
the  democratic  party. 


P 


?J 


ELS  EKBOM  is  one  of  the  prominent 
farmers  of  Swede  Grove  township. 
He  was  born  in  Sweden  on  the  16th  of 
December,  1849,  and  came  to  the  United 
States  in  1857,  with  his  parents,  Anna  and 
Andrew  Ekbora.  They  settled  in  Carver 
county,  Minn.,  where  Nels  worked  part  of 
the  time  for  his  father,  and  the  balance  of 
the  time  for  other  farmers.  In  1865  they 
came  to  Meeker  county,  and  from  Nels 
Swanson  they  rented  a  farm,  on  which  the 
village  of  Litchfield  is  now  located.  A  year 
later  they  removed  to  Swede  Grove  town- 
ship, and  took  a  homestead  on  section  34, 
where  Nels  has  since  lived.  He  has  been 
industrious,  and  the  results  prove  that  he  is 
an  excellent  manager,  as  he  has  accumulated 
a  fine  property.  He  now  has  120  acres  of 
land,  with  fine  buildings  located  on  the  edge 
of  a  beautiful  grove.  He  has  a  goodly  lot 
of  stock,  and  all  the  necessary  farm 
machinery. 

Mr.  Ekbom  was  married  on  the  16th  of 
July,  1870,  to  Miss  Betsey  Nelson,  a  daughter 
of  Nels  and  Ellen  Peterson,  and  the  couple 
have  had  the  following  children — Anna 
(deceased),  born  July  5,  1871,  died  Septem- 
ber 15,  1871;  Oscar,  born  July  22,  1873; 
Eugene,  born  August  15,  1875  ;  Ellmer,  born 
November  3,  1878  ;  Anna,  born  May  8, 1882 ; 
and  Joseph,  born  October  8,  1883.  Mrs. 
Ekboin's  father  is  dead  and  her  mother  is 
living  in  Sweden.  Mr.  Ekbom's  mother  is 
dead,  and  his  father  resides  with  a  bi'other, 
Simon.  Nels  Ekbom  and  wife  are  members 
of  the  Baptist  Church,  in  which  he  Is  a 
deacon.  Mr.  Ekbom  is  a  prohibitionist  in 
political  matters,  and  takes  an  active  interest 
in  township  matters.  He  has  held  various 
local  offices,  including  those  of  side-super- 
visor and  road  overseer. 

Mr.  Ekljom  is  a  man  of  the  strictest  integ- 
rity, and  is  held  in  high  esteem  by  all.  He 
has  been  superintendent  of  the  Sunday 
school  for  over  fifteen  years. 


2S2 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


WILLIAM  S.  COX,  one  of  the  leading 
merchants  of  the  village  of  Dassel, 
is  the  junior  partner  in  the  hardware  firm 
of  Gallagher  k,  Cox,  who  succeeded  Bartholo- 
mew tV:  Co.  in  1888.  lie  is,  althoiigh  a  man 
3'^oung  in  years,'oneof  the  influential  citizens 
and  largely  interested  in  the  growth  and 
prosperity  of  his  home  village.  He  is  a 
native  of  Bakersville,  N.  C,  born  in  1853, 
and  is  the  son  of  S.  I),  and  Mary  ("Wright) 
Cox,  natives  of  Virginia  and  North  Carolina 
respectively.  The  father  of  our  subject 
owned  property  in  Knoxville,  Tenn.,  and 
when  AVilliam  was  but  four  vears  of  aoe, 
the  family  removed  to  that  place,  where  they 
resided  until  1860,  at  which  date  they  re- 
turned to  Bakersville,  N.  C,  where  the 
parents  still  live. 

The  subject  of  this  personal  memoir  re- 
mained with  the  family  until  18Y0,  at  which 
time  he  returned  to  Knoxville,  but  a  short 
time  subsequent,  removed  to  Broadhead, 
Ky.,  where  he  was  engaged  in  mercantile 
pursuits  for  about  a  year  and  then,  after  a 
short  stay  in  Little  Eock,  Ark.,  removed  to 
Cheyenne,  Wyoming  Territory,  where  he 
made  his  home  until  1878,  when  he  came  to 
Meeker  county,  and  settled  on  a  farm  on 
section  4,  Collinwood  township.  He  was 
engaged  in  railroad  work  while  there  until 
1881,  when  he  purchased  a  farm  on 
section  33,  Dassel  township,  where  he 
followed  a  farming  life  until  1885.  He 
moved  into  the  village  in  January,  1886,  and 
for  a  year  was  a  member  of  the  firm  of 
Johnson  &  Cox,  dealers  in  agricultural  im- 
plements, and  remained  in  this  connection 
until  January,  1887.  At  that  time,  having 
been  elected  city  marshal,  he  entered  upon 
the  duties  of  the  office,  but  in  August  follow- 
ing resigned  and  entered  the  employ  of  the 
Minnesota  k,  Dakota  Elevator  Co,,  with 
whom  he  remained  until  the  formation  of  the 
present  firm. 

Mr.  Cox  is  a  man  of  familv,  having  been 


married,  April  11,  1878,  to  Miss  Ala  E. 
Wrigiit,  a  native  of  Minnesota.  They  are 
the  parents  of  four  children,  of  whom  the 
following  is  a  record — Custer,  born  August 
21,  1S7".»;  Agnes,  whose  birth  took  place 
November  15,  1880  ;  Soery,  born  August  15, 
1882,  and  died  March  6,  1883;  Sampson,  the 
date  of  whose  l)irth  was  J^ebruary  2,  1884; 
and  Mautl,  who  was  born  December  25, 1887. 


JSRAEL  J.  ANDERSON,  a  farmer,  resid- 
%^  ing  on  section  19,  and  one  of  the  leading 
citizens  of  Union  Grove  township,  is  a  native 
of  Norway,  born  on  the  4rth  of  February, 
1851,  and  is  a  son  of  Andrew  and  Karen 
Jacobson.  His  boyhood  days  were  spent  in 
his  native  land,  and  in  1868,  in  company 
with  his  mother  and  step-father,  he  came  to 
the  United  States,  and  they  settled  first 
in  Eacine  county,  Wis.  When  Israel 
started  out  to  earn  his  own  way  in  the 
world,  he  went  to  the  southern  part  of  Min- 
nesota, and  for  three  years  he  worked  in 
different  localities.  During  this  time  he 
married  his  first  wife,  her  name  being,  before 
marriage.  Miss  Jensinellendrickson,  born  on 
the  21st  of  June,  1854,  a  daughter  of  Hen- 
drick  and  Maren  Olson.  She  died,  leaving 
three  children,  whose  names  were — Hilda, 
born  on  the  25th  of  December,  1873  ;  Albert, 
born  on  the  17th  of  June,  1875,  and  Martin, 
born  on  the  28th  of  March,  1877. 

Some  time  later  Mr.  Anderson  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Anna  Jacobson,  a  daughter  of 
Adrean  Jacobson  and  wife.  She  was  born 
on  the  20tii  of  August,  1861.  This  marriage 
has  been  blessed  with  four  children,  as  fol- 
lows— Jensine  Nettie,  born  on  the  7th  of 
October,  ISSO ;  Adoli)h  B.,  born  on  the  24th 
of  February,  1883;  Ida,  born  on  the  7th  of 
Februar}',  1885,  died  on  the  17th  of  July, 
1887  ;  and  Anna,  born  on  the  1st  of  March, 
1887,  died  on  the  9th  of  March,  1887. 


^-.^^ 


'^^^^A^-jC^I^ 


MEEKER    COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


255 


Mr.  Anderson  comes  of  a  nationality,  Avhich 
through  their  enterprise,  thrift,  industry  and 
frugalit}',  make  the  most  valuable  citizens 
included  in  Minnesota's  pojjulation,  and  fol- 
lowing the  habits  characteristic  of  liis  race, 
lie  has  accumulated  a  fine  pro]ierty.  He  now 
owns  250  acres  of  land  located  on  sections  4,19 
and  30,  Union  Grove  township,  and  has  com- 
fortable building  improvements  located  on 
sections  19  and  30.  lie  has  taken  an  active 
interest  in  township  matters,  and  has  held 
various  local  offices,  including  those  of  super- 
visor and  school  clerk.  In  political  matters 
he  is  a  prohibitionist.  The  family  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Norwegian  Lutheran  Church. 


-«« 


iLE  NELSON  LINDELL,  one  of  the 
\^^  leading,  enterprising  merchants  of  the 
village  of  Grove  City,  is  a  native  of  Sweden, 
born  March  9,  1844,  and  made  his  home  in 
the  land  of  his  birth  until  after  his  marriage 
which  took  place  Nov.  7,  1867,  on  whicli 
day  he  wedded  Miss  Ella  Nelson.  In  1SG9, 
the  young  couple  decided  to  leave  their 
home  beneath  the  frowning  rocks  and  rock- 
ing ])ines  of  Norway,  and  seek  in  the  new 
world  that  easier  road  to  competence  that 
America  affords.  On  their  arrival  they 
came  at  once  to  Minnesota,  and  Mr.  Lindell 
bought  a  homestead  claim  in  Swede  Grove 
township,  of  O.  Levander.  Tiiis  was  in  the 
southeast  quarter  of  section  2fi,  and  consti- 
tuted the  south  half,  and  upon  tliis  fanu  he 
lived  some  eight  years.  In  1871  he  bought 
sixty  acres  more ;  his  father's  family  emi- 
grated to  this  country.  TJenting  hisjilacetoan 
individual  for  six  years,  Mr.  Lindell  removed 
to  the  village  of  Grove  City,  and  engaged  in 
the  furnicure  business  and  gave  some  atten- 
tion to  his  trade,  which  was  that  of  a  car 
jienter.  A  year's  trial  satistietl  him  that  the 
venture  would  be  a  judicious  one,  he  added 
a  full  and  complete  stock  of    hardware  and 


has  now  as  large  an  assortment  in  both  lines 
as  is  needed  by  the  necessities  of  the  trade. 
In  the  cellar  of  his  store  building  he  carries 
all  kinds  of  heavy  hardware ;  on  the  first 
floor  shelf  and  fancy  hardware,  and  the  sec- 
ond story  is  packed  with  furniture  of  every 
description. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lindell  are  the  parents  of 
four  children,  three  on  earth  and  one  in 
Heaven.  Their  records  are  as  follows — 
Mary  Chi'istine,  who  was  born  Nov.  27, 
1871 ;  Mina  Albertina,  born  in  September, 
1880;  Otto,  born  Dec.  23,  188.5,  and  died 
March  25,  1886  ;  Otto  Anton,  born  Feb.  19, 
1887. 

Mr.  Lindell  in  politics  affiliates  with  the 
Democratic  party  and  usually  supports  the 
candidates  of  that  organization.  He  has 
held  the  position  of  village  trustee  for  two 
years,  and  in  March,  1888,  was  elected  pres- 
ident of  the  village  trustees,  and  is  looked 
upon  as  a  representative  citizen.  Mrs.  Lin- 
dell is  a  consistent  member  of  the  Swedish 
Lutheran  Church. 

In  1884  our  subject  became  a  member  of 
the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen, 
was  elected  financier  and  served  for  two 
years  and  was  then  chosen  master  workman 
of  the  lodge. 


(^^  KIMBALL,  who  was  for  many  years 
\^^  closely  connected  with  the  business 
life  of  the  country,  and  one  of  its  leading  mill 
owners,  although  now  retired  from  the  active 
pursuits  of  trade  or  manufacture,  still  keeps 
up  his  interests  in  wiiatsoever  is  for  the  ben- 
efit of  the  community.  He  is  a  native  of  tlie 
State  of  Maine,  having  been  born  in  Oxford 
county,  Jan.  4,  1832,  and  is  the  son  of  Asa 
and  Esther  A.  (Walker)  Kimball,  both  of 
whom  were  natives  of  the  "Pine  Tree  State." 
His  motlier  was  a  daughter  of  tlie  celebrated 
Col.  Dexter  Walker,  whose  history  is  too  well 
known  to  be  repeated  in  this  connection. 


256 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


The  subject  of  tliis  memoir  was  reared  in 
Androscoggin  county,  Me.,  and  received  a 
fair  business  education.  From  liis  boyhood 
he  lias  always  had  a  taste  for  study,  and  is 
to-day  a  ripe  scholar.  On  reaching  tlie  years 
of  manhood  lie  embarked  in  mercantile  busi- 
ness, which  liecari-ied  on  successfully  for  some 
thirteen  years  in  his  native  State  and  then 
came  to  Minnesota,  locating  at  Forest  City 
in  the  fall  of  lS(i7.  The  same  year,  the  firm 
of  nines,  Kimball  c*c  Beedy  built  the  large 
fiouring  mill  at  that  place,  and  the  same  time 
opened  a  store  in  the  village.  This  business 
arrangement  continued  until  1873,  when  Mr. 
Hines  retired  from  the  firm,  the  company 
having  erected  the  Manannah  flour  mill  on 
the  Crow  River,  some  ten  miles  above  Forest 
City.  This  last  Mr.  Ilines  took  antl  operated 
for  several  j'ears,  the  business  at  Forest  City 
being  continued  by  Kimball  &  Beedy  until 
18S2,  when  ilr.  Kiml)all  I'etired  from  the 
business  on  account  of  ill-health,  paying  all 
his  attention  to  the  improvement  of  his  place, 
one  of  the  handsomest  in  Foi'est  City  town- 
ship, and  to  bee  keeping,  in  which  he  is  pre 
eminently  successful. 

Mr.  Kimball  was  united  in  marriage,  Feb- 
ruary 7,  1854,  with  Miss  Phoebe  Manwell  and 
they  are  the  parents  of  two  children:  Geor- 
giana,  the  wife  of  Dr.  W.  E.  Chapman,  of 
Litchfield,  and  Edna  Cecil,  at  home.  Both 
Mr.  K.  and  his  estimable  wife,  are  members 
of  the  Baptist  Church.  He  is  a  republican 
in  j)olitics,  and  is  filling  the  offices  of  jus- 
tice of  the  peace  and  coroner,  and  isa  pension 
and  real  estate  agent.  lie  has  held  the  office 
of  justice  for  over  fifteen  years. 


•«"S€{^-4— — 


kOCTOR  F.  E.  BiSSELL,  one  of  the 
most  prominent  ])liysicians  and  sur- 
geons in  this  part  of  the  State,  settled  at 
Litchfield  in  1871,  and  began  the  practice  of 
his   profession    in    Meeker   county.     Doctor 


Bissell  is  a  native  of  Wisconsin,  and  was  the 
first  male  child  born  in  Washington  county, 
of  that  State — his  birth  having  occurred  on 
December  27,  18-15.  His  parents  were  Cyrus 
and  Amanda  (Case)  Bissell,  both  of  whom 
were  natives  of  Connecticut ;  but  they  had 
settled  in  Washington  county.  Wis.,  in  .lune, 
1S15,  and  were  therei'ore  among  the  oldest 
settlers  of  that  region.  The  Doct<n'  was 
raised  ujion  a  farm,  but  at  an  early  age 
entered  a  drug  store,  and  remained  at  that 
business  for  five  years.  AVhen  he  was  eight- 
een he  enlisted  in  the  United  States  Navy, 
and  served  on  the  U.  S.  Gunboat  "Lexing- 
ton," on  the  Mississippi  river,  and  was  in  a 
number  of  minor  engagements.  The  Doctor 
served  as  surgeon's  steward,  and  was  finally 
mustered  out  of  service  on  June  0,  18(15.  He 
then  went  to  Cleveland,  Ohio,  and  the  fol- 
lowing winter  entered  the  Charity  Hospital 
College,  from  which  he  graduated  in  the 
spring  of  1869.  He  first  began  practice  in 
Clinttm  Junction,  Wis.,  and  remained  there 
until  coming  to  Litchfield  in  1871.  He  has 
since  pursued  his  practice  here,  and  has  at- 
tained a  wide  reputation  as  well  as  a  profit- 
able business.  It  should  be  stated,  however, 
that  since  his  settlement  here,  he  has  been 
absent  eleven  months.  In  the  spring  of  1878 
he  removed  to  Cold  S]n-ings,  Stearns  county, 
and  opened  a  drug  store.  In  the  fall  of  that 
year  he  was  elected  to  the  legislature  on  the 
republican  ticket.  In  the  spring  of  the  fol- 
lowing ye.ir,  he  returned  to  Litchfield,  where 
he  has  since  lived. 

Dr.  Bissell  was  married  on  June  19,  1875, 
to  Miss  Addie  F.  Simons,  of  New  York. 
They  have  two  children — Emily  S.,  who  was 
born  in  November,  1875,  and  Frank  S.,  who 
was  born  in  October,  1878.  The  family  are 
prominent  members  of  the  Episcopal  Church. 

Dr.  Bissell  has  always  taken  an  active 
interest  in  all  public  and  political  matters, 
and  takes  a  prominent  part  in  the  affairs  of 
that  party.     In  1880  he  was  elected  a  mem- 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


257 


ber  of  the  council,  and  in  the  spring  of  1886 
he  was  elected  mayor  of  the  city.  The  Doc- 
tor is  the  oldest  jiractitioner  now  following 
the  profession  of  medicine  at  Litchfield,  and 
has  a  large  practice.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
State  ^[edical  Association,  and  is  president 
of  the  Pension  Examining  Board.  He  is  an 
active  member  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the 
Republic;  was  a  charter  member  and  one  of 
the  first  officers  of  E.  Branham  Post,  which 
was  organized  in  1873,  and  was  one  of  the 
charter  members  of  Frank  Dago^ett  Post, 
No.  35.  He  was  elected  surgeon  of  the  latter 
Post  at  its  first  meeting,  and  still  holds  that 
position.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity,  being  identified  with 
Golden  Fleece  Lodge,  No.  89,  A.  F.  and  A. 
M.,  and  Eabboni  Chapter,  No.  37,  R.  A.  M. 


.^^ 


iSM  ILLIAM  H.  MILLER,  the  owner  of 
^^jji  a  finely  cultivated  farm  of  eighty 
acres  of  land  on  section  8,  Kingston  town- 
ship, came  to  Meeker  county  in  August, 
1865.  He  was  born  in  Bath,  Steuben  county, 
N.  Y.,  January  2,  1814,  and  is  the  son  of 
David  and  Anna  Maria  (Bennett)  Miller, 
natives  of  the  "  Empire  State,"  where  his 
father  died.  In  1838  the  mother  of  our  sub- 
ject came  to  Beaver  Dam,  AVis.,  where  she  is 
now  living,  having  passed  her  ninetieth  birth- 
day. Her  second  husband  was  Andrew 
Sears,  who  died  in  1855. 

Our  subject  received  a  common-school  edu- 
caiion  in  his  native  State,  and,  as  he  grew  to 
manhood,  engaged  in  the  milling  business 
and  farming  with  his  uncle,  Sheldon  Sears, 
spending  some  thirty  years  in  various  kinds 
of  mills.  He  moved  to  AVisconsin  with  his 
mother,  and,  when  the  tocsin  of  war  sounded, 
enlisted,  November  5, 1861,  in  the  Eighth  Bat- 
tery, AYisconsin  Light  Artillery,  and  veteran- 
ized in  the  same  battery  in  February,  1861:. 
He  was  an  active  participant  in  a  number  of 


engagements,  among  which  were  the  battles 
of  Stone  River,  Peri'yville,  Chickamauga, 
Mission  Ridge,  Lookout  .Mountain  and  Mur- 
freesboro.  He  was  discharged  at  the  close 
of  the  war,  August  10,  1805,  at  Alihvaukee, 
and  came  direct  to  Meeker  county,  arriving 
here  the  last  day  of  that  month. 

Air.  Aliller  was  married  in  1834  to  Miss 
EUenor  Gregory,  from  whom  he  was  shortly 
afterward -<livorced.  He  was  subsequently 
married  to  Miss  Clarissa  Nodine,  and  two 
children  were  born  to  them — Susan  AI.  and 
Charles  S.  Aliller.  After  this  Air.  Aliller  re- 
moved to  AVisconsin,  and  a  short  time  later 
to  Chicago,  111.  In  1852  his  second  wife  died 
while  on  a  visit  to  Portage  City,  AVis. 

Air.  Aliller  was  united  in  marriage  Decem- 
ber 20,  1855,  with  Aliss  Susan  Sanders,  a 
native  of  Steuben  county,  N.  Y.,  born  Novem- 
ber 14,  1837,  and  daughter  of  David  and 
Susan  (AYakefield)  Sanders,  both  of  whom 
are  deceased,  the  mother  In  1852,  and  the 
father  in  1882.  Her  father  died  in  Portage 
county,  AVis.,  whither  he  had  removed  many 
years  before.  By  this  union  Air.  and  Mrs. 
Aliller  are  the  parents  of  nine  children — 
Eugene,  born  May  20,  1859;  Edwin,  born 
April  20,  1867  ;  Emma,  born  July  22,  1868 ; 
Jennie  V.,  born  July  2,  1870;  and  Bertram 
D.,  born  October  3,  1878.  These  are  all 
living.  Those  deceased  are — Etta  R.,  born 
August  25, 1856,  died  in  infancy  ;  Nellie  AI., 
born  June  9,  1861,  died  May  25,  1875 ;  Alice 
B.,  wife  of  AVilford  Downing,  died  Novem- 
ber 8,  1883 ;  and  Jessie,  born  Alay  25,  1874, 
died  November  1,  1884. 


►^^ 


MONO  the  most  prominent  newspaper 
p^S\^  men  in  Aleeker  county  should  be 
classed  H.  I.  Peterson,  editor  and  proprietor 
of  the  Litchfield  Lidependent.  He  is  a  native 
of  Goodhue  county,  Minn.,  born  at  Red 
AVing,  on  the  14th  of  February,  1857.     He 


25S 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


was  raised  upon  a  farm,  attending  district 
schools  daring  the  winter  months  until  he 
had  reached  the  age  of  fifteen,  and  in  the 
mean  time  coming  with  his  parents  to  Meeker 
county,  jVIinn.,  in  1867.  When  he  had 
reached  the  age  mentioned  he  entered  the 
office  of  the  Meeker  county  News  as  an  ap- 
prentice to  learn  the  printing  business,  and 
remained  there  for  about  two  years.  After 
that  time  he  was  engaged  chiefly  at  his  trade 
as  a  compositor  until  1876  when  hel)ought  a 
half  interest  in  the  Litchfield  Independent^ 
of  wliicli  he  is  now  sole  proprietor. 

Mr.  Peterson  was  married  in  1881  to  Miss 
Jessie  Doll,  of  Meeker  county.  They  have 
three  children  —  Edward  •  Leroy,  Florence 
Edith,  and  Bessie  Frances.  Mr.  Peterson 
takes  an  active  interest  in  all  matters  which 
tend  to  advance  the  mterests  of  either  town 
or  county;  is  a  capable  writer,  and  his  paper 
is  deservedly  influential  and  po])ular. 


JAMES  H.  MORRIS,  one  of  the  most 
prominent  citizens,  as  well  as  one  of  the 
most  extensive  farmei's  and  stock-raisers  in 
Meeker  county,  is  a  resident  of  section  22, 
Litchfield  township.  He  is  a  native  of  Fort 
Niagara,  N.  Y.,  was  born  on  the  26th  of 
September,  1815,  and  is  a  son  of  Colonel 
Thompson  and  Martha  B.  (Upham)  Morris. 
His  fatiier  was  Lieutenant-Colonel  of  the 
Fourth  United  States  Infantry,  was  a  prom- 
inent and  influential  man  of  his  times,  and  died 
on  the  11th  of  February,  1870.  James  II.  Mor- 
ris' great  grandpai-ents  came  from  Wales  in 
1715,  and  located  near  Philadelphia.  Ilis 
grand  fatiier,  -Tames  C.  Morris,  emigrated  to 
Ohio  in  1811;  he  had  seen  service  in  the  Trip- 
olitan  war,  and  was  one  of  those  captured  on 
the  frigate  Piiiladeipiian,  and  held  prisoner 
for  two  years  by  the  Bashaw  of  Tripoli. 

James  IL  Morris,  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
began   life  foi'  iiinisclf  wlien  aljout  si.xteen 


years  of  age,  by  clerking  for  Col.  J.  D.  Bing- 
ham, chief  quartermaster  of  the  Seventeenth 
corps,  but  was  taken  sick  in  front  of  Vicks- 
burg,  and  returned  home.  After  recuperat- 
ing he  began  clerking  for  Capt.  II.  B.  Good- 
rich, A.  Q.  M.,  and  continued  until  March, 
lSf)-t,  wiien  lie  enlisted  in  the  137th  Ohio  In- 
fantiy.  In  the  following  June  he  was  ]n'o- 
moted  to  second  lieutenant  in  the  Tenth 
New  York  Artillery,  and  served  in  tlie  front 
of  Petersburg  and  Richmond  during  the  sum- 
mer of  1861:,  and  in  the  campaign  of  Shenan- 
doah Valley,-  Va.,  in  the  fall  of  1864. 
During  the  winter  of  1865  he  was  in  the  front 
of  Petersburg  and  Richmond,  on  the  Bennuda 
front ;  and  after  the  collapse  of  the  Confed- 
eracy, was  on  duty  in  Petersburg,  on  the 
staff  of  post-commandant  Col.  George  C. 
Kibble,  of  the  Sixth  New  York  Artillery. 
He  was  finally  mustered  out  of  the  service 
on  the  30th  of  June,  1865,  at  Sackett's  Har- 
bor, New  York.  After  the  close  of  the  war 
he  went  West,  and  finally  located  in  Minne- 
apolis. In  ]\Iai'ch,  1869,  he  removed  to  Das- 
sel.  Meeker  countv,  where  he  erected  a  saw 
mill  and  built  the  first  store.  In  December, 
1873,  he  removed  to  Litchfield  and  engaged 
in  the  milling  and  mercantile  business.  His 
name  is  closely  indentified  with  the  growth 
and  develojnnent  of  Litchfield,  and  he  fig- 
ures prominently  in  the  business  history  of 
the  county  seat.  On  the  1st  of  April,  1875, 
he  was  appointed  postmaster  of  that  jilace, 
and  retained  tiie  office  until  the  30th  of  June, 
1887.  He  now  resides  on  his  magnificent 
farm  of  several  hundred  acres,  on  the  west- 
ern shoi'e  of  Lake  Ripley,  and  devotes  his 
attention  to  his  extensive  farming  and  stock- 
raising  interests.  Mr.  Mori-is  has  taken  a 
prominent  and  active  interest  in  all  public 
matters.  He  was  first  lieutenant  of  Compan}^ 
II,  First  Regiment  Minnesota  National 
Guards,  from  its  organization  until  March  1, 
1888;  is  a  member  of  Golden  Fleece  Lodge 
No.  89,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  was  its  master  for  a 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


259 


number  of  years ;  a  member  of  Rabboni 
Chapter,  No.  39,  and  is  the  present  eminent 
commander  of  Mileta  Commandery  No. 
17,  Knights  Templar.  He  is  also  a  prom- 
inent member  of  Frank  Daggett  post,  G.  A.  E. 

Mr.  Morris  wiis  married  at  Minneapolis  on 
the  13th  of  July,  1870,  to  Miss  Florence  J. 
"Williams.  She  is  a  daughter  of  John  G.and 
Jane  S.  Williams.  Iler  father  died  in  July, 
1880,  and  her  mother  is  now  living  in  Minne- 
apolis. Mrs.  AVilliams,  her  mother,  has  five 
children  who  are  now  living,  as  follows ; 
Florence  J.,  now  Mrs.  Morris,  of  Litchfield  ; 
Lou  B.,  now  Mrs.  James  E.  Upham,  of  Litch- 
field ;  J.  C.  Williams,  Marcia  A.  and  Sallie 
E.,  of  Minneapolis. 

Mr.  Morris  has  one  brother  and  one  sister  — 
Charles  A.  and  Maria  L.,  both  of  whom  are 
unmarried  and  are  living  in  Minneapolis. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Morris  has 
been  blessed  with  the  following  named  chil- 
dren—  Mattie  P\,  Louise  J.,  James  C,  Thomp- 
son C.  and  Richard  W.  (twins),  and  Harbron 
W.,  all  of  whom  are  living  except  Thompson 
C,  who  died  at  the  age  of  seven  months. 

We  take  pleasure  in  presenting  a  portrait 
of  Mr.  Morris  on  another  page  in  this  Album. 


^^ENUS  O'KEEFFE,  a  well  known, 
M^'i^^i^  successful  and  highly-respected 
farmer  and  stock-raiser,  residing  on  section 
6,  Manannah  township,  is  one  of  the  most 
prominent  citizens  of  the  northern  part  of 
the  county,  and  is  one  whose  enterprise  and 
thrift  are  evidenced  bj'  the  fact  that  the 
building  improvements,  which  have  been 
erected  on  his  farm,  are  a  credit  to  the 
neighborhood  in  which  he  lives. 

Mr.  O'Keeffe  was  born  in  County  Cork, 
Ireland,  on  the  1st  of  November,  1830,  and 
is  a  son  of  Menus  and  Charlotte  (Fillpot) 
O'Keeffe.  He  remained  in  the  land  of  his 
birth  until  January,  1853,  when  he  sailed  for 


the  New  World,  landing  in  New  York  city 
April  12,  1853.  They  had  a  hard  voyage, 
and  for  a  time  he  lost  lioj^e  of  ever  seeing 
the  United  States,  from  hunger  and  starva- 
tion, as  the  vessel  sprung  a  leak;  but  finally 
landed  in  safety.  Our  subject  worked  at 
gardening  for  six  months,  at  100th  street, 
Bloomingdale  road,  N.  Y.,  and  from  there 
went  to  Manhattanville,  and  drove  an  ex- 
press wagon  between  that  point  and  Fulton 
street,  from  September  until  the  following 
March,  1854,  being  without  mitts  or  over- 
coat. Speaking  of  it  he  sa^'s :  "  I  felt  com- 
fortable, as  my  Irish  blood  was  warm  and 
young  at  that  time."  In  April,  1854,  he 
went  to  work  as  hostler  and  groom  in  a 
hotel  on  the  Bloomingdale  road,  N.  Y.,  and 
remained  for  five  years.  In  1859  he  began 
work  in  the  Central  Park,  N.  Y.,  which  he 
continued  for  five  years,  and  then  started  for 
the  "  Great  West,"  and  the  headwaters  of 
the  "mighty  Mississippi."  He  landed  at 
Minneapolis,  and  for  two  years  was  employed 
on  the  Manitoba  railroad  at  Cedar  Lake,  and 
also  at  brick-making.  In  the  fall  of  18(56  he 
came  to  Meeker  county,  driving  through  by 
team,  anil  located  on  section  6,  Manannah 
township,  where  he  still  lives.  He  is  com- 
fortably fixed,  as  the  saying  goes,  in  this 
world's  goods,  and  has  a  very  ])leasant 
home,  a  good  wife  and. an  intelligent  family. 
He  owns  240  acres  of  land,  a  goodly  portion 
of  which  is  under  cultivation,  and  also  does 
considerable  in  the  stock-raising  line.  In 
political  matters  he  is  a  democrat. 

Mr.  O'Keeffe  was  married  in  Julj^  1856,  to 
Julia  McLoney,  and  they  have  been  the 
parents  of  nine  children,  as  follows — Will- 
iam, Menus,  Mary,  Sharlotte,  John,  Eliza- 
beth, Julia,  Margaret  and  James.  All  the 
children  are  living,  except  William,  Mary 
and  Sharlotte,  who  died  and  were  buried  in 
New  York  city.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  O'Keeffe 
are  zealous  and  prominent  members  of  the 
Catholic  Church. 


260 


MEEKER    COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


Mr.  O'Keeffe's  parents  died  in  Meeker 
county.  Mrs.  O'Keetfe's  parents  were  natives 
of  Ireland,  and  are  still  residents  of  County 
Cork,  in  tlieir  native  land. 


►H^- 


w 


^HOMAS  H.  BOGAR,  who  came  to 
Minnesota  in  the  spring  of  ]8()(j,  was 
born  November  10,  1810,  in  Juniata  county, 
Penn.,  on  the  hanks  of  tliat  beautiful  river 
known  in  poetry  as  tiie  "  Uiue  Juniata," 
where  his  childhood  years  were  spent.  He 
was  brought  uj)  as  a  miller,  that  being  his 
father's  occupation.  When  a  mere  lad  tlie 
family  moved  to  Hawkins  county,  Tenn., 
where  he  assisted  iiisfatherin  running  a  large 
flouring  mill.  On  leaving  the  mill  he  learned 
the  saddler's  trade;  and  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
one  he  went  to  Russell  county,  Va.,  and  com- 
menced business  at  Lebanon,  the  county 
seat.  Hei'e  he  met  and  married  Sallie  T., 
daughter  of  Garland  and  Martitia  (Thurston) 
Hurt;  of  this  union  were  born  eleven  children 
— six  sons  and  five  daugiiters.  nine  of  whom 
reached  the  years  of  maturity.  In  the  year 
of  1837  he  removed  from  Russell  to  Tazewell 
county,  locating  at  Thompson's  Gap.  Intend- 
ing to  go  to  Oregon  by  way  of  the  overland 
route — the  only  way  at  that  time — he  turned 
a  considerable  part  of  his  means  into  extra 
good  horses  and  wagons.  But  before  he 
succeeded  in  closing  up  his  business  the 
great  financial  crisis  came.  Embarrassed  by 
his  own  debts,  and  that  of  a  friend  for  whom 
he  was  surety,  he  succeeded  in  meeting  his 
own  liabilities,  but  saw  his  property  sold  at 
public  auction  to  satisify  creditors  of  the 
man  for  whom  lie  had  indorsed.  Pie  was 
broke.  When  the  woi-st  of  the  crash  was 
over — being  sued,  he  sued  no  one — he  col- 
lected what  he  could  of  his  outstanding 
notes  and  accounts,  and  bought  a  small  farm 
( 100  acres )  located  in  Thomi)son  Valley. 
Here  he  endeavored  with  indifferent  success 
to   dig  a  living  ,out   of  the  ground.     After 


five  years'  residence  on  the  farm  he  sold  out 
and  removed  to  Piketon,  Pike  county,  Ky. 
Here  he  worked  at  his  trade,  employing  only 
two  assistants,  holding  at  the  same  time  the 
office  of  postmaster,  to  which  he  was 
appointed  soon  after  his  arrival  in  tlie 
village.  In  1S51  he  removed  to  John's  Creek 
valley  same  county,  and  leasing  land,  engaged 
in  raising  grain  and  stock,  in  which  pursuit 
he  was  fairly  successful  until  tiie  breaking 
out  of  the  civil  war,  when  his  property  was 
again  lost  in  various  ways.  In  politics  he 
was  a  democrat;  in  religion  a  Methodist.  He 
was  beloved  by  all,  es])eciaily  by  the  young, 
who  liked  to  congregate  at  the  house  of  the 
kind  and  genial  man.  He  was  at  one  time 
a  slave  holder,  the  property  coming  from 
his  wife's  estate;  but  he  always  thought  the 
system  a  curse. 

In  the  stormy  days  of  secession,  he  took 
the  field  as  a  campaign  speaker;  being  well 
read  in  history,  more  especially  the  history 
of  his  own  country,  his  opponent,  a  young 
man  of  the  legal  profession,  soon  learned  that 
the  quiet  farmer,  who  knew  how  to  grind 
wheat,  make  a  saddle,  or  lead  a  meeting,  also 
knew  how  to  make  a  speech.  On  one  occa- 
sion, after  the  speeches  had  been  delivered,  a 
man  walked  up  to  Mr.  Bogaranil  struck  him 
over  the  head  with  a  cane.  The  l)low  stunned 
him,  but  recovering  himself,  Mr.  Bogar 
walked  away,  got  on  his  horse  and  went  to 
the  next  precinct,  telling  people  that  the 
blow  was  their  best  argument. 

On  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  he  enlisted 
in  the  fourteenth  Regiment,  U.  S.  Infantry, 
serving  about  three  months,  principally  as  a 
scout,  and  was  then  discharged  for  disability. 
Mr.  Bogar's  sons,  like  liimself,  were  strong- 
Union  men.  Joseph,  the  oldest,  cast  one  of 
the  two  Lincoln  votes  in  Pike  county,  Ky., 
Moses  H.,  the  second  son,  enlisted  in  the 
same  regiment  as  tiie  father,  and  at  the  same 
time.  John  G.,  the  third  son,  only  a  lad, 
later  enlisted  in  the  Thirty-Xinth  Kentucky. 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


261 


In  1866,  Mr.  Bogar  came  to  Minnesota 
bringing  most  of  his  family  with  him,  and 
located  on  section  2,  Collinwood,  where  he 
lived  until  the  time  of  his  death,  November 
1,  1S6S.  The  widow  still  lives  on  the  home- 
stead, and  Mrs.  C.  A.  Pauley,  her  daughter, 
has  lived  with  her  most  of  the  time. 


ANDREW  W.  EKLUND  is  one  of  the 
leading  and  most  successful  farmers 
and  stock-raisers  in  Danielson  township, 
being  a  resident  of  section  5,  in  that  subdi- 
vision of  Meeker  county.  He  comes  from 
the  same  sturdy  race  which  forms  such  a 
in   Meeker  C(junty's    pojiula 


large  element 


tion,  having  been  born  in  Sweden  on  the 
31st  of  March,  1846,  being  a  son  of  John  and 
Bertha  Olson.  lie  I'emained  in  his  native 
land  until  1869,  Avhen  he  came  to  the  United 
States,  and,  shortly  after  his  arrival,  he  set- 
tled in  Michigan,  where  he  was  employed  in 
the  iron  mines  and  where  he  remained  about 
seven  years.  At  the  expiration  of  that 
time,  thinking  that  he  could  better  his  con- 
dition, financially  and  otherwise,  he  came  to 
Meeker  county,  Minn.,  and  purchased  a 
farm  on  section  5,  in  Danielson  township, 
where  he  has  since  lived.  He  now  has  a 
splendid  farm  of  160  acres,  upon  which  he 
has  put  excellent  improvements,  having 
erected  a  fine  house,  barn  and  other  farm 
buddings.  Mr.  Eklund  is  in  very  comfort- 
able circumstances,  and  he  owes  all  he  has 
to  his  own  efforts  and  industry,  as  he  was  al- 
most penniless  when  he  came  to  the  United 
States,  his  sister  having  advanced  him  the 
money  witli  whicli  to  pay  his  fare.  Since 
coming  to  Meeker  county  he  has  lost  several 
crops  through  the  grasshoppers,  but,  con- 
sidering everything,  he  has  been  very  suc- 
cessful and  is  now  in  comfortable  circum- 
stances. In  political  matters  Mr.  Eklund 
affiliates   with   the  democratic  party.     He 


takes  a  commendable  interest  in  educational 
matters,  and  has  held  the  office  of  school 
treasurer  for  eight  years. 

Mr.  Eklund  was  mari'ied  on  the  24th  of 
June,  1870,  to  Miss  Sophia  Larson,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Lars  and  Bertha  Olson,  who  was  born 
on  the  18th  of  December,  1849.  Their  mar- 
riage has  been  blessed  with  three  children, 
as  follows — Anna  Sophia,  born  May  4,  1871 ; 
Mary  Josephina,  born  April  28,  1873;  and 
Charles  William,  born  July  23,  1882. 


SHARLES  A.  GREENLEAF,  tlie  junior 
member  of  the  firm  of  W.  H. 
Greenleaf  &  Son,  lumber  dealers  of  Litch- 
field, is,  in  the  opinion  of  his  fellow  towns- 
men, one  of  the  most  promising  young  busi- 
ness men  of  the  village.  He  was  born  in 
Meeker  county,  Minn.,  Oct.  27,  1861,  and  is 
the  son  of  Hon.  "William  H.  Greenleaf,  one 
of  the  most  influential  and   leading   citizens 


of  the  county.  In  his  younger  days, 
Charles  received  his  primary  education  in 
the  primitive  log  cabin  school  houses  of  the 
period,  around  whose  rugged  walls  fond 
memories  throw  the  glamom-  of  boyhood's 
halcyon  days.  After  the  family  removed  to 
Litchfield,  our  subject  commenced  a  more 
advanced  course  of  scliooling,  finishing  with 
a  course  in  the  excellent  high  school  of 
Litchfield,  and  was  graduated  with  the  first 
class  to  finish  in  that  institution.  He  at 
once  assumed  a  position  in  his  father's  place 
of  business  and  continued  in  his  employ 
until  attaining  his  majority  in  1SS2,  when 
he  entered  into  the  present  firm.  He  is  also 
engaged  in  the  real  estate  business,  owning 
and  controlling  an  addition  to  the  city  of 
Minneapolis,  in  connection  with  H.  S.  Bran- 
ham  ;  and  also  an  addition  to  the  village  of 
Litchfield,  in  company  with  others. 

January    18,   1887,   Mr.     Greenleaf    was 
united  in   marriage  with  Miss   Hattie    D. 


262 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


Campbell,  a  native  of  Manchester,  Conn.,  but 
reared  in  Hartford,  the  same  State.  Mr. 
Greenleaf  is  a  careful  business  man  and 
occupies  a  prominent  place  in  the  estimation 
of  his  fellow  citizens.  He  is  at  the  present 
a  moniljer  of  tiie  village  council,  represent 
ino;  the  first  ward. 


-^S^^^-»- 


^^^ARL  SCHULTZ,  a  prominent  old  set- 
^^^  tier  of  Meeker  count}',  residing  on 
section  23,  in  Harvey  township,  was  born 
in  the  western  part  of  Prussia,  on  the 
2-l:th  of  JMay,  1880.  He  remained  in  his 
native  land  during  his  boyhood  days,  and 
until  tlie  1st  of  April,  185-4,  when  he  sailed 
for  America,  landing  in  the  city  of  New 
York  on  the  17th  of  May.  Two  days  later 
he  went  to  Chicago,  and  remained  near  that 
city,  working  in  a  lime-kiln  for  about  two 
months.  Chicago  was  then  only  a  small 
village.  From  tliere  he  went  to  the  pineries 
of  Northern  Michigan,  and  remained  there 
until  1855,  when  he  returned  to  Chicago. 
In  October,  185(),  he  started  for  Meeker 
county,  Minn.,  landing  at  Forest  City  on  the 
1st  of  November,  1S5(),  and  remained  there 
until  the  10th  of  the  following  May.  He 
then  went  to  Minnea])olis  and  worked  dur- 
ing the  summer  on  a  farm  near  by,  for  R. 
P.  Russell.  The  following  winter  he  worked 
near  Forest  City,  getting  out  fence  rails.  In 
the  meantime,  on  the  1st  of  November, 
1856,  he  had  taken  a  preemption  on  section 
23,  Harvey  township,  and  during  the  sum- 
mer of  1858  he  put  in  some  cro])s  and 
worked  on  the  place,  remaining  upon  it  until 
the  spring  of  1862,  when  he  went  to  ilinne- 
apolis,  where  he  worked  at  the  mason's  trade 
until  the  following  October.  He  then  re- 
turned to  Harvey,  remained  about  a  month 
and  went  to  Fort  Snelling,  where,  on  tiie 
10th  of  December,  1863,  he  enlisted  in  Com 
pany  D,  Second  Minnesota  Cavalry.  He 
served  in  the  Northwest,  was  with  the  Sully 


expedition  and  remained  in  the  service  until 
the  1st  of  September,  1865,  when  he  was 
discharged  on  account  of  sickness,  and  re- 
turned to  Harvey  townsijip,  where  his 
brother  Rudolph  was  living.  He  re- 
mained with  his  brother  during  the  winter, 
until  lie  was  able  to  walk  again,  and  then 
went  to  Minneapolis  and  spent  the  summer 
workino-  on  the  Russell  farm.  Tlie  ensuintr 
winter  was  spent  in  Harvey,  and  the  follow- 
ing summer  he  was  engaged  at  mason  work 
at  Minnea])olis.  Then,  in  the  fall  of  1867, 
he  returned  to  Harvey  and  lias  since  made 
this  his  home. 

On  the  17th  of  November,  1867,  he  was 
married  to  Miss  Minna  Tiieile,  and  the 
fruits  of  their  union  have  been  five  children, 
all  of  whom  are  still  living,  as  follows  — 
Louisa,  Ida,  Clara,  Minnie  and  Carl.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Schultz  are  active  members  of  the 
Lutheran  Church  and  devout  Christians. 
Mr.  Schultz  has  taken  an  active  interest  in 
all  matters  calculated  to  benefit  his  town- 
shij),  and  is  one  of  the  most  substantial  and 
highly  respected  citizens  of  the  county. 

It  may  be  of  interest  to  state  that  Mr. 
Shultz's  farm-house  was  used  as  headquarters 
by  the  Indians  when  the  attack  was  made  on 
Forest  City  in  1862. 


m\    ARCELLUS  GREENWOOD,  one  of 


'c\ir^  the  "  brave  boys  in  blue,''  now  liv- 
ing in  Forest  Prairie  township,  on  section 
26,  came  to  the  count}'  in  1881,  and  bought 
eighty  acres  of  land  of  Michael  Flynn, 
where  he  now  lives.  He  was  born  in  St. 
Lawrence  county.  New  York,  August  25, 
1832,  and  is  the  son  of  Carlos  and  Rosa 
Ann  (Duquet)  Greenwood,  natives  of  Canada, 
who  emigrated  to  New  York  in  1830,  where 
they  made  their  home  until  1866.  The 
mother  died  in  the  Empire  State,  after  which 
the  fatlier  of   our  subject  removed  to  Sibley 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


265 


county,  Minn.  Marcellus  was  married, 
October  12,  1853,  to  Miss  Rosaiina  Gesiner, 
who  is  also  a  native  of  St.  Lawrence  countj', 
N.  Y.,  and  by  this  union  there  has  been 
born  a  family  of  twelve  children — Libby, 
Mary,  Allen,  Frank,  Emma,  Louisa,  Sophia, 
Edward,  Stephen,  Jerome,  Rosa  and  Maggie. 
All  the  children  are  married  except  the  last 
iive.  In  his  political  views  Mr.  Greenwood 
coincides  with  the  I'epublican  party.  His 
family  are  zealous  members  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  church. 

During  tiie  late  civil  war,  December  28, 
1863,  our  subject  enlisted  in  Company  M, 
Eighteenth  New  York  Cavalry,  and  served 
■with  that  gallant  re^'iment,  being-  transferred 
to  Company  I,  until  May  31,1866,when  he  was 
mustered  out  of  service  at  Victoria,  Texas, 
and  returned  to  his  home.  His  service  was 
chiefly  performed  in  Virginia,  the  regiment 
being  attached  to  the  Army  of  the  Potomac. 


UGUST  DAVIDSON,  a  farmer  on  sec- 
tion 18,  Acton  township,  is  one  of  the 
pioneers  of  Minnesota,  having  settled  within 
its  boundaries  while  it  was  yet  a  territory. 
Mr.  Davidson  is  a  son  of  David  and  Kate 
Nelson,  and  was  born  in  Sweden  on  the  1st 
of  June,  1838.  He  came  to  the  United  States 
in  185-1-,  and  came  direct  to  Chisago  county, 
Minnesota  He  remained  there  a  few  weeks 
and  then  went  to  Wisconsin,  where,  for  two 
years,  he  was  em]iloyed  by  one  man  in  farm- 
ing, after  which  he  worked  another  year  for 
a  neighboi'.  He  then  went  to  the  pineries 
and  was  employed  at  lumbering  and  "on  the 
drive"  until  the  fall  of  1S(U,  when  he  enlisted 
in  Company  D,  Third  Minnesota  Vohmteer 
Infantry.  They  were  sent  South  for  service 
and  participated  in  several  skirmishes  but  not 
in  any  pitched  battle.  After  a  year's  service, 
the  war  closed  and  being  honorably  dis- 
charged he  returned  to  the  pineries  of  Wis- 


consin, where  he  worked  until  the  spring  of 
1868.  During  that  spring  he  came  to  Meeker 
county,  Minn.,  and  bought  land  in  Acton 
township.  He  at  once  began  farming,  and 
has  since  made  this  his  home.  He  has  been 
very  successful  and  now  owns  270  acres  of 
land,  and  has  it  improved  with  substantial 
farm  buildings.  He  does  a  general  farming 
and  stock-raising  business. 

Mr.  Davidson  was  married  on  the  25th  of 
June,  1868,  to  Matilda  Anderson,  and  their 
union  has  been  blessed  with  the  following 
named  children  —  Levi,  born  May  20,  1869; 
George,  born  November  11, 1875;  Clara,  born 
June  0. 1882;  and  Arthur,  born  November  28, 
ISS-t.  The  famil}'  are  members  of  the  Swed- 
ish Lutheran  Church.  In  political  matters 
Mr.  Davidson  affiliates  with  the  republican 
party.  The  parents  of  Mr.  Davidson  still  re- 
side in  Sweden,  their  native  land,  while  those 
of  Mrs.  Davidson  are  residents  of  Meeker 
county. 


TOHN  J.  SUNDQUIST,  the  photographic 
^  artist  and  notion  and  clothing  dealer  of 
Dassel,  is  a  fair  representative  of  the  class  of 
self-made  men  who  have  "  climbed  the  ladder 
rung  by  rung"  to  an  easy  competence.  Boi'n 
among  the  wild  and  picturesque  scenery  of 
Sweden,  April  28,  1846,  the  son  of  John  and 
Keser  Johnson,  his  boyhood  and  youth  were 
passed  in  his  native  land.  His  father  served 
in  the  Swedish  National  Guards,  and  re- 
mained in  that  kingdom  until  his  death. 

The  subject  of  our  narrative,  when  about 
twenty-three  years  of  age,  feeling  the  impos- 
sibility of  raising  himself  financially  above  the 
estate  in  which  he  was  born  in  that  country, 
determined  to  seek  his  fortune  in  the  newer 
countries  across  the  sea,  and  embarking, 
landed  upon  the  shores  of  America,  and 
made  his  way  to  Pepin  county.  Wis.  On  his 
arrival  there,  with  but  fifty  cents  in  his 
pocket,  he  was  taken  down  sick,  and  felt  that 


266 


MEEKER  COUiVTY,  MINNESOTA. 


the  foi'tune  of  the  poor  emigrant  was  at  a 
very  low  ebb.  As  soon  as  lie  recovered,  he 
started  for  I\Iinnesota,  and  on  reaching  the 
river,  opposite  Lake  City,  had  l>nt  twentv- 
five  cents  to  his  name.  Something  to  eat 
cost  fifteen  of  this,  and  ten  cents  to  cross  the 
river,  landed  him  in  Minnesota  totally  penni- 
less and  friendless,  and  the  pi-ospect  looked 
dark  to  him  indeed.  Instead  of  sitting  down 
to  grieve  about  it,  however,-  he  found  work 
with  a  farmer  near  Eochester,  with  whom  he 
remained  until  fall.  In  the  spring  of  1870 
he  commenced  work  on  the  river  division  of 
the  Chicago,  Milwankee  &  St.  Paul  rail- 
road, grading,  and  was  soon  made  foreman 
of  a  gang  of  men.  The  following  spring  he 
went  to  Scott  county,  this  State,  when  he 
commenced  contracting  for  grading  on  the 
Hastings  &  Dakota  railroad,  and  worked 
hard  until  the  fall,  when  he  went  to  St.  Paul 
and  there  bought  a  boarding  house  and 
saloon  which  he  only  ran  a  short  time. 
About  the  last  of  1871,  he  removed  to  Car- 
ver county,  and  took  some  more  contracts 
for  grading,  and  there  remained  until  the 
stoppage  of  work  in  1872.  Purchasing  some 
land  in  connection  with  others,  he  platted 
and  established  the  village  of  Norwood, 
where  he  made  his  home  until  1885,  follow- 
ing railroad  construction  during  the  summer 
months,  and  photography  in  the  winters. 
The  restless  activity  that  ever  prompted  him 
to  better  his  condition,  induced  him  in  the 
spring  of  1885,  to  sell  out  his  interests  in 
Norwood,  and  remove  to  Dassel  village, 
where  he  purchased  ten  acres  of  ground 
adjoining  the  town  site,  where  he  put  up  his 
residence.  Later  the  same  season,  he  pur- 
chased some  town  lots  and  put  up  the  brick 
store  building  which  he  now  occupies,  laying 
out  in  these  im])rovenients  about  84,500.  In 
the  summer  of  1886,  Mr.  Sundquist  ]Hit  in  a 
stock  of  drugs,  but  a  few  months  later  dis- 
posed of  them  and  opened  a  stock  of  notions, 
to  which  he  added  afterwards,  clothinj)-  and 


boots  and  shoes.  In  connection  with  this 
business  he  carries  on  the  jihotograiihic  art 
gallei'y,  the  second  story  being  litted  n\)  foi- 
that  business. 

Mr.  Sundquist  was  married  in  October, 
1871,  to  Miss  Anna  Swenson,  a  native  of 
Sweden.  Since  becoming  a  citizen  of  Dassel, 
Mr.  Sundquist  has  taken  a  dee])  intei'est  in 
all  matters  relating  to  his  ado]ited  home,  and 
the  people,  believing  that  a  man  who  has 
been  so  successful  in  his  own  affairs,  would 
be  so  in  the  public's,  elected  him  to  the  posi- 
tion of  member  of  the  village  board  of 
trustees  in  1888. 


-«-J: 


Iggp  P.  NELSON,  one  of  the  most  promi- 
l^jjD  nent  and  successful  business  men  in  the 
count}',  is  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Nelson, 
Johnson  &  Larson,  dealers  in  general  mer- 
chandise at  Litchfield.  Mr.  Nelson  is  anative 
of  Sweden,  born  on  the  29th  of  October,  1840, 
and  is  a  son  of  Nels  and  Johanna  Anderson. 
His  early  life  was  spent  in  the  land  of  his  birth, 
but  in  1862,  with  his  parents,  he  embarked 
for  America,  and  after  a  voyage  of  eleven 
weeks  they  landed  on  the  shores  of  the  new 
world  and  proceeded  to  St.  Paul.  It  had 
been  their  intention  to  settle  on  Foot  Lake, 
in  Kandiyohi  county,  Minn.,  but,  learning  of 
the  Indian  outljrejdv, their  plans  were  changed, 
and  shortly  afterward  B.  P.  Nelson,  our  sult- 
ject,  went  to  Galesburg,  Knox  county.  111., 
where  he  remained  from  October,  1862,  until 
the  following  May.  AVe  next  find  him  in 
Chicago,  where  he  remained  for  six  montiis 
at  work  in  a  brickyard.  The  following  win- 
ter was  spent  in  the  pineries  of  Michigan, 
after  which  he  settled  at  St.  Paul,  ]\[inn., 
and  for  two  years  and  a  half  worked  in  an 
agricultural  warehouse  for  Bigelow,  Murdock 
&  Co.  After  leaving  there,  for  about  a  year 
he  was  at  various  places,  principally  in  iVfec- 
ker  county,  and  in  C'ottage  Grove,  and  then 
went  to  Nicollet  county,  and  started  a  store 


MEEKER  COUNTY,   MINNESOTA. 


267 


at  New  Sweden.  Two  yeiirsand  a  half  later 
he  sold  Ijis  business  to  his  biotber in-law, 
John  Burke,  and  came  to  Litchfield,  arriving 
here  during  the  year  1871.  Upon  his  arrival 
he,  with  his  brother,  Andrew  Nelson,  engaged 
in  the  general  mercantile  business,  and  con- 
tinued in  it  for  three  years,  when  the  business 
was  sold  to  A.  Cairncross.  After  this  our 
subject  was  engaged  in  farming  and  buying 
grain  until  1880,  when  the  present  firm  of 
Nelson,  Johnson  &  Larson  was  formed,  and 
he  has  since  devoted  his  time  to  the  interests 
of  the  firm. 

Mr.  Nelson  was  married  on  the  31st  of 
May.  1878,  to  Emily  E.  Johnson,  and  tliey 
are  the  parents  of  four  children,  one  of  whom 
died  in  infancy,  and  the  other  three — Archie 
E.,  Clara  E.  and  Bertram  C. — are  living. 

Mr.  Nelson  has  taken  a  prominent  and 
active  interest  in  all  matters  of  a.  public  nat- 
ure, and  he  has  been  closely  identified  with 
the  growth  and  development  of  business 
enterprises  of  Litchfield.  He  has  been  one 
of  the  directors  of  the  Meeker  County  Bank 
ever  since  its  organization. 


M,  NDREW  CARLSON,  a  successful  far- 
jiP^  mer  residing  on  section  17,  Greenleaf 
township,  was  born  in  Sweden,  on  the  17tli 
of  February,  1825.  Ilis  ])arents  were  both 
natives  of  the  same  country,  and  liveti  there 
until  tlie  time  of  their  deaths.  Andrew 
learned  the  carpenter's  trade,  and  woi'ked  at 
that  and  other  vocations  in  his  native  land 
until  1869,  when  he  sailed  for  America. 
Shorth'  after  his  arrival  he  went  to  Mich- 
igan, where  he  was  employed  chiefly  at  min- 
ing, and  remained  until  1874,  when  he  came 
to  Meeker  county,  Minn.,  and  })urchased  the 
farm  in  Greenleaf  townsliip,  where  ho  has 
since  lived.  He  has  a  well-cultivated  farm 
of  120  acres,  and  devotes  his  attention  to  gen- 
eral farming  and  stock-raising.     Mr.  Carlson 


was  married,  in  1856,  to  Maria  C.  Olson,  a 
native  of  Sweden.  She  bore  him  two  chil- 
dren, and  died  in  Sweden  on  the  23d  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1868.  The  children  were  Andrew  G. 
and  Alfred  G.  Anderson.  Andrew  was  born 
in  1860,  and  died  in  infancy-. 

Alfred  G.  Anderson,  the  second  child,  was 
born  in  Sweden,  on  the  21st  of  December, 
1863,  and  came  to  America  when  still  a  lad, 
with  his  father,  with  whom  he  still  lives. 
Alfred  was  married,  on  the  ■1th  of  July,  1885, 
to  Augusta  E.  Hagerstrom,  and  the  couple 
have  had  one  child — Elmer  T.,  born  May  12, 
1886. 

The  father  and  son  are  both  intelligent, 
progressive  citizens.  They  are  prohibition- 
ists in  political  matters.  The  family  are 
members  of  the  Swedish  Baptist  Church. 


—^^ 


^UGUST  SWANSON.a  progressive  and 
successful  farmer  and  stock-raiser 
residing  on  section  17,  Cedar  Mills  township, 
is  a  native  of  Sweden,  where  he  was  born  on 
the  15th  of  June,  1844.  His  early  life  was 
spent  in  his  native  land,  where  he  remained 
until  he  had  reached  the  age  of  twenty-four, 
and  then  came  to  the  United  States.  Upon 
liis  arrival  he  went  to  Marquette  County, 
Mich.,  where  he  secured  work  in  the  iron 
mines.  He  remained  there  for  about  five 
years,  and  then  started  West,  and  on  March 
13,  1874,  in  company  with  his  brother,  Fred 
Swanson,  he  arrived  in  Meeker  county, 
Minn.,  and  together  they  purchased  the  farm 
which  had  been  originally  taken  by  J.  V. 
Branhara,  in  the  northern  part  of  Greenleaf 
tow'nship.  August  lived  there  with  his 
brother  until  1876,  when  he  sold  his  interest 
in  the  place.  After  that  he  worked  in  that 
township  for  two  years,  and  in  1878  he  pur- 
chased the  farm  on  section  17,  Cedar  Mills 
township,  where  he  still  resides,  erecting  the 
house  in  which  he  lives,  in  1880.     He  has  a 


268 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MIKNESOTA. 


valuable  farm  of  200  acres,  a  good  sliare  of 
wliicli  is  under  cultivation,  and  luis  substan- 
tial and  comfortable  building  improvements. 
He  devotes  his  attention  extensively  to  stock- 
raising  in  connection  with  his  fanning,  and 
bv  his  integrity,  industry  and  eiiterpi'ise  he 
has  gained  the  reputation  dI'  l)eing  one  of  the 
most  substantial  and  most  highly  respected 
citizens  of  the  township. 

Mr.  Swanson  was  mari'ied,  Novend)er  24, 
1879,  to  Mrs.  Christina  Erickson,  a  native  of 
Sweden,  who  was  born  October  7,  1832. 


fOHN  C.  KRUGER,  a  prominent  and  rep- 
resentative citizen  of  Ellsworth  town- 
ship, living  on  section  8,  came  to  this  county 
May  27,  18G2,  and  settled  on  section  8  of  the 
same  town,  where  he  remained  until  the 
Indian  outl)reak  that  fall.  At  that  time  lie 
went  to  Forest  City,  Kingston,  and  Clear- 
water, but  soon  came  back  and  remained 
that  winter  in  Forest  City.  In  the  spring  he 
moved  to  a  farm  in  that  vicinity,  and  from 
there  after  one  season  spent  in  Greenleaf 
township,  came  to  his  present  residence,  where 
he  took  up  eighty  acres  under  the  homestead 
law,  to  which  he  has  added  some  300  acres, 
and  now  has  an  excellent  farm. 

Mr.  Kruger  was  born  in  the  northern  ]iart 
of  Germany,  May  1,  1815,  and  is  the  son  of 
Charles  D.  Kruger,  who  was  the  parent  of 
five  children — four  besides  our  subject  — 
AVilliain,  Herman,  Charles  and  Mary,  the 
latter  the  widow  of  John  Putzer,  of  Green- 
leaf. 

Mr.  Kruger  remained  in  the  "fatherland" 
until  1851,  when  he  sought  in  free  America 
the  chance  for  achievinga  competency  denied 
in  the  land  of  his  birth,  so  down-trodden  is 
it  by  military  despotism,  lie  located  in 
Illinois,  where  he  remained  until  coming  to 
iVIinnesota.  Before  leaving  his  native  coun- 
try, October  20,  184(;,  he  was  united  in  mar- 


riage with  Miss  Mary  Long,  a  native  of  the 
same  Emjiire,  a  daughter  of  Fred  Long.  She 
was  born  March  20, 1824.  By  this  union  there 
have  been  born  five  children,  as  follows  — 
Charles,  Ferdinand,  Mary,  Minnie  and  Lizzie. 
In  his  political  I'aitli  Mr.  Kruger  strongly 
clings  to  the  I'cpublican  doctrines,  and  sup- 
ports the  camlidates  of  that  party. 


^«.-. 


l^RANK  M'  INTYRE,  a  well-to-do  and 
'JP^  prosperous  farmer  of  Manannah  town- 
ship, lias  his  beautiful  home  upon  section  26, 
and  is  surrounded  by  his  magniticent  estate  of 
440  acres  of  as  fine  land  as  any  in  the  county. 
He  is  a  native  of  County  Cavan,  Ireland,  born 
May  12,  1832,  and'is  the  son  of  James  and 
Mary  (Clark)  Mclntyre.  He  remained  in  the 
land  of  his  birth  until  nineteen  years 
of  age,  when  perceiving  the  impossibility  of 
e'ettin<i:  ahead  in  that  landlord  ridden  land, 
he  emigrated  to  the  New  World,  landing 
in  New  York  city,  staying  there  a  year;  in 
the  fall  of  1852,  came  West,  and  located  in 
Joliet,  111.,  where  he  was  employed  in  the 
stone  quarries  until  1865.  a  good  share  of  the 
time  as  foreman.  In  the  meantime,  however, 
he  spent  four  months  in  Cuba,  laying  the 
first  street-car  tracks  in  Ilavanna. 

In  June,  1863,  Mr.  Mclntyremadeatrip  to 
Meeker  county  Avith  the  intention  of  taking 
up  a  homestead.  Part  of  the  way  was  made 
on  foot,  notwithstanding  the  warnings 
and  expostulations  of  the  parties  along  the 
line  of  his  mai'ch.  as  there  was  a  fresh  Indian 
scare  that  summer  growing  out  of  the 
killing  of  Captain  Cady.  Arriving  at  Forest 
C;itv,  the  water  was  too  high  to  cross,  so  on 
the  advice  of  F.  McCusker,  he  decided  to  take 
a  homestead  on  section  26.  This  was  the 
first  claim  made  north  of  the  Crow  river. 
He  returned  to  St.  Cloud,  and  filed  his  entry 
on  the  homestead,  and  returned  to  Joliet, 
i   where  he  staid  until  1865.     In  Julv  of   that 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


269 


year  he  brought  his  family  by  team  as  far  as 
LaCrosse  and  tiien  he  returned  to  Joliet  to 
finisii  some  work.  The  family  continued 
their  journey  from  LaCrosse  in  company  with 
his  wife's  Ijrothers and  father,a,nd  upon  arriv- 
ing here  the  wife  stayed  with  the  McCusker 
family  —  (her  brother-in-law).  A  cabin  was 
commenced  on  Mclntyre's  claim,  which  was 
the  first  house  erected  in  the  townshij)  north 
of  the  Crow  river.  October  18  thecabin  was 
raised  — those  who  helped  being  James  and 
Peter  Mclntyre,  Owen  Quinn,  Peter  McMa- 
hon,  Fergus  McCusker,  Edward  Murphy, 
Michael  and  James  McNulty  and  possibly  a 
few  others.  Mrs.  Mclntyre  cooked  their  din- 
ner under  an  oak  tree.  On  the  22d  of  Novem- 
ber Mr.  Mclntyre  arrived  and  at  once  began 
finishing  the  cabin,  but  it  was  not  finished 
with  doors,  etc.,  until  the  20th  of  December. 
In  the  meantime,  however,  they  decided  to 
occupy  the  cabin,  so  he  waded  the  river  and 
brought  over  his  wife  and  they  accoi'dingly 
"moved  in."  One  of  their  first  mishaps  was 
the  loss  of  their  only  pan  of  bread  dough 
which  their  dog  made  a  meal  of,  and  Mr. 
Mclntyre  had  to  go  hungry  until  his  wife 
went  to  McCusker's  for  more  provisions. 
During  the  following  winter,  1865-6,  he 
completed  his  stable,  finishing  it  about  dark 
New  Year's  dav.  His  horses  refused  to  "'o 
into  it  for  the  fii'st  time  in  the  dark,  so  he  was 
obliged  to  blanket  them  and  let  them  stand 
outside  till  daylight.  A  storm  -came  ujj 
which  made  it  severe  for  the  dumb  animals, 
but  they  could  not  be  forced  into  their  new 
quarters  until  light  gave  them  confidence. 
As  he  was  the  first  settler  on  that  side  of  the 
Crow  river,  he  was  often  cut  of?  from  neigh- 
bors by  high  water.  He  at  once  went  to 
work  to  develop  the  place,  and  from  this 
humble  beginning,  by  incessant  labor,  natur- 
al business  tact,  and  commendable  frugahty, 
has  built  up  his  present  fortune.  Mr.  Mcln- 
tyre devotes  considerable  attention  to  stock, 
having  now  a,  Hne  herd  of  al)out  sixty  head 


of  cattle,  besides  horses.  His  building  im- 
provements are  among  the  finest  in  the  town- 
ship, being  surrounded  by  a  fine  natural 
grove. 

Tiie  subject  of  this  sketcii  was  married 
August  20,  1856,  to  Miss  Mary  McXulty,  a 
native  of  County  Tyrone,  Ireland,  who  is  the 
mother  of  four  children  as  follows — Mary, 
born  May  9,  1857  ;  James  P.,  born  March  9, 
1859;  Charles  F.,  born  December  6, 1862 ;  and 
Rosa  A., born  August  25,  1864. 

The  first  Catholic  services  in  the  township 
were  held  in  the  log  cabin  referred  to  above, 
by  Father  Anthony,  of  the  Benedictine 
Order.  This  was  on  the  3d  of  August,  1866, 
when  Michael  McNulty,  the  father  of  Mrs. 
Mclntyre,  died. 


Iffir/  ILLIAM     H.  SEGAR,  a   prominent 


ymd..  and  influential  agriculturist  of  Dar- 
win township,  is  a  representative  of  the 
thrifty,  progressive  and  enterprising  New 
England  people,  who  have  pushed  their  way 
through  every  obstacle,  in  every  clime  and 
every  land,  and  have  carried  with  them 
everywhere  the  civilization  and  progress  of 
their  forefathers,  as  well  as  that  of  the 
present  age. 

Mr.  Segar  was  born  in  Massachusetts,  July 
7,  1832,  and  is  the  son  of  Charles  H.  and 
Ursula  (Taylor)  Segar,  both  of  whom  have 
passed  to  their  reward  beyond  the  grave. 
In  his  New  England  home  our  subject  was 
reared,  and  there  received  the  education 
which  is  the  birtiiright  of  every  citizen  of 
that  portion  of  our  great  Republic.  In  Jan- 
uary, lS5-t,  he  left  the  barren  soil  of  the  "  Old 
Bay  State,"  and  came  to  the  fertile  West,, 
settling  in  Jackson  county,  Iowa.  Two- 
years  later,  finding  that  part  of  the  State  too 
hilly  for  him,  he  removed  to  Jones  county,, 
the  same  State,  where  he  remained  some  two 
or  three  years.  Monroe  et)unty  was  the 
next  scene  of  his   labors,  but  in  1S68  he  re- 


270 


MEEKER  CO  UN  T  J ',  A/fNNESO  TA . 


moved  to  the  Missouri  slope  of  Iowa,  and 
settled  ill  Monona  county,  where  he  remained 
until  about  1870,  when  he  came  to  Meeker 
county.  He  at  first  settled  on  section  4,  in 
Darwin  township,  but  four  years  later  moved 
to  Kingston,  and  aftei'  spending  some  time 
in  the  various  villages  in  the  county,  returneii 
to  Darwin  and  located  on  section  6,  where  he 
now  lives. 

August  5,  1858,  Mr.  Segar  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Mary  A.  Lewis,  a  native 
of  Vermont,  and  daughter  of  Moses  and 
Julia  Lewis.  By  this  union  there  have  been 
eleven  children,  as  follows — Charles  D., 
Eudora,  Lulu  M.,  Anna,  Frank  E.,  Harry  S., 
Ernest  E.,  Emmett  E.,  Bessie  P.,  Freddie  and 
Samuel  G.  The  four  first  named  were  born 
in  Monroe  county,  Iowa  ;  Frank  in  Monona 
county,  same  State,  and  the  rest  in  Meeker 
count}',  Minn. 

In  political  matters  Mr.  Segar  affiliates 
with  the  ])rohibition  party,  his  views  coin- 
ciding with  the  princij)les  of  that  organiza- 
tion. 

^M^NDREW  O.  LAWSON,  senior  mem- 
_^S^  ber  of  tiie  general  merchandise  firm 
of  A.  O.  Lawson  &  Co.,  one  of  the  leading 
merchants  of  Grove  City,  was  born  in 
Sweden,  November  3, 1855,  and  is  the  son  of 
Lasse  and  Christina  Ostradson.  In  1872  he 
crossed  the  ocean  in  search  of  fortune  and 
hai)piness,  and  for  a  time  was  engaged  in 
taking  care  of  and  driving  the  carriage  horses 
of  a  business  man  in  Minneapolis.  During 
the  summer  of  that  year  he  came  to  Acton 
township  and  worked  in  the  harvest  fields  of 
this  locality,  and  s})ent  the  following  winter 
here  in  attending  school.  In  the  spring  he 
retui-netl  to  Minneapolis,  where  he  was  vari- 
ously employed  for  some  two  years.  Ketui'U- 
ing  to  Meeker  county  lie  entered  the  employ 
of  Peter  E.  Hanson,  witii  wiiom  he  remained 
five  years.     In  the  spi'ing  of  1881,  in  com- 


pany with  O.  H.  Peterson,  he  started  in  the 
grocery  trade  in  Grove  City,  but  sold  out  to 
his  partner  in  the  fall,  and  made  a  tri]i  to  the 
Innne  of  his  boyhood,  and  returning  in  the 
spring  he  again  engaged  with  P.  E.  Hanson 
in  the  real  estate  business,  where  he  remained 
some  two  years.  About  that  time  the  pres- 
ent firm  of  A.  O.  Lawson  &  Co.  was  formed 
between  him  and  T.  G.  Foi'ster,  since  which 
time  they  have  been  engaged  in  this  line. 

]VIr.  Lawson  was  united  in  marriage,  Octo- 
ber If),  188-1:,  with  Miss  Betsey  Larson,  the 
daughter  of  Ole  Larson,  of  this  county,  and 
they  have  been  the  parents  of  two  children  — 
Cora,  born  September  7,  1885 ;  and  Jose- 
phine, whose  birth  occurred  February  25, 
1887. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Lawson  is  en- 
tirely independent  of  party  lines,  preferring 
to  cast  his  l)allot  for  the  best  men  or  the  best 
measures,  irrespective  of  political  platforms 
or  dictates. 

— —'«-5^^ -'*■—- 

^M  LEX  CAIRNCROSS,  the  head  of  the 
^Ip^  lirui  of  Cairncross  A:  Palm,  of  Litch- 
fiekl,  is  a  native  of  Scotland.  When  he  was 
about  twenty-five  years  of  age  he  came  to 
America  with  his  jjarents,  and  the  latter  pur- 
chased a  farm  in  Sibley  county,  Minn.  Alex 
Cairncross  followed  steaml)oat  building,  to- 
gether with  carpentering,  for  some  years ; 
later  he  settled  at  St.  Paul,  and  was  for  some 
time  engineer  in  the  International  Hotel  in 
that  city.  In  about  the  year  1870  he  came 
to  Meeker  county  antl  opened  a  general  store 
at  Darwin,  where  he  remained  until  1874, 
when  he  came  to  Litchfield  and  bought  out 
the  business  of  the  Nelson  Bros.  Three  years 
afterward  he  sold  his  interests  here  and  re- 
turned to  his  native  land,  and  later  spent 
some  time  in  traveling  tiirough  the  East. 
He  tiien  returned  to  Litchfiei<i,  and  again 
entered  the  mercantile  trade.  In  1885  John 
Palm  became  a  partner  with  Mr.  Cairncross 


MEEKER    COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


271 


in  this  business.  In  1882  Mr.  Cairncross 
opened  a  boot  and  shoe  store,  the  only  ex- 
clusive boot  and  shoe  store  in  the  village. 
He  has  always  taken  an  active  interest  in  all 
matters  calculated  to  aid  in  the  development 
of  his  village  or  county,  and  has  a  large  in- 
terest in  the  woolen  mills  and  also  in  the 
creamery.  He  is  president  of  the  Meeker 
County  Bank,  in  which  he  is  a  stockholder, 
and  he  is  otherwise  heavily  interested  in 
jjroperty  here. 

•    •♦>• -^Sg^' <*•    ■ 

^,\iANlEL  JACKMAN.  The  gentleman 
t^/  of  whom  this  article  is  written,  a 
leading  agriculturist  of  Cosmos  township,  is 
one  of  the  early  settlers  of  1867.  In  that 
year  he  came  here  and  took  up  a  homestead 
upon  section  26.  He  returned  to  Minneapo- 
lis the  following  spring,  but  immediately  re- 
turned here,  and  has  made  this  his  home 
ever  since. 

Mr.  Jackman  is  a  native  of  Kennebec  coun- 
ty, Me.,  born  April  5,  1822,  and  is  the  son  of 
Eben  and  Hannah  (Hutchinson)  Jackman, 
both  of  whom  were  also  natives  of  the  "  Pine 
Tree  State."  Both  of  his  grandfathers 
served  in  the  continental  army  during  the 
struggle  for  independence,  and  after  their 
term  of  service  had  expired,  settled  in  Maine, 
and  there  died.  Eben  Jackman,  who  was  a 
farmer,  also  lived  and  died  in  the  same  local- 
ity. For  a  number  of  years  after  reaching 
his  eighteenth  year,  our  subject  was  engaged 
in  the  pineries  of  Maine  and  Canada,  taking- 
charge  of  the  lumber  camps,  etc.  In  18.58 
he  came  to  Minneapolis,  and  went  into  the 
logging  business  towards  the  headwaters  of 
the  Mississippi,  and  i-enuiined  there  for  seven 
years.  In  1865  hegave  up  the  lumbering  busi- 
ness and  renting  a  farm  near  Minneapolis, 
remained  there  three  years  engaged  in  farm- 
ing. He  then  came  to  Meeker  county,  as 
above  mentioned.  On  his  return  ]\[ay  4, 
1868,  he  brought  his  famil}',  and  putting  up 


his  house,  made  a  permanent  settlement.  In 
1877  he  made  a  trip  to  the  Black  Hills,  and 
spent  the  season  in  gold  mining,  but  returned 
in  the  fall. 

Mr.  Jackman  is  the  oldest  resident  settler, 
all  the  others  having  passed  from  this  world 
or  moved  to  other  localities.  On  his  arrival 
here,  until  he  could  get  up  his  house,  he  lived 
in  a  tent,  and  cooked  at  an  open  fire.  When 
the  township  was  organized,  the  first  election 
was  held  at  the  house  of  our  subject.  He 
was  elected  the  first  chairman  of  the  board 
of  supervisors  and  served  as  such  some  three 
years. 

Mr.  Jackman  and  Annette  K.  Page  were 
united  in  marriage  February  15,  1852.  The 
lady  is  a  native  of  Bangor,  Me.  By  this 
union  there  have  been  born  four  children — 
Frank  P.,  EUra  P.,  Lettie  G.  and  Mabel  M. 
Fi'ank  is  the  proprietor  of  the  American 
house  at  Hector,  and  the  I'est  are  at  home. 


OBERT  N.  DAMUTH.oneof  theintel- 
\i^  ligent  anti  thonnigh-going  agricultur- 
ists of  the  town  of  Kingston,  having  his 
home  on  section  22,  where  he  located  on 
coming  to  the  county  in  1868,  is  a  native  of 
the  State  of  J^ew  York.  He  was  born  in 
Jefferson  county  February  8,  1820,  and  is 
the  son  of  Peter  and  Elizabeth  (Weaver) 
Damuth.  He  is  of  Holland  Dutch  ancestry, 
his  grandfather  coming  from  that  country 
and  settling  where  the  city  of  Utica  now 
stands,  erecting  his  log  cabin  there,  the  first 
building  on  the  town  plat. 

Our  subject  was  reared  in  that  part  of  the 
country,  receiving  his  education  in  the  excel- 
lent disti'ict  schools  provided  by  the  Empire 
State  for  the  rising  generation,  anil  assisted 
his  father  in  the  labors  of  the  farni  until  he 
had  attained  his  majority.  At  that  time  he 
commenced  life  for  himself,  finding  employ- 
ment on  the  Erie  Canal,  where  he  remained 


272 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


some  ten  years  or  more,  after  which  he  re- 
moved to  Marquette  count}',  Wis.,  and  set- 
tled on  a  farm,  where  he  made  his  home  for 
four  years.  From  that  place  he  removed  to 
Cokimbia  county,  in  the  same  State,  but  a 
few  years  later  came  to  Minnesota,  and  set- 
tled in  Dakota  county,  whence,  in  ISfiS,  he 
came  to  Meeker  county. 

August  30,  18-i3,  Mr.  Damuth  and  Miss 
Emily  Eliza  Stone  were  united  in  marriage. 
His  life  companion  is  a  native  of  Oswego 
county,  N.  Y.,  born  January  23,  18:^7,  and 
the  daughter  of  Philo  and  Eliza  L.  (Scott) 
Stone,  natives  of  Rhode  Island  and  Connecti- 
cut respectively.  By  this  .union  there  have 
been  born  a  family  of  ten  children — Madison, 
Myron  W.,  Ellen  E.,  Edwin  S.,  Emily  E., 
Margaret,  Eliza,  Carrie  A.,  Addie  M.  and 
Robert  N.,  Jr.  The  death  angel  has  taken 
all  but  the  last  two  named,  and  there  are 
many  vacant  chairs  around  the  domestic 
hearth. 

In  his  politics  Mr.  Damuth  is  a  democrat, 
but  has  had  no  political  aspirations.  He 
has  always  taken  a  great  interest  in  educa- 
tional matters. 

JTOSEPH  HUBBARD,  postmaster  at  Crow 
SI  river,  e.K-county  commissioner,  and  one 
of  the  most  successful  and  prominent  farmers 
and  stock-raisers  of  Meeker  county,  is  a  resi- 
dent of  section  33,  Union  Grove  township. 

Mr.  Hubbard  is  a  son  of  Joseph  and  Mer- 
riam  (Biownjllubbard,  and  was  born  on  the 
27th  of  May,  1820.  He  commenced  life  for 
himself  when  about  nineteen  years  of  age, 
first  working  in  a  cotton  factory  at  Three 
Rivers,  Mass.,  remaining  there  until  he  was 
twenty-seven  years  of  age.  He  then  traveled 
through  the  country  canvassing  for  news- 
papers until  185i,  when  he  came  to  Minne- 
sota, and  prer-mptod  160  acres  of  land  in 
Scott  county.  He  lived  there  for  twelve 
years    and    then    sold   out    and   settled   at 


Shakopee,  where  he  remained  for  four  years 
engaged  at  teaming.  In  1869  he  came  to 
Meeker  county  and  purchased  a  farm  of  240 
acres  in  Union  Grove  township,  and  has  since 
made  this  his  home.  Besides  liis  residence 
he  has  a  small  store  building  in  which  he 
keeps  quite  a  large  assortment  of  goods  for 
the  accommodation  of  the  neighborhood  and 
also  the  postoffice.  In  connection  with  his 
general  merchandise  he  also  handles  a  lim- 
ited line  of  agricultural  implements,  ]ilows,  etc. 
He  has  one  of  the  most  valuable  farms  in  the 
township,  and  it  is  well  arranged  for  diversi- 
fied farming  and  stock-raising,  which  he  car- 
ries on.  Mr.  Hubbard  has  taken  an  active 
interest  in  public  matters,  and  no  man  in 
the  northern  jiortion  of  the  county  is  more 
prominently  identified  with  the  official  his- 
tory of  the  county  than  is  he.  For  the  past 
twenty-five  years  he  has  held  the  office  of 
justice  of  the  peace,  both  here  and  at  his 
former  place  of  residence.  For  six  years  he 
was  a  member  of  the  board  of  county  cora- 
missionei's,  and  during  that  time  was  one  of 
the  most  influential  members  of  that  body. 
During  the  war  he  was  deputy  provost 
marslial. 

Mr.  Hubbard  was  married  in  April,  1842,  at 
Northfield,  Mass.,  to  Gratia  Field,  a  daughter 
of  Oliver  and  Rhoda  Field.  Slie  died  in 
October,  1864,  leaving  three  childi'en,  as  fol- 
lows— Emma,  born  Jan.  21,1844;  Edward  J., 
born  Fel).  1, 1847 ;  and  Crissa,  born  in  Decem- 
ber, 1857,  died  in  January,  1864.  Emma 
married  Abner  S.  Marshall,  and  they  live  in 
Union  Grove;  they  have  five  ciiildren — Jos- 
eph B.,  Mabel  C,  Lewis  C,  Frank  F.,  and 
Anna  H.  Edward  J.  married  Fidelia  Nich- 
ols, and  they  live  in  McPherson  county.  Dak.; 
they  have  four  children — George  A.,  Charles 
E.,  Addie  L.,  and  Linna  L. 

Mr.  Hubbard's  second  marriage  occurred 
in  April,  1866,  when  he  was  wedded  to  JNlrs. 
Mianda  McKinney,  formerly  ]\Iiss  Hidden. 
By  her  nuirriage  with  Frederick  McKinney 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


275 


,  she  had  had  five  children,  as  follows — William 
O.,  George  F.,  Fannie,  Edwin  A.,  and  Ever- 
son  E.  Fannie  and  William  are  dead.  Mrs. 
Mianda  Hubbard  died  in  June,  1870.  Mr. 
Hubbard's  present  wife  was  the  widow  of 
Samuel  McCoy,  formerly  Miss  Elisabeth 
Haseltine.  They  have  two  adopted  children — 
Ida  and  Oliver. 

In  1S7G  the  First  Universalist  Church  of 
Crow  river  was  organized,  and  Mr.  Hubbard 
was  chosen  deacon,  he  having  been  for  years 
a  believer  in  that  faith. 

Politically  Mr.  Hubbard  has  been  a  repub- 
lican ever  since  the  birth  of  that  ]iarty,  and 
has  cast  his  ballot  for  every  republican  nom- 
inee for  president  up  to  date. 

He  has  always  been  a  constant  reader  and 
patron  of  republican  literature.  Believing 
that  the  boys  of  to-day  will  be  the  men  of 
to-morrow  he  has  liberally  su]ip!ied  his  own 
family  with  the  best  of  literature,  which  has 
been  almost  a  circulating  library  in  his  neigh- 
borhood. 

■<»•    • 


P- REDERICK  ADAMS,  one  of  the  hard- 
■  working  agriculturists  of  Collinwood 
townsliip,  living  upon  section  1,  is  a  native 
of  Hampshire,  England,  born  September  7, 
1839,  and  is  the  son  of  Henry  and  Mary 
(Marsh)  Adams.  His  parents  were  of  the 
class  of  sturdy  yeomen  of  Alljion  that 
have  made  that  island  so  famous  in  history, 
and  were  born,  like  their  forefathers,  in  that 
Empire.  From  tlie  time  he  was  about  seven 
years  old,  our  subject  was  emjiloyed  in  farm- 
labor  until  leaving  his  native  land.  May  29,. 
1860,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Eliza  Forder,  who  was  born,  also,  in  Hamp- 
shire December  9, 1S38.  She  is  the  daughter 
of  George  and  Elizabeth  (Bo wen)  Forder. 
Her  father,  a  native  of  same  country,  was 
born  May  17, 1804,  came  to  America  in  April, 
J871,  and  died  November  31,  1881.  Her 
mother  died  in  England,  in  1858. 


Mr.  Adams,  appreciating  the  im]irobability 
of  his  acquiring  a  competency  in  his  native 
land,  determined  to  seek  his  fortune  in  the 
United  States,  the  land  of  the  free,  and 
accordingly,  on  the  6th  of  April,  1871,  bid- 
ding adieu  to  "  White-cliffed  Albion,"  he 
sailed  for  America,  and  after  a  pleasant  and 
easy  voyage,  landed  at  New  York,  April  17, 

1871.  On  the  21st  of  the  same  month,  he 
reached  the  home  of  AVilliam  Forder,  in 
Indiana.  He  remained  in  that  State,  em- 
ployed in  a  saw  mill  and  on  a  farm,  until  the 
following  spring,  when  he  came  to  Collin- 
wood township,  this  county,  where,  April  6, 

1872,  he  purchased  forty  acres  of  railroad 
land  on  section  1,  upon  which  he  moved  and 
has  since  made  his  home.  He  now  has  an 
excellent  farm  of  120  acres  in  this  and  sec- 
tion 11,  about  fifty -five  acres  of  which  has 
been  cleared  of  the  primeval  forest  that 
covered  it.  The  first  year  he  was  here,  he 
was  in  absolute  penury,  having  but  little 
provisions  and  often  suff'ering  for  the  want 
of  the  necessaries  of  life.  But  energy  and 
diligence  will  accomplish  much,  and  he  has, 
assisted  only  by  his  devoted  wife  and  chil- 
dren, succeeded  in  turning  the  point  that  leads 
to  competency  and  fortune. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Adams'  marital  life  has  been 
blessed  by  the  advent  of  four  children,  as 
follows — William,  whose  birth  took  place 
March  31, 1861 ;  Elizabeth,  born  October  26, 
1865;  Mary  Ann,  whose  birth  dates  from 
December  5,  1867;  and  George  Henry,  liorn 
August  22,  1871.  In  liis  political  views  Mr. 
Adams  coincides  with  the  republican  party, 
and  has  held  the  office  of  road  overseer  of 
his  district  for  over  ten  years. 


PROMINENT  business  man  of  Meeker 
county  is  D.  Elmquist,  watchmaker 
and  jeweler,  of  Litchfield,  who  is  a  native  of 
Sweden,  Ijorn    in   1848.     His   parents   were 


276 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


John  Magnus  Elmquist  and  Christena  John- 
son, botli  of  whom  are  now  tleceased.  Mr. 
Ehnquist  connnenced  in  eai-ly  manhood  to 
learn  the  jeweler's  trade,  at  wliich  he  has  be- 
come so  proficient.  In  ISf!',)  he  came  to  Min- 
neapolis, Minn.,  Init  a  short  time  later  went 
to  Wisconsin,  where  he  worked  at  his  trade 
with  his  brother,  P.  J.  Elm(|uist,  with  whom 
he  i-emained  as  journeynian  until  1S72.  He 
then  returned  to  Minneapolis  and  went  into 
business  with  this  brother,  and  remained 
there  four  years;  then  after  that  he  located 
at  Litchfield,  opening  a  jewelry  store  as  a 
branch  of  their  Minneapolis  store,  but  later 
on  bought  out  his  brother's  interest,  and  still 
continues  in  that  business,  carrying  a  full  and 
complete  stock  of  everything  in  that  line. 
Mr.  Elmquist  was  one  of  the  charter  mem- 
bers of  Litchfield  lodge,  No.  50,  A.  O.  U.  AV., 
and  is  also  an  active  member  of  the  Litch- 
field fire  department. 

Mr.  Elmquist  was  mai'i'ied,  February  22, 
1876,  to  Miss  Ida  M.  Ilultgren,  of  Minneap- 
olis, and  they  have  been  blessed  with  five 
children,  four  of  whom  are  still  living.  The 
names  of  the  survivors  are  as  follows — Emily 
Christine,  Minnie,  Charles  J.  and  John  Ar- 
thur. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Elmquist  are  prominent 
and  zealous  members  of  the  Swedish  Luth- 
eran Cimrch  at  Litchfield,  and  exemplary 
Christian  ]ieople. 


j)  ICHARD  ELLIOTT,  an  active  citizen 
Hjy  of  Dassel,  and  the  proprietor  of  the 
G.  A.  R.  House,  is  one  of  the  veterans  of  the 
late  civil  war — 

"  Whose  faith  aud  truth 
On  war's  red  touchstone  rang  true  metal." 

He  is  a  native  of  Eakersville,  Vt.,  born  in 
1839,  and  is  the  son  of  William  E.  and 
Miranda  (Harvey)  Elliott. 

When  Richard  was  onlv  a  year  old,  his 
parents  moved  to  St.  Lawrence  county, 
N.  Y.,  and,  amid  the   wild  scenery   of  that 


section,  our  subject  was  reared  until  he  was 
sixteen  years  old.  About  that  time  the  fam- 
ily, tired  of  the  stony  soil  of  the  East,  came 
with  the  "star  of  empire''  and  settled  in  the 
town  of  Ossian,  Winneshiek  county,  Iowa, 
among  the  earliest  settlers  of  that  county. 
On  the  13th  of  December,  1861,  Richard  El- 
liottenlisted  in  CompanyC,  Thirteenth  United 
States  Infantry,  and  served  until  December 
12,  1864,  when  he  received  his  discharge  at 
JN'ashville,  Tenn.  He  partici)3ated  in  some 
nine  pitched  battles,  prominent  among 
which  were  the  siege  of  Yicksburg,  Chatta- 
nooga, and  Mission  Ridge.  He  was  fortun- 
ate enough  to  escape  without  a  wound 
or  scratch,  or  ever  having  been  in  hospital 
after  leaving  their  barracks.  On  his  dis- 
charge, he  returned  to  his  home  in  Iowa, 
but  shortly  after  removed  to  Fillmore  county, 
this  State,  whither  his  father  had  preceded 
him.  In  1869  he  moved  to  Stevens  county, 
and  took  up  a  homestead,  where  he  remained 
until  1876,  suffering  two  years  from  grass- 
ho])pers,  which  devoured  his  crops,  and  two 
years  from  drouth,  which  burned  them  up. 
These  circumstances  embarrassed  him  finan- 
cially, and  he  traded  the  farm  off  for  an  in- 
terest in  the  steam  saw-mill  at  Dassel,  to 
which  {)lace  he  removed  with  his  family. 
Two  yeai-s  later  he  sold  his  mill  interests  and 
erected  the  hotel,  which,  for  a  time,  he 
leased.  In  ISSl  he  took  charge  of  it  him- 
self, and  has  run  it  ever  since.  In  connec- 
tion, he  is  considerablv  engaoed  in  buving 
and  ship})ing  hoo|)  jtoles  and  cordwood. 

Mr.  Elliott  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Sallie  L.  Huntley,  October  8,  1868,  in 
'Fillmore  county,  Minn.  The  lady  is  a  native 
of  Beaver  Dam,  Wis.,  and  is  the  mother  of 
four  children — Mertie,  now  Mrs.  L.  Whitta- 
ker,  of  Cokato ;  James  D.,  Jasper,  and 
Thoren.  Mr.  Elliott  is  quite  prominent  in 
G.  A.  R.  circles  ;  was  a  charter  member  and 
is  the  present  officer  of  the  guard  of  Colfax 
Post,  No.  133,  of  the  village  of  Dassel. 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


277 


M^NDREW  ELOFSON,  one  of  the  lead- 
jp>^  ing  citizens  of  Swede  Grove  town- 
sliip,  is  a  son  of  Elofson  and  Bertha  Ander- 
son. He  was  born  in  Sweden,  on  the  ISth 
of  July,  1840.  His  father  died  in  Sweden, 
in  1855,  and  in  1857,  with  his  mother,  An- 
drew came  to  the  United  States.  He  settled 
in  Swede  Grove  township,  Meeker  county, 
Minn.,  in  1857,  and  this  has  since  been  his 
home.  The  mother  and  three  sons  were 
among  the  first  settlers  in  the  township. 
Andrew  has  a  well-tilled  and  valuable  farm 
on  section  29,  where  he  carries  on  general 
farming  and  stock-raising,  and  has  accumu- 
lated a  fair  competency.  Mr.  Elofson's 
mother  died  in  Swede  Grove,  in  1871. 

Andrew  Elofson  was  married,  on  the  31st 
of  December,  1870,  to  Miss  Sine  Peterson,  a 
daughter  of  Hans  and  Betsy  Peterson,  resi- 
dents of  Swede  Grove  township.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Elofson  have  been  blessed  with  the  fol- 
lowing named  cliildren — Matilda,  born  April 
13,  1873 ;  Elmerth,  born  September  20, 1875  ; 
Morris,  born  October  4,  1877  ;  Mabel,  born 
November  1,  1881,  antl  Alma,  born  August 
.27,  1886.  Mr.  Elofson  has  taken  a  promi- 
nent part  in  all  matters  pertaining  to  the  west- 
ern portion  of  the  county,  and  has  taken  an 
active  interest  in  all  the  township  and  official 
matters.  He  has  been  township  assessor  for 
the  past  eighteen  years  ;  has  been  pathmas- 
ter  a  number  of  terms  ;  chairman  of  the  su- 
pervisors several  terms,  and  has  also,  at  vari- 
ous times,  held  the  offices  of  town  clerk, 
scliool  clerk,  school  treasurer  and  school  di- 
rector. He  can  certainly  be  justly  termed 
one  of  the  leading  and  I'epresentative  farmers 
of  Meeker  county. 


PETER  J.  CONNOLE.  a  thrifty  and  en- 
teiprising  \'ouiig  man  who  is  engaged 
in  farming  and  stock-raising  on  section  16, 
Harvey  township,  is  a  native  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  was  born  on  the  ICth  of  April, 


1865.  His  parents  were  Peter  and  Bridget 
Connole.  The  father,  Peter,  was  a  native  of 
Ireland,  born  November  1,  1830.  When 
still  young  he  came  to  the  United  States  and 
settled  in  Hollidaysburgh,  Blair  county,  Pa. 
The  family  remained  there  until  1872,  when 
they  removed  to  Meeker  county-,  Minn.,  and 
settled  in  Harvey  township,  where  they  were 
living  at  the  time  of  the  death  of  the  father, 
August  22,  1877.  His  death  was  the  result 
of  a  runaway.  He  had  rented  a  farm  in 
Kandiyohi  county,  and  was  on  his  way  from 
home  to  the  farm  when  the  sad  accident 
occurred,  and  it  was  supposed  that  the 
wagon  ran  over  him.  "When  found  he  was 
still  living,  but  so  seriously  injured  that  he 
died  within  eight  hours.  His  death  was  a 
sad  blow  to  the  family,  as  he  was  beloved  by 
them  and  respected  by  all  who  knew  him. 
His  widow,  who  was  also  a  native  of  Ireland, 
is  still  living  in  this  township.  They  had  a 
family  of  nine  children,  who  are  still  living, 
six  boys  and  three  girls.  Their  names  are  as 
follows  —  Thomas  W.,  John  C,  Mary  A., 
Peter  J.,  Katie  E.,  Lillie  B.,  Rodgei",  Patrick 
and  Martin  F. 

Peter  J.  Connole,  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
has  followed  farming  most  of  his  life.  He 
i-eceived  a  common-school  education,  and 
imbibed  the  same  principles  of  frugality  and 
industi'v  which  are  characteristic  of  the  race 
from  which  he  springs.  He  is  a  good  man- 
ager and  has  been  very  successful  in  his  farm- 
mg  operations.  In  religion  he  is  a  Catholic, 
and  in  political  matters  he  supports  the  dem- 
ocratic principles. 


BAVID  SHEPHERD,  an  active,  promi- 
nent and  entei])rising farmer, residing 
on  section  29,  Greenleaf  township,  was  born 
in  Scotland  on  the  2d  of  April,  isii.  He 
can  trace  his  genealogy  back  through  four 
generations,  William  Shepherd  being  the 
name   of   his  gi-eat-great-great-grandfather, 


278 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


then  James  in  the  next  degree.  Ilis  grand- 
father, Wiliam  Shepherd,  was  born  in  Scot- 
land about  the  year  ITnC).  His  fatiier  was 
born  in  tlie  same  country,  and  still  lives 
there,  being  now  about  seventy-one  years  of 
age.  He  (David's  father)  was  married  in 
1840  to  Margaret  Ayer,  and  they  were  the 
parents  of  two  cliildren — David,  our  subject, 
and  James,  who  is  now  living  in  New  Zea- 
land. 

David  Shepherd,  of  whom  we  write,  left 
his  native  land  in  1869  and  settled  in  Can- 
ada, where  he  remained  about  one  year,  and 
then  removed  to  St.  I'aul,  Minn.  After  three 
months'  residence  there  he  went  to  Hastings 
and  remained  a  like  period,  then  went  to 
Minneapolis.  Here  he  left  his  family  and  went 
to  Colorado  and  Nevada,  and  after  a  sojourn 
in  that  region  of  some  fourteen  months  re- 
turned to  Minneapolis.  On  the  27th  of  April, 
1879,  he  arrived  in  Meeker  county,  Minn.,  and 
purchased  of  Anna  McGraw  a  farm  on  sec- 
tion 29,  Greenleaf  township,  where  he  has 
since  lived.  He  now  has  a  valuable  farm, 
which  consists  of  about  300  acres  of  land, 
his  buildings  being  located  on  the  line  be- 
tween sections  29  and  32.  It  is  a  most  de- 
sirable place,  containing  some  forty  acres  of 
timber,  and  he  has  it  well  stocked.  He  lie- 
votes  his  time  to  diversified  farming  and 
stock-raising,  and  well  deserves  the  standing 
which  he  maintains  of  l>eing  one  of  the  most 
solid  and  influential  farmers  in  the  township. 
In  political  matters  Mr.  Shepherd  is  a  re])ub- 
lican,  and  has  taken  an  active  interest  in 
affairs  of  that  nature,  having  held  various 
local  offices  which  his  fellow-citizens  have 
desired  him  to  fill.  ,  He  is  the  present  chair- 
man of  the  township  supervisors,  and  the 
fact  that  he  is  the  pi-esent  treasurer  of  school 
district  No.  34  is  evidence  of  the  well-known 
fact  that  lie  takes  a  commendable  interest  in 
educational  matters. 

On  the  5tli  of  June,  ISfiO,  :\[i'.  Siiepherd 
was   married    to   Ehzabetii    Tiionipson,   who 


was  a  native  of  Scotland.  Their  union  has 
been  blessed  with  the  following  children,  all 
of  whom  are  still  living:  D.  K.,  born  Janu- 
ary 7,  1872;  Christina  A.,  born  April  28, 
1874;  and  Maggie  S.,  born  March  31,  1879. 

JTaMES  LAWTON,  one  of  the  pioneers  of 
^  Forest  Prairie  township,  came  to 
Meeker  county  in  1867,  and  took  up  a  home- 
stead on  section  32,  where  he  now  resides, 
carrying  on  general  farming.  He  was  born 
in  Hadley,  Saratoga  county,  N.  Y.,  IVIarch 
19,  1825,  and  is  the  son  of  David  and  Thank- 
ful (Parraeter)  Lawton,  the  latter  a  native 
of  White  Hall,  N.  Y.,  and  the  former  of 
Dennison,  Vt.  During  the  childliood  of 
our  subject  his  father's  house  was  de- 
stroyed by  fire,  and  with  it  the  records  of  the 
family,  so  the}'  are  lost.  In  January,  1856, 
the  mother  of  our  subject  died  in  Lafa^'ette, 
McKean  county,  Penn.,  and  the  father's  de- 
cease occurred  in  1858. 

James  Lawton  passed  his  school  days  in 
Wa\'ne  and  Morgan  counties,  N.  Y.,  with  his 
brothers  and  sisters,  whose  names  were — 
Amos,  Iluth,  Pollie,  Luc}',  Davitl,  Iluldah, 
Hester,  Daniel  and  Jonathan.  In  1846  he 
removed  with  his  parents  to  Warren  county 
Penn.,  wiiere  they  lived  some  six  or  seven 
years,  he  being  engaged  in  farming  and  in 
lumliering.  In  1856  he  came  west  and  set- 
tled in  Shelby  county.  111.,  where  he  remained 
until  August  11, 1862,  when,  leaving  wife  and 
family,  he  enlisted  atthecall  of  jiatriotism,  in 
the  One  Hundred  and  Fifteentli  Illinois  Infan- 
try ,and  participated  in  all  the  skirmishes  and 
battles  in  which  his  regiment  was  engaged, 
the  principal  one  being  that  of  Chickamauga. 
He  was  dischargetl  August  14,  1864.  on  ac- 
count of  disability,  and  returned  home.  He 
then  came  to  Meeker  coimty  to  look  over 
the  country,  and  went  back  to  Illinois,  where 
he  remained  two  yeais  longer,  and  then  came 
here  and  settled. 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


279 


Mr.  Lawtoii  was  married  Mairli  i!5,  1859, 
to  Miss  Mary  M.  Vermillion,  a  native  of 
Shelby  county,  111.,  where  she  was  married, 
and  daughter  of  James  and  Jane  (Fletcher) 
Vermillion.  Her  birth  took  place  December 
26,  1842.  By  this  union  there  has  been 
born  one  son — David  E.,  whose  birth  took 
place  July  26, 1882.  Mr.  Lawton  is  a  staunch 
republican  in  ])olitical  faith;  and  has  held 
various  local  offices.  He  is  a  prominent  and 
zealous  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  and  class  leader  of  the  congregation 
at  Forest  City. 

«-J^^-<^ 

;LARK  L.  ANGELL,  photographer,  is 
one  of  the  pioneers  of  Minnesota,  as 
well  as  one  of  tlie  first  settlers  at  Litchfield, 
after  the  village  was  i)latted.  He  was  born 
in  Jefferson  countj^  N.  Y.,  in  May,  1838, 
and  is  the  son  of  Nicholas  and  Aseneth 
Angell.  His  parents  were  both  natives  of 
Vermont,  but  were  removed  by  their  families 
to  New  York  in  their  childhood.  His  father 
was  enrolled  among  the  brave  defenders  of 
his  country,  during  the  last  war  with  Great 
Britain  in  1 812-1815,  and  it  is  within  the 
recollections  of  his  mother  viewing  the  battle 
ui)on  Lake  Cham])lain,  as  they  lived  at  or  near 
Plattsburgh.  After  tiieir  marriage  the  par- 
ents of  our  sui)ject  removed  to  Jefferson 
county  in  tlie  same  State,  where  the  elder 
Mr.  Angell  died,  at  the  age  of  sixt\'-one. 
His  widow  came  to  Minnesota,  where  she 
died  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty -eight. 

Clark  L.  was  reared  in  the  Empire  State, 
but  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years  commenced 
life  for  himself,  starting  for  the  AVest  in 
the  fall  of  1855,  stopping  first  at  Dunlieth, 
111.,  which  was  then  the  terminus  of  the 
railroad.  From  there  he  took  a  boat  up  the 
Mississippi  river  to  St.  Paul,  and  the  follow- 
ing spring,  of  1856,  he  claimed  government 
land  near  Rockford-,  Minn.,  that  being  previ- 
ous to  the  laying  out  of  the  village.     lie  re- 


mained there,  impi'oving  liis  claim,  until  the 
war  broke  out,  when,  in  the  fall  of  1861,  in 
response  lo  the  first  call  for  men,  he  enlisted 
in  Company  A,  Third  Minnesota  Infantry. 
He  sjient  a  year  in  the  army,  serving  in 
Tennessee  and  Kentucky,  and  was  finally 
discharged  on  account  of  sickness,  and  soon 
returned  to  Minnesota.  He  then  learned 
photography,  and  spent  most  of  his  tinae  on 
the  road,  until  the  fall  of  1869,  when  he 
settled  in  Litchfield  and  opened  the  art  gal- 
lerv,  which  he  still  conducts.  He  at  once 
erected  a  house  and  brought  his  family  here 
in  the  spring  of  1870.  Litchfield  has  since 
been  his  home,  and  he  now  has  one  of  the 
finest  and  most  complete  galleries  in  this  part 
of  the  State.  Mr.  Angell  is  an  active  mem- 
ber of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  and 
was  one  of  the  charter  members  of  the  first 
])Ost  organized  at  Litchfield.  He  also  a 
member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  having 
been  one  of  the  charter  members  of  Golden 
Fleece  Lodge.  No.  89. 


OSES  H.  BOGAR,  who  is  one  of  the 
^^jf^  self-made  men  of  Collinwood  town- 
ship, lives  on  section  2.  He  is  a  son  of  Thom- 
as H.  Bogar,  who  is  mentioned  at  length  else- 
where in  this  volume,  to  whose  sketch  the 
reader  is  also  referred  for  much  of  the  person- 
al history  of  the  gentleman  whose  name 
heads  this  article. 

Moses  H.  Bogar  was  born  in  Tazewell 
county,  Va.,  November  28,  1842.  When 
about  seven  years  of  age  he  removed  with  his 
parents  to  Pike  county,  Ky.,  where  he  was 
reared  to  agricultural  pursuits.  At  the 
bi-ealcing  out  of  the  civil  war,  he  enlisted, 
October  25,  1861,  in  Company  H,  Four- 
teenth Kentucky  U.  S.  Infantr}^  and  went 
into  active  service,  participating  in  the  bat- 
tles of  Ganley,  Middle  Creek,  and  Half  Moun- 
tain,   Kentucky;  Hagar  Gap,  Koeler   Pole, 


28o 


MEEKEK   COUNTY.  MINNESOTA. 


Virginia;  and  Tazewell.  Tenn.,  Altoona, 
Cupp's  Farm,  and  Atlanta,  Ga.,  Jonesboro, 
and  various  other  battles  of  the  campaign. 
He  served  successively  under  the  following 
generals:  Nelson,  C4arfield.  White.  Beard, 
Morgan.  Cooper, Ilaskel,  Schofield,  Sherman, 
and,  lastly,  Thomas. 

Our  subject  came  to  Minnesota  Avith  his 
fathei'  in  ISfifi,  and  settled  on  section  2,  Col- 
linwood.  On  the  1st  of  March,  18tl!»,  he  was 
married  to  Mrs.  Mary  C.  (Graves)  Livingston. 
She  died  in  May.  1SS2,  leaving  six  children, 
as  follows —  Lizzie  ilay,  born  February  18, 
1870  ;  Edward  G.,  born  July  18, 1871 ;  Cyn- 
thia C,  born  September  9,  1873 ;  Joseph 
0.,born  February  28.  1876  ;  Moses  XL,  born 
February  2, 1878 ;  and  John  P.,  born  Febru- 
ary 1,  1880. 

On  the  13th  of  December,  18S3,  Mr.  Bo- 
gar  married  Caroline,  a  daughter  of  Volney 
and  Lura  (Farrington)  Gay,  who  was  born 
Julv  21,  1857.  This  marriage  has  been 
blessed  with  two  children  —  Geneva  Blanche 
and  Ruth  Lillian. 

Mr.  Bogar's  house  was  destroyed  by  fire, 
with  most  of  its  contents,  April  1,  1888.  In 
political  matters  our  subject  is  an  opponent 
of  monopoly  and  is  a  prohiljitionist.  He  has 
held  several  local  offices  with  honor. 

lLAF  B.  JORGENSON,  the  efficient 
^^  and  trustworthy  harness  maker  of  the 
village  of  Grove  City,  is  a  native  of  Norway, 
born  February  26,  1868,  and  is  the  son  of 
Ove  E.  and  Bertha  Jorgenson.  He  was 
reared  in  that  rugged  but  picturesque  land, 
aniid  its  bold  mountains  and  velvety  vallej's, 
until  about  sixteen  years  of  age,  coming  to 
America  in  1884.  Coming  directly  to  the 
State  of  Minnesota,  after  a  few  days  spent  at 
Willmar,  our  suiiject  wentto  Kirkhoven,  and 
worked  at  the  harness  maker's  trade  with  his 
brother  Oscar,  and  remained  there  some  five 


months.  lie  then  returned  to  Willmar  and 
worked  for  an  uncle,  Martin  Jorgenson,  at 
the  same  ti-ade,  for  about  two  months,  at  the 
close  of  which  time  he  came  to  Grove  City, 
and  for  nearly  two  years  followed  his  trade 
with  A.  II.  Lind.  In  March,  1887,  he  quit 
work  here  and  went  to  St.  Paul  and  worked 
for  W.  II.  Konants  &  Bro..  with  whom  he 
only  staid  until  October  1st.  when  he  returned 
to  Grove  City  and  bought  out  ]\Ir.  i^iiid,  and 
commenced  business  for  himself.  He  has 
always  a  full  and  complete  stock  of  all  kinds 
of  goods  in  his  line,  ami  Ijeing  an  excellent 
workman,  honest  and  true,  and  of  pleasant 
manners,  he  has  a  large  and  increasing  busi- 
ness. He  commenced  to  learn  his  trade  in 
Norway  with  his  father,  who  is  a  harness 
maker,  as  is  the  onlj'  brother  he  has  in  this 
country,  who  now  lives  at  Benson. 


^.^« 


«^^ 


fAMES  H.  SHIMIN,  a  farmer  of  Kingston 
township,  residing  upon  section  26, 
where  he  has  a  nice  place,  is  a  native  of 
Albany,  the  cajntal  of  the  State  of  New  York, 
born  January  1,  1830,  and  is  the  son  of  John 
and  Ann  (Corros)  Shimin,  both  of  whom  first 
saw  the  light  in  the  Isle  of  Man,  a  dependency 
of  the  British  Empire,  located  in  the  Irish  Sea. 
His  parents  came  to  America  in  1829,  and 
settled  in  Albany,  where  they  resided  many 
years  and  where  the  father  dieil.  In  184-1 
the  mother  removed  to  Michigan  and  made 
her  home  there  until  1867,  when  she  came  to 
Minnesota  and  located  in  Henne)iin  county, 
where  she  died  at  the  age  of  eighty  four 
years.  She  was  a  devout  Christian  and  a 
member  of  the  Episcopal  church. 

The  subject  of  this  memoir  was  reared 
upon  a  farm,  and  has  always  followed  the 
occui)ation  of  a  farmer.  Commencing  life 
on  his  own  account  in  New  York  State  at 
the  age  of  eighteen  years,  he  essayed  agi'i- 
culture  in  the  Empire  State,  but  later  re- 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINXESOTA. 


281 


moved  to  Michigan,  where  lie  lived  until  he 
came  to  Hennepin  county,  Minn.,  where  he 
made  his  home  until  December.  1876,  when 
he  came  to  Meeker  county,  arriving  here  the 
18th  of  that  month. 

Mr.  Shimin  was  married  in  January,  18G1, 
to  Miss  Mary  Ann  Thomas,  a  native  of  Rich- 
mond county,  Ind.,  and  daughter  of  Robert 
Thomas,  of  tiuit  State.  She  cauie  to  Hen- 
nepin county,  this  State,  where  she  was 
united  in  marriage  to  our  subject,  and  there 
died  December  21,  1863,  leaving  one  child  — 
Edgar  T.,  born  December  5,  1863.  Mr. 
Shimin  again  contracted  a  matrimonial  alli- 
ance, August  14,  1887,  with  Miss  Maggie 
Francis,  a  resident  of  Kingston  township,  a 
native  of  Meeker  county,  this  State,  and 
daughter  of  A.  J.  and  II.  Francis. 

In  his  politics  Mr.  Shimin  is  a  republican 
and  is  the  present  treasurer  of  school  district 
No.  33.  During  the  great  civil  war  our  sub- 
ject, with  commendable  patriotism,  enlisted 
February  18,  1864:,  in  Company  B,  Sixth 
Minnesota  Infantry,  and  served  until  the 
close  of  the  war  with  that  gallant  regiment, 
receiving  his  discharge  August  19,  1865. 
His  record  wliile  carrying  a  musket  is  that 
of  a  loyal  and  gallant  soldier  and  one  "  prompt 
to  everv  dutv's  call." 


?i'"-^  M.  BECKSTRAND  is  a  Avell-known 
and  highly  respected  farmer,  who 
resides  on  section  Id,  Greenleaf  township. 
He  has  one  of  the  finest  farms  in  the  county, 
and  his  farm  buildings  are  a  credit  to  the 
township  in  which  he  lives.  His  place  con- 
sists of  207  acres  of  land,  a  good  portion  of 
which  is  under  cultivation,  and,  as  he  has  it 
well  stocked,  he  devotes  his  time  to  general 
farming  and  stock-raising. 

Ml'.  Beckstrand  is  a  native  of  Sweden,  and 
was  born  on  the  1st  of  December,  1849.  He 
remained  in  his  native  land  until  the  fall  of 
1869,  when  he  came  to  the  United   States, 


and  made  his  way  directl}^  to  Greenleaf 
township,  Meeker  county,  Minn.,  where  his 
uncle,  John  Sampson,  was  then  living.  This 
townshij)  has  been  his  home  ever  since.  In 
1881  Mr.  Beckstrand  sent  for  his  parents, 
who  were  still  living  in  the  land  of  his  birth, 
and  thej^  tlien  came  to  this  country,  and  are 
now  living  in  Cedar  Mills  township  with  one 
of  their  sons. 

In  1875  the  suljject  of  our  sketch  was 
married  to  Bengta  Nelson,  and  their  mar- 
riage was  blessed  with  one  child,  a  girl 
named  Emma  G.,  who  was  born  in  Septem- 
ber, 1878,  and  who  died  March  11,  1879, 
and  was  buried  in  the  Beckville  Cemetery. 
Mrs.  Beckstrand's  parents  were  natives  of 
Sweden ;  her  father  died  there,  and  her 
mother  is  still  living  in  the  Fatherland.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Beckstrand  are  members  of  the 
Swedish  Lutheran  church.  Mr.  B.  has  taken 
an  active  interest  in  public  affairs,  and  has 
for  two  years  been  a  member  of  the  board  of 
supervisors  of  the  towTiship. 


AMUEL  A.  HEARD.  Among  the  prom- 
inent figures  in  the  history  of  Litch- 
field, of  which  he  is  a  resident,  is  the  gentle- 
man whose  name  heads  this  sketch,  who  was 
the  pioneer  merchant  of  the  place.  He  was 
born  in  Newport,  Canada,  September  6, 1831, 
and  is  the  son  of  Samuel  and  Sojjhronia  M. 
(AVilliams)  Heard,  both  of  whom  were  natives 
of  the  same  province.  He  was  reared  upon 
a  farm  and  remained  with  his  parents  until 
his  twenty-third  year,  when  he  came  to  the 
United  States,  and,  after  a  short  time  spent 
in  Illinois  and  Wisconsin,  in  the  spring  of 
1856  came  to  Minnesota,  and  settled  in 
Wright  county,  where  he  located  on  a  farm 
of  160  acres,  which  he  took  up  on  govern- 
ment land,  a  few  miles  south  of  Clearwater. 
The  first  summer  was  employed  in  looking 
after  the  interests  of  the  Clearwater  Town 


232 


MEEKER    CO  UN  7- Y,  MINNESOTA. 


Site  Company,  and  the  following  wintei-  in 
teaching  school  a  sliort  distance  I'roni  tiie 
village.  ^Next  spring,  in  company  witii  a 
Mr.  Chase,  lio  bougiit  out  tlio  mercantile 
establishment  of  Gibbs  &  AVhitney,  of  Clear- 
water, and  remained  in  that  business  for 
over  a  year,  when,  the  firm  being  dissolved, 
Mr.  Heard  built  another  store,  and  again 
entered  into  trade,  and  followed  it  until 
IStil.  He  had  been  appoint eil  (U'piity  post- 
master in  1857,  and  had  ciiarge  of  the  mails 
until  1S61,  when,  his  health  failing,  he  gave 
up  liis  business  altogether,  and  spent  the  fol- 
lowing year  in  ]\[aine  and  Canada,  returning 
to  Clearwater  in  the  spring  of  1S()2.  whei-e 
he  passed  some  time,  and  later  went  to  Cold 
Springs,  where  lie  rebuiltthe  Hour-mill,  wiiich 
had  been  destro\'ed  by  fire.  After  gravitating 
between  this  State  and  his  native  home  for 
some  years,  in  1869  he  came  to  Litchfield, 
and,  in  company  with  C.  D.  Ward,  opened  the 
first  store  in  the  embryo  village.  After  con- 
tinuing in  the  mercantile  trade,  both  with 
his  partner  and  alone,  until  1880,  Mr.  Heard 
then  sold  out  and  retired  fi-om  trade.  He 
has  large  real-estate  interests  in  the  village 
still,  and  stock  in  the  woolen-mills  and  other 
enterprises  in  Litchfield,  and  finds  in  their 
conservation  and  improvement  sutticient  em- 
ployment. In  1S78  he  was  elected  a  mem- 
berof  the  village  council,  and  in  1879  as  mayor 
of  the  place,  and  served  with  great  credit  to 
himself..  He  has  always  been  deejily  imbued 
with  religious  ideas,  and  has  always  lent  a 
helping  hand  in  all  church  matters.  He  had 
charge  of  the  erection  of  the  first  church  edi- 
fice in  the  village,  the  Presbyterian,  and  was 
chairman  of  the  building  committee. 

Mr.  Heard  was  united  in  marriage,  Octo- 
ber 1,  1871,  with  Miss  N.  11.  iiowen,  a  native 
of  Chenango  county,  N.  Y.,  and  daughter  of 
Luther  and  Martha  (Hatch)  Bowen,  both  of 
whom  are  natives  of  Connecticut,  and  both 
of  whom  were  among  the  iii'st  settlers  of 
that   region,  settling   there   in    1785.      Mr. 


Heard  is  a  ])rominent  meml)erof  the  Ancient 
Oi'derof  United  Workmen,  and  is  one  of  the 
Past  Grand  Masters  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of 
this  State. 

Dui'ing  the  civd  war  J\lr.  Heard  was  ap- 
|)ointed  ensign  of  Company  A,  Nineteenth 
Regiment,  M.  V.  M.  He  assisted  in  raising 
a  company  for  service  in  1861,  and  was  to 
have  gone  with  them,  but  ])oor  health  induced 
the  doctor  to  order  his  remaining  at  home, 
much  to  his  I'egret. 

Mr.  Heard  has  always  been  prominently 
identified  with  the  best  interests  of  the  vil- 
lage. He  was  a  charter  member  and  is  the 
master  workman  of  the  Litchfield  Lodge  of 
Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen. 


-^-S^^-<- 


i^HARLES  H.  ATKINSON,  a  young  and 
>^y  enterprising  farmer  of  Forest  City 
township,  is  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  born 
May  7,  1855,  and  is  the  son  of  Hon.  James 
B.  Atkinson,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Meeker 
county,  a  sketch  of  whom  is  given  in  the 
pages  of  this  Album.  Charles  came  to  this 
county  with  his  father's  family  in  1857,  and 
here  resided  until  about  eighteen  years  of 
age,  when  lie  went  to  Minneapolis  to  read  up 
in  the  higher  branches  of  studies,  in  the 
Union  School.  Returning  from  there  he  en- 
tered the  office  of  Hon.  A.  C.  Smith,  with 
whom  he  read  law,  but  finally  abandoned 
that  and  settled  down  upon  a  farm,  whei'e  he 
now  lives.  He  has  been  the  incumbent  of 
several  township  offices,  first  filling  that  of 
assessor  foi' some  two  years;  and  then  that 
of  justice  of  the  peace  for  a  like  term,  antl 
now  is  the  present  chaiiinaii  of  the  town 
board  of  su]iervisors. 

Mr.  Atkinson  and  Miss  Ida  Mitchell 
plighted  their  mutual  vows  at  the  marriage 
altar,  June  27,  18S2.  The  lady  is  the  daugh- 
ter of  David  Mitchell,  one  of  the  oldest  set- 
tlers of  this  county,  and  whose  memoir  can 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


285 


be  found  in  this  volume.  By  tliis  union  there 
have  been  born  two  ciiiklren — Stella  Eliza- 
beth and  Charles  Herbert.  Mr.  Atkinson, 
following  the  traditions  of  the  familv,  is  a 
staunch  democrat,  politically. 


"OHN  E.  ZACKRISON,  a  respected  farm- 
er, residing  on  section  17,  Cedar  Mills 
township,  has  been  a  resident  of  Meeker 
county  since  1S75.  He  is  a  native  of  Sweden, 
and  was  born  January  -i,  ISiT.  His  early  life 
was  spent  in  the  land  of  his  birth,  Avhere  he 
remained  until  he  was  twent3'-one  years  of 
age,  when  he  came  to  the  United  States  and 
settled  in  Marquette  county,  Mich.  "While 
there  he  was  employed  in  iron  mining,  con- 
tract drilling  and  various  other  lines  of  work. 
'After  he  had  been  there  five  years  he  rented 
a  farm  and  engaged  in  the  milk  and  dairy 
business.  Two  years  later,  in  the  spring  of 
1875,  he  sold  out  his  interests  there  and  came 
to  Meeker  county,  Minn.  Upon  his  arrival 
he  purchased  a  farm  of  316  acres  in  the  town 
of  Greenleaf,  and  remained  on  that  for  three 
years.  He  met  with  a  number  of  serious 
reverses.  The  first  year  he  had  a  very  fair 
crop ;  the  second  year  he  did  not  raise  over 
five  bushels  to  the  acre;  and  the  third  year 
he  lost  all  his  grain  on  account  of  the  grass- 
hopper depredations.  These  misfortunes 
proved  a  severe  setback  to  him  and  resulted 
in  the  loss  of  his  farm,  upon  which  he  had 
paid  $1,500  in  cash.  During  the  summer  of 
1878  he  remained  in  Greenleaf  townshij), 
working  for  various  parties,  and  in  the  fall 
of  the  same  year  he  purchased  the  farm  on  sec- 
tion 17,  Cedar  Mills  townsiiip,  upon  which  he 
still  resides.  He  now  owns  160  acres  of  land, 
a  good  share  of  which  is  under  cultivation, 
and  devotes  his  time  and  energies  to  raising 
stock  and  doing  general  farming.  His  enter- 
prise, industry  and  economy  have  again  placed 
him  in  comfortable  circumstances,  notwith- 


standing the  severe  reverses  and  misfortunes 
through  which  he  has  passed,  and  he  now 
ranks  as  one  of  the  substantial  and  leading 
farmers  of  his  township. 

Mr.  Zackrison  was  married  on  June  19, 
1869,  at  Xegaunee,  Mich.,  to  Miss  Caroline 
Swanson,  who  is  also  a  native  of  Sweden. 
She  was  born  on  September  IS,  1837.  Their 
marriage  has  been  blessed  with  four  children, 
as  follows — Hulda  J.,  born  Jime  12,  1874; 
Annie  S.,  born  Septembers,  187G;  Ella  M., 
born  November  18,  1878,  and  Oscar  E.,  born 
May  13,  1881. 


fAMES  GRANT,  an  industrious  and  ener- 
getic agriculturist  of  CoUinwood  town- 
ship, was  born  in  the  parish  of  Cromdal, 
Scotland,  August  1,  1807,  and  is  the  son  of 
Donald  and  Catherine  (Grant)  Grant,  natives 
of  the  same  country. 

Like  many  of  the  boys  of  that  land,  he  at 
an  earl}'  age  commenced  working  both  at 
home  and  elsewhere,  and  made  his  home  in 
the  "land of  heather"  until  1835,  when,  with 
a  wish  to  better  his  condition,  he  came  to  the 
United  States,  landing  in  New  York.  He 
remained  in  that  city  from  August  18  to  the 
28th  of  the  following  April,  employing  him- 
self at  whatever  he  could  find  to  do.  From 
there  he  went  to  Maysville,  Ky.,  but  after 
a  year's  experience  there  gardening  and  por- 
tering,  he  removed  to  Louisville  and  worked 
in  a  store.  At  Millstown,  Ky.,  he  was  next 
employed,  as  engineer  of  a  large  distillery, 
where  he  remained  some  five  years.  At  the 
expiration  of  that  time  he  went  to  Madison, 
Ind.,  and  there  rented  a  farm  and  lived  four 
years.  While  at  that  place  he  was  married, 
January  7, 1841,  to  Miss  Elizabeth  McMillen, 
a  native  of  Jefferson  county  Ind.,  the  daugh- 
ter of  Robert  McMillen,  and  who  died  in  1845. 
From  Madison  he  removed  to  AVinooski,  in 
the  same  State,  where  he  dwelt  for  about 
twenty  years.     He   was  married   there,   to 


286 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


Miss  Eebecca  Fifer,  June  3,  1847.  By  this 
union  thei'e  has  been  born  a  family  of  nine 
children,  as  follows — George,  James,  Will- 
iam, Joiin,  Sai-ah.  Belle,  Ann  Catherine,  Jane 
and  ]\rary.  ]\fr.  Grant  came  to  Meeker 
county  on  the  10th  of  October,  180(3,  and 
built  a  house  on  land  that  he  su|)|)()sed  to  be 
his,  but  two  }'ears  later,  finding  his  error, 
moved  to  his  own  place,  on  section  26,  where 
he  now  lives,  lie  has  120  acres,  well  im- 
proved. 


JOHN  P.  FALK,  one  of  the  leading  farm- 
ers of  Acton  township,  is  a  native  of 
Schleswig,  a  province  of  t)enmark,  which  the 
Germans  took  in  186-1:.  lie  was  born  on  the 
17th  of  Feliruary,  1833,  and  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1876,  and  after  stopping  for 
about  two  months  on  Two  Bivers,  in  Mor- 
rison county,  Minn.,  walked  from  there  to 
Acton  township,  a  distance  of  eighty-two 
miles,  in  two  days.  One  difficulty  he  en- 
countered was  in  finding  a  place  to  stay  all 
night,  as  he  had  $1,200  on  his  person,  and 
feared  robbery ;  but  after  considerable 
trouble,  he  found  a  place  at  German's  where 
he  was  hospitably  treated.  In  Denmark  he 
had  owned  a  small  farm,  which  he  had  sold 
before  leaving  the  old  counti-y.  and  upon  his 
arrival  in  Acton  he  pui'chased  eighty  acres 
on  section  32,  with  no  improvements,  paying 
$1,000  for  it.  lie  has  added  forty  acres  to 
the  farm  since,  and  now  has  a  comfortable 
home  and  a  valuable  farm.  He  has  substan- 
tial farm  Iniildings,  and  his  barn  is  the  most 
conveniently  ari-anged  in  tiie  township,  it 
being  so  Iniilt  that  he  can  water  his  stock 
without  taking  them  out  of  tiieir  stalls,  and 
it  is  so  warm  that  water  does  not  freeze  in  it 
during  the  most  severe  weather. 

Mr.  Falk  was  married,  on  the  27tli  of 
March,  1857,  to  Sophia  Christianson,  who 
was  born  on  the  21st  of  September,  1830. 
They  have  had  tiie  following  children — John, 


born  January  28,  1858,  died  when  about  five 
months  okl ;  Laurine,  born  Se])t('mber  12, 
1859,  married  Martin  Ilinck,  and  lives  in 
Minneapolis;  and  Beter  John,  born  Decem- 
ber 2,  18<il.  The  family  are  members  of  the 
Norwegian  Lutheran  Church.  Mr.  Falk  has 
taken  a  prominent  part  in  public  affairs.  He 
was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  insurance 
company  which  was  organized  in  Acton  and 
Genesee  townships,  and  has  been  treasurer 
of  the  company  since  its  organization.  He 
has  devoted  a  great  deal  of  time  and  money 
to  the  interests  of  the  association,  and  de- 
serves much  credit  for  his  zeal.  He  has 
also  been  church  treasurer  for  a  nuniljer  of 
years,  and  has  spared  neither  labor  nor 
moiie}'  when  the  good  of  the  cause  demanded 
his  aid.  In  political  matters  he  is  a  demo- 
crat, and  has  held  various  offices  of  trust,  in- 
cluding that  of  supervisor  for  two  years. 


--^; 


««►► 


ELSON  TURNER.  The  great  Empire 
State  has  furnished  her  full  quota 
toward  the  upbuilding  of  the  extensive 
Northwest,  and  no  more  enterjirising  people 
come  from  anywhere  than  from  that  noble, 
Commonwealth.  Among  this  class  may  be 
found  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  who  was 
born  in  Livingston  county,  N.  Y.,  March 
5, 1831,  and  is  the  son  of  Clement  and  Elmira 
(Boslev)  Turner,  natives  of  Connecticut  and 
New  York  respectively.  The  mother  died 
in  the  latter  State  while  a  young  woman,  and 
the  father  of  our  subject  emigrated  to  the 
State  of  Wisconsin  in  1816,  and  to  Fayette 
county,  Iowa,  in  1870,  and  died  in  the  latter 
place  in  1875.  The  old  gentleman  was  a 
farmer,  a  democrat,  and  the  father  of  two 
boys,  George  and  Nelson. 

The  latter  passed  the  halcyon  days  of 
childhood  in  attending  school  in  his  native 
State,  and  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years  com- 
menced life  for  his  own  benefit,  hiring  out 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


287 


his  services  to  various  farmers.  While  a  resi- 
dent of  the  Empire  State,  he  was  united  in 
mari'inge,  December  18,  1856,  with  Miss 
Mary  Iluinsey,  a  native  of  the  same  Common- 
wealtii,  born  June  1,  1840,  and  daughter  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Luther  Rumsey,  now  residents 
of  Kingston.  By  tliis  marriage  tliere  have 
been  born  some  five  children: — Eva,  Emma, 
Ella,  Etta,  and  Guy  Ernest.  Eva  married 
Michael  Caylor ;  Emma  is  the  wife  of  Fi-ank 
McConville,  a  merchant  of  Forest  City;  Ella 
is  Mrs.  Abbott  Tonnpers,  of  Kingston. 

Mr.  Turner  came  to  Meeker  county  in 
1868,  and  located,  where  he  now  lives,  on 
section  34,  Kingston  township.  He  is  a  man 
who  takes  deep  interest  in  the  educational 
work  m  the  county,  and  has  served  for  three 
years  as  director  of  school  district  No.  41. 
One  of  the  most  highly  respected  citizens  of 
the  count}',  he  may  well  be  classed  among 
its  representative  citizens. 


NDREW  SULLIVAN.  Prominent 
]£-^JL  am(jng  the  old  settlers  of  Forest  City 
where  he  makes  his  home,  upon  sec- 
tion 36,  is  th^  subject  of  this  biographical 
memoir.  He  is  a  native  of  County  Kerry,  Ire- 
land, born  in  October,  1822.  He  remained  in 
the  beloved  land  of  liisljirth  until  thirty  3'ears 
of  age,  but  growing  tired  of  the  oppressed  con- 
dition of  his  country,  he  determined  to  seek 
in  the  New  World  the  freedom  he  could  not 
find  under  British  rule  or  misrule.  June  22, 
1852,  he  embarked  at  Liverpool,  England, 
whither  he  had  gone  for  that  purpose,  and, 
after  an  ocean  voyage,landed  at  Boston,  where 
he  remained  some  three  years.  From  there 
he  moved  to  Indiana,  but  in  the  spring  of 
1857  came  to  Meeker  county,  and  settled  on 
section  25,  Forest  City  township.  Some  fif- 
teen or  sixteen  years  later  he  removed  to  his 
present  place.  He  has  a  fine  farm  of  some 
276  acres,  much  of  which  is  under  the  plow. 


He  has  been  accustomed  to  farm  work  from 
his  youth  up,  and  of  course  thoroughly  under- 
stands his  calling  in  alt  respects,  and  his  place 
shows  it. 

Mr.  Sullivan  was  united  in  marriage  Janu- 
ary 8,  1857,  with  Miss  Bridget  Flynn,  a  na- 
tive of  Ireland,  who  had  come  to  the  Laiited 
States  with  friends  in  1852.  The  wedding 
ceremony  was  pei-fornied  in  the  city  of  Chi- 
cago, where  Mr.  Sullivan  was  employed  at 
the  time.  By  this  union  there  have  been 
born  five  children  —  John,  Margaret,  Ellen, 
Mary  and  Catherine.  The  last  two  mentioned 
are  school-teachers,  and  all,  being  still  single, 
are  living  with  their  parents,  except  Mary  and 
Catherine,  whose  duties  carry  them  to  other 
places,  although  their  home  is  beneath  the 
parental  roof. 

Mr.  Sullivan  is  one  of  the  leading  agricul- 
culturists  and  stock-raisers  of  Forest  City,  and 
keeps  up  a  herd  of  some  thirty-five  or  forty 
head  of  good  horned  cattle  and  some  nine  or 
ten  horses,  the  latter  of  which  are  part  Nor- 
man blood.  In  his  political  faith  he  maybe 
classed  among  the  democrats.  He  and  his 
estimable  family  are  membei's  of  the  Eoman 
Catholic  Church,  attending  services  at  Forest 
City. 


'OHN  M.  JOHNSON,  the  leading  hard- 
ware merchant  of  the  village  of  Dassel, 
was  born  in  the  Kingdom  of  Sweden  in  1846, 
and  is  the  son  of  John  and  Gatrud  Johnson. 
He  received  his  education  in  his  native  land, 
and  remained  there  until  the  year  1864,  which 
found  him  crossing  the  stormy  Atlantic  to  a 
new  home  in  the  United  States.  He  came 
direct  to  Minnesota  on  landing  on  these 
shores,  and  took  up  his  residence  in  Carver 
county,  where  he  lived  for  a  period  of  two 
years.  From  there  he  removed  to  Minneap- 
olis, of  which  city  he  was  a  citizen  until  1871, 
when  he  took  up  a  homestead  in  Cokato 
township,A\'"right  county,  to  M'hich  he  moved. 


288 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


Two  years'  residence  satisfied  him,  and  sell- 
ing out  he  purchased  a  farm  in  tlio  same 
county,  where  he  hved  four  years,  and  tlien 
disposed  of  that  and  removed  to  the  village 
of  Dassel,  where  he  purchased  an  interest  in 
the  blacksmith  shop  of  Erick  Eenquist,  that 
being  his  trade,  and  remained  in  partnership 
with  liim  until  two  years  later,  when  he 
bought  out  Mr.  Renquist.  Alone  he  then 
carried  on  the  business  until  18S2,  at  which 
date,  in  company  with  L.  W.  Leighton,  he 
established  the  second  hardware  store  in  the 
village.  The  firm,  thus  formed,  continued 
until  January  1,  1887,  when  our  subject  pur- 
chased his  partner's  interest,  and  for  more 
than  a  j'ear  was  alone  in  the  concern.  March 
15,  1888,  he  admitted  to  a  partnership  John 
Osterman,  and  the  present  firm  of  J.  M. 
Johnson  &  Co.  was  formed. 

Mr.  Johnson,  although  not  partisan  in  his 
views,  has  decided  opinions  upon  political 
questions,  and  particularly  in  all  local  matters. 
His  excellent  business  tact  and  sterling  up- 
rightness have  drawn  upon  him  the  attention 
of  the  community,  and  he  was  duly  elected 
to  a  position  upon  the  board  of  village  trus- 
tees in  18S2,  and  was  again  chosen  to  fill  that 
office  in  March,  18S8.  As  a  business  man  he 
is  active  and  enterprising,  and  he  has  a  finan- 
cial interest  in  both  the  woolen  mill  and  the 
foundry,  both  institutions  of  great  value  to 
the  community. 

Mr.  Johnson  was  united  in  marriage  Jan- 
uary 27,  1870,  while  living  in  Wright  county, 
with  Miss  Maiy  Clarquist,  a  native  of  Swe- 
den, and  daughter  of  Lewis  and  Christine 
Clarquist,  the  latter  of  whom  were  early  set- 
tlers on  section  14,  Dassel  township.  Mrs. 
Johnson  has  a  fine  millinery  establishment  in 
the  village,  which  she  instituted  in  1884. 


>«": 


^^^^ 


NOTHER  prominent  citizen  of  Meeker 
j^^  count}'  is  G.  W.  Fuller,  of  Litchfield, 
a  native    of  Broome  county,  N.  Y.,  born 


Septomlier  24,  1824.  He  is  the  son  of  Ira 
and  Sallie  (Barnes)  Fuller,  both  of  whom 
were  born  in  the  State  of  Connecticut,  the 
former  April  17,  1793,  and  the  latter  Janu- 
ary 12,  17U5.  His  father  and  mother  were 
married  at  Lisle,  Broome  county,  N.  Y.,  Sep- 
tember 14,  1814,  and  in  1833  removed  to 
Trumbull  county,  Ohio,  where  thev  made 
their  home  until  the  death  of  Mr.  Fuller,  Sr., 
on  his  seventy-fourth  birthday  ;  his  wife  sm'- 
vived  him  until  March  25,  1877. 

The  subject  of  our  narrative  remained  with 
his  parents  until  he  was  about  fifteen  j'ears 
of  age,  when  he  commenced  life  by  teaching 
for  one  term.  He  then  entered  the  jiostffice 
at  AVarren,  and  was  there  employeil  during 
the  great  ])residential  campaign  of  1840,  be- 
tween W.  II.  Harrison  and  Martin  Van  Bu- 
ren.  He  remained  in  that  position  for  about 
a  year,  and  then  attended  the  Farmington 
Academy  for  a  time.  He  then  entered  what 
is  now  Dennison  University  where  he  re- 
mained over  five  years,  graduating  from 
there  in  1847.  He  taught  school  for  two 
terms  subsequent  to  this  and  then  entered 
the  imiversity,  taking  charge  of  the  Baptist 
church  at  Birmingham,  in  the  Buckeye  State, 
where  he  remained  some  three  years.  The 
next  three  years  were  passed  in  the  service  of 
the  Lord  at  Ashtabula,  Ohio,  after  which  he 
occupied  the  puljtit  of  the  I'aptist  church 
at  Meadville,  Penn.,  for  a  like  period. 
Having  been  sent  by  the  Baptist  Home  Mis- 
sionary Society  to  Chatfield,  this  State,  he 
came  to  Minnesota  in  1858,  and  remained  in 
the  last  mentioned  city  some  seven  years,  a 
faithful  watchman  upon  the  walls  of  Zion. 
From  there  he  removed  to  Lake  City,  and 
during  his  labors  in  that  place,  extending 
over  a  period  of  seven  years,  missed  but  two 
Sabbaths'  exercise  of  his  beloved  calling.  His 
health  becoming  impaired,  he  came  to  Litch- 
field in  1872,  and  purchasing  twenty-live 
acres  of  land,  established  his  present  nursery 
business. 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


289 


Mr.  Fuller  has  three  times  been  married, 
his  present  wife  being  Miss  S.  S.  Garfield,  a 
second  cousin  of  our  late  lamented,  martyred 
president,  James  A.  Garfield.  lie  is  the  pa- 
rent of  nine  children,  five  of  whom  are  liv- 
ing-. The  record  of  these  is  Isabel,  Mrs. 
Dr.  Canney,  of  San  Francisco,  Gal.;  Minnie 
E.,  whose  husband,  L.  Swift,  is  lousiness  man- 
ager of  the  Minneapolis  Evening  Journal; 
Annie,  deceased  wife  of  J.  Q.  A.  Braden,who 
died  October  2.5,  1879,  at  Santa  Cruz,  Cali- 
fornia ;  George  Garfield,  who  is  book-keeper 
for  the  AYashburn  Mill  company,  Minneapo- 
lis; Pauline,  the  lately  deceased  wife  of  E. 
B.  Benson,  the  cashier  of  the  Meeker  County 
Bank,  who  died  May  19, 1S8S ;  and  Jevrel  and 
Lillian,  living  at  home. 


/^f^ARlON  BOYER,  a  veteran  of  the 
ir-Ltr"\  late  war',  is  engaged  in  carrying  on 
both  the  meat-market  and  dray  business  in 
the  village  of  Dassel,  where  he  located  in 
1881.  He  is  a  native  of  Mercer  county,  Ohio, 
born  January  1,  1840,  and  is  the  son  of  Louis 
and  Nancy  A.  (Bowersock)  Boyer,  both  of 
whom  were  also  natives  of  the  "  Buckeye 
State."  The  parents  of  our  subject,  in  1855, 
removed  with  their  family  to  Crawford,  how 
Vernon  county,  AVis.,  where  they  remained 
upon  a  farm  until  the  death  of  the  father,  in 
1857.  Later  the  mother  came  to  Hastings, 
in  this  State,  and  died  at  St.  Paul  in  1887. 

Marion,  in  1860,  at  the  age  of  twenty,  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Esther  Buck- 
master,  with  whom  he  lived  upon  a  farm 
until  the  spring  of  1862  when  the  angel  of 
death  invaded  his  household  and  snatched 
away  his  wife  from  his  embrace.  He  then 
gave  up  farming,  and,  August  6, 1862,  enlisted 
in  Company  I),  Thirty-First  Wisconsin  Infan- 
try, and  served  with  that  well-known  regi- 
ment imtil  the  close  of  the  wai'.  The  first 
battle  in  which  he  participated  was  that  of 


Peach  Tree  Creek,  in  the  Atlanta  campaign, 
and  throughout  the  engagements  around  the 
last-named  city,  and  at  the  capture  of  that 
])lace.  Mr.  Boyer  Avas  always  present  with 
regiment,  wliich  did  excellent  service.  When 
Sherman  cut  himself  off  from  his  base  of 
supplies  and  commenced  his  memorable 
march  to  the  sea,  the  Thirty-First  Wisconsin 
was  a  part  of  his  columns,  and  our  subject 
marched  with  his  company.  During  the 
battle  of  Bentonville,  N.  C,  when  the  con- 
federate general, Joseph  Johnston,  had  turned 
the  flank  and  surrounded  our  forces,  the  regi- 
ment, with  others,  faced  about  and  charged 
the  enemy,  during  which  Mr.  Boyer  received 
a  bullet  and  fell  to  the  ground.  Lying  upon 
the  ground,  propped  upon  his  elbow,  he 
essayed  to  open  the  cartridge  boxes  of  his 
fallen  comrades,  and,  in  spite  of  his  wound, 
passed  the  ammunition  to  his  companions, 
and  while  doing  so  was  again  hit  in  the 
neighborhood  of  the  s])ine,  which  disabled 
him  entirelv.  His  gallant  comrades,  out- 
numbered, were  forced  to  retire,  leaving 
him,  as  the}'  supposed,  dead  upon  the  field, 
and  the  rebel  line  charged  over  him.  Some 
time  elapsed,  and,  coming  to,  he  managed  to 
crawl  to  a  tree,  Ijut,  on  ])ulling  himself  erect, 
found  he  could  not  stand,  so  crawled  on  all 
fours  toward  the  lines  of  his  regiment,  about 
half  a  mile  away,  and  when  his  comrades 
saw  him  they  came  forth  and  carried  him  in 
and  placed  him  in  an  ambulance.  Four  or 
five  days  later  he  moved  along  with  the  regi- 
ment, and  in  a  month  resumed  duty.  He 
participated  in  all  the  hardships  of  that 
famous  march,  and  wound  up  with  the  grand 
review  at  Washington, after  which  he  received 
his  discharge,  June  20,  1865,  at  Louisville, 
Ivy.,  and  returned  to  Wisconsin.  In  the 
spring  of  1866  he  came  to  Minnesota,  and 
settled  in  Dakota  county,  but  in  1873  removed 
to  Bird  Island,  and  from  there,  the  next 
spring,  to  Elk  River,  where  he  remained 
until  coming  here. 


2go 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


Mr.  Boypr,  November  28,  1872,  again  en- 
tered the  marriage  state,  being  united  on 
that  day  with  Miss  Annie  Slieldon,  a  native 
of  Elk  River.  Minn.,  and  daughter  of  Henry 
II.  and  Cyntiiia  Slieldon.  ller  ])arents  set, 
tied  in  Sherburne  county,  at  Elk  River,  in 
Mav,  1850,  and  were  among  the  earliest  set- 
tlers of  that  section.  By  this  marriage  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Boyer  have  two  children — Clara 
E.  and  Louis. 

Mr.  Boyer  was  quite  prominent  in  the  or- 
ganization of  Colfax  Post,  No.  133,G.  A.  R.,  at 
this  village,  and  was  the  first  officer  of  the 
day.  He  was  a  member  of  the  post  at  Elk 
River  before  coming  here.  He  has  been  an 
officer  in  the  Good  Templars  order,  and  is 
prominent  in  the  prohibition  movement. 


fOHN  MURRAY,  who  is  numbered 
among  the  most  extensive  farmers  and 
stock-raisers  of  Meeker  county,  is  one  of 
the  pioneers  of  1857.  During  that  year  he 
made  his  first  appearance  here,  and  immedi- 
ately took  up  a  claim  of  IGO  acres  upon  sec- 
tion 30,  Forest  City  townshi]),  where  he  now 
resides.  To  his  original  farm  he  has  added 
from  time  to  time,  until  lie  has  now  one  of 
the  finest  properties  in  the  county,  extending 
into  the  three  townships  of  Dassel,  Darwin 
and  Forest  City,  embracing  something  like 
800  acres. 

Mr.  Murray  is  a  native  of  that  "Gem  of 
the  Sea,"  Ireland,  and  was  Ijorn  in  the  year 
1838.  At  the  age  of  fourteen  years,  he  left 
his  native  home  and  came  alone  to  the  United 
States.  Arriving  in  New  York,  the  young 
emigrant,  after  a  few  months  spent  in  the 
metropolis,  came  out  AVest,  ami  spent  the 
next  five  years  in  the  city  of  Chicago. 
From  there  he  came  to  tiiis  county  l)y  way 
of  Minneapolis,  and  on  his  arrival,  settled, 
and  has  ever  since  made  this  his  home. 
During  the  Indian  (tutbreak  of  18C2.  he  took 


his  family  to  a  place  of  safety,  but  soon  re- 
turned to  help  in  the  defense  of  his  home. 
He  has  always  been  engaged  in  agriculture, 
and  still  follows  that  avocation. 

Mr.  Murray  was  married  in  March,  1857, 
to  Miss  Margaret  Flynn,  a  native  of  the 
Emerald  Isle,  born  in  1835.  By  this  union 
there  have  been  born  a  family  of  nine  chil- 
dren, whose  names  are  as  follows — John, 
Michael,  Thomas,  William,  James,  Daniel, 
Catharine,  Ellen  and  Margaret.  John,  the 
only  one  not  single,  married  Miss  Lizzie 
Hughes,  and  is  a  farmer. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Murray  coincides 
witii  the  democratic  part}',  and  accepts  their 
doctrines  and  principles.  In  religion  he  is  a 
zealous  Roman  Catholic,  and  socially  is  a 
genial  hospitable  gentleman,  like  all  the 
Celtic  race,  and  one  whom  it  is  a  pleasure 
to  meet. 


"OSEPH  VOSSEN,  the  merchant  of 
AVatkins,  came  to  that  village  in 
1882,  and  opened  a  stock  of  general  mer- 
chandise, in  company  with  A.  D.  Spaulding, 
in  a  building  22x10,  which  they  erected  for 
the  purpose.  After  carrying  on  the  business 
for  about  six  months,  tlie  partnei'ship  was 
dissolved,  Mr.  Yossen  purchasing  ^Mr. 
Spauiding's  interest.  Since  that  time  he 
continued  to  operate  the  business  alone. 

Mr.  Yossen  was  born  in  the  Rhine  Prov- 
inces of  the  German  Empire,  on  the  17tli  of 
April,  1849,  and  is  the  son  of  Ciiristian  and 
Nella  (Koenigs)  Yossen.  He  passed  his 
early  years  and  received  his  education 
'neath  the  genial  skies  and  amid  the  vine- 
clad  hills  of  his  native  land,  but  on  attaining 
his  thirteenth  year  commenced  woi'k  for 
himself.  In  1864  he  came  to  the  United 
States  with  his  parents,  landing  at  New 
Yoi'k  after  a  voyage  of  fifty-four  days. 
They  settled  in  Carver  county,  where  they 
remained  about  four  years,  and  then  came  to 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


2gi 


Meeker  county  and  settled  in  Forest  Prairie 
township,  among  the  first  to  locate  there, 
where  the  parents  still  make  their  home. 

Mr.  Vossen,  of  whom  we  write,  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Anna  Weinman  Janu- 
ary 29, 1877,  at  Burton,  Carvercounty.  She  is 
the  daughter  of  John  W.  Weinman,  a  farmer 
of  that  county.  I'y  this  union  there  have 
been  borij  a  family  of  three  children — 
Joseph,  Nellie  and  John. 

Mr.  Vossen  is  entirely  independent  of 
party  lines  in  discharge  of  his  elective  fran- 
chise. He  has,  however,  held  the  post  of 
town  supervisor  for  eight  or  nine  years.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church. 


P.  NYGREN,  a  prominent  citizen  and 
a  successful  farmer,  residing  on  section 
y,  Greenleaf  township,  was  born  in  Sweden 
on  the  24th  of  June,  1822.  He  was  raised 
on  a  farm,  learning  the  habits  of  industry 
and  economy,  whicli  are  a  characteristic  of 
the  people  of  his  nationality.  In  June,  185-1, 
he  was  married  at  Kroneburg,  Sweden,  to 
Anna  F.  Petterson.  lie  remained  in  his 
native  land  until  1SG8,  Avhen  he  came  to  the 
United  States,  and  after  making  short  stops 
at  New  York  City,  Rockford,  111.,  and 
Watertown,  Minn.,  he  finally  arrived  in 
Meeker  county  in  October,  1868,  locating  at 
once  in  Greenleaf  township.  He  has  as  good 
a  farm  as  any  in  the  township,  has  it  well 
stocked  and  has  fine  farm  buildings. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nygren, 
has  been  blessed  with  the  following  children — 
John  P.,  born  October  2,  1855;  Matilda  C, 
born  January  22,  1857;  Carl  A.,  born  in 
November,  1858;  Christina  M.,  born  Decem- 
ber 15, 1860,  and  Charles  O.,  born  December 
21,  1862;  all  of  whom  are  still  living  except 
John  P.,  who  died  October  li,  1877,  in 
Greenleaf  township ;  and  Carl  A.,  who  died 
in  Sweden    when  only  fifteen   months  old. 


Matilda  C.  is  now  the  wife  of  W.  H. 
Wilkins,  and  resides  in  St.  Cloud ;  Christina 
is  now  in  Litchfield ;  and  the  son  Charles  O., 
is  still  at  home  and  carries  on  the  business. 
Charles  has  a  thorough  knowledge  of  farm 
work,  and  lias  the  reputation  of  being  one 
of  the  most  thorougli  and  successful  agri- 
culturistsin  the  township. 

J.  P.  Nygren  is  a  re|niblican  in  jiojitics, 
and  in  religious  matters  he  and  his  wife  are 
members  of  the  Swedish  Lutheran  Church. 
Mrs.  Nygren  is  a  native  of  the  same  country 
as  her  husband,  having  been  born  in  Sweden 
on  the  18th  of  July,  1828. 


1||\AV1D  GORMAN,  who  carries  on  a  liv- 
ii/  eiy,  feed  and  sale  stable  at  Litchfield, 
is  a  native  of  Canada  West,  born  in  1855,  and 
is  the  son  of  John  and  Bridget  (Taberty) 
Gorman,  natives  of  Ireland,  who  came  to 
America  in  1840.  He  remained  in  his  na- 
tive country  until  he  was  thirteen  years  of 
age,  when  his  parents  removed  to  Minnesota 
and  settled  at  Monticello,  Wright  county. 
David  made  his  home  with  his  parents  until 
he  was  twent\'-one  years  of  age,  his  time 
being  spent  upon  a  farm,  attending  common 
school  as  opportunity  offered.  On  reaching 
his  majority  he  went  to  the  Black  IliUs, 
and  for  a  year  remained  there  following  min- 
ing, after  which  he  returned  to  Minnesota 
and  engaged  in  the  liquor  trade  at  Monticello. 
In  ISSO  he  was  employed  at  bridge  building* 
on  the  Manitoba  railroad,  and  later  took 
charge  6f  the  Howard  House  at  Litchfield,  in 
company  with  Richard  Knights,  and  ran  that 
a  \'ear,  but  at  the  expiration  of  that  time  sold 
out  to  his  jiartner,  purchasing  at  the  same 
time  the  livery  business  of  Knights  &  Mc- 
Carger,  at  Litchfield,  and  has  conducted  it 
ever  since. 

Mr.  Gorman  was  married  on  the  3d  of 
May,  1882,  to  Miss  Belle  Knights,  a  native  of 
Canada,  but  a  resident  of  Meeker  county  at 


292 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


the  time.  Their  union  luis  been  blessed  by 
the  advent  of  t\vochikh-en — Herbert  Francis, 
born  August  30,  1883,  and  Ilattie  Marie, 
born  February  12,  188S. 


-«« 


^Ip^HOMAS  RYCKM  AN,  a  well-known  and 
JID'  highly  respected  oiil  settler,  and  one 
of  the  most  successful  and  pi'ominent  stock- 
raisers  and  farmers  in  tlie  northern  part  of 
Meeker  county,  resides  on  section  14,  Union 
Grove  towiisliip. 

Mr.  Ryckman  was  born  in  Upper  Canada, 
on  November  2,  1S34,  and  is  a  son  of  Mun- 
son  and  Fidelia  (Ganford)  Ilyckman.  lie 
remained  on  his  father's  farm,  attending 
school  during  the  winter  months  and  work- 
ing on  the  farm  durini;'  tiie  summei',  until  he 
was  about  twenty-two  years  of  age,  when  he 
started  to  make  liis  own  way  in  the  world. 
In  1857  he  came  to  Stillwater,  Minn.,  and 
remained  there  for  about  tln'ee  months, 
working  some  at  harvesting,  but  putting  in 
the  most  of  his  time  looking  for  a  suitable 
location.  In  September,  1877,  he  came  to 
Meeker  county  and  pro-emi)ted  land  on  sec- 
tion 28,  in  what  is  now  Manannah  township. 
He  was  married  on  the  11th  of  February, 
1862,  to  Miss  IlaiTiet  ilaybee,  a  daughter  of 
Chai'les  and  Harriet  (Smitli)  Maybee.  They 
were  living  on  their  farm  when  the  Indian 
outbreak  occurred.  As  a  full  history  of  that 
matter  is  given  in  anotiier  department  of 
this  work  it  is  imnecessaiy  to  repeat  it  here. 
Mr.  R\'ckman  took  a  prominent  ])art  in  the 
moves  of  tliose  times,  and  was  on  some  of  the 
most  perilous  antl  dangerous  ex])editionsthat 
were  made.  Upon  hearing  the  news  of  the 
massacre  at  Acton,  August  17,  1862,  with 
the  others  they  went  to  Forest  City,  and  a 
day  or  two  later,  Mrs.  Ryckman  went  to  St. 
Paul,  while  Mr.  Ilyckman  remained  to  look 
after  his  stock,  and  was  back  and  forth 
between  Forest  City  and  liis  claim.  Besides 
many  other  perilous  trips  lie  made,  he  was 


with  a  party  of  eleven  that  went  to  Caswell's 
fai'm.  and  four  of  the  jiarty  were  killed, 
AViliiain  Maybee,  a  brother  of  Mrs.  Ilyck- 
man, being  among  the  slain. 

After  the  close  of  hostilities  they  returned 
to  their  farm,  and  in  1865  tliey  sold  the 
Manannah  farm  and  moved  to  their  present 
place  on  section  14,  Union  Grove  township. 
He  now  owns  550  acres  of  land,  one  of  the 
mo.  t  valuable  farms  in  the  county,  and  his 
buildings  are  by  far  the  best  in  the  township, 
being  a  credit  to  himself  and  also  to  the 
neighborhood.  The  residence  alone  cost 
$3,000. 

Ml-,  antl  ]\Irs.  Ryckman  are  the  parents  of 
the  following  children — Ella  Jane,  born 
April  13,  1863;  John  Nelson,  born  October 
31,1865;  Cora  Edna,  born  April  20,1871; 
and  Roy  Franklin,  Ijorn  June  27,  1882. 

Mr.  Ryckman  has  four  brothers  in  Ore- 
gon— Tobias,  James,  John  and  Descum,  and 
four  sisters  in  Canada — Abigail,  Sarah,  Har- 
riet and  Ellen.  His  parents  both  died  in 
Canada.  The  parents  of  Mrs.  Ryckman 
reside  in  Litclitield.  She  has  two  sisters — 
Adelia,  wife  of  James  A.  Lee  of  Litchfield, 
and  Augusta  Jane,  wife  of  Wallace  Smith, 
of  Fair  Haven,  Stearns  county,  Minn. 

Mr.  Ryckman  has  taken  an  active  interest 
in  townshi]iand  educational  matters,  and  has 
held  various  otfices  of  this  nature.  He  is 
one  of  the  leading  and  most  influential  citi- 
zens of  his  town. 


•«--fS{^"4^' 


PETER  J.  MALMQUIST,  one  of  the 
blacksmiths  at  Grove  City,  is  among 
the  most  respected  citizens  of  the  county. 
He  is  a  native  of  Sweden,  born  July  13,  1833, 
and  the  son  of  Johannes  and  Ingrid  Martins 
Olander.  lie  came  to  the  United  States  dur- 
ing the  year  1871, and  altera  stormy  passage, 
across  the  briny  deep,  came  directly  to  this 
countv.     He  remained  here  al)out  a  month 


MEEKER    COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


295 


aTul  then  went  to  Chippewa  county,  this 
State,  where  he  took  up  a  claim  with  a  sol- 
dier's warrant.  As  he  had  paid  for  this  be- 
fore he  got  it  he  was  obliged  to  make  many 
trips  to  Litchfield  before  he  could  lay  his 
hands  on  it,  but  has  linally  accomplished  it. 
His  claim,  which  was  the  west  halt'  of  the 
northeast  quarter  of  section  2(3,  Leenthrop 
township,  Chippewa  county,  was  a  tine  piece 
of  land,  and  on  it  he  made  his  home  for  some 
four  years,  and  then  sold  out  and  came  to 
Groye  City  and  put  up  his  smith}',  where  he 
has  carried  on  business  eyer  since. 

Mr.  Malmtinist  and  IMiss  Petronella  Eliza- 
beth Pearson  were  united  in  the  holy  bonds 
of  matrimony  December  2(5,  1860,  and  are 
the  parents  of  three  children,  two  of  whom 
are  living.  Their  record  is  as  follows — Charles 
E.  F.,  born  May  20,  1864,  died  in  March, 
1866;  Charles  E.  F.,  born  Decendjer  1,  1867, 
and  is  now  a  clerk  in  the  oifice  of  Dudley  & 
Nelson's  elevator,  at  Grove  City;  and  Ernest 
H.  E.,  born  May  31, 1800,  at  home  attending 
school. 


^^^ 


JOHN  TEBERG.  Among  the  Swedish 
element  which  makes  up  so  large  a  share 
of  the  population  of  Meeker  county,  and 
whose  lial)its  of  industry  and  tlirift,  brought 
from  their  native  land,  that  so  soon  raise 
them  to  competency,  is  the  gentleman  whose 
name  heads  this  sketch.  He  is  living  on 
section  32,  in  the  town  of  Darwin,  where  he 
has  a  fine  and  extensive  farm  of  400  acres, 
250  of  which  are  under  excellent  cultivation, 
and  upon  which  he  has  some  forty  two  head 
of  horses  and  cattle. 

Mr.  Teberg  was  born  in  Sweden  Kovera 
ber  5,  1839,  and  is  the  son  of  Carl  and  Celia 
Teberg,  natives  of  the  same  kingdom.  He 
remained  in  the  land  of  his  birth  until  1870, 
when,  with  a  view  to  better  his  condition 
beyond    what    is    possible    in    the    mother 


country,  he  emigrated  to  the  United  States. 
On  his  arrival  in  this  country  he  came  at 
once  to  Meeker  county,  and  with  his  family 
settled  in  what  is  now  Litchfield  township. 
After  remaining  there  for  about  five  years 
he  removed  to  Darwin,  and  took  up  his 
residence  where  he  now  lives,  on  section  32. 
He  has  passed  most  of  his  life  in  farm  pur- 
suits, his  parents  being  farmers  in  Sweden, 
where  they  botli  died. 

On  the  1st  of  July,  1866,  in  Sweden,  Mr. 
Tebero;  was  united  in  marriase  with  Miss 
Ellen  Peterson,  the  daughter  of  Peter  Larson 
and  Elsie  Larson  Peterson.  Her  parents 
came  to  America  in  1865,  and  settled  in 
Litchfield  township.  By  this  marriage  Mr. 
Tebei'g  is  the  parent  of  two  children,  namely 
John,  born  September  11, 1866 ;  and  Martin, 
born  October  15,  1869. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Teberg  is  with  the 
republican  party,  although  not  a  politician 
by  any  means. 


l|;?,aEWlS  A.  PIER,  pastor  of  the  Christian 
|i^  church  at  Litchfield,  and  editor  and 
proprietor  of  the  Saturday  L'evieiv,  is  a  native 
of  Yerinont,  and  was  born  on  the  7tli  of 
October,  1855.  His  parents  were  K.  A.  and 
Lucy  B.  (Damon)  Pier,  both  natives  of  the 
same  State.  The  father,  who  was  a  farmer, 
came  to  Dodge  county,  Wis.,  in  1856,  in  the 
interest  of  a  large  real  estate  owner  East, 
for  the  purpose  of  opening  up  the  lands  in 
that  part  of  Wisconsin  belonging  to  his  prin- 
cipal. He  remained  there  until  1863,  when 
he  settled  in  Dodge  count}',  Minn.,  and 
bought  a  farm.  In  1869  he  was  elected  treas- 
urer of  that  county  and  located  at  Mantor- 
ville.  x\t  the  expiration  of  his  tenn  of  office 
he  purchased  the  Mantorville  Express,  in 
connection  with  his  son,  but  soon  disposed  of 
his  interest  to  the  latter.  He  is  still  a  res- 
ident of  Mantorville. 

Lewis  A.  Pier  remained  with  his  parents 


296 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


until  twenty-one  years  of  age.  He  enjoyed 
the  advantages  of  the  common  schools  until 
he  was  sixteen  years  of  age,  when  he  entered 
the  office  of  the  Mantorville  Kq/reHK  to  learn 
the  printer's  trade.  In  1874  he  became  sole 
editor  and  ]n-oj)rietor  of  the  i)aper  and  con- 
ducted it  until  ISTt),  when  he  sold  out  and 
Avent  to  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  and  entered  But- 
ler University,  from  whicii  he  graduated  in 
1882.  Previous  to  this,  however,  he  had 
become  pastor  of  one  of  the  Christian 
churches  of  that  city,  of  which  he  remained 
in  charge  until  1883.  He  then  took  charge 
of  a  church  at  Union  City,  Ind.,  remaining 
until  the  spring  of  1881,  when  he  settled  at 
Litchfield,  Minn.,  and  took  charge  of  the 
Christian  cluirch  at  that  place.  In  July,  of 
the  same  year,  lie  established  the  Review, 
whicli  he  still  conducts.  Mr.  Pier  was  mar- 
ried on  the  31st  of  August,  1881,  to  Miss 
Clarinda  C.  Ilarriman,  of  Frankfort,  Ind., 
Avho  is  also  a  graduate  of  Butler  Univei'sity. 


ip^HRISTIAN  HALVORSEN,  one  of  the 
\^  thrifty  fanners  of  Cosmos  townshiji, 
residing  upon  section  22,  is  a  native  of  the 
Kingdom  of  Norway,  born  in  November, 
184:1.  He  was  reared  in  the  land  of  his  birth 
and  made  it  his  home  until  he  was  some 
twenty-five  years  of  age,  when  he  crossed  the 
ocean  to  America.  He  resided  for  one  year  in 
"Wisconsin  and  then  came  to  Meeker  county, 
arriving  at  Litchlield  in  the  first  passenger 
train  run  into  that  village.  In  1870  Mr. 
Halvorsen  bought  the  claim  of  O.  K.  Nelson 
to  the  place  he  now  lives  on,  and  the  next 
year  filed  on  it  as  homestead,  he  having 
declared  his  intention  of  becoming  an  Amer- 
ican citizen. 

During  that  summer  he  broke  up  some  five 
acres  of  land  and  then  took  a  tri])  elsewhere, 
returning  the  following  winter,  and  in  1871 
was  married  to  Miss  Annie  Hanson.     Thev 


have  a  family  of  eight  children  —  Minnie, 
Helen,  IIenr3',  Carl,  Alma,  Clara,  Lena  and 
Lawrence.  Mr.  Halvorsen  is  among  the 
rising  men  of  the  township. 

^IliplBBlTTS  J.  SOULE,  superintendent  of 
XJliJ  schools  of  Meeker  county,  is  a  native 
of  Erie  county,  N.  Y.,  born  February  3, 1817. 
His  parents  were  Stephen  "W.  and  Ruth 
(Munger)  Soule,  both  natives  of  the  Empire 
State.  His  father  followed  the  profession  of 
school  teaching  from  the  time  he  was  eie:h- 
teen  until  he  was  sixty-seven  years  of  age, 
his  last  term  having  been  taught  in  Meeker 
county  in  the  winter  of  188(!-7.  He  had 
come  West  on  a  visit  and  was  pi'evailed  upon 
to  take  a  school  for  the  winter  term,  and  the 
following  spring  returned  to  his  Eastern 
home. 

Tibbitts  J.  remained  with  his  parents  until 
sixteen  years  of  age,  having  up  to  that  time 
attended  school  most  of  the  time.  At  that 
age  he  enlisted  in  Company  D,  Second  New 
York  Mounted  Rifles,  was  mustered  in  Janu- 
ary' 27,  1861,  and  served  in  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac  until  the  close  of  the  war.  During 
his  service  he  was  in  thirteen  pitched  battles; 
was  wounded  twice  while  in  the  trenches  in 
front  of  Petersbui'g;  at  Bellefield  I'aid  he  had 
his  shin  bone  shattered  by  a  minie  ball,  and 
as  he  says  "had  he  entered  the  hospital 
would  have  worn  a  wooden  leg  to-day  "  ;  but 
he  remained  with  the  "boys"  and  was  soon 
on  duty  again.  After  receiving  his  discharge, 
on  the  23d  of  August,  18(15,  he  returned  to 
his  home  in  Erie  county,  N.  Y.,  but  shortly 
afterward  took  a  trip  through  Kan.sas  and 
Indian  Territory,  remaining  West  for  some 
two  years.  After  this  he  went  back  to  New 
York  and  followed  the  profession  of  a  school 
teacher  until  1879,  with  the  exception  of  two 
years,  during  which  he  was  agent  for  A.  S. 
Barnes  &  Co.'s  school  books  through  West- 
ern New  York.     In  1879  he  came  to  Meeker 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


297 


county,  Minn.,  and  rented  a  1,200-acre  farm, 
for  one  year.  Being  a  stranger  to  that  busi- 
ness, he  met  with  considerable  loss  ;  but,  with 
hopes  for  better  success  in  the  future,  he 
stuck  to  the  business,  and  a  year  or  so  later 
he  purchased  a  farm  in  Greenleaf  township. 
This  place  he  sold  in  1885.  In  the  fall  of 
1880  he  was  elected  superintendent  of  schools 
of  Meeker  county,  which  position  he  still 
holds,  filling  the  office  with  credit  to  himself 
and  satisfaction  to  his  constituents.  Mr.  Soule 
is  an  active  member  of  the  Grand  Army  of 
tlie  Republic  and  is  the  present  junior  vice- 
commander  of  Frank  Daggett  Post,  Xo.  35, 
at  Litchfield.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  order,  having  joined  Phoenix  lodge, 
Eo.  262,  of  Gowand,  N.  Y.,  while  in  that 
State,  and  has  since  retained  his  membership 
with  them.  Politically,  Mr.  Soule  is  a  demo- 
crat. He  was  an  active  supporter  of  Grover 
Cleveland  when  he  was  a  candidate  for  sheriff 
of  Erie  county,  N.  Y.,  in  1869,  there  being 
in  that  campaign  only  two  successful  candi- 
dates on  the  democratic  ticket,  Grover  Cleve- 
land, for  sheriff,  and  Stephen  W.  Soule  (Tib- 
bitts  J.'s  father),  for  school  commissioner. 

Mr.  Soule  was  married  in  1873  to  Miss 
Maria  Anthony,  of  Boston,  Erie  county  N., 
Y.,  and  they  have  been  blessed  with  four 
children,  as  follows— Sharlie  M.,  born  May 
14,  1875  ;  Helen  M.,  born  November  13, 
1879;  Ruth  M.,  born  January  29,  1886;  and 
Louisa  M.,  born  September  4,  1887.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Soule  are  active  members  of  the 
Episcopal  Church. 


PETER  ELOFSON  is  one  of  the  old  set- 
tlers of  Swede  Grove  township.  He 
■was  born  in  Sweden  on  the  27th  of  March, 
1845,  and  is  a  son  of  Elofson  and  Bertha  An- 
derson. In  1857,  in  com]iany  with  his 
mother  and  brothers  —  INels  and  Andrew  — 
he  came  to  the  United  States,  and  they 
settled    in    Swede    Grove     townshij),    this 


count}'.  Jn  1862  they  were  driven  away  by 
the  Indians  and  went  to  Forest  City,  and 
later  to  Anoka,  and  he  remained  with  them 
until  the  following  spring,  when  he  began 
working  out  at  different  lines  of  business. 
Three  years  later  he  returned  to  Swede 
Grove  township  and  took  a  homestead  on 
section  30,  remaining  there  until  1878,  when, 
he  sold  out  and  bought  forty  acres  on  sec- 
tion 20,  on  which  there  was  a  small  house. 
He  lived  there  for  two  years,  and,  in  the- 
meantime,  built  on  land  which  had  been  in- 
cluded in  his  mother's  homestead.  He  also- 
purchased  more  land,  and  now  has  a  farm  of 
160  acres,  a  good  share  of  which  is  under 
cultivation.  He  has  considerable  stock  and 
is  in  comfortable  circumstances. 

Mr.  Elofson  was  married  on  the  5th  of 
February,  1870,  to  Miss  Emma  Nelson,  a 
daughter  of  Nils  and  Ingra  Pehrson.  They 
have  had  the  following  children  —  Betsy,, 
born  December  12,  1870;  Anna,  born  May 
18,  1872;  Henry,  born  January  15,1874;. 
Edward,  born  August  19, 1875  ;  and  AYilliam, 
born  July  12,  1878.  Mr.  Elofson  is  a  repub- 
lican in  political  matters  and  takes  an  active 
interest  in  all  matters  affecting  his  township. 
He  has  been  road  overseer  for  the  past  five 
or  six  years,  and  has  been  school  treasurer 
for  six  years. 


'S^^'-4^' 


JOHN  HALLGREN,  a  farmer  and  stock 
raiser  residing  on  section  17,  Greenleaf 
township,is  one  of  those  hospitable  and  open- 
hearted  farmers  whom  it  is  a  pleasure  to  meet 
and  who  reflect  credit  on  the  community  in 
which  they  live.  He  is  a  native  of  Gothland,. 
Sweden,  and  was  born  on  the  1st  of  Novem- 
ber, 1 839.  He  left  his  native  land  in  1807 
for  the  United  States,  and  settled  in  Michi- 
gan. While  there  he  was  married  on  the  6thi 
of  November,  1873,  to  Mary  S.Swanson,  and 
their  union  has  been  blessed  with  three  chil- 
dren, as  follows — John  A.,  born  December 


■zgi 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


6,  1874;  Emma  C,  born  August  11,  1877  ; 
and  Jolin  E.,  born  May  10,  1884.  All  of 
these  are  living  except  John  A..  Avho  died  on 
the  2d  of  Febraary,  1881,  and  was  Ijuried  at 
Ish])eming,  Mich.  Mr.  Ilallgren  remained 
in  Michigan  until  1885,  -when  he  removed  to 
Minnesota  and  purchased  the  farm  in  Green- 
leaf  townslii])  where  he  now  lives.  lie  has 
a  valuable  farm,  a  comfortalile  iiome  and  is 
in  coiafortabh;  circnmstanees   linancially. 

"While  in  Michigan  j\Ir.  Ilallgren  followed 
his  profession  as  an  engineer  and  had  the 
misfortune  to  lose  his  hearing,  or  at  least  to 
greatly  impair  it,  while  fixing  the  Avhistle  on 
his  engine,  it  being  one  of  the  largest  in  that 
■State.  The  ice  had  formed  about  the  pipe 
and  he  went  up  with  an  axe  to  knock  it  off. 
"When  the  ice  dro))ped  it  struck  the  lever 
Avhich  blew  off  the  whistle,  and  the  roar  was 
so  tremendous  that  it  impaired  his  hearing 
«,s  stated. 

— «•-; 

J^)  AY  F.  CASE,  the  popular  young  drug- 
Ji^  gist  of  the  village  of  Dassel,  is  a 
uativ^e  of  Waupun,  Dodge  county,  AVis.,  born 
February  12,  1855,  and  is  the  son  of  Eoyal 
T.  anil  Almira  (Fay)  Case.  He  came  to  this 
county  in  1873,  with  his  parents,  who  settled 
at  BonniwelFs  Mill,  where  they  made  their 
home  until  their  deaths,  the  mother  in  1879, 
the  father  in  1886.  At  the  time  of  the  settle- 
ment of  the  family.  Hay  came  to  Dassel 
■and  entered  the  drug  store  of  Charles  A. 
Morris,  the  pioneer  druggist,  with  whom  he 
remained  until  that  gentleman  sold  out  to 
Dr.  McCulloni,  with  whom  he  continued. 
Jonas  Eudberg,  the  successor  of  McCullom, 
appreciating  the  mei'its  of  the  young  man, 
ke})t  him  in  his  employ,  and  liay  was  still  in 
the  position  of  confidential  clci'k  when  Mr. 
Eudberg  died.  After  that  event,  Mr.  Case 
and  Mrs.  Eudberg  formed  a  co-partnership  to 
carry  on  the  business,  Mr.  Case  purchasing  a 
lialf  interest  therein,  and  [^being   managing 


partner.  Close  attention  to  l)usiness  and  com- 
mendable economy  enabled  him,  on  the  re- 
marriage of  his  associate  in  trade,  in  1886,  to 
purchase  her  interest,  since  which  time  he 
has  carried  on  the  business  alone.  lie  carries 
a  full  lini'  of  drugs,  paints,  oils,  wall  paper, 
fancy  g()(xls,  tobaccos,  cigars,  etc.,  and  is 
doing  a  handsome  business. 

Eay  F.  Case  and  Miss  Ella  G.  Stocking, 
])ledge(l  their  mutual  faith  at  the  marriage 
altar,  Sei)t ember  8,  18S2.  The  lad}'  is  a 
native  of  McLeod  county,  Minn.,  and  a 
daughter  of  E.  W.  and  Jennie  Stocking,  of 
Hutchinson.  Mrs.  Case,  when  an  infant, 
was  an  inmate  of  the  stockade  at  Hutchin- 
son, during  the  attack  u])on  that  ])lace  by  the 
Sioux  Indians  in  the  fall  of  1862. 


/^LIAS  CARLSON,  an  enter])rising  and 
\^^  respected  farmer  and  stock  raiser,  re- 
siding on  section  30.  Ilarve^y  township,  is  the 
present  chairman  of  the  board  of  supervisors 
of  the  townshi]).  He  has  taken  an  active 
part  and  interest  in  public  affairs  and  is  a 
leading  citizen  of  his  township.  He  is  a  na- 
tive of  Sweden  and  was  born  on  the  5th  of 
December,  1837.  Ilisjiarents  were  natives  of 
the  same  country  and  his  father  was  a  farmer. 
Both  of  his  ])arents  died  in  the  land  of  their 
birth. 

The  early  life  of  Elias  Carlson  was  spent 
in  his  native  land,  but  in  1857  he  came  to  the 
United  States  and  made  his  way  to  Minne- 
sota, settling  at  Taylor's  Falls,  Chisago 
county.  He  i-emained  there  until  August 
20,  1864,  when  he  came  to  Meeker  county, 
Minn.,  and  locateil  in  Harvey  townshij), 
where  he  has  since  lived.  lie  owns  a  valua- 
ble farm  of  SOO  acres  of  land,  a  good  share  of 
which  is  under  cultivation.  He  dev(jtes  his 
time  to  general  farming  and  stock-raising  and 
now  has  over  iifty  head  of  cattle  on  his 
])lace.     He  has  been  ver\'  successful   in   his 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


259 


farming  operations  and  owes  all  his  present 
prosperit}'  to  bis  own  efforts  and  industry,  as 
he  was  a  poor  man  when  he  came  here,  as 
was  the  case  with  about  all  of  the  pioneers 
of  Meeker  county.  He  has  splendid  improve- 
ments on  the  place  and  fine  buildings. 

Mr.  Carlson  was  married  on  the  14th  of 
November,  1S61,  to  Mary  G.  Ahlstrom,  and 
they  have  been  the  parents  of  fourteen 
children,  one  of  whom,  Frank,  is  married. 
Mrs.  Carlson  is  also  a  native  of  Sweden. 
Mr.  Carlson  has  spent  the  most  of  his  time 
at  farming,  although  he  learned  the  wagon- 
maker's  trade  and  followed  that  for  a  num- 
ber of  years. 


l^ARNSWORTH  R.  HILL,  one  of  Meeker 
Jp^  county's  most  successful  farmers  and 
stock-raisers,  and  one  of  the  large  land  own- 
ers, is  a  resident  of  Forest  City  township,  his 
home  being  upon  section  33.  He  has  a  mag- 
nificent farm  of  711  acres  of  fine  land,  em- 
bracing a  large  portion  of  sections  33  and 
34,  Forest  City,  and  section  4,  Darwin,  much 
of  which  is  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation. 
Mr.  Hill  gives  a  large  share  of  his  attention 
to  the  raising  of  graded  Holstein  and  Dur- 
ham cattle  and  graded  Norman  horses.  Plis 
herd  numbers  now  seme  160  head,  and  he  is 
extensively  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of 
"  gilt-edge  "  butter,  which  he  ships  to  Min- 
neapolis for  sale. 

The  subject  of  this  personal  history  was 
born  in  Cumberland  county,  Me.,  February 
20,  1842,  and  is  the  son  of  Reuben  and  Miriam 
C.  Hill.  He  was  reared  in  the  State  of  his 
birth,  and  there  received  the  elements  of  a 
most  excellent  common-school  education.  In 
his  earlier  days  he  followed  lumbering  and 
farming  in  the  "  Old  Pine  Tree  State,"  and  af- 
terwards commenced  lumbering  operations  in 
Minnesota.  He  was  also  engaged  in  the 
butchering  business  for  some  five  years,  all 
in  the  State  of  Minnesota.     In  the  fall  of 


1877  he  came  to  Meeker  county,  with  L.  D. 
Flill,  and  both  settled  in  the  town  of  Litch- 
field, but  in  about  a  year  our  subject  removed 
to  his  present  place  of  abode,  where  he  has. 
since  lived. 

He  was  united  in  marriage  March  25,. 
1872,  with  Miss  Etta  Sanborn,  a  native  of 
Cumberland  county,  JMe.,  who  died  July  30, 
1881,  leaving  two  children— Emma  L.  and 
Charley  E.,  both  of  whom  are  at  home  with 
their  father.  December  11,  1882,  Mr.  Hill 
contracted  a  second  matrimonial  alliance, 
with  Miss  Anna  L.  Peifer,  a  native  of  Meeker 
countj%  Minn.,  who  is  the  mother  of  two 
children — Earns  worth  L.  and  AVinnie  M. 
Hill. 

Mr.  Hill  is  one  of  the  honored  and  re- 
spected citizens  of  the  township,  and  has- 
served  the  people  in  the  responsible  position 
of  supervisor  for  some  time,  and  is  always- 
interested  in  tlie  public  affairs  of  the  county. 
He  is  a  republican  politically. 


MNDREW  lee.  The  subject  of  this- 
7;^V  biographical  notice  is  a  respected 
farmer,  who  resides  on  section  15,  Greenleaf 
township,  where  he  has  a  valuable  farm,  a 
comfortable  home,  and  building  improve- 
ments  which  reflect   much  credit  upon  his. 


enterprise  and  thi'ift. 

He  comes  of  the  same  nationality  which 
has  made  so  many  stunly  and  substantial 
citizens  of  Minnesota,  having  been  born  in 
Sweden  on  the  31st  of  August,  1847.  His. 
parents  were  natives  of  the  same  country, 
his  father  having  been  born  there  in  1809, 
and  died  in  the  land  of  his  birth  in  1862, 
while  his  mother  is  now  a  resident  of  Meeker 
county.  Andrew  left  his  native  land  in  1872 
for  America,  and  settled  in  Chautauqua 
county,  N.  Y.,  and  two  j^ears  later,  in 
1874,  again  took  up  his  Avestward  march  and 
settled  in  Minneapolis,  Minn.     Three  j^ears 


■300 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


later,  in  ISTO,  lie  came  to  Meeker  county, 
Minn.,  and  purchased  a  I'arni  of  eighty  acres 
in  Greenleaf  township,  wliere  he  has  since 
iived.  Since  that  time  lie  has  purchased  an 
additional  forty,  and  also  ten  in  Ellsworth, 
which  makes  his  present  farm  130  acres,  a 
^ood  share  of  which  is  under  cultivation. 
He  devotes  his  time  to  general  farming  and 
stock-raising,  and  has  a  good  numl)er  of  head 
of  cattle  on  the  farm. 

In  1ST5  Mr.  Lee  was  married  to  IMiss  Mary 
Anderson.  Her  parents  were  natives  of 
Sweden ;  her  mother  died  there  when  she 
-was  only  seven  years  old,  and  her  father  now 
lives  in  Meeker  county.  Mr.  and  ilrs.  Lee 
have  been  the  parents  of  seven  children,  all 
of  whom  are  living.  Their  names  are  as  fol- 
lows—  Frank  E.,  born  June  -i,  1S77  ;  Ernest 
Y.,  born  February  13,  1879 ;  Alex.  T.,  born 
December  30,  ISSO;  Pljalmar  E.,  born  Octo- 
ber 23,  1882;  Hilma  Y.,  born  May  27, 1884; 
€arl  E.,  born  December  30,  1885,  and  Polly 
O.,  born  June  20,  1887. 


•«-J 


npiTON.  CHARLES  E.  CUTIS,  one  of  the 
jyi"J_  ))ioneers  of  Meeker  county,  who  has 
always  been  prominently  identified  with  its 
progress  and  development,  and  who  lias  held 
some  of  the  most  exalted  offices  in  the  gift  of 
the  people  of  this  portion  of  the  State,  is  the 
subject  of  this  biograjiliical  history.  He 
•came  to  Forest  City,  where  he  located,  in 
18.56,  and  is  still  a  resident  upon  tlie  land 
■v\-here  he  first  settled,  on  section  22. 

Mr.  Cutts  first  saw  the  light  at  Orwell.  Ad- 
dison county,  Yt.,  on  the  2d  of  August, 
1835,  and  is  the  son  of  Lorain  and  Emeline 
{Murray)  Cutts,  both  of  whom  were  natives 
of  the  "  Green  Mountain  State."'  He  received 
his  primary  education  in  the  district  schools 
of  his  native  State,  and  in  1853  s])ent  one  year 
at  the  aoadein\'  at  Fort  Flain,  ]\[ontgom- 
«ry  county,  N.  Y.,  after  which  he  remained 


at  home  until  185(3,  when  he  came  West  and 
settled  in  Minnesota,  as  mentioned  above. 
He  found, on  his  arrival  here,  a  beautiful  land, 
that  far  surjiassed  anything  the  other  side  of 
the  i)ig  Woods,  and  determined  to  stay  and 
help  develop  the  country.  But  a  few  settlers 
were  here  at  the  time,  this  being  but  a 
short  time  before  an  almost  unknown  land. 
Brought  up  as  he  was  upon  tlie  rocky  soil 
of  New  England  he  was  more  than  pleased 
witii  the  aspect  of  the  new  land,  for 
"Here  no  stonj-  ground  provokes  the  wratli  of  Ihe  farmer; 
Smoothly  the  plough-share  runs  through  the  soil  as  a 
keel  through  the  water." 

He  at  once  took  up  his  claim  and  settled 
do-wn  to  the  hard  life  of  a  Western  pioneer 
upon  the  border.  For  a  while  he  kept  bach- 
elor's hall,  but  April  17,  1859,  he  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Betsey  Larson,  a  native 
of  Sweden,  who  had  come  to  the  United 
States  the  previous  year.  He  has  always 
followed  farming,  except  in  1859,  when  he 
held  the  office  of  county  treasurer.  In  1871, 
Mr.  Cutts  was  elected  State  Senator  from 
this  district  and  represented  the  people  of 
Meeker  county  in  the  Senate  chamber  through 
the  sessions  of  the  Fourteenth,  Fifteenth  and 
Sixteenth  General  Assemblies. 

Mr.  and  ]\[rs.  Cutts  are  the  parents  of  the 
following  chiklren — Alice,  Mrs.  J. AY. Wright 
of  Litchfield;  Rollin  E.,  a  student  at  the  State 
University ;  Willie  E.,  Custer  and  Garfield. 
In  politics  our  subject  is  an  unswerving  re- 
publican, and  is  quite  active  in  all  local 
campaigns.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity. 

— — «•- 

TP)UDOLPH  SCHWARZ.  the  village 
JF^  blacksmith  of  Manannah,  came  to 
Meeker  county  on  1883,  and  commenced  his 
work  on  the  spot  where  he  now  has  his 
smithy.  He  is  a  native  of  Mecklenburg, 
Germany,  born  on  the  lith  of  Sei)tember, 
1853.     At  the  age  of  fifteen  he  became  ap- 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


301 


prenticed  to  learn  the  blacksmith's  trade,  and 
served  some  three  years,  and  then  pursued 
that  calling  as  journeyman,  beneath  his 
native  skies  until  1882,  when,  with  the  com- 
mendable ambition  to  better  his  fortune,  he 
emigrated  to  America.  For  a  sliort  time  he 
remained  in  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  after  his  ar- 
rival in  this  country,  and  afterward  removed 
to  Duluth.  In  1883  he  came  toManannah, 
as  above  mentioned. 

Mr.  Scliwarz  was  married  September  21, 
1886,  to  Miss  Addie  Shephei'd,  a  native  of 
Meeker  county,  Minn.,  and  daughter  of 
Charles  and  Adaline  (Hartman)  Sheplierd. 
Mr.  Schwarz  is  the  son  of  Christian  S.  Schwarz 
and  wife,  who  still  live  in  their  native 
land,  Mecklenburg,  Germany. 


ILLIAM  HAMILTON,  an  ex-Union 
soldier,  and  one  of  the  most  intelli- 
gent and  prominent  citizens  in  the  northern 
part  of  Meeker  county,  is  a  resident  of  section 
36,  Forest  Prairie  township,  where  he  has 
lived  since  about  the  year  1870. 

Air.  Hamilton  was  born  in  County  Tyi'one, 
Ireland,  on  tiie  17th  of  March,  1833,  and  is  a 
son  of  Thomas  and  Belle  Hamilton.  The 
mother  died  in  Ireland,  -when  AVilliam  was 
six  years  of  age,  and  in  1811,  the  father 
brought  the  family  to  America,  and  settled 
in  Bellview,  Eden  county,  Mich.,  wdiere  he 
lived  until  the  time  of  his  death,  in  1880.  At 
the  time  of  his  death  the  father  vi'as  about 
eighty  years  of  age.  He  was  an  educated 
man  and  a  school  teacher  for  manv  years ; 
clerk  in  the  Presbyterian  Church,  of  which 
he  was  an  exemplary  membei-,  and  otherwise 
was  [irominent  in  tlie  locality  in  which  he 
lived. 

William  Hamilton,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,. began  life  for  himself  wlien  about 
twenty  years  old.  He  came  to  Minnesota  in 
1858,  and  remained  at  St.  Paul  and  Minne- 


apolis until  1861,when,  on  the  26th  of  August, 
he  enlisted  in  the  Second  Minnesota  Volun- 
teer Infantry,  and  went  into  service,  his  regi- 
ment being  assigned  to  the  Fourteenth  Army 
Corps..  He  saw  very  active  service,  partici- 
pating in  the  battles  of  Chickamauga, 
Hoover's  Gap,  Mill  Spring,  Berryville, 
besides  many  skirmisiies.  In  one  of  these 
battles  he  lost  the  use  of  his  left  arm.  He 
finally  was  honorably  discharged  at  St.  Paul, 
in  August,  1861,  and  returned  to  Michigan. 

Mr.  Hamilton  was  married  at  St.  Anthony, 
now  East  Minneapolis,  in  September,  1804, 
to  Miss  Martha  J.  Dayton,  a  native  of  Penn- 
sylvania. They  have  five  living  children — 
Thomas  C,  Minna  B.,  Earl,  Katie  and  Olive 
G.  Minna  B.  is  now  married  to  A.  J.  Lynn, 
a  resident  of  Kingston  township. 

In  political  matters  Mr.  Hamilton  is  a  re- 
publican, and  in  religious  matters  the  family 
are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church. 

^-'■^^ 

jANIEL  N.  DANIELSON,  a  prominent 
I  By  farmer  and  stock  raiser,  residing  on 
section  1,  Danielson  township,  is  a  son  of 
Nils  Danielson,  the  earliest  settler  in  the 
township,  and  after  whom  it  was  named. 
Daniel  N".,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was 
born  in  Norway  on  the  15th  of  August, 
1853.  In  1855  his  parents  brought  him  to 
the  United  States,  and  they  settled  on  Rock 
Prairie,  Wis.,  and  after  remaining  there  for 
two  years  they  came  to  Meeker  county, 
Minn.,  and  bought  eighty  acres  of  Gov- 
ernment land  on  section  25  in  Acton  town- 
ship. In  1863,  the  father,  Nils  Danielson, 
took  a  homestead  on  section  2,  Danielson 
township,  and  moved  his  family  upon  it,  thus 
becoming  the  first  settler  within  the  limits 
of  that  township,  and  it  afterward  was 
named  in  honor  of  the  family.  The  father 
lived  there  until  the  time  of  his  death,  July 
10,  1870,  and  his  widow  still  lives  on  the  old 


302 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


homestead  with  lier  son,  A.  N.  Danielson, 
There  are  six  of  the  childivn  still  living,  as 
follows — A.  K,  Daniel  N.,  Hans,  Ileiuy, 
Helen,  wife  of  Hon.  Even  Evonson,  and 
Mary,  wife  of  Ole  Nelson  of  Danielson. 

Daniel  N.  Danielson,  the  subject  of  this 
biography,  came  to  the  United  States  with 
his  parents,  and  lived  under  the  parental  roof 
until  1S78,  when  he  erected  a  house  on  a 
farm  which  he  had  become  ])ossessed  of  on 
section  1,  Danielson  township.  For  some 
time  he  kept  bachelor's  hall  and  worked 
his  farm,  and  was  then,  for  two  years, 
employed  at  car  repairing  at  Fergus  Falls, 
Barnesville  and  Glyndon.  On  the  ITth  of 
June,  1887,  he  was  nxarried  to  Miss  Betsy 
Hartz,  and  their  union  has  been  blessed  with 
one  child,  named  Nils  Oskar,  born  March  30, 
1888.  Mrs.  Danielson  was  born  February 
6,  1869,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Ole  and 
Johanna  Hartz,  who  are  now  residents  of 
Acton. 


WELL   KNOWN   old   settler  in   the 
^^^  southern  part  of  Meeker  county,    is 
J.  M.  Pitman,  a  resident  of  section  14-,  Cedar 
Mills  township. 

Mr.  Pitman  is  a  native  of  Belknap  county, 
K.  11.,  born  on  the  26th  of  May,  1819,  and 
is  a  son  of  Ebenezer  l*itman.  He  received  a 
thorough  education  in  his  younger  days,  both 
preparatory  and  collegiate,  and  was  grad- 
uated from  Dartmouth  College,an  educational 
institution  of  high  rank,  in  1841.  He  began 
teaching  while  still  a  boy,  and  remained  in 
his  native  State  until  1853,  when  he  came 
West  and  located  in  Wisconsin.  He  first 
taught  school  in  that  State,  on  Sand  Prairie, 
near  Beloit,  and  the  following  spring  went 
to  Menomonie,  where  he  remained,  following 
his  profession,  for  six  years,  the  greater 
portion  of  the  time,  being  a  teacher  in  a 
private  school  at  that  place.  In  1860  he 
came  to   Meeker  county,  Minn.,  and    took 


a  pre-emption  claim  of  172  acres  on  section 
2,  Cedar  Mills  township.  During  that  year 
he  ])ut  in  a  crop  covering  an  acre  or  so  of 
land,  and  erected  a  log  house  on  his  claim, 
lie  remained  steadily  upon  the  land  until  the 
time  of  the  Indian  outljreak  when  he,  as  did 
all  the  rest,  left  for  safety.  lie  helped  to 
fortify  "the  Point"  in  Cedar  Lake,  when 
the  settlers  gathered  there.  Later  he  went 
to  Hutchinson,  and  when  the  "  Hutchinson 
Guards"  was  organized  at  that  place  he 
joined  them,  and  took  charge  of  the  commis- 
sai-y  department.  After  the  out  break,  Mr. 
Pitman  occuj)ied  his  time  with  teaching  in 
the  winter  and  farming  in  the  summer,  until 
about  1870,  after  which  he  devoted  his  at- 
tention entirely  to  the  farm  until  1887, 
when  he  sold  out  and  has  since  retired 
from  participation  in  the  cares  of  business. 
During  the  (>arly  days  of  this  country  Mr. 
Pitman  preached  occasionally  to  the  people 
on  Sund.ay,  and  on  the  22d  of  September, 
1867,  assisted  in  organizing  a  Baptist  Church 
in  Greenleaf,  one  of  the  early  religious  organ- 
izations effected  in  the  soutiiern  part  of  the 
count}'.  He  has  always  taken  an  interest  in 
all  matters  relating  to  the  welfare  of  the 
township.  When  the  organization  of  the 
township  was  effected  in  1870,  he  was  elected 
chairman  of  the  supervisors,  and  retained  the 
office  for  five  successive  years,  and  he  was 
again  elected  to  the  same  position  in  1885. 


-*"i 


-^- 


^^  O.  LINDGREN,  one  of  the  active,  en- 
"i^^  terprising  business  men  of  the  village 
of  Dassel,  is  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Thomp- 
son &  Lindgren,  general  merchants.  He 
was  born  in  Sweden,  July  13,  1857,  and  is 
the  son  of  Olaf  and  Anna  Lindgren,  natives 
of  the  same  kingdom.  He  came  to  this 
country  in  1879,  and  came  to  Meeker  county 
direct,  and  during  the  summer  of  that  year 
Avorked    on    a    farm    near   Litchfield.      In 


„»*^Rv^ 


y^^  ^ 


MEEKER    COL'A'Ti;  MINXESOTA. 


305 


November  lie  removed  to  tlie  villae^e  of  Das- 
sel,  and  attended  school  until  spring,  when 
he  entered  the  store  of  August  Sallberg,  as 
clerk,  with  whom  he  remained  some  two 
3'ears.  He,  at  the  expiration  of  his  engage- 
ment, went  to  Minneapolis  and  engaged  in 
Inisiness  for  a  time.  In  the  summer  of  1SS3 
he  returned  to  Dassel  and  formed  a  partner- 
ship with  John  Thompson,  and  the  following 
September  o]iened  a  stock  of  general  mer- 
chandise in  a  building  that  they  had  erected. 
They  have  continued  in  that  line  of  trade  ever 
since,  and  are  now  doing  a  large  and  increas- 
ing trade,  their  fair  dealing  and  ujn-ightness 
in  all  business  matters  winning  them  hosts  of 
friends. 

Mr.  Lindgren  has  taken  great  interest  in 
all  local  politics,  and  was  elected  one  of  the 
village  trustees  in  1884.  In  1885  he  was 
chosen  to  fill  the  position  of  recorder,  and 
has  been  re-elected  his  own  successor  ever 
since,  and  now  fills  that  office.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  having 
Ijeen  made  a  Mason  hx  Cakato  Lodge,  jSTo. 
134,  in  1884. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Lindgren  and  Miss 
Mar\'  Teterson  took  place  in  August,  1885. 


i^^EORGE  S.  BELKNAP  is  one  of  the 
\^i  most  prominent  citizens  of  Swede 
Grove  township.  He  is  a  son  of  8te]ihen  and 
Elizabeth  Belknap,  and  was  born  on  the  28th 
of  March,  1828,  in  the  village  of  Blooming- 
l)urgh,  N.  Y.,  eighty -four  miles  from  Kew 
Yoi-k  city.  Mr.  Belknap  traces  his  ancestry 
back  through  some  of  the  most  notable  fam- 
ilies in  American  history.  He  is  ix  grandson 
of  Lieut.  William  Belknap,  Avho  entered  the 
service  of  his  countr\'  in  Col.  Henry  Beekman 
Livingston  s  Fourth  Ilegiment,  and  continued 
in  the  service  until  the  conclusion  of  the  war. 
He  was  an  original  member  of  the  New  York 
State  Society  of  the  Cincinnati,  formed  by 
the  officers  of  the  American  armv  of  the  rev- 


olution at  the  cantonment  on  the  banks  of 
the  Hudson  river  in  Mav,  1783.  Gen.  Georire 
Washington  was  elerted  president-general  of 
the  society,  and  held  that  honor  until  the  day 
of  his  death.  The  officers  of  the  American 
army  having  generall}'  been  taken  from  the 
citizens  of  America  possessing  high  venera- 
tion for  the  character  of  that  illustrious 
Eoman,  Lucius  Quintius  Cincinnatus,  who 
was  found  following  the  plough  when  the 
statesmen  of  his  country  sought  him  as  the 
only  one  capable  of  leading  their  armies  to 
victory,  and  clothed  him  with  absolute 
power,  and  who,  having  achieved  the  salva- 
tion of  his  country,  laid  aside  that  power  and 
gladly  returned  to  his  plough  and  the  ob- 
scurity of  domestic  life,  they  thought  they 
could  with  propriety  denominate  themselves 
the  Society  of  the  Cincinnati. 

The  original  design  or  idea  seems  to  have 
been  of  an  institution  bearing  resemblance  to 
a  military  order.  The  subject  of  this  sketch 
was  elected  a  member  of  this  organization 
July  4,  1861. 

George  S.  Belknap  received  an  academical 
education,  then  went  to  New  York  City  and 
learned  the  tailor's  trade,  at  which  he  be- 
came an  expeit,  and  was  promoted  to  the  po- 
sition of  draughtsman,  at  a  salary  of  82,500 
per  year.  Duri  ng  the  war  he  was  inspector  of 
army  supphes  and  equipage  in  the  quarter- 
mastei''s  department,  under  Deputy  Quarter- 
master-General, Colonel  Yinton,  which  posi- 
tion he  held  until  the  close  of  hostilities,  and 
then  reengaging  in  his  former  business  with 
his  old-time  employer.  In  1ST7  he  came  to 
Meeker  count}',  Minn.,  and  settled  upon  the 
farm  where  he  now  resides,  on  section  6, 
Swede  Grove  township,  having  previously 
taken  the  farm  on  a  mortgage.  A  short  time 
later  he  rented  the  farm  and  stock  for  a  term 
of  five  years,  and  I'eturned  to  New  York, 
but  a  short  time  later  was  obliged  to  return, 
as  his  tenant  proved  a  very  poor  manager. 

Mr.  Belknap  was  married,  on  the  23d  of 


3o6 


MEEKER    COUXTY,  MIXXESOTA. 


February,  1851,  to  Ellen  Craft,  by  whom  he 
had  five  children,  as  follows— Mary  Alice, 
born  July  21, 1853  ;  Lydia  S.,  born  March  18, 
1801  (;died  in  ISSl);  Cora  Ellen,  born  Sep- 
tember 9,  1863;  Jessie,  born  February  15, 
186(1,  and  Ida  Elizabeth.  l)orn  June  25, 1858. 
Ida  E.  married  Alexander  T.  Caraccioli,  a 
salesman  in  a  wholesale  music  store  in  New 
York  City  ;  Cora  E.  married  Ilorton  Parsons, 
born  in  this  State,  who  has  charge  of  a  rail- 
road station  in  Dakota;  and  Jessie  married 
Lewis  Haiidlin,  railroad  station  agent  at 
Hancock,  Minn.  They  have  all  been  school 
teachers.  Mr.  Belknap's  second  marriage 
occurred  on  the  16th  of  August,  1874,  when 
he  wedded  Sarah  J.  Mead,  a  daughter  of 
Daniel  and  Eleanor  Mead.  Her  first  hus- 
band, Martin  A.  Mosier,  was  killed  in  the  re- 
beUion  ;  her  father  was  a  soldier  in  the  war 
of  1812.  Her  mother  is  still  alive,  a  resident 
of  New  York  State.  Mr.  Belknap's  peo])le 
are  all  dead  except  one  brother,  who  is  a 
bookkeeper  in  Newberg,  N.Y.  Mr  Belknap 
is  one  of  the  best  posted  and  educated  men 
in  the  county.  In  ]iiilitical  uiatters  he  is  a 
republican. 

^OL.  J.ACOB  M.  HOWARD,  owner  of 
the  Howard  House,  and  other  prop- 
erty in  the  village  of  Litchfield,  including 
his  beautiful  residence.  Lake  Side,  on  the 
shores  of  the  lovely  Lake  Ripley,  received  his 
military  title  for  services  rendered  in  the 
Union  army  during  the  late  war.  He  came 
to  Meeker  county  in  1867,  and  purchased  a 
farm  in  the  town  of  Greenleaf,  where  he 
remained  until  1872,  when  he  removed  to 
Litchfield  and  erected  the  first  independent 
elevator  on  the  line  of  this  railroad.  He  was 
engaged  in  the  dual  occupation  of  buying 
and  shipping  grain  and  carrying  on  his  farm 
until  1879,  when  lie  sold  the  latter.  In  1880, 
he  erected  the  Howard  House  at  an  outlay 


of  someS19,000,  which  he  has  always  leased. 
In  1886  he  ]Hirchased  forty  five  acres  of  land 
on  the  l)anks  of  Lake  Ripley  and  erecte<i  his 
family  mansion,  one  of  the  most  beautiful  in 
this  section  of  the  State.  In  1887  he  retired 
from  the  grain  trade,  and  contents  himself 
with  looking  after  his  other  interests  and 
afl'airs. 

Colonel  Howard  is  a  native  of  Detroit, 
Mich.,  born  July  16,  1812,  and  is  the  son  of 
Hon.  Jacob  M.  and  Catherine  (Shaw)  How- 
ard. The  father  of  our  subject  was  a  lawyer 
by  profession,  a  native  of  Vermont,  who  had 
settled  in  Detroit  in  1836,  and  for  twelve 
3'eai's  was  one  of  the  United  States  Senators 
from  Michigan.  Mrs.  Catherine  Howard, 
the  mother  of  the  Colonel,  wtis  a  native  of 
Massachusetts. 

The  subject  of  this  personal  history  re- 
ceived his  primary  education  in  the  schools 
of  his  native  city,  and  at  the  age  of  sixteen 
entered  Union  College,  at  Schenectady,  X. 
Y.,  where  he  passed  some  three  years.  In 
the  spring  of  1862  he  enlisted  as  a  private 
in  Comj)any  F,  Twenty-fourth  Michigan  In- 
fantrj",  but  for  gallant  and  meritorious  con- 
duct was  rapidly  promoted  from  rank  to 
rank,  until  he  became  the  assistant  Adjutant 
General  at  the  headquarters  of  the  Twenty- 
third  Army  Corps,  then  under  command  of 
Major-General  Hartsiiff,  with  the  ra)d<  of 
Lieutenant-Colonel.  In  this  position  he 
served  until  the  close  of  the  war,  after  which 
he  went  into  the  wholesale  grocery  business 
in  Chicago,  but  two  years  later,  his  health 
failing,  he  gave  up  that  line  of  trade  and 
came  to  Meeker  county,  as  above  stated. 

The  Colonel,  who  is  active  and  enterpi'is- 
ing,  is  alwaj's  foremost  in  any  movement  that 
is  likely  to  accrue  to  the  benefit  of  the  com- 
nmnity.  He  was  one  of  the  ])rincipal  t)rgan- 
izers  of  the  Woolen  Mill  Company,  and  was 
the  fii'st  president  of  the  board  of  directors. 
He  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Creamery  Associa- 
tion, and  vice-president  of  the  company.     He 


MEEKER    COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


307 


was  elected  maj'or  of  the  city  of  Litchfield 
in  1SS5,  and  served  one  term,  but  has  but 
little  political  aspiration.  The  Colonel  is  an 
influential  member  of  Frank  Daggett  Post, 
No.  35,  and  of  the  Litchfield  Dramatic  Asso- 
ciation, of  which  he  was  one  of  the  originat- 
ors. 

Col.  J.  M.  Howard  and  Miss  Emma  Pen- 
no\'er  were  united  in  marriage  in  October, 
1868.  The  lady  is  a  native  of  New  York 
State,  and  is  the  daughter  of  Truman  Pen- 
noyer,  of  Meeker  county. 


PAUL  M.  PAULSON.a  resident  of  section 
32,  Acton  township,  was  one  of  the 
noble  "  Boj's  in  Blue,"  who  enlisted  from 
Meeker  county  during  the  civil  Avar.  Mr. 
Paulson  was  born  in  Norwaj'  on  the  18th 
of  Pebruarj',  1S3S,  and  is  a  son  of  Mathias 
and  Mary  Paulson,  both  natives  of  the  same 
country.  In  l85T  tliey  removed  to  Canada, 
whei'e  Paul  remained  until  the  spring  of  ISGO, 
Avhen  he  settled  at  St.  Paul,  Minn.  There  he 
I'emained  at  work  until  fall,  Avhen  he  was 
joined  by  his  parents,  and  they  all  came  to 
Acton  township.  Meeker  county,  and  the 
father  selected  a  homestead.  Paul  remained 
with  his  parents  most  of  the  time,  Avorking  for 
different  farmers  during  the  summer  months, 
until  the  7th  of  June,  1862,  when  he  enlisted 
in  companjr  E,  Sixth  Minnesota  Volunteer 
Infantry,  and  Avent  into  service.  He  remained 
with  his  company  untilJune,  1863,  Avhen  he 
was  taken  sick  and  Avas  transferred  to  the 
invalid  corps.  He  Avas  finally  discharged  on 
the  7th  of  June,  1865,  and  returned  to  the 
home  of  his  iiarents. 

On  the  14:th  of  September,  1865,  he  Avas 
married  to  Miss  Amelia  Peterson,  the  cere- 
mony being  performed  in  St.  Paul.  His  wife 
Avas  a  native  of  Sweden,  born  October  6, 1843, 
and  was  a  daughter  of  Andrew  and  Sophia 
Peterson.     After  their  marriage  the   couple 


lived  with  Mr.  Paulson's  parents  until  the  fol- 
loAving  spring, Avhen  Paul  moved  upon  a  home- 
stead Avhich  he  had  taken  on  section  32,  Ac- 
ton township,  Avhere  he  still  liA^es.  He  no\s 
owns  a  fraction  over  13i  acres  of  land,  a  good 
share  of  which  is  under  cultiA'ation.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Paulson  have  had  nine  children,  as  fol- 
loAvs — Mary,  born  Jvily  10,  1866;  Ma!  bias, 
born  August  11,  lS68,died  November  11,  1870; 
Matilda, born  February  12, 1871;  Edward, born 
June  27,  1873  ;  Carrie,  born  October  9, 1875  • 
Emma,  born  March  5, 1878  ;  Eda,  born  August 
10,  1880;  Leonora,  born  December  13,  1882: 
and  Arnold,  born  May  22,  1885.  The  family 
are  members  of  the  Norwegian  Lutheran 
Church,  of  Avhich  they  are  active  supportei's. 
Mr.  Paulson  takes  an  active  interest  in  all 
matters  affecting  the  welfare  of  his  town- 
ship and  is  one  of  its  leading  citizens.  In 
political  matters  he  supports  the  republican 
party. 


UGUST  JORDEN,  afarmer  who  at  pres- 


ent resides  on  section  IS,  in  Green- 
leaf  toAvnship,  but  Avho  expects  in  a  short 
time  to  remove  to  Cosmos,  is  a  native  of 
Sweden,  and  Avas  born  on  the  20th  of  June, 
1861.  He  left  his  native  land  in  1880  for 
America,  and  upon  his  arrival  first  settled  in 
Minneapolis,  Minn.,  Avhere  he  remained  for 
about  two  years  and  ahalf.  At  the  expiration 
of  that  time  he  settled  at  Litchfield,  in 
Meeker  county,  and  remained  there  until 
1883,  Avhen  he  purchased  the  place  Avliere 
he  noAV  resides,  on  section  18,  Greenleaf 
toAvnship. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  Jorden  Avere  also  na- 
tives of  Sweden.  The}'  remained  in  the  land 
of  their  birth  until  1882,  when  they  came  to 
the  United  States,  and  noAV live  Avith  August. 
August,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  is  a  single 
man.  In  religious  matters  he  attends  the 
Lutheran  Church,  and  in  politics  he  is  a  re- 


3o8 


MEEKER    COCXTY,  MlXiXESOTA. 


publican.  He  is  a  good  manager,  industri- 
ous and  frugal,  and  is  getting  a  good  start  in 
liis  farming  operations. 


TaCOB  C.  INMAN,  residing  on  section 
^  29,  ilanannali  township,  a  liigldy  re- 
sijocted  and  thrifty  agriculturist,  is  a  native 
of  Butler  county,  Iowa,  and  was  born  on  the 
20th  of  February,  ISJS.  His  parents  were 
Americans,  and  they  were  among  the  first 
settlers  in  that  county.  Their  names  were 
John  and  Catiiarine  (Ullery)  Inman. 

Jacob  spent  his  early  life  in  his  native 
county,  ami  in  June,  18C9,  came  to  Meeker 
county,  ]\linn.,  with  his  parents  and  the}'  set- 
tled on  section  20,  Manannah  township. 
There  Jacob  remained  for  eight  years  and 
then  removed  to  section  29,  and  six  years 
later  he  settled  on  his  ])resent  farm  in  the 
same  section.  He  has  eighty  acres  of  land 
and  has  been  very  successful  in  his  farming 
operations,  also  carr3'ing  on  stock-raising  to 
a  limited  extent. 

On  the  11th  of  JSTovember,  1884,  Mr.  Inman 
was  married  to  Miss  Susan  Porter,  and  their 
marriage  has  been  blessed  with  two  children, 
the  names  of  whom  are  Elsie  and  Malinda. 
Tiie  children  are  both  living. 

Mr.  Inman's  mother  is  still  living  in 
Meeker  county,  as  is  also  the  mother  of  his 
wife. 

In  political  matters  l\fr.  Inman  atKliates 
with  the  tlemucratic  party. 


^^^Jf^   CARLOSS 


w 


JEWETT,  one  of  the 
oldest  living  settlers  of  Meeker 
county,  and  one  of  its  most  historical  charac- 
ters, was  born  at  "NVardslioro,  Yt.,  June  9, 
1827,  and  is  the  son  of  Tiiomas  and  Sylvia 
(Ilaradon)  Jewett.  His  father  was  born  on 
the  same  farm  Mav  1,  1794,   and   died   in 


May,  1873;  the  motlier,  whose  birtii  took 
place  at  Norton,  Mass.,  November  25,  1799, 
died  March  2,  1877.  The  paternal  grand 
father  of  our  subject,  Thomas  Jewett,  was  a 
sergeant  in  the  Continental  Army  under 
Wasliington,  and  the  maternal  grandfather 
followed  Gen.  Israel  Putnam  across  Charles- 
ton Neck  after  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill,  and 
afterwards  helped  fortify  Dorchester  Heights, 
which  caused  the  evacuation  of  Boston.  The 
latter,  Isaac  II.  Ilaradon,  lost  his  father  at 
the  massacre  of  Fort  William  Henry,  and 
married  Miss  Annie  Stone. 

The  parents  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
moved  to  Steuben  county,  N.  Y.,  in  early 
life,  and  were  married  there.  Tliey  removed 
back  to  A^ermont  after  the  biitii  of  their 
second  ciiild,  but  in  1829  emigrated  again  to 
Steuben  county,  N.  Y.,  where  tliey  event- 
ually died.  Carloss  was  reared  and  educated 
in  the  district  schools  of  that  section,  and, 
being  of  a  studious  mind,  absorbed  much  in- 
formation, spending  his  evenings  in  mathe- 
matical studies  at  the  family  fireside.  At 
the  age  of  eighteen  he  commenced  teaching 
school,  but  the  next  three  years  attended  the 
academies  at  Addison  and  Genoa.  He  then 
worked  at  civil  eno'ineering'  on  the  New 
York  Central  railroad  until  1851,  when  he 
went  to  the  Isthmus  and  ran  the  preliminary 
survey  for  the  Panama  Pailroad,  spending 
one  year  there,  and  participated  in  the  cap- 
ture of  San  Loren  Castle.  Returning  to  his 
home,  he  was  engaged  in  various  raih'oad 
and  telegraph  works, until  1856,  wjien  became 
to  Minnesota.  He  arrived  at  Forest  City 
June  20,1856,  with  but  $16.19  in  his  i)ocket, 
and  June  27  took  a  claim  on  section  31, 
Forest  Cit}'  township.  He  was  appointed 
sheriff  in  the  summer  of  1857,  and  was  after- 
wards elected  to  the  same  office.  He  took  a 
]iart  in  the  Indian  troubles  in  18(')2,  as 
detailed  elsewhere,  and  with  his  wife  ke})t 
house  the  farthest  west  of  all  the  settlers. 
Tiie  next  year  he  spent  on  the  "abandoned 


MEEKER    COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


309 


lands"  of  Louisiana,  where  he  raised  cotton. 
He  then  made  his  home  on  his  farm  until 
April,  1SS7,  when  he  moved  to  Litchfield, 
and  in  May,  1S8S,  took  a  tree-claim  on  land 
adjoining  the  village.  lie  has  held  the  office 
of  register  of  deeds  of  this  county  and 
various  town  offices. 

The  Colonel  was  married  November  10, 
1859,  to  Miss  Annie,  daughter  of  Pomeroy 
and  Harriet  (Buell)  Warren,  who  was  born 
in  Wyoming  county,  N.  Y.,  May  13,  1833. 
She  has  recentl}'  parted  from  her  husband 
through  the  machinations  of  lier  friends,  as 
have  six  out  of  eight  of  her  sisters.  They 
had  no  children,  but  have  raised  several 
orphans.  Among  these  is  Emma  Jewett, 
the  famous  equestrienne,  who  was  born  in 
Chautauqua  county,  October  3,  1860,  and  is 
the  daughter  of  Charles  Peterson,  a  Scandi- 
navian, who  was  killed  in  the  army.  After 
his  death  his  family  came  to  Minnesota,  and 
in  1870  the  Colonel  adopted  the  little  girl. 
She  learned  to  ride  on  the  farm  and  gave  her 
first  exhibition  in  public  at  Minneapolis,  in 
1880.     She  is  now  living  in  Syracuse,  N.  Y. 

©OCTOR  J.  H.  KAUFFMAN,  the  lead- 
ing representative  of  the  medical  fra- 
ternity located  at  the  village  of  Dassel,  is  a 
native  of  Newburgh,  Cumberland  county. 
Pa.,  born  October  29,  1859,  and  is  tlie  son  of 
Henry  and  Mary  (Wilkins)  Kauffman,  both 
of  whom  are  also  natives  of  the  "  Old  Key- 
stone State."  The  father  of  our  subject  has 
been  for  many  years  in  the  drug  business  at 
JSTewburgh,  and  is  still  carrying  osi  that  busi- 
ness. The  Doctor  received  his  education  in 
his  native  town,  and,  as  he  grew  older,  was 
taken  into  the  store  Ijy  his  father,  where 
he  gi'ew  to  be  a  proficient  clerk.  On  attain- 
ing his  majority  his  father  gave  him  a  co- 
partnership, and  the  firm  name  was  changed 
to  Kauffman  &  Son.      In  the  fall  of   1S81 


our  subject  matriculated  at  Jefferson  Medi- 
cal College,  at  Philadelphia,  and  remained 
there  throughout  the  terms  of  1881  and  1882. 
He  then  entered  the  New  York  University, 
from  which  he  was  graduated  in  March,  1884. 
Returning  to  Newburgh,  he  opened  an  office 
in  his  native  town,  in  connection  with  the 
drug  business,  an  interest  in  which  he  still 
retained,  but  m  1887  sold  out  there  with  the 
intention  of  removing  to  Dakota,  but,  on  his 
arrival  in  Minneapolis  changed  his  mind  and 
came  to  Dassel,  and  commenced  practice  in 
January  of  that  year.  He  has  gained  the 
confidence  and  esteem  of  the  people  of  the 
village  by  his  honorable  principles  and  excel- 
lent judgment,  and  the  surrounding  country 
have  a  deep  regard  for  his  general  success, 
and  his  practice  has  already  assumed  good 
proportions  and  is  on  the  increase.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  having 
been  made  a  Mason  in  Big  Spring  Lodge,  No. 
361,  at  Newville,  Pa. 


-«-- 


OHN  W.  BENTON.  Among  the  set- 
tlers of  1867  may  be  classed  Mr.  Benton, 
of  Kingston  township,  who  makes  his  home  on 
his  fine  farm  on  section  10,  where  he  carries 
on  general  farming. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  native  of 
Oswego  county,  N.  Y.,  born  August  15, 1836, 
and  is  the  son  of  John  W.  and  Welthy 
(Widgar)  Benton,  natives  of  the  Empii-e 
State  and  England,  respectively'.  About  the 
year  1836,  the  father  of  our  subject  removed 
to  Pennsylvania,  where  Joiin  W.,  Jr.,  was 
brought  up.  His  mother  remained  in  York 
State,  and  our  subject  never  saw  her  again, 
although  he  heard  of  her  as  beino-  alive  in 
the  fall  of  1SS7.  His  father  died  of  consuni])- 
tion  about  1840.  He  was  a  carpenter  by 
trade.  After  his  death,  our  subject  went  to 
live  with  his  grandparents,  with  whom  he 
remained  until  he  was  eight  j'ears  old,   at 


3IO 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


wiiirli  oai'ly  age  lie  may  l)e  said  to  have 
coiiunenced  the  battle  of  life  for  himself. 
He  i)assed  liis  time  for  the  next  nine  yeai's 
in  workino:  at  farm  work  and  in  e-oino-  to 
school,  after  which  for  sevei'al  summers  he 
was  employed  upon  the  Pennsylvania  Canal.- 
Thinking  in  the  great  West  there  was  a 
better  show  for  him,  he  came  in  this  direc- 
tion, and  locating  in  "Wisconsin,  went  to 
work  for  a  man  bj'  the  name  of  Winchester, 
of  Winnebago  county.  He  made  his  home 
in  that  part  of  the  countr}^  until  ISfil,  part 
of  the  time  engaged  in  the  lumber  business, 
but  upon  the  Sth  of  September,  of  that  year, 
he  enlisted  as  sergeant  in  Company  C,  Four- 
teenth Wisconsin  Infantry,  and  passed  with 
that  regiment,  through  the  "baptism  of 
fire,"  at  Shiloh,  in  April,  18G2.  He  was  dis- 
charged September  10,  lSt)2,  on  account  of 
injuries  received  in  the  field,  but  Februaiy 
13,  1865,  he  re-enlisted  in  the  Eighth  Wis- 
consin Infantry,  from  which  he  was  dis- 
charged September  5th,  following.  After 
being  mustered  out,  Mr.  Benton  settled  in 
Fond  du  Lac  county,  in  the  Badger  State, 
where  he  remained  until  he  came  to  Meeker 
county. 

The  subject  of  our  personal  narrative  was 
married  December  25,  1861,  to  Miss  Julia 
Pratt,  a  native  of  Cortland  county,  N.  Y., 
and  daughter  of  Joshua  and  Ann  (Rumsey) 
Pratt.  Her  parents,  who  were  natives  of 
Connecticut  and  New  York,  respectively, 
moved  from  New  York  when  Mrs.  Benton 
was  but  five  years  of  age,  to  Illinois,  from 
there  to  Wisconsin,  and  finally  to  Minnesota, 
where  the  fatiier  died  in  1883.  Her  mother 
died  three  years  previously  in  AYisconsin. 
Mrs.  Benton,  whose  birth  took  place  July  3, 
18-t4,  \vas  reared  and  educated  in  Fon  du 
Lac  county,  Wis. 

By  this  marriage,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Benton 
are  the  parents  of  six  children — Manan  U.  S.; 
Ida  May,  Mrs.  Jcseph  Manson,  residing  in 
Washington     Territory;    Ella   J.,    wife    of 


George  Walter,  now  living  in  Mille  Lacs 
county,  this  State ;  Roy  E.,  Stella  R.,  and 
Wealth3'  Aurelia.  Mr.  Benton  is  a  republi- 
can in  his  ])olitics. 


-«- 


2T  AMES  W.  POLK,  an  old  settler  and 
^  respected  farmer  residing  on  sec- 
tion 18,  Forest  Prairie  township,  was 
born  in  Bullitt  county,  Ky.,  October  14, 
1809,  and  is  a  son  of  Edward  and  Margaret 
(Brown)  Polk.  His  fatiier  and  mother  were 
the  parents  of  a  large  family  of  children. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  spent  his  school 
da3's  in  his  native  county,  receiving  a  good 
education,  anil  at  one  time  began  the  study 
of  medicine.  In  1830  he  went  to  Louisville, 
Ivy.,  and  there  learned  the  cooper's  trade, 
which  he  afterward  followed  for  about  forty 
years.  From  18-11  until  1816  he  conducted 
his  shop  in  Chicago,  and  then  engaged  in 
the  dairy  business  near  the  same  city.  In 
1857  he  came  to  Minnesota  and  located  in 
Jordan,  wliere  he  remained  about  two  veal's, 
and  then  went  to  Henderson,  where  he  was 
engaged  in  the  coopering  business,  and 
remained  until  October,  1866,  when  he  came 
to  Meeker  county,  and  located  on  his  present 
place  in  Forest  Prairie  township.  He  has  a 
good-sized  farm,  and  devotes  his  attention 
chiefly  to  general  farming,  although  in  the 
past  he  has  given  considerable  attention  to 
stock  raising.  Mr.  Polk  is  a  democrat  in 
politics,  and  is  one  of  the  leading  citizens  of 
the  township  in  which  he  lives.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Church  of  God,  in  Avhich  he 
has  been  a  deacon  for  thirteen  years  or 
more. 

Mr.  Polk  was  first  married  on  the  3d  of 
January',  1831,  to  Miss  Eliza  Chastine.  She 
gave  birth  to  one  chihl,  Charles  Wesley,  and 
died  when  tiie  child  was  three  days  old. 
The  child  died  in  infancy. 

Mr.  Polk  was  again   married  in  1836.  at 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


311 


Darwin,  III.,  to  Mary  Oarr,  who  died  in 
1S3S.  Two  children  blessed  this  union — 
Nanc}'  Caroline  and  James  R. 

In  1841  our  subject  was  married  to  Miss 
Zillah  Brinton,  with  whom  he  lived  for  forty- 
two  years.  She  died  on  the  3d  of  July, 
1883,  and  was  buried  in  Forest  Prairie  town- 
ship. Her  age  at  the  time  of  her  death  was 
seventy -five  years. 

On  the  lltli  of  November,  ISSl,  Mr.  Polk 
was  married  to  Mrs.  Mary  C.  Irwin,  of 
Indiana,  his  present  wife.  By  her  former 
marriage  she  had  two  daughters,  both  of 
whom  married,  and  each  became  a  Mrs. 
Powley. 

His  third  wife,  Zillah,  had  one  son  that 
married  Mr.  Polk's  daughter,  Nancy  C,  and 
they  had  six  children,  all  of  whom  lived  but 
one.  Their  father  being  a  soldier,  their 
mother  as  well  as  themselves  were  left  to 
Mr.  P<jlk's  care ;  so  that  in  his  later  years 
he  raised  five  children. 


-^> 


IpLON.  JONATHAN  BURNETT  SALIS- 
Jr^  BURY,  the  present  county  surveyor, 
was  l.)orn  in  the  State  of  New  York,  in  1824, 
and  is  the  son  of  Dr.  Gideon  and  Phoebe 
(Bui-nett)  Salisbury.  His  father  died  when 
he  was  a  mere  infant,  and  he  was  brought  up 
under  a  mother's  care.  When  he  was  about 
two  years  old  she  moved  to  New  Jersey,  but 
later  settled  at  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.  His  motlicr 
died  in  1S50. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch,  in  1845,  having 
studied  thoroughly  in  tlie  mathematical  line, 
and  mastering  the  profession  of  surveyor, 
went  to  Ohio,  where,  the  following  spring, 
he  enlisted  in  the  First  Ohio  Regiment  of 
Volunteers,  and  served  his  one  year's  term  of 
service  in  the  Mexican  war,  with  the  little 
column  under  Genei-al  Zachary  Taylor.  He 
wasdiscliargedat  New  Orleans,  in  the  spring 
of  1847,  but  returned  to  Mexico,  in  the  quar- 


termaster's department,  and  was  at  the  City 
of  Mexico  when  the  war  closed.  He  re- 
turned to  Ohio,  where  he  made  his  residence 
until  the  spring  of  1850,  when  he  removed  to 
Iowa,  where  he  lived  for  six  years,  engaged 
in  public  surveys  in  various  parts  of  Iowa, 
"Wisconsin  and  Minnesota.  While  running 
township  lines  through  what  is  now  Meeker 
county,  in  the  summer  of  1855,  he  was  so 
much  pleased  with  the  country  that  he  stuck 
a  claim  stake,  on  sections  18  and  19,  in  what' 
is  now  Kingston  township.  At  that  time 
there  were  no  other  people,  except  those 
of  surveying  parties,  within  the  limits  of  the 
county.  Ileturning  to  his  home  in  Scott 
county,  Iowa,  in  October,  of  that  year,  he 
there  passed  the  winter,  but  in  the  spring  of 
ISoT).  he  started  for  his  new-found  Eden  with 
his  family,  which  consisted  of  his  wife,  Mar- 
garet L.  (Weymer)  Salisbury,  and  one  child, 
Frank  L.  They  were  accompanied  by  his 
father-in-law,  Jacob  Weymer,  Sr.,  his  wife 
and  two  sons — Jacob  Jr.  and  Josejjh.  Mi-. 
Salisbmy  had  brought  all  his  goods  with  him, 
and  the  trip  consumed  about  one  month. 
To  one  large,  Avide  tracked  wagon  were 
hitched  four  yoke  of  oxen,  and  to  another 
wagon  a  team  of  horses  was  attached.  A 
good  share  of  the  time  was  spent  in  getting 
through  the  "big  Avoods,"  there  being  no 
other  road  than  a  trail,  and  a  good  deal  of 
chopping  was  necessary.  This  trail  was  cut 
so  that  one  team  could  barely  get  through, 
and  is  the  same  that  for  3'ears  was  known  as 
the  "Old  Territorial  Eoad."  The  party, 
however,  finally  reached  the  claim,  and  their 
first  work  was  to  get  up  a  little  cabin,  the 
remains  of  which  still  mark  the  spot.  This 
was  one  of  the  very  first  houses  erected  in 
the  county.  Here  they  settled  and  here  he 
carried  on  farming  for  years.  At  the  time 
of  the  Indian  outbreak,  he  left  the  farm  and 
went  to  Kingston  which  he  helped  to  fortify. 
Foi"  two  weelcs  the  family  occupied  a  house, 
and  then  all  the  refuiiees  who  had  o-athered 


312 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


there  spent  their  nights  in  the  grist  mill, 
■\vliicli  was  being  used  as  a  fort.  Mr.  Salis- 
bury reniainecl  at  Kingston  for  about  one 
niontii,  wlien  his  family  returned  to  the  old 
home  in  Iowa,  and  he  enlisted  in  the 
"  Mounted  Eangers,"  or  First  Minnesota  Cav- 
alry, and  served  through  the  Indian  troubles 
on  tlie  borders,  one  year.  He  then  enlisted 
in  Hatch's  Independent  Battalion  of  Minne- 
sota Cavalry  for  three  years  or  during  the 
war,  and  served  on  the  frontier.  IT})on 
being  honorably  discharged  in  the  spring  of 
1861),  he  again  returned  to  his  farm  and  cul- 
tivated it  until  Jjine,  1875,  when  he  removed 
to  Litchfield,  where  he  has  since  lived.  In 
ISGS  he  was  elected  to  represent  his  district 
in  the  Legislature,  and  made  a  ci'edi table  rec- 
ord. In  1870  he  was  elected  county  surveyor, 
and  has  either  held  that  office  or  been  de- 
puty most  of  the  time  since.  Mr.  Salisbury 
is  a  prominent  member  of  the  Grand  Army 
of  the  Republic  and  takes  an  active  interest 
in  all  its  affairs.  He  and  his  wife  have  a 
familv  of  eight  children. 


— — «•- J^^  ^^^—^ 

«sIDREVV  EVENSON,  an  enterprising 
fanner  residing  on  section  7,  Green- 
leaf  township,  is  a  son  of  Hans  and  Christine 
Evenson,  and  a  native  of  Norway,  born  Octo- 
ber 30,  181:7.  A  full  sketch  of  his  parents, 
who  M-ere  prominent  old  settlers  of  Meeker 
count}',  will  be  found  elsewhere  in  this 
volume.  Andrew  came  to  the  United  States 
with  his  parents  in  1857,  and  they  first  set- 
tled in  Scott  county,  Minn.,  and  remained 
there  and  in  AVright  county  for  three  years, 
and  at  the  expiration  of  that  time  located  in 
Meeker  county.  The  father  took  a  claim  on 
section  8,  in  what  is  now  Greenloaf  town- 
ship, where  Andrew  spent  his  youth,  in  the 
same  industrious  and  frugal  manner  common 
to  the  3'outh  of  his  nationality.  He  was 
with  the  family  through  all  the  horrors  of 


tlie  Indian  outbreak,  and  shared  tiic  dano-oi-s 
and  pi-ivations  of  those  terrible  times  with 
the  hardiest  of  men. 

In  1876  he  was  mai'i'ied  to  Matilda  Bjor- 
hns,  a  daughter  of  OleK.  and  Mary  Bjorhus. 
She  w;is  born  in  Norway,  September  23, 
1851,  and  came  to  the  United  States  in  1871. 
Five  children  have  blessed  their  uni(m  — 
Hans  0.,  born  March  22,  1877;  Martha  C, 
born  August  6,  1878 ;  Frederick  E.,  born 
April  4,  1881 ;  Petra  Anette,  born  November 
25,  1883,  and  Olga  M.,  born  January  25, 
1886.  IVIr.  Evenson  is  at  present  (1888)  chair- 
man of  the  board  of  township  supervisors, 
and  is  also  a  member  of  the  board  of  direc- 
tors of  the  Farmers'  aiul  Merchants'  Cooper- 
ative Elevator  Association.  He  has  taken 
an  active  interest  in  all  public  matters,  and 
is  to-day  one  of  the  leading  citizens  of  his 
township.  He  has  a  valuable  farm  where  he 
devotes  his  attention  to  general  farming  and 
stock-raising,  in  Avhich  he  has  been  very  suc- 
cessful, as  he  has  accumulated  a  comfortable 
property  through  his  own  industry  and  care- 
ful management.  In  his  younger  days  Mr. 
Evenson  had  but  slight  educational  advan- 
tages, only  having  the  privilege  of  attending 
school  twenty-three  days.  His  natural  ability 
and  self-educational  efforts,  however,  have 
not  been  in  vain,  and  he  has  thoroughly 
mastered  the  English  language,  and  acipiired 
a  varied  and  general  fund  of  useful  knowl- 
edge. 


>y.^^ 


fAMES  P.  DAVIS,  an  enterprising  and 
]irospei'ous  agriculturist  of  L)assel  town- 
ship, is  the  son  of  Stephen  and  Mary  (Pat- 
terson) Davis,  and  was  l)orn  in  Wayne  county, 
Ohio,  March  14,  1830.  His  parents  were 
very  early  settlers  in  that  portion  of  the 
"Buckeye"  State,  but  removed  to  Meigs 
county  in  18-41,  also  then  a  new  county, 
and  made  their  home  there  until  1855,  when 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


315 


they  ciinie  to  Minnesota  aiul  settled  at  the 
village  of  Caledonia,  Houston  county,  where 
the  father  carried  on  his  trade  and  bought 
"overnnient  land.  He  remained  there  until 
1859,  when  during  the  excitement  about 
Pike's  Peak,  he  started  for  that  country,  but 
soon  changed  his  mind  and  settled  in  Jo 
Daviess  county.  111.,  where  he  died  in  1871. 
The  mother  died  in  Ida  county,  Iowa,  in  1882. 
The  subject  of  our  sketch  remained  with 
his  parents  until  he  was  twenty-two  years  of 
age,  and  followed  various  employments  until 
his  marriage,  Ajn-il  10,  1859,  with  Miss 
Eachel  Russell,  a  native  of  Indiana.  After 
his  marriage  he  remained  in  Houston  county 
until  the  fall  of  1860,  when,  in  company  with 
Isaac  Russell,  Sr.,  and  John  Russell,  he  came 
to  Meeker  county,  and  followed  hunting  and 
exploring  the  countj^  through  that  winter, 
and  in  the  following  autumn  went  to  Illinois 
with  the  intention  of  enlisting  in  the  United 
States  army,  but  was  rejected,  and  having 
disposed  of  his  property  in  this  State,  re- 
mained in  the  "  Sucker  State  "  until  1866. 
lie  then  came  to  Meeker  county  and  took  up 
a  claim  early  in  July,  on  section  10,  of  Das- 
sel  township.  He  commenced  to  improve 
his  place,  working  at  the  same  time  on  the 
railroad.  The  next  fall  he  worked  in  the 
Forest  City  grist  mill.  He  did  not  neglect 
his  farm,  but  got  it  in  shape  for  next  \'ear's 
crop.  In  1868  he  helped  clear  the  present 
site  of  the  village,  chopping  cord-wood,  etc., 
and  thus,  while  developing  his  farm,  provided 
for  the  wants  of  his  family  until  1872,  since 
which  time  he  has  devoted  the  most  of  his 
time  to  his  calling.  In  1876  he  bought  a 
threshing  machine  in  company  with  George 
Brower,  with  theaccompanying  steam  engine, 
and  in  1879  became  the  sole  owner  of  the 
outfit,  and  carries  on  that  business  in  con- 
nection with  his  farm.  The  latter  consists  of 
160  acres  of  land  on  section  10,  and  besides 
this  he  is  the  half  owner  of  100  acres  more  on 
section  16. 


Mr.  and  Mrs.  Davis  are  tlie  parents  of  ten 
children — Stephen  W.,  born  Deceml)er  29, 
1859;  Reuben  B.,  born.  December  15,1861; 
Mary  J.,  born  January  17,  1864;  Wealthy 
M.,  born  May  21-,  1866;  William  E.,  born 
October  25,  1868;  Isaac  A.,  born  December 
25,  1870,  died  April  5,  1880  ;  James  H.,  born 
June  11,  1873 ;  Emma  B.,  born  March  6, 
1876  ;  Annie  Z.,  born  November  2, 1878,  and 
John  E.,  born  Januaiy  8,  1882.  Stephen  is 
married  and  lives  in  Dakota;  Reuben,  also 
married,  makes  his  home  on  section  16,  this 
town ;  Mary  J.  (Mrs.  C.  G.  Waller)  lives  at 
Kingston,  and  Wealthy  (Mrs.  W.  II.  Bran- 
ham\  resides  in  Litchfield. 


SHARLES  SHEPHERD,  an  ex  Union  sol- 
dier, and  one  of  the  most  intelligent, 
prominent  and  successful  farmers  in  the 
northern  part  of  the  count}^,  was  born  in 
Belgium,  in  the  year  1826.  His  parents 
were  John  and  Catharine  (ShepeUe)  Shep- 
herd, the  father  being  a  native  of  England 
and  the  mother  a  native  of  Belgium.  When 
Charles  was  eight  or  ten  years  of  age  the 
family  removed  from  Belgium  to  England, 
and  six  years  later  they  came  to  the 
United  States  and  located  in  Massachusetts, 
where  the  parents  died.  Charles  remained 
in  Massachusetts  until  he  had  arrived  at 
about  the  age  of  twenty-one,  when  he  went 
to  Rhode  Island,  but  nine  or  ten  months 
later  he  returned  to  BaUardvale,  Mass. 
Two  years  later  he  started  West,  and  for 
ten  years  lived  in  Wisconsin.  While  there, 
on  the  27th  of  February,  1865,  he  enlisted 
in  Company  A,  Fifty-first  Wisconsin  Volun- 
teer Infantry,  and  was  mustered  into  the 
service.  He  remained  with  his  regiment 
until  the  22d  of  August,  1865,  when  he  was 
honorably  discharged  and  returned  to  AVis- 
consin.  In  1866  he  came  to  Meeker  county, 
Minn.,  and  located  on  a  farm  on  section  20, 


3i6 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


Manaiinali  township.  He  now  lias  a  valu- 
able i'urm  of  220  acres  of  land  and  is  in  com- 
fortable circumstances. 

]\rr.  Shepherd  was  first  married,  when  a 
young  man,  to  Julia  Iliggins,  who  died.  B\' 
this  marriage  he  had  three  children. 

On  the  IJrth  of  August,  1S57,  lie  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Adaline  Ilartman,  who  was 
born  in  Germany  April  2,  1S57.  This  mar- 
riage has  been  blessed  with  twelve  children. 

J\  LEXANDER  L.  GORDON,  an  intelli- 
^  gent  and  'industrious  farmer  living 
upon  section  10,  Collinwood  township,  is  a 
native  of  Westchester  county,  N.  Y.,  born 
August  1,  1850,  and  is  the  son  of  Will- 
iam and  Jane  (Ferguson)  Gordon,  who  had 
come  to  America  fi-om  the  land  of  their  birth, 
Scotland,  some  time  previous.  The  family 
removed  in  the  boyhood  of  our  subject  to 
Fond  du  Lac  county.  Wis.,  where  he  re- 
mained until  eighteen  vears  of  age.  At 
tiiat  time  he  commenced  life  for  himself  as 
brakeman  on  the  railroad,  which  he  followed 
for  two  years.  The  following  summer  he 
was  in  the  employ  of  the  Government,  driv- 
ing team,  on  the  line  between  the  United 
States  and  Manitoba.  From  that  time  on, 
for  several  years,  he  was  engaged  in  several 
occupations,  all  of  them,  however,  attended 
by  hard  labor,  sometimes  in  the  pineries,  and 
sometimes  in  the  harvest  Held,  until  his 
marriage. 

This  happy  event  took  ]ilace  March  21, 
187S,  at  which  time  he  wedded  Miss  Martha 
Delong,  the  daughter  of  Madison  and  Eliza- 
beth (Lunsford)  Delong,  a  sketch  of  whom 
appears  elsewhere  in  this  Albusi.  Mrs.  Gor- 
don was  born  in  Lawrence  county,  Ohio, 
IMarch  10,  1858,  and  came  to  Meeker  county 
with  her  i)arents  in  1866. 

At  the  time  of  his  marriage  Mr.  Gordon 
settled  down  ti)  farm  life  on  section  lo,  where 


he  now  lives  and  where  he  has  some  sixty 
acres  of  land  mostly  under  cultivation.  He 
has  held  several  of  the  town  offices,  chief 
among  which  is  that  of  chairman  of  the 
board  of  supervisors,  which  he  occupied  for 
seven  j'ears.  He  is  the  parent  of  four  chil- 
dren— Elizabeth  Jane,  born  April  2,  1^7'.»; 
William,  born  Decemljer  15,  1880;  Elma, 
born  March  11,  1883 ;  and  Grace,  boru  Jan- 
uary 1,  1886. 


LI  BORING,  an  ex-Union  soldier,  is  a 
'^J^  farmer  who  resides  on  section  10,  For- 
est Prairie  township.  He  is  a  native  of  Clin- 
ton county,  Ohio,  born  May  22.  1836,  and  is 
a  son  of  Absalom  and  Isabellc  (Williams) 
Boring.  His  father  and  mother  were  natives 
of  Baltimore  county,  Md.,  and  Harrison 
county,  Ya.,  respectively.  They  are  both 
dead.  The  father  died  in  Indiana,  at  the 
age  of  eighty-one  years,  April  28,  1888.  He 
was  a  farmer;  had  settled  in  Indiana  in  1836, 
and  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  that  State. 
The  mother  was  born  in  1809  and  died  Feb- 
ruary 5,  1863.  They  were  the  [tarents  of 
eleven  children,  eight  boys  and  three  girls, 
the  names  of  whom  were  as  follows — Thomas 
William,  Lafayette,  Eli,  John  A.,  I'^lizabeth, 
Sarah,  Jesse  E.,  Henry,  Harrison,  William 
and  Eliza. 

Eli  Boring,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  re- 
mained at  home  during  his  boyhood  and 
school  days.  On  the  20lh  of  February,  1864, 
he  enlisted  in  Comjiany  D,  Eighth  Indiana 
Cavah'v,  and  went  into  the  service.  He  saw 
active  service  and  participated  in  numerous 
battles,  engagements  and  skirmishes.  He 
was  shot  in  the  side  at  the  battle  of  Camp- 
bellton,  Ga.,  and  remained  in  the  hospital  for 
several  weeks.  On  the  iDth  of  September, 
1S64,  he  was  taken  prisonei-and  was  held  for 
some  three  months,  after  which  he  was  in  the 
hospital  at  Annapolis,  ]\1(1.,  for  three  weeks. 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


317 


anil,  after  a  short  furlough,  returned  to  his 
I'ea'inient.  lie  was  tinally  mustered  out  July 
20, 1S65,  near  Raleigh,  X.  C,  and  returned  to 
his  home  in  Indiana.  In  the  fall  of  1868  he 
came  to  Meeker  county,  Minn.,  and  located 
in  Forest  Prairie  township.  In  1882  he  went 
to  Minneapolis  and  engaged  in  the  milling- 
business,  but  spent  his  winters  at  lumbering, 
continuing  this  for  three  years,  and  then 
returned  to  Forest  Prairie  and  settled  where 
he  now  resides. 

Mr.  Boring  was  married  on  the  2d  of  No- 
vember, 1886,  to  Miss  Victoria  Spaulding,  a 
daughter  of  Danville  Spaulding,  an  old  and 
respected  citizen  of  Forest  Prairie  township. 
They  were  married  at  Litchfield  b}^  N.  C. 
Martin. 

Our  subject  is  a  man  of  the  strictest  integ- 
rity, and  is  respected  by  all  who  know  hi;n. 
In  ]iolitical  nu^tters  he  affiliates  with  the 
repul)lican  ]Kirty. 


S^HARLES  M.  AHLSTROM.  The  subject 
^  of  this  sketch  is  an  enterprising  and 
successful  farmer  and  stock-raiser,  who.  re- 
sides on  section  31,  Harvey  township.  He  is 
a  native  of  Chisago  county,  ilinn.,  where  he 
was  born  on  the  8th  of  August,  1859,  and  he 
is  a  son  of  Andrew  M.  and  Carrie  Ahlstrom. 
In  1864  he  removed,  with  his  parents,  to 
Meeker  county,  and  the  family  settled  on 
section  30,  where  Charles  M.  still  resides. 
His  parents  were  both  natives  of  Sweden. 
They  came  to  the  United  States  in  185-1. 
They  are  both  still  living. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch,  Charles,  grew  to 
manhood  in  Meeker  county,  attending  school 
as  opportunity  offered,  and  assisting  his 
fatlier  on  the  farm.  On  the  27tli  of  Maj', 
1882,  he  was  married  to  Mary  Peterson,  of 
Swede  Grove  township.  Their  niari-iage 
has  been  blessed  with  tliree  cliildren,  whose 
names  are  Stacie,  Carl  M.  and  Clearence  A.. 


the  last  named  being  an  infant.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Ahlstrom  are  exemplary  members  and 
active  supporters  of  tke  Lutheran  Church. 

In  political  matters  Mr.  Ahlstrom  is  a  re- 
publican. He  now  owns  160  acres  of  land, 
and  has  a  good  start  and  good  prospects  for 
future  success. 


M  LEXANDER  D.  ROSS,  the  present 
J^Jl.  postmaster  of  Litchfield,  was  born 
in  Upper  Canada,  July  25,  1815,  and  is  the 
son  of  Alexander  and  Frances  Bassett  (Con- 
ners)  Eoss,  the  former  a  native  of  Glasgow, 
Scotland,  and  the  latter  of  Bangor,  County 
Down,  Ireland.  His  jxirents  came  to  Amer- 
ica, settling  in  Canada,  prior  to  his  birth,  and 
there,  in  the  town  of  Southani]iton,  where 
the  father  was  engaged  in  mercantile  trade, 
our  subject  received  his  earl^^  education,  and 
there  grew  to  manhootl.  In  1866,  he  removed 
with  his  parents  to  Chicago,  III.,  where  he 
commenced  work  with  the  American  Express 
Company,  with  whom  he  remained  until  1872, 
when  he  came  to  Minnesota.  He  located  first 
at  St.  Cloud,  but  one  year  later  removed  to 
Litchfield,  where,  in  August,  1873,  he  took 
charge  of  a  grain  elevator,  now  the  M.  and 
D.  which  he  has  superintended  ever  since. 
In  July,  1887,  he  took  charge  of  the  postotfice 
of  the  village,  having  been  appointed  to  that 
position  a  short  time  previousl\\  He  is  a 
thorough  democrat  politically,  and  believes 
that  in  its  principles  lies  the  true  germ  of  civil 
liberty.  He  is  a  member  of  the  present  coun- 
cil of  Litchfield,  and  holds  a  high  place  in  the 
respect  and  esteem  of  his  fellow-citizens. 

Mr.  Eoss  united  in  marriage,  June  11, 1872, 
with  Miss  Elizabeth  M.  Becker,  a  native  of 
New  York,  and  daughter  of  Herman  and 
Margaret  Becker.  By  this  union  there  has 
been  born  two  children,  who  bear  the  names 
of  Carrie  and  George.  Mr.  Eoss  is  a  mem- 
ber of   Golden  Fleece  Lodge,  No.   86,  A.  F. 


3iS 


MEJ<KKR  COUiV  lY,  MlNjWKSOTA. 


and  A.  M.,  Eablwiii  Cliapter,  Ko.  39,  R.  A. 
M. ;  l\[elita  Coiniiiandery,  No.  17,  K.  T.,  and 
witli  his  estimable  wife  liolds  communion 
witii  the  Presbyterian  Cimrcli. 


JOHN  SMITH,  a  resident  of  Darwin 
township,  lives  on  section  15,  where  he 
carries  on  general  farming  and  stock  raising. 
He  is  a  native  of  the  Grand  Duchy  of  Lux- 
emburg, born  in  1839.  lie  was  reared 
among  the  vine-clad  hills  of  the  land  of  his 
birth  until  he  was  nineteen  years  of  age, 
when  he  came  to  America,,  and  that  year, 
1S5S,  settled  near  Aurora,  111.,  Avhere  he 
made  his  home  until  eight  years  later,  when 
he  removed  to  Minnesota  and  located  on  the 
farm  in  Darwin  township  where  he  now 
lives.  Like  so  man^'  of  his  countrymen  who 
seek  to  find  in  America  the  fortune  and 
freedom  they  lack  in  their  native  land,  Mr. 
Smith  was  a  ]ioor  man  when  he  came  to  this 
countr}^,  but  by  the  ])erseverance  in  his  work 
and  the  natural  thrift  that  seems  to  be 
inherent  in  the  average  German,  he  has  accu- 
mulated a  fair  share  of  this  world's  goods. 

Mr.  Smith  was  first  married  in  ISfio,  to 
Miss  Anna  Peiffer,  who  became  the  mother 
of  seven  children,  all  of  whom  are  living  at 
the  present  but  one.  Their  names  are — John, 
Peter,  Michael,  Anna,  P'raidv  and  "William. 
Mrs.  Anna  Smith  tlied  in  February,  ISSl, 
and  Mr.  Smith  was  married  the  second  time. 
The  Inide on  this  occasion  was  Miss  Mas*o-ie 

CO 

Kanzler,  and  the  wedding  occurred  in  No- 
vember, 1883.  By  this  last  marriage  there 
have  been  born  three  children,  only  two  of 
whom,  however,  are  now  living — Emma  aiul 
Nicholas. 

Both  Mr.  Smith  and  his  wife  are  meml)ers 
of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  and  good 
Christian  people.  Politically  Mr.  Smith  is 
what  may  be  tei-med  an  independent,  not 
being  Ijound  to  party. 


UTHER   W.   LEIGHTON,     the     junior 


|2i^  member  of  the  lirni  of  Osterlund  & 
Leighton,  general  merchants  of  the  village 
of  Dassel,  came  to  that  place  in  the  fall  of 
1872,  and  in  the  spring  of  187-1  opened  the 
first  wagon  shop,  in  which  he  continued  to 
carry  on  the  business  until  1S81.  Closing- 
out,  then,  his  interests  in  that  mechanical 
trade,  he  entered  into  the  hanhvare  business 
in  company  with  J.  M.  Johnson,  and  con- 
tinued in  that  line  until  Januar}^  1,  1887, 
when,  after  selling  his  interest  to  his  partner, 
he  entered  into  the  new  copartnership,  the 
firm  nametl  above. 

Mr.  Leighton,  who  is  a  native  of  Penobscot 
county.  Me.,  born  March  25, 1850,  and  the  son 
of  Stillman  W.  and  Thressa  E.  Leighton,  re- 
ceived his  education  in  his  native  State.  He 
left  that  portion  of  our  great  Republic  in  1872, 
and  came  directly  to  this  ])art.  as  above  stated. 

NDREW   GUNDERSON,   a    carpenter 


and  farmer  who  resides  on  section  15, 
Danielson  township,  was  born  in  Norway 
on  the  16th  of  August,  1836,  and  is  a  son  of 
Gunder  and  Anna  Ingebretson.  His  early 
life  was  spent  in  his  native  land,  where  he 
worked  at  various  occupations  and  also 
learned  the  carpenter's  trade.  He  renuiined 
in  the  land  of  his  birth  until  1870,  when  he 
came  to  the  United  States  and  came  direct 
to  Minneapolis,  Minn.,  where  he  remained 
for  six  years  employed  at  carpenter  work. 
He  was  so  pooi'  at  that  time  that  he  was 
obliged  to  leave  his  family  in  the  old  country, 
and  had  to  borrow  the  mone}'  with  which  he 
paid  his  fare.  During  the  first  three  years 
he  was  here  he  earned  enough  money  to  send 
for  his  family,  which  required  five  tickets  at 
§61  each.  His  oldest  son  came  some  two 
years  before  the  balance  of  the  family.  The 
father,  with  the  aid  of  his  son,  during  this 
time,  erected  a  comfortable  house  for  himself 
at  Minneapolis. 


MEEKER    COUNTY,  MIXXESOTA. 


319 


On  the  4th  of  November,  1876,  he  moved 
his  family  to  Meeker  county,  Minn.,  and  set- 
tled on  a  farm  in  Cosmos  township,  but  after 
getting-  his  family  settled  he  returned  to 
Minneapolis  and  worked  at  his  trade  for  two 
years,  after  which  he  returned  and  moved  to 
the  farm  which  he  purchased  on  section  15, 
Danielson  township,  where  he  has  since  lived. 
Since  that  time  he  has  continued  to  work  at 
his  trade  most  of  his  time  while  his  family 
carried  on  the  farm.  lie  now  has  one  of  the 
most  valuable  farms  in  the  township,  con- 
sisting of  280  acres,  upon  which  he  has  placed 
fine  building  improvements. 

Mr.  Gunderson  was  married  before  he  left 
Norway  to  Miss  Bertha  Olson,  a  daughter  of 
Ole  and  Anna  Peterson,  who  was  born  Au- 
gust 20,  1830.  Their  marriage  has  been 
blessed  with  nine  children,  as  follows — Gil- 
bert, born  February  17,  1857;  Nettie,  born 
May  4,  1858;  "William,  born  Januarj"  15, 
1860 ;  Anna,  born  January  10,  1862  ;  Au- 
gust, born  September  6,  1863 ;  Beathe,  born 
August  9,  186-4,  died  in  1867 ;  Maria,  born 
March  21,  1868;  Beathe,  born  December  10, 
1870 ;  and  Albert,  born  June  2,  1875.  All 
were  born  in  Norway  except  Albert,  who 
was  boi'u  in  Minneapolis.  Nettie  married 
Ole  Blaken,  a  merchant  in  Grafton,  D.  T., 
and  they  have  three  children.  William  mar- 
ried Anna  Amundson,  and  is  a  farmer  in  Dan- 
ielson township.  Anna  married  Knute  John- 
son, a  I'ailroad  section  boss  at  Minneayjolis. 
The  family  are  members  of  tlie  Norwegian 
Lutheran  Church. 

Mr.  Gunderson  has  taken  an  active  inter- 
est in  public  matters  and  has  lield  the  ofhce 
of  township  supervisor  for  four  years.  In 
political  matters  he  affiliates  with  the  demo- 
cratic party. 


/I^LE  NELSON,  one  of  the  leading  ngri- 
V^^^y  culturists  of  Acton,  is  a  native  of  Nor- 
way, born  February  16,  1842,  and  is  the  son 


of  Nels  and  Mary  Nelson,  and  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1866,  first  stopping  in  Red 
Wing,  Minn.,  where  he  was  engaged  in  tailor- 
-ing  for  one  year.  The  next  two  years  were 
passed  by  him  in  the  same  employment  in 
Minneapolis,  but  growing  tired  of  working 
for  other  parties  after  two  years,  and  Ijeing 
anxious  to  better  his  financial  condition,  he 
removed  to  Acton,  this  county,  and  took  a 
homestead  on  section  8,  where  he  now  lives. 
He  has  a  fine  farm  of  20<i  acres  of  excellent 
arable  land,  all  of  wliicii  he  has  made  by  his 
own  energy  and  perseverance. 

Mr.  Nelson  was  married  in  Noi-way,  to 
Miss  Martha  J.  Farrisdatter  Haabetsbroen. 
They  are  the  parents  of  the  following  chil- 
dren—Thoi'wald  E.,  born  October  4,  1864 ; 
Nikoline  Marie,  born  September  28, 1868,  died 
May  19,  1879;  Nels,  born  January  5,  1870; 
Severin,  born  April  6,  1872 ;  Odin,  born  Jan- 
uary 6, 1874 ;  Mina,  born  February  16,  1877 ; 
Martin,  born  March  6,  1880;  Jens  H.,  born 
December  30,  1881 ;  and  Marius,  born  May 
15, 1883. 

Thorwald  is  attending  the  academy  at 
Minneapolis,  and  Nels,  the  high  school  at 
Litchfiekl.  The  other  children  are  at  home 
with  their  parents.  Mr.  Nelson  has  occupied 
the  office  of  road  overseer  for  two  or  three 
terms,  and  that  of  school  director  for  several 
years.  He  had  learned  tiie  tailoring  trade 
in  his  far  away  native  land,  but  since  his 
coming  here  he  has  devoted  his  attention 
solely  to  agricultural  pursuits,  and  has  met 
with  abundant  success  in  this  calling.  lie 
devotes  a  large  siiare  of  his  labors  to  stock 
raising. 


fAMES  H.  THOMS,  a  resident  of  Union 
Grove  township,  is  one  of  the  successful 
farmers  and  stock-raisers  in  the  northern  part 
of  the  county. 

The  subject   of  our   sketcli   is  the  son  of 
James  and  Lucy  (Brown)  Tlioms,  and  was 


320 


MEEKER    COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


born  in  tlie  town  of  Sebec,  Me.  Wliile  he 
■\vas  quite  young  iiis  ])arents  removed  to  Kil- 
inornac.  Me.,  where  his  father  engaged  in 
farming  and  lumbering,  but  finding  it  a  hard 
place  to  make  a  living  in,  he  moved  to  Ban- 
gor, Me.  When  James  II.  was  fourteen 
years  of  age  he  learned  the  carpenter's  trade, 
and  remained  at  home  until  he  was  twenty; 
then,  with  some  acquaintances,  he  left  for  the 
AVest,  stojtping  in  Wisconsin  a  slioi't  time, 
lie  came  to  Minnesota  in  the  fall  of  1849. 
It  was  then  a  tei'ritory,  St.  Paul  and  St. 
Anthonj'  being  small  villages  at  that  time, 
and  Minneapolis  was  not  even  started.  Haul- 
ing supplies  to  the  Indians  was  the  main  busi- 
ness done  outside  the  villages. 

Mr.  Thorns  engaged  for  four  years  in  haul- 
ing supplies  from  St.  Paul  to  Fort  Ripley, 
and  any  other  points  where  the  Indians  were 
to  be  paid  their  annuities. 

Some  of  the  log  hotels,  or  stopping  places, 
had  squaw  landladies,  and  others  were  kept 
by  bachelors.  Mr.  Thoms  left  the  road  and 
worked  at  his  trade  for  two  years,  and  finally 
took  up  a  claim  in  Eden  Prairie  township, 
si.Kteen  miles  south  of  Minneapolis,  in  Henne- 
pin count}'. 

On  August  12,  1855,  he  married  Miss 
Annette  Y.  Ilamblet,  of  Eden  Prairie,  a 
young  lady,  nineteen  years  of  age.  He 
remained  on  his  fai'm  a  few  years,  then 
moved  to  Chanhassen,  Carver  county,  where 
he  stayed  but  a  short  time,  then  moved  to 
Castle  Eock,  Dakota  county,  where  he  stayed 
a  few  years,  engaged  in  farming.  Then, 
hearing  of  the  many  virtues  of  Meeker  county, 
he  removed  to  Union  Grove  township  in  the 
fall  of  1867,  and  took  up  a  homestead  on  sec- 
tion 2(».  Five  years  later,  he  sold  that  place 
and  bought  a  farm  of  160  acres,  on  section 
25  and  3(*i.  where  he  has  since  lived. 

The  farm  is  one  of  the  most  valuable  in 
the  townsiiip,  and  the  building  improvements 
are  a  credit  to  the  neighborhood  in  which 
they  are  located. 


j\Ir.  and  ]\rrs.  Thoms  have  been  blessed 
with  nine  children,  seven  of  whom  are  now 
living,  two  girls  and  live  boys — Frank,  the 
eldest,  is  married,  and  lives  at  Newark,  D. 
T.,  where  he  is,  in  company  with  a  partner, 
running  a  arain  elevator.  E.  L.  and  D.  C. 
Thoms,  the  two  next  oldest,  own  a  roller 
flour  mill  at  Ashby,  Grant  county,  Minn. 
The  fourth  son,  Ben.  II.,  is  a  graduate  from 
(Airtiss'  Busiiiess  College,  Minneapolis,  and 
is  in  Minnesota  at  the  present  time.  One 
daughter  is  a  stenogra]iher,  and  the  oWwx  is 
a  seamstress ;  both  reside  in  Minneapolis  at 
present.  Earl  W.,  the  youngest,  remains  at 
home  with  his  parents.  In  politics,  Mr. 
Tiioms  is  a  strong  democi'at.  He  came  to 
the  county  comparatively  a  poor  man,  but  is 
now  well  fi.xed  as  to  this  world's  goods,  and 
is  rated  as  one  of  the  most  solid  and  substan- 
tial citizens  of  the  county.  He  is  truly  a 
pioneer  in  the  State,  and  also  of  the  county. 

©ANIEL  F.  SMITH.  Among  the  quiet, 
sober,  and  iiulustrious  Gernum  citizens 
of  Meeker  county,  who  have  left  their  beau- 
tiful fatherland  to  seek  upon  the  Western 
Continent  the  freedom  from  conscription  and 
military  despotism  denied  them  in  their 
own  country,  there  is  no  more  prominent  in- 
dividual than  the  gentleman  here  presented, 
who  is  a  resident  upon  section  16,  Ellsworth 
township.  He  is  a  native  of  Germany,  and 
is  the  son  of  Henry  and  Dora  Smith.  Ilis 
parents  were  also  born  in  that  classic  land, 
although  of  French  ancestry. 

Our  subject  was  reared  beneath  his  native 
skies,  and  there  received  the  education  com- 
mon to  the  youth  of  that  land,  and  there, 
having  attained  the  years  of  manhood,  Sep- 
tember 12,  1857,  he  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Fredericka  Sinnerman.  In  1862 
the  young  couple  left  their  home  amid  the 
hills  and  valleys  of  Germany,  and  crossed 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  .ir/XXESOT.I. 


321 


the  ocean  to  seek  a  newer  home  in  free 
America.  They  settled  near  the  town  of 
Kunda,  McHenr}^  county,  111.,  where  they 
lived  until  the  fall  of  1875,  when  they  came 
to  Meeker  county  and  settled  where  they 
now  live,  and  where  Mr.  Smith  has  a  fine 
farm  of  ISO  acres  of  excellent  land,  on  sec- 
tions 15  and  16,  and  on  which  he  has  erected 
an  excellent  residence,  commodious  barn  and 
neat  granary.  While  a  resident  of  Nunda 
he  showed  his  enterprise  by  subscribing  to 
the  institution  of  the  pickling  and  preserving 
Avorks  of  that  place,  in  which  he  owned  sev- 
eral shares  of  stock  ;  and  since  coming  to 
this  county  he  has  ever  been  foremost  in 
anything  that  seemed  to  be  for  the  benefit  of 
the  community. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  are  the  parents  of 
eight  children  —  Mary  (Mrs.  Joseph  Earth, 
,who  Avas  married  September  12,  187S,  the 
anniversary  of  her  parents'  wedding),  Will- 
iam, Frederick,  George,  Emma  (now  Mrs. 
Ludwig  Martens),  Clara,  Bertie,  and  Minnie. 
William  is  also  married,  and  follows  the 
trade  of  moulder  in  Minneapolis. 

Mr.  Smith  is  a  republican,  politically,  and 
has  held  the  offices  of  town  supervisor,  and 
of  school  director  and  justice  of  the  peace, 
and  is  a  representative  man.  He  and  his 
family  belong  to  the  Lutheran  Church. 


/^HARLES  H.  DART,  the  enterprising 
\^^  and  energetic  Hour  and  feed  dealer  of 
Litchfield,  was  born  in  Forest  City,  Meeker 
county,  Minn.,  February  5,  18ri2,  and  is  the 
son  of  Wait  H.  and  Calista  (Willis)  Dart. 
His  father  is  one  of  the  oldest  settlers  of  the 
county,  having  come  here  in  April,  1856,  and 
the  following  July  took  up  a  claim  two  miles 
east  of  the  prospective  village  of  Forest  Cit^', 
upon  which  he  settled,  his  family  consisting 
of  his  wife  and  one  child,  coming  here  in 
Kovember.      Ho  I'aised   one  crop  upon  his 


farm,  and  then  removed  to  this  village.  He 
Avas  at  that  place  during  tlie  tr;igic  scenes  of 
the  Indian  outbreak,  and  Avas  an  actiA'e  par- 
ticipant in  most  of  the  stirring  events  of  that 
unhappy  epoch.  He  entered  into  the  mer- 
cantile business  in  Forest  City  about  the 
time  of  tlie  arrival  of  the  soldiers,  and  from 
1863  to  1865  had  charge  of  the  postoffice.  In 
1869  he  removed  to  the  town  of  Greenleaf, 
where  he  took  u])  a  homestead,  upon  Avhich 
he  remained  initil  1871,  and  tlien  came  to 
Litchfield,  where  he  has  I'esided  ever  since, 
diaries  remained  at  home,  enjoying  the 
opportunities  for  scliooling  afforded  him 
during  the  winters,  and  working  in  the  sum- 
mer months  at  Avhatever  he  could  turn  his 
hand  to.  At  the  age  of  eighteen,  with  a 
commendable  enterprise,  he  initiated  the 
business  which  he  now  follows,  and  is  makino- 
it  a  success.     He  is  ranked 


ligh  among  the 


rising  young  business  men  of  the  village,  and 
is  rapidly  and  surely  extending  his  opera- 
tions. 

On  Christmas  day,  December  25,  1883,  C. 
H.  Dart  and  Miss  Nellie  LockAvood,  also  a 
native  of  this  county,  Avere  united  in  the 
bonds  of  weillock.  They  are  the  parents  of 
one  child  —  Ray. 

|ifej)ETER  LUND,  a  resident  of  section  17, 
1^  Greenleaf  township,  is  one  of  the  lead- 
ing farmers  and  stock-raisei-s  in  the  southern 
portion  of  the  county.  He  was  born  in 
Sweden,  on  the  15th  of  August,  1846.  His 
younger  days  were  silent  in  his  natiA'e  land, 
and  in  1872  he  came  to  the  LTnited  States, 
and  located  in  Minneapolis,  Avhere  he  re- 
mained for  eight  years.  He  AA'as  at  work  in 
the  Buell,  Nutten  &  Co.  flouring  mill  in 
1878,Avhen  the  terrible  mill  explosion  occurred, 
in  which  eighteen  were  killed  and  others 
seriously  injured.  His  escape  at  tliat  time 
Avas  almost  miraculous.  He  was  attending 
to  the  machinery,  and  a  few  moments  before 


"322 


MEEKER  COUXTY.   MIXXESOTA. 


the  disaster  he  Avas  talking  with  a  fellow- 
employe,  named  Peter  Ilogberg.  The  latter 
suo-o-ested  getting  some  water,  but  Mr.  Lund 
tokl  iiim  to  attend  to  the  machinery  and  he 
would  get  the  water.  Accordingly,  Wv. 
Lund  took  the  pail  and  started,  having  to  go 
about  200  feet.  He  had  just  stepped  outside 
of  the  door,  Avhen  he  noticed  a  queer  smoke 
coming  from  the  suction  pipe  of  the  Wash- 
burn A  mill,  which  stood  about  100  feet 
from  the  mill  in  which  he  worked.  He  had 
only  gone  about  100  feet  when  the  first  ex- 
plosion occurred,  and  he  was  thrown  to  the 
('■round,  lie  scrambled  to  his  feet  and  tried 
to  run,  when  the  next  explosion  took  place, 
and  he  was  again  thrown  down.  On  his 
hands  and  knees  he  crawled  under  a  box  car, 
and  the  deln-is  was  falling  thick  around  him. 
A  few  moments  later  he  ran  to  where  the  mill 
had  been,  to  rescue  Ilogberg,  but  he  found 
the  mill  leveled  to  the  ground,  and  nothing 
was  ever  found  of  his  companion  except  a 
few  pieces  of  bones  and  a  knife  blade.  Out 
of  all  the  men  who  worked  in  the  three  mills, 
he,  and  one  other,  were  the  only  ones  who 
escaped  unhurt. 

On  March  27,  1881,  Mr.  Lund  came  to 
Meeker  county,  and  settled  in  Greenleaf 
township,  where  he  still  lives.  He  has  a 
valuable  farm  of  210  acres  of  land,  and  has 
splendid  farm  buildings.  Mr.  Lund  was 
married  Januiiry  1,  1875,  to  Anna  Anderson, 
and  they  have  had  seven  children,  all  of 
whom  are  living,  as  follows— Charley  A., 
born  March  5,  187<i ;  Alma  II.,  born  Novem- 
ber 29,  1877;  Levi  Y.,  born  January  23, 
1880  ;  Mimmie  V.,  born  May  5, 1882 ;  Edward 
E.,  born  November  12,  1883;  Oscar  T.,  born 
Se])tember  27,  ISSo,  and  Amanda  Y.,  born 
January  27,  1888.  The  family  are  members 
of  the  Swedish  Lutheran  Churcii. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  Lund  were  natives  of 
Sweden.  Tliey  came  to  America  a  number 
of  years  ago,  and  are  now  residents  of 
Meeker  countv. 


"OHN  H.  REMICK,  one  of  the  prominent 
residents  of  the  village  of  Dassel,  and  a 
leading  ))ioneer  of  the  county  of  McLeod, 
was  born  in  Painesville,  Ohio,  August  26, 
1830.  His  father  died  when  he  was  quite 
young,  and  tiie  family  was  In-oken  up,  and 
for  a  time  he  was  an  inmate  of  the  housoliold 
of  his  grandfather.  "When  about  thirteen  he 
commenced  life  Idv  hiring  out  at  whatever  he 
could  find  to  do,  and  at  sixteen  began  to 
learn  the  blacksmith's  trade.  In  the  spring 
of  1863  he  determined  to  seek  a  new  home 
in  the  growing  "West  and  carve  out  his  own 
fortune,  and  came  to  Minnesota  and  settled 
at  Hutchinson,  McLeod  county,  in  May  of 
that  year.  Returning  to  Ohio  the  next  fall, 
he,  in  company  with  S.  A.  Bunting,  pur- 
chased a  drove  of  fifteen  horses,  which  were 
shipped  by  boat  to  Milwaukee,  from  which 
port  they  drove  to  this  country,  selling  what 
they  could  on  the  way.  Closing  out  the 
l);dance  on  his  arrival  at  Hutchinson,  he 
returned  to  the  "Buckeye  State"'  for  his 
famil}',  and  I'eturned  the  same  fall  and 
took  up  a  homestead  of  160  acres  of  land 
on  section  20,  Hutchinson  township,  Mc- 
Leod county,  and  commenced  its  improve- 
ment. There  he  remained,  quietly  engaged 
in  agricultural  pursuits,  until  1877,  and  by 
diligence  and  industrvhad  increased  his  farm 
to  300  acres.  He  sold  this  place  and  personal 
property,  al:iout  1879,  for  SL700.  In  1877 
he  came  to  Dassel,  this  county,  and  com- 
menced running  the  Dassel  House,  and  con- 
tinued to  cater  to  the  wants  of  the  traveling 
public  until  1882.  During  the  summer  of 
that  year  he  engaged  in  his  old  trade  of 
blacksmith,  but  on  the  1st  of  January,  1883, 
went  into  the  saloon  business  in  the  village, 
with  J.  S.  Larson.  The  February  folioAv- 
in<"  their  i>lace  was  destroved  bv  fire,  with  a 
loss  of  82,500,  only  part  of  which  was  insured. 
In  company  with  J.  S.  Larson  and  "William 
Gallagher,  he  then  commenced  the  erection 
of  a  new  hotel,  the  new  Dassel  House,  the 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


325 


old  one  having  been  burned.  On  the  com- 
pletion of  this  hotel,  which  is  of  brick  and 
cost  some  $4,500,  he  again  opened  a  saloon, 
and  remained  in  that  business  until  1886, 
when  he  closed  it  out,  and  since  that  time 
has  given  his  attention  to  the  cultivation  of 
a  farm  which  he  bought  in  1881.  This  con- 
tains some  forty  acres,  and  adjoins  the  town 
site.  He  is  also  engaged  in  the  letting  of 
livery  rigs. 

Among  the  leading  proiiibitionists  of  the 
county,  there  is  none  who  is  better  known 
than  Mr.  Remick,  who,  being  thorougldy 
acquainted  with  the  traffic  in  liquor,  knows 
its  evil,  and  is  quite  active  in  the  movement 
looking  to  its  suppression. 


/^  HRISTIAN  BADEN.  Among  the 
V^^  thrifty,  prosperous  German  citizens  of 
Meeker  county,  who  helped  so  materially 
toward  its  development  and  progress,  until 
it  now  stands  one  of  the  brightest  jewels  in 
the  crown  of  the  noble  State  of  Minnesota, 
is  the  worthy  gentleman  whose  name  heads 
this  sketch.  He  was  born  in  that  part  of 
the  German  empire  known  as  Trier,  June  IS, 
1839,  and  there  grew  to  manhood.  He  is  the 
son  of  John  and  Marj'  Baden,  who  had  a 
family  of  live  children. 

Our  subject  received  the  education  so 
common  to  the  youth  of  the  fatherland,  and 
at  the  age  of  sixteen  commenced  an  appren- 
ticeship to  the  trade  of  blacksmith.  He 
came  to  the  United  States  in  search  of  a 
home  in  this  free  land,  in  1867,  and  located 
at  Belle  Plaine,  Scott  county,  Minn.,  where  he 
opened  a  blacksmith  shop  and  followed  his 
trade  for  one  year.  In  1868  he  came  to  this 
country  and  bought  out  the  interest  of  Albert 
Taylor,  in  the  blacksmith  shop  in  Forest 
City,  and  has  been  engaged  at  this  trade  ever 
since.  He  is  also  the  owner  of  a  fine  farm  of 
250  acres  of  land  in  the  same  township,  part 


of  which  he  leases  to  other  parties  and  part 
cultivates  himself.  His  success  since  he 
came  here  is  entirely  due  to  his  energy,  per- 
severance and  thrift,  as  he  is  the  sole  archi- 
tect of  his  own  fortunes. 

Mr.  Baden  was  married  before  leaving  his 
native  land,  April  11-,  1865,  to  Miss  Mary 
Schmidt,  who  was  the  daughter  of  Michael 
and  Susan  Schmidt,  and  one  of  a  family  of 
eight  children.  On  the  -Ith  of  May,  Mrs. 
Baden,  who  was  a  devout  Catholic  and 
an  estimable  woman,  was  called  away 
by  death,  leaving  ten  children — William, 
Nicholas,  Frank,  John,  Joseph,  Susan,  Cath- 
erine, Anna,  Eosa  and  Mary.  Susan  married 
Eugene  Schuler,  March  2,  1886,  and  lives  in 
Dakota. 


[^ARRISON  FULLER,  one  of  the  old  set- 
tlers of  Collinwood  township,  has  his 
home  on  section  i.  He  is  a  native  of  Russell 
county,  Va.,  and  there  made  his  residence 
until  he  was  ten  years  of  age,  then  emigrated 
to  Tazwell  county,  settling  in  Avhat  after- 
ward became  a  part  of  Buchanan  county. 
Most  of  this  time  was  spent  on  a  farm  with 
his  parents.  In  1862  he  was  conscripted  into 
the  Confederate  arm}',  and  served  some  eigh- 
teen months.  Having  been  made  lieutenant, 
and  detailed  for  recruiting  service,  he  ab- 
sented himself  without  leave,  and  passing  the 
lines,  came  to  Minnesota.  He  arrived  at 
Hutchinson,  McLeod  county.  Ma}'  14,  1864, 
and  spent  the  summer  in  digging  gmseng, 
and  the  next  winter  in  huntingand  trapping. 
The  following  year  he  moved  to  the  place 
where  he  now  lives,  but  did  little  toward 
its  improvement  for  some  three  years.  The 
hard  frost  of  August  19,  1866,  destroying  the 
little  crops  he  and  the  other  settlers  had  in, 
he  had  considerable  difficulty  in  getting 
along,  so,  with  others,  he  went  to  Wright 
county  and  chopped  wood  all  the  following 


326 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


winter.  Many  of  his  neighbors  were  sadly 
pinched  witli  hunger  at  that  time.  One  day 
he  walked  to  Kingston  for  provisions,  but 
failed  to  get  tliem,  and  on  returning,  found 
that  the  family  had  eaten  up  everything  in 
the  house,  and  he  was  forced  to  go  supper- 
less  to  bed.  The  next  day  he  was  more 
fortunate,  getting  some  flour  at  Greenleaf. 
Most  of  the  settlers  lived  through  the  winter 
on  what  game  they  could  kill,  and  in  tlie 
sprmg  on  ramps  or  leeks,  elm  bark  and  other 
herbage.  One  family,  to  his  knowledge, 
lived  on  game,  ramps  or  leeks,  and  herbage 
that  winter  and  sjiring.  In  1873,  after  an 
absence  of '  a  year  in  Virginia,  he  com- 
menced to  develop  his  farm  pro]ierly,  and  liy 
diligence  has  succeeded  in  accumulating  a 
nice  property.  He  was  married  March  7, 
1861,  to  Miss  Smyth,  who  was  born  in  Taze- 
well county,  Ya.,  April  26,  18-15,  and  is  the 
daughter  of  Samuel  M.  and  Mary  (Justice) 
Smyth,  natives  of  Kentucky.  By  this  union 
there  has  been  ten  children,  as  follows — Ash- 
ville,  born  November  7,  1862,  and  married, 
March  27,  1884,  to  Mrs.  Clarinda  (Goble) 
"West ;  Mary  F.,  born  September  29,-  1865, 
married  Solomon  Scalf  in  January,  1883; 
Pricy  J.,  born  May  19,  1868,  married,  March 
7, 1885.  to  Armstrong  Sellard  ;  Elijah  S.,  born 
March  15,  1871;  James  A.,  born  March  20, 
1873  ;  Roxelena,  born  May  21,  1875  ;  Ida  A., 
born  May  26,  1877;  Vashti,  born  May  2, 
1880  ;  Lucretia,  born  November  5, 1882  ;  and 
Maggie,  born  June  30,  1886. 

PATRICK  McKARNEY,  an  ex-Union 
soldier,  and  a  prominent  and  success- 
ful farmer  and  stock  raiser,  residing  on  sec- 
tion 8,  Manannah  township,  was  born  in 
County  Monaghan,  Ireland,  in  1832,  and  is 
a  son  of  Patrick  and  Catherine  (Bradj')  Mc- 
Karney.  His  early  life  was  spent  in  the 
land  of  his  birth,  receiving  the  schooling  in 
industry  and  frugality   which  was  given  to 


the  youth  of  his  nationality  in  that  day. 
In  1849  he  came  to  the  United  States,  land- 
ing in  New  Orleans,  where  he  remained 
about  one  month  and  then  went  to  St.  Louis, 
Mo.  Two  months  later  he  went  to  Rock 
Island,  111.,  and  spent  the  winter,  and  after 
this  was  »mj)loyed  on  the  Mississippi  river, 
at  whatever  he  could  find  to  do,  until  the 
15th  of  August,  1862,  when  he  enlisted  in 
C'ompany  B,  Ninetieth  Illinois  Volunteer 
Infantry,  and  went  into  the  service.  His 
regiment  was  assigned  to  severe  duty,  and 
he  remained  in  active  service  until  the  close 
of  the  war,  receiving  an  honorable  discharge 
on  the  6th  of  June,  1865.  After  leaving  the 
service  he  came  to  Minnesota,  and  settled  in 
Dakota  county,  where  he  reuuiined  until  the 
following  April,  1866,  and  then  came  to 
Meeker  county,  and  settled  on  section  8, 
Manannah  townshi]j,  where  he  still  lives. 
He  has  a  farm  of  150  acres  of  land,  a  good 
share  of  which  is  under  cultivation,  and 
devotes  his  attention  to  general  farming  and 
stock  raising. 

]\Ir.  McKarnev  was  married  on  the  -ith  of 
April,  1869,  to  Miss  Mary  O'Keeffe,  and  they 
have  been  blessed  with  the  following  chil- 
dren— Charlotte,  born  July  15,  1870;  Cathe- 
rine, born  May  26,  1872;  James,  born  Janu- 
ary 8,  1874;  Peter,  born  May  16,  1876;  and 
Menus,  born  January  16,  1878;  all  of  whom 
are  still  living. 

Mrs.  IVlcKarney's  parents  were  natives  of 
Ireland.  They  came  to  America,  and  both 
died  in  Meeker  county.  Mr.  McKarney  is  a 
re])ublican  in  political  matters,  and  in  religi- 
ous affairs  both  he  and  his  wife  are  ex- 
emjilary  memliers  and  active  supporters  of 
the  Catholic  Church. 


--^f^^"*- 


pi;^*RANK     W.      MINTON,    the     present 

lP>-     genial    proprietor  of     the     Howard 

House,  at  Litchfield,  is  the  son  of    William 

L.  and  Louisa   C.  (Hull)   Minton,   and   was 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


327 


born  in  Brocton,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y., 
May  7,  1854.  His  mother  was  a  descendant 
of  one  of  the  pioneer  families  of  the 
Mohawk  A'^alley. 

Frank  remained  in  his  native  town  until  he 
was  fifteen  years  of  age,  and  then  came  to 
Eice  county,  Minn.,  where  he  lived  with  an 
uncle  for  a  time.  He  removed  from  there  to 
Chicago,  whither  his  parents  had  gone,  and 
entering  the  office  of  the  Pullman  Palace 
Car  Co.,  remained  there  employed  for  seven 
years.  Taking  charge  of  a  palace  car  run- 
ning between  St.  Louis  and  Minneapolis  at 
the  end  of  that  time,  he  continued  in  that 
species  of  employment  for  two  years  and  a 
half,  but  his  health  having  become  somewhat 
impaired  he  left  the  road.  He  entered  the 
law  office  of  Perkins  &  Whipple,  of  North- 
field,  Minn.,  where  he  remained  some  eigh- 
teen months.  He  then  went  on  the  road  as 
traveling  salesman  for  the  Champion  Eeaper 
Co.,  and  was  with  that  corporation  for  the 
succeeding  two  years,  after  which  he  came 
to  Litchfield,  and  assumed  the  charge  of  the 
Howard  House,  as  landlord.  May  1,   1884. 

Frank  W.  Minton  and  Miss  Mattie  Knight 
were  united  in  the  bonds  of  marriage.  May 
20,  1884.  The  lady  is  a  native  of  Canada, 
but  at  the  time  of  her  marriage  a  resident  of 
Meeker  county. 

:  ■    •  '>  ■ 

T^OBERT  B.  RALSTON.  The  subject 
_l^y,  of  this  biography,  one  of  Meeker 
county's  most  prominent  and  wealthy  farm- 
ers and  stock-raisers,  is  a  resident  of  section 
14,  Harvey  township.  He  was  born  in  the 
Province  of  Quebec,  Canada  East,  on  the 
2Sth  day  of  August,  1826,  and  is  a  son  of 
Andrew  and  Jane  Kalston.  His  parents 
were  natives  of  Scotland,  but  both  died  in 
Canada ;  the  father  January  10, 1888,  and  the 
mother  August  21,  1884. 

Eobert  B.  left  his  native  province  in  April, 


1849,  and  went  to  Waterbury,  A^t.,  where  he 
secured  employment  on  the  Vermont  Central 
railroad,  and  remained  until  the  latter  part 
of  the  following  December,  when  he  returned 
to  Canada  and  remained  until  the  spring  of 

1850.  At  that  time  he  went  to  St.  Johns- 
bury,  Vt.,  where  he  drove  a  team  on  railroad 
work,  and  in  August,  1850,  went  to  Cam- 
bridge, N.  Y.,  and  worked  about  there  until 
the  following  summer  of  1851.  He  next 
spent  a  few  months  at  Bedford,  Ind.,  and 
then  went  to  Cincinnati,  O.,  where  he  re- 
mained for  four  years,  being  emploj'ed  at 
teaming  most  of  the  time;  after  that  was  at 
work  on  the  Cincinnati  &  St.  Louis  railroad. 
In  1855  he  went  still  further  west,  and  spent 
one  winter  at  Oskaloosa,  Iowa,  and  then  set- 
tled at  Minneapolis,  Minn.  That  place,  which 
was  then  a  mere  village,  remained  his  home 
until  the  fall  of  1861,  although,  during  this 
time,  in  1859,  he  had  come  west  to  Meeker 
county  and  purchased  the  southwest  quarter 
of  section  11,  in  what  is  now  Harvey  town- 
ship. In  that  fall  he  came  here  and  put  in  his 
time  in  caring  for  a  few  calves  which  he  had 
purchased,  and  also  did  a  good  deal  of  trap- 
ping in  various  parts  of  this  county.  He  was 
living  here  when  the  Indian  outbreak  oc- 
curred. He  heard  the  news  of  the  massacre 
at  Acton  on  Sunday  evening,  while  with  his 
brother  John.  They  at  once  went  to  mould- 
ing bullets  and  getting  their  guns  in  shape, 
after  which  they  went  to  bed,  and  the  follow- 
ing morning  continued  their  harvesting.  At 
noon  they  went  to  Forest  City,  and  learned 
the  serious  condition  of  affairs.  They  then 
returned  to  look  for  a  neighbor,  Ilutchins, 
and  his  wife,  and  met  them,  and  also  Joachin 
Schultz,  so  all  turned  and  went  to  Forest 
City.  There  they  remained  all  through  the 
Indian  trouble.  The  following  spring  Mr. 
Ealston  returned  to  his  claim  and  put  in  his 
crops,  and  while  at  work  could  distinctly  see 
the  soldiers  on  patrol  between  his  place  and 
Forest  City.     This  has  since  been  his  home. 


328 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


He  has  one  of  the  most  vahiable  farms  in  the 
county,  and  carries  on  general  farming  and 
stock-raising  extensively. 
•  On  tiie  nth  of  June,  ISOT,  Mr.  Ralston  was 
n\arried  to  Miss  ilelissa  Pickle,  and  tlieir 
union  has  been  blessed  witii  three  children,  as 
follows— Marcia,  born  August  22, 1868 ;  Elsie 
v.,  born  November  4,  1872;  Arthur  D., 
born  April  13,  1882,  all  of  whom  are  still 
living.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ralston  attend,  and 
Mrs.  R.  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church.  Mrs.  Ralston's  parents  are  still 
living  in  Canada ;  her  father  is  a  native  of 
Canada,  and  her  mother  a  native  of  Ver- 
mont. 

In  political  matters  Mr.  Ralston  affiliates 
with  the  democratic  party.  He  has  taken 
an  active  interest  in  everything  calculated  to 
develop  the  county's  resources,  and  is  rated 
as  one  of  the  most  solid  and  substantial  citi- 
zens of  Meeker  countv. 


-S^^^-4- 


ILLIAM  MURPHY,  a  memberof  the 
firm  of  Murphy  Bros.,  general  mer- 
chandise dealers  at  the  village  of  Kingston, 
commenced  business  here  in  January,  1886, 
in  company  with  T.  Owen,  with  whom  he 
remained  in  partnership  until  the  1st  of  Janu- 
ary, 1888,  when  Mr.  Owen  sold  out  to  T.  J. 
Murphy,  the  brother  of  our  subject,  and  the 
present  firm  was  formed. 

Mr.  Murphy  is  a  native  of  Rutland  county, 
Vt.,  born  November  3,  1860,  and  came  to 
Minnesota  with  his  parents  in  May,  1862. 
He  is  a  son  of  Michael  and  Catherine  (Clif- 
ford) Murph\',  a  history  of  whom  is  given 
elsewhere  in  this  Album.  He  was  reared  and 
received  the  elements  of  his  education  in  the 
district  schools  of  Meeker  county,  and  finished 
with  a  thorough  course  at  the  University,  at 
St.  John's,  Minn.,  from  which  he  was  gradu- 
ated in  1882.  He  taught  the  Kingston 
village  school  the  winter  term  of  1883-4,  and 


later  settled  in  the  village  and  entered  upon 
his  present  enterprise,  which  is  the  only  store 
therein.  He  has  held  the  office  of  justice  of 
the  peace  for  tAvo^'ears,  and  that  of  clerk  of 
the  townsiiip  for  quite  a  time.  He  was  ap- 
pointed ))ostmasterin  September,  1886,  which 
position  he  holds  at  present.  Mi'.  IMui'iihy 
and  Miss  Ellen  AVhalen  were  married  Feb- 
ruary 20,  1887.  The  lady  is  a  native  of 
]\Ieeker  county  and  daughter  of  Joim  Wha- 
len,  one  of  the  oldest  pioneers  whose  sketch 
is  to  be  found  in  the  pages  of  this  volume. 

JAMES  McCUE,  blacksmith,  at  Greenleaf 
village,  Meeker  county,  is  a  native  of 
Ireland,  born  on  the  10th  of  May,  1837. 
When  he  was  but  one  year  old,  his  parents, 
Timothy  and  Margaret  McCue,  emigrated  to 
the  United  States  and  settled  near  Buffalo, 
N.  Y.  Mrs.  McCue  died  soon  afterward,  and 
when  James  was  ten  years  of  age  he  was 
placed  in  a  store  at  Hamilton,  Ontario,  where 
he  remained  until  he  reached  his  seventeenth 
year,  at  which  time  he  was  apprenticed  to  a 
blacksmith  near  Hamilton.  Three  years 
later,  in  1857,  he  came  to  Minnesota,  and 
located  in  Northfield,  Rice  county.  In  the 
fall  of  1858  he  went  to  California,  where  he 
remained  about  four  years,  engaged  at  mining 
and  blacksmithing.  Then,  leaving  there,  he 
spent  two  or  three  years  in  Nevada  and 
Montana,  during  the  great  mining  excite- 
ment, and  at  the  expiration  of  that  time  he 
returned  to  the  States.  After  a  trip  to  South- 
ern Kansas,  he  returned  to  Minnesota  and 
settled  in  Renville  county.  In  1877  he  left  his 
family  at  Hutchinson  and  went  to  the  Black 
Hills,  D.  T.  After  making  several  trips 
home,  he  finally,  in  1879,  returnetl  to  Ren- 
ville county,  and  continued  to  live  there  until 
1884,  when  he  came  to  the  village  of  Green- 
leaf,  and  established  his  present  business. 
Being  thoroughly  skilled  at  his  trade,  he  com- 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


329 


mands  a  good  patronage.  In  1886  he  made 
a  trip  to  Iluntsville,  Ala.,  Init  returned  with- 
out giving  tlie  matter  of  locating  there  much 
thought. 

Mr.  McCue  was  married  at  the  village  of 
Greenleaf  in  1873,  to  Miss  Mary  Kaler,  a 
daughter  of  Christian  and  Almira  Kaler,  of 
Greenleaf  township.  Six  children  have  been 
the  fruit  of  this  union,  as  follows  —  John  E., 
born  March  20,  1875;  Stella  A.,  born  April 
9,  1877;  Alford  0.,  born  August  21,  1879; 
Effie  May,  born  March  29,  1881;  Margaret 
Myra,  born  March  13,  1883 ;  Annie  Ethel, 
born  March  19,  1885. 


^^ICHAEL  F.  LENHARDT,  a  respected 
_M^J3^^  and  enterprising  farmer,  who  re- 
sides on  section  1,  Litchfield,  was  born  in 
Saxon-Meiningen,  Germany,  on  the  SUth  of 
October,  1827,  and  is  a  son  of  Michael  and 
Margaret  Lenhardt.  He  remained  with  his 
parents  in  his  native  land  until  1853,  when 
he  came  to  America,  landing  in  New  Orleans 
shortly  after  the  great  yellow-fever  scourge 
had  abated.  He  located  in  St.  Louis  and  re- 
mained there  for  two  years,  then  went  to 
Kansas,  but,  not  being  favorably  impressed 
with  the  outlook  there,  he  returned  to  St. 
Louis,  and,  the  following  3'ear  (185fi),  he 
caTue  to  Meeker  county,  Minn.,  and  took  a 
claim  on  section  11,  Litchfield  township, 
where  the  village  of  Litchfield  now  stands. 
The  following  year  he  gave  up  that  place 
and  took  a  claim  on  section  1,  in  the  same 
township,  where  he  still  lives.  In  1859 
he  was  married  to  Eebecca  Louhan,  a 
native  of  Kentuck}',  and  two  children  were 
born  to  them,  one  of  whom  is  deceased, 
and  the  other  —  Minne  —  is  the  wife  of 
Frank  Maetzold,  of  Litchfield.  In  1803  Mrs. 
Lenhardt,  the  wife,  and  youngest  child,  died. 
In  1872  Mr.  Lenhardt  made  a  visit  to  his  na- 
tive land,  and  while  there Avas  united  in  mar- 


riage with  Margaret  Peipus,  a  daughter  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Peipus.  Four  children 
were  the  result  of  this  union — Kicke  (de- 
ceased), Anna,  August,  and  Bertha. 

At  the  time  of  the  Indian  outbreak,  in 
1862,  Mr.  Lenhardt  was  ojierating  his  farm 
in  a  quiet  way.  He  did  not  become  much 
alarmed  at  first,  but  soon  felt  the  gravity  of 
the  situation,  and,  on  Wednesday  following 
the  massacre  at  Acton,  he  started  with  his 
family  for  Clearwater.  The  road  en  route 
was  literally  alive  with  people  and  stock,  and 
the  woods  were  full  of  panic-sti'icken  beings. 
After  remaining  in  Clearwater  a  short  time, 
he  concluded  the  matter  was  more  a  scare 
than  anything  else,  and  went  back  to  his 
farm.  He  was  not  long  in  discovering, 
however,  that  the  ]3eo]ile  were  not  terrorized 
without  cause,  and,  therefore,  took  his  fam- 
ily to  Forest  City  for  safet}^,  arriving  there 
just  before  the  Indians  made  the  attack  on 
the  fort.  After  spending  about  one  month 
at  Forest  City,  Mr.  Lenhardt  Avent  back  to  his 
farm  for  the  winter,  and  the  following  year 
put  in  his  crops  and  has  since  made  that  his 
home.  He  devotes  his  entire  attention  to 
farming  and  stock  raising,  and  has  a  most 
pleasantly  situated  and  comfortable  home. 
He  is  one  of  the  most  highly  respected  old 
settlers  and  substantial  citizens  of  the  county. 


-»► 


3ME  ANS  M.  AKESSON,  a  resident  of  Swede 
_1?^  Grove  township,  is  a  son  of  Mons  and 
Siselia  Akesson.  He  was  born  in  Sweden  on 
the  Sthof  March,  1856,  and  remained  in  his 
native  land  until  1881,  when  he  came  to  the 
LTnited  States,  and,  aftei*  spending  two  months 
in  Wisconsin,  jiushed  on  westward  and  located 
in  Swede  Grove  township.  Meeker  county. 
Minn.  On  the  24th  of  November,  1882 
he  was  married  to  Miss  Anna  Olena  Erickson 
the  only  daughter  of  Gerti'am  and  JMartha 
Erickson.     The  father  of  Anna  died  in  Amer- 


330 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


ica,  and  the  mother,  Martha,  came  to  the 
United  States  in  185",  and  in  I860  was  mar- 
ried to  Christian  Erickson,  wiio  died  on  the 
2(3th  of  March,  1882.  Mrs.  Erickson  liad  two 
children  —  Ilalvor  Michelson,  who  was  born 
February  11.  184t!,  wiio  Hves  on  section  32, 
Swede  Grove  townsiiip,  and  Anna  Olena,  now 
Mrs.  Hans  Akesson,  wlio  was  born  March  18, 
1864.  Hans  M.  Akesson  and  his  family  live 
■with  his  wife's  mother  and  cultivate  the  farm. 
Mrs.  Erickson  is  an  old  settler  in  the  town- 
ship and  was  here  all  through  the  "  pioneer 
days."  When  the  Indian  trouble  began  she 
fled  for  her  life  with  the  others  who  were 
living  here  at  that  time.  She  fled  in  the 
night  for  Forest  City  for  protection,  and  at 
onetime  came  very  near  losing  her  life,  when 
Indian  bullets  were  flvini;  as  thick  as  hail. 
As  a  full  histor}'  of  those  Indian  times  is 
given  in  another  chapter  of  this  work  it  is 
unnecessary  to  repeat  it  here. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Akesson  have  been  blessed 
with  three  children,  whose  names  and 
ages  are  as  follows — Martin  Clarence,  born 
May  6,  1883  ;  Gotfried  Casper,  born  Novem- 
ber 29,  1884  ;  and  Ilelmer  Eugene,  who  was 
born  on  the  5th  of  November,  1886. 


MNOTHER  pioneer  of  Meeker  county 
j^^  is  F.  V.  DeCostek,  ex-jndge  of  pro- 
bate, and  one  of  Litchfield's  most  prominent 
merchants.  Mr.  DeCc)ster  was  born  in  Buck- 
field,  Me.,  on  the  I'.Hh  of  November,  1838. 
His  parents  were  Varanes  and  Louisa 
(Thompson)  DeCoster,  both  natives  of  the 
same  State.  F.  V.  remained  at  home  until 
seventeen,  working  on  a  farm  and  attending 
school  and  at  fifteen  began  teaching  school. 
When  seventeen  he  went  to  the  city  of  Bos- 
ton and  worked  in  a  store  for  about  a  year, 
when  he  started  west  and  brought  up  at 
Dunkirk,  N.  Y.  A  short  time  later  he  pushed 
on  West  to  St.  Anthonv,  Minn.,  and  remained 


there  until  the  spring  of  1858,  when  he  located 
in  the  village  of  Kingston,  Meeker  county, 
and  was  there  engaged  in  carpentering,  teach- 
ing and  in  carrvintron  the  fur  trade,  remain- 
ing  at  this  most  of  the  time  until  the  war 
broke  out.  He  thus  became  personally  ac- 
quainted with  the  famous  Little  Crow,  the 
head  of  the  massacre  movement  in  1862,  and 
also  with  the  chief  Shakopee,  buying  fur 
and  venison  at  various  times  of  both  these 
notables.  In  1859-60  Mr.  DeCoster  left 
Kingston  for  atrip  through  the  south,  going 
to  St.  Louis,  then  to  Cmcinnati,  and  then 
Natchez,  Miss.,  where  he  had  charge  of  the 
boats  on  the  levee  for  a  time.  From  there 
he  went  to  New  Orleans ;  then  Mobile ;  and 
then  to  Montgomery,  Ala.,  on  the  same  boat 
that  carried  a  lot  of  Southern  planters  who 
were  on  their  way  to  attend  a  secession  con- 
vention. After  spending  a  short  time  at 
Savannah,  Ga.,  Mr.  DeCoster,  returned  to  the 
North,  and  finally  drifted  to  his  old  home  in 
Buckfield,  INIaine,  where  he  remained  some 
two  weeks,  and  then  returned  to  Kingston, 
Minn.  Shortly  after  the  war  broke  out,  on 
the  25th  of  September,  1861,  he  enlisted  in 
Company  D,  Fourth  Minnesota  Volunteer 
Infantr\",  and  went  to  Fort  Aberci'ombie.  In 
the  spring  of  1862,  his  company  was  assigned 
to  the  Army  of  theAVest  in  Tennessee.  On  the 
1st  of  Januai-y,  1863,  he  was  made  orderly 
sergeant  of  Company  A,  Firet  Battalion  Cav- 
alry, Mississippi  Marine  Brigade,  and  on  the 
8th  of  July,  in  the  same  year,  he  was  jJaced 
in  command  of  Company  D,  as  Captain  and 
served  until  August  29,  1864.  The  business 
of  the  brigade  was  to  keep  the  Mississippi 
river  clear  of  Rebel  forces  who  fired  on 
transports,  one  of  the  most  dangerous  assign- 
ments in  the  service.  The  full  bi'igade  was 
carried  on  boats,  and  consisted  of  eight  ma- 
rine fleet  boats,  with  five  rams,  one  regi- 
ment of  infantry,  battalion  of  cavalry  and 
battery  besides  the  rams.  During  this  time 
Mr.  DeCoster  had  two  horses  shot  from  un- 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


331 


der  him,  and  in  one  engagement  when  they 
were  surprised  by  SCO  of  the  enemy  in  the 
canebrake  the  company  had  seventy  horses 
shot  out  of  170.  The  night  previous  to  this 
action  they  learned  that  the  boat  "  Bostona" 
had  been  burned  by  the  Rebels  at  Austin, 
Miss.  The  brigade  was  then  100  miles  off 
but  they  started  in  haste  and  arrived  at  that 
point  at  four  o'clock  the  following  morning. 
Mr.  DeCoster  was  ordered  to  take  ten  men 
and  go  into  the  country  in  search  of  the 
Eebels.  When  four  miles  out  they  came  in 
sight  of  five  of  the  Rebels  and  captured  them. 
When  about  to  return  to  the  command  the 
major  of  the  brigade  came  up  and  they  were 
ordered  to  push  on,  which  they  did,  and  when 
they  had  proceeded  but  a  short  distance  they 
were  met  by  the  800  rebels,  and  all  hands  of 
the  Union  men  came  near  losing  their  lives. 
It  is  worthy  of  mention  that  their  flag-ship. 
The  Autocrat,  was  the  second  one  at  Vicks- 
burg.  Mr.  DeCoster  continued  in  service  on 
the  river,  participating  in  numerous  engage- 
ments, until  the  27th  of  August,  1801:,  when 
he  was  mustered  out,  being  made  super- 
numerary by  the  consolidation  of  the 
brigade.  After  the  close  of  the  war  he 
remained  at  St.  Louis  for  some  four 
months  and  then  returned  to  Minnesota  and 
engaged  in  the  general  mercantile  trade  at 
Kingston.  This  he  conducted  until  1868 
when  he  sold  out  and  became  interested  in  a 
flouring  mill  and  remained  in  that  until  the 
spring  of  1871,  being  justice  of  the  peace 
most  of  the  time  and  otherwise  taking  a 
prominent  and  active  interest  in  public  af- 
fairs. In  the  spring  of  1871  he  removed  to 
Litchfield  and  again  embarked  in  the  general 
merchandise  trade.  This  he  continued  until 
about  1879,  when  he  changed  his  line  and 
handled  musical  instruments,  sewing  ma- 
chines and  notions.  In  1887  he  Avent  into 
the  jewelry  business  and  now  handles  a  line 
which  includes  jewelry,  musical  instruments, 
etc.     In  1872  he  was  elected  judge  of  pro- 


bate and  served  one  term,  and  since  that  time 
has  been  court  commissioner  most  of  the 
time.  He  has  also  taken  an  active  interest 
in  educational  mattei's  and  has  held  various 
oifices  on  the  school  board.  He  has  also  been 
a  member  of  the  council  and  taken  an  active 
interest  in  all  public  matters  at  Litchfield. 
Mr.  DeCoster  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity,  having  joined  the  Golden  Fleece 
Lodge,  No.  89,  when  it  was  located  at  Forest 
City,  and  has  always  maintained  his  mem- 
bership. He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Grand 
Army  of  the  Republic,  and  was  one  of  the 
charter  members  of  the  first  post  organized 
at  Litclifield,  and  joined  the  present  post  soon 
after  it  was  organized,  and  is  identified  with 
the  "  Survivors  of  the  Mississippi  River  Ram 
Fleet  and  Marine  Brigade."  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  dramatic  association,  and  was  its 
manager  for  some  two  years. 

Mr.  DeCoster  was  married  in  the  spring  of 
1871  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Campbell,  of  North 
Manchester,  Conn.  They  have  one  child — 
Esther  L.,  who  was  born  on  the  4th  of  Janu- 
ary, 1875.  The  family  are  members  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  and  Mr.  DeCoster  has 
been  supermtentlent  of  the  Sunday-school  of 
that  church  constantlv  since  1871. 


JTOHN  McINTEE,  at  present  a  resident  of 
^  section  8,  Manannah  township,  and  a 
leading  citizen  of  that  neighborhood,  was 
born  in  Ontario,  Canada,  on  the  15th  of 
August,  1852,  and  is  a  son  of  Nicholas  and 
Margaret  (Clark)  Mclntee.  His  early  life 
was  spent  in  his  native  Dominion,  but  in 
1878  he  came  to  Meeker  county,  Minn.,  and 
settled  in  Manannah  township,  where  he  still 
lives.  He  has  a  farm  of  100  acres,  with  a 
good  share  of  it  under  cultivation,  and 
devotes  his  attention  to  general  farming  and 
stock  liaising.  He  has  been  very  successful 
and  through  his  frugality  and  industry  is 
now  in  verv  comfortable  circumstances. 


332 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  M 1  XA'ESOTA. 


Mr.  Mclntee  was  married  on  the  1st  of 
June.  1S80,  to  Mary  A.  IStewart,  and  their 
marriage  has  been  blessed  with  three  chil- 
dren, named — William  J.,  ISIary, and  Marga- 
ret, all  of  whom  are  living  and  at  home. 
The  family  are  members  of  the  Catholic 
Ghnrch.  In  political  matters  Mr.  Mclntee's 
principles  are  independent  of  party,  and  he 
votes  for  the  man  rather  than  for  creed. 

Mr.  Mclntee's  pai-ents  were  born  in  Ire- 
land, and  l)oth  of  them  died  in  Canada.  Tiie 
father  of  Mrs.  Mclntee  was  a  native  of  Scot- 
land, and  died  in  Canada ;  her  mother  was  a 
native  of  Ireland,  and  now  lives  in  Meeker 
county. 


JplENRY  J.  BOYNTON,  an  energetic 
JiP^dL  and  prosperous  farmer  and  stock- 
raiser  of  Forest  Cit\'  townsliip,  lives  upon 
section  16,  where  he  settled  in  1865.  He  is 
engaged,  to  a  large  extent,  in  the  raising 
of  cattle,  and  for  a  man  of  liis  years  is 
extremely  active  and  business  like,  for  he 
was  born  May  IS,  1820.  Lincolnville, 
Penobscot  county,  Maine,  Avas  the  home  of 
his  pai'ents,  Jeremiah  and  Sarah  (Higgms) 
Boynton,  at  the  time  of  his  birth.  His  father 
was  born  in  Kennebec  county,  that  State, 
and  his  mother  at  Lincolnville.  The  former 
died  in  1876,  the  latter  in  186S. 

The  subject  of  this  narrative  was  reared 
in  his  native  State,  and  until  he  was  eleven 
veal's  of  age,  attended  school  at  Bradley, 
Penobscot  county.  At  the  age  of  thirteen 
he  commenced  life,  lumbering  ujion  the  rivers 
of  Maine,  and  followed  that  business  until 
he  had  reached  the  age  of  forty-five  years. 
"With  a  view  to  change  his  mode  of  life  he 
then  removed  westward  and  settled  in 
Meeker  county,  where  he  has  since  made  his 
home.  He  has  been  connected  with  several 
of  the  town  offices  since  his  coming  here, 
and  merits  and  receives  the  warmest  esteem 
and  respect  of  ail  wlio  know  liini. 


U])on  tlie  Otli  of  August,  1841,  Mr.  Boyn- 
ton and  Miss  Euth  Eaton,  jjledged  their 
mutual  vows  at  the  marriage  altar.  Tlie 
lady  is  a  native  of  Kova  Scotia,  and  daugh- 
ter of  Guy  and  Lydia  (Rockwell)  Eaton, 
natives  of  Nova  Scotia,  who  had  moved  to 
the  above  province  some  time  before  the 
l)irtli  of  their  daughter.  By  this  union  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Boynton  have  a  family  of  nine 
children,  as  follows:  Mary  Ann,  wife  of 
Andrew  Gilchrist;  Albert,  in  Minneapoh's  ; 
Lewyn,  who  married  Miss  Lizzie  Abbott,  and 
is  living  in  Eden  Valley  ;  Louisa,  Mrs.  "Wra. 
Peters;  Charles;  Eldora,  the  wife  of  Rollin 
Thorp,  of  "Wright  county ;  Lizzie,  wjio 
married  Rev.  L.  L.  Tower,  and  is  living  at 
Princeton,  this  State ;  Alonzo,  residing  at 
home ;  and  Effie,  Mrs.  D.  Lounsberry,  of  Man- 
annah  township. 

Mr.  Bovnton  is  a  life-long  democrat,  cast- 
ing  his  first  vote  for  the  candidate  of  that 
party  in  1841.  He  and  his  family  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and 
he  has  occujned  the  position  of  steward  and 
class  leader  in  that  denomination  for  some 
time,  and  was  quite  prominently  identified 
with  the  building  up  of  the  congregation  at 
Forest  Citv. 


•-J-J^j^-^* 


/^^\NE  OF  THE  enterprising  farmers  of 
VS^/  Kingston  toAvnship  is  H.  Y.  Rumsey, 
who  lives  on  section  8,  township  120,  range 
29  west,  where  he  also  carries  on  stock  rais- 
ing. He  is  a  native  of  Cortland  county,  N. 
Y.,  Ijorn  April  27,  1848,  and  is  the  son  of 
L.  H.  and  Mary  A.  (A'incent)  Rumsey,  who 
came  to  INIinnesota,  in  1868,  from  "Wisconsin, 
where  tliev  had  been  living  for  vears,  and 
settled  in  Kingston,  where  they  still  live. 
Our  suljject  was  one  of  two  children  born  to 
his  parents,  his  sister  being  the  wife  of 
Kelson  Turner,  of  whom  a  sketch  is  given 
elsewhere  in  thisAi.nrM. 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


335 


The  subject  of  this  memoir  spent  bis 
school  days  in  Fond  da  Lac  county,  Wis.,  and, 
until  attaining  his  majority,  assisted  his 
father  in  the  labor  of  carrying  on  the  farm. 
He  came  with  the  family  to  this  county, 
and,  after  coming  of  age,  engaged  in  agri- 
cultural pursuits  upon  his  own  account,  tak- 
ing up  a  homestead,  where  he  now  lives,  and 
to  which  he  has  added  until  he  now  owns 
ISO  acres  of  fine  land.  He  was  married. 
New  Year's  day,  1873,  to  Miss  Anna  M. 
Kline,  a  native  of  Michigan,  born  in  Flint, 
Genesee  county,  October  IS,  IS-iO,  and 
daughter  of  James  A.  and  Ann  (Shimin) 
Kline.  She  was  reared  and  educated  in 
Winnebago  county,  111.,  whither  her  parents 
had  moved  at  an  early  day,  and  came  to  this 
county  with  the  family.  A  biography  of 
hor  father  appears  in  the  pages  of  this 
volume. 

By  their  union  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Riunsey  are 
the  parents  of  one  child — Elton  K.,  born 
October  26, 1S78.  Mr.  Rumsey  is  a  democrat 
in  his  political  views,  and  usually  supports 
the  candidates  and  measures  of  that  organ- 
ization.  He  is  the  jjresent  treasurer  of  school 
district  No.  7i.  and  has  held  that  office  since 
it  was  organized. 


fOHN  HURLEY,  one  of  the  pioneers  of 
Meeker  county,  and  one  of  its  i-epre- 
seutative  men,  is  a  resident  of  Ellsworth 
township,  and  is  engaged  in  carrying  on  his 
farm  on  section  8.  He  came  here  in  1S5S, 
and  took  up  his  claim  where  he  now  lives, 
and  there  remained  until  the  Indian  troubles 
of  1862.  During  those  fearful,  tragic 
days  he  left  here  and  went  to  Fremont  and 
Clearwater,  and  from  thence  back  to  Kins's- 
ton,  and  from  there,  finall}',  to  what  is  now 
Darwin,  where  he  remained  some  two  years. 
He  then  returned  to  his  farm,  where  he  has 
ever   since  made    his    home.     His   original 


claim  consisted  of  some  160  acres,  but  he  now 
has  nearly  doulile  that  number  of  acres,  and 
his  farm  is  Ijrought,  to  a  hio'li  state  of  culti- 
vation. 

Mr.  Hurley  is  a  native  of  that  "bright 
gem  of  the  sea,"  Ireland,  born  in  County 
Cork  in  the  year  1S2.5,  and  is  the  son  of 
Dennis  and  Mary  (DriscoU)  Hurley,  both  of 
Avhom  were,  also,  natives  of  the  Emei'ald 
Isle.  Dennis  Hurley  died  in  his  native  land 
in  18i7,  and  his  widow  came  to  the  United 
States  in  1864  or  1805,  and  after  a  stay  in 
New  York  and  Pittsburg,  came  to  Minne- 
apolis, and  from  thence  to  this  county,  where 
she  died  September  29.  1872.  They  were 
the  parents  of  seven  children,  one  of  whom 
died  in  infancy. 

Mr.  Hui'ley,  of  whom  we  write,  was  united 
in  marriage  in  February,  1S51,  with  Miss  El- 
len White,  who  was  born  in  Ireland  in  May, 
1819,  and  who  came  to  America  with  her 
parents  in  1844,  and  settled  in  Pittsburg, 
Pa.  She  died  in  March,  1887,  having  been 
the  mother  of  four  children — Mary.  Ellen, 
Ann  and  John.  Mary  died  in  Pennsyl- 
vania in  1857,  at  the  age  of  two  years  ;  John 
died  October  15.  1887,  of  typhoid  fever,  the 
others  are  at  home  with  their  father. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Hurley  is  entirely 
independent  of  paity  lines,  and  non-partisan 
in  the  discharge  of  his  elective  franchise. 
He  has  held  the  office  of  director  of  his 
school  district,  and  takes  great  interest  in  all 
educational  work.  As  a  progressive,  enter- 
prising man  he  is  the  peer  of  any  in  the 
town. 

-— «"?^^"<"    ■ 

/^^  RICK  W.  NELSON,  a  young  and  euter- 
\^^  prising  farmer  of  Dassel  township,  is 
also  engaged,  in  company  with  N.  J.  Lind, 
in  carrying  on  the  saloon  business  in  the 
village  of  that  name.  He  is  a  native  of 
Sweden,    born    among  its  beautiful  scenes 


336 


MEEKER    COUNTY,  MIXNESOTA. 


October  14,  1856,  anil  is  the  son  of  Peter 
and  Mary  ]SIelson.  lie  came  to  America, 
when  but  twelve  years  of  age,  in  company 
with  his  parents,  who  took  up  railroad  land 
and  settleil  on  section  35,  Dassel  township, 
in  1868,  where  the  father  of  our  subject  made 
his  homo  until  overtaken  by  death  in  1S83. 
Erick  remained  with  Jiis  parents  upon  the 
family  homestead  until  their  death,  and 
then  came  to  the  village,  of  Dassel,  and  was 
employed  as  a  clerk  in  a  store  until  May, 
1886,  when  he  embarked  in  the  saloon  busi- 
ness, as  above  mentioned.  He  is  carrying 
on  a  farm  of  sixty  acres,  a  portion  of  the 
parental  estate,  and  has  made  quite  a  success 
in  life  for  a  young  man.  Self-reliant,  with- 
out obstrusiveness,  and  straight  forward  in 
his  dealings,  he  is  bound  to  succeed  in  life, 
and  his  business  tact  will  insure  his  finan- 
cial elevation. 


"OHN  PETERSON,  better  known  as  B. 
W.  Peterson,  one  of  the  leading  farmers 
of  Collinwood  township,  and  one  of  its  most 
enterprising  citizens,  is  a  native  of  Sweden, 
born  October  IS,  1825,  and  is  the  son  of 
Peter  Johnson  and  his  wife,  Jennie  (Matson) 
Johnson.  He  was  reared  and  educated  in 
his  native  land,  and  was  an  inmate  of  his 
father's  house  until  he  liad  attained  the  age 
of  thirty-eight.  December  25,  1850,  he  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  Olson, 
and  for  three  years  thereafter  made  his  home 
with  the  old  folks.  Purchasing  a  timber 
farm,  he  then  took  up  his  residence  upon  it, 
and  made  it  his  home  until  1867,  clearing  off 
the  timber  and  cultivating  its  soil,  when 'he 
sold  out  and  emigrated  to  the  new  world  in 
search  of  a  home  in  the  land  of  the  free. 
Coming  to  Minnes(jta  on  landing,  he  at  first 
settled  in  Carver  county,  but  two  years  after 
removed  to  this  county  and  purchased  eighty 
acres  of  land  on  section  ?>G,  Collinwood  town- 


shi]),  where  he  now  lives.  All  of  the  im- 
provements upon  his  place  are  the  result  of 
his  own  enei'gy  and  diligence,  and  are  a 
credit  to  his  industry. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  I'eterson  are  the  parents  of 
six  children,  of  whom  the  following  is  the 
record — Jennie,  born  March  17,  1852,  mar- 
ried Paul  Anderson,  and  lives  in  Wright 
county;  Olof,  born  January  24,  1860,  mar- 
ried Miss  Betsy  Larsen,  and  resides  in  this 
township;  Martha,  born  August  24,  1854, 
and  is  the  wife  of  B.  N.  Peterson,  of  Cokato, 
this  State;  John,  born  September  6,  1862; 
Peter,  who  was  born  in  1857  and  died  in 
1859;  and  Peter,  born  in  1865  and  died  in 
1877.  Although  a  poor  man  when  he  came 
here,  Mr.  Peterson  has,  by  the  exercise  of 
excellent  judgment  and  hard  work,  placed 
himself  in  acondition  of  comparative  comfort. 


-«■- 


►^^ 


M^NDREW  LARSON,  who  resides  on  sec- 
_^^  tion  16,  Litclilield  township,  is  one  of 
the  most  extensive  farmers  and  stock-raisers 
in  Meeker  county.  He  was  born  in  Sweden 
on  the  31st  of  October,  1843,  but  left  his 
native  land  with  his  parents,  John  and  Celia 
Larson,  and  came  to  America  in  1857.  The 
family  came  direct  to  Meeker  countj^  Minn., 
and  settled  on  section  9,  Litchfield  township. 
Andrew  remained  with  his  parents  about  one 
year  thereafter,  and  then  voluntarily  threw 
himself  on  his  own  resources,  and  began  the 
struggle  of  life  alone,  working  as  a  farm 
hand  at  small  monthly  wages.  "When  the 
Indian  outbreak  came  he  was  yet  a  mere 
boy,  but  entered  into  the  contest  for  the  pro- 
tection of  life  and  ]H'operty  with  the  spirit  of 
a  veteran.  On  that  fatal  Suiulay,  August 
17,  186;^,  he  was  at  a  gathering  of  citizens  of 
the  neigiiborhood  at  the  old  Pi])ley  ]iost- 
ottice,  where  they  were  discussing  the  matter 
of  securing  substitutes  to  go  into  the  array, 
when  the  news  came  of  the  killing  of  five 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


337 


persons  at  Acton.  The  next  day  he  went 
over  to  the  scene  with  the  party  raised  for 
the  rescue  and  protection  of  the  people  in 
that  neighborliood.  Andrew  was  detailed, 
along  with  Andrew  Ingerman  to  go  to  lakes 
Lillian  and  Elizabeth  and  extend  the  alarm 
to  the  settlers  thereabouts.  At  first  the  set- 
tlers were  loth  to  believe  the  story,  and  were 
with  difficulty  induced  to  flee  for  their  lives. 
Andrew  remained  with  the  garrison  at  Forest 
City  until  the  15th  of  September,  when  he 
was  sworn  into  the  State  service  with  the 
rest  of  the  original  company.  After  return- 
ing from  the  campaign  with  this  company  he 
enlisted  in  Company  C,  Mounted  Hangers 
of  the  United  States  service,  for  one  year, 
and  did  duty  on  the  frontierduring  the  time, 
protecting  settlers,  and  witnessed  many  evi- 
dences of  Indian  atrocity  and  brutality  that 
were  blood-curdling  and  heart-rending  in  the 
extreme,  and  also  participated  in  several 'en- 
gagements with  the  red  skins.  In  the  fall 
of  1863  he  was  honorably  discharged  from 
this  service,  and  in  August,  1864,  enlisted  in 
Company  13,  Eleventh  Minnesota  Infantry, 
and  remained  in  the  service  until  the  close  of 
the  war.  The  reo'iment  was  first  assigned  to 
the  Second  Army  Corps,  but  was  subse- 
quently ordered  to  Nashville  to  assist  General 
Thomas  in  resisting  Hood's  great  Tennessee 
raid.  The  regiment  was  engaged  in  the  bat- 
tle of  Nashville,  and  afterward  did  patrol 
duty  on  the  Nashville  &  Chattanooga  rail- 
road. On  the  26th  of  June,  1865,  Mr.  Larson 
was  mustered  out  of  service,  and  on  return- 
ing home  took  an  eighty-acre  homestead  and 
at  once  began  improving  it. 

In  1S68  Andrew  Larson  was  married  to 
Anna  Larson,  daughter  of  Peter  Larson, 
whose  farm  adjoined  the  homestead  belong- 
ing to  Andrew's  father.  Anna  Larson  was 
born  on  the  6th  of  January,  1849.  Their 
marriage  has  been  blessed  witli  four  children, 
all  of  whom  are  living  at  home.  Their 
names  are   Alice  E.,  Edward  A.,  Charlotte 


M.,  and  Harry  J.  Mr.  Larson  has  taken  a 
commendable  interest  in  public  matters,  and 
has  held  various  offices  of  a  local  character;, 
he  has  held  the  office  of  constable  for  about 
sixteen  years,  doing  duty  in  some  of  the- 
most  trying  times  in  the  history  of  th& 
county.  His  industry  and  careful  manage- 
ment have  enal)led  him  to  acquire  a  good 
share  of  this  world's  goods,  and  he  is  now 
well  oif .  He  owns  a  farm  of  over  a  thousand 
acres,  most  of  which  is  under  cultivation. 


v^> 


TOT 


I^ON.  MICHAEL  J.  FLYNN.  Among 
the  honored  citizens  of  the  village  of 
Litchfield  there  are  very  few  that  hold  the 
place  in  the  esteem  and  respect  of  the  com- 
munity to  the  degree  that  Mr.  Flynn  does_ 
Closely  connected  with  the  business  and 
social  life  of  the  place,  an  honored  and  rep- 
resentative pioneer  citizen  of  Meeker  county,, 
and  the  talented  and  worthy  recipient  of  leg- 
islative laurels  bestowed  by  this  people,  he- 
occupies  a  prominent  place  in  its  annals. 

Mr.  Flynn  is  a  native  of  Kane  county, 
III.,  born  August  15,  1840,  and  is  the  son  of 
John  and  Ann  (Lynch)  Flynn,  natives  of 
Ireland.  His  parents  came  to  America  about- 
1836,  and  were  married  at  Chicago,  111. 
From  there  they  moved  to  Kane  county, 
111.,  where  they  resided  many  years.  In 
1856,  he  came  to  Meeker  count}'  with  his- 
parents  who  settled  in  Forest  City  township. 
In  1859  the  father  died  and  Michael,  although 
but  nineteen  years  of  age,  took  upon  him- 
self the  management  of  the  farm  and  the 
support  of  the  family,  but  being  endowed 
with  a  strong  will  and  excellent  judgment, 
felt  competent  to  grapple  with  the  responsi- 
bilities of  the  situation.  During  the  dread- 
ful days  of  the  Indian  massacre  in  1862,  h© 
found  his  hands  full  in  endeavoring  to  pro- 
tect his  charge,  and  the  stock,  from  the   red 


fiends   who 


were 


wasting 


the  border  with. 


33S 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  M/XA'ESOTA. 


tomahawk,  rifle  and  torch.  His  home  duties 
prevented  Iiis  joining  "Whitcomb's  Irregu- 
lars," l)ut  when  the  occasion  offered  he  was 
not  baclvward  in  vokniteering  to  assist  in 
lielj)ing  those  more  exposed  than  themselves, 
and  incurred  many  peinls  in  the  discharge  of 
his  duty.  On  one  occasion,  when  out  with  a 
))arty  who  left  the  stockade  at  Forest  City  on 
one  of  their  many  errands  of  mercy,  the  little 
band  was  assaulted  by  a  liost  of  tlie  rutliless, 
retl-handed,  murdering  Sioux,  and  forced  to 
flee  for  their  lives.  Tiiis  was  the  famous  expe- 
dition that  was  driven  back  l)y  over  300  Indi- 
ans to  the  fortifications  they  had  erected, 
with  the  loss  of  one  horse  and  wagon  that 
had  stuck  fast  in  the  mud  of  a  slough.  In 
JN^ovember,  1803,  Mr.  Flynn's  domestic 
arrangements  permitting  his  absence,  he 
enlisted  in  Company  D,  Second  Minnesota 
Cavalry,  and  joined  General  Sully's  column 
on  the  Missouri  river,  and  i)articipated  with 
the  regiment  in  all  the  engagements  n|)on 
the  frontier,  the  regiment  having  been 
assigned  for  that  duty  on  account  of  being- 
cavalry.  He  remained  in  the  service  until 
November  or  December,  1865,  when,  being- 
honorably  discharged,  he  returned  to  the 
farm,  where  he  made  his  home,  engaged  in 
agricultural  ]>ursuits  until  1870,  when  he 
came  to  Litchfield  and  took  charge  of  the 
lumber  yard  belonging  to  Ciiauncey  Butler. 
Three  yeai-s  he  remained  in  that  position, 
but  in  1873  purchased  the  lumber  yard  of  J. 
H.  Morris,  which  he  carried  on  ahme  until 
1874,  when  his  brother  Daniel  joined  him 
and  the  present  Arm  was  formed.  They 
added  tlie  sale  of  agricultural  implements  to 
their  business,  a  branch  which  they  still  pur- 
sue, having  disposeil  of  their  lumber  inter- 
ests in  1S7S,  but  still  carry  evei-ything  in  the 
way  of  farm  macliinery.  In  1880  the  broth- 
ers purchased  the  Butlei'  elevator  and  do 
about  the  heaviest  grain  tratle  in  Litchfield, 
handling  about  175,000  bushels  of  wheat  per 
annum.       In     addition    to     his     mercantile 


engagements,  Mi\  Flynn  has  a  farm  of  480 
acres  of  flneland  in  Harvey  townshi]),  where 
he  carries  on,  quite  extensiveh",  the  raising  of 
stock. 

Our  subject  has  always  held  a  ])rominent 
place  in  the  official  history  of  Meeker  county, 
and  taken  a  deep  interest  in  the  welfai'e  of 
its  peo})le.  In  1867  he  served  upon  the 
board  of  county  commissioners,  and,  appre- 
ciating his  worth  in  1884,  he  was  elected  to 
the  State  Legislature  and  served  in  the 
House  during  the  session  of  the  Twenty- 
fourth  Assembly.  When  the  city  of  Litch- 
field came  under  its  new  charter  in  1887,  he 
was  chosen  its  first  mayor.  He  has  large 
interests  in  the  woolen  mill,  and  is  the  presi- 
dent of  the  board  of  directors  of  the  same ; 
is  a  member  of  the  Frank  Daggett  Post,  G. 
A.  Pt.  ;  of  Father  Mathew's  Total  Absti- 
nence Society,  and  a  leading  and  influential 
meniber  of  the  Eoman  Catholic  Church. 

Mr.  Flynn  and  ]\Iiss  Frances  Campbell 
were  united  in  marriage  February  8,  1869. 
The  lady  is  a  native  of  Kane  county.  111.,  and 
sister  of  Hon.  William  M.  Campbell,  the 
United  States  Marshal  of  this  district.  By 
this  union  there  have  been  born  six  children — 
John,  who  is  a  student  at  the  college  at 
Notre  Dame,  Ind. ;  Louise,  Elizabeth, 
Marv.  Finances  and  Edward  AVilliam. 


-«-i 


MlFRED    J.   JOHNSON,    a     successful 


pv^  farmer  and  stock-raiser,  residing  on 
section  16,  Danielson  township,  is  one  nf  the 
most  prominent  citizens  of  the  township  in 
which  lie  lives.  He  is  a  son  of  Isaac  and 
Hannah  Ogi'en,  and  was  born  in  Sweden,  on 
the  '2'^'A  of  September,  18.">3.  He  came  to  the 
United  States  with  his  parents,  in  1870,  and 
the  family  made  their  way  directly  to 
Meeker  county,  Minn.,  where  they  settled 
upon  a  forty -acre  homestead  on  section  20,  in 
Danielson  township.     Alfred  mad(>liis  home 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


339 


with  his  parents,  working,  in  the  mean  time, 
for  different  parties,  until  18S0,  when  he  pur- 
chased a  portion  of  his  present  farm.  Times 
were  very  hard  during  the  early  days  of  theh' 
settlement  here,  and  money  was  scarce,  an 
incident  of  whicli  is  the  fact  that  at  one  time, 
when  they  wanted  to  mail  a  letter,  it  took  all 
the  money  that  three  of  thetn  had  to  buy  a 
three-cent  stamp.  Alfred  did  a  good  deal  of 
trapping  in  those  days,  and  in  the  fall,  after 
frost  set  in,  he  walked  to  Forest  City  bare- 
footed, and  carried  500  rat  skins.  With  the 
proceeds  he  purchased  a  pair  of  shoes,  some 
sugar,  coffee,  etc.,  and  felt  quite  rich  when 
he  arrived  home  with  seventy-five  cents  in  his 
pocket.  The  loss  of  crops  in  1877,  from  the 
depredations  of  the  grasshoppers,  made  times 
still  harder,  as  they  onlv  saved  forty -five 
bushels,  after  planting  100.  A  laughable 
incident  is  told  of  the  days  when  Alfred  de- 
voted a  good  deal  of  his  time  to  trapping. 
He  had  a  partner,  and  one  day  they  set  a 
trap  in  the  side  of  a  hill  for  the  purpose  of 
catching  whatever  might  come  along.  The 
next  day  the  partner  went  to  discover  and 
bring  in  whatever  might  have  found  its  way 
to  the  hole.  He  crawled  into  the  aperture, 
and  was  just  about  to  pull  the  trap  out  when 
a  skunk,  which  had  got  fast,  opened  hostil- 
ities with  most  excellent  aim  at  his  face. 
The  partner  beat  a  hastj^  retreat,  while  the 
fun  of  the  joke  was  all  on  Alfred's  part. 

Alfred  J.  Johnson  was  married  on  the  7th 
of  December,  1S81,  to  Esther  Holmgren,  a 
daughter  of  John  and  Mary  Holmgren,  who 
was  born  October  16, 1862.  They  have  been 
blessed  with  the  following  children — Gustaf 
Edward,  born  September  24,  1883;  Edith 
Evolina,  born  June  25,  1885;  and  "Walter 
William,  born  September  30,  1886.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Johnson  are  members  of  the  Methodist 
Church.  Mr.  Johnson  now  has  a  splendid 
farm  of  260  acres,  a  good  share  of  which  is 
under  cultivation,  and  he  devotes  his  time  to 
general  farming  and  stock-raising.     In  addi- 


tion to  his  farming  operations,  he  has  for  the 
last  fourteen  years  run  a  horse-power 
thresher,  and  during  the  last  two  years  has 
run  a  steam  thresher.  In  political  matters  he 
is  a  republican,  and  he  has  taken  an  active  in- 
terest in  all  mattei's  affecting  the  welfare  of 
his  township.  He  has  held  various  offices  of 
a  local  nature,  among  which  are  the  follow- 
ing :  justice  of  the  peace,  six  years ;  super- 
visor, two  years,  and  school  clerk,  one  year. 
Mrs.  Johnson's  parents  are  living  in  Acton. 
Alfred's  parents  reside  on  section  20,  Dan- 
ielson  township.  He  has  two  half-brothers 
living  in  Meeker  county  —  Andrew,  who 
keeps  a  hotel  at  Litchfield,  and  John,  a  res- 
ident of  Danielson. 


j^HARLES  McALOON,  a  respected  and 
i^^  well-to-do  farmer,  residing  on  section 
2,  Harvey  township,  is  a  native  of  Ireland, 
and  was  born  in  1835.  His  father  died  in 
his  native  land,  and  in  1853  he  started  for 
America  with  his  mother,  arriving  at  Boston 
on  the  19th  of  May.  He  went  direct  to 
Lowell,  Mass.,  where  he  was  emj^loyed  in 
the  factories  for  fourteen  years.  At  the  end 
of  that  time  he  started  for  Meeker  county, 
Minn.,  and  upon  his  arrival,  after  stopping 
for  one  night  at  Forest  City,  he  settled  in 
Manannah  township,  where  he  lived  for 
about  six  months.  He  then  took  a  home- 
stead in  what  is  now^  Forest  Prairie  town- 
ship, and  lived  there  until  May,  1871:,  when 
he  again  settled  in  Manannah  township.  On 
the  Irth  of  October,  1885.  he  settled  on  sec- 
tion 2,  in  Harvey  township,  where  he  still 
lives.  He  has  a  valuable  farm,  a  large,  com- 
fortable residence  and  other  substantial  farm 
improvements.  Mr.  McAloon's  mother  died 
while  he  was  living  at  Lowell,  Mass. 

On  the  1st  of  October,  1871,  our  subject 
was  married  to  Miss  Mary  McQuade,  and 
their  union  has  been  blessed  with  nine  chil- 


340 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


dren,  as  follows — John  F.,  born  July  2, 
1872,  died  July  2G,  1873,  and  buried  in  For- 
■est  City  cemetery  ;  Charles  II.,  born  Decem- 
ber 7,  1873;  an  infant,  born  July  6,  1871:, 
•died  at  birth  ;  Matthew  E.,  born  November 
6,  1876;  Eosella,  born  November  11,  1878; 
Mary  C,  born  October  30,  1880;  Alice  A., 
l)orn  September  18,  1882;  Hannah  E.,  born 
May  15,1881;  Catharine  A.,  born  October 
12,  1886,  died  P'ebruary  10,  1887,  and  buried 
in  Manannah  cemetery.  Mrs.  McAloon's 
parents  were  l)oth  natives  of  Ireland.  Her 
-mother  died  in  her  native  land,  and  the 
father  is  now  living  in  Swift  count}',  Minn. 
Mr.  McAloon  and  wife  are  exemplary  and 
active  members  of  the  Catholic  Church.  In 
political  affairs  Mr.  McAloon  does  not  follow 
the  arbitrary  dictation  of  any  party,  but  acts 
in  an  independent  manner.  He  owes  all  his 
prosperity  to  his  own  industry  and  frugality, 
as  he  started  in  the  woi-ld  without  a  dollar, 
but  the  same  habits  of  thrift,  economy  and 
energy  which  characterize  the  natives  of  the 
Emerald  Isle,  have  been  successful  in  his 
■case,  and  he  is  now  well  off  in  this  world's 
goods.  He  owns  400  acres  of  land,  a  good 
share  of  which  is  under  cultivation,  and  he 
has  the  place  well  stocked. 


IM^ERSVEND  S.  THORP  is  one  of  the 
1^^  many  thrifty  and  suljstantial  farmers 
■of  Acton  township.  He  was  born  in  Norway 
on  the  18th  of  January,  1841,  and  is  the  son 
■of  Severt  and  Brynnil  Thorp.  He  came  to 
the  United  States  in  1860,  and  settled  iirst 
in  Goodhue  county,  Minn.,  where  he  remained 
for  a  short  time  at  work  for  diffei'ent  parties; 
then  went  to  Minneapolis  and  drifted  around 
from  one  business  to  another,  and  from  place 
to  place,  until  1868,  when  he  came  to  Meeker 
county  and  took  a  homestead  of  eighty  acres 
on  section  8,  in  Acton  townsliip,  where  he 
has  since  lived.     He  has  added  to  his  home- 


stead, and  now  has  a  fann  of  270  acres,  well 
stocked  and  improved,  and  has  fine  farm 
buildings.  IMr.  Thorp  was  a  poor  man  when 
he  came  to  America,  but  the  industry  and 
economy,  so  characteristic  of  his  country- 
men, have  been  successful  in  his  case,  and  he 
is  now  well  off. 

Mr.  Thorp  was  married  in  July,  1869,  at 
Acton,  to  Miss  Beretli  MaJvig.  They  have 
had  the  following  children — Ole,  born  August 
23,  1870,  died  same  day;  Regine,  born 
December  9,  1871,  died  March  11,  1877; 
Severt,  born  August  17,  1873,  died  in  Octo- 
ber, 1877;  Severt,  born  August  .5,  1874; 
Pauline,  born  December  18,  1876,  died  same 
day;  Bertha,  born  April  12,  1879,  died  in 
September,  1879 ;  and  Olena,  born  January 
31,  1884.  In  political  matters,  Mr.  Thorp  is 
a  republican,  and  in  religious  affairs  the 
family  are  members  of  the  Norwegian  Luth- 
eran Church.  Mr.  Thorp  devotes  his  atten- 
tion to  diversified  farming  and  stock-raising. 
He  has  met  with  some  reverses,  but  nothing 
of  a  very  serious  character,  except  during 
the  grasshopper  raids,  when  he  lost  about 
half  his  crops. 


-<^- 


l^RANK  NELSON,  one  of  the  represent- 
1^^  ative  young  farmers  of  Cosmos  town- 
ship, has  his  home  upon  section  16,  where  he 
now  owns  some  200  acres  of  fine  land.  This 
place,  or,  rather,  160  acres  of  it,  he  purchased 
in  1886,  it  being  school  land.  To  it  he  has 
since  added  forty  acres  more,  and  has  some 
11.5  acres  of  it  under  cultivation.  His  dwell- 
ing, etc.,  which  he  erected  in  1887,  are  of  an 
excellent  character,  and  the  whole  place  man- 
ifests the  thrift  and  care  of  its  owner. 

Mr.  Nelson,  who  is  the  son  of  Swan  and 
Louisa  Nelson,  was  born  in  Goodhue  county 
March  2,  1864,  and  came  to  Meeker  county 
with  his  parents  on  the  26th  of  September, 
1876.      The  family  located  in  the  town  of 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


341 


Litchfield,  where  our  subject  remained  until 
coming  here.  June  10,  1887,  he  and  Miss 
Mary  Petereon  were  united  iu  marriage,  and 
took  up  the  duties  of  life  upon  their  farm. 

Our  subject  has  always  manifested  consid- 
erable interest  in  all  town  and  educational 
matters,  and  since  coming  here  has  been 
intrusted  with  the  office  of  clerk  of  school 
district  No.  81. 


-♦-: 


»-^- 


'OHN  CARNEY,  the  able  representative 
of  the  hardware  trade  at  Eden  Valley, 
came  to  that  village  iu  the  fall  of  1886,'  and 
the  next  spring  established  his  present  busi- 
ness. In  addition  to  the  usual  lines  handled, 
he  gives  a  share  of  his  attention  to  farm  ma- 
chinery and  }nimps. 

Mr.  Carney  is  a  native  of  Rutland  county, 
Yt.,  born  February  17,  185*3,  and  a  son  of 
Jeremiah  and  Catherine  (McConnell)  Carney, 
natives  of  Ireland  and  Vermont,  respectively. 
When  our  subject  was  only  about  four  years 
of  age  his  parents  removed  to  Eice  county, 
Minn.,  where  they  settled  on  a  farm.  In  the 
spring  of  1878  they  moved  to  Chippewa 
county  and  took  a  homestead  and  timber 
claim,  where  they  still  live.  In  Rice  county 
John  Carney  grew  up,  receiving  his  educa- 
tion in  the  district  schools  of  the  vicinity. 
He  made  his  home  with  his  parents,  and 
learned  the  blacksmith's  trade.  In  1886  he 
came  to  Eden  Valley  and  opened  a  smithy,  but 
the  next  spring  commenced  dealing  in  hard- 
ware, which  business  he  still  follows. 


•«"S€{^--4^' 


ILTON  GORTON. 


Foremost  among 


[1^_  the  old  pioneers  of  Meeker  county, 
who  yet  remain  here,  is  the  gentleman  who 
is  the  subject  of  this  memoir.  Coming  here 
in  1857,  the  second  year  of  the  county's  ex- 
istence, he  has,  more  or  less,  been  identified 


with  its  history,  ever  since.  He  is  a  resident 
of  the  town  of  Forest  City,  on  his  farm  on 
section  29  and  30,  which  he  preempted  on 
his  arrival  in  tiiis  localit3^ 

Mr.  Gorton  was  born  in  the  county  of 
Steuben,  N".  Y.,  May  22,  1822,  and  is  the  son 
of  Silas  and  Betsey  (Spring)  Gorton,  both 
of  whom  were  natives  of  the  "  Empire  State." 
He  was  one  of  a  family  of  nine  children 
born  to  his  parents,  the  others  being — 
Horatio,  Betsey,  Jane,  Stephen  D.,  Elmira, 
Hiram,  William  and  Milo.  Milo,  a  member 
of  a  New  York  Regiment,  was  killed  at  the 
battle  of  Resaca,  Ga. 

Our  subject  is  the  grandson  of  Peleg 
Gorton,  one  of  the  six  proprietors  of  Painted 
Post,  N.  Y.,  and  was  reared  in  that  vicinity, 
and  there  received  the  elements  of  a  common 
school  education.  On  the  3d  of  July, 
1859,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Harriett  C.  Marks,  a  native  of  New  York 
State,  also. 

At  the  time  of  the  Indian  outbreak,  Mr. 
Gorton's  wife  and  he  took  refuge  in  Forest 
Cit}',  and  upon  the  memorable  morning  of 
the  23d  of  August,  when  nearly  everybody 
had  fled  from  the  county,  Milton  Gorton 
was  one  of  the  little  band  of  heroes  who 
remained  to  make  a  stand  at  Forest  City,  in 
defense  of  their  homes,  as  detailed  in  the 
history  of  the  massacre  in  this  volume.  Mr. 
Gorton  lost  heavily  by  these  troubles,  the 
Sioux  burning  his  house  and  its  contents,  and 
destroying  everytfiing  else  that  they  could 
about  the  2)lace.  lie  has,  however,  fully 
recovered  from  the  setback,  and  is  one  of 
the  large  land  owners  and  prosperous  farmers 
of  the  county,  owning  over  a  full  section  of 
some  of  the  best  land  in  the  town  of  Forest 
City. 

Mr.  Gorton,  having  no  children  of  his 
own,  adopted  Ida  A.  Fergerson,  when  she 
was  but  five  years  of  age.  She  was  born 
April  17, 1873,  and  is  the  daughter  of  George 
Fergerson. 


342 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


Our  subject  is  a  stanch  republican  in  his 

political  views,  but  has  had  but  little  desire 

for  political  preferment,  although  he  has,  at 

.  times,  been  induced  to  accept  several  town 

offices. 


-■^ 


JOHN  BIRCH,  of  the  firm  of  Birch  & 
Nelson,  Litchfield,  is  a  native  of  Sweden, 
born  August  21,  1840,  and  is  the  son  of  An- 
drew and  Martha  (Johnson)  Birch.  He  re- 
mained in  his  native  land  until  ISOS,  when, 
with  a  natural  wish  to  better  his  financial 
condition,  he  bade  adieu  to  the  old  world  and 
souo-ht  in  America  a  new  home.  He  had 
served  a  long  apprenticeship  in  the  land  of 
his  birth,  to  the  trade  of  tailor,  and  on  land- 
ing on  these  shores,  worked  at  journey  work 
in  that  trade  in  the  city  of  St.  Paul,  whither 
he  had  come,  until  1880,  when  he  removed 
to  Litchfield,  and  in  company  with  Andrew 
Nelson,  founded  the  business  now  represented 
by  Mr.  Birch  and  Easmus  Nelson,  trading 
under  the  firm  name  of  Birch  &  Nelson,  in 
the  clothing  and  gents'  furnishing  goods 
line.  Mr.  Birch  is  a  mendjer  of  the  I.  O. 
O.  F.,  having  joined  that  order  while  in  St. 
Paul. 

Mr.  Birch  was  married  January  4, 1873,  to 
Miss  Sarah  Johnson,  a  daughter  of  Olaf 
Johnson,  of  this  county,  and  a  native  of 
Sweden.  They  have  three  children— Aman- 
da Elizabeth,  Ella  Hannah  and  Horace  John. 


♦S«^-»- 


JETER  SANGREEN,  a  hard-working  and 
_^p  industrious  farmer,  living  on  section  9, 
Collinwood  township,  was  born  in  Sweden  in 
1856,  and  is  the  son  of  Andrew  Peter  and 
Eve  Anderson.  "When  he  was  about  sixteen 
years  of  age  he  left  his  native  shores  and 
emigrated  to  America,  and  located  in  St. 
Louis  county,  Minn.      For  three  years  there 


he  was  employed  in  railroad  work,  and  then 
came  to  Collinwood,  where  his  parents  had 
come,  that  year,  1876,  and  took  uj)  his  home 
beneath  their  roof.  One  year  later  he  rented 
a  farm,  upon  which  he  carried  on  the  avoca- 
tion of  a  farmer,  and  then  purchased  forty 
acres  of  land  where  he  now  lives.  The  neat 
impi'ovements  in  the  way  of  liouse,  granary, 
stable,  etc.,  have  all  been  erected  by  himself, 
and  he  is  in  a  fair  way  to  achieve  success  in 
life  through  energy,  industry  and  frugality. 
He  has  held  the  office  of  town  clerk  five 
years;  chairman  of  the  board  of  supervisors 
one  year;  side  supervisor  two  years,  and  the 
responsible  position  of  county  commissioner 
for  two  years,  and  always  with  credit  to  him- 
self and  honor  to  the  judgment  of  those  who 
placed  him  in  those  capacities. 

Mr.  Sangreen  was  united  in  marriage 
March  6,  ISSO,  with  Miss  Caroline  Dohlman, 
a  native  of  Sweden,  born  August  5,  1858, 
and  daughter  of  Olaf  and  Caroline  Dohlman. 


-♦"S^i^^-^^- 


ITOHN  S.  LARSON,  a  prominent  citizen 


f)  of  Dassel  village,  is  engaged  in  the 
retail  liquor  business.  Born  in  Yaermlan, 
Sweden,  March  24,  1857,  he  is  the  son  of 
John  and  Mar\'  Larson,  natives  of  Swetlen. 
He  came  to  Meeker  county  with  his  parents 
in  1870,  when  he  was  about  twelve  years  of 
age.  The  family  settled  upon  a  farm  in 
section  30,  Dassel  township,  where  his  par- 
ents still  live. 

John  remained  at  home,  assisting  his  father 
in  the  labors  incident  to  farm  life,  until  1874, 
when  he  entered  the  employ  of  the  St.  Paul, 
Minneapolis  &  Manitoba  Eailroad,  at  St. 
Paul,  with  whom  he  remained  for  a  couple 
of  years.  In  1879  he  returned  to  this  county 
and  settled  at  the  village  of  Dassel,  where  he 
entered  the  service  of  Andrew  Linquist,  as 
bartender,  and  fulfilled  the  duties  of  that 
position  until  1882.     In  the  latter  year  he 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


345 


entered  into  a  proprietorsbip  with  John 
Thomas,  in  the  same  hne,  but  sliortly  after 
J.  H.  Eemick,  having  bought  out  Mr.  Thomas, 
the  firm  of  Eeraick  &  Larson  was  formed. 
In  February,  1883,  their  place  of  business 
was  desti'oyed  b}'  fire,  and  our  subject  lost 
his  entire  stock  of  clothes,  except  those  he 
had  on  and  considerable  of  his  stock  in  trade. 
At  once,  in  companj^  with  J.  II.  Remick  and 
Thomas  Gallagher,  he  commenced  the  erec- 
tion of  the  Dassel  house,  but  before  its  com- 
pletion IVIr.  Larson  sold  out  his  interest  in 
the  hotel,  only  reserving  the  saloon  part, 
where  he  now  carries  on  the  business. 

Mr.  Larson  was  married,  in  1883,  to  Miss 
Emma  J.  Bunting,  who  was  called  away 
by  death  May  31,  1885,  leaving  without  a 
mother's  love  and  care,  their  little  girl,  Ella 
May. 


/f^LA  NELSON,  a  thrifty  and  successful 
^^i£}  farmer,  Avho  resides  on  section  36, 
Litchfield  township,  is  a  native  of  Sweden, 
born  October  t),  1848.  His  father,  Nels 
Swanson,  was  born  in  Sweden  in  1822,  and 
died  in  Meeker  county  in  1875,  having  settled 
hei-e  in  1872.  Ola's  mother,  Hannah  Swan- 
son,  was  born  in  1819,  came  to  America  in 
1871,  and  died  in  1884. 

Ola  Nelson  came  to  the  United  States  in 
1866,  and  in  1869  he  located  on  section  36, 
Litchfield  township.  Meeker  count}',  Minn., 
Avliere  he  has  since  lived.  During  that  time 
he  has  continually  followed  farming,  and  has 
been  reasonably  successful,  notwithstanding 
the  reverses  which  he  has  met,  including  the 
destruction  of  his  crop  two  seasons  by  grass- 
hoppers and  hail,  and  the  burning  of  his 
residence,  with  all  its  contents,  March  2, 
1873. 

In  1878  Mr.  Nelson  was  married  to  Ellen 
Hawkinson,  a  daughter  of  Hogan  Peterson. 
Their  marriage  has  been  blessed  with  four 


children — Amanda,  Mary,  Alice  and  Anna. 
Mr.  Nelson  has  a  valuable  farm  and  devotes 
his  attention  to  stock  raising  and  general 
farming. 


^Tv?"  ILLIAM 


*paiiL      industrious 


ROACH,  an  enterprising, 
and  energetic  farmer 
of  Forest  Prairie  township,  living  upon  sec- 
tion 4,  is  the  son  of  Michael  J.  and  Sarah  J. 
(Wynn)  Eoach,  a  sketch  of  whom  is  given 
elsewhere  in  the  pages  of  this  volume.  "Will- 
iam was  born  in  Cass  county,  Indiana,  July 
1,  1848,  and  received  his  earlier  schooling  in 
that  locality.  In  1866  he  came  to  this  county 
with  his  parents  and  passed  his  time  between 
that  and  his  majority  in  attending  school  and 
in  assisting  his  father  to  cany  on  the  farm. 
About  the  year  1 871  he  commenced  the  bat- 
tle of  life  for  himself,  engaging  in  agricult- 
ural pursuits  upon  the  place  wiiere  he  now 
resides,  and  where  he  has  met  with  merited 
success. 

Mr.  Eoach  was  united  in  marriage  Febru- 
ary 26,  1871,  with  Miss  Matilda  Kisinger. 
The  lady  is  a  native  of  Fulton  county,  Ind., 
and  daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jacob  Kising- 
er. Her  mother  is  among  those  who  have 
gone  to  their  rest  in  the  land  of  the  blest ; 
but  her  father  is  still  living.  Bv  this  marriae-e 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eoach  have  a  family  of  eight 
children  —  Matilda,  Emma,  Henry,  Eosa, 
Nettie,  William,  Monroe,  all  living  at  home, 
and  George  and  John  deceased. 

Mr.  Eoach  is  a  democrat  politically,  and  has 
served  in  some  of  the  local  offices  in  this  town- 
ship. He  is  a  veteran  of  the  late  war,  enlist- 
ing in  1862  in  the  Twenty-first  Indiana 
Heavy  Artillery,  but  was  honorably  dis- 
charged from  the  service,  after  a  short  term, 
and  returned  to  his  home. 

In  regard  to  his  pioneer  life  here,  Mr. 
Eoach  writes — "When  I  first  came  to  this 
county,  in  1867,  I  got  my  living  by  hunting 


346 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


and  trapping.  In  1S71  I  threw  down  the 
gnn  iuul  trap  and  went  to  farming.  About 
the  first  money  I  earned  I  carried  a  Ijushel  of 
potatoes  from  Forest  City  for  AVilliani  M. 
Abbott." 


JOHN  OLSON,  a  steady,  thrifty  farmer 
of  Kingston  township,  came  to  Meeker 
county  in  IsfiS,  and  took  a  liomestead  of 
eighty  acres  of  knd  on  section  34,  where  he 
now  liv^es.  He  was  born  in  Sweden,  Novem- 
ber 8,  1830.  In  1SG5  he  determined  to  seek 
in  the  new  world  his  fortune,  and  emigrated 
thither,  landing  at  Xew  York,  but  came  at 
once  West  and  was  engaged  at  various  kinds 
of  labor  in  St.  Paul,  Stillwater  and  in  the 
pinery,  until  he  came  to  this  county.  He  is 
the  son  of  Ole  and  Anna  Flink,  the  former  of 
whom  was  always  a  farmer.  Our  subject 
was  one  of  a  family  of  ten  children,  but  he  is 
the  only  survivor. 

Mr.  Olson  was  married  to  Miss  Sabrina 
Olson,  by  Rev.  John  L.  Fasig,  and  they  are 
the  parents  of  si.x  children — Selina,  born 
November  5,  1870;  Obenius,  born  August 
31,  1872 ;  Alva  Josia,  born  August  2-4,  1874 ; 
Johan  Adolph,  born  May  23,  1876 ;  Hilma, 
born  March  26,  1878,  and  Caleb  Sethur,  born 
September  30,  1881.  This  was  Mr.  Olson's 
second  marriage,  he  having  wedded  Miss 
Josephine  Peterson,  at  Stockholm,  Sweden, 
but  she  died  after  about  eighteen  months' 
time.  Mr.  Olson  and  his  family  are  zealous 
members  of  the  Missionary  Church  at  Kings- 
ton.    In  politics  he  is  a  republican. 


•   ■*>  •S^^"^- 


^^^ICHAEL  LOVETT,  deceased,  was  at 
J^ili^  one  time  a  ])rominent  citizen  of 
^lanannah  township.  He  was  a  native  of 
County  Cavan,  Ireland,  and  came  to  the 
United    States  about  the    year  1848,  and 


located  in  tiie  city  of  Boston,  Mass.  Two 
years  later  he  went  to  the  State  of  Xew 
York,  wliere  he  also  lived  for  about  two 
years,  after  which  he  removed  to  Canada. 
That  Dominion  was  his  home  for  about 
eighteen  j'ears,  and  then,  in  1870,  he  came 
with  his  family  to  Meeker  county,  Minn., 
and  located  on  a  farm  in  what  is  now  ^Manan- 
nah  township,  where  he  remained  until  the 
time  of  his  death,  on  tlie  29th  of  April,  1879. 
He  was  married  to  Miss  Bridget  Fanley,  who 
still  survives  him.  They  had  a  family  of 
nine  children,  five  girls  and  four  boys,  whose 
names  were  as  follows — Bridget,  Alice,  Peter, 
Catherine,  Mar}',  Ann,  John,  Michael  and 
James.  All  of  the  cliildren  are  still  living, 
except  Mary  and  Alice.  The  widow  still 
carries  on  the  place,  which  consists  of  eight}' 
acres  of  land.  She  is  a  member  of  the  Cath- 
olic Church,  and  holds  the  res])ect  of  all  who 
know  her. 

James  Lovett,  a  son  of  Michael,  who  owns 
forty  acres  of  land  in  the  township  of  Manan- 
nah,  was  born  in  Canada  on  the  13th  of 
November,  1865,  and  still  resides  with  his 
mother.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Catho- 
lic Church,  and  in  political  matters  he  acts 
independently  of  party  creed,  and  votes  for 
the  man  rather  than  party. 


M  LB E R T  VITZTHUM  VON  ECK- 
.^^L  STAEDT,  of  Litchfield,  was  born  in 
Prussia,  Germany,  in  1845,  and  is  the  son  of 
Frederic  and  Louisa  (Manns)  von  Eckstaedt. 
His  father  was  a  captain  in  the  army  of  Prus- 
sia, and  served  in  the  wars  of  Napoleon. 
Later  in  his  life  he  was  the  occupant  of  an 
important  position  in  tlie  custom  house  of 
that  State,  and  died  in  his  native  land  in 
1854.  He  was  of  the  aristocratic  class,  as 
the  "von"  before  his  name  jilainly  shows. 

Albert,  at  the  age  of  thirteen,  was  sent  to 
the  military  school  at  Berlin,  where  he  re- 


MEEKER    COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


347 


mtiined  some  three  years,  and  at  the  age  of 
sixteen  received  a  commission  as  lieutenant 
in  the  Second  Pomeranian  Lancers,  and 
served  in  the  army  for  four  years.  In  1865 
he  left  the  fatherland  and  came  to  Amer- 
ica, where  he  traveletl  for  a  couple  of  years, 
most  of  the  time  on  the  Pacific  slope.  In 
1878  he  came  to  Litchfield,  and  for  two  years 
was  in  the  employ  of  John  Eodange,  and  at 
the  expiration  of  that  time  entered  into  part- 
nership with  the  same  gentleman  in  the  sa- 
loon business.  In  1SS2  the  subject  of  this 
memoir  opened  his  present  place  of  business 
on  Sibley  avenue. 

Albert  Y.  von  Eckstaedt  has  alwa\'s  taken 
great  interest  in  military  affairs,  especially  in 
the  militia,  and  was  largelj^  instrumental  in 
the  organization  of  Company  II,  First  Regi- 
nient  M.  N".  G.,  of  this  place,  and  also  helped 
organize  the  bucket  brigade  of  the  Are  de- 
partment. He  is  a  valued  citizen  and  much 
res[)ected  member  of  the  community. 

Our  subject  was  married  November  11, 
1881,  to  Miss  Lizzie  Mittwer,  a  native  of 
Prussia,  Germany,  and  daughter  of  Martin 
and  Busche  (Eadise)  Mittwer.  By  this  union 
there  have  been  born  two  children — Adelia 
and  Theresa. 


lp)ROMlNENT  among  the  farmers  of 
1^  Swede  Grove  township,  is  N.  L.  Nel- 
son, who  has  a  good  farm  and  comfortable 
home  on  section  33.  He  was  boi-n  in  Swe- 
den on  the  2oth  of  February,  1815,  his 
parents  being  Lewis  and  Johanna  Nelson. 
N.  L.  Nelson  came  to  the  United  States  with 
his  father  in  1871.  He  came  direct  to  Swede 
Grove  township,  and  worked  for  several 
farmers  in  that  part  of  the  county  for  seven 
years,  when  he  bought  a  farm  on  section  22 
and  lived  tliere  for  nine  years.  He  then  sold 
that  and  bought  his  present  place  on  section 
33. 


Mr.  Nelson  was  married  on  the  21th  of 
March,  1868,  to  Emily  Anderson,  and  they 
have  had  the  following  children — Ole,  who 
was  born  January  28,  1869;  Albert,  born 
May  21,  1874;  and  Lewis,  born  May  16, 
1877.  AVhen  Mr.  Nelson  came  to  this  coun- 
try he  was  a  poor  man,  but  by  industry  and 
economy  he  has  acquired  a  competency  and 
a  comfortable  home.  He  now  has  155  acres 
of  land  and  has  a  good  lot  of  stock  gathered 
about  him.  He  is  a  republican  in  political 
matters  and  ranks  as  one  of  the  leading 
farmers  of  his  township. 


/^^j»ADlSON  DELONG,  a  prominent 
J  -tIl  mem ber  of  the  farming  community 
of  CoUinwood  township,  has  his  home  upon 
section  1,  where  he  owns  and  cultivates  nearly 
his  entire  farm  of  163  acres.  His  house, 
which  is  a  neat  and  tast}^  cottage,  is  sur- 
rounded with  all  the  necessary  conveniences 
and  comforts  for  carrying  on  his  business, 
and  is  a  home  in  the  true  sense  of  the  word. 
Mr.  Belong  was  born  in  Lawrence  county, 
Ohio,  June  1,  1836,  and  is  the  son  of  Francis 
and  Nancy  (GiUilan)  Belong,  natives  of  Penn- 
sylvania and  Ohio,  respectively.  He  remained 
beneath  the  parental  roof  until  his  marriage, 
March  5,  1857,  on  which  date  he  led  to  the 
nuptial  altar  Miss  Elizabeth  Lunsford,  a  na- 
tive of  Augusta  county,  Va.,  and  daughter 
of  Reuben  and  Nancy  Lunsford.  He  then 
commenced  work  at  a  smelting  furnace 
where  he  was  engaged  until  1866,  when  he 
came  to  Carver  county,  Minn.,  but  one  year 
later  removed  to  Scott  county.  While  vari- 
ously engaged  there  he  came  to  this  county 
and  took  up  a  claim  on  section  34,  Dassel,  on 
the  site  of  the  present  village  of  that  name, 
where  he  resided,  keeping  "  bach  "  that  win- 
ter. He  returned  to  Scott  county  where  his 
family  were,  and  in  coming  back  to  his  claim 
found  that  it  had  jumped  by  Parker  Simons, 


34« 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


a  railroad  man.  A  law-suit  ensued,  which 
was  carried  up  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Inte- 
rior, and  linally  Mr.  Delong's  title  to  the 
claim  was  canceled.  The  claimant  then  com- 
proniised  with  our  subject,  wiio  removed  to 
Collinwood  townshij),  and  settled  where  he 
now  lives.  He  was  a  poor  man  when  he 
came  to  this  country,  and  his  law-suit  and 
loss  of  his  claim  still  furtlier  set  him  back, 
but  by  liis  energy  and  industry  he  has  been 
the  arciiitect  of  iiis  present  excellent  finan- 
cial condition.  Mr.  Belong  has  held  the  of- 
fice of  town  supervisor  for  some  eight  years, 
and  that  of  assessor  for  four,  and  holds  the 
latter  position  now. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Belong  have  a  family  of 
eight  children,  as  follows— Martha,  born 
March  10,  1858,  married  Alexander  S.  Gor- 
don, March  21,  1877 ;  Nancy  C,  born  Au- 
gust 7,  1859,  married  William  Compton,  July 
31,  1887;  Rachel,  born  July  17,  1861,  mar- 
ried Lemuel  L.  Sison,  Becember  25,  1878 ; 
Edmund,  born  May  13,  1863  ;  Lewis,  born 
March  19,  1866 ;  Napoleon,  born  August  16, 
1869;  Francis,  born  April  10,  1873;  and 
William,  whose  birth  took  place  April  23, 
1876. 


^^^ 


IRGIL  H.  HARRIS,  the  popular  drug- 
gist of  Litchfield,  is  the  descendant  of 
one  of  the  colonial  families  of  Virginia,  and 
was  born  in  Hanover,  Licking  county,  Ohio, 
May  14,  1840. 

John  Harris,  the  great-grandfather  of  our 
subject,  was  a  native  of  Hanover  county,  Va., 
where  he  remained  until  his  death.  His  sons 
drifted  to  North  Carolina,  where  they  became 
prominent  men,  and  were  prime  movers  in 
the  movement  for  Independence  passed  at 
Charlotte,  Mecklenburgh  county,  N.  C,  May 
20, 1775,  antedating  the  Beclaration  of  Inde- 
pendence of  the  Continental  Congress  over 
one  year,  and  furnishing  many  of  the  ideas 


for  that  celeljrated  document.  Subsequently 
the^'  removed  to  South  Carolina,  and  settled 
on  the  San  tee  river,  from  which  place  Ephraim 
Harris,  the  grandfather  of  the  suliject  of  this 
sketch,  in  company  with  Baniel  Boone,  who 
was  a  warm  friend  of  his,  made  a  trip  into 
the  wilderness  that  is  now  the  State  of  Ohio. 
After  prospecting  over  that  territory,  Mr. 
Harris,  aiwut  1820,  took  up  a  homestead  on 
the  Licking  i-iver,  in  what  is  now  Licking 
county,  and  there  made  a  settlement.  The 
old  homestead  now  forms  a  part  of  the  site 
of  the  busy  city  of  Newark.  Ephraim  Harris 
remained  upon  this  place  for  about  twenty 
years,  wlien  he  removed  to  the  town  of  Han- 
over, in  the  same  county,  near  his  son 
Baniel's  farm,  and  there  made  his  home  until 
he  was  killed  in  breaking  a  pair  of  colts,  in 
his  ninety-eighth  year. 

Baniel  Harris,  the  father  of  the  subject  of 
this  memoir,  who  was  a  tanner  as  well  as  a 
farmer,  remained  upon  the  farm  which  he 
had  purchased  in  Licking  countv  until  about 
1848,  when  he  sold  out  and  removed  to  Bay- 
ton,  Ohio,  where  he  followed  his  trade  for 
about  a  year,  when  he  died,  leaving  a  wife 
and  five  children  to  mourn  their  loss.  The 
children  bore  tlie  names  of  Virgil  II.,  Emma 
E.,  Cynthia  A.,  Louis  E.,  and  Bavid  M. 

The  mother  of  Virgil  was  formerly  Miss 
Martha  Bowling.  Her  father  was  a  native 
of  Ireland,  who  had  left  the  land  of  his  birth 
on  account  of  some  trouble  with  a  landlord, 
which  culminated  in  Mr.  Bowling  pulling 
him  off  of  his  horse  and  beating  him.  This, 
in  that  oppressed  land,  was  a  terrilile  offense, 
so  he  emigrated  to  this  country,  and  settled 
in  Juniata  county,  Penn.,  where  the  future 
Mrs.  Harris  was  born.  When  her  brothers 
moved  to  Ohio,  she  went  with  them,  walking 
the  whole  distance,  some  700  miles,  driving 
their  cattle  all  the  way.  Later  she  married 
Mr.  Harris,  and  after  his  death  returned  to 
Licking  county,  from  whence,  two  years 
later,  she  removed  to  Marion  county,  in  the 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


349 


same  State,  where  her  ])eople  had  settled. 
Subsequently  she  married  Jolm  Baker,  and 
made  her  home  in  Ohio  until  1883,  when  the}' 
removed  to  Indiana,  where  she  died  in  18S7. 

Virgil  remained  with  his  mother  after  his 
father's  death  until  about  1852,  when,  being 
but  twelve  j'ears  of  age,  he  went  to  Macon 
count}'.  111.,  where  for  four  years  he  was 
engaged  in  herding  some  4,000  head  of  sheep. 
In  the  fall  of  1859  he  returned  to  Ohio,  and 
cast  his  first  presidential  vote  for  Lincoln  in 
1860.  In  May,  1862,  he  enlisted  in  Company 
B,  One  Hundred  and  Eleventh  Ohio  Infan- 
try, and  sefved  until  the  close  of  the  war. 
He  participated,  with  his  gallant  regiment,  in 
some  twenty-eight  engagements,  the  princi- 
pal of  which  were  Perryville,  Green  Kiver 
Bridge,  Bowling  Green,  Crab  Orchard,  Lou- 
donville,  Kno.wille,  Buzzard's  Koost,  Resaca, 
New  Hope  Church,  Kenesaw  Mountain, 
Peach  Tree  Creek,  Atlanta,  Allatoona, 
Spring  Hill,  Franklin,  Nashville,  Fort  Fisher 
and  others.  He  received  his  discharge  as 
orderly  sergeant,  June  28,  1865,  and  on 
returning  home  attended  college  for  a  year 
and  a  half  at  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  and  Ashland, 
Ohio.  He  was  married,  December  25,  1S6S, 
to  Miss  Lizzie  Hill,  a  native  of  Marion  county, 
Ohio,  and  daughter  of  Jolm  and  Catherine 
Hill,  who  were  among  the  pioneer  families 
of  the  Buckeye  State.  For  two  years  after 
that  Mr.  Harris  followed  farming  in  Marion 
county,  Ohio,  whither  he  had  moved.  In 
December,  1870,  in  company  with  George 
Lyon,  he  came  to  this  part  of  the  State,  and, 
determining  to  settle  at  Litchfield,  brought 
his  family  here  in  January,  1871,  when  the 
place  was  but  in  embryo.  In  company  with 
S.  Y.  Gordon  he  started  a  meat  market  and 
remained  in  that  two  years,  and  then  opened 
a  drug  store,  which  business  he  has  followed 
ever  since. 

In  politics  Mr.  Harris  is  a  republican  and 
has  filled  many  offices  in  village  and  county. 
He  was  one  of  tlie  first  justices  of  the  peace 


of  the  village  of  Litchfield,  and  has,  since 
then,  been  alderman,  recorder,  mayor  and 
county  commissioner,  and  is  now  serving  as 
chairman  of  that  board,  having  been  a  mem- 
ber of  it  for  five  years.  He  is  a  memljer  of 
Frank  Daggett  Post,  G.  A.  E.,  holding 
the  third  rank  in  the  department  of  Minne- 
sota, and  belongs  to  the  A.  O.  U.  W. 


«"S^^"4- 


I^EWIS  OSTERLUND,  of  the  mercantile 
" '^  firm  of  Osterhmd  &  Leighton,  promi- 


nent dealers  in  general  mei'chandise,  in  Das- 
sel  village,  came  to  Meeker  county  in  the 
year  1881.  In  March,  1882,  he  entered  the 
postoffice  in  this  place  as  clerk,  under  Louis 
Rudberg,  postmaster,  with  whom  he  re- 
mained until  January  1,  1883,  when  he  was 
himself  appointed  postmaster.  He  occupied 
this  official  position  until  May  1,  1887,  after 
which  the  present  firm  was  formed  and  the 
store  opened  under  their  auspices.  He  is  a 
native  of  Sweden,  born  October  17,  1853, 
and  remained  a  resident  of  his  native  land 
until  he  had  attained  the  age  of  twenty- 
seven  years,  but  on  the  23d  of  May,  1881, 
embarked  for  the  promised  land,  the  home  of 
the  poor  man  beneath  the  folds  of  our  starry 
banner,  and  upon  setting  foot  upon  the  free 
soil  of  America,  came  to  Meeker  county  as 
mentioned  above.  After  a  short  time  he 
went  to  Minneapolis,  but  five  months  later 
returned  to  Dassel  where  he  now  lives. 


RIC  P.  EKLLIND,  one  of  the  black- 
smiths of  the  village  of  Grove  City,  is 
a  native  of  Sweden,  born  July  3,  1836,  and 
is  the  son  of  Peter  and  Lisa  Kranz.  Having 
acquired  the  blacksmith's  trade  in  his  youth 
and  early  manhood,  he  worked  at  that  call- 
ing in  his  native  land  until  he  was  about 
twenty-five  years  of  age,  when  he  went  to 
Russia   and    purchased   a   smithy,    and    for 


350 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


three  years  labored  among  the  Muscovites  at 
his  calling.  AVhile  there  ilr.  Eklund  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Julia  Paulina 
Elizabeth  Kruger,  the  ceremony  taking- 
place  October  13,  1863.  Tiie  lady,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Henry  and  Louisa  Kruger,  was  born 
in  Ilussia,  July  25,  1843.  The  same  year 
Mr.  Eklund  returned  to  Sweden,  where  he 
worketl  at  his  trade  for  two  years  more  and 
then  emigrated  to  the  United  States  in 
search  of  a  fortune  more  consonant  with  his 
ideas  than  was  to  be  found  in  the  Old  World. 
He  remained  in  New  York  for  some  ten 
months,  where  he  found  amjile  enniloymentat 
the  forge,  iiutat  the  end  of  that  time  came  west 
and  located  at  St.  Paul,  where  he  remained 
employed  as  usual  until  1808,  in  which  year 
he  came  to  Meeker  county'  and  took  a  home- 
stead in  section  14,  Swede  Grove  township, 
on  which  he  made  his  home  for  five  years. 
During  this  time  he  erected  a  blacksmith 
shop  in  the  village  of  Grove  City,  where  he 
now  carries  on  his  trade.  Three  years  later 
he  built  his  fine  residence  in  the  same  block 
as  his  smithy,  where  he  now  lives. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eklund  have  been  the  par- 
ents of  thirteen  children,  as  follows — Leon- 
tina  Louisa,  born  Koveraber  7,  1864,  died 
January  8,  1877 ;  Engelbert,  born  September 
27,  1866;  Amanda  Julia,  born  April  8,1868; 
Alga  Matilda,  born  December  4,  1869;  Gott- 
lieb Waldimar,  born  September  22,  1871 ; 
Otilia  Valeria,  born  September  3,  1873 ;  Ida 
Almira,  born  August  15,  1875,  died  Decem- 
ber 29,  1880  ;  Elida  Paulina,  born  September 
25,  1876,  died  January  16,  1881 ;  Leonhard 
Eric  and  Leontina  Elizabeth,  twins,  born 
October  27,  1879;  the  first  of  whom  died 
February  22,  1881 ;  Arthur  Eric,  born  June 
20,  1881 ;  Hilger  Conrad  Anton,  born  June 
11,  1883;  and  Henry  Oscar  Edwin,  whose 
birth  took  place  October  26,  1885.  Amanda 
J.  is  married,  and  with  her  husliand,  ]Vels  S. 
Strand,  is  engaged  in  running  a  boarding- 
house  and  dining-room  at  Helena,  Mont. 


^M  LBERT  H.  DELONG.  The  subject  of 
Jp>-^  tliis  sketch  is  a  resident  of  section 
25,  Greenleaf  township,  and  is  one  of  the 
most  prominent  and  respected  old  settlers  in 
]\Ieeker  county.  He  is  a  native  of  St.  Law- 
rence county,  N.  Y.,  born  April  12,  1842, 
and  his  parents,  Hiram  and  Maria  Delong, 
were  natives  of  Grand  Isle,  Lake  Champlain. 
Tlie  mother  died  in  the  village  of  Greenleaf 
in  1>70,  while  the  father,  who  was  born  in 
1799,  is  still  living,  making  his  home  with 
Albert  H.  The  family  emigrated  from  New 
York  to  A\'isconsin  when  Albert  was  seven 
years  of  age.  His  time  was  divided  between 
school  and  work  on  his  father's  farm,  and  at 
the  age  of  seventeen  he  came  to  Meeker 
county,  Minn.  After  entering  and  paying 
for  a  claim  in  what  is  now  Ellswortli  town- 
ship, he  leased  the  flouring  mill  on  the  outlet 
of  Cedar  Lake,  known  as  Cedar  ]\[ill,  and 
there  he  was  engaged  Avhen  the  Indian  out- 
break began.  A  few  days  previous  to  the 
massacre  at  Acton,  IMr.  Delong,  while  at  the 
agency,  met  an  old  Indian  known  as  Charley 
Minnetonka,  whose  friendship  he  had  gained 
by  various  acts  of  kindness.  He  had  always 
worn  citizen's  clothes  but  was  then  rol)ed  in 
a  hritiiit  I'ed  blanket.  He  acted  strangely 
and  took  occasion  to  infonn  Mr.  Delong,  suh 
rom.,  that  there  wasgoiiig  to  be  "a  big  fight." 
Little  or  no  attention  was  paid  to  the  old 
fellow's  warning,  for  it  was  thought  he  had 
reference  to  some  fight  in  project  between 
the  Indians.  "When  the  news  of  the  massacre 
reached  the  mills,  on  the  morning  of  August 
18,  1862,  Mr.  Delong  and  Vincent  Coombs 
started  out  to  learn  whether  or  not  there 
was  an  J'  truth  in  the  reports.  Learning 
nothing  definite,  they  went  on  to  Acton  and 
found  the  people  assembled  there  preparing 
to  bury  the  bodies  of  the  five  who  were  slain. 
When  the  Indians  came  upon  the  scene, 
Albert  joined  the  party  which  chased  them 
to  tlie  Kandiyohi  woods.  Having  a  keen 
sense  of  the  duties  of  a  scout,  he  was  made 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


351 


useful  ill  that  capacity  many  times  during 
the  terrible  weeks  and  months  that  followed. 
At  Hutchinson  he  was  enrolled  with  a  com- 
pany of  volunteers  as  a  scout,  and  for  six 
weeks  never  missed  a  day  in  the  saddle,  riding 
sometimes  as  much  as  forty  miles  a  day. 
When  the  detail  of  the  Ninth  Minnesota 
Regiment  was  sent  to  Forest  City  he  joined, 
them  as  a  scout,  and  -was  riding  in  advance, 
and  was  first  to  discover  the  redskins  in 
ambush  at  the  time  of  the  battle  near  Acton. 
The  Indians  were  crawling  in  a  wheat  field 
and  the  glimmer  of  a  bright  gun  was  dis 
covered  by  Mr.  Delong,  who  rode  back  and 
informed  the  captain.  AVhen  the  Indians 
saw  they  were  discovered  they  rose  and  fired 
a  volley  at  the  whites,  and  then  commenced 
surrounding  them.  In  this  battle  three  men 
were  killed  and  twenty-one  wounded  out 
of  a  total  of  forty-nine  in  the  command. 
Although  left  behind  by  the  command,  and 
once  almost  completely  surrountled  Iw  Indi- 
ans, he  escaped  unhurt.  In  the  summer  of 
1863  he  was  with  the  Sibley  expedition  as  a 
scout,  and  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year  again 
put  his  mill  in  operation.  Two  years  later 
he  bought  an  interest  in  the  Greenleaf  saw- 
mill, which  he  retained  about  three  ji^ears,  and 
then  jHirchased  an  interest  in  the  Greenleaf 
flouring  mill,  he  and  his  partner  subsequently 
buying  the  old  Cedar  Mill.  Matters  became 
seriously  complicated  with  the  firm,  and  the 
outcome  was  a  complete  collapse.  Albert 
then  went  to  the  Black  Hills  and  spent  the 
summer;  and  the  following  3'ear  went  out 
and  remained  nearly  two  3' ears,  when  he 
returned  to  Meeker  county  and  purchased 
the  fine  farm  where  he  at  present  makes  his 
home,  on  section  25,  Greenleaf  township. 

He  has  been  twice  married,  his  first  wife, 
Cecilia  Nichols  Delong,  to  whom  he  was 
married  in  1803,  bore  him  one  child,  Francis, 
born  September  21, 1867.  His  first  wife  died 
in  1869,  and  in  1871  Mr.  Delong  was  married 
to  Mary  Post,  daughter  of  Abrani  and  Sarah 


Post,  of  Greenleaf.     She  was  born  Septem- 
ber 10,  1852,  in  the  State  of  New  York. 

Mr.  Delong  has  taken  an  active  interest  in 
the  affairs  calculated-  to  benefit  either  his 
town  or  county,  and  is  rated  as  one  of  the 
most  prominent  citizens  in  the  south  half  of 
Meeker  county.  He  is  a  member  of  Golden 
Fleece  Lodge,"  No.  89,  A.  F.  and  A.  M. 


v^. 


v^jJHARLES  SMITH.  Among  the  influen- 
;^p  tial  citizens  of  Cosmos  township,  is 
the  gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  article. 
He  has  been  prominently  identified  with  the 
growth  and  development  of  Minnesota  since 
1S55,  although  he  did  not  come  to  Meeker 
county  until  1879.  He  is  the  son  of  Alex- 
ander and  Henrietta  (Sutphin)  Smith,  and 
was  born  in  Upper  Stillwater,  Maine,  on  the 
19th  of  July,  1835.  "When  he  was  only  two 
years  of  age  his  parents  removed  to  the  State 
of  New  Yoi-k,  and  settled  at  Plattsburgh, 
Clinton  county,  where  they  remained  until 
taken  from  this  world  by  death. 

The  subject  of  this  memoir  resided  beneath 
the  parental  roof  until  attaining  his  nine- 
teenth year,  when  he  came  to  Minnesota, 
coming  from  Chicago  with  a  team.  In  that 
year.  1851,  there  was  but  one  building  in 
either  St.  Anthony  or  Minneapolis,  except 
the  pul)lic  edifices.  He  remained  in  St.  Paul 
some  six  months,  and  then  returned  to  New 
York,  l)ut  in  the  following  fall  returned  to 
this  State.  He  made  his  home  in  Minne- 
apolis until  the  year  1800,  when  he  removed 
to  Aitkin  county,  where  he  engaged  in  lum- 
bering. He  was  a  resident  of  that  county 
when  it  was  organized,  and  was  appointed  by 
Governor  Pillsbury  as  one  of  the  organizing 
commissioners,  and  filled  that  oflice  by  elec- 
tion for  some  thirteen  yeai-s. 

In  the  spring  of  1861,  when  traitorous 
hands  essayed  to  rend  the  Union  in  twain, 
Mr.  Smith   enlisted   in   Company   D,  First 


352 


MEEKER   COU.VTY,  MINNESOTA. 


Minnesota,  and  with  that  noble  regiment, 
whose  name  brings  up  so  many  gallant  deeds, 
participated  in  the  first  battle  of  J'uU  Run, 
July  21,  ISGl.  lie  was  there  wounded  by  a 
ball  in  the  right  shoulder,  and  was  laid  up 
for  some  seven  months,  Ijut  on  recovery 
re-enlisted  in  his  old  regiment,  and  stood 
with  them  in  the  awful  Hood  of  lire,  that  so 
nearly  annihilated  them,  at  Antietam,  and 
in  the  battle  of  Mill  Spring. 

After  his  discharge  Mi*.  Smith  came  back 
to  Minnesota,  and  in  1879  removed  to  this 
county  and  purchased  a  farm  on  section  22, 
where  he  now  lives,  in  Cosmos  township. 
Of  his  fine  place  of  200  acres,  some  125  are 
under  cultivation. 


-— ♦-S^^"*' 


BOCTOR  WILL  E.  CHAPMAN,  while 
not  among  the  old  practitioners  of  the 
county,  has,  by  close  attention  to  the  duties 
of  his  profession  and  a  remarkable  success  in 
gra])pling  with  the  dread  destroyer,  death, 
taken  a  prominent  position  among  the  medi- 
cal fraternity  of  this  county,  and  ranks  high 
in  the  estimation  of  the  community. 

Dr.  Chapman  isanativeof  Hill, Merrimack 
county,  N.  II.,  born  February  0, 1S57,  and  is 
the  son  of  John  W.  and  Charlotte  (Taplin) 
Chapman,  natives  of  Kew  Hampshire  and 
New  York  respectively.  Our  subject  recei  ved 
his  primary  education  and  was  reared  among 
the  hills  and  valleys  of  the  "  Granite  State," 
upon  the  paternal  acres.  At  the  age  of 
fifteen  years  lie  entered  a  drug  store,  where 
he  remained  about  two  years.  Having  then 
attained  a  sutticient  age,  he  matriculated  at 
the  medical  department  of  the  Vermont  State 
University,  at  Ihirlington,  Yt.,  and  after  a 
rigid  course  of  study  was  graduated  from 
that  celebrated  institution  of  learning,  in 
Julv,  1879.  Tiie  ne.xt  year  he  located  at 
North  Branch,  Chisago  county,  Minn.,  where 
he  was  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  chosen 


profession  for  about  two  years.  In  1882  he 
came  to  Meeker  county,  and  opened  an  office 
in  Forest  City,  but,  after  two  years"  labor  in 
that  field  removed  to  Litchfield,  and,  com- 
mencing practice  here,  has  rapidly  grown 
into  favor  with  the  people  of  the  city  and 
the  surrounding  country.  His  pleasant  man- 
nei's  in  the  sick-room,  his  love  for  his  calling 
and  his  rare  judgment  in  diagnosis  are  fast 
fiainino-  him  friends  and  patrons,  and  bv  care- 
ful  stud}-  to  keep  abreast  of  the  times  he 
merits  the  warmest  encomiums. 

The  Doctor  assumed  the  duties  of  matri- 
mon\'  December  24,  1883,  while  a  resident 
of  Forest  Citv^,  on  wliich  day  he  led  to  the 
hymeneal  altar  Miss  Georgie  Kimball,  a  na- 
tive of  New  Hampshire  and  a  daughter  of 
Edwin  and  Phoebe  (Manwell)  Kimball. 


I^HILIP  DECK,  deceased,  who  fell  by  the 
"lfS>^  deadly  rifle  of  the  ruthless  Sioux  dur- 
ing the  tragic  days  of  the  Indian  massacre  in 
1862,  was  born  in  France  May  24,1825.  He 
learned  the  trade  of  baker  in  his  native  land, 
and  there  made  his  home  until  his  twenty- 
first  year,  when  he  came  to  America  and 
settled  at  Lyons,  Wayne  county,  N.  Y.  He 
remained  there  until  185-4,  at  which  date  he 
removed  to  Sault  Ste.  Marie,  and  was  the  fore- 
man on  the  ship  canal  then  in  course  of  con- 
struction there.  He  staid  there  until  that 
work  was  finished  and  then  went  to  New  York, 
but  in  the  spring  of  1856  came  West,  to  Mil- 
waukee, Wis.,  where  he  made  his  home  until 
July,  1860,  when  he  came  to  Meeker  county, 
arriving  here  the  5th  of  that  month.  He 
purchased  160  acres  of  land,  which  was  ]iar- 
tially  improved,  on  section  29,  Manannah 
township,  of  William  Wilcox,  taking  every- 
thing on  the  place,  house,  furniture,  stock, 
crop  in  the  field,  etc.  He  then  returned  to  Mil- 
waukee for  his  family,  who  arrived  at  St.  Paul 
after  numerous  mishaps  and    troubles,   and 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


355 


there  made  a  stay  of  a  da}',  and  from  there  to 
their  place,  where  they  located  the  same  fall. 
Mr.  Deck  remained  upon  this  farm  until 
thetimeofthe  Indian  outbreak.  The  news 
of  the  murders  in  Acton  reached  the  house 
about  11  o'clock  in  the  forenoon  of  Monday, 
August  ISth.  Mrs.  Deck  was  sick  in  bed,  and 
Mr.  Deck  was  away  from  home  helping  a 
neighbor  harvest.  Mrs.  Ryckman  brought 
the  news,  and  took  Mrs.  Deck  and  her  fam- 
ily to  Silas  Maybee's,  where  they  were  left 
while  the  men  were  sent  for.  The  women 
soon  saw  some  Indians  approaching,  and  were 
terribly  scared,  but  the  savages  did  not  come 
to  the  house.  Mr.  Deck  rejoined  his  family 
that  night,  and  remained  there  until  morn- 
ing. The  next  night  they  spent  at  the 
house  of  ]Sr.  C.  Caswell,  but  learning  that  the 
outbreak  was  general,  the  entire  body  of  set- 
tlers removed  to  Forest  City.  Friday  Mr. 
Deck  took  his  family  to  Kingston,  where  he 
remained  until  the  following  Monday,  when, 
provisions  running  short,  he  returned  to  For- 
est City,  with  the  intention  of  trying  to  get 
to  his  farm  for  clothing,  provisions,  etc.  In 
company  Avith  Wilmot  Maybee  and  others, 
they  started,  and  met  with  the  fate  told  in 
the  history  of  the  Indian  massacre  in  this  vol- 
ume. Shot  in  the  very  dooryard  of  Carlos 
Caswell's  house,  Mr.  Deck  was  found  some 
ten  or  twelve  rods  from  where  his  wagon  had 
stood,  lying  on  his  face,  with  eight  bullet 
holes  in  his  back,  and  it  is  supposed  that,  not 
being  hit  at  the  first  fire,  he  jumped  to  the 
ground  and  ran  that  distance  before  he  was 
shot.  The  home  guard  turned  out  the  second 
day  after  and  buried  the  dead,  all  except 
Wilmot  Maybee,  whose  body  was  not  found 
until  three  months  after.  Deck,  Howe  and 
Page  were  buried  in  one  grave  in  Manannah 
cemeteiy,  where,  owing  to  the  exertions  and 
liberality  of  Mrs.  Deck,  there  is  erected  a  fine 
and  appropriate  monument  to  mark  the  place 
where  rests  the  remains  of  her  murdered 
husband  and  his  companions. 


Mrs.  Deck  remained  at  Forest  City  until 
the  following  fall  and  then  returned  to 
Wayne  county,  N.  Y.,  with  her  family  of  five 
children,  where  she  remained  until  April  22, 
1879.  On  that  date  she  returned  to  thjs 
county,  having  all  these  years  had  a  hard 
struggle  to  keep  her  little  family  and  pay 
the  taxes  on  her  farm.  Almost  everything- 
upon  the  latter  was  destroyed  by  the  savage 
marauders,  the  loss  amounting  to  some 
$1,100,  which  Mrs.  Deck  did  not  receive  from 
the  State  until  nearly  twelve  years  after, 
owing  to  the  carelessness  of  those  intrusted 
with  her  business. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Deck  were  united  in  mar- 
riage April  23, 18-19,  at  Lyons,  N.  Y.  The  lady, 
whose  maiden  name  was  Miss  Salome  Shimpf, 
was  boi'n  at  Salza,  France,  November  21, 
1830,  and  came  to  the  United  States  in  1810. 
They  were  the  parents  of  five  children,  as 
follows — Philopena,  born  December  4, 1850, 
now  married  and  living  iu  New  Yoi'k;  Mag- 
dalena,  born  May  18,  1852,  also  married  and 
living  in  the  same  place ;  Josephine,  born 
March  11,1856,  married,  making  her  home  in 
the  Empire  State;  Franklin,  in  this  coimty; 
and  Marie  Louise,  born  December  22,  1860, 
died  December  9,  1862. 

Franklin  Deck,  who  was  born  August  2, 
1858,  in  Humboldt,  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  came 
back  to  Meeker  county  with  liis  mother  in 
1879,  and  purchasing  eighty  acres  on  section 
28,  Manannah,  carries  on  agricultural  pur- 
suits on  it  and  upon  the  family  homestead, 
and  with  him  the  widowed  mother  makes 
her  home. 


^«« 


.-^►^ 


TEETER  D.  RINGSTROM,  the  landlord 
llg>^  of  the  Grove  City  House,  is  a  native 
of  Sweden,  born  March  17,  1814,  and  is  the 
son  of  Nels  and  Ingra  Kingstrom.  His  pa- 
rents were  farmers  in  that  country,  and  he 
was  reared  to  agricultural  pursuits  and  re- 


356 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


ceived  the  elements  of  a  fair  education.  He  re- 
mained at  home  until  some  twenty-seven  years 
■old,  when,  bidding  adicni  to  the  parental  roof 
and  all  whom  it  sheltered,  he  crossed  the 
■ocean  to  a  home  in  America.  On  landing, 
he  came  direct  to  Atwater,  this  State,  arriv- 
ing at  that  place  May  24,  1S71.  Entering 
the  emjiloy  of  Pahrs  Pahrson  he  was  en- 
gaged in  farm  work  that  summer  and  on  the 
railroad  during  the  fall  and  winter.  Going 
to  Breclcenridge  he  was  employed  as  hotel 
■clerk  and  liartender  for  about  six  months, 
after  which  he  worked  on  the  railroad  in  the 
nfigld)orhood  of  Alexandria,  where  he  re- 
mained until  October  3, 1872.  He  then  made 
his  home  for  a  short  time  with  Peter  Chris- 
toferson,  with  whom  he  always  remained 
when  out  of  employment,  while  waiting  for 
money  due  him  from  his  Breckenridge  em- 
ployer, intending  to  go  back  to  Sweden,  but 
falling  in  love  with  Mr.  Christoferson's 
daughter  Joanna,  he  gave  up  the  prospective 
tri])  and  married  the  young  lady.  The  young 
couple  moved  on  her  homestead  claim  and 
Mr.  Pmgstrom  commenced  farming  and  con- 
tinued to  follow  this  avocation  until  1885, 
when  he  rented  the  farm  and  sold  agricultu- 
ral machinery.  They  made  their  home  upon 
their  place,  however,  until  March  28,  1888, 
when,  renting  the  Grove  City  House,  he  re- 
moved with  his  family  to  tlie  village,  and  is 
now  running  the  hotel.  March  31,  1888,  he 
was  elected  chief  of  the  police  of  the  village 
and  fills  that  position. 

Mrs.  Ringstrom  is  a  native  of  Sweden,  born 
April  8,  1844,  and  came  to  the  United. States 
with  her  parents  in  18fi4.  She  was  at  the 
time  of  her  marriage  with  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  the  widow  of  Charles  Johnson,  who 
died  in  Illinois  on  their  road  to  Minnesota. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eingstrom  are  the  parents  of 
four  children — Kels  Peter,  born  April  8, 
1876;  Carl  Oscar,  born  October  17,  1878; 
Alice,  born  April  10,  1883;  and  Saraii.  liorn 
April  20,  1887. 


^iCHAEL  FINNEGAN,  one  of  the 
^_i.S^^  most  prominent  and  successful 
farmers  and  stock-raisers  in  Aleeker  county, 
is  a  resident  of  section  28,  Harvey  township. 
He  has  one  of  the  most  valuable  farms  in  the 
county,  and  his  building  and  other  improve- 
ments are  a  credit  to  the  townsiiip  in  which 
he  lives. 

Mr.  Finnegan  was  born  in  Ireland,  on  the 
2d  of  December,  1852.  AViien  he  was  less 
than  two  years  of  age,  his  parents  came  to 
the  United  States,  and  for  several  years  they 
moved  about  considerably,  tlie  father  follow- 
ing the  trade  of  blacksmithing.  In  1857,  the 
father,  Patrick  Finnegan,  came  to  Meeker 
county,  ]\nnn.,  and  imrchascd  a  farm  in  Har- 
vey township,  and  lived  on  tlie  farm  carry- 
ing on  his  farming  operations,  and  at  the 
same  time  working  at  his  trade.  He  was 
living  on  the  farm  with  the  family  at  the 
time  of  the  Indian  outbreak.  The  same  day 
as  the  massacre  at  Acton,  a  neighbor  brought 
them  the  news  of  the  killing,  and  they  went 
to  Forest  City  with  the  rest  to  decide  what 
course  to  pursue,  returning  to  the  farm  the 
next  day.  The  following  day  they  went  to 
Clearwater,  where  they  remained  until  the 
fall  of  1862.  During  the  winter  they  lived 
at  Elk  River,  and  then  settled  at  Minneapolis, 
where  they  remained  until  the  ensuing  fall. 
During  that  winter  the  father  worked  on  the 
Omaha  railroad,  and  the  family  lived  at  Fort 
Snelling,  and  in  tiie  spring  they  returned  to 
Minneapolis.  In  July,  1865,  they  returned 
to  tiieir  farm  in  Harvey  township,  where  the 
family  have  since  lived.  Thefatherdied  in  Har- 
vey May  23,  1885,  and  was  burieil  at  Litch- 
field. In  his  death  the  county  lost  a  worthy 
and  substantial  citizen,  and  a  respected  old 
settler.     His  widow  still  lives  in  Harvey. 

IVIichael  Finnegan,  tlie  subject  of  this 
.sketch,  is  an  active  member  of  tiie  Catholic 
Church.  In  political  matters  he  affiliates 
witii  the  democratic  party.  He  has  been 
vei'y  successful  in  his  farming  o])erations,  and 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


357 


has  the  reputation  of  being  one  of  the  best 
business  men  in  the  township.  In  connection 
with  diversiHed  farming,  he  carries  on  stock- 
raising  extensively,  for  ■\vhicli  tlie  farm  is 
conveniently  arranged. 


"^^'^^,^^- 


J^TaRRY  H.  mines,  an  intelligent  and 
JKL  trusted  citizen  of  the  village  of  Dassel, 
the  superintendent  anil  manager  of  the  Min- 
nesota and  Dakota  elevator,  is  a  native  of 
Colchester,  Chittenden  county,  Yt.,  born  in 
August,  1848,  and  is  the  son  of  Benjamin  and 
Emily  (Rolfe)  Ilines.  His  paternal  grand- 
father, William  Hines,  was  one  of  the  earliest 
settlers  of  the  town  of  Colchester,  as  was  the 
maternal  grandfather  of  our  subject,  Jacob 
Rolfe,  and  these  two  gentlemen  and  one  other 
owned,  at  one  time,  nearly  the  entire  town. 
William  Hines  lived  and  died  among  the  ver- 
dant hills  of  the  "  Green  Mountain  State," 
where  he  settled,  and  on  his  death  the  home- 
stead descended  to  his  son  Benjamin,  the  father 
of  our  subject,  who,  besides  managing  three 
good  farms  in  that  portion  of  the  countrj^, 
was  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits.  Jacob 
Rolfe,  the  giundfather  of  Harry,  mentioned 
above,  was  a  colonel  in  command  of  the 
"Green  Mountain  Boys"  during  the  last  con- 
flict with  Great  Britain,  1S12-15,  and  was  a 
gallant  and  able  soldier,  and  our  subject 
recollects  his  telling  of  war  experiences,  in 
his  younger  days. 

Harry  H.  Ilines  came  to  Meeker  county 
in  1868,  and  settled  in  what  is  now  Litchfield 
township,  on  section  31,  where  he  followed 
agricultural  pursuits  for  some  ten  years,  after 
which  he  removed,  after  selling  his  pro]ierty, 
to  the  village  of  Darwin,  where  he  purchased 
wheat  and  other  grain  for  the  Davidson  Ele- 
vator Company.  In  August,  1SS6,  he  came 
to  Dassel  and  assumed  charge  of  the  elevator 
where  he  is  now  located.  He  has,  since  first 
coming  here,  taken  a  lively  interest  in  all 


educational  and  political  affairs,  and  is  now 
serving  as  one  of  the  school  directors  of  the 
the  village.  In  his  political  affiliations  he  is 
in  thorough  accord  with  the  republican  party, 
and  supports  the  candidates  of  that  organiza- 
tion. He  is  a  member  of  the  Golden  Fleece 
Lodge,  No.  89,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  having  been 
made  a  Mason  at  Litchfield  in  1882.  Mr.  Hines 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Maggie 
Harding,  October  It),  1870.  His  life  com- 
panion is  a  native  of  Jennings  county,  Ind., 
and  a  daughter  of  Mitchell  and  Mary  Ann 
(Reeves)  Harding.  By  this  marriage  there 
have  been  six  ciiildren — Maud,  Grace,  Bessie, 
Benjamin,  Blanche  and  the  baby. 

•    ■'>"^€^>^— '- 

^jJl^HE  PRESENT  county  treasurer  of  Mee- 
uiiy  ker  county,  N.  W.  Hawkinsox,  an  old 
settler  of  the  village  of  Litchfield,  is  a  native 
of  Skone,  Sweden,  and  was  born  in  1837. 
He  remained  in  his  native  countrj^  until  he 
was  thirty-two  years  of  age.  His  father 
died  when  he  was  about  fourteen  years  of 
age,  and  short!}'  after  this  he  began  learning 
the  cabinet-maker's  trade,  at  which  he  spent 
an  apprenticeship  of  three  years  and  then 
followed  as  a  trade  for  four  3'ears.  He  then 
learned  the  carpenter's  trade,  and  followed 
that  until  he  was  twent}'  eight,  when  he 
•entered  the  mercantile  business  and  remained 
in  that  until  1869,  when  he  sold  out  and 
came  to  Minnesota,  coming  direct  to  Meeker 
county.  For  a  time  he  stayed  at  Forest  City, 
following  the  carpenter's  trade,  but  in  No- 
vember of  the  same  year  he  went  to  Califoi*- 
nia,  and  followed  his  trade  there  for  about 
one  year,  working  up  and  down  the  Pacific 
coast.  At  the  eiul  of  that  time  he  returned 
to  Sweden,  going  by  way  of  the  Isthmus  of 
Panama  and  New  York.  He  remained  in 
his  native  land  until  the  following  June, 
1871,  and  then  came  again  to  Meeker  county, 
Minn.,  locating  at  Litchfield,  where  he  has 


358 


AfEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


since  lived.  I'^or  a  number  of  years  he  fol- 
lowed his  trade,  but  in  the  fall  of  1883  he 
was  elected  to  the  office  of  county  treasurer, 
and,  being  re-elected  in  the  fall  of  1880,  he 
is  the  present  incumbent  of  that  office.  He 
is  a  careful  and  j)ainstaking  official,  and  has 
filled  the  office  with  credit  to  himself  and 
satisfaction  to  the  ])ublic.  Mi'.  Iluwkinson 
is  a  prominent  membei'  of  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity, holding  membership  in  Golden 
Fleece  Lodge,  Xo.  89;  Rabboni  Chapter, 
ISTo.  37;  and  Melita  Commandery,  No.  17, 
Knights  Templar,  iuul  has  held  various  offices 
in  these  organizations.  He  is  also  a  member 
of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  "Workmen, 
and  was  one  of  the  charter  members  of  the 
organization  at  Litchfield,  of  which  he  is  the 
present  financier. 

Mr.  Hawkinson  was  married  in  1862  to 
Miss  Nellie  Hanson,  of  Sweden,  and  they 
Avere  blessed  with  three  children — Andrew, 
Ellen  and  Annie.  The  wife  and  mother  died 
shortly  after  their  removal  to  the  United 
States.  Mr.  Hawkinson  was  again  married, 
in  ]  873,  to  Annie  Katharena  Anderson.  They 
have  one  child — Harry.  All  of  the  children 
are  still  at  home,  except  Andrew  and  Ellen, 
who  are  now  residents  of  Minneapolis. 


^^^ 


^•-^— - 


^.EORGE  PAULSON,  a  farmer  of  Acton 
township,  has  probably  the  most 
famous  and  historic  piece  of  land  in  Minne 
sota.  He  owns  the  place  where  the  Jones 
and  Baker  families  were  killed  by  the  In- 
dians on  the  17th  of  August,  1862 — the  spot 
where  the  first  blood  was  shed  in  the  memor- 
able Indian  massacre  of  1862.  Mr.  Paulson 
is  a  native  of  Norway,  and  was  born  on  the 
3d  of  March,  1855,  his  parents  being  George 
and  Anna  Paulson.  The  family  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1868,  and  after  stopping  for 
one  year  in  Iowa,  they  came  to  Meeker 
county,  Minn.,  and  took  a  homestead  on  sec 


tion  33,  in  Acton  township.  In  1877  they 
went  to  Dakota,  where  George  Paulson,  Jr., 
took  a  homestead,  and  remained  until  1886, 
when  he  sold  out  and  returned  to  Minnesota, 
and  purchased  the  farm  in  Acton  township, 
where  he  still  lives.  He  has  a  valuable  farm 
and  devotes  his  attention  to  "-eneral  farming 

O  O 

and  stock  raising.  The  farm  is  often  visited 
by  sight-seers,  who  wish  to  look  ujion  the  old 
cabin  and  the  site  which  has  become  famous 
in  Minnesota's  history.  The  subject  of  this 
sketch  was  married  at  LitcMeld,  January 
25,  1875,  to  Miss  Christina  Kittelson,  who 
was  born  in  AVisconsin  March  3,  1854,  and 
their  union  has  been  blessed  with  the  follow- 
ing-named children — Clara  Josephine,  who 
was  born  April  28,  1877,  died  a  few  months 
later;  Carl  Johan,  born  June  29, 1878 ;  Ella, 
born  September  27,  1880;  James  Christan, 
born  October  18, 1883  ;  Anna  Josephine,  born 
March  13,  1884 ;  and  Cora,  born  December 
30, 1887.  Mr.  Paulson's  parents  still  reside 
in  Dakota. 


■*  V'  •( 


^HARLES  H.  DUCKERING,  one  of  the 
-^'  most  prosperous  farmers  and  stock 
raisers  of  Cosmos  township,  resides  upon  sec- 
tion 30,  where  he  cultivates  about  150  acres 
of  his  magnificent  400-acre  tract.  He  is  a 
native  of  Beaver  Dam,  "Wis.,  born  on  the 
25th  of  September,  1849,  and  is  the  son 
of  John  and  Maria  (Bean)  Duckering,  who 
were  natives  of  England  and  New  York, 
respectively.  In  1863,  when  our  subject  was 
about  sixteen  years  of  age,  he  came  with  his 
parents  to  Meeker  county  and  settled  with 
them  in  Ellsworth  township.  He  remained 
beneath  the  parental  roof  until  1871,  when 
he  came  to  Cosmos  and  took  up  a  homestead 
on  section  30,  and  breaking  some  twenty-five 
acres  and  putting  up  a  house,  made  a  penna- 
nent  settlement.  In  1877  he  leased  his  farm 
and  made  a  trip  to  "Washington  Territory, 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


359 


and  prolonged  his  stay  there  until  the 
beginning  of  1880,  at  which  time  he  returned 
to  this  county  and  has  lived  on  his  farm 
ever  since.  He  is  largely  engaged  in  stock- 
raising,  but  still  has  some  1,500  bushels  of 
grain  as  the  result  of  his  labors  each  year. 
In  1876  and  1877,  he  lost  about  all  his  crop 
through  the  incursions  of  the  grasshoppers, 
and  the  outlook  being  poor  he  went  to  the 
West,  as  before  mentioned. 

Mr.  Duckering  has  been  called  upon  sev- 
eral tiiues  to  nil  the  responsible  olRce  of 
town  supervisor,  and  has  been  chairman  of 
that  Ijoard  for  four  consecutive  years.  He 
has  filled  several  of  the  minor  offices,  as  well 
as  been  director  of  district  No.  53.  He  still 
holds  the  last-named  position. 

July  18,  1880,  Mr.  Duckering  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Sarah  I.  Dean,  a 
native  of  Bartholomew  county,  Ind.,  and 
daughter  of  John  and  Eliza  (Roberts)  Dean, 
residents  of  Hutchinson,  McLeod  county. 
By  this  union  there  have  been  three  chil- 
dren— John  S.,  born  May  27,  1881 ;  Daisy, 
born  May  9,  1883 ;  and  Edna,  born  May  15, 
1885. 


"•"V*~*l 


NDREW  J.  ANDERSON,  the  senior 
'~^^\  partner  in  the  firm  of  Anderson  & 
Hanson,  hardware  dealers  in  the  village  of 
Litchfield,  is  a  native  of  Norway,  born  in 
1843.  "When  he  was  about  a  year  old  he 
was  brought  by  his  parents  to  the  United 
States,  they  settling  in  Waukesha  county. 
Wis.,  where  they  were  among  the  very  ear- 
liest settlers.  They  remained  in  that  place 
until  1850,  when  the}'  removed  to  Winnebago 
county  in  the  same  State,  ami  in  1866  to 
this  county. 

Andrew  remained  at  home  with  his  parents 
until  1864,  when  he  enlisted  in  Company  H, 
Fifth  Wisconsin  Infantr}',  and  served  in  that 
noble  regiment   until  the  close  of  the  war. 


He  participated  in  several  of  the  engage- 
ments of  the  bloody  campaign  that  closed 
the  war,  particularly  in  the  immortal  charge 
on  the  lines  at  Petersburg,  Va.,  April  1  and 
2,  1865.  After  receiving  his  discharge  Mr. 
Anderson  returned  to  Wisconsin,  but  in  1866 
came  to  Meeker  county,  where  he  took  up  a 
homestead  in  the  town  of  Harvey.  He  was 
engaged  in  farming  until  1876,  at  which 
time  he  removed  to  Litchfield  and  entered 
into  the  sale  of  farm  nuvchinery  and  imple- 
ments. He  made  quite  a  success  in  this  busi- 
ness, and  in  Ma}',  1886,  in  copartnership 
with  Nels  C.  G.  Hanson,  he  opened  the 
hardware  establishment  where  he  now  car- 
ries on  business,  and  in  conjunction  with 
which  they  still  make  a  specialty  of  the  sale 
of  agricultural  machinerv.  Mr.  Anderson  is 
a  prominent  member  of  Frank  Daggett 
Post,  No.  35,  G.  A.  Pt.,  of  Litchfield,  and 
takes  great  interest  in  the  order. 


.-^> 


l^RANK  J.  CHEVRE,  the  owner  and 
JP^  manager  of  the  pioneer  elevator  at 
the  village  of  Darwin,  is  a  native  of  Chau- 
tauqua county,  N.  Y.,  born  November  6, 
1859,  and  is  the  son  of  Henry  J.  and  Jean- 
nette  (Fievre)  Chevre,  who  are  of  French  an- 
cestry. His  father  came  to  Minnesota  in 
1867,  and  died  in  August,  1874,  and  his  re- 
mains lie  buried  in  Scott  county,  this  State. 
The  subject  of  this  sketch  left  the  Empire 
State  with  his  parents  in  1867,  and  settled 
with  them  at  Chaska,  Carver  county,  where 
he  received  his  primary'  education.  At  the 
age  of  thirteen  he  removed  to  Minneapolis  to 
attend  school  and  remained  until  in  his  nine- 
teenth year,  in  study  and  the  pursuits  of 
knowledge.  For  a  year  thereafter  he  was 
engaged  in  keeping  books,  but  at  the  end  of 
that  time  he  came  to  Dassel  and  commenced 
to  learn  the  miller's  trade,  and  finally  took 
charge  of  the  Washington  flour  mill  of  that 


360 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


place  which  he  ran  successfully  until  the 
spring  of  18ST,  at  wiiicii  time  he  removed  to 
the  village  of  Darwin  and  erected  the  eleva- 
tor where  he  now  carries  on  business.  He  is 
an  unmarried  man,  his  mother  living  with 
him,  and  one  of  the  most  reliable,  trust- 
worthy citizens  of  town,  and.  for  so  young 
a  man,  possesses  a  large  share  of  the  respect 
and  esteem  of  the  whole  community.  In  his 
political  views  he  is  in  accord  with  the  prin- 
ciples formulated  by  the  republican  party, 
and  supports,  Avith  energy,  the  candidates 
and  platforms  of  that  organization.  As  a 
business  man,  he  is  active,  enterprising  and 
upright,  and  socially,  genial  and  companion- 
able, and  bids  fair  to  achieve  a  high  position 
in  life. 


ENRY  CLAY,  the  popular  postmaster 
of  the  village  of  Dassel,  is  the  son  of 
Caleb  and  Zilpah  (Akers)  Clay,  and  first  saw 
the  light  January  4,  18i2,  in  Lawrence 
county,  Ky.  His  father  was  a  native  of  Vir- 
ginia, and  his  mother  of  Tennessee,  who 
had  married  in  Pike  county,  Ky.,  and  later 
moved  northward  to  Lawrence  county. 
Some  time  after  the  birth  of  our  subject  they 
removed  to  "Wayne  county,  W.  Ya.,  where 
they  made  their  home  until  the  spring  of 
1866,  at  which  time  they  came  to  Minnesota 
and  settled  in  McLeod  county.  A  year  later 
they  made  their  appearance  in  Collinwood 
township,  this  county,  but  in  the  spring  of 
1868  settled  on  section  28,  in  what  is  now 
Dassel  township,  where  they  resided  until 
called  to  "  cross  the  dark  river.  Death,"  the 
mother  in  1875,  the  father  in  1877. 

Henry  remained  beneath  the  paternal  roof 
until  September  5,  1861,  when  he  was  united 
in  ^Tarriage  with  Miss  Martha  Bartrum,  a 
native  of  Boyd  county,  Ky.,  after  which  he 
with  his  young  wife  settled  on  a  farm  in 
Wayne  county,   W.  Va.     On   the   24th   of 


June,  1863,  Henry  enlisted  in  Companj'  B, 
Fortj'-fifth  Kentucky  Mounted  Infantry,  and 
served  in  the  Union  army.     They  were  em- 
ployed in  the  pursuit  of  Morgan  when  on  his 
famous  raid,  and  Mr.  Clay,  with  the  balance 
of  the  command,  was  in  the  saddle  for  twen- 
t\'-six  days   and  nights,  only  stopping  long 
enough  to  feed  their  horses  and  cook  their 
coffee.     The  little  sleep  they  got  was  found 
in  the  saddle.     They  were  in  two  engage- 
ments, Mt.  Sterling  and  Cynthiana,  at  the 
last  named  totally  scattering  and  demoral- 
izing the  rebels,  and  the  command  for  sev- 
eral days  were  engaged  in  picking  up  strag- 
o'lers.     Amono;  them  w^ere  a  cousin  and  an 
old  school  mate,  the  former  with  his  arm 
broken.     Out  of  Mr.  Clay's  family  he  was  the 
only  loyal  one,  all  his  brothers  except  one 
being  in  the  Confederate  army.     He  received 
his  discharge  December  21,    1864,  and  the 
next  spring  came  to  Minnesota,  and  after 
remaining  in  Glencoe  some  eighteen  months 
removed  to  Meeker  county   and  took  up  a 
claim  on  section  32,  in  what  is  now  Dassel 
township.     This  being  all  timber  his  crops 
for  a  year  or  so  were  quite  limited,  but  as 
the  land   was  cleared  they  grew  more  ex- 
tensive.    He  remained  upon  the  farm  until 
1870  or  1871,  and  then  entered  the  employ  of 
the  St.  Paul,  Minneapolis  &  Manitoba  Rail- 
road   Company,    building   snow  fences,    al- 
though his  family  resided  on  the  farm.     In 
December,  1887,  he  removed  his  family  to 
the   village  of   Dassel,   and   on  the   1st  of 
May,    1887,    took   possession   of   the   post- 
office,  he  having  been  appointed  to  that  posi- 
tion. 

Mr.  Clay  is  an  active  and  influential  mem- 
ber of  Colfax  Post,  No.  133,  G.  A.  R.,  and 
was  one  of  the  signers  for  a  charter  for  that 
society.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clay  are  the  parents 
of  seven  children,  whose  names  are  as  fol- 
lows —Rufus  E.,  Ida  M.,  John  F.,  Emily  E., 
Walter  Scott  and  Walter  McClellan,  twins, 
and  Clifford  H. 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


361 


^jp^AYLOR  JOHNSON,  a  leading  Scandi- 


w 


ship,  living  on  section  9,  was  born  in  Sweden 
June  10,  1832,  and  is  the  son  of  John  and 
Christina  Jolinson.  At  the  age  of  eleven 
years  he  commenced  to  learn  the  tailor's 
trade,  and  followed  that  line  of  business  in 
his  native  land  until  1S5S,  when,  with  a  nat- 
ural desire  to  better  his  condition  in  life,  he 
crossed  the  ocean  to  America.  He  settled 
in  Carver  county,  this  State,  putting  in  his 
time  on  a  twenty -acre  tract  that  he  purchased 
there,  and  in  working  for  his  neighbors,  until 
August  20,  1SC2,  when  he  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany H,  Ninth  Minnesota  Infantry.  The 
next  day  he  heard  of  the  Indian  outbreak, 
and  took  his  family  to  an  island  in  Clear- 
water Lake,  where  many  others  had  fled  for 
.safety,  where  the}'  camped  without  shelter 
from  the  rain.  Three  days  later  Mrs.  John- 
son went  home  to  their  little  cabin  in  the 
brush,  with  her  fom*  children,  her  husband 
going  with  his  regiment  to  Glencoe.  He 
remained  in  that  locality  until  spring,  and 
then  participated  in  the  Sibley  expedition, 
and  was  present  at  the  hanging  of  the  thirty- 
eight  Indians  at  Mankato.  In  October,  18^3, 
he,  with  the  regiment,  was  ordered  South, 
and  met  the  enemy  at  Guntown,  Miss.  They 
also  were  engaged  in  the  siege  and  cnpture 
of  Mobile.  Our  subject  Avas  mustered  out  of 
service  in  October,  1865,  and  returned  to  his 
home.  While  he  was  absent  in  the  army, 
his  wife  was  laid  up  by  sickness  brought  on 
by  exposure,  and  for  the  last  week  of  her 
illness  she  and  her  little  ones  were  without 
food  or  fire,  although  it  was  cold  winter 
weather.  An  old  man  hobbled  over  on 
crutches,  finall}',  to  find  what  had  become 
of  them,  and  helped  them  out  of  their  dis- 
tress by  sawing  up  some  wood  and  sending 
in  some  provisions. 

In  the  spring  of  1866  Mr.  Johnson  removed 
to  Minneapolis,  where  he  was  employed  in 
lumber  yards,  etc.,  until  the  spring  of  1869, 


when  he  came  to  CoUinwood  township  and 
settled  where  he  now  lives.  He  was  mar- 
ried November  1,  1855,  to  Christina  Louisa 
Anderson,  a  native  of  Sweden,  born  June  12, 
1835,  and  dangliter  of  Andrew  and  Katrina. 
Anderson.  They  have  had  eleven  children, 
namely — Ilulda,  born  December  14,  1856, 
died  January  11,  1873;  Frank  Victor,  born 
January  1,  1859;  Abbie,  born  October  9, 
1860;  Clara,  born  August  3,  1862;  Godfrey, 
born  April  30,  1806,  and  died  September  10, 
1866;  August,  born  July  21:,  1867;  Joseph- 
ine, born  October  22, 1869 ;  Ida,  born  Decem- 
ber 25,  1871,  and  died  September  16,  1878  % 
Alice,  born  April  l-l,  1874;  Hulda,  born 
July  9,  1876,  and  died  April  21,  1880;  and 
Nathaniel,  born  March  26,  1878. 

Mr.  Johnson  is  a  zealous  member  of  the 
Lutheran  Church.  In  politics  he  is  a  repub- 
lican of  the  strict  type,  and  is  an  influential 
citizen.  His  estimable  wife  is  beloved  bv  all 
with  Avhom  she  comes  in  contact,  and  her 
home-loving  tastes  are  abundantly  testified 
to  by  the  multitude  of  choice  ])lants  and 
flowering  shrubs  that  adorn  and  beautify 
her  home,  and  make  winter  lovely  Avith  sum- 
mer's perfumes  and  verdure. 


|AV1D  ANDERSON.     The    subject    of 


^  this  sketch  is  one  of  the  leading  and 
well-to-do  farmers  of  Acton  township,  being 
a  resident  of  section  7  in  that  subdivision  of 
Meeker  county.  He  is  a  native  of  Sweden, 
born  February  14, 1829,  and  a  son  of  Andreas 
and  Christina  Anderson.  In  1861  he  came 
to  the  United  States,  and  for  one  summer  he 
worked  in  Illinois ;  then  he  settled  at  Clear- 
watei',  "Wright  county,  Minn.,  where  he 
rented  a  farm  and  remained  for  three  years. 
At  the  expiration  of  that  time  he  went  to 
Idaho  to  seek  his  fortune  in  the  gold  fields, 
and,  being  very  successful  there,  he  remained 
three  yeai-s.     In  1868  he  came  to  Meeker 


362 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


county,  Jlinn.,  and  bought  240  acres  of  rail- 
road land  iu  Acton  townshi]),  where  he  now 
lives.  Three  years  later  he  returned  to  the 
gold  fields  of  Idaho,  and  engaged  in  mining 
and  the  hotel  business,  in  company  with  his 
brother,  Solomon,  and,  while  in  the  midst  of 
their  prosperity,  making  money  very  rapidly, 
their  mining  camp  broke  uji,  many  of  their 
boarders  being  left  penniless,  and  from  these 
and  kindred  causes  they  lost  about  $13,000. 
David,  thereupon,  sold  his  property  there^ 
returned  to  his  farm  in  Acton,  and  engaged 
in  farming  and  stock-raising,  which  business 
he  has  since  continued.  He  has  a  valuable 
farm,  good  improvements,  and  a  good  deal 
of  stock,  lie  has  met  with  some  slight  re- 
verses, especially  during  the  grasshopper 
raids,  but,  withal,  has  been  verj-  successful, 
and  his  enterprise  and  good  management 
have  earned  for  him  a  competency.  In  poli- 
tical matters,  he  is  republican,  and  in  religion, 
he  is  a  member  of  the  Swedish  Lutheran 
Chui'ch. 

Mr.  Anderson  was  married  in  Sweden,  in 
1852,  to  Miss  Petronella  Samuelsdatter,  a 
native  of  the  same  land.  The  fruits  of  their 
union  have  been  one  child,  Solomon,  who 
was  born  on  the  24th  of  December,  1853. 
Solomon  is  unmarried  and  still  lives  with  his 
parents. 


-«- 


►-»> 


ELS  CHARLES  G.  HANSON  was  born 
May  14, 1857,  at  Hamburg,  Germany 
■while  his  parents,  Bengt  and  Elna  Hanson, 
were  on  their  way  from  their  native  land, 
Sweden,  to  America,  and  is  a  twin  brother 
of  C.  J.  G.  Hanson.  His  parents  settled  on 
a  farm  in  what  is  now  Litchfield  township,  in 
1857,  where  our  subject  grew  to  manhood. 

Charles  remained  with  his  parents  until 
1S79,  at  which  time  he  entered  the  employ 
of  the  St.  Paul  &  Duluth  Railroad  Company, 
with  whom  he  remained  but  one  winter,  and 


then  worked  for  a  time  for  the  St.  Paul  Har- 
vester AVorks,  traveling  through  the  country 
as  an  expert  in  their  business.  One  year  later 
he  transferred  his  services  to  the  McCormick 
Harvester  Company,  and  traveled  through 
the  Southern  States,  and  followed  the  harvest 
season  north  again.  In  1880  he  was  engaged 
in  farming  on  section  27,  Litchfield  town- 
ship. In  the  spring  of  1887,  in  company 
with  A.  J.  Anderson,  he  opened  their  pres- 
ent hardware  and  agricultural  depot  at 
Litchfield. 

Mr.  Hanson  and  Miss  Clara  L.  Ahlstrom 
Avere  united  in  marriage  June  30, 1S87.  The 
lady  is  the  diiughter  of  A.  M.  and  Christine 
Ahlstrom,  who  were  among  the  earliest  pio- 
neers that  broke  the  way  for  civilization  into 
the  wilds  of  Chisago  county,  Minn. 


/^ORNELIUS  McGRAW,  a  prominent 
\^J^  farmer  and  stock-raiser  residing  on 
section  33,  Greenleaf  townshij),  is  one  of  the 
oldest  settlers  residing  in  that  portion  of  the 
count3^  He  came  to  Meeker  county  in  1860 
with  his  parents,  who  were  Michael  and 
Winnefred  McGraw,  and  the  father  selected 
160  acres  of  land  on  section  26,  in  Greenleaf 
township.  At  that  time  the  family  consisted 
of  the  parents,  six  boys  and  two  girls,  and 
four  of  the  boys  are  still  living  here.  Accom- 
panying the  party  were  Patrick  ]\Ianley  and 
family,  M.  Ilanley  and  famil}^  M.  Ryan  and 
familj'^,  Lewis  Maher  and  family,  and  a  Mr. 
Carrigan  and  family,  all  of  whom  settled  in 
Greenleaf.  The  part}'  arrived  in  July,  and 
Michael  McGraw  at  once  put  up  a  cabin  and 
began  improvements.  He  remained  on  the 
farm,  except  during  the  Indian  troubles, 
until  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  in 
March,  1878.  His  widow  is  still  living  on 
the  old  farm. 

Cornelius  McGraw,   the   subject   of    this 
biography,  remained  with  his  parents  until 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


365 


the  time  of  the  Indian  outbreak.  After  they 
heard  of  the  killing  of  Jones  and  Baker,  he 
went  to  G.  C.  AVhitconib's  to  learn  the  par- 
ticulars, and  returned  that  night.  The  fol- 
lowing (lay  the  whole  settlement  gathered  at 
Whitcomb's,  and  remained  there  for  two 
days,  when  all  hands  started  for  Forest  Cit}', 
driving  their  stock  with  them.  The  follow- 
ing day  Cornelius  returned  to  his  father's 
house  and  found  that  the  Indians  had  been 
there,  but  had  not  burned  it.  After  Whit- 
comb  had  returned  from  St.  Paul  with  guns 
and  ammunition,  Cornelius  enlisted  in  the 
company  which  was  organized,  and  served 
in  it  until  it  was  disbanded.  In  the  spring 
of  1863  he  joined  the  Inde]3endent  Battalion 
Minnesota  Volunteer  Cavalry,  and  served  on 
the  frontier  until  the  war  closed.  He  then 
returned  to  Gi'eenleaf  and  worked  at  various 
things  until  1869  when  he  pui'ohased  160 
acres  of  wild  land  on  section  27,  and  at  once 
began  improvements.  He  lived  upon  that 
for  about  ten  years,  when  he  sold  it  and 
bought  his  present  place  on  section  33,  where 
he  now  has  235  acres,  well  improved  with 
excellent  buildings.  He  devotes  his  attention 
largely  to  stock-raising,  and  his  able  manage- 
ment has  placed  him  among  the  most  prom- 
inent stock-raisers  and  general  farmers  of 
the  county. 

He  has  taken  an  active  interest  in  educa- 
tional matters,  and  has  held  various  offices 
in  his  district.  In  political  matters  he  does 
not  hold  himself  bound  to  any  ])arty,  but 
acts  independently. 

Mr.  McGraw  made  a  gallant  and  credit- 
able record  during  Indian  times.  When  the 
Indians  made  the  attack  on  Forest  City,  he 
was  asleep,  and,  not  until  the  bullets  were 
flying  thick  and  Indians  yelling  all  around 
was  he  aroused.  He  started  up  to  find  that 
he  was  left  alone  with  a  single  companion. 
They  each  grasped  a  box  of  ammunition  and 
fire  arms,  a  heavy  load,  and  started  for  the 
stockade,  arriving  in  safety  amidst  the  yells 


and  bullets  of  the  foe.  For  three  years  and  a 
half  he  was  in  service,  fighting  the  redskins 
wheneveran  opportunity  presented,  and  never 
flinched  when  dutv  called.  He  began  fight- 
ing  Indians  when  only  si.xteen,  and  his  brav- 
ery equaled  that  of  the  hardiest  of  men.  He 
was  one  of  the  nine  who  remained  in  Forest 
City  in  those  trying  times,  when  there  was 
scarcely  a  white  man  in  the  county  beside 
themselves. 


/^^EORGE  MAYNARD.  The  suljject  of 
V^r>i  this  sketch  is  one  of  the  residents  of 
Ivingst(jn  township  at  present,  although  one 
of  the  first  settlers  in  the  town  of  Dassel, 
where  he  located  in  May,  1866.  He  made 
his  home  in  that  part  of  the  count}'  for  about 
twenty  j'ears  and  then  removed  to  his  pres- 
ent place,  which  is  located  upon  section  32. 
He  is  one  of  the  "  woods  "  farmers  and  stock- 
raisers  of  the  town,  and  one  of  its  represent- 
ative citizens. 

Mr.  Maynard  was  born  in  Floyd  county, 
Ky.,  on  the  27th  of  August,  1852,  and  is  the 
son  of  Rev.  William  and  Sarah  (Parsons) 
Maynard.  His  father  was,  also,  born  upon 
"  the  dark  and  bloody  ground,"  and  was 
ordained  a  minister  in  1860,  and  first  preached 
the  gospel  in  Floyd  county,  in  his  native 
State.  He  came  to  Meeker  count}'  in  1866, 
settling  in  Dassel,  Avhere  he  cast  the  first 
vote  after  its  organization,  and  where  he  has 
continued  to  fulfill  his  duties  as  watchman 
upon  the  walls  of  Zion.  since  coming  here. 
He  is  still  a  resident  of  Dassel. 

George  Maynard  was  but  thirteen  years  of 
age  when  his  parents  came  here,  and  was 
reared  the  balance  of  his  days  in  this  count}', 
together  with  his  brothers  and  sisters.  These 
latter  were  Susan,  jS'ancy,  Oma,  Charity, 
Maggie,  James  N.  and  Robert  G.  Finishing 
the  education  l)egan  in  Kentucky,  after 
coming  here,  Mr.  Maynard  grew  to  man- 
hood upon  his  father's  farm. 


366 


MEEKER  COUA'J'V,  MEVNESOTA. 


March  5,  1875,  George  Maynard  and  Miss 
Margaret  Sanson  were  united  in  marriage. 
The  lady  is  a  native  of  "West  Virginia,  born 
in  1859,  and  daughter  of  "Riley  and  Sarah 
Sanson,  who  were  natives  of  the  same  State, 
but  residents  of  this  county  now.  By  this 
union  there  have  been  born  a  family  of  five 
children  —  Sarah,  "William  R.,  Minerva  J., 
Margaret  A.  and  James  M.  Mr.  Maynard  is 
a  member  of  the  Seventh  Day  Advent  Church. 
In  his  politics  he  affiliates  with  the  repulili- 
can  party. 

— -«" 

JTOHN  OGREN,  a  wealthy,  successful  and 
^  prominent  farmer  and  stock-raiser,  re- 
siding on  section  20,  Danielson  township, 
conies  of  the  same  thrifty  and  enterprising 
nationality  which  forms  such  a  large  ele- 
ment in  the  best  class  of  citizens  in  Minne- 
sota's population.  Industrious,  economical 
and  enterprising,  his  characteristics  are  the 
natural  result  of  the  general  training  given 
to  the  youth  of  his  nationality.  Having 
come  here  a  poor  man  and  accumulated  a 
comfortable  property  he  is  a  self-made  man, 
and  his  present  easy  circumstances  is  entirely 
due  to  his  own  industry  and  efforts. 

Mr.  Ogren  is  a  son  of  Andrew  and  Han- 
nah Anderson,  and  was  born  in  Sweden  on 
the  17th  March,  1838.  His  early  life  was 
spent  in  his  native  land,  where  he  remained 
imtil  1  SOU,  when  he  came  to  the  United 
States  and  proceeded  to  Stillwater,  Minn., 
where  he  remained  for  four  months,  being 
emjiloyed  for  two  weeks  on  the  river,  and 
the  balance  of  the  time  working  for  farmers. 
At  the  expiration  of  that  time,  October  1, 
1869,  he  came  to  Meeker  county,  Minn.,  and 
took  a  homestead  on  section  20,  in  Danielson 
township,  where  he  still  lives.  He  now  owns 
520  acres  of  land  upon  which  he  has  placed 
excellent  building  imjjrovements.  The  farm 
is  among  the  most  valuable  in  the  township, 


as  a  good  share  of  it  is  under  cultivation. 
He  has  it  well  stocked.  "When  Mr.  Ogren 
took  his  homestead  he  had  only  $10  left  after 
buying  one  cow  and  a  yoke  of  oxen. 

Mr.  Ogren  was  married  on  the  4th  of  Jan- 
uarv,  1868,  to  Carrie  Larson,  a  daughter  of 
Lewis  and  Bertha  Larson,  who  was  born 
February  13, 1837.  Their  marriage  has  been 
blessed  with  six  children,  as  follows — An- 
drew, born  December  1,  1868,  died  March 
17,  1870;  Josephine,  born  July  19,  1870; 
Hilda  Christine,  born  November  1,  1872; 
"William,  born  April  11,  1874;  Anna  Caro- 
lina, born  March  31,  1876 ;  and  Alfred,  born 
July  8,  1S79.  The  family  are  members  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

In  political  matters  Mr.  Ogren  is  a  repub- 
lican, and  he  has  taken  an  active  interest  in 
matters  affecting  the  welfare  of  his  town- 
ship as  an  organization.  He  has  held  vari- 
ous local  offices,  including  those  of  school 
treasurer  one  year,  and  road  overseer  three 
years. 


^^^ 


^M  DOLPH  MAASS,  an  enterprising,  intel- 
_Z^Sjl  ligent  and  successful  farmer  residing 
on  section  3,  Litchfield  township,  was  Lorn 
in  Brandenburg,  Germany,  on  the  14th  of 
July,  1840,  and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Maria 
(Evert)  Maas.  The  parents  are  both  dead, 
having  died  in  their  native  land.  Adolph 
grew  to  manhood  in  his  native  land,  receiv- 
ing a  common-school  education,  and  working 
most  of  the  time  on  a  farm.  He  acquired  the 
same  habits  of  frugality  and  industry'  that 
characterizes  his  race  and  makes  them  the 
most  desirable  citizens  which  Jlinnesota  has 
received  from  the  Old  "\Yorld.  In  1869 
Adolph  came  to  the  United  States  and  set- 
tled in  St.  Louis  county,  Mo.,  where  he  re- 
mained for  two  years  and  then  went  to  Ten- 
nessee. A  year  later  he  went  back  to  Mis- 
souri, and  after  a  year's  residence  there  he 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


367 


came  to  Minnesota,  and  after  remaining  for 
a  few  montlis  in  Cloodlme  county,  returned 
to  Missouri.  Tlie  following  summer  of  1875, 
he  again  came  to  Minnesota,  and  after  re- 
maining for  two  winters  in  Scott  county,  in 
1878  he  came  to  Meeker  county,  and  settled 
in  Litchfield  township,  whei'e  he  has  since 
lived.  He  has  a  valuable  farm  within  easy 
reach  of  the  county  seat,  and  there  devotes 
his  attention  to  general  farming  and  stock- 
raising. 

Mr.  Maass  was  married  on  the  17th  of  No- 
vember, 1877,  to  Miss  Augusta  Arndt,  and 
their  union  has  been  blessed  with  two  chil- 
dren, Frederick  and  Adolph,  both  of  whom 
are  still  living  and  at  home.  Mrs.  Maass  is 
also  a  native  of  Germany.  She. came  to  the 
United  States  in  1868  with  her  parents  and 
they  settled  in  Scott  county,  Minn.,  where 
the  father  and  mother  are  still  living.  The 
marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Maass  took  place 
in  that  count}'. 

In  political  matters  Mr.  Maass  does  not 
follow  the  dictates  of  any  party,  but.  acts  in- 
dependently and  votes  for  the  man  rather 
than  creed.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Maass  are 
active  members  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  and 
are  exemplary  Christian  people. 


-«-J 


l^^^ 


l&jjUKE  RAILS,  one  of  the  industrious,  ener- 
ll^i^  getic  and  able  farmers  of  Manannah 
township,  came  to  Meeker  county  in  the  fall 
of  1866,  with  two  other  men,  Silas  and  John 
Cossairt,  and  took  up  a  homestead  claim  in 
the  spring  of  1867.  As  an  instance  of  his 
foresight  he  said  to  his  companions,  although 
they  had  no  neighbors  for  miles,  nothing 
between  theni  and  Manannah  or  Forest  City. 
that  inside  of  twenty  years  there  would  be  a 
railroad  through  here,  meaning  by  their 
farms  or  near  them,  and  that  he  would  buy 
a  railroad  "forty."  on  section  3,  whether  he 
took  up  a  homestead  or  not,  which  he  accord- 


ingly did,  and  in  1886  the  Minneapolis  and 
Pacific  Kailroad  came  to  the  neighborhood. 
Soon  after  neighbors  became  more  plentiful 
and  the  vicinit}'  settled  up. 

Mr.  Rails  is  a  native  of  Vermillion  county^ 
111.,  born  April  27, 1840,  and  is  the  son  of 
James  and  Sarah  (Wiles)  Rails.  He  was. 
reared  in  that  portion  of  the  great  "  Prairie 
State,"  and  early  in  life  was  initiated  into- 
the  mysteries  of  agriculture  and  hard  work.. 
Attainingthe  years  of  manhood,  with  a  nat- 
ural desire  for  a  home  of  his  OM-n  and  the 
jo}' s  of  the  family  hearth,  he  was  united  in 
marriage,  March  10,  1864,  with  Miss  Eliza 
A.  Cossairt,  a  native,  also,  of  Vermillioni 
county,  and  the  daughter  of  Samuel  and 
Rachel  (Venible)  Cossairt.  Shortly  after 
this  happy  event  he  removed  to  Foi'd  county, 
111.,  but  in  September,  1866,  started  from 
there  with  teams,  for  Stearns  county,  Minn. 
In  their  party  were  Samuel  Cossairt  and 
family,  Mr.  Rails  and  wife,  and  two  young 
men.  On  their  arrival  they  settled  here,  as 
mentioned  above.  Mr.  Rails  has  now  a  farm 
of  200  acres  of  land,  and  has  made  good 
improvements  on  the  place.  Both  he  and 
his  wife  are  members  of  the  Christian 
Church  at  Eden  Valley  and  zealous  workers 
in  the  vineyard  of  our  Lord. 

The  family  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rails  consists 
of  four  children — "William  IL,  born  April  26, 
1865;  Samuel  F.,  born  April  1,  1871;  Leslie 
E.,  born  July  28,  1874 ;  Edith  V.,  born  July 
2.3,  1879. 


■^^ 


^P^RS.  MARY  BELFOY  {nee  McGannon), 
\i^^  a  resident  of  Litchfield,  is  a 
native  of  Jennings  count}%  Ind.,  born  July 
8,  1843,  and  is  the  daughter  of  John  and 
Mary  (Carney)  McGannon,  natives  of  Vir- 
ginia and  Kentucky,  respectively.  She  was 
united  in  marriage,  June  11,  1862,  with  John 
Blackwell. 


368 


MEEKER    COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


John  Blackwoll  was  born  in  Gloucester- 
shire, Enghmd,  January  4,  1832,  and  came 
to  Meeker  county  April  15,  1857,  and  set- 
tled in  Acton,  where  he  was  one  of  the  pio- 
neers. He  was  a  mason  by  trade,  but  found 
but  little  to  do  at  that  calling  in  the  new- 
country,  so  worked  on  his  farm  in  summer 
and  taught  school  in  the  winter  seasons, 
being  the  first  to  teach  in  Litchfield  town- 
ship. After  his  marriage  he  went  i^nto  his 
farm  to  live,  and  while  there  was  interrupted 
by  the  news  of  tiie  Indian  outbreak.  (_)n  the 
eventful  night  of  August  17,  1S(')2,  he  organ- 
ized a  posse  to  go  to  the  houses  of  Jones 
and  Baker  to  assist  the  wounded,  if  any,  and 
was  the  first  to  enter  the  Baker  cabin,  where 
with  a  steady  hand  he  struck  a  light,  a  peril- 
ous proceeding  under  tiie  circumstances,  as 
he  made  himself  a  mark  for  any  lurking  foe. 
He  it  was  that  found  the  little  child  at  Jones' 
house  and  gave  him  into  the  hands  of  one  of 
the  men  who  accompanied  him.  Some  time 
after  this  he  went  to  Anoka  with  his  j'oung 
wife  and  there  remained  until  1865,  when  he 
retui-ned  to  this  count\'  and  o{)ened  a  store 
in  the  township  of  Eipley,  now  Litchfield. 
In  the  fall  of  that  year  he  was  elected  to  the 
office  of  register  of  deeds  and  removed  to 
Forest  City.  Shortly  after  assuming  the  duties 
of  that  position,  James  M.  Harvey,  the  clerk 
of  the  district  court,  died,  and  that  office  was 
also  conferred  ujion  Mr.  Black  well,  and  a  short 
time  after  he  was  also  made  school  examiner, 
thus  holding  three  offices  at  one  and  the 
same  time.  From  this  time  on  he  was  an 
occupant  of  some  of  the  county  offices  until 
his  death,  which  took  place  Ma}'  21,  1875, 
while  he  was  judge  of  probate.  He  left  five 
children  —  Minnie,  wife  of  F.  P.  Olney,  of 
Litchfield;  Marv  J.,  Mrs.  Charles  Downey, 
of  Minneapolis ;  Addie,  George,  and  John 
at  home,  and  Mattie,  deceased.  On  the  7th 
day  of  January,  1881,  Mrs.  I'lackwell  was 
again  married,  this  time  to  Frank  Belfoy. 
Frank  Belfoy  was  a  lawyer  by  profession, 


and  a  native  of  Prescott,  Province  of  Onta- 
rio, Canada,  born  November  1,  1827.  lie 
came  to  Forest  City  in  1808  and  there  estab- 
lished the  pioneer  journal  of  Meeker  county, 
The  News,  which  he  edited  in  connection 
with  his  legal  practice.  In  18t)0  he  removed 
to  Litchfield  and  in  1874  he  sold  the  sub. 
scrijition  books  and  goodwill  of  The  Beios 
to  Daggett  &  Joubert,  who  consolidated  with 
Thie  Ledger,  and  Mr.  Belfoy  devoted  his  sole 
attention  to  his  profession.  In  1876  Mr. 
Belfoy  purchased  an  interest  in  the  News- 
Ledger  with  Mr.  Joubert,  and  assumed  the 
greater  share  of  the  editorial  labor,  which  he 
continued  until  July  10,  1881,  when  he  was 
called  to  "  that  land  elysian,- whose  portals 
we  call  death."  His  widow  is  still  a  resident 
of  the  village  of  Litchfield.  By  her  last 
union  there  was  born  one  child,  Frank,  living 
at  home  with  his  surviving  parent. 


-«•- 


i^^USTOF  BERGQUIST,  an  energetic 
>^pr  and  thrifty  Swedish  farmer  of  CoUin- 
wood  township,  resides  upon  section  10, 
where  he  owns  some  eighty  acres  of  land. 
His  home  is  pleasantly  located,  and  is  sur- 
rounded by  his  excellent  outbuildings.  His 
stoolv,  to  which  he  gives  considerable  atten- 
tion, is  of  good  strains,  and  the  place  evinces 
the  prosperity  and  care  of  the  proprietor. 
He  was  born  in  Sweden  August  2,  1831.  and 
is  the  son  of  John  and  Eva  Katrina  Mag- 
ason.  He  made  liis  home  in  his  native  land 
until  he  was  about  forty  years  of  age,  when, 
realizing  the  fact  that  it  was  almost  impossi- 
ble in  that  section  of  the  world  for  a  man  to 
achieve  a  competence,  determined  to  seek  in 
America  a  new  home.  Accordingly,  in  1871, 
he  sailed  from  tbei'e,  and  on  lantling  in  the 
United  States,  went  at  once  to  Duluth,  where 
he  was  emjiloved  three  years  in  a  saw-mill. 
From  there  he  removed  to  Tiiomson,  this 
State,  where  he  ran  a  latli  mill   in  summer 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


369 


and  worked  in  the  pineries  during  tl:e  winter, 
for  two  years.  In  1870  he  came  to  Collin- 
wood  township,  this  county,  where  he  pur- 
chased the  farm  where  he  now  Hves,  and  set- 
tled down  to  nn  agricultural  life.  lie  has 
prospei'ed  according  to  his  merits  since  com- 
ing here,  and  I'iciily  deserves  the  esteem  and 
respect  in  wiiich  he  is  held  by  the  people  of 
the  community.  He  has  held  the  olHce  of 
town  treasurer  for  some  three  or  four  years, 
and  being  a  strict  momljer  of  the  Lutheran 
Church,  has  acted  as  deacon  and  treasui'er  of 
that  organization  for  some  time. 

Mr.  liergquist  Avas  married  May  5,  1860, 
to  Miss  Anna  Louisa  Peterson,  also  a  native 
of  Sweden,  and  daugliter  of  Peter  and  Ka- 
trine Carlson.  By  this  union  there  has 
been  born  a  family  of  eight  children,  of  whom 
the  following  is  a  record — Axel  Edward  was 
born  December  25, 1801 ;  John  Siegfried  was 
born  November  2,180-4;  Jennie  Augusta's 
birth  took  place  November  4,  1807  ;  France 
Augustus  was  born  March.  19, 1871,  and  died 
August  19,  1872 ;  Anna  Olize  was  born  July 
1,  1S73,  and  died  April  19,  1885;  Walter 
Emanuel  was  born  April  23, 1879 ;  Carl  Otto, 
born  July  10, 1882;  and  Aiigust  William  was 
born  March  24,  1885.  Axel  E.  married  Miss 
Hulda  Swanson,  and  lives  on  section  15,  Col- 
linwood  ;  and  Jennie  A.,  now  Mrs.  Theodore 
Premous,  and  is  a  resident  of  Dassel. 


l-'^- 


/^^LE  JOHNSON  RENOS,  is  a  respected 
^^hiy  «nd  thrifty  farmer  of  Acton  town- 
ship. Meeker  county,  Minn.  He  is  a  son  of 
John  anil  Betsy  Renos,  and  was  liorn  in 
Norway  in  1825.  The  grea,ter  part  of  his 
life  was  spent  in  his  native  land,  and  he  was 
married  there,  in  October,  1860,  to  Miss  Mary 
Gunderson.  They  came  to  the  United  States 
in  1872,  and  for  two  years  after  their  arrival 
they  lived  in  Minneapolis.  At  the  expira- 
tion of  that  tijiie  thev  came  to  Acton  town- 


ship and  purchased  120  acres  of  railroad  land 
on  section  19,  where  they  still  live,  and  where 
they  now  have  a  comfortable  home  in  which 
to  sj^end  their  declining  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Eenos  have  but  one  child,  a  daughter,  Betsy, 
who  was  born  on  the  27th  of  November, 
1805. 

Betsy  Renos  was  married  on  the  13th  of 
March,  1882,  to  John  Jacob  Oestadt,  and 
they  are  living  with  her  parents.  They  have 
been  blessed  with  one  child,  Mina  Helen,  who 
was  born  on  the  27th  of  November,  1885.  The 
family  are  all  members  of  the  Norwegian 
Lutheran  Church. 


IpEENRY  Mc  CANN.  The  subject  of  this 
JHL  biographical  sketch  is  a  successful 
and  enterprising  farmer  and  stock-raiser,  who 
resides  on  section  9,  Harvey  township.  He 
is  a  native  of  Lowell,  Mass.,  and  was  born 
on  the  1st  of  April,  1859.  His  parents,  who 
Avere  natives  of  Ireland,  were  Thomas  and 
Alice  (McLaughlin)  McCann. 

On  the  1st  of  May,  1867,  quite  a  party  of 
settlers  left  Lowell,  Mass.,  bent  upon  finding 
homes  in  Minnesota,  the  McCann  family 
being  among  the  number.  They  finally 
arrived  at  Clearwater,  and  from  there,  with 
teams,  they  made  their  way  across  the 
country  to  Forest  City.  Thomas  McCann, 
the  father  of  our  subject,  located  on  section 
10,  in  Harvey  township,  where  he  remained 
for  seven  years,  and  then  removed  to  Manan- 
nah  township,  where  he  still  resides. 

Henry  McCann  remained  at  home  until 
he  had  arrived  at  the  age  of  cwenty-one 
years,  when  he  began  making^  his  own  way 
in  the  world.  With  the  exception  of  one 
winter  spent  in  the  pineries,  his  home  has 
been  in  Harvey  township,  constantly,  since 
that  time.  He  now  has  a  valuable  farm  of 
120  acres,  and  a  comfortable  home.  A  good 
share  of  his  place  is  under  a  high  state  of 


370 


MEEKER  COUXTY,  MINNESOTA. 


cultivation,  and,  in  connection  with  his 
general  fanning  operations,  he  carries  on 
stock-raising  to  a  considerable  extent.  In 
political  matters  he  votes  the  democratic 
ticket,  and  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  leading- 
citizens  of  tlie  township  in  wiiicli  he  resides. 
Onr  subject  was  married  on  tlie  24rth  of 
Novemijer,  188-1-,  to  Miss  Katie  A.  Mitcliell, 
and  they  have  been  the  parents  of  two  chil- 
dren, as  follows — Miss  Allice,  born  March  1, 
1886;  and  Harry,  born  Marcli  15,  ISSS. 
Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McCann  are  devout  and 
active  members  of  the  Catholic  Church. 
The  marriage  of  our  subject  and  his  lady 
took  place  at  East  Minneapolis,  the  cere- 
mony being  jierformed  by  the  Rev.  Father 
O'Reillv,  of  St.  Anthonv  church. 


^^^^ 


>y^- 


McLANE.  The  subject  of  the 
I'ing  biography  is  one  of  the 
finest  representatives  of  a  class  of  foreign- 
born  citizens,  who  have  brought  the  tlirift 
and  energy,  whicli  was  their  only  heritage 
in  tlieir  native  land,  to  tliis  country,  witli  its 
gTeat  possibilities,  and  are  accomplishing  the 
best  results  in  tlieir  application  under  the 
influence  of  American  institutions. 

Mr.  McLane  is  a  native  of  County  Antrim, 
Ireland,  born  October  9,  1854,  and  is  the  sou 
of  Patrick  and  ]\[arian  ((^lose)  McLane.  He 
was  reared  in  the  Emerald  Isle  and  remained 
in  the  land  of  his  birth  until  1879,  when,  with 
a  natural  wish  to  better  his  fortune,  he  crossed 
the  stormy  bosom  of  the  Atlantic,  landing  at 
New  York  City.  P'rom  there  he  proceeded 
to  Chicago,  but,  a  few  mouths  later,  in  1880, 
came  to  Litchfiekl  and  opened  the  wholesale 
and  retail  gi'ocerv  stoi-e  now  under  the  ]iro- 
prietorsiiip  of  W.  II.  Dai-t,  building  the  store 
building  in  the  summer  of  1881.  He  re- 
mained in  this  lino  of  trade  until  1SS7,  when, 
being  desirous  of  a  change  in  his  business,  he 
sold  out  to  Mr.  Dait,  as  he  had  the  previous 


year  entered  into  a  copartnersliip  Avith  L.  D. 
Crowe,  in  the  agricultural  implement  busi- 
ness. Devoting  his  abundant  energies  to 
this  line  of  trade  Mr.  McLane  is  ra])idly  and 
surely  acquii'ing  a  jirominent  place  among 
the  business  men  of  this  section  of  the  State, 
and  has  the  warmest  respect  nnd  esteem  of 
his  fellow-citizens. 


-«— : 


ETER  J.  LUND,  one  of  the  pioneers 
of  Meeker  county,  and  the  first  set- 
tler in  Acton  township,  still  has  his  resi- 
dence on  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  4, 
where  he  first  located  in  1857. 

Mr.  Lund  is  a  native  of  Skone,  Sweden, 
born  October  2, 1821,  and  came  to  this  coun- 
try in  1852.  After  short  stays  in  Knoxville 
and  Moline,  111.,  he  located  in  Chisago 
county,  this  State,  where  he  remained  until 
coming  here.  During  the  Indian  troubles  he 
suffered  much  loss  of  property,  the  savages 
burning  his  houses,  stealing  his  horses  and 
running  off  his  stock.  He  heard  of  the  out- 
rage and  left  his  liouse  in  a  hurry  with  his 
family  to  Forest  City,  and  leaving  them  in 
safety  returned  to  his  place  with  six  or  seven 
neighl)ors,  foi'  he  had  considerable  provi- 
sions, etc.,  in  his  house,  which  he  had  accu- 
mulated to  sell  to  such  of  his  neighbors  as 
needed  tliem.  They  approached  the  house 
cautiously,  seeing  everj' where  the  evidences 
of  the  Indians  having  been  about,  and  did 
not  dare  to  light  a  candle  or  even  a  match. 
The  house  hail  been  broken  open  and  Mr. 
Lund,  entering,  could  see  by  the  dim  light 
that  the  drawers  and  trunks  had  been  forced 
and  their  clothing  stolen.  He  went  up  stairs 
and  dropped  two  sacks  of  flour  to  the 
friends  below,  and,  taking  a  trunk  that  was 
still  intact,  left.  These  depredations  he  lays 
to  the  Ilonu!  (Guards,  as  the  Indians  had  not 
been  there  }'et,  but  at  the  time  he  did  not 
know  it.     After  loading-  these  things  on  a 


MEEKER    COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


371 


sled,  they  got  a  yoke  of  the  neighbors'  oxen 
which  they  hitched  to  it,  and  drove  out  on 
the  prairie,  where  the  others  had  congre- 
gated with  their  teams.  All  being  afi-aid, 
he  volunteered  to  lead,  but  confesses  that  he 
lay  pretty  close  to  the  sled  and  kept  his 
eyes  wide  open  for  Indians.  They  got 
through  safely  to  Forest  City,  although  the 
savages  shortly  afterwards  burned  his  house 
and  destroyed  all  the  property  they  could. 
During  the  attack  on  the  stockade  at  Forest 
City,  on  the  morning  of  the  4th  of  Septem- 
ber, Mr.  Lund  says  that  an  opening  existed 
in  the  line  of  fortification  on  the  north  side, 
and  that  while  he  and  another  man  held 
poles  and  planks  across  the  opening,  Hamlet 
Stevens,  now  the  banker  at  Litchfield,  calmly 
nailed  them  fast,  although  the  bullets  were 
singing  round  their  heads  prettj^  freely,  and 
also  says  that  Mr.  Stevens  budt  the  first 
house  in  Grove  City,  while  he  boarded  with 
Mr.  Lund. 

Mr.  Lund  has  now  a  fine  farm  of  350  acres 
of  land,  although  he  was  a  poor  man  when 
he  came  here.  He  was  married,  in  May, 
1850,  in  Sweden,  to  Miss  Ellen  ISTelson,  who 
is  the  mother  of  seven  children — Anna, 
deceased  ;  Ingi'a,  Sarah,  Joanna,  Amy,  and 
Nels,  deceased. 


-^^ 


puis  MARTENSON,  a  respected  farm- 
|&^  er,  residing  on  section  25,  Litchfield 
township,  is  a  son  of  Marten  and  Pernella 
Larsen,  and  was  born  in  Sweden  on  the  <)th 
of  September,  18i4.  lie  lived  with  liis 
parents  in  the  old  country  until  1872,  when 
he  came  to  the  United  States  with  Peter 
Martenson  and  Peter  Olson,  and  the  party 
settled  in  Meeker  county,  Minn. 

In  1879  Louis  Martenson  was  married  to 
Anna  Johnson.  She  was  born  in  Sweden. 
Feljruary  10,  1859,  and  came  to  America 
with  her  parents,  Jonas  and  Lovisa  Johnson, 


in  1869.  Her  father  died  in  1870,  and  her 
mother  lives  with  Louis  and  his  wife.  Four 
children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Martenson,  as  follows-^Emma  Lovise,  born 
May  28,  1880;  Axel  Albert,  born  October 
15,  1882 ;  Oscar  Louander,  born  February 
14, 1885  ;  and  Marten  Edward,  born  August 
14,  1887.  Mr.  Martenson  devotes  his  entire 
time  to  farming  and  stock-raising  and  is  very 
successful.  His  good  management,  economy 
and  enterprise  have  not  been  without  their 
reward,  and  he  is  now  in  comfortable  circum- 
stances and  has  a  pleasant  home.  He  has 
also  met  with  some  serious  reverses  in  the 
way  of  loss  of  crops.  In  1887  his  crops  were 
almost  wholly  destroyed  by  the  terrific  hail- 
storm which  swept  over  this  portion  of  the 
county. 

EV.  HUGH  McDEVlTT,  resident  priest 
J^V,  of  the  Catholic  Church  at  Manannah, 
is  a  native  of  County  Donegal,  Ireland,  born 
on  the  3d  of  Februar3',  1843,  and  is  the  son 
of  Winifrede  O'Flaherty  and  William 
McDevitt.  He  received  his  education  in  the 
Missionary  College  of  All  Hallows,  Dublin  ; 
promoted  to  the  order  of  priesthood  on  the 
27th  of  June,  1865,  and  served  for  some  years 
as  a  missionary  in  the  diocese  of  Sydney,  N. 
S.  W.  Returning  to  Ireland,  with  the  per- 
mission of  his  superiors  he  came  to  America, 
and  became  affiliated  with  the  Diocese  of  St. 
Paul  many  years  ago.  He  is  now  under  the 
jurisdiction  of  Bishop  Ireland.  Prior  to 
his  coming  to  Manannah,  he  served  in  the 
missions  of  Chatfield,  Pine  Island  and  Bell 
Creek,  with  excellent  results.  On  the  re- 
moval of  Father  King  to  St.  Stephen's 
church,  he  was  requested  by  the  bishop  to 
succeed  Father  King,  and  came  to  Litchfield 
on  the  1st  of  May,  1885.  Manannah  was 
then  united  to  Litchfield,  services  being  held 
every  alternate  Sunday.     Seeing  the  neces- 


372 


MEEKER    COUNTY,  MIXNESOTA. 


sitj'^  of  Manannah  having  a  resident  priest, 
lie  mentioned  tiie  matter  to  tlie  bisliop,  who 
gave  liiin  every  encouragement  in  his  under- 
taking, lie  immediately'  began  the  erection 
of  the  pastoral  residence,  at  a  cost  of  $2,000. 
The  congregation  was  rejoiced  that  a  jiriest 
was  to  reside  with  tliem ;  all  subscribed 
nobly,  and  cooperated  with  their  priest  in 
2>roviding  every  requisite,  lie  is  a  priest 
strict  in  all  church  matters,  kind,  but  firm  in 
what  he  considers  his  duty  botii  to  churcli  and 
people.  We  wish  him  God-speed  in  all  his 
undertakings  and  best  endeavors  for  the  wel- 
fare and  good  of  his  congregation,  and  to  cul- 
tivate the  ]>oi'tion  of  his  Master's  vineyard 
entrusted  to  his  care  with  Heaven's  choicest 
flowers. 


-.^> 


JOHN  W.  KNIGHT,  dealer  in  tubular 
well  machinery,  wood  pumps,  rubber 
goods  and  engine  extras,  and  one  of  the  pi'om- 
inent  businessmen  of  Litchfield,  is  an  old  set- 
tler in  Meeker  county.  Mr.  Knight  is  a  native 
of  Burrilville,  E.  I.,  born  on  the  IStli  of 
August,  1841.  His  parents  were  William 
and  Abigail  (Olney)  Knight,  both  natives  of 
Massachusetts,  Avliose  forefathers  on  both 
sides  were  among  the  first  settlers  of  that 
region,  and  the  mother's  brother,  Wilson 
Olney,  was  an  Indian  iigent  in  Massachu- 
setts many  years  ago. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  one  of  a 
family  of  six  children,  as  follows — William 
Henry,  of  Swanzey,  N.  II.,  where  he  has 
been  steadily  employed  in  a  bucket  factory 
for  thirty  years;  Abigail,  now  Mrs.  C.  C.  Car- 
penter, of  Graceville,  Minn.;  John  W. ;  Liz- 
zie G.,  now  Mrs.  Fitch,  of  Swanzey,  N.  H.; 
Mary,  now  Mrs.  White,  of  Keene,  N.  II.; 
Dutte  S.,  of  Hinsdale,  JS".  H.,  an  overseer 
in  a  large  blanket  factory;  and  Ilattie  N., 
now  a  Mrs.  White,  of  Keene,  N.  H. 

John  W.  Knight  remained  with  his  iinreiits 


working  on  a  farm  and  attending  school  when 
opportunity  ortVred  until  he  was  eighteen 
years  of  age,  when  he  purchased  his  "time" 
of  his  father  and  began  life  on  his  own 
account.  He  worked  in  factories  and  at 
whatever  he  found  profitable  until  Marcii  3, 
1861,  when  he  enlisted  in  Company  K,  Sec- 
ond New  Hampshire  Infantry  for  three  years 
service.  He  was  mustered  in  at  Concord, 
N.  H.,  on  the  ith  of  April  and  his  regiment 
was  assigned  to  the  Army  of  the  Potomac. 
The  first  actual  service  was  at  the  siege  of 
Yoi-ktown,  Va.,  under  Gen.  G.  B.  McClellan. 
From  there  they  went  to  AVilliamsburg  with 
tlie  division  under  General  Hooker,  and  there 
Mr.  Knight  was  seriously  wounded  l)y  the 
concussion  of  a  shell ;  a  comrade  to  his  right 
having  his  head  taken  off,  and  one  to  his  left 
having  a  leg  amputated  by  the  same  shell. 
J\Ir.  Knight  was  taken  to  the  Williamsburg 
hospital  and  a  shoi't  time  later  to  the  York- 
town  hospital,  and  there  remained  until  the 
latter  place  was  evacuated.  He  was  finally 
mustered  out  and  discharged  for  disability 
July  31, 1803,  at  Concord,  N.  H. 

On  the  27th  of  August,  1863,  he  was  mar- 
ried by  Rev.  S.  S.  Dudley  to  JVIiss  Abbie  P. 
Fletcher,  a  native  of  Acwortii,  N.  II.,  born 
March  18,  1845.  A  short  time  later  they 
went  to  Winchendon,  Mass.,  where  Mr. 
Knight  was  engaged  in  the  sewing  machine 
factory  of  Goodspeed'ct  Weyman,  for  about 
one  yeai",  when  he  went  to  ilarlborough, 
N.  II.  A  short  time  later  lie  went  to  Bellows 
Falls, A"t., and  remained  thereuntil  May,  1866, 
when  he  came  to  Meeker  county,  Minn.  He 
selected  a  homestead  on  section  28,  in  For- 
est City  township,  and  commenced  improv- 
ing his  land,  erecting  the  kind  of  a  cabin 
customary  with  the  early  settlers.  His  fam- 
ily arrived  in  October  of  the  same  year. 
Mr.  Knight  remained  on  his  farm  for  seven 
3'ears,  when  he  sold  out  and  removed  to 
Litchfield,  where  for  a  year  he  followed  car- 
iientering   and    draying.     In  1873  he   went 


A".- 


.^^^^..^  .^.^^ 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


375 


into  the  puni|)  business  which  he  has  followed 
constantly  since.  In  1886,  in  company  with 
his  son,  Wilmer  W.,  lie  opened  a  shop  in 
Paynesville,  Stearns  county,  which  his  son 
now  conducts.  Mr.  and  ^Irs.  Knight  are  the 
parents  of  five  living  children — Wilmer  W., 
born  in  New  Hampshire,  November  28, 1864, 
now  in  Paynesville,  Minn. ;  Alnion  E.  luid 
Ahnina  E.,  born  in  Forest  City,  April  21, 
1869  ;  Elsie  V.,  born  in  Forest  City,  October 
23, 1873  ;  Ernest  A.,  died  at  the  age  of  four- 
teen months ;  and  Inez  O.,  born  at  Litch- 
field, May  31,  1879.  Tiie  family  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Christian  Church. 


-«- 


I^DAM  BROWER,  an  enterprising  and 
pi'ogressive  farmer  of  Kingston  town- 
ship, living  on  section  16,  is  a  native  of  Jen- 
nings county,  Tnd.,  born  June  29,  1840.  and 
is  the  son  of  Adam  and  Jeannette  (McMur- 
chey)  Brower.  His  father,  wlio  was  the  son 
of  Peter  Brower,  a  native  of  Holland,  wlio 
had  settled  in  this  country  some  time  liefore, 
was  born  in  Gloucester  county,  N.  J.,  K\m\ 
13,  1S02,  and  moved  with  his  parents  to 
Clareiiiont  county,  Ohio,  in  1816,  where  he 
was  married  October  12,  1824,  and  there  car- 
ried on  lirickmaking  and  farming.  He  was 
one  of  the  representative  men  of  that  portion 
of  the  State,  and  on  moving,  in  1838,  to  Jen- 
nings county,  Ind.,  carried  his  popularity 
with  him.  He  was  soon  elected  to  the  magis- 
trate's bench,  upon  which  he  served  some 
thirteen  years,  and  his  decisions  were  such 
that  bnt  one  was  ever  ajipealed  from. 

"  Ripe  in  wisdom  was  he,  but  patient  and 
simple  and  childlike."  He  connected  him- 
self with  the  Methodist  Chnrch  in  1825,  and 
was  licensed  to  preach  in  1845.  His  voice 
was  ever  heard  against  slavery  and  intem- 
perance, and  his  walk  and  conversation  were 
in  consonance  with  his  teaching.  He  is  still 
living  in  his  Indiana  home,  having  raised  a 


family  of  thirteen  children,  of  whom  the  fol- 
lowing is  the  record — James,  moved  to  Hai'ri- 
son  county,  Mo.,  in  1853,  and  represented 
his  district  twice  in  the  legislature;  Sarah, 
living  in  Rush  county,  Ind.;  Alineda,  whose 
home  is  still  in  Jennings  county;  George 
and  Adam,  living  in  Minnesota;  Margaret, 
in  Jefferson  county,  Ind.;  Jennette,  in  Marion 
count}';  Lemuel,  in  Hendricks  county;  and 
John.  The  latter,  a  brave  and  gallant  sol- 
dier, died  of  starvation  and  exposure  in  one 
of  the  loathsome  prison  pens  of  the  rebels 
during  the  late  war. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  enlisted,  also,  in 
April,  1861,  in  the  Sixth  Indiana  Infantry, 
and,  after  serving  his  three  months  with  that 
regiment,  re-enlisted,  September  14,  in  Com- 
pany H,  Twenty  Seventh  Indiana  Infantry, 
and  with  that  famous  liand  of  heroes  partici- 
pated in  many  of  tiie  l)loodiest  battles  of  the 
war,  among  Avhicli  were  Winchester,  Chan- 
cellorsville,  Gettysburg,  in  the  east,  and,  after 
they  were  transferred  to  the  Cumberland, 
Resaca  and  Altoona.  He  was  wounded  in 
the  latter  confiict,  and  was  laid  up  in  the 
hospital  for  a  few  weeks.  He  was  mustered 
out, at  Indianapolis,  Septemlier  14,  1S65.  He 
was  taken  prisoner  by  the  rebels  at  the  bat- 
tle of  Winchester,  May  25,  1862,  and  kept 
by  them  until  September  20th,  following, 
when  he  was  exchanged  and  resumed  duty. 

In  February',  1867,  our  subject  came  to 
Meeker  county,  and  purchased  the  place 
where  he  now  lives.  For  the  first  three 
years  of  his  residence  here  he  was  engaged 
in  brickmaking  in  the  village,  but  at  the 
expiration  of  that  time  took  up  farming. 
Two  seasons  since  that  he  has  been  in  the 
same  business,  and  a  part  of  the  time  in  the 
sawmill  at  Dassel. 

j\[r.  Brower  was  married,  October  4,  1869, 
to  Miss  Flora  E.  DeCoster,  a  native  of  Mas- 
sachusetts, and  daughter  of  Albert  DeCoster, 
of  Massachusetts.  By  this  union  there  have 
been  born  f(jur  children,  namelv — Adam  M.. 


376 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


■whose  birtli  took  place  August  3,  1870; 
Claude  D.,  born  Septeinber  28,  1871;  Daisy, 
born  December  12,  1874;  and  Frederick  G., 
born  Januar}"^  6,  1883. 

Mr.  Brower  is  a  rei)ublican  in  politics,  and 
is  the  clerk  of  the  school  district  in  which  he 
lives. 


'OHN  RALSTON,  one  of  the  most  suc- 
cessful, prominent  and  leading  farmers 
jind  stock-raisers  in  Meeker  county,  is  a  resi- 
dent of  section  25,  Harvey  township.  He 
was  born  in  the  Province  of  Quebec,  Canada, 
of  Scotch  parents,  on  the  2d  of  March,  1837, 
and  his  early  days  were  spent  in  his  native 
Province,  where  he  received  the  education 
afforded  by  the  facilities  of  those  daj'S  and 
he  received  the  same  training  as  to  industry 
and  frugality  that  is  characteristic  of  the 
people  of  that  nationalit3\ 

In  March,  1858,  he  came  to  Meeker  county, 
Minn.,  and  spent  one  month  in  wliat  is  now 
Harvey  townshi|).  At  the  expiration  of  that 
time  he  went  to  Minneapolis  and  spent  the 
summer,  returning  to  Meeker  county  in  the 
winter,  working  at  stone  masonry  most  of 
the  time  during  this  period.  Five  years  later 
he  again  returned  to  Minneapolis,  where  he 
remained  three  years,  and  since  that  time  he 
has  made  his  home  in  Harvey  township.  He 
has  one  of  the  most  valuable  and  best  im- 
proved farms  in  the  county,  and  his  success- 
ful and  able  business  management  is  abund- 
antly evidenced  by  his  present  standing,  as 
he  is  rated  as  one  of  the  most  solid  and  sul)- 
stantial  citizens  in  the  nortiiern  pait  of 
Meeker  county.  He  carries  on  diversitietl 
fanning,  together  with  stock-raising,  exten- 
sivelv,  and  his  i)lace  is  well  arranged  for  his 
work. 

Mr.  Kalston  was  married,  on  March  18, 
1869,  to  Miss  Sarah  L.  Wilkinson,  of  the 
Province  of  Quebec,  and  they  have  been 
parents  of  two  children — John  E.,  deceased. 


and  Jane  E.,  who  is  still  at  home.  The 
family  are  members  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church.  Mr.  Ralston  does  not  take  an  ac- 
tive ])art  in  political  matters,  at  least  so  far 
,  as  oiKco  seeking  is  concerned,  and  in  those 
matters  he  does  not  follow  tiie  arbitrary  dic- 
tation of  party,  but  acts  in  an  independent 
ma/imer. 


M 


ONORABLE  LOUIS   RUDBERG,  one 


of  Dassel's  respected  and  honored 
deceased  citizens,  who  was  identified  with  its 
early  development,  was  a  native  of  Sweden, 
and  came  to  Meeker  county  in  1866  and  took 
a  homestead.  He  was  at  that  time  a 
young  unmarried  man,  and  did  not  remain 
upon  the  farms  steadih%  but  when  the  St. 
Paul  &  Pacific  Railroad  was  being  built 
through  the  county  in  1869,  he  entered  their 
employ  as  carpenter,  he  having  learned  that 
trade.  He  remained  with  them  until  1872, 
at  which  date  he  came  to  Dassel  village  and 
entered  into  the  mercantile  business,  and 
remained  in  that  line  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  in  January,  18S4.  While  a  resident 
here,  in  1876,  he  was  elected  a  member  of 
the  Minnesota  State  Legislature,  and  served 
one  term  with  credit. 


PETER  PETERSON,  a  farmer  of  Acton 
township,  belongs  to  a  family  that 
has  a  number  of  representatives  scattered 
through  the  Northwest.  A  sister  is  now  Mre. 
Laurits  Frogner,  of  Atwater;  one  of  his 
brothers,  Frederick  Peterson,  also  lives  in 
Atwater,  where  he  works  in  an  elevator; 
and  another  bi'other,  Xels,  is  inspector  in  on 
elevator  at  Fisher's  Landing,  Dak. 

Peter  Peterson,  the  subject  of  this  biogru- 
ph\',  was  born  in  Denmark  on  the  21st  of 
August,  1839,  and  is  a  son  of  Peter  and  Anna 
Peterson.  He  came  to  the  United  States  in 
1873,  and  at  once  settled  in  Acton  township,  "* 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


377 


Meeker  county,  Minn.  He  then  purchased 
•eighty  acres  on  section  31,  but  has  since 
bought  an  acklitional  eiglity,  so  that  his  farm 
now  consists  of  160  acres,  a  large  share  of 
which  is  under  a  higli  state  of  cultivation. 
His  place  is  improved  with  substantial  and 
■comfortable  farm  buildings,  and  he  has  it 
well  stocked  with  iiorses  and  cattle.  In  ad- 
•dition  to  his  farming  operations  he  has  a  feed 
mill  on  his  place,  which  he  operates  for  the 
•convenience  of  himself  and  neighboi's. 

Mr.  Peterson  was  married,  in  1863,  to  Anna, 
.a  daughter  of  Peter  and  Anna  Christina 
Peterson.  The  following  is  a  record  of  the 
births  and  deaths  of  the  children  that  have 
been  born  to  them — Mary,  born  December 
:21,  1863,  died  June  15, 1866  ;  Mary  Christina, 
born  September  6,  1866,  died  in  June,  1871 ; 
Peter,  born  August  1, 1868,  died  in  October, 
1869  ;  Kasmus,  born  November  16, 1872,  died 
in  May,  187-1;  Mary,  born  August  10,  1875, 
•died  in  August  1878;  Anna  P.,  born  Decem- 
ber 16,  1876 ;  Marius,  born  January  27, 1878, 
'died  in  August,  1878 ;  Peter  and  Gogen 
(twins),  born  March  11,  1881,  both  died  early 
in  1B82.  The  family  are  members  of  the 
Norwegian  Lutheran  Church.  Mr.  Peterson 
is  a  repuljlican  in  political  matters,  and  has 
taken  an  active  interest  in  all  matters  wliich 
.affect  the  township's  welfare.  It  is  well 
worthy  of  notice  in  this  connection  that  Mr. 
Peterson  is  an  old  soldier,  having  served  ten 
anonths  in  tiie  resular  army  before  leavinjr 
Denmark. 


,/H:SALE  KITTLESON,  a  proininont  old  set- 
X^li/  tier  who  resides  on  section  31,  Litch- 
field township,  is  a  native  of  Norway,  born 
in  184:4,  and  a  son  of  Kittle  and  Carrie  Har- 
oldson.  In  1846  he  came  to  the  United 
States  with  his  parents  and  they  settled  in 
Kock  county.  Wis.,  where  they  remained 
.until  1857,    and    then    removed   to   Meeker 


county,  Minn.,  and  the  family  settled  on  sec- 
tion 30,  Litchfield  township.  Ole  Kittleson 
was  only  a  bo}'  of  eighteen  years  of  age  at 
the  time  the  outbreak  of  tlie  Indians  be- 
gan, but  the  duties  of  a  man  devolved  upon 
him.  He  assisted  in  the  burial  of  the  first 
five  victims,  and  was  one  of  the  pursuing 
party  that  chased  the  retlskins  who  came 
upon  the  ground  while  the  inquest  was  being 
held.  When  the  danger  seemed  to  have 
passed,  he  and  his  father  and  Ijrothers  re- 
turned to  their  unfinished  harvesting,  but 
the  news  of  the  bloody  massacres  and  mur- 
ders that  followed,  drove  them  to  Forest  City 
for  refuge.  The  family  spent  the  following 
winter  of  1S62-63,  on  the  old  Gitchell  place, 
near  Kingston,  but  Ole  stayed  a  portion  of 
the  time  on  the  oltl  claim,  sleeping  in  the 
house  alone.  In'  1 863  they  gathered  together 
what  stock  there  was  left  and  did  a  little 
farming. 

Ole  Kittleson  tinuily  purchased  a  farm  ad- 
joining that  of  his  father's  and  went  to  farm- 
ino'  on  his  own  account.  He  has  been  very 
successful  and  now  has  a  valuable  farm,  upon 
which  he  devotes  his  time,  carrying  on  diver- 
sified farminjy  and  stock-raisins'.  In  1869  he 
was  married  to  Sarah  Ilalverson  Ness,  a 
daughter  of  Ole  Ilalverson  Ness.  Their 
marriage  has  been  blessed  with  eight  children, 
seven  of  whom  are  living  —  Carrie,  Christian, 
Olavus,  Mary,  Henry,  George  and  Iila.  At 
the  time  of  the  grasshopper  i)lagne  in  1S77, 
•Mr.  Kittleson  lost  about  all  his  crops,  hav- 
ing sown  seventy  bushels  antl  only  raised 
five. 

Mr.  Kittleson  lias  taken  an  active  interest 
in  all  matters  affecting  the  Avelfare  of  his 
township,  and  is  justly  regarded  as  one  of 
the  solid  and  substantial  citizens  of  the 
county.  He  has  held  various  township  offices 
and  has  been  school  director  of  his  district 
for  over  twenty  years.  The  family  are 
members  of  the  Ness  Norwegian  Lutheran 
Church. 


378 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


^^^TENDERSON  M.  ANGIER,  of  Litch- 
-At'o-  lielil,  is  a  native  of  Clieiiango  county, 
N.  Y.,  born  October  24,  1835,  and  is  the  son 
of  Roland  and  IVfary  (AFarsh)  Angler.  Both 
of  his  parents  were  natives  of  Massachusetts 
who  had  come  to  tiie  Empire  State  in  youth, 
and  were  marrietl  there.  Shortly  after  the 
birth  of  11.  M.  the  couple  removed  to  Porter 
county,  Ind.,  where  they  resided  until  1859, 
wiien  they  came  to  Meeker  county,  and  set- 
tled in  (Treenieaf  township,  where  they  died, 
the  father  in  1867,  the  mother  in  1873. 

Henderson  M.  remained  with  his  parents 
until  August,  1855,  when  he  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Mary  J.  Crosby,  a 
native  of  Schenectady  count\',  N.  Y.,  and 
the  young  people  remained  in  Indiana  until 
the  spring  of  1850,  when  they  came  to 
Meeker  county,  ari'iving  here  June  19th,  of 
that  year.  The  next  year  they  settletl  upon 
section  10,  Greenleaf,  on  which  the}'  lived 
until  June,  1862,  when  they  removed  to 
Litchfield  township,  Mr.  Angier  taking  up  a 
homestead  on  section  12,  and  commencing  to 
get  out  the  timber  foi'  a  house,  when  his 
operations  were  interrujited  by  the  Indian 
outbreak.  The  night  before  that  event  he 
was  at  Forest  City,  attending  a  war  meeting, 
but,  on  hearing  the  news,  decided  to  remain 
and  help  defend  this  portion  of  the  country 
against  the  savages,  and  accordingh'  went 
to  Forest  City  and  took  charge  of  the  crew 
who  were  ffettini:'  out  the  timbers  for  the 
stockade.  He  was  on  many  of  the  expedi- 
tions, which  issuetl  forth  from  that  place  to 
look  up  the  missing  and  bury  the  dead  set- 
tlers, and  did  valiant  service  at  the  fort 
during  the  night  of  the  attack  on  Forest 
City.  lie  was  one  of  the  volunteers  who 
went  out  to  rescue  the  party  in  the  old  house 
in  the  timber,  and  collect  the  loose  stock  the 
next  morning,  and  stood  next  to  Olson  when 
the  latter  was  wounded,  and  helped  assist 
him  and  William  Branham,  who  was  also 
wounded,  back  to  the  stockade. 


Mr.  Angler  remained  in'  Forest  City  until 
the  spring  of  18»J3,  when  he  went  to  Illinois 
for  his  family,  whither  he  had  sent  them  for 
safety,  and  I'eturned  to  Forest  City  in  1865, 
sto))])ing  for  some  time  in  Clearwater  on  his 
return.  In  1866  he  returned  to  his  farm 
and  liiiished  building  his  house,  begun  four 
years  before.  There  he  remained  until  1873, 
when  he  removed  to  Union  Grove,  but  one 
year  later  removed  to  the  village  of  Litch- 
field,  where  he  now  lives.  In  the  spring  of 
1878  he  was  elected  city  marshal,  and  has 
held  that  office  and  that  of  deputy  sheriff, 
ever  since.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity  anil  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W.,  and  was  the 
Grand  Representative  to  the  State  lodge  of 
the  latter  for  two  3'ears.  He  is  also  an 
active  temperance  man  and  worker. 


SARL  JOHN  GOTTFRIED  HANSON,, 
is  an  enterprising  farmer  who  is 
located  on  section  26,  in  Litchfield  town- 
ship. He  is  a  son  of  Bengt  and  Elna  Han- 
son, and  was  born  in  the  city  of  Hamburg, 
Germany,  while  the  family  were  en  route 
from  Sweden  to  the  United  States,  and  is  a 
twin  brother  of  Nels  C.  G.  Hanson,  a  mer- 
chant in  Litchfield.  His  father,  Bengt  Han- 
son, is  one  of  the  most  prosperous  fanners  In 
this  part  of  the  county,  and  noticed  at  length 
elsewhere  in  this  volume.  Carl  was  reared 
on  his  father's  farm,  receiving  good  educa- 
tional advantages  in  the  Litclifiehl  schools. 
During  the  summer  of  1886  he  erected  a 
house  on  that  portion  of  the  original  Hanson 
farm  located  on  sections  26  and  27,  and 
embarked  in  the  business  of  farming  on  his- 
own  account.  On  the  Ith  of  Novend)er  of 
the  same  year,  he  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Emma  C.  Lindberg.  She  Is  a  daughter 
of  Hans  and  Carrie  Lindberg,  and  was  born 
in  Sweden  October  31,  1867.  They  have 
one  child — Lily — a  bright  little  babe,  which 
was  born  to  them  on  the  29th  of  July,  1887- 


MEEKER    COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


379 


Mr.  Hanson  attends  closely  to  his  business 
of  fanning  and  stock  raising,  and  justly 
ranks  as  one  of  the  most  substantial  young 
farmers  of  the  county.  He  is  a  member  of 
Golden  Fleece  Lodge  No.  89,  A.  F.  &  A. 
M.,  of  Litchfield. 


JAMES  H.  McKENNEY,  one  of  the  ac- 
tive, enterprising  l)usiness  men  of  the 
village  of  Dassel,  is  a  native  of  Limerick, 
York  county.  Me.,  born  March  26,  1843, 
and  is  the  son  of  He4iry  and  Nancy  (Jack) 
McKinney,  l)otli  of  whom,  as  well  as  tiie 
gramljiarents  of  our  subject,  were  natives  of 
the  same  State. 

When  the  subject  of  this  memoir  was  some 
ten  years  of  age  the  angel  of  death  invaded 
the  household  and  bore  away  the  loving 
mother,  and  the  family  circle  was  bi'oken. 
Young  McKenney  remained  in  his  native 
town  until  his  nineteenth  3'ear,  receiving  the 
elements  of  a  good  education,  finishing  the 
last  three  years  at  the  academy,  and  laying 
the  broad  foundation  upon  which  he  has 
built  his  present  fortune,  and  in  1862  re- 
moved to  Charleston,  Mass.,  where  he  was 
engaged  as  clerk  in  a  wholesale  and  retail 
grocery  store.  On  the  29th  of  September, 
1865,  he  left  that  city  by  the  sea  for  Minne- 
sota, and  for  the  next  year  or  more,  followed 
teaching  at  Anoka.  \\\  the  spring  of  1867 
he  removed  to  Anderson,  Ind.,  at  which  point 
he  entered  into  the  saw-mill  and  lumber  busi- 
ness and  continued  in  that  line  until  1874, 
when  the  mill  was  burned  down,  involving  a 
loss  to  him  of  some  i?7,000.  The  next  spring- 
he  returned  to  Anoka  and  taught  the  same 
school  which  he  had  taught  in  1865.  He  re- 
mained in  that  ])lace  until  1877,  when  he  re- 
moved to  Wright  county,  and  one  year  later 
to  Meeker  county.  He  was  engaged  in  school 
teaching  near  Spring  Lake  and  at  Beaver 


Dam  until  the  fall  of  1878,  when  he  came  to 
Dassel,  and  for  two  years  filled  the  position 
of  principal  of  the  village  schools.  Li  the 
fall  of  1880,  Mr.  McKenney  bought  an  inter- 
est in  the  Dassel  elevatoi",  and  took  charge  of 
the  business,  and  since  that  time,  hasacquired 
by  purchase  almost  all  the  shares  in  the  same, 
and  now  has  full  control  of  it.  The  elevator 
has  a  capacity  of  45,000  bushels,  and  his 
business  reached  the  shipment  of  65,000 
bushels  of  wheat  dui-ing  the  year  1887. 

Mr.  McKenney  was  united  in  marriage,  in 
Anderson,  Ind.,  December  26,  1868,  with 
Miss  Lydia  J.  Isley,  who  died  December  17, 
1870,  leaving  one  child,  which  died  in  infancy 
December  25,  1881.  Mr.  McKenney  again 
entered  the  married  state,  wedding  Miss 
Emma  E.  Wolsey,  a  native  of  Stockbridge, 
Wis.,  who  has  become  the  mother  of  two 
children — Henry  B.,  and  Gertrude  A. 


-«-! 


"T|lnUKE  D.  CROWE,  the  junior  partner  in 
llM^^  the  firm  of  McLane  &  Crowe,  agricul- 
tural implement  dealers,  Litchfield,  is  a  fair 
specimen  of  the  representative  class  of  citi- 
zens of  Meeker  county,  who,  by  their  native 
ability,  are  fast  taking  rank  among  the  best 
business  men  of  this  section  of  the  State. 

He  is  a  native  of  County  Gal  way,  Ireland, 
born  in  1853,  and  is  the  son  of  George  J.  and 
Jane  Crowe,  with  whom  he  came  to  Meeker 
county  in  1870.  His  father  purchased  a 
farm  in  the  town  of  Litchfield,  and  settled 
down  to  the  quiet  pursuits  of  agriculture. 
Luke  D.,  whose  home  training  was  under  the 
tender  influences  of  his  mother's  cai'e,  grew 
to  manhood  and  helped  his  father  in  the  man- 
ifold cares  devolving  upon  the  industrious 
farmer,  until  he  attained  the  age  of  twenty- 
five  years.  About  that  time  our  subject  re- 
moved to  Traverse  county,  Minn.,  where  he 
filed  a  homestead  and  tree  claim,  and 
made  his  residence  there  for  six  years.     Ee- 


38o 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


turning  to  his  home,  u])on  the  farm  of  his 
father,  in  this  county,  lie  remained  one  sea- 
son, anti  in  1880  came  to  tlie  city  of  Litch- 
field, and,  in  company  with  Daniel  McLane, 
opened  a  warehouse  for  the  sale  of  agricul- 
tural im])lements,  and  is  now  in  the  full  tide 
of  the  success  that  invariably  awaits  honest 
and  unremitting  attention  to  business  and 
straightforward  dealing. 


,ARS  P.  SORENSON,  one   of   the  most 


successful  and  enterprising  stock-raisers 
anil  general  farmers  in  Meeker  county,  re- 
sides on  section  17,  Danielson  township, 
where  he  located  in  18T<'>.  He  is  a  son  of 
Soren  and  Mary  Christianson,  and  was  born 
in  Denmark  on  the  1st  of  May,  1852.  His 
eai'ly  life  was  one  of  toil  and  hardship,  as  he 
has  relied  upon  his  own  exertions  ever  since 
he  arrived  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years.  As 
he  grew  to  manhootl  he  spent  three  years  in 
the  regular  army  of  Denmark.  His  parents 
Averc  also  natives  of  Denmark,  who  remained 
in  the  land  of  their  birth  until  their  deaths. 
In  1876,  Lars  P.,  in  company  with  his  brother 
John,  came  to  the  United  States,  and  made 
his  way  directly  to  Meeker  county,  Minn., 
and  together  they  purchased  240  acres  on 
section  17,  in  Danielson  townsliip.  He  has 
since  purchased  his  brother's  interest.  He 
has  erected  farm  buildings  which  are  a  credit 
to  the  township,  and  plainly  evidence  his 
thrift  and  enterprise.  He  has  a  substantial 
story-and-a-half  house,  18x24- feet  in  size, 
with  an  addition  10x18  feet,  and  his  barn  is 
32x72  feet  in  dimensions  with  t went \'-foot 
posts,  besides  which  he  has  a  good  granary, 
machinery  sheds  and  other  farm  buildings. 
He  devotes  his  time  to  diversified  farming, 
and  in  company  Avith  A.  ISTelson,  is  raising 
pure-bred  Holstein  cattle.  Mr.  Sorenson  has 
taken  an  interest  in  the  affairs  of  his  town- 
ship, and  has  held  the  office  of  township 
treasurer  for  two  years. 


In  1879,  Mr.  Sorenson  was  married  to  Miss- 
Johanna  Dotha  Jacobson,  and  their  union 
has  been  blessed  Avith  three  children — Soren 
Christen,  born  June  3,  1880;  Andrew,  born 
April  12,  1882;  and  l^fartin  Jorgen,  born 
April  13,  1888.  Mrs.  Sorenson  is  a  daughter 
of  Andrew  and  Sarah  Jacobson.  She  Avas. 
born  on  the  19th  of  Decembei-,  1852,  and 
came  to  the  United  States  with  her  parents, 
in  July,  1872. 


lis)  ALPH  D.  GRINDALL,  one  of  the 
'JfcJV  most  successful  and  prominent  stock 
raisers  and  general  farmers  in  the  southern 
portion  of  Meeker  county,  is  a  resident  of 
section  8,  Cedar  Mills  toAA^nship.  He  is  a 
native  of  Hancock  county.  Me.,  and  Avas 
born  on  the  20th  of  November,  1827.  His. 
parents  were  Elijah  W.  and  Caroline  B_ 
(Iliggins)  Grindall,  both  of  whom  Avere 
natives  of  Maine.  His  grandfather,  on  his 
father's  side,  Avas  a  native  of  the  Isle  of 
Wight,  Avho  settled  at  the  town  of  Penob- 
scot at  an  early  day  ;  and  when  the  English 
came  to  build  their  forts  at  Castine,  he  Avas 
pressed  into  the  English  service,  and  Avorked 
upon  the  fort  during  the  summer  of  1812' 
receiving  compensation  at  the  rate  of  eight 
cents  per  day.  Kalph's  grandfather  Hig- 
gins,  Avas  a  nati\'e  of  Nova  Scotia,  Avho  at 
an  early  day  settled  on  Bartlett's  Island, 
Avhere  the  mother  of  our  subject,  Caroline- 
B.  Iliggins,  Avas  born  February  21,  1806. 

Elijah  W.  Grindall,  the  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, Avas  born  Sept.  2,  1804.  He  married 
Miss  Iliggins  on  the  4th  of  January,  1827, 
and  remained  in  his  native  State — Maine — 
until  1854,  Avhen  became  to  Minnesota,  and 
opened  up  a  farm  near  St.  Anthony.  He 
remained  there  until  the  time  of  his  death^ 
June  28, 1872,  and  his  Avidow  still  resides  in 
Minnea])olis. 

Tla]i)h  D.  Grindall  remained  Avith  his 
parents  until  he  Avas  nineteen  years  of   age,. 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


381 


and  then  bought  "liis  time"'  of  his  father, 
and  for  the  two  yeai's  immediately  follow- 
ing he  was  em])loyed  at  whatever  he  could 
find  to  do,  a  portion  of  the  time  working  for 
his  father.  lie  then  followed  teaming  and 
in  1851  had  the  misfortune  to  lose  by  fire 
five  horses,  wagons,  harness,  etc.  In  August, 
1852,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Sophrona  L. 
Howard,  a  native  of  Maine.  Mr.  Grindall 
remained  at  Bangor,  in  his  native  State, 
until  1854,  Avhen  he  went  to  Kansas  and 
spent  a  few  months,  helping  to  erect  the  first 
mill  that  was  built  on  the  present  site  of 
Lawrence.  In  the  fall  of  the  same  3'ear  he 
came  to  St.  Anthony,  Minn.,  but  only  stayed 
a  short  time  and  then  went  to  Chicago 
where,  daring  the  following  winter  (1854-55) 
he  had  general  charge  of  transfer  work  and 
collecting  bills  for  the  Michigan  Southern 
&  Northern  Indiana  Railroad.  In  the  spring 
of  1855  he  engaged  in  farming  near  Du- 
buque, Iowa,  and  the  following  fall  again 
came  to  St.  Anthony,  Minn.  He  put  up  the 
first  slaughter  house  in  Minneapolis  for 
Allan  Hammond,  after  which  he  followed 
butchering  at  Fort  Snelling  for  Pettijohn  & 
Steele.  In  the  spring  0%  1856  he  engaged  in 
the  same  business  at  St.  Anthony  and 
remained  there  until  the  spring  of  1861.  In 
1856  he  had  purchased  forty  acres  of  land 
near  Minneapolis.  [It  is  now  in  the  heart 
of  the  city.]  In  the  spring  of  1861  he  put 
in  a  crop  on  this  land,  and  then  went  to  work 
with  a  government  surveying  party  in  the 
western  part  of  the  State,  running  township 
lines,  and  remained  at  this  work  until  the 
following  fall.  He  then  returned  to  St.  An- 
thony, and  on  the  6th  of  May,  1862,  he  had 
the  misfortune  to  lose  his  house  by  fire,  and 
with  it  the  accumulations  of  ten  years'  hard 
labor.  He  built  another  house  during  the 
summer  and  also  carried  on  his  farm.  When 
the  Indian  outbreak  occurred  in  August, 
1862,  he  enlisted  in  Northup's  Cavalry,  and 
spent  some  time  at  Fort  Ridgely,  and  then 


he  returned  to  St.  Anthony  and  engaged 
in  farming.  During  the  winter  of  1867-68- 
he  followed  teaming. from  ilinneapolis  to 
Meeker  county,  making  nine  trips,  and 
during  the  following  winter  he  followed  the 
same  business  from  Greenleaf  to  Clearwater 
and  from  Hutchinson  to  Carver.  In  the 
spring  of  1868  Mr.  Grindall  came  to  his. 
present  farm  in  Cedar  Mills  township,  hav- 
ing purchased  360  acres  of  his  farm  in  1862, 
and  commenced  to  imjirove  it.  He  has  met 
with  some  reverses,  especially  during  1876 
and  1877  when  his  crops  were  destroyed  by 
the  grasshoppers.  Upon  the  whole,  however, 
he  has  been  very  successful  in  his  fanning 
operations.  He  has  a  splendid  farm  of  440 
acres  of  land  and  carries  on  general  farming 
and  stock-raising,  devoting  especial  attention 
to  breeding  thorough-bred  Short-horn  stock. 
Among  the  fine  animals  which  Mr.  Grindall 
has  recently  added  to  his  herd  are  the  fol- 
loAving :  "  Roan  Duchess  of  Oxford  8th," 
from  one  of  the  oldest  tribes  on  record  ; 
"  Oxford  Wild  Eyes  2d,"  another  animal'  of 
pure  breeding  ;  and  a  Short-horn  bull, "Duke 
of  Minneapolis."  All  of  these  magnificent 
animals  are  registered,  pure  bred  and  have 
splendid  jiedigrees. 

Since  his  settlement  here  Mr.  Grindall  has 
taken  an  active  interest  in  public  affairs  and 
figures  prominently  in  the  official  history  of 
the  township.  He  has  held  about  all  the 
various  township  offices  and  is  now  township 
treasurer.  He  has  taken  a  prominent  part 
in  educational  matters  and  aided  in  securing 
the  erection  of  the  first  school-house  in  the 
township. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Grindall  are  the  parents  of 
six  living  children,  as  follows  — AVilbur  F., 
born  May  16,  1858 ;  Emma  M.,  born  May  7, 
1860  ;  Fanny  G.,  born  September  19,  1862 ; 
Mortimer  C,  born  January  29,  1865  ;  Edwin 
W.,  born  October  29,  1867;  and  Eva  C, 
born  August  16,  1869.     The  three  following 

deceased  —  George 


named      children     are 


382 


'^MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


Edwiird,  l)orn  Octot)ef  8,  1853  ;  Louisa,  horn 
May  4, 185(5 ;  and  Ernest  li.,  l)orn  Septeiu- 
ber'lO,  1862. 

We  take  jjleasure  in  presenting  a  portrait 
of  Ml'.  Grindall  in  another  department  of 
this  volume. 


^■^-, 


^«<*. 


|[gg)  OY  M.  CASE,  one  of  the  young  and 
'JPIV-  enterprising  agricuiturists  of  Col- 
liiuvood  towiishi]),  maizes  his  home  upon  his 
farm  on  section  -11.  He  is  a  native  of  Wau- 
pun.  Dodge  county,  "Wis.,  born  March  25, 
1853,  and  is  the  son  of  Royal  T.  and  Almira 
F.  (Batcheller)  Case,  natives  of  the  State  of 
Yermont.  Ilis  father  was  a  farmer  and  upon 
the  farm  our  subject  was  reared.  When  he 
was  about  eight  years  old  his  parents  re- 
moved to  tJiis  State  and  located  at  Plain- 
view,  where  they  purchased  a  farm,  and 
there  made  their  home  until  the  spring  of 
1869.  During  that  year  they  moved  to  the 
neighborhood  of  Hixtchinson,  where  they 
lived  until  coming  to  this  county  in  1873. 
They  settled  in  Collinwood  on  section  27, 
where  the  mother  died  October  29,  1877, 
and  the  father  February  U,  1886. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  an  inmate  of 
his  father's  house  until  his  marriage  with 
Miss  Catherine  Ann  Grant,  on  October  17, 
1882.  The  lady  is  the  daughter  of  James 
and  Rebecca  Grant,  and  was  born  in  Jen- 
nings county,  Ind.,  December  18,  1862, 
and  is  a  most  accomplished  musician,  as  are 
most  of  the  family.  "When  Mr.  Case  was  mar- 
ried he  had  but  little  of  this  world's  goods,  but 
purchasing  a  farm  of  fifty  acres  upon  section 
21,  on  time,  and  by  diligence  and  industry 
has  reclaimetl  it  from  its  original  state  of 
wildness  and  cleared  it  of  debt.  He  is  a 
finished  musician,  and  has  traveled,  giving 
lessons  and  selling  instruments.  His  estima- 
l)le  wife  has  largely  contributed  toward 
their  success  in  life  by  her  industry  and 
economv. 


^^[ONORABLE  O.  M.  LINNELL,  of  Ac- 
J!?^'jL  ton  township,  is  one  of  the  most 
prominent  citizens  of  Meeker  county.  He 
was  born  near  Wexio,  in  Sweden,  on  the 
21st  of  April,  1810,  and  is  a  son  of  Magnus 
Jonason  and  Lisa  C.  (Falk)  Linnell.  With 
his  parents  he  came  to  the  United  States  in 
1852,  and  they  settled  on  Lake  Chisago,  in 
Chisago  county,  Minn.,  the  same  year.  O. 
M.  Linnell,  being  the  oldest  in  the  family, 
had  to  woi'k  veiy  hard  in  the  summer  time 
to  help  his  father  clear  off  a  farm  in  the 
heavy  timber  and  had  to  work  out  for  oth- 
ers to  earn  money  for  clothing.  Most  of  the 
year  1857  was  put  in  at  and  around  the  city 
of  Superior,  Wis.,  when  the  noted  hard  times 
in  Minnesota  set  in,  of  1857,  1858  and  1859, 
when  it  was  next  to  an  impossibility  to  get 
a  dollar  in  money.  The  av inter  of  1859  and 
1 860  our  subject  spent  near  St.  Joe,  La.,  cut- 
ting cord  wood,  where  money  was  paid  for 
labor.  He  was  thei'e  offered  the  charge  of 
a  cordwood  landing,  with  three  large  wood 
Inirges  and  twelve  negroes,  but  could  not 
stand  it  to  hear  the  abuse  of  the  Southerners 
toward  the  Northern  men,  nor  see  the  abuse 
of  the  slaves ;  so  in  A]iril  he  went  back  to 
his  liome  in  Minnesota,  where  he  remained 
with  his  parents  part  of  the  time,  and  to 
earn  money  for  the  family  worked  on  the  St. 
Croix  river  during  the  summers,  on  the  logs, 
driving,  or  on  the  booms.  In  August,  1862, 
he  enlisted  in  Company  C,  Seventh  Minne- 
sota Volunteer  Infantry,  and  was  mustered 
in  at  Fort  Snelling,  just  at  the  time  the  Sioux 
Indians'  noted  massacre  broke  out  in  the 
town  of  Acton,  where  Mr.  Linnell  now  lives. 
Company  C,  of  the  Seventh  jMinnesota  Infan- 
try, was  sent  on  foot,  marching  to  Fort  Rip- 
ley without  having  time  to  wait  for  uni- 
forms. They  received  bright,  shining  Spring- 
field rifles,  but  not  a  single  cartridge.  It 
looked,  as  the  boys  used  to  ex])ress  it,  "  kind 
of  funny  to  meet  the  savage  Indians  without 
powder  or  lead,  meeting  citizens  Ijy  the  linn- 


'^<7^^Z.C^t!^ 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


385 


clreds  fleeing  from  their  homes  for  their  lives." 
From  Foi't  Eipley  the  company  was  ordereJ 
to  the  Ciiippewa  Agenw  to  guard  the  gov- 
ernment stores.  Tiiere  they  were  soon  sur- 
rounded by  500  Indian  warriors,  and  as  the 
company  had  only  a  few  rounds  of  ammuni- 
tion the  position  for  a  time  was  a  dangerous 
one.  Tliey  were  kept  in  this  shape  for  four 
days,  when  the  Indians  learned  that  the 
Sioux  were  defeated  at  Wood  Lake,  and 
were  then  very  glad  to  make  a  treaty.  Had 
the  Indians  known  the  condition  of  the  sol- 
diers and  made  an  attack,  Company  C  would 
have  been  annihilated.  After  the  treaty 
was  perfected  the  company  was  sent  back  to 
Eipley,  where  tliey  built  large  barracks,  and 
with  other  com])anies  expected  to  camp  over 
winter,  but  in  the  latter  part  of  Xovember 
they  received  orders  to  report  at  Fort  Snell- 
ing,  to  go  South.  The  compan}'^  got  a  few 
daj's'  furlough  to  go  home  to  visit  friends, 
and  during  this  time  the  governor  of  Minne- 
sota got  permission  to  keep  what  soldiers 
were  in  the  State  for  fear  of  a  new  out- 
break of  the  Indians  in  the  spring,  and  Com- 
pany C  was  sent  to  IMankato  to  guard  the 
Indian  ])risoners.  This  company  afterward 
carried  out  the  linal  execution  of  the  thirty- 
eight  Indians  who  were  hanged  there.  The 
last  military  duty  Mr.  Linnell  did  was  on 
December  17,  1S62,  wlien  he  was  detailed  to 
help  ferry  the  government  teams  across  the 
Minnesota  Kiver,  and  was  taken  sick  with  a 
disease  of  tlie  lungs.  He  Avas  under  the  doc- 
tor's cai'e  for  eleven  months.  He  has  nevei 
fully  recovered  from  tliis  sickness.  He  was 
honorably  discharged  from  the  service  for 
disability,  at  Fort  Snelling,  on  the  ith  ol 
August,  1863,  and  returned  to  his  home,  and 
from  186-1:  to  1876  was  farming,  lumbering 
and  dealing  in  rafting  materials.  In  1876 
he  came  to  Meeker  and  settled  in  Acton 
township,  where  he  now  lives.  He  now  has 
a  good  farm  of  520  acres  of  land,  with  excel- 
lent macliinerv  and  a  good  stock  of  liorses 


and  cattle.  All  of  his  property  has  been 
accumulated  since  liis  army  service. 

Mr.  Linnell  has  taken  an  active  and  prom- 
inent part  in  public  matters  ever  since  he 
attained  his  manliood,  and  he  has  held  some 
town  or  county  otlice  each  year  since  he  has 
been  old  enougii,  with  tlie  cxce])tion  of  the 
first  year  in  Meeker  count}'.  Since  coming 
here  he  has  held  the  offices  of  county  com- 
missioner, school  treasurer  for  nine  j'ears, 
and  is  at  the  present  time.  He  is  the  present 
town  clerk.  In  1880  he  was  elected  to  rep- 
resent this  district  in  the  legislature,  and  was 
re-elected  in  1882.  The  sessions  in  which  he 
served  were  three  of  the  most  important  ever 
held  in  the  history  of  the  State,  particulai'ly 
in  settling  at  fifty  cents  on  the  dollar  the 
"Eight-Million-Dollar  State  Ptailroad  Bonds," 
whicli  had  been  a  stain  on  the  glorious  ban- 
ner of  our  North  Star  State.  Mr.  Linnell  had 
always  advocated  a  settlement  of  the  bonds 
to  redeem  the  honor  of  the  State.  In  1883 
he  was  chairman  of  the  standing  committee 
of  agriculture  and  manufactures,  and,  as 
usual,  a  member  of  several  difi'erent  commit- 
tees. 

Mr.  Linnell  strongly  supported  temperance 
legislation,  and  a  reduction  of  interest  on 
money.  He  served  with  honor  to  himself 
and  credit  to  the  district. 

Mr.  Linnell  was  married  on  the  21th  of 
June,  1881:,  to  Carolina  Sophia  Anderson,  a 
daughter  of  C.  M.  and  Kaisa  Anderson.  She 
was  a  native  of  Smfdand,  Sweden,  born 
November  11,  1830.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Linnell 
have  been  blessed  Avith  the  following  named 
children  —  Luther  A.,  Medora  E.,  Emely  L., 
Llerbert  M.,  William  Sabin,  Mary  A.,  Albert 
T.  and  Annette  E.  The  daugliter  ISIedora  is 
now  a  teacher  in  tlie  graded  schools  at  Grove 
City.  Mr.  Linnell  has  all  his  life  been  a 
worthy  member  of  the  Lutheran  Evangelical 
Church,  and  is  now  one  of  its  trustees  and 
treasurer.  He  is  a  man  of  the  strictest  honor 
and  integritv,  and  his  word  is  recognized  as 


386 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MIXXESOTA. 


beino-  as  o-ood  as  liis  l)on(l,  wlierever  he  is 
known.  lie  is  well  read  and  well  posted  on 
all  public  topics  and  justly  holds  the  confi- 
dence and  esteem  of  ail  who  know  him. 


I 


OHN  WHALEN,  one  of  the  first  pio- 
neers that  broke  the  way  for  progress 
and  civilization  into  the  wilds  of  Meeker 
county,  came  here  with  a  party  of  his  coun- 
trymen, and  made  a  settlement  npon  section 
24,  of  Forest  City  townshij),  where  he  now 
lives. 

He    is    a    native    of    Ireland,    born    in 
County  Waterford,  in  the  year  1824.      He 
made  liis  home  in  the  "Emerald  Isle"  until 
184C,  when  he  crossed  the  ocean  in  search  of 
a  home  in  America.    He  landed  at  Montreal, 
Canada,  reaching  that  place  l)y  way  of  the 
St.  Lawrence  lliver,  and  fi'om  there  by  way 
of  Montpelier,  Vt.,  he  drifted  to  Boston  and 
Lowell,  Mass.      After  some  time  spent   in 
those  places,  he  turned  his  steps  toward  Xew 
York  and  New  Jersey,  and  finally  to  Phila- 
delphia,   seeking    employment   Avherever  it 
offered,  for  he  \vas  of  an  industrious  disposi- 
tion, and  had  his  living  to  provide  for.    Mak- 
ing up  his  mind  that  in  the  great  West  there 
was  a  greater  chance  for  him,  he  accordingly 
came  to  Indiana,  where  he  passed  some  six 
years  and  a  half  in  farming,  having  adopted 
that  calling.     In  the  spring  of  1S56.  a  party 
consistmg  of  the  Whalens,  the  Flynns,  the 
Fitzgeralds  and  others  left  Crown  Point,  Ind., 
for  California,  init  reaching  Dubu(|ue,  Iowa, 
heard  of  this  country,  and  determined  to  in- 
vestigate it.     John  Whalen  and  John  Flynn 
pushed  on  ahead  of  the  others,  and  on  reach- 
ing Meeker  count\',  and  being  ])leased  with 
it,  returned  for  the  train  containing  their 
families  and  friends,  meeting  them  at  Eoches- 
ter,  this  State.     Tiiey  at  once  headed   for 
this  country,  and  crossed  the  county  line  on 
the  Otli  of  July,  that  year,  and  made  their 


settlement.  Mr.  Whalen  located  upon  the 
place  where  he  now  lives,  tiie  others  else- 
where, as  related  in  their  memoirs.  Mr. 
Whalen  has  added  to  iiis  place  from  time  to 
time,  until  he  is  now  the  owner  of  714  acres, 
and  is  classed  among  the  wealthiest  farmers 
in  the  county.  In  1S5G  he  was  married  to 
Miss  Mary  Flynn,  and  they  are  the  j)arents 
of  five  children — Thomas^  James,  Ellen,  Mary 
and  John. 

Politically,  Mr.  Whalen  is  a  democrat  of 
the  Andrew  Jackson  type,  and  religiously  is 
a  devout  member  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church. 


TOSEPH  PLUMADORE,  one  of  the  act- 
^  ive,  thorough-going  agriculturists  of 
Kingston  township,  living  upon  section  15, 
came  to  Meeker  county  in  1870,  and  settled 
at  the  village  of  Litchfield,  where  he  })Hed 
his  craft  of  carpenter.  A  few  years  later  he 
removed  to  Minneapolis,  where  he  followed 
the  same  avocation  for  about  two  years, 
when  he  returned  here  and  took  up  his  pi'cs- 
ent  homestead,  knowing  that  "  here  lands 
may  be  had  for  the  asking,  and  forests  of 
timber  with  a  few  blows  of  the  axe  are  hewn 
and  framed  into  houses."  Although  the 
place  was  covered  with  the  primeval  forest, 
still,  by  extreme  energy  and  jJerseverance,  he 
has  succeeded  in  clearing  it  and  developing  a 
fine  farm  of  eighty  acres  in  extent. 

The  subject  of  this  memoir  is  a  native  of 
New  York,  born  May  11, 1830,  and  is  the  son 
of  William  and  Mary  (Laurie)  Plumadore. 
His  father  was  a  native  of  lahelle  France^ 
and  was  engaged  in  all  kinds  of  speculating 
and  barter  and  sale.  After  attending  school, 
our  subject  took  up  his  handicraft,  in  whicli 
he  served  a  full  apprenticeship,  and  followed 
regularly  until  settling  down  to  agricultural 
pursuits.  He  was  united  in  marriage,  Sep- 
tember 11,  1S73.  with  Miss  Mary  A])field,  a 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


3S7 


native  of  Germany,  whose  parents  had  crossed 
the  ocean  with  her  in  her  infanc}^  and  set- 
tled in  Scoit  county,  where  she  was  reared 
and  educated.  By  this  union  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Phimadore  are  the  parents  of  an  only  daugh- 
ter—Edith, born  April  22, 1S75. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Plumadore  coin- 
cides Avith  the  principles  formulated  in  the 
platforms  of  the  republican  party,  and  has 
always  been  an  adherent  of  that  organiza- 
tion. His  sterling-  integritv  and  honorable 
dealing  has  won  him  hosts  of  friends  in  the 
community,  and  his  name  is  synonymous 
with  easy  good  nature  and  genial  hospitality. 

ILS  MARTENSON,  one  of  the  most 
highly  respected  and  prominent  farm- 
ers in  the  western  ])art  of  Meeker  county, 
resides  on  section  4,  Swede  Grove  township. 
He  was  born  in  Sweden  on  the  10th  of  No- 
vember, ISiS,  and  is  a  son  of  Marten  and 
Alice  (Olson)  Anderson.  Nils  was  reared  in 
his  native  land,  ])ut  in  1S6S,  when  twenty 
years  old,  he  cameakme  to  America,  landing 
in  Quebec,  making  his  way  on  to  St.  Paul, 
Minn.,  and  one  day  later  came  to  Litchfield, 
in  Jleeker  county.  He  worked  two  weeks 
for  Ole  Ingerman,  four  for  Andrew  Nelson, 
and  then  went  to  Cutt's  Grove,  where  he  was 
sick  for  six  weeks.  Upon  his  recovery  he 
went  to  St.  Paul,  and  one  montii  later  to 
Louisiana,  where  he  remained  six  months.  He 
then  returned  to  Minnesota,  working  for  six 
months  at  St.  Paul  and  Cutts'  Grove  in 
Washington  county.  After  this  he  worked 
for  six  months  in  Louisiana,  and  then  went 
to  St.  Paul  to  meet  his  parents  who  had  just 
arrived  from  Sweden,  and  together  they 
came  to  Meeker  county  and  settled  on  the 
land  where  Nils  now  resides.  Tliis  was  in 
1871.  He  is  now  in  comfortable  circumstan- 
ces, all  of  which  is  the  result  of  his  own 
enterprise,  industry  and  good  management. 


He  owns  one  of  the  most  valuable  fains  in 
the  township,  comprising  320  acres,  a  good 
share  of  which  is  under  a  iiigh  state  of  cul- 
tivation. 

Mr.  Martenson  was  mnrried  on  the  11th 
of  August,  1873,  to  Ellen  Trulson,  wliose 
parents  still  reside  in  Meeker  county.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Martenson  have  been  the  parents 
of  eight  children,  the  three  oldest  of  whom 
are  dead.  The  names  of  those  liv  ng  are 
Judet  M.,  Euth,  Samuel,  Ehoda,  and  Lydia. 
The  family  are  members  of  the  Baptist 
Church  and  are  exemplary  Christian  people. 
In  political  matters  Mr.  Martenson  affiliates 
with  the  republican  party. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  Martenson  were  natives 
of  Sweden.  Both  of  his  parents  died  in 
this  count V. 


PATRICK  ENRIGHT,  one  of  tiie  most 
prominent  and  enterprising  fai'mers 
and  stock-i'aisers  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
county,  resides  on  section  IS,  Manannah 
township.  He  was  Ijorn  in  County  Limerick, 
Ireland,  March  i^5,  183-±,  and  is  a  son  of  John 
and  Eliza  (Blake)  Enright.  He  left  his  native 
land  in  1S47  with  his  parents,  and  settled  in 
Canada,  where  his  parents  remained  until 
the  time  of  their  death.  Our  subject  re- 
mained in  Canada  until  1874,  when  he  came 
to  Meeker  county,  Minn.,  and  settled  on  sec- 
tion 18,  Manannah  township,  where  he  still 
lives.  He  is  now  in  comfortable  circum- 
stances, and  is  one  of  the  largest  land  owners 
in  the  township,  having  400  acres  of  land. 
A  good  share  of  his  place  is  under  cultiva- 
tion, and  in  connection  with  diversified  farm 
ing  he  devotes  considerable  attention  to  rais- 
ing stock.  In  political  matters  Mi'.  Enright 
affiliates  with  the  democratic  party,  and  lias 
taken  an  active  interest  in  public  matters. 
He  has  been  prominently  identified  with  tiie 
official  history  of  the  township,  and  has  held 


3S8 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MIXNESOTA. 


various  local  ottices.  int'ludino-  that  of  town- 
ship sui)ei'visor,  which  ottice  he  has  held  for 
six  terms. 

Mr.  Enright  was  married  in  December, 
ISoo.  to  Miss  Mary  Fitzpatriek,  and  their 
marriage  has  been  blessed  with  nine  children, 
us  follows — Patrick,  Mary,  Eliza,  James, 
William,  Catherine,  Michael,  Marguaret  and 
John,  all  of  whom  are  still  living.  ]\Irs. 
Enright's  parents  were  natives  of  Ireland. 
The  mothor  died  in  Canada  and  the  father  in 
^[eeker  county. 

BothjMr.  and  Mrs.  Enright  are  exemplary 
meml)crs  and  active  suj)j)orters  of  the  Cath- 
olic Church. 


-«« 


►^^ 


WILLIAM  GRONO  is  the  proprietor 
of  the  marble  works  at  Litchfiekl, 
the  first  and  only  establishment  of  the  kind 
ever  started  at  the  county  seat.  Mr.  Grono 
was  born  at  Pontiac,  Oakland  county,  Mich., 
October  4,  ISfiO,  and  is  the  son  of  William 
and  ]\[innie  (Zelhime)  Grono.  Both  of  his 
parents  were  natives  of  Prussia,  who  had 
settled  in  Michigan  in  1856.  In  1872  they 
settled  at  Worthington,  Mmn.,  taking  up 
government  land  in  N"obles  county,  on  which 
the  parents  still  reside.  William  Grono,  Jr., 
remained  wiLii  his  parents  until  he  was  fif- 
teen years  of  age  when  he  went  to  Owa- 
tonna,  ]\[inn.,  and  learned  the  marble  cutter's 
trade.  lie  remained  in  that  city  until  1883, 
when  he  went  to  Montevideo,  and  in  company 
with  J.  II.  Seaman,  engaged  in  the  marble 
trade.  A  year  later  he  sold  his  interest  to 
his  i^artner  and  came  to  Litchfield,  and  on 
tlie  first  of  March,  1885,  established  the  mar- 
ble works  of  which  he  is  still  proprietor.  lie 
carries  on  an  extensive  business. 

Mr.  Grono  was  married  on  the  10th  of 
October,lS84,  to  Miss  Rosa  Maw,  of  Steele 
county,  Minn.  They  have  one  chdd — Maudie 
May,  l)oru  Janvuirv  25,  1886. 


TpTALVER  O.  HALVERSEN,  one  of  Acton 
i^i  township's  representative  farmers,  is 
one  of  the  best  known  citizens  in  the  western 
part  of  Sleeker  county.  He  is  a  native  of 
Wisconsin,  born  on  the  2r)th  of  October, 
1850.  Ilis  j)arents  were  Henry  and  ilarga- 
rette  Ilalversen,  both  natives  of  Nor\vay. 
They  came  to  the  United  States  in  1840.  and 
settled  in  Wisconsin,  where  they  engaged  at 
farminir,  and  remained  until  1856,  then  came 
to  Sleeker  county,  Minn.,  and  settled  upon  a 
farm,  which  the  father  purchased  in  Litch- 
field township.  In  1883  they  sold  this,  and 
the  father  purchased  a  farm  in  Acton  town- 
ship, which  he  still  owns.  At  this  writing 
the  father  is  visiting  in  Washington  Terri- 
tory. 

H.  0.  Ilalversen,  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
was  brought  up  on  a  farm.  LTpon  attaining 
his  manhood  he  was  married  to  Mrs.  Uattie 
Olson,  in  1873,  widow  of  Gutrom  Olson, 
who  died  in  1867.  By  her  first  marriage  his 
wife  had  one  child,  Gurine,  who  was  born 
December  5,  1867,  and  died  July  21,  1882. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Halversen  have  been  blessed 
with  the  following  children — Mattie  A.,  born 
May  13,  1875 ;  Henry  C,  born  February  27, 
1877,  and  died  July '22,  1882;  and  Ida  O., 
born  January  10,  1870,  and  died  July  10, 
1882  (these  three  children  died  of  diphtheria, 
and  were  buried  on  the  same  day);  and  the 
following  children,  who  are  living — Mattie 
A.,  born  May  13,  1875;  Ole  L.,  born  August 
22,  1881 ;  and  Ida  (Murine  Henrietta,  born 
December  29, 1883.  i\Ir.  Ilalvei'sen  has  been 
very  successful  in  his  farming  o))erations, 
and  is  well-off  in  this  '"  world's  goods."  He 
has  in  all  291  acres  of  land,  and  hves  on  the 
northwest  quarter  of  section  24,  where  he 
has  a  neat  and  comfortable  residence,  and 
splendid  barn,  and  other  farm  buildings.  In 
addition  to  his  farming  and  stock-i-aising 
interests,  he  runs  a  steam  tliresher  during  the 
threshing  season.  At  the  time  of  the  Lulian 
outbreak,  althouyh  ]\[r.  Ilalversen  was  but  a 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


3^9 


lad  of  twelve,  he  has  a  distinct  recollection 
of  the  events  during  that  trying  time.  His 
parents  fled  with  the  famih'  from  their 
Litchfield  farm,  and  went  to  Forest  City  for 
safety.  A  year  later,  however,  Halver  re- 
turned witlx  his  father  and  helped  put  in  the 
crops.  Til  is  matter  receives  full  attention 
in  the  chapter  I'elating  to  the  massacre.  In 
religion  Mr.  Halversen  and  famih'  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Xorwegian  Lutheran  Church, 
and  in  political  matters,  Mr.  Halversen  is  a 
republican. 


EORGE  DICKSON,  for  many  years 
a  banker  in  Scotland  and  India, 
retired  in  Ijroken  health  in  1S72,  on  a  life 
pension  of  five  thousand  dollars  per  annum. 
After  recruiting  his  health  for  over  two 
vears  in  Eng-land,  he  traveled  throuo'h  the 
United  States  and  Canada,  during  1874  and 
1875,  and  in  1880  purchased  from  Col.  "V7. 
S.  King,  the  property  of  "  Oakwood,"  in 
Danielson  township,  ]Meeker  county.  Minn. 

This  is  one  of  th'e  best  equipped  fanus  in 
the  State  of  Minnesota,  the  buildings  being 
of  a  very  superior  description  and  well  fin- 
ished. It  contains  150  acres  of  well  matured 
timber,  skirting  "Lake  Dickson,"  two  miles 
long,  h^  one  and  three-quarters  of  a  mile  in 
breadth.  The  soil  is  remarkably  good, 
ffentlv  rolling  thi'oucrhout:  is  well  watered, 
and  is  subdivided  by  over  eight  miles  of  sub- 
stantial fencing. 

The  herd  of  short  horn  cattle  usually  num- 
bers from  130  to  180  head,  and  has  been 
graded  up  to  a  high  state  of  perfection. 
The  interior  accommodation,  with  numerous 
box  stalls  for  wintering  1-30  head  of  cattle 
and  eighteen  horses,  is  very  complete. 

The  loft  of  the  cattle  barn,  195  by  40  feet, 
with  two  large  wings,  has  a  capacity  of  200 
tons  of  hay  ;  and  the  stable,  S()  by  40  feet,  a 
capacity  of  100  tons. 


Over  500  acres  are  under  cultivation  ;  two 
separate  holdings,  each  of  160  acres,  have 
hitherto  been  let  to  tenants,  and  the  main 
farm,  usually  held  by  a  tenant  "  on  shares  " 
is  under  a  regidar  cereal  rotation,  and  has 
ample  provision  of  natural  and  cultivated 
grasses,  orchard  and  blue  grass,  red  clover 
and  timothy. 

A  school  house  and  postoffice  have  recently 
been  established  here.  Otherwise  consider- 
able improvements  in  building,  draining  and 
fencing  have  been  effected  on  the  pi'opeity 
since  1880.  So  that  it  is  now  one  of  the 
most  valuable  and  desirable  among  ^[inne- 
sota"s  ••  Bonanza  farms." 


-^--j^^:- 


/o??  RiCK  BYLU.ND  is  a  prominent  old  set- 
V^^  tier  who  resides  on  section  6.  Litch- 
field to\vnship.  He  was  born  in  Sweden  on 
the  16th  of  February,  1824,  and  is  a  son  of 
John  E.  and  Anna  Byliind.  His  early  life 
was  one  of  incessant  toil  and  bitter  hardship, 
and  during  four  years  of  the  earlier  period 
of  his  life,  from  1837  to  1840,  he  lived  on 
nothing  but  fish  and  bread  made  from  pine 
bark.  In  1850  he  came  to  the  L'nited  States 
and  after  living  one  winter  in  Illinois  he  came 
to  Minnesota,  settling  at  Taylor's  Falls. 
Chisago  county.  There  were  but  very  few 
settlers  in  the  Territory'  of  Minnesota  at  that 
time  and  none  away  from  the  east  territorial 
line.  Erick  worked  for  several  j-ears  in  the 
pineries  striving  to  get  money  enough 
together  to  transport  his  father  anil  brother 
from  the  old  world  to  the  new.  In  1863  he 
came  to  Meeker  county  and  located  on  sec- 
tion 6,  in  Litchfield  township,  where  he  still 
lives.  During  that  summer  he  helped  build 
a  fort  near  his  fann  and  his  own  and  four 
other  families  occupied  it  for  several  weeks 
during  the  Indian  scare. 

In  1857  Mr.  Byiund  was  married  to  Cath- 
erine Xordin,  a  native  of  Sweden,  who  bore 


3Q0 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


liiiii  twn  cliildren — Jolin,  horn  l)cceiHl)er  7, 
]  SriS,  (lied  when  four  j'etirs  of  age  ;  and  Nels, 
born  June  12,  ISCO.  Nels  has  always  fol- 
lowed farming  with  his  father,  and  now  has 
cliiirge  of  the  farm.  Mrs.  ByhuKl  died  on 
the  ISth  of  May,  1884,  and  Mr.  Bylund  and 
son,  Nels,  have  since  lived  on  the  old  home- 
steail,  which  is  beautifully  situated  in  the 
northwestern  part  of  the  township.  The 
farm  is  well  located  and  well  improved. 


■*•-[< 


>^^^-\  EORGE   NEUBAUER,    an    intelligent, 

''•y'V    I'espected  and  prominent  farmer  and 

esidiui 


stock-raiser,  residin"'  on  section  9,  Forest 
Pj'airie  township,  was  liorn  in  Baiern,  Ger- 
many, on  the  7th  of  April,  1832,  and  isason 
of  George  and  Catherine  (Martin)  Keubauer. 
His  father  and  mother  ^vere  the  jiarents  of 
eleven  children,  some  of  whom,  however, 
died  in  infancy. 

George  Neubauer,  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
spent  his  boyhood  days  in  his  native  land, at- 
tending school  regalarl}'  until  he  was  twelve 
years  old,  and  for  six  years  thereafter,  at- 
tended a  school  held  every  Sunday.  He  re- 
mained at  home  with  his  parents  until  he  was 
twenty  years  of  age,  when,  in  1852,  he,  in 
company  with  his  brothers  and  sisters,  John, 
Michael,  Mary  and  Barbara,  came  to  the 
United  States.  They  landed  in  New  York 
and  tlicn  went  to  Jersey  City,  where  they  re- 
mained two  years,  George  being  at  work  in 
a  cement  factory.  In  185i  they  removed  to 
Silver  Creek,  Penn.,  and  lived  there  until 
1879,  when  George  came  to  Minnesota. 

In  1881,  George  Neubauer  came  to  Meeker 
county  and  located  on  section  22,  Forest 
Prairie  township.  Two  years  later  he  set- 
tled u])on  the  place  on  section  9,  where  he 
still  resides.  He  has  a  valuable  farm  of  eighty 
acres  and  devotes  his  attention  to  general 
farming  and  stock-raising. 

Our  subject  v.'as  married  before  leaving  his 


native  land,  on  the  l.")tli  of  August,  1852,  to 
]\riss  Elizaljeth  Schreivogel.  They  have 
eight  children  living,  six  boys  and  two  girls, 
as  follows — John,  Michael,  Mary,  Joseph, 
Lawrence,  Lizzie,  George  and  Daniel. 

In  political  matters,  Mr.  Neubauer  is  a 
democrat.  The  family  are  respected  mem- 
bers of  the  Catholic  Church. 


•«"!^i^-4^ 


_.  MBROSE  T.  DORMAN.  Another  pio- 
i'll_  neer  family  of  Meeker  county  is  the 
Dormans,  some  of  whom  have  jmssed  away, 
some  have  removed  from  the  county,  but 
there  are  a  few  here  still.  One  of  them,  and 
a  prominent  one,  is  the  gentleman  whose 
name  heads  this  article. 

Ambrose  Dorman  was  born  in  Ilai'ring- 
ton,  AVashington  county.  Me.,  May  29,  1836, 
antl  was  there  reared  to  manhood.  He  re- 
ceived the  elements  of  the  excellent  education 
which  is  the  privilege  of  every  citizen  of  New 
England,  in  the  schools  of  his  native  town. 
In  1858,  with  a  view  to  the  betterment  of  his 
fortunes,  he  came  to  Minnesota  and  settled 
in  Meeker  county,  where  he  now  resides. 

Nathaniel  Dorman,  the  father  of  the  sub- 
ject of  this  memoir,  came  to  Meeker  county 
in  1857,  with  the  first  settlers  of  the  town- 
ship, and  took  up  a  cLiim.  The  old  gentle- 
man, altliou^'li  some eiii'litv-four  years  of  asre, 
still  survives,  a  monument  to  the  regularity 
of  the  lives  of  the  former  generation,  whose 
habits  have  preserved  them  to  a  ripe  old  age. 
Mrs.  Nathaniel  Dorman  died  in  1870,  and 
her  remains  are  buried  in  the  Kingston  cem- 
et^r}'.  They  were  the  parents  of  eight  chil- 
dren, seven  of  whom  are  living — John  F., 
Phoebe  S.,  Ambrose  T.,  Hany  Y.,  Samuel  A., 
Ellen  E.  and  Leonard  L. 

Ambrose  T.  Dorman  made  a  trip  to  Cali- 
fornia in  18(53,  and  remained  in  that  Eldo- 
rado, engaged  in  mining,  for  some  three 
years,  and  then  returned  to  Meeker  county. 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


391 


He  is  somewhat  of  an  adventurous  disposi- 
tion, havins:  followed  the  sea  for  some  five 
years  in  his  _youth,  and  spent  one  j'ear  in 
Maine,  one  in  Wisconsin,  and  one  in  the 
Minnesota  pineries.  April  18,  18(i0,  he  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Sarah  J.  Goble, 
a  native  of  Kentucky,  born  July  27,  1847, 
and  the  daughter  of  William  and  Edith 
(Phelps)  Goble.  Her  father  died  here  in 
June,  1876,  and  his  body  lies  at  rest  in  the 
cemetery  of  Kingston;  her  mother  is  still  liv- 
ing. The  latter  is  a  native  of  Virginia,  where 
she  grew  to  the  years  of  womaniiood. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Domian  have  an  interesting 
family  of  five  children,  whose  names  are  as 
follows — Willie  A.,  Edith  V.,  Silva  Jane, 
_Mai"tha  Ann,  and  John  P.  Mr.  Dorman  is  a 
stanch  adherent  to  the  principles  of  Jeffer- 
^sonian  democracy  in  his  politics,  and  is  a 
worthy  and  public  spirited  citizen  .of  the 
county. 


-^^^ 


JOHN  HILL.  The  subject  of  this  bio- 
grajihy,  a  resident  of  section  28,  Manan- 
nah  townsliip,  is  one  of  the  most  intelligent, 
leading  and  successful  farmers  and  stock-rais- 
ers in  the  northern  part  of  the  countj^  He 
was  born  in  County  Tyrone,  Ireland,  in  1829, 
and  is  a  son  of  Francis  and  Mary  (Campbell) 
Hill.  His  early  life  was  spent  in  his  native 
land,  where  he  acquired  the  iiabitsof  industry, 
perseverance  and  frugality',  wliich  are  so 
characteristic  of  the  race  from  which  he 
springs.  In  1851  he  came  to  tlie  LTnited 
States,  landing  in  Boston  and  proceeded  to 
Lowell,  Mass.,  where  he  remained  for  eleven 
years,  working  in  a  cotton  factory.  Tie  then 
went  to  San  Francisco,  Cal.,  where  he  lived 
for  five  years,  engaged  at  firing  on  an  engine. 
He  then  returned  to  Lowell,  Mass.,  and  six- 
teen montiis  later  he  came  to  Meeker  county, 
Minn.  From  Clearwater  he  came  by  stage 
to  Forest  City,  and  the  next  day  he  ari'ived 


at  the  house  of  Owen  Quinn,  in  Manannah 
townshi]x  A  few  days  later  he  purchased 
the  farm  on  section  28,  where  he  still  resides. 
He  has  240  acres  of  land,  and  devotes  his 
attention  to  farming  and  stock  raising. 

Mr.  Hill  was  married  on  the  21st  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1855,  to  Hannah  McAloon.  Their 
marriage  has  been  blessed  with  three  chil- 
dren, Avhose  names  were  Francis,  John  and 
Charles  H.  John  is  the  only  child  living, 
the  other  two  having  died,  and  are  buried  in 
Lowell,  Mass.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Elill  are  exem- 
plary members  and  active  sujjporters  of  the 
Catholic  Church. 

In  political  matters  Mr.  Hill  affiliates  with 
the  democratic  i)arty. 


/f^HARLES  A.  OILMAN,  a  prominent  and 
\^>'  energetic  farmer  of  Cosmos  township, 
has  his  beautiful  home  upon  sections  20  and 
29,  where  his  fine  farm  of  240  acres  is  sit- 
uated. He  came  to  this  locality  in  1877,  and 
for  about  a  year  lived  on  section  26, and  then 
three  j^ears  on  33.  In  1881  he  took  up  his 
present  homestead.  One  hundred  acres  of 
his  land  is  well  cultivated  and  the  improve- 
ments are  of  a  high  class. 

Mr.  Gilman  was  born  at  Sangerville, 
Piscataquis  county.  Me.,  August  25,  1846, 
and  is  the  son  of  Jonathan  C.  Gilman  and 
wife,  natives  of  Gihnanton,  N.  H.  His 
parents  removed  to  Maine  in  1826,  and  lo- 
cated at  Sangerville  and  made  their  home 
there  until  1850,  when  thej'  moved  to  Dex- 
ter, Penobscot  county,  where  the}'  still  live. 
Charles  remained  at  home  until  he  was  about 
twelve  years  of  age,  when  he  commenced 
worlcing  for  other  parties,  and  was  thus  em- 
ploj'ed  until  1863.  About  that  time  the  gov- 
ernment, needing  more  men  to  suppress  the 
rebellion,  had  just  issued  a  new  call  for  vol- 
unteers, and  in  Se])tember,  1863,  our  subject 
enlisted  in  Company  E,  Second  Maine  Cav- 


392 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


airy,  and  served  with  the  Nineteenth  Army 
Corps  in  all  its  campaigns  and  marches,  lie 
was  discharged  at  the  close  of  hostilities,  at 
Augusta,  Me.,  September  11, 1S05,  and  going 
to  Dead  river,  Franklin  county,  that  State, 
bought  a  farm,  upon  ^viiicli  lie  settled,  and 
where  he  made  his  home  until  1872,  when, 
selling  out,  he  came  to  Minneapolis  and  went 
into  the  lumber  business.  He  came  to 
Meeker  county  from  there  in  1877. 

Mr.  Gilman  was  married,  October  27, 
1865,  to  Miss  Angelina  S.  Fisher,  a  native 
of  Parkman,  Piscataquis  county,  Me.,  and 
daughter  of  A.  J.  and  Laura  A.  (Sargent) 
Fisher.  They  have  a  family  of  two  children — 
George  F.  and  Charles  A.  Mr.  Gilman  is  a 
member  of  Frank  Daggett  Post,  No.  35,  G.  A. 
E.,  and  has  served  the  town  as  justice  of  the 
peace  from  18So  until  tlie  present  time. 


i^^ 


PENRY  E.  DANIELSON,  a  prominent 
farmer  anil  stock-i'aisei',  wiio  resides 
on  section  31,  Cedar  ]\Iills  township,  is  a 
native  of  Meeker  count}',  antl  is  a  member 
of  one  of  the  most  prominent  pioneer  fami- 
lies in  the  county.  He  was  born  in  Acton 
township,  Meeker  county,  Minn.,  on  the  25th 
of  April,  1858,  and  is  a  son  of  Nels  and 
Kandi  Danielson,  after  whom  the  township  of 
Danielson  was  named.  A  full  histor}'  of  his 
parents  will  be  found  elsewhere  in  this  work. 
Henry  was  the  fifth  in  a  family  of  six  chil- 
dren. He  remained  at  home  with  his  fath- 
er's family  until  1881,  when  he  struck  out 
for  himself  to  earn  his  own  way  in  the  world. 
He  first  went  to  Atwater,  where  he  remained 
for  some  three  months,  and  then  went  to 
Minneapolis,  where  he  spent  one  winter  in 
Archibald's  Business  College.  The  follow- 
ing spring-  he  entered  the  employ  of  the  St. 
Paul,  Minneapolis  A:  Manitoba  Railway  Com- 
pany as  car  repairer,  and  remained  in  that 
position  until  ^lay,  1881.      During  the  fol- 


lowing season  he  Avas  engaged  at  carpenter 
work  and  various  other  lines  of  employment. 
In  the  spring  of  1885  he  located  on  section 
31,  Cedar  Mills  township,  where  he  still 
lives.  He  has  a  valuable  farm  of  160  aci'cs, 
a  good  share  of  wliieli  is  under  cultivation, 
has  comfortable  buildings,  and  is  in  good 
circumstances.  He  devotes  liis  attention  to 
general  farming  and  stock-raising,  and  by  his 
enterprise  and  industry  he  now  ranks  with 
the  leading  and  most  substantial  citizens  of 
of  the  township. 

Mr.  Danielson  was  married  while  in  Glyn- 
don,on  the  25th  of  June,  1883,  to  Miss  Mary 
Eller,  and  one  child  has  been  born  to  them — 
Daniel  D.,  born  February  27,  1886.  Mrs. 
Danielson  was  born  at  Baiern,  Germany,  on 
tiie  lOtli  of  January,  1861.  Her  parents' 
names  were  Jojian  and  Maria  Eller. 


^-^^ 


OHN  KONSBRICK,  of  the  city  of  Litch- 
field, is  a  native  of  the  duch}'  of  Luxem- 
burg, Germany,  born  in  the  year  1839.  He 
was  reared  in  the  land  of  his  birth,  among 
its  picturesque  and  vine  clad  hills,  and 
remained  there  until  he  had  reached  the  age 
of  one  and  twenty.  He  then  emigrated  to 
the  shores  of  the  new  world  to  better  his 
fortunes,  and  on  arrival  in  this  country  set- 
tled at  Aurora,  111.,  where  he  lived  for  some 
two  years,  and  at  the  expiration  of  that  time 
came  to  Minnesota.  For  two  yeai's  he  was 
employed  in  farming  in  Dakota  county,  after 
which  he  sjient  a  couple  of  years  more  at 
Bellevue,  Jackson  county,  Iowa.  From  the 
latter  place  he  returned  to  Dakota  county, 
this  State,  and  after  a  trip  to  the  Teri'itory 
of  Dakota  ho  came  to  Litchfield,  and  for 
three  years  was  in  tiie  employ  of  John 
Rodange,  a  fellow  countryman  and  an 
acquaintance  of  his  boyhood.  In  1883  our 
subject  started  for  himself  in  the  retail 
liquor  business,  but  some  two  years  later  his 


^  y^'0i^ 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


395 


place  was  destroyed  by  fire  by  whicli  he  lost 
some  $700  over  tlie  insurance.  lie,  instead 
of  being  discouraged,  at  once  commenced  to 
put  up  a  new  building.  It  was  erected  at  a 
total  cost  of  something  like  $4,500,  and  is  a 
credit  to  the  town.  Mr.  Konsbrick  is  one  of 
the  leading  saloon  men  of  the  town  and  a 
square  business  man. 


m^'c.  NIELSON  KASTETT,  a  respected 
farmer  who  resides  on  section  23, 
Danielson  township,  is  a  son  of  Niels  and 
Marie  (Olson)  Kastett,  and  was  born  in  Nor- 
way, on  the  15th  of  Jul}',  ISiU.  He  came  to 
the  united  States  in  1861,  and  first  settled  in 
Houston  county,  Minn.,  where  he  remained 
one  summer,  and  then  M'ent  to  Iowa,  where 
he  stayed  for  two  years  at  work  for  farmers. 
In  December,  1S63,  lie  enlisted  in  the  Second 
Minnesota  Cavalry,  and  Avas  mustered  in 
early  in  the  following  January.  He  served 
on  the  frontier,  participating  in  two  engage- 
ments with  the  Indians  in  the  Bad  Lands  of 
Dakota,  and  was  finally  mustered  out  at 
Fort  Snelling,  in  December,  1SC5.  He  then 
returned  to  Houston  county,  Minn.,  and  re- 
mained there  until  the  spring  of  18C6,  when 
he  came  to  what  is  now  Cosmos  township, 
Meeker  county,  then  a  part  of  Lincoln  county. 
He  was  the  first  man  to  take  a  team  and  a 
plow  into  that  township,  and  did  the  first 
breaking  there.  He  also  erected  the  first 
house.  He  remained  there  for  five  years, 
and  then  lived  in  Danielson  township  for  five 
years,  after  which  he  spent  two  years  in 
Cosmos,  and  then  settled  on  the  place  where 
he  now  lives.  In  1S7S  he  sold  his  Cosmos 
farm,  and  now  owns  a  place  of  ninety  acres 
on  section  23,  Danielson  toAvnship.  He  has 
taken  an  active  interest  in  all  mattei's  affect- 
ing the  wellfare  of  the  township,  and  has 
held  various  local  offices,  including  that  of 
chairman  of  the  township  supervisors  for  two 
or  three  years. 


Our  subject  was  married  on  the  22d  of 
January,  1870,  to  Mary  N.  Nelson,  who 
is  mentioned  at  length  hereafter.  They  are 
the  parents  of  the  following  children — Nellie 
Amelia,  born  October  25,  1870 ;  Regina 
Marie,  born  August  19,  1872;  Nels  Oliver, 
born  July  28,  1871:;  George  Henry  Necha- 
lai,  born  August  8,  1876 ;  Carl  Theodore, 
born  July  10,  1879 ;  Helen  Matilda,  born 
April  30,  1882;  Eagnhild  Mary  Agnes,  born 
July  16,  1881;  and  Daniel  Anton,  born  Jan- 
uary 26,  1887. 

Mary'N.  Nelson,  the  wife  of  Ole  Nielson 
Kastett,  is  a  daughter  of  Nels  and  Ragnliild 
Danielson,  the  first  settlers  in  Danielson 
township,  and  was  born  in  Norway,  on  the 
16th  of  October,  1819.  She  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1855  with  her  parents,  and 
after  stopping  for  two  years  in  Wisconsin,  in 
1857  they  came  to  Meeker  county,  Minn., 
where  they  have  since  lived.  When  the 
Indian  outbreak  began,  the  family  with  the 
majority  of  the  other  settlers,  hastily  went 
to  Forest  City,  and  a  short  time  later  to 
Kingston,  it  being  stated  that  the  string  of 
teams  extended  in  procession  from  one  place 
to  the  other.  They  remained  at  Kingston 
but  a  short  time,  and  then  went  back  to 
Forest  City  and  moved  into  a  house  near  the 
river,  there  being  another  family  to  occui)y 
it  with  them.  Mr.  Danielson,  the  father, 
was  helping  to  complete  the  fort  in  the  after- 
noon before  the  attack  was  made  on  Forest 
City,  and,  beginnning  to  fear  that  an  attack 
would  be  made,  he  directed  the  women  to 
take  the  children  and  go  to  the  hotel,  which 
they  did.  He  and  three  other  men  remained. 
In  the  night  the  house  was  set  on  fire,  and  upon 
looking  out,  they  coukl  see  hundreds  of  Indi- 
ans. They  succeeded  in  escaping,  however, 
unhurt.  The  Danielsons  remained  but  a  few 
days  after  the  attack,  and  then  retui-ned  to 
their  farm,  but  before  taking  the  family 
back,  the  father  and  the  daughter,  Helen, 
had  gathered  some  of  the  grain.     The  follow- 


396 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


ing  winter  Mr.  Danielson  took  fifty  head  of 
cattle  to  winter,  and  as  lie  had  hay  in  Kan- 
di\'olii  county,  he  took  tluMu  there  and  also 
took  his  daughters  llclcn  and  Mary  to  aid  in 
caring  foi-  tlieni.  The  father  was  unable  to 
clotiie  the  girls  properly,  and  as  they  could 
not  keep  u|)  enough  fire  to  keep  even  water 
next  to  the  stove  from  freezing,  both  the 
girls  froze  their  feet  badly,  and  the  father 
contracted  rheumatism  from  which  he  after- 
ward died.  Tiiis  will  illustrate  some  of  the 
harilships  whicii  the  early  settlers  were  com- 
pelled to  endure.  The  daughter,  Mary,  re- 
mained at  home  until  her  marriage.  Having 
been  among  the  oldest  settlers  of  the  county, 
she  has  witnessed  the  county  grow  from 
nothing  to  its  present  pros]ierous  andtliickly 
settled  condition. 


ILLIAM  H.  WILCOX,  ex-county 
commissioner,  a  resident  of  Swede 
Grove  township,  is  one  of  the  most  prominent 
citizens  in  the  noi'thern  part  of  the  county. 
He  is  a  native  of  Ohio,  born  on  the  22d  of 
May,  183.5,  and  was  the  son  of  Horace  and 
Polly  "Wilcox.  His  father  was  extensively 
engaged  in  the  dairy  business. 

"William  H.  remained  with  his  parents  un- 
til lie  was  twenty-one  years  of  age  and  then 
began  life  for  himself,  working  first  in  a 
cheese  factory  for  a  year,  and  then  starting 
for  the  "West.  He  worked  about  St.  Paul 
and  Minneapolis  until  1857,  when  he  bought 
a  squatter's  claim  to  100  acres  of  land  in 
Manannah  township  in  Meeker  county,  pay- 
ing fifty  dollars  for  it.  He  secured  govern- 
ment title  with  a  soldier's  land  warrant, 
wiiicii  cost  him  $130.  He  then  sold  the  land 
to  a  Mr.  Deck- for  $750  in  gold,  and  bought 
ir>0  acres  on  sections  2  and  3,  in  Swede  Grove 
township,  where  he  lias  since  liveil  with  the 
exception  of  the  summer  of  1858,  when  he 
worked  at  St.  Paul.     He   returned   to   his 


place  in  the  fall,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Ryck- 
man,  who  had  a  claim  adjoining,  and  they 
"bached  it"    too;ether  durino;  the  followin<ic 

o  o  o 

winter.  "When  the  Indian  outlireak  occurred 
he  had  a  family  on  the  place  keeping  house 
and  his  brother  was  living  with  him.  (_)n  the 
same  day  as  the  killing  of  Jones  and  l!akoi', 
eleven  Indians  cam]ied  near  his  claim,  and 
upon  learning  of  the  killing  Mr.  "W^ilcox 
accused  the  eleven  of  doing  it,  but  they  de- 
nied this,  claiming  they  were  "good  In- 
dians," and  left  without  doing  any  mischief. 
Mr.  Wilcox  supposed  the  matter  amounted 
to  nothing  more  than  a  drunken  row,  but 
soon  learned  that  it  was  to  be  a  general  out- 
break. He  therefore  loaded  sixteen  women 
and  eliildren  together  with  a  few  trunks  onto 
a  wagon  and  sent  the  outfit  to  Forest  City 
in  cliarge  of  his  brother.  He  remained  at 
home  until  nearly  night  and  then  took  his 
gun  and  went  out  on  the  prairie  to  see  if 
there  ^vere  any  Indians  about.  At  a  neigh- 
bor's he  learned  that  the  Indians  were  mur- 
dering and  burning  everything  as  they  went, 
and  were  scouring  the  country  for  whites, 
and  he  was  prevailed  upon  to  go  with  them 
to  Forest  City.  The  following  morning  he 
started  back  for  his  farm  against  the  advice 
of  his  friends,  but  feeling  that  he  could  not 
stay  there  and  let  his  ho«js  and  cattle,  which 
were  shut  up,  starve.  Upon  approaching  the 
house  he  saw  that  the  kitchen  was  open 
and  expected  every  moment  to  see  the  head 
of  an  Indian  poked  out  and  feel  the  lead 
from  a  rifle.  He  was  relieved,  however,  by 
finding  the  house  empty,  but  the  stove  was 
still  warm,  as  the  Indians  had  been  cooking 
there  and  had  demolishetl  things  generally, 
and  stolen  whatever  they  could  carry  off, 
cutting  open  a  feather  bed  to  get  a  sack  to 
hold  their  liooty.  After  this,  he  remained 
alone  most  of  the  time  caring  for  his  grain 
and  stock,  until  he  joined  the  "Home 
Guards,"  a  company  organized  at  Forest 
City,  for  protection  against  the  Indians. 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


397 


Mr.  Wilcox  was  married  on  tiie  'Jtli  of 
November,  1867,  to  Miss  Ellen  Peterson. 
She  was  a  native  of  Swetlen,  horn  December 
29,  1850,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Hans  and 
Betsy  (Ostrad)  Peterson.  She  was  six  j'ears 
old  when  she  came  to  America.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Wilcox  have  been  blessed  with  the  fol- 
lowing children  —  Lillie,  born  November  12, 
1868;  Sarah,  born  November  22,  1870; 
Horace,  born  July  22, 1873,  and  I^ellie,  born 
February  21,  1877.  Mr.  Wilcox  has  taken  a 
very  prominent  part  in  all  matters  of  a  pub- 
lic nature.  He  was  the  principal  factor  in 
tiie  organization  of  the  Swede  Grove  town- 
ship in  1869 ;  was  county  commissioner  for 
tliree  j^ears ;  township  clerk  in  Manannah 
three  years ;  town  clerk  in  Swede  Grove 
tliree  years  ;  chairman  of  tlie  sujiervisors  for 
two  years,  and  has  held  many  other  offices  of 
responsibility.  Mr.  Wilcox  owned  the  first 
cheese  factory  in  operation  in  Meeker  county, 
having  established  it  in  ISGi,  and  one  year 
sold  $1,600  worth  of  cheese.  His  house  was 
one  of  the  first  frame  buildings  erected  in 
tiie  northwestern  part  of  the  county,  having 
been  built  in  1865.  It  is  a  story  and  a  half 
building,  20x28  feet  in  size  with  an  addition 
10x21  feet.  He  also  has  substantial  farm 
buildings,  including  two  spacious  barns,  a 
granary,  and  other  buildings.  His  many 
years  of  residence  here  have  made  him  well 
known  among  all  the  old  settlers,  and  he  is 
held  in  high  regard  wherever  he  is  known. 

A  portrait  of  Mr.  Wilcox  is  presented  in 
anotlier  de})artment  of  this  album. 


fAMES  QUIGLEY,  one  of  the  old  resi- 
dents of  Forest  City  townsliip,  came  to 
Meeker  county  about  the  year  180G,  and  set- 
tled in  Forest  Prairie,  where  he  made  his 
home  for  some  five  years.  At  the  exjiiration 
of  that  period  he  removed  to  Kingston,  from 
Avhence,  some   five  years   later,  he  came  to 


Forest  City,  and  Icjcated  upon  160  acres  of 
land  on  section  20,  wliich  he  owns,  and 
where  he  now  lives.  He  is  a  native  of  Can- 
ada. He  left  that  province  in  1866,  and 
came  to  Minnesota,  where  he  has  since 
lived. 

Mr.  Quigley  was  married  in  1872,  at  For- 
est City,  and  by  this  union  there  has  been 
born  one  child — Mary  Ann.  In  his  politics 
Mr.  Quigley  is  a  democrat,  but  has  given  l)ut 
little  attention  to  such  matters.  He  is  a  re- 
spected and  esteemed  citizen,  and  one  of  the 
older  residents  of  the  county,  who  is  looked 
up  to  as  such. 


i\.  NDREW  P.  NELSON,    a   member  of 


the  lirm  of  Dudley  &  Nelson,  grain- 
dealers,  and  owners  of  tlie  elevator  that  bears 
their  name,  is  one  of  the  representative  citi- 
zens of  Grove  City,  where  he  has  lived  for 
more  than  eighteen  years. 

The  subject  of  tliis  personal  narrative  was 
born  in  Sweden  April  28,  1841,  and  is  the 
son  of  N.  P.  and  Sarah  Nelson.  He  made 
his  home  in  the  land  of  his  birth  until  1867, 
wlien  emlwrkino-  he  crossed  the  ocean  to 
the  new  world,  to  better  his  condition  in  life. 
He  landed  at  New  York,  October  7,  of  that 
year,  and  from  there  came  to  Minnesota, 
and  after  staying  a  short  time  in  New  Lon- 
don, Kandiyohi  county,  went  from  there  to 
St.  Cloud,  and  on  to  AVatab,  where  he  found 
employment  in  a  saw-mill,  with  Asa  Libby. 
He  remained  there  until  fall,  when  he  went 
into  the  pineries,  and  there  was  engaged 
until  the  following  April,  when  he  returned 
to  Watab,  and  Avent  to  school  for  about  six 
weeks,  but  from  there  went  to  Minneapolis 
and  was  employed  in  the  brickyard  of 
Woodward  tfe  Co.,  he  having  worked  at  that 
business  in  the  old  country.  In  the  follow- 
ing October  he  commenced  track-laying  for 
the  St.  Paul  ct  Paci  fie  Pailroad  Company,  and 


398 


MEEKER    COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


continued  with  them  until  November  17, 
1869,  when  he  received  orders  to  take  his 
crew  of  men  to  Swede  Grove,  and  stopped 
that  night  about  two  miles  and  a  half  from 
the  place,  with  Eric  Bylund.  lie  then 
reached  his  destination  and  secured  board 
for  himself  and  crew  with  Peter  J.  Lund, 
and  went  to  woi-k  to  put  in  the  side-track, 
etc.  lie  remained  liere  that  winter,  and  in 
the  spring  moved  into  a  little  house  that 
Olaf  Levander  built  about  tliat  time.  Mr. 
Nelson  had  charge  of  the  railroad  men  here 
until  January  1, 1878,  when  he  entered  into 
the  general  mercliandise  business  with  Mr. 
Peterson,  under  the  firm  name  of  Peterson, 
Nelson  ife  Co.  They  also  handled  lumber  in 
connection  with  their  other  business,  Mr.  Nel- 
son having  been  in  the  latter  line  while  in  the 
railroad  company's  employ.  Mr.  Peterson 
dying  a  few  months  later  the  firm  name 
changed  to  that  of  Dudley  k  Nelson.  They 
carried  on  the  business,  besides  a  store  in 
Minneapolis  for  three  years,  when  Mr.  Nel- 
son sold  out  to  his  ]iartner,  and  in  company 
witli  Isaac  Cooper,  went  into  tlie  lumber, 
grain  and  cattle  business,  but  two  years  later, 
going  out  of  the  firm  resumed  his  old  place 
with  ilr.  Dudle}',  and  the  firm  thus  formed, 
Dudley  &  Nelson,  are  the  prominent  grain 
dealers  of  the  village. 

November  29,  1873,  Mr.  Nelson  married 
Miss  Anna,  daughter  of  Peter  J.  and  Elna 
Lund,  who  died  December  3,  1871-,  when  her 
son,  Adolph,  was  but  eleven  days  old.  The 
grandparents  took  care  of  the  child  until 
July,  1878,  when  Mr.  Nelson  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Sarah  Lund,  a  sister  of 
his  first  wife,  who  assumed  charge  of  the 
little  orphan.  She  has  been  tlie  mother 
of  four  ciiildren,  three  of  whom  are  dead, 
and  one,  Anna,  born  August  3,  1881,  is  liv- 
ing. 

Mr.  Nelson  has  filled  the  office  of  school 
director,  and  is  the  ))resent  village  treas- 
urer. 


WIMOTHY  GIBNEY,  the  suljject  of  tliis 
biograjihical  notice,  is  an  enter])nsing 
and  thorough  farmer  who  resides  on  section 
27,  in  ^fanannah  townsliip.  lie  was  born  in 
Upper  Canada  on  tlie  22d  of  Noveml^er, 
1819,  anil  is  the  son  of  John  and  Anna  (Ilea- 
ney)  Gibney,  his  parents  being  natives  of  Ire- 
land. Ilis  early  life  was  spent  in  his  native 
Dominion  and  in  1805  he  came  with  his 
parents  to  the  United  States  and  they  made 
their  way  directly  to  Meeker  county,  Minn., 
settling  in  Manannah  township,  where  tiiey 
still  reside.  Timothy  has  120  acres  of  land 
and  has  been  very  successful  in  his  farming 
operations.  In  connection  with  his  diversi- 
fied fanning  interests,  he  carries  on  stock  rais- 
ing in  a  limited  way. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  married  on 
the  4th  of  February,  1883,  to  ]\nss  Mary  E. 
McCaffery,  and  their  marriage  has  been 
blessed  with  three  children  whose  names  are 
James  T.,  Elizabeth,  and  Patrick,  all  of 
whom  are  still  living  and  at  home.  ]\Irs. 
Gibne3''s  parents  were  both  natives  of  Ire- 
land, wlio  came  to  America  at  an  early  day 
and  died  in  Upper  Canada.  Both  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Gibne\'  are  exemplary  memliers  and 
active  supporters  of  tiie  Catholic  Church. 

Mr.  Gibney  is  a  Democrat  in  pohtical  mat- 
ters and  has  taken  an  active  interest  in 
townshi])  affairs,  having  held  various  local 
offices. 

1^  ICHARD  WELCH,  deputy  auditor  of 
J^^  Meeker  county,  is  a  native  of  Cayuga 
county,  N.  Y.,  born  June  5,  1859,  and  is  tiie 
son  of  Ilichard  and  Bridget  (McDonald) 
Welch.  His  parents  were  married  in  Syra- 
cuse, N.  Y'.,  in  1853,  and  shortly  after  re- 
moved to  Cayauga  county,  where  the}'  still 
make  their  home. 

The  subject  of  tliis  memoir  remained  at 
home  upon  a  farm  until  he  had  attained  his 


MERKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


399 


majority,  but  in  his  twent^'-first  j'ear  came 
to  Minnesota  and  located  in  Meeker  county. 
For  a  ])eriod  of  five  years  after  coming  here, 
he  was  engaged  in  teacliing  school,  but  in 
the  spring  of  1885  he  went  to  Buffalo  county, 
Dak.,  and  there  took  up  a  homestead  of  16U 
acres  of  land.  That  territory  had  been  thrown 
open  to  settlers  by  a  proclamation  of  Presi- 
dent Arthur,  but  the  present  administration 
seeing  fit  to  annul  and  make  void  this  action 
of  its  ]iredecessor,  Mr.  Welch,  in  company 
with  many  others  was  forced  to  abandon  his 
claim.  He  then  returned  to  Litchfield  whei-e 
he  has  made  his  home  ever  since.  He  was 
ajjpointed  to  the  office  of  deputy  auditor  of 
]\[eeker  county  in  1886,  and  is  still  engaged 
in  the  duties  of  that  position.  He  is  a  young 
man  in  j'ears,  but  has  already  won  for  him- 
self an  enviable  reputation  for  steadiness  and 
upright  principles,  and  will,  no  doubt,  occup}' 
more  important  and  responsible  positions  in 
the  future,  as  he  well  deserves. 


-«•-!; 


TgTAI-STFN  ANDERSON.  The  subject 
X'll.  of  this  biograpiiical  sketch  is  a  farmer 
resitling  on  section  1,  Danielson  township. 
He  is  a  son  of  Andrew  and  Carrie  Ilarolson, 
and  was  born  in  Norway  on  the  ITth  of  No- 
vember, 1818.  His  early  life  was  spent  on 
a  farm  in  the  land  of  his  birth  and  he  re- 
mained there  until  1870,  when  he  came  to  the 
United  States.  He  Avent  first  to  Dane 
county,  Wis.,  where  he  stayed  about  three 
years,  being  engaged  at  work  for  various 
farmers.  At  the  end  of  that  time,  March 
1."),  1873,  he  came  to  Meeker  county, 
Minn.,  and  worked  for  farmers  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Grove  City  until  June, 
1876,  and  at  that  time  ])urchased  forty 
acres  of  land  on  section  1,  in  Danielson 
township,  where  he  still  lives.  He  has  since 
bought  an  additional  eighty  adjoining  his 
original  farm,  so  that  his  place  now  consists 


of  120  acres.  He  has  a  good  share  of  it 
under  cultivation,  and  divides  his  time  be- 
tween general  farming  and  stock  raising. 
He  was  a  poor  man  when  he  came  to 
America,  and  had  to  boi'row  the  mone\'  with 
which  to  pay  his  fare,  but  by  industry  and 
frugality  he  has  accumulated  a  comfortable 
property. 

Mr.  Anderson  married  Miss  Ingeborff 
Michelson.  Her  parents  were  Michael  and 
Anna  Anderson,  Avho  Avere  born  in  Norway, 
and  lived  there  until  the  time  of  their 
deaths.  The  parents  of  Halsten  were  also 
natives  of  Norway,  where  his  father  died 
and  his  mother  still  lives. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Halsten  Anderson  have  been 
the  jiarents  of  the  following  named  children — 
Andrew,  born  May  3,  1873,  died  May  15, 
1887  ;  Anna  Clara,  born  September  3,  1875  ; 
Markus,  born  January  27,  1879,  died  April 
27,  1879  ;  Mattis,  born  October  15, 1881 ;  and 
Ida,  born  May  8,  1883.  The  family  are 
members  of  the  Norwegian  Lutheran 
Church. 


^UEL  J.  HAWKINS.  The  subject  of  this 
sketch,  a  successful  farmer  and  stock- 
raiser,  residing  on  section  21,  Cedar  Mills 
township,  while  not  an  old  settler  here,  is 
one  of  the  most  intelligent,  prominent  and 
influential  citizens  in  the  southern  part  of  the 
count}'.  He  is  a  native  of  Litchfield,  Conn., 
born  July  8,  1826,  and  is  a  son  of  Amos  and 
Minerva  Hawkins,  Ijoth  of  whom  were  na- 
tives of  the  same  State.  In  1835  the  family 
emigrated  to  Ashtabula  county,  Ohio,  where 
they  were  among  the  pioneer  settlers.  The 
father  died  at  Conneaut,  Ohio,  in  April,  1883, 
and  the  mother  at  Conneaut,  Ohio,  in  1850. 
In  1859  Buel  J.  started  with  a  team  and 
wagon  for  the  then  "  far  western  "  Kansas, 
and  after  a  dreary  overland  journey,  lasting 
some  six  weeks,  he  arrived   in  what  is  now 


400 


MEEKER  COUXTV,  M/XXESOTA. 


Crawford  county,  tlmt  State.  He  pnrcliased 
goverinnent  land  and  remained  on  that  for 
abont  twelve  years,  dividing  his  time  between 
farming-  and  teaching  school,  until  the  fall  of 
1S71,  when  he  returned  East  and  settled  in 
Kane  county,  111.,  upon  a  farm  which  he  iiad 
purchased.  Five  or  six  years  later  he  rented 
his  place  and  removed  to  the  town  of  Hamp- 
shire, 111.,  where  he  engaged  in  the  loan,  real 
estate  and  insurance  business.  lie  took  an 
active  interest  in  all  public  matters  there  and 
became  one  of  the  most  prominent  residents  in 
that  locajity.  lie  was  president  of  the  Kane 
county  Bible  Association,  and  secretary  of 
the  Kane  County  Sunday-school  Association, 
for  many  years,  and  also  took  an  active  in- 
terest in  educational  matters.  In  the  fall  of 
1885  j\rr.  Hawkins  purchased  a  farm  on  sec- 
tion 21,  Cedar  Mills  township,  Meeker  county, 
Minn.,  and  moved  onto  it  in  the  spring  of 
1886.  Since  that  time  he  has  devoted  his 
time  to  general  farming  and  stock-raising. 
He  has  a  valuable  farm  of  300  acres,  a  good 
share  of  which  is  under  cultivation.  Since 
coming  here  he  has  taken  active  interest 
in  all  matters  affecting  the  welfare  of  the 
township.  The  first  year  he  was  here  he 
was  elected  treasurer  of  the  school  board, 
and  in  1SS7  he  was  elected  justice  of  the 
peace. 

Mr.  Hawkins  was  first  manned  at  Spring- 
field, Pa.,  in  the  spring  of  1850,  to  Miss 
Mary  A.  Custard.  She  died  in  1861  at  Fort 
Scott,  Kan.,  leaving  three  sons,  as  follows — 
Charles,  now  at  Garnet,  Kan. ;  Herbert,  now 
near  Moscow,  Idaho;  and  Kufus,  now  at 
Denver,  Col.  Mr.  Hawkins  was  again  mar- 
ried October  14,  1862,  to  Miss  Susan  R 
Welch,  a  native  of  Ohio.  This  marriage  has 
been  blessed  with  two  children,  who  are  now 
living — Areta,  now  Mrs.  F.  O.  Iloltgren,  of 
DcKalb  county,  111 ;  and  Jennie,  who  is  still 
with  her  ])arents.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hawkins 
are  prominent  and  active  members  of  the 
Methodist  Church. 


OHN  RUDBERG.  One  of  the  leading 
merchants  of  Dassel.  and  a  man  wiio  is 
in  the  truest  sense  of  the  wiml  self-made, 
having  hewn  out  his  own  ample  comjietence 
with  his  own  hands,  is  the  gentleman  of 
whom  this  sketch  is  written.  He  is  a  native 
of  Sweden,  born  May  27,  1836,  and  made 
his  home  in  that  rugged,  but  i)icturesque 
land  until  he  was  about  thirty  years  of 
age.  Emigrating  to  the  new  world  in  1866, 
he  came  by  way  of  Minneapolis,  that  fall,  to 
the  town  of  Dassel  and  took  up  a  homestead 
in  section  26,  and  returnetl  to  the  "  Flour 
Cit}^ "  to  spend  the  winter.  The  following 
spring  he  purchased  at  high  prices  a  wagon 
and  an  ox-team,  together  with  plough  and 
and  other  tools  for  agriculture,  and  started 
for  his  land  in  Meeker  county  about  the  mid- 
dle of  June.  The  season  was  very  wet,  and 
he  and  John  Erickson,  who  accompanied  him, 
wei'e  some  three  weeks  upon  their  wa^'.  In 
crossing  the  "  Beaver  Dam,"  which  is  now 
dr}'  and  under  cultivation,  Mr.  Budbei'g  had 
to  stand  up  in  the  wagon  and  hold  the  sack 
of  flour  they  had  with  them  up  out  of  the 
water,  while  his  friend  ]iiloted  the  team 
across  the  dam.  On  their  ari'ival  at  their 
claims,  for  Erickson  had  a  homestead  on  sec- 
tion 21,  they  at  once  commenced  the  erection 
of  their  cabins,  clearing  their  land,  for  it  was 
all  timber-covered,  and  getting  in  a  crop. 
By  the  fall  of  1868,  by  hard  and  pei-sistent 
laboi",  Mr.  Rudberg  had  commenced  to 
conquer  nature  and  could  show  considerable 
wheat  and  plenty  of  vegetables  that  he  had 
raised  that  season.  In  August  of  the  latter 
year  he  was  joined  by  his  family,  who  had 
just  come  from  Sweden  in  a  sailing  vessel, 
and  had  spent  some  fourteen  weeks  on  their 
way  from  their  native  land  to  tiiiscountiv. 

In  1871,  in  connection  with  ilichel  Ilen- 
drixson,  he  purchased  a  threshing  machine, 
which  for  lack  of  horses  was  driven  by  oxen. 
As  this  was  one  of  the  two  machines  in  this 
part  of  the  country  at  that  time,  they  had  a 


MEEKER  COVXTY,  MIXXESO/A. 


401 


larere  amount  of  business  during-  the  season. 
They  continued  this  business  together  until 
September,  1872,  when  Mr.  Hendrixson  ac- 
cidentally stepped  into  the  cylinder  of  the 
machine  while  it  was  in  motion,  and  his  leg 
being  torn  otf  belo\v  the  knee,  he  bled  to 
death  before  a  doctor  could  be  procured. 
This  took  place  at  Hendrixson's  own  farm. 
From  that  time  on  until  1875  Mr.  Rudberg 
carried  on  tliresliing  by  himself  in  connection 
with  his  farm  interests,  but  at  the  date  men- 
tioned removed  to  the  village  of  Dassel,  and 
in  company  witii  his  brothers,  purchased  in- 
terests in  the  business  of  Charles  Morris,  the 
pioneer  genei'al  merchandise  store  of  that 
place.  Morris  &  Rudberg  Bros,  remained 
in  trade  until  1881,  when  selling  out,  our  sub- 
ject, in  company  with  his  brother  Louis, 
bought  the  Dassel  lumber  yard,  and  estab- 
lished at  tiie  same  time  the  furniture  busi- 
ness. Louis  Rudberg  died  in  January,  1S84-, 
and  John  operated  the  entire  business  from 
that  time  on,  and  is  still  engaored  in  those 
lines. 

Mr.  Rudberg  was  united  in  marriage,  in 
Sweden,  with  Miss  Mar}^  Johnson,  a  native 
of  that  country. 

PETER  GROTTE,  of  Acton  township, 
has  cliarge  of  the  farm  whicli  orig- 
inally belonged  to  Robinson  Jones,  wlio  was 
murdered  by  the  Indians  in  1862.  Peter 
Grotte,  who  carries  on  farming  and  stock- 
raising  on  this  historic  piece  of  land,  is  a  son 
of  Halda  and  Carrie  Grotte,  and  was  born  in 
Xorway,  on  the  17th  of  December,  1856. 
Tlie  family  came  to  the  United  States  in 
1868,  pushed  on  to  the  Northwest,  and  after 
a  stay  of  a  few  weeks  in  JMinneapolis,  they 
came  to  Meeker  county,  and  the  father  \mv- 
chased  a  tarm  of  forty  acres  on  Long  Lake. 
A  year  later  this  place  was  sold,  and  the 
father  bought  a  farm  on  section  6,  in  Acton 


township,  Avhere  they  lived  for  eleven  years. 
At  the  expiration  of  that  time  one  of  the 
sons,  Peter  Peterson  (Qrotte),  purchased  the 
farm,  and  the  father  then  bought  the  Jones 
place,  on  section  21,  in  the  same  township, 
wliere  the  family  still  live.  Tiie  fatlier  died 
on  the  6th  of  July,  1883,  and  since  tiiat  time 
Peter  Grotte,  the  siil)ject  of  this  sketch,  has 
had  charge  of  the  farm  and  carried  on  the 
business.  The  farm  is  a  valuable  one,  con- 
sisting of  160  acres  of  land,  a  good  sliare  of 
which  is  under  cultivation. 

The  parents  of  Peter  Grotte,  Ilalda  and 
Carrie  Grotte,  had  a  family  of  five  children, 
wdiose  names  and  ages  were  as  follows — 
Mary,  born  March  13,  18-18  ;  Peter  II.  Peter- 
son (Grotte),  born  November  17,  1852 ;  Peter 
Grotte,  born  December  17, 1856 ;  Joim,  born 
December  20,  1860;  Ingre,  born  April  2, 
1863,  died  May  IS,  of  the  same  year.  Tlie 
family  are  active  members  of  the  Norwegian 
Lutheran  Ciiurch. 


IpEENRY  AMES,  one  of  the  large  land- 
IL^jj  owners  and  prominent  citizens  of  Dar- 
win township,  has  his  home  upon  section  6. 
He  is  largely  interested  in  the  manufacture  of 
brick  and  tile,  commencing  tliat  line  of  busi- 
ness in  the  autumn  of  1882,  by  buying  the  But- 
ler brick  yard.  In  the  following  spring,  liav- 
ing  purchased  the  place  where  he  now  lives',  he 
removed  the  yard  to  its  present  locatit)n.  This 
line  of  manufacture  has  been  an  eminent  suc- 
cess in  his  hands  from  the  verj'  start.  He 
has  made  upon  this  place  over  8,000,000  brick 
alone  from  the  clay  that  covered  an  acre  ami 
a  half,  and  has  an  abundance  of  material  left. 
In  the  fall  of  1887  Mr.  Ames  took  some  two 
or  three  tons  of  the  clay  to  the  Chicago  Ex- 
position to  test  it,  and  tried  it  on  all  the  dif- 
ferent brick-making  machines  exhibited,  and 
on  his  return  burned  the  brick  so  made,  and 
found  that  he  could  make  his  choice  of  the 


402 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


machines,  suoli  was  tlie  fine  qiialit}'  of  his 
matei'ial.  lie  acconlingly  purcliased  the 
Kell  &  Son  brick  and  tile  machine,  with  a 
capacity  of  making  4:0,000  per  day,  and  will 
start  making  brick  and  tile  in  the  spring  of 
1888.  He  gives  employment  to  twenty-fonr 
men  and  from  six  to  eight  teams  for  nearly 
the  whole  year.  Having  some  420  acres  of 
land,  Mr.  Ames  devotes  a  share  of  his  atten- 
tion to  stock  interests,  principally  in  the  way 
of  Norman-Percheron  horses  and  short-horn 
Durham  cattle. 

Henry  Ames  was  born  in  Oswego,  N.  Y., 
May  4,  184G,  and  is  tiie  son  of  Harlow  and 
Adeline  Ames.  He  was  I'cared  in  that  part 
of  the  Empii'e  State,  and  received  his  educa- 
tion in  the  excellent  sclioolsof  that  common- 
wealth. In  1SG3,  when  but  seventeen  years 
of  age,  he  enlisted  in  the  United  States  navy, 
at  the  Brooklyn  nav\'-yai'd,  and  served 
throughout  the  war,  on  the  flag-ship  '"Lan- 
caster," and  spent  much  of  the  time  in  the 
Pacific  Ocean,  the  China  Sea,  and  the  Sea  of 
Okhotsk,  that  vessel  cruising  there  to  pro- 
tect American  commerce  from  the  depreda- 
tions of  rebel  privateers. 

In  18fi7,  after  spending  some  time  at  his 
boyhood's  liome,  our  subject  came  West,  and 
located  at  Fort  Dodge,  Webster  county,  Iowa, 
where  lie  took  up  the  mason's  trade,  and  re- 
mained about  ten  months,  and  then  came  to 
this  county  and  settled  in  what  is  now  Dassel 
township,  then  Swan  Lake,  and  tiiere  made  a 
stay  of  two  years.  While  there  he  erected 
the  first  frame  house  in  the  township  of  Das- 
sel. In  the  spring  of  1870  Mr.  Ames  re- 
moved to  the  young  village  of  Litchfield,  and 
for  about  two  years  was  engaged  at  his  trade, 
and  then  moved  to  Minneapolis,  where  he 
followed  the  same  line  of  work  til!  fall.  He 
went  into  the  pineries  then,  and  engaged  in 
lumbering  that  season,  returning  at  its  close 
to  tlie"Twin  Cities." 

Iioturning  to  Oswego.  N.  Y.,  in  October, 
1872,  he  was  there  unilcil  in  marriage,  Octo- 


ber 10,  with  ]\riss  Lottie  Killan.and  the  same 
day  started  for  his  home  in  Da.ssel.  Spend- 
ing the  next  winter  in  the  saw-mill,  in  the 
spring  he  resumed  the  mason's  trade,  in  part- 
nership with  C.  L.  Todd,  but  in  the  fall  com- 
menced to  carry  on  business  by  hnnself,  and 
continued  in  that  line  until  the  fall  of  1882, 
Avhen  he  purchased  his  present  place  and  em- 
barked in  tiie  brick-making  business. 

]\Ir.  and  Mrs.  Ames  are  the  parents  of  three 
children  —  Gordon,  born  August  10,  1S74; 
Allan,  born  May  13,  1878,  died  January  2.), 
1879;  and  Bessie,  born  December  3,  1881. 
In  his  political  views  Mr.  Ames  coincides 
with  the  democratic  party,  and  supports  the 
candidates  of  that  organization. 

AMUEL  C.  VINCENT,  of  Kingston 
township,  came  to  Meeker  county  in 
1809,  and  settled  where  he  now  lives,  on  sec- 
tion 4,  where  he  is  engaged  in  general  farm- 
ing. He  was  born  in  Cortland  county,  X. 
Y.,  May  12,  1816,  and  is  the  son  of  Isaac  and 
Mary  (McMuUen)  Vincent,  native,  also,  of 
the  Empire  State,  both  of  whom  died  there. 
The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  one  of  a 
family  of  thirteen  children,  born  to  iiis  par- 
ents. His  Ijrothers  and  sisters  were — xVljram, 
John,  Sherwood,  Charles,  Cornelius,  Char- 
lotte, Mercy,  Hannah,  Sallie,  Pollie,  Betsey, 
and  Mary.  Our  subject  was  reared  in  the 
Empire  State  and  there  received  his  school- 
ing, and  made  it  his  home  until  1869,  when 
he  came  here,  and  has  since  that  time  been 
identified  with  the  growth  and  progress  of 
this  county.  His  early  days  were  spent  in 
the  school  room  and  in  assisting  his  father  in 
the  labors  upon  tlieir  farm  in  the  town  of 
Truxton,  but  upon  attaining  his  majority  he 
commenced  lumbering  and  farming,  which 
he  followed  for  some  seven  yeai's.  He  ^vas 
united  in  marriage,  June  22,  ISl.'i,  with  Miss 
Einilv Stewart,  a  native  of  Connecticut,  born 


C/ 


o^ic^-i 


J 


MEEKER   COUNTY.  MINNESOTA. 


405 


November  20,  1820,  and  daughter  of  John 
and  Susannah  (Stone)  Stewart,  both  of  whom 
emigrated  fi'om  "the  land  of  steady  habits" 
to  New  York,  in  an  early  day,  wlien  Mrs. 
Vincent  was  but  four  years  of  age.  She  was 
one  of  a  family  of  eleven  cliihiren,  the  others 
being — Curtis  P.,  Frederick  A.,  Charles  G., 
John  W.,  Noble  J.,  David  P..  Mathew  J., 
Fannie,  Cornelia  and  Mary  A.  This  marriage 
took  place  in  the  county  of  Chemung,  where 
he  occupied  official  position  at  the  time.  By 
this  union  there  wei'e  born  to  them  four  chil- 
dren— Sarah  Jane,  wife  of  Tobias  Patton,  of 
Kingston ;  Orlo  J.,  who  married  Miss  Matilda 
Martin  ;  Charles  S.,  Avhose  wife  was  Miss 
Flora  Tolls,  both  of  whom  live  in  the  same 
town  ;  and  Jennie,  who  is  the  wife  of  Charles 
Murch,  living  in  Todd  county.  Mr.  Vincent 
is  a  zealous  member  of  the  Methodist  Church, 
a  class  leader,  and  quite  prominent  in  Sun- 
day-school work,  and  an  excellent,  exem- 
plary Christian  gentleman. 


"AMES  PATTERSON,  one  of  the  influen- 
tial farmers  of  CoUinwood  townshijj, 
"having  his  home  on  section  10,  was  born  in 
Augusta  county,  Va.,  August  13,  1838,  and 
is  the  son  of  John  and  Susan  (Cameron)  Pat- 
terson, both  of  whom  are  natives  of  the  same 
locality.  His  parents  were  farmers,  and  he 
resided  with  them,  assisting  in  the  laboi's 
attendant  upon  that  avocation,  until  he  was 
about  nineteen  j'ears  of  age,  at  which  time 
he  moved  into  Lawrence  county,  Ohio,  where 
he  was  employed  for  about  eleven  years  in 
the  Ironton  iron  furnaces.  From  there  he 
emigrated  to  Tennessee,  but,  after  two  years 
spent  in  the  smelting-works  of  that  region, 
he  came  to  Minnesota  and  settled  in  Dassel 
township,  this  county,  from  which  locality  he 
removed  to  his  present  farm. 

While  a  resident  of  Ironton,  Ohio,  in  April, 
1861,  Mr.  Patterson  enlisted  in  Company  G, 


Second  Loyal  Virginia  Cavalry,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  Parkersburg,  W.  Va.,  the  rendez- 
vous for  organization.  He  served  with  his  gal- 
lant regiment  for  three  years,and  participated 
in  many  skirmishes  and  on  many  a  hotly  con- 
tested field,  both  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley 
and  around  Richmond  and  Petersburg.  He 
was  wounded  in  the  battle  of  Mill  Spring, 
N.  C,  and  was  discharged  from  the  United 
States  service  June  30,  1865. 

Mr.  Patterson  was  united  in  marriage,  in 
.January,  1868,  with  Miss  Lucy  Lunsford,  a 
native  of  West  Virginia,  and  daughter  of 
Reuben  and  Nancy  Lunsford.  By  this  union 
there  have  been  born  a  family  of  eleven  chil- 
dren, as  follows — Alice,  born  February  14, 
1860;  Samuel,  born  October  13,  1870;  Chris- 
tiana, born  April  13,  1872;  Mar}'  Jane,  born 
September  12,  1873;  William,  born,  March 
16,  1875;  Rachel,  born  January  20,  1876; 
Lucinda  Catherine,  born  November  20,  1870; 
Elizabeth,  born  February  17,  1882;  Napo- 
leon, born  January  8,  1885;  and  James,  born 
December  10,  1887. 


^. 


IMT  FN RY  R.  WILLIAMS,  a  prominent  and 
J&^'rlL  intelligent  farmer  residing  on  section 
26,  Forest  Prairie  township,  was  the  third 
settler  to  locate  east  of  Clearwater  Lake, 
within  the  limits  of  Forest  Prairie  township, 
having  settled  there  in  the  fall  of  1867. 
Mr.  Williams  was  born  in  Saratoga  county, 
N.  Y.,  on  the2-tthof  July,  1826,  and  is  a 
son  of  Lewis  and  Martha  Williams.  Their 
])arents  were  among  the  earliest  settlers  at 
what  is  now  Albany,  N.  Y.  Lewis  Williams, 
the  father,  followed  lumbering  in  his  early 
days,  but  the  most  of  his  life  was  devoted 
to  farming.  He  and  his  wife  were  exemplary 
citizens  and  were  members  of  the  Methodist 
Church.  They  had  a  family  of  six  children, 
three  boys  and  three  girls,  all  of  whom  re- 
mained in  New  York  State  except  Henry  R. 


4o6 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


The  names  of  the  childi-en  were  Thomas, 
Ileniy  II.,  Moi'gan,  ]5etsie,  Rebecca,  and 
Catherine. 

Our  subject,  Henry  li.  Williams,  grew  to 
manhood  in  his  native  county,  receiving  a 
common  school  education  and  aiding  his 
father  on  the  farm,  and  remained  in  his  na- 
tive State  until  ISC",  when  l;e  came  to  Meeker 
county,  and  settled  in  Forest  Prairie  town- 
ship, where  he  has  since  lived,  as  above  stated. 
He  owns  a  farm  of  eighty  acres  and  in  con- 
nection with  general  farming  he  carries  on  a 
limited  stock  raising  business.  Since  his  res- 
idence here  he  has  taken  an  active  interest 
in  public  matters,  and  has  been  prominently 
identified  with  the  official  history  of  his 
township,  having  held  vai'ious  local  offices. 
In  political  matters  he  affiliates  with  the 
republican  party. 

Mr.  Williams  was  married  on  the  27th  of 
Septenil^er,  IS-iT,  to  Miss  Rachel  Caroline 
Rouse,  a  daughter  of  Grattan  and  Caroline 
Rouse,  and  a  native  of  New  York  State.  Her 
parents  were  natives  of  the  Empire  State. 
and  were  tlie  parents  of  five  children,  one 
boy  and  four  girls,  as  follows  —  Lida, 
Elizabeth,  Sarah,  Richard  and  Rachel. 
Mr.  and  Jlrs  Williams  have  been  the  par- 
ents of  nine  chddren,  one  of  whom,  Sarah 
Jane,  is  dead.  Those  living  are  Henry 
C,  Richard  R.,  Solomon,  Franklin,  Eliz- 
abeth, Josephine,  Martha,  and  Anna  E.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Williams  are  zealous  members  and 
active  supporters  of  the  Methodist  Church. 


BAVID  MITCHELL.  One  of  the  oldest 
of  the  pioneers  of  Meeker  county,  and 
one' of  its  leading  farmers,  is  the  gentlenuui 
whose  name  heads  this  .sketch.  He  came 
hereabout  July  1,  ]85().  and  took  a  claim  on 
the  land  where  he  now  lives,  on  section  1.5, 
Forest  City  townshi]).  On  the  160  acres 
upon  which  he  originally  settled  he  has  made 


all  of  the  improvements,  which  are  of  a  su- 
perior class. 

David  Mitchell  first  saw  the  light  in  Troy, 
Waldo  county.  Me.,  October  25,  1 832,  and  is 
the  son  of  David  •and  Sarah  (Thoni])son) 
Mitchell.  He  was  reared  in  the  '■  Pine  Tree 
State,"  receiving  his  education  at  Bradley, 
Penobscot  county,  in  the  tlistrict  schools  of 
that  village.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  years  he 
adopted  a  seafaring  life,  and  spent  four  years 
in  the  coasting  trade  and  the  West  India 
traffic.  Abandoning  the  vicissitudes  of  the 
sea,  he  engaged  in  milling  on  the  noble  Pe- 
nobscot river,  which  he  followeil  for  about 
two  years,  after  which  he  removed  to  Min- 
nesota, and  settled  in  Meeker  county,  as 
above  mentioned. 

Mr.  Mitchell  was  here  during  the  tragic 
scenes  of  the  Indian  outbreali  and  massacre, 
and  was  at  woi'k  on  the  stockade  on  the  day 
the  Indians  made  the  attack  on  Forest  City. 
After  remaining  until  after  the  attack  upon 
the  stockade,  he  removed  to  Clearwater, 
where  he  remained  some  eighteen  months. 
This  and  some  few  months*  absence  in  Col- 
oi'ado,  constitute  all  the  time  spent  by  him 
out-of  this  county  since  first  settling  here. 
He  is  one  of  few  of  the  pioneers  of  Meeker 
county  that  have  not  been  swept  off  by  the 
scythe  of  Time,  and  has  always  occupied  a 
prominent  place  in  the  respect  and  esteem  of 
his  fellow-citizens.  Although  a  republican  in 
principles,  and  constant  in  the  discharge  of 
his  duties  as  a  citizen,  he  has  had  no  political 
aspii'ations,  and  has  never  filled  any  other 
office  than  that  of  school  director,  which  he 
held  for  seven  or  eight  years. 

Mr.  Mitchell  was  united  in  marriage, 
March  16,  1851,  with  Miss  Belinda  Ander- 
son, a  native  of  Montville,  Waldo  county, 
Me.,  who  died  May  3,  1884,  after  a  brief  ill- 
ness. She  was  the  mother  of  seven  chil- 
dren— ^'iola  M.,  Mrs.Charles  Boone,  of  Brown 
count3%  Dak. ;  George  IL,  who  mai'ried  Miss 
Emma   Spaulding,  and  is  living  at   Forest 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


407 


City  ;  Ida,  Mrs.  Charles  H.  Atkinson,  of  For- 
est City  ;  Edith,  Mrs.  Eice  Gordon,  living  at 
the  same  place  ;  Oscar  T.  and  Oro  T.,  twins, 
now  in  Dakota ;  and  Grace,  living  at  home. 
All  the  children  were  born  in  this  county, 
witli  the  exception  of  the  two  eldest. 


kTTO  DERSCH,  one  of  Grove  City's 
\^>/  live  business  men,is  engaged  in  the  sale 
of  farm  machinery,  and  in  running  the  meat 
market  and  feed  store.  He  is  the  son  of 
Otto  and  Elizabeth  Dersch,  natives  of  Ger- 
many, and  was  born  in  Germany  while  his 
parents  were  coming  in  search  of  fortune  to 
America.  The  date  of  his  advent  was  Feb- 
ruary 19,  18.50. 

The  parents  settled  in  Washington  county, 
Minnesota,  on  reaching  tiie  United  States, 
where  the  young  Otto  received  his  education 
in  the  district  schools,  until  old  enough  to 
learn  a  trade,  and  there  his  parents  died. 
He  commenced  life  by  leai'ning  the  black- 
smith trade  with  William  Post,  with  whom 
he  remained  two  years  and  nine  months, 
after  which  he  worked  nine  months  in  the 
Monitor  Plow  Works  at  Minneapolis.  En- 
tering the  machine  shops  of  the  St.  Paul  & 
Duluth  Eailroad,  Mr.  Dersch  followed  his 
trade  for  two  years  more,  after  which  he 
ran  a  locomotive  engine  for  nearly  a  year. 
At  the  expiration  of  that  engagement  he 
came  to  Afton  township,  Washington  county, 
and  for  eighteen  months  worked  at  the 
smith's  trade  for  Getchell  &  Co.,  in  their  saw- 
mill. After  that  he  followed  his  business  on 
his  own  account  in  various  places,  doing  a 
little  farming  at  times  in  connection  with 
his  craft.  Coming  then  to  this  county,  after 
farming  for  a  while  he  removed  to  Grove 
City,  and,  putting  up  a  dwelling  and  a 
smithy,  followed  the  trade  for  three  years, 
during  which  time  he  was  the  partner  of 
Hover  Mickelson  in  the  saw-mill.     At  the 


close  of  the  third  year  he  sold  his  interest  in 
the  mill,  rented  his  shop,  and  established  his 
present  business,  he  having  for  some  time 
back  handled  agricultural  implements.  Since 
then  he  has  added  the  other  branches  of  the 
business  and  is  one  of  the  leading  business 
men  of  the  village.  He  has  held  the  office  of 
city  marshal  and  been  a  member  of  the  vil- 
lage council,  and  is  in  his  politics  a  stanch 
republican. 

Mr.  Dersch  has  been  twice  married,  the 
first  time  to  Miss  Louisa  Brauer,  November 
18,  1873.  She  was  the  daughter  of  John  and 
Louisa  Brauer,  and  a  resident  of  Washington 
county.  She  died  July  2, 1880,  leaving  three 
chddren  —  Josephine,  born  June  24,  1874; 
William,  born  May  6, 1876,  and  Hubert,  born 
January  29,  1879.  His  second  marriage 
occurred  January  16,  1881,  at  which  time  he 
wedded  Miss  Maria  Muhly,  daughter  of 
Henry  and  Maria  Muhly,  who  has  borne  him 
three  children — Arthui',  whose  birth  took 
place  April  23,  1883 ;  Lydia,  born  January 
4, 1886,  and  Adeline,  born  February  17. 1888. 


spHRISTlAN  L.  HANSON,  a  successful 
and  enterprising  farmer  and  stock- 
raiser,  residing  on  section  4,  Danielson,  is 
one  of  the  pioneers  of  the  township  in  which 
he  lives.  He  is  a  son  of  Hans  and  Anna 
(Arnson)  Christianson,  and  was  born  on  the 
7th  of  November,  1833.  His  mother  died  in 
1838,  and  his  father,  who  was  born  in  1802, 
married  Hannah  Nelson  in  1839;  the  father 
died  January  28,  1878.  Christian  remained 
on  the  farm  with  his  father  in  Denmark 
until  he  was  twenty-four  years  of  age,  Avhen 
he  went  to  Nakskon,  Denmark,  a  cit}^  of 
about  5,000  population,  where  he  rented 
property  and  engaged  in  the  business  of 
brewing  malt-beer,  and  also  keeping  a 
restaurant.  In  addition  to  this  he  rented  a 
small  farm  adjoining  the  city,  and  followed 


40  8 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


these  combined  lines  of  business  for  eight 
years,  when  he  sold  cut.  On  tlie  7th  of 
November,  1860,  he  was  married  to  Miss 
(lena  Hanson,  a  daughtei'  of  Ilaiis  C.  and 
Christianna  Hanson,  who  was  burn  December 
15,  1833. 

On  March  28,  18t>6.  Mr.  Hanson,  with  his 
family,  started  for  tiie  United  States,  and, 
when  they  were  about  lialf  way  across  the 
ocean,  cholera  broke  out  on  board  the  ship, 
and  about  300  persons  died,  Mr.  Hanson 
losino-  two  of  his  cliildren  and  a  liired  man, 
from  the  (h-ead  disease.  When  the  vessel 
got  near  Neu^  York  they  were  quarantined, 
and  were  not  allowed  to  land,  until  the 
28th  of  May.  Upon  landing,  a  man  who 
could  talk  the  Dane  language,  apjiroached 
Mr.  Hanson,  and  stated,  that  he  would  attend 
to  shipping  their  goods  to  Minnesota.  The 
goods  were  never  heard  of  afterward,  and 
it  was  a  very  severe  loss  to  Mr.  Hanson,  as 
he  had  an  abundance  of  household  goods. 
He  afterward  corresponded  with  the  consuls 
from  Norway  and  Denmark,  but  to  no  avail. 
From  New  York  the  family  proceeded  to 
Faribault,  Minn.,  where  Mr.  Hanson  left 
them,  while  he  traveled  about  in  search  of  a 
suitable  location.  Finally,  on  the  6th  of 
July,  he  settled  upon  a  homestead  on  section 
4,  in  Danielson  towmshij).  Meeker  county, 
Minn.,  where  he  has  since  lived.  He  erected 
the  second  frame  house  in  the  township, 
hauling  his  shingles  and  flooring  from  St. 
Cloud.  He  now  owns  one  of  the  finest  farms 
in  the  township,  and  has  splendid  building 
improvements,  besides  a  beautiful  grove  of 
four  acres  of  his  own  planting.  ]\Ir.  Hanson 
has  taken  an  active  interest  in  all  matters 
affecting  the  welfare  of  the  township,  and 
has  held  a  great  many  local  offices  of  impor- 
tance, including  those  of  school  director, 
township  supervisor,  treasurer,  road  overseer, 
etc.  He  has  always  filled  every  position,  to 
which  his  fellow-citizens  have  called  him, 
with  credit  to  himself  and  satisfaction  to  all 


concerned.  In  iiolitical  matters,  he  does  not 
follow  the  dictates  of  any  party,  but  acts  in 
an  indepentlent  manner. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  ]\rrs.  Hanson  lias 
been  blessed  with  the  following  named  chil- 
dren—Matilda S.  (who  died  April  21,  1866, 
on  board  ship)  was  born  ]\ray  5,  1862; 
Francena  D.,  born  August  1,  1S(!3;  Arnt 
Peter  (wiio  also  died  on  board  siiip,  April 
19,  1866),  born  February  5,  I860 ;  Arnt  P. 
H.,  born  November  13,  1866,  died  June  16, 
1868  (the  first  death  in  the  township) ;  Arnold 
P.  E.,  born  December  1,  1868;  Tilda  Celui, 
born  July  31,  1871 ;  William  M.,  born  May 
24,  1873;  and  Levi  Benjamin,  born  April 
27,  1875. 

■  <»■   • 


^M  UGUST  SALLBERG,  one  of  the  most 
jp>-J^  enterprising  and  energetic  merchants 
and  business  men  of  Dassel,  is  a  native  of 
Sweden,  born  in  the  parish  of  Norungo, 
Vestagotlilund,  Januai'y  13,  1845.  He  was 
reared  upon  a  farm  in  his  native  land  until 
he  was  some  eighteen  years  of  age,  and  aftei- 
that  followed  railroading  in  the  old  countr\', 
but  emigrated  to  America  in  1869,  and  cam& 
directly  to  Minnesota  and  for  a  time  worked 
on  the  railroad.  Later  on,  he  commenced 
doina:  contract  work  wdiich  he  followed  until 
1871,  at  which  time  he  entered  a  clothing- 
store  in  St.  Cloud,  as  salesman.  He  followed 
the  profession  of  clerk  there  for  over  a  year, 
and  then  went  to  St.  Paul  and  traveled  for  a 
wholesale  clothing  house  of  that  city, 
throuo-h  northern  Iowa  and  Minnesota. 
With  them  he  remained  five  years,  and 
then  for  three  years  represented  a  Chicago 
clothing  firm  upon  the  road.  In  October, 
1880,  he  purchased  the  general  stock  of  mer- 
chandise of  Kudberg  Bros.,  and  soon  after 
moved  to  Dassel  and  took  charge  of  the 
business.  In  February,  1883,  the  building 
in  wliicii  he  was,  was  destroyed  by  fire,  and 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


409 


he  immediately  put  up  the  handsome  briclc 
building  where  he  is  now  located,  which  is 
20x120  feet  in  size,  two  stories  high,  and 
erected  at  a  cost  of  $10,000.  He  moved 
into  this  fine  edifice  September  5,  following 
the  fire.  For  a  number  of  years  he  was 
largely  interested  in  theDassel  elevator,  and 
at  another  time  owned  and  carried  on  a 
lai'ge  farm  in  the  neighborhood,  but  has 
abandoned  all  outside  speculations,  confining 
himself  wholly  to  his  mercantile  business. 

Mr.  Sallberg  has  been  twice  married.  The 
first  time,  December  15,  1875,  he  was  united 
with  Miss  Jennie  Kline,  of  St.  Paul,  who 
died  January  22,  1885,  leaving  two  chil- 
dren—  Arthur  Julian  and  Emil  Robert. 
May  3,  1886,  Mr.  Sallljerg  wedded  ]\Irs.  Jo- 
anna Rudberg,  the  widow  of  Jonas  lludberg, 
a  history  of  whom  appears  elsewhere.  By 
this  marriage  they  have  one  child — Jen- 
nie I. 

Mr.  Sallberg  is  a  Christian  gentleman,  an 
active  member  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  and 
an  admh-able  citizen  and  receives  the  highest 
meed  of  respect  from  all. 


PETER  E.  HANSEN,  of  Litchfield,  a  pio- 
neer of  Meeker  county,  and  one  of 
the  most  prominent  citizens  in  this  part  of 
the  State,  is  a  native  of  Sweden,  born  on  the 
12th  of  June,  1815.  Ilis  parents  were  Plans 
and  Betsy  Peterson,  both  natives  of  the  same 
country.  They  came  to  America  in  company 
with  about  150  others  of  the  same  national- 
ity, and  landed  in  New  York  on  the  4tli  of 
July,  1857.  From  there  tliey  pursued  their 
journey  westward  to  Minnesota,  coming  by 
way  of  Dunleith,  111.,  tiien  the  terminus  of 
the  railway  lines,  and  Dubuque,  Iowa.  Thej' 
stopped  for  about  one  month  at  Carver, 
Minn.,  where  a  full  outfit  of  oxen,  wagons 
and  other  supplies  was  purchased,  and  came 
on,  stopping  briefly  at  Glencoe,  Hutchinson 


and  Greenleaf,  and  finally  arrived  at  Lar- 
son's Grove,  in  what  is  now  Litchfield  town- 
ship. Meeker  county,  Minn.  There  they  re- 
mained about  two  weeks,  and  the  men  made 
exploring  trips  in  search  of  land.  The  bulk 
of  the  original  party  that  left  the  old  country 
settled  in  various  other  counties  in  the  North- 
west, while  about  fifty  found  homes  in 
Meeker  county,  mostly  in  Swede  Grove 
township.  Among  the  number  who  were 
members  of  the  party  who  found  homes  in 
Meeker  county,  were  the  following — Bengt 
Hansen,  J.  Larson,  Nels  Larson,  Hogan  Pe- 
terson, Andrew  Peterson,  Nels  Hansen,  Ole 
Nelson,  Peter  Larson,  Andrew  Larson,  Nils 
Clemens,  Nils  Elofson,  Andrew  Elofson. 
Peter  Elofson,  Nils  H.  Peterson  and  Peter 
H.  Peterson. 

Hans  Peterson,  the  father  of  Peter  E. 
Hansen,  found  land  that  suited  him,  and  took 
a  preemption  on  section  29,  in  Swede 
Grove  township,  where  he  began  improve- 
ments, and  where  the  familj^  lived  in  quiet, 
contentment  and  prosperity  until  the  terrible 
massacre  of  18G2.  Something  of  the  disad- 
vantage under  which  these  Swedish  j^ioneers 
labored  may  be  understood  when  it  is  stated 
that  not  a  man  in  the  colony  could  speak 
English,  and  they  were  totally  ignorant  of 
American  customs  or  manners.  The  Han- 
sen familj^  or  rather  Hans  Peterson's  family, 
moved  onto  their  claim  on  the  3d  of  August, 
1857,  and  their  first  move  was  to  ]iut  up  a 
shed,  which  was  constructed  of  jioles  laid 
from  tree  to  tree,  thereby  making  a  frame- 
work. Instead  of  covering  this  with  hay 
ami  matting  it  down,  so  as  to  shed  watei-,  the 
father  directed  that  it  be  covered  with  brush. 
Of  course,  whenever  it  rained,  the  family 
would  Ije  di'enched  and  nearly  drowned  out. 
When  this  occurred  the  father  would  direct 
the  boys  to  ]mt  on  more  brush,  and  it  would 
accordingly  be  piled  on,  but  to  no  avail,  how- 
ever. A  little  later  a  stable  was  built,  with 
the  framework  arranged  like  a  pyramid,  into 


410 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


which  the  family  was  moved,  and  which  did 
very  well  for  a  time.  The  most  of  the  trad- 
ing, botli  as  to  himl)ei'an(l  pi'ovisions,  atthat 
time,  was  done  in  St.  Paul  or  Miimeapolis,  as 
the  trading  post  at  Forest  City  was  then  a 
small  aifair,  as  one  old  settler  puts  it,  "  the 
whole  stock  of  goods  could  be  loaded  on  a 
wheelbarrow."  An  old  second-hand  stove 
had  been  purchased  by  Mr.  Peterson,  but  he 
had  been  unable  to  secure  but  cue  leugth  of 
pipe,  so  after  a  little  perplexing  study,  a 
hollow  log  was  substituted  and  thus  the  pro- 
per lengtli  of  pi])e  was  secured.  When  this 
got  dry  and  well-seasoned,  however,  it  took 
fire,  thereby  creating  much  excitement  and 
leaving  them  in  the  same  ]iredicament  as  be- 
fore. This  was  remedied,  however,  and  mat- 
ters again  ran  smooth.  As  cold  weather  ap- 
proached, in  the  fall  of  1857,  a  cellar  was 
dug  about  forty  feet  square,  but  as  no  frame- 
work could  be  secured,  jilanks  were  laid  over 
the  top,  and  it  was  covered  with  gravel  and 
earth.  Then  the  question  arose  as  to  how^ 
the  "  dug  out  "  sliould  be  lighted,  and  finally 
a  little  framework  was  constructed  overhead 
in  which  were  set  panes  of  glass.  This  did 
very  well  for  a  time,  but  when  snow  came 
and  covered  it  up,  the  dogs,  wliicli  the  family 
kept,  fell  through  the  window.  When  it 
rained  the  water  soaked  right  through,  as 
the  roof  was  flat,  anil  it  was  necessary  to 
keep  all  the  clothes  and  perishable  gooils  in 
barrels  to  prevent  them  fi'om  being  ruined. 
A  short  time  later,  however,  they  put  in  plank, 
and  otherwise  improved  the  condition  of 
things,  and  thus  they  occupied  the  "  cellar" 
for  about  three  years,  or  until  in  1S(!(I,  when 
they  procured  lumber  from  a  saw-mill  which 
hiul  been  started  in  what  is  now  Acton  town- 
ship, and  with  this  they  completed  a  house, 
into  which  they  moved  and  lived  for  aixtut 
two  years,  in  ]oeace  and  prosperity. 

During  this  time  there  were  but  few,  if 
any,  new  settlers.  There  were  many  Indians 
roving   through  the  country,  and    in   camp 


near  the  cabins  of  the  settlers,  and  the  pio- 
neers were  constantly  trading  back  and  forth 
with  them.  They  were  always  friendly,  Ijut 
occasionally  a  little  troublesome,  on  account 
of  their  begging,  and  especially  their  steahng 
propensities,  yet  as  a  rule,  if  the  right  course 
was  followed,  stolen  goods  could  generally 
be  recovered.  Peter  Hansen  was  associated 
with  the  Indians  a  great  deal.  He  was  an 
inveterate  hunter  in  those  days,  and  became 
noted  as  a  dead  shot,  and  for  tiiat  matter  he 
has  maintained  his  reputation  ;ind  skill  in 
that  line  to  tiu;  )iresent  day.  His  relations 
with  the  Indians  were  always  pleasant  and 
friendly  until  the  time  of  the  outbreak. 

On  the  morning  of  tlie  memorable  Sunday 
that  inaugurated  the  carnival  of  bloodshed — 
the  17th  day  of  August,  18G2— a  band  of 
fourteen  Indians  passed  the  Peterson  claim 
on  their  way  to  the  Manannah  woods,  and  it 
was  supposed,  from  sukscquent  develop- 
ments, that  they  went  to  murder  a  man 
against  whom  they  had  a  gi'udge.  Failing, 
however,  to  find  him,  they  returned,  stop- 
ping at  Ilogan  Peterson's,  where  they  learned 
of  the  Jones  and  Riker  massacre,  and  passed 
near  the  scene  of  that  slaughter,  exchanged 
a  few  shots  with  some  settlers  who  had  gath- 
ered there,  and  then  made  their  way  south- 
westerly to  the  Minnesota  Piver. 

The  news  of  the  Jones  and  Bakci'  murders 
s]iread  among  the  settlers  lilce  wildlire.  not- 
withstanding the  fact  that  the  country  was 
so  sparsely  settled.  On  Monday  the  word 
came  to  get  together  and  prepare  for  defense 
or  flight,  and  at  Hansen's  a  few  things  were 
piled  into  the  wagon,  the  oxen  hitched  up, 
and  they  went  to  a  postofiice  on  section  33, 
Swede  Grove  townshiji,  where  about  one 
hundred  families  had  gathered  ;  but  the  fear 
had  seized  all,  and  they  at  once  proceeded  to 
the  shores  of  Lake  Ripley,  where  they 
camped  on  the  night  of  tiie  18th  of  August. 
Very  few  slept  that  night,  as  every  new 
arrival  reported  horrible  murders  and  savage 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


411 


atrocities  committed  by  the  Indians.  The 
next  morning  they  went  to  Forest  City, 
where  the  families  were  left.  P.  E.  Hansen 
and  his  father,  accompanied  by  several 
others,  then  stalled  out  to  go  back  to  the 
farm  for  jirovisions.  When  out  a  short  dis- 
tance they  met  the  remnant  of  a  fleeing 
party,  several  of  whom  had  been  killed  and 
mutilated,  ami  then  they  realized  that  an 
Indian  outbreak  had  really  been  inaug- 
urated, and  that  the  previous  killing  was  not 
an  isolated  or  single  case,  but  was  merely 
the  beginning  of  a  teiTible  warfare  on  the 
part  of  the  Indians  to  drive  the  whites  from 
what  they  considered  their  hunting  grounds. 
The  party  at  once  returned  to  Forest  City, 
and  a  fort  was  at  once  built.  Provisions 
were  scarce,  and  it  was  some  time  before 
any  one  ventured  out  in  search  of  any. 
'Peter  Hansen,  however,  with  bis  gun,  man- 
aged to  keep  his  father's  and  several 
other  families,  supplied  with  wild  game. 
About  a  week  later  a  party  of  eight 
or  ten  started  out  for  the  purpose  of 
burying  dead  and  picking  up  wounded. 
They  got  as  far  as  Peter  Loen's,  on  sec- 
tion 5,  Swede  Grove  township,  fifteen 
miles  from  Forest  City,  where  they  ex- 
changed several  shots  with  Indians,  no  one 
being  hurt,  and  then  turned  and  came  back. 
The  next  day  the  "company  of  forty-one" 
was  organized,  P.  E.  Hansen,  being  among 
the  number.  After  the  return  of  this  expe- 
dition to  Forest  City,  they  went  to  work  and 
completed  the  fort,  but  not  a  family  Jiioved 
into  it  on  that  nigiit,  all  sleeping  in  the  huts 
they  had  been  occupying.  During  the  night 
the  Indians  made  an  attack,  and  every  one 
scrambled  for  the  fort  itnmediatcly  after  the 
first  volley,  some  in  undress  uniform,  while 
others  were  covered  with  blankets  and  bed 
cjuilts.  The  Indians  withdrew  the  following 
morning.  After  this,  for  a  week  or  two, 
every  one  stayed  pretty  close  to  the  fort. 
Provisions  were  very  scarce ;  flour  was  meted 


out  to  the  various  families  in  equal  parts,  and 
was  worth  almost  its  weight  in  gold.  About 
two  weeks  after  the  attack  the  Hansens 
started  one  evening  for  the  farm  for  the  pur- 
pose of  getting  provisions.  They  fastened 
their  oxen,  upon  reaching  the  farm,  and 
loaded  the  wagon  witli  ])rovisions,  after 
which,  as  the  father  thought  there  was  no 
danger,  they  went  into  the  bed-room  and  laid 
down  in  order  to  get  some  rest.  Just  as 
they  were  about  to  fall  asleep,  they  were 
aroused  by  a  frightful  crash  in  the  outer 
room.  In  an  instant  they  were  wide  awake, 
and  as  visions  of  j)ainted,  blood-thirsty  sav- 
ages flashed  through  their  brains  their  hair 
stood  on  end.  A  moment  later  they  heard 
the  welcome  "  meow "  of  a  cat,  and  the 
attack  was  explained,  much  to  their  relief. 
The  cat,  in  its  attempt  to  gain  admittance, 
had  broken  through  the  window.  They 
then  returned  to  Forest  City,  where  their 
provisions  were  divided  with  their  friends, 
and  therefore  the  supply  did  not  last  over  a 
weeic.  In  the  meantime  those  coming  in 
brought  terrible  reports  of  Indian  ravages. 
Notwithstanding  this  fact,  the  father,  Hans 
Peterson,  decided  to  again  go  to  the  farm. 
He  yoked  the  oxen,  and,  taking  an  old 
double-barreled  shot  gun,  started.  He 
found  the  cattle  about  the  house  and  salted 
them,  thinking  their  presence  was  a  pretty 
safe  indication  that  that  there  were  no  In- 
dians about,  as  they  would  stampede  at 
sight  or  smell  of  a  "  redskin."  He  lit  a 
lamp  in  the  house  and  went  to  work  in  earn- 
est, and  had  loaded  the  wagon  nearly  full, 
Avhen  suddenly  he  heard  the  cattle  running 
and  bellowing.  He  dashed  out  and  found 
the  cattle  on  the  run,  and  a  few  moments 
later  he  heard  the  Indians  yelling  about  the 
cabin.  He  kept  on  in  his  northeast  coui"se, 
and  laid  all  the  next  day  in  the  Manannah 
woods,  and  at  night  made  his  way  back  to 
Forest  City.  There  he  told  the  story,  and 
for  two  weeks  no  further  attempt  was  made 


412 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


by  them  to  reiU'li  tlio  fanii.  At  the  end  of 
that  time,  Peter  Hansen,  accompanied  by 
several  others,  again  visited  the  farm  by 
nigiit,  and  found  the  liouse  ])urned  to  the 
ground,  and  while  there  were  startled  by 
hearing  the  Indians  yelling  in  the  distance. 
They  at  once  took  the  back  track  and 
arrived  in  Forest  City  before  da^'-break, 
having  tramped  over  thirty  miles  during  the 
night.  No  further  trips  were  made  until  in 
November,  when  matters  had  quieted  down 
somewhat.  Tlun'  then  found  the  cattle  all 
right,  but  tiie  Indians  had  smashed  every 
thing  in  tiie  wagon  and  feasted  on  the  sheep, 
evidently  having  camped  near  by  for  some 
time.  The  family  remaineil  at  Forest  City 
for  about  three  years,  and  then,  in  1865,  the 
"Indian  war"  having  closed,  they  returned 
to  Swede  Grove  township  and  settled  upon  a 
homestead,  wiiicli  the  father  liad  taken  on 
section  20.  Tiie  old  folks  still  live  upon  the 
place. 

We  now  take  up  the  personal  history  of 
Peter  E.  Hansen.  He  remained  at  home 
until  the  19th  of  June,  18()7,  when  he  was 
married  to  Rachel  Halverson.  The  cere- 
mony was  performed  at  Forest  City  by 
'Squire  James  B.  Atkinson,  and  the  event 
was  heartily  celebrated  by  a  large  attend- 
ance of  friends.  Their  union  has  been  blessed 
with  four  children,  as  follows — Nellie  0., 
born  February  3,  1871 ;  Harry  A.,  born  Feb- 
ruary 8,  1873 ;  Jennie  F.,  born  August  16, 
1875 ;  and  Lillie  May,  born  February  5, 1886. 
Mr.  Hansen  has  been  successful  beyond  the 
lot  of  most  men,  and  is  now  among  the  larg- 
est land-owners  in  the  State.  He  is  owner, 
either  alone  or  jointly  with  a  partner,  of 
78,000  acres  of  land,  situated  in  Meeker, 
lienville,  Kandiyohi,  Stearns,  Douglas,  Pope 
Grant,  Otter  Tail  and  Wright  counties,  and 
besides  has  large  landed  interests  in  the  city 
of  Minneapolis  and  several  villages.  He  is 
one  of  the  directors  and  also  vice  president  of 
the  Meeker  County  Bank,  and  holds  stock  in 


a  numl)ei-  of  local  enterprises.  In  1880  lie 
was  ap])ointed  as  agent  of  the  Manitoba 
Kailway  Company  to  handle  their  lands,  and 
now  has  charge  of  the  railroad  lands  in 
Meeker,  Carver,  Wright,  and  Renville  coun- 
ties, and  part  of  Stearns  county.  He 
is  also  loan  agent  for  the  Kelly  Brothers, 
of  Minneapolis.  Mr.  Hansen  is  recognized 
as  one  of  the  shrewdest  and  best  busi- 
ness men  in  this  part  of  the  State.  He 
has  acquired  immense  property  interests,  and 
has  always  taken  an  active  interest  in  all 
matters  calculated  to  benefit  the  locality  in 
which  he  lives.  Mr.  Hansen  resides  on  sec- 
tion 18,  Litchfield  township,  although  he 
carries  on  business  in  the  village ;  and  his 
residence  and  farm  improvements  are  among 
the  finest  to  be  found  anv  where  in  the  State. 


— «" 


^  kRRlN  WHITNEY.  Among  the  old  set- 
V^l^y  tiers  of  Meeker  county,  who  are  still 
spared  to  this  world,  there  is  none  more 
worthy  of  mention  in  a  work  of  this  charac- 
ter than  the  gentleman  whose  name  heads 
this  sketch.  He  came  to  this  county  in 
March,  1857,  with  his  brother,  A.  P.  Whit- 
ney, S.  B.  Hutchins  and  others,  and  settled 
at  Kingston,  where  he  still  lives.  He  helped 
build  the  mill  |)ut  up  l)v  Whitney,  Averill  & 
Hutchins,  in  1857  and  1858,  which  was  the 
first  grist-mill  in  the  county,  and  from  the 
day  of  his  first  location  here  has  alwa^'s  been 
identified  with  the  onward  progress  and  de- 
velo|mi('nt  of  this  region. 

The  subject  of  this  biograpliy  was  Itorn  in 
Somerset  county,  Me.,  August  18,  1815,  and 
is  tlie  son  of  William  and  Olive  (Parlin) 
Whitney,  who  were  natives  of  Connecticut 
and  Massachusetts,  respectively.  He  was 
reared  in  Penobscot  county,  in  the  "  Pine 
Tree  State,"  and  there  received  the  elements 
of  his  education.     On  attaining  his  majority, 


he  commenced  farming  in  his  native  State. 


•^~.,-v' 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


417 


He  came  to  Minnesota  in  1857,  and  as  he 
liad  a  knowledge  of  mill-wriojitino',  liaving 
worked  at  that  business  a  few  years,  he  helped 
put  up  the  Hennepin  Island  Mill,  tiie  first 
grist-mill  at  Minneapolis.  In  1857  he  came 
to  this  county  as  above  mentioned,  and  has 
been  a  resident  nearly  ever  since.  On  his 
arrival  in  Meeker  county,  Mr.  Whitney  pre- 
empted 160  acres  of  land  on  section  21,  where 
he  now  lives.  In  1861  he  went  to  California, 
where  he  remained  until  December,  1864, 
when  he  returned  to  this  place,  which  he  has 
brought  to  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and 
finely  improved  until  it  is  as  desirable  a  piece 
of  property  as  any  in  the  county. 

Mr.  Whitne}'  and  Miss  Rebecca  Carvill 
were  united  in  the  bonds  of  mari'iage,  March 
10,  1879.  His  life  companion  and  helpmeet, 
who  is  a  lady  of  rare  accomplishments  and 
intelligence,  is  a  native  of  Lewistoii,  Andros- 
coggin county,  Me.,  born  December  23, 1827, 
and  is  the  daughter  of  Sewell  and  Tama 
(Higgins)  Carvill,  she  being  tlie  sixth  child  in 
their  family  of  thirteen.  Of  them  there  are 
seven,  besides  her,  still  surviving  —  Submit, 
Mary,  Milton,  Jefferson,  Wesley,  Alonzo  and 
Alphonso.  The  latter  was  a  physician,  who 
came  to  Kingston  in  1867,  and  made  his  home 
here  for  several  yeai's;  Jefferson  resides  in 
Dassel  township,  this  couiity ;  most  of  the 
rest  still  live  in  New  England.  Mrs.  Whit- 
ney having  received  considerable  schooling, 
learned  the  trade  of  coat-making,  at  which 
she  worked  some  thirty  years.  In  the  spring 
of  1848  she  went  to  Boston,  and  in  that  city 
followed  her  trade  twenty-nine  years,  board- 
ing at  one  place  fourteen  years.  She  has  in 
the  course  of  a  busy  life,  with  characteristic 
thrift,  accumulated  a  nice  property,  owning 
as  she  does  the  East  Kingston  Mill,  which 
cost  her  S7,000. 

Mr.  Whitney  is  a  greenbackei'  in  his  poli- 
tics and  a  supporter  of  the  Grange  movement. 
Both  he  and  his  estimable  wife  are  held  in 
high  esteem  wherever  known,  and  theii-many 


years  of  residence  has  made  them  respected 
and  well-known  throughout  nearly  the  whole 
county. 

In  another  department  of  this  Album  will 
be  found  portraits  of  both  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Whitney. 


F.   PROCTOR. 


Among  the 


kfc^  leading  citizens  of  the  village  of  Das- 
sel  there  is  none  more  prominent  than  the 
gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  sketch. 
He  is  the  son  of  William  and  Ehoda  (Snow) 
Proctor,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Ver- 
mont, who  had  gone  with  their  parents  into 
the  wilds  of  St.  Lawrence  county,  N.  Y.,  the 
former  at  the  age  of  twelve  years,  and  the 
latter  at  the  age  of  seven.  There  they  at- 
tained the  years  of  manhood  and  woman- 
hood, and  were  marrietl,  and  made  their 
home.  At  the  time  of  the  Mexican  war, 
AYilliam  Proctor,  being  impelled  by  the 
ardor  that  dwells  in  each  patriot's  breast, 
enlisted  in  Company  D,  Ninth  United  States 
Infantry,  and  was  wounded  in  one  of  the 
battles  at  the  gates  of  the  city  of  Mexico,  in 
1847,  and  died  shortly  after  in  the  general 
hospital  in  that  ''City  of  the  Montezumas." 
Mrs.  Proctor  is  now  making  her  home  with 
her  son,  Edwin  F. 

The  subject  of  our  present  sketch  was 
born  at  Massena,  St.  Lawrence  county,  N.Y., 
in  1840,  and  made  his  home  in  his  native 
town  until  1855,  when  he  took  Horace 
Greeley's  advice  and  moved  westward,  set- 
tling at  Madison,  Wis.,  where  he  found  em- 
ployment in  a  brickyard.  In  that  city  he 
remained  until  the  fall  of  186U,  when  he  re- 
moved to  Marshall,  Wis.,  and  attended  school 
that  winter.  While  peacefully  pursuing  his 
studies,  in  the  eventful  spring  of  1861,  the 
tocsin  of  war  rang  out,  and  thousands  of 
hurrying  feet  j^ressed  on  to  the  front  of  i)at- 
tle  in  defence  of  their  country,  and  in  res- 


4>8 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


ponse  to  the  call  of  the  General  Government 
for  troops  to  suppress  the  unholy  rebellion. 
Mr.  Proctor,  with  the  spirit  of  his  noble  sire, 
came  forward  at  once,  and  enlisted  in  (Jora- 
pany  A,  Third  Wisconsin  Infantry,  on  the  1st 
of  April,  1861,  for  three-months  service,  but 
was  not  mustered  in  under  this  enlistment. 
On  the  IStb  of  April,  he  enlisted  for  three 
years  or  during  the  war;  and  on  the  21st  of 
December,  18fi3,  he  re-enlisted,  in  Tennessee, 
as  a  veteran  for  three  years  more,  making, 
until  his  discharge,  a  term  of  service  of  four 
years  and  four  months.  In  the  three-months 
term  he  had  been  cor|)oral,  but  in  the  spring 
of  1862  he  was  made  duty  sergeant,  and  in 
1864  orderly  sergeant.  In  April,  1865,  he 
was  duly  commissioned  second  lieutenant 
for  gallant  and  meritorious  conduct,  and  in 
July  following,  received  the  rank  of  first 
lieutenant.  During  the  first  part  of  his  term 
of  service,  he  served  with  his  regiment  with 
the  Armies  of  the  Potomac  and  of  the  Shen- 
andoah, and  participated  in  the  engagements 
at  Bolivar  Heights,  Winchester,  Cedar  Moun- 
tain, Antietam,  Chancellorville  and  Beverly 
Ford.  The  command  (Twelfth  Corps)  to 
which  he  was  then  attached,  was  transferred 
with  the  Seventh  Corps  to  the  WesternArmy, 
and  under  General  Siierman,  he  was  present 
with  his  regiment,  in  the  thickest  of-the  con- 
flicts that  raged  around  Atlanta,  and 
was  actively  engaged  there,  and  in  the 
subsequent  March  to  the  Sea,  under  that 
matchless  General,  and  in  the  engagements 
that  marked  its  progress.  ■He  participated 
in  fourteen  general  engagements  in  all,  and 
was  slightly  wounded  in  two  battles — Chan- 
cellorville and  Antietam.  He  took  part  in 
the  grand  review  at  Washington,  in  June, 
1865,  after  which  he  received  his  discharge 
and  came  home,  Cincinnatus  like,  laying  the 
sword  down  for  the  plow  handle.  He  came 
to  Minnesota,  and  took  u])  a  homestead  on 
section  4,  of  the  town  of  Dassel,  in  the  month 
of  May,  1869.     Upon  this  place  he  remained 


engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  until  1885, 
when  he  traded  a  portion  of  his  estate  for 
his  village  propertj^,  and  sold  the  balance, 
and  is  now  living  a  retired  life,  being  unable 
])liysically  to  longer  carry  on  agricultural 
labor.  His  exposure  while  in  the  army, 
brought  on  rheumatism,  from  which  he  has 
never  recovered,  and  for  which  he  now  draws 
a  small  pension,  %V1  per  month,  from  the 
government. 

Mr.  Proctor  and  Miss  Emeline  P.  Frost 
were  united  in  marriage  Januaiy  18,  1864, 
while  he  was  home  on  his  veteran  furlough. 
The  lady  is  a  native  of  Delaware  county, 
Ohio,  and  is  the  daughter  of  Alva  and  Per- 
milla  Fi'ost.  Her  parents  came  to  Ohio  in 
1816,  and  settled  in  Delaware  county.  July 
7,  1847,  they  removed  to  Dodge  county, 
Wis.,  where  they  lived  until  the  death  of 
Mr.  Frost,  June  29,  1867.  His  wife  came  to 
Minnesota  in  1874,  and  died  in  this  county 
April  6,  1883. 

Mr.  and  Mrs  Proctor  are  the  parents  of 
four  children — Justin  T.,  Elwin  Z.,  Delia  D., 
and  Elward  J.  Elwin  died  July  19,  1881, 
the  rest  are  living.  Mr.  Proctor  was  one  of 
the  charter  members  of  Colfax  Post  No.  133, 
G.  A.  K.,  Department  of  Minnesota,  and  its 
first  commander,  and  is  now  the  quarter- 
master of  that  post. 


«»► 


/J^THO    H.    CAMPBELL.       Prominent 


among  the 


influential,  leading  citizens 
of  Manannah  township,  and  of  Meeker  coun- 
ty, is  Mr.  Campbell,  of  whom  this  narrative 
IS  written.  He  came  to  the  village  of  Kings- 
ton in  the  year  1866,  and  entered  into  the 
general  merchandise  trade  in  connection  with 
Whiting  Bros.,  a  Clearwater  firm.  One 
year  later  he  purchased  the  interest  of  his 
partners,  and  for  two  years  pursued  the  busi- 
ness alone.  At  the  end  of  that  time  he  re- 
moved to  the  new  village  of  Litchfield,  and, 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


419 


purchasing  the  Lake  Eipley  House,  ran  the 
hotel  for  two  years,  after  which,  disposing 
of  all  property  in  that  place,  he  removed  to 
Manannah,  and  purcliased  an  interest  with 
N.  C.  Hines  in  the  Hour  and  grist  mill.  In 
1877  he  became  the  sole  proprietor,  since 
which  time  he  has  added  many  im]irove- 
ments.  In  1880  he  put  in  steam  engine  and 
boilers,  so  that  he  can  run  eitlier  liy  steam 
or  water.  During  1887  the  mill  was  remod- 
eled, and  full  sets  of  rolls  jjlaced  in  it,  and  it 
now  ranks  as  one  of  the  best  in  this  part  of 
the  State. 

O.  H.  Campbell  was  born  in  Hartford, 
Conn.,  August  1,  ISi-l,  and  is  the  son  of 
James  and  Esther  (Griswold)  Campbell.  The 
father  was  a  native  of  Vermont,  and  had 
removed  to  Connecticut,  where  he  became 
an  insurance  agent.  The  mother,  who  was 
a  representative  of  the  noted  Griswold  fam- 
ily, was  a  native  of  Connecticut. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch,  at  the  age  of 
seventeen,  entered  an  insurance  office  in  his 
native  city,  where  he  remained  until  Septem- 
ber, 1862,  when  he  enlisted  in  Company  B, 
Twenty-Second  Connecticut  Infantry,  and 
served  in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  for  some 
ten  months,  when  he  was  discharged.  Dur- 
ing this  time  the  regiment  had  participated 
in  the  siege  of  Suffolk,  Va.,  the  capture  of 
Forts  Huger  and  Nansemond,  where  it  was 
under  fire  for  two  days.  This  was  while  it 
was  a  part  of  the  Twenty-Second  Army 
Corps  and  in  Abercrombie's  Division.  It 
was  then  sent  to  West  Point,  and.  under 
General  Gordon,  maile  the  advance  on  Eich- 
mond  and  the  noted  Blackberry  roa<l.  Gn 
its  return,  its  time  being  out,  it  was  ordered 
home  and  discharged. 

Gn  his  discharge,  after  another  year  spent 
in  tlie  insurance  l)usincss  in  Hartford,  he 
came  out  West,  and,  after  one  year  spent  at 
Clearwater,  came  to  Meeker  county,  lie 
was  married  April  24,  1867,  at  Clearwater, 
to  Miss  Isa  Creath,  a  native  of  Washington 


county.  Me.,  and  daughter  of  John  and  Mar- 
garet (Miars)  Creath.  By  this  union  there 
have  been  born  four  children,  namely — Ar- 
thur, born  March  8,  1SG8 ;  Ernest,  born  No- 
vember 9,  1869;  Marian,  born  May  16,1876; 
and  Harry,  born  August  4,  1879. 

Mr.  Campbell  has  been  prominentlj^  iden- 
tified with  the  official  life  of  the  county,  hav- 
ing served  as  chairman  of  the  board  of  town 
supervisors,  as  justice  of  the  peace,  and  in 
the  fall  of  1887  was  only  defeated  by  a  small 
majority  for  the  office  of  State  senator. 


EORGE  W.  CLARK,  one  of  the  "brave 
boys  in  l)lue, "  makes  his  home  in 
Collinwood  to\\nship,  on  section  22,  and  is  a 
valued  citizen.  He  is  a  native  of  Henry 
count}',  Iowa,  born  December  29,  1843,  and 
is  the  son  of  John  A.  and  Sarah  (Butler) 
Clark,  whose  birthplace  was  in  Ohio.  When 
about  four  years  of  age  his  parents  removed 
to  Jo  Daviess  county.  111.,  where  the  father 
was  emplo3'ed  in  lead-mining  until  1852. 
In  April  of  that  year  they  moved  to  St. 
Paul,  and  for  two  years  the  father  of 
our  subject  was  employed  in  a  lumber 
mill.  From  there  they  migrated  to  Hen- 
derson, Sibley  county,  and  in  that  place 
made  their  liome,  John  Clark  being  engaged 
in  transporting  supplies  for  Indian  Agent 
Brown  until  his  death,  which  occurred  Au- 
gust 18,  1857. 

The  subject  of  tiiis  memoir  commenced 
work,  on  the  death  of  his  father,  in  the  office 
of  the  Henderson  iJemorrat,  to  learn  the 
printers  trade.  While  peacefully  following 
the  art  he  had  chosen,  he  heeded  the  call  of 
his  country,  then  in  the  throes  of  civil  war, 
-and  enlisteil  in  Company  I,  Eighth  Minne- 
sota Infantry,  in  August,  1862,  and  partici- 
pated in  the  expedition  under  General  Sully. 
In  the  fall  of  1864,  he  was  sent  South  to  help 
suppress  the  rebellion,  and  the  regiment  be- 


420 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


came  a  part  of  the  famous  '23d  Army  Corjis 
under  General  Scoiicld,  and  was  present  at 
many  of  the  conflicts  tliat  terminated  the 
war.  He  received  an  honorable  discharge  in 
1865,  and  returned  iiome,  but  shortly  remov- 
ed to  Meeker  county,  and  made  a  settlement 
in  Ellswortli  township.  He  made  his  home 
there  for  two  years  and  then  purchased  200 
acres  of  land  on  the  section  where  he  now 
lives,  in  CoHinwood. 

Mr.  Clark  was  married  December  15,  187(3, 
to  Miss  Sarah  Grant,  a  native  of  Indiana, 
born  in  Jennings  county,  August  31,  1856. 
By  this  union  there  has  been  born  six  chil- 
dren, of  whom  the  following  is  the  record — 
Willis  was  born  June  2,  1878 ;  James  was 
born  August  16,  1880;  Arthur,  born  July  7, 
1879,  and  died  August  20,  following;  George 
K.,  born  April  14,  1882  ;  Clara  J.,  born  Feb- 
ruary 20,  1885  ;  and  Ida  F.,  was  born  Decem- 
ber 7,  1887. 

— -«— ^^-»— — 

•^\  W.  HAWKINSON,  of  Grove  City.  A 
i^  large  proportion  of  the  citizens  of 
Meeker  county  are  of  foreign  birth,  and  are 
men  who  have  brought  with  them  to  their 
new  home  in  America  the  habits  of  industry 
and  thrift  so  common  in  their  own  country, 
and  with  the  chances  afforded  in  the  United 
States,  have  risen  by  tlieir  own  efforts 
to  an  easy  competence.  Among  these  is 
Mr.  Hawkinson,  who  was  born  at  the 
home  of  his  parents,  William  and  Ellen 
Hawkinson,  in  Sweden,  November  16, 1840. 
He  was  reared  to  maniiood  in  the  land  of 
his  birth,  and  there,  A))ril  24,  1866,  he  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Hannah  Nelson. 
Three  years  later,  leaving  his  family,  he 
came  across  tlie  stormy  Atlantic  in  se;ircli  of 
a  home  in  the  free  land  of  America,  and 
coming  at  once  to  Minnesota,  located  at  Cot- 
tage Grove,  about  fifteen  miles  from  St. 
Paul,  where  he  was  engaged  in  wagon-mak- 
ing until  December,  1869,  and  then  came  to 


Litchfield,  then  a  new  village,  just  started, 
where  he  was  employed  in  wagon-making 
and  in  carpentering  until  1870,  when,  feeling 
assured  of  the  future,  he  returned  to  the  old 
country  for  his  family,  with  whom  he  arrived 
in  Litchfield  May  15, 1871.  He  followed  his 
trade  until  the  succeeding  November,  when  he 
removed  to  Swede  Grove  township,  where 
he  built  him  a  house  on  his  farm,  and  lived 
thei'C  for  two  years,  renting  the  land  and 
working  at  carpentering.  He  then  com- 
menced farming  himself,  and  at  odd  times 
pursued  his  trade,  and  in  this  manner  put  in 
his  time  for  five  years  more.  During  this 
time  he  had  erected,  for  C.  E.  Lundberg,  an 
elevator  of  60,000  bushels  capacity,  which, 
when  he  had  finished,  he  took  charge  of  for 
the  owner,  and  operated  for  seven  years. 
The  most  of  this  time  he  made  his  home  upon 
his  farm,  driving  in  and  out  each  morning 
and  evening.  B}'  this  time  he  had  ac(juired 
some  280  acres  of  land,  but  in  1881  he  built  a 
house  in  the  village  and  managed  his  farm 
by  hired  help.  In  the  fall  of  1886  he  gave 
up  running  the  elevator,  and  engaged  in  the 
business  of  selling  lumber,  farm  machinery, 
wagons,  buggies,  paints,  oils,  etc.,  in  com- 
pany with  B.  Bresden. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hawkinson  are  the  parents 
of  five  children — Andrew,  Nels,  Alfred,  El- 
mer and  Minnie.  The  eldest,  Andrew,  is  a 
graduate  of  the  Northwestern  College  at 
Minneapolis.  In  politics  Mr.  Hawkinson  is 
a  stanch  adherent  to  the  principles  of  the  re- 
publican party. 

I^REDERICK  SPATH,  living  on  section 
^IFS^  10,  Dassel  township,  is  one  of  the 
leading  farmers  of  that  section  of  the 
county.  He  is  a  native  of  Wiirtemberg,  Ger- 
many, born  Felu'uary  11.  1825,  an<l  the  son 
of  ^N'illiani  an<l  Catherine  Spath,  both  of 
whom  are  also  natives  of  the  German 
Em]>ire. 


MEEKER    COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


421 


Frederick,  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years  left 
the  fatherland  for  America,  and  on  his  arri- 
val in  Philadeli)hia,  Pa.,  commenced  learn- 
ing the  blacksmith  trade  in  that  city.  He 
remained  there  until  1856,  at  which  date  he 
came  to  Minnesota,  and  settled  in  Hennepin 
county,  and  opened  a  blacksmith  shop,  about 
seven  miles  north  of  Minneapolis.  About  a 
year  later  he  removed  to  Anoka  county, 
among  the  earliest  pioneers  of  that  section, 
and  preempted  a  farm  in  the  town  of  Bethel. 
There  he  made  his  lionie  until  1864.  During 
the  Indian  outbreak  of  1862,  much  excite- 
ment was  felt  in  that  county  and  most  of 
the  settlers  left  the  town.  Mrs.  Spath  kept 
her  children  dressed  and  ready  to  start  at  a 
moment's  warning  for  tliree  days  and  nights, 
while  waiting  for  news  of  the  appeai'ance 
of  the  savages,  who  never  came.  The 
trouble  died  out  and  people  soon  came  back 
to  their  homes,  there  as  elsewhere.  In  1864 
Mr.Spath  came  toKingston,this  county, where 
he  opened  a  blacksmith  shop,  and  continued 
to  follow  that  calling  for  two  years  in  that 
place.  In  1866  he  removed  to  the  town  of 
Dassel,  then  known  as  Swan  Lake,  and  took 
a  homestead  of  eighty  acres  of  land  in  sec- 
tion 10,  where  his  family  lived  nine  years. 
He  worked  for  a  while  on  the  construction 
of  the  railroad,  and  on  the  laying  out  of 
the  village  of  Dassel  opened  a  smithy  in  that 
place.  His  family  moved  into  the  latter  in 
1875,  where  thev  all  remained  until  1881, 
when  he  sold  out  his  interests  and  returned 
to  the  farm,  which  is  now  increased  to  120 
acres,  more  than  half  of  it  under  a  high  state 
of  cultivation,  and  upon  which  he  has  erect- 
ed some  fine  buildings.  On  the  organization 
of  the  town  in  1867,  he  \vas  appointed  one 
of  the  town  supervisors,  and  the  following- 
year  was  chairman  of  the  board.  He  was,  also, 
one  of  the  first  village  trustees  and  held 
that  office  for  three  years  consecutively. 

Mr.  Spath  was  married  in  the  city  of 
Philadelphia,   September   10,  1849,  to  Miss 


Catherine  Pliipps,  a  native  of  Philadelphia. 
Bj^  this  union  there  have  been  born  six  chil- 
dren, namely — William,  Jiving  in  Dakota;  Ka- 
tie, Mrs.John  Bunker,of  the  village  of  Dassel; 
Fi"ank  P,  who  is  carrying  on  the  blacksmith 
trade  in  the  same  village ;  Susan,  Mrs.  M. 
Penny,  of  Dassel  township;  Fred  P.  and 
Sarah,  at  home. 


^1 ILAS  W.  LEAVITT,  one  of  the  lead- 
"^^^  ing  citizens  of  the  village  of  Litchfield, 
is  a  native  of  Giimanton,  N.  IL,  born  in  1848, 
and  is  a  son  of  Joseph  S.  and  Hannah 
(Cotton)  Leavitt.  He  remained  at  home  with 
his  parents  until  he  had  attained  the  age  of 
seventeen  years,  when  he  enlisted  in  August, 

1863,  in  Company  A,  Fifteenth  New  Hamp- 
siiii-e  Infantry,  and  with  that  gallant  regi- 
ment served  one  year.  He  participated  in 
the  siege  and  capture  of  Port  Hudson,  and 
was  discharged  with  the  regiment  in  October, 

1864.  For  the  two  years  following  he  was 
compelled  to  suffer  much  from  a  disease  of 
the  eyes  contracted  while  in  the  service. 
Becoming  able  to  use  his  eyes  he  went  to 
Dover,  in  the  same  State,  where  he  remained 
a  3'ear.  From  there  he  moved  to  Boston, 
and  for  three  years  was  engaged  in  clerical 
labor  in  that  city.  Following  the  advice  of 
Horace  Greeley,  he  then  came  West,  and  for 
some  time  was  prospecting  through  the 
country.  After  looking  the  State  over,  Mr. 
Leavitt  decided  to  locate  in  Meeker  county, 
and,  in  1868,  purchased  a  farm  in  the  town 
of  Greenleaf,  where  he  made  his  home  until 
the  fall  of  1871,  when,  being  elected  to  the 
office  of  clerk  of  the  district  court,  he  re- 
moved to  the  village  of  Litchfield.  For 
twelve  successive  years  he  filled  that  respon- 
sible ]iosition  with  the  utmost  credit,  and  de- 
clined a  fourth  re-election.  During  most  of 
this  time  he  was  also  engaged  in  the  lumber 
business    in    Litchfield.      Mr.    Leavitt    was 


422 


MEEKER   COUNTY.  MINNESOTA. 


elected  president  of  the  board  of  education  of 
tlic  village,  in  September.  ISSO,  :ind  still  fills 
that  office.  (_)n  the  organization  of  Com])anj 
H,  First  Eegiment,  Minnesota  National 
Guards,  in  February,  1883,  he  was  elected  cap- 
tain, and  has  served  his  full  term  of  five 
3'ears,  but  at  the  solicitation  of  the  company 
still  remains  in  command.  At  the  close  of 
his  time  he  tendered  his  resignation,  but  the 
company  unanimously  rejected  it,  and  as  a 
testimony  of  their  appreciation  of  his  services 
they  ]>resented  him  with  a  very  handsome 
eold  watch  aaid  chain.  On  the  formation  of 
the  creamery  association,  Mr.  Leavitt  was 
elected  secretary  and  general  manager  of  tiiat 
institution,  and  has  charge  of  that  business 
at  the  present. 

Our  subject  was  mai'ried  in  August,  1866, 
to  Miss  Mary  D.  Chapman,  a  native  of 
"Worcester,  Mass.,  and  l)y  this  union  there  has 
been  born  two  children — Grace  W.,  and 
Marian  II. 


-«" 


*,BERT  HUTCHINS,  a  young  and 
enterprising  farmer,  of  Collinwood 
township,  was  born  in  Yanc}'  county,  N.  C, 
the  27th  of  May,  1849,  and  is  the  son  of  Jacob 
and  Nancy  (Buchanan)  llutchins.  His  father 
was  born  in  Berks  county,  N.  C,  June  19, 
181-1,  and  is  the  son  of  AYright  and  Margaret 
Hutchins.  The  mother  was  born  in  the 
same  county  April  19, 1814.  Jacob  Hutchins 
remained  in  the  county  of  his  birth  until  he 
was  aiKjut  thirty  years  old,  engaged  in  farm- 
ing, but,  in  the  spring  of  ISl-f,  movetl  to 
West  Virginia,  and  there  made  his  home 
until  1864,  at  Avliich  date  he  came  to  Collin- 
wood and  settled  on  a  homestead  on  section 
8.  In  1879  he  gave  the  place  to  his  son, 
with  whom  he  lives.  He  was  inarried  in 
1835  to  Miss  Nancy  Buchanan,  by  whom  he 
had  fourteen  children,  namely — Anna,  Louisa, 
Sarah,  Mary,  Thomas,  Margaret,  Elizabeth, 


William,    Albert,     John,     George,     Oliver, 
Jennie,  and  Cynthia. 

Albert  was  married  September  12,  1880, 
to  Miss  Theresa  Erfurth,  who  was  l)orn  in 
Ohio.  May  9,  1859,  and  is  the  daughter  of 
Edward  and  Johanna  Ei-furth.  They  are 
the  parents  of  three  children,  all  of  whom 
are  dead.  They  were  Arthur,  born  August 
5,  ISSl,  died  May  18,  1887 ;  Michael,  born 
September  15,  1883,  and  died  May  12,  1887; 
and  Milton,  born  May  8,  1885,  and  died  May 
18,  1887.  Albert  has  made  his  home  with 
his  parents  all  his  life,  and  for  fifteen 
years  has  been  the  main  support  of 
his  family.  His  mother  died  August  19, 
1881.  Jacob  Hutchins  Ijuilt  the  first  house 
in  the  township,  and  was  the  first  school 
treasurer.  The  farm  contains  al)out  116 
acres  of  fine  land,  of  which  eiglitv  are  under 
cultivation.  The  improvements  are  of  a 
very  fair  character,  and  the  whole  place 
evinces  that  the  young  farmer  understands 
his  business  and  is  in  a  prosperous  condition. 


Ft  MBROSE  WALL,  the  present  audi- 
jp'^  tor  of  Meeker  county,  is  a  native 
of  Cayuga  county,  N.  Y.,  born  December  7, 
1852,and  is  the  son  of  Michael  and  Alice  (Dee) 
Wall.  He  was  reared  in  the  county  of  his 
birth,  and  received  his  primary  education  in 
the  common  schools  of  that  district,  which  was 
sup]Jemented  by  two  tei'ms  jiassed  at  Port 
Byron  Academy.  His  occupation  during  all 
this  time  was  farming,  he  assisting  his  father, 
for  a  tnne,  and  afterward  working  for  other 
parties  as  opportunit}'  served. 

In  the  fall  of  1879,  Mr.  Wall  came  to  Min- 
nesota and  located  in  Stearns  county,  where 
he  taught  school  that  winter,  but  the  follow- 
ing spring  came  to  Meeker  county  and  pur- 
chased a  farm  on  section  26,  Manannah 
townshi]).  Here  he  commenced  the  avoca- 
tion of  western  farmer,  for  which  his  train- 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


423 


iiig  in  the  Empire  State  liad  so  well  fitted 
him.  He  maile  that  place  his  home,  carry- 
on  the  tillage  of  the  soil  \\\  the  summer,  and 
"teaching  the  young  idea  how  to  shoot"  in 
the  various  district  schools  of  tlie  county 
during  the  winter  months.  On  the  initiation 
of  the  Farmers'  Alliance  movement  in  1S85, 
he  adopted  their  views  and  principles,  believ- 
ing them  to  be  for  the  best  intei'ests  of  the 
working  classes,  and  a  step  in  the  direction 
of  personal  liberty  and  enfranchisement. 

In  the  fall  of  188(3,  Mr.  Wall  was  nomi- 
nated for  the  office  of  auditor  on  the  alliance 
and  democratic  tickets,  and  carried  ofl"  the 
honors  of  the  campaign  with  a  handsome 
majority.  He  is  the  present  secretary  of  the 
Meeker  County  Farmers'  Alliance,  is  inde- 
pendent of  party  lines,  in  political  faith  being 
of  decidedlj'  anti-monopolistic  tendency,  and 
is  a  bright  and  intelligent  leader  in  the  new 
movement,  looking  to  the  elevation  of  the 
auriculturists  and  laboring  classes. 


fOHN  CHRISTENSEN,  one  of  the  promi- 
nent merchants  of  Grove  City,  and  a 
member  of  the  firm  of  Reitan  &Christensen, 
general  merchandise  dealers,  is  a  native  of 
Norway,  and  the  son  of  Haider  and  Karen 
Marie  (Hebgh)  Christensen.  The  date  of 
his  birth  was  January  31,  1834.  He  re- 
mained in  the  land  of  his  nativity,  where  he 
secured  his  education,  until  November  2, 
1867,  when  he  made  his  appearance  in 
Meeker  countv,  having  emigrated  from  his 
boj'hood's  home  in  search  of  fortune  and  a 
competence.  With  him  came  his  brother, 
Carl,  who  was  born  January  2(3,  1837. 

Carl  Christensen  married  September  17, 
1870,  Miss  Ellen  Olava  Gronseth,  who 
became  the  mother  of  five  children — Haider, 
born  July  1,  1871 ;  Otto  G.,  born  May  15, 
1873;  Andrew  Christian,  born  June  6,  1875; 
William  Martin,  born  October  22,  1877 ;  and 


Carl  John  Henry,  born  March  2,  1880.  Carl 
foUowed  farming  after  coming  to  this 
country,  until  December  22,  1879,  when  he 
died,  since  which  time  John  Christensen  has 
taken  care  of  his  bereaved  family. 
•  John  Christensen  was  totally  unacquainted 
with  farm  work  when  he  came  here,  but 
helj)ed  iiis  brother  for  some  time  on  the 
hitter's  place,  but  its  monotony  tiring  hira, 
in  1870  he  entered  the  store  of  Mr.  Brown, 
in  Litchfield,  as  a  clerk,  with  whom  he 
stayed  over  a  year.  He  then  kept  a  board- 
ing house  for  the  men  who  were  working  on 
the  railroad  construction.  In  about  1872  he 
purchased  a  farm,  adjoining  that  of  his 
brother,  and  from  that  year,  until  1875,  he 
was  with  his  brother,  they  working  the  farms 
together.  At  the  expiration  of  that  time  he 
came  to  Grove  City,  and  was  a  clerk  in  the 
store  of  W.  W.  Hobbs,  until  the  death  of 
that  gentleman  in  December,  1876,  after 
which  he  entered  the  store  of  H.  O.  Peter- 
son, and  stayed  with  that  gentleman  until 
April,  1877,  when  our  subject  went  to  the 
Black  Hills,  where  he  remained  until  the 
following  fall,  returning  to  Grove  City  in 
September.  Again  entering  the  employ  of 
H.  O.  Peterson,  as  clerk  in  his  store,  he 
there  continued,  both  with  him  and  with  the 
succeeding  firm  of  Peterson,  Dudley  &  Nel- 
son, until  May,  1S82,  when  he  became  a 
clerk  in  the  store  of  C.  C.  Eeitan,  and  Octo- 
ber 1,  1883,  became  a  partner  with  that 
gentleman,  and  the  present  firm  formed. 


AMES  LANG,  one  of  the  old  settlei's  of 
^  Manannah  township,  and  the  merchant, 
postmaster  and  hotel  proprietor  of  the  village 
of  Manannah,  is  a  son  of  James  and  Mar- 
garet (Leech)  Lang,  natives  of  Scotland,  who 
were  married  in  that  land  of  heather  and 
emigrated  to  the  United  States  about  1822, 
settling   in  Vermont.     About   a  year  later 


424 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


they  removetl  to  Canada  wliere  tliev  both 
died,  the  fatlier  in  188<'>,  tlie  iiiotlier  in 
1847. 

The  subject  of  our  sketcli  was  born  in  La- 
Prairie  county,  Canada,  December  2(i,  1838, 
and  remained  at  home  with  Ins  parents  until 
1857,  when  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years  he 
came  to  tlie  "  States  "  with  his  brother  Rob- 
ert, wlio  had  been  here  the  year  previous, 
and  settled  in  this  counts',  where  he  lived,  on 
section  18,  Harvey  township,  for  some  years. 
He  went  to  work  putting  up  a  cabin,  and 
breaking  up  the  prairie  sod  with  a  yoke  of 
oxen.  In  the  fall  of  1857  he  built  a  house 
upon  tlie  site  of  the  village,  in  company  with 
Robert  Lang  and  S.  Dickinson,  and  for  two 
years  lived  there  during  the  winter  months, 
and  upon  his  farm  in  the  summer.  From 
that  time  on  he  made  his  home  upon  the 
homestead  until  the  Indian  outbreak  in  1862. 
On  that  eventful  Sunday,  Mr.  Lang  and  sev- 
eral other  parties  started  for  Forest  City 
with  the  intention  of  enlisting,  but  hearing 
of  the  murders  in  Acton,  they  suspended 
action,  waiting  more  definite  news.  Hear- 
ing that  some  Indians  had  been  seen  going 
toward  Manannah,  they  returned  speedily, 
he  remaining  until  the  following  Wed- 
nesday, when  all  the  settlers  left,  as  it  was 
unsafe  to  remain.  At  Kingston  he  heard  of 
the  organization  of  Captain  Whitcomb's  com- 
pany of  Home  Guards,  and  with  others  came 
and  enlisted  in  that  company.  AVith  them 
he  jiarticipated  in  all  the  movements  as  de- 
tailed in  the  chapter  devoted  to  the  massa- 
cre in  this  volume.  He  it  was,  who  was 
riding  with  Mr.  Britt,  when  their  horses  were 
stuck  in  the  slough.  As  he  got  out  of  the 
slough,  he  was  some  eighty  rods  behind  the 
party,  and  he  had  to  run  for  his  life. 
When  he  saw  that  the  teams  had  gone  on 
and  left  him,  he  laid  down  to  pull  otf  his 
shoes,  and  the  Indians  thinking  they  ha<l 
killed  him,  stopped  to  get  the  horee.  Start- 
ing to  run,  three  savages  pursued  him  on 


their  ponies,  but  tlie  wagon  waited  for  him. 
and  it  is  said  that  the  Sioux  ponies  did  not 
gain  on  him  in  his  race  for  life. 

Mr.  Lang  remained  with  this  company 
until  it  was  disbanded  and  during  that  win- 
ter followed  trapping  and  hunting.  In  March, 
1863,  he  enlisted  m  Company  C,  First  Minne- 
sota Mounted  Rangers,  and  served  in  the 
West  with  them  until  their  discharge  in  the 
fall  of  1863.  In  August.  186-4,  Mr.  Lang 
again  enlisted,  this  time  in  the  Second  United 
States  Sharpshooters,  which  were  attached 
to  Colonel  Berdan's  famous  regiment,  and 
joined  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  in  front  of 
Petersburg,  Va.,  and  were  assigned  to  the 
Third  Division  of  the  noble  Second  Corps. 
He  was  under  lire  for  the  first  time  in  this 
company  at  the  second  battle  of  Hatchers 
Run,  and  served  until  the  close  of  the 
war. 

On  receiving  his  dischai'ge  and  pay  about 
which  there  was  some  trouble  owing  to  "red 
tape,"  our  subject  returned  to  Meeker  county, 
where  he  has  made  his  home  ever  since.  He 
was  married,  March  29,  1870.  to  Miss  Juliet 
Murray,  a  native  of  Waukesha  county.  Wis., 
and  daugiiter  of  John  Murray,  of  that  place. 
By  this  union  there  have  been  born  a  family 
of  four  children  —  Lily  M.,  Mary  J.  and 
James  A.,  all  living,  and  Lizzie,  deceased. 

In  the  spring  of  1875  Mr.  Lang,  in  com- 
pany with  A.  P.  Grey,  bought  out  the  store 
of  Hines  &  Campbell,  and  for  four  yeai-s  ran 
it  in  partnership,  but  since  that  time  has 
been  carr\'ing  it  on  alone.  He  was  appointed 
postmaster  in  1881,  and  still  holds  that  office. 
He  has  served  some  six  years  on  the  school 
board,  and  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  leading 
citizens  and  representative  men  of  the  county. 
No  man  has  been  more  prominently  identified 
with  the  development  of  the  nortliern  part 
of  the  county  or  figures  more  conspicuously 
in  its  history,  and  both  he  and  his  estimable 
wife  merit  and  receive  the  highest  esteem  of 
all.     Through  his  many  years'  residence  here 


V'***'f^'^   -vVj-     ^ 


OU^U^^y^ 


^ 


2<2/ 


{^-T-T-Z-^yi- 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


429 


Mr.  Lang  has  become  well-known  to  nearly 
all  the  old  settlers  of  Meeker  county.  lie  is 
a  man  of  the  strictest  honor  and  integrity, 
and  his  word  is  recognized  as  being  as  good 
as  a  bond. 

Elsewhere  in  tiiis  volume    will  be  found 
portraits  of  both  Mr.  Lang  and  his  wife. 


X?TaRLOW  F.  AMES  came  to  Dassel 
JKL  township,  with  his  brother  Henry,  in 
January,  1868,  and  settled  on  the  farm  his 
father  had  bought,  where  he  remained  until 
his  parents  came,  in  the  following  spring. 
He  is  a  native  of  Oswego  county,  N.  Y.,  born 
June  4,  1850,  and  is  the  son  of  Harlow  and 
Adeline  (Mitchell)  Ames.  In  1872  he  com- 
menced the  mason's  trade,  at  which  he  has 
worked  for  a  portion  of  the  time  ever  since. 
He  has  now  a  line  farm  of  100  acres  of  land 
in  Dassel  township,  on  section  23,  where  he 
carries  on  agriculture.  He  was  united  in 
marriage,  December  31, 1873,  with  Miss  Flor- 
ence Carr,  a  native  of  Washington  county, 
Ind.,  and  daughter  of  Elisha  and  Isabel 
(]  )enny )  Carr.  Ey  this  union  there  have  been 
Ijorn  three  children — Leroy,  Edith  and  Josie. 

Harlow  Ames,  who  is  ranked  among  the 
most  substantial  citizens  of  Dassel  township, 
is  the  father  of  the  subject  of  the  above 
sketch.  He  is  a  native  of  Delaware  county, 
Conn.,  born  July  8,  1804,  and  is  the  son  of 
Leonard  and  Minerva  (Peck)  Ames.  His 
parents  removed  to  Oswego  county,  N.  Y., 
and  settled  near  the  town  of  Mexico,  at  an 
early  day,  among  the  pioneers  of  that  region, 
where  they  made  their  home  until  they  passed 
to  their  "  chamber  in  the  silent  realms  of 
death."  They  were  consistent  members  of 
the  Methodist  Church,  and  the  first  religious 
services  in  that  district  were  held  in  a  sheep- 
pen,  a  log  shanty  on  the  farm  of  the  elder 
Mr.  Ames,  which  had  been  fitted  up  for  the 
purpose. 

Harlow  remained  at  home  until  about  fif- 


teen years  of  age,  at  which  time  he  com- 
menced to  learn  the  tanner's  and  the  shoe- 
maker's trades,  which  avocations  he  followed 
until  above  thirty  years  of  age.  He  then 
purchased  a  farm  in  Oswego  county,  and 
remained  upon  it  over  thirty  years,  and  then 
sold  out  and  moved  into  the  village  of  Mex- 
ico, but  after  a  residence  of  two  years,  being 
tired  of  an  inactive  life,  came  to  Minnesota 
in  search  of  a  home.  Previous  to  leaving  New 
York  he  met  Edwin  Ayres  and  C.  L.  Pich- 
ardson,  who  had  settled  in  Meeker  county  in 
1856,  and  taken  up  claims  on  section  14,  in 
Dassel  township,  from  which  they  had  been 
driven  by  the  Indians.  He  purchased  from 
them  their  farm,  which  contained  some 
509  acres,  with  the  additions  which  he  made 
to  it,  and  returned  to  New  York,  and  sent 
his  two  sons  out  to  occupy  it.  The  following 
spring  he  followed  with  his  family,  and  put  up 
the  first  frame  dwelling  in  the  town.  He  has 
resided  here  ever  since,  and  now  has  one  of 
the  finest  farms  in  this  part  of  the  county. 

Mr.  Ames  was  united  in  marriage,  August 
10,  1834,  with  Miss  Martha  Hubbard,  who 
died  in  1844,  leaving  four  children — Horace, 
now  in  Washington  Territory;  Charlotte, 
Mrs.  Isaac  Russell,  of  Dassel;  Edward,  a 
resident  of  Washington  Territory  ;  and  Julia, 
the  wife  of  W.  M.  Abbott,  of  Forest  Prairie, 
this  county.  Mr.  Ames,  November  21, 1845, 
again  contracted  a  matrimonial  alliance,  this 
time  with  Miss  Adeline  Mitchell,  who  is  the 
mother  of  two  children — Henry  and  Harlow 
F.  The  former  is  engaged  in  the  manufact- 
ure of  brick  near  Litchfield,  and  the  latter's 
sketch  is  given  above. 

/^HARLES  H.  BIGELOW,  the  enterpris- 
>^y  ing  dealer  in  confectionery,  books,  sta- 
tionery, and  fancy  goods  in  the  village  of 
Litchfield,  is  the  son  of  Harvey  and  Maria 
(Van  Buskirk)  Bigelow,  and  was  born  at 
Rush,    Monroe    county,   N.  Y.,  October  5, 


430 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


1853.  His  ))iirents  \ver«  both  nutivcs  of  tlie 
Ein])ire  St;ite,  altliouyli  liis  jjatenitil  gruncl- 
I'iilhcr  came  originally  from  Connecticut,  and 
was  one  of  a  noted  and  liistoi'ic  family  tliei'e. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  reai'cd 
amid  tiic  familiar  scenes  of  his  childiiood  and 
received  his  education  in  the  excellent  schools 
of  his  native  state.  At  the  age  of  lifteen 
he  commenced  to  learn  the  cai-riiige  and 
wagon  nudving  trade,  iind  after  finisliing 
that  took  up  carpentering  wliich  he  foHowed 
for  some  two  years.  In  I'Vl)i'uary,  l>i7<>.  he 
went  to  Louisville,  Ky.,  where  he  entered 
the  emi)loy  of  I>.  F.  Avery  &  Sons,  one  of 
the  large  plow  manufacturing  concerns  of 
tins  country.  He  remained  witii  tliis  lii'iii 
until  187S,  when  he  came  to  Litchiield,  imd 
after  looking  around  a  little  counni^nced 
farming  in  the  town  <;f  Greenleaf,  on  ;i  lai'in 
which  he  rented  of  his  wife's  father.  In 
January,  1880,  he  came  back  to  the  village 
of  Litchiield,  and  initiated  his  present  busi- 
ness. He  has  always  filled  an  im])ortant 
place  in  the  community  anil  I'eceives  the 
respect  and  esteem  of  all.  In  November, 
1883,  he  became  deputy  auditoi',  and  ful- 
filled the  duties  of  that  office  until  A])ril, 
1887.  -  In  1880  he  was  village  recorder,  in 
1887  chief  of  tli(>  lire  dcpiniment,  and  is  the 
])res('nt  first  lieutenant  of  the  local  militia 
company.  In  his  political  views  he  coincides 
with  the  re]>id)lican  party,  and,  religiously,  is 
a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Cliurch.  of 
which  he  is  one  of  the  trustees.  He  is  a 
member  of  Golden  Fleece  Lodge,  A.  F.  &  A. 
M.,  of  Itabboni  Chapter,  Iv.  A.  M.,  of  Melita 
Comnuinder\\  K,  T.,  and  of  Fuielity  Chapter, 
East(!rn  Stiir. 

Mr.  Bigelow  was  united  in  nuu'riage,  Sep- 
tember 28,  187C,  with  Miss  Frances  K.  Wianl, 
a  native  of  Livingston  county,  N.  Y.,  and 
daughter  of  Edward  and  Charlotte  Wiard. 
By  this  union  there  are  three  children — 
Harvey  Edward,  Frederick,  and  Lydia 
Alice. 


/^•V  P  H  R  A  IM  A.  BRIGGS.  Prominent 
\i!_^  among  the  successful  business  men  of 
Meeker  county,  men  who  have  by  their  own 
ability  and  tact,  acquired  an  ample  fortune, 
stands  the  subject  of  this  memoii-.  His  life 
has  been  a  busy  one,  and  he  has  not  lost  his 
opportunities.  He  is  a  native  of  New  Vork, 
having  first  seen  the  light  of  (Uiy  at  Coey- 
UKins,  Albany  county,  Fei^ruary  14,  1837, 
and  is  the  son  of  A.  N.  and  Maria  (Andrews) 
P.riggs.  He  was  reared  amid  the  familiar 
scenes  of  his  childhood,  and  I'cciiived  the 
I'lidimeiits  of  his  <'ducati()n  in  the  common 
schools  of  Cliai'l(.)tteville,  Schohari(!  county. 
Ap])roaching  the  yenrs  of  manhood,  our 
subject  commenced  the  study  of  law  with 
Ira  Iliirris,  of  Albany,  with  whom  he  r(!- 
maiued  some  two  years,  and  with  S.  T. 
lliggins  one  year.  He  then  attended  a 
coui'se  (jf  lectures  at  the  Law  School  at 
Albany,  N.  Y.,  under  the  tuition  of  such 
men  as  Ira  Harris,  Ainasa  J.  Parker  and 
Amos  Dean.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
in  1859,  and  commenced  the  practice  of  his 
profession  at  Albany,  N.  Y. 

While  peacefully  |)ursuing  the  quiet  rounds 
of  his  profession  and  duties,  traitors  in  arms 
inaugurated  civil  war  by  threatening  the  life 
of  our  Nation,  and  on  the  call  of  llie  presi- 
dent for  75,00(1  threes-months'  soldiers,  Mr. 
Ih'iggs  with  a,  noble  patriotism,  leaving 
everything,  enlisted  in  the  Tenth  New  York 
Infantry,  and  proceeded  to  the  front.  The 
tiiree-nKHiths'  term  of  his  service  havinir 
exj)ireil,  he  re-enlisted  in  the  Forty- 
third  New  York  Infantry,  of  which  he  was 
commissioned  second  lieutenant.  He  was 
soon  detailed  for  service  in  the  Signal  Corps, 
and,  after  instruction  at  Georgetown,  was 
ordered  to  I'eport  to  General  N.  !>.  Banks, 
then  commanding  in  the  Shenaiuloah  N'alley, 
and  served  there  through  the  year  lStl2.  Re- 
ceiving his  commission  in  the  United  States 
Signal  Corps,  he  was  then  attached  to  the 
headquarters    of   the     Twenty-third    Army 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


431 


Corps,  with  whom  lie  remained  until  the 
close  of  the  war,  altliough  later  lie  was  under 
the  immediate  command  of  General  J.  M. 
Scliofield.  Our  subject  participated  in  the 
Atlanta  caui])aign,  and  in  the  sanguinary 
contests  at  P'ranldin  and  Nashville,  Tenn., 
and  was  present  at  tlie  junction  of  tlie  forces 
of  Sherman  and  Schofiekl,  at  Goldsboro. 
Pie  was  mustered  out  at  the  close  of  hostili- 
ties, and  returned  to  his  home. 

Mr.  Briggs  was  married,  November  16, 
1866,  to  Miss  Helen  F.  Hale,  a  native  of 
Aroostook  county.  Me.,  and  has  resided,  ever 
since,  in  Meeker  county,  at  the  village  of 
Kingston.  He  engiiged  in  the  mercantile 
business,  but  after  eight  months  sold  out  and 
returned  to  New  York.  Three  months  later 
he  came  back  and  took  up  a  homestead  on 
section  34,  Kingston  township.  He  then 
purchased  the  store  of  F.  V.  DeCoster,  and 
continued  the  mercantile  business  until  1875, 
since  whicii  time  he  has  been  chiefly  em- 
ployed dealing  in  real  estate. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  JJriggs  have  a  faiiiil}'  of  iowv 
children,  three  of  whom  are  living.  Their 
names  are  Albert  N.,  Maria  T.,  and  T'onnie. 
The  one  deceased  bore  the  name  of  Tlionias 
A.  The  subject  of  whom  this  is  written, 
was  postmaster  of  Kingston  from  1ST4  until 
1886;  has  tilled  the  offices  of  justice  of  the 
peace  and  town  treasurer,  and  is  a  strong 
adiierent  to  the  principles  formulated  by  the 
republican  party.  He  is  a  member  of  Frank 
Daggett  Post,  G.  A.  R. 


-^S€{^"*- 


OREN  NELSON.  The  subject  of  this 
l)ersonal  history  is  one  of  the  most 
prominent  and  wealthy  farmers  and  stock- 
raisers  in  Danielson  township,  his  residence 
being  located  on  section  4  in  that  civil  sub- 
division of  Meeker  county.  Mr.  Nelson  is  a 
son  of  Nels  and  Mary  Peterson,  and  was 
born  in  Denmark,  on  the  16th of  April,  18,34. 


His  early  life  was  spent  in  his  native  land, 
where  he  received  the  same  lessons  of  indus- 
try and  economy  which  are  characteristic  of 
the  peojile  of  his  nationality.  From  neces- 
sity, in  early  youth,  he  imbibed  these  princi- 
ples, and  they  have  benefited  him  all 
through  life.  In  telling  of  the  way  his  folks 
hved  in  the  old  country,  he  says  that  there 
were  seven  children  in  the  family,  besides  the 
parents,  and  that  his  father  worked  for  twelve 
cents  per  day,  and  supported  the  family. 
For  some  time  the  father  was  out  of  work, 
and  the  mother  supported  the  entire  family 
by  spinning,  earning  only  three  cents  per  day. 
BreatI,  and,  in  the  summer,  onions  and  occa- 
sionally potatoes,  were  their  only  food.  It 
was  through  such  hardships  as  these  that 
Soren  spent  his  early  days.  In  1863  he  came 
to  America,  and  upon  landing  in  New  York, 
he  had  just  %\M,  and  %\  of  this  he  paid  for 
his  first  day's  board.  The  next  (hiy  he  bor- 
rowed $20  of  a  friend  and  went  to  Chicago, 
where  he  worked  at  butchering  and  in  a  lum- 
ber-yard. In  the  fall  he  went  to  Lookout 
Mountain,  in  tiie  employ  of  the  government. 
On  the  28th  of  March,  186.5,  he  was  dis- 
charged, and  returned  to  Chicago,  where  he 
remained  until  in  the  following  December, 
when  he  went  to  Texas,  and  was  there  em- 
ployed by  the  government,  at  Galveston. 
From  there  he  went  to  Peoria,  III.,  and  spent 
some  time  in  looking  for  land,  and  then  re- 
turned to  Chicago.  On  the  1st  of  April, 
1866,  he  came  to  Minnesota,  and  bought  a 
quarter  section  of  land  in  Dodge  county, 
which  he  sold  three  months  later,  and  aoain 
started  west,  and  spent  some  time  in  looking 
for  a  location.  In  1866  he  purchased  a  farm 
near  Grove  City,  in  Swede  Grove  township, 
this  county,  and  made  that  his  home  for  ten 
years.  In  18*76  he  removed  to  where  he  now 
lives,  on  section  4,  Danielson  township.  He 
now  owns  a  farm  of  200  acres  on  section  4, 
besides  still  owning  his  farm  of  eighty  acres 
in  Swede   Grove. 


He  has  good 


l)uil(lings, 


432 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


and  his  farm  is  one  of  the  most  vahiable  in 
the  township.  He  lias  met  with  a  number  of 
sei'ioiis  reverses,  hut  by  iiis  perseverance,  en- 
ter|)rise  and  in(Uistry,  lie  has  overcome  them 
all,  and  is  now  rated  as  one  of  the  solid  and 
substantial  citizens  of  the  county.  In  1877 
he  lost  his  crop  by  the  grasshopper  depreda- 
tions. In  1872  his  buildings  were  destroyed 
by  a  tornado,  he  and  his  wife  being  seriously 
injured  and  rendered  insensible  when  the 
house  was  blown  over.  They  both  recovered, 
however. 

In  political  matters  Mr.  Nelson  is  a  dem- 
ocrat. 

On  the  13th  of  May,  1867,  Soren  Nelson 
was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Johnson,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Peter  and  Anna  Johnson.  Their  mar- 
riage has  been  blessed  with  three  children,  as 
follows  — Nels  P.,  born  August  12,  1870; 
William,  born  Sejitember  22,  1872 ;  and 
Charles,  born  February  21,  1875.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Nelson  are  members  of  the  Danish 
Lutheran  Church.  Both  of  them  hold  the 
utmost  respect  and  confidence  of  all  their 
neighbors  and  acquaintances. 


JEREMIAH  LEAMING,  one  of  the  most 
prominent  and  successful  farmers  in 
Union  Grove  township,  is  a  resident  of  sec- 
tion 3-f.  He  is  a  son  of  George  and  Juliette 
Leaming,  and  is  a  native  of  Laramie  town- 
ship, Tippecanoe  county,  Ind.  He  left  the 
parental  roof  when  seventeen  years  old  and 
apprenticed  himself  to  learn  the  cabinet- 
maker's trade,  remaining  as  an  apprentice 
for  three  years,  after  which  he  worked  as  a 
journeyman  for  a  year.  He  then  came  to  St. 
Anthony,  and  for  two  years  worked  at  his 
trade,  after  whi6h,  for  a  year,  he  was  employeil 
in  a  sash  and  door  factory.  At  the  expiration 
of  that  time,  in  company  with  J.  W.  Bassett, 
he  opened  a  wagon,  carriage  and  plow  fac- 


tory, and  also  ran  a  blacksmith  shop  in  con- 
nection. IIi^  continued  this  liiisiness  until 
1857,  when  he  sold  out  to  his  partner,  and 
went  to  Monticello,  in  Wright  county,  where 
he  had  charge  of  a  lumber  yard  tor  Charles 
King  for  nearl}^  two  years.  In  the  spring  of 
1859  he  came  to  Meeker  county  and  bought 
a  claim  on  section  3-1.  in  what  is  now  Union 
Grove  township,  of  a  man  named  Judson 
Pearson.  This  is  the  farm  where  he  stiU 
lives,  and  it  has  been  his  home  ever  since 
with  the  exception  of  four  years  during  the 
Indian  troubles,  a  history  of  which  is  given 
elsewhere.  When  they  first  heard  the  news 
of  the  massacre  at  Acton  the  family  went  to 
Forest  City,  and  two  days  later  to  Monti- 
cello,  in  Wright  county.  The  family  re- 
mained there  while  Mr.  Learning  worked  at 
different  places  as  millwright,  farm  hand, 
and  whatever  else  turned  up.  ■  Upon  the 
close  of  hostilities  the  family  returned  to  the 
farm,  where  they  have  since  lived.  Mr. 
Leaming  has  a  splendid  farm  of  200  acres,  a 
good  share  of  which  is  under  cultivation, 
and  he  devotes  his  attention  to  farming  and 
stock-raising. 

Mr.  Leaming,  in  some  respects  has  been 
very  unfortunate,  and  has  had  to  surmount 
difficulties  and  misfortunes  which  would  dis- 
courage most  mankind.  He  was  a  heavy 
loser  on  account  of  the  redskins,  and  also  by 
the  white  men  after  the  trouble  was  over. 
The  Indians  destroyed  his  grain  and  his  resi- 
dence was  burned  during  his  absence.  It 
was  hard  to  accumulate  anything.  Wheat 
was  only  thirty-five  cents  a  bushel,  eggs  five 
cents  a  dozen,  and  butter  five  cents  a  pound. 
When  the  Indians  drove  him  away  he  was 
almost  penniless,  and  he  was  not  much  better 
off  when  he  i-eturned.  In  1877  the  grass- 
hoppers took  about  all  of  his  crops,  and 
another  year  he  lost  nearly  all  his  grain  by 
hail.  Notwithstanding  the  disadvantages 
with  which  he  had  to  contend,  his  energy 
and  enterprise  have  never  flagged,  and  his 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


433 


present  comfoi'table  circumstances  attest  to 
this  fact. 

Our  subject  has  taken  an  active  interest  in 
township  matters  and  has  been  closely  identi- 
fied with  the  official  historj'  of  the  town.  He 
has  held  numerous  local  offices,  including  the 
following:  Assessor,  thirteen  or  fourteen 
years;  supervisor,  one  year ;  school  treasurer, 
three  years;  and  justice  of  the  peace,  six 
years. 

On  the  31st  of  March,  1857,  Mr.  Leaming 
was  married  to  Phebe  AV.  Bryant,  a  daughter 
of  Ambrose  and  Narcissa  (Merrill)  Bryant, 
and  their  marriage  has  been  blessed  with  the 
following  children — George  A.,  born  March 
4,  1859;  Ella  J.,  born  December  6,  1860; 
Curtis  M.,  born  January  22,  1866 ;  Juliette, 
born  February  26,  1868 ;  and  Clara  B.,  born 
September  4,  1869.  George  A.  is  married  to 
Annie  A.  Barrie,  and  lives  on  section  35. 
Ella  J.  married  J.  B.  Tuttle,  and  they  reside 
on  section  20,  Union  Grove. 

Mrs.  Leaming  was  born  in  Kennebec 
county.  Me.  Her  father  was  a  blacksmith 
when  a  young  man,  but  for  a  great  many 
years  before  he  left  his  native  State  was  en- 
gaged in  the  mercantile  business.  In  1855 
he  came  to  "Wright  county,  Minn.,  and  en- 
gaged in  farming,  but  has  now  retired  and 
resides  at  Buffalo,  Minn. 

Mr.  Learning's  fatlier  was  a  farmer.  For 
a  number  of  years  he  operated  a  pottery  in 
connection  with  ji is  farming  operations,  Ijut 
later  sold  that  and  devoted  his  entire  atten- 
tion to  farming  until  the  time  of  his  death,  in 
1880.  Mr.  Learning's  mother  now  lives  in 
Jasper  county,  Mo. 

Mr.  Leaming  became  a  Mason  when 
twenty-two  years  of  age,  joining,  at  St. 
Anthony's,  Cataract  Lodge,  No.  2,  A.  F.  & 
A.  M.  He  is  a  man  of  the  strictest  integrity, 
and  no  one  stands  higher,  or  more  fully  holds 
the  respect  of  the  community,  than  he.  A 
portrait  of  Mr.  Leaming  will  be  found  else- 
where in  this  volume. 


TOHN  W.  JOHNSON,  one  of  Litchfield's 
^  most  enterprising  dealers  in  farm  ma- 
cliinery,  is  a  native  of  Skone,  Sweden,  born 
October  24,  1849,  and  is  the  son  of  Ole  and 
Hannah  (Ingeman)  Johnson,  also  natives  of 
Sweden.  When  he  was  but  nine  years  of 
age,  in  1857,  he  came  to  Meeker  county  with 
his  parents,  who  were  among  the  very  first 
settlers  in  Litchfield  township,  and  remained 
an  inmate  of  the  paternal  home  until  he  was 
about  twenty  years  old.  In  his  boyhood 
davs  John  became  quite  an  expert  hunter 
and  trapper,  shooting  his  first  deer  when 
but  eleven  years  of  age.  The  next  winter 
he  and  his  father  captured  a  full  grown  buck, 
which  he  succeeded  in  fully  taming.  One 
winter  tiie  profits  on  the  furs  he  got  brought 
about  $500. 

When  he  had  nearly  reached  his  majorit}', 
he  commenced  railroad  work  on  the  grade 
through  this  county,  from  Smith  Lake  to  a 
point  tiiree  miles  west  of  where  Litchfield 
now  stands,  as  foreman  of  a  gang  of  men. 
In  1869  he  went  to  California,  and  remained 
on  the  Pacific  slope,  in  that  beautiful  land  of 
the  sunset,  for  a  year,  after  which  he  re- 
turned to  his  paternal  home  and  rested  for  a 
short  time.  He  then  entered  tlie  employ  of 
the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad,  and  remained 
with  them  one  season.  His  next  venture 
was  in  having  charge  of  the  "  Bonanza 
farm,"  of  George  L.  Becker,  of  St  Paul,  now 
Railroad  Commissioner,  in  Stevens  county, 
for  two  years.  Returning  to  Meeker  county, 
Mr.  Johnson  then  pui'chased  a  farm  of  400 
acres  of  land  in  the  town  of  Darwin,  300 
acres  »jf  which  is  under  cultivation  and  has 
good  buildings  upon  it.  He  lived  thereuntil 
1886,  when,  leasing  the  place,  he  removed  to 
Litchfield  and  entered  upon  his  present  busi- 
ness. He  is  one  of  the  original  members  of 
the  Swedish  Temperance  Association,  and 
one  of  its  most  active  membei"s.  Mr.  John- 
son was  elected  a  member  of  the  villao:e 
council,  on  the  prohibition  ticket,  in   A))ril, 


434 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


1888,  after  a  liard  contest,  and  now  occupies 
that  position. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  united  in 
marriage,  l\rarch  29,  1874,  with  Miss  Annie 
Pehrson,  also  a  native  of  Sweden,  born  Jan- 
uary 14,  1S54,  and  daughter  of  Peter  AVilson 
and  Bengta  (Wilson)  Pehrson,  wiio  were 
born  in  Sweden,  but  came  to  tJie  United 
States  in  1868. 


«^^^ 


.«« 


^DWARD  H.  MURPHY,  a  leading farm- 
\^il  er  of  Manaunali  township,  living  on 
section  34,  is  a  native  of  Carrick-on-Sui", 
County  Tipperary,  Ireland,  born  July  5, 1830. 
He  remained  a  resident  of  his  down-trodden 
and  oppressed  native  land  until  1848,  when 
he  bade  farewell  to  the  Emerald  Isle  and 
crossed  the  sea  to  America.  The  first  year 
he  spent  in  Vermont,  but  with  the  beginning 
of  the  year  1849  he  went  to  the  coast  and 
shipped  on  a  United  States  hydrographic 
surveying  cutter,  but  not  being  pleased  witii 
his  treatment  left  them  at  Boston.  He  fol- 
lowed railroading  for  a  wliile  in  the  East,  but 
later  coming  West  to  Chillicothe,  Oiiio,  he 
there  carried  on  the  butcher  business  for  four 
years.  The  ne.xt  six  years  were  spent  as 
foreman  of  a  iiemp  warehouse.  About  the 
year  1854,  he  went  to  Louisiana,  Mo.,  where 
he  remained  until  the  breaking  out  of  the 
Rebellion.  In  tiie  spring  of  1861  Mr.  Mur- 
phy enlisted  in  Company  D,  Henderson's 
Brigade,  Missouri  Infantry,  for  three  months. 
At  the  e.K])iration  of  that  time  he  re-enlisted 
in  Company  D,  First  Missouri  Infantry,  a 
six-months'  regiment,  and  participated  in  the 
siege  and  battle  of  Springfield,  Mo.  After 
this  he  enlisted  in  the  First  Missouri  Infantrv 
for  three  3'ears,  or  the  war.  He  was  then 
detailed  for  secret  service  or  espionage,  and 
in  that  capacity  penetrated  the  rebel  lines 
and  traveled  throughout  tiieir  country,  often 
amid  their  armies,  and  always  incurring  the 


greatest  danger,  for  death  by  hanging  is  the 
mildest  penalty  awarded  a  detected  spy. 
Mr.  iluri)hy  was  frequently  arrested  on  sus- 
])icion.  and  had  many  narrow  escapes.  A 
history  of  his  adventures  would  prove  in- 
teresting reading  and  would  fill  a  volume. 
He  was  brought  by  the  discharge  of  his  duty 
into  close  contact  witli  nearl\'  all  the  general 
officers  in  the  Western  Army.  The  war  over, 
he  was  discharged  from  the  service  with 
strong  recommendations  from  most  of  the 
commanders  of  tiie  Armies  of  the  Tennessee, 
Cumberland  and  Ohio. 

He  was  strongly  persuaded  by  the  mayor 
and  others  to  remain  in  St.  Louisas  detective, 
but  desiring  to  settle  upon  a  farm,  in  1865 
came  to  Meeker  county  and  took  up  a  home- 
stead, where  he  now  lives. 

Our  subject  was  married  in  Chillicothe, 
Ohio,  May  10,  1852,  to  Miss  Margaret  Kin- 
sella,  a  native  of  County  Waterford,  Ire- 
land, who  is  the  mother  of  two  children  — 
James,  living  at  Montevideo,  and  Edward, 
at  iiome. 


-«- 


^^^ 


/^,  EORGE  B.  WALLER,  Jr.,  the  engineer 
V^jl'  of  the  roller  flouring  mill,  at  Litch- 
field, is  a  native  of  FrankUn,  Morgan  county, 
111.,  born  August  29,  1854,  and  is  the  son  of 
George  B.  and  Mary  S.  (Chestnut)  Waller. 

Honorable  George B.  Waller,  Sr.,  the  father 
of  our  subject,  was  born  in  King  and  Queen 
county,  A^'a ,  in  1804,  and  remained  in  that 
State  until  1815,  when  he  removed  with 
his  parents  to  Lexington,  Ky.,  where  he 
grew  to  manhood.  He  acquired  a  great  pro- 
ficiency in  the  machinist's  trade,  which  he 
had  adopted  in  his  youth,  and  was  an  able 
engineer.  In  1833  he  removed  to  Alton,  111., 
and,during  that  year  made  a  trip,  as  engineer 
of  the  boat  Utility,  to  Fort  Snelling.  In 
183G  he  removed  to  Morgan  county.  111., 
where  he  followed  his  trade  as   machinist. 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


435 


and,  while  there,  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Mary  S  Chestnut.  He  occupied 
a  prominent  position  in  tliat  part  of  our 
country,  representing  his  district  in  the 
lower  house  of  the  Illinois  Legislature,  for 
one  term.  In  1867  he  removed  with  his 
family  to  Minneapolis,  where  he  resided  for 
two  years,  and  came  to  where  Litch- 
field now  stanils  in  June,  1869.  Lie  had 
previously  purchased  the  northeast  quar 
ter  of  section  11,  in  Litchfield  township, 
knowing  that  a  town  would  be  located  in 
this  vicinity,  and,  upon  the  railroad  com- 
ing here,  deeded  an  undivided  one -half 
interest  in  150  acres  of  his  land  to  the 
railroad  company  to  plat  a  town  upon, 
and  upon  which  a  part  of  the  original  town- 
site  was  laid  out  in  Jul}',  1869.  He  shipped 
a  house,  which  had  been  gotten  out  in 
Minneapolis,  to  this  point  as  soon  as  the 
trains  were  running,  and  put  up  one  of  the 
first  houses  in  the  village,  and  moved  his 
familj'  here  in  November.  Here  he  made 
his  home  until  his  death,  which  occurred 
July  18,  1878.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Church,  and  a  devout  Christian, 
and  said,  while  on  his  dying  bed,  that  he  had 
never  uttered  an  oath  in  his  life.  He  left, 
to  mourn  his  loss,  his  widow  and  three  sons 
and  one  daughter.  The  latter  are  as  follows — 
John,  now  grain  inspector,  at  Minneapolis; 
Lizzie,  Mi's.  H.  M.  Miller,  of  Waverly,  111.; 
Henry,  of  Litchfield,  and  George  E.,  Jr.,  the 
subject  of  this  sketch.  The  mother  of  the 
family,  after  residing  here  until  1884,  re- 
turned to  Morgan  county.  111.,  where  she 
now  lives. 

George  B.,  Jr.,  made  his  home  with  his 
parents  until  after  his  fatiier's  death,  and 
the  removal  of  his  mother  from  this  place. 
At  the  age  of  eighteen  years  he  commenced 
his  apprenticeship  to  the  calling  of  engineer, 
which  he  now  follows ;  and  on  the  1st  of 
January,  1888,  took  charge  of  the  engine  of 
Shaw  &  Ehler's  Eoller  Flouring  Mill.     He  is 


a  member  of  Golden  Fleece  Lodge,  No.  89, 
A.  F.  &  A.  M. 

The  marriage  of  George  B.  Waller,  Jr., 
and  Miss  Etta  Dowman,  of  Dassel,  took 
place  November  15,  1S86. 


JOHN  JOHNSON,  one  of  the  most  active 
and  enterprising  young  business  men  of 
the  village  of  Dassel,  is  engaged  in  the  sale 
of  agricultural  machinery,  tie  is  Swedish 
by  birth,  and  was  born  in  1853.  His  parents, 
Daniel  and  Bratta  Johnson  were  natives,  also, 
of  Sweden,  and  came  to  the  United  States  in 
1871,  with  the  natural  desire  to  better  their 
condition  in  life.  The  family  settled  on  sec- 
tion 2,  Collin  wood  township,  where  they 
purchased  land  of  the  railroad  company. 
Shortly  after  they  got  settled  in  their  new 
home,  and  tlie  affairs  of  the  farm  began  to 
go  along  swimmingly,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  left  the  parental  roof  and  found  em- 
ployment with  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad 
Company,  and  followed  that  line  of  business 
with  varied  success,  off  and  on,  for  a  period 
covering  some  six  or  seven  years.  Growing 
tired  at  last  of  that  life  Mr.  Joimson  finally 
abandoned  it,  and  locatmg  in  the  rising  vil- 
lage of  Dassel,  the  second  important  place  in 
the  county,  entered  into  the  farm  implement 
business  which  he  still  carries  on.  In  con- 
nection with  this  he  is,  also,  the  approved 
agent  lor  sewing  machines,  and  has  a  wide 
reputation  in  the  vicinity  for  his  honorable 
dealing. 

Mr.  Johnson  was  united  in  marriage,  in 
September,  1876,  with  Miss  Alice  Forder, 
daughter  of  William  and  Mary  Forder,  of 
CoUinwood.  By  this  marriage  there  have 
been  born  three  children — William  E.,  Ben- 
jamin F.  and  John  E. 

Mr.  Johnson  has  always  manifested  con- 
siderable interest  in  the  discharge  of  his  duties 


436 


MEEKER    COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


as  a  eiti/en,  and,  being  elected  town  clerk  in 
1882,  was  re-elected  by  an  approving  constit- 
uency lor  several  terms,  serving  five  consecu- 
tive years.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Cokato 
iodge,  No.  13i,  A.  F.  &  A.  M. 

•  •*>>»;^{^-<>-  • 

:rS.    MARTHA    BOWEN,      late      of 

Litclilield,  was  a  descendant  of  tbe 

Puritans,  who  preferred  the  wilds  of  Amer- 
ica, its  privations,  toil  and  dangers,  with  free- 
dom to  worship  God,  to  comfort  and  luxury 
in  a  land  Avhere  tyrants  ruled.  The  progeni- 
tors of  Mrs.  Bo  wen  were  driven  by  religious 
persecution  from  England,  and  fled  to  Hol- 
land. As  soon  as  practicable  they  returned 
to  England,  having  decided  to  leave  the  Old 
World  and  its  strife  for  the  New  "World 
across  the  Atlantic  wave.  They  sailed  for 
Plymouth,  Mass.,  in  the  vessel  following  the 
Mayflower.  Mrs.  Martha  Bowen,  daughter 
of  Timothy  and  Ruth  Wells  Hatch,  was  born 
in  Kent,  Conn.,  December  14,  1783.  The 
father  of  Mrs.  Bowen  waS'  a  brave  soldier  in 
the  Tlevolutionary  War.  He  loved  God  and 
freedom,  and  proved  the  soundness  of  his 
principles  by  warring  against  despotism. 

As  a  specimen  of  the  zeal  of  the  family  in 
the  cause  of  liberty — when  it  was  impossible 
to  obtain  sufficient  firearms  for  the  soldiers, 
the  grandfather.  Styles  Wells,  made  a  large 
number  of  iron  flails  and  sent  them  to  our 
defenseless  soldiers,  bidding  them,  in  God's 
name,  use  them  bravely  against  the  foes  of 
our  country.  When  the  war  was  ended  and 
peace  declared,  Timothy  Hatch,  father  of 
Mrs.  Bowen,  left  his  home  in  Connecticut  to 
build  up  a  new  home  in  the  almost  ])athless 
wilds  of  New  York.  One  iumdred  and  five 
3'ears  ago  there  might  have  been  seen  in  the 
wilderness  of  New  York  a  father  and  his 
daughter  with  her  wee  babe,  wending  their 
way  on  horseback,  then  the  only  safe  method 
of  traveling  in  the  unsettled  country.     That 


father  was  accompanying  his  daughter  to 
her  husband  and  the  new  home  prepared  for 
her  in  "the  West" — Central  New  York! 
The  babe  became  Mrs.  Bowen,  the  subject 
of  this  sketch.  In  Duanesljurg  our  pioneer 
soldier  lived  until  eight  children  surrounded 
the  festal  board.  By  frugality  and  industry, 
sufficient  means  had  been  accumulated  to 
gratiiy  tlie  wish  of  the  ambitious  members 
of  the  family  for  a  change.  To  Chenango 
county,  N.  Y.,  to  the  region  afterward 
named  Sherburne,  the  father  removed.  In 
til  is  town,  now  noticeable  for  its  beautiful 
homes,  its  fine  residences  and  its  costly  pub- 
lic edifices,  one  could  hardly  imagine  that 
not  long  ago  bands  of  wild  Indians  roved  at 
will ;  that  the  thick  woodland  almost  shut 
out  the  light  of  the  noonday  sun  and  the 
light  of  the  stars  by  night. 

In  a  home  where  God  was  honored  by  par- 
ents and  children,  a  home  of  much  mature 
refinement  and  intellectual  culture,  in  the 
sunshine  of  worldly  prosperity,  Martha  Hatch 
was  reared  and  grew  into  wonumhood.  In 
the  eighteenth  year  of  her  age  she  married 
Luther  Bowen,  a  gentleman  from  Litchfield, 
Conn.,  whose  intelligence,  integrity  and  zeal 
in  every  good  work  made  him  a  fit  compan- 
ion for  the  noble  maiden.  Mr.  Bowen  was 
for  thirty  years  a  merchant  and  engaged  in 
various  avocations  which  would  have  ab- 
sorbed the  time  and  strength  of  a  man  less 
philanthropic  and  religious;  but  in  the  whirl 
of  busy  life  he  found  time  to  assist  in  laying 
well  the  foundations  of  the  society  in  which 
his  fanuly  moved.  Nor  were  his  efi'orts 
bounded  by  his  own  town  ;  with  the  ever 
ready  help  of  his  wife,  assistance  was  often 
rendered  to  pooi\  but  promising  young  men 
and  women  to  gain  an  education.  The  poor, 
friendless  and  suffering  never  called  in  vain 
upon  his  family  for  help.  Six  orphans  at  one 
time  shared  the  fireside  with  the  eight  chil- 
dren of  Mr.  aiul  Mrs.  Bowen.  Rare  was  the 
year  when   needy  ones   were  not   sheltered 


'^^c 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


439 


beneath  the  roof-tree.  The  abihty  to  do 
good  was,  by  the  blessing  of  God,  enlarged 
and  continued  down  to  the  death  of  the  hon- 
ored husband.  In  all  the  sad  changes  and 
bereavements  of  her  life,  Mrs.  Bowen  mani- 
ifested  a  fortitude  founded  upon  a  holy  con- 
fidence in  God.  The  purity  and  simplicity 
of  her  life  was  not  changed  by  circumstances, 
only,  as  she  di-ew  nearer  her  final  home,  she 
seemed  purified  from  earthly  dross.  In  May, 
1871,  Mrs.  Bowen  came  to  Litchfield  in  com- 
pany with  her  son,  M.  D.  Bowen,  to  make 
this  town  her  home.  Her  extreme  age  did 
not  lessen  her  interest  in  passing  events. 
Her  memory  down  to  tlie  last  da3's  of  her 
life  was  unimpaired.  For  seventy-five  years 
Mrs.  Bowen  was  a  member  of  the  church, 
where  she  was  characterized  by  her  energy 
and  liberal  zeal.  She  died  in  Litchfield,  Jan- 
uary 19,  1876,  in  tiie  ninety-third  year  of 
her  age.  Her  long  pilgrimage  is  ended ;  her 
crown  is  won. 


ICHAEL  MURPHY.  One  of  the 
|=<Jjf^  large  land  owners  and  prosperous 
farmers  of  Kingston  toMmship,  is  the  above 
gentleman,  who  lives  upon  section  28,  where 
his  house  is  surrounded  by  his  fine  farm  of 
640  acres.  Mr.  Murpby  is  a  native  of 
County  Kerry,  Ireland,  born  January  6, 
1835,  and  was  reared  among  the  beautiful 
scenery  of  that  part  of  the  lovely  island, 
until  about  nineteen  years  of  age,  when  he 
came  to  America,  landing  at  Quebec,  Can- 
ada. From  there  he  made  his  way  to  Eut- 
land,  Vt.,  where  he  spent  eight  years,  in  the 
stone  and  marble  works,  and  from  there 
came  to  Meeker  county  in  May,  1862,  in 
company  with  Daniel  B3'rnes,  and  has  been 
a  resident  ever  since. 

Our  subject  was  married,  January  7, 1860, 
to  Miss  Catherine  Clifford,  who  became  the 
mother   of     eleven   children,   as    follows  — 


William,  Timothy,  Morris,  Julia,  John, 
Ellen,  Norah,  Michael  (died  August  30, 
1871),  Joseph,  Charles,  and  Dennis.  Wil- 
liam is  the  only  one  married,  the  rest  are 
living  at  home. 

In  politics  Mr.  Murphy  is  a  democrat,  and 
having  the  cause  of  education  at  heart,  has 
served  for  nine  years  as  clerk  of  school  dis- 
trict No.  1.  He  is  giving  a  large  share  of 
his   attention  to  stock  and  also  to  grain  rais- 


1^1  LA  JOHNSON,  a  respected  farmer  of 
i^^  Darwin  township,  residing  on  section 
19,  is  a  native  of  Sweden,  born  September 
10,  1827,  and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Ceceha 
Johnson.  He  was  reared  among  the  wild 
native  scenery  of  tlie  land  of  his  birth,  and 
there  grew  to  manhood.  In  1849  he  mar- 
ried Plannah  Ingerraan,  daughter  of  Andrew 
and  Ellen  Ingerman,  and  in  1858,  taking  his 
wife  and  five  children  he  bade  adieu  to  the 
fatherland  and  sailed  for  America.  He  laud- 
ed at  New  York  July  1,  1858,  but  did  not 
remain  there,  coming  dii'ect  to  Meeker 
county,  Minn.,  ari-iving  in  Litchfield  township 
in  the  month  of  August.  He  at  once  took 
up  a  claim  of  160  acres  of  land  in  section  14, 
on  the  site  of  the  present  city  of  Litchfield. 
Here  he  built  a  house  and  commenced  to  de- 
velop his  farm.  Soon  came  the  Indian 
troubles  of  1862.  He  was  warned,  on  the 
night  of  August  17th,  that  the  redskins  were 
out  engaged  in  butchering  the  peaceful  and 
defenseless  settlers,  and  the  next  day,  after 
helping  bury  the  murdered  people  in  Acton, 
and  assisting  in  the  inquest,  he  took  his  fam- 
ily' to  St.  Paul,  he  and  his  eldest  son  then  re- 
turning to  their  home.  Still  fearing  the  red- 
skins, the  settlers  were  compelled  to  throw 
up  a  fortification  around  Mr.  Johnson's  house. 
Some  ten  families  were  here  at  the  time,  all 
of  the  men  working  on  the  fortification.  This 


440 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


was  built  of  logs  and  rails  and  banked  up 
inside  with  dirt  and  surrounded  by  a  deep 
ditch.  When  the  trouble  was  about  over, 
Mr.  Johnson,  after  losing  everything  he  had 
went  to  St.  Paul,  where  his  family  made 
their  home  for  some  eighteen  months.  After 
peace  had  once  more  settled  upon  the 
border,  he  V)rouglit  his  family  back  and  has 
made  this  county  liis  home  ever  since,  ex- 
cept one  year  sjjent  in  the  "  Golden  State." 
Mr.  Johnson  and  his  estimabk;  wife  are  the 
parents  of  thirteen  cliildren,  all  of  whom  are 
living  but  one.  They  are — John,  who  mar- 
ried Anna  Peterson,  and  is  living  in  Litch- 
field ;  Ellen,  the  wife  of  Hon.  Andrew 
Nelson,  of  Litchfield ;  Andrew  married  Miss 
Josie  Viren,  and  lives  near  his  father;  Sarah, 
Mrs.  John  Birch,  living  in  Litchfield ;  Mary, 
who  married  Henry  Wilson,  is  a  resident  of 
Portland,  Ore. ;  Elizabeth,  who  is  living  at 
home  with  her  parents;  Emily,  the  wife  of 
B.  Peter  Nelson,  of  Litchfield;  Edward  S., 
who  owns  the  adjoining  farm  to  his  father's 
but  lives  at  home ;  Abram  B.,  living  in  Port- 
land, Ore. ;  Josephine,  Nathan  and  Willie  S., 
at  home  with  their  parents,  and  Annie,  who 
died  in  1869. 

In  1869  Mr.  Johnson  sold  his  farm,  and 
with  his  family  removed  to  California,  but 
one  year  later  returned  to  Meeker  countj' 
and  purchased  his  present  place,  which  con- 
tains 440  acres. 


«4^- 


ARK  GATES.  Foremost  among  the 
^^^ij[?^  band  of  rugged  pioneers  that 
dared  to  penetrate  through  the  "  Big  Woods  " 
and  to  plant  beyond  their  shade  the  banner 
of  civilization,  was  the  gentleman  whose 
name  heads  this  article.  He  came  to  Meeker 
county  in  1856,  and  upon  the  filing  of  his 
claim  in  April  of  that  year,  went  back  to 
Maine,  where  he  was  married,  and  returned 
and  settled  upon   his  land  that  same  year. 


This  property,  which  he  still  possesses,  and 
where  he  now  lives  is  located  upon  section 
20,  Kingston   township. 

Mr.  Cates  is  a  native  of  Washington 
county.  Me.,  born  December  22,  1827,  and 
is  the  son  of  Mark  and  Mary  (Parmer)  Cates. 
He  was  reared  among  his  native  hills  and 
there  secured  the  education  which  is  the  lot 
of  every  New  England  boy,  an<l  was 
employed  at  agricultural  pursuits  in  that 
locality  until  1855.  In  the  fall  of  that  year, 
leaving  the  old  settlements,  he  pushed  out 
into  the  great  West,  then  for  the  most  part 
an  unknown  land,  and  reached  ilinnesota 
in  the  spring  of  1856,  as  related  above. 

On  his  return  to  Maine  for  liis  bi'ide  he 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Elizabeth 
Cates,  a  native  of  the  "  Pine  Tree  State," 
and  the  daughter  of  Asa  and  Maria  (Par- 
mer) Cates,  the  father  a  ship  carpenter  by 
trade.  The  lady  comes  of  a  race  of  hard}"- 
mariners  that  so  abound  in  the  ])orts  of  that 
iron-bound  coast,  two  of  her  brothers  being 
captains  in  the  merchant  marine  to-day, 
while  a  third  brother  died  while  upon  a  voy- 
age. Bv  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cates 
have  been  the  parents  of  ten  children  — 
Willie  H.,  Charles  P.,  Hilman  L.,  Mary  A., 
now  Mrs.  Warren  Saulsbury  ;  A.  V.,  Lizzie, 
deceased  September  6,  1877 ;  Frank,  who 
died  September  5,  1877 ;  Frederick  ;  Jennie; 
and  ]\Iaud.  who  died  March  30,  1886. 

In  his  politics  Mr.  Cates  attiliates  with 
the  republican  party,  believing  that  in  its 
principles  lies  the  surest  guarantees  for  our 
national  prosperity. 

— -^^^^-^ 


TONAS  RUDBERG,  one  of  the  former 
y)  prominent  citizens  of  the  village  of  Das- 
sel,  but  now  deceased,  was  a  native  of  the 
far-away  kingdom  of  Sweden,  who  came  to 
Meeker  county  in  1869,  and  located  in  Dassel 
on  a  farm,  with  his  brother  John,  now  one 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


441 


of  the  influential  citizens  of  tlie  county.  In 
1872  Jonas  entered  the  village  and  went  into 
trade,  and  remained  at  the  head  of  the  drug 
business  of  Dassel  until  February,  1885, 
when,  starting  to  visit  his  native  land,  died 
at  Philadelphia,  on  his  way  to  Sweden.  His 
family  are  still  residents  of  the  village. 


-«« 


JTOHN  RODANGE,  one  of  the  enterpris- 
S|  ino-  and  progressive  business  men  of 
Litchfield,  is  a  native  of  the  Grand  Ducliy  of 
Luxemburg,  born  among  its  vine  clad  hills, 
and  near  the  classic  waters  of  the  beautiful 
river  Rhine,  February  25,  1839.  He  re- 
mained beneath  the  roof  of  his  parents,  John 
and  Mary  (Leonard)  Rodange,  spending  his 
time  in  acquiring  an  education  in  the  schools 
and  under  private  tutors  until  he  had  attained 
his  sixteentli  year,  at  which  time  he  entered 
a  linen  factory,  where  he  passed  some  three 
years.  The  succeeding  twelve  months  were 
spent  as  book-keeper  in  the  office  of  the  same 
establishment,  after  which  he  entered  the 
employ  of  a  large  government  and  railroad 
conti'actor  as  clerk,  with  whom  he  remained 
three  years.  Mr.  Rodange,  after  serving 
nearly  three  years  more  as  book-lceeper  and 
traveling  salesman  for  a  woolen  mill,  deter- 
mined to  seek  in  the  New  AVorld  the  field 
for  his  efforts  toward  a  competency,  and  ac- 
cordingly, in  18<i4,  crossed  the  ocean,  landing 
in  New  York,  from  whence  he  proceeded 
direct  to  Chicago.  From  tliere  he  went  into 
the  Wisconsin  pineries,  spending  some 
time  at  various  occupations  until  ISC*),  when 
he  took  charge  of  a  general  merchandise 
store  as  head  clerk,  where  he  remained  for  a 
time,  and  then  removed  to  Aurora,  111. 
After  a  year  passed  in  that  city,  he  went  to 
Cascade,  Dubuque  county,  Iowa,  where  he 
operated  a  brewery  for  a  year  or  tAVO,- and 
then  took  up  farming.  One  year's  experi- 
ence of  that  mode  of  life  having  convinced 


him  that  it  did  not  suit  him,  he  sold  out  and 
removed  back  to  Aurora,  where  he  went  into 
a  wholesale  liquor  store.  There  he  remained 
for  five  years,  when  his  wife's  health  failing, 
he  came  to  Litchfield,  Minn.,  arriving  there 
in  the  fall  of  1876.  He  commenced  in  the 
saloon  business,  and  remained  in  that  line 
until  1882,  when  he  sold  out  and  estabhshed 
the  Litchfield  Bottling  Works,  where  he  is 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  all  kinds  of 
carbonate  beverages.  Mr.  Rodange  was 
also  engaged  in  the  wholesale  disposal  of 
Milwaukee  beer  until  1887,  which  he  carried 
on  in  connection  with  his  other  business. 

Mr.  Rodange  was  very  active  in  the  pro- 
motion of  the  woolen  mill  company  and  the 
erection  of  the  factory,  and  was  one  of  the 
first  directors  and  first  treasurer  and  secre- 
tary of  tiie  association.  In  1888  he  was 
made  general  manager,  and  holds  that  office 
and  tliat  of  secretary  at  the  present  writ- 
ino-.  He  is  largely  interested  in  I'eal  estate 
in  Litchfield  and  its  environs,  owning  one 
of  the  finest  residences  in  the  city,  besides 
other  property  and  200  acres  of  fine  farm 
land. 

Our  subject  was  united  in  marriage  May 
9,  1867,  with  Miss  Margaret  Nickels,  a  native 
of  the  Grand  Duchy  of  Luxemburg,  and 
daughter  of  Peter  and  Susana  (Michaelis) 
Nickels,  of  Aurora,  111.  By  this  marriage 
there  have  been  born  a  family  of  seven  chil- 
dren— Peter,  who  is  a  clerk  in  Stevens  & 
Co.'s  Bank  ;  Susie,  John,  Eddie,  Henry,  Mary 
and  Louisa. 

Mr.  Rodange  lias  been  prominently  identi- 
with  the  growth  and  development  of  Litch- 
field's business  interests,  and  stands  high  in 
the  estimation  of  all.  He  is  a  shrewd  and 
careful  business  man,  of  the  strictest  integ- 
rity, and  is  a  true  representative  of  the 
best  business  element  in  this  part  of  the 
State.  A  good  portrait  of  Mr.  Rodange  will 
be  found  in  another  department  of  this 
Album. 


442 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


^"-^HARLES  MAGNUS  GUMAELIUS,  a 
prominent  fanner  of  Litchfield  town- 
ship, was  born  in  Stockiiohn,  Sweden,  July 
14,  1820.  His  father,  Carl  M.  Guniaelius, 
was  for  many  years  a  captain  in  the  Swedish 
army,  and  died  in  1832.  Charles  spent  his 
boyhood  on  his  father's  farm,  and  was  edu- 
cated at  Strangnes  High  School,  continuing 
his  studies  for  several  years  afterward,  and 
laying  up  a  goodly  store  of  useful  knowledge. 
In  1855  lie  was  married  to  Anna  Forsberg, 
daughter  of  Charles  Forsberg,  who  was  for 
many  years  an  officer  of  court  in  the  roj'al 
palace  at  Stockliolm.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Guniae- 
lius are  the  parents  of  three  children,  all  of 
whom  have  grown  to  manhood  and  live  on 
tlie  home  farm,  near  Litchfield —  Charles 
Magnus,  born  July  23,  1856;  Axle,  born 
February  4,  1859;  and  Henning,  born  July 
25,  1862.  The  family  came  to  America  in 
1873,  and  settled  in  Meeker  county,  and 
have  continued  to  reside  here  ever  since, 
engaged  in  farming  and  stock  raising. 


^.^^ 


/^^  L.  GRINDALL,  deceased,  formerly  one 
ySIs/  of  the  leading  agriculturists  of  Cos- 
mos  township,  had  his  home  on  section  26. 
He  came  to  this  county  in  1870,  and  filed  a 
homestead  claim  upon  this  piece  of  land, 
containing  160  acres,  upon  which  he  did  some 
breaking,  erected  a  house,  moved  his  family 
into  it  and  made  it  his  home  until  his  deatli. 
He  was  born  in  Penobscot,  Me.,  in  1S16,  and 
there  received  his  education  and  there  grew 
to  manhood.  He  followed  farming  and  lum- 
bering for  many  years  in  the  State  of  his  na- 
tivity and  until  coming  West.  When  he  was 
about  twenty-two  years  of  age  he  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Caroline  Orcutt,  also 
a  native  of  tlie  State  of  Maine,  who  stillsur- 
vives  him.  making  her  home  with  her  son 
Hiram.  I\Ir.  Grindall  departed  this  life 
October  17, 1887,  leaving,  to  mourn  tlieir  loss. 


his  bereaved  widow  and  five  children.  Mr. 
Grindall  was  always  connected  with  every 
movement  looking  to  the  benefit  of  the  com- 
munity, and  was  one  of  the  truly  good  and 
Christian  men  that  are  so  beneficial,  both  in 
examjile  and  jn-ecept.  He  was  respected  by 
all  who  knew  him. 

Hiram  Grindall,  the  j'oungest  son  of  E. 
L.  and  Caroline  (Oi'cutt)  Grindall,  is  living 
upon  the  homestead  where  his  father  settled 
in  1870.  He  was  born  in  Penobscot,  Me.,  in 
1863,  and  since  his  birth  has  always  been 
witii  liis  parents.  Since  attaining  his  majority 
he  has  taken  cliarge  of  the  farm,  and  by  dili- 
gence, industry  and  business  ability,  has 
brought  a  portion  of  it  to  a  high  state  of 
cultivation.  The  balance,  which  is  wood- 
land and  pasture,  has  its  uses,  and  the  im- 
provements are  excellent. 

^^TaROLD  KITTELSON,  of  Acton  town- 
JP^  ship,  is  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Meeker 
county.  He  was  born  in  Norway,  on  tlie  8th 
of  February,  1840,  and  came  to  the  United 
States  in  1846,  with  his  parents,  Kittel  and 
Carrie  Haroldson.  They  settled  upon  a  farm 
in  Rock  county.  Wis.,  where  they  remained 
until  1857,  when  they  removed  to  Meeker 
county,  Minn.  Harold  remained  with  his 
parents  until  1864,  when  he  moved  onto  a 
farm  of  149  acres  on  section  24,  Acton  town- 
sliip,  wliich  he  purchased  of  his  fatlier  for 
$300.  He  has  since  bought  additional  hind, 
until  he  now  has  319  acres  in  all,  a  good 
share  of  which  is  under  cultivation.  In  1874 
he  erected  a  story-and-a-half  residence,  24x32 
feet  in  size,  and  in  1886  built  an  addition 
18x20  feet  in  dimensions.  In  1884 he  built  a 
large  barn,  witli  a  basement,  and  besides 
these,  has  otlier  substantial  farm  buildings. 
On  tlie  25th  of  July,  1863,  he  was  married  to 
Miss  Martiia  Paulson.  She  is  a  daughter  of 
Mathias  and  Mai'v  Paulson,  and  was  born  in 


MEEKER    COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


443 


Norway  July  18, 1835.  Her  father,  Mathias 
Paulson,  with  his  family,  five  in  number, 
were  included  in  the  first  party  of  emigrants 
that  ever  started  for  America  from  S^lboe, 
South  Throndhjems,  Arnt,  Norway,  May  18, 
1857,  and  landed  in  Quebec,  Canada.  The 
family  traveled  partly  by  railroad  and  the 
balance  of  the  way  with  team,  to  Berry, 
Compton  county,  Canada  East,  where  they 
settled  June  22,  1857.  In  the  spring  of  1860 
Martha  came  witii  her  brother  Paul  to  St. 
Paul,  Minn.,  and  in  the  fall  of  1861  she  came 
to  Meeker  county,  where  her  jiarents  had 
settled  in  the  fall  of  1860. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kittelson's  marriage  has 
been  blessed  with  the  following  children — 
Carrie,  born  April  3, 186i ;  Carl,  born  August 
26,  1866;  Mathias,  born  December  1.  1869; 
John,  born  May  31,  1873,  die<l  in  September, 
187-i;  Ilannaii  M.,  born  February  1,1877; 
and  Nellie  Christina,  born  March  12,  1879, 
died  September  12,  1879.  Mr.  Kittelson  was 
living  with  his  parents  when  the  Indian  out- 
break of  1862  began,  and  he  was  one  of  the 
first  settlers  to  see  Jones  after  that  unfor- 
tunate pioneer  was  murdered.  He  was  also 
present  when  Jones  and  the  other  victims 
were  buried,  and  with  his  team  hauled  from 
Litchfield  the  first  base  of  the  monument  • 
which  now  marks  their  last  resting-place. 
Mrs.  Kittelson  was  also  here  during  that 
eventful  period,  and  was  at  work  in  the  fam- 
ily of  A-  C.  Smith  at  the  time  the  attack  was 
made  on  Forest  City.  Smith  came  in  that 
night  while  she  was  clearing  off  the  supper 
dishes,  and  stated  that  he  believed  an  attack 
would  be  made  that  night,  directing  her  to 
go  at  once  to  the  stockade.  Siie  desired, 
however,  to  stay  until  she  had  finished  her 
work,  but  Smith  explained  that  she  could 
finish  the  work  in  the  morning  if  she  was 
alive.  She  therefore  threw  a  quilt  over  her 
head  for  a  shawl,  and  went  to  the  stockade, 
and,  not  realizing  the  approaching  danger, 
went  peacefully  to  sleep.     The  same  night 


the  attack  was  made,  and  for  a  time  all 
thought  that  the  Day  of  Judgment  had  come. 
In  the  morning  she  found  that  Smith's  advice 
had  saved  her  life,  as  the  Indians  had,  in  the 
meantime,  been  to  the  vacated  house  and 
stolen  all  they  could  carry  off,  and  set  it  on 
fire,  but  the  blaze  had  died  out  before  much 
damage  was  done.  A  full  account  of  the 
Indian  troubles  is  given  elsewhere  in  this 
volume,  so  it  is  unnecessary  to  go  further  in 
detail  in  this  connection. 


,„^LAMLET  STEVENS,  the  senior  partner 
Jp3L  in  the  banking  firm  of  Stevens  &  Co., 
is  one  of  the  oldest  settlers  in  Meeker  county, 
and  Ijas  watched  its  growth  from  a  state  of 
wilderness  to  its  present  prosperous  condi- 
tion. He  was  born  in  West  Hawkesbury, 
Canada,  August  16,  1830,  and  is  the  son  of 
Samuel  and  Annie  (Whitcomb)  Stevens,  both 
of  whom  were  natives  of  Vermont.  In  his 
earl\'  manhood  the  elder  Mr.  Stevens  went 
to  Canada,  where  he  was  engaged  for  many 
years  following  his  trade,  which  was  milling, 
and  was  there  married,  and  there  made  his 
home  until  he  passed  to  the  silent  chambers 
of  the  dead. 

The  subject  of  this  memoir  was  reared  and 
educated  in  the  county  of  his  nativity,  and 
as  he  reached  maturer  years,  learned  the 
carj^entering  trade,  and  worked  at  that  and 
millwrighting  until  coming  here.  At  the 
age  of  twenty -six,  in  October,  1856,  he  left 
his  Canadian  home,  and  following  the  tide 
of  emigration  which  was  flowing  westward, 
and  as  the  bulk  of  the  people  were  coming 
to  Minnesota,  he,  too,  came  to  the  "  North 
Star  State."  He  remained  that  winter  at 
Hastings,  where  he  was  employed  at  his 
trade,  working  on  the  hotel  building,  but  in 
the  spring  of  1857  came  to  Meeker  count\', 
where  he  has  ever  since  made  his  home,  and 
has  been  identified  with  its  liistor}'.  In  the 
summer  of  1863  he  was  appointed  to  fill  the 


444 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


office  of  register  of  deeds,  left  vacant  by  the 
death  of  Tliomas  Skiiuier,  and  was  elected  to 
the  same  office  at  the  expiration  of  the  term. 
In  the  autumn  of  1871  he  was  a  candidate 
for  the  position  of  county  treasurer,  elected 
and  served  therein  until  tlie  s])ring  of  1873. 
Having  been  chosen  county  auditor  bv  tiie 
people,  in  the  spring  of  1875,  he  entered 
upon  the  discharge  of  the  duties  of  that 
office  and  remained  there  until  the  s])ring  of 
1879.  The  fact  that  a  democrat  of  his  j)ro- 
nounced  type  held  any  office  in  a  republican 
county,  is  a  fair  criterion  of  the  estimation 
in  which  he  has  always  been  held  by  the 
greater  part  of  the  community.  In  June, 
1888,  he  was  in  attendance  upon  the  Demo- 
cratic National  Convention,  at  St.  Louis,  as 
one  of  the  alternates  from  this  district. 

Mr.  Stevens,  during  the  tragic  days  of  the 
Indian  troubles  of  1862,  joined  the  Meeker 
County  Guai-ds,  and  was,  at  once,  elected 
second  lieutenant  of  tlie  company,  and  served 
with  them,  as  detailed  elsewhere,  until  it  was 
disbanded.  It  lias  l)eeii  justly  said  by  the 
older  residents  that  to  him  is  due  the  credit, 
in  a  large  measure,  of  finishing  the  stockade 
the  day  it  was  done,  and  which  was  so  neces- 
sary before  the  dawn  of  the  next  morning. 
On  the  dispersion  of  Captain  Whitconib's 
company  Mr.  Stevens  enlisted  in  the  United 
States'  service  and  went  to  Fort  Snelling,  but 
was  rejected  on  examination,  as  unfit  for  the 
purposes  of  war,  anil  then  returned  to  Forest 
City,  and  there  resided  until  the  removal  of 
the  county  seat  to  Litchfield,  when  he  came 
hither  himself.  After  the  expiration  of  his 
term  as  treasurer  Mr.  Stevens  made  a  trip 
through  New  Mexico  and  Colorado,  and 
some  time  after  his  return  to  Litchfield 
started  the  banking  business,  in  company' 
with  IL  S.  Branham,  which  still  is  continued 
by  them.  Mr.  Stevens  is  a  ])rominent  mem- 
ber of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  being  the  scribe 
or  secretary  of  all  three  branches,  and  is  one 
of  the  vestrymen  of  the  Episcopal  churcii. 


ATHAN  C.  CASWELL,  one  of  the 
earliest  pioneers  of  the  county,  is  still 
a  resident  of  Manannah  township,  where  he 
settled  in  1856,  on  section  31.  He  is  a  native 
of  BromjJton,  Sherbrooke  county,  Canada, 
born  August  28,  1835,  and  is  the  son  of 
Carlos  and  Anna  (Wakefield)  Caswell,  the 
former  a  native  of  Guildhall,  Yt.,  born 
March  11,  1708,  and  was  the  son  of  Nathan 
Caswell,  one  of  the  Revolutionary  heroes 
from  the  "■  Green  Mountain  State."  Carlos 
Caswell  went  to  Canada  when  a  child,  and 
made  it  his  home  until  1855.  He  wedded 
Miss  Anna  Wakefield,  a  native  of  Vermont, 
born  April  8,  1801.  He  came  to  Meeker 
county  in  1856,  and  here  made  his  home 
until  August  31,  1871,  when  he  passed  to  his 
reward. 

Nathan  C.  Caswell,  whose  younger  days 
were  passed  among  the  scenes  of  liis  birth, 
came  to  the  State  in  1855,  locating  at  Monti- 
cello.  November  15th  of  that  year  he,  Avith 
othei's,  started  and  made  a  tri])  thi-ough  this 
county,  as  detailed  in  another  chapter.  In 
the  summer  of  1856  he,  v.ith  others,  came 
here  and  permanently  located,  and  from  that 
date  have  been  prominenth'  identified  with 
the  town  and  county's  interests.  He  started 
for  Pike's  Peak,  at  the  time  of  the  excite- 
ment, with  others,  but  in  Nebraska,  learning 
the  state  of  affairs,  he  returned  part  of  the 
way,  stopping  at  Nebraska  City,  Neb.,  where 
he  was  engaged  in  teaming  for  an  army  con- 
tractor. He  returned,  after  a  while,  to  his 
home,  and  has  since  lived  here.  He  is  one  of 
the  prominent  citizens  of  the  county,  has 
worthily  filled  several  important  offices,  and 
is  at  present  one  of  the  board  of  county  com- 
missioners. At  one  time  in  his  life,  in  1859, 
he  filled  the  position  of  fireman  on  a  lower 
Mississippi  river  steamboat  to  the  satisfaction 
of  his  employers,  and  has  ever  since  given  the 
strongest  proofs  of  his  loyalt}'  to  the  intei'- 
ests  committed  to  his  charge. 

Julv  27, 1861,  Nathan  C.  Caswell  was  united 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


445 


in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  A.  Welch,  a 
native  of  New  Brunswick,  and  daughter  of 
John  Welch,  of  Stearns  county,  now  deceased. 
By  this  marriage  there  have  been  born  two 
children — Seth  C,  born  at  Monticello,  Wright 
county,  November  19,  1863,  wlio  married 
Lillian  M.,  daughter  of  Nathan  W.  Caswell, 
born  at  Brompton,  Canada,  September  1, 
186ti.  Their  marriage  toolv  place  November 
27,  1884,  and  they  have  one  child — Gertrude 
Emma,  born  October  1,  1886.  The  other 
child  of  N.  C.  Caswell  was  Mark  J.,  who  was 
born  February  26, 1872,  and  died  February 
20,  1881. 

Nathan  C.  Caswell,  our  subject,  is  one  of 
the  most  prominent  citizens  in  the  northern 
portion  of  the  county.  lie  has  always  taken 
an  aptive  and  leading  part  in  all  public  and 
educational  affairs,  and  no  citizen  has  been 
more  closely  identified  with  the  official  his- 
tory of  the  county  and  township  in  which  he 
lives  than  the  subject  of  this  article. 


fOHN  MATTSON,  the  gentleman  own- 
ing and  operating  the  flouring  mill  at 
Kingston,  came  to  that  part  of  the  county, 
October  -4,  1882,  and  ]iurchased  of  J.  H. 
Thompson,  of  Minneapolis,  the  mill  built  by 
Whitney  &  Hutchins.  It  was  then  equipped 
with  three  runs  of  buhrs,  but  he  has  added 
two  sets  of  rolls  and  centrifuii-als  combined, 
and  other  improved  maciiinery,  making  it 
as  good  as  any  mill  in  the  county. 

Mr.  Mattson  is  a  native  of  Sweden,  born 
near  the  city  of  Gottenborg,  October  4,1832, 
and  is  the  son  of  M.  Mattson  and  Helena 
Mattson,  both  of  whom  died  in  their  native 
land,  the  father  in  1834,  and  the  mother  in 
1862.  He  was  reared  and  educated  in  that 
land  and  there  grew  to  manhood.  At  the 
age  of  twenty-two,  in  1854,  he  started  for 
America,  and  after  a  voyage  of  fifty  days 
on  the  Atlantic,  landed  in  Boston  on  the  4th 


of  October.  A  short  time  later  he  came 
west  to  Chicago,  and  while  crossing  the  lake 
suffered  the  hoi-rors  of  shipwreck,  and,  the 
vessel  drifting  into  the  harbor  of  Eacine, 
Wis.,  our  subject  landed  and  sought  employ- 
ment, and  fort}^  miles  from  that  point  he  was 
employed  in  chopping  wood  for  three 
months.  In  April,  18.55,  he  went  to  Chi- 
cago, and  the  following  May  went  to  Rock- 
foi'd,  111.,  where  he  remained  until  the  spring 
of  1856,  and  then  came  to  Retl  Wing,  Minn. 
During  that  summer  he  was  employed  at 
rafting  on  the  Mississippi  river,  but  later  in 
the  same  season  was  taken  sick  and  quit 
work.  Upon  his  recovery  he  took  a  home- 
stead in  Goodhue  county,  near  Red  Wing, 
which  he  sold  in  the  summer  of  1857,  and  in 
the  fall  went  to  Cannon  Falls,  Goodhue 
county,  and  began  learning  the  miller's  trade 
with  R.  C.  Knox  &  Co.  He  remained  with 
them  until  February,  1865,  when  he  enlisted 
in  Company  B,  First  Minnesota  Infantry,  and 
served  until  the  close  of  the  war.  Return- 
ing then  to  Minnesota,  he  again  resumed  his 
milling  business,  and  was  employed  at  the 
following  points :  W.  K.  Rodgers  &  Co., 
Cannon  Falls.  Minn.;  in  1868  for  Archibald, 
Wilcox  &  Co.,  Oxford,  Minn. ;  from  1869  to 
1873  for  R.  Gregg  &  Co.,  Cannon  Falls, 
Minn. ;  during  1873  and  1874  he  was  engaged 
in  the  general  mercantile  trade ;  in  1875 
again  engaged  in  milling  for  Nelson,  Swan- 
son  &  Co.,  Bell  Ci'eek,  Minn. ;  in  1877  for 
C.  N.  Wilcox,  of  Oxford  Mills,  Minn. ;  in 
1878  for  W.  S.  Turner,  at  Star  Prairie,  Wis. ; 
in  1879  for  Mr.  Munch,  near  Taylor's  Falls, 
Minn. ;  in  1880  for  C.  N.  Wilcox,  Oxford 
Mills,  Minn. ;  and  in  1881  and,  1882  for 
Thompson,  Smith  &  Co.,  at  Cannon  Falls, 
Goodhue  county.  In  the  latter  year  — 
1882  —  he  came  to  Meeker  county,  as 
stated. 

Mr.  Mattson  Avas  married  June  29,  1861, 
to  Miss  Sophia  Johnson,  a  native  of  Sweden, 
born    March    29,    1841,    and    daughter    of 


446 


MEEKER    COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


Charles  and  Hannali  Johnson.  She  had 
come  to  America  with  her  parents  in  1853, 
landing  at  Boston,  and  after  two  years'  resi- 
dence in  Indiana,  and  two  years  in  Iowa, 
came  to  Cannon  Falls,  this  State,  where  the 
parents  died,  the  mother  in  1867,  the  father 
in  1884.  Mr.  Mattson  is  the  father  of  eight 
children  — Ella,  now  Mrs.  M.  T.  Gunderson; 
Amanda  C,  Agnes  M.,  and  Ida  E.,  and  four 
deceased.  Mr.  Mattson  is  a  member  of  the 
Lutheran  Church.  He  votes  with  tiie  repub- 
lican   party. 


PETER  J.  MITCHELL,  the  subject  of  this 
slietch,  has  a  valuable  farm,  with  fine 
building  improvements,  located  on  section  9, 
Harvey  townshiji. 

He  is  a  native  of  Blair  county,  Pa.,  born 
September  14,  1859,  and  is  a  son  of  Stephen 
and  Ann  Mitchell.  Stephen  P.  Mitchell  was 
born  in  Ireland  in  about  1830,  and  came  to 
the  United  States  in  1848,  settling  in  Blair 
county,  Pa.  In  1852  he  was  married  to  Miss 
Anna  Morgan,  and  tliey  were  the  parents  of 
nine  children,  as  follows — John,  Anna,  Peter, 
Mary,  Katie,  Patrick,  Rody,  Delia  B.  and 
Ella.  The  father  followed  railroading  and 
mining  in  Pennsylvania,  until  1875,  when  he 
came  with  his  family  to  Meeker  county, 
Minn.,  and  purcliased  120  acres  of  land  in 
Harvey  townsiiip,  and  engaged  in  farming, 
remaining  there  until  tlie  time  of  his  death, 
August  18,  1877.  His  widow,  who  was  a 
native  of  County  Gal  way,  Ireland,  is  still 
living  on  the  old  homestead. 

Peter  J.  Mitchell,  the  subject  of  this  sketcli. 
learned  the  carpenter's  trade  while  still  a 
boy,  and  followed  that  to  some  extent,  but 
the  most  of  his  life  has  been  spent  in 
farming.  Since  his  father's  deatii  he  has 
taken  charge  of  the  homestead,  and  also  has 
200  acres  in  the  township.  He  is  a  success- 
ful farmer,   and    also   devotes   considerable 


attention  to  stock-raising.  In  political  mat- 
ters he  affiliates  with  the  democratic  party, 
and  is  one  of  tlie  leading  members  of  that 
organization  in  the  township.  He  has  taken 
an  active  interest  in  public  matters,  and  has 
held  the  office  of  township  clerk  since  1881, 
dischartjing:  the  duties  of  the  office  in  a  man- 
ner  creditable  to  himself  and  satisfactory  to 
all  concerned.  Through  his  connection  with 
townshi]!  matters  and  official  affairs  he  has 
justly  earned  the  reputation  which  he  has  of 
being  one  of  tlie  most  careful  aiul  thorough 
business  men  in  the  township. 


J/SRAEL  MILLER,  proprietor  of  the  Litch- 
^  field  feed  mill,  is  one  of  the  brave  veter- 
ans of  our  late  civil  war,  "  whose  faitii  and 
truth  on  war's  red  touchstone  rang  true 
metal."  He  is  a  native  of  Fort  Wayne, 
Ind.,  and  first  saw  the  light  of  day  beneath 
the  roof  of  his  parents,  John  F.  and  Julia  A. 
(Coffman)  Miller,  on  the  10th  day  of  July, 
1839.  In  1834,  when  John  F.  Miller  settled 
at  Fort  Wayne,  it  was  but  an  insignificant 
village,  containing  about  a  hundred  people. 
He  became  a  land  owner  in  that  vicinity, 
and  pi'ospered  as  the  countr\'  developed,  and 
made  it  his  home  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  in  1860. 

The  subject  of  this  memoir  remained  at 
home  with  his  parents,  ]ieacefully  following 
the  pursuit  of  agriculture  until  the  tocsin  of 
war  with  wild  clamor  filled  the  land,  and  the 
government  called  for  the  men  of  our  country 
to  sustain  it.  Israel  enlisted  in  1868  as  a 
wagon  master,  thinking  that  the  duties 
called  forth  in  that  position  were  best  suited 
to  his  capacities,  and  received  the  charge  of 
a  train  of  some  twenty-five  wagons.  He 
remained  in  this  branch  of  the  service  some 
eigiit  or  ten  months,  and  on  the  15th  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1865,  enlisted  in  Company  G.,  One 
Hundred  and  Fiftv-second  Indiana  Infantry, 


MEEKER  COUNTY,   MINNESOTA. 


449 


and  served  witli  that  gallant  regiment  until 
his  discharge  at  Charleston,  W.  Va.,  August 
30,  1865.  During  this  time  the  body  of  men 
to  which  he  was  attached,  were  a  portion  of 
the  army  under  Gen.  "W.  S.  Hancock,  whose 
post  of  duty  was  in  the  Shenandoah  and 
Kanawha  valleys. 

On  receiving  his  discharge,  Mr.  Miller 
engaged  in  railroad  work,  which  he  followed 
for  several  years.  In  1876  he  became  the 
general  manager  of  a  stave  and  head  mill  at 
Fort  Waj'ne,  but  a  year  later  he  entered 
into  business  in  the  milling  and  chair  factory 
line,  with  A.  C.  and  D.  S.  Beaver,  but  a 
si  ort  time  thereafter  sold  out  and  removed 
to  Grundy  county,  Tenn.,  where  he  engaged 
in  the  same  species  of  business.  Five  years 
later,  on  his  wa}^  to  the  Red  River  country, 
he  stopped  at  Litchfield,  and  was  so  struck 
with  its  appearance  that  he  has  never  gone 
any  further  north.  Tlie  next  summer  he 
placed  a  steamboat  upon  the  pellucid  waters 
of  Lake  Ripley,  for  excursion  purposes, 
which  was  quite  a  success.  He,  the  same 
fall,  erected  the  feed  mill  he  is  now  operat- 
ing, and  is  still  the  owner  of  some  700  acres 
of  timber  and  coal  lands  in  Tennessee,  and  an 
undivided  half-interest  in  600  more. 

Thfe  marriage  that  united  the  destinies  of 
Israel  Miller  and  Miss  Harriet  M.  Beck  was 
solemnized  upon  the  4tli  day  of  March,  1860. 
The  lady  was  a  native  of  Allen  county,  Ind., 
and  the  daughter  of  Richai'd  and  Sarah  Beck. 
On  the  16th  of  May,  1866,  Mrs.  Miller  passed 
to  "  that  land  Elysian,  whose  portals  we  call 
death,"  having  been  the  mother  of  three  chil- 
dren, of  whom  the  following  is  the  recoi'd  — 
Frank  M.,  the  eldest,  is  a  resident  of  Onta- 
rio, Cal.;  Laura  B.  married  M.  Milburn,  and 
is  a  resident  of  Indian  Territory ;  and  Will- 
iam H.,  still  lives  at  home  with  his  surviving 
parent.  Mr.  Miller,  July  24,  1868,  again 
entered  into  the  married  state,  being  united 
with  Miss  Susie  C.  Totten,  who  is  the  mother 
of   three   children,   two   of   whom  are   still 


living  —  Susie  and  Jennie.  The  name  of  the 
one  deceased  was  Julian,  who  died  October 
23,  1879.  Again  death  entered  the  home  of 
Mr.  Miller  and  snatched  from  husband  and 
mourning  children  the  wife  and  mother,  her 
death  taking  place  November  22, 1876.  After 
two  years  passed  in  single  blessedness,  May 
1, 1878,  Mr.  Miller  again  essayed  the  matri- 
monial yoke,  this  time  wedding  Miss  Florence 
M.  Palm,  who  became  the  mother  of  three 
children  —  Mary  E.,  Arthur  G.  and  John. 
The  latter  died  in  infancy,  June  1,  1880. 


PETER  P.  ORNBERG,  is  one  of  the  lead- 
ing farmers  of  Swede  Grove  township. 
He  is  a  native  of  Sweden,  born  on  the  17th 
of  September,  1853,  and  is  a  son  of  Ole  P. 
and  Hannah  Ornberg.  He  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1870,  and  came  direct  to 
Swede  Grove  township,  Meeker  county, 
Minn.  He  worked  for  different  farmers  in 
this  neighborhood  until  some  time  in  1877, 
when  he  purchased  105  acres  of  land  on  sec- 
tion 29,  Swede  Grove  township,  and  began 
farming  on  his  own  account.  He  has  since 
bought  eighty  acres  on  sections  19  and  20, 
making  185  acres,  w' hich  he  owns  at  the  pres- 
ent time,  his  bmldings  being  located  on  sec- 
tion 29,  on  the  north  bank  of  Peterson  Lake. 
When  Mr.  Ornberg  came  to  this  country  he 
was  not  worth  a  dollar  in  this  world's  goods, 
but  by  thrift  and  industry  he  has  accumu- 
lated a  comfortable  property.  He  has  good 
and  comfortable  buildings,  a  full  supply  of 
the  necessary  farm  machinery,  a  number  of 
horses  and  quite  a  herd  of  cattle  and  hogs. 

Mr.  Ornberg  was  married  on  the  26th  of 
May,  1874,  to  Miss  Anna  Peterson,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Hans  and  Betsy  Peterson.  They  have 
been  blessed  with  four  children,  as  follows — 
Clans,  born  June  9,  1875 ;  Ella,  born  Septem- 
ber 27,  1877;  Andrew,  born  December  23, 
1879 ;  and  Ury,  born   July  2,   1886.      Mr. 


450 


MEEKER   COUNTY.  MINNESOTA. 


Ornberg  takes  an  active  interest  in  all  mat- 
ters of  a  public  nature,  and  has  held  several 
local  offices.  He  was  school  director  of  liis 
district  for  six  vears. 


-.^^ 


ELS  LARSON,  a  prominent  farmer, 
resiiiing  on  section  8,  in  Litchfield 
townslii]),  is  one  of  tiie  pioneers  of  the  county, 
and  a  survivor  of  tlie  Indian  massacre  of 
18G2.  He  \v;is  liorn  in  Sweden  Decemljer 
19,  1839,  and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Cela  Peter- 
son Larson.  lie  left  Sweden  in  18.57,  when 
seventeen  years  of  age,  with  his  parents  and 
tliree  brothers,  Andrew,  Peter  E.  and  Louis, 
coming  by  way  of  Hamburg  to  the  United 
States,  and  being  eight  weeks  6'«  route.  They 
came  direct  to  Minnesota  by  way  of  Chicago 
and  Prairie  du  Chien,  and,  after  some  little 
time  spent  in  prospecting,  they  finally  set- 
tled in  Meeker  county,  locating  first  on  sec- 
tion 9.  of  what  is  now  Litchfield  township, 
but  subsequently  took  up  a  homestead  on 
section  S.  Nels  entered  a  liomestead  of 
eightv  acres  adjoining  his  father's  land,  and 
shortly  afterward  purchased  120  acres  of  the 
jrovernment.  He  was  married  in  1859  to 
Anna  Ingeman,  and  their  union  has  been 
blessed  with  seven  children,  two  of  whom — 
Isaac  and  Lina— are  dead.  Of  the  other 
children,  the  eldest,  Albert  A.,  married  Anna 
Kjellberg,  and  lives  near  Litchfield ;  while 
Emanuel,  Emma  Maria,  Edward  and  Isaac 
John  are  still  with  their  jiarents  on  the 
homestead. 

Mr.  Larson's  early  life  being  one  of  indus- 
try and  frugality,  he  soon  began  accumulat- 
ing property,  and  had  just  got  a  good  foot- 
hold, or  start  in  life,  when  the  Indian  out- 
break came,  and  the  fruits  of  nearly  all  his 
toil  were  swept  away.  When  first  warned 
of  the  terrible  ravages  that  had  been  com- 
menced, he  took  his  family  to  his  fathers' 


house  for  safety,  and  the  next  day  moved 
them  on,  as  others  did,  to  Forest  City.  After 
personally  looking  the  ground  over,  he  con- 
cluded the  danger  was  over,  and  moved  liis 
family  into  a  house  outside  the  fortifications. 
A  day  or  two  afterward  the  fatndy  were  ter- 
rified by  a  fresh  attack  of  the  Indians,  and 
they  rushed  into  the  fort  for  refuge,  under 
heavy  firing.  The  Indians  took  a  span  of 
colts  and  a  yoke  of  oxen  which  he  had  not 
time  to  secure.  Mr.  Larson  borrowed  a 
horse  the  next  day,  and  went  over  to  his 
farm,  where  he  found  his  house  a  smoldering 
mass  of  ruins.  He  concluded  to  make  the 
best  of  the  situation,  and  proceeded  to  look 
after  his  cattle,  which  were  in  the  timber 
and  had  not  been  molested  by  the  redskins. 
While  thus  engaged,  he  discovered  four  Indi- 
ans coming  upon  him,  and,  mounting  his 
horse,  he  fied,  taking  a  course  across  a  marsh 
on  his  farm.  He  succeeded  in  crossing  it 
without  trouble,  but  the  savages  mired  their 
horses  in  it,  thus  enabling  him  to  make  good 
his  escajie.  After  taking  his  wife  and  chil- 
dren— one  of  whom,  Emma  M.,  was  only 
two  weeks  old — to  St.  Paul,  for  safekeejjing 
for  the  winter,  he  bought  a  team  and  a  third 
interest  in  a  tlirashing-machine  on  credit, 
and  once  more  began  life's  lalior  anew.  Dur- 
ing the  year  1863  he  workeil  on  his  farm  as 
best  he  could,  his  family  being  sheltered  in 
the  fortress  at  Forest  City  and  Litclifield. 
The  Indians  in  the  meantime  kept  infesting 
the  country  as  bands  of  marauders,  running 
off  stock  and  committing  other  depredations, 
and  Mr.  Larson  slept  in  the  stable  where  his 
horses  were,  during  the  entire  summer.  That 
winter  he  stayed  on  his  father's  place,  and  in 
the  spring  of  li'i^  built  and  moved  into  a 
cabin,  where  several  of  his  neighboi's'  fami- 
lies, who  had  learned  to  look  to  him  for  jjro- 
tection,  came  and  shared  the  shelter  of  his 
roof.  Mr.  Larson's  industiy  and  enteiprise 
have  enabled  him  to  overcome  those  reverses 
of  fortune,  and   he  now  has  a  splendid   farm 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


451 


of  0<)5  acres,  including  considerable  timijer. 
He  has  held  the  office  of  township  supervisor 
a  number  of  years,  and  is  justly  regarded  as 
one  of  tlie  "  solid  "  men  of  the  county. 


-«« 


JMTONS  A.  BROWN  came  to  Meeker 
li'-X^i^  county,  Minn.,  in  the  first  part  of 
September,  1869,  and  settled  where  Litch- 
field is  now  locateil.  At  that  time  there  was 
no  depot  nor  passenger  trains,  only  a  con- 
struction train  now  and  then,  upon  which 
all  freight  and  passengers  had  to  be  trans- 
ported. At  that  time  tliere  was  Old  Sol's 
so-called  hotel,  Brown's  blacksmith  shop, 
Truls  Nelson  had  just  commenced  a  small 
dwelling,  and  II.  B.  Johnson  had  some 
lumber  on  the  place,  while  Messrs..  Heard  & 
Ward  had  also  commenced  a  one-story  build-' 
ing.  In  the  latter  part  of  September  he 
received  1,200  feet  of  lumber  from  Minneap- 
olis, and  built  a  board  shed,  or  shanty,  in  the 
rear  of  lot  14,  corner  of  Second  street  and 
the  alley.  The  board  shanty  was  12x16, 
with  shingle  roof.  About  the  Stli  of  Octo- 
ber he  opened  up  a  tin-shop  and  stock  of 
hardware — the  first  hardware  store  and  tin- 
shop  Litchfield  had — in  a  small  way  as  it 
was.  In  November  of  that  year  he  had  an 
addition  built  to  this  shed,  of  16x16,  one  and 
a  half  stories,  with  windows,  sealed  inside 
with  flooring,  where  he  moved  his  work- 
bench and  hardware,  and  used  the  shed  for 
stoves  and  warehouse.  In  1870  he  erected 
the  frame  building  on  lot  13,  on  Sibley  ave- 
nue, which  he  occupied  until  1882,  and  which 
still  stands  on  the  old  site,  and  is  now  occu- 
pied by  P.  W.  Jolmson  as  a  hardware  store. 
In  October  of  that  year  he  moved  his  family 
to  Litchfield,  and  moved  in  over  the  hard- 
ware store.  The  family  consisted  of  his 
three  children  and  Mrs.  A.  Brown,  his 
mother,  and  Miss  Susan  Johnson,  as  the  gov- 
erness.    In  1882,  after  selling  out  his  hard- 


ware business  to  Mr.  Johnson,  he  engaged 
in  the  brick  business  for  four  years,  on  part 
of  section  6,  town  of  Darwin,  and  then  aban- 
doned the  business.  In  1884  he  opened  up  a 
retail  business  in  Grove  Cit\%  of  a  general 
line,  such  as  dry  goods,  groceries,  clothing, 
hats,  caps  and  notions.  Mr.  Brown  has  only 
held  local  offices;  has  been  twice  town  treas- 
urer. He  served  as  first  town  clerk,  when 
Litchfield  was  part  of  the  incorporated  town 
of  Ness,  and  after  being  changed  to  town  of 
Litchfield.  He  also  served  one  year  as  pres- 
ident of  the  village  council,  and  two  years 
later  as  trustee  on  the  village  council. 

M.  A.  Brown  was  born  in  Norway.  His 
father  emigrated  to  this  country  in  1850, 
where  he  landed  in  Chicago,  III.  Mr.  Brown 
lived  in  Chicago  for  about  fourteen  years, 
where  he  was  married,  and  where  his  chil- 
dren were  born.  In  1865  he  moved  to  Water 
Valley,  Miss.,  where  he  came  from  when  he 
settled  in  Litchfield,  Minn.  Mr.  Brown  has 
been  always  on  the  side  of  enterprise,  and 
has  fully  identified  himself  with  all  the  mate- 
rial progress  of  the  village  and  the  county. 
He  has  erected  several  good  buildings  in  the 
village,  which  are  a  credit  to  himself  and  an 
ornament  to  the  place. 

JOHN  QUINLAN,  who  is  engaged  in  gen- 
eral farming  on  section  11,  Darwin 
township,  is  a  native  of  Fond  du  Lac  county, 
Wis.,  born  November  12,  1859,  and  is 
the  son  of  Jeremiah  and  Sarah  Quinlan, 
both  of  whom  were  natives  of  the  Emerald 
Isle,  and  are  now  residents  of  the  same 
township.  John  Quinlan  remained  in  the 
Badger  State  until  he  was  some  twenty 
years  of  age,  but  in  18T9  he  left  that  portion 
of  our  country  and  came  to  Meeker  county, 
and,  taking  up  his  residence  where  he  now 
lives,  has  made  this  his  home  ever  since. 
March  28,  1882,  he  was  united  in  marriage 


452 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


with  Margaret  Doyle,  who  died  April  14, 
1888,  leaving  the  following  children  to 
mourn  their  loss — Jeremiah  R.,  born  April 
21,  1883 ;  Margaret  C,  born  September  4, 
1885 ;  and  John  M.,  born  March  21,  1888. 

Mr.  Quinlan  has  followed  farming  most  of 
his  life,  and  understands  tiiat  business 
thoroughly.  In  his  religion  he  is  a  devout 
Koman  Catholic,  and  cheerfully  fulfills  his 
duties.  In  politics  he  is  entirely  independ- 
ent, not  being  bound  by  party  lines. 


-^"J^^'-^- 


/^LAF  PETERSON  is  one  of  the  indus- 
^^^  trious  foreign  immigrants  who  have 
brought  the  thrift  and  economy  so  necessary 
in  their  native  land  to  the  fertile  soil  of  the 
new  world  and  are  accumulating  a  comfort- 
able competence.  He  is  the  son  of  John  and 
Mary  (Olson)  Peterson,  born  in  Sweden, 
January  24,  1860.  "When  he  was  seven  years 
of  age  he  was  brought  to  America  by  his 
parents,  who  settled  in  Carver  county.  The 
family  afterward  came  to  this  county  and 
settled  in  CoUinwood  township.  He  re- 
mained an  inmate  of  the  parental"  home  until 
1886,  when  he  moved  to  his  farm  on  section 
36,  where  he  has  eighty  acres  of  fine  land, 
forty  of  which  is  under  cultivation.  He 
learned  the  carpenters  trade  in  his  early 
manhood  and  has  followed  that  business  a 
part  of  the  time  ever  since,  and  also  works 
at  masonry  and  plastering.  He  has  a  neat 
and  tasty  residence  and  comfortable  out- 
buildings. Mr.  Peterson  was  united  in  mar- 
riage, August  4,  1883,  with  Miss  Betsy  Lar- 
son, and  by  this  union  there  has  been  born 
two  children — Mary,  born  June  25,  1884 ; 
and  John  Imer,  born  March  9,  1886.  Al- 
though a  young  man,  he  is  rapidly  coming 
the  front  and  bids  fair  to  achieve  success.  He 
is  of  an  ingenious  turn  of  mind  and  has  made 
some  excellent  s])ecimens  of  cabinet  work 
which  are  very  creditable. 


M  LFRED  RODGERS,  one  of  the  "brave 
jP^^JL  l^oys  in  blue"  during  the  late  civil 
war,  who  is  engaged  in  farming  in  Forest 
Prairie  township,  on  section  18,  where  he 
owns  some  eighty  acres  of  land,  is  a  native 
of  Adams,  Jefferson  county,  N.  Y.,  born 
March  18,  1830.  He  is  the  son  of  Stephen 
and  Sarah  (AVilliams)  Rodgers. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  a  man  of 
mark  in  the  community  in  which  he  lived. 
He  was  the  father  of  seven  children  l)y  his  first 
wife,  of  whom  Alfred  was  one,  the  others 
being — EvaUne,  Hiram,  Wesley,  Clark,  Har- 
riet, and  Manfred.  The  latter  died,  while 
in  the  army;  and  Clark's  decease  occurred 
in  Goodhue  county,  this  State.  The  mother 
of  our  subject  died  in  the  Empire  State,  and 
after  her  death  Stephen  Rodgers  married  Mrs. 
Spencer,  by  whom  he  had  four  children — 
Sarah,  Martin,  Eliza,  and  Orilla.  In  1856, 
or  1857,  Stephen  removed  to  Wisconsin  with 
his  family,  where  he  resided  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  about  1877. 

The  subject  of  this  personal  history  learned 
the  carpenters  trade  in  youth,  and  followed 
it  for  some  ten  years  in  his  native  State, 
and,  since  coming  here,  has  worked  at  it 
more  or  less.  He  was  married  July  4, 1853, 
to  Miss  Marietta  Spicer,  a  native  of  New 
York,  Avho  died  in  1858.  She  was  the 
mother  of  one  child — Dalton,  who  died  in 
childhood.  Mr.  Rodgers'  second  marriage 
was  with  Miss  Euphemia  Scribner,  who 
became  the  mother  of  three  children — Man- 
fred, Eliza  and  Eva. 

In  April,  1861,  Mr.  Rodgers  enlisted  in 
Company  G,  Thirty-fifth  New  York  Infan- 
try, and  participated  in  manj-^  of  the  most 
bloody  battles  fought  by  the  Armies  of  the 
Potomac  and  Shenandoah,  among  which 
may  be  mentionad  those  of  the  first  and 
second  Bull  Run,  Antietam,  Fredericksburg, 
and  White  Sulphur  Springs.  He  Avas  finally 
mustered  out  and  discharged,  and  returned 
to  New  York.     He  came  to  Meeker  county 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


453 


in  1S69,  and  took  up  a  homestead  on  section 
8,  in  Forest  Prairie,  but  later  moved  to  his 
present  localit}'.  lie  is  independent  in 
political  matters,  and  a  representative  man 
of  the  section  of  the  county  in  which  he 
lives. 


"OSEPH  LAWRENCE  WAKEFIELD, 
dealer  in  dr}'  goods  and  general  furnish- 
ing goods,  is  one  of  Litchfield's  most  promi- 
nent merchants.  He  is  a  native  of  Providence, 
E.  I.,  and  was  born  in  1854.  His  parents, 
William  and  Harriet  S.  (Belcher)  Wakefield, 
•were  both  born  and  raised  in  the  same  State, 
and  his  grandfather,  Joseph  Belcher,  belonged 
to  the  famous  "  Horse  Marine  Guards "  in 
early  times  in  New  England.  He  was  later 
'  a  hardware  merchant,  which  business  is  still 
carried  on  by  his  sons,  and  was  the  first  pei'- 
son  to  introduce  throughout  the  United 
States  horse  shoe  nails  made  by  machinery, 
contracting  for  and  handling  the  entire  pro- 
duction. Joseph  Lawrence's  father,  William 
Wakefield,  was  connected  with  the  banking 
business  in  Providence,  but  in  1856,  with  his 
family  he  went  to  St.  Paul,  Minn.,  for  the 
purpose  of  settling  up  the  estate  of  a  deceased 
brother,  and,  becoming  settled  there,  he  has 
since  made  that  his  home. 

J.  L.  Wakefield  remained  with  his  parents 
until  nineteen  years  of  age,  when  he  went  to 
Ked  Wing  and  attended  school,  and  after- 
ward entered  Ripon  College,  at  Ripon,  Wis. 
In  the  fall  of  1877  he  went  to  Chicago  and 
was  employed  as  salesman  in  the  dry  goods 
establishment  of  A.  T.  Stewart  &  Co.,  until 
the  spring  of  1880.  He  was  then  employed 
by  Auerbauch,  Finch,  Culbertson  &  Co.,  at 
St.  Paul,  until  November,  1883,  when  he 
came  to  Litchfield  and  opened  the  store 
which  he  still  conducts.  He  carries  an  ex- 
tensive and  a  complete  stock  of  everything 
pertaining  to  his  line  and  does  a  large  busi- 


ness. He  has  taken  an  active  interest  in  all 
public  matters  and  is  the  present  city  recorder. 
Mr.  Wakefield  was  married  in  October,  1882, 
to  Miss  Carrie  A.  McConnell,  of  LeEoy, 
Minn.  They  have  one  child  —  Henry  Law- 
rence. 


ENGT  HANSON,  one  of  the  most 
prominent  old  settlers  in  Meeker 
county,  is  a  resident  of  Litchfield  township, 
his  extensive  farm  adjoining  the  village  plat. 
Mr.  Hanson  was  born  in  Sweden  on  the  6th 
of  August,  1825.  He  was  married  in  Octo- 
ber, 1853,  to  Miss  Elna  Larson,  a  daughter 
of  John  and  Lissa  Larson.  Her  parents  both 
died  in  Meeker  county,  the  father  in  Septem- 
ber, 1867,  and  the  mother  in  February,  1887. 
Mr.  Hanson's  parents  both  died  in  Sweden. 
On  the  6th  of  May,  1857,  Bengt  Hanson 
and  family  left  their  native  land  for 
America,  but  were  detained  at  Hamburg, 
Germany,  for  twenty  days.  They  finally 
arrived  in  New  York  on  the  3d  of  July,  and 
proceeded  to  Dunkirk,  then  to  Toledo  and 
on  to  Chicago.  There  was  no  depot  as  yet 
at  the  latter  place,  and  his  goods  wej-e 
dumped  on  the  ground,  while  the  family 
were  obliged  to  walk  two  or  three  miles 
through  the  mud  to  the  other  railroad. 
They  took  the  line  to  Prairie  du  Chien,  and, 
as  there  were  no  passenger  cars,  they  rode  to 
the  latter  point  in  box  cars,  and  from  there 
they  took  a  boat  up  the  river  to  Carver, 
Minn.  At  that  place  Bengt  Hanson  bought 
a  span  of  horses  and  wagon,  and  leaving  his 
family  behind,  he  made  a  prospecting  tour 
through  several  adjoining  counties,  but  did 
not  find  a  place  to  suit  him.  He  then 
brought  his  family  to  Meeker  county,  and 
purchased  13(i  acres  of  land.  He  has  since 
continually  added  to  his  place,  until  he  now 
owns  500  acres  of  valuable  land.  He  is  recog- 
nized as  one  of  the  most  solid  and  substantial 


4?4 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


fai'iiiers  in  the  county,  and  his  integrity  and 
straightforward  deahng,  have  won  liira  a 
reputation  which  have  made  liis  word  as 
good  as  a  l)ond. 

JMr.  Hanson,  witii  tlie  other  ])ioneers,  suf- 
fered a  considerable  loss  and  backset  on 
account  of  the  Indian  outbreak.  The  red- 
skins stole  several  horses  and  other  loose 
stock  and  destroyed  most  of  his  grain. 

He  has  always  taken  a  commendable  inter- 
est in  public  matters  and  has  been  promi- 
nently identified  with  the  official  history  of 
the  township  in  which  he  lives,  having  held 
the  office  of  supervisor  for  over  twenty 
years. 

Mrs.  Hanson  died  on  the  5th  of  April, 
1877,  aged  forty-one  years.  She  was  a  true 
anil  sincere  Christian  lady,  and  was  held  in 
high  esteem.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hanson  were 
blessed  with  the  following  children — Emma, 
born  in  Sweden,  December  10,  1854;  CarlJ. 
G.  and  Nels  C.  U.  (twins),  born  in  Ham- 
bui'g,  Germany,  May  14,  1857 ;  Alfred 
Emanuel,  born  June  30,  1859,  died  Decem- 
ber 15,  1862  ;  Caroline,  born  September  4, 
1862;  Esther,  born  April  4,  1865;  Alfred 
Emanuel,  born  November  14,  1869  ;  Edla 
Victoria,  born  May  30,  1874.  Emma  mar- 
ried Olaf  H.  Peterson,  and  resides  in  Litch- 
field township.  Nels  C.  G.  and  Carl  J.  G. 
are  mentioned  elsewhere  at  length.  Caro- 
line married  Andrew  Johnson,  a  resident  of 
Litchfield    townshi]). 


ARTIN  J.  PAULSON,  one  of  the 
leading  citizens  of  Meeker  county, 
and  for  a  nuudier  of  years  a  resident 
of  Grove  City,  is  the  son  of  Johnson  and 
Emma  (Olson)  Paulson,  and  was  l)orn  in 
Sweden  on  tiic  6th  of  Novembei-,  1851.  Ho 
came  to  America  with  his  parents  in  1870, 
and  on  their  a  nival  at  Grove  City  found 
only  two  buildings  in  that   ]>lace,  the  depot 


and  a  store.  He  was  poor  and  a  foreigner 
who  could  not  speak  the  language,  but  he 
buckled  to  his  life  work,  and  now  reaps  the 
reward.  He  did  whatever  lie  could  find  at 
hand  for  a  cou])le  of  years,  but  learning  the 
house-painting  trade  with  A.  Lofstrom,  he 
followed  that  for  about  seven  years.  In 
1879  Mr.  Paulson  purchased  the  Swede  Grove 
House,  the  pioneer  hotel  of  the  village,  open- 
ed in  1874  by  L.  A.  Olson,  and  changed  the 
name  to  Grove  City  House,  and  was  the  land- 
lord of  it  until  the  spring  of  1888,  when  he 
removed  to  Lake  Koronis  where  he  now 
lives.  He  has,  by  his  own  industry  and  thrift, 
raised  himself,  unaided,  from  his  penniless 
condition  into  comjmrative  affluence.  He 
owns  the  fine  hotel  property  and  a  good 
farm  in  Stearns  county.  He  has  also  grown 
in  influence  in  the  community  and  has  held 
the  office  of  member  of  the  council  since 
1882;  is  the  i)resent  village  recorder;  and 
being  the  candidate  upon  the  democratic 
ticket  for  member  of  the  legislature,  in  the 
fall  of  1886,  was  only  defeated  by  the  union 
of  the  three  other  parties,  and  then  only  by 
a  small  majority. 

November  12,  1884,  Mr.  Paulson  was  uni- 
ted in  marriage  with  Miss  Siney  Peterson, 
daughter  of  Andrew  and  Anna  (Eskelson) 
Peterson-Clase.  Both  of  Mr.  Paulson's 
parents  died  in  this  county,  his  mother  in 
1887,  and  his  father  in  1886.  His  wife's 
father  resides  with  them,  but  her  mother 
died  here  about  the  time  of  the  Indian 
troubles. 


-«-!^J^-^- 


^g^ILLER  C.  WOOD,  a  resjiected 
^^t,i%_  citizen  and  a  successful  farmer  and 
stock-raiser  residing  on  section  20,  Mannnah 
township,  was  born  in  Logan  county,  Ky., 
on  the  4tli  of  August,  islS,  and  is  a  son  of 
Miller  and  Melinda  (Campbell)  AVood.  He 
left  his  native  State  with  his  parents  in  1832 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


455 


and  settled  in  Illinois,  being  among  the  ear- 
liest settlers  of  tliat  region.  lie  remained 
there  for  many  years,  but  in  ISO-t  came  to 
Nicollet  county,  Minn.,  and  settled,  remain- 
ing one  year.  At  the  expiration  of  that 
time  he  came  to  Meeker  county,  and  located 
on  a  farm  in  Union  Grove  township.  In 
1879  he  removed  to  Manannah  township  and 
settled  on  section  20,  where  he  has  since 
continued  to  reside.  lie  lias  eiglity  acres  of 
land,  and,  in  connection  with  a  light  general 
farming  business,  he  devotes  considerable 
attention  to  raising  stock. 

Mr.  Wood  was  married  in  1842,  to  Minerva 
Deatherage.  She  bore  him  seven  children, 
and  died  in  1853. 

In  the  year  1855  he  was  again  married, 
Miss  Lucinda  S.  Rogers  becoming  his  wife. 
Thirteen  children  were  born  to  them,  ten 
of  whom  are  still  living.  In  political  mat- 
ters Mr.  Wood  affiliates  witli  tlie  demo- 
cratic party. 


— «.-: 


-^►^ 


M 


^IRAM  S.  BRANHAM,  the  junior  mem- 


Co.,  is  a  native  of  Johnson  county,  Ind.,  and 
was  born  January  30,  1856.  His  parents, 
Jesse  V.  and  Mary  (Stark)  Braniiam,  were 
natives  of  Johnson  county,  Ind.,  and  came 
to  Meeker  county  in  1857,  and  located  in 
what  is  now  Litchfield  township. 

Hiram  was  reared  upon  a  farm  until  he 
was  about  twelve  years  of  age,  since  which 
time  he  has,  until  the  formation  of  tlie  pres- 
ent firm,  been  employed  in  some  capacit}'  in 
some  of  the  county  offices.  He  commenced 
in  ISOS,  with  his  father,  Jesse  V.  Branham, 
Jr.,  who  was  serving  then  as  auditor,  and 
later  on  was  with  his  present  [)artner,  Ham- 
let Stevens,  in  the  same  office,  having  been 
appointed  his  deputy,  and  remained  in  that 
position  for  some  eight  years.  Tlie  banking 
firm  was  established  bv  them  in  ISSl,  and 


they  are  now  doing  a  large  biisiness,  real 
estate  and  farm  loans  being  a  specialty.  Mr. 
Branham,  who  is  recognized  in  the  com- 
munity as  one  of  its  ablest  and  brainiest 
business  men,  by  his  long  and  faithful  service 
in  the  auditor's  office,  became  thorouglily 
posted  in  regard  to  the  lands  of  the  county, 
and  this,  together  with  his  intuitive  and  sure 
judgment  in  all  land  matters  make  him  an 
extremely  safe  guide  in  all  real  estate  trans- 
actions. 

Mr.  Branham  and  Miss  Jessie  A.  Greenleaf, 
the  latter  the  daughter  of  Hon.W.  H.  Green- 
leaf,  were  united  in  marriage  December  27, 
1882.  They  are  the  parents  of  one  child — 
Charles  Greenleaf  Branham,  born  December 
26,  1884. 


-«-2^p5--4- 


fOHN  VOGEL,  one  of  the  prosperous  and 
intelligent  farmers  of  Dassel  township, 
is  a  native  of  Germany,  born  in  1813.  He 
was  reared  amid  the  scenes  of  his  youth  until 
he  was  about  twenty-one  years  of  age,  when, 
starting  out  to  seek  his  fortune,  he  turned 
his  steps  toAvard  the  west,  to  the  land  of  the 
free,  on  this  side  of  the  ocean,  whither  he 
soon  after  arrived.  For  about  two  years  he 
was  engaged  in  the  coal  mines  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, but  that  work  not  being  congenial  to 
his  taste,  he  came  to  Minnesota  and  for  a 
time  remained  in  tlie  city  of  St.  Paul.  He 
then  went  to  Howard  Lake,  and  was  in  the 
employ  of  the  railroad  until  1877,  when  he 
gave  that  up,  and  witii  his  family  settled  on 
the  farm  on  section  20,  Dassel  township, 
where  he  now  lives.  The  first  year  they 
lived  here  there  was  no  floor  to  their  house, 
and  they  suffered  considerable  privation  in 
every  respect.  Mucli  of  his  time  was  taken 
up  in  working  for  others  in  order  to  provide 
for  his  family,  so  that  the  development  of  his 
own  farm  was  somewhat  retarded,  but  the 
native  thrift  and  economy  of  his  race,  and 


456 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


stciidv  persovoi-ance  and  undcviating  dili- 
gence, in  time  met  witli  a  signal  reward,  and 
he  has  now  one  of  the  best  farms  in  the  town. 
It  contains  120  acres,  and  is  highly  cul- 
tivated and  cared  for. 

Mr.  Vogel  was  married  in  St.  Paul,  Octo- 
ber 23,  1865,  to  Miss  Emily  Zeigler,  a  native 
of  Germany,  wlio  came  to  this  country  the 
August  preceding.  They  are  the  parents  of 
eleven  children,  as  follows — Edwin,  born  De- 
cember Y,  1807;  Martin,  born  March  19, 
1869;  Adelia,  born  February  22, 1877 ;  Louisa, 
born  July  23,  1873 ;  Albert,  born  March  3, 
1875  ;  Julia,  born  December  22, 1876  ;  Emily, 
born  November  26, 1878  ;  Mary,  born  March 
31,  1881 ;  Hattie,  born  March  8, 1883  ;  John, 
born  April  1,  1885  ;  and  Mabel,  born  June  6, 
1887. 


-«« 


^^.■ 


liW.  AI.VFR  O.  NESS,  an  enterprising 
JP*^  farmer  of  Litchfield  township,  is  a 
son  of  Ole  Halverson  and  Mary  Ness,  and 
was  born  in  Rock  county.  Wis.,  February  20, 
1850.  "When  he  was  but  six  years  of  age  his 
parents  removed  to  Meeker  county,  and  set- 
tled on  section  29,  of  what  is  now  Litchfield 
township,  where  his  entire  life  has  been 
spent  in  the  same  industrious  and  upright 
manner  that  characterized  the  lives  of  his 
worthy  ancestors.  In  1877  he  was  married 
to  Carrie  M.  Karn,  who  was  born  in  Alama- 
kee  county,  Iowa,  March  25,  1855.  Her 
parents,  Helga  and  Hellen  Ness,  came  to 
America  in  1844:,  and  are  still  residents  of 
Iowa.  Two  children  have  been  born  to 
Ilalver  and  Carrie  Ness — Mary,  born  June 
1,  1878;  and  Hellen,  born  April  5,  1879. 
The  family  are  members  of  the  Norwegian 
Lutheran  Church  of  Grove  City.  "When  the 
Indian  outbreak  came  in  1862,  Halver  was 
but  twelve  yeai-s  old,  yet  the  work  of  a  man 
devolved  upon  him,  and  he  remembers  many 
incidents  of  the  memorable  reign  of  terror. 


^^ILAS  H.  CASWELL,  one  of  the  pio- 
'5^§)  neers  of  T'nion  Grove  township,  is  the 
son  of  Carlos  and  Anna  Caswell,  who  were 
natives  of  Vermont.  He  was  born  at  Bromj)- 
ton,  Quebec,  Canada,  October  22,  1827,  and 
Avas  reared  upon  a  farm  until  his  nineteenth 
year.  For  a  few  years  he  was  sa\vyer  in  a 
sawmill,  commencing  life  on  his  own  account 
when  twenty-four  years  old.  August  9,  1853, 
he  was  married  to  Miss  Fannie  E.  McCrea, 
the  daughter  of  Eobert  and  Elizabeth  P. 
McCrea,  who  was  born  March  4,  1832,  at 
Castle  Fin,  Ireland,  of  Scottish  parents.  She 
had  resided  in  the  land  of  her  birth  until 
eighteen  3'ears  of  age,  coming  to  Canada  in 
1850. 

After  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Caswell 
came  to  the  United  States,  November  3, 1854, 
arriving  in  St.  Anthon}',  Minn.,  with  but 
$2.50  in  their  jiossession.  The  following 
February  they  removed  to  Monticello,  Wright 
county,  where  he  took  up  a  claim  and  made 
his  home  until  his  removal  to  Union  Grove 
township,  this  county,  in  1857.  While  at  St. 
Anthony,  he  was  engaged  in  carpentering, 
and  helped  finish  the  first  brick  building 
erected  in  Minneapolis.  In  1856  he  came 
here,  as  detailed  elsewhere,  and,  going  back, 
sold  out  and  moved  his  family  here,  as  above 
mentioned. 

He  preempted  some  160  acres  of  land  on 
sections  23  and  24,  in  the  town  of  Union 
Grove,  where  he  lived  at  the  time  of  the 
Indian  outbreak  in  1862,  a  history  of  which 
is  given  in  detail  elsewhere  in  this  volume. 
Like  all  of  the  rest  of  the  settlers  here,  that 
fall  he  and  his  family  left,  for  safer  quarters, 
and  made  their  home  on  a  farm  in  Wright 
county  for  two  years.  In  18»)4  he  returned 
to  Union  Grove,  where  he  made  his  home 
until  1876,  during  which  time  he  had  filled 
several  local  offices.  At  that  date  he 
removed  to  Stevens  county  where  he  lived 
for  three  years,  afterwai'd  moving  back  to 
Union   Grove,  where   he   has  a   fine   farm, 


MEEKEK  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


459 


besides  owning  a  quarter  section  in  Brown 
county,  Dakota,  having  some  380  acres  in 
all.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Caswell  are  the  parents 
of  five  children—  Miranda  F.  E.,  born  June 
26,  1854,  Brompton,  Quebec,  Canada;  Ed- 
win H.,  born  April  22,  1857,  Monticello, 
Minn. ;  Addie  J.,  born  February  13,  1862, 
Union  Grove,  Minn. ;  Oscar  C,  born  Octo- 
ber 29,  1866  ;  and  Ernest  F.,  born  August  2, 
1869,  same  place.  The  eldest,  now  Mrs.  J. 
H.  Murray,  of  Marshall  county.  Dak.,  is  the 
mother  of  three  children — Lura  E.,  born 
April  7,  1876;  Pearl  C,  deceased,  born  in 
1878 ;  and  Berna  D.,  born  in  January,  1887. 
Addie,  Mrs.  A.  Matteson,  of  Castle,  Mont., 
has  two  children  living — Bei'tha  G.,  born 
December,  16,  1879;  and  Earl  L.,  March  31, 
1884  ;  she  had  three  more,  now  deceased. 


M.  WANVIG,  a  resident  of  section  36, 
Acton  township,  is  one  of  the  most 
prominent  citizens  of  Meeker  county.  He  is 
a  native  of  Norway,  born  June  20,  1831,  and 
a  son  of  Olaavis  and  Johanna  Wanvig.  His 
father  followed  the  business  of  a  general 
merchant  in  Norway  until  the  time  of  his 
death.  In  1861  D.  M.  Wanvig  came  to  the 
New  World,  and  settled  in  Quebec,  Canada, 
where  he  engaged  in  farming  and  was  also 
an   interpreter  for  the  Grand  Trunk  Com- 


pany 


in  their  emigration  business.     In  1868 


he  settled  in  St.  Paul,  having  in  the  mean- 
time begun  railroading,  which  he  followed 
for  a  number  of  years.  In  the  spring  of  1870 
he  removed  to  Litchfield,  being  then  engaged 
in  railroad  contracting,and  in  superintending 
the  laying  of  tracks.  In  March,  1873,  he 
purchased  a  farm  on  section  36,  Acton  town- 
ship, and  moved  his  family  upon  it.  This 
has  since  been  his  home,  with  the  exception 
of  the  years  from  1881  to  1885,  inclusive, 
Avhen  he  was  a  resident  of  Litchfield,  and 
where  he  still  owns  a  magnificent  residence. 


When  Mr.  Wanvig  purchased  his  farm  there 
was  but  fifty-two  acres  broke.  He  has  added 
to  the  place  until  he  now  has  320  acres  in 
all,  160  of  which  is  under  cultivation,  and  it 
is  one  of  the  most  valuable  farms  in  the 
county.  Mr.  Wanvig  devotes  his  attention 
to  general  farming  and  stock-raising,  the 
latter  particularly.  Mr.  AVanvig  was  mar- 
ried in  Norway,  in  1852,  to  Marie  Louisa 
Enebo,  and  they  were  blessed  with  four  chil- 
dren, as  follows  —  Augusta,  born  March  31, 
1853;  John  Olof,  born  December  1,  1854; 
George  Martin,  born  February  16,  1856,  and 
Marcus,  born  February  8,  1858.  His  first 
wife  died  in  Norway,  on  the  16th  of  Febru- 
ary, 1858.  After  coming  to  Canada,  Mr. 
Wanvig  was  married  again,  this  time  to 
Elizabeth  Dudy.  Three  children  have  blessed 
this  union  —  Daniel,  Matilda  and  Adolph. 

Mr.  Wanvig  has  been  prominently  identi- 
fied with  railroad  building  in  the  Northwest. 
When  he  began  his  railroad  work  the  present 
Manitoba  line  was  known  as  the  St.  Paul  & 
Pacific,  and  he  had  a  $16,000  contract  on 
that  line.  He  built  the  Winona  Road  from 
Marshall  west  to  Chachaska,  now  Water- 
town  ;  also  built  the  track  on  the  line  from 
Morris  west  to  Breckenridge ;  and  the  track 
from  Barnesville  to  twenty-eight  miles  north 
of  Crookston.  When  he  settled  at  Litchfield 
the  terminus  of  the  line  was  at  Benson.  In 
political  matters  Mr.  Wanvig  is  a  republican, 
and  is  one  of  the  leading  members  of  that 
party  in  the  county.  From  1874  until  1883, 
he  was,  under  the  republican  administration, 
railway  postal  clerk  from  St.  Paul  to  St. 
Vincent,  his  home  during  this  time,  however, 
being  in  Meeker  county.  It  is  worthy  of 
mention  that  the  Indian  battle  which  is 
mentioned  at  length  in  the  historical  depart- 
ment of  this  work  was  fought  on  section  35, 
of  Acton  township,  on  land  now  owned  by 
Mr.  Wanvig.  One  of  the  victims  was  buried 
there,  but  the  remains  were  afterward  taken 
up  and  re-interi'ed  at  Hutchinson. 


460 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


^^AMUEL  A.  DORMAN,  aix-omincntand 
"^i^  resjiected  old  settlor  residing  on  sec- 
tion 17,  Kingston  township,  dates  his  resi- 
dence in  Meeker  connty  the  year  1857,  and  is 
therefore  one  of  tiie  best  known  citizens  in 
the  eastern  part  of  the  county.  Afr.  Dorman 
is  a  native  of  Washington  connty.  Me.,  born 
on  the2J:th  of  January,  18-13.  His  early  life 
was  spent  in  attending  school  in  his  native 
State,  and  in  1857,  with  his  parents,  he  came 
to  Meeker  county,  Minn.,  and  they  located 
on  section  17,  Kingston  township,  where  he 
still  resides.  His  mother  is  dead  and  his 
father  is  still  living.  They  were  here  all 
through  the  Indian  outbreak  and  all  through 
the  most  trying  times  in  the  history  of  the 
county.  ]\rr.  Dorman,  the  subject  of  our 
sketch,  was  married  in  December,  1873,  to 
Miss  Martha  Gable,  a  native  of  Kentuck}', 
and  a  daughter  of  David  Gable  and  wife. 
Her  mother  is  dead  and  her  father  is  still  liv- 
ing. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dorman  are  the  parents 
of  four  children — named,  Jesse,  Elmer,  Ilat- 
tie  and  Ada — two  girls  and  two  boys. 

Mr.  Dorman  has  taken  an  active  interest 
in  pui)lic  mattei's,  and  has  been  prominentl}' 
identified  with  the  official  history  of  the 
township,  having  held  various  local  offices. 
In  political  matters  he  is  a  democrat.  Dur- 
ing his  early  manhood  Mr.  Dorman  follow^ed 
wag(jn-malcing  to  some  extent,  but  the  prin- 
cipal portion  of  his  life  has  been  devoted  to 
farming,  and  he  is  now  engaged  in  diversified 
farminf;  and  stock-raising. 


JASPER  WRIGHT,  an  enterprising  farmer 
of  Collinwood  township,  living  on  sec- 
tion 4,  was  l)orn  in  Yancey  county,  N.  C, 
January  4,  1837,  and  is  tlie  son  of  Jonathan 
and  Mary  (Bailey)  Wright,  both  of  whom 
were  natives  of  the  "  same  State."  When 
he  was  a  boy  of  six  or  seven  years  old,  his 
parents   removed    to    Russell    county,    Va.. 


where  he  was  reared  to  manhood.  He  re- 
mained at  home  until  his  marriage,  after 
which  he  started  for  himself  on  one  of  his 
father's  farms,  where  he  remained  until  July 
19,  1861,  when  he  enlisted  in  Company  H, 
Fiftieth  Virginia  Infantry,  and  served  until 
he  was  wounded  and  cajjtured.  On  being 
paroled  he  returned  to  his  home,  where  he 
remained  until  1865,  when  he  removed  to 
Lawrence  county,  Ohio,  liut  the  following 
October,  came  to  Collinwood  township,  this 
county.  He  took  up  a  claim  of  81  acres,  on 
section  4,  where  he  now  lives.  His  entire 
wealth,  when  he  got  here,  was  ^33,  his  gun, 
a  spider,  and  a  dinner  kettle,  and  his  wife, 
and  two  children.  He  invested  three  dollars 
in  provisions,  and  the  balance  of  his  money 
in  a  cow,  and  settled  down  to  frontier  life. 
His  brother,  Waitsdel,  and  his  family  were 
with  him,  and,  as  the  brother  was  sick,  he 
was  the  only  support  of  both  families,  and 
kept  them  going  in  venison  brought  down 
by  his  gun.  For  three  years  Ijieir  only  meat 
was  of  this  variet}'.  He  is  now  well  fixed, 
however,  and  enjoys  life  in  a  more  comfort- 
able fashion. 

Mr.  Wright  was  married  January  6,  1858,. 
to  Miss  Elizabeth  Taylor,  who  was  born  in 
Russell  county,  Va.,  August  26,  1840,  and  is 
the  daughter  of  William  and  Dycia  Taylor. 
They  have  had  a  family  of  five  children. 


-^. 


^;  ECKSTROM.  Prominent  among  the 
[^'  leading  citizens  of  Dassel  village  is  ex- 
sheriff  Ekstrom,  of  whom  this  sketch  is  writ- 
ten. His  life,  which  began  in  Sweden,  Jan- 
uary 20,  1845,  has  been  a  diversified  one, 
his  eai'ly  years  having  been  passed  as  a  sea- 
man upon  the  boisterous  waters  of  the  North 
Atlantic,  and  the  more  placid  Pacific  Ocean, 
and  in  which  profession  he  rose  to  the  posi- 
tion of  mate.  Growing  tired  of  the  monot- 
ony of  sea  life   he   came    to   New   Yoi-k    in 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


46  r 


1S67,  and  in  company  witli  K.  and  G.  Rai- 
ling, came  directly  through  to  Meeker  county 
by  way  of  St.  Paul.  During  the  winter  of 
that  year  he  followed  hunting  and  trapping 
with  the  other  two  men,  and  in  August, 
1867,  the  three  purchased  1100  acres  of  land, 
all  of  which  they  afterwards  sold  except  300 
acres  which  Mr.  Ekstroui  kept  for  his  own 
use,  and  on  which  he  carried  on  farming. 
This  was  on  section  3,  town  of  Greenleaf, 
and  upon  it  he  took  up  agricultural  pursuits, 
and  remained  there  until  1874,  when  he  sold 
out,  and  removing  to  Litchfield,  entered  into 
partnership  with  A.  T.  Koerner,  in  the  real 
estate  business,  under  the  firm  name  of 
Ekstrom  &  Koerner.  lie  remained  in  this 
until  18S1.  Having  been  elected  sheriff  of 
the  county  in  1877  he  assumed  the  duties  of 
that  office  and  held  it  for  six  years,  having 
been  twice  re-elected.  After  the  termination 
of  his  official  career  he  entered  upon  the 
handling  of  grain  at  ]\Iorton,  where  he  re- 
mained until  188G  when  he  came  to  Dassel 
where  he  is  engaged  in  the  real  estate  busi- 
ness  with  Peter  Johnson,  although  he  still 
lives  at  the  county  seat. 

Mr.  Eckstrom  was  married  in  1872  to  Miss 
Helen  Sauvror,  a  native  of  Sweden,  and  they 
are  the  parents  of  four  cliildren. 

^H^HEODORE  EHLERS,  of  the  firm  of 
^jJU  Shaw  &  Ehlers,  millers  and  grain 
dealers,  Litchfield,  is  a  native  of  Mecklen- 
burg-Schwerin,  Germany,  born  December 
10,  1837,  and  is  the  son  of  Christian  and 
Amelia  Ehlers.  He  received  his  education 
in  his  native  land,  and  tliere  acquired  some 
knowledge  of  the  milling  business.  He  came 
to  the  United  States  in  January,  1851,  while 
yet  a  young  man,  and  followed  llie  profession 
of  a  miller,  through  various  parts  of  Wisconsin, 
until  1863,  when  he  located  in  the  city  of 
Minneapolis.     There  he  was  employed  in  the 


old  Cataract  mill,  which  was  the  first  and,  at. 
that  time,  the  only  merchant  mill  in  the 
Flour  City.  After  two  years  spent  as  miilei- 
in  that  establishment,  Mr.  Ehlers  started  the- 
Arctic,  now  St.  Anthony  mill,  which  he 
operated  for  about  a  year.  The  next  two 
succeeding  years  were  spent  by  him  in  the- 
same  line  of  business  at  Chaska,  this  State, 
after  whicii  he  returned  to  Minneapolis,, 
where  he  entered  the  Wasliburn  flour  mill, 
now  known  as  "  B "  mill.  He  started  the 
Zenith  and  the  Galaxy  mills,  and  several 
others,  and  made  his  home  there  until  1877- 
At  that  time  he  came  here,  and  in  company 
with  Mr.  Shaw,  purchased  the  Litchfield 
flouring  mill,  and  established  the  present 
business.  Shortly  after  its  purchase  the  new 
proprietors  remodeled  the  mill,  and  changed 
it  to  the  roller  system,  and  improved  it 
throughout,  making  it  first-class  in  every  res- 
pect. In  1882  the  firm  erected  their  eleva- 
tor. They  are  also  engaged  in  the  flour  and 
feed  business  in  Litchfield. 

Mr.  Ehlers  is  one  of  the  active  members  of 
the  Masonic  fraternity,  having  been  made  a 
Mason  in  Hennepin  Lodge,  No.  4.  He  is  a 
member  of  Rabboni  Ciiapter,  No.  39,  and 
Melita  Commandery,  No.l7,  of  this  place,  and 
he  and  his  wife  both  belong  to  Fidelity 
Chapter,  Eastern  Star  degree,  of  which  Mrs. 
Ehlers,  formerly  Miss  Emma  E.  Elkins,  is  the- 
present  secretai'v. 


-*-: 


J^ARTIN  O.  NESS,  is  a  well-known 
.^.tj^_  farmer  and  stock-raiser,  who  re- 
sides on  section  32.  Litchfield  township.  He 
is  a  son  of  Ole  Halverson  and  Mary  Ness, 
and  was  among  the  first  white  children  born 
in  Meeker  county,  having  first  seen  the  light 
on  the  old  Ness  homestead  February  11,. 
1858.  His  father  and  mother  were  natives- 
of  Norway,  and  among  the  first  settlers  of 
Meeker  county,  and  Martin  was  reared  on 


462 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


the  farm  with  them.  In  1881  he  purchased 
the  (Tuiuier-Olson  farm,  and  commenced  tlie 
business  of  farming  on  his  own  acconnt.  In 
1SS3  he  moved  tlieold  homestead  house  onto 
his  ])hice,  and  "batched"  it  there  until  Sep- 
tember 13,  1884,  wlien  lie  was  nuirried  to 
Hannah  Peterson,  who  was  born  in  JS'orwav, 
June  23,  1859.  She  is  the  daughter  of  Peter 
and  Tisa  Peterson  Schonhoveh  Martin  Ness 
and  wife  have  two  children — Oscar  Peter, 
born  October  IS,  1885  ;  Charles  Pandolph, 
born  January  31,  1887.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ness 
are  both  members  of  tiie  Norwegian  Luth- 
eran Church  of  Grove  City. 

Carl  O.  Nkss,  of  Litchfield  townsliip,  is 
another  sturdy  young  farmer,  who  was  born 
Meeker  county,  the  date  of  his  birth  being 
July  12,  1805,  and  his  parents  being  Olellai- 
verson  and  Mary  Ness.  He  is  of  that  hardy 
Norse  stock  that  make  successful  farmers  and 
substantial  citizens.  He  owns  a  quarter  sec- 
tion of  land  adjoining  the  farms  of  his  broth- 
ers Martin  and  Halver,  and  devotes  his  entire 
attention  to  farming  and  stock-raising,making 
his  home  witli  Martin.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  of  Litch- 
Jfield. 

— -^: 

)ATRICK  MCCAFFREY,  one  of  the  most 
prominent  and  well-to-do  farmers  and 
stock-raisers  in  the  northern  portion  of  the 
county,  resides  on  section  22,  Manannah 
township.  He  was  born  in  County  Tyrone, 
Ireland,  on  the  8th  of  ]\Iarch,  1822,  and  is  a 
son  of  Patrick  and  Ellen  (McCarran)  McCaf- 
frey. He  grew  to  manhood  in  his  native 
land,  acquiring  the  same  habits  of  industry 
Jinil  frugality  which  are  characteristic  of  the 
race  from  which  he  springs.  His  jiarents 
died  in  the  land  of  his  birth,  and  in  1844  he 
started  for  America,  landing  in  Boston,  and 
went  direct  to  Lowell,  Mass.,  where  he  set- 
tled.    He  remained  there  until  Mav,  1865, 


when  he  came  "West  to  Meeker  county,  Minn., 
aud  took  a  claim  in  Harvey  townshij),  where 
T.  W.  Dougherty  now  lives.  He  dug  a  cel- 
lar, got  read\'  to  buiki.  and  made  some  other 
improvements,  after  which  he  and  his  wife 
returned  to  Lowell,  Mass.,  for  the  rest  of  the 
familv  and  i»-oods.  Durinj;'  their  absence  a 
party  jumped  their  claim,  and  Mr.  McCaffrey 
lost  his  homestead.  The  family  remained 
in  Massachusetts  one  year,  and  then  returned 
to  Meeker  county,  Minn.,  and  Mr.  McCaffrey 
took  a  claim  and  built  a  house  on  section  30, 
in  what  is  now  Harvey  township.  After 
living  there  for  one  year  they  were  burned 
out  and  lost  all  they  had.  When  this  mis- 
fortune overtook  them  they  returned  to  Low- 
ell, Mass.,  and  remained  there  until  1876, 
when  thej'  again  settled  in  Meeker  county, 
locating  on  section  22,  Manannah  township, 
where  they  still  reside.  Mr.  McCaffrey  has 
a  valuable  farm  of  200  acres,  where  he  car- 
ries on  general  farming  and  stock-raising. 

In  1842  Mr.  McCaffrey  was  mai'ried  to 
Elizabeth  Quinn,  and  tiiey  have  been  blessed 
with  nine  children,  as  follows — Patrick,  Rose 
Ann,  Owen,  James,  Thomas,  Mary  J.,  John, 
Mary  E.  and  Charles  II.,  all  of  whom  are 
living  except  Patrick,  Mary  J.  and  Charles 
H.  The  family  are  members  of  the  Catholic 
Church. 

Mrs.  McCaffrey's  ]iarents  were  natives  of 
Ireland.  The  father  died  in  his  native  land, 
and  the  mother  in  Lowell,  Mass. 


-««: 


/^HARLES  F.  SPAULDING,  a  respected 
^^p  and  prominent  old  settler  residing  on 
section  22,  Forest  Prairie,  and  a  successful 
farmer  and  stock-raiser,  is  a  native  of  Oxford 
county.  Me.,  born  on  the  14tli  of  April,  1850, 
and  is  a  son  of  I'enjainin  Y.  S|)aulding.  His 
parents  are  still  living  in  Forest  Prairie  town- 
ship, in  which  they  were  among  the  earliest 
settlers. 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


463 


While  Charles  was  still  3'oung  his  parents 
removed  to  Scott  county,  and  in  1866,  they 
removed  to  Meeker  county.  When  our  sub- 
ject was  only  fifteen  years  of  age,  in  Febru- 
ary, 1865,  he  enlisted  in  the  First  Minnesota 
Heavy  Artillery,  and  went  into  the  service, 
and  joined  his  company  at  Chattanooga, 
Tenn.  He  remained  in  the  service  until  July 
29,  1865,  when  he  was  honorably  discharged 
at  Prairie  du  Chien,  Wis.  He  then  returned 
to  Scott  county,  Minn.,  and  the  following 
year  the  family  settled  in  Forest  Prairie 
township,  where  they  have  since  lived.  Our 
subject  owns  2i0  acres  of  land  in  all,  and  de- 
votes his  attention  to  general  farming  and 
stock-raising.  He  has  been  engaged  in  farm- 
ing most  of  the  time  since  attaining  his  ma- 
jority, although  for  four  years  following 
1880,  he  carried  the  mail  from  Litclifield  to 
Forest  City. 

Charles  F.  Spaulding  was  married  on  the 
1st  of  February,  1874,  to  Miss  Josephine 
Vossen,  a  native  of  Germany,  and  a  daugh- 
ter of  Christian  Vossen,  a  respected  resident 
of  Forest  Prairie  township.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Spaulding  have  been  the  parents  of  five  chil- 
dren, as  follows — Joseph,  Frank,  Charles, 
Lydia  and  Julia. 

In  political  matters  Mr.  Spaulding  is  a  re- 
publican. He  has  taken  an  active  interest  in 
township  and  educational  matters,  and  has 
been  prominently  identified  with  the  official 
history  of  the  town. 


%y^    m.   OLSON, 
tial  farmer. 


-^^ 


a  respected  and  influen- 
who  lives  on  section  21, 
Greenleaf  township,  was  born  in  Sweden, 
on  the  11th  of  February,  1839.  His  father 
died  in  Sweden,  and  he  was  brought  up  on  a 
farm,  learning  the  same  habits  of  economy 
and  industry  which  characterize  a  majority 
of  that  nationality.  In  1867  he  sailed  for 
the  United  States  and  settled  at  Eock  Island, 


111.  He  remained  there  until  1873,  when  he 
removed  to  Meeker  county,  Minn.,  and  pur- 
chased the  farm  in  Greenleaf  township 
where  he  now  lives.  He  has  beeii  ver}^  suc- 
cessful in  his  farming  operations,  notwith- 
standing he  has  met  with  several  reverses  in 
losing  or  getting  poor  crops,  but  his  industry 
has  not  been  without  its  reward  and  he  is 
now  in  comfortable  circumstances.  He  now 
has  100  acres  of  land,  substantial  buildins's 
and  a  good  lot  of  stock. 

Mr.  Olson  Avas  married  in  1876  to  Johanna 
C.  Johnson.  In  religious  matters  Mr.  Olson 
is  a  member  of  the  Church  of  God  ;  and  in 
political  affairs  he  affiliates  with  the  repub- 
lican party.  His  mother  resides  with 
him. 


rVlREN  W.  TOPPING,  who  is  engaged 
^/  in  the  hay  and  straw  baling  business 
in  the  village  of  Litchfield,  was  born  in 
Greenleaf,  Meeker  county,  November  11, 
1860,  and  is  the  son  Charles  G.  and  Louisa 
M.  ( Br iggs)  Topping. 

The  father  of  the  subject  of  this  memoir, 
one  of  the  pioneers  of  this  county,  was  born 
in  Tompkins  county,  N.  Y.,  April  11,  1834, 
and  made  his  home  there,  with  his  parents, 
until  1855.  In  the  spring  of  that  year  he 
removed  to  Wisconsin,  where  he  lived  until 
the  fall  of  1857,  when  he  came  to  this  vicin- 
ity, settling  at  Hutchinson,  McLeod  county. 
The  following  spring  he  took  up  a  claim  on 
section  10,  Cedar  Mills  township,  which  be 
commeneed  improving  as  a  fai'm.  In  Janu- 
ary, 1860,  he  returned  to  his  native  State, 
and  was  there  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Louisa  M.  Briggs,  and  with  her  returned  the 
following  spring  to  his  farm. 

In  1861,  he  enlisted  in  Company  B,  Fourth 
Minnesota  Infantr}^  and  served  until  Sep- 
tember, 1864,  when  lie  was  honorably  dis- 
frora     the    service    for 


charged 


disability, 


464 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  ^MINNESOTA. 


owing  to  disease  contracted  in  tiie  army. 
His  family,  at  the  time  of  tlie  Indian  out- 
break, having  fled  back  to  New  York  State, 
he,  on  receiving  his  discharge,  went  there 
4ind  bi'ought  them  back  to  Minnesota,  and 
made  his  home  upon  his  fanii  until  1872, 
when  he  sold  out  and  came  to  the  village  of 
Litchfield,  where  he  now  lives.  His  wife, 
the  mother  of  our  subject,  and  three  broth- 
•ers  and  one  sister,  died  February  14, 1888. 
She  was  a  most  estimable  woman,  an  affect- 
ionate wife  and  indulgent  motlier,  and  who 
possessed  the  esteem  of  all  witii  whom  she 
•came  in  contact. 

Oren  W.  remained  with  liis  parents  while 
they  lived  upon  the  farm,  but  some  time 
after  coming  to  Litchfield,  commenced  to 
learn  the  barber's  trade,  which  he  followed 
for  some  time,  after  which  he  established  his 
present  business. 


MELS  JOHNSON,  a  successful  and  en- 
terprising fai'mer  ami  stock-raiser,  re- 
siding on  section  32,  Union  Grove  township, 
is  a  native  of  Sweden,  born  July  17,  1836, 
-and  a  son  of  John  and  Maggie  Hanson.  His 
earlv  life  Avas  spent  in  his  native  land,  where 
he  learned  the  mason's  trade,  and  acquin^d 
the  habits  of  industry  and  frugality  which 
-are  characteristics  of  the  Swedish  people. 

In  1880  he  came  to  the  United  States  and 
made  his  way  direct  to  Meeker  county,  Minn. 
JB[e  first  located  at  Grove  City,  where  he  fol 
lowed  his  trade,  and  remained  there  for  four 
years.  At  the  expiration  of  that  time  he 
came  to  Union  Grove  township  and  pur- 
chased 160  acres  of  land  on  section  32,  where 
he  now  lives.  His  resitience  is  a  comfortable 
new  frame  building,  and  he  is  rapidly  getting 
his  farm  in  tillable  condition. 

Mr.  Johnson  was  married  in  Octobei',  1863, 
in  Sweden,  to  Miss  Hannah  Peterson,  a 
■<laughter  of  Peter  and  Hannah  Trolson.    She 


was  born  in  Sweden  on  the  18th  of  Decem- 
ber, 1831.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johnson  have  been 
the  parents  of  five  children,  three  of  whom 
are  dead.  The  two  living  children  are  as 
follows — Mary,  born  May  18,  1866;  and 
John,  born  May  13,  1868.  Mary  married 
O.  C.  Olson,  and  now  lives  in  Harvey  town- 
ship, and  John  is  still  at  home. 


^^^^ 


[M^RANK  Mclaughlin,  a  prominent, 
IP^  energetic,  and  industrious  farmer,  liv- 
ing upon  section  10,  Manannah  township,  is 
a  native  of  county  Tyrone,  Ireland,  born 
March  16,  1828,  and  son  of  William  and 
Alice  A.  McLaughlin.  He  remained  beneath 
the  parental  roof  until  some  twenty-three 
years  of  age,  but  foreseeing  the  utter  impos- 
sibility of  ever  acquiring  a  competency  in 
his  oppressed  native  land,  he  came,  like  many 
of  his  countrymen,  to  the  free  shores  of 
America  to  hew  out  his  own  fortunes.  Af- 
ter spending  about  a  year  in  the  cotton  mills 
at  Lowell,  Mass.,  he  repaired  to  Boston  and 
found  employment  in  a  rolling  mill,  where 
he  continued  for  three  years.  The  next  seven 
years  were  passed  in  various  places,  en-^ 
gaged  at  various  emplo^'ments,  and  the 
spring  of  1861  found  him  in  Columbus,  Ind. 
While  there,  April  16.  of  tiiat  year,  he  en- 
listed in  Company  K,  Tliirteenth  Indiana 
Infantry,  and  was  in  the  engagement  at  Iiicli 
Mountain,  W.  Va.,  July  11,  1861,  and  the 
balance  of  the  campaign  under  Gen.  George 
B.  McClellan.  On  March  23,  1862,  he  was 
with  his  regiment  and  took  part  in  the  first 
battle  at  Winchester.  During  the  Chicka- 
hominy  campaign  he  jiarticipated  in  the 
Seven  Days'  battles  which  tei'minated  at  Mal- 
vern Hill.  From  that  time  on  Mr.  McLaugh- 
lin's fortunes  were  those  of  the  regiment, 
one  of  the  best  known  in  the  Indiana  con- 
tingent in  the  Armies  of  the  Potomac  and 
Shenandoah.     He  served  at  the  siege  of   Pe- 


MEEKER  COUNTY,   MINNESOTA. 


465 


tersburg,  Va.,  in  the  spring  of  1864,  and  was 
discharged  at  Indianapohs  on  Jul}'  t,  1864. 
He  was  three  times  wounded,  once  severely. 
On  his  discliarge  Mr.  McLaughlin  returned 
to  Lowell  and  went  to  work  in  a  factory 
there.  In  April,  1806,  he  came  to  Meeker 
county,  and  settled  where  he  now  lives.  He 
has  made  all  tlie  improvements  here  and  en- 
dured while  doing  so,  all  the  hardships  of 
early  settlers.  He  was  married  on  the  31st 
of  July,  1861,  to  Miss  Anna  Breen,  who  has 
become  the  mother  of  four  children — Wil- 
liam J.,  born  June  30,  1865  ;  Mary  A.,  born 
January  10,  1868;  Maggie  E.,  born  Febru- 
ary 21,  1871 ;  and  Alice  C,  born  January 
13,  1877. 


EORGE  B.  STROBECK,  a  progressive 
^^pr  farmer  and  stock-raiser  living  near 
the  village  of  Litchfield,  is  a  native  of  New 
York,  and  was  born  in  St.  Lawience  c(unty, 
July  6,  1816.  He  was  reared  on  the  fai'm 
with  his  parents,  Henry  and  Fanny  Strol)eck, 
and  was  primarily  educated  in  the  common 
schools  of  tlije  county,  and  afterward  re- 
ceived an  academic  course  of  four  years  in 
the  St.  Lawrence  Academy.  In  September, 
1868,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Celes- 
tia  M.  Thomas.  They  have  one  child,  Fred- 
erick, born  December  1,  1872. 

George  continued  the  conduct  of  his 
father's  farm  some  five  years  after  his  mai*- 
riage,  and  then  purchased  a  farm  in  the 
same  neighborhood,  which  he  operated  until 
1877,  when  failing  health  compelled  him 
to  make  a  change.  In  the  fall  of  that  year 
he  came  to  Meeker  county,  and  purchased 
the  northeast  quarter  of  section  12,  Litchfield 
townshi]i.  and  the  following  spring  brought 
his  family  on,  and  began  life  anew  on  a  piece 
of  land  without  a  dollar's  worth  of  improve- 
ments on  it,  and  after  having  been  reduced 
in  health  and  circumstances  b}'  two  j^ears  of 


severe  sickness.  He  now  has  one  of  the  best 
improved  farms  in  the  township,  and  has 
fullv  regained  his  health  and  strength.  His 
antecedents  were  i-emarkable  for  their  lon- 
gevity, his  grandfather  being  1073'ears  old  at 
the  time  of  his  death,  and  his  gi'andmother 
103,  while  his  great-grantlmother  is  known 
to  have  reached  the  age  of  120.  Mr.  Stro- 
beck  is  a  model  farmer,  and  devotes  his  en- 
tire attention  to  the  improvement  of  his 
farm,  and  is  getting  a  fair  start  in  the  intro- 
duction of  high  grade  stock.  The  family 
are  members  of  the  Protestant  Episco- 
pal Church.  In  politics  Mr.  Strobeck 
is  a  staunch  republican,  and  in  1887  was 
elected  to  the  board  of  supervisors  on  that 
ticket. 


-^fS^3-4>-> 


l^RANK  J.  TWOMBLY,  one  of  the  pro- 
JP^  gressive  farmers  of  Cosmos  township, 
living  on  section  23,  is  the  son  of  James  and 
Ellice  Twombly,  and  is  a  native  of  McKeene 
county,  Penn.,  born  in  1857.  He  was  reared 
among  the  hills,  and  amid  the  })icturesQue 
surroundings  of  his  native  county,  until  he 
was  about  six  or  seven  years  of  age,  when 
his  parents  removed  to  St.  Anthony,  this 
State,  where  they  made  their  home  until 
1878,  when  they  came  to  Meeker  county  and 
located  on  the  jilace,  now  owned  and  occu- 
pied by  Frank.  The  latter  accompanied  his 
parents  here,  and  remained  with  them  until 
1884,  when  he  purchased  the  homestead  of 
his  fathei',  upon  which  he  now  carries  on 
agricultural  pursuits.  His  father,  after  dis- 
posing of  his  ]iroperty,  emigrated  to  far-off 
Oregon,  settled  there  anil  is  still  a  resident 
of  that  State.  Frank  Twombly  has  held 
several  minor  local  offices  as  a  ])reparatory 
school  to  the  more  important  ones  which, 
no  doubt,  the  future  holds  in  store  for  him. 
He  is  a  careful  lousiness  man,  and  holds  the 
respect  of  all  who  know  him. 


466 


MEEKER    COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


^^•■"^ELS  A.  DRAXTEN  is  one  of  the  thrifty 
and  enterprising-  farmers  of  Acton 
townsiiip.  Like  so  many  of  the  residents  of 
the  western  part  of  Meeker  country,  he  is  a 
native  of  Norway,  born  on  tlie  Oth  of  Octo- 
ber, 1850,  the  names  of  his  immediate  ances- 
tors being  Andrew  F.  and  Mary  Draxten. 
His  early  life  was  spent  in  his  native 
land,  hut  in  1SG9  he  sailed  for  the  United 
States,  and  upon  his  arrival,  came  direct  to 
Minneapolis,  where  he  was  employed  in  saw- 
mills. Seven  years  later  he  came  to  Meeker 
county  and  ]iurchased  111  acres  of  land  on 
section  17,  in  Acton  township,  where  he  now 
lives.  He  has  a  good  farm  and  valuable  im- 
provements— a  neat  twostory  house,  26x32 
feet  in  size,  with  an  addition  14x1-1,  and  also 
a  substantial  barn  28x51:  feet  in  dimensions. 
His  parents  live  with  him,  and  he  has  four 
brothers  who  are  Meeker  county  farmers,  all 
of  whom  are  married. 

Mr.  Draxten  is  a  democrat  in  political  mat- 
ters, and  takes  an  active  interest  in  all 
matters  affecting  the  welfare  of  his  town- 
ship. He  is  a  well-posted  and  intelligent 
citizen,  and  is  highly  respected  by  his  neigh- 
bors. He  has  held  a  number  of  township 
offices  ;  was  elected  supervisor  in  1881  and 
served  one  term,  and  in  March,  1886,  was 
elected  township  treasurer. 


•■e>--S^^"4^- 


JTeSSE  V.  BRANHAM,  SR.,  one  of  the 
0  pioneers  of  this  locality,  was  born 
April  IS,  1803,  in  Scott  county,  K3^,  and  lived 
there  until  1811,  when  he  removed  with  his 
parents  to  Franklin,Jefferson  county,  Ind.  He 
learned  the  millwright's  trade  there  and  fol- 
lowed it  for  some  years,  at  one  time  owning 
a  half-interest  in  the  mill  at  Franklin,  and 
an  interest  in  the  woolen  mill  at  the  same 
place.  In  1857  he  removed  to  Meeker 
county,  and  took  up  a  claim  in  the  town  of 
Litchfield,  where  he  made  his  home  until  the 


tragic  days  of  the  Indian  outbreak  in  1862, 
when  he  took  his  family  to  a  place  of  secur- 
it}',  and,  although  then  nearly  sixty  years  of 
age,  returned  to  help  defend  the  country.  He 
it  was  that  volunteered  to  ride  to  the  State 
capital,  with  the  demand  of  the  settlers  for 
help,  a  service  of  danger  and  fatigue,  as  the 
road  then  was  nearly  one  hundred  miles 
long.  After  fulfilling  his  duty  here  he  went 
to  Minneapolis,  where  iiis  family  were  and 
and  there  spent  the  winter.  Inthe  springof 
1863,  he  and  his  family  returned  to  Forest 
City,  and  two  years  later  to  the  old  home- 
stead. In  lS6i  he  was  elected  to  the  office 
of  county  treasurer,  and  served  for  six  years. 
In  1874  Mr.  Branhara  sold  his  farm  and 
moved  to  the  village  of  Litchfield,  where 
he  now  resides.  He  was  married  Decem- 
ber 21,  1821,  to  Miss  Mary  Butler,  and  they 
have  been  the  parents  of  eight  children, 
four  of  whom  are  living,  namely — Jesse  V. 
Jr.,  Wilham,  Mrs.  Gullet,  and  Mrs.  E.  A. 
Campbell.  Mrs.  Branham  died  June  12, 1888, 
at  Litchfield. 


^TlCK  BAUER.  The  subject  of  this  bi- 
iffjl  ography,  a  respected  and  enterprising 
farmer  and  stock-raiser  residing  on  section 
7,  Forest  Prairie  township,  is  a  native  of 
Prussia,  German}',  born  on  the  20th  of 
March,  1853,  and  a  son  of  Goodheart  and 
Mary  (Earnest)  Bauer.  In  1865  the  family 
sailed  for  the  United  States,  and  after  a 
voyage  lasting  for  forty  days  they  landed  at 
New  York  City,  and  at  once  proceeded  by 
way  of 'St.  Paul  to  St.  Cloud,  in  Stearns 
county,  Minn.,  where  they  were  among  the 
first  settlers.  They  settled  on  a  farm  about 
nine  miles  from  St.  Cloud,  and  that  was  the 
home  of  the  parents  until  the  time  of  their 
death.  Goodheart  Bauer  and  wife  were  the 
parents  of  a  large  family  of  children,  the 
names  of  their  offspring  being  as  follows — 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


469 


Lena,  Man',  Lizzie,  Gertrude,  Lucy,  Katie, 
•Peter,  John  Peter,  Michael,  Nick,  Matt  and 
Hobart. 

Nick  Bauer,  the  subject  of  our  present 
sketch,  was  married  on  the  14th  of  Septem- 
ber, 1879,  at  Minneapolis,  to  Miss  Lizzie 
Fenniman,  a  native  of  German}'.  She  be- 
came the  mother  of  one  child,  a  girl  named 
Marj',  and  the  mother  died  in  June,  1880. 

Mr.  Bauer's  present  wife  was  formerly 
Miss  Marj'  Roucli.  The}'  were  married  at 
St.  Nicholas,  Stearns  county,  on  the  9th  of 
November,  1882.  They  are  the  parents  of 
two  living  children,  named  Anna  and  Peter. 

In  political  matters  Mr.  Bauer  affiliates 
with  the  democratic  pai-ty.  The  family  are 
exemplary  members  and  active  supporters  of 
the  Catholic  Church. 


r^' 


ICHARD  DOYLE,  a  progressive  and 
wide-awake  farmer  of  Darwin  town- 
ship, has  his  home  on  section  10.  He  is  a 
native  of  Upper  Canada,  born  about  the  year 
1836,  and  is  the  son  of  Terence  and  Margaret 
Doyle,  who  were  natives  of  the  beloved  but 
down-trodden  island  of  Ireland.  Richard 
remained  for  many  years  in  his  Canadian 
home  engaged  in  tilling  the  soil,  for  he  was 
alwaj's  a  farmer  until  1867,  when  he  came  to 
the  States  and  settled  in  Meeker  county, 
where  he  now  lives,  and  where  he  has  con- 
tinued to  make  his  home  ever  since. 

While  living  in  Canada  he  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Mary  Enright,  who  bore 
him  nine  children,  of  whom  the  following 
six  still  survive  —  Michael,  John,  James  A., 
Richard  T.,  Mary  and  Terence.  Their  oldest 
child,  Terence,  died  in  Canada,  as  did  Pat- 
rick, in  1867 ;  Margaret  died  here  April  14, 
1888,  and  is  buried  in  Darwin. 

Mr.  Doyle  has  given  a  great  amount  of 
attention  to  mixed  farming,  and  is  authority 
with  those  who  know  him  best  in  respect  to 


his  calling.  His  success  since  coming  here 
is  entirely  due  to  his  persistent  labor  and 
good  judgment,  and  is  an  excellent  example. 
There  is  no  tlowery  road  to  success,  nothing 
but  diligent  work,  and  Mr.  Doyle  has  proven 
that  he  has  found  it  so.  He  is  a  strict  mem- 
ber of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church.  In  pol- 
itics he  is  a  sincere  and  abiding  democrat, 
believing  that  in  that  party  lies  the  safest 
rules  for  the  preservation  of  our  National 
existence. 


-*-i 


I 


►^^ 


OHN  WISE,  who  is  successfully  engaged 
'0  in  farming  and  stock-raising,  upon  sec- 
tion 29,  Kingston  township,  is  a  native  of 
Miami  county,  Ohio,  born  April  8,  1835, 
and  is  the  son  of  Samuel  and  Barbara  (Shope) 
Wise,  who  were  natives  of  Lancaster  county, 
Penn.  His  father  emigrated  from  the 
"  Buckeye  State,"  in  his  later  days,  to  Indi- 
ana, where  he  died  at  the  age  of  seventy -nine 
years  nine  months  and  thirteen  days.  The 
mother  died  in  1869.  Both  were  members 
sf  the  German  Baptist  Church,  and  were  the 
parents  of  fourteen  children,  who  all  grew  to 
manhood  and  womanhood.  Their  names 
were — Jacob,  John,  Samuel,  Andreas,  Levi, 
Isaac,  Abram,  Ilenr}',  Daniel,  Elizabeth, 
Sallie,  Teena,  Barbara,  and  Marj'. 

John  Wise  was  reared  in  Miami  county, 
Ohio,  upon  the  paternal  farm,  where  he 
lived  until  attaining  his  majority,  receiving 
in  the  halc3'on  days  of  youth  the  elements 
of  a  good  education.  He  commenced  farm- 
ing in  his  native  State,  and  from  there  moved 
over  into  Indiana,  where  he  lived  until  1879, 
when  he  came  to  Minnesota,  locating  in 
Meeker  county,  on  the  place  where  he  now 
lives. 

The  subject  of  this  historical  notice  was 
united  in  marriage,  January  2,  1855,  with 
Miss  Sarah  Christian,  a  native  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  daughter  of  Solomon  and  PolMe 


470 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


Christian,  natives  of  the  "Keystone  State" 
also.  By  this  union  there  have  been  six 
children  born,  namely — Samuel,  living  in 
Wisconsin;  and  Anna,  Fannie,  Elizabeth, 
Barbara,  and  Sara  Jane,  all  of  whom  are 
married,  but  the  son.  In  his  politics  Mr. 
Wise  is  a  steady  adherent  to  the  principles 
of  the  republican  ])arty,  and  is  a  representa- 
tive man  of  tlie  township. 


MELS  EKMAN  is  a  farmer  on  section 
3i,  Swede  Grove  township,  where  he 
carries  on  general  farming  and  stock  raising. 
Mr.  Ekman  is  a  son  of  Swan  and  Ingra  Swan- 
son,  and  is  a  native  of  Sweden,  born  on  the 
2d  of  October,  1853.  He  came  to  the  United 
States  in  ]S71,  and  made  his  way  directly  to 
Meeker  county,  Minn.  He  worked  for  farm- 
ers in  this  part  of  the  State  until  about  1877, 
when  he  bought  a  farm  of  Peter  Elofson. 
Two  months  later  he  traded  this  for  a  farm 
in  Douglas  county,  but  did  not  move  on  to 
it,  and  soon  afterward  traded  it  for  a  farm 
near  Grove  City,  in  this  county.  Two 
months  later  he  sold  this  and  went  to  Devil's 
Lake,  where  he  worked  on  the  railroad  one 
summer,  and  then  returned  to  Swede  Grove. 
In  the  spriAg  he  bought  a  farm  of  George 
Okeson,  where  he  now  lives.  He  has  120 
acres  of  land  on  sections  3.3  and  3-t,  his  build- 
ings being  on  tiie  latter  section.  By  industry 
and  economy  Mr.  Ekman  has  secured  a  good 
start,  and  is  in  comfortable  circumstances. 
Jrle  was  a  poor  man  when  he  came  here — so 
poor,  in  fact,  that  he  owed  for  his  passage 
from  his  native  land  to  the  New  World,  and 
he  worked  for  two  years  to  pay  the  debt. 
Mr.  Ekman  was  married  to  Miss  Ellen  An- 
derson, a  daughter  of  Bengt  and  Betsy  Han- 
son. They  have  been  blessed  with  two  chil- 
dren—Betsy, born  March  21,  1884,  and  An- 
drew, born  February  2,  1887.  Mrs.  Ekman 
was  born  in  Sweden  on  the  28th  of  Novem- 


ber, 1859.  Her  mother  is  dead,  and  her 
father  lives  in  Swede  Grove  township.  Mr. 
Ekman's  father  is  dead,  and  his  mother  is 
still  living  in  Sweden,  her  native  land.  In 
political  matters  Mr.  Ekman  is  a  republican. 


-«-; 


^III^HE  SUBJECT  of  this  sketch,  W.  J. 
XiL  WHririNGTON,  the  proprietor  of  the 
Litchfield  greenhouse  and  market  garden,  is 
a  native  of  Sussex,  England,  born  December 
28,  1863.  From  the  time  that  he  was  old 
enough  he  spent  his  time  in  a  greenhouse  and 
garden  in  his  old  home,  on  the  south  coast  of 
his  native  land,  until  he  was  about  fourteen 
years  of  age,  when  he  came  to  this  country 
and  located  in  Union  Grove  township,  in  this 
county.  He  passed  some  three  yeai-s  in  that 
vicinity,  and  then  removed  to  Litclitield. 
The  first  six  months  he  was  here  he  spent  in 
attendance  at  the  high  school,  after  which, 
for  about  four  years,  he  was  employed  at 
farm  labor.  In  the  fall  of  1885  he  leased  two 
town  lots  on  the  corner  of  Third  and  Hol- 
comb  streets,  with  the  intention  of  establish- 
ing a  floral  and  plant  conservatory  for  local 
and  shipping  trade.  He  broke  the  first 
ground  for  this  enterprise  September  12, 
1885,  and  by  his  energy  and  perseverance 
soon  built  up  an  active  trade  and  an  enviable 
reputation.  These  grounds  proving  too  small 
for  his  rapidly  increasing  business,  in  the  fall 
of  1887  Mr.  Whittington  purchased  some  five 
acres  of  ground  in  Greenleaf's  addition  to  the 
town,  a  portion  of  which  he  is  laying  out  as 
a  private  park,  for  the  purpose  of  floral  dis- 
plays, which  is  to  bear  the  name  of  Garfield 
Park.  In  this  our  subject  proposes  to  show 
the  growth  and  culture  of  the  various  flow- 
ers and  plants  susceptible  of  outdoor  exposure 
in  this  climate,  and  exhibit  some  features  of 
landscape  gardening.  It  is  the  intention  to 
hold  annual  horticultural  shows  and  festivals 
here,  given  by  the  generosity  of  the  propri- 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


471 


etor  to  his  friends  and  patrons  throughout 
this  section  of  the  State.  In  connection  with 
this  Mr.  Whittington  carries  on  market  gar- 
dening, and  being  connected  with  the  business 
part  of  the  city  by  telephone,  can  make  deliv- 
eries at  short  notice.  He  also  handles  all  the 
various  tools  used  in  gardening,  pots,  and  in- 
structions as  to  the  cultivation  of  plants  and 
flowers,  and  is  ])repared  to  furnish  bouquets 
and  floral  decorations  for  weddings  or  other 
festive  occasions. 


•-«- 


MUGUST  ERICKSON,  The  subject  of 
j|£>^  this  sketch  is  a  prominent  farmer 
who  lives  on  section  15,  in  Greenleaf  town- 
ship. He  was  born  in  Sweden  October  3, 
1851,  and  his  parents  were  natives  of  the 
same  land,  his  father  having  been  born  in 
1809  and  his  mother  in  1812.  His  father 
died  when  he  was  only  twelve  years  of  age 
and  he  wa-s  early  in  life  thrown  upon  his  own 
resources.  His  mother  'is  still  living.  In 
1872  he  came  to  the  United  States  and  set- 
tled at  Brocton,  Chautauqua  county,  N.  Y. 
Two  years  later  he  removed  to  Minneapolis, 
Minn.,  and  renuiined  there  about  four  months 
after  which  he  came  to  Meeker  county,  and 
settled  in  Greenleaf  township,  where  he  has 
since  livetl.  He  arrived  here  in  the  fall  of 
1874.  He  has  a  valuable  farm,  substantial 
improvements  and  is  in  prosperous  circum- 
stances. He  has  taken  an  active  interest  in 
religious  matte)'s  and  is  a  member  of  the 
Mission  Friends  Church. 

On  the  20th  of  July,  1873,  he  was  married 
to  Christina  Peterson,  who  is  also  a  native 
of  Sweden.  Her  parents  were  also  natives 
of  the  same  country,  her  mother  still  liv- 
ing, but  the  father  having  died  several  years 
ago.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Erickson  have  been  blessed 
with  seven  children,  all  of  whom  are  liv- 
ing, as  follows — Anna,  born  September  5, 
187-1;  Ilildur,   born   June  -i,   1876;  Salraa, 


born  May  9,  1878;  Frida,  born  March  11, 
1880;  Agda,  born  February  21,  1882;  Ed- 
ward Eniil,  born  March  22,  1881 ;  and  Albert, 
born  December  29,  1885. 


'■»-! 


WEN  PRINTY,  a  prosperous  and  well- 
V^y  to-do  agriculturist  of  Darwin  town- 
ship, residing  on  section  14,  is  a  nat^'e  of 
that  gem  of  the  sea,  Ireland,  born  about  the 
year  1831.  Reared  among  the  beautiful 
scenery  of  that  ever-verdant  isle,  Mr.  Prin- 
ty  had  no  wish  to  leave  it,  were  it  not  for 
the  fact  that  it  was  almost  impossible  to  stay 
there  and  enjoy  more  than  the  barest  necessa- 
ries of  life,  so  oppressed  and  down-trodden 
are  its.  people  by  foreign  misrule. 

In  October,  1860,  Owen  was  married  to 
Miss  Alice  McGill,  a  native  of  the  same 
country,  and  the  following  year  the  young 
couple  determined  to  seek  a  new  home  in 
free  America,  where  a  man  could  raise  his 
condition  if  he  chose.  They  accordingly 
embarked,  and,  crossing  the  ocean,  landed  at 
Quebec.  From  there  they  came  direct  to 
St.  Paul  and  St.  Anthony,  and  in  the  latter 
city  Mr.  Printy  remained  some  five  or  six 
months.  He  then  came  to  Meeker  county, 
but  after  a  stay  at  Forest  City  of  some  five 
or  six  months  more,  he  was  driven  back  to 
St.  Anthony  by  the  terrible  Indian  outbreak 
of  1862.  Four  years  later,  with  his  family, 
he  left  St.  Anthony,  where  they  had  been 
living,  and  coming  to  Meeker  county,  settled 
in  Darwin  township,  on  the  farm  where  he 
now  lives,  where  he  has  ever  since  made  his 
home. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Printy  are  the  parents  of 
seven  children — Ellen,  Mary,  Owen,  Alice, 
John,  Joanna  and  Michael,  all  living  but 
Joanna,  who  died  November  29,  1877.  The 
family  are  members  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church. 


472 


AfEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


ICHOLAS  NELSON,  a  highly  res- 
pected old  settler  of  Litchlield  town- 
lip,  was  born  in  Sweden,  October  23,  1849. 
His  father,  Bengt  Nelson,  was  born  in  1815, 
and  died  in  Meeker  county,  in  187-1.  His 
mother,  Christine  Nelson,  was  born  in  Swe- 
den, in  1805,  and  at  this  date  (1888)  still 
lives  near  neighbor  to  Nicholas.  The  family 
came  to  America  in  1850,  and  lived  in  Knox 
county,  111.,  till  1858,  Avhen  they  came  to 
Meeker  county,  by  way  of  the  river  to  Car- 
ver county,  and  took  up  a  claim  on  section 
22,  of  what  is  now  Litchfield  township. 
Nicholas  has  three  half  brothers  and  one 
half  sister,  namely — Swan,  Nels  and  Peter 
Swanson,  and  Hannah  Swanson  Vorys. 

At  the  time  of  the  Indian  outbreak  the 
family,  consisting  of  Nicholas  and  his  father 
and  mother,  were  living  on  the  old  claim, 
about  two  miles  from  where  Litchfield  vil- 
lage now  stands.  After  receiving  the  warn- 
ing of  the  onslaught  of  the  savages  on  that 
memorable  17th  of  August,  the  family  took 
refuge  for  the  night  in  the  house  of  Nels 
Swanson,  and  they  next  proceeded  to  Forest 
City.  After  remaining  there  a  short  time, 
they  went  to  Washington  county  and  stayed 
there  during  the  winter,  returning  to  the 
farm  in  the  spring.  Nicholas  continued  to 
assist  his  father  in  carrying  on  the  farm  until 
the  latter's  death,  when  he  took  the  hehn 
himself,  and  has  operated  it  in  a  quiet, 
though  successful  way.  In  1879  he  was  mar- 
ried to  Emma  Olson,  a  native  of  Sweden. 
They  have  four  children — Charles,  Josephine, 
Ellen  and  Alfred. 


^^►. 


-«-l 


JTOHN  W.  TORREY.  One  of  tlie  most 
^  successful  and  enterprising  farmers 
of  Union  Grove  township,  is  the  gentle- 
man whose  name  heads  this  article.  He 
is   a  resident   of  section   25,  and  his  enter- 


prise is  manifested  in  the  substantial  build- 
ings wiiich  he  iuis  erected,  and  his  fai'm,as  a 
whole,  is  a  credit  to  the  township  in  wiiich  he 
resides. 

Mr.  Torrey  is  a  son  of  John  A.  and  Ann 
E.  (Diamond)  Torrey,  and  was  born  forty 
miles  west  of  Detroit,  in  Jackson  county, 
Michigan,  on  the  29tli  of  December,  1838. 
His  mother  died  when  he  was  still  a  boy  of 
eight,  and  he  remained  with  his  father  until 
he  was  sixteen  years  old,  when  he  started 
out  to  earn  his  own  way  in  the  workL  In 
1855  he  came  to  Minnesota  with  his  father, 
and  remained  here  two  years  working  on  a 
farm,  after  wiiich  he  returned  to  Michigan. 
Three  years  later  he  came  back  to  Minne- 
sota, and  in  October,  1861,  he  enlisted  in  the 
First  Minnesota  Battery,  and  went  south  for 
service  with  his  company.  He  saw  very 
active  service,  and  participated  in  tiiefolhjw- 
ing  battles — Shdoh,  Corinth,  second  Corinth, 
Vicksbm-g,  Champion  Hill,  luka,  Atlanta, 
Columbia  and  Goldsborough. 

He  remained  in  active  service  for  three 
years  and  seven  months,  and  was  finally 
mustered  out  at  St.  Paul,  on  the  2d  of  July, 
1865.  He  then  came  to  Meeker  county  and 
looked  over  the  country,  but  did  not  locate 
until  March,  1866,  when  he  took  eighty 
acres  on  section  26,  in  Union  Grove  town- 
ship. He  remained  there  for  two  years  and 
then  sold  his  right,  and  purchasetl  forty 
acres  of  railroad  land.  He  has  since  adfled 
additional  pieces,  until  he  now  owns  210 
acres  of  land,  his  buildings  being  located  on 
section  25. 

Mr.  Torre}^  was  first  married,  December 
5,  1868,  to  Miss  Laura  Vincent,  who  died 
March  22,  1878.  She  left  four  children,  as 
follows — Agnes,  born  October  26,  1870 ; 
Ilulda,  born  January  26, 1872 ;  Jolliette  E., 
born  May  29,  1871;  and  Bernice,  born  May 
29,  1877;  died  March  7,  1878. 

Mr.  Torrey's  second  marriage  was  with 
Miss  Emily  F.  Snell,  daughter  of  James  and 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


473 


Mary  Snell.  She  is  a  native  of  Madison 
county,  Ind. 

In  the  winter  of  1865-6,  the  husband  of 
Mr.  Torrey's  sister  \Yas  frozen  to  death,  and 
the  care  of  his  sister  and  her  three  cliildren, 
devolved  upon  liim.  She  was  with  him 
three  years,  when  she  removed  to  Litchfield, 
and  has  since  married. 

Mr.  Torrey  has  met  with  considerable  bad 
luck.  He  had  some  $1,400  in  money  when 
he  came  to  the  county,  but  lost  in  all  in 
three  years,  from  various  causes  beyond  his 
control.  In  1877  the  grasshoppers  took  his 
grain,  and  one  year  he  paid  $2.50  per  bushel 
for  seed  wheat,  and  sold  his  meager  crop  in 
October  for  50  cents  per  bushel.  Thus  luck 
ran  against  him  until,  when  he  bought  the 
first  forty  of  his  present  farm,  he  did 
not  have  a  dollar.  His  enterprise  and  indus- 
trj',  however,  have  not  been  unrewarded,  as 
he  is  now  one  of  the  most  comfortably 
"fi.xed"  farmers  in  the  township.  He  is  a 
republican  in  political  matters,  and  has  taken 
considerable  interest  in  township  matters, 
and  held  various  local  offices,  including  that 
of  supervisor  for  four  years. 


^MNTHONY  WAYNE  COLEMAN  is  one 
Jt^"^^  of  the  leading  farmers  of  the  town  of 
Collinwood,  and  lives  on  section  31,  where 
he  has  a  fine  farm  of  180  acres.  He  is  a 
native  of  Buchanan  count}',  Va.,  and  is  the 
son  of  Richard  and  Nancy  (King)  Coleman, 
natives  of  Virginia  and  Kentucky,  respect- 
ively. His  father  was  a  merchant  in  the  vil- 
lage of  Grundy,  and  owned  a  large  stock 
farm  besides.  When  the  war  broke  out  he 
joined  the  "  Home  Guards,"  and  while  absent 
from  home  on  duty  was  taken  prisoner  by 
the  Federals.  By  disguising  himself  he  man- 
aged to  escape,  but  found  that  the  Confeder- 
ates had  cleaned  him  out  of  ever3'thing  in 
his   absence.   _  Disgusteil,  he   returned   and 


and  enlisted  in  the  federal  army,  and  was 
afterward  killed  in  battle.  The  family,  being 
left  destitute,  removed  to  Louisa,  Ky.,  where 
they  lived  until  1864,  at  which  time  the  fam- 
ily came  to  Minnesota.  At  that  time  the 
family  consisted  of  Mrs.  Coleman  and  her 
eight  cliildren — Lewis,  Joseph,  Anthony, 
Mary  Jane,  Pricy,  Ellen,  Ci-osby  and  Carrie. 
They  settled  in  Hutchinson,  IVfcLeod  county, 
where  the  mother  died  two  years  later,  and 
the  children  were  scattered.  Anthony  worked 
around  from  place  to  place  until  he  was 
about  eighteen  years  old,  at  which  time 
he  commenced  attending  school,  spending 
two  years  in  the  district  schools,  one  year 
in  the  Hutchinson  High  School  and  the  last 
term  in  the  State  Normal.  He  then  came 
to  Collinwood,  and  for  eleven  years  taught  a 
portion  of  each  year.  In  1877  he  purchased 
the  farm  where  he  now  lives,  and  has  made 
it  his  home  ever  since.  He  was  married. 
April  4,  1878,  to  Miss  Lydia  McKinney, 
daughter  of  John  and  Lydia  (Hicks)  McKin- 
ney. By  this  union  they  have  five  children — 
Lydia,  born  January  6,  1879;  Joseph,  born 
August  29, 1880;  James,  born  September  13, 
1882 ;  Jane,  born  May  5,  1884 ;  and  Theresa, 
born  July  7,  1886. 


-«— 


ENRY  C.  ROWLEY.     The  subject   of 


this  sketch  is  a  well-known  and  highly 
respected  farmer  and  stock-raiser,  residing 
on  section  20,  Forest  Prairie  township,  and 
an  ex-I^nion  soldier. 

Mr.  Rowley  was  born  in  Cai'roU  county, 
Ohio,  on  the  24th  of  August,  1844,  and  is  a 
son  of  William  and  Ann  (Morledge)  Rowley. 
The  parents  were  natives  of  England  ;  the 
father  came  to  the  United  States,  when 
seventeen,  and  the  mother,  when  eleven 
years  of  age.  They  were  married  in  Ohio. 
The}'  are  now  both  dead ;  the  father  died 
June  23,  1877,  in  Bartholomew  county,  Ind., 


474 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


aged  seventy-five;  and  the  mother  died  in 
September,  1887,  aged  ninety  six  years. 
Tli-ey  (Henry's  parents)  h:ul  tliirteen  cliil- 
dren. 

Henry  C.  Tlowley,  our  subject,  spent  liis 
school  days  in  Jennings  and  i>artholoniew 
counties,  Ind.  On  the  11th  of  November, 
1862,  he  enlisted  in  Company  I,  Sixth  Indi- 
ana Volunteer  Infantry,  and  went  into 
service,  participating  in  the  battles  of  Green 
river,  Shiloh,  Corinth,  Marietta,  Chicka- 
mauga,  and  Atlanta,  besides  many  skir- 
mishes. He  was  finally  discharged  at  Chat- 
tanooga, Tenn.,  on  the  21st  of  November, 
18fi5,  and  returned  to  his  former  home  in 
Indiana.  As  he  was  only  seventeen  years 
old  at  the  time  of  his  enlistment  he  resumed 
his  schooling,  after  his  return  from  the  war, 
and  attended  one  winter  term,  after  which 
he  was  emploj'ed  in  a  saw  mill,  and  also 
worked  at  mason  work,  having  learned  that 
trade.  In  the  spring  of  18S0  he  went  to 
Arkansas,  and  was  on  the  road  in  the 
macliinery  business  for  about  one  year,  then 
lived  in  Little  Rock,  Ark.,  for  one  year, 
engaged  in  the  milling  business.  In  April, 
1882,  he  came  to  Meeker  county,  Minn.,  and 
purchased  his  present  farm  in  Forest  Prairie 
township,  where  he  has  since  lived.  He  has 
one  of  the  best  improved  and  most  valuable 
farms  in  the  township. 

Mr.  Rowley  was  married  at  Columbus, 
Ind.,  December  17,  1868,  to  Miss  Margaret 
Irwin,  a  native  of  Indiana,  and  a  daughter  of 
William  Irwin.  Her  fatiier  was  t;inner  l)y 
trade,  who  died  when  she  was  quite  young. 
Her  mother  married  James  W.  Polk,  and 
now  lives  in  the  same  township  as  her 
daughter.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rowley  are  the 
parents  of  six  children  living,  as  follows^ 
William  Orien,  Luia  B.,  George,  Clarence, 
Grace,  and  Mattie.  One  child,  Nora  B., 
died  when  three  years  old.  The  famil}'  are 
members  of  the  Christian  Church. 

In  political  matters  Mr.  Rowley  is  a  repub- 


lican. He  has  taken  an  active  interest  in 
educational  and  official  mattei-s,  and  is  one 
of  the  leading  citizens  of  the  township  in 
which  he  lives. 


l^ERGUS  McCUSKER,  the  subject  of  this 
JP^  personal  historj',  a  resident  of  section 
10,  is  one  of  the  most  successful  and  enter- 
prising farmers  and  stock-raisers  in  Ilarvey 
township.  He  is  a  native  of  County  Tyrone, 
Ireland,  and  was  born  in  September,  1827. 
His  early  life  was  spent  in  the  land  of  his 
birth,  where  he  received  the  severe  and  rigid 
discipline  of  industry  and  frugality  which 
was  given  to  lads  of  his  nationality.  On  the 
1st  of  November,  1846,  he  sailed  for  America, 
landing  at  the  city  of  New  York,  and  a  few 
days  later  went  to  Newburyport,  Mass , 
where  he  worked  in  the  ship-yards  for  sev- 
eral j'ears.  From  there  he  went  to  Lowell, 
Mass.,  where  he  secured  work  in  a  cotton  fac- 
tory and  remained  until  1855.  In  the  spring 
of  that  year  he  started  west  and  located  in 
Illinois,  arriving  there  on  the  4th  of  April. 
Remainino;  in  that  State  during  the  inter- 
vening  time,  in  1859  he  came  to  Meeker 
county,  Minn.,  and  located  in  Harvey  town- 
ship, where  he  still  lives.  Here  he  was  liv- 
ing with  his  family  peaceably  carrying  on  his 
farming  operations  when  the  Indian  out- 
break occurred.  Mr.  McCusker  at  once 
moved  his  family  to  Forest  City,  and  a  few 
days  later  to  Clearwater,  where  he  left  them 
and  he  returned  temporarily  to  finish  his 
harvesting.  In  the  same  fall,  1862,  he 
brought  his  family  back,  and  has  since  made 
this  his  home  without  interruption. 

On  the  7th  of  June,  1S4S,  ]\[r.  McCusker 
was  married  to  Miss  Margaret  ]\IcNulty,  and 
they  have  been  the  parents  of  seven  children 
the  two  oldest  of  whom — Charles  and  Charles 
A. — are  dead.  The  five  living  children  are — 
James,    Mary    Ann,    Rosella,    Maggie  and 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


475 


Charles.  James  is  married.  Mary  Ann  is 
now  Mrs.  Patrick  McQuid,  of  Swift  county, 
Minn.  The  family  are  active  members  of 
the  Catholic  Church. 

In  political  matters  Mr.  McCusker  acts  in- 
dependent of  party.  By  his  thrift,  industry 
and  frugality  he  has  accumulated  a  fine  prop- 
erty, and  now  has  a  splendid  farm  of  460 
acres,  which  is  one  of  the  best  improved 
farms  in  Meeker  county.  His  enterprise  is 
manifested  in  his  building  improvements, 
which  are  a  credit  to  any  farming  district. 
He  has  a  windmill  on  his  place  arranged 
with  the  necessary  machinery  so  that  he  can 
grind  all  his  grain  except  for  flour,  and  also 
does  all  such  work  as  sawing  wood,  churn- 
ing, etc. 

■   ■■>.  ■ 

^LE  LARSON,  one  of  the  old  settlers  of 
Acton  township,  was  born  in  Nor- 
way, on  the  9th  of  January,  1835,  and  is  a 
son  of  Lars  and  Katrina  Anderson.  He  came 
to  the  United  States  in  1855,  and  settled  in 
Illinois,  where  he  worked  for  various  farmers 
until  1861,  when  he  came  to  Minnesota,  and 
took  a  homestead  on  section  26,  in  Acton 
township,  where  he  now  lives.  Mr.  Larson 
had  barely  got  settled  in  his  new  home  when 
the  terrible  Indian  outbreak  of  1862  began. 
He  visited  Baker's  house  —  where  the  first 
murder  was  committed  —  at  about  eleven 
o'clock  on  the  night  of  the  killing,  and  could 
hear  the  Indians  yelling  and  shooting  in  the 
neighborhood,  some  of  the  bullets  coming  so 
near  that  he  could  hear  them  sing  as  they 
passed  his  head.  Fearing  that  a  large  force 
of  Indians  would  come  he  returned  to  his 
homestead,  and,  gathering  together  what  few 
things  he  could  readily  carry,  he  went  to 
Forest  City.  The  same  night  the  Indians 
burned  his  house,  grain,  and  destroyed  all 
else  that  they  could.  At  Forest  Citj'  he  got 
a  house  to  live  in,  and  on  the  night  of  the 


attack  upon  Forest  City  he  went  to  the  stock- 
ade for  safety,  and  the  Indians  burned  the 
house  which  he  had  occupied.  After  the 
close  of  hostihties  he  returned  to  his  farm 
and  has  since  made  it  his  home.  He  has 
been  very  successful  in  his  farming  opera- 
tions and  is  now  well  off.  He  has  a  com- 
fortable house  and  fine  farm  buildings. 

Mr.  Larson  was  first  married  in  the  spring 
of  1861,  to  Miss  Sarah  Halverson,  who  died 
in  1870.  His  second  marriage  was  with 
Mrs.  Dora  Hanson.  Her  first  husband  was 
Andrew  Hanson,  who  died  in  Norway  in 
1863,  and  by  whom  she  had  two  children  — 
Sophia  and  Hans,  both  of  whom  were  born 
in  1855.  By  these  marriages  Mr.  Larson  has 
had  the  following  children  — Betsy,  born 
January  9,  1863;  Louisa,  born  in  March, 
1865;  Hannah,  born  March  1,  1867;  and 
Lewis,  born  May  7,  1869.  Betsy  married  A. 
0.  Lawson,  a  general  merchant  of  Grove 
City ;  Louisa  married  Andrew  Bjorhus,  a 
farmer  in  Greenleaf  township  ;  Hannah  mar- 
ried Olof  Olson,  a  farmer  in  Acton  township; 
and  Lewis  is  living  at  home  Avith  his  parents. 

JOHN  KNIGHTS,  one  of  the  leading 
stock-buyers  of  Litchfield,  is  also 
engaged  in  the  livery  business  in  that  vil- 
lasre.  He  is  a  native  of  Eaton,  Canada, 
born  February  27,  1837,  and  is  the  son  of 
"William  and  Catherine  (Hoburn)  Knights. 
Both  of  his  parents  were  natives  of  the  Em- 
erald Isle,  who  had  come  to  the  Dominion 
several  years  previous.  John  was  reared  in 
the  county  of  his  birth,  upon  the  farm  of 
his  father,  until  he  had  reached  the  age  of 
nineteen,  when  he  came  to  the  United  States 
and  located  at  St.  Paul,  this  State.  He 
remained  in  that  place  and  in  Hennepin 
county  for  about  four  years,  engaged  in 
lumbering,  and  then  moved  to  Oshkosh, 
Wis.     In   the  spring  of  1861  he  enlisted  in 


476 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


tlie  I'^ii'st  l\rinnesota  Infantry,  for  thi-ee 
iiiontlis,  and  on  the  exjiiration  of  liis  term 
of  service,  re-enlisted  in  the  Third  Alinne- 
sota  Infantry.  He  partici])ated  in  the  for- 
tunes of  the  regiment  until  March,  18G3,  wlien 
he  was  mustered  out  for  disability.  Settling 
in  Wright  county,  at  the  time  of  the  out- 
break he  was  made  scout  and  guide  to  one 
of  the  columns,  after  which  he  served  as 
deputy  provost  marshal  until  the  close  of  the 
war.  Mr.  Knights  remained  at  farming  in 
Wright  county  six  years,  and  then  ran  a 
store  at  Cokato  for  eighteen  months,and  after 
spending  another  year  in  lumbei'ing,  hecame 
to  Litchfield  and  went  into  the  livery  business 
with  A.  L.  McCarger.  Four  years  later  he 
commenced  the  cattle  business.  In  1886  the 
firm  of  Ross  &  Knights  was  formed.  In 
April,  1864,  he  married  Miss  Helen  Marr 
Jenks,  a  native  of  Illinois,  who  had  come  to 
this  State  in  her  childhood.  By  this  union 
there  have  been  Ijorn  nine  children — Henry 
H.,  Viola  E.,  Gertrude  E.,  Bertha  M.,  Win- 
nie M..  Arthur  E.,  AUie  F.,  Harry  M.,  and 
John  A. 


-«- 


•«►- 


>ETER  E.  LARSON,  a  prominent  citizen 
[^  of  Litchfield  township,  was  born  in 
Sweden  March  1,  1846,  and  came  to  Amer- 
ica and  Meeker  county,  Minn.,  with  his  par- 
ents, John  and  Celia  Peterson  Larson,  in 
1857.  He  was  sixteen  years  of  age  Avhen  the 
Indian  outbreak  occurred,  but  the  duties  of 
a  man  devolved  upon  him.  He  helped  move 
the  family  to  Forest  City,  then  Clearwater, 
and,  later  on,  to  Anoka.  While  the  family 
were  encamped  on  the  bank  of  the  river 
opposite  Clearwater,  he  started  there  to  see 
them.  The  ferryman  refused  to  take  hini 
across  the  river,  the  object  being  to  keep  all 
the  men  and  horses  on  this  side  of  the  river 
for  use  in  the  constantly  expected  confiicts 
with  the  Indians.     But  Peter  had  started  to 


see  his  folks,  and  see  them  he  would,  at  all 
hazards.  So,  nothing  daunted,  he  tied  his 
clothes  on  his  back  and  swam  the  Father  of 
Waters,  in  defiance  of  the  mandates  of  the 
ferryman  and  all  his  men.  During  the  fall 
he  came  liack  and  remained  at  the  old  home 
ail  winter  and  the  following  spring  and  sum- 
mer, "keeping  bach"  witiihis  brother  Louis. 
After  his  father's  death,  in  1867,  Peter  con- 
ducted the  farm,  and  still  lives  on  the  old 
homestead.  On  the  11th  of  June,  1870,  he 
was  married  to  Anna  Oleson,  daughter  of  Ole 
Ilawkinson.  Eight  children  have  been  born 
to  them,  two  of  whom — Charles  and  an  in- 
fant unnamed — are  dead.  The  others  are  all 
at  home  —  Josephine  Albertina,  Alice  A., 
Geoi'ge  William,  Alexander,  Amanda  and 
Huldah.  Like  his  brothers,  Peter  has  ac- 
quired some  fine  propert}',  by  dint  of  hard 
toil  and  close  attention  to  business,  having  a 
splenditl  farm  of  ne.irly  400  acres.  In  addi- 
tion to  farming,  he  has  for  many  years  car- 
ried on  the  business  of  threshing,  and  yearly 
adds  a  goodly  portion  to  his  earthly  store  by 
that  means.  He  devotes  considerable  atten- 
tion to  stock-raising,  both  native  and  blooded. 


-«- 


►^^ 


,'V)LE  K.  BJORHUS,  a  prominent  and 
X^ii/  successful  farmer  residing  on  section 
IS,  Greenleaf  township,  was  born  in  Norway, 
in  1824,  and  is  a  son  of  Knute  and  Martha 
Bjorhus.  In  1869  he  came  to  America  in 
company  with  his  oldest  son,  Knute,  and 
two  years  later  transpoi-ted  the  rest  of  his 
family.  In  1878  he  purchased  a  tract  of 
land  on  section  18,  Greenleaf  township, 
where  he  still  resides.  He  has  reared  a 
family  of  seven  children — Matilda,  Knute, 
Lisa,  Louis,  Andrew,  Tnga  and  I^eter,  the 
last  named  of  whom  is  dead. 

Andrew  Bjouhus,  fifth  child  of  Ole  K. 
Bjorhus,  was  born  in  Norway,  October  6, 
1860,  and  came  to  America  with  the  family 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


479 


in  1871.  He  was  reared  on  the  farm  with 
his  father,  and  in  1884  purchased  a  farm  ad- 
joining, and  commenced  business  forliimself. 
The  same  year  he  was  married  to  Louisa 
Larson,  a  daughter  of  Ole  (Kalvorson)  Lar- 
son, who  was  born  in  Meeker  county,  Feb- 
ruary 10,  1865.  They  have  one  child,  Maria 
Sarah,  born  May  26,  1887.  Both  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Ness  Lutheran  Church,  and  the 
family  are  highly  respected  by  all  wlio  know 
them. 


-*"5^{^-^- 


"T|:^aOUlS  EKBOM,  a  fanner  and  stock- 
IIM^  raiser  of  Darwin  township,  living  on 
section  7,  is  a  native  of  Sweden,  born  in  the 
province  of  Gothland,  October  25,  1833.  He 
remained  in  the  land  of  his  bii'th  until  1856, 
and  then  immigrated  to  the  LTnited  States, 
landing  in  New  York,  from  whence  he  came 
direct  to  Minnesota,  and  settled  in  Carver 
county.  One  year  later  he  came  to  Meeker 
county,  locating  near  where  the  city  of  Litch- 
field now  stands.  The  first  year  he  did  what 
he  could  find  to  do,  until  during  the  year 
1859,.  when  he  removed  to  Forest  City  and 
opened  the  first  shoemaking  shop  in  that 
place,  and  in  the  county.  He  continued 
there  in  that  line  until  tiie  starting  of  Litch- 
field, when  he  put  up  one  of  the  first  build- 
ings in  that  city,  and  opened  a  shoe  store  and 
shop  for  the  making  of  foot  gear.  This  he 
ran  successfully  for  twelve  years.  In  1880 
he  sold  out  his  place  and  removed  to  the 
farm  in  Darwin,  where  he  now  lives. 

When  the  Indians  murdered  the  Jones  and 
Baker  families,  on  the  17th  of  August,  1862, 
Mr.  Ekbom  was  at  the  house  of  liis  In-otlier- 
in-law,  Nels  Elofson,  in  Swede  Grove,  where 
they  were  holding  a  meeting  to  find  means 
to  raise  mone\'  with  which  to  ])rocure  substi 
tutes  in  the  army,  not  desiring  that  any  in 
their  town  should  be  drafted.  Toward  even- 
ing our  subject  started  for  the  house  of  Ole 


Munson,  a  neighbor,  and  on  the  way  met 
nine  Indians,  six  of  whom  were  mounted, 
who  made  motions  for  him  to  go  back,  but 
he  did  not  understand  them,  and  went  on  to 
his  destination.  On  his  return  to  Elofson's, 
he  found  these  Indians  there,  quietly  smok- 
ing their  pipes,  and  after  talking  with  the 
whites  went  north  toward  Manannah.  Hear- 
ing the  news  of  the  killing  of  the  settlers  in 
Acton,  they  sat  up  and  watched  all  that  night 
and  in  the  morning  joined  the  party  at  the 
inquest  and  l)urial  of  the  first  victims  of  the 
massacre.  Mr.  Ekbom  that  night  stayed 
with  Nels  Elofson,  and  in  the  morning  went 
to  Forest  City,  but  a  few  days  later  went  to 
St.  Paul,  where  he  remained  about  a  year 
and  then  returned  to  Forest  City. 

Februar}^  15,  1868,  Mr.  Ekbom  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Lizzie  Williams,  and 
b}'  this  union  there  have  been  born  eight 
children,  all  of  whom  ai'e  living. 

In  politics  Mr.  Ekbom  is  a  republican,  and 
in  religious  views  affiliates  with  the  Metho- 
dist Church. 


PETER  MelNTYRE,  who  is  engaged  in 
carrying  on  farming  upon  section  14, 
of  Mannanah  township,  is  one  of  tiie  earliest 
settlers  of  that  jiart  of  the  county  lying 
north  of  Crow  river.  He  is  a  native  of  Ire- 
land, born  in  1839,  but  his  mother  dying  in 
his  childhood,  he  was  taken  to  Scotland  by 
his  relatives,  with  whom  he  was  reared.  He 
made  his  home  in  that  land  of  heaths  and 
braes  until  he  was  almost  nineteen  years  of 
age,  at  which  time  he  concluded  to  cross  the 
ocean  and  come  to  America.  He  set  out  and 
lantling  upon  Columbia's  shore  made  directly 
for  Joliet,  111.,  where  his  elder  brothers  were 
living.  He  made  iiis  home  in  that  place  for  two 
years,  but  in  1860  he  removed  to  Kansas, 
but  one  year  later  he  returned  to  Joliet.  On 
the  •20th  of  July,  1862,  our  subject  enlisted 


48o 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


in  the  Nineteenth  Illinois  InfantiT,  which 
was  a  part  of  the  famous  Fifteenth  Corps, 
commanded  by  Gen.  John  A.  Logan.  He 
participated  with  the  regiment  in  many  a 
hardly  contested  field  througliout  their  long 
and  valued  service,  principal  among  which 
were  the  siege  and  capture  of  Vicksburg, 
battles  of  Corinth,  Chattanooga,  Missionary 
Kidge,  all  the  various  engagments  in  the 
Atlanta  campaign,  including  the  capture  of 
the  city.  At  the  battle  of  Jonesboro,  Aug- 
ust 3L  1864.  Peter  JMcIntyre  was  badly 
wounded  in  the  shoulder  by  a  minne  ball,  so 
that  he  could  not  march  with  Shei'manto  the 
sea.  He  was  sent  north  on  a  fui'lough,  alter 
spending  some  time  in  the  general  hospital, 
and  thirty  days  later  reportetl  at  Nashville, 
where  he  was  in  the  convalesent  hospital  dur- 
ing the  bloody  battle  fought  for  its  posses- 
sion. On  his  recovery  our  subject  was  placed 
in  a  pioneer  corps,  and  there  served  until 
June  6,  1865,  when  he  was  discharged. 

About  the  11th  of  August,  the  same  year, 
Mr.  Mclntyre  came  to  Meeker  county  and 
took  up  a  homestead  of  160  acres  where  he 
now  lives,  but  which  was  then  entirely  cov- 
ered with  heavy  timber.  He  lived  here  off 
and  on  until  his  marriage,  since  which  time 
he  has  made  it  his  home.  He  was  married 
November  7,  1870,  at  Forest  City,  to  Miss 
Catharine  Klaas.  They  have  a  family  of 
ten  children — James,  Mary,  John,  Nellie, 
Thomas  F.,  Peter,  Edward,  Matilda,  Philip 
Sheridan,  and  Ilosanna.  Mr.  Mclntyre  is 
one  of  the  board  of  school  directors,  and 
takes  a  deep  interest  in  the  cause  of  educa- 
tion. He  is  a  member,  also,  of  Frank  Dag- 
gett Post,  No.  35,  G.  A.  E. 


.-^> 


'ICHARD  FOURRE,  a  leading  agricult- 
l&{\,  urist  of  Darwin  township,  having  his 
residence  on  section  10,  is  a  native  of  Canada 
West,  born  February  8,  1839,  and  is  a  son  of 


George  and  Eliza  (Wyman)  Fourre.  His 
father  was  born  in  England,  although  the 
paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject  was  a 
native  of  France,  and  was  Pichai-d  Fourre 
by  name.  The  mother  of  our  subject  was 
born  in  Oswego,  N.  Y.,  and  was  the  daugh- 
ter of  Gardner  Wyman,  a  native  of  Scotland. 

The  gentleman  whose  name  heads  this 
sketch  remained  in  his  Canadian  home  until 
1857,  when  he  came  to  the  United  States, 
and  settled  in  Kane  county,  111.,  where  he 
made  his  home  for  some  five  years,  llemov- 
ing  to  Grant  county.  Wis.,  at  the  end  of  that 
time,  he  made  that  his  home  until  18G5,  when 
he  came  to  Meeker  county,  and  made  a  set- 
tlement in  Da"win  townshi|),  on  the  property 
where  he  now  lives.  AVhile  a  resident  of 
Grant  county,  April  18,  186:3,  he  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Mrs.  Morgan  (Condon)  Gro- 
gen.  While  still  a  citizen  of  the  "  Badger 
State,"'  Mr.  Fourre  enlisted  in  Company  F, 
Seventh  Wisconsin  Infantry,  on  the  27th  of 
February,  186i,  and  was  assigned  for  duty 
to  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  partici- 
pated with  the  regiment  in  the  sanguinary 
contest  known  as  the  battle  of  the  Wilder- 
ness, where  he  received  some  slight  injuries 
from  a  spent  shot.  In  the  battle  of  Spot- 
sylvania, which  followed  some  time  after,  he 
had  the  misfortune  to  have  his  thumb  blown 
oif,  and  was  transferred  to  the  Twenty-Fourth 
Kegiment,  Veteran  Reserve  Corps,  stationed 
at  Washington,  D.  C,  where  he  remained  on 
duty  until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  was  one 
of  the  guawls  over  Mrs.  Surratt,  just  before 
her  hanging,  and  over  the  infamous  Dr. 
Mudd.  He  received  his  discharge  July  25, 
1865,  and  returned  to  his  home. 

Mr.  FouiTe  is  a  republican  in  his  political 
faith.  His  wife  is  a  consistent  member  of 
the  Catholic  Church. 

Mrs.  Fourre  was  born  January  6,  1838,  in 
County  Limerick,  Ireland.  She  came  to 
Grant  county*  Wis.,  with  her  ])arcnts,  David 
and  Mary  (Galway)  Condon,  in  the  spring  of 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


481 


1847.     The  parents  were  both  born  in  County 
Limerick,  Ireland. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fourre  are  the  parents  of 
the  following  children — Mary  F.,  born  De- 
cenaber  15,  1858;  George,  born  January  15, 
1864- ;  James,  born  April  28,  1866;  liichard, 
born  March  16, 1868 ;  Laura  C,  born  May  25, 
1870;  John  A.,  born  October  8,  1872;  Char- 
ley A.,  born  November  10,  1874;  Frederick 
E.,  born  December  20,  1870  ;  and  Lucy,  born 
December  22,  1878. 


-^. 


PETER  R.  PETERSON  is  a  prosperous 
and  respected  farmer  who  resides  on 
section  23,  in  the  township  of  Danielson,  in 
which  he  was  one  of  the  very  earliest  set- 
tlers. He  comes  of  the  same  nationality 
which  by  their  industry  and  frugality  have 
done  so  much  toward  tlie  development  of 
Minnesota's  resources.  He  was  born  in  Nor- 
way on  the  10th  of  October,  1838,  and  is  a 
son  of  Rolof  and  Rachel  Peterson.  The 
family  came  to  the  United  States  in  1857 
and  located  in  Rock  county,  Wis.,  where  the 
father's  death  occurred,  and  where  the 
mother  still  resides. 

Shortly  after  his  arrival  in  the  United 
States,  in  1857,  Peter  R.  Peterson,  our  sub- 
ject, began  life  for  himself,  by  working  for 
farmers  in  Wisconsin,  and  remained  there 
until  June,  1864.  At  that  time  he  came  to 
Meeker  county,  Minn.,  and  went  to  work  for 
Ever  Jackson,  a  farmer  in  Litchfield  town- 
ship. In  the  spring  of  1865  he  removed  to  a 
homestead  which  he  had  taken  on  section  2, 
in  Danielson  township,  thus  becoming  one  of 
the  first  settlers  of  that  township,  the  only 
settler  at  that  time  within  its  limits  being 
Nels  Danielson.  Mr.  Peterson  remained 
upon  his  farm  until  1872,  when  he  sold  out 
and  removed  to  a  farm  uliich  he  had  pur- 
chased in  Iowa.  In  1874  lie  ^old  tiie  Iowa 
farm  and  returned  to  Danielson  township. 


where  he  bought  the  farm  on  section  23, 
upon  which  he  still  resides.  lie  has  been 
ver\'  successful  in  his  farming  operations  and 
now  owns  104  acres  of  land,  sixty-four  of 
which  is  in  Danielson,  and  the  balance  in 
Cosmos  township,  besides  which,  in  1882  he- 
gave  his  son,  Elof,  eighty  acres  on  section 
23,  Danielson  township.  He  was  a  poor  man 
when  he  came  to  America,  and  his  present 
comfortable  circumstances  are  entirely  due  ta 
his  own  efforts  and  industry. 

While  in  Wisconsin  Mr.  Peterson  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Mary  Anderson,  and  they  were 
the  parents  of  five  children — Elof,  born  Sep- 
tember 19,  1862;  Ralph,  born  November  11^ 
1864;  Anna,  born  October  1,  1866;  John,, 
born  June  20, 1869;  and  Eliza,  born  November 
20,  1871,  died  August  13,  1873.  The  daugh- 
ter Anna,  married  Hans  Olson,  of  Greenleaf 
township.  The  sons,  Ralph  and  John,  are  in 
Dakota.  Mr.  Peterson's  first  wife  died  on 
the  25th  of  May,  1880,  and  on  the  16th  of 
October,  1885,  he  was  married  to  Carrie 
Olson,  the  widow  of  Christian  Jacobson.  By 
her  former  marriage  she  had  four  children,. 
as  follows — Jacob  Jacobson,  Ole  Jacobson, 
John  Jacobson  and  Christina  Jacobson. 

Mr.  Peterson  has  taken  an  active  interest 
in  the  public  matters  affecting  his  township, 
and  has  held  various  offices  of  a  local  nature, 
including  the  following:  Township  super- 
visor, two  years;  school  director,  two  or 
three  years,  and  road  overseer,  two  years.  In 
political  matters  he  affiliates  with  the  repub- 
lican party. 


kR.  E.  B.  WEEKS,  dentist,  residing  iu 
the  village  of  Litchfield,  is  a  native 
of  Ilartland  Waukesha  county.  Wis.,  born 
September  30, 1857,  and  is  the  son  of  Thomas 
and  Mary  E.  (Bissell)  Weeks.  His  father 
was  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits,  and 
the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  reared  upon  a 


482 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


farm  until  he  was  about  twenty  years  of 
age.  His  early  educational  advantages  were 
somewhat  limited,  hut  lie  attended  the  dis- 
trict school  wiien  the  opportunity  occurred, 
and  being  of  a  studious  nature  studied  by 
himself  whenever  he  had  any  leisure  from 
the  duties  of  the  farm,  thus,  by  energy  and 
perseverance,  laying  a  good  foundation  of 
knowledge.  Sliortly  before  attaining  his 
majority  our  subject  went  to  Dakota,  where 
he  spent  one  year,  and,  returning,  entered  a 
dental  office  in  "Wliitewater,  Wis.,  where  he 
remained  until  lie  had  l)ecome  proficient  in 
the  theory  ami  ])ractice  of  that  profession. 
In  1SS3  he  came  to  Litchfield  and  opened 
his  present  office,  over  Eevell  Bros.'  drug 
store,  and  is  now  enjoying  the  fruits  of  an 
extensive  practice,  having  gained  the  reputa- 
tion in  this  community  of  being  a  man  of 
sterling   worth    and  excellent  ability. 

The  Doctor  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyte- 
rian Ciiurch  and  a  Christian  gentleman.  He 
takes  great  interest  in  the  good  of  the  vil- 
lage and  enjoys  the  esteem  of  all  who  know 
him. 


-«« 


s\  ELS   WAYLANDER,  one  of  the  pio- 


ii  iu  ueers  of  Acton  townshij),  is  a  native 
of  Sweden,  and  came  to  this  country  in 
1852,  with  his  wife  and  child,  he  having  mar- 
ried Miss  Elsa  Swan.  The  first  winter  after 
coming  here  he  spent  in  Ivnoxville,  111., 
and  the  following  summer  in  Moline,  but 
late  that  year  he  emigrated  to  St.  Paul, 
Minn.,  and  after  numerous  difficulties  got  his 
little  family  to  Chisago  county,  this  State, 
Avhere  he  took  up  a  claim.  This  he  sold 
shortly  after,  and  owned  and  occupied  various 
))ieces  of  real  estate  thei-e,  until  the  spi-ing 
of  1837,  when  he  came  to  Meeker  county 
and  settled  on  section  4,  Acton  township. 
He  afterward  took  up  a  homestead  on  the 
same  section,  and  later,  ])urcliased  adjoining 


land  until  he  had  accumulated  a  fine  prop- 
erty. Foi'  many  years  he  was  busily 
engaged  in  oj)erating  this  farm,  but  has  now 
retired  from  the  active  cares  of  life.  He 
has  given  each  of  his  sons  a  farm,  and  his 
daughter  a  ti'act  of  timber  land.  In  1862, 
with  the  other  settlers  here,  he  passed 
through  the  terrible  vicissitudes  of  the 
Indian  troubles.  On  tlie  night  of  tiie  Acton 
murder,  he  was  with  the  party  who  set  out 
from  Swede  Grove,  as  detailed  elsewhere. 
He  took  a  prominent  part  in  the  movements 
of  that  autumn,  and  relates  many  hair- 
breadth escapes  and  thrilling  stories  of  those 
eventful  days.  On  Sunday  afternoon, 
August  17,  18^2,  six  Indians  stopped  at  his 
cabin  and  talked  with  him,  and  it  is  the  sup- 
position that  they  were  the  red  fiends  who 
had  murdered  Jones,  Baker,  etc.,  in  that 
town,  but  a  few  houi-s  previous. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Waylander  are  the  parents 
of  five  children,  as  follows :  Nels,  born 
September  12,  1851,  married  and  living  in 
Acton;  Betsy,  born  in  May,  1S51,  is  dead; 
Ellen,  wife  of  George  Oakeson.  born  April 
20,  1856,  living  in  Grove  City;  Lewis,  born 
September  12,  1860,  died  September  18, 
1878;  and  Albert,  born  Fei)ruary  20,  1863, 
married  and  living  in  Paj'nesville,  Minn. 
Mr.  Waylander  is  one  of  the  representative 
citizens  of  the  county,  and  merits  and  receives 
the  I'espect  and  esteem  of  the  entire  commu- 
nity, for  his  industry,  thrift,  and  social 
uprightness  and  sterling  integrity. 


"•  V*  •( 


.-^^ 


ferJ^TjriLLIAM  p.  CHANEY.     Among  the 


\./a:/  thriving  farmers  of  CoUinwood 
township,  there  is  none  more  ]irominent 
than  the  subject  of  this  biograj)iiy.  He  was 
born  in  Russell  county,  Ya ,  January  15, 
183t!,  and  is  the  son  of  John  and  Elizabeth 
(Biair)  (;haney.  His  ])arents  were  natives 
of   Is'orth  Carolina,  and  his   maternal  gieat- 


MEEKER    COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


483 


grandfather  was  born  in  Germany,  and  set- 
tled in  Pennsylvania  at  an  earl}'^  da}'.  The 
latter  married  and  moved  to  North  Carolina, 
where  he  died  at  the  age  of  101  years,  in 
186i.  His  wife  was  a  native  of  Scotland, 
and  a  daughter  of  General  "Wilson,  of  Revolu- 
tionary' celebrity. 

The  subject  of  this  memoir  lived  with  his 
mother  until  attaining  the  age  of  twenty-one 
years,  and  then  went  to  Pike  county,  Ky., 
where  he  was  married,  April  7,  1858,  to  Miss 
Malinda  Sword,  the  daughter  of  John  and 
Rebecca  Sword.  Two  years  later  he  moved 
back  to  Russell  county,  Ya.,  where  he  farmed 
about  four  yeare.  While  there  he  enlisted  in 
a  battalion  of  Virginia  cavalry,  and  served 
three  years  in  the  Confederate  Army.  He 
was  taken  prisoner,  and  after  lingering  in 
confinement  for  a  year,  enlisted  in  the 
Union  Army,  and  served  there,  on  the  fron- 
tier, thirteen  months.  After  his  discharge  be 
returned  to  Kentucky.  Two  years  later  he 
moved  to  Piatt  county.  Mo.,  where  he  made 
his  home  until  April,  1887,  when  he  came  to 
Meeker  county.  He  has  a  fine  farm  of  120 
acres  of  good  land.  Mr.  Chaney  is  the 
parent  of  ten  children. 


-'^m- 


JETER  OLSON,  an  intelligent,  promi- 
nent and  successful  former  and  stock- 
raiser  of  Litchfield  township,  was  born  in 
Sweden,  April  7,  1845,  and  is  a  son  of  Ole 
and  Carrie  Peterson.  In  1870  he  was  mar- 
ried to  Betsy  Larson,  daughter  of  Louis 
Paulson.  No  children  have  been  born  to 
them,  but  they  have  adopted  and  are  rearing 
a  boy  named  John  Ockescvn,  who  was  born 
in  Sweden  May  7,  1876.  Mr.  Olson  and  wife 
came  to  America  in  1872,  and  lived  near  St. 
Paul  until  1875,  when  they  came  to  Meeker 
county  and  settled,  pursuing  the  business  of 
farming.  Mr.  Olson  has  met  with  some  se- 
vere reverses  since  since  coming  to  Meeker 


count\',  by  way  of  grasshoppers  and  hail- 
stones, which  destroyed  a  good  portion  of 
his  crops,  but  he  still  ranks  as  a  successful 
and  enterprising  farmer. 


-^- 


lE^URNS  BROTHERS,  two  of  Meeker 
JMy  county's  honest,  sober,  industrious  and 
prosperous  stock-raisers,  farmers  and  business 
men,  are  proprietors  of  the  Union  Stock 
Farm,  on  Tyrone  prairie,  in  Manannah  town- 
ship. They  are  natives  of  Lowell,  Mass., 
where  Edward  Frank,  the  elder,  was  born 
December  5,  1859,  and  where  Hugh  was  born 
November  25,  ISCl. 

Their  father,  Frank  Burns,  was  born  at  the 
same  place,  August  13,  1838,  just  after  the 
death  of  his  father,  and  his  mother  jiassed  to 
the  other  world  two  weeks  after  his  birth. 
Frank  Burns  learned  the  miller's  trade,  and 
in  1858  was  married  to  Mary  McMahon,  a 
daughter  of  Peter  and  Ann  McMahon. 
When  the  foundation  of  the  government  was 
threatened,  and  the  stars  and  stripes  were 
fired  upon  by  Southern  traitors,  Frank  Burns 
enlisted  and  went  into  the  service,  and  the 
fact  that  he-nobl}'  did  his  duty,  and  answered 
to  every  call  where  danger  was  involved,  is 
attested  by  the  sad  fact  that  he  now  fills  an 
honored  soldier's  grave.  The  following  will 
explain  itself: 

Commonwealth  op  Massachusetts,  Adjutant-  ) 
Genekal's  Office,  Boston,  June  4,  1888.  ) 
The  name  of  Frank  Burns,  of  Lowell,  aged  24,  occu- 
pation mill  operator,  is  borne  on  the  muster-out  roll  of 
Company  B,  Fortieth  Regiment  Massachusetts  Volun- 
teer Infantry  ;  enlisted  August  13,  1863  ;  mustered  in 
August  23,  1863,  for  three  years;  killed  in  battle  June 
3,  1864.  Samuel  Dai.ton, 

Adjutant-General . 

Frank  Burns  was  with  Grant's  advance  on 
Ri«hmond,  and,  as  the  historian  has  already 
recorded, "  a  series  of  terrible  conflicts  ensued, 
in  which  blood  flowed  like  water."  He  was 
at  the  AVilderness  May  5th  to  7th ;  at  Spot- 


484 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


SN'lvania  C.  H.  from  the  8th  to  the  12th  ;  and 
at  Cold  Harbor,  a  few  miles  from  Ilichmond, 
June  3,  1864.  At  daybreak  on  that  date  a 
general  assault  was  made,  ami,  twenty  min- 
utes after  the  first  shot  was  fired,  ten  thou- 
sand Union  men  were  stretched  writhing  on 
the  sod  or  still  and  calm  in  death.  Here 
Frank  Burns  met  his  death.  He  fills  an  hon- 
ored soldier's  grave — his  life  given  as  a  sacri- 
fice upon  the  altar  of  his  country  and  his 
flag. 

Upon  the  death  of  the  father,  the  children 
and  bereaved  widow  lived  with  the  widow's 
father  and  mother,  Peter  and  Ann  Mc- 
Mahon,  the  grandfather,  becoming  guardian 
■of  Edward  and  Hugh.  They  lived  happily 
together,  and  the  grandfather  invested  the 
money,  obtained  for  the  boys  from  the  gov- 
ernment, in  railroad  land,  as  he  received 
about  enough  to  meet  the  payments.  On  the 
'3d  of  October,  1866,  they  came  to  Meeker 
county,  Minn.,  and  settled  in  Manannah 
township,  where  the  two  boys,  with  their 
mother  and  two  sisters,  Mary  Ann  and 
Lizzie,  still  live  happily  together.  The 
grandmother  died  in  May,  1875  ;  the  grand- 
father March  11,  1883.  They  were  highly 
respected  by  all.  The  grandfather  was  a 
■"  Father  Mathew  Temperance  man."  They 
were  buried  at  Forest  City,  where  there  have 
since  been  interred  the  remains  of  Edward 
and  Hugh's  half-sister,  Ellen  Omelia  A.  Vin- 
tus,  a  young  lady,  sixteen  years  old,  who 
died  Ma}'  2,  1888.  Her  death  was  sincerely 
regretted  by  a  wide  circle  of  friends,  and  her 
funeral,  which  was  presided  over  by  Father 
McDevitt,  was  very  largely  attended. 

In  1875  Edward  F.  Burns  started  West, 
and  entered  a  homestead  near  DeGraff.  He 
was  then  but  seventeen  years  of  age,  so  he 
used  his  father's  homestead  right.  He  farmed 
it  for  five  years  under  discouraging  circum- 
stances, meeting  with  reverses  in  the  loss  of 
crops,  which  would  have  disheartened  the 
hardiest  of  men.     The  fourth  year  his  labors 


were  better  repaid,  as  he  cleared  about  $500, 
but  losing  the  following  crop  he  finally  left 
Swift  county,  and  afterward  sold  his  farm. 

On  the  24th  of  February,  1884,  he  took  a 
contract  to  ship  cattle  to  Miles  City,  Mont., 
and  during  the  following  spring  shipped  300 
head,  and  was  very  successful  in  this  enter- 
prise. In  March,  1885,  he  purchased  the 
stallion  French  Emperor  II.,  and  Avas  also 
successful  in  this  venture.  With  him  he  se- 
cured the  second  premium  at  the  county  fair 
and  his  colts  rated  high.  Mr.  Burns  tintiUy 
sold  the  animal  April  1,  1886.  On  the  15th 
of  September,  1886,  E.  F.  Burns  bought  the 
first  lot  that  was  sold  in  Eden  Valley,  erected 
a  fine  building,  and  October  ItUh,  established 
a  meat  market  ami  farm  produce  exchange, 
and  supplied  the  railroad  contractors  with 
provisions.  He  also  bought  wheat  and  dealt 
in  wood.  AVhen  the  boom  began  to  "  weak- 
en," in  Febi'uary,  1887,  he  soUl  out. 

The  brothers  are  independent  in  politics, 
and  are  members  of  the  Catholic  Church.  In 
1885  Edward  F.  was  elected  treasurer  of  his 
school  district,  which  ofiice  he  filled  for  three 
years,  and  in  the  spring  of  1886  he  was 
elected  justice  of  the  peace.  He  has  also 
taken  an  active  interest  in  temperance  raat- 
tere,  and  in  speaking  of  their  ])rosperity,  they 
say  they  attribute  the  success  of  their  firm  to 
"religion,  temperance  and  diversified  farm- 


-^> 


^^WAN  CARLSON.  The  subject  of  this 
'^^  biography  is  an  enterprising  and  thor- 
ough farmer  and  stock-raiser  on  section  32, 
Harvey  township.  He  was  born  in  Sweden, 
May  4,  1848,  and  six  years  later  came  to 
the  United  States  with  his  parents,  landing 
in  the  cit}'  of  New  York,  but  after  a  week's 
stay  came  to  Minnesota  and  located  at 
Swede  Lake,  Chisago  county.  He  made 
that  place  his   home   until    1871,    when   he 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


485 


came  to  Meeker  county  and  settled  on  the 
place  where  he  now  lives. 

He  was  united  in  marriage  May  16,  1872, 
with  Miss  Ellen  Nilson,  and  by  this  union 
there  have  been  born  seven  children  as  fol- 
lows— Edward,  born  February  5,  1873; 
Eugene,  born  July  12,  1874 ;  William,  born 
February  4,  1877;  Aivina,  born  February  9, 
1879  ;  Frank,  born  August  15,  1880  ;  Alfred, 
born  November  24,|1882  ;  and  Victoria,  born 
February  11,  1885.  Mrs.  Carlson's  father 
died  in  Sweden,  his  native  country,  in  Octo- 
ber, 1878,  but  her  mother  is  still  living  in 
the  old  country.  Mr.  Carlson's  parents 
make  their  home  in  Chisago  county,  where 
his  father  carries  on  the  carpenter's  trade 
in  connection  with  his  farming  o]ierations. 

In  his  political  views  our  subject  is  an 
adherent  to  the  princii)les  of  the  republican 
pai'ty,  and  has  held  several  local  offices.  He 
and  his  wife  are  zealous  members  of  the 
Evangelical  Lutheran  Church,  and  are  exem- 
plary Christian  people.  Mr.  Carlson,  being 
imbued  with  the  natural  thrift  and  frugality 
of  the  race  from  which  he  sprang,  has  accum- 
ulated a  fine  property  consisting  of  280  acres 
of  excellent  arable  land,  ujion  which  he  has 
made  some  excellent  improvements. 


-*-- 


T|jaOXLEY  R.  WOOD,  a  prominent  citi- 
11^^  zen  of  Darwin  township,  has  his  resi- 
dence on  section  7,  where  he  carries  on 
farming  and  stock-raising.  He  is  a  native 
of  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  born  March 
23,  1828,  where  he  was  reared.  Remaining 
there  until  1856,  our  subject  then  removed 
to  Luzerne  county,  in  the  same  State,  and 
made  his  home  there,  among  the  picturesque 
scenery  of  the  Blue  Ridge,  for  about  three 
years.  About  1859  he  came  to  Minnesota, 
and  settled  at  Minneapolis,  where  he  made 
his  home  for  some  two  years,  and  then  re- 
moved to  Wright  county,  and  there  lived  for 


about  eight  years.  At  the  end  of  that  time 
he  again  made  a  new  settlement,  this  time 
in  the  vicinty  of  Montevideo,  Chippewa 
county,  this  State,  but  a  few  years  later 
returned  to  Minneapolis,  and  in  that  city 
remained  some  thirteen  years.  While  a  resi- 
dent of  Wright  county,  Mr.  Wood  was  a 
participant  in  many  of  the  exciting  scenes  of 
the  Indian  massacre  of  18(52.  He  was  livinar 
on  Moore's  Praii-ie  at  the  time,  but  did  not 
feel  alarmed  until  he  heard  of  the  murder  of 
the  Dustin  family,  and  then  went  to  Minne- 
apolis, and  on  his  way  there  came  across  the 
corpses  of  the  victims  of  the  savages,  and 
assisted  in  their  burial.  He  came  back  to 
his  place  a  few  days  later,  and  gathered  up 
his  stock,  which  he  drove  to  a  place  of  safety. 

The  war  for  the  defense  of  the  Union  had 
been  progressing  some  time,  and  men  had 
become  quite  scarce  in  the  Northern  States, 
and  in  response  to  the  call  from  the  President 
for  more  troops,  in  1864,  our  subject  enlisted 
in  Company  I,  Sixth  New  York  Heavy  Artil- 
lery, and  served  with  that  regiment  uniler 
General  Sheridan.  He  was  assigned  to  the 
quartermaster's  department,  and  there  served 
until  the  close  of  the  war,  and  was  mustered 
out  and  discharged  in  18G5,  and  returned  to 
Wright  count\%  Minn. 

Mr.  Wood  was  united  in  marriage  August 
18,  1850,  with  Miss  Elizabeth  J.  Fisk.  By 
this  union  there  have  been  seven  children, 
four  boys  and  three  girls,  all  of  whom  are 
dead  except  one — Isaac  L.,  born  June  1, 1860. 

In  1884  Mr.  Wood  came  to  Meeker  county, 
and  took  up  his  residence  in  Darwin  town- 
ship. 


WILLIAM  MILLS  CAMPBELL,  the 
present  L'nited  States  marshal  for 
the  district  of  Minnesota,  is  one  of  Meeker 
county's  most  prominent  citizens,  and  has 
been  identified  with  its  interests  from  pio- 


486 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


neer  days.  lie  was  born  in  Philadelphia, 
Pa.,  A|)ril  11, 1839,  and  is  the  son  of  Edward 
and  Eliza  (Mills)  Campbell.  The  father  was 
a  native  of  the  cit}' of  Londonderry',  Ireland, 
born  in  February,  1808.  lie  came  to  the 
United  States  in  183-1,  and  in  Philadelphia 
learned  and  followed  phunbing  and  gas 
fitting.  In  1837  he  married,  moved  to 
Hutland,  Kane  county,  111.,  in  1842,  and 
shortly  after  purchased  a  farm  near  Elgin, 
where  now  stands  the  village  of  Gilbert. 
The  mother  of  our  subject  was  born  in  County 
Tyrone,  Ireland,  and  died  in  1818,  leaving 
five  children,  namely — William  M.,  Edward 
Augustus,  Louisa,  now  Mrs.  John  Fitzgerald, 
Fannie,  Mrs.  Michael  J.  Flynn.  and  Eliza  M., 
Mrs.  C.  F.  McDonald,  of  St.  Cloud. 

William  grew  to  manhood  upon  the  farm 
and  received  his  education  in  the  district 
schools  of  the  day  and  county,  which  he  at- 
tended during  the  winter  sessions.  In  1858, 
hearing  excellent  accounts  from  Minnesota, 
from  friends  hei-e,  who  had  come  in  1850,  on 
the  first  of  May.  he  started  alone  for  Meeker 
county,  walking  the  entire  distance  from  St. 
Anthony  to  Forest  City,  arriving  there  the 
same  month.  He  was  for  some  two  years 
engaged  in  working  on  the  river  and  in  saw 
mills. 

In  1860,  his  father,  induced  by  the  de- 
scriptions of  the  son,  sold  out  and  came  to 
Meeker  county,  and  William  helped  his  father 
get  settled,  and  took  up  a  claim  himself,  the 
southwest  quarter  of  section  26,  Forest  City 
township.  This  he  lost,  however,  by  enlist- 
ing in  the  service.  At  the  time  of  the  In- 
dian outbreak,  in  1862,  Mr.  Campbell  was 
temporary  in  Iowa,  but  hurried  back,  and  as- 
sisted in  organizing  a  force  of  young  men, 
stacked  and  took  care  of  all  the  grain  they 
could  find  cut  and  helped  some  thresh.  He 
then  enlisted  in  Comj)any  A,  First  Jlinnesota 
Mounted  Rangers,  and  accompanied  Sibley 
in  the  campaign  to  the  Missouri  in  1863,  par- 
ticipating in  all  its  dangers,  and  in  all  its 


battles.  Returning,  he  re-enlisted  in  Com- 
pany D,  Second  Minnesota  Cavalry,  and  was 
a  part  of  theex])edition  under  General  Sully, 
and  served  two  years.  He  was  mustered 
out  December  5,  1865,  and  returned  home. 

The  following  year  Mr.  Camjibell  entered 
into  mercantile  life  in  company  with  his 
brother  Edward;  not  liking  that  line,  quit  it 
and  engaged  in  farming,  opening  up  a  large 
farm  in  company  with  Michael  J.  and  Daniel 
Flynn,  his  brothers-in-law.  In  1868  he  pur- 
chased a  place  on  section  34,  in  Harvey,  to 
which  he  removed  the  following  year. 

In  1809  our  subject  was  elected  sheriff  of 
the  county  on  the  democratic  tidket,  over- 
coming a  republican  majority  of  about  500. 
He  was  re-elected  to  the  same  office  in  1871, 
and  then  removed  to  Litchfield.  At  the  con- 
clusion of  his  second  term  he  commenced  the 
sale  of  agricultural  implements,  a  business 
he  followed  until  1877,  when  he  sold  out,  and 
in  company  with  AV.  II  Jones,  became  general 
northwestern  agent  of  the  Gammon  &  Deering 
harvester  machinery.  In  the'fall  of  1877 
Mr.  Campbell  was  elected  to  the  State  Legis- 
lature, to  which  he  was  re-elected  the  next 
year.  In  1880  he  was  elected  to  the  State 
Senate,  Garfield  carrying  the  county  at  the 
same  time  by  a  majoritv  larger  than  the 
whole  democi'atic  vote.  Two  years  later  he 
was  defeated  for  re-election  by  fifteen  votes. 
His  record  in  the  House  and  Senate  is  highly 
creditable,  and  he  then  assumed  the  position 
of  a  leader  in  the  democratic  party  in  this 
State,  from  which  he  has  not  receded.  He 
was  a  delegate  to  the  national  democratic 
convention  at  Chicago,  in  1884,  and  received 
his  appointment  of  United  States  marshal  in 
February,  1880,  and  then  moved  to  St.  Paul. 

June  11,  1866,  Mr.  Campbell  was  married 
to  ]\riss  Lizzie  A.  Flynn,  and  the}'  are  the 
parents  of  ten  children  — John  A.,  Millie, 
Edward  Bennett  (deceased),  Anna,  Grace, 
Edward,  James,  William  Lewis,  Michael  B., 
and  Mary. 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


489 


JAMES  NELSON  is  a  prominent  and 
wealthy  fanner  and  stock-raiser,  who 
resides  on  section  23,  Union  Grove  town- 
ship. To  avoid  rejietition  we  must  refer  the 
reader  to  the  chapters  devoted  to  the  Indian 
trouble,  and  also  to  other  sketches  for  many 
of  the  most  interesting  features  in  the  his- 
tory of  Mr.  Nelson.  He  took  a  very  active 
and  prominent  part  in  those  trying  days. 

Mr.  Nelson  was  born  in  Ireland,  on  the 
18th  of  June,  1837,  and  was  a  son  of  Robert 
and  Ann  Nelson.  In  July,  1840,  he  came  to 
America  with  his  parents.  His  father  and 
mother  settled  near  Montreal,  in  Canada 
East,  where  they  engaged  in  farming,  and 
remained  until  the  time  of  their  deaths.  In 
August,  1856,  James  came  to  Meeker  county, 
Minn.,  and  preempted  160  acres  on  section 
23,  in  what  is  now  Union  Grove  township. 
This  place  has  since  been  his  home,  with  the 
exception  of  a  short  time  during  1862-3, 
when  they  were  driven  away  by  the  Indians. 
He  then  enlisted  in  the  Second  Minnesota 
Infantr}^  and  went  South,  remaining  there 
until  the  close  of  the  war,  when  he  again 
settled  upon  the  farm,  and  lias  since  remained 
there.  He  has  one  of  the  most  valuable 
farms  in  the  township,  and  it  is  well  im- 
proved, with  substantial  farm  buildings. 

Mr.  Nelson  was  married  on  the  7th  of 
April,  1857,  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Caswell,  which 
is  said  to  have  been  the  first  marriage  within 
the  limits  of  Meeker  county.  Mrs.  Nelson 
was  a  daughter  of  Carlos  and  Anna  Caswell, 
and  was  born  in  Canada  on  the  16th  of 
August,  1838.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nelson  have 
been  the  parents  of  six  children,  as  follo-ws — ■ 
William,  born  November  24,  1858 ;  Frank, 
born  October  27, 1860;  Anna,  born  May  25, 
1863;  James,  born  July  9, 1870 ;  Orriu,  born 
July  9,  1872 ;  and  Albert,  born  October  21, 
1875.  Anna  married  William  Phillips,  and 
now  lives  in  Union  Grove  township ;  they 
have  three  children — Mana,  Carl  and  Flor- 
ence.    William    married    Sarah   Newcomb, 


and  lives  in  Dakota;  they  have  one  child, 
Iva.  Frank  married  Ella  Hinds,  and  lives 
in  Dakota. 

In  political  matters  Mr.  Nelson  is  a  repub- 
lican. He  has  taken  an  active  interest  in 
public  matters,  and  is  one  of  the  leading  citi- 
zens of  the  countj^  He  has  taken  a  promi- 
nent part  in  township  afPairs  and  held  vari- 
ous local  offices. 


^^OREN  MORTON.  The  subject  of  this 
"^^^  biography  is  one  of  the  most  promi- 
nent citizens  ef  Danielson  township,  being  a 
resident  of  section  10,  in  that  subdivision  of 
Meeker  county.  Mr.  Morton  is  a  native  of 
Denmark,  born  on  the  29th  of  November, 
1836,  and  is  a  son  of  Morten  Johnson  and 
Johanna  Skovenborg.  Soren  remained  in 
the  land  of  his  birth  until  1863,  when  he 
came  to  the  United  States  and  first  located 
in  Kipon,  Wis.,  where  he  remained  five  or 
six  months,  having  charge  of  a  farm.  He 
then  went  to  St.  Clare  county.  111.,  where  he 
worked  on  a  farm  until  March,  1864,  when 
he  returned  to  Eipon,  and  again  took  charge 
of  the  farm  which  he  had  previously  had 
control  of.  In  the  fall  of  1864  he  came  to 
Meeker  county,  Minn.,  and  took  a  homestead 
on  section  10,  in  Danielson  toAvnship,  where 
he  now  lives.  After  taking  his  claim  he 
worked  for  different  farmei-s  for  a  time,  then 
went  to  St.  Paul,  and  remained  through  the 
winter,  working  in  a  wood-yard.  The  fol- 
lowing spring  he  returned  to  his  claim,  set 
out  some  trees  and  made  some  other  im- 
provements and  then  returned  to  St.  Paul. 
A  short  time  later,  in  July,  1865,  he  moved 
his  family  to  his  claim,  and  has  lived  there 
ever  since.  He  now  has  a  splendid  farm  and 
splendid  improvements.  He  devotes  consid- 
erable attention  to  raising  stock,  together 
with  general  farming,  and  is  recognized  as 
one  of  the  most  intelligent  and  prominent 


490 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


farmers  in  the  western  part  of  the  county. 
He  is  a  democrat  in  political  matters  and 
takes  an  active  interest  in  the  affairs  of  his 
townshi]),  having  held  a  number  of  the  most 
important  local  offices,  including  those  of 
chairman  of  the  supervisors,  for  several  years 
while  Acton  and  Uanielson  formed  one  town- 
ship, school  clerk  for  eight  years,  and  others. 
Mr.  Morton  married  Miss  Louisa  Winter- 
lig,  who  was  born  May  22,  1845,  and  is  a 
daughter  of  Peter  C.  and  Christine  Wintei'- 
lig.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Morton  have  hail  six 
children,  as  follows — Sarah  H.,  born  July  3, 
1865 :  Henry  "W.,  born  December  28,  1867; 
Willie  T.,  born  June  8,  1869 ;  Victor,  born 
July  12,  1874;  Agnes  Myrtle,  born  February 
4,  1877;  and  Alice,  born  July  3,  1884.  The 
family  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Church, 
in  which  Mr.  Morton  is  one  of  the  most  active 
workei"s,  having  held  various  offices  in  that 
organization,  including  those  of  trustee  and 
steward,  for  several  }'ears. 


— «-; 


^^.-^ 


G.  JOHNSON.  The  subject  of  this 
biography,  a  farmer  residing  on  sec- 
tion 22,  Greenleaf  township,  was  born  in 
Sweden  on  the  10th  of  October,  1857.  He 
left  his  native  land  with  his  father  s  family 
in  1867,  and  came  to  Meeker  county,  Minn. 
His  father  was  a  farmer  most  of  his  life,  but 
has  now  retired  from  active  business  and 
lives  in  the  village  of  Litchfield.  The  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch  now  has  three  brothers 
and  four  sisters  living,  one  brother  having 
died. 

C.  G.  Johnson  learned  the  carpenter's  trade 
in  1878,  and  followed  that  vocation  for  sev- 
eral years.  In  1881  he  went  to  Missouri  and 
remained  there  about  eighteen  months,  re- 
turning then  to  Minnesota.  In  1 884  he  pur- 
chased the  farm  where  he  now  lives,  on  section 
22,  Greenleaf  township,  and  has  since  made 
that  his  home.     He  has  a  valuable  farm  of 


160  acres,  seventy-eight  of  which  is  under 
plow  and  fifty  to  meadow,  while  he  has  a  few 
acres  of  timber.  He  has  substantial  improve- 
ments, and  his  farm  is  among  the  most  valu- 
able in  his  portion  of  the  township.  He 
devotes  his  time  to  general  farming  and  to 
stock-raising,  and  has  a  good  lierd  of  cattle 
on  the  ])lace. 


•■*"^^"*- 


JCHAEL  J.  ROACH.  Among  the 
farmers  and  cattle  raisers  of  the 
north  part  of  the  county,  is  Mr.  Roach  of 
Forest  Prairie,  who  has  his  home  upon  sec- 
tion 8  of  that  township.  He  was  born  in 
Rockbridge  county,  Va.,  December  23,  1820, 
and  is  the  son  of  John  antl  Elizabeth  (Peto- 
lomey)  Roach,  natives  of  Maryland  and  Vir- 
ginia, respectively.  When  our  subject  was 
but  a  child  his  parents  removed  to  Henry 
county,  Ind.,  and  finally  settled  in  Cass 
county,  that  State,  where  they  died.  The 
early  education  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
was  acquired  in  his  native  count}',  and  after- 
wards in  the  schools  of  Indiana,  which  at 
that  earl}^  day  were  few  and  far  between. 
He  was  one  of  a  family  of  thirteen  children, 
the  names  of  the  others  being  —  Lucilla, 
William,  James  N.,  Mary  Ellen,  John  C, 
Betsy  J.,  Margret  A.,  Joseph,  Andrew  J., 
George,  Carson,  Nancy  D.,  and  one  that 
died  in  infancy. 

Mr.  Roach  was  reared  to  maidiood  in  Cass 
county,  Ind.,  and  was  there  married,  Decem- 
ber 28, 1843,  to  Miss  Sarah  J.  Wynn,  a  native 
of  Warren  county,  the  same  State,  born  No- 
vember 4,  1832.  She  is  the  daughter  of 
James  and  PoUie  (Harden)  Wynn,  who  were 
born  in  Pennsylvania  and  Ohio,  respectively. 
By  this  union  there  have  been  born  a  family 
of  thirteen  children  —  William,  Michael, 
Sarah  Jane,  Margaret  A.,  Deniza,  Elizabetii, 
Ellen  Dosh,  Cinda,  James,  John  and  Mary. 
The  latter  died  in  infancy ;  the  rest  are  all 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


491 


living  and  married  except   Dosh  and   Ellen, 
who  reside  at  home. 

Mr.  Eoach  came  to  Meeker  county  in  1866, 
reaching  Forest  City,  on  the  9th  of  May, 
and  shortly  after  came  to  his  present  place 
and  took  up  his  homestead.  At  that  time 
the  woods  were  full  of  game  and  he  acquired 
the  reputation  of  being  the  best  and  most 
successful  hunter  in  this  part  of  the  country. 
He  made  considerable  money  by  this  means, 
but  has  always  given  considerable  attention 
to  farming  and  stock-raising,  preferring  the 
sure  gains  of  husbandry  to  any  more  allur- 
ing speculation  or  business.  He  was  the 
third  settler  in  the  township,  one  of  the  okl 
pioneers ;  is  a  member  of  the  Church  of 
God,  and  usually  votes  the  re])ublican  ticket. 


JESSE  V.  BRANHAM,  Jr.,  a  pioneer,  who 
took  a  most  active  and  j^rominent  part 
in  the  trying  times  of  the  Indian  massacre, 
is  one  of  the  best-known  and  most  conspic- 
ous  figures  in  Meeker  county's  history.  He 
is  a  native  of  Jennings  county,  Ind.,  born 
July  8,  1834:,  and  is  the  son  of  Jesse  V.  and 
Mary  (Butler)  Branham,  a  sketch  of  whom 
will  be  found  elsewhere  in  this  Album.  In 
1847  his  parents  removed  to  Franklin,  John- 
son county,  Ind  ,  where  our  subject  remained 
under  the  parental  roof  until  nineteen  years 
of  age,  when  he  opened  a  dry -goods  and 
gi'ocery  store.  In  1855  he  was  united  in 
mariage  with  Miss  Mary  L.  Stark. 

Early  in  tlie  summer,  of  1857,  Jesse  V., 
Jr.,  joined  a  party  of  pioneers,  consisting  of 
his  father,  Jesse  V.  Branham,  Sr.,  William 
Branham,  Levi  Eeed,  Hugh  McCannon,  and 
others,  and  came  to  Meeker  county,  Minn., 
our  subject  Locating  on  section  35,  of  Litch- 
field— then  jS^ess — township,  in  June  of  that 
3'ear.  He  at  once  began  improvements,  and 
his  family  joined  him  in  August.  He  there 
remained,  earnestly  devoting  his  time  and 


labor  to  developing  a  farm,  living  in  content- 
ment and  prosperity,  notwithstanding  the 
many  disadvantages  usual  to  pioneer  life, 
until  the  Indian  outbreak  of  1862  began. 

On  Sunday,  August  17,  1862,  while  Jesse 
V.  Branham,  Jr.,  was  crossing  a  field  with  a 
neighbor,  the  report  of  the  Jones  and  Baker 
murders  were  brought  to  him.  After  a 
hasty  consideration  of  the  matter,  he  con- 
cluded to  get  all  the  people  of  the  neighbor- 
hood together  at  the  house  of  George  C. 
"Whitcomb  (who  was  absent),  on  account  of 
the  location,  partly  because  of  a  good  well 
in  the  cellar,  should  the  Indians  make  an 
attack,  and  partly  to  protect  Whitcomb's 
family.  Sunday  night,  after  the  neighbor- 
hood had  been  notified  and  brought  to  one 
point,  our  subject,  in  company  with  his 
brother  William,  mounted  his  horse  and 
started  for  Acton,  to  learn  as  to  the  truth  of 
the  reports.  When  within  about  three 
miles  from  their  destination,  they  met  a 
part}'^  from  the  scene  of  the  massacre,  who 
had  with  them  a  child,  which  was  the  only 
surviving  member  of  either  the  Jones  or 
Baker  households.  The  Branhams  then 
learned  that  all  reports  were  true,  and  imme- 
diately retui'ned  to  AVhitcomb's  house. 
Early  Monday  morning  the.y  all  started  for 
Forest  City,  where  they  remained  inactive 
for  a  daj'  or  so,  but  Tuesday  afternoon 
word  was  received  that  the  outbreak  was 
general  and  would  extend  all  along  the  bor- 
der. That  evening  they  held  a  council,  and 
decided  to  send  all  women  and  children  to 
Clearwater,  and  J.  Y .  Branham,  Jr.,  was  ap- 
pointed to  take  charge  of  the  train.  Wednes- 
day morning  the  train  started,  being  made 
up  of  teams  of  every  description,  and  being 
half  a  mile  in  length.  Jesse  V.,  Jr.,  piloted 
thefn  about  half  way  through  the  "Big 
AYoods,"  when  he  bade  his  famil}'  good-bye 
and  returned  to  Kingston.  There  he  talked 
with  a  number  of  the  leading  citizens,  gave 
them  hie  idea  of  the  stockade,  and  the  fol- 


492 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


lowing  morning,  with  iiis  team,  he  hauled 
the  first  log  for  tiie  Kingston  fortifications. 
Returning  to  Forest  City,  he  found  George 
C.  Whitcoml)  witli  an  order  from  Governor 
Ramsey  to  form  a  comi)any  of  State  militia, 
to  defend  the  town.  Our  subject  joined  the 
ranks,  and,  as  soon  as  possible,  he,  with 
others  of  the  command,  were  mounted  and 
started  west  to  bury  the  dead  and  aid  the 
wounded.  The}'  rode  through  the  western 
part  of  Meelcer  county  and  all  over  Kandi- 
j^ohi  county. 

After  this  Jesse  Y.,  Jr.,  remained  with 
the  comjmny  until  the  night  of  Se])tember2, 
when,  on  coming  into  the  stockade  after  a 
brush  with  the  Indians,  they  learned  that 
Captain  Strout  would  be  in  camp  at  Acton  that 
night.  The  whole  company  knew  that  the 
countr}^  was  filled  with  hostile  Indians,  and 
knew  that  unless  Strout  was  warned,  his 
whole  command  would  probal)]y  be  mur- 
dered. Captain  Wliitcomb  called  for  volun- 
teers to  go  upon  the  extremely  dangerous 
mission  of  warning  Strout,  and  Jesse  V. 
Branham,  Ji-.,  was  the  first  to  offer  his  serv- 
ices, Thomas  Holmes  and  A.  P.  Sperry  soon 
joining  him,  and  at  sundown  they  started  for 
Acton,  with  Jesse  in  command  of  the  trio. 
Reaching  their  destination  and  fulfilling 
their  mission  in  the  night,  they  slept  for  a 
time,'  and  in  the  morning  the  company 
started  for  Forest  City.  The  Indians  soon 
made  an  attack  on  them,  and  in  the  ene-aee- 
ment,  Jesse  Branham,  Jr.,  was  shot  through 
the  lungs,  the  bullet  coming  out  of  his  back, 
and  seventeen  others  of  Strout's  company 
were  wounded.  Tiiey  were  taken  to  Hutch- 
inson that  night,  and  ujion  arriving  tliere, 
Branham  got  u)>  and  walked  from  the 
wagon  to  his  room,  in  the  second  story  of  the 
hotel.  AVhen  the  doctor  examined  him,  he 
said  to  those  in  attendance:  "I  can  do 
nothing  for  this  man;  make  him  as  comfort- 
able as  you  can ;  he  will  be  dead  in  three 
hours."     The  following  morning,  September 


4th,  was  the  day  of  the  attack  on  Hutchinson, 
and  while  our  subject  was  lying  on  his  cot, 
tlien  unable  to  move,  there  came  a  shower  of 
bullets  on  and  through  the  house.  Later  he 
was  carried  to  the  stockade  with  the  other 
wounded,  and  tliere  cared  for.  Four  weeks 
later  he  was  able  to  go  to  ]\[inneapolis  to 
his  family.  Tliree  weeks  later  the  family 
went  south  to  Louisville,  K\'.,  and  I'emained 
tliere  until  the  spring  of  1863,  wlien  they 
returned  to  Minneapolis,  and  the  following 
fall,  again  settled  in  Meeker  count}'.  Jesse 
V.  Branham,  Jr.,  rented  the  mill  at  Green- 
leaf,  and  operated  it  during  the  winter  of 
1863-4,  and  the  following  spring  went  to 
Forest  City  and  rented  a  farm  for  tlie  season. 
In  the  fall  of  1864,  the  county  commissioners 
ap]5ointed  him  county  auditor  to  fill  a 
vacancy,  and  he  M'as  afterward  elected  and 
re-elected,  serving  until  the  spring  of  1871. 
During  this  time  the  county  seat  had  been 
removed  to  Litchfield,  and  after  the  expira- 
tion of  his  term  of  office,  our  subject  en- 
gaged in  the  mercantile  trade  at  that  place. 
Smce  that  time  he  has  been  engaged  either 
in  the  mercantile  trade,  real  estate  or  farm- 
ing. 

In  eai'ly  days  Jesse  Y.  Branham,  Jr.,  was 
one  of  the  most  active  and  public-spirited 
men  in  the  county.  When  the  town  of  Xess 
was  organized,  he  was  elected  first  town 
clerk ;  he  also  held  the  office  of  county  com- 
missioner, besides  that  of  county  auditor, 
and  various  local  offices.  He  was  one  of  the 
original  town  site  proprietors  of  Litchfield  ; 
drew  the  bill  changing  the  county  seat  from 
Forest  City  ;  gave  Litchfield  its  name,  and 
in  many  other  ways  connected  his  name 
indissolubly  with  the  early  history  of  the 
county.  He  drew  the  plan  of  the  park  in 
Litchfiekl,  and  to  him,  more  than  any  other 
one  man,  is  due  the  credit  of  planting  trees 
and  oettine:  it  into  the'beautiful  condition  of 
to-day. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jesse  Y.  Branham,  Jr.,  are 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


493 


tlie  parents  of  five  cliildren,  as  follows — 
Iliram  S.,  a  member  of  the  Litchfield  bank- 
ing firm  of  Stevens  &  Co.;  Alice,  now  Mrs. 
Robert  Burns;  Delaney  E.,  I-ula  and 
Thomas. 

fNORGREN  &  CO.,  dealers  in  general 
merchandise  in  the  village  of  Dassel, 
came  to  the  village  in  thespring  of  1S75,  and 
established  their  present  business,  and  are, 
therefore,  the  oldest  house  in  town  having  a 
continuous  existence.  They  carry  a  large 
and  well-assoi'ted  stock,  and  are  doing  an 
extensive  and  lucrative  trade.  The  stoi'e 
which  they  occupy  was  built  b}'  Louis  Rud- 
berg,  and  is  a  handsome  brick  edifice,  well 
lighted  and  ventilated,  and  presents  a  neat 
appearance  from  the  street. 

John  Norgren,  the  senior  member  of  the 
firm,  is  a  native  of  Sweden,  and  immigrated 
to  America  in  1866,  landing  in  Carver  county, 
Minn.,  on  the  22d  of  July,  with  his  family, 
which  then  consisted  of  his  wife  and  five 
children.  He  soon  afterward  bought  a  farm 
of  eighty  acres  in  Hancock  township,  about 
nine  miles  from  Carver,  and  moved  liis  fam- 
ily to  it.  They  remained  there  until  1873, 
during  which  time  the  farm  was  increased  to 
160  acres.  In  1873  they  came  to  Meeker 
county,  and  the  father  ])urcliased  a  half  inter- 
est in  the  saw-  and  flouring-mill  at  East 
Kingston.  He  was  there  engaged  in  the 
milling  business  for  two  years  and  a  half, 
when  he  sold  his  interest  to  his  partner,  and 
came  to  Dassel,  where  he  has  since  lived. 
He  then,  in  company  with  J.  O.  Berlin, 
opened  a  general  merchandise  store  under 
the  firm  name  of  J.  Norgren  &  Co.  The 
partner,  Mr.  Berlin,  is  also  his  son-in-law, 
and  had  the  misfortune  to  lose  bis  ej'esight 
some  nine  years  ago.  Mr.  Norgren  has 
turned  the  active  management  of  the  mer- 
cantile business  over  to  his  sons,  John  and 


Lewis.  Mr.  Norgren  is  a  hale  and  hearty 
man  of  about  sixt^y  years  of  age,  and  still 
retains  his  vigor.  He  has  large  property 
interests  here  in  the  way  of  faims  and  vil- 
lage real  estate,  and  has  been  intimately  as- 
sociated with  the  growth  and  development 
of  the  eastern  part  of  Meeker  county.  He 
is  the  present  town  treasurer,  and  has  taken 
an  active  interest  in  official  and  educational 
matters. 

John  and  Lewis  Norgren,  who  have  charge 
of  the  business,  are  both  capable  business 
men,  and  their  establishment  commands  as 
heavy  a  trade  as  any  in  the  village.  John 
has  been  a  member  of  the  village  council 
for  four  years,  while  both  take  a  prominent 
part  in  all  matters  pertaining  to  the  welfare 
of  their  localitv. 


— — ^-•; 


^.^^ 


ON.  A.  C.  SMITH,  for  many  years 
one  of  the  most  prominent  figures  in 
the  history  of  the  county,  and  one  of  the 
leading  attorneys,  was  a  native  of  Vermont, 
born  in  1814.  He  was  educated  in  the  State 
of  his  nativity,  and  thei'e  studied  law,  and 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  at  Washington,  D. 
C,  at  a  session  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the 
United  States.  In  1839  he  removed  to 
Mount  Clemens,  Macomb  county,  Mich., 
where  he  entered  upon  the  practice  of  his 
profession.  A  short  time  after  he  entered 
upon  a  career  of  journalism,  editing  and 
publishing  the  Macoinh  Oazette,  and  the 
Landvuvrhs,  the  latter  a  Masonic  periodical, 
and  continued  at  this  for  some  five  years. 
He  then  occupied  the  judicial  bench  for 
three  years,  and  served  one  term  in  the 
Michigan  State  Senate.  In  1855  he  came  to 
St.  Paul,  where  he  established  and  published 
the  Free  Press,  a  democratic  daily,  which 
did  not  prove  very  remunerative.  He  then 
took  up  his  law  practice  in  that  city,  and 
made  it  his  home  until  March,  1858,  when, 


494 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


haviiio;  been  appointed  to  tlie  position  of 
register  of  the  land  office  of  tlie  United 
States  at  Forest  City,  he  came  to  this 
county,  where  he  made  his  lionie  until  the 
da}'  of  his  death,  which  ocurred  September 
20,  1880.  Of  liis  death,  the  News  Ledger 
said  :  "  We  have  known  Judge  Smith  for 
twelve  3'ears ;  in  fact,  he  was  the  first  man 
we  consulted  when  we  thought  of  locating 
in  this  county  in  1868,  and  our  confidence  in 
his  judgment  led  us  to  settle  in  Forest  City. 
Judge  Smith  was  a  man  among  men  —  hon- 
orable to  a  fault.     He  could  not  brook  dis- 


honesty or  trickery  in  others.  As  a  friend 
he  was  genial,  warm  and  true  as  steel  —  ever 
ready  to  assist  all  who  were  so  fortunate  as 
to  be  associated  with  him.  As  a  mend^er  of 
the  bar  he  ranked  among  the  best  —  was 
courteous  and  affable  —  always  working  for 
the  interests  of  his  clients  with  a  will  and 
energy  which  caused  him  to  be  respected 
by  his  op])onents.  In  his  death  the  county 
met  with  a  great  loss  and  the  community  of 
Litchfield  one  of  its  most  esteemed  citizens, 
and  his  memory  is  revered  by  all  the  early 
residents  of  this  part  of  the  State." 


A^ 


-♦@^ 


.  .^=:id:pfc^  ,         ^^^ 


^1  Hfis^.T^0^K:r(E'?im  m^ 


*' 


{♦♦♦*»♦♦♦♦♦*•••••**•••**••••**•••■• ***********  t^^-t^^-^ttttT  •#«»«»♦♦♦««  >«»»4.t;n:j»t«»»>»»»»«»»>»«»»»»»>»  »♦♦♦«♦♦♦♦«»»* 

■  GE-NERAL     HIS^eRY,  ! 

**  ****************  **************************"^*T**»tttT«*  t  l»»»»»»t>m»»^f^)maj,,,,,,,,,,.atat  >■■■■■»>■■«■«■■■  aai.T 


\5  ofs^  (ij" 


« 


CHAPTEE  I. 

LOCATION  AND  TOPOGRAPHY. 


N   NO   ]»ortion    of  the 
great  State  of  Minne- 


,&  ''*  *  "   ^br-^  sota  IS  Meeker  county 


surpassed  for  its  beau- 
tiful scenery;  its  roil- 
ing prairies  inter- 
spersed and  diversified 
with  natural  and  domestic  groves; 
its  famous  lakes,  meandering 
streams  and  its  carpet  of  Howers 
and  verdure.  It  lies  in  the  cen- 
.,_.  tral,  or  south-central  part  of  the 
^"^j^  State,  having  for  its  boundaries 
Stearns  county  on  the  north, 
Wright  on  the  east,  McLeod  and 
Eenville  on  the  south  and  Kan- 
diyohi on  the  west.  As  an  agri- 
cultural and  stock-raising  region  Meeker 
county  cannot  be  excelled.  The  soil  is 
very  productive — ^a  rich,  dark  loam,  well 
adapted  to  all  the  cereals  common  to  this 
latitude.  It  is  also  Avell  suited  to  the  pro- 
duction of  tame  and  indigenous  grasses;  and 
stock-raising,  both  native  and  blooded,  at- 
tracts the  general  attention  of  the  intelligent 
class  of  farmers  that  have  settled  here.  The 
greater  portion  of  the  surface  of  the  county 


is  made  up  of  a  rolling  prairie,  interspersed 
with  oak  openings  ;  while  a  considerable  area 
is  covered  with  a  moderately  heavy  growth 
of  natural  timber.  The  surface  is  weU 
watered  by  numerous  streams,  which  furnish 
ample  drainage  and  an  abundance  of  pure 
water  for  stock.  In  addition  to  the  streams 
there  are  scattered  throughout  the  count}' 
hundreds  of  beautiful  lakes  teemine:  with 
fish,  and  at  some  seasons  of  the  year  the  re- 
sort of  myriads  of  wild  fowl.  These  lakes 
add  greatly  to  the  beauty  of  the  scenery  and 
healthfulness  of  the  region,  and  they  have 
made  the  county  noted  throughout  the  State 
as  a  "  sportsman's  paradise." 

The  principal  stream  is  the  Crow  River, 
which  traverses  with  sinuous  course  through 
the  northeastern  portion  of  the  county,  and 
with  its  many  little  affluents  drains  a  con- 
siderable area  of  territory.  The  St.  Paul, 
Minneapolis  &  Manitoba  Railway  Company 
have  a  branch,  known  as  the  Breckinridge 
division,  that  intersects  Meeker  county, 
crossing  the  boundary  line  at  the  north  line 
of  section  30,  in  Dassell  township,  on  the 
east,  and  after  crossing  the  townships  of 
Dassell,  Darwin,  Litchfield  and  Acton,  re- 
crosses  the  county's  limits,  on  the  west,  at 
the  north  line  of  section  7,  of  the  latter  town- 
ship. This  road,  which  is  one  of  the  best  in 
the   State,  affords   ample   facilities  for  the 


499 


50O 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


marketing  of  tlie  products  of  the  county  and 
vicinit}',  and  the  transportation  of  freight  or 
passengers.  Tiie  nortliern  part  of  the  county 
is  ])rovided  with  shipping  facilities  by  the 
Minneapolis  &  Pacific  liaihvay,  upon  the 
line  of  which  is  located  two  stations  within 
the  limits  of  Meeker  county. 


•^^'^^'^- 


CHAPTER  II. 


EARLY  SETTLEMENT. 


^^HE  annals  of  the  early  settlement 

y     of  the  county,  while  it  is  the  most 

difficult  to  collate,  is  yet  the  most 


interesting  and 


entertaining  to  the  general 


reader,  and  of  absorbing  interest  to  the  pio- 
neer himself.  For  several  years  prior  to  the 
advent  of  white  settlers,  this  portion  of  the 
State  was  frequently  traversed  by  hunters 
and  trappers.  The  nomadic  Indian  for  ages 
had  here  found  his  hunting  ground,  and 
doubtless  his  battlefield,  and  the  woods,  if 
they  could  speak,  could  tell  of  dire  deeds  of 
blood  that  were  #nacted  beneath  their  leafy 
shade. 

During  the  summer  of  1855  three  men  in 
a  canoe  paddled  and  poled  their  way  up  the 
Crow  River,  through  the  "  Big  Woods,"  into 
what  is  now  Meeker  county.  They  were 
John  "W.  liuy,  Benjamin  Brown  and  a  man 
named  Mackenzie,  and  were  in  search  of  pine 
timber  for  some  lumber  firm.  Pushing  on- 
ward through  the  forest,  they  emerged  upon 
the  prairie  east  of  where  Forest  City  after- 
ward stood,  and  were  delighted  with  the 
view  that  burst  upon  their  sight. 

"The  wondrous,  beautiful  prairie,  billowy 
bays  of  grace  ever  rolling  in  t^iatlows  and 
sunshine,"  intei-spersed  with  groves  of  tim- 
ber, islands  of  verdure  in  an  emerald  sea. 
The  paradise  of  lake  and  land  that  lay  before 
them  in  its  pristine  loveliness  charmed  them, 
and,  returning  to  their  employers  with  the 


report  of  their  failure  to  find  in  this  direc- 
tion the  object  of  their  (juest,  John  Iluy 
made  up  a  party  to  come  to  this  ideal  land 
and  settle. 

In  company  with  D.  M.  Hanson,  Rudolph 
Shultz  and  Thomas  H.  Skinner,  he  came 
back  the  same  fall,  by  way  of  Glencoe,  and 
on  their  arrival  at  the  Crow  River  located  a 
town  site  upon  the  north  bank,  opposite  the 
mouth  of  the  creek,  on  section  13  of  what  is 
now  Harvey  township.  To  this  prospective 
village  they  gave  the  name  of  Kar-i-shon, 
the  Indian  name  for  "  crow."  Erecting  a 
claim  shanty  upon  the  shelving  banks  of  the 
ripi)lingstream,  Iluy  and  Skinner  commenced 
housekeeping,  Hanson  returning  to  Minne- 
apolis, where  he  died  in  April,  1856. 

The  two  adventurers  passed  the  winter, 
for  the  most  part,  in  their  humble  cabin  in 
the  pathless  wilderness,  to  hold  their  claim 
to  the  town  site,  but  in  the  spring,  discover- 
ing at  some  distance  down  the  river,  a  more 
eligible  site  for  a  village,  moved  on  to  sec- 
tions 17  and  20,  of  what  is  now  Forest  City 
township,  on  which  thej'  at  once  erected  a 
claim  shanty,  calling  the  place  "  the  village 
of  Forest  City."  John  Huy  also,  afterward, 
pre-empted  the  northeast  quarter  of  sec- 
tion li). 

Upon  this  tract  arose  the  villnge  that  for 
about  twelve  years  was  the  county  seat  of 
Meeker  county,  and  a  history  of  it  is  given 
elsewhere  in  this  Album.  John  Huy  lived 
here  until  the  summer  of  1862,  when  he  left 
the  county.  He  is  now  a  resident  of  the 
State  of  California,  quite  well-to-do.  Thomas 
H.  Skinner,  who  was  quite  a  prominent  fig- 
ure in  those  early  days,  died  in  Milwaukee, 
whither  he  had  gone  on  business,  August  20, 
1863,  and  is  buried  at  St.  Albans,  Me.,  his 
boyhood's  home. 

Rudolph  Shultz  made  a  settlement  early 
in  1856,  he  having  spent  the  previous  winter 
in  Minneapolis,  on  section  26,  Harvey  town- 
ship, where  he  now  lives. 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


501 


Abijah  Bemis  came  here  in  the  early  spring 
of  1856,  and  was  appointed  the  first  sheriff 
of  the  county,  to  help  organize  it.  He  re 
mained  until  tlie  fall  of  1857,  and  then  left 
this  locality. 

Milton  G.  Moore,  the  first  register  of  deeds 
of  the  county,  took  up  his  residence  early  in 
the  year,  1856,  before  the  snow  was  off  of 
the  ground.  He  remained  for  a  year  or  so, 
and  then  left  this  part  of  the  country. 

Dr.  Frederick  Noah  Kipley  and  John 
McClelland  took  up  claims  in  Ellsworth 
township,  on  coming  to  this  county  late  in 
the  fall  of  1855.  They  erected  a  cabin  on 
the  shores  of  Cedar  Lake,  where  they  passed 
the  winter,  but  running  short  of  provisions, 
on  the  1st  of  March,  1856,  they  started  across 
the  country  to  the  shanty  of  John  Iluy  and 
his  party,  near  Forest  City,  where  they  knew 
they  could  replenish  their  stores.  Although 
it  was  a  beautiful  morning  when  they  started, 
the  breeze  warm  and  balmy,  and  the  snow 
melting  fast,  before  long  a  terrible  blizzard 
sprang  u]i  and  enveloped  them.  They  were 
compelled  to  camp  that  night,  and  having 
neither  food  nor  blankets,  for  they  expected  to 
travel  the  eighteen  miles  before  dark,  they 
suffered  intensely.  In  the  morning  they 
again  started  on  their  quest.  On  striking 
the  river  they  were  lost  and  could  not  tell 
whether  they  were  above  or  below  the  cabin 
they  sought,  so  about  two  o'clock  they,  being 
discouraged,  started  back  for  their  claim,  as 
the  storm  had  abated.  The}'  had  no  matches 
to  build  a  fire,  the  few  in  their  possession 
having  become  wet,  and  the  want  of  food  en- 
feebled them.  As  they  stumbled  on  their 
course.  Dr.  Ripley  became  too  weak  to 
travel,  and  insisted  on  his  companion  going 
on  and  seeking  safety,  and  leave  him  to  his 
fate,  telling  him  at  tlie  same  time,  if  help 
could  be  got  for  him  to  come  to  his  assistance. 
He  perished  in  the  snow  near  the  shores  of  the 
beautiful  lake  that  now  bears  his  name,  and 
his  remains  were  found  the  following  spring 


by  W.  S.  Chapman  and  a  party  of  others,  and 
buried  beneath  the  trees  where  he  was 
found.  The  Masonic  fraternity,  of  which  he 
was  a  member,  on  the  laying  out  of  the  Litch- 
field cemetery,  exliumed  his  body  and  j^laced 
it  in  consecrated  ground  in  the  center  of  the 
circle  in  that  beautiful  "  city  of  tlie  dead." 
McClelland  had  to  have  both  legs  amputated, 
and  barely  escaped  with  his  life.  He  after- 
ward removetl  to  Becker  county,  this  State, 
where  he  finally  became  register  of  deeds. 

J.  B.  Salisbury,  still  a  resident  of  the  coimty , 
came  here  first  in  the  summer  of  1855,  with 
a  Government  surveying  party,  and  was  en- 
engaged  in  running  town  lines.  In  the  fall 
he  went  back  to  Scott  county,  Iowa,  but  in 
the  spring  of  1856  returned  here  and  made 
a  settlement  in  Kingston.  With  him  came 
Joseph  Weymer,  Sr.,  his  father-in-law,  and 
two  brother-in-laws,  Joseph,  Jr.,  and  Jacob. 
The  elder  Weymer  settled  in  Forest  City,  as 
did  his  son  Jacob.  Joseph,  Ji'.,  located  in 
Ivingston.  Jacob  removed  to  Iowa,  where  he 
now  lives.  Joseph,  Sr.,  died  in  Iowa,  whence 
he  had  removed,  but  Joseph,  Jr.,  is  still  a 
citizen  of  the  county. 

On  the  20th  of  June,  1856,  T.  Carlos  Jew- 
ett  made  his  appearance  in  this  county,  and 
seven  days  later,  having  spent  that  time  in 
looking  over  the  country  and  finding  the 
section  lines,  made  a  claim  upon  the  south- 
west quarter  of  section  31,  in  Forest  City 
township.  At  the  time  of  his  arrival  here 
his  entire  capital  consisted  of  $16.19,  besides 
considerable  energy  and  Yankee  thrift.  He 
is  still  among  his  old  associates,  residing  in 
the  city  of  Litchfield. 

July  2  of  the  same  year  marked  the  settle- 
ment of  Isaac  C.  Delamater.  His  claim  was 
located  upon  the  southwest  quarter  of  section 
29,  Forest  City  township. 

Josiah  W.  Dorman  and  Benjamin  Dorman, 
Alpheus  C.  Maddox,  Henry,  Warren  and 
Cyrus  Averill,  Mark  Gates,  Elmer  Harper, 
William   Higgins,  John  Fitzgerald,  Patrick 


502 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


Flynn,  John  T.  Kennison  and  A.  B.  Whit- 
nev  iiiaile,  settlements  in  the  territory  now 
enibi'iiced  in  the  civil  townshij)  of  Kingston. 
Josiah  Dormandied  in  this  county  about  two 
years  ago;  Benjamin  Dorman  remained  a 
resident  until  about  1878  or  1880.  John 
Fitzgerald  died  herein  1876,  and  John  Flynn 
was  gathered  to  his  fathers  many  years 
ago.  Alpheus  C.  Maddox  left  this  county 
about  twenty  years  ago,  and  is  now  living  at 
Lake  Calhoun,  Kandiyohi  county.  Henry 
Averill  left  the  county,  having,  when  acting 
as  sheriff,  stabbed  Kennison  in  a  fight ;  his 
brothers  Warren  and  C\'rus  left  the  county 
about  1858.  Mark  Gates  is  still  a  citizen  of 
Meeker  county.  Elmer  Harper  and  "William 
Higgins  did  not  remain  long  in  this  locality. 
John  T.  Kennison  made  his  residence  here 
until  about  1870,  and  is  now  a  citizen  of 
Minneapolis ;  and  A.  B.  Whitney,  after  about 
two  years'  residence,  emigrated  to  California, 
where  he  now  lives.  S.  B.  Ilutchins,  another 
settler  in  the  same  town  in  the  year  1856,  re- 
mained here  until  1863,  when  he  left,  and 
now  has  his  home  in  French  Lake  township, 
Wright  county. 

John  Bramhall  came  to  this  county  the 
same  spring,  and  located  in  Forest  City.  He 
was  a  carpenter  by  trade,  and  the  first  in  the 
county. 

Nathan  C.  Caswell,  Ziba  Caswell,  Christo- 
pher Davis,  and  Green  Sykes,  made  a  trip 
through  this  county  in  November,  1855,  in 
search  of  a  mill  site  and  lands  for  farming. 
This  part}"^  returning  to  Monticello,  AV right 
county,  on  the  10th  of  December,  follow- 
ing, N.  C.  and  Ziba  Caswell  again  started 
for  the  country  that  had  jileased  them  so 
much  on  the  first  trip.  They  simply  came 
to  prospect,  and  that  part  of  the  country 
now  embraced  in  the  town  of  Manannah, 
pleasing  them,  they  returned  here  in  the 
spring  of  1856,  with  Alonzo,  Silas  and  Al- 
bert Caswell,  James  Nelson,  Edward  Brown 
and  A.  D.  Pierce,  and  took  up  claims  in  the 


neigliborhood  of  what  was  afterwards 
known  as  the  the  town  site  of  Manannah, 
which  was  laid  out  and  surveyed  in  Decem- 
ber, 1856.  The  new  settlement  was  rein- 
forced the  same  autumn  Ijy  the  arrival  of 
Andrew  Hamilton,  Charles  Caswell  and 
John  Tower. 

Timothy  Dunn  and  Patrick  Condon  came 
to  tiiis  county  in  1856.  and  .settled  in  Darwin 
township.  Mr.  Dunn  is  still  a  resident,  but 
Condon  was  frozen  to  death  in  January, 
1873. 

A  considerable  number  of  settlers  came 
through  the  Big  Woods  together,  early  in 
July,  1856,  and  found  homes  in  this  country. 
They  were  friends,  countrymen  and  neigh- 
bors, for  the  most  part,  in  Lidiana,  who  were 
on  their  way  to  California's  golden  shores, 
when,  at  Dubuque,  Iowa,  they  heard  of  the 
rich  lands  in  this  new  country  and  determined 
to  investigate.  These  people  were  John 
Flynn,  his  wife,  family,  consisting  of  Michael 
J.,  then  some  sixteen  years  of  age,  Daniel 
and  Elizabeth  ;  S.  IMarshall,  two  hired  men 
and  a  nephew  ;  John  Dougherty  and  family; 
John  Whalen  and  family,  Thomas  Dough- 
erty and  family,  Edward  Fitzgerald  and 
family,  Patrick  Fitzgerakl  and  family,  and 
Morris  Powers  and  family. 

After  a  preliminary  survey  of  the  coun- 
try made  by  Messrs.  Flynn  and  Whalen, 
they  all  came  here  and  made  settlements, 
some  in  Kingston,  some  in  Forest  Cit}',  and 
some  further  west  in  Harvey.  They  arrived 
in  the  county  on  the  Stli  of  July.  Dr.  Y.  P. 
Kennedy  came  to  what  is  now  Meeker  county, 
in  June,  1S56,  and  took  the  same  claim  in 
Ellsworth  township,  in  section  31,  on  the 
shores  of  Cedar  Lake,  the  same  place  as  was 
formerly  claimed  by  Dr.  Pipley.  The  Dr.  is 
now  a  resident  of  the  county  seat. 

Nathan  Butler  and  M.  M.  Standish,  two 
surveyors,  came  to  this  locality  in  the  early 
part  of  1856,  and  pi-ospected  through  the 
country.     Butler  settled  on  a  claim  of  beau- 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


503 


tiful  timber  in  Acton,  which  he  owned  for 
some  time,  but  finally  sold,  and  went  to 
Minneapolis.  lie  is  v/hat  is  known  as  a 
"  cruiser,"  looking  out  timber  land  for  par- 
ties engaged  in  tiie  lumber  trade,  at  the 
present  time.  Standish  enlisted  in  the  First 
Minnesota  during  the  war,  and  never  re- 
turned to  tliis  coimty. 

Two  men  by  the  names  of  George  Orcutt 
and  Mr.  Pratt,  made  a  claim  in  what  is  now 
Greenleaf  township,  in  the  summer  of  1856, 
but  having  had  one  of  their  oxen  killed  b}^ 
the  Indians,  this  breaking  up  their  team, 
they,  in  discouragment  abandoned  their  land, 
and  a  short  time  afterward  left  the  county. 

William  Benson,  Swen  and  Nels  Swenson, 
and  Michael  Lenhardt  made  settlements  in 
what  is  now  Litchfield  township,  in  the  year 
1856,  and  all  are  still  residents  of  the  original 
homesteads. 

C.  L.  Eichardson  and  Edwin  Ayres,  Avho 
were  surveyors  by  profession,  made  their 
appearance  in  the  county  in  1856,  and  took 
up  claims  in  what  is  now  Dassel  township. 
They  made  their  home  here  until  the  Indian 
massacre  times  of  1862,  when  they  left  and 
never  returned. 

Among  the  others  who  came  to  this  local- 
ity this  same  year,  were  the  following : 

E.  O.  Eritt,  who  located  in  Manannah 
township,  where  he  lived  about  one  year, 
and  then  moved  to  Harvey  ;  he  died  in  May, 
1871. 

David  Mitchell  and  William  II.  Van  Ness, 
both  of  whom  are  still  residents  of  the 
county,   located  in   Forest    City  township. 

Judson  A.  Stanton  made  a  claim  on  section 
24,  Harvey,  where  he  remained  for  a  time, 
then  entered  into  trade  at  Forest  City.  He 
remained  there  until  tlie  Indian  outbreak, 
and  now  lives  at  Sauk  City. 

Harrison  Thorns  settled  upon  section  17, 
Forest  City,  where  he  made  his  home  until 
1868,  when  he  left  here  for  California  and 
Oregon. 


'  T.  R.  Webb  and  Dr.  Russell  Whiteman 
located  in  Ellsw' orth :  the  former  is  still  a 
citizen  of  the  county ;  the  latter  is  in  Illi- 
nois. 

Dudley  and  Samuel  Taylor  took  up 
their  residence  in  Forest  City,  on  the 
25th  of  June.  Dudley  Taylor  entered  the 
army  during  the  late  war  and  was  hurt  by 
the  falling  of  the  deck  of  the  steamer  "Glad- 
iator," in  the  Tennessee  river,  and  on  his  dis- 
charge went  to  New  York  State,  where  he 
died  shortly  afterwards.  Samuel  Taylor  is 
living  on  the  claim  he  took  upon  first  com- 
ing  here. 

J.  W.  Walker  and  Reuben  Davis  came  to 
this  section  of  the  State  late  in  the  fall  of  the 
same  year  and  settled  in  Harvey,  but  only 
remained  a  short  time. 

James  A.  Quick  came  this  same  year,  but 
after  a  year  or  two's  residence  left  here, 
going  back  to  Penns\'lvania. 

Charles  McAron  came  to  the  county  and 
helped  set  up  a  saw-mill.  He  ran  a  black- 
smith shop  for  a  time  and  left  here  in 
1857. 

John  W.  Patterson  took  up  a  claim  on  the 
northwest  quarter  of  section  30,  Forest  City, 
where  he  took  up  bachelor  "  house-keeping  " 
and  made  his  home  here  for  some  time,  and 
then  left  for  Minneapolis,  where  he  was 
when  last  heard  from. 

Henry  Clinton  made  a  claim  on  the  north- 
west quarter  of  section  32,  Forest  City.  In 
1875  he  left  here  for  California,  where  he 
now  lives. 

Peter  Stearns,  John  Peiffer  and  Gottleib 
Reef,  three  Germans,  made  their  appearance 
here  and  took  claims  in  the  town  of  Darwin. 
Peter  Stearns,  a  veteran  member  of  both  the 
First  and  Second  Cavalry  during  the  last 
war,  is  still  resident  here;  Peiffer  also  lives 
on  his  original  claim,  and  Reef  is  now  a 
wealthy  farmer  of  Kandiyohi  county,  having 
gone  there  in  1865. 

Leander  L.  Wakefield  made  his  settlement 


504 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


in  the  fall  of  1856,  on  section  19,  Forest  City, 
and  is  still  a  resident  of  the  county. 

Loring  G.  IIU3'  and  Ogden  T.  Tuttle  made 
a  settlement  in  1856,  also,  but  only  stayed 
about  a  ,year,  going  to  Minnea}X)lis. 

Frederick  Cook  made  a  trip  to  this  count}^ 
from  Illinois  in  July,  of  this  same  year,  and, 
liking  the  looks  of  it,  returned  to  his  home, 
and  the  next  month  brought  his  brothers, 
Christopher,  Ferdinand  and  William,  with 
him  and  made  a  settlement  in  Litchfield 
township.  Fred  died  in  1860 ;  Chris,  in 
1858;  William  was  killed  accidentally  in  the 
army,  and  Ferdinand  is  a  resident  of  Manan- 
nah  at  the  present  time. 

Lyman  Allen  and  Messrs.  Baker  iind 
Allen  came  to  the  county  and  settled  in 
what  is  now  Union  Grove,  this  same  year. 
Baker  died  here,  and  the  other  two,  in  1860, 
returned  to  their  home  in  the  "Old  Bay 
State." 

Daniel  Cross  located  in  Cedar  Mills  town- 
ship in  1856,  where  he  made  his  home  until 
he  was  killed  by  the  Indians,  in  1862. 

Charles  E.  Cutts  and  Walter  Bacon  settled 
on  adjoining  claims  in  the  town  of  Forest 
City,  in  the  fall  of  1856,  and  put  up  bachelor 
quarters,  where  they  lived.  Mr.  Cutts,  who 
has  been  prominently  identified  with  the  his- 
tory of  the  county,  is  still  a  resident  upon  his 
original  preemption ;  Mr.  Bacon,  after  living 
here  some  yeai-s,  moved  to  Otter  Tail 
county,  and  is  a  resident  of  Fergus  Falls. 

James  B.  Atkinson  came  to  the  site  of 
Forest  City  on  the  7th  of  February,  1857, 
where  he  found  but  about  five  people.  He 
had  with  him  a  load  of  merchandise,  and  at 
once  put  up  a  store,  and  in  April  opened  the 
first  store  in  the  county.  A  full  account  of 
his  business  afl'airs  may  be  found  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  village  of  Forest  City,  and  a 
sketch  of  this  well-known  resident  of  Litch- 
field in  the  biographical  department  of  this 
work. 

W.  H.  Dart,  now  engaged  in  the  grocery 


trade  in  the  city  of  Litchfield,  is  also  a  set- 
tler of  the  same  \'ear,  coming  to  Forest  City 
in  April,  where  he  found  but  seven  men,  who 
all  lived  in  one  house.  Their  names  were 
Thomas  II.  Skinner,  Walter  Brown,  A. 
Bemis,  Matthew  Stand ish,  M.  G.  Moore,  and 
two  others.  With  him  came  Charles  N. 
Shedd,  and  the  two  men  took  up  adjoining 
claims  in  Forest  City  township. 

About  the  same  time  that  Atkinson  came, 
there  appeared  Henry  N.  Baker,  one  of  the 
original  Baker  family,  from  Waukeegan,  111., 
a  jolly  scapegrace,  most  widely  known,  who 
hoped  to  bury  in  the  woods  some  of  his 
escapades.  He  remained  here  for  a  few 
years,  and  then  returned  to  his  friends.  He 
acted  as  judge  of  probate  here  in  1857-8-9. 

Jacob  Ball,  carpenter,  located  in  the  village 
of  Forest  City,  this  county,  in  the  spring  of 
1857,  and  erected  a  store  building  for  James 
B.  Atkinson.  He  followed  his  trade  some- 
what, and  taking  up  a  claim  on  section  4,  did 
some  farming.  After  a  few  years  passed 
here,  he  returned  to  Canada. 

Rev.  John  Robson,  an  ordained  minister 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  came 
to  the  new  settlement  at  Forest  Cit}"^  early 
in  the  same  year,  and  preempted  160  acres 
of  land,  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  20, 
and  operated  the  saw-mill  for  a  time.  He 
was  the  first  justice  of  the  peace,  and  made 
this  place  his  home  for  a  few  years,  but  left 
here  previous  to  the  Indian  outbreak,  remov- 
ing to  the  far  East,  and  died  at  Medford, 
Mass. 

H.  Walker,  a  carpenter,  came  to  the  rising 
village  in  May,  1857,  and  took  up  his  resi- 
dence. After  some  years'  residence  here  he 
removed  from  the  county,  and,  when  last 
heard  from,  was  keeping  a  hotel  at  Buffalo, 
Wright  county. 

Thomas  Grayson,  also  a  knight  of  the  saw, 
plane  and  chisel,  settled  in  the  town  aV)out 
the  same  time.  He  is  still  a  resident  of  the 
countv. 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


507 


J.  W.  Griswold  settled  about  the  same 
time,  and  remained  for  a  few  years.  He 
now  lives  in  Minneapolis. 

James  Willis,  who  is  a  resident  at  the 
present  of  the  town  of  Litchfield,  located  in 
a  claim  south  of  Forest  City  in  1857,  where 
he  made  his  home  for  many  years, 

Among  the  other  arrivals  of  the  same  \'ear 
Avas  Hamlet  Stevens,  now  a  banker  of  the 
City  of  Litchfield,  who  located  at  Forest  City. 

The  tide  of  immigration  having  set  toward 
this  section  of  the  State,  Avest  of  the  "Big 
Woods,"  many,  being  delighted  with  the 
picturesque  scenery  and  abundant  fei'tility 
of  the  land  of  Meeker  county,  settled  in  the 
county  of  Meeker  during  the  years  of  1857 
and  1858,  and  the  country  began  to  assume 
the  appearance  of  being  the  home  of  white 
people.  The  blue  smoke  curling  from  the 
chimneys  of  the  cabins  of  the  settlers,  the 
ploughed  ground  around  their  little  clear- 
ings and  breakings,  and  the  hum  of  busy 
industry  announced  the  coming  of  civiliza- 
tion. Among  those  located  in  the  county 
in  1857,  not  mentioned  were  Dennis  Shields, 
John  and  A.  F.  Heath,  John  Wigle,  L.  F. 
Haines,  Jacob  Reef,  Isjiac  Perrine,  James 
Murphy,  John  Kimball,  S.  W.  Ryan,  B.  F. 
Butler,  Willard  Keats,  Charles  McPartheon, 
David  Ralston,  L.  A.  Henry,  Richard  Poole, 
Allen  Teachout,  H.  M.  Angier,  J.  P.  Botham, 
W.  W.  Woodman,  Jacob  Knapp,  Henry 
Bierman,  Louis  and  Maximillian  Cook  and 
their  mother,  A.  B.  Hoyt,  D.  P.  Delemater, 
A.  C.  Campbell,  Charles  Willis,  N.  O.  Grif- 
fin, Patrick  Finnegan,  Mark  AVarren,  Messrs. 
Charlton  and  Andrews,  George  S.  Sholes 
Sr.,  William  Marble,  William  Cramer; 
Charles,  William  and  Herman  Krueger, 
Bengt  Hanson;  John.  Nels,  Andrew,  Peter 
E.,  and  Lewis  Larson;  Hogan  Peterson,  Thol- 
son  J.  Cornelius,  Ole  Amundson,  Nels  Dan- 
ielson,  Kettle  Haroldson,  Henry  J.  Johnson, 
John  Nelson;  Jesse  V.  Branham  Sr.,  and  his 
sons,   AVilliam,   Jesse    and    Edward;    Oscar 


Erickson,  Nels  Clements,  Ole  Johanson,  John 
Wincjuist,  Ole  J.  Winquist,  E.  S.  Fitch,  Bryan 
McNulty,  Noah  White,  Patrick  Casey,  John 
Doyle,  Louis  Ekbom,  John  Dougherty,  John 
McRaith.  William  Cunningham,  Michael 
Gallahue,  James  Shelley,  Jacob  Reef,  three 
brothers  O'Brien,  Mr.  Hagerty,  John  Ramsey, 
Hans  Peterson,  Peter  E.  Hanson,  Andrew 
Peterson,  Ole  Nelson,  N.  E.  Hanson,  Nels 
Elofson,  Peter  E.  Lund,  Nels  Waylander, 
John  Rosencrans,  Bertha  Anderson,  Andrew 
Elofson,  Peter  J.  Lund,  John  and  Peter 
Ritchie,  Robinson  Jones,  Howard  Baker, 
Mrs.  Ann  Baker,  Abram  Kelley.  John  Black- 
well,  Capt.  Robinson,  Lyman  Allen,  and  pos- 
sibly a  few  others. 

Rev.  J.  C.  Whitney,  in  1858,  came  to  the 
new  settlement,  and  bought  the  claim  of 
Nathan  Roberts,  adjoining  the  town  site, 
where  he  lived  for  some  years,  after  Avhich  he 
removed  to  the  city  of  Minneapolis,  and 
acted  as  United  States  ganger  for  a  time, 
since  which  time  he  has  grown  quite  wealthy 
in  the  real  estate  business,  and  makes  his 
home  in  the  "  Flour  City." 

John  Goodspeed  settled  in  Union  Grove  in 
the  same  year,  where  he  made  his  home  for 
several  years.  He  afterwards  removed  ta 
Monticello. 

Among  those  who  took  up  their  residence 
in  the  county  during  the  year  1858,  there 
have  been  gathered  the  following  names — J. 
D.  Evans,  A.  C.  Smith.  R.  W.  Brown,  Ursil- 
lius  S.  Willie,  George  S.  Sholes  Jr.,  J.  A. 
Baird,  Thomas  E.  Massey,  Charles  and  Sam- 
uel Getchell,  Daniel  Campbell,  Levi  L. 
Getchell,  E.  K.  Wright,  James  Merrill,  F.  M. 
Scott,  Dennis  Cronin,  G.  W.  Parker,  N.  W. 
Bannister,  Charles  May  bee,  E.  O.  Britt,  Vin- 
cent Coombs,  Thomas  McGannon,  Iver  Jack- 
son, Bengt  Nelson,  Dana  E.  King,  William 
n.  Greenleaf,  Bennett  M.  Brink,  William  H. 
Wilcox,  Thomas  Ryckman,  Christian  Erick- 
son, Halver  Michelson,  Ole  Munson  and  Ole 
Lindquist. 


5o8 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


A  full  history  of  the  settlement,  location 
of  their  homes,  etc.,  of  many  of  the  old  set- 
tlers is  given  in  detail  in  the  annals  of  their 
respective  towns,  or  in  the  biographical  de- 
partments, to  whicli  chapters  tiie  reader  is 
referred  for  particulars. 

HISTOKICAL  ITEMS. 

The  first  birth  in  Meeker  county  was  that 
of  Sarah  Jane,  daughter  of  Thomas  Dougli- 
erty,  born  while  the  family  were  still  living- 
in  a  wagon,  before  getting  to  their  claim, 
July  15, 1856.  She  is  now  living  with  her 
parents  in  Harvey  township. 

The  first  male  child  was  Ole  T.  Halverson, 
son  of  Henr}'  and  ]\Iai'garet  Halverson,  born 
December,  11  1856,  in  Litchfield  township. 

The  first  death  W'as  that  of  Dr.  Frederick 
N.  Eipley,  who  was  frozen  to  death  March  3, 
1856,  on  the  shores  of  the  beautiful  lake  that 
bears  his  name,  in  Litchfield  township,  and 
commemorates  this  unhappy  man's  cruel 
fate.  The  second  death  was  that  of  Frank 
Parsons,  who  died  Noveinl)er  20, 1856,  and 
was  buried  on  the  town  site  of  Foi'est  City. 

The  first  land  bi'oken  was  by  Benjamin 
Dorman,  in  the  summer  of  1856,  in  Kings- 
ton township.  Morris  Powers  broke  the  sod 
next  the  same  season. 

Thefirst  house  erected  was  a  shanty,  put 
.up  by  John  Huy  and  his  party  at  the  junc- 
tion of  the  creek  with  the  Crow  river,  on  sec- 
tion 13,  Ilai-vey  township,  in  the  summer  of 
1855. 

The  first  barn  was  built  by  OlelL  Ness  in 
the  summer  of  1856,  in  Ripley,  now  Litch- 
field township. 

The  first  religious  services  were  held  at 
Forest  City  in  November,  1856,  at  which 
Ilev.  John  Robson,  a  ]\rethodist  clergyman, 
delivered  the  sermon  and  led  the  exercises. 

On  the  2-2d  of  :\[arch,  1858,  the  United 
States  land  office,  under  A.  C.  Smith,  reg- 
ister, and  John  D.  Evans,  receiver,  was 
opened  at  Forest  City,  and  this  was  deemed 


an  important  era  in  the  history  of  that  town 
and  of  the  county.  There  was  but  a  small 
quantity  of  land  upon  which  claims  had  been 
filed  at  that  time,  in  this  portion  of  the 
State,  and  consequently,  with  the  consider- 
able title  of  immigration  this  way,  the  land 
office  was  crowded  nearly  all  the  time.  Old 
settlers  state  that  in  those  davs  it  was  no 
uncommon  sight  toseea  large  number  of  land- 
seekers  camped  all  around  the  office,  await- 
ing their  turn  to  enter  their  claim  or  ti-ansact 
other  business  with  the  officers.  The  build- 
ing in  which  it  was  located  was  a  small  log 
shanty.  Here  the  office  remained  until  after 
the  Indian  outbreak  in  August,  1862,  when 
it  was  removed  back  to  Minneapolis,  but 
some  time  after  the  cessation  of  hostilities 
and  peace  again  reigned  upon  the  bonier  it 
was  brought  l)ack  to  this  county  and  located 
at  Greenleaf,  where  it  remained  some  time. 

The  first  homestead  under  the  act  of  Con- 
gress authorizing  their  entry  was  taken  and 
filed  by  Samuel  Taylor  in  1863;  this  was 
located  upon  the  south  half  of  the  southeast 
quai'ter  of  section  -1,  in  the  town  of  Darwin, 
and  was  first  claimed  by  Richard  Poole. 

The  first  term  of  the  district  court  held  in 
the  county  was  in  October,  1859,  with  lion. 
E.  O.  ILamlin  upon  the  bench,  and  met  in 
the  office  of  A.  C.  Smith,  in  Forest  City. 
The  first  case  before  the  court  was  that  of 
John  Peiffert'.^.  Peter  Stearns,  and  was  a  sin- 
gular one.  They  were  brothers-in  law,  and 
hail  erected  one  cabin  on  the  line  between 
their  farms,  so  as  to  cover  both  with  their 
residence.  After  a  time  they  quarreled,  and 
Peiffersliot  Stearns  as  the  latter  was  attem]it- 
ing  to  cany  off  his  share  of  the  lumber  of 
the  house,  and  to  settle  the  shooting  case 
Peiffer  gave  the  other  a  chattel  mortgage  on 
two  yoke  of  oxen,  but  on  the  maturity  of  the 
claim  refused  to  give  up  the  cattle,  as  the 
mortgage  had  been  given  to  comjiouiid  a  fel- 
ony. During  this  ti'ial,  as  to  who  was  the 
owner  of  the  cattle,  was  impaneled  the  first 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


509 


petit  jury  in  tlie  county,  which  consisted  of 
the  following  named  :  George  S.  Sholes,  Sr., 
foreman  ;  Azro  B.  Iloyt,  J.  C.  Scribner,  Alex- 
ander Lee,  T.  E.  AVebb,  Thos.  Dougherty, 
A.  C.  Maddox,  Samuel  L.  Getcliell,  George 
"W.  Baird,  Edward  Brown,  John  Black  well 
and  Charles  Duffy.  Tlie  verdict  was  found 
for  tlie  plaintiff,  tliree  cents  damages.  U.  S. 
Willie  appeared  for  Stearns,  and  A.C.  Smith 
for  Peiffer.  These  two  were  tlie  sole  mem- 
bers of  the  bar,  but  at  this  term  AVilliam 
Kichards  was  admitted  to  tlie  bar,  tlie  first 
in  the  county  so  honored. 

The  first  gristmill  in  die  county  was  erected 
at  Kingston.  Its  construction  was  com- 
menced in  1856,  by  A.  P.  AVhitney,  and 
finished  the  following  year.  This  was  the 
pioneer  mill  of  the  region  lying  west  of  the 
Big  Woods,  and  was  a  gi-eat  advantage  to 
the  earlj'  settlers,  as  all  their  flour,  previous 
to  its  completion,  had  to  lie  hauled  here  by 
teams  from  St.  Paul.  This  mill  is  still  in 
operation.  Mills  were  built  shortly  after 
this,  one  at  Greenleaf  anil  one  at  Porest  City. 

The  pioneer  postoffice  of  the  county  was 
established  in  the  spring  of  1857,  at  Forest 
City,  with  James  B.  Atkinson  as  postmaster. 
Pie  had  the  office  in  his  store,  but  there  was 
no  regular  mail  until  the  fall  of  the  same 
year,  when  a  mail  route  was  established  be- 
tween that  point  and  St.  Cloud,  and  a  man 
by  the  name  of  Evans  became  mail-carrier. 
He  covered  the  thirty-five  miles  between  the 
two  places  on  foot,  and  frequently  got  into 
Forest  City  b\'  2  o'clock  in  the  afternoon. 

The  first  hotel  in  the  county  was  a  log 
building,  where  entertainment  of  a  primitive 
character  was  dispensed  in  1856  and  1857, 
by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dudley  Taylor. 


-««: 


CHAPTER    III. 
OFFICIAL  MATTERS. 


ZT    IS  intended,   that   grouped   together 
under  this  general  head,  will  be  given 
all  that  pertains  to  the  otticial  life  of 
the  county,  those  who  have  represented  it 


and  its  citizens  in  office,  property  valuations, 
educational  statistics  and  all  other  kindred 
matter  that  is  drawn  from  official  records, 
and  worthy  of  preservation  in  a  volume  of 
this  character.  The  first  point  taken  up, 
therefore,  will  be 

ORGANIZATION. 

The  Seventh  Territorial  Legislature  which 
met  in  the  spring  of  1856,  ordered  the  crea- 
tion and  organization  of  a  county  to  be 
called  Meeker,  in  honor  of  Hon.  B.  B. 
Meeker,  of  St.  Anthony,  and  to  contain 
within  its  boundaries  all  that  is  now  defined 
by  them,  except  what  is  now  the  townships 
of  Cosmos  and  Cedar  Mills.  This  act  of 
creation  is  dated  February  23,  1856.  Pre- 
vious to  that  time,  this  territory  had  been 
considered  a  part  of  Kandiyohi  county,  but 
was  almost  without  any  definite  boundaries. 
Under  this  act,  the  Governor  appointed 
Thomas  H.  Skinner,  Dr.  Frederick  N.  Eip- 
ley  and  J.  W.  Iluy,  as  commissioners  to 
complete  the  organization. 

Accordingly,  on  the  5tli  of  May,  the  first 
board  met  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Skinner,  in 
Forest  City,  where  the  seat  of  justice  had 
been  located,  and  appointed  Milton  G.  Moore, 
register  of  deeds,  Thos.  H.  Skinner,  clerk  of 
the  board,  and  Abijah  Beniis,  sheriff.  At 
the  same  time  they  made  into  one  election 
precinct  the  whole  county,  to  be  named 
Forest  City  precinct.  Thus  was  born  the 
county  of  Meeker.  No  assessments  or  levy 
of  taxes  were  made  in  the  county  that  year, 
nor  were  there  any  bills  presented  or  paid  by 
the  board.  The  latter  simply  started  the 
machineiy  and  held  their  seats  until  the  due 
qualification  of  their  elected  successors. 
The  following  is  the  record  of  the  succeed- 
ing 

BOARDS  OF  COUNTY  COMMISSIONERS. 

At  the  second  meeting  of  board,  January 
5,  1857,  the  county  was  divided  into  three 
assessment  districts,  as  follows :     The  town- 


510 


MEEKER  COUNJ-Y,  MINNESOTA. 


ships  in  range  29,  and  the  east  half  of  the 
townsiiips  in  i-ange  30,  were  designated  as 
district  No.  1 ;  the  west  lialf  of  the  town- 
ships in  range  30,  and  all  the  townships  in 
range  31  were  to  be  district  No.  2;  and  the 
townships  in  ranges  32  and  33  were  to  con- 
stitute district  No.  3.  The  assessors  elected 
in  October,  1856,  having  failed  to  present 
themselves,  or  to  qualify,  the  commissionei's 
appointed  A.  P.  Whitney  to  assess  No.  1  ; 
John  E.  Kimball  to  assess  No.  2,  and  Lyman 
Baker  to  assess  No.  3. 

At  a  meeting  on  the  Cth  of  April,  1857, 
the  county  was  divided  into  four  election  pre- 
cincts, which  were  designated  as  Kingston, 
Forest  City,  Round  Lake  and  Union  Grove 
precincts.  At  this  meeting  nine  petitions  for 
roads  were  presented  to  the  board,  the  first 
business  of  the  kind  to  come  before  it. 

At  the  meeting  on  the  20th  of  July,  1857, 
the  office  of  sheriff  having  become  vacant  by 
the  removal  of  Abijah  Bemis  from  the  coun- 
ty, T.  C.  Jewett  was  appointed  to  fill  the 
vacancy. 

In  October,  1857,  a  meeting  of  the  board 
was  held,  at  which  the  county  was  divided 
into  four  school  districts,  with  boundaries 
the  same  as  the  election  precints. 

On  the  5th  of  October,  1857,  the  first  bill 
audited  and  ordered  paid  by  the  board  was 
presented  by  John  W.  Goodspeed,  for  ser- 
vices in  assessing  district  No.  3. 

The  following  is  a  complete  list  of  the 
gentlemen  who  have  comjiosed  the  board  of 
county  commissioners  for  each  year  since 
the  county  was  organized,  as  complete  and 
correct  as  it  is  possible,  at  this  late  day,  to 
make  it : 

1850.  Thomas  H.  Skinner,  John  Huy  and 
Frederick  N.  Ripley. 

1857.  J.  T.  Kinnison,  John  Wigle  and  J. 
W.  Griswold,  and  later  T.  G.  Gould. 

1858.  A.  P.  Whitney,  John  Wigle,  Mark 
Warren,  Peter  Ritchie,  Ziba  Caswell,  and  J. 
V.  Branham  Sr. 


1859.  Peter  Ritchie,  Mark  Warren,  John 
Wigle,  Charles  Low,  Robert  Lang  and  J .  W. 
Dame. 

1860.  E.  ]\[.  AVhitney,  Mark  Warren  and 
Linus  Howe. 

1861.  J.  C.  Whitney,  Peter  Ritchie,  and 
J.  V.  Branham,  Sr. 

1862.  Charles  E.  Cutts,  E.  B.  Kingsley, 
E.  A.  Chapin,  E.  H.  Whitney,  James  B.  At- 
kinson and  Samuel  Taylor. 

1863.  George  S.  Sholes,  Sr.,  IL  Hall  and 
Moody  Caswell. 

1864.  George  S.  Sholes,  Sr.,  II.  Hall, 
Michael  Johnson  and  F.  McCusker. 

1865-6.  G.  S.  Sholes,  Sr.,  II.  Hall,  and 
Ziba  Caswell. 

1867.  M.  J.  Flynn,  H.  Hall,  and  Ziba 
Caswell. 

1868.  W.  H.  Dart,  S.  Y.  Gordon,  and  A. 
N.  Fosen. 

1869.  W.  E.  Graham,  J.  B.  Atkinson, 
and  A.  N.  Fosen. 

1870.  J.  B.  Atkinson,  W.  E.  Graham, 
and  H.  Halvorson. 

1871.  J.  A.  C.  Waller,  Even  Evenson,  H. 
C.  Bull,  Patrick  Flynn  and  N.  C.  Hines. 

1872.  E.  Evenson,  N.  C.  Hines,  Patrick 
Flynn,  H.  C.  Bull,  and  Chauncey  Butler. 

1873.  C.  Butler,  N.  C.  Hines,  E.  Evenson, 
Patrick  Flynn,  and  Henry  Clay. 

1874.  C.  Butler,  E.  Evenson,  Henry  Clay, 
B.  F.  Spaulding,  and  Joseph  Hubbard. 

1875.  E.  Evenson,  II.  Halvorson,  H.  Clay, 
Joseph  Hubbard  and  B.  F.  Spaulding. 

1876.  Even  Evenson,  H.  Halvorson,  Jo- 
seph Hubbard,  Louis  Rudberg,  and  B.  F. 
Spaulding. 

1877.  Even  Evenson,  chairman;  Joseph 
Hubbard,  Henry  Halvorson,  J.  \l.  Pender- 
gast,  and  Isaac  Lloyd. 

1878.  Even  Evenson,  chairman ;  Joseph 
Hubbard,  Isaac  Lloyd,  V.  H.  Harris,  and  C. 
A.  McCoUom.- 

1879.  C.  A.  McColloni,  chairman  ;  Joseph 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


5" 


Hubbard,  V.  H.  Harris,  O.  M.  Linnell,  and 
Isaac  Lloyd. 

1880.  V.  H.  Harris, chairman;  C.  A.  Mc- 
CoUom,  W.  H.  Wilcox,  O.  M.  Linnell,  and 
Isaac  Lloyd. 

188L  Peter  E.  Hansen,  chairman ;  Kas- 
mus  Nelson,  Claus  Anderson,  Isaac  Lloyd, 
and  W.  H.  Wilcox. 

1882.  Peter  E.  Hansen,  chairman  ;  Isaac 
Lloyd,  Kasmus  Nelson,  C.  Anderson,  and  W. 
H.  Wilcox. 

1883.  Peter  E.  Hansen,  chairman;  C. 
Anderson,  R.  Nelson,  F.  F.  Phillips,  and  C. 
H.  Atkinson. 

1884.  Andrew  Nelson,  chairman;  F.  F. 
Phillips,  C.  A.  McCoUora,  C.  II.  Atkinson, 
and  R.  Nelson. 

1885.  Andrew  Nelson,  chairman;  F.  F. 
Phillips,  C.  A.  McCollom,  C.  II.  Atkinson, 
and  John  Bloraberg. 

1886.  Andrew  Nelson,  chainnan;  F.  F. 
Phillips,  C.  H.  Atkinson,  John  Blomberg, 
and  C.  A.  McCollom. 

188Y.  V.  H.  Harris,  chairman;  John 
Blomberg,  N.  C.  Caswell,  Peter  Sangreen, 
and  William  M.  Abbott. 

1888.  V.  H.  Harris,  chairman ;  John 
Blomberg,  Peter  Sangreen,  William  M. 
Abbott,  and  N.  C.  Caswell. 

MEMBERS  OF  THE  LEGISLATURE. 

Upon  the  formation  of  the  State  Constitu- 
tion, July  13th,  and  its  subsequent  ratification, 
October  13,  1857,  the  State  was  divided  into 
twenty-six  senatorial  districts.  These  dis- 
tricts were  subdivided  into  representative 
districts  and  many  were  entitled  to  two  Sen- 
ators, and  from  one  to  six  Representatives  in 
the  Lower  House. 

Under  this  apportionment,  when  the  First 
State  Legislature  convened,  on  the  2d  of  De- 
cember, 1857,  the  body  was  composed  of 
thirty-seven  Senators  and  eighty  Representa- 
tives. According  to  the  provisions  of  the 
Constitution  the   newly  created    county   of 


Meeker  became  a  part  of  the  Twentieth  Sen- 
atorial District,  being  associated  with  the 
counties  of  Benton,  Sherburne  and  Stearns. 
The  district  was  entitled  to  one  Senator  and 
three  Representatives.  The  first  Senator  to 
represent  this  district  was  Hon.  Reuben  M. 
Richardson,  of  Stearns  county.  The  first 
Representatives  were  Hon.  J.  B.  Atkinson, 
of  Meeker  county;  John  L.  Young,  of  Benton 
county,  and  Joseph  B.  Carpenter,  of  Sher- 
burne county. 

When  the  Second  State  Legislature  con- 
vened, December  7, 1859,  Meeker  county  was 
still  a  part  of  the  Twentieth  Senatorial  Dis- 
trict which  at  that  time  was  represented  in 
the  Senate  by  C.  C.  Andrews,  of  Stearns 
county,  and  in  the  House  by  U.  S.  Willie,  of 
Meeker  county;  G.  W.  Sweet,  of  Benton 
county,  and  M.  C.  Tolman,  of  Anoka  county. 
The  "apportionment  of  1860"  was  made  by 
this  Legislature,  and  by  the  re-arrangement 
of  districts  Meeker  county  was  associated 
with  the  counties  of  Carver,  Wright,  LcLeod, 
Kandiyohi  and  Monongalia  in  constituting 
the  Sixth  Senatorial  District,  the  district  be- 
inf  entitled  to  elect  one  Senator  and  thi-ee 
Representati  ves. 

The  Third  Legislature  assembled  on  the  8th 
of  January,  1861,  and  adjourned  on  the  8th 
of  March.  In  this  session  the  newly-formed 
Sixth  District  was  represented  in  the  Senate 
by  Hon.  Samuel  Bennett,  of  Wright  county, 
and  in  the  Lower  House  by  Hon.  V.  P.  Ken- 
nedy, of  Meeker  county;  Hon.  T.  D.  Ken- 
nedy, of  Kandiyohi  county,  and  Hon.  William 
R.  Baxter,  of  Carver  county. 

On  the  7th  of  January,  1862,  the  Foui-th 
Legislature  convened,  and  in  this  body  the 
Sixth  District  was  represented  by  the  same 
delegation  that  had  served  it  in  the  pi'eced- 
ing  Legislature  except  that  Hon.  John  H. 
Stevens,  of  McLeod  county,  had  succeeded 
W.  R.  Baxter  in  the  House. 

In  the  Fifth  Legislature,  which  convened 
January  6th,  1S63,  Charles  A.  Warner,  of 


512 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


Carver  county,  represented  the  Sixth  District 
in  the  Senate,  while  in  the  House  it  was 
served  by  C.  F.  Davis,  of  IVIeeker  county;  W. 
G.  Butler,  of  Wright  county,  and  B.  G.  Lee, 
of  McLeod  county. 

The  Sixtli  Legislature  assembled  on  the  5th 
of  January,  IStU.  Charles  A.  AVarner  was 
still  in  the  Senate.  In  the  House  were  Henry 
Hill,  of  Meeker  county;  W.  G.  Butler,  of 
Wright  county,  and  John  S.  Letford,  of 
Carver  county. 

The  Seventh  Legislature  convened  January 
3,  1865.  The  Sixth  District  at  that  time  was 
represented  by  the  following  gentlemen — 
G.  D.  George,  of  Wright  county,  Senator ; 
and  Henry  Hill,  Frank  A.  Renz  and  C.  F. 
Davis,  Representatives. 

In  the  Eighth  Legislature,  which  assembled 
January  2, 1866,  G.  D.  George  was  still  in  the 
Senate.  The  Representatives  were — Danna 
£.  King,  of  Meeker  county ;  L.  Harrington, 
of  McLeod  county,  and  Chauncy  W.  Griggs, 
of  Carver  county.  The  "  apportionment  of 
1866  "  was  made  by  this  Legislature,  accord- 
ing to  which  there  were  then  to  be  twenty- 
two  Senators  and  fort}' -seven  Representatives. 
Meeker  county  still  remained  in  the  Sixth 
district,  which  was  then  formed  of  Meeker, 
Wright,  McLeod,  Kandiyohi  and  Monongalia 
counties. 

When  the  Ninth  Legislature  convened,  Jan- 
uary 8,  1867,  H.  L.  Gordon,  of  Wright 
county,  took  his  seat  as  Senator  from  the 
Sixth  District.  The  district  was  only  entitled 
to  two  Representatives  in  the  House — Dana 
E.  King,  of  Meeker  county,  and  P.  W.  Sav- 
age, of  McLeod  county,  being  the  members. 

In  the  Tenth  Legislature,  which  assembled 
on  the  7th  of  January,  1868,  II.  L.  Gordon 
was  still  in  the  Senate,  and  in  the  House  the 
district  was  served  by  J.  B.  Salisbury,  of  this 
county,  and  Lewis  Harrington,  of  McLeod 
county. 

The  Eleventh  Legislature  convened  Janu- 
ary 5, 1869.     The  Sixth  District  was  repre- 


sented in  the  Senate  by  Dana  E.  King,  of 
Meeker  county,  and  in  the  House  by  D.  Pile 
and  W.  W.  Patteison. 

On  the  4rth  of  January,  1S70,  the  Twelfth 
Legislature  assembled,  with  Mr.  King  still 
in  the  Senate.  In  the  House  the  Sixth  Dis- 
trict was  represented  by  E.  Abbott,  of  Kan- 
diyohi county,  and  A.  II.  Reed,  of  McLeod 
county. 

The  Thirteenth  Legislature  convened  Jan- 
uary 8,  1871.  The  re])resentatives  of  the 
Sixth  District  at  that  time  were  as  follows — 
W.  T.  Bonniwell,  of  McLeod  county,  Senator, 
and  W.  II.  Greenleaf,  of  Meeker  county,  antl 
Andrew  Railson,  of  Kandiyohi  county.  Rep- 
resentatives. The  apportionment  of  1871 
was  made  by  this  Legislature,  the  State  being 
divided  into  forty-one  senatorial  districts, 
and  tlie  House  to  be  composed  of  106  mem- 
bers. Under  the  division  of  territory  then 
made,  Meeker  county  constituted  District  No. 
3.5,  and  was  entitled  to  elect  one  Senator  and 
one  Representative. 

In  the  Fourteenth  Legislature,  which  con- 
vened January2,1872,Meeker  county  Avas  rep- 
resented in  the  Senate  by  diaries  E.  Cutts,  and 
in  the  House  by  AVilliam  II. Greenleaf. 

The  Fifteenth  Legislature  assembled  Jan- 
uary 7,  1873.  Meeker  count}'  was  repre- 
sented by  the  same  delegation  as  in  the 
preceding  Legislature. 

The  Sixteenth  Legislature  convened  Jan- 
uary 6,  1871.  Charles  E.  Cutts  was  still  the 
Senator  from  Meeker  county,  and  Andrew 
Nelson  took  his  seat  as  Representative. 

In  the  Seventeenth  Legislature,  whicli  con- 
vened January  5,  1875,  Meeker  county  was 
represented  in  the  Senate  by  Andrew  Nel- 
son, and  in  the  House  by  N.  C.  Ilines. 

The  Eighteenth  Legislature  assembled 
January  4,  1876.  Andrew  Nelson  was  still 
in  the  Senate  from  Meeker  county,  and  C. 
E.  Cutts  took  his  seat  as  Representative. 

The  Nineteenth  Legislature  convened  Jan- 
uary 2, 1877.     Meeker  county's  delegation  at 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


513 


that  time  was  composed  of  J.  M.  Waldron, 
Senator,  and  L.  Riidberg,  Representative. 

TheTwentietli  Legislature  assembled  Janu- 
ary 8, 1S78.  Meeker  count}'  was  represented 
in  this  Legislature  by  J.  M.  Waldron  in  the 
Senate,  and  W.  M.  Campbell  in  the  House. 

The  Twentv-first  Legislature  began  its  woi'k 
on  the  7th  of  January,  1879.  The  Represent- 
atives from  Meeker  county  at  that  time  were, 
C.  E.  Cutts,  Senator,  ami  W.  M.  Campbell, 
Representative. 

The  Twenty-second  Legislature  convened 
January  4,  ISSL  Meeker  county's  delega- 
tion at  that  time  was  composed  of  William 
Campbell,  Senator,  and  O.  M.  Linnell,  Repre- 
sentative. The  apportionment  of  1881  was 
made  by  this  Legislature.  According  to  the 
provisions  of  the  act.  Meeker  connty  was 
made  District  No.  Si,  and  was  entitled  to 
the  same  representation  as  under  the  preced- 
ing apportionment.  By  this  act  the  Legisla- 
ture consisted  of  forty-seven  Senators  and 
103  Representatives.  It  was  also  provided 
that  sessions  of  the  Legislature  should  be 
held  biennially  instead  of  annually. 

The  Twenty-third  Legislature  convened 
January  2,  1883.  At  that  time  Meeker 
county  was  represented  in  the  Senate  by  W. 
H.  Greenleaf,  and  in  the  House  by  O.  M. 
Linnell. 

The  Twenty  fourth  Legislature  assembled 
on  the  6th  of  Januar}',  1885.  Meeker 
county's  representatives  were  W.  H.  Green- 
leaf  in  the  Senate,  and  Michael  J.  Flynn  in 
the  House. 

The  Twenty-fifth  Legislature  assembled 
January  7th,  and  adjourned  March  4th, 
1887.  Meeker  county  was  ably  represented 
in  this  session  by  J.  S.  Shields  in  the  Senate, 
and  Even  Evenson  in  the  Lower  House. 

COUNTY  OFFICERS. 

The  following  is  believed  to  be  a  com- 
plete record  of  the  gentlemen  who  have  rep- 
resented the  people  of  Meeker  county  in  khe 


various  offices  in  the  gift  of  the  electors 
thereof: 

EEGISTEES    OF    DEEDS. 

Milton  G.  Moore,  1856  ;Thomas  H.  Skinner, 
1857-8-9,  and  60;  T.  C.  Jewett,  1861-2; 
Thos.  H.  Skinner,  1863,  until  August  iiO, 
when  he  died  ;  Hamlet  Stevens,  who  was 
appointed  to  fill  vacancy  1863-4;  E.  H. 
Whitney,  1865;  J.  M.  Harvey,  1866;  John 
Blackwell,  1867  to  1871 ;  N.  A.  Viren,  1871 
to  1878;  August  T.  Koerner,  1878,  to  1884; 
and  N.  A.  Viren,  the  present  incumbent, 
from  January,  1885. 

COUNTY    AUDITORS. 

Thos.  H.  Skinner,  as  clerk  of  the  board, 
was  ex-qffieio  the  county  auditor,  1856  to  60; 

D.  P.  Delamater,  1860  to  Kovember,  1863  ; 
James  M.  Harvey,  1864,  resigned  in  1864; 
M.  W.  Piper,  appointed  by  the  board  and  serv- 
ed until  1865,  when  he,  too,  resigned  ,  Charles 

E.  Cutts  was  appointed  to  the  office,  but  did 
not  qualif\^;  Jesse  V.  Branham,  Jr.,  1865 
(Nov.)  to  January,  1871 ;  John  Blackwell, 
1871  to  1875 ;  Hamlet  Stevens,  1875  to  1879 ; 
G.  B.  Phelps,  1879  to  1886 ;  Ambrose  Wall, 
1886,  the  present  incumbent. 

CLERKS    OF  THE  DISTRICT  COURT. 

J.  A.  Stanton,  1860  to  1863  ;  J.  M.  Har- 
vey, 1863  to  1867;  John  Blackwell,  1867  to 
1872;  S.  W.  Leavitt,  1872  to  1884;  J.  E. 
Upham,  the  present  official,  since  1884,  hav- 
ing been  re-elected  in  1SS6. 

COUNTY    TREASURERS. 

J.  A.  Stanton  was  elected  to  this  office  in 
1858,  but,  failing  to  qualify,  the  board  in 
January,  1859,  appointed  Charles  E.  Cutts, 
who  served  that  year  ;  W.  H.  Greenleaf  was 
the  next,  1860  to'  1862 ;  George  C.  Whitcomb 
1862  to  January  6,  1863,  when  he  resigned 
and  board  appointed  A.  C.  Smith  ;  Jesse  V. 
Branham,   Sr.,   served  from   1864  to   1870 ; 


^14 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


Henry  Hill,  1870-71 ;  Hamlet  Stevens,  1872 
to  1873  :  Amos  Nelson  Fosen,  1874  to  1880; 
August  Palm,  1880  to  1884;  and  N.  W. 
Hawkinson,  the  present  treasurer,  first 
elected  in  1883,  and  re-elected  in  1886. 

SHERIFFS. 

Abijah  Bemis,  appointed  May  5, 1856,  who 
served  until  fall  of  the  same  year,  when 
Henry  Averill  was  elected  to  this  office ;  the 
latter,  having  wounded  Kennison  in  a  fight, 
fled  the  country,  and  T.  C.  Jewett  was  ap- 
pointed to  the  office  July  20,  1857,  and  was 
elected  to  the  same  office ;  he  served  in  this 
capacity  until  1860,  and  was  succeeded  that 
year  by  E.  S.  Fitch,  who  served  1860  and 
1861 ;  John  Wigle,  short  time  in  1862  ;  James 
B.  Atkinson,  1862-3-4 ;  George  S.  Sholes,  Jr., 
1865  to  1868  ;  A.  A.  Sanford,  1868  and  1869; 
W.  M.  Campbell,  1870  to  1874;  N.  J.  March, 
1874  to  1878;  P.  Ekstrora,  to  1878  to  1884; 
Daniel  Flynn,  ISSlto  1887  ;  and  H.  M.  Holm, 
the  present  incumbent  of  the  office,  elected 
November  2, 1886,  and  qualified  in  1887. 

JUDGES    OF    PKOBATE. 

H.  N.  Baker,  1857  to  1860  ;  A.  C.  Smith, 
1860  to  1865  ;  E.  II.  Whitney,  1865  ;  C.  B. 
Jordan,  1806  to  1868  ;  Harvey  Wilson,  1868; 
John  M.  Waldron,  1869  and  1870  ;  Charles 
B.  Howell,  1871-2;  F.  V.  DeCoster,  1873-4; 
John  Blackwell,  1875  until  his  death,  when 
he  was  succeeded  by  S.  A.  Plumley,  who 
served  the  balance  of  that  year  and  1876  and 
1877  ;  N.  C.  Martin  1878  to"l8S7 ;  and  Charles 
H.  Strobeck  avIio  occupies  that  office  at  the 
present  vrriting,  having  been  elected  thereto 
in  November,  1886. 

COUNIT    ATTORNEYS. 

The  following  lifet  of  those  occupying  this 
position  is  believed  correct,  haviiag  been  sub- 
mitted to  those  well  posted  in  the  county, 
although  in  several  instances  no  record 
authorizes  the  insertion  of  the  names  :   Will- 


iam Eichards,  the  first,  qualified  July  4, 1858, 
and  served  until  1861 ;  Mark  AVarren,  1861-2; 
A.  C.  Smith.  1863  to  1867  ;  Thomas  Brown, 
1867  until  he  resigned  and  was  succeeded  by 
Henry  Wilson  ;  Henry  Hill,  1869  and  part 
of  1870  ;  Charles  B.  Howell,  the  balance  of 
that  year;  Francis  Belfoy,  1871-2;  C.  H. 
Strobeck,  1873-4  ;  E.  A.  Campbell,  1875-6  ; 
C.  II.  Strobeck,  1877-8;  S.  A.  Plumley, 
1879-80 ;  W.  S.  Van  Enian,  1881  ;  E.  A. 
Campbell,  1882-3  ;  E.  P.  Peterson,  188'l^5-6  ; 
and  J.  M.  Ilussell,  the  present  attorney,  who 
was  elected  in  1886,  and  qualified  in  1887. 

COUNTY  SUPERINTENDENTS  OF  SCHOOLS.* 

The  first  officer  of  this  denomination,  after 
it  became  elective,  was  J.  W.  Gordon,  who 
was  elected  November  5,  1877,  and  served 
during  the  years  1878  and  1879 ;  J.  W. 
Wright,  who  served  from  1880  to  1884;  S. 
W.  Gordon  from  1884  to  1887,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  T.  J.  Soule,  who  was  elected  to 
that  office  in  1886,  and  is  the  present  occupant 
of  the  position. 

COUNTY  SURVEYORS. 

M.  M.  Standish ;  William  Kichardson ;  W. 
H.  Greenleaf,  elected  in  1866  and  also  in 
1868;  J.  B.  Salisbury,  elected  in  1870;  L.  E. 
Dudley,  who  occupied  the  office  from  1873 
to  1885;  J.  B.  Salisbury,  the  present  sur- 
veyor, since  1885. 

CORONERS. 

John  Heath,  1862-3;  O.  H.  Ness,  1865; 
John  Curran,  1866;  S.  Y.  Gordon,  1867-8; 
O.  H.  Ness,  1869;  William  Matheny,  1870; 
John  A.  Quick,  1871-2-3-4;  Oliver  Kaswick, 
1875;  L.  E.  Dudley,  1876-7;  Nels  Elofson, 
1878-9;  John  A.  Quick,  1880  to  1884;  E. 
Kimball,  1884  and  at  present. 


•Note.— It  Is  impossible  to  give  complete  lists  of  those  who 
have  served  in  the  offices  of  superintendent,  surveyor,  coro- 
ner and  court  commissioner,  aa  the  records  do  not  show  their 
namea.— Editor. 


1- 


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or 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


517 


COURT  COSIMISSIONEKS. 

The  record  of  these  officers  is  very  incom- 
plete in  tlie  books  of  the  county,  but  the  fol- 
lowing-named are  known  to  have  served  in 
this  office:  James  B.  Atkinson,  W.  D.  Stan- 
ton, O.  H.  Campbell,  J.  H.  Bacon,  II.  L. 
Smith,  Francis  V.  DeCoster  and  H.  S.  Mc- 

Gonagle. 

MARRIAGES. 

The  following  table  shows  the  number  of 
marriages  recorded  on  the   books  of     the 
county  from  1858  to  1887,    inclusive  : 
1858 
1859      . 
1860 
1861      . 
1862 
1863      . 
1864 
1865      . 
1866 
1867      . 
1868 

1869   .   .   . 
1870 

1871   .   .   . 
1872 

Total,  licenses  issue 
1887,  inclusive. 

During  tlie  same  time,  from  the  date  of 
the  organization  of  the  county  until  the 
beginning  of  tlie  current  year,  there  have 
only  been  granted  some  fifty -seven  divorces, 
which,  in  a  population  which  now  numbers 
nearly  17,000,  is  a  remarkable  showing,  as 
against  the  3,700  people  who  have  been 
joined  in   wedlock. 

CENSUS. 

A  research  among  the  volumes  of  the  Cen- 
sus Bureau  of  the  United  States  Government 
shows  that  the  territory  known  as  Meeker 
county  had  a  total  population  in  1860  of  928, 
of  which  572  were  of  American  and  356  of 
foreign  birth.     In  1870  the  inhabitants  had 


1 

1873 

.   88 

3 

1874  . 

.   .  85 

7 

1875 

65 

7 

1876  . 

.  89 

3 

1877 

.   68 

1 

1878  . 

.   .  76 

•i 

1879 

86 

8 

1880  . 

.   .  107 

17 

1881 

.  115 

27 

1882  . 

.   .  116 

42 

1883 

.  114 

78 

1884   . 

.   .  109 

86 

1885 

.  106 

72 

1886   . 

.   .  114 

65 
'd  f 

1887 
rom  1S58  to 

.  119 

1,882 


increased  to  6,090,  and  in  1880  to  12,069, 
and  it  is  safe  to  say  that  it  has  nearly  17,000 
to-day  (1888).  About  two-fifths  of  the  entire 
population  is  made  up  of  hardy  Scandina- 
vians, who  bring  to  the  new  New  World  the 
thrift  and  economy  of  their  native  land,  and 
are  very  important  factors  in  the  develo])- 
ment  of  this  county  and  State. 

COURT-HOUSE  AND  JAIL. 

The  Meeker  county  courthouse  is  one  of 
the  most  substantial  and  serviceable  struc- 
tures of  its  kind  in  this  jmrt  of  the  State.  It 
was  built  in  1885-6  at  a  cost  of  nearly  $20,- 
000,  bonds  for  that  amount  having  been 
issued  by  vote  of  the  people.  The  building- 
is  of  brick,  made  in  the  county,  covers  a 
ground  space  of  74x80  feet  over  all,  and  is 
two  stories  and  basement  in  height,  the  two 
upper  stories  being  fifteen  feet  in  height, 
each.  It  is  surmounted  with  a  Mansard  slate 
roof  and  a  tower  which  reaches  the  height  of 
seventy  feet  above  the  ground.  It  contains 
rooms  for  all  the  county  officers,  with 
capacious  vaults  and  ample  conveniences  for 
each.  The  vaults  are  all  situated  so  as  to 
form  part  of  the  outside  walls,  and  are  pro- 
vided with  outside  windows,  thus  aflfordino- 
good  light  and  insuring  great  safety  in  case 
of  fire.  On  the  upper  floor  is  a  commodious 
court  room,  45x65  feet,  with  which  is  con- 
nected two  jury  rooms,  an  attorney's  room, 
judge's  room  and  the  circuit  clerk's  office. 
Although  the  appearance  of  the  building  will 
compare  favorably  with  others  of  its  class, 
gaudy  ornamentation  and  style  is  generally 
ignored,  and  every  foot  of  available  space  is 
utilized  for  business  purposes,  thus  afiording 
larger  and  more  commodious  offices  and 
apartments  than  are  usually  found  in  build- 
ings of  its  size. 

The  jail  building,  which  is  a  substantial, 
comfortable  and  capacious  structure,  was 
built  some  three  years  previous  to  the  erection 
of  the  court-house.     It  is  provided  with  four 


5i8 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


large  steel  cage  cells  of  the  latest  improved 
pattern,  and  the  foundation  of  floor  is  of  con- 
crete, three  feet  in  thickness.  G.  1>.  Phelps, 
county  auditor,  was  the  architect  of  both 
buildings. 

MEEKER  COUNTY  IN  THE  WAR. 

Altliougli  Meeker  county  liad  a  population 
but  little  exceeding  900  at  the  last  census 
preceding  the  great  conflict  between  the 
seceding  States  and  the  Federal  Govern- 
ment, it  furnished  a  number  of  men  for  the 
army  exceeding  her  2:)roper  quota.  With 
about  300  voters,  not  one  county  of  the  State 
.sent  a  greater  percentage  of  her  citizens. 
The  following  list  of  the  "  brave  boys  in 
blue,"  whose  homes  were  in  Meeker  count}'^, 
has  been  compiled  from  the  reports  of  the 
Adjutant  General  of  tiie  State,  with  great 
care,  and  supplemented  by  consultation  with 
some  of  the  comrades,  who  have  added  some 
of  the  names  not  credited  to  this  county  in 
the  official"record. 

ROSTER. 

FIRST  MINNESOTA  SHARPSHOOTERS. 


James  Lang, 
Henry  McGaffy, 
Leverson  Rogers, 


Horace  Mixer, 
Phili]!  Page, 
J.  W.  Walker. 


FIRST   MINNESOTA    INFANTRY. 


E.  W.  Pierce, 
Rufus  Eastman, 


B.  W.  Harriman, 
Reuben  Waite. 


SECOND  MINNESOTA  INFANTRY. 


E.  F.  Branham, 
Daniel  Cam]ibell, 
Andrew  Nelson, 
Charles  Ilutchins, 
Gdbert  Jackson, 
Joseph  T.  Riggs, 
James  Nelson, 


H.  Clinton, 
Isaac  Chapin, 
O.  Oaks, 
Moses  Hutch  ins, 
Christopher   Johnson, 
George  S.  Sholes,  Jr., 
W.  W.  Hunter. 


THIRD    MINNESOTA    INFANTRY. 

Albert  W.  Angier,        J.  H.  Bradsliaw, 


William  Foster,  Lorain  Johnson, 

John  Peterson,  Felix  Stark, 

Albert  Taylor,  Jerome  Todd, 

William  Willis. 

FOURTH    MINNESOTA    INFANTRY. 


Capt.  F.  V.  DeCoster, 
Capt.C.H.Stinchfield 
Daniel  Butler, 
Washington  S.  Cates, 
Michael  McCann, 
James  W.  Dunn, 
John  Fallon, 
Daniel  Rhodes, 
Augustus  Whitney, 
C.  M.  F. 


L.  D.  Allen, 
,  S.  D.  L.  Baldwin, 
A.  C.  Lawrence, 
Seth  Nichols, 
Thomas  Fallon, 
William  H.  Hall. 
Dudley  Taylor, 
Joel  Taylor, 
C.  G.  Peabodv, 
Hutch  ins. 


FIFTH    MINNESOTA    INFANTRY. 

Surgeon  V.  P.  Kennedy,  R.  Bogusrode, 

Benjamin   Pottle. 

SIXTH    MINNESOTA    INFANTRY. 

Paul  Mattson,  August  AVilliams, 

Ole  Peterson,  Paul  Paulson, 

John  Johnson. 

SEVENTH  MINNESOTA  INFANTRY. 

E.  Reiff,  Emanuel  ReifT. 

EIGHTH  MINNESOTA  INFANTRY. 

James  Murphy,  O.  Olson. 

TENTH  MINNESOTA  INFANTRY. 

A.  Oleson,  ■  K.  Larson. 

SIXTEENTH  WISCONSIN  INFANTRY'. 

Azro  B.  Hoyt. 

hatch's    independent    BATTALION. 

Cap.  G.  C.  Whitcomb,  T.  Grogton, 
William  P.  Bennett,    Charles  Maybee, 
Thomas  Grayson,         Frank  Howe, 
Henry  S.  Howe,  Charles  Peabody, 

Emanuel  Reef,  J.  B.  Salisbury, 

E.  N.  Eastman,  W.  S,  Winston. 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


519 


beackett's  battalion  mounted  rangers. 

Edward  Evans,  "\V.  P.  Burnett, 

Wm.  M.  Campbell,       E.  A.  Campbell, 
Samuel  Hutcbins,         Patrick  McKenney, 
G.  R.  Page,  Peter  Stearn, 

John  Wigle. 


FIRST   MINNESOTA    CAVALRY. 

John  AVigie. 


SECOND   MINNESOTA  CAVALRY. 

William  Branhara,  Freeman  G.  Gould, 

J.  B.  Atkinson,  James  Deerey, 

Jasper  Fischer,  Michael  J.  Fljnn, 

Egidon  Moers,  William  Koch, 

Maximillian  Koch,  G.  E.  Page, 

Jacob  Reef,  Peter  Stearn, 

Carl  Schultz,  C.  Gould, 

William  Caswell,  John  Fitzgerald, 
William  M.Campbell,  E.  A.  Campbell, 

Even  Evenson,  William  Heath, 

Henry  Luton,  G.  W.  P.  Little, 

Andrew  Larson,  H.  Mickelson, 

Samuel  Hutchins,  Jerome  Rogers, 

Thomas  Armstrong,  Daniel  B.  Hoyt, 

Otho  Campbell,  William  Armstrong, 

Knute  Ilaverson. 

FIRST   MINNESOTA  HEAVY  ARTILLERY. 

Capt.  J.  B.  Atkinson,   Louis  Koch, 
John  Angier,  Henry  Johnson. 

FIRST  INDEPENDENT    COAIPANY  OF  SCOUTS. 

Albert  DeLong,  J.  A.  Brink. 

CHAPTER  IV. 
POLITICAL. 


/r^ll^-vHE     political     history    of    Meeker 

(51^     county  is  more  fully  and  authentic- 

JIL      ally  shown  by  giving  the  vote  of 

the  county  during  the  various  years,   than 

by  any  other  manner. 

The   count}'  has  been  Republican  nearly 


every  campaign  since  its  organization  in  State 
and  National  politics,  yet  on  local  issues  it  has 
varied  considerably,  and  many  from  the 
other  tickets  have  ca])tuTed  the  coveted  offices 
from  the  republican  nominees  through  per- 
sonal popularity  or  other  causes.  In  this 
connection  is  presented  an  abstract  of  the 
vote  at  every  general  election  held  in  Meeker 
county,  as  far  as  could  be  ascertained  from 
the  records  in  the  court  house  and  files  of 
newspapers.  The  vote  for  some  years  in  the 
early  pai't  of  the  county's  history  are  entirely 
wanting  and  a  most  diligent  research  among 
the  papers  and  books  of  the  county  fails  to 
find  any  trace  of  them. 

Election,  October  13,   1857. 

Member  of  the  CounciL 

Daniel  Bassett 38—    38 

Members  of  the  House  of  Representatives. 

Otis  Bradford 93— 

John  W.  Griswold 92 

J.  M.  Spear 33 

County  Commissioner. 

Freeman  L.  Gould 95—    55 

A.  D.  Pierce 40 

County  Treasurer. 


J.  A.  Stanton  . . 
I.  C.  Delamater. 


C.  T.  Jewitt 

H.  G.  O.  Thorns. 

Wm.  Hichards. 
M.  Warren. . . . 
W.  Warren. . . . 


Sheriff. 


District  Attorney. 


95— 
41 

54 

92— 
43 

50 

93— 
36 
1 

57 

J.  W.  Griswold. 


Probate  Judge. 


J.  Teachout. 
John  Heath. . 


Coroner. 


55 

73—    40 
33 


Election,  November  6,   1860. 

President. 

Abraham  Lincoln,  Republican 166 —     74 

Stephen  A.  Douglas,  Democrat 83 

John  C.  Breckinridge,  Southern  Democrat.        9 

The  balance  of  the  vote  for  this  year  is  entirely 
wanting  in  the  county  records,  nor  can  it  be  procured 
in  any  way. 


520 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MJXNESOTA. 


Election,  Novemher  ^,  ISGIi. 

[There  were    but  two   jJolling  places   in 

Meeker   county,  one   at  Kingston   and  the 

othei'  at  the  stockade  at  Forest  City,  the 

county   being    depopulated    by   the   Indian 

massacre  and  scare.] 

Member  of  Congress. 
Ignatius  Donnelly 38 —      7 


W.  J.  Cullen 

State  Senator. 

Clias.  A.  Warner . . . 

I.  H.  Stevens  

Representatives. 

B.  G.  Lee 

A.  C.  Smith 

C.  F.  Davis 

Joseph  TVcyman 

Register  of  Deeds. 

T.  H.  Skinner 

T.  C.  .lewett 

Clerk  of  the  District  Court, 

J.  M.  Harvey 

T.  H.  Skinner 

County  Auditor. 

J.  M.  Harvey 

Sheriff. 

J.  B.  Atkinson 

Milton  Gordon 

County  Attornej'. 

A.  C.  Smith 

Coroner. 
John  Heath 


31 

34— 

31 

33 

32 

32 

5 

37— 
33 

26— 

1 

66— 

37— 
30 


14 


66 

7 


23—    23 
34—    34 


Election,  November  3,  1863. 
No  general  election  was  held  this  year  in 
Meeker  county,  the  inhabitants  not  liaving 
sufficiently  recovered  from  the  efifects  of  the 
Indian  outbreak  to  give  attention  to  politics. 
Meetings  were  held  at  Forest  City  and  at 
Kingston,  and  several  officers  were  subse- 
quently installed,  in  accordance  with  the 
sentiment  of  the  people,  as  manifested  at 
the  meetings. 

Election,  November  8,  1861^. 

President. 

Abraham  Lincoln,  R 115        81 

George  B.  McClellan,  D 84 

Member  of  Congress. 

Ignatius  Donnelly,  R 115        32 

John  M.  Gillman,  D 83 

State  Senator. 

G.D.George 113—    28 

I.I.Lewis 85 


Representatives. 
C.  F.  Davis ... 

Henry  Hill 

F.  A.  Renz 

M.  W.  Piper 

.John  Hein 

Gustave  A.  Ruckoldt 

County  Auditor. 

Charles  E.  Cutts 

Mark  W.  Piper  

Register  of  Deeds. 

E.  H.  Whitney  

Hamlet  Stevens 

M.  W.  Piper 

J.  H.  Harvey 

Sheriff. 

George  Sholes,  Jr 

William  Richard.son 

County  Attorney. 
Mark  Warreu 

Coroner. 
Ole  Halverson  Ness 


112—  24 
111—  36 
111—    27 

88 

85 

84 

92—      2 
90 

89—      9 
74 

4 

3 

101—    31 
70 

69—  69 

70—  70 


Election,  Novemher  7, 1865. 

Governor. 

William  R.  JIarshall,  R  

Henry  M.  Rice,  D 

Representatives. 

Lewis  Harrington 

O.  E.  King 

E.  F.  Lewis 

J.  S.  Telford 

D.  W.  Johns 

C.  W.  Griggs 

C.  F.  Warner 

County  Treasurer. 

Jesse  V.  Branham,  Sr 

Chester  D.  Hill 

Register  of  Deeds. 

J.  M.  Harvey 

W.  II.  Dart.   

County  Auditor. 

Jesse  V.  Branham,  Jr 

J.  B.  Atkinson 

Judge  of  Probate. 

C.  B.  Jordan 

J.  M .  Harvey 

Clerk  of  District  Court. 

J.  M.  Harvey 

J .  E.  Warren 

Sheriff. 

Henderson  Angler 

George  S.  Sholes,  Jr ..... 

County  Attorney. 
A.  C.  Smith 


105—    13 
93 


103 
103 

84 

83 

80 

78 

19 

97—    22 

75 

111—    39 

72 

101—     18 
83 

45—      3 
43 

103—    30 
83 

88 
88 

40—    40 


MEEKER  COUNTY,   MINNESOTA. 


521 


157 


153 


Election.,  November  6,  1866. 

Member  of  Congress. 

Ignatius  Donnelly,  R 299- 

William  Colville,  U 142 

State  Senator. 
H.  L.  Gordon 298- 

W.  T.  Bonn! well   145 

Representatives. 
D.  E.  King 308 

P.  W.  Savage 299 

George  Defler 140 

Edward  A .  Campbell 139 

County  Auditor. 

Jesse  V.  Branham,  Jr 292—  142 

M.  W.   Piper 150 

Register  of  Deeds. 

John  Blackwell 280—  121 

James  M .    Harvey 159 

Probate  Judge. 

C.  B.  Jordan 298—  154 

Thaddeus  R.  Webb 144 

Sheriff. 

Orrin  Whitney 300—  300 

Court  Commissioner. 
J.  B.    Atkinson 117—117 

County  Attorney. 
Thos.   S.  Brown 248- 


226 


A.  C.    Smith.... 
W.  H.  Greenleaf 


Surveyor. 

300—  300 

Coroner. 

S.  Y.    Gordon 29."?-  146 

H.  G.  0.  Thorns 147 

Election,  Novemher  5,  1867. 

Governor. 

William  R.  Mar.shall,  R 403—  188 

ChasE.  Flandrau,  D 220 

State  Senator. 
A.  C.  Smith 210—  210 

Representatives. 

J.  B.  Salisbury 361 

Lewis  Harrington 384 

M.  V.  Cochran 211 

M.  W.  Piper 223 

County  Treasurer. 

J.  V.  Branham,  Sr 380  —148 

Andrew  Elofson 232 

Clerk  of  the  District  Court. 

John  Blackwell 400  —188 

E.  A.  Evans 212 

Sheriff. 

A.  A.  Sanford 399—  179 

H.  G.  O.  Thorns 220 

Judge  of  Probate. 
Harry  Wilson 398—  185 

James  B.  Atkinson 213 


Harry  Wilson. 
A.  C.  Smith... 


County  Attorney. 


Election,  November  3,  1868. 

President. 

U.  S.Grant,  R 

Horatio  Seymour,  D 

Member  of  Congress. 

C.  C.  Andrews,  R 

E.  M.  Wilson 

Ignatius  Donnelly 

State  Senator. 

Dana  E.  King,  R 

Mark  W.  Piper,  D 

Representatives. 

W.  W.  Patterson,  R 

Daniel  Pyle,  R 

EliE.  Lewis,  D 

Ashley  C.  Riggs,  D 

County  Auditor. 

Jesse  V.  Branham,  Jr 

Hamlet  Stevens 

Register  of  Deeds. 

John  Blackwell 

H.  L.  Smith 

Probate  Judge. 

John  M.  Waldron 

James  Thorns 

County  Attorney. 

Henry  Hill 

Surveyor. 

William  H.  Greenleaf 

Coroner. 

Ole  Halverson  Ness 

M.J.  Flyun 

Election,  November  S,  1869. 

Governor. 

Horace  Austin,  R 

Geo.  L.  Otis,  D 

Daniel  Cobb,  P 

Representatives. 

A.  H.  Reed 

Burroughs  Abbott 

A.  G.  Sexton 

Albert  Sperry 

County  Treasurer. 

Henry  Hill 

Hamlet  Stevens 

Sheriff. 

William  M .  Campbell 

Samuel  G.  Gordon 

County  Attorney. 
Chas.  B.  Howe.     No  opposition. 


357  —185 
172 


600 

285 

459 
291 
133 

539 
336 

592 
592 

289 
288 

531 
332 

603 

378 

570 
303 

593 

590  ■ 

591  - 


-315 


—168 


—203 


-203 
-204 


-199 
-325 
-268 

-592 
-590 
-303 


630  —336 
294 


627—  346 
624—  344 

281 
280 


500- 
414 

493- 
399 


86 


94 


522 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


Coroner. 
William  Matheney.     No  opposition. 
On  the  question  of  removal  of  the  county  seat  to  Litch- 
field: 

For  the  removal 508—    89 

Against  the  removal 419 

Election,  November  5,  1872. 

President. 

U.  S.  Grant,  R 908—  532 

Horace  Greeley,  D 476 

Members  of  Congress. 

John  T.  Averill  881—  383 

George  L.  Becker 498 

State  Senator. 

Chas.  E.  Cutts 809—  334 

Charles  B.  Howell 575 

Representatives. 

"William  Greenleaf 829—  384 

Dillon  O'Brien 545 

County  Auditor. 

John  Blackwell 896—  327 

Jesse  V.  Brauham,  Jr 469 

Register  of  Deeds. 

N.  A.  Viren 934—  483 

John  W.  McKeen 451 

County  Attorney. 

0.  H.  Strobeck 915—  475 

Francis  Belfoy 440 

Judge  of  Probate. 

F.  V.  DeCoster 817—  391 

E.  A.  Campbell  526 

County  Surveyor. 

L.  E.  Dudley 919  —455 

Asa  Garland 464 

Coroner. 

John  A.  Quick ,  ...  850—  323 

H.  F.  Edmund 524 

Henry  Clay 4 

Election.,  Nmeml)er  ^,  1873. 

Governor. 

C.  K.  Davis,  R 839—430 

A.Barton,  D 419 

County  Treasurer. 

Amos  N.  Fosen 681—  108 

Hamlet  Stevens 573 

Sheriff. 

N.  J.  March 726—  190 

Geo.  W.  Brower 457 

H.  M.  Angier 79 

Court  Commissioners. 

O.  H.  Campbell 822—  394 

H.  C.  Bull 428 

Representative. 
Andrew  Nelson 787—335 

Orrin  Whitney 452 


Election,  Novemher  3,  187 ^. 

Member  of  Congress. 

Eugene  M.  Wilson 875—  151 

William  S.  King 724 

State  Senator. 

Andrew  Nelson  798—    14 

J.  M.  Waldron 784 

Representative. 

N.  C.  Hines 731—    52 

L.  G.  Pendergast 679 

W.  W.  Hobbs 168 

County  Auditor. 

Hamlet  Stevens 937—  274 

John  Waller 663 

Register  of  Deeds. 

N.  A.  Viren 1582—1582 

Judge  of  Probate. 

John  Blackwell 923—  254 

S.  A.  Plumley 669 

County  Attorney. 

E.  A.  Campbell 898—  227 

C.  H.  Strobeck 671 

County  Commissioner. 

J.H.Bacon 1588—1588 

Coroner. 

Oliver  Rasmick 881—  164 

J.  A.  Quick 717 

Election,  Novemher  2,  1875. 

Governor. 
J.  S.  Pillsbury,  R 720—    55 

D.  L.  Buell.D 665 

Representative. 
C.E.Cuttr, 704—     15 

V.P.Kennedy 689 

County  Treasurer. 

Amos  N.  Fosen 759 —  135 

M.  J.  Flynn 624 

Clerk  of  the  District  Court . 

S.  W.  Leavitt 726—    57 

J.  Q.  A.  Braden 669 

Sheriff. 

N.J.March 712—    49 

P.  Ekstrom 673 

Judge  of  Probate. 

S.  A.  Plumley 721—    83 

N.  C.  Martin 638 

Coroner. 

L.E.Dudley 747—    82 

L.  P.  Poster 655 

Election,  Novemher  7,  1876. 

President. 

R.  B.  Hayes,  R 1211—381 

S.  J.  Tilden,  D 487 

Peter  Cooper,  G 343 


MEEKER  COUNT 


Y,  MINNESOTA.  523 

Representative. 

W.M.Campbell 785—    27 

.Toseph  Hubbard 758 

R.  K.  Beecham 133 

County  Auditor. 

G.  B.  Phelps  963—  230 

H.  S.  Branham 733 

Register  of  Deeds. 

Aug.  T.  Koerner 914—  144 

N.  A.  Viren 770 

County  Attorney. 

S.  A.  Plumley 904—  129 

L.  C.  Spooner 775 

County  Surveyor. 

L.E.Dudley 901—113 

J.P.Mann 788 

Election,  Novemher  J^,  1879. 

Governor. 

John  S.  Pillsbury,  R 870—  160 

William  Meighen,  G 710 

Edmund  Rice,  D 363 

W.  W.  Satterlee,  P 14 

County  Treasurer. 

August  Palm 1018—    73 

A.  H.  Lof.strum 707 

J.  B.  Atkinson 238 

Clerk  of  the  District  Court. 

S.  W.   Leavitt 1062—  167 

W.  D.  Joubert .590 

N.Y.Taylor 305 

Superintendent  of  Common  Schools. 

J.  W.   AVright 943—  139 

J.  W.  Gordon 804 

Joseph  Weymer .  210 

Sheriff. 

P.  Ekstrom 1263—  573 

L.  D.  Marshall 571 

J.  B.   Hatch 119 

Judge  of  Probate. 

N.  C.  Martin 1038—  118 

AV.  L.  Van  Enian 698 

A.C.Smith 227 

Coroner. 

J.  A.  Quick 9.50—  221 

William  Christoph 729 

A.  Fryberger 278 

Election,  Novemler  '2,  1880. 

President. 

James  A.  Garfield,  R 1335—  373 

Winfield  S.  Hancock.  D 563 

James  B.  Weaver,  G 399 

Member  of  Congress . 

W.  D.  Washburn,  R 1292—  299 

H.  H.   Sibley,  D 684 

Ebeuezer  Ayers,  G 329 


State  Senator. 

John  M.  Waldron,  R 1216—  409 

V.  P.  Kennedy,  D 5.54 

A.  C.  Smith,  G 253 

Representative. 

Louis  Rudberg,  R 1201—  417 

J.  N.  McDonald.  D 405 

T.  R.  Webb,  G 379 

County  Auditor. 

Hamlet  Stevens 1034—    76 

A.  T.  Koerner 958 

Register  of  Deeds. 

N.  A.  Viren 1224—  460 

G.  W.  Jordan 458 

A.  P.  Ornsdorff 306 

County  Attorney. 

C.  H.   Strobeck 777—    66 

E.  A.  Campbell 603 

J.  B.Atkinson 108 

County  Surveyor. 

L.  E.  Dudley 1087—  162 

J.  B.  Salisbury 817 

J.  B.  Atkinson 108 

Electicm,  Noveiniber  5,  1877. 

Governor. 

John  S.  Pillsbury,  R 832—      2 

W.  D.  Banning,  D.  and  G 826 

Austin  Willey,  P 4 

County  Treasurer. 

Amos  N.  Fosen... 840—    76 

W.  H.  Dart 764 

Sheriff. 

P.  Ekstrom 916—  181 

N.  J.  March 735 

Superintendent  of  Schools. 

J.  W.  Gordon 707—  136 

W.  E.  Cathcart 571 

R.  R.  Beecham 376 

Judge  of  Probate. 

N.C.Martin 883—111 

S.  A.  Plumley 772 

Coroner. 

NelsElof.son 866—    85 

M.  Baldwin   397 

G.  O.  Trow 884 

Court  Commissioners. 

H.L.Smith 825—    14 

E.  P.  Peterson 517 

J.  B.  Atkinson 294 

Election,  November  5,  1875. 

State  Senator. 

C.  E.  Cutts 866—    37 

V.  P.  Kennedy 829 


524 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  M/NA'ESOTA. 


State  Senator. 

W.M.Campbell 981—    17 

V.  P.  Kennedy 964 

V.  H.  Harris 336 

Representative. 

0.  M.  Linuell 1120—  497 

Ole  Johnson 623 

A.  D.  Ross 533 

County  Auditor. 

G.B.Phelps 981—    17 

Daniel  Pineo  964 

Hamlet  Stevens  336 

Register  of  Deeds. 

A.  T.  Koerner 1250—  230 

James  Kline 1020 

County  Attorney. 

W.  S.  Van  Euian 1203—  147 

L.  C.  Spooner 1056 

County  Surveyor. 

L.  E.  Dudley 1236—  188 

J.  B.  Salisbury 1048 

Court  Commissioner. 

F.  V.  DeCoster 1183—  149 

E.  P.  Peterson 1034 

Mection.,  November  8,  1881. 

Governor. 

L.  F.  Hubbard,  R 1061—  306 

C.  H.  Roberts,  D 459 

R.  W.  Johnson 396 

County  Treasurer. 

A.  Palm 767  —144 

N .  W .  Havekinson 623 

Amos  N.  Fosen 376 

Sheriff. 

P.Ekstrom 969—134 

N.J.March 731 

James  McMahon 104 

Judge  of  Probate. 

N.  C.  Martin 1035—  273 

J.  T.  Alley 662 

J.  B.  Atkinson 100 

County  Attorney. 

E.  A.  Campbell 960  —184 

S.  A.  Plumley 776 

Superintendent  of  Common  Schools. 

J.  W.  "Wright 971  —136 

J.  Y.  Winings 835 

Coroner. 

J.  A.  Quick 943  —325 

E.   Hilderbrandt 617 

William  Christoph 237 


Mection,  November  7, 1882. 

Member  of  Congress. 

H.  B.  Strait 1385—  587 

C.  P.  Adams 438 

Porter  Martin 360 

State  Senator. 

W.  H.  Greenleaf 1100—    15 

William  M.  Campbell 1085 

Representative. 

O.  M.  Linnell 1108—    54 

Olaf  Peterson 1054 

County  Auditor. 

George  P.  Phelps 1297—  406 

Andrevp  Rowland 891 

Register  of  Deeds. 

Aug.  T.  Koerner  1361—  660 

H.  W .  Adlerbjelke 801 

Election,  November  6,  1883. 

Governor. 

A.  Biermann,  D 1 123—    44 

L.  F.  Hubbard,  R 1026 

Chas.  E.  Holt,  P .53 

County  Treasurer. 

N.  W.  Hawkinson 1160—    97 

A.  Nelson  Fosen 1063 

Clerk  of  the  District  Court. 

J.  E.  Upham 1292—  536 

C.D.Brown 766 

Sheriff. 

Daniel  Flynn 1019—239 

P.  Ekstn.m 780 

John  Knight 437 

Judge  of  Probate. 

N.  C.  Martin 2192—2160 

F.  H.  Wickstrand 33 

County  Attorney. 

E.  P.  Peterson 1301—  183 

C.  H.  Strobeck 1018 

Court  Commissioner. 

F.  V.  DeCoster 1211—  221 

J.B.Atkinson 737 

A.  Wall 263 

Coroner. 

E.  Kimball 1315—  305 

William  Christoph   1010 

Superintendent. 

W.  E.   Cathcart 571 

J.  W.  Gordon 707—  136 

A.  J.  Garland 238 

Representative. 

W.  M.  Campbell 841—    48 

L.  Rudberg 419 

R.  K.  Beccham 376 


.'..«w^,«f? 


•I 


Q 


o 
to 


LLJ 

Q 

u-i 


Uj.,1.1 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


527 


Election,  N'ovemher  4-,  I88J1.. 

President. 

James  G.  Blaine,  R 1456—  184 

Grover  Cleveland,  D 860 

B.  F.  Butler,  G.  and  L 294 

John  P.  St.  Jobn.  P 118 

Member  of  Congress. 

Horace  B.  Strait,  R 1448—  165 

Ignatius  Donnelly,  D.  and  G 1173 

I.  C.  Stearns,  P 100 

Representative. 

M.J.Flyun 1380—    45 

Even  Evenson 1320 

C.  S.  Clark 115 

County  Auditor. 

G.  B.  Phelps 1857—  981 

E.  Kimball ...     876 

Register  of  Deeds. 

N.  A.  Viren 1566—  418 

T.  J.  Soule 904 

A.  P.  Onsdorf 244 

County  Surveyor. 
J.  B.  Salisbury 2733—2733 

Election,  November  S,   1886. 

Governor. 
A.  R.  McGill,  R 1377—    61 

A.  A.  Ames,  D 1316 

James  E.  Child,  P 113 

Member  of  Congress. 

B.  B.  Herbert,  R 1416—    13 

J.  L.  McDonald.  D 1398 

E.  B.  Lathrop,  P 105 

State  Senator. 

John  S.  Shields 1007—    53 

O.  H.   Campbell.... 954 

Hamlet  Stevens 837 

Representatives. 

Even  Evenson 1810—  814 

Martin  Paulson 996 

County  Auditor. 

Ambrose  Walls 1467—  136 

T.  H.  Pendergast 1331 

County  Treasurer. 

N.  W.  Hawkinson 1430—    63 

Rasmus  Nelson 1 367, 

Register  of  Deeds. 

N.  A.  Viren ■ 1743—  697 

John  Rodange 1046 

Clerk  of  the  District  Court. 

J.  E.  Upham 1915—1049 

J.  B.  Hatch 866 


Sheriff. 

H.  M.  Hohn 

Daniel  Flynn 

J.  W.  Johnson 

Superintendent  of  Schools. 

T.  J.  Soule 

J.  W.   Wright...   

Judge  of  Probate. 

Chas.  H.  Strobeck 

C.  M.  Gumaelius 

County  Attorney. 
J.  M.  Russell 

E.  P.  Peterson 

Court  Commissioner. 
H.  S .  McMonagle 

F.  V.  DeCoster 

County  Surveyor. 

J.  B.Salisbury  

Coroner. 

E.  Kimball 

James  Maher 

Commissioners. 

V.  H.  Harris,  1st  dist 

Andrew  Nelson,  1st  dist 

John  Blomburg,  3d  dist 

Daniel  Jackman,  2d  dist 

Peter  Sangren,  3d  dist 

Harrison  Fuller,  3d  dist 

William  Abbott,  4th  dist 

C.  H,  Atkinson,  4th  dist 

N.  C.  Caswell,  5th  dist 


1163- 

1098 

552 


64 


1473—  105 
1368 


1381- 
1083 

1491- 
1319 


299 


173 


1601—  413 
1189 


3793- 

1737- 
1076 


-2793 
-  651 


397—  163 

234 

401—  223 

179 

451- 

308 

213- 

177 

443- 


243 

36 

443 


CHAPTER  V. 

JOURNALISM  AND  EDUCATION. 

/J--7]||5--^WO  important  and  potent  factors  m 
W 1 9     the  civilization  and  development  of 

^JXli  any  community  are  its  educational 
and  newpaper  facilities.  In  these  respects 
Meeker  county  is  not  behind  her  sister 
counties,  having  been  provided  liberalh'  as 
to  both  these  engines  of  civilization. 
THE  PRESS. 

The  pioneer  journal  was  the  Mee'ker 
County  News,\\\\\c\\  was  established  at  Forest 
City  in  1868,  and  was  published  in  that  place 
by  Frank  Belfoy  until  the  fall  of  1869,  when 
he  removed  the  oifice  and  material  to  the 
new  town  of  Litchfield.     It  was  a  sprightly, 


528 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MIXNESOTA. 


newsy,  republican  sheet,  and  well  edited. 
It  was  carried  on  by  Mr.  Belfoy  in  the  latter 
town  until  tlie  fall  of  1S74,  when  the  sul)- 
scription  book  and  g(XMl-will  of  the  journal 
w'ere  purchased  b}"^  Daggett  &  Joubert,  and 
the  ]iaper  consolidated  with  the  Leihjer.  press 
and  material  beinj'-  sold  to  "o  to  Hutchinson, 
by  Mr.  Belfoy.  The  press  was  the  first  that 
was  ever  bi'ought  to  the  State  of  Minnesota. 

In  the  fall  of  1S70,  II.  G.  Rising  com- 
menced the  publication  of  a  newspaper, 
known  as  the  Litchfield  I?ej)uJj/ican,  and 
continued  its  issue  until  the  autumn  of  1871, 
when  he  removed  it  to  Glenwoodjthe  county 
seat  of  Pope  county,  west  of  this  place.  It 
was,  as  its  name  implies,  republican  in  ])oli- 
tics,  and  was  a  good  local  sheet. 

The  Litchfield  Ledger  was  established  in 
1872,  the  first  issue  bearing  date  of  April  .30. 
It  was  an  exponent  of  the  ])rinciples  formu- 
lated hy  the  republican  party,  was  a  seven- 
column  folio,  and  was  edited  and  pul)lished 
by  Daggett  &  Joubert.  It  was  an  able  and 
spicy  local  paper,  and  attained,  from  its  first 
inception,  considerable  influence.  In  the 
latter  part  of  1S7I:  the  firm  purchased  the 
business  of  the  Hews,  and  consolidated  the 
two  journals  under  the  name  of  News-Ledger, 
and  the  paper  ^\■as  issued  weekly  by  Daggett 
&  Joubert  under  the  double  title.  In  Octo- 
ber, 1876,  Mr.  Daggett  was  taken  from  this 
world  b}'  death,  after  which  W.  D.  Joubert 
ran  the  paper  alone  until  six  months  later, 
when  Frank  Belfoy  brought  a  half-interest, 
and  the  firm  of  Belfoy  &.  Joubert  was 
formed,  and  carried  on  the  business  until 
August,  1881,  when  Mr.  Belfoy,  also,  died, 
and  four  months  afterwards  the  interest 
belonging  to  him  was  purchased  by  his  sur- 
viving partner.  Under  the  sole  management 
of  Mr.  Joubert  the  News-Ledger  has  con- 
tinued until  the  present  day,  growing  in 
influence  and  prosperit}'  every  year.  Since 
the  establishment  of  the  paper  five  of  the 
apprentices  in  the  office  have  become  fuU- 


fiedged  editors,  after  having  learned  the 
principles  and  practice  of  the  "Art  preserva- 
tive" in  this  school.  Four  of  them  are  now 
running  j)aj'ers  in  the  State  of  Minnesota, 
namely — S.W.  Frasier,  of  the  Brown''s  Valley 
Rejwrter;  V.  Goi'don,  of  the  fnter-Lake 
Tribune;  F.  E.  Joubert,  of  the  AVheaton 
Gazette;  and  N".  P.  Oleson,  who  is  jiublishing 
a  Swedish  paper  in  Minneapolis.  The  other 
is  M.  O.  Cathcart,  one  of  the  Litchfield 
Ledger  staff. 

The  liamhler,  a  small  humorous  journal, 
first  saw  the  light  in  1874,  and  owed  its 
inception  to  two  of  the  compositors  in  the 
L^edger  office,  J.  D.  Ilayford  and  N.  P. 
Olson.  For  a  few  months,  while  its  existenc 
lasted,  it  aff'orded  considerable  amusement. 

The  Litchfield  Lndependent  was  started  in 
1S7C)  by  a  stock  company,  as  an  exponent  of 
the  National  greenback  party.  Among 
those  who'  owned  stock  in  it  were  W.  M. 
Campbell.  E.  A.  Cam])bell,  Dr.  V.  P.  Ken- 
nedy', A.  Palm,  P.  Ekstroni,  and  the  editors, 
II.  C.  Martin  and  A.  Sanders.  A  short  time 
after  the  first  issue,  II.  I.  Peterson  ]iurchased 
the  interest  of  Sanders,  and  the  firm  of 
II.  C.  Martin  «fe  Co.,  was  formed,  who  ac- 
quired the  interests  of  the  other  owners. 
Two  years  later  E.  P.  Peterson  bought  out 
Mr.  Martin  and  the  firm  name  and  style 
changed  to  E.  P.  and  II.  I.  Peterson.  These 
gentlemen  carried  on  the  pa])er  until  March, 
1881,  when  II.  I.  Peterson,  the  present  pro- 
prietor, purchased  the  interest  of  his  brother 
and  has  continued  at  the  head  of  the  journal 
ever  since.  He  is  a  good  newspaper  man,  a 
pungent  writer,  and  the  paper,  under  his 
management,  is  deservedly  popular. 

The  JuitliliKggaren,  a  Swedish  radical 
journal,  was  established  by  Hans  H.  Wids- 
trand,  in  1880,  as  a  montldy  paper,  and  for 
a  period  of  a  few  months  operated  in  this 
locality,  but  its  publication  was  finaUy  sus- 
pended. 

The  Litchfield  lieview  made  its  first  ap- 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  AUNNESOTA. 


529 


pearance  on  the  5th  of  July,  1881,  with  the 
names  of  the  firm  of  Lewis  A.  and  Fred.  A. 
Pier  at  the  head  of  its  coUimns  as  editors  and 
proprietors.  It  was  at  that  time  an  indei)end- 
ent,  five-column  quarto  sheet,  but  is  now  a 
six-column  quarto,  just  as  non-partizan  as 
ever,  and  an  excellent  local  pa})er.  April  1, 
1887,  the  junior  partner  disposed  of  his  inter- 
est in  the  business  to  Frank  II.  Ilaven^  and 
the  firm  of  Pier  &  Haven  formed,  who  have 
controlled  the  management  and  revenue  of 
the  office  ever  since.  July  1,  1887,  they 
jjurchased  a  Shipman  one-horse-power  engine, 
■which  furnishes  the  power  to  run  their  presses, 
etc.  Besides  his  laboi's  upon  this  journal, 
Mr.  Pier  holds  and  occupies  the  editorial 
tripod  on  the  Christian  Gleaner,  a  monthly 
paper  published  at  Minneapolis,  devoteil  to 
the  interests  of  the  Christian  Churcii  of  Minne- 
sota, of  which  denomination  he  is  a  minister. 
The  Svenska  Folkets  Allahanda,  fin  inde- 
pendent Swedish  paper,  was  established  in 
1882,  by  Gisslo  &  Peterson,  and  published 
by  them  in  Litchfield  in  that  language  for 
about  eighteen  months,  when  it  was  removed 
to  Minneapolis. 

EDUCATIONAL. 

Perhaps  in  no  other  direction  is  tlie  mate- 
rial development  and  progress  of  tlie  county 
better  shown  than  in  the  rapid  and  enormous 
increase  in  the  educational  facilities  afi^orded 
the  rising  generation.  A  careful  study  of 
the  statistics  furnished  from  tlie  official 
papers  will  convince  the  most  skeptical 
reader  that  in  this  respect  Meeker  county  has 
made  giant  strides  toward  universal  education. 

In  18C1  it  is  shown  by  the  records  there 
were  within  the  bounds  of  the  county  but 
245  persons  of  a  school  age,  or  between  the 
years  of  five  and  twenty-one,  while  in  1868 
there  were  1,426,  and  in  1887  these  had  in- 
creased to  4,20-1  scholars  entitled  to  their 
proportion  of  the  school  apportionment. 

The  whole  number  of  schools  in  1861  is 


reported  as  being  11,  which  in  1868  had  risen 
to  35,  and  now  in  tlie  present  year,  1888, 
there  are  81  organized  school  districts  in  the 
county,  having  some  77  school-houses  erected 
and  in  use.  In  1861  there  were  but  4  school- 
houses  within  the  county  limits,  and  in  1868 
there  were  12. 

In  1861  it  required  8  teachers  to  manage 
the  schools  ;  in  1868,  15  were  necessary;  wliile 
now  90  are  required  for  the  schools  taught  in 
the  winter,  and  82  for  the  summer  schools. 

In  1861  the  salaries  paid  to  teachers  aggre- 
gated only  $343.80  ;  in  1868  the  sum  was 
$1,477,  but  in  1887  it  took  $22,392  to  liqui- 
date the  indebtedness  of  the  districts  for  the 
same  purpose. 

The  value  of  the  school  edifices  in  1861  is 
recorded  as  having  been  $345,  and  in  1868 
$2,270.  In  1887  the  same  class  of  property 
represented  a  value  of  $66,708. 

In  the  early  records  of  the  county  there  is 
no  mention  of  any  school  apparatus  or  school 
libraries,  and  the  furniture  in  use  in  those 
days  was  of  a  very  rude  and  primitive  char- 
acter, while  the  annual  report  of  T.  J.  Soule, 
the  efficient  county  superintendent,  for  1887, 
shows  that  the  value  of  school  apparatus, 
libraries  and  furniture  in  use  in  the  various 
schools  of  the  county  v,'as  $9,172,  being, 
alone,  about  four  times  the  value  of  all  the 
school  property  in  the  county  twenty  years 
previous. 

The  average  per  cent,  of  attendance  to  the 
whole  number  of  pupils  in  1868  was  31.5, 
while  in  1887  the  percentage  had  risen  to 
61.4;  the  difference  being  partly  owing  to 
the  increased  facilities,  hut  more  to  the  grow- 
ing interest  in  educational  matters  by  the  cit- 
izens, and  a  more  intense  desire  on  the  part 
of  the  children  of  this  generation  for  the 
advantages  of  an  education,  for  thej'  can  see 
that  in  this  day  and  age  the  man  who  has  the 
greatest  amount  of  knowledge  has  the  great- 
est chance  for  success  in  life. 

The  whole  number  of  trees  planted  by  the 


53° 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


pupils  of  the  various  scliools  in  the  county 
on  Arbor  Day,  1887,  was,  according  to  offi- 
cial sources,  2,202. 

Take  it  altogether,  but  few  counties  in 
Minnesota  can  make  a  lietter  showing  in  the 
matter  of  education  than  Meeker  county. 
The  interest  manifested   hy  the  people,  the 


high  grade  of  teachers  employed,  and  the 
general  excellent  feeling  throughout  the 
community  in  regard  to  school  affairs,  is  rap- 
idl}'  and  clearly  placing  the  county  at  the 
head  as  one  of  the  most  enlightened  and  pro- 
gressive subdivisions  of  the  State. 


^.^'*-^- 


\fm. 


Meel^eii  Countij  DuMg  the  Ma^^acrfe. 


1%.     / 


-^^<^^ 


CHAPTER  YI. 

THE  INDIAN  MASSACRE. 

'O  THE  necessaiy  hiu'd- 
ships  and  trials  of  the 
pioneers  of  this  county 
was  added  the  terrible 
experience  of  Indian 
atrocity  and  fiendisli- 
ness.  By  the  first  set- 
tlers here,  in  the  midst  of 
their  hard  struggle  with  na- 
ture, was  heard,  in  1862,  the 
thrilling  war  whoop  of  the 
red  savage  and  the  sharp 
crack  of  his  rifle,  as  its  ball 
sped  to  the  doom  of  the  peace- 
ful farmer.  The  tragical  epi- 
sode of  the  Indian  massacre 
of  that  year  commenced 
within  the  limits  of  Meeker  county,  and  has 
impressed  itself  indelibly,  in  letters  of  fire  and 
blood,  with  fearful  distinctness,  upon  the 
pages  of  its  annals  and  in  the  hearts  and 
minds  of  the  survivors  of  that  fearful  ordeal. 
It  is  the  task  of  the  historian  to  trace  the 
event  in  all  its  detail,  and  endeavor  to  recon- 
cile some  of  the  conflicting  statements  re- 
ceived. 

In  order  to  have  a  full  understanding  of 
the  causes  that  led  to  the  outbreak,  it  is 
necessary  to  give  in  brief  the  complaints  of 


the  tribes,  and  other  matters  connected 
therewith,  compiled  from  the  most  authentic 
State  and  United  States  documents. 

By  the  treaty  of  Traverse  de  Sioux,  be- 
tween the  United  States  Government  and  the 
Sissetons  and  Wapatons,  dated  July  23, 
1851,  ^275,000  were  to  be  paid  to  their 
chiefs,  and  the  further  sum  of  $.30,000,  was 
to  be  expended  for  the  benefit  of  the  tribes. 
By  the  treaty  of  Mendota,  dated  August  5, 
1851,  the  Medawakantons  and  Wapakutas 
were  to  receive  the  sum  of  $2(H>,000,  to  be  paid 
to  their  chiefs,  and  $30,000  to  the  improve- 
ment fund.  This  sum  of  $535,000,  the 
Indians  claimed,  and  perhaps  truly,  that  they 
had  never  received,  except  probably  a  small 
amount  expended  on  the  improvements  on 
the  reservations.  This  evident  bi-each  of 
treaty  obligations,  caused  the  Indians  to  ex- 
press their  discontent  quite  freely  to  the 
Government  agents.  In  1857,  Major  Kintz- 
ing  Pritchette,  sent  out  by  the  Department, 
made  a  report,  in  which  he  sa\'s : 

"  The  comi)laint  which  runs  through  all  of 
their  councils,  points  to  the  imperfect  per- 
formance or  non-fulfillment  of  treaty  stipu- 
lations. Whether  these  are  well  or  ill- 
founded,  it  is  not  my  premise  to  discuss. 
That  such  belief  prevails  among  them,  im- 
pairing their  confidence  and  good  faith  in 
the  Government,  can  not  be  questioned." 

Judge  Young,  who  was  commissioned  to 


mvestigate  certam 


charges 


bi'ought  against 


531 


532 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


the  GoveiTior  of  Minnesota,  in  connection 
with  thedis]K)Siilot'  hirge  amounts  of  money, 
due  to  the  Indians  and  paid  out  under  liis 
direction,  in  his  rejiort,  shows  quite  conchi- 
sively  that  some  §320,000  was  paid  by  the 
Governor  to  Ilugii  Tyler,  for  the  savages,  but 
a  large  proportion  clung  to  the  fingers  of  that 
gentleman,  and  the  balance  was  paid  out 
in  accordance  with  the  dictates  of  the  post 
traders,  and  witiiout  any  regard  to  the 
wishes  of  tiic  annuitants.  Peculation  and 
chicanery  were  rife  in  all  transactions  of  the 
Indian  Department  and  its  agents  at  the 
time,  and  this  was  no  exception  to  the  gen- 
eral rule.  The  Senate  of  the  United  States 
exonerated  Governor  Kanisey,  of  Minnesota, 
from  any  bhime  in  the  business,  but  still  the 
Indians  murmured  about  their  treatment. 
It  is  very  evident  that  there  was  some  truth 
in  their  complaints,  but  wily  men  among 
them,  who  had  certain  ends  to  gain,  stirred 
up  the  feeling  and  intensified  it  in  every 
savage  breast.  When  they  wanted  an  ex- 
cuse, Indian  subtlety  never  lacked  one. 

From  tlie  time  wlien  tlie  Government  de- 
sisted from  the  pursuit  of  Inkpaduta,  the  in- 
famous author  of  tlie  Spirit  Lake  massacre, 
in  Dickinson  county,  Iowa,  in  1857,  consid- 
erable feeling  was  manifested  by  the  Sioux 
who  thought  that  the  action  of  the  United 
States  arose  from  fear  of  tiie  savages,  and 
these  feelings  were  fomented  and  increased 
with  insiduous  care  by  Little  Crow,  and  other 
chiefs.  This  famous  chief  was  a  second  edi- 
tion of  Tecumseh,  on  a  smaller  scale,  and 
had  formed  the  scheme  of  driving  the  whites 
from  the  territory  of  Minnesota,  and  enjoy- 
ing it  themselves,  by  a  preconcerted  massa- 
cre of  all  the  settlers  by  a  simultaneous  out- 
break. ]\[aturing  his  plans  with  a  care  worthy 
of  a  great  general,  by  means  of  a  secret  or- 
ganization,knowii  as  the  "Soldier's  Lodge,"  he 
adopted  means  forthe  carrying  out  of  all  the 
arrangements.  It  was  a  deep-laid  c(jnspiracy, 
and  Ijut  for  the  ])r(Miiiitiirc  action  of  a  few 


braves  would  have  been  more  direful  in  its 
consecjuences  and  wide-spread  in  its  effect. 

On  the  3d  of  August,  1862,  a  memorable 
council  was  held  at  the  village  of  Little  Crow, 
near  the  Lower  Agency.  Little  Crow  was 
present  and  was  not  wanting  in  the  ability 
to  meet  tlie  momentous  occasion  with  a  wily 
subtlety.  Tlie  proceedings  were  entirely 
secret,  but  some  of  the  details  have  since 
been  divulged,  and  it  is  now  known  that  then 
were  matured  the  details  of  a  conspiracy, 
which  for  atrocity  has  scarcely  ever  been 
ecpialed.  Little  Crow  eaid,  ujion  that  occa- 
sion, that  ill  this  way  they  could  get  all  the 
land  back  ;  tiiat  the  whites  would  want  their 
lands  again,  and  that  the  Sioux  would  get 
double  annuities.  But  the  causes  that  led  to 
the  outln-eak  are  of  so  complex  a  nature  that 
but  few  have  fully  mastered  them,  and  hardly 
any  two  people  agree  on  all  points  on  this 
head,  and  therefore,  it  suffices  to  give  the 
above  account,  which  is  a  simple  statement 
of  what  is  known  and  fully  agreed  on  by  all, 
and  not  enter  into  a  closer  investigation  as  to 
the  details,  which  are  given  with  regard  to 
their  general  effect  in  the  State  at  large  in 
the  history  of  Minnesota,  in  this  volume. 
"VVe  will,  however,  go  at  length  into  the 
account  of  its  local  annals  within  the  bounds 
of  Meeker  county. 

We  now  come  to  the  terrible  massacre  it- 
self, the  fierce  blow  that  fell,  like  a  lightning- 
flash  from  a  cloudless  sky,  with  such  sudden- 
ness and  force  upon  an  almost  unarmed  and 
unsuspecting  border,  crimsoning  its  beautiful 
fields  with  the  life  blood  of  the  settlers,  and 
firing  the  heavens  with  the  lurid  glare  of 
their  blazing  homes.  The  suivivors  fleeing, 
filled  with  the  nameless  terror  of  such  a 
moment,  wandei-ed  around,  often  to  fall  be- 
fore the  deadly  rifle  or  gleaming  tomahawk 
of  the  ruthless  and  fierce  nomadic  Sioux,  or 
to  perish  miserably  of  want  and  exposure  on 
the  broad  prairies. 

Although  Little  Crow,  the  chief  mover  of 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


533 


the  plot  had  ordered  the  simultaneous  out- 
break to  take  place  on  the  first  of  September, 
■wishing  the  whites  to  get  in  their  gi'ain,  for 
it  was  harvesting  time,  and  that  the  three 
regiments  that  had  been  raised  to  aid  in  the 
suppression  of  the  rebellion  but  then,  in  this 
State,  would  be  forwarded  to  the  front.  His 
able  tactics,  however,  were  thwarted  by  the 
action  of  some  "bucks"  who  precipitated 
matters  by  the  attack  on  the  settlers  of 
Meeker  county.  AVhat  was  the  reason  for 
this  premature  movement  will  never  be  fully 
known,  as  many  theories  have  been  formed, 
and  hardly  two  of  them  agree. 

Rt.  Rev.  H.  B.  Whipple,  Episcopal  Bishop 
of  Minnesota,  gives  tiie  following  account  of 
th'e  massacre  at  the  Lower  Agency  and  the 
causes  that  led  to  the  outbreak,  and  it  deserves 
preservation.  It  is  given  in  this  connection 
just  as  it  was  written,  but  not  all,  as 
mucli  of  it  is  irrelevant  to  our  purpose.  He 
says : 

"The  Sioux  liad  been  our  friends,  and  for 
more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  had  boasted 
that  they  had  never  taken  the  life  of  a  white 
man.  Our  Avretched  Indian  system  was  at 
its  worst.  It  left  wild  men  without  govern- 
ment or  personal  )ights  of  property,  and  by 
its  alms-house  system  at  every  agency,  was 
training  up  savage  paupers.  The  Indians 
made  bitter  complaints  of  the  treaty  of 
Traverse  de  Sioux — that  they  did  not  receive 
the  money  promised  to  them,  that  they  were 
not  permitted  to  take  tlie  reserve  agreed 
upon,  that  large  claims  were  allowed,  that 
when  payment  was  made,  it  was  delayed 
until  they  were  starving,  and  their  annuities 
were  paid  for  food.  In  1858  they  sold  800,- 
000  acres  of  land  on  the  north  side  of  their 
reserve,  to  procure  additional  means  for  civil- 
ization. This  treaty  had  a  provision  that 
the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  might  use  the 
avails  of  this  purchase,  and  any  of  their 
mone\'s,  as  he  deemed  best  for  their  interests, 
liut  that  no  debts  should  be  allowed  unless 


they  had  been  approved  by  the  Indians  in 
open  council.  Xo  such  council  was  ever 
held.  There  were  councils  of  a  few  chiefs; 
one  was  held  in  our  school  room,  and  Little 
Crow  was  one  of  the  leaders  in  it.  They 
waited  four  years,  and  the  onl}^  thing  they 
received  for  this  valuable  tract  of  land,  was 
a  few  thousand  dollars'  worth  of  goods, 
among  which  were  many  dozens  of  Canadian 
belts.  At  our  first  meeting  Wabasha  said, 
'AVill  you  ask  the  Great  Father  what  has 
become  of  our  money  ?  He  would  not  lie  to 
us.  White  men  would  not  have  a  liar  for 
their  great  chief.  He  says  he  would  send 
the  money — so  many  boxes.  He  probably 
started  it,  but  tiie  cars  go  so  fast  it  has  fallen 
off  by  the  way.  Tell  him  we  are  poor,  and 
ask  him  to  look  it  up.'  Another  chief,  Wa- 
couta,  said,  '  Our  eyes  have  grown  dim  by 
looking  so  long  for  our  money.  Our  old 
men  would  like  to  see  it  befoi-e  they  die.' 
Sometimes  harder  words  were  spoken  with 
flashing  e3'es,  anil  many  young  braves 
boasted  they  would  never  shake  hands  with 
a  white  man.  The  civil  war  was  at  its 
height,  and  up  to  this  time  the  tide  of  victory 
seemed  to  be  with  the  South.  Pictorial 
papers  lay  on  the  counters  of  traders,  and 
Indians  believed  that  the  South  was  victori- 
ous. About  this  time  a  company  of  Renville 
Rangers  was  organized  by  the  agent,  and 
many  of  its  members  were  mixed  bloods  and 
Indians.  The  Indians  said:  'The  whites 
are  all  being  killed,  and  now  they  come  to 
us  for  help.'  There  were  many  darker 
stories  told  of  whicli  I  will  not  speak.  The 
Indians,  with  foolish  bravado,  began  to 
boast  that  they  could  repossess  their  lands, 
and  sweep  the  white  man  from  their  country. 
Most  of  the  new  settlers  were  very  poor  im- 
migrants, upon  whom  the  Indians  looked 
down  in  contempt.  The  payment  had  al- 
ways taken  ])lace  in  June.  They  came  as 
usual — 2.500  at  the  Lower  Agency,  and  over 
5,000  at  the  Upper  Agency.      Misses  Catha- 


534 


MEEKER  COVXTY,  MINNESOTA. 


rine  and  Elizabetli  Beddle,  Miss  Caroline  A. 
Harris,  Miss  Sarah  A.  Farninn,  Mrs.  "Whipple 
and  iny  son  Ciiiirles  had  accompanied  me  to 
the  Sioux  Mission.  We  found  everytliing 
unsettled,  the  air  lull  of  rumors,  tlie  Indians 
turbulent,  restless,  dissatislied.  Again  and 
again  the  Indians  asked  me,  '  When  will  we 
receive  our  payment?  How  much  will  we 
receive?'  I  invariably  answered,  'You  will 
receive  $20  each,  and  be  paid  very  soon.' 
No  one  seemed  to  believe  me.  One  day  after 
my  return  from  the  Upper  Agency,  I  said  to 
a  trader,  '  Major  Galbraith  will  be  down  to- 
day to  make  arrangements  for  ]5ayment.' 
He  answered,  '  Galbraith  is  a  fool.  The  full 
payment  will  not  be  made.  Tiie  money  is 
gone;  it  has  been  spent  foi'  claims;  we  can 
not  trust  the  Indians  because  they  will  liavc 
no  money  to  pay  us.'  It  filled  me  witli  sad 
forebodings.  I  l>elieved  Major  Galbraith  was 
an  honest  man,  but  here  was  a  trader  who 
claimed  to  know  more  about  the  payment 
than  the  agent.  Each  day  there  was  some 
new  dance  or  gathering,  as  if  the  Indians 
would  crowd  into  weeks,  all  the  savagery 
and  heathenism  of  generations.  The  air  was 
charged  with  elements  which  at  any  moment 
might  carry  descjlation  and  death  to  the 
whole  border.  We  left  the  Sioux  coun- 
try about  the  10th  of  July,  and  went  im- 
mediately to  the  Chippewa  country.  While 
at  Crow  Wing,  a  letter  was  brought,  di- 
rected to  care  of  Rev.  E.  S.  Peake,  for 
'  Hole-in-the-Da}','  and  marked  '  immedi- 
ate.' Hole-in-the-Day  was  absent,  we  called 
in  his  head  warrior,  and  opened  it.  It  was 
from  Little  Crow,  the  leader  of  the  Sioux 
outbreak,  and  said,  'My  Friend: — Some  of 
your  people  have  killed  one  of  our  civilized 
Indians.  I  tried  to  keep  my  men  back  as  I 
agreed.  I  could  not.  They  have  gone. 
Look  out.  (Signed)  Little  Crow.'  Whether 
an  agreement  had  been  made  between  them 
we  do  not  know.  We  sent  messengers  to 
warn  some  Chippewas  camped  on  the  Crow 


Wing  river,  and  then  went  to  St.  Columlta.'" 
After  detailing  mucli  of  liis  trip  ;ind 
pointing  out  that  a  party  of  Sioux  Indians 
were  ahead  of  them  bent  on  tiie  murder  of 
some  Chippewa  people,  because  a  meml>er  of 
the  latter  triije,  as  Little  Crow  had  said,  had 
murdered  one  of  their  people,  the  Lishop 
goes  on  to  say: 

"On  our  way  home  our  Indians  (('hi])pe- 
was)  said  they  had  seen  Sioux  signs.  We 
laughed  at  the  idea  that  they  could  tell  a 
Sioux  moccasin  track  from  the  Ojibway. 
Thev  insisted.  Manitowaub  threw  himself  on 
the  ground  and  with  a  stick  lifted  each  weed 
and  spear  of  grass  until  he  could  trace  a  hu- 
man step,  and  after  hours  he  found  the  mark 
of  a  human  foot  in  the  sand.  He  showed  us 
his  moccasin  and  the  mark  in  tiie  sand,  and 
said  :  '  That  is  Sioux  !'  The  next  day  we 
found  where  the  Sioux  had  camped,  and  the 
Indians  told  us  about  how  many  Sioux  were 
in  the  party.  They  found  a  Sioux  moccasin. 
The  Indians  were  much  excited  and  made  a 
forced  march  to  reach  Gull  Lake,  and  were 
rejoiced  to  find  their  peo])le  safe.  Saturday 
we  went  from  Crow  Wing  to  St.  Cloud  and 
heard  of  this  party  of  Sioux  as  being  across 
the  river  near  Winnebago  prairie.  That 
Sunday  afternoon  they  reached  Acton,  and 
either  for  fear  of  being  laughed  at  on  their 
return  home  for  their  fruitless  errand  or 
from  hatred  of  the  whites,  or  because  filled 
with  malice  and  deviltry,  they  murdered  the 
family  at  Acton  and  then  fled.  They  trav- 
eled all  night  and  reached  Little  Crow's  vil- 
lage eai-ly  Monday,  August  IS.  The  Sioux 
have  a  Soldier's  lodge,  which  decides  aU 
questions  connected  with  war.  The  lodge 
was  hastily  convened,  the  story  of  Acton 
told,  the  certainty  that  troops  would  come 
to  arrest  the  murdereis.  The  spark  had 
been  laid  to  the  train  of  powder,  and  it  was 
settled  that  the  whites  should  be  massacred. 
"About  seven  o'clock  John  Wliipple,  a 
stone  mason,  who  was  building  our  church, 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


535 


Stood  by  the  door  of  the  Mission  house  talk- 
ing  with   ill".    Ilinman.     They    heard    the 
report  of  guns,  and,  looking  toward  the  trad- 
ing post  of  My  rick,  saw  a  crowd  of  Indians 
firing  into  the  store ;   others  were  running 
toward  Forbes'  and  Roberts'  stores  armed. 
Shunkaska  (White  Dog)  came  running  Ijy. 
Mr.  Ilinman  asked  him    what   this   meant. 
He  answered, '  Go,  go,  the  Indians  are  killing- 
all  the  whites.     I  am  going  to  Wabasiia  to 
see  if  I  can  not  stop  it.'     Shunkaska  was  pale 
with   terror.     He  was  a  civilized   Indian — 
not  a  Christian.     A  few  minutes  after  Little 
Crow  came  running  by   with  other  Indians. 
Hinman  called  him,  but  lie  refused  to  answer. 
They  went  to  the  Government  barn,  a  little 
way  from  the  Mission    house,  to  take   the 
Government  horses,  and    were    resisted    by 
Wagner,   the   farmer,   and   his    man,   John 
Lamb.     Crow   said,  '  Kill   them,'  and    they 
were  both  killed.     Mr.    Hinman   told   Miss 
Emily  West,  a  teacher  in  the  Mission,  that 
the  Indians  were  killing  the  whites  and  tiiey 
must  flee.     Mrs.  Ilinman  was  in  Faribault. 
Mr.  Hinman  went  to  notify  some  neighbors. 
Miss  West  started  for  the   ferry.     On   her 
way  she  met  a  woman  and  child,  and  advised 
tliem   to   go   with   her.     They   crossed    the 
ferry  and  the  In-oad  valley  beyond,  and  as 
they  came  to  the  top  of  the  hill  met  three 
Indians,  armed.     As  thej'  saw  Miss  West  the 
leader,  a  stranger  to  her,  said,  '  You  belong 
to  the  Missionary  ? '    She  said,  '  Yes.'     He 
reached  out  his  hand  and   shook  hands,  and 
said,  'Washta'  (good).       Tlie  poor  woman 
with  her  reached  out  her  hand.     He  refused 
it,  and  drew  his  knife  and  said,  'I  will  kill 
you.'     Miss  West  said,  '  No,  she  belongs  to 
me.'      The  Indian  laughed,   as   if  it    were 
strange  that  this  single  woman  had  a  mother 
and  child  in  lier  care,  but  Miss  West  persisted 
and  the  Indian  said  '  Waslita.'      He  asked 
her  where  she  was  going.     She  pointed  to  a 
distant  house.     He  said,  '  No,  we  are  going 
to   kill  those  pei\sons.'       She  said,  '  Where 


shall  we  go?'  The  Indians  led  them  to  the 
road,  and  said,  'This  will  bring  you  to  the 
fort.' " 

The  outbreak  commenced  as  mentioned  by 
Bishop  Whipple,  in  Meeker  county,  and  it  is 
now  our  duty  to  enter  upon  the  narration  of 
the  events,  both  the  massacre  in  Acton,  and 
the  subsequent  perils,  hairbreadth  escapes,  and 
labors  of  the  settlers  and  soldiery  in  putting 
down  the  Indians  during  those  trying  times. 
As  near  as  can  be  arrived  at  now,  by  an 
extensive  and  exhaustive  research  among  all 
the  papers,  both  State  and  otherwise,  and 
personal  interviews  with  many  of  the  sur- 
viving citizens  of  the  county,  the  facts  are 
about  as  follows : 

About  eleven  o'clock  in  the  forenoon  of 
Sunday,  August  17,  1862,  while  the  bright 
golden  gleams  of  the  summer  sun  poured 
downupon  the  lovely  landscape  in  the  wealth 
of  its  noontide  splendor,  and  while  from  the 
throats  of  the  feathered  songsters  of  grove 
and  ])rairie  rose  the  glad  hymns  of  peace 
and  thanksgiving,  six  Indians,  supposed  to 
have  been  of  Shakopee's  band  from  the 
Lower  Agency,  red  fiends  with  foul  and 
deadly  murder  in  their  hearts,  approached 
the  house  of  Eobinson  Jones,  which  stood  on 
the  southwest  quarter  of  tlie  northeast  quar- 
ter of  section  21,  of  Acton  township.  Mr. 
Jones  kept  a  kind  of  frontier  tavern  and  had 
for  sale  various  staple  articles  of  groceries, 
among  which  was  the  inevitable  whisky, 
and  besides  attending  to  this  business  pur- 
chased or  traded  for  furs,  and  carried  on 
farming.  The  Indians  came  up  to  the  house 
and  demanded  whisky  of  Mr.  Jones,  which 
tie  saw  fit  to  refuse,  and  some  words  ensued 
and  the  savages  became  quite  boisterous. 
Some  little  time  after  this  Mr.  Jones  went 
over  to  the  cabin  of  Howard  Baker,  leaving 
Miss  Clara  D.  Wilson,  a  niece,  in  charge  of 
the  house,  and  a  little  boy,  a  half-brother  of 
Clara  and  an  adopted  son  of  Mr.  Jones  about 
a  couple  years  of  age,  lying  on  the  bed.    The 


536 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


Indians,  who  liacl  left  the  house  some  time 
before,  followed  after  Mr.  Jones,  and  four  of 
tliem  soon  arrived  at  tlic  liouse  of  Howard 
Baker,  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile  distant 
from  Jones'  house,  and,  sauntering  leisurely 
up,  bantered  the  men,  Jones,  Baker  and 
Viranus  "Webster,  who  was  an  emigrant 
passing  to  the  West,  to  shoot  at  a  mark. 
After  the  savages  had  stayed  in  the  house 
some  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes,  the  white 
men,  taking  down  tiieir  guns,  agreed  to  go 
outside  and  shoot  with  them.  After  a  few 
minutes  spent  in  tliis  kind  of  sport,  while  the 
settlers  were  standing  aruuiid,  Mr.  Baker 
made  a  trade  witli  uiie  of  the  redmen  for  his 
gun,  the  savage  giving  some  three  dollars 
difference  between  the  weapons.  Not  sus- 
pecting any  evil,  and  being  entirely  too 
trusting  when  an  Indian  was  in  the  question, 
none  of  the  three  men  reloaded  their  guns, 
an  oversight  for  which  the}'  paid  their  lives. 
The  savages,  on  the  contrary,  recharged  their 
pieces  in  the  doorway  of  the  house,  and  about 
noon  were  joined  by  the  two  other  Indians, 
who  had  been  with  them  at  Jones'  cabin. 
The  latter  said  that  they  were  Sioux,  and 
that  he  knew  them  all.  Mrs.  Howard  Baker, 
one  of  the  survivors,  describes  them  as  all 
being  of  middle  age,  one  quite  tall  and  one 
short,  chubby  and  thick.  The  last  two  had 
on  Avhite  men's  coats,  and  one  of  the  savages 
had  three  feathers  in  his  cap  and  another 
two. 

While  they  stood  there  one  of  the  fiends 
raised  his  rifle  to  his  shoulder  and  ]ioured  its 
leaden  contents  into  tiie  body  of  Mr.  Jones, 
who  fell.  Mrs.  Ann  Baker  and  her  daugli- 
ter-in-law,  Mrs.  Horace  Baker,  were  standing 
in  the  doorway  of  the  house  and  witnessed 
the  cowardly  murder,  and  when  another  of 
the  savages  took  aim  at  the  younger  Mrs. 
Baker,  her  husband,  with  noble  self  devotion, 
threw  himself  forward  to  shield  her  and  re- 
ceived in  his  own  body  the  bullet  intended 
for  his  wife.     Almost  at  the  same  instant 


tAvo  more  of  the  guns  of  the  Indians  blazed 
forth  their  death-dealing  contents,  and  Web- 
ster and  Mrs.  Ann  Baker  fell  to  the  ground. 
The  latter  had  turned  to  run  within  the 
house  after  receiving  the  first  shot  and  fell 
into  the  buttery,  the  other  two  Indians  firing 
at  her  as  she  pitched  forward.  Mrs.  Howard 
Baker,  who  had  her  infant  child  in  her  arms, 
in  trying  to  get  out  of  a  window,  fell  down 
into  the  cellar,  which  saved  her  life.  The 
last  she  saw  was  Mrs.  Webster  trying  to  pull 
the  dead  body  of  her  husband  into  the  house. 
Thus  were  four  souls  called  to  an  account, 
cut  off  in  the  full  prime  of  their  life  by  the 
fiendish  hand  of  ruthless  mui'dcr,  and  thus 
was  inaugurated  the  terrible  massacre  of  that 
eventful  year,  that  carried  death  and  de- 
struction into  so  many  households  through- 
out the  State,  and  fear  and  panic  over  so 
vast  an  expanse  of  territory. 

The  report  that  this  premature  stroke  in 
the  massacre  was  the  outgrowth  of  a 
drunken  spree  or  broil  has  been  so  effectu- 
ally disposed  of  that  it  is  needless  to  dwell 
upon  it  in  this  connection. 

After  the  dastardly  attack  upon  and  kill- 
ing: of  the  unarmed  men  and  defenseless 
women,  the  same  red  devils  returned  to  the 
cabin  of  Jones,  and,  in  passing  the  house,  one 
of  them  lifted  his  rifle,  fired,  and  killed  Clara 
Davis  Wilson,  who  stood  in  plain  sight  in 
the  room.  They  did  not  discover  the  little 
child  nor  enter  the  house.  They  then  left 
the  vicinity,  taking  the  direction  of  the 
Beaver  Creek  settlement  and  the  Lower 
Agency,  leaving  Acton  about  three  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon.  The  incentive  of  this 
cruel  outrage  is  sufficiently  shown  by  the 
fact  that  no  robbery  took  place,  nor  other 
damage  being  done  except  in  the  murder  of 
these   inoffensive  settlers. 

Mi'S.  Howard  Baker,  who  was  unhurt  by 
her  fall  into  the  cellar,  still  had  the  presence 
of  mind  to  remain  quietly  there  until  the 
murderers  had  gone.     She  finally    emerged 


MEEKER    COUNTY.  MINNESOTA. 


537 


from  her  place  of  concealment,  and,  before 
she  left  the  house,  was  accosted  by  an  Irish- 
man, by  the  name  of  Cox,  suspected  of  hav- 
ing been  a  spy  of  the  redskins,  and  reputed 
to  be  crazy.  She  asked  him  to  go  with  her 
to  the  settlement  and  helj)  cany  the  baby, 
but  he,  with  an  incivility  quite  strSnge  in 
one  of  the  Celtic  race,  refused,  saying,  "  the 
men  are  not  dead  but  drunk,  and  in  falling- 
down  have  bumped  their  noses,  which  made 
them  bleed."  He,  however,  robbed  the 
corpses  of  some  $50  or  $fiO  which  -was  on 
their  persons,  and  leaving  the  lone  willow 
in  her  distress,  with  a  total  disregard  for 
feeling  or  decency',  took  the  road  for  the 
Lower  Agency. 

Mrs.  "Webster  and  Mrs.  Baker,  taking  the 
latter's  child  in  their  arms,  started  alone  for 
the  comity  seat.  Forest  City.  They  stopped 
at  the  residence  of  John  Blackwell,  their 
nearest  neighbor,  but  on  their  arrival  there 
found  that  that  gentleman  and  his  family  were 
absent.  The  two  women  then  proceeded  on 
their  weary  way,  and  soon  reached  the 
house  of  Nels  Olson,  who  had  a  blacksmith's 
forge  on  his  place  and  was  employed  at  that 
business.  From  there  Mrs.  Baker  went  on 
to  Forest  City,  which  was  some  twelve 
miles  from  the  scene  of  the  massacre,  and 
corroborated  the  account  which  had  been 
given  by  Ole  Ingeman,  who  had  ridden  into 
the  town  about  six  o'clock,  and  given  the 
alarm  to  the  settlers.  The  news  spread 
thj'oughout  the  country  with  amazing  i-apid- 
ity,  and  many  were  the  parties  who  started 
out  to  inquire  into  the  matter  and  investi- 
gate its  truth,  for  the  news  was  of  so  unwel- 
come a  nature  that  many  wished  to  disbe- 
lieve  it. 

During  the  week  preceding  the  attack  at 
the  houses  of  Jones  and  Baker,  the  latter  and 
Amos  Nelson  Fosen,  now  one  of  the  promi- 
nent citizens  of  Meeker  county,  were  cradling 
the  wheat  on  the  farm  of  Eobinson  Jones, 
but,  as  it  was  raining  on  that  Saturday,  Mr. 


Fosen  concluded  that  he  would  visit  his  own 
farm,  which  he  had  rented  to  Burger  Ander- 
son, and  see  how  things  were  going  on.  Put- 
ting his  idea  into  execution,  he  started  with 
the  intention  of  returning  on  Sunda\'.  After 
spending  some  time  in  looking  after  his  af- 
fairs, he  went  to  attend  a  "  war  meeting," 
and  was  detained  so  late  that  he  came  to  the 
determination  not  to  return  to  work  until 
Monday  morning,  instead  of  that  night. 
Never  has  procrastination  met  with  so  signal 
and  sudden  a  reward,  for  this  dilatoriness  in 
his  movements  undoubtedly  saved  his  life. 

In  the  mean  time  the  news  of  the  fiendish 
butchery  came  to  the  neighborhood  Avhere  he 
was,  and  a  partj^  of  thirteen  started  for  the 
scene.  Part  of  the  number  went  but  a  por- 
tion of  the  distance,  but  seven  of  them 
pressed  on.  These  detennined  men  were 
Amos  N.  Fosen,  Nels  Danielson,  John  Black- 
well,  Burger  Anderson,  Ole  Westman, 
Charles  Quick  and  John  Nelson.  They  came 
in  sight  of  the  late  home  of  Howard  Baker, 
and  cautiously  and  carefully  approached  the 
house,  with  stealthy  steps  and  peering  eyes. 
Finding  the  coast  clear,  the}'  drew  nearer  and 
nearer,  the  friendly  shades  of  night  covering 
their  movements,  and  finally,  entering  the 
house,  discovered  the  dead  bodies  of  Mrs. 
Jones,  Webster  and  Baker. 

After  lingering  there  for  a  short  time  the 
little  party  of  heroes  started  for  Jones" 
house,  but  on  the  road,  met  another  band  of 
settlers,  headed  by  Thomas  McGannon,  with 
whom  they  turned  back  to  Baker's  house, 
and  making  a  more  thorough  searcii  at  that 
place  discovered  the  bodj'  of  poor  Jones  near 
the  corn-crib,  where  he  had  fallen,  and  over 
whom  was  thrown  a  wagon-box.  He  had 
torn  up  the  ground  all  ai^ound  him  in  his 
death  agony.  Guards  were  properly  posted 
and  the  balance  of  the  party  again  started 
for  Jones'  place.  At  the  forks  of  the  road, 
before  reaching  that  point,  they  were  met  by 
another  squad  of  settlers,  for  many  were  out, 


538 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


the  evil  tidings  having  spread  fast,  and 
stricken  i)anic  terror  into  the  hearts  of  a 
jrreat  niuuher,  while  others  were  seized 
with  a  desire  to  investigate  the  matter.  The 
last  addition  to  the  little  band  was  a  delega- 
tion from  Swede  Grove,  and  Avere  all 
mounted.  On  coming  to  the  house,  it  was 
cautiously  surrounded  and  a  plan  formed  for 
the  captui'c  of  tlie  Indians,  for  it  was  sup- 
posed that  tliey  were  in  tlie  house,  as  it  was 
of  wide  notoriety  that  wliisky  was  kej)t  in 
the  cabin,  and  it  was  but  natural  to  suppose 
that  the  savages  had  come  here  after  com- 
mitting the  murder  to  indulge  in  a  drunken 
orgie.  The  dead  body  of  poor  Clara  Wilson 
was  found  lying  across  the  pantry  doorway, 
but  no  Indians,  and  there  was  no  evidence  of 
their  having  entered  the  house,  for  nothing 
was  disturbed.  A  barrel  of  whiskv  stood  in 
one  corner,  and  several  bottles  of  tlie  same 
liquor  upon  the  shelf,  but  no  signs  of 
the  Indians  having  disturbed  them.  In  a 
bedroom,  lying  upon  tiie  bed,  was  the 
adopted  child  of  Mi'.  Jones,  spoken  of  be- 
fore, smiling  up  into  the  faces  of  his  res- 
cuers. The  babe,  who  was  about  two  years 
old,  was  the  grandchild  of  Mrs.  Ann  IJaker, 
and  l)ore  the  name  of  liobinson  J.  Cotton. 
He  was  taken  from  the  lied  and  afterwartl 
placed  in  the  liands  of  T.  C.  Jewett,  of  Forest 
City,  who  kept  him  for  some  little  time,  until 
he  was  finally  adopted  by  Charles  H.  Ellis 
and  wife,  of  Otsego,  Wrigiit  county,  this 
State,  with  whom  he  remained  until  lie  had 
attained  the  years  of  manhood. 

In  another  direction,  as  soon  as  the  news 
came  to  the  neighborhood  of  Swede  Grove. 
Xels  Elofson  and  Nels  Hanson  got  on  their 
horses,  and,  with  others,  proceeded  to  the 
scene  of  the  tragedy,  and  fell  in  with  the  other 
party  as  related  above,  at  the  forks  of  the 
road  near  Baker's  house.  Another  party  was 
formed  at  Forest  City  that  same  evening,  on 
the  arrival  there  of  Mis.  iJaker,  for  thither 
she  had  fled,  carrying  her  babe,  for  protection. 


This  force  consisted  of  J.  B.  Atkinson,  Syl- 
vester Stevens,  John  Wigle,  Hamlet  Stevens 
and  one  or  two  others,  and  left  the  county 
seat  and  ])roceeded  toward  the  place  where 
the  startling  events  of  that  day  had  happened. 
They  met  the  other  squads  mentioned  be- 
fore, arid,  on  learning  the  facts,  spread  the 
news  througiiout  the  country,  warning  the 
settlers  of  their  peril,  and  then  returned  to 
their  homes  at  Forest  City,  arriving  there 
about  four  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

Tlie  next  morning  a  strong  posse,  consist- 
ing of  A.  C.  Smith,  Milton  Gorton,  J.  B. 
Atkinson,  T.  C.  Jewett  and  others,  accompa- 
nied by  Mr.s.  Jewett  and  Mrs.  Gorton,  started 
for  the  Baker  house,  and  the  settlers,  by  this 
time  all  thoroughly  aroused  to  their  peril, 
flocked  in  the  same  direction,  so  that  they 
reached  the  scene  of  the  murder  some  sixty 
strong.  An  inquest  was  held  that  day  and 
the  facts  as  stated  above  elicited,  and  a  ver- 
dict given  in  accordance  therewith. 

Whilst  the  inquest  was  in  progress,  some 
one  espied  a  body  of  eleven  mounted  Indians 
ill  the  vicinity,  and  gave  the  alarm,  and  seven 
men,  among  whom  were  J.  B.  Atkinson, 
Hamlet  Stevens,  Daniel  McGraw,  Albert 
De  Long  and  Sylvester  Stevens,  mounting  in 
hot  haste,  pursued  the  savages,  who,  when 
thev  saw  the  pursuit,  cut  across  the  slough. 
A  few  distant  shots  were  fired,  Avithout  dam- 
age to  either  party,  and  the  wild  race  was 
kept  u]3  at  breakneck  speed  as  far  as  Lake 
Lillian.  Here  the  redskins  were  joined  by 
another  band  from  another  direction,  and  a 
halt  was  called.  The  party  counted  twenty- 
five  well-mounted  Sioux  before  them,  their 
own  horses  were  blown  and  worn  out  with 
fatigue,  and  although  one  or  two  wanted  to 
go  on,  a  vote  was  taken  and  the  pursuit 
abandoned.  One  of  the  pai-ty  is  credited 
with  having  shot  one  of  the  Indians,  who 
was  seen  to  drop,  but  was  picked  up  by  his 
comrades  and  hurried  away  with  them  in 
their  flight.     The  little  squad  of  settlers  re- 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


539 


turned  after  feeding  their  horses  and  resting 
them,  and  the  savages,  who  were  afterward 
found  to  have  been  another  band  than  those 
who  committed  tiie  murders,  went  on  their 
way  toward  their  tribal  headquarters. 

While  the  little  company  of  enraged  set- 
tlers were  pursuing  the  redskins,  the  inquest 
was  finished,  and,  tools  being  at  hand,  boxes 
were  made  and  the  bodies  of  the  murdered 
people  placed  tlierein,  and  the  five  victims 
placed  in  one  grave  in  the  Norwegian  Lu- 
theran Church  cemeter}'^,  in  Litchfield  town- 
ship, on  the  spot  now  marked  with  the  mon- 
ument. 

Tlie  funeral  over,  the  party  returned  to 
Forest  City,  whither  they  were  followed  by 
almost  the  entire  community,  for  the  panic 
had  seized  every  one,  and  the  trembling 
pioneers  saw  Indians  in  every  waving  bush, 
or  heard  their  yell  in  every  sound  brought  to 
their  listening  ears  b}'  the  gentle  evening 
breeze.  To  nerves  unaccustomed  to  this 
tension,  the  position  was  too  frightful,  and 
men  could  not  long  stand  it.  Something 
must  be  done  and  that  right  speedily. 

George  C.  Wliitcomli,  the  treasurer  of 
Meeker  county,  left  Forest  City  on  that 
eventful  Monday,  and  rode  to  Carver  or 
Chaska,  and  there  took  the  small  steamer 
Antelope,  and  reached  St.  Paul  about  ten 
or  eleven  o'clock  on  Tuesday  morning,  ac- 
cording to  the  official  report  of  Governor 
Kamsey,  and  at  once  waited  upon  the  gov- 
ernor, witli  tlie  dreadful  tidings  with  which 
he  was  laden.  The  news  of  tlie  outbreak, 
which  was,  prior  to  his  arrival,  supposed  to 
be  only  a  local  emeute,  at  Yellow  Medicine, 
bad  preceded  him  only  an  liour  or  two.  Mr. 
Shelley,  from  the  latter  agency,  having  rid- 
den in  with  dispatches  announcing  the  mas- 
sacre at  that  point. 

Governor  Ramsey,  in  his  report  upon  the 
matter,  uses  the  following  language  in  speak- 
ing of  the  action  taken  at  that  time: 

"I  at  once  proceeded   to   Fort   Snelling, 


and  consulted  with  the  authorities  there 
regarding  the  outbreak,  and  the  best  means 
to  be  used  to  meet  the  danger.  A  serious 
difficulty  met  us  at  the  outstart.  The  only 
troops  at  the  fort  were  the  raw  recruits, 
which  had  been  hastily  gathered  for  the  five 
regiments.  Most  of  them  were  without 
arms  or  suitable  clothing  as  yet ;  some  not 
mustered  in  or  properly  officered,  and  those 
who  had  arms  had  no  fixed  ammunition  of 
the  proper  caliber.  We  were  without  trans- 
portation, quartermaster's  or  commissary 
stores,  and,  in  fact,  devoid  of  anything  with 
which  to  commence  a  campaign  against  two 
or  three  thousand  Indians,  well  mounted 
and  armed,  with  an  abundance  of  ammuni- 
tion and  ])rovisions  ca|itured  at  the  agency, 
and  flushed  with  the  easy  ^^ctory  they  had 
won  over  the  unarmed  settlers.  Finally 
four  companies  were  fully  organized,  armed 
and  uniformed,  and  late  at  night  were  got 
off  on  two  small  steamers,  the  Antelope  and 
Pomeroy,  for  Shakopee,  from  which  point 
they  could  proceed  overland.  It  was  ar- 
ranged that  others  would  follow  as  fast  as 
the}"  could  be  got  i-eatly. 

"This  expedition  was  placed  under  the 
command  of  H.  H.  Sibley,  whose  long  resi- 
dence in  the  country  of  the  Sioux  had  iriven 
him  great  influence  with  that  peojjle,  and  it 
was  hoped  that  the  chiefs  and  older  men 
were  still  sensible  to  reason,  and  that  with 
these  he  could  check  the  mad  and  reckless 
disposition  of  the  younger  men  ;  and  if  that 
failed,  that  his  knowledge  of  Indian  war  and 
tactics  would  enable  him  to  overcome  them 
in  battle. 

*         *         *         *         »         *         * 

"  Late  that  night  (the  2uth),  probably  after 
midnight,  Jesse  Y.  Branham,  Sr.,  arrived 
from  Forest  Citv  after  a  forced  ride   of  100 


540 


MEEKER   COUNTY.  MINNESOTA. 


miles  on   horsebaclv,  bearing  the   following 


FouEST  City,  August  20,  1802,  [ 
0  o'clock  A.  M.       j 

His    Excellency    Alexander   Ramsey,     Gov- 
ernor,   etc. 

Sir — In  advance  of  the  news  from  the 
Minnesota  Kiver,  the  Indians  have  opened  on 
us  in  Meeker.  It  is  war.  A  few  propose  to 
make  a  stand  here.  Send  us,  foi'thwith, 
some  ffood  ouns  and  ammunition  to  match. 
Yours   truly, 

A.  C.  Smith. 
•  "  Seventy -five  stands  of  Springfield  rifles 
and  several  thousand  rounds  of  ball  cart- 
ridges were  at  once  issued  to  George  C. 
Whitcoml),  to  be  used  in  arming  a  company 
which  I  directed  to  be  raised  and  enrolled 
to  use  these  arms ;  and  General  Sibley  gave 
Mr.  Whitcomb  a  captain's  commission  for 
the  comjiany.  Trans]iortation  was  at  once 
furnished  him,  and  the  rifles  were  in  Forest 
City  by  the  morning  of  the  23d,  a  portion 
having  been  issued  to  a  company  at  Hutch- 
inson on  the  way  up." 

Jesse  V.  Branham,  Sr.,  whom  the  governor 
mentions  as  bringing  the  dispatch,  had  vol- 
unteered, notwithstanding  his  sixty  years, 
to  ride  the  entire  distance  of  one  hundred 
miles  for  help,  and  on  his  arrival  at  St.  Paul, 
paying  no  attention  to  his  fatigue  or  his 
bodil}'  wants,  at  once  waited  upon  the  gov- 
ernor, although  it  was  one  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  with  the  result  as  given  above.  On 
the  arrival  of  Captain  Whitcomb  with  the 
arms  and  ammunition,  having  left  thirty-one 
muskets  and  a  part  of  the  ammunition  at 
Hutchinson,  that  place  being  entirely  desti- 
tute of  firearms,  a  company  was  formed  at 
Forest  City,  of  which  the  following  is  the 
roster : 

G.  C;  Whitcomb,  captain. 

J.  B.  Atkinson,  first  lieutenant. 

Ilandet  Stevens,  second  lieutenant. 

William  Branham,  fii'st  sergeant. 


PI.  S.  Howe,  second  sergeant. 
Daniel  McGraw,  third  sergeant. 
F.  G.  Gould,  fourth  sergeant. 
A.  F.  Heath,  first  corjioral. 
H.  J.  Hill,  second  corporal. 
T.  C.  Jewett,  third  corporal. 
Samuel  Ilutcliins,  fourth  corporal. 
J.  M.  Harvey,  fifth  corporal. 
R.  B.  Ralston,  sixth  corporal. 
N.  H.  White,  seventh  corporal. 
A.  B.  lloyt,  eighth  corporal. 

PRIVATES. 

O.  B.  Todd,  J.  V.  Branham,  Jr., 

James  Lang,  A.  G.  Smith, 

Thomas  Grayson,        Aslog  Olson, 
Henry  Johnson,  H.  Lutons, 

M.  Gorton,  G.  S.  Sholes,  Sr., 

Sylvester  Stevens,        J.  H.  Bradshaw, 
C.  E.  Payson,  Halga  Olson, 

Lory  Smith,  Kels  Tornborn, 

Jerome  Rogers,  Oliver  Gibbins, 

J.  Heath,  S.  W.  White, 

Albert  S]ierry,  J.  B.  Garrison, 

Joseph  Tiiomas,  E.  A.  Chapin, 

A.  Hamilton,  H.  Behrmann, 

William  Caswell,         C.  D.  Maybee, 
Patrick  Condon,  Andrew  Nelson, 

Thos.  Ragan,  Eli  Gibbins, 

Charles  Kruger.  G.  W.  AVaggoner, 

Herman  Kruger,  W.  Johnson, 

Michael  McGraw,        G.  R.  Page, 
Jesse  F.  Gobi),  Henry  L.  Smith, 

Alfred  Mousley,  D.  Chapin, 

William  Wilcox,  H.  Mickelson, 

D.  M.  Ilolbrook. 
On  the  arrival  of  Captain  Whitcomb,  he 
found  that  the  county  seat  was  nearly  a  de- 
serted village,  most  of  the  inhabitants  having 
fled  for  safety  to  the  eastern  portion  of  the 
State,  and  but  thirteen  men  and  three  women 
were  left  of  its  population.  These  brave 
men  and  heroic  women,  who  had  determined 
to  maive  a  stand  in  defense  of  their  homes, 
and  whii,  by  thoir  gallant  and  spirited  action, 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


541 


stayed  the  tide  of  arson  and  murder,  and 
saved  the  balance  of  the  State,  as  far  as  the 
Mississippi  River,  from  tiie  iiendish  cruelty 
oi  the  relentless  Sioux.  Their  names  should 
be  perpetuated  in  the  pages  of  history,  with 
those  of  tlie  nol^le  band  of  Spartans  under 
Leonidas,  at  the  pass  of  Thermopylte,  who 
devoted  themselves  to  the  salvation  of  their 
country.  Their  names  are  J.  E.  Atkinson, 
A.  C.  Smith,  T.  C.  Jewett.  Milton  Gorton, 
George  S.  Siioles,  Dr.  Thomas  II.  Skinner, 
James  M.  Harvey,  William  i'owler,  Henry 
L.  Smith,  Thomas  Grayson,  Judson  A.  Stan- 
ton, S\'lvester  Stevens  and  Hamlet  Stevens, 
and  Mesdames  T.  C.  Jewett,  Howard  Baker 
and  G.  C.  Whitcomb.  Tliese,  however,  were 
soon  joined  by  many  others. 

During  the  time  while  AVhitcomb  was  ab- 
sent nearly  two  hundred  teams  passed 
through  Forest  City  on  their  way  to  the 
Mississippi  River  and  safety,  with  their  hasti- 
Ij'-gathered  household  goods  thrown  promis- 
cuously upon  their  wagons,  and  all  fleeing  in 
fear  and  trembling,  and  listening  for  the 
dreaded  war-whoop  which  they  expected  to 
brealc  upon  their  ears  at  every  moment,  or 
the  whip-like  crack  of  the  deadly  rifle. 

The  military  organization  was  formed  on 
Sunday,  the  24th  of  August,  and  b}'  the  next 
day  some  thirty  had  joined,  and  a  portion  of 
them  mounted  upon  such  horses  as  they  had. 

The  following  is  preserved  as  the  oath 
taken  by  the  members  of  the  "Irregulars," 
as  the}'  were  termed,  at  the  date  of  their 
muster,  August  24,  1862: 

"We,  the  undersigned,  do  solemnly  swear 
to  bear  true  allegiance  to  the  United  States 
and  the  State  of  Minnesota,  and  the  officers 
which  ma}'  be  elected  or  appointed  over  us, 
to  the  best  of  our  ability,  in  accordance  with 
tlie  captain's  commission  issued  to  G.  C. 
Whitcomb,  by  Col.  H.  H.  Sil)ley,  bearing 
date  August  20,  1862." 

The  forty-four  muskets  brought  by  Cap- 
tain Whitcomb  were  then  issued  to  as  manv 


men,  and  the  balance  either  left  unarmed  or 
given  some  Belgian  muskets  which  had  been 
procured  for  a  militia  company  organized  by 
G.  C.  Whitcomb  and  J.  B.  Atkmson  some 
time  before,  or  the  few  shotguns  that  could 
be  found  in  the  settlement.  As  it  was  neces- 
sary for  their  efficiency  that  they  should  be 
all  mounted  in  order  to  cope  with  the 
mounted  Indians,  and  as  they  only  had  about 
fifteen  horses  in  all,  a  detail  was  made  from 
the  command  to  proceed  to  Kingston  and 
make  a  forced  levy  of  all  the  horses  that  they 
could  find  there  for  the  use  of  the  company. 
The  detail  consisted  of  sergeants  William 
Branham  and  II.  S.  Howe,  corporals  A.  F. 
Heath,  H.  J.  Hill,  T.  C.  Jewett,  Samuel 
ITutchins  and  R.  B.  Ralston,  and  privates  O. 
B.  Todd,  G.  W.  AVaggoner,  Michael  McGraw, 
F.  G.  Gould,  A.  II.  Hamilton,  H.  Kruger 
and  D.  McGraw,  and  was  under  the  com- 
mand of  Lieut.  J.  B.  Atkinson.  They  ad- 
vanced to  Kingston,  and  the  lev}'  made  of 
about  forty  horses,  much  against  the  wishes 
of  the  people  in  that  place,  and  desjiite  their 
vehement  protests,  and  returned  to  head- 
quarters of  the  company  at  Forest  City.  At 
the  same  time  a  detail,  consisting  of  B.  Cobb, 
D.  P.  De  Lamater,  J.  A.  Stanton  and  Oliver 
Gibbins,  to  procure  forage  for  the  animals, 
and  W.  H.  Towler  and  Gottlieb  Reef  as  stock 
guard.  These  were  citizens  who  volunteered 
for  this  duty. 

On  the  dawning  of  Monday  morning, 
August  25th,  a  portion  of  the  company,  num- 
bering some  twenty  seven,  rank  and  file, 
were  ordered  on  a  reconnoisance  into  Monon- 
galia county,  now  a  part  of  Kandiyohi,  and 
swept  through  the  country  for  some  forty 
miles  distant  from  headquarters,  and  returned 
on  the  27th,  having  seen  none  of  the  enemy, 
but  had  found  traces  of  them  in  the  corpses 
of  nine  or  ten  mutilated,  murdered  settlers, 
ruins  of  burned  houses,  and  a  considerable 
number  of  dead  domestic  animals  scattered 
over  the  countrv.     The  bodies  of  the  dead 


542 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


settlers  were  given  decent  buriiil  l)y  the  party 
before  their  departure. 

On  "Wednesday,  August  2()th,  eleven  citi- 
zens of  Manannah,  wlio   were    staying  at 
Forest  City,  iinding  that  there  was  a  great 
lack  of  stoves,   bedding,  provisions,  etc.,  in 
that  place,  volunteered  to  go  to  their  homes 
and    procure   the   necessaries.     They  were 
Linus  Howe,  Moody  Caswell,  Chauncy  "Wil- 
son, Thomas  Ryckman,  David  Hoar,  James 
Nelson,   "Wilmot  Maybee,  Philip  H.  Deck, 
Nathan  C.  Caswell,  R.   D.   C.   Cressy   and 
Joseph  Page.     They  started,  and  on  their 
arrival    at   the    house   of   "Wilmot    Maybee 
stopped  and  got  tlieir  dinner,  and  from  there 
proceeded  to  the  house  of  Carlos  Caswell,  at 
Manannah,  and,  seeing  no  Indians  about,  left 
one  yoke  of  their  oxen  there,  intending  to 
return  thither  that  evening  and  spend  the 
night  there.     They  went  on  about  two  miles 
further  to  the  residences  of  Silas  Caswell  and 
James  Nelson,  where  they  loaded  Maybee's 
wagon  full  of  bedding,  provisions,  etc.,  and 
the  latter  gentleman,   who  was  driving,  ac- 
companied by  Joseph  Page,  turned  the  team 
toward  their  last  stopping-place,  where  they 
intended  to  camp.     They  were  closely  fol- 
lowed by  P.  II.  Deck  and  Linus  Howe   in 
the   former's   one-hoi-se  wagon,  which  was 
filled  with  James  Nelson's  household  goods, 
the  rest  of  the  party  being  employed  in  gath- 
erinjr  the  scattered  farm  stock  about  them. 
As  they  turned  into  Carlos  Caswell's  door- 
yard  the  sharp  crack  of  several  rifles  rang 
out  upon  the  air,  from  behind  a  pile  of  lum- 
ber and  the  weeds  by  the  fence,  and  Joseph 
Page  fell  dead  to  the  ground.     The  others 
turned  east  to  escape,  and   drove  for  about 
fifteen    or  eighteen    rods,   when   again   the 
deadly  rifle  spoke  and  carried  death  to  Deck 
and   Howe.     Wilmot  Maybee,  thinking  to 
escape,  run  his  horses  for  about   thirty   or 
forty  rods  further,    breaking  down    a  stout 
pair  of  bars  in  his  way,  but,  on  being  cut  off 
in  his  retreat  by  the  savages,  leaped  to  the 


gi-ound,  and,  leaving  the  horses  and  wagon 
to  their  fate,  I'an  about  a  hundred  and  fifty 
yards  toward  the  river,  but  was  shot  and  in- 
stantly killed  by  a  well-aimed  charge  of 
buckshot  from  an  Indian  musket. 

Chauncy  "Wilson  and  Thomas  Kyckman 
were  but  a  short  distance  away,  and  witnessed 
the  cold-blooded  murder  of  their  comrades, 
but  could  offer  no  assistance,  as  they  had 
placed  their  arms,  such  was  their  fancied  se- 
curity, in  one  of  the  wagons.  After  securing 
the  teams  and  their  loads,  the  Sioux,  a  band 
of  about  ten  or  twelve,  started  toward  the 
west,  and  passed  within  thirty  rods  of  H.  C. 
Caswell  and  James  Nelson,  who  let  them  go 
by  without  firing  a  shot  as  they  mistook 
them  for  white  men,  the  shades  of  evening- 
having  descended  upon  the  earth.  They 
followed  the  warriors,  still  thinking  they 
were  their  friends,  for  some  distance.  The 
party  returned  to  Forest  City,  having  lost 
four  of  their  best  men.  Mr.  Howe  was  one 
of  the  county  commissioners  at  the  time, 
and  has  served  for  three  years  in  that  office. 
Lieut.  J.  B.  Atkinson  set  out  the  next 
morning  with  some  twenty-four  men  to  bury 
the  murdered  settlers  and  bring  in  anything 
that  he  could  find,  which  mission  he  accom- 
plished without  any  molestation.  On  the 
SOth  of  the  month,  a  detail  of  twenty-four 
men  was  ordered  to  move  to  Hutchinson  to 
procure  the  government  arms  left  there,  but 
found  on  their  arrival  at  that  ]ilace  that  the 
citizens  of  the  town  would  not  surrender  the 
sruns,  so  returned  the  next  tlav  to  headiruar- 
ters.  On  the  1st  of  Se]itember,  a  i-cport 
having  gained  currency  in  Forest  City,  orig- 
inating with  Andrew  Nelson,  that  the  family 
of  that  gentleman's  brother-in-law.  Swan 
Swanson,  was  on  an  island  in  Foot  Lake, 
Kandiyohi  county,  in  destitute  circumstances, 
a  detail  of  some  seventeen  men,  sup])lemented 
by  some  volunteer  citizens,  was  dispatched 
to  their  aid.  The  little  force  took  up  their 
line  <it'   march,   liound    on    their   errand    of 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


543 


mercy,  but  on  their  arrival  at  the  farm  of 
Peter  J.  Lund,  on  section  4,  Acton  township, 
found  a  body  of  Indians,  who,  having  on 
white  shirts,  they  at  first  mistook  for  white 
men.  They  were  soon  undeceived  and  shots 
were  exchanged  for  a  few  minutes,  when  the 
savages  retreated  to  the  woods,  probably  to 
attempt  to  draw  their  opponents  into  an 
ambush.  They  did  not  succeed  in  this,  the 
little  company  proceeding  to  the  house,  where 
they  found  plenty  of  evidence  of  the  pres- 
ence of  savages  there  in  the  shape  of  pipes, 
moccasins,  old  powder-horns,  etc.,  and  also 
found  hanging  upon  a  woodland  crane  a 
large  iron  kettle  filled  with  hot  water,  the 
Sioux  having  been  surprised  while  preparing 
to  scald  the  body  of  a  pig  that  lay  butchered 
near  by.  Two  of  the  savages  were  killed  in 
this  skii'mish,  and  one  of  the  settlers,  Samuel 
Hutchins,  was  wounded  in  the  thigh  by  a 
rifle  ball. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  2d  of  Sep- 
tember, a  squad  of  twenty  of  the  members 
of  the  military  company,  and  a  like  number 
of  volunteer  citizens,  started  again  to  look 
for  the  same  family.  At  noon  they  camped 
for  dinner  at  the  fence  which  surrounded 
the  farm  of  How^ard  Peterson,  and  fed  their 
horses  with  the  oats  inside  of  the  fence. 
Some  of  the  party  conceiving  that  the  pork 
and  bread  was  not  good  to  eat,  in  fact  that 
it  smelt  bad,  began  to  look  around  for  other 
food.  Peter  E.  Hansen,  Nels  Elofson  and 
Mr.  Larson  started  across  the  country  to  a 
farm,  where  Mr.  Hansen,  who  was  well 
acquainted  with  the  country,  knew  there  was 
a  melon  patch.  This  was  about  half  a  mile 
from  the  camp,  on  the  brow  of  a  hill.  After 
getting  their  arms  full  of  melons,  Mr.  Han- 
sen, leaving  his  two  comrades,  went  to  the 
top  of  a  neighboring  hill,  the  highest  in  that 
vicinity,  and,  looking  off  toward  the  Acton 
timber,  espied  fifteen  or  sixteen  Lidians, 
some  two  or  three  miles  off.  They  were 
mounted  men.  and,  as  it  was   known    that 


there  were  no  such  number  of  whites  in  that 
direction,  it   was   natural   to   suppose  them 
Indians.     Calling  to  Jesse  V.  Branham,  Jr., 
and  his  brother,  William  Branham,  to  come 
to   him,  for   they   had   followed    after  Mr. 
Hansen's   party,  they  were  looking  at  the 
horsemen,  who  soon  disappeared,  when  turn- 
ing round  discovered,  to  their  surprise   and 
horror,  a  band  of  some  300  Sioux  Indians, 
more  or  less,  within  a  distance  of  200  yards 
of  them,  all  on  foot,  but  well  armed.     They 
did  not  linger  long  in  that  perilous  position, 
but  fled  with  due  precipitation  to  the  camp, 
pursued  by  the  yelling  fiends,  who  thirsted 
for  their  scalps.     Hastily  hitching  up  their 
teams,  the  whole  posse  beat  a  hasty  retreat, 
the  savages   hanging  on   their  rear,  firing 
steadily  all  the  time.    A  halt  was  soon  called 
as  the  rout   was  growing  more  disorderly, 
and  the  march  resumed  wnth  more  steadi- 
ness.    In  crossing  a  slough,  one  of  the  teams 
belonging  to  J.  B.  Atkinson,  but  driven  by 
E.  O.  Britt,  became  mired,  alid,  leaving  the 
wagon   and  one   horse   that   could   not   be 
extricated  in  the  excitement  in  the  mud,  the 
little  command  pushed  on  for  Forest  City, 
pursued  by  some  of  the  Indians,  the  rest  hav- 
ing stopped  at  the   wagon   in   the   slough. 
Although  man}'  of  the  men  wanted  to  fall 
out  of  the  ranks  and  ambush  their  pursuers, 
who  were  keeping  up  a  constant  fusillade  on 
them,  the  captain  would  not  permit  it.     The 
command  was  met  near  Forest  City  by  all 
the  remaining  men  of  that  place,  who  had 
marched   out  to  reinforce  them,  under  the 
leadership  of  A.  C.  Smith,  but  their  services 
were  not  called  for,  as  the  savages  had  given 
up  the  pursuit  by  this  time.   Considerable  dis- 
pute has  been  had  over  the  number  of  In- 
dians  on  this   occasion,  but,   by   a   diligent 
search  among  the  participants,  it  has  been 
put  at  some  300  of  active  opponents,  with 
man}' more  in  view.     This  is  on  the  authority 
of  nearly  all  the  survivors  of  the  little  band, 
who  would  have  been  totally  annihilated  had 


544 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


they  allowed  tlieinselves  to  be  surrounded, 
and  the}'  displayed  great  judgment  in  retir- 
ing, even  if  it  were  done  hurriedly.  In  this 
skirmish,  when  the  men  were  hastily  mount- 
ing into  the  wagons,  one  of  the  muskets  was 
accidentally  discharged,  and  its  contents 
Avounded  O.  B.  Todd  in  the  leg,  barely  miss- 
ing D.  Cha])in,  both  of  whom  stood  in  the 
way  of  the  ball. 

Col.  B.  F.  Smith,  the  post  commander 
at  Fort  Snelling,  on  the  Sith  of  August, 
ordered  Capt.  Richard  Strout,  of  the  Tenth 
Minnesota  Infantry,  then  in  the  course  of 
organization,  to  take  his  company,  after  arm- 
ing and  equipping  them,  to  Forest  City  and 
that  vicinity,  for  the  assurance  of  safety  for 
the  settlers.  The  company,  which  had  just 
been  raised,  was  made  up  of'clerks,  mechan- 
ics, etc.,  of  Minneapolis  and  St.  Paul,  had 
as  yet  received  little  or  no  drilling,  and 
were  totally  devoid  of  the  army  discipline 
that  marks  the  soldier.  They  set  out  for 
the  scene  of  hostilities  and  arrived  at  Forest 
City  on  the  27tli  inst.  He  went  into  camp 
near  the  residence  of  A.  C.  Smith  in  that 
town,  and  gave  it  out  that  he  should  remain 
in  that  neighborhood  for  some  time,  but  on 
being  informed  during  the  evening  that 
nearly  all  the  Indians  in  the  vicinity  were 
congregated  at  Swede  Giove,  about  ten  miles 
distant,  the  captain  thought  that  his  duty 
called  him  to  a  different  point  of  vantage, 
and,  therefore,  the  next  uKjrning  put  his  lit- 
tle column  in  motion  for  Glencoe.  On  his 
movements  being  reported  at  headquarters 
he  was  immediately  ordered  back  to  Meeker 
county,  and,  on  reaching  the  township  of 
Acton,  went  into  camp  in  the  yard  of  the 
murdered  Jt>nes,  an  open  spot  surrounded 
by  timber,  in  which  lurked  some  two  or 
three  hundred  savages,  and  it  is  claimed  that 
he  entirely  failed  to  post  any  pickets.  In 
this  blind  security  he  lay  exposed  to  any 
attack  that  the  enemy  might  make,  and  in 
almost    a    defenseless    position.      Thomas 


Chambers,  of  Hutchinson,  having  arrived  in 
Forest  City,  antl  mentioning  the  movements 
of  Cajjtain  Sti'out  and  his  company,  it  was 
determined  to  intercept  his  column  and  bring 
it  to  Forest  City  direct,  and,  the  disi)atch 
having  been  prei)ared,  a  volunteer  force  of 
three  to  carry  it  was  asked,  in  response  to 
which  J.  V.  Branham,  Jr.,  Albert  Sperry  and 
Thomas  Holmes  came  forward  and  offered 
their  services,  which  were  accepted.  As  the 
summer  sun  was  setting  behind  the  western 
horizon,  and  flooding  the  land  with  its  crim- 
son light,  the  three  brave  and  gallant  men 
put  foot  in  the  stirruj)  and  started  on  their 
lonel}',  perilous  ride.  They  started  toward 
Eice  City,  with  the  intention  of  saving  the 
command  from  running  into  the  Indian 
camp  at  Swede  Grove,  which  they  were 
approaching  so  incautiously. 

They  found,  on  reaching  what  was  known 
as  the  Henderson  trail,  that  Captain  Strout 
and  his  men  had  passed  that  point,  so  they 
pushed  on  in  the  intense  darkness,  surrounded 
by  peril,  toward  Acton,  and  found  the  com- 
man«i  jieacefully  sleeping,  with  no  guard  or 
picket  set.  The  party  at  once  communicated 
their  tidings,  and  instantly  the  excitement 
grew  intense.  The  Belgian  muskets  that 
the  company  had  been  ai-med  with,  for  lack 
of  better  pieces,  were  overhauled,  when  it 
was  discovered  that  most  of  the  ammunition 
was  of  a  different  caliber  from  the  guns,  and 
would  not  fit,  so  the  balance  of  the  night 
was  spent  in  preparing  it  for  service  in  tlie 
best  manner  possible.  As  daylight  dawned, 
and  breakfast  was  being  eaten,  the  firing  of 
guns  in  their  neighborhood  alarmed  all 
hands,  as  it  was  well  known  that  there  were 
no  white  men  in  that  entire  neighborhood. 
All  made  ready  for  the  march  to  Hutchin- 
son, which  was  necessary  for  their  safety, 
for  it  was  plainly  apparent  that  their  camp 
was  untenable  against  any  force  of  Indians. 
The  five  mounted  men  rode  ahead  of  the  col- 
umn, wliicii  marched  in  a  southerlv  direction 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


545 


for  about  two  miles,  when  the  glistening  of 
gun-barrels  through  the  foliage  announced 
an  ambush.  This  was  upon  a  hill  opposite 
Kelley's  bluff,  and  our  troops  moved  steadily 
on  until  they  had  arrived  within  half  a  mile 
of  the  enemy,  and  then  halted.  They  were 
then  formed  in  line  of  battle,  and  advanced 
until  they  were  about  two  hundred  yards 
from  the  savage  foe,  when  they  were  saluted 
by  a  storm  of  bullets,  which  was  bravely 
and  promptly  returned,  and  the  firing  thus 
commenced  was  ke]it  up  rapidly  witli  some 
effect.  Our  troops,  who  were  formed  in  four 
sections,  in  open  order,  pressed  on  as  skir- 
mishers toward  the  foe.  Shortly  after  this 
a  fresh  body  of  mounted  Indians  were  dis- 
covered in  their  rear,  and,  the  two  forces 
being  united,  and  the  lake  Ijeing  on  the  left 
of  the  company,  the  little  body  of  soldiers 
were  effectually  surrounded.  A  charge  in 
the  direction  of  Ilutcliinson  was  ordered, 
and,  the  bayonets  dropping  to  a  level,  the 
men  bravely  charged  the  red  horde,  who  fell 
back,  for  the  savage  can  not  stand  cold  steel. 
Like  many  another  battle,  the  troops  were 
endangered  by  the  misconduct  of  the  team- 
sters, who,  thinking  that  the  road  to  the 
south  was  now  opened,  started  on  the  run 
for  Hutchinson,  and  their  panic  soon  spread 
to  the  scarcely-disciplined  soldiers,  who  had 
behaved  so  bravely  but  a  few  minutes  before, 
and  awa}^  they  all  went,  pell-mell,  after  the 
teams.  In  a  few  minutes  order  was  restored, 
and  the  retreat  conducted  in  a  more  orderly 
manner.  During  this  movement  Jesse  V. 
Branham,  Jr.,  one  of  the  scouts  and  messen- 
gers of  the  previous  night,  was  seriously 
wounded,  being  shot  under  the  shoulder 
blade,  the  ball  passing  through  his  lungs. 
Three  men  were  killed  in  this  engagement, 
and  some  eighteen  wounded ;  the  latter 
were  all  brought  fiom  the  field.  The  dead 
were  afterward  buried  l>y  the  detail  from 
the  Third  Regiment.  On  theii'  arrival  at 
Hutchinson    the    wounded    were    properly 


cared  for,  and  the  command  obtained  some 
rest. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  3d  of  Septem- 
ber, the  entire  force,  both  of  the  Home 
Guards  and  the  citizens  of  Forest  City, 
finished  the  erection  of  a  stockade  for  their 
defense,  and  labored  hard  and  faithfully  all 
that  day.  It  was  a  parallelogram  of  120 
feet  square,  and  was  made  of  a  double  row 
of  logs  on  end,  planted  in  the  ground  some 
three  feet,  and  projecting  upward  some  ten 
feet.  Bastions  on  the  corners  and  numerous 
loopholes  through  the  timbers  afforded  ample 
means  for  sweeping  down  any  assailants  that 
attacked  it,  antl  would  shelter  the  marksmen 
from  the  bullets  of  the  savages.  Every  one 
being  turned  out,  the  companj'  were  marched 
to  the  principal  hotel  of  the  place,  where 
they  were  quartered,  and  all  settled  down 
to  a  peaceful  slumber,  and,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  the  arnied  guard,  seemed  totally  ob- 
livious of  the  proximity  of  the  savages. 

Between  two  and  three  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  the  sentinels  discovered  the  ap- 
proach of  a  body  of  Indians  and  gave  the 
alarm,  at  which  the  Sioux,  with  wild  yells, 
charged  forward  and  fired  a  volley  at  the 
hotel,  where  the  troops  were  in  quarters. 
These  latter,  sallying  out  with  most  of  the 
citizens,  retired  to  the  stockade,  but  in  their 
hurry  forgot  or  neglected  to  take  with  them 
the  horses  or  the  bulk  of  the  ammunition, 
the  former  being  in  J.  B.  Atkinson's  stable 
and  the  powder  and  balls  in  the  store  of 
Judson  A.  Stanton.  Within  the  palisaded  en- 
closure stood  a  frame  house  and  a  well,  and 
had  they  one-half  the  ammunition  with  them 
they  could  have  held  out  for  some  time.  But, 
not  expecting  the  redskins  so  soon,  they  were 
taken  by  surprise,  and  in  the  excitement 
mueii  was  overlooked.  No  sooner  had  they 
reached  the  fort  and  been  safely  ensconced 
therein  than  the  savages  opened  upon  it  with 
some  forty  or  fifty  rifles,  for  it  was  both  a  sur- 
prise and  a  disappointment  to  the  red  fiends 


546 


MEEKER   COUNTY.  MINNESOTA. 


to  find  the  stockade  built,  for  they  never 
dreamed  of  such  a  thing  and  anticipated  an 
easy  victory.  The  intense  darlcness  of  tiie 
niglit  rendered  aim  veiy  uncertain,  so,  to  save 
tiieir  ammunition,  but  very  little  tiring  was 
done  upon  the  part  of  the  beleaguered  gar- 
rison. Nels  Elofson,a  resident  of  tiie  county, 
in  speaking  of  that  niglit  says:  that  "  the 
captain  told  him  to  be  saving  of  his  ammu- 
nition, as  they  had  Ijut  a  small  supply."  He 
adds  that  "  while  one  part  of  the  savages, 
early  in  the  morning,  continued  to  harass  the 
settlers  within  the  enclosure,  the  others  were 
employed  in  burning  the  buildings  and  hay- 
stacks, and  in  running  otf  the  horses,  oxen, 
wagons  and  other  projierty."  Most  of  the 
property  burned  was  situated  at  a  distance 
from  the  fort,  for  if  an  Indian  stepped  into 
the  circle  of  light  from  a  l)urning  building, 
the  leaden  missives  warned  him  that  he  was 
seen,  and,  if  he  did  not  drop,  he  hastily  re- 
treated. Once  the  incendiaries  approached 
the  more  central  part  of  the  village,  but  the 
torches  in  their  hands  betrayed  them  to  the 
troops,  and  a  discharge  of  their  muskets  laid 
some  half  a  dozen  upon  the  ground,  and  the 
rest  fled.  As  the  ligiit  of  day  once  more 
dawned  upon  the  settlers,  they  found  the 
most  of  the  Indians  had  retired,  while  an 
Indian  was  perceived  stealing  out  from  be- 
hind the  barn  of  J.  B.  Atkinson,  and  Thomas 
Grayson,  who  was  an  excellent  shot,  deter- 
mined to  kill  him.  The  distance  was  about 
three  hundred  yards,  and  in  the  gray  light 
of  early  morn  the  savage  stood  sharj)ly  out- 
lined against  a  Ijright  background.  Slowly 
the  death -dealing  rifle  of  the  settler  rose  to 
bis  shoulder,  an  instant,  as  he  tightened  his 
grip,  as  the  aim  became  sure,  the  shar]),  whip- 
like report  rang  out  witii  wondrous  clear- 
ness, and  the  Indian  threw  up  his  hands  with 
a  yell  and  pitched  to  the  ground. 

As  the  ligiit  of  day  grew  more  briglit  the 
beleaguered  citizens  and  soldiers  saw  with 
delight  that  most  of  their  savage  foes  had 


retired,  while  a  small  body  of  them  were 
driving  away  some  of  the  captured  stock. 
A  number  of  volunteers,  among  whom  were 
Neis  Elofson,  Aslog  Olson  and  William  Eran- 
liam,  made  a  charge  upon  the  latter,  when 
the  Indians  fled  over  the  hills,  but,  wlien  the 
))arty  arrivetl  at  the  brow  of  the  eminence, 
they  were  fired  upon  from  an  ambush  in  the 
school-house,  and  Aslog  Olson  and  William 
Branham  were  wounded.  The  settlers  re- 
treated to  the  stockade,  canying  their  crip- 
pled comrades  with  them,  and  some  of  the 
stock  for  which  they  had  ventured  their  lives. 
A  few  days  subsequently  the  command  es- 
corted their  wounded  to  Hutchinson  to  have 
their  wounds  dressed  and  be  taken  care  of, 
and  both  recovered  in  time. 

On  the  ITtli  of  September,  Caleb  Sanborn, 
a  settler  in  the  neigh  borhood  of  Cedar  Lake, 
was  murdered  by  the  Indians,  who  were 
prowling  around  in  that  locality,  murdered 
in  cold  blood,  through  a  general  hatred  of 
the  white  race  and  being  filled  witli  the 
malice  and  cruelty  of  the  Evil  One  himself. 
The  next  day  a  party,  consisting  of  Lewis 
Harrington,  Daniel  Cross,  T.  K.  AY  ebb,  Silas 
Greene,  Frank  Jewett,  David  Hern  and 
Nathaniel  Pierce,  left  the  town  of  Hutchin- 
son to  get  the  body  and  to  bury  it  decently. 
After  their  arrival  north  of  the  lake,  while 
skirting  the  forest,  tliev  were  startled  bv  the 
discharge  of  three  rifles,  and  saw  with  dis- 
may one  of  their  numlier,  Daniel  Cross,  fall 
to  the  ground,  movtally  wounded.  Five  of 
the  party  jumped  into  tiieir  wagon  and  left 
for  a  more  secure  place,  whilst  T.  R.  Webb 
found  his  way  to  a  small  boat  in  the  lake 
and  paddled  for  the  island,  where  he  s])ent 
the  niglit.  The  next  morning  he  escaped 
and  reached  Hutchinson,  meeting  on  the  way 
a  iiosse  of  about  fifty,  who  had  started  in 
search  for  the  bodies  of  Cross  and  himself.. 
This  party  marched  on  to  the  scene  of  the 
ambush,  and  recovered  the  bodies  of  both 
Sanborn  and  Cross,  and  returned  safely  to 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


547 


their  homes.  It  seems  that  it  was  discovered 
then  that  there  were  thirteen  redskins  in  the 
body,  who  had  fired  on  the  little  squad. 

On  the  5th  of  September  Lieut.  William 
Byrnes,  of  the  Tenth  Minnesota  Infantry, 
with  a  part  of  a  company  of  that  regiment, 
numbering  some  forty-five  muskets,  started 
to  reinforce  any  troops  that  tlien  might  be 
in  Meeker  county,  and  took  up  their  quar- 
ters at  Kingston,  turning  the  storehouse  of 
Hall  &  Co.,  of  that  place,  into  a  barrack  for 
his  men.  This  he  strengthened  by  means 
of  earthworks,  and  during  the  same  time  car- 
ried on  scouting  expeditions  all  over  the 
vicinity.  Ca])tain  Pettit,  of  tiie  Eiglith  Min- 
nesota Infantry,  with  liis  company,  had  rein- 
forced Captain  "Whitcomb's  command  at  For- 
est City,  and  Avas  there  on  the  reappearance 
of  tlie  Sioux  on  the  22d  of  September.  Word 
that  day  was  brought  to  tlie  county  seat  that 
the  red  fiends  were  again  committing  out- 
rages, this  time  at  Lake  Ri})ley  (now  Litch- 
field), and  Captain  Pettit  asked  the  coopera- 
tion of  his  comrade.  Lieutenant  Lymes,  in  a 
movement  to  the  neighborhood  of  the  hos- 
tiles.  The  next  morning  the  latter  sallied 
out  with  some  thii"ty-six  men,  and,  uniting 
his  command  with  that  of  Captain  Pettit, 
who  had  eightA'-seven,  and  five  of  Captain 
Wliitcomb's  mounted  rangers  as  guides, 
started  for  Lake  Kipley.  On  their  arrival 
they  found  the  body  of  poor  Olson,  the  black- 
smith mentioned  in  tiie  first  part  of  this  arti- 
cle, lie  had  been  shot  three  times  through 
the  body  and  once  through  the  hand,  was 
scalped,  his  brains  beaten  out,  his  throat  cut 
fi'om  ear  to  ear,  and  his  tongue  cut  out  by 
the  roots. 

After  burving  the  dead  and  picking  up 
three  women  who  had  been  hiding  several 
days  in  the  woods,  and  sending  them  on  to 
Forest  City,  an  extended  reconnoissance  was 
made  toward  Diamond  Lake,  in  Monongalia 
county,  through  a  deserted  country,  covered 
with  the   ruins  of   tlie  settlers'  cabins  and 


wantonly-killed  stock.  On  the  morning  of 
the  25th,  while  on  their  return  to  Forest 
City,  they  surprised  a  party  of  Indians  with 
some  stock,  which  the}'  took  in  charge,  the 
Sioux  fleeing  on  catching  sight  of  them. 

On  the  23d  of  September,  Capt.  Eichard 
Strout,  having  sent  out  a  party  to  scout 
around,  was  alarmed  by  the  report  of  the  little 
band  who  returned  with  the  information  that 
they  had  had  a  skirmish  with  the  enemy  at 
Greenleaf.  and  one  of  their  number  slain. 
Other  parties  of  scouts  came  in  with  the 
information  of  having  seen  pai-ties  of  red- 
skins, who  seemed  to  have  flocked  here  in 
great  numbers. 

From  this  time  on  the  country  was  safe, 
for  troops,  having  been  organized,  now  came 
forward  to  fill  the  places  held  by  the  Irregu- 
lars, and  calm  settled  down  on  the  land.  Still 
the  strained  nerves  of  the  citizens  would 
vibrate  at  the  slightest  sound,  and  they  saw 
and  heard  an  Indian  in  every  suspicious  noise 
or  movement. 

We  now  come  to  the  concluding  phase  of 
this  tragedy,  the  death  of  Little  Crow,  the 
prime  instigator  of  the  conspiracy,  with 
whose  demise,  and  the  hanging  of  the  thirty- 
eight  at  Mankato,  terminated  the  terrible 
massacre  of  1802. 

On  the  1st  of  July,  1863,  nearly  ten 
months  after  the  first  blow  was  struck,  James 
McGannon  was  killed  between  Kingston  and 
Fair  Haven,  bj^  some  Indian,  said  to  have 
been  Little  Crow.  On  Friday,  July  3d,  follow- 
ing, Mr.  Lampson  and  his  son  Chauncy  were 
out  hunting  and  suddenly  came  in  sight  of  two 
Indians  j^icking  berries  on  section  30,  Col- 
linwood  township,  on  a  little  prairie  opening 
in  the  woods,  interspersed  with  clumjis  of 
bushes  and  a  few  poplar  trees.  These  sav- 
ages were  Sioux,  and  Avere  Little  Crow  and 
his  son  Wowinapa.  !Mr.  Lam])son  and  his 
son  crept  up  within  gunshot,  and  lieing  the 
best  shot  took  aim  at  Little  Crow,  his  son 
covering  the   bov,   who  was  about   sixteen 


548 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MlNNESOl^A. 


years  old.     Two  reports  rang  out  upon  tlie 
still  air,  and    the   Indian   cliief  fell   to  the 
ground,  hit  just  above    the  hip.     He,  how- 
ever, snatched  up   his  gun    and  tired   it  and 

section  20,  Litchfield  township,  bears  the  fol- 
lowing inscriptions,  and  was  erected  by  the 
State,  in  1878: 

SOUTH  SIDE. 

his  son's  piece  in   the  direction  wiiere  the 
curling  smoke  betrayed  the  presence  of  the 
enemy,  but  another  report  came  from  the 
settlers  gun   and  tlic  ball  hit  the  savage  in 

IK  MEMORY  OF  TIIE  FIRST 

FIVE  VICTIMS   OF 

THE  (lUEAT  INDIAN  M.\SS.\CRE  IN  1863, 

AND 

BURIED  HERE   IN  ONE   GRAVE. 

the  side  and  lie  fell  over.     After  asking  his 
son  for  water,  which   was  given  him,  he  ex- 

WEST SIDE. 

pired.     The  son,  wiio  iuid  on  the   clothes  of 
the  murdered  McGannon,  escai)ed,  anil  after 
wandei'ing  around  was  Knally  captured  some 
twenty -six  days  after  in  the  neighborhood  of 

ROBINSON  JONES, 
VIRANUS  WEBSTER, 
HOWARD  BAKER, 
ANN  BAKER, 
CL.\RA  D.  WILSON. 

Big  Stone  Lake. 

During  the  eventful  year  there  were  killed 

EAST  SIDE. 

by  the  red  fiends,  of  the  settlers  in  Meeker 
county,  the  following  twelve  persons:  Rob- 
inson Jones,  Mrs.  Ann  i'akcr,  Viranus  Web- 
ster, Clara  D.  Wilson,  Philip  Deck,  Joseph 

"FIRST   BLOOD." 

Page,  Lmus   Howe,  VVumot   May  bee,  JNels 
Olsen,    Caleb    Sanborn,   Daniel    Cross  and 

NOETH    SIDE. 

Thomas  McGannon.     To  the   tirst  five  vic- 
tims of  the  murderous  Sioux  there  has  been 
erected  a  monument  by  the  State,  commem- 
orative of  the  beginning  of  the  fearful  out- 

ERECTED  BY  THE   STATE,  IN  1878, 

UNDER  THE  DniECTION  OF 

THE 

MEEKER  CO.  OLD  SETTLERS' ASSOCIATION. 

« 

break  that  deluged  this  fair  land  with  blood 
and  fire.     Besides  the  soldiers  who  lost  their 
lives  in  this  county,  of  whom  tiiere  is  no  per- 
sonal record,  two  Swedes  were  slain  within 
the  limits  of   Acton,  as  they  were   fleeing 
thitlier  for  safety.     Their  names  were  Lorin- 
son  and  Backlin,  wiio  had  settled  at  Eagle 
Lake,  Kandiyohi  county,  but  had  left  there 
with  a  train  of  fleeing  citizens  and  were  over- 
taken just  this  side  of  the  county  line  and 
murdered.      One  of  them   had  a  number  of 
butcher  knives   sticking   iu  his  body  when 
found. 

The  monument,  whicii  stands  in  the  Ness 
No)'wegian    Lutheran  Churcii  cemetery,  on 

The  personal  experiences  of  the  settlers  of 
this  and  the  adjacent  counties  during  the 
exciting  times  of  the  outbreak  and  massacre 
are  given  in  detail  in  their  sketches  in  the 
biographical   depiirtment   of   this    work,   to 
which  tiie  reader  is  referred.     The  subject  is 
one  of  great  interest  to  ever}'  one,  and,  as  the 
data  from  wiiicii  these  narratives  are  written 
are  taken  down  from  the  participants  them- 
selves, strotigly  portray  the  trials  and  jierils 
endured    by   the    jiioneers    of    this    region. 
Stamped  with   the  plain  accents  of  truth, 
these  }>ei'sonal  biogra})liies  make  up  the  full 
history  of  tliese  perilous  times,  and  finish  out 
the  tale  of  woe,  of  life  upon  the  border,  in 
the  fateful  year  1862. 

MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


549 


Before  dismissing  this  tragic  episode  in  the 
history  of  Mealier  county,  at  the  desire  of 
many  of  the  survivors  of  those  fearful  days, 
it  is  proper  to  say  that  the  prompt  and 
hearty  aid  accorded  to  the  imperiled  settlers 
by  Gov.  Alexander  Eamsey,  has  won 
him  a  place  in  their  esteem  and  affection 
that  is  undying,  and  the  mention  of  his 
honored  name  touches  a  chord  in  the  breasts 


of  the  participants  in  the  Indian  war  that 
vibrates  with  gratitude  for  his  noble  actions 
and  efficient  work  at  that  time.  A  truly 
respected  and  beloved  inan  in  this  com- 
munity, he  needs  no  monument  to  recall  him 
to  the  children's  children  of  the  old  settlers 
of  Meeker  county  ;  their  regard  has  built  up 
one  in  their  hearts  that  is  more 
than  stone  or  bronze. 


enduring 


8E!' 


TO\VNS 


L. 


ISTOI^IK^, 


■••  ♦♦♦»♦»♦»♦♦♦»♦»♦♦■ 


* 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

FOREST  CITY  TOWNSHIP. 

[fvV^HE   subdivision   of  the 
count\'  which  ))eavs  the 
above  name  is  one  of  tlie 
oldest   settled   and  one 
of      the     most    pictur- 
esquely  beautiful.       It 
embraces  what  is  techni- 
callv  known  as  congressional 
township  120,  north  of  range 
30  west,    and   contains   22,- 
84G.87    acres    in    all,    only 
88-1-.37  of  which  are  covered 
with  water  of  any  descrip- 
tion.    It  is  for  the  most  part 
extremely    fertile,    and   the 
timber  which  covers  a  por- 
tion  of  the  territory   is    of 
the  finest  character. 

It  was  upon  tlie  shores  of  the  north  branch 
of  the  Crow  River,  that  meanders  through 
the  emerald  prairies  and  leafy  groves  of  this 
town,  that  John  lluy  and  Thomas  H.  Skin- 
ner, the  first  settlers  of  the  county,  passed  the 
lonesome  and  dreary  winter  of  1855,  as  related 
in  the  history  of  the  early  settlement  of  the 
county,  in  a  former  portion  of  this  volume. 
I).  M.  Hanson,  a  talented  young  lawyer  of 


Minneapolis,  and  Rudolph  Shultz  had  come 
here  with  Iluy  and  Skinner,  but  on  the  ap- 
proach of  winter  returned  to  the  "  Flour 
City,"  where  Hanson  died  the  following 
April.  Shultz  returned  to  this  county  in  the 
spring,  and  took  up  a  claim  in  what  is  now 
Harvey  township. 

With  the  advent  of  the  new  year  of  1856 
came  new  settlers,  the  first  to  ari'ive  l)eing 
])ossibl3'  Milton  G.  Moore  and  Elijah  IJemis. 
The  exact  date  of  their  arrival  can  not  be 
ascertained  at  the  present  moment,  but  the 
former  was  ajipointed  register  of  deeds  and 
the  latter  sheriff  at  the  time  of  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  county,  that  same  spring.  Nei- 
ther of  them  remained  long,  both  leaving 
the  county  a  few  years  after  their  settle- 
ment, probably  in  1858. 

During  the  year  1856,  others  made  settle- 
ments in  the  township,  among  whom  were 
the  following  named,  some  of  whom  still 
live  here,  some  have  moved  away,  while  still 
another  poi'tion  have  passed  to  their  reward 
beyond  the  grave : 

Jose])h  Weymer,  Sr.,  Jacob  Weymer,  T. 
Carlos  Jewett,  Samuel  anil  Dudley  Taylor, 
Isaac  C.  Delamater,  David  Mitchell,  Wait  H. 
Dart,  Charles  E.  Cutts,  Walter  Bacon,  Lean- 
der  L.  AVakelield,  John  Whalen,  John  A. 
Quick,  James  Bramhall,  Mathew  Miles  Stan- 
dish,  John  W.   Johnson,   Charles    McAron, 


550 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


551 


John  Patterson,  lleniy  Clinton,  LoringHuy, 
Ogden  T.  Tuttle,  AV.  H.  Vaness,  John  Kim- 
ball, Edward  Fitzgerald,  J.  W.  Griswold, 
Jndson  A.  Stanton,  Harrison  G.  O.  Thorns, 
Charles  N.  Shed,  Rev.  John  Eobson,  John 
Flynn,  John  Wigle   and  Wyman  Evan. 

Most  of  these  first  settlers  took  up  claims 
and  commenced  to  improve  their  land,  erect- 
ing log  cabins  in  which  to  live.  Their  near- 
est market  being  St.  Paul,  they  were,  of  a 
necessity,  compelled  to  deprive  themselves 
of  all  the  comforts  and  conveniences  of  life, 
but  game  was  in  abundance  in  these  pristine 
wilds,  and  they  did  not  suffer  from  hunger 
at  least. 

The  year  18.57  witnessed  a  still  furtiier  in- 
flux of  settlers  into  this  township,  prominent 
among  whom  were  the  following :  Milton 
Gorton,  John  Sullivan,  John  Murray,  James 
B'.  Atlcinson,  Jacob  Knapp,  Jacob  Ball, 
James  "Willis,  John  Heath,  A.  F.  Heath,  L. 
F.  Haines,  Isaac  Perrine,  Allen  Teachout, 
H.  N.  Baker,  H.  M.  Angier,  William  Rich- 
ards, W.  W.  Woodman,  Hamlet  Stevens, 
A.  B.  Hoyt,  G.  M.  Blandin,  H.  Walker,  B. 
F.  Butler,  Thomas  Grayson,  D.  P.  Dela- 
mater,  Charles  and  William  Willis,  ]^.  O. 
Griffin,  Michael  Lenhart  and  W.  S.  Chap- 
man. Many'  of  those,  also,  have  left  the 
county,  but  a  few  are  still  residents,  either  of 
the  farms  upon  which  the}^  settled  or  in  the 
village  of  Litchfield. 

The  hard  times  that  followed  the  financial 
crisis  of  1857  had  a  discouraging  effect  upon 
all  emigration,  and  the  tide  of  settlers  flow- 
ing into  Meeker  county  was  not  so  strong  dur- 
ing the  year  1858  as  might  have  been  expected. 
Still  there  were  a  few  that  came  to  Forest 
City  township,  and  made  settlements  that 
year.  Among  them  were :  Sylvester  Stevens, 
Charles  McPartheon.  L.  W.  Henry,  Patrick 
Finnegan,  Rev.  J.  C.  Whitney,  R.  AV.  Brown, 
U.  S.  Willie,  a  lawyer ;  George  S.  Sholes  Sr., 
George  S.  Sholes  Jr.,  J.  A.  Baird,  Thomas 
E.  Masse}^  A.  C.   Smith;  John   D.   Evans, 


Charles  and  Samuel  Getchell,  E.  K.  AVright, 
James  Merrill,  Levi  Getchell,  F.  M.  Scott, 
Dennis  Cronin,  G.  AV.  Parker,  and  N.  W. 
Bannister.  But  few  came  here  after  this, 
until  al)out  the  close  of  the  war,  and  the 
condition  of  the  country  was  more  settled. 
The  terrible  outbreak  and  Indian  massacre 
of  1862,  a  history  in  detail  of  which  has 
been  given  in  an  earlier  portion  of  this  work, 
not  only  caused  the  cessation  of  settlement 
in  this  portion  of  the  State,  but  nearly  all 
that  were  here  left  to  seek  secure  quarters 
for  their  families.  Some  never  returned  and 
others  only  after  considerable  absence. 
During  the  year  18(33,  there  were  but  few, 
if  any,  new  settlers  to  locate  in  this  town, 
and  the  population  was  much  reduced  in 
number,  both  by  the  people  leaving  and  by 
the  manv  men  being  absent  with  the  Union 


armies. 


FiftST    ITEMS. 


The  first  birth  was  that  of  Sarah  Jane 
Dougherty,  the  daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Thomas  Dougherty,  who  was  born  here 
while  her  parents  were  camped  Julj'  15, 
1856.  The  first  birth  among  the  settlers  of 
this  township  was  that  of  a  son  to  John 
Whalen,  born  in  the  early  part  of  1857. 

The  first  death  was  that  of  Frank  Parsons, 
a  young  man,  who  died  November  12,  1856, 
and  was  buried  on  the  town  site. 

The  first  religious  services  were  held  by 
Rev.  John  Robson,  a  Methodist  minister,  in 
November,  1856. 

The  first  steam  saw-mill  was  put  up  by 
John  Robson,  near  the  village,  in  1858. 

The  first  school-house  was  built  in  1857, 
on  section  17,  and  the  first  teacher  was  T. 
Carlos  Jewett. 

FOREST  CITY  VILLAGE. 

The  village  of  Forest  City  was  originally 
laid  out  by  Stand  ish  and  Moore,  surveyors, 
in  the  summer  of  1857,  for  the  proprietors, 
T.  H.  Skinner,  AV.  S.  Chapman,  J.  AV.   Huy, 


552 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MIXXESOTA. 


A.  M.  Fi-idlev,  A.  Juclvson  Ucll,  and  E.  E. 
Wilson.  Tliisplat  is  described  as  covering  the 
northeast  (juarter  of  section  IT,  and  the 
northeast  (luarter  of  section  2(i,  and  was 
filed  for  record  August  13,  1857.  For  some 
reason  this  was  replatted,  and  other  territory 
added  in  the  latter  part  of  1858.  The  plat 
was  tiled  for  record  ]\[arch  23,  1859,  and 
covered  the  south  half  of  section  17  and 
the  west  half  of  the  northwest  quarter  of 
section  21.  The  ]iroprictors  are  desci'ibed 
officially  to  have  l^een  W.  P.  Curtis,  of  Hen- 
nepin county,  and  Thomas  11.  Skinner,  pres- 
ident of  the  Forest  City  Company.  To  this 
nines,  Kimball  and  Beedy  laid  out  an  addi- 
tion on  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  17, 
in  September,  1871,  the  plat  being  filed  on 
the  6th  of  that  month. 

Dudley  Taylor  and  his  wife  had  a  large 
log  building  put  uj),  in  which  they  kept  the 
first  hotel  in  the  village  and  in  the  county. 
A  few  other  cabins  were  put  up  by  the  few 
settlers  here,  and  thus  the  county  seat  was 
commenced. 

Early  in  the  spring  of  1857,  James  B.  Atkin- 
son came  to  the  village  with  a  load  of  goods, 
and  putting  up  a  building,  about  the  1st  of 
March  of  that  year  opened  a  general  stock 
of  gooils.  This  was  the  first  store  in  the 
township,  and  in  the  county.  This  estab- 
lishment he  presided  over  until  the  summer 
of  1802,  when  he  took  in  as  partner,  Mark 
W.  Piper,  who  ran  it  while  Captain  Atkin- 
son was  fifihtino'  in  defense  of  his  country. 
In  1866,  Piper  sold  out  to  Atkinson,  he  hav- 
ing acquired  sole  possession,  and  the  latter 
gentleman  ran  the  store  until  1879,  when  it 
was  closed  out. 

The  second  store  was  opened  in  the  village 
in  1858,  b)'  Fitch  &  Stanton,  who  ran  it 
until  the  time  of  the  Indian  outbreak,  when 
the  goods  were  removed  to  a  safer  place  by 
their  owner. 

Others  in  trade  after  this  were :  Thomas  II. 
Skinner,  who  started  in  1862,  who  afterwaid 


sold  ittoChauncey  Dart ;  Campbell  &  Flynn, 
Wait  H.  Dart,  Jesse  V.  Bi-anham,  Sr.,  Ilines, 
Kimball  &  Beedy,  O.  C.  McGray,  C.  D. 
Boom,  Brost  &  liodgers,  William  Hardy, 
Frank  McCumber,  William  Knight  and 
Nicholas  Schreiner. 

J.  A.  Baird  established  a  lirickyard  herein 
1858,  and  made  the  fii'st  brick  in  the  county, 
liut,  finding  but  little  chance  for  his  business 
at  that  tune,  returned  to  Minneapolis  the 
same  year. 

On  'the  22d  of  March,  1858,  the  United 
States  land  office,  which  had  been  located 
here,  arrived  at  Forest  City,  and  with  it  came 
John  D.  Evans,  receiver,  and  A.  C.  Smith, 
register.  Both  of  these  men  were  afterward 
prominently  identified  with  the  growth  of 
the  place,  and  the  institution  over  which  they 
presided  had  a  great  influence  in  giving  an 
ini|)etus  to  the  settlement  of  the  county. 

A  postoffice  was  established  in  the  fall  of 
1856,  with  Walter  C.  Bacon  as  postmaster, 
and  in  the  spring  of  1857  he  was  succeeded 
by  James  B.  Atkinson.  In  turn  this  posi- 
tit«  Avas  held  by  the  following  named  gentle- 
men :  AVilliam  IJichards,  J.  A.  Stanton,  C. 
F.  Woodman,  O.  C.  SIcGray,  Benjamin  Man- 
ter,  William  Hardy  and  others.  Nicholas 
Schreiner  is  the  pi-esent  incumbent. 

W.  S.  Chapman  brought  with  him  and 
erected  the  saw-mill,  and,  in  company  with 
others,  operated  it  for  a  short  time,  when  it 
was  sold  to  John  Bobson.  After  a  little 
time  it  was  again  disposed  of  and  removed  to 
Bear  Lake. 

The  Forest  City  flouring-mill  was  erected 
in  1865,  by  Hines,  Kimball  ife  Beedy,  and 
was  operated  by  that  firm  for  several  years. 
N.  C.  Ilines  then  sold  out  to  his  partners, 
and  the\'  ran  it  untd  a  few  years  ago,  when, 
becoming  linancially  embarrassed,  it  passed 
into  the  hands  of  Stout,  Mills  i*e  Temple,  of 
Dayton,  Ohio,  and  was  ojierated  for  them  by 
William  Hilderbrandt,  until  May,  1888,  when 
it  was  purchased  by  a  Minneapolis  party. 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


553 


Forest  City  Lodge,  No.  70,  A.  F.  &  A.  M., 
the  oldest  lodge  of  an^^  kind  in  the  county, 
was  organized  under  dispensation,  May  18, 
1867,  with  the  following  list  of  charter  mem- 
bers and  officers  :  A.  C.  Smith,  W.  M. ;  J.  B. 
Atkinson,  S.  W. ;  T.  Carlos  Jewett,  J.  W. ; 
H.  G.  0.  Thorns,  tyler;  George  W.  AVeisel, 
Sylvester  Stevens,  John  S.  Shields,  Jesse  S. 
Hippie,  and  Perry  D.  Bentley.  The  charter 
granted  the  lodge  was  dated  November  11, 
1869.  The  lirst  officers  under  this  were  as 
follows:  A.  C.  Smith,  W.  M.;  G.  AV.AVeisel, 
S.  W. ;  T.  C.  Jewett,  J.  W.  ;  M.  W.  Piper, 
T. ;  J.  AA^  McKean,  S. ;  S.  B.  Ilutchins,  S. 
D. ;  E.  A.  Campbell,  J.  D. ;  and  A.  G.  Peters, 
t^der.  A.  C.  Smith  was  his  own  successor 
in  the  otfice  of  worshipful  master,  until  the 
dissolution  of  the  lodge,  December  23,  1871, 
caused  by  the  removal  of  most  of  the  mem- 
bers to  the  rising  village  of  Litchfield. 

The  Methodist  Church  was  oi'ganized  in 
the  old  school-house,  in  18.57,  althougii  there 
had  been  services  held  here  ]ireviously.  Rev. 
Tiiomas  Ilarwood  was  tlie  first  pastor.  Serv- 
ices wei'e  held  in  pi'ivate  houses,  school- 
houses,  or  where  occasion  offered,  until  1869, 
when,  with  the  removal  of  most  of  the  mem- 
bers to  Litchfield,  the  church  was  moved  to 
that  village. 

The  Baptists  have  an  oi'gauization  in  the 
village  at  the  pi-esent,  and  have  a  neat  and 
tasty  church  edifice  built  in  1879. 

On  the  19th  of  September,  1857,  pursuant 
to  a  notice  given,  the  people  of  this  town 
met  at  the  house  of  AVarren  AV.  AVoodman, 
to  take  some  action  toward  building  a  school- 
house.  Mr.  AVoodman  was  made  chairman, 
and  J.  AV".  Griswold,  secretary.  After  some 
remarks  by  John  Robson  and  AVilliam 
Richards,  a  committee,  consisting  of  C.  E. 
Cutis,  John  Robson  and  J.  A.  Stanton,  was 
appointed  to  see  how  much  money  could  be 
raised  for  the  purpose.  The  committee 
reported  that  the  sum  of  $205  could  be  raised 
for  a  church,  or  $130  for  a  school-house,  and 


on  putting  the  nuxtter  to  a  vote,  five  pre- 
ferred a  church,  and  six  a  school-house.  A 
committee  was  then  appointed,  consisting  of 

C.  E.  Cutts,  John  Robson,  T.  C.  Jewett  and 
J.  A.  Stanton,  to  collect  subscriptions.  At 
a  meeting  held  a  week  later,  the  committee 
reported  that  the  following  gentlemen  had 
agreed  to  contribute  toward  the  matter : 
John  Robson,  J.  AV.  Griswold,  AV.  Richards, 

D.  P.  Delamatei',  J.  B.  Atkinson,  A.  B. 
Hoyt,  Jacob  Ball,  John  AVigle,  David  Bal- 
stor,  C.  E.  Cutts,  IL  AValker,  T.  H.  Skinner, 
John  Kimball,  Thomas  Gra3'son,  James  Pat- 
terson, H.  G.  O.  Thoms,  Allen  Teachout, 
John  Flynn,  Milton  Gorton,  J.  A.  Stanton, 
B.  F.  Butler,  T.  C.  Jewett,  and  A.  AV. 
Angier. 

A\^.  AV.  AVoodman  entered  into  a  contract 
to  ])ut  up  the  Ijuildiug  for  $250,  and  it  was 
finislied  tluit  same  fall.  This  was  the  first 
school  in  the  town. 


'S^{^--»- 


CHAPTER  IX. 


TOWNSHIP  OF  MANATSTNAH. 


^HE  subdivision  of  the  county 
known  by  the  above  name  em- 
bi-aces  all  of  Congressional  town- 
ship 121,  north  of  range  31  west,  and  con- 
tains 25,393  acres ;  only  31.31  are  covered 
by  water.  There  is  more  available  land  in 
the  town  than  in  any  other,  were  it  denuded 
of  the  heavy  timber  that  covers  a  large  por- 
tion of  its  territory.  The  beauty  of  its  scen- 
ery attracted  the  attention  of  its  earliest  set- 
tlers, and  it  has  not  lost  an}'  of  its  attractive- 
ness by  the  lapse  of  years.  The  rich  farms 
and  clearings  among  the  primeval  forests 
have  a  charm  peculiarly  their  own,  and  are 
found  in  abundance.  South  of  the  river  the 
land  is  chiefly  pi'airie,  interspersed  with 
groves  of  timber. 

Tlie    pioneer    settlers   in  this  town  Avere 


554 


MEEKER  COUNTY,   MINNESOTA. 


Nathan  C.  Caswell.  Zil)a  Caswell,  Alonzo  M. 
Caswell,  Edward  I5rown,  Silas  Caswell  and 
A.  D.  Pierce,  who  came  here  in  1S5G,  as 
already  detailed  in  the  history  of  the  early 
settlement  of  the  county.  Tliey  put  up  their 
cabins,  the  first  in  the  town,  around  the  town- 
site  of  the  village. 

The  same  fall  tiiere  came  to  the  little  set- 
tlement John  Tower,  Carlos  Caswell,  An- 
drew Hamilton,  J.  W.  Walker,  Moody  Bailey 
and  Moody  Caswell. 

Among  the  settlers  of  the  year  1S57  were 
the  following  named :  Jonathan  Kimball, 
Linus  Howe,  Mark  Bridges,  Freeman  T. 
Gould.  E.  B.  Kingsley.  C.  O.  Whitney,  David 
Dustin.  J.  J.  Baston,  John  Setter,  G.  W. 
Lamb,  Ilol)ert  Lyon,  W.  D.  Magill,  Thomas 
Faloon,  Porter  Loveless,  Eobert  Lang,  Henry 
Fleming,  Henry  Harrideen,  Ephraim  Pier- 
son,  Charles  ]\rayl)ee,  Wilmot  Maybee,  James 
Shearer,  Alexander  Lee,  R.  D.  C.  Cressy, 
John  Adcock,  Henry  Whitman,  J.  Hubbard, 
J.  Marden,  J.  C.  Hollis,  S.  Sterrett,  James 
Lang,  E.  O.  Britt  and  Chauncey  Wilson. 

The  financial  crisis  that  convulsed  our 
country  in  1857  put  a  stop  to  all  settlement 
here  as  elsewhere,  and  but  a  few  are  found  to 
have  located  here  in  1858.  Among  these, 
however,  were  Samuel  Clyde,  Michael 
O'Keefe  and  Rol^ert  Carroll. 

Joseph  Page  and  Philip  Deck,  who  were 
killed  during  the  massacre  days,  settled  here 
in  1860. 

The  first  birth  in  tiie  town  was  that  of  Hat- 
tie  Estelle  Kiinl)all,  which  occurred  in  1857. 

The  first  death  was  that  of  Samuel  Clyde, 
who  was  called  hence  in  1851*. 

The  first  school  was  held  in  district  No. 
12,  in  1866,  and  Patrick  McNulty  was  the 
pioneer  teacher. 

The  first  ground  was  broken  by  the  Cas- 
wells.  May  4,  1857. 

The  first  religious  services  were  held  by 
Rev.  Mr.  Kidder,  a  Methodist  clergyman,  at 
the  old  village  of  Manannah,  in  1859. 


The  first  mass  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church  was  celebrated  by  Father  Anthony, 
of  St.  Cloud,  in  1865,  at  the  house  of  Frank 
Mclntyre. 

]\Ianannah  was  oi-ganized  at  an  election 
held  at  the  house  of  J.  W.  Walker,  October 
13,  1S57,  at  which  the  following  officers 
were  chosen :  N.  C.  Caswell,  assessor ;  J.  W.' 
Walker  and  E.  B.  Kingsley,  justices;  Nathan 
Caswell  and  Mark  Bridges,  constables,  and 
Ziba  Caswell,  road  overseer.  At  this  elec- 
tion J.  W.  Goodspeed,  A.  D.  Pierce  and  J. 
Kimball  were  judges,  and  J.  C.  Llollis  and 
Freeman  Gould,  clerks. 

The  present  (1888)  officers  of  the  town  are 
as  follows :  Supervisors :  Jacob  Hammus, 
chairman ;  Menus  O'Keefe,  Jr.,  and  James 
Fitzpatrick.  Clerk:  C.  J.  O'Brien.  Treas- 
urer :  N.  C.  Caswell.  Assessor :  P.  Enright, 
Jr.  Justices  of  the  peace :  Richard  O'Brien 
and  O.  H.  Campbell.  Constable:  Henry 
Hukreide. 

A  name  was  wanted  for  the  village  which 
was  laid  out  by  J.  W.  Walker  and  Ziba  Cas- 
well, on  part  of  section  30,  in  the  spring  of 
1856,  and  search  in  an  old  Scottish  history 
gave  them  the  name  of  Manannah,  so  it  was 
adopted.  The  partj'  who  made  the  survey 
and  platted  the  village  was  a  man  by  the 
name  of  ILalcott,  and  N.  C.  Caswell  acted  as 
chain  bearer. 

A  postolfice  was  established  in  the  new 
village  in  1857,  with  Jonathan  Kimball  as 
postmaster ;  this  has  been  presided  over,  in 
turn,  by  Carlos  Caswell,  Ziba  Caswell  and 
James  Lang.  The  latter  is  the  jiresent  in- 
cumbent of  the  office. 

On  the4:th  of  March,  1857,  Ziba,  Nathan 
C.  and  Alljert  Caswell  commenced  the  erec- 
tion of  a  hewn  log  building  lSx2t!  feet  in 
size,-  one  story  and  a  half  high,  in  which,  the 
following  ^Fay,  Jonathan  Kimball  opened  a 
hotel.  This  building  was  used  as  a  stockade 
during  the  Indian  outbreak,  as  detailed  else- 
where, but  is  now  a  thing  of  the  past. 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


555 


In  May,  1857,  J.  W.  Walker  opened  a  store 
in  a  hewn  log  building  he  had  erected,  which 
was  the  first  and  only  one  in  the  village. 

In  the  same  spring  "Walker  put  in  the  dam 
and  the  following  fall  put  up  the  saw-mill. 
This  stood  there  until  after  1862,  when  it 
burned  down. 

Of  the  old  village,  nothing  remains,  its 
glory  having  long  since  departed,  and  grow- 
ing crops  cover  the  site  of  the  place  that  was 
hoped  would  be  the  principal  place  in  the 
count}^ 

MANANNAH    VILLAGE. 

The  present  village  of  Manannah  was  laid 
out  in  ISTl,  by  Ilines,  Kimball  &  Beed\',  and 
the  ]ilat  filed  for  record  September  6,  1871. 
Cressy's  addition  was  platted  by  E.  D.  C. 
Cressy,  and  filed  for  record  November  16, 
187-1.  It  occupies  a  small  part  of  sections  30 
and  31. 

In  1869,  Ziba  Caswell  put  in  a  dam  at  this 
place,  which  partly  went  out  the  following 
spring.  In  1871,  Ziba  Caswell  erected  a 
store  building  and  opened  a  general  stock  of 
goods.  He  was  succeeded  in  this  stand  by 
N.  C.  Hines,  and  he,  in  turn,  by  Hardy  & 
Boone,  Boone  &  Mitchell,  O.  B.  Webb,  Hines 
&  Campbell,  O.  H.  Campbell,  Gray  &  Lang, 
Haines  Bros.,  Con  O'Brien,  T.  Kerry,  Staples 
Bros.,  and  by  the  present  owner,  C.  A. 
Staples. 

Another  store  Avas  built  in  1872,  and  run 
as  a  furniture  depot  l)y  T.  P.  Murray  until 
1874,  when  James  Lang  purchased  it  and 
opened  his  present  general  merchandise 
business. 

The  hotel  was  run  for  a  time  in  1871  as  a 
boarding  house  by  N.  C.  Hines,  but  the  next 
year  it  was  opened  as  a  hotel  by  S.  H.  Cas- 
well. He  was  succeeded  by  James  Lee,  he 
b\'  Jerome  Haight,  and  then  it  passed  into 
the  hands  of  the  present  proprietor,  James 
Lang. 

At  one  time  there  was  a  tidrd  store  kept 


by  Haight  Bros.,  who  were  succeeded  by  E. 
A.  Price,  and  finally  was  abandoned. 

The  flouring-mill  was  erected  in  1872,  by 
Hines,  Kimball  &  Beedy,  and  Avas  operated 
by  N,  C.  Ilines  until  1874.  He  then  formed 
a  partnership  with  0.  H.  Campbell,  and  it 
was  run  under  the  firm  name  of  Hines  & 
Campbell.  The  next  proprietors  were  Camp- 
bell &  Caswell,  Avho  were  succeeded  O.  H. 
Campbell,  the  present  owner  and  opera- 
tor. He  has  largely  addetl  to  it,  changing 
it  to  the  I'oller  system,  putting  in  eight  sets 
of  rolls,  with  all  the  other  machinery,  and  a 
fine  sixty-horse  power  engine,  and  it  is  now 
one  of  the  finest  mills  in  the  county.  The 
main  structure  is  50x40  feet  in  size,  with  an 
addition  12x40  feet,  besides  the  engine  room. 
Its  daily  capacity  is  100  barrels. 

There  is  a  fine  graded  school  building  now 
in  course  of  construction,  Avhicli  is  24x40 
feet  in  size,  two  stories  in  height. 

The  saw-mill  which  once  stood  here  was 
built  by  Ilines.  Kimball  &  Beedy  in  1871. 

The  Catholic  Church  of  Our  Lady,  at  Ma- 
nannah, was  established  by  the  late  Rev.  John 
McDermott,  of  Darwin,  in  the  year  1876, 
under  wliose  direction  was  built  a  portion  of 
the  present  edifice.  The  ground  on  which 
the  church  stands  was  donated  by  Anthony 
Kelly,  of  Minneapolis.  It  is  situated  on  the 
bank  of  the  Crow  river,  on  a  lofty  eminence. 
The  church  building  was  finished  during  the 
administration  of  Father  Kinney,the  parish 
then  being  united  to  that  of  Litchfield.  On  the 
removal  of  the  latter,  the  church  was  attended 
by  the  present  pastor.  Father  McDevitt,  who 
resided  at  Litchfield,  for  one  year.  Seeing  the 
utility  of  Manannah  having  a  resident  priest, 
a  parochial  residence  Avas  erected  in  the  fall 
of  1885,  at  a  cost  of  about  82,000.  The 
parish,  Avhicli  is  a  separate  one,  contains 
about  ninety-five  families,  and  is  in  a  flour- 
ishing condition.  The  church  edifice  is  not 
yet  completed,  as  the  toAA-er  is  to  be  finished 
and  a  bell  put  up.     The  first  Catholic  priest 


556 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


that  visited  this  )>art  of  the  country  was 
Fatlier  Anthony,  from  the  Benedictine 
Abbe3%  in  the  diocese  of  St.  Cloud  in  1865 
The  mission  was  visited  occasional!}' by  Father 
Burns,  who  also  resided  at  St.  John's  Abbey, 
in  St.  Cloud.  Father  Arthur  Hurley,  of  the 
diocese  of  St.  Paul  was  appointed  to  look 
after  the  spiritual  wants  of  the  people,  and 
visited  tliem  occasional!}',  his  residence  being 
at  Litchfield.  This  zealous  priest  had  many 
missions  to  attend  to  and  could  visit  each  but 
seldom.  After  the  removal  of  Father  Hurley, 
Father  Cahill  served  for  some  time  with  mark- 
ed success.  The  late  and  much  lamented  priest 
of  Darwin,  Father  John  McDermott,  came 
next  and  under  his  wise  and  able  adminis- 
tration the  parisii  increased  rapidly.  Father 
Kinney  next  took  charge  of  the  united  par- 
ishes of  Litchfield  and  Manannah,  till  his 
appointment  to  the  Chui-ch  of  St.  Stephen's, 
Minneapolis,  in  1S85.  Tlie  present  pastor 
then  came  to  Litchfield  and  later  to  Manan- 
nah, as  stated.  The  churcii  corporation 
owns  property  to  the  amount  of  al)out 
$6,000. 

EDEN  VALLEY  VILLAGE. 

The  village  of  Eden  Valley,  located  on  the 
Minneapolis  &  Pacific  Railroad,  on  the  west 
half  of  the  northwest  quarter  of  the  north- 
west quarter  of  section  2  and  the  east  half 
of  the  northeast  quarter  of  tiie  northeast 
quarter  of  section  3,  was  laid  out  by  Silas 
Cossairt,  F.  B.  Smith  and  the  railroad  com- 
pany, in  the  fall  of  1886,  P.M.  Dalil  being 
the  civil  engineer.  The  plat  was  filed  for 
record  May  11,  1887. 

Previous  to  the  location  of  the  town-site. 
a  store  was  opened  there  in  May,  1SS6,  by 
Parker  «fe  Cossairt.  This  was  a  small  branch 
of  their  Litchfield  store,  but,  when  the  rail- 
road came  liere,  they  put  up  a  large  building 
and  increased  the  stock  to  a  great  extent. 

The  next  building  was  a  blacksmith  shop, 
erected  by  Henry  llukreide. 


In  December,  1886, "William  Hardy  o])oned 
a  store  for  the  sale  of  general  merchandise, 
and  about  the  same  time  the  two  hotels,  the 
Mansard  and  Pacific  houses,  were  erected 
and  opened  for  business. 

Duringthe  same  month  two  elevators  were 
put  up,  one  by  Hoskins  &  Reeves,  and  the 
other  by  the  railroad  company.  The  for- 
mer is  now  operated  by  Andrew  Johnson, 
for  its  present  owners,  Osborne  &  McMullen, 
of  Minneapolis. 

The  first  dwelling  house  was  put  up  by 
Bartley  McDonough,  that  fall,  and  the  second 
by  C.  J.  O'Brien.  The  next  spring  there 
was  several  other  stores  adtled  to  the  place, 
among  them  a  general  stock  of  some  $10,000, 
kept  by  Theisen  &  Schoen  ;  a  hard  ware  store 
In'  C.  Schmidt  (fe  Co.,  and  one  by  John 
Cooney ;  one  furniture  establishment  kept  by 
William  Thoms;  and  other  smaller  institu- 
tions. W.  H.  Greenleaf  &  Son  have  a  lum- 
ber yard  here  also. 

The  ]iostoffice  was  established  April  1, 
1887,  with  Samuel  Cossairt  as  postmaster. 

A  fine  depot  was  built  about  the  same 
time,  Avitli  L.  Y.  Brown  as  station  agent. 

The  Christian  church,  a  neat  and  tasty 
structure,  was  erected  in  the  fall  of  1887. 

There  are  now,  in  addition  to  the  houses 
mentioned  above,  the  following  business 
places:  AVilliam  Kersten,  general  merchan- 
dise;two  more  blacksmith  shops;  atemperance 
pool  room.  I'lin  by  E.  H.  Caswell,  and  a  con- 
fectioneiy  stand,  by  T.  B.  Mann. 


CHAPTER    X. 

TOWN    OF     KINGSTON. 

*HE  town  of  Kingston  is  the  largest 
subdivision  of  Meeker  county 
acing  all  of  township  120 
noi'tli,  range  29  west,  and  the  south  half  of 
township  121,  the  same  range.  It  contains, 
in  nil,  3-t,389.39  acres,  of    which  1.337  are 


^jisr^HE  to\ 

(^  I  y     civil  s 

JIL       embni 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


557 


covered  with  water.  Much  of  the  land  is 
still  covered  by  the  primeval  forest,  a  j^ortion 
of  "  The  Big  Woods."  The  Crow  River,  that 
crosses  its  territory  from  west  to  east,  bisect- 
ing sections  IS,  19,  20,  21,22,  23,  26  and  25, 
seems  to  be  the  boundary  line  between  the 
prairie  and  forest,  south  of  it  being  mostly 
prairie,  and  north  of  it  timber  land.  Con- 
sequent upon  this,  the  first  settlements  were 
made  in  the  southern  part  of  the  town, 
many  locating  upon  the  banks  of  the  river, 
and  at  the  village  of  Kingston. 

The  first  to  settle  in  this  subdivision  of 
the  county  is  believed  to  have  been  IMark 
Gates,  in  the  spring  of  1856,  and  he  was  fol- 
lowed shortly  after  by  J.  B.  Salisbui'y,  A.  P. 
Whitney,  Benjamin  and  Josiah  Doi'man, 
John  Fitzgerald.  Patrick  Flynn,  A.  C. 
Maddox,  Henry  Averill,  Cyrus  Averill,  War- 
ren Averill.  Elmer  Harper,  AVilliam  Higgins, 
John  T.  Kennison,  Joseph  Wej'mer,  JMorris 
Power,  Wellington  Cates,  B.  P.  Whitnej', 
Oliver  Patch,  Solomon  Gi'ay,  John  K.  Per- 
kins, John  Lowell,  Byley  Lyford,  John  Mar- 
tin, Uriah  Palmer,  Enoch  Eastman,  Rufus 
Eastman,  Robert  Niles,  Nelson  Niles,  and 
Scott  Hutchinson. 

In  1857  Orrin  Whitney,  S.  B.  Ilutchins, 
Benjamin  Ruggles  and  E.  H.  Whitney  were 
the  most  prominent  settlers,  but  few  coming 
here  that  year. 

Among  those  who  came  here  in  1858.  and 
here  found  homes,  may  be  mentioned  F. 
V.  DeCoster,  George  Scribner,  A.  H.  Car- 
vill,  Jefferson  Carvill,  and  John  Do^de. 

The  trials,  tribulations  and  hardships  en- 
dured by  the  pioneers  of  the  town  would  fill 
a  volume.  Coming  here,  for  the  most  part, 
without  money,  or  the  wherewitiial  to  live 
until  tliey  could  get  a  crop,  their  endurance 
was  severely  tested.  The  land  had  to  be  pre- 
pared, and  seed  purchased  before  the  land 
could  be  sown,  ant!  in  many  cases  to  get  the 
seed  was  a  serious  problem. 

Some  of  these  old  pioneers  still  live  in  this 


town,  some  are  in  other  {lortions  of  the 
county,  many  have  moved  away,  and  a  part 
havejmssed  to  their  reward  beyond  the  grave. 
Their  work  remains,  however,  and  it  is  due 
to  the  hardy  pioneers  of  this  county  to  re- 
mark that  when  they  laid  the  foundations  of 
society  in  this  part  of  the  State,  they  builded 
better  than  they  knew,  and  to  tiiem  is  due 
much  of  the  development  of  its  resources. 

Enough  settlers  having  located  here,  on  the 
5th  of  April,  1858,  the  town  was  duly  organ- 
ized, at  which  time  the  following  names 
bore  a  prominent  part :  A.  P.  Whitney,  J. 
B.  Salisbury,  Orrin  Whitney,  Benjamin 
Ruggles,  Mark  Cates,  E.  H.  Whitney,  Joseph 
Weymer,  Joseph  Dorman,  S.  B.  Hutchins 
and  others  of  the  older  settlers.  The  pres- 
ent officers  are :  Supervisors,  John  Clay 
(chairman),  Andrew  Anderson  and  Geo.  W. 
Robinson ;  assessor,  Ben  Apfeld ;  justice  of 
tiie  peace,  Walter  Salisbury,  and  Timothy 
Murphy,  clerk. 

The  first  birth  in  the  town  was  that  of 
Will  II.  Cates,  in  the  opinion  of  the  older 
residents.     He  was  born  July  6,  1856. 

The  first  death  was  that  of  Morris  Power, 
who  died  in  1857. 

The  first  marriage,  which  was  also  the  first 
in  the  county,  was  that  of  Joseph  Weymer 
and  Miss  Mary  Dorman,  in  August,  1857. 

The  first  school  was  taught  by  James  A. 
Austin,  in  the  summer  of  1857.  This  was 
undoubtedly  the  first  in  the  count3\  The 
teacher  held  the  school  in  the  cabin  of  Enoch 
Eastman,  which  the  people  had  fitted  up  for 
the  pui'pose. 

The  first  school  house  was  built  in  18G1,  at 
the  village  of  Kingston. 

The  pioneer  religious  services  were  held  at 
the  village,  up  stairs  over  the  store,  by  Rev. 
J.  C.  Whitney,  in  1857. 

KINGSTON  VILLAGE. 

The  village  of  Kingston,  which  lies  in  this 
town,  although  now  of  but  smaller  inipor- 


558 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


tance,  was,  at  one  time,  the  rival  and  peer  of 
the  then  county-seat.  The  location  of  the 
seat  of  justice  at  Litchfield,  and  the  arrival 
of  the  I'aiiroad  at  that  village,  destroyed  the 
hopes  of  Kingston,  as  well  as  several  others, 
and  it  is  now  but  a  semblance  of  its  former 
self.  The  town  site  was  taken  up  by  Albion 
P.  Whitney,  G.  R.  Nourse  and  R.  P.  Upton, 
in  1857,  and  surveyed  and  laid  out  that  fall 
by  a  surveyor  liy  the  name  of  Curtis.  The 
plat  was  filed  for  record  June  2,  1858.  The 
village  is  located  upon  the  northwest  quar- 
ter of  section  22,  township  120,  range  20. 

Here  the  town  pro])rietors  put  in  the  dam, 
and  commenced  the  erection  of  the  saw-mill 
in  1857,  anil  that  institution  commenced 
operations  in  July,  of  that  year. 

A  stock  of  goods  was  brought  hei-e  dur- 
ing the  spring  of  1857,  by  A.  P.  Whitney, 
and  the  first  sales  were  made  from  the  los; 
cabin  of  that  gentleman. 

The  same  year  the  first  store  building 
was  erected  and  a  stock  of  goods  put  in  by 
Whitney,  bourse  &  Upton.  In  1858  A.  P. 
Whitney  disposed  of  his  interest  in  the  con- 
cern, and  shortly  after  the  business  passed 
into  the  hantls  of  Hines  &  Carmer.  The 
next  to  operate  the  institution  was  Iliram 
Hall,  who  was  followed  by  William  Hall,  and 
he  by  Peck,  Hutchinson  &  Durkee.  Peck  k. 
Durkee  were  their  successors,  and  were  fol- 
lowed by  Owen  ct  Murphy,  and  the  estab- 
lishment is  now  under  the  control  of  the 
Murphy  Bros. 

The  other  store  building  was  erected  about 
1859,  and  in  it  N.  C.  Hines  commenced  the 
sale  of  general  merchandise.  He  was  suc- 
ceeded by  William  Hall,  he  by  F.  V.  De  Cos- 
ter, and  the  latter  by  E.  A.  Briggs. 

The  mercantile  life  of  the  village  is  now 
represented  by  the  firm  of  Murphy  Bros., 
dealers  in  general  merchandise ;  E.  A.  Briggs, 
capitalist;  a  blacksmith  shop  kept  by  Mr. 
Mahoney,  and  a  wagon-making  shop  operated 
by  Samuel  Dorman. 


The  grist-mill  was  erected  in  1858.  by  A. 
P.  Whitney  ifc  Co.,  the  foundation  having 
been  put  in  by  (Jri'in  Whitney,  for  them. 
The  f(jllowing  year  the  property  passed  into 
the  hands  of  Hiram  Hall,  and  was  run  l)y 
Hall  &  Davis,  Hall  k,  Thompson,  King  & 
De  Coster,  Hall  &  Thompson  again,  and  J. 
H.  Thom]ison,  successively,  until  it  was  pur- 
chased and  improved  by  John  Mattson,  the 
present  owner. 

East  Kingston  was  laid  out  in  1871,  by 
Jefferson  Carvill,  upon  the  northeast  quar- 
ter of  section  14,  and  the  plat  filed  for  record 
January  24, 1871. 

Jefferson  and  Dr.  A.  H.  Carvill  had,  how- 
ever, in  1806,  taken  up  the  mill  site,  and 
erected  a  dam  at  this  place,  and  the  follow- 
ing year  put  up  the  grist  and  saw  mill,  which 
constituted  the  entire  business  of  the  place. 
The  Carvill  Bros,  ran  the  mills  until  1873, 
when  the  doctor  sold  out  to  John  Norgren, 
and  for  several  years  they  were  operated 
under  the  firm  name  and  style  of  Carville  & 
Norgren.  Jefferson  Carvill  then  became 
sole  proprietor,  but  for  the  past  three  years 
the  mills  have  been  silent,  they  being  in  liti- 
gation. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

CEDAR  MILLS  TOWNSHIP. 

IST^HIS  town,  which  embraces  all  of 
y  townslii])  117,  north  range  31  west, 
lies  in  the  extreme  southern  part 
of  the  county.  It  contains  a  total  acreage 
of  24,209.44,  but  077  acres  are  taken  up  by 
the  various  lakes  that  dot  its  level  and 
beautiful  surface.  The  largest  of  these  pel- 
lucid bodies  of  water,  Red  Cedar  Lake, 
received  its  name  from  Xicollet  on  account 
of  an  island  in  it  covered  with  timber  of  that 
variety.  On  the  old  maps,  and  in  John  C. 
Fremont's  work,  it  is  designated  by  its 
Indian  title  of  Ranti-tia-wita,  or  the  Lake  of 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


559 


the  Tied  Cedar  Island.  From  this  the  town 
drew  its  name.  The  ground  is  shghtly  roll- 
ing and  of  a  prairie  character,  and  the  soil 
is  of  a  warm,  rich,  black  loam,  which  has  a 
wonderful  adaptability  for  raising  wheat 
and  other  cereals. 

The  first  to  make  a  settlement  within  the 
limits  of  this  town  was  Daniel  Cross,  who 
came  here  with  his  family  in  1856.  He  was 
one  of  the  victims  of  the  tragic  days  of  the 
Indian  outbreak,  being  shot  down  by  the 
treacherous  Sioux. 

In  1857  K.  J.  Brodwell,  O.  S.  Merriam, 
Philander  Ball  and  Elmer  Eighmey  made 
settlements  here.  The  same  year  the  follow- 
ing settled  here  also :  Milton  Coombs,  Hector 
Hunter,  David  Hern,  John  Hunter,  a 
German  by  the  name  of  Steinkopf,  AYilliam 
Hunter,  Charles  H.  Stinchfleld,  L.  S.  Wey- 
mouth and  a  Doctor  Hester,  who  brought 
several  young  men  with  him.  The  names  of 
the  latter  have  passed  out  of  the  minds  of 
the  settlers,  and  can  not  be  given  at  this  late 
day. 

The  settlers  of  1858  wei'e  the  following 
named,  who  all  found  homes  here :  S.  D.  L. 
Baldwin,  George  R.  Jewett,  C.  G.  Topping. 
.  In  the  year  1859,  a  few  more  settlers 
here  found  the  land  they  were  seeking,  and 
took  claims.  Among  them  were — George 
Nichols  and  Jesse  W.  Topping,  both  of  whom 
were  largely  instrumental  in  the  growth  of 
the  town. 

Among  the  jiromment  arrivals  of  1860 
■were  II.  J.  Lasher,  J.  M.  Pitman,  Seth 
Nichols,  and  one  or  two  more  that  no  longer 
live  here.  No  more  valuable  citizens  than 
those  named  above  could  have  found  a  home 
here,  and  after  they  took  up  their  claims 
here  they  Avere  strongly  identified  with 
every  movement  calculated  to  benefit  the 
community. 

Among  those  "who,  although  not  very 
early  settlers,  still  having  done  so  much  to- 
ward the  upliuilding   of  the  town,  deserve 


mention  in  a  work  of  this  character,  are  the 
following  named  :  Arthur  AVheeler,  Isaac 
Wheeler,  Jesse  Barrick,  A.  C.  Barrick,  John 
Curry,  William  Owens,  James  A.  Austin, 
Elijah  Austin,  E.  E.  Austin,  R.  D.  Grindall, 
Edward  Stafford,  Edwin  Gillett  and  C.  B. 
Jordan. 

The  first  deaths  occurred  in  1S59,  and 
were  two  children  of  Elmer  Eighmey's. 

The  first  school  was  taught  by  Miss 
Sophia  Pratt,  at  the  residence  of  Daniel 
Cross,  in  1860,  at  Cedar  Mills.  The  first 
school-house  was  built  in  1869,  and  E.  B. 
Com  stock  was  the  first  teacher  there. 

The  first  religious  services  were  held  the 
winter  of  1859-60,  at  the  house  of  H.  J. 
Lasher,  by  Ilev.  H.  Adams,  a  Presbyterian 
minister  from  St.  Peter. 

There  was  a  postofiice  established  here  in 
1858,  with  C.  G.  Tupping  as  postmaster. 
He  held  the  ottice  until  1861,  when  he  was 
succeeded  by  H.  J.  Lasher.  During  the  In- 
dian outbreak,  the  latter  buried  the  official 
papers  in  the  ground,  and  for  several  years 
there  was  no  postofiice  within  the  town 
limits.  In  1870,  in  answer  to  a  petition  the 
postoifice  was  re-established,  with  Thomas 
Vinacke  as  postmaster.  He  was  succeeded 
by  J.  D.  Baldwin,  who  resigned  two  years 
later.  O.  W.  Sterns  was  the  next  to  occupy 
that  position.  Following  him  came  E.  B. 
Conistock,  Elijah  Austin,  L.  E.  Austin  and 
the  ])resent  incumbent,  Mrs.  Julia  Anderson. 

The  Presbvterian  Church  was  organized 
in  the  town  in  May,  1879,  with  Rev.  J.  S. 
Sherrell,  of  Litchfield,  as  pastor,  and  a  mem- 
bershi])  of  about  twenty-five.  The  first  elder 
was  John  C.  Curry,  but  later  on  S.  W.  Bar- 
rick and  J.  W.  Topping  were  elected  to  the 
same  position.  In  1882  a  neat  and  hand- 
some church  edifice  was  erected  upon  a  lot  of 
four  acres  of  ground  donated  by  Judge  Yan- 
derburg,  of  Minneajwlis.  The  building  cost 
some  -$1,800.  Services  were  kept  up  every 
alternate  Sabbath  until  October,  1887,  when 


56o 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


Rev.  E.  CuiTV  became  tlie  resident  pastor, 
and  services  are  lield  on  every  Sunday.  The 
church  lias  now  a  menibersbip  of  forty-one, 
witli  tlie  following-  officers  :  H.  J.  Lasher,  J. 
W.  Topping- and  S.  AV.  Barrick,  elders;  R. 
A.  Wiieeler,  H.  J.  Lasher,  E.  B.  Littell, 
Franklin  Curry  and  L  N.  Wheeler,  trustees. 
The  church  was  dedicated  July  16,  1883, 
Rev.  D.  E.  Wells,  of  Minneapolis,  preaching 
the  sermon. 

The  ))ioneer  store  of  Cedar  Mills  was 
established  in  ISTO,  by  J.  D.  Baldwin.  For 
a  couple  of  years  he  ran  it,  alone  and  in  com- 
pany with  a  brother,  and  then  sold  out  to  O. 
W.  Sterns.  A  shoil  time  after  this  gentle- 
man formed  a  jiartnership  with  E.  B.  Com- 
stock.  These  parties  drifted  into  the  black- 
smith business  and  their  mercantile  venture 
came  to  naught,  finally,  and  some  years  after 
they  disposed  of  the  smithy. 

In  the  fall  of  1870,  Ira  Williams  put  in  a 
stock  of  goods,  but  altera  short  time  in  his 
possession  and  in  that  of  E.  Gdlett.  it  was 
purchased  by  L.  E.  Austin,  who  ran  it  for 
ten  years.  In  the  fall  of  1887  another  store 
was  started  by  Elliott  &  Anderson,  but  in 
March,  1888,  it  was  sold  to  the  present  pro- 
prietors, Standish  Bros. 

There  are  now  two  blacksmith  shops  in  the 
village,  one  run  Ijy  Louis  Ivlamm,  and  the 
other  by  A'igenske  &  iJumont. 

The  flouring  mill  at  Cedar  Mills  was  erected 
by  George  Nichols,  in  18.58,  who  run  it  until 
1867,  when  it  was  purchased  by  C.  B.  Jor- 
dan. The  latter  employed  Samuel  Anderson, 
a  miller,  to  run  it,  but  some  time  afterward  it 
passed  into  the  hands  of  Dr.  Y.  P.  Kennedy. 
He  took  out  the  machinery,  remodeled  it, 
and  finally  sold  the  equipment,  and  it  was  all 
taken  down  and  moved  away. 

The  town  was  organized  January  25, 1870, 
at  a  meeting  held  at  the  residence  of  Isaac 
Wheeler,  some  thirty  votei-s  being  present. 
Mr.  AVheeler  was  chosen  moderator,  and 
James  A.  Austin  clerk  of  the  meeting,  and 


the  following  town  officers  chosen :  J.  M. 
Pitman,  chairman,  and  E.  II.  Halsted  and 
E.  R.  Austin,  supervisors;  J.  A.  Austin, 
clerk;  John  Dyer,  treasurer;  E.  Gillett, 
assessoi' ;  V.  P.  Kennedy  and  A.  C.  Barrick, 
justices. 

The  officers  for  1888  are  the  following: 
Supervisors,  E.  B.  Littell,  chairman,  F.  E. 
Wheeler  and  A.  G.  Beckstrand  ;  clei'k,  James 
A.  Austin  ;  treasurer,  R.  D.  Grindall ;  asses- 
sor, I.  X.  Wheeler  ;  constables,  W.  A.  Currj' 
antl  A.D.Cross;  justice  of  the  peace,  T. 
Vinacke ;  roadmasters,  Vincent  Combs,  Amos 
Barrick,  O.  J.  Austin,  E.  C.  Bell.  Fred 
Schultz,  II.  II.  Weeks. 


-«« 


CHAPTER  XII. 


SWEDE  GROVE  TOWNSHIP. 


^^Hj^^HE  subdivision  of  Meeker  county 
l)earing  this  appellation  lies  upon 
[^  the  western  border  of  the  county, 
and  comprises  the  thirty  six  sections  of 
Congressional  township  120,  nortii  of  range 
32  west,  and  contains  22,746.0-1  acres, 
22,155.18  of  which  are  either  fine  farm  lands, 
or  covered  with  the  primeval  timber,  the 
balance  being  water.  For  the  most  part  the 
surface  is  of  a  gentle,  I'olling  character,  and 
is  neai'ly  all  of  it  natural  meadow  or  prairie, 
interpersed  with  native  groves  or  mottes  of 
timber,  seemiiigh'  prepared  for  the  plow  by 
beneficent  nature.  The  soil  is  the  ricli.dai'k, 
sandy  loam,  that  has  made  the  name  of 
Minnesota  synonymous  with  all  that  is  fertile 
and  productive. 

Several  beautiful  lakes  nestle  on  the  bosom 
of  the  township,  which  all  abound  with  vari- 
ous species  of  the  finny  tribe,  and  because 
of  the  abundance  of  the  game  in  this  neigh- 
borhood, and  the  fine  quality  of  the  fisli,  it 
was  a  favorite  resort  for  the  Indians  in  an 
eaih'   dav.     The   lakes   bear  the  names   of 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


561 


Wilcox,  Mud,  Miller,  Peterson,  Halga,  and 
Elofson. 

Among  the  sturdy  pioneers  that  made  set- 
tlements in  this  township  in  1857  were 
Hans  Peterson  and  his  family,  Peter  E. 
Hanson,  then  a  lioy,  Andrew  Peterson,  N. 
E.  Hanson,  John  Eosencranz,  Bertha  Elof- 
son, and  her  sons.  Nels,  Andrew,  and  Peter 
Elofson,  jSTels  Thorbjornson,  Helgar  Olson, 
Amos  Olson,  K'els  Olson,  and  Nels  Askelson. 

With  the  year  1858  came  others  to  found 
homes  in  this  part  of  the  county,  prominent 
among  whom  Avere  the  following :  William 
H.  Wilcox.  Christian  Erickson,  Halver  Mick- 
elson,  Arslag  Olson  and  John  Larson.  Mr. 
Wilcox  is  one  of  the  few  native  American 
settlers  in  the  town,  and  holds  the  warmest 
esteem  and  respect  of  the  entire  community. 
Arslag  Olson  was  the  settler  who  was  so 
badly  wounded  during  the  attack  on  the 
stockade  at  Forest  City,  in  1862. 

Swen  Nelson  and  a  few  others  settled  in 
the  town  during  the  year  1859,  but  from 
that  time  until  the  close  of  the  war  there 
were  very  few,  if  any,  who  sought  homes 
here,  and  none  are  remembered  by  the  old 
settlers. 

The  town  was  a  portion  of  the  civil  town- 
shi]i  of  Acton  until  March  15, 1868,  when  it 
was  organized  as  a  .separate  precinct,  by 
Nels  Elofson,  Nels  E.  Hanson,  and  AV.  H. 
Wilcox.  The  name  was  given  on  account 
of  its  having  been  first  settled  V)y  the  Swed- 
ish colony.  At  the  first  election  among  the 
officers  chosen  were  the  following:  Nels 
Elofson.  chairman  of  the  town  lioard  ;  Nels 
E.  Hanson,  clerk ;  and  W.  H.  Wilcox,  treas- 
urer. 

The  present  officers  are  as  follows  :  Swan 
W.  Olson,  chairman  ;  Andrew  Elofson  and 
Andrew  Peterson,  supervisors ;  Nels  Oke- 
son,  clerk ;  Henry  Palm,  treasurer ;  Mr. 
Sily,  justice  ;  and  Xels  Erickson,   constable. 

In  1864  a  postoffice  known  as  Swede 
Grove  was  established  at  the  house  of  Nels 


Elofson,  then  on  section  33,  and  that  gentle- 
man made  postmaster.  He  held  that 
office  until  1870,  when  he  resigned  to  make 
a  trip  to  the  old  country,  in  favor  of  Mr. 
Dahlquist.  The  latter  held  it  about  one 
year,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Ole  J.  Le- 
vander.  It  was  removed  to  what  is  now 
Grove  City,  in  1870,  when  Mr.  Dahlquist 
was  appointed,  and  has  continued  there  ever 
since. 

The  first  birth  in  the  town  was  that  of 
Peter  Peterson,  the  son  of  Andrew  Peter- 
son, born  January  3,  1859.  The  second  was 
that  of  A.  P.  Hanson,  born  the  9th  of  June, 
following. 

The  first  death  was  the  child  of  Ole  Nel- 
son, a  Swede  who  came  here  in  1857,  but 
shortly  after  went  to  Carver  county.  The 
child  was  buried  on  Nels  Elofson's  place. 

The  pioneer  marriage  was  that  between 
John  Larson  and  Miss  Hannah  Elofson, 
which  took  place  in  1858. 

The  first  school  was  taught  at  the  house 
of  Nels  Elofson,  by  Kev.  William  Bagiund, 
a  Lutheran  minister,  in  1859. 

The  first  religious  services  were  held  at 
Nels  Elofson's  residence  on  section  33,  in 
1859,  by  the  Ptcv.  Mr.  Bagiund. 

The  pioneer  to  ]ilow  up  the  sod  and 
sow  grain  was  Hans  Peterson,  in  1859;  He 
did  some  breaking  in  1857  and  1858,  but  did 
not  sow  until  the  vear  mentioned  above. 


CHAPTER  XIIL 

DASSEL  TOW'XSHIP. 

[i^^HE  subdivision  of  Jleeker  county 
that  bears  this  name  lies  in  the 
eastern  tiei-  of  townships,  and  em- 
braces all  of  Congressional  township  119 
north  of  range  29  west,  and  contains  22,967.66 
acres  of  ground ;  3,275.66  are  covered  with 
water,  leaving  something  like  19,692  acres 


562 


MEhKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


suitable  for  agricultural  use.  ]\ruch  of  the 
land  is  covered  with  tiuiber  and  the  soil  is  of 
a  choice  quality.  The  town  was  originally  a 
portion  of  the  town  of  Kingston,  and  when 
set  off  was  called  Swan  Lake,  after  a  body  of 
water  Avithin  its  limits,  of  that  name.  In 
1871,  on  a  petition  of  tlie  citizens  of  the  town- 
ship its  name  was  changed  to  Dassel,  after 
the  village  of  that  name  within  its  bound- 
aries. 

The  earliest  settk'i's  in  this  portion  of  the 
county  wereuntloubtedly  two  surveyors  by  the 
names  of  C.  L.  Jiichardson  and  Edwin  Ayres, 
who  located  here  in  ISofi.  They  came  to  this 
locality  from  their  homes  in  Houston  county, 
this  State,  having  come  from  Mexico,  N.  Y., 
originally.  They  built  a  cabin  on  section  14, 
where  they  lived  until  the  Indian  troubles  of 
1862,  when  they  fled,  and  the  savages  burned 
their  shanty.  This  was  on  what  was  after- 
wards termed  Ayres'  Prairie. 

There  were  no  other  settlers  who  located 
in  the  town  until  after  the  Indian  massacre, 
which  depopulated  the  border  and  checked 
the  tide  of  immigration  in  lS(i2.  In  Novem- 
ber, 1863,  Isaac  Eussell  and  his  brother 
Anthony  "W.,  with  their  families,  came  here 
and  took  up  claims  on  section  10.  The\' 
were  natives  of  Vermont.  Tliey  Uved  here 
some  Tears,  and  combined  hunting  and  trap- 
ping with  their  farm  ojiei'ations.  Isaac,  in 
1875,  went  to  the  Black  Hills,  but  retui'ned 
here  in  1882,  and  here  died,  November  13. 
1883.  His  brother  died  some  years  previous 
to  that. 

Wells  Tumans,  with  his  family,  made  a  set- 
tlement in  the  summer  of  1805,  on  section  14. 
The  same  year  he  was  followed  by  Barne}' 
Cox,  G.  D.  Arrowood,  and  Peter  and  "William 
Cunningham. 

The  settlers  of  1866  were  the  following 
named,  who  all  took  up  claims  and  per;na- 
nently  located  in  the  town — Thomas  and 
James  Sellards,  Lewis  Eudberg,  John  Erick- 
son,    John    Rudberg,     "William     Mayiiard, 


Andrew  Davidson,  Mrs.  Gardner  and  her 
son  Peter,  David  "W.  King,  John  McKinney, 
Madison  Delong,  John  Hendrickson,  Eric 
liuiKjuist,  B.  N.  Backstrom,  Henry  Mattson, 
and  James  Littom. 

Among  those  who  fouiul  homes  in  this 
town  in  1867,  were :  Peter  Johnson,  Harlow 
Ames,  Sr.,  Harlow  F.  Ames,  Henry  Ames, 
and  others.  All  these  now  occupy  cjuite 
prominent  positions  in  the  county,  as  will  l)e 
seen  on  reference  to  the  biographical  depart- 
ment of  this  work. 

The  first  school-house  in  the  town  was 
built  in  1867.  on  the  corners  of  sections  10, 
11,  14  anil  15.  It  was  a  small  atTair,  l)uilt  of 
logs  with  a  dirt  roof,  and  had  to  admit  the 
light  through  two  small  half  sash,  let  into  the 
sides.  Mrs.  E.  M.  "Winan  was  the  pioneer 
teacher. 

The  first  frame  house  was  erected  by 
Harlow  Ames  on  section  23,  and  is  now  a 
])ortion  of  the  residence  of  that  gentleman. 
Tlie  first  chimney  regularly  built  was  also 
by  him. 

The  first  child  born  in  the  town  was 
probably  George  Cunningham,  Avhose  liirth 
took  ])lacelate  in  the  year  1865.  The  second 
was  that  of  Ada  Tumans,  who  was  born  ]\[ay 
6,  1866. 

The  first  death  was  that  of  the  child  of 
James  and  Margaret  Littom. 

The  first  marriage  w-as  that  of  Barney  Co.x 
and  Janet  Davitison,  which  occurred  in 
April,  1S68. 

The  township  was  organized  as  Swan 
Lake,  in  the  fall  of  1866,  at  which  time  the 
following  officers  were  chosen — John  Smith 
(chairman),  Frederick  Spath  and  "NA^ayne 
Russell,  supervisors;  G.  D.  Arrowood,  clerk  ; 
Andrew  Davidson  and  William  Maynard, 
justices  of  the  peace.  G.  A.  Arrowood  was 
appointed  the  first  assessor.  In  1871  the 
name  of  the  town  was  changed  to  its  present 
one.  The  present  (18SS)  officers  of  the  town- 
ship, consist  of  the  following  named — Super- 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


-563 


visors:  Andrew  Davidson  (chairman),  Nelson 
Tninans  and  John  Boo ;  clerk,  W.  S.  Cox ; 
treasurer,  Peter  Johnson ;  assessor,  A.  J. 
Waller;  justices,  W.  Bartholomew  and  Isaac 
Yervalin. 

A  Methodist  church  was  organized  in 
187-i,  by  William  Arrowood,  in  the  school- 
house  in  district  21,  with  eighteen  members, 
■which  has  been  kept  up  ever  since.  In  1885 
the  congregation  erected  a  church  edifice  on 
the  northwest  corner  of  section  11,  where 
they  hold  services  every  Sabbath,  which  are 
partially  of  a  union  character. 

The  Swedish  Evangelical  Lutheran  was 
organized  October  14, 1873,  by  Kev.  F.  Peter- 
son, with  the  following  membership :  An- 
drew Olson  and  wife  ;  Andrew  Anderson  and 
wife;  Swen  Johnson  and  wife;  Andrew  Larson 
and  wife ;  E.  A.  Boren  and  wife,  and  Lars 
Nelson  and  wife.  The  first  officers  were  the 
following  named :  A.  E.  Boren,  secretary  ; 
A.  E.  Boren,  Andrew  Olson  and  Andrew 
Anderson,  deacons ;  and  Andrew  Larson, 
Lars  Nelson  and  Swen  Johnson,  trustees. 
The  congregation  own  some  ten  acres  of 
land  on  section  5,  where  they  have  a  frame 
church.  The  jjastorate  was  vacant  until 
1881,  when  Pev.  J.  S.  R3'ding  took  charge  of 
the  church.  He  was  succeeded  in  jSroveml)er, 
1883,  by  the  present  pastor.  Rev.  L.  A. 
Hocanzan,  who  has  filled  the  duties  ever 
since.  The  present  officers  are :  L.  A. 
Hocanzan,  pastor;  Andrew  Tunians,  secre- 
tary ;  A,  P.  Gissle,  A.  Frank  and  John  Lind- 
quist,  deacons;  and  Nels  Olson,  Andrew 
Freeman  and  Andrew  Larson,  trustees. 
There  are  seventy-two  communicants  and 
l-fO  members  connected  with  the  church, 
which  holds  meetings  ever}^  Sunday.  A  Sab- 
bath-school is  lield  in  operation  during  the 
summer  months,  and  a  parish  school  is  held 
during  some  eight  weeks  in  the  year,  with 
aljout  forty  scholars.  The  ]iroperty  has  a 
value  of  about  $250,  but  no  debt  is  due 
on  it. 


DASSEL    VILLAGE. 

The  village  of  Dassel,  which  is  situated  in 
this  township,  upon  the  southeast  quarter  of 
the  southwest  quarter  of  section  27,  and  lot 
0,  of  the  same  section,  and  u])on  the  north- 
east quarter  of  the  northwest  rjuarter  and 
the  west  half  of  the  northwest  quarter  of 
section  3-4,  was  laid  out  and  platted  Ijy  the 
St.  Paul  &c  Pacific  Railroad  in  1803,  on  tlie 
advent  of  the  road  at  this  point,  and  tiled 
for  record  on  the  11th  of  October,  1870. 
Several  additions  have  been  added  to  the 
original  town  site  by  Horace  P.  Breed,  Ber- 
nard Dassel,  A.  M.  Bell,  and  Jonas  Rudberg. 
The  land  whereon  the  original  site  stands 
was  owned  previous  to  this  h\  Madison  De- 
Long,  who  had  made  a  claim  to  it,  and  had 
erected  a  shanty  near  where  R.  T.  Elliott 
now  lives.  Parker  Simons,  who  was  a  civil 
engineer  in  the  employ  of  the  St.  Paul  & 
Pacific  Railway,  purchased  the  claim  and 
proceeded  to  lay  out  the  town,  the  railroad 
company  acquiring  an  interest  subsequently. 

He  moved  his  family  here  as  soon  as  the 
road  was  opened  and  made  this  his  home, 
although  his  business  called  him  away 
nearly  all  the  time  for  several  years. 

The  town  was  named  after  Bernard 
Dassel,  who  was  the  secretary  of  the  St. 
Paul  &  Pacific  Railroad  Companv,  at 
that  time.  After  laying  out  the  place, 
in  the  fall  of  1809  Mr.  Simons  put  up 
the  first  frame  Ijuilding-,  and  was  quickly 
followed  by  Seth  Nichols.  Ralph  Wal- 
ters erected  a  building  for  hotel  purposes, 
which  was  opened  and  run  as  such  by  Mr. 
Phillips,  and  is  still  standing. 

During  the  fall  of  18fi9  there  were  a  few 
other  dwelling  houses  erected,  but  in  the 
pring  and  summer  of  1870,  quite  a  boom 
for  the  new  village  set  in  and  a  number  of 
houses  and  store  buildings  were  put  up,  and 
the  population  largely  increased  until  it  is 
to-day  the  largest  place  in  the  county  out- 
side of  the   countv  seat.     It  has  now  three 


564 


MEEKER  COUN rv,  MINNESOTA. 


elevators,  a  flouring  mill,  a  woolen  mill,  two 
hotels,  a  public  hall,  engine  house  and  jiub- 
lic  library.  Congregational,  Seventliduy 
Adventists,  Sweiiish  Lutheran  and  Swedish. 
Missicjnary  churches,  and  the  tile  stove 
w'orks.  Quite  a  number  of  store  buildings 
have  been  put  up,  and  are  all  well  filled  with 
excellent  stocks  of  goods,  both  necessaries 
and  luxuries,  aiul  the  mercantile  trade  is  well 
rei)resented  i)V  a  fine  class  of  enterprising 
merchants,  who  are  doing  quite  a  large  share 
of  the  business  of  this  section  of  the  county. 

The  jiioneer  stoie  was  o|>ened  by  James 
and  Charles  Morris  in  the  fall  of  ISCO,  who 
displayed  a  full  stock  of  general  merchandise. 
This  ]ilace  was  run  by  the  original  owners, 
and  afterwards  b}'  Charles  Morris  until  1872, 
when  it  was  sold  to  Wilson  &  Bunting,  wiio 
continued  to  operate  it  until  1875,  when  the 
business  was  purchased  by  the  Rudberg 
Brothers. 

A  steam  saw  mill  was  next  erected  by 
George  Brower,  William  Bradford  and 
Thomas  Wilson.  These  gentlemen  operated 
it  but  a  short  time,  Avhen  there  was  a  change 
in  the  copartnership,  and  it  passed  through 
several  hands,  until  in  1875,  when  it  was 
destroyed  by  tiiv.  The  following  year  it 
was  rebuilt  and  continued  in  opei';ition  until 
about  August,  1881,  when  it  was  blown  down 
by  wind  and  never  rebuilt. 

James  H.  Morris,  now  of  Litchfield,  built 
the  second  store  building,  the  one  now  occu- 
pied by  Peter  Johnson  as  an  office,  in  which 
was  opened  a  stock  of  general  merchandise 
in  1872. 

In  1872  the  third  store  was  commenced  by 
Mickel  Henderson,  who  died  before  finishing- 
it.  In  the  latter  part  of  October,  1873,  this 
building  was  occupied  by  O.  II.  Sundahl  and 
Lewis  and  Jonas  J.  Rudberg,  who  opened  a 
general  stock.  This  they  ran  until  1874. 
Then  C.  A.  Morris  purchased  SundaiiFs  in- 
terest, and  in  1875  the  firm  purchased  the 
business  of  Samuel    Bunting's    executors,  as 


above  stated,  and  incorporated  it  with 
their  business. 

The  fourth  store  building  was  built  by 
Norgren  k,  Co.  in  1875,  and  was  occupied  by 
them  until  1880,  when  they  removed  to 
their  present  quarters. 

John  Osborne  was  the  first  to  deal  in 
lumber  and  furniture,  commencing  in  those 
lines  in  1874.  In  1881  he  sold  out  to  the 
Itudberg  Brothers,  and  this  old  stand  is  still 
continued  by  the  survivor  of  that  firm,  John 
Rudberg. 

The  old  Dassel  riouse,tlie  pioneer  hotel,  was 
built  in  1872,  by  George  Brower,  and  for  a 
time  was  run  by  him.  Samuel  Bunting 
afterwards  o])crated  it,  and,  after  his  death, 
his  widow.  J.  II.  Remick  held  the  position 
of  landlord  from  1877  until  February  3, 
1883,  when  the  structure  burned  to  the 
ground.  It  was  then  rebuilt  in  its  present 
shape. 

The  first  hardware  store  in  Dassel  was 
established  in  1880  by  H.  L.  Babst,  who  ran 
it  until  1882.  when  he  sold  out  to  K.  M. 
Bell,  who  in  ls8(i  disposeil  of  it  to  W.  S. 
Bartholomew,  who  sold  it  to  Cox  &  Galla- 
gher in  18SS.  L.  W.  Leigliton  and  J.  M. 
Johnson,  in  August,  1882,  opened  the  second 
store  of  this  character  and  carried  on  the 
trade  until  Jaiuuay  7,  1887,  when  Mi'.  John- 
son bought  his  partner's  interest,  and  the 
firm  is  now  J.  M.  Johnson  it  Co. 

The  pioneer  drug  store  was  commenced  in 
1872,  by  C.  A.  Morris  and  Lewis  Rud- 
berg, who  carried  it  on  until  1875,  when 
Rudberg  sold  to  his  partner,  who  operated  it 
until  1880,  and  then  disposed  of  it  to  Dr.  Mc- 
Collum  and  George  Breed,  who  sold  it  again 
in  1883,  to  Rudberg  Bros.  On  the  death  of 
Jonas  Rudberg,  in  1885,  a  partnership  was 
formed  by  his  widow  and  R.  F.  Case,  which 
lasted  for  one  year,  when  the  latter  purchased 
tiie  business,  aiul  cariies  it  on. 

The  first  grain  warehouse  was  built  in 
1870  by  the  IMillers'  Association,  and  in  1876 


MEEKER    COUNTY,  MINNESOTA, 


565 


the  same  corporation  erected  the  pioneer  ele- 
vator. The  latter,  now  owned  by  the  Minne- 
sota and  Dakota  Elevator  Company,  has  a 
capacity  of  30,000  bushels  of  wheat,  and  last 
year  (1887)  handled  7,000  bushels  of  that 
cereal  alone.  It  is  under  the  management  of 
Harry  Hines.  The  Dassel  elevator  was 
built  by  the  citizens  of  the  place  in  18S0,  and 
has  a  capacity  of  45,000  bushels;  in  1887 
shipped  some  65,000  bushels  of  wheat. 
This  is  managed  by  J.  II.  McKinney.  The 
CargillBros.  elevator  was  erected  in  1885,  by 
Alexander  Cofield,  and  this  institution 
handleil  70,000  bushels  during  the  past  year. 
Weisner  &  Mattson,  the  proprietors  of 
the  machine  and  l)lacksmitli  shop,  established 
their  business  in  the  fall  of  18S3,  as  a  wagon, 
blacksmith  anil  repair  shop,  which  they 
carried  on  until  the  fall  of  18SG,  when  they 
put  in  an  engine  of  four-horse  power  and 
some  machinery.  October  30,  1887,  their 
shop  was  destroyed  by  fire,  when  they  met 
"with  a  loss  of  some  $1,500.  At  once  they 
erected  their  present  shop,  which  is  40x60 
feet  in  size  and  well  fitted  up,  and  where 
they  carry  on  business,  employing  some  four 
or  five  workmen. 

The  flouring  mill  of  Dassel  was  erected  as 
a  foundry  in  1883,  and  in  1887  E.  Heglund 
purchased  it  and  remodeled  the  edifice  and 
put  in  roller  machinery  of  the  finest  descrip- 
tion. It  has  a  capacity  of  sixty  barrels  per 
da}',  and  is  valued  at  between  $8,000  and 
$10,000.  The  building  is  of  solid  brick  and 
substantially  built,  and  the  internal  arrange- 
ments are  of  the  best.  The  motive  power  is 
furnished  by  a  good  engine  of  forty  horse- 
power. The  output  of  the  mill  ranks  with 
the  best,  and  is  made  out  of  the  famous  Min- 
nesota hard  wheat. 

The  woolen  mill  was  built  about  1882  by 

G.  1j.  Lewis  and  S.  P.  I'reetl,  and  is  one  of 

the  leading  industries  of  the  jilace.     It  has 

•  been  improved  largely  of  late,  and  is  now  in 

the  hands  of  a  stock  company. 


A  custom  card-machine  mill  was  built  in 
1876,  by  G.  B.  Lewis  &  Co.,  for  the  manu- 
facture of  certain  kinds  of  woolen  yarns,  but 
it  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1880.  From  the 
ashes  of  this  rose  the  present  woolen  mill. 

The  first  wagon  shop  in  the  village  was 
run  by  L.  W.  Leighton,  in  the  spring  of  1874. 

The  first  blacksmith  sho])  was  opened  by 
Frederick  Spath,  in  the  fall  of  1869,  in  a 
log  shanty,  without  any  roof,  where  he 
carried  on  ijusiness  for  a  short  time,  and  then 
built  another  smithy.  He  remained  in  this 
business  in  the  village  until  1881,  when  he 
removed  to  his  farm  in  the  township  where 
he  now  lives. 

There  is  a  most  excellent  graded  school, 
the  building  in  which  it  is  located,  a  hand- 
some and  substantial  brick  edifice,  having 
been  erected  by  the  Indejiendent  district  in 
1885.  It  contains  eight  rooms,  and  cost  some 
$10,000  to  build  and  tiuish.  Prof.  R.  McKay 
is  the  present  j)rincipal.  The  town  hall  and 
library  are  located  in  the  same  house  with 
the  village  fire  apparatus,  and  are  each  of 
them  worthy  of  more  than  a  passing  notice. 
The  library,  which  consists  of  an  extensive 
selection  of  choice  booivs,  reflects  great  credit 
upon  the  taste  and  enterprise  of  the  place 
in  initiating  so  noble  an  institution. 

The  tile  stove  works  of  Peter  Johnson  is 
yet  in  its  infancy,  and  is  the  only  one  of  the 
kind  in  the  United  States.  It  was  estab- 
lished by  the  present  proprietor  in  1886,  and 
is  for  the  manufacture  of  tile  stoves,  etc., 
such  as  have  been  in  use  in  the  northern  part 
of  Europe  for  years,  but  which  have  been, 
until  now,  unknown  in  America.  Mr.  John- 
son has  inaugurated  the  enterprise  at  an  out- 
la}'  of  some  $10,000,  and,  having  already  met 
with  a  merited  success,  anticipates  greatly 
enlarging  the  plant  in  the  summer  of  1888. 
This  is  one  of  the  greatest  institutions  in 
the  county  and  such  places  as  St.  Paul  and 
Minneapolis  would  bid  high  to  have  it 
brouoht  into  their  limits. 


566 


MEEKER    COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


The  postoffico  was  established  here  in  the 
fall  of  1SG9,  and  Isaac  Atwater,  the  station 
agent  of  the  railroad,  was  the  first  postmas- 
ter. He  had  the  office  in  the  depot,  and  there 
held  it  until  the  summer  of  1877,  when  he 
was  succeeded  by  C  A.  Morris,  J  ul y  1.  Lewis 
Rudl)erg  was  the  successor  of  Mr.  Morris, 
and  entered  upon  its  duties  July  1,  1881,  and 
held  it  until  January  1,  1883,  when  he  gave 
way  to  Louis  Osterlund.  Ma}'  1,  1887, 
Henry  Clay  assumed  the  duties  of  the  office, 
and  is  the  present  postmaster. 

The  village  was  duly  incorporated  as  such 
March  4,  1S7S,  and  is  still  governed  under 
the  charter  granted  at  that  time.  The  first 
officers  of  the  village  were  the  following 
named  :  J.  B.  Smith,  president ;  C.  A.  Mor- 
ris, recorder  ;  H.  P.  Breed,  Allen  Weatherby 
and  J.  J.  Rndberg,  trustees.  Since  that  time 
H.  P.  Breed,  J.  J.  Rudberg,  J.  II.  Eemick, 
L.  W.  Leighton,  P.  Johnson  and  J.  11. 
McKenney  have  filled  tlie  office  of  president 
of  the  village  hoard ;  J.  J.  Iludberg,  Fred 
Spath,  C.  A.  Morris,  August  Sallbei'g,  Lewis 
Eudberg,  J.  M.  Johnson,  L.  W.  Leighton, 
John  Norgren,  William  Gallagher,  A.  M. 
Bell,  John  Iludberg,  S.  O.  Lindgren,  L.  A. 
Whitmore  and  Alexander  Cofield  have  served 
as  members  of  the  board  of  trustees.  W.  L. 
Yan  Eman,  C.  A.  McCollum,  Douglas  Mar- 
tin and  S.  O.  Lindgren  have  each  in  turn 
filled  the  position  of  recorder.  The  present 
officers  are  as  follows  :  W.  D.  Bangs,  presi- 
dent;  S.  O.  Lindgren,  recorder;  J.  Norgren, 
treasurer;  W.  S.  Bartholomew,  justice,  and 
J.  Kudberg,  J.  M.  Johnson  and  J.  J.  Lind- 
quist,  trustees. 

The  Gethsemane  Swedish  Evangelical  Lu- 
theran Church  was  oi-ganized  February  13, 
1S73,  with  the  following  memi:)ers  :  Daniel 
Johnson  and  wife,  Taylor  Johnson  and  wife, 
Swen  Johnson  and  wife,  F.  J.  Peterson  and 
wife,  C.  J.  Johnson  and  wife,  Olaf  Dahlman 
and  wife,  and  Johannes  Johnson  and  wife. 
The  officers  at  the  time  of  its  establishment 


were  as  follows:  Rev.  J.  G.  Lagerstrom, 
pastor;  D.  Johnson,  secretary  ;  Daniel  John- 
son, Swen  Johnson  and  Taylor  Johnson,  dea- 
cons ;  C.  G.  Johnson,  Olaf  Dahlman  and  C. 
G.  Johnson,  trustees.  A  log  ciiurch  was 
built  the  same  year  by  the  congregation,  at 
Steelsville,  in  which  services  were  held  until 
1878,  when  they  purchased  the  school-house 
for  $350,  in  the  village  of  Dassel,  and  fitted 
it  up  for  a  church,  which  they  occupied  until 
lS8<i,  when  they  erected  the  edifice  where 
they  now  worship.  This  is  a  brick-veneered 
Iniilding,  38x02  feet  on  the  ground,  21  feet 
in  heiglit,  with  a  sacristy  twenty -four  feet 
square  in  addition,  and  a  tower  eighty-five 
feet  in  height,  which  is  fourteen  feet  square 
at  the  base.  It  is  handsomely  frescoed  and 
furnished  within,  and  is  a  nice  property. 
This,  together  with  the  school-house  and  sta- 
bles at  Steelsville,  is  valued  at  $6,000.  The 
present  officers  are:  Rev.  L.  A.  Ilocanzan, 
pastor ;  D.  Johnson,  Taylor  Johnson,  0.  P. 
Carlsledt,  Matt  Anderson,  Alfred  Soder  and 
O.  (Miristofferson,  deacons ;  D.  Danielson, 
Aug.  Sangreen  and  B.  J.  Peterson,  trustees; 
Peter  Sangreen,  secretary,  and  Aug.  San- 
green, treasurer.  There  is  a  membership  of 
350,  and  a  list  of  211  communicants.  A 
Sunday-school  of  eighty  scholars  is  held  in 
connection  with  the  church. 

The  Swedish  Mission  Church  was  organ- 
ized August  15,  1879,  by  John  G.  Sjorquist, 
with  some  twenty  members.  J.  Norgren,  E. 
Skarvik  and  E.  Eunquist  were  chosen  trus- 
tees at  that  time  and  E.  Skarvik,  Z.  Dolin, 
John  Olson,  Nels  Nelson,  J.  E.  Ileglund, 
and  E.  Eunquist,  deacons.  Services  of 
this  denomination  were  held  in  the  ]ilace, 
at  the  residence  of  J.  Norgren,  as  early  as 
1872,  and  were  continued  from  time  to  time 
until  the  organization  of  the  society.  At 
that  time  they  rented  John  Eudberg's  hall, 
which  tiipy  occu])ied  until  1881,  when  steps 
were  taken  to  build  their  present  church  edi-  ' 
fice,  which   was  completed   in    1SS5.      This 


MEEKER    COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


567 


structure  is,  in  the  main  building,  28x36  feet 
in  size,  with  an  annex  16x18  feet  on  the 
ground.  Tlie  church  is  well  furnished  and 
fitted  inside,  and  has  a  large  and  increasing 
membership.  The  following  are  the  present 
officers :  Kev.  John  G.  Sjorquist,  pastor:  O.  AV. 
Olson,  secretary  ;  E.  Is'.  Dahlgren,  Joini  Olson 
and  A.  G.  Heglund,  trustees ;  E.  Skarvik,  P. 
Nelson,  Frank  Johnson,  Hans  Anderson, 
Andrew  Olson,  and  John  Nelson,  deacons. 

Colfax  Post,  G.  A.  R.,  was  organized 
March  18,  1885,  on  which  evening  A.  E. 
Becker,  deputy  grand  commander,  assisted 
by  comrades  V.  II.  Harris,  J.  B.  Atkinson 
and  J.  B.  Hatch,  installed  the  officers  and 
mustered  in  the  members.  The  charter  mem- 
bers Avere  the  following  named — H.  Y_ 
Dorman,  J.  Bogart,  M.  Boyer,  C.  C.  Curtis, 
E.  F.  Proctor,  P.  T.  Elliott,  John  Bogar,  E. 
A.  Hines,  J.  E.  Lyon,  A.  M.  Bell,  David 
Flack,  James  Patterson,  Henry  Clav,  J.  T. 
Shumater,  C.  II.  Castle,  Theodore  Singleton, 
Josepli  Hamilton,  John  Mattson,  Henry 
Lenhart,  John  A.  Quick  and  M.  H.  Boyer. 
The  following  named  were  elected  as  tlie  first 
officers,  and  duly  installed — E.  F.  Proctor,  C- 
II.  Y.  Dorman,  S.  V.  C;  John  Bogar,  J.  V.' 
C;  A.  M.  Bell,  Q.  M.;  Henry,  A.;  M.  Boyer 
O.  D.;  C.  C.  Curtis,  S.;  David  Flack,  Chaplain; 
J.  Bogart,  O.  G.  The  organization  increased 
in  strength  rapidlj',  until  it  numbered  some 
thirty-two  members,  but  by  the  removal  of 
some  of  them  from  the  county,  a  slight  fall- 
ing off  in  their  number  is  noted.  In  1886  a 
drum  corps  was  oi'ganized,  as  attached  to 
the  Post,  consisting  of  four  fifes  and  four 
drums,  and  is  one  of  the  institutions  of  the 
same.  They  own  the  furniture  of  their  hall, 
with  the  decoration  flags,  banners,  etc.,  and 
four  lots  in  the  cemetery.  Meetings  were 
held  weekly,  but  are  only  semi-monthly  at 
the  present,  but  the  interest  is  still  main- 
tained in  the  order  by  all.  The  present 
officei's  are — Isaac  Vervalen,  C;  John  Bogar, 
S.  V.  C;  Wells  Truman.  J.  V.  C;  G.  O.  Baily, 


A.;  E.  F.  Proctor,  Q.  M.;  Moses  Bogar,  O.  D.; 
John  A.  Quick,  Chaplain ;  I.  N.  Russell,  S.; 
and  R.  T.  Elliott,  O.  G. 


^. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


DARWIN  TOWNSHIP. 


^HE  town  that  bears  the  name  of 
Darwin  was  called  after  one  of  the 
prominent  men  connected  with  the 
St.  Paul,  Minneapolis  &  Manitoba  Railroad, 
and  embraces  all  of  Congressional  township 
119,  north  of  range  30  west,  and  contains 
23,002.26  acres,  20,552.86  of  which  are  land 
and  2,949.1:0  acres  covered  with  the  water  of 
the  lakes.  The  soil  is  a  rich,  dark,  sandy 
loam,  capable  of  high  cultivation  and  wond- 
erfullv  productive.  As  to  surface  this  is  one 
of  tlie  finest  townships  in  the  county,  being 
nearly  all  level  or  gently  rolling  pi'airie,  well 
drained,  and,  with  the  growing  crops,  hand- 
some and  tasty  houses  and  barns  surrounded 
by  natural  or  artificial  groves,  presents  to 
the  eye  one  of  the  loveliest  of  pictures. 

The  first  to  make  a  settlement  in  this  town- 
ship was  Patrick  Casey,  who  came  here  from 
Pennsylvania  in  tlie  spring  of  1856,  and  on 
the  18th  of  June  of  that  year,  made  his  claim 
on  section  33,  on  the  shores  of  beautiful 
Lake  Casey,  where  he  now  lives. 

Following  him  shortly  were  John  Peiffer, 
Peter  Stierens,  Gottlieb  Reef,  Patrick  Con- 
don, Joim  Doyle,  John  Dougherty  and  Tim- 
othy Dunn.  These  all  took  claims  and  made 
homes  here  in  the  same  year,  1856. 

They  were  joined  during  the  year  1857  by 
the  following  named  settlers,  who  here  found, 
in  the  wilderness,  the  place  for  the  homes 
they  had  set  out  to  find  in  Minnesota  :  Wil- 
liam and  Michael  O'Brien,  Bryan  McXulty, 
William  Cunningham,  John  McRaith,  James 
Shelley,  Jacob  Reef,  James  Murphy,  S.  W. 
Ryan,  Willard  Keats,  Richard  Poole,  Henry 
Bierman,  John  Curran,  J.  Powell,  J.  E.  Bill, 


568 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


Ca]ot.  James  Hayden,  a  man  bv  the  name  of 
Hitchcock,  Edwin  Fitch,  and  Mark  Warren. 

Like  all  otlier  sections  of  the  county  tlie 
little  settlement  received  but  few  accessions 
the  next  few  years,  the  financial  crisis  of 
1857  having  paralyzed  all  inimigration  and 
business.  Among  the  ])rominent  people 
who  made  settlements  in  1859  were  John  S. 
Shields,  Edwin  and  Lance  Chapin,  and  Syl- 
vester Stevens.  In  IStiO  the  following  named 
made  tiieir  iippearance,  and,  taking  up  land, 
became  identified  with  the  development  of 
the  town  :  James  Dearey,  Michael  Ilaggerty, 
Michael  Nash,  Michael  Gallahue,  Samuel 
Charlton,  and  "Colonel''  Andrews. 

The  town  of  Darwin  held  its  first  election 
in  1857,  at  which  time  it  was  known  as  the 
town  of  Rice  City,  Capt.  James  Llayden, 
from  Dubuque,  Iowa,  having  laid  out  and 
platted  a  city  of  that  name,  where  the  farm 
of  John  S.  Shields  is  now  located.  The 
township,  however,  was  not  organized  until 
April  5,  1858,  when  the  proper  election  was 
held,  and  the  town  properly  commenced  its 
existence.  After  the  coming  of  the  railroad, 
in  1869,  and  the  laying  out  of  the  village  of 
Darwin,  within  it  limits,  the  name  of  the 
town  was  changed  to  its  present  one. 

The  officers  in  the  town  for  the  year  1888, 
are  as  follows:  John  Lenhardt,  chairman; 
John  Peiffer,  second,  and  W.  V.  Passenger, 
supervisors;  G.  W.  Harding,  clerk;  Ole 
Benson,  treasurer ;  William  Lenhardt,  asses- 
sor; D.  H.  Hull,  and  Tiiley  McGannon, 
justices ;  and  Thomas  Hughes  and  Henry 
Segar,  constables. 

The  first  child  born  in  the  town  was  Mary 
Ann,  the  daughter  of  John  and  Mary  Peif- 
fer, whose  birtli  took  place  in  1857. 

The  first  death  was  that  of  Edmund,  the 
son  of  Timothy  Dunn,  who  died  in  1862. 

The  first  school  was  taught  by  Miss  Mary 
Flynn,  in  1859,  in  a  log  school-house  near 
where  Michael  Harding's  house  now  stands. 

Tlie  first  religious  services   were  held  at 


the  house  of  Pr^'an  McNult}'^,  in  1861,  Ilev. 
Father  Alexis,  from  St.  Cloud,  celebrating 
mass  of  the  Catholic  church.  This  was  in 
1860  or  1861. 

The  Hrst  marriage  was  that  of  John  Doyle 
and  Mary  Lynch,  which  took  place  in  1861. 

DARWIN    VILLAGE. 

Tlie  village  of  Darwin  was  laid  out  and 
]ilatted  by  John  Curran  and  Martin  IMcKen- 
ney,  and  the  St.  Paul  &  Pacific  llailroad  Com- 
pany, and  the  papers  were  filed  for  record 
with  the  register  of  deeds,  October  11,  1869. 
The  site  of  the  village  lies  upon  the  south 
half  of  section  23,  and  the  north  half  of  the 
northeast  quarter  of  section  30. 

The  pioneer  merchant  was  Alexander 
Cairncross. 

The  next  was  J.  F.  Low,  who  opened  a 
store  shortly  after,  and  finallj'  failed,  and  the 
stock  was  closed  out.  A  man  by  the  name 
of  Moran  opened  a  store,  but  afterward  sold 
it  out  to  James  Curran.  The  latter  ran  it 
until  his  death,  when  he  was  succeeded  by 
Erown  Bros.  They  finally  sold  out  the  store 
and  moved  away. 

The  Minnesota  and  Dakota  elevator  was 
built  by  C.  D.  Brown  in  the  fall  of  1870,  but 
was  ]n'eceded  by  one  erected  by  the  David- 
son Elevator  Company,  in  1869.  This  latter 
was  burned  down  about  1880.  The  Cargill 
Bros."  elevator  was  put  up  bj^  F.  J.  Chevre, 
in  1887,  and  passed  into  the  hands  of  the 
present  owners  in  the  spring  of  1888. 

Mrs.  ]\L  A.  Paquet  runs  the  only  store  in 
the  place  now,  and  thus  the  elevators  and 
the  temperance  pool-room  of  Patrick  McKin- 
ney  constitute  the  business  of  the  place. 


CHAPTER     XV. 
HARVEY     TOWNSHIP. 

^HE     town       known     as     Harvey 
embraces    all     of     congressional 

township  120,  north  of  range  31 

west,  and  contains  2-lr,830.92  acres,  of  which 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


569 


464  acres  are  covered  with  water.  The  soil 
is  unusually  fertile  and  productive,  being- 
suitable  for  any  of  the  great  cereals  of  which 
Minnesota  is  the  great  storehouse.  The 
land,  which  is  generally  of  a  slightly  rolling 
character,  is,  a  small  portion  of  it,  covered 
with  the  primeval  growth  of  forest  timber, 
but  the  most  of  it  is  in  the  natural  prairie, 
and  the  clearings  made  by  the  hands  of 
the  industrious  settlers.  The  Crow  River, 
which  flows  through  some  of  its  eastern 
sections,  -with  the  lakes  and  affluent  creeks, 
afford  ample  drainage,  and  make  the  land 
very  desirable.  The  soil,  a  sandy  loam  of 
high  quality,  is  noted  for  its  fecundity,  and 
the  improvements  of  the  residents  are  of  a 
marked  degree  of    excellence. 

The  first  settler  in  this  town  was  Rudolph 
Schultz,  who  located  here  where  he  now  lives) 
in  the  spring  of  1856. 

Among  the  others  who  settled  within  what 
is  now  the  boundaries  of  Harvey  the  same 
year  were  —  Mr.  McCue,  Dennis  Shields, 
Edward  Fitzgerald,  Carl  Shultz,  J.  W. 
Walker,  Reuben  Davis,  David  Ralston,  Pat- 
rick Armstrong,  John  Tower,  Dennis,  John, 
Thomas  and  Daniel  Dougherty,  and  a  few 
others.  They  mostly  took  u]i  homes  here, 
and  remained,  and  many  of  them  are  stiU 
residents  of  the  town. 

In  the  following  year,  1857,  among  the 
most  prominent  settlers  were — Patrick  Fin- 
negan,  E.  0.  Britt,  Jorgen  Lohse,  William 
Marks  and  John  C.  Shultz.  The  date  of 
John  Ralston's  settlement  was  March,  1858, 
and  of  Robert  B.  Ralston  and  Fergus  McCus- 
ker,  1859.  Like  every  other  town  in  the 
county,  there  was  but  very  little  more  settle- 
ment here  until  after  the  close  of  the  war, 
when  it  began  to  fill  up  rapidly.  Among 
the  few  who  did  settle  prior  to  the  outbreak 
of  18C2,  not  mentioned  above,  were  the  fol- 
lowing named — Samuel  Hutchinson,  Joachim 
Shultz,  Henry  Parker,  L.  F.  McCusker, 
Martin   Bramly,    James   Harve}',   and    two 


men  by  the  names  of  Taylor  and  Thomas. 

The  first  birth  was  that  of  Miss  Sarah  Jane 
Dougherty,  born  July  15,  1856.  She  is  the 
daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tliomas  Doughertj^ 

The  first  marriage  was  that  of  Dennis 
Doughert_v  and  Miss  Mary  Finnegan,  which 
took  place  in  May,  1869. 

The  first  death  was  the  taking  away  of 
Etldie  Dolan,  a  child  of  eight  years  of  age, 
in  1870. 

The  first  school  was  taught  by  Miss  Mary 
Fiynn. 

The  first  ground  was  broken  for  farming 
purposes  by  Dennis  Dougherty,  in  1856,  and 
the  first  crops  were  put  into  the  ground  by 
him,  his  father  and  brothers. 

Harvey,  which  was  previous  to  that  a  part 
of  Forest  City,  was  organized  as  a  separate 
civil  township  in  the  spring  of  1867,  and  at 
the  first  election,  held  at  the  Dougherty 
school-house,  Philip  Turck  and  Patrick  Flynn 
were  chosen  sujwrvisors,  and  Andrew  Smith 
town  clerk. 

The  officers  for  1888  are  as  follows — Super- 
visors :  E.  Carlson  (chairman),  T.  AV.  Curry 
and  Patrick  Vaughn;  clerk,  P.  J.  Mitchell; 
treasurer,  James  McCusker;  assessor,  J.  C. 
Connole;  constables,  Thos.  Flynn  and  Thos. 
J.  Connole;  justices,  John  Schultz  and 
Michael  Finnegan ;  poundmasters,  D.  Rut- 
land, W.  Shields  and  M.  Nelson. 


CPIAPTER  XVI. 

DANIELSON  TOWNSHIP. 

„,^~^^  ONGRESSIONAL  toAvnship  118, 
north  of  range  32  west,  is  known 
by  the  name  of  Danielson,  after 
one  of  its  earliest  settlers.  It  embraces  an 
area  of  22,950  acres,  some  974  acres  of  which 
are,  however,  unavailable  for  agricultural 
purposes,  being  covered  by  the  waters  of 
several  lakes  and  ponds.     The  land,  which  is 


570 


MEEKER   COUNTY.  MINNESOTA. 


level  prairie,  is  susceptible  of  high  cultivation, 
and  is  uncommonly  productive.  Tiie  inhabit- 
ants are  an  industrious  class  of  people,  there 
being  a  large  sliaro  of  tiirifty,  hard-working 
Scandinavians  among  them. 

Tlie  first  settle)'  in  this  part  of  the  county 
was  Noah  "Wliite,  who  located  here  in  1S57, 
but  a  year  hiter  moved  over  into  Kandiyohi 
county.  For  several  years  thereafter  there 
were  none  to  settle  here  until  in  1861,  when 
tiie  following  named  came  and  took  claims 
and  founded  homes — Nils  DanielsonUpsaal, 
Peter  Peterson,  Oscar  Pliillips,  Berger  An- 
derson, Andrew  Dakken,  Soren  Morton,  C. 
L.  Hanson,  Ole  Solomonson,  Nels  Mattson, 
O.  K.  Nelson,  Bethel  Gunderson  and  William 
Hanson.  Most  of  these  still  have  their  homes 
here,  and  have  Ijrought  their  farms  to  a  high 
state  of  cultivation  and  beautifully  improved 
them. 

No  more  settlers  came  in  here  until  after 
the  Indian  outbreak,  or,  in  fact,  until  about 
the  close  of  the  late  war. 

Prominent  among  the  older  residents  of 
the  town  who,  although  not  early  settlers, 
still  have  done  much  toward  its  development, 
are  the  following — Daniel  Danielson,  Hans 
H.  Johnson,  John  Murphy,  John  Johnson, 
John  Henderson,  Henry  Solomonson,  John 
Ogren,  Isaac  Johnson,  P.  C.  Hanson,  Cliris- 
tian  Hanson,  Christian  and  Lars  Easmusson, 
Otho  Phihps,  Lars  Hanson,  P.  C.  Finelius, 
Charles  Finelius,  L.  P.  Frederickson,  Nels 
Frederickson,  Jens  Hink,  Lewis  Johnson, 
Andrew  Dahl,  Peter  Elberg,  John  Brown, 
Paul  Nelson,  Hans  Falk,  John  Eklund, 
Christian  Nelson,  Andrew  Ogren,  Peter 
Thorenson,  Christian  Thorenson,  Henry 
Philips,  Andrew  Swan,  Charles  Johnson  and 
Peter  Mortenson. 

The  first  birth  in  the  town  was  that  of 
Arnt,  the  son  of  C.  L.  Hanson,  who  was  born 
November  13,  18GG. 

The  first  death  was  that  of  Arnt,  the  son 
of  C.  L.  Hanson,  who  died  June  Ifi,  1868. 


The  first  marriage  was  that  which  united 
the  lives  of  O.  K.  Nelson  and  Miss  Mary 
Danielson,  in  18G8. 

Tiie  first  school  was  taugiit  by  Miss  Lizzie 
Martin,  in  1869. 

The  pioneer  religious  meeting  was  lield  in 
the  scliool-house,  on  section  2,  in  1869. 

Tlie  first  church  in  the  town  was  named 
Arnt  Dalil,  l)eing  a  combination  of  the  names 
of  the  first  person  to  die  in  the  town,  Arnt 
Hanson,  and  tlie  name  of  the  minister,  Ilev. 
Mr.  Dahl. 

Danielson  was  for  some  years  a  part  of  a 
precinct  composed  of  the  towns  of  Swede 
Grove,  Acton  and  Danielson,  but  March  12, 
1872,  it  was  set  off  and  organized  with  its 
present  boundaries.  Among  those  prominent 
in  the  organization  were  the  following  named : 
Daniel  Danielson,  who  was  elected  clerk; 
Ole  K.  Nelson,  chairman  of  the  town  board  ; 
O.  Solomonson  and  C.  Fernelius,  supervis- 
ors; Berger  Anderson,  treasurer;  C.  L. 
Hanson,  justice;  Daniel  Danielson,  assessor, 
and  Lars  liasmusson,  constable. 

Tlie  present  oiRcers  are — Supervisors,  Eme- 
lius  Nelson,  chairman,  'Wiiliam  Nelson  and 
Lewis  Peterson;  clerk,  Peter  Mortenson; 
treasurer,  L.  P.  Sorenson  ;  justices,  Alfred 
Johnson  and  J.  B.  Dahl ;  constables,  J.  P. 
Hanson  and  August  Nelson ;  overseers  of 
highways,  S.  Morton,  J.  K.  Brown,  Frank 
Holmgren,  August  Nelson ;  assessor,  Jens 
Hink. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

LITCHFIELD  TOWNSHIP. 

^HE  territory  known  as  Litchfield 
township  is  in  the  third  tier  from 
y  the  north  line  of  the  county,  and 
the  second  from  the  western  bounelary.  It 
embraces  all  of  congressional  township  118 
north  of  range  31  west,  and  contains  about 


MEEKER  COUATTY,  MINNESOTA. 


571 


24,407  acres,  2,895  of  which  are  covered  with 
water,  and  about  a  like  extent  with  timber. 
The  prairie  land  is  mostly  higli  and  suf- 
ficiently undulating  and  rolling  to  afford 
ample  drainage,  and  add  to  its  picturesque- 
ness  and  adaptability  for  tlie  uses  of  agricul- 
ture. There  are  several  beautiful  lakes 
within  the  limits  of  this  subdivision  of  the 
county,  the  largest  and  most  important  of 
which  is  Lake  Kipley,  on  the  edge  of  the  cor- 
porate village  of  Litchfield.  This  lovely 
sheet  of  water  was  named  in  honor  of  Dr. 
Frederick  N.  Ripley,  one  of  the  earliest  set- 
tlers of  the  county,  who  was  frozen  to  death 
near  its  banlcs  in  the  winter  of  lS55-'56,  as 
detailed  elsewhere. 

The  first  settlement  of  this  township  was 
made  in  Jul}^  1850,  by  a  party  of  Norwegian 
emigrants,  who  had  moved  hither  from  Rock 
county,  Wis.  Their  names  were  Ole  Halver- 
son  Ness,  Henry  Ilalverson,  Ole  Halverson 
Thon,  Amos  Nelson  Fosen,  Nels  Hanson 
Colberg-  and  Gunder  Olson.  Ness,  Halver- 
son and  Thon  had  families,  which  they 
brought  with  them ;  the  others  were,  at  the 
time,  single  men.  The  entire  party  took  up 
claims  and  settled  in  the  southwest  part  of 
the  township,  one  of  the  most  picturesque 
localities  in  the  county. 

Among  the  other  settlers  of  the  year  1856 
may  be  named  the  following  :  William  Ben- 
son, Swen  and  Nels  Swenson,  Michael  Len- 
hardt,  Ferdinand,  Christian,  Frederick  and 
Wilham  Cook. 

In  1857  quite  a  number  found  homes  in 
this  town.  Some  are  here  still,  a  portion 
have  moved  away,  and  others  have  been 
called  away  by  death.  The  names  of  the 
settlers  of  this  year  are — Bengt  Hanson,  John 
Larson,  and  his  four  sons,  Nels,  Andrew, 
Peter  E.  and  Lewis ;  Hogen  Peterson,  Thorl- 
son  J.  Cornelius,  Ole  Amundson,  Nels  Dan- 
ielson,  Kittel  Haroldson,  Henry  J.  Johnson, 
Ole  Kittelson,  Jesse  V.  Branham,  Sr.,  and 
his  sons,  Jesse  V.,  Jr.,  William  and  Edward; 


Oscar  Erickson,  Nels  Clements,  Ola  John- 
son, and  Louis  and  Maximillian  Cook. 

Among  the  settlers  of  1858  were  the  fol- 
lowing named — Iver  Jackson,  Bengt  Nelson, 
John  and  Thomas  McGannon.  No  more 
can  be  named  b\'  the  old  settlers,  \vho  were 
interviewed,  but  there  possibly  may  have 
been  one  or  two  more.  Times  were  hard 
during  these  years,  and  all  suffered  many 
privations,  and  nearly  all  were  glad  of  any 
shelter,  even  if  no  better  than  a  "dugout." 
Money  was  almost  an  unknown  quantity,  at 
the  time,  but  in  spite  of  the  drawbacks  and 
discouragements  of  those  early  days  those 
who  have  remained  have  reaped  their  reward 
in  their  fine  farms  and  elegant  homes.  The 
town  now  has  a  population  of  1,100  people, 
outside  of  the  village  of  Litchfield,  which  is 
situated  within  its  borders. 

The  first  house  in  the  township  was  the 
log  cabin  of  Henry  Ilalverson,  built  in  the 
summer  of  1856. 

The  first  birth  was  that  of  Ole  T.,  son  of 
Henry  Halverson,  who  was  born  December 
11,  1856.  He  is  the  first  male  child  born  in 
the  county. 

The  first  death  was  that  of  Dr.  Frederick 
N.  Ripley,  who  froze  to  death  on  the  banks 
of  Lake  Ripley,  March  3,  1 856. 

The  first  barn  built  was  that  of  Ole  H. 
Ness,  who  lived  in  it  during  the  first  sum- 
mei',  his  house  not  being  finished  until  win- 
ter. 

The  pioneer  church  services  were  held  at 
the  residence  of  Ole  H.  Ness,  in  the  fall  of 
1858,  by  Rev.  AYm.  Frederickson,  a  minister 
of  the  Norwegian  Church,  from  Goodhue 
county,  this  State. 

The  first  school  was  taught  by  John  Black- 
well  in  1860,  at  the  house  of  Ole  II.  Ness, 
who  employed  and  paid  the  teacher. 

The  first  school  meeting  was  held  at  the 
house  of  Mr.  Ness,  December  7,  1861,  at 
which  Amos  Nelson  Fosen  was  chairman, 
and  John  Blackwell,  clerk.     The  first  direc- 


572 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


tors  chosen  were  Thomas  McGannon,  Ivittle 
Hai'oldson  ami   Ole  Ilalverson  Ness. 

The  Imihliiigof  the  first  school-house  was 
commenced  in  the  summer  of  1862,  on  the 
farm  of  ().  II.  Ness,  but  on  account  of  the 
Indian  troubles  was  not  finished  until  some 
time  after  the  war.  A  substantial  brick  edi- 
fice, used  for  the  same  ]iurpose,  marks  the 
site  of  the  original  l)uil(ling. 

This  to\v)i  was  originally  a  portion  of 
Hound  Lake  townshiji,  but  seems  to  have 
been  known  also  as  liipley,  from  the  lake  of 
that  name;  but  no  record  of  such  exists. 
On  the  .5th  of  April,  1858,  the  board  of 
County  Commissioners  ordered  its  organiza- 
tion under  the  name  of  Ness,  after  O.  H. 
Ness,  one  of  its  oldest  settlers.  It  continued 
to  bear  that  name  until  1869,  when,  on  a 
petition  of  its  citizens,  the  name  was  changed 
to  its  present  form.  The  officers  of  the  town 
in  1888,  are  the  following  named :  Super- 
visors, John  Rodange,  Bengt  Hanson,  and 
G.  B.  Strobeck ;  town  clerk,  Aaron  Lied- 
holm  ;  treasurer,  A.  J.  Kevell ;  justice  of  the 
peace,  J.  II.  Bacon ;  assessor,  AV.  II.  Dart ; 
constable,  G.  S.  Sholes  ;  road  ovei'seers,  An- 
drew Mattson,  Peter  II.  Petei'son,  John  Chil- 
strom,  Peter  Mortenson,  Swan  Swanson  ; 
poundmaster,  H.  M.  Angler. 


-«- 


CHAPTER  XYIII. 

COSMOS   TOWNSHIP. 

LL  OF  tiie  territory  technically 
^  known  as  townshi]),  117  north  of 
range  32  west,  is  embraced  in  one 
civil  town  under  the  name  of  Cosmos,  and 
contains  an  area  equivalent  to  23,030  acres, 
but  542  acres  of  which  are  covered  with  the 
waters  of  the  numerous  lakes  that  stud  its 
surface.  The  land,  which  is  a  low  lying 
level  prairie,  is  susceptible  of  high  culture, 
and  excellent  authority  claims  for  it  a  high 


degree  of  adajitabdity  for  wheat  raising. 
The  soil  is  a  kindly,  warm  and  quick,  black 
loam,  and  wonderfully  suited  to  the  growth 
of  all  indigenous  grasses,  and  hence,  this  is 
an  excellent  place  for  stock  raising. 

The  jiioneer  settler  in  Cosmos  was  Daniel 
Jackman,  who  first  came  here  in  1867,  and 
made  a  claim  upon  which  he  settled,  with  his 
family,  in  May,  1868. 

The  same  season  the  following  named  made 
their  appearance  here,  and,  taking  home- 
steads, settled :  John  Jameson,  Isaac  Laj'- 
ton,  Hans  H.  Hanson,  Iver  H.  Thompson, 
Ole  K.  Nelson,  Ole  Olson,  H.  W.  Young, 
Daniel  Hoyt,  Edward  Chamberlain,  Ezra 
Mathews,  Nelson  Eddy,  J.  M.  McDonald  and 
Orrin  A.  Phelps. 

The  settlers  of  1S69  were  the  following 
named  :  Samuel  Hutchinson,  C.  H.  Ducker- 
ing,  Elisha  L.  Grindall,  Christian  Ilalvorson, 
Albert  Amermen,  J.  T.  Royce,  Thomas 
Royce,  A.  B.  Watson,  Ralph  D.  Waterman, 
Lewis  Ilalverson  and  John  Rastus. 

The  first  birth  in  the  town  was  that  of  a 
daughter  of  Samuel  Hutchinson,  born  Janu- 
ary 18,  1-871. 

The  first  boy  was  born  March  27,  1871, 
child  of  WiUard  C.  Amerman,  and  was 
named  Albert. 

The  first  tleath  was  that  of  John  T.  Royce, 
who  died  K\W\\  16,  1871. 

The  first  marriage  was  that  of  Ole  K.  Nel- 
son and  Miss  ]\rai-y  Danielson  in  1S69. 

The  first  school  was  taught  in  the  spring 
of  1870,  at  the  house  of  J.  T.  Royce,  with 
Miss  Lily  Cathcart  as  the  teacher.  The  first 
school-house  was  built  in  1871,  and  in  this 
structure  Miss  Nellie  Barrack  was  the 
pioneer  instructor. 

The  first  wlieat  crop  raised  in  the  town 
was  by  Isaac  Layton  and  H.  W.  Young,  in 
1868.     They  also  did  the  first  breaking. 

The  first  house  was  built  by  t).  Jackman, 
in  the  summer  of  1868. 

Tlie  first  I'eligious  services  were  held  by 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


573 


Rev.  Mr.  Kennedy,  a  Methodist  divine,  in 
1S73,  at   the  scliool-howse  above  mentioned. 

In  1S74  a  postoffice  was  established  in  the 
town,  under  the  name  of  Cosmos,  with  John 
A.  Jameson  as  postmaster.  Two  j'ears  hiter 
he  was  succeeded  by  Isaac  L.ayton,  and  in 
1S7S,  Daniel  Jackman  was  commissioned. 
The  latter  held  the  position  until  1S80,  when 
he  resigned,  and  Mrs.  Jackman  was  appointed 
postmistress. 

The  town  was  duly  organized  January  25, 
1870,  at  a  meeting  held  at  the  house  of  Dan- 
iel Jackman.  The  first  officers  were  D. 
Jackman,  chairman,  and  John  Jameson  and 
Albert  Amerman,  supervisors ;  Daniel  Hoyt, 
clerk;  J.  II.  Thompson,  treasurer;  D.  Jack- 
man,  assessor;  Oren  Phelps  and  E.  M.  Ma- 
thews, justices.  At  this  election  the  total 
number  of  votes  cast  was  but  nine.  The 
present  (1888)  officers  are  the  following- — 
Supervisors,  J.  A.  Town  (chairman),  F.  A. 
Twombly  and  Peter  Hanson  ;  clerk,  Daniel 
Jackman;  treasurer,  C.  A.  Oilman;  asses- 
sor, Daniel  Jackman ;  constable,  Frank 
Twombly ;  justice  of  the  peace,  C.  A.  Gil- 
man  ;  road  overseers.  Daniel  Jackman,  C. 
A.  Gilnian,  Daniel  Cashman,  John  M.  iKel- 
son. 


-■*- 


CIIAPTEPt  XIX. 

UNION  GROVE  TOWNSHIP. 

^HAT  portion  of  Meeker  county  em- 
braced within  the  boundaries  of 
Congressional  townsliip  121,  north 
of  i-ange  32  west,  is  known  as  the  town  of 
Union  Grove.  It  is  one  of  the  most  beauti- 
ful in  the  county,  the  surface  being  diversi- 
fied by  alternate  prairie  and  timber.  It  con- 
tains 23,025.25  acres  within  its  limits,  706.26 
of  which  are  covered  by  the  waters  of  the 
lakes  and  rivers  that  add  loveliness  to  the 
apjiearance   of    tiie   country.     The    soil,    a 


warm,  sandy  loam,  is  wonderfully  fertile, 
and  in  quickness  of  growth  is  not  surpassed 
in  the  county. 

The  pioneer  settlement  here  was  made  in 
1856,  by  Lyman  Allen,  Andrew  Hamilton, 
Lyman  Baker  and  Mr.  Haywood. 

In  the  same  year,  also,  settlements  were 
made  by  James  Hamilton,  S.  H.  Caswell, 
James  Nelson,  Cyrus  Lewis,  John  W.  Good- 
speed,  Mr.  Brawn,  Alonzo  Cook,  S.  Dickin- 
son, Judson  Pierson  and  William  "Wheeler. 

Those  who  found  homes  in  this  part  of  the 
county  in  1857  were  the  following :  Thomas 
Ryckman,  Jeremiah  Leaming,  Moody  Cas- 
well, Alonzo  M.  Caswell,  Albert  Caswell, 
Charles  and  AVilmot  Maybee,  James  A.  Lee, 
James  Shears.  AVilliam  Wilcox,  Albert 
Bridges,  Florinda  Bryant,  AVilliam  Rodgers. 

D.  B.  Hoar  was  also  an  old  settler  here. 

From  the  year  1857  until  after  the  Indian 
outbreak,  but  few  came  to  this  part  of  the 
county  to  make  a  settlement,  and  most  of 
those,  leaving  during  those  exciting  times, 
never  to  return,  have  passed  out  of  the  mem- 
ory of  the  residents.  The  details  regarding 
many  of  these  will  be  found  in  the  l)io- 
graphical  department. 

Among  the  first  events  that  happened  in 
this  subdivision  of  the  county  were  the  fol- 
lowing : 

The  first  marriage  was  that  of  James  Nel- 
son and  Miss  Elizabeth  Caswell,  April  15, 
18.57. 

The  first  birth  is  believed  to  have  l)een 
that  of  the  son  of  the  above  parties,  born 
in  1858.  His  name  is  William  Xelson. 

The  first  school  was  taught  in  a  small  log 
cabin  owned  by  Nathan  Caswell,  in  1859,  by 
Miss  Mary  Caswell,  now  Mrs.  Gould. 

The  first  school-house  was  erected  in  1867, 
on  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  24,  and 
Miss  Yina  McXabb  was  the  first  teacher 
there. 

The  first  religious  services  were  held  at  the 
house  of  Thomas  Rvckman  in  1865,  b\'  the 


574 


MEEKER    COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


Rev.  George  Hardy.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Gris- 
wold,  a  Metliodist  divine  from  St.  Cloud, 
held  regular  services  in  the  school-house 
above  mentioned  during  ISOG. 

Baker,  Allen  and  Lewis  were  the  tirst  to 
raise  a  crop  of  wheat. 

The  first  death  was  that  of  Mrs.  Hannah 
B.  Caswell,  in  January,  1859. 

The  town  was  organized  at  a  meeting  held 
at  the  house  of  Tiiomas  Ryckman,  April  30, 
1886.  At  that  time  C.  D.  Hill  was  chosen 
chairman  of  the  meeting ;  C.  W.  Putiier, 
George  W.  Hardy,  and  David  Newcomb, 
judges  of  election ;  Ciiarles  H.  McCune,  clerk. 
It  was  voted  to  hold  the  next  election  at  the 
house  of  Thomas  Ryckman,  and  also  to  raise 
the  sum  of  two  dollai's  h\  tax,  to  pay  Mrs. 
Ryckman  for  cleaning  up  after  them.  The 
officers  elected  were  as  follows — Lucien  J. 
Perry,  chairman,  and  A.  T.  Rentier  and 
David  Newcomb,  supervisors ;  C.  H.  Mc- 
Cune, clerk  ;  A.  T.  Rentier,  assessor ;  C.  "W. 
Puther  and  G.  AV.  Hardy,  justices;  James 
Nelson  and  AVilliam  Stockdale,  constables, 
and  S.  O.  Cajfipbeli,  treasurer. 

The  officers  for  1888  are  as  follows — Super- 
visors. Ole  M.  Johnson  (chairman),  John 
Hunter,  Jr.,  and  J.  W.  Torrey ;  clerk,  O.  B. 
Vose ;  treasurer,  D.  B.  Hoar ;  justices  of  the 
peace,  Jeremiah  Learning  and  Solomon  R. 
Wright ;  assessor,  C.  A.  Merrill ;  constable, 
T.  J.  Barrie. 


-«" 


-<►• 


CHAPTER  XX. 

FOREST    PRAIRIE    TOWNSHIP. 

*HE  town  of  Forest  Prairie  lies  in 
the  extreme  northern  part  of  the 
l^  county,  and  is  technically  known 
as  township  121,  north  of  range  30  west.  It 
comprises  2?,807  acres  of  surface,  51:2.47 
acres  of  which  arc,  however,  covered  by  the 
waters  of  the  several  lakes.  It  is  situated 
in  a  portion  of  "The  Big  "Woods,"  and  much 


of  it  is  still  covered  by  the  primeval  growth 
of  "century-old"'  timber.  In  this,  the  indus- 
trious hand  of  the  sturdy  pioneer  has  cleared 
up  farms,  and  tlie  soil,  thus  denuded  of  its 
leafy  covering,  is  of  a  wonderful  richness  and 
fertility.  In  its  pristine  state  there  was  not 
one  acre  of  prairie  in  it,  but  it  was  entirely 
covered  by  trees,  hence  the  late  date  of  its 
settlement,  the  earlier  pioneers  prefering  to 
take  up  their  homes  and  till  the  soil  of  the 
prairie,  already  fitted  to  their  hands. 

The  pioneers  of  this  part  of  the  county 
were  Merritt  B.  Case,  Charles  T.  Grote  and 
James  Ilooser,  who  came  in  LSiiH,  and  here 
found  the  homes  they  sought.  They  learned 
that  "  here,  too,  lands  could  be  had  for  the 
asking,  and  forests  of  timber  with  a  few 
blows  of  the  axe  were  hewn  and  framed  into 
houses,"  and  in  the  primitive  structures 
thus  erected  settled  down  to  the  hard  labor 
of  clearing  the  heavy  timber  off  the  land,  and 
opening  up  farms  in  the  "  forest  primeval." 
Following  them  came  R.  K.  Beecham.  Hiram 
Bentley,  Benjamin  F.  S]iaukling,  Perry  D. 
Bentley,  Charles  F.  Spaulding,  Monroe  Ab- 
bott, the  widow  Waldron  and  her  son  Syl- 
vester, George  Smith,  J.  W.  Polk,  M.  J. 
Roach,  William  Keilty,  John  Mayer,  Sidney 
Webb,  Sidney  Scribner,  J.  S.  Reynolds  and 
a  few  others,  who  also  settled  in  the  "  Big 
Woods." 

Among  the  more  prominent  arrivals  of  the 
year  1867,  in  what  is  now  Forest  Prairie 
townshij),  were  the  following  named,  most  of 
whom  iierinanentlv  located  here — W.  D. 
Stores,  H.R.Williams,  Casper  Hawkinberry, 
Peter  Keilty.  Stephen  Cornwell,  Dennis 
Monroe,  Daniel  Duffy,  William  Wertz,  Aus- 
tin Brower  and  quite  a  number  of  others,  for 
as  soon  as  the  way  was  led  to  these  leafy 
shades,  the  tide  of  immigration  followed  fast, 
and  quite  a  number  of  claims  were  taken 
chat  summer.  The  hard  and  laborious  work 
of  clearing  off  the  umbrageous  covering,  the 
digging  and  grubbing  out  the  roots,  iiad  long 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


575 


deterred  the  settlers  from  opening  up  these 
lands,  but  with  the  close  of  the  war,  another 
class  of  immigrants  came.  These  were  the 
sturdy  woodsmen  from  the  forests  of  Indi- 
ana, Ohio,  Kentucky  and  A'irginia,  and  these 
preferred  the  timber  lands.  Their  untiring 
energy  has  brought  its  reward,  and  their 
thrift  has  enabled  many  of  thena  to  advance 
themselves  well  toward  an  easy  competence. 

Eli  Boring  and  Christian  and  Joseph  Vos- 
sen  were  among  those  who  settled  here  in 
1868. 

The  first  birth  within  the  limits  of  the 
town  is  believed  to  have  been  that  of  twin 
children,  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  George  Smith, 
in  the  fall  of  186(5. 

The  death  of  the  first  white  person  was 
that  of  Mrs.  George  Smith,  whose  decease 
took  place  some  time  in  the  fall  of  1866. 

The  first  school  was  taught  by  Mrs.  James 
Hooser,  on  section  26,  in  the  summer  of  1868. 

The  town  was  duly  organized  July  10, 
1867,  at  which  time  the  following  named 
took  a  jn'ominent  part  in  the  proceedings: 
M.  B.  Case,  C.  T.  Grote,  James  Hooser,  B. 
K.  Beecham,  C.  F.  Spaulding  and  nearly  all 
the  settlers  at  that  time  within  tlie  limits  of 
the  subdivision  of  the  county. 

The  present  officers  are  as  follows :  Super- 
visors, J.  T.  Ilagan  (chairman),  James  Brower 
and  Theodore  Ackerman ;  clerk,  Wm.  M. 
Abbott ;  treasurer,  Michael  Hesse ;  assessor, 
A.  R.  Fisher ;  constable,  C.  F.  Spaulding ; 
justice  of  the  peace,  M.  J.  McCarthy ;  road 
overseers,  John  Ilarjjer,  J.  T.  Hagan,  Stephen 
Feucker,  Thomas  Casey,  John  Boden,  H.  R. 
"Williams,  A.  R.  Fisher,  Joseph  Teller,  Thos. 
Keilty,  Nick  Bauer,  Peter  Pagan,  Louis 
Wertzburg,  Martin  Thelan  and  A.  R.  Vossen. 

The  village  of  AYatkins  was  laid  out  by 
Danville  D.  Spaulding,  Alonzo  Spaulding  and 
the  railroad  company  in  June,  1887,  and  the 
plat  filed  for  record  August  22,  of  the  same 
year.  It  is  located  upon  the  east  half  of  the 
nortliwest  quarter  of  the  southeast  quarter, 


and  the  west  half  of  the  northeast  quarter  of 
the  southeast  quarter  of  section  2. 

Owing  to  its  youth  there  is  but  little  busi- 
ness doing  there  as  yet. 

Joseph  Vossen  and  A.  D.  Spaulding  were 
the  pioneer  merchants  commencing  here 
before  the  inception  of  the  village  in  1887. 
Six  months  later  Mr.  Vossen  bought  out  his 
partner,  and  now  runs  it  alone.  This,  the 
lumber  yard  and  grain  warehouse  constitute 
the  business  of  the  place,  but  it  may  gi'ow  to 
considerable  importance  in  the  future,  as  its 
location  is  an  excellent  one. 


This 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

ACTON  TOWNSHIP. 

MOST    beautiful    and    picturesque 
^     part   of   Meeker  county   is  com- 

xi^.     prised  within  the  limits  of  Acton. 

subdivision  lies  in  the  center  of  the 
western  tier  of  townships,  and  embraces  all 
of  Congressional  township  119  north  of 
range  32  west.  Lakes  and  ponds  inter- 
spersed with  groves  of  timber  and  openings 
of  prairie,  the  diversity  of  the  landscape  is 
its  chief  beauty,  while  the  excellence  of  the 
soil  doubtless  attracted  the  earlier  settlers' 
attention,  as  well  as  the  loveliness  of  the 
surroundings.  It  contains  10,842  acres  of 
arable  and  timber  land,  and  an  area  equal  to 
3,130  acres  of  water,  and  is  noted  for  the 
fertility  of  the  rich,  dark,  sandy  loam  that 
covers  its  surface. 

The  first  settlers  in  this  garden  spot  were 
Peter  J.  Lund,  Nels  Waylander,  and  Jessa 
Winquist,  three  Swedes,  who  came  here 
earl}^  in  1857,  and  took  up  their  residence. 
Mr.  Lund  settled  on  section  4,  where  he 
made  his  home  for  a  numi)er  of  years,  but  is 
now  living  west  of  Grove  City.  Waylander 
lives  in  the  village,  and  Winquist  resides  on 
his  oriffinal  claim. 


576 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


During  tlie  same  year  tliere  were  several 
otliei's  who  found  lionies  in  this  town,  aniono- 
■whom  were  the  following  named  :  Jolin  and 
Peter  Eitchie,  Eobinson  Jones.  Howard 
Baker,  Airs.  Ann  P>aker,  Ahram  Kelley.  John 
Blackwell,  Cajjtain  Robinson,  and  Joim 
"Wiiiqnist. 

Among  the  few  that  located  here  between 
that  time  and  the  jieriod  of  the  Indian 
massacre  were  Mathias  Paulson,  Paul  M. 
Paulson,  in  1859,  and  Peter,  and  John  P. 
Johnson  and  Ole  Larson,  in  1861. 

The  fearful  tragedy,  known  as  the  Indian 
outbreak,  commenced  in  this  town,  as  is  de- 
tailed at  full  length  in  the  history  of  the 
massacre  in  this  volume.  Isot  only  did  all 
the  survivors  of  that  bloody  Sabbath  flee  the 
country,  but  for  sevei-al  years  only  few  came 
here  to  take  their  place,  nor  did  they  return. 

Among  the  settlers  of  tiie  next  ten  years, 
who  have  so  materially  assisted  toward  the 
development  and  upbuilding  of  the  town  and 
the  develojiment  of  its  resources,  may  be 
mentioned  the  following  named — John  Blom- 
berg,  August  Davidson,  Hans  Cristoferson, 
Thomas  Johnson,  John  Lnnke,  Bersvend 
Thorp,  Lars  Christianson,  ().  P.  Draxten, 
Peter  Brandt,  Sever  Johnson,  P.  O.  Eiden, 
Ole  P.  Eiden,  Ole  Peterson,  O.  M.  Linnell,  Ole 
P.  O.  Engen,  John  Syng,  and  P.  M.  Peterson. 

The  first  birth  was  that  of  a  son  of  Peter 
Eitchie,  which  occurred  in  1859. 

The  first  school  was  taught  at  the  house  of 
Nels  Waylander,  on  section  4,  in  1859,  by  a 
man  by  the  name  of  Algreen. 

The  ]>ioneer  religious  services  were  held  at 
the  same  cabin  in  1858,  by  Eev.  John  Eob- 
son,  a  Methodist  divine. 

As  to  the  first  death  and  first  marriage 
there  are  numerous  opinions,  and  the  com- 
mittee could  not  decide,  as  many  of  the 
older  settlors  have  left  this  part  of  the  county, 
and  exact  liates  can  not  be  given. 

Acton  was  set  off  and  organized  in  April, 
1858,  and  then  embraced  all  the  territory 


now  constituting  the  town  of  Danielson  and 
the  south  half  of  Swede  Grove,  besides  its 
present  jurisdiction. 

Nearly  all  the  settlers  here  at  the  time 
took  an  active  part  in  the  matter,  and  much 
interest  was  manifested  in  the  outcome. 

The  officers  of  the  town  for  the  current 
year  (1888)  are  the  following  named  :  Nels 
Waylander,  chairman  of  the  town  board ; 
O.  T.  0.  Lee  and  J.  P.  Berg,  supervisors ;  O. 
M.  Linnell,  clerk ;  Nels  A.  Draxten,  treas- 
urer ;  John  Paulson,  assessor,  and  Peder  Pet- 
terson  Swenaas,  justice  of  the  peace. 

TUE  VILLAGE  OF  GROVE  CITY. 

Grove  City  was  laid  out  and  platted  by 
the  St.  Paul  &  Pacific  Eailroad  Company,  on 
the  northeast  quarter  of  section  3,  of  this 
township,  in  the  summer  of  1870,  the  plat  of 
which  was  filed  for  record  with  the  county 
register  of  deeds,  August  26,  1870.  One  ad- 
dition has  since  been  added  to  the  original 
site  bv  the  same  corporation,  the  plat  of 
whicii  was  filed  September  11,  1877. 

Among  the.  very  first  settlers  of  the  village 
were  Olaf  Levander,  A.  P.  Nelson,  Swan 
Hokanson,  George  Okeson,  Mark  W.  Piper, 
A.  S.  "Wilcox,  Andrew  Okeson  and  E.  P. 
Eklund. 

The  first  dwelling-house  on  the  site  of  the 
new  village  was  erected  by  Olaf  Levander,  in 
the  spring  of  1870.  About  the  same  time  a 
house  was  put  u]>  by  the  railroad  company 
for  the  section  hands,  and  the  next  one  was 
built  by  Swan  Hok.anson. 

The  business  life  of  the  village  commenced 
the  fall  of  1869,  when  Ilines,  Kimball  & 
Beedy,  of  Kingston,  ])ut  uj)  a  store  building 
and  opened  a  stock  of  genei'al  merchandise, 
uniler  the  charge  of  M.  W.  Piper.  Two  years 
afterward  this  was  sold  to  W.  "W.  Hobbs, 
who  finally  died,  when  the  pro]>erty  was  ])ur- 
chased  bv  Nels  Luberg,  and  the  goods  by 
Nels  Elofson ;  the  latter  closed  them  out 
shortlv  after. 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


577 


The  second  store  was  opened  in  1870,  by 
Larson  &  Dahlquist.  A  year  or  two  after, 
Louis  Larson  purchasing  his  partner's  inter- 
est, became  sole  proprietor,  and  thus  operated 
it  for  three  years,  and  then  closed  out  the 
goods  and  moved  to  Atwatei'. 

0.  H.  Peterson  started  a  store  in  1876,  and 
in  Jul}',  1878,  was  succeeded  by  Peterson, 
Nelson  &  Co.  This  firm  was  succeeded,  on 
the  death  of  Mr.  Peterson,  by  Dudley  &  Nel- 
son, and  in  their  hands  it  remained  some 
three  j'ears.  I.  Hooper  then  became  a  part- 
ner, but  was  bought  out  again,  and  A.  P. 
Nelson  disposed  of  his  mterest  to  O.  L.  Dud- 
ley, who,  in  turn,  sold  out  the  business. 
Eeitan  &  Christensen  are  the  present  propri- 
etors. 

The  pioneer  blacksmith  shop  was  put  uji  by 
E.  P.  Eklund,  in  the  fall  of  1869,  and  he  still 
carries  on  the  business. 

The  first  hotel,  which  was  known  as  the 
Swede  Grove  House,  was  erected  bv  Louis 
Olson  in  1874,  and  run  by  him  until  his 
death  ;  afterward  his  widow  rented  it  to  M. 
J.  Paulson.  The  latter  purchased  the  prop- 
erty in  1879,  and  continued  the  landlord  of 
the  Grove  House,  for  he  ciianged  its  name, 
until  the  spring  of  1888,  when  he  leased  it  to 
S.  D.  Kingstrom,  the  present  host. 

The  business  of  the  place  is  represented  by 
the  following  firms :  Reitau  &  Christensen, 
general  merchandise;  O.  N.  Lindell,  hard- 
ware and  furniture;  Fenstad  ik:  Grinsgard, 
general  merchandise;  A.  O.  Lawson  &  Co., 
clothing  and  general  merchandise;  M.  A. 
Brown,  general  merchandise ;  A.  J.  Florin, 
boots  and  shoes ;  Hans  Norgood,  boots  and 
shoes;  Otto  Dersch, agricultural  implements, 
stock  dealer,  butcher  siio]),  flour  and  feed ; 
John  Harstad,  liarber  and  confectionary ; 
Olaf  Jorgenson,  harness;  P.  J.  Malnupiist, 
E.  P.  Eklund  and  Ole  B.  Anderson,  black- 
smitlis ;  Bresden  Ar  Hawkinson,  lumber; 
Eklund  &  Nelson,  agricultural  implements ; 
O.  N.    Lindell,  drugs;  Ole   Palirson,  Peter 


Redin,  Nels  Lagergren  and  Nels  Elofson, 
saloons;  E.  N.  Hanson,  wheat  buyer  and 
flour  depot ;  Swen  Hawkinson,  jewelry, 
clocks,  etc.;  Dudle}'  &  Nelson,  insurance ; 
and  the  three  elevators  of  Dudley  &  Nelson, 
C.  E.  Sundberg  and  the  Northwestern  Eleva- 
tor Co. 

The  village  of  Grove  City  was  incorpora- 
ted as  such,  by  an  act  of  the  State  Legisla- 
ture, passed  February  14,  1878.  At  that 
time  tlie  Secretary  of  State  appointed  C.  J. 
Erickson,  Nels  Paulson  and  A.  S.  "Wilcox  as 
commissioners  to  issue  the  notices  for  the 
first  election,  and  to  govern  the  balloting  at 
the  time.  At  this  election  there  were  chosen 
the  following  officers :  A.  S.  "Wilcox,  presi- 
dent of  the  village  board  ;  Nels  Paulson, 
recorder ;  C.  J.  Erickson,  treasurer  ;  and  N. 
Loberg,  C.  C.  Eeitan,  and  P.  J.  Malmquist, 
trustees.  The  first  meeting  of  the  new  gov- 
ernment met  March  1,  1878,  when  most  of 
the  officers  were  duly  sworn  in.  The  gov- 
ernment of  the  village  is  vested  at  present 
(spring  of  1888)  in  the  following  gentle- 
men :  O.  N.  Lindell,  president ;  P.  J.  Malm- 
quist, Otto  Dersch  and  A.  O.  Lawson, 
trustees ;  John  N.  Gaynor,  recorder ;  A.  P 
Nelson,  treasurer ;  N.  E.  Hanson  and  N. 
Loberg,  justices;  and  J.  J.  Hartstad  and 
Olaf  Ask,  constables.  C.  C.  Eeitan  was 
president  of  the  village  board  for  three 
terms,  Init  prefers  to  eschew  politics  for  the 
present. 

Grove  City  Lodge,  No.  69,  A.  O.  U.  ^ .,  of 
this  village,  was  organized  November  4, 1880, 
with  the  following  named  charter  members: 
N.  M.  Holm,  J.  "W.  Jamison,  N.  Paulson,  C. 
M.  Carlson.  H.  P.  Stark,  George  T.  McKin- 
ney,  J.  T.  Ally,  Olaf  Levander,  L.  N.  Lund, 
A.  P.  Nelson,  P.  N.  Engstrom,  A.  "W.  Lar- 
son, lion.  O.  M.  Linnell,  N.  E.  Hanson,  C.  E- 
Lindberg  and  John  Christensen.  On  organ- 
ization, officers  were  chosen,  of  whom  the 
following  is  the  roll :  N.  M.  Holm,  P.  "W.  M.; 
N.   Paulson,  rec;  H.  P.  Stark,  fin.;    N.   E. 


578 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


Hanson,  receiver;  J.  W.  Jamison,  G.;  P.  N. 
Engstrom,  I.  W.;  A.  W.  Larson,  O.  W.  Tlie 
lodge  is  in  a  very  healthy  condition,  and  is 
one  of  the  noble  benevolent  orders  that  are 
of  so  much  benefit  to  the  families  of  the 
members  in  cases  of  sickness  and  death. 
The  present  officers  are:  A.  P.  Nelson,  P. 
M.  W.;  O.  N.  Lindell,  M.  W.;  D.  A.  Roos, 
O.;  N.  N.  Waylander,  F.;  J.  N.  Gaynor,  R.  ; 
C.  C.  Reitan,  receiver ;  A.  O.  Lawson,  fin.; 
J.  J.  Harstad,  G.;  P.  Paulson,  I.  W.;  H. 
Simonson,  O.  W.,  and  J.  Christensen,  D.  D. 
G.  M.  W. 

There  are  three  churches  in  the  village,  all 
having  neat  and  tasty  edifices  for  worship. 
They  are  the  Swedish  Baptist,  Swedish 
Lutheran  and  the  Norwegian  Lutheran. 

The  ])ostoffice,  whicli  is  the  old  Swede 
Grove  postoffice,  brought  to  the  village  by 
Olaf  Levander  in  1870,  has  been  presided  over 
since  his  administration  by  Nels  M.  Holm, 
N.  P.  Olson,  H.  P.  Stark  and  John  Gaynor. 
The  latter  is  tlie  present  incumbent  of  the 
office. 


<J^^-^> 


CHAPTER  XXIL 


GREENLEAF  TOWNSHIP. 


11 


^^HE   sul)di vision  of  Meeker  county, 


\'i)  which  takes  its  name  from  Hon. 
William  H.  Greenleaf,  comprises 
all  that  tract  of  land  known  as  congressional 
township  lis,  north  range  31  west,  and  con- 
tains a  total  of  24,736.07  acres,  1,958.23  of 
which  are  covered  with  the  waters  of  its 
lakes  and  streams,  and  22,777.84  are  fine 
arable  land  or  e.xcellent  timbered  ground. 
The  soil,  like  the  entire  county,  is  a  fine, 
rich,  dark,  sandy  loam,  and  peculiarly  fertile 
and  susceptible  to  a  high  state  of  cultivation. 
The  pioneer  settlers  in  this  portion  of  the 
count}'  were  two  men  by  the  names  of  George 
Orcutt  and  JMr.  Pratt,   who  located  on   the 


southwest  cpiarter  of  section  35,  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1850.  They  commenced  to  break  up 
the  land,  and  had  got  about  three  or  four 
acres  of  the  sod  turned  \vhen  the  Indians 
killed  one  of  their  oxen,  which  crippled  their 
team,  and  growing  discouraged  thej'  threw 
up  the  job  in  disgust  and  moved  to  Forest 
City,  remaining  in  that  village  until  the  fol- 
lowing fall,  when  they  left  the  county. 

The  first  pei-manent  settlers  were  a  family 
of  brothers,  AVilliam,  Herman  and  Charles 
Kruger,  natives  of  Germany,  who  came  here 
in  May,  1857,  and  located  together  on  sec- 
tion 12.  William  is  still  a  resident  of  the 
township,  living  on  section  13;  Herman  is 
living  near  the  village  of  Hutchinson,  in 
McLeod  county,  and  Charles  makes  his  home 
in  LeSueur  county. 

After  these,  in  1857,  there  came  to  this 
portion  of  the  county  the  following  named 
settlers,  who  here  found  homes — George  C. 
Whitcomb,  Vincent  Coombs,  Milton  Coombs 
and  Jesse  V.  Branhara,  Sr. 

The  settlers  of  1858-9  were  John  Sampson, 
John  A.  Sampson,  Roland  Angler,  Hender- 
son M.  Angler,  Charles  Allen,  George  Mc- 
Gowen,  Jonathan  Keach,  Mr.  Mathews,  Ira 
Pratt,  Sr.,  Ira  Pratt,  Jr.,  Silas  Pratt,  and 
Mr.  Malloy. 

Of  the  settlers  of  the  year  1860,  most  of 
them  are  still  residents  of  their  original 
claims,  but  some  have  removed  from  the 
county  to  pastures  new,  or  have  paid  the  debt 
of  nature.  They  were  as  follows :  Lewis 
Meagher,  John  McGraw,  Patrick  Manning, 
Michael  Ilanley,  Michael  R3'an,  Michael 
Carrigan,  Pijtrick  McCnnn,  Thomas  Reagan 
and  Hans  and  Even  Evenson,  and  others. 

After  the  Indian  outbreak  of  1862,  for 
several  years,  emigration  seemed  to  have 
ceased,  but  about  1865  it  recommenced  and 
has  steadily  filled  up  the  countj-  with  a  sturdy 
class  of  citizens  that  is  rapidly  developing 
its  resources.  Of  those  who  have  settled  in 
Greenleaf  since  the  massacre  days,  but  are 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


579 


yet  entitled  to  the  distinction  of  old  resi- 
dents are  the  following :  John  B.  Pennoyer, 
Martin  Spellicy,  Hiram  Delong,  Martin 
Lawson,  John  T.  Putzier,  John  Knack, 
Daniel  Kevins,  L.  M.  Johnson,  Jacob  Ander- 
son, J.  William  Johnson,  Leonard  lloman 
Johnson,  J.  A.  Nystrom,  C.  M.  Beckstrand, 
Olavius  Hanson  and  Alexander  Hanson.  A 
great  many  of  the  pi'ominent  citizens  of  this 
township  are  noticed  at  length  in  the  bio- 
graphical department  of  this  volume. 

The  town  of  Greenleaf  was  organized  as 
•a  civil  township,  at  a  meeting  held  August 
27,  1859,  and  at  that  time  embraced  all  the 
territory  now  known  as  ColUnwood,  Ells- 
worth and  Greenleaf,  except  the  northern 
tier  of  sections  whicli  were  attached  to  the 
town  of  Litchfield.  At  this  organization 
the  following  named  gentlemen  took  a  prom- 
inent part  :  Dana  E.  King,  George  C.  Whit- 
comb,  W.  H.  Greenleaf,  George  McGowen, 
Jonathan  Keach,  T.  H.  Webb  and  Dr.  Pus- 
sell  AVhiteman. 

The  present  (1888)  officers  are :  David 
Shepherd,  chairman  ;  I^els  B.  Johnson  and 
Alfred  Anderson,  supervisors  ;  Even  Even- 
son,  clerk  ;  John  Spellic}',  assessor ;  Even 
Evenson,  justice  of  the  peace ;  and  C.  W. 
Anderson  and  Ole  Oleson,  constables. 

The  first  death  was  most  probably  tiiat 
of  Mrs.  Kruger,  the  mother  of  the  three 
Krugers,  about  1859. 

The  first  school  was  held  in  the  Manning 
neighborhood. 

The  fii'st  school-house  was  erected  where 
the  Swede  church  is  now  located,  on  section 
10,  about  1868.  This  was  a  log  structure, 
and  in  this  Miss  Viola  Dart  taught  the  first 
school. 

The  first  rehgious  services  were  held  at 
the  house  of  John  Sampson,  in  1860,  by  Rev. 
Andrew  Jackson. 

The  BeckviUe  Swedish  Lutheran  Church 
commenced  with  services  held  at  the  resi- 
dence of  Erick  Norelius,  in   1859.     Worship 


was  held  at  various  private  houses  and  in  the 
school-house,  until  1873,  when  the  present 
church  edifice  was  erected.  The  first  perma- 
nent pastor  was  the  Rev:  P.  Backman,  who 
settled  here  in  1869. 


CHAPTER  XXIIL 
COLLINWOOD  TOWNSHIP. 

*HE  town  which  bears  the  above 
name,  embraces  all  of  Congression- 
ly  al  township  118,  north  of  range  29, 
and  is  one  of  the  most  beautifullv  ])icturescjue 
in  the  county.  It  has  a  surface  area  of 
over  2-1,000  acres,  of  which  a  portion  is 
covered  with  the  waters  of  the  beautiful 
lakes  that  bestud  its  surface.  It  lies  entirelv 
within  the  limits  of  the  timber  belt,  and  it  is 
largely  still  in  its  primeval,  wild  state. 
Beautiful  clearings,  like  isles  in  the  sea  of 
waving  foliage,  dot  its  surface,  and  the  cot- 
tages of  the  settlers  lend  life  to  the  picture. 

The  first  settler  in  this  part  of  the  county 
was  Charles  C.  Dewing,  in  the  fall  of  1862. 
Although  several  claims  had  been  made 
within  its  boundaries,  previously  one  by  Den- 
nis Felix,  in  January,  1858,  and  one  by  Levi 
Wilcox,  in  September,  1857.  Neither  of 
these  settled  here  however. 

The  next  to  take  up  homestead  and  settle 
here  was  Thomas  Fallon,  who  filed  his  claim 
in  Januarj',  186'1,  and  was  followed  in  the 
summer  and  fall  of  the  same  year,  by  Jacob 
Hutchins,  Thomas  J.  Hutchins,  Jacob  Blair, 
Elkanah  McStotts,  Alexander  Ramey,  Harri- 
son Fuller,  Philip  Van  Blarrecom,  Hawkins 
Steel,  Oliver  Rasnick,  E.  K.  Counts,  Canaan 
Counts,  George  Fuller,  Swan  Johnson,  John 
Fosberg,  David  Parks,  ISToah  Parks,  and 
Lazarus  Parks. 

Most  of  these  ])eople  came  from  their 
native  State,  Virginia,  and  the  town  was 
know  as  New  Virginia,  previous  even  to  its 
organization. 


580 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


During  the  year  1865,  there  was  added 
quite  a  number  to  the  popuhxtion  of  the 
town,  nearly  all  of  the  same  sturdy  class  of 
woodmen,  wiio  literally  hewed  out  homes  for 
themselves  here.  Their  names  were  :  Abra- 
ham Pancake,  George  Pancake,  John  Mc- 
Ivinne\',  James  Currington,  Jasper  Wright, 
Solomon  H.  AVriglit,  AV.  A.  Wright,  William 
Taylor,  Charles  Taylor,  Jonathan  Watson, 
David  Taylor,  Lemuel  and  John  Dent}',  An- 
drew Slujrtridge,  Ei'in  Kamsdell,  George  H. 
Watson,  Jolmson  Taylor,  Abraham  Risner, 
William  J.  Yates,  Erick  Larson,  Amost 
Stage,  K.  M.  Young,  and  John  Acres. 

Among  those  who  settled  here  shortly 
after  this  were  tlie  following  named  :  Moses 
H.  Bogar,  Peter  Anderson,  Erick  Stitiinson, 
T.  H.  Bogar,  J.  A.  Quick,  Taylor  Johnson, 
George  W.  Clark,  James  Grant,  S.  Johnson, 
and  others. 

The  first  death  was  that  of  Mrs.  E.  K. 
McStotts,  who  died  in  the  fall  of  1S65. 

The  first  marriage  was  that  of  John  Tay- 
lor and  Miss  Elizabetli  llutchins,  in  the  fall 
of  1866. 

The  first  school  was  taught  by  E.  K. 
Counts,  during  tiie  winter  of  1866-7,  in  what 
is  now  district  17,  on  the  Van  Blarrecom 
farm,  on  section  IS. 

This  was  the  first  school-house  built  in  the 
town,  put  up  in  the  fall  of  1866,  the  first 
school  officers  of  the  district  being — Jacob 
Blair,  clerk;  E.  K.  McStotts,  treasurer;  and 
Jacobs  Hutchins,  director. 

The  first  religious  services  were  held  in 
what  is  now  Steelsville,  in  the  Grove,  by  the 
Pevs.  William  Maynard  and  James  Sellards, 
two  Baptist  clergymen,  in  1867.  The  first 
church  organized  was  that  of  the  Methodists, 
who  formed  a  class  in  the  fall  of  1868,  with 
J.  A.  Quick,  as  class-leader,  and  George 
Fuller  as  steward.  The  fii-st  ])astor  was 
George  D.  Potter.  This  church  is  still  in 
existence,  and  John  A.  (^uick  is  still  the 
classleader. 


The  town  was  organized  as  New  Virginia 
in  the  spring  of  1866,  with  the  following 
officers  elected — E.  K.  ]\[cStotts,  chairman, 
and  Canaan  Counts  and  Hawkins  Steel, 
supervisors;  E.  K.  Counts,  town  clerk;  Jacob 
llutchins,  treasurer;  Jacob  Blair,  assessor; 
Oliver  Pasnick,  justice;  and  ILarrison  Fuller, 
constable. 

The  name  of  the  town  was  changed 
throngh  tJie  influence  of  IL  C.  Bull  and 
otliers  to  its  present  name,  '■  Collinwood,"  in 
1868. 

The  officers  for  the  present  year  are  the 
following  named — Supervisors,  Oscar  Peter- 
son (chairman).  Matt  Anderson,  Swan  Cervin; 
clerk,  Peter  Sangreen  ;  treasurer,  Erik  Dahl- 
man  ;  assessor.  Matt.  DeLong ;  justices,  John 
A.  Quick  and  G.  O.  Bailey;  constable,  Will- 
iam Adams. 

A  village  was  laid  out  in  1866,  on  the 
shores  of  Lake  Collinwood,  by  H.  C.  Bull, 
an  eastern  man,  and  called  Collinwood,  in 
which  David  Parks  was  the  pioneer  mer- 
ciiant.  Bull  and  Taylor  followed  soon  after 
in  the  same  line  of  trade.  David  Parks  put 
up  a  saw-mill  which  he  sold  to  Pendergast 
Bros.,  and  by  them  was  moved  away  about 
1876.  The  latter  parties  also  erected  and 
ran  a  grist-mill,  but  it,  too,  has  ceased  run- 
ning. A  postoffice  was  also  establislied  with 
IL  C.  Bull  as  postmaster.  He  was  succeeded 
by  L.  G.  Pendergast,  and  various  other 
parties,  but  finallj'  the  whole  thing  was  aban- 
doned. 

Bonniwell's  mill  was  erected  in  1870,  by 
Geoi'ge  Bonniwell  and  his  nephew  Charles, 
who  purchased  the  water  power  and  site  of 
Lloyd  and  William  Pendergast.  This  was 
operated  by  them  and  by  George  Bonniwell 
alone  until  June,  1887,  when  it  was  destroyed 
by  fire. 

Jewett's  mill,  built  by  G.  R.  Jewett,  in 
1867,  on  section  7.  This  is  a  saw  and  grist- 
mill combined,  and  still  ojierated  by  Mr. 
Jewett. 


MEEKER  COUNTY,   MINNESOTA. 


581 


CHAPTEE  XXIV. 

TOWNSHIP  OF  ELLSWORTH. 

ONGRESSIONAL  township  118, 
north  of  range  3U  west,  is  known 
'as  the  civil  town  of  Ellsworth.  It 
comprises  some  23,019  acres ;  18,494  acres 
are  either  fine,  arable  prairie,  oak  openings, 
or  covered  with  timber;  4,525  acres  of  its 
sui'face  are  included  in  the  beautiful  lakes 
which  dot  its  bosom.  It  was  named  in  honor 
of  that  gallant  hero.  Col.  Elmer  E.  Ellsworth, 
who  was  so  ruthlessly  murdered  at  Alexan- 
dria, Va.,  in  the  spring  of  1861,  for  defend- 
ing his  fiag  from  insult.  Tiie  soil,  a  quick, 
warm,  sandy  loam,  is  remarkalily  fertile,  and 
the  return  to  the  husbandman  ample.  The 
chief  product  is  wheat,  of  tlie  best  quality 
of  the  much  sought  after  hard  variety. 

The  pioneer  settler  in  tins  town  was  Dr. 
V.  P.  Kennedy,  now^  a  resident  of  the  coun- 
ty seat,  who  came  here  in  June,  1856,  and 
took  tlie  land  formerly  claimed  by  Dr.  F.  N. 
Pipley.  He  made  his  residence  here  for  a 
number  of  years  previous  to  his  removal  to 
Litchfield. 

The  others  who  made  settlements  in  what 
is  now  Ellsworth,  during  the  year  1856, 
were — Thaddeus  E.  Webb,  James  Barrett, 
Dr.  Eussell  "Whiteman,  and  ))ossibly  one  or 
two  others. 

Like  all  who  pioneer  the  way  for  advanc- 
ing emigration,  these  hardy  men  and  their 
families  were  called  upon  to  endure  many 
privations,  such  as  is  incident  to  life  upon 
the  frontier.  Their  nearest  market  was  St. 
Paul,  a  hundred  miles  distant,  by  the  rude 
road  of  the  period,  and  the  smallness  of 
their  crops  gave  them  but  little  to  purchase 
with  when  tliey  reached  that  cit}'. 

In  1858,  there  came  to  this  subdivision  of 
the  county,  the  following  named,  who  found 
homes  here — James  Fallon,  John  M.  Mous- 
ley,    Alfred  Mousley,  John   Hurley,  W.   II. 


Greenleaf,  Dana  E.  King,  and  a  man  by  the 
name  of  Hook. 

In  1859  and  1860,  there  were  but  few  to 
seek  homes  in  what  is  now  Ellsworth  town- 
ship, the  financial  panic  of  1857  having  for 
a  time  put  a  stop  to  all,  or  nearly  all,  immi- 
gration. Among  the  few  who  did  dare  to 
come  west  in  those  years  and  locate  here, 
Avere  the  following  named :  George 
McGowen,  Ira  Pratt,  Sr.,  Ira  Pratt,  Jr., 
Silas  Pratt  and  Mr.  Mathews. 

Tiie  Indian  outbreak  of  the  fall  of  1862, 
depopulated  this  town,  along  with  the 
balance  of  the  county.  For  a  little  while 
thereafter,  there  were  but  few  within  its 
limits,  l)ut  it  has  gradual^  filled  up,  how- 
ever, until  now  it  has  a  respectably  large 
population  of  sturdy  farmers. 

The  first  birth  in  Ellsworth  occurred  in 
1857,  and  was  that  of  a  child  born  to  Dr. 
Eussell  Whiteman. 

The  second  births  and  first  deaths  in  the 
village,  were  those  of  Frankie  and  Fred,  the 
twin  babies  of  Hon.  AV.  II.  Greenleaf,  whose 
birth  and  death  occurred  in  1860. 

The  next  time  that  the  angel  of  death  came 
to  this  locality,  was  in  1862,  when  Mr.  Hal- 
stead  died. 

The  first  school-house,  was  the  one  erected 
in  1859,  and  in  which  Lydia  Angier  taught 
the  first  sessioii. 

Ellsworth  township  was  for  years  a  por- 
tion of  the  town  of  Greenleaf,  but  on  the  1st 
of  September,  1868,  it  was  organized  as  a 
separate  civil  township,  under  its  present 
name.  At  the  first  election  therein,  most  of 
the  residents  took  an  active  part.  The  pres- 
ent officers  are  as  follows — Supervisors: 
Eudolph  Krussow  (chairman),  Jonathan  Mc- 
Stotts  and  D.  Barret ;  assessor,  Ira  Gleason ; 
clerk,  N.  Y.  Taylor;  treasurer,  Eudolph 
Leverence ;  justices,  John  Vogelpohl  and  L. 
L.  Sisson ;  constables,  D.  F.  Smith  and  Wm. 
Christoph. 


582 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MIXXESOTA. 


GREENLEAF    VILLAGE. 

Tlie  village  of  (xreenleaf  was  laid  out  and 
platted  by  Dana  E.  King,  in  1859,  and  the 
plat  filed  for  record  on  the  3d  of  Septemljer 
of  that  year.  Shortly  after  this  W.  H. 
Greenleaf,  A.  C.  Smith  and  Bennett  M. 
Brink  acquired  an  interest  in  the  town  site 
by  purchase.  The  village  plat  was  situated 
upon  the  southwest  quarter  of  the  southwest 
quarter,  the  southwest  quarter  of  the  south- 
east quarter,  and  lots  5  and  6,  of  section  30, 
and  contained  a  mill  site  and  water-power. 

Previous  to  the  laying  out  of  the  town,  in 
the  fall  of  1858,  William  II.  Greenleaf  and 
Dana  E.  King  came  here,  and  ^he  former, 
finding  a  mill  site,  went  back  to  Wisconsin, 
and,  purchasing  the  machinery  for  a  saw- 
mill, returned  the  same  fall  with  Bennett  M. 
Brink,  and  the  two  in  company  erected  the 
saw-mill  and  improved  the  water-power. 
Around  this  mill  sprang  up  the  little  settle- 
ment which  bore  the  name  of  Greenleaf. 
atter  the  founder  of  the  leading  industry  of 
the  place.  Dana  E.  King  returned  in  1S59, 
and  laid  out  the  town  as  above  mentioned, 
having  preempted  the  land.  In  1859  Jud- 
son  A.  Brink  came  to  the  embryo  village, 
and  here  made  his  residence  until  186-1,  when 
he  returned  to  New  York  State,  from  which 
he  had  come,  where  he  died  of  consumption 
at  a  later  date.  Greenleaf  and  Brink  oper- 
ated the  mill  from  December,  1858,  until  the 
spring  of  1862,  when  Judson  A.  Brink  pur- 
chased the  interest  of  Mr.  Greenleaf,  and  the 
two  brothers  ran  the  mill  in  partnership  until 
1861:.  Steam  was  then  put  in  and  its  owners 
continued  its  operation  until  three  years 
plater,  when  they  removed  the  machinery 
some  few  miles  into  the  woods.  It  was  after- 
Avard  removed  to  the  village  of  Dassel. 

In  1862,  on  closing  out  his  interest  in  the 
mill,  W.  H.  Greenleaf  put  up  a  store  build- 
ing, and  opened  a  stock  of  hardware  and 
groceries.     This  was  the  first  attempt  toward 


mercantile  life  in  the  village,  and  was,  like 
everything  else  in  the  county,  interrupted 
by  the  dreadful  Indian  outbreak  of  the 
autumn  of  1862.  In  March,  186-1-,  Mr. 
Greenleaf  returned  here  and  put  in  a  stock 
of  general  mercluunlise.  A  short  time  after 
this  he  took  into  partnership  C.  B.  Jordan, 
but,  two  months  afterwai'd,  sold  out  to  his 
]iartner.  The  latter  gentleman  ran  the  store 
for  some  years,  but  subsequently  disposed  of 
it  to  John  Rank,  who  ran  it  for  some  time. 

One  year  after  selling  out,  W.  H.  Green- 
leaf erected  the  second  store  building,  and  in 
it  opened  with  another  stock  of  the  same  gen- 
eral character.  This  establishment  he  sold 
out  to  L.  S.  Weymouth,  who  carried  on  the 
business  until  1884. 

Anderson  opened  the  third  store  here  in 
1868,  and  ran  it  for  one  year.  These  were 
all  the  mercantile  establishments  of  the 
place.  Miss  Sophia  C.  Pratt,  the  present 
postmistress  of  the  village,  is  also  the  present 
merchant,  and  carries  an  extensive  stock  of 
general  merchandise. 

A  flouring  mill  was  erected  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1862,  by  Dana  E.  King  and  Judson  A. 
Brink,  but  its  construction  and  equipment 
having  been  interrupted  bj'  the  Indian 
troubles,  it  was  not  in  running  order  until 
186-I-.  This  manufacturing  institution,  which 
was  a  large  and  well-constructed  building, 
with  three  run  of  stone,  was  shortly  after 
sold  to  Xorman  Pixley  and  Albert  Delong, 
who  ran  it  in  partnership  until  1873.  Mr. 
Pixley  then  sold  out  to  his  copartner,  who 
admitted  to  the  firm  J.  R.  JNlcDonald,  and 
under  this  management  the  mill  remained 
for  a  time.  Finally,  as  the  investment  did 
not  pay,  it  was  sold  to  Mr.  Leiser,  who  tore 
it  down  and  removed  it  bodily  to  Traverse 
county,  this  State,  about  the  year  1879. 

The  United  States  Land  Office,  which  had 
formerly  been  located  at  Forest  City,  was  re- 
moved to  Greenleaf  in  1866,  at  which  time 
Dr.  Fletcher   was    the   receiver,  and   B.  F. 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


583 


Baker  the  register.  This  office  remained  in 
the  village  until  in  December,  1869,  when 
the  growing  importance  of  the  railroad  town 
of  Litchfield,  the  new  county  seat,  attracted 
nearly  everything  else  in  the  county,  and  tlie 
office  was  moved  to  that  place. 

A  seminary  was  started  in  the  village  in 
1867,  with  Rev.  W.  0.  Harding  as  principal 
and  Miss  Todd  as  assistant.  On  account  of 
the  sparsely  settled  condition  of  the  country 
at  that  time,  this  institution  of  learning, 
which  was  ablycondiicted,  could  not  be  made 
a  success,  and  only  existed  for  some  two 
3'ears,  when  it  was  abandoned  for  want  of 
sufficient  support. 

The  first  school  was  taught  in  the  village 
in  1859,  by  Miss  Lj'dia  Angier.  This  was 
the  first  district  school  in  the  town  of  Ells- 
worth, and  was  held  in  a  school-house  that 
was  built  the  same  year. 

The  first  and  only  hotel  of  which  the  place 
could   l)()ast  w^as   opened   by  C.  W.  Butter- 


field  in  1865,  he  buying  the  residence  of 
Dana  E.  King  for  that  j'ui'pose.  He  has 
kept  it  ever  since,  enlarging  the  original  build- 
ing as  the  necessities  of  the  occasion  required, 
and  is  still  the  landlord. 

The  first  religious  services  were  held  at  the 
residence  of  W.  H.  Greenleaf,  in  the  upper 
story  of  the  saw-mill,  in  the  fall  of  1859,  on 
which  occasion  Rev.  J.  C.  Whitney,  a  Pres- 
l)yterian  clergyman,  officiated.  A  church 
edifice  was  built  in  1S68,  by  the  Presbyterian 
congregation,  in  which  the  Rev.  AY.  C.  Hard- 
ing, now  deceased,  was  the  first  jiastor. 

The  Methodists  had  also  a  religious  ore-an- 
ization,  and  held  regular  services,  but  never 
put  up  any  church  edifice. 

The  first  blacksmith  shojs  was  put  up  and 
operated  by  Henry  Keach,  in  1861.  He  re- 
mained here  until  about  1870,  and  then 
removed  to  Nebraska.  James  McCue  is  the 
present  blacksmith  of  the  village,  and  does  a 
flourishing  business. 


w 


CHAPTEE  XXV. 

HISTORY  OF  THE   VILLAGE  OF  LITCHFIELD. 

f)'XRIOR  to  the  advent  of 
|p  the  iron  horse  in  this 
part  of  Meeker  coun- 
ty, there  was  nothing 
upon  the  site  of  the 
now  ])rosperous  vil- 
%(  hige  of  Litchfield,  ex- 
r-i\  cept  a  wheat  field  and  pasture 
lands.  It  entirely  owes  its  ex- 
istence to  that  happy  event,  the 
coming  of  the  railroad,  which 
reached  hei-e  in  the  summer  of 
1809.  the  track-laying  as  far  as 
til  is  place  having  been  com- 
])]ete(l,  and  the  rirst  train,  a  con- 
struction, running  in  August 
13tli  of  tiiatyear.  The  town  site 
was  laid  out  and  ]ilatted  by  the  St.  Paul 
&  Pacific  Kailroad  (Company  and  George  B. 
Waller,  on  the  east  half  of  section  11,  Litch- 
field township.  This  was  surveyed,  platted 
and  filed  for  record,  July  ft),  ISOU. 

Litchfield  is  beautifully  located  on  portions 
of  sections  11,  12  and  14,  and  reaches  north 
from  tlie  shores  of  lovely  Lake  Ptijiley  for 


more 


than 


L  mile 


and  a  half, 


whilst  its  great- 


est breath  is  about  a  mile.  To  the  original 
town  plat  there  have  been  added  Weisel's 
addition  in  1869,  the  second  addition  in 
1873,  Butler's  addition  in  1873,  Crosby's 
addition  in  187-4,  the  third  railroad  addition 
in  1875,  Hansen's  addition  in  1879,  Angier's 
addition  and  Greenleafs  addition  in  1887,  and 
Bodano'e  &  Johnson's  addition  in  1888.  The 
entire  city  is  well  laid  out  with  wide  streets 
and  avenues,  and  the  site  is  dotted  all  over 
with  hand  some  residences,  many  of  them 
surrounded  with  elegant  and  well-kept 
grounds.  The  business  portion  of  the  city 
presents  a  substantial  and  thrifty  ap[)earance, 
owing  to  the  large  number  of  line  brick 
stores,  offices,  hotels,  etc.,  all  of  which  are 
in  fine  taste.  The  stores  are  well  filled 
with  well-selected  merchandise  of  a  char- 
acter above  that  usualh'  found  in  cities  of 
the  size  of  Litchfield,  and  are  doing  a 
splendid  business.  The  pride  the  citizens 
take  in  their  home  can  be  readily  seen 
in  tiie  appearance  of  the  place,  in  the 
many  noble  edifices,  and  their  beautiful  park. 
Tlie  town  drew  its  name  from  E.  D. 
Litclilield,  an  English  capitalist  and  stock- 
holder in  the  St.  I^aul  tt  Pacific  Ilailroad,  liv- 
ini'-  in  I>ondon,  and  whose  wife  made  such  lib- 


584 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


585 


eral  donations  to  the  Episcopal  Church  Soci- 
ety, as  is  detailed  elsewliere. 

Litclilield  is  connected  with  the  outer 
world  by  the  St.  Paul,  Minneapolis  &  Mani- 
toba Railroad,  wliich  passes  diagonally  north 
west  and  southeast  through  the  town  plat. 
This,  whicii  is  one  of  the  best  roads  in  the 
State,  affords  ample  facilities  for  marketing 
the  products  of  this  part  of  Minnesota. 

At  the  regular  election  held  November  2, 
1869,  tlie  question  ot  the  removal  of  the 
county  seat  from  Forest  City  to  Litchfield 
was  submitted  to  the  qualified  electors  of 
the  county,  and  by  a  majority  of  89,  in  a 
total  vote  of  927,  it  was  decided  in  tlie 
affirmative,  and  the  latter  city  became  the 
seat  of  justice  of  Meeker  county.  The 
court-house,  of  whicli  a  descrijJtion  is  given 
in  another  place,  adorns  the  north  part  of 
the  town,  and  is  really  a  very  handsome  and 
complete  edifice.  The  location  of  the  seat 
of  justice  at  Litchfield  and  the  presence  of 
the  railroad  have  both  been  important  fac- 
tors in  the  I'apid  growth  of  the  place,  and 
have  established  it  upon  a  firm    basis. 

George  B.  Waller,  who  had  previously 
purchased  the  northeast  c[uarter  of  section 
11,  in  this  township,  came  to  this  locality  in 
the  late  summer  of  1869,  and  settled,  know- 
ing that  a  town  would  be  estaljlished  near 
by.  When  the  railroiul  liad  been  graded 
through  tliis  county,  he  deeded  to  the  rail- 
road company  an  undivided  half  in  his 
quarter  of  section  of  land  to  be  laid  out 
into  town  lots,  reserving  a  lot  of  some  ten 
acres  in  the  northwest  corner  of  the  tract 
for  his  home.  As  soon  as  the  road  was  con- 
structed to  this  point,  and  trains  were  run- 
ning, he  shipped  from  Minneapolis  the  mate- 
rial with  which  to  construct  a  house,  which 
had  already  been  fi-amed  and  gotten  ready 
to  put  together,  in  the  previous  winter.  In 
November,  of  the  same  year,  he  brought  his 
family  to  the  incipient  village. 

About  the  same  time  that  Mr.  Waller  was 


building  his  residence,  J.M.Miller  hauled 
the  lumber  for  a  house  from  Clearwater,  and 
erected  a  dwelling.  Shortly  after  this  Truls 
Nelson  put  up  another  building  in  which  to 
live,  near  where  the  town  hall  is  now  loca- 
ted. These  were  the  first  three  buildings, 
the  nucleus  around  which  has  sprang  up  this 
thriving  and  growing  town. 

B.  F.Pixley  put  up  the  next  house,and  others 
soon  followed.  Mrs.  C.  0.  Porter  was  the 
first  lady  to  take  up  her  residence  here,  and 
Mrs.  Pixley  the  second,  the  former  dating 
her  arrival  from  the  26th  of  August,  1869, 
and  the  latter,  one  day  later. 

The  first  store  was  erected  by  Heard  & 
Ward,  a  firm  composed  of  S.  A.  Heard  and 
C.  D.  Ward,  who  opened  what  is  known  as 
a  genei'al  merchandise  stock,  in  the  embryo 
city,  in  the  fall  of  1869.  The  building  which 
they  occupied  is  the  one  that  is  used  as  a 
harness  shop  by  Hugh  Dowling,  but  origin- 
ally stood  on  the  site  now  occupied  by  the 
handsome  brick  store  of  D.  E.  Branham. 
Heard  &  Ward  continued  in  business  to- 
gether until  1872,  when  Mr.  Heard  purchased 
the  interest  of  liis  partner,  and  carried  it  on 
until  1880,  at  which  date  he,  too,  sold  out  to 
Branham  &  Hickcox. 

H.  B.  Johnson's  store  building  Avas  the 
next  to  be  erected,  and  was  soon  followed  by 
that  of  Joseph  James. 

In  November  of  this  year,  C.  H.  Strobeck,. 
who  had  decided  to  locate  in  the  place,, 
erected  a  store  building  on  the  site  of  the 
present  Ivronsbrick  building,  which  he  occu- 
pied in  part,  nnd  })art  of  which  he  rented. 

The  first  man  to  do  turner's  work  in  the 
village,  was  M.  A.  Brown,  who  jnit  up  a 
little  shop  on  the  site  of  the  brick  building 
now  occupied  by  Birch  &  Nelson,  where  he 
carried  on  the  business. 

The  pioneer  hardware  store  was  that  of 
Vanderhorck  &  King,  who  commenced  in 
that  line  in  the  fall  of  1S69.  The  firm  of 
King   it   Whyborn,     who   succeeded   them, 


586 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


dis])ose(l  of  the  stock  and  good  \vill  to  Z.  B. 
Fitield  in  1877,  in  whose  hands  it  proved  a 
losing  investment. 

W.  S.  Brill  entered  into  business  in  the 
drue:  line  about  the  same  time  in  the  buihling- 
put  up  by  C.  H.  Strobeck,  and  continued  in 
trade  here  until  1882,  when,  selling  out  to 
Revell  Bros.,  he  I'emoved  to  St.  Paul,  wliere 
he  now  lives. 

The  first  man  to  sell  lumber  in  tiie  new- 
town  was  .Io.sei)li  James,  but  lie  did  not  estab- 
lish a  yanl ;  tlie  first  to  enter  into  that  line 
regularly  was  John  Esbjornsson  and  C.  Pe- 
terson, who.  together,  opened  a  lunil)er  yard 
in  tiie  summer  of  ISG'.t,  when  there  was 
scarcely  a  building 'on  the  town  site.  They 
quit  this  business  the  following  winter. 

E.  A.  Cami)bell  moved  to  Litchfield  in  the 
fall  of  18()9,  with  a  stock  of  general  mer- 
chandise, from  Foi-est  City.  About  a  year 
later  Jesse  V.  Branhani,  Jr.,  became  a  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  and  they  carried  on  the  busi- 
ness for  some  time  under  the  firm  name  of 
Campbell  &  Branham. 

C.  L.  Angell,  another  pioneer  of  the  village, 
came  here  in  the  fall  of  1869,  and  commenced 
the  establishment  of  the  photograjihic  art 
gallery  that  he  still  carries  on. 

Chase  &  Dunn  came  into  the  incipient  city 
during  the  same  fall,  ami  opened  a  livery 
stable,  which  they  ran  for  some  time. 

Rapidly,  as  if  by  the  stroke  of  a  magician's 
wand,  a  Ijusy  town  sprang  up  w-ith  a  mirac- 
ulous orowth,  and  where  once  the  o-i-ound 
gave  back  oidy  the  sound  of  the  footfalls  of 
grazing  cattle,  came  the  busy  hum  of  com- 
merce, and  the  noise  of  the  saw,  plane  and 
hammer,  as  building  after  building  rose  into 
view. 

Among  those  who  settled  in  the  village  in 
1S69,  not  mentioneil  above,  were  the  follow- 
ing :  William  H.  Greenleaf.  J.  P.  Scarp, 
James  Tinkham.  J.  II.  Bacon,  N.  A.  Tiren, 
Hamlet  Stevens,  E.  A.  Campbell,  C.  II.  Stro- 
beck, Dr.  Geo.  B.  Weisel,  O.  B.  Espin,  W. 


II.  Dart.  Walfreid  Erickson.  Smith  D.  King, 
David  Miller,  Mr.  Ilunnion,  Charles  and 
Solomon  Almquist,  L.  "W.  Perkins,  Hans 
Mattson,  {'harles  O.  Porter,  P.  Crosb}^  Isaac 
Crosby,  Julius  Crosby,  S.  Y.  Gordon,  John 
Mitchell,  J.  D.  Chapman,  A.  R.  Potter,  J.  C. 
Braden,  J.  M.  Waldron,  C.  B.  Howell,  Henry 
Hill,  John  Blackwell,  Jesse  V.  Branham,  Jr., 
Jesse  V.  Branham,  Sr.,  H.  B.  Johnson  and 
Andrew  and  B.  P.  Nelson. 

In  1870  there  came  to  the  new  village 
quite  a  numl)er,  among  whom  were — George 
H.  Chapman,  V.  II.  Harris,  George  Lyon, 
Lewis  Laisoii,  Chauncey  Butler.  ]\r.  J.  Flynn, 
W.  W.  Rollin,  Wni.  M."  Campbell,  Dr.  F.  E. 
Bissell.  Henry  Chase,  R.  W.  Dunn,  J.  Q.  A. 
Braden,  John  Patten.  W.  D.  Stanton,  Louis 
Ekbom,  D.  E.  Potter,  A.  C.  Smith  and 
others. 

Others  who  made  settlements  in  the  new 
village  early  in  1871,1872  and  1873  are  easily 
named.  Among  the  most  prominent  and 
best  remembered  are  Frank  E.   Dagget,  "W. 

D.  Joubert,  F.  V.  DeCoster,  X.  W.  Hawkin- 
son,  Col.  Jacob  M.  Howard,  Daniel  Flynn, 
S.  A.  Scarp,  A.  C.  Johnson,  Morris  Neuman, 
Robert  Gordon,  "W.  S.  Knappen.  S.  W.  Gla- 
zier, Joseph  Cameron,  A.  T.  Koerner.  M.  T. 
Hayford,  John  Whyborn,   S.   P.    Chipman, 

E.  M.  Eastman,  Peter  Bei-ens,  Joseph  Leaser, 
W.  S.  Adams,  James  Hooser,  S.  "\Y.  Leavitt, 
R.  S.  Hershey,  E.  F.  Roberts,  J.  B.  Hatch, 
Joseph  Mills,  N.  Anderson  and  many  others. 
From  this  time  on  the  settlement  was  rapid, 
and  the  village  soon  grew  to  be  one  of  the 
commercial  centers  of  this  portion  of  the 
State. 

Late  in  August,  1869,  the  Litchfield  House 
was  built  and  opened,  and  was,  therefore, 
the  fi  st  hotel  in  the  city,  as  well  as  one  of 
fii"st  structures  on  the  town  site. 

The  pioneer  religious  services  in  the  vil- 
lage were  held  in  a  small  school-house,  then 
in  course  of  construction,  but,  as  yet,  with- 
out doors  or  windows,  on  the  15th  of  August, 


MEEKER   COUNTY.  MINNESOTA. 


587 


1869,  at  which  the  Rev.  D.  B.  Jackson,  a 
Presbyterian  clergyman  in  charge  of  the 
church  at  Kingston,  this  county,  officiated. 
A  Sabbatli-school  was  organized  September 
19th  of  the  same  year,  by  Eev.  M r.  Hall,  a 
divine  of  the  Congregational  denomination, 
and  Avas  the  pioneer  of  several  others.  The 
first  church  edifice  was  not  finished  until 
1871,  and  was  the  house  of  the  Presiiyteri- 
ans,  which  was  commenced    in  the  fall  of 

1870.  The  firet  donation  ]iarty  was  held  by 
the  people  connected  with  the  Methodist 
Church,  on  an  evening  in  December,  1869, 
at  the  house  of  Rev.  J.  S.  Fassig,  their  min- 
ister. Gifts  of  §52  in  cash  and  a  great 
amount  of  other  articles  were  left  with  the 
worthy  recipient  of  their  kindness. 

Hans  Mattson,  the  present  Secretary  of 
State,  came  to  Litchfield  in  1869,  and  estab- 
lished the  railway  company's  land-office  in 
the  small  building  on  the  corner  opposite 
the  Howard  House.  Here  he  remained  sev- 
eral years. 

The  first  death  in  the  community  occurred 
in  the  year  1871,  and  was  that  of  the  little  son 
of  M.  D.  Bowen.  About  the  same  time  a 
Swedish  settler,  while  passing  to  his  home 
west  of  the  city,  fell  from  the  trestle  bridge 
of  the  railroad  near  the  western  limits  of 
the  village,  and  broke  his  neck.  Old  resi- 
dents are  undecided  as  to  which  of  these 
preceded  the  other,  but  as  the  former  is  the 
death  of  a  resident  of  the  vilhige  it  is  given 
prominence. 

The  pioneer  physician  of  Litchfield  was 
Dr.  George  W.  "Weisel,  who  came  to  this 
place  from  Forest  City  in  the  fall  of  1869. 
He  remained  here  in  practice,  according  to 
the  regular  or  alloi)athic  school,  for  some 
years,  but  is  now  living  in  Williamsport, 
Lycoming  coimtv.  Pa.  The  second  was  Dr.  F. 
E.  Bissell,  still  a  resident  of  the  village.  The 
third  physician  was  a  Dr.  Bell,  a  follower  of 
the  homeopathic  school,  but  who  ditl  not 
long  remain  in  the  place. 


The  pioneer  bank  was  established  in  1875, 
by  Harrington  &  Lyon,  who  called  it  the 
Bank  of  Litchfield.  They  continued  to  run 
it  for  a  short  time,  when  it  passed  into  the 
hands  of  Chauncey  Butler,  who  continued 
its  operations  until  December  27, 1877,  when 
it  collapsed. 

The  pioneer  attorney  of  Litchfield  was 
Charles  H.  Strobeck,  who  first  came  here  in 
October,  1869.  Newton  H.  Ciiittenden  was 
the  next  to  locate,  and  was  followed,  the 
same  year,  by  Frank  Belfoy.  In  1870, 
Henry  Hill,  Charles  B.  Howell  and  A.  C. 
Smith  joined  the  resident  members  of  the 
bar. 

When  Frank  Belfoy  came  here  in  1869, 
he  brought  from  Forest  City  the  press  and 
material  of  the  MceTcer  County  Keivs,  the 
pioneer  paper  of  the  county,  which  became 
an  important  factor  in  the  ujibuilding  and 
development  of  the  young  village. 

Among  the  business  concerns  of  an  early 
day  were  the  following  named,  ivith  such 
history  as  would  be  of  interest  as  could  be 
gleaned  from  those  most  intei'ested  and  best 
posted.  These  are  the  firms  that  have  ceased 
to  exist;  those  that  still  survive,  or  that  are 
still  operated  by  their  successors,  are  treated 
of  further  on. 

B.  O.  Esping  came  here  in  1870  or  1871, 
opened  the  first  jewelry  store,  and  fol- 
lowed that  business  for  several  years.  He  is 
now  engaged  in  the  hotel  business  in  South- 
ern Minnesota. 

Josejih  Mills  opened  a  jewelry  establish- 
ment in  1872,  and  continued  its  operation 
until  about  1877,  when  he  died. 

W.  II.  Dart  came  to  the  village  with  a 
stock  of  goods  from  Forest  City,  in  1869,  but 
was  succeeded  by  "W.  D.  Stanton  in  1870, 
wiio  ran  the  business  until  1874,  when  he 
sold  out  on  account  of  ill  iieaitli. 

William  II.  Greeiileaf  opened  a  store  for 
the  sale  of  general  merchandise  in  1870,  but 
the  next  fall  sold  it  to  B.  L.  Perrv,  who  ran 


5S8 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


it  to  the  early  part  of  1871,  when  he  in  turn 
disposed  of  it  to  F.  Y.  DeCoster. 

Eankin  &  Greenleaf  were  for  some  time 
enffatjed  in  the  sale  of  hardware.  Tiiev  were 
succeeded  bv  S.  W.  Rankin,  who  ran  it  until 
18S7,  wlien  he  sold  out. 

The  pioneers  in  the  sale  of  agricultural  im- 
plements were  James  Tinkham  and  Scarp  & 
Anderson.  The  latter  established  the  Inisi- 
ness  in  1872,  and  it  passed  through  many 
changes  of  firm  until  the  death  of  John 
Scarp,  by  drowning,  in  a  wreck  on  the  Baltic 
Sea  in  1 882. 

Jacob  Koerner  was  the  pioneer  butcher  of 
the  place,  opening  a  meat  market  in  about 

1870.  Harris  ct  Gordon  were  in  this  same 
line  for  two  Vears,  dating  from  some  time  in 
1872. 

The  first  furniture  was  that  of  D.  E.  Potter, 
who  commenced  business  in  1871.  He  finalh' 
removed  from  the  village. 

Mark  liaklwin   opened  a  harness  shop  in 

1871,  which  he  ran  until  1877,  and  then 
closed  out  and  emigrated  to  California,  wliere 
he  now  lives. 

A.  W.  Swenson,  in  1877,  started  in  the 
general  merchandise  line,  continued  in  busi- 
ness two  years,  and  then  removed  to  Alex- 
andria, this  State. 

C.  M.  Tileston's  dr^'  goods  store  was  estab- 
lished in  1878,  and  ran  until  1881,  Avhen  he 
closed  out  and  went  to  Minneapolis. 

G.  M.  Babcock  &  Co.  opened  a  hardware 
store  in  1875,  and  continued  in  that  line  of 
ti'ade  for  two  years  before  closing  out. 

W.  AV.  Page  opened  a  book  and  notion 
stoi'e  in  the  building  where  the  postoffice  is 
now  located,  in  1872,  which  ran  for  about  a 
year. 

J.  "VV.  Billings'  confectionery  store  com- 
menced operations  in  1875,  and  continued 
about  two  years. 

Conrad  Juul  came  to  Litchfield  with  a 
stock  of  goods  in  1878,  and  ran  for  some 
time,  when  he  failed.     He  built  the  first  brick 


store  building  in  the  town,  the   one  where 
Tharalson  Bros,  are  now  doing  business. 

Among  the  gentlemen  who  have  been  con- 
nected with  the  bar  of  Meeker  county,  resident 
at  Litchfield,  not  mentioned  before,  or  not 
hei'e  at  present,  were  :  E.  A.  Campbell,  S. 
A.  Plumley,  F.  P.  Olne}',  L.  C.  Spooner  and 
]\rr  Julian. 

LITCHFIELD    IN    1888. 

In  order  to  have  a  just  comprehension  of 
the  development  and  progress  of  the  city,  it 
is  absolutely  necessary  to  give  a  picture  of 
the  present  business,  religious,  social  and 
educational  institutions  of  the  city,  with 
their  histories;  and  they  are  herewith  ap- 
pended. 

The  genei'al  merchandise  firm  of  Cairn- 
cross  &  Palm,  originated  in  1871  with  the 
Nelson  Bros.  Several  changes  have  been 
made  in  the  name  and  style,  several  parties 
having  oiierated  it,  among  whom  were 
Cairncross  A:  Brother,  who  commenced  in 
1878.  In  1881,  Alexander  Cairncross  pur- 
chased the  interest  of  his  brother,  Stewart, 
and  ran  the  business  until  January  1,  1885, 
when,  John  Palm  having  acquired  an  inter- 
est, the  present  firm  was  formed. 

The  business  house  of  Tharalson  i  Bro., 
dealers  in  general  merchandise,  was  initiated 
July  1,  1878,  by  A.  Tharalson,  where  the 
harness-making  shop  is  now.  N.  Tharalson 
was  general  manager  at  that  time.  They 
remained  in  that  building  until  October, 
1881,  when  they  purchased  the  store  where 
they  are  now  located,  and  moved  in  the  same 
fall.  February  23,  1887,  N.  Tharalson  was 
admitted  to  a  full  partnershiji,  and  the  firm 
name  changed  to  its  present  form. 

The  stand  of  Nelson,  Johnson  tV-  Larson 
originated  in  1>180,  l)v  the  formation  of  a 
firm  under  the  above  name,  composed  of  B. 
P.  Nelson,  A.  C.  Johnson  and  Lewis  Larson. 
They  at  once  commenced  the  erection  of 
their  fine  brick  store  building,  which  was 
put  up   at  an   expense  of  some  $10,000,  and 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


589 


in  December,  ISSO,  therein  opened  a  stock 
of  thy  goods,  etc.,  and  are  to-dav^  among  tlie 
heaviest  dealers  in  that  line. 

J.  L.  AVakefield,  dealer  in  dry  goods  and 
general  furnisliing  materials,  came  to  Litch- 
field in  November,  1883,  and  opened  a  stock 
of  general  merchandise  in  the  l)nilding  where 
F.  V.  DeCoster  is  now  located.  A  short 
time  subsequently  he  removed  to  his  present 
location. 

Charles  Johnson  came  to  Litchfield  in  the 
fall  of  1SS3,  opened  a  general  stock  of 
goods,  and  is  engaged  in  that  line  at  the 
present  time. 

The  oldest  drug  house  in  the  city  is  that 
of  A.  J.  and  N.  F.  Eevell,  operating  under 
the  firm  name  of  Eevell  Bros.,  who  are  the 
successors  of  W.  S.  Brill,  who  started  this 
establishment  in  1869,  the  first  of  its  kind  in 
the  village.  The  latter  continued  to  manage 
it  until  1882,  when  he  removed  to  St.  Paul, 
after  disposing  of  it  to  the  present  proprie- 
tors, who  are  in  the  enjoyment  of  an  excel- 
lent Inisiness.  They  carry  a  large  and  well- 
selected  stock  of  drugs,  fancy  articles,  as 
well  as  paints,  etc. 

V.  II.  Harris,  who  is  also  engaged  in  the 
drug  business,  was  the  second  to  open  a  store 
of  that  character  in  the  village,  commencing 
in  the  fall  of  1ST3,  under  the  firm  name  of 
Harris  &  Bell,  in  the  building  now  occupied 
by  the  ])ostolEce.  There  they  remained 
until  IST'.t,  when,  having  erected  the  second 
brick  store  building  in  the  jilace,  Mr.  Harris 
removed  into  it,  where  he  now  carries  on 
bu&iii'  ss,  which  he  has  filled  with  a  full  and 
comp  ete  stock  of  first-class  goods  and  is  a 
leader  in  that  line. 

Tiie  drug  firm  of  W.  W.  Johnson  &  Co. 
originated  in  a  business  established  by  J.  E. 
Upham  and  W.  W.  Johnson,  in  1881,  in  the 
building  now  used  as  the  postoffice,  and  there 
continued,  under  the  firm  name  of  Upham  & 
Jolmson,  until  two  years  later,  when  Dr. 
George  Newland  purchased  the  interest  of 


the  senior  partner,  and  the  present  firm  was 
formed.  Tiiree  months  later  tiiey  removed 
to  the  Howard  House  block,  where  they  re- 
mained until  the  fall  of  1886,  when  they  took 
up  their  quarters  in  the  Old  Court  House 
block,  where  the}^  are  at  present  located. 
They,  too,  have  a  large  stock  and  do  a  good 
trade. 

Tiie  grocery  house  of  D.  E.  Branham  was 
established  in  March,  1883,  Ijy  D.  E.  Bran- 
ham  and  G.  O.  Hickcox,  they  buying  out  S. 
A.  Heard,  the  pioneer  merchant  of  theplace. 
They  conducted  tlie  business  until  March, 
1SS8,  when  Mr.  Hickcox  disposed  of  his  in- 
terest to  his  partnei',  and  the  firm  name 
changed  from  Branham  ct  Hickcox,  to  its 
present  one.  His  stock  is  full,  complete  and 
elegantly  displayed,  and  his  business  is  ac- 
cordingly quite  large  and  remunerative. 

W.  II.  Dart,  who  is  also  engaged  in  deal- 
ing in  groceries,  etc.,  exclusively,  occupies 
the  stand  established  by  Daniel  McLane,  in 
1880,  and  succeeded  that  gentleman  in  1887. 
He  carries  a  very  large  and  complete  stock 
for  a  town  of  the  size  of  Litchfield,  and  as  a 
representative  pioneer  citizen,  has  a  wide  ac- 
quaintance in  the  county. 

The  hardware  firm  of  AVindle  &  Anderson 
succeeded  Anderson  &  Hanson,  among  the 
leading  ones  in  that  line.  The  latter  Avas 
formed  in  May,  1887,  by  A.  J.  Anderson 
and  N.  C.  G.  Hanson.  They  entered  at  once 
upon  the  transaction  of  business,  and  carried 
it  on  until  the  spring  of  1888,  when  they 
were  succeeded  by  the  present  firm. 

The  hardware  house  of  Johns  Brothers, 
was  established  in  April,  1887,  by  D.  B.  and 
W.  H.  Johns,  under  the  above  firm  name 
and  style.  -They  started  l)y  purchasing  the 
stock  of  Daniel  McLane,  and  later  that  of 
S.  W.  Eankin. 

Peter  M.  Johnson  is  also  engaged  in  the 
sale  of  all  kinds  of  hai'dware  in  the  city.  He 
came  here  in  July,  1880,  and,  in  connection 
with  M.  A.  Brown,  entered  into  this  line  of 


590 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


trade.      One    year     later     it    passed    into 
the  sole  possession  of  its  present  proprietor. 

The  establishment  of  Birch  c*c  Nelson, 
dealers  in  clothing,  hats,  caps  and  gents'  fur- 
nishing goods,  was  commenced  in  1880,  by 
John  Birch  and  Andrew  Nelson,  trading 
under  the  firm  name  of  John  Birch  &  Co. 
They  0))ene(l  business  in  what  is  known  as 
the  old  J>ank  building,  where  the}'  remained 
some  five  years.  In  the  spring  of  1884-,  An- 
drew Nelson  disposed  of  his  interest  to  Ras- 
mus Nelson,  and  the  present  firm  was  formed. 

The  Golden  Eagle  clothing  house  origin- 
ated in  March,  1886,  at  which  time  Jacob 
Kahn  and  M.  Leon  opened  a  stock  in  this 
line.  The  senior  partner,  who  is  a  resident 
of  Chicago,  is  a  member  of  the  wholesale 
clothing  firm  of  Kahn  Brothei-s  &  Co.,  and 
Mr.  Leon  is  managing  partner  in  this  village. 

F.  V.  DeCoster  entered  into  the  mercantde 
circles  of  Litchfield  in  the  spring  of  1871, 
opening  a  stock  of  general  merchandise  in 
the  building,  where  he  is  now  located,  and 
operated  in  that  line  until  1870,  when  he 
commenced  the  sale  of  musical  instruments, 
sewing  machines  and  notions.  This  he  con- 
tinued until  1S87,  when  he  added  to  iiis 
stock  an  invoice  of  watches,  jewelry  and 
silver-plated  ware. 

D.  Elmquist  came  to  Litchfield  in  1876, 
and  opened  a  jewelry  store,  in  the  building 
now  occupied  by  Nelson  &  Winger  as  a 
tailor  shop.  He  remained  in  that  edifice  for 
some  four  years,  when  he  removed  to 
Brown's  corner  building,  and  later  from 
there  to  a  store  owned  by  Mr.  Koerner.  In 
1886,  he  removed  to  his  present  location  in 
the  Okl  Court  House  block. 

C.  G.  Wennerlund,  a  native  of  Norway, 
ope;!od  a  jewelry  store  in  May,  1887,  under 
the  control  of  C.  B.  Nelson. 

The  pioneer  lumi)er  yard  of  the  city  of 
Litchfield,  was  established  in  August.  1860, 
by  Joh»  Esbjornssen  and  C.  Peterson,  when 
the  embryo  town  contained  iiardly  a  build- 


ing. The  firm  carried  on  the  business  until 
the  following  winter,  Avhen  it  was  dissolved. 
In  1876  Mr.  Esbjornssen  again  entered  into 
the  lumber  business,  buying  out  the  yard 
antl  stock  of  S.  W.  Leavitt,  and  has  con- 
tinued to  carry  it  on  ever  since,  cariwing  full 
stocks  of  all  goods  pertaining  to  the  trade. 

In  1878  W.  II.  Greenleaf  bought  out  the 
lumljer  yard  of  M.  J.  Flynn,  and  in  18SMthat 
of  H.  B.  Brown,  and  consolidated  the  two 
and  carried  on  the  business  alone  until  1882, 
when  he  admitted  to  a  partnership  his  son, 
Charles  A.,  and  the  firm  of  Greenleaf  &  Son, 
thus  formed,  still  conduct  the  business.  They 
have  also  an  interest  in  a  wholesale  lumber- 
yard in  St.  Paul,  and  another  retail  yard  on 
the  ^linneapolis  it  Pacific  Railroad. 

During  the  year  1880  Chauncey  F.  Dart 
established  a  furniture  store  in  Litchfield, 
and  continued  its  operation  until  November, 
1884,  when  he  disposed  of  it  to  P.  Berens, 
the  present  jiropiietor,  who  has  largely  in- 
creased the  stock,  and  carries  a  large  line  of 
goods  of  the  description  usually  making  up 
stocks  of  this  character,  inchuling  carpets, 
etc.  His  building,  which  he  owns,  is  on  the 
east  side  of  Sibley  avenue,  and  was  erected  in 
1886  at  a  cost  of  over  §5,000. 

John  Snell  came  to  Litchfield  in  1877,  and 
bought  out  the  furniture  establishment  orig- 
inated by  J.  B.  Hatch,  in  1876,  and  has  con- 
tinued in  that  Ime  ever  since.  In  1879  he 
erected  the  brick  building  where  he  carries 
on  business,  his  store-rooms  having  a  front- 
age of  eig-htv  feet.  He  has  added  under- 
taking  to  the  other  branches  of  his  business, 
and  controls  a  large  trade. 

The  extensive  business  carried  on  by  M. 
J.  Flynn  &  Bro.  has  grown  up  with  the 
town.  In  the  sj)ring  of  1870  Chauncey  But- 
ler established  a  lumber  yard,  which,  in  1873, 
passed  into  the  hands  of  J.  H.  Morris.  One 
year  later  it  was  jnirchased  by  M.  J.  Flynn, 
who  ran  it  until  the  fall  of  1878,  when  he 
sold    it   to  W.  II.  Greenleaf.      In  the  same 


MEEKER    COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


591 


year,  Mr.  Flynn  and  liis  brother  Daniel,  enter- 
ing into  partnersliip,  commenced  the  sale  of 
agricultural  machinery,  in  which  they  are  so 
largely  engaged,  succeeding  in  this  line  the 
firm  of  Butler,  Campbell  ct  White,  which 
originated  with  those  gentlemen  in  1872.  In 
18S0  M.  J.  Flynn  &  Bro.  purchased  the  But- 
ler elevator,  with  a  storage  capacit}'  of  30,- 
000  bushels,  and  are  also  engaged  in  handling- 
grain,  shipping  175,000  bushels  of  wheat 
alone  in  1887. 

McLane  &  Crowe  are  also  engaged  in  the 
sale  of  agricultural  implements,  wagons,  etc., 
having  commenced  this  line  of  trade  here  in 
the  spring  of  1886.  Tlie  firm  consists  of 
Daniel  McLane  and  L.  D.  Crowe.  They  are 
also  extensively  known  as  grain  buyers,  tliey 
operating  one  of  the  elevators  at  this  point. 

J.  W.  Johnson  commenced  the  sale  of 
agricultural  implements,  farm  machinery, 
wagons,  etc.  in  1888,  carries  a  full  line  of 
everything  needed  liy  tlie  farmer  in  that 
class  of  goods,  and  is  quite  a  popular  mer- 
chant. 

Maher  &  Palm  are  also  engaged  in  the 
Stile  of  farm  machinery  and  wagons,  on  Wall 
street,  west  of  Sibley  avenue. 

George  11.  Chapman,  who  is  engaged  in 
the  manufacture  and  sale  of  harness,  etc., 
commenced  business  in  Litchfield  in  May, 
1870,  and  has  continued  in  that  line  ever 
since.  He  carries  a  full  line  of  all  horse  ac- 
coutrements, and  everything  needed  by  a 
horseman.  His  business,  which  is  a  large 
one,  is  gradually  increasing  3'ear  by  year. 

E.  J.  Gould  is  also  carrying  on  the  har- 
ness-making trade  in  Litchfield,  commencino- 
the  business  here  in  February,  1886.  He 
carries  everything  needed  in  liis  line. 

The  harness-making  shop  of  Hugli  Dowl- 
ing  was  established  in  September,  1879,  by 
the  present  proprietor,  who  carries  a  full 
stock  of  all  manner  of  goods  connected  with 
his  line  of  trade,  and  has  built  up  for  himself 
a  fine  business  in  this  localitv,  bv  strict  at- 


tention to  business.  On  the  4th  of  March, 
1885,  lie  met  with  the  misfortune  of  losing 
his  stock  by  fire,  but  has  fully  recovered 
from  the  stroke  of  adverse  fate. 

The  flour  and  feed  store  of  C.  H.  Dart 
owes  its  origin  to  Mr.  Dart  and  George  Gor- 
don, wlio  commenced  its  operation  in  April, 
1880.  The  firm  only  existed  for  a  short 
time,  when  the  present  owner  assumed  sole 
charge,  and  has  continued  to  so  run  it.  In 
connection  with  this  business  he  is  also  en- 
gaged in  jobbing  cigars,  having  been  in 
partnership  in  this  department  with  E.  S.  Her- 
shey  until  Jannary,  1887,  when  he  purchased 
the  interest  of  liis  partner.  In  1886,  Mr. 
Dart  erected  the  fine  brick  building  where  he 
is  located,  and  moved  into  it  the  same  fall. 

Robert  Yorys,  who  is  engaged  in  carrying 
on  a  bakery  and  restaurant,  initiated  this 
business  stand  in  1886.  He  carries  a  stock 
of  confectionery  and  tobaccos  in  connection, 
therewith. 

Chris.  Mortenson  opened  his  bakery  in  the 
fall  of  ISS-t,  on  the  corner  of  Second  street 
and  Marshall  avenue,  where  he  remained 
until  June  19,  1886,  when  he  removed  to  the 
corner  of  Ramsey  and  Second  streets,  where 
he  operated  a  boarding  house  in  connection 
with  his  bakery;  but  in  April,  1888,  he  sold  out 
to  Heni'v  Halvorson,  Jr.,  who  is  now  engaged 
in  the  same  line. 

Chris.  Bertleson  is  occupied  in  running  a 
blacksmith  shop,  having  established  that 
business  here  in  1883.  He  worked  here  for 
about  two  years,  and  then  suspended  opera- 
tions for  three  years  at  this  point,  but  came 
back  to  Litchfield  on  the  expiration  of  that 
time,  and  re-opened  his  smithy. 

Morris  Neuman,  blacksmith  and  wagon 
maker,  commenced  his  business  herein  1872, 
in  a  shop  located  on  Marshall  avenue.  He 
erected  the  brick  building  he  now  occupies, 
in  1876,  and  moved  into  it  the  same  year. 

Paulson  &  Satlier  are  engaged  in  the 
meat  market  business  in  the  village,   as  are 


592 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


Barker  it  Andrews.  The  first  mentioned 
firm  commenced  business  in  1882,  with  John 
Paulson  andC.  C.  Sather  at  the  helm,  and  so 
continued  until  Jul}',  1885,  when  the  former 
retired  from  lousiness,  but  in  18ST  came  back 
to  Litchfield,  anil  again  entered  into  partner- 
ship with  the  same  i)arty  with  whom  he  was 
in  business  before.  The  firm  of  Barker  ^ 
Andrews  was  formed  in  the  fall  of  ISST  l>y 
D.  W.  Barker  and  J.  (,).  Andrews. 

David  Gorman  is  engaged  in  running  the 
Pioneer  livery  stable,  which  was  established 
in  the  fall  of  1869,  by  Chase  &  Dunn.  Some 
time  after  the  latter  disposed  of  the  business 
to  R.  "W.  Dunn,  and  the  firm  of  Dunn  & 
Deymouth  was  formed.  They  ran  it  for  a 
while,  and  were  in  turn  succeeded  by  Dey- 
mouth it  McCarger,  and  it  was  run  by  them 
until  1882,  Avhen  it  passed  into  the  possession 
of  the  present  pi'o[)rietoi',  who  has  operated 
it  ever  since. 

Knights  &  Ross,  who  are.  also,  engaged  in 
the  liver}'  stable  business,  commenced  their 
labors  in  that  line  in  Litchfield  in  1SS6. 

There  are  eight  places  in  the  city  of 
Litchfield  for  the  sale  of  li(iuor.  wine,  beer, 
etc.  The  gentlemen  who  conduct  them,  for 
the  most  part,  are  excellent  citizens,  and 
receive  the  i-espect  of  the  people  generally, 
although  there  is  a  large  element  of  prohibi- 
tionists in  the  community.  The  saloons  are 
kept  ijy  the  following  named — John  Kons- 
brick,  A.  von  Eckstaedt,  John  Burns,  Minton 
&  Peterson,  Xels  Clements,  S.  A.  Scarp,  A. 
D.  Eoos  and  Charles  Foster. 

Nelson  &  Winger,  tailoi-s,  C.  B.  Nelson 
and  N.  Anderson,  boot  and  shoe  makers,  and 
A.  Lofstrom,  house  and  sign  painter,  are 
among  tlie  lea<ling  artizans  of  the  place, 
and  helj)  make  up  the  business  of  the  vil- 
lage. 

There  are  four  millinery  establishments, 
also,  in  the  town  of  Litchfield — namely, 
those  of  Mrs.  Caswell,  Mi's.  Pixley,  Mi-s. 
Cary  and  Miss  Nygren. 


The  ])hotograpliic  and  art  gallery  of  Angell 
&  Weeks  was  estaljlished  in  1860,  in  the 
infancy  of  the  town,  and  is  well  entitled  to 
the  name  of  the  "  Old  Pioneer  Studio."  C. 
L.  Angell  came  to  the  site  of  the  town  when 
but  few  structures  of  any  kind  were  erected, 
and  at  once  commenced  business  in  a  small 
way.  From  this  humble  beginning  he  hns 
made  it  one  of  the  finest  estaljlishments  in 
the  State  outside  of  tlie  large  cities,  and  fur- 
nishes woi'k  equal  to  any. 

J.  11.  Bacon,  who  is  also  a  resident  dentist, 
is  operating  a  ])hotographic  gallery,  com- 
mencing in  this  line  in  1879,  and  carrying  it 
on  in  connection  with  the  duties  of  his  pro- 
fession. 

C.  II.  Bigelow,  dealer  in  books,  stationery, 
notions,  confectionery,  cigars,  tobacco,  etc., 
commenced  business  here  in  March,  1880,  in 
the  building  where  the  Golden  Eagle  cloth- 
ing store  now  stands,  where  he  carried  on 
the  business  until  June,  1881,  when  he  re- 
moved to  his  present  location. 

J.  W.  Knight,  who  is  a  dealer  in  tubular- 
well  su})plies.  ]nimps  of  all  descriptions,  I'ulj- 
ber  goods  and  engine  extras,  commenced  this 
line  of  trade  in  Litchfield  in  1873,  and  has  fol- 
lowed it  ever  since  with  considerable  success. 

The  real  estate,  loan  and  insurance  busi- 
ness of  Aug.  T.  Koerner  was  established  by 
that  gentleman  while  he  was  register  of 
deeds  of  the  county,  in  1879  or  1880,  and  on 
his  retiring  from  that  office  he  gave  his 
whole  attention  to  the  business,  which  he 
carries  on  at  the  j)resent  writing. 

D.  W.  Emeiy  opened  a  real  estate,  loan 
and  collection  agency  in  Litchfield,  on  com- 
ing to  this  locality  in  April,  1886,  and  still 
continues  in  that  line  of  business. 

The  members  of  the  bar  of  Meeker  county 
having  tiieir  residence  in  the  city  of  Litch- 
field, at  the  present  writing,  are  the  follow- 
in"-  named— Charles  11.  Strobeck,  N.  C.  I\Iar- 
tin,  J.  M.  Kusseil,  Edward  P.  Peterson  antl 
Ilenrv  S.  McMonigle. 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


593 


The  medical  fraternity  of  Litchfield,  which 
enjoys  a  high  reputation  for  ability,  judg- 
ment and  success,  is  represented  by  the  fol- 
lowing-named gentlemen — Dr.  V.  P.  Ken- 
nedy, Dr.  F.  E.  Bissell,  Dr.  W.  E.  Chapman, 
Dr.  George  Newland  and  Dr.  J.  II.  Bowers. 
The  dental  profession  is  well  i-epreseiited 
by  Drs.  E.  B.  Weeks  and  J.  II.  Bacon. 

Litchfield  lias  three  progressive  and  al^ly 
edited    local    newspapers,   all    weekly — the 
Nevis-Ledger,  tlie  Review,  and  tlie  Independ- 
ent,  a   history  of    which  has  alread\'   Ijeen 
given  in  the  general  history  of  the  county, 
in  connection  with  tiie  annals  of  journalism. 
The  Meeker  County  Bank  was  established 
in    January,    1878,    immediately    after  the 
failure  and  assignment  of  Chauncey  Butler's 
bank,  by  Walter  Mann  and  W.  R.  Merriam, 
vice-president  and  cashier  of  the  Merchants 
National  Bank   of  St.  Paul.     They  opened 
business   in   the   Carey    brick   building,    in 
which  it  continued  as  long   as  it  remained 
under  the  control  of  the  originators.     The 
officers    of    the     institution    were — Walter 
Mann,  president ;  W.  R.  Merriam,  vice-presi- 
dent ;  and  H.  B.  Gates,  cashier.     It  ran  but 
a  short  time,  when  the  stock  company  that 
now  owns  the  institution  was  formed,  which 
was   incorporated   in  the  summer  of  1ST8, 
with  a  capital  of  ^25,000,  and  tlie  following 
stockliolders — Andrew  Nelson,  II.  B.  Gates 
and  E.  P.  Nelson,  of  Litchfield,  and  W.  E. 
Merriam    and    Walter   ]Mann,    of  St.    Paul. 
Business  was  re-commenced  in  the  small  brick 
building  opposite  where  the  bank  is  now  sit- 
uated, where  its   predecessors   had  opened, 
with  the  following  officers — Andrew  Nelson, 
president;  B.  P.  Nelson,  vice-president ; and 
H.  B.  Gates,  cashier.     They  carried  on  oper- 
ations in  this  edifice  until  ISSl,    when   the 
present  structure  was  erected  by  them  at  a 
cost  of  $6,400.     In  1SS2  tlie  officers  chosen 
Avere     Alexander      Cairncross,     president ; 
George  S.  Ciiandler,    vice-president,  and  "H. 
B.  Gates,  cashier.     On  the  Ttii  of  July,  ISSi, 


E.  B.  Benson  was  placed  in  the  position  of 
assistant  cashier,  and  February  5,  1885,  he 
was  promoted  to  the  office  of  cashier,  and  is 
at  present  filling  that  responsible  post.  The 
otlier  officers  are — Alexander  Cairncross, 
president;  P.  E.  Hansen,  vice-president;  and 
C.  C.  Upham,  teller.  The  capital  stock  of 
the  bank  was  increased  in  January,  1886,  to 
the  sum  of  |l32,000.  The  stockholders  are 
at  present  the  following  named — A.  Cairn- 
cross, P.  E.  Hansen,  G.  S.  Ciiandler,  A.  E. 
Montford,  D.  B.  Johns,  M.  S.  Flynn,  E.  B. 
Benson,  John  Burke  and  11.  N.  Peck,  all  of 
whom,  witli  the  exception  of  Mr.  Burke,  con- 
stitute the  board  of  directors. 

The  following  is  a  statement  of  the  condi- 
tion of  the  ])ank  at  tlie  close  of  business,  June 
12,  1888: 

EESODRCES. 

Bills  receivable $160,358.40 

Due  from  other  banks 24,003.91 

Cash  on  hand 14,925.38 

Bank  building,  furniture  and  fixtures.  10,136.87 


Total «;209,324.56 

l,I.\I!n.ITIES. 

Capital  stock $  32,000.00 

Undivided  profits 31,672.93 

Deposits 115,651,63 


Total 1209,324.56 

The  banking  house  of  Stevens  &  Co.  was 
established  in  1881,  by  Hamlet  Stevens  and 
H.  S.  Branham,  under  the  present  firm  name, 
in  a  wooden  building  on  the  site  where  Cairn- 
cross &  Palm's  store  is  now  located.  Busi- 
ness was  carried  on  tliei-e  until  1886,  when 
tlie  Iniilding  which  they  now  occupy  was 
erected,  into  wliich  they  removed.  They 
transact  all  kinds  of  business  natural  to  link- 
ing institutions,  liandle  large  quantities  of 
veal  estate  in  addition,  and  have  acquired  a 
prominence  in  the  community  well  merited. 
They  carry  on  a  heavy  business,  and  their 
financial  resources  are  very  extensive.  The 
bank  ranks  as  one  of  the  most  solid  ami  reli- 
able institutions  in  tiie  State. 


594 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


Tlie  LitchHekl  AYoolcn  l\rill  was  established 
in  tlie  fall  of  1885  by  a  t^tock  coinpanv 
forinotl  at  tliat  time  for  the  purpose,  witli  a 
stock  of  $25,(100.  The  officers  elected  on 
organization  were— J.  IVf.  Howard,  II.  Stevens, 
B.  P.  Nelson,  John  Rodange,  N.  W.  Ilawk- 
inson,  I)  Flynn  and  D.  ]\Iethven,  directors; 
John  Rotlange,  secretary  and  treasurer;  and 
D.  Me'thven,  manager.  The  building,  which 
they  erected,  is,  in  the  main  part,  35  x  80 
feet  in  size,  two  stories  high,  and  has  con- 
nected with  it  an  engine  house  and  dry  room, 
35  X  42  in  size,  also  two  stoiies  in  height. 
The  warehouse  for  the  storage  of  wool  is  a 
separate  structure,  20  x  45,  and  two  stories 
high,  and  an  office  completes  the  list  of  build- 
ings, which  are  all  of  l^rick  veneer,  and  sub- 
stantially constructed.  Their  manufactures 
have  already  achieved  a  good  reputation, 
and  are  in  great  demand.  The  mill  is  well 
equipped  witii  Correy  macliinery,  and  power 
is  furnislied  by  a  powerful  steam  engine.. 
During  the  projier  season  this  institution 
furnishes  employment  for  some  thirty  peo- 
ple, and  about  300  spindles  are  set  in  motion. 
Blankets,  satinets,  mackinaws,  flannels,  yarn, 
etc.,  are  manufactured,  all  of  superior  excel- 
lence. Between  40,000  and  50,000  pounds 
of  wool  were  made  up  by  them  in  1887, 
besides  doing  some  $2,500  worth  of  custom 
Avork.  In  1887  tiie  capital  stock  was  increased 
to  $50,000.  While  digging  a  well,  two  flow- 
ing subterranean  streams  were  struck,  which 
afford  an  ample  supply  of  water.  At  the 
election  in  February,  1888,  the  following 
officers  were  ciiosen  —  M.  J.  Flynn,  presi- 
dent; H.  Stevens,  treasurer ;  Jolm  liodange, 
secretary  and  general  nuinager ;  J.  U. 
Moore,  foreman  ;  and  J.  ]\I.  Howard,  Andrew 
Nelson,  B.  P.  Nelson,  II.  Stevens,  A.  Cairn- 
cross,  M.  J.  Flynn,  and  John  Rodange, 
directors. 

The  Litchfield  Roller  Mill,  one  of  tlie  im- 
portant industries  of  the  place,  was  built  in 
1872  by  J.  C.  Braden,  J.  ]\I.  Waldron,  A. 


Adams,  and  "W.  S.  Brill,  who  continued  its 
operation  until  the  following  year,  when 
Messrs.  Adams  and  Brill  sold  out  tlieir 
interests  to  their  ]iartners.  In  1874  it 
cliangetl  owners  again,  passing  into  the  pos- 
session of  R.  S.  Ilershey  &  Co.  In  1877  it 
was  pureiiased  by  Shaw  k,  Ehlers,  who  have 
continued  its  operation  ever  since.  It  was 
of  the  old  fashioned  type  until  1882,  when 
these  gentlemen  remodelled  the  establish- 
ment and  i)ut  in  the  present  roller  system. 
They  manufacture  and  ship  about  a  car-load 
of  flour  every  day,  besides  supplying  the 
local  trade.  In  connection  with  the  mill 
they,  also,  own  an  elevator,  and  ship  the 
surplus  in  the  rough  state,  when  they  have 
more  than  they  can  grinil.  They  run  a  flour 
and  feed  store  in  the  village,  but  the  bulk  of 
the  pi'oduct  of  their  mill  is  shipped  to  and 
sold  in  the  British  Isles.  They  give  employ- 
ment to  a  force  of  nine  men,  besides  several 
coopers,  and  are  ranked  among  the  promi- 
nent business  men  of  the  place.  Tiie  mill 
cost,  in  the  first  place,  about  $20,000,  but  a 
considerable  sum  has  since  been  expended 
upon  it,  until  it  is  one  of  the  most  complete 
in  this  region  of  the  country. 

James  H.  Morris  was  for  a  number  of 
years  prominently  identified  with  tlie  mill- 
ing interests  at  Litchfield. 

The  Litclifleld  Creamery  is  one  of  the  lead- 
ing and  prominent  manufacturing  institu- 
tions of  the  city.  It  is  the  property  of  an 
association  which  was  completed  and  in- 
corjiorated  May  31,  1882,  with  a  capital 
stock  of  $5,000,  and  the  following-named 
stockholders — AV.  II.  Greenleaf,  IleniyCliase, 
S.  "W.  Leavitt,  II.  B.  Gates,  Robert  Shaw, 
G.  S.  Chandler,  Alexander  Cairncross,  J.  II. 
Morris,  Thomas  II.  Wood,  J.  S.  Shenill,  M. 
J.  Flynn,  Charles  II.  Strobeck.  J.  A.  Gart- 
ner, F.  Y.  DeCosterand  Charles  R.  Strong. 
At  the  election  the  following  officers  were 
chosen — W.  II.  Greenleaf,  president;  Henry 
Chase,  vice-president ;    II.   B.    Gates,   treas- 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


595 


urer;  and  S.  W.  Lenvitt,  secretary  and  gen- 
eral manager.  The  company  commenced 
business,  and  manufactured  and  sold  some 
35,000  lbs.  of  butter  the  first  year.  They 
have  increased  this  amount,  by  the  superior- 
it}'  of  the  article  made,  which  takes  a  front 
rank  in  the  markets,  to  75,000  lbs.,  and,  with 
their  machinery  driven  by  tiie  eight  horse- 
power engine,  have  the  capacity  of  turning- 
out  8,000  lbs.  per  day,  or  a  total  of  2,500,000 
lbs.  per  year,  if  crowded  to  the  uttermost. 
They  pay  out  annually  the  sum  of  $25,000 
for  material  and  help,  which  all  goes  into 
the  pockets  of  the  farmers  and  laboring 
classes  of  this  vicinit}',  and  has  proved  of 
much  benefit  to  the  community. 

The  Litchfield  Bottling  Works  of  John 
Rodange  was  established  by  that  gentleman 
in  1882,  and  in  it  is  caiTied  on  the  manufac- 
ture of  all  kinds  of  carbonated  waters  and 
beverages.  A  general  jobbing  business, 
amounting  to  some  $8,000  per  annum,  is 
done.  For  several  years,  from  1SS3  to  1888, 
the  proprietor  carried,  in  connection  with 
this,  the  jobbing  of  Milwaukee  beer,  but  has 
discontinued  that  branch  of  his  business. 

The  Litchfield  Baling  Co.  was  established 
in  May,  1885,  by  O.  W.  Topping  and  others, 
for  the  purpose  of  baling  hay  and  straw,  and 
the  enterprise  is  already-  assuming  large  pro- 
portions, they  shipping  some  12,000  tons 
of  those  articles  to  the  Minneapolis  market, 
besides  supplying  the  local  trade.  They  are 
also  the  proprietors  of  a  feed  mill,  which 
they  purchased  in  the  fall  of  1887,  and  are 
dealers  in  coal  and  other  fuel. 

Charles  A.  Laughton's  machine  and  ijlack- 
smith  establishment  is  one  of  the  institutions 
of  the  village  that  occupies  a  prominent 
place.  In  1881  this  gentleman  established 
an  agency  for  the  sale  of  agricultural  imple- 
ments made  by  J.  I.  Case  &  Co.  In  the 
spring  of  1887  he  added  to  that  business  the 
machine  shop,  where  he  is  fully  prepared  to 
make  all  kinds  of  repairs,  making  a  specialty 


of  engine  work.  The  blacksmith  shop  is  for 
general  farm  work.  The  motive  power  of 
the  machinery  is  furnished  by  a  fine  steam 
engine,  and  the  entire  plant  cost  over  $7,000. 
He  gives  employment  to  some  eight  or  ten 
men  during  the  busy  seasons  of  the  year,  and 
to  a  less  number  at  other  times. 

The  feed,  graham  and  corn-meal  mill  of 
Israel  Miller  was  erected  by  him  in  1885.  He 
came  to  Litchfield  the  year  previous,  and 
built  a  steamboat,  which  he  plied  upon  the 
bosom  of  Lake  Ripley  that  summer,  after 
whicii  he  put  up  this  mill. 

The  marble  works  of  William  Grono  were 
established  by  the  present  proprietor,  about 
November  1,  1885,  and  is  the  first  and  only 
institution  of  the  kind  in  Litchfield.  All 
kinds  of  marble  and  granite  woi'k  are  done 
there,  and  monuments  of  all  characters  are 
made  to  order. 

The  town  hall  and  Masonic  lodge  room  was 
built  conjointly  by  the  town  trastees  and 
Golden  Fleece  Lodge,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  in  the 
fall  of  1871,  at  a  cost  of  about  $1,000.  It  is 
26x72  feet  in  size  upon  the  ground,  and  two 
stories  in  height.  The  various  Masonic  bodies 
occupy  the  upjier  story,  which  they  have 
fitted  up  for  their  use  in  a  handsome  man- 
ner, including  all  tlie  proper  paraphernalia  in- 
cident to  the  ortler.  The  body  did  not  finish 
their  portion  of  the  building  nor  occupy  it 
until  the  spring  of  1875.  Most  of  the  money 
was  raised  by  the  issue  of  stock  to  the  mem- 
bers, in  $20  shares,  which  bore  an  interest  of 
10  per  cent.,  and  found  a  ready  sale.  All 
of  the  other  indebtedness  has  been  paid  off 
by  the  lodge,  as  well  as  some  of  the  stock. 
The  lower  room  is  fitted  up  with  seats  and  a 
stage,  and  in  it  are  held  all  the  entertain- 
ments given  in  the  village,  either  by  travel- 
ing troops  or  home  talent. 

The  first  elevator  in  this  village  was  erected 
by  Commodore  Davidson,  in  connection  with 
the  railroad  company  in  1860.  It  was  at 
that  time  quite  small,  antl  has  been  since  its 


■596 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


sale  to  its])resent  owner,  the  Millers'  Asso- 
ciation of  Minneapolis,  considorably  enlarged 
and  improved.  This  was  is  187!).  A.  U. 
Eoss  has  the  charge  of  it  at  the  present  time. 

AYhat  is  now  the  grain  elevator  of  M.  J. 
Flvnn  ct  ]>r<>.  was  erected  in  1870  b\' 
Chauncey  Butler,  who  o])erated  it  until  the 
time  of  his  failure  in  1877,  when  it  was  pur- 
chased by  James  B.  Atkinson.  This  gentle- 
man continued  its  management  for  about 
two  years,  and,  finding  that  it  was  an  uore- 
munerative  investment,  re-sold  it  to  the  as- 
signees of  Ciiauncey  Butler,  who  disposed  of 
it  to  its  present  projirietors,  Flynn  Bros.,  in 
1880. 

The  Farmers  and  Merchants  Cooperative 
Association's  elevator  was  put  up  by  that 
company  in  the  fall  of  IS.'sri,  and  has  storage 
of  capacity  of  85,000  bushels.  John  Lind- 
gren  is  the  efficient  manager. 

The  elevator  of  the  Litchfield  Holler  Mill 
was  constructed  by  Shaw  &  Ehlers  in  1885, 
and  has  been  operated  ever  since. 

The  Howard  elevator  was  erected  by  Col. 
J.  M.  Howard  in  1872,  and  Avas  the  first 
independent  institution  of  the  kind  on  tlie 
line  of  the  St.  Paul,  Minneapolis  &  Manitoba 
Railroad.  It  continued  under  the  manage- 
ment of  the  owner  until  1884,  when  it  was 
sold  by  him  to  its  present  projtrietors.  Car- 
gill  Bros. 

The  Minnesota  and  Dakota  Elevator 
Company  are  also  running  an  elevator  in  the 
village.  This  edifice  was  constructed  in 
1883  by  a  local  stock  comjiany,  known  as 
the  Litchfield  Elevator  Company,  composed 
of  Alexander  Cairncross,  Andrew  Nelson, 
W.  W.  Eollins,  Nels  Larson,  B.  P.  Nelson 
and  others,  who  operated  it  until  1SS7,  when 
it  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  present 
owners. 

The  Litchfield  Brewery  was  established  in 
1874,  by  Lenhardt  and  Roetzer,  and  after- 
ward passed  into  the  ownership  of  the 
present  projirietor,  Ehrliardt  Lenhardt,    on 


the  north  shore  of  Lake  Ripley.  During  the 
first  year,  he  manufactuied  about  100  bar- 
rels of  beer,  but  tiie  business  has  increased, 
until  now  he  makes  and  (lisj)oses  of  over 
2,000  barrels  each  year.  This  institution 
furnishes  employment  for  five  men. 

The  Litchfield  and  Meeker  County  Nur- 
sery, the  only  one  in  Central  Minnesota,  is 
owned  and  operated  by  G.  W.  Fuller  and 
son.  The  senior  ])artner  came  to  this  ]5lace 
in  the  spring  of  1872,  and  purchased  the 
Litchfield  Nursery,  or  what  there  was  of  it, 
and  that  year  started  some  10,000  evero-reen 
trees.  He  deals  largely  in  all  kinds  of  orna- 
mental, shade  and  fruit  trees,  and  all  descrip- 
tions of  small  fruits,  etc.,  and  has  a  large  and 
increasing  trade. 

The  greenhouse  and  market  garden  of  W. 
J.  Whittington  is  one  of  the  institutions  of 
the  city  that  must  not  be  ovei'looked.  The 
proprietor  came  to  Litchfield  in  1878,  and, 
September  12th  broke  ground  on  two  town 
lots  which  lie  bought  on  the  corner  of  Third 
street  and  llolcomb  avenue,  for  the  purpose 
of  establishing  his  biisiness  here.  After 
raising  a  crop  of  vegetables,  and  later  mak- 
ing a  grand  floral  display  on  the  grounds 
that  year,  he  continued  to  inake  that  his 
]ilace  of  business  for  about  two  years,  but 
finding  it  too  circumscribed,  tlecided  to 
remove  to  his  present  location  in  Greenleaf's 
adilition  to  the  town  site,  where  he  now  has 
five  acres  of  land.  Part  of  this  is  matle  into 
a  private  Park,  known  as  Garfield  park,  and 
is  used  for  the  i>urpose  of  floral  and  land- 
scape gardening  displays.  In  this  is  hold  an 
annual  horticultural  fair  and  festival,  given 
to  the  friends  and  patrons  of  the  proprietor. 
Connected  with  the  establishment  is  a  mar- 
ket garden  for  the  raising  of  early  and 
choice  vegetables,  and  as  he  has  telephonic 
communication  with  the  town,  affords  eas}'^ 
facilities  for  procuring  those  necessaries  at 
the  shortest   notice. 

The  Litchfield  House,  the  first  in  the  vil- 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


597 


lage,  was  built  by  Charles  Almqiiist  and  his 
brother  in  1S69,  and  was  at  once  rented  to 
L.  W.  Perkins,  who  was  the  landlonl  for  a 
year.  He  was  succeeded  by  M.  T.  Hayford 
in  1870,  and  the  business  was  carried  on  by 
the  latter  gentleman  until  about  1880,  when 
C.  C.  Sturdevant  became  the  proprietor.  A 
short  time  afterward  it  passed  back  into  the 
hands  of  Mr.  IIayford,who  remained  at  the 
head  of  its  affairs  until  the  fall  of  1885, 
when  Mr.  Hayford  died,  and  the  charge  of 
it  was  assumed  In'  M.  E.  Bauni,  the  present 
proprietor. 

The  Howard  flouse,  the  leading  hotel  of 
Litclilield,  now  under  the  able  jiroprietorship 
of  Franl:  W.  Minton,  was  erected  by  Col.  J. 
M.  Howard  in  1880,  at  a  cost  of  some  $19,- 
000.  It  is  a  beautiful  and  tasty  edifice, 
built  of  cream-colored  brick  with  brown 
trimmings;  is  about  75x90  feet  in  size,  three 
stories,  surmounted  with  a  mansard  roof, 
which  adds  another  story  to  its  height.  It 
contains  a  comfortable  office,  complete  bar- 
room, ample  dining-room,  and  a  large  num- 
ber of  comfoi'tably  furnisiied  betlrooms, 
with  all  of  the  usual  additional  rooms  proper 
to  the  carrying  on  of  a  first-class  hotel.  The 
owner  of  the  edifice  has  never  assumeil  the 
responsibility  of  catering  to  the  traveling 
public,  preferring  to  rent  it  to  some  one 
more  conversant  with  the  business.  The 
first  landlord  was  Harry  S.  Lilligar,  who 
remained  imtil  188J:,  when  he  was  succeeded 
by  Richard  Knights.  Afterward  Knights  & 
Gorman  ran  it  until  May,  1885,  when  they 
were  succeeded  by  Frank  Minton,  the 
present  host.  Mr.  Minton  is  admirably 
fitted  for  the  position  of  landlord,  his  kindly, 
genial  disposition  and  accommodating  man- 
ners making  him  a  general  favorite  with  the 
traveling  community,  a  great  number  of 
which  frequent  this  part  of  the  State. 

Tlie  Union  House,  owned  and  occupied  by 
Andrew  Ogren,  Avas  built  in  the  summer  of 
1887,  and  opened  for  business  in  August  of 


that  year.  It  is  a  fine  building,  two  stories 
in  height,  built  of  cream  colored  brick,  is 
thoroughly  fitted  and  furnished  tiirougliout, 
and  offers  superior  inducements  to  travelers. 

The  Exchange  Hotel,  another  of  the 
hosteli'ies  of  tiie  village,  was  erected  by  W. 
S.  Knappen  early  in  1873,  and  was  situated 
on  Sibley  Avenue,  opposite  to  where  the 
Meeker  County  Bank  is  now  located.  Mr. 
Knappen  continued  to  fill  the  post  of  "mine 
host "  here  for  about  two  3'ears,  but  in  Janu- 
ary, 1875,  he  disposed  of  it  to  Thomas  Ryck- 
man,  who  owned  it  until  it  was  purchased 
by  H.  "W.  Simons,  who  removed  it  to  its 
present  site  on  Marshall  avenue,  and  enlarged 
it,  and  ran  it  for  some  time.  He  finally  sold 
it  to  J.  B.  Hatch,  who  presided  over  its 
destinies  for  about  a  year,  when,  not  being- 
able  to  meet  his  payments  on  it,  it  reverted 
to  Mr.  Simons,  who  sold  it  to  S.  A.  Scarp, 
who  I'ented  it  to  A.  J.  Lee.  The  latter  con- 
tinued its  landlord  untd  tlie  fall  of  1887, 
when  Henr^'  E.  Freeman  became  host,  and 
has  filled  tiiat  position  ever  since. 

The  St.  Cloud  Hotel  was  erected  in  1880 
by  M.  L.  O'Lauglilin,  and  continued  under 
his  management  until  his  death,  since  which 
time  it  has  been  run  by  his  widow. 

The  Lake  liipley  House  was  built  by 
Gould  &  Co.  in  1870,  and  was  first  rented 
by  James  Tinkham,  who  ran  the  house  for  a 
little  over  a  year,  when  he  was  succeeded  by 
P.  E.  Christian,  who  was  followed  soon  by 
John  Scarp.  A  short  time  afterward  0.  D. 
Webb  became  the  landlord,  and  continued 
to  hold  that  position  until  the  fall  of  1872, 
and  was  followed  by  Otto  Campbell,  and 
then  G.  H.  Fountain  entered  upon  the  pos- 
session of  the  house.  He  remained  to  fill 
the  duties  of  host  until  March,  187C.  when 
he  was  succeeded  by  L.  D.  Marshall,  who 
"was  in  town,  followed  by  Otho  H.  Canijibell, 
and  he  by  R.  AV.  Dunn.  For  a  short  time 
the  house  was  run  by  tiie  latter  when  he 
was   in    town,    succeeded    bv  Z.  B.  Fifield. 


598 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


Peter  Weissenburg  liecame  the  landlord  in 
1S80,  and  continued  so  until  his  deatli  Janu- 
ary 5,  1884,  since  which  time  the  house  has 
been  presided  over  by  his  widow  and  son 
Nicholas. 

The  United  States  Land  Office  was  l)rouglit 
from  Greenleaf  to  Litchfield  in  December, 
1869,  at  which  time  J.  C.  Braden  was  the  re- 
ceiver, and  J.  M.  Walden,  register.  The 
office  was  located  in  this  place  until  the  16th 
of  September,  1S7G,  when,  in  obedience  to 
the  mandate  of  tlie  powers  that  were,  it  was 
removed  to  Benson,  this  State.  At  tiie  time 
of  this  removal,  "W.  H.  Greenleaf,  now  of 
Litchfield,  was  receiver,  and  J.  C.  Braden, 
who  died  in  December,  1S77,  was  register. 

BOARD    OF    TRADE. 

One  of  the  prime  factors  in  the  substantial 
growth  and  progi'ess  of  Litchfield  is  tiie 
Litchfield  Board  of  Trade.  It  was  organ- 
ized in  1880,  with  eighty-two  charter  mem- 
bers, and  may  be  said  to  have  had  its  origin 
in  the  movement  which  established  and  put 
the  Litciifield  Creamery  in  successful  opera- 
tion. The  first  officers  of  the  board  were  as 
follows:  ^Y.  S.  Brill,  president:  E.  P.  Peter- 
son, secretary;  M.  J.  Flynn,  treasurer; 
Henry  Ames,  W.  M.  Campbell,  P.  Eckstrom, 
S.  A.  Heard,  H.  B.  Johnson,  N.  C.  Martin, 
Jacob  Koerner,  J.  H.  Morris,  A.  Xelson,  A. 
D.  Boss,  John  Rodange,  S.  AV.  Leavitt  and 
S.  Cairncross.  The  board  of  directors  has 
full  power  for  the  transaction  of  all  routine 
business,  and  the  aiding  and  encouragement 
of  such  enterprises  as  it  nuiy  deem  beneficial 
to  the  town  and  community.  In  1885  the 
board  took  in  hand  the  project  of  establish- 
ing a  woolen  manufactory^  and  the  result 
was — the  close  of  the  year  found  one  of  the 
most  creditable  enterprises  of  its  kind  in  the 
State  established  and  in  operation  in  the  vil- 
lage. The  present  officers  of  the  board  are ; 
J.  M.  Ilowai-d,  president;  W.  D.  Joubert, 
secretary;  Andrew  Nelson,  treasurer. 


I'OSTOFFICE. 

The  postoffice  in  Litchfield  was  established 
in  August,  IbCiy,  and  J.  A.  C.  "Waller  com- 
missioned as  postmaster.  He  was  succeeded 
by  II.  B.  Johnson,  and  the  latter  by  Frank 
E.  Daggett.  The  next  to  hold  the  position 
was  James  II.  Morris,  who  was  followed  by 
A.  D.  Ross,  the  present  incumbent. 

GRAND    ARMY    OF    THK    REPtJBI.IO. 

Frank  Daggett  Post,  No.  35,  G.  A.  R.,  was 
organized  at  Litchfield  on  the  8th  of  July, 
1883.  with  f(,)urteen  cliarter  members.  The 
books,  however,  were  held  open  until  the 
next  meeting,  when  additional  names  were 
added,  making  the  luunber  appearing  on  the 
rolls  as  charter  members,  twenty-seven.  The 
following  is  a  list  of  these,  the  original  "  four- 
teen" being  named  first — J.  M.  Howard,  G. 
H.  Chapman,  J.  B.  Atkinson,  Jolin  Lock- 
wood,  Y.  II.  Harris,  Carl  Smith,  William 
Heath,  N.  C.  Martin,  S.  II.  Hoffman,  F.  E. 
Bissell,  Thomas  G.  Crump,  George  Siioles, 
A.  J.  Anderson,  Carl  Schultz,  John  Knights, 
Peter  Stiern,  August  T.  Koerner,  J.  S.  Mc- 
Neal,  Peter  Mclntyre,  Patrick  McKarney, 
James  Dearey,  Robert  Vorys,  William  Mc- 
Stotts,  Isaac  il.  Russell,  Christian  M.  Morten- 
son,  Samuel  Gleason  and  A.  D.  Simons. 

The  first  officers  of  the  Post  were  as  fol- 
lows— J.  M.  Howard,  commander;  John 
Lockwood,  senior  vice-commander;  J.  B. 
Atkinson,  junior  vice-commantler ;  G.  H. 
Cha])man,  officer  of  the  day  ;  \ .  II.  Harris, 
quartermaster;  N.  C.Martin,  adjutant;  F. 
E.  Bissell,  surgeon ;  T.  G.  Crump,  chajilain, 
ami  George  Sholes,  officer  of  the  guard. 
Colonel  Howard  held  the  position  of  com- 
mander until  January  1,  1884,  when  he  was 
succeeded  by  Y.  H.  Harris,  who  served  one 
year.  N".  C.  Martin  was  then  elected  com- 
mander, and  has  since  been  his  own  successor, 
being  the  pi'esent  commandei'.  Tlie  Post 
was  organized  in  the  old  court-room  building, 
but  held  regular  meetings  in  the  judge  of 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


599 


]>robate's  office  at  tlic  court-house  until  the 
summer  of  1SS5,  wlien  the  present  G.  A.  R. 
l)iiikhng,  "Memorial  Ilall,"  was  erected. 
The  corner-stone  was  laid  on  Memorial  Da  v, 
in  May,  1885.  The  cost  of  the  building  and 
grountls  was  !?5,0n0,  aiul  it  is  one  of  tlie  tinest 
furnished  and  finished  buildings  of  that 
cliaracter  in  tlie  county,  and  the  only  one 
owned  by  the  uiembers  of  the  order  in  JMin- 
nesota.  Thei'e  is  a  fine  libraiy  room  in  the 
hall,  in  wiiicli  the  Post  have  a  nundjer  of  in- 
teresting and  valual)le  relics  of  the  rebellion 
and  "Indian  massacre  times."  Among 
these  relics  are  the  two  l)ullets  which  were 
fired  at  a  mark  on  the  tree  by  Jones  and 
Baker  with  the  Indians,  on  the  17th  of  Aug- 
ust, 1862.  Tiiey  were  cut  from  the  tree  on 
the  first  of  January,  1886.  The  gavel,  which 
is  now  in  use  by  tiie  commander,  was  made 
from  tlie  wood  of  a  log  taken  from  one  of  the 
log  caljins  in  wiiich  the  Jones  and  Bakei' 
faiuilies  were  killed. 

The  Post  is  now  in  excellent  condition, 
having  125  members  in  good  standing,  and 
socially  as  well  as  well  as  financially  it  has 
been  one  of  the  most  successful  organizations 
in  the  State.  The  ]iresent  officers  of  tlie  Post 
are  as  f(jllows — N.  C  Maitin,  c(jmniander  ; 
G.  H.  Chapin,  senior  vice-eonimander ;  T.  J. 
Soule,  junior  vice-commander  ;  J.  13.  Hatch, 
adjutant;  Israel  Miller,  officer  of  the  day; 
G.  A.  Phelps,  officer  of  the  guard  ;  A.  T. 
Koerner,  rpiarteiinaster  ;  T.  G,  Crump,  chap- 
lain ;  F.  E.  Bissell,  surgeon  ;  F.  V.  DeCostei-, 
Q.  M.  S. ;  C.  V,.  Curtis,  S.  M.  ;  and  J.  M.  How- 
ard, V.  II.  Harris  and  A.  T.  Koerner,  tiustees. 

It  may  be  of  interest  to  state  that  tne 
Post  was  named  in  honor  of  Frank  E.  Dag- 
gett, who  was  a  lieutenant  in  the  Sixth  Min- 
nesota Volunteer  Infantry-.  He  was  the  first 
grand  commander  of  the  Department  of 
Minnesota,  G.  A.  P.,  and  was  well  known 
tiiroughout  the  State.  A  sketch  of  him  is 
given  in  the  biographical  department  of 
this  work. 


Edward  Branhani  Post,  G.  A.  P.,  was  an 
institution  of  ]iast  days,  formed  under  the 
old  organization  of  the  order.  Their  meet- 
ing room  was  ov^er  Dart's  store  on  the  east 
side  of  Siljley  Avenue 

The  Relief  Corps,  No.  16,  auxiliary  to 
Frank  Daggett  Post,  No.  35,  G.  A.  R.,  was 
organized  January  2,  1886,  with  the  follow- 
ing sixteen  charter  mend:)eis — Mrs.  J.  B. 
Atkinson,  Mrs.  M.  J.  Flynn,  Mrs.  F.  E.  Bis- 
sell, Mrs.  J.  M.  Lockwood,  Mrs.  William 
Caiupbell,  JSlrs.  J.  B.  Sherman,  Mrs.  J.  B. 
Hatch,  Mrs.  N.  C.  Martin,  Mrs.  A.  Phelps, 
Mrs.  Israel  Miller,  Mrs.  George  Chajiman, 
Mrs.  L.  Perry,  Mrs.  J.  McNeal,  Mrs.  F.  V. 
DeCoster,  Mrs.  L.  Damutli  and  Mrs.  C.  L. 
Angell.  The  following  is  the  roster  of  the 
first  officers  who  were  elected  on  organiza- 
tion—Mrs. J.  B.  Atkinson,  P.;  Mrs.  M.  J. 
Flynn,  S.  V.  P.;  Mrs  J.  McNeal,  J.  V.  P.; 
Mrs.  J.  B.  Sherman,  S.;  Mrs.  F.  E.  Bissell,  T.; 
Mrs.  G.  L.  Angell,  C;  Mrs.  J.  M.  Lockwood, 
Con.;  Mrs.  A.  Phelps,  Asst.  Con.;  Mrs.  N. 
C.  Martin,  G.;  Mrs.  J.  B.  Hatch,  Asst.  G. 
These  officers  were  installed  the  same  even- 
ing by  Mrs.  Becker,  department  installing 
officei-,  assisted  by  Mrs.  Stai'kweather,  the 
department  treasurer.  The  corps  soon  h- 
ceiveil  applications  for  new  membershij),  ;i;id 
has  always  held  interesting  meetings  and 
done  much  good  ^'arious  ways  of  obtain- 
ing funds  for  their  treasury  were  devi.sed, 
such  as  giving  dinners,  snjipei'S,  entertain- 
ments, making  and  selling  ice  cream,  etc., 
witli  happy  results.  In  the  year  1886  relief 
was  given  to  the  needy  to  the  amount  of  §^85 
in  provisions  ami  clothing,  and,  in  1SS7,  to 
$53.  In  addition  to  this  the  ladies  have 
jriven  to  the  G.  A.  R.  Post  money  to  the 
amount  of  $215  since  their  organization.  The 
officers  were  reelected  the  second  year,  with 
the  exception  of  Mrs.  J.  M.  Howard  being 
chosen  J.  Y.  P.,  and  Mrs.  Miller,  guard. 

December  3,  1887,  the  following  officers 
were    chosen    for   the   ensuing  year — Mrs. 


6oo 


MEEKER   COUNTY.  MINNESOTA. 


Bissoll,  P.;  ]\ri-s.  Howard,  S.  V.  P.;  Mrs. 
Cliapnian,  J.  V.  P.;  Mi's.  Sherman,  S.;  Mrs. 
Soulo,  T.;  Mrs.  Perry,  C;  Mrs.  Angell,  Con.; 
Mrs.  Pljelps,  Asst.Con.;  Mrs.  McNeal,  G., 
and  ]\[rs.  Martin,  A.  (4.  The  Corps  is  in  a 
floni'ishing  condition,  having  at  pi-esent  over 
tiiirty  members  in  good  standing. 

J.  C.  Braden  Cani]i,  No.  10,  Sons  of  Vet- 
erans, was  originally  known  as  YerrickCamp, 
and  was  organized  at  the  village  of  Dassel, 
December  5,  1885.  In  August,  1887,  the 
camp  was  moved  to  Litchlield,  and  the  name 
changed,  though  the  original  membership 
was  retained  and  eight  new  members  addeil, 
the  camp  being  officered  as  follows:  F.  B. 
Lawson,  captain;  C.  A.  Perry,  first  lieuten- 
ant; Charles  Phdps,  second  lieutenant;  F. 
H.  Haven,  first  sergeant;  J.  B.  Atkinson, 
Jr.,  quartermaster.  At  present  (1888)  the 
camp  musters  twenty  members  in  good 
standing,  and  has  the  following  officers:  C. 

A.  Perry,  captain ;  Chas.  Phelps,  first  lieu- 
tenant; Chas.  Collier,  second  lieutenant;  F. 

B.  Lawson,  orderly;  J.  B.  Atkinson,  Jr., 
quartermaster. 

MASONIC. 

The  Masonic  Fraternity  is  exceptionally 
strong  at  Litchfield,  there  being  a  represen- 
tative of  three  of  the  different  branches  of 
the  order  in  full  operation,  namely — Golden 
Fleece  Lodge,  Eabboni  Chapter  and  Melita 
Commandery,  besides  the  lodge  for  tiie  con- 
ferring the  Eastern  Star  degree. 

Golden  Fleece  Lodge,  No.  89,  A.  F.  ic  A. 
M.,  was  organized  under  dispensation  March 
10,  1871,  with  the  following  jnembers — J.  C. 
Braden,  B.  L.  Perry,  J.  B.  Hatch,  H.  L. 
Wadsworth,  J.  M.  Mitchell,  C.  D.  Ward,  J. 
A.  C.  Waller,  D.  C.  Miller,  C.  L.  Angell, 
Samuel  Anderson,  G.  AV.  Weisel,  M.  AV.  Pi- 
per, Daniel  Pineo,  IL  J.  Lasher,  Henry  Hill, 
N.  A.  Yiren,  M.  T.  Hayford,  J.  PI.  Morris, 
and  Lowell  AVeymouth.  The  first  officers 
chosen  and  installed  —  J.  C.  Braden,  AV.  M. ; 


J.  M.  Alitchell,  S.  AV. ;  B.  L.  Perry,  J.  AV. ; 
C.  D.  Ward,  T. ;  J.  A.  C.  AYaller,"s.  ;  J.  B. 
Hatch,  S.  D. ;  D.  C.  Miller,  J.  D.  ;  ILL. 
Wadsworth,  S.  S. ;  and  C.  L.  Angell,  tyler. 
The  lodge  ran  along  under  the  dispensation 
until  January  23,  1873,  when  it  was  ])laced 
under  acharter  granted  by  the  Giami  l.ddge, 
and  the  following  officers  installed  —  J.  C. 
Braden ;  AV.  M.  ;  J.  A.  C.  AValler,  S.  AV. ;  J. 
]\[.  Waldren,  J.  AV. ;  Frank  LaCross,  T. ;  J. 
Q.  A.  Braden,  S.  ;  J.  B.  Hatch,  S.  D.  ;  T.  R. 
Briggs,  J.  D. ;  II.  L.  Wadsworth,  S.  S. ;  D. 
C.  Miller,  J.  S. ;  II.  J.  Lasher,  tyler.  Dur- 
ing the  years  of  its  existence  the  following 
named  worshipful  masters  have  presided 
over  its  meetings— J.  C.  Braden,  1871-2- 
3;  J.  A.  C.  AValler,  1874;  A.  C.  Smith, 
1875  ;  J.  Q.  A.  Braden,  187(5;  S.  A.  Plmnley, 
1877;  J.  II.  Morris  1878-9;  J.  B.  Hatch, 
1880  ;  Henry  Ames,  1881;  A.D.  Ross,  1882- 
3-4  ;  AV.  J.  Nytcs,  1885  ;  A.  D.  Ross,  1886  ; 
and  A.  J.  Revell,  1887.  The  officers  for  the 
current  year  (1888)  are  as  follows  —  A.  •.!. 
Revell,  AV.  M. ;  O.  A.  Pennoyer,  S.  AV.  ;  C. 
Bertleson,  J.  AV. ;  H.  S.  Branham,  T. ;  Ham- 
let Stevens,  S. ;  T.  G.  Crump,  Q..  ;  G.  B. 
Phelps,  S.  D.  ;  Peter  Berens,  J.  D. ;  C.  F. 
Payne,  S.  S. ;  J.  AV.  AV  right,  J.  S. ;  C.  H. 
Bigelow,  tyler. 

Ral)boni  Chapter,  No.  39,  R.  A.  ]VI.,  was 
instituted  at  a  meeting  held  June  1,  18S2, 
when  the  following  named  companions 
signed  the  petition  for  authority  to  establish 
the  chapter,  and  who  filled  the  respective 
offices— J.  H.  Brown,  H.  P.;  S.  A.  Plumley, 
K.;  A.  D.  Ross,  S.;  A.  T.  Koerner,  C.  of  H.; 
AV.  J.  Nytes,  P.  S.;  O.  A.  Pennoyer,  R.  A. 
C.;  llandet  Stevens,  R.;  II.  H.  Pennover,  G. 
M.  T.  v.;  T.  G.  Crump,  G.  M.  S.  A^;"d.  II. 
Duclcering,  G.  M.  F.  A^.;  and  A.  C.  Brown, 
acting  sentinel.  The  first  communication 
under  the  charter  and  name  and  number  was 
held  November  30,  1882,  when  the  following 
com])ani()ns  were  installed  as  officers — J.  II. 
Brown,   11.   P.;  S.  A.   Plumley,    K.;  A.   D. 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


601 


Koss,  S.;  A.  T.  Koerner,  C.  of  H.;  W.  J. 
Nytes,  P.  S.;  C.  H.  Strobeck,  R.  A.  C;  W. 
S.'  Brill,  T.;  Hamlet  Stevens,  S. ;  II.  II.  Pen- 
no  ver,  G.  M.  T.  v.;  H.  B.  Johnson,  G.  M.  S. 
v.;  D.  H.  Duckerson,  G.  M.  F.  V.;  O.  A. 
Pennoyer,  Sent.  J.  11.  Brown  held  the  office 
of  Higli  Priest  until  1884,  and  companion  A. 
D.  Koss  filled  the  chair  of  High  Priest  of 
tiiis  chapter  until  the  current  year,  when  the 
dignity  of  that  office  was  conferred  upon 
Charles  H.  Strobeck.  The  otlier  officers  for 
18SS,  are  as  follows— Tiieodore  Eiders,  K.; 
A.  T.  Koerner,  S.;  J.  H.  Morris,  C.  of  H.; 
A.  J.  Revel],  P.  S.;  Nels  M.  Holm,  R  A.  C; 
H.  S.  Branham,  T.;  Handet  Stevens,  S. ;  T. 
G.  Crump,  C;  Amund  Dahl,  G.  M.  T.  V.;  O. 
A.  Pennoyer,  G.  M.  S.  Y.;  J.  E.  Uphani,  G. 
M.  F.  v.;  and  C.  H.  Bigelow,  Sent. 

Melita  Commandery,  No.  17,  K.  T.,  was 
duly  instituted  at  a  meeting  lield  June  21, 
ISSi,  at  whieli  time  Sir  Knights  J.  II.  Mor- 
ris, A.  D.  Ross,  A.  T.  Koerner,  T.  G.  Crump, 
O.  H.  Strobeck,  T.  Ehlers,  H.  S.  Branliam, 
N.  W.  Ilawkinson,  O.  A.  Pennoyer,  S.  B. 
Lake,  Hamlet  Stevens  and  Peter  Johnson 
signed  the  petition  to  the  Grand  Com- 
mander for  the  establishment  of  the  Com- 
mandery. At  a  conclave  lield  January  10, 
1885,  the  following  officers  were  chosen  and 
installed  :  J.  H.  Morris,  E.  C. ;  A.  D.  Ross, 
G. ;  A.  T.  Koerner,  C.  G. ;  T.  G.  Crump,  P. ; 
C.  II.  Strobeck,  S.  W. ;  Tiieodore  Eiders,  J. 
W. ;  II.  S.  Branham,  T. ;  Hamlet  Stevens, 
R. ;  E.  A.  D.  Salter,  standard  Itearer;  O.  A. 
Pennoyer,  sword  bearer;  N.  W.  Hawkinson, 
W.,  and  Marcus  Jolmson,  Sent.  The  charter 
was  received  October  2!*,  1SS5,  and  tlie  fii-st 
officers  under  it  were  the  following  named 
Sir  Knights:  J.  IT.  Morris,  E.  C. ;  A.  D. 
Ross,  G.  ;  A.  T.  Koerner,  C.  G. ;  T.  G. 
Crump,  p. ;  C.  II.  Strobeck,  S.  W. ;  Tiieodore 
Ehlers,  J.  W. ;  H.  S.  Branliam,  T. ;  Hamlet 
Stevens,  R. ;  E.  A.  D.  Salter,  standard  bearer ; 
O.  A.  Pennoyer,  sword  bearer ;  N.  W.  Hawk- 
inson, W.  ;    A.  E.  Rice,  C.  of  1st  G. ;    W.  J. 


Nytes,  C.  of  2d  G. ;  Peter  Johnson,  C.  of  3d 
G.,  and  O.  W.  Ilawkinson,  Sent.  Sir  Knight 
J.  H.  Mori'is  lield  the  post  of  Eminent  Com- 
mander until  April  9,  1888,  from  the  first 
meeting.  On  the  above  date  tlie  following 
officers  of  the  Commandery  were  duly  in- 
stalled at  the  regular  conclave  :  A.  T.  Koer- 
ner, E.  C;  Theodore  Ehlers,  G. ;  J.  II. 
Morris,  C.  G.;  C.  H.  Slrolieck.  P.;  C.  II. 
Bigelow,  S.  W. ;  A.  J.  Revell,  J.  W. ;  II.  S. 
Branham,  T. ;  Hamlet  Stevens,  R. ;  E.  A.  D. 
Salter,  standard  Ijearer;  O.  A.  Pennoj'er, 
sword  Ijearer;  N.  AV.  Ilawkinson,  W. ;  Peter 
Johnson,  C.  of  1st  (t.  ;  O.  W.  Ilawkinson,  C. 
of  2d  G. 

All  of  the  brandies  of  the  Fraternity  are  in 
splentiid  cutidition,  Ijoth  financially  and 
socially,  and  great  interest  is  taken  in  the 
work  by  tlie  members. 

The  Blue  Lodge  erected  the  hall,  in  lS7i, 
as  related  elsewhere,  and  rents  the  use  of  it 
to  the  other  societies.  It  is  a  finely  furnished 
and  comfortable  lodge-room,  and  manifests 
considerable  taste  in  the  fitting  and  furnish- 
ing. 

Fidelity  Ciiapter,  No.  17,  Eastern  Star, 
was  organized  under  dispensation,  March  3, 
18Sn,  with  the  following  list  of  officers  and 
members,  all  of  wiiom  were  initiated  into 
the  order  by  Golden  Fleece  Lodge,  No.  89: 
Mrs.  Narcissa  H.  Heard,  "VV.  Matron;  Charles 
H.  Strobeck,  W.  Patron;  Mrs.  Carrie  E. 
Strobeck,  assistant  matron ;  Mrs.  Eunice  A. 
Hayford,  treasurer;  ]\lrs.  Tlieo.  Ehlers,  sec- 
retary ;  Mrs.  Elizabeth  M.  Ross,  conductress ; 
Mrs.  Elizabeth  S.  Newland,  assistant  con- 
ductress; ilrs.  Louisa  M.  Hayford,  Adali  ; 
Mrs.  Ida  H.  Joubert,  Ruth ;  Mrs.  Alice  E. 
Wright,  Esther;  Mrs.  Ida  ]\I.  Johnson, 
Martha;  Mrs.  Ellen  M.  Crump.  Electa;  A.  J. 
Revell,  warder;  Charles  II.  Bigelow,  senti- 
nel;  Mrs.  Frances  S.  Patrick,  Mrs.  Jennie 
Revel,  Mrs.  Frances  R.  Bigelow,  Mrs.  C.  D. 
Patrick,  Mrs.  Sarali  Thomas,  Mrs.  Frances 
L.  Salter,  J.  D.   Hayford.  Theo.  Ehlers,  A. 


602 


MEEKER  COUNJY,  MINNESOTA. 


D.  lloss,  S.  D.  Patrick,  T.  G.  Cnimp  and  O. 
A.  Fennoycr.  Tlic  lodgo  lias  ])ros|)ei-<'il  since 
its  inception,  and  ranks  among-  tlie  best  in 
the  State.  The  jn-esent  otticers  are  as  t'ol- 
lo-.vs— Mns.  N.  11.  Heard,  W.  ^r.;  Charles  II. 
Strobeck,  W.  P.;  Mrs.  (".  II.  Stn.heck,  A. 
M.;  Mrs.  C.  C.  Patrick,  T.;  Mrs.  Theo. 
Ehlers,  8.;  Mrs.  E.  M.  Ross,  C;  ]\[rs.  -I. 
Kevell,  A.  C;  Mrs.  L.  M.  Ilayford,  A.;  Mrs. 

I.  II.  Joubert,  K.;  Mrs.  M.  C.  Braden,  E.; 
Mrs.  F.  S.  Pati'ick,  M  ;  Mrs.  E.  P.  Howard, 
Electa;  Mrs.  I' ranees  Uigelow,  warder;  Theo. 
Ehlers,  Sent.;  A.  J.  lleveil,  C!hai).:  and  Mrs. 
T.  J.  Morris,  organist. 

OTHER    SOCIKTIES. 

Litchfield  Lodge,  No.  50,Ancient  Order  of 
United  Woi'knien,  was  instituted  February 
23,  1878,  with  the  following  charter  mem- 
bers—  N.  C.  Martin,  II.  Angier.  S.  Cairn- 
cross,  S.  A.  Heard,  \\.  P.  Nelson,  A.  Nelson, 

II.  S.  Branham,  G.  O.  Hickox,  C.  (4.  Top- 
ping, L.  Eckslrom,  II.  McGannon,  A.  D. 
Ross,  L.  Elmquist,  A.  Palmquist,  F.  E.  Bis 
sell,  A.  ]\IcConger,  A.  J.  Anderson,  G.  II. 
Chapman,  S.  Y.  Gordon,  A.  A.  Sanford  and 

E.  P.  Peterson.  The  first  officers  were  — 
C.  G.  Topping,    M.   W. ;  N.    C.  Martin,    F. ; 

F.  E.  Bisseil,  O. ;  G.  O.  Hickox,  Rec. ;  H.  S. 
Branham,  financier;  A.  Nelson,  receiver; 
H.  McGannon,  G. ;  II.  T\I.  Angier,  I.  W.  ; 
A.  G.  Anderson,  ().  W.;  S.  (,'airncross,  P. 
N.  AY.  Tlie  present  ollicers  of  the  h-dge  are 
as  follows—  E.  M.  Eastman,  M.  AY.;  ().  A. 
Phelps,  G.  F.  ;  (ieorge  H.  Chapman,  ( ). ; 
N.  A.  A'^iren,  recorder;  N.  AV.  Hawkinson, 
financier;  S.  S.Cook,  receiver;  E.Nelson, 
G.;  A.  Palmquist,  I.  AV.;  C.  Topping,  (). 
AY. ;  V.  H.  Harris,  I).  Elmquist,  and  John 
Rodange,  trustees.  Tiie  lodge  has  eom- 
fortaijle,  convenient  and  pleasant  lodge-rooms 
in  the  Harris  block,  and  is  in  a  fioiirishing 
condition,  and  enjoys  an  excellent  i"e])nta- 
tion  as  a  benevolent  and  social  organization. 

A  lodge  of  tlic  Indcpenilent  Order  i>f  Odd- 


fellows was  instituted  in  Litchfield,  and  sus- 
tained foi'  a  time,  but  was  finally  abandoneil 
and  the  charter  surrendered. 

The  Litchfield  Library  Association  was 
chartered  untler  the  laws  of  the  State,  on 
September  15,  1875.  The  capital  stock  was 
fixed  at  $5,000,  1,000  shares  being  issued,  at 
$5  each.  The  articles  of  incoijioration  de- 
fined the  general  ])nr])oses  of  the  associaLion 
to  l)e  "  for  iiisti'iu-tion  and  mental  iiii|iiii\e- 
ment  in  the  arts  and  sciences,  and  for  lilciary 
and  social  cultuie  by  means  of  the  establish- 
meiil  and  maintenance  of  a  librai'y  of  miscel- 
laneous l)ooks,  the  collection  and  preservation 
of  curiosities,  works  of  art  and  skill,  and  ob- 
ject illustrations  of  natural  science,  and  Ijy 
lectures,  addresses,  and  literary,  scientific, 
musical  and  dramatic  entertainments."  The 
officers  and  charter  members  of  the  Associa- 
tion were  as  follows — A.  C.  Smith,  ])resi- 
dent;  AV.  M.  AYhite,  vice-president;  AY.  S. 
Brill,  secretary  and  librarian;  Charles  II. 
Strobeck,  treasurer;  F.  Daggett,  J.  0.  A. 
Braden,  AY.  M.  Campbell,  AY.  II.  Greenleaf, 
S.  A.  Plumley,  A^  P.  Kennedy,  F.  A^  De- 
Coster,  H.  S.  Lasher,  directors;  F.  Belfoy, 
Dr.  F.  E.  Bisseil,  S.  AV.  Leavitt,  A.  NelsJn 
Fosen,  J.  Esbjornsson,  Leonard  Leight,  Henry 
McGannon,  Nelson  J.  Marsh,  C.  F.  Dart,  E. 
A.  Campi)ell,  M.  J.  Flynn,  ,1.  11.  I5ac(m,  J. 
A.  C.  Waller,  James  11.  INIorris  ami  C.  (i. 
Topping.  The  library  is  at  present  in  the 
(irand  Army  of  the  Re|)ublic  hall,  in  the 
immediate  care  of  Post  No.  35,  though  still 
the  ])ropcrty  of  the  Association. 

The  Litchfield  Dramatic  Association  was 
organized  January  13,  1877,  with  the  follow- 
ing members — J.  C.  Braden  and  wife; 
Chauncey  Butler  and  wife;  J.  11.  Morris 
and  wife;  Col.  J.  M.  Howard  and  wife:  ('. 
II.  Strobeck  and  wife;  Rev.  T.  (L  Crump 
and  wife;  S.  W.  Leavitt  and  wife;  A.  D. 
Ross  and  wife;  S.  A.  Plumley  and  wife; 
AV.  M.  AVhite  and  wife;  J.  E.sbjornsson,  O. 
n.  .Itilinsiii),  Hamlet  Stevens,  AV.  D.  Joultert, 


MEEKER   COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


603 


S.  W.  Frazier,  II.  J.  Laslier,  Dr.  8.  L.  Barr, 
Dr.  J.  II.  riacon,  and  Misses  lluttie  Camp 
bell,  Nettie  JI.  Ti.xley,  and  Ilattie  15.  Siniuns. 
On  organization  the  following  oiticers  wei-e 
elected  to  attend  to  the  govei'nnient  of  the 
society:  S.  W.  Leavitt,  nianagei';  Dr.  J.  II. 
Bacon,  assistant  manager;  O.  B.  Johnson, 
treasurer,  and  W.  D.  Joiibert,  secretary.  By 
one  of  the  by-laws  of  the  Association  the 
number  of  members  was  confined  lo  forty, 
half  of  whom  were  to  be  of  the  gentler  sex. 
It  has  proven  a  brilliant  success,  and  has  a 
full  membershi]!,  each  of  whom  takes  an 
individual  interest  in  its  woi'kings.  The 
present  officers  are  the  following — S.  W. 
Leavitt,  manager;  J.  II.  Bacon,  assistant; 
James  \\.  Mori-is,  treasurer;  E.  B.  Weeks, 
secretary. 

The  Scandinavian  Temperance  Society 
was  organized  in  the  autumn  of  1886,  as  an 
open  society,  by  the  citizens  of  that  nation- 
ality or  descent,  with  a  meinbershi)i  of  alioiit 
twenty.  It  has  accomplished  much  gond  in 
liel])ing  on  the  cause  in  this  locality,  and  has 
increased  rapitlly  in  size,  having  now  some 
275  members.  Meetings  are  hekl  semi- 
monthly at  the  Swedisli  Methotlist  Episcopal 
Church,  and  great  interest  is  manifested  in 
them.  The  first  otiicers  wei'e — E.  B.  Nelson, 
pi'esident ;  Halvor  Burgliii,  vice-pi'esidcnt ; 
O.  Ringdahl,  secretary  ;  and  Charles  Hanson, 
treasurer.  Elections  are  held  every  four 
months,  and  the  present  ollicers  are  the  fol- 
lowiuy  named  oentlemen  :  Ber"!!  Anderson, 
president;  J.  G.  Johnson,  vice-president; 
Edward  Benson,  secretary;  and  S.  Peterson, 
treasurer. 

KKI.IOIOI.'S. 

The  First  Presbyterian  Church  Societj' 
of  Litchfield,  was  organized  temporarily  on 
the  2d  of  day  January,  1870,  under  the  ilirec- 
tion  of  a  committee  from  the  St.  Paul  Pi'es- 
bytery,  alth<jugh  services  had  been  irregular- 
ly   held    four  or   live   months  ])i'evious    in  a 


newly  erected  school-house,  Eev.  D.  B.  Jack- 
son officiating.  On  the  10th  of  Maich  follow- 
ing a  ]iermanent  oi'ganization  was  effected, 
when  Henry  Hill,  A.  N.  Grenier  and  II.  A. 
Bunions  were  chosen  as  trustees.  The  fol- 
lowing named  persons  comprise  the  original 
membership  of  the  church :  A.  N.  Grenier, 
Mrs.  Eusebia  Grenier,  Miss  Bachel  A. 
Grenier,  Miss  Isabella  Grenier,  Henry  Hill, 
Mrs.  Mary  L.  Hill,  HenryWilson  and  Mrs. 
Martha  Gordon,  and  D.  B.  Jackson,  pastor. 
Rev.  Jackson  was  a  most  conscientious  Chris- 
tian worker,  and,  by  infusing  his  followers 
with  his  own  earnestness  and  zeal,  his  labors 
resulted  in  laying  the  foundation  for  some  of 
the  most  effective  religious  work  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  county.  During  the  summer  of 
1870,  c|uite  a  handsome  fund  was  raised  by 
the  society  through  donations,  general  sub- 
scriptions and  otherwise,  and  two  lots  were 
deeded  it  by  the  railroad  company,  on  which 
the  erection  of  a  church  etlilice  was  innuedi- 
ately  begun.  Tlie  building  was  finished  and 
occupied  the  following  year  (1871),  the  total 
cost  being  al)out  :j;+,()Ou.  A  parsonage  has 
since  been  erected  at  a  cost  of  $1,400.  Rev. 
Jackso7i  was  succeeded  in  turn  as  pastor,  by 
the  following  ministei's — lievs.  W.  C.  Hai'd- 
ing,  Prescot  Fay,  A.  J.  Buel  and  John  S. 
Sherrill.  In  April,  1887,  the  present  pastor. 
Rev.  I).  E.  Evans,  was  called  to  the  charge, 
and  the  church  has  made  excellent  jjrogress 
under  his  administration,  more  than  thirty 
new  memljers  haviu"-  been  received  durino- 
his  first  year.  The  society  now  has  a  mem- 
bership of  ninety-tour,  and  everything  jkm'- 
taining  to  the  church  and  its  work  is  indeed 
promising  for  the  future. 

Trinity  Protestant  Episcojial  Church  was 
the  outgrowth  of  a  mission  of  that  denomin- 
ation established  here  previous  to  the  laying- 
out  of  the  village.  Services  were  held  in  the 
place  shortly  after  the  reception  of  Litch- 
field, and  at  a  meeting  held  at  the  Masonic 
Hall,  March  IS,  1871,  the  parish  was  organ- 


6o4 


MEEKER  COUNTY,   MINNESOTA. 


ized,  and  th(>  real  life  of  the  clnirch  began. 
The  pioneer  oflicei's  were  tlie  following- 
named — Kev.  T.  (t.  Crinn|i,  I'ectoi';  J.  C. 
Braden,  senioi-  wanlen  ;  Charles  II.  Stroljcck, 
junior  warden  ;  II.  (i.  Itisiiig,  I).  E.  Potter, 
J  M.  Mitchell.  J.  M.  Waldren,  O.  B.  Espin, 
W.  S.  Ih'ill  and  G.  II.  (Miajjnian,  vestrymen  ; 
I).  E.  Potter,  cleik ;  C  II.  Strobeck,  treasurer. 
A  Mrs.  Ellen  Anehenty  ])laced  the  sum  of 
^.j.ddo  in  the  hands  of  Hisliop  Whipple  for 
the  purpose  of  erecting  a  church  and  jjarish 
school,  and  the  Ihshoj)  selected  this  congre- 
"•ation  as  the  bencliciarv.  'I'lie  chui'ch  edifice 
was  erected  during  the  year  1871,  and  dedi- 
cated February  1,  ISTii.  It  is  a  very  hand- 
some structure,  built  in  the  English  Gothic 
style  of  architecture,  and  together  with  the 
rectory  and  school  buildingis  valued  at  over 
$7,000.  Mr.  C'rumi)  continued  to  fill  the 
position  of  rector  until  March  19,  1888,  when 
he  resigned,  and  was  succeeded  by  Rev. 
Alfred  G.  Pinkhani.  The  present  officers 
are — C.  II.  Strobeck  and  J.  II.  ]\Iorris, 
wardens;  A.  J.  Revcll,  T.  II.  AYood,  C.  A. 
Hraisie,  A.  R.  j\Iontf(jrt,  James  Dickson  and 
J.  E.  Upliam,  vestrymen;  Hamlet  Stevens, 
treasurer;  and  M.  ().  Gathcart,  clerk.  Al- 
though the  church  had  l)ut  about  ten  or 
eleven  members  at  its  inception  it  now  num- 
bers some  375  individuals  in  the  congrega- 
tion, of  whom  one  hundred  are  communi- 
cants. 

The  Methodist  Ej)iscopal  Church  of  Litch- 
field was  instituted  in  this  neighborhood,  as 
an  auxiliary  to  the  Forest  City  Church,  in 
18G(i,  a  board  of  trustees  being  ap]iointed 
and  a  temporary  organization  being  effected 
in  July  of  that  year.  Rev.  T.  J.  Woodworth 
was  the  first  pastor  to  labor  with  the  people, 
services  being  held  ii'regularly  in  jn'ivate 
houses.  In  18(>!1,  on  theii-  removal  to  Litch- 
field, meetings  were  hehl  in  the  old  school- 
house,  a  permanent  organization  was  effected, 
and  the  first  (piarterly  conference  was  in 
November  of  that  vear.      At  that  time  the 


jiastor  was  Rev.  J.  S.  Fasig,  who  was  suc- 
ceeded, in  September,  1871,  by  Rev.  AVUIiam 
Copj).  Under  the  administration  of  Rev. 
Copp  the  erection  of  the  present  church  edi- 
fice was  begun  and  completed,  at  a  cost  of 
$2,600.  For  a  year  jji-evious  to  its  comple- 
tion services  were  held  in  the  hall  over  a 
saloon  on  Sibley  avenue.  In  1872  Rev. 
Levi  Gleason  came  to  the  charge,  and  in 
1873  he  was  succeeded  by  lie  v.  Isaac  II. 
Riddick,  whose  circuit  inclnde<l  Litchfield. 
Gi'cenleaf,  Spi'ing  Grove  and  Cedar  Mills. 
He  continued  as  pastor  until  September  27, 
1870,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Samuel 
Wood,  who  resigned  tin'  charge,  on  account 
of  failing  health,  in  July  of  the  following 
year.  Rev.  C.  W.  Savidge  completed  the 
conference  year,  and  was  returned  for  the 
second  \'ear.  The  succeeding  pastors  wei-e — 
Rev.  Hoyt  V>.  Hunt,  1878-80;  Rev.  L.  Hall, 
1881-2;  Rev.  N.  M.  Learned,  1882-3;  Rev. 
J.  C.  Gullett,  1883-1;  Rev.  A.  J.  Brock, 
188-L-r..  In  1886  the  present  pastor,  Rev.  T. 
W.  Butler,  was  called  to  the  charge.  The 
church  membership  is  now  120,  anil  the  soci- 
ety is  in  a  wi^vy  ])rospei"ous  condition.  L)ur- 
ing  the  year  1887  some  .s300  worth  of  im- 
provements wei-e  put  njion  the  church,  and 
a  parsonage  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $1,400. 
S<j  satisfactory  has  been  the  progress  of  the 
church,  during  the  })ast  few  years,  that  the 
society  now  has  in  contemplation  the  erec- 
tion of  a  new  church  building,  in  order  lo 
more  nearly  meet  the  necessities  of  the  times. 
The  Swedish  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
of  Litchfield  was  organized  early  in  the 
year  1S71-,  the  first  meetings  being  held  in 
the  English  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  with 
Rev.  C.  J.  Nelson,  presiding  elder,  and  Rev. 
Louis  Dahlijrenofliciatin'r.  Anions' the  orini- 
nal  members  and  workers  were  Air.  ami  ilrs. 
Peter  Palm  and  Mr.  and  JNIrs.  Peter  Hansen 
and  others.  Later  in  the  year  a  coinf(n'table 
church  building  was  erected,  at  a  cost  of 
$1,400.     For  the  first  eleven  j'ears  the  church 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


605 


belonged  to  the  Atwater  Circuit,  the  piilpil 
being  filled  by  the  pastor  from  that  charge. 
A  I'cgiilar  pastor  was  provided  in  1885,  the 
first  one  being  Rev.  P.  M.  Alvin.  In  tlie  fall 
of  ISSO  he  was  succeeded  h3'  Rev.  Joiin  Ander- 
son, the  present  jiastor.  The  church  has 
made  wonderful  progress  during  the  past 
year  and  a  half  (s|)ring  of  1888),  increasing- 
its  membership  fully  five-fold.  The  present 
menibershii)  is  over  sixty.  Some  $200  worth 
of  improvements  have  been  put  upon  the 
church  building  during  the  past  year,  and  a 
parsonage  has  been  erected  at  a  cost  of  $050, 
besides  purchasing  an  atlditional  lot  at  a  cost 
of  $60. 

The  Church  of  Christ,  often  called  the 
Christian  Church,  was  initiated  at  Litchfield 
by  a  disc(;urse  delivered  by  L.  Y.  Bailey,  in 
the  old  school-house,  in  the  summer  of  1870. 
He  was  the  teacher  of  the  school,  and,  dur- 
ing that  year  preached  occasionally,  being 
I'egularly  ordained  as  a  minister  of  that  com- 
munion. In  1871  the  church  society  was 
duly  organized  with  L.  Y.  Bailey  and  wife, 
Mi's.  J.  V.  Branham,  Jr.,  C.  J.  Rowley, 
Chauncey  Butler  and  wife,  O.  B.  Knajip  and 
wife,  and  several  others  as  mendjers.  They 
rented  Asher's  hall,  where  they  held  services 
for  a  time.  Mr.  Bailey  had  charge  of  the 
church  as  long  as  lie  was  a  resident  of 
Meeker  county,  which  was  for  some  three  or 
four  yeai's  subse([uent  to  the  organization  of 
the  society,  having  been  connected  with  the 
educational  interests  of  the  county,  either  as 
teacher  or  as  county  superintendent,  and 
gave  his  services  to  the  church  without  re- 
muneration, as  a  matter  of  principle.  In  the 
early  part  of  1872,  the  present  church  edifice 
was  erected,  at  a  cost  of  about  $3,000,  and 
the  membership  largely  increased.  The  suc- 
cessor of  Mr.  Bailey  Avas  Elder  Grant,  who 
remained  with  this  people  about  a  year;  after 
which,  for  a  period  of  several  years,  the  in- 
terest somewdiat  abating,  there  was  no  pas- 
tor until  1882.     In  April  of  that  year.  Elder 


E.  W.  Knapp  came  here,  and,  taking  charge 
of  the  ministerial  duties,  occupied  the  pulpit 
until  September  following,  when  he  was  suc- 
ceetled  by  Elder  R.  C.  Bryant,  who  attended 
the  sjiiritual  welfare  of  the  church  foi-  about 
a  year.  After  him  came  anotiier  interval, 
when  there  was  no  pastoi'.  In  ]\[;ii'ch,  1S84, 
L.  A.  Pier  was  duly  installed  as  pastor,  and 
continues  in  that  ])osilionat  th(!  present  time. 
The  parsonage  connected  with  the  church 
was  erected  in  1883,  at  a  cost  of  about  $1,000. 
The  membershi})  of  the  society  is  now  al)out 
eighty,  with  the  following  officers — V.  H. 
Harris,  Thonuis  McGannon  and  Timothy 
Jayne,  Jr.,  trustees;  Thomas  McGannon  and 
Timothy  Jayne,  elders;  A.  T.  Koerner, 
Henry  McGannon  and  J.  "W.  Knight,  dea- 
cons; V.  II.  Harris,  clerk;  and  J.  M.  Russell, 
treasurer. 

The  Swedish  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church 
Society  was  oi'ganized  on  the  28th  of  Au- 
gust, 1873,  with  the  following  members — 
N.  M.  Hentzia  and  w^ife,  Nels  Agren  and 
wife,  C.  J.  Zettergren  and  wife,  J.  P.  Scarp 
and  w'ife,  N.  Anderson  and  wife,  A.  II.  Lof- 
strom  and  wife,  A  Palmquist  and  wife,  B. 
P.  Nelson  and  Alfred  Zettergren.  The  first 
officers  chosen  were — Rev.  J.  G.  Lagerstroin, 
chairman  ;  Rev.  Fred.  Peterson,  secretary  ; 
C.  J.  Zettergren,  A.  Ilentzer,  and  Nels 
Agren,  deacons;  and  B.  P.  Nelson,  A.  H. 
Lofstram,  and  J.  P.  Scarp,  trustees.  The 
first  regular  pastor  was  Rev.  P.  Dittner,  who 
was  settled  heie  in  fSTfi,  and  was  succeeded 
in  1881  by  Rev  J.  S.  Ryding.  November 
1,  1883,  the  present  ministei'.  Rev.  L.  A. 
Hocanzan,  succeeded  the  latter  gentleman. 
The  church  edifice  was  erected  at  a  cost  of 
some  $t),000,  in  1884,  and  is  a  brick  veneered 
building,  38x62  feet  in  size,  21  feet  high. 
The  sacristy  is  18x24  feet  in  dimensions,  and 
the  tower  and  spir(>,  which  is  14  feet  scpiaie, 
rises  to  a  height  of  87  feet.  It  is  well  fur- 
nished inside,  is  heated  by  first-class  furna- 
ces, and  is  handsomely   liuished   in    fresco. 


6o6 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


The  present  officers  are  tlie  rolluwiny 
named  —  llev.  L.  A.  IIocanzMii,  pastor;  A. 
Palniqiiist.  organist;  Aaron  landliolni,  secre- 
tary ;  Carl  Hanson,  treasurer;  A.  Palniquist, 
John  Sncll,  and  Swen  Nelson,  deacons;  and 
Andrew  Nelson,  Carl  Hanson,  and  Nels  An- 
derson, trustees.  The  clmrcli  has  a  total 
niendicrsliip  of  I'lo,  of  whom  117  are  com- 
municants. The  Sunday-school,  which  meets 
every  Sabbath,  is  under  the  superintendency 
of  J.  A.  Elvblad.  A  parish  school  is  hehl 
during  some  eight  weeks  in  the  year  in  con 
nection  with  the  church,  and  a  ladies  society 
meets  once  a  month. 

The  Roman  Catholic  Church  at  Litchfield 
was  organized  as  a  part  of  the  parish  of 
Forest  City,  in  1871,  by  Rev.  Father  Arthur 
Hurley,  who  remained  pastor  of  it  until 
1873,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Fatliei' 
Caiiill,  under  wiiose  direction  a  pai-sonage 
was  j)urciiased,  and  one  room  therein  was 
fitted  u])  as  a  chapel,  in  wliich  mass  was 
celebrated.  In  1875  Rev.  Fatiiei'  John  Mc- 
Dermolt  became  the  spiritual  director  of  the 
church,  and  organized,  during  his  ministry, 
the  first  total  abstinence  society  in  Meeker 
county,  and  lots  were  xwi'chased,  and  the 
foundation  of  the  cliurch  laid  in  1881.  Rev. 
Father  I'atrick  Kinney,  the  next  priest,  came 
in  the  spring  of  1882,  and  the  churcli  edifice 
was  built  under  his  direction,  at  a  cost 
of  $4.()(H).  Rev.  Father  11.  McDevitt  took 
charge  of  tlie  parish  in  iss.'i,  and  remained 
about  a  year,  when  lie  was  succeeded  by 
Rev.  Father  P.  J.  Roland,  the  present  pastor. 
In  tile  summer  of  1887  tlie  present  hand- 
some parsonage  was  erected  at  a  cost  of 
!B2,0()0. 

EDLX'ATIONAf.  M.VTTERS. 

These  are  matters  upon  wliieii  the  cili/.i-ns 
of  Litchfield  take  a  just  pride.  At  tJiis  writing 
iheir  schools  are  well  graded,  and  have;  been 
in  tlie  past,  and  are  to-day,  among  the  best 
managed  schools  in  the  State.     There  is  not 


a  city  of  tlie  same  size  in  Minnesota  where 
;  the  |>ublic  schools  ai-e  rated  higher,  or  edu- 
cational  facilities  and  privileges  more  excel- 
lent than  in  Litchfield,  and  the  citizens  justly 
feel  proud  of  their  institutions. 

The  first  olficial  school  meetiiiji'  on  the 
present  site  of  Litciilield  was  iield  on  the  'itltli 
of  March,  187n,  when  tiie  following  officers 
were  elected:  J  V.  I'ranliain,  Jr.,  director ; 
C.  H.  Strobeck,  clerk,  and  Bengt  Hanson, 
treasurer.  This  i)erfecteil  tlie  organization 
of  the  district.  The  lirstschool  on  the  town 
site  was  held  in  a  small  frame  building  which 
stood  on  block  41,  and  was  valued  at  S250. 
It  is  presumed  that  the  district  had  bought 
this  building,  but  the  I'ecords  do  not  show 
anything  of  the  purchase,  altiiough  it  appears 
upon  the  reports  as  school  property.  The 
total  enrollment  of  scholars  during  that  year 
(1870)  was  forty-six,  and  there  was  only  one 
teacher  employed — Flora  !Mitc!iell.  She  was 
paid  ii;25  per  month.  The  term  lasted  three 
months,  and  the  total  expenditure  for  school 
purposes  during  the  year  1870  amounted  to 
only  $U8.78. 

On  the  8th  of  February,  1871.  a  special 
school  meeting  was  held,  at  which  it  was  de- 
cided to  buikl  a  new  school-house,  to  cost  not 
more  than  !f;3,00(>,  and  to  be  located  on  the 
northeast  quarter  of  block  51.  The  contract 
was  let  June  19,  1871,  calling  for  the  com- 
pletion of  a  two-story,  four-room  building. 
The  building  was  occiipietl  in  the  winter  of 
1871-'72,  there  being  an  enroUment  during 
tiie  term  of  ninety  two.  The  total  iimount 
paid  teachers  during  1871  was^3(i5,  the  totiil 
amount  expended  for  school  purpcjses  being 
!?3,:}t);t.54. 

The  sciiool  gr;idii;illy  advnnceil  mid  grew 
in  numbers  until  it  became  necessary  to  erect 
a  larger  schonl-building.  A  hot  contest,  last- 
ing from  March  15  until  April  26, 1879,  took 
])lace  over  this  question,  which  is  referred 
t(j  as  the  "  North  and  South  side  war."  Each 
side    wanted    the   building  erected   in  their 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


607 


own  part  of  the  town, the  railroad  track  being 
the  dividing  line.  The  question  was  finall}' 
decided,  and  a  splendid  school  structure  was 
erected  on  the  north  side  of  the  track,  being 
located  on  block  124.  The  building  is  of 
brick,  and  contained  eight  rooms,  although 
only  four  were  furnished  at  the  time.  The 
total  cost  of  the  building  was  $10,000,  while 
the  site  and  furniture  cost  §2,000  luore. 

In  August,  1880,  Litchfield  was  organized 
as  an  independent  district,  with  the  follow- 
ing school  board  —  S.  W.  Leavitt,  president ; 
Bengt  Hanson,  treasurer;  J.  H.  Morris, 
clerk ;  M.  J.  Flynn,  W.  H.  Greenleaf  and 
Henry  McGannon,  trustees.  The  schools 
were  graded  during  this  year. 

In  April,  1886,  an  additional  building  was 
erected  at  a  cost  to  the  city  of  $3,500  includ- 
ing the  grounds.  This  building  is  located 
on  the  south  side  of  the  railroad.  In  the 
fall  of  1887  it  was  found  that  the  necessities 
of  the  schools  required  still  another  building, 
and  one  was  rented  and  furnished,  which  is 
now  used  as  first  primary.  This  makes 
three  buildings  in  all,  with  a  total  of  eleven 
rooms.  Eleven  teachers  are  emplo\'ed,  Y. 
W.  Brokaw  being  the  present  principal. 
The  present  enrollment  of  the  schools  is  550 
scholars.  The  total  amount  paid  as  teachers' 
salaries  during  the  year  1887  was  $6,815. 

The  jiresent  school  board  of  Litchfield  is 
composed  as  follows — S.  W.  Leavitt,  presi- 
dent ;  J.  W.  "Wright,  secretary ;  W.  H. 
Greenleaf,  treasurer;  J.  H.  Morris,  M.  J. 
Flynn,  and  V.  H.  Harris,  directors. 

FIRE    DEPAKTMEXT. 

The  first  movement  toward  the  fo)'mation 
of  a  fire  department  at  Litchfield,  was  a  vol- 
unteer company  which  was  brought  into 
existence  in  1873.  Among  those  who  were 
active  workers  in  this  organization  were  the 
following  named  —  A.  E.  Potter,  A.  E. 
Howe,  J.  D.  Hayford,  John  Mosette,  H.  J. 
Lasher,  E.  F.  Koberts,  John  Ilayford,  J.  P. 


Scarp,  James  McCabe,  John  Peterson,  A.  T. 
Koerner,  W .  II.  Myers,  F.  P.  Zimmerman, 
John  Anderson,  Henry  McGannon,  M.  W. 
Damuth,  P.  Eckstrom,  II.  J.  Brinkman,  P. 
Berens,  AV.  D.  Joubert,  S.  Y.  Gordon,  S.  P. 
Chipman,  S.  AV.  Frasier,  Chauncey  Butler, 
Jacob  Koerner  and  others.  This  organiza- 
tion was  maintained  until  the  present  com- 
pany was  incorporated  in  1877. 

On  the  20th  of  January,  1877,  articles  of 
incorporation  were  drawn  organizing  and 
incorporating  the  Litchfield  Fire  Companyt 
The  first  officers  were  as  follows  —  P.  Eck- 
strom, foreman ;  H.  J.  Lasher,  first  assistant; 
J.  M.  Howard,  second  assistant ;  A.  T. 
Koerner,  secretary  and  treasurer;  and  AV.H. 
Myers,  steward.  Besides  the  officers  the  fol- 
lowing named  were  all  charter  memljers  of 
the  association — J.  N.  Bacon,  Henry  McGan- 
non, M.  AV.  Damuth,  M.  Thurin,  Chauncey 
Butler,  A^.  M.  Campbell,  M.  J.  Flynn,  John 
Peterson,  Henry  Eckstrom,  F.  P.  Campbell, 
S.  Y.  Gordon,  F.  P.  Zimmerman,  Alexander 
Cairncross,  John  Anderson,  S.  AV.  Leavitt,  A. 
D.  Koss,  N.  J.  March,  John  Hayford,  J.  B. 
Hatch,  J.  P.  Scarp,  E.  F.  Koberts,  P.  Berens 
and  James  McCabe. 

At  the  time  of  organization  the  depart- 
ment was  equipped  with  one  Babcock  ex- 
tinguisher, together  with  the  usual  hooks, 
ladders,  etc.  In  November,  1883,  the  city 
seeing  the  necessity  of  better  protection 
against  the  fiery  element,  furnished  the  de- 
partment with  a  Cataract  hand  engine,  two 
hose  carts  and  a  thousand  feet  of  hose,  at  a 
cost  of  $2,350.  The  building  then  in  use  as 
an  engine  house  was  the  old  frame  school- 
house  located  on  block  51.  This  was  used 
as  an  engine  house  until  1886,  when  the 
present  brick  engine  house  was  erected  on 
the  corner  of  Second  and  Ramsey  streets. 
It  is  a  substantial,  two-story  building,  con- 
venientl}'  dividetl,and  containing  a  fireman's 
hall  and  council  room.  The  building  cost 
the  city   $1,865   in  money,   besides   which, 


6o8 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


the  old  frame  building  and  lots  Avere  traded 
in. 

A  few  additional  items  in  regard  to  the 
history  of  the  dejjartnient  may  be  of  interest. 
On  thelTth  of  Feln-iiary.  1877,  a  committee 
was  appointed  to  solicit  subscriptions  for  the 
purchase  of  a  bell.  The  bell  was  secured 
during  the  following  summer  at  a  cost  of 
$80.  The  first  time  the  present  department 
turned  out  for  drilling  purposes  was  in  June, 
1878.  The  first  delegates  to  the  State  Fire 
Department,  were  P.  Eckstrom  and  A.  T. 
Koerner.  On  the  Oth  of  March,  1882,  the 
village  council  appropriated  $50  for  the  pur- 
pose, and  tlie  dt'iiartniont  secui'ed  fifty  hel- 
mets and  belts. 

In  addition  to  the  organization  given 
above,  the  village  also  lioasts  of  a  "  bucket 
brierade,"  which  was  organized  on  the  !>tli  of 
Mav,  1882.  It  then  had  twenty-five  mem- 
bers. The  organization  has  been  sustained 
up  to  the  present  time,  and  the  "brigade" 
now  has  thirt\-  members,  and  is  in  good 
working  order.  The  i)resent  officers  are — N. 
F.  Reveli,  captain  ;  N.  Thoralson,  secretary; 
and  S.  A.  Scarp,  assistant.  "Water  is  drawn 
from  four  cisterns  which  hold  about  450 
barrels,  and  the  supjily  is  practically  inex- 
haustible.    They  have  three  force  pumps. 


About  1878  an  imlepeiulent  company  was 
organized  here,  which  was  known  as  the 
"  Litchfield  Rifles."  It  was  comjiosed  of 
about  forty  members,  and  was  commanded 
by  the  following  officers — S.  W.  Leavitt,  cap- 
tain; J.  II.  Morris,  first  lieutenant;  and  A. 
T.  Koerner,  second  lieutenant.  This  oi-gani- 
zation  was  maintained  for  about  two  years, 
when  their  guns  were  called  for,  as  they 
were  needed  in  the  West  for  actual  service. 
As  the  guns  were  not  I'elurned,  the  organi- 
zation was  finally  abandoned. 

On  the  20th  of  Fel)ruary.  1883,Company  II, 
First  Ilegiment  Minnesota  National  (Tuards, 


was  organized  at  Litchfield  with  sixty-two 
members.  The  following  were  tiie  first  and 
are  the  present  officers  of  the  company — S. 
W.  Leavitt,  captain ;  J.  H.  Morris,  first  lieu- 
tenant ;  and  A.  T.  Koerner,  second  lieuten- 
ant. The  organization  is  still  maintained, 
and  the  company  now  has  sixty-four  men, 
including  both  rank  and  file,  and  is  under  an 
excellent  degree  of  disci]iline. 

BANDS. 

The  first  brass  band  in  the  county  was  or- 
ganized in  Litchfield  in  1871,  with  fourteen 
members — H.  J.  Lasher,  J.  H.  Bacon,  S.  "W. 
Leavitt,  H.  S.  Branham,  D.  E.  Branham,  Y. 
II.  Harris,  II.  Mc(4annon,  August  Lund- 
crantz,  N.  A.  Yiren,  John  Black  well,  George 
Waller,  Henry  Chase,  IMartin  Thurien  and 
B.  F.  Pixley.  It  was  not  only  the  pioneer 
organization  in  musical  matters,  but  also  in 
dramatic  and  other  entertainments.  The 
first  dramatic  and  literary  society  was  insti- 
tuted by  its  members,  which  is  still  in  ex- 
istence and  fioui'ishing  under  the  name  of 
the  Litchfield  Dramatic  Association.  The 
Litchfield  Band  maintained  its  organization 
for  about  three  \'ears,  and  proved  the  jirinci- 
pal  stepping-stone  for  amusement  enterprises 
of  almost  every  kind  in  the  village. 

The  Litchfield  cornet  band  was  organized 
Xoveml)er  5,  1885,  and  was  officered  for  the 
first  year  as  follows — F.  M.  Phillijis,  presi- 
dent ;  I).  Elmquist,  vice-president ;  A.  Leid- 
holm,  secretary  ;  F.  P.  Zimmerman,  treas- 
urer. On  the  5th  of  Noveml)er,  1.SS7,  the 
band  was  incorporated  under  the  laws  of  the 
State.  It  is  now  in  a  flourishing  conditii^n, 
owns  a  set  of  fine  instruments,  wiiich  were 
paid  for  entirely  out  of  its  own  funds,  and 
enjoys  the  reimtation  of  being  one  of  the 
best  bands  in  this  i)ortion  of  the  State.  The 
present  officers  and  members  are  as  follows — 
I.  N.  Nelson,  jjresident;  August  Ericson, 
vice-president ;  M.  O.  Oathcart,  secretary  ; 
A.  Palmquist.  treasurer  ;  O.  A.  Olson,  leader 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


609 


and  teacher  ;  D.  Elraquist,  E.  Anderson,  A. 
O.  Snell,  B.  E.  Harris,  Fritz  Koerner,  Andrew 
Palmquist. 

PAEKS. 

Probably  no  village  of  its  size  in  the 
Northwest  can  boast  of  a  more  beautiful 
park  than  Litchfield.  It  is  called  Central 
Park,  and  occupies  one  block,  bounded  by 
Sibley  and  Marshall  avenues,  and  Third  and 
Fourth  streets.  The  land  was  donated  the 
village  bv  the  Manitoba  Eailroad  Company, 
who  caused  trees  to  be  set  out  in  it,  in  1870. 
These  trees  died,  and  the  following  year  the 
citizens,  under  the  direction  of  Jesse  Y. 
Branham,  Jr.,  took  it  in  hand,  broke  and  pre- 
pared the  ground,  and  the  next  year  ti-ees 
and  shrubbery  were  planted  in  it  through  pri- 
vate donations.  Since  that  time  it  has  been 
cared  for  and  improved  by  tlie  village  coun- 
cil, until  it  has  become  one  of  the  most  l)eau- 
tiful  ]iarks  in  the  State,  and  the  pride  which 
the  citizens  manifest  in  its  preservation  and 
imjM'ovement  is  indeed  a  ]iardonable  one. 
The  general  ])icturesqueness  of  tlie  park  is 
greatly  added  to  by  a  handsome  pagoda, 
which  occupies  a  circle  in  the  center  of  the 
park, where  suuimer-night  concerts  are  given 
regularly  by  the  Litchfield  cornet  band. 

There  are  two  other  parks  belonging  to 
the  village,  one  in  the  northwest  portion  and 
one  in  the  southern  part  of  town,  both  of 
which  are  being  improved  and  ornamented 
with  trees  and  shrubbery,  and  which  will 
eventually  become  a  ci"edit  to  the  village. 

Not  the  least  among  the  many  commend- 
able enterprises  of  Litchfield  is  the  Litchfield 
Driving  Park,  which  is  located  on  a  beauti- 
ful tract  of  land  on  the  north  shore  of  Lake 
Piplev.  which  was  formerly  the  ])roperty  of 
the  Meeker  Count3'  Agricultural  and  Me- 
chanical Association.  It  is  the  design  of  the 
corporation  to  convert  it  into  a  fir.st-class 
driving  park,  with  a  perfectly  level  half-mile 
track,  amphitheater,  stables,  etc.  The  ground 


is  more  admirably  adapted  for  the  purpose 
than  any  in  this  locality,  and  the  backing 
which  the  enteri)rise  has  insures  its  success 
beyond  pei-adventure. 

INCOEPOEATION. 

The  village  of  Litchfield  was  chartered  by 
act  of  the  Legislature,  February  29,  1872. 
On  the  first  Monday  in  April  of  that  year, 
an  election  was  held  in  accordance  with  the 
provisions  of  the  charter,  when  the  follow- 
ing officers  were  chosen — Jesse  V.  Branham, 
Jr.,  president;  J.  Q.  A.  Braden,  recorder; 
Charles  B.  Howell,  attorney;  Y.  H,  Harris, 
justice;  John  Esbjornsson,  treasurer;  S.  Y. 
Gordon,  constable;  George  ]'.  Waller,  J.  C. 
Brailen,  Nels  Swanson,  trustees.  The  elec- 
tion was  held  under  the  supervision  of  Jesse 
Y.  Branliam,  Jr.,  Miciiael  J.  Flynn  and  Nels 
Swanson.  The  first  meeting  of  the  council 
was  held  on  the  .5th  of  April,  in  the  LTnited 
States  land  ofiicc,  whieii  was  then  located  in 
the  building  occupied  by  W.  II.  Dart,  the 
grocer. 

Tlie  second  year  in  the  history  of  the 
incorporated  village  the  original  officers  were 
I'eelected,  with  the  exception  of  members  of 
the  council,  as  follows — G.  W.  Weisel,  presi- 
dent; M.  A.  Brown,  C.  O.  Porter,  Andrew 
Nelson . 

No  record  of  election  in    lS7i. 

In  1875  the  annual  election  resulted  in  the 
choice  of  the  following  officers  —  S.  W. 
Leavitt,  president ;  Cliauncey  Butler,  F.  Y. 
DeCoster,  J.  B.  Hatch,  trustees  ;  Y.  H.  Har- 
ris, recorder;  John  Esbjornsson,  treasurer; 
S.  A.  Plumley,  attorney ;  S.  Y.  Gordon, 
constable. 

For  the  centennial  year  the  village  chose 
for  its  officers  the  following — J.  M.  Wakh-en, 
president;  Chauncey  Butler.  P.  Eckstrom, 
Frank  Daggett,  trustees;  A.  T.  Koerner, 
I'ecorder;  J.  Esbjornsson,  treasurer;  S.  A. 
Plumley,  attorney  ;  H.  IMcGannon,  constable. 

1877.     Chauncey    Butler,    ])i-esident ;   H. 


6io 


MEEKER  COUNTY,  MINNESOTA. 


Ames,  N.  A.  Viren,  A.  Cairncross,  trustees; 
A.  T.  Koerner,  recorder;  S  Y.  Gordon,  con- 
stable. 

ISTS.  A.  C.  Smith,  president;  11.  Ames, 
S.A.Heard,  TST.  Anderson,  trustees;  A.  T. 
Koerner,  recorder ;  Jacob  Koei'iier,  treasurer ; 
F.  II.  liawley,  attorney;  II.  Angler,  constable. 

1S79.  S.  A.  Heard,  president ;  M.  J.  Flynn, 
A.  D.  Ross,  II.  B.  Johnson,  trustees ;  A.  Palm, 
recorder;  M.  A.  Brown,  treasurer;  A.  C. 
Smith,  attorney;   J.  W.  Ilooser,  constable. 

1880.  H.  B.  Johnson,  president ;  A.  Cairn- 
cross, F.  E.  Bisseli,  J.  Koernei-,  trustees ;  W. 
W.  Johnson,  recorder ;  H.  B.  Gates,  treas- 
urer ;  A.  C.  Smith,  attorney  ;  II.  McGannon, 
constable. 

-  1881.  M.  A.  Brown,  president;  V.  II. 
Harris,  S.  A.  Pluraley,  J.  P.  Scarp,  trustees; 
A.  T.  Koerner,  recorder;  H.  S.  Branham, 
treasurer;  S.  A.  Plumley,  attorney;  II. 
McGannon,  constable. 

1882.  Cliarles  II.  Strobeck,  president ;  N. 
Thoralson,  I).  Flynn,  J.  E.  Peterson,  trus- 
tees ;  A.  T.  Koerner,  recorder ;  H.  B.  Gates, 
treasurer;  E.  P.  Peterson,  attorney;  II. 
McGannon,  constable. 

1883.  V.  FT.  Harris,  president ;  D.  Flynn, 
John  Rodange,  J.  Esbjornsson,  trustees;  A. 
T.  Koerner,  recorder ;  Geo.  H.  Simons,  attor- 
ney ;  \1.  McGannon,  constable. 


188-4.  V.  H.  Harris,  president;  M.  J. 
Flynn,  J.  Esbjornsson,  S.  W.  Leavitt,  trust- 
ees; A.  T.  Koerner,  recorder;  J.  M.  Russell, 
attorney;  H.  M.  Angler,  constable. 

1885.  J.  M.  Howard,  president;  M.  J. 
Flynn,  ]\r.  A.  Brown,  S.W.  Rankin,  trustees; 
A.  T.  Koerner,  recorder;  Wm.  Kenney,  at-" 
torney  ;  II.  M.  Angier,  constable. 

1886.  F.  E.  Bisseli,  president ;  C.  L.  An- 
gell,  S.  W.  Rankin,  N.  C.  Martin,  trustees; 
C.  H.  Bigeiow,  recorder ;  A.  J.  Revell,  treas- 
urer; J.  M.  Russell,  attorney,  H.  M.  Angier, 
constable. 

In  1887  the  village  charter  was  amended, 
empowering  the  extension  of  boundaries, 
dividing  the  village  into  wards,  and  giving 
it  the  powers  generally  possessed  by  munici- 
pal corporations  at  common  law.  The  fol- 
lowing officers  were  elected  untler  the  new 
regime — j\1.  J.  Flynn,  mayor;  J.  L.  Wake- 
field, recorder;  W.  H.  Dart,  treasurer;  E. 
P.  Peterson,  attorney ;  II.  M.  Angier,  mar- 
shal; A.  T.  Koerner,  justice  of  the  jieace. 
Council:  J.  M.  Howard,  president;  N.  J. 
March,  C.  A.  Greenleaf,  first  ward ;  J.  Esb- 
jornsson, A.  D.  Ross,  second  ward;  J.  M. 
Howard,  N.  W.  Hawkinson,  third  ward. 
These  were  the  officers  at  the  time  this  man- 
uscript went  to  press  (February,  1888).