USA > Minnesota > Jackson County > An illustrated history of Jackson County, Minnesota > Part 58
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ANTON PEDERSON (1873), deceased, was one of the wealthy and successful farmers of lleron Lake township. lle was born in Nor- way February 9. 1863, the son of Hans Peder- con, who still lives in Heron Lake township.
Anton came to America with his par- the village schools until 1878. That year he . ents in 1871, and for a year and a half lived moved onto the farm in Hunter township, where he engaged in farming and sheep rais- ing in partnership with his father. In 1882 he bought the farm, his parents at that time moving to Jackson. and conducted it alone un. til December, ISS4. in Red Wing. Minnesota. The family then moved to Jackson county and located on the northwest quarter of section 28. Heron Lake township, which was homesteaded by Hans Ped- erson. Anton grew to manhood in Jackson county and after reaching mature years en- gaged in farming. He became the owner of the original homestead and several other piec- es of property, his widow now owning. in ad- dition to the home place, the cast half of see- tion 29 and the west half of the northwest quarter of section 22. Heron Lake township. and a quarter section in Cottonwood county. Mr. Pederson was one of the organizers of the First National Bank of Lakefield and was vice president of that institution at the time of his death. He was township treasurer sev- oral yenrs. Mr. Pederson died February 11. 1907.
Mr. Pederson was married July 20, 1892. to Emma Swenson, who was born in Delafield township .July 28, 1872, and who has spent her entire life in Jackson county. She is one of a family of ten children born to John and Til. lie (Weberg) Swenson, natives of Sweden and carly day residents of Jackson county. They came from their native country, lived two years in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, and then located on seetion 10. Delafield township, where they resided until 1907, when they moved to Win- dom, where they now live. To Mr. and Mrs. Pederson were born four children: Cora, born March 4. 1894: Hilda, born July 10. 1897: Alvin, born December 1, 1903: Rosella, born November 24, 1905. The family are members
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of the Norwegian Lutheran church. Mrs. Pederson lives upon the Heron Lake township farm, but has the farm rented.
Since the death of Mr. Pederson, Mrs. Peder- son has purchased and now owns one of the finest residences in the village of Lakefield], Minnesota.
JOIN O. SWENSON (1875), in partnership with his brother, Olof, farms 320 acres of land in Delafield township, a mile and a half south of the village of Wilder, the land being the property of their father, Andrew Swenson.
Our subject, is a native of Delafield town- ship and was born December 1. 1875, the son of Andrew and Martha (Skinrud) Swenson. llis parents were born in Norway, came to America before their marriage and located in Wisconsin. There they were married in 1871 and the same year came to Jackson coun- ty. The elder Swenson took as a homestead claim the southeast quarter of section IS, Dela- field township, and upon that place he has ever since resided. By hard work and the prac- tice of frugality he has prospered until today he owns 320 acres of fine farming land and one of the finest farm residences in Delafield township. Andrew and Martha Swenson are the parents of three children: Clara (Mrs. Pe- ter Stokke), of Spokane, Washington; John O., of this sketch, and Olof.
John O. Swenson grew to manhood on his father's farm and has spent his entire life there. He was educated in the district schools and in the Breck school of Wilder. In 1901 he and his brother Olof rented their father's land and have since been engaged in the man- agement of the place. The boys are suceess- ful farmers. During the season of 1909 they harvested about 5.000 bushels of small grain and had seventy-five acres planted to eorn.
For four years John O. Swenson was seere- tary and treasurer of the Wilder Cooperative Creamery company. He has held the office of clerk of the township board for the past three years and for the last eight or nine years he has served as elerk of school district No. 115. Ile is a member of the Norwegian Lutheran church.
A. A. FOSNESS (1892), member of the firm of Fosness & ITill, doing business as Globe Mil- ling company of Lakefield, was born in Nor-
way August 16, 1856, the son of Arne and Bertha (Erdhal) Fosness.
He came to America in 1874, when eighteen years of age, and settled near Blue Earth City, Minnesota. There he continued his education, which had been begun in Norway, and cont- pleted it with a course in St. Olof's college of Northfield. The first two years of his life in the United States were spent on the farm near Blue Earth City and the next four in the town of Austin, where he learned the miller's trade. lle then moved to Blue Earth City, where he remained five years and was employ- ed at his trade. ITe took up the same work in Winnebago and was employed in a mill there seven years. Mr. Fosness moved to Lakefield in June. 1892. and built the flouring mill. The nexi year he sold a half interest to W. D. Hill and the firm name has since been Fosness & Hill.
Mr. Fosness was married at Winnebago An- gust 22, 1889, to Miss Laura Williams and to them have been born the following named chil- dren: Arthur, born November 18, 1890; Leslie, born June 1, 1898; Ethel, born October 18, 1900; Paul, born May 15, 1907. Mr. and Mrs. Fosness are members of the Methodist church. Hle belongs to the A. F. and A. M., Odd Fellows, Wood- men and Workmen orders.
ALBERT WILEY (1868). Among the pio- neers of the county is Albert Wiley, janitor of the high school building at Jackson, who has resided in the county sinee he was four- teen years of age The parents of our subjeet were William and Ann (Garvin) Wiley.
William Wiley came to the county and homestead in Heron Lake township in 1867, moving there with his family the following year. He was the first man to file on a claim in that township and when he arrived the only other while man there was a trapper by the name of Benjamin Harrison. Immediately af- ter his arrival, however, quite a number of families came and made their homes in the township. Mr. Wiley. Sr., lived on the farm in Heron Lake township until 1884. From then until 1892 he lived in Jackson and then moved to Boone county, lowa, where he died in 1894. aged 71 years. His wife died in Jackson in July, 1907, aged 71 years.
To these parents Albert Wiley was born in Ohio on January 25, 1854. When ten years of age he moved with the family to Dane county,
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Wisconsin, and in May. Ises, came with them to Jackson county. On his father's farm on section 28, Heron Lake township. Mbert lived until he was twenty-two years old. Then he married, bought a farm in the same township. and engaged in farming until Isst. That year he sold out and, after spending several months in lowa, took up his residence in Jach- son, where he has ever since lived. He engaged in carpenter work, which he followed contin- uously until 1893. That year he was made janitor of the high school building. which po. sition he has ever since held. Until 1906 he engaged in carpenter work during the summer months, but since that dato has given up his trade and devotes his whole time to his duties at the school house. During his residence in Heron Lake township Mr. Wiley held a town ship office from the time he was of age until he moved from the precinct. the offices held being supervisor and clerk. He is a member of the Methodist church and of the M. W. A. lodge.
Mr. Wiley was married in Weimer town- ship March 29, 1875, to Carrie A. Willford, who was born in Wisconsin and came to Minnesota when seven years oldl. Her father. Joseph Willford, was frozen to death in a blizzard at Spirit Lake in February. 1865. To Mr. and Mrs. Wiley have been born the following chil- dren: Minnie M., Nellie A .. Alice A .. Mary E. and Orlie W.
WALTER S. FREER (IST), proprietor of a livery barn at lleron Lake and deputy sheriff of Jackson county, is a native of Winneshick county, lowa, where he was born March 29. 1859. His parents were Johanes D. and Auna ( Hasbrook) Freer, natives of Ulster county, New York. They moved to Winneshick county, lowa. in 1858, and to Jackson county in 1874. The father took as a homestead claim the southwest quarter of section 21, Alba township. and on that farm the family resided until about fifteen years ago, when they moved to Heron Lake, Johanes Freer died December 21. 1894. aged 76 years: Anna Freer died October In. 196, aged 70 years. They were the pan- ents of seven children, of whom the following -ix are living: Tlasbrook, Sarah. Newton. Pe- ter. Mary and Walter S.
Walter Freer came to Jackson county with Li- parent - in 1971 and resided on the home farm until twenty-three years of age, receiv-
ung an education in the Heran Lake school. Ile then moved to the village and bought the Pioneer hotel and a livery stalde. and has ever since been in the livery business. For the Fast seventeen years he has followed the race cirenit and has a fine string of horses. Mr. Freer owns four residence- and a business lot in the village. Ile holds member-bip in the odd Fellows and Modern Woodmen lodges. He is deputy sheriff of the county and has held the office several terms. lie also served two term- as member of the village council.
Mr. Freer was married in Heron Lake Feb. ruary 20. 18SG, to Nora Parro. a native of Minnesota. She died April 19, 1x03. aged 24 years. Two children were born to this union, of which one. Fred W .. is living. having been born July S. 1890. Mr. Freer's second mar- riage occurred July 10, 1895. to Mis- Ida Weld. To them one child has been born. Margaret. born October 10. 1898.
JURGEN SCHWAGER (SS3) is one of the large land owners and successful farmers of Sioux Valley township, of which precinct he is one of the carly settlers.
Mr. Schwager was born in Germany Angust 16. 1849, and spent the first eighteen years of his life in the Fatherland. He secured a com- mon school education and learned the shoe maker's trade. He came to America with his parent- in 1867 and first located at Daven. port, lowa. The family were withont means and Jurgen began working ont. his first work in the new world being a job of horing ouions at seventy-five cents per day. In ISTI his fa - ther and a brother rented a farm in Scott county. near Davenport, and for the next two Year- our subject lived on that farm, working for farmers in the neighborhood. In 1873 our subject and his father rented a farm and in 1875 he married and took over the lease. con- ducting it on his own account until 1883.
In the year last mentioned Mr. Schwager came to Jackson county. For six years he rented a farm on section 1. Sioux Valley township. Then he bought the northeast quarter of section &, his present home farm. and has ever since made his home there. At the time of purchase there was not a tree or building on the farm and all the improvements have been made by him. He has prospered ex- ceedingly and now owns 19712 acres of choice land in Sioux Valley township, besides a quar-
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ter section of land in MeLean county, North Dakota. He has an elegant home and a well improved farm, drained by thousands of feet of tile. He is an extensive stock breeder, making a specialty of Hereford cattle.
Mr. Schwager has been a director of the Sioux Valley ereamery since its organization. From 1889 to 1900 he was township clerk and was assessor for ten years. He and his fam- ily are members of the German Lutheran church.
The parents of our subject were Claus and Anna (Messer) Schwager. They came to Am- erica at the same time their son did. re- sided in Davenport and Durant. Iowa, and died in the latter town. They had three sons, Tim. of Durant, Iowa; Jurgen, of this sketch: Christ, of Martin county. Minnesota.
Mr. Schwager was married at Davenport, Jowa, December 30. 1875, to Anna Wiebener, who was born in Germany and who came to America the year of her marriage. Her par- ents were Ehler and Margareta Wiebner. Tbe former died in 1875; the latter died at her daughter's home in Sioux Valley township in 1902. To Mr. and Mrs. Schwager have been born seven children, as follows: Emma. born October 19, 1876: Louisa. born November 15, 1877: George, born March 21, 1879, died De- cember 10, 1904: Amanda. born May 7. 1881; Willie, born April 21, 1884; Bernie. born Mareh 18, 1883, died May 4, 1884; Harry, born October 13, 1889.
PETER BORSGARD (1872). farmer and school teacher. owns 160 acres of land on sec- tion 28, Christiania township. He is a native of the county. having been born in the pre- cinct in which he now lives March 10. 1872, the son of Severt Olson Borsgard and Kiersten (Krogstad) Olson Borsgard, both deceased. .
Peter early decided upon teaching for his profession. After securing a primary educa. tion in the district school he attended the col- lege at Wilder. Ile lived on the home farm until twenty years of age: then he began working out and teaching school, heing em- ployed in the latter occupation twelve years. In 1898 he took a course in the Mankato Nor- mal school. Except for a few years spent in Windom. Mr. Borsgard has been a resident of Jackson county all his life. He clerked sey- eral years in the store of Jolin Ilutton. gen- eral merchant of Windom. Mr. Bor-gard has
stock in the Christiania Mercantile company, which owns the store at Bergen. Hle elerked in the store two years and was its manager one year.
Our subjeet was married to' Carrie Kulseth, of Christiania township, May 12, 1900. Three children have been born to this union. as fol- lows: Gertrude, born May 23, 1902: Severt, born July 21, 1903; Thomas Bjarne, born July 5, 1907. The family are members of the Nor- wegian Lutheran church.
A. M. SCHROEDER (1878), clerk of the district court for Jackson county and ex- member of the Minnesota house of represen- tatives, is a native Minnesotan. having been born in Winona county September 9, 1859, the son of Martin and Henrietta (Melicke) Schroe- der.
The family moved from Winona county to Blue Earth county in 1863, and there our sub- ject resided for the next fifteen years. The family home was made in Christiania town- ship, Jackson county, in 1878. After a resi- dence of three years in that township the family again returned to Blue Earth county. In 1890 MIr Schroeder took up his residenee in Windom, where he lived until 1000 and where, in 1892. he took the position of salesman for the McCormick Harvester company. In the last named year he came to Jackson county as the representative of the International Har- vester company, making his headquarters at Lakefield and Jackson. In 1904, he was selected as one of a party of fourteen of the Inter- national's salesmen from all parts of the United States to make a tour of Europe. Thi- party visited England, Scotland, Germany and France and was gone five months. Returning he continued with the International company for a time, but in 1905 he went to Canada. For about nine months after his return he held a position with Grandetone Plow company of Dixon, Illinois, and at the beginning of the year 1907 entered upon his duties as clerk of the district court.
Mr. Schroeder has taken quite an active . part in local polities. In 1900 he was the democratic nominee for treasurer of Cotton- wood county. but was defeated at the election. He was elected a member of the state legis- lature on the democratic ticket in 1902 and served one term. He was defeated for the same office in 1904 by L. O. Teigen. In Novem-
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ber, 1906, Mr. Schroeder was elected to the of- fire of clerk of court, which he has since hold. He holds membership in the Knights of Py - thias, Modern Woodmen of America and I'ni- ted Commercial Travelers.
On October 2, 1907, Mlr. Schroeder was uni. ted in marriage to Miss Della Grannis, of Worthington.
JOHN W. COWING Q8681. In the early days of it- history the village of Jackson was fortunate in the class of business men who were attracted to the little town on the banks of the Des Moines. It was due to the enterprise of these men that Jackson con- tinued to hold it- place on the map in the early days and became the prosperous and flourishing eity it did in after years. Among the first to come and the oldest to remain of these men is the subject of this biography.
John W. Cowing was born in Hexham, Eng- land. on July 21. 1843. His parents, John and Elizabeth ( Davidson) Cowing. came to Jackson in the seventies and both died in that city. The family moved from England to the United States in 1852 and settled on a farm in Dane county. Wisconsin. Three years later they moved to Adams county. of the same state, and there they lived until Isos. Our subject received a common school educh - tion in Wisconsin and completed it with a commercial course in the Worthington business college of Madison. In February, Is65, Mr. Cowing enlisted in company A. of the 191h Wisconsin volunteer infantry, and served in the army until his discharge in October of the same year.
It was as a young man. twenty-five years of age, that John W. Cowing came to Jack- son in 1868, and engaged in the mercantile buisiness, a business in which he was destined to be engaged thirty-eight years, excepting a temporary withdrawal of two years. When the Brown National Bank was organized in 1905 (succeeding the Bank of Jackson) Mr. Coming was made vice president, and in De- tober, 1900, he became president of the bank. which position he still retains, and disposed. of his mercantile business. He owns his home and a business block in Jackson. city prop erty in Minneapolis and farm land- in Cotton. wood county, Minnesota, and in North Dakota. Un mimerous occasions Mr. Cowing has been called upon to serve in an official rapacity.
For several terms he was chairman of the board of county commissioner-, has been presi dent of the village council and president of the board of education of the village. He i- a member of the Presbyterian church and of the 1. F. A .V. MI. Judge.
Mr. Cowing was married at Preston, Minne sota, August 1, 1870, to Alice G. MeMurtrio, a native of Racine, Wisconsin, Mr. and Mrs. Cowing are the parents of the following named children: Mr -. A. R. Albertus, of Worthington : Mr -. J. C. Durfee, of Fergus Falls, Minnesota ; Mrs. Malcolm Weikle, of Pelican Rapids, Min- nesota: Nell M. Cowing and Lillian J. Cow- ing.
The following concerning Mr. Cowing's early Imsiness career in Jackson is of interest. In ISES be embarked in the mercantile business alone and two years later took as a partner Harrison White, who remained in the firm but one year. His first store was located in a building on the site now occupied by a milli- nery store north of the Richardson block. Af- ter Mr. Cowing vaented the building MI. E. Hay. the present governor of Washington, car- ried on a general merchandise business there for several years. Mr. Coming created, in 1972, the building on the corner north of the Rob. ert-on implement house, which is now in de- cay. and in which he conducted a general store for about fifteen years. In 1889 be built the north half of the business block opposite the Ashley house, and here be ended bis Jong mer- tantile career prior to embarking in the banking business,
ROBERT C. MUIR OS73). auctioneer, of Jackson, is a native of the county in which he Jas ever since lived. Hle is the son of Robert C. and Mary (Melcan) Muir, who homesteaded in Middletown township in the late sixties and lived there until a few years ago, when they moved to North Dakota.
Robert was born on the farm in Middletown township March 23, 1873, and on that farm he grew lo manhood. lle received a limited edu- cation in the district school and when a boy ten years old began to bord cattle for his fa- ther, which was his occupation until sixteen years old. For several years following he worked as a threshing hand for D. W. Pulver und A. Beck In IS91 he married and moved from the farm to Jackson, where he has since lived. For seven years he tan a dray in the
JOHN W. COWING
President of the Brown National Bank of Jackson and Ex-Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners.
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
AITOR, LENOX AND THELY FOUNDA - ONE
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village, and then, in 1901, became an auctioneer. Since that time he has been so engaged dur- ing the sales period, making a specialty of farm and stock sales. During the summer months he sells insurance in the Modern Wood- men Casualty company and sells sewing ma- chines.
Mr. Mnir owns his home in Jackson and real estate in North Dakota. He is a member of the M. W. A. lodge. The subject of this biog- raphy was married in Des Moines township December 19, 1894, to Miss Lizzie Davies. Mr .-. Muir was born June 23, 1875, in Des Moines township and is a daughter of Edward and Ella (Pease) Davies, he being a soldier of the civil war and an early settler of the county. To Mr. and Mrs. Muir have been born two children: Robert V. and Garth L.
FRED D. SAWYER (1875) is one of the substantial farmers of Middletown township. and be has made his home in Jackson county since 1875. He is the son of P. H. and Adaline (Drake) Sawyer, natives of Maine, where they resided until 1871. Then they came west and settled in Cottonwood county, Minnesota, where they lived on a farm until 1875, when they moved lo Jackson county and bought a farm in section one, Middletown township. Ilere they resided until a few years ago when they moved to Jackson village, where Mr. Sawyer now makes his home. He is 80 years of age. llis wife died September 30, 1907, at the age of 79 years. From this union six chil- dren were born. They are: George, Lucy, Charles, Albert, Ether L. and Fred D. Albert and Charles are residenis of Knox county, Nebraska.
Fred D. Sawyer was born in Piscataquis county, Maine, December 22, 1866. At the age of five years be moved with his parents to Cottonwood county, Minnesota, and four years later came to Jackson county, where he has since resided. The first year of his residence in the county was spent in the village of Jack- son; tben with his parents he moved to a farm north of the village, where he lived two years. lle then moved to section one, Mid- dlelown township, where he grew to manhood, working on his father's farm and attending the country schools. Fourteen years ago he rented his father's farm and so continued until 1902, when he bought the north half of section II, where he bas since resided. Ile
also owns the southeast quarter of section 15 in the same township, and he farms the entire 480 acres. Ile has built his present iine residence and other buildings at a cost of about $3,000. lle has held various offices of trust in his home township, and has been for the past four years a member of the township board. Ile is president of the Middletown Telephone company, which is incorporated and is one of the best farmers lines in the county. lle is also prominent in social and church af- fairs.
Mr. Sawyer was married at Estherville, Iowa, December 8, 1898, to Miss Josephine Peterson, a native of Sweden and a daughter of John and Lonise Peterson. They are the parents of two children, Mark A., born September 18, 1899, and Maurice F., born February 26, 1901.
Mr. Sawyer and wife are members of the Presbyterian church of Jackson.
ANTHONY A. ARNOLD (1887) is one of the successful farmers and stock raisers of Sioux Valley township. He owns the southwest quar- ter of section 32.
Mr. Arnold was born in Jo Daviess county, Illinois, December 23, 1860, and resided in that county until he was twenty-one years of age. His father dying when he was six years of age, Anthony made his home with his mother and stepfather until he was fifteen years old. Then he started in life for himself, working as a farm laborer for several years. During the winter of 1880-8I he completed his educa- tion with a course in the schools at Dubuque, Iowa.
In the spring of 1882 Mr. Arnold moved to Osceola county, lowa, was married that fall and then engaged in farming rented land. He soon gave up farming and located in the vil- lage of Lake Park. lle built the Lake Park house in the fall of 1883 and conducted it two and one-half years. In the spring of 1887 he traded the hotel for his present farm and has since made his home in Sioux Valley town- ship, with the exception of a year and a half when he was on the plains of Commanche county, Oklahoma, (1903-05). When Mr. Ar- nold located on the farm the improvements consisted of a few primitive shaeks left over from homesteader days. All the present up- to-date improvements on the place have been made by the present owner. lle is a breeder of pure bred Jersey cattle, Duroc-Jersey hogs and White Plymouth Rock chickens.
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Henry and Augusta (Schapp) Aruohl were the parents of our subjert. Both were born in Germany and came to America when young, having been married in so Davies- county, Illinois, and having spent the remainder of their lives there. The father died in Isto: the mother in 1895, aged 62 year -.
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