USA > Minnesota > Jackson County > An illustrated history of Jackson County, Minnesota > Part 61
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90
His period of enlistment having expired. Mr. Wallace reenlisted in the same regiment on the last day of the year 1863, received a thir- ty days veteran's furlough, spent that length of time at home, and then reported for duty at Washington. He received orders to report to his regiment, then stationed at New Or- leans, and in that southern city remained un- til July. 1864. Then he accompanied his regi- ment to Petersburg, Virginia, to become a part of General Grant's army. The latter part of the same month his regiment became a part of the forces under General Sheridan. then stationed at Tanleytown, near Washing- ton. His fighting thereafter was done under
the dashing Sheridan, taking part in the bat- tles of Winchester, Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek, the last named occurring October 19, 1864. Late in the year 1864 he was ordered to Savannah, Georgia, where he was on pro- vost duty until Angust, 1865. Then orders were received for the discharge of the regi- ment, and after a trip to Atlanta and Au- gusta and back to Savannah, he was mus- tered ont in the last named city. the regiment finally disbanding at Albany, New York, Sep- tember 24, 1865.
After the war Mr. Wallace returned to On- ondago county, New York, and located in Tully township. From that time until 1882 he en- gaged alternately in farming and working at the cooper's trade. In the last named year he moved to Elliott, Ford county, Illinois, and engaged in the mamifacture of tow. His plant was burned in the spring of 1885. and on July 10, of that year, he arrived in Jackson. deter- mined to seek his fortune in Jackson county. During the year of his arrival he erected a plant in the village, and has ever since been engaged in the manufacture of tow. His prod- uet is upholstery tow and the capacity of the plant is about one and one-half tons of fine tow per day.
In addition to his other business Mr. . Wal- lace is quite extensively engaged in the cul- tivation of ginseng and was the first man in the county to begin the cultivation of that product. He began on a small scale in 1901 and has enlarged the ground each year until now he has under cultivation thirty-five square rods. From one square rod of ground he has sold $109 worth of dried ginseng roots. The crop is a very profitable one. but one hard to raise and it takes time and labor to get re- sults. Mr. Wallace owns his home and busi- ness property in the city. He is a member of the Christian church and of the Grand Army of the Republic.
Mr. Wallace has been married twice. His first marriage occurred in Tully township. On- ondago county, New York, in March, 1875, when be wedded Miss Julia Thompson. She died November 1, 1880. The second marriage oc- curred in the same county June 14. 1883. when he married Miss Eva Donaldson, of French deseent and a native of Eastern Canada.
JOHN L. CABOT (1882), manager of the Benson-Cabot company, proprietor of a gen-
418
BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.
eral store at Heron Lake, was born August 11. 1857, at the town of Red Wing. Minnesota territory. the son of J. L. and Mary (Par- fridge) Cabot.
Two years after the birth of our subject the family moved from the town onto a farm two miles west of Red Wing, and there they resided six years. In 1865 the family home was made in Geneva, Freeborn county. There our subject completed his education. In Ists he located in Murray county, where his father took a homestead, and where he resided eight year-, John Cabot went to Goodhue county. in 1876, lived there one year, spent the next year in Murray county, and then located in Gentry county, Missouri, where he resided four and one-half years.
It was during the month of April, 1882. that Mr. Cabot located in Heron Lake village. Ile was employed by J. W. Benson for six years, and in ISSS returned to Goodhue coun- ty. where he farmed his father's land six years. He returned to Heron Lake in 1891 and engaged in the mercantile business with his brother. Chester 11. Cabot. This partnership existed until 1902. when the firm of Benson- Cabot company was organized. and since that time Mr. Cabot has had the management of the store. He owns town property. 160 acres in Washington and an interest in 240 acres of Cottonwood county land. He is a member of the Odd Fellows and Modern Brotherhood of America lodges.
Mr. Cabot was married in Lakefield May 11. 1500, to Stella Wood. To them was born one child, John 31 .. born February 17, 1900. The second marriage of Mr. Cabot occurred at Mankato May 12, 1907, when he wedded Net. tie J. Wood.
ANDREW IL. SWENSON (1882) i- a Dela. field township farmer, his farm being located on section 10, three miles east of Wilder. Ho va- horn at Windom, Minnesota, October 10, ISSO, the son of John and Matilda (Beburg) Swenson, who now reside at Windom.
When Andrew was two years of age the family moved onto the farm ip Delafield town. ship, which John Swenson had taken as a homestead in 1971. On that farm Andrew grew to manhood. He attended the district schools and later look a course in the Minne- sota normal school at Austin. With the ex- ception of the winter of 1001, when he was
employed as an overseer in the pineries of northern Minnesota, Andrew worked for his father on the farm until 1906. Then his par- unt- having moved to Windom, he bought eighty actes of his father's farm, rented the rest of the farm, and has since been engaged in it- management.
For several years Andrew and his brothers kept a pack of stag hounds and gained a great local reputation as wolf hunters. Wolves were quite plentiful and large numbers of them were captured by the Swenson brothers. Sheep owner- in the vicinity paid them a spee- ial bounty for their destruction in addition to the bounty paid by the state.
Andrew Swenson was married in Delafield township Angust 7. 1907, to Anna Homerberg. who was born in Lyon county, Minnesota, February 9, 1881. She is the daughter of Vel- Homerberg. deceased. One child. Oryle A .. has been born to this union. He was born June 7. 1908. Mr. Swenson is a member of the A. O. U. W. lodge.
FRANK MOTL (1886) is one of the success- ful farmer- and well known residents of . En- terprise township. He owns 280 acres of land in one piece on sections 11 and 23, where he has resided nearly a quarter of a century.
Our subject was born in Bohemia January 31, 1st5, and the first thirty-one years of his life were spent in that country. Hi- parent- were Bernard and Rosa (Miller) Motl. both deceased. He received a common school edu- cation and after growing to manhood became a stock buyer. in which business he was en. gaged ten years. He is a veteran of the Aus trian-German war, having served as a cor. poral in the army. He enlisted in 1866 and served three years. In 1876 Mr. Moth emi. grated to America and has since been engaged in agricultural pursuits. Ho located first in Dane county, Wisconsin, and That was his home nutil be came to Jackson county. Ile first came to this county in 1885 and bought hi- farm. lo came again the next year, and remained during the summer season. breaking up his land, and in 1888 brought out his fam- ily anl settled permanently.
Mr. Mott owns stock in the Farmers Eleva. for company of Mpha. He was one of the organizers and trustees of the Catholic church of Jackson and he and his family are mem- bers of that church. lle also belongs to the
419
BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.
Bohemian Catholie order of Jaekson. He has served four years as a supervisor of Enter- prise township and for twelve years was a director of his school district. For nine years he was vice president and director of the En- terprise Creamery company, and up to four years ago was a director of the Jackson Coun- ty Fire and Lightning Insurance company.
The marriage of Mr. Motl occurred in Bo- hemia April 28, 1870, when he wedded Miss Mary Langer, who was born February 5, 1850. Fifteen children have been born to this union, as follows: Wonsel, Enterprise township farmer. born February 12, 1871: Mary (Mrs. F. A. Muzikar), of Jackson county, born Sep- tember 6. 1872: Anna, horn September 17, 1874, died September 27. 1874; Matilda, of St. Paul, born December 1, 1875: Anna (married to Louis Sabatka June 13, 1899), born September 30. 1877. died June 22, 1900; Frank, of En- terprise township, born May 4, 1879; Dorothy, of St. Paul, born February 6. 1881; Bernard, born May 19, 1882, died February 19. 1885; Amelia, born March 23. 1884; Charles L., at- tending the state university, born November 15. 1885: Joseph, born November 13, 1887; Elizabeth, born November 12, 1889: Agnes, born July 8. 1891; Clara, born March 6, 1893; Albert, born October 8, 1895.
Wensel Motl, the eldest son of Frank Motl. was born in Bohemia and came to America with his parents. Hle has been engaged in farming for himself for the past twelve years and owns 120 acres of land on the southeast quarter of section 14. He is township clerk and has been for the past four years. He has also served as elerk of his school district for the last ten years. Ile is a director of the Farmers Elevator company of Alpha and of the Jackson County Fire Insurance company. lle has been treasurer of Court No. 694, Catho- lie Order of Foresters. at Jackson for eight years.
CHARLES ANDERSON (1872). Delafield town- ship farmer. has spent all except the first year of his life in Delafield township. He was born at Hastings, Minnesota, March 22, 1871, the son of Lars and Maria (Johanson) Anderson. His father was born in Sweden in 1837, came to the United States in the spring of 1870, and located at Ilastings. He came to Jackson county in the spring of 1872, homesteaded the west half of the southwest quarter of see-
tion 20, Delafield. and resided upon that farm until his death, August 30, 1902. The mother of our subject died in Delafield township when Charles wis nine years of age.
The subject of this biography came to Jaek- son county with his parents in March, 1872, when one year old. He seeured a country school education and until he was seventeen years of age, worked on his father's farm. At the age of seventeen he went to Windom, where he lived three years, working in a hotel. When he was twenty years of age diphtheria attacked the family and carried off two broth- ers, one sister and two half sisters. This dis- aster necessitated his return home to take the management of the farm. After his fa- ther's death Charles rented the home farm, which now consists of the south half of the south half of seetion 20, and he has sinee con- ducted it to his own account. He also rents 25 acres of land adjoining.
Mr. Anderson was married at Jackson June 14, 1905, to Gertie Danielson, daughter of Daniel Hoog and Christina (Hokanson) Hoog- The former resides in Sweden, the latter is dead. Mrs. Anderson was born in Sweden April 23, 1874, and came to America in 1895. To Mr. and Mrs. Anderson has been born one child. Wallace Milford, born September 27, 1909. The family are members of the Free Mission church of Windom.
PETER TORDSEN (1893) is one of the large land owners of Rost township and one of the township's most suecessful farmers and stoek raisers. He owns 653 acres of land in Rost and Ilunter townships. He farms 400 acres of his possessions, while the rest is farmed by his sons.
Mr. Tordsen is a native of Sehleswig-Hol- stein. Germany, and was born January 19, 1856. His father, Jacob Tordsen, died in Ger- many when Peter was nine years of age; his mother, Annie (Struwe) Tordsen, died in Seott county. lowa. in 1901. having reached the age of eighty years.
In his native land the subject of this biog- raphy lived until he was sixteen years of age, receiving his education in a little village and working most of the time on the farm. When he was ten years of age he began work- ing at the weaver's trade and worked nights at that trade for two years. Mr. Tordsen eame to Ameriea in 1872 and located at Day-
120
BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.
enport, Iowa, where he resided ten years, working is a farm hand. In 1×52 he moved to Ida county, lowa. and engaged in farming rented land near the town of Holstein cleven years. He came to JJackson county in 1843 and located upon his present farm in Rost township (the home farm is the northeast quarter of section 30). which Le had bought the year before and where he has ever since lived. He has prospered since coming to the county and has added the other real estate by purchase.
Mr. Torden believes in cooperation among the farmers and is interested in several coop erative companies. It was largely through his efforts that the Rost Cooperative Daily assa- ciation wa- organized. and he has been an of- liver of the association ever since its organi- zation. He also has stock in the First Na. tional Bank of Lakefield. in the Jackson i on- ty Cooperative Store company and the Farm- ers Elevator company of the same town. Of the last named company he is a member of the board of directors. Mr. Tordsen is one of the supervisors of Rost township and is serving bis second year. He is clerk of school di -- triet No. 19 and has been a school officer since 1891.
Mr. Tord-en has been married twice and has a large family. His first marriage occurred in Scott county, lowa. December S. 1876, when he welded Christina Hendrickson. She died January 26, 1885. As a result of this union the following children were born: Alfred. born June 23, 1877. died December 19. 1900: Wil- liam, a Rost township farmer, born January 11, 1879; Ell (Mrs. Christ Stalfran). of Me- Lean county. North Dakota, born September 23. 1SS2; John. a Hunter township farmer. born April 3. 1881: Mary (Mrs. Edward Yuck- er). of M.Lean county, North Dakota. horn Angust 5. 1885; Herman, of Hunter township. born January 10, 1888.
The second marriage of Mr. Tordsen 00. rurred at lda Grove, Iowa. August 16, 1889. when he wedded Annie Lamp, who was born in Schleswig Holstein. Germany. March 17, 1969, and came to the United States when fourteen years of age and resided at Holstein. low .. To these parents have been born the following named children: Louie, born Jan mary 15, 1890; Ferdinand, born October 1. 1801: Helmut. born July 7, 1993; Laura, born October 20, 1597: Reinhardt, born June 25, 1900; Walter, born September 20, 1903; Wil-
ma, born February 6, 1906; Henry Adolph. born December 10, 1909.
GEORGE B. PADDOCK (1853), a business man of Jackson, has been a resident of Jackson county over a quarter of a century and his life's history is an interesting one. He is of Welsh and English descent and descends from two of the old American families. His great- great-grandfather (Paddock) came from Wales in an early day of the country's history and settled on the Connecticut river below Mid- dletown. Hi- maternal great - great - grandfather (llall) was the first representative of the town of Meriden. Connecticut. The parents of our subject. Samuel C. and JJennett (Hall) Paddock, were both born in Meriden, Con- necticut. Samuel Paddock engaged in farming in Connecticut in his early days. but before the war moved to Alabama and engaged in the mercantile business in several different towns of that state. Upon the breaking out of the civil war he was forced to leave the south 0 ;. account of his anti-slavery views, and his prop- erty was confiscated. Returning to Meriden. Connecticut, he engaged in Isiness, and there he lived until his death, which occurred in 1903 at the age of $6 years.
George B. Paddock was born to these par ents in Meriden. Connecticut. February 1S. 1843. During the first sixteen years of his life he lived on his father's farm, and during the next two years clerked in a grocery store in bis native city. On September 6, 1-61. when less than nineteen years of age, he enlisted in company C. Seventh Connecticut infantry, and served a little over three years in the civil war. His first service was with the expedi- tion to Port Royal, South Carolina. He took part in the siege of Port Alaska. at the month of the Savannah river, and was present at the capture of the fort. For some time he was stationed at St. Augustine, Florida, and was wounded at the battle of Ouluster. Florida. After some time spent in the hospital. he re- turned to duty. He took part in the siege of Fort Sumpter and was present at the cup. ture of Fort Wagner.
After this event he came north with the forces under General Butler to Bormida Hun- dred -. James river, and was a participant in the siege of Richmond. Mr. Paddock was taken prisoner on the picket line in front of the fortifications at Bermuda Hundreds and
421
BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.
was confined in Andersonville prison three months. Ile was removed from that famous prison when General Sherman took Atlanta and was removed to Florence, South Caro- lina. He escaped from the latter place and made his way to the north up through North Carolina. Ile was recaptured but was rescued the next morning by a New York cavalry troop at Newburn, North Carolina. Ile was then transferred to the hospital at Fortress Monroe, Virginia. Ile was mustered out of the service at Hartford, Conneetient, November 23, 1864.
After his discharge from the army Mr. Pad- dock engaged in business in Meriden, and was so employed until his arrival to Jackson coun- ty. In the early eighties George Paddock, accompanied by his father, made several trips to Mower and Jackson counties on hunting expeditions, one of his uneles living in Mower county. He liked the looks of the country and finally decided to locate here permanently. It was on April 7. 1883, that he became a per- manent resident of the county. He purchased a farm in Middletown township and engaged in farming five years. lle then moved to Jackson and that village has been his home ever since. During these years he has been engaged in the stock, real estate and farm ma- chinery business and looking after his land interests. He owns a farm in Belmont town- ship and lands in Texas. Ile is a member of the Odd Fellows and Grand Army orders and for a time was commander of the John A. Myers Post, No. 60.
Mr. Paddock was married in Meriden, Con- neelieut. May 21, 1873, to Julia L. Beach, a native of that state and a danghter of Henry B. Beach, who came to Minnesota in an early day and located at Oak Park, now Stillwater. To Mr. and Mrs. Paddock have been born three children. The eldest of these, Julia, died at Meriden, Connecticut, when three years of age. The living children are Blanch J. (Mrs. HI. L. Arzt), of Jackson, and Georgia A. Pad- doek, of Carleton college.
OLE J. WAGNILD (1893), Lutheran minister and ex-register of deeds of Jackson county, is now engaged in farming at his beautiful home on the banks of Heron lake in Heron Lake township. He was born in Norway, June 25, 1859, the son of John and Olong (Inseth)
Wagnild. His father died in Norway several years ago. His mother still lives at an ad- vaneed age at the old home in Norway with her son Sivert. Ole J. Wagnild is one of a family of six children, as follows: Sivert and Oloug, of Norway; Ole and Sarah, of Duluth, Minnesota; John, who died in Duluth, and Ole J., of this sketch.
Our subjeet received his primary education in his native country, making his home with his parents and working out part of the time. He came to America in June, 1881, and locat- ed at Eau Claire, Wisconsin. After work- ing in a saw mill there one year he lo- cated in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, where for three winters he was employed in a pan- nery. Mr. Wagnild next located in Minneap- olis. There be worked at carpenter work part of the time, and for six winters was a student at the Red Wing seminary, graduating from the theological department in 1890. Dur- ing these years he taught school at various places during the vacation periods to earn the money with which to continue his studies. In the winter of 1891 Mr. Wagnild attended the Minneapolis academy and was ordained a minister of the gospel in 1890. He received a call from Brainerd and occupied a pulpit there one year.
Rev. Wagnild came to Jackson county in 1893 in response to calls to fill four pulpits, and he served these four churches until 1904. He resided in Jackson for a time and later made his home in Belmont township. In the spring of 1904 he moved onto his present farm in Heron Lake township, which he had bought some time before, and that has been his home since. Rev. Wagnild was elected regis- ter of deeds of Jackson county on the repub- liean tieket in 1904 and was reelected in 1906, serving four years. During this time he made his temporary home in Jackson, but moved haek to his farm again in the spring of 1909. He is now a member of the board of eduea- tion of independent school district No 3, Lake- field.
Rev. Wagnild was married in Heron Lake township September 6, 1893, to Miss Josephine Nestrud, who was born in lleron Lake town- ship. She is the daughter of John Nestrud, one of the early day settlers. Mr. and Mrs. Wag- nild are the parents of the following named eight children: Palma. Olga, Magda, Selma, Sherman, Juukl, Parker and Harlow.
422
BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.
HERMAN J. YEADICKE JIS86), of Peters- burg township, is one of the prosperous farm- ers and stock raisers of that precinet and has been a resident of the county nearly a quar- ter of a century. He was born in Germany March 23, 1856, the son of Carl and Caroline (smith) Yeadicke, both deceased. At the age of two years he was brought with his parents to America and the family located in Chicago. A few years later the family moved to Kan- katkre, Illinois, and there our subject grew to manhood, engaging in farming after growing
Mr. Yeadicke came to Jackson county, arriv- ing March 1, 1886, and ever since that date has been engaged in farming and stock raising in Peter-burg township. He has taken an active interest in, and investet money in, many lo- cal enterprises. He and Ole Mikelson were the principal organizers of the Alpha Creamery company, and from the time of organization until he disposed of his dairy interests MIr. Yeadicke was the heaviest patron of the company. His average yearly checks during this period were as follows: 1897, $200.79; 1898, $380.14; 1899, $432.21; 1900, $5-10.32; 1501, x178.57; 1902, $138.49; 1003, $661.71; 19004, $426.35; 1905, $349.47; 1906, $809.26; 1907, $789.27.
Besides having stock in the creamery com- pany Mr. Yeadicke is interested financially in several other industries. Ile has stock in the Farmers Elevator company of Alpha and was vice president of the organization four years. He was president of the Jackson Fire & Marine Insurance company seven years, was president of the Alpha Horse company four years and has been a director of the Jackson County Fair association for many years. lle owns 400 arres of land.
Mr. Yeadicke was one of the organizers of school district No. 78 and has been clerk of the district twenty-two years, lle served as township assessor six years, was town treas- ver one year, member of the board of su- pervisor- one year and road overseer eighteen
The marriage of Mr. Veadicke occurred March 30, 1880. when he wedded Mary Miller. They are the parents of the following child- ren: Barbara born January 1. 1881; Katie, born May 30, Is$2; Herman, born September 12, 1x$3: Annie, born November 23, IS 9; Eddy, born September 28, 1899.
R. S. ROBERTSON (1881) resides at Jack- Men, where he is engaged in the lumber and implement Imi-ines .. lle is a native of New York city and was born February 28, 1851, his parent- being R. S. and Mary ( Matthews) Rob- ortson.
Until he was twenty years of age Mr. Rob- ertson attended school in the city of his birth and was graduated from the Columbia Mining school in 1871. After graduation he went to Pittsburg and took a position as min- ing engineer with Carnegie Bros. & Co., with which firm he was associated until Iss1. In the spring of that year he came to Jackson county, bought a farm in Des Moines township, one and one-half miles west of Jackson, and for the next sixteen years engaged in farm- ing. He then moved to Jackson and engaged in the lumber, fuel and implement business, in which he has since been engaged.
Mr. Robertson owns 316 xeres of land in Des Moines township and property in the vil- lage. During his residence in the country he served for a number of years as a member of the board of supervisors. Ile is a member of the Masonic order.
On June 10, Isso, at Pittsburg Mr. Robertson was married to Alice 1 .. MeKaig. To them have been born four children, as follows: Wil- Ham B., born October 11, 1882; Clement M., born September 14, 1881; John G., horn No- vember 14, ISS6; Alice, born August 14, 1888.
CARL W. POHLMAN (ISSO) is one of the big landowners and extensive farmers of Iler- on Lake township. He owns the southwest quarter and the north half of the southeast quarter of section 1G, the northeast quarter of sertion 21, and a half interest in the south- east quarter of 6 and the west half of the southwest quarter of section 5, all in Heron Lake township. He farms 400 acres of this la nd.
Mr. Poh'man was born in Germany Febru- ary 14, 186, the son of Carl and Christina (Geiselman) Pohlman, the second of a family of five sons. His father died in 1902. aged 66 years. His mother, who is now 73 years of age. resides in the county. Carl spent the first seventeen years of his life in the father- land, securing an education and working out. The family came to America and located in Lakefield in 1884, and there Carl completed his education with a course in
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.