USA > Minnesota > Meeker County > Album of history and biography of Meeker County, Minnesota > Part 23
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but died July 4, 1864: Mary Magdalene, born September 25, 1867. now Mrs. Herbert Quick, of Fort Ripley, Morrison county, this State, her marriage having taken place November 18, 1886, and she is the mother of one child. Ernest (lyde, born March 18, 1888; Andrew Jackson, born March 31, 1869, died Jannary 4, 1873; Rebecca Jane, born August 14, 1871, died the following Oc- tober 20; Sarah Elizabeth, born February 24, 1876; Phoebe Catherine, born August 5, 1878; and Effie Josephine, born July 16, 1881.
Mr. Quick has the reputation of making the best syrup manufactured in Meeker and MeLeod counties. He began the manufacture of cane syrup in 1884 and 'has continued it ever since. Ile has one of Cook's improved evaporators and other necessary machinery, and with his skill and management his pro- duets in this line are second to none manu- factured in the State. In the fall of 1884 he made over 600 gallons, 12 pounds 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.
ATRICK CASEY. Prominent among the old pioneers of Meeker county that still remain here is the gentleman whose name heads this personal memoir. Ile 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 the 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 Hannoralı McRaith. Leaving the "Keystone State" in the spring of 1856, he came west to Manitowoc. Wis., and from there by way of Chicago, to Dubuque, Iowa, and from there by steam- boat to St. Panl. 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 party 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 aere of ground for him, so that he could hold the elaim. 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 Ilayden's brother in-law had laid claim to the land, but no one was occupying it at the time. Ile took up his residence in his humble eabin to gnard the place, but found no trouble. He and Patrick Condon " batehed " in Condon's shanty. where they had plenty of provisions, and spent that win- ter. In the spring Mr. 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
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thrash with a flail. From the bushel and a half which he sowed upon the aere of ground which he broke, he harvested over forty bushels.
On the evening of the 18th of August, 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 Minneapolis, and returned to look after the stock. Ile found all in good shape 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- riek, born April 18, 1856; Daniel, born April 3, 1858; John, born March 24, 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 polities a democrat, and has held the offices of chairman of the town board and town treasurer.
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ILS DANIELSON, deceased, was a respected citizen and an old settler in the western part of the county. The township of Danielson was so named in honor of him. Ile came to this country
with his parents in 1855, and first settled in Rock county, Wis. They moved from there to Meeker connty, Minn., in 1857, in com- pany with Kittel Haraldson, Ole Amundson and Gilbert Zaekson. They first settled in the town of Acton and in 1863, Nils Danielson took his homestead on seetion 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 IIenry, 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 yonngest, Anthony, also single and lives on the old homestead with his mother.
As will be seen the family were here at the time of the Indian ontbreak. 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 ont 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.
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ETER 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. Ile 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
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yard, his connection with the woolen mill, and greatest of all, the Tile Stove Manufac- 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, 1840, and the son of Maria and John Olson, of Collingwood township. When a young man he learned the tailor's trade and followed that avocation in his native land until 1864. Perceiving the impossibility of acquiring any start in life in that country 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, Ill., Memphis, 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 Collingwood township, this county, took up a homestead on section 12, and commenced its improvement. Ile 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 oflice. From this time on he has been identified with the growth and development of the town and county, and has grown in wealth and influence with them and to-day is one of the leading spirits in all enterprises that advance the interests or property 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, then on Ninth street.
No one citizen has been more prominently identified with the growth and development of the eastern part of Meeker county than has Mr. Johnson, and every enterprise cal- enlated to benefit either town or county has always received his hearty aid and encour-
agement. He 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 throughout this part of the State. Mr. Johnson was one of the delegates from this congressional district in 1888 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 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, 1849. 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 World 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 Minneapolis, and for nearly as long a period was employed as a clerk in the grocery store of A. C. Haugen. A trip to his native land at the close of that engagement followed : and while there he was united in marriage July 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.
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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 fine one and well filled with a well assorted stock of goods. The firm built an elevator of 50,000 bushels capacity, which they 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, during which he visited Eng- 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.
ETER KEILTY, a highly respected 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 eut 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 connty, 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, although there have been some exceptions. For two years he was on the Northern Pacific Railroad as a cook, and he also spent some time in lumber- ing. Ile also for some time was in Colorado.
Mr. Keilty was married at Forest City on the 7th of January, 1883, 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. He 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 pioneers 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 twenty-three years of age, when he came to Minnesota, and Meeker county.
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He adopted farming on coming here, which has been his chief occupation ever since. He has filled several of the town offices, the chief ones being those of supervisor and con- stable. He isalways interested in educational matters, being for several years a member of the school board.
Our subject has been twice married, the first time to Miss Lois Sturtevant, also a native of Maine, who died August 26, 1876, leaving seven children-William Edwin, who married Miss Addie Peters, and is living in Forest City : Theron A .. who married Miss Flora Taylor, and lives in Litchfield ; Sarah R., 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 Marble had engaged to take a quantity of flour from Forest City to the Yellow Medicine Agency, and when within half a mile of the 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 murderous Sioux at the agency and on account of the dense fog had lost their way. From the Frenchman's limited knowledge of the English language they were unable to learn the particulars, and determined to investigate the matter. They yoked the 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. Wakefield and Mr. Marble, saying, "Turn back, if you want to save your scalps ; the Indians arekilling the whites at sight, at
the agency." After giving this information they continued their flight to the lower agency. Within an hour they were captured by the Indians.
Providentially, one of the men, Mr. Blair, escaped through the mercy 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 proceeded to the village. After caring for his family, he rolled himself in his blanket and slept for nearly forty- eight hours. Ile then was employed by Judson A. Stanton to take the merchandise out of his store to Minneapolis, and then joined his family.
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ELSON J. MARCH is a native of Ack- worth, Sullivan county, N. II., and was born in 1828. He is a son of George 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 year later settled in Aekworth, 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 par- ents until he was about sixteen years of age, at which time he went to Boston, where he spent some six years. From there he re- moved to New York city, where he made his home until 1852. in which year he emi- grated to Illinois, where he was in the em- ploy of a railroad company, and had his headquarters 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
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of 1861, and through the following fall and winter, the subject of our sketeh was engaged 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 distriet, and served in that eapac- 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 acres of wild land in the town of Cedar Mills, this county, he came here and broke a part 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- jeet disposed of his farm in Cedar Mills, but shortly after invested in 240 aeres 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 80 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. I., in 1842, and is the danghter 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, but a year later removed to St. Cloud, where Mr. 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., Oeto- ber 20, 1870; and Mary N., July 1, 1874. Mr. March is a member of the city council of Litehfield, and of Frank Daggett Post, No. 35, G. A. R., and of the Masonic fraternity, having joined the latter order in St. Paul in 1857.
Mr. March has been a prominent and active public man wherever he has lived. In the spring of 1858 he was appointed 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 with his appointment as provost marshal. Mr. March was engaged at "enrolling" in Dakota county when he first learned of the Indian ontbreak.
OHN DUCKERING. Among the older residents of the county, and reliable, trusted citizens, may be found the subject of this 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. Ile 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 mneh 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 tillage.
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Mr. Duckering was born in Apley, Lincoln- shire, England, September 11, 1819, hence is nearly the same age as Queen Victoria. He is the son of John and Elizabeth (Semper) Duckering, the former a native of Ilorsing- ton and the latter of Bucknell, England. The great-grandfather of our subject was born in Denmark and 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 our subject, was a whig in politics, and a Christian member of the Church of England. He was the par- 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 United States alone in 1842, and first located in Troy, Walworth county, Wis., after a short stay in Milwaukee. 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, who had a family of eight children-Louisa, Will- iam, Betsey, Charley, Elizabeth, Maria, John, and one that died in infancy. Mrs. D. is a native of Clinton county, N. Y., and is the mother of twelve children, four of whom are dead. Those living are-Mary E., Charles II., John, Adam. Duane II., 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.
NE OF THE LEADING and most prominent farmers in Meeker county, is 11. J. LASHER, a resident of section 4, Cedar
Mills township. He was born in Switzer- land on the 22d 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 eight years old. II. J. then went to Jersey City, where he remained until he was eleven years of age. From 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 the tinner's and coppersmith's trade, serving until twenty-one. He followed this business for years afterward in various cities through- ont 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 elaimed 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 stable, and finally when their house was ready for occupancy they moved into it December 31, 1861. There they were living when the Indian outbreak began. As a full history of this matter is given in another department, it will only be necessary to briefly refer to Mr. Lasher's personal move- ments during those trying times. On Mon- clay 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. Ile found them all gone and he made his way down to Peck's. The same day his family returned to his farin and he remained to help Peck harvest. Thursday he was notified of firing near his farm and went to Cedar Mills to get some one to accompany him for his family,
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