USA > Minnesota > Meeker County > Album of history and biography of Meeker County, Minnesota > Part 41
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Wir H, Whileat
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place was destroyed by fire by which he lost some $700 over the insurance. He, instead of being discouraged, at once commenced to put up a new building. It was erected at a total cost of something like $4,500, and is a credit to the town. Mr. Konsbrick is one of the leading saloon men of the town and a square business man. - LE NIELSON KASTETT, a respected farmer who resides on section 23, Danielson township, is a son of Niels and Marie (Olson) Kastett, and was born in Nor- way, on the 15th of July, 1840. Ile came to the imited States in 1861, and first settled in Houston county, Minn., where he remained one summer, and then went to Iowa, where he stayed for two years at work for farmers. In December, 1863, he enlisted in the Second Minnesota Cavalry, and was mustered in early in the following January. Ile served on the frontier, participating in two engage- ments with the Indians in the Bad Lands of Dakota, and was finally mustered out at Fort Snelling, in December, 1865. He then returned to Houston county, Minn., and re- mained there until the spring of 1866, when he came to what is now Cosmos township, Meeker county, then a part of Lincoln county. He was the first man to take a team and a plow into that township, and did the first breaking there. He also erected the first house. He remained there for five years, and then lived in Danielson township for five years, after which he spent two years in Cosmos, and then settled on the place where he now lives. In 1878 he sold his Cosmos farm, and now owns a place of ninety acres on section 23, Danielson township. Ile has taken an active interest in all matters affect- ing the wellfare of the township, and has held various local offices, including that of chairman of the township supervisors for two or three years.
Our subject was married on the 22d of Jannary, 1870, to Mary N. Nelson, who is mentioned at length hereafter. They are the parents of the following children-Nellie Amelia, born October 25, 1870; Regina Marie, born August 19, 1872; Nels Oliver, born July 28, 1874; George Ilenry Necha- lai, born August 8, 1876; Carl Theodore, born July 19, 1879; IIelen Matilda, born April 30, 1882; Ragnhild Mary Agnes, born July 16, 1884; and Daniel Anton, born Jan- uary 26, 1887.
Mary N. Nelson, the wife of Ole Nielson Kastett, is a daughter of Nels and Ragnhild Danielson, the first settlers in Danielson township, and was born in Norway, on the 16th of October, 1849. She came to the United States in 1855 with her parents, and after stopping for two years in Wisconsin, in 1857 they came to Meeker county, Minn., where they have since lived. When the Indian outbreak began, the family with the majority of the other settlers, hastily went to Forest City, and a short time later to Kingston, it being stated that the string of teams extended in procession from one place to the other. They remained at Kingston bnt a short time, and then went back to Forest City and moved into a house near the river, there being another family to occupy it with them. Mr. Danielson, the father, was helping to complete the fort in the after- noon before the attack was made on Forest City, and, beginnning to fear that an attack would be made, he directed the women to take the children and go to the hotel, which they did. Ile and three other men remained. In the night the house was set on fire, and upon looking ont, they could see hundreds of Indi- ans. They succeeded in escaping, however, unhurt. The Danielsons remained but a few days after the attack, and then returned to their farm, but before taking the family back, the father and the daughter, Helen, had gathered some of the grain. The follow-
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ing winter Mr. Danielson took fifty head of cattle to winter, and as he had hay in Kan- divobi county, he took them there and also took his daughters Helen and Mary to aid in caring for them. The father was unable to clothe the girls properly, and as they could not keep np enough fire to keep even water next to the stove from freezing, both the girls froze their feet badly, and the father contracted rhenmatism from which he after- ward died. This will illustrate some of the hardships which the early settlers were com- pelled to endure. The daughter, Mary, re- mained at home until her marriage. Having been among the oldest settlers of the county, she has witnessed the county grow from nothing toits present prosperous and thickly settled condition.
ILLIAM H. WILCOX, ex-county commissioner, a resident of Swede Grove township, is one of the most prominent citizens in the northern part of the county. He is a native of Ohio, born on the 22d of May, 1835, and was the son of Horace and Polly Wilcox. His father was extensively engaged in the dairy business.
William H. remained with his parents nn- til he was twenty-one years of age and then began life for himself, working first in a cheese factory for a year, and then starting for the West. He worked about St. Paul and Minneapolis until 1857, when he bought a squatter's claim to 160 acres of land in Manannah township in Meeker county, pay- ing fifty dollars for it. He secured govern- ment title with a soldier's land warrant, which cost him $130. He then sold the land to a Mr. Deek for $750 in gold, and bought 160 aeres on seetions 2 and 3, in Swede Grove township, where he has since lived with the exception of the summer of 1858, when he worked at St. Paul. Ile returned to his
place in the fall, accompanied by Mr. Ryck- man, who had a claim adjoining, and they "bached it" together during the following winter. When the Indian outbreak occurred he had a family on the place keeping house and his brother was living with him. On the same day as the killing of Jones and Baker, eleven Indians eamped near his claim, and upon learning of the killing Mr. Wilcox accused the eleven of doing it. but they de- nied this, claiming they were "good In- dians," and left without doing any mischief. Mr. Wilcox supposed the matter amounted to nothing more than a drunken row, but soon learned that it was to be a general out- break. He therefore loaded sixteen women and children together with a few trunks onto a wagon and sent the outfit to Forest City in charge of his brother. He remained at home until nearly night and then took his gun and went out on the prairie to see if there were any Indians about. At a neigh- bor's he learned that the Indians were mur- dering and burning everything as they went, and were scouring the country for whites, and he was prevailed upon to go with them to Forest City. The following morning he started back for his farm against the advice of his friends, but feeling that he could not stay there and let his hogs and cattle, which were shut up, starve. Upon approaching the house he saw that the kitchen was open and expected every moment to see the head of an Indian poked ont and feel the lead from a rifle. He was relieved, however, by finding the house empty, but the stove was still warm, as the Indians had been cooking there and had demolished things generally, and stolen whatever they could carry off, entting open a feather bed to get a sack to hold their booty. After this, he remained alone most of the time caring for his grain and stock, until he joined the "Home Guards," a company organized at Forest City, for protection against the Indians.
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Mr. Wilcox was married on the 9th of November, 1867, to Miss Ellen Peterson. She was a native of Sweden, born December 29. 1850, and is a daughter of Hans and Betsy (Ostrad) Peterson. She was six years old when she came to America. Mr. and Mrs. Wilcox have been blessed with the fol- lowing chiktren - Lillie, born November 12. 1868; Sarah, born November 22, 1870; Horace, born July 22, 1873, and Nellie, born February 21, 1877. Mr. Wilcox has taken a very prominent part in all matters of a pub- lic nature. He was the principal factor in the organization of the Swede Grove town- ship in 1869; was county commissioner for three years; township clerk in Manannah three years; town clerk in Swede Grove three years ; chairman of the supervisors for two years, and has held many other offices of responsibility. Mr. Wilcox owned the first cheese factory in operation in Meeker county, having established it in 1864, and one year sold $1,600 worth of cheese. His house was one of the first frame buildings erected in the northwestern part of the county, having been built in 1865. It is a story and a half building, 20x28 feet in size with an addition 16x24 feet. He also has substantial farm buiklings, including two spacious barns, a granary, and other buildings. His many years of residence here have made him well known among all the old settlers, and he is held in high regard wherever he is known.
A portrait of Mr. Wilcox is presented in another department of this album.
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AMES QUIGLEY, one of the old resi- dents of Forest City township, came to Meeker county about the year 1866, and set- tled in Forest Prairie, where he made his home for some five years. At the expiration of that period he removed to Kingston, from whence, some five years later, he came to
Forest City, and located upon 160 acres of land on section 20, which he owns, and where he now lives. He is a native of Can- ada. Ile left that province in 1866, and came to Minnesota, where he has since lived.
Mr. Quigley was married in 1872, at For- est City, and by this union there has been born one child-Mary Ann. In his politics Mr. Quigley is a democrat, but has given but little attention to such matters. Ile is a re- spected and esteemed citizen, and one of the older residents of the county, who is looked up to as such.
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NDREW P. NELSON, a member of the firm of Dudley & Nelson, grain- dealers, and owners of the elevator that bears their name, is one of the representative citi- zens of Grove City, where he has lived for more than eighteen years.
The subject of this personal narrative was born in Sweden April 28. 1844, and is the son of N. P. and Sarah Nelson. He made his home in the land of his birth until 1867, when embarking he crossed the ocean to the new world, to better his condition in life. Ile landed at New York, October 7. of that year, and from there came to Minnesota, and after staying a short time in New Lon- don, Kandiyohi county, went from there to St. Cloud, and on to Watab, where he found employment in a saw-mill, with Asa Libby. Ile remained there until fall, when he went into the pineries, and there was engaged until the following April, when he returned to Watab, and went to school for about six weeks, but from there went to Minneapolis and was employed in the brickyard of Woodward & Co., he having worked at that business in the old country. In the follow- ing October he commenced track-laying for the St. Paul & Pacific Railroad Company, and
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continued with them until November 17, 1869, when he received orders to take his crew of men to Swede Grove, and stopped that night about two miles and a half from the place, with Eric Bylund. He then reached his destination and secured board for himself and crew with Peter J. Lund, and went to work to put in the side-track, etc. He remained here that winter, and in the spring moved into a little house that Olaf Levander built about that time. Mr. Nelson had charge of the railroad men here until January 1, 1878, when he entered into the general merchandise business with Mr. Peterson, under the firm name of Peterson, Nelson & Co. They also handled lumber in connection with their other business, Mr. Nel- son having been in the latter line while in the railroad company's employ. Mr. Peterson dying a few months later the firm name changed to that of Dudley & Nelson. They carried on the business, besides a store in Minneapolis for three years, when Mr. Nel- son sold out to his partner, and in company with Isaac Cooper, went into the lumber, grain and cattle business, but two years later, going out of the firm resumed his old place with Mr. Dudley, and the firm thus formed, Dudley & Nelson, are the prominent grain dealers of the village.
November 29, 1873, Mr. Nelson married Miss Anna, daughter of Peter J. and Emma Lund. who died December 3, 1874, when her son, Adolph, was but eleven days old. The grandparents took care of the child until July, 1878, when Mr. Nelson was united in marriage with Miss Sarah Lund, a sister of his first wife, who assumed charge of the little orphan. She has been the mother of four children, three of whom are dead, and one, Anna, born August 3, 1881, is liv- ing.
Mr. Nelson has filled the office of school director, and is the present village treas- urer.
IMOTHY GIBNEY, the subject of this biographical notice, is an enterprising and thorough farmer who resides on section 27. in Manannah township. He was born in Upper Canada on the 22d of November, 1849, and is the son of John and Anna (Iea- ney) Gibney, his parents being natives of Ire- land. His early life was spent in his native Dominion and in 1865 he came with his parents to the United States and they made their way directly to Meeker county, Minn .. settling in Manannah township, where they still reside. Timothy has 120 acres of land and has been very successful in his farming operations. In connection with his diversi- fied farming interests, he carries on stock rais- ing in a limited way.
The subject of our sketch was married on the 4th of February, 1883, to Miss Mary E. McCaffery, and their marriage has been blessed with three children whose names are James T., Elizabeth, and Patrick, all of whom are still living and at home. Mrs. Gibney's parents were both natives of Ire- land, who came to America at an early day and died in Upper Canada. Both Mr. and Mrs. Gibney are exemplary members and active supporters of the Catholic Church.
Mr. Gibney is a Democrat in political mat- ters and has taken an active interest in township affairs, having held various local offices.
R ICHARD WELCH, deputy auditor of Meeker county, is a native of Cayuga county, N. Y., born June 5. 1859, and is the son of Richard and Bridget (MeDonald) Welel. His parents were married in Syra- cuse, N. Y., in 1853, and shortly after re- moved to Cayauga county, where they still make their home.
The subject of this memoir remained at home upon a farm until he had attained his
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majority, but in his twenty-first year eame to Minnesota and located in Mecker county. For a period of five years after coming here, he was engaged in teaching school, but in the spring of 1885 he went to Buffalo county, Dak., and there took up a homestead of 160 acres of land. That territory had been thrown open to settlers by a proclamation of Presi- dent Arthur, but the present administration seeing fit to annul and make void this action of its predecessor, Mr. Welch, in company with many others was forced to abandon his claim. He then returned to Litehfield where he has made his home ever since. He was appointed to the office of deputy auditor of Meeker county in 1886, and is still engaged in the duties of that position. He is a young man in years, but has already won for him- self an enviable reputation for steadiness and upright principles, and will, no doubt, occupy more important and responsible positions in the future, as he well deserves.
ALSTEN ANDERSON. The subject of this biographical sketch is a farmer residing on section 1, Danielson township. Ile is a son of Andrew and Carrie Harolson, and was born in Norway on the 17th of No- vember, 1848. His early life was spent on a farm in the land of his birth and he re- mained there until 1870, when he came to the United States. He went first to Dane county, Wis., where he stayed about three years, being engaged at work for various farmers. At the end of that time, March 15, 1873, he came to Meeker county, Minn., and worked for farmers in the neighborhood of Grove City until June, 1876, and at that time purchased forty acres of land on seetion 1, in Danielson township, where he still lives. Ile has since bought an additional eighty adjoining his original farm, so that his place now consists
of 120 aeres. He has a good share of it under cultivation, and divides his time be- tween general farming and stock raising. He was a poor man when he came to America, and had to borrow the money with which to pay his fare, but by industry and frugality he has accumulated a comfortable property.
Mr. Anderson married Miss Ingeborg Michelson. Her parents were Michael and Anna Anderson, who were born in Norway, and lived there until the time of their deaths. The parents of Halsten were also natives of Norway, where his father died and his mother still lives.
Mr. and Mrs. Halsten Anderson have been the parents of the following named children- Andrew, born May 3, 1873, died May 15, 1SS7 ; Anna Clara, born September 3, 1875 ; Markus, born January 27, 1879, died April 27, 1879 ; Mattis, born October 15, 1881 ; and Ida, born May 8. 1883. The family are members of the Norwegian Lutheran Church.
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FUEL J. HAWKINS. The subject of this sketch, a successful farmer and stock- raiser, residing on section 21, Cedar Mills township, while not an old settler here, is one of the most intelligent, prominent and influential citizens in the southern part of the connty. He is a native of Litehfield, Conn., born July 8, 1826, and is a son of Amos and Minerva Hawkins, both of whom were na- tives of the same State. In 1835 the family emigrated to Ashtabula county, Ohio, where they were among the pioneer settlers. The father died at Conneant, Ohio, in April, 1883, and the mother at Conneaut, Ohio, in 1550.
In 1859 Buel J. started with a team and wagon for the then " far western " Kansas, and after a dreary overland journey, lasting some six weeks, he arrived in what is now
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Crawford county, that State. Ile purchased government land and remamed on that for about twelve years, dividing his time between farming and teaching school, until the fall of 1871, when he returned East and settled in Kane county, Ill., upon a farm which he had purchased. Five or six years later he rented his place and removed to the town of Hamp- shire, IN., where he engaged in the loan, real estate and insurance business. Ile took an active interest in all public matters there and became one of the most prominent residents in that locality. He was president of the Kane county Bible Association, and secretary of the Kane County Sunday-school Association, for many years, and also took an active in- terest in educational matters. In the fall of 1855 Mr. Hawkins purchased a farm on see- tion 21. Cedar Mills township, Meeker county, Min., and moved onto it in the spring of 1886. Since that time he has devoted his time to general farming and stock-raising. Ile has a valuable farm of 300 acres, a good share of which is under cultivation. Since coming here he has taken active interest in all matters affecting the welfare of the township. The first year he was here he was elected treasurer of the school board, and in 1887 he was elected justice of the peace.
Mr. Hawkins was first married at Spring- field, Pa., in the spring of 1850, to Miss Mary A. Custard. She died in 1861 at Fort Scott, Kan., leaving three sons, as follows- Charles, now at Garnet, Kan. ; Herbert, now near Moscow, Idaho; and Rufus, now at Denver. Col. Mr. Hawkins was again mar- ried October 14, 1862, to Miss Susan R. Welch, a native of Ohio. This marriage has been blessed with two children, who are now living-Areta, now Mrs. F. O. Holtgren, of DeKalb county, Ill; and Jennie, who is still with her parents. Mr. and Mrs. Hawkins are prominent and active members of the Methodist Church.
J OHN RUDBERG. One of the leading merchants of Dassel, and a man who is in the truest sense of the word self-made, having hewn out his own ample competence with his own hands, is the gentleman of whom this sketch is written. He is a native of Sweden, born May 27, 1836, and made his home in that rugged, but picturesque land until he was about thirty years of age. Emigrating to the new world in 1866, he came by way of Minneapolis, that fall, to the town of Dassel and took np a homestead in section 26, and returned to the " Flour City " to spend the winter. The following spring he purchased at high prices a wagon and an ox-team, together with plough and and other tools for agriculture, and started for his land in Meeker county about the mid- dle of June. The season was very wet, and he and John Erickson, who accompanied him, were some three weeks upon their way. In crossing the " Beaver Dam," which is now dry and under cultivation, Mr. Rudberg had to stand up in the wagon and hold the sack of flour they had with them up out of the water, while his friend piloted the team across the dam. On their arrival at their claims, for Erickson had a homestead on sec- tion 24, they at once commenced the erection of their cabins, clearing their land, for it was all timber-covered, and getting in a erop. By the fall of 1868, by hard and persistent labor, Mr. Rudberg had commenced to conquer nature and could show considerable wheat and plenty of vegetables that he had raised that season. In August of the latter vear he was joined by his family. who had just come from Sweden in a sailing vessel, and had spent some fourteen weeks on their way from their native land to this country.
In 1871. in connection with Michel Ilen- drixson, he purchased a threshing machine, which for lack of horses was driven by oxen. As this was one of the two machines in this part of the country at that time, they had a
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large amount of business during the season. They continued this business together until September, 1872, when Mr. Hendrixson ac- cidentally stepped into the cylinder of the machine while it was in motion, and his leg being torn off below the knee, he bled to death before a doctor could be procured. This took place at Hendrixson's own farm. From that time on until 1875 Mr. Rudberg carried on threshing by himself in connection with his farm interests, but at the date men- tioned removed to the village of Dassel, and in company with his brothers, purchased in- terests in the business of Charles Morris, the pioneer general merchandise store of that place. Morris & Rudberg Bros. remained in trade until 1881, when selling out, our sub- ject, in company with his brother Louis, bought the Dassel Inmber yard, and estab- lished at the same time the furniture busi- ness. Lonis Rudberg died in January, 1884, and John operated the entire business from that time on, and is still engaged in those lines.
Mr. Rndberg was united in marriage, in Sweden, with Miss Mary Johnson, a native of that country.
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ETER GROTTE, of Acton township, has charge of the farm which orig- inally belonged to Robinson Jones, who was murdered by the Indians in 1862. Peter Grotte, who carries on farming and stock- raising on this historic piece of land, is a son of Halda and Carrie Grotte, and was born in Norway, on the 17th of December, 1856. The family came to the United States in 1868, pushed on to the Northwest, and after a stay of a few weeks in Minneapolis, they came to Meeker county, and the father pur- chased a tarm of forty acres on Long Lake. A year later this place was sold, and the father bought a farm on section 6, in Acton
township, where they lived for eleven years. At the expiration of that time one of the sons, Peter Peterson (Grotte), purchased the farm, and the father then bought the Jones place, on section 21, in the same township, where the family still live. The father died on the 6th of July, 1883, and since that time Peter Grotte, the subject of this sketch, has had charge of the farm and carried on the business. The farm is a valuable one, con- sisting of 160 acres of land, a good share of which is under cultivation.
The parents of Peter Grotte, Halda and Carrie Grotte, had a family of five children, whose names and ages were as follows- Mary, born March 13, 1848 ; Peter II. Peter- son (Grotte), born November 17, 1852; Peter Grotte, born December 17, 1856 ; John, born December 20, 1860; Ingre, born April 2, 1863, died May 18, of the same year. The family are active members of the Norwegian Lutheran Church.
ENRY AMES, one of the large land- 2 owners and prominent citizens of Dar- win township, has his home upon section 6. He is largely interested in the manufacture of brick and tile, commencing that line of busi- ness in the autumn of 1882, by buying the But- ler brick yard. In the following spring, hav- ing purchased the place where he now lives, he removed the yard to its present location. This line of manufacture has been an eminent suc- cess in his hands from the very start. He has made upon this place over 8,000.000 brick alone from the clay that covered an acre and a half, and has an abundance of material left. In the fall of 1887 Mr. Ames took some two or three tons of the clay to the Chicago Ex- position to test it, and tried it on all the dif- ferent brick-making machines exhibited, and on his return burned the brick so made, and found that he could make his choice of the
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