USA > Minnesota > Meeker County > Album of history and biography of Meeker County, Minnesota > Part 28
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Mr. Lawton was married March 25, 1859, to Miss Mary M. Vermillion, a native of Shelby county, Ill., where she was married, and daughter of James and Jane (Fletcher) Vermillion. Her birth took place December 26, 1842. By this nnion there has been born one son-David E., whose birth took place July 26, 1882. Mr. Lawton is a staunch republican in political 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.
LARK L. ANGELL, photographer, is one of the pioneers of Minnesota, as well as one of the first settlers at Litchfield, after the village was platted. Ile was born in Jefferson county, 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. Ilis father was enrolled among the brave defenders of his country, during the last war with Great Britain in 1812-1815, and it is within the recollections of his mother viewing the battle upon Lake Champlain, as they lived at or near Plattsburgh. After their marriage the par- ents of our subject removed to Jefferson county in the same State, where the elder Mr. Angell died, at the age of sixty-one. Ilis 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 West in the fall of 1855, stopping first at Dunlieth, Ill., 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. Ile re-
mained there, improving his claim, until the war broke out, when, in the fall of 1861, in response to the first call for men, he enlisted in Company A, Third Minnesota Infantry. He spent a year in the army, serving in Tennessee and Kentucky, and was finally discharged on account of sickness, and soon returned to Minnesota. Ile then learned photography, and spent most of his time on the road, until the fall of 1869, when he settled in Litchfield and opened the art gal- lery, 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 post organized at Litchfield. He also a member of the Masonie fraternity, having been one of the charter members of Goklen Fleece Lodge, No. 89.
OSES H. BOGAR, who is one of the self-made men of Collinwood town- ship, lives on section 2. Ile 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 Il. 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 breaking out of the civil war, he enlisted, October 25, 1861, in Company HI, Four- teenth Kentucky U. S. Infantry, and went into active service. participating in the bat- tles of Ganley, Middle Creek, and Ilalf Moun- tain, Kentucky; Hagar Gap, Koeler Pole,
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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, Garfield. White, Beard, Morgan, Cooper, Haskel, Schofield, Sherman, and, lastly, Thomas.
Our subject came to Minnesota with his father in 1866, and settled on section 2, Col- linwood. On the 1st of March. 1869, he was married to Mrs. Mary C. (Graves) Livingston. She died in May. 1882, leaving six children, as follows - Lizzie May, born February 18. 1870 ; Edward G., born July 18, 1871 ; Cyn- thia C., born September 9. 1873; Joseph O., born February 28. 1876 ; Moses II., born February 2, 1878 ; and John P., born Febru- ary 1, 1880.
On the 13th of December. 1883, Mr. Bo- gar married Caroline, a daughter of Volney and Lura (Farrington) Gay, who was born July 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 prohibitionist. He has held several local offices with honor.
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LAF B. JORGENSON, the efficient and trust worthy 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, amid its bold mountains and velvety valleys, 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 subject went to Kirkhoven, and worked at the harness maker's trade with his brother Oscar, and remained there some tive
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months. He then returned to Willmar and worked for an uncle, Martin Jorgenson, at the same trade, 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 Mr. Lind, and commenced business for himself. He has always a full and complete stock of all kinds of goods in his line, and being an excellent workman, honest and true, and of pleasant manners, he has a large and increasing busi- ness. Ile commeneed to learn his trade in Norway with his father, who is a harness maker, as is the only brother he has in this country, who now lives at Benson.
J AMES H. SHIMIN, a farmer of Kingston township, residing upon section 26. where he has a nice place, is a native of Albany. the capital 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 died. In 1844 the mother removed to Michigan and made her home there until 1867, when she came to Minnesota and located in Hennepin county. where she died at the age of eighty four vears. She was a devont Christian and a member of the Episcopal church.
The subject of this memoir was reared upon a farm, and has always followed the occupation of a farmer. Commencing life on his own account in New York State at the age of eighteen years, he essaved agri- culture in the Empire State, but later re-
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moved to Michigan, where he lived until he came to lIennepin 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, 1861, to Miss Mary Ann Thomas, a native of Rich- mond county, Ind., and daughter of Robert Thomas, of that State. She came 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 H. 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 while carrying a misket is that of a loyal and gallant soldier and one " prompt to every duty's call."
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M. BECKSTRAND is a well-known and highly respected farmer, who resides on section 10, 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. Ilis 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.
Mr. Beekstrand 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 directly to Greenleaf township, Meeker county, Minn., where his uncle, John Sampson, was then living. This township 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 they then came to this country, and are now living in Cedar Mills township with one of their sons.
In 1875 the subject 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 township.
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. lle was born in Newport, Canada, September 6, 1831, and is the son of Samuel and Sophronia M. (Williams) Heard, both of whom were natives of the same province. IIe was reared upon a farm and remained with his parents nntil 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
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Site Company, and the following winter in teaching school a short distance from the village. Next spring, in company with a Mr. Chase, he bought out the mercantile establishment of Gibbs & Whitney, 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 1861. Ile had been appointed deputy post- master in 1857, and had charge of the mails until 1861, when, his health failing, he gave up his business altogether, and spent the fol- lowing year in Maine and Canada. returning to Clearwater in the spring of 1862. where he passed some time, and later went to Cold Springs, where he rebuilt the flour-mill, which had been destroyed 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 from trade. Ile
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 sufficient em- ployment. In 1878 he was elected a mem- ber of the village council, and in 1879 as mayor of the place, and served with great credit to himself .. He hasalways been deeply 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. Ileard was united in marriage, Octo- ber 1, 1871, with Miss N. II. Bowen, 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 first settlers of that region, settling there in 1785. Mr. |
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Heard is a prominent member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and is one of the Past Grand Masters of the Grand Lodge of this State.
During the civil war Mr. Heard was ap- pointed ensign of Company A. Nineteenth Regiment, M. V. M. Hle assisted in raising a company for service in 1861. and was to have gone with them, but poor health induced the doctor to order his remaining at home, much to his regret.
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.
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CHARLES H. ATKINSON, a young and 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 he 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, where he now lives. He has been the incumbent of several township offices, first filling that of assessor for some two years; and then that of justice of the peace for a like term, and now is the present chairman of the town board of supervisors.
Mr. Atkinson and Miss Ida Mitchell plighted their mutual vows at the marriage altar, Inne 27, 1882. The lady is the daugh- ter of David Mitchell, one of the oldest set- tłers of this county, and whose memoir can
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be found in this volume. By this nnion there have been born two children-Stella Eliza- beth and Charles Herbert. Mr. Atkinson, following the traditions of the family, is a staunch democrat, politically.
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OHN E. ZACKRISON, a respected farm- er, residing on seetion 17, Cedar Mills township, has been a resident of Meeker county since 1875. He is a native of Sweden, and was born January 4, 1847. Ilis early life was spent in the land of his birth, where he remained until he was twenty-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- traet drilling and varions 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 aeres in the town of Greenleaf, and remained on that for three years. He met with a number of serions 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 township, working for various parties, and in the fall of the same year he purchased the farm on sec- tion 17, Cedar Mills township, 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 stoek and doing general farming. His enter- prise, industry and economy have again placed him in comfortable circumstanees, 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 Negaunee, Mich., to Miss Caroline Swanson, who is also a native of Sweden. She was born on September 18, 1837. Their marriage has been blessed with fonr children, as follows- Hulda J., born June 12, 1874 ; Annie S., born September 3, 1876; Ella M., born November 18, 1878, and Osear E., born May 13, 1881.
AMES GRANT, an industrious and ener- getic agrienlturist of Collinwood town- ship, was born in the parish of Cromdal, Scotland, Angust 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 early 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 MeMillen, a native of Jefferson county Ind., the dangh- ter of Robert McMillen, and who died in 1845. From Madison he removed to Winooski, in the same State, where he dwelt for about twenty years. Ile was married there, to
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Miss Rebecca Fifer, June 3, 1847. By this union there has been born a family of nine children, as follows-George, James, Will- iam, John, Sarah, Belle, Ann Catherine, Jane and Mary. Mr. Grant came to Mecker county on the 16th of October, 1866, and built a house on land that he supposed to be his, but two years later, finding his error, moved to his own place, on section 26, where he now lives. He has 120 acres, well im- proved.
OHN P. FALK, one of the leading farm- ers of Acton township, is a native of Schleswig, a province of Denmark, which the Germans took in 1864. He was born on the 17th of February, 1833, and came to the United States in 1876, and after stopping for about two months on Two Rivers, 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 country, and upon his arrival in Acton he purchased eighty acres on section 32, with no improvements, paying $1,000 for it. Ile has added forty acres to the farm since, and now has a comfortable home and a valuable farm. He has substan- tial farm buildings, and his barn is the most conveniently arranged in the township, it being so built that he can water his stock without taking them out of their stalls, and it is so warm that water does not freeze in it during the most severe weather.
Mr. Falk was married, on the 27th of March, 1857. to Sophia Christianson, who was born on the 21st of September, 1830. They have had the following children-John,
born January 28, 1858, died when about five months old; Laurine, born September 12. 1859, married Martin Hinck, and lives in Minneapolis ; and Peter John, born Decem- ber 2, 1861. The family are members of the Norwegian Lutheran Church. Mr. Falk has taken a prominent part in public affairs. HIe 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. Ile 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 number of years, and has spared neither labor nor money 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 enterprising 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 (Bosley) 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 1846, and to Fayette county, Jowa, 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
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his services to various farmers. While a resi- dent of the Empire State, he was united in marriage, December 18, 1836, with Miss Mary Rumsey, a native of the same Common- wealth, born June 1, 1840, and daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Luther Rumsey, now residents of Kingston. By this marriage there have been born some five children :- Eva, Emma, Ella, Etta, and Guy Ernest. Eva married Michael Caylor ; Emma is the wife of Frank 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 in the county, and has served for three years as director of school district No. 41. One of the most highly respected citizens of the county, he may well be classed among its representative citizens.
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ANDREW SULLIVAN. Prominent among the old settlers of Forest City where he makes his home, upon sec- tion 36, is the subject of this biographical memoir. Ile is a native of County Kerry, Ire- land, born in October, 1822. Ile remained in the beloved land of his birth until thirty years 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 Mecker 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.
Ile has been accustomed to farm work from his youth up, and of course thoroughly under- stands his calling in all 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 United States with friends in 1852. The wedding ceremony was performed 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 may be classed among the democrats. He and his estimable family are members of the Roman 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 np a homestead in Cokato township, Wright county, to which he moved.
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