USA > Minnesota > Jackson County > An illustrated history of Jackson County, Minnesota > Part 73
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Mr. Hansen was married May 2, 1898, to Miss Anna E. Christianson. To them has been born one child, Harold E., born August 15, 1899.
NELS A. JOHNSON (1889) is one of the big farmers of Weimer township and resides just outside of the corporate limits of the village in Heron Lake. Ile owns 500 acres of land on sections 29 and 30, Weimer township, and sec- tion S, West Hleron Lake township, and farms it all. He has a nice home and modern con- veniences.
Nels A. Johnson is the son of the late An- drew Johnson and Mary (Kjos) Johnson, the latter a resident of Weimer township. He is the eldest of a family of five children, the other children being named Annic, Dora Katie and Gilbert. He was born in Lafayette county, Iowa, November 8, 1862, and that was his home until he came to Jackson county in ISS9. He was educated in the Norwegian and English schools of his native county and spent his younger years working out on farms, making his home with his parents. Coming to Jack- son county twenty years ago, he bought the northwest quarter of section 8, West Heron Lake township, adjoining Okabena station, and engaged in farming there fourteen years. In 1903 he bought the land adjoining Heron Lake village and has sinec made his home there.
Mr. Jolson is a man of family, having been married in West Heron Lake township March 12, 1892, to Louisa Johnson, who was
born in Chicago in IS68. She is the daughter of M. B. Johnson, who came to Jackson county in 1866 and who is now a resident of Weimer township. Six children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Johnson, as follows: Mabel A., Arthur M., Noel K., Ruth L., Fremont L. and Paul J. C. The family are members of the Norwegian Lutheran church of Heron Lake.
G. E. WIGER (1886). On his father's farm, on the cast half of seetion 18, Enterprise town- ship, G. E. Wiger was born January 15, 1886. His parents came from Norway in IS70 and lo- cated in Blue Earth City, Minnesota, coming to M. Johnson, whose wife had just died and who had six small children. Ole Wiger, onr sub- ject's father, was a tailor in the old country and his services were useful at this time, for there was no ready made clothing there at that time.
In 1872 the family came to Jackson county and located a homestead in Enterprise town- ship, and on that place Mr. and Mrs. Wiger ever after lived. All the property they owned when they moved to the county was a span of oxen and a cow. They had five dollars, with which they bought lumber to use for the in- side of a sod shanty. During the first years they did not raise much because they had no machinery, and the grasshoppers destroyed their crops. In later years misfortunes also came. tn 1886 lightning struck the house, killing Gerhard Wiger, ten years of age, and striking Ole Wiger so that he was ill for a half year. Six months later a kick from a horse injured him so that he was blind in one eye ever after. On October 20, 1903, the house and all its contents burned to the ground, and that fall, while the new home was being built, the family were obliged to live in the granary.
Mr. Ole Wiger died September 2, 1905, after an illness of nine months. He left a widow and nine children, of whom one has died. Fol- lowing are the names of the living children: MIrs. 11. H. Stall, of LaMoure, North Dakota; Mrs. If. A. Stall, of Des Moines township; Mrs. P. Peterson, of Minneapolis; Mrs. E. Westgord, of Windom; Gilbert O. Wiger, G. E. Wiger, Miss Christina Wiger and Obert W. Wiger, of Enterprise township.
Our subject received a common school eduea- tion and was brought up on his father's farm, engaging in farming the home place after his father's death. In partnership with his broth-
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er Gilbert and J. Paulson, Mr. Wiger owns a threshing machine. He is a member of the Norwegian Lutheran church, in which he was baptised and confirmed.
JOSEPH T. MUZIKAR (1886), bar-keeper of a saloon in Jackson, was born in Zarobic, Mor- avia, March 13, 1866, the son of John and An. tonette (Riss) Muzikar.
In his native land our subject resided until he was eight years of age. He came to the United States and to the city of Chicago in 1874, and in that city worked at the tailor's trade nine years. His next change in location was in 1886, when he came to Jackson county, arriving on the tenth day of March. He lived on his father's farm in Hunter township, eight miles west of Jackson, and resided on that place with his parents until 1892. lle then bought a farm in another part of Hunter township and farmed it three years. Moving to the village of Jackson in 1895, he has since been engaged in several different occupations, during the last six years being engaged in the saloon business.
Mr. Muzikar was married June 28, 1892, to Miss Mary Macek, and to this union have been horn two children: George A., born April 6, 1893; Mary D., born September 9, 1895. The family are members of the Catholic church and Mr. Muzikar is a member of the Catholic Workmen and Catholie Western Union lodges.
JOSEPH N. PROKES (1892) is a Des Moines township farmer owning land on section 16, known as the Hillmount farm. He is the son of Jacob and Rosa (Kantnar) Prokes, residents of the same township.
Our subject's parents were born in Bohemia and came to America in 1885. JJacob Prokes followed his trade, brick and stone mason, in the city of Chicago from the time of his arriv. al to America natil 1892. That year he and his family moved to Jackson county and lo- cated upon the southwest quarter of section 16. Des Moines township, land which he bought while yet a resident of Chicago. There he re- sided until 1908, when he retired and moved onto a farm on section 21. where he still lives at the age of 73 years. Besides carrying on his farming operations Jacob Prokes worked at his trade, having erected the following build- ings in the village of Jackson: Lindsley-An-
derson block, the Bartosch-Kiesel-Matteson block, the smoke stack of the Livengood mill and other minor buildings. Ile is the father of three sons and two daughters, all living, as follows: do'm, of Jackson county: Frank. of Chicago: Marie. of Jackson: Ama (Mrs. Frank Koranda), of Des Moines township; Joseph, of this sketch.
Joseph N. Prokes was born in Bohemia De- cember 29, 1852. Ile came to America with his parents in 1885, was educated in the pub- lie schools of Chicago, and in 1892 came to Jackson county with the family. lle worked for his father on the farm until twenty-four years of age: then he bought the farm and has since condneted it.
The marriage of our subject occurred in Jackson February 11, 1908, when he wedded Anna Olivia Cibak. of Alpha, a native of Bo- hemia, who came to the United States when three years of age. Her parents are Frank and Catherina Cihak, now residents of Wiscon- sin township. To Mr. and Mrs. Prokes has been born one child, Elenora, born February 20, 1909. Both Mr. and Mrs. Prokes are mem. hers of the Catholic church and he is a mem- ber of the Catholic Order of Workmen.
J. M. PUTMAN (1901), president of the JJack- son County State Bank of Lakefield, was born in Mount Sterling, Illinois, March 30, 1SS1. the son of James and Letha Ann (Darnell) Putman, natives of Brown county and Han- rock county, Ilinois, respectively.
Left an orphan when a baby his father dying when he was four months old and his mother when he was two and one-half years old -he was brought up in the home of his grandfather Darnell. His early education was scoured in the village schools before he was seventeen years of age and the year prior to reaching hi- majority he again studied one year in the schools of Atlantic, lowa. At the age of sixteen years young Pulman left his grandfather's home ind started out in life for himself with a capital of $5,05. He worked at different occupations for a few years and then went into the drug business. first at liol- land and then at Gladbrook. lowa. in which ho was engaged seventeen years.
In IS90 Mr. Putman sold out his drug busi- ness and went into the banking business, in- vesting his money in the Tama County State Bank, of Gladbrook. an institution which was
V
J. M. PUTMAN
President of the Jackson County State Bank, Lakefield, and His Granddaughter, Henrietta Wilhelmine Meilicke.
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
ARTOR, LENOX AND TILCEN FOUNDATIONA.
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later organized into the First National Bank. Two years after becoming interested in the bank Mr. Putman was elected president. Ile still has interests in the bank. In 1899 he moved to Grinnell, Iowa, because of the more advantageous school privileges, and in that city he remained until he came to Jackson county in 1901.
In July, 1901, Mr. Putman moved to Lake- field and in partnership with IT. L. Bond bought the interests of M. II. Evans, the ma- jority owner of the Jackson County State Bank, and they have since been the managers of that financial institution, Mr. Putman be- ing president and Mr. Bond cashier. The sub- jeet of this biography is a staunch democrat and was one of Mr. Bryan's warmest sup- porters during the campaign of 1908. He is a member of the A. F. & A. M. lodge.
Mr. Putman was married at Braintree, Ver- mont, November 10, 1881, to Hattie Mand White, a native of Wisconsin and a daughter of Julian and Harriett (Burgess) White, both natives of the Empire state. Mrs. Putman died November 21. 1904, being 47 years of age at the time of her death. One child was born to this union, J. Mabel, now the wife of IIngo E. Meilicke, son of Honorable E. J. Meilieke, formerly of Windom. Mr. and Mrs. Meilieke now reside at Dundurn, Canada.
Mr. Putman owns a fine residence in Lake- field, and since the death of his wife his mo- ther makes her home with him that she may have the care of her son in her old age.
OLE O. ENGEN (1868), farmer and thresh- erman of Christiania township, is one of the pioneer settlers of that precinet. He was born in Norway September 19, 1852. His mo- ther, Julia Sivertson, makes her home with her son.
Ole was brought up on a farm in his native country and in 1866 eame to America. He lived in Ohnsted county, Minnesota, two years, working as a farm laborer, and then in Sep- tember, 1868. with his mother and father-in- law, Thomas Johnson, came to Jackson conn- ty. The first winter the family lived in Bel- mont township, but in the spring of 1869 they moved to Christiania township, Mr. Johnson taking as a homestead elaim eighty acres of the farm on section 26 now owned by our sub- ject.
Ole Engen's home has been on that farm ever
sinee. The first house on the place was a com- bination log and sod shanty with a dirt roof, in which the family lived for several years. Dur- ing the grasshopper days Mr. Engen went to the eastern counties during the harvest seasons to work to earn money to support the family. When he was still a young man he acquired an interest in the farm and in partnership with his father-in-law conducted it. Mr. John- son died ten or twelve years ago, and since that time Mr. Engen has been the sole owner and manager. His present farm consists of 180 aeres on scetions 26 and 35. For the past seventeen or eighteen years he has been en- gaged in digging wells and sinee 1875 he has been engaged in the threshing business.
Mr. Engen was married in Christiania town- ship to Carrie Peterson Berge, a native of Olmsted county. She died within a year after her marriage. On child was born to this un- ion, Carol Engen, born November 24, 1878. The second marriage of Mr. Engen occurred in Christiania township December 22, 1880, when he wedded Mary Johnson, who was born in Norway and who came to the United States in 1869. To this union have been born the following named children: Gea (Mrs. Alex Elness), of Christiania, born August 23, 1881; Signe (Mrs. Severin Holmen), of Christiania, born March 1, 1887; Thea Olive, who resides at home, born December 6, 1889.
Mr. Engen and family are members of the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran ehureh. Ile served eleven years as elerk of his township, was justiee of the peace many years, has been a supervisor and chairman of the board for several years and was elerk of his sehool dis- triet for several years.
ISAAC G. REED (1870), a farmer who re- sides in the village of Wilder, is an early day settler of the county and a pioneer of the west. He is a descendant of colonial stock. a history of the Reed family being the authority for the statement that the founder of the Ameri- ean branch of this family came over from Eng- land in the Mayflower and settled in Massa- elisetis. Bezer and Nancy (Lilly) Reed were the parents of our subject and were natives of Massachusetts. They came west in 1852 and from that time until their demise they resided in Dane county, Wisconsin.
To these parents Isaac G. Reed was born in Otsego county, New York, on the 22nd day
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of August, 1835. He was brought up on a farm in his native county and in 1851 came west with a married sister and settled in Dane county, Wisconsin. At the time there were no railroads west of Buffalo and he made the trip to his new home by way of the Erie canal and the great lakes to Racine, Wiscon- sin. and from thence to Dane county over- land. flis parents came to the same county two years later and with them Isaac lived until he became of age.
In 1870 Mr. Reed came to Jackson county and took as a homestead claim the southwest quarter of section 30, Hunter township. Upon that farm he lived until 1898. Then in order to seenre better school privileges for his chil- dren he moved to Wilder. There he bought land and has since been engaged in farming. While living in Hunter township Mr. Reed Held various township offices and since be- coming a resident of Wilder he has served as councilnan and member of the school board several terms, having been elected a member of the council upon the incorporation of the village. Mr. Reed affiliates with the Methodist Episcopal church.
At .Spirit Lake, lowa, on May 18, 1879, Mr. Reed was married to Sarah A. Tuttle, a na- tive of Towa. To them have been born the following six children: Linton T., Iva, Isaae G., Rolla T., flarry T. and Verne.
JERRY SULLIVAN (187]) is one of the largest land owners of LaCrosse township as well as one of the town-hip's first settlers. The land holdings of Mr. Sullivan and his brother Alex embrace 1,320 acres, of which Mr. Sullivan alone owns 720 acres. Ilis home farm is on the east half of section 13. lle is an extensive feeder of hogs and cattle and a large grain raiser.
Our subjeet is a native Minnesotan, having Ix en born in Sibley county December 24, ISGI. At the age of ten years, in Is71, he accompan- ied his parents to Jackson county and lived in LaCrosse township. lle made his home with his parents until thirty three years of age, engaging in farming after growing up. Af- ter his marriage in 1896, Mr. Sullivan located on bis present place, where he has ever since resided. He is a successful farmer and has prospered. as his land hollings would indi- cate.
The parents of our subject were Owen and
Mary (('Neil) Sullivan, both natives of Coun- ty Cary, Ireland. They came to America when children and were brought up in Ontario, Can- ada, where they were married. Later they lived in Chicago, in Galena, Illinois, in Platteville, Wisconsin, and in 185-t located in Sibley coun- ty. Minnesota, being the first settlers in that section of the territory. There they home- steaded and resided until 1871. In the last named year they located in Jackson county, taking a preemption claim on section 4, La- Crosse township. There they resided until driven out by the grasshoppers in 1878. They moved to St. Paul, and three days after their arrival there, on September 27, 1878, Mr. Sul- livan died at the age of 62 years. Ilis widow, who is now 87 years of age. makes her home with our subject. There were eleven children in the family. as follows: Engene, Mary (de- ceased), Margaret (deceased), Kitty, Nora (de- evased). Eliza. Alex and Jerry (twins), Alice Mary and Nellie (deceased).
Mr. Sullivan was married in Heron Lake January 4, 1896, to Emma Beaton. She was born in Boston, Massachusetts, May 4, 1876, and is the daughter of Roderick and Mary (McCarvel) Beaton. Seven children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Sullivan, as follows: Mary, Geraldine, Dorothy. Roderick. Gene- vieve, Elenor and Sylvester .J.
Mr. Sullivan and his family are members of the Catholic church of Heron Lake and Mr. Sullivan served six years as a director of the church society. He is a member of the Yco- mon lodge. Mr. Sullivan is president of the Farmers State Bank of lleron Lake and of the Farmers Elevator company of the same village. For the past seven years he has served as director and treasurer of his school district and he has held the office of supervi- sor of his township.
THOMAS J. RUSSELL (869) is one of the pioneer settlers of Petersburg township, where he has resided forty years. He owns 200 acres of land and is one of the county's successful farmers.
Our subject was born in Dubuque county, Jowa. April 26. 1St8. the son of Thomas and Elespbeth (White) Russell. He resided in his native county until twenty-one years of age, and then came to Jackson county, arriving on the first day of October. 1869. He bought a homestead relinquishment in Petersburg town-
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ship, on section 18, and engaged in farming, and that has ever since been his home. He encountered many hardships during the grass- hopper days, losing four successive erops, but he stayed with the country and has come upon prosperous times.
Mr. Russell has taken an active part in local affairs during his long residence in the county. He was town supervisor eight years, school clerk 21 years and assessor five years. He has been census enumerator of his pre- cinet three times. lle holds stock in the Mid- dletown Telephone company.
On October 26, 1874. Mr. Russell was mar- ried to Emma Lee, who was born March 12, 1856. They have a large family of children, their names and dates of birth being as fol- lows: Perry L., born September 2, 1875; La- fayette F., born July 16. 1877: Richard E., born March 22, 1880; Thomas J., Jr., born February 11, 1882; Maud C., born July 10, 1884: Retta. horn October 29, 1886; Julia, born May 5, 1889; Ruby, born March 2, 1891; George P., born September 14, 1894; Mara, born January 12, 1897; Grace B., born March 26, 1900.
NELS HOLSTEN (1862), of JIeron Lake township, is one of the few residents of Jaek- son county now living in the county who were present at the Belmont massaere. IIe came with his parents a few months before that memorable event, and with the exception of a couple of years spent in northern Jowa because of fear of the redskins he has been a resident of the county ever since.
Ifolsten Olson, the well known pioncer set- tler. was the father of Mr. Holsten. lle eame from Norway in 1833 and settled in northern Illinois. There he married his first wife, who died in 1857, and there he engaged in farm- ing until he came to Jackson county. A year after the death of his first wife Holsten Ol- son married Ingebor Olson Slaabaken, who is now a resident of Jackson county, making her home with her son. Martin Holsten, in Belmont township. Holsten Olson died in Jackson eoun- ty October 1, 1893. at the age of 73 years. Nels is the youngest of his father's first fam- ily and the only other child living is Mrs. Betsy Thompson. Holsten Olson had six ehil- dren by his last marriage, of whom the follow- ing are living: Olosus, Martin, Edward, Tena and Helen.
Nels was born in Illinois, near the Wiseon- sin line, June 25, 1854. le came to the wilds of Jackson county with his father and step- mother in 1862. The Indian attack of August of that year drove them from the county, and refuge was sought at Estherville, lowa. The family returned to their home in Bel- mont in October, spent the winter on the fron- tier, and then fled to Spirit Lake, Iowa, be- cause of threatened Indian uprisings. They came back again in 1864 and located upon the homestead on the northwest quarter of section 34, Belmont township. Nels resided on the home farm until twenty-three years of age; then he started in life for himself, work- ing at various occupations for several years. In 1891 he married and bought his present farm, the southwest quarter of section 24, lleron Lake township, and upon that he has ever since lived. The farm was wild prairie land when he bought it, and all the improve- ments it now has are the result of his la- bors.
In Belmont township, on July 2, 1891, Mr. Holsten, was married to Julia Frantsen, who was born on section 12, Belmont township. the daughter of John and Johanna (Halverson) Frantsen. To this union have been born two children: Harry, born August 23, 1892; Josie, born February 2, 1900. Mr. and Mrs. Holsten are members of the Norwegian Lutheran ehureh.
FRANK WAZLAHOWSKY (1874), one of the early settlers of LaCrosse township, was born in Moravia, Austria, October 10, 1855. His father, Frank W. Wazlahowsky, was born in 1820, eame to the United States in 1874, and now makes his home in Owatonna, Min- Desota. The mother of onr subjeet, Josefa (Elgner) Wazlahowsky, was born in 1828 and died in Jackson county in 1897.
Frank lived in Moravia until he was nine- teen years of age. His father was a black- smith by trade, and he began working in the shop when a child and learned the trade. John Haberman, who came from the same part of Austria as did our subjeet, had come to Am- eriea and to Jackson county a year or two before. and it was because of the letters he wrote baek that the Wazlahowsky family de- eided to come to the new world. They came over in 1874, arriving in Jackson county April 30. The father of our subject bought the
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northeast quarter of section 32, LaCrosse township, and on that place Mr. Wazlahowsky has ever since made his home. A little frame house was built on the place at the start, and in ISTS our subject erected a frame build- ing a part of his present house.
L'util Ists Frank worked for his father, then he married and engaged in farming for Iumself, his father giving him eighty acres of the home farm at that time. Later Frank bought the other eighty and has since added to the dimensions of his farm by the purchase of forty acres adjoining. Mr. Wazla- howsky has held the offices of chairman of the township board, supervisor, town clerk, asses- sor and other offices. lle has always taken an active interest in school matters, he and John T. Haberman building the first school house in the district. Ile was the first clerk of district No. 33 and served many years.
Mr. Wazłahowsky was married in LaCrosse township November 20, 1878, to Amnie Belzl, who was born in Moravia, Austria, and who came to the United States in 1876. They have three children, Fred W., Mary T. and John A. The family are members of the Catholic church of Heron Lake.
JOHN J. SMITH (1860), of Jackson. bas lived in the county over forty-three years. He is a native of Tompkins county, New York, and has born February 27, 1839, the son of Hiram and Lydia (MeGowin) Smith.
When a small boy our subject accompanied his parents from Tompkins county to Chau- tanqua county. New York, and there he lived until 1858, receiving a common school educa- tion. That year he came west, driving from his New York state home to Wisconsin. He hved in The Badger state three years and then enlisted in the First Wisconsin regiment. After serving his term of enlistment he returned home and reenlisted in the 35th Wisconsin reg- iment and served until April, 1866. He received his discharge in Brownsville, Texas, and from that point the regiment proceeded to Madison. Wisconsin, and disbanded.
Immediately after his discharge from the army Mr. Smith determined to locate upon some of the land in the new countries farther west, and on the eleventh day of Aune. 1866. he arrived in Jackson county, having made the trip overland. He took a homestead claim in Wisconsin township, three miles southeast
of Jackson, and lived thereon eleven years, selling the farm in 1877. He then bought a farm in Wisconsin and Des Moines township-, upon which he resided twenty-one years. Ile then sold out and moved to Jackson, where he has siner respled. Mr. Smith was one of the first settlers of Wisconsin township anl upon its organization he was made one of the first members of the board of supervisors. He i- a member of the G. A. R.
Mr. Smith was married to Ama T. Fiekts in April, 1802. To these parents have been born the following named children: William E., born April 14. 1863; James Edwin, born August 2, 1869; Helen, born in 1877; Christie, born February 27, 1879; Susje, born in 1851; Lydia, born in ISSU.
TARJE K. OLSEN (1573). Among the pio- neer settlers of Alba township is the gentleman whose named heads this sketeb; he having resided on his present farm for the past thir- is -seven years. He owns 480 acres of land and is in prosperous circumstances.
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