USA > Minnesota > Meeker County > Album of history and biography of Meeker County, Minnesota > Part 46
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MEEKER COUNTY, MINNESOTA.
HARLES MAGNUS GUMAELIUS, a prominent farmer of Litchfield town- ship, was born in Stockholm, Sweden, July 14, 1820. Ilis father, Carl M. Gumaelius, was for many years a captain in the Swedish army, and died in 1832. Charles spent his boyhood on his father's farm, and was edu- cated at Strangnes High School, continuing his studies for several years afterward, and laying up a goodly store of useful knowledge. In 1855 he was married to Anna Forsberg, daughter of Charles Forsberg, who was for many years an officer of court in the royal palace at Stockholm. Mr. and Mrs. Gumae- lius are the parents of three children, all of whom have grown to manhood and live on the home farm, near Litchfield- Charles Magnus, born July 23, 1856; Axle, born February 4, 1839; and Henning, born July 25, 1862. The family came to America in 1873, and settled in Meeker county, and have continued to reside here ever since, engaged in farming and stock raising.
L. GRINDALL, deceased, formerly one of the leading agriculturists of Cos- mos township, had his home on seetion 26. Ile came to this county in 1870, and filed a homestead claim upon this piece of land, containing 160 acres, upon which he did some breaking, erected a house, moved his family into it and made it his home until his death. He was born in Penobscot, Me., in 1816, and there received his education and there grew to manhood. Ile followed farming and lum- bering for many years in the State of his na- tivity and until coming West. When he was about twenty-two years of age he was united in marriage with Miss Caroline Orcutt, also a native of the State of Maine, who still sur- vives him, making her home with her son Hiram. Mr. Grindall departed this life October 17, 1887, leaving. to mourn their loss,
his bereaved widow and five children. Mr. Grindall was always connected with every movement looking to the benefit of the com- munity, and was one of the truly good and Christian men that are so beneficial, both in example and precept. He was respected by all who knew him.
HIRAM GRINDALL, the youngest son of E. L. and Caroline (Orcutt) Grindall, is living upon the homestead where his father settled in 1870. He was born in Penobscot, Me., in 1863, and since his birth has always been with his parents. Since attaining his majority he has taken charge of the farm, and by dili- gence, industry and business ability, has brought a portion of it to a high state of cultivation. The balance, which is wood- land and pasture, has its uses, and the im- provements are excellent.
AROLD KITTELSON, of Acton town- ship, is one of the pioneers of Meeker county. He was born in Norway, on the Sth of February. 1840, and came to the United States in 1846, with his parents, Kittel and Carrie Haroldson. They settled upon a farm in Rock county, Wis., where they remained until 1857, when they removed to Meeker county, Minn. Harold remained with his parents until 1864, when he moved onto a farm of 149 acres on section 24, Aeton town- ship, which he purchased of his father for $300. He has since bought additional land, until he now has 319 aeres in all, a good share of which is under cultivation. In 1874 he erected a story-and-a-half residence, 24x32 feet in size, and in 1886 built an addition 18x20 feet in dimensions. In 1884 he built a large barn, with a basement, and besides these, has other substantial farm buildings. On the 25th of July, 1863, he was married to Miss Martha Paulson. She is a daughter of Mathias and Mary Paulson, and was born in
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MEEKER COUNTY, MINNESOTA.
Norway July 18, 1835. Her father, Mathias Paulson, with his family. five in number, were included in the first party of emigrants that ever started for America from Sælboe, South Throndhjems, Arnt, Norway, May 18, 1857, and landed in Quebec, Canada. The family traveled partly by railroad and the balance of the way with team, to Berry, Compton county, Canada East, where they settled June 22, 1857. In the spring of 1860 Martha came with her brother Paul to St. Paul, Minn., and in the fall of 1861 she came to Meeker county, where her parents had settled in the fall of 1860.
Mr. and Mrs. Kittelson's marriage has been blessed with the following children- Carrie, born April 3. 1864; Carl, born August 26, 1866; Mathias, born December 1. 1869; John, born May 31, 1873, died in September, 1874; Hannah M., born February 1, 1877; and Nellie Christina, born March 12, 1879. died September 12, 1879. Mr. Kittelson was living with his parents when the Indian out- break of 1862 began, and he was one of the first settlers to see Jones after that unfor- tunate pioneer was murdered. He was also present when Jones and the other victims were buried, and with his team hanled from Litchfield the first base of the monument . which now marks their last resting-place. Mrs. Kittelson was also here during that eventful period, and was at work in the fam- ily of A. C. Smith at the time the attack was made on Forest City. Smith came in that night while she was clearing off the supper dishes, and stated that he believed an attack would be made that night, directing her to go at once to the stockade. She desired, however, to stay until she had finished her work, but Smith explained that she could finish the work in the morning if she was alive. She therefore threw a quilt over her head for a shawl, and went to the stockade, and, not realizing the approaching danger, went peacefully to sleep. The same night
the attack was made, and for a time all thought that the Day of Judgment had come. In the morning she found that Smith's advice had saved her life, as the Indians had, in the meantime, been to the vacated house and stolen all they could carry off, and set it on fire, but the blaze had died out before much damage was done. A full account of the Indian troubles is given elsewhere in this volume, so it is unnecessary to go further in detail in this connection.
- AMLET STEVENS, the senior partner 7 in the banking firm of Stevens & Co., is one of the oldest settlers in Meeker county, and has watched its growth from a state of wilderness to its present prosperous eondi- tion. He was born in West Hawkesbury, Canada, August 16, 1830, and is the son of Sammel and Annie (Whitcomb) Stevens, both of whom were natives of Vermont. In his early manhood the elder Mr. Stevens went to Canada, where he was engaged for many years following his trade, which was milling, and was there married. and there made his home until he passed to the silent chambers of the dead.
The subject of this memoir was reared and educated in the county of his nativity, and as he reached maturer years, learned the carpentering trade, and worked at that and millwrighting until coming here. At the age of twenty-six. in October, 1856, he left his Canadian home, and following the tide of emigration which was flowing westward, and as the bulk of the people were coming to Minnesota, he, too, came to the " North Star State." He remained that winter at Hastings, where he was employed at his trade. working on the hotel building, but in the spring of 1857 came to Meeker county, where he has ever since made his home, and has been identified with its history. In the summer of 1863 he was appointed to fill the
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office of register of deeds. left vacant by the death of Thomas Skinner, and was elected to the same office at the expiration of the term. In the autumn of 1871 he was a candidate for the position of county treasurer, elected and served therein until the spring of 1873. Having been chosen county auditor by the people, in the spring of 1875, he entered upon the discharge of the duties of that office and remained there until the spring of 1879. The fact that a democrat of his pro- nounced type held any office in a republican county, is a fair criterion of the estimation in which he has always been held by the greater part of the community. In June. 1888, he was in attendance upon the Demo- cratic National Convention, at St. Louis, as one of the alternates from this district.
Mr. Stevens, during the tragic days of the Indian troubles of 1862. joined the Meeker County Guards, and was, at once, elected second lieutenant of the company, and served with them. as detailed elsewhere, until it was disbanded. It has been justly said by the older residents that to him is due the credit. in a large measure, of finishing the stockade the day it was done, and which was so neces- sary before the dawn of the next morning. On the dispersion of Captain Whitcomb's company Mr. Stevens enlisted in the United States' service and went to Fort Snelling, but was rejected on examination. as unfit for the purposes of war, and then returned to Forest City, and there resided until the removal of the county seat to Litchfield, when he came hither himself. After the expiration of his term as treasurer Mr. Stevens made a trip through New Mexico and Colorado, and some time after his return to Litchfield started the banking business. in company with H. S. Branham, which still is continued by them. Mr. Stevens is a prominent mem- ber of the Masonic fraternity, being the seribe or secretary of all three branches, and is one of the vestrymen of the Episcopal church.
ATHAN C. CASWELL, one of the earliest pioneers of the county, is still a resident of Manannah township. where he settled in 1856, on seetion 31. He is a native of Brompton, Sherbrooke county. Canada, born August 28, 1835, and is the son of Carlos and Anna (Wakefield) Caswell, the former a native of Guildhall, Vt., born March 11, 1798, and was the son of Nathan Caswell, one of the Revolutionary heroes from the " Green Mountain State." Carlos Caswell went to Canada when a child, and made it his home until 1855. Hle wedded Miss Anna Wakefield, a native of Vermont, born April 8, 1801. He came to Meeker county in 1856, and here made his home until August 31, 1871, when he passed to his reward.
Nathan C. Caswell, whose younger days were passed among the scenes of his birth, came to the State in 1855, locating at Monti- cello. November 15th of that year he, with others, started and made a trip through this county, as detailed in another chapter. In the summer of 1856 he, with others, came here and permanently located, and from that date have been prominently identified with the town and county's interests. Ile started for Pike's Peak. at the time of the excite- ment, with others, but in Nebraska, learning the state of affairs. he returned part of the way, stopping at Nebraska City, Neb., where he was engaged in teaming for an army con- tractor. Ile returned. after a while, to his home, and has since lived here. Ile is one of the prominent citizens of the county, has worthily filled several important offices, and is at present one of the board of county com- missioners. At one time in his life, in 1839, he filled the position of fireman on a lower Mississippi river steamboat to the satisfaction of his employers, and has ever since given the strongest proofs of his loyalty to the inter- ests committed to his charge.
July 27, 1861, Nathan C. Caswell was united
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MEEKER COUNTY, MINNESOTA.
in marriage with Miss Mary A. Welch, a native of New Brunswick, and daughter of John Welch, of Stearns county, now deceased. By this marriage there have been born two children-Seth C., born at Monticello, Wright county. November 19, 1863, who married Lillian M .. danghter of Nathan W. Caswell, born at Brompton, Canada, September 1, 1866. Their marriage took place November 27, 1884, and they have one child-Gertrude Emma, born October 1, 1886. The other child of N. C. Caswell was Mark J., who was born February 26, 1872, and died February 20. 1881.
Nathan C. Caswell, our subject, is one of the most prominent citizens in the northern portion of the county. IIe has always taken an active and leading part in all public and educational affairs, and no citizen has been . more closely identified with the official his- tory of the county and township in which he lives than the subject of this article.
OHN MATTSON, the gentleman own- ing and operating the flouring mill at Kingston, came to that part of the county, October 4, 1882, and purchased of J. H. Thompson, of Minneapolis, the mill built by Whitney & Hutchins. It was then equipped with three runs of buhrs, but he has added two sets of rolls and centrifugals combined, and other improved machinery, making it as good as any mill in the county.
Mr. Mattson is a native of Sweden, born near the city of Gottenborg, October 4,1832, and is the son of M. Mattson and Ilelena Mattson, both of whom died in their native land, the father in 1834, and the mother in 1862. He was reared and educated in that land and there grew to manhood. At the age of twenty-two, in 1854, he started for America, and after a voyage of fifty days on the Atlantic, landed in Boston on the 4th
of October. A short time later he came west to Chicago, and while crossing the lake suffered the horrors of shipwreck, and, the vessel drifting into the harbor of Racine, Wis., our subject landed and sought employ- ment, and forty miles from that point he was employed in chopping wood for three months. In April, 1855, he went to Chi- cago, and the following May went to Rock- ford, Ill., where he remained until the spring of 1856, and then came to Red Wing, Minn. During that summer he was employed at rafting on the Mississippi river, but later in the same season was taken sick and quit work. Upon his recovery he took a home- stead in Goodhue county, near Red Wing, which he sold in the summer of 1857, and in the fall went to Cannon Falls, Goodhue county, and began learning the miller's trade with R. C. Knox & Co. Ile remained with them until February, 1865, when he enlisted in Company B, First Minnesota Infantry, and served until the close of the war. Return- ing then to Minnesota, he again resumed his milling business, and was employed at the following points: W. K. Rodgers & Co., Cannon Falls. Minn .; in 1868 for Archibald, Wilcox & Co., Oxford, Minn. : from 1869 to 1873 for R. Gregg & Co., Cannon Falls, Minn .; during 1873 and 1874 he was engaged in the general mercantile trade ; in 1875 again engaged in milling for Nelson, Swan- son & Co., Bell Creek, Minn .; in 1877 for C. N. Wilcox, of Oxford Mills, Minn .; in 1878 for W. S. Turner, at Star Prairie, Wis. ; in 1879 for Mr. Munch, near Taylor's Falls, Minn .; in 1880 for C. N. Wilcox, Oxford Mills, Minn .; and in 1881 and, 1882 for Thompson, Smith & Co., at Cannon Falls, Goodhne county. In the latter vear - 1882-he came to Meeker county, as stated.
Mr. Mattson was married June 29, 1861, to Miss Sophia Johnson, a native of Sweden, born March 29, 1841, and danghter of
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Charles and Hannah Johnson. She had come to America with her parents in 1853, landing at Boston, and after two years' resi- denee in Indiana, and two years in Iowa, came to Cannon Falls, this State, where the parents died, the mother in 1867, the father in 1884. Mr. Mattson is the father of eight children - Ella, now Mrs. M. T. Gunderson ; Amanda C., Agnes M., and Ida E., and four deceased. Mr. Mattson is a member of the Lutheran Church. He votes with the repub- Jiean party.
ETER J. MITCHELL, the subject of this sketch. has a valuable farm, with fine building improvements, located on section 9. Harvey township.
He is a native of Blair county, l'a., born September 14, 1859, and is a son of Stephen and Ann Mitchell. Stephen P. Mitchell was born in Ireland in about 1830, and came to the United States in 1848. settling in Blair county, Pa. In 1852 he was married to Miss Anna Morgan, and they were the parents of nine children. as follows-John, Anna, Peter, Mary, Katie, Patrick, Rody, Delia B. and Ella. The father followed railroading and mining in Pennsylvania, until 1875, when he came with his family to Meeker county, Minn., and purchased 120 acres of land in Harvey township. and engaged in farming, remaining there until the time of his death, August 18, 1877. Ilis widow, who was a native of County Galway, Ireland, is still living on the old homestead.
Peter J. Mitchell, the subject of this sketch. learned the carpenter's trade while still a boy, and followed that to some extent, but the most of his life has been spent in farming. Since his father's death he has taken charge of the homestead, and also has 200 aeres in the township. lle is a success- ful farmer, and also devotes considerable
attention to stock-raising. In political mat- ters he affiliates with the democratic party, and is one of the leading members of that organization in the township. He has taken an active interest in public matters, and has held the office of township elerk since 1881, discharging the duties of the office in a man- ner creditable to himself and satisfactory to all concerned. Through his connection with township matters and official affairs he has justly earned the reputation which he has of being one of the most careful and thorough business men in the township.
ISRAEL MILLER, proprietor of the Litch- field feed mill, is one of the brave veter- ans of our late civil war, " whose faith and truth on war's red touchstone rang true metal." He is a native of Fort Wayne, Ind., and first saw the light of day beneath the roof of his parents, John F. and Julia A. (Coffman) Miller, on the 10th day of July, 1839. In 1834, when John F. Miller settled at Fort Wayne, it was but an insignificant village, containing about a hundred people. lle became a land owner in that vicinity, and prospered as the country developed, and made it his home until his death, which occurred in 1860.
The subject of this memoir remained at home with his parents, peacefully following the pursuit of agriculture until the tocsin of war with wild clamor filled the land, and the government called for the men of our country to sustain it. Israel enlisted in 1863 as a wagon master, thinking that the duties called forth in that position were best suited to his capacities, and received the charge of a train of some twenty-five wagons. He remained in this branch of the service some eight or ten months, and on the 15th of Feb- . ruary, 1865, enlisted in Company G., One Hundred and Fifty-second Indiana Infantry.
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and served with that gallant regiment until his discharge at Charleston, W. Va., August 30, 1865. During this time the body of men to which he was attached, were a portion of the army under Gen. W. S. Hancock, whose post of duty was in the Shenandoah and Kanawha valleys.
On receiving his discharge, Mr. Miller engaged in railroad work, which he followed for several years. In 1876 he became the general manager of a stave and head mill at Fort Wayne, but a year later he entered into business in the milling and chair factory line, with A. C. and D. S. Beaver, but a s. ort time thereafter sold out and removed to Grundy county, Tenn., where he engaged in the same species of business. Five years later, on his way to the Red River country, he stopped at Litchfield, and was so struck with its appearance that he has never gone any further north. The next summer he placed a steamboat upon the pellucid waters of Lake Ripley, for excursion purposes, which was quite a success. He, the same fall, erected the feed mill he is now operat- ing, and is still the owner of some 700 acres of timber and coal lands in Tennessee, and an undivided half-interest in 600 more.
The marriage that united the destinies of Israel Miller and Miss Harriet M. Beck was solemnized upon the 4th day of March, 1860. The lady was a native of Allen county, Ind., and the daughter of Richard and Sarah Beck. On the 16th of May, 1866, Mrs. Miller passed to " that land Elysian, whose portals we call death," having been the mother of three chil- dren, of whom the following is the record - Frank M., the eldest, is a resident of Onta- rio, Cal .; Laura B. married M. Milburn, and is a resident of Indian Territory ; and Will- iam H., still lives at home with his surviving parent. Mr. Miller, July 24, 1868, again entered into the married state, being united with Miss Susie C. Totten, who is the mother of three children. two of whom are still
living - Susie and Jennie. The name of the one deceased was Julian, who died October 23, 1879. Again death entered the home of Mr. Miller and snatched from husband and mourning children the wife and mother, her death taking place November 22, 1876. After two years passed in single blessedness, May 1, 1878, Mr. Miller again essayed the matri- monial yoke, this time wedding Miss Florence M. Palm, who became the mother of three children - Mary E., Arthur G. and John. The latter died in infancy, June 1, 1880.
DETER P. ORNBERG, is one of the lead- ing farmers of Swede Grove township. He is a native of Sweden, born on the 17th of September, 1853, and is a son of Ole P. and Ilannah Ornberg. He came to the United States in 1870, and came direct to Swede Grove township, Meeker county, Minn. He worked for different farmers in this neighborhood until some time in 1877, when he purchased 105 acres of land on see- tion 29, Swede Grove township, and began farming on his own account. He has since bought eighty acres on sections 19 and 20, making 185 acres, which he owns at the pres- ent time, his buildings being located on sec- tion 29, on the north bank of Peterson Lake. When Mr. Ornberg came to this country he was not worth a dollar in this world's goods, but by thrift and industry he has accumu- lated a comfortable property. He has good and comfortable buildings, a full supply of the necessary farm machinery, a number of horses and quite a herd of cattle and hogs.
Mr. Ornberg was married on the 26th of May, 1874, to Miss Anna Peterson, a daugh- ter of Hans and Betsy Peterson. They have been blessed with four children, as follows- Claus, born June 9, 1875 ; Ella, born Septem- ber 27, 1877; Andrew, born December 23, 1879 ; and Ury, born July 2, 1886. Mr.
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Ornberg takes an active interest in all mat- ters of a public nature, and has held several local offices. He was school director of his distriet for six years.
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ELS LARSON, a prominent farmer, residing on section 8, in Litchfield township, is one of the pioneers of the county, and a survivor of the Indian massacre of 1862. Ile was born in Sweden December 19, 1839, and is a son of John and Cela Peter- son Larson. He left Sweden in 1857, when seventeen years of age, with his parents and three brothers, Andrew, Peter E. and Louis, coming by way of Hamburg to the United States, and being eight weeks en route. They came direct to Minnesota by way of Chicago and Prairie du Chien, and, after some little time spent in prospecting, they finally set- tled in Meeker county, locating first on sec- tion 9. of what is now Litchfield township, but subsequently took up a homestead on section 8. Nels entered a homestead of eighty acres adjoining his father's land, and shortly afterward purchased 120 acres of the government. He was married in 1859 to Anna Ingeman, and their union has been blessed with seven children, two of whom- Isaac and Lina-are dead. Of the other children, the ellest, Albert A., married Anna Kjellberg, and lives near Litchfield: while Emanuel, Emma Maria, Edward and Isaac John are still with their parents on the homestead.
Mr. Larson's early life being one of indus- try and frugality, he soon began accumulat- ing property, and had just got a good foot- hold, or start in life, when the Indian ont- break came. and the fruits of nearly all his toil were swept away. When first warned of the terrible ravages that had been com- menced, he took his family to his fathers'
house for safety, and the next day moved them on, as others did, to Forest City. After personally looking the ground over, he con- cluded the danger was over, and moved his family into a house outside the fortifications. A day or two afterward the family were ter- rified by a fresh attack of the Indians, and they rushed into the fort for refuge, under heavy liring. The Indians took a span of colts and a yoke of oxen which he had not time to secure. Mr. Larson borrowed a horse the next day, and went over to his farm, where he found his house a smoldering mass of ruins. Ile concluded to make the best of the situation. and proceeded to look after his cattle, which were in the timber and had not been molested by the redskins. While thus engaged, he discovered four Indi- ans coming upon him, and, mounting his horse, he lled, taking a course across a marsh on his farm. Ile succeeded in crossing it without trouble, but the savages mired their horses in it, thus enabling him to make good his escape. After taking his wife and chil- dren-one of whom, Emma M., was only two weeks old-to St. Paul, for safekeeping for the winter, he bought a team and a third interest in a thrashing-machine on eredit, and once more began life's labor anew. Dur- ing the year 1863 he worked on his farm as best he could, his family being sheltered in the fortress at Forest City and Litchfield. The Indians in the meantime kept infesting the country as bands of maranders, running off stock and committing other depredations, and Mr. Larson slept in the stable where his horses were, during the entire summer. That winter he stayed on his father's place, and in the spring of 1864 built and moved into a cabin, where several of his neighbors' fami- lies, who had learned to look to him for pro- tection, came and shared the shelter of his roof. Mr. Larson's industry and enterprise have enabled him to overcome those reverses of fortune, and he now has a splendid farm
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