USA > Minnesota > Meeker County > Album of history and biography of Meeker County, Minnesota > Part 34
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bate and served one term, and since that time has been court commissioner most of the time. He has also taken an active interest in educational matters and has held various offices on the school board. He has also been a member of the council and taken an active interest in all public matters at Litchfield. Mr. DeCoster is a member of the Masonic fraternity, having joined the Golden Fleece Lodge, No. 89, when it waslocated at Forest City, and has always maintained his mem- bership. He is also a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, and was one of the charter members of the first post organized at Litchfield, and joined the present post soon after it was organized, and is identified with the " Survivors of the Mississippi River Ram Fleet and Marine Brigade." Ile is a mem- ber of the dramatic association, and was its manager for some two years.
Mr. DeCoster was married in the spring of 1871 to Miss Mary E. Campbell, of North Manchester, Conn. They have one child- Esther L., who was born on the 4th of Janu- ary, 1875. The family are members of the Presbyterian Church, and Mr. DeCoster has been superintendent of the Sunday-school of that church constantly since 1871.
OHN McINTEE, at present a resident of section 8, Manannah township, and a leading citizen of that neighborhood. was born in Ontario, Canada, on the 15th of August, 1852, and is a son of Nicholas and Margaret (Clark) McIntee. Ilis early life was spent in his native Dominion, but in 1878 he came to Meeker county, Minn., and settled in Manannah township, where he still lives. He has a farm of 160 acres, with a good share of it under cultivation, and devotes his attention to general farming and stock raising. He has been very successful and through his frugality and industry is now in very comfortable circumstances.
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Mr. MeIntee was married on the 1st of June. 1880, to Mary A. Stewart, and their marriage has been blessed with three chil- dren, named-William J .. Mary, and Marga- ret, all of whom are living and at home. The family are members of the Catholic Church. In political matters Mr. MeIntee's principles are independent of party, and he votes for the man rather than for creed.
Mr. MeIntee's parents were born in Ire- land, and both of them died in Canada. The father of Mrs. Melntee was a native of Seot- land, and died in Canada : her mother was a native of Ireland, and now lives in Meeker county.
LENRY J. BOYNTON, an energetic 1 and prosperous farmer and stock- raiser of Forest City township, lives upon section 16, where he settled in 1865. He is engaged, to a large extent, in the raising of cattle, and for a man of his years is extremely active and business like, for he was born May 18. 1820. Lincolnville, Penobscot county, Maine, was the home of his parents, Jeremiah and Sarah (Higgins) Boynton, at the time of his birth. His father was born in Kennebec county, that State, and his mother at Lincolnville. The former died in 1876, the latter in 1868.
The subject of this narrative was reared in his native State, and until he was eleven years of age, attended school at Bradley, Penobscot county. At the age of thirteen he commenced life, lumbering upon the rivers of Maine. and followed that business until he had reached the age of forty-five years. With a view to change his mode of life he then removed westward and settled in Meeker county, where he has since made his home. He has been connected with several of the town oflices since his coming here. and merits and receives the warmest esteem and respect of all who know him.
Upon the 9th of August, 1841, Mr. Boyn- ton and Miss Ruth Eaton, pledged their mutual vows at the marriage altar. The lady is a native of Nova Scotia, and daugh- ter of Guy and Lydia (Rockwell) Eaton, natives of Nova Scotia. who had moved to the above province some time before the birth of their danghter. By this union Mr. and Mrs. Boynton have a family of nine children, as follows: Mary Ann, wife of Andrew Gilchrist ; Albert, in Minneapolis ; Lewyn, who married Miss Lizzie Abbott, and is living in Eden Valley ; Lonisa, Mrs. Wmn. Peters; Charles ; Eldora, the wife of Rollin Thorp, of Wright county; Lizzie, who married Rev. L. L. Tower, and is living at Princeton. this State: Alonzo, residing at home ; and Effic, Mrs. D. Lounsberry, of Man- annah township.
Mr. Boynton is a life-long democrat, cast- ing his first vote for the candidate of that party in 1841. Ile and his family are mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and he has occupied the position of steward and class leader in that denomination for some time, and was quite prominently identified with the building up of the congregation at Forest City.
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NE OF THE enterprising farmers of Kingston township is HI. V. RUMSEY, who lives on section 8, township 120, range 29 west, where he also carries on stock rais- ing. Ile is a native of Cortland county, N. Y., born April 27, 1848, and is the son of I. IT. and Mary A. (Vincent) Rumsey, who came to Minnesota. in 1868, from Wisconsin, where they had been living for years, and settled in Kingston, where they still live. Our subjeet was one of two children born to his parents, his sister being the wife of Nelson Turner, of whom a sketch is given elsewhere in this ALBUM.
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The subject of this memoir spent his school days in Fond du Lac county. Wis., and, until attaining his majority, assisted his father in the labor of carrying on the farm. He came with the family to this county, and, after coming of age, engaged in agri- cultural pursuits upon his own account, tak- ing up a homestead, where he now lives, and to which he has added until he now owns 180 acres of fine land. Ile was married, New Year's day, 1873, to Miss Anna M. Kline, a native of Michigan, born in Flint, Genesee county, October 18, 1849, and daughter of James A. and Ann (Shimin) Kline. She was reared and educated m Winnebago county, Ill., whither her parents had moved at an early day, and came to this county with the family. A biography of her father appears in the pages of this volume.
By their union Mr. and Mrs. Rumsey are the parents of one child-Elton K., born October 26, 1878. Mr. Rumsey is a democrat in his political views, and usually supports the candidates and measures of that organ- ization. He is the present treasurer of school district No. 74. and has held that office since it was organized.
OHN HURLEY, one of the pioneers of Meeker county, and one of its repre- sentative men, is a resident of Ellsworth township, and is engaged in carrying on his farm on section S. He came here in 1858, and took up his claim where he now lives, and there remained until the Indian troubles of 1862. During those fearful, tragic days he left here and went to Fremont and Clearwater, and from thence back to Kings- ton, and from there, finally. to what is now Darwin, where he remained some two years. He then returned to his farm. where he has ever since made his home. Ilis original
claim consisted of some 160 acres, but he now has nearly double that number of acres, and his farm is brought to a high state of culti- vation.
Mr. Hurley is a native of that "bright gem of the sea," Ireland, born in County Cork in the year 1825, and is the son of Dennis and Mary (Driscoll) Hurley, both of whom were, also, natives of the Emerald Isle. Dennis Hurley died in his native land in 1847, and his widow came to the United States in 1864 or 1865, and after a stay in New York and Pittsburg, came to Minne- apolis, and from thence to this county, where she died September 29, 1872. They were the parents of seven children, one of whom died in infancy.
Mr. Hurley, of whom we write, was united in marriage in February, 1854, with Miss El- len White, who was born in Ireland in May, 1819, and who came to America with her parents in 1844, and settled in Pittsburg, Pa. She died in March, 1887, having been the mother of four children-Mary, Ellen, Ann and John. Mary died in Pennsyl- vania in 1857, at the age of two years ; John died October 15, 1887, of typhoid fever, the others are at home with their father.
In his political views Mr. Hurley is entirely independent of party lines, and non-partisan in the discharge of his elective franchise. Ile has held the office of director of his school district, and takes great interest in all educational work. As a progressive, enter- prising man he is the peer of any in the town.
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RICK W. NELSON, a young and enter- prising farmer of Dassel township. is also engaged, in company with N. J. Lind, in carrying on the saloon business in the village of that name. He is a native of Sweden. born among its beautiful scenes
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October 14, 1856, and is the son of Peter and Mary Nelson. Ile came to America, when but twelve years of age, in company with his parents, who took up railroad land and settled on section 35, Dassel township, in 1868, where the father of our subject made his home until overtaken by death in 1883.
Eriek remained with his parents upon the family homestead until their death, and then came to the village, of Dassel, and was employed as a elerk in a store until May, 1886, when he embarked in the saloon busi- ness, as above mentioned. He is carrying on a farm of sixty acres, a portion of the parental estate, and has made quite a success in life for a young man. Self-reliant, with- out obstrusiveness, and straight forward in his dealings, he is bound to succeed in life, and his business tact will insure his finan- cial elevation.
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OHN PETERSON, better known as B. W. Peterson, one of the leading farmers of Collinwood township, and one of its most enterprising citizens, is a native of Sweden, born October 18, 1825, and is the son of Peter Johnson and his wife, Jennie (Matson) Johnson. He was reared and educated in his native land, and was an inmate of his father's house until he had attained the age of thirty-eight. December 25, 1850, he was united in marriage with Miss Mary Olson. and for three years thereafter made his home with the old folks. Purchasing a timber farm, he then took up his residence npon it, and made it his home until 1867, elearing off the timber and cultivating its soil, when he sold out and emigrated to the new world in search of a home in the land of the free. Coming to Minnesota on landing, he at first settled in Carver county, but two years after removed to this county and purchased eighty acres of land on section 36, Collinwood town-
ship, where he now lives. All of the im- provements upon his place are the result of his own energy and diligence, and are a credit to his industry.
Mr. and Mrs. Peterson are the parents of six children, of whom the following is the record-Jennie, born Mareli 17, 1852, mar- ried Paul Anderson, and lives in Wright county ; Olof, born January 24, 1860, mar- ried Miss Betsy Larsen, and resides in this township; Martha, born August 24, 1854, and is the wife of B. N. Peterson, of Cokato, this State; John, born September 6, 1862; Peter, who was born in 1857 and died in 1859; and Peter, born in 1865 and died in 1877. Although a poor man when he came here, Mr. Peterson has, by the exereise of excellent judgment and hard work, placed himself in a condition of comparative comfort.
ANDREW LARSON, who resides on sec- tion 16, Litchfield township, is one of the most extensive farmers and stock-raisers in Meeker county. He was born in Sweden on the 31st of October, 1843, but left his native land with his parents, John and Celia Larson, and came to America in 1857. The family eame direct to Meeker county, Minn., and settled on seetion 9, Litchfield township. Andrew remained with his parents about one year thereafter, and then voluntarily threw himself on his own resources, and began the struggle of life alone, working as a farm hand at small monthly wages. When the Indian outbreak came he was yet a mere boy, but entered into the contest for the pro- teetion of life and property with the spirit of a veteran. On that fatal Sunday, August 17, 1862, he was at a gathering of citizens of the neighborhood at the old Ripley post- office, where they were discussing the matter of seeuring substitutes to go into the army, when the news came of the killing of five
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persons at Acton. The next day he went over to the scene with the party raised for the rescue and protection of the people in that neighborhood. Andrew was detailed, along with Andrew Ingerman to go to lakes Lillian and Elizabeth and extend the alarm to the settlers thereabouts. At first the set- tlers were loth to believe the story, and were with difficulty induced to thee for their lives. Andrew remained with the garrison at Forest City until the 15th of September, when he was sworn into the State service with the rest of the original company. After return- ing from the campaign with this company he enlisted in Company C, Mounted Rangers of the United States service, for one year, and did dnty on the frontier during the time, protecting settlers, and witnessed many evi- dences of Indian atrocity and brutality that were blood-curdling and heart-rending in the extreme, and also participated in several en- gagements with the red skins. In the fall of 1863 he was honorably discharged from this service, and in August, 1864, enlisted in Company B, Eleventh Minnesota Infantry, and remained in the service until the close of the war. The regiment was first assigned to the Second Army Corps, but was subse- quently ordered to Nashville to assist General Thomas in resisting Hood's great Tennessee raid. The regiment was engaged in the bat- tle of Nashville, and afterward did patrol duty on the Nashville & Chattanooga rail- road. On the 26th of June, 1865, Mr. Larson was mustered out of service, and on return- ing home took an eighty-acre homestead and at once began improving it.
In 1968 Andrew Larson was married to Anna Larson, daughter of Peter Larson, whose farm adjoined the homestead belong- ing to Andrew's father. Anna Larson was born on the 6th of January, 1849. Their marriage has been blessed with four children, all of whom are living at home. Their names are Alice E., Edward A., Charlotte
M., and Harry J. Mr. Larson has taken a commendable interest in public matters, and has held various offices of a local character ; he has held the office of constable for about sixteen years, doing duty in some of the most trying times in the history of the county. Ilis industry and careful manage- ment have enabled him to acquire a good share of this world's goods, and he is now well off. IJe owns a farm of over a thousand acres, most of which is under cultivation.
LON. MICHAEL J. FLYNN. Among the honored citizens of the village of Litchfield there are very few that hold the place in the esteem and respect of the com- munity to the degree that Mr. Flynn does. Closely connected with the business and social life of the place, an honored and rep- resentative pioneer citizen of Meeker county,. and the talented and worthy recipient of leg- islative laurels bestowed by this people, he- occupies a prominent place in its annals.
Mr. Flynn is a native of Kane county, Ill., born Angust 15, 1840, and is the son of John and Ann (Lynch) Flynn, natives of Ireland. Ilis parents came to America about. 1836, and were married at Chicago, Ill. From there they moved to Kane county, Ill., where they resided many years. In 1856, he came to Meeker county with his parents who settled in Forest City township. In 1859 the father died and Michael, although but nineteen years of age, took upon him- self the management of the farm and the support of the family, but being endowed with a strong will and excellent judgment, felt competent to grapple with the responsi- bilities of the situation. During the dread- ful days of the Indian massacre in 1862, he found his hands full in endeavoring to pro- tect his charge, and the stock, from the red fiends who were wasting the border with
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tomahawk, riffe and torch. Ilis home duties prevented his joining "Whiteomb's Irregu- lars." but when the occasion offered he was not backward in volunteering to assist in helping those more exposed than themselves, and ineurred many perils in the discharge of his duty. On one occasion, when out with a party who left the stockade at Forest City on one of their many errands of merey, the little band was assaulted by a host of the ruthless. red-handed, murdering Sioux, and forced to flee for their lives. This was the famous expe- dition that was driven back by over 300 Indi- ans to the fortifications they had erected, with the loss of one horse and wagon that had stuek fast in the mud of a slough. In November, 1863, Mr. Flynn's domestic arrangements permitting his absence, he enlisted in Company D, Second Minnesota Cavalry, and joined General Sully's column on the Missouri river, and participated with the regiment in all the engagements upon the frontier, the regiment having been assigned for that duty on account of being cavalry. Ile remained in the service until November or December, 1865, when, being honorably discharged, he returned to the farm, where he made his home, engaged in agricultural pursuits until 1870, when he came to Litchfield and took charge of the lumber yard belonging to Chauncey Butler. Three years he remained in that position, but in 1873 purchased the lumber yard of J. H. Morris, which he carried on alone until 1874, when his brother Daniel joined him and the present firm was formed. They added the sale of agricultural implements to their business, a branch which they still pur- sue, having disposed of their lumber inter- ests in 1878. but still carry everything in the way of farm machinery. In 1880 the broth- ers purchased the Butler elevator and do about the heaviest grain trade in Litchfield, handling about 175,000 bushels of wheat per annum. In addition to his mereantile
engagements, Mr. Flynn has a farm of 480 acres of tine land in Harvey township, where he carries on, quite extensively, the raising of stock.
Our subject has always held a prominent place in the official history of Meeker county, and taken a deep interest in the welfare of its people. In 1867 he served upon the board of county commissioners, and. appre- ciating his worth in 1884, he was elected to the State Legislature and served in the House during the session of the Twenty- fourth Assembly. When the city of Litch- tield eame under its new charter in 1887, he was chosen its first mavor. Ile has large interests in the woolen mill, and is the presi- dent of the board of directors of the same; is a member of the Frank Daggett Post. G. A. R. ; of Father Mathew's Total Absti- nence Society, and a leading and influential member of the Roman Catholic Church.
Mr. Flynn and Miss Frances Campbell were united in marriage February 8, 1869. The lady is a native of Kane county, Ill., and sister of Hon. William M. Campbell, the United States Marshal of this distriet. By this union there have been born six children- John, who is a student at the college at Notre Dame. Ind .: Louise. Elizabeth, Mary. Frances and Edward William.
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ELFRED J. JOHNSON, a successful farmer and stoek-raiser. residing on section 16, Danielson township, is one of the most prominent citizens of the township in which he lives. He is a son of Isaac and Hannah Ogren, and was born in Sweden, on the 23d of September. 1853. He came to the United States with his parents, in 1870, and the family made their way directly to Meeker county, Minn., where they settled upon a forty-aere homestead on section 20, in Danielson township. Alfred made his home
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with his parents, working, in the mean time, for different parties, until 1880, when he pur- chased a portion of his present farm. Times were very hard during the early days of their settlement here, and money was scarce, an incident of which is the fact that at one time, when they wanted to mail a letter, it took all the money that three of them had to buy a three-cent stamp. Alfred did a good deal of trapping in those days, and in the fall, after frost set in, he walked to Forest City bare- footed, and carried 500 rat skins. With the proceeds he purchased a pair of shoes, some sugar, coffee, etc., and felt quite rich when he arrived home with seventy-five cents in his pocket. The loss of crops in 1877, from the depredations of the grasshoppers, made times still harder, as they only saved forty-five bushels, after planting 100. A langhable incident is told of the days when Alfred de- voted a good deal of his time to trapping. He had a partner, and one day they set a trap in the side of a hill for the purpose of catching whatever might come along. The next day the partner went to discover and bring in whatever might have found its way to the hole. Ile crawled into the aperture, and was just about to pull the trap out when a skunk, which had got fast, opened hostil- ities with most excellent aim at his face. The partner beat a hasty retreat, while the fun of the joke was all on Alfred's part.
Alfred J. Johnson was married on the 7th of December, 1881, to Esther Holmgren, a daughter of John and Mary Holmgren, who was born October 16, 1862. They have been blessed with the following children-Gustaf Edward, born September 24, 1883; Edith Evolina, born June 25, 1885; and Walter William, born September 30, 1886. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson are members of the Methodist Church. Mr. Johnson now has a splendid farm of 260 acres, a good share of which is under cultivation, and he devotes his time to general farming and stock-raising. In addi-
tion to his farming operations, he has for the last fourteen years run a horse-power thresher, and during the last two years has run a steam thresher. In political matters he is a republican, and he has taken an active in- terest in all matters affecting the welfare of his township. He has held various offices of a local nature, among which are the follow- ing : justice of the peace, six years; super- visor, two years, and school clerk, one year.
Mrs. Johnson's parents are living in Acton. Alfred's parents reside on section 20, Dan- ielson township. He has two half-brothers living in Meeker county - Andrew, who keeps a hotel at Litchfield, and Jolm, a res- ident of Danielson.
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A(CHARLES MCALOON, a respected and well-to-do farmer, residing on section 2, Harvey township, is a native of Ireland, and was born in 1835. Ilis father died in his native land, and in 1853 he started for America with his mother, arriving at Boston on the 19th of May. He went direct to Lowell, Mass., where he was employed in the factories for fourteen years. At the end of that time he started for Meeker county, Minn., and upon his arrival, after stopping for one night at Forest City, he settled in Manannah township, where he lived for about six months. He then took a home- stead in what is now Forest Prairie town- ship, and lived there until May, 1874, when he again settled in Manannah township. On the 4th of October, 1885. he settled on sec- tion 2, in Harvey township, where he still lives. He has a valuable farm, a large, com- fortable residence and other substantial farm improvements. Mr. McAloon's mother died while he was living at Lowell, Mass.
On the 1st of October, 1871, our subject was married to Miss Mary McQuade, and their union has been blessed with nine chil-
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dren, as follows-John F., born July 2, 1872, died July 26, 1873, and buried in For- est City cemetery ; Charles II., born Deeem- ber 7, 1873; an infant, born July 6, 1874, died at birth ; Matthew E., born November 6, 1876; Rosella, born November 11, 1878; Mary C., born October 30, 1880; Alice A., born September 18, 1882; Hannah E., born May 15, 1884; Catharine A., born October 12, 1886, died February 10, 1887, and buried in Manannah cemetery. Mrs. MeAloon's parents were both natives of Ireland. Her mother died in her native land, and the father is now living in Swift county, Minn.
Mr. MeAloon and wife are exemplary and active members of the Catholic Church. In political affairs Mr. MeAloon does not follow the arbitrary dictation of any party, but acts in an independent manner. He owes all his prosperity to his own industry and frugality, as he started in the world without a dollar, but the same habits of thrift, economy and energy which characterize the natives of the Emerald Isle, have been successful in his case, and he is now well off in this world's goods. Ile owns 400 aeres of land, a good share of which is under cultivation, and he has the place well stocked.
ERSVEND S. THORP is one of the many thrifty and substantial farmers of Acton township. He was born in Norway on the 18th of January, 1841, and is the son of Severt and Brynnil Thorp. He came to the United States in 1866, and settled first in Goodhue county, Minn., where he remained for a short time at work for different parties; then went to Minneapolis and drifted around from one business to another, and from place to place, until 1868, when he came to Meeker county and took a homestead of eighty aeres on section 8, in Acton township, where he has since lived. He has added to his home-
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