USA > Minnesota > Meeker County > Album of history and biography of Meeker County, Minnesota > Part 33
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On March 27, 1881, Mr. Lund came to Meeker county, and settled in Greenleaf township, where he still lives. Ile has a valuable farm of 210 acres of land, and has splendid farm buildings. Mr. Lund was married January 1, 1875, to Anna Anderson, and they have had seven children, all of whom are living, as follows-Charley A., born March 5, 1876; AAlma II., born Novem- ber 29, 1877; Levi V., born January 23, 1880 : Mimmie V., born May 5, 1882; Edward E., born November 12, 1883 ; Oscar T., born September 27, 1885, and Amanda V., born January 27, 1888. The family are members of the Swedish Lutheran Church.
The parents of Mr. Lund were natives of Sweden. They came to America a number of years ago, and are now residents of Meeker county.
OHN H. REMICK, one of the prominent residents of the village of Dassel, and a leading pioneer of the county of McLeod, was born in Painesville, Ohio. August 26, 1830. His father died when he was quite young, and the family was broken up, and for a time he was an inmate of the household of his grandfather. When about thirteen he commenced life by hiring ont at whatever he could find to do, and at sixteen began to learn the blacksmith's trade. In the spring of 1863 he determined to seek a new home in the growing West and carve out his own fortune, and came to Minnesota and settled at Hutchinson, McLeod county, in May of that year. Returning to Ohio the next fall, he, in company with S. A. Bunting, pur- chased a drove of fifteen horses, which were shipped by boat to Milwaukee, from which port they drove to this country, selling what they could on the way. Closing out the balance on his arrival at Ilutchinson, he returned to the " Buckeye State" for his family, and returned the same fall and took up a homestead of 160 acres of land on section 20, Hutchinson township, Mc- Leod county, and commenced its improve- ment. There he remained, quietly engaged in agricultural pursuits, until 1877, and by diligence and industry had increased his farm to 300 acres. IIe sold this place and personal property, about 1879, for $4,700. In 1877 he came to Dassel. this county, and com- menced running the Dassel House, and con- tinued to cater to the wants of the traveling public until 1882. During the summer of that year he engaged in his old trade of blacksmith, but on the 1st of January, 1853, went into the saloon business in the village, with J. S. Larson. The February follow- ing their place was destroyed by fire, with a loss of $2,500, only part of which was insured. In company with J. S. Larson and William Gallagher, he then commenced the erection of a new hotel, the new Dassel House, the
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old one having been burned. On the com- pletion of this hotel, which is of brick and cost some $4,500, he again opened a saloon, and remained in that business until 1886, when he elosed it out, and since that time has given his attention to the cultivation of a farm which he bought in 1881. This con- tains some forty aeres, and adjoins the town site. He is also engaged in the letting of livery rigs.
Among the leading prohibitionists of the county, there is none who is better known than Mr. Remiek, who, being thoroughly acquainted with the traffic in liquor, knows its evil, and is quite active in the movement looking to its suppression.
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HRISTIAN BADEN. Among the thrifty, prosperous German citizens of Meeker county, who helped so materially toward its development and progress, until it now stands one of the brightest jewels in the crown of the noble State of Minnesota, is the worthy gentleman whose name heads this sketeh. He was born in that part of the German empire known as Trier, June 18, 1839, and there grew to manhood. He is the son of John and Mary Baden, who had a family of five children.
Our subject received the education so common to the youth of the fatherland, and at the age of sixteen commeneed an appren- tieeship to the trade of blacksmith. IIe came to the United States in search of a home in this free land, in 1867, and located at Belle Plaine, Scott county, Minn., where he opened a blacksmith shop and followed his trade for one year. In 1868 he came to this connty and bought out the interest of Albert Taylor, in the blacksmith shop in Forest City, and has been engaged at this trade ever sinee. He is also the owner of a fine farm of 250 acres of land in the same township, part
of which he leases to other parties and part cultivates himself. His success since he came here is entirely due to his energy, per- severance and thrift, as he is the sole archi- tect of his own fortunes.
Mr. Baden was married before leaving his native land. April 14, 1865, to Miss Mary Schmidt, who was the daughter of Michael and Susan Schmidt, and one of a family of eight children. On the 4th of May, Mrs. Baden, who was a devout Catholic and an estimable woman, was called away by death, leaving ten children-William, Nicholas, Frank, John, Joseph, Susan, Cath- erine, Anna, Rosa and Mary. Susan married Eugene Sehnler, March 2, 1886, and lives in Dakota.
ARRISON FULLER, one of the old set- tlers of Collinwood township, has his home on section 4. He is a native of Russell county, Va., and there made his residence until he was ten years of age, then emigrated to Tazwell county, settling in what after- ward became a part of Buchanan county. Most of this time was spent on a farm with his parents. In 1862 he was conscripted into the Confederate army, and served some eigh- teen months. Having been made lieutenant, and detailed for recruiting service, he ab- sented himself without leave, and passing the lines, came to Minnesota. He arrived at Hutchinson, McLeod county, May 14, 1864, - and spent the summer in digging ginseng, and the next winter in hunting and trapping. The following year he moved to the place where he now lives, but did little toward its improvement for some three years. The hard frost of August 19, 1866, destroying the little erops he and the other settlers had in, he had considerable difficulty in getting along, so, with others, he went to Wright county and chopped wood all the following
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winter. Many of his neighbors were sadly pinched with hunger at that time. One day he walked to Kingston for provisions, but failed to get them, and on returning, found that the family had eaten up everything in the house, and he was forced to go supper- less to bed. The next day he was more fortunate, getting some flour at Greenleaf. Most of the settlers lived through the winter on what game they could kill, and in the spring on ramps or leeks, elm bark and other herbage. One family, to his knowledge, lived on game, ramps or leeks, and herbage that winter and spring. In 1873, after an absence of a year in Virginia, he com- menced to develop his farm properly, and by diligence has succeeded in accumulating a nice property. He was married March 7, 1861, to Miss Smyth, who was born in Taze- well county, Va., April 26, 1845, and is the daughter of Samuel M. and Mary (Justice) Smyth, natives of Kentucky. By this union there has been ten children, as follows-Ash- ville, born November 7, 1862, and married, March 27, 1884, to Mrs. Clarinda (Goble) West ; Mary F., born September 29, 1865, married Solomon Scalf in January, 1883; Pricy J., born May 19, 1868, married, March 7, 1885, to Armstrong Sellard ; Elijah S., born March 15, 1871; James A., born March 20, 1873; Roxelena, born May 24, 1875 ; Ida A., born May 26, 1877; Vashti, born May 2, 1880; Lucretia, born November 5, 1882 ; and Maggie, born June 30, 1886.
ATRICK McKARNEY, an ex-Union 1 soldier, and a prominent and success- ful farmer and stock raiser, residing on sec- tion S, Manannah township, was born in County Monaghan, Ireland, in 1832, and is a son of Patrick and Catherine (Brady) Mc- Karney. His early life was spent in the land of his birth, receiving the schooling in industry and frugality which was given to
the youth of his nationality in that day. In 1849 he came to the United States, land- ing in New Orleans, where he remained about one month and then went to St. Louis, Mo. Two months later he went to Rock Island, 1Il., and spent the winter, and after this was employed on the Mississippi river, at whatever he could find to do, until the 15th of August, 1862, when he enlisted in Company B, Ninetieth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and went into the service. His regiment was assigned to severe duty, and he remained in active service until the close of the war, receiving an honorable discharge on the 6th of June, 1865. After leaving the service he came to Minnesota, and settled in Dakota county, where he remained until the following April, 1866, and then came to Meeker county, and settled on section S, Manannah township, where he still lives. Ile has a farm of 150 acres of land, a good share of which is under cultivation, and devotes his attention to general farming and stock raising.
Mr. MeKarney was married on the 4th of April, 1869, to Miss Mary O'Keeffe, and they have been blessed with the following chil- dren-Charlotte, born July 15, 1870; Cathe- rine, born May 26, 1872; James, born Janu- ary 8, 1874; Peter, born May 16, 1876; and Menus, born January 16, 1878; all of whom are still living.
Mrs. McKarney's parents were natives of Ireland. They came to America, and both died in Meeker county. Mr. McKarney is a republican in political matters, and in religi- ous affairs both he and his wife are ex- emplary members and active supporters of the Catholic Church.
E RANK W. MINTON, the present genial proprietor of the Howard House, at Litchfield, is the son of William L. and Louisa C. (IIull) Minton, and was
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born in Brocton, Chantauqua county, N. Y., May 7, 1854. His mother was a descendant of one of the pioneer families of the Mohawk Valley.
Frank remained in his native town until he was fifteen years of age, and then came to Rice county, Minn., where he lived with an unele for a time. He removed from there to Chicago, whither his parents had gone, and entering the office of the Pullman Palace Car Co., remained there employed for seven years. Taking charge of a palace car run- ning between St. Louis and Minneapolis at the end of that time, he continued in that species of employment for two years and a half, but his health having become somewhat impaired he left the road. He entered the law office of Perkins & Whipple, of North- field, Minn., where he remained some eigh- teen months. Ile then went on the road as traveling salesman for the Champion Reaper Co., and was with that corporation for the succeeding two years, after which he came to Litchfield, and assumed the charge of the Howard HIonse, as landlord, May 1, 1884.
Frank W. Minton and Miss Mattie Knight were nnited in the bonds of marriage, May 20, 1884. The lady is a native of Canada, but at the time of her marriage a resident of Meeker county.
R OBERT B. RALSTON. The subject of this biography, one of Meeker county's most prominent and wealthy farm- ers and stock-raisers, is a resident of section 14, Harvey township. He was born in the Province of Quebec, Canada East, on the 28th day of August, 1826, and is a son of Andrew and Jane Ralston. His parents were natives of Scotland, but both died in Canada ; the father January 10, 1888, and the mother August 21, 1884.
Robert B. left his native province in April,
1849, and went to Waterbury, Vt., where he seenred employment on the Vermont Central railroad, and remained until the latter part of the following December, when he returned to Canada and remained until the spring of 1850. At that time he went to St. Johns- bury, Vt., where he drove a team on railroad work, and in Angust, 1850, went to Cam- bridge, N. Y., and worked abont there until the following summer of 1851. He next spent a few months at Bedford, Ind., and then went to Cincinnati, O., where he re- mained for four years, being employed at teaming most of the time; after that was at work on the Cincinnati & St. Lonis railroad. In 1855 he went still further west, and spent one winter at Oskaloosa, Iowa, and then set- tled at Minneapolis, Minn. That place, which was then a mere village, remained his home until the fall of 1861, although, during this time, in 1859, he had come west to Meeker county and purchased the southwest quarter of section 11, in what is now Harvey town- ship. In that fall he came here and put in his time in caring for a few calves which he had purchased, and also did a good deal of trap- ping in various parts of this county. He was living here when the Indian outbreak oc- curred. He heard the news of the massacre at Acton on Sunday evening, while with his brother John. They at once went to monld- ing bullets and getting their guns in shape, after which they went to bed, and the follow- ing morning continued their harvesting. At noon they went to Forest City, and learned the serious condition of affairs. They then returned to look for a neighbor, Hutchins, and his wife, and met them, and also Joachin Schultz, so all turned and went to Forest City. There they remained all through the Indian trouble. The following spring Mr. Ralston returned to his claim and put in his erops, and while at work eonld distinctly see the soldiers on patrol between his place and Forest City. This has since been his home.
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He has one of the most valuable farms in the county, and carries on general farming and stock-raising extensively.
ยท On the 11th of June, 1867, Mr. Ralston was married to Miss Melissa Pickle, and their union has been blessed with three children, as follows-Marcia, born August 22, 1868; Elsie V., born November 4, 1872; Arthur D., born April 13, 1882, all of whom are still living. Mr. and Mrs. Ralston attend, and Mrs. R. is a member of the Methodist Episco- pal Church. Mrs. Ralston's parents are still living in Canada ; her father is a native of Canada, and her mother a native of Ver- mont.
In political matters Mr. Ralston affiliates with the democratic party. He has taken an active interest in everything calculated to develop the county's resources, and is rated as one of the most solid and substantial eiti- zens of Meeker county.
ILLIAM MURPHY, a member of the firm of Murphy Bros., general mer- chandise dealers at the village of Kingston, commeneed business here in January, 1886, in company with T. Owen, with whom he remained in partnership until the 1st of Janu- ary, 1888, when Mr. Owen sold out to T. J. Murphy, the brother of our subject, and the present firm was formed.
Mr. Murphy is a native of Rutland county, Vt., born November 3, 1860, and came to Minnesota with his parents in May, 1862. He is a son of Michael and Catherine (Clif- ford) Murphy, a history of whom is given elsewhere in this ALBUM. He was reared and received the elements of his education in the district schools of Meeker county, and finished with a thorough course at the University, at St. John's, Minn., from which he was gradu- ated in 1882. Ile taught the Kingston village school the winter term of 1883-4, and
later settled in the village and entered upon his present enterprise, which is the only store therein. He has held the office of justice of the peace for two years, and that of clerk of the township for quite a time. He was ap- pointed postmaster in September, 1886, which position he holds at present. Mr. Murphy and Miss Ellen Whalen were married Feb- ruary 20, 1887. The lady is a native of Meeker county and daughter of John Wha- len, one of the oldest pioneers whose sketch is to be found in the pages of this volume.
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J AMES McCUE, blacksmith, at Greenleaf village, Meeker county, is a native of Ireland, born on the 10th of May, 1837. When he was but one year old, his parents, Timothy and Margaret McCue, emigrated to the United States and settled near Buffalo, N. Y. Mrs. McCue died soon afterward, and when James was ten years of age he was placed in a store at Hamilton, Ontario, where he remained until he reached his seventeenth year, at which time he was apprenticed to a blacksmith near Hamilton. Three years later, in 1857, he came to Minnesota, and located in Northfield, Rice county. In the fall of 1858 he went to California, where he remained about four years, engaged at mining and blacksmithing. Then, leaving there, he spent two or three years in Nevada and Montana, during the great mining excite- ment, and at the expiration of that time he returned to the States. After a trip to South- ern Kansas, he returned to Minnesota and settled in Renville county. In 1877 he left his family at Hutchinson and went to the Black IIills, D. T. After making several trips home, he finally, in 1879, returned to Ren- ville county, and continued to live there until 1884, when he came to the village of Green- leaf, and established his present business. Being thoroughly skilled at his trade, he com-
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mands a good patronage. In 1886 he made a trip to Huntsville, Ala., but returned with- out giving the matter of locating there much thought.
Mr. McCue was married at the village of Greenleaf in 1873, to Miss Mary Kaler, a daughter of Christian and Almira Kaler, of Greenleaf township. Six children have been the fruit of this union, as follows - John E., born March 20, 1875 ; Stella A., born April 9, 1877; Alford O., born Angust 21, 1879 ; Effie May, born March 29, 1881; Margaret Myra, born March 13, 1883; Annie Ethel, born March 19, 1885.
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ICHAEL F. LENHARDT, a respected and enterprising farmer, who re- sides on section 1, Litchfield, was born in Saxon-Meiningen, Germany, on the 30th of October, 1827, and is a son of Michael and Margaret Lenhardt. He remained with his parents in his native land until 1853, when he came to America, landing in New Orleans shortly after the great yellow-fever scourge lad abated. Ile located in St. Louis and re- mained there for two years, then went to Kansas, but, not being favorably impressed with the outlook there, he returned to St. Louis, and, the following year (1856), he came to Meeker county, Minn., and took a claim on section 11, Litchfield township, where the village of Litchfield now stands. The following year he gave up that place and took a claim on section 1, in the same township, where he still lives. In 1859 he was married to Rebecca Lonhan, a native of Kentucky, and two children were born to them, one of whom is deceased, and the other-Minne-is the wife of Frank Maetzold, of Litchfield. In 1863 Mrs. Lenhardt, the wife, and youngest child, died. In 1872 Mr. Lenhardt made a visit to his na- tive land, and while there was united in mar-
riage with Margaret Peipus, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Peipus. Four children were the result of this nnion - Ricke (de- ceased), Anna, August, and Bertha.
At the time of the Indian outbreak, in 1862, Mr. Lenhardt was operating his farm in a quiet way. He did not become much alarmed at first, but soon felt the gravity of the situation, and. on Wednesday following the massacre at Acton, he started with his family for Clearwater. The road en route was literally alive with people and stock, and the woods were full of panie-stricken beings. After remaining in Clearwater a short time, he concluded the matter was more a seare than anything else, and went back to his farm. He was not long in discovering, however, that the people were not terrorized without cause, and, therefore, took his fam- ily to Forest City for safety, arriving there just before the Indians made the attack on the fort. After spending about one month at Forest City, Mr. Lenhardt went back to his farm for the winter, and the following year put in his erops and has since made that his home. He devotes his entire attention to farming and stock raising, and has a most pleasantly situated and comfortable home. Hle is one of the most highly respected old settlers and substantial citizens of the county.
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LANS M. AKESSON, a resident of Swede Grove township, is a son of Mons and Siselia Akesson. He was born in Sweden on the Sth of March. 1856, and remained in his native land until 1881, when he came to the United States, and, after spending two months in Wisconsin, pushed on westward and located in Swede Grove township. Meeker county. Minn. On the 24th of November, 1882 he was married to Miss Anna Olena Erickson the only daughter of Gertram and Martha Erickson. The father of Anna died in Amer-
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ica, and the mother, Martha, came to the United States in 1857, and in 1860 was mar- ried to Christian Erickson, who died on the 26th of March, 1882. Mrs. Erickson had two children - Halvor Michelson, who was born February 11, 1846, who lives on section 32, Swede Grove township, and Anna Olena, now Mrs. Hans Akesson, who was born March 18, 1864. Hans M. Akesson and his family live with his wife's mother and cultivate the farm. Mrs. Erickson is an old settler in the town- ship and was here all through the " pioneer days." When the Indian trouble began she fled for her life with the others who were living here at that time. She fled in the night for Forest City for protection, and at one time came very near losing her life, when Indian bullets were flying as thick as hail. As a full history of those Indian times is given in another chapter of this work it is unnecessary to repeat it here.
Mr. and Mrs. Akesson have been blessed with three children, whose names and ages are as follows - Martin Clarence, born May 6, 1883 ; Gotfried Casper, born Novem- ber 29, 1884 ; and Helmer Eugene, who was born on the 5th of November, 1886.
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T INOTHER PIONEER of Meeker county t is F. V. DECOSTER, ex-judge of pro- bate, and one of Litehfield's most prominent merchants. Mr. DeCoster was born in Buck- field, Me., on the 19th of November, 1838. His parents were Varanes and Louisa (Thompson) DeCoster, both natives of the same State. F. V. remained at home until seventeen, working on a farm and attending school and at fifteen began teaching school. When seventeen he went to the city of Bos- ton and worked in a store for about a year, when he started west and brought up at Dunkirk, N. Y. A short time later he pushed on West to St. Anthony, Minn .. and remained
there until the spring of 1858, when he located in the village of Kingston, Meeker county, and was there engaged in earpentering, teach- ing and in carrying on the fur trade, remain- ing at this most of the time until the war broke out. Ile thus became personally ae- quainted with the famous Little Crow, the head of the massacre movement in 1862, and also with the chief Shakopee, buying fur and venison at various times of both these notables. In 1859-60 Mr. DeCoster left Kingston for a trip through the south, going to St. Louis, then to Cincinnati, and then Natchez, Miss., where he had charge of the boats on the levee for a time. From there he went to New Orleans; then Mobile ; and then to Montgomery, Ala., on the same boat that carried a lot of Southern planters who were on their way to attend a secession con- vention. After spending a short time at Savannah, Ga., Mr. DeCoster, returned to the North, and finally drifted to his old home in Buekfield, Maine, where he remained some two weeks, and then returned to Kingston, Minn. Shortly after the war broke out, on the 25th of September, 1861, he enlisted in Company D, Fourth Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, and went to Fort Abercrombie. In the spring of 1862, his company was assigned to the Army of the West in Tennessee. On the 1st of Jannary, 1863, he was made orderly sergeant of Company A, First Battalion Cav- alry, Mississippi Marine Brigade, and on the Sth of July, in the same year, he was placed in command of Company D, as Captain and served until August 29, 1864. The business of the brigade was to keep the Mississippi river clear of Rebel forces who fired on transports. one of the most dangerous assign- ments in the service. The full brigade was carried on boats, and consisted of eight ma- rine fleet boats, with five rams, one regi- ment of infantry, battalion of cavalry and battery besides the rams. During this time Mr. DeCoster had two horses shot from un-
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der him, and in one engagement when they were surprised by 800 of the enemy in the canebrake the company had seventy horses shot out of 170. The night previous to this action they learned that the boat "Bostona" had been burned by the Rebels at Austin, Miss. The brigade was then 100 miles off but they started in haste and arrived at that point at four o'clock the following morning. Mr. DeCoster was ordered to take ten men and go into the country in search of the Rebels. When four miles out they came in sight of five of the Rebels and captured them. When about to return to the command the major of the brigade came up and they were ordered to push on, which they did, and when they had proceeded but a short distance they were met by the 800 rebels, and all hands of the Union men came near losing their lives. It is worthy of mention that their flag-ship, The Autocrat, was the second one at Vicks- burg. Mr. DeCoster continued in service on the river, participating in numerous engage- ments, until the 27th of August, 1864, when he was mustered out, being made super- numerary by the consolidation of the brigade. After the close of the war he remained at St. Louis for some four months and then returned to Minnesota and engaged in the general mercantile trade at Kingston. This he conducted until 1868 when he sold out and became interested in a flouring mill and remained in that until the spring of 1871, being justice of the peace most of the time and otherwise taking a prominent and active interest in public af- fairs. In the spring of 1871 he removed to Litchfield and again embarked in the general merchandise trade. This he continued until about 1879, when he changed his line and handled musical instruments, sewing ma- chines and notions. In 1887 he went into the jewelry business and now handles a line which includes jewelry, musical instruments, etc. In 1872 he was elected judge of pro-
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