USA > Iowa > Winneshiek County > Past and present of Winneshiek county, Iowa; a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume II > Part 1
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53
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PAST AND PRESENT OF
Winneshiek County IOWA
A Record of Settlement, Organization, Progress and Achievement
,
ILLUSTRATED
VOLUME II
CHICAGO THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING COMPANY 1913
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY 638675 ASTOR, LENOX AND TILDEN FOUNDAT ONS R 1914 L
THE NEW YOR: PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASTOR LEIBA DAY TIJNFINA
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محفى بعدوفاة
B. ANUNSDEN
BIOGRAPHICAL
B. ANUNDSEN.
It is a trite saying that all the world loves a lover, but its fundamental idea is true. The world loves a lover-an enthusiast of something that he places high above the humdrum of mere material attainment. The world loves a man of an ideal who fights for the realization of a sublime inspiration vehemently and unselfishly, and it is this strong sympathy that men extend to lofty and noble characters which made the late B. Anundsen of Decorah beloved by all who knew him and kept him in the hearts of his Norseland countrymen. A man who had but meager advantages of education, he became by self-study- not of books as much as of human nature-one of the well informed men of his day, a man who foremost understood the folk-character of his Norseland friends and who upon coming to this country set out to found for them a paper to their liking, a medium which would keep alive in them the noble and strong spirit of the Vikings, which would make for truer, stronger and better man- hood, which would foster the family spirit, which would be entertainer, instructor and guiding friend. That he succeeded, thereof stands in proof the Decorah Posten, a publication ideal in its perception, of powerful influence on mind and character, a true family paper, its circulation far extending over Winneshiek county, over the state, over the United States, even into other parts of the world. The Decorah Posten, of which Mr. Anundsen was the publisher and sole owner, has the largest circulation of any Scandinavian pub- lication on the face of the earth, and it is remarkable that it attained its fore- most position by the inspiration and ambition of a youth.
Mr. Anundsen was born in Skien, Norway, on December 29, 1844, of poor, honest parentage, and what little education he enjoyed in his youth was secured in the common schools of his native country. The spirit of the Vikings stirred his soul and when twenty years of age his ambition led him to start out to conquer new fields. Naturally he turned to the land where he perceived the greatest opportunity-America,-first coming to Canada, leaving his native country on March 22, 1864, and arriving in Quebec on April 7th of the same year. The same month marks his arrival in Milwaukee, but he finally located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, on Monday, the first day of August, 1864. There, in 1866, he conceived the idea of publishing a literary magazine for his country- men in America, and the Ved Arnen (By the Fireside) had its birth. This was the seed from which the Decorah Posten has sprung. In its beginning
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PAST AND PRESENT OF WINNESHIEK COUNTY
the magazine had sixty subscribers and with its publication began the first of many years of hardship for Mr. Anundsen, in trying to keep alive a worthy literary journal. His able wife devotedly helped him not only in his struggles in La Crosse but even after Mr. Anundsen located in Decorah, and much credit is due her for the great success which was to be his. On Friday, Decem- ber 13, 1867, he and his wife loaded their printing press, type and household goods in two wagons and left La Crosse for Decorah, reaching this city on December 15, 1867. The country was still deeply suffering from the wounds of the Civil war and years of struggle ensued, which in 1870 compelled Mr. Anundsen on account of poor support to cease publication, although he had at that time fourteen hundred subscribers, of whom many, however, were unable to pay their subscriptions. On September 18, 1874, the first number of the Decorah Posten made its appearance. In its infancy more obstacles had to be overcome, more years of struggle had to be lived through, but the natural ability of Mr. Anundsen won the day and he finally guided his publi- cation to a position beyond the danger point. Today two and a half tons of papers leave the office per week for all parts of the world, and the plant of the Decorah Posten is considered a model of its kind and one of the best equipped in Iowa. Mr. Anundsen entered upon newspaper publication at a period when the purpose of journalism had its educational feature in addi- tion to the dissemination of general news and had not yet been tinged with the commercial spirit of the age, which seeks through sensationalism to stimu- late the curiosity of the public without regard to wrong impressions. He never deviated from the high principles which he set up or lowered standards because hie considered it expedient or profitable to do so, and his policy was ever in keeping with the high standard which has ever been maintained by the paper. In November, 1910, Mr. Anundsen suffered a severe attack of illness which forced him to give up his editorial duties and he was confined to the house until his death on March 25, 1913, although his directing hand yet touched during that time here and there upon the policies and management of his pub- lication.
On October 26, 1865, Mr. Anundsen was married in La Crosse, Wiscon- sin, to Esther Mathilde Charlotte Hofstrom, a native of Sweden. Through years of business struggles and straitened circumstances she was his help and inspiration. She was born May 28, 1838, and lived to see their joint work grow to success. She died in Decorah, January 2, 1899. Their children were five, of whom but one is living, Frederick Haddorph, born December 9, 1872, who married Miss Emma C. Hegg, of Decorah and is advertising manager of the Decoralı Posten. The deceased members of the family are: Ludwig Nathaniel, born December 30, 1866; Arthur Fernando, born January 12, 1868; Louise Ma- thilde, born September 13, 1870, and Emily Sophie, born December 18, 1874. On September 10, 1901, Mr. Anundsen married Miss Helma Beatha Hegg, of Decorah, a daughter of Hans and Johanna ( Houg) Hegg, natives of Norway. The father was a harness-maker by trade, the parents coming to Decorah early in the history of the city. Here the father for many years was engaged in the harness business.
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PAST AND PRESENT OF WINNESHIEK COUNTY
being highly esteemed and respected in commercial and social circles. He died in Decorah in 1878, his wife surviving him until November 6, 1907. To B. and Helma Beatha (Hegg) Anundsen was born, on June 16, 1902, one son, Brynjulf Bjorkholt, a student in the Decorah public schools. Mrs. Anundsen presides with loving care over her household, being a devoted mother and finding her greatest happiness with those dear to her.
Public-spirited and progressive, Mr. Anundsen as readily conceived the true American spirit of citizenship as he understood the spirit of his native country. While active in life he could always be found in the front rank of those who seek moral and material betterment for their fellowmen and has perhaps done more along these lines than any one man in Winneshiek county. He gave his adherence to the republican party, upholding the principles and policies which made possible the rapid rise of the republic. He was a member of the United Lutheran church of Decorah, in the work of which he always took helpful interest, which is continued by his wife. For years he was a member of the Decorah school board, always exerting his influence in the cause of education. Among his countrymen in the United States Mr. Anundsen was very popular. This is especially true in his relation to his colleagues in the Scandinavian- American press. When, in 1895, the Norwegian-Danish Press Association of the United States was organized he was unanimously chosen president, a posi- tion he held for a number of years, and would have held for a number of years more, had he not insisted on being relieved from its duties. Mr. Anundsen was one of the organizers of the national Norwegian society, Det Norske Selskab i Amerika, founded for the purpose of perpetuating among the Nor- wegian-Americans the interest in Norwegian culture and literature. He was its first president, and was reelected to that position until he finally declined. He continued one of its directors until his death, being one of its stanch sup- porters, also, when funds were needed in order to carry out its aims. For many years he was also a prominent figure in the Symra and Luren Norwegian societies, where are fostered those stalwart characteristics peculiar to the peo- ple of the northern kingdom and where is kept alive the spirit of brotherhood between the Norwegian residents of this section, he being among the foremost to preach devotion and veneration of native land and loyalty to the newly found home. In 1899 the Decorah Posten had its twenty-fifth anniversary. On this occasion Mr. Anundsen was honored by citizens of Decorah and non-resi- dents alike, speeches at a banquet being made in his honor by some of the most prominent men of his nationality in the country. In 1906 Mr. Anundsen visited his native land, being the object of marked attention while there. Upon his return he was made a knight of the Order of St. Olaf by Norway's elected king, Haakon. Mr. Anundsen always manifested the most distinguished pub- lic spirit in supporting worthy enterprises, contributing liberally to any good cause of a public or charitable nature. Especially was he interested in young men, and youths trying to obtain an education without the necessary means always found a responding heart in him. Mr. Anundsen's name is deeply engraved in the annals of Decorah and Winneshiek county, where he was beloved and venerated by old and young, high and low, and no death in many years has caused a greater sorrow throughout this county and state than his.
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LAUR LARSEN, D. D.
Dr. Laur Larsen, who wears the insignia of a knight of the Order of St. Olaf. an honor conferred upon him by the king of Norway, and who for forty- one years was president of Luther College of Decorah, is an eminent educator and minister of the Lutheran church whose far-reaching and beneficial influences are immeasurable by any known standard of man. That his life has wrought for good in the field of educational and moral progress is indicated by the hun- dreds who have sat under his teaching as he has addressed pupils in the class- room or congregations from the pulpit. His work of uplift and benefit continued during the period of his connection with journalism, and who can say where it will end, for association with him means elevation and expansion and all who come in contact with him feel the inspiration that comes from his high moral character and lofty ideals. With all this he is intensely human in his interests and his sympathies, and it has been his spirit of kindliness as well as his marked intellectual force that has enabled him to accomplish the great work which he has done.
Dr. Larsen was born at Christiansand, Norway, August 10, 1833, and is therefore eighty years of age. His father was an army officer and his mother the daughter of one of the framers of the Norwegian constitution of 1814. Liberal educational opportunities were accorded him, and following his gradua- tion from the theological department of the University of Christiania in 1855, he worked for two years as a teacher of languages in Christiania. The great field offered for Christian service in America proved to him an irresistible call and in 1857 he came to the new world, spending two years in missionary work in the Norwegian settlements of Rush River, Pierce and in adjacent counties in Wisconsin. Until 1859 the Norwegian Lutherans of this country had pro- cured pastors for their congregations from Norway. As the number of Nor- wegian immigrants increased from year to year, the necessity of founding an institution for the education of their own ministers became more and more apparent. The ideas of these early Norwegian pioneers were similar to those of the early pilgrims who founded Harvard College. It was Dr. Larsen who was destined to carry this idea to its fulfillment. The first fruition was the founding in 1859 of a Norwegian professorship at the Concordia Seminary, a German theological institution in St. Louis. Dr. Larsen was called as professor to fill this position and moved to St. Louis, where he lectured principally on the Ilebrew language. When in 1861 the war necessitated the closing of the sem- inary the Norwegian population of the middle west decided to establish their own institutions of learning, with the result that Luther College came into existence and Dr. Larsen was called upon to act as its first president. He entered upon his duties at Halfway Creek, Wisconsin, on the 11th of September, 1861. The following year the school was removed to Decorah, and at the commencement exercises of the college in 1911, fifty years after its founding, he was made president emeritus of the institution. During the forty-one years of his incum- bency as president even his great capacity for work was put to severe tests. During the years 1876 to 1903 he served as vice president of the Lutheran synod. lle assisted the pastors of the Decorah congregation, when called upon to do so, and was often called upon to fill pulpits on occasions of importance to
LAUR LARSEN
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PAST AND PRESENT OF WINNESHIEK COUNTY
the church. From 1882 to ISS4 he served the Lutheran congregation at Decorah as its pastor. In the years 1868-1888 he was editor-in-chief of Kirketidende, a work he was again asked to resume when he resigned his position as president. At the beginning of January, 1913, he turned over this work to his successor and is now enjoying a well earned rest having the distinction of being Decorah's foremost citizen and the "grand old man" of the Lutheran synod. Dr. Larsen is the oldest educator among Norwegians of America. He has exerted a great influence on the life and thought of his countrymen through his work as a teacher, pastor and editor, and there is hardly a person of Norwegian descent in America who does not know him personally or by reputation. He is now living in retirement near the college where he spent the best years of his life. His home is a large and imposing residence, a gift to him from old students and friends, made in 1897. On the occasion of the celebration of the semi-centennial of the founding of the Lutheran synod the Concordia seminary of St. Louis conferred on him the degree of D. D. and later on the king of Norway made him a knight of the Order of St. Olaf. The recognition of his life work has thus come to him from the sovereign of his native land-an honor well merited. The chief testimonial of his labors, however, is found in the lives of the hun- dreds of students who, prompted by his teachings, have gone out in the world to uphold the high ideals which he inculcated in their lives, thus proving their worth as factors in the citizenship of America and as elements in the great civilizing force which is slowly but surely making the world better.
WILLIAM H. SMITH.
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William H. Smith, after a long and successful agricultural career, lives retired in Decorah, enjoying in well earned rest a comfortable competence. For many years he was engaged actively in farming a four hundred acre tract of land in Bluffton township, being one of the important factors in the agricultural development of Winneshiek county. A native of England, he was born on March 21, 1837, a son of William and Saralı (Hutton) Smith, both natives of the mother country. The father was a tailor by trade and passed away in his native land. In 1855 the mother and six of her children crossed the Atlantic to the United States and, coming to Winneshiek county, made their home with George, an elder brother of our subject, who had previously come to the United States in the late '40s, taking up a large tract of government land in Canoe township, this county. Subsequently the mother purchased forty acres of land, her son William H. taking charge and remaining with her until her demise in 1862.
He is the youngest of seven children. the remainder all having passed away. He received his education in England, coming to the United States when eighteen years of age and locating in this county, where he later engaged in farming. He purchased a small farm and as his means increased extended its borders until he today owns four hundred valuable acres of land on sections 13 and 14, Bluffton township. Mr. Smith successfully carried on general agri- cultural pursuits, specializing in stock-raising and, employing modern and up-to-
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date methods, derived a substantial annual income from his property. Obstacles had to be overcome in the beginning, but by endurance and industry he suc- ceeded in the development of a valuable farm upon which can be found high- class improvements and modern and up-to-date equipment. In 1901 Mr. Smith was enabled to retire from active farm work and he has since resided in Decorah, renting out his land. He is one of the highly esteemed citizens of that city and has become connected with its financial life as a stockholder in the Citizens Savings Bank. He has never actively participated in politics but is a strong republican and gave his undivided support to President Taft. He attends the Episcopal church, in the work of which he takes an active interest. His six brothers and sisters, all now deceased were, George, Sarah, Clara, Rebecca, Mathilda and Ann. Mr. Smith is highly respected and esteemed in Decorah, where he is widely and favorably known for his many good qualities of mind and character.
BEN BEAR.
The prosperity of a section is due to the collaboration of many, but among them always stand forth a few who on account of their attainments are entitled to special mention. Ben Bear, who is closely connected with a number of the most important commercial interests of Decorah and Winneshiek county, is one of these and while he has attained individual success and must be considered today one of the most substantial men of this part of the state, he has by his labors also largely contributed to general advancement and development. A native of Germany, he was born in 1853 in Hohebach, Wurtemberg. His father was Jacob Bear and his mother before her marriage was Rose Tannebaum. a member of one of the prominent families of that section of Wurtemberg. The father also was a man of affairs in his native land where he was extensively engaged in the grain and wool business.
Ben Bear attended school in Germany until thirteen years of age, when the spirit to will and to do seized him and, believing he would find a greater field of opportunity in the new world, he came at that early age to America. He made the trip on the steamship Hermann of the North German Lloyd. the jour- ney consuming four weeks. Indication of the spirit that then dominated him and has continued to influence his life is found in the fact that this United States citizen-to-be arrived in New York on a Saturday afternoon at four o'clock, and seven o'clock the next morning found him installed as errand boy in the general store of Rosenthal & Sulzberger, doing business at the corner of Fourth street and Avenue D. Industry and ambition were the keynote of his code and as his willingness to work, his devotion to the business and his ability became recognized he rose successively in this establishment until he became general manager, the period of his connection with this firm covering the years from 1867 until 1876. A determination to be master of his own business prompted Mr. Bear to seek a location in the middle west early in the latter year, his fore- sight enabling him to recognize the possibilities of that great and yet thinly peopled region. Somehow he had heard of Decorah and he decided upon this
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Ben Deay
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PAST AND PRESENT OF WINNESHIEK COUNTY
place as a likely location. Arriving here in the twilight of a March day, he was out early the next morning before most people had greeted the new day and rented from the late Cyrus Adams the old wooden structure that occupied a portion of the ground which is now covered by Mr. Bear's magnificent store building, and there he opened a clothing store. This act was thoroughly char- acteristic of the man. The following year the building was destroyed by fire but, not daunted by this disaster, Mr. Bear immediately occupied the Asseln building, now used as the Morrison furniture store, but when Mr. Adams re- built on his lot Mr. Bear moved back to his original location, and has continued to occupy it since that time. Several years ago he purchased the property and lots adjoining and as his business grew he enlarged his quarters, making his store one of the largest and best of its kind in Iowa. In the direction of this large establishment with its many departments he displays that management which only comes from a master mind. The organization is considered one of the most efficient and thorough, and Mr. Bear's methods serve as an example to others. The sales force of the establishment is discriminately selected by Mr. Bear, who has fomented a spirit of cooperation among his employes and the man- agement, which is seldom to be found in such large institutions.
In 1884 Mr. Bear was married to Miss Antonia Homberger, of New York, and his family life is ideal in its happiness. Three children were born to them : Gertrude, the wife of D. S. Benjamin, of Springfield, Illinois; Dot, who married S. G. Heller, of Chicago; and Alexander, who makes his home in New York. In his household warm hospitality is bestowed upon friend and guest and kind- ness and consideration for those upon whom fortune has not smiled is a precept that is practiced in its best and most helpful sense.
Public-spirited and progressive, Mr. Bear's record in regard to growth and improvement is one of which any good citizen might be proud. He has been identified with every movement that has tended to upbuild the city and, liberal in the expenditure of time and money, has taken the initiative along many lines. He was president of Decorah's first electric light company, was active in promoting the building of the Winneshiek county courthouse and was an im- portant factor in making possible the erection of the Grand Opera House of which he is associate manager. He was one of the leading spirits in the build- ing of the Winneshiek Hotel and is president of the company that operates this first-class house. When the question of a federal building for Decorah came up it was he who materially helped in securing the desired location now occupied. For several years Mr. Bear was president of the Winneshiek County Fair and under his direction it was an unqualified success. At present he is treasurer of the Decorah Commercial Club and in fact anything that is undertaken for the good of Decorah and Winneshiek county finds a willing spirit in Mr. Bear.
In his affairs he is prompt, straightforward and businesslike, and in no way is this more clearly evidenced than in the conduct of his business. Beginning in a small way he has applied incessant industry, keen foresight and fair and square methods to his transactions and by his honorable course has built up a business that is accorded first place in northeastern Iowa and is favorably known throughout this state, Minnesota, the Dakotas and even Montana. In another two years Mr. Bear will celebrate his fortieth anniversary of active business life in Decorah, an occasion not only of significance to him but to the city at large,
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who will heartily join in the jubilee. Another side to his life is his interest in literature as exemplified by the fact that during his residence in New York he was a prominent member of the Irving Literary Union, and was a very active participant in an organization known as "The Boys." The term "captain of in- dustry" finds justification in the life record of Mr. Bear, especially if we apply the word industry in its first and original sense, for he is a man who by the sheer force of his will, his ability and his initiative has built up an enterprise of which the city of Decorah is proud. That his qualities are of a character far beyond those possessed by the majority no one doubts, but in manner Mr. Bear never indicates that he recognizes or knows aught of his own superiority. Ever moving, he has pushed on, never losing sight of the goal before him, conscious that his aim was justifiable and his course honorable. The years have proven the worth of his labors and his record reflects credit and honor upon the city that honors him.
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