USA > Minnesota > Meeker County > Album of history and biography of Meeker County, Minnesota > Part 31
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February, 1851, to Ellen Craft, by whom he had five children, as follows-Mary Alice, born July 21, 1853 ; Lydia S., born March 18, 1861 (died in 1884); Cora Ellen, born Sep- tember 9. 1863; Jessie, born February 15, 1866, and Ida Elizabeth, born June 23, 1858. Ida E. married Alexander T. Caraccioli, a salesman in a wholesale music store in New York City ; Cora E. married Horton Parsons, born in this State, who has charge of a rail- road station in Dakota; and Jessie married Lewis Handlin, 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- bellion ; her father was a soldier in the war of 1812. Her mother is still alive, a resident of New York State. Mr. Belknap's people 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 political matters he is a republican.
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OL. JACOB M. HOWARD, owner of the Howard House, and other prop- erty in the village of Litchfield, including hris 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 Mecker 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 he sold the latter. In 1850, he erected the Howard Ilouse at an outlay
of some $19,000, which he has always leased. In 1886 he purchased forty five acres of land on the banks of Lake Ripley and erected 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 affairs.
Colonel Howard is a native of Detroit, Mich., born July 16, 1842, and is the son of IIon. 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 vears was one of the United States Senators from Michigan. Mrs. Catherine Howard, the mother of the Colonel, was 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, N. Y., where he passed some three years. In the spring of 1862 he enlisted as a private in Company F, Twenty-fourth Michigan In- fantry, 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 Hartsuff, with the rank 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 enterpris- ing, is always foremost in any movement that is likely to accrue to the benefit of the com- munity. He was one of the principal organ- izers of the Woolen Mill Company, and was the first president of the board of directors. He is a stockholder in the Creamery Associa- tion, and vice-president of the company. Ile
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was elected mayor of the city of Litehfiekl in 1885, 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 Litehfield Dramatie Asso- ciation, of which he was one of the originat- ors.
Col. J. M. Howard and Miss Emma Pen- noyer were united in marriage in October, 1868. The lady is a native of New York State, and is the danghter of Truman Per- noyer, of Meeker county.
AUL M. PAULSON, a resident of section 32, Acton township, was one of the noble " Boys in Blue," who enlisted from Meeker county during the civil war. Mr. Paulson was born in Norway on the 18th of February, 1838, and is a son of Mathias and Mary Paulson, both natives of the same country. In IS57 they removed to Canada, where Paul remained until the spring of 1860, when he settled at St. Paul, Minn. There he remained at work until fall, when 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, working for different farmers during the summer months, until the 7th of June, 1862, when he enlisted in company E, Sixth Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, and went into service. Ile remained with his company until June, 1863, when he was taken sick and was transferred to the invalid corps. He was finally discharged on the 7th of June, 1865, and returned to the home of his parents.
On the 14th of September, 1865, he was married to Miss Amelia Peterson, the cere- mony being performed in St. Paul. His wife was 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- lowing spring, when Paul moved upon a home- stead which he had taken on section 32, Ac- ton township, where he still lives. Ile now owns a fraction over 134 acres of land, a good share of which is under cultivation. Mr. and Mrs. Paulson have had nine children, as fol- lows-Mary, born July 10, 1866; Mathias, born August 11, 1868, 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, 1582: and Arnold, born May 22, 1885. The family are members of the Norwegian Lutheran Church, of which they are active supporters. Mr. Paulson takes an active interest in all matters affecting the welfare of his town- ship and is one of its leading eitizens. In political matters he supports the republican party.
UGUST JORDEN, a farmer who at pres- ent resides on section 18. in Green- leaf township, but who expects in a short time to remove to Cosmos, is a native of Sweden, and was born on the 29th of June, 1861. He left his native land in 1880 for America, and upon his arrival first settled in Minneapolis, Minn., where he remained for about two years and a half. At the expiration of that time he settled at Litchfield, in Meeker county, and remained there until 1883, when he purchased the place where he now resides, on section 18, Greenleaf township.
The parents of Mr. Jorden were also na- tives of Sweden. They remained in the land of their birth until 1882, when they came to the United States, and now live with 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-
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publican. Ile is a good manager, industri- ous and frugal, and is getting a good start in his farming operations.
ACOB C. INMAN, residing on seetion 29, Manannah township, a highly re- spected and thrifty agriculturist, is a native of Butler county, Iowa, and was born on the 20th of February, 1858. His parents were Americans, and they were among the first settlers in that county. Their names were John and Catharine (Ullery) Inman.
Jacob spent his early life in his native county, and in June, 1869, came to Meeker county, Minn., with his parents and they 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 present farm in the same section. He has eighty acres of land and has been very successful in his farming operations, also carrying on stock-raising to a limited extent.
On the 11th of November, 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. The 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 Mr. Inman alliliates with the democratic party.
- CARLOSS JEWETT, one of the oldest living settlers of Meeker county, and one of its most historical charac- ters, was born at Wardsboro, Vt., June 9. 1827, and is the son of Thomas and Sylvia ( Haradon) Jewett. Ilis father was born on the same farm May 1, 1794, and died in
May, 1873; the mother, whose birth took place at Norton, Mass., November 25, 1799, ched March 2, 1877. The paternal grand father of our subject, Thomas Jewett, was a sergeant in the Continental Army under Washington, 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 H. Haradon, 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. They removed back to Vermont after the birth of their second child, but in 1829 emigrated again to Steuben county, N. Y., where they 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. IIe then worked at civil engineering on the New York Central railroad until 1851, when he went to the Isthmus and ran the preliminary survey for the Panama Railroad, spending one year there. and participated in the cap- ture of San Loren Castle. Returning to his home, he was engaged in various railroad and telegraph works, until 1856, when he came to Minnesota. Ile arrived at Forest City June 20, 1856, with but 816.19 in his pocket. and June 27 took a claim on seetion 31, Forest City township. IIe was appointed sheriff in the summer of 1857, and was after- wards elected to the same office. Ile took a part in the Indian troubles in 1862, as detailed elsewhere, and with his wife kept house the farthest west of all the settlers. The next year he spent on the "abandoned
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lands" of Louisiana, where he raised cotton. He then made his home on his farm until April, 1887, when he moved to Litchfield, and in May, 1888, took a tree-claim on land adjoining the village. He 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 recently parted from her husband through the machinations of her 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 the 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 Newburgh, and is still carrying on that busi- ness. The Doctor received his education in his native town, and, as he grew older, was taken into the store by his father, where he grew 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 1881
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 in 1SS7 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- ItG ) tlers of 1867 may be classed Mr. Benton. of Kingston township, who makes his home on his fine farin 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 Jolm W. and Welthy (Widgar) Benton, natives of the Empire State and England, respectively. About the year 1836, the father of our subject removed to Pennsylvania, where John W., Jr., was brought up. His mother remained in York State, and our subject never saw her again, although he heard of her as being alive in the fall of 1887. His father died of consump- 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 years old, at
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which early age he may be said to have commenced the battle of life for himself. He passed his time for the next nine years in working at farm work and in going to school, after which for several summers he was employed upon the Pennsylvania Canal. Thinking in the great West there was a better show for him, he came in this diree- tion, and locating in Wisconsin, went to work for a man by the name of Winchester, of Winnebago county. He made his home in that part of the country until 1861, 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, 1862. He was dis- charged September 10, 1862. on account of injuries received in the field, but February 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 father died in 1883. Her mother died three years previously in Wisconsin. Mrs. Benton, whose birth took place July 3. 1844. was 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. Joseph Manson, residing in Washington Territory ; Ella J., wife of .
George Walter, now living in Mille Lacs county, this State ; Roy E., Stella R., and Wealthy Aurelia. Mr. Benton is a republi- can in his polities.
J 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. Ilis father and mother were the parents of a large family of children.
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The subject of this sketch spent his school days in his native county, receiving a good education, and at one time began the study of medicine. In 1830 he went to Louisville, Ky., and there learned the cooper's trade, which he afterward followed for about forty years. From 1841 until 1546 he conducted his shop in 'Chicago, and then engaged in the dairy business near the same city. In 1557 he came to Minnesota and located in Jordan, where he remained about two years, and then went to Ilenderson, 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. Ile is a member of the Church of God, in which 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 child, Charles Wesley, and died when the child was three days old. The child died in infancy.
Mr. Polk was again married in 1836, at
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Darwin, Ill., to Mary Carr, who died in 1838. Two children blessed this union- Naney 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 14th of November, 1884, 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. Rowley.
Ilis 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. Polk's care; so that in his later years he raised five children.
ON. JONATHAN BURNETT SALIS- BURY, the present county surveyor, was born in the State of New York, in 1824, and is the son of Dr. Gideon and Phœbe (Burnett) 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 mother died in 1850.
The subject of our sketch, in 1845, having studied thoroughly in the 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 General Zachary Taylor. IIe was discharged at 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. Ile 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. Returning to his home in Scott county, Iowa, in October, of that year, he there passed the winter, but in the spring of 1856. 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 Joseph. Mr. Salisbury had brought all his goods with him, and the trip consumed about one month. To one large, wide 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 woods," 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 years was known as the "Okdl Territorial Road." 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. For two weeks the family occupied a house, and then all the refugees who had gathered
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there spent their nights in the grist mill, which was being used as a fort. Mr. Salis- bury remained at Kingston for about one month, when his family returned to the old home in Iowa, and he enlisted in the " Mounted Rangers," or First Minnesota Cav- alry, and served through the Indian troubles on the borders, one year. He then enlisted in lateh's Independent Battalion of Minne- sota Cavalry for three years or during the war, and served on the frontier. Upon being honorably discharged in the spring of 1866, he again returned to his farm and cul- tivated it until June, 1875, when he removed to Litchfield, where he has since lived. In 1868 he was elected to represent his district in the Legislature, and made a creditable 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 family of eight children.
ANDREW EVENSON, an enterprising farmer residing on section 7, Green- leaf township, is a son of Hans and Christine Evenson, and a native of Norway, born Octo- ber 30, 1847. A full sketch of his parents, who were prominent old settlers of Meeker county, 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 Wright 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 Greenleaf town- ship, where Andrew spent his youth, in the same industrious and frugal manner common to the youth of his nationality. Ile was with the family through all the horrors of
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the Indian outbreak, and shared the dangers and privations of those terrible times with the hardiest of men.
In 1876 he was married to Matilda Bjor- hus, a daughter of Ole K. and Mary Bjorlius. She was born in Norway, September 23, 1854, and came to the United States in 1871. Five children have blessed their union - Ilans O., 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. Mr. 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' and 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 which 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 acquired a varied and general fund of useful knowl- edge.
AMES P. DAVIS, an enterprising and prosperous agriculturist of Dassel town- ship, is the son of Stephen and Mary (Pat- terson) Davis, and was born in Wayne county, Ohio, March 14, 1836. His parents were very early settlers in that portion of the "Buckeye" State, but removed to Meigs county in 1841, also then a new county, and made their home there until 1855, when
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they came to Minnesota and settled at the village of Caledonia, Houston county, where the father carried on his trade and bought government 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, Ill., where he died in 1871. The mother died in Ida county, Iowa, in 1882.
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