USA > Minnesota > Jackson County > An illustrated history of Jackson County, Minnesota > Part 50
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CLARK A. WOOD (1972), ex-sheritf of Jack- son county and ex-postmaster of lleron Lake, is a resident of thirty-six years standing and now lives a retired life in Heron Lake. He is of English deseent, his grandfather having come from the mother country and settled in New York state. Both his parents, Nelson and Elizabeth (St. John) Wood, were natives of the Empire state. The former died there in 1878; the latter moved to Jackson county a few years after the death of her husband and made her home with her son until her death in 1900.
Clark Wood was born in Sehoharie county, New York, October 25, 1843, and made his home with his parents until 1866. During the civil war he served twenty-two months as a member of company B. Sixth New York heavy artillery. After his discharge from the army Mr. Wood engaged in farming one year in Rensselaer county, New York. Then he and a brother, Louis C. Wood, engaged in the
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coal and lumber business at Stillwater, Now York, for five years. He came west in 1872 and has ever since that date been a resident of Jackson county. He took as a homestead claim the northwest quarter of section 10, Alba township, and re-ided there until 1875, engaged in farming for a few years and in the hotel business in Heron Lake for a time.
After leaving the farm in Isis, Mr. Wood located in Heron Lake, and that village has since been his home. He has taken part in county affairs and has several times been call. ed upon to serve in an official capacity. He was the first justice of the peace cho-en in Alba township, and when the village of Heron Lake was incorporated he was chosen to serve as the first president of the council. He also served on the board of education for several years in the early days. Mr. Wood was eleet ed sheriff in 1881 and was reelected two years later. Again in 1894 he was chosen to the same office and was reelected in 1896, making a total of eight years he served as Jackson county's executive officer. He was appointed postmaster of lleron Lake in 1900 and held the office eight years, retiring from active pur- suits at the expiration of his last term. Mr. Wood owns a quarter section of land in Aitkin county. Minnesota, and village property. He is a member of the Methodist church and of the Masonie, Odd Fellows and Knights of Pythias lodges.
In Scholnie county, New York, on the 15th day of April, 1866, occurred the marriage of Mr. Wood to Lucinda O. Briggs. She died in 1882. As a result of the marriage live chil- dren were born, as follows: Nettie J., Bertha M., Frank N., Leroy C. and Hattie G., all of whom are living. Mr. Wood's second marriage occurred at Stillwater, Minnesota. December 25. 1854, when he wedded Mary E. Lammers, a native of Taylor's Falls, Minnesota, and a sister of Attorney L. F. Lammers, of Heron Lake. To Mr. and Mrs. Wood has been born me child, Mable E.
ALBERT H. STRONG (1870), deputy clerk of the district court of Jackson county. is one of the very early pioneers of the village of Jackson. having made his home in that vil- lage nearly forty years. He is a native of Barre, Orleans county. New York, where he was born March 4, 1811, the son of Samuel B. and Susan L. (Casterline) Strong.
Mr. Strong was educated in an academy at Barre and early in life engaged in teaching as a profession, which he followed in his na- tive county nine years. In May, 1870, Mr. Strong left home and moved to Jackson, Min- nesota, where he was employed to teach the village school. In 1970 he gave up teaching and. in partnership with his brother. M. A. Strong, went into the drug Insiness under the tirm name of Strong Bros. In this business he was engaged until 1850. During the next six years after going out of business he was employed as deputy in different county offices. and in INSS was elected clerk of the district emmrt. Ile served eight years in that office. having been reelected in 1890. He served as deputy county anditor from 1596 to 1900, and m 1902 was appointed i member of the state board of equalization, serving in that capacity two years. He was appointed deputy clerk of the district court in 1907 and has since served in that capacity.
Mr. Strong owns 320 acres of land in Wis- consin township. one-half mile east of the Jackson depot. Ile is a member of the Pres. byterian church and of the Masonic lodge.
On Jannary 31, 1876, Mr. Strong was mar- ried to Lois M. Robbins. To these parents have been bom the following named children: Mary E., born March G. IS79. died September 16, 1900: Lois Alberta, born August 11. 1882: seward D .. borp October 20, INS5: Harry W .. born June 4. ISSS.
J. C. JOHNSON (1869) is one of the well known and successful farmers of Jackson county. having resided here since he was a boy seven years of age. He now resides in Belmont township.
Mr. Johnson is a native Minnesotan, having been born in Houston county February 13. 1st2. He is the son of John K. and Susan (Swanson} Johnson, who now reside on their old homestead in Wisconsin township. The former came from Norway in 1841 and until he became of age lived at Muskego, Wiscon- sin. He then located in Houston county, Min nrsota, where he enlisted in the mounted rangers of Minnesota volunteers and served in the campaign against the Indians. He took hi- homestead in Wisconsin township in 1868 and located on the place the next spring. The mother of our subject came from Sweden in 185.1.
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J. C. Johnson accompanied his parents to . son-one of the old farms of the county. The Jackson county in the spring of 1869 and until United States patent to this farm is signed by President Andrew Johnson and was given under the provisions of the soldiers' bounty act to Charlotte E. Bump, a minor child of Liberty Wood, a private in the Vermont mi- litia during the war of 1812. The patent was assigned to John Olson, and in 1868 the land came into possession of a Mr. Rassmussen, from whom Mr. Teigen secured title. Ole Teigen lived on this farm on seetion 11, Des Moines township, until the spring of 1905; then he moved to Jackson and died in that village March 25, 1906, aged seventy-two years and one day. His wife lives in Jaek- son at the age of seventy-five years. Lars is one of a family of nine children, of whom six are living. They are Lars, Julia, Bessie, Mar- tin, Anton and Emma. he was eighteen years of age lived with his parents on the Wisconsin township farm, re- ceiving a common school education and as- sisting with the farm work. From the time he was eighteen years old until 1886 Mr. John- son worked at the miller's trade in Jackson and Brownsburg. Then he bought land in Wisconsin township and engaged in farming there until 1901. Ile then sold out and bought bis present farm of 200 acres on seetions 28 and 21, Belmont township. Ile has a well im- proved farm and has prospered. Ile engages extensively in the raising of cattle and hogs. Mr. Johnson has sioek in the Belmont Cream- ery company and in the Farmers Cooperative Store company of Lakefield. He has held township and school offices during nearly all the time since he became of age. lle is a member of the Lutheran church and of the M. W. A. lodge of Jackson, No. 1069.
Mr. Johnson was married January 10, 1885, to Sina Larson, a native of Dane county, Wis- consin and a daughter of Nels Larson. Her father took as a homestead claim the farm now owned by Mr. Johnson in 1865. To Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have been born the fol- lowing named children: Nellard, born Febru- ary 9. ISSO: Millie S., born April 6, 1888, Albert M., born August 23, 1889; Sibyl J., born March 1, 1891; Lonis E., born December 8, 1892; Benton H., born November 20, 1894, died November 28, 1894; Charles B., born Octo- ber 27, 1896: Robert W., horn September 20, 1898: Julius K., horn December 30, 1899; Susan A., born May 7, 1901; Allen F., born April 19, 1903.
LARS O. TEIGEN (1879), ex-member of the Minnesota house of representatives from Jackson county and a prominent farmer and business man, resides on the Des Moines river a short distance above Jackson. He is an early day resident of the county, having resid- ed here over thirty years, and one of its best known citizens.
Mr. Teigen is a native of Norway and was born November 27, IS64. His parents, Ole and Bertha (Brakke) Teigen, came 10 the United States from Norway in 1868, lived in Blue Earth county, Minnesota, eleven years, and came to Jackson county in 1879, settling upon the farm now owned by their youngest
Lars accompanied his parents to America when four years of age, lived with the family in Blue Earth county, Minnesota, until May 19, 1879, which was the date of their arrival to Jackson county. Until he reached his ma- jority Mr. Teigen resided on the home farm in Des Moines township, assisting with the farm work and attending school. At the age of twenty hw engaged in teaching school in the country districts and made that his ex- clusive occupation until he was twenty-six, making his home on the farm. lle married in 1891 and located upon a farm on section 32, Enterprise township, which he bought at that lime, and upon which he lived until the death of his wife on July 24, 1898. During this per- iod of residence Mr. Teigen taught school four years besides carrying on his farming operations. After the death of his wife he broke up housekeeping and lived one year with his parents. Then he built his present home on the northwest quarter of section 1), Des Moines township, which he has since occupied. Mr. Teigen's real estate holdings in- clude his tract of fifty acres on section 11, forty acres on section 1, Des Moines, and two hundred acres on seetion 32, Enterprise.
Besides his farming Mr. Teigen is interested in several other business enterprises. He was one of the chief promoters of the Farmers Cooperative association of Jackson, an organi- zation effected for the purpose of dealing in grain, live stock, ete. Ile drafted the articles of incorporation and the by-laws and was made secretary of the company. He has been the secretary and manager of the Belmont
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Creamery company for a number of years, and has always taken a prominent part in pro- moting the creamery interests of the county.
In a political way Mr. Trigen has often been called upon to serve his people. In 1904 lie was elected a member of the Minnesota legislature from Jackson county on the re. publican ticket and served one term. Ile in- troduced the original resolution providing for the establishment of a harvester factory at the state prison and his resolution was adopt- ed. He served as chairman of the joint com- mittee which considered the proposition and upon whose report favorable action was taken by the legislature. Mr. Teigen, while a member of the house, gained the reputation of voting more "noes" than any other member of the body that session. In his township Mr. Teigen has often been called upon to serve in an official capacity.
Mr. Teigen has been married twice. His first marriage ocenrred in Jackson county May 24, 1891, when he wedded Tilda Olson. a dangh- ter of the late Simon Olson. She died July 29, 1898. As a result of this marriage four chil dren were born, as follows: Bertha, horn April 14. 1892. died September 8, 1895; Oscar S., born November 17, 1893; Bertha M., born August 4. 1895: Albert E. born March 16, 1898. The second marriage of Mr. Teigen oe- curred in Jackson county June 2, 1903, when he wedded Emma Roe, daughter of Anders and Elsie Roe, who came to the county in ISBS. Two children have been born to this union: Elsie T., born March 12, 1904; An- drew L., born August 5, 1906.
LEONARD F. ASHLEY (1866), who owns and vonduets a farm just south of the cor- porate limits of the village of Jackson, has made his home on that farm since he was thir- tren years of age. Ilis parents were Leonard and Mary Jane (Wilbur) Ashley, both natives of Pennsylvania and both deceased. In the year 1853 these parents started from their Pennsylvania home for !llinois, where they in- tended to make their future home, a home- send claim having been previously entered through a brother. Frank Ashley. While travel- ing through Michigan, enroute to their new home, Mr. Ashley died. Mrs. Ashley continued the journey and made her home on the home- strad, upon which her brother-in-law was liv. ing.
On this homestead, near the town of Peoria, Illinois, on June 19, 1853, Leonard Ashley, of this sketch, was born. When he was six months old his mother returned to Ler oll home in Bradford county, Pennsylvania, and there Leonard lived until the fall of 1866. On the second day of October, 1866, he and his mother arrived in Jackson county to make their future home, an unele of our subject, Welel Ashley, having preceded them six months. For a couple of years he attended school .the first season in the school taught by Mrs. B. H. Johnson at the home of her husband, a log building on the east side of the river.
In 1868 Leonard began working on the farm of his step-father, Isaac Wheeler, his mother having remarried. This farm is the one now owned by Mr. Ashley and is on the south- vast quarter of section 26, Des Moines town- ship. When Mr. Wheeler became too feeble to care for the farm Leonard took the manage- ment and conducted it on shares. Before he had yet reached his majority Leonard pur- chased a forty acre tract of the 240 acres of the original farm, and upon the death of his mother he became the owner of the rest of the home place, except 80 acres which had been sold.
Mr. Ashley was married in Jackson January 13. 1879. to Mary Thomas who, with one exception, is the oklest living settler of the county. She is the daughter of the late Joseph and Jane Thomas, who became resi. dents of the county in 1858. Mrs. Ashley was born in Montague. Sussex county, New Jer- sey. To Mr. and Mrs. Ashley have been born the following children: Louis W., Leslie N., Solon, who died at the age of nineteen years; Henry, Allison. Mary. Arthur, who died at the age of eleven months.
ROBERT I. WADE (1871). Among the earliest settlers of Kimball township is Robert 11. Wade, who has lived on his present farm thirty-nine years. He is not only a pioneer of Jackson county, but of Minnesota as well, having come to Minnesota in territorial days and having fought in the union army with a Minnesota regiment.
Robert II. Wade is a son of David and Johanna (Wade) Wade, both natives of New Jersey. They came west in 1854 and died at Trempealeau, Wisconsin. There are four living children of this family-William T., of Sumner,
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Iowa, aged 90 years; Robert H., of this sketch, aged 80 years; Stepben T., of Trempealeau, Wisconsin, aged 75 years; Edward F., of Fair- mont, Minnesota, aged 70 years.
The subject of this biography was born in Essex county, New Jersey, May 18, 1830. There he lived until twenty-four years of age, learn- ing the carpenter's trade and following that occupation during his residence there. In
1854 he moved to Johnstown, Wisconsin, and two years later located in Dakota county, Minnesota territory, where he worked at his trade until 1871. On March 1, 1864, Mr. Wade enlisted in the Third Minnesota light artillery and served until February 27. 1866.
After the war Mr. Wade located at Shako- pee, Scott county, where he followed carpen- tering until he came to Jackson county in 1871. Arriving in this then new country, he took as a homestead claim the northeast quar. ter of section 24, Kimball township, and as a tree claim the southeast quarter of the same section. and that farm has been his home ever since. Very hard times were encountered dur- ing the great grasshopper scourge, and dur- ing a part of this time Mr. Wade was obliged to be at Shakopee, working at his trade. For a number of years after coming to the county he worked at his trade as well as engaging in farming, and many of the buildings in the neighborhood in Kimball township and Mar- tin county were erected by him. For his own home Mr. Wade hauled the hunber from Shako- pee and erected a 14x16 foot building with a lean-to.
During his long residence in the county Mr. Wade has always been held in high esteem, and he has often been called upon to hold offices of trust. Ile served on the jury during the years from 1875 to 1879, inclusive. and has sven jury duty before every judge holding court in the county. He took the government census of Kimball, Belmont and Enterprise townships in ISSO, the state census of 1883, the government census of 1890 and the state census of 1895. Ile served as chairman of the Kimball board of township supervisors five years, was township treasurer one year, jus- tice of the peace twenty years and was clerk of his school district from the second year after its organization until a few years ago. He is a member of the society of Minnesota Territorial Pioneers, of the John A. Myers Post No. 60, G. A. R., of Jackson, and of the Presbyterian church of the same village.
Robert H. Wade was married at Newport, Minnesota, in October, 1859, to HIannah Parker, who was born near Rutland, Vermont, April 29, 1829. She died May 26, 1897. To them were born three children, as follows: Charles Il., William F. and Frank H.
The last named has charge of his father's farm. Ile is married to Mary A. Allen, a na- tive of Minnesota, and they have seven chil- dren: Sylvia M., Lucy A., Mabel A., Henry A., Susan 11., Frank H., and Helen E.
JOHN P. BRAKKE (187])-spelled in Nor- wegian would be Johannes Pedersen Brakke- is one of the oldest settlers of Delafield town- ship and is one of the precinet's most success- ful and best known farmers. He came with the vanguard of those who pushed ont into the frontier country, when a young man just coming of age, and he has seen Jackson coun- ty develop from a wilderness into the fine farming country it is today.
John P. Brakke was born in Ringsakers parish, Hedemarkens, Norway, March 22, 1850. llis parents were Peder Johanesen Brakke and Anne (Svendsdatter Olesveen) Brakke. His father, who was a carpenter and farmer, was born in the same place as was his son Novem- ber 10, 1824, came to America in 1866 and lo- cated at Houston, Minnesota. He came to Jackson county in 1872 and located in Heron Lake township, but made his home with his son in Delafield most of the time until his death, which occurred June 7, 1879. The moth- er of our subject was born early in the year IS29, was married to Peder Brakke in Norway and died in her native land January 9, 1908.
Until he was seventeen years of age Mr. Brakke lived in his native land. At the age of twelve years he began working at the cab- inet making and earpenter trades, which he followed in Norway until his arrival to Am- erica in 1867. Coming to the new world, he lo- cated at Ilouston, Minnesota, and there he worked at his trade until the spring of 1871. At that time he was twenty-one years of age and took a fancy to locate in some fron- tier section of the country and grow up with it. Ilis father had visited Jackson county so early as 1868 and was pleased with the coun- try, although he did not locate here at that time. His report on the country to the west decided young Brakke to visit the county. He did so, and on March 20, 1871, set foot on the
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soil of Jackson county for the first time. Two days later, on his twenty-first birthday, he made filing on the east half of the northeast quarter of section 32, Delafield township, as a homestead claim.
When he arrived in the county he had prac- tically nothing in the way of property or money, but he set to work with a will to make his fortune. He at once erected a frame house, Bald fret with eight foot posts, and engaged in farming on a small scale. When the grasshoppers came in 1873 Mr. Brakke was obliged to temporarily desert his claim, and from that date until ISTS he worked at his trade in Houston county. He returned to his JJackson county home in the spring of 1878 and again engaged in farming.
In 1889 Mr. Brakke received the appoint- ment as a deputy stato weighmaster, under the first administration of Governor Merriam, and he held the office eleven years, serving under Governors Merriam, Nelson, Clough and Lind. During these years he resided in Min- reapolis, his family remaining on the farm. Returning to the farm in 1901. he again took up the duties of an agriculturalist. He now owns 300 acres of land in one body and has one of the finest homes in the neighborhood, his grove being one of exceptional merit. The grove was started in 1878. In the summer of 1909-thirty-one years later -- Mr. Brakke sawed 10,000 feet of cottonwood, maple and ash lumber from it, without apparently di- minishing the grove.
Besides his other accomplishments, Mr. Brakke is a violin maker of more than a local reputation. When he was a boy in the okl country he engaged in violin making as a rec- reation. When he came to America at the age of seventeen he gave up the work, but when forty-seven years of age he again took it up and has spent odd moments at the work wer since. He has a number of the instin- ments on hand, all the work of his handi- craft. Many of the instruments have been decorated by his daughter.
Besides holling the state office for eleven years, Mr. Brakke has held many minor offices. He was chairman of the board of supervisors of Delafield township three years, was town- ship assessor three years, was township clerk nine years and he has held the office of clerk of school district No. 29 for many years. He is a member of the A. O. U. W. lodge.
Mr. Brakke was married at Blackhammer,
Houston county, Minnesota, March 24, ISTS, to Mari Guttorm-on Tyribakken, who was born in Houston county December 26, 1857. She is the daughter of Kundt Guttormson Tyribakken, who was one of the early settlers of Houston county, locating there in 1854. To Mr. and Mrs. Brakke have been born the fol- lowing children: Albert Marius, born May 22. 1850; Anna Elisa, born April 1, 1882; ('lara, born October 30, 1883: Peander Cornel- ms, born October 10, 1885; Gustav, born Jan- mary 8, 1888.
MARSHAL. B. DUNN (1867), who is engag- ed in the machine and engine business at Jackson, is one of the pioneers of Jackson county, having resided here since he was ten years of age. Mr. Dunn was born in Bangor, Maine. September 29, 1857, the son of James W. and Elizabeth M. (Seeley) Dunn, pioneers of Minnesota.
Our subject moved to Minnesota with his parents in 1860 and for two years lived on a claim in Meeker county. The father enlisted ir the union army in September, 1861, bo- ing first sergeant of company B. Fourth Minnesota volunteers. He was wounded in the battle of luka, Mississippi, by a bullet in the leg, which he carried until his death. In 1802. while the head of the fam- ily was in the army. Mrs. Dunn took her three children and sought refuge in Fort Ridgely and was present during the attack on thai fort. Her name appears on the monument erected in memory of the defenders of the fort. In the fall of 1862 the family moved to St. Paul, and there Marshal B. Dunn lived until he came to Jackson county. Ho avcom- panied the family to this county, arriving Inne 6. 1867, and grow to manhood on the farm in Petersburg township.
Mr. Dunn was made deputy sheriff of JJack- son county in 1894 and served in that capac- ity four years. Ho was elected sheriff in 1898 and held The office eight years. He has been deputy game warden at large the past two years, and is village constable. He owns 160 acres of land in Petersburg township. eighty aeres in Minneota and village property. He is a member of the K. P., I. O. O. F .. M. B. A. and M. W. A. lodges.
At Windom, on October 1. 1879. Mr. Dunn was married to Anna L. Nourse. To them have been born the following named children:
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Elizabeth L., born in Jackson county October 10, 1886; Ney M., born July 23, 1888, died June 15, 1908; Donald S., born November 3, 1893; Kenneth S., born May 3, 1895. Mr. Dunu and family are members of the Presbyterian ehureh. The son, Ney M., was captain of the state university football team at the time of his death.
ERICK KILEN (1867), in partnership with his brother, John Kilen, owns and farms 240 aeres of land on sections 16, 21 and 20, on the west side of the river in Belmont township, where he has spent nearly his entire life. His parents were Erick R. and Johanna Kilen They were born in Norway, came to America in the early sixties, lived in Wisconsin a short time, in Fillmore county, Minnesota, several years and came to Jackson county in 1867. They took a homestead claim in Belmont township, where they resided until their death, he dying in 1897 and she four years later. There were thirteen children in the family, of whom six boys and two girls are living.
It was while the family were living in Fillmore county, on the second day of Sep- tember, 1864, that Eriek Kilen was born. When three years old, in 1867, he accompanied the family to Jackson county, and Belmont town- ship has been his home ever since. lle worked for his father on the farm until the latter's death in 1897; then he and his brother, John, condueted the home place for their mother until her death four years later. After the death of their mother Erick and John bought the entire real estate holdings of the family and have since farmed in partnership. Besides his farming interests Mr. Kilen has interests in the Lakefield-Belmont Telephone company, in the Jackson Telephone company and in the Belmont Creamery company. lle is a mem- ber of the Norwegian Lutheran church.
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