USA > Minnesota > Meeker County > Album of history and biography of Meeker County, Minnesota > Part 50
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LE K. BJORHUS, a prominent and successful farmer residing on section 18, Greenleaf township, was born in Norway, in 1824, and is a son of Knute and Martha Bjorhus. In 1869 he came to America in company with his oldest son. Knute, and two years later transported the rest of his family. In 1878 he purchased a tract of land on section 18, Greenleaf township, where he still resides. He has reared a family of seven children-Matilda, Knute, Lisa, Louis, Andrew, Inga and Peter, the last named of whom is dead.
ANDREW BJORNUS, fifth child of Ole K. Bjorhus, was born in Norway, October 6, 1860, and came to America with the family
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in 1871. Ile was reared on the farm with his father, and in 1884 purchased a farm ad- joining, and commenced business for himself. The same year he was married to Louisa Larson, a daughter of Ole (Halvorson) Lar- son, who was born in Meeker county, Feb- ruary 10, 1865. They have one child, Maria Sarah, born May 26, 1887. Both are mem- bers of the Ness Lutheran Church, and the family are highly respected by all who know them.
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OUIS EKBOM, a farmer and stock- raiser of Darwin township, living on section 7, is a native of Sweden, born in the province of Gothland, October 25, 1833. He remained in the land of his birth until 1856, and then immigrated to the United States, landing in New York, from whence he came direct to Minnesota, and settled in Carver county. One year later he came to Meeker county, locating near where the city of Litch- field now stands. The first year he did what ยท he could find to do, until during the year 1859, when he removed to Forest City and opened the first shoemaking shop in that place, and in the county. Ile continued there in that line until the starting of Litch- field, when he put up one of the first build- ings in that city, and opened a shoe store and shop for the making of foot gear. This he ran successfully for twelve years. In 1880 he sold out his place and removed to the farm in Darwin, where he now lives.
When the Indians murdered the Jones and Baker families, on the 17th of August, 1862, Mr. Ekbom was at the house of his brother- in-law, Nels Elofson, in Swede Grove, where they were holding a meeting to find means to raise money with which to procure substi- tutes in the army, not desiring that any in their town should be drafted. Toward even- ing our subject started for the house of Ole
Munson, a neighbor, and on the way met nine Indians, six of whom were mounted, who made motions for him to go back, but he did not understand them, and went on to his destination. On his return to Elofson's, he found these Indians there, quietly smok- ing their pipes, and after talking with the whites went north toward Manannah. Hear- ing the news of the killing of the settlers in Acton, they sat up and watched all that night and in the morning joined the party at the inquest and burial of the first victims of the massaere. Mr. Ekbom that night stayed with Nels Elofson, and in the morning went to Forest City, but a few days later went to St. Paul, where he remained about a year and then returned to Forest City.
February 15, 1868, Mr. Ekbom was united in marriage with Miss Lizzie Williams, and by this union there have been born eight children, all of whom are living.
In polities Mr. Ekbom is a republican, and in religions views affiliates with the Metho- dist Church.
DETER MCINTYRE, who is engaged in carrying on farming upon section 14, of Mannanah township, is one of the earliest settlers of that part of the county lying north of Crow river. He is a native of Ire- land, born in 1839, but his mother dying in his childhood, he was taken to Scotland by his relatives, with whom he was reared. He made his home in that land of heaths and braes until he was almost nineteen years of age, at which time he coneluded to eross the ocean and come to America. He set out and landing upon Columbia's shore made directly for Joliet, H., where his elder brothers were living. He made his home in that place for two years, but in 1860 he removed to Kansas, but one year later he returned to Joliet. On the . 20th of July, 1862, our subject enlisted
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in the Nineteenth Illinois Infantry, which was a part of the famous Fifteenth Corps, commanded by Gen. John A. Logan. Ile participated with the regiment in many a hardly contested field throughout their long and valued service, principal among which were the siege and capture of Vicksburg, battles of Corinth, Chattanooga, Missionary Ridge, all the varions engagments in the Atlanta campaign, including the capture of the city. At the battle of Jonesboro, Ang- ust 31. 1864. Peter McIntyre was badly wounded in the shoulder by a minne ball, so that he could not march with Sherman to the sea. He was sent north on a furlongh, after spending some time in the general hospital, and thirty days later reported at Nashville. where he was in the convalesent hospital dur- ing the bloody battle fought for its posses- sion. On his recovery our subject was placed in a pioneer corps, and there' served until June 6, 1865, when he was discharged.
About the 11th of August, the same year, Mr. McIntyre came to Meeker county and took up a homestead of 160 acres where he now lives, but which was then entirely cov- ered with heavy timber. He lived here off and on until his marriage, since which time he has made it his home. He was married November 7, 1870, at Forest City, to Miss Catharine Klaas. They have a family of ten children-James, Mary, John, Nellie, Thomas F., Peter, Edward, Matilda, Philip Sheridan, and Rosanna. Mr. Melntyre is one of the board of school directors, and takes a deep interest in the cause of educa- tion. Ile is a member, also, of Frank Dag- gett Post, No. 35, G. A. R.
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ICHARD FOURRE, a leading agricult- urist of Darwin township, having his residence on section 10, is a native of Canada West, born February 8, 1839, and is a son of
George and Eliza (Wyman) Fourre. His father was born in England, although the paternal grandfather of our subject was a native of France, and was Richard Fourre by name. The mother of our subject was born in Oswego, N. Y., and was the daugh- ter of Gardner Wyman, a native of Scotland.
The gentleman whose name heads this sketch remained in his Canadian home until 1857, when he came to the United States, and settled in Kane county, Ill., where he made his home for some five years. Remov- ing to Grant county, Wis., at the end of that time, he made that his home until 1865, when he came to Meeker county, and made a set- tlement in Darwin township, on the property where he now lives. While a resident of Grant county, April 18, 1863, he was united in marriage with Mrs. Morgan (Condon) Gro- gen. While still a citizen of the " Badger State," Mr. Fourre enlisted in Company F, Seventh Wisconsin Infantry, on the 27th of February, 1864, and was assigned for duty to the Army of the Potomac, and partici- pated with the regiment in the sanguinary contest known as the battle of the Wilder- ness, where he received some slight injuries from a spent shot. In the battle of Spot- sylvania, which followed some time after, he had the misfortune to have his thumb blown off, and was transferred to the Twenty-Fourth Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps, stationed at Washington, D. C., where he remained on duty-until the close of the war. He was one of the guards over Mrs. Surratt, just before her hanging, and over the infamous Dr. Mudd. He received his discharge July 25, 1865, and returned to his home.
Mr. Fourre is a republican in his political faith. His wife is a consistent member of the Catholic Church.
Mrs. Fourre was born January 6, 1838, in County Limerick, Ireland. She came to Grant county, Wis., with her parents, David and Mary (Galway) Condon, in the spring of
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1847. The parents were both born in County Limerick, Ireland.
Mr. and Mrs. Fourre are the parents of the following children-Mary F., born De- cember 15, 1858; George, born January 15, 1864; James, born April 28, 1866; Richard, born March 16, 1868 ; Laura C., born May 25, 1870; John A., born October 8, 1872; Char- ley A., born November 10, 1874; Frederick E., born December 20, 1876; and Lucy, born December 22, 1878.
ETER R. PETERSON is a prosperous and respected farmer who resides on section 23, in the township of Danielson, in which he was one of the very earliest set- tlers. He comes of the same nationality which by their industry and frugality have done so much toward the development of Minnesota's resources. He was born in Nor- way on the 10th of October, 1838, and is a son of Rolof and Rachel Peterson. The family came to the United States in 1857 and located in Rock county, Wis., where the father's death occurred, and where the mother still resides.
Shortly after his arrival in the United States, in 1857, Peter R. Peterson, onr sub- ject, began life for himself, by working for farmers in Wisconsin, and remained there until June, 1864. At that time he came to Meeker county, Minn., and went to work for Ever Jackson, a farmer in Litchfield town- ship. In the spring of 1865 he removed to a homestead which he had taken on section 2, in Danielson township, thus becoming one of the first settlers of that township, the only settler at that time within its limits being Nels Danielson. Mr. Peterson remained upon his farm until 1872, when he sold out and removed to a farm which he had pur- chased in Iowa. In 1874 he sold the Iowa farm and returned to Danielson township,
where he bonght the farm on section 23, upon which he still resides. Ile has been very successful in his farming operations and now owns 104 acres of land, sixty-four of which is in Danielson, and the balance in Cosmos township, besides which, in 1882 he gave his son, Elof, eighty aeres on section 23, Danielson township. He was a poor man when he came to America, and his present. comfortable circumstances are entirely due to his own efforts and industry.
While in Wisconsin Mr. Peterson was mar- ried to Miss Mary Anderson, and they were the parents of five children-Elof, born Sep- tember 19, 1862; Ralph, born November 11. 1864; Anna, born October 1, 1866; John, born June 20, 1869; and Eliza, born November 20, 1871, died August 13, 1873. The dangh- ter Anna, married llans Olson, of Greenleaf township. The sons, Ralph and John, are in Dakota. Mr. Peterson's first wife died on the 25th of May, 1880, and on the 16th of October, 1885, he was married to Carrie Olson, the widow of Christian Jacobson. By her former marriage she had four children, as follows-Jacob Jacobson, Ole Jacobson, John Jacobson and Christina Jacobson.
Mr. Peterson has taken an active interest in the public matters affecting his township, and has held various offices of a local nature, including the following: Township super- visor, two years; school director, two or three years, and road overseer, two years. In political matters he affiliates with the repub- liean party.
R. E. B. WEEKS, dentist, residing in the village of Litchfield, is a native of Hartland Waukesha county, Wis., born September 30, 1857, and is the son of Thomas and Mary E. (Bissell) Weeks. His father was engaged in agricultural pursuits, and the subject of this sketch was reared upon a
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farm until he was about twenty years of age. Ilis early educational advantages were somewhat limited, but he attended the dis- triet school when the opportunity occurred, and being of a studious nature studied by himself whenever he had any leisure from the duties of the farm, thus, by energy and perseverance, laying a good foundation of knowledge. Shortly before attaining his majority our subject went to Dakota, where he spent one year, and, returning, entered a dental office in Whitewater, Wis., where he remained until he had become proficient in the theory and practice of that profession. In 1883 he came to Litchfield and opened his present office, over Revell Bros.' drug store, and is now enjoying the fruits of an extensive practice, having gained the reputa- tion in this community of being a man of sterling worth and excellent ability.
The Doctor is a member of the Presbyte- rian Church and a Christian gentleman. Hle takes great interest in the good of the vil- lage and enjoys the esteem of all who know him.
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ELS WAYLANDER, one of the pio- neers of Acton township, is a native of Sweden, and came to this country in 1852, with his wife and child, he having mar- ried Miss Elsa Swan. The first winter after coming here he spent in Knoxville, Ill., and the following summer in Moline, but late that year he emigrated to St. Paul, Minn., and after numerous difficulties got his little family to Chisago county, this State, where he took np a elaim. This he sold shortly after, and owned and occupied various pieces of real estate there, until the spring of 1837, when he came to Meeker county and settled on section 4, Acton township. He afterward took up a homestead on the same section, and later, purchased adjoining
land until he had accumulated a fine prop- erty. For many years he was busily engaged in operating this farm, but has now retired from the active cares of life. IIe has given each of his sons a farm, and his daughter a tract of timber land. In 1862, with the other settlers here, he passed through the terrible vieissitudes of the Indian troubles. On the night of the Acton murder, he was with the party who set out from Swede Grove, as detailed elsewhere. He took a prominent part in the movements of that antimn, and relates many hair- breadth escapes and thrilling stories of those eventful days. On Sunday afternoon, Angust 17, 1862, six Indians stopped at his cabin and talked with him, and it is the sup- position that they were the red fiends who had murdered Jones, Baker, etc., in that town, but a few hours previous.
Mr. and Mrs. Waylander are the parents of five children, as follows : Nels, born September 12, 1851, married and living in Aeton ; Betsy, born in May, 1854, is dead ; Ellen, wife of George Oakeson, born April 20, 1856, living in Grove City ; Lewis, born September 12. 1860, died September 18, 1878 ; and Albert, born February 20, 1863, married and living in Paynesville, Minn. Mr. Waylander is one of the representative citizens of the county, and merits and receives the respect and esteem of the entire commu- nity, for his industry, thrift, and social uprightness and sterling integrity.
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ILLIAM P. CHANEY. Among the thriving farmers of Collinwood township, there is none more prominent than the subject of this biography. He was born in Russell county, Va, January 15, 1836, and is the son of John and Elizabeth (Blair) Chaney. His parents were natives of North Carolina, and his maternal great-
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grandfather was born in Germany, and set- tled in Pennsylvania at an carly day. The latter married and moved to North Carolina, where he died at the age of 101 years, in 1864. His wife was a native of Scotland, and a daughter of General Wilson, of Revolu- tionary celebrity.
The subject of this memoir lived with his mother until attaining the age of twenty-one years, and then went to Pike county, Ky., where he was married, April 7, 1858. to Miss Malinda Sword, the daughter of John and Rebecca Sword. Two years later he moved back to Russell county, Va., where he farmed about four years. While there he enlisted in a battalion of Virginia cavalry, and served three years in the Confederate Army. He was taken prisoner, and after lingering in confinement for a year, enlisted in the Union Army, and served there, on the fron- tier, thirteen months. After his discharge be returned to Kentucky. Two years later he moved to Piatt county, Mo., where he made his home until April, 1887, when he came to Meeker county. He has a fine farm of 120 acres of good land. Mr. Chaney is the parent of ten children.
ETER OLSON, an intelligent, promi- nent and successful former and stock- raiser of Litchfield township, was born in Sweden, April 7, 1845, and is a son of Ole and Carrie Peterson. In 1870 he was mar- ried to Betsy Larson, daughter of Louis Paulson. No children have been born to them, but they have adopted and are rearing a boy named John Oekeson, who was born in Sweden May 7, 1876. Mr. Olson and wife came to America in 1872, and lived near St. Paul until 1875, when they came to Meeker county and settled, pursuing the business of farming. Mr. Olson has met with some se- vere reverses since since coming to Meeker
county, by way of grasshoppers and hail- stones, which destroyed a good portion of his erops, but he still ranks as a successful and enterprising farmer.
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URNS BROTHERS, two of Meeker county's honest, sober, industrious and prosperous stock-raisers, farmers and business men, are proprietors of the Union Stock Farm, on Tyrone prairie, in Manannah town- ship. They are natives of Lowell, Mass., where Edward Frank, the elder, was born December 5, 1859, and where Hugh was born November 25, 1861.
Their father, Frank Burns, was born at the same place, August 13, 1838, just after the death of his father, and his mother passed to the other world two weeks after his birth. Frank Burns learned the miller's trade, and in 1858 was married to Mary MeMahon, a daughter of Peter and Ann McMahon. When the foundation of the government was threatened, and the stars and stripes were fired upon by Southern traitors, Frank Burns enlisted and went into the service, and the fact that he nobly did his duty, and answered to every eall where danger was involved, is attested by the sad fact that he now fills an honored soldier's grave. The following will explain itself :
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS, ADJUTANT- ) GENERAL'S OFFICE, BOSTON, June 4, 1888. 5
The name of Frank Burns, of Lowell, aged 24, occu- pation mill operator, is borne on the muster-ont roll of Company B, Fortiethi Regiment Massachusetts Volun- teer Infantry ; enlisted August 13, 1862 ; mustered in August 22, 1862, for three years; killed in battle June 3, 1864. SAMUEL DALTON, Adjutant-General.
Frank Burns was with Grant's advance on Richmond, and, as the historian has already recorded, " a series of terrible conflicts ensued, in which blood flowed like water." He was at the Wilderness May 5th to 7th; at Spot-
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sylvania C. II. from the 8th to the 12th ; and at Cold Harbor, a few miles from Richmond, June 3, 1864. At daybreak on that date a general assault was made, and, twenty min- utes after the first shot was fired, ten thou- sand Union men were stretched writhing on the sod or still and calm in death. Here Frank Burns met his death. He fills an hon- ored soldier's grave-his life given as a sacri- fice upon the altar of his country and his flag.
Upon the death of the father, the children and bereaved widow lived with the widow's father and mother, Peter and Ann Mc- Mahon, the grandfather, becoming guardian of Edward and Hugh. They lived happily together, and the grandfather invested the money, obtained for the boys from the gov- ernment, in railroad land, as he received about enough to meet the payments. On the 3d of October, 1866, they came to Meeker county, Minn., and settled in Manannah township, where the two boys, with their mother and two sisters, Mary Ann and Lizzie, still live happily together. The grandmother died in May, 1875; the grand- father March 11, 1883. They were highly respected by all. The grandfather was a " Father Mathew Temperance man." They were buried at Forest City, where there have since been interred the remains of Edward and Ilugh's half-sister, Ellen Omelia A. Vin- tus, a young lady, sixteen years old, who died May 2, 1888. Her death was sincerely regretted by a wide circle of friends, and her funeral, which was presided over by Father McDevitt, was very largely attended.
In 1875 Edward F. Burns started West, and entered a homestead near DeGraff. He was then but seventeen years of age, so he used his father's homestead right. He farmed it for five years under discouraging circum- stances, meeting with reverses in the loss of crops, which would have disheartened the hardiest of men. The fourth year his labors
were better repaid, as he cleared about $500, but losing the following crop he finally left Swift county, and afterward sold his farm.
On the 24th of February, 1884, he took a contract to ship cattle to Miles City, Mont., and during the following spring shipped 300 head, and was very successful in this enter- prise. In March, 1885, he purchased the stallion French Emperor II., and was also successful in this venture. With him he se- cured the second premium at the county fair and his colts rated high. Mr. Burns finally sold the animal April 1, 1886. On the 15th of September, 1886, E. F. Burns bought the first lot that was soll in Eden Valley, erected a tine building, and October 19th, established a meat market and farm produce exchange, and supplied the railroad contractors with provisions. Ile also bonght wheat and dealt in wood. When the boom began to " weak- en," in February, 1887, he sold out.
The brothers are independent in politics, and are members of the Catholic Church. In 1885 Edward F. was elected treasurer of his school district, which office he filled for three years, and in the spring of 1886 he was elected justice of the peace. Ile has also taken an active interest in temperance mat- ters, and in speaking of their prosperity, they say they attribute the success of their firm to "religion, temperance and diversified farm- ing."
WAN CARLSON. The subject of this biography is an enterprising and thor- ough farmer and stock-raiser on section 32, Harvey township. He was born in Sweden, May 4, 1848, and six years later came to the United States with his parents, landing in the city of New York, but after a week's stay came to Minnesota and located at Swede Lake, Chisago county. He made that place his home until 1871, when he
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came to Meeker county and settled on the place where he now lives.
He was united in marriage May 16, 1872, with Miss Ellen Nilson, and by this union there have been born seven children as fol- lows-Edward, born February 5, 1873; Eugene, born July 12, 1874; William, born February 4, 1877; Alvina, born February 9, 1879; Frank, born August 15, 1880 ; Alfred, born November 24,'1882 ; and Victoria, born February 11, 1885. Mrs. Carlson's father died in Sweden, his native country, in Octo- ber, 1878, but her mother is still living in the old country. Mr. Carlson's parents make their home in Chisago county, where his father carries on the carpenter's trade in connection with his farming operations.
In his political views our subjeet is an adherent to the principles of the republican party, and has held several local offices. He and his wife are zealous members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, and are exem- plary Christian people. Mr. Carlson, being imbued with the natural thrift and frugality of the race from which he sprang, has aecum- ulated a fine property consisting of 280 acres of excellent arable land, upon which he has made some excellent improvements.
OXLEY R. WOOD, a prominent citi- zen of Darwin township, has his resi- dence on section 7, where he carries on farming and stock-raising. IIe is a native of the city of Philadelphia, Pa., born March 23, 1828, where he was reared. Remaining there until 1856, our subject then removed to Luzerne county, in the same State, and made his home there, among the picturesque scenery of the Blue Ridge, for about three years. About 1859 he came to Minnesota, and settled at Minneapolis, where he made his home for some two years, and then re- moved to Wright county, and there lived for
about eight years. At the end of that time he again made a new settlement, this time in the vicinty of Montevideo, Chippewa county, this State, but a few years later returned to Minneapolis, and in that city remained some thirteen years. While a resi- dent of Wright county, Mr. Wood was a participant in many of the exciting scenes of the Indian massacre of 1862. He was living on Moore's Prairie at the time, but did not feel alarmed until he heard of the murder of the Dustin family, and then went to Minne- apolis, and on his way there came across the corpses of the victims of the savages, and assisted in their burial. He came back to his place a few days later, and gathered up his stock, which he drove to a place of safety.
The war for the defense of the Union had been progressing some time, and men had become quite scarce in the Northern States, and in response to the call from the President for more troops, in 1864, our subject enlisted in Company I, Sixth New York Heavy Artil- lery, and served with that regiment under General Sheridan. Ile was assigned to the quartermaster's department, and there served until the close of the war, and was mustered out and discharged in 1865, and returned to Wright county, Minn.
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